Van Halen-1984

At the time of its release, much of the fuss surrounding 1984 involved Van Halen's adoption of synthesizers on this, their sixth album,a hoopla that was a bit of a red herring since the band had been layering in synths since their third album, Women and Children First. Those synths were either buried beneath guitars or used as texture, even on instrumentals where they were the main instrument, but here they were pushed to the forefront on "Jump," the album's first single and one of the chief reasons this became a blockbuster, crossing over to pop audiences Van Halen had flirted with before but had never quite won over. Of course, the mere addition of a synth wasn't enough to rope in fair-weather fans -- they needed pop hooks and pop songs, which 1984 had, most gloriously on the exuberant, timeless "Jump." There, the synths played a circular riff that wouldn't have sounded as overpowering on guitar, but the band didn't dispense with their signature monolithic, pulsating rock.Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony grounded the song, keeping it from floating to pop, and David Lee Roth simply exploded with boundless energy, making this seem rock & roll no matter how close it got to pop. And "Jump" was about as close as 1984 got to pop, as the other seven songs -- with the exception of "I'll Wait," which rides along on a synth riff as chilly as "Jump" is warm -- are heavy rock, capturing the same fiery band that's been performing with a brutal intensity since Women and Children First. But where those albums placed an emphasis on the band's attack, this places an emphasis on the songs, and they're uniformly terrific, the best set of original tunes Van Halen ever had. Surely, the anthems "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher" grab center stage -- how could they not, when the former is the band's signature sound elevated to performance art, with the latter being as lean and giddy, their one anthem that could be credibly covered by garage rockers? -- but "Top Jimmy," "Drop Dead Legs," and the dense yet funky closer, "House of Pain," are full-fledged songs, with great riffs and hooks in the guitars and vocals. It's the best showcase of Van Halen's instrumental prowess as a band,the best showcase for their songwriting, just their flat-out best album overall. It's a shame that Roth left after this album.

Band:Van Halen
Album:1984
Year:1984
Genre:Hard rock
Rating:8/10

Trivium-Ember to Inferno

Be prepared for the most unpredictable Thrash CD of the year. This is a unique 3 piece that will have your jaws on the floor guaranteed. When you hear the music within, you will think that they are a five piece. At any rate, these three young and up and coming Thrashers will see to it that you are assaulted and punished for the duration of the CD.

"Pillars Of Serpents" has all the elements of Thrash: fast riffs with quick double drumming that is tight and Metalcore vokills. The guys lets loose here with the complex time changes and also, lead vokillist and guitarist Matt Heafy throws in some clean vocals toward the end. To be honest, this is just a warm up. You haven't heard anything yet. What you hear here is nothing new. "If I Could…" starts making you take notice. You still get the intensity of rapid fire drumming and fierce guitar work, but Matt's vocals get very clean as well as gritty and let me tell you, this boy can sing. He pours his heart out and you can hear it. He can carry a note and you will take a second listen to make sure that you are listening to the same CD. You are also treated to sweet solos in each of their songs that just rip.

These "Fugue" adds more catchy riffs and hooks to sink your into, but they still keep it heavy and it shows. There is no wimping out here at any point. The clean and dirty vokills continue here. Thick bass lines also crush your speakers. So, you can tell that the mixing and mastering was done just right. There is nothing worse than when you have a good musician whose work is buried because of a bad mix. Each track just gets catchier and better to the point where you can't decide which is your favourite or you just want to listen to it again and again. I haven't had the heart to take this out of my CD player yet because it's just that damn good. This is a new generation of Thrash music where these three men have upped the ante here and it will hard to over throw.

You can have your Destruction, Bodom, Slayer and so forth, but these guys bury them in a cloud of smoke and they stand head and shoulders above anyone in this genre. You get the total package here that makes for a killer CD worth every penny: great musicianship, killer solos, jaw dropping compositions with pin point accuracy, catchy hooks, riffs and rhythms and a take no prisoner attitude. This is new band that will make you take notice and show you what can be done in a genre.

Band:Trivium
Album:Ember to Inferno
Year:2003
Genre:Trash metal,Metalcore
Rating:8.5/10

Queens of the Stone Age-Songs For the Deaf

Certain people would have you believe that Queens of the Stone Age's third album, Songs for the Deaf, is the return of real rock -- a bonecrushing work of boundless imagination, the cornerstone in a new era of great rock, much like was a decade beforehand. These people, coincidentally, happen to be in the same group that criticizes the Strokes and the White Stripes, claiming that those two bands are nothing but hype, while shamelessly indulging in breathless hyperbole whenever they speak a single word about Queens Of The Stone Age. Anybody who heard Songs prior to its release claimed it was the greatest rock album in years, at least the greatest since Rated R, setting up expectations impossibly high for this very good album. To begin with, this ain't accessible -- not because the music is out-there or unfamiliar (lots of Cream filtered through garage rock, prog-metal, album rock, and punk does not make one a Borbetomagus, nor does it make it "imaginative," either), but because it is so insular, so concerned with pleasing themselves with what they play that they don't give a damn for the audience. This extends to the production, which sounds like a stoned joke gone awry as it compresses and flattens every instrument as if it were coming out of a cheap AM car radio. Sure, that might be the point -- the album begins with radio chatter, and there are lots of jokey asides by a fake DJ -- but Deaf winds up being entirely too evenhanded and samey, since every guitar has the same beefy, mid-range, no-treble tone and Dave Grohl(aka the Most Powerful Drummer in the Universe) is pushed to the background, never sounding loud, never giving this music the muscle it needs. As such, it becomes tiring to listen to -- too much at the same frequency, all hitting the ear in a way that doesn't result in blissful submission, just numbness undercut with a desire to have some texture in this album. Once you get around this -- which is an effort; unlike, say,"The Strokes"Is This It?, whose thin production worked aesthetically and enhanced the songs, this sound cuts QOTSA off at the knees -- there indeed is plenty to enjoy here since the band is very good. They're exceptional players, especially augmented here by Grohl on drums, Mark Lanegan on vocals, and Dean Ween on guitar, plus they're very good songwriters, whether they're writing technically intricate riff-rockers or throwbacks to Nuggets. All of this is sorely missing from most guitar rock these days, whether it's indie rock or insipid alt-metal, so it's little wonder that so many fans of great guitar rock flock to this, regardless of its flaws. But that doesn't erase the fact that, above all, QOTSA is a muso band -- a band for musicians and those who have listened to too much music. Why else did the greatest drummer and greatest guitarist in '90s alt-rock (Dave Grohl and Dean Ween, respectively) anxiously join this ever-shifting collective? They wanted to play with the prodigiously talented Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, two musicians who share their taste and willingness to jam. It results in interesting music and an album that, for all of its flaws, is still easily one of the best rock records of 2002.

Band:Queens of the Stone Age
Album:Songs for the Deaf
Year:2002
Genre:Rock,Hard-rock
Rating:8/10

Ozzy Ozbourne-Black Rain

Black Rain was released just a year and half before Ozzy's 60th birthday, and he does sound like a veteran -- he can't wail like he used to, opting for a lower-register growl, but perhaps the biggest indication that he's getting on in years is that he doesn't rock as hard as he once did. Sure, longtime axeman Zakk Wylde is here playing some mean guitar, but this isn't as heavy as he was even a decade ago, lacking both the gut-level punch and monster riffs of even his post-Randy Rhoads work. Certainly, this level of heaviosity is missed, but it's also true that if Ozzy really strived for a brutal attack he might wind up sounding older than he already does here, so hearing him ease into a hazily dark, vaguely psychedelic heavy rock as reminiscent of Lennon as it is of Sabbath is oddly appropriate. Nothing on Black Rain could really qualify as an Osbourne classic, but there's something curiously comforting about Ozzy relaxing a little bit and singing songs that are strangely age-appropriate -- something that's not respectable, necessarily, something that is still metal, but something that isn't quite as heavy as before, yet retaining that swirling, circular melodies and murky grind that has been his stock and trade for nearly 40 years. If the music feels a bit older, so do Ozzy's lyrics. He spends a startling amount of time addressing the ills of the world, ranging from terrorism to consumerism, and for once his fondness for gloomy doomsday imagery jibes with the conventional-held opinion of the state of the world (although he never gets as apocalyptic as Cormac McCarthy's The Road, or the Left Behind series, for that matter, which frankly is a relief). This unintentional zeitgeist piggybacking helps Black Rain feel timely and appropriate, which is a mildly shocking turn of events, and helps the album feel something closer to a work of art than a piece of product for the Ozz machine. It's hardly a perfect record -- producer Kevin Churko, who engineered Osbourne's Under Cover and also produced Cheap Trick's 2006 Rockford, has a long history of pop editing and engineering, including credits on Britney's Oops!...I Did It Again, Shania Twain's Up!, and Celine Dion's New Day Has Come, and all that history is evident in the album's slightly too punchy and precise sound. But even if Black Rain is a bit clean, a bit soft in the center, it's far from an embarrassment, and it's surprisingly likeable -- kind of like Ozzy himself in the new millennium, really, so it's nice that he finally has an album that lives up to his well-scrubbed, reputable persona.

Artist:Ozzy Osbourne
Album:Black Rain
Year:2007
Genre:Hard Rock,Metal
Rating:7.8/10

Nirvana-Nevermind

Nirvana's album Nevermind seems to be the place where alternative rock crashed into the mainstream.And, yes, Nevermind is probably a little shinier than it should be, positively glistening with echo and fuzzbox distortion, especially when compared with Bleach.Cobain's lyrics maybe dark and filled with his personal problems but Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl help turn this into music that is gripping,powerful,and even fun.No other rock song sounds as alive as "Smells Like Teen Spirit",the album's first single."In Bloom" and "Lithium" are also very good songs.The chorus of "Lithium" was just amazing.The biggest surprise of the album is probably the fact that Cobain has included a love song "Come As You Are" in the album.This song is perhaps their second biggest commercial hit.Nevermind showcases Nirvana trying to make music outside of the restrictive confines of the Seattle grunge scene drawing influence from groups such as "Pixies","Smithereens" and "R.E.M".Nevermind has sold more than 26 million copies worldwide and is one of the best rock albums of all time.

Band:Nirvana
Album:Nevermind
Year:1991
Genre:Rock,Grunge
Rating:9/10

AC/DC-Back In Black

The first sound on Back in Black is the deep, ominous drone of church bells or "Hell's Bells" as it were, opening the album and AC/DC's next era with a fanfare while ringing a fond farewell to Bon Scott,their late lead singer who partied himself straight to hell. But this implies that Back in Black is some kind of tribute to Scott, which may be true on a superficial level.Hell's bells certainly signifies death,but the album isn't filled with mournful songs about the departed. It's a more fitting tribute, actually, since AC/DC not only carried on without him, but they delivered a record that to the casual ear sounds like a seamless successor to Highway to Hell, right down to how Brian Johnson's screech is a dead ringer for Scott's growl. Most listeners could be forgiven for thinking that Johnson was Scott, but Johnson's music is different from Bon's. He's driven by the same obsessions sex,drink and rock and roll,but there isn't nearly as much malevolence in his words or attitude as there was with Scott.Bon sounded like a criminal,Brian sounds like a rowdy scamp throughout Back in Black, which helps give it a real party atmosphere. Of course,Johnson shouldn't be given all the credit for Back in Black, since Angus and Malcolm carry on with the song-oriented riffing that made Highway to Hell close to divine. Song for song, they deliver not just mammoth riffs but songs that are anthems, from the greasy "Shoot to Thrill" to the pummeling "Back in Black," which pales only next to "You Shook Me All Night Long," the greatest one-night-stand anthem in rock history. That tawdry celebration of sex is what made AC/DC different from all other rock bands.There was no sword,no sorcery, no darkness, just a rowdy party, and they never held a bigger, better party than they did on Back in Black.

Band:AC/DC
Album:Back In Black
Year:1980
Genre:Rock
Rating:9.5/10

Three Days Grace-One X

Three Days Grace continue their accessible alternative metal attack of blunt lyrics and crunching rhythms with their sophomore effort, One-X. Thematically based around dealing with the disconnect felt while Three Days Grace were on the road in support of their 2003 album, the music remains catchy despite its lyrical darkness. Not surprisingly, the songs mostly revolve around feelings of isolation, tumultuous relationships, and anguished loneliness -- but through all their misery and confusion, Three Days Grace ultimately embrace the difficulties as merely a part of being human ("I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all" from "Pain"). The band's simple and direct approach owns a certain charm that makes One-X an enjoyable listen.This album is highly innovative.The band members still have no desire to mask sentiments behind perverse metaphors; just as their 2003 smash single "I Hate Everything About You" addressed a problematic relationship in powerfully straight terms, so do tracks on One-X. For instance "Let It Die" frankly states "I swear I never meant to let it die/I just don't care about you anymore." And the forthright "Riot" ("Let's start a riot!") is one of a few riled-up outsider anthems on hand. But, there are also a number of tracks present that find Three Days Grace adding a few interesting twists to their hard-hitting formula that not only show a gentler side to the guys, but also work out rather nicely. Calming things down a bit, fluid instrumentation and vocalist Adam Gontier's steady delivery make the ominous "Get Out Alive" one of their strongest (though softer) songs, while "Over and Over" employs impassioned strings for an exploration of, yes, dysfunctional relationships. "Pain" finds the band channeling its inner Soundgarden and "Animal I Have Become" has a slight singsongy chorus to complement the track's thick riffing. There is no reason that fans of the band shouldn't embrace this album as the satisfying listen that it is. Some further distinctive qualities could be useful in helping separate Three Days Grace more from their alt-metal peers, but One-X certainly plays as a proficient step in the right direction.

Band:Three Days Grace
Album:One-X
Year:2006
Genre:Rock,alternative metal
Rating:8/10

Bush-Sixteen Stone

The quartet from Britain,mimic the grunge sound of the 80's amazingly well in this release.Lead singer Gavin Rossdale has a really captivating voice but but writing lyrics are not his forte I guess,as the splintered ramblings of "Everything's Zen"indicates.But in "Everything's Zen" Bush produce a competent approximation of their heroes Nirvana."Little things" is a brilliant rewrite of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".The song is just too good.The next great song in the album is "Machinehead".This one's my favourite in the album.The song opens with an amazing riff."Glycerine" is also a breath taking song.This song crunches just like a "Pearl Jam" or "Soundgarden" song.Even though Bush have derived their sounds from various locations,the album is really catchy and its worth a listen.

Band:Bush
Album:Sixteen Stone
Year:1994
Genre:Post grunge
Rating:7.3/10

Scorpions-Love At First Sting

Although Scorpions had already achieved fame after 1982's Blackout,Love At First Sting brought them their biggest single of the decade,the slick anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane".The album opens with the hair raising opener "Bad Boys Running Wild".This song's got a wicked riff which makes the just too good to listen to.The album continues with songs such as the memorable "Big City Nights" and the half ballad,half powerhouse rocker "Coming Home".The record also contains what just might be the band's best power ballad ever,the tear jerking "Still Loving You".Considering the fact that it has some of their best-ever singles,Love At First Sting" is a must for all the rock lovers and the Scorpions fans.

Band:Scorpions
Album:Love At First Sting
Year:1984
Genre:Rock
Rating:9/10

Stereophonics-Just Enough Education to Perform

Just Enough Education Perform illustrates a more mature Stereophonics.Its an album containing 11 different narratives,each playing with areas of soul,aggro rock and moody pop/rock.The debut single "Mr.Writer" scowls at music reviewers for their quick witted opinions.The riffs in the song carry Jones' heartfelt aggression."Vegas Two Times" is one of the album's more ruffled tracks,but it's the old fashioned "Step On My Old Size Nines" that makes for the transition from rock to a ballad."Hurry Up and Wait" and "Traffic" are a little old fashioned but they are really charming songs.Changes from their personal lives probably shaped the sounds on this record,most notably "Maybe" and "Watch Them Fly Sundays".Crafted around blues-rock guitars and some nice percussions,the songs reflect the demise of Jones' relationship with his long time girlfriend.They are gorgeously haunting with emotions.A charming side is visible even though Jones had his row with the press.This album has a few elements of country in it.This can be noted in the song "Handbags and Gladrags".

Stereophonics have changed their style a bit but they can laugh off all the harsh comments whole heartedly.This album just shows off the amount potential Stereophonics have.

Band:Stereophonics
Album:Just Enough Education To Perform
Year:2001
Genre:Rock,Indie rock
Rating:7.5/10

Poets of the Fall-Signs of Life

Signs of Life the debut album by Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall.This album has some creative and unique tracks that will immediately draw your attention.If you are looking for a band that plays solo's,this is not for you but if you are looking for bands that bring out great melodies and rhythms in every song,then this one's for you.The album opens off with the first single from the album and the greatest hit so far "Lift".The song starts of with a catchy riff.From there its just amazing."Overboard" has an odd opening but it has a catchy chorus.The second big hit of the album "Late Goodbye" opens with a nice little acoustic note.The acoustic guitar adds a nice melody to the song.The vocals get a bit repetitive but the song is enjoyable.The track "Don't Mess with me" has some really aggressive drumming compared to the rest of the songs."Shallow" and "3 am" are the songs that i hated most in the album.They just aren't worth wasting your precious time on."Everything Fades",one of my favorite non-single tracks from the album starts off with a mellow and soft opening but goes onto become heavy."Illusion and Dream" is also a great song.Keyboards are used particularly well in this song."Sleep" is probably not the best way to close the album.It's a very slow song,something that does not settle down well with the rest of the album.

This album is a great album.All Alternative rock lovers will welcome this album with open arms.The vocals in particular make this album great.This album has the kind of tracks that makes you want to sit back and listen to them over and over again.

Band:Poets of the Fall
Album:Signs of Life
Year:2005
Genre:Rock
Rating:7.5/10

Kalmah-The Black Waltz

This is a perfect reply to all those idiots who thought Kalmah copied music from Children of Bodom.The Black Waltz has all the features which an ideal album would require.Except for a bad album art,everything's running just fine and Kalmah are perfectly under control of their music.

Everyone listening to this album might have noticed that Kalmah's sound has changed a bit.I seriously don't know how to describe the change but all I can say is the album is different but that doesn't mean its not good.Every track in this album is just great.Kalmah have lined up some trashing riffs for the album."Time Takes Us All" is probably the best song in the album.It starts of with a stunner of a riff.The vocals are particularly amazing in this track.The song "The Black Waltz","Man Of the King","One From the Stands" and "The Groan of Wind" are all pretty impressive tracks.Kalmah seem to be shifting from black metal to trash in this album.

The album is much more riff-laden than their previous albums.The keyboards are less atmospheric this time.The guitar and keyboard solos are just brilliant in this album but I feel this would have been a lot better if it had some violin solos like the "Fear of the Dark" cover.I give full credit to the band for trying something new.This trash/death outfit suits them great.

Band:Kalmah
Album:The Black Waltz
Year:2006
Genre:Melodic death metal
Rating:8/10

Puddle Of Mudd-Come Clean

Like Nirvana's Nevermind album,Puddle Of Mudd's Come Clean hit the teen angst market with themes of isolation and depression,but Puddle Of Mudd also added relationships especially the breakdown of relationships as the main themes to their songs.Wes Scantlin's voice voice is quite similar to Kurt Cobain but that's no reason why people should be dissuaded from listening to this album.In fact this album is a masterpiece and it has gone on to become one of my favorite rock albums.

The first song Control is a very energetic song with strong vocals backed up by distortion.The song is about a past relationship that went sour and has a full on heavy rock sound.The next song is totally different from Control.This song has more of a mellow acoustic feel.There's a decent guitar solo at the end of the song with heavy guitaring."Nobody Told Me" is a really useless song.I tried to be impartial but this song just doesn't fit in the album."Out Of My Head" sounds like a typical Nirvana song.This may not be the best song bu Puddle Of Mudd but its worth a listen.All hail "Blurry",the second single of the album.I actually lack words to describe the song.It's probably the best song of the album and perhaps one of the best songs ever.The song is about Wes Scantlin's son and it's very touching in parts.I loved the chorus of the song,very creative indeed."She Hates Me",the 3rd single is also a good song but its not good enough ti sit with the likes of "Blurry","Drift and Die" and "Control"."Bring Me down" is full of energy and some solid drumming but the lyrics are really depressive."Piss It All Away" has some bongo style drumming and acoustic guitar but the song is bad and it fails to captivate you.

Overall,this is not so bad a record.There may be a couple of bad songs but looking at the positives the album has produced some great tracks like "Blurry","Drift and Die" and "Control".This album takes you back to the days Nirvana and Soundgarden.

Band:Puddle Of Mudd
Album:Come Clean
Genre:Post-grunge
Year:2001
Rating:7.2/10

Fuel-Angels and Devils

A few months after the 2003 release of their third album Natural Selection ,Fuel parted ways with lead vocalist Brett Scallions,which turned out to be bit of a fortuitous timing because at that time Fuel where without a singer and they received a huge publicity boost in early 2006 when Chris Daughtry resident rocker of the fifth season of American Idol,plugged them relentlessly,singing their songs and citing them as an influence.The drummer Kevin Miller had left in 2004.Guitarist and songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie decided to pursue Daughtry publicly,only to have the newly ascendant star turn the down.Undaunted,the pair hired Toryn Green as their new singer and they also appointed Tommy Stewart as their drummer.

In spite of the amazing amount of pressure Fuel delivered to the world an awesome new album.The opener "Gone" goes to the top of Fuel's kick-ass rock numbers."I Should Have Told You","Halos of the Sun" and "Angels Take a Soul" are three songs that in terms of music and quality could go in any Fuel album in the past ten years and fit in just in just as well then,as they do here.The major album highlight comes in the form of "Leave the Memories Alone".It's probably the best song by the new singer Toryn Green.

As a Fuel fan,i really didn't think it was possible for Brett Scallions to be replaced but talking about Toryn Green,he's done an amazing job.Green is damn near perfect.The arrival of Green into the band is one of t he significant things that has happened in the history of Fuel.Carl Bell also does a wonderful job on this album."Angels and Devils" is perhaps the band's best release till date.It's similar to when the band first really came on with "Sunburn".The band was around for a few years before that album but that was their birth into mainstream rock.After a few ups and downs,"Angels and Devils"signifies the rebirth of Fuel.

Band:Fuel
Album:Angels and Devils
Year:2007
Genre:Rock,Alternative rock
Rating:7.4/10

Avenged Sevenfold-Avenged Sevenfold

Let me make one thing clear-I've always loved this guys and this album just deepens my love for them but I don't seem to understand why people despise "Avenged Sevenfold".They've got amazing riffs,good vocals and some creative rhythm section.This album in fact makes the right first impression.

The album starts off with "Critical Acclaim".It may not be the best of songs in the album but it's got a heavy riff that would immediately bring you into Avenged Sevenfold territory.The next song "Almost Easy" is one of the album highlights and it also was the first single.The song has nice lyrics and also good guitars.I loved the part where it goes like "Im not insane,Im not insane".The song "Scream" is seriously not worth listening to."Afterlife" is the real deal in this album and perhaps one of the best rock songs of the decade.This one's got amazing vocals,some solid drumming and a chorus which is hotter than hell.The song is perhaps evident that Avenged Sevenfold are maturing musically.Afterlife's successor "Gunslinger" is also a great track."A little piece of heaven" and "Dear God" follow a similar path as "Gunslinger".

From this album it seems that Avenged Sevenfold have softened up a bit but that's no reason why this album should be hated.This is in fact a great album and it's worth a listen for any hard-rock fan.

Band:Avenged Sevenfold
Album:Avenged Sevenfold
Year:2007
Genre:Hard rock,Heavy metal
Rating:7.8/10

Velvet Revolver-Libertad

Libertad delivers much of what you'd expect from the super group Velvet Revolver.Almost every song begins with Slash's grinding guitar riffs and is rounded out by a solid rhythm section.While Libertad never reaches the songwriting level of an album like Appetite For Destruction,it still features some cool rock tracks and many classic solos by the incomparable Slash.

The first song "Let it Roll" is a perfect opener to start with.It sounds a lot like what you would hear from the 80's glam metal era where bands like Poison and Van Halen ruled.The band chose a fitting new single "She Builds Quick Machines",which starts of with a guitar intro similar to "Slither".That riff pretty much makes the song.You hear the intro much of the way through and up until the breakdown,where it is effectively slowed down to make way for a killer Slash solo.Few songs in the album get a bit repetitive but Slash once again saves the day with his guitar solos.The rhythm section is exceptionally tight in Velvet Revolver,with "American Man" the best example of the talent.The song draws you in pretty quickly with an intro that doesn't put the guitars in the spotlight.A grooving bass line from Duff McKagan and a brilliant mellow percussion from Matt Sorum is at the forefront of "American Man".Also Pills,Demons,etc and For a Brother deserve a special mention as these songs are dedicated to the memory of Michael Weiland and Daniel Sorum.

Jaw dropping solos,loaded rhythms and seasoned harmonies make this album worth listening to.The album may be a bit different from Contraband but it definitely is good.Listening to this album is time well spent.

Band:Velvet Revolver
Album:Libertad
Year:2007
Genre:Hard rock
Rating:7.7/10

Riverside-Rapid Eye Movement

Well if you are expecting an album on the lines of Second Life Syndrome,those expectations will not be met.The album is recognizable as a Riverside album but if you keep comparing it to it's predecessors you may not come to like it.If you judge the album on its own merits you might learn that it is very enjoyable and in fact a great album but it must be admitted that a couple of spins are necessary before the appreciation can begin.

The album is divided into two parts.The first part is named "Fearless".The first song "Beyond the Eyelids" has nice guitars but keyboards have been given a larger role.The flow of this track sounds like "Dance With the Shadow" from Second Life Syndrome.The second song "Rainbow Box" has even rockier guitar but has a weird keyboard sound(it sounds like a bell but it was this track that won me over)."02 Panic Room" has been released as a single and has been available on the bands myspace page for quite some time.It is a track with a bass guitar driven rhythm.There is a strange break near the end of this song and later the same mood is followed in "Schizophrenic Prayer"."Parasomnia" starts over with atmospheric tones and a haunting bass run after which it goes into typical riverside music.

The second chapter is named "Fearland"."Through the Other Side" has a leading role for the vocals accompanied by acoustic guitars."Embryonic"goes along the same lines but has more powerful vocals."Cybernetic Pillow" starts of with a quite guitar loop after which slowly the rest of the band members join in and the track swells to a greater power.And then the longest piece of them all "The Ultimate Trip"is one of the best tracks in the album.This is the perfect way to finish the album.

Lots of people will decide that this album is probably not as good as Second Life Syndrome and I don't blame them either because Second Life Syndrome is a great album.I must admit too,I liked the older album more than this one.This is a splendid album but it needs some getting used to.Once you hear it a couple of times,you will have gained a new friend for your music player.

Band:Riverside
Album:Rapid Eye Movement
Year:2007
Genre:Progressive metal
Rating:7.6/10

Drowning Pool-Full Circle

The death of a band member can have adverse effects on a band.When John Bonham died in 1980 Led Zeppelin was so distraught by his death that they broke up.For Drowning Pool,the death of Dave Williams just motivated them to continue on in his honor.Jason "Gong" James was brought in and Desensitized was released two years after Dave's death.The album was decent but Dave's presence was felt all over the album,especially in Jones's vocals.After Jones left citing personal and musical differences,former soil singer Ryan McCombs was brought in to try to get the band back on track.Full Circle is Drowning Pool's first album with their new singer.The album is in fact a more mature release from the quartet from Texas.Mots people would not put mature and Drowning Pool together but the band takes out steps to branch out musically.

Acoustic guitars are a huge part of the band's sound on Full Circle."Reborn" is a perfect example where the band implements acoustic guitars without sacrificing on the songs intensity.Of all the "Paralyzed" and "No More" use acoustic guitars best."Paralyzed" is a great ballad that uses acoustic guitars to represent a somber mood."Paralyzed" makes the previous Drowning Pool ballads look inferior."Upside Down" is one of the heaviest tracks in the album with one of the best solos on the album.A look into the songs cannot be finished without "Rebel Yell",the Billy Idol cover.The song is a bit heavier and it also has keyboards in it.The cover is a worthwhile listen.

The lyrics are all about relationships,rising against people and hatred of others.However,one song does stand out lyrically."Soldiers",deals with the troops overseas fighting for our freedom.Well the song is not about bashing the government or war.Its simply about what soldiers are fighting for:Us and our rights.The song is decent and lyrically it gets my respect.

Ryan McCombs however does a decent job on the vocals.He has an amazing vocal range which was absent in both Dave Williams and Jason James.Ryan McCombs hits notes ranging from growls to high pitched screams to melodic crooning.McCombs is a great fit for Drowning Pool.CJ Pierce does a great job on the guitars.His acoustic work is phenomenal and is the biggest surprise of the album.Who knew that the guitarist who played "Sinner" could pull of a guitar intro as is evident in "Paralyzed".Pierce's guitar playing is one of the biggest reasons for the maturity of the band's sound in Full Circle.Steve Benton and Mike Luce make way for a solid rhythm unit.Benton gets a chance to shine at the bass driven "Duet" while Luce gets some pounding double bass in at the end of the title track.

Full Circle is a great accomplishment for the band.Considering that this is the band's third album with their third singer,the band sounds full of energy.Most of the songs show the band continuing to mature their sound while retaining some of their elements that made them a huge hit(heavy and catchy riffs).While some people may complain that this album is not as heavy as Drowning Pool's previous releases,most people will welcome it with open arms.

Band:Drowning Pool
Album:Full Circle
Year:2007
Genre:Post-grunge,Alternative metal,Groove metal
Rating:8/10