Sentinel's Quick Reviews

This one's a classic. Driving home from work in the cold tonight made me long for a warm summer night with the windows down and the volume up. So, here we go. McMaster sounds great here and the boogie Metal has the party in full swing. Can't believe the piece of crap that comes after this album, but on this one, they are well...Pissd! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Excellent album as well as the two that came before it. I still listen to these guys a lot at work at night.They were definitely "pissed" on this release with all that was going on in the changing musical climate and crap from the label.

This is a great thread Sentinel! I'm looking forward to more.

the sentinel wrote:

This one's a classic. Driving home from work in the cold tonight made me long for a warm summer night with the windows down and the volume up. So, here we go. McMaster sounds great here and the boogie Metal has the party in full swing. Can't believe the piece of crap that comes after this album, but on this one, they are well...Pissd! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I still need to get this one. I will ignore the one that came after.

Thrasher73 wrote:

Excellent album as well as the two that came before it. I still listen to these guys a lot at work at night.They were definitely "pissed" on this release with all that was going on in the changing musical climate and crap from the label.

This is a great thread Sentinel! I'm looking forward to more.

Thanks, Wes.

007 wrote:

the sentinel wrote:

This one's a classic. Driving home from work in the cold tonight made me long for a warm summer night with the windows down and the volume up. So, here we go. McMaster sounds great here and the boogie Metal has the party in full swing. Can't believe the piece of crap that comes after this album, but on this one, they are well...Pissd! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I still need to get this one. I will ignore the one that came after.

I have typed that one in the search box on ebay a few times just to won it but I just can't bring myself to spend any amount of money on it at all. What a turd that thing is!

Okay, folks, tonight's installment is a thrash classic that is on par (in my opine anyway) with anything the "Big 4" put out. The boys from NYC are at their best here. Again, my opinion. Ha. The whole thing is killer, but my faves are "Coma" and "Infectious" with "Nice Day...for a Funeral" right on their heels. Also love the Edgar Winter's cover a lot, too.

Fun fact: I couldn't find my copy of this when the missus and I moved a few years back so I bought a used copy for like $5. Of course, I find my original a week or so later so I gave the other one to a buddy at work today.

Horrorscope was the second ever Overkill I heard, behind The Years Of Decay. Horrorscope is killer from beginning to end. Nice Day...For A Funeral is one of my favorite Overkill tunes.

Horrorscope became my favorite after getting it a few years back. Back in the day Under the Influence was my favorite and stayed that way until this one came along. Here's one of my faves from the album.

Horrorscope is a great album. My favorite track is "New Machine."

Been on a bit of a Megadeth kick lately in anticipation of the new one coming out on the 22nd. Spun "Endgame" in the car to and from work today and cued this up earlier in the eve:



In the summer of 1988, this cassette dominated the Walkman. I have fond memories of riding my bike at the beach house we used to rent and listening to this over and over. A short little number that's not much longer than most Ep's. I won't waste time with stuff we all know like Dave's drug problems at this time or that it was the only album for so and so. I'll just say that I have always loved the way the instrumental "Into the Lungs of Hell" flows into "Set the World Afire" and MegaDave's snarling vocals on the Sex Pistols ' cover. Also really like "502" and "Liar" and if pressed, would pick "Hook In Mouth" as my fave track. So, Chewie, 007, Thrasher, and Witchfinder...what do you all think?

I love it ! And I agree that the double album intro (of Into/Set) is excellent. Another fave of mine is In My Darkest Hour.

I just wasn't into Megadeth at this time. I like this album now but at the time, I just didn't care!

I never realized how short it was.

I have always loved this album. It's the red-headed stepchild of the early albums, but it's got a lot of great songs on it. My favorite cut is "Hook In Mouth," but I also really like all of the other songs except "Anarchy In The UK." It's not a terrible song, but I would have liked that to have been a b-side and have it replaced with another original Megadeth tune. That was probably way too much to ask considering how screwed up Dave was at the time. Starting out with a ripping instrumental is totally badass as well.

I've always liked it. It was Dark and had kind of an Apocalyptic feel to it. Stand out tracks for me are Liar, Mary Jane and My Darkest Hour.
Speaking of which, Sentinel have you heard the Christian band Boarders version of IMDH?

Thrasher73 wrote:

I've always liked it. It was Dark and had kind of an Apocalyptic feel to it. Stand out tracks for me are Liar, Mary Jane and My Darkest Hour.
Speaking of which, Sentinel have you heard the Christian band Boarders version of IMDH?

Not bad at all. I don't know if the singer always sounds like that or he was doing a pretty good MegaDave impersonation. Thanks.

Love Horrorscope, still prefer the albums with Bobby G on guitar overall but it's a damn near perfect album. I saw that tour and the band was at the top of their game, the opening act was Galactic Cowboys!

I've always liked So Far, So Good, So What. Yeah, it's kind of sloppy but that's part of the charm.

Since I got out of work on time and it was an off night for the gym (and the wife and I cooked a few dinners earlier in the week) I had time for a few albums.

First it was:



I am going back through the Deth catalog in anticipation of "Dystopia" and chose this one. I like it. It starts off with a killer track in "Blackmail the Universe" and after a more mellow number, punches you in the gut with "Kick the Chair." However, there is a bit of fluff and filler until you get to the awesome" Back in the Day" with it's thought provoking lyrics and NWOBHM inspired riffage. I love the way the album ends with "Shadow Of Deth" moving abruptly into "My Kingdom Come." Good melodic Metal album overall ( a 7/10 if you like) but nowhere near the epic Thrash that was the 80's early 90's. I feel like some of the songs should have been instrumentals as the music is fine but the lyrics seem a bit lacking and therefore half of the songs don't have a hook or seem to go anywhere ("I Know Jack" and "Tears In A Vial"). I would have liked there to be more thrashy jams like "Into the Lungs of Hell" or "Dialectic Chaos." I also could have done without the Beatle-esque intro to "Mice and Men." The back catalog overall is really good and I will always be a first day buyer. But, since this album it's been about half killer/ half filler on each album.

Nest, I took it down a notch. Okay, ...a few notches.



Oh, boy. What to say about this one. Well, I hadn't heard it in a while so I figured I would give it a spin and it's a pretty short album. It's funny, I own all the stuff I play/ review but I have to get a youtube link (just in case there is someone unfamiliar with whatever band /artist I am talking about and wants to hear it) and when I do I notice just how short some of our fave albums are. Anyway, as we all know, big let down when this one first came out back in '87. I always liked it as this style of music was right in my wheelhouse when I was in Junior High, but I remember a lot of the faithful, longtime Sister fans really bashing them. Much better than the album that came before it, but was still missing that raw energy and angst. Dee said it himself in their VH1 BtM episode how now that he had money and fame it was hard to be angry and write the next great teenage anthem like those that graced the first three TS offerings. It was probably the change in style of a lot of favorite bands of the time that pushed me to seek out something heavier and faster. "Wake Up The Sleeping Giant" is a killer track and great opener and "Hot Love" is good and certainly was a product of its time (Manager/ label execs pushing for a radio hit). To my ears, "One Bad Habit" has always sounded like a Kiss song.

And thirdly:



We go back up few notches in heaviness and awesomeness! In my humble opine anyway. Love this one. My only real complaint is that it's much too short. I feel that BG can do no wrong on the first 4-5 albums, but this one is different. There are no neo classical influences (or bombastic tendencies) and I get a strong Helloween meets Maiden vibe. Which is great b/c I love both those bands. This is especially apparent in songs like "Majesty" and "Run for the Night" and the title track. Also, the second to last instrumental (Gates of Moria) really gives me a feel for Hansi and Co.'s influences. It's weird that two instrumntals end the album but I think the "Gandalf" one is a bonus track. It's good, but really short. Faves on this one, "Majesty," Guardian of the Blind," "Run for the Night," and the title track.

I am finishing out the night with Heretic's Breaking Point, but I already covered that one.

The System Has Failed was a good return to form for Deth. It's miles better than the three albums before it.

Love is for Suckers was ok. It's slick and polished. Hot Love had a nice video with the chick in it. Haha!

Can't really comment on Blind Guardian. Not a fan. But I will say the album you posted sounds better than they're samey sound I've heard on later albums.

I listened to The System Has Failed.  I really like Chris Poland's guitar solos, but that's the only thing that stood out for me.

Thrasher73 wrote:

The System Has Failed was a good return to form for Deth. It's miles better than the three albums before it.

Love is for Suckers was ok. It's slick and polished. Hot Love had a nice video with the chick in it. Haha!

Can't really comment on Blind Guardian. Not a fan. But I will say the album you posted sounds better than they're samey sound I've heard on later albums.

It's their debut, just in case you didn't know. I think you would like them, Wes, they get pretty fast and heavy at times early in their career.

S.D. wrote:

I listened to The System Has Failed.  I really like Chris Poland's guitar solos, but that's the only thing that stood out for me.  

Yeah, I remember this was Poland's return to Deth and a lot of people online (at the time) were stoked. I like his solos too, and the overall guitar tone on the album.

Thanks for the replies guys. Tonight's entry:



This is one of my all time favorite albums ever. I'm not kidding. I have been a fan of these guys since ' 86 when I first heard and saw the video for "The Final Countdown" and still am today. In fact, my wife and I walked in to that song at our wedding last year. I quickly backtracked and got this on cassette (still have it, of course) and found it streets ahead of TFC. It's not that I don't like TFC, I do. It's just too slick and polished up and the lyrics are corny in a "bad" way. It took me until 2007 to secure a copy of their awesome debut in a trade with SpectreFate; maybe I will review that one someday. Anyway, onto the album proper:

1.) Stormwind - Great opener. The intro guitar sound is excellent here and has been stuck in my head forever.
2.) Scream of Anger - Perhaps Europe's fastest, angriest song?
3.) Open Your Heart - Very good ballad and not overly sappy. Lookin' at you, Carrie.
4.) Treated Bad Again - Perhaps Europe's heaviest song? This one alone is worth the price of admission.
5.) Aphasia - is the sudden loss of the power of speech so naturally this is a killer instrumental.
6.) Wings of Tomorrow - Good song with a great, hooky chorus.
7.) Wasted Time - Upbeat, rockin' 1980's Metal track.
8.) Lyin' Eyes - Another very good track with some scorchin' soloing by John Norum.
9.) Dreamer - Beautiful piano track where Joey Tempest really shines.
10.) Dance the Night Away - Closes the album out on a high note.

Overall, a far more Metallic album ( much like the debut) than the multi platinum selling follow up. This one lays the groundwork for Europe's signature sound and really shows the influence of their '70's heroes like Thin Lizzy and UFO. I have to versions of this one. An original on CBS records, and then a re release from Lemon Records (2010) that has expanded liner notes and pictures. I am on the hunt for a nice copy on album, too.

the sentinel wrote:

Thanks for the replies guys. Tonight's entry:



This is one of my all time favorite albums ever. I'm not kidding. I have been a fan of these guys since ' 86 when I first heard and saw the video for "The Final Countdown" and still am today. In fact, my wife and I walked in to that song at our wedding last year. I quickly backtracked and got this on cassette (still have it, of course) and found it streets ahead of TFC. It's not that I don't like TFC, I do. It's just too slick and polished up and the lyrics are corny in a "bad" way. It took me until 2007 to secure a copy of their awesome debut in a trade with SpectreFate; maybe I will review that one someday. Anyway, onto the album proper:

1.) Stormwind - Great opener. The intro guitar sound is excellent here and has been stuck in my head forever.
2.) Scream of Anger - Perhaps Europe's fastest, angriest song?
3.) Open Your Heart - Very good ballad and not overly sappy. Lookin' at you, Carrie.
4.) Treated Bad Again - Perhaps Europe's heaviest song? This one alone is worth the price of admission.
5.) Aphasia - is the sudden loss of the power of speech so naturally this is a killer instrumental.
6.) Wings of Tomorrow - Good song with a great, hooky chorus.
7.) Wasted Time - Upbeat, rockin' 1980's Metal track.
8.) Lyin' Eyes - Another very good track with some scorchin' soloing by John Norum.
9.) Dreamer - Beautiful piano track where Joey Tempest really shines.
10.) Dance the Night Away - Closes the album out on a high note.

Overall, a far more Metallic album ( much like the debut) than the multi platinum selling follow up. This one lays the groundwork for Europe's signature sound and really shows the influence of their '70's heroes like Thin Lizzy and UFO. I have to versions of this one. An original on CBS records, and then a re release from Lemon Records (2010) that has expanded liner notes and pictures. I am on the hunt for a nice copy on album, too.

I only own two Europe albums and they are the debut and this one. I am a big fan of both, although I prefer the debut to this one. They were definitely inching toward their more polished sound on this release, but they still retained a good dose of heaviness. Like Sentinel, I started with TFC, but I then acquired the debut and then this one. I had TFC on tape, but it's long gone.

Love the tone/atmosphere of this album. So many killer songs and not a single bad tune on it. Had this on cassette too...... until I upgraded to the cd.

I just received the remastered version of this album. It's been on a long list of albums to get. Great album!