COMP SWAP IV (and the reviews)

Got Ghost's Comp in the mail today...First listen = Killer!! I'll do a full review in a few days....

Mine will be on the way shortly...


)+(

Ghost sent me a fantastic Comp with only two bands I had any exposure to and no songs I've ever heard. Here goes:

1) Freedom Call - Kings & Queens- Ghost knows I like Powermetal so he hits me hard with some great stuff. This starts things off perfectly. A fantastic song - fast and great vocals - love it...has a Rhapsody, Fairyland -ish quality in that it's just slick and happy (WHICH I LIKE!!!) I now have all their CDs as wants on LaLa

2) At Vance - Dragonchaser- I have Only Human which I love and this song seems to fit right it. At Vance are phenomenal. Great powermetal song!

3) Dragonland - The Book Of Shadows Part II - I had a Dragonland CD and traded/sold it...might have been a mistake. This is a really good song...slowed down and conjuring images of Egypt or the Middle East somehow.... I like it!

4) Mob Rules - Black Rain- Fantastic Mid-Paced powermetal song with orchestral elements. Jeez, where does all this talent come from?? GHOST - You're gonna cause me to spend mucho$$$. On My Want List!

5) Skew Siskin - Shake Me - This falls under the category of a "rocker" - for what that's worth!! A fun song I can imagine coming out of the 90's early 00's...reminds me (in style and vibe) of bands like Buckcherry, Jackyl...fun dirty rocking bands with dirty smoke and whiskey stained vocals....Good song! If it's all like this I'd put them on my Want List!

6) Secret Sphere - Where The Sea Ends - Fast, double bass powermetal with just the right amount of keys...vocals a little weak (or mixed weak??) but a romping song right up my alley...

7) Imagika - Hell - Oh my!! Thrashy Powermetal with powerful mid to high registar vocals!!! ON MY WANT LIST!! This song is so fast and tight!! Never even heard of these guys....amazing...I'm about to blaspheme...but this is what I keep thinking Iced Earth SHOULD sound like, but usually doesn't....is this their 'one hit wonder' or do they always sound like this??

Forte - Rise Above - We are on a ROLL - Another good to great powermetal tune with the right vocals and tempo for me. Not an absolute killer like some others, but very good none the less...

9) Heaven's Gate - Rising Sun - A perfect song! I LOVE this! I want to cut someone with a sword...and then heal them!! I want to go run a 4:00 minute mile!! Never heard of these guys...if the rest of their catalogue is even close to this it's a priority to get it!!

10) Guano Apes - Open Your Eyes - Heard OF them, never heard them. Don't know how to classify them, but this song is fun...well done. Has some modern (urban?) elements that worry me IF they become prevelent...but it's ok in this song....this is gonna sound strange, but if DC Talk tried their hand at a funkier, slightly (ever so slightly??) thrashy metal they might do this. I like it enough to say if the rest of their stuff is as good it'll go on a want list....

11) Veto - Carthago - Well, we had quite a run there...until now. Not that this is that bad, but it's kind of progressive sounding and slowed down quite a bit...I like to romp...so it's not my style. I do like the middle-eastern parts but this is sort of a long song and it takes a while to warm up. With about two minutes left it starts to pick up...gets some epic sounding chorus type singing and a good solo or two...but it's too late in the song....maybe if this was a 3:30 long song it would be OK...anyhow...seems silly to write the MOST about my Least favorite!!

12) Warrior Soul - Rocket 88 - A fairly decent spirited 'Rocker'...not world class...but if you paid a cover charge to see this at a bar you'd come away grinning...

13) Enola Gay - Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles are hit or miss with me...this is one of their hits... and I really like what Enola Gay have done with it! Good cover of a good song...Nice pick Ghost!

14) Roland Grapow - Winner - Had to look this guy up due to how awesome the guitar work is....I'm not good with keeping up with who plays for who...NOW I KNOW!! No wonder I love Masterplan...this song is great musically....if Jorn or Cooper or someone like that were singing this would be a classic..it's VERY good as it is! Wow!

15) Lemmy & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Eve Of Destruction - Ghost warned me that he loves Motorhead so he snuck this one in.... It's OK...not traditionally a favorite song of mine to begin with...and I'll forever have Crashdog warbling in my head when I hear this song...and now LEMMY!!! However, it's fun and good to have anyhow...


GHOST!!! Could not have put a better COMP together myself. Just awesome...it's like you reached across the Atlantic and took $$ out of my wallet..because I'm gonna spend some now to catch up with some of this stuff. Excellent and thanks!!


BTW - ANY comments on whether or not these bands sound as good or better with the rest of their stuff would be appreciated. That way I can update or dismiss based on the consensus here....thanks guys...

Oh, and Shiney...if this review needs to be moved...I'm pretty sure we're meant to put them here....

Nice to see Forte and Guano Apes together! Two tremendous bands! Guano Apes are one of the best crossover bands I've ever heard. I remember I first saw their video for Lord Of The Boards in 1999 over in Italy. Such a weird but a great tune. I've been a huge fan ever since. Sad to see them break up.

And Forte are just awesome. It's unfortunate that they released four albums and they're virtually unknown. All four albums are worth getting.

Gots mine from UncleSaxon. Here is a short review of Disc 2:

1. Unchecked Aggression - Intro / Smell Of Blood
Cool tune! Thrash for the most part, but with some elements (dare I say hard rock elements?) added in that made it quite interesting.

2. Gunjah - Tumor
Singer here has a punk vibe. Musically, I'd say it's more in the crossover realm. Not bad at all.

3. Armistice - Airraid Siren
LOVE the guitar tone! The singer is kinda 'meh', but not ruinous. Cool mid-paced stomper of a song. I'll have to look into this band.

4. Night In Gales - Blades To Laughter
Didnt' know what to expect with the band name (sounds kinda power metal-ish) but man, this got to moshing quickly! Singer kinda has this melo-death sounding voice. I like this track!

5. Howlin' Mad - Into The Void
Heard of these guys before, but hadn't heard them. Pretty good thrash with death leaning vocals. It was on the want list before, it's still on the want list! haha Solid tune that switches from mid-paced romp to moshing speed.

6. Anestesia - Coffee And Bonghits
Now THAT'S a crazy track name! haha Very punky crossover. The singer is a bit monotonous sounding. Musically, a cool tune. Sounds kinda like something you play in the background with a group of buddies.

7. Cronos - Speedball
Cool tune! As the title suggests, it's all throttle, all the time!

8. Crash - Scream
I've heard these guys before! Excellent thrash, and from Korea! Kinda has a Sepultura sound (Arise era, though not as "dark" sounding).

9. Benevolance - Total Eclipse
Decent track. Production was a bit muted. More or less a straight up traditional metal track. Nice shredding during it!

10. Casbah - Enough Is Enough
Another band I have heard of, but not heard. Pretty cool tune overall.

11. Flotsam & Jetsam - Date With Hate
Who hasn't heard this classice band?! That being said, I LIKE THIS TRACK! Mid-paced romp fest! Powerful vocals over the top of heavy riffage. Good stuff!

12. Editor - Kill 'Em All
This one was kinda ok. The singer was ok. More of a hardcore tune.

13. Killing Culture - Live And Hate
WOW! Was not expecting this! Good tune; heavy as a truck! Usually not my style, but I liked this one.

14. Dyoxen - Sooner Than You Think
I've heard this one before. Great tech-thrash band! Just wish I could find a freakin' copy of this thing!

15. Pig Pen - Crack Whore Barbie
Another VERY strange name! Punk sounding tune with a thrash vibe. VERY short track. Pretty cool though.

16. Skatenigs - Horny For Evil
Heard of this band, but never heard much by them. Noticing a trend with a weird song names... haha More of a hardcore track, with a skate-punk vibe in places.

17. Rosenfeld - Stormtroopers
I've heard this one as well. It's actually better than I remember it! Singer sounds a bit odd, like he's straining or something. Still, good tune!

18. Secrecy - Observer From Above
The singer almost doesn't fit the heavy nature of the music here, with his melodic voice. Still, not bad, but more of a power metal tune. Not something I would expect from ol' UncleSax! haha It was a pretty cool tune.

19. Soothsayer - Together To Make The World
Yet another one I've heard of, but not heard. Punk-ish thrash! Good stuff. Another one that has been on the want list for a while now.

20. Volcano - Braindance
Holy crap! Heavy as a truck! Vocalist has this snarling voice that is aggressive as all get out (kinda reminds me of David Wayne when he was snarling and spitting out the lyrics). COOL thrasher. Might need to look into these guys...

Quote :

4. Night In Gales - Blades To Laughter

Didnt'
know what to expect with the band name (sounds kinda power metal-ish)
but man, this got to moshing quickly! Singer kinda has this melo-death
sounding voice. I like this track!

I figured this was just going to be another power metal turd, so I had
zero expectations of this album. Once I put it on, I couldn't
turn it off! I would be highly surprised if all thier albums were
as good as "Nailwork".

Here is a short review of Disc 3 from UncleSax:

1. Killing Spree - Motive
Wasn't expecting this! Freakin' heavy tune. Never heard of these guys before, and I think I must correct this. Thrashing goodness with a hardcore vibe.

2. Terror 2000 - Metal Mosh Massacre
I've seen these guys mentioned before, but not heard them. You know what to expect with that title! Hardcore-ish vocals, but not annoying in any way. Good tune!

3. Entropy - Ritual Tempest
Thrash band from back when! A bit more hardcore sounding in the vocal department than on their prior album, kinda like Flemming Ronsdorf with a 'core sound. I like this one a lot! They even use blast beats!

4. From Beyond - Nightmare
Heard of these thrashers before. I think I've got a burn of this album somewhere, but haven't spun it yet. Description: gas pedal, meet floor! Vocalist is kinda like Mille from Kreator.

5. Murphy's Law - Attack Of The Killer Beers
Another band I've heard of, but never heard. Hardcore / punk tune, but a REALLY fun one! This is total party music right here!

6. Anger As Art - Wide Awake
Pretty cool little tipping tune here. Started thrashing from the word GO.

7. Furious Trauma - Smalltalker M.F.
I think you can guess what the M.F. stands for... Anyway, cool thrasher, but the 'core vocalist is a TINY bit annoying. Musically, nothing to complain about!

8. S.O.D. - Ram It Up
Now who hasn't heard of Billy Milano's crew?! Crossover at its finest!

9. M.O.D. - If The Show Fits
Who hasn't heard of Billy Milano's OTHER crew?! I don't think they release bad music! Always fun.

10. Chainsaw - Master Of Fate
This one comes ripping in with a shriek and some mosh! Me likey! Total old-school thrash worship, and done very well. Will have to look into this band!

11. Eternal Decision - Power
Again, heard of, not heard. The singer sounds a LOT like Hetfield! Kind of a Pantera like groove to it. Not bad, but won't knock your socks off either.

12. Dorsal Atlantica - My Generation
Brazilian LEGENDS of thrash! Production is a bit muted, but I don't think they ever much of a recording budget. I've got a burn of this album. EXCELLENCE!

13. Kaos - The Rage Of War
This one comes in with some weird guitar licks. It switches from mosh to mid-paced stomp over and over. I kinda like it, but the singer is annoying.

14. Pro-pain - Down For The Cause
I've always meant to try these guys (isn't Gary Meskil (sp?) from Crumbsuckers in this band?). Hardcore / groove mixture. Not bad at all. I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. Cool melodic sound during the chorus.

15. Scepter - F**king Metal Motherf**kers
Can't say as I care for the song title (I don't mind cussing, but that's overboard!). Anyway, pretty cool thrash tune with hardcore influences.

16. Phantom Crew - R.T.D.
Pretty cool tune here. I've never heard of these guys before now. I'll have to check 'em out.

17. Merciless - Feebleminded
Thrashing madness! The singer has almost a black metal shriek. Can't complain though, when the music is THIS good!

18. Hellbastard - Heading For Internal Darkness
Heard of 'em, not heard 'em 'til now. They are supposed to be a thrash band, but I THINK this album came before their thrash switch. Sounds more punk-ish / hardcore than anything. Still, I must say that I liked it!

19. Fast Draw - (unknown title, track 4 from album "Let Off The Alarm")
I guess you could call this a thrash tune. Not quite mosh speed, but not quite mid-paced either. Anyway, cool track. The singer is pretty cool.

20. Hellias - Wojownik Zla
I'm guessing a Polish band? Anyway, a VERY cool thrash tune! I'm just a sucker for Euro-thrash (hell, a sucker for thrash; full stop!). Will have to find some stuff by these fellas!

21. Pariah - Foreign Bodies
I've a cd-r of this album. EXCELLENT speed / thrash metal! Their other incarnations (Blind Fury and Satan) were also good bands.

22. Malicious - Defiance
I LOVE THIS TRACK! Total thrash madness! Solid vocals, solid musicians. I've never heard of these guys before this, but I'll correct that mistake. They kinda remind me of Evildead in a way.

23. Comatose - Defiled By Madness
Pretty cool thrash track. Vocalist seems a bit off-time in places...don't know if it's intentional (or if it's just me). Bit of a hardcore vibe, as well. Not bad, I've heard worse!

Here is a short review of Disc 1 from UncleSax:

1. Saxon - Machine Gun
How did I miss this band all these years? I freakin' LOVE their new album (and it's the first thing I've REALLY REALLY heard from them). This track is GREAT! Cool NWOBHM. I REALLY need to get their back catalogue.

2. Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll
Who doesn't love Dee Snider and the boys?! It's metal baby! Great band, great song.

3. Dead Milkmen - Bitchin' Camaro
I almost died laughing at the song name! I've seen this band's music in the used bins before. Starts out with this whole jazz vibe and two guys talking sounding like total dorks! This thing was FUNNY! Not usually my thing, but damn if I didn't like this!

4. Warrior - Fighting For The Earth
ALWAYS wanted to hear this! Old-school metal baby! Too bad this thing is so stupidly rare! GREAT tune!

5. Rainbow - Death Alley Driver
Good ol' fashioned heavy metal. I've never really heard much Rainbow, to be quite honest. A lot of the stuff that came before my time I have missed out on. Don't know why...

6. Plasmatics - Mistress Of Taboo
I've never tried Wendy O.'s bunch before. This is actually a pretty cool hard rockin' track! Her voice is a lot different than I expected.

7. White Lion - All Burn In Hell
I've heard this band before, but is has literally been YEARS! This is a really cool moderately paced rocker. Nice anthemic chorus.

8. Rollins Band - Liar
I LOVE this track! I saw the video for it when it first came out. I don't think anyone can match Henry Rollins for pure attitude! Mostly spoken word over easy jazz type music, until the chorus of course!

9. Michael Schenker Group - Attack Of The Mad Axeman
Never really tried Schenker before. Kind of a funky rocker! Not usually something I would enjoy, but it hit the right spots.

10. Y & T - Down And Dirty
Yet another band I've always known about, but never tried. COOL hard rocker! I love the vibe of this tune. Totally something you'd go see live and just rock out to with a beer in your hand!

11. Tigertailz - Peace Sellz
I've heard this before, and it's just as good a second time around! Great cover of a classic song! I really need to look into this band more, as the one CD-R I have of theirs is rocking fun!

12. AC/DC - Night Prowler
CLASSIC band! I think this band has at least one track that everyone in America likes. One of rock / metal's most distinct bands.

13. Descendents - Enjoy
I've heard these guys before. Their style is usually so polar opposite to what I usually enjoy, I don't know why I like them! I just find them so humorous and fun.

14. Raven & Udo - Inquisitor
2 legends banging things up together! Awesome track!

15. Scorpions - He's A Woman, She's A Man
Here's the original version of that Evildead cover! Such a cool tune, with slightly twisted, but quite funny, lyrics!

16. Madam X - Metal In My Veins
Cool old school heavy metal track! Another winner on some GREAT comp discs!

17. Malice - Breathin' Down Your Neck
Continuing the old school metal lick, this one kicks @$$!!!! I love the guitar work, and singer is outstanding. I keep meaning to hunt down this band's music. This only reinforces that need!

18. The Godz - Gotta Keep A Runnin'
Pretty cool rock tune. Nothing mind blowin', but still cool. All in all, 3 great discs from the UncleSax!

Wow! Disc 1 rules!

Here is my review of the compillation that scottmitchell74 did for me:


Elvenking – The Wanderer

The first title is a very good Power-Folk hymn. It makes me enthusiastic, because I like Power Metal very much. The song has a happy mood, good riffs and a Power Metal typical solo. There is also a little bit of Middle Age touch in it. This goes on my wish list.



Falconer – Northwind

I knew this song already from a Sampler disc of a Metal magazine, but I haven’t bought the album so far. Northwind is a convincing title. The weighty vocals of Mathias Blad have an epic touch. It is a first-class Folk/Power Metal title and the chorus has a magical melody whereas in the rest of there is a powerful rock. Absolute top mark!



Ultimatum – Heart Of Metal

Oh Ultimatum. This is an excellent change from the Power/Folk of the first two titles. It reminds me that I haven’t any Ultimatum CD so far. They are hard to get here, but I think in one topic in the forum there was an address where I can get them. I have to search for that post again.



Ensiferum – Iron

This title bangs really, it is incredible. The keyboards fit wonderful and produce an amazing atmosphere. This beautiful, energetic Metal is fantastic melodic but however it rocks. Respect! Goes directly to my wish list.



Rob Rock – The Sun Will Rise Again

This is a timeless Melodic Metal title with ripe riffs original vocals. It’s a brilliant mix of Speed, Power and Melodic Metal with high quality guitar works and vocals. This is Grade A quality. I have to add something from Rob Rock to my CD collection.



Paramaecium – Injudicial

This one, though not bad, doesn’t fit to the rest of the disc. It is a mixture between Doom and Death. The title taken for it self is really enjoyable, but the rest of the disc forms a different basis for me.



Nightmare – Temple Of Tears

Back to Power Metal, and a really good one. Fine Heavy Metal with a powerful bass, a catchy melody and a lot of guitars. The vocals are great. All in all really good music for my wish list.



Falconer – Emotional Skies

The next title is again Falconer, this time with Kristoffer Göbel on vocals. I like him as well as Mathias Blad. The title crashes in a familiar manner and goes along to a anthem chorus. Finest Power Metal with heavy guitar riffs and a brilliant chorus.



Axel Rudi Pell – Nasty Reputation

The singer reminds me to title five on the disk. Is that again Rob Rock? I know that he did one album with ARP. They complete excellent with the brilliant riffs of guitar god Axel.



Dark Moor – From Hell

This one is as fine, catchy song. The grunt at the beginning is cool. Perfect, fist class and bright Power Metal for my wish list.



Becoming The Archetyp – One Man Parade

This one is a Death Metal track. The brilliant and variable vocals hit me between the eyes. Brutal Passages changes with acoustical passages just to start over again into violent rage. It is not only Death Metal, there are different styles. Death is the basis with a lot of experimental elements. The song is amazing, a killer!



Beyond Fear – Coming At You

I’ve heard one title from this disc when it came out. It was a different one than this title, but the album is since then on my wish list, but I didn’t buy it for whatever reason. The guitars are banging in my ears and the vocals of Tim Ripper Ownes are incredible. A hard Power Metal song for head banging – really good Metal!



Impellitteri – Crushing Daze

This is great Power Metal. Amazing hard, good riffs and guitars, powerful melody and a wonderful chorus.



Korpiklaani – Happy Little Boozer

I’ve heard of this band before, but never heard anything of them. They are mixing traditional Scandinavian sounds with pure Heavy Metal. I’m not used to this kind of music, so first it is a bit uncommonly for me to consume and enjoy this. But after a while the song is good nothing exciting, but good. It is wild party music.



Wuthering Heights - Tree

This one is as Speed/Power/Melodic Metal title, which reminds me to bands like Blind Guardian, Falconer and Helloween. This is highest level with many breaks, changes and sound variations. This is a masterpiece of Metal with wonderful vocals. Again, something for my wish list.



3 Inches Of Blood – Deadly Sinners

Wow! This is perfect 80s Metal. That’s the way how Traditional Metal must sound nowadays. When I heard the vocals I had to gasp for breath, I was knocked to the ground. Absolutely my highlight on the compilation, I had “Deadly Sinners” for days in my ears. Goes on top of my wish list.



Fireball Ministry – Flatline

My least favorite, not exactly my stuff. It is a little bit doom Retro Rock with some Stoner flair. Reminds me to Monster Magnet, Black Sabbath or Blue Oyster Cult. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big Black Sabbath and Oyster Cult fan.



Evergrey – In Remembrance

This one is not very hard but very catchy with charismatic vocals. It took some spins to light the fire, but then was the chorus in my ears and it just rocked.



Astral Doors – Cloudbraker

I saw Astral Doors last year live, when they opened for Blind Guardian. They are excellent. The singer reminds me to Tony Martin and so the song could have been on one of those Black Sabbath albums from that era.



Whitecross – Flashpoint

The disc ends with an amazing guitar solo. Great sound off!





Scottmitchell74 did an excellent compilation for me which I really enjoyed. I found a lot of mostly Power Metal bands which I didn’t knew before. And they are really amazing. Very good stuff for my wish list. There wasn’t any title on the disc for the skip button. Thank you very much scottmitchell74 for this excellent music!

Ghost,

Glad you liked it....seems we both have a love of Powermetal and were able to let each other hear things we haven't heard before. I've got at least 6 bands from the Comp. you gave me on my wish list now! Oh, and this

[color=white]

Quote :

[color:b698=white:b698]I saw Astral Doors last year live, when they opened for Blind Guardian.

That had to be an incredible show....you fellas in Europe have it made when it comes to great powermetal shows and availability. Even the good/great USA bands spend as much or more time in Europe because they know they'll have great shows!! Lucky dog!

scottmitchell74 wrote:

Ghost,

Quote :

I saw Astral Doors last year live, when they opened for Blind Guardian.

That had to be an incredible show....

Indeed it was! I was the first Metal Concert for my son, who is a huge Blind Guardian fan. He got very enthusiastic about it

In the other post, you asked about some details about other stuff of the bands on the disc.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

BTW - ANY comments on whether or not these bands sound as good or better with the rest of their stuff would be appreciated. That way I can update or dismiss based on the consensus here....thanks guys...

Here are some of my thoughts:
I have only Freedom Call's Circle of Life but what I've heared is that their other albums are in the same manner.

From Mob Rules I know only the last two CDs Among The Gods and Ethnolution A.D., both equally good. In my opinion they are here in Germany a little bit better knwon than Freedom Call.

Skew Siskin is one of the most underrated bands. They produce excellent CDs since 1992 but don't get the credits they deserve. There first 3 albums are out of print, luckily I was able to get the first one titled "Skew Siskin" from the US. In my opinion they are a mixture of AC/DC, Motörhead and Janis Joplin.

Imagika is an other underrated band from the US. You can listen to sample titles of their different albums on their homepage.

Heavens Gate is a German band which did in my opinion in the 80s and 90s nearly as good albums as Helloween did. But they never reached big success. They split up at the end of the 90s.

Guano Apes is a German Crossover band. Usually this is not my preferred style. I have their first 3 albums, which are equally good. They split up two years ago, but at the end of the last year there was an other release for sale called "The Lost (T)apes".

The Irish Madman sent me 2 great discs...

Disc 1:

1- "Legs Up"- SMASHED GLADYS (This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite all time bands!!!)

2- "Let Me Out"- HELLFUELED (decent high octane metal tune)

3. "Shout it Out"- KINGPIN (Don't know about this..I meanI lie the song but am pretty sure it's SHOTGUN MESSIAH...is this cover if so it is spot on...Orwas that band formerly named KINGPIN...confusion aside...good ole glam)

4- "Guns For Hire"- VAMP LESTAT (okay tun...not terribly memorable)

5.- "Johnny Law"- KINKI STUNT (great sleaze tinged glam song...never heard this band before so Pm me some info on 'em someone)

6.- "This Is Rock N Roll" - BANG THE UNION (not too shabby)

7.- "Walk The Plank"- E V LOUD Like this alot...very ZODIAC MINDWARP vibe to it)

8.- "Burn"- DEMON DRIVE (another solid traditional metal tune....nice!!)

9.- "Bonfire"- LAZERWOLFS (nota bad song...a little awkward vocally...but good)

10.- "Have You Got The Guts?" AB/CD (staight up AC/DC clones butha is exactly what I expected from their name...great no frills rawk!)

11.- Guadian Angel" CELTIC LEGACY (great song on the verge of power metal..)

12.- "Always The Pretender" - EUROPE (the Joey Tempest EUROPE~?~??!! this song is killer...almost GAMMA RAYish)

13.- "Wild World"- MR NASTY ( Excellent sleaze treatment of the old CAT STEVENS tune....)

14.- "Can't Stop Thinkin' " - ROXANNE (one of the most shamefully overlooked meodic metal bands ever!!!)

15.- "Playin' Rough"- ROXXI (nice 'n sleazy....)

16.- "Maybe Tomorrow" -DAMN CHEETAH (another great band Locy and I must be related!!!!)

17.- "Stop Wasting My Time" - DIRTY COWBOYS (not bad...not as good as I'd hoped, prety standard sleaze...)

18.- "Don't Know What You've Got.../Shelter Me" - KELLY what we hav here s some pop chick (read: HILLARY DUFF, MANDY MOORE et al) doing a not to horrible take on a couple of CINDERELLA songs..seriously.

DISC 2

1.- "Metal Crue" - SABATON (quirky fast metal song..name checks about 742 metal bands in an interesting way...funny.

2.- "Let The Blood Run Red" - WIND WRAITH (old school style riff metal)

3. -"May Today Become The Day" -SENTENCED (heavy powery metal!!!)

4.- "Ancient Cross" -MESSIAH'S KISS (nice and heavy and did I mention heavy?)

5.- "20th Century Heartache" (wow,this sounds like it fell out of 1989...thats a good thing!!)

6.- "Calling" - FALKIRK (did not care much for this...i'ts okay....)

7.- "Straight Down To Hell" - GUN BARRELL (I assume this song to be a favorite of the Lockmaster's as it also turned up on a covers comp he snt me awhile back... its a good power metal sort of song)

8.- "Calling Your Name"- DREAM EVIL (aways wondered about these guys...decent enough band and sound)

9. "Number 5"- ASKA (I loved this song...It's a bit odd in bth stucturand subjet matter but too cool!!!! More info on them is need too....)

10.- "BBW North Italy" - WHITE SKULL (this was poopy...to me anyway)

11.- "In Your Eyes"- STEPCHILD (nifty little ditty)

12.- "Hard To Be True" - EMERALD great song, I'd heard it before still cool!)

13.- "Homeward Bound"- WALTONS (nice little tune...a dash o cuntry rawk flavor to it...more info on thee guys please)

14.- "Anti-Social Disease" - IMPELLITERI (nice heavy shredding!!!!)

15.- "Hard Rock Hallelujah" - LORDI (no a bad song...wondered what this band was like)

16.- "Blood Shower" - BLIND ILLUSION (very cool song)

17- "Blood Lust" - CYCLE SLUTS FROM HELL (excellent tune...great band)

18.- "Set To Destruct" MUNICIPAL WASTE (crossover thrash very much like DRI or FORMICIDE...sweet!!!!)

19.- "24/7" UDO (um..it's UDO what's not to love!!!?!?")

20.- "Halloween"- HOLY MOTHER (cool tune...)

21.- "Young & Useless" THUNDERHEAD (have this album as well...grea sleazy metal)

2 cds of mostly primo metal...with a heavy lean towards the sleaze genre...as Locky knows what Shiney likes...very enjoyable...Great job, Brother!!!

The Lordi cd is a guilty pleasure of mine....just fun, nonsense metal.....my girls also think they're great (probably because they're monsters....kids are easy)

I'd also like to hear other toughts on Roxanne as I'm getting more and more into melodic metal/aor metal type stuff..

Scott...ROXANNE is a flalwess exercise in late 80's melodic metal....

track it do and buy it....I would not steer you wrong.

Here's the review of the comp I got from MrElectric39

Loser's & Winners - ACCEPT
Cool tune...I like some stright up Metal, and this song delivers.

Into The Pit - TESTAMENT
This is the redone version from 'First Strike...' I love Testament, so of course I love this song!

No Class - MOTORHEAD
I'm not a huge fan of Motorhead, but this song was cool. At first, I thought it was a cover of 'Tush' by ZZ Top. LOL!

Burning Times - ICED EARTH
YES!!! Love this song...as does my son! He heard this one coming out of my bedroom and came running in...LOL!

Love Comes Down - Walk The Sky
Never heard of these guys before. But I dig it...good tune.

Hurricane - Y&T
Awesome!! This is one of the most underrated Hard Rock/Metal bands in history! Great riffs, great vocals...very cool!

All Systems Go - RAVEN
Never paid a lot of attention to Raven, really. I know they have a pretty strong Cult Status among Metal fans. This was OK. Nothing I'd listen to all the time.

Heavy Metal Machine - RIOT
YES!! Never heard this song before, and it ROCKS!!! Riot is awesome!

747 (Strangers In The Night) - SAXON
Saxon has always been in the same category as Raven to me. I never heard them until 2000 when I had to learn a song of thiers for October 31. Good tune here...but I haven't heard anything from them that makes me want to go back into the catalog.

Communication Breakdown - IRON MAIDEN
Led Zep cover from Maiden! Very cool! I've never heard this before and I loved it! Bruce is hitting some cool high notes on this one.

After Me (The Flood) - ARMORED SAINT
This is the live version from 'Nod To The Old School'...AWESOME!! This is one of my favorite AS songs!

Midnight Son - BARREN CROSS
I like older Barren Cross, but this song doesn't do a lot for me. Well executed, but the song just falls flat to me.

Godzilla - RACER X
Gotta love Racer X...shred-o-rama!

In The Name Of God - DREAM THEATER
This one is from 'Train Of Thought', and I was not impressed with that album. The song is not bad at all...but DT has done so much better.

The Mob Rules - BLACK SABBATH
This tune is LEGEND!! Love it!!

Down To The Temple - VICIOUS RUMORS
This is the live version from 'Plug In And Hang On 0 Live'...GREAT band, GREAT singer!! I'd only heard this live version once. The album comes off like a live bootleg, but still cool. This band should have been HUGE!!


Between a few of the songs, he placed some cool movie samples...like from Empire Strikes Back, Dirty Harry, A Few Good Men...cool!!


THANKS DUDE!!! Your comp CD went into the Federal Postal System yesterday!!

Glad you liked Walk The Sky, Shawn. I remember telling you about them when the CD was new. I knew you would dig them.

kmorg wrote:

Glad you liked Walk The Sky, Shawn. I remember telling you about them when the CD was new. I knew you would dig them.

I just got Shawn of Fires comp.... will have a review up this weekend !!

Shawn I'm glad you liked the disc. Rick Hunter former Soldier/Regime is the guitarist for Walk The Sky. They've already started to write new material....

glad you liked the movie clips... I'm kinda of nut about that kind of stuff. a bit different but I think very cool....

Having listened to Shawn of Fire's comp several times here's the review.....

Crashing - dUg Pinnick

I've always enjoyed Kings X, but I not really heard any of their solo stuff... good tune, grove oriented, heavy sorta 'dog man era' sounding.... i like

Oh God -- Platypus

this time it's Ty Tabor side project material. John Myung from DT on bass.... Great lyrics... heavy musically good grove. i like

UnHoly rites - Lions Share

not heard 'em before. the vocal melody reminds me of Paradox (usa) song -Ruler from their first demo... the more I play this song the more I dig it... heavy with melody. figures from sweden...!!! who isn't eh? i love...

My Revenge - Allen/Lande

not heard... holy valhalla... this is fantastic stuff... who are these guys... ?!?!?! simply brilliant..!!! melodic with power and the vocals are amazing.!! awesome

10,000 Strong - Iced Earth

I've tried to get into IE.... simply haven't cracked the veil yet. This song was pretty good.

Jangle -Poundhound

more side stuff from doug pinnick... very very groove oriented.... bass a rama.... i like... i hung out with him in 89 for a couple of days... very cool guy. i know life not been totally kind (or is it just the christians....)

Holy Diver- Killswitch Engage

not a big fan of KE.... but this version of this song shreds !!!
When he started to sing I thought is that dio? to be played LOUDLY !!! i love

Belexes -Kansas

very prog oriented from these guys... i'm surprised I've never heard this song before. cool song. lots of prog breaks and guitar/keyboard interplay.... wow.

Breath of The Swamp - The Showdown

pretty heavy... lots of grinding guitars which is good for me.
definatley 2006 metal.... I see they're playing OzzFest. hopefully they can be a light in a cesspool...... the song is pretty good.

A Subtle War - Metal Church

never heard this song before... Mike rowe vocals.... the song is average. I must admit I couldn't tell if that was David Wayne at first... heavy song but I've heard better from the Church

The Way That It Is - Uriah Heep

good vocals, but the song felt a little too laid back... 70's hard rock... never was a big Heep fan... always liked the Abominog album cover though ! pass.

My Dark Angel - The Lizards

i've never heard before.. very 70's sounding, but from the net I've found recorded very recently. prog influenced, but I've liked a grindier guitar driven sound. the instrumental portion was cool, but the verse/chorus was a little lacking in power. I think I'll pass again.

Original Fire - Audioslave

never heard audioslave before... great vocals.. very modern with driving guitar. cool melodies... more investigative work...now I understand, I Love Chris Cornell.... One of the best rock vocalists alive.... PIPES..... the song is pretty good. rock n roll.... i like

Dead - Place of Skulls

doom metal... like old trouble/sabbath.... a times reminded of some Candlemass I heard a long time ago... it's ok...

Frozen in Dementia - K-Octave

since I've not heard this either I was tempted to just right a quick review.... sneaky Shawn !!! My second listen through I was hooked, but after my investigative skills... dude You've got the PIPES......!!! bang my freakin' head !!!!! diggin' it a lot.... ( i was liking it before I found out he was singing !!) good power metal with hooks.. definatley heavy.

Kingdom Come - Supershine

still more doug pinnick side material... this was pretty good. not quite as groove oriented as the other stuff.... more guitar oriented, very 70's sounding to me... oh members of trouble.. no wonder !!! i like...

Sympathy for The Devil - Ozzy

novelty song worth hearing once..... pass

Oh Darling - the Beatles

don't remember hearing before... I enjoy the beatles and this song is doesn't dissapoint... It's the Beatles... what else is there to say !!!

Dude, I really enjoyed this disc. hope we get to do this again !!!.... I love it....

Glad you dig the tunes...I was going for variety instead of a bunch of Metal tunes back to back...

The Kansas song is one of my favorites...definitely NOT "Carry On Wayward Son"...LOL!

Glad you like the K-Octave too....I was being a little sneaky there. :grin:

That Beates tune is one of my favorites...ever!

Sorry it has taken so long to get this up. But let's take a look into a typical playlist in the day of our favorite SideShowDisaster....

Disc Two:

1-Rosicrucian - Column of Grey : Shred from the first note. Then the lead break comes in with some weird undistorted solo. Sounded pretty cool! Deathy vox.

2-Purgatory - Tied to the Trax: starts off with an oncoming train, then runs you right over! Raw thrash with an 80's feel. Production is good. You can hear the bass, drums, guitar, vox all individually. Like it!

3-Warpigs - Badlands: SSD knows I dig ALL Japanese metal. I have been trying to get this one forever. but the vocals are CRAP!! Did this guy have a cold that day? Thin production. Not impressed. No longer looking for it.

4-Torture - Enter the Chamber: Ben said this was a U.S. band, but, boy does that singer sound european! Very cool bass break in the middle.

5-Kazjurol - Merciless Insanity: Great guitar that reminds me of early Destruction. I would like to hear some of thier early h/c stuff. That guys has a great voice for punk and it works very well on this track as well. I need this!

6-Fatal Embrace - Breeder of Insanity: Slayer worship for sure. This is a headbanger if I ever heard one!

7-Messina - Terrortory: This song is a prototype for anyone that wants to play thrash. You have heard this song by a hundred different bands. Personally, I think that is a good thing.

8-Crionic - You Can Never Understand: eh - Pretty good. Nothing original and somewhat repetitive. But I'll take it over 99% of what is around naw days!

9-No Return - Trash World: I started a 1 man pit in my office with this one. Very fast, but once again, the vox lack any originality.

10-Creation of Death - Quartering Alive: See "No Return"

11-Skyclad - The Sky Beneath my Feet: Yup - I still can't get into this band. Just seems pompous to me. And sue me, but I detest orchestra instruments in my metal.

12-Pariah - Killing for Company: Musically, a real Powermad vibe here. I would call this very well done speed metal. Production is a little weak, though.

13-LawShed - Go It Blind: Excellent!!!!! Everything about this track is top-notch! I gotta find this disc too.

14-Fallen Angel - Spectacle of Fear: Thrash! alsd;lkjfna;sklsd f. Sorry, it is tough to type as I am skankin' about in my office chair. Another gem.

15-Broken Bones - Killing Fields: I love the BB albums I have, but this track blows away all my old punk albums from this band. This is awesome crossover! My favorite track on this comp.

16-Virus - Testify to Me: Completely average, but I would not throw it out for eating crackers in my cd player.

17-Talion - Killing the world: Masterpiece! I think SSD just put this on here to remind me that he has the original cd.

18-Sarcofago - The Laws of Scourge: I know these guys are legends and groundbreakers, but they really don't do much for me. 2 notes and one run over and over and over.

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

3. Dead Milkmen - Bitchin' Camaro
I almost died laughing at the song name! I've seen this band's music in the used bins before. Starts out with this whole jazz vibe and two guys talking sounding like total dorks! This thing was FUNNY! Not usually my thing, but damn if I didn't like this!

Awesome! The Dead Milkmen. One of my all-time favorite bands. This band simply cracked me up in high school. Sad that they're so legendary and never made a dime. They have some of the funniest songs you'll ever hear, though.

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

2. Terror 2000 - Metal Mosh Massacre
I've seen these guys mentioned before, but not heard them. You know what to expect with that title! Hardcore-ish vocals, but not annoying in any way. Good tune!

Solid band, despite their goofiness. Sometimes, though, I wish the band didn't have such dumb lyrics, because some of thier songs truly kick ass and would likely come off better with some more serious lyrics. You can't go wrong with either of their albums, though.

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

14. Pro-pain - Down For The Cause
I've always meant to try these guys (isn't Gary Meskil (sp?) from Crumbsuckers in this band?). Hardcore / groove mixture. Not bad at all. I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. Cool melodic sound during the chorus.

Another one of my all-time favorite bands. I can't recommend them enough. They haven't released a bad album yet. Their last three albums have them on a serious metal-meets-thrash-meets-hardcore bent. Much moreso than before! And I don't care what anyone says, Meskill writes some killer solos! And yes, he was in Crumbsuckers. If you want, I can send you a CD with a song or two from each album. Let me know! These guys deserve more fans.

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

11. Tigertailz - Peace Sellz
I've heard this before, and it's just as good a second time around! Great cover of a classic song! I really need to look into this band more, as the one CD-R I have of theirs is rocking fun!

I've never heard this band. I've got Banzai! on order through lala right now (it's like $7 with a bonus track). I know they're a glammy sleaze rock band. Did they cover Megadeth?

Anyway, you got some great comps it seems!

mr.electric39 wrote:

Holy Diver- Killswitch Engage

not a big fan of KE.... but this version of this song shreds !!!
When he started to sing I thought is that dio? to be played LOUDLY !!! i love

I gotta throw my props out there on this song. I'm a Killswitch fan, but I scoffed at the idea of them covering this song when it was first reported. I just didn't think they could do it without sounding out of their element. I was totally wrong. They nailed this song perfectly! It's a killer, killer cover, and it most definitely totally shreds!

I hate to admit it, but I agree with every single thing Eyesore wrote in the last 2 posts. BTW, if you hadn't heard, Dave Blood committed suicide. So there goes any Dead Milkmen reunion.