Taylor, Steve - "I Predict 1990"

Taylor, Steve - I Predict 1990

1987, Myrrh

1. I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good

2. What is the Measure of Your Success?

3. Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel a Lot Better

4. Babylon

5. Jim Morrison's Grave

6. Svengali

7. Jung and the Restless

8. Innocence Lost

9. A Principled Man

10. Harder to Believe Than Not To

"Svengali" annoys me. It's repetitive. I don't even know what the point of it is. I also don't care for "Jung and the Restless." I love every other song on this record except those two. "Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel a Lot Better" is the most favorite though. And just so I don't forget - Steve Taylor's lyrics are some of the most creative and unique in Christian music.

Useless Fact: Steve got into a LOT of trouble for this record. First was the album cover. People though it looked like tarot card so everyone freaked out and pulled it from the shelves. "He's obviously endorsing the occult," they said. Then people honestly thought that Steve was endorsing clinic bombings with "I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good." How in the world could someone get that impression? I know... by being stupid and not understanding satire or sarcasm. Ugh! I've read that Steve himself called some Christian stores to explain the song to them. How about that all of us Christians make a pact - before we react to something we examine it THOROUGHLY and COMPLETELY before we freak out? Eh? Can we all do that? Maybe then we won't have such a bad reputation as intolerant bigots with no brains.

Taylor, Steve - "On the Fritz"

Taylor, Steve - On the Fritz

1985, Sparrow

1. This Disco (Used to be a Cute Cathedral)

2. On the Fritz

3. It's a Personal Thing

4. To Forgive

5. You've Been Bought

6. You Don't Owe Me Nothing

7. I Manipulate

8. Lifeboat

9. Drive, He Said

10. I Just Wanna Know

Wow... look at that album cover. That is some 80's-tatsic art right there. Love the skinny tie! Anywho, On the Fritz is probably just as good as Meltdown. "Lifeboat" never fails to amuse me even though it's a novelty song. I just wonder what it was like getting kids to sing "fattie" and "retard" but then tell them you shouldn't say that to people. I should also say that of all the Steve songs on the I Predict a Clone tribute I like his own version of "Drive, He Said" better than Argyle Park's version. I also think that the first track's title, "This Disco (Used to be a Cute Cathedral)" is one of the coolest song titles ever and it's also one of my favorite songs. Hey, I almost forgot to mention how Steve Taylor lyrics are some of the best ever. There... fixed that.

Useless Fact: Steve reworked the song "On the Fritz" for the Liver disc. I can't really remember how it goes.

Taylor, Steve - "Meltdown"

Taylor, Steve - Meltdown

1984, Sparrow

1. Meltdown (at Madame Tussaud's)

2. We Don't Need No Color Code

3. Am I in Sync?

4. Meat the Press

5. Over My Dead Body

6. Sin For a Season

7. Guilty By Association

8. Hero

9. Jenny

10. Baby Doe

Steve Taylor's first full length album is pretty dang cool... and I say that having just heard it last year. Is it dated? Heck yes. No denying that. But I think the songs are strong enough to overcome that. The title song alone with its deft way of lampooning glory seekers testifies to Steve's talent as a song writer and lyricist. I'll probably mention his lyrics in every single review because they're just that good. There's a lot of fan favorites on here and several of my own favorites are on here too. "Over My Dead Body" has a bit of a U2 vibe in the beginning and end. Even though it might annoy some, I like the out of sync synthesizer in "Am I in Sync?." The album ends pretty heavy with "Baby Doe," a protest song about the starving of Baby Doe by his parents because he wasn't "normal." It's a powerful song... a true gut punch to the conscience. It's an odd way to end an album, all down and serious, but that doesn't take away the fact that Meltdown is one of my favorite Steve platters.

Useless Fact: A video was made for the song "Meltdown" that featured the woman who played the snobby rich girl on Facts of Life.

Taylor, Steve - "I Want to Be a Clone"

Taylor, Steve - I Want to Be a Clone

1983, Sparrow

1. Steeplechase

2. I Want to Be a Clone

3. Whatever Happened to Sin?

4. Written Guarantee

5. Bad Rap (Who You Trying to Kid, Kid?)

6. Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Number's Up?

Let me be frank. With the exception of Squint and Chagall Guevara, Steve Taylor's music history has not aged well. These are 80's tunes. From the production to the instrumentation everything screams, "THIS WAS MADE IN 1983!!!!" Thankfully I think Steve's gift as a lyricist triumphs over the the dated sounds on his albums. He is opinionated and quick to call out the world on its hypocrisy and idiocy but he's just as quick to bring judgement to the House of God as well and more importantly to himself. "Nobody gets out alive" Jim Morrisson said once and it applies to Steve's lyrics. As far as the music, I still like these peppy upbeat tunes. The only one I don't care for is "Written Guarantee" in which I don't really detect anything special. However, I LOVE the appropriately named "Bad Rap." Absolutely brilliant!

Useless Fact: In Now the Truth Can Be Told, a 2-disc retrospective, Steve says that the title song of this album didn't come from personal experience. He says he had a really good church that didn't make him be something he wasn't. I'm glad that he's honest and I'm also glad he was blessed with a good church.

Various Artists - "I Predict a Clone"

Various Artists - I Predict a Clone

1994, REX

1. Circle of Dust - "Am I In Sync?"

2. Hot Pink Turtle - "A Principled Man"

3. Starflyer 59 - "Sin For a Season"

4. Sixpence None the Richer - "Bouquet"

5. DigHayZoose - "Steeplechase/I Want to Be a Clone" (Instant Cake Mix)

6. Fleming and John - "Harder to Believe Than Not To"

7. Argyle Park - "Drive, He Said" (D-Wee Dub)

8. Deliverance - "On the Fritz"

9. The Wayside - "To Forgive"

10. Bride - "We Don't Need No Color Code"

11. Sanctified Glory Mountain Revival Family - "Guilty By Association"

Steve Taylor has said that these cover songs are mostly better than his originals. Yeah... they are. As much as I love Steve's work... and I do love it... it sounds a bit dated when you listen to it today. Almost every single band takes Steve's original song and bumps it up to the next level. Sixpence injects the appropriate amount of melancholy that a song like "Bouquet" requires. Fleming and John take the originally minimalistic "Harder to Believe Than Not To" and totally rock it out. Circle of Dust mastermind Klay Scott works his industrial magic on two tracks. Though I think I actually like the original version of "Drive, He Said" better. The remix cuts out a lot of the lyrics which ruins the story of the song. Deliverance does an amazing job of "On the Fritz" though giving it the River Disturbance treatment. The only song I don't like as much is Bride's cover. Why they thought it was a good idea to change the lyrics I don't know, but they did and it's lame. Otherwise, a stellar tribute.

Useless Fact: The cover is a parody of the original cover to Steve Taylor's I Predict 1990.

Grave Robber - "Inner Sanctum"

Grave Robber - Inner Sanctum

2009, Retroactive

1. Inner Sanctum

2. Detonation A.D.

3. Shadows

4. Altered States

5. Fear No Evil

6. I'm Possessed

7. Tell Tale Heart

8. The Night Has Eyes

9. Valley of Dry Bones

10. Men In Black

11. I Spit On Your Grave

12. Children of the Grave

Grave Robber is a really, really fun band and Inner Sanctum is a really, really fun album. The band started out as a horror punk band influenced by acts like The Misfists and Alice Cooper. This latest platter finds the band adding a few more metal and rock elements to their sound. I have to say this is the most catchy, most immediately enjoyable record I've heard since Devin Townsend's Addicted. And if you know my affection for all things Devin you know how much of a compliment that is. The songs are short and punchy, offering you an undeniable hook and melody and they're the perfect length so that when you think you've had enough, the song ends. You'd have a hard time not singing along to songs like "Altered States" which contain plenty of "Whoa-oh!"s to belt out. However, my favorite track has got to be the 50's do-wop inspired "Tell Tale Heart." This is a song that manages to somehow come off as heavy, romantic, moving, and slightly creepy all at the same time. My only concern is whether this disc will have staying power. Since it's so easy to get into and it goes by pretty fast (it is a punk record after all) it could be easy to digest everything pretty quickly. As of now I'm content to sing along and rock out. I'm so glad I found Grave Robber when I did - they're a great band that show great promise for the future.

UPDATE: Despite my concerns that this disc wouldn't have any staying power, I've found the opposite is true. I'm liking it more and more. I've also got the hard copy now. It's a digipak but a really cheap one. There's not even a CD tray - only a rubber stopper that the disc hangs on. You have to try and screw the CD off the stopper. It's very annoying. Thankfully, I'm listening to it on my ipod but imagine trying to do that every time you want to listen to the album? Ugh!

Useless Fact: Grave Robber hail from Ft. Wayne, IN - the city I went to college in. In fact I hung out with their old drummer, Chuck (aka El Muerte), when he was in bands like The Migraines and Rudisill.

Weezer - "Weezer (Red)"

Weezer - Weezer (Red)
2008, Geffin

1. Troublemaker
2. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)
3. Pork n' Beans
4. Heart Songs
5. Everybody Get Dangerous
6. Dreamin'
7. Thought I Knew
8. Cold Dark World
9. Automatic
10. The Angel and the One

A lot of people decry this album's more experimental nature but for me it's one of the most enjoyable albums since Pinkerton. I mean I actually listen to this one all the way through without skipping any tracks (except the last one). I don't even care that the other band members sing on the latter half of the album. Will this one ever be considered a classic like the band's first two offerings? Probably not. But it is a decent follow-up and certainly the best total package they've put out in a while.

Useless Fact: This album is also available in a special edition with extra songs and what not. "Thought I Knew," "Cold Dark World," and "Automatic" were all written by the other members of the band and each one sings the song they wrote.

Weezer - "Make Believe"

Weezer - Make Believe

2005, Geffin

1. Beverly Hills

2. Perfect Situation

3. This is Such a Pity

4. Hold Me

5. Peace

6. We Are All On Drugs

7. The Damage in Your Heart

8. Pardon Me

9. My Best Friend

10. The Other Way

11. Freak Me Out

12. Haunt You Every Day

Y'know, if you took the great songs off of Weezer (Green), Maladroit, and this one you'd have a classic album worthy of the first two. As it stands, Make Believe is definitely one of the more enjoyable of the later albums. There's a lot more songs here to like even though it still is about a 1:1 ratio of hit to miss. I also don't mind the more commercial direction here either as that usually results in better songs.

Useless Fact: I think Paris Hilton was in the "Beverly Hills" video.

Weezer - "Maladroit"

Weezer - Maladroit
2002, Geffin

1. American Gigolo
2. Dope Nose
3. Keep Fishin'
4. Take Control
5. Death and Destruction
6. Slob
7. Burndt Jam
8. Space Rock
9. Slave
10. Fall Together
11. Possibilities
12. Love Explosion
13. December

Meh. I like "Dope Nose" and "Keep Fishin'." That's it. Good heavens what happened here?

Useless Fact: I guess Rivers Cuomo got the fans really involved on this one to the point where they were suggesting chord progressions. Hey... let's not do that anymore okay?

Weezer - "Weezer (Green)"

Weezer - Weezer (Green)

2001, Insterscope

1. Don't Let Go

2. Photograph

3. Hash Pipe

4. Island in the Sun

5. Crab

6. Knockdown Dragout

7. Smile

8. Simple Pages

9. Glorious Days

10. O Girlfriend

After a five year hiatus Weezer returns to offer us... not much it turns out. This disc is fairly boring with only a few bright spots - "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun" being among them. I guess Rivers was trying to create something that would be a smash hit. I think he only succeeded in pissing off the fans. I still cannot remember one song on the second half of this disc.

Useless Fact: MTV won't say "hash" on air because it's a drug reference so they just called it "Pipe" or "**** Pipe." Sometimes I think the censors just put a bunch of words in a hat and whatever they pull out is considered "offensive."

Weezer - "Pinkerton"

Weezer - Pinkerton

1996, Geffin

1. Tired of Sex

2. Getchoo

3. No Other One

4. Why Bother?

5. Across the Sea

6. The Good Life

7. El Scorcho

8. Pink Triangle

9. Falling For You

10. Butterfly

Score another classic for Weezer. A lot of other fans I've talked to cite this disc as their favorite. It's my favorite too but I'm not sure why. The production seems a bit sloppier and the whole "wall-of-guitar" thing isn't quite there anymore but I LOVE the songs. Each one has a monster hook and is a lot of fun. "Pink Triangle" was my jam for awhile. Don't ask why. I also love the quirkier tunes like "El Scorcho." Why this one wasn't more famous I'll never know I guess because it didn't quite have the commercial appeal the last one had. Oh well... their loss.

Useless Fact: In "Across the Sea" Rivers Cuomo sings about writing to some girl in Japan and several years later I think he married a Japanese girl. I wonder if it was the same one as in the song? Anyone know?

Weezer - "Weezer (Blue)"

Weezer - Weezer (Blue)
1994, Geffin

1. My Name is Jonas
2. No One Else
3. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
4. Buddy Holly
5. Undone - The Sweater Song
6. Surf Wax America
7. Say It Ain't So
8. In the Garage
9. Holiday
10. Only in Dreams

Weezer's debut is a bonna fide classic. It's a fun side to alt-rock that stood in stark contrast to the sad-sack ramblings of Nirvana. The songs are simple and memorable with just enough of that dork charm to appeal to everyone. Probably the best feature is the thick distortion on the guitars which are almost shoegazer-esque in their viscosity. Pure brilliance.

Useless Fact: For the few who don't know the video for "Buddy Holly" features some of the cast from Happy Days. Probably one of the more creative vidoes to come out at the time.

Winger - "Winger"

Winger - Winger

1988, Atlantic

1. Madaline

2. Hungry

3. Seventeen

4. Without the Night

5. Purple Haze

6. State of Emergency

7. Time to Surrender

8. Poison Angel

9. Hangin' On

10. Headed For a Heartbreak

11. Higher and Higher

Winger got a raw deal. After being lambasted on Beavis and Butthead the band became the personification of pansy hair metal. It's too bad because I think these guys have chops. I like this album better than the White Lion one I have. "Seventeen" was the big album off this one of course. Just put your prejudices aside and check this disc out. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Useless Fact: While the song is awesome the subject matter of "Seventeen" is a little creepy. I assure you if Kip Winger ever tried to get his aqua-net stained hands on my seventeen year old daughter, he would be eliminated post haste! He's probably got a seventeen year old of his own, I wonder what Kip Winger The Father thinks of this song now?

White Lion - "Pride"

White Lion - Pride

1987, Rhino

1. Hungry

2. Lonely Nights

3. Don't Give Up

4. Sweet Little Loving

5. Lady of the Valley

6. Wait

7. All You Need is Rock N' Roll

8. Tell Me

9. All Join Our Hands

10. When the Children Cry

This album was made famous by two songs: "Wait" and "When the Children Cry." Both good songs. The rest of the album ain't bad either. It's competent but not what you'd call legendary or unique. I haven't heard any of there other stuff and I barely listen to this one as it is. It's a nice nostalgia trip and that's about it.

Useless Fact: I know the record company I listed isn't right but my hard copy is buried in my library somewhere and I don't feel like digging it out. Hey what was up with the 80's and "white" stuff? White Lion, White Heart, Whitecross, Whitesnake... seemed to be a trend.

Extol - "Undeceived"

Extol - Undeceived
2000, Solid State

1. Inferno
2. Undeceived
3. Time Stands Still
4. Ember
5. Meadows of Silence
6. Shelter
7. A Structure of Souls
8. Of Light and Shade
9. Where Sleep is Rest
10. Renewal
11. Abandoned
12. And I Watch

I went through a period of time when I was only listening to worship music. Extol served as my reintroduction into music in general. Man, these guys are tight! Total technical thrash with both death and clean vocals. The sound is slightly reminiscent of Believer. I will say I don't listen to this much anymore because, while it is a technical achievement to be sure there's not as many hooks to grab on to. It's a little too complicated for me to just rock out on my way to work to.

Useless Fact: I guess the band moved in other directions after this one but since I've never heard any of their other discs I can't tell you how they stack up.

Whitecross - "In the Kingdom"

Whitecross - In the Kingdom
1991, Starsong

1. No Second Chances
2. We Know What's Right
3. In the Kingdom
4. In His Hands
5. Good Enough
6. Love is Our Weapon
7. The Eternal Fire
8. You Will Find It There
9. If He Goes Before Me
10. Tell Me the Time
11. Holy War

Um... yeah... thanks Starsong for ruining a great metal band. This disc is an attempt to reach a broader audience by writing boring ballads and rap songs. Ick. There are several good Whitecross songs here like "No Second Chances" and "Good Enough" but there's also a lot of crap too. Naturally this was the band's biggest album and won them a Dove award for best metal album (even though it's not metal - but the Dove awards are chosen by monkeys so that's probably why). I absolutely need the skip button handy when I listen to this album. I should also mention the abysmal "Holy War" which is a rap/rock mash-up with Starsong artists D.O.C. It sucks out loud. I literally sounds like two different songs cut and pasted together. I don't even think Whitecross and D.O.C. were in the same studio to make this song. Ugh... and it doesn't get any better from here.

Useless Fact: Like I said... High Gear was boring an uninspired. Rex Carrol left the band and they got even suckier after that eventually moving into alt-rock and grunge.

Whitecross - "Triumphant Return"

Whitecross - Triumphant Return

1989, Pure Metal

1. Attention Please

2. Red Light

3. Straight Thru the Heart

4. Down

5. Behold

6. Shakedown

7. Flashpoint (Instrumental)

8. Simple Man

9. Over the Top

10. Heaven's Calling Tonight

When my cousin first heard these guys she was really, really excited. She called me up and said, "These guys sound just like Metallica." She only said that because at the time Metallica was my favorite band. They don't sound anything like Metallica, they sound like Ratt. If Ratt had a master guitar player and better songwriting. There's a reason why you've only heard one Ratt song, people! But enough about them, Triumphant Return is an awesome album that represents the very best of what the L.A. glam metal scene had to offer. Rex Carrol's guitar is simply unbelievable - you just have to hear it. Tight and precise, lighting up the songs with riffs and fills and glorious face-melting leads. This album is just about as close to perfect as you can get I think and definitely the high water mark for this legendary band.

Useless Fact: I heard once that Rex Carrol does the vocals for "Simple Man" but it sounds like Scott Wenzel to me.

Vengeance Rising - "Destruction Comes"

Vengeance Rising - Destruction Comes

1991, Intense

1. You Can't Stop It

2. The Rising

3. Before the Time

4. He Don't Own Nothing

5. Bring the Sword

6. Countless Corpses

7. Thanatos

8. You Will Bow

9. Hyde Under Pressure

10. Reagoul

The story behind the severe drop in quality between Once Dead and Destruction Comes is a long and twisted one. I'm not going into it here because there's plenty of places you can get the scoop. Suffice it to say most of the members left Vengeance and started Die Happy, leaving Roger by himself. Sadly, Roger was not quite up to the task. Every song has two riffs. He plays one riff for awhile, then switches to the second one... then switches back. It's really simplistic compared to what came before. Even so, there are a few bright spots. The first being Chris Hyde's drumming which proves to be pretty entertaining despite the simplistic riffs and shoddy production. "Before the Time" is a cool tune (for which a video was made). "Hyde Under Pressure" is an amusing little novelty spoiled only by my belief that it's probably a pretty accurate portrayal of what working with Roger is really like. "Raegoul" is an odd track. It's a dark, atmospheric, and slightly unsettling song and I'm pretty sure it features Allen Aguirre (Scaterd Few) on backing vocals. I wonder what this album would have been like if the band hadn't split? The world will never know.

Useless Fact: On my original tape there was a sticker covering the dude so that the faint of heart would not be offended by the "destroyed" side.

Vengeance Rising - "Human Sacrifice"

Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice

1989, Intense

1. Human Sacrifice

2. Burn

3. Mulligan Stew

4. Receive Him

5. I Love Hating Evil

6. Fatal Delay

7. White Throne

8. Salvation

9. From the Dead

10. Ascension

11. He is God

12. Fill This Place With Blood

13. Beheaded

By the time I got ahold of this amazing record I had already gotten accustomed to Roger's growly vocal style so I was fully prepared to enjoy the wonderfulness of this disc. And wonderful it is. Truly one of the heaviest discs to come out at the time Human Sacrifice laid other bands to waste. After all, at the time the heaviest bands were Barren Cross, Whitecross, Stryper, and Sacred Warrior. These guys were so heavy that they were rumored to make Scott Wenzel (of Whitecross) take pause. Anyway... this is dang rare these days and it has yet to be reissued.

Useless Fact: Just about everyone knows that the band was originally known as Vengeance. They had to change their name because there was another band with the same name. However, few realize that the band already called Vengeance hosted none other than Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen.

Vengeance Rising - "Once Dead"

Vengeance Rising - Once Dead
1990, Intense

1. Warfare
2. Can't Get Out
3. Cut Into Pieces
4. Frontal Lobotomy
5. Herod's Violent Death
6. The Whipping Post
7. Arise
8. Space Truck'n
9. Out of the Will
10. The Wrath to Come
11. Into the Abyss
12. Among the Dead
13. Interruption

I've posted this album first because it was the first Vengeance record I ever heard. I remember hearing the Lord's prayer for the first time and though... "cool." Then I thought, "Oh man... he's not going to do the whole album like this is he?" Yeah... I didn't care for it initially. Luckily the music was interesting enough to warrant listen after listen. This is heavy, heavy thrash but the cool thing is that there's a lot of blues influence both in the riffs and in the leads. That gives it a little bit of variety and lends to the band's unique sound. Roger Martinez's vocals grew on me over time. Those who are familiar with the band at all know that this is considered a metal classic. Can't really aruge with that. "Into the Abyss" alone is a monster tune and the fact that guitarist Larry Farkas uses a violin bow on it makes it all the cooler.

Useless Fact: On my original tape there was a listing for a track called "KTMA" or something but there wasn't anything else on the album. Does anyone know what the deal with that was?

Tourniquet - "Where Moth and Rust Destroy"

Tourniquet - Where Moth and Rust Destroy

2003, Metal Blade

1. Where Moth and Rust Destroy

2. Restoring the Locust Years

3. Drawn and Quartered

4. A Ghost at the Wheel

5. Architeuthis

6. Melting the Golden Calf

7. Convoluted Absolutes

8. Healing Waters of the Tigris

9. In Death We Rise

This disc is a return to form in my opinion. After some of the experimenting that went on with Crawl to China and Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm the band returns to what they do best: technical thrash. While I think I'll always miss Gary Lenaire's style and Guy Ritter's vocal charisma Where Moth and Rust Destroy is a fine example of a band moving on and continuing to put out quality music. My only complaint is "In Death We Rise" - a slow, doomy song in which the vocals are completely buried. If you'd just heard this song randomly you'd think it was the most boring instrumental you'd ever head. Everything else rocks. I was nervous about this one after not liking a lot of their "middle years" stuff but when I first heard the title track I was sold. Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long for another one.

Useless Fact: Contrary to what the cover art would have you believe, moths don't actually feed off metal. Everyone knows moths feed off appletinis.

Tourniquet - "Vanishing Lessons"

Tourniquet - Vanishing Lessons
1994/2004, Pathogenic


1. Bearing Gruesome Cargo
2. Pecking Order
3. Drowning Machine
4. Pushin' Broom
5. Vanishing Lessons
6. My Promise
7. Acidhead
8. K517
9. Twilight
10. Your Take
11. Sola Christus
Bonus Tracks:
12. HHS2
13. Acidhead (Live 2000)
14. Pecking Order (Live 2000)
15. Vanishing Lessons (Live 2000)
16. Drowning Machine (Demo)
17. Twilight (Demo)

Looks like Tourniquet went the direction Guy suggested anyway! The band eschews the technical, speed metal for a far more melodic and groove-oriented style. Truth be told... I like it. It's not a sellout or anything and Luke Easter, while not having the range of Guy, holds his own and has his own style. The band is still heavy too, just one listen to the amazing riff in "Pecking Order" will remind you of that. Even when the band slows things down in "My Promise" or "Twilight" it's still quality music. Instead of being a sellout Vanishing Lessons is a successful reinvention. I will also say that the rereleases cover art is much improved over the original.

Useless Fact: This would be the last studio disc with Gary Lenaire and Victor Macias, leaving only Ted Kirkpatrick as the sole original member.

Tourniquet - "Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance"

Tourniquet - Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance

1992/2001, Pathogenic

1. Impending Embolism

2. Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance

3. Phantom Limb

4. Ruminating Virulence

5. Spectrophobic Dementia

6. Gelatinous Tubercles of Purulent Ossification

7. Incommensurate

8. Exoskeletons

9. Theodicy on Trial

10. Descent Into the Maelstrom

11. En Hakkore

12. The Skeezix Dilemma

Bonus Tracks:

13. Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance (Live 2000)

14. Bearing Gruesome Cargo/drum solo (Live 2000)

In Tourniquets first years the only place for them to go was up. Pathogenic is more technical than anything they had done before. It's also a bit darker thematically exploring issues such as Alzheimer's Disease, child abuse, and suicide. I think they also stopped using actual words for song titles at this point. This probably ranks as my favorite Tourniquet disc. Just about everyone gets a turn in front of the mic here too. Who knew Victor and Eric could do vocals? Well they can! Putting on this record is like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet. You'll leave full and satisfied....mmmm..... crunchy riffs......*drool*

Useless Fact: I think vocalist Guy Ritter left during the recording of this album because he doesn't do nearly as many vocals as he did. From what I heard the band wanted to go even heavier but Guy said they should mind the coming alt-rock trend. This is also the last disc with the "classic" lineup. You might be wondering why I have the original cover on here... it's simply because I like it better. I think the quicksilver version of the logo has always been my favorite.

Tourniquet - "Psychosurgery"

Tourniquet - Psychosurgery
1991/2001, Pathogenic

1. Psychosurgery
2. A Dog's Breakfast
3. Viento Borrascoco (Devastating Wind)
4. Vitals Fading
5. Spineless
6. Dysfunctional Domicile
7. Broken Chromosomes
8. Stereotaxic Atrocities
9. Officium Defunctorum
Bonus Tracks:
10. A Dog's Breakfast (Live 2000)
11. Broken Chromosomes (Live 2000)
12. Stereotaxic Atrocities (Demo)
13. A Dog's Breakfast (Demo)
14. Concert Intro (2000)

Is it possible to get better after Stop the Bleeding? Apparently so because Psychosurgery is a tour de force. We've also got the classic line up in place which included Eric Mendez and Victor Macias. I remember reading about their installation in one of Tourniquet's newsletters back in the day. I don't think there is a song on here that isn't excellent. "Stereotaxic Atrocities" explores the theme of animal cruelty again. People went gaga over "Broken Chromosomes" but I never understood why. I love that song, no doubt, I was just kind of perplexed by all the attention it got. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that Pelvic Inflammatory Disease....er... I'm sorry P.I.D. did some guest rapping on "Spineless." It's also a textbook example of how to do a proper metal/rap mash-up - the song gels together quite nicely.

Useless Fact: Those dolts over at Intense Records never realized that "Psycho Surgery" is NOT supposed to be two words... duh! So now it's one word on the reissue. They never made any videos for any of the songs on here but they did make Video Biopsy which was sort of a "Making of..." video... I guess. I had it but I don't remember much about it. And again with the flippin' concert intro! And again AFTER the live tracks!

Tourniquet - "Stop the Bleeding"

Tourniquet - Stop the Bleeding

1990/2001, Pathogenic

1. The Test For Leprosy

2. Ready or Not

3. Ark of Suffering

4. Tears of Korah

5. The Threshing Floor

6. You Get What You Pray For

7. Swarming Spirits

8. Whitewashed Tomb

9. Somnambulism

10. The Harlot Widow and the Virgin Bride

Bonus Tracks:

11. Ark of Suffering (Live 2000)

12. The Test For Leprosy (Live 200)

13. Whitewashed Tomb (Demo)

14. Tears of Korah (Demo)

15. Ark of Suffering (Demo)

16. Concert Intro (1999)

Funny story: so I'd just gotten this on tape back in the day and my aunt and little cousin were in the car. "Go ahead, play your tape," my aunt said. "Um.... no, you won't like it." replied I with wisdom beyond my years. My aunt insisted. So reluctantly I put Stop the Bleeding in the tape deck and that cool chugging riff starts. Everything seems to be okay - no one's ears are bleeding. Then Guy Ritter starts singing. Faces are made. Tears flow. "Mommy, I'm scared!" says my little cousin. Out goes the tape. Then the ridicule. "I told you!" I said. "Yeah," says my aunt, "But I didn't know it was going to be like that!" Whatever.

I said all that to say this: Stop the Bleeding is just about as close to a metal masterpiece as you can get. Just about everything is perfect - perfect guitars, perfect drumming, perfect riffs, perfect hooks. It all comes together in a perfect storm of thrash, technical, and speed metal.

Useless Fact: My version is the reissue with the enhanced cover and extra tracks. Question: why did they put the concert intro after the live tracks? Also, who needs a concert intro?

Uthanda - "Groove"

Uthanda - Groove

1991, Broken

1. Be My Friend

2. Sweet Soul Salvation

3. Found Out the Hard Way

4. Change in My World

5. Look Away

6. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

7. To Be Loved

8. You Groove

9. Mercy

10. The Way That You Are

11. Red September

Uthanda had sort of a hippie band name and sort of a hippie image but they're weren't hippie music at all. My cousin and I ate it up though because at the time because we called our church youth group "The Hippy Youth Group" after some other kids in our district made fun of us. Though from the band name and image, you might expect something quirky and eclectic like Hot Pink Turtle or DigHayZoose but it's not. It's pretty standard rock. It's not even really alt-rock, just regular rock... with a little groove to it as the album title implies. That's not to say it's bad at all... I really dig this disc. If I could think of a comparison I would probably say they sound a little like Collective Soul. Not a world-shaking disc by any stretch of the imagination but I never get bored with it when I spin it.

Useless Fact: Drummer Chuck Cummings went on to play with Dakoda Motor Co. Also, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a cover of The Animals.

Under Midnight - "Void"

Under Midnight - Void
1994, Wonderland

1. Lie To Me
2. Welcome to Dystopia
3. Dream Baby
4. Artificial Light
5. Void
6. Gigo
7. Guilty
8. Oh Boy
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
10. Phreak
11. Way Up Here

Under Midnight's second album is in much the same vein as their previous one. Though Beki Hemingway, sadly, only has one or two parts in this one. The concept is a bit looser here as well being about a genetically engineered man who wonders whether he has a soul. It also touches virtual reality a little. Kind of a moot point since there isn't any real "virtual reality" like so many people thought there would be and doesn't seem to be any soon. There are some really awesome tracks on this one. In fact, the whole first half is just amazing. The second half is decent but since there are quite a few instrumentals it's not quite as strong for me. Though I still think Under Midnight is my favorite industrial band.

Useless Fact: Under Midnight called it quits after this album. That's too bad. I would have liked to have seen more from them.

Under Midnight - "Under Midnight"

Under Midnight - Under Midnight
1992, Wonderland

1. Babylon USA
2. Die To Myself
3. Love, Pain, Truth, Fire
4. New Way
5. Cyber Vision
6. Learning To Fly
7. Two World, One Cry
8. In A Mirror Dimly
9. Who Am I?
10. Fear and Trembling
11. Yes I Am
12. Arise

Man, oh man, a LOT of industrial music came out in the Christian scene around 1992 after Mortal hit. Under Midnight are not nearly as heavy as Circle of Dust and they're not as "dance" oriented as Mortal - they wander strictly in "industrial" territory. When I say "industrial" I mean just that... like this music was recorded in a robot factory. But don't get the idea that it's all just clanking metal and electronic gurgles. There are some beautiful melodic moments as well and the addition of female vocalist Beki Hemingway gives the album some variety from the usual distorted vocals that tend to characterize this type of music. They're also different in that their album is a concept album about a sinister corporation using mind control.

Useless Fact: This band features Bruce Franklin who used to play with the band Trouble.

U2 - "War"

U2 - War

1983, Island

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday

2. Seconds

3. New Year's Day

4. Like a Song...

5. Drowning Man

6. The Refugee

7. Two Hearts Beat As One

8. Red Light

9. Surrender

10. "40"

Sometimes my music tastes defy logic - even my logic. See, War is the only U2 disc I own. War is the only U2 disc I like. Sure I like a few songs off of The Joshua Tree and a few more from the various albums they've put out over the years. But War is the only album I have and it's the only one I want. I'm not sure why. I just... like it better. Seems like The Edge's style was truly unique here and the band was vibrant and fresh. But as I think about it U2 has always been a great band, so yeah... I don't know what my deal is.

Useless Fact: Thrash band Believer covered "Like a Song" on Sanity Obscure.

Tabor, Ty - "Moonflower Lane"

Tabor, Ty - Moonflower Lane

1998, Metal Blade

1. I Do

2. The Island Sea

3. Live in Your House

4. I Know Everything

5. The Truth

6. Without You

7. Hollow Eyes

8. Walk With My Love

9. Another Day

10. Her Palace

For some reason I love King's X but don't care much for any of the members' solo material. I don't really care for any of Dug Pinnick's stuff and while I do spin this disc occasionally I can't say that it's one of my favorites. I think when the guys come together, magic happens. But when they are by themselves... eh... it's just music on a disc for me. Ty was also fairly bold about Christianity on this disc... well more bold than with King's X in 1998.

Useless Fact: Ty Tabor has put out several solo albums since this one. He's got a new release called Balance and from the samples I've listened to, I don't think I'll see my mind changing on these guys' solo stuff.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Eve and Other Stories"

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve and Other Stories
1996, Atlantic

1. An Angel Came Down
2. O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night
3. A Star to Follow
4. First Snow
5. The Silent Nutcracker
6. A Mad Russian's Christmas
7. The Prince of Peace
8. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
9. Good King Joy
10. Ornament
11. The First Noel
12. Old City Bar
13. Promises to Keep
14. This Christmas Day
15. An Angel Returned
16. O Holy Night
17. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Oooh.... a little late for this update. Trans-Siberian Orchestra is most famous for doing what amount to Christmas rock operas. This specific album is famous for "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" which is essentially a metal "Carol of the Bells." It's cool. I like this album a lot even though I think some of the vocals are a little melodramatic for me. If you like your Christmas music with a little crunch then TSO is definitely for you.

Useless Fact: This album features a few guys from Savatage. Guitarist Al Petrilli also played for Megadeth years ago.

System of a Down - "Hypnotize"

System of a Down - Hypnotize

2005, Sony

1. Attack

2. Dreaming

3. Kill Rock n' Roll

4. Hypnotize

5. Stealing Society

6. Tentative

7. U-Fig

8. Holy Mountains

9. Vicinity of Obscenity

10. She's Like Heroin

11. Lonely Day

12. Soldier Side

Being, essentially, part 2 of a double album, Hypnotize is similar in style to the last disc. I think I prefer Mezmerize slightly over this one. There's a few songs on here that I just don't like "Holy Mountains" being one and "Lonely Day" being the other. The lyrics to "Lonely Day" are "The most loneliest day of my life." Emphasis is mine to point out that you either use "most" or "loneliest" - not both. Not only that the it's another mopey "oh look I'm a rock star but I'm sooooo lonely, you should pity me!" crap song. For as much as I'm bagging on it I do like this one it's just a bit more hit and miss than the last.

Useless Fact: I don't know what "Vicinity of Obscenity" is about, but unlike most System songs, I'm actually curious as to what it's about.

System of a Down - "Mezmerize"

System of a Down - Mezmerize

2005, Sony

1. Soldier Side (Intro)

2. B.Y.O.B.

3. Revenga

4. Cigaro

5. Radio/Video

6. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song

7. Violent Pornography

8. Question!

9. Sad Statue

10. Old School Hollywood

11. Lost in Hollywood

Gotta admit... these guys know how to get your attention. "B.Y.O.B." was an immediate success and I have to admit that I liked the mix of frantic nu-metal and lite reggae in the chorus. My friends were all annoyed by that song until they heard the "la-la-la-la-la Oooooh!" part - then they loved it. That's my friends for you. This disc is a lot more melodic than the previous ones and the guitarist takes over a lot more vocals than before. Though when they sing together its almost beautiful... almost.

Useless Fact: One of the band member's fathers designed the cover art but I can't remember who.

System of a Down - "Toxicity"

System of a Down - Toxicity

2001, Sony

1. Prison Song

2. Needles

3. Deer Dance

4. Jet Pilot

5. X

6. Chop Suey!

7. Bounce

8. Forest

9. Atwa

10. Science

11. Shimmy

12. Toxicity

13. Psycho

14. Aerials

CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG-CHUG-CHUG! They're trying to build a prison! So begins the first System disc I heard. Man, that downtuned crunch is so heavy and thick, I can't help but love it. "Chop Suey!" was the first song I heard from these guys back in my first few days of Bible college and I thought they were pretty original. You have to admit that "Chop Suey!" is not like any song you've ever heard before. A lot of people hate the vocals but I think they're unique. Oh... and the whole album is like that - full of hard pounding songs with staccato vocal lines, odd lyrics, a little middle-eastern flair. The chorus of "Needles" almost sounds like a bar song or something. Though my favorite songs are the ones that weren't singles like "Needles," "Deer Dance," "Science," and "Shimmy."

Useless Fact: Do you know what the lyrics are about? Me neither. I don't know and I don't want to know.

Stryper - "In God We Trust"

Stryper - In God We Trust

1988, Enigma

1. In God We Trust

2. Always There For You

3. Keep the Fire Burning

4. I Believe in You

5. The Writings on the Wall

6. It's Up 2 U

7. The World of You and I

8. Come to the Everlife

9. Lonely

10. The Reign

In God We Trust has the distinction of being the very first tape I ever got. For that reason alone it will always have a special place in my heart even though I don't listen to it that much. I remember my mom taking me to the Christian book store in the mall to get it. Mom hated it. My friends hated it. But I loved it. Didn't know at the time just how commercial the band had gotten at this point. MTV was playing them all the time. I only have a few favorite tracks off of this one because as I look back now, I was a little too young to realize how forgettable some of these tracks are. So while this disc will always be on my ipod and in my collection, it's something I hardly ever pull out.

Useless Fact: After this disc the guys abandoned their stripes and caused a lot of controversy by going "secular." Of course they caused a lot of controversy by being a Christian metal band too... so I guess they were used to it.

Stryper - "To Hell With the Devil"

Stryper - To Hell With the Devil

1986, Enigma

1. Abyss (To Hell With the Devil)

2. To Hell With the Devil

3. Calling On You

4. Free

5. Honestly

6. The Way

7. Sing-Along Song

8. Holding On

9. Rockin' the World

10. All of Me

11. More Than a Man

I was a HUGE fan of Stryper back in the day. HUGE. These days I don't really listen to them that much for whatever reason. Sometimes I wish I was born just a few years earlier so I could have really experienced these guys in their prime. As it is To Hell With the Devil is a bit more commercial than their previous efforts but that doesn't bother me any. In fact, I would say all their stuff was pretty commercial. However, this was the first disc to have a single and video blow up on MTV - that being "Honestly." As far as the whole album goes I think I like the first half a lot better than the second half with the exception of "More Than a Man." That song is awesome... and very close to my heart. It's one of my top ten metal worship songs.

Useless Fact: Only true fans know that the cover above was supposed to be the original cover for the album, but some idiot in his infinite wisdom decided on the black cover. Why? Who the heck knows. I just know that the one pictured above is cooler than the one I have.

Ultimatum - "Into the Pit"

Ultimatum - Into the Pit

2007, Retroactive

1. One For All

2. Exonerate

3. Deathwish

4. Blood Covenant

5. Heart of Metal

6. Wrathchild

7. Transgressor

8. Blink

9. Blind Faith

10. Into the Pit

11. Game Over

For as long as I've been reading reviews on Nolifetilmetal.com you'd think I would have checked out Ultimatum before now. Especially since that website served as the direct inspiration for the blog you are reading right now. The author of Nolife, Scott Waters, is also the vocalist for Ultimatum. Ultimatum play straight-forward thrash. No frills, no epic anything, no artsy-fartsy progressivey stuff. Just good ol' thrash... like grandma used to make. Scott's vocals sound like a combination of Bon Scott (AC/DC) and Roger Martinez (Vengeance Rising). The music itself is full of high octane chugging riffs and plenty of face melting solos. The chorus is "Blood Covenant" is majestic and the anthemic "Heart of Metal" fills my metal heart with joy. I counted this disc as one of my favorite musical discoveries of 2009 on my other blog avsherwood1.wordpress.com. I suppose it's time to start collecting some Ultimatum back catalogue eh?

Useless Fact: "Wrathchild" is an Iron Maiden cover, and I think "Blink" has been recorded before on one of the band's past albums.

The Throes - "Fall On Your World"

The Throes - Fall On Your World

1993, Glasshouse

1. Say Hello

2. Tangerine Leaves

3. Noose of Trust

4. Way Too Much

5. Jordan

6. Oh Well

7. Pain of the Next

8. Blow Out the Candle

9. Where is the Fire?

10. For the Honesty

11. Wake-Up Call

12. Sounds Like Heaven

If you're a regular reader of this blog you've probably guessed that I may be a little unbalanced. I tend to like the albums that fans usually despise. Well... guess what? Fall On Your World is considered the black sheep among The Throes' albums. Even William Campbell himself has said that he hates this record. So yeah... I love it. I really don't see what's so wrong with it. It took me some time to get used to Campbell's odd vocal style but other than that I thought it was some good, moody alt rock. This one gets a little dark especially in songs like "Noose of Trust" and "Oh Well" but that never bothered me either. What's really weird is that all the other Throes discs that everyone says are great I don't really care for. Didn't like 12 Before 9 nor did I like Afroamericaasiwhateveryoucallit.

Useless Fact: Glasshouse records was either Derry Daughtery's or Steve Hindalong's (both from The Choir) record company. They both contribute some backing vocals to the disc.

The Swirling Eddies - "Sacred Cows"

The Swirling Eddies - Sacred Cows

1996, Starsong

1. God Good, Devil Bad

2. Baby Baby

3. Satan, Bite the Dust

4. Not For Me

5. I Luv Rap Music

6. Convertibles

7. I Use the J-Word

8. Alcatraz

9. Big House

10. Sing Along Song

Okay so this is a novelty disc with the Eddies covering some of Christian music's "best" hits! Most of it is good for one or two listens. There's only a few tracks that bear repeated spins. One of those is the hilarious "God Good, Devil Bad." The lisping in "Satan, Bite the Dust" makes that song MORE listenable, if you can believe that! You can hear what Audio Adrenaline's "Big House" sounds like with Deputy Dog singing it. But the the best, funniest, most brilliant song on here as got to be the lounge cover of DC Talk's "I Luv Rap Music." Easily the best track on here. I actually prefer that one to the original.

Useless Fact: There are two covers for this one. The one pictured is blue but I have a read one. Sort of like Pokemon... but... um... not as stupid. Okay... well I don't know about that. Never mind.

Taylor, Steve - "Squint"

Taylor, Steve - Squint
1993, Sparrow

1. The Lament of Desmond R.G. Underwood-Frederick IV
2. Bannerman
3. Smug
4. Jesus is For Losers
5. The Finish Line
6. The Moshing Floor
7. Easy Listening
8. Curses
9. Sock Heaven
10. Cash Cow (A Rock Opera in Three Small Acts)

The first time I heard Steve Taylor I was unaware of his status as a Christian rock legend. My cousin had Squint on tape and she played it for me. When I heard the fat, fuzzy bass lick in the lead off track I was pretty much sold. Unlike much of Steve's back catalogue, this disc still sounds fresh and modern even after almost 17 or so years. Steve is also one of the best lyricists I've ever heard. He has a way with satire - making his lyrics humorous but at the same time being deadly serious about whatever topic he's taking on. Take "Easy Listening" for example. It's got a bouncy sort of light reggae feel to it and the lyrics come from the perspective of someone from the year 2044. But the actual message embodied in lines like "My conscience was clean and my wallet was full/ Didn't hear none of this sacrifice bull" rail against cheap grace and easy Christianity. He also has a way of writing poignant heartfelt lyrics as well like on the ballad "Jesus is for Losers" and "The Finish Line." Of course he got some crap for "Jesus is for Losers" from people who don't know how to read a lyric sheet. Definitely a great album and highly recommended.

Useless Fact: "Sock Heaven" is about Steve's time with his band Chagall Guevara.

Balance of Power - "Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion"

Balance of Power - Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion

1999, Nightmare

1. Day Breaker

2 Prisoner of Pride

3. Savage Tears

4. Under the Spell

5. Blind Man

6. About to Burn

7. Under Innocence Wing

8. Sins of the World

9. The Darker Side

10. Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion

Balance of Power is a great band. They have this way of combining the commercial appeal of hard rock, the virtuoso playing of progressive metal, and the crunchy riffs of power metal to make their own sound. Totally works for me. I think this one is slightly more commercial sounding than Perfect Balance but that might just be me. The only thing I don't like is the "la la la's" in the piano ballad "The Darker Side." Seems like he could have sung something else there... it sounds cheesy to me. Otherwise... awesome!

Useless Fact: These guys are from the UK....except vocalist Lance King who's a Yankee. I really could not think of a useless fact for this disc.

Thresher - "Here I Am"

Thresher - Here I Am
2009, Retroactive

1. Sanctuary
2. Faith Awaken
3. Amazing Grace
4. Here I Am
5. Altar of Sacrifice
6. Death to Asherah
7. Raptor
8. One Way Out

O! Lamentations for what could have been! For those who don't know Thresher was a proficient thrash band that put out some demo stuff in the early 90's. One of the songs, "My Reality" appeared on REX Record's Demolition comp. They recorded an album but it never got released.... until now! Got to say this is some pretty good early 90's Metallica-esque thrash. It's all demo quality but quite listenable all the same - and I usually hate demo stuff. Most of the songs are full of chunky, speedy riffs with some somber acoustic parts thrown in. "Faith Awaken" has this odd time signature in the first half that I don't care much for, but that's really my only complaint. Though as good as this is I can't help but wonder how much better it could have been if the band had gotten a good producer and had some more money behind it. Why Intense or REX never picked these guys up is beyond me.

Okay... now is it just me or does that totally look like Sebastian Bach on the cover?

Useless Fact: "Sanctuary" is the same song as "My Reality." Also, if you were one of the first few to preorder the disc you got the Totally Possessed demo on CDR. Doh! Skunked again!

The Sundays - "Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic"

The Sundays - Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
1990, Geffin

1. Skin & Bones
2. Here's Where the Story Ends
3. Can't Be Sure
4. I Won
5. Hideous Towns
6. You're Not the Only One I Know
7. A Certain Someone
8. I Kicked a Boy
9. My Finest Hour
10. Joy

Here's another one I thought I'd just love. Based on the single "Here's Where the Story Ends" I got this awhile back because I love female-fronted alt-rock bands but I've listened to this several times and the only song I can remember is "Here's Where the Story Ends." Oh, and there's and interesting riff in "Skin & Bones" but I honestly don't remember anything else. It's not bad or anything... I guess I though I would like it more. Eh... seems to be the theme today...

Useless Fact: I think this band only put out three albums. When I used to work at Sears "Here's Where the Story Ends" and "Summertime" were played in the stock room.

Stream of Passion - "Embrace the Storm"

Stream of Passion - Embrace the Storm

2005, Inside Out

1. Spellbound

2. Passion

3. Deceiver

4. I'll Keep On Dreaming

5. Haunted

6. Wherever You Are

7. Open Your Eyes

8. Embrace the Storm

9. Breathing Again

10. Out in the Real World

11. Nostalgia

12. Calliopeia

Man... I thought I would like this way more than I do. After The Human Equation Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen put together Stream of Passion solely to showcase the vocals of Mexican singer Marcela Bovio. So naturally, given my love of Ayreon, I thought I would love this. Unfortunately, I find it a bit boring. I don't know why. Marcela is an excellent vocalist, if a little shrill at times and the rest of the band was hand picked by Arjen himself so you know they're good. But I don't know what it is about this disc but I just never really got into it. It ends up being a mixture of Evanescence and Ayreon which you'd think would be awesome but I never find myself wanting to pick this back up. Usually the only time I listen to it is when I try to see if it will grow on me.... and it never does. It's not bad... but I just can't get into it.

Useless Fact: Guitaris Lori Linstruth plays on Arjen's new project Guilt Machine.

Starflyer 59 - "Silver"

Starflyer 59 - Silver
2005, Tooth and Nail

1. Blue Collar Love
2. Monterey
3. Sled
4. Hazel Would
5. The Zenith
6. 2nd Space Song
7. Droned
8. Happy Days Are Here Again
9. She Only Knows
10. The Dungeon
Bonus Tracks:
11. She's The Queen
12. She Was My Sweetheart
13. Blue Collar Love (Joy Electric Dub Mix)
14. Monterey (Lounge Version)
15. Canary Row
16. Salinas
17. The Drop
18. Droned (In Love Version)

Talk about different! One good thing I can say about Tooth & Nail is they brought some fresh music into the scene back in the early nineties. One of the best bands was Starflyer 59. Their style is usually referred to as "shoegazer." I'm not sure what that is or how it got its name but let me tell you what it sounds like: huge, thick, walls of distortion with trippy guitar parts over it and Jason Martin almost whisper-singing the lyrics. I know that doesn't sound appealing but trust me, it's probably one of the most unique things I've ever heard. I'm sure the bands' effects pedals got quite a workout on this one. As you can see there's only one SF59 disc here but that's because I never cared for the ones that came after this one. Also, my version is the reissue that includes the She's The Queen EP. That's cool to have on disc even though the artwork on this edition is cheap with a no-page insert! Lame!

Useless Fact: Starflyer 59 had a habit of not actually making cover art. Even though there's cover art shown the original Silver just had a silver cover (unless you got the tape). The Gold album had just a gold cover and Americana had just a plain red cover. They eventually got over that but I will say it made them just that much more peculiar.

Spin Doctors - "Pocket Full of Kryptonite"

Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite

1993, Epic

1. Jimmy Olsen's Blues

2. What Time is It?

3. Little Miss Can't Be Wrong

4. Forty or Fifty

5. Refrigerator Car

6. More Than She Knows

7. Two Princes

8. Off My Line

9. How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)

10. Shinbone Alley/Hard to Exist

The Spin Doctors will probably always be known for "Two Princes." A song that most people like but won't admit it. The song got a lot of flack for being cheesy. I don't know what the deal was... I like it a lot. In fact, I like this whole album. Granted, it's not something that I play on a regular basis but every once in a while it's nice to pull out when I want to hear something different. They groove through their ten songs with plenty of humor and hooks. I think these guys are underrated in terms of talent. I was never really interested in any of their follow ups because they all sounded like carbon copies of this disc.

Useless Fact: This album was out for a few years before the band made videos for a couple of their songs and their popularity blew up. Kind of like with Nirvana.

Skid Row - "Skid Row"

Skid Row - Skid Row

1989, Atlantic

1. Big Guns

2. Sweet Little Sister

3. Can't Stand the Heartache

4. Piece of Me

5. 18 and Life

6. Rattlesnake Shake

7. Youth Gone Wild

8. Here I Am

9. Makin' a Mess

10. I Remember You

11. Midnight/Tornado

Skid Row remains one of my favorite "hair" bands. They've got that sort of grimy LA party vibe like Poison, but Skid Row is far more talented and heavier. Sebastian Bach was one of the coolest frontmen back in the day and his unique vocal style sets the band apart. I never really got into any of their follow-ups nearly as much. Not much more to say, really. Skid Row rocks!

I used to know this guy at my church who claimed that he actually wrote "18 and Life." He also claimed that he wrote "Down Boys" by Warrant. Uh... yeah... it says in the liner notes to both CDs who wrote the songs. Of course, after pointing this out the guy claimed that the bands didn't want to acknowledge him. Sure.... um.... isn't that illegal? Of course this is the guy who sang "Thank You" by Ray Boltz seventeen times at our church.

Useless Fact: I think the second album, Slave to the Grind was actually more successful than this one but I never got into that one for some reason.

Sixpence None the Richer - "Sixpence None the Richer"

Sixpence None the Richer - Sixpence None the Richer

1999, Squint

1. We Have Forgotten

2. Anything

3. The Waiting Room

4. Kiss Me

5. Easy to Ignore

6. Puedo Escribir

7. I Can't Catch You

8. The Lines of My Earth

9. Sister, Mother

10. I Won't Stay Long

11. Love

12. Moving On

13. There She Goes

It makes my heart sad that this album will probably always and forever be remembered for "Kiss Me." "Kiss Me" is a good song for them, don't get me wrong. But this whole album is just amazing. They've recaptured the balance between sadness and hope, despair and wonder that characterized the debut and the two singles this album spawned are easily the worst songs on the disc. Of course "worst" being a relative term because they're not bad - there's just so much more this album has to offer. It's dirt cheap now so go get one!

Useless Fact: J.J. Plascencio must have left after this album was recorded because he's all through the liner notes as playing bass but not counted as in the band itself. Also, the picture up there is not the actual cover. The actual cover is on the back of the jewel case where the song list usually goes and is another painting by Steve Taylor's wife.

Sixpence None the Richer - "Tickets For a Prayer Wheel"

Sixpence None the Richer - Tickets For a Prayer Wheel

1996, REX

1. Within a Room Somewhere (Radio Edit)

2. Within a Room Somewhere (Demo)

3. Healer

4. Dresses

5. Love Letters in the Sand

6. Carry You

7. Alisha's First Step

8. Solomon the Mystic

9. Love, Salvation, the Fear of Death (Dance Mix Intro)

10. Love, Salvation, the Fear of Death (Dance Mix)

Tickets is a cool little EP put out by the band probably as a way to fulfill their contract with REX records. It's got some remixes of older tunes and quite a few new ones. I'm pretty sure that "Healer" and "Dresses" were songs that were recorded during the Beautiful Mess sessions. To be honest I think those songs should have been on that album to lighten it up a little. They're great songs. "Carry You" is a Leslie Phillips cover. I want to say that "Love Letters in the Sand" is a cover too but I don't know of whom. "Alisha's First Step" and "Solomon the Mystic" are both instrumentals. All in all it was definitely worth the $7 or so it cost me at the time.

Useless Fact: Though not part of the band Tess Wiley is credited as playing on a few songs. Also, as mentioned before, this was the last disc the band put out on REX.

Sixpence None the Richer - "This Beautiful Mess"

Sixpence None the Richer - This Beautiful Mess

1995, REX

1. Angeltread

2. Love, Salvation, the Fear of Death

3. Bleeding

4. Within a Room Somewhere

5. Melting Alone

6. Circle of Error

7. The Garden

8. Disconnect

9. Thought Menagerie

10. Maybe Tomorrow

11. Drifting

12. I Can't Explain

Sixpence's sophomore album is definitely an improvement over the debut. The production is a lot better and the songs sound "fuller" if that makes sense. That could be due to new guitarist Tess Wiley. It also has something to do with the fact that this disc isn't quite as quiet or acoustic as the last one. One listen to the blistering "Angeltread" will convince you of that. Yeah, you don't usually associate the word "blistering" with Sixpence. I will say the the lyrics are a good deal more depressing on this one. Almost to the point where I have to check my mood before I listen to it. "Melting Alone," "Within a Room Somewhere," and "Bleeding" are all downers that, while great songs, are not good if you're prone to pity parties.

I had the chance to meet vocalist Leigh Nash (then Bingham - before she got married) at Kindgom Bound. She was probably the sweetest, nicest artist I'd ever met at Kingdom Bound in all the years I went there. She would introduce herself saying, "Hi, I'm Leigh Bingham" as though nobody knew who she was. I thought it was pretty humble and genuine. My girlfriend at the time told Leigh how she wrote a paper on one of their songs for school ("Meaningless" I think it was). Later that night while my girlfriend was at the Newsboys show (I didn't go because I think the Newsboys are evil) I went to the Sixpence table to have the band sign my girlfriend's shirt. Leigh actually remembered who I was, who my girlfriend was, and that she'd written papers about them. I was really impressed. Out of all the people she'd probably met that day she actually remembered meeting us. I was pretty impressed.

Useless Fact: Tess Wiley only stayed on for this album. I'm not sure why she left but she went on to form Phantasmic. And while I'd hate to bring out my ol' Terry Ferrel/Dax/Deep Space Nine analogy I'd like to point out that Sixpence just put out the best Christmas album ever last year and nobody knows who Phantasmic is. I should also add that Steve Taylor's wife did most of the artwork for the album.