Peace, Michael - "Threat to Society"

Peace, Michael - Threat to Society

1991, Starsong

1. J.D.'s Jam

2. Time Bomb Posse In Effect

3. Plain & Simple

4. They Call Me Crack

5. My Manifesto

6. Get the Power (Do the Right Thing)

7. Threat to Society

8. I'm Man Enough

9. Think It Over

10. Peace In a Time of Chaos

11. In a Minute

I didn't like this one when it first came out. I think it's because there's quite a few tracks on here that aren't really rap songs at all. "My Manifesto" is a spoken word track with a beat. "Get the Power" is an instrumental I believe. Though I like the use of smooth jazz backbeats - it makes the songs more interesting. I like this a lot better now than I'm older though I don't pull it out as much as Loud N Clear.

Useless Fact: I saw Alvin Slaughter in concert once and Michael Peace just happened to be there. Alvin invited Michael on stage and he did a freestyle rap right there on the spot. It was cool.

Peace, Michael - "Loud N Clear"

Peace, Michael - Loud N Clear

1990, Reunion

1. Ad Lib

2. Rrrrock It Right (Let's Get Busy)

3. J-E-S-U-S

4. Vigilante of the Rhyme

5. I'll See You There

6. Solid Rock

7. That's Right

8. He's the Baddest

9. Livin' On the Edge

10. (The New) Solid Rock Crew

11. On the Throne

12. Rock Your World

I've seen Michael Peace several times live and he never failed to put on a good show. My own mother organized two Michael Peace concerts in our hometown in upstate, NY. He was always a cool guy. I always liked this live album. The crowd is rowdy but doesn't step over the music. At times Peace's rapping style can be a little simplistic but for the most part he can write a cool rhyme. He likes to name drop too and just about everybody who was anybody at the time got name dropped in this record. "He's the Baddest" has a cool saxophone section and Michael gets the crowd to sing the chorus on "I'll See You There."

Useless Fact: Michael Peace has several albums out on tape but I think this is the first one that was released on CD. Some record company really needs to get on that stuff and reissue it. Also, in one of the songs where Peace is asking people to answer "Yes! I do!" you can hear one little girl in the audience say, "No! I don't!"

Jackson, Michael - "Thriller"

Jackson, Michael - Thriller

1982/2001, Sony

1. Wanna Be Startin' Something

2. Baby Be Mine

3. Girl Is Mine (feat. Paul McCartney)

4. Thriller

5. Beat It

6. Billie Jean

7. Human Nature

8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)

9. Lady in My Life

Yes... I have Thriller on my Ipod. Don't laugh. This is flippin' Thriller people. People don't call you "The King of Pop" for nothing. This is a nearly perfect pop record. Whether that's due to Michael himself or producer Quincy Jones I don't know. But whoever it was... man they made a classic. So many good videos came from this too. Probably the only tune I don't care for is "Lady In My Life." I think I would prefer the closer to have a little more zip.

Useless Fact: Um... didn't he recently pass away? I don't know, I mean, there's so little fanfare about Michael Jackson these days I can't be sure.

Metanoia - "In Darkness or In Light"

Metanoia - In Darkness or In Light

1995, Rowe Productions

1. Acute Obliteration

2. Enslavement

3. In Darkness or In Light

4. On and On

5. Dead Flesh

6. Dimensions of Life

7. Son of Man

8. Torn by Dogs

9. Death of Death

10. Seventh Seal

ROOOOOOOAAAAAR! URRRRRAAAHHHHH! Ha ha! Yeah, Metanoia is death metal with the characteristic cookie monster vocals. The good thing about these guys though is that they're not just pure speed - there's some good riffs mixed in and you can tell these guys are influenced by classic metal which makes them far more interesting than the average death metal band. I first heard these guys on a Rowe Productions sampler called Hard n' Heavy From Down Under. I was just blown away by "Acute Obliteration" and "Dimensions of Life." Though I've never been a huge death metal person so I don't really listen to this often.

Useless Fact: This band put out three official albums including this one. I don't have those though. Yeah... not much of a fact I know but I couldn't think of anything else.

Metallica - "Death Magnetic"

Metallica - Death Magnetic

2008, Warner Bros.

1. That Was Just Your Life

2. The End of the Line

3. Broken, Beat & Scared

4. The Day That Never Comes

5. All Nightmare Long

6. Cyanide

7. The Unforgiven III

8. The Judas Kiss

9. Suicide & Redemption

10. My Apocalypse

Metallica is finally getting back on their feet, I think. After the disastrous St. Anger the band returns with one of the most proficient, technical and heavy albums since Justice. The songs are fast, heavy, and dense compositions - most of which clockin at 7 minutes or over. I'm not sure that's necessary but as long as the songs are good I'm okay with it. "That Was Just Your Life" is a ripping opener that proudly proclaims its metal-ness. "All Nightmare Long" has an awesome adrenaline fueled chorus that makes me want to throw my fist in the air! "Suicide & Redemption" is one of the finest instrumentals the band has done. No, that's not a typo. I will say that they could have dropped "The Unforgiven III" because it's a very mediocre song and really doesn't have anything to do lyrically or thematically with the other "Unforgivens." While I think Megadeth still trumps them in terms of consistency, I think Metallica is well on their way to getting back on their feet in the fans' eyes.

Oh... one last comment. Some people have commented on the poor mastering. I admit that there is some distortion in the recording, but it was never anything I really noticed that much and it wasn't a deal-breaker by any stretch.

Useless Fact: Hey, look... they're not punishing their bassist anymore. Poor Jason... his only crime was not being Cliff Burton.

Metallica - "...And Justice For All"

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

1988, Elektra

1. Blackened

2. ...And Justice For All

3. Eye of the Beholder

4. One

5. Shortest Straw

6. Harvester of Sorrow

7. Frayed Ends of Sanity

8. To Live is To Die

9. Dyer's Eve

This is my favorite Metallica offering to this day. ...And Justice For All is technical, brutal, majestic, and beautiful. Thick chunky riffs dominate this record and the band is at their most serious. I know that when some one claims "Blackened" as their favorite Metallica song, that they are a more sophisticated fan than the average "Enter Sandman"-tard.

Useless Fact: This is the last album to contain riffs written by Cliff Burton.

Metallica - "Master of Puppets"

Metallica - Master of Puppets
1986, Elektra

1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.

It goes without saying that this is a masterwork of thrash. If you like metal and you don't already have this then you probably still need help tying your shoes in the morning. Puppets is a genre defining album no metal-head should be without.

Useless Fact: This was the last album featuring Cliff Burton on bass. He died tragically in a bus accident.