2000mk's Rock Top 10 |
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The Offspring
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AC/DC
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Pearl Jam
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Rollins Band
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Green Day
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28 Days
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The Living End
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Powderfinger
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2001mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Fantomas
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Tomahawk
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Spiderbait
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Blink-182
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Tenacious D
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Superheist
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Something For Kate
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A complete shift from my normal listening party, however I do have a few indulgences outside of your typical rock and metal bands. Something For Kate is one of them. Great Australian band that are classed as Post-Grunge when they formed in the mid 90's. What the hell that means I have no idea. In any case, up to this point they had 2 releases in the bank which gave you a sense of what they were about. You could see in that, they were building on their craft and I think Echolalia, for me, easily hits the high-point to this stage in their career. So onto what to expect. Paul Dempsey is one of the great modern Australian vocalist and his reputation since this is testament to that. Musically it is Alt-Rock listen but with a smooth edge to it, with each song seeming to flow easily into the next one. No particularly call outs for specific songs as all have favourable traits. It's a perfect listen from start to finish (I don't believe there are any fillers) on a Sunday morning when you are resting up with your favourite pair of socks or slippers with a good cup of coffee (or whatever you do). |
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The Mark Of Cain
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2004mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Black Label Society
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I can't recall the first time I had a listen to this band. In any case became familiar with their releases after forming in 1998. While The Blessed Hellride released prior to this effort I love to bits, Hangover is a very different beast. As the name suggests, it is a very dulled-down release to perhaps support the day after for some. That aside, this is actually a very ballsy effort from Zakk-man. It exposes his vocals even more so, which most would admit take some getting used to. To the point however - he blows the doors off with a mix of mellow, blues/rock sound covering some very catchy tunes. You get to hear his now familiar guitar sound that he has perfected over the years - even when you listen to Ozzy releases over the recent years you will clearly know he has left his paint mark on the release. Highlights include the opener 'Crazy Or High', but as you proceed through the album, you hit the gems such as 'Stepping Stone', 'Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow' which shows the man can hold a tune and can hold his own on the ivory which is surprising. We then have the short enjoyment of Zakk noodling in 'Takillya (Estyabon)' - very much in flamenco style. As you proceed you will find a tribute to Layne Staley and a cover of 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale'. I must admit the 65 minute effort does come to an early halt with the last few songs which does relieve it of the 'classic' title. However going back to the start, if you are after a comfy listen on a Sunday morning following a big Saturday night, this is the landing zone. It hooked me as a lifetime fan and loved having the chance to see the man handle his guitar playing live. |
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Cake
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Eagles Of Death Metal
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Green Day
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Grinspoon
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Monster Magnet
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Spiderbait
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2005mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Foo Fighters
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OK - I'll admit it. This scraped into my rock listing as there wasn't much else and I listened to it twice. It's pretty much your standard stuff from the Foos, which in this day and age is a good thing. |
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Limp Bizkit
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Limp Bizkit were a band that slotted themselves into the mid 90's music scene with a lot of activity in place. Grunge/Nu-Metal and Metal in general trying to survive. At the time, there were two views of LB. You either loved them or you laughed at some pretentious white boy with his Adidas apparel and orange hat pretending to be a proficient rap artist. But also there were the likes of me that secretly was interested in their early sound. They had much turmoil in the years to come, importantly with lead guitarist Wes Borland who was the cornerstone of their sound, leaving the band. Thankfully he returned to record this E.P. in 2005. One thing I will say is that Durst is an intelligent lyricist and this is displayed perfectly on The Unquestionable Truth - a dark recording that covers many social issues, however it is the music/sound that is much heavier. Perfectly displayed on the intro to 'The Truth', with a heavy bass line, slowly introducing an ice splitting guitar and jungle drumbeat emerging into after a minute or so a colossal sound that matches the song as it progresses. Is a highlight song of the E.P. All up it's 30 minutes of enjoyment closed with a subdue Durst solo at the end which calms the listener down. In summary as short as it is, I see a very mature LB here, looking nothing like their 90's brat days. I was hoping we would get a Part 2 at some stage, but that is yet to eventuate. |
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Green Carnation
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Similar to Limp Bizkit, the album has some ripper tracks at the start but fades away at the end. |
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Audioslave
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Morello is a God. Cornell is Jesus. So what's so wrong with this band? I think I've finally realised I've been spending my time just looking for a hint of those 'Jesus Christ Pose' screams from Cornell and I need to face the fact that ain't gonna happen. So just sit back Stuey and enjoy this incarnation. I did and I liked it. |
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F5
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At least give me a chance to explain before sending the barrage of tomatoes in my direction. Yes, this is the evil guy from that band he used to play in with Mustaine (I dare not mention the band name as it'll breach to copyright laws Mustaine put on him) but Dave Ellefson's contribution to metal is undeniable. Dare I say, this somewhat 'radio friendly' debut is a breath of fresh air. Some great tunes in there and definitely a change of direction for the ex-Megadeth bass player. (Damn, I said it. Mustaine will be after me...). OK - Release the tomatoes!!! |
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Iommi
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They're old, but so what. Everything else on your body may sag as you get older but at least your fingers don't, otherwise we wouldn't have got this fine piece of guitar work from Iommi. Backed up by Hughes this is a great combo. I now hear that Hughes is going to write his own solo and have Iommi play on it, and then Geezer will have Hughes and Iommi play on his next solo effort. And I also hear in the pipes that Bill Ward is interested in getting his solo career going, with guest appearances from Geezer, Iommi and Hughes... heh? Hang on a sec. |
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Black Label Society
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The Chapter remains strong. He's pumping out the work of late but another mouthful of catchy tunes leaves me left with no more room. I might have to do the sultana trick and place his next album (reported for release this year) up my nose. |
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Audrey Horne
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This is sounding a little predictable. Maybe it's me still holding onto the past. But this is in parts close to a Mike Patton Faith No More release. Crazy name for a band but as the reference to FNM suggests a catchy and addictive release. |
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Volbeat
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Back in the heyday of TheBigBlack crew searching for something new to listen to, we discovered Volbeat. At a time where metal wasn't offering anything new, these young guns from Denmark hit our ears and instantly struck a chord (or two) with us. Lead singer Poulson at the time was marked as the 'Elvis of Metal'. He does have a unique voice and very much contributes to the overall sound of the album. Apart from that the music itself is hard to capture - kinda a Rock/Metal rockabilly that has you banging your head with a little jump in your step. The chainsaw guitar is very cutting in each song. This lifted the band to global acknowledgement and from here they have gone on to be a big band on large festivals in Europe. |
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2005mk's Rock Dishonourable Mentions |
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The Mars Volta
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The award definitely goes to The Mars Volta for yet again making their music completely inaccessible. What the hell is with the track listings and all the weird shite. I wanna like them, I really do. |
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Wolfmother
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Hello and goodbye. Certain to follow in the path of their predecessors The Vines and Jet, they'll fall into obscurity once the hype dies down, so why bother getting interested. |
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2006mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Boris
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By chance I took a punt on Allmusic's recommendation of their albums of the year in 'rock'. This one featured - along with some complete poo, and I'm glad I got to listen to it. The first track has an ISIS feel to it before it launches into a 70's inspired collage of guitar sounds, and this is the general tone throughout. |
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Eagles Of Death Metal
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So for Josh 'everything I touch turns to gold' Homme - this is just another bit of fun for him and his crew. When he does something for fun, he makes millions. When I do something for fun like build a sandcastle resembling Versailles in the sandpit in the back yard, I get zilch!! Where's the equality in this world!! It's rocking, it's groovy, it's a winner. |
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Tool
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The couple of songs have me all excited - they've ditched the 'ambient' crap (I can't think of any other way to describe it) and gone back to the roots - that bass sound chugging away and the soulful guitar solos. Then 'hello track 3' it's back again!!! But like a ride you might have been a centimetre too short to go on when you were a kid, but the operator let you go on anyway, I decided not to take my bat and ball and go home at this stage - I decided to soldier on, in the hope that despite being slightly short - I wasn't going to get hurt. Bugger track 4 - same stuff. Can I keep going. Tack 5 - the single Ahhh - that's better. And so you get the picture at this point, that it was indeed a battle to listen to, but through perseverance, it comes up a winner. |
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Black Label Society
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I'll be the first to admit, that previous efforts had me 'trying' to like this release for quite some time. So yes it's had a fair bit of airplay. But I'm addicted to that little guitar 'twang' that he adds into most of his songs. You know what you're going to get with each BLS release and I think that's also what I like about it. |
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Peeping Tom
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Can Mike Patton do no wrong?? I'm not usually a fan of the guest vocalists coming into sing a chorus or something (on that point could Snoop Dog be classed as a 'professional guest vocalist' - has he ever released his own effort?) and I'm ashamed to say I only know Nora Jones s the guest vocalist on this release. In the end it doesn't matter - it's a great collection of weird sounds, groovy tunes and the ever changing vocals of Patton. |
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Audioslave
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To me Audioslave has been all about seeing who has the biggest dick out of Morello and Cornell. I'm a HUGE Cornell fan from his Soundgarden days while Morello makes his guitar virtually talk to you. In some places in the past it just hasn't gelled for me. Unlike their latest effort. And now we hear that RATM are getting back together (I think Zac is the 'new Joey' perhaps), Cornell wants to eat frogs legs with his French wife in Paris all the time now, so things will probably go downhill from here. |
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The Living End
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Thank key-ryst someone is keeping the candle burning from my 90's Aussie alternative rock era. The Gurge - gone! Spiderbait - gone! Jebadiah - gone (pity Mr. Evans hasn't had his feet placed in cement yet thought)! For a fleeting moment - i.e. their last release - I thought these guys were joining the list. Well 'dag-nabbit' this is possibly their best release (big call I know), but it's THAT good!! |
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The Butterfly Effect
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Of every album I have listened to in the past year, this one have given me the most heartache. Firstly, it's important to point out this is the 'all-new' radio friendly Butterfly Effect. I'm not going to try and convince you they are the same as before and for that they have probably alienated themselves from a number of their fans. But the change in my final opinion was well worth it. Their song writing has matured 10-fold. The songs well-constructed with the crunchy guitar holding it all together. In short - they've grown up. It took a while to convince me that past the first couple of angst-filled tracks, there was indeed a present waiting to be opened and explored (no, not that kind of present Zan). Sure a lot of investment, compared to the remainder of my Rock list, but this just can't be ignored as a quality 'Aussie' release. |
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2006mk's Rock Honourable Mentions |
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Muse
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Didn't quite grab me this year, but another solid effort from them. |
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Red Hot Chili Peppers
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OK - give me the first disc and it's in my Top10. The fact I didn't get to the second disc however probably gives me a good indication of exactly where it belongs in the list. I will get to it one day. |
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2006mk's Rock Dishonourable Mentions |
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Jet
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Suck shit. Drop dead! |
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Sonic Youth
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I think the lead singer has taken some gay pills for this release. My God - what happened to you guys?? I said goodbye in the early 90's and wish I still had those good time memories - all I have now is that dumb Incinerate single in my head. |
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2007mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Smashing Pumpkins
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A big middle finger in your general direction Corgan!!! This album is nothing but a cruel joke and further detracts from the legacy that was the Pumpkins. I was initially cautious about this release - we all know the story by now - and on commencing my listen, Doomsday Clock put me well and truly in my place - brilliant!! Could have easily been a left over track from Melon Collie. At last - Corgan has passed the ego stone through his body (I think I even heard the splash in the toilet bowl!!)...or so I thought. Things just downward spiral from this point - in fact track 3 is where it starts, with track 4 returning us to Adore. Fuck!! And 8 tracks later, we leave the train station for 'Utter Shit-town' (Pomp and Circumstance). This is bullshit Corgan!! You might ask why then is it in your Top10? The first 2 tracks alone - that's it. That's the only reason..well that and it was either this album or Rose Tattoo's release. Maybe I've just got it in for bald lead singers? Actually Angry is less of a lead singer these days - more a prop if anything. Poke him and he screams. |
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Porcupine Tree
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Damn you Guitarizan (again)!! If I had never heard of this band, I'd be much better off. In short - there are some killer guitar licks scattered through this release. Some of them are contained within brilliantly catchy tracks, such as the opener (Fear of a Black Planet) and some are hidden away in the middle of some pretty soppy crap. There is not much more I can say but that. Anaesthetise (17min track and close to half the album length) to me is a three part track, two parts slow and a little dull with one part in the middle with again some pretty amazing guitar and drum work. It's bit like this that keep bringing me back for a listen, thus it makes my Top10 for this year. This guy has hair too, so he's already a winner over Corgan in my book. |
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Fuel
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A new singer for this release - Torbyn Green, and he sounds exactly like Scallions. An interesting side not is that Green toured as vocalist for Apocalyptica this year on their Worlds Collide tour. Anyway, Gone, the first track is a great introduction to the album. Nothing new from them really - yes it's 'stock', but it's good stock. Not that bad stock that your Grandma use to pass of a some sort of healthy soup when you were a kid. |
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Clutch
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Get your groovy pants on - this is one hell of a soulful release. Preach to the father of groove and any other stupid cliche you can possibly think of. This Black Sabbathesqe buzzing guitars, Synth pumping blood into the soul machine every now and then and vox that'll have you running down the aile of the church to groove it up with the minister and you have From Beale Street to Oblivion. What the hell does all that mean? I have absolutely no idea - I tossed and turned at night about how to describe this release and that's the shit I came up with - sorry! |
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Pain
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These guys are all over the place. Initially my number one for most of the year, this Swedish Prog metal 'mash-up' is to be less about metal in this release. From Mike Patton-esque vocals to groovy whispered interludes, to Primus infused base lines. It's everywhere! I didn't realise these guys have been around since the 80's, which is surprising considering the foresight of the band on this album. Grew a little tired towards the end of the year, but worthy of recognition by the most astute of judges - me! |
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Puddle Of Mudd
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OK - Let's get one thing straight first..Fred Durst is in no way longer associated with this band. OK!!! Now, before you start diving into that Puddle of Mudd and slinging in my general direction - listen up!! This is catchy rock and roll music. No 'muddying' of the waters here - the tried and true formula of writing a rock song has been used to perfection. All elements of the colouring have been kept within the lines - something I couldn't achieve until that one day a few years back when I finally coloured in that Garfield cartoon without straying over the lines. But I digress. This is a good performance. |
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Ozzy Osbourne
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GET OVER IT ZAN! He's the Godfather of metal, true. But he also has this Uncle association with the genre of Rock 'n Roll. Blame Zac, I don't care. What does matter is that this is a return to form. No more covers shite!! Now as you know I'm a big Zac fan, so upon hearing the opening riffs in the first track, I was hooked. Sure he sings about some pretty gay subjects for a Godfather, but dammit it's catchy. |
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Alabama Thunderpussy
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Now this is where it gets interesting. If we were still writing up our Rock Top10 Zan, this was number 1 without a doubt. These guys swallow the fucking text book. Razor vocals (remember Angry when you used think you could sing like this?), killer guitar riffs and an attitude that kicks you right in middle stump awaits you if you dare to listen. |
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Chevelle
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I can't recall where TheBigBlack crew stumbled on Chevelle, but I'm glad we did. In the mid-2000's new music that was attractive to the TheBigBlack crew was scarce, so stumbling on the raw guitar sounds at its peak in the album and drifting into a sound supporting the vocals is a treat. The first track 'Antisaint', very much sets the scene for what you are about to listen to. High fueled music and vocals that can pull the reigns in when needed to make sure not every song sounds the same. Other highlights include 'Well Enough Alone' with Loeffler taking a deep breath before he screams his lungs out for approx. 10 seconds, then presenting a track that mixes that vocal repeated with a melodic mid-tempo vocal that encompasses most of the songs on this release. 'Straight Jacket Fashion' & 'The Fad' that follow are also other highlights of the release. I was going to avoid comparisons, but I will indulge a short opinion. For me I had a rough edged Deftones as my initial though, for what it is worth, which isn't much. They do mention Helmet as an influence that I am more than happy to agree with. They have 5 releases since this gem. I must invest some time in those. They are well worth it. |
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2007mk's Rock Honourable Mentions |
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Volbeat
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Dare I say I'm tired of the Rink-a-dink-a-woobie-boobie already? I didn't think as good as their debut release, but that was my number 1. This is still good and I'm sure we'll be hearing made up vocals on plenty of future releases from these guys. |
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Serj Tankian
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We all know Serj as being a founding member of one the biggest Alt/New Metal bands in the late 1990's into the early 2000's. With all the hiatus talk about the band (one minute off then on etc), Serj spent a lot of time in his new country of abode - New Zealand - to continue his creative nature and also continuing to sing about society issues and challenges. It would be obvious to expect a similar sound to SOAD, given the popularity. You could draw this bow in some points. For example the title track was written with SOAD but left on the scrap heap. There is no mistaking Serj's unique vox and so you will see that quirkiness if I can it that, through this album. While might suggest that a verse which repeats the same line before the chorus (and sometimes the other way around), is a lack of thought and talent, for Serj, it just works, leaving the likes of 'The Unthinking Majority' in your head. 'Elect The Dead' has all tempos considered. From the opener 'Empty Walls' to what is perhaps is Serj's revision of a ballad in 'Saving Us'. Other highlights includes Serj's sarcasm in 'Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition'. I will admit the first half of the record is easy to engage with and love. The remainder does take some time to soak in, but it is worth it. |
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2007mk's Rock Dishonourable Mentions |
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Perry Farell's Satellite Party
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It's so satellite, there's no-one at your party Perry. Turn it into a wake instead. |
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Chris Cornell
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WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING?!?!?! When moving to France you must have left your 'clue' behind because you clearly haven't got one now. Please bring the real one back. |
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The Nightwatchman
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Stick to playing the guitar dick!! Gee put your hand up now if your glad Audioslave broke up? At least the two of them were preoccupied before and didn't have the time to release shit like this. What a shame. |
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Tomahawk
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Unfortunately everyone knows who you are Mike. Gee and the list of previous greats now ordinary solo artists continues like a funeral procession. |
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Silverchair
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Really another solo artist because surely Ben and Chris wouldn't sign up for this shit unless they enjoyed licking candy off the end of Daniel's knob. |
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2008mk's Rock Top 10 |
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The Butterfly Effect
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I was a little hesitant to get stuck into this release after my tug-of-war over their 2006 release Imago. It ended up being my number 1 that year. A brilliant release! But it took an awful long time to sink in. The song structures are incredibly more complex and mature than their debut long player in 2003. In the end I came to the conclusion that I loved it. For the band themselves it would end up being a hugely popular release. And so it came to being that I was expecting the same struggle with Final Conversations..'. And yes, this has ended up being the case. Typically each song will commence with a softly singing Clint, introducing the song, in most cases slowly building up the pressure and intensity to a heartfelt chorus and song ending. I like this method when it's done well. While their form has continued I don't think it as strong as Imago. Still a good listen though. |
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Melvins
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I was not totally interested initially in giving this a decent listen. On hearing the opening track 'The Kicking Machine' for the first time, I was immediately keen. It has a similar funk/grove sound to that of Clutch, whose 2007 release (From Beale Street to Oblivion) I really enjoyed. This is not a theme that is carried through the remainder of the album however. There are many layers to peel back. Even the haunting interlude in the middle of the album 'Dies Iraea' is captivating. The following track ('Suicide in Progress') commences with a rockabilly feel to it before calming down to effectively a piece of angry spoken word. In short, there's a lot to listen to here. Over time, I think it'll keep growing on me. |
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Nine Inch Nails
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Three months after releasing it's 6th studio album 'Ghosts I-IV', the 7th offering, 'The Slip' arrived. Thankfully one of them stuck for me. The first 4 or 5 songs off 'The Slip' are the classic NIN industrial sound we've come to expect from them. Admittedly it does become a little to ambient for a couple of tracks, notably 'Lights in the Sky' and 'Corona Radiata' |
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P.O.D. (Payable On Death)
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I think if you know me by now, you'll know I'm a fan of the catchy hard-rock being released over the past few years - Fuel, Filter, even Staind to some extent. P.O.D are just another of those bands. There's still a little of the nu-metal influence shining through such as the first track Addicted. Guest appearance by Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies fame on Kaliforn-Eye-a is pretty cool also, where we get a bit of punk influence. There's also trimmings of regge on the following track I'll Be Ready, which is a different approach. Mostly a pretty mature release. Their 2006 release Testify was also a winner for me and this one continues in the same vein. |
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Mudhoney
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After the compilation of 2006, most people though the pioneers of the Seattle scene were done with. Well they've managed to squeeze another one out of the bottle.. literally, putting together 11 songs in 3.5 days!! Ask me what it is about this particular release and I couldn't tell you. Perhaps they have been out of my ears long enough that I have forgotten what that sound was like. Either way, it's a worthy Ttop 10 effort. |
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Sahg
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I always get fooled by the band name here. Thinking they're going to spin some Viking Metal rubbish in my general direction, I reluctantly give it spin number 1. Again I was surprised and impressed with what I was greeted with. Making a not so subtle salute to early Sabbath, Sagh II have a good knack of producing that slow chug sound, while the lead singer has that definite vacant Ozzy ring to his voice. Not that being a Sabbath clone is reason enough to like this release. It does stand up well on its own. |
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Staind
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Much of the same from Staind when looking at the previous few releases. They have toned down their Nu-Metal ways of early years for, in my opinion, the better. Plenty of catchy rock tunes and the odd slow (and yes soppy) songs. To these ears the right combination. The limited edition has bonus tracks on it including acoustic versions of some of their bigger hits. |
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Guns n' Roses
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Look there has been plenty of discussions on the merit or this particular release so I'm not about to rehash the bitterness I hold for Axl and his treatment of the fine Legacy that GnR once was. I was expecting the worst and on first listen, like most people cried foul at this not being the natural follow-up to the 'Illusion' releases (Spaghetti Incident doesn't count!!). In reality this could never be the case - MOVE ON mk!! Forgetting the moniker the band goes by today and just listening to the music itself, there's no denying that Axl has the song writing talent. There are some catchy tunes in this bunch, just not in the GnR style we came to love in the late 80's, early 90's. As TheBigBlack said to me - think of it not as a GnR release but an Axl W Rose release and you'll enjoy it. I actually couldn't agree more. |
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The Offspring
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Holy smoke!! Cut out the dumb lyrics and we're back to the early 90's. There's some smart songwriting here - if you're after the punk rock sound of old, then you'll find it here. This being the longest they have worked on an album has paid dividends. And to think I was going to give this a miss. A big surprise!! |
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Filter
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There's just that familiar atmosphere when you listen to a Filter album. The mix is just catchy - there's no other real way I can describe it. There's plenty of cool new riffs and Patricks vox is it's raspy but tuneful self. I continually dread the day where I am disappointed by a Filter release (not sure why they'd want to break a successful mould), but that's yet to happen. They've released 4 albums in a 14 year career and perhaps that's what they do right, unlike the Foo Fighters who for me have turned into a dull, boring 'same-old'. Kinda a little strange to start off with a song like Soldiers of Misfortune - as slow moving rock ballad. |
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2009mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Firebird
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Gee. Steer plays a mean guitar in Carcass, but with Firebird we get to hear his sweetening vocals, and damn their good for the sound. Oh and the guitar work is still smooth, albeit a completely different sound. He's capably backed up by virtual nobodies (well, when compared to Steer anyway) in Smoczkiewicz (bass) and Witt (drums). There are mind you, a couple of odd balls in Worried Mind and the closing track Caledonia which seem to be a departure from the rest of the album. Had read a bit about this band's work, but never been really interested. |
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Crucified Barbara
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This is actually better than I thought it would be. I know this will alienate others in the BigBlack Headquarters, but I'm thinking a Peste payback is warranted anyway. Despite some cheesy song titles and lyrics, the hard rock sound of the all-female band rocks along at a nice pace. Nothing groundbreaking, not surprisingly - think The Donnas and you've pretty much found their clone..but better. Still, not one to dismiss without a listen or few |
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Chickenfoot
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I'll be the first to admit that I'm a fan of Hagar's raspy vocals, so for me it has been way to long between drinks hearing him sing. Thank Keyryst he sold that Cabo Wabo tequila shite and realised he still should be singing. Anyway, that aside, this is surprisingly a great listen. I say surprisingly as despite the quality of all band members I did have questions as to whether they could put together a tasty piece of Rock. To me they have done that in loads. Satriani's keeping things in check and hasn't t done the Marty McFly at the high school dance - plenty of cool licks without going overboard. You can also easily hear Anthony at the bottom end and well, Chad is just Chad - nothing here extending his abilities but a solid effort indeed. Then there is Sammy of course. Lyrics could be considered a bit 'old-hat' - everyone has sung about their girlfriend before, so nothing new really, but musically they have kept their collective street creds well and truly intact. |
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O.S.I. (Office Of Strategic Influence)
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If I didn't know the background of OSI, I'd have probably guessed it. Look a large who's who here but even without Steve Wilson appearing on Blood, there is still a close relationship in parts to the Porcupine Tree sound. For the cattle alone in this band and this release (Mikael is on it - what more excuse do you need), I think it worth some of your attention. Very chilled out. |
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Devin Townsend Project
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Wow!! Is my first reaction. I was expecting this to be different and a little nervous of whether I would like this or not. Maybe it's my mood as I listen but Ki is a very soothing release. A complete departure from the ear insult of Dev's back catalogue. Am really looking forward to the following 3 releases now. |
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Chevelle
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My first impressions after a couple of listens was that it's certainly not as aggressive as their previous release Verna Serna. Songs seem a little more structured and if you're a fan of The Butterfly Effect, particularly Imago, then you will see big similarities here. Don't get me wrong - I'm a fan, but much like Imago actually, this took a little longer to grow on me. Am glad I made the effort - these guys are brilliant songwriters! Can't believe it took 4 long players in for us to discover them. |
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Bloodhorse
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A 10minute instrumental of nothing really does distract, but if you hang in there you discover some interesting stoner/alt rock moments from Bloodhorse. Just when you comfortably cruising the highway of mellow the start of 'Paranoiac' smacks you in the face to make sure you are still maintaining an interest. Yeah, of course I am dude. |
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Alice In Chains
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I can remember a earlier this year hearing the snippets on the net of some of the tracks (Check My Brain intro was one along with A Looking In View). They were full of dirty crunchy guitars. That sound I had been longing for since about 1993. Tie this to the surprise Soundwave performance in Feb 2009 (surprise as they were the last band I expected to see touring at that stage) and I'd have to say I had greater expectations of this release than I did for Death Magnetic. So temper your interest in my review with that in context. This baby had a huge responsibility to live up to. After supplementing my thirst for anything Alice related over the past decade with Jerry's solo efforts, my first impressions with the majority of the vox being led by him, is this is some floor scraps from Degradation Trip. The song writing credits certainly allude to this, so I have my suspicions. It's not until Last Of My Kind that we have co-song writing duties with William. And funny enough we hear him singing solo for the first time. And let's jump over this hurdle right now - No one, no one is going to replace Layne's unique sound, so let's not try for comparisons. This track shows his ability to put the moody lingerings on a couple of lines, but also give us something a little different in the abrupt delivery, which matches well with Jerry's axe (or maybe his). But hey, we return to a Jerry song on track 4. I'll admit that Layne didn't contribute too much to the song-writing either, but I guess his absence, mixed with Jerry's continuing contribution has me convincing myself that this is not the Alice in Chains of old. In actual fact it never could be. If I shut my eyes tight and compare it with 2003's self-titled effort, I'd have to say this would probably rate better as a complete record. I could go on and on and probably haven't given a direct impression of my thoughts. If I was to summarise - it hasn't lived up to my expectations, but in reality my expectations were foolish. It's a good effort, (although I would have loved to see the next Jerry solo effort if this didn't come together) and I look forward to hearing the tracks mixed in amongst the likes of Would? and Rooster on their next trip to Oz. Oh, did I say I love the name of the album. Perfect! |
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Devin Townsend Project
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I went into the first release of this series - Ki earlier this year - expecting anything and came out the other end quite appreciative of the sound, as far removed from the Heavy Dev we have come to know over the past few years. This one was expected to ramp up the heaviness. In fact it does, returning some of those families crushing riffs, but still tainted with the softness of Ki, in part due to the female vocals. Dev relates this record in similarity to some of his Ocean Machine work. I wasn't really a fan of OM, but like this release. |
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2009mk's Rock Honourable Mentions |
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Clutch
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Their previous effort 'From Beale Street To Oblivion' was a winner for me. I'm certainly aligning better with their more bluesy sound of their past releases. However 'Strange Cousins..' doesn't seem to have quite the same groove as 'From Beale Street, but I'm a fan so it makes my Honourables! |
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Saxon
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Ahh, the soothing comfort of a Saxon release. Like smelling your favourite meal out of the kitchen window on your walk home from school, the promise of a new Saxon album delivers that warm glow of expectation. Trying to convince yourself they are still producing the same killer licks as their early to mid period 80's is futile, yet the legacy has not been disrespected. Biff, Paul and Co. continues to release some satisfying serves of power on their heavy metal menu. |
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2009mk's Rock Dishonourable Mentions |
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Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster
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The transformation from II to III is wider than the gap opened up by Moses in the Red Sea. Initially I wasn't sure whether to side with the 'they've sold out' haters or embrace it as the next step in their humble journey towards stardom. That grit you get between your teeth when you munch on previous releases just doesn't seem to be there for me. Having said that the song writing is intelligent and typical of the Maylene style but it's the very formulated feel that has me heading back down the tunnel. |
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Pearl Jam
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Tis about time I buried the hatchet and made a decent attempt to admire to some level the new Pearl Jam wave. After listening to Backspacer - yes I listened all the way through at least twice - it's just insipid, self-indulgent tripe. I'd almost have to say the new Powderfinger wave is slightly more interesting than this. Thankfully I've saved my $$ on this and can get into the back catalogue PJ reissues (the first wave as I call it)! |
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2010mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Filter
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To me, this is a bit of a step backwards. Probably needs some more listens, but I thought 2008's Anthems. was catchier. |
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Godsmack
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Yeah OK, do you get the picture now about Non-Metal in 2010? Ordinarily this might stretch to make the cut, but again, there are some catchy tunes in here, despite the fact Sully is a boob!! |
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Alter Bridge
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Have given this a number of listens and have to say the first half trundles along quite nicely until we run into a couple of fillers in my opinion towards the end. Still musically this hits all the right spots and Myles Kennedy and his new-found fame have not done themselves a disservice here. |
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Deftones
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OK, might be a stretch placing this to non-metal but we all know they have toned down the angry guitar considerably these days. Regardless, I'll stick my neck out and say this was a pleasant surprise. Haven't taken much notice of these guys over previous releases, but for some reason this has hit the right spot for me - just enough catchiness in the chorus added with elements of those angry guitars works well. They've leapfrogged Katatonia for the time being in my opinion. |
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2011mk's Rock Top 10 |
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The Cars
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Foo Fighters
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Let's be clear on one thing - I'll always hold the Foos dear to my heart. Nirvana - there I said it so let's move on. Trouble being I've had difficulty relating to what Dave and co have pushed out over the past few releases. It seems to have gone from a whack in the face catchy tunes to very paint by numbers dull choruses. Maybe I'm being picky as I expect more of the 90's style of music they were presenting. Truth really is they haven't deviated much from this I think. Just a more modern, less cutting edge sound. There are shades of brilliance such as the single Rope, so I'm hooked. And let's not mention the track with Kirst (I should have known) - he is one angry MF in this one, and deservedly so. Sound like a schizophrenic review? Yes it is - that's why I couldn't leave them out of my Top 10. Nothing but respect for what the guy has given to the music community.and he comes across as such a darn nice guy. |
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Chevelle
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For me Verna Serna from 4 or 5 years ago was their pinnacle of raw, aggressive but well-constructed rock. From start to end there were no fillers. Funnily enough they got some world acclaim for this and the dollars started to roll in. Their follow up was a disappointing try-hard. Almost to the point of commercial. Some fucker had been whispering in their ears the words I didn't want to hear. Hats off I see as a mix of the two. There are some call outs to the aggression of the past but also continuing on the path of maturation to a modern rock sound (oh shit - did I not write this about Silverchair many years ago?). Let's hope they don't fall into the same trap. Remember boys what got you where you are. |
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Blackfield
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As I think I have mentioned many times before, I am a sucker to Steve Wilson's vocal. What more can I say - the guy is a legend (second behind Joey OK, and before Mikael - let's make that clear). So then it comes down to the music. From the opening track the listener is presented with nothing more than expected - a mature musical collaboration, which while catchy seems to show the ever present sensitive side to the man. Just when we thought he got all lite on us, we have the very smooth eff you and go to hell in the second track, like he's presenting a sermon at a church and quite politely telling everyone all is bullshit. This sets up the rest of the album - an emotive, but quietly aggressive expression of his inner thoughts in parts. You really need to be able to appreciate the genius. OK - I'll stop now, I need to pay a 'visit'. |
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Chickenfoot
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A close call between this and Opeth for number 1. I'm loving this 'supergroup' more than any other. Have always been a huge Sammy fan and darn if he hasn't got a world class back-up band. This is another tight slab of groove infused rock. Not much more to say really apart from what is a given - Satriani - God (I hate his solo stuff but in a band sheesh!!). Chad - he brings that backing groove - can picture him being flat out busy all the time but the man having enough time to smoke a cigarette while he does so. If you need to put a smile on your face, then plug into this. Hope the band sticks together for many more releases. |
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Opeth
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OK fuckers. I know what you are thinking so fuck off. I'm bestowed with co chief-review on this site. This means I get to call a spade a spade and don't have to give a fuck for what you think. Roight - onto this effort from my beloved Opeth. Yes, they enter the non-metal category for the first time. Am I bitter? Answer is 'Yes'. Do I act like a poser and tell them they can't play anymore? Answer is 'No'. This is THE most mature progression I have ever listened to. Period. Anyone in the past that says they want to change their sound (for whatever reason), has never, NEVER done it as well as Akerfeltd and co. Damnation was a hint of Mikaels love for the progressive 60's/70's vibe so there should be no surprise that he was going to submit something like this eventually. As impressive as anything is that he had a number of other musicians that saw his vision and were keen to contribute. |
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2012mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Corrosion Of Conformity
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First effort without Pepper on board so the vox takes a little more time to appreciate, but the music quality is still there, if maybe perhaps a bit more speed to it than the 'sludge/groove' we've come to expect. Track 2 is the standout and very classic CoC. For the rest you'll find some new sounds and pace in parts, but overall still an enjoyable release. |
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Tremonti
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I've gotta ask why a guitarist part of a successful band feels the need to want their own band? Just about every guitarist from Pearl Jam has done so to some level of success, and we can't ignore Zakk of course, so why would Tremonti not give it a go? A great guitarist no doubt, BUT who thought he could actually sing? In some ways it's very paint-by-numbers and in the mould of your Nickelback-type bands, but as a debut, he's yet to fall for the radio-friendly approach and has some killer guitar riffs all the way through. All up, certainly worth some attention and makes my list. |
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KISS
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For the past couple of decades these guys have been nothing but a small passing interest. Even when Sonic Boom was a return after an 11 year break, I still didn't care for them much. Fast forward to 2012 circa Kiss and could we have a more appropriate album title than this? A Monster indeed!! It is full of some very modern sounding songs with catchy riffs but mixed in with some great 70's sounding nostalgia like 'Back To The Stone Age' for example. Certainly made my ears prick-up and for that reason makes my list. |
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Van Halen
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I'll put my hand up and admit that I have become a huge Hagar fan over the past few decades, so when David was coming back into the fold and with the way they treated Michael Anthony, I was as ready as ever to hate the heck out of this record. Turns out that me and humble pie had a short but necessary relationship to have - not only was I eating some of that, I was actually turning into a fan again!! Let's just put Tattoo to the side everyone - it's an easy song to hate. The rest though is a great listen. She's the Woman and modern classic example of what these guys used to pump out many years ago. TMOC was going to be hard to beat into number one, but this effort isn't very far behind! |
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The Mark Of Cain
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Let's take a walk down memory lane for a bit here. When This is This came out, I was nervous - could they top Ill at Ease? Could it be that good? Turns out it wasn't as good..BUT..it was a classic in its own right. A record that took some time to like, but was a winner once the investment was made. Move forward (a long way forward) to the final news the crew were finally in the studio. We get Barkhammer as a tasty selection. My heart sunk on first listen, and the second and third. I was hoping this wasn't the best of the lot. Thankfully it wasn't. Not sure the reasoning behind that song being the first one they release to the starving fans, but its water under the bridge now. SOTTF has a wealth of songs to write home to your relatives about. I'm not sure where to start - the monotonous of Eastern Decline, the riffing in Milosevic, Kym doing his thing on 1000 Yards and then my fave Heart of Stone, which would fit right in I think on the Ill At Ease mantle. Just brilliant!! Guess I have to wait another 12 or so years for the next one. Forget me being old by then, these guys will be older!! |
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2012mk's Rock Honourable Mentions |
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ZZ Top
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Well hello, 10 years since the last release and close to 20 years since their heyday. Sheesh, those beards must be a good tinge of grey by now. Likewise the music has a tinge of grey to it also now. Much slower tempo and less catchy riffs from the two hairy folks. This is very much your southern rock/blues classic which they have always had as their foundation, so you can't fault them on that. Is it memorable for me? No, not really. But I am impressed they continue playing and releasing music. Cudos. |
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Soundgarden
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I really want to like this, I really do. Problem being is that from about track 4 onwards there is more bad than good. The first few tracks are killer, however slower songs like Taree really show to me that the connection I had with them has shifted. In all honesty this record mostly fits in right after their last full-length. For me however I'd already started to lose interest in them with Down on the Upside. They get a mention in my list as I'm glad they are back together making music again and I can only hope for better days from here. |
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2013mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Alice In Chains
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You could arguably call this their 'sophomore' record after their debut 'Black Gives Way to Blue'. This is AIC v2.0 to coin a trendy phrase. And there is no denying the difference in this incarnation. While Cantrell has always been the major influence musically, there is no denying that Layne put that special touch on the final result. Anyway to cut to the chase, Jerry has a major part in the vocal department. I can't help but draw comparisons with his solo efforts and this record in particular being the next incarnation from Degradation Trip. That aside, even if it is, it is a good listen. Sludgy, heavy, music with droning, and in places haunting lyrics. Can't really find too many faults, apart from the fact it does die out a little toward the end. |
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Alter Bridge
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Oh boy, I'm on the edge of being harsh or kind here. I was going to say this is a typical AB release, however I believe musically the guys have matured and if anything increased the tempo a little. Not sure Myles is keeping up really. I like it for the most part, but if you listen carefully, Myles is singing in syllables I reckon as a way to make it look cool/acceptable..??? |
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Stone Sour
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I'll add this into as it is actually quite a good listen and I think much less radio friendly than their more recent efforts. Not sure if that was the intention or not compared to Part 1. But in any case this gets many more re-listens from me, so I'll add it in. |
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Airbourne
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Oh boy. Firstly, don't be fooled by the title of the first track and the name of their first EP back in 2004. In any case, am I listening to an Angels/ACDC clone here? I can't help but like it to be honest despite its simplicity. |
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Motorhead
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Wow - what an intro to an album (track 1). These newbies on the scene have a big future in front of them. Sorry, what's that?? They have been around since the 70's?? Seriously?? Of course I'm taking the pee as I'll admit up till now, I've been less than interested in Lemmy and his crew. Still don't know why Ace of Spades is their calling card to be honest. But who cares, this record goose-steps all over Ace of Spades. What a brilliant effort at this stage in their career. |
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Clutch
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'Everybody get the message? Bluerraaagggghhhh!' Best you do get the message. As these guys are worth investing time in. Mind you, you can take a pick of almost any record and almost any track and you'll get the message pretty darn quick. Best however to skip to the latest record as they just continue to get better and better and delivering that slightly southern-rock tinged sound. Grab a beer, put your feet up and set to 11. |
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2013mk's Rock Honourable Mentions |
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Nine Inch Nails
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I will always give Trent and his crew the time of day. Can't really explain why. In any case his records have been hit and miss along the way for me thus the reason I do look forward to a new release but am equally hesitant. This one sits in the thumbs down list for me unfortunately. A little to on the electronic side despite another brilliant vocal effort from Trent. It just doesn't glue with me. Why am I writing this up if I don't like it? Well take a look at how thin my 'like' list is.. |
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David Bowie
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If anyone were to tell me I'd be listening to David Bowie all these years later I wouldn't have believed you. Perhaps that is how desperate I am to add to my non-metal Top10 list. In any case, if this were mid-90's, Bowie wouldn't have had a look in on any of my listening time. Which would have been my loss. This is a great modern mish-mash of his work to date. |
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Queens Of The Stone Age
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This has moments of glory such as 'My God is the Sun' but for some reason I get the sense they are sitting on their deck chairs in the middle of the Arizona desert to occupied on watching the sun go down in order to care about putting together an upbeat cranking QOTSA that we have all come to love. Let's hope this doesn't continue for future releases. |
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2014mk's Rock Top 10 |
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Wolfmother
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Who knows what Stockdale was up to with his 'I'm going my own way' solo announcement. Perhaps he realised the cash-cow he had under the Wolfmother name. In any case, it didn't take long for a Wolfmother release. On that, lets be honest this is what you would expect from a Wolfmother release, although perhaps a little more 70's laden guitar sound. His vox is quite similar. All up a good listen that shouldn't disappoint fans. |
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Shihad
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A tough choice for 1st v 2nd. This could easily be number one. Am continually impressed at each record these guys put out. Very little in the way of a stock sound (but you can tell it's Shihad if that makes sense). So then you need to make a different sound interesting still to the fans, and these guys keep doing it time after time. |
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Chevelle
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Thankfully a return to form - the abrasive, in your face sound telling you they aren't happy with the world and they have something to say about it. Their 'slower' songs while I appreciate the need to calm things down every now and then, I don't particular appreciate. Thankfully this record isn't soaked with them, nor that very commercial sound they had on their last record. |
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2014mk's Rock Honourable Mentions |
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Fu Manchu
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I was about to say this is a typical release you'd expect from these veterans of the sludge/stoner type sound. However listening further the tempo is much more upbeat. The sound of the buzzing guitars is there front and centre still with Hill providing his unique vocal style. You could do much worse that give this record a good listen. |
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Foo Fighters
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I get very nervous when I read song titles that end in 'Feat '. This aligns with today's pop stars that can't write or sing a song on their own so they pay someone else to 'Feat' in their song. Like 'Dr Dre feat Snoop Doggy position dog or whatever he is called these days'. In any case, I digress - the story behind this record is quite honourable of Grohl. He's pulled in musicians from every location visited and used inspiration from these locations in writing the record. Question is - does it make a good record? I hate to say it, but like every record they have released over the past 10 years (4 of them), it's not in the dishonourable bucket - it just is what I'd call safe music for the die-hard fans. It's not ground breaking and it's not catchy. It's STOCK!! |
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Johnny Cash
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I won't be rude - this gets an honourable as it isn't all that bad. Call this a victory to you Guitarzan - I finally have listed a JC record in my top10 list. It's un-offensive, smart in his lyrics - a poet indeed. |
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Last Data Update:
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 2014-04-29 Fu Manchu - Gigantoid.jpg)
 2014-11-10 Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways.jpg)
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