Blind Guardian - Beyond the Red Mirror ALBUM REVIEW

Well, it looks like the year is half over and I haven’t written a single review. To get back on track reviewing my favorites (and least favorites) of the year so far I’ll start with an album from a very special band for me: Blind Guardian.

*BREAKING* METALLICA ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION ALBUM WITH GICCI MANE

IT'S HAPPENING

CLASSICS: The GZA-Liquid Swords ALBUM REVIEW

 

   Out of the (what seems like) 137 members and affiliates of the Wu-Tang Clan, you would think that it would be hard to stand out from the Clan crowd and easy to be overshadowed by members that have more hype like the very popular movie and rap star Method Man, and sometimes it is (see the Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck), but if there's one member of the Clan that shines based on skill alone - with no help from movie and television popularity - it's the GZA aka the Genius, my favorite lyrical swordsman in the Clan and somenoe who I believes earns his name.

CLASSICS: Tool-AEnima ALBUM REVIEW

Tool is the one band I have the most respect for over any other band, even more than my favorites like Judas Priest and Opeth. Why? Because the band, against all odds, broke into the mainstream playing 7 minute progressive metal songs which were mostly unedited on the radio and they became hits - big hits. Throughout the years they have refused to water down or pop up their signature style, and despite that, their songs continue to top the rock charts and their album sell into the millions. They pack arenas to this day (when they came to my city in 2007 they sold out our arena two nights in a row) and only need to put out an album every 5 years thanks to the phone book sized royalty statements they receive on a monthly basis thanks to the fact that their music is gratuitously played on rock and alternative radio all over the world. So how can a band that plays music that sounds like this play bigger venues and make more money than all those cookie-cutter radio rock bands like Hinder and Shinedown who have a much more accessible and appealing sound? The world may never know.

CLASSICS: Radiohead-OK Computer: ALBUM REVIEW

   I don't even know where to begin with this album other than stating that it is without question my favorite album of all time, and will probably remain in that spot for the foreseeable future. It is simply perfection. I'd even go far enough to say that it is the greatest album of my generation (some would say "What about Nevermind?!" I wasn't even fucking conceived when that album came out so, obviously, that album doesn't count.) It is a feat of songwriting and minimalistic art-rock beauty. For me personally, this album is almost inexplicable, it's just hard to comprehend making it difficult to explain. Why it's my favorite album, how I've felt listening to it, the album's style, it's all difficult to put into words, but shit, I'm gonna give it my best attempt