Average Rating: 3.22 Rating Variance: 0.57 Objectivity Score: 86% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicDream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a MemoryFascinating. I have heard this album countless times, including a few on Distant Memories where the production and tones are much upgraded. Nevertheless, it saw Dream Theater flesh out fully into pure prog pretentiousness and grandiosity with their first concept album. It is handled perfectly, with copious amounts of cheese, but cheese that is contrasted with amazing music and flow. The individual songs on here might not stand out on their own among DT's vast catalogue (at least in my opinion), but as one album and piece, it is perfect.Dream Theater AwakeA different approach from DT to the one on I&W, and in my opinion overall a better album. The highs on I&W might be better, but as an overall album, Awake flows much better, has no weak moments, and boasts an insane amount of atmosphere. There is still more than enough wankery on here, but it is not shamelessly shown off, but rather perfectly integrated into the songs. A very emotional album, probably even more so due to being the last one with Moore.Frederic Chopin Scherzo No.1, Op.20This is my favourite type of Chopin. One has everything in here. Pedal tones in the more melodic parts, insane arpeggio and scale runs, mad dynamics. YES!Gojira From Mars to SiriusImmolation Close to a World BelowDark, twisted, crushing death metal, and one of the genre?s very best offerings. Immolation put their all into making this record a collection of the ugliest and gnarliest sounds one can find. It is slightly one dimensional, but an absolute journey.King Diamond AbigailStory? Phenomenal. Songwriting? Phenomenal. Vocals? Hauntingly great. Guitarplaying? It's Andy LaRocque, so what do you think? That's right neoclassical wizardry everywhere. Perfection.Megadeth Rust In PeaceMegadeth smash through the ceiling thrash once had, and add in strong amounts of classical, jazz and eastern influences (thanks to new guitarist Friedman) to make a classic. One of the greatest albums in all of music, the whole thing slaps, and the guitarwork is nothing short of immense. Menza nd Ellefson are no slackers either with solid basslines throughout, along with a sturdy drumbeat.Mercyful Fate Don't Break The OathMiles Davis Bitches BrewMy god what a huge album. I mean that in every sense of the word. Length, quality and influence. Just take a look at the musicians present. Corea and McLaughlin would go on to become two of the biggest figures within fusion, which this album basically single-handedly invented. 1.5hrs of layered and chaotic bliss including dissonance and coonconance in equal measures, funky grooves, ambitious improv solos, and just about anything else you can imagine. Wow.Niccolo Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 9Very simply one of the greatest pieces ever written. Paganini showcases not only his unbeatable virtuosity on the violin, but in contrast to his caprices adds countless sections of beautiful melodicity and musicality also showing amazing compositional skills.Rush HemispheresPerfection. Instrumental madness, conceptual awesomeness, and finally, a completely cohesive Rush album! Best prog (rock) album ever behind Dark Side. Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40The best piano concerto I have ever heard. Simply flawless, A fast, twchnical, and perfectly precise Allegro, nice short Largo showcasing Rach?s skill within romantic composing. Then, to finish off back to what Rach does best, an insane Allegro Vivace. Perfection.Tool LateralusVoivod NothingfaceA true masterpiece. After the slightly disjointed Hattöss being a transition album between Thrash and Prog, Voivod nail down a truly unique sound which has not been replicated till this day. Piggy?s weird ethereal dissonant riffing and Snake?s spoken vocals are probably the two main factors in this albums weirdness. Not to mention Away?s crazy drumming and Blacky?s funky bass. Combined with very accesible melodies and perfectly clear production we have a masterpiece on our hands.4.5 superbAl Di Meola Elegant GypsyEven better than his debut in many ways, Meola drops a lot of the pure wanky shreddery for more musical playin, and man does it pay off. Additionally, this album includes no weird filler tracks and is just pure jazz-fusion mastery.Alice in Chains DirtAllan Holdsworth Hard Hat AreaAre you kidding me? Holdsworth at his absolute, ans what might just be the greatest guitar-display I have ever seen. Absolutely no extended chord or note is left behind, and for all fans of wankery like myself, this is holdsworth at his best. Less meandering around in synthy atmosphere, and more guitar destruction.Animals As Leaders The Joy of MotionAnnihilator Alice In HellAnthrax Among The LivingAtheist Piece Of TimeWow. Truly mindboggling album, especially considering the 1989(!) release. Still very infant, thrashy, old-school death metal, but injected with a very nice dose of technicality. Perfect up until the last two tracks with I thought messed up the flow a little.Atheist Unquestionable PresenceTill this day one of the most technical and instrumentally proficient albums out there. Roger Patterson?s basslines show a bass-utilization brutally rate in metal. The mood-genre changes between metal and jazzy sections is exquisite, though it might get tiring. That is my only true flaw with the album.Atheist Unquestionable Presence: Live At WackenSplendid performances of tracks off of their forst 2 albums. Half hour set. Just wow.rI have the live only version without the added on album tracks.Between the Buried and Me Future Sequence: Live at the FidelitoriumFor my opinion on the album check my sound-off for it. As for the performance, I think the idea of recording themselves playing in a studio is quite interesting. It shows insane musicianship present, as well as the bands chemistry.Between the Buried and Me The Parallax II: Future SequenceSurely BtBaM have peaked musically here. After the amazing Colors, and then perfecting the cohesion of their music from TGM, they have finally made it. After dropping their core influences on the Parallax EP, this follows suit with perfect flow, and amazing musicianship. Unfortunately it JUST is a minimal bit too long. If it were 50-odd minutes it is a certain 5.Black Sabbath Heaven And HellBlotted Science The Machinations of DementiaInsanely good. You get Ron Jarzambek, who seemingly can do no wrong at his best, Webster's clear Death Metal influence and sturdy bass playing from CC, along with a stellar performance on drums. No vocals no problem. Super good.Blotted Science The Animation of EntomologyFuck, do I wish this were longer.... Hannes Grossmann of Obscura fame adds to the sheer talent of the band, and they create an even more insanely good record than the last. The only downside? It is too damn short. God is this good....Camel CamelMasterpiece. Technical, jazzy, progressive, but never too pretentious. Trade-off solos between the guitarist sweep-picking arpeggios with the organ with the rhythms secrion going mad behind it. Build-ups culminating in mad jams. Not much more you could want.Camel The Snow GooseA masterful composition. More of a journey than a technically impressive album, this album leaves you with all sorts of questions when it is done, but in a good way.Candlemass Epicus Doomicus MetallicusCharles Mingus Mingus Ah UmAmazing. A jack of all trades, one finds weird experimantal atonal features, interesting rhythmical ideas, as well as occasional virtuosic brilliance. Due to the blend, and how well it is balanced, not one second of the album is boring. Love it.Charles Mingus The Black Saint and the Sinner LadyA massive track consisting of a million layers, chaos, emotion, separated by reprises of the main theme. Maan, this is good.Chick Corea My Spanish HeartSuperb album by a superb player. Chick adds a whole lot of Spanoish flamenco and rhumba vibes, and makes an awesome fusion album unlike the majority of his work. Wish he explored this side of his heritage more often in his music, as it, combined with a huge tornado of classically inspired arpeggios is amazing. Coroner No More ColorCoroner combine their last 2 albums to progress even further. After focusing on shreddyness on their debut, and switching to a more songwriting oriented path on their second, Coroner combine the two on their third. Along with slightly better production, it makes for a phenomenal effort, and they still haven?t hit their peak....Coroner Mental VortexSome of the greatest thrash ever peoduced. Complex, proggy and spacey like Voivod while still maintaining some of the clasical fretboard gymnastics of the early years. Songwriting might have improved by leaps and bounds, but I still have the debut as my favourite. Cryptopsy Blasphemy Made FleshDeafheaven SunbatherDeath SymbolicOne of the pillars of what Death Metal is today. It is just a slight bit longer than it should probably be for its own good, but despite that, its influence, legacy and innate quality is undeniable. Perfect musicianship from everyone on the album, from blistering solos to amazing riffs, all of them memorable beyond understanding. Mesmerizing drumming from Hoglan, and a new benchmark for prog in Death Metal. Many would consider this Death's best, but due to the length, I have to disagree.Death HumanWith the addition of the jazzy Reinert and Masvidal (of later Cynic fame) and bass virtuoso DiGiorgio, Death fully embrace prog/tech and do it in style. The drumming, guitar-lines and overall songs are acres beyond anything Death had done in previous years. The album is quick and concise, and wastes no time, but even then, some of the melodic leads sound similar. That is my only complaint along with the go-together production.Death Live in EindhovenDeath Angel The Ultra-ViolenceDecapitated NihilityDecrepit Birth PolarityAbsolutely astonishing, and one of my favourite albums in recent years. Decrepit Birth move yet another small bit away from their purely brutal DM roots, and add in even more conplexity, melody and neoclassical technicality to their music. The result is a heavy and punihing, but at the same time soothingly and tastefully melodic record that never loses me. The melodies are also presented in a hugely advanced way technically, along with the riffs, which makes it that much better. The technicality is not overused either. Perfect.Deep Purple Deep Purple In RockA true classic, the pinnacle of organ and guitar driven proto-metal and Deep Purple's best studio effort. The interplay between Blackmore, Lord and Gillan (the first two especially trading off solo after solo) is exemplary, not to downplay Paice's drumming. The longer tracks including drawn out jams display Purple's skill the best, which is where I feel the only issue in the album is. The more straight-forward songs are just that. Too straight-forward.Deep Purple Machine HeadDeep Purple FireballDeep Purple Made In JapanDeftones White PonyDemilich NespitheHoly smokes. Here I thought Immolation were the forst to make straight-up gut wrenching ugly technical death metal. Nope, it is these obscure guys from the Power Metal headquarters of Finland. I was not expecting this! Ugly, technical, and the vocals sound terrifying (in a good way).Dio Holy DiverOne of the greatest albums if all time. Bust cannot give it a 5, because it?s not very complex. However, arguably the greatest vocal performance of all-time, and very powerful bluesy lead-playing can be found here.Dismember Indecent And ObsceneMindblowing stuff from Dismembered. Here they have matured slightly from their debut. The thrashier tracks are thrashier, however the more melodic ones.... Check out Dreaming in Red for an example. Masterful.Dissection The SomberlainIt doesn?t get much closer to a 5. Cold, dark, yet forgiving and melodic. Incredible combination of Death and black metal with melodic guitar leads making for an almost perfect package.Dissection Storm of the Light's BaneAlmost prefect. In fact, I can?t even really point iut any blatant mistakes. It is however a hard listen. Deeply emotional, and very melodic, while also ugly and raw. The clean sections blend perfectly with the non-clean ones, and everything is done so to speak to perfection.Dream Theater Distant MemoriesFantastic mix and performance. The over 20 years vastly improved tones from both Peteucci and Rudess as well as the squeaky clean and immensly dynamic mix makes Scenes sound truly amazing. Mangini's kit also finally sounds phenomenal, and might actually be my favourite Dream Theater drum-sound till date including Portnoy. The animations for Scenes as well as Mangini's solo at the end of Finally Free are amazing additions too. The metric modulation Mangini does for a couple of bars is immense. Only criticisms I have are some of vocal melody changes from James, in particular Beyond this Life's bridge.Dream Theater Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York"Sorry for the short set". Truly iconic.Possibly the best DT set-list possible, including SFaM in full, A Mind Beside Itself, Learning to Live (my fav track from I&W) and A Change of Seasons (possibly DT's best track imo). Only change I could think of to improve this could be -A Mind and +The Mirror/Lie. Regardless, a truly mesmerizing performance, but unfortunately the tone/production is spotty, especially on Petrucci's guitar, and some of the video-edits during SFaM are very questionable.Edge of Sanity CrimsonWho would have thought this would work? Just the idea of a 40 minute death metal track seems so ridiculous that one could only scoff at it. Yet Edge of Sanity don't just attempt it, but make a masterpiece of an album/track in the process. The amount of musical concepts present here are incredible. The first 33 minutes are a pure proggy riff-fest with beautiful and haunting melodic leads. Then the last 7 include more mellow atmospheric passages. THe latter part. especially feels a little out of place to me, and slightly hinders the album, however it still retains an almost perfect rating. Super good!Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A MinorThe amount of borrowed dissonant notes here makes this concerto truly unique and amazing in my opinion. Grieg does not let himself be limited to the key of A, and it makes the concerto sound very different and unexpected. The bombast, and contrast between lighter and heavier stuff is brilliant too. Good stuff Eddie.Entombed Left Hand PathSurely the best guitar-sound in all of death metal, and the music ain?t half-shabby either! Brilliant melodic and blistering solos are sprinkeled around to contrast the beautifully disgusting riffing that mostly fills the whole thing. The title-track itself is absolutely perfect, and the rest of the album is close, but still good enough for it to be a classic.Entombed ClandestineFranz Liszt Totentanz, S.126Might be the best thing Lizst has ever done imo. Spectacular, all playing around the same melody with intense crescendos finished off with the orchestra, dark moments and ofc flashy amazingness.Franz Schubert Symphony No. 2 in Bâ™ major, D. 125A truly magnificent symphony. The first allegro has an infectious main theme and always comes around to it and virtuosity. The Andante is hauntingly beautiful, calming things down, before building into the upcoming minuett with increasingly loud brass (love this). The minuett then comes along, before lastly, the ending allegro, which is clearly the weakest imo ends things off. Spectacular.Frederic Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21Hard to find words for this blistering master-piece. The opener and closer (both allegros) showcase brilliant skill and Chopin's trademark thunderous rolls among other techniques while balancing them out with beautiful motifs. The middle Larghetto doubles down on those romantic motifs, and showcases Chopin's knack for beautiful piano. Top-notch.God Dethroned Bloody BlasphemyGojira The Way of All FleshAny album that can not only keep my undivided interest and attention for over an hour of playtime, but keep on amazing and surprising me without feeling repetitive has to be a 4.5 at least.rHere is an example of one of today?s greatest bands with their argable Opus Magnus where they manage to seemlessly blend crushing technical and rhythmical riffing with hypnotising melodic and atmospherical ambience.rOne of the greatest albums of the decade for sure.Gorguts ObscuraGamechanger. Gorguts took what Atheist and Cunic inteuduced with jazzy DM, and fused it with the beutal twch-death approach of Suffocation and Cryptopsy. On top they added their own focus on psychotic rhythms and dissonance creating a completely unique sound while breaking all the musical rules in existance. Only downfall is the length.Gorguts Colored SandsOne of the best, if not the best of the last decade. Gorguts return after over a decade, and they do it in style. Continuing their neverending sonic evolution, the band releases a whole new twisted dissonant monster.Guns N' Roses Appetite for DestructionGuns N' Roses RITZ 1988A raw, unrelenting performance of GnR?s best material before blowing up and getting egos negatively impacting their live performances.Igor Stravinsky Le Sacre du PrintempsImmolation Here in AfterThis album has only one goal, and man if it fulfills it! Sound UGLY. Twisted intricate riffing throughout, courtesy of Robert Vigna, some of the most fericious vocals in DM history and a drumming whirlstorm. Immolation Unholy CultAnother killer album by the most consistent death metal band out there. Immolation continue slapping eardrums with their signature dissonant forever changing riffs. Highly appreciate the bass being more audible on this album, and larger variation within the songs. Amazing!Immortal At the Heart of WinterInsanely good! At first I was lacking the grim, raw BM I came for when putting on Immortal, however I was hooked shortly after. As epic as epic can be, and shoutout to Abbath for showing Immortal?s best guitar work yet on his first time donning the guitar! In Mourning Shrouded DivineWow. A band making making proggressive Death Metal at Opeth/Death level? Always welcome! Stunning debut by a stunning band! Non-stop rhythmically and structurally complex metal combined with beautiful mournful melodies and incredible percussion.Iron Maiden Seventh Son Of A Seventh SonThe premier classic metal band imo puts a large dose of prog into their music, making an all-time great album. Anyone who doubted synthesizers in metal, what do you have to say? Maiden release an absolute masterpiece just shoert of perfection. The weakest tracks are Can I Play qith Madness? and The Prophecxt which, frankly, are nowhere near the rest in terms of copmposition. Infinite Dreams, Clairvoyant and the t/t are possible Maiden's 3 best songs all on one record. Everyone's playing is off the charts, Murray nad Smith perform their best harmonies, and Bruce's voice is at its peak. Iron Maiden Live After DeathBest live album ever. First 3 sides (Long Beach performance) are maybe the best music ever recorded, displaying raw, brimming with energy and sped up versions of bonafide Maiden classics. Holding it back is the last side with a part of the Hammersmith performance. It just doesn?t keep the momentum Long Beach set unfortunately.Iron Maiden The Number Of The BeastIron Maiden Rock In Rio (DVD)Maiden?s unexpected sophomore peak, and my god is it incredible. The tracks off of BNW might just be my favourite as they sound fully reinvigorated, and this has to be one of the All-time best live albums. Iron Maiden?s presence and every members showmanship is ridiculous. Bruce?s interaction with the crowd, every member running around except Nicko bwing a goofball behind the drums.Iron Maiden Flight 666 (DVD)Jethro Tull AqualungJohannes Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68Very good moody piece. The last movement, and structure of the whole symphony really is very reminiscent of Beethoven's 9th. Obviously that means it has to be great.John Coltrane Blue TrainAlready on his second album, Coltrane shows a tremendous amount of soloing skill, but also very mature compositional abilities. The man absolutely steals the spotlight compared to his soloist peers, even if both Morgan and Drew do a great job on the trumpet and piano respectively. My fav album of the 50sJohn Coltrane Giant StepsA spectacular record seeing Coltrane take a (giant) step towards more sophisticated jazz. Putting on a true masterclass of a sax performance over his bandmates' progressions it does not get better proficiency-wise. However, the compositions lack some diversity, which makes the album falter slightly towards the end.John Coltrane A Love SupremeAmazing. Dissonant, but at the same time so melodic and consonant. Tyner?s solos are mindnumbing and of course all of Coltrane, Garrison and Jones crush it as always.John Coltrane Live At BirdlandToo good. The drumming here has my jaw near the ground constantly. Coltrane also starts sounding more dissonant, which would define his era in a few years. Fat bass is super awesome. Just wish the piano was clearer.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.94 in G major, Kiko Loureiro No GravityFantastic instrumental record. Metal, progressive and jazz mixed in a beautiful technical and melodic mix of beauty. Love thew way Kiko meshes all his musical influences into a truly unique style of his own.King Diamond ''Them''King Diamond pumps out another exquisite album with the help of guitar wiz Andy LaRoque. The album has a thicker production and is overall less theatrical than its predecessor Abigail. This makers it so at least to me personally, King's voice sounds more out of place. That, and a bit less coherent sounding story music-wise are the only things holding it back. Still magnificent.Kreator Pleasure to KillKreator Extreme AggressionLucifer's Friend Lucifer's FriendIf you enjoy Black Sabbath and haven?t heard this yet, go. Now!Mahavishnu Orchestra The Inner Mounting FlameOh baby! Indian music, wanky jazz-fusion and prog-rock combined in a whirlwind of electric noise? Oh yes. The dynamic between the violin and McLaughlin is incredible, and Cobham kills his drumset. So good.Mahavishnu Orchestra Birds of FireAnother fabulous record by Mahavishnu. They extend their range a bit here, and the instruments around McLaughlin?s guitar get more attention than before. Their blend of Indian classical, fusion and rock continues to soothe, and there is not much to criticise here. Mahavishnu Orchestra Between Nothingness & EternityBasically a half-hour of some of not only the greatest virtuosos, but best songwriters of pur time, jamming. Splendid musicianship and compositional skills. Do not know what much more to say. Just quality quality stuff, as one would expect from early Mahavishnu.Martyr Warp ZoneCertainly not a perfect album, but closer than most. ?artyr?s second release is up there with Symbolic, Unquestionable Presence and Onset of Putrefaction as a tech-death milestone. Combining neoclassical lead mwlodies, jazzy/proggy construction and a death metal core the guys make a perfectly flowing 40 minute philosophically challenging album that is beautiful, crushing and technical all at the same time. Mastodon RemissionMastodon LeviathanTruly, truly superb album, and certainly in my top 5 albums of the 2000s (decade), however it is missinng that oomph tho be perfect. The musicianship here, dailor on the drums especially, what a monster virtuoso performance, is stunning. The subtly genius guitarwork using weird scales over completely unexpected jazzy extended chords that somehow work, also stunning. However there is one big missing factor here which is essential to a perfect album imo. Variety! It all sounds quite similar.Mercyful Fate MelissaMetallica ...And Justice For AllWhat a stunning comeback. Thrash metal perfection, unfortunately limited by production (sounds familiar uhm Watchtower uhm). This album showcases Metallica at their best fully embracing orog after playing with it on RtL. Odd-meters, constant riff changes, and shockingly, great drumming and solos too! This album has it all. Well, except for bass. Too bad. Could have been a 5.Monstrosity In Dark PurityAnother phenomenal record by the undisputed most underappreciated band in all of Death Metal. The melodic, riff-heavy but technical style shines throughout, and the drumming is as always, insane. The loss of Corpsegriner clearly does not mean much either, as the new vocalist is amazing.Morbid Saint Spectrum of DeathIn typical death/thrash fashion, this album has negative amounts of chill. The reverb-laden mix combined with neverending double-bass will thrash your eardrums to death. Just a non-stop 32 minute thrashing.Nocturnus The KeyBasically a Morbid Angel and Emperor crossover. Imagine the technical, but groovy Death Metal of early Morbid Angel combined with a Sci-Fi theme and Emperor?s keyboards. That is what this is. Now unfortunately, the keyboards in the DM are a bit of an issue to me, and peoduction is muddy. If those weren?t present this would be a bona-fide Death Metal classic for me.Nocturnus ThresholdsAnother hoghly underrated even more otherworldly record by Nocturnus. This band simply doesn?t get wnough credit. They took Morbid Angel like tech-Death, added even more tech and combined it with ethereal Sci-Fi atmosphere and lyrics. A unique and amazing band. This album has a bit more Keyboard focus than the last which is not my forte, however it has much better production and even weirder songwriting and solos, evening it out.Opeth MorningriseA sorely overlooked masterpiece among Opeth's later masterful work. Still with the cold, underproduced sound of Orchid, Opeth make bounds and leaps in terms of songwriting opting for 5 10+ minute songs to make a fantastic prog album. This time the tracks sound like singular pieces perfectly woven together rather than bits and pieces forced into one.Opeth Ghost ReveriesOpeth back at their best. Sure, they might have their peak behind them, but this record hold some of Opeth?s strongest (like Harlequin Forest) as well as reintroducing the contrasting elements of their sound. The polyrhythms on here are just incredible. Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to ComeThe album title is perfet. Coleman introduces something hitherto unseen. Total neglect of staying within the key, Coleman takes the freedom to play basically whatever he likes on here, leading to a huge rise in free-form jazz. A splendid effort.Ornette Coleman Free Jazz: A Collective ImprovisationAfter taking a massive leap in removing all chordal instruments on The Shape of Jazz to Come, Coleman takes another plunge in making improvisation completely free, and basically spawning free jazz. Brilliant piece of art. Overkill The Years of DecayA key album for Bay Area Thrash. Overkill?s pinnacle, amd an overall pinnacle of the Bay Area thrash sound. A little too long for its own good, however displays wnough variation, and contains enough quality complex thrash to make the length barely noticable.Overkill HorrorscopeOverkill continue their streak of amazing albums after The Years of Decay. Now is this as good as TYoD? Hard to tell, because both are just magnificent. What one gets is just above 50 minutes of battle-hardened thrash with solid variation, complexs proggy sections and technical intrumental work. It is not perfect, but it is quite close.Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard Of OzzA huge album for metal guitar. Randy?s performance on here is just breathtaking, and for the time unheard of. The tapping extravaganza on Crazy Train, classical guitar parts all over, just insane. Too bad there are some true stinkers on here (No Bone Movie and YLAM,LAY) keeping it from being perfect.Pearl Jam TenPestilence Consuming ImpulseUntelenting, raw and thrashy Death Metal. A truly exquisite performance by Pestilence, who don?t let up until 2 track before the end with an eerie interlude before the next track starts with a slower approach. Nevertheless a near perfect album, and bonafide Death Metal classic!Pestilence Testimony of the AncientsAnother fantastic album by Pestilence, though this time the technicality has been upped a notch. The individual songs might be weaker than on Consuming Impulse, but the album as a whole flows really well. Much of this is due to the nice inteludes between every track. The album also features Tony Choy, who although doesn?t perform his usual magic, still gives a great performance.Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The MoonA journey of a record. It might not be virtuosic, but emotionally laden like no other. I had this as my all-time nr. 1 for years, then on a recent relisten I realized the forst few tracks, and On The Run specifically aren?t very substantial. That being said, still an almost perfect record otherwise.Pink Floyd Wish You Were HereAbout as close to perfect as one can get. Welcome to the Machine might just be Floyd?s best and is incredibly ahead of it?s time with an industrial vibe. Sole parts of Shine On You Crazy Diamond didn?t resonate with me and dragged a bit.Pyotr Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35Absolutely ridiculously good. A travesty that Tchaikovsky left us only one violin concerto, as it is one of the best I have ever heard. The first few minutes of the first movement are not that amazing, but after a few minutes it becomes an absolutely wild ride which leaves no mercy to the players riddled with technical passages.Radiohead OK ComputerRainbow RisingReturn to Forever Hymn of the Seventh GalaxySurely among the best fusion I've heard. Every instrument goes bonkers, and the songwriting doesn't suffer anywhere. The addition of a guitar adds a whole new layer of intricacy and technical possibilities to the music. Chick utilizes this to harmonise with the guitar as well as swap off leads. Additionally Clarke goes ham on the bass in the background, and now is less bound to just backing the piano with the new guitar. Amazing.Richard Henshall The CocoonWow. Absolutely love it. Basically sounds like a mix of Haken and Nova Collective. The djenty riffs of Haken along with the fusion playfulness of Nova Collective. Love it. Amazing guests on here too.Rivers of Nihil Where Owls Know My NameSatan Court in the ActScorpions Love At First StingSepultura AriseSepultura Beneath The RemainsSergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 in F♯ minor, Op. 1Maybe not the absolute best compositionally, and could of course be longer, but if this is not one of the best piano performances I have ever heard. Dude has no mercy on the instrument, andthe composition is still incredibly good and bombastic.Slayer South Of HeavenSodom Agent OrangeSystem of a Down ToxicityThe Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating InfinityThis album just smashed my brains in repeatedly. Very rarely do I appreciate music of such intensity, as it often seems to just rely on that with little to no musicianship. Here we have none of that. These guys have gotta be absolute nerds with all the mad music theory and virtuosity at play. Wowowow. Last 2 tracks are a let-down compared to the rest though.The Mothers of Invention One Size Fits AllThe Rolling Stones Let It BleedTool 10,000 DaysTool ÆnimaUlver Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitlerUlver Nattens MadrigalBack when Ulver did Black Metal, they were among the best, showcasing the perfect contrast between grim coldness and melancholy beauty. Atmospheric tremolo-picked melodies combine with ugly riffs and a folky overtone to create one of the best BM albums ever. Too bad it was also their last. The rawness of the production just adds to the experience.Uriah Heep Demons And WizardsVektor Terminal ReduxMy favorite ever thrash album. I think this surpasses both RiP and ...AJFA (just because of production). The whirlwind of sci-fi dissonance and awesome shreddy solos mixed with alien-sounding shrieks is just insanely good. Vektor Outer IsolationVektor Black FutureVoivod Killing TechnologyVoivod release the definitive Sci-Fi metal record as well as a pioneering Tech-thrash one. After an entirely generic affair with not one progressive hint in Rrröööaaarrr Voivod entirely reinvent themselves and 180 for this one. A mad masterclass in sophosticated dissonanct, eerie riffs and melodies combined with punky rawness. Incredible.Watchtower Energetic DisassemblyHoly smokes. Five this more punch, and it might just be perfect. And it was made just a year after Metallica?s Kill ?Em All? Totally bonkers! Technical instrumental wizardry combined with a thrashy/punky attitude. Enough variation to always keep one interested, and not too long either. What an album!Watchtower Control And ResistanceI wish I could 5 this so bad. It has a perfect instrumental section and amazing songwriting full of sudden stops, polyrhythms and time surignature changes all performed to perfection. The bass doodling? My god what and audible beaut. This is why you make the bass audible guys! But the vocals... Boy oh boy...Watchtower Concepts of Math: Book OneA blistering EP showing that Watchtower haven't lost any of their magic over the last 25 years of inactivity. Again, the vocals are really the only issue, as the instrumentals are amazing, arguably even better than before. Ron Jarzombek somehow sounds like he's become even better, and overall this just rules!Wayne Shorter The All Seeing EyeSuperb album. Wayne Shorter along with some of the pioneers of the Free-Jazz style go head-on into it back when it was barely born.Yes FragileThe first and last track specifically are two of the greatest prog tracks ever made. As for the rest, Mood for a Day and We Have Heaven are the only ones I outright don?t like, pulling this down from a 5.4.0 excellent7 for 4 ContactSo awesome! A jazz fusion masterpiece by prog-metal guitarist Wolfgang Zenk combining all sorts of styles, but rooted in his homes of metal and jazz. The variery here makes it ine of the best metal-fusion things I?ve ever heard.Accept Balls To The WallAl Di Meola Land of the Midnight SunFabulous starts to one of Fusion's best guitarists' solo career. Some huge guest appearances worth a note here too (Clarke, Corea, Pastorius). Meola's playing is excellent, and his compositions are pretty darn good too. Al Di Meola CasinoThe man is unstoppable. Meola continues his streak of more than fine albums with an excuisite piece of Latino-tinged, overdriven jazz fusion. His combination of acoustic flamengo, and jazzy/neoclassical scales/shred is just amazing, and never ceases to amaze me. Hw does not overdo it either, sending one into an exotic Latino atmosphere in the process.Al di Meola/John McLaughlin/Paco de Lucia Passion, Grace & Fire3 of the best guitarists in history harmonising over melodies and shredding away one at a time? Yes please!Alice in Chains FaceliftAlice in Chains Jar Of FliesA truly heavy record emotionally. I find AiC 90s really hard to listen to, especially knowing Stayley?s fate. It is all just so dark and strongly emotional. Regardless this album is great in that it portrays that extremely well, and is probably their toughest for me to listen through. Don?t Follow is my only stinker here.Alkaloid Liquid AnatomyEven better than the amazing debut! The flow of this album is brilliant, and puts it above the debut. Less induatrial too. Brilliant playing and somgwriting without ever getting show-offy.Allan Holdsworth I.O.U.Mad good. Allan?s performance itself is obviously awe-inspiring. He blends multiple styles and genres to make a jazz fusion masterpiece brimming with guitar virtuosity. However, he lets the other band members, the drummer and bassist get thir moments too, whoch makes the record even better. Allan Holdsworth SecretsAllan back in form! After the weaker Sand, Holdsworth hits peak form again, releasing his greatest album besides I.O.U. imo. His use of intricate and weird chord-patterns/peogressions, phrases and scales seems to be even stronger than previously, making the album sound conpletely alien-like to me. Amazing.Allan Holdsworth Road GamesAllan?s best in my opinion. Next to the album released before it, I.O.U., I consider this Holdsworth?s best release. Just before he would get too invested in the atmospheric tension given by the synth-axe, here he still showed a very weird-chord jazz oriented sound. A lot of mad guitar-wankery is also present, which I always appreciate.Amon Amarth Sorrow Throughout the Nine WorldsThe best thing they?ve done in their career, and certainly better than any of their full lengths. My biggest gripe with this band is that the are incredibly one dimensional, repetitive and simplistic. Here they are not. One gets all from a almost black metal sounding opener, to some more OSDM sounding tracks near the middle, to classic AA sounding tracks near the end. Great stuff.Anacrusis Manic ImpressionsTechnically fantastic, very dissonant and peoggy, but huge production issues. There is not much to say about these guys as musicians other than that they rule, and there really is a similar amount of stuff to be said anout the songwriting which is great. Yet the peoduction is really bad, making wverything sound super tgin, and I also struggle with the very weird vocals. Overall excellent though.Anacrusis Screams and WhispersAnother weird weird album from Anacrusis, and while musically quite different from the last, still amazing. The most immediate thing about this album is the huge improvement in production including an actual lower end! However, the technicality, especially in the drumming department takes a slight hit. Still, the music is very technical and proggy, and the mad vocals are in place.Andrew Hill Black FireSpectacular playing and mind-warping compositions. Before one gets the hang of the time-signaturee it switches, and supplemented with dissonance and melodies in equal measure, there is always something to latch onto. Super good.Annihilator Never, NeverlandGreat guitar work, but too much acoustic diddlying and chorus-based focus in the start for my taste. The album starts off way too standard for my liking, however the focus switches on twchnical riffing and progressive structures about halfway-through. From then and on it?s great. Waters? use of natural harmonics is fantastic.Anthrax Spreading The DiseaseAntonin Dvorak Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3, B. 9Great remantic symphony with a booming lower end. The brass section of this symphony is wonderful, and the influences from Beethoven can be heard all over. In all, an excellent symphony.Antonin Dvorak Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, B. 178A piece I can only come to describe as epic. From the first moody and very emotional movement, to the two slower middle ones, and then of course the last huge bombastic ending, Dvorak portrays an array of emotions. The contrasting nature of the first movement, and specifically the trade-offs between the string and wind sections were breathtaking. The two middle movements did not sit as well with me, and although the bombastic closer picked the form back up a bit, it still didn't reach the heights of the opener.Antonin Dvorak Violin Concerto, Op.53, B.108Brilliant concerto. Very moody, and full of virtuosic passages. Antonio Vivaldi The Four SeasonsVery solid piece, and an absolute classic. The last 2 suite's in particular are amazing, with spring's first movement especially showing some incredible virtuosic abilities from Vivaldi. Spring I was not a big fan of, quite straight-forward, simple and slow. Antonio Vivaldi Six Concertos, Op. 11Might be Vivaldi?s best, and certainly up there with The Four Seasons. There is everything from nice Adagios to Vivaldi?s more common quicker virrtuoso works.Archspire All Shall AlignAmazing. Every instrument goes bonkers throughout, and the vocals sound insane. Simultaneously, nothing is ever overboard tonthe extent where one might get bored as is often the case with modern tech-death. Really good.Arcturus Aspera Hiems SymfoniaA successful supergroup outing! You don't hear that often. Members of Ulver, Emperor and Mayhem join together to put out an excellent symphonic experimental Black Metal album. THe atmosphere created by the synths and tremolo picked guitar riffs is wonderul, and Garm's vocals are of course as always just amazing. My favourite thing about it though might be the perfectly used and placed virtuosic guitar and keyboard solos, showing the members can actually play their instruments. Aspid кровоизлияние (Extravasation)Russian thrash mastery! Who knew Russia had such good stuff to offer? I sure didn?t. Technical as all hell, melodic, heavy, fast, all in all, amazing! Peoduction could use work, but other than that it?s pretty much perfect!Astrosaur ObscuroscopeAt the Gates Slaughter of the SoulAt the Gates With Fear I Kiss the Burning DarknessAt the Gates Gardens of GriefAt the Gates To Drink from the Night ItselfSurprisingly good, which makes me really happy. Looking at my ratings you?ll know I truly love the first two more death metal based and proggy ATG albums. After that they streamlined their sound a little, which I didn?t enjoy as much. Their comeback record was extremely disappointing to me, however this one the e act opposite. The closest they?ve come to the sound of the first two since Termindal Spirit Disease, and I love it. Even with Blinded by Fear recycled and used in both «To Drink From The Night Itself» and «In Death They Shall Serve» lol.Atheist JupiterA great comeback album into more familiar Death Metal territory. After venturing in mostly jazz-oriented Elements, Atheist return to what they did so well on their first two albums; Death Metal with strong Jazz-fusion influences and crazy time changes. They do it very well!Autopsy Mental FuneralAfter releasing what I consider one of the best Death Metal records of all time in Severed Survival, Autopsy released their second album Mental Funeral. Seeing it rated even higher than Severed Survival had me truly hopeful, however it seems they sidetracked from their pure, raw and disgusting Death Metal origins and went into pioneering death-doom with a slower style. Not a big doom person myself, so not overly happy about that, nevertheless still an excellent album with some colossal riffs.Bathory BathoryBatushka LitourgiyaBest BM I?ve heard in a long time. Batushka mix a ton of influences into their BM sound (choirs, doomy elements) to make a unique sounding but amazing album.Behemoth DemigodBehemoth solidify themselves as brutal DM royalty. An album that has absolutely no listeners gives you no time to catch your breath except a few acoustic intros. Inferno actually wases on the blastbeats at times to add to the heaviness, showing more varuety in that field than previous Behemoth. Still, the album is very one-dimensional. Between the Buried and Me The Parallax: Hypersleep DialoguesI cannot believe it! It gets better! BtBaM, after releasing their landmark Colors and Misdirect improve even further on the Parallax EP! Finally they completely drop the core that was holding them back so much in my ears, and go full proggy and wanky. The boys? spngwriting has improved in bounds and leaps, and the only complaint I can really gove is that this inly lasts 30 minutes! Were it longer it might probably be their best in my book.Between the Buried and Me The Great MisdirectUndeniably great. The last track itself is a masterpiece, however the rest of tge album while amazing still shows a lot of the core influences I?m not a huge fan of. It?s a but different from previous releases in sounding more coherent and less chaos-driven.Between the Buried and Me The Silent CircusFan-fucking-tastic! The peogression from s/t to this cannot be overstated. From a slightly peogressive metalcore band, to a straight up psychotic prog band that cannot really be labeled, it is a huge change. So yeah, basically what has happened is BtBaM upped the ante in every possible way from their debut, and sound like they have basically tried to push every limit they can. Amazing.Beyond Creation The AuraSpectacular modern tech-death effort. Certainly one of tge best progressive death metal records of the decade, The Aura has everything from complex proggy chord-progressions and melody to wanky instrumentation and heavy riffs. The time signatures are surprisingly mostly 4/4, but pften sound odd due to syncopation. Great flow, but many of the traxks do not stand out on their own. The closer and second track are my clear gighlights.Black Crown Initiate Song of the Crippled BullWow. This is amazing. Cannot wait to get into an LP from these guys. One 20 minute track divided into 4 parts. Has mellow passages, as well as insanely syncopated chugging that just has no comprehension over the listener?s ability to catch time signatures (a good thing).Black Flag DamagedBlack Sabbath Mob RulesBlack Sabbath Vol. 4Black Sabbath Black SabbathBlack Sabbath Master of RealityMost certainly a genre classic, in fact, where stoner metal was born. Iommi was forced to tune down, and thus this happened. Lots of great heavy tracks, as well as a Planet Caravan like psychadelic one in Solitude.Blind Guardian Nightfall In Middle-EarthBlitzkrieg A Time Of ChangesThe original recording would go down to 3.5 due to the awful production, however the music is amazing, and after listening to the rerecorded version it is a surefire 4.Blood Incantation Hidden History Of The Human RaceBlue Oyster Cult Secret TreatiesBolt Thrower ...For VictoryWhat are you looking for when putting on Bolt Thrower? It should be this: visceral death metal commentating war. As usual, that is what you get here in possibly their most realized way.Brand X Unorthodox BehaviourFuck yeah this is good. Just perfect 70s jazz-rock/fusion. The guys put an extreme focus on mad time-signature hopping, and it sounds just incredible.Brought By Pain Crafted By SocietyBrought by Pain take their semi-generic debut and add way more personality in the form of jazzy interludes and more time-hops. The neiclassical melodies also sound more unique. Overall better songwriting and just peak tech-death.Budgie BudgieFuzzy goodness. Imagine Black Sabbath with Robert Plant on vocals. That is basically what this is, and it is amazing. The drumming is not too special, but one gets hit with tasty guitar licks and ridicolously good (and audible!) bass fills soto speak constantly. Very very good stuff, and super heavy for its time.Burzum FilosofemBurzum Hvis Lyset Tar OssWhat an album. The first three tracks, especially the first might just be Varg?s best of all time right there all on one record. Can?t really fault them in any way. Perfect. Then there?s Tomhet, which for all you non-Norwegian speakers translate to emptiness. While the title describes the song perfectly, that is exactly the problem. If Varg didn?t have a fetish for long ambient closers, this would be a 5, alas he did, so a 4.Cacophony Speed Metal SymphonyCadaver ...In PainsThis absolutely SLAPS! It has been a long time sin e I thoroughly enjoyed some straight-forward riffy Death Metal this much. Jeff Walker like dry, higher range vocals combined with a grimey but ultra-precise instrumental section. The addition of Cellos and a flute along with compositional elements like full stops (see Into the Outside) made for a familiar but unique and interesting listen.Caligula's Horse The Tide, the Thief and River's EndWonderful moody prog-album. Calugula?s Horee, one of modern prog?s best make a beautiful flowing masterpiece that co tains every mood from emotional brooding solos to mellow acoustic passages and bot least crushing syncopated riffage. The full prog package, and done very well.Camel MoonmadnessA wonderful composition showcasing features of all three previous Camel masterpieces. It has the overall flow of Goose, sophisticated but minimalistic and calm prog of Mirage, and even moments of hard rocking edge from the s/t debut like in Another Night. Overall wonderful, and might get a future bump.Camel MirageAmazing, yet disappointing. After hearing the debut, I was very excited for this, but though the instrumental prowess stayed, and songwriting got better, the energy and amount the afprementioned instrumental prowess was shown decreased. The longer tracks in particular culminate in some amazing jams.Cannibal Corpse Eaten Back To LifeCarcass Surgical SteelCarcass Tools of the TradeSome of the best tracks from all the Carcass eras up until the point of this EP?s release.Carnage Dark RecollectionsGreat early Swedish Death Metal. Evil buzzsaw tone, disgusting heavy riffing, hints of melody courtesy of Michael Amott and David Blomqvist. Great stuff! Can tell why Carcass wanted this guy in their band!Cattle Decapitation Monolith of InhumanityCentinex ReflectionsWell this crushes face. Deumming is absolutely insane, which is one of the reasons why finding out it is programmed was really sad. Regardless, it remains crazy good, and the guitar-work is just as stellar, less technically demanding, but it creates a eidicolous amount of dark and cold atmosphere with the twin-guitars either in melodic harmonies (sometimes with the bass and octave beneath), or chugging away at riffs. Wonderful Swedish Death Metal with hints of Black Metal especially in the tremolo picking. Wow!Chick Corea Now He Sings, Now He SobsDude shreds away on the piano like a madman, and the drummer and bassist are no slouches either. Atonal note choices and weird scale choices join together with polyrhythms and all sort of craziness to make a jazz masterpiece. Every musician is madly skilled, and is not scared to show it, the bass and drum fills are incredible.Chick Corea Three QuartetsA lovely series of quartets dedicated to classical composers/musicians as well as some of Corea's jazz influences. The idea here was to structure the album like classical ecords are done, containing numerous for example string-quartets by a specific composer. Corea however does this while staying true to jazz instrumentation creating some of his best work. The first quartet, and second part of the last one in particular show Corea at his best, taking complete freedom from the harmony. Circus Maximus The 1st ChapterAwesome album. Dream Theater worship to the max with some added touches of power metal and generally fantastic songwriting. Vocals took some getting used to.Conquering Dystopia Conquering DystopiaMagnificent. 47 minutes of in-your face well produced neoclassical shred with riffing covering a plentitude of styles. There is djent, thrash and death metal all very present. Coroner R.I.P.Fantastic tech-thrash record. Before the milestone of the genre that Rust in Peace would be, Voivod and Coroner were pioneering it with great albums like this and Killing Technology. This album is incredible, and eventhough their peoduction and songwriting might not be at its best yet, the twchnical riffing and neoclassical influences more than make up for it.Coroner Punishment For DecadenceA slight progression from Coroner. Still very thrashy, but suggesting a more prog/tech oriented future. More complex, and less purely neoclassical.Creeping Death Sacrament of DeathCryptopsy None So VileThe most brutal thing ever put to tape in my mind. Relentless death-metal with hints of grind which still manages to be catchy as all hell. Extremely technical, and some of the most chaotic riffs and best drumming in metal. The vocals might be death metal's best ever in my opinion. A huge drawback is its lack of variety. It is all in all the time, with no rest whatsoever.Cryptopsy Whisper SupremacyA significent style-change, but nevertheless an excellent album. Cryptopsy amolify the technicality, and lose some of the focus on the riffs. The mix is also quite bad, but production on the other hand is ever-improving. The inimitable Lord Worm is also missed.Cynic FocusAn excellent album, sure, and a game-changer, but not as good as its cult-rep will have you think. Masvidal's guitarwork specifically isn't as good as I'd expected, and although the guys are amazing players, the spacey fusion and DM really don't gel together all that well. Guys are amazing in their own regards though, 100%, and Textures.. Man what a track!Cynic Traced in AirA fantastic comeback in the form of what could be seen as a mellower Focus. After a 15 year break, Cynic return with another jazzy death metal fusion album, but this time focusing more on the ethereal jazziness than the DM. Still good, but less groundbreaking.Cynic Demo 1991Fucking beautiful. Almost final form Cynic, the fusion elements are now seamlessly.... well fused into the music to create what reminds of Human by Death. However, Cynic?s evolution was not yet over....Danzig DanzigDark Tranquillity SkydancerDeath The Sound of PerseveranceDeath Individual Thought PatternsDeath continue their journez towards more melodic and technical music, but with a slight dip in interest. While the compositions here are excellent, the don't quite have the catchiness of the jazzy human or melodic and proggy Symbolic. This album falls somewhere in-between. Still excellent!Death Scream Bloody GoreUndoubtedly among the top 5 most influential metal records of all time. That alone guarantees it a 4 rating. The fact that the music itself is phenomenal riffy brutality just solidifies this. Sure, you may come up with a million demos, or albums like Possessed?s Seven Chirches that had hints of Death Metal in them. But this album is Death Metal theough and theough. Chunky tiffing, insane unhinged growls, gory lyrics (not a must, but popular). Amazing.Death Live in L.A.: Death & RawDeath live in 1998 can only mean one thing. A setlist full of their best songs (aka basically any selection of songs off of their entire discog. Only issues are muffled production and quite a bit of sloppiness. Orherwise fantastic all around. Shoutout to the epic little intro to Pull The Plug. Caught me off guard.Death Angel The Art of DyingDecapitated Organic HallucinosisDecapitated The Eye of HorusAbsolutely stunning demo. Weren?t it for its baby length and bad production it might just be a 5.Decrepit Birth Diminishing Between WorldsSome of the better modern techh-death arounnd. Surprisingly melodic, but also brutally heavy, and very technical. Reminded me of Symbolic-era Death. Will 100% check more of these guys' stuff out. The drum-sound was too clicky though.Deep Purple BurnDeep Purple Perfect StrangersDeep Purple Deep PurpleI cannot believe the average of this album, ot how underappreciated it is.... Easily their best outside of MK II first 2 and Burn. Almost a pure prog record, with tons of great guitarwprk, a great vocal performance, and what a closer! A full-on symphonic piece finished of with some Blackmore shredding! The Painter is also classic DP, wow.Defaced Creation Serenity in ChaosBenchmark Swedish Death Metal. Sweden is mostly known for the Gothenburg sound, which I'm not much into, however the other grimy kinda thrasy sound from Sweden with bands like these guys, Dismembered and Entombed; That's quality. Defaced Creation take that, and add a solid amount of technical playing and rhythmic/time features to make an amazing album!Defeated Sanity Prelude to the Tragedygod fucking DAMN! Strong Suffo vibes here. Brutal, uncompomising and very technical Death Metal which allows no comfort constantly changing times, doodling on instruments, or crushing you with brutal riffs. Love it. Kept short too. Great stuff.Defeated Sanity Disposal Of The Dead // DharmataAMAZING! I came for Brutal DM when I get comoletely unexpectedly hit by my favourite thing in the world, full-on Jazz Death Metal! Wow. To first address the first half, one gets exactly what one would expect. Crushingly heavy Brutal DM with hints of Jazz. However! Half-way into the album, the Dharma part starts, the drummer changes his snare and gets a pletgora of new cymbals, and off we go into wanky Cynic-like fusion worship! It sounds effortless, briliant and all flows so well.rStill, a split-rating is needed:rDisposal of the Dead: 3.5rDharmata: 4.5Deicide Once Upon the CrossDeicide at their best, short, to the point, straight-forward Death Metal. Benton?s vocals are the best I?ve heard them so far, and otherwise, it is much like the last two albums, just with better peoduction than the debut.Deicide LegionCrushing classic DM. Great tricky but catchy guitars, technical drumming, and an improved production along with less cheese than their debut. Destruction Infernal OverkillDiamond Head Lightning To The NationsOne of not only NWOBHM?s, but Heavy Metal?s overall defining albums. Combining everything from punky attitude in Am I Evil?, to almost glam-like sleaze with musical complexity and catchiness, it isn?t missing much. I find the last 3 tracks to be weak points, amd drag it down though.Dio The Last In LineDismember Like An Ever Flowing StreamThank god for Carnage! The band that gave us both DM Carcass and this band: Dismember. Imagine the Carnage debut with added melodic leads making it more varied. Unfortunately I felt it tapered off into mostly just being a thrashy Death Metal apbum towards the end. Might be bump worthy in the future, definitely relistening to this.Dismember PiecesDmitri Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor, Op.35This eules. The first and lst movement espacially emoloy loads of jazz tropes in terms of atonal harmony and dissonance. Absolutely love it as well as the abrupt urgency. Super good. Middle movements do not quite hold up though.Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57The emotion on here is ridiculous and shown in every movement. Slower than Shostakovich's usual work, but he gets the message across oh so well.Don Cherry Complete CommunionSpectacular free-jazz. Both sides are fantastic in my opinion, though Communion is admittedly more consistent(ly adventurous). Amazing playing by everyone on here. Anything that can be done basically was.Down NOLADream Theater Systematic ChaosAmazing album. Definitely a grower, as the at times almost pseudo-Nu-metal like riffs and generally heavier side with very accessible softer part was initially tough to swallow. Now, after probably 6 listens I love the album. While I miss the more dynamic DT sound, songs like ItPoE and The Dark Eternal Night are amazing. While by itself not too interesting, Repentless is cool in the context of the twelve-step suite. Prophets of God however is quite a weak link, and even TMoLS I'm not too big on. Still, fantastic album.Dream Theater Train of ThoughtTo me, the last of the "classic" DT albums. Here, the band decide to go all-in with their heavy side, with the 2 minute orchestrated interlude Vacant being the only outlier. It is also in my eyes their 4th best album, and I truly enjoy it a lot. It still contains a lot of prog, weird time-signatures and signature DT wank, but with a lot of focus on heavy riffing and shreddy solos. Certainly contains some of Petrucci's best work.Dream Theater Live At The MarqueeDamn, the guys are tight. as is proven here, on their first live album, Dream Theater have always made it of utmost importance to be squeeky clean live. Great tracks, including the fantastic Bombay Vindaloo jam. LaBrie sounds absolutely ravising here, and his screams in Another Hand - The Killing Hand are nothing short of breathtaking. Would have loved to hear Learning to Live live with him in this form.Dream Theater Live Scenes From New YorkMy favourite DT live album. It still is not without its issues, but it seems to be the most energetic, well filmed and undoubtedly the one eith the best set-list. Only one track off of Falling into Infinity and other than that full of almost only classics off of their 90s albums plus Metropolis pt. 2 in full. Everyone sounds great, and other than the sound issues (guitar and bass tone) and ballads that I do not enjoy, a massive album.Dream Theater Breaking the Fourth WallFantastic set including mostly their (underrated) s/t album, Awake and SFaM. Song selections are superb, and it is easily the best sounding and looking DT live album to date. Everybody's tone is fantastic, and it has what has to be James' best vocal performance of the decade. Only true complaint is Mangini's pull towards playing hi-hats on parts where Portnoy used the crash or china. Makes the drumming sound a bit dry. Lastly, the (in-tune, looking at you score) orchestra adds so much to SFaM.Dream Theater A View From The Top Of The WorldDying Fetus Destroy the OppositionThe final album in Dying Fetus? maturing stage, where they become fully realized featuring everything from heavy quick DM blast-beats to incredibly groovy passages. What makes them so unique though is their addition of technical playing i. e. sweeping arpeggios into all of this which truly sets them apart from the DM pack. For Us or Against Us even features some strong melodies at its end. Electric Wizard DopethroneEmperor In the Nightside EclipseEmperor EmperorGreat EP from early Emperor. Punishing tone, incredible vocals.... But the keyboards man.... FuckEnsiferum EnsiferumEntombed Wolverine BluesEric Dolphy Out to Lunch!What an effort. Taking the free in free-jazz to the next level, one can at times think that the different instruments aren't even playing together. Dolphy makes it all sound beautiful together though.Faith No More The Real ThingFaith No More Angel DustFates Warning Awaken the GuardianAgain, another monsterous step forward musically from the last Fates Warning record, and as a result, the arguable birth of Prog Metal.Weird time signatures, complex, long and intricate structures and great instrumentation. It is all here. However, the album has some clear flaws, which unfortunately do not even concern the music. Arch?s vocals are really bad and also very low in the mix, and the general peoduction is proper bad. As a result this is a 4.2 for me.Fates Warning Perfect SymmetryThe defining album of Fates Warning. Finally, they find their sound within the progressive genre, and shed all doubt that they aren't an iconic band within the movement. While prog-metal had barely even been put on the map, Fates Warning added a plethora of traits synonymus with today's prog-metal formula into their arsenal. Instrumental wankery, playing around with time-signatures and writing long and complex songs. Alder came into his own vocally, and this album flows much better than No Exit. Still however, it is not perfect. I find it to have too many calmer sections, and miss the aggression on No Exit.First Fragment DaseinA brilliant example of what good tech-death is. First Fragment combine Death Metal, prog and a strong neoclassical sense of melody with occasional classical guitar and jazz sections for an overall brilliant album. One of moder tech-Death?s best for sure.Frank Zappa Hot RatsAlbum absolutely rips. Basically just a huge jazz-fusion jam all the way theough. First three tracks are flawless, Gumbo is mostly amazing, however the jazzier piano oriented traxks miss the mark for me. Still amazing though.Franz Liszt 3 Etudes de Concert, S. 144A beautiful series of technique enhancing etudes, which also make for beautiful actual music. Each one of them demands crazy technique and virtuosity, but also possesses a very tangible and soothing melody, each representing a clear theme. Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1, piano solo, S.514Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 3, S. 216Even further focus on harmonies. Lizst bangs on chords while adding a plethora of notes with the other hand, sometimes outside the typical scales and keys, but it works beautifully when he resolves.Freddie Hubbard Open SesameFantastic early 60s jazz that mixes tons of the new modality, technicality and catchiness. Top drawer.Frederic Chopin Fantaisie In F Minor, Op. 49Brilliant. Chopin combines his amazing romantic melodic abilities with some technical mastery over an amazing 14 minutes. A top-notch solo piano piece.Frederic Chopin Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 4What a spectacular Sonata! And to imagine this was his forst one? Wow! So much mood, feeling thanks to the dynamics and varying speeds! Love it!Frederic Chopin Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54Back to a more dynamic style like the first Scherzo, this one might be my second favourite.Gioachino Rossini La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie)Me, you and everyone else has heard this before whether you know it or not. Great percussion and repetition of the main theme.God Dethroned The Grand GrimoireAnother excellent effort by God Dethroned! Have heard this and Bloody Blasphemy and am a huge fan! Soundwise they remind me a lot of early ATG shich I think is some of the greatest and most overlooked music ever made.rHope the rest of their stuff holds up!Gojira L'Enfant SauvageGorgoroth PentagramGorguts The Erosion of SanityGorguts From Wisdom to HateGorguts continue on the path of dissonant, jazzy tech-Death, and they do it damn well. Not as groundbreaking, or anywhere close to as crazy as Obscura, Gorguts put out a more grounded tech-death release here. I use the term grounded with caution, as this is by no means standard, and still a great display of jarring musical tropes.Gorguts Pleiades' Dust32 minutes of dissonant goodness. Gorguts continue in the more atmospheric direction they introduced on Colored Sands. More calm, mellow passages traded off with the typical Gorguts technical Death Metal madness. Luc Lemay just keeps on keeping on.Gorod A Maze of Recycled CreedsGorod's best since Leading Visions. After a bit of what I can only refer to as a decline in songwriting quality over their past 2 LPS, they return fully progged out. The music contains all sorts of interesting passages, and takes the listener all over the place, all while keeping to a main sound. The riffing and leads especially stay amazing, and the production has taken a slighrt bump too.Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion IIGuns N' Roses Use Your Illusion IHaken The MountainAfter the hugely improved Visions over the debut, Haken fully reveal their quirky side. This album has everything from Metal and jazz to eastern music and acappela. The concept is great too, and though it lacks flow and consistency at times imo, it's nevertheless a wonderful showcase of music.Haken RestorationCloser is magnificent. An excellent piece composed of all sorts of influences, and even hints towards Haken?s more djenty future towards the end. The first 2 tracks are solid too, but nowhere near as good.Haken VirusMy AotY, and a ridiculously good album by Haken. Somewhat of a recap of everything they have done, with the direct Cockroach King reference in Messiah Complex being a highlight for sure. There is melody, anthemic choruses, lots of djenty chugging, great Petrucci-like prog-metal riffs and of course tons of wank. Hans Zimmer Hans Zimmer Live In PragueHelloween Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part IIHelloween Helloween EPHerbie Hancock Empyrean IslesThe third track might be standard early Herbie and jazz, but tracks 1, 2 and especially 4 break countless boundaries. The Egg is Herbie as he would be known after this album and is truly masterfull, the first three tracks are also solid. Love Hubbard on the opener.High Command Beyond the Wall of DesolationHypocrisy Inferior Devoties13 minutes of Swedish Buzzsaw OSDM devided over 4 songs plus a solid Slayer cover thrown in. How doesn?t this have a higher average? Hypocrisy take ingluence from the Florida scene (which can clearly be heard), and add the Swedish tone and infectious melodies which never feel out of place.Immolation AtonementTogether with M&D, the best Immo since Unholy Cult. The exact opposite of the very disappointing Kingdoms, this album is full of variation, while keeping the base of massive, technical Immolation riffage well intact. An abundance of clean sections, whoch is new also makes for a nice refresher to a tried formula.Immolation Majesty and DecayYeah, this is just as excellent as people say. Is it golden era Immo (HiA-UC) level? Not quite. Excellent nonetheless. Maelstorm riffs with dissonant melodies as usual, along with mad technicality and sociopolitical lyrics.Immortal Pure HolocaustImmortal Diabolical Fullmoon MysticismInsomnium Shadows of the Dying SunIron Maiden PowerslaveOne of the best, if not the best classic metal album, but far inferior to its status. It is not even Maiden's best, which would come a few years later as they start adding more prog and experimentation into their music. Powerslave is often hailed as their most consistent, yet even here I find it to fall short, as Big 'Orra, Back in the Village and the popular 2 Minutes seem a good bit weaker than the rest. Rime, Aces and the t/t are clear standouts, being among Maiden's best, but still nowhere near the quality of their material for the next two albums.Iron Maiden Iron MaidenIron Maiden KillersIron Maiden Piece Of Mind2 songs ruin the entire experience. This album has unprecedented potential, and after 6 classics one might think it is their best yet. However this is when two absolute stinkers come up in the shape of Quest for Fire and Sun and Steel. To Tame a Land certainly helps in fixing it up, but the momentum is ruined by then.Iron Maiden Somewhere In TimeAn excellent album again by Maiden, though it has some weaker moments. After maturing and getting more and more proggy, Maiden introduce synths into their music. These are hit or miss, as they are much of what makes some of the weaker tracks like the opener and Deja Vu just that. Otherwise one has some true belters like Alexander and Sea of Madness. An overall wonderful effort.Iron Maiden Maiden England '88An album that could have been among Maiden?s best live ones ruined by production/mixing. An amazing set-list featuring tracks off of all og Maiden?s classic forst 7 albums. Unfortunstely hanpered by a horrendous mix where you can hear just how aggressively Harris plays his bass. You get used to it eventually, however the guitar-playing is very sloppy, especially for Maiden to be at times as well. Iron Maiden Maiden Japan (Complete Concert)Excellent. Basically all of Maiden?s first two albums in a live setting with excellent atmosphere (it is Japan after all). What can you expect from Maiden live? They sound rawer, more unleashed, and everything is sped up by at least 25%. Do you get that here? Yes! Jaco Pastorius Jaco PastoriusCompositions could be better, but make no mistake, this guy can play! Jaco is probably the best known bass-virtuouso out there, and for good reason. Just put this on and you?ll see. Non-stop grooves.Jason Becker Perpetual BurnOne of the most complete shred albums put to tape. Jason Becker isn?t another one of those, while technically impressive; mindless shredders. No, he might just be the most technically skilled there ever was until now with only Yngwie as a peer, but there is tons of soul here. Mindboggling string-skipping arpeggios and balls to the wall speed metal can be found here, but so can the Bouree-like Air. Skill, variation and soul. They are all here.Jean-Luc Ponty Enigmatic OceanPonty's best work so far in my opinion. Full of virtuosity, but also with better songwriting than on his earlier albums. Jean-Luc Ponty Upon the Wings of MusicPonty basically shreds away on his violin while also showcasing a softer side. Ponty's first true solo record reminds of Mahavishnu (who he would join the year this record was released) at their most energetic. That's one of the greatest compliments a fusion artist could get in my eyes. While the violin playing is amazing, the compositions navigating through barrages of various odd-meters are done brilliantly too, much due to the incredible syncopated drumming. That is what brings this record above many others in its field.Jean-Luc Ponty A Taste For PassionDon't know why this is rated so low. I think it's among Ponty's best.Jean-Luc Ponty Cosmic MessengerThe best solo fusion artist of the 70s, Ponty continues pumping out fantastic funky and rocky jazz. Jethro Tull Thick as a BrickAn excellent album, and as a middle-finger to the critics, just great. The first part is flawless, but the second part took some time to pick up, not helped by the blocky transition between parts. Furthermore, the second half seems to veer a bit away from the concept and more towards purposeless wank for much of its second half. Still an excellent record.Johann Sebastian Bach Lute Suite in E minor, BWV 996Fantastic. Although I found the 4th movement to be unnecessary and a bit of a momentum-breaker the full Suite remains great.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata/Fugue in Dmin Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto BWV 1042 in E MajorExcellent. Just wish it were longer. First and last piece showcase tremendous playing and sense for melody, and middle piece is very nice too.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565So good. The toccata especially is so well composed. The eerie dissonant intro into beautiful arpeggios. Fugue is brilliant as well, and this would easily get a higher core if it were longer.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049Best one yet. Instrumental virtuosity on full display.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in Bâ™ major, BWV 1051Possibly my favourite Brandenburg concerto, Bach showplays amazing harmony between the violins and hasrpsichord. All get to back the others while pulling off ridicolous solo passages.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 1, BWV 1052A stunning piece from Bach and undoubtedly anong his strongest compositions. The first movement is a dark brooding piece with honts of virtuosity. The second movement then doubles down on the atmospheric side before Bach comes exploding out showing immwnse understanding of harmony and unparalleled virtuosity for the time on the hapsichord. God damn I wish the guy had a chance to play the piano!Johannes Brahms 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1Brilliant. Brahms manages to have just enough variation in his dances for them not to get repetitive. The violin performance is also wonderful.Judas Priest Sad Wings Of DestinyStunning. Imagine hearing this in 1976. The biggest metal statement made until then for sure. Removing much of the Blues influence in Black Sabbath and their own totally bluesy debut, and injecting amazing, neoclassical and precise guitarwprk innits place. Some amazing piano pieces too for variation, and surprisingly proggy considering the artist. Unfortunately, the last 15 minutes are lackingJudas Priest Sin After SinJudas Priest Stained ClassJudas Priest Defenders Of The FaithJudas Priest FirepowerKing Crimson RedProbably peak KC. Their Avant-Garde jazz creativity and mysteriousness is in full swing, and the rock side is very much there too. Some tracks like Providence seem directionless at first, but Crimson figure stuff out even for the second half of said track.King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard I'm In Your Mind FuzzKreator Terrible CertaintyKreator Coma of SoulsKrokofant Krokofant IIA massive improvement on their debut, this one is just 44 minutes of shred, whether it be the drums, guitar, sax or bass. True madness.Amazing, and with discernable themes throughout.Kvelertak KvelertakLamb of God Ashes of the WakeLed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IILed Zeppelin Houses Of The HolyLed Zeppelin Physical GraffitiLed Zeppelin put their all on the plate, and do it damn well. This is in my opinion their magnum opus, as it shows every side of them, from the classically influenced Kashmir and In the Light to straight-up blues rockers The Rover and Wenton Song or Folk-based Black Country Woman. Unfortunately not all the teacks hold the same quality, and the end of the album especially gets a bit weak.Lenny White Venusian SummerA funky journy through some fantastic fusion. White, most famous as the drummer on Birtches Brew, collects a line-up of some truly great players to produce a fantastic album. The last track especially slays.Leprous Tall Poppy SyndromeThis is amazing. It is a quite unique brand of prog-metal, which does not rely on wankery at all, but rather uses incredibly complex song structures, melodies and all sorts of time changes to catch the listeners ear. The crazy rhythms with pleasantly dissonant melodies over them are amazing, and just wow. This is so good.Liquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension Experiment 2LTE 2 is clearly a more refined version of LTE 1. It relies less on jams and improv, and seems to have more complete songs. Unfortunately, it taperes off a bit towards the end. It is however nevertheless fantastic, and just a bit better than LTE1.Liquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension ExperimentExceptional playing and musicianship. Even then, tha lbum is not filled by pure wank, but tons of melodies, beautiful piano songs, and emotive guitar solos. The closer is an epic jam, and the opener and closer (without Three Minute Warning) are blistering pieces of flash. Lucifer's Friend Where the Groupies Killed the BluesLudwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No14 C-sharp minor,Op.27No2The fordt movement is a hauntingly beautiful slow intro whoch would have perfectly segmented into what might just be the greatest movement ever written, at least for solo-piano. HOWEVER, out of nowhere one gets thrown into a seemingly pointless upbeat Allegretto that feels entirely out of place, whether key or style-wise. No idea what Beethoven was thinking there, but the other two movements are amazing, so a 4 is still deserved.Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18, No. 1Beethoven?s 3rd String Quartet shows him coming into his own with displays of both hardness and romanticism.Malevolent Creation RetributionMalevolent Creation The Ten CommandmentsNothing flashy, just ugly, old-school death metal riffage. Luckily, that is enough to form an excellent album. Malevolent Creation pay no attention to what much of the Death Metal, and general Metal today bases itself around: Twchnical wankery. This is just a 40 minute no mercy barrage of nasty riffs, but I love it. Catchy and heavy.Malokarpatan NordkarpatenlandA fantastic and quite unique album. Malokarpatan change their sound a good bit from the straight-up Black Metal with folk interludes of the first album, and add in a solid dose of Mercyful Fate worship. They blemnd these catchy NWOBHM Mercyful Fate riffs into their folky Black Metal sound, and it does wonders!Malokarpatan KrupinskĂ© OhneYES! The boys are back with yet another full reinvention of their sound! Moving away from the NWOBHM filled Nordkarpatenland they now go over to some more atmospheric Hammerheart-esque Bathory worship. Great very atmospheric record! For anyone worried by the single, don?t worry, I found it the weakest track overall, however it still sounded great in context. Can?t wait to play this a few more times and see what they come up with next!Martyr Hopeless HopesVery great and consistent album. Continuous smashing riffs play the main role of the album, while mad rhythhms, technicality and blistering solos supplement beautifully.Master's Hammer RitualVery good NWOBHM infused early Czech Vlack Metal record. I have been recently finding out about classic Czech Black Metal bands (Master?s Hammer, Root etc.). They will very often combine Black Metal with NWOBHM and/or an epic armosphere, and it?s really great!Mastodon Blood MountainBit if a stylistic change from Leviathan, as well as a slight step-back, but still phenomenal! While Leviathan had its strength in the perfectly smooth blend between soothing melodies and harsh sludgy metal, Blood Mountain is more obvious with the stylistic switches. It makes the album flow less well.McCoy Tyner InceptionAfter achieveing great success under Coltrane?s Quartet, Tyner goes solo, and what a first effort this is! Fantastic slightly dissonant at times piano, weird time-signatures, and every member gets moments in the spotlight.McCoy Tyner TogetherAwesome. I was not a big fan of much of Tyner's early 70s stuff as it seemed he tried making it accessible. Not the case here. Constant solos and crazy improv runs from every instrumentalist and it all sounds super amazing.Megadeth So Far, So Good... So What!No idea where the hate on this album comes from. The production is really bad, yes, but the songs and playing are phenomenal. Poland?s jazzy and peog influences really come across in his solos, and clearly have more of an influence on the proggier songwriting. Super underrated.Meshuggah Contradictions CollapseMassively underrated album! Imagine early Metallica with incredibly technical drumming and rhythms. That?s this album. Only complaint is it drags a little due to runtime (56 minutes).Metallica Ride The LightningAstonishing step-up from KEA in the song-writing department, wow. I do not know if just having Cliff involved changed this much, or the band overall get this much more sophisticated over such a short time, but this album shows much more mature song-writing. There is classical composition all over this, especially on Call of Crhulu and RtL. The solos are also way more neo-classical. Still, there are some solid brunts on here like Escape and Trapped under Ice. My personal highlights are Fight Fire, Ride and Call of Cthulu. Mgla Exercises in FutilityMichael Angelo Batio No BoundariesFuck this is good. Could be slightly more consistent, but the first 4 songs and the final few are ridicolously good and this guy can PLAY! Gotta give it a 4.Midnight Satanic RoyaltyMiles Davis MilestonesA huge turning point for Miles. After really coming into his own on Round about Midnight, this album is the first hint of the modal jazz he would go on to explore on the world famous Kind of Blue. Amazing playing by all involved.Miles Davis Kind of BlueSpectacular, and truly game-changing album. Davis, Coltrane and Evans playing around with the modes built off of the main key is spectacular. Coltrane easily takes the spotlight with little competition.Miles Davis Filles de KilimanjaroA transition-album part electric and part acoustic, this was the stepping-stone to Davis' fusion era. What a stepping stone it is, and amazing, mystical, unresolving, dreamy and truly capturing album with fantastic solos from everyone involved.Monstrosity MillenniumA true monster within its genre with super technical drumming and guitar-work. Every instrument goes mad, and the syncopated and polyrhythmic rhythms are just amazing. Some of the best death metal of the 90s.Morbid Angel CovenantMorbid Angel at their peak imo, this is a solid slab of OSDM with large amounts of technical riffing, some tie-signature changes and dissonance. Overall a really solid record, although tracks like Angel of Disease especially, but also the chanting in God of Emtiness and Nar Matturu just seem entirely unnecessary and would have probably been better to be left out.Morbid Saint Destruction SystemThrashes hard. 25 years after the fantastic Spectrum of Death Morbid Saint keep almost an identical tone and style, though both are a bit chunkier. The new chunkiness adds a dynamic not seen on the debut, however the unhinged madness of the first is as a result also lessened. Nader Sadek In the FleshI like to think of this as the best thing Morbid Angel have released since Covenant. A great arrangement by Nader, which coupled with Tucker?s familiar vocal and bass-playing style, Blasphemer?s Black Metal influence and Flo?s amazing drumming makes for a truly unique listen. Just wish it was longer.Ne Obliviscaris Portal of INe Obliviscaris CitadelAnother excellent outing by NeO. They go harder pn the experimental nature than on PoI, whoch makes for a slightly less focused album to my ears. Nevertheless a fantastic effort combining Black Metal, Death Metal, progressive writing, world music and violins.Necrophagist Onset of Putrefaction (Re-issue)A stone-cold classic, and one of the most important releases in Feath Metal history. This album changed everything, combining insane neoclassical technicality with relentless brutal death metal. What followed was a huge wave of what is today known as modern tech death. A huge record, whoch although amazing has its problems in being a bit too one-fimensional. Thankfully it is quite short, so the one-dimensionality does not become too much of an issue.Neuraxis Trilateral ProgressionGreat riffs and amazing melodies. Much better than earlier albums. The musicians are all amazing, and they sure make it clear, but not clear to the extent where it sacrifices musicality.Nevermore This Godless EndeavorNiccolo Paganini Violin Concerto No.2 in B Minor, Op.7Another fantastic concerto, but quite a step-down from the first. Paganini's second concerto is another excellent one, but doesn't manage to showcase his virtuoso skills as well as the first. Composition-wise it is wonderful, and the last movement in particular is incredible.Niccolo Paganini Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, MS 60Paganini back in form after the weaker (but still great) concerto no. 3. A good starting Allegro with loads of spectacular crescendos, very pleasant Adagio, and a technically flashy Andantino to finish off. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of OrpheusNick Johnston Public Display Of InfectionA stunning display of guitar virtuosity. Basically an instrumental progressive rock/metal album, Johnston jumps between time-signatures like nothing while keeping his shredding and melodies intact.Nile Annihilation Of The WickedNova Collective The Further SideA fantastic fusion album clearly showcasing both the Haken and BtBaM influences. One of my favourite things about the album is how it never focuses on a specific intrument/member for a prolonged time, but rather seems to focus on interplay and the instruments all having their roles within the music. Fantastic jazzy playing.Opeth WatershedSomewhere between a 3.5 and 4. Slightly inconsistant, and Opeth?s weakest prog rock/metal combination since Morningrise. Fredrik?s addition adds some technicality as seen in Heir Apparent (one of the best songs), shile other songs feel a bit outta place. Opeth In Live Concert at the Royal Albert HallAmazing. Onne of the greatest live recordings of all time. Opeth first play through their flawless Blackwater Park in its entirety, then play a song off each of their other albums up until the then newest Watershed. Just ridicolously good. Only problems are obviously the length, Mikael's growls sounding worn towards the end, and the constant cuts in the video recording. Other than that a brilliant record.Opeth The Roundhouse TapesA wondeful peformance of many of Opeth's best numbers with some hilarious bants inbetween. "I wonder if this would be the blowjob or the anal scene" - Mikael Ĺkerfeldt. In direct opposition to SupremeJelly, I thought Axe did a really good job with changing up the drumming, especially the jazzy drumming in Melinda. Ĺkerfeldt also performs some of his best geowling.Overkill Under the InfluenceMassive improvement over Taking Over. This album sees Overkill coming into their own, combining the more flashy speed metal of their debut with Taking Over?s thrashier style, and adding a good amount of technicality and prog. Pain of Salvation EntropiaA different peog-metal band. I was expecting the usual hour+ of wankery you usually see in prog-metal (which for the record I am a hige fan of), however what you get here is something entirely different. Yes, the songs are complex, especially in their structure, and have plenty of instrumentally impressive passages. However the main way to capture the listener here is the song, the emotions in it and the vocalists incredible range. Wow. The album is also told as one long story, which is really cool.Pantera Far Beyond DrivenPat Metheny WatercolorsRelaxing, elegant and smooth to a t! Perfect note selection for the style, and the phrasing is just amazing. Props to the pianist too. the use of harmonics on Oasis is beyond amazing.Pestilence Malleus MaleficarumHuge proto-death thrash record. Thrashes heard, and never lets go. Nice melodic guitar woek at times and clinical vocals. Fantastic!Phineas Newborn, Jr. A World of Piano!Mindboggling playing from Phineas Jr. Unfortunately, the compositions are not his, and other than the crazy shred, the album doesn't really explore anything outside standard jazz.Pink Floyd The WallPlanet X UniverseWhat a boss album. The guys wank around, but not ignoring the concept of giving the entire album a spacey atmosphere Nd actually tons of variety. There are synthier smooth atmospheric tracks, heavier rhythmicall complex ones, as well as just pure wank. Derek?s tone takes some time to get used to, but everyone on here just goes ham!Plini Other ThingsOnly 12 minutes, but in just that time, PLini showcases so much. The first track, and enjoyable proggy one, the second more into jazz territory, and a very good track reminiscent of an Allan Holdsworth. The last track however, the highlight of the album, a full on prog-metal track with an insanely catchy main-theme.Possessed Seven ChurchesPossessed Beyond the GatesPrimus Sailing the Seas of CheesePsycroptic The Scepter of the AncientsExpecting typical wanky Tech-death, Psycroptic surprised me with their relentless brand of Cryptopsy-level chaotic and brutal DM. Yet much like Cryptopsy, their music still manages to contain a sea of technicality and jazzy writing. The vocal range too is mad. Psycroptic The Isle of DisenchantmentThe debut of one of today's best tech-death bands. This Australian band finds a middle-ground somewhere between the dazzling technicality of bands like Necrophagist etc. and the brutality of Suffocation. They do it goddamn well.Pyotr Tchaikovsky "PathĂ©tique" Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74An excellent piece. The first movement is purely masterful, switching between a slower adagio and bombastic allegro style. The dynamic there is brillliant. The second and last movement did not do that much for me, especially the last as I am not mich of an Adagio fan. Overall excellent though.Pyotr Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in Bâ™ Minor, Op. 23Such a spectacular concerto. Tchaikovsky's piano virtuosity is fully on display, yet it isn't even the best part of it. That is the harmony and interplay between the solo piano and accompanying orchestra. Tchai's previous experience with Symphonies and other orchestral work is shown beatufully.Pyotr Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 "Little Russian"Queensryche Rage For OrderA dark, conceptual and progressive album that gets Queensryche infinitely close to their Mindcrime peak. All the elements aren?t as refined as they are on Mindcrime though, and the production has its flaws.Queensryche Operation: LivecrimeFirst, the perfect O:M, then two solid tracks off of the debut EP and album respectively. Downsides are a very muddy peoduction almost fully burying the amazing instruments! Then Geoff?s voice (basically all you can hear) does not have the same piwer live, and he sounds a little out of breath, though he still hits most of the higher notes.Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the MachineRammstein SehnsuchtRammstein MutterRazor Executioner's SongRed Hot Chili Peppers Mother's MilkReturn to Forever Return to ForeverWat a fantastic album. Chick Corea decides to try a more accessible version of jazz, and what does he do to achieve it? Recruit some of the best unknown jazz musicians, and makes them huge. Everyone between him, the bassist, drummer and sax/trumpet player go off, especially on the last track. The others offer beautiful atmosphere. Fantastic.Richard Strauss Tone Poem: Also sprach ZarathustraExcellent piece showcasing a plethora of different moods. You never know where it?s going which I highly appreciate.Ripping Corpse Dreaming With the DeadFuck yeah this rules. Fast as all hell, technical and even peoggy. A combination of all the great stuff thrash has to offer with added outside influences. Incrediblw guitar-work and drumming with some mad rhythms and blastbeats. Vocals sound really cool too.Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54Wow. The emotion in this, especially the lst movement is incredible. That motif melody repeating over the more and more intense music... Wow.Robert Schumann Violin Sonata No.1 in A Minor, Op.105What a ridiculously good Violin sonata. Dark and in your face, the piano and violin trade off brilliant solos and melodies while harmonising and playing around eachother. Even the middle Allegretto is a quick movement, and does not suffer the unfortunate slow-tempo treatment most of these pieces do.Rush A Farewell To Kingsbest Rush yet. Man oh man, the epics are amazing. The shorter tracks are good too, but nowhere near as good as the epics. Rush finally find consistency and flow.Rush Caress Of SteelUnderrated gem by the greatest prog band of all time. How this album ended up being supported by the «Down the Tubes tour» is an impossible conundrum to me, as I find it to be one of Rush?s best. Already on the forst 3 tracks, it?s clear they have finally conpleted their full-fledged transformation into prog masterminds. As for the last two, just amazing. The Fountain may toy with the line of being too pretentious, but that?s all fine as that?s where the best Rush lies.Rush Permanent WavesQuite the stylistic change for Rush, and though the album is magnificent, I personally preferred the pretentiousness of their 70s material. Still, taking a step in a more commercial direction, but staying proggy and technical even with 2 great 7+ minute songs is a testament to how amazing these guys were. Peart?s lyricism really hits a new level from here on out too.Sadus IllusionsExcellent unforgiving thrash. Sadus performs truly breakneck speed thrash, reminiscent of 80s Kreator. In opposition to many thrash bands, the bass is also stunning, as one would expect with DiGiorgio in the band. Unfortunately, the mussy production makes this quite hard to hear, and holds the album back a little.Santana SantanaSatan Into the FutureSatyricon Nemesis DivinaSavatage Hall of the Mountain KingSavatage come into their own after a horrible pop album, and boy they do it well. Sounding like a Dream Theater precursor over the first 3 tracks, the album really slows down after that. Hall of the Mountain King and Devastation are highlight tracks coming after that.Savatage The Dungeons are CallingA very solid effort by early Savatage putting their NWOBHM influences even more on display. This one is a good bit heavier than the debut LP, and much better imo.Scorpions Taken By ForceScorpions Virgin KillerSepticflesh Sumerian DaemonsSepultura Morbid VisionsSepultura SchizophreniaSergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30Another brilliant Rachmaninoff concerto. Quicker and more technical overall than the 2nd one (which I was not that into), but still with melodic elements and great compositions. Sithu Aye IslesSlayer Reign In BloodOne of the most influential albums of all time. This, along with the German 3 and select bands in Brazil basically single handedly changed what it means to be brutal. Combining ferocious hardcore attitude with the heaviest of chromatic riffing and speed completely changed what it means to be brutal. Add to that lyrics of gore and satan, and we have what is one of the most influential albums to Death Metal. In my opinion the best of the 1986 Big 4 efforts.Slayer Seasons In The AbyssSlayer Show No MercySleep Sleep's Holy MountainSodom Persecution ManiaSolstice (USA-FL) Solstice32 minutes of brain-bashing death/thrash. This album does not let go even for a second, and is filled to the brim with technical aggressive riffs backed by attitude and psychotic solos. Amazing.Spastic Ink Ink CompleteRidiculous. That is the only word I can think of to describe this album. Maybe also progressive and technical. The Jarzombeks? and Perez?s insane skills come through on one of the maddest albums I have heard which basically switches between genres like one does with shirts. Amazing insteumentally and musically. I do not even know what more to say..Spawn of Possession CabinetSpwctacular Modern Tech-Death. A rare sight. They don?t go overboard on the wankery, but instead use it to conplement brutal riffage very well. Imagine a techier Suffocation. Really good stuff.Stanley Clarke Stanley ClarkeReally frickin? awesome. What makes this perfect is the balance. Complex, melodic, funky and groovy and very diverse. However none pverbears another. Just a soothing fusion listen.Suffocation Human WasteSome of the better stuff that would find its way onto their future masterpieces Effigy of the Forgotten and Pierced from Within along with an extra song (Catatonia), but with worse production.Suffocation Blood OathSuffocation?s best since Pierced. The biggest issue seen on this album is the way too bass-heavy peoduction. Otherwise it is a fantastic look into Suffocation?s new style. A bit slower than the stuff they became known for on their first three records, but still amazingly technical, brutal and melodic. Good stuff!Suffocation The Close Of A ChapterExcellent performance, and even better set-list. Frank Mullen, who?s crowd interactions are really cool, keeps calling them brutal, but what is really brutal is Suffocation on here! Mike Smith pounds away like there is no tomorrow, guitarists and Derek shred away, even if slightly sloppily. The energy, tone and rawness on here is amazing. If there was less Souls on here, this might even be a 4.5-5.Symphony X The Divine Wings of TragedySpectacular! Heavy? Check! Pretentious? Check! Neoclassical? Check! Musical? Check! Walks on the rightside of the line between awful power metal cheese and heavy wanky mastery, but still has some moments I?m not a huge fan of.Symphony X Paradise LostSymphony turn up the heavy, and accompany it with tons of neoclassical guitarwork. That is almost always a way to hook me in. Less of the powery features the band does so often here. Allen pills up with gruffier vocals, and Romeo is the clear mainpoint in here. That combinantion is amazing.System of a Down System of a DownTaake Nattestid Ser Porten VidThis absolutely fucking rips. Raw atmospheric at its simple best, infused with tons of melancholy melody. Might even bump in the future. Last track specifically rules hard and shows what the album is all about. Extra creds for actually audible bass!TesseracT Concealing FateTestament The GatheringThe Aristocrats The AristocratsI love this band. Minnemann being my all-time favourite drummer and Govan in my top 3 guitarists I was very excited for the album. I love how they all write 3 songs each, showcasing all of the different players? influences. Of course the playing is ridiculous, and the weiting is really good too.The Aristocrats Culture Clash Live!These guys are all hysterically funny, and their between-song comments add a lot to their quirkiness. As for the musicianship, it is hard to say anything, as we are talking about some of the best, if not the best on their respective instrument of all-time. Everything looked effortless, and their on-stage chemistry was clear. A joy to watch.The Aristocrats Culture ClashLove it. The Aristocrats do all the styles, and with Govan, Minnemann and Beller they can. True virtuosos in every meaning of the word.The Beatles Let It BeThe Faceless AkeldamaA modern tech-death classic. I put these guys off for ages thinking they would be another senseless wanking-machine ala Obscura or Allegaeon. Boy, was I wrong! There is groove, melody, even core elements along with brutal riffage and FITTING wankery! Immaculate deum patterns and arpeggios trade eachother off between dazzling brutal riffs and breakdowns. This rules! Also creds for realizing that just over 30 minutes is enough, and not putting out a bloated 50 minute record! Cannot wait to check out more by these guys!The Who Who's NextThelonious Monk Brilliant CornersOne of the better, and most audacious records of the 50s. Jazz was still in its infant form in the 50s, and frankly, I find much of it too standard. Monk is a clear exception to this. His compositions were often very loosely written, and the players all took many freedom's playing around the base harmonies. This record personifies that very well.Thin Lizzy JailbreakTigran Hamasyan The Call WithinLove this. Tigran fully embraces his djent side, and sounds something like a Chick Corea crossed with Animals as Leaders or Meshuggah, in other words absolutely epic. The rhythms and time-signatures on here are stunning, and the melodies played over/around them as well as the dissonant atmospheres are super awesome.Tim Miller TrioTHANKS you Fiddy for showing me this guy. A modern Holdsworth with insanely good melodic phrasing is the only way I could describe him. The runs he makes sound so beautiful and perfect, yet so unorthodox. A masterful guitarist!Tim Miller Trio Vol. 3The highest degree of harmonic and instrumental skill. The drumming and guitar in particular are ridiculous. Miller's climbing up and down scales, somehow making them sound good with all the different chord variants. I have nowhere near enough musical knowledge to properly rate this, but I can tell you it is madly impressive.Tool OpiateTwisted Into Form Then Comes Affliction to Awaken the DreamerA wonderful record. I think of this as the second album by Spiral Architect. Both Norwegian, twchnical jazz metal and sharing a guitarist and vocalist. Onto the music, it is even better than A Sceptic?s Universe purely due to more musicality, diversity and melody. Amazing, with more jazz-breaks and mellow parts.Type O Negative Bloody KissesUFO PhenomenonUlcerate Everything Is FireEverything is fire? Well, this album certainly is! Ulcerate combine incredible atmosphere and rhythmical conplexity with crushing dissonant death metal riffage to create a psychologically crushing album.Unhuman UnhumanWhat an absolute beast of an album. Tech-death, but with a 100 other things thrown in as well. Melody, brutality, wank, you have it all here. The vocals are really odd and take a while to get used to, but ptherwise great stuff!Vader Tibi et IgniVan Halen 1984Vanden Plas The Seraphic ClockworkVery very good. Melodic, triumphant, riffy and technical. Really enjoyed this, even if it was a good bit long. Gonna give it a 4 for now, although I might 3.5 due to length upon more listens.Venom Welcome to HellVenom Black MetalVital Remains DechristianizeVltimas Something Wicked Marches InThis absolutely SLAPS! The line-up had me livid, yet I kept my hopes down because... supergroup. Boy, was I in for a treat. Blasphemer?s labyrinth like complex Black Metal riffs combine with Vincent?s signature growl and Flo?s insane drum skills for a monsteosity of a record. A technical blackwned death metal pummeling that despite the technical instrumental work keeps the songwriting to the point and in your face.Voivod Dimension HatrössGreat, but underwhelming album. After giving Killing Technology a solid 5, my expwctations for Hatröss were sky-high. However, upon hearing the album, many of the things I so liked about Killing Technology that made it truly an entity of its own were not to be found. The rawness and high-energy speed have been exchanged for a more polished, and less thrashing sound. rStill a great album.rWayne Shorter Night DreamerA very very good album. Mostly slower pieces, they are orchestrated so well. The main themesalways come back around with improv around them. Awesome.Wishbone Ash Wishbone AshWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem in D minor, K. 626An extremely well orchestrated emotional piece. Mozart matured a lot compositionally, which one can tell by listening to his earlier and later stuff. Here, he uses much more low end and emotionally heavy tones as opposed to the lighter more uplifting material of his earlier career. Writing this knowing he was dying, it is no surprise that it is so emotionally laden.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Jupiter" Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551Wolves in the Throne Room Diadem of 12 StarsWolves in the Throne Room Two HuntersOozing with atmosphere this reminds me almost of a Burzum style band, which used Black Metal not at all to prove proficiency, but just thrives off armosphere and emotion. Second track is my favourite, and only thing I have to complain about is I found the interlude of the third track a little long.Wolves in the Throne Room Black CascadeI think the best moments of Two Hunters were better than the best moments of this one, however this one was better as a full-length due to containing much fewer interludesYes The Yes AlbumYes Close to the EdgeExcellent album. After introducing Wakeman and complex songwriting with virtuosic playing on Fragile, Yes take it up another notch. The title-track and closer are close to perfect, the t/t displaying everything from psychedelic and church music to rock and jazz. Not too big on And You and I though.Yes RelayerShockingly good considering no Beuford or Wakeman. I was slightly worried about this album as I love both the aforementioned guys. However, this album caught me off-guard being possibly even better than CTTE imo! Rawer and jazzier, this is Yes at their best. Howe puts down some amazing guitar-wprk, time is all over the place, and the atmospheric keyboards sound really great.Yngwie Malmsteen Marching OutA step-up in overall quality from Yngwie?s debut given actual songwriting. Yes, the playing on Rising Force was phenomenal, however here one actually gets well-crafted songs, still with tons of wankery. Result; a nicer full listen.3.5 great7 for 4 SplashSome of the best prog-metal/rock and jazz-fusion since LTE. Lovely stuff, loads of variation. Might even rate higher upon more listens.Aborted Engineering the DeadSome highly skilled Brutal Death from Belgium. Nothing much to say about the music itself to be honest, but I want to mention how much I think the interludes help in setting the mood.Aborted Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage...Possibly the most brutal album I have ever heard. Some truly intense Death/grind from the Belgians here, and somehow they manage to still inject loads of melody. Credit where it?s due!Aborted The Archaic AbattoirA bit of a change from past efforts, infusing even more melody, and seemingly even some Southern Metal/rock sounding riffs. Not always does it work out, but overall I have to say I actually really enjoyed it! Obviously still brutal as all hell with Sven's crushing vocals.AC/DC Back In BlackAC/DC Let There Be RockAccept Restless And WildAcid AcidAerosmith AerosmithAerosmith RocksAgalloch Pale FolkloreVERY good. A super atmospheric album ranging from folk and black metal to ambient. The three-part opener and closer are stunning, however I found the mid-part to be filled with too much... meddlying interludery.Aghora AghoraFuck yeaaah! Some great music combining fusion, world music and metal. I would rate it higher, but unfortunately the operatic female vocals were a peoper misfit to my ears. Fantastic leads, riffs and perfoemances by both Seans. The Chapstick and guitar leads are true highlights along sith Reinert?s fantastic beats.Alarum Circle's EndAn interesting combination of thrash metal and latino-tinged jazz fusion. Gets a bit repetitive, but overall a really cool idea and album.Alarum EventualityNowhere nesr as good as their newest, but a solid jazzy metal album for sure. Stugggles a bit with flow.Alkaloid The Malkuth GrimoireVery pleasantly content. That dows not make sense? Well, these guys are a supergroup, and more often than not they disappoint. In the case of Alkaloid however, thr music is better than the sum of its parts. I think this album is better than any Obacura. It has a heavier edge, but also a more explorative one, all while still maintaining flow and amazing musicianship.Allan Holdsworth AtavachronHoldsworth puts out yet another spacey, jazzy masterpiece. The skills on this guy are just ridicolous. The smooth tone makes his playing seem even more slick, it is just amazing. This slots a little behind Metal Fatigue in my.. ears, but still amazing.Allan Holdsworth Wardenclyffe TowerOne of Holdsworth?s best. The flow and cohesion on this album is something rarely felt on his previous ones. Almost everything feels like it is just supposed to be there. The two outliers are some vocal parts and the goddamn synthaxe tone.Allegaeon Allegaeon20 minutes of blistering instrumen?tal prowess. Last track especially. Wow!Amon Amarth Versus the WorldAmon Amarth finally change it up after 3 so to speak identical albums. They slow it down a bit, add variation, and infuse even more melody. A good album all-around.Amorphis SkyforgerAnacrusis ReasonCertainly an improvement over the debut, this is basically it with improved vocal cues and songwriting. The album sounds less disjointed and the vocals fit the music way better than previously. As a result we get a great technical thrash album, however the moodiness still sounds off at times.Andrew Hill Judgment!Solid piece of free-jazz that takes clear inspiration from the output of key figures like Coleman, Cherry and Dolphy. Excellent piano work, and I appreciate the amount of solo-time the drummer is given a lot.Andrew Hill Point of DepartureA cool, but surprisingly accesible avant-garde jazz affair. Andy James MachineA fantasic guitar record with tons of all the important foactors. Melody, shred and emotion. It is all in here and pulled off very well. The main issue with it is the production that basically makes the record sound a lot like just a backing track with a completely removed lead guitar playing over it.Angel Witch Angel WitchAnimals As Leaders ParrhesiaAnthrax Fistful Of MetalAntonio Vivaldi Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV 425Short, but good. Vivaldi didn?t onely posess amazing violin skills, but guy sure could play a mandolin too!Antonio Vivaldi Six Violin Concertos, Op. 12Archspire Relentless MutationArchspire figure out how to add musicality to their previous purely shred focused tech-fest! A huge improvement in Archspire?s two most problematic areas from the last album; production and wankery. A much more riff-oriented album than the last ones with a grittier more natural peoduction makes for a way better and more enjoyable experience. Archspire still do not at all shy away from showing off their chops, they just do not ONLY do that.Arkaik MetamorphignitionSpectacular compositions and brutality in spades. Runs together and has some very typical modern tech-death niches, but manages to stand out both thanks to the individual talent of the musicians and the quality of the conpositions.Armored Saint Armored Saint Wow! This ruled hard! I usually will give 3?s at most to stuff this short, but this EP was just too good. Amazing melodies, every single one fot the rhythm perfectly. Vocals are great.... Just amazing all around!Arsis A Diamond for DiseaseThis rules pretty hard. Aggression is off the charts, melodies everywhere, and they do anything but shy away from technicality. The songwriting was slightly bland, which they will need to change to make a longer album as enjoyable.Art Blakey Moanin'Art Blakey The Jazz MessengersThe messengers sure... send out a message with their first record. A great hard bop record where Blakey especially shines.At the Gates Terminal Spirit DiseaseAt the Gates The Red in the Sky Is OursUsed to have this at a 5, which kind of makes sense, as the second side is brilliant proggy, twisted, syncopated DM. Hoqever I must have forgottwn that the forst side is some of hhe most inconsistent DM I have ever heard. The out of tune orchestra parts sound conpletely out of place too. Just oof all over. Neverwhere and on rules absolute face though with odd meters and wanky parts all over. Atheist ElementsHuge step back from thefirst two records. It's like Atheist without the quirks making them so unique. Chaotic time changes and free-form jazz virtuosity with Death Metal brutality. This one is more watered-down and flowy even with some latino and ethereal elements (see what I did there ;)). Solid nevertheless.Aura Noir Dreams Like DesertsSolid in your face blackened thrash. Nice atmospheric, but in your face riffs.Autopsy Fiend for BloodAutopsy Retribution for the DeadAutopsy Severed SurvivalWonderful OSDM. Chunky, heavy and based purely around ugliness. First half is brilliant, but then Autopsy hit a massive mid-album slump and the second half just sounds like a rehashed version of the first. Unfortunate. Prps for the absolutely massive bass sound, a generally very overlooked and neglected instrument in the early DM scene.Avatar Hail the ApocalypseAvatar Feathers and FleshAvenged Sevenfold City Of EvilB.B. King Singin' The BluesBathory HammerheartThe album starts off with 3 utterly epic songs. Then my favourite, Father like Son thanks to it?s crushing riff. Following this comes Home of Once Brave which didn?t sit so well with me after an interlude, and almost killed the album for me. I also though One Rode could be slightly shorter. Overall, if I were to describe this album using one word, easy: EPIC!Behemoth The SatanistSolid brutal Behemoth as usual, but this time with a strong touch of atmosphere not previously found with them. Reminds slightly of their BM eraBehemoth SatanicaBehemoth?s first album in tgeir now signature Blackened Death Metal sound, and it?s a great one. Stunning drumming from Inferno as always, and some very interesting guitar-work. Ceremony of Shiva and The Alchemist?s Dream are standouts.Behemoth Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)BRUTAL! Behemoth release their most skullcrushing effort yet, and also their best. Every track seems like you?ll be seeing no tomorrow, and not only is it incredibly brutal, but instrumentally and rhythmically solid!Behemoth EvangelionBehemoth doing Behemoth. A great album, and a bit of aamalgam of the less successful Apostasy and previous records from Demigod on. The new stronger atnospheric sensibilities of Apostasy are made even stronger and add a nice dynamic to the trademark brutal Behemoth sound. Behemoth I Loved You at Your DarkestA fascinating move from Nergal, even if not actually that surprising. Moving towards an even more atmospheric and contrasting sound, the atmospheric calm passages present on the Satanist are even more prevalent, and even include som clean vocals and child choirs! A great album, and a really interesting rejuvenation from Behemoth over their last few albums.Bennie Maupin The Jewel in the LotusNot my style, very atmospheric and minimalistic. Still, within its style, a great display of compositional smarts, and seemingly faultless harmonic choices. The sprinkly arpeggiating piano and contrasting rumbling bass are highlights to me as they really break up and support the atmosphere respectively.Between the Buried and Me Automata IIBuried?s best since Parallax II. After the stripped down Coma, and spearheadedly core-y Automata I, Automata II finally shows Buried fully fleshed out again. Their best opener in years, it immediately announces Buried?s return. A quirky metal-rooted proggy track, followed by a short polka and then a full 8 minute mostly big band/jazz based track with a heavy tinge. What I an trying to say is Buried?s sporadic, but always proggy self has returned, and returned in form.Between the Buried and Me ColorsWay overrated. The playing is good, but writing is honestly trash. It seems like the guys try throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, but without thinking twice about cohesion. This is especially apparent on Sun and Ants. Informal Gluttony and White Walls are standouts.Between the Buried and Me AlaskaQuality Buried, although still with some of the core/emo features from the past. Between the Buried and Me Colors_LiveFANTASTIC album, FANTASTIC performance, ABYSMAL camerawork. Like I am honestly shocked and super impressed that they sounded like they did not miss a note/beat. Wow! However... The cameracrew... What are you doing? Awkward angles, almost only the vocalist and to an extent lead guitarist get time, and no Blake Eichardson??? What?Beyond Creation AlgorythmFor their third album, Beyond Creation again choose to go for a different take on an entirely familiar sound. This time, they go for the more uni-form tech-death sound. They manage to avoid going down a generic loophole thanks to their much better songwriting skill than the huge majority of their contemporaries. But yeah, overall, this is your typical jazzy, bass-noodly modern twch-death package just with much better songwriting than usual.Bill Evans Everybody Digs Bill EvansBirds And Buildings Bantam To BehemothAwesome. A long journey through proggy, jazzy madness filled with pure wankery, melody and ballads all in fair measure.Black Sabbath DehumanizerBlack Sabbath ParanoidMetal's beginning, and damn if it's a good one. Ward and Butler are far and away the MVPs here, as Ward's jazzy drumming and Geezer's also jazz-influenced walking bass-lines thump in the background like it is nobody's business. Iommi of course pumps out heavy riff after heavy riff, even if he does get slightly sloppy at times. The obvious weak link is Ozzy who's range is honestly non-existent.Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody SabbathBlack Sabbath SabotageBlack Sabbath Seventh StarBlind Guardian Tales From The Twilight WorldBlind Guardian?s transition album. They take the thrash from their first two albums, and infuse it with even more epic melodies and virtuosic playing. Add to that epic complex song-structures and a progressive edge and you?ve got one of the very few Power Metal (thiugh very thrashy still) albums I just cannot deny!Blind Guardian Follow The BlindVery great last thrash era album from Blind Guardian. Still the raw thrashy speed metal from their early years, however improved in terms of aggression, songwriting, riffage, and everything really from the debut. They also start introducing the epic melodies and virtuosic instrumentation they?ll come to be known for.Blue Oyster Cult Blue Ă–yster CultBlue Oyster Cult Tyranny and MutationBokassa Divide and ConquerBolt Thrower War MasterGood album. Bolt Thrower solidify their crushing, war-commentating death metal style with this album. They toy around with doomy influences, and the slower sections aren?t entirely my thing. Overall a great album though. Crushing peosuction and vocals are a plus too.Bolt Thrower The IVth CrusadeBrand X Moroccan RollWhen they do their wild tine-signature jumping fusion thing it is great, but I found the interludes to be frankly unnecessary and not really add anything.Brought By Pain The Dreamer's WillDerivative as all hell, but also fantastic. The grooves, melodies and virtuosic playing along with the amazing compositions have little to no mistakes in-and-of themselves. The issue is they are a bit repetitive and take too much influence from what?s already been done. Still great. Noodly walking bass, melodic harmonised guitars and jazzy while also crushing drumming.Bruce Dickinson Accident Of BirthThis is a hard one to rate. It has amazing moments/tracks like Darkside of Aquarius, Road to Hell and the title-track. Then some weaker ballads imo like the last 2 tracks, especially the last. Overall it?s somewhere between a 3 and 3.5, so I?ll be nice here.Bud Powell Jazz GiantBurzum BurzumBurzum Det Som Engang VarSlight improvement over his debut, but Varg still hasn?t hit his peak, which he does over the next two albums. Snu Mikrokosmos Tegn is a clear highlight, and Ham som Reiste is the opposite.Cacophony Go Off!Another Cacophony album that showcases an insane amount of technical skill, with improved songwriting and melodic sensibilit over the previous one. The downside of that is less cohesion (imo), and just prefering the first one stylistically.Cadaver DisciplineHell yeah. Weird times and rhythmically complex riffs death metal. I love these guys a lot, because they have all these conplex quirks, yet manage to sound so straoght-fprward at the same time thanks to the very riff-oriented approach.Caligula's Horse Rise RadiantAwesome album. The Australians release their best album in while in my opinion. Their combination of djenty rhythms, hyper-melodic vocals, dreamy soundscapes and jazzy sections is just awesome. Reminds a lot of Plini.Caligula's Horse Moments from Ephemeral CityWhat a debut from one of modern prog?s best bands. Heavy syncopated metal riffing, acoustic folky passages, all proggy. The issue is that at times the flow is not yet as good. They would master this on their next one though.Cannibal Corpse Tomb Of The MutilatedCannibal Corpse Red Before BlackCannibal Corpse The BleedingYet another exercise in pure Death Metal brutality from the masters in Cannibal Corpse. Their last album with Chris Barnes is really just more of what they did on the last two. Great, but nothing outstanding. Personally I think it?s a step down from Tomb.Cannibal Corpse BloodthirstCorpse put out their best piece with Corpsegrinder so far. It improves on every measure compared to the previous two. Speed, heaviness, production, technicality, and is just a slaughter.Cannibal Corpse The Wretched SpawnCannibal Corpse finally find their sound after the acquisition of Corpsegrinder. For their first 4 albums together, the addition of technicality, but without compromising any brutality seemed to elude the Corpse. They made it work on Bloodthirst, but especially Gore Obssessed sounded quite confused and generic. However here it all finally clicks, and technical passages are seemlessly put together with eerie melodies and brutal chugs. Cannibal Corpse A Skeletal DomainYop 3 CG CC. It might even be the best, but I would have to relisten to my other faves to be sure. Regardless, since approximately The Wretched Spawn, CC have been adding more and more very welcome technicality into their music. Torture showed a huge upswing, and here it is seen even more. Additionally, the album is their most consistent in years, production is less muddy, and one of metal?s best bassists, Alex Webster can actually be heard. This makes for CC?s best on a looong time!Carcass Necroticism: Descanting the InsalubriousA massive shift from Carcass. They stip fitmly into Death Metal, shedding everything from their goregrind past except for attitude and lyrical themes. The addition of Amott also brings a new sense of melodic leads into the band. Another massive step-up is the crystal clear production hogglighting the precision of Steer?s riffing. All in all, a huge step-up in songwriting and precision for Carcass. However Amott?s melodic leads often sound oddly misplaced to me given the rest of the band still focusing mostly on disgusting riffing.Carcass Symphonies of SicknessFantastic stuff. I?d tell you whether it?s musically better than Reek of Putrefaction, but I can?t sonce the production on that album is so bad I can?t even make anything properly out. Regardless, this one apparently is more death metal than that one, and it?s wonderful. Although miles better than on Reek, the production is still less than optimal bringing it down by 0.5.Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin Love Devotion SurrenderTwo ver spiritually ingluenced jazz heroes writing a tribute album for another very spiritually ingleunced jazz musician. A bit funny. Regardless, the music is great, and of course both guys shred like there is not tomorrow.Carnophage Deformed Future // Genetic NightmareNot necessarily anything new brought tonthe table, but a top-notch addition to the tech-death realm. Never wanky but always technical and very catchy.Carnosus Dogma of the DeceasedOne of this year?s better albums. Coincidetally, Carnosus really remind me of another band who released a banger this year; TBDM. Melodic, thrash-infused death metal in the same vein, if with even more tasty shred. A huge shoutout to the brilliant production, mix and tone. The doodly bass gets highlighted perfectly by it, and so does everything else from the crunchy, thich guitars to the malicious vocals. A great and consistent listenCatastrofy BesnotaCatastrofy ZbojnickĂ˝ TanecCecil Taylor Unit StructuresI won't even pretend like I can grasp this album, yet something about it just draws me in. The instruments playing mostly entirely separate rhythms, but joining for occasional harmony notes sound chaotic, but beautful. The improvised cluster-like solos have a similar quality to them.Celtic Frost Morbid TalesThese guys can barely play, but goddamn do they make work what they have! The drums in particular are surprisingly solid as a click-track! The sloppy ass guitars play crushing riffs, and the amazing production makes it all sound really crisp.Charles Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus MingusA solid compilation of re-recordings of some of Mingus' greatest songs. The mix of tracks from different albums does make for a few flow issues, but overall most of the tracks are better than their originals at least imo. Mingus has seemingly improved as a soloist.Charles Mingus Pithecanthropus ErectusA solid album by Mingus with great sax playing, but wven better composing. Mingus does not just solo himself, but gives a lot of time to the piano and bass too. For the time the compositions are damn solid. A very sturdy jazz record.Charlie Hunter Bing, Bing, Bing!A pretty damn cool record. An unorthodox line-up with a guitar, bass, sax and drums, but it sounds great! Charlie Parker Now's the TimeChick Corea Tones For Joan's BonesSolid fitsy showing from Chick. Already on his debut his piano skills are more than apparent. Unfprtunately, his compositional ones are not quite up to speed. He covers it up with a fantastic opener ful of improv and incredible solos whether it be piano or sax, but the album loses pace auickly after that. The second track is solid too, but then the next two are not all that.Circus Maximus IsolateAnother splendid classic sounding prog-metal album by Circus Maximus. Their mix of wank, heavy riffs and melody in beautiful long compositions really reminds of Dream Theater and to an extent Fates Warning.Cirith Ungol King of the DeadGreat album. A combination of doomy slow passages, and NWOBHM melodies and energy, Cirith Ungol are a very interesting band. They combine the elements very well to create an occult atmosphere. Props for covering Bach too.Control Denied The Fragile Art Of ExistenceInstrumentally, this is easily at least a 4. I mean what else could you expect from Chuck?s playing and songwriting, Hamm (no slouch) doubling him, and DiGiorgio backing the pair? The vocals however are absolutely awful (to me). Insteumentally it is a slightly lighter Sound of Perseverance, so amazing, but the vocals...Corrosion of Conformity DeliveranceCortex Troupeau BleuA lovely slab of funky jazz with incredibly light-handed drumming and amazing playing all around really. The vocals soumd cool too when they come in.rCream Disraeli GearsCreeping Death Wretched IllusionsCryptic Shift Beyond the Celestial RealmsThis is great. The guys can surely play, and create a very cool spacey atmosphere. The thrashy vocals, and occasional almost punk-like sections work very well. Looking forward to hearing more!Cryptic Shift Visitations from EnceladusWonderful Sci-Fi tech-death! Always down for some bass wankery, and there?s plenty here! Techy, atmospheric, but never pretentious. Just quality music. Truly great stuff from the UK boys!Cryptopsy Ungentle ExhumationA great demo from Cryptopsy which somehow has better production than their debut LP! Three tracks off Blasphemy and one off And Then You?ll Beg all performed in great fashion.Cynic '90 DemoFinally Cynic show their true music potentiol (or at least a bit of it) and peogress from straightforward death/thrash! A crushing tech-thrash offering is what their 1990 demo brings to the table. Masvidal?s soloing in particular is absolutely anazing, and their technicality really starts shining theough. Wish this were longer!Cytotoxin NuklearthOne of the best metal releases of the year without a doubt. One-dimensional, sure, but about as good as one-dimensional tech-death gets. A barrage of heavy chug-a-chug riffing with technicality thrown in for good measure, and loads of neoclassical soloing and licks around them. Jazzy drumming as well. Dark Tranquillity The GalleryVery soothing album. Dark Tranquillity, one of the big 3 to come out of the Gothenburg melodeath scene in the mid 90s. Their masterpiece album, a stepping stone in th genre, combining heavy melodic focus to death metal without compromising too much on the heaviness. Still, I feel it does compromise quite a bit, resulting in my 3.5 rating.Darkest Hour Deliver UsDarkthrone Ravishing GrimnessUnderrated gem from Darkthrone?s neglected mid-era. As the title suggests, it is a slower dark BM album. And though it doesn?t reach near the levels of their 91-94 trilogy, it?s a great album.David Bowie Space OddityDeath LeprosySolid record, and a musical step forward for Death, but certainly with its flaws. Chuck starts progressing his bands sound to more technically proficient levels already here, as seen in tracks like the t/t especially. However, his attempts to add more into the music make it rather choppy, and it is still in many places very primitive, like the aptly named "Primitive Ways". All in all, a good step forward, but nowhere near the finish-line yet.Decapitated Winds of CreationWay weaker than I remembered it being. Instrumentation is obviously amazing. Fantastic drumming from Vitek, polyrhythms etc. from hell and fantastic groovy playing from Vogg with mad and melodic solos. The issues come in so to speak no variation and pretty oof production. Still great.Decapitated AnticultDecapitated The NegationDecapitated The First DamnedDecapitated?s demos combined. Average rating between my rating of the two demos.Deftones Around the FurDeicide DeicideVery high 3.5. First track is the best, which might make the rest seem more disappointing than it actually is. However, I find this to be a quite typical OSDM release, so hard to give it a 4.Demolition Hammer Tortured ExistenceAnother fantastic installment from a fantastic band from the late 80s Death/Thrash movement. Thrashes hard throughout, without letting go for a second. Technical riffage and great use of pinch harmonics are both present.Derek Sherinian Planet XI consider this to be Planet X's debut, and also to be underrated on here. The Planet X line-up showing their mad skills. Nothing more, nothing less. An easy 3.5.Devil Master Inhabit The CorpseNWOBHM infused BM. Nice. Reminds me a lot of Midnight.Devin Townsend Project TranscendenceDissection Into Infinite ObscurityFirst hint of what Dissection would become. Raw, melodic and great.Distorted Harmony UtopiaReally cool and enjoyable album! Production/mix is really bad, but as a debut I am giving it the benefit of the doubt. Very much Dream Theater inspired in the wanky/extended instrumental sections, riffs and even melodic choruses. They do however manage to put a somewhat unique spin on it.Don Cherry Where Is Brooklyn?Fantastic album. Severely underrated as people expect the totally off-the-cuff free-jazz usually done by Cherry. This reminds more of early 60s Bop with crazy (dissonant) improvs by Cherry and Sanders. Their interlocking playing is amazing, just as are the occasional solos from Grimes and Blackwell. Would highly recommend to fans of the late-50s/early-60s work of Trane and Coleman. Dream Theater Black Clouds and Silver LiningsHm. A big of a mixed bag. While I like the metal influences and the opener especially, I feel Rudess and Myung are being held in a stranglehold on this album. Outside of solos and/or unison-lines with Petrucci Rudess is allowed so to speak no presence. Some of the songs also have some far too cheesy sections given the overall metal vibe, and the lyrics on much of it are quite bad if I have to say so myself. Still a great album for sure, but what's up with the screaming Mike?Dream Theater Dream TheaterThe album title makes sense, as this basically sounds exactly like what one might expect from DT. It is all on here, wankery, melody, prog and metal. One of my main highlights of this album is the involvement of Rudess and Myung that has seemed to strongly increase since Portnoy's departure. Illumination Theory is also DT's best epic and track since In the Presence of Enemies imo.Dream Theater Images And WordsA massive improvement in quality by Dream Theater over the first album in terms of songwriting, yes, but also a massive increase in cheese. Not as big of a fan of the atmosphere on this one, and the ballads are extra weak imo. THe first side overall, other than Take the Time are not all that, and while the second one is amazing, DT would only go upwards from here.Dream Theater OctavariumPortnoy describes this as an attempt at a "classic DT album" which is odd, considering it sounds very different from anything else they've done. The two ballads ruin the mood for me, and Never Enough is way too much of a rip-off of Muse (who I am not much a fan of). However, the positives so heavily outweigh the negatives. The last two tracks are amazing, especially the t/t which is imo the best ever song. Jordan is huge on the album and I suspect had a large part in composing it.Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner TurbulenceAmazing, but has some issues. The first disc seems to be quite watered down in my opinion. Tracks like The Glass Peison and The Great Debate are great, but I was missing the trademark DT wank. The t/t is absolutely stunning, but even there, Solitaty Shell drags on imo.Dream Theater A Change Of SeasonsA Change of Seasons is one of the greatest songs DT have ever written. The rest od the album consists of a few cover medleys. These are mostly solid.Dream Theater LIVE AT BUDOKAN (DVD/BD)A great DT live show, but not as good as its rep will have it be. The set-list is not ideal, especially since I was not a fan of FiI and feel tte amount of ToT songs leads to too little stylistic dynamics. Still, the production and mix (so much Myung!) are superb, and iverall it is a good show.Dream Theater Images And Words: Live In TokyoExcellent set-list, especially the first half-hour, but hugely limited by the awful production. The album shows Dream Theater in their youth still with Moore (his only Live video album) and a vocally okay James LaBrie. One cannot hear Myung at any point though. Amazing solo during Ytse Jam from Portnoy, and shoutout to the By Demons Be Driven nod.Dream Theater ScoreReally solid idea with the 20th Anniversary celebration, and great album overall. 6 Degrees in full with the orchestra was incredible. Other than that I felt the set-list was a bit weird and the tracks usually without an orchestra sounded a bit weird with one. LaBrie put on one of his best performances.Dream Theater Live at Luna ParkUnfortunately, DT?s worst proper live film (looking away from CiM). With that being said it is still great! They play all the tracks from ADToE usually with tracks off of other albums littered between. A very uncharacteristic thing of the band were actually some really glaring mistakes like Petrucci?s tempo at the end of the instrumental section to Metropolis Pt. 1 or Rudess?s handling of the 6:00 intro. Nevertheless, a great Blu-Ray with loads of great live performances.Dying Fetus War of AttritionGreat return to form. After a bit of a misstep in Stop at Norhing, Dying Fetus return to their swapping between technically proficient flashiness and deadly groove.Dying Fetus Descend into DepravityGreat stuff. Dying Fetus continue putting out fantastic Death Metal which is both Groovy and Brutal, but technical and melodic/musical. Good stuff.Dying Fetus Killing on AdrenalineSolid step-up in both the songwriting and technicality stand-points from the debut, as well as a better mix. However I missed the rawness of the tone of the debut.Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite, No. 1, Op. 461st and last piece are amazing. The middle two aren?t all that though.Elder (USA-MA) Dead Roots StirringHuge album. Sludgy, psychedelic and melodic. All you could want from a stoner album really. It builds more on atmosphere and emotion than riffs, which I am not that into, but must be amazing for fans of paychadelic and stoner music.Emerson, Lake and Palmer Emerson, Lake & PalmerOne of the first UK prog albums is a masterpiece combining classical and rock. All the guys are masters of their istrument, but drum and keyboard wizardry is especially present. My god! Last track sucks hard, but oh well.Enslaved Hordanes LandVery good and unique start for one of Norway?s most revered BM bands. Today, Endlaved are known for a completely unique style of what can only be classified as progressive Black Metal. However when they started out, they did a sort of crossing between Burzum style atmosphere, and Emperor?s experimental tendencies. They do it well, though the EP does get slightly repetitive, and the novelty choirs and piano sound a out of place at times.Ephel Duath The Painter's PaletteAmazing. Had some incoherent moments, but overall just on the veerge of being a 4. Might bump on more listens. Very good effort to merge jazz and metal, and I really really enjoyed it.Eric Dolphy Outward BoundEvan Brewer AloneAwesome idea and album. I think this is the first solo bass album I have ever heard. Fates Warning No ExitRules hard. Yes, a step down from Guardians for sure from a musical perspective, but still quite damn prog. The closer sounds blocky at times which ruins it, but improves towards the end. Alder is an improvement for sure on vocals, though I must admit I would still prefer a lower pitch, and the peoduction is finally good!Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11The opwning and closing movements of this symphony are so good! Super intense, dark and in your face with tons of brass. The middle two are not as enjoyable to me personally, but overall a brilliant first symphony!Fire! Orchestra Exit!Franz Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178Franz Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies, S. 244A collection of some of the most impressive things you will ever hear on a piano. Good variation, and always technically incredible. Melodies are also to be found. The obvious downside is that the full thing is 2 and a half hours which is a loong time. But the tracks in and of themselves are truly incredible. Franz Liszt Venezia e Napoli, S.159Great piece. Nice crescendos, fantastic use of dynamics, and overall great piece.Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 2, S. 515Solid Waltz that relies more in harmony than the first. The piece is sentered around a main motif heard in the befonning off of which it threads throughout the middle part before coming back to it in the end.Frederic Chopin Ballade No. 1, Op. 23Frederic Chopin Etudes, Op. 10Goddamn. Chopin showing off his chops, and I love it. Might not be very great compositionally, but there is variation, and mindblowing playing all over this. No. 3 is even a slower more Chopin like romantic piece. Frederic Chopin Ballade No.3, Op.47The crescendos on this! Holy smokes. Frederic uses crescendos to build up incredible momentum while using arpeggiated melodies to amaze. Wow.Frederic Chopin Scherzo No.2, Op.31Gamma Ray Land of the FreeGenesis FoxtrotGentle Giant Gentle GiantAbsolutely brilliant. An oft-overlooked gem in 70s UK prog-rock, Gentle Giant take the concept of progressive music a step further than most of their peers. Although there may be more technical bands, none in the scene were just as quirky and experimental as this trio. You've got classical, jazz, and rock all present in spades with an ode to the queen and UK anthem to boot. AwesomeGeorge Frideric Handel Trio Sonata in F major, HWV 405Ghost (SWE) Opus EponymousGoatwhore Constricting Rage of the MercilessGojira Terra IncognitaAlbum surely deserves a higher average. Quite different from the Gojira of today, but it boasts everything that makes them the titans they are. Heavy, atmospheric, melodic and rhythmically complex. Everything is there, howeber the album is overall more artistic and experimental with samples and more clean passages and even some jazzy attenpts in conparison to later efforts. Supa-good!Gojira The LinkGorguts Considered DeadGorod NeurotripsicksYes, amazing modern tech-death! Much of modern tech-death is awful sweepy conpletely unmusical... music. However, when you find the eight bands, it can be just about the best thing on thos earth. Gorod are amongst them. At this point, one might ask, why inly a 3.5 with such big words? Well, unfortunately this album has some cohesion and consistency issues. It seems to jump in and out of styles and the mix has some discrepancies too. The first half is brilliant neoclassical tech-death which is amazing and technical, but never tiringly. Then, Gorod junp head first into more groovy stuff, leaving me just thinking «what?». It is also a little too long. However it has spades of potential, so cannot wait to hear more.Gorod Leading VisionGorod expand their soundscape, releasing another excellent album. While the forst album concentrated mostly on neoclassical death metal brutality, this one moves into more conplex, varied and progressive territory. They also make the album a bit shorter, whoch is certainly a plus. This is very close to 4 territory, but it lacks that little bit of spice imo. Still one of the best modern tech-death bands for sure.Gorod A Perfect AbsolutionJust a bit better than Decline, but not quite up there with Gorod?s first two. A Perfect Absolution sees Dorod double-down on groove and techy playing while still concentrating on their compositions. A vocal change leads to a greater range and the occasional (not very good) clean vocals. My main gripe is the lack of the jayy influence that was seen a lot in Leading Visions. Bring it back boys!Green Carnation Light Of Day, Day Of DarknessAmazing. Good flow and good writing. Not much bad to say. Very atmospheric and ofc quite proggy.Guthrie Govan Erotic CakesDid this surpass my expectations. For some reason I was never rushing to check Govan out, probably because there was so much I was familiar with I wanted to check out first, as well as the lack of this album on Spotify. Nevertheless, I finally have, and my god. Beautiful melodies and emotion, insane shred, great compositions ranging from heavier metal-oriented jazz, to more jazz-rock to a little country song. Throughout all of this, the emotive and technically stunning guitar-work is kept at an extraordinary level, none surpassing the other. It does get a bit repetitive though.Haken VisionsGood, but way too derivative of their influences. This album screams DT, especially Metropolis Pt. 2. T/t is fantastic, but overall as we find out the band has so much more to give, especially in the field of finding their own sound. Love their concepts though.Haken VectorHaken's second best imo. They focus more on the "djenty"-etal side of things, while still containing good amounts of wank, adventure and that signature quirk (see the jazz break in Veil). Overall a really fantastic and enjoyable album.Heitor Villa-Lobos Douze Ă©tudes for guitarVery cool combination of classical guitar with latino tinges. Some of the etudes felt a little unneccesary, but overall great suite.Hellhammer Apocalyptic RaidsA great show of what?s to come. Ultra-primitive proto-black metal. Especially the 3rd song Triumph of Death is great.Helloween Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part IHenryk Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22Herbie Hancock CrossingsPretty damn good. Very spiritual and explorative, a bit too much for myself, but the crazy improv in the middle of the opener is nothingf short of perfect. A full album of that please Herbie. And the diminished arpeggio to close that track... Bliss.Herbie Hancock Head HuntersI don't know why this is rated so high. It is a fun funky fusion album, but has neither amazing compositions nor out of this world harmonic or instrumental passages. Still very solid.Herbie Hancock Takin' OffNot too explorative or unique, but a solid debut nonetheless. Really good melodic sensibilities and of course massive playing.Herbie Hancock Maiden VoyageIced Earth Burnt OfferingsIllegal Aliens Demiurgs of PlancklengthvillePlayful wank. Minnemann and Kodiwein are masters at their instruments, and manage to show it off blatantly but still make it tasty. They also go through a ton of genres, rooted in jazz and prog-rock. The final gypsy-jazz track is amazing for example. It has some blocky transitions at times though.Immolation 88 DemoYou are a record lbel in 1988 and you hear this demo. There is no way you do not pick ip the band. Fantastic sound for a demo, and of course amazing music as is always the case with Immo.Immolation Dawn of PossessionImmolation Hope and Horror Certainly a step-up from their 2005 album. Obly 15 minutes long, but 15 minutes of crushing Immolation goodness.Immolation Failures for GodsAnother amazing offering by Immolation after their perfect sophomore. This one is unfortunately held back a good bit by weak production and mixing. Due to these you can barely make out the amazing polyrythmic drumming, and it all sounds a bit weak.Immolation Harnessing RuinThe fact that this album was disappointing, yet is still a 3.5 shows how amazing Immolation are. For some reason the unique dissonant squealing technicality of their paat 4 spectacular releases is turned down a notch. It is still there, and this album shows greater variation than most previous efforts. Therefore it is still great, if simpler than one would expect from Immolation.Immolation ProvidenceThis band is incredible. They don't really stray from their formula at all, yet they somehow manage to churn out amazing after amazing music. The use of pinch harmonics on this EP specifically is truly noteworthy, and so effective. Similarly the string arrangement on Illumination is super cool.Immortal Sons of Northern DarknessInanimate Existence Liberation Through HearingJust not a 4.0 due to some coherence issues, but a brilliant debut effort. Stays clear of all the tech-death traps so many bands fall into like pointless wank and repetitiveness. Stays interesting throughout the admittedly a bit too long run-time thanks to awesome classical and slightly jazzy interludes. The metal is very varied as well, and the technicality is always there, but in an awesome tasty fashion. Top notch.Incantation Onward to GolgothaThe purpose pf this album is quite clear; let?s be as monolithically heavy as possible. Incantation do a spactacular job of this. The whole 43 minutes feel like a stonewall is about to crush you and you are single-hamdedly holding it up. The hollow drums add to the atmosphere.Intervals The Space BetweenIron Maiden The Book Of SoulsWow. 60 year olds playing this? Damn... Very different from the Maiden of the 80s, their modern more brooding brand of trad metal hits one of its peaks. Great epics with some quicker breathers inbetween. starts dabbing iff a bit towards the end, but the incredible Empire hooks one right back in. One of Maiden?s greatest ever tracks. Wow.Iron Maiden Dance Of DeathIron Maiden En Vivo!If there is one thing you can always count on from Maiden outside of the 90s, it's amazing live shows. En Vivo! follows this trend, with raw Maiden greatness. The set-list is good, with a focus on the then new The Final Frontier. The only real downside is Janick's very sloppy solos, and some moments when Bruce is out of breath.James Norbert Ivanyi The Matter CircumventionGreat stuff. Ivanyi combines prog riffing and time-signature experimentung with soothing melodies and dissonant jazz soloing.James Norbert Ivanyi DenalavisAnother solid outing from Ivanyi, and despite its short length, it showcases so much of what he's good at.James Norbert Ivanyi Omen FaustumFantastic! One of my favourite artists of recent times continuing to perfect his blend of fusion and prog-metal.Jean-Luc Ponty AuroraAnother superb solo outing from Ponty, if less time-wank focused. The guitar is fantastic though, so creds there.Jean-Luc Ponty Imaginary VoyageVery solid work by Ponty with a good amount of variation. Still have to say his debut is my favorite.Jeff Beck Blow by BlowA spectacular guitar-album which sees Beck embrace the greatness that is Jazz Fusion. Scatterbrain is one of my all-time favourite tracks, as its odd-meter riffing, shredding and drumming is nothing short of phenomenal. The blues pieces on here aren't really my thang though.Jethro Tull Stand UpMassive improvement over the debut adding in a plethora of new influences, and moving sturdily towards proggy waters. Anderson whips out his Mandolin, and the blues, while still quite present, is lessened to give room to folk and more jazz influences. The many different sounds make the album very enjoyable and varied, though all of them aren?t inplemented as well yet.Job For A Cowboy Sun EaterAwesome album. One thing I especially noticed was how little blatant wankery this album has, especially considering the genre. The solos are amazing, but most of the othrt technicality is more subtly pulled off, making it almost more impressive.Joe McPhee Nation TimeJohann Sebastian Bach Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043Probably Bach?s best violin concerto in my opinion. Too bad it is so short though!Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564Another great organ piece by Bach, and although longer and more complex than the BWV 565, it lacks the eeriness and intimidating power making that one such a classic. Nevertheless a great piece.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041First movement shows incredible work with harmonies, especially given Bach?s time. The second however is nothing special at all, and drags more than anything. The third return to a higher tempo, showing acres of insteumental and compositional prowess.Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto 3 Violins in D Minor, BWV 1064RVery solid. A great fiest Allegro with loads of harmonies, and actual enjoyable melodic adagio (I usually do not enjoy adagios) and a nice energetic finishing Allegro.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007Fantastic piece for the solo cello showcasing that the instrument has more potential than just being a backbone for violins. Throughout the 6 parts, Bach showcases the instrument?s range very well crafting a masterful cello pieceJohann Sebastian Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582Super good. A build-up piece whoch surely has to be among Bach?s best organs works. Starts off mostly innocent, but builds up more and more in intensity until you get completely barraged with organ chords in the end.Johann Sebastian Bach Fantasia in G major, BWV 572Spectacular. First two movements are incredible, and although the outro is much less so, it is still an incredible piece.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048Fuck yeah this ruled. Very dark and intense. Especially that 2nd movement is almost shreddy. Beautiful.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050The Hapsichord cadenza at the end of the 1st movement, and it in general is just insanely good. Unsfortunately, the rest does not hold up as well, and a concerto is only as good as its weakest link.Johann Sebastian Bach Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066Pretty spectacular orchestral piece. The first movement in particular is incredible. The harmonies, melodies etc. trade off perfectly and are a pure joy. The latter pieces are mostly hot or miss, with some ace ones, and some weaker ones. Regardless, this is an overall great suite.Johann Strauss II An Der Schönen Blauen DonauAn absolute classic. Along with Tchaikovsky?s Waltz of the Flowers probably the best known Waltz.Johannes Brahms 6 Klavierstucke op. 118Fantastic sophisticated work with dynamics and mood. 6 fantastic and quite varied pieces mostly working theough loud arpeggiated passages and mellower melodic ones. The crescendos are done wonderfully.Johannes Brahms Symphony No.2 in D Major, Op.73John Coltrane ImpressionsA solid album, sure, and gives us a few first tastes of how experimental Coltrane is about to be, but the production is a huge minus. The members other than Coltrane are almost not to be found, especially the piano, and my issue related to this goes beyond the production. I feel they deserve a lot more soloing room than they get.John Coltrane SoultraneGoddamn this went hard. Among the best oof Trane's early albums, he finds consistency, and the last track just rushes by out of nowhere. John Coltrane Lush LifeA great album, though I prefer the more rauceus side of Coltrane.John Coltrane Africa/BrassAwesome album centered around improv with African folk elements. John Coltrane My Favorite ThingsNot big on Everytime We Say Goodbye, but around that, great tracks with stunning modal playing by all involved. Tyner and Trane as usual go bonkers on their instruments, and it is a true delight to hear. This is also the first record with Tyner as a mainstay in Trane's quartet, and man if one can tell!John McLaughlin ExtrapolationGreat start to McLaughlin?s solo catalogue. Weird chords, insane shred and melody all combined and balanced. Two for Two has some insane time stuff going on too. Noice.John McLaughlin My Goal's BeyondA first half of atmospheric indian music, amd second of acoustic shred. Vey good album. My god werre some of these chords insane. There was an intro specifically where the tension was so insane I was about to wxplode. Absolutely no resolutions to be found.John McLaughlin Electric GuitaristSolid. Starts off kinda atmospheric focusing on harmonies, tgen wacalates into crazy McLaughlin shred. Nothing we have not heard from the man before though.John Petrucci Suspended AnimationAmazing album. Petrucci weaves through moods and emotions, but does so while staying steadfast in the same overarching tonality. Some highlights include Jaws of Life, the closer and Damage Control, but everything on here is mostly solid. Insane guitar-acrobatics as well.John Petrucci Terminal VelocityA very diverse album in direct opposition to Petrucci?s first. A more laid-back relaxed and at times directly poppy feel (Happy Song) whoch has not been seen in any of Perrucci?s previous work. There are however still metal bangers (Oddfather, Tenple of Circadia), blues and even a classic rock-like song (Snake in my Boot). One of the best moments come from a jazz-break in Gemini, whoch I would love to hear more of from John. Overall, a lot of great tracks, diverse, and of course mindblowing playing.John Petrucci An Evening With John Petrucci & Jordan RudessPerrucci and the clasically trained Rudess show off their classical skills in a two-man what I assume must be improv live-show. It ends up with stunning musicianship and beautiful melodies as well as shred.John Scofield Out Like a LightJoseph Haydn Symphony No. 104 in D MajorJudas Priest Killing MachineJudas Priest Screaming For VengeanceJudas Priest Angel Of RetributionWhat more can I say: Simply classic Judas. Taking inspiration from all their past eras (with Halford), we get a nice comeback record after two quite weak ones. Underrated.Judas Priest Unleashed In The EastWonderful serlist with a ton of Priest?s best stuff, but also too early to include what I consider their best. Additionally, while the guitar woek is magnificent, the fact that the vocals are overdubbed is very audible, and ruins some of the experience for me.Keleketla! Keleketla!A very innovative and interesting alcum. A collab between african world music, jazz and electronic musicians, it leads to all sorts of interesting musical choices and sounds that surprisingly (at least to me) mesh really well. Not overly complicated on the jazz side or overly electronic, the african music seems to be the base. Jazz improvs and harmonic changes supplement the tracks which often have an electronic backbeat. Lovely.Kiko Loureiro Universo InversoReally great album, though I believe, similar to No Gravity, it overatays. Had it been about 40 minutes, it would be an instant 4. Kiko?s combination of beautiful latino melodies and jazz fusion is exquisite.King Crimson LizardWeird shit and I love it. King Crimson take the full leap of faith into Avant-Garde with a very strong jazz and wind-instrument focus. A mammoth 20-minute weird fucking title-track is the crown of this oberall wonderful record.King Crimson Larks' Tongues in AspicA goddamn trip, and a damn good one. King Crimson find the recipe to making a quality experimental album combining jazz, rock and classical into a big avant-garde peogressive blurb. The addition of Bruford on drums is awesome, as his syncopated playing is clear, and the violin is really solid on here too.King Crimson Starless and Bible BlackMy shared favourite KC album so far. This one again takes the jazz influences up a notch being full on improv, but has a lot of the heavier rock edge. The 2nd and 3rd to last tracks are a bit meh, but the amazing closer saves the 3.5. King Crimson DisciplineQuite the opposite to Red, Discipline is a funky up-tempo album, much thanks to the addition of Levin?s wonderful Chapstick madness. The interlocking of Levin and Fripp is wonderful, and the relaxed mood of the album is captured very well.King Diamond Fatal PortraitGreat start to King Diamond's solo career. Im gine Mercyful Fate, just more straightforward. That is basically what this is. Also more theatrical, but still that eerie atmospheric old school metal. Also the first appearance of then unknown guitar wiz Andy LaRoque.King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard K.G.Cool stuff. Love the disgustingly sour sounding acoustic guitar. Kreator Gods of ViolenceKreator Endless PainKrokofant Krokofant IIIKrokofant QA bit less raoucous and haotic than earlier effort, but still great. Kvelertak MeirLamb of God WrathLed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IVShows great variation, and almost everything Led Zep did. Has some weak numbers, but overall great.Led Zeppelin Led ZeppelinLucifer's Friend BanquetReally cool record right here. A combinations of everything Lucifer?s Friend had done up until its release. Prog, funk, jazz and more. Most of the time it works really well but other times like the final two songs it isn?t that amazing imo.Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125A symphony with limitless audacity, especially for its time. Beethoven basically decided to take everything at his disposal to make the most expressive and musically spread out in terms of frequencies piece in existence. The result? A success!Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67A great symphony heavily carried by its first movement. The first movement is an obvious MVP with its bombastic main thheme repeating throughout, and is almost perfect, but does get a bit too repetitive in my opinion. After that starting with the Andantino the Symphony turns a little too safe for me resembing Beethoven's earlier symphonies. No very special musical concepts are explored here.Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61Similarly to his 14th Piano Sonata, I find this a hard work to rate. Why? Inconsistent quality over movements. The first 25 minute one is incredible, shows tons of tormented emotion, but also brilliant techniquew and composition. The second is just a typical LArgo, not my thhing, and the lhe last prety standard too. Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E♠“Eroica” Op. 55Very solid symphony for sure, but nowhere near perfect. The flow between the movements, as well as them in and of themselves are great, but nothing more.Mahavishnu Orchestra Visions of the Emerald BeyondMahavishnu get back to the rawer sound of their first 2 LPs and live EP. However, while John shreds around, the other members, especially Michae Walden on drums just cannot match the ferocity of Cobham. Furthermore, it is less straight out free-jazz as John's new experimentational leanings bring along many mellow interludes. Still a great album.Mahavishnu Orchestra The Lost Trident SessionsBasically the third album of the amazing Mahavishnu. A great one, but slightly less varies and complex than the first 2.Marco Minnemann Broken OrangeA great album. Minnemann?s drum playing is very sinply the best there ever was. Twchbically up there with anyone, but so tasty. The pianoplaying as well is insane, and when these factors combine, this album truly shines. Latter half is a good bit weaker than the first.Marty Friedman Dragon's KissThis is great. It has soul, emorion, melody and shred, however not at all in equal sums. The last two tracks are monsters, but I found the start lacking. Forbidden City was incredible, but the earlier tracks in particular were basically just showing off how many notes Marty can play in his weird Phrygian and Chromatic scales.Mastodon Oblivion EP2 tracks off of Crack, 1 off Blood Mountain and an unreleased new one. Overall solid.Mayhem ChimeraMayhem in a new light, somewhere between the ultra-slick and experimental Grand Declaration and Dom Sathanas. I enjoy the dark mechanical riffing of Blasphemer that leads the songs along with a very audible bass and crazy drumming from Hellhammer. Last track reminds me too much of the last album amd I didn?t like it, but the rest was huge.Mayhem Esoteric WarfareMayhem continue their foray in progressive avant-garde BM, and they do it damn well! The follow up to Chao sounds quite similar to it, even with the lack of Blasphemer, but with a much better mix. Mayhem Wolf's Lair AbyssLove this! A proper transition album, still featuring classic DMDS era classic Black Metal Mayhem, but with features from their more avant-garde Grand Declaration days. Black metal atmosphere and coldness is combined with weird time-signatures and Blasphemer whitl-wind riffs to make for a fantastic experience.Medeski, Martin and Wood Notes From the UndergroundBasically a massive jam containing tons of free-jazz creativity, instrumental virtuosity, and overall musicianship. Love it!Megadeth The System Has FailedA true moment of joy! A huge comeback record for Megadeth which has everything we all loved about them from 1984-1990. Great guitar harmonies (even played by Chris Poland again akin to their first two albums), heavy and thrashy riffs and anger/aggression. Songs like Back in the Day are close to sounding like Megadeth in their hayday, but there's still a little to go until they're all the way there.Megadeth EndgameVery good, but overrated. Not even the best Megadeth record of the 2000s imo. Intro is very promising, however the rest falters into good, but a tad generic modern thrash.Megadeth Rust in Peace LiveA very enjoyable live album with a pretty damn nice setlist, but not without its issues. Immediately as the album starts, one notices one of the biggest issues; the guitar volume. Broderick specifically is basically buried, making Marty?s amazing parts hard to hear at times. Other than that, the EiP part is almost perfect, save for some sloppy moments. The latter post-RiP part has some great tracks, but some I enjoy less, making for an overall 3.5.Meshuggah obZenMeshuggah ChaosphereAmazing. How a band can have such variety while basically steictly keeping to 1-2 notes is mind-boggling. The talent of Haake, Thorendal and the boys to not just keep up, but also write these ridiculous rhythms.... And the jazzy dissonant solos... Wonderful.Meshuggah IMetal Allegiance Volume II - Power Drunk MajestyMetal Allegiance Metal AllegianceMetallica No Life 'til LeatherFantastic early early thrash. The music sounds almosyt like on Kill ?Em All, with the only real differences being the obviously underdeveloped The Four Horsemen (The Mechanix), Dave on lead guitar and Hetfield?s more melodic vocals. The difference in lead guitar is barely even noticable, and unless you know the situation, you would not even notoce. I actually prefer Dave here, as he sounds cleaner than Kirk on KEM. Negligablw difference though. The other two factors go in Kill ?Em All?s favour though.Metallica Master Of PuppetsA solid record, especially for the time. A slight step down from RtL imo. Tight peoduction, but very tightless and lacking any lower end. Cliff can barely be heard. The album also suffers from little variation.Metallica Kill 'Em AllA fantastic debut and very enjoyable album overall. Full of teenage anger and pure energy. Agressive hardcore riffing joined with the more sophisticated writing and heavier edge of metal. Highlights include the incrediblw bass-solo Anesthesia, No Remorse, The Four Horsemen and Phantom Lord. These tracks show hints of the more sophisticated and proggier waters the band would tread after getting Burton more involved in the writing process. Game-changing album for music.Metallica S&MMgla Further Down the NestMy favourite Mg?a EP from the trilogy. Combines the rawer elements of the forst, and more melodic atmospheric ones of the second for a fuller package. Midnight Sweet Death and EcstasyMidnight Rebirth by BlasphemyNothing new or surprising from Athenar here. 30 minutes of sex, drugs and satan themed Venom/Motörhead worship. Hard to go wrong with that recipe.rTakes a real hit after the first two tracks, but saves itself a 3.3 (rounded up to 3.5) rating thanks to the last track being great too.Morbid Angel JuveniliaAltars of Madness performed live. I mean, the songs are of course great, but the production is pretty terrible.Morbid Angel Altars of MadnessA record that changed everything. Along with Death's Scream Bloody Gore, Altars became the cornerstone of what death metal should sound like. Not only did the records sound abrasive and brutal, but they were catchy, melodic and musical. Solid stuff.Morbid Angel Blessed Are the SickMorbid Angel cement their place as eternal Death Metal royalty. After the genre-defining debut, though still quite thrashy, Morbid Angel release an album that inproves on every aspect of the last one. Athe Death Metal sound is much more relised and varied between thrash infused blistering speed and gut-churning slower parts. Additionally Trey ventures to his outside influences adding eerie acoustic, piano etc. interludes to set an unmatched sense of atmosphere and cement this album as Morbid Angel?s overlooked masterpiece.Morbid Angel Abominations of DesolationPretty great early thrashy Morbid Angel. A less refined and technicly mature version of the band that would release Altars of Madness. The peoduction is quite muddy which makes the playing sound even sloppier than it already is. Other than that, great look into the early years of one of Death Metal?s forefathers.Morbid Angel Gateways to AnnihilationMorbid Angel's best since Covenant. A great record that takes what one finds on Domination and Formulas, so simple heavy DM and techy weird structures/riffs respectively, and combines them. What does that sound like? That's right. Early MA. What does early MA do? Rule.Motorhead Bad MagicMouse On The Keys Machinic PhylumReally enjoyable EP. I enjoy it more than their first. Seems a little quirkier as far as more playing around with time.Mouse On The Keys An Anxious ObjectBeautiful. Soothing, but so tense. Constant dissonant tones and time-changes give an anxious feeling of insecurity, not knowing what's to come. Very well executed. Love these guys!Mr. Bungle Disco VolanteJust slightly edges the debut as the better album imo. Completely different stylistically, but much more focused and cohesive sounding. While the debut tried convining way too much stuff imo, this one does mostly jazz fusion, and does it damn well. Still very weird and experimental, but not to the point of being overwhelming.Necrophagist EpitaphAs great and important as this album is, it has some clear flaws. The playing is sheer spectacle, and that is both the best and worst part of the album. Becuase where are the dynamics? Exactly... S/O for Prokofiev.Necrophagist NecrophagistSplendid demo. Tge opener is actually so good, and I hate that it didn?t make it onto Offset. Other than that it is interesting to see how much the Offal solo improved for the actual album.Nektar Remember The FutureReally solid album/track. Flows really well, and shows so many different styles.Neural Code Neural CodeVery cool. Sounds like Holdsworth playing traditional Braziliana. Neuraxis A Passage into ForlornImproved peoduction, and drastically improved songwriting and playing. The guys no longer sound sloppy at all, and all the instruments doodle around eachother and the amazing lead melodies. Definitely a very enjoyable listen though it does overstay.Neurosis Through Silver In BloodNevermore The Politics of EcstasyA barrage of heavy riffing featuring one of the greatest guitarists ever; Jeff Loomis. Nevermore are a unique band in combining unearthly heavy riffs and tone with power metally vocals and wonderful shred. The mix on this album was a bit of a problem for me with the guitars very much in the forefront. However the misic was spectacular, if a bit repetitive.Nevermore NevermoreBit of an underrated debut. Does it live up to the rest of their catalogue? Not wntirely mostly due to inconsistencies. It is however by no means any bad. It seems like Nevermore focus less on just being heavy, and more on more complex riffing and variation, which is highly appreciated. As meantioned earlier, it does result in some incosistency, and the vocals are not too good, but other than that it is not by any means worse than their other stuff.Niccolo Paganini Violin Conncerto No. 5, MS. 78Another excellent vilin concerto by one of the greatest violinists (if not the) of all-time. The first movemnt has a fantastic main theme along with loads of fantastic cadenzas, although it drops off towards the latter part before picking itself up again. The Andante is a beautiful emotional piece. This shows what I think might be my favourite part about Paganini; sure, he might be technically the best to ever have been, but he was able to put so much emotion into his playing too. Then the last movement is a bit below the others, but still a solid Rondo.Niccolo Paganini Paganini: 24 Caprices, Op. 1, MS 25Very simply the best violin performance you will ever hear. Paganini is probably the greatest violinist to ever live till this day. He showcases perfect technique on the most advanced of methods here, but the conpositions aren?t very good at all. The skill itself still gets this a 3.5 in my book.Niccolo Paganini Violin Concerto No. 3 in E Major, MS 50An exceptional violin performance from Paganini as usual, however the compositional part is not up to par with previous concertos. The solo violin parts and orchestral parts sound much more disjointed than previous ones.rNiccolo Paganini Guitar Music: Sonatas/Ghiribizzi/Three CapricesNight Demon Darkness RemainsNile In Their Darkened ShrinesSplendid dose of middle-easternn and melodic tech-death, if with little variation. Nile are a great band, and I enjoy them a lot. I have however always had two huge gripes with them. No variation, and ann awful drum sound. All one has is blastbeats alternatinng with clean egyptian passages with phrygian melodies overtop. Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New YorkOne of the rawest live performances of all time. That is both it?s downfall and good side. I am not a big fan of Nirvana?s simplistic music style from the get-go, and the stripped down acoustic style doesn?t help that. However Kurt?s suffering vocals, especially on the last track are incredible.Obituary Slowly We RotA bona-fide Death Metal classic. Obituary were one of the first bands to put out a ?pure? death metal album in Slowly We Rot. It has great riffage, and John Tardy sounds monstrous, however that?s about it. The outro riff on Intoxicated would probably be my highlight. Solos are also very similar to Slayer?s ?tortured? shriek sounding chromatic scales.Obscura CosmogenesisQuality progressive tech-death. The album showcases incredible instrumental proficiency without fully sacrificing songwriting. It is also very melodic, which is a nice change from most tech-death, though I did miss some harder riffs. The instrumental Orbital Elements is a clear standout to me, giving the band more space to showcase pure instrumental prowess. Makes me think they might have done well as an instrumental band.Obscura AkrĂłasisObscura return to form this time successfully blending virtuosity, jazz and Death Metal while retaining insane melodic sensibilities. This album flows very well, and the members more than get to show off their skills. Yet I still feel there is something missing. It feels like in all the stuff they do, they hold back. Except for a part towards the end of Perpetual Infinity, there is no dull wank-indulgment (which I love, although many do not), and neither do they go very hard on the Death Metal at any point. The resulting feeling of restrainment is why this is a 3.5 to me.Obscura DiluviumI think this is one of Obscura's most enjoyable records, and my favourite since Cosmogenesis. It is certainly wanky, but isn't that why we listen to Obscura?Oceans of Slumber Oceans of SlumberAmazing album. Powerful vocals and a crushing sound. The gothic piano vibe really helps the atmosphere, but let's get straight to the point: Dobber Beverly! His drumming throughout is just incredible, and had basically all my attention. Syncopation all over gives the illusion of odd-meters though most of the record is rooted in 4/4 or 6/8. Truly amazing fills throughout, and general jazzy feel camping on the ride and all. Cover sucks.Odious Mortem Cryptic ImplosionAwesome awesome and more awesome! Take their debut and add some more tech. That?s this. Really damn good!Opeth My Arms, Your HearseMuch improved tone over Morningrise, but the mix is terrible. Instruments can barely be distinguished, and the drums are way too loud. The music is good too, but less varied and creative than the sophomore album.Opeth Still LifeAnother great, but also greatly overrated album by Opeth. Their most coherent yet I would say, but it lacks the punch and memorability of earlier Opeth. Opeth DeliveranceOpeth try going a bit heavier, and do a good job, just not Opeth standard. A great record by every measure, peogressive, and heavy, however sonce it is mostly focused on the heavier wlements it lacks some of the Opeth «light and dark» feel. Still, the title-track is one of Opeth?s best. Ornette Coleman Change of the CenturyFuck yeahhh. More awesome soling from Coleman and his band. No chordal insteuments allow for a completely free range of improv.Ornette Coleman Tomorrow Is the Question!Not at the level of Shape or Century, but still a damn great album.Overkill Feel the FireIs this not «Under the Influence»? It sure sounds like it, as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Motörhead in particular can be heard all over. Anyway, a thrash-tinged NWOBHM debut by Overkill serves everything from catchy riffs to thrashy grooves and shreddy harmonies/solos. Good stuff.Overkill OverkillNice EP with a selection of songs that would make it onto future LPs save for The Answer which honestly should have.Ozzy Osbourne Diary Of A MadmanPablo de Sarasate Carmen Fantasy: Op. 25Pretty solid. The main (very famous) theme sounds great, and is interesting to hear repeated using several different teqniques. The rest of the piece is pretty darn great too.Pain of Salvation The Perfect Element, Part 1A very subtly technical and mostly emotional orog-metal ride. Coming into this album I expected (and was looking forward to) a Dream Theater clone. However, what I got was something entirely different. This album uses mainly the very emotional vocals and melodies to capture the listener, and subtly backlayering them with immensely technical structures and instrumentation. Very nice.Pallbearer HeartlessPantera The Great Southern TrendkillPantera Cowboys from HellA truly historical album. Groove Pantera?s debut almost single-handedly changed metal as a whole. Scooping mids, adding a very groove oriented approach instead of relying purely on speed, and popularizing breakdowns. Musically this is amazing. Phil is incredible, Paul sounds huge, Rex thumps relentlessly in the back, and ofc Dime?s catchy, groovy riffs and shreddy, blues/classical soloing is in full effect. Unfortunately I cannot stand Dine?s tone, and the mix being so lower-end heavy just helps the suffocating of dynamics. The album would also do well being a little shorter.Pentagram PentagramA pretty solid old-school doomy NWOBHM type record. Great doomy riffs combined with melody and not very good vocals that I did not enjoy mich. Riffs were solid though and I really enjoyed the Priest like leads.Persefone Truth Inside the ShadesAwesome Opeth-like Prog-death! Who would hahe thought Andorra had the personell for such a great band? Beautiful melodies and great song stuctures lead to an amazing album.Pharoah Sanders KarmaHypnotic. Burrzum-like jazz. Based around a repeating rhythm with some singing and Sanders' sax wailing at times breaking the monotony.Pig Destroyer Prowler in the YardHoly fuck this went super duper hard. ATTITUDE! Great drumming,in your FACE riffing, and conpletely unleashed vocals. Unfortunately a few tracks fell flat for me.Plini Sweet NothingsPlini Impulse VoicesLove this guy. Incredibly unique way of combining shoegaze-like dreamy atmosphere, djent riffage and jazz technicality.Plini Handmade CitiesPlini SunheadPossessed The Eyes of HorrorPower Trip Nightmare LogicPower Trip Manifest DecimationPrognosis DefinitionFantastic debut from the British prog-metallers. Prognosis showcase an immaculate blend of sludgy influences with a very proggy base. The instrumentation and syncopated and odd-time riffs in particular are mesmerizing, but the production and vocals leave a bit to be desired. Flawless insteumentation overall, but especially the guitar-work.Psychotic Waltz The God-Shaped VoidA solid comeback album that blends 90s prog with classic rock. Psycroptic Symbols of FailureAnother wonderful release from Psycroptic. I was worried Chalky?s departure would hurt them, but Peppo does a more than fair job filling in. Pyotr Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, Op. 71A hugely important ballet with some of not only Tchaikovsky?s, but any composer?s most famous pieces e. g. dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Divertissment, Waltz of the Flowers etc. A great piece, with a lot of variation.Pyotr Tchaikovsky Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42, TH 116What a fantastic piece. The interplay between the piano and violin is amazing, especially in the second movement which is all about trading off ridiculous arpeggios and scales with pizzicato on the violin as well. Just wish it were longer, and the last movement was meh.Queen QueenYes! I have been putting off checking out early Queen for a long time. Man, am I happy I finally did! Proggy hard rock with some different worldf spices thrown in every now and then. Reminiscent of a less folky Jethro Tull to me. May is amazing, and other than the shoddy mix/production this is great!Queensryche Operation: MindcrimeBy many considered the first true prog metal concept, and hard to argue not to be. It is great in its own right, but falters by today?s prog standards. Tate is the clear highlight here, as his soaring vocals steal the spotlight theoughout the whole album. The story too is very well executed, whether as fae as its content, or the musical narrative. Where this album falters compared to modern contemporaries, is the instrumental section. Yes, it is all tight and well written, but very uninteresting. Would certainly appreciate more flash and insteumental sections (which there are none of!)Rage Against the Machine Evil EmpireRainbow Ritchie Blackmore's RainbowRamones RamonesRed Hot Chili Peppers One Hot MinuteRed Hot Chili Peppers The Uplift Mofo Party PlanReturn to Forever Where Have I Known You BeforeQuite a change in style by RtF, going back to a more psychadelically-oriented sound. They tone down the wankery drastically from HotSG, and concentrate more on atmosphere.Return to Forever No MysteryFunky jazz rock done mostly really well. The first side of the album until Excerpt from the First Movement of Heavy Metal did not gel with me much as it was just too funky. Howeve from Exerpt and on they turned up the jazz-rock gears and everything rules hard. Love Chick, Clarke and Meola'ss. Wow.Return to Forever Romantic WarriorRtF?s most playful album. Much of it consists of Clarke, Corea and Meola trading off licks and solos with big main themes. It also runs theough a lot of styles with funky guitar licks, latino solos from Corea and Meola etc. Overall great, but not as good as their previous offering.Robert Schumann Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38Solid very energetic Symphhony. It might not be too inventinve in its form, but it is very strong.Robert Schumann Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121Rush Clockwork AngelsSarcofago I.N.R.I.Great and very influential record, especially for the Scandinavian BM scene. Thrash at its core, though strongly rooted in first wave BM too, as seen in the title-track for example. Mix is damn awful, basically all I could hear were drums, that lowers my rating.Satan's Hallow Satan's HallowSavatage Gutter BalletA very ambitious album from Savatage. Introducing for the first time more of the progressive balladry into their music, they make a band defining album. Saxon Wheels Of SteelA NWOBHM classic! One of the forst records to showcase the movement taking hold in the UK, and one of the best. Catchy melodies, strong riffs, though a bit repetitive like in the title-track.Saxon SaxonScorpions In TranceThe Scorps? first great album. Mostly driven by power-ballads with progressive hints, Klaus Meine?s vocals shine, but not as much as Roth?s playing. His bluesy but classically influenced playing comes to the foreground, and sounds fantastic.Scorpions Fly To The RainbowA very ethereal record for the Scorpions to be. After picking up Roth and sacking Michael Schenker, The Scorpions go on to release a much more focused record than their debut. It has a very surreal psychadelic feel still, espwcially the second side, which gives it a certain uniqueness. What is missing to me is Roth?s chops, but they will come soon enough!Sergei Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 4320 minutes of Paganini styled wankery with melodic sctions, just on a piano. Yes please!Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13Why was this considered a failure? A true mystery... Great stuff from Rach. Dark as all hell.Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex PistolsShawn Lane Powers of TenSpectacular playing and musicianship with too much variation for its own good. Let me explain. The guy can basically do anything, and so he does. Orchestral suites, boogies, jazz-fusion latino stuff, pure jazz-fusion etc. etc. The thing is, especially the Piano Concertino and Suite tracks completely ruin the flow to me no matter how good they might be on their own. Tracks like the opener and Esperanto are spectacular though.Sieges Even Life CycleSpwctacular techy prog metal weitten way before stuff like this was even in the picture. A Sceptic?s Universe was mindbending when released in 2005, yet Sieges Even did something similar as early as 1988! This is a true gem! Time-signature wank to the max, and just mad rhythmical playing and note choices.Sieges Even StepsProbably among the most technical bans out there, and they do not even attempt to keep it subtle. The issue with that becomes the strong lack of emotion. Sieges Even A Sense of ChangeA very nice album by a very underappreciated act. Sieges change their appoach by adding more emotion to their music and stripping the constant technicality. I miss their heavier side here though.Sieges Even SophisticatedA huge change in sound and wonderful album. Zenk?s addition proves very influential as his neoclassical soloing and funky riffs are the basis of Sieges? new sound.Singularity (USA-AZ) Place of ChainsSinister Diabolical SummoningRiffy, blastbeat-y and fast OSDM. A classic recipe done to perfection. No bullshit in your face riffing that does bot stop up for a second.Sithu Aye Cassini (5th Anniversary Remaster)Really great djent. Love the 3-part Multiverse especially.Skeletonwitch Beyond the PermafrostSlayer Live UndeadNice performance of some tracks off of their first album and EP. Although the preformances sound quite a bit more confident and aggressive than their album counterparts, one cannot deny how obvious it is that there?s something not emtirely authentic about this «live» record. Slayer Christ IllusionSlayer Hell AwaitsEarly young Slayer progressing their sound from the pure sped up NWOBHM worship of their debut. Hell Awaits sees them explore longer and more progressive song structures for the first and last time of their career. This certainly worked out for them.Slipknot SlipknotSolstice (USA-FL) PrayBasically the debut with a pinch less punk, and a worse mix. There is however an incredible remix out there which brings everything out, so certainly give that a listen.Sons of Apollo Psychotic SymphonyGreat stuff, exactly what could be expected from such a monstrous line-up. Portnoy, Bumblefoot and Sheanan teaming up to play Dream Thester like virtuoso-prog with Deep Purple style Hard Tock roots fronted by a vocalist who can actually sing? Expectations were high, but also met.Spawn of Possession NoctambulantThis rules pretty hard. It sees SoP move more towards full-on classical compositions with a Death Metal glavour, as opposed to classically infused Brutal Death like on their debut. It is amazing, however they get a little overly ambitious towards the emd of the album, and ideas start sounding recycled. Arpeggio shapes etc. Still a very good effort, and what could easily be labeled as «Neoclassical Death Metal».Spiral Architect A Sceptic's UniverseWhen someone says wanky music, this is what they mean. Rhythmical changes literally every moment of the album, and thw twchnicality in the instrumentation cannot even be put into words. Espwcially the bass shines as way more prevalent and difficukt than usual. Unfortunately absolute wankery comes with its limitations.Spiral Architect DemoBrutally wanky for 1995. A taste of what was to come from probably the most technicality dense band I can think of. What is this bass???Steve Vai Passion and WarfareThis guy can play. In addition to that, he does have a veey nice sense of music and melody. Combined they make for a great album, however of course it could be less cheesy and pompous. Overall really great though. Not a big fan of the commentary between tracks either.Strapping Young Lad CitySuffocation Effigy of the ForgottenCornerstone of Brutal Death Metal. I would dare saybthe most important record to the genre other than Cryptopsy?s None so Vile, it really lives up tonthe name. Technical, mindlessly brutal, and really great. Only problem, like many of its peers, it lacks variation badly.Suffocation Pierced From WithinSuffocation SuffocationA very solid album, and somewhat of a return to form from Suffocation. The new drummer and vocalist are great, and I really enjoy the guitar work on here which is even more technical than old Suffocation. The issue is in many generic-feeling moments and sameyness whether in the choice of arpeggios and their patterns, or just song structures/riffing.Sumerlands SumerlandsSymphony X The Damnation GameBetter songwriting than the debut, and a massive inprovement in both vocals and peoduction. The only thing holding Symphony X?s debut back from being a huge Prog debut were the vocals and production, which were both frankly garbage. Along with an inprovement in the songwriting department, The Damnation Game sees Symphony X really blast onto the scene with their neoclassical virtuoso prog metal.Symphony X The OdysseyMy second favourite Symphony X after Divine Wings. After a stylistic change on Twilight in Olympus, I wasn?t as fond of the new more powery and chorus based Symphony X. Here however, it seems they went back to more neoclassical shreddery. Still, the power elements are very much present, especially in the t/t.System of a Down Steal This Album!T.R.A.M. Lingua FrancaAnimals as Leaders leftovers which are better than the real deal imo. A solid fresh take on fusion with a djenty approach in Tosin's guitar surrounded by jazzier sounds.Ted Nugent Ted NugentTestament Dark Roots of EarthTestament The LegacyOnw of the best Bay Area thrash band release their best album straight away. A puniwhing 40 minutes with rough vicals and spectaculsr guitar-playing. A lot of neoclassical soloing comes out of Skolnick?s fingers which really puts Testament apart.Testament The New OrderAnother stellar record from Testament. They expand their soundscape somewhat from The Legacy, and the results are incredible. Alex Skolnick again proves why he?s one of the most underrated, but reverred by those who know him guitarists in metal. The songs are mostly more proggy, unfortunately Nobody?s Fault misses the mark slightly.Testament Brotherhood of the SnakeTestament LowA great comeback to quality and change of sound from Testament after the weak Souls of Black and The Ritual. Testament get a lot darker and heavier, Billy sounds almost death metal-esque, and Skolnick is no longer a part of the band. Despite absolutely loving Skolnick and missing his neoclassical virtuosity, I think the new guitarist does a stellar job, and love the riffing and peoduction on here. Eztra shoutout to the proggy sections like on Hail Mary.The Aristocrats Tres CaballerosWonderful album, if a bit weaker than its predecessor imo. It is very front-loaded quality-wise, which had me think it was their best for a minute.The Beatles Abbey RoadThe Beatles? Magnum Opus. It features some of their best work e.g. Come Together, Something and my favourite song of theirs, I Want You (She?s So Heavy). However it is also full of weird quirky songs like Maxwell?s Silver Hammer and most of the songs in the finishing medley that I don?t rate highly.The Beatles RevolverWow. A genuinely skillful and enjoyable pop album. Words I rarely utter. The Beatles' early material is straight-up trash imo, but after Rubber Soul, this is where their eclectic influences and experimental tendencies really start to come forth. From the dissonant piano on I Want to Tell You to the Eastern Mandolin throughout the album, there is so much awesome stuff going on here. The best part is that they so seamlessly manage to incorporate it into western accesibility.The Black Dahlia Murder NocturnalThe Black Dahlia Murder DeflorateTBDM pump out another great effprt. After finding their unique blend of metalcore, melodeath and black metal, BDSM continue paving a way for themselves on this album.The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape PlanA solid effort honting at their future full-on mathcore stuff. Vocals and technicality woulf both see massive improvement for their debut.The Dillinger Escape Plan Under the Running BoardThe demo EP with more intensity and stupifying technicality. Looking more like the DEP we know and love.The Dillinger Escape Plan Miss MachineA transition album by Dillinger, or so I have heard. The addition of Puciato allows for a much wider musical soundscape. Unfortunately, this means Dillinger explore more melodic and dreamy choruses and sections, dropping the wankery and intensity I loved so much on the debut. Traces are still found, but it is not as enjoyable imo.The Doors The DoorsSome very strong early psychadelia. Wow! The End will fuck anyone up!The Faceless Planetary DualityThe Faceless continue down the path of the debut. SENSIBLE modern Tech-death with melody, shred and ferocity. A little more chug-chug here than on the debut means a slightly lower rating, but I still really enjoyed the album. Loads of mind-bending sweeps, atpeggios etc. (but not overused), and great riffs.The Ocean FogdiverFuck me this is massive!!! All in your face mammoth riffs, crushing drums and bass, huge rides and crashes all over. Amazing. Insane atmosphere. Yes.The Stooges The StoogesThe Zenith Passage SolipsistVery good. Still not huge on the production, but The Zenith Passage find their own sound, in with they thankfully drop much of the core chugchug they got from The Faceless on the debut EP. Another change is much more atmosphere including string orchestration which is VERY well done, and fits splendidly. Of course the playing is extremely technical, but never feels even slightly overbearing. Good shit boys.Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk TrioA great record. Monk's playing is ridiculously good, and completely ignores the norms at the time. His playing is full of dissonant and "wrong" note choices. He would come to get his credit a decade later though, when his genius was discovered. Tigran Hamasyan A FableAwesome awesome stuff, highly emotional jazz-folk. Love the fusion, wanky parts the most for sure.Tigran Hamasyan Arratha Rebirth: Red HailAgreed with Fiddy. His best yet. He adds the djenty metal influence that is very much a part of a lot of his later work. Again though, unfortunately the album is too long and gets repetitive.Tigran Hamasyan Shadow TheaterTomb Mold Manor of Infinite FormsTony Macalpine Edge of InsanityBasically classical played on guitar and backed by a band. Not Becker-like, much less flashy, but still very impressive.Tool Fear InoculumTraveler (CAN) TravelerClassic 80s Trad Metal. Among the best Trad Metal revival albums I have heard for sure. Nothing groundbreaking of course, but a great throwback. Takes a slight mid-album slump, but picks up hard towards the end. Mix could use some work too.Traveler (CAN) Termination ShockGreat album. One of the better revival acts, as they don't straight up cope what has already been done, as is most blatantly seen in the thrash revival scene, but add their own spin too. Way more varied and full of personality than the debut.Trioscapes Separate RealitiesPretty awesome. Sounds like a massive jam netween talented instrumentalists trying to capture the spirit of their favourite 70s fusion bands with an experimental flair.U.K. Danger MoneyReally enjoyable fusion/prog album. I prefer it to the debut, as it has more straight-up wank and time-hopping, even if the debut might have more complex chord-progressions. UFO Lights OutTitle-track and Love to Love single-handedly pull this album up from a 3 to a 3.5. Solid classic rock album.Ulcerate Stare Into Death and Be StillAn ambitious, but very well made dissonant, but melodic composition. The drumming is the clear highlight here to me, as Merat stays in your face at all times with brilliant fills and jazzy cymbal chops. Then Hoggards always dissonant riffing with interwoven melodies leads the atmosphere encompassing the entire album in darkness and mystery. Ulthar ProvidenceReally fucking good, and certainly an improvement over the already stellar debut. Providence sees Ulthar take what they had in their debut, strip most of the punk, and focus solely on a weird amalgam of Black and Death metal centered around a quirky atmosphere and amazing technical riffs. Love it. The big downside was variation, as most of the songs are very similar, and the only real different feature on here is the clean intro to Undying Spear.Unleashed Where No Life DwellsWonderful OSDM that starts off punishing, full of tormented melodies and technical, in your face and catchy riffs. Unfortunatey it gets ridiculously redundant in just 36 minutes.Vader The EmpireVader The Ultimate IncantationVery solid debut effort from Vader. Unrelenting death/thrash with some variation and interesting longer songs. Not very complex, but that isn't what you're looking for with Vader. You are looking for RIFFS, and this has them for days!Van Halen Van HalenEddie's playing here changed (rock) guitar forever. His tapping and legato licks and of course Eruption were just unseen at the time. The songs themselves aren't really too up my alley. Too much sleaze, but a 3.5 is deserved purely due to influence.Vanden Plas The God ThingSo super-duper awesome! Imagine more straight-forward Dream Theater song-structures (so still quite complex) like on yheir debut, but with the addition of mostly the keyboard and guitar-styles and atmosphere of Awake. All in all wonderful, but too derivative.Vanden Plas Christ 0Virvum IlluminanceA very very good tech-death album whose technicality lies in its atmospherical chord-progressions and layered harmonies rather than in-your-face virtuoso shredding.VoidCeremony Foul Origins of HumanityThis rules hard. Relatively brutal death metal with odd-times and great giitarwork but a very strong sense of groove and riffs.VoidCeremony Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional...More awesome proggy OSDM from VoidCeremony. Not a huge fan of the drum-sound specifrically, but the freetless bass, time-signature wankery and guitarwork is just amazing.Vorbid VorbidVery good twch-thrash debut. Sounds a bit like RiP era Megadeth with a little less shreddiness and more Rush-like prog. Lovely twin-guitar harmonies as well.Watain The Essence Of Black PurityWayne Shorter The SoothsayerWeather Report Mysterious TravellerBack to a more experimental vibe, Weather Report much expand their influences. There is world music on here as well as funk and jazz.Weather Report SweetnighterThe pure avant-garde improv takes a solid backseat, and funky jazz with hints of jazz comes bursting out the gates. I was actually really surprised when listening to this, as I thought Weather Report would stay as I knew them, an avant-garde improv band. I love this (in my opinion) improved version of them, and am excited to see what's gonna come next!Wilderun Olden Tales and Deathly TrailsA very solid prog album with folky vibes. Great compositions, and nice tranistions/flow between extreme metal, heavier sections and mellow folky stuff. Wilderun Sleep at the Edge of the EarthWintersun WintersunThis album had every preposition to totally fail for me personally, but it did anything but. Overly epic Power Metal, synth orchestras, choral vocals and hyper-melodic folk. All traits likely to totally turn me off an album. However with amazing songwriting, neoclassical shred mastery and very nice heavy blackened features, the album manages to win me over. The songs are beautifully structured without being too conplex, and the blackened riffing sits although way too epic overall for me. Don?t even have to mention the absolutely class shredwork with crazy arpeggios etc. flying around effortlessly. Good job Jari.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major, K. 37A really nice catchy, melodic concerto. The fact that the dude wrote this at the age of 11 is insane.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K.525Yes DramaIn my top 3 Yes albums. With the departure of Wakeman and Anderson, Yes put out a more song-focused heavier album, and it is actually really good. Less atmospheric meandering, but still a lot of in-you-face wank and heavier riffs. Yngwie Malmsteen Rising ForceIncredible shreddies, little substance. As for much shredwork, this album suffers from so to speak no songwriting what-so-ever. Yiu?ll get some riffs, but mostly just Yngwie doodling without context.Zealotry The Charnel ExpanseSolid twisted techy death metal in the vain of Immolation and Demilich. Tougas keeps on churning out great music, this time going for a more brutal sound. The music is dissonant, heavy, and just overall ugly, but amazing.3.0 good7 for 4 Diffusion2nd half is great, but the first still carries over loads of incoherence and inconsistency from Time. Zenk?s eclectic way of combining genres, when done well is so cool.Aborted La Grande MascaradeAnother solid slab of Melodic Death/geind courtesy of Aborted. The first track is amazing, the others are ?only? good though.Aborted Coronary ReconstructionYes! This is the Aborted we know, love and have been missing for the past two lmfull-length! Intense, heavy, and in your face. Hope it continues on future full-lengths.AC/DC The Razors EdgeAC/DC PowerageAC/DC For Those About To Rock We Salute YouAC/DC Black IceAC/DC Dirty Deeds Done Dirt CheapAccursed Spawn The Virulent HostThis album absolutely rules and shhows a lot of promise! A great debut, which melds thrash and death metal (with spectacular vocals!) to remind one of the late 80s death/thrash movement. A huge downside is that most of the songs sound basically the same, which neither the admittedly great (but repetitive) guitar chops, vocals or aggression can save. Shoutout for the fantastic production and clear and crispy bass with great basslines!Adramelch Irae MelanoxA great album with some truly fantastic riffing and lead-work. Unfortunately, the production is beyond terrible. The actual music is wonderful classic power/prog.Aerosmith Toys In The AtticAfterbirth The Time Traveler's DilemmaAfterbirth Four Dimensional FleshAnother cool atmospheric and spacey brutal Death Metal release.Ailiph Doepa CocoonA very interesting band. SOmething like Slipknot/Korn crossed over with System of a DOwn, just Japanese music replacing the Armenian.Airbourne Runnin' WildAirbourne Breakin' Outta HellAl Di Meola Splendido HotelAl Di Meola Electric RendezvousNot a big fan of the sound Al chose for this one. Oh well.Al di Meola/John McLaughlin/Paco de Lucia The Guitar TrioAl di Meola/John McLaughlin/Paco de Lucia Friday Night in San FranciscoTruly insane. Inconsistent as hell imo quality-wose, but so fun. Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho is one of my top all-time tracks, but nothing else comes even close.Alcest Écailles De LuneAlestorm Sunset on the Golden AgeAlexander Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 6Solid entry into the Piano Sonata genre. Shows loads of the weirdness and unorthodox structures and scales Scriabin is known for.Alexander Scriabin Piano Concerto in F Sharp Minor, Op. 20A good concerto, sure, but not that great. Subtle virtuosity, and nice melodicity.Alexander Scriabin Le Poeme de l'extase, Op. 54Alice in Chains Rainier FogAlice in Chains Alice In ChainsAlice in Chains SapAllan Holdsworth SandStill a sloid album, but easily Allan?s weakest thus far. He really started adding synths and such into his sound in Metal Fatigue, and here it seems he got a bit carried away, with electronic sounds taking much of the focus.Allan Holdsworth Velvet DarknessPure fucking wank, but good.rImagine what you do at night when feeling lonely. Well, here is like 30 minutes of it, and it RULES!Allan Holdsworth Metal FatigueGood stuff, even if I do not enjoy the almost-disco-like songs with a lot of vocals. Devil Take the Hindmost and The Merry-Un-Go-Round are awesome though!Allan Holdsworth The Sixteen Men of TainExactly what one has come to expect from the man. Crazy chord-progressions and crazy playing.Allegaeon Fragments of Form and FunctionThese guys sure can play - in fact, they probably have more chops in the fingernail on their pinky than I do in my entire body - however, can they write songs? Not really. That?s the whole issue, the playing is insane and peoduction too slick for my likikng, however the songs are entirely forgettable. The last track is great though.Alter Bridge FortressAlter Bridge BlackbirdPne of the better modern hard rock bands. Still, they fall into the trap so much modern rock does. Repetitiveness. There is only so many vocal melodies and repetitions of choruses one can do. Another issue is its length, as it already starts losing speed before climaxing in Blackbird. After that it just goes downhill. Otherwise a solid hard rock album with nice metallic riffs.Amon Amarth Fate of NornsTypical Amon Amarth. Another solid Amon Amarth release. Nothing out of the ordinary, just epic melodic death metal about vikings.Amon Amarth With Oden on Our SideAmon Amarth BerserkerAmon Amarth The AvengerAmon Amarth The CrusherAmon Amarth The Arrival of the Fimbul WinterBasically classic AA e.g. First three albums with slightly rawer production and weaker vocals. Not bad, but not great.Amon Amarth Under The InfluenceAlright, listening to the guys having fun making songs in the styles of their inspirations.Amon Amarth Twilight of the Thunder Godt/t hits levels of epic few somgs ever have, but overall the album is just way too one-dimensional, repetitive and simple. Riffs are mostly awesome, but without any technicality anywhere, it becomes stale. Still enjoyable.Amorphis Privilege Of EvilAnaal Nathrakh The Codex NecroTake the heaviest thing you?ve ever heard, and imagine it sounding like a kittens meow. That is how you will feel after listening to Anaal Nathrakh. 46 minutes of pure blastbeat-filled Black Metal madness with a piercing industrial tone and vocal effects.Anacrusis Suffering HourThe talent and potential these guys have is clear in abundance, however the album has a little too many issues to be great. The prodcution, vocal confusion as well as what just feels like generally disjointed parts within songs all hold this album back. Other than that it shows huge potential, as if the vocals become more fitting, and song sections better sewn together, these guys could make something amazing.Andrew Hill Compulsion!!!!!Andromeda Extension of the WishCrazy technical wank, but not much more. Thankfully, I love wank, so I find the album a lot of fun. When Andromeda try getting more emotional, like on Arch Angel it honestly sounds pretty damn bad. They do wank very well though. Hopefully there is more variation on their future albums. Also not big on the vocalist.Andy Timmons Ear X-TacySolid guitar album in many styles. Not too unique though, and especially very unflashy.Andy Wood A Disconcerting AmalgamSolid album, and an excellent first half. Unfortunately, like seemingly many guitar-albums do it goes into a country vibe for much of the second half. Goddamndit.Anekdoten NucleusPretty cool. Not a fan of stoner vibes, but the music is really good still.Angra Angels CryAnimals As Leaders Animals as LeadersThe most instrumentally impressive release I have heard? Very possibly. I do not think there is anything Tobin cannot do on the guitar, and Gertdka on the drums is an absolute madman. Compositionally too this is beyond conplex and pure madness. However, I just do not think there is enough substance to make it more than 3 worthy. Just becomes way too much over time.Anthrax Worship MusicAnthrax State Of EuphoriaAntonin Dvorak Symphony No. 3 in Eâ™ major, Op. 10, B. 34TMR put it perfectly. This feels a lot like ?yet another? symphony. Very insignificant, though it has some very cool ideas especially in the first and last movements.Antonio Vivaldi Violin Concerto in Eb Minor, Op. 8, No. 5, RV 253Yet an improvement on RV 242 showcasing more knowledge of scales, and implementing it perfectly.Antonio Vivaldi Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 8, No. 7, RV 242Solid concerto, and improvement over his RV 180, with a much better Largo and more bombast in both Allegros.Arch Enemy Doomsday MachineArch/Matheos Winter EtherealReally good. Not completely consistent, but highlights like the closer remind one of the best days of Fates Warning. Bobby Jarzombek steals the spotlight completely, and Matheos' playing is subtly technical and melodic as always. Archspire The Lucid CollectiveSolid technically, but in the (not even so with the album being just over 30 minutes) long run boring. As usual with modern tech-death, the band is sweeping and using rhythmical wankery all over the place without realizing there is such a concept as actually being musical. Too bad, as I really enjoyed their debut which felt more lively. The peoduction here sterilises absolutely everything as well.Arcturus La Masquerade InfernaleThis is one weird weird album which draws close to no parallels to Arcturus? debut. The forst things that hit me at least about how dofferent this was, were the vocals and drum-sound. Very clicky drums (one of my largest pet peeves) and a weird samoled spoken vocals style, very unlike anything I have heard from Garm before. My issues with these did not let up throughout. Otherwise, this is a conpletely trippy and experimental album.Art Blakey Hard Bop (Expanded Edition)The bonus tracks are so much better than the actual album, like god damn. Solid modulations and key changes along with other interesting harmonic stuff.Atheist Beyond '88 DemoOne of the best demos I?ve heard. 3 of the somgs would appear on the amazing debut, though with a lot more jazziness/technicality. The two others are pretty straight forward early DM tracks.Augury ConcealedA good album, sure, and very unique, but not one that fits my preferences. Going into this I was expecting some twist on modern twch-death, but certainly not the one I got. Lots of clean singing, female vocals, symphonic elements, extended spacey passages etc. August Burns Red MessengersAutopsy Acts of the UnspeakableAutopsy release an interesting if slightlz disnointed blend of grindcore and death/doom. After releasing the slower Mental Funeral, Autopsy continue in that vwin, but with the addition to some punky influences; grind. It?s an interesting formula, however it doesn?t always mesh well, and ends up sounding confused at times. Additionaly the production is very weak and muddy.Aviations RetrospectCool prog-metal band. Their rhythms split between atmospherical soundscapes are awesome, but some more variation could be welcome.Baroness PurpleBathory Twilight of the GodsAlright. A good album still, but certainly Bathory?s weakest. He tries an entirely new style dropping the BM completely and going full anthemic. The music gets too repetitive and has too little kick though. Props for inproving his guitar playing though.Bathory Under the Sign of the Black MarkBathory Blood Fire DeathA defining Black Metal album. Full of atmosphere, ugly and ass production. Highly rec for any BM fan.Behemoth GromNot as bad as I?d heard. Very interesting and unique. Now that works both to its advantage and downfall. Some of the experimenting (variation, ambient,ć and acoustic pssages) works well, and some of it (female choir vocals) doesn?t. Good album overall.Behemoth Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)Pretty cool record from Behemoth. Back when they were BM, they weren?t your typical BM, no, Mergal added in tons of eastern pagan influences and halved the repetitiveness of usual BM.Behemoth Pandemonic IncantationsBehemoth start their Death Metal career with a more Deathened Black Metal record. Inferno certainly let?s his presence be known, but that?s about it as far as interesting stuff on the record. Overall it?s a olid Behemoth release, but the next one is where they really anchor their style and take off.Behemoth Thelema.6Another solid album from Behemoth. After fully establishing their new Blackened Death Metal style on Satanica, the band further explores it with more technical instrumentation than previously in Thelema.6.Behemoth The ApostasyWell, this was an odd album. Behemoth do what they do best; brutal music. The issue however, it has no variation, and is at times dangerously generic. Other times however, they will come up with some excellent riffs or leads. Therefore tgis ends up a highly inconsistent effort overall.Behemoth EzkatonWhat a track Chant for the Ezchaton is! Other than that some solid covers and live performances. Great to hear Behemoth in Czech being from Slovakia!Bell Witch LongingHeavily emotional, slow, dreary and crushing. This is true ?feeling? music, conveying a relentlessly heavy feeling. Eventhough it moves at a snail?s pace, one doesn?t get bored. Solid.Ben Eunson AutumnNice little EP reminiscent of the phrasing and harmonic personality of an Allan Holdsworth or Tim Miller with some calmer vibes.Beneath the Massacre Evidence Of InequityBeneath the Massacre MarĂ©e NoireBeneath the Massacre?s best. Their most musically dynamic effort, and thanks to its short length, one does not have enough time to get hit by the monotous sense of their music.Beneath the Massacre FearmongerBetween the Buried and Me Automata IA semi-successful attempt at a return to a rougher sound. After polishing their prog to the extent of almost losing what was so unique about BtBaM in the first place on Coma, they try adding back a bit of that harsher edge and crazier stylistic changes. Unfortunately, it just doesn't flow as well as it used to, and the writing doesn't seem to be where it was. Also too much core for my liking. Only reason this gets a higher rating than Coma is due to the shorter run-time.Beyond Creation Earthborn EvolutionAfter releasing what is to me a top 5 album of the 2010s, Beyond Creation choose what I consider to be absolutely the wrong direction. I was hoping for more of the Atheist like crazy Tech-death infused with mad amounts of neoclassical melodism and shredding. However they instead chose to hone their melodic side, and leave the more brutal deathy side of their music for a stronger focus on focused jazzy compositions. Still good, but nowhere near The Aura.Bill Connors Swimming with a Hole in My BodyNot huge into solo acoustic guitar, but this is good nonetheless. A very eerie and tense atmosphere is created by the dissonant notes over the bass, and the playing is solid.Black Crown Initiate Violent Portraits of Doomed EscapeQuite underwhelmed as I expected to love this. There is not even anything necessarily wrong with the album, it's just, it doesn't really explore anything new. Basically since the great debut EP these guys have sounded exactly the same. Sure, that sound is a good modern prog sound, but some variation would be much appreciated.Black Label Society MafiaBlack Sabbath The Eternal IdolBlack Sabbath Never Say Die!Black Sabbath TyrSolid step-up from the very much too synth oriented Headless Cross. Second best Martin album so far after Idol for me. First two tracks are solid, and Sabbath Stones, Battle of Tyr and Valhalla are very good riff-heavy rockers. Interludes and ballds are this albums downgall though. Middle of the pack material.Blasphemy Fallen Angel of DoomRAW is the word to describe this. Primitive, fast and sloppy. Just the wayyou like your raw BM. It is pretty good, however the mix is worse than bad. Blasphemy Blood Upon the AltarA selection of great songs off the debut with a much better mix.Blue Oyster Cult Agents of FortuneA change in sound, which while in my opinion for the worse, still results in a good album. BÖC go a little softer on yhis telease, to which the largest hints are less distorted guitars and the lack of organ.Bob Marley and The Wailers Catch A FireSolid grooves and soulful vocals filled out by soulful bluesy guitar licks.Bolt Thrower CenotaphBolt Thrower Realm of ChaosA solid step in the right direction. After a debut solidly rooted in grind, Bolt Thrower heavily increase the death metal as well as improve their production for their 2nd LP. What comes out is a barrage of brutal riffs which lack any variation.Bolt Thrower SpearheadExactly what you expect from Bolt Thrower. Gut-wrenchingly heavy Death Metal with doomy melodies.Bozzio Levin Stevens Black Light SyndromeA fusion jam with some really cool latino moments.Bruford Feels Good to MeNice debut with a stunning line-up, especially Bruford and Holdworth (which shows). Both do a magnificent job, like everybody else too. Not a big fan of the keyboard tone and vocals though.Bushwhack BushwhackPretty cool melodic instrumental prog metal. Some lovely moments with time-wank, but a heavy focus on soaring melodies. Shoutout to the Beethoven's 5th reference in Sever the Sky. Unfortunately, the production is awful being suffocated beyond comprehension.Cadaver D.G.A.F.God damn this is some good stuff! I want more! Really reminds me of Necroticism in its Death Meral with grindy features style. Oh, and look at that... Jeff Walker has a cameo. Really good.Caligula's Horse BloomSolid story and good flow, but musically boring compared to their precious outings imo. Much of their Metal edge has disappeared completely in favour of a more focused story-telling, atmospheric vibe.Camel Rain DancesGood album, if stripped down. Camel with less rock and less jazz.Cannibal Corpse Gallery Of SuicideAnother more transitional corpse album, though more focused than Vile. It starts showcasing more of the technicality future CC albums contain, but doesn?t incorporate it too well yet. Ups for variety though.Cannibal Corpse VileCorpse?s transition record with some incredible highlights, but marred by inconsistency. Barnes? arrival brings new vocal possibilities and qualities, however it causes the band to seem like they are caught between the style preceding this album, and the one following it.Cannibal Corpse Worm InfestedThe Corpse is back on track after the forst few weaker CG albums! Some solid covers as well as great new original songs!Cannibal Corpse KillSurely the heaviest Fisher era Coepse, yet far from the best. CC go all in on the brutality here. Unfortunately both brutality and their melodic sensibilities suffer, also allowing for less allowance of technical show-offs. Cannibal Corpse TortureCorpse's best in a long time. My favourite Corpse album since The Wretched Spawn, Torture shows them implementing more technical features, especially in the bass and guitar work. Still, variation is a word unknown to these guys, and Paul's drumming is so average. Cannonball Adderley Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live At The ClubCarcass SwansongA fun album, though entirely forgettable. Carcass? last pre-reunion album aptly named Swansong shows them exploring yet another extension of Death Metal; Rot ?n? Roll. They do it well, and make an all decent album, however the memorable leads and crushing riffs are not to be found here.Carcass HeartworkOn Necroticism Carcass saw the addition of Michael Amott. Greatly improved in both songwriting and the guitar-playing, it also marked their full transition into pure Death Metal. Then comes Heartwork. Not stopping at pure DM, they pioneer their second genre, Melodic Death Metal. The first album to don the melo-death tag is a good one, but not very much by today?s standard.Carnosus The Universal CulminationA solid showcase of what can be expected from these guys. Melodic, thrashy death metal with mid-numbing guitarwork. Their compositional skills, and instrumental elements outside of the guitars are not as good as they would be on their debut, but this is a nice teaser for what was to come.Cathartic Demise Cathartic DemiseVeey promising debut. The guys still have tons of improvents to make,especially in the songwriting and instrumental prowess areas. However the longer songs adding twin guitar harmonies over time are really cool.Cecil Taylor Stereo DriveCeltic Frost Emperor's ReturnBasically more of what Morbid Tales offers with shitty production.», but prolly slightly better tracks.Celtic Frost Into the PandemoniumI have no idea how to judge this album. It?s half good, half trash. Some of the experiments (female choir vocals at times and One in their Pride for example) sound dreadful, while others (for example the poem) work better. Playing is also beyond sloppy.Charles Mingus The ClownIn classic Mingus fashion, weird stuff right here. Not very complex, but what a fun and quirky ride.Charlie Parker Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1946Great playing from everyone involved, especially for the time. Chick Corea The LeprechaunSolid, especially Night Sprite and the closer I really enjoy. Around those tracks, there's too much meandering in weird stuff for my liking.Chick Corea and Return To Forever Light as a FeatherChildren of Bodom Follow the ReaperI appreciate virtuosity as much as anyone, and this album (and band) has it in spades. Laiho can play circles around most people, however beyond that, it gets a bit worse. Shile fun at forst, the melodies and orchestra hit keyboard both get extremely tiring after a while. I am also not a fan of Laiho?s vocals or the general jolly Power Metal vibe.Chris Potter GratitudeChristian Muenzner TimewarpProbably the most classically influenced pure shred-metal thing I?ve heard. Very impressive, but mostly dounds like someone just playing over a backing track more than actual songs. Similarly, the skill, while inpressive, becomes way too repetitive and tiring. Lastly, there is basically no variation.Claude Debussy RĂŞverie, L. 8Code Orange ForeverCryptopsy And Then You'll BegHad the potential to be great, with classic great Cryptopsy instrumentation (if a bit weaker than previously). The vocals however are a huge wcorn on the album and leave a lot to be desired. DiSalvo chooses to go full out hardcore in the vocal department which is very distracting given how high the vocals are in the mix.Cryptopsy The Book of Suffering - Tome 1Probably the best thing Cryptopsy have put out at least wince Once Was Not. Improved vocals, some variation, and trademark Cryptopsy madness. Sure, Laviosier?s riffs are missing bigtime, but overall better thn s/t imo.Cryptopsy The Book of Suffering - Tome IIYes yes yes! This is it! By far Cryptopsy?s best since Whisper, it is the closest since then to the brutal greatness they were known for in the 90s. Mad junpy riffs, insane technical drumming, unhinged vocals in all sorts of registers. This is the right direction!Cynic '88 DemoEpic! Cynic doing straight-up OSDM with some technical riffs! Super heavy and «deathy» for its time. Nothing very special, but awsome considering what one expects from Cynic now-a-days.Cynic Kindly Bent to Free UsA very nice album. This album seems to get hate from the Death Metal elitists I guess, but the Cynic is still very mich in here with their fusion chops and the occasional metal riff. Is it more prog/fusion than metal? Yes. Are Masvidal?s vocals not exactly the best ever? Yes. Is it bad? Not even slightly.Damn the Machine Damn the MachineThis sounds more like Megadeth than I expected. Like if Megadeth met a restrained Fates Warning. Daniel Bautista Pandora's boxThis guy deserves attention! Fantastic songwriting combining prog-metal/rock-style virtuosic passages and complex songwriting with classical melodies and huge choruses. Would do very well with an actual drummer and a vocalist for those choruses especially, but still is brilliant.Dark Angel Darkness DescendsLead heavy, fast and brutal for the time. Nothing more than a generic thrash record today. Gene Hoglan's speed, again, for the time was amazing, and the riffs aren't horrible. I'll give it a 3.Dark Funeral In The Sign...Very solid raw Black Metal. Instrumentally proficient, however could have less satan.Dave Holland Conference of the BirdsFeaturing Anthony Braxton, you know you are in for a wild ride. Will need more listens before I can properly rate this avant-garde piece for sure.Dead Congregation Graves of the ArchangelsThis goes hard, and never lets go. It is 1990 and we are in Florida... Oh wait, no, this is a Greek band plauing the grimey Autopsy style early DM combined with a HUGE muddy sound, some choirs, and a BM like melodic atmosphere to boot. It is cool, but other than the huge and amazing last track runs together and does not present too mich new or interesting stuff to me.Death Infernal DeathVery solid demo, and the first one that sounds a lot like the Death that would be on Scream Bloody Gore both vocally and instrumentally. The first track is onn SBG, just with different lyrics.Death MutilationYup, this is fucking DEATH baby! Deathh's final demo is basically the band fully realized, and holy shit! RIP Chuck :'( rHis vocals here are also probably the best they'd ever be.Death Spiritual HealingA solid album, but one of Death's weakest. The riffs aren't as memorable and catchy previously, and while the large amounts of prog added are nice, they still clash with the more thrash/death-y riffage.Death Death By MetalA ferocious demo from 1984 with almsot fully realized Death Metal! The music on here is fantastic! Like Scream Bloody Gore level realized chuggy thrashy Death Metal with high register growls (not performed by Scuck). Notice that the opening riff is both the main riff of Mayhem?s Deathcrush and the hook riff off of Death?s own Spiritual Healing. Just shows how timeless this really was.Death Angel Act IIIDecapitated Cemeteral Gardens13 year olds are not supposed to be this good at playing the drums! Already in 1997 on their first (and well produced) demo were Decapitated a Death Metal machine to behold! Less technical than they would become, but great nevertheless.Decrepit Birth Axis MundiFor some reason, Decrepit Birth decide to hold back on the technicality, and while mainly the progressive side of their music is still very present, the riffage, leads and soloing is more straight-fprward than before. More focus on brutality like on the first record returns too.Deeds of Flesh Inbreeding the AnthropophagiA solid album. Riff-heavy music, and very twchnical. Finding the 1 is so to speak impossible.Deeds of Flesh Trading PiecesOne of the first and most important albums in brutal tech-death. Not special by today's standards, and really lacks variation, but a highly enjoyable listen nonetheless. Try finding the 1.Deeds of Flesh Path of the WeakeningDeeds of Flesh Gradually MeltedDeep Purple Shades Of Deep PurpleDeep Purple The Book Of TaliesynAn improvement over the debut, it just about is a 3. DP?w songwriting is still nowhere near stellar, as is shown by a load of covers on here too. Their sound is a bit more hard-edged and bluesier here than on the debut, and some tracks like my fav Wring That Neck show the incredible cjemistry and skill between Blackmore and Lord that would be insteumental (no pun intended) in future DP. I also really enjoy the peogginess of these earlier albums.Defeated Sanity Passages Into DeformityA pretty standard Defeated Sanity affair by now. Most similar to Psalms out of their past efforts, so incredibly brutal, but still with a very solid amount of jazzy and technical goodness. Still way too little cariation and br00tal focus for me, but good.Defeated Sanity Psalms of the MoribundAwesome short album combining jazzy chops with brutality. Not much more to say really. Love these guys? sound.Defeated Sanity The Sanguinary ImpetusDeafeated Sanity?s flair for Jazz is once again very present, even if this album stays in mostly Brutal Death conventions. One of their better records,, combining twangy walking bass (which is very high in the mix, thanks guys!) lines with mostly butal death metal riffage and drumming. The 2nd side crushes the first, as the record takes some time to get going. In fact, until the last 3 tracks, a pretty weak album. Deicide Serpents of the LightMore satanic, jesus-bashing riffy DM with mad vocals. It really isn't anything unlike what Deicide did before, and an enjoyable ride all the way through.Demilich The Four Instructive Tales... of DecompositionCertainly a fantastic demo that showcases the band?s style well. The mix however is awful, and they aren?t at the level thwy would be in three years yet.Derek Sherinian The PhoenixSolid. has inconsistensies, and some tracks are way better than others. Honestly it feels more like a calculated, if fun album. Not much in terms of experimentation or innovation going on here.Destruction Eternal DevastationDevil Master ManifestationsDevin Townsend Ziltoid the OmniscientA well orchestrated hilarious concept album. Probably my favourite thing about this might be the story, even if way too goofy. My biggest gripe however, is quite a bit worse. The drum-machine sounds awful, and is way too loud in the mix. It gets titing real wuick, and sounds unrealistic. Otherwise, not really my style of music wntirely, but cool.Dio Sacred HeartDissection Maha KaliAn alright new single vombined with the amazing Unhallowed, one of the weaker songs off of SotLB, which loses some of its magic in my eyes with the new production.Distorted Harmony Chain ReactionDizzy Gillespie School DaysEarly bluesy Jazz. Not really my style as it's to a large extennt centered around the vocals, and focuses less on instrumental prowess. One still gets some nice trumpet solos.Django Reinhardt DjangologyMadman. Fantqastic playing for the time. Lots of cool interesting interpretations of everything from standards to Tchaikovsky!Dmitri Shostakovich Concertino for 2 pianos in A minor, Op. 94Don Cherry Symphony for ImprovisersI mean, the playing is good, but it takes the idea of free-jazz a bit far foe my liking. Sounds too incohesive.Don Cherry "mu" First PartSolid idea rooted in the style of Symphony for Improvisors. Here Cherry goes even more primitive and folky and removed everyone except for himself and percussion. Great moments, but not enough overall punch imo.Dream Theater The AstonishingIt is ironic that the topic of the album is what makes it so ironic. "People just don't have the time for music anymore" sings LaBrie. Just that seems to be the most common complaint about the album, that it is too long, stretched out and cheesy. Well, it is supposed to be, it is a whole rock opera. Now I will agree that it is way too good for its own good and would do very well being pushed back to at moost 1.5 hrs. Still a good album though even if not among DTs best. Some very cool moments, and the story is well made and woven together.Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of EventsInnovation? Not much. Dream Theater don?t necessarily challenge themselves here, and one can see why. The departure of Portnoy of course left a huge question mark over DT?s future, and it is understandable they played it somewhat safe with this album. Wank, melody and chuggy metal supplemented with ballads, it has everything DT has ever been. Not great but not bad.Dream Theater Distance Over TimeA fun, but very safe album. No epic 10+ minute tracks (sorely missed) for the second album in a row! Mangini sounds solid, though his drums still could sound better. Pale Blue Dot is absolutely fantastic, and I am very happy to hear Myung so well in the mix! Dream Theater When Dream and Day ReuniteInteresting. I actually kinda prefer the album version of WDADU. Maybe I am used to Dominicis vocals on it, but when LaBrie came in on A Fortune in Lies it sounded all wrong. Also with actual peoduction the lack in songwriting skills as compared to just 2 years later is quite huge. Cool to see the band with Sherinian and Dominici again, although on To Live Forever in particular the issues with Dominicis voice are amazingly clear.Dream Theater Once in a LIVEtimeDying Fetus Grotesque ImpalementVery different from their full-lengths, wspecially the 2 last ones at this point. A more straight forward groovy Death Metal sound, plus 2 covers, one a surprise in a punk song. Overall not bad, but not anything amazing either. More arpeggios and technicality please!Dying Fetus Purification Through ViolenceYet another DM debut held back by bad production, mainly mixingDying Fetus Stop at NothingFetus? weakest album thus far. That is not to say it isn?t still a solid album, it just lacks the brutal grooves, and sheer technicality they built up on their two previous releases.Enslaved IsaEric Dolphy Out ThereA step towards experimentation with tons of atonality and dissonance, but not in free-form yet.Eugene Ysaye Sonatas for Solo ViolinEvergrey Solitude Dominance TragedyA bit samey and too anthemic for my taste. Especially towards the end, the compositions seem to take a hit for more straight forward power-metal rockers with syncopation. Still a solid album though.Exhorder Slaughter in the VaticanExodus Tempo of the DamnedExodus Fabulous DisasterExodus Pleasures of the FleshReally solid neoclassical guitar woek, and some cool odd-meter moments. Otherwise pretty standard old-school thrash, especially for the second half.Faith No More Sol InvictusFantomas FantĂ´masProlly the weirdest shit I have ever heard. This is not even controlled chaos, just absolute madness. Patton sounds like a beast unleashed, Lonbardo?s insane drum burdts are magical, and the other instruments keep up more than well. Sometimes it hirs the mark, but often times it feels just too weird for me at least. Fates Warning The Spectre WithinFates Warning show immense improvement as songwriters from their first record, however the production and vocals of Arch really hold them back. The second half is also a good bit weaker than the first imo.Fates Warning Night on BrockenHas its issues, and is very derivative off of Iron Maiden especially, but shows enough peomise to stand out on its own right. The twchnical passages added which shine on tracks like Shadowfax are really cool, but overall the entire album is basically a Maiden eip-iff.Feleth The CovenantA very solid debut EP from a north-Norwegian that takes cues from all types of DM, while adding a personal flair. Their style might not be fully personalised, but their combination of good old groovy OSDM and melodic leads is really nice. High hopes for the lads!Feleth DepravityReally solid first full-length effort from the boys! After a promising debut, the boys release their forst full-lwngth which shows a lot of peomise with carchy grooves, and well thought out melodies. The guitar work is wonderful as well as the vocals. They try out some interesting elements like clean female vocals and a jazzy part, of whixh I really enjoyed the latter. The songs are also a little too simplistic with basic 3-chord peogressions at times for my liking.Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64Solid, but not that amazing. The last movement is my favourite, as it really goes all in with the instrumental prowess, but overall I just did not find the concerto that amazing. The first movement was nice and emotional with some good moments, but nothing left too large of a dent.Fire! Orchestra Enter!Not as good as their debut imo. Seemed to be based more around hypotism/repetitiveness.First Fragment The Afterthought EcstasySome solid neoclassical tech-death, but expected more. First Fragment choose to focus so to soeak fully on two aspects of the modern tech-death world: Thrashy heaviness and neoclassical shred. I miss the noodling and conpositional complexity that usually follows the genre and honestly found this a little too straight forward. A good record nonetheless.Frank Zappa ApostropheAfter hearing One Size Fits all and Hot Rats, I was expecting more brilliant compositions and impressive instrumwntalism. Here I got barely any. Some songs had it, butboverall it sounded very watered down, and dare I say wven lyric focused. Still a 3 due to some great moments like St. Alfonso?s and Father.Frank Zappa The Grand WazooZappa is incredibly hit or miss for me, but this is a brilliant showcase of a hit albums from him. Fusion through and through and through, the album showcases great playing. Most of the tracks are instrumental which I strongly prefer as far as Zappa is concerned.rFrankie C. Cellular DamascusI came over this guy when he won BangerTV's Shredders of Metal 2018. Clearly, he deserved it. In just 10 minutes he showcases everythig from beautiful feel and emotion to insane, but still very mindful sredding and sweeped arpeggios. Canot wait to hear more from him!Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, S. 124Guy can play, but his compositional skills were certainly not quite there yet at this point.Franz Liszt Liebestraume, S.541Some solid Nocturnes. As usual with nocturnes, too slow and romantic for my style, but undeniably good.Franz Liszt Grandes Ă©tudes de Paganini, S.141.Franz Liszt transcribing some of Paganini?s best and hardest pieces showing what he himself is made of. Obviously, one would be an absolute baboon to doubt Franz?s skill, but regardless, this is a mega-impressive showing.Franz Liszt Totentanz, S. 525A solid very technically impressive (as always with Liszt) piece, However, as is also often the case with him, could certainly have more musicality other than technicality to it.Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 3 in Eâ™ majorI do not know whether this was a finished concerto just released posthumously, or whether Liszt did not feel it was quite done yet, but it does not sound too impressive. It is good, yes, but not much more.Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 4, S. 696A bit unfair to rate as it is an unfinished work, but I'm sure it would've come out great.Franz Liszt Mephisto Polka, S. 217Franz Liszt Variations on Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen S. 180Franz Schubert Symphony No. 1 in D major, D. 82First and last movements are great, but the middle two aren?t as much.Franz Schubert "Unfinished" Symphony No.8, D.759A very emotional symphony. A heavy mood is present from the start, with occasional happier overtures reminiscent of Morning Mood (Grieg). It would be interesting to see where the rest of this would have gone.Franz Schubert Fantasia in F minor, D. 940Freddie Hubbard Hub CapNothing great, but not at all bad either. Just an enjoyable bop album.Frederic Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11Last movement is exquisite, but the first two, specifically the second were way too slow and romantic for my taste.Frederic Chopin Ballade No.2, Op.38Another wonderful moddy ballade showing all the tricks Chopin has up his sleeve... In just 7.5 minutes! Creacendos often starting with more melodic romance and culminating in loud technical wankery take the centre of the piece.Frederic Chopin Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66Fucking incredible. If this were part of a longer suite, pr a longer piece it would get a huge rating. Dazzling throughout.Frederic Chopin Ballade No. 4, Op. 52Chopin?s last Ballade is a solid piece, but overall too calm for my liking. A build-up piece for sure, the ending is magnificent, however outside of one crescendo, the opening like 6 minutes are too long for my liking.Frederic Chopin Scherzo No.3, Op.39A few minutes shorter than the first two, so less time to showcase any emotional dynamic, but nonetheless good.Gatecreeper DesertedGenesis Nursery CrymeHoning in on their progressive sound found on Trespass, Genesis take a firm step towards prog-legend status. The acquisitions of jazzy drummer Phil Collins and virtuoso guitarist Steve Hackett are huge, as both would prove instrumental to Genesis' prog days. Still, too many poppy ballads for my liking. When Genesis really go for it with the prog though, like on The Musical Box and Giant Hogweed, it is amazing. Genesis Selling England by the PoundGreat flowing album. Less prog-wanky, and softer than I'd like, but a wonderful album nonetheless with a fair share of weird time signatures and some extended instrumental sections.God Dethroned The ChristhuntA perfectly good album, nothing more, nothing less. It shows promise of being great, but loses it due to overstaying a bit. Very much a typical example of early 90s DM with a hint of originality and what the band would flourish into 5 years later. Crushing Death Metal riffs with melodic background guitars, slower melodic passages and a good amount of prog thrown in for good measure.Gojira MagmaGojira Possessed (as Godzilla)Quite the progression from their first demo, Victim. The obvious better production is one thing, but then there's the musical progression too. Less straight-up, with more chuggy, rhythmical Gojira goodness.Gojira Saturate (as Godzilla)Again, a rather large improvement over their last EP, and Gojira?s last release as «Godzilla». This EP is 3 songs off Terra and the t/t Saturate which is a more straight-forward Death Metal affair. Either way, again, inproved peoduction, and a clear trademark Gojira style with dissonant atmosphere and mammoth rhythms. Gojira Wisdom ComesA selection of tracks off the debut, so final form Gojira with somewhat weakened production.Gordian Knot Gordian KnotHad huge hopes based on the line-up, but unfortunately not my thing. Still good, but much too ambient and atmospheric for my taste.Gorguts ...and Then Comes LividityFuck yeah, a really really hood demo. What probably surprised me the most here was the production. Really audible. The musicality these guys already possess as well... Wow. Beautigul Maiden-like guitar harmonies along eith crunchy death metal riffage. Gorguts really are one of a kind. An ever-evolving band that mastered everything they did.Gorod Process of a New DeclineAnother solid Gorod offering, but their weakest yet. After going in a more complex progressive direction on Leading Vision, Gorod seemingly take a step back on their third offering. Concentrating more on loads of melody, and a more straight-forward style, Gorod bring back some of the awesome neoclassical leadwork and catchy melodies that I felt missed a bit on Visions, but take two steps back on terms of composition. Gorod TranscendenceLove the acoustic takes on Gorod classics, the first one a latino sounding classical version of Blackout, and the second a cool slower acoustic rearrag?ent of Earth Pus. Then the new track is monstrous, though i'm unsure how such a drastic change of style from pure tech-death to proggier would work for a full-length. Curious to see whether they keep it up for future LPs, and if so, how it sounds.Gorod AethraA great album, but nothing really new from Gorod, and possibly their least interesting yet. After a hell of an album exploring jazz-themes in 2016?s Maze, Ćthra goes back to more ?straight-forward? tech-death, at least for Gorod to be.Grave Tremendous PainChainsaw tone? Check. Thrashy drumming? Check. Brutal vocals? Check. Heavy and melodic? Check. Yup, this is good old Swedish Death Metal.Greta Van Fleet From the FiresGuns N' Roses G N' R LiesGustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32Mars is incredible and Jupiter is great. Other than that and some great moments in Venus and Saturn, I found most of it too stuck in broody atmospherics. Overall a good piece, but not my style of classical.Haken L-1veListened to the album without the DVD. It is a solid rendition of all the tracks, but of coursde the production is not as good (it is live after all). Haken AffinityAn album of two halves. The first half is some of Haken's best, with a new affinity (see what I did there?) for heavy djenty riffing, but the second half succumbs to much to simple pop tendencies which I do not enjoy. 1985 and The Architect both sit solidly among their best imo.Haken Enter the 5th Dimension (Demo)Production is right trash, but the music is awesome. Not as good as they would become, especially from The Mountain, but good none-the-less. A lot of the quirk and throwing everything at the wall approach heard on Aquarius, which of course leads to some not-so-fitting passages and transitions. Most of them work really well however. The closer (Snow)'s chorus would be used on Crystallised off the Restoration EP years later. There is also still a lot of blatant Dream Theater on here, which would also mostly start dissipation come The Mountain and even more on Affinity. Manifold in particular is structured just like Erotomania with some melodic similarities too.Hallas HällasSolid proto-metal. On the lighter side of proto-metal, it also adds in progressive elements, which combine for a unique experience. It is quite cool, and I look forward to hearing full LPs from these guys.Haunt (USA-CA) Mind FreezeHavok VIs this basically entirely derivative of the 80s? Yes. Is it still shamelessly enjoyable, creative and varied? Yes. Just because of the sheer fun, I will give this a 3 for now.Havukruunu Uinuos Syömein SotaThe guys have chops, which I would like to hear more than I did. Similarly the song-steuctures were mostly similar, eventhough the band shows glimpses of brilliance with multiple sections in for example the 8 minute closer. The folky Finnish power melodic vibe is not my thing and becomes quite overbearing auite quickly for me, but otherwise a well made album in the vein of I would say Wintersun.Heaven and Hell The Devil You KnowVery nice comeback album by Dio era Sabbath-Ward. Three of the most unmistakablw people in Metal, Iommi, Dio and Butler put together a solid slab of heavy classic metal. Not as good as their 80s stuff and Degumanizer, but nevertheless solid.Helloween Walls Of JerichoHelloween JudasHenryk Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 1 in F#Minor, Op. 14Very good compositions, and expecially the violin candenza at the end of the last movement. Goddamn!Herbie Hancock MwandishiSolid, and compositionally of course fantastic, but espwcially the last track just meanders too much for my taste.Herbie Hancock SextantHerbie Hancock Inventions And DimensionsAlabaster's soundoff perfectly encompasses my thoughts. I would describe this album as just one big jam. It seems it is based almost purely around piano-improvisation. It is a lot of fun, but also explores very little new material.Highly Suspect The Boy Who Died WolfHonningbarna HonningbarnaSolid punk debut. Raw and political as ever, even with some acoustic passages, very good.Hypocrisy The Fourth DimensionThe OSDM parts are cool, but broods too much in simple melancholy melodies with some not-optimal lyricism.Hypocrisy Maximum Abduction (EP)Songs off of Abduction are great, third one?s alright, last ine?s absolute trash. Overall a 3.Iced Earth IncorruptibleIgor Stravinsky Violin Concerto in D majorImmolation Shadows in the LightWhen listening to Immolation one is guaranteed quality. They are in my eyes the most consistent band with an as large doscog as themselves in extreme metal. This is their weakest effprt yet in my eyes, but it is still very good, balancing dissonant and brutal but catchy riffs with atmospheric wretched melodies. The length is the only reason it is not a 3.5.Immortal Battles in the NorthEverything about this album is mostly good. The instrumentarion, vocals etc. are great raw Black Metal. However, it is very ine dimensional. Other than that, not really anything to pick out.Immortal Blizzard BeastsBit of an oddball album from Immortal. The band?s last album with Demonaz in the fold sees them implement more progressive and technical song structures. While that is cool, and makes Demonaz go out on a high note, it seems like everything else is weaker on this album than their others.Imperial Triumphant AlphavilleA cool concept, and surprisingly one which sounds very cohesive. However, in getting over the hurdle of cohesivness, Imperial Triumphant seem to have forgotten about variation. The dissonant mix of jazz, tremolo-picked metal and some nasty breakdown riffs rarely venture far from each other, which ultimately makes for a somewhat mediocre listen.In Mourning MonolithA bang on 3, which is quite disappointing given the pure quality of the debut. The music sounds more technically focused, but with the price of all the emotional content of the debut. The result is a, while good musically, bland, mechanical and quite samey approach to melodic death metal with prog elementsIntervals In TimeA nice piece of instrumental metal, and more dunamic than their debut. I enjoyed that one more though, as it felt more focused to me. Sometimes it feels like Intervals meander a bit much here.Iron Maiden Brave New WorldSmith and Dickinson?s return also brings back good music from Maiden. Not as good as their 80s material, but better than the 90s. They sharpen their prog-edge mostly in a compositional context with longer tracks and more reliance on Bruce.Iron Maiden The Final FrontierIron Maiden A Matter Of Life And DeathOne of Maiden?s better post-reunion albums for sure. Unfortunately it falls into a few rather unfortunate tropes. Mainly, it is just too repeptitive. The song structures are almost all the same; Intro, verse, chorus, verse, break and instrumental section, chorusx300 end. Therefore the length makes this even more obvious. Also, modern Maiden seems to put way too much focus on the choruses. I enjoy the darker atmosphere and progginess a lot though.Iron Maiden Live At DoningtonIron Maiden Maiden JapanRandomly selected tracks from a great overall Maiden setlist. Jack DeJohnette SorceryJaco Pastorius Word of MouthPlaying on here is great by all parties, and ofc Jaco is shockingly good. I enjoy Herbie's piano a lot too. Think this might be a grower, but for now a 3. I find it to have too much balladery.James Norbert Ivanyi AphasiaA really solid debut by Ivanyi, if a little derivative. he basically mixes djent with the more melodic and wanky aspects of a Dream Theater, and makes a solid album. He would come to find a unique sound to himself soon after!James Norbert Ivanyi The UsurperIvanyi progresses his sound slightly. A bit more experimental than the last album, it is also very short, so one does not get as good a feel for what is going on.Jane's Addiction Nothing's ShockingJason Becker Boy Meets Guitar - Volume 1 of the Youngster TapesA very fun listen. The skill Becker possesses already as a 15-17 year old is crystal clear, and one can even hear that his tracks as a 16 year old bring more to the table than the 15YO ones. Regardless, that is mostly what it is, a collection of incredible takes, either covers or songwriting lacking originals showing immense instrumental talent.Jean-Luc Ponty King KongJeff Loomis Requiem for the LivingInstrumental opener is fantastic, and carries this album. The second track is good, although Loomis is clearly so much better just instrumentally when getting to fully explore his amazing neoclassical shred. The last 2 tracks, especially the last one just truly truly suck so much.Jethro Tull BenefitNot as good as Stand Up, and certainly not the two next ones, but still a solid album. After combining all sorts of styles on Stand Up, Jethro mostly strip down their sound to folky prog rock. It?s good, but could have more variation and more flashiness.Joe Pass VirtuosoJohann Sebastian Bach Lute Suite in C Minor, BWV 997A very good Lute suite, but not quite great. The first piece is very solid, but the two following are not as good.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.5 in C minor, BWV 1011A solid cello perfoemance. Not as varied as the 1st movement, and less flavourful.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012Bach's best cello movement for nr. 1, and a great second and last. The others however fall flat in comparison.Johann Sebastian Bach Vom himmel hoch da kom ich her, BWV 769Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046A decent concerto. Some nice harmonies, but overall nothing interesting st all.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047A very well orchestrated and lively sounding concerto. Very short though.Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77A good concerto, though overall too emotionally expressionate and slow for me. Last movement which picked up the pace did not really hit home either, as the Constant epic vibe got a bit tiresome.Johannes Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op.56bJohannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15Solid. The 1st movement is the highlight. The second is just too long, especially since I'm not much of an Adagio fan, and the last one is alright, not too special.John Coltrane Coltrane (Prestige, 1957)When thee first track hits you with odd metres, you know it'll be good. An enjoyable record overall, if not among Coltrane's best.John Coltrane John Coltrane with the Red Garland TrioA solid album showplaying loads of talent. Obviously we all know Coltrane's sax skills are incredible, and Garland on the piano is quite the beast too. They go through everyhting from hard shreddy bop like the last track, and slow looungey pieces like the one before it. All of it is well done, but nothing amazing.John Coltrane Coltrane TimeGood. Compositionally, nothing extra special, but what gets it that extra 0.5 from average to good is the phenomenal piano playing from Cecil Taylor (as mentioned inBedex's soundoff). His slightly dissonant lines around the melody and chords make for an interesting experience. Of course Coltrane absolutely abuses the sax, but we cannot expect any less.John Coltrane AscensionMy brain; has been destroyed. A piece of completely dissonant nature, I do not think the instruments other than the drums follow its beat for more than 5 minutes at most of the track's run-time. Pure atonal free-jazz, I cannot comprehend what I heard based on just the two listens. What I can tell you is that Tyner's solo around the 30-minute mark was spectacular.John Coltrane The Last TraneSpectacular playing, not too special compositions. The first track comes blazong out of the gate and does not slow down, then come 2 slower numbers, of which the last is probably the weakest track on the album. The last track is an alright closer.John Coltrane Blue WorldJohn Coltrane OlĂ© ColtraneA very fun recored, and the first track in particular is spectacular. Tyner and Jones transform Coltrane's band into a collective of absolute virtuosos. The reason for the lower rating is that it does not explore any new territory.John Frusciante The EmpyreanJohn McLaughlin DevotionGood, but not really my thing. Very much too bluesy for my liking.John McLaughlin Electric DreamsA lot of great playing, and an overall good collections of songs. Enjoyable through and through.John Scofield Blue MatterJohn Scofield Who's Who?John Scofield SolarJordan Rudess Secrets of the MuseJoscho Stephan Swinging StringsSome wonderful gypsy jazz in the vein of what Django Reinhardt introduced decades earlier.Judas Priest PainkillerNo cluw how this is so highly regarded, not even Priest?s best. A good classic metal record with a few standout tracks (like t/t, All Guns Blazing. Overall it is much too one-dimensional and not very gamechanging, even for the time.Judas Priest British SteelJudas Priest Rocka RollaA positive surprise. Definitely Judas Priest?s most overlooked album to the point where you?d think it doesn?t exist. And it isn?t even bad at that. Very different record with very strong Blues roots, but an interesting look into Priest?s humble beginnings. For one song to check out, Dying To Meet You displays Priest?s entire wide array. It goes from a soft ballad in its first half, to a full onn bluesy attack, and then even shows off some of the twin guitar melodies Priest will be known for.Kat 666Kat Metal and HellPretty cool Venom-like speed metal. Mix more than has its problems, but the semi-primitive classic metal sound with grimy vocals and remains great!Keith Jarrett Treasure IslandToo many ballads. Still good. Fullovollivus and Angels are clear standouts.Kiko Loureiro Sounds of InnocenceSolid. A little better than Dullblast, but not quite up to par with Kiko?s forst two.Killswitch Engage Alive or Just BreathingKing Crimson In the Wake of PoseidonA hugely ambitious album (similar to its predecessor) which does not quite reach the hights it could have to me. It starts off amazing with a wanky jazz-prog piece, but then takes on more ambient, atmospheric orchestral styles which are not really my thing. The closer in particular moves too far from home for my liking. Still a good overall concept piece though.King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingProg rock started here. Album deserves a 3.5 for influence, but I just cannot give it. 21st Century Schizoid Man is a perfect track, combining the darkness and wankiness of avant-garde jazz with rock distortion. The rest though are not my cup of tea.KISS DestroyerKISS KISSSolid start for a very influential American band. Most of the bigger proto-metal bands came from the UK (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zep etc.), but here is the most important American one. Sure, their sounnd is much more streamlined almost glammy, but for the time quite heavy. A nice little album.Krokofant KrokofantMy lord. These guys sure have no mercy for the wank-allergic listener. A tour de Force of technicality, it is sure enjoyable, but at times reminds me more of the exercises I do to increase my picking speed than purposefully wirtten music.Kvelertak SplidLamb of God SacramentLamb of God Lamb of GodI mean, it is Lamb of God. Groovy, melodic, slightly metalcore influenced. Blythe?d signature vicals are in place, but the elephant in the room is how they do without Adler. The answer? Alright. Is his snare and style missed? Yes, but Cruz does a solid job of filling in.Led Zeppelin PresenceLed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IIIIncludes some true Zep classics e.g. Immigramt Somg, Since I?ve Been Loving You and Bron. However overall it falls short compared to the albums surrounding it.Levin Minnemann Rudess Levin Minnemann RudessThe prowess of all of these guys is ofc amazing, and the compositions overall are great. I really miss a virtuosic lead-instrument double to Rudess though, and feel a trade-off and unison lead dynamic is dearly missing on this album. I also am not a very big fan of Rudess? use of industrial elecronic effects.Liquid Tension Experiment Live in LASolid performance of great music. Could however be more energetic, and I'd love to see more variation in the playing too. Petrucci and Rudess seemed to shred at every given opportunity, and the harmonic rhythms was very similar for all the tracks.Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21A good, if entirely standard piece of high classical music. Being familiar with Beethoven?s best-known symphonies from before (5th & 9th), I was surprised ro hear nothing but a remarkably generic piece of classical here. Sure, hints of Beethoven?s uniqueness appear, but it?s mostly a very standard and calculated affair.Ludwig van Beethoven Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor "FĂĽr Elise", WoO 59Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36An alright symphony. Beethoven adds some of his personal bombast in comparison to his very standard 1st, however its integration isn?t entirely fully fledged. Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in Bâ™, Op. 60Beethoven at his usual loud and bombastic self. He starts sounding more like the master he would become with his last few symphonies, but still has not quite gotten there.Machine Head The BlackeningMahavishnu Orchestra ApocalypseA mixed bag. The parts with just the orchestra and the choir, like the entirety of Smile of the Beyond suck. However, when Luc-Jean and Mclaughlin pick it up and go ham trading iff crazy leads this album is at its peak. The orchestra sounds amazing when backing them up, and even during short interludes. Too much album revolves around orchestral and electric parts that sound entirely separate hurting it in the long-run.Malokarpatan StridĹľie dniManilla Road Crystal LogicSolid epic metal album, but not as amazing as people say imo. Some good riffs, but that is about it ino. Overall too slow imo , and the faster sections were not all that. Awful production and really really bad vocals drag it down anothe ćr good bit. I just do not see why it is so loved. Still good though.Mark Lettieri FuturefunMaster's Hammer JilemnickĂ˝ OkultistaQuite the stylistic change from Ritual, whether good or bad is up to the listener. Eitual was mostly a blackened NWOBHM/trad metal record which Intgought was great. Master?s Hammer make quite the shift into folky and symphonic elements here, which is not entirely my thing. The variation among the tracks was much appreciated, however the tracks themselves were mostly very monotonous.Mastodon Crack the SkyeA massive stylistic change from Mastodon, and to me, in a bad way. They leave their contrasting sludgy heavy and ailky smooth melodic past bwvind them, and go all in for the smoother ethereal proggy feel. While yes, they are still technically brilliant, it just leaves a lot to desire. I feel myself really missing the heavy riffs and screamy vocals in the midst of all the jazzy melody.Mastodon Emperor of SandMax Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26Mayhem DeathcrushMayhem Ordo ad ChaoMayhem continue completely reinventing themselves and put out another completely unique and weird record. I really struggled with the mix on this one as it is so bass heavy that the guitars are almost drowned out, and all you can hear is Hellhammer. Regardless, the music is incredibly weird and complex, which combined with Chisar?s unrivaled unorthodox vocals makes for a very cool experience.Mayhem PsywarA track off of Esoteric and an unreleased one. Both pretty good. A more muddy peoduction than on the actual record. Nor much more to say.MC5 Back In The USAMcCoy Tyner Reaching FourthGood record with great playing and solid drum solos by Haynes. Really straight-forward and toned down compared to his debut and his work with Coltrane, but enjoyable still.McStine and Minnemann McStine & MinnemannMinnemann's output is mad, and I love it. Guy releases like 1 album a month at this point. Yet he still keeps them high in quality! Another solid album with loads of styles on it. Not everything hits home, but it could certainly be worse.Medeski, Martin and Wood It's a Jungle in HereGreat Coltrane cover containing a highlight bass solo (with some hilarious humming) and a overall decent album. Feels a bit lost at times, and less intense than the debut. A lot of great dissonant pedal-tone organ playing as well which is a lot of fun. Megadeth DystopiaExeptional playing from Kiko and some awesomw modern ideas that breathe life into Megadeth. Kiko?s fantastic neoclassical, jazzy and latino shred combined with some djenty rhythms truly make Megadeth interesting after a long long while. Too bas the last few tracks of the album, especially Foreign Policy really ruin it a bit.Megadeth YouthanasiaMegadeth Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?Much like Metallica's MoP, I think this album is a very overrated standard thrash album. Sure, it might have been among the first of its kind, but going by today's standards, it is nothing special. The next album would see Megadeth improve drastically.Megadeth Countdown To ExtinctionMegadeth change tracks onto a more trad heavy metal road, and soften up in the process. Some amazing songs like Ashes in Your Mouth (my CLEAR highlight) are a result, but overall it falls short of 'Deth's thrash era imo. Still good.Megadeth Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!A slab of fast and raw thrash. Great riffing and soloing from the two guitarists, who in my opinion are both the best Big-4 guitarists (along with Megadeth?s later lead guitarists). Megadeth United AbominationsAnother step back after a step forward in The System Has Failed. This album goes back in a more 90s Megadeth direction with hints of thrash. it also includes a second version of A Tout Le Monde featuring Lacuna Coil singer Cristina Scabbia for some reason.Megadeth Last RitesThis is one ANGRY ANGRY demo! Davw gwts right back on his feet after getting outed from Metallica, and comes up with a brilliant, fast and raw demo.Mekong Delta Mekong DeltaVery interesting record, and undoubtedly a grower. For now I have it at a 3, as the amount of dissonance and atmosphere is very hard to digest on one listen. These guys are obviously immensely talented, and have choos. Their compositions borrow a lot from contemporary atonal classical, combining it with techy/proggy thrash. Certainly will give them more tries.Meshuggah The Violent Sleep of ReasonMeshuggah Destroy Erase ImproveThis, my friends, is where djent was born. Meshuggah move on from basically being a more complex Kill 'Em All Metallica, and become the rhythmical brutal titans we now know. The combination of wild time signature and spastic brutal riffing/drumming and atonal jazzy interludes works really well, and created a whole army of new metal bands.Meshuggah Re-NothingA wonderful progression of Meshuggah's sound, and probably where they truly find their formula. Syncopated, time-hopping, polyrhythmic riffing/druming with wild vocals and drumming complemented by dissonant leads and amazing jazzy solos. I find this album to drag a good bit, and the last track to be completely unnecessary though.Meshuggah Catch ThirtythreeMetal Church Metal ChurchMetallica MetallicaGood. Longer than it needed to be, and Nothing else is a total misfit, but otherwise solid still very metal songs. Honestly fo not see how this is a sellout album.Metallica Hardwired...To Self-DestructMetallica Death MagneticMgla MdlosciMore beautiful atmospheric Black Metal as on the first EP, which I actually thought was slightly better due to its rawness.Mgla PresenceWonderful old-school atmospheric and chilly BM. One of today?s greatest pure Black Metal ands announcing their arrival with a very stellar EP of 3 chillingly armospheric tracks with great melodies and vocals.Mgla GrozaExtremely solid hypnotic BM. mgla?s first full length is exactly what one would expect based on their EPs. A joirney through old-school Norwegian-like atmospheric BM. It is done damn well, but has some inconsistensies.Midnight No Mercy for MayhemMiles Davis 'Round About MidnightThe first interesting Miles Davis record. Until this point, I have to admit I find all of Davis' work incredibly boring and outdated. Here however, he starts showing the first hints of the huge jazz figure he would become.Miles Davis Relaxin' With the Miles Davis QuintetMisfits Static AgeMonobody MonobodyA nice atmospheric fusion album. Less in-your-face than I would like, but they certainly paint some very nice musical landscapes.Monstrosity Imperial DoomGood album. Before CG was Cannibalising people he growled for this relatively unknown band. Their first is a relatively standard OSDM album with some added technicality.Monstrosity Rise to PowerMusic is super-duper good, if a bot worryingly generic for this band to be, ut the production is hugely problematic. Super plastic-sounding. Shoutout to the fantastic rhythm (bass & drums) and guitar-work though.Morbid Angel Thy Kingdom ComeA solid very listenable demo on par with many Death Metal full-length/EPs. Morbid Angel's final demo has better production than the rest, and presents us with mostly new tracks. Everything sounds improved including the music itself, making it one of the better demos I have heard.Morbid Angel DominationMorbid Angel change up their sound quite a bit, resulting in a different, but still good album. After releasing 3 of Death Metal?s greatest albums, Morbid Angel change it up going doomier, groovier and more brutal. The guitar tone is much more low-end focused and thicker, while David Vincent sounds like a complete beast. Trey still gets in some great shredding, but it falls well short of their previous efforts for me.Morbid Angel Entangled in ChaosA solid live album, but too much of the set-list is focused on the (imo) not that good Domination, and the production sounds very robot-like. The performances are great, but I also very much miss hearing the audience to the extent where I was at a point even wondering if this is actually live. But yeah, the set-list, and even more the bass-heavy, drum-fronted production ruins a lot.Mortiferum Altar of DecaySolid doomy death mwtal. Great if monotonous vocals.Motorhead Iron FistMotorhead Ace Of SpadesCombine 70s blues hard-rock and punk speed and attitude; what do you get? Motörhead. They used the art of simplicity to make simple, but catchy, LOUD and attitude-driven songs. We owe them for thrash.Motorhead OverkillMotorhead BomberMotorhead OrgasmatronMotorhead MotörheadMouse On The Keys SezessionAn enjoyavle album on all accounts, but these 4+?s seem a good deal outta hand.Mouse On The Keys The Flowers of RomanceMouse On The Keys Out of BodyMouse On The Keys ArcheMr. Bungle Mr. BungleHoly fuck is this eclectic. In fact, too eclectic. Mike Patton combines everything from Metal, Ska, Punk and Funk to Jazz and Orchestral music. The performances are great, but in the end it is just too much imo.Municipal Waste The Art Of PartyingMunicipal Waste aren?t here to reinvent the wheel, or pioneer anything. They just want to thrash hard, and thrash hard they do! 35 minutes of balls to the wall Crossover thrash, and it?s good.NAILS Unsilent DeathLOUD! These 3 guys are challenginhd Motörhead for how loud a 3-piece can be! As for the music, well, LOUD, attitude-driven, 3-chord punk.Napalm Death ScumNapalm Death From Enslavement to ObliterationNeal Morse Sola GratiaAn enjoyable ditty, but very first-half heavy in terms of quality. Some great interplay between Portnoy, Gilette and George whoch I dearly miss towards the latter parts.Necromancing the Stone Before the Devil Knows You're DeadNecrot Blood OfferingsOSDM worship with some solid unique time-signature playing and great drumming.Neuraxis ImageryAn early overlooked tech-death debut from a very underappreciated band! Their blend of strong melodic motives into technical death metal sounds awesome, although this album is unfortunately plagued by bad production and sloppy playing.Nevermore Dreaming Neon BlackBig stylistic change-up for Nevermore, following the more riff and guitar skill centered Nevermore and Politics. Nevermore heavily up the prog, but unfortunately (for me) tone down the amount of guitar wizardry traded off with lead heavy riffs. Yes, both are still present, but complex song structures varying between mellow and heavy passages very much centered around Warrel?s vocals which I also do not like much take the centre of the stage.Niccolo Paganini Grand Sonata in A Major, MS 3A nice 3-part guitar ditty. The opening allegro might actually be the weakest, in being mostly quite average, except for some trademark Paganini harmonic minor magic. The Romanze and especially Andantino are pretty damn amazing though.Niccolo Paganini La Primavera in A Major, MS. 73Solid, but does not display Paganini at his technical or melodic best imo.Niccolo Paganini Maestosa Sonata Sentimentale, MS. 51Nice contrasting sonata with both sentimantality and mellower passages. Borrows heavily from Haydn's String Sonata No. 3, especially towards the end. Nice.Niccolo Paganini Violin Concerto No.6 in E Minor, Op.post.It is Paganini, so skill isnof course there in spades, but overall I find this clearly his weakest. It feels (to me) a bit rushed and choppy. The melodies do not flow as well as they usually do, and overall it feels unnatural.Niccolo Paganini Le streghe, Op. 8, MS19Night Demon Curse Of The DamnedNile Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-KaNirvana In UteroNocturnus NocturnusGood. Not bad, but nothing special. The technicality is of course great, but much like Fatal Formulas to the Flesh, it feels very... soulless to me. Certainly nowhere near their first 2 LPs.Nuclear Power Trio A Clear and Present RagerA fun piece of funky latino-tinged metal-fusion. I honestly had no idea what to expect when seeing the promotion for the album, but had high hopes given the abilities of Schendzielos and Burgess. Schendzielos in particular shines on the bass.Obituary Cause of DeathGood OSDM record. A lot of focus on riffs, and in my opinion repeating them far beyond the point of them becoming tiresome. However the riffs themselves are good, and when the guitarists decide to whip out their harmonic minor scales and put in emotional shredding the album really shows its potential.Obliteration Perpetual DecayRiffs on riffs. A massive throwback to the early 90s, and Autopsy stylew primitivd ugly death metal. Really cool, but not very innovative.Oceans Black Oceans Black EPNice modern Hard Rock EP. Nice variation with a ballad and 3 harder songs. Solid riffage, and although the mix and vocals could use a bit of work, they?re both servicable. Odious Mortem Devouring the ProphecyWooo, what an absolute ride through technical madness. Love it!Opeth Blackwater ParkA good album, but nothing special. It all sounds basically the same as it weaves through almost exclusively 6/8 and 4/4. Where is the diversity? Atmosphere? Sure, but at what cost... Opeth DamnationGood, but just like its twin, Deliverance; not Opeth. That?s not to say it?s bad vecause it?s different, it just lacks the good and bad prog-rock vs death metal combo that makes Opeth so great. This is more just a mellower prog-rock journey which is still good, just nothing special.Overkill Taking OverA good album. Very consistent, whoch is just as much its downfall as its advantage. An increase in aggression from the debut, and thrashier, but with less variety. Last song rules face, and is a taste of the peoggier future that Overkill hold. However this album gets really stale towards the middle, until the last track picks it up agin.Ozzy Osbourne No More TearsPablo de Sarasate Introduction et Tarantelle, Op. 43One of the most amazing things I have ever heard played on a violin! What a piece! Wish it were much longer.Pablo de Sarasate Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20Overall shows less twchnical mastery than most of Sarasate?s stuff, but still a wonderful piece. It picks ip at the end after some minutes of noce melodic violin. Sarasate cannot play without showing off his pizzicatto.Pablo de Sarasate Fantaisie sur 'Der FreischĂĽtz', Op.14Pablo de Sarasate Jota de Pamplona, Op. 50Another brilliant technical showing by Sarasate, with lots of nice themes. Pablo de Sarasate Navarra, Op. 33Sarasate backed by a piano, and he makes it work brilliantly. Was not too convinced at first, but as soon as the violin started going in and doing its thing I was convinced. As isal Pablo leaves no stone unturned in showing his skills.Pagan's Mind Celestial EntranceA pretty cool power/prog band, who basically sound something like a power-metal Dream Theater. Somewhere between Queensryche and Dream Theater, these are the clear influences here, and while the music is great, it is too power-y for my taste, and too derivative off of the clear influences.Pain of Salvation PantherEpic album. Super different and just very unlike anything I have heard before. Definitely will meed more listens to sink in properly, but I emjoyed it a lot. A lot of rhythmical complexity and beyond that minimalistic. Daniel as usual with PoS takes the spotlight with his vocals.Pain of Salvation One Hour by the Concrete LakeHow to describe this album; hmm. Imagine PoS? debut, just less inspired, therefore less emotionally striking, and a bit more focused. Less quirky breaks, and a seemingly less adventorous concept as well as a more eecycled sounding... sound. Still good without a doubt, but PoS can fo better.Pantera Reinventing the SteelPantera Vulgar Display of PowerPat Metheny Bright Size LifePaul Chambers Whims Of ChambersA solid pretty straight-forward jazz release. Cool solos and melodies, but nothing too special.Periphery Periphery II: This Time It's PersonalA very enjoyable modern prog album, though very uncreative. The melodic sections are basically Prostest the Hero, but the djent is still nice. Overall more enjoyable than the disjointed and repetitive debut imo.Pestilence The PenanceHuge demo. Musically excellent, and basically up there with Malleus, but (obviously) the demo production doesn?t stack up, and the vocals are bad.Pestilence SpheresVery inconsistent. Starts off as very solid Jazzy Tech-Death reminiscent of Elements era Atheist. However, near the middle it takes an ugly turn into way to many interludes, and the weird sounding synths take a steonghold until the last track. Bass playing is very enjoyable too.Planet X MoonBabiesThe skill shown on here is ridiculous. These guys have such control over completely uncomprehendable time-signatures and weird harmonics/chord-progressions it's not even funny. Unfortunately, there isn't as much musicality as on the first record.Planet X QuantumPretty damn good, but I still think the debut is their best. MacAlpine not being on this record is also a glaring sifference, and quite unfortunate. We do however get some wild Holdsworth solos.Plini The End of EverythingPossessed Revelations of OblivionBasically just exactly what Possessed out with their first 2 LPs and their EP. Solid death metal vocalised thrash. This one sounds much more like pure thrash to me, probably due to the quite typical modern thrash tone/production. Although I was honestly impressed by how solid the record was considering how long it?s been since their last, the reason it?s a 3 is becuase there wasn?t anything new or exciting. The only songs with any hint of unexplored territory were Oath and The Word, Oath being a clear standout track imoProtest the Hero PalimpsestVery nice album with stunning flow. Super technical, though only to people who know what to look gor. As a result the music does not sound overly flashy though it is very complex. Very very melodic as well. My biggest issue is that I basically can not stand the vocals. Way too thin for my liking.Psion PsionCool prog-metal album with djent, atmosphere and jazzy guitar solos.Vocals were very screechy for my taste.Pyotr Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13Shows good ideas, and Tchaikovsky?s very good emotional feel, but is overall too slow for my liking.Queen Queen IIClearly, I enjoyed this less than most people. Compositionally, this album is great, and could remind one of an Opera. Flows well, but not really my style. I am guessing Freddie's extravagant style had much more of an influence here than on the debut, and while the last few songs mostly are amazing, I miss the heavier, rawer and instrumentally flairier style of the debutQueensryche Queensryche Pre-prog masters Queensryche put out a decent Trad-metal record.Queensryche The WarningAlright album with hints of the prog-masterpiece that Mindcrime would be. Is hele back by very weak production and some sappy ballads.Racer X Street LethalRammstein UntitledRamones Road To RuinRed Hot Chili Peppers I'm With YouRed Hot Chili Peppers CalifornicationRed Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers Live at Slane CastleRed Hot Chili Peppers By the WayRiverside Out Of MyselfRodrigo y Gabriela Mettal EPA fun listen. The metal songs sound almost funny being played note-for-note on acoustics. Impressive though.Root ZjevenĂA unique take on Black Metal. Very interesting, slowed down, atmospheriv and satanic. Understanding of Czech very much helps the experience.Royal Blood Royal BloodRush Fly By NightCertainly a progression. for the debut, however a very inconsistent one. By-Tpr itself is one of Rush?s best, and Anthem shows their straight rock of the debut with a huge improvement in drumming. Overall though, it falls short due to tracks like the ones from the title-track until the closer, In The EndRush 2112An awesome album, but not as much of a fan as most. The t/t, Bangkok and Twilight Zone are awsome, but the rest aren't very good imo.Rush Moving PicturesRush completely move away from the sound that made them so loved (by me at lesst) in the forst place. The forst two tracks, which I really dislike. immediately make it clear that the synths aren?t only here to stay, but to take a dominant tole in Rush?s music. Prog is mostly watered out compared to previous efforts, the songs are shorter and more accesible. It has its moments, in fact, it is an overall good album, but not by Rush?s lofty standards.Rush RushOnly a hint to what Rush would become, if any. A fun record fully influenced by Rush?s British influences, namely Led Zeppelin.Rush SignalsHonestly better than Moving Pictures imo. More peog elements in Peart?s drumming, and Alex is really trying to keep Eush rockin?. Sone cool deep cuts and overall not a bad album.Sacrifice Torment In FireVery good, and madly heavy for its time, however not so much for today?s standards. Additionally very straight-forward. Som cool and interesting tremolo-picked melodies and octaves are to be found, but mostly just attitude-driven pummeling thrash.Satan Suspended SentenceVery disappointing after the greatness that was their debut, Court in the Act. It seems like they got caught trying to veer away from the amazing twin-guitar harmony NWOBHM that was the core of their debut, and instead concentrated more on the thrash elements which were already very present in their debut. They were what made the debut quite so great in my opinion. Here they put aside most of the NWOBHM, and prioritised the already slight thrash influence. The album ends up sounding disjointed, confused, and ill-directioned.Satyricon The ShadowthroneNot my style, very primitive and atmospheric, although with some interesting time-changes and rhythmical idea. Better than the debut imo thanks to more variation, seberal clean sections and spoken vocal parts and more musical complexity. Savatage SirensA solid very NWOBHM influenced debut. Standouts for mw include the punk infused Rage, and Scream Murder, the best track on the record with a face ripping solo showing hints of what was to come from Criss Oliva (RIP) on later records. Scorpions Lonesome CrowThis rules. A hugely overlooked debut that basically consists of a huge 70s hard-rock jam with loads of psychadelia. Really cool. Only downside is that it lacks any real cohesive songwriting and songstructure. In fact, the last track mostly feels like a 13 minute improv, which while cool, has some moments of feeling lost. Great performance by the 16 YO Michael Schenker as well!Sepultura Machine MessiahSepultura QuadraSepultura Bestial DevastationSergei Prokofiev Symphony No.1 in D major, Op.25Good symphony, but very short. Prokofiev gets to ahow some cool stuff, but due to the time limitation does not get to explore too many different themes.Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18I clearly enjoyed this way less than I should have. The second movwment I thought was decent at best, the first was really great, and the last was very good as well. Might be being a little harsh with the 3, but the piece was way too romantic for my liking overall.Shakti A Handful of BeautyFascinating idea, and great execution. A band consisting of Tabla Percussion, a mad guitar shredder in John McLaughlin, and Indian violin. The music goes absolutely ham, and what else could one expect with McLaughlin. Unfortunately I feel it often misses depth, as both the string instruments are in the higher register leaving the feeling of a gap in my ears.Shakti Natural ElementsSieges Even UnevenSieges? weakest imo. A solid album, yes, but fails to have an idemtity or memorability.Skeletal Remains Beyond The FleshCreds to the guys on managing to sound somewhat unique in conquered territory and a sea of clone bands; the OSDM (revival) scene. Listened to the 2020 remaster, and my god, is that bass fat! Credit where it?s due for that!Slayer Haunting The ChapelShort but sweet. Slayer make a move towards more aggressive and thrashier waters with their first EP.Slayer God Hates Us AllSlayer World Painted BloodSlayer Divine InterventionAlright Slayer album. Still good and very aggressive, but less organic than their previous efforts. Also, the production doesn?t help. It?s almost like it was produced by Rick Rubi...... Oh wait.Soft Machine Volume TwoPretty cool acid-laden, psychedelic prog/fusion. Think a jazzier Hendrix.Sons of Apollo MMXXI thought this one was a step-down from the first, focusing more on songwriting and mellower songs than the first. Still some exquisite moments especially towards the end like the last 15 minute track, but overall weaker than their first.Spawn of Possession IncursoThink of basically every modern Tech-Deat band and their issues. Sure, they can play, and boy, how they can play! Can they write memorable parts though? Not really. Credit where it is due for The Evangelist though.Stanley Clarke Journey to LoveAgree with Torontonian. This is a good bit below Clarke?s debut. Still, I think it?s a good album. I would like to great it, but there are several songs on here that just did not click. When Clarke, Corea, McLaughlin and Connors are full-on shredding, like on Song to John pt. 2, the closer and Hello Jeff it is fantastic. The lower moments are nowhere near though.Steve Harris British LionStormtroopers of Death Speak English or DieStrapping Young Lad AlienSuffocation Souls to DenyQuite disappointing really. Nowhere near the quality of their older material. Much more Vanilla riffs, and although there are flashes of technical brilliance, and br00tal riffs, it?s mostly quite standard. To Weep Once More is a brilliant show of what this band can do when at their best.Suffocation Breeding the SpawnSuffocation Despise the SunA solid slab of Brutal Death Metal. Suffocation?s last release before splitting, their 1998 EP shows a quite different side of the band. They strip all the technicality they pioneered Tech-Death with, and instead perform a slaughter of brutal riffs. Not bad, but doesn?t come close to their earlier work.Suffocation Pinnacle of BedlamA harking throwback to a more 90s Suffo sound, but unfortunately ruined by the peoduction, and lack of inspiration. The best mozern Suffocation musically, but it takes huge hits in the form of sounding sort of weak, and having mostly recycled sounding ideas. Suffocation ReincrematedSymphony X Twilight in OlympusAfter an absolute classic in TDWOT Symphony X slightly simolify their formula. A dip in quality in my personal opinion as the wankery gets toned down, and tracks get more drawn out, ballady and powery. Big choruses and more mellow section take the place of heavier riffing and wankery, which just isn?t all my style. There is still a lot if good stuff to be found here tgough.Symphony X V: The New Mythology SuiteExpected more, or rather different. It seems Twilight in Olympus marked a stylistic change for Symphony X where they went from concentrating more on quirky, technical neoclassical prog with heavy riffs, to more power metal choruses and mellow passages. This album?s a bit better, but it is also too long.Symphony X IconoclastAhhh, how sad. Potential in spades, in fact, in the start, when basically all I was hearing was thrashy heavy riffs like on Paradise Lost and neoclassical shreddy madness, my first thought was YES! That Symphony X is easily my favourite, however, not when it entails them having lost so to speak all of their creativity and putting out a 1.5hr album of almost the exact same stuff! So unfortuante.. Still a solid album though, as I love heavy wanky stuff. Just disappointing.System of a Down HypnotizeTemple of Void The World That WasSolid slab of modern Death-Doom. Murderous tone, great mammoth riffs and a good dose of melodies. As can be expected for Death-Doom quite strong atmosphere and slow. It does nevertheless not bring much new to the table, and the last track could easily be shortened.TesseracT OneTestament Titans of CreationSame old modern Testament, however with added fury. Very similar to the prwvious 3 records, though a little higher on the intwnsity scale. This is a positive for sure, however it loses me near the last 20 minutes. Too samey.Testament Practice What You PreachConsidering the quality of Testament?s two previous releases, this was hugwly disappointing. Yes, a good thrash album with good moments, but Skol?s amazing shredding while still present is much less so. The production is nice, but the rawness, precise aggression and pure speed is very much turned down from previous efforts.The Aristocrats You Know What...?The Beatles Rubber SoulA massive step-up from their early albums. Here The Beatles start to show elements of the psychedelia etc. that would make them the innovative force they are known as today. Still well poppy, but much better.The Black Dahlia Murder UnhallowedJust about a 3, as it is a fun listen. Simple and catchy, very reminiscent of late ATG. It?s slightly 1-dimensional, although influences from a wide array like Black Metal, Metalcore and of course Death Metal/Melodeath are all to be found. Trevor?s vocals also aren?t all that yet.The Comet Is Coming Death to the PlanetCool experiment combining a large amount of electronics with jazz. Not really my thing as far as the electronic side of it, but overall a cool record.The Dave Brubeck Quartet Countdown - Time in Outer SpaceA very nice album, great for its time. Brubeck's blues and classical influenced piano-lines in particular are very cool. Still not enough of particular value for me to great this, even if it was very enjoyable.The Dillinger Escape Plan Irony Is a Dead SceneMy least favourite Dillinger yet. Seem they try departing from the pure wanky intensity, and I am unbelievably to many not a big Patton fan.The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You ExperiencedWhile I respect thw incredible influence this album had on everything eock, metal, and even past that, I am not a blues man, and therefore cannot appreciate it too much. Sure, it is good, but Hendrix is honestly kinda sloppy (yes, I know that is the point), and though it might have been impressive for the time, it is very standard today.The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric LadylandThe Most Important ThingsCool idea combining fusion with alternative rock. Did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did, as I really do not like indie/alt-rock. However, looking past the vocals especially, the music fits together really well. The complex fusion parts and mellower alt choruses compliment each other really well!The Most Of What We HaveThe Ocean PelagialVery cool concept, and an initially great execution which loses steam over time. That is this album?s biggest issue; staying power. The mammoth soundscape treading one through the depths of the ocean with pounding guitars, drums and bass joined by strings starts out great, but becomes stale.The Who TommyThe Zenith Passage Cosmic Dissonance (Remastered)It is good for sure, just has some unfortunate features. Firstly, the drums, which must be programmed, sound terrible. Secondly there are many unnecessary breakdowns. Thorns ThornsStarted off huge, however went more and more industrial, which I'm not a fan of. Snorre's riffs are obviously huge, and have a monumental position in Black Metal history. Had he refrained from all the industrial interludes, this would rank way higher imo.Threshold Wounded LandA very interesting album, and totally different from what I was expecting. Came into this expecting another modern Dream Theater prog clone, but no. Instead I was met with complex songs, but in an entirely different way, with multiple sections and unexpected chord progressions. So to speak no wankery, which disappointed mew at first, but ended up making the album overall much more listenable in the end.Throne of Iron Adventure OneGreat album! A lot of potential for sure. My largest issue is with the mix. The tone is perfect, and has managed to catch the early 80s NWOBHM sound perfectly. However the drums I thought sounded slightly weak and were too low in the mix. Similarly the vocals were quite low, and could use some improvement. Other than that, with some more lead work, shows a lot of promise! Also, bonus points for great and hilarious concept theme!Tigran Hamasyan New EraAwesome songs, and a lot of diversity, but unfortunately too long. The last few songs drag, but highlights like Gypsyology, Aparani Par and all the first 7 tracks really keep it solidly in 3 territory.Tigran Hamasyan EP No. 1To-Mera TranscendentalA really cool album that unfortunately falls way short of its potential. Great instrumentation and great vocals, nut for example the piano parts are way underused and could be knitted into the song-structures to add way more emotional and harmonic expression. Similarly, the song-structures remoind of early Opeth in sounding very knotty and jagged. The riffing, wank (like on standout Obscure Oblivion) and criminally underused jazzy and classical piano-stops were my fabvourite moments.Tool 72826Transatlantic The WhirlwindAwesome stuff, but still too Neil Morse influenced for my taste. Trepalium Voodoo MoonshineAwesome idea that cmobines swing/ragtime and metal. Not big on the vocals, but overall really nice.Type O Negative October RustU.K. U.K.Solid sure, but especially considering the line-up, I was hoping for more. Not a fan of the vocal style on here either.Ulthar CosmovoreReally cool punky Blackened Death Metal. Very psychadelic post-metal vibe too. Ulver KveldssangerReally not my style, but some solid dark folk. Confusing how this is called a «Black Metal trilogy» as this has nothing to do with BM.Uriah Heep ...Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble...Vader Solitude in MadnessTypical Vader. Balls-to-the-wall Death Metal with thrashy/hardcore aggression and drumming. Nothing too special, but a solid record for sure.Vanden Plas Far Off GraceNot as good as The God Thing, but still very enjoyable and well made. Still very derivative and not unique enough for a higher rating.Vanden Plas Beyond DaylightAwesome prog album, espacially the closer rules. However it is still too derivative to grant a higher rating from me.Vanden Plas The Ghost Xperiment - IlluminationA good album, but as expected, one that sounds absolutely no different than their last however many. Voivod War And PainVoivod?s first is a greatly punk-influenced record which shows only glimmers of their 1987- work. Still, ot is not by any means bad, though it loses the raw magic about half-way through.Warbringer Worlds Torn AsunderWatain Rabid Death's CurseA solid, raw but melodic Black Metal record. Nothing out of the ordinary.Wayne Shorter Speak No EvilClearly not as big into this as most people. I think a reason might be it is still very early jazz days, so the music is not that refined yet, but especially Shorter?s musical focus. He goes less into instrumental flashiness, and focuses more on conposition.Weather Report Weather ReportReally cool Avant-Garde improv Fusion. It honestly does not sound like anything beyond small parts of songs on here was actually planned out in advance. Love the first wćfew tracks especially, as they have more of a bop/«heavier» chaos-y vibe. Weather Report I Sing The Body ElectricAn eerie, tense album. The players have no regard for standard formulas, and experiment a lot. Not too big into the mostly ambient atmospheric vibe on the first half of the records, but the live half with more in-your-faceinstrumental meandering falls more into my liking.Wes Montgomery MontgomerylandSolid. Great sax, piano and guitar-playing all over the record. The issues come in the form of it overstaying its welcome quite a bit. Additionally I would love to see more variation throughout.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491Mozart?s light touch and cheery approach to music will just never fo it for me. These being the main features of his style, they also sound very contrasting in a minor tonality, but not in a good way, t a rather jading one. Wolfmother WolfmotherWolves in the Throne Room Celestial LineageYes TormatoCertainly no Yes classic, and the albun has some very poor tracks, but it is not that bad. Some cool classically influenced moments from Wakeman and cool lines from Howe.Yngwie Malmsteen OdysseyYngwie Malmsteen TrilogyThis album pisses me off. The first two thirds don?t even showcase.. well, a third of Yngwie?s musical capabilities, and are frankly bad poppy 80s metal barely daved by some shred licks. However the shred starts taking over on Magic Mirror, and the closer, a 7 minute full-on meoclassical shredfedt with musical sensibilities, is by itself a 5 and one of Yngwie?s best.Zeal and Ardor Devil is FineÄŚad Bastard2.5 averageAborted Global FlatlineAlright. Guitar-work is solid, drumming is solid, but one dimensional imo. Song structures are very standard and boring though.Aborted Strychnine.213A weird one from the Belgians. It has moments of thhe brilliant brutal Deathgrind they are best known for, but then they try combining it with a melodeath like stylee. That does not fit in very well, and therefore sounds a bit weird most times. The hardcore vocals don't sound totally developed either.Aborted Slaughter & Apparatus: A Methodical OvertureWith this album started Aborted's short-lived decline imo, where it seems like they tried going more hardcore introducing more metalcore influences. Screaming vocals being at the awkward forefront of this, I really don't find the change intriguing at all.Aborted The HaematobicStudio tracks, especially the opener; 3.0. Quality old-school DM Aborted.rLive part: 2.0, pretty awful quality.Abysmal Dawn PhylogenesisLove the technical riffing and drumming reminiscent of early old-school tech-death. The only issue is the music gets a bit repetitive after about 25 minutes. At that points there is 20 minutes to go... Nice Death cover too.AC/DC High VoltageAcid ManiacAct of Defiance Birth and the BurialThe only thing on here not BANG average is Broderick?s ridiculous skill. His solos and classical guitar parts like on Oney the Fallen are amazing. Unfortunately, the music surrounding them is nothing but very generic thrash-riffage with big choruses.Aghora FormlessSuper disappointing. Has some good moments, like the 12-minute title-track, but overall way too repetitive, especially in the mediocre riffs. Much less jazz than on the very good debut, and overall just a much more uninteresting approach. Malone is direly missed, and I'm guessing Reinert was drumming on the first half as even the drums got weaker for the second one.Airbourne BoneshakerAlex Skolnick Trio Goodbye To RomanceFirst two tracks are great, especially the first, then it loses some steam throughout all the ballad covers. The length overall is an issue, and it doesn?t pick up peoperly again until War Pigs imo.Alex Skolnick Trio ConundrumAlice in Chains Black Gives Way to BlueA looong loong record, made even longer to me by the very simplistic, emotionally-driven doomy style of modern AiC. One could basically look at this as s/t AiC with even less of a kick. Alien Weaponry TĹ«Allan Holdsworth None Too SoonHoldsworth?s interpretation of several jazz standards and a Beatles song. Some hit the spot, others do not.Alter Bridge Walk The SkyAmon Amarth Once Sent from the Golden HallRepetitive like most of Amon's work. The drumming is the best they have done, and a lot of the music here is in my opinion among their best. The issue lies in the terrible production and of course the fact that I am generally not huge on their music.Amorphis The Karelian IsthmusAnata The Infernal Depths of HatredAn enjoyable album at times, and probably great for lovers if proggy and melodic death metal, but too much standard melodeath on here for me. The proggier tracks like Those Who Lick the Wound of Christ were great, but overall eh.Andres Segovia The Father of Classical Guitar (1949-1955)A hefty amount of good performances, however many are ruined by the terrible recording quality.Angra Holy LandHas some good peog moments, like the chuggy syncopated riffing in Nothing to Say, and the oberall awesome Carolina IV. The samba breakdown there and overall Kiko and Bittencourt?s soloing/chuggy riffing are easily the highlights of the record. Unfortunately it contains way too much power and ballady stuff for me.Antonin Dvorak Symphony No. 2 in Bâ™ major, Op. 4, B. 12Honestly didn?t find much to enjoy here. A very slow piece, that leaves the crowning moments for the last few minutes of the movements. This caused most of the movements to be, frankly, boring.Antonin Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191Antonin Dvorak Romance in F Minor, Op. 11, B. 39Antonio Vivaldi Violin Concerto in C Major, Op. 8, No. 7, RV 180Alright. Shows Vivaldi?s skill and musical sensibility, but isn?t anywhere near his later stuff.Arch/Matheos Sympathetic ResonanceJust about over average modern prog, not enough to be considered good. Arch and Jarzombek in particular give performances helping this album to be quite clearly above average. Other than that, the riffing sounds incredibly generic, and the song steuctures are not very special either.Arcturus My AngelVery different from their debut, this is just some full on weirdass Avant-Garde Black Metal.Arcturus ConstellationA very synth-heavy and instrumentally stripped-down version of a few tracks off Arcturus? debut.Armored Saint March Of The SaintQuite meh in my eyes (or ears). Variety is appreciated, there's a ballad, some more energetic almost punk-like stuff, purer trad metal, however it all sounded quite boring to me personally. Completely standard and uninventive song structures and mode choices.Art Blakey Hard BopOkay. Solid playing, but nothing out of the ordinary. Just a collection of new improv over the very famous standards we've all heard a million times.At the Gates At War with RealityAtomic Rooster In Hearing of Atomic RoosterAn alright album, sure, and some fun jamming going on here, but this is nowhere near the quality of some of Atomic Rooster's better prog peers at the time.Attention Deficit Attention DeficitInteresting experimental stuff, but does not really go anywhere.Avenged Sevenfold NightmareBad Religion SufferBathory The Return of the Darkness and EvilBehemoth Slaves Shall ServeTracks off of Demigod are pbviously good, but the covers, especially the Danzig one sound kinda weird.Behemoth And the Forests Dream EternallyA nice 25 minute reminder of old-school Black Metal Behemoth. Nothing too special, just good ol? atmospheric BM. The (I am guessing cover track) 4 songs in sounds out of place and a bit weird.Beneath the Massacre Mechanics of DysfunctionStarted off good, but is waaaaaay too monotonous. Brutal, techy/wannky and fast, but nothing more. Has potential, but basically follows a structure of pure wank for a few minutes, then breakdowns for the rest of the track. Beneath the Massacre DystopiaEnjoyable, but completely one-dimensional. Slightly better than the debut, but still lots of work to be done.Beneath the Massacre IncongruousBeneath the Massacre discover something called melody, however it is still not enough for a through and through good listen. Again, like their second album it is enjoyable, but there is almost no variation. Just beautiful noodling. Can they change it for the next one????Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and MeVery promising, but overall falls short to me due to my dislike for Metalcore. Supercool progressions and ideas generally, but unfortunately much of the music is cemtered around typical core chug and breakdowns.Between the Buried and Me Coma EclipticHonestly, this was kind of boring. Between the Buried and Me continue their path down more progressive waters with Coma Ecliptic. The issue is they seem to have stripped away too much of their unique quirky sound that made them so unique. The vocals also sound quite off-putting at times, and the music, although technically brilliant is lazy. It gets very repetitive which is really not helped by the huge run-time.Black Sabbath Technical EcstasyBlack Sabbath 13An alright if unoriginal album. This album is basically a bunch of older guys reminiscing over their glory days, and throwing away musicianship and originality in order to satisfy that. It is not by any means bad, just boring, too long, and a rehashing of their Ozzy era. Additionally the album has terrible overcompressed production (came out during the loudness war) and both Iommi's guitar and Ozzy sound quite bad.Blind Guardian Somewhere Far BeyondA defining album for Blind Guardian. The first of their true Power Metal records, and thus also the one at which my enjoyment of them takes a strong hit. Most of the early thrash influences are stripped and replaced by ballads and Power Metal melodies. The more speed metally parts along with epic conpositions still resonate with me though.Blind Guardian At The Edge Of TimeBlind Guardian Battalions Of FearBlind Guardian Imaginations From The Other SideBrilliantly written, a bit improved over the last record in terms of complexity, but possibly even more powery. Although this is a musically wonderful album, it is just so not my style. Blood Command Cult DrugsBolt Thrower In Battle There Is No Law!Not much death metal to be found here. A debut LP very derivative of the contemporary huge grind scene in the UK. Bolt Thrower The Peel SessionsChoice cuts from the debut LP, which I thought was overall a 2.5.Boston BostonIf your dad doesn?t own this alvum, your childhood sucked. Mine doesn?t. Wait. Onto the actual soundoff: I expected to hate this upon revisiting it. Fiest 3 tracks were amazing though. Then it took a massive dip on On Rock ?n? Roll band that didn?t end.Bruce Dickinson Balls To PicassoBurzum AskeVery disappointing EP considering what the man who wrote it made from 1992-1994 (this came out in 1993). It lacks both the hypnotism of his other works, crossing the line of feeling repetitive rather than hypnotising. The first and last tracks are decent, however the middle track totally ruins the album.Cadaver Hallucinating AnxietyMan, this really does rule. However the production is terrible, and it?s a little too samey. Very good old-school in your face grindy DM with some Black Metal recalling tremolo melodies.Caerimonium Caerimonium EPMeh. Very average melodic Black Metal. Like a knock-off Dissection. Nothing of interest really. Pretty bad production to boot.Caligula's Horse In ContactAnother alright Caligula record. Nothing too memorable though, which keeps it from being higher in my book.Cannabis Corpse Blunted at BirthFun, but entirely standard. Basically just a parody of Cannibal Corpse, which while well done, does just sound like a knock-off Cannibal Corpse. Cannibal Corpse Butchered At BirthCannibal Corpse Gore ObsessedUmdoubtedly the weakest Corpse (so far). Mosre of the same, just executed with less precision and seemingly joy.Cannibal Corpse Evisceration PlagueHad so mich potential... After a few teacks I thought this might just become my second favourite Corpse. Technicality upped by a lot from Kill, and brutality still there in soades. Lethal guitar-work and CG sounds incredible. Alas, it all ended up falling flat in typical CC fashion. Generic ultra-boring drumming alternating between a slower rock n roll best and blastbeat from Paul, and no variation whatsoever. The technicality too got lost quick. Too bad.Cannibal Corpse Live CannibalismCarcass Heartwork EPObviously Heartwork is amazing, byt the other two tracks remind more of Swansong and kinda suck.Carl Orff Carmina BuranaThe intro might be amazing(ly popular), but operas aren?t my style.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Solfeggio in C Minor, Wq 117/2I mean, this is pretty amazing, but like 1 minute long...Carnage The Day Man LostCartola Cartola (1974)Alright. A ton of latino sambas basically. Not my style, but alright.Charles Mingus East CoastingAn entirely okay piece from Mingus. Not bad, but very much not special either. Falls into the big catwgory of rather average bop.Charles Mingus Mingus ThreeSome cool basswork and fantastic piano-playing from Hawes as well as drumming, but overall the record just does not hold up.Charles Mingus A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and PoetryAn attempt to repeat the success of The Clown, it was a valiant attempt, but ultimately fails due to inconsistency. The opener is solid, and I much enjoyed New York Sketchbook too, but the rest falters.Charred Walls of the Damned Charred Walls Of The DamnedA group of musicians with so much potential, yet a mosrly generic peoduct with awful vocals is spawned. Steve DiGiorgio of Death and Control Denied join forces again in a super-group, however it is ruined by one of the so called «super»-members in Owens, who?s vocals are trash. Much like Control Denied, the actual music is pretty damn good, and Christy especially is amazing. DiGiorgio and Suwcof too throw down some nice fills and solos respectively, but it is not enough. What we end up with is a half-baked Control Denied with even worse vocals.Chick Corea SundanceSome alright stuff, like the opener, but Corea is not very good with the free-jazz vibe he tries here. The guy is more suited for improv in fusion-y bop stuff.Children of Bodom Hate Crew DeathrollCloudkicker The DiscoveryBy no means bad, but so repetitive. Like much djent, this just does not venture far beyond endless chug-chug. It is layered as all hell, and impressive, but some variation pls.Cryptopsy CryptopsyIt?s alright. Largely a return to form after the blasphemous Unspoken King, this album sees Cryptopsy return to what they did in the nineties. That is Brutal, technical and mad Death Metal. Since it is basically an exact revamp of old stuff, it sounds uncreative, and unfortunately the vocals are absolute trash. Cynic Carbon-Based AnatomyThis is not the Cynic I cane for. No metal to be found, barely even Jazz, this is mostly an exeecise in atmosphere and ambience.Dark Funeral The Secrets of the Black ArtsInstrumentally, the guys are great, and the production sounds perfect (that?s Tägtgren for you). The peoblem arises with the actual music itself. These songs have been written 1000 times before and sound like every black metal band ever. Darkthrone Total DeathI have to say, disappointingly average. Definitely a huge downturn after the previous 5 releases. Much less inspired than those.Darkthrone GoatlordBasically a Death Metal demo with BM vocals. The instrumental section for this album was written recorded in 1991, meant to be a follow-up to Darkthrone?s Death Metal debut. It was scrapped after a stylistic change, and released later with overdubbed vocals. It?s alright, but nothing special and the BM production doesn?t fit the style.Darkthrone PlaguewielderAn album of two styles. Some tracks are really good reminiscent of earlier atmospheric Darkthrone (Wreak, Sin Origin), and some completely boring.Decapitated Carnival Is ForeverNo Vitek, no Decapitated. Sadly, it would seem after the loss of prodigy drummer Vitek as main co-writer, Vogg lost his way and resorted to angry, Pantera-like groove with a screaming vocalist and meshuggah style rhythmic parts. Not for me.Decrepit Birth ...And Time BeginsBasically an average modern brutal tech-death offering. Technical, but with no variation whatsoever, and often plastic production. Bad drum sound too.Deeds of Flesh Mark of the Legionbr00tal but not much more. Their weakest in my opinion. The riffs seem less chaotic, and the focus is a bit more on atmosphere.Deep Purple inFiniteDeep Purple StormbringerIt's truly fascinating to see how DP's sound evolved over the diffent line-ups. While Burn was still a very MKII sounding record, less than a year later Hughes and Coverdale's Bluesy and soul oriennted styles respectively are much more present, even with a very clear funk feel. In addition to this shift, the quality of the music too takes a huge hit too, consistinng mostly of similar and repetitive tracks. Only true standout is Soldier of Fortune.Derek Sherinian Black UtopiaDerek Sherinian InertiaDevil Master Devil Master (demo)Alright. Last track?s good, the rest are just so so though.Devin Townsend EmpathDimmu Borgir Enthrone Darkness TriumphantSymphonic cheese. Orchestral keyboard hits really don?t do it for me.Dio Dream EvilHonestly, I found this slightly meh. Keyboards were way too central for my personal liking, and while Dio?s vocals are ofc great, the instrumental work seemed incredibly standard. Just goes to show how important Viv was for the band.Dismember Casket GardenDismember take a huge left turn from their previous stunning Death Metal material, thinking they are now Pantera. The first track shows a bit of the new Groove influence, the second track is back to good ol’ dismembered, then the third track is all out Nu Metal, and thus trash.Dismember Massive Killing CapacityWhat a disappointment. Groovy, but generic and repetitive riffs, screamier vocals than before, and melodeath melodies. A previously great fast band becoming a Pantera clone in the mid-90s? Where have I heard that before? Oh... Most of the album sounds like a misguided attempt at a groovier sound which was popular at the time. Imagine a hybrid between fellow Swedes Hypocricy and Pantera. Last two tracks both tule, the first a beautiful instrumental, and second the punishing thrashy Death Metal that was eatlier nowhere to be found, but by then it is too late...Dissection The Grief ProphecyCool look at pre-Melo black/death dissection. Other than Call of the Mist pretty straightforward DM.Dixie Dregs FreefallMan, was expecting more... The actual fusion parts are fantastic, but there is way too much country twang here for my liking. I do NOT enjoy country hahah.Dream Theater The Majesty DemosEverything instrumental and involving 3 people on here is actually super good, and believe it or not, I actually preferred everything instrumental. Obviously the production will be lackluster, but regardless I found the three OG Berklee members of DT's jam session Demo to be amazing. Even JP's little gutar weirdness at the end. A strong Rush influence all over it. The keyboards don't sound to good when introduced imo, and Chris Cornell's vocals (which basically sound like Geddy Lee) are awful. Glad he didn't stick around.rBerklee Demos: 3/5rThe Majesty Demos: 2/5Dying Fetus History Repeats...A solid bunch of covers, but regardless, just covers. Also not the ideal tone, but ok.Eagles Hotel CaliforniaTitle track rules, Life in the Fast Lane is pretty good, rest is meh. Never realized Hotel California (track) was part of a greater concept (this album). Doesn't really matter as the album is really average anyway. Nothing of note whatsoever other than those two tracks. Meh.Edvard Grieg Lyric Pieces - Book I, Op. 12Electric Wizard Wizard Bloody WizardEntombed DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the TruthSome listenable Motörhead worship. Not horrible, not good. Okay.Equipoise DemiurgusGood playing, but does it push the envelope? No. Is it also too long? Yes. It has all been heard before, although the (barely heard) piano is a mighty cool addition to the mix. Gets tiring abou half-way theough. Not good.Fallujah The Flesh PrevailsFantomas The Director's CutAn interesting idea, but not for an entire album. Recreating movie themes in Fantomas' spastic sdtyle could be cool/interesting, and is, for a few tracks. However, after a while it gets somewhat samey, even if there is some variation due to the various themer-styles. They also can't completely put their spin on anything as they have to stay at least somewhat true to the original tracks, limiting their freakiness. Fates Warning Long Day Good NightProbably will be grilled for this, but although Matheos? riffing is fantastic, and some good songs are definitely to be found, the overall thing is just way too long and drawn out imo. Songs like When Snow Falls and The Last Song just seem tacked on imo.Felix Mendelssohn "Lobgesang" Symphony No. 2 in Bâ™ major, Op. 52Alright. The second part was mostly choral, which is not really my thing, and the first part was looking like a 3. Fleetwood Mac RumoursFranz Liszt Romance, S.169/R66aFranz Liszt Bagatelle sans tonalite, S. 216aNot at all bad, but not long enough to explore the quirky atonal ideas properly. Love the open question-like ending too.Franz Liszt Harmonies Poetiques Et ReligieusesA somewhat enjoyable piece. Takes way too long to go anywhere though. Very simply too romantic for my taste.Franz Schubert Symphony No. 3 in D major, D. 200Alright, the opener and closer are the best pieces on here, and are good, but the two middle ones do nothing for me. Opposed to Schubert's second, there is no infectious main-theme, and overall, the symphony just doesn't have the same quality in any aspect imo.Frederic Chopin Polonaise Fantaisie, Op.61Eh, alright. Sounds more like Chopin playing around than playing a focused piece.Frederic Chopin Waltzes, Op.34Frederic Chopin Waltz No. 1 in E Flat, Op. 18Genesis TrespassA solid step in the ight direction (as far as I understand). Have not heard the debut, but apparently it's full-on pop. On here are prog aspects all ove, and the opener and close full on prog-rock, The Knife being a masterpiece. The rest of the tracks are trash though, putting this at a solid 2.5.George Benson The Shape of Things to ComeAn alright bluesy jazz affair. Not too interesting musically, and mostly a soulful feel album. Gojira Victim (as Godzilla)I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. It sounds a lot like Morbid Angel. Obviously the peoduction is potato-like, but the music itself is really great. Gorod Kiss The FreakGorod have some fun and make basically just a pretty generic thrash EP with Gorod spice.Grave Into the GraveConpletely straight-forward OSDM, and bot special in any way. Chnuky death metal riffing with hints if thrash. I do not really know how else to describe this than deadly generic. Only pluses I can find is the production sounds very grime-y (good thing, although I would love to hear the bass better), and the vocals are brilliant. Otherwise super-standardGruesome Savage LandPretty cool. Basically a copy of early Death. However, as it is a copy of early Death, it?s been heard before.Guns N' Roses Chinese DemocracyHaken AquariusAn album that shows so much potential, but is unfortunately way too bloated. The opener, Streams and Closer (especially) showcase Haken?s amazing talent in cramming loads of ideas into one track succesfulky. The other tracks however are mostly filler-feeling ballads etc. There is no doubt that these guys can both write and play, they just need to focus it a bit more.Iced Earth Something Wicked This Way ComesIllegal Aliens International telephoneHighly varied. Has some metal, jazz, ambient, electronic. Not all as good as eachother either.Immolation Kingdom of ConspiracyVery disappointing album from a band I consider Death Metal royalty. Why? Repetitiveness. The album offers no variation what so ever, it is basically all the same. Forst few tracks were fine, but it got stale quick. Oh well, let us hope they bounce back strong with the next one!Immolation ImmolationDebut era Immolation, so OSDM with a strong technical dissonant tinge, however with awful production. Exactly what you'd expect from a demo.Immortal Damned In BlackWhat a disappointment. After making one of the best albums ever in At the Heart of Winter, Immortal go full on blackened thrash. In doing this they make the most one-dimensional thrash you can imagine, with basically one blastbeat pattern being held throughout the album, and repetitive riffs. Too bad.Insomnium Above the Weeping WorldMost depressing album I have ever heard. If tou like that sort of music, here you are! Personally, not a big fan. Incredibly melodic and melancholy, but not any riffage or cool instrumental moments to catch my attention. Also quite repetitive.Iron Maiden The Soundhouse TapesIron Maiden is basically the same, just slowed down, Invasion is a straight-up Punk-rocker, and Prowler is the same just minus some guitar harmonies and tuning issues. Overall ok.Iron Maiden Fear Of The DarkAn uninspired and long progressed past their raw early days Maiden trying to sound like raw early Maiden. The result? Mostly uninspired, uncreative and frankly boring songs surrounded by fantastic stuff (FotD, Be Quick and some moments in others). Jackie McLean New SoilJacob Collier In My RoomJacob Collier, an immensely talented YouTube star. Can he write good music? Meh. Firstly, his style is a sort of mix of everything you can think of, but smooth, which is not entirely my thing. Not a fan of his vocals either. What is amazing though is the complexity of the actual music, especially the harmonies. Like wow.Jaga Jazzist A Livingroom HushI do not get this album?s acclaim. Nothing special at all. A calm ambient jazz album.James LaBrie Elements Of PersuasionThis is the first LaBrie solo-album I have heard, and I am very surprised to hear how heavy he is. I am however not a fan of the sound he is rooted in, with strong nu-metal and straight-forward metal roots. Some good stuff, but the first half of the album especially is weak.Janek Gwizdala The Space in BetweenMusically excellent, sure, just not my style. Too smooth and poppy for my liking. Still, all the instrumentalists give great performances, so a 2.5 is certainly deserved.Jason Becker PerspectiveNot what I was expecting. An amalgam of all sorts of stuff from neoclassisism, ambient and jazz to blues and funk. A bit too much, and did not flow very well imo.Jethro Tull This WasVery average, especially for Tull. Has its good jammy, jazzy blues moments in the first half, and Dharma for One is a clear highlight, but the second half of the album especially feels a lot like goal-less, disjointed blues.Joe Henderson Our ThingJoe Satriani Surfing With The AlienWhat a didappointment. After getting into shred-guitar lateřy, I had my hopes up for one of its father, Sattiani. However all I was to fond was cheesy 80s rhythm and lead playing with the occasional shred. Sure, he shows very good musical knowledge and skill, but he could have done so much better.Johann Sebastian Bach Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067An alright or heattal piece with a highlight atmospheric third movement.Johann Sebastian Bach Lute Fugue in G minor, BWV 1000A solid 5 minute piece. Not enough in it to warrant a higher rating though.Johann Sebastian Bach Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068Good for the time? Sure. Nw? Not so much. Very simplistic and frankly imo boring.Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78John Carpenter HalloweenThe tracks might be great, but they get sooo repetitive!John Coltrane BalladsJohn Scofield East Meets WestJourney JourneyA pretty cool album. Suffers from production issues and a strong tendency towards ballads. However overall not bad. Highlights include cuts like Tupaz and the jam at the end of the second track. Solid stuff.Kiko Loureiro Open SourceFirst 3 tracks are amazing, then the album unfortunately takes a huge dip in quality. The rest of the tracks other than the two closers mostly sound like rehashed weaker versions of the singles' ideas. Runs together completelty.Kiko Loureiro FullblastQuite disappointing to be honest. After the brilliant prog metal, fusion and latino debut, and more latino fusion oriented sophomore album, expectations were high. The first thing to strike me about this one was the weak production, everything sounds very slick and has no crunchyness or lower end. As for the actual music, it feels like Kiko tries combining too much into this record, ruining the flow. It still has some good tracks, but overall falls short.King Crimson IslandsDefinitely KC?s weakest record yet. The second and third tracks are alright, but the opener drags a bit and the closer is just not KC level. They take the experimentation a bit too far (imo) to where it just sounds disjointed and unfitting.Kreator RenewalNpt as bad as people often make it out to bec but not great either. Has it?s moments like the teo great thrashers Zero to None and Eirope after Rain that come out of nowhere. However moments like Karmic Wheel and Rälitetskontrolle are borderline unlistenable. The rest of the album is mostly a more groovy type style, whoch isn?t necessarily bad, but neither is it good. It also suffers really heavily from a terrible mix with superlow guitars/bass, superloud drums, a horrible sounding snare and Mille?s very bad vocals.Kvelertak NattesferdLed Zeppelin CodaAn average effort overall. Has its moments, but dulls out towards the end.Leprous BilateralQuite the shift from the debut. Musically this album is incredible. Huge choruses and melody with weirdass chord progressions that somehow make sense. However that is the main focus of the album as compared to the completely gone aggression of the debut and rhythmical wankery which is way less present. Therefore I am not as fond.Lionel Loueke IncantationAlright, but very derivative of old-school jazz. The folk and classical elements are cool, but again, not necessarily new.Lucifer's Friend I'm Just a Rock & Roll SingerA huge step-back after the milestone proto-metal and jazz fusion releases respectively by the band. Lucifer?s Friend?s attempt at a rock-oriented disc with jazz and blues elements ends up being completely misguided, and while some great moments can be found, it is overall disappointing.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15Piano playing is excellent, but the composition around it lacks. Astonishing to see how average Beethoven?s early work was considering what he would become.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1A pretty average sonata, but not bad for a first. The last movement, though it gets repetitive quick is my highlight.Marduk Dark EndlessA very forgettable Blackened DM debut. Not much more to say, just a generic minimalistic Blackened DM debut from Marduk.Martyr Feeding the AbscessSolid for sure, especially the musicianship. However the production and vocals especially are hugely problematic to me. The direction they chose with this album also isn't it in my opinion. Wankier, but this time purposlessly, and the music has a very dissonant Voivod vibe to it. That and the hardcore vocals just sound really weird combined with the techy music. Mayhem De Mysteriis Dom SathanasHugely influential and a pioneering album (wonder what genre it could have pioneered), but plagued by repetitiveness and primitivity. Tracks like Feezing Moon manage to give off the cold Black Metal vibe very well, most of the others, not so much.Mayhem Grand Declaration of WarMayhem DaemonA very uncharacteristically generic dose of BM from the legends in Mayhem. These guys are known for completely reinventing their sound with just about every new album, yet here they fall into the trap of sounding like just about every other BM act. Yes, the cold riffs are nice, Hellhammer imporsonates a metronome, and Atilla sounds like an alien, but still... Megadeth Th1rt3enMeshuggah SelfcagedA few tracks off of Destroy Erase Improve as well as an average live version of Gods of Rapture. Eh.Meshuggah Psykisk TestbildThe review puts it well. It basically is KEA era metallica with more rhythmical complexity and weaker vocals.Mestis Basal GangliaMetallica LoadMiles Davis The New Miles Davis QuintetDavis teaming up with the quintet that would start his jazz-icon era from now till the mid-70s. They would not properly find their groove until Midnight though. What is interesting here is that it is Coltrane?s first recording. He is nowhere near the level he would cone to be at, but some hints can be seen.Miles Davis Miles AheadMiles Davis Cookin' With the Miles Davis QuintetMiles Davis Ascenseur pour l'echafaud OSTDecent piece of diverse jazz stylistically. The music, while diverse, is still quite generic though.Misery Index RetaliateVery solid deathgrind. Issue is, it is way too standard and samey.Morbid Angel Bleed for the DevilPure attitude and drug driven Death Metal madness with some funny convos inbetween. Huge step up in both recording and song quality over the first demo.Morbid Angel Formulas Fatal to the FleshThis is a weird album to me. While it is clearly a sort of answer to the slower, slimier approach of Domination, it tries combining early MA speed with the slimy approach of Domination. It is also quite complex making me think I might need more listens.Morbid Angel HereticWell this is weird. Way too weird for me, and the god-awful production does not help much either. I looove the instrumentation on here foe the most part, but mixer? Hello? This is not black metal... I wanna hear ither things than drums and guitar too. Additionally waay too much weird shit in the form of ambient, industrial, noise and whatnot. Confused.Mr. Bungle CaliforniaMy (unpopularly) least favourite Mr. Bungle. I overall seem to be way less fond of these guys than most. Still, I enjoyed the debut for what it was (the craziest attempt to make weird music I have ever heard), and really enjoyed Disco Volante, an experimental fusion masterpiece. This album however sees Bungle try yet again, something entirely new, but I don't even know how to describe it. Much less in your face than previous efforts, it is much more accesible, and honestly I found it mostly uninteresting. Necromancing the Stone Jewel of the VileEh, very average imo. Misic was actually quite good, if slightly recycled. Some solid BDM sounding riffs and strong power/NWOBHM melodies. The vocals ruined everything though. They were not objectively bad, just so powery (not my thing).Necrophagia Season of the DeadCompletely standard death/thrash. One of the most important bands to the existence of Death Metal, however the fact that they were/are super influential does not automatically make them intrinsically good. The album is incredibly one-dimensional (like a lot within the subgenre), meaning its novelty runs out real quick. Still a nice theowback thoughzNecrot MortalLike every other DM revival band, riffs that have been heard a million times before. The Human-era Death esque complex time, drumming and scales occasinally making their way in at least add a bit of spice, but still, much too familiar overall.Neuraxis Truth Beyond...Nevermore Utopia (Demo)Very solid demo. Basically a slightly underdeveloped Nevermore with flashes of brilliance and problematic production.Nevermore In MemoryNevermore's weakest effort for sure. Loomis' solos and overall guitarwork are of course great as always, but his riffing prowess isn't allowed to shines enough imo. Most of the songs follow a build-up pattern from clean intros into heavier endings, and some just stay ballady throughout. Prefer my Nevermore riffier.Niccolo Paganini 6 Duets for Violin and Guitar, MS 110A nice piece. Paganini using his two instruments in unison, the violin and guitar.Obscura RetributionBasically diet-Death. Has its moments, but is nothing near the spacy, free-form jazzy mastery they do a few years later. The production also has issues, bumping it down from a 3 to a 2.5. Still not bad by any means, just very generic.Obscura OmniviumCosmogenesis, just worse. Imagine Obscura?s last album Cosmogenesis, so kinda jazzy, spacey and quite melodic modern tech-death. Then make everything slightly more boeing and average. That?s this album. Odious Mortem SynesthesiaOne of those moments when good, borderline great music is ruined by awful production/mixing. Slightly inferior to their second album due to less wank, thai one is still solid, but that mix...Opeth In Cauda VenenumThe best new-Opeth album. Sounds less focused on trying to please old fans with prog-meral elements and more focused on Mikael?s new vision. However that vision is still just a sterile sounding attwmpt at old-school prog with a lot of jazzy and folky overtones.Opeth OrchidOkay. Shows Opeth's potential, but the songs sound like fractions forced together and the production is terrible. Honestly reminds of black metal a lot.Opeth Pale CommunionOpeth continue imitating a gone era in 70s prog, and still struggle to really put their own sound into it. Better than Heritage, mostly due to some of the tracks in the first half that go through very cool chord progressions and interesting time changes. Shoutout to some great leads and Mikael?s fantastic singing, however all in all... Not good enough.Opeth Still Day Beneath The SunOrigin Informis Infinitas InhumanitasEasily the most brutal thing I have ever heard in my life. Technical Grindcore? Unfortunately I?m not much into grindcore, so though I appreciated the technical aspects, the grindier ones were slightly meh... and the mixOrnette Coleman Something Else!!!!Coleman's playing is fantastic, but completely conventional. To me much of the appeal of jazz is going outside the norms. Therefore this get a 2.5 as a completely standard hard-bop record.Ornette Coleman To Whom Who Keeps A RecordAlright. A collection of Coleman, Cherry et ař. recordings from around Change of the Century era. Somewhere between free-jazz and classic jazz, it sounds directionless most of the time. Some cool solos, but not much more.Ozzy Osbourne Ordinary ManPain of Salvation Remedy Lane Re:mixedMeh. A well made album, just not my style. Way too sappy, melodic, ballad-y and vocally driven for my taste. Some cool song structures and insanely impressive vocal work though, no doubt about that!Post Malone Hollywood's BleedingProtest the Hero Fabula & SyuzhetRed Hot Chili Peppers Stadium ArcadiumRed Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex MagikAlright, but loses my interest quick as it is basically all exactly the same. Doesn?t help that a negative amounts of flow.Return to Forever MusicmagicI don't know what Corea was thinking here, maybe trying to reach a wider audience, either way it didn't work for me. The addition of (his wife's) vocals is cxompletely unnecessary as I'm sure almost all of us are just here for the guys' instrumental prowess. The music is also turned down a few notches in complexity.Rotting Christ Thy Mighty ContractRoyal Blood How Did We Get So Dark?Sabaton Primo VictoriaSurprisingly listenable. Not a fan of Power Metal, and had heard tons of garbo about Sabaton, but finally decided to give them a go. Their stuff is nothing special, basically just history based macho-trad-metal. Santana AbraxasAlright for what it is, but far too Bluesy for my personal taste.Satyricon Dark Medieval TimesAlright, but I can?t say myself a big fan of the whole medieval vibe. Felt like a bit of a knock-off Burzum to me. Entirebly listenable to though.Scott Joplin The EntertainerI mean, it?s alright. Catchy, simple and cool use of dynamics. Nothing too impressive though.Sergei Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux, Op. 33Obviously great tecnically (etudes and Racmaninoff), but not so much in any other sense. The one in D Minor as well as the opener boast sme col ideas with hand hopping, dynamics and such. Overall meh.Sinister Cross the StyxA potwntially great, or at least good OSDM record ruined by overmuddied prosuction. Some people love the muddy production present on this albun and many others from the time. I do not. The fynamics of the different instruments get completely drowned, and the riffs lose their edge imo. Thank god it is fixed for the next one!Sithu Aye 26Skeletal Remains The Entombment Of ChaosSlayer Diabolus In MusicaHuh, an uninspired late 90s thrash album by a classic band? What a shocker... Slayer try altering their style by adding some of that 90s aggressiveness and groove, leaving thrash on the table. What happens? They put out a weak record.Snarky Puppy The World is Getting SmallerSoft Machine The Soft MachineWas hoping for and expecting solo-Holdworth like fusion madness. Not what I got. Too bad. Instead we get what to me sounds like very standard psychedelic rock for the time.Sonny Rollins The BridgeSteve Morse Band The IntroductionGreat guitarist and playing by everyone on the record, but come on now... Please drop the country Steve!Suffocation …Of the Dark LightMusically this is not bad at all, and in fact contains some great wankery, however in basically all other factors.. FAIL. Memorable? Not even slightly. Production? Cleaner than your premier wankprog bands. That is where this album falls short, and becomes a clear sore thumb in Suffo?s repetoire.Sylvan Abyss Demo 2020Eh. Atmospheric foly Black Metal. Has potential, sure, but not developed at all yet. A side-project of Malokarpa?an?s guitarist Adam.Symphony X Rarities and DemosA collection of demos (some nore conplete than others), a decent unreleased track and a fun Star Wars suite. Mixed bag.Symphony X Symphony XMusically, this is a very solid album. However, it gas waaay more than its fair share of issues. The peoduction is truly awful, and the vocals are just as bad. These facts ruin the listening experience enough to make the album an average listen. System of a Down MezmerizeTestament The RitualLike so many thrash bands at this time, Testament fall victim to softing up their sound, and like the rest, sithout too much success. Similarly to Metallica?s Black Album or even more to Megadeth?s Countdown, Testament slow doen their sound, but opposed to Metallica don?t soften it up too much. Just add more melody (including melodic singing). Some songs turn out good, and some worse, but overall one gets a more trad-metally Testament with a slightly bloated album. Testament The Formation of DamnationI honestly do not get the high ratings modern Testament gets. The tracks are good. That is good, not great, 3 at the time tops, but beyond that way too similar. Alex?s soloing is great, but the riffs are just 1 and the same unfortunately. Some cool odd-meter riffs like in Dangers of the Faithless too.The Clash London CallingThe Dear Hunter Act I: The Lake South, the River NorthA somewhat enjoyable ride, just wish it were proggier in an instrumental sense.Thelonious Monk MonkTim Miller Trio2Alright, but nowhere nesr as good as the first imo. This one is campier.Tool UndertowCool idea, combining grunge with complex structures, but still keeping the riffs very simple. Transatlantic SMPT:eToo long and too Neal Morse influenced. Neal Morse and his pop background start gaking way too much of the spotlight for my tastes after the first great track, and even in parts of it. The crazier extended instrumental sections are fantastic, but Neal basically ruins this album for me.Trivium The Sin and the SentenceVan der Graaf Generator The Least We Can Do Is Wave to...Honestly really disappointed by this. Was expecting more complexity, but it seems like Van der Graaf falls into the "atmospheric prog" category more than the in-your-face wanky category. An alright listen but lacks any standout moments to me.Vanden Plas Colour TempleAn alright listen. Some cool standout tracks like the closer and When the Wind Blows especially. The wanky/proggy parts are cool, and hint towards the future, but the straight ballads and more straight-forward metal is really unspectacular.Vanden Plas AcCultA cool attempt at an acoustic record, but not pulled off all too well imo. Too long, and too little diversity.Voivod Angel RatWell... That was disappointing. Voivod?s run, and progression within it between Killing Technology and Nothingface is one of the best out there. To then release what sounds like and overly commercialised attenpt at NWOBHM truly saddens my soul. There?s some good stuff on here, but overall it falls short due to its pure simplicity.Voivod The End Of DormancyVoivod The Outer LimitsVoivod lost their way after Angel Rat. In my opinion, the more radio-rock oriented sound Voivod adopted on Angel Rat was a big hit to their uniqueness, and though they try adding back in some jazzy dissonance here, Piggy?s riffing just does not have the same effect qith the much more accesible structures and peogressions around it. Jack Luminous is really cool though.Volbeat Seal the Deal & Let's BoogieYes Time and a WordA proper meh album,it shows an evolution towards a more proggy sound, which would really be advanced on on The Yes Album. I like to say that before Howe, there was no Yes,and with Wakeman they came. into their own. This is the second and last album without the former, and is still very much based in late 60s pop like Beatles. However. progression in both instrumental skill, especially Squire and the guitar, and songwriting is shown compared to their first album. Yes YesYes Going for the OneYes go back to the more atmospheric vibe of Topographic Oceans, but streamline the tracks, making them shorter and catchier. Not a fan of the direction.2.0 poor1349 LiberationEssentially just a prototypical 2nd Wave BM record. Pretty solid, but the mixing and guitar tone ruin everything.7 for 4 TimeBy far and away the band's weakest record. Sounds completely confused. The different genres and most individual songs are cool and all, but it has to be the least cohesive thing I have heard in a long time.A.S.A.P. Silver and GoldAborted The Purity of PerversionMeh. Aborted?s first shows the band in a very early stage. Their instrumentals were fine, however the vocals aren?t good yet, and the entire album is exactly the same.Allan Holdsworth Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent MovieHonestly just feels purpose- and direction-less. Some typical harmonic Holdsworthisms here and there, but overall a seemingly lost meandering piece.Allegaeon FormshifterActual trash. Okay, not that horrible, but incredibly boring and sterile. The players are all good, sure, but so one-dimesional. Drumming being the worst offender, except possibly the bass, but one cannot even hear it with the boring and compressed production. Best parts are the solos.Andrew Hill So in Love With the Sound of Andrew HillA very standard jazz record. Much like most other jazz debuts, feels more like a coming to grips wth being a frontman record.Atomic Rooster Atomic RooosterAvenged Sevenfold Avenged SevenfoldAyreon Into the Electric CastleBehemoth Bewitching the PomeraniaBlack Sabbath Born AgainBlack Sabbath Headless CrossIt pains me to give such a low rating to a Black Sabbath album, but this one was truly nought more than a chore to sit through. Some riffs had potential, but it was all ruined by the Power Metal vocals, keyboards/synths and overall anthemic/chorus concentrated songs. Damn.Black Sabbath Cross PurposesHorrible. It pains me to go through these Martin era albums and rate yet another Sabbath album at a 2. The most uninspired piece of work one will ever hear, using mostly rehashed generic riffs, and continueing the heavy keyboard reliance synonymous with the Martin era. Opener and closer are great songs, otherwise it?s pure garbage. Truly saddening.Blood Red Throne Monument Of DeathJust above average Death Metal completely ruined by awful clicky drums. Nice riffs, if slightly repetitive, and some cool time changes and harmonies.Carcass Reek of PutrefactionCarcass The Earache Peel SessionsNot a grind fan at all. Reek tracks are basically all just awful. At least the Synphonies ones are ok.Carcass DespicableMichael Amott must be loving this. Super standard boring melo-death.Cattle Decapitation Homovore Very similar to the debut LP; semi-badly produced Grind. Cattle Decapitation To Serve ManPainfully average Grind with a terrible mix (0 guitars) to boot.Celtic Frost To Mega TherionOne of the most influential albums in metal, and it sucks. These guys can barely play, and the riffs suck. Thereby, they inspired thousands of bands with the same motto. Sound ugly.Code Orange UnderneathThe riffs are overall pretty decent, however it?s full of weird cut-offs, samples, industrial moments, and some really bad tracks like the title-track , Who Am I and Sulfur Surrounding.Crippled Black Phoenix A Love of Shared DisastersReally not my style. Probably enjoyable for lovers of ambient/atmospheric.Cryptopsy Once Was NotCryptospsy?s rapid down-fall continues. After an album that was still great but had its issues, Cryptopsy completely lose their way instrumentally in my mind. The technicality is all but gone, and even Lord Worm?s vocals can?t save the day. Everything other than Lord Worm and Flo (who does give a good performance) is lost in the mix, not helping matters.Cynic Reflections of a Dying WorldNot pften does a band degress from their first to second demo, but here it happens. Cynic have a more DM edge, and try adding more melodies it seems, but fail miserably. A good example of an itter fail of a melodic solo is about a minute into A Life Astray where Masvidal attenpts a melodic minor over an entirely ingotting power-chord progression.Darkthrone A Blaze in the Northern SkyMy nr. 1 Black Metal album of all time by my nr. 1 Black Metal band of all time. Darkthrone?s first venture into Black Metal is incredible, and the thing that actually makes it so great in my opinion is how it?s basically Death Metal transposed into a Black Metal style. The band members themselves would tell you this as they were a death metal band (and a good one at that) just a year earlier.Death Reign of TerrorI could barely make anything out, but this sounded honestly more like Bathory than Death. Death pioneering Black Metal?Decapitated Blood MantraI might give this a higher rating if it were a different band, but this is Decapitated. The guys who changed Tech-Death, and I cannot look away from that. Conpared to those first four, and especially first two records this is truly saddening. No more technical riffing or drumming, just groove oriented aggressive Death Metal riffing with pretty bad vocals.Deep Purple Who Do We Think We AreOh boy. After slme truly phenomenal records from the MKII squad, Deep Purple release an absolute stinker which has almost nothing to it. Only tracks of note here are Rat Bat Blue which sounds like good ol? DP, and Woman from Tokyo which is good.Deep Purple Come Taste The BandAn average and generic funk-rock record further brought down by no real variation. Partly enjoyable for the most part, but gets astoundingly boring for the last few songs. Defeated Sanity Chapters of RepugnanceSure, the album is brutal as all hell, and twchnically stellar, but the former especially is also its downfall. Boring as hell, just constant slammy riffs and occasional technical stuff. The neoclassical hints of rthe debut sre completely gone, and much of the technical riffage has been replaced by slammy «brutality». Eh.Diemonds In The RoughGeneric punky hard rock without attitude. Very meh.Dream Theater When Dream And Day UnitePoor production, very poor songwriting (especially variation) for DT standards. Barely a good song, though the closer, opener and Ytse Jam are just above the rest. Especially the closer is the closest to the DT we would come to see. Interestingly much more of a classical inclination than later efforts.Dum Dum Boys Splitter PineA-Side is cool, forst two tracks in particular are some solid garage drinking songs, then it starts going bad. The B-Side conpletely changes style to sappy Alt-rock and sucks. Oh well.Edge of Sanity UnorthodoxWay too long, and even with some hints of prog and melodic tendencies, all in all way too standard.Emperor Wrath of the TyrantSounded like it might be good.... then again I barely made out any instruments....Exodus Bonded by BloodMostly a young and angry band of dudes playing early thrash. Tracks like Deliver us to Evil and No Love are examples of the more musically mature Exodus we would come to see, but otherwise the album is weak imo.Frank Zappa Joe's GarageI can see this being a grower. Although it is not entirely my cup of tea musically it has some great fusion moments e.g. Keep It Greasey, Packard Goose and Fembot. rIt is also incredibly long, and I cannot help but feel like much of it could be left off. Still, the story deserves more listens, and I will comply.Franz Liszt Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in A majorOne of my least favourite Liszt pieces. It favours accesibility over the guys insane skill. Not my forte. Nevertheless, the first and last movement rule. Especially towards the end of the first movement where the guy totally ignores having a resolution.Franz Liszt Études d'exĂ©cution transcendante, S.139Technical ability? Ridicolously good. Music? Nope.Frederic Chopin Nocturnes, Op. 9Not my style at all. Slow, romantic and melodic, but that is it.Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on BroadwayMore than likely a grower. Very long, loads of interludes and soft stuff. Very little of the prog shown at the start of an album like Nursery Cryme.George Frideric Handel Organ Concertos, Op. 4Objectively, this is at least a decent album. However, personally I just find it way too simple compositionally, and as a result an incredibly boring listen. Sorry George.Ghost (SWE) InfestissumamGioachino Rossini ROSSINI: OverturesClearly an unpopular opinion, but in a collection like this, the overtures become repetitive, and frankly, boring. The Thieving Magpie is the only one I actually find excellent on its own, and then the other range from utterly boring to good.Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 in C minor, "Resurrection"A superb composition, but so left-field for my tastes that I found it an absolute chore. An atmospheric movie-sountrack like symphony with shitloads of brass. Flows really well, but ph boy how long and boring I found it.Guthrie Govan West Coast GroovesI came into this so hyped after Erotic Cakes only to dind out it was a promotional mimi-album with Gocan playing over basic backing tracks. Sure, his playing might be amazing, but the tracks give him basically nothing to work with, and it shows.Herbie Hancock My Point of ViewAfter a really cool debut, this album is huge disappointment. Some average average bluesy jazz with an okay opener.Illegal Aliens TimeA weird attempt at prog-rock/metal and fusion all mixed together. Vocals are really bad and the riffs are pretty bad too. Marco?s deumming is of course amazing, but not enough to save the album.In Flames The Jester RaceA boring melodic ride. I really don?t get what people see on these guys. They have aome nice harmonies, but that?s about it. That gets stale quick.Insect Warfare World ExterminationNo clue why this has such a high rating. Completely generic grind. Three chords, a big sound, blast-beats and intensity.Iron Maiden Virtual XICertainly not good, but has some actually good tracks. First half is straight pure garbage, but from The Clansman on, except the awful When Two Worlds Collide, it is decent.Iron Maiden No Prayer For The DyingEven the best of bands misfire, and here it happened to Maiden. A ton of uninspired tracks, and sure, there are good ones, like Mother Russia or The Assassin, but overall this falls way short of any previous Maiden output. Iron Maiden The X FactorNot awful, but very poor, especially clnsidering Maiden standards. The opener and closer are amazing, and it is safe to say this is Maiden?s heaviest album, but the writing, frankly, sucks. Blaze also does not fit the mold the slightest bit. Sounds horrific.Iron Maiden A Real Dead OneMan, this straight up hurt. Some of the greatest tracks of all-time completely ruined by 4/5 members not even wanting to be there, sloppiness and the worst mix of all time.... Jesus. A year back I would have told you Maiden never had a bad show... Boy was I wrong....Iron Maiden A Real Live OneWanna hear Iron Maiden at their worst? This is it. A Real Live Onne is bad, but this is even worse. Bruce's voice is completely shot, everryone sounds completely uninspired and the mix is beyond dreadful. Do NOT get!Iron Maiden A Real Live Dead One2 hours of the least inspired, sloppiest and worst mixed you can ever hear Iron Maiden. Jason Becker The Raspberry JamsJohann Sebastian Bach Lute Suite in G minor, BWV 995Meh. Some good stuff and ideas, but overall not really anytging of note on here.Johann Sebastian Bach Prelude in C minor, BWV 999John Coltrane Coltrane JazzJohn Coltrane Settin' The Paceunreleased Coltrane outtakes forced out by the label in an effort to make money off his fame. There is a reason they were outtakes.John Scofield Bar TalkJudas Priest Point Of EntryJudas Priest Ram It DownJudas Priest step it up after Turbo, but just barely. The album opens up with the blistering title-track leading me to think this might be another Priest classic after the misstep on Turbo. Unfortunately, after that track, it all goes back to Turbo-esque commercial hell, albeit with a little more heaviness. The still very symthetic and commercial production again makes it borderline unlistanable, especially the drums. Judas Priest JugulatorAfter the spectacular Painkiller (imo their best ever albium) Judas Priest continue chunring out garbage after the departure of Rob Halford. The album had the potential to be okay, however the riffing is stale, but mainly the awful industrial effect help no one. Intros are way too long, ruining all the feeling of the music. Last track is a solid priest epic however.Judas Priest 5 SoulsBetter than the actual album in my opinion, however the last track doesn't do it any favoursKing Crimson BeatProg-wave? An odd album basically swapping the rock sode od Crimson for a New Wave one.Korn Follow the LeaderNot as bad as expected. Some horrific stuff like the theme and lyrics, but also some decent grooves and nice funky bassLudwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18, No. 2Really disappointing, especially considering its composer. An incredibly average and repetitive piece that doesn?t really bring any interesting ideas to the table. When it feels like it might be going somewhere, it just goes back into mediocreness by repeating the same measures.Lychgate Also Sprach FuturaA failed experiment. Lychgate try combining modern djenty progressive metal with black metal, however due to the polar differences of these genres along with my dislike for djent it doesn?t work for me at all. The crytal clear (and conpressed may I add) production teally doesn?t fit the BM at all, and the bad mix sounds weird for the proggy stuff. Nah.Machine Head Burn My EyesMahavishnu Orchestra Inner WorldsI mean, it's certainly no victory for McLaughlin. It isn't horrible like people will have it either and has its moment. Definitely not up to Mahavishnu standards though.Mahavishnu Orchestra Adventures in RadiolandMarilyn Manson Antichrist SuperstarMcStine and Minnemann IIMegadeth Cryptic WritingsMegadeth The World Needs A HeroA step in the right direction after Cryptic Writings and Risk? Yes. Good? No. Half-way through it seems a 1-1.5 is inevitable, however pulls itself in a bit with some alright tracks towards the end like Recipe For Hate... Warhorse.Meshuggah NoneAlright. Typical rhythmical Meshuggah with worse production. Then a totally useless song at the end.Metallica ReloadMetallica St. AngerMiles Davis TutuDon't know what Miles was trying to achieve here, but if it was a funky, disco-jazz album, I commend his attempt. The actual content? Less so.Miles Davis The New SoundsNot the Miles Davis you want. In fact, it does not even really sound like him. Nothing special of note, just a really generic album.Miles Davis Young Man With A HornMiles Davis The Musing of MilesMiles Davis Blue PeriodMore early Davis, more early standard jazz affairs. Morbid Angel Scream Forth BlasphemiesCannot really make anything out. The stuff I could sounded interesting, but it is basically all muffled...Necrot DemoNiccolo Paganini Ghiribizzi, MS 43Impressive, but super boring. An hour of 1-2 minute minuettes was way too much. All but 2 are in a Makor key as well, and there is only so mich you can do in it, along with it being the most boring from the get-go. Therefore it ends up real repetitive too.Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov The Tale of Tsar Sultan, Op. 57Have to to admit I only listened to this for Flight od the Bumblebee only to find out it is. ot even on here. Not my style at all.Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op. 1Not impressed. Theforst two movements had some cool dark moments, but otherwise a conpletely uninteresting symphony in my opinion. Nirvana NevermindObituary The End CompleteOnce and Future Band BrainOpeth HeritageHas its moments, and is not necessarily even a bad album, but 0 originality. This would have been a huge groundbreaking album if released in the early 70s, however with its release date being what it is... Not so much... All it is is Opeth losing their personality by basically just emulating and paying «Heritage» as the album is called to their early prog madtermind inspirations.Opeth BurdenBurden is actually good, Mellotron Heart sucks bad, and then there is the Would? cover. It is good, and I really enjoy Aakeson?s solo, but overall a really pointless EP.Paul Desmond Desmond BluePeriphery PeripheryFirst 11 songs of the record suck, then comes Racecar, a sudden great track. Goddammit Misha. Why does the forst hour of the recoed consist literally of basically only shitty Meshuggah worship before a decent track comes along? Too bad.Pharoah Sanders TauhidYeah, Idk about this. The first track gets going and decent after 9 minutes, then the second is literally useless. The third doesn't do anything to me either. Oof.Polyphia InspireLet's play 2 truths 1 liie, and you guess which are which.r1. This album contains a lot of djenty rhythmsr2. This album has mindless shredding and sweepingr3. This album is good musically and enjoyableProtest the Hero KeziaHas its moments, but is too outside of my preferences to be overall enjoyable. The guys are talented as all hell, but every track is just chugcore with guitar-fills and the occasional breakdown or clean passage. The vocals are literally painful to me, and yeah... Unfortunately did not click at all.Psycroptic Ob(Servant)The music is still good, if less unique than before. Thw vocals are the real kicker here. Whoever decided to put hardcore vocals on this... why?R.A.V.A.G.E. On We SlayRed Fang Whales And LeechesRed Hot Chili Peppers Freaky StyleyWhat a record. You?ll be hard pressed to find anything similar. It isn?t outright bad, and has some solid cuts like Sex Rap, Blackeyed Blonde and Catholic School Girls Rule. Overall it suffers from horrible lyrics and some too experimental tracks for my taste e. g. closer Yertle the Turtle.Savatage Power of the NightSavatage?s first major label release is a very confused and inconsistent record. The album starts off with a great track, the title track. There are a few more if those, however there are also a few glam numbers (Hard for Love, Stuck on You) and the closing power ballad. These are just the wprdt of the weaker songs on here.Shadow Gallery TyrannyNot my thing. Way too epic and operatic for my liking. The wanky sections were cool, but even those got tiring as the guys really stopped running out of melodic ideas.Slayer Undisputed AttitudeA bunch of 3 chord, attitude filled pink covers. Cool? Sure. Any good? Not really considering I am not a big fan of ounk. Big ups to Tom for the vocals though. They are great.Slayer RepentlessWow! Who would've thought! An even less inspired Slayer album than Diabolus. I guess Holt and then gangf really did try to emulate past Slayer as much as possible, as this might be the least original and blandest thing I have ever heard..Slipknot IowaSymphony X Dance MacabreI mean, basically early underdeveloped Symphony X with an amazing Romeo in particular with garbo production. Interesting listen, even if overly wanky, but yeah. Not much more.Symphony X UnderworldIt saddens me to say for the first time, I think this was a bad Symphony X album. Not just bad for Symphony X (in that context awful), but generally bad. Formulaic (for this band), recycled riffs and powery choruses, and it is almost like any other member than Romeo has been forgotten... Saddening.Testament Souls of BlackThank god Alex Skolnick?s amazing kead playing and solos are in here, because other than that and great stmosphere, this is bottom of the barrel scraping thrash. After a massive downfall from The New Order to PWYP, Testament seemingly hamstring themselves even more to release a painfully watered down and generic thrash affair. Not to mention they got infected with the ballad disease that plagued thrash around this time.Testament DemonicMy first reaction to this: «Wait, did I put on Panter- oh...». Chuck?s vocals are real bad imo, and the riffing sounds forced.The Beatles Please Please MeSo I decided to go through the discog of probably the biggest band of all time. The Beatles. They are endlessly influential, so I almost felt that I had to. Oh, boy, did I forget how much of a boring old bigbeat four-piece they were in the early-mid sixties.... Best song in here is a cover, think that says all that needs to be said.The Beatles With the BeatlesAnother full pop ditty album, not much different to Please Please Me. This one does have less blatant mistakes.The Beatles Beatles for SaleThe Black Dahlia Murder A Cold-Blooded EpitaphMeh. The. Blackened melodeath sound is cool, but has too many metalcore influences for my taste. The instrumental section also doesn?t showcase anything of much note and Strnad?s vocals aren?t too impressive.The Black Dahlia Murder What a Horrible Night to Have a CurseVery different Dahlia from how we know them today. Still very metalcore influenced. Strnad even tries some clean singing in This Is Not A Fuckin? Love Song.The Black Dahlia Murder VerminousJust bad tbh. A very average melo-death record with hints of metalcore. Ellis has some solid solos, but nowhere near to save the record.The Black Dahlia Murder MiasmaI did not enjoy this one bit... after 2 tracks. The stale instrumentation and mediocre vocals made the album feel repetitive almost immediately. The use of repetitive melodies and sterilized sounding riffs made nothing really stand out. Happy it lasted only 33 minutes.The Hu The GeregThe combination of metal style riffing and Mongolian folk music really doesn?t work for me at all.The Rolling Stones The Rolling StonesSimilarly to early Beatles, just a completely standard 60s bluesy pop record.Tigran Hamasyan World PassionNothing of note. Has hints of the gretness Hamasyan would create in later years, but here he was still very much a standard jazz pianist with hints of armenian folk and weird time structures. Furthermore the album is so mich too long. Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Eve and Other StoriesLook, the orchestration and concept are great, but I just do bot like christmas music. Too many, to me, filler short acoustic versions of Christmas melodies and choir/operatic numbers. When Alex turns up the metals one gets some good stuff though, with a mad Russian?s Christmas (metalised Tchaikovsky? Any day!) as an example.Tublatanka SkĂşsime to cez vesmĂrPossibly the most popular ?heavier? Slovak rock band?s heaviest and most popular album. It?s basically all glam though.Voivod Thrashing RageVoivod RRRĂ–Ă–Ă–AAARRRBang-on generic thrash with no sign of Voivod. After a promising punky but unique and sci-fi debut, Voivod go completely generic. However just a year later...Warbringer Weapons of Tomorrow50 minutes of riffs you?ve heard about 50 times before if you?ve listened to 80s thrash. As with mich of the thrash revival scene, Warbringer?s new album doesn?t really bring anything new to the table, causing a boring listen. The structure of the album and some basslines are cool, but that?s about it.Yes Tales from Topographic OceansSo bloated it hurts. First and last track (especiall the last) are pretty good, wven if the first suffers a decent bit from being drawn out. The middle two however are so drawn out and mostly meander not really doing anything that they completely ruin the full experience. Yes 901251.5 very poorAl Di Meola ScenarioMeola goes full-on experimantal mode basing almost all the tracks here around drum machines and sequencers. Cannot say I enoy it, but the last 2 tracks save a 1.5 for the record.Alcatrazz No Parole from Rock 'n' RollWay too synthy and Arena Oriented for my taste, only reason I kept listening was Yngwie. This was a really hard listen as it is not my style in the slightest, but I really wamted to hear Yngwie?s beginnings, and his neoclassical chops asll over this made it worth it, even if only just.Amon Amarth Thor AriseSo classic AA again, just less musically matured, and horrific production. The truly awful Sabbath Bloody Sabbath covers loses it an extra 0.5, it?s truly bad.Anaal Nathrakh EndarkenmentJust as I expected, absolute trash. Listened to it for a friend, but good lord, wish I did not.This is basically the definition of trying to cover up non-existant songwriting with pure unadelturated intensity. It just makes it sound worse. Oof.Black Sabbath ForbiddenGood god am I happy to have made it through this at all. Horrible, horrible, the cherry on top of the truly garbage Martin era (except for Tyr which I enjoyed a bit). As far as I am concerned this album does not exist.Bon Jovi Slippery When WetPretty bad. A whole lot of nostalgia and not complete terribleness on a few tracks like You Gove Love a Bad Name, however the poppy choruses, orchestral keyboard hits etc. made this a real hard one to sit through. Last 3 tracks especially were total garbage.Carcass The Peel SessionsDeath Back from the DeadMeh. Probably my least favourite Death demo. Very punky sound (not surpeising given DRI?s drummer is on it as well as a punk bassist), and other than Chuck?s growls, little sign of Death Metal.Dream Theater Falling Into InfinityDamn. This one is painful. Starts off solid with New Millenium, an overall enjoyable Octavarium-vibe song with bery promising keyboards from Derek. Then.... It goes bad. Peruvian Skies is good when it gets going, but beyond that, it is all weak... LaBrie?s vocal chords are also still very audibly shot after food poisoning.Entombed Same DifferencePunk and grunge, two of my least favourite genres combined, and badly. Some cool drum beats, but that's it.Epica The Quantum EnigmaFates Warning ParallelsGoddamn, Fates did a real 180 on me here. I was expecting them to either continue their progression into even proggier territory with more extended instrumentals and weird times, but they do the exact opposite. They strip both of those entirely, and drop both the prog and heaviness. It sucksFirstborne FirstborneWow, this really really sucked. The closer is tge inly track here worth a damn, and even that one is only decent. Literally nothing interesting happens anywhere on this record, and the only thing close is Adler?s drumming. Vocals are terrible, and guitar-wprk maximum boring. Damn.Franz Schubert Piano Sonata No.1 in E major, D.157Super boring. I mean the last movement is straight up awful. Oter than the main melody which itself is uninteresting it's just staccato notes doing nothing. Damn.In Flames WhoracleJudas Priest NostradamusVery bad. There?s barely a song on here. Just almost 1,5hes of huge build-ups and not even an attempt at a pay offJudas Priest DemolitionAfter the very cringeworthy Jugulator, Priest come out with yet another another weak album. Again ruined by industrial effects, though to a lesser extent, this album is less cringy. However, it is incredibly generic and samey, lasts for an eternity, and except a few moments even staler than Jugulator. Judas Priest Redeemer Of SoulsI thought I haf listened to the pinnacle of uninspired Priest when listening to Demolition. I was wrong. Redeemer of Souls is probably the largest offender of this in Priest?s entire discography, and it shows. Truly saddening.Kreator Cause for ConflictQuite sad to see one of the pioneers of brutality make the most generic thrash album in existance. Super boring, riffs stale as could be. Ends off with two short punk tracks. Only positives are stellar drumming and production. Musically? Totally uninteresting.Led Zeppelin In Through The Out Door#NotMyLedZep as Gen Z would say. Don?t know what the attempt was with this record after a while out of the studio and off tour, but it certainly didn?t work as far as I am concerned. Starts off decent with In The Evening, then goes bad, especially from Fool In The Rain. Last 4 tracks might all be Zep?s worst.Mahavishnu Orchestra MahavishnuMegadeth RiskMegadeth Super ColliderLook, it?s bad, alright? Got some cool shred in places, but that?s about it. Songwriting=0, inspiration=0, result=0Miles Davis Collectors' ItemsMorbid Angel Kingdoms DisdainedWhat the hell happened here? What I assume was supposed to be a redemption of sorts after the, let us say unorthodox Ilud ends up being almost just as bad. Let me summarise it. 0 idemtity, almost no trademark Morbid Angel weirdness, no Azagthoth amazing solos, AWFUL plastic drum and bass heavy production, and wordt of all, super generic, bland repetitive and boring. Oh boy. Morbid Angel Illud Divinum InsanusHmm, how about we just pretend this album does not exist? I am utterly confused by what exactly the members were thinking when putting together the techno drum-beat songs whoch are all unlistenable except for Radikult which was «only» awful. On the other hand the actual DM songs on here are either decent or good, not MA amazing good, but enjoyable. Overall. What. Motley Crue Too Fast For LoveWeak production, horrible vocals, cheesy lyrics, boeing repetitive riffs and song structures. First track is solid, then it winds down into a total mess.Necrot The LabyrinthOpeth Apostle in TriumphAwful peoduction, terriblw sounding acoustic guitars, blocky transitions. Um... Yeah.Queensryche EmpireHow to ruin your band aftwr putting out one of the most influential records in metal history? This is how! What Empire is, is basically a synth-heavy, stripped and commercialised version of O:M, and it is truly sad. The guitarwork and insteumentation is completely sterilised and can barely wven be heard behing Tate. Oof.Red Hot Chili Peppers The GetawayRush Grace Under PressureCrazy to think this band released 2112 and Hemispheres. All new wave?d and polished up, this is not the Rush I love. Most of the technicality, complecity and long tracks are gone, and the focus is on catchiness and accesibility while retaining some level of prog. Eh. Lifeson still has some great guitar-lines though.Rush Power WindowsRush continuing their spiral. A god-awful album. Big Money is okay, and there are some cool solos, basslines and drum-parts to be found, but overall the sound is just terrible.Rush PrestoUnfortunately, not their worst album. Soundoff too short, huh?Savatage Fight for the RockSavatage release a travesty of an album being forced by their label to become more commercial. It shows hints of the Savatage we know and love, however most of it is the glammiest of glam.The Beatles A Hard Day's NightThe Beatles Help!Threshold HypotheticalAnti-progressive progressive music. Literally songs you have heard a million times before without what makes them actually enjoyable; an identity.Tormentor (DE1) BlitzkriegCan't hear shit, but this was a huge influence on early Black Metal, and very evil for the time.Wayne Shorter Introducing Wayne ShorterCrazy how good this guy would become. THis album is hot garbage. The drum solo at the end of Black Diamond rules, but that's about it. Boring.Wayne Shorter Second GenesisAnother incredibly unspectacular Shorter album. I've heard worse, but it just has no personality.1.0 awfulABBA The AlbumFirst song was honestly kinda cool, especially when the synths hit, rest is absolute assAnthony Braxton For AltoThis is the type of record that can either be seen as aimless hot trash, or an incredible ingenious work. Guess which group I'm in.BABYMETAL BABYMETALFucking hell this hurt. What hurt the most? The potential of the backing band. Their playing is insane, and clearly they could make amazing music. Yet they for some reason do this trash. When Line came on I actually wanted to die.Cattle Decapitation Human JerkyCeltic Frost Cold LakeCan?t believe I lasted through the whole thing... An absolute ABORTION of music! Not for the reason most people would say, as though there are more than a few glamy elements, the tone and production still sounds very raw. However, the lead guitarist! This guy would be blown out of the water by Kurt Conain. Every time he ripped into a... «solo» I wanted to run to the nearest japanese souvenir store to get a sword and commit Sepukku. Geez.Chick Corea IsCryptopsy The Unspoken KingHonestly not much to say for this... RIP Cryptopsy (1988-1998). Deathcore breakdowns, melodic singing etc. What? Now that's not to say theese things are intrinsically bad, but in a Cryptopsy style setting, they both sound awful. Nah.Damageplan New Found PowerDissection ReinkaosAlmost put me to sleep. Might be among the most disappointing albums I have ever heard. Loved the first 2, then I heard this. Where?s the Dissection sound I loved? Nowhere. This is BAD! No energy, generic melodeath. Many melodies sound totally out of place in my opinion.DragonForce Valley Of The DamnedDream Theater WitherThe song sucks, and is easily the wprdt off ofBC&SL. Hearing it three times in addition to a demo version of The Best of Times ain?t it.Five Finger Death Punch F8Frank Zappa Lumpy GravyTerrible. Just a mash-up of all-sorts of half-arsed orchestrated weird sections tht can barely be considered music more than just random sounds. Half of the album is not even music, just talking. No idea what Zappa was trying to do here, but it sure as hell did not work for me.Highly Suspect MCIDImagine Dragons Night VisionsJohn Lennon Double FantasyJudas Priest TurboJudas Priest officially get my award for most inconsistent band of all time, having records at all ratings from 1-5. On to this record it?s terrible, and I honestly don?t even want to remember it, not least write about it. It does try to save itself with the last two tracks, however it is by then much too late. It cannot escape being the synth dominated, pop-oriented, glam garbage, even a failure for glam in fact, that it is. Awful.Miles Davis Porgy and BessNAILS Abandon All LifeMatt... Come on man. These guys are literally just making sound. There is no thought behind this other than «HeAvY». Oof.Necrophagist Requiems of Festered GoreBedex's comment got the nail on the head. Basically sounds like a show vrom oputsie the venue. So waful. Can make out a few riffs, and something about it surprisingly kept my attention at all time. Opeth SorceressA true travesty of an album. After a slight step-up in quality from Heritage to Pale Communion Opeth beyond shit the bed, and do what I never thougt they could, even if they wanted to: deliver a 1 worthy album. It is almost as if they were challenged to make the album as boring as possible with a horrendous midi-sounding lifeless tone, and completely bland and unimaginative songwriting which shows zero if not negative innovationn. Yes, I am mad.Plini birds / surfersYeah... What Nine said, just that I know I?d rather tgis not exist.Rush Hold Your FireSix Feet Under Graveyard Classics IV: The Number Of The Priest
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
