Average Rating: 3.16 Rating Variance: 0.68 Objectivity Score: 90% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAlice in Chains Alice In ChainsNirvana Nevermind4.5 superbAlice Cooper Hey StoopidAlice in Chains DirtDef Leppard HysteriaEagles Hotel CaliforniaLinkin Park Hybrid TheoryThe Beatles The BeatlesWhitesnake 19874.0 excellentAC/DC Back In BlackAlice Cooper Brutal PlanetBrutal Planet is a surprisingly satisfying release. Based on a concept of "Social Fiction," Brutal Planet is a concept album of sorts about an apocalyptic future. However, the album is obviously a criticism of our modern-day decadent society. (The only songs that are obviously about the future are just about Revelations anyway.) As a result, almost each song has an intensely scathing point (except for the Neo-Nazi bashing "Wicked Young Man") and save for a couple lines of juvenille or gross-out lyrics here or there (to speak down to Cooper's intended audience, misguided 15 year-old kids), the words are simply powerful. Something I personally don't (and shouldn't) expect from most musicians. In the end, the album is a heavy metal "Bible for Dummies," except that nowhere it says that 'Jesus Loves You' and everywhere it is reminding the listener that 'no one is justified.' And yes, this is the same guy who made "Trash." Recommended Tracks: Gimme Brutal Planet Cold Machines Sanctuary Wicked Young ManBlack Sabbath ParanoidBlack Sabbath Headless CrossA spectacular album by Sabbath. Oddly this is Sabbath's "Hair Metal" album, as the production is clean with accessible riffs and tons of keyboards. The resemblance (the sound) ends there, as all the lyrics are about either resisting Satan, succumbing to Satan, or just plain ol' fashioned Satan. While Headless Cross is not going to give you a more enlightened view on life or help you be kinder to your neighbor, you will rock out big time. The only part of the album that sucks is that there are only seven songs! Better that than filler, otherwise it's on par with Dehumanizer, Paranoid, and Black Sabbath. Recommended Tracks: AllBon Jovi Slippery When WetDokken Back For The AttackFront to back a very strong album, even without Dokken's most identifiable hits. Two of Dokken's best songs end each side ("Mr. Scary" and "Dream Warriors") while Lynch's guitar work proves he's the band's lynch-pin. Recommended Tracks: Mr. Scary Dream Warriors Kiss of Death The Prisoner Heaven Sent Burning Like a FlameDon Henley The End of the InnocenceEver since I was five years old, I was listening to this album constantly, today, little has changed, other than the fact I have every song burned on my MP3 player. Anyway, every single song is well-written and very catchy. Not one bad song in the album. Plus, "The Heart of the Matter" ("Forgiveness") was my college "Smash Brothers" anthem. Don Henley was extremely talented, and was able to make this pop album very enjoyable.Fifth Angel Fifth AngelOne of the 1980's hidden gems. Fifth Angel, a little-known power metal band from Washington was stacked with good musicians (other than the underwhelming Ted Pilot on vocals) who played material that could not appeal to a wide audience. They played too melodically for the thrash crowd and their material was far too heavy for the hair metal crowd. Their lyrical content was also hard to discern if it was evil or good, as the Fifth Angel (from Revelation) is a Satanic agent, but the songs usually revolve around fate or struggling with evil, never glorifying it but rather seeing it for what it is. Now the music itself is as good as any metal band's output, "In the Fallout" and "Call Out the Warning" are blistering rockers while "Fifth Angel" and "Only the Strong Survive" are other awesome tracks. The whole album is worth the listen, and the only filler is the album closing "Fade to Flames."Foo Fighters Foo FightersFoo Fighters The Colour and the ShapeGeorge Harrison All Things Must PassLinkin Park MeteoraPearl Jam TenQueensryche EmpireQueensryche Operation: MindcrimeSkid Row Skid RowSkid Row Slave to the GrindStone Temple Pilots PurpleTesla The Great Radio ControversyA great album from front to back without any slow spots. Unlike other glam metal bands of the era, Tesla has much more of a classic rock feel. The result is an album that isn't full of balls to the wall rockers and saccharine power ballads, but slews of good songs with good hooks. Tracks like "Hang Tough", "No Way Out", "The Way It Is", and "Love Song" stand out from other great tracks including "Party's Over," "Makin' Magic," and "Lady Luck". However, each song is worth the listen in this album.Tesla Mechanical ResonanceIn the album sleeve, Tesla gives the listener the following advice: "Rock It to the Top!". Unlike their more mature future releases, Mechanical Resonance is Tesla at their most "glam". The result is incredible hard rock (probably metal), with "No Machines" of course. As stated in All Music Guide, each of the album sides are artistically different, with side A being more glam while side B consists of more hard rock, despite this each style pervades each side. "EZ Come EZ Go", "Cumin' Atcha Live", "2 Late 4 Love", and "Love Me" are mindless pleasures that quickly gain your attention. "Gettin' Better" is a slower paced and more complex song. However, heart pounding rockers like the idiotic (but incredibly addictive) "Rock Me to the Top" and the classic "Modern Day Cowboy" shows that Tesla could rock as hard as the metal bands yet maintain their raw, crunchy, and incredibly accessible sound. "Changes" and "Before My Eyes" are the best ballads of the album, which mixes Tesla's rawness with enough refinement to make them both enjoyable. Mechanical Resonance was an incredibly underrated album by an incredibly underrated band. Like this album, Tesla tried to have it both ways, but being associated with metal contributed to Tesla's demise to grunge. Recommended Tracks: - Rock Me to the Top - Modern Day Cowboy - Gettin' Better - Changes - Little Suzi3.5 greatAlice in Chains FaceliftBlack Sabbath Black SabbathBlack Sabbath DehumanizerProbably Black Sabbath's finest release since Paranoid, and obviously their last album worth listening to. Despite the fact that the chemistry wasn't there for the band (this was an entirely an 'one and done' reunion album + tour, there is even an uncirculated bootleg with Tony Martin on vocals still be searched for) Ronnie still writes the haunting lyrics with the Iommi's killer riffs to go with it. The album starts off the right way with the corny, yet unbelievably heavy and catchy "Computer God," which was obviously written after RJD watched both Terminator movies. "After All" is a tremendous ballad, and seems to grow on you the most. Of course, "TV Crimes" was the "since it's 1992 we can prove we can play thrash" obligatory single. Other great songs include "I" (which survived on Dio's setlists for the remainder of the decade) and "Master of Insanity." (Actually a Geezer Butler Band leftover.) Don't expect it to be classic Ozzy Sabbath, or even "Heaven and Hell" or "Mob Rules," but in it's own right, it's a great album. As a Black Sabbath album, it's one of their best. Recommended Tracks: - "Computer God" - "Master of Insanity" - "I" - "After All (The Dead)" - "TV Crimes" - "Buried Alive"Def Leppard AdrenalizeDespite the many sonic similarities to Hysteria, Adrenalize is another fun Def Leppard release, albeit more generic. The album has plenty of radio ready songs, including "Let's Get Rocked", "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)", and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So bad", and actually yielded a total of six singles. "Make Love Like a Man" is the album's clear gem. Adrenalize is a great pickup for anyone looking for Def Leppard's essential albums, as Adrenalize marked the end of Def Leppard's mainstream popularity.Def Leppard PyromaniaDio The Last In LineA strong album throughout, proving that Dio could do better than just writing hits. "Egypt (The Chains Are On)," "One Night in the City," "Breathless," and "I Speed at Night" prove this. Side B is weaker despite containing the intended single "Mystery." Definitely worth the buy if you could find it. Best Tracks: - "We Rock" - "The Last in Line" - "Egypt" - "One Night in the City"DragonForce Inhuman RampageNirvana In UteroRatt Out Of The CellarStone Temple Pilots CoreThe Offspring Ixnay on the HombreThe Offspring AmericanaTwisted Sister Stay HungryVan Halen 51503.0 goodAerosmith Get A GripAlice Cooper TrashA very poppy and consistent album, though lacking any special material besides "Poison" and "Bed of Nails". While none of the songs will leave you bored, sometimes the predictable (and repetitive) choruses and the monotony of hearing the word "you" will get to you. However, since none of the songs are bad the album never loses its momentum once. Alice in Chains Jar Of FliesBlack Sabbath Master of RealityBush Sixteen StoneCracker Kerosene HatUnderrated band, Kerosene Hat is a good album with some great songs (Let's Go For a Ride, Low, Movie Star, and Get Off This) but the album does get extremely slow at parts, the momentum doesn't carry and the album is obviously front-loaded.Europe The Final CountdownA strong album that goes unrecognized due to its title-song, it remains consistent with great guitar-work throughout. It's a hard album despite being extremely pop leaning. The "Final Countdown" and "Rock the Night" are flat out great songs while "Carrie" is as saccharine as it gets. "Danger on the Track", Ninja", "Cherokee", and "On the Loose" are other good songs.Night Ranger Midnight MadnessContaining all of Night Ranger's essential songs other than their best ("Don't Tell Me You Love Me"), Midnight Madness is a solid album without much slow spots. "Passion Play" is the unexpected gem in this album. Recommended Tracks: When You Close Your Eyes Rumours in the Air (You Can Still) Rock in America Passion Play Sister ChristianOzzy Osbourne No More TearsPearl Jam Vs.Silverchair FrogstompSkid Row Subhuman RaceDespite being a saccharine rip-off of grunge music in a last ditch attempt in staying relevant with the already shifted rock scene, Subhuman Race is a satisfying album that stays consistent throughout. Its sound is a somewhat sedated "Slave to the Grind" with more complex but less macho lyrics. Despite the efforts of songs such as "My Enemy," "Breakin' Down," "Into Another," "Firesign," and others there is far more superior material in their debut album and Slave to The Grind. Skid Row was not made to be a grunge band but they gave it a great shot. It wasn't like bands like Bush weren't fake all along anyway. Other fine songs include "Iron Will," "Eileen," "Beat Yourself Blind," and "Bonehead"Tesla Psychotic SupperA good effort by Tesla but this album is more uneven than "The Great Radio Controversy", chiefly due to having lengthy songs exceeding five minutes regularly throughout the album. The album starts off with a punch with the likable "Change in the Weather" and the very hard rocking "Edison's Medicine", afterwards the album's momentum grinds down. "Song and Emotion" and "What You Give" are strong ballads that come later in the album, but it seems like Tesla was trying much harder, causing more "artistic" material in Psychotic Supper rather than the easy going hard rock that pleased in their previous album. Other Recommended Tracks: Freedom Slaves Call It What You Want Had EnoughTesla Forever MoreI was pleasantly surprised with how passionate Tesla was with this release. Aping a sound that seems to fit between Radio Controversy and Psychotic Supper, this is as good of an album you are going to get for a reunited 1980s hard rock band. "Forever More" is almost as powerful of an opener as Hang Tough, and "I Wanna Live" speaks directly to Tesla's mostly aged audience. "So What" and "Just In Case" continue Tesla's hard rocking ways but then album begins to slow a bit, but not in an unenjoyable way. Definitely worth the price and a must-have for any Tesla fan.The Offspring SmashThe Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessVan Halen For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge2.5 averageAerosmith PumpAerosmith trying to cash in on the big hair era. The result is the by the books rockers and ballads. However, you cannot discredit efforts like "Love in an Elevator," "The Other Side," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What it Takes." As you see, it is pretty easy to discern the hits, the rest of the album is pretty generic with strange instrumentals thrown in between songs for faux artistic merit. Take the money and run, average enjoyable album, nothing more than that.Alice Cooper Welcome to My NightmareAlice Cooper Along Came a SpiderArcade (US) ArcadeThough billed as a band with "attitude" and "chemistry," Arcade is simply a semi-supergroup with underwhelming guitars. However that doesn't undercut the band's contributions to the genre. "Nothin' to Lose" is one of the finest rockers of the glam metal genre and "Cry No More" may very well be one of the best power ballads ever made.Babylon A.D. Babylon A.D.A fairly generic and average album with little weak material. The album starts with a strong one-two punch with "Bang Go the Bells" and "Hammer Swings Down." However, there is not another song on the album that reaches the potential of either of those songs. A perfectly fine album, but there is a reason why no one knows why this band exists. Other Recommended Tracks: - "Desperate" - "The Kid Goes Wild"Bon Jovi New JerseyDragonForce Valley Of The DamnedGreen Day DookieMotley Crue Dr. FeelgoodSpin Doctors Pocket Full of KryptoniteTemple of the Dog Temple of the DogTesla Bust A NutTesla never struck me as a metal band, and by 1994's Bust a Nut, it's obvious. The album begins the a strong opener (Invited) and has plenty of good material with the dynamic "Shine Away," ballad "Try So Hard," crossover/single "Need Your Lovin'," and the hard rocking "Mama's Fool" and "Earthmover." While there is plenty of strong material, the album lages as it piles on fourteen songs while lacking the accessible material that made Tesla,well... accessible. Tesla has my respect for their musicianship but it seems as if they got a little lazy with their last 'classic' release, as they would break up a year later.Van Halen 1984Warrant Cherry PieWhitesnake Slip Of The TongueA straight sequel to Whitesnake's self-titled release, Coverdale tries to repeat the success of that previous album by bringing in Steve Vai and trying to reproduce the content of that previous album. 'Shockingly', "Now You're Gone" sounds like a remake of "Here We Go Again", "Kitten's Got Claws" is a similar but toothless remake of "Bad Boys", "sailing Ships" and "Judgement Day" have elements of "Still of the Night" in them, "Fool for Your Loving" was already made 8 or so years ago, sadly the album does not bring anything unique to the table. However the album does have its highlights. "Slip of the Tongue" is a fun, poppy, yet hard and dynamic rocker that opens the album, perfectly featuring Vai's abilities. "The Deeper the Love" is a good power ballad while "Fool for Your Loving" was worth making again. And despite the fact "Now You're Gone" is a straight rip-off of "Here We Go Again", how can you not love it? Plently of good songs and great work by Coverdale and Vai make the album interesting but the album lacks any great and unique songs, it just settles on not distancing itself too much from its similar predecessor. Recommended Tracks: * Now You're Gone * Slip of the Tongue * The Deeper the Love * Fool for Your LovingWinger WingerWhile the best tracks of the album are right at the beginning, it's a good listen. The most remarkable aspects of the album is the dreadful cover of "Purple Haze" and the great performances of "Hungry", "Seventeen", "Headed for a Heartbreak", and "Madalaine".2.0 poorBlack Sabbath Vol. 4Bush Razorblade SuitcaseDragonForce Sonic FirestormFoo Fighters There Is Nothing Left to LoseGreen Day InsomniacOzzy Osbourne Black RainStatic Colours Sun SwellsStone Temple Pilots Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican...Warrant Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking RichA somewhat uniteresting and generic album with a few hits thrown in. "Big Talk" is the best song in this album along with solid perofrmances in "Down Boys", "Heaven", and "Sometimes She Cries". "D.R.F.S.R." and "Cold Sweat" have interesting moments but overall, after listening to the entire tape through it's a below average album lacking any defining moments.1.5 very poorDef Leppard EuphoriaExtreme Extreme II: PornograffittiOzzy Osbourne Down To EarthA pretty poor album with only one exceptional song. "It Gets Me Through" is a powerful rocker (with Ozzy claiming he isn't the Anti-Christ, the Iron Man, but he is just an entertainer) and a semi-decent power ballad in "Dreamer". However, the rest of the album is just miserable filler. Must've been an impulse purchase because of "It Gets Me Through"'s radio air-play.
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