metalmaniac777

I'll join the Speed Demon (Gary) love-fest. Great, easy-going guy to deal with. Plus, he survived a whole career in the state correctional system without getting shanked or ass-raped which makes him either 1) lucky, 2) quick on his feet, or 3) ugly. Seriously, Gary, here's to you--thanks for being so easy...or, uh, something like that.

Top "Smashin' Time" you say? A bold statement, my friend. If it actually does, I'll probably wet myself with glee the first time I hear it. And Problem Child is definitely one of those bands that subscribed to the "bigger is better" theory when it came to backing vox, which is one of the many things I like about them. Can't hear the new/old song 'cause it's blocked here at work (otherwise I'd crank it up for all the inmates to hear), but I'm definitely gonna give it a listen when I get home.

This gets my vote as the most elitist statement of 2008.

Disciple ~ "321" (fave rocker of the year) Testament ~ "The Evil has Landed" (fave metal tune of the year) Hinder ~ "Last Kiss Goodbye" (fave ballad of the year)

Backed, big time. I almost dreaded checking out samples after Geoff's dismissive review of this CD, but check them out I did and found out that Geoff can apparently appreciate emo and boy bands, but not a kickass, full-throttle hard rock album like "Cinco Diablo." Granted, here & there the occasional faint hint of rap-rock/metal rears its head, but for the most part this just slams home the rock-n-roll with lots of attitude. It definitely blows away the last release, which quite a few folks raved about on these Boards (myself included) so I'm not understanding the hate here for this newie. I will now wait for Geoff to pull his dick out of Rudolph's ass and return from the North Pole to tell me how nu-metal I have become.

Despite being released years ago (2001, I believe), this CD somehow slipped under my radar until recently when I picked up a copy, put in the player, and proceeded to have my jaw hit the dirt as the powerful guitars, in-yer-face aggression, thick production, and slamming riffs punched into my eardrums. Fans of Disturbed's last two albums should eat this up, though I think Soil goes a little bit heavier with their sound. I haven't bothered digging up links because this CD has been out so long that samples are a cinch to find (Amazon.com, CDUniverse, etc.). I'm well aware this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone who dabbles in the modern hard rock/metal realm and who appreciates some serious crunch & attitude should definitely check this one out.

Finally picked this one up and am really liking it. This is the sort of modern heavy/thrash metal I like: some screams here and there, but with commercial, cleanly-sung choruses. Thanks to Tim(2) for the recommendation on this one; hell, 98% of my modern heavy/thrash metal collection was purchased based on his suggestions! (But I'm still too wussy to listen to Job for a Cowboy.)

Driver by far....the FoB had Rob Rock's voice mixed way too low. I also did not think the music on FoB was all that great. Gotta back up what Alex said. Driver destroys Fires of Babylon like a Tyranosaurus Rex destroying a helpless herbivore. Both bands serve up the metal, but Driver does it waaaaay better. Fires of Babylon, in addition to not properly utilizing Rock's vocals, suffers from banal songs. I would gladly pay full price for Driver, but wouldn't take Fires of Babylon even if it was free. Yep, totally agreed. That's because you worship me and my opinions.

Well, I don't know if I love "Death Magnetic," but I certainly like it a lot. A nice rebound for the band after the debacle that was "St. Anger." I'm not a huge fan of long songs, so I would have preferred a shorter run-time, but thankfully the tracks are good enough that I don't get bored and reach for the Skip button. And while the production is perfectly fine, I can only imagine how much better this CD would have sounded in the hands of one of today's top heavy metal producers (I'm sure Tim could toss a few suggestions out there). But all positives aside, there is no way this is Top Ten material, and it certainly doesn't merit "heavy metal album of the year"...though I would rate "My Apocalypse" right up there with the best heavy metal songs of the year. Love that tune!

I hope it's better, 'cause I wasn't particularly impressed with "Revelation." I think "Symbol of Salvation" is far superior.

Driver by far....the FoB had Rob Rock's voice mixed way too low. I also did not think the music on FoB was all that great. Gotta back up what Alex said. Driver destroys Fires of Babylon like a Tyranosaurus Rex destroying a helpless herbivore. Both bands serve up the metal, but Driver does it waaaaay better. Fires of Babylon, in addition to not properly utilizing Rock's vocals, suffers from banal songs. I would gladly pay full price for Driver, but wouldn't take Fires of Babylon even if it was free.

That new song is good. If the whole album can deliver that high quality, it'll be worth the wait.

"Bust a Nut" doesn't hold a candle to "Forever More" or "Into the Now." I find "Bust a Nut" to be a half-and-half kind of album, with some classic Tesla tunes mixed in with some dull, boring tracks. I don't hate the disc, but once I've heard "Mama's Fool," "Alot to Lose," "Wonderful World," & "Games People Play," I'm moving on to something else. Of course, I'm also not a fan of "Psychotic Supper" or "Mechanical Resonance," so that probably tells you something. The only Tesla CDs that remain in my collection are "Great Radio Controversy," "Into the Now," & "Forever More." You can keep the rest.

While I still prefer "old" Bon Jovi ("Slippery," "New Jersey," etc.) to the newer stuff, I still consider myself a fan and look forward to each new CD. Kudos to them for being able to reinvent themselves and weather the grunge storm that claimed 99% of the 80s hair/pop-metal bands. Whether you like the new Bon Jovi incarnation or not, the band survived what killed most of their 80s peers, and the reason is fairly simple: Jon & company know how to write catchy songs. No, they don't rock out nearly as well as they used to (though to be fair, almost every album has some really good rock anthems on it), but even in their mellower latter-day form, most of the songs are crafted with solid commercial hooks. Plus, as far as I and a whole lot of other people in the world are concerned, Jon has a great singing voice. Does Bon Jovi have what it takes to deliver a big rock-fest of a release? I believe they do. I am not saying they will, but I do believe they could if that was the direction they chose to go. As I said, on almost every album, the band has proven they still have the chops to deliver a rockin' tune, so all they need to do is write 8 or 9 of those rockers, toss on a couple of mandatory Bon Jovi ballads, and presto, you've got a Bon Jovi CD worth talking about. Listen, I understand the hate for Bon Jovi around here, honestly I do. I'm just not one of those haters. I've bought every CD they've ever released and enjoyed most of 'em. I will buy this new one in '09 and you know what, I'll probably enjoy it too. I'm going to end now, because I'm pretty sure I'm starting to sound like our very own Mr. Samborarocks, and that frightens me more than a little.

Holy crap, buddy, "Trash" is a masterpiece, in my opinion, and easily my favorite Alice Cooper CD. Calling it the worst album ever recorded is kind of like calling Megan Fox the ugliest woman in the history of cinema. "Trash" is full of monster hooks, catchy anthems, perfect 80s-style production...why do you hate it so? Were you touched inappropriately by a dirty ol' uncle while this album played in the background or something??

Metallica all the way, baby. When it comes to GNR: "Chinese Democracy," several folks here have remarked that it gets better with repeated spins, but for me, it's been exactly the opposite--I liked it okay the first time I heard it, then with every subsequent spin the lack of quality hooks (hell, the lack of bona fide choruses, at least on several songs) began to stand out. I don't hate the album, but having heard it several times now, I feel no need to ever hear it again, aside from the song "Better," which is as close as this incarnation of GNR comes to the GNR of old.

Latest acquisitions... Buckcherry: "Black Butterfly" (even better than "13") Soil: "Scars" (really liking the beefy heaviness of this one) All That Remains: "Overcome" (top-notch heavy metal with less screaming than usual)

Latest acquisition... WANTED--after "Rambo," this was probably my 2nd-fave film of '08. Angelina Jolie looked yummy as usual while handling all sorts of weaponry, and the direction was ultra-cool. It was also quite bloody, which I appreciate in my action movies...hell, I appreciate bloodiness in any movie! To add to the sexy badassness and brutal violence, there was even a healthy dose of humor, though typically of the gallows variety. Bottom line, every fan of hyper-stylized, bloodily-violent action flicks owes it to themselves to check this one out. Trust me, once you've watched it once, you'll definitely want to see it again.

I am all over that Problem Child: "Primitive Attitude" like white on rice, like stink on shit, like Geoff on a horny armadillo, like Rosie O'Donnell on an all-you-can eat buffet, like...well, you get the picture!! Seriously, "Smashin' Time" is one of my favorite indies, so I'm ecstatic to hear what the band did prior to that release. And by ecstastic, I mean really ecstatic...I have to go find either a cold shower or a box of tissues and some lotion, both of which are going to be difficult seeing as how I'm sitting in a unit with 117 inmates.

Geoff will be more or less alone in this category, I guess... Nah, some of us actually know how to enjoy both the "classics" (Warrant, Bonfire, Black-N-Blue, etc.) as well as the current stuff (Hinder, Nickelback, Disciple, etc.). I'm as comfortable listening to Europe's "Prisoners in Paradise" as I am listening to Pillar's "For the Love of the Game." Loving one does not exclude the other. When it comes to melodic hard rock/metal, I am not monogamous. Backed! Of course you backed me. I'm pretty sure you're contractually obligated to do so.

Geoff will be more or less alone in this category, I guess... Nah, some of us actually know how to enjoy both the "classics" (Warrant, Bonfire, Black-N-Blue, etc.) as well as the current stuff (Hinder, Nickelback, Disciple, etc.). I'm as comfortable listening to Europe's "Prisoners in Paradise" as I am listening to Pillar's "For the Love of the Game." Loving one does not exclude the other. When it comes to melodic hard rock/metal, I am not monogamous.

It definitely sounds a little more like "oldschool" Stryper than "Reborn" did, but that first song ("Eclipse of the Son") is a pretty weak way to start off the album, IMO. "4 Leaf Clover" has potential, but they cut the sample off before the chorus, the wankers. I really liked "Love is Why" though. Lookin' forward to next week and 3 more samples! But please, please, please, for the love of God (no pun intended), let "Eclipse of the Son" be the worst track on this CD.

I never realized how annoying you are. You just found that out!! Hell! I ain't even southern!! Hell, you ain't a gentleman either, so that makes your claim doubly erroneous. Don't be haten! Just because I charm the ladies... You are aware that Geoff does not count as a lady, right?

I never realized how annoying you are. You just found that out!! Hell! I ain't even southern!! Hell, you ain't a gentleman either, so that makes your claim doubly erroneous.

Huh. I sort of figured you'd be struck by lightning the second your foot crossed the threshold of a Christian bookstore... No, no, God holds His wrath 'til His Son returns. Then the lightning strikes. Well, at least you know you got it coming, eh? Maybe The Almighty will show you some mercy if you buy the new Stryper album. God loves Stryper, you know.