metalmaniac777

"Set it off" ~ Thousand Foot Krutch

JADED HEART: "Sinister Mind"

By no means is this a bad CD, but it pales in comparison to the melodic hard rock perfection wrought by the band when Bormann was a member. Albums like "IV" and "The Journey Will Never End" will forever hold places near & dear to my heart, but "Sinister Mind" is, I fear, doomed to sit on the shelf, perhaps pulled out once a year or so for a dusting off. I can live without Bormann, but the band needs to get back to writing those awesome hooks and killer choruses if they want to once again rule the melodic hard rock world. Judging from Jaded Heart's post-Bormann output and Bormann's post-Jaded Heart output, anyone in their right mind can see the two need each other. No disrespect to Jaded Heart's current singer, but he needs to shuffle on to another gig so that Bormann can reunite with the band and release another jaw-dropper of an album.

Imagine what she'll think when she listens to Metallica properly for the first time....probably think it's cheesy as hell 'cause she grew up with them as lullabyes.

Actually, she's already heard "regular" Metallica. Truth be told, she rarely listens to her "baby" CDs, much preferring uptempo rock tunes. She sits on the floor, holds her arms out (I've been trying to teach her the "metal horns," but she doesn't quite got it yet), and bops to the beat. She has no loyalty to a particular band though, just certain songs, her current favorites being "Jesus is Life" by Stephen Curtis Chapman, "Saturday" by Seventh Day Slumber, and "It's my Life" by Bon Jovi. When Metallica is playing, she just kind of stares at the stereo with a look that says, What's this crap? I know that look well...I get it from my wife all the time.

I actually bought the "Rockabye Baby: Metallica" CD when my daughter was born last year. Not sure if that makes me a cool Dad or a total geek...

I'm at work and can't listen to sound samples, but I'll be checking 'em out as soon as I get home. Love that Nouveux debut (not so much the follow-up) and always hoped Alan could come up with something on par. His first solo CD didn't quite do it for me, but if "Drive it Home" sports more crunch, I'm definitely interested. Will report back once I've had a chance to hear some samples.

Gave this one a listen the other week. Didn't really like it.

I don't know your tastes, but what's not to like about this album? It's killer!!

"You can't handle the ranch!"

"All every woman really wants, be it mother, senator, or nun, is some serious deep-ranchin'."

Hot tamale, this is totally terrific! We've come to the "T"s. Lots of great choices, but as always, narrowing it down to 20 selections meant some deserving bands didn't make the list, so write-ins more than welcome.

My vote goes to Tuff. The debut is stellar stuff, and "Religious Fix," though veering in a darker, heavier direction, still kicks major ass.

All right, by now I've got this poll thing down to a "T" (sorry, couldn't resist), so fire away with your picks.

1. KILL 'EM ALL: "Whiplash"--not really a big fan of this album, but I had to pick something...

2. RIDE THE LIGHTNING: "Fight Fire With Fire"--a great album opener.

3. MASTER OF PUPPETS: "Leper Messiah"--now here's where Metallica really started to get good. I know this particular track isn't often cited as a fan favorite, but I love it.

4. ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL: "The Shortest Straw"--another 'odd' track for a favorite, but what can I say?

5. THE BLACK ALBUM: "The God That Failed"--given my religious beliefs, it's kind of odd that I like this song, but I think it kicks all kind of ass, way better than the other wildly over-played tracks off this album.

"Have you ever danced with the Ranch in the pale moonlight?"

Yessssssssssssss, we have come to the "S"s. Absolutely brutal whittling this poll down to 20 and there are plenty of glaring omissions, so more than ever, write-ins welcome.

My vote goes to Skid Row (more specifically, the Baz-fronted years). Love the way they merged melody & aggression, and Sebastian still ranks as one of the most killer singers in hard rock history.

OK, your turn...which band do you think is "s"uper?

Cute. Nothing more, nothing less. But for the love of Jehosophat, girl, eat something! I saw that "spine" photo and all I could think about was that creepy deformed sister (Zelda, I think her name was) in Pet Semetary.

Cute but not hot. And is it just me, or does she look a little like Kirsten Dunst?

No. Not my style. Looks kind of prissy/demanding/black widowish. Look, when a guy is giving it good to a girl, he wants to see a smile, not a steely-eyed stare that insinuates she'll rip your liver out if you don't get her off...

Well, I think these forums have changed over the years (for the record, I've been here since the beginning...since before there even were forums, for that matter), but I hardly think they've evolved (or devolved, depending on your point of view) to the point where any AOR/melodic rock/hair-metal fan would feel unable to "fit in."

Life does change and people do move on. I myself used to frequent/post in these forums more than I currently do, but after getting married, building a house, and having a baby (well, actually, my wife had the baby, but you know what I'm saying), there just isn't as much time to spend here.

As for the bickering/flaming...it's been said before by others better than me, but I'll say it again now: anyone who thinks Heavy Harmonies is overladen with arguments really doesn't belong on message boards anyway, because this place is downright tame compared to most of the others out there.

After giving it much thought, the only thing I can conclude is that if we want to make people flock to Heavy Harmonies, we need to get rid of Pete & Geoff. I think it's clear those two are the problem...

Hotter than the devil's gonads, but far more lickable...

Another "cutie" but not "hottie." Still, I'd rather engage her in naked mudwrestling than have to listen to her music. And by "naked mudwrestling," I mean......oh, hell, who are we foolin', you know exactly what I mean.

I went with "cute," 'cause I wouldn't quite put her in the "hot" category. Then again, I label myself as "devilishly handsome" when the truth is I'm "downright fugly," so what do I know?

Ð’Ñ‹ не желаете Ð²Ð°Ñ Ñумели как прочитать руÑÑкий Ñзык? ПоÑле Ñтого вы знали бы Ñ Ð¿Ð¸Ñал около. Oh наилучшим образом, некоторые людей как раз не может получить его правым.....

I cannot believe you just said that about Keef's mother...

Say wha? You must have used a different online translator than I did.

Which one did you use? The one I used is called "My Imagination."

According to Babelfish, the translation of the above passage is "Metalmaniac777's favorite band is the Spin Doctors. He has a secret shrine to them under his bed and keeps their CDs hidden behind his toilet to avoid embarrassment. By the way, Pepsi-Cola brings your ancestors back from the dead. Bite the Wax Tadpole, kids!"

Gimme a minute...I'm trying to figure out how to say "Dammit, I have no witty comeback" in Russian...

Вы не желаете вас сумели как прочитать русский язык? После этого вы знали бы я писал около. Oh наилучшим образом, некоторые людей как раз не может получить его правым.....

I cannot believe you just said that about Keef's mother...

Say wha? You must have used a different online translator than I did.

Which one did you use? The one I used is called "My Imagination."

Вы не желаете вас сумели как прочитать русский язык? После этого вы знали бы я писал около. Oh наилучшим образом, некоторые людей как раз не может получить его правым.....

I cannot believe you just said that about Keef's mother...

Latest acquisitions...

Pillar: "For the Love of the Game" (excellent Christian hard rock/metal)

Jaded Heart: "Sinister Mind" (not bad, but not all that special either)

Latest acquisition...

DEADEN--a low-budget indie homage to the action/revenge/vigilante movies of the 70s/80s. Fairly brutal in its violence (the opening rape/murder is downright unpleasant to watch), but simply too micro-budgeted to be worth more than one viewing. Still, if you ever wanted to see a man with a cue stick graphically rammed up his ass or witness a rapist set ablaze and then shot multiple times in the crotch until his testicles pop out, roll across the floor, and are eaten by a dog, then this might be worth checking out.

Yep...I emailed your brother about them about a week ago or so and he didn't realise they had an album out! It is an excellent listen!! It definitely rawks!

Yep...he's the one that mentioned it, heard about it from you I do believe. Thanks for the heads up on this one, Jim. I am lovin' it!

These guys are one of my favorite current Christian hard rock/metal bands, so I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about their new CD when Jim emailed me. I'm slipping in my old age! (I blame it on the baby because...well, because I can. ) Anyway, I stopped by Best Buy a few days later, snagged a copy, and that same day emailed my bro (Chris) to make sure he got his hands on what is sure to be one of the best Christian rock/metal albums of the year. Just totally killer stuff, from the raging riffs of "Throwdown" to the gang-vocal-chorus of "For the Love of the Game" to the moving ballad "Smiling Down" to the (as Chris already mentioned) Skid Row's "Youth Gone Wild" homage "Reckless Youth" (the similarity is uncanny), this sucker is nothing short of awesome.