Album and Concert Review Thread

[Slyfox696]

Use this thread to share your experience with different bands at concerts. Have a good time? Thought the band sucked? Tell us about it. Help your fellow posters make good decisions when deciding to see them or not.



As for me, I'm still a relative rookie when it comes to concerts, which means two things. One, I don't have much base for comparisons, and two, my list will be fairly quick.


1. Tool (June 2007) - Without a doubt, the best concert I've been to. The sound was phenomenal, the laser light show was captivating, the band was on fire, and the whole thing left me in an orgasmic state of mind for the next three days. I would recommend the concert to any and everyone, no matter how far you have to travel to see it. The best concert I've ever been to. It was also the first concert I ever attended, so I got a little spoiled.

On a side note, their opening band was called "Melt Banana". They were awful. People literally left the arena to stand outside in the concession area until Tool started. No more needed to be said. They did have a hell of a guitarist though.

2. Hurt (Feb. 2008) - The band that sings "Ten Ton Brick". I thought they were a GREAT opening act. They were into it, the band sounded good, and the lead singer has a tremendous voice live. He also plays a mean fiddle. I was a casual listener to Hurt before the concert, and after the concert I bought both of their CDs that night. That's how much I enjoyed them. They aren't a main-event yet, but a solid opening act.

3. Seether (Feb. 2008, Oct. 2008) - I've seen Seether twice now, and I can say, unequivocally, they are the worst live band I've seen in my limited experience. For whatever reasons, they just don't click on stage. They stay in the same spot, their music just doesn't rock the venue, and they don't bring any energy. If you like Seether's music, just buy it on CD and listen, because there really isn't much difference between listening to the CD and watching the concert.

4. Breaking Benjamin (Feb 2008) - The best band of the Feb. concert I went to. Great energy, and great concert music. They had the crowd into it the entire time they were on stage, and when you watched them, they just connected with you. Their lead singer also spent a lot of time talking to the crowd, and even seemed to have done a little research on the town because he knew quite a bit about it for someone who doesn't live here. It was a great concert and a fantastic time. I definitely recommend seeing Breaking Benjamin.

5. Three Days Grace (Feb 2008) - The headliners of the Feb. show I attended. To be fair, this review might not be fair, as I found out later the lead singer had mono at this time, and you could tell. His voice just didn't sound the same. But, they still put on a good show. Not quite as good as Breaking Benjamin, but still very enjoyable, and worth the money. "Riot" is a FANTASTIC concert song. The whole place was jumping during "Riot". I would have no problem recommending Three Days Grace, and if the show we saw wasn't one of their better ones (due to mono), then I will definitely try to see them again.

6. Red (Oct 2008) - Opened for Papa Roach, Seether, and Staind. Another very good opening act. Brought great energy to the show, and really tried to involve the crowd and get them buzzing. Couldn't understand the lead singer hardly at all (his mic was turned down), but the band itself was very solid. I'll probably see about getting some of their music in the future. Very solid opening act.

7. Papa Roach (Oct. 2008) - Easily stole the show at the Oct. concert. I figured that Papa Roach would be a fun concert, but I had no idea how fun. Outside of Tool, Papa Roach was the best concert band I've seen. They really got the crowd into the show, played along with the crowd, and seemed to enjoy performing up on stage. The lead singer took off during one of the songs, and was literally running all around the arena, while he was singing. That takes some INCREDIBLE conditioning to do it. But, he ran up the aisles, hugging fans, getting kisses from the girls, making laps around the arena...it was really incredible to watch. Like I said, it seemed as if he genuinely enjoyed performing for us. Funny moment towards the end, when some lady threw her bra up on stage at him. The throwing of the bra wasn't near as funny as the size of the bra. Judging from the size of the bra, the woman had to be around 7 foot tall and 450 pounds. That bra was MONSTROUS. Cracked the band up in the middle of the song. Lead singer put the bra on at the end of the show, and it covered half of his chest. No lie.

Anyways, INCREDIBLE performance, and I would find myself traveling a good distance to see them again.

Papa Roach (April 2009) - The first concert I went to that Papa Roach played at was simply amazing, and I expected no less this time. I wasn't disappointed. I've come to the conclusion that Papa Roach is just absolutely fantastic in concert, and I'll go watch them anytime they come near me, excluding the concerts they do with Nickelback. They are supposed to be back in October, so I'll have my eyes open for tickets.

8. Staind (Oct 2008) - All I can say about Staind is this; Aaron Lewis's voice in person is even more incredible than you realize. Man, is that guy captivating. The band has an INCREDIBLE sound, the lighting was very well done, and Aaron Lewis just mesmerizes with his singing. Their music doesn't lend itself to the "jump up and down/most pit" type activities, but it's still great in its own way. The one song they did play, "Mudshovel", that has the most energy, had the entire arena hoppin. Very good band, and well worth checking out if you haven't already.

9. Rev Theory (April 2009) - First of all, I was SOOO pissed during their 25 minutes on stage. I got to the arena a full HOUR AND A HALF before the concert was supposed to start, and 30 minutes before the door was supposed to open. The arena was so piss bucket, that I didn't even get to see the first song or two of Rev Theory, due to the fact that I didn't get in until after the show started...and there were still many people behind me.

As far as their performance, it was fairly meh. I'm not a big fan of their music, and the only song I had any real interest in was "Hell Yeah". Other than that, it was just your standard opening act, with no real significance.

10. Avenged Sevenfold (April 2009)- It's hard to put into words how to describe the concert. The music was VERY good, they had several video screens with flashing images and lights, and they put on a very good show. However, they followed Papa Roach, and the difference in their ability to involve the crowd with the show was highly noticeable. While Papa Roach was a band you came to watch perform, Avenged Sevenfold was the band you came to listen to. Don't get me wrong, it was well worth my money, but they just didn't have the charisma Papa Roach did. However, I would gladly see them again.


Slyfox's favorite list:

1. Tool
2. Papa Roach
3. Breaking Benjamin
4. Staind
5. Hurt
6. Avenged Sevenfold
7. Three Days Grace
8. Red
9. Rev Theory
10. Seether

 

[klunderbunker]

My concert list is abotu as extensive as Sly's, but most of these were multiple bands at the same show, so here we go in the order I saw them in.

1. No Address-(Aug 2005) Band from Tallahasse, pure warm up. They were cool in that they came into the crowd where my friend and I were, some 20 rows up and we could see their lips moving but the sound was coming from the speakers. Not bad, but they did two songs so not enough to talk about.

2. Breaking Benjamin-(same show) Just as Sly said, sweet band live. Diary of Jane hadn't come out yet, but still jsut a great show, and they did a song that was on SvR that was my theme music for my create-a-wrestler so it was sweet to hear that live.

3. Staind-(same show) This band was easily the calmest of the night, but 2nd only to the headliners. They have this cool feeling to them that's hard to describe. The singer told a lot of stories between songs that had the crowd very interested, including one that was a tribute to a member of the band that had passed away. I looked around and 8000 people had lighters or cell phones in the air. Amazing feeling.

4. 3 Doors Down (same show, seen twice) The headliners both times, and easy to see why. The best way to describe one of their concerts is steady. They start hot, cool down a bit, pick it up again, and then slow it down before blowing you away with the finish. The whole time just feels smooth if that makes sense. The first time I saw them though, they were starting their 5th song and the entire city of Cincinnati went into a blackout. However, after a 40 minute delay, the lead singer Brad Arnold came out with a mic and a drummer and did an hour and a half of acoustic. Simply put - Amazing. High reccomendation for a pure rock and roll show.

5. Sarah Evans (Fourth of July, 2006)- Was more or less forced to go to this show by a country crazed friend of mine and was pleasently suprised. While I'm hardly a country music fan, she was very good. Amazingly pretty and felt like she was having a blast being there.

6. Alter Bridge (Spring 2006)- Alter Bridge. I didn't know much about them other than they played Edge's music, but if you want to just have your ears blown off, this is who to go see. Pure loudness, but awesome. I didn't know a lot of their stuff, but they were good nonetheless. Mild recommendation, but don't drive far out of your way.

7. Shinedown (Same Show) A relative disappointment. The singer was either drunk or high as a kite the whole show so he wasn't up to par. The crowd just wanted them to sing 45 and then let 3 Doors Down come out. Easily the highlight of their set was allegedly them playing I Dare You for the first time in front of a live audience.

8. City Sleeps- (March 08) Same thing as No Address. Just a warmup act to get us to the main bands. As the singer said, it is our job to wake you up, and that's what they did. Loud rock music that was completely incomprehendable. FOr a warmup band, good, for a regular band, not good.

9. Drowing Pool (Same show) The best band live I have ever seen, period. These guys connect with the audience like no one else I have ever seen. The place was just energetic the entire time they were on stage. We were in a club of about 400 people but it felt like it was 4000. WHen they played Bodies, the crowd sang the chorus to him, he didn't have to say a word. Highest recommendation possible.

10. Saliva- (Same show) Mega disappointment. They were on after Drowning Pool and there was no way they could match that. Josey Scott kept tellling us to say Hell yeah and it just got old. It was really short it seemed as well. Overall just didn't have any flow to it and just didn't work for me. Highlight was hearing Always, which is my favorite song, but other than that, don't go out of your way unless you're a hardcore fan.

Overall list-
1. Drowning Pool
2. 3 Doors Down
3. Staind
4. Breaking Benjamin
5. Sarah Evans
6. Shinedown
7. Alter Bridge
8. Saliva
9. No Address
10. City Sleeps

 

[justinsayne]

I have to agree with Sly on Tool being one of the greatest live bands ever, they really are I've seen them twice now, and both times they were simply fucking amazing anyone that has not seen Tool, needs to make sure they see them the next time they come your way, even if the closest show is a good couple hours away they are well worth the drive

Seether put on a pretty decent show when I saw them, though that was a few years ago, after Karma & Effect came out (2005 I beleive), so it's very possiable they could have downhill with their live shows, especially with all of the lead singers rumored drug problems

The last show I saw was 311, and I've got so say it was prolly one of the most laid back, fun shows I've ever seen (prolly cause about 95% of the crowd was high as fuck, LOL), 311 know how to put on a great show, and know how to really work the crowd, truely a fun show, and a band I recommend everyone check out live if they get the chance, the only bad thing about the show was the horriable indy rap crap fest they had opening for them, that shit was just awful, though that may also have to do with the fact that I hate about 99% of all rap (occasionally 1 or 2 rappers show some actual talent that I can actually tolerate)

Another band I highly recommend for anyone who wants to see a good metal show is Machine fucking Head, I've seen Machine Head twice now, and both times they absolutely stole the fucking show, the first time they opened for Lamb Of God & Trivium, then the next time they opened for HellYeah, and I swear at that show, I saw more people walk out with a Machine Head shirt than shirts form both other bands combined (which were Nonpoint, and the headliner HellYeah)

The next show I'm going to is going to be Metallica & Down (14 more days), rest assuer I will be back with a review of that one for sure, also I have just recently learned Nonpoint will be headlining a show here which I prolly will be attending assuming work doesn't get in the way

EDIT: it should be noted that I can't possibly write a review for every show I've ever attend simply cause there just been so many, as in well over 50, adn I can't possibly remember details for all those shows

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I having been to alot of concerts and not alot of musical artists come down to where I live but I have been to a few.
1. The Guess Who(2002)-My first concert experience, and what an experience is was. Quick backstory, it was on a school trip to Ottawa. It was a huge outdoor concert and we were in Middle Level. The mix between pot smoke & girls flashing every few minutes made for a great story to tell out parents. As for the band, while I l never really knew about them before(minus American Woman)they were alright. Their guitar playing was pretty good, but they couldn't really sing well. It was the stage show/pressence that made the concert good.

2. Avril Lavigne(2004) Let's just say she was my sister's favorite artist at the time. The concert was horrible though. Avril Lavigne maybe a decent writer, but her vocals live suck. Her voice is so lacking it really sounds bad. She also didn't really have much stage pressence and her performance was just very underwhelming.

3. 50 Cent(2005)-I'm a huge rap fan, so I loved this concert. 50 is very overated but he's good live. When your a rapper the vocals don't really matter, it's more of the delivery and 50 flowed pretty good. He also interacted with the fans which was nice and he put on a good show.

4. City & Color(2007)-Dallas Green is a great artist. He was very great live. It was a very mellow concert and was at a bar, but Dallas performed and put on a great show. His vocals sounded just as good as his recorings(which is rare)and he played the guitar well.

5. The Trews(2008)-They came to my university and rocked out. I'm a fan of their music and was surprised at how good their show was. The fans(drunken Univeristy students) ate the performance up. The Trews energy was electric and they sounded very good live. Also the rest of the band and not just the lead singer were very into it aswell which helped with the overall feeling.

6. Girlicious(2008) They played a free concert at our University. Their music is cringe worthy but like I said it was free so a bunch of my friends & I went. Well, let's just say none of the girls could sing live, and I'm pretty sure all except the blonde one were lip synching most of the time anyways. They were just strippers ripping off their clothes and dancing with music playing in the background. It was a god awful music concert though and most of the audience were dead except for a few giddy girls and horny men. It was a bad experience musically but they make pretty good strippers.

1. The Trews
2. 50 Cent
3. City & Color
4. The Guess Who
5. Avril Lavigne
6. Girlicous

 

[LigerBomb]

Well I don't really go to big stadium concerts all that often, my first being Aerosmith at Madison Square Garden in the late eighties. Instead being part of local DIY scenes and in and out of bands for years I've been to countless "shows". Some of my absolute favorite where the all ages hardcore matinees at CBGBs that went on almost every Sunday for years.
That said hands down the best concert I've ever been to was Metallica when Jason was still with the band back during the tattoo the earth tour. Truthfully and with all dues respect after that -and the years at the matinees- most of the shows I go to and the bands I see now a days absolutely pale in comparison.

However I must say I'm thrilled to be going to see the MiSFitS for their annual Halloween bash. Sadly I was too young to see them with Glenn but I've gotten to hangout backstage with the guy a few times in recent years and they've been great every time.

 

[The Bearded One]

I go to A LOT of shows, mostly in little hole in the awll clubs. I've been to so many, my hearing is starting isn't that great anymore, so I've cut down a lot. I use to go to at least a show every 2 weeks, but now I probably go once a month. I'll just list the top 3 shows I can think of off the top of my head.

1. Brand New (Nov. 2006)- They're my favorite, so of course they're going to be number 1. They sounded really good, but didn't move around too much on stage. But that didn't bother me because of how chill most of their music is. Saw them at Fuel Coffee House, a venue that shouldn't hold more than 400 people, but usually packs arounds 750 and even one show I went to had 1000 people. Its hot (no air conditioning), its a crappy venue, but its a great place for a show.

2. Easycore Tour (Oct 2008)- Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember, and new Found Glory were the main bands on this tour. Just an all around amazing night. I love akll 3 of those bands, and the crowd was amazing. Thats the best thing about jacksonville shows. I've only been to one show outside of Jacksonville, and the crowds do not compare. People go crazy here. Great sound, at one of the nicest venues Jacksonville has (Plush), great energy from the crowd and onstage, and great music.

3. Taking Back Sunday (Aug 07)- Taking Back Sunday and Saosin were both on the Projekt Revolution tour that year, but played a one off show in Jacksonville at Plush. Such a great show. TBS is one of my favorite bands and it was great getting to see them live. At the end of the set some guy ran on stage in purple underwear, and then pulled them down. He had FUCK YEAH tattooed on his ass. He then tried to stage dive, but everybody moved. He landed about a foot away from me. One of the funniest things I have ever seen.

I have so many more good shows I could list, but I know everybody probably stopped reading a while ago so I'll just stop.

 

[Bentallica]

So far, I've only been to one concert, but it was a pretty good show. The place was standing room only, so there was a ton of energy throughout. Here's a breakdown of the bands:

Rev Theory-These guys were good. I liked Light It Up and Hell Yeah, and had no idea they would be playing that night. It was a pleasant little surprise, and they put on a good show. The band was all over the place, jumping up on amps, running around the stage. It was great. They have some good guitar players and a good singer. The only disappointment was that their singer said they wanted the whole crowd to walk out with their CD. We thought we'd get them free, but they were really just gonna sell them for 10 bucks a pop. Either way, good set.

Saving Abel-Definitely the best band there musically. Their singer is great. and the guitarists were pretty good. They we're much more mellow than Rev Theory, but they rocked about ten times harder. Their song Addicted had everyone singing, it was just a truly great set. I got one of their shirts, which came with a free poster. They signed autographs after their set, but I didn't wanna go through the hassle to get it. Definitely recommend seeing them.

Puddle of Mudd-The headliners. They were very good, not as good as Saving Abel (to me), but much better than Rev Theory. These guys played about a two hour set, compared to the other bands' one hours. I didn't really know a good chunk of the songs, but they were all very good. Famous was great live, as was Blurry and Away From Me. I was hoping they were gonna play Nothing Left To Lose, but it wasn't so. They also covered TNT, which was alright, but their second cover was MUCH better. That cover was some Nirvana song (can't remember which), and they sounded just like them. It was very eerie. They didn't really move around much, but they still kept the crowd hot with the music which is what counts. They played Psycho for the encore, but I hate that song, so we left early to beat traffic. Actually, now that I think about it, PoM and SA were about on the same level.

I don't know what my next concert will be. Part of me wants to see what the prices for the Metallica show in Boston are, but I know I won't be going to it. PoM usually goes to the venue were I saw them every year, so I'll probably see them again. I really wanna see The Chilli Peppers, and I wanted to see Shinedown, but after what I heard here I'm not so sure. So, here's my ranking:

1. TIE-Puddle of Mudd and Saving Abel
3. Rev Theory

 

[Richard]

I've seen a couple of bands before but none were proper arena concerts as there is only a couple of bands that I actually want to see.

Good Charlotte performed at Sunrise which is an Australian breakfast news show and I went and watched them peform a couple of songs. They were quite good live and I was suprised aswell because I have seen videos of thm being not so good. Their sing Joel waved to me aswell which was a bonus. The only thing I can fault them on was that whenever a band or a singer performs at Sunrise, they always have a signing session afterwards, Good Charlotte didn't and there were lots of fans including myself with something we wanted to get signed and they didn't. And I got to be on TV.

Operator Please - These guys are an Australian band who I really don't like. The only reason I saw them was because my school was selected as a school on the Rock The Schools tour before and Operator Please were assigned to our school. If you haven't heard of them, you could check out their song Just a Song About Ping Pong. It's really crap.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Well as I've been to really a lot of concerts (it's basically my favorite pastime lol - I go see pretty much everything that interests me even a little), everything from tiny club gigs to huge arena shows and Open Air festivals, it's really hard to point out some "favorite" concert. However there have been a few that were more memorable than others, so here goes:

1. Iron Maiden 2003 in Vienna, "Give me Ed... Til I'm Dead"-Tour

Now this was probably the greatest "crowd" experience I've had at any concert. Now Maiden are always a great live band, but on that tour, they really played a lot of classics. I remember it was about June I think, and it had like 40 degrees (Celsius lol), and inside the venue it was probably a few degrees more.

Now as Opener(!) they played "Number of the Beast" right away, and you know that a band is just great when they can play their arguably greatest hit as the first song in their set and STILL have not wasted any ammo. They went on with "The Trooper" as #2, and the entire arena was just going crazy... I think I never sweated so much in my life lol. Not necessarily a pleasant thought, but an awesome concert!

2. For sentimental reasons: Meat Loaf at the Royal Albert Hall 2006, World Premiere of "Bat Ouf Of Hell III"

Yeah I know, Meat Loaf is pretty cheesy... but then again, his stuff definitely did pave the way alongside other bands for my beloved Heavy Metal, so I guess that goes ok. The story behind this is that both my girlfriend at the time and myself were really into Meat Loaf, and this was her birthday present... I don't know how I actually got the tickets as the show as sold out of course, but we still booked a flight and went to see Meat Loaf in England, as he never comes to Austria anyway... It was a damn long day (and we probably visited more sights in that one day than other people do in a week lol), but it was well worth it. Definitely a great experience.

3. Deep Purple, "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in 1999 or so

This was one of the first concerts I went to, I remember going with my uncle. Now this was pretty awesome and definitely put me on the "path of righteousness" to Rock and Metal music so to speak. Purple are still to this day a great band, back then Jon Lord was still with them of course (otherwise they probably would not have reconstructed his "Concerto" of 1969), Steve Morse proved why he is among the top guitar players of the world, and they had Ronnie James Dio as special guest - honestly, you can't ask for much more!

4. Iron Maiden & Avantasia at Wacken Open Air 2008

Now this was my first time at Wacken this year (for those who do not know - it is probably the largest "real" Metal-only festival worldwide), and not only did they have Iron f'n Maiden as one of the headliners this year (who for the first time played in Wacken), but the event also marked the live performance of "Avantasia", which is a Rock/Metal-Opera by the singer of the German Power Metal Band "Edguy" (in case you didn't know or didn't care lol ), which was a huge success inside the metal scene, but no one ever expected to see it performed live... however, with his new label behind him they urged him not only to do a new Avantasia record, but to actually take the thing to the stage. So he got some great guest singers (Jorn Lande, formerly of Masterplan, André Matos of Angra and Shaaman-fame, Bob Catley of Magnum to name a few), and really pulled of a live performance in formidable fashion, despite some technically difficulties lol

And Iron Maiden was just great because... the entire metal community kind of "agreed" on that. You know, at the festival you had those people who came mainly to see the "harder" and more extreme metal bands like Hatebreed, Soilwork, At The Gates, Carcass and what not, and you had the people who came to see the "softer" stuff (like me lol) like Nightwish, Kamelot or Avantasia... but it seemed EVERYONE agreed on Iron Maiden... so you had about 75.000 people the first night literally cramming the festival site (which is basically designed to hold that many people at once - but not in front of ONE STAGE lol), however with Maiden, everyone seemed to want to see them... so that was a huge experience, definitely.

5. Symphony X, 2007 in Vienna

Another of my favorite bands, and even though the sound sucked that night, the mere quality and skill of the band really made it not matter at all. People, let me tell you - there are bands, then there are bands who are good... and then there's Symphony X. They really play on a level of their own. As I've said numerous times before, Russell Allen is just one of the greatest singers alive today, and Michael Romeo is definitely one of the best guitar players... the combination of those two guys with the rest of this amazing band just makes them awesome on the record, but simply outstanding live. If you ever get the chance - go see this band live, even if you do not know a single song you'll still enjoy the show. They're just that damn good.

6. Firewind, Nov 2008 in Vienna

Well this show was great because me and my band played one of the local supports for Firewind (who are a Power Metal band from Greece, featuring Gus G., who also used to play in Dream Evil and Mystic Prophecy, and who is a legit guitar hero himself - he's especially poopular in Japan heh), and it was really cool... The band was really nice, Bob Katsionis (the keyboarder) actually gave us feedback on our show (and it was not all that bad - yay lol), I could do an interview with their drummer Mark Cross (who also used to play in Helloween for some time - yes, that band whose album "Walls of Jericho" inspired Y2J for his ring name ), plus we could use some of their equipment which is also not exactly usual, but they were very easy about this... and finally they all stayed a bit for a very "intensive" aftershow party. All in all a great experience.

7. Jon Oliva's Pain 2008 in Vienna

Well, Jon Oliva... a living legend himself; in case you don't know him, google "Savatage" and/or "Trans-Siberian Orchestra", hehe. I had the pleasure of not only seeing his current band live in Vienna this year, but actually had the chance to do an interview for our webzine with him. He was really fun, and also told a little bit about wrestling - in case you didn't know, he was the guy who sang "All Together Now" on the 1996 WWF CD "Full Metal - The Album" hehe. Of course as wrestling fan I had to ask him about that, and he told some nice stories about hanging out with The Undertaker and Kevin Nash (and how Kevin Nash once lifted Jon with one arm, which is no small feat - I mean, Jon probably weighed a bit less back then, but he was always pretty big lol). The show itself was also awesome - absolute professionals those guys, and another case of one of those bands where you will enjoy the show even if you do not know a single song.

8. Queen & Paul Rodgers, 2005 and 2008

Now of course one can never replace Freddy Mercury, one of the greatest singers and frontmen of all time. However, I was still happy I could see the music of Queen live in concert in some way or fashion, and I for one think they pulled it off quite well with Paul Rodgers. Those concerts, if nothing else, in my mind are a living memory of Freddy Mercury; both Roger Taylor and Brian May sing a lot of the songs, they and their band are tremendous musicians, Paul Rodgers is a good singer in his own right, and of course you get the occasional Freddy snapshot throughout the concert (most importantly during "Bohemian Rhapsody" of course). So as irreplaceable as Freddy is - this is definitely the closest thing to "real" Queen you can get, and the guys still put on a damn good Rock show, no matter how you look at it. If you get the chance - go see them. Even if (or especially if) you are a Freddy fan.

9. Sonata Arctica Nov 08 Vienna

Now I'm not a huge fan of Sonata Arctica, but I've seen them about five or six times now, and meanwhile they've become pretty good live. This November they stopped in Vienna with Pagan's Mind (Prog Power Metal from Norway) and Vanishing Point, an Australian Melodic Metal Band who I had never dreamed of ever seeing live - they were really my reason for going to that show lol. In any case, the concert was good if nothing great, but the fun started after the show... I was just talking to the girlfriend of our bass player who had also been at the show, and suddenly the tour manager walks by and I think to myself: "Hey wait a second, I know this guy..." and I walk up to him and ask him... and indeed it turns out it's Jörg Michael, drummer of Stratovarius! And as said, luckily the bassplayer's girl and another friend of hers were standing by, and Jörg asks us whether we would like to hang out a little... so about half an hour later we were getting drunk backstage with the people from Sonata Arctica, Pagan's Mind and Vanishing Point lol. I will not go into detail (but fear not, no one had to sleep with anyone - those backstage parties are not all that spectactular... well maybe they are if you're The Who or the Rolling Stones back in the 60ies and 70ies or something like that, but for smaller bands, it's basically just "passing the time till the crew has loaded the equipment into the bus" lol), but it was still a fun experience.

10. Ennio Morricone dirige Ennio Morricone, Vienna 2007

Now this was one very special occasion that doesn't happen all that often... I'm sure many of you people will know/remember Ennio Morricone for writing some great film scores for movies like "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" (the legendary harmonica-thing?) or "Once Upon A Time In The West" and so on... and many of you Metalheads will know him best for writing "Ecstasy of Gold", which Metallica traditionally use as intro at their live shows.

Now in the fall of last year, he was on tour (yes he is still alive) and at something 70ish-years old he was conducting an Orchestra and performing some of his stuff. Needless to say, that was kind of an auratic experience! And of course they also played "Ecstasy of Gold"... actually twice, since he was getting standing ovations for such a long time at the end of the concert. Definitely a great experience heh.

11. Manowar 2003 in Vienna

Well you can say whatever you want about Manowar - and they indeed are a ridiculous band, and their albums of late are pretty crappy, both in sound and in songwriting... but their stuff of the 1980ies is classic Metal, and definitely helped create the genre of True Metal... and live, they are still a force. I believe they also made the Guiness Book of Records for "Loudest Concert Ever" - and after having been to that show, I damn sure know why. Now as you can tell I go to a LOT of concerts, and a lot of them loud.... but damn, Manowar was REALLY LOUD. I was truly glad I had brought some earplugs (which I always do at concerts though I rarely use them), because Manowar was almost painfully loud, I'm not kidding. A great live show nonetheless, and a memorable experience.

12. Rammstein 2006 in Vienna

As far as I remember, Rammstein were scheduled to play a Headliner show at Austria's "Aerodrome" festival (which only existed for about 2 years, since a rival product, Nova Rock, came into being and kind of kicked Aerodrome's butt lol) in 2006 I believe. Now I'm not a huge Rammstein fan and consider them vastly overrated, and would never have bought a ticket for the Aerodrome show. However, as it would turn out, Rammstein were playing a secret gig in Vienna the night before Aerodrome (one of those "exclusive" guestlist-only things you couldn't even buy tickets for), and for some reason I got invited (call it being at the right place at the right time lol), and so I went to see Rammstein for free in a very small club gig, just one night before they would headline a 70.000 people festival with their huge monstrous pyro-liveshow and what not lol. So I got to see Rammstein for once as well, and hey - they weren't all that bad. Still absolutely overrated, but hey... a lot of bands are

13. In Flames, Metalfest Vienna 2003

Back in 2003, when Austria still HAD a real Metal festival, In Flames were headlining alongisde other bands such as Blind Guardian and Saxon, who also put on great shows... but In Flames was definitely the show stopper at that event. Back then they had just released Reroute To Remain, their last good album in my opinion (I just don't like the new stuff), and of course "Clayman" was still fresh in memory... so when they played "Only For The Weak", the entire arena was going nuts... truly awesome live performance, great show.

14. Killswitch Engage, Wacken Open Air 2008

Now while I'm not exactly a fan of this band (and "harder" metal in generall), KE definitely put up a great show this year at Wacken, and I kind of enjoyed their blend of melodic and aggressive stuff... Plus, they played a kick-ass cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" as encore, so that was pretty awesome. I was impressed, to say the least.

15. KISS, Vienna 2008

Well another rock legend I was glad to see at least once in my life... When no one had thought they'd come out of the closet again, they just do (well maybe they need some more money, but who cares)... definitely a memorable show, even if musically, they really did disappoint me. For such long-serving musicians, I really would have expected a higher level of musicianship. But well... KISS was always more about the show, and less about the music I guess. Still, they played a lot of their greatest hits, and had a very impressive live show, so it was a great concert after all.

16. Metallica, Aerodrome 2005

My first and only time of seeing Metallica thus far (they played a gig last year here but I was on vacation at the time unfortunately, as they had "Heaven & Hell" (= Black Sabbath w/ Ronnie James Dio on vocals) as supprt), but I'm going to check them out live again next year on the Death Magnetic tour. Anyway, a great concert back then, of course a lot of classics (and thankfully not too much off "St. Anger"), and Metallica really deliver live. Well Lars Ulrich sucks, but he always has and always will. Thankfully there is modern technology that can make him sound good heh.

17. Jethro Tull, 2000 or 2001

Another of my first concerts, and again I went with my uncle (who also enjoys the classic rock stuff, as you can tell). A great experience, though the sound in the venue was bad. But Ian Anderson truly is a great performer, and classics such as "Aqualung", "Locomotive Breath" or "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day" just speak for themselves anyway.

18. Hammerfall, Virgin Steele & Freedom Call in Vienna 2001

Well this was I think my first "Metal" concerts, and that is why I pick this one even though I've seen Hammerfall a couple of times meanwhile. But this first experience back than was really a "revelation" of sorts; plus they had just released "Renegade", which to this day is my favorite HF album, and they played a lot of songs off that record. Plus they had their greatest stage set ever on that tour, heh.

19. Nightwish w/ Sonata Arctica in 2004

Nightwish had just released "Once", in my opinion their strongest album, and were still touring with Tarja Turunen on vocals. I managed to somehow get me a ticket and went to the show... it was really an impressive performance, Sonata Arctica as support band was quite good on that night (and a lot better than on the subsequent times I saw them live), and definitely a great experience, especially in light of the ensuing events when Tarja was kicked from the band and replaced by a more "regular" sounding singer... I still say Tarja was nothing special, however Nightwish should have picked another opera-style singer instead of the more "pop"-sounding Anette Olzon... but well, I suppose the reunions gonna come in a few years anyway.

20. Uriah Heep, Nov 2008

It has been an (almost) neverending story.. I guess I had been trying to see Uriah Heep live for about 5 or 6 years, but whenever they played here (and they did so quite often!), something came up... once I even actually already had the tickets in hand, but on the very day of the concert my girlfriend at the time suffered an appendicitis and we had to rush to the hospital lol. However FINALLY this November I managed to see Heep live, and I gotta say, I was impressed. They played their entire(!) new album "Wake The Sleeper", which turned out fantastic, and of course they also delivered some of the old time classics such as "Easy Livin", "Bird Of Prey", "July Morning" and of course the inevitable "Lady in Black". I mean, those guys look like they could die any minute, but they still know how to rock heh!

Well that's it for now, I guess I could go on and on forever, as I've not even mentioned half the concerts I've been to... but those were definitely some of the best memories. Now I'm really looking forward to/hoping that Bruce Springsteen goes on tour soon again and this time I can manage to get tickets... This is one show I definitely HAVE to see one way or the other while I still can.

Well and whoever truly read through all THAT - Thank you!

Cheers!

 

[CENAtion]

1. Tom Petty....June 2008 in Philly. Awesome show the man still has it. Opened strong, strong in the middle, strong at the end. Excellent job of blending his biggest throughout the set list which helped hide the less popular songs he did as well as keeping the crowd white hot. To a five min break where they all left the stage to get the crowd chanting his name. The came back out and went hsard for about three songs to end the show. The whole place was screaming American Girl as it closed the show

2. Hinder...July 2008...Outside concert it was really hot but Hinder was really good. They were the opening act so the didnt get alot of stage time but they still played all their hits as well as a few new songs.

3. Staind...July 2008...same as Hinder. They went on second and before this show i wasnt a big fan of theirs but after there performance, I am now a ffan. They had a real good way of showing your their passion for their music especially on their slower songs like Right Here and So Far Away.

4. 3 Doors Down...July 2008,,the headliner of the tour. Mann these guys can play and the brought t from start to finish. Outside concert in middle of a fgreat summer night. They start strong with hit songs, had more in the middle, and closed really strong. I recommend everyone to see them.

5. AC/DC "Black Ice Tour"...November 2008. I was so pumped to see these guys on tour. The stage was damn impressive as you should expect for legends like these guys. Opened strong with new hit Rock n Roll Train and played all their hit sngs throughout the years. I can honesty say they played every song i hoped they would and all and all an unreal concert.

 

[klunderbunker]

Saw Switchfoot and 3 Doors Down (third time) last week.

Switchfoot might have been the worst concert I have ever seen. Their singer was completely drunk/high and at the end if showed up more than ever. They did one decent song that I hadn't heard before, and taht was it. Their biggest hit, We Were Meant To Live bombed. Highlight was easily their backup guitarist. He was just on top of his game all night and was easily the best thing they had going.

3 Doors Down- the epitome of a headline act. Brad Arnold fits the mold of a rock star to the letter. Nothing but high energy the whole show, never a dull moment, did all their hits but one, lot of stuff from the new album, talked to the audience, thanked them profusely for coming, and just flat out rocked the house. Highest recomendation possible even if youi're not a fan. They put on one of the best shows that can be put on. Pure rock music all night and a treat to see.

 

[NSL]

Their singer was completely drunk/high and at the end if showed up more than ever

This funny, because they started as a christian rock band

3 Doors Down- the epitome of a headline act.

They put on one of the best shows that can be put on. Pure rock music all night and a treat to see.

I've been to over 50 non-firehouse shows, so i'm not going to review all of them...

I did see 3 Doors Down once, opening for the current line-up of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and thought they were excellent. KB hits it right on the head. Brad Arnold is an amazing frontman, and the band sounded very tight all night

I'd highly recommend seeing them

 

[Mrs Sexy]

This is a GREAT topic for me. I have been to tons of concerts.

Here is a list of who I've seen so far.


1.Red Hot Chili Peppers
2.Foo Fighters
3.Bicycle Thief
4.Hoobastank(3Times)
5.Incubus(Twice)
6.Unloco
7.Cinder
8.Ra
9.Innatrance
10.Sevendust
11.Breaking Benjamin(Twice)
12.Hed PE
13.Godsmack(Twice)
14.Metallica
15.CKY
16.Mix Master Mike
17."New" Guns-N-Roses
18.Taproot
19.Chevelle(Twice)
20.Disturbed
21.Poison
22.Lost Prophets
23.Sparta
24.Nickelback
25.Hinder
26.Seether
27.3 Days Grace

Now I will try my hardest to explain each concert.

My first rock concert was...

Red Hot Chili Peppers with Foo Fighters and Bicycle Thief I was able to go to this concert because I had a job at the age of 14, so I used my first check to go. I took two of my friends with me. The concert started off with Bicycle Thief, which I can't really remember them...all I can tell is, they must not have been that great to remember. Then, Foo Fighters came out. First of all I bought main floor tickets for my FIRST concert. They had folding chairs on the main floor. Well, once Foo Fighters came out, chairs started getting folded up and moved to the back, well needless to say, it got so crowded, I could barely breathe. Freaked me out. Anyways, FF were really good. Dave Grohl started off up in the balcony and then made his way to the stage. I got great pics of him too. My friends and I made it to the back of the main floor area so we could see better. After the FF's, during intermission, one of my friends and I had to go to the ladies room, and my other friend didn't want to go so she stayed down on the main floor. Well when we got out of the RR, we weren't allowed to go to the main floor because too many people without main floor bracelets were jumping the gates, so we were told we couldn't go back...well my other friend was upset because she had to finish the night by herself. Anyways, Chili Peppers came out and put on a great show. They had a huge screen behind them showing videos for their songs. Anthony Kiedis looked amazing. The concert wasn't an upset because I got to hear every song I liked.

Incubus with Hoobastank I didn't really plan to go to this concert per say. The only reason I went to this one was because I had originally wanted to go see Puddle of Mudd, but they cancelled so therefore this was the only concert left worth going to. The concert started off with Hoobastank, whom I had never heard of until then, but they put on a good show and ended up becoming one of my favorite bands. I took my best friend with me. I've heard of Incubus before the concert, but didn't really know who they were. I did end up enjoying the concert.

Sevendust with Unloco, Cinder, Ra, and Innatrance I went to this concert because tickets were only $6 a piece. Out of all the bands, I enjoyed Sevendust, Cinder and Ra the most. Ra became somewhat popular but I believe faded out. I enjoyed listening to "Angel's Son" by Sevendust mainly because it has truth behind the song. The concert was good. I don't really remember it much because it was a few years ago.

Godsmack with Hed PE and Breaking Benjamin This concert could have done without Hed PE, because they were just horrible. Ask Will about this, he'll tell you...lol Anyways, this was Will's first rock concert. I enjoyed BB, but I can't stand the song Polyamorous. BB ended up becoming Will's all time favorite band. Godsmack was unbelievable. My favorite part was when Sully did his big drumming solo. I also loved the pyro.

Hoobastank with Lost Prophets This concert was ok. It took place at a college campus. At least this time I knew who Hoobastank was. They put on a better show than when I saw them with Incubus. The Lost Prophets were good too. I knew a couple of their songs at least.

Nickelback with Chevelle, Hoobastank, and Hinder This was a great concert too, but Chevelle could have been kicked out of the equation. Chevelle sounded so bad...you could tell they were lip synching. I enjoyed Nickelback because they are one of my favorite bands. Hoobastank was good too because I saw them twice before. I really enjoyed Hinder. Hinder was my favorite out of them all. I was jealous though because Hinder ended up signing autographs during and intermission and I didn't have anything for them to sign. So I didn't get one.

Incubus with Sparta Incubus was the only band worth watching. I've seen them before so I knew the concert would be good. Sparta wasn't even supposed to be there. It was supposed to be The Hives or The Vines in Sparta's place. I really have no clue why they weren't there.

Metallica with Godsmack I went to this concert just to say I got to see Metallica. I like a lot of their songs too though. The greatest part of this concert was the rotating circular stage, which actually it was two circular parts. Well the best part of it was when Sully was on one drumset on one stage and Lars on the other. They were doing a drum solo together...it was really great! I enjoy Sully on the drums.

"New" Guns-N-Roses with Mix Master Mike and CKY I went to this concert because GNR is my ALL TIME favorite band. I dedicate the song "November Rain" to myself just because I was born in November. CKY was ok, buts MMM wasn't. I enjoyed listening to Buckethead play the guitar. They played a lot of original GNR songs and some of the Chinese Democracy stuff. I wish Slash was still with the band though. That would have definitely made my night.

Poison This was an ok concert. Lots of Pyro on the stage. Plus it was and outside concert. My favorite songs that were sung were, "Unskinny Bop" and "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" This band has been around for a while so it's nice to say I got to see them too.

Disturbed with Chevelle and Taproot I enjoyed this whole concert. Chevelle sounded good too, granted this was the first time I saw them in concert. I enjoyed Disturbed because David(?) really gets emotional and deep when he sings. Obviously the crowd went crazy when "Down With the Sickness" was performed." The stage decorations were great too.

3 Days Grace with Seether and Breaking Benjamin This was an outstanding concert. Seether started out but they didn't get much playing time. Too short if you ask me. I wish they played longer. They played "Broken" with a BB member I think. That was funny because the song just didn't sound right. Next was BB, who was great. They sang "Change" by the Deftones. They sang it better than them in my opinion. Last was 3 Days Grace. They were really amazing too. They have become one of my favorite bands after seeing them live.

 

[Shadowmancer]

OK time to review Big Day Out '09. I missed the first two bands that I wanted to see which were a couple of New Zealand Metal bands in Just One Fix and World War Four. now onto the bands that I did see.

Black Kids: All I can say is that they are a new version of the B-52s. they weren't bad, they just didn't blow me away. And I was only there so I could get a good position for the next band on that stage.

Bullet For My Valentine: These guys kicked a lot of arse. Starting off with the Title track off their latest album, "Scream, Aim, Fire" moving onto "4 Words (To Choke Upon)", the Mosh was great, there was a circle about two people behind me and there were about three people in front of me to the barrier for the stage. they capped off their 50 Minute set with "Waking the Demon" and during the creation of the Wall of Death I managed to snake my way to the barrier, and I just missed getting one of the picks that they threw out into the crowd.

Lupe Fiasco: Lets get this completely clear, I would not buy an album of his nor would I pay to see him in concert when he is the headline act. But because it was the Big Day Out, I had some time before the next band I wanted to see, I met up with some mates, two of them went into a drinking area while another went to see Lupe Fiasco, I can say that he is a consumate performer and does well in a live setting, and it must be said, his guitarist has one hell of a voice, which was demonstrated when Lupe and him were trading back and forth on the part in "Daydreamin'"

Serj Tankian and the Flying ***** of Chaos: yep the second part is his backing band, No System, and he has gone on the record as saying that he will not perform System stuff while working as a solo artist. So he pretty much just did a large majority of Elect the Dead, I didn't know much of the solo stuff but it has convinced me to get the album.

Dropkick Murphys: These guys kicked ass, I was bloody close to the stage, so close that when Al and Ken interacted with the crowd up close, they were right there. it was great, I saw the actual set list afterwards, a guy I know from uni managed to get it, they were going to do "Flanigan's Ball" but they changed it to something else, I forget what it was. Just pure awesomeness.

Fantomas: Just genius, all they did was play The Director's cut from start to finish, seeing the look on peoples faces was just priceless because the stuff was completely different to what they thought it was going to be. They obviously thought it was just going to be similar to Faith no More because of Mike Patton, silly people. I had to leave around 20 minutes in so I could attempt to get in the Boiler Room for Prodigy.

The Prodigy: Only got about three or four songs out of these guys before my friends who I had gone to BDO decided to leave because it was impossible to get in the Boiler Room, All I can guarantee that they played was "Breathe" and one of their new songs. It was great while I was there and could still hear it most of the way back to the car.

 

[Richard]

Have you ever been bored with the music you currently have? Looking for something else? Well I think this should be the thread where we can all suggest albums for people to listen to and write a review about the album as well. I will also try and post a new album review every week also to keep this thread going if people are interested. I'd like others to suggest albums aswell.

The first album I would suggest everyone to listen to is...

Good Charlotte - The Young and the Hopeless

Track Listing:
"A New Beginning" – 1:48
"The Anthem" – 2:55
"Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" - 3:10
"Wondering" – 3:31
"The Story of My Old Man" – 2:42
"Girls & Boys" – 3:01
"My Bloody Valentine" – 3:54
"Hold On" – 4:06
"Riot Girl" – 2:17
"Say Anything" – 4:21
"The Day That I Die" – 2:58
"The Young & the Hopeless" – 3:32
"Emotionless" – 4:02
"Movin' On" - 3:26

Released on October 1, 2002, The Young and the Hopeless is widely considered Good Charlotte's best album to date. It spawned massive hits such as "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous", "Girls & Boys" and "The Anthem" which are some of Good Charlotte's most symbolic songs as they represented the band perfectly.

This is also one of the very few albums I can listen to from start to finish without skipping songs or changing CDs completely. The songs in the album have a wide variety of meanings. Some of the songs are more darker, like My Bloody Valentine and you also have fun, catchy, pop punk songs like The Anthem and songs that have very true meaning, like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous which talks about how Celebrities have a much better life than most normal people so they shouldn't complain because if they lived the 'normal' life, they wouldn't be able to cope with it. It's a fairly old album as well which shouldn't cost much and it's worth a listen.

I think you should all listen to it because it's so much better than the newer Good Charlotte stuff and I find people tend to base their opinions of Good Charlotte based off of their newer stuff, while good, just not as good as their older stuff which has more emotion and more meaning. So if you listen to it, put out all thoughts of their newer stuff out of your head while you do.

Here's 'Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous' to give you a taste of what the album is like. If you like this song, you will definately like the entire album.

[YOUTUBE]nVeRplP_zUE[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Tim]

Richard, I would've suggested The Chronicles of Life and Death for Good Charlotte, but that's just me.

Anyway, onto my suggestion. And one album I would suggest to anybody, and one of my favourite albums of all time is...

Dream Theater - Octavarium

Track Listing:
1. The Root of All Evil
2. The Answer Lies Within
3. These Walls
4. I Walk Beside You
5. Panic Attack
6. Never Enough
7. Sacrificed Sons
8. Octavarium

Although not their most successful album, it is definately one of their best. Dream Theater is mainly an underground band, and even so they have lead a truly successful career in music. This album, released in 2005 as their 8th studio album, it includes some of their best songs, including The Root of All Evil and Octavarium.

I cannot get enough of this album. It has one of my favourite songs of all time, Octavarium, and is something I can listen to over and over again. John Petrucci thinks this is Dream Theater's best album to date, and his guitar skills are showcased very well here, in songs like The Root Of All Evil and the climax of Octavarium. We get to hear James Labrie's best performance imo on The Answer Lies Within, and also Jordan Rudess's moment to shine on piano. And we also finally hear John Myung, in the intro to Panic Attack, as the bass is usually turned down low in Dream Theater songs. Each member of the band shows off their skills, and we even get some people switching instruments, as we get the keyboard player playing the long guitar intro to Octavarium.

You should listen to this album if you want a change from the norm. If you get sick of hearing all the same songs on the radio, this is a breath of fresh air, and one album that you will be listening to constantly. Each song is unique in it's own way, and each song will lead you in a different direction. And even though one song can't sum up the whole album, have a listen to Panic Attack, and if you like it try out the other songs. You won't be disappointed.

[youtube]slTePgT-QbY[/youtube]

 

[Richard]

Ok, before I review my next album, I'd like to say one thing. Please suggest music from a wide range of genres since there are rap and hip hop fans on here and other genres too. Since so far the albums posted have been albums by rock bands and since I'm only going to be posting rock albums since it's what I listen to, I'd like people who are into other genres, like rap, hip hop, country, techno or whatever, to post their suggestions and reviews from different genre's they are into. That being said, my suggestion this time is...

Escape the Fate - Dying Is Your Latest Fashion

Track Listing:
"The Webs We Weave" – 2:53
"When I Go Out, I Want to Go Out on a Chariot of Fire" – 4:01
"Situations" – 3:06
"The Guillotine" – 4:35
"Reverse This Curse" – 3:40
"Cellar Door" – 4:38
"There's No Sympathy for the Dead" – 5:29
"My Apocalypse" – 4:43
"Friends and Alibis" – 4:10
"Not Good Enough for Truth In Cliché" – 3:51
"The Day I Left the Womb" – 2:23

Released on September 26, 2006, the first studio album from Las Vegas band Escape the Fate, described as a post hardcore band has a unique sound and is a great album to listen to and is the album recorded with original lead singer, Ronnie Radke before was kicked out of Escape the Fate in favour of Craig Mabbit and with former rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist, Omar Espinosa before leaving the band. The guitars on here are really good and there's a couple of good solos too, drumming is good too and Ronnie really suits this album because his voice just fits the songs and he's able to transition well from singing to screaming too. Max Green's deep growling is really good too, in 'The Guillotine'. If you're going to check out Escape the Fate, I would suggest this album over their latest album 'This War is Ours' mainly because since Ronnie got kicked out, their new stuff sounds really mainstream like a lot of stuff that's already out there and this older stuff is really good.

If I had to describe this album in one word, it would be "awesome". Just like The Young and the Hopeless, I can listen to it from start to finish with no interuptions. The album also gave Escape the Fate two singles, 'Situations' which is considered to be their signature song by many and 'Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliché' which is another massive hit for them. The album has songs that talk about different things such as Ronnie's drug addiction and him trying to get over it and his appreciation for his friends during his hard times in 'Friends and Alibis', references to the video game Halo in 'The Guillotine' and also an acoustic song at the end called 'The Day I Left The Womb' which I think is about Ronnie's mother. So if you're into darker sort of post hardcore stuff with lots of screaming, then check this out for sure.

I will edit in some music videos when YouTube finishes it's maintanence.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I am...Sasha Fierce: Beyonce

Track Listing: (The album is actually a double disk set/concept album with half of the tracks being on the I am side which is "Beyonce", and the second set on the Sasha Fierce side which is "Sasha Fierce" which is Beyonce's alter ego)

Disk One: I am...
1. If I were a boy
2. Halo
3. Disapear
4. Broken Hearted Girl
5. Ave Maria
6. Satellites
7. That's why your beautiful
8. Smash into You

Disk Two: Sasha Fierce
1. Single Ladies(Put a ring on it)
2. Radio
3. Diva
4. Sweet Dreams
5. Video Phone
6. Hello
7. Scared of Lonely
8. Ego

The album was released on November 18, 2008 and debut at #1 with 482,000 albums sold during the first week. It has since went on to sell almost 2 million in the US. It ranked at #2 on Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Albums of the Year, and got 3.5/5 stars from Rolling Stones.

The first disc is poppy, ballad heavy and has most of the slow songs. The are the songs with more meaning and are very well done. The standout tracks from this side is the two singles "Halo" which has a melodic sound and uses a group of strings that make the song sound heavenly and If I were a boy, which is more of an acoustict guitar driving sound. It sounds similar to Joan Osbourne's "One of us" song. The lyrics are a clever take on what a girl goes through. The other stand out is SMash into you which just has a very chill calming feeling to it. This side is boring then set 2, but Beyonce's voice is pure, and really stands out on this side.

The second disk is very much more urban and has more upbeat songs. It has more of an edge to it and has alot of great dance type songs. The standouts on this side include the huge #1 smash "Single Ladies" which has become a pop culture force. It's very catchy and a great dance track. The beat is very infectious as well. Another standout would be "Ego". It's more midtempo, but the clever lyrics aswell as the great beat make it a standout. This side is more fun and pretty much every song on this side is great.

The whole album has something for every pop/urban fans with I am covering pop and Sasha Fierce covering Urban. I personally say this is Beyonce's best album to date and anyone who has every like any Beyonce song, you should listen to this!

Grade: A

 

[Mr. TM]

Protest The Hero- Kazia

Protest The Hero's first major album, this concept album tells us the story of Kezia, our protagonist's execution, from three different points of view. We begin with the story from the Priest, who is giving her her last rights over the first three songs. We then shift to the Executioner, who is preparing to kill her. Lastly, we get ongs 6-9 from her perspective. After her execution, we get the 10th song as a summary and an afterthought. I myself love conept albums, and from a Mathcore band, just adds to the excitement. The music is top notch, and very few bands can touch these guy's talent.

"No Stars Over Bethlehem" – 3:48
"Heretics & Killers" – 3:09
"Divinity Within" – 4:32
"Bury the Hatchet" – 3:23
"Nautical" – 2:57
"Blindfolds Aside" – 6:01
"She Who Mars the Skin of Gods" – 3:51
"Turn Soonest to the Sea" – 6:21
"The Divine Suicide of K." – 5:10
"A Plateful of Our Dead" – 4:29

Heretics And Killers
[Youtube]AEn8HmgJxd4[/youtube]

Blindfolds Aside
[youtube]CRsxzJpzros[/youtube]

Divine Suicide of K- Live
[youtube]3CUxFba4shk[/youtube]

 

[MattMoses]

Protest the Hero - Fortress

1 "Bloodmeat" - 3:55
2 "The Dissentience" - 4:22
3 "Bone Marrow" - 5:30
4 "Sequoia Throne" - 3:01
5 "Palms Read" - 5:05
6 "Limb From Limb" - 4:22
7 "Spoils" - 3:41
8 "Wretch" - 4:11
9 "Goddess Bound" - 3:35
10 "Goddess Gagged" - 3:13

After a solid debut, Protest the Hero have now perfected the technical element to their music. The guitar playing here is spectacular, very creative and rarely, if ever does it become repetitive. This can be a bit unnerving at first, but as with any complex yet competently written parts, the guitar lines transude into your memory. The band has also done well at incorporating other things into their music, such as the piano which was briefly played on Kezia, keyboards, small string and horn parts to give the album an epic flourish. Vocalist Rody Walker harmoniously rasps through passages of death growls, hardcore screams and melancholic crooning, which is definitely of acquired taste. Overall this is an incredibly strong album which showcases a bunch of guys with unlimited potential who remain one of the most interesting bands in music today.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

All I ever wanted: Kelly Clarkson

Track Listing:
1. My Life Would Suck Without You
2. I Do Not Hook Up
3. Cry
4. Don’t Let Me Stop You
5. All I Ever Wanted
6. Already Gone
7. If I Can’t Have You
8. Save You
9. Whyyawannabringmedown
10. Long Shot
11. Impossible
12. Ready
13. I Want You
14. If No One Will Listen

Kelly Clarkson's "All I ever wanted" was released this week, and is projected to sell about 225 Thousand units on it's opening week(which will make it #1 in the States). The album see's Clarkson returning to her "breakaway" pop routes again after her last album(The darker "My December")flopped.

I personally think this is Kelly's best album to date. While the majority of the album is typical pop songs, it still is an incredible effort. To me there are 3 stand out tracks that are single worthy. The first being the semi-ballad "Already Gone". The song was produced by Ryan Tedder(who produced Bleeding Love, Apologize, Halo, ect)and sounds strikingly similar to Beyonce's Halo. But the song and the lyrics make it one of the best on the album. The strings at the beginning is haunting and it's a very good song.

The other standout would be "Whyyawannabringmedown" the song was described by one critic as being Avirl, Pink, and Katy on acid and it's a good comparision. It's the most punkish song on the album and if full of energy. Very great beat and very catchy.

Another stand out would be the Katy Perry & Kara Diguardi(New American Idol judge)penned "I do not hook up". The song is a very catchy positive pop song which is slated to be the next single.

The title track "All I ever wanted" is another great track. The infectious beat(which almost sounds like Franz Ferdinand's Take me out)is super catchy(like most of the album). The lyrics are clever and Kelly's personality comes out in the song.

Most of the album is pure pop amazingness! Pop fans will be very pleased and even known fans might get hooked because of the catchy production. The only "duds" on the album are "If No One Will Listen" and "Don’t Let Me Stop You" which just sound like fillers. But other than thoes two songs the album is full of great single options and the album should propelle Kelly back to pop superstardom. And while Kelly's artistic visions may have been limited on this album, I don't think alot of Kelly fans would complain!

Grade: A

 

[Pimpin]

Restless by Trae

Track Listing:
1- "Intro" 02:13
2- "Real Talk" 03:20
3- "In The Hood" feat. Yung Joc & Big Pokey 04:53
4- "Screw Done Already Warned Me" feat. Lil' Keke05:06
5- "So Gangsta" feat. Bun B 04:39
6- "Restless" feat. Young Noble 04:29
7- "The Rain" feat. Dallas & Shyna04:57
8- "Dedicated 2 You" 05:34
9- "The Truth" feat. Billy Cook04:10
10- "Swang" feat. Pimp C,Big Hawk, * Fat Pat 04:44
11- "Quit Calling Me" 03:51
12- "Cadillac" feat. Paul Wall, Three 6 Mafia, Jay'ton & Lil Boss 06:00
13- "No Help" feat. Z-Ro05:04
14- "Song Cry" 03:02
15- "Matter Of Time" feat Mýa 04:40
16- "Coming Around Tha Corner" feat. Jim Jones 03:32
17- "Who Da Truth Is" 00:11
18- "Pop Trunk Wave" feat. Fat Pat 4:03

Trae's album Restless was released on June 27th 2006 & it has been rated 3 out of 5 stars by The Source & 4 out of 5 stars by both The Austin Chronical Music & The IAP Store.

I think this was a strong album by Trae as none of his songs on the album were annoying at all unlike other rappers who have a few annoying songs on their albums. The album had a lot of catchy songs & had a nice beat. If you are a fan of underground rap then you should definitely check this album out & it's worth the price you pay for.

 

[FromTheSouth]

No Help ft. Z-Ro is one of the best rap songs I have ever heard. I grew up in Houston, actually, in Missouri City (SW Houston) where these guys were from. My sister went to high school with Z-ro. If you're looking for another great underground rap album, check out SLAB 4.5 - The Anthem.

1. Intro
2. Tha Streets - Bun B, , , , S.L.A.B., Paul Wall, Z-Ro
3. Catch Me in tha Lot
4. Back at It Again - Billy Cook, , S.L.A.B.
5. Who Next to Plex
6. Slow Loud & Bangin
7. You Know How We Do It
8. I Remember - S.L.A.B., Z-Ro
9. Stop Cuf'n These Hoes
10. I Know - S.L.A.B., Z-Ro
11. Wanna Be Down
12. Doin This the Best We Can - S.L.A.B., Shyna
13. Get Greeted with Heat
14. H - S.L.A.B., Z-Ro
15. Everytime - S.L.A.B., Z-Ro
16. Word of Pimpin
17. Pimpin
18. Stay Out My Way
19. I'm a Asshole - Ricky D, , , S.L.A.B.

Catch me in the Lot is also one of the best rap songs I have ever heard. The last two albums mentioned are both classics, and still are at the top of all my playlists. Boss, Jayton, Trae, Z-ro, and the other guests bring their best effort to this album. You can also hear one of the last verses by underground legend HAWK, who was murdered in 2007. This album provides a playlist to many lives, as these songs cross racial and class boundaries. We've all had problems similar to those discussed on this album. Whether you're on a drive by or on the way to class, this album is for you.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Kellie Pickler, Kellie Pickler

1. Don't You Know You're Beautiful
2. I'm Your Woman
3. Rocks Instead of Rice
4. Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You
5. Lucky Girl
6. One Last Time
7. Best Days of Your Life
8. Somebody to Love Me
9. Makin' Me Fall in Love Again
10. Going out in Style

This is Kellie Pickler's sophmore effort from her 800,000 sold debut "Small Town Girls" and it has sold approx. 200 thousand copies in the states to date. The self-titled album is more personal than Kellie's first album, and many of the songs were penned by Kellie herself.

But while Kellie may have had a more on hand role on this album(although she wrote many of the songs on her first release)I found this album to feel almost less complete than the first. I don't think there is any song on this album that feels as honest and heartfelt as her previous album's second single "I wonder".

And while I think her debut might have been the overall better album I still think this is a very solid country album. The standout song on this CD would have to be the Kellie Pickler/Taylor Swift penned "Best Day's of your life"(which is the second single and has Swift singing backing vocals). The song is based on real life events that happened and is the best on the album hands down. It's fun and surprisingly upbeat for the subject matter. It's a personal favorite of mine.

Another stand out track is the ballad "Didn't you know how much I loved you" which actually was on her first album too. The ballad was remastered and put on this album with stronger production and new vocals by Pickler. It's a haunting love ballad with strong country ties.

Another track that standsout is "Rocks instead of Rice" which is pure, frisky, fun Kellie. Kellie blasts an ex and claims she will crash his wedding and throw rocks at him, instead of rice. And why the lyrics aren't exactly "deep" it's a very fun, catchy song. This is Kellie at her best showing off the personality that made Idol Judge say he prefferd Kellie over Carrie Underwood. The song showcases Kellie' fun attitude and is a standout.

Her first single from the album(which peaked at #21 on country radio)"Don't you know your beautiful" was a little underwhelming for a first single. Well it's a cute little country song(and has a similar message to Martina McBrides, This one's for the girls)it does not sound like first single material. And while I think it was the wrong choice for single, and it isn't a clear standout it definitley is a good country song.

The rest of the album(with the exception to Lucy Girl and Going out in style)just seems underwhelming and filler. The album took more time to make then her first one, but it seems like less effort was put fourth. And while it doesn't compare to Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, or Taylor Swifts new CD's, it's still a good country album, from a great personality.

Grade: B-

 

[Richard]

Limp Bizkit - Greatest Hitz

Track Listing:

"Counterfeit" (Three Dollar Bill, Yall$) – 4:48
"Faith" (Three Dollar Bill, Yall$) – 2:26
"Nookie" (Significant Other) – 4:26
"Break Stuff" (Significant Other) – 2:46
"Re-Arranged" (Significant Other) – 5:54
"N 2 Gether Now" (Significant Other) – 3:55
"Take a Look Around" (Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water) – 5:19
"My Generation" (Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water) – 3:41
"Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" (Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water) – 3:33
"My Way" (Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water) – 4:33
"Boiler" (Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water) – 5:44
"Eat You Alive" (Results May Vary) – 3:57
"Behind Blue Eyes" (Results May Vary) – 4:29
"Build a Bridge" (Results May Vary) – 3:56
"Why" – 4:05
"Lean on Me" – 4:27
"Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony" – 3:51

Released on November 8, 2005, 'Greatest Hitz' is Limp Bizkit's greatest hits cd which contains their greatest hits from their albums Three Dollar Bill, Yall$, Significant Other, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water and Results May Vary and it also includes three songs which were previously unreleased at the time of release. The albums from which the songs came from are in brackets and the last three on the track listing were the new songs.

The album has a very diverse and a wide range of sounds from the classic, indistinguishable 'Nu Metal' sound that is Limp Bizkit, you also have some acoustic guitar sounds and some softer songs too. This greatest hits album really is great.

This album is great for any Limp Bizkit fan or for anybody who is starting to get into Limp Bizkit as it contains their signature songs such as Rollin, Nookie, Break Stuff, My Generation, Take a Look Around and many more. Here is the music video for the song 'Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)'. If you like this song then I can pretty much garentee you will like this entire album.

[YOUTUBE]jWlqmc1B7EE[/YOUTUBE]

Since the album is coming up to be about 4 years old this year, it shouldn't be too expensive too, which is always a bonus.