tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12520929355151199922024-03-13T06:06:40.022-04:00The Wicked NestRandom MeanderingsUnitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-37186644620227562272020-04-02T02:24:00.003-04:002020-04-02T02:24:48.741-04:00Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8IMhXwHOHgYe1LqOYwlcdEhyphenhyphenUFJjcDpO4FQl61Bb8niQajxGj8hcZmBzE7g7VzUyIc7fsynOfLo_0ztXl1nuyc0J5tgW8o6zveIPi0aMMTLc0AYH5hgx6WWR_qs-hqOBNpsLvmwiehC6/s1600/beastieboys-hello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8IMhXwHOHgYe1LqOYwlcdEhyphenhyphenUFJjcDpO4FQl61Bb8niQajxGj8hcZmBzE7g7VzUyIc7fsynOfLo_0ztXl1nuyc0J5tgW8o6zveIPi0aMMTLc0AYH5hgx6WWR_qs-hqOBNpsLvmwiehC6/s320/beastieboys-hello.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Beastie Boys</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><i>Hello Nasty</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;">(1998)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"One two one two, this is just a test"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello Nasty is like no other hip hop album I've heard, it's like an exploration in various sounds and samples but always with the Beastie Boys' fun loving attitude. Its got such a busy sound with everything going on, but it's never overwhelming even with the 22 songs on the album.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Remote Control, Just a Test, Intergalactic, and Putting Shame in Your Game are probably my favorites, Just a Test especially being one of the B-boy's most underrated songs. They've got such great flow, and their rap bravado is contrasted by fantastic moody and ominous samples, and it gives it such a cool sound. The electro-rap of Intergalactic rightfully was the album's biggest hit, and it's impossible to not love the delivery of "let the beat...mmmDRRROP".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the strangest parts of the album are the neo-psychedelic songs that are completely devoid of hip hop, though there's a psychedelic element throughout the album. These songs include Song for the Man, Song for Junior, and I Don't Know, and they all fit in and sound great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello Nasty is a bit of a grower, but once it hit, it hit. One of the best of both the B-boy's and hip hop as a whole.</span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-67906215104074325952020-03-12T00:20:00.003-04:002020-03-12T00:20:39.186-04:00Mount Shasta - Who's the Hottie?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3H2YPlS0Wjrs4AEb4vfwRqfUdSNkz9wYwshSKUbFutxTC8n8l0Y2mAt5FSpEs2Oeifh-KUSZWT1dPvXsenp6XHHQK2u5E2IKHbOCTwmg5_iQucBNVGp6l3WzUvZLPRQY6tEhi-2imbmM/s1600/who.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="599" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3H2YPlS0Wjrs4AEb4vfwRqfUdSNkz9wYwshSKUbFutxTC8n8l0Y2mAt5FSpEs2Oeifh-KUSZWT1dPvXsenp6XHHQK2u5E2IKHbOCTwmg5_iQucBNVGp6l3WzUvZLPRQY6tEhi-2imbmM/s320/who.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mount Shasta</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Who's the Hottie?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(1995)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Noise Rock will always be noisy, hence the name, but the levels of noise vary from band to band. Mount Shasta has much of the noise in the vocals, to the point of them being indecipherable yelling with no melody or anything whatsoever. It's best described as what Tad Doyle overdosing on crack would probably sound like. Once you get used to it, they just become part of the sound.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Those riffs though, that's where this album shines like no other. The album is an instant hook, with opener Gimp's riff catching my ear on such a primal level that I knew this was gonna be good. The riffs are of a classic grunge fashion, switching between bluesy metal riffs that Blue Cheer would be proud of and raw garage rock pounding that would make The Stooges take notice. Sometimes it'll go in a more atmospheric drawl in parts of a song to contrast with the bluesy aggression of the rest of the song, which works wonders in Near Famous Jackass and Raw Meat Lincoln Style.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Originally intrigued by the cover art that looks like some obscure 60's cartoon, I found a great riff album. Good stuff.</span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-18915133581244796202020-02-04T13:32:00.004-05:002020-02-07T21:37:46.991-05:00Nazareth - No Mean City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuVGm4DbPfkZpWBo0nB6_1yvIPMLl_YMTaHiFSvMtEx3Q4-hOEqLHQVmlBjJThwOnXyZvDgvsH88R3KfbOwnYxUOE2CuiAWylpVfaZl7OT5Fl_JrnlAq2eV50xXWyXhBQ_DoEVCfOoLw6/s1600/nomeancity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuVGm4DbPfkZpWBo0nB6_1yvIPMLl_YMTaHiFSvMtEx3Q4-hOEqLHQVmlBjJThwOnXyZvDgvsH88R3KfbOwnYxUOE2CuiAWylpVfaZl7OT5Fl_JrnlAq2eV50xXWyXhBQ_DoEVCfOoLw6/s320/nomeancity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No Mean City</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(1979)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Call off your dogs for I am no fox"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While Hair of the Dog is probably Nazareth's definitive album, No Mean City is the apex of the Scottish heavy metal band's sound before switching to a more pop rock style in the 80's. No Mean City, while including a few softer rock songs as the band always has, is perhaps the band at their most vicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is heard best in the closing title track, with its menacing atmosphere. McCafferty is at his most aggressive, especially with the caustic delivery of such lines as the aforementioned that opens up this review. That coupled with the proto-black metal rapid atmospheric guitar riffing, makes for an ominous finale. Claim to Fame as well, this time a heavy stomp, is a great surge of anger through song.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Songs like Just to Get Into It and Simple Solution (The latter's probably my favorite on the album) makes me wonder why they dropped the metal come the 80's. Simple Solution especially, sounds like it could've come straight from an 80's metal album. Its infectiously catchy chorus brings it right up there with Saxon and Judas Priest classics as one of metal's best melodies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like other late 70's heavy metal albums, No Mean City has a perfect balance between the bluesier 70's with the sound of the beginning of the next decade. One of the band's best, and an end of an era, for the band wouldn't bring metal back into their repertoire until much later.</span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-65983402878459121862019-12-25T00:43:00.001-05:002019-12-25T02:29:42.433-05:00Powerman 5000 - Mega!! Kung Fu Radio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kTPf4j83EdXad9uBJj4V9key5aA3wlvXgX29uIucGWyefj8odg7999sWNmFvwiC8ynlBBDaolAM5MJVV_mfG_d9agCNK_eHrjycpaDRKXkkidHRW2e6Yvv1_m-xNlGhaizD7PrBz_d1d/s1600/megakungfuradio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="600" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kTPf4j83EdXad9uBJj4V9key5aA3wlvXgX29uIucGWyefj8odg7999sWNmFvwiC8ynlBBDaolAM5MJVV_mfG_d9agCNK_eHrjycpaDRKXkkidHRW2e6Yvv1_m-xNlGhaizD7PrBz_d1d/s320/megakungfuradio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Powerman 5000</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mega!! Kung Fu Radio</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(1997)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"If they ask ya' what, tell'em file under action"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before Powerman 5000 went in an industrial metal direction, they crafted a unique sound like no other and defined the variety of nu metal at its core. They blended hip hop, their own stoner-sounding rapping, knockout metal grooves, funky bass, 70's metal style soloing, varied percussion, and more in a seamless mix. Incredibly fun too, perfectly both creative and entertaining. It's like Clutch making a nu metal album.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mega!! Kung Fu Radio is booming with personality, infectious hooks, heavy grooves, high energy, and Spider One's deadpan delivery of abstract lyricism. What separates Powerman from other rap metal bands is how perfectly they play in both genres. They aren't just rapping over metal riffing, they're blending chunky metal grooves with funky hip hop rhythms seamlessly like they were meant for each other. It's a perfect way to get a metal fan into hip hop, or vice-versa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love this whole album, so it's hard to really highlight any particular song, describing the sound as a whole is a lot easier. However, Organizized, 20 Miles to Texas 25 to Hell, Standing 8, and hidden track File Under Action are some particular favorites if I had to choose. File Under Action is the purest hip hop track on the album, with a perfect use of a droning atmosphere and effective placement of guitar riffing and feedback that's made ultra-heavy whenever it appears. Spider One carries great flow throughout the album, but this is among his best performances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The 90's were an incredibly creative time for music, and Powerman 5000 shows some of the best part of that for both the world of metal and hip hop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=109151039">https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=109151039</a></span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-851490259536274702019-12-14T02:15:00.001-05:002019-12-25T00:38:46.367-05:00Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsFrgUOUOcuewzlif2c6UYm7uXmc16gJXh9cdJFhu4z4ZQ0-aJFSXxcqkr74aWfn89lLqS7fUPQLRGZlC7-Ad1DWMb50STMNm-bI9yd3LaWqeb9kjJTQIi6O1PCARvLxVIc5VIKfQSEXt/s1600/soundgarden-badmotorfinger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsFrgUOUOcuewzlif2c6UYm7uXmc16gJXh9cdJFhu4z4ZQ0-aJFSXxcqkr74aWfn89lLqS7fUPQLRGZlC7-Ad1DWMb50STMNm-bI9yd3LaWqeb9kjJTQIi6O1PCARvLxVIc5VIKfQSEXt/s320/soundgarden-badmotorfinger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Soundgarden</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Badmotorfinger</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">(1991)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">People will often debate between Dirt and Nevermind as the definitive grunge album, but in my book it'll always be Badmotorfinger. Maybe part of that comes from that fact that I've practically been hearing this album my whole life, but it also defines grunge like no other album. Heavy, dirty, sludgy, it's a massive behemoth of an album, yet also off the cuff and frantic when it needs to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Song titles like Slaves & Bulldozers, Searching With My Good Eye Closed, and Room a Thousand Years Wide are not only great titles, but they just bring to mind images of some pummeling force before it's heard in the music. Drawing Flies is as grungy as you can get, bringing the definition of dirty and grimy to its literal form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a perfect showcase of a pure band displaying their talents, no member really outshining (pun not intended) the other. Chris Cornell gives a fiery vocal performance, from the red-faced screaming of Slaves & Bulldozers to the venom spitting of Drawing Flies, he's the closest anyone's gotten to Rob Halford levels of intensity. Kim Thayil's signature guitar style permeates the album, with little being as iconic as Rusty Cage's opening riff (especially for anyone who's also played Road Rash). Ben Shepherd's bass licks can be deceivingly insane, particularly on the jagged and frantic Jesus Christ Pose, or helping a lumbering rhythm section (Slaves & Bulldozers again). Last but not least, Matt Cameron's drumming is simply a pounding force that cements each song into your head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I could go on and on about how fantastic this album is, but I don't want to ramble. It's a genre-defining album, and one of the best metal albums of all time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=71815024"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=71815024</span></a></div>
Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-41700199152215462402019-11-29T20:19:00.000-05:002019-11-29T20:19:03.260-05:00Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Gjj75fIXO7m0kDvX4dFfH-HyevcRfSkTf0a2TwkTjyJuz2qYMkLx3nzzv4Q7H4FgQDj9T8Y5K2siRYJq6Y1NMYnqQj27muguxBgaxxewvRnRomQv_MufR5qBU0QhKKMtqEi0_nAVNPjo/s1600/cypresshill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Gjj75fIXO7m0kDvX4dFfH-HyevcRfSkTf0a2TwkTjyJuz2qYMkLx3nzzv4Q7H4FgQDj9T8Y5K2siRYJq6Y1NMYnqQj27muguxBgaxxewvRnRomQv_MufR5qBU0QhKKMtqEi0_nAVNPjo/s320/cypresshill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cypress Hill</span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Cypress Hill</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(1991)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While Cypress Hill's debut lacks the ominous atmospheres that they would become known for, the band still already had a unique sound of their own. It's funky, not unlike a lot of hip hop at the time, but DJ Muggs is a master sampler which creates a really busy sound. B-Real and Sen Dog both have really unique voices, that I haven't quite heard elsewhere. B-Real's nasally and cocky delivery is filled to the brim with personality, and he can make gangsta lyricism fun as all hell. Sen Dog contrasts with an incredibly low and strained style, and the two play off of one another really well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How I Could Just Kill a Man is a classic for a reason, but that's just the beginning of how many bops are on here. Light Another, The Phuncky Feel One, and The Funky Cypress Hill Shit are so damn funky that they immediately get your body movin'. Along with the aforementioned How I Could, Hand on the Pump and Hole in the Head are other songs that sound like a more upbeat version of followup Black Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While not quite the perfection of Black Sunday, Cypress Hill's s/t is a very close second and an essential hip hop classic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Unitron/rating110404610">https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Unitron/rating110404610</a></span></div>
Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-52892478798540435802019-11-07T21:27:00.002-05:002019-11-21T00:47:16.054-05:00Live - Throwing Copper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8mZC-HjmKlvywzHvAtQ60AG1OJnwQH1_-Fc2_FuBPIuxo8g04j0RVJ3BkyRBJoTSfy9CjeSKOiuSkbogpXMyjRjkPtckvqRIRlIZ-5FWtvZQvY7jCr9xNlwSinlvn8b3dLw5HA4lr983/s1600/live+-+copper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8mZC-HjmKlvywzHvAtQ60AG1OJnwQH1_-Fc2_FuBPIuxo8g04j0RVJ3BkyRBJoTSfy9CjeSKOiuSkbogpXMyjRjkPtckvqRIRlIZ-5FWtvZQvY7jCr9xNlwSinlvn8b3dLw5HA4lr983/s320/live+-+copper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Live</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Throwing Copper</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(1994)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Gotta live, gotta live, gotta live, SHIT TOWNE'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Every time there's a popular music scene, other bands popular at the time end up getting lumped in even if they didn't quite fit. Live is one such band, who is often lumped in with grunge acts. While they can get pretty heavy, the closest they get to a real metallic grunge riff is during the bridge of single All Over You.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've always imagined and described Live as R.E.M. if they had hard rock in their sound. Is it a coincidence that R.E.M.'s Monster of the same year has a bit of a hard rock influence? Who knows, maybe they heard this album and were inspired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Throwing Copper was Live's breakthrough album, and it's real easy to hear why. Rarely a weak moment, these guys are master songwriters, every song on here is memorable in at least some way. Ed Kowalczyk's powerful and unique voice is definitely a defining feature, and his lyrics are a nice blend of vague spiritual themes and stream-of-consciousness (Think the lyricism of bands like Underworld).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The singles (Selling the Drama, I Alone, Lightning Crashes, All Over You) are all fantastic and well-deserving of their popularity, but deeper cuts from the second half like Shit Towne, T.B.D., Stage, and White, Discussion are among my favorites as well. Shit Towne should be an alt-rock classic, with a great hook that'll stick with you for days. Patrick Dahlheimer plays some great bass in the mellow T.B.D. before it crescendos and the semi-funky White, Discussion. Stage is maybe the song that sticks out the most, fast and heavy, it kind of reminds me of an alt-rock version of W.A.S.P.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Throwing Copper is a classic album in every way. If Document is the peak of 80's alt rock, this is the peak of 90's alt rock.</span></div>
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<a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Unitron/rating82034789"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Unitron/rating82034789</span></a>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-13545292997349010802019-10-23T01:46:00.002-04:002019-10-23T01:48:53.066-04:00Korn - Issues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGblKlsSMlItVt0ZdrlznvDICQbCiZBGDQs6c9M078m7KMMJKYE9Xx7DuJpN2BRYRIl-qgJsVLtWSLxDTStmw-Rof9EedHihAy1Xm2kD4OfNk40r7YcZV18ohqbd2jbxFoMZ_W16JB-xMS/s1600/korn-issues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGblKlsSMlItVt0ZdrlznvDICQbCiZBGDQs6c9M078m7KMMJKYE9Xx7DuJpN2BRYRIl-qgJsVLtWSLxDTStmw-Rof9EedHihAy1Xm2kD4OfNk40r7YcZV18ohqbd2jbxFoMZ_W16JB-xMS/s320/korn-issues.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Korn</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Issues</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>(1999)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"All I want in life is to be happy"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While twenty years later, The Nothing presents itself as perhaps my second favorite Korn album, there's no beating Issues. It's one of those artist-defining albums, emotionally powerful and including everything that I connect with the band.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's an album drenched in misery and sorrow, both lyrically and atmospherically. The bagpipe intro of Dead perfectly sets the mood, with the unsettling chanting of 'All I want is to be happy' combined with the defeatist lyrics of the rest of the intro. As with most Korn albums, Jonathan Davis' vocal performance really drives the emotions exuded. Somebody Someone and Dirty are a couple of the main highlights on this end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Along with Godflesh's Songs of Love and Hate, Issues is one of the darkest metal albums I've heard. The two albums are actually pretty similar in some ways. Both are enveloped in this depressive and hopeless atmosphere, yet contrast it with fantastic grooves and hooks that keep it immensely enjoyable in any mood. Falling Away From Me, Beg for Me, Wake Up, and Counting all display this perfectly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Korn has many fantastic and excellent albums, but Issues stands out as perhaps my favorite. It's one of those albums that just hits the perfect balance of cathartic and catchy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Unitron/rating69481545">https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Unitron/rating69481545</a></span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-79716941028722291932019-10-19T21:24:00.000-04:002019-11-30T01:46:28.627-05:00Tintin in America (1932)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91gTAKBOf9L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="610" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91gTAKBOf9L.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Tintin in America</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Herge</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(1979 edition, Originally published 1932)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the longest time I always thought Tintin in America was one of the weakest of the series, which makes sense considering it was only the third one out of 23 (24 if counting the unfinished Tintin and Alph-Art). Now after reading it for the first time in many years, I think it's a fantastic comic. However, as a Tintin comic, it is one of the weakest. When I first think of the Tintin series, I think of the classic characters with strong contrasting personalities, Hitchcock-esque suspense, and sinister villains who seem deeply-rooted in their world with many contacts. The trio of Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus is an iconic combo of characters that defines the series and their distinct personalities play off of one another really well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As Tintin and his dog Snowy are basically the only main characters at this point, Tintin in America lacks all of that. However, taking it on its own merits, it's incredibly enjoyable. It's so fast paced, that there's no room for suspense and character development, but there's no need for any with how the story is structured. The plot is hilariously absurd, the idea of a single freelance journalist being able to take down the entire gangster circuit in 1930's Chicago is both far-fetched and flat-out funny. It all fits though, because with the snappy pace, the absurdity works wonders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A perfect example of the pacing is right at the beginning, Tintin just arrives in Chicago and is immediately led into a gangster trap. It never lets up, each page will usually have some gangster's attempt to snuff him out. It's hard to tell if the gangsters are really incompetent, if Tintin is just really lucky, or if he's just ridiculously sneaky. Whatever the case, it just adds to the comedic qualities. It's a rare case of a book begging for a film adaption, as this would work perfectly as an over-the-top "cops and robbers" kind of film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The worst part is the misleading cover artwork. It implies that it's mainly him with Native Americans, but that only takes up a small part of the comic, when one of the gang leaders (Bobby Smiles, what a name) escapes into the west and tricks the Americans into thinking that Tintin is one of their enemies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If someone's never read a Tintin comic and is looking for a place to start, this is not a good starting point. I would say The Crab with the Golden Claws is a good introduction, introducing Captain Haddock. That or The Calculus Affair, which is where all the characters, suspenseful plots, and the world were really perfectly defined. It was the first I read and perhaps my favorite. However, as just an entertaining stand-alone comic, Tintin in America is an exciting and often hilarious time.</span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-81424742653534730302019-10-19T18:29:00.002-04:002019-11-17T01:04:47.821-05:00The Crystal Method - Vegas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-aWgqKN3Nkqm1u8de_nKhVUXmVZ9tHeLMNILCoLCn6TLh_rb_cFnkRmTtozk9h7WvaqIdgfOschXbf0oqx9OQ1hP0VhMiML-MYMi4TeZddMIUERGxB7QmVEk3Ckl-LASNLssSSSkVdn_/s1600/vegas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-aWgqKN3Nkqm1u8de_nKhVUXmVZ9tHeLMNILCoLCn6TLh_rb_cFnkRmTtozk9h7WvaqIdgfOschXbf0oqx9OQ1hP0VhMiML-MYMi4TeZddMIUERGxB7QmVEk3Ckl-LASNLssSSSkVdn_/s320/vegas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Crystal Method</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Vegas</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>(1997)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Why can't you trip like I do?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When it comes to creating an atmosphere, The Crystal Method is one of the best. Few albums bring you inside a futuristic nightclub as much as Vegas, a world with speeding cars on barren highways, the only streetlights being flashing neon signs, electronic bleeps and beats surround the universe, and everything about it just exudes the vibe of bustling city nightlife.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The album has a great flow, and is made for complete listening. However, songs like Cherry Twist, High Roller, Jaded, and Vapor Trail are especially fantastic and show off best what this album is all about. It's nocturnal without ever sounding dark or menacing in any way. It embraces the sound of midnight drives and should be the soundtrack for either a film or a racing game that centers itself around the same subject.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's hard to describe the music itself when it comes to The Crystal Method, because they give you more of an experience in the world they create more than anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Originally posted here: </span><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=116148390">https://rateyourmusic.com/review?id=116148390</a></span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1252092935515119992.post-40622678601996411232019-10-19T18:24:00.003-04:002023-09-20T03:14:05.488-04:00Welcome to the Wicked Nest<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm a lover of art and entertainment, which can come in the form of painting, sculpture, books, comics, music, film, television, and video games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Wicked Nest (Named after the album by thrash metal band Helstar) is simply a blog for writing my thoughts on the aforementioned subjects whenever the mood hits. It started as solely a place for music reviews, but my style of writing has changed so I've removed my old reviews. Since half-abandoning this blog, I've posted my since written music reviews over on <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/~Unitron">RateYourMusic</a>, and will post a few choice reviews from there to restart things off here, but you can just read them over there if interested.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you happen to stumble across this blog, I hope you enjoy the random meanderings.</span>Unitronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982057256601405351noreply@blogger.com0