The Flower Kings - The Sum of No Evil

For me this is by far the best symphonic prog album of the year, period. After Paradox Hotel I lost my trust in The Flower Kings (that doesn´t mean that PH is a bad album, but I think it was a little bit unisnpired and repetitive), but this happens to be again a great great album, full of big moments. I do like all the tracks but specially the opener One More Time and the last track Life in Motion, but I cannot forget the longest track, the epic The Sum Of No Reason with all its changes of ood and rithim and its wonderful final guitar solo. A lot of moments remind me of the YES and GENESIS of the seventies but TFK have their own way of looking back to that glorious decade for prog. I strongly recommend everyone to take a listen to it. 4.5 stars which I round up to 5 stars.

Here is a kickin Christmas Album. Read this review which explains it very well:

To commemorate Twisted Sister's 30th anniversary, they have released a collection of classic Christmas songs done in typical Twisted Sister style!

As soon as I saw this cd in my local cd store I just knew I would have to have it and let me tell you it does not disappoint at all. If you've heard Twisted Sister, than you know what to expect. Now combine that with Christmas music. Sounds like a hell of a good time awaits!

The holidays are all about fun and celebration; and with guitars blazing, it's great to hear a band that knows that better than anyone.

Twisted Sister melds classic Christmas tunes with their favorite heavy metal songs to create a disc like no other. For instance, singer Dee Snider realized that the chorus to the band's biggest hit "We're Not Gonna Take It" is almost note-for-note the same as the melody to "O Come All Ye Faithful." So the band played the backing music for the Twisted song, while Snider sung

Darkthrone - Transylvanian Hunger

Transilvanian Hunger to represent Black Metal
This is a briliant Black Metal album. I would chose Transilvanian Hunger to represent the genre, however I think Skald Av Satans Sol is the best song by Darkthrone.
Submitted by Max (Paekakariki, New Zealand)

Glorious
Top Black Metal band, top Black Metal album, 2nd favorite in the genre only to De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. However number 1 when it comes to Black Metal bands.
Submitted by Thamuz (Canada)

a true black metal fan will enjoy this
this album sounds like burzum this is probably there most well worked album and my favorite ...actuall its tied with there first 2 realeases the 2nd track rocks and so doeas transylvanian hunger darkthrones first 3 releases are some of the best metal albuims evr they are the best black metal act sept maybe burzum might be btr but hey buy there first three albums!!!.. and let the freezing (or funeral) moon control you
Submitted by dead is the best bdm singer evR! (seattle,WA,usa)

Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes

Recorded at a gig played with the iconic Paradise Lost in London’s very own Camden Roundhouse on November 9th 2006, two-disc set “The Roundhouse Tapes” proves, if proof were needed, that the Swedish black metal legends can be just as captivating live as they ever could in the studio. Opeth are one of those bands besides which other well-established bands look like immature, amateurish teenagers playing their very first gig. They were formed in 1990 and over the intervening years have established a reputation as a formidable talent on the scene, unafraid to experiment with new musical forms and concept albums in a bid to explore their boundaries ever further. Now in full bloom, the Opeth sound is melodic, complex and sophisticated, combining elements of disparate genres from the progressive to the death in such a way that they have managed to elude ultimate categorisation for a long time. And really, it’s amazing how well this translates to the live arena. Older tracks like “Face of Melinda” from the 1999 album “Still Life” a song so beloved of Mikael Akerfeldt that he named his daughter in honour of it - and the title track from 2001’s “Blackwater Park” have a mellow, seasoned sound to them. Opeth are, too, very much at ease in front of the live audience, and the often self-deprecating banter makes interesting inter-song listening. Recorded on the tour for 2005’s “Ghost Reveries”, this is an unforgettable snapshot of one of the scene’s most fascinating mavericks at the peak of their skills.

Gotthard - Lipservice

4 Metal Recommends
These guys are a superb rock band. This album is filled with great songs from start to finish with absolutely no filler at all. The production is very big and the guitars sound cool. Great riffing from the guitarist. The highlight of the album is the amazing vocal lines and the brilliant delivery of them. The singer has nailed the power and the passion of the vocals and created some outstanding hooks. It really is a great album to listen to all the way through and really gets you rocking and fist pumping! Great driving music and highly recommended to fans of melodic rock like TNT (My religion) and Glenn Hughes

Vixen - Vixen

Formulated from the very glamorous elements that made hair metal in the '80s so decadently enjoyable, Vixen was the female equivalent of Warrant: rocking just hard enough so it was OK for macho hair metal dudes to enjoy and just soft enough so that they would be the darlings of the Dial MTV circuit. The formula paid off in spades, and the Richard Marx-penned lead single "Edge of a Broken Heart" blazed up the charts and usurped the throne from many of the macho hair metal dudes in all of their hair spray and make-up ridden glory.

Bloodsimple - Red Harvest

Red Harvest is the newest album by New York metalcore band bloodsimple. It was released on October 30, 2007. Will Hunt of the band Dark New Day played drums on this album. Frontman Tim Williams explained that the title of the album is based on the 1929 book of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. Some tracks are available to listen to on the band's myspace.

Queensryche - Take Cover

Take Cover is a Queensrÿche cover album, released on November 13, 2007. Its release was announced by the band on August 28. "We'll never top the originals; they're classics for a reason," singer Geoff Tate says. "We were more focused on finding different approaches that took the songs in unexpected directions."
He explains that the album gave the band a chance to have some fun. "During sound checks, guitarists Mike Stone and Michael Wilton like to play 'name that riff,' and sometimes the whole band joins in. That's really the way this album came together. We got together and started playing songs to each other, and then we picked our favorites."
Queensryche has only released a few covers, one of them being a powerful interpretation of "Scarborough Fair" in the early 1990s. Some of the 11 selections naturally fit the band's progressive rock influences, particularly Pink Floyd and "Innuendo" by Queen, one of Tate's favorite bands. Others will definitely raise eyebrows. The group is giving Broadway a spin by performing "Heaven on Their Minds" from "Jesus Christ Superstar," as well as the O'Jays' R&B classic "For the Love of Money," the operatic "Odissea" by Italian duo Carlo Marrale and Cheope and an acoustic version of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth."
Tate says he enjoyed the demanding arrangement of "Odissea." "I really like this song because there is a lot for a singer to sink his teeth into," he reports. "Plus I got a chance to sing in Italian, which was interesting, considering I don't speak a word of it."
He considered singing "Red Rain" and The Police's "Synchronicity II" opportunities to explore music he'd previously overlooked. "I'd heard these songs on the radio before, but I didn't really appreciate them before the guys suggested we record them," he admits. "It was a rewarding experience doing this album because it gave us all a chance to pay tribute to some of the bands that have meant so much to us over the years, and we all discovered new songs to love."

Tarja Turunen - My Winter Storm

Hot on the heels of Nightwish's new album (charted at 25) comes former frontwoman Tarja Turunens debut album under her "Tarja" personna.Press coverage in Kerrang, Rocksound, Powerplay, Classic Rock with a dealer namecheck ad and with CD and poster giveaway for the Spinestores. Will be performing in London in December at the Electric Ballroom with more dates next year. Video is playlisted on Scuzz, MVN and Kerrang TV

Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood

Motley Crue's biggest seller, Dr. Feelgood is the best example of Beyond Music's CRUCIAL CRUE series reissue of the band's catalog. A meaty and in-your-face digitally remastered sound, with added extras of four demos and a hitherto-unreleased track, improve this title greatly. Superlative liner notes are also included.

Riding a string of platinum releases, Motley Crue here employed producer Bob Rock to help achieve the blockbuster sound that accompanied their glam metal image; the title track kicks in with a ferocity not heard since SHOUT AT THE DEVIL. Drummer Tommy Lee's shuffle propels "Kickstart My Heart," while singer Vince Neil wails to good effect on the radio-friendly "Without You." Crowd favorite "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)" sensitively explores lesbianism, while the politically incorrect "She Goes Down" features guest vocals by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander. Although album closer "Time for Change" proposes a better future through social action, don't look for a deep message on Dr. Feelgood. This is perfect pop metal.

Darkthrone - Transylvanian Hunger

Transilvanian Hunger to represent Black Metal
This is a briliant Black Metal album. I would chose Transilvanian Hunger to represent the genre, however I think Skald Av Satans Sol is the best song by Darkthrone.
Submitted by Max (Paekakariki, New Zealand) Glorious
Top Black Metal band, top Black Metal album, 2nd favorite in the genre only to De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. However number 1 when it comes to Black Metal bands.
Submitted by Thamuz (Canada)
a true black metal fan will enjoy this
this album sounds like burzum this is probably there most well worked album and my favorite ...actuall its tied with there first 2 realeases the 2nd track rocks and so doeas transylvanian hunger darkthrones first 3 releases are some of the best metal albuims evr they are the best black metal act sept maybe burzum might be btr but hey buy there first three albums!!!.. and let the freezing (or funeral) moon control you
Submitted by dead is the best bdm singer evR! (seattle,WA,usa)

Weezer - The Blue Album

All songs written or co-written by members of Weezer.

There's a demented pop fanaticism to Weezer you gotta love. Weezer's debut, produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, combines Pixies roller-coaster guitar rides with a helping of Beatle-esque moptop harmonies. Ocasek's production and Weezer's strong material will bring a glimmer of recognition to the eyes of anyone who remembers the Cars' melodic pop hooks.

Weezer's songs are groovy garage sales you wish happened every weekend. Songs like "The World Turned And Left Me Here" and "Surf Wax America" betray the heart of a kid who would rather skateboard to work every day than face up to the responsibility of buying a car.

Rivers Cuomo's wit and songwriting chops are evident in "In The Garage," where he sums up his generation's fascination with kitsch pop culture. Cuomo readily makes fun of Kiss posters and his own "stupid words" and "stupid songs," but later, in "Say It Ain't So," his self-mocking seems more like self-protection. After a decade of divorced parents, Cuomo comes to terms with a childhood he didn't want to give up. "Dear Daddy I write you in spite of years of silence," he admits, begging him to "Say It Ain't So."

WEEZER breathes life into the bloated corpse of guitar rock. If they'd only stay little till their pop records wore out, maybe more bands would be as enjoyable as Weezer.

Led Zeppelin - Mothership

Led Zeppelin redefined rock in the Seventies and for all time. They were as influential in that decade as the Beatles were in the prior one. Their impact extends to classic and alternative rockers alike. Then and now, Led Zeppelin looms larger than life on the rock landscape as a band for the ages with an almost mystical power to evoke primal passions.

- from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's web page on the band's 1995 induction: It's rare that a group can truly rock today s world, but the arrival of Mothership, the first-ever comprehensive 2CD Led Zeppelin compilation with the soon to follow re-release
of The Song Remains The Same on CD & DVD and a concert event reuniting Jimmy Page,
Robert Plant and John Paul Jones qualifies. Produced by Page and mixed by Kevin Shirley,
Mothership's 24 monolithic tracks were selected and sequenced by the band, who also
oversaw the painstaking remastering. Spanning their epic career, the unprecedented
collection pulls immortal songs from all eight of the band s classic studio albums,
one of the 20th century s most enduring bodies of musical work. Arguably the most influential
and innovative rock band ever, Led Zeppelin has sold over 200 million records worldwide.
They continue to inspire successive generations with their passionate, groundbreaking,
genre-transcendent, mystic, heavy and blues-infused rock n roll. Forty years since they formed,
the song indeed remains the same.

Fuel - Angels & Devils

Nearly four years after 2003's Natural Selection, Fuel finally returned with its follow-up, Angels & Devils. In the interim, the Pennsylvania-based rock band endured the departure of vocalist Brett Scallions and drummer Kevin Miller, along with a failed attempt to recruit popular American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry. This '07 outing finds Fuel revitalized, thanks largely to the presence of new singer Toryn Green, who tones down the neo-grunge drama in favor of a slightly subtler approach (see the mid-tempo anthem "Wasted Time"). While not a radical departure for the neo-grunge act, ANGELS does mark a significant new chapter for Fuel, and proves that it can soldier on, despite major setbacks.

Amoral - Reptile Ride

Usually the press materials accompanying a review copy of a CD are filled with hype and wishful comparisons to successful bands. But in the case of the Finnish band Amoral, the description of their music is actually pretty accurate. They call it "progressive, technical and melodic death thrashing metal."
Reptile Ride is heavy and dense, packed with riffs and very catchy melodies. Amoral takes that melodic death style and infuses a lot of progressive elements, including long instrumental breaks and tempo shifts. Guitarists Ben Varon and Silver Ots do a nice job creating powerful riffs and interesting solos. Their abilities are especially showcased on the instrumental "Apolcalyptic Sci-Fi Fun."
Delving into the progressive always brings the risk of self-indulgence and wankery, but Amoral avoid that pitfall and their forays into that area are interesting and for the most part, enjoyable.

Rob Zombie - Zombie Live

The long-awaited first live album from Rob Zombie has arrived. A brain-bashing, soul-shaking sonic earthquake, Zombie Live (Geffen Records/UMe), released October 23, 2007, in both clean and explicit versions, spans songs from the hard rocker's entire career. Rob Zombie has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and continues to be one of Geffen Record's top selling artists. Recorded in 2006 during the tour supporting the Educated Horses album, which hit #5 on the Pop chart, Zombie Live finds Zombie leading a supercharged band featuring guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D, drummer Tommy Clufetos and was produced by long-time co-writer and producer Scott Humphrey.

Upcoming songs
Carrie Underwood - Ever Ever After Lyrics
Lenny Kravitz - Bring It On Lyrics
Leona Lewis - Homeless Lyrics
Jay-Z - Sweet Lyrics
Bow Wow - Slam Lyrics
Simple Plan - When I'm Gone Lyrics

Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

Coming off a Best New Artist Award at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, the members of Avenged Sevenfold returned to the studio, ambitious to create an exciting follow-up to City of Evil -- perhaps overly so, as their self-titled release focuses entirely too hard on pushing the songs into non-metal territory. Their signature, blistering Yngwie Malmsteen guitar arpeggios and lightning fast double-kick drums are still evident, but the overall heavy metal thunder is diluted by their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach. Left alone in the studio to record the album on their own, AS show their unbridled enthusiasm to be as inventive as possible as they run through a staggering amount of production enhancements: four songs have string arrangements; violinists, pianists, and vocalists make guest appearances here and there; "A Little Piece of Heaven" is a strange Mr. Bungle type number with sax, clarinet, trombone, and trumpet, and "Unbound (The Wild Ride)" throws in the most un-metal addition of all -- a children's choir. Some of these enhancements help take the songs to the next level but most detract, and give the sensation of inappropriately mashed-up styles, like listening to a Dream Theater album on a boom box while a nearby clock radio plays Charlie FM. Vocalist M. Shadows, who required surgery on his vocal cords after Waking the Fallen shows that his training with Ron Anderson (vocal coach for Layne Staley, Axl Rose, and Chris Cornell) has been for the greater good. Rather than screaming or doing the metal growl, he sings in a few gritty voices, showing an obvious Mike Patton influence, and actually sounds pitch-perfect. His skills, and the entire band's technical ferocity, is flawless as ever, but just gets lost in a cluttered vision. Perhaps the worst culprit of their excessive studio trickery is when a Cher-esque "Believe" pitch corrector/vocoder is introduced to the chorus of "Lost," essentially stomping out a fiery '80s speed-metal jam into lukewarm embers of passé electro. While their willingness to experiment is admirable, despite the fact that they've gone overboard with their overdubs, the overabundance of studio polish leaves one to wonder if it's not because the songs just aren't as strong this time around.

Metallica - Live In Athens 2007

After the inevitable waiting about for the guys to arrive we were taken backstage and lined up ready to meet the band we have been following for many years. One by one they emerged. Rob was first, he seemed in good form, very happy to pose for a few snaps and see how we all were. Next up was Kirk, again he seemed his usual calm self making general chit chat and posing for photo's. To be honest, it took up until now for me to relax a little and prepare some questions for James & Lars. Big Jim strolled round next, he was quite shocked as I was English! I think he was expecting a 100% Greek M&G! We debated about the possibility of playing Breadfan or even changing the opening song, I got a generic "We'll put it in the suggestion box" reply but he genuinely came across as a nice bloke. Was I star struck... just a tad. After about 5 hours (slightly exaggerated) or so, Lars made it out, he too was shocked to be speaking to an Englishman in Athens! We spoke for some time about the set and the possibility of No Leaf Clover making a return. He was well up for it!!! Shame it didn't get an airing til Sunday at Wembley, maybe I planted the Clover seed!?! Lars was amazing though. He genuinely seemed to enjoy speaking to the fans and didn't seem just to go through the motions of "sign, picture & move on". Considering it was well under an hour before show time, he seemed happy to take his time and make sure all the M&G winners got to have a chat.

The Cult - Ceremony

year 1991 review:After the impressive, if inconsistent, Sonic Temple I was eagerly anticipating Ceremony, as The Cult were proving one of the last great hopes for the survival of rock music as it was then known. But, if Sonic Temple contained songs which were more hit than miss, then Ceremony completely reversed that trend. During the process of writing Ceremony The Cult had disintegrated into just Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy with Charley Drayton and Mickey Curry being drafted into the band for the recordings. But, such was the disillusionment of lead singer Astbury and the drug abuse problems which were ripping the band apart, he immediately announced that the next Cult album would diverge in a completely different musical direction.

I'm sure there's some form of message running through the album but it's certainly difficult to understand. It has something to do with fear that environmental damage is bleeding the planet dry and that the only way to redress the balance is to return to the American Indian ceremonials of worshipping the land. This is strange enough but mixed in are songs about sex ("Bangkok Rain"), alcohol abuse ("Heart Of Soul") and allusions, I think, to drugs ("White"). Maybe Astbury sees all these as evidence of damnation. Whatever, Ceremony is good but also too clever for its own good. review source

Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses

Recording information: The Mansion At Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California; Akadamie Mathematique, Los Angeles, California; Sound City, Los Angeles, California. Far removed from their rap-metal roots, these masked men of extreme metal show no signs of relenting with VOL. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). For this brutal chapter of the Slipknot story, the jagged sound of fierce heaviness and moody melodicism is executed deftly, as Slipknot ducks crossover cliches and nu-metal formula. Esteemed studio guru Rick Rubin captures the group's raw intensity with sonic reverence, a feat not easily achieved with bands of this style. VOL. 3 delivers all the elements that Slipknot fans have come to expect and demand. From solid, catchy choruses ("Duality") to fearsome blasts of noise and percussive gymnastics ("Three Nil," "Welcome"), and borderline balladry ("Vermilion Pt. 2"), unsettling emotions and images are vividly depicted for the listener by this notorious Iowan ensemble.