Heres a thread to reccomend albums. Any style of msuic ou want, but no insulting any msuic reccomended just criticism of why you do not like it, no just "OMG dat is teh s**tzor", et al.

For best organisation you should include:

- Band name and album title.
- Picture of cover art.
- Genre(s).
- Musicians on album.
- Tracks.
- Why you enjoyed it and why you would reccomend it to other people.
- Stand-out track for you.

Cynic - Focus



Label: Roadrunner Records

Genres: Progressive Metal, Death Metal, Jazz, Fusion.

Musicians:
- Paul Masvidal (Vocals, Guitars, Guitar Synth)
- Jason Gobel (Guitars, Guitar Synth)
- Shawn Malone (Bass, Chapman Stick)
- Sean Reinert (Acoustic/Electronic Drums, Keyboards)
- Tony Teegarden (Additional Vocals)

Tracks:
- Veil of Maya
- Celestial Voyage
- The Eagle Nature
- Sentiment
- Im But A Wave To...
- Uroboric Forms
- Textures
- How Could I?

Why?: When I first listened to this I was stunned. For me this is one of the ultimate metal albums of all time. All the musicians are at the top of their game and the music is highly technical, but without losing the musicality, which is hard to find. And on top of that it was (and still is) highly original and there is nothing else like it. The vocals are a mix of clean, death grunts and sythesised/robotic and the lyrical content is of a spiritual and meaningful nature rather than the drap boring death metal lyrics. The album flows well but may take a few listens from the newbie even though i loved it first time.

Stand-out Track: I can't really say they are all equally good.

Listened to a few tracks on there myspace... pretty good.. a good balence of the the different aspects. I'll probably Torrent the album

- Lily Allen - Alright, Still

-

- Pop, Ska

- Lily Rose Beatrice Allen

-    1. "Smile" (Allen, Iyiola Babalola, Darren Lewis, Jackie Mittoo) – 3:17
   2. "Knock 'Em Out" (Allen, Babalola, Earl King, Lewis) – 2:54
   3. "LDN" (Allen, Babalola, Lewis, Tommy McCook) – 3:10
   4. "Everything's Just Wonderful" (Allen, Greg Kurstin) – 3:28
   5. "Not Big" (Allen, Kurstin) – 3:16
   6. "Friday Night" (Allen, Johnny Bull, Pablo Cook) – 3:06
   7. "Shame for You" (Allen, Blair MacKichan) – 4:05
   8. "Littlest Things" (Allen, Pierre Bachelet, Mark Ronson, Hervé Roy) – 3:02
   9. "Take What You Take" (Allen, Babalola, Lewis) – 4:06
  10. "Friend of Mine" (Allen, Babalola, O'Kelly Isley, Ernest Isley, Rudoph Isley, Ronald Isley, Marvin Isley, Chris Jasper, Lewis) – 3:57
  11. "Alfie" (Allen, Kurstin) – 2:46

- Nice album, decent moosic.

- Everything's Just Wonderful

Burzum - Filosofem



Label: Misanthropy Records/ Amazon Records

Genres: Black Metal, Ambient, Dark Ambient.

Musicians:
- Varg Vikernes (All instruments)

Tracks:
- Dunkelheit
- Jesus' Tod
- Erblicket die Tochter des Firmaments
- Gebrechlichkeit I
- Rundgang um die transzendentale Saule der Singularitat
- Gebrechlichkiet II

Why?: This is not an easy listening album to say the least . You really have to listen to it from start to finish in a darkened room imo, but that's just me. The ambience and atmosphere created is amazing and the music is a lot more complicated than first meets the ear on repeated listens. Not for everyone, very simple and uses a lot of layered repitition to create atmosphere but I like it. Varg, despite being the murdering, church burning person he is with rediculous political views he can create good music.

Stand-out Track: Dunkelhiet or Gebrechlichkiet I for me.

Live orgasms in concert - Purely Natural



Purely Natural CD, a mix of natural sounds intertwined with REAL orgasms.

I enjoyed it.

N.W.A - Striaght Outta Compton



Label: Priority

Genres: West Coast Hip Hop/Rap

Musicians: Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Yella, The D.O.C., The Arabian Prince

Tracks: 1 - Straight Outta Compton   
2 - f**k Tha Police   
3 - Gangsta Gangsta   
4 - If It Ain't Ruff   
5 - Parental Discretion Iz Advised   
6 - 8 Ball (Remix)   
7 - Something Like That   
8 - Express Yourself   
9 - Compton's N The House (Remix)   
10 - I Ain't Tha 1   
11 - Dopeman (Remix)   
12 - Quiet On Tha Set   
13 - Something 2 Dance 2

Why?: Classic. Basically, great lyrics and original for its time. Very political and not all just about 'guns, bitches and money'.

Stand-out Tracks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df2vkOd2j7Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPb4s0-QcI

i'll reccommend some modern albums from the 21st century that i like. My first review will be this which came out in 2002.

Alive or Just Breathing-Kilswitch Engage

Label:Roadrunner

Genres:Metalcore

Musicians:
Mike D'Antonio - Bass, Art Direction
Adam Dutkiewicz - Drums, Backing Vocals, Piano, Producer, Engineer, Additional guitars
Joel Stroetzel - Guitar
Jesse Leach - Vocals
Tom Gomes - Drums (in band at one time but did not record)

Tracks:
1."Numbered Days" – 3:35
2."Self Revolution" – 3:08
3."Fixation on the Darkness" – 3:37
4."My Last Serenade" – 4:13
5."Life to Lifeless" – 3:17
6."Just Barely Breathing" – 5:41
7."To the Sons of Man" – 1:57
8."Temple From the Within" – 4:04
9."The Element of One" – 4:08
10."Vide Infra"– 3:27
11."Without a Name" (Instrumental) – 1:44
12."Rise Inside" – 5:54

Bonus Disc on 2005 rerelease
1."In the Unblind" – 2:48
2."When the Balance Is Broken" – 4:35
3."Untitled and Unloved" (Instrumental) – 3:20
4."Numbered Days" (Demo) – 3:37
5."Transfiguration a.k.a. Fixation on the Darkness" (Demo) – 3:38
6."Just Barely Breathing" (Demo) – 5:13
7."Fixation on the Darkness" (with Howard Jones) – 3:37
8."AOJB Studio Out Takes" – 1:17

Why?: Lets get this straight, i f**king hate metalcore. However the exception to this is Killswitch Engage. Considered the leaders of the original 4 bands of the genre which includes Lamb of God, Shadows Fall and Chimaira who are all in my opinion a bit s**t. This is their second album and breaks away from their more generic metalcore, deathcore first album. This is also the last album with original vocalist (the white one not the black). I got this album after listening to their later stuff which i enjoyed and approached it with trepidation like most metal bands from the 21st century.

 The album instantly starts of heavy (which is never a bad thing). Track by track every song is a colossal slab of molten metal. Heavy but still catchy, technichal but not pretentious. The vocals are a mix of both shouty/heavy (pantera esque) and melodic (without going emo like most metalcore s**t). A lot of people seem to have an idea of this band being emo, mainly because of the fact that the singer can sing aswell as growl.

 A lot of the lyric subject centres around the idea of religion (the singer is a christian) but dont let that put you off. I am anti religious and i can see that the singer is not chucking his beliefs into your head like some other christian bands, he is mainly just using it as a subject matter to realte to the world around us. An example would be the track "Numbered Days" which is about the prophecy of the fall of Babylon, this could however be interpreted in a variety of differant ways (global warming etc) and is not just a religious brainwashing song. Much of the song lyrics also make referance to love of some sort which many infer as being emo. That is simply plain stupid, the Bee Gees,Beatles and the Eagles are not an emo band and they sing about love.

 The vocal style is really good, i hate shouty, death singing (with an exception of a few vocalists) and i can easilly tolerate and enjoy this, he also sings aswell which is good because a lot of the shouty vocalists in metal only do it cos they can't sing in the first place. In my opinion he and the replacemwent singer for the band are the only good metalcore singers unlike that piece of s**t in lamb of God who can only bark.

The guitars are superb, a real Pantera and Maiden vibe without ripping them off. There are also enough pinch harmonics to put Zakk Wylde to shame. there are no solos which is a bit of a shame but then again i am not that bothered about hearing guitar solos anyway. I'm not sure why they never included any because they are capable of doing it- Holy Diver cover and when i saw them live they did.

The drums are pretty good, not overdoing it like some metal bands around at the moment, although on their first album they were slightly better but more underproduced because lack of a record label and money. The bass is also solid but like most bands its not at the forefront of the music. Bass solos and stuff are gay anyway.

The production is superb. Adam Dutkiewicz is one of the most talented producers at the moment along with Steve Wilson of Porcupine tree. The fact that he plays drums, guitar, sings and produces is even more amazing. He is currently one of the most sought after producers for the newer metalcore bands (even good production can't make them sound good). Andy Sneap is mixing and his back catologue speaks for itself (testament,megadeth,opeth etc). he is English too which is never a bad thing lol.

Although i can understand that this is not everyones cup of tea, much like any extreme music genre such as death metal and black metal i would reccomend it to anyone who is not to set in their ways about the state of modern rock and metal (which to be fair is almost completely s**t) and to anyone who is interested in catchy and heavy riffs with a blend of both heavy and melodic vocals and is not ignorant enough to think that a modern metal band that sings are emo or screamo.

Stand-out Tracks: My Last Seranade, Numbered Days, Self Revolution, Fixtation on the Darkness, Life to Lifeless

Reece

My next 21st Century album is this which came out in 2004.

One Day Remains-Alter Bridge


Label:Wind-up Records

Genres:Alternative Metal, Hard Rock, Post-Grunge

Musicians:
Myles Kennedy - vocals, guitar
Mark Tremonti - guitar, vocals
Brian Marshall - bass guitar
Scott Phillips - drums, percussion, keyboards

Tracks:
1."Find the Real" – 4:43
2."One Day Remains" – 4:05
3."Open Your Eyes" - 4:58
4."Burn It Down" – 6:11
5."Metalingus" – 4:19
6."Broken Wings"– 5:06
7."In Loving Memory" – 5:40
8."Down to My Last" – 4:46
9."Watch Your Words" – 5:25
10."Shed My Skin" – 5:08
11."The End Is Here" – 4:57

Why?:Formed after the demise of Creed (who were s**t), Alter Bridge are one of many new supergroups around at the moment (Down,Velvet Revolver etc) formed from already established acts. Alter Bridge break away from Creed by removing the pearl Jam wannabe sound and going altogether in a harder and heavier direction. I approached this album later on after its release because of the Creed tag that was put with it. Now down to what i think and why i recommend.

The album kicks in immediately with what i feel is one of the weaker tracks on the album so dont let that put you off. from there on we get an album with a relentless amount of hard flowing riffs and solid leads. Another thing that is great is the fact that it is a modern album and the vocalist sings, not screams, growls, shouts and barks down the mic (i like heavy singing but its getting to be a bit stupid now). The singing on here is billiant, Myles possesses a 4-Octave vocal range which is never a bad thing. His voice is dynamic and powerful and delivers really well.

The music here is also great. Its hard to pin point exactly what style it is but it has elements of both hard rock, alternative metal and even some anthemic rock. Mark Tremonti is a well established and respected guitarist. I'm not sure why the vocalist did not do that much guitar on here considering the fact that he was a memeber of some jazz-fusiuon group and on their latest album he does a hell of a lot more. There are leads here and there although not on every song which is fine with me. The drums and bass are solid as they should be and support the guitar nicely. The production is good, like most modern rock bands now and is clear and dynamic.

I am no way saying that this is some iconic album of the 21st century, and there are a few faults with the album (a few duff tracks). Its not a desert island album for me either but it is a great example of real hard rock moving into the 21st century and is worth a listen by anyone that enjoys hard rock with a modern slant on it and wants to hear some real vocal talent and not some ponce screaming at you like most Kerrang bands.

Stand-out Tracks: One day Remains, Metalingus, Open Your Eyes, Broken Wings, Down to my Last.


Reece


 

65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math



Genres: Post Rock, Instrumental, Electronic, Experimental, Math Rock

Musicians:
Joe-Fro
Paul Wolinski
Rob Jones
Simon Wright

Tracks:
1. "Another Code Against the Gone" – 1:40
2. "Install a Beak in the Heart That Clucks Time in Arabic" – 4:55
3. "Retreat! Retreat!" – 4:09
5. "Default This" – 1:43
5. "I Swallowed Hard, Like I Understood" – 5:27
6. "The Fall of Math" – 3:59
7. "This Cat is a Landmine" – 4:45
8. "The Last Home Recording" – 2:13
9. "Hole" – 4:33
10. "Fix the Sky a Little" – 5:29
11. "Aren't We All Running?" – 4:51

Why: It's amazing, It's incredibly unique in all aspects and nothing like any other post rock I have heard, and that is a lot... I highly reccomend it as it basically contains everything a good albums needs. Some chilled out songs, some up tempo songs and some crazy awesome songs that make you go WOAH THAT WAZ SICK.

Stand out tracks: Retreat! Retreat!, The Fall of Math