Биопсихоз (Biopsyhoz) - P.L.O.D (2007)

While, i'm strolling outside the metal sphere, i play this Russian band which glide about in an industrial world of his own! =) well it can somewhat sound like The prodigy or be even more on the other side of the metal fence and sound like real electronic music, like The Propellerheads ...overall, i would say they are a bit more on the metal side, but not that much! They sing in Russian and it sounds pretty cool for that kind of music in my opinion, the music pace is generally rather slow and more of the ambient/mesmerizing kind, like some Gothic stuff with ethereal voices and whispered lyrics...well, welcome into a new age, the dark era of state-of-the-art technology! ~~enjoy~~!

Биопсихоз (Biopsyhoz) - P.L.O.D (2007)
Genre: Industrial, Electronic
Tracklist:
01 Я вышел
02 НН
03 Луну под кожу
04 МВЧ
05 Либидо
06 Никто не... (1)
07 Никто не... (2)
08 God message
09 Упругие формы
10 Лепи меня
11 Сказка странствий
12 None
13 IZO

Ano Domini 2658! \m/

Gang Gang Dance - God's Money 2005

This is a band from the US, N.Y.C, that plays some sort of techno music...well if it's not techno at least it's electronic music. They have a very special style that i find very entertaining, they also remind me of some Japanese electronic music makers whose names i have forgotten! ah ah! What i like in particular in their music is the way they carry their listener from very peaceful ambiances to more apocalyptic ones...well apocalyptic is perhaps not the most befitting term as it's never really that aggressive (though it can be quite dark), but at times you just get the impression that there is no structure, nothing upholding what you hear, just as if it was not real! it's weird!lol to me that's the main strength of that album... like it's not really from this world! enjoy =)

Gang Gang Dance - God's Money 2005
Genre: Electronic, Techno, Noise
Tracklist:
1 God's Money I (Percussion)
2 Glory In Itself/Egyptian
3 Egowar
4 Untitled (Piano)
5 God's Money V
6 Before My Voice Fails
7 God's Money VII
8 Nomand For Love (Cannibal)
9 God's Money IX

Enjoy! it's god p(l)aying!

Killwhitneydead - Never Good Enough for You 2004

Most of the time i like it the old-school way, but Kill Whitney Dead is definitely one of those new bands that caught my attention...i hope they caught yours as well! otherwise it's time to catch up with what you've been missing! As often you get into a store and you begin to browse the new stuffs they have and there right in the middle of that shit-load of unproductive followers stand a band with either an eye-catching cover or like it's the case for this band, funny titletracks... they really retained the grindcore spirit for that! the music is also a bit special as they use plenty of sound clips from horror movies or other stuffs, and overall they are really aggressive to woman! but i think it's just for the fun of it, just like those death bands who tend to be sorta clinical in their lyrics! well the album is pretty short but it's a cool one! enjoy!

Killwhitneydead - Never Good Enough for You 2004
Genre: Death, Thrash, Metal
Tracklist:
01 Where There's Smoke
02 I Didn't Know "I Love You" Came With A Knife In The Back
03 Duct Tape & Death Threats
04 Fine & Subtle Art Of Deception, The
05 I Already Have Enough Friends
06 Like You Didn't Hear Me The First Time
07 Love Is Like A Mouth Full Of Broken Glass
08 You Like Knife Play? I Love Knife Play
09 You Will Get Exactly What You Deserve (And Not One Bullet Less)
10 Forgiveness Isn't As Much Fun As Holding A Grudge
11 Broken Hearts Don't Hurt As Much As Broken Bones
12 Bitterness Is A Beautiful Thing
13 She Didn't Look Like She Had A Disease
14 Who Said Alcohol And Handguns Don't Go Great Together?
15 It Ain't Gonna Suck Itself
16 Revenge (My Part Time Lover)
17 Nothing Says "Party" Like Her Head On A Stick

Butchers at work!

Tanita Tikaram - Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (1992)

This is no metal, so lay back and take a good breath! I'm taking you back on the dusty track leading to the old boogie style and early r'n'r! ... in short welcome in the old south where the sun shines and the air smell like cotton..or is it rather some kind of tasty food wafting over to me?!lol Tanita Tikaram has a very pronounced bluesy colour in his music and at times it strongly reminds me of some albums by the Rolling Stones...like Beggar's Banquet for instance! but there are also many other influences, one of them being perhaps taken from Hawaiian music ...well on certain songs it sounds a bit like those overseas melodies to my ears .... overall, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness is a very peaceful and enjoyable album which you're going to like more and more as you fathom its content.... well at least i hope so! ah ah! =D

Tanita Tikaram - Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (1992)
Genre: Rock, Pop
Tracklist:
01 You Make the Whole World Cry
02 Elephant
03 Trouble
04 I Grant You
05 Heal You
06 To Drink the Rainbow
07 Out on the Town
08 Hot Stones
09 Men and Women
10 Any Reason
11 Love Don't Need No Tyranny
12 Way That I Want You

Southern flavoured poppy!

The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts 2002

Don't know if you've ever heard about that band as they apparently don't like too much to stand on the front line or under the spotlight... too bad for us cause we would gain from bringing them to another level of fame as their dreamy pop'n'roll is definitely top notch to my ears! that would change from the various shit broadcasted all day long on the air! ah ah they have something from all the best bands playing that kind of music, like the Beattles, Oasis, Neutral Milk Hotel ...and of course they have that poppy sound that is so very British! It's very strange to listen to how they managed to turn the kindda depressive mood we find in stuff by the Norwegian doom band called Godsend for instance into something which is still dark but so much sweeter.... A very dynamic and highly enjoyable album IMHO, really hope they release another one soon.... =D

The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts 2002
Genre: Rock, Pop
Tracklist
01 Leslie Anne Levine
02 Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect *my fav!*
03 July, July!
04 A Cautionary Song
05 Odalisque
06 Cocoon
07 Grace Cathedral Hill
08 The Legionnaire's Lament
09 Clementine
10 California One Youth and Beauty Brigade

Unoticed Travellers!

Riverside - Voices in My Head (2005)

Riverside comes from ....Poland (again)! they play a very peaceful/emotional progressive rock that is very enjoyable to have a rest or just relax thinking about nothing =)the musicianship is very good though it is not spectacular (or demonstrative i should say) ...and i'm sure you'll appreciate it...Riverside often reminds me the quietest passages/ballads of Vanden Plas, if you happen to know the band...but they have something from Porcupine Tree's or even Floydian's atmosphere as well, with very ambiant and electronic sounds used to wrap the whole thing in... definitely a band worth checkin' out if you want any advice from me!

Riverside - Voices in My Head (2005)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Tracklist:
01 Us
02 Acronym Love
03 Dna ts. Rednum or F. Raf
04 The Time I Was Daydreaming
05 Stuck Between
06 I Believe (bonus live track)
07 Loose Heart (bonus live track)
08 Out Of Myself (bonus live track)

Perfect Blend!

Nuit noire - Infantile espieglery 2006

As it is A bro's departure, i play this special album which is a band from my very homeland! i'm sure you don't know it as it is not very famous! ah ah! and as you will hear this is a very special kind of BM! the sound is really weird, like burzum first demo...sounds like raw punk to me! but this is done on purpose...the vox are also is burzum's early style, that is almost agonizing at times ..otherwise it's clear the rest of the time! this band has definitely a peculiar vision about what BM is but at the same time i really like the way they do it! you can't tell them they ahave copied from others! there are bands labeled art rock, well here it's almost like art black metal!lol whether you like it or not at least you won't have listened to many band like this! so let's get into it! \m/

Nuit noire - Infantile espieglery 2006
Genre: Black Metal
Tracklist:
01 Creatures Of The Night
02 Are You Ready For The Night?
03 Turn On Your Light
04 Alone?
05 Scrapheap!
06 Join Me In The Night
07 Enfant Spectre
08 Les Êtres De Lumière
09 Dans Le Noir
10 Rêve De Nuit
11 Fairies Fuck Humans
12 Never Be Like You
13 Osmose
14 Immature Attitude

Devilish spawns!

Edward Box - Moonfudge

While we're dealing with guitar hero, i have one to play which is walking a fine line between boring demonstration a-la-steve-vai (though Vai has some interesting ideas from time to time! ah ah) and the bluesy style of Walter Giardino...actually he is not far from him if we consider playing only cause the music is instrumental rock from the 80's ... very good one as a matter of fact! ^^
in this album all the note are necessary and none is played for fun or merely as a display of "impressive" speed technique... if i may say so! ah ah! the track are well composed and never let you down yawning at a deluge of notes that would be thrown at your face ... cause there is (almost!lol) none of that! this guy has taken the time to gather good ideas and to put them together consistenly! each song has its character and even if it's not the most original way to proceed that has been used, it works well whatsoever! believe me this one gets better each time you spin it!

Edward Box - Moonfudge
Genre: Instrumental, Guitar Hero
Tracklist:
01 Jack In The Box
02 Welcome To The Grindhouse
03 Axis Of Evil
04 Hourglass
05 Stanton's Stomp
06 Trailblazer
07 Downstream
08 Pasadena
09 Reverse The Polarity
10 Big Screen Love Theme

Listen to my soul!

塞宁- 珍珠饭店 2005

that artist called 塞宁, i am not sure where she's from if it's HK, TW or China... her style is rather eclectic and original as she mixes jazz, pop, and electronic sound, depending on the song...hope you'll like it and i take any info about her if you happen to have some (cause everything i find is in chinese and it's not easy to decipher!!ah ah!) =D

塞宁- 珍珠饭店 2005
Genre: Pop, Jazz, Electro
Tracklist:
01 珍珠饭店
02 马格丽特
03 轻微
04 塞宁
05 蕾丝边

Unscrutable Newcomer!

Criminal - Dead Soul 1997

Criminal comes from Chile and as you'll hear they are very remiscent of Sepultura's (in their Arise/chaos AD period) and i really love the drumming =D ...so i hope you like sepultura style!lol however Criminal are much heavier than usual thrash as they often sound more like death metal ...though the riff still follow the line of thrash metal all along... the lead parts are also catchy, and squealing! overall, let's just say that it's somewhat "classic" but VERY efficient... just like a good old Napalm Death album!! \m/(([[^^]]))\m/

Criminal - Dead Soul 1997
Genre: Trash Metal, Death Metal
Tracklist:
01 Denial
02 Scapegoat
03 Collide
04 Terror
05 Life Is Agony
06 No Salvation
07 Victimized
08 S.S.S.
09 Hijos De La Miseria
10 Slave Master
11 Nation Of Hate
12 Guilt

Old Skool Violence!

Corruption - Virgin's Milk [2005]

Poland keeps amazing me with the number of great band it produces! Corruption plays some furious Heavy Metal, cause that's what it is to me, though you may have some other label for what they do! it's very groovy and heavy, and it may even sound more or less mainstream at times (i mean by that that it as something of FM like bands!ah ah) but if mainstream was like corruption's music then i would definitely go for it...unfortunately...i think i'll keep at bay for the time being!lol well, they certainly do not revolutionize the genre, far from it as you'll hear but if you like the old sabbath stuff (and good production!) or Cathedral then you should go for it, cause it's a pretty interesting band and you can hear the musican all have a good level! hope you enjoy!

Corruption - Virgin's Milk [2005]
Genre: Old schoolHeavy Metal, [Doom, Stoner]
Tracklist:
01 99% of Evil
02 Hey You
03 Murdered Magicians
04 Lucy Fair
05 Freaky Friday
06 Fake Demon
07 Invisible Cry
08 Prophet
09 Disbelief
10 E.C.E.G.

Heavy? Me?

Atrophy - Socialized Hate 1988

From the best period of Thrash metal, we have Atrophy which is/was an awesome band IMHO =) i hope this one has not been played before as there are plenty of thrasher here!lol well, it's fast agressive, with good riffing and speedy leads...not much to add about it! i think they have something from coroner (which i'm a big fan of) in the way they writte their material...i love the end of the titletrack Beer Bong! so raise your glass, off we go! \m/

Atrophy - Socialized Hate 1988
Genre: Thrash Metal
Tracklist:
01 Chemical Dependency
02 Killing Machine
03 Matter Of Attitude
04 Preacher, Preacher
05 Beer Bong
06 Socialized Hate
07 Best Defense
08 Product Of The Past
09 Rest In Pieces
10 Urban Decay

May your di#k atrophy if you do not listen! ah ah!

Ooioo - taiga

well... i can't remember the last time i played something really weird, so i thought i needed to remedy to that as soon as possible! ... i guess i did it! i know no other band like the one of those crazy japanese girls! ah ah! Ooioo will in turn make you smile, perplex you, astound you, maybe terrify you, ...and so on and so forth ....and even make you wonder what you're listening to! ah ah! there is no way you can foresee where they will carry you the next second, but the trip is definitely worth taking.... so take a deep breath and brace yourself for a dive deep into an unfathomed abyss of alien music ..... Gooooo! =D

Ooioo - taiga
Genre: ???? is experimental the word?!lol
Tracklist:
1 UMA
2 KMS
3 UJA
4 GRS
5 ATS
6 SAI
7 UMO
8 IOA

U.F. - O - Logy!

Michael Shrieve - Two Doors - 1995

(sorry for the big cover, but i think it's nice!)

I was rummaging through my stuff and look what i found...an old dusty album for you! ah ah it's been years since the last time i listened to it, i had almost forgotten i had it! but beneath the dust is indeed a pretty shiny one, almost a masterpiece to me! the musician are of course very skilled =) the drummer (Michael Shrieve) is really good (...i know a retired drummer who's gonna be happy!), and i must also mention 2 other names at least cause on guitar we have shawn lane (before he got real famous) and Jonas Hellborg on bass! the other musicians are certainly famous but not to me!lol the music is in the best fusion style and shawn lane really delivers impressive sounds and leads! believe me, this one fusion album deserves to be in your collection (get yourself a copy if you find one) as it sometimes even turn out to sound metal! eh eh! so hope you have fun with it!

Michael Shrieve - Two Doors - 1995
Genre: Jazz, Fusion
Tracklist:
01 Stellar Rays
02 Deep Umbra
03 Sorcerer
04 Baraji
05 Caress of Lillith
06 Smiling Tarshishm
07 Juvalamu
08 Palace of Dreams
09 Locomotion
10 Data Trash
11 Stella
12 Your Saviour
13 Pipeline
14 Crocodile
15 Lincoln Logs
16 First Train
17 Queen Bee
18 Flying Polly
19 Stella (Reprise)

Drummer from hell!

Antimatter - Leaving Eden (2007)

Hail my brethren for the Antigod has come back, and from his dark journey to the recesses of uncharted worlds and territories, he brought back the Antimatter with him!lol! Now we are leaving Eden again to accomplish the dark destiny of true berserkers! Drums are pounding already! harken people! 'cause to this lingering rhythm we will tread until the battle is over! ah ah! Antimatter will shroud your soul into the melancholy of its emotive greatness! like old doom with acoustic passages (i always think about Godsend when i hear that album!) or perhaps progressive rock with tripping leads, this excellent album won't leave you unchanged! enjoy!

Antimatter - Leaving Eden (2007)
Genre: Progressive, Rock, Doom
Tracklist:
1 Redemption
2 Another Face In A Window
3 Ghosts
4 The Freak Show
5 Landlocked
6 Conspire
7 Leaving Eden
8 The Immaculate Misconception
9 Fighting For A Lost Cause


Grasp some dust falling from the stars!

Ignite - Our Darkest Days 2006

Welcome back! this time no techno, no metal, just plain punk'n'roll to keep your eardrums in a good condition! the music is pretty basic (if i may say...no offense intended) but it's very good punk with loads of fu##in' energy! the band comes from South Africa (Orange County) and they play fast and ballsy, yet very melodical, music! there is not a single track i don't like (and incidentally, i think the last one is very cool ...and quite surprising!! ah ah). The band may seem or sound mainstream to an untrained ear but it is not!... and i'm sure you'll get why! enjoy a nice piece!

Ignite - Our Darkest Days 2006
Genre: Punk, Melodic Hardcore
01 Intro (Our Darkest Days)
02 Bleeding
03 Fear Is Our Tradition
04 Let It Burn
05 Poverty For All
06 My Judgement Day
07 Slowdown
08 Save Yourself
09 Are You Listening
10 Three Years
11 Know Your History
12 Strength
13 Sunday Bloody Sunday
14 Live For Better Days

Roaring engine!

Violent Work Of Art - Automated Species 2007

i've always been partial to tekno music and though above all i prefer metal, my tastes have always been under the sway of that influence, so this time i play a band which somehow unite these two worlds that have not much in common but the energy that each of the style contains and thrive on... i'm talking here about jungle and death metal!! (sorry if i'm a bit confusing! ah ah) Violent work of art managed to come up with some cool blending between the two style mentionned above.... well i'm a die hard fan of Mindless Self Indulgence...if like me you like that band, then you can't be disappointed with this one...cause it even heavier!lol hope you enjoy having your ass wooped! \m/

Violent Work Of Art - Automated Species 2007
Genre: Insdustrial, Techno, Death Metal
Tracklist:
01 As The Sky Comes Falling Down
02 A Sad Creation
03 Deranged
04 Stains
05 Silence Is The Enemy
06 Scars
07 Requiem (For Myself)
08 Misery Loves You
09 Lord Of Flies
10 Scarecrow 2006

mentally deranged bots!

Anam Cara - Ready To Live (2006)

Anam cara...well i doubt you already heard that name but in here i always have surprises so better proceed with caution!lol i play this album cause i think it really has great drumming in it and that's a good thing cause their music is very much based on the power that the drum can display... well to me this album is not guitar driven like it's often the case but a drum driven one! it's a bit in the line of DSB from that point of view but the music is rather different, the singer has some sort of screamo style which i'm not a big fan of (as it tends to get on my nerve after a while! ah ah) but he doens't overdo it and alternates between clean vox or more balssy ones so that's ok with me! the guitars play only rhythm (no satriani inside!lol) in a good melodic hardcore style, not much too say here! well hope you enjoy!

Anam Cara - Ready To Live (2006)
Genre: Metalcore, Melodic Hardcore, Punk? (sorry i have no idea but at least that's metal! ah ah)
Tracklist:
01 Intro
02 You're Not Aware
03 Our Air To Breathe
04 Consequence Of Being Irrational
05 Ready To Live
06 Closer
07 It's Not Too Late
08 Don't Look Back
09 Thief In The Night
10 Hear Me Out
11 Just Reassure Me That Everything Is OK

Got the guts?

宋飞 - 清明上河图

As i have some time right now, i take advantage of it to play some more stuff! =) i discovered 宋飞 some time ago (a year or so) and i just kept listening to her music more and more often...indeed when it's over i usually feel like it was to short, as if i only listened to her for a few minutes!lol Her style is very traditional of course but i definitely love it! perhaps in Taiwan she's well known ...no idea, but in China i was surprised to find out that she's not that famous! what a shame!... hope you enjoy it as much as i do, cause this is as powerful as death metal to me! ah ah! i'd like to hear some cover from her by a good death band like Necrophagist as a matter of fact! i'm sure you'll have to scrape me off the wall if that happened!lol have a nice trip back in the olden days!


宋飞 - 清明上河图
Genre: Instrumental, Traditional, Classical
Tracklist:
CD1

01 序曲
02 商队图
03 田园图
04 惊马图
05 汴河图
06 迎客图
07 纤夫图
08 乡情图
09 搏浪图

CD2

01 盛世图
02 思乡图
03 远航图
04 看命图
05 寺庙图
06 赏鱼图
07 城关图
08 抬轿图
09 尾声!

Riders from benighted times!

Copter4016882 - perfect joke

it's been a long time since the last time i played something (not too much time at the moment sorry!), so here is a fav album of mine! beware it's no metal, it's techno! ah ah...well not that BoOm bOoM kind of...a more subtle one...from Japan...perhaps it's more like what some call electro music...whatever, call it what you want! i find it cool and it's all that count! =) i like the sweet voice of the female singer a lot and the, at time, jungle/hiphop rhythm or mostly funky, 70's like rhthym they use...i just hope one thing ...that i didn't play that one before, cause the more i play stuff in here and the more i forget what i played before!lol enjoy!

Copter4016882 - perfect joke
Genre: Electronic
Tracklist:
01 トリオ ザ コックコート
02 ガール ザ ジャップ
03 Little Kitty
04 シービート
05 DROP OF WATER
06 FALL
07 子供のそれ
08 Book Or Gun
09 swaying flag
10 G.C.O.C

Fly me high! =D

Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying (2007)

Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying (2007)

Do you like thrash metal?? ....what?? can't hear a damn thing in here! ah ah! this stuff's too loud! =D Municipal Waste....well that's definitely one of a bad name for a band! some could think they play some trash metal instead of the real thing! lol but just listen to their s##*t and you'll forget all your prejudices if you had any! they are not original at all that's for sure but that is what makes their strength cause they play some ballsy hardcore punk and they suck up their energy directly from the roots of the genre (T-SOL, Black Flag, GBH!....) to cut it short if you like slayer's punk cover album (undisputed attitude) or stuff like the exploited, this one will keep you awake for days and nights.... with a big smile on your ugly mug!ah ah enjoy! ^^

Genre: Thrash Metal! Yummie =)
Tracklist:
01 Pre-Game
02 The Art of Partying
03 Headbanger Face Rip
04 Mental Shock
05 A.D.D.(Attention Deficit Destroyer)
06 The Inebriator
07 Lunch Hall Food Brawl
08 Beer Pressure
09 Chemically Altered
10 Sadistic Magician
11 Open Your Mind
12 Radioactive Force
13 Septic Detonation
14 Rigorous Vengeance
15 Born to Party

Don't spill it, it's toxic! ah ah!

鬼哭転生 - 魔王戴天 (2007)

Being very sad to be back home, i was trying to cheer myself up with some music and thought about that one.... i'm sure many among you already have that one and if not then that will be the occasion to get it! =) i was introduced to 鬼哭転生 by one of 大A兄's play quite a while ago and it stayed a fav band of mine since that time! this is their lastest album and it's a pretty good one IMHO, so i hope you'll like it...it's different from what they did previously to me...but i don't know the album well enough yet to have spotted all the difference...however overall, i think they are more on the metal/thrash side than before and taht they used a bit less that traditional apsect that i was used to find in their music....but i might change my mind!lol so tell me what YOU think =D

鬼哭転生( Onmyouza) - 魔王戴天(Maou Taiten) (2007)
Genre: Heavy Metal
Tracklist:
01 序曲
02 魔王
03 黒衣の天女
04 不倶戴天
05 覇道忍法帖
06 ひょうすべ
07 大頚
08 骸
09 接吻
10 生きることとみつけたり

The Winged Ones Are Back!

I'm not a Gun - We Think As Instruments 2006

this fav album of mine which was made by two guys coming from very different spheres. Indeed, the first one is John Tejada (not so famous to me!lol) and he is mainly known for playing techno music and electronic stuff, the second is Takeshi Nikimoto who is a very good jazz (and classical) guitarist from the U.S. =) the music is pretty much like electronic overall but it's one of the best i heard so far cause it's pretty subtle and not so common... a few weeks ago we were waging a Prog War, and regading that, that one could have easily fit into the category of quiet weapon of mass destruction!lol have fun with it!


I'm not a Gun - We Think As Instruments 2006
Genre: Electronic, Post-Rock, Instrumental
Tracklist:
01 Soft Rain In The Spring
02 Ripples In The Water
03 Move
04 Long Afternoon
05 A Letter From The Past
06 Rush Hour Traffic
07 Unseen Moment
08 Blue Garden
09 As Far As Forever Goes
10 Continuous Sk

Imaginary Travel!

Human Waste Project - E-Lux

HWP is an American band that plays some sort of "raw" punk/rock. Their vocalist is pretty famous, she looks like the girl in no doubt to me! ah ah... Her sick/angry vocals are quite peculiar and recognizable...they always come up with depressive, kindda horror like ambiances and loads of energy! to me they have something of the very first korn album (especially when they use flanged guitar sounds) but they definitely have a groove of their own...have fun! \m/

Human Waste Project - E-Lux
Genre: Rock
Tracklist:
01 Graverobbers From Mars
02 Disease
03 Drugstore
04 Exit Wound
05 Shine
06 Hold Me Down
07 Electra
08 Drowned
09 Interlude
10 Powerstrip
11 One Night In Spain...
12 Slide
13 Dog
14 Get With It

Spooky Radio Waves!

Smokers Die Younger - X Wants The Meat 2006

SDY is a band from the UK (Sheffield) so no wonder if you just feel like they have that Brit pop thingy sticking to them! but the band has many other facets to show and though they bring nothing really spectacular and over the top they should nonetheless be worthy of your attention...broadly speaking let's say they mix rock to post/art rock with also reggae and dub/techno ambiances at times...and they did not forget to add a smidgen of psychedelic notes that i like very much! like the hidden offspring of the White Stripes and 甜梅號! ...oh and another fact about 'em...they happen to have 3 vocalists!! ah ah! enjoy!

Smokers Die Younger - X Wants The Meat 2006
Genre: Alternative, Pop, Punk, Rock, Experimental (electro, techno..)...blablabla! =P
Tracklist:
01 BAD DRIVING SCHOOL
02 YER ACTUAL
03 I SPY DRY FEAR
04 IT'S COMING STRAIGHT FOR US!
05 THREE CIGARETTES IN AN ASHTRAY
06 X WANTS THE MEAT
07 RUBBERLEGS
08 FIVE-0
09 TOM LEE
10 SDY
11 FKUSA

Avant-garde pop' n' roll!

Ali Farka Toure - The River 1990

Though in a few days i'll be on the mainland, at the moment African music (Mali) is floating around, i'll sure feel a change when i'll get there!lol I've been listening to Ali Farka Toure since i'm a kid and i have always loved his style, not really knowing what it was at the time! ah ah! so far i've never heard anyone playing the guitar like him...unfortunately he died from cancer last year =( .... he's certainly no shredder, however he could be considered some, if trance like rhythmic shred existed! he can sometimes sound a bit like reggae as it's definitely some musical artistery coming from the "roots" but it's more like some mixture of african music and blues to me (there is harmonica as well, ...the very first song is really awesome!)....well i live you to it, you're in good hands! ;)

Ali Farka Toure - The River 1990
Genre:Folk, Blues
Tracklist:
01 Heygana
02 Goydiotodam
03 Ai Bine
04 Tangambara
05 Toungere
06 Jungou
07 Kenouna
08 Boyrei
09 Tamala
10 Lobo
11 Instrumental

Mystically Drifting Away!

Seminole county - seminole county (2005)

A completely different type of band this time! SC in not too much my cuppa tea as it is very much like the usual mainstream format regarding production and melodies but they have interesting ideas that's a fact, so i guess they are worth checking out =)
the music is hovering between classic pop and rock chiefly, but at times they mix it with some kind of hip hop passages and the singer even raps (somewhat like rapcore so far... except the vocalist is a female here!!) Her style is close to that of Eminem to me and it's fun to listen to her!lol....but i must say i'm rather out with the fairies when it comes to rap! ah ah! well i'd never heard such a band till now, so i hope they will open new perspectives to others as well! enjoy!

Seminole county - seminole county (2005)
Genre: Pop/Rock, Rap
Tracklist:
01 Pieces
02 Let Em' Know
03 Playin' Me
04 Simple Dark
05 Myself
06 Failed
07 The Only Thing
08 Better Than Me
09 Life In Me
10 The Blessing

Free style battle!

The Dog Faced Hermans - Hum Of Life 1994

the place is all quiet so i guess it's time to sneak something in!lol The Dog Faced Hermans is a strange band from Scotland...overall they play punk rock but they definitely have their own way to deal with it cause i seldom heard any other punk band or just any band for that matter that made music in the same manner =) they also have a female singer whose voice is really niece and sweet (much better than the usual brawling anarchist to me!lol)...actually the whole concept of it is perhaps not too far from stuff like My Little Airport on certains songs where there is not much guitar but drumming and noises (or trumpets, saxophone..etc) ...the album is much more about "ambiances" than classic punk rock songs in the end...well hope you enjoy cause i like this one very much! ;)

The Dog Faced Hermans - Hum Of Life 1994
Genre: Experimental, Punk, Noise
Tracklist:
01 Jan 9
02 Viva
03 The Hook and the Wire
04 How We Connect
05 Love Split With Blood
06 Wings
07 White Indians
08 Hear the Dogs
09 Love Is the Heart of Everything
10 Madame la Mer
11 Peace Warriors

Musicians Gone Astray!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

As everybody is having a well deserved rest, i play that smooth band which comes from the US (L.A). They play some sort of swinging and rocking jazz music in the style of New Orleans stuff (I'm not pretty sure about that one, but it sounds like it somehow! ah ah!) it's pretty quiet and yet there a very cool rhythm in their song (the album contains many different style in the end)... it's kindda like Cherry Poppin' Daddies which i played earlier! =) so hope you like it, ....that should swing you back to life in the wink of an eye!! lol

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Genre: Big Band, Jazz, Rock
Tracklist:
1 Jumpin' Jack
2 13 Women
3 Cruell Spell
4 King of Swing
5 Beggar's Blues
6 Machine Gun
7 Fire
8 She's Gone
9 So Long, Good Bye Swing

Highly energetic elixir!

Incinerate - Dissecting The Angels (2002)

Incinerate comes from the U.S and as you'll hear they play a DM that is very idiosyncratic of that country...and incidentally i'm sure this one has never been played here so far!lol nothing really original or spectacular here but if you like it technical and uncompromising, like out and out DM, then you will definitely enjoy that one cause Incinerate is downright good in this genre! they are not over technical (just what is needed) and that gives their music a very powerful and agressive form! the vox are also pretty good as they hover between screaming and growling in the best DM style...and finally the production is tight and live up to the talent of that band! not much to criticize here...definitely a great stuff! =)

Incinerate - Dissecting The Angels (2002)
Genre: (Brutal) Death Metal
Tracklist:
01 Condemned To Be Damned
02 Endless Defilement Of The Dead
03 Dissecting The Angels
04 Fuck Your Jihad
05 The Flesh Shall Rise To Serve
06 Fucking The Rotting Nun
07 Denounced by God
08 Mutilation Of Christ
09 Thy Feeble Savior
10 Raping Mary

Undomitable Warrior!

Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun 1994

At last, the demanding Prog War reached an end!lol i never though such a style would scare me as much in the end! ah ah! i'll chalk down to experience that things are sometimes quite misleading! ;) anyway, now i can revert to my old habit and my old style...BM! =) i'm sure you all know about Sacramentum and their technical BM style (very much influenced by old heavy metal)... i bought that one a long time ago (when it came out indeed!) and after all these years i still listen to it so it passed the most difficult test i guess,... it lasted for 14 years so far and i guess it can be considered a must-have in any metal head collection! \m/
ps: i have a strange feeling, like i already played this one ...that last war made me lost the head!! ah ah! well if it's a replay it proves i really think it's good!ah ah! ;)


Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun 1994
Genre: Technical Black Metal
Tracklist:
1 Fog's Kiss
2 Far Away from the Sun
3 Blood Shall Be Spilled
4 When Night Surrounds Me
5 Cries From a Restless Soul
6 Obsolete Tears
7 Beyond All Horizons
8 The Vision and the Voice
9 Outro - Darkness Falls for Me/Far Away from the Sun (Part 2)

Contemplating the chaos!

[Prog War] Doomsword - Let Battle Commence (2003)

all this battling has awaken the blood thisty wolf that roams battlefields for eons! let battle commence heralds the new hardships coming after that very demanding war, cause war never ends for those who live by the sword! lol destroying is one thing but now it is time to build up again ....and all your warrior strength and determination will be needed =) music wise, these guys are very good at coming up with epic ambiances and pounding riffs (and serious leads sometimes!)! beware horns will be blown all around! ah ah grab your sword and shield for that last destrutive assault cause the production is also very good and you'll be thrown face to face with the enemmy as soon as you press play! =D

Doomsword - Let Battle Commence (2003)
Genre: Progressive Viking Metal (uhmm ...or something like that!lol)
Tracklist:
1 Heathen Assault
2 In The Battlefield
3 Wodens Reign
4 Deathbringer
5 Siege, The
6 Blood Eagle
7 My Name Will Live On

Heathen stroke back!

[Prog War] Dead Soul Tribe - The January Tree

i'm so glad i finally found a true prog band in my music! ;) ah ah! it was high time! and on top of that i think this is a good one! better be!lol the music is original with the use of samplers in addition to the synth, the vox are also varied and actually the music reminds me sometimes of stuff like ministry... but not as brutal of course! the album is almost always heavy and yet the musicians never lose the atmosphere in favour of it so in the end the listener enjoys a work that is very well balanced =) as the previous one their ambiances are also great as the use flutes or other instrument to give a traditional dimension to ther music ... hope you like it \m/

Dead Soul Tribe - The January Tree
Genre: Progressive Metal
Tracklist:
01 Spiders and Flies
02 Sirens
03 The Love of Hate
04 Why?
05 The Coldest Days of Winter
06 Wings of Faith
07 Toy Rockets
08 Waiting for the answer
09 Just Like a Timepiece
10 Lady of Rain

the last blow before victory!

[Prog War] ダイタ - Direct Mode (2006)

At last the end of the war is showing its nose!lol indeed that is certainly the most difficult we have ever waged! =) Progressive is much tougher than it seems (to me at least)! lol Daita is probably not unknown to you, and he is quite famous in Japan i believe. This album is truly great IMO and to be real prog they would just need to add a singer...though the music does not need one at all!...the ambiances are brilliant and epic, the axeman is a real master in that sense... he plays as if announcing the dawning of a new era! ah ah!... and actually i find the album pretty short in the end!!lol ....so no showing off here, just the efficiency of a rogue swordman battling for his own reasons .... =)

ダイタ (Daita) - Direct Mode (2006)
Genre: Progressive Metal, Instrumental
Tracklist:
01 Emphatic Line
02 Funny House
03 Motor Beat
04 Blue Passion
05 Oriental Road
06 Volplane
07 19 Boogie

A lonely Wanderer!

[Prog War] Naked City - Naked City (1990)

NK is one of my all time fav band though i have never played them so far! but not having many prog bands to strike with i resorted to a sneaky attack! ah ah! there's about any styles in that album so that included prog rock as well, no wonder since the composer for that band is no one else than John Zorn!! eh eh! how cunning!lol =) this is their very first album i think and it's an awesome one IMHO, the musicians are of course very impressive and the music...really psychedelic! =D

Naked City - Naked City (1990)
Genre: Progressive Rock, but more like avant garde and experimental (many styles inside!)
Tracklist:
01 Batman
02 The Sicilian Clan (Ennio Morricone)
03 You Will Be Shot
04 Latin Quarter
05 A Shot in the Dark (Henry Mancini)
06 Reanimator
07 Snagglepuss
08 I Want to Live (Johnny Mandel)
09 Lonely Woman (Ornette Coleman)
10 Igneous Ejaculation
11 Blood Duster
12 Hammerhead
13 Demon Sanctuary
14 Obeah Man
15 Ujaku
16 Fuck the Facts
17 Speedball
18 Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith)
19 Punk China Doll
20 N.Y. Flat Top Box
21 Saigon Pickup
22 The James Bond Theme (John Barry)
23 Den of Sins
24 Contempt (Georges Delerue)
25 Graveyard Shift
26 Inside Straight

A medic is required!

[Prog War] Tangerine Dream - Melrose (1990)

You certainly know Tangerine Dream...it is a band i discovered a long time ago by listening to old vynils of a friend ...if you are acquainted with the old TD, then this one is not really in the same style, it much more thought out and gives less the impression of an improvised feel (none indeed!lol) i still have an old vynil that i ripped and i must admit i like their old style much better, here there is no more guitar (except a few soudclips) and it's all electronic.... nevertheless this album is pretty cool and when after several listening you get to know it, you appreciate it all the more, cause it's a pretty subtle one... very well balanced... and you can either listen to it attentively without being bored or use it as a musical background and it won't disturb you... sounds like a swiss army knife album!lol =)

Tangerine Dream - Melrose (1990)
Genre: Progressive rock, electronic
Trackslist:
01 Melrose
02 Three Bikes In The Sky
03 Dolls In The Shadow
04 Yucatan
05 Electric Lion
06 Rolling Down Cahuenga
07 Art Of Vision
08 Desert Train
09 Cool At Heart

Jean Michel Jarre's counterparts!

[Prog War] Gastr Del Sol - Camoufleur - 1998

Gastr Del Sol is just 2 people from Chicago and this is one of their latest albums. i hope i didn't played that one before cause i can't remember...though i guess not =)
these two guy play a mixture between electronic music, classic rock with synth... i'm not sure this is called progressive but let's say it is! ah ah! well i've been listening to that band for several years now, they are a bit in the line of Cheval de Frise but not really alike as they use some kind of old hippy/poppy vox!lol... it's just to give you a general idea =) hope you like it

Gastr Del Sol - Camoufleur - 1998
Genre: Progressive, Experimental
Tracklist:
01 Seasons Reverse, The
02 Blues Subtitled No Sense Of Wonder
03 Black Horse
04 Each Dream Is An Example
05 Mouth Canyon
06 Puff Of Dew, A
07 Bauchredner

Sophisticated Orhestra!

[Prog War] Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye ( 1986 )

i'm not going to present this guy as everybody knows him already! well this album is not what i would call Prog rock, as it's more like shredding or neoclassical stuff but at times it's has also that aspect...so open your ears!lol That was Vinnie's first album and it's definitely a very good one, ...one of my favourite though i don't know them all! it mixes power, feelings, and technique in a way that is almost perfect to me! to make it short,... an awesome debut that is still shining more than 20 years later! =)

Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye ( 1986 )
Genre: Instrumental
Tracklist:
01 In Control
02 Daydream
03 Saved By A Miracle
04 Hero Without Honor
05 Lifeforce
06 N. N. Y.
07 Mind's Eye
08 Shadows Of Yesterday
09 The Journey

Proficiency and passion!

[Prog War] Negativland - Negativland 1980

This is the first album released by a band from San Francisco and as you can see the date is just what it needs to be! ah ah, how i struggled to find one!lol and as a matter of fact that's also the only one i have from that period! the music is progressive in the sense that they create many strange ambiances but it's more like what we call collage music, a sort of early techno music in some way and not really r'n'r (some track are however)! well have a go if you don't already know it, it pretty cool whatever it is! =)

Negativland - Negativland 1980
Genre: Experimental (considered as prog!lol)
Tracklist: (none has a title, it not me who forgot to write 'em! =P )
1 (1:01)
2 (1:25)
3 (2:16)
4 (1:22)
5 (5:19)
6 (1:18)
7 (0:57)
8 (1:01)
9 (2:02)
10 (1:36)
11 (0:47)
12 (0:33)
13 (1:55)
14 (0:38)
15 (2:12)
16 (3:17)
17 (1:12)
18 (1:34)
19 (5:04)
20 (1:09)

Special 80's sound soup!

[Prog War] Its A Beautiful Day - Its A Beautiful Day(1969)

in my comments i often talked about Jefferson Airplane ...well this is definitely my favourite style and here we're not far from that, it's very soothing, going crescendo while bindidng male and female vox together, the whole thing being held up by a harpsichord and a violin...a mix between jazz, folk, classical, and of course prog rock... you'll certainly recognize some of the tracks cause some were pretty famous... =)

Its A Beautiful Day - Its A Beautiful Day (1969)
Genre: psychedelic rock
Tracklist:
1 White Bird
2 Hot Summer Day
3 Wasted Union Blues
4 Girl With No Eyes
5 Bombay Calling
6 Bulgaria
7 Time Is

Flower Power!

[Prog War] ジュン上久保 - サンフランシスコの奇蹟

this guy is certainly not unknown to you, and if by chance he turns out to be, then you'll discover an awesome artist! =) i have had this one for a few years and ...apparently it's a masterpiece to a lot of people but i live that to you...to me i must say that in the psyche style it's certainly a very good one! you'll see the sound is very bluesy and very "acid" like! hope you enjoy!
ps: track 4 seems to be cut just before the end but all the others are ok so i have no idea if this is normal...??

ジュン上久保 - サンフランシスコの奇蹟
Genre: Progressive Rock
Tracklist:
1 勲章いっぱいぶらさげて
2 死んだ恋人は
3 天国行きの最終便
4 愛が欲しい
5 半分終わった俺の人生は
6 人生は舞台劇
7 何となく何となく
8 殺ったのは俺じゃない

incredible Japanese!!

[Prog War] Alogia - Secret Spheres Of Art 2005

This is a band from Serbia and before writing that presentation i decided to search for stuff about them cause they are not that famous! lol...and there i found many harsh reviews actually! fortunately for them i had listened to the album long before so i had already an opinion of my own (and they are quite lucky indeed, the vocalist is not taking too much room! ah ah)! well i read one saying for instance that it was the most unoriginal album ever! ah ah! of course dude! but if we keep only the truely innovative then we can discard 95% of styles and bands! to me the music is typical prog/power metal which is very well composed and played, with several classical cliches that have been used and abused for centuries by thousands of musicians like most recently ...symphony-X, Dream Theater ...and so on and so forth...so what's the big deal!?? the production is also very decent...there is an unfathomable dearth in my stuff with regard to prog so i may be wrong!lol

Alogia - Secret Spheres Of Art 2005
Genre: Progressive Metal
Tracklist:
01 Secret Spheres
02 Journey into the Dawn of Life
03 Politics of War
04 Legend of a Stolen Heart
05 Falling Asleep
06 Kontinuum
07 Mystica Aegyptiorum
08 Amon
09 Beyond the Time
10 Lament
11 Astral Horizons
12 As the Time Passes By
13 Overture Solemnis
14 Samson

Between the bombs!

[Prog War] Fair To Midland - Fables From A Mayfly 2007

Well, i'm just back and it seems the war is realling raging!lol better proceed with caution! =) Fair To Midland has been the last band spinning in my stereo, and by chance it happens that they play prog so i knew they were gonna turn out quite handy here, ...especially since they are from Texas!!ah ah i didn't know that band before but as many times before i got hooked by the cover on their album and decided to lend an ear to their stuff...woooww!! the vox have something of A.P.C to them but not that much whatsoever [i know APC is not the cuppa tea of some of you! don't be afraid!lol ;)] and the music is really brilliant and "opened"...they do not stick to the usual recipe and i must say it's rather tasteful!ah ah! enjoy!!


Fair To Midland - Fables From A Mayfly 2007
Genre: Progressive Metal (and much more!)
Tracklist:
01 Dance of the Manatee
02 Kyla Cries Cologne
03 Vice/Versa
04 Wife, The Kids, And the White Picket Fence
05 April Fools and Eggmen
06 Seafarer's Knot
07 Wolf Descends Upon the Spanish Sahara
08 Walls of Jericho
09 Tall Tales Taste Liek Sour Grapes
10 Upgrade^Brigade
11 (When the Bough Breaks) Say When

Cowboys from Hell!

Julie Laughs Nomore - From the Mist Of The Ruins [1999]

Julie Laughs Nomore comes from Sweden and despite the quality of their music they are not very well known i guess...as it's pretty hard to find their stuff in any store! well this band is really good cause it combined brutality and more melodic part, but actually even the brutal parts are quite melodic and the melodic one rather brutal! =)... but there are passages when it's closer to Blind Guardians or some Vikling Metal band than typical Death Metal!lol however these passages really fit into the music and are just like (very!) brief interludes in a way, they do not disrupt the song at all and after a few seconds, they are back in DM again (well as i told you it was never to far away anyway!! ah ah) Their album is truly excellent from beginning to end and i recommand it warmly!

Julie Laughs Nomore - From the Mist Of The Ruins [1999]
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal
Tracklist:
01 Mistress Of Death
02 Children Of The Empty Cross
03 From The Mist Of The Ruins
04 Bringer Of Misery
05 The Iron Gate
06 Eternity Is Just One Step Away
07 Lords Of Pleasure

Crushing Contribution! ouch!

Mattias 'IA' Eklundh - The Road Less Traveled

I guess no presentation is requiered about Mattias 'IA' Eklundh, but just in case, ah ah! he's a lunatic playing the axe in Freak kitchen! However as you've certainly noticed this is a one of his solo work. You'll find plenty of style, ideas either interesting, ludicrous, blowing, massive or just really wierd lol...but nothing to discard in that one IMHO! Along with Ron Thal (bumblefoot) and Buckethead, this guy is definitely one of the most original and innovative player for these last few years i guess! have fun with his music!

Mattias 'IA' Eklundh - The Road Less Traveled
Genre: Exprimental, Fusion, bla bla bla.... virtuoso!! =)
Tracklist:
01 The Road Less Traveled
02 There's No Money In Jazz
03 Print This!
04 Father
05 No Strings Attached
06 Caffeine
07 Fletch Theme
08 The Battle of Bob
09 Chopstick Boogie
10 Toxic Donald
11 Happy Hour
12 Smoke on the Water
13 Insert Coin
14 The Woman in Seat 27A
15 Ketchup is a Vegetable
16 Samba Caramba
17 White Trash Hyper Blues
18 Toxic Mickey
19 Minor Swing
20 One-String Improvisation
21 Asteroid 3834
22 Little Bastard
23 Difficult Person Music

A stray wanderer!

Trio givone - en chemin

This is the band from a "famous" french guitarist from Nantes called Daniel Givone. Gypsy's music has always been a family story so no wonder the second guitar is played by his wife and the doublebass by his brother (plus some percussions)! there are also some guest like Patrick Saussois : guitar (4), Frédéric Renaudin : piano (6), Jean-Christophe, Rouet : violin (3, 8), Philippe Allano : guitar (13), Damien Ducelier : accordeon (5), Meivelyan Jacquot : percussions (13)...well quite a lot indeed! ah ah
The music is certainly one of my favourite style when it comes to acoustic guitar style, ...i just love it!! =) as you'll see it's gypsy style (what we call "Manouche" over here) but it's rather ecclectic with some flamenco or classical influences! the musicians are very technical and skilled as is their music but as you'll hear they are miles away from showing off. The best part of this music to me is the way it sounds, always a bit sad and yet it seems to make fun of that feeling and even to take advantage of it to laugh out loud! lol This one was pretty hard to find so hope you enjoy! =D

Trio givone - en chemin
Genre: Instrumental, Gypsy (Manouche), Jazz
Tracklist:
01 Coralie show (D. Givone)
02 La cumparsita (M. Rodriguez)
03 Hunn, o pani naschella (T. Winterstein/L. Reinhardt)
04 Angera (P. Saussois)
05 La counouche (J.C. Givone)
06 Au coeur du vent glacé (D. Givone)
07 En chemin (J.C. Givone)
08 My sweet (D. Reinhardt)
09 Valse à l’ancêtre (D. Givone)
10 Mor pral (D. Givone)
11 Le temps ne fait rien à l’affaire (G. Brassens)
12 Valse nomade (D. Givone)
13 Dali (B. Dessoliers)
14 Couci couça (D. Givone)

Masters living in shadows!

Renaud Garcia-Fons - Oriental Bass - 1997

Here's an album that is to me a masterpiece in his category! I heard it once at a friend's while sitting around a fire and was pretty much stunned (not by alcohol or anything else but by the music i mean! lol) as a consequence i couldn't help rushing to a store to get it a few days afterwards!lol Renaud Garcia Fons is double-bass player from France but he is from Spanish origin (Catalonia) and that explains the somewhat oriental aspect of his music, though it's likewise very much influenced by classical/jazz music. There are a number of instruments on that album that is certainly as impressive as the virtuosity and profiency with which they are used! just to name but a few, there are flutes, accordion, guitar, lute, derbuka ...and so on and so forth! ah ah! well this guy isn't especially famous to my knowledge but once you'll have listened to him he'll have you in his grip and power forever!

Renaud Garcia-Fons - Oriental Bass - 1997
Genre: Instrumental, Jazz, Traditional, Oriental
Tracklist:
01 Oriental Bass
02 San Juan
03 Goodjinns
04 Oryssa
05 Ghazali
06 Jullundur
07 Hommage A Ostad
08 Bajo Andaluz
09 Jam Buleria
10 Djani

open-minded jazz!