Dimmu Borgir - the insight and the catharsis (Spiritual Black Dimensions)
Madonna - waiting (Erotica)
Six Feet Under - animal instinct (Warpath)
Blind Guardian - mirror mirror (Nightfall In Middle-Earth)
Judas Priest - the hellion/electric eye (Screaming For Vengeance)
Subway To Sally - schlaflied (Bannkreis)
Sigh - impromptu [allegro maestoso] (Imaginary Sonicscape)
Ens. Tzigane de Moravie - czardas de quisutse (Tziganes)
Rage Against The Machine - bulls on parade (Evil Empire)
Naglfar - black god aftermath (Sheol)
Celtic Frost - mexican radio (Into The Pandemonium)
Therion - siren of the woods [live] (Celebrators Of Becoming)
Chuck Berry - bye bye johnny (The Best Of Chuck Berry)
Def Leppard - have you ever needed someone so bad (Vault)


The heavenly, um, I mean, infernal 'the insight and the catharsis' was the one track that opened my mind to Black Metal. This song was featured on a Metal Hammer sampler, and after I listened to it, the world had changed. After "Spiritual Black Dimensions" I was caught, I gave my soul to Black Metal. These infernal melodies, the edge of madness between the darkest of Metal and the beautiful melodies, and Simen's and Shagrath's vocals - this song was the gate to a new and fascinating landscape, and I will never leave again. Thank you, Dimmu Borgir.
"Rigid father, teach me how to comprehend
I'll commit myself to understand"

From one of my alltime faves to another one of my alltime faves. "Erotica" is an incredibly strong and creative album that was ahead of its time in 1992, and is almost as fantastic as its successor "Bedtime Stories". 'waiting' is lucious and close to perfection, and I hope and pray that Madonna's new album will again be a precursor, as the two mentioned, or "Ray Of Light", or "Music", and nobody will be able to ignore it as it must become essential for music history. The possibility is certainly there with Timbaland and Timberlake as producers, even though I have to say that the term "precursor" does not apply if you read about the idea on paper because twenty thousand artists were faster in collaborating with them. But, that doesn't mean that it can't be music history... We'll see shortly!

Six Feet Under's "Warpath" is the only album by the Death Metal cult band that I really like. Also 'animal instinct' was featured on a metal sampler, and I hated it at first (I had absolutely no interest in Death Metal at that time). But giving it a couple of more listens I felt a strange fascination with the songwriting and also the vocals. Chris Barnes doesn't sound as "abysmal" as on other albums, and he still uses the higher croaking in the chorus of this track. The fact that the chorus "a vicious lust for blood" was alternately used in either the left or the right channel made the song really interesting with headphones. Sacrifi-sir, I know you had bad experiences with that band, but maybe you wanna check out their Rock'n'Roll album, "Warpath", at some point. For me it worked! :-)

What can you say about 'mirror mirror'? All words must fade in the face of this Metal classic. This was the first Guardian song I've ever heard (it's a lot of "firsts" today so far), I didn't immediately like it. I wasn't used to Epic Metal and thought it was strangely rushed. But of course, I couldn't forget it and had to listen it again and again, and I had to have the album. Their unique sound is something that has always fascinated me, and as "Nightfall..." was my first Blind Guardian album it is of course my favourite. An amazing hymn off an album that can hardly described with words. At this point, Guardian were at their peak and created eternal, epic metal. Every song is a miracle here, and 'mirror mirror' is their king.

Wow Today, what are you smoking? You are totally choosing favourites today! 'the hellion/electric eye' is such a Metal classic, an incredibly cool and creative track. "Screaming For Vengeance" is in the Metal Bible, and everyone should know it. The fact that Priest are magical is undeniable. There are still albums I just cannot learn to appreciate, but this albums - amongst many other Priest records I adore - is Heavy Metal 101. Fantastic songwriting and Rob Halford's vocals brought us a perfect album. And thankfully, not for the last time in Priest's history.

With Subway To Sally I have finally some time to breathe again, because I can take a break from all the hymns of praise. Because this was a song, and then it was over. I'm not a big fan of the band, but they have lots of better stuff in my opinion.

Sigh are "Wahnsinns-Metal" from Japan ;-) I don't think there's a genre that they haven't used for their albums, and they are really worth checking out (if you have strong nerves that is). This was simply a piano interlude, nice, but even nicer in the context of the whole album I'm sure.

Bittersweet gypsy music can never be wrong, and this sampler guarantees for high quality - this song is no exception, even if it's not breathtaking. I by the way want to offically state that the violin is a fabulous instrument.

"Evil Empire" is definitely weaker than their debut "Rage Against The Machine", but on the other hand it's amazing how unique this band sounds. And pissed. They had so much to say back then, and packed it in some of the irresistible New Metal (or Crossover as it was called back then) riffs in history. I'm not that much into Funk Rock, so I can say that I think that wah-wah guitars have never sounded better than they did back then by this band.

I'm a big fan of the sound created between Black and Death Metal - Dissection's masterpiece "Storm Of The Light's Bane" may be the most famous represantative. The always cold sound and the best of both worlds not only make the named gift of God essential, but also all/most of Naglfar's releases (I couldn't really give the band as much time as I would have wanted so far, so I will not pass this judgement). If you like this style of music they are a must have, very original in that "small" area that they work in, very well-crafted, intense and dark.

'mexican radio' is a song that is always mentioned when talking about Celtic Frost's descend/rise (however you wanna look at it) into a more progressive phase. It's a Wall Of Voodoo cover, and before I try to go to the depths of this release and its meaning for the metal community: I don't get Celtic Frost. I adore 'tristesses de la lune' which was a bonus track for this album, but apart from that, none of their songs have ever sparked a flame. While I can appreciate some of their work, I don't mind NOT listening to it either, and if you feel like stopping "Into The Pandemonium" half way through, that's fine with me. Totally fine.

Therion. My endless love. 'siren of the woods' leaves you, like most of their "newer" material, with a loss for words. Christopher Johnsson is a composer in the true sense of the word. Both the studio version and this live version are unbelievable, and at no point in my life was I able to listen to this without feeling showers of fear and wonder on my skin, and without feeling a certain longing for the woods. Karin Fjellander here may sing this even a bit better (for my taste) than Anja Krenz on the studio album "Theli" because her soprano is more powerful and, if you will, more 'womanly' (I appreciate Krenz' version as well though). Johan Nieman provides a flawless bass. The lyrics are in Akkadian by the way, and - as always with this band - worth a read.

Chuck Berry then sings a classic Rock'n'Roll track that seems to be (lyrically as well as musically) a follow-up to 'johnny b. goode'. Not as good as that hit and a little too forced. I didn't feel a lot of Rock in my Roll in this case..

Then, lots of slime and honey poured out of my speakers, and luckily this was the last song because everything was sticky and smudged after this! I don't know what it was, maybe something in the speakers melted and ---oh no wait, it was just this Def Leppard ballad. Hardly got through it. There are great Hard Rock ballads on this planet, and they show their naked behind to 'have you ever needed someone so bad', and they laugh at it.


MightyLaber,
--Sapnish--