335. Iron Maiden / Come On Copenhagen! [Bootleg]. 1990. 4/5.

This is a bootleg of the concert in Copenhagen on November 5, 1990, on the No Prayer for the Dying tour. The quality is excellent for an audience recording, though do not expect 'perfect' quality if you ever listen to it. Sometimes, bootleg-listening becomes an art form.

Taken from the “No Prayer on The Road” tour, Maiden go all out to promote the album No Prayer For The Dying by including six songs off it in their set list – most of which never got a run live again. And they all sound great live – “Public Enema Number One”, “Tailgunner”, “Holy Smoke”, “The Assassin”, “Hooks In You” and “Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter”. It can continue to amaze just how much better some songs sound live than their studio recorded components, and to be honest also vice versa. Add to that the usual gems from the back catalogue and you have a set list that is a great showcase for this era of Iron Maiden.

This album catches all of that. This was Janick's first tour with Maiden, so it is good for that aspect as well. Much of the newer material never made it into a set again, so it is good to listen to them live, with Bruce belting them out with great passion. It is a good bootleg of this tour. Of course, in this day and age, they pretty much release an official live album of each tour. One of this tour would have been great.

Rating:  Worth it just for the songs off No Prayer for the Dying.  4/5.

334. Quiet Riot / The Collection. 2000. 3.5/5

If we were going to be fair dinkum about this collection, you could pretty much just package together Metal Health and Condition Critical and you’d have a pretty similar result!

For a brief spurt in the 1980’s, Quiet Riot had a couple of hits (some they even wrote themselves) and were popular both in the mainstream and with metal fans. It didn’t last, and they found themselves back in the fold with their old fans soon enough.
This collection brings together their best known hits, such as “Metal Health”, “Cum On Feel The Noize” and “Mama Weer All Crazy Now”, and slaps a couple of live tracks in to keep the other songs company.

Rating: A good retrospective look at a band that probably could have done more. 3.5/5

333. The Clash / The Collection. 1991. 2/5

How The Clash were ever labelled a punk band I'll never know. There is more reggae in their music than pure punk.

Anyway, this album has a multitude of their hits and rare tracks. Personally, I like a few of their tracks, and find most of them fairly uninteresting. If you enjoy The Clash you'll still only find this average. Better off just listening to London Calling than this.

Rating: A few good tracks and the rest is still filler, even on a best-of package. 2/5.

332. Slayer / Christ Illusion. 2006. 4/5

It’s a little bit tough to beat the hype when you have a new album out, and it is promoted as “the new century’s Reign In Blood”. Combine this with the fact that it is returning drummer Dave Lombardo’s first recorded material with the band since Seasons In The Abyss and is the long-awaited follow up to God Hates Us All and you have a pretty big time bomb ready to go off in your face.

Fortunately on most levels Christ Illusion lives up to the hype.

While I could never accuse Slayer of conforming to standards, I didn’t feel a couple of their later albums were up to the same quality as they had regularly produced for most of their career. Here on Christ Illusion I once again think that they have nailed it for 80-90% of the album, and maybe just fallen down a little at the final hurdle. A personal opinion that others may take or leave a they choose.

The highlights as always are the faster, heavier songs, when Tommy Araya seems forever to be trying to catch the rest of the band with his vocals. Jeff and Kerry’s guitaring as always is just brutal, while the return of the drum god Dave Lombardo is the defining part of this album. His input again has improved Slayer tenfold.

Favourites for me include “Flesh Storm”, “Catalyst”, “Eyes Of The Insane”, “Jihad” and “Cult”

Rating: Not the promised hybrid of Reign In Blood and Seasons In The Abyss but good all the same. 4/5.

331. Stratovarius / The Chosen Ones. 1999. 3/5.

Sometimes you come across a band that everyone is talking about, or that has been recommended to you, and you have to give them a chance. Sometimes, they are brilliant and you wonder why you haven’t been listening to them for years. Others… well… they disappoint you.
Stratovarius for me is one of the second group.

I was recommended these guys by Amazon (yeah I know, why trust them?) and a guy who kept coming into work saying “You gotta HEAR these guys!!”. So I did.
This is their best-of album. By rights, a best-of album should surely rate at least a four out of five if it is done even half properly.
So why can’t I rate this that highly? Well, I guess in truth they are bit too much ‘progressive metal’ for me, rather than ‘power metal’ or any other metal you would like to mention.

The songs here are adequate, and probably is the selection of their best. Unfortunately, I find myself wanting to jump to the next track far too often. The songs are far too similar, and some drag a little too long.

Best for me include "Out of The Shadows", "Twilight Time" and "Father Time"

Rating: An average release. 3/5.

330. Cold Chisel / Chisel. 1991. 4/5

Throw together all the hits from Cold Chisel, and you have Chisel.

Quite literally the best this band has produced. If you haven't heard them before, this is the place to start.

Rating: 4/5.

329. Metallica / Chicago 9-2-1986 [Bootleg]. 1986. 4/5.

This is a terrific ‘B’ quality bootleg from the Ride The Lightning tour.

It’s all here on this disc – the very best material you can pull off the first two albums, and all of it played at about twice the speed of the original versions. Unlike today, where most of the versions of their songs that they play live are closer to ‘real’ time, these version just fly along. At times you wonder if the band can keep up with themselves!

All great songs, all great versions. Best for me here include “Fight Fire With Fire”, “No Remorse” (which is ludicrously fast), “No Remorse”, “Whiplash” and “Motorbreath”.

Rating: Greats from a long-gone era. 4/5.

328. Midnight Oil / Capricornia. 2002. 3/5.

Everything I have written about Midnight Oil’s album since Blue Sky Mining pretty much relates again here. This being the final release for the Oils doesn’t add any nostalgia.

You can’t blame a band whose musical direction changes, or mellows, over time, especially when that band has been around for as long as Midnight Oil has been. The writing changes, the style changes with it, and the members of the group are of course also changing. Many people may think it’s a change for the better, many will think that the change is unfortunate.
My own personal opinion is that, while the music has changed a ways since their initial albums, so have I, and perhaps my changes have moved me further down the spectrum too.

What we’ve moved into here is easy listening. You don’t jump and down and dance anymore. You sit in your comfy sofa chair and listen with a cup of tea. The songs are still good, and mostly listenable, but they don’t have the same fire anymore.

Best here for me are “Golden Age”, "Been Away Too Long" and “Mosquito March”.

Rating: The end probably came at the right time. 3/5.

327. Arch Enemy / Burning Japan Live. 2000. 3.5/5

This live album came out following up the excellent Burning Bridges.
Though it certainly contains most of the best songs that Arch Enemy had written to that point in time, it doesn’t quite capture the same atmosphere as I feel there is on the albums themselves. That’s not to say that it isn’t a good album, nor a good live album. Perhaps they just had a better feel in the studio that they aren’t (or weren’t) quite able to produce live. I’m not sure.

That aside, this is a good listen. Certainly for me, the best cuts are the ones taken from Burning Bridges but it is a good album overall.

Rating: A good collection to hear how the lads sound on stage. 3.5/5

326. Arch Enemy / Burning Bridges. 1999. 4/5

This is well and truly Arch Enemy’s best album, and one that is truly impressive.
From the outset, the tone is set by the great opening guitar riff, as “The Immortal” rips straight in and grabs your attention. From that point on Burning Bridges never lets up.
Everything that Arch Enemy had released before this was building up to something, and this album is the pinnacle of that. Brilliant drum and bass sound, the rhythm section of the band are just in perfect harmony. The guitaring is fantastic, terrific riffs, great melodies and great soloing as well. All this is on top of the ever maturing vocal lines, which here are the best in the band’s existence.

Burning Bridges is a testament to the work the band had put in by this stage of their career, and is more than worth getting your hands on.

Best for me include "The Immortal", "Dead Inside", "Seed Of Hate" and "Angelclaw"

Rating: This band’s best. 4/5.

325. Arch Enemy / Burning Angel [Single]. 2002. 4/5

Great single, complemented by the two other songs on the disc. It's very rare that you buy a single and get all songs on it worth listening to. This is an example of that rare bird.

Rating: Four stars. 4/5.

324. Midnight Oil / Breathe. 1996. 3/5.

Unlike the firey, politically driven hard Aussie rock songs of the previous decade, Midnight Oil have toned their music down over recent albums, and by the mid-1990’s had reached their own middle-age with this release, Breathe.
Unlike most of their best songs from the previous decade, this album is a lot softer, a lot slower, and a bit more reflective in music style. Whereas with their early albums you imagine the whole band jumping around and rocking out while playing, you can almost see the whole band sitting comfortably in their armchairs as they recorded this album. It’s a real change in style for the group, and though the album is not a bad one, it really does miss the vibrancy that previous releases are full of. Perhaps they were just going with their hearts – their ageing hearts – or perhaps this was the mood they were looking for. Overall, as a fan of the band, I am disappointed in the direction.

Sure, I can put the album on and listen to it. Actually, if I’ve got people over, it is the perfect background music, because it doesn’t take away the focus of the conversation. Probably not a good advertisement for the album itself, but it gives you an idea of its style and performance.

Rating: Not so bad, but not a screamer either. Elevator music, anyone? 3/5.

323. Scorpions / Best of Rockers 'n' Ballads. 1989. 4/5

Another of the increasingly infinite compilation albums that have been released by record companies of the Scorpions material.
This one says it all in the title – Rockers and Ballads. It doesn’t say that some are just brilliant, and others are just average.

This is an adequate release. It could have been done better, but the material on board is mostly fantastic.

Rating: Only a little filler. 4/5.

322. Iron Maiden / Wasted Years [Single]. 1986. 5/5

Of all of the singles I have bought (and I almost always went exclusively for the 12 inch variety to ensure I got the most for my money) this is by far my favourite of all time. Is that a little crazy when it comes to single releases? Possibly. But even in the day when buying singles was still a huge industry, for the most part I already had the album that the song being released was on. That was certainly the case with Somewhere in Time. So my real compunction for buying singles was for the B-sides and what they brought to the table. So in this respect, buying the 12 inch single would in essence give me even more music.

So, for the first part, the single. “Wasted Years” is even today still one of the best Iron Maiden has written and recorded. Written by Adrian Smith solely, who also plays the guitar solo and sings back-up vocals, it has stood the test of time perfectly. A great song.
The two B-side tracks are just terrific. The first song “Reach Out” was written by Adrian’s mate Dave Colwell, and performed in the band The Entire Population of Hackney, a group put together after the Live After Death tour when Nicko McBrain and Adrian wanted to keep performing. It is sung by Adrian, with Bruce Dickinson doing back-up vocals on this occasion. It has always been one of my favourite B side tracks, and I can still put in on today and enjoy it. Many of the other songs written for that band ended up on Adrian’s solo project a few years later.
The third song is a parody written about manager Rod Smallwood, and his apparent constant complaining about his move to Los Angeles. Featuring Bruce sending up Rod’s cockney accent throughout over the top of the song itself, this is a giggle and a fun enough song even without the humour included. A terrific addition for the 12 inch single.

In this day and age of digital music, singles have pretty much become obsolete. The great tragedy of that is that songs such as these two B-sides won’t necessarily ever come into existence because there is no need to fill a second side of a vinyl single release. It is the major tragedy of the modern music age.

Rating:  “It’s over your head, and you don’t seem to understand”.  5/5

321. Deep Purple / The Book of Taliesyn. 1968. 2/5

It is virtually impossible to have devoured and loved the major classics albums that Deep Purple released in the 1970’s, and then go back to listen to what they released in the 1960’s and both accept and enjoy it. It was a different era, generally a different sound, and for the most part a different band with a different agenda. Such is The Book of Taliesyn.
In an era where cover versions of songs already recorded was popular, this album contains three of them – “Kentucky Woman”, “We Can Work It Out” and “River Deep, Mountain High” – all of which are pretty dreadful. Sure, it’s difficult when you release your first three albums in a little over 12 months to be able to write a lot of your own material, but there had to be a better way, surely.

Of the original material, “Wring That Neck” showed the potential of what was to come. Perhaps the leaders of the band knew it too. Vocalist Rod Evans is unfortunately not inspiring, though the material he had to work with here was not the best either. His singing never reaches any great heights, and is unable to help drag the album out of the mire.

As an early chapter in the history of one of the metal scene’s great bands, it is worth a listen. Anything beyond that would be wasting your time.

Rating: A dinosaur. 2/5.

320. Exodus / Bonded By Blood. 1985. 4.5/5

If only I had gotten a copy of this when it was released, it may well be one of my favourite all-time albums by now.
As it is, I have only recently acquired it, and can accept it for what it is in a past life.

Though it may sound dated to some, this is a classic album, straight from the roots of East Coast USA heavy metal. From the opening strains of “Bonded By Blood”, this album has classic riffs, great lyrics, and a fun sense to the whole process. It certainly doesn’t take itself seriously, and yet it is at the forefront of what was to become the thrash metal revolution. OK, it mightn’t necessarily sound that way now, and it may have dated, but the character is all still there, and the things that helped heavy metal reach its next step during the 1980’s are all prevalent.

As one of the pioneers of what became thrash metal, Exodus still have a lot to live up to when new recruits come along, and pick up this album for the first time. Happily, I can concur that they have nothing to fear. Even with raised expectations, when I first picked up this album I was impressed. Even now, when I put it on to listen, I am still impressed.

Favourites for me include “Bonded By Blood”, “Exodus”, “Metal Command”, “Piranha” and “No Love”.

Rating: At the forefront of the genre, and one of the best of its time. 4.5/5

319. Midnight OIl / Blue Sky Mining. 1990. 4/5.

At the peak of their powers, though some believed their best days were already behind them, Midnight Oil came out with Blue Sky Mining and proved they still had a few tricks left in the bag.

Here they continued to preach their messages in their songs, with no compromise, and continuing to write the catchy tunes that grabbed a nations attention. Even at a time when world music was beginning to turn toward grunge, the Oils managed to fit in and still sell albums.

Some of their finest work comes from this album. From the title track “Blue Sky Mine” to “Forgotten Years”, from the anthemic “King Of The Mountain” to the haunting “One Country”, Blue Sky Mining has it all. Even the lesser known tracks like “Stars Of Warburton” and “Shakers And Movers” are just great.

Rating: Another great album from one of Australia’s best. 4/5.

318. Mastodon / Blood Mountain. 2006. 2/5.

Following the plethora of amazing reviews Blood Mountain got on its release, and the number of reviewers in the metal world whose opinion I trust who rated this as the best album of 2006, I felt it was time I became acquainted with both this band and this album.
Well, it’s different from what I expected. Metal in the 2000’s is a different beast from what I grew up with. Here, the muddy, sludgy guitar work, the uninspiring vocals, and general lack of originality doesn’t grab me at all.

OK, this is not an opinion that hasn’t been well tested. I’ve given this album a series of at least three good, hard listens, three or four times over, to come to this conclusion. And on all occasions, I found I was unable to get into it at all. The songs were same-ish, and failed to ignite any passion in me.
Again, this is a personal opinion. I’ve a couple of mates who have seen these guys live and say they were fantastic. Perhaps that is true. This album, however, leaves me cold and headachy.

Rating: My outlook differs from most other popular views of this release. 2/5.

317. Black Label Society / The Blessed Hellride. 2003. 3.5/5

I guess I’ve always had overly high expectations of this album. Following up the previous three albums Black Label Society had done, it had a bit to live up to. In places, it does so admirably. In others, it doesn’t quite gel.
Now, there is nothing wrong with doing the odd slow song, if it is done right and in the right company. Book Of Shadows for instance is excellently done. And I don’t want to suggest that songs on here such as “The Blessed Hellride” and “Dead Meadow” aren’t fine, but they are in my opinion dead boring, and don’t enhance the album as a whole. No doubt many will disagree with me.
I just don’t see the point of doing songs like “Stoned and Drunk” and the absolutely brilliant “Stillborn” (with Ozzy Osbourne also lending a hand on vocals) on an album if you are going to go against the mood and do these other songs in the same company. Perhaps I just missed the point, but I think it was a mistake.

The potential for this album is still in the shrinkwrap. But I can’t deny that there are some great tunes here that generally make up for the one or two lapses.

Rating: Not quite up to where it could have been. 3.5/5

316. Geezer / Black Science. 1997. 1.5/5

I really wanted to like this, if only because the ‘side’ projects of other Black Sabbath alumni are so good. Also, the fact is that Geezer Butler is a living legend, and deserves success.
I guess I was hoping for Black Sabbath, with a different vocalist. I didn’t quite get that.

This is an expansion and a modernization from Geezer’s usual work. The sound that has been generated is an updated look at where the heavy metal sound was heading in the mid-to-late 1990’s. No doubt, Geezer and his band were looking for something different, something visionary perhaps.
To me, what has happened is that the great bass lines that we have come to know and love are hidden beneath a wall of sound that seems to take away from this band and album’s greatest asset. Sure, it may not be my type of metal, but I cannot even really appreciate what they have tried to achieve here.

Not long after this, Black Sabbath ‘reformed’ with the four original members and went on a high level tour. For geezer Butler, I think that was the best thing that could have happened.

Rating: All in all, a huge disappointment. 1.5/5.

315. Machine Head / The Blackening. 2007. 3.5/5

I haven't heard much Machine Head, though I saw them support Slayer a few years ago and thought they sounded good live. What caught my attention was that when this was released, it went straight to #1 in Australia, so I thought I better check it out.

The first thing I should say is that this isn't my preferred genre of metal, but it certainly is the genre of the current generation. Having said that, this album is pretty good. Okay, it isn't groundbreaking, and there isn't much new going on here. However, it has all the right ingredients to keep you coming back for another listen. The pace of the album generates the kind of tempo you want in a metal album. The drums roll constantly, the double kick working overtime in retaining the rhythm, the guitars duelling perfectly in all the right places.

I like the fact that the vocals aren't overused or over-abused. They offset the music perfectly. Just on listening to this album and little else of their catalogue, I get the feeling that they blend together well as a band.

It's not all perfect. The songs tend to be a bit long winded, when they could have been tighter and shorter. There are at least two candidates on the album for the skip button after just a few listens. And the more I listen to the album, the more I tire of the growled lyrics, which usually grate on me pretty quickly unless they are of the highest quality.

Favourites for me on the album are “Beautiful Morning”, “Aesthetics Of Hate” and “Wolves”.

Rating: I am impressed enough by my first real taste of Machine Head to follow up on some of their back catalogue. 3.5 / 5.

314. Beyond Fear / Beyond Fear. 2006. 2/5

I bought this album for the sheer fact that Tim Owens was singing on it. I was hoping it was going to be something awesome, and that we would see the full extent of Ripper’s potential.
Sadly, this is not the case. Perhaps I had built it up too much in my head, but this is actually a lot less interesting than I ever thought it could be.

As one of his (many, it seems) side projects, this came after Iced Earth’s The Glorious Burden and before Iced Earth’s Framing Armageddon. With the freedom to do something different, there was an opportunity to set himself up like, for instance, Bruce Dickinson, and have a successful solo career along with being involved in a major band at the same time.

Unfortunately, Beyond Fear is littered with average tracks with no real hook, and little interest. There is certainly nothing that drives you to pull it out of the rack and listen to it time and again. Which is a real shame, because since his emergence as the singer for Judas Priest in the 1990’s he has proven his ability to sing. Perhaps he just doesn’t write well.
Hopefully his talent can still be salvaged, despite his usurping from Iced Earth in recent times.

Rating: Average. 2/5.

313. Ozzy Osbourne / Black Rain. 2007. 3/5

When this album was first released I was way too excited about its contents. Sure, at the time it was exciting because it had been a number of years (six as it turns out) since Ozzy had released an album, and though it had been on the lower scale of Ozzy albums, that didn’t mean that a new one wasn’t going to be great. Lots of things had come together that gave great optimism for what was to come, and some of that was not misplaced. But on reflection it is difficult to see just why I was so excited about it initially, because when listened to retrospectively it seems as though there were some flaws that for some reason I must have glossed over in my enthusiasm. In fact, when I first reviewed this album my opening statement was: “The madman is back, and though he may not be quite as mad as he once was, this is a startling return after so many years out of the recording scene.” Not quite.

Since the amazing No More Tears was released in 1991, Ozzy had released 1995's Ozzmosis, which was generally great, and 2001's Down To Earth, which was generally average. With this being only his third album release in 16 years there is always the chance that the writing could be either chock full of goodness or a little on the stale side. The first thing done right here was the reinstatement of Zakk Wylde to his rightful position of collaborator, guitarist and everyman. Zakk has tuned down for this effort, no doubt in an effort to help Ozzy's vocal range, but it also acts as a stimulus to create a heavier sound in the songs. Having written so much stuff for his own band Black Label Society in recent years, Zakk seems to have brought a similar style to this Ozzy album with him.

So my main gripe with the songs on the album is that the tempo has generally settled into a very slow and steady one, not surprisingly in a similar way that recent Black Label Society albums have done. Songs such as “Lay Your World on Me”, “Here For You” and “Countdown’s Begun” are very much in this category and for me keep the album stuck in second gear without being able to break free. All good enough songs, with great guitar riffs from Zakk, but I was looking for more. Then you have “The Almighty Dollar” and “Civilize the Universe”, which are in much the same style, but both really overextend their welcome. They are slow and samey, and Ozzy stretches out the vocals as well, and even then both songs feel as though they are over about halfway through... but they just keep regenerating and continuing, and it gets to be a real punish to continue on. Once again, after listening to this album a lot, I have gotten used to them and can tolerate them, but it does make it hard now to return to the album with a lot of enthusiasm.

What about the rest? Well, the harmonica in “Black Rain” is a bit naff and feels unnecessary but I enjoy the song despite this. The opening track “Not Going Away” does tend to plod on as well but when in the mood it is an enjoyable enough song. “11 Silver” picks up the middle of the album, while the best songs by quite a stretch are the first single “I Don’t Wanna Stop” and the closing track “Trap Door”, which is where most of the momentum of the album seems to reside.

This came out at around the same time as Megadeth’s “United Abominations” album, and I listen to these both together a lot, so I guess a part of my enjoyment of that album rubbed off on my opinion of this at the time. However, since then I guess a little bit of perspective has crept in, and my initial joy of the album has cooled somewhat. It isn’t a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, and both Zakk’s guitaring and Ozzy’s vocals are always great to listen to. Faith No More’s Mike Bordin on drums and new bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson play their roles well. There are probably four songs here that could probably force their way into your Ozzy playlist if you were a mind to do so, but that would probably be it.

Best Songs: “Not Going Away”, “I Don’t Wanna Stop”, “11 Silver”, “Trap Door”.

Rating: “Justify your ego, living with denial, and the thoughts so vile won't fade away.” 3/5

312. Arch Enemy / Black Earth. 1996. 4/5.

The debut release for Arch Enemy, and I can only say that I was pleasantly surprised when I first got it and put it on.
My initiation to the band was through later releases such as Anthems of Rebellion and Rise of the Tyrant, with Angela Gossage on vocals. While I don’t mind that stuff, Black Earth immediately appealed to me more than either of those two albums. In a way, I guess it is old school stuff, and their roots are where mine are as well.

All the songs are short and sweet, grab-bags of intensity. Johan Axelsson’s vocals are the perfect foil for the musical talents of the band, and to me blend so much better than modern day Arch Enemy - but of course that is just a personal opinion. The bonus at the end of the disc I have are covers of Iron Maiden’s “The Ides Of March” and “Aces High”, which are both excellent as well, and show where their hearts lie.

At a time when bands like Sepultura and Fear Factory were making this style popular, this first album for Arch Enemy is a pearler.

Favourites for me include “Cosmic Retribution”, “Bury Me An Angel” and “Transmigration Macabre”.

Rating: An excellent effort for a debut album. 4/5.

311. Midnight Oil / Bird Noises [EP]. 1980. 3/5

Early EP release from one of Australia’s best ever bands. Just the four songs, with the instrumental “Wedding Cake Island”.
Of the three other songs, one is great, one is above average, and the other is average. I’ll let you decide which is which.

Rating: The best is yet to come. 3/5

310. Iron Maiden / The Big Heat [Bootleg]. 1981. 5/5

This bootleg is an album that the band really should have released as an album. Hindsight is a wonderful thing I guess. Instead, they released the live EP Maiden Japan, which had four songs from the following evening’s performance. While that was great, this album, with the full gig, is just tremendous. A+ soundboard quality, and all the great songs from the first two albums, with Paul Di’anno in full flight all night. On this album you can understand how good the band was, even in this early incarnation. In particular, Dave Murray’s guitaring and Steve Harris’ bass lines are just awesome.

The best songs on the album are the ones that just aren’t heard live anymore. “Purgatory” is just magnificent, a bit faster than on the album, and Di’anno and Murray are just superb on this track. “Innocent Exile”, “Genghis Khan”, “Strange World” and “Drifter” are other specials, while the performance of “Twilight Zone” is one of the big rarities in recorded Maiden history.

Again – this should have been released. An important piece of Maiden history. I guess most fans, like myself, already have a copy. Those that don’t must immediately look around and find a copy. C’mon, it also has “Murders In The Rue Morgue” and “Phantom Of The Opera”! What else do you want?!

Rating: Possibly the best bootleg Iron Maiden album ever. 5/5.

309. Metallica / Big Day Out 2004 (Live In Sydney). 2004. 4/5.

Metallica’s return to Sydney after 5 years was via the Big Day Out. This bootleg constitutes the songs that were recorded by Channel [V] on pay-tv, thus it is of A+ quality.

Only one of the songs of St Anger makes the cut – “Frantic” – but the other selections are the usual customers.

Rating: Good quality bootleg, but song selection could have been a lot better. 4/5.

308. Metallica / Beyond The Wall Of Sound [Bootleg]. 1987. 5/5

This is one of the better bootlegs (that I have) of the Master Of Puppets tour, A- sound quality. The emotion and raucousness is all there though, of a band arguably at their absolute peak. This is not long after Jason Newsted had joined the band, and his bass work is exceptional on this.

All the classics are here – “Master Of Puppets”, “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”, “Ride The Lightning”, “Whiplash”, “The Thing That Should Not Be”, “The Four Horsemen”, “Am I Evil”, “Damage Inc” and “Blitzkrieg”. Not a weak song amongst them.

James is very vocal throughout, as per usual. Kirk slays. Lars hammers. Jason rocks.

Rating: As bootlegs go, it doesn’t get much better than this. 5/5.

307. Vixen / The Best Of Vixen: Full Throttle. 1999. 3/5.

We all have guilty pleasures in life. Enjoying Vixen is probably one of mine, and not one that I would say out loud very often, unless under the extreme effect of alcohol. Of course, when I am under the extreme effect of alcohol, you could quite easily press me to start singing a few lines from such songs as “Love Made Me” in an off-key loud voice.

This is a best –of compilation, but when you really only have half a dozen tracks that are catchy enough to interest the general public, you are going to be struggling a little. But hey, for a tiny moment in the late 80’s and early 90’s, they had a niche market, and were able to get under my skin just enough to stick there.

Most of the songs are very similar, and you would have to enjoy the hair metal genre to really enjoy them. As it happens, I do, and I do! 

Favourites for me are the usual suspects – “Love Made Me”, “Cryin’”, “I Want You To Rock Me” and “Edge Of A Broken Heart”.

Rating: C’mon! We’re all allowed a little moment alone, aren’t we? 3 / 5.

306. Scorpions / Best. 1999. 4.5/5

“Best” is such a subjective term. What one person calls ‘best’, another calls ‘dogmeat’.

This is a best of compilation of Scorpions. With a band like Scorpions, you can’t really go wrong. Generally it is the quality of the songs left off that is of more concern than those found on the album.
This is a great collection. “Loving You Sunday Morning”, “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, “Is There Anybody There”, “Send Me An Angel”, “Another Piece Of Meat”, “In Trance”, “Still Loving You”… the list goes on. Most impressive is the addition of the extremely Black Sabbath-sounding “I’m Going Mad”, which isn’t played very often. A great number to have on board.

If you are looking for an album to get your first taste of this great band, this is worth purchasing.

Rating: Great stuff from a great band. 4.5/5.

305. Scorpions / Best Masters Of The 70's. 2004. 4.5/5

The prefix to this album in some parts of the world is “Hot & Slow”, which generally relates to the fact that some of the album contains songs that are far too slow, ballady and wimpy for my own particular tastes. However, that aside, this is an excellent compilation. As so much of the music that Scorpions did in the 1970’s has been overlooked, this album puts out the best of that decade for you to listen to, and there are some classics in amongst them.

What it also does is showcase the transformation of the band’s sound, from that early 70’s somewhat long-winded musical exploration type of song, to the punchy rocking tracks that became their trademark in the 1980’s and beyond. Certainly, the earlier songs are good, but they don’t approach the mettle of their later and better songs.

For someone who has only heard the later material, or someone who is interested in how this band began, this is an excellent album to pick up.

Best for me include ‘Speedy’s Coming”, “In Trance”, “Dark Lady”, “Top Of The Bill”, “Virgin Killer” and “Pictured Life”

Rating: Great songs from first to last. 4.5 / 5.

304. Iron Maiden / Before The Exile [Bootleg]. 1981. 4.5/5

This 'A-' bootleg has now resurfaced on the Eddie's Archive boxset, but at the time was a fantastic boot for those that could get their hands on it.
Recorded before the advent of Killers, this is a great setlist, with Paul Di'anno in full flight. Historical note is the alternate version of the lyrics to the song "Killers", before the recording of the album.

Favourites for me include "Charlotte The Harlot", "Another Life", "Innocent Exile" and "Phantom Of The Opera"

Rating: A gem from a lost age. 4.5 / 5.

303. The Beatles / Beatles For Sale. 1964. 3.5/5

This is probably closer to the era of The Beatles that I enjoy - their early, catchy songs. They are short, radio-friendly tunes, and the album moves along briskly so that there is no chance of getting too bored with any particular song. the fact that they decided to go with so many of other people's songs instead of trusting their own writing skills is somewhat of a mystery however.

I guess there are reasons I enjoy these songs more (overall) that their later albums, and that comes from watching The Beatles cartoon that ran during the 1970's on Saturday morning TV, that had most of these songs entwined into each episode. It was a winning combination.

Favourites for me here include "No Reply", "I'm A Loser", "Baby's In Black", "I'll Follow The Sun" and "Eight Days A Week".

Rating: One of my favourites from The Beatles. 3.5/5

302. Metallica / Bay Area Thrashers [Bootleg]. 1997. 3/5.

A ‘B’ quality bootleg from the early days of Metallica, when Dave Mustaine was still in the band. He even gets lead vocals on a couple of tunes.
Worth a listen for the history and nostalgia, but not one you’ll come back to a lot.

Rating: Only for the historical significance. 3/5.

301. Avenged Sevenfold / Avenged Sevenfold. 2007. 2/5.

I must say that this was completely different to what I expected when I first chased it.
No doubt, I was expecting something more hard rock than heavy metal, which is what I got. What was surprising to me though was that it seems that this is almost an attempt to ‘update’ an 80’s hair metal album into something that people might want in this decade.
Strange? Yes. Does it work? Hmmm. Not really.

I am at a disadvantage when it comes to Avenged Sevenfold, as this is the first album of theirs that I have heard. Whether it is indicative of their style, or they have developed into this, is something I can’t compare to.
My first thoughts on it was that it was the film soundtrack to a comedy/horror movie, such was the obvious parody of 80’s hair metal in the music. Especially in songs like “A Little Piece Of Heaven”, “Almost Easy” and “Critical Acclaim”, there is a tongue-in-cheek, Guns ‘N’ Roses feel to the lyrical content. Then of course, there is the quite terribly awful attempt at a Skid Row ballad, “Dear God”.

Anyway… for me, it probably isn’t the best thing. Not overly terrible, but it isn’t quite my style.

Rating: Probably try elsewhere. 2/5

300. Trivium / Ascendancy. 2005. 3/5.

Another in the line-up of bands to be suggested as saviours of the metal genre in the new century, and another of the bands that I think have just missed the mark a tad.
Yeah OK, I’m old, and I know what I like, and I probably want everything to be an extension of that, and I know that won’t happen.

Trivium are another band that dice with the scream/clean vocals, and of course you either like it or loathe it. I’m never a big fan of it, and yet there is a twist here on Ascendancy. Whereas those songs that concentrate on the growling work for the most part, “Dying In Your Arms” comes up weak and lifeless, probably because it has a lack of those exact type of vocals.
In fact, it is that song that suggests to me that there is a hook which, if it disappears, so does the popularity of the band.
I digress…

For me, this is an average album from an average band. I don’t dislike either – in fact, I think my rating is indicative of that. However, it isn’t something I can put on too often, nor listen to over and over again. To do so just gives me a headache. Some out there may just think that is old age, and I couldn’t disagree.

Favourites for me include “Rain”, “Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr” and “A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation”.

Rating: The Album is over. My headache is waning. 3/5.

299. Death Angel / The Art Of Dying. 2004. 4.5/5

When Death Angel decided to disband following their seminal Act III, all I could wonder was WHY?!?! I couldn’t believe that a band that had released three such terrific albums were now lost to us all.
Flash forward to 2004, and I am informed by a fanatical friend that the band has returned, and they have a new album out – The Art Of Dying. He brings it over and we put it on – very, very loud.
What I couldn’t believe is that they had returned louder, heavier and even more encapsulating than they had been back in the late eighties. Vocally, Mark Osegueda is just superb, brining a harder and more mature edge to his singing. The guitaring of Rob Cavestany and new recruit Ted Aguilar is also just awesome, and all the time pumped along by the rhythm section.

To listen to Act III and The Art Of Dying back to back is amazing. Two great albums, separated by 14 years, differing from each other and yet so similar.

This album is a triumphant return for a band that I thought we had seen the last of. With any luck, the best is still yet to come.

Favourites for me here include “Thrown To The Wolves”, “5 Steps Of Freedom”, “Thicker Than Blood” and “Prophecy”.

Rating: One of the best finds of the mid-2000’s for me. 4.5 / 5.

298. Killswitch Engage / As Daylight Dies. 2006. 3.5/5

A funny thing happened when I went to see Anthrax in concert one day… there was this support band called Killswitch Engage… and they were mightily impressive! Which meant I eventually got around to getting this album to see what it was like.

I find myself surprised still that this appeals to me. It’s not in my usual genre of metal, but it’s catchy. Probably the thing that first drew me to it was that Howard’s clear vocals tricked me into thinking it was Mike Patton singing. To me, the similarity is uncanny. From there, it’s easy to take in the music itself – punchy, raw in places, melodic and heavy throughout.
In the modern world of heavy metal, Killswitch Engage are one of the leaders, because they stay true to the roots of metal while still modernizing the sound that is a natural progression of the genre.

Have they captured me completely? No – not quite in my field of metal. But this album is great, and needs to be played loud to gain the full effect.

Favourites me include “Daylight Dies”, “This Is Absolution” and “My Curse”

Rating: One for the new generation. 3.5/5

297. Arch Enemy / Anthems of Rebellion. 2003. 3/5.

I have only recently come into Arch Enemy, and this is the first album I have given a good listen to apart from their most recent release, Rise Of The Tyrant.
This being said, I must make it clear that the growling style of vocals is not at the top of my list. Some I can handle, others I can’t. Here, Angela Gossow is bearable.

What is outstanding is the musicianship. Great guitars and riffs are what makes this album. In fact, every time I have put this album on and heard the music, I still expect a completely different style of vocals to come out. However, as I said, great riffs, good solos and harmonies.

This is a good album. Fans of Arch Enemy will love it. Non-fans will probably despise it. My prejudices about the vocals hold my rating back, but that is only my individual taste.

Favourites for me include “We Will Rise”, “Dead Eyes See No Future”, “Marching On A Dead End Road” and “Despicable Heroes”.

Rating: Overall, an album I could put on occasionally, but not constantly. 3/5.

296. Exodus / Another Lesson In Violence. 1997. 3/5

You’ve got to love a live album that gives you what you want. And for most fans of Exodus, Bonded In Blood, the first album, is the one you would like to hear given the live treatment. And here on Another Lesson In Violence it is. Most of it, anyway.

Having come into Exodus in a much later time in my life than I should have, they are more a nostalgia kick for me. Certainly, when I was getting into metal in my teenage years, this is a band I should have discovered.
However, this live album, recorded in 1997, brings all of those old songs to life, and is a great listen. Good songs, great riffs, all round good performance. Worth a listen, even if it is your first experience with Exodus. It’ll light your fire a little.

Favourites for me include “Bonded By Blood”, “And Then There Were None”, “Deliver Us To Evil” and “Impaler”

Rating: Good to catch up again. 3/5.

295. The Buggles / The Age Of Plastic. 1980. 3/5.

I have recently come to the conclusion that I need to track down the albums by those bands dubbed as having “One Hit Wonders”, and see what the rest of their music was like. This was the first one I have dipped into, The Age Of Plastic.

This is pure 80’s sugar pop, perhaps even ahead of its time. The wonderful use of keyboards and synths along with bass guitar and drums, catchy tunes, even catchier lyrics and choruses. Almost everything that made the 80’s what it was in pop music – both good and bad – can be found on this one album.
OK, perhaps its just nostaligia. In 2008, I can listen to music from this era and laugh along, sometimes sing the words, and not feel embarrassed or pressured that I should NOT like it. In 1988, I could never have done it, nor admitted it if I did.
Of course, the song that made me seek out the album is “Video Killed The Radio Star” (my daughters, both under 5, sing every word to this song now). Listening to the album, I find it remarkable that they only made one further album, because they seem to have the plot down pat.

Favourites for me include “Video Killed The Radio Star”, “Living In The Plastic Age”, “I Love You (Miss Robot)” and “Johnny On The Monorail”.

Rating: Pure pop, but considering some of the rubbish that is on the radio today, you can do worse. 3/5.

294. Metallica / Acoustic Metal 18-12-97 [Bootleg]. 1998. 0.5/5

Listening to this bootleg is like pulling teeth, and there is no anesthesia either… (yeah, a little joke to start things off).

Perhaps the best part of this album is the recording – soundboard A+ quality, as taken from an FM radio broadcast. Then it goes downhill.

Low Man’s Lyric… well, I dislike the song immensely anyway, so nothing could kill that. Then there is Helpless – Diamond Head should sue them for ever allowing them to do it.

But it gets worse. The Four Horsemen sounds like a country and western song, and also includes *gag* *splutter* James playing harmonica as well. Seriously – what in the hell is all that about?!?! What happened to these guys in the 1990’s? What ever made them believe that this was a good idea?!?

Poor Twisted Me, Nothing Else Matters… pft. Junk.

Creeping Death unplugged anyone? No? Well, they do it anyway, and with harmonica again.

Metallica and Friends it is billed as. Pepper Keenan, Corrosion Of Conformity, Jerry Cantrell as well. Oh, the horror, the horror….

Rating: This is a travesty that should never have occurred. Shame. Shame. Shame. 0.5/5.

293. The Beatles / Abbey Road. 1969. 3.5/5

So – this is the number one rated album of all time. Well, I guess you have to have been alive when it was released to fully appreciate it then (I came along two weeks later…).

The Beatles are one of those bands that just about everyone has been exposed to, and thusly there must be a wide variety of opinions on their music and individual albums. I guess for me, like most of the Beatles albums, this album is divided by the very good from the just average. And in general, it is the songs that I have had more exposure to that I enjoy more. Probably why they became singles in the first place I guess.

Some of the songs I find really annoying though. “Oh! Darling” is like someone running their fingernails down a blackboard. “I Want You” drags on for nearly eight minutes, and does nothing for me whatsoever. “You Never Give Me Your Money” doesn’t inspire me at all, there just isn’t a hook there to grab me. OK – there is probably some sort of deeper message I’m supposed to have gotten with all of these songs, but on a superficial level I find them dead weight. It is difficult sometimes to compare them to those songs on the album that I do enjoy however, as they are all of the same beast.
Being a devoted follower of heavy metal perhaps clouds my ‘vision’ of this album. But none of us are the same are we? And though this is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, I’m afraid I don’t agree so readily.

Favourites for me on the album include usuals – “Come Together”, “Something” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”

Rating: I think they did others that were better. 3.5 / 5

292. Sebastian Bach / Angel Down. 2007. 2.5 / 5

A new Seb Bach album was something I hadn’t even thought of, until Amazon sent me a reminder that Angel Down had been released, and that I should check it out. And so I did.

OK, so it’s not a masterpiece. In fact, it sounds like someone who is searching for their youth once again, to rediscover the spark that made them who they are. And perhaps that is what I am seeking from him also, which is going to be difficult to achieve.
So, to my ears, this sounds like a great mishmash, between trying to find the heaviness of Slave To The Grind, the ballads of Skid Row, and a modern kind of hard rock radio friendly type vibe. In the end, it doesn’t really work on any of those levels. He’s certainly given it a go, and there are songs on here that you can listen to and enjoy, just not to a level that I guess I was hoping for.

The appearance of Axl Rose of three tracks is amusing. Can’t seem to release an album of his own, but he can find time to drop by and do a duet on three songs with Seb. Of the three, “(Love Is A) Bitchslap” is probably the most effective.

Best for me on the album are “(Love Is A) Bitchslap”, “You Bring Me Down” and “Live And Die”

RATING: This is still better than the stuff Skid Row are bringing out these days, but it is generally just average. 2.5 / 5.