octobercd

FAVORITE CDs of OCTOBER 2001

I havn't written one of these Top 5 lists in the longest time. But that will change seeing as I'm trying to add a lot more content to this site. See, the more content you have, the more people are gonna want to visit it. Get it? So, these little lists serve almost as mini-reviews for the selected albums of the month. Now, I *could* take each of my albums and scrutinize them until I make the bands themselves cry, but that would take a huge amount of time on my part. So I'll save some time and share with you these user-friendly Top 5 lists. Lets get started with what I've been listening to a lot over the last month and a half...

5. Pig- Wrecked (1997. Waxtrax!/TVT)
This album includes some real great pieces of music. Raymond Watts has never quite gotten the credit he deserves for well...not exactly innovating but for being a really great addition to the industrial/coldwave movement of the early to mid 90s. Despite the lack of attention and press his band <PIG> recieves, the man has gotten standing ovations from fans of his work outside the band. Raymond Watts was a founding member of KMFDM and is also known for his work in bands such as Psychic TV, Einsturzende Neaubauten (please correct me if i'm spelling this wrong) and Schaft among others. Unlike a lot of singers in the genre, Raymond has always stood out among the crowd because of his voice. He can go from a gutteral growl to a unsettling whisper in a matter of moments and it fits the music appropriately. His works are also very versatile; one <PIG> song can be an intense, full of guitars and strings and loud vocals and the next song can be a complete departure..Raymond singing soft to psuedo lounge music.

"Wrecked" is <PIG>'s fifth album, coming off the heels of "Sinsation" the album released on Nothing/Interscope which should of but never took off quite the way it was expected to. The sound isnt a far cry from the sounds on the latter but at the same time it takes many more chances and is an overall much harsher listen. While some fans accused songs on Sinsation of sounding like second-rate Marilyn Manson knockoffs, Wrecked finds <PIG> taking a sound which is must faster and guitar driven while not at all abandoning the keyboards which are a trademark of <PIG>'s sound. There are some soft moments but Wrecked is a demanding listen all the way through. Highlights: 'Contempt', 'Sanctuary', 'No One...'

4. Front 242- Front by Front (1988. Waxtrax!)
Front 242 almost single handedly coined the musical genre EBM (electronic body music), a sound which takes the pulse and spirit of industrial music but is a hell of a lot dancier. The guitars are sparse, but the beats are heavy and plentiful. Front by Front may sound minimalist at first but after several listens you'll come to realize how much time the band must of put into this recording. J.L. Demeyer and crew don't offer much in the way of variety, however some of these songs are classics. 'Headhunter' has been done over once again, another remix among many. Infact, F242 licensed a remix cd a few years back which saw the song remixed atleast twenty times over! Yes, it was (and still is) that popular. 'Until Death' and 'Circling Overland' start the album. Both of them are awesome songs full of huge throbbing beats and deep vocals, very good stuff. Other songs worth mentioning are 'In Rhythmus Bleiben' and 'Terminal State'. One of my favorite albums.

3. Metallica- And Justice for All (Elektra 1988)
Perhaps the bands most popular recording, And Justice For All never did the numbers subsequent albums brought in, but among critics and fans alike the album remains a favorite, perhaps for several reasons. AJFA was the last album Metallica recorded before taking their huge commercial turn. It also features some of Hetfield and Ulrich's most intricate songwriting; songs which cross the metal border and include some exquisite classical guitar playing (the largely instrumental "To Live is To Die"). Its a shame that most people consider todays Metallica sold-out washups because all of their albums prior to 1996's Load were consistently great (allthough the Black Album is weak at times).

AFJA features some of my favorite Metallica songs. 'Blackened' is incredible in the sense that they could play a song of this speed with such precision. While contemporary metal bands reach this speed frequently, in my ears they don't quite pull it off without sounding painfully loud and sloppy. The title track is almost ten minutes long, a song which opens with a sweet acoustic riff before launching into some powerhouse drums and sinister guitars. 'One' is perhaps their best song ever, a seven and a half minute epic which fuses an ensemble of beautiful clean guitar, furious palm muting and one of Kirk Hammett's best solos. It has to be heard to be believed. 'Harvester of Sorrow' is notable for its dry hollow sound and tribal drums. The aformentioned 'To Live is to Die' is a great instrumental. Some of the guitar work will take you to a higher place, no kidding. So, if you're skeptical about checking this out, please try to remember that there was a time when these four guys made some awesome music. A time before "Enter Sandman" and the TRL appearances. A time when they were still relevant to the scene.

2. Ministry- The Land of Rape and Honey (Sire 1987)
I'm on an 80's music binge this month, aren't I? And I'm covering yet another band which took a huge turn for the worse. The Land of Rape and Honey is Ministry's third album, fourth if you consider the 12" singles compilation released in the early 80s and was a huge breakthrough for the band. While 1986's Twitch introduced the band to more guitars and harsher rythms, Land found the band taking a harsh industrial-metal path, with loud keyboards and really harsh vocals. Al Jourgensen (the Ministry mastermind) was addicted to heroin around these times and it shows on this album. While its unfortunate Al took to such heavy drug use, it resulted in nearly ALL of his best music. 'Deity' is a great song. "RESURRECTION COMING IN STEREO!, HE COMES FOR ME, DEITY!". Other highlights include "Stigmata', "The Missing", the title track and the ultra-violent "Flashback".

1. Smashing Pumpkins- Gish (Virgin 1991)
This album served as an interesting and humble beginning to a band which became bigger then life, a showcase spectacle of rock splendor and ego. Gish was released around the same time of Nirvana's Nevermind and was unfortunately swallowed by the hype which surrounded the latter. The album certainly doesn't show Billy Corgan's best songwriting but its without a doubt a Smashing Pumpkins record down to the layered guitars and tuneful harmonies. The single "Siva" sounds like what you'd get if Dave Navarro and Jimi Hendrix were to jam together. The song goes all over the place in the span of four minutes and ends with a band. Very cool. "Rhinocerous" is the first to show off the bands soft side. The ballad's repetitive chorus is somehow never sounds mundane, maybe because of the sweeping guitar work. Yes, the guitar work. Thats one thing Billy Corgan is seldom given credit for; What he lacks for in voice (allthough he sounds a LOT less whiny on Gish he definately makes up for in his playing. Highlights: "Siva", "Rhinocerous", "Buryme".