A Chronological History of my Music Library

It's a quintuple release day (three full albums and two single songs) and a long three years since "White Pony", Deftones released their fourth album "Deftones" on May 20, 2003. This is easily their most experimental album yet, with Deftones dipping their toes into several different genres. Frank Delgado also plays less turntables and more keyboards, especially synthesizers, giving things a different than usual feel, while still sounding like Deftones. Let's check it out! The album kicks off with it's second single "Hexagram" and after a quiet opening they slam nicely into a slow but heavy main riff with Chino Moreno sounding pretty great mixing singing and some long-held screams. They speed things up in the chorus as the pace of the music and Chino's vocals pick up nicely. He holds a couple super long, high pitched and piercing screams that sound super heavy and Stephen Carpenter is playing some pretty cool guitar throughout. It's a bi...

On the same day as my last release and two years since "Break The Cycle" Staind released their fourth album "14 Shades Of Grey" on May 20, 2003. This album went to #1 on the charts and had four singles, but I only have one song off this album, the hit single "So Far Away". It's a light song driven by a fluffy and catchy guitar riff and things sound very smooth even before Aaron Lewis comes in to sing a nice post-grunge verse overtop in his recognizable voice. They slam into a much louder chorus with some simple but decently heavy guitar and Lewis sounds solid belting out the catchy chorus overtop. It's no wonder this song was so popular, it's extremely accessible and very smooth. After a couple rounds some orchestral instruments make things sound pretty epic before they jam out the chorus pretty nicely to finish things off. Solid single for sure, a worthy addition to the library.

A week after my last release and two years since "So Sedated, So Secure", Darkest Hour released their third album "Hidden Hands Of A Sadist Nation" on May 20, 2003. Darkest Hour are still playing the same style of melodic death metal but their original line-up suffers a couple casualties. Guitarist Fred Ziomek and bassist Billups Allen have both left the band and they are replaced by new guitarist Kris Norris and new bassist Paul Burnette. Let's see what the latest has to offer! The album kicks off with "The Sadist Nation" and they dive right into a furiously fast and typical Darkest Hour riff with Ryan Parrish playing some super fast drums, Mike Schleibaum playing a super fast rhythm guitar riff, Norris adding some slower, epic lead guitar overtop and John Henry angrily barking along with some fast vocals in his usual heavy, but monotone voice. The guitars sync up nicely in the chorus and things are furiously rolling on through several fast rounds. He...

A week after my last release and two years since his last appearance in my library, Marilyn Manson released his fifth album "The Golden Age Of Grotesque" on May 13, 2003. Longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez has left the band and replacing him is new bassist Tim Sköld. Marilyn Manson was actually a little fed up with the popularity of nu-metal at the time and he strived to make this album less traditional nu-metal and goes more of an electronic/industrial vibe, while still keeping things nice and heavy. This is my only full album by Marilyn Manson, let's check it out! The album begins with a short intro song called "Thaeter" and it's got a slow, industrial vibe like a factory just starting up it's operations. It leads right into the album's lead single "This Is The New Shit" and Madonna Wayne Gacy plays some dark and creepy keyboards, John 5 plays a low, stop-and-start guitar riff and Ginger Fish adds a cool offbeat drum beat. Manson begins the ...

It's a double release day! A new band joins my library when Anberlin released their debut album "Blueprints For The Black Market" on May 6, 2003. But who is Anberlin? They are a five-piece alternative pop-rock band from Winter Haven, Florida consisting of drummer Nathan Young, bassist Deon Rexroat, rhythm guitarist Joey Bruce, lead guitarist Joseph Milligan and lead singer Stephen Christian. Anberlin are definitely a rock band but Christian has a high, pop-y voice and it's a lighter style of rock. Let's see what Anberlin is all about! The album kicks off with it's lead single "Readyfuels" and Milligan and Bruce team up for a solid hard-hitting chorus riff. The verse has simpler guitar riff but it's decently catchy and we hear Christian's high, pop-y voice for the first time as he leads a nice verse that matches the mood pretty well. Christian holds lots of long notes in the chorus and things are a pretty solid mix of pop-rock. They don't ...

A week after my last release and two and a half years since "New American Gospel", Lamb Of God released their third album "As The Palaces Burn" on May 6, 2003. Lamb Of God continue to play the same style of super heavy yet super groovy metal and they have a new producer, and his name is Devin Townsend! Heavy Devy himself helps make Lamb Of God sound great, let's check it out! The album kicks off with "Ruin" and they dive right into a fantastically heavy main riff with Mark Morton leading the way with some pretty cool leaf guitar. John Campbell and Willie Adler back him with some similar, quieter bass and rhythm guitar and Chris Adler plays some solid drums as well. Randy Blythe enters with his one-of-a-kind vocals as he nicely screams at both extremes: screaming in a great low voice most of the time, but also hitting some awesome super high screams. Things roll right into a similarly heavy and cool chorus and afterwards Morton even delivers a pretty ep...