A Chronological History of my Music Library

It's a double release day! On the same day as my last release and just a year since "The Blessed Hellride", Black Label Society released their fifth album "Hangover Music Vol. VI" on April 20, 2004. For the first time on a BLS album Zakk Wylde gets some help on bass with James LoMenzo playing about half the songs, John DeServio playing bass on four songs and even one song with Mike Inez from Alice In Chains! This album is unlike any other BLS album in that it's largely acoustic based, but not entirely. There are still your expected electric guitar solos, but most songs have either an acoustic guitar or piano base to them. Let's check out the softer side to BLS! The album begins with the song featuring Inez and it's called "Crazy Or High". Zakk leads the way with a cool acoustic riff that has some nice faster bits to it and he also overlays some slow, epic electric guitar overtop. Wylde sings a soft verse that nicely matches the mood and he ...

A week after my last release and almost three years since their debut "Sinner", Drowning Pool released their second album "Desensitized" on April 20, 2004. The reason for the long delay is sadly the death of lead singer Dave Williams due to heart failure. This obviously shook the band up, but they persevered with new lead singer Jason Jones, but are still playing the same nu-metal style. Let's check out their latest! The album kicks off with "Think" and it's got a slow but hard-hitting main riff led by C.J. Pierce on guitar and we hear Jones for the first time and he seems to have a decent nu-metal voice as he sings in a pretty low voice and then raises it up to a nice loud yell at times as well. They don't stray too far from the main drag once it's established but things sound solid, including some nice drums by Mike Luce at times, and Jones sounds best when he's yelling at the top of his lungs! Up next is the album's lead single ...

A week after my last release and almost two years since "Strange Beautiful Music", Joe Satriani released his tenth album "Is There Love In Space?" on April 13, 2004. Joe is still playing his usual style of instrumental rock, but for the first time since "Joe Satriani" he also sings in a couple songs. Joe isn't the best singer, but let's not judge too much before we listen! The album kicks off with "Gnaahh" and as Joe is so great at he lays down a pretty cool rhythm guitar riff before coming in with some flashier lead guitar overtop. There's lots of Distortion on his guitar and things sound pretty cool and Joe's bass in the background is pretty sweet as well if you listen for it! Joe delivers a lengthy guitar solo with a couple different parts to it and all of it sounds pretty awesome as he is shredding it very nicely! This was a great way to start off the album! Up next is "Up In Flames" and it's got more of a classi...

A little over two years since their last album Napalm Death released their tenth album "Order of the Leech" on October 21, 2002. After 7 albums of the same line-up we have a change as guitarist Jesse Pintado is no longer with the band. He is not replaced as Mitch Harris takes over all the guitar duties and Napalm Death return to being a four-piece. Let's see if less is more on this latest effort! The album begins with "Continuing War On Stupidity" and Harris leads the way with a cool sliding guitar riff while Shane Embury and Danny Herrera provide your typical grindcore rhythm section: that means they're going insanely fast and things sound pretty heavy! Barney Greenway comes in with his usual barking vocals and he is just belting his head off with tons of nice high screams. The chorus has Greenway screaming "Thatcher, Reagan, Bush - that's one three-headed beast. It's the loathing behind the eyes!" and it's a short but to the point cho...

On the same day as my last release and about two and a half years since their debut EP "Three Neuron Kings", Disillusion released their first album "Back To Times Of Splendor" on April 6, 2004. Disillusion fully embrace their progressivesness on this first full-length release with no song shorter than 4:53 and two that are over 14 minutes long! Let's check out their first full album! The album kicks off with "...And The Mirror Cracked" and Vurtox is of course in the spotlight with a pretty sweet lead guitar riff while Rajk Barthel plays some nice heavy rhythm guitar as well. Jens Maluschka plays some pretty fast and cool drums as well and once Vurtox starts to scream overtop in a solid low voice everything sounds pretty headbangingly sweet! Vurtox sings in the chorus and his singing is just decent still, but the music continues to sound great. After a couple pretty cool rounds they show off some nice progressiveness with a smooth segue into a softer ne...

A year since their cover EP and two years since "Words From The Exit Wound", Napalm Death released their ninth album "Enemy Of The Music Business" on September 25, 2000". Napalm Death have finally moved away from their experimental 90s period and return to more of their traditional grindcore sound. Sounds good to me, let's check it out! The albul kicks off with the short "Taste The Poison" and they jump right into a not grindcore, but pretty fast-paced main riff and Barney Greenway sounds pretty great alternating low and high screams. It doesn't take long for them to switch to an even faster riff though and it's nice to hear Napalm Death firing on all cylinders once again! Shane Embury's bass sounds distorted and solid in the background and this is a fitting way to kick off their return to their roots! Up next is "Next On The List" and Danny Herrera is playing a pretty cool drumbeat that is slightly offbeat but still super fa...