Metal Militia III [Import]

Metal Militia III [Import]

Track Listings

1. Hit The Lights - Meldrum

2. The Shortest Straw - Snowgoose

3. The Call Of Ktulu - Headroom

4. Ride Teh Lightning - Frozen Sun

5. Seek And Destroy - Mornland

6. Enter Sandman - Out

7. One - Impious

8. Momory Remains - Spleen

9. Nothing Else Maters - Cava

10. Hero Of The Day - Skainmate

11. No Remorse - Diabolical

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Scandinavian tribute album featuring 11 tracks, Meldrum 'Hit The Lights', Snowgoose 'The Shortest Straw', Headroom 'The Call Of Ktulu', Frozen Sun 'Ride The Lightning', Mornaland 'Seek & Destroy', Out 'Enter Sandman', Impious 'One', Spleen 'Memory Remains

Tracks:

Immigrant Song
Friends
Celebration Day
Since I've Been Loving You
Out On The Tiles
Gallows Pole
Tangerine
That's The Way
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Hats Off To (Roy) Harper

Amazon.com

After plundering the Yardbirds' legacy and Willie Dixon (among others) for their blues-riff-heavy first two albums, Jimmy Page and company surprised many listeners with the strong acoustic/folk sensibility displayed on III. Page aficionados shouldn't have been caught off guard; the guitarist had toyed with similar sensibilities and modalities during his brief tenure with the Yardbirds (most notably "White Summer" from the Little Games album). Ever the creative thieves, Zep kick off the album by nicking the riff from "Bali Ha'i" no less, with Robert Plant wailing it to punctuate the thundering FM warhorse "Immigrant Song." Even other electric rockers like "Celebration Day" and "Out on the Tiles" have an inventive, offbeat musicality to them that suggest the band was already wary of stereotyping. But it's the decidedly mellower acoustic groove of the album's latter half that's the news here, from the graceful beauty of "That's the Way" and "Tangerine" to the raw, folksy charm of "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp," "Hats Off (to Roy Harper)," and the traditional "Gallows Pole." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The heart of my entire collection!.......2007-07-25

A rare group where original albums are the only way to go! Plays like a "Greatest Hits"! The very heart of my entire collection! Do lyrics get any better than "That's the Way"? Does blues get any better than "Since I've Been Loving You"?

****1/2 Stars. THE underrated Led Zep album.......2007-05-20

Led Zeppelin III (1970) Led Zeppelin's third studio album.

After two albums in 1969 that had helped developed the blues-rock/hard-rock sound, as well as create several FM radio staples, Led Zeppelin went in a different direction with their third record. "III" is one of their more overlooked works, due mostly to its folk sound. Besides the storming opener "Immigrant Song", the other tracks are relatively unknown to casual listeners. My thoughts? Their loss; this album has been unmarkedly though subtly influential on modern music.

"III" seems to have been made by the band in the spirit as though they were afraid of being labeled specifically as a blues band. Page is mostly on the acoustic guitar here, with Plant showing that he could actually sing - something not really heard on the first two albums. But the highlights here, putting aside the obvious "Immigrant Song", are the folk-ish "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", the meandering "Friends", and the shifting "Out on the Tiles".

As I've said in reviews of other Led Zeppelin CDs, the sound quality is amazing. While most other CDs seem to lack the warmth distortion of the original vinyls, these remasters were overseen by Mr. Page himself. Don't worry about being disappointed in that department, all you have to worry about is how you're going to enjoy it.

Cooled off........2007-05-08

After a pair of great blues/rock albums, Led Zeppelin decided for their third record that it was time for a change of pace. Largely leaving behind the blues roots they embraced so heavily, this one recesses the blues tinge and replaces it with a more overt folk sound-- this was certainly present on earlier albums, but here it's the main voice.

Of course, this isn't immediately obvious, the record does open with a fierce, screamed, churning "Immigrant Song", a two and a half minute slice of heavy metal, but it settles down pretty quickly, and indeed the record's best material is quite tame and dominated by some fine ballads (almost slulggish "Since I've Been Loving You", acoustic "Tangerine", the absolutely fantastic guitar and mandolin number "That's the Way"). The exception to this amongst the real greats on the record is traditional "Gallows Pole"-- soaked in acoustic guitars and mandolins, it picks up a lilt and energy and didn't receive nearly as much attention as it should have until the mid-90s Page/Plant reunion.

Still, unlike their first two records, some pieces on here just don't do it for me-- "Friends" is a bit too disjoint for its own good and "Out on the Tiles" is suspiciously filler-like. It's strengths certainly overtake its weaknesses, but in the Led Zeppelin catalog, "III" is substantially weaker than the records around it.

Led Free.......2007-04-06

Third time around, and they get it right again. From the squeak of Bonham's kickdrum (the requisite blues "Since I've Been Loving You") to Page's only performance on banjo (the gotcha-anyway "Gallows Pole") there ain't a duff track here. It's a quantum leap sideways from the heaviness of LZ II, and the landing is perfect. Criminy, "Celebration Day" is brilliant enough even with (actually, I think, because of) the botched intro - - when Jones's bass and Bonham's drums finally clamber in, the track takes off and carries the album with it; Page's guitar work on this track is awesome. And Led Zeppelin had flirted with acoustic music before, but the full-blown folk rock on III proves their eclecticism once and for all - - "That's The Way" is simply beautiful in its melancholy. It's a wildly diverse album, and as such shows that Led Zeppelin was at this point bursting with ideas. Anyone remember Lucifer's Friend? They copped Plant's Viking wail from the high-octane, octave-riffed "Immigrant Song" for the first song on their own debut. So what, you say? Exactly.

zepplin's most acoustic set of songs........2007-04-03

this, zepplin's most acoustically orriented album, while not one of their overrall masterpieces, still has plenty of great material on it: more than enough to make it a must-have for lovers of rock and roll. the acoustic songs "friends," and "that's the way," are simply great. not to be missed. "celebration day" is the best rocker on the album; another song that you shouldn't miss out on. "since i've been loving you," is a masterpiece, one of led zepplin's best songs: a blues melody that is absolutely gorgeous. all and all, another wonderful album from led zepplin that is definitely a fine addition to any household.

Average customer rating:

The best Danzig!
old
another classic
Dont read reviews by Justin Paxton
One of my alltime favorite albums

Danzig III: How the Gods Kill
Danzig
Manufacturer: American Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Danzig II: Lucifuge
Danzig IV
Danzig
Danzig
777: I Luciferi

ASIN: B000068GA3
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Godless
Anything
Bodies
How The Gods Kill
Dirty Black Summer
Left Hand Black
Heart Of The Devil
Sistinas
Do You Wear The Mark
When The Dying Calls

Customer Reviews:

The best Danzig!.......2007-07-18

If this album were just one song, it would be a must have for any true Danzig fan (or metal fan for that matter).

Left Hand Black is one of most intense songs of all time. Its vocals are terrific and the actual music is flat out insipring.

Of course, their are other great songs on the album. But Left Hand Black is potentially one of the greatest songs of all time!

old.......2007-05-25

This album is so frickin old, kiss your career goodbye in the next 3 definately 4 years.

another classic .......2007-02-18

This album is one of his best. I reviewed this once before, but it never showed up here. So here I go again.

First off, this was released back in 1992. I don't remember alot of the music from the time being particularly memorable. Some of it was. This was when grunge started to become all the rage and I would have sold my arm to hear something else, anything else.

This album, though not a million seller, was virtually ignored. This really deserved a wider audience.

Anyway, to the songs. Godless is one of those dark songs that caught me instantly. The opening drums and the guitar riff are just amazing. The song then slows down a bit being punctuated with great chords and little drum fills. The lyrics to this are not as sacrilegious as the title suggests. The spoken words at the end of the tracks are more like poetry and a bit spooky.

Anything is a great mix of light and heavy and remains one of my favorite tracks. It's written and sung very well. Bodies is a bit annoying for me. It is a great song and the lyrics are very dark, but something about it doesn't feel right to me. Maybe its the production. I don't know

How The Gods Kill starts out very quiet and once again the dark lyrics bring many images to mind. This gets nice and heavy in the middle and ends as quietly as it started. Dirty Black Summer is one of the best songs here. I love the spooky, windy type sound that starts this track.

Left Hand Black is lyrically one of the best. I wish the music were a bit different though. It sounds to me like it could have used a little quiet part in the middle, but instead it just has a little section of bass and drums playing instead. Heart of the Devil starts with just Danzig's voice before the music kicks in. This has a good vibe to it and his voice is in fine shape here.

Sistinas is a nice slow song that never really gets heavy. Almost any heavy band out there can produce a song like this. This almost sounds like a love song, but careful examination of the lyrics reveal it as something much darker. I'll leave it to you to figure out. Do You Wear the Mark is another of my favorite tracks, the lyrics and music working very well together.

When the Dying Calls is the ending track here. I don't like this as much, but it's still a decent song. The lyrics are well written, but compared to the closer on the previous albums still one falls a bit short.

One more note on the cover art. I am a huge fan of HR Giger and this painting for the cover was a very good idea. Alot of his work is like this so if you're interested at all just Google his name and look up some images.

This is five stars. There are a few weaker songs here, but no bad songs. If you're into Gothic type rock you should already have this. If you're interested in goth rock and want to know a bit about it, this is a great place to start.

Dont read reviews by Justin Paxton.......2006-11-29

I couldnt hold my tongue any longer...any reviewer who thinks Metallicas Master of Puppets sucks and gives The Geto Boys a rave review has no frigging business anywhere near metal. This bonehead hates Bob Dylan, I guess he never took the time to read any of the lyrics to some of the old gems. Im sorry but dude just stick to reviewing rap albums and save us the negative bull****!

One of my alltime favorite albums.......2006-08-23

Basically this is one of those albums that even though is different from the traditional metal and punk style it still come out great. This album is basically a throwback, to the beginning stages of metal in the 70's, and some thrash elements from the 80's, along with some blues and some some satanic songs and you got top notch album. Glenn Danzig has a crooners voice which sounds melodic but the raspiness of his voice gives a scarier edge at times that could give a haunting voice at times.John Christ's guitarring is great from crushing, melodic riffs and great solos, almost Iommi-esque style. Chuck Biscuits drumming actually has grown on me, here he nessesarily overuses the double bass drum but he still came up with great drumming patterns. EErie Hun, bass is audible, and sometimes adds jazzy style bass licks at times.

Many songs here are dark, gothic like and satanic at points, the slow tempo of some songs are haunting and then kick up steam. Some almost feel like a thrash assault. Basically this album is hard to find one bad song, because I enjoyed the whole album, but my picks on Danzig 3 are Left Hand Black(fav track) Dirty Black Summer, Anything, Bodies, How the Gods Kill, Do you wear the Mark, Godless and Heart of the Devil. Pick this album up, ypu wont be dissapointed.

Average customer rating:

This Is What It Was All About
Prog. Thrash at its best
Good old school thrash!
Casualty of the Grunge Movement? My Ass! - These Guys Suck!
I like it!

Act III
Death Angel
Manufacturer: Geffen Gold Line Sp.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Archives and Artifacts
Art of Dying
The Years of Decay
The Legacy
The New Order

ASIN: B000000OZH
Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

Seemingly Endless Time
Stop
Veil Of Deception
The Organization
Discontinued
A Room With A View
Stagnant
Ex-Tc
Disturbing The Peace
Falling Asleep

Customer Reviews:

This Is What It Was All About.......2007-01-10

This CD should be ranked up there with Metallica's Master of Puppets and Megadeth's Peace Sells. This was groundbreaking Metal and still holds it own nearly 20 years later. From the infamous San Francisco Thrash movement, Death Angel's Act III is an absolute must for any serious Headbanger's collection.

Prog. Thrash at its best.......2006-01-13

Act III is the best prog-metal album ever produced. The production quality is obvious within the first thirty seconds. These guys must have poured their hearts and souls into this record. Seemingly Endless Time and Stop have more tricks and surprises than most metal albums in their entirety. Veil of Deception and Room With a View are acoustic wonders. Musically and production-wise these songs hold no imperfections. Aside from Everlast, I don't think anyone has done this well recording acoustic hard rock. Discontinued...This song is an absolute masterpiece. The guitar changes gears from Hendrix/Foxy Lady style hooks to balls out metal shredding. Somewhere in the introduction, there's a funk/bass thing reminisent of Infectious Grooves-style jam metal paired with incredible drum rhythms most would use only as fills. About two minutes pass before the singing kicks in, and it's the most intense two minutes of the album. I know some feel that Osegueda's vocals are tough to get used to but not any harder than Bobby Blitz from Overkill or the snarls of Dave Mustaine. He has a clear, non-Dio, vocal styling a little different from the average metal god (think Flotsam and Jetsam's Eric AK without the perilling screams). I can't say enough about this album. It's not mindless thrash fun like Exodus or Nuclear Assault, but it's not overly amazing musical witchery like Dream Theater either. Musically, a modern-day cohort would be System of a Down. If you are a musician and Master of Puppets or Peace Sells is your favorite metal album of all time, I would say this would come in around 5 or 6 (after South of Heaven and Vulgar Display of power). They are different from every other band in their time, so don't expect "the same old thrash album." The trick to enjoying the record is listening to it the whole way through. Listen to it cranked up and be ready to rock. The overly reverbed snare that kicks Seemingly Endless Time into gear will rip you apart.

Good old school thrash!.......2005-09-09

I just bought this to replace the scratched copy in my collection, but have owned this since back in the day. I believe this was Death Angel's last studio album before forming The Organization. Great for what it is. Has a lot of slower tempo stuff than their 2 previous thrash monsters, but the music is still great. Any Death Angel fan should own this in their collection~it's cheap no matter where you get it. Songs like Seemingly Endless Time are worth owning this. If you like it a bit harder, check out their first two The Ultraviolence and Frolic Through The Park.

Casualty of the Grunge Movement? My Ass! - These Guys Suck!.......2005-06-29

Ok, sorry for being so blunt, but this CD sucks from beginning to end....

First, I remember loving 1 song by these guys back in the old days, growing up in the late 80s....The song was Thrashers from the Ultra-Violence album....I saw this CD on Amazon for $2.00, so I figured I'd see how they progressed over the years....

The CD starts off hard, fast, and powerful....Ok, then after that 5 seconds of adrenalin (literally, 5 seconds), these old guys apparently need a breather, because everything afterward is slow and powerless (except MAYBE 2 mediocre songs at the end of the CD)....

In my opinion, Thrash is supposed to make you want to jump out into the middle of a moshpit and release all your adrenalin....Bang your head, pump your fists, and just go nutty....You will get none of that from this CD....

The production quality is much greater than their stuff in the late 80s, but that's most likely just because of cheaper technology....Ok, that's the only positive I can think of about this CD....seriously....

These guys do absolutely nothing original or exciting on this CD, no wild guitar playing, no fast powerful drum beats, absolutely nothing....It's just crunchy guitar riff after crunchy guitar riff, switching up the pace from slow to slower and back to slow again with no apparent rhyme or reason to any of it....And the singer is by far, the worst part of this band....It seems he tries to sing, but has the most monotoned voice possible, and cannot hold a note....He also sings with absolutely no passion at all....

I am so glad I only paid $2.00 for this, any more and I'd be demanding my money back....Stay away from this CD!

I like it!.......2005-03-30

I like it!

Average customer rating:

An Extreme (-ly bad) version of a Beatles Broadway musical
Simply Amazing Album!
A logical destination
Extreme - One Of The Most Underrated Albums Of The 90's
Great rock album for non-rock fans!

III Sides to Every Story
Extreme
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Extreme II: Pornograffitti
Extreme
Waiting for the Punchline
Videograffiti: The Definitive (Dol)
Lean into It

ASIN: B000002G0P
Release Date: 1992-09-22

Tracks:

Warheads
Rest In Peace
Politicalamity
Color Me Blind
Cupid's Dead
Peacemaker Die
Seven Sundays
Tragic Comic
Our Father
Stop The World
God Isn't Dead?
Everything Under The Sun: I. Rise 'N Shine
Everything Under The Sun: II. Am I Ever Gonna Change
Everything Under The Sun: III. Who Cares?

Customer Reviews:

An Extreme (-ly bad) version of a Beatles Broadway musical.......2007-05-28

Let's face it; Extreme was really nothing more than a hair metal band; concerned more with appearance than with art. In fact, they were of the second generation of hair metal bands, which means they were really nothing more than an imitation of a hair metal band. I know, they had an amazing guitarist, but so did Dokken, White Lion, Ratt, and many others. Having a talented guitarist clearly would not exclude them from the characterization. Nuno, after all, had the prettiest hair of any of them.

Maybe I'm not giving Extreme enough credit. But I do give them credit for what they attempted to do with this album. It sounds like they were trying for a metal-sounding Beatles Broadway musical, which is quite an ambitious undertaking! Frankly, they weren't good enough to pull it off.

The album does have some redeeming qualities. The tone of the guitar is superb, Nuno's abilities definitely shine, and there are a few memorable songs, such as Am I Ever Gonna Change and Rest in Peace. Most of the other songs, however, are less memorable and really without much significance. The drummer plays fairly well, but the bassist is only average and can't really even be heard, and the vocals are terrible. I've never been impressed with the quality of Gary Cherone's voice and it's no more impressive here. Most of the lyrics are pretentious, intentionally abstract (as abstract as a hair metal band can be, I suppose), and ridiculous.

There are few bands that can pull off anything close to what the Beatles did. And, with or without having heard this album, it'd be hard to believe any proclamation that Extreme was a band who could.

Simply Amazing Album!.......2007-05-10

In 1992, if an interviewer had asked who their most influential band had been, chances are that Pat Badger, Nuno Bettencourt, Gary Cherone, and Paul Geary of Extreme would answer with the 70s hard-rock band, Queen. With a flair for the dramatic, and the fluidity of vocals to back it, Cherone ably reproduced the presence that was Freddie Mercury - yet maintained a uniqueness all his own. Mixing one part Brian May and one part Eddie Van Halen, the blazing guitar riffs by Bettencourt set him apart from the pack of late 80s hair-metal, due mainly to his ability to aptly devise melody and funk rhythms throughout his work. Rounding out the quartet, Badger on bass guitar provided a strong undercurrent of sound and Geary was rock-solid in his timing and fill on drums. Based out of Boston, Massachusetts, the band had had some commercial success from their previous albums with "Play with Me" from Extreme I appearing in the movie soundtrack for "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," and "More than Words," from Extreme II: Pornograffitti, being broadcast incessantly over the radio waves. When they released their third album, "III Sides to Every Story," Extreme showed their roots with a concept album. Like Queen in previous years, they decided to create an opus, or story, broken into three sections labeled: "Yours," "Mine," and "The Truth." It was diverse, original, and stunning, and although not as successful as their second album, was masterfully crafted and has been heralded as their finest work to date.

All of the songs on this album aren't just good, they're damn good, but two that will push their way forward are "Peacemaker Die" and "God Isn't Dead?" With the former, strong rhythms and musical hooks are coupled with vocal harmonies distinctive to Extreme's overall sound, and are again reminiscent of Queen. Powerful lyrics with a dash of sound bite from none other than the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech captivate the listener and evoke emotions of loss for such a great man. Although not a fan of musical overdubs, the orchestration of this song is layered and thick with such a good sound, it hardly goes noticed. As in previous albums, they blend smooth vocal patterns with lightning-fast guitar riffs, thumping bass, and crisp rhythms, but this time to produce a chilling view of how the world's leaders do not allow a dissonant voice of reason that is calling for peace to live. In sharp contrast to this, "God Isn't Dead?" starts softly, with just piano and vocals beseeching listeners to help Cherone through his drought of faith and bemoaning his fate in the world. Building throughout the song in an undertone, a full 70-piece orchestra supports the duo, which breaks from their previous album work of just keyboard and synthesizer. This shows a commitment to a full-fledged opus and not just another album. As the flutes, strings, and horns begin their slow, steady crescendo, the corresponding vocals follow to a harsh and hooking abrupt halt. Here, Cherone's passionate fortissimo, "Please tell me God Isn't Dead!" ends the song with the denouement of "I want to know..."where he is accompanied only by piano again. Haunting and beautiful, the song will stick with a person for years on end.

Overall, Extreme's third release shows their extreme (pun intended) versatility and daring, with a mix of hard rock, symphonic orchestrations, and melodic ballads to tempt the soul. Unbelievable vocal harmonies make this a delight to listen to, and the lyrical content is unsurpassed, as the listener will find himself or herself actually paying attention for a much-needed change. This is their best work without a doubt, followed closely by the funk-laced and rock-driven "Pornograffitti" following a close second; and an album highly suggested. It contains many of the band's "trademark" sounds and will most likely not disappoint. But, it is recommended to at pick III Sides up first, for a masterpiece work of music that will keep the listener enthralled for years.

A logical destination.......2007-02-28

Extremes third LP was highly anticipated. After shifting serious units with their sophomore effort the band were on a roll. And on this album a number of Extremes points of reference are taken to their logical conclusion. Whether or not this works is very much a matter of taste. And since the band split the disc up into three conceptual sections, I'll do the same with putting into words my feelings towards different aspects of this disc.

The Rock - Warheads is a great heavy rocker. Anti-authoritarian, anti-militaristic and dead on musically. This is a great and appropriate use of the bands rocking sensibilities and a dead ahead follow on from When I'm President from Pornograffiti. The spirit infuses Rest in Peace and Politicalamity, obvious results of the social concerns that started to be heard in tunes like Money (In God We Trust).

The Ballads - Not so obvious here until you listen to how some of the songs are constructed. While this album isn't in posession of a More Than Words, the construction of many of the mellow cuts here do owe a big debt to the bands softer side. The fuller orchestration on some of the tracks are a true follow on from the soppy ballads from the bands previous disc.

The Brains - once again you get the feeling that this band, musically and intellectually, were way above the norm for the usually numbskull hair metal genre which they were so unfairly lumped in with. Approaching Queen in some ways, Extreme are here bursting at the seams of possibility and daring their fan base to follow.

The potential downsides here are a lack of getting down to business, not much headbang for your buck. And the pretentiousness that this release feels steeped in, well it's never gone down well with the hard rock community. And without the sappy ballads to get the little girls buying it the bands target audience for this album is hard to guage. After all, though Brian May all but publicly bequethed Extreme the crown worn by Queen, the fans of Queen were unlikely to appreciate a new band taking over the niche of their heroes. And all the pontificating does get overmuch very quickly.

Call me a philistine, but having quite enjoyed their first two, after hearing this album I didn't buy any more Extreme. Neither did most other people. A sadly derailed release from a multi-talented band.

Extreme - One Of The Most Underrated Albums Of The 90's.......2007-02-23

"3 Sides" is simply put, one of the most underrated albums of the 90's, from one of the most underrated bands of the 90's. After the success of "Pornograffitti" the band could have played it safe and done a copy of what they had done before. Instead they put out this album that really moved the band into new territory. Unfortunately the album did not sell nearly as well as it's predecessor. I honestly think the material was too good (challenging?) for many of the people who just liked the band for "More Than Words". People just looking for top 40 radio fodder probably hated this album because it required the listener to really take notice and get into the nuances contained within. It also did not help that "3 Sides" release coincided with the whole grunge movement that killed many 90's era bands. Many of those bands deserved to be pushed aside, but Extreme was not one of them. The album is broken up into three sections. "Yours", which is mostly metal, hard rock and funk, "mine", which is more acoustic, folk, melodic oriented, and "The Truth" which moves into progressive rock territory. These guys really tried to cram a little bit of everything into this album and it is a resounding success. Nuno is brilliant on guitar and keys throughout the disc as is Charone on vocals. The rhythm section is also solid throughout. The lyrics are for the most part very good, touching on a whole range of subjects including political and world issues, religion, and relationships. Many of the lyrics on this album are more relevant today than when they were written. The album is recorded really well too. In fact it sounds better than many modern day productions, and is a great headphone album. If you are one of those people who wrote Extreme off as just another hair metal band with limited talent, check this album out. This album proves that Extreme were one of the best bands of the 90's, it is just too bad that the public didn't get it. Sadly Extreme's next album "Waiting For The Punchline" would be a big disappointment. I don't know if it was a reaction to the way "3 Sides" was received or record company pressure, but "Waiting" would be an attempt at a straight forward basic rock album and in my opinion was a big letdown from "3 Sides". The band would then break up and go their separate ways. Too bad, because it would have really been interesting to see where these guys could have gone had they continued down the path forged on the "3 Sides" album.

Great rock album for non-rock fans!.......2007-02-19

i totally agree that a great track, don't leave me alone, right after the song 'god isn't dead' doesn't appear on the cd as it was on the cassette. not sure if the earlier releases has the track on. this album is by far one of the greatest rock albums for all time.. for me ... since i am not into rock, heavy metal, and alternative. i guess this album is unique since it has 3 parts and though the first part can be considered noisy, extreme delivered it nicely still lyrically and melodically which captured those who aren't digging this genre.

Average customer rating:

Metalcore if you loaded it into a double-barrel shotgun
Good hardcore band
Unearth dominates their metalcore peers, and pushes the envelope to better themselves...
Solid, Chunky, Consistent
Essential Thrash/Death Metal!!!!

III: In The Eyes OF Fire
Unearth
Manufacturer: Metal Blade
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sacrament
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ASIN: B000GAKVQ2
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Tracks:

This Glorious Nightmare
Giles
March of the Mutes
Sanctity of Brothers
The Devil Has Risen
This Time Was Mine
Unstoppable
So It Goes
Impostors Kingdom
Bled Dry
Big Bear and the Hour of Chaos

Customer Reviews:

Metalcore if you loaded it into a double-barrel shotgun.......2007-07-25

To keep it short and simple, this is one of, if not THE best metal CD I've ever heard. And I've heard dozens. Break-neck guitar riffing, complex, technical drumming (that alternates between seemingly random, yet fitting snare rolls and rumbles, and rhythm based stomping) powerful, pounding breakdowns that blend seamlessly, and some better than average vocals and lyrics are all carried by thrashing, slashing, often uplifting and exhilarating guitar melodies that are damn near impossible to follow in a way that carries you through the song. With multiple change-ups in each track, a relentless, infusing pace throughout, a handful of truly sick riffs, and a smattering of solid soloing, Unearth has accomplished something I've not seen ANYWHERE else. A total, near-perfect fusion of every sound and style within a genre they are slowly themselves defining, at least in this metal fan's eyes.

Good hardcore band.......2007-06-22

I like these guys, but they're not great.
Pick this up if you like loud noises
you won't be disappointed

Unearth dominates their metalcore peers, and pushes the envelope to better themselves..........2007-03-28

Okay, since every Unearth recording has been a notch above its predecessor, III does not fall out of line. It is undisputedly the fastest songs they have ever written. Every song has an in-your-face speed thrash metal foundation at a driving tempo, rather than their usual mid-tempo gallup. They still use a ton of breakdowns, but this time around, they usually use off-time syncopated rhythms as opposed to the usual 4/4 Chug. Trevor's vocals are at a pinnacle with the most range he's ever had. It sounds like he finally learned how to make use of an SM-58 in the studio. The guitar tone is thick, but has no high definition, as usual (and would benefit from more crisp highs). The drum tone is a little flat, but decent. In fact for working with Terry Date, I expected this album to have a much more raging sound. Had it sounded closer to Vulgar Display of Power tone, it would have been amazing. But I would have preferred another visit to Adam D. for this album as opposed to the sound captured here.
The drum performance is excellent. Unlike The Oncoming storm, Justain has written his own drum parts and throws in confusing fills, off-beat hits, and lots of little creative quips. The album never loses its punch from start to finish. So It Goes has an awesome trade-off solo much like Zombie Apocalypse. The downside of this, is I wish more songs on this album had ripping solos. But most the songs do have crazy riffy leads excellently delivered by Buzz. This effort is still hardcore/metal crossover, but is one step closer to the metal direction. The heaviness, speed, and energy pushes the envelope for Unearth. If they continue pressing for harder metal, and less hardcore as they have here, a future release could be one of the best things in modern music (as Unearth already dominates their peers).

Solid, Chunky, Consistent.......2007-02-21

**UPDATE** - After further listens, I like the album even more! Tracks 7 & 8 really kick a**! I think the whole album except track 5 and 9 are really good. 5 & 9 aren't bad, just not as good as the rest.

I thought this album was one relentless onslaught from beginning to end. Obviously, Giles and March of the Mutes really stand out while the rest are good to pretty good. These guys were a blast to see in concert, and when they play all their best stuff, it's awesome. I agree with other people, they have yet to reach their potential, but they're not far away, and Giles is a punishing statement that they will hopefully achieve those heights consistently through an entire album in the future. I hope they do!

Essential Thrash/Death Metal!!!!.......2007-02-10

Though operating within familiar realms of brilliant metal/hardcore, Unearth deliver a devastating and quite innovative slab of steel fury, except this release has much more to do with thrash and death metal for insane speed than 2004's "Uncoming Storm" predominantly hardcore release. The first impression is that the members of Unearth are genuinely PISSED OFF. Why? Just look around, turn on the TV or radio, read a newspaper-the world is going to "hell" in a hand basket and "III:ITEOF" is the soundtrack to this motion picture in reality...One of the best Metal/Hardcore releases in the genre, highly technical, melodic and punishing in its unblemished execution. Delivered as promised by its creators.My personal number 7 on metal's 2oo6 finest.

Average customer rating:

Good record if you're not into Van Halen, not so much if you are.
Difficult to grade
despite a singer i have 0 respect for....
Extreme Van Halen? No!
Different Direction

Van Halen III
Van Halen
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Balance
OU812
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
5150
Live: Right Here, Right Now

ASIN: B000002NGS
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Neworld
Without You
One I Want
From Afar
Dirty Water Dog
Once
Fire In The Hole
Josephina
Year To The Day
Primary
Ballot Or The Bullet
How Many Say I

Amazon.com

Having jettisoned yet another lead singer, casting off meat-and-potatoes rocker Sammy Hagar for leaner, cleaner former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone, Van Halen ushers in its third incarnation with the appropriately titled 3. Trouble is, as a lyricist, Cherone too often speaks from the head, not the heart, filling the album with political cant that is dry and ill-suited to the band's party-hearty image. Worse, Cherone sounds disconcertingly like Hagar, giving 3 the uncomfortable feel of a tribute album. And while Eddie Van Halen's guitar still mows down anything in sight on tracks like "Neworld" and "From Afar," it's difficult to excuse his new-agey keyboard epic "How Many Say I," or his tentative lead vocal on the track. In a rare instance for a great band, it's one step forward, two steps back. --Daniel Durchholz

Album Description

Special Japanese edition of their 1998 album & first with ex-Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone. Limited to the initial pressing only, it comes packaged in an oversized slipcase with the disc in a standard jewel case, plus a 20 page booklet featuring a discography, photos, a biography (in Japanese) and replica autographs. Musically, it's the same as the U.S. edition. 12 tracks, including the single 'Without You'. A Warner Brothers release. Mike Post (theme to TV's 'L.A. Law') produced the record.

Customer Reviews:

Good record if you're not into Van Halen, not so much if you are........2007-05-10

VAN HALEN III is easily Van Halen's most critically reviled, hated album. The fans were shocked and dismayed, and ultimately this album lost Van Halen's record contract with Warner. And why?

First off, the album is not as bad as everything says. It's certainly not a great Van Halen record, but if Gary Cherone's band had released it, people would be wondering who the hell that guitarist was. In many ways, VAN HALEN III has a lot of similarities to Pink Floyd's FINAL CUT.

The biggest problem with III is tone. With BALANCE, and a handful of tracks from BALANCE's predecessor, FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, Eddie was trying to move Van Halen away from the party-hearty image that so long defined them, and was trying to reinvent the band as a socially conscious, more mature band. BALANCE found Van Halen balancing two major defitinions of their band, the partying, feel-good rock and rollers ("Amsterdam", "Big Fat Money,") with the more politically aware, socially concerned world citizens. (a la U2's Bono) The problem with that is Sammy Hagar was in the band. While I've always liked Sammy, he's always been about partying and getting into girls' pants (but then, so was David Lee Roth and the rest of the band).

Exit Hagar, enter Cherone. While Hagar wrote and sang from the heart and gut, and just wanted to hang out on a beach somewhere with a hot chick, Cherone instead wrote much more from a head perspective, preoccupied with intellectual concerns. Cherone has some songs about women, but the songs on III are primarily concerned with political and social matters.

Some of these political, social songs fall flat. "Ballot or the Bullet" is dull, sounding more like a history lesson of the United States than a rock and roll song ever should, and the guitar instrumental "Primary", no doubt referring to U.S. primary elections, is both boring and an unnecessary introduction to "Ballot." "How Many Say I", the first song in Van Halen's career (and so I pray the last) to feature Eddie on lead vocals, sounds like Eddie writing a bad early 1960s protest song with a rock arrangement backing it. As for the voice, there's a reason why he's the guitarist, not the lead singer.

Other songs I like, but again are simply too much of a departure for the majority of Van Halen's fan base to go along with. "Joesephina"*, one of my favorites, will be too trite and precious for most fans, though musically it among the most interesting. "Fire in the Hole," used on the Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack, never caught hold with myself. "A Year to the Day," while certainly epic in a cinematic, Led Zeppelin way, is clearly derivative. "Once", the other epic on the album, and admittedly a fantastic song (primarily because it was ripped off from superior songs), sounds like a rewrite of some progressive rock. Still, the songs have some undeniable power, and is certainly catchy. "One I Love" has that weird Cherone lyrical direction all over it, sound like a love-song from psychology major who has stalker tendencies and is more interested in the idea of love than the experience of love. Very much written from the head, not the heart, though still a fun song. "Dirty Water Dog" again focuses on social matters. "From Afar" is the only traditional woman song on the album, all about stalking an unrequited love. I used to relate to it in my younger days. "Neworld," the title surely being a reference to the rebirth Eddie envisioned the record to be for the band, is a pleasant, but unsubstantial, instrumental. "Without you", which kicks starts the album, is the most intrusementally instersting, lyrically original song on the entire disc, and where the whole band just SYNCS. It set a record for going to number one the fastest on the billboard charts.

Instrumentally, while Eddie certainly turns in some great guitar work, the rhythym section sounds run of the mill and rather dull, and Eddie works within his established guitar techniques, never once sounding vital and free, but instead rather formulaic with a been-there, done that feel, with clinically precise, technically skillful guitar solos.

When Hagar joined the band, he brought a much different vocal style than DLR. Instead of Cherone bringing a new vocal style and sound, he sounds, rather uncannily, like Sammy Hagar, only after a botched throat surgery and who screams all the time. Some of the vocals get grating, to say the least.

VAN HALEN III is simply a hard record to classify. While certainly not a great Van Halen album, par say, neither is it a bad album. Ultimately, the record sounds like a band trying to reinvent themselves at a point in their career where the major audiences won't care about the reinvention, nor welcome it, and nor will the reinvention win them new fans. But that sounds like I'm giving a bad statement about the music itself, which is actually quite good in parts (the only real dud is "How Many Say I" due how self-concsious it feels and "Ballot or the Bullet", which does not work on any level). The record shows definite promise, and perhaps had the band had time to develop this direction more the Cherone version of the band would have made it.

Ultimately, VAN HALEN III is Van Halen's own FINAL CUT. When Roger Waters issued Pink Floyd's final album with him still in the band, it was a sonically dense record that did not quite sound like anything else in rock music, save Roger Waters' own solo records that were released subsequently. Just like the 1987 MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON is essentially a Gilmour solo project under the Pink Floyd moniker, so FINAL CUT is a Roger Waters solo album in all but name. FINAL CUT is where Roger Waters took over the band and remade it under his own artistic vision and image.

VAN HALEN III, while musically nothing like FINAL CUT, has remarkable similarities. III is where Eddie became Edward and he took over the band, and just like Waters (though due to entirely different circumstances), the band folded underneath him. While Floyd fans like FINAL CUT, not very many VH fans like III. Still, this is very much an Eddie Van Halen record, with his personality ultimately dominating the album.

Ironically enough, though III was flouted as being a musical rebirth though ultimately fell through, FINAL CUT and VAN HALEN III are worth listening too, as both are diverse and sound like nothing else in rock music.

But it's probably better not to be a Van Halen fan to really appreciate this album.

*III's release date was delayed three weeks when the band replaced "That's Why I Love You" in the track listing with "Joesephina". "That's Why I Love You", still unreleased, leaked before the album hit the stores, and is still widely available over the internet. A fine song, it should have been included as well.

Difficult to grade.......2007-05-02

Out of the 400 or so albums in my collection, Van Halen III might be the most . . . puzzling. It is hard to categorize, nearly impossible to fairly compare to other Van Halen records and something of a contradiction. On the one hand, it's very bold, fresh and exciting but, on the other hand, it's missing the elements that make a good album a great one.

Most of the songs are quite good instrumentally. Edward and the band deserve credit for experimenting, playing with some different sounds. Most of the experimentation works. The straight-forward guitar-driven songs really kick. The ballads are palatable. The instrumentals filler.

Lyrically, the songs are a smidge more thought-provoking than Roth's or Hagar's "crotch rock." Cherone did a commendable job on most of the songs avoiding the rock cliches that fill other VH albums (sex, drugs, partying.) His political commentary is subtle enough to avoid the preachiness of a band like R.E.M.

The most difficult thing to rate about the album is Cherone's vocal performance. On some songs, Cherone's vocal work is fantastic ("Josephina," "Year to the Day") and on others it's pretty rough, hard to listen to ("Without You," "From Afar".) Bad production -- the vocals are buried under the music -- makes the singing on "Without You" that much worse. On this record, moreso than in his work with Extreme, Cherone sounds 2 parts Sammy Hagar, 1 part Freddie Mercury. The hints of Freddie Mercury are more in the phrasing than in the sound of his voice.

Despite being blasted by critics and die-hard Van Halen fans, this reviewer doesn't feel that there's a horrible or awful song on this album. Some are weak, but there's nothing embarrassing. I'm more pleased by a song like "Fire In the Hole" than some of the mega-pop of the Hagar era, for instance "Can't Stop Loving You".

On paper, so to speak, VHIII is darn good. But it lacks that something. To me, the most serious weaknesses are almost intangible, nearly impossible to explain.

Perhaps if the Van Halen/Cherone relationship had continued to develop, a second album would have fared better.

despite a singer i have 0 respect for...........2007-02-24

Cherone actually does a great job on this album and eddies guitar work is always amazing. Why so many people hate this album I don't know, but on a higher note Roth is back with Van Halen right now so it will be the origional best Van Halen forever more! Hell has frozen!

Extreme Van Halen? No!.......2007-02-12

Why? If they stayed as a three piece with the great Michael Anthony singing lead (like he did on this tour for a few old numbers) it would still have been a more inspired effort than this. There is a reason why this album is rarely heard on rock radio. It's bad.

Different Direction.......2007-01-28

Roth-era Van Halen had an up-tempo, shredding, funny, sometimes bluesy feel punctuated by the presence of the lead singer himself. Hagar-era Van Halen is defined by anthemic arena-rock, lengthy guitar solos and the more workingman presence of the screamer Hagar. Both were extremely effective.

Cherone-era Van Halen never had the chance to develop. He lacks Roth's legendary stage presence and doesn't quite deliver the hooks like Sammy did. However, Van Halen 3 should really be looked at as an Eddie record. It has been revealed that Mike was under-utilized on this record (which is too bad). Ed even "sings" lead on the closing track. This is his deal. The mood changes on this album are starker than on previous recordings, and there is a great deal of experimentation, some of which falls a little flat. On the whole, though, Eddie hasn't created a hit-filled record that blasts you nonstop like "...Carnal Knowledge" or "VH-1" but rather something that is like the piece of art in the museum where you say "hmm, what was he really going for here?" What I eventually found is that this is a good album - some of the tracks are excellent, some don't really resonate. But this is Eddie Van Halen AND HIS BAND here - not your classic-era, formulaic VH. That's why so many people hate on it.

With time, maybe Cherone-era Van Halen would have stood for something. He does an admirable job on many heavier songs, such as "Without You," "Year to the Day," and "From Afar." Other songs don't work quite as well. Cherone, just as Hagar and Roth were, is the beneficiary of Mikey's great backing vocals in several situations. But overall, you can see Eddie is trying to put his finger on a formula, and Gary does his best to help him find it. "Josephina" perhaps best exemplifies this attempt - a good, and different song but not one that should've held back the album's release date. The fact that this record lacks definition lead to the unhealthy fan response and subsequent demolition of the band.

I still listen to this album as much as other VH records - even though it is so DIFFERENT. I do have to give closing props to the song "Once," which I think is one of the coolest sounding pieces VH has ever done. Again - this is just a virtue of "VH-3," sometimes it hits, sometimes it's a little off. But I like it.

III: In The Eyes Of Fire (Limited Edition Digipak)

Average customer rating:

Unearth For President!
Another Solid Album (4.5 stars)
Unearth's best yet?

III: In The Eyes Of Fire (Limited Edition Digipak)
Unearth
Manufacturer: Metal Blade
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000GAKVQC
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Tracks:

This Glorious Nightmare
Giles
March of the Mutes
Sanctity of Brothers
The Devil Has Risen
This Time Was Mine
Unstoppable
So It Goes
Impostors Kingdom
Bled Dry
Big Bear and the Hour of Chaos

Tracks:

Making of III In the Eyes of Fire
Unearth Live bonus material (The Great Dividers, This Lying World, Only the People, Black Hearts Now Reign)

Customer Reviews:

Unearth For President!.......2006-08-11

Go Damn!! Another great, solid album from Unearth! I dont know how they do it. This album has only been out for two days, but all the little kiddies hiding behind the message boards are already hating on this masterpiece.
Unearth have never claimed to be anything more than a hardcore/metalcore band. If they dont wanna evolve or sell out like eighteen visions and avenged sevenfold did, than that's their perogative, and i say, more power to them.
Most of these haters focus on the fact that while this album is a lot more angier and brutal then their previous, "The Oncoming Storm", they complain that there are more breakdowns and less solos. SO WHAT? Breakdowns are what make hardcore great, and if you wanna listen to solos, then go dust off your old Pantera Cd's, and leave bands like unearth alone. They just try to cater to their faithful without selling out. Is that such a crime?

Another Solid Album (4.5 stars).......2006-08-10

Unearth is a band in today's metal scene that never fails to stand out, and I respect them for that. And they still continue to do that with their 3rd full length here. "Giles", the first single off this album, is a track that represents the band well, especially if you dig the stuff before this. Only real flaw may be the vocal work somewhat, but you can get past it if you're a real fan. Otherwise, if you really dig Unearth, or you want a good metalcore record, look into this.

Unearth's best yet?.......2006-08-09

This could be Unearth's best album to date. At the very least, it is far better than The Oncoming Storm as a whole. There's not much of anything new here being done but the songwriting and production far exceeds that of any of their previous efforts. Where bands like As I Lay Dying and All That Remains have fallen to the wayside of the clustered metalcore genre, Unearth still stands pretty tall in my book. Highlight tracks include "So It Goes," "Sanctity Of Brothers," and "March Of The Mutes."

Average customer rating:

3 is still good
Giant is weakened but still trounces the competition
Still a good album, but lacks that extra "wow" factor
The Best Rock Band You Never Heard Of.
Just a bit off the mark

III
Giant
Manufacturer: Frontiers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Time to Burn
Last of the Runaways
II
Live and Acoustic
Double Eclipse

ASIN: B00005RDGP
Release Date: 2001-12-04

Tracks:

Combustion [Instrumental]
You Will Be Be Mine
Over You
Don't Leave Me in Love
Love Can't Help You Now
Sky Is the Limit
Its Not the End of the World
Oh Yeah
I Can't Let Go
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)

Album Description

The magnificent return of the gods of melodic hard rock has brought outstanding results with this 2001 studio album, the first since 1991's 'Time to Burn'. Featuring guitarist/vocalist Dann Huff (Whiteheart, Megadeth). Ten tracks including, 'Combustion', 'You Will Be Mine', 'Over You' & 'Don't Leave Me In Love'.

Album Details

First New Giant Album Since 1991's "Time to Burn."

Customer Reviews:

3 is still good.......2007-03-10

After the first 2 GIANT discs , couldnt wait for this one its just hard to find.
this disc is worth the wait it might not pack the punch of the first two but it still rocks from start to finish.Dan Huff needs to stay out of country and stay here this is where he excels.

Giant is weakened but still trounces the competition.......2003-06-22

Giant returns after a near 10-year hiatus with their basic sound mostly intact. Just like the first 2 albums, this is a collection of late 80s stadium-rock anthems ("Sky's The Limit" sounds very similar to "Thunder & Lightning," the first song from the group's second album) searing instrumentals ("Combustion" apes Van Halen's "Eruption") and big-hair ballads reminiscent of Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams or Def Leppard in their prime ("Over You" being one of the better ones).
So - for fans of this genre, this contains all the right ingredients, and should make for another classic album. Or does it???

While the album starts powerfully with "Combustion," it starts to lose momentum as this track merges into "You Will Be Mine." Although the song itself is very strong, it is badly let down by the production, with the drums sounding too small & tinny and the guitars being too distant in the mix.

Also, the absence of Alan Pasqua appears to be felt here. The first two albums were characterised by a greater depth of songwriting and his extra keyboards are badly missed here; so overall the album ends up sounding thinner, less "meaty" and less slick as a result.

What "III" really lacks is a couple of stand-out tracks in the vein of "Lost in Paradise" or "Now Until Forever." The album's penultimate song "Can't Let Go" is a very poor copy of these and should have been left off.

Yet for all this, it still puts most recent rock albums to shame. "It's Not the End" is a great modern take on an 80s power-ballad theme. "Oh Yeah," one of the stronger songs, contains the usual Giant ingredients in a contemporary package, sounding fresher than some songs on the album. Also, the album closes with a rousing cover of "Bad Case of Loving You" - I enjoyed that one, although the vocals are a bit weak and mumbled.

Tip - buy the Japanese import if you can (which includes four bonus cuts, including Giant's superb take on Jeff Beck's "Because We Ended as Lovers.")

Overall, this is not as good as the first two albums, but remember this: a weakened Giant remains head & shoulders above the competition.

Still a good album, but lacks that extra "wow" factor.......2003-06-22

Giant returns where "Time To Burn" left off, with the same ingredients & sound: Def Leppard-esque power-rock anthems, the blazing guitars ("Combustion" apes "Eruption" & and shows Dan Huff to be a match for Eddie Van Halen on guitar!), the lovelorn angst (Can't Let Go, It's Not the End) and the heavily layered keyboards of "Love Can't Help You Now."

However, it lacks the "over-the-edge" feel and "real-ness" of "Last of The Runaways" or "Time to Burn." Part of the problem lies in the production - THAT great intro merges into "You Will Be Mine;" a potentially superb track spoiled by the drums sounding too small & tinny. Guitars higher in the mix would also have driven the track along nicely.

Also, the absence of Alan Pasqua appears to be felt here - the first two albums were characterised by a greater "depth" of songwriting, and were generally much "meatier." What "III" really needed is the epic angst of say another "Lost in Paradise" or "Now Until Forever." "Can't Let Go" is a poor copy of these and should have been left off.

Yet for all this, it still puts most contemporary rock albums to shame. "Sky's The Limit" sounds like "Thunder & Lightning" off the second album, but is just as good if not better. "It's Not the End" is a great modern take on an 80s power-ballad. "Oh Yeah," one of the better tracks on the album, contains the usual Giant ingredients in a different package, sounding fresher than rehashes/out-takes like "Over You" and "Love can't Help You Now."

Oh, and what an excellent take on "Bad Case of Loving You" - I really enjoyed that one!

OK, this is not as good as previous releases, but remember this; a weakened Giant remains head & shoulders above the competition.

The Best Rock Band You Never Heard Of........2003-05-10

Welcome back to the boys of Giant! I just found out this cd existed, and I'm so sorry I haven't had it for a year and a half. I can't stop playing it after owning it for two weeks now. This is a great continuation of the superb Giant sound that started for me in the summer of 1989 when I heard the first chords of "I'm A Believer" on FM radio. I so wish they had stayed together and put out more music. Fortunately, I did get to see them live in May 1992 at a club in Florida. Great gig.

This band has it all; the virtuoso guitar player/vocalist, the solid backbeat of an outstanding drummer and premier bass player, and a most excellent keyboardist. If you've never heard this band before and you like powerful melodic rock with punch, strong lead vocals, piercing lead guitar, and song structure and harmonies out the ying yang, then do your ears a huge favor and get the entire Giant collection of "Last Of The Runaways", "Time To Burn", and "Giant III." Their music and harmonies will give you goosebumps. You absolutely will not be disappointed.
(It's cool to have a band you love with your own name too!)

Just a bit off the mark.......2002-10-25

Having followed Giant since their first album, "Last of the Runaways", I was pleased to see that they are working again. Dan Huff has spent most of his time since Giant's second album doing studio and production work for some of Nashville's most talented artists. The one or two interviews that I've read quoted him as doubtful that Giant would reconvene. Obviously time changes things.

"III" is an appropriate title, not just because this is the band's third album, but because keyboardist Alan Pasqua does not join the band for this album, reducing the group to a power trio. Surprisingly, his absence definately diminishes the group's punch. A glance back at the band's first two albums shows Alan's name figuring heavily in the writing credits, particularly on firey rockers and the band's more powerful ballads. Some of the bands best hooks are on songs that he co-wrote.

Tracks:

Creatures Of The Night
Deuce
I Just Wanna
Unholy
Heaven's On Fire
Watchin' You
Domino
I Was Made For Lovin' You
I Still Love You
Rock And Roll All Nite
Lick It Up
Forever
I Love It Loud
Detroit Rock City
God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II
Star Spangled Banner

Amazon.com

With Alive! Kiss created one of the most exciting and essential live albums of all time. Its 1977 sequel, Alive II, failed to measure up for a variety of reasons--including, perversely, the inclusion of an album side of studio material--and it took the band 15 years to return to the well once again. Alive III holds up surprisingly well, though that may be due to reduced expectations for a band that was nearing the end of its "unmasked" period, performing without makeup and without original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Still, Kiss have always excelled onstage, whether through genuine inspiration or mere professionalism. Alive III rocks the house with a generous 16-song selection of material that cuts the chaff from their weaker mid-period studio albums and doesn't neglect fan favorites such as "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Deuce," "Heaven's on Fire," and "Detroit Rock City." --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews:

Good, But SO many Songs are MISSING!!!!!.......2007-06-05

What's on this record sounds great. The music is played well. But what a major dissappointment when I saw this was 16 songs!!!?? Where is "Tears are Falling"? "Crazy Nights" "War Machine" "Fits Like a Glove".....the list could go on of songs that SHOULD have been on here. Songs that were staples in their shows for years that fans wanted on this record! By not including them, they created a big hole in their catalog of great songs not included on the offical live records. Why do they think bootlegging got so big at this time? Because fans saw they could get a better boot of a show than what Kiss would release!! Eric Singer even stated in the Kiss Authorized biography that he listened to some boots that were better than Alive 3. I own a show from the NJ Meadowlands that murders Alive 3. On the Revenge tour Kiss were playing an awesome setlist...usually about 23-25 songs. Alive 3 is like a sampler...what a shame.

alive 3.......2006-03-28

I'm not one of these old fogies who was a teenager back in the 70's. I didn't see KISS live until I was in 6th grade and they came to town on the Animalize tour. I have all of their albums. This is the lineup I like best. Bruce and Eric play circles around Ace & Peter and it shows up in this performance. The production on Alive 1&2 sucked. This shows a tighter sounding and more talented KISS than that of the 70's. Nice selection of songs as well. Go ahead and keep the first 2 ALives.

OUTSTANDING SOUND QUALITY !.......2005-12-21

Kiss Alive III is by far the best for sound quaity and song seletion !

A great selection of songs and a rocking show !

Buy the cd and the DVD !

The End of An Era.......2005-11-25

Kiss was one of the most popular and controversial bands of the 1970s. With their trademark makeup, highly visual live shows, black outfits and music that was at once very menacing, sexy, tender, charismatic and controvetersial, Kiss was arguably the definitive heavy metal band of all time, peaking sales figures with Alive and following it up with three more excellent but polished studio albums then Alive II where things started to go wrong. Sequels are a cash in, almost never ever better than the original and so bad it's good. But for me with Alive II their human side started to show. They entered the realm of self parody, followed by solo albums by the 4 definitive original members. Gene Simmons, especially, lost a lot of his charisma starting with his solo album. The band rebounded with Dyansty, again going platinum and featuring the hit disco song I was Made for Loving You which stills holds up today. Dyanasty was the last Kiss album of the 70s featuring all four original members on a studio album. Though often criticized as being glitzy, if you consider Kiss glam rock that might be their definitive album, parody or not. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss left soon after, with Kiss taking off their trademark makeup after some weak early 80s albums that compared poorly to their peak in the 70s, trying to become legitimate musicians at the expense of a large portion of their original audience. Creatures of the Night holds up decently to their best work of the 70s because on that one 80s album they didn't want to be legitimate musicians. Gene Simmons was back on top. But the music itself still held an appeal for some in the 80s, they had hit songs on each individual album, even Shandi from Unmasked, most of which are captured on this live album. But overall, their 80s stuff compared poorly to the 70s stuff. Kiss came back with Revenge in the early 90s which, like Creatures of the Night, Kiss found their trump card once more as they tried to regain the menace and charisma they had in the 70s. This live album is from the Revenge tour, featuring Kiss with no makeup, 2 members that were not in the original lineup and even though Kiss may be has beens, the album works anyway as they retain an almost sexist humor with their songs. That's often that got neglected with Kiss- their music itself was incredible. With the PMRC scare in the 80s, Kiss influenced countless bands like W.A.S.P. and Marilyn Manson and were still icons because of their influence. Alive III sees Kiss, with their music itself in excellent form after 3 decades in the business and it stills hold up today to less charismatic, mostly humorless more recent big acts because of the charisma they still have, namely the money, the women and once again the music. It stills sounds fresh and competitive. I like KIss because of their music, and maybe that is why they recieved criticism. I am not a Gene Simmons wannabe, but I respect him as a talented and charismatic, rich man that had some incredibly definitive heavy metal songs. Even though they may have entered the realm of self parody when they were still in their 70s prime, they influnenced so many bands that came after them which all themselves became self parodies, that you can't help apptreciating this album as it is- entertainment. It provides an excellent overall sample of Kiss after they settled on a comfortable compromise between their makeup and black outfits of the 70s with their more silly 80s stuff and those weak albums from the 80s still have prime cuts, most of which are featured here, except for Shandi. And this is what Kiss was all about - their live shows.

Better than expected!.......2005-11-03

Alive 2 wasnt up to the level of the original Alive!16years after Alive 3 come to stores whats worth the bait?EVERITHING this album is outstanding Alive 3 is basicly a live remake of the 80s kiss albums with a couple of kiss classics.They also included 4 songs from their last studio album`revenge`wich is great.Its not the great Alive but its good its does sound live.it includes songs from almost every 80s album exept a couple like unmasked,the elder and others.It doesnt excludes classics like detroit rock city,deuce,watching you and others but it focuses mainly on the 80s.Eric Singer does a great job at the drums so does Bruce Kulick at the guitar part his `star spangled banner`performance is very impresssive.There is 16 songs live from 1993 ,the booklet included has cool pictures inside.If you just listen to it then its not as good as on the`confidential and exposed`dvd wich includes most of the Alive3 concert,it looks amazing and they are performing at their best.Its a good value this album is outstanding!i love it.Maybe its not from the original lineup but its good anyway.a great effort on this live album.there is a missing song`take it off`that they did not include here.very recomended!

Average customer rating:

Almost smokin
A weird band

III
Fucking Champs
Manufacturer: Frenetic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005V8DF
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Tracks:

Andres Segovia Interests Me
Valkyrie Is Dying
Don the Atmosphere
Heart To Heart
The Trees
Silent Night, Friendly Night
Some Swords
Lee Tom
Now Is The Winter Of Our Discoteque
You're Feelings
Dale Bozzio
Sad Segovia
Amanda
'84
Flawless Victory
The Golden Pipes Trilogy (The Golden Pipes, On Seas of Sorrow Sail Death's Ships, Starlight On the Barrow Downs)
Some Swords Reprise
ROM
Atop the Pyramid That Is You
Guns In Our Schools
Tonight, We Ride
The Tennis Book
You've Got a Thirst, Portland

Album Description

There's nothing conventional about the metal yet melodic onslaught of the Fucking Champs debut full length. Careening time signatures and dynamic arrangements make sure the boundaries of instrumental rock are being stretched at all times. Recorded by Tim Green this album lays the blueprint for other instrumental acts attempting to synthesize classic guitar rock and more avant-garde styles into one coherent sound that rocks your body and brain equally. The Champs varied approach to songwriting and performance makes them one of the most vital instrumental rock bands to emerge in the last ten years. Their first release for Frenetic is a tour-de-force that will amaze fans of heavy, heady music.

"The defining moment was III (Frenetic, 1997), a 25-track double album released under the moniker C4AM95. The style of the guitar duo had solidified in a forceful fusion of heavy-metal and math-rock, that did not eschew melodic progressions but only if grafted on convoluted structures. Sometimes reminiscent of Voivod , the Champs romp through rock and roll numbers such as Amanda and Valkyrie Is Dying and linger on the complex scaffolding of Dale Bozzio, Flawless Victory and The Golden Pipes Trilogy. The album is embellished with several short electronic ditties in the vein of Brian Eno (Now Is The Winter Of Our Discoteque, Andres Segovia Interests Me). " Piero Scaruffi

Customer Reviews:

Almost smokin.......2006-06-10

On this debut release the Fn Champs mix it up with the Kraftwerk and the metalizations. The synthy Kraftwerk stuff doesn't really do it for me (though I am a fan of Kraftwerk) but the metal stuff is definitely rocking. The sound is so thick and rectified and the playing is really tight overall. This is very guitar-driven - drums are less prominently featured. The production follows the overall sound and while the guitars are certainly metal, the recording is much more indie and ambient than a standard metal close-mic'd and compressed CD.

Last note: the melodies on this are great!! A very solid start for the champs.

A weird band.......2005-09-19

The Champs, The F*cking Champs, and C4AM95. a metal joke band? or jokey metal band? hmm...perhaps neither. hard to get a handle on these Portland rockers. their musical approach seems to be churning out hard rocking metal riffs with a smirk and a wink. oh gee...aren't we ironic. i think they have a genuine love of hard rock and metal, but this is not for the average heavy metal listener. the lack of vocals works well for this sort of thing, considering when they are included here (on a few select tracks) they sound forced and just plain amateur. there are some wicked riffs within this album, but there's also some god awful keyboard stuff that just does not fit the album. this is not bad...but just a really weird record.

Music Info:

Music Info

music info

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