Album Description

Canadian edition of 2000 EP for the California-based funk-metal outfit. Six tracks, 'Pardon Me' (Acoustic), 'Stellar' (Acoustic), 'Make Yourself' (Acoustic), 'Crowded Elevator', 'Favorite Things' (Live) & 'Pardon Me' (Live). ... Read more

Reviews (63)

A great collection, I can't wait for the next one!
This NOT Incubus' newest album. It is a COLLECTION of acoustic and live versions of their older songs. However, there is one NEW song on the album, "Crowded Elevator," which was supposed to be on the Make Yourself album.

Anyways, the acoustic versions of "Pardon Me" and "Stellar" are very different from their electric guitar counterparts, they have a more poppy feel to them. It's interesting to hear the difference. The live version of "Favorite Things" is totally rockin', and "Pardon Me" live has some heavy DJ scratching. After hearing the live versions of their songs, I'm dying to hear these guys in concert now.

The new song, "Crowded Elevator", is really good. I do not know why it wasn't included on Make Yourself, possibly becuase it didn't fit the theme of that album. But no matter, it's still a great song, and if you're not interested in acoustic stuff, you should still get this just for "Crowded Elevator."

The reason I rate this 4 stars is merely becuase they're not enough tracks on this album. You can listen to this whole thing in under half an hour. Still though, it's really cheap, and if you always wanted to hear Crowded Elevator, get this.

a nice addition to my incubus collection.. and maybe yours..
Before actually being forced to sit and listen to their cd "make yourself", i'd always thought of Incubus as yet another rap/rock band.. and had written them off.. not something i was interested in. Since then..i've gone and grabbed as many of their older releases as I can.. and.. i think that the thing i most appreciate.. is Incubus's habit of releasing ep's.. i like that.. it gives you something to listen to.. while waiting for the new official record.. and.. gives you a slightly different listen.. to a group of songs you thought you knew.. in this case.. i found that the acoustic versions of "pardon me", "make yourself", "stellar".. those alone are worth the price of this cd.. but.. the addition of a not so new track that didn't make the actual record.. "crowded elevator".. plus.. a nice "hidden" track after the live version of "pardon me".. gives you just that little hint.. that little moment to realize that Incubus seems to enjoy making each record unique.. and worth the time to listen to..

Only for the Hidden Track
Ok I didnt even understand this cd at first. But I think its worth getting for the hidden track alone. It's titled "Smoking the Herb Again", many ppl think it's not even Incubus singing the song, and it doesnt help that they deny it. But they also make up a million differant stories about Chuck. But alas it is Incubus singing the song (hi Jose and Kilmores voices are very distinct). I love Live Versions of ANY song. And Crowded Elevators is an ok song I guess. I think that only hard-core incubus fans should get this cd. If you are just starting out, start with Make Yourself.

The Rarest Incubus CD
If you own any single incubus cd its worth buying this one-Whether you own:

Fungus Amongus

Enjoy Incubus (EP)

S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Make Yourself

or their latest Morning View

I think they only made about 500,000 copies of it, and it is one of the hardest cds it took for me to get. Although there is only 6 songs not including the hidden track, i think its a good value.I became a diehard incubus fan only a half a year ago, and i was really surprised that i found it so quickly, in about two months. But it was not easy, if u buy it on Borders.com ull get it in 24 hours, but if u look for this import (ep) in stores you wont have a lot of luck.

Tracklist

1- Pardon Me ( Acoustic)- 9/10 its still great but its a little weird hearing it in an acoustic version.

2-Stellar (Acoustic)- 10/10 my favorite on the cd, sounds so good in acoustic.

3-Make Yourself (Acoustic)- 7/10 wasn't one of my favorites on the make yourself album but its still good.

4-Crowded Elevator- 9/10- It was suppposed to be on the Make Yourself Album.

5-Favorite Things- (Live) 10/10- I think its ounds better live.

6-Pardon Me- (Live) 10/10- Another one of my favorite songs on the lp, its makes u get this feeling your there because the crowd gets so into it.

7- Hidden Track?- 6/10- sorta of funny song, but its a mystery.

Overall: One of my favorite Cds

Went over the border for this one
I am a diehard Incubus fan..and must get very thing I can. So since this one is hard to get, I went to Canada for this CD. Believe me it was worth it as is all things Incubus. These 5 guys are talent beyond words. All their CDs are worth the money and that in itself says it all. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While alt/nu/rap-metal typically bounds between two emotional poles--pissed-off and extremely pissed-off--and a musical range to match, the Deftones continue to push the genre's narrow boundaries outward on their fourth big-label release. Mic man Chino Moreno's patent yowl belies a range of emotion rare in the genus, while guitarist Stephen Carpenter seasons his buzz-saw assault with some industrial-strength riff textures and mixer Frank Delgado's spooky, synthetic textures further underscore Moreno's blossoming lyrical impressionism. If they stray uncomfortably close to jagged-rhythms formula in the album's opening quarter, the almost sunny sensuality of "Good Morning Beautiful" heralds some welcome shafts of light amidst the storm clouds. From there on, the mood drifts from languor ("Deathblow") to brooding ("Battle-axe," "Lucky You"), while "Bloody Cape" edges the band ever closer to traditional pop hooks before drifting into the resigned, psych-torpor of "Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event." A compelling and encouraging album--even if it's taken them 15 years to get this far. Enhanced CD features include studio and day-in-the-life-of band video footage, as well as 150 candid photos. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (413)

Another GREAT sounding release by the Deftones!
When you first put in the new Deftones album and the wailing "Hexagram" comes into full force with Chino shouting 'Worship and Play' you'll have the tone for the album. White Pony was generally a mellow disc in comparison to their other albums, this one isn't neccessairily super heavy but its more driving and definitly more powerful. I'd call it music to listen to during the apocolypse just because that's the feeling I get when listening to this, the guitars can get downright spooky sometimes. The album is great from start to finish, I didn't like "When Girls Telephone Boys" that much as it sounds like a filler track without much originality. "Lucky You" might be a preview of what Chino's next project 'Team Sleep' could sound like with its electronic groves mixed with haunting guitars. This album just barely misses being their best yet.

The Tonedeafs
Sorry, this album is barely mediocre. The only good songs here are Minerva, Needles and Pins, Deathblow and Battle-Axe. The rest is cheap, rushed and void of any feeling and/or melody. The worst song BY FAR is Lucky You. It's not only the worst song on this disc, but might as well be the worst song I've EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE! WHAT were they thinking??? Abysmal creation!!! Hexagram is annoying. Good Morning Beautiful is barely okay. When Girls Telephone Boys (what a stupid title) basically sounds like so many other Deftones songs. Bloody Cape is bloody average (although, I can stand it at times). Anniversary of a blahblahblah is tiring. And Moana is a moaning, hissing mess. A step down for a very great band that still has mucho potential. If you wanna get into Deftones, then PLEASE, for the love of all things unholy, get Around The Fur. It's a masterpiece, and LIGHT-YEARS more melodic and beautiful than this embarrassing disaster. I hate Lucky You. I HATE IT! WORST... SONG... EVER! Anyway, yeah, getting back on topic... Adrenaline is one sweet album too. Every song is an @ss-kicker. And as for White Pony, it's got plenty of great songs. This self-titled waste of a CD has some good songs... GOOD songs... only 1 truly GREAT song... I don't think it'll be in your player that long... I hope they're not so lazy and choppy with the next album.

cool
I don't want to hate on any bands. Linkin Park is good for what it is, and they seem like nice people, but they do not even compare to the Deftones even a little.
That's all.

Dr. Music is Dr. drab
If you like Linkin Park, hey, whatever floats your boat. They suck, but if you like them, more power to you. But to have the audacity to write a long critical review in which you spend time comparing Linkin Park to the Deftones and saying that the Deftones will be "gone by Wednesday," is so much garbage. I think the "gone by Wednesday" thing can definately be said for Linkin Park. 15 years down the road, no one is going to care about them. The Deftone's have been releasing albums for ten years now and have been around as a band a lot longer. They're obviously doing SOMETHING write in order to get such a huge underground fan base and sky-rocketing sales.
I also like the thing that Dr. Music said about the Deftones trying to sound heavier on this album than they have before. He says it as though it's some sort of negative slump to the music among many. You know what? Deftones are a heavy band, dude, and that's what heavy bands do. They get HEAVIER! And the good ones like the Deftones switch things up a little bit and try something different. I think that maybe Dr. Music would like Deftones a little more if they tried some of the musical "genius" of Linkin Park's approach, (i.e.) have a crappy rapper for every verse with lyrics that sound like "I don't know why i'm not liked, you didn't see me you didn't recognize, understand why when i cry, didn't even know when i tried to hide, doesn't make sense" and blah, blah, shoot me, while after that, for the chorus, some pimply white kid cryptically whines about how no one liked him in High School. The Deftones would also need to start dressing like gangsters and dying their hair stupid colors, or saying cliche crap like "our songs mean whatever you want them to mean" unlike they do, or shout at their concerts that they love Janes Addiction just to sound cultured, or start righting the most downright, beebop and catchy hooks ever.
The Deftones is a wonderful album that is comparable or philisophical comparable to any of the good rock to come out of the 70's (not in sound of course, just song structure and maybe lyrics). How could you think The Deftones are a step below Linkin Park when the Deftones have a song called Hexagram that screams with something that's not exactly anger while Chino says "paint the streets in white, death is the standard breach for a complex prize; god it's so sweet of you, and your parents are proud; but i would expect it now from anyone now to protect life's indigenous sound".
All in all, who cares if the Deftones don't have guitar solos? Go listen to the bands that do if that's your only signifier of good music! Who cares if they're trying to be crunchy and heavier than ever? that's the deftones! Who cares if Dr. Music doesn't like this album? It's going to last and be a favorite unlike either of Linkin Park's two cd's of complete drivel that we will all look back on and shake our heads in embarrassment that their music captured so many wannabe hardcore kids who are about 26's years old, wearing a backwards hat with their 14 year old gilfriends, walking down the street with no car. THis is the definition of the musical generation that would last if Linkin Park was going to make it, which they aren't.
Dr. Music should come up with his own creative Genius and try to do better than the Deftones in his own band called PanLinkinSlayerica.

"Deftones" give the band a clearly defined sound.
Deftones' self titled release "Deftones" can probably be seen as a stepping stone by a band that is continually on an upward accent to what will surely become rock musical greatness.

As a fan of the band since "Around the Fur" was released it is plainly obvious that each album they release is better than the one prior to it, which means "Deftones" is probably thier best album yet, but thier next release will probably be even better.
They seem to be very much like 'Faith no more' in that aspect.

Not only have the band improved thier songwriting on this album, they have also developed a keen set of ears for audio production too.The album sounds amazing and has a higher quality than thier previous albums, the songs are more simple and heavy, yet more complicated musically.

Chino Moreno's vocals are more high pitched and vocally intense than on any previous albums, and Abe Cunningham's drums are somewhat less busy, yet harder hitting than before.
As for the guitars, i think Stef Carpenters sludgy,crunchy 7 string assault is more like Messugah and Fear Factory,than "White Pony" and Chi Chengs bass is just massive and and explosive.DJ Frank also gets his rightfull place performing and entire track of his own musical taste.

Clearly a very Heavy ,bitter ,poisonous and intense album, some fans might not like it, but a lot more will love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The impact of Marilyn Manson's subversive musical agenda has waned, and what's left is a provocative, talented artist writing affecting, powerful, and yes, controversial songs. Although Holy Wood is the third title of a trilogy that began with 1996's Antichrist Superstar, the album stands on its own. Rife with references to the Beatles and the Kennedys, and full of pop-culture barbs, Holy Wood is a musically diverse and powerful statement. The memorable sing-along "Disposable Teens" boasts the same kind of staccato, Teutonic, first-thrusting power introduced with "Beautiful People," while "Fight Song" is the Sex Pistols meets Blur by way of Nirvana. While a futuristic, nihilistic tint pervades Manson's work, passion is also prevalent, notably in the spooky acoustic number "A Place in the Dirt" and the brutal "Death Song." Like Marilyn Manson the man, Holy Wood is intelligent, dynamic, and multifaceted, with myriad charms that are evident to the tuned-in listener. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (257)

Manson's masterpiece
Simply put, Holy Wood is Manson's finest work to date. This has the raw power of Antichrist Superstar and the studio glam of Mechanical Animals rolled into one monster of an album. From the slow and brooding "GodeatGod" to the fast and furious "Burning Flag", the acoustic "In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death", and the John Lennon-like "Lamb Of God", Holy Wood covers a lot of ground. President Dead even has a hint of the old Portrait Of An American Family to it. It is paced very well, enough slow songs and enough hard, fast songs. "Count To Six And Die" closes out the album in a much different fashion (soundwise) than one would expect. It's the most delicate and softest piece in Manson's repetoire. My personal favorite tracks are "The Love Song", "A Place In The Dirt", "Coma Black", and "Valentine's Day". (...) This album has a lot of truth to it, and it's worth buying.....really it is.

Won't make any new fans, but will please previous ones.
I'm a huge Marilyn Manson fan and have been since Antichrist Superstar. I've been waiting for Holy Wood since January of 2000 and purchased it the day it arrived at my local Sam Goody. I personally feel that I was way too caught up in the fact that it was Manson's new album to even consider the music itself. However, once I sat down to actually listen to the music and take it as if I wasn't a Manson fan at all, I was impressed. Overall, the album has about five different layers that you have to get through and not everyone will love every layer. It's a great album, but it should've been faster paced. I was very disappointed with the lack of energy, but the songs are very well structured nonetheless. The upcoming "The Fight Song" single is the only song on the album that has a chance of making people who don't like Manson, buy this cd. If you plan on purchasing this album, check out "GodeatGod", "The Love Song", "The Fight Song", "Disposable Teens", "Target Audience", "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death", "Cruci-Fiction in Space", "The Death Song", "Born Again", "Burning Flag", "Coma Black", "Valentine's Day", "The Fall of Adam", "King Kill 33", and "Count to Six and Die (The Vacuum of Space Encompassing)". If the cd consisted of those songs alone, I believe that I'd enjoy it much more. I give it five stars for the songs mentioned, but the ones not can be considered filler.

PUNK!
I like this album because it has a very strong punk rock sound. My favorite song on this is "burning flag" Well it is way better than his new release. I think this album is worth getting if youre a fan of punk rock period. Great CD.

Best album of them all
I'm a huge Manson fan, and I decided to give this album five stars because listen to and enjoy it every day. It's got a lot of different songs, from hardcore to soft to a little inbetween, and it's fun to mix them up on the CD burner until you get the desired order. Soft at first, then inbetween and then hard. All the hard songs are good, and the soft ones are unique in that at the end of them a lot of them have some good screaming. It's good the way he did that. A good example of such a song would be "The Fall of Adam", where he starts soft and then starts screaming into a weird microphone or something which someone referred to as a megaphone. I just wish I could see him perform that at a concert. I would definitely have my fist in the air and I would be shouting along with him. The hardcore songs are good. The lyrics of all the songs are very deep and hard to interpret, which is good if while listening to this music you want to take your mind off of something else. That, along with the quality hardcore music makes this CD a definite must-buy. The only thing that might irritate the listener is the order of the tracks.

Something Manson this way comes...
As soon as I got this album, I sat down and began to listen to it while having dinner. From the very first notes I could tell I was in for a ride! The opening and closing songs on the album fit so perfectly together that I was in awe. Of course Manson has the knack for putting most in awe.He really out-did himself on this one.
Take my advice when I tell you if you like Marilyn Manson then you HAVE TO OWN THIS ALBUM! It's an essential piece in the Manson collection. If you own no other Manson album in your life, buy this one! Buy this one from our friends here at Amazon!
Manson Rocks Hard! ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Behind their stupidity lies musical genious
I was surprised that another reviewer mentioned Victor Wooten. Props to vic!
Anyhoo, I've been a huge Primus fan for a long time. At first I listened to their songs and didn't like them at first, but I gave Les and the boys a chance and I am very glad I did. Primus is quite possibly the most original band out there (well, Pink Floyd's a lot better). Nobody has the style of Primus, nobody has music quite like Primus. Les is a hell of a bassist, Ler's a hell of a guitarist, and herb is a hell of a drummer. Mix them all up and you have a hell of a band. Frizzle Fry is Primus's best album, in my opinion. Everything was good up to Pork Soda, then the lyrical talent started to wear off. Les was running out of ideas. I love Tales From The Punchbowl, but The Brown Album and Antipop really weren't all that up to snuff. In short, I highly recommend Suck On This, Frizzle Fry, Miscellaneous Debris, and Pork Soda. Endless hours of entertainment.

Les Claypool's all time masterpiece
I enjoy Primus other albums a lot but the real thing is in here.
"Frizzle fry" is a quintesential art of psychedelic funk/metal and it shines up to this day.their first studio album contains classic songs like "Too many puppies","John the fisherman","Pudding time" or "Spaghetti western".Claypool's characteristic nose vocals are making spirit of primus along with virtuoso bass lines and somehow noisy guitars.the opener "To defy the laws of tradition" shows proudly all the elements that made primus one of the most important avantgarde/rock/metal (or whatever...) bands in the world.
if you want to have only one primus album i recomend it instead of overrated "Pork soda" or "tales of the punchbowl".In search of pure genius you will find it here.
hats off to Les Claypool everybody.

Astounding
Primus was definitely at the top of their game early on, and this album proves it. I'll give you my ratings of the songs individually, so it's easy for you to get what I'm trying to say here.

TO DEFY THE LAWS OF TRADITION: Too long, but a great song nonetheless. I love the bass solo at the beginning. It sounds like three bassists at once. (10/10)

GROUNDHOG'S DAY: Another great song, with Les playing three-note chords on the bass. Cool lyrics and neat guitar riff. (10/10)

TOO MANY PUPPIES: I don't like this one as much as some of the others, but I still like it a lot anyway. I wonder if "puppies" is a term used by Les to describe men at war, because it seems like that's what the song is about. It's also about 45 seconds too long. (8/10)

MR. KNOWITALL: Most people don't like this song but I love it, especially that part near the end. It sounds like mosh pit material. Odd bassline and guitar riff that sounds to me like a superhero song (I have no idea why). (10/10)

FRIZZLE FRY: Here's another great song. It starts with a neat little fingernail-picked intro, then moves into this slow song about a creature that doesn't believe in anything but Capn' Crunch. (9/10)

JOHN THE FISHERMAN: This began the infamous Fisherman Chronicles and is great both lyrically and musically. Too bad John the Fisherman drowned, or maybe he'd have caught the ol' diamondback sturgeon. (10/10)

YOU CAN'T KILL MICHAEL MALLOY: This is the only interlude I like. (7/10)

THE TOYS GO WINDING DOWN: Odd, dark, awesome song with a triplet bassline and lyrics about how the world's going to waste (I guess, heaven only knows). This is one of my favorite songs by Primus ever. (10/10)

PUDDING TIME: It's pudding time children! A nice little ditty about people so greedy they don't care about dying creatures. This has about 1,000,000,000 different riffs, but it's Primus, and who cares anyway? (9/10)

SATHINGTON WILLOUGHBY: Give me a break. (1/10)

SPEGETTI WESTERN: Freakish, spooky song about unemployed people watching spaghetti westerns. At first it just seems like Les and Ler are making noise over a drumbeat, but then the bass moves into a slap and pop riff with the guitar overshadowing it. Some people don't like this one, but I do. (8/10)

HAROLD OF THE ROCKS: Mostly a story set to music, but goes into this great guitar solo that has kind of a jazzy feel to it. Lyrics about a guy named Harold who "rambles on and on" and appears at a party "Trouzy threw late one night" and then is never seen again. Silly but perfect ending. (10/10)

TO DEFY: The first track only three thousand times worse. (2/10)

Overall, a great album by a great band with a great review by a great guy.

Their first and best.
I've owned many "Primus" albums through the years, but if I only kept one, it would easily be "Frizzle Fry". Even as good as "Sailing The Seas Of Cheese" is, this is better. The drumming is right on, the guitar is excellent, and Les and his bass are in top form. Plus songs like "Too Many Puppies" and "John The Fisherman" are absolutely essential "Primus". This disc is a must for the newcomer, or the fanatic. Listen to me, I sound like "Mr. Know It All".

IT'S PRIMUS TIME CHILDREN!
I got this recently, having bought Pork Soda and loved it, but compared to Frizzle Fry, Pork Soda is a Brittney Spears album with George Bush on the cover. What about Frizzle Fry? Frizzle Fry is downright amazing. This album will have you dancing, laughing, moshing, barfing, crying and screaming all at the same time. Needless to say, this is a strange album.

Now...for the track-by-track (just so you can get a better feel for what you're paying for):

To Defy the Laws of Tradition: A pretty long song about (what else?) defying tradition. Pretty nice bass part, amazing guitars towards the end. Good song, and following an odd trend of putting the longest song first. ??? I thought the first songs were usually the shortest... Time: 6:40 Rating: 10/10

GroundHog's Day: Starts off with a very misleading bass riff, a misleading bass part, and then Ler jumps in. After the first ten seconds or so, Herb comes in with a bell and they're off! GRRRREAT song about [the title]. Goofy, starts off very laid-back, but then turns into a metal masterpiece! Time: 4:58 Rating: 11/10 one of the best on the album!

Too Many Puppies: Probably my favorite song on this album. It's funny to picture a puppy with a gun in his hand! Awesome guitar part, awesome bass part, awesome drum part, awesome vocal part. What can you say to that? Time: 3:56 Rating: 11/10

Mr. Knowitall: I don't care for this song so much, because the lyrics are spread around too much. This is sort of like Spegetti Western, where they have a problem of where they put the lyrics. Here they put the lyrics all over the place and put too much space in between it. There they put too many lyrics too close together, yet not enough lyrics. Strange... Time: 3:49 Rating: 7/10

Frizzle Fry: One of the better songs on the album, with an awesome bass part by Les. Very slow in the beginning, but right past the 4:45 marker this song turns into a thrashy song. Nice lyrics with all the denial and such. Time: 6:03 Rating: 10/10

John the Fisherman: Easy lyrics, great, cheerful song. Very lighthearted, as most Primus is. Cool song with great guitar! Nice story, first single. Underrated. Time: 3:37 Rating: 10/10

You Can't Kill Michael Malloy: No. Interlude. No. Not. Good. Time: :25 Rating: None. Interlude!

The Toys go Winding Down: This song inspired me to buy the album. I heard it in a music store and I bought it because of the bass riff. Very nice song, great everything! Time: 4:34 Rating: 9.5/10

Pudding Time: The heaviest song on the album. Weird lyrics, but funny. I love it when Les shouts "IT'S PUDDING TIME CHILDREN!" Time: 4:07 Rating: 9/10

Sathington Willoughby: Funny mock-song, odd guitar line, strange backbone. Rhythmists would be proud. Time: :25 Rating: 10/10

Spegetti Western: My least favorite song on the album. A stoner anthem, a drawn-out song with very few lyrics. And the worst part is, the few lyrics are scrunched together and the few lyrics are pretty bad. BOO! Time: 5:41 Rating: 4/10

Harold of the Rocks: If TMP isn't the best, this is! It is a great ballad. The last fifteen seconds must be the most beautiful piece of music ever composed. Funny ending to the story of Harold, HAROLD OF THE ROCKS! Time: 6:17 Rating: 11/10

To Defy: Reprise of the first song. OK listen, very short. Time: :37 Rating: 8/10

Hello Skinny: This song belongs on Pork Soda. It is weird, with a dark-sounding bassline and guitar part, and the lyrics are beyond strange. They make no sense! Time: ??? Rating: 5/10

Constantinople: Weird song with no point. Strange indeed...but better than Hello Skinny Time: ??? Rating: 6/10

I hope I've inspried you to buy this album! It is very good (but two songs aren't) That means 12/14 of the songs are good!!!! That is pretty good! 6/7 of the songs are good! 6/7! ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Rob gives a deathly glorious dance-laden return
Rob Zombie's latest offering "American Music" is what I call a "Tri-brid" (Industrial, Dance, &Ghoul Metal)of killer tunes from none other than the master of spook-rock himself.Fans of him & White Zombie will relish ,writhe, & satiate their appetite to this monstrous set of remix tracks.Mostly from his debut album,Helbilly Deluxe,there's no need to review his latest CD,since every tune you listen to will pump you with pure,evil diesel fuel,giving you a hellacious transfusion,only pleasing you more & more as the tunes progress to the last.I can hardly wait for Rob to release another CD with even more gore tunes & keep me satisfied a good while longer!!!My support for Rob is solid,as sung in this CD,"Go,Go Zombie,Go,Go Yeah,Yeah,Yeah!!!!!

stripped
AMM to strip by shows rob's versatility, and a nice change from the screaming crap that is pantera. what lurks from channel X is one of my favs, it shouldv'e been on the Blade soundtrack(s).

Major disappointment!
I'm a HUGE Rob Zombie fan, but this is a total disappointment. I don't want to rate it as one star, because i don't think any of Rob's stuff deserves that low a score. The guy is a very talented and creative musician and artist, and one hell of a workaholic. I just love his material, but doing a remix cd of his stuff from Hellbilly Deluxe was a bad choice. To me, the original versions are the best. There are only a few remixes that are remotely interesting. For me, the best remix on the whole cd was Return Of The Phantom Stranger. The remix of Dragula isn't that great, and the remix of Living Dead Girl is just horrible. Some of the songs are totally unrecognizable from the originals and do absolutely nothing to add to them. One reason for doing a remix is to see if you can improve on the original song, and none of the remixes do that. Buy Hellbilly Deluxe and enjoy the original versions. They are the best. I was disappointed because i thought that having artists like NIN and Ramstein doing the remixes would produce something totally awesome. A lot of the mixes are just plain boring. I think Rob Zombie should have left well enough alone and just left his first cd as is, without trying to squeeze more mileage out of it. I don't recommend this cd at all. Zombie fans will be disappointed. I sure was.

The Deal
A Remix Album, a very good remix, but ofcourse the old White Zombie stuff is better, than the the newer zobmie, for those of you to young to remember Thunderkiss 65' who keep the hope that Rob will do something heavier than what you've heard in the last 5 years try White Zombie-La Sexorcismo-Devil Music Vol.1, hope this helps you.

Lackluster and disappointing remix album
As much of a White Zombie faithful as I had been, and as much as I may have liked "Hellbilly Deluxe", I can't help but cringe just a little bit whenever I hear anything off this remix album or any of Rob's newest material. These supposed remixes don't sound all that different from the original recordings, and while they do have their moments here and there, other times they can be just plain annoying. Plus, there are no kinds of extra bonuses (like White Zombie's cover of "I'm Your Boogieman" on the "Supersexy Swingin' Sounds" remix album), and at the full list price this looks like a blatant [copy]. Do yourself a favor, stick with the old White Zombie albums and even "Hellbilly Deluxe", and leave this, along with "Sinister Urge", in the dust. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Film music and the artier end of the rock spectrum have enjoyed a slightly bent connection since the early '80s, when the noir-savvy California new wavers of Wall of Voodoo made clear Ennio Morricone's influence on their work. Fantomas's second album, The Director's Cut, is in that somewhat playful spirit. The all-star ensemble--ex-Faith No More frontman Mike Patton with members of Slayer, the Melvins, and Patton's Mr. Bungle--adapts disturbing (or at least spooky) themes by Bernard Herrmann, Henry Mancini, Morricone, and others. The bruising but often campy (there is no track 13) result works more often than you'd expect; Nino Rota's Godfather and Harry Lubin's (TV) One Step Beyond excerpts are put through more than effective paces. It's clear that, despite the occasional (inadvertent?) Iron Maiden homage, Patton and friends have no interest in keeping a straight face on this. That's fine, but Patton's goofy lyrical interjections on several of these tunes turns them into not-very-funny cartoons. Still, it's the rare sympathetic listener who won't be driven to check out obscure flicks like Der Golem and The Devil Rides Out. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (59)

FANTOMAS has found their calling...
...and it is in re-working film scores. Patton, Mr. Bungle, and the Melvins have always been incredibly artistically diverse and ambitious, yet before I heard this album it sounded like, you know, a good idea, but one that might not actually sound that great.

Man, was I wrong. This album is a stunner, a musical monument that takes a bunch of movie standards from a relatively diverse field of composers and puts them together as a pretty cohesive album that actually hangs together more coherently than Fantomas' first self-titled album. Whereas that album was an introduction to the sound and aesthetic of the supergroup (Mike Patton of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle, drummer Dave Lombardo from Slayer/Grip Inc., Buzz osborne, mastermind behind the Melvins, and bassist Trevor Dunn from Mr. Bungle). A sprawling epic with many moods, tempos, and sounds, it still sounds less schizophrenic and more coherent than the first record.

Higlights, to this listener, include: a stunningly heavy version of Bernard Herrmann's _Cape Fear_ theme, done a la Black Sabbath; a beautifully demented take on the "Rosemary's Baby_ theme; Ennio Morricone's _Investigaton of a Citizen Above Suspicion_, which in the hands of Fantomas sounds like a mix between Rammstein and the 70's soundtrack funk of _Fantastic Planet_; a speed-metal take on the _Godfather_ theme song; the _Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me_ theme, with Patton imitating the child-like jazz stylings of Jimmy Scott; and a deliciously mutated slamdance take on the _Omen_ theme song _Ave Satani_.

Overall, the playing is jaw-dropping, the production is clear and crunching, and the moods are spellbinding. Best album of 2001? I haven't heard anything this inventive anywhere else yet...

Fantomas proves their versatility and creativity once again
While the Director's Cut may seem like a new direction for Fantomas, their second full- length album is actually a perfect fit for the band's unique sound and identity. Having proven themselves capable of playing mood music of the most extreme caliber on their first album, making an album of soundtrack re-interpretations, a form of music that is used to create moods more than any traditional strains of rock, is a brilliant way to channel and add focus to the band's creative style. Opting to primarily cover themes from horror and thriller movies, a good choice for a band as dark and mysterious as Fantomas, Mike Patton expands the atmosphere of each song in every way possible. Interpreting loud, tense passages as brutal guitar onslaughts and the soft, melodic passages as gentle crooning backed by subtle keyboard, Mike Patton takes every song to it's absolute limit making them fit his own maniacal visions of fear and suspense. Most importantly though, Mike Patton knows what he's doing. Upon first listen, The Director's Cut may seem much less high brow or complex than most artsy, avant-garde film music albums, but Patton treats all of the songs with a deep respect, from the classic "Godfather" to the schlocky "Spider Baby", and actually enhances them through the use of a standard 4 piece rock lineup, instead of just shoving them all through a blender. Through clever use of dynamics and exaggerated loud/soft alternations, The Director's Cut achieves its goal again and again by presenting 16 soundtrack covers that not only capture all the intensity and fervor of the originals, but add completely new dimensions of sound and a modern edge to them as well. Mike Patton has discussed his desire to do a covers album for a long time, first attempting this album with the legendary Mr. Bungle, and it is nice to see his vision finally realized by a band as talented as Fantomas. While still a challenging listen, The Director's Cut is more palatable than Fantomas' preceding album and every bit as good making for a great record that should appeal to avant-garde and hard rock fans alike.

wow
i am still wondering how these guys make this stuff sound so good. this is the best. it cant, wont, and never will get any better than Fantomas.

One of Mike Patton's best
(...)

"Director's Cut" consists of 15 purposeful arrangements of selected movie themes for a four piece rock band. Mike Patton once again shows the music world that the intrumentation of the "rock group" can be applied to so-called "serious" music with astounding results.

Patton is evidently sometimes compared to Frank Zappa - a comparison that he feels is inaccurate. And I agree that the music of the two composers is very different. I believe that it is their use of the rock medium to express what i will have to once again refer ineptly to as, "serious" music (I am not a fricken snob,)that connects the two. That is about where the comparison ends.

"Director's Cut" is definitely serious music. It is dark and moody and melodramatic, much like the movies that provided the album's source material. The power of these re-workings comes from their precision and deliberateness. They are all so inventive in the way they keep the attitude of the original piece, but then add a perfect twist that puts the band's stamp on it.

The production of this record is incredible. It truly is candy to your ears. I recently had the pleasure of seeing the band in concert and was really surprised at how well they managed to pull off those sounds there in the club. Props to the sound person.

Sheer Brilliance
At first I didn't like Fantomas, because I was hooked on Mr Bungle and FNM. However, upon hearing the original compositions, I must say that Patton and gang are true geniuses. Their remake of Experiment in Terror is outstanding, Der Golem is scary as, and Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer is spooky as well. Listen to this on headphones and spin yourself out even more! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Hey Man, Nice Shot" may have been a fluke hit, but Filter's Richard Patrick has spent four years working on the follow-up album, mastering enough sonic variety to ensure that Filter stick around the moshpit. Programmer Brian Liesegang is gone, but Patrick continues on, picking up the slack and yielding nothing. Crowd reaction is impossible to anticipate, but at 70 minutes, Title of Record is an exhaustive collection of hyperkinetic guitars, subliminal melodies and thunderous dynamics--which is to say, it sports plenty of hard rock aggression, but is firmly rooted in the pop experience that keeps the songs in your head. "It's Gonna Kill Me" has a stalker's vibe in its techno-metal roots, while "Take a Picture" and "Captain Bligh" are radio-friendly unit shifters that suggest that underneath the technology rests a beating, and often bruised, human heart.--Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (222)

An Album Worth Buying
Filter's follow up to 1994's Short Bus is, in my opinion, a very enjoyable album. Simply put, Filter creates songs that one finds singing long after the disc has stopped spinning. If you enjoy good rock n' roll, buy this album, you may very well find yourself leaving this one on auto-repeat! Lead vocalist Richard Patrick, formerly of Nine Inch Nails, has a fantastic voice. When mingled with the talented Geno Lenardo's moody guitar playing, his music is no less than mesmerizing.

Among the more compelling of the tracks on the disc is the hit single, "Take a Picture." An upbeat and inspirational sound is combined with an interesting message: "Could you take my picture? 'Cuz I won't remember." "Could everyone agree that no one should be left alone?" "And I feel like a newborn, kicking and screaming." This song refers to an incident in which Patrick, while on a late flight, stripped naked and began wandering around the air craft, much to the shock and chagrin of the other passengers. When asked about this, Patrick claimed, "I was just really drunk!"

The spooky and disturbing "Cancer" is an angry, emotionally charged cry for reason. It talks about mankind, and its seemingly inevitable path of self-destruction, as the chorus pleads, "Hey, my children, what seems important won't last forever." Patrick seems to be reckoning with forces too big to be dealt with in any reasonable fashion, leaving him to merely watch with tears rolling down his face.

"Skinny" seems to reflect Patrick's feelings on the distorted view of what is considered beautiful in our society. He speaks to the models, the rock stars, the actors, and other such celebrities, repeating a show-biz mantra, "Don't ever let them see you cheat, don't ever let them see you bleed, don't ever let them see you cry, don't ever let them believe that scam."

With great lyrics, fantastic singing, and great musical accompaniment, Title of Record is sure to be included among the best rock albums of the late nineties.

Filter's "Record": A Gem
Here is a review I wrote for my school newspaper. I hope it is helpful.

Title Of Record, Filter's sophomore effort, is one of the best industrial/hard rock/aggro-pop CDs of the year. They broke through with the made-for-radio-overplay single "Hey Man, Nice Shot" three years ago, but the album, Short Bus, was nothing 'short' of a disappointment. However, the new album is infectious. Frontman Richard Patrick shows off his considerable vocal talent on tracks like "Welcome To The Fold" and "Skinny." These songs are laden with almost pop-like hooks, but Patrick manages to stay away from the sellout tunes of Bus. Lyrics are obviously not Patrick's specialty, with lines like "You think you're precious/I think you're sh**," giving some songs an almost laughable silliness. Filter also does not stray far from familiar rock and industrial Nine Inch Nails-esque self-deprecating lyrics such as "I am the scum of the earth/I am a cancer." However, some songs do suggest a little lyrical talent, for example in "I Will Lead You," ("Come along take a ride/Across the sky for an hour/Leave your mind/Take your soul/Fill the hole with flowers", but these moments are few and far between. Drummer Steven Gills displays his talent in songs like "Welcome To The Fold," "Captain Bligh," and "Cancer." The only other blemish on this record is Patrick's occasional efforts at creating power ballads like "Take A Picture" and "I'm Not The Only One." These embarrassing tracks sound like a hellish infusion of Elton John and Diana Ross and The Supremes. Overall, however, this album is bursting with hooks, originality, talent, and excellent replay value. If you liked: Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile, then you'll love Title Of Record.

In response to John
When I write a review, I "call 'em as I see 'em". There is no denying Trent Reznor is was very talented at what he's done. His songwriting was more impressive than Filter or Marilyn Manson and on that level I agree with you. However, NIN is not in a competition with Filter but rather with themselves to always top their previous work. For a band to release only once every 5 years is inexcusable.

In response to Matts Review
Filter will never surpass Nine Inch Nails. Richard Patrick has a good album here but it will never be a masterpiece like the Fragile or Downward Spiral. The Fragile is masterpiece that will be remembered longer the "The donward Spiral" It's sad your like the rest of the people and didn't listion to the album and just hoped for another "closer". Sorry your to blind to see the real meaning behind album.

In response to Mark for Illinios
Mark thought the record was bad because the rest of the songs weren't like "Take MY Picure", and that annoys me because that is just a music preferance. Anyone who clicks on the music clips can realize that Take my picture is the exception, not album's genre. For anyone who likes this type of music, this is a great album. Welcome to the fold is precious rareity, a true rocker that's intent isn't radio play time with a 3min. length and predictability, but a long song that spirals through great parts. All Marks seems to want is mainstream pop hits, but that's what makes this album so good, it refuses to mold to mainstream junk and remains unique heavy metal minus the satanic voice that so many heavy metal bands have these days, this is a band that I can still wait for a new album from since STP and smashing pumpkins both broke up. The review is suppose to be of the album, not the band, obviously if you don't like the band you'll hate the ablum. It's like going on to a Johny Cash album review and giving it bad marks for all the songs not being like "Hurt", the NIN cover he did that is the only song that younger listeners propable know of his. Don't judge a band by the one song you know of their's, and assume that that's what all their songs sound like, just because so many junky mainstream band do so. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Five years before the release of ANThology, Alien Ant Farm befriended Papa Roach, then fellow strugglers on the California club circuit. And so AAF wound up signing to Papa Roach's New Noise Records. AAF have furthermore strengthened their Roach connection by employing Jay Baumgardner, producer of their benefactors' Infest, to lend sheen to the noise. The result doesn't show a tremendous range, but is generally excellent, with sweeping, soaring guitars ("Whisper," "Stranded") and shuddering riffs ("Wish"), putting one in mind of a less disturbing version of Alice in Chains. Standouts include the opener, "Courage," led by Mike Cosgrove's off-kilter clatter and Dryden Mitchell's winding lyrics; a chopping, pleading cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal"; and the revved up "Flesh and Bone." With the tense, Pearl Jam-like "Attitude," AAF attempt to change the mood and tempo, and one hopes they'll continue such sonic explorations. For now, ANThology is a palatable aperitif. --Dominic Wills ... Read more

Reviews (185)

awesome cd with room for improvement
very awesome cd, i gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the end of the cd is weak
the tracks are:
1. courage- very good, nice beat, good lyrics
2. movies- one of my faves on the album
3. flesh and bone- coool, another of my faves
4. whisper- the aaf version of an angry song, very good, another of my faves
5. summer-slow but good.
6. sticks and stones,- my other fave on the album
7. attitude- very weird chorus, good song
8. stranded- another of my faves
9. wish- very good, another of my faves
10. calico- interesting.
11. Death Day- slow , and my fave on the album
12. Smooth Criminal- very good cover up, and my othe fave
13. universe- liked it at first, don't like it now cause it is weak.

Don't Judge this on Smooth Criminal...Its really quite good.
I purchased this CD after hearing "Movies" on the radio (it was the first single...the MTV crowd doesnt seem to catch that). I liked the CD. At the time (around March/April), AAF wasn't 'cool' or 'trendy,' and the CD was good. Now, after "Smooth Criminal" the band has become known as a one-hit wonder. I would like to dispel these rumors now. AAF is an extremely talented band, particuarly bassist Tye Zamora and drummer Mike Cosgrove. These two are up there with the great rhythm sections today (such as MudVayne and TOOL). Many hardcore fans of those two groups will probably shun me because AAF is on TRL, but the guys have talent. Now on to the CD...It is...again...quite good. Standouts include the opener "Courage" (the fastest, heaviest song on the CD...wicked guitar), "Flesh and Bone" (outstanding bass...Tye is really good), and the last track "Universe" (the band's 'epic' song...about 6 minutes...very cool string arrangement too...I love string arrangements). If anybody knows of the band Hoobastank, the vocalist for AAF and that band sound similar; melodic singing as opposed to aggressive singing. All in all this is a very worthy purchase for a heavy music fan. For reference my favorite bands are Taproot, Tool, SoaD, SlipKnot, Finger Eleven, Reveille, Glassjaw, Mudvayne, and Onesidezero. Hopefully the centerpiece of their next album will be their original material. Please give this band a chance.

ALIEN ANT FARM SUCKS BEYOND WORDS
(...) THEY HAVE TO BE BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST TALENTLESS REJECTS ON THE MUSIC SCENE TODAY. (...) THESE PEOPLE ARE IN DIER NEED OF A SERIOUS WAKE UP CALL. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME, MONEY, ENERGY, OR GAS TO RUN OUT AND GET THIS UNLESS YOUR A TOTAL LOSER THAT LIKES A BUNCH OF GUYS WITH NO RHYTHM WHAT SO EVER THAT DANCE AROUND LIKE A BUNCH OF RABID MONKEY'S. I DONT KNOW ANY OF THE BAND MEMBERS NAMES BUT I DO KNOW THEY ACT LIKE TOTAL IDIOTS IN EVERY SINGLE VIDEO THEY MAKE. AND NOT TO MENTION HOW LOW BUDGET HE VIDEOS ARE....C'MON PEOPLE FOR GOD SAKES. ANYWAY UNLESS YOUR ONE OF THESE BUMBLING IDIOT/COMPUTER NERDS THAT SIT ON THE COMPUTER 22 HOURS OUT OF THE DAY AND SLEEP THE OTHER 2 THEN DONT GET THIS, IF I HAD TO LISTEN TO THIS CD AGAIN ID SERIOUSLY LOOK FOR SOME TYPE OF OBJECT TO SLIT MY WRIST OR MY THROAT WITH. THIS (...) IS PURE TORTURE!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRING
what else can i say about this cd except that it bores me out of my skull. i picked up a copy when i was buying one for my friend to see what it was like. well i liked it for a little while, but then i realized how mediocre the songs were. after a while it became the cd i always skipped automatically when looking for one to listen to. dont buy it unless u want something to sleep to (and u can get good music u can sleep to like sigur ros).

Good, but not a masterpiece.
Well Alien Ant Farm are one of those bands you just don't feel like chucking on there CD when you see it in your collection, cause it looks like a novelty album, but i decided to re-listen to it (i've listened to it like 4 times since i bought the CD in 2001) and i must say, it was'nt bad at all, and there are better songs then "Smooth Criminal" on this CD, this music also is stronger then most bands debut albums, which does say alot. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The 13 tracks of shrieking, strangulated fuzz guitar and heavy riffing found on Pure Rock Fury are as vital as the title demands. Think Led Zeppelin II run through the monolithic speaker-stacks of desert-rock innovators Kyuss. That Pure Rock Fury is an instant heavy-music landmark is certainly due in part to special guests guitarist Scott Weinrich of stoner-rock heavy hitters Spirit Caravan and guitar mystics Sixty Watt Shaman. But when Clutch hit their stride, they clearly don't need any help. Witness the snatches of live performance that culminate in the staggering, frenzied, and shrieking "Spacegrass." Pure Rock Fury elevates Clutch to the stoner-rock elite. --Louis Pattison ... Read more

Reviews (42)

intellect, energy, and music converge
This album its truely unbelievable in its complex layers, like the previous Clutch albums, Elephant Riders and Clutch. These West Virginia stalwarts of heavy rock manage to make the most intellegent brand of what has, unfortunately, come to be labeled stoner rock.
The album opens with the track American Sleep, which lumbers along with dense riffing that assualts as well as any more extreme metal band, yet never loses its southern tinged groove.
The trak Pure Rock Fury is a standout which is full of fire and ferocity, sounding at times as if its nearly ready to skitter right out of your cd player.
Careful with that Mic is truly a standout song, fully of irony and word play, and is one big sarcastic jab at the music industry wrapped up in a nice package.
I could go on and on about the individual tracks but their is no need. What is most worth mentioning about this album are the lyrics that Neil Fallon has managed to concieve. Always witty and intelligent, he manages to take vicious rhetorical stabs at the record industry (Careful With The Mic), weave a tale of natural disaster with the flare of an old country grandpa on moonshie (Sinkemlow), contrive a totally original take on the tradition of irish drinking reels (Drink To The Dead), and spin a yarn of science ficition (Brazenhead). Its truly unbelievable the intelligence and charm these guys bring forth in their music that goes completely unnoticed. By listening to this album, Elephant Riders, and Clutch, you get a good lesson in what lyricism is all about.
The only bad point to this album is that portions of it were produced using tapes recorded at numerous live shows, and sometimes causes the production quality to slip abit. THe only low-point musically is the live track of Spacegrass, live tracks could never capture the majesty that is Clutch in concert, and why would a Clutch fan really need to hear another verison of a spectacular song. All in all, it ties with Clutch as the best album, with Elephant Riders not far behind the two.

The best keep getting better!
I've been a Clutch fan since the early 90's (1993 to be exact). Their style keeps evolving with each album, and unlike many other groups, they are standing the test of time. I have left many other bands in the dirt because of their changing sound, but not these guys. If you've heard Clutch in the past, and didn't like what you heard, I strongly suggest you give this album a chance. It's not dedicated to one "theme", like their last two albums have been,(Space Grass, Elephant Riders) but has a variety of different sounds that is sure to have something for everyone. Neil Fallon is truley one of the greatest wordsmiths of all time. And the band keeps getting better. Jean-Paul(drummer) has moved up to #2 slot of rock steady drummers(in my percussionist oppinion), only to sit behind the late John Bonham. What a fun and catchy album! Buy it, or you loose!!! One note, Amazon has song #9 listed as Vulcan Sorcery. The song title is Sinkemlow, my favorite of the album!

Outstanding
Clutch is one of the only great rock/funk bands around today. I would compare Clutch to RATM, because of their complicated bass lines, outragous guitar riffs, and steady sick drum beats. The vocalist in Clutch is very different then Zach de la roche, which makes Clutch an original band. After "The Elephant Riders" i didnt think Clutch could create anything as great as their former cd, but they pulled it off. Every song has its own unique feel and is great for any music lover. The first 3 tracks are unbelieveable, with very catchy riffs. I also really enjoy the songs "Red Horse Rainbow", "Immortal" and "Drink to the Dead". All of the songs are unique and are great to listen to.

Better than anything on the radio!
All I can say is that this band is awesome. They are a unique talent and their music is far better than any of the lame bands that are being overplayed on the radio today (White Strips, Trapt, Maroon 5, etc.) Please ignore the horribly idiotic review by Paul Howard. This album is great. If you're looking for something new and exciting, buy it now.

A few "A's", and lots of "F's", almost make a "C"
When this group rocks, they wail -- reference cuts #1, #2 and #13. Other than that, having listened to the CD several times, and been a popular music fan all my life, I'm not sure what I heard except a bunch of kids playing around with electronics. Many groups have experimented with new musical forms, themes, lyrics, and so on, over the years, sometimes with results that have a significant impact either immediately or over time. Far from being a trendsetter, this CD, in its better cuts, temporarily entertains, while overall, it costs much more than it is worth and resells at a very steep discount. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you think the Powerman 5000 hit "When Worlds Collide" sounds an awful lot like "Dragula" off Rob Zombie's Hellbilly Deluxe, don't blame Powerman 5000 frontman Spider--after all, it's in the genes. Zombie and Spider are siblings, and blood is thicker than a whole stack of Bibles. Fortunately, Powerman 5000 are much more than a blasphemous chip off the old gravestone. Sure, many of the rhythms on Tonight the Stars Revolt! are augmented by electronic samples, and the vocals are shouted over a battering-ram assault of drums, but the tunes weren't conceived in the same decayed crypt as Zombie's. Spider is actually more attuned to the power of melody than his big brother. His influences include new-wave bands like Blondie and the Cars (there's even a cover of the Cars' "Let theGood Times Roll"), as well as alternative rockers like Helmet and Girls Against Boys. Instead of focusing on themes of horror and the supernatural as Zombie does, Powerman 5000 seek inspiration from B-grade science fiction films from the '60s, making Tonight the Stars Revolt! more like a futuristic fun house than a genuine freak show. --Jon Wiederhorn ... Read more

Reviews (192)

Exceptional Record
Well, its been a long haul for PM5K, but they finally broke into the mainstream with "Tonight The Stars Revolt!". I was optimistic about buying it, but after hearing samples of the record I thought I would get it. I was glad I did, its a good record. Starting off the record is a reading of the big-brothery poem "An Eye Is Upon You", followed by the hard hitting "Supernova Goes Pop". If you ask me, I think the song would've sounded better if they combined the first two tracks. The next track is "When Worlds Collide" the first single, and a crowd pleaser. Effects from B-Grade movies are spliced in, giving the song a creepy bad science fiction movie (a weird voice saying "you are a robot"). Nobody's Real, the bands second single, is a good techno-metal song, with weird beeps that go back and forth to start the song off, so make sure you have stereo sound so you catch it. It seems to me the rest of the CD is slower. I don't like the other half as much, since it strays from the first half's heavy side, but it stays with the theme of the album- be paranoid, you're being watched. Automatic gives a nice refresher. At times, Spider One sounds shockingly similar to Marilyn Manson, but then again PM5K doesnt sing about blasphemy and death. This CD is worth the 15 bucks, so go out and get it.

When Worlds Collide
Powerman 5000, Tonight the Stars Revolt, is an excellent CD. I am listening to "When Worlds Collide" as I write this review. Here is a description of the songs.

An Eye is Upon You: It is just a voice giving an introduction to the CD.

Supernova Goes Pop: A very awesome song. It includes very powerful guitar playing.

When Worlds Collide: This is my favorite song on the CD. It is slow at parts and heavy at parts, but though the entire song, the drums and guitar are awesome.

Nobodys Real: One of the softer songs. but it is still awesome.

System 11:11: A very short song, with Spider1 talking very softly.

Tonight the Stars Revolt: The title song is very catchy and most people who like this type of music will like this song.

AUTOmatic:An extremely heavy song that I listen to repeatedly.

The Son of X-51: Very similar to AUTOmatic.

Operate Annihilate: I like this song because I like how Spider1 changes his voice.

Blast off to Nowhere: I love this song because It has Spider1's brother, Rob Zombie, in it. It just sounds awesome.

They know Who You Are: This song is very interesting and loud. One of the best.

Good Times Roll: This is pretty cool, but if you listen to it too much it gets boring.

Watch the Sky For Me: A cool song. The beginning features the same voice from "An Eye Is Upon You."

On the back of this CD, next to the track listings, the story is really cool.

Still good, all these years later
Along with System of a Down, Sevendust, and maybe the first Puya disc, Powerman 5000's "Tonight the Stars Revolt" holds up better than most of the crap that came out in the nu metal onslaught. Though a lot of the riffs sound like hand-me-down's from Rob Zombie, I happen to like the sound on (especially) the last White Zombie record, so that ain't bad. What I really like about this is that instead of writing about angst or horrific things like most other bands of their type (*cough* Korn *cough* Slipknot *cough*), PM5K's lyrics remind me of some really cool comic books that I read as a kid, especially "The Son of X-51" because Marvel Comics had a character named X-51.

With heavy riffs and strong vocals, this album holds up as one of the better hard rock/metal albums of the late 1990s. It might be closer to a 3.75/5, but I would recommend it to anyone looking to flesh out their collection.

yayaya
powerman 5000 is my favourite, its hard rock man

The supreme excitement of our time
Tracklist Overview:
[1] An Eye is Upon You - A haunting, spoken intro reciting a work from J.P. Saticoy back in 1947. [7/10]
[2] Supernova Goes Pop - Intense song with strong guitar riffs and a very heavy feel to it. [8/10]
[3] When Worlds Collide - Dark, powerful song with a great chorus and a cool sample placed in. [9/10]
[4] Nobody's Real - Robotic track filled with mechanical bleeps and interesting lyrics. [8/10]
[5] System 11:11 - Short song with a calm, but despaired atmosphere to it. [7/10]
[6] Tonight the Stars Revolt! - A somewhat short, but powerful title track. [7/10]
[7] Automatic - Good lyrics and very good guitar riffs make this one of best songs on the album. [9/10]
[8] The Son of X-51 - Direct reference to a set of lyrics from Mega! Kung Fu Radio. Very catchy song with a cool intro. [8/10]
[9] Operate, Annihilate - Slow, but strong track with a very, grungy feel. [8/10]
[10] Blast Off to Nowhere - Personal favorite. It has catchy lyrics, good riffs, and encompases the sci-fi, rocket feel. [10/10]
[11] They Know Who You Are - Loudest, darkest, and heaviest on the album. Whispering to screaming abound. [8/10]
[12] Good Times Roll - Cover of the Cars song, filled with sci-fi noises and pounding metal. [7/10]
[13] Watch the Sky for Me - Closing track featuring almost elevator-like music, obviously referencing to old, forties lounge songs.
[?] Bizarre hidden song with very strange, but interesting lyrics. [7/10]

Comments:
Tonight the Stars Revolt! remains Powerman 5000's best album to date, superpassing their previous works, as well as Anyone for Doomsday? [Which is now available for purchase] and Transform. One of the best CDs I own, hands down. ... Read more

Reviews (189)

Its Dark, But I Like It!
I bought this album because i heard the end of the world on the radio and loved it. the cd was only like 12 bucks so i decided to pick it up. after looking at the cd's flipbook, i realized cold is a dark and twisted group. when i first listened to the whole album i couldn't understand i word the lead singer was saying. i thought i bought a pretty bad cd. but after reading the lyrics and listening to it more, i began to understand the words and now i love the cd. i can totally relate to a lot of the songs. my favorite tracks are 4,5,6,8,9,11, and 13 (the slower songs are my favorite). this album is a great buy for people you like staind and other bands like them. now i want to get their first cd and their newest single "gone away" which i have seen on mtv.

Mainstream Rock That Is Utterly Amazing
Fred Durst has committed many horrible crimes against decent music with his band (Limp Bizkit) and other bands he has sign (Staind and Puddle of Mudd), but all of those terrible crimes are ALMOST forgiven becuase of this band. Cold's sophmore release '13 Ways to Bleed Onstage' is an excellent example of melodic hard rock. Though not as intense or angry as their self titled debut, it is a more mature and enjoyable release. Unlike most bands the get played on the radio and on MTV, Cold has a talent that no one can overlook (even a diehard grindhead like me). Scooter's voice is absolutely amazing, his vocals are cold and depressing and match perfectly with the whole theme of the album. The music is just as cold (they are not Khanate, but come on). What can I say, this is just a great album. My favorite tracks are "End of the World" (my favorite song on the album), "Confessions" (great chorus), "Anti-Love Song" (fairly aggressive for a band like this), and "Send in the Clowns" (great screaming vocals at the end). The best thing about Cold's '13 Ways to Bleed on Stage' is the fact that everybody from Staind fans to Dark Funeral fans can enjoy this album and not be ashamed. If there were more bands like this in the mainstream I would not hate the it as much as I do. Cold is - in my opinion - the best hard rock band in the mainstream. Do not hesitate to buy this.

This lacks just one thing...
The first time I ever even heard of Cold, I saw their music video for "Bleed" featuring Aaron Lewis of Staind. I loved it, it was an absolutely beautiful song, one thing in particular that I loved the most about it was the acoustic strings, and or..backup violins. When I purchased "13 Ways to Bleed on Stage" I loved the entire album, and once I hit the last song, I was greatly disappointed. Oddly enough, the last song, is "Bleed." It was exactly how it was in the music video, minus...the acoustic strings (violins) in the background, which made the song as beautiful as it was. This disappointed me a bit, because without the backup violins, the song doesn't really have the same type of feeling to it as it does with them.
I think the violin version is a music video exlcusive version, because i've searched for it everywhere, and I cannot find it at all. If anyone knows if it's on any Cold CD or even if an mp3 of it exists, email me at mansonchyld@hotmail.com

Well...minus what the song is missing, it's an alright song, but doesn't measure up to the strings version, which probably doesn't even truely exist. The entire 13 Ways album is good, but if you've seen the video for "Bleed" and you're inspired by it, to get the album...think twice, what's on the album, isn't the same version of the song at all as what you're seeing on the music video.

Awesome CD
I bought this when it came out because a friend suggested it. I'm normally into the heavier stuff but this is my all time favorite CD to listen to as I fall asleep. The songs are dark, and amazing. (sent me into some pretty odd dreams)

Its in the middle
I heard 'just got wicked' while playing jet grind radio awhile back so im no stranger to cold and ever since that first listen, they have been my favorite band. 13 ways to bleed is the album that I think people should listen to before judging cold. The debut was very bleek and depressing and some people might not like that. The new one, year of the spider, is more upbeat and more mainstream friendly and others may not like this. 13 Ways to bleed is in the middle being depressing but having some catchy songs. They have their own unique sound but Staind, Seether, and Trust Company would complement Cold well in a CD jukebox set on random.

Bottom line: Great CD to start your Cold love affair ... Read more

Amazon.com

After validating every stripe of teen torment when working as masked members of Slipknot, vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root offer fans a chance to explore the sounds of their former, failed hard rock band, Stone Sour. Formed in 1992 and retired in 1997, Stone Sour played soulful, metallic hard rock in the vein of Alice in Chains, traces of which later appeared in looser, guitar-oriented Slipknot numbers like "Left Behind." The album opener, "Get Inside," and the snaky "Choose" kick with the agility of Pantera, while the mellower "Monolith" and "Blue Study" rely on Taylor's nasal vocals for emotional punch. Stone Sour probably wouldn't have made it out of Iowa in 2002 without the platinum pedigree of its erstwhile members; still, this is a respectable package of monster riffs and dynamic ideas. --Ian Christe ... Read more

Reviews (117)

Excellent First Album
Corey Taylor and James Root sure do know how to make great music, as evident by collaborating with two of metals best bands, slipknot and stone sour. The stone sour CD is nothing less than amazing. Corey shows he can balance melodic singing with hard screaming. "Orchids," the second song on the album, is a good example of such. The album boasts a lineup of diverse songs, from the heavier than hell opening track, "get inside" to the mellow song "bother." Although the sound quality is oddly sub-par, it sort of gives stone sour a sound of their own. This album is worth every penny and I urge you all to support this great band and buy a copy.

Ok-if you've never heard slipknot before
the first song i heard off this album was bother. i complete 180' turn from slipknot. i thought wow this might be a good band. then i heard the rest of the cd. it all sounds like slipknot but with less caffeine and less teenage "i hate the world." corey doesn't scream as much and attempts to sing. anyone who has actually seen slipknot live knows that he can't sing worth a damn despite how the studio (and antares digital pitch corrector) makes him sound. he can scream pretty good though, which is over done as it is. i thought it was also kinda stupid how corey and jim sold out on stone sour in 1997 to join slipknot and then want to reform stone sour. every time i hear a song it keeps reminding me of the huge gimmick that is slipknot. so if you want to hear more of the same from corey and jim or becuase you are obsessed with slipknot and have to have everything related to slipknot then this is a cd for you. you ought to be listening to some heavy bands with talent such as rammstein, pantera, or old sepultura.

Stone Sour Rocks!
I think Stone Sour is an excellent band but some of the songs were too soft. Maybe you can already tell that im a slipknot fan. Get Inside-10/10 best song on the CD. Orchids-7/10 eh .... yeah. Cold Reader-9/10 cool song! Blotter-8/10 pretty cool. Choose-9/10 this was the 2nd best on the CD. Monolith-7/10 2 soft. Inhale-8/10 cool song. Bother-8/10 soft but the lyrics are cool. Blue Study-8/10 cool. Take a Number-8/10 cool. Idle Hands-9/10 this song was cool. Tumlut-7/10 it's ok. Omega-8/10 not a song i think that Corey Taylor is just reading Poetry or Sumthin'?

I Like Get Inside...
I realize that Stone Sour is a side project and Corey and Jim's original band. But I didn't think it was that great. It is however a lot better than Joey's side project the Murderdolls and Shawn's To My Surprise. One reason why i gave Stone Sour 3 instead of 2 is just in the comparison of the other 2 Projects. Stone Sour managed to unleash some great heavy songs like Get Inside and Idle hands. But their isn't much on the CD that makes me come back for more. I rarely play this CD at all anymore. It's unfortunate that Corey and James seem to have brought the Stone Sour influence into Slipknot with Vol. 3 the Subliminal Versus. It's just not the same anymore. Once again I realize that Stone Sour is a Side Project, but if you're a Slipknot fan and you also like stuff like Slayer, Sepultura Etc. (like me!) than this won't flow or fit with your collection of music. If you like something like Staind and stuff like that as well as Slipknot than I'm sure you would like this but like I said, its not for everyone.

My whole view on this
Ok ... first thing I want to say is people have to stop seperating people who listen to stone sour and slipknot as if we all wear black and hate the world . No we don't ... quit being ignorant ... and for the cd. Yes ... Corey from slipknot sings in this ... but quit comparing the two ... two different bands ... two different sounds . The cd starts off with Get Inside which is a very good start off to a cd that only has one flaw. That one flaw is the song Blotter ... the chorus is melodic ... the rest though is just sorta thrown all over the place ... the best two songs on this cd though in my opnion are Orchids and Bother ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Utter perfection....
Alice In Chains accidently outdid themselves here.... SAP, although only having 4 songs, is MUCH better than Jar Of Flies, Tripod, and ranks near Dirt's level..... each song is nearly perfect.... Brother is chilling, and one of my favorite Alice songs ever.... Got Me Wrong IS the greatest AIC song ever..... Right Turn is awe inspiring, and features Chriss Cornell and Mark Arm... Am I Inside is the most creepy song on this album, but it still rocks. Even Love Song (the most annoying song Chains has, only because after I finish listening to SAP for the sixtieth time, an array of belching, sniffing, and flatulence starts playing....Heeeheeeheeee) is great (because it is HILARIOUS!). I've listened to this FOUR SONG EP pretty close to 1,000 times.... more than I've spinned the rest of ALice In Chains' CDs combined (even Dirt). I don't know WHAT attracts me to SAP, but it's one of the masterpieces of music, and it's worth your 9 dollars! BUY IT OR YOU ARE CRAZY!

Good transitional EP... (3 STARS)
Not quite as authoritative as the EP that would be released after it, Alice in Chains' "Sap" is still a worthwhile effort. AIC was now known for their depressing, drug-related lyrics, and Jerry Cantrell's guitar, but something would fill the void between "Dirt's" antipathy and the beauty of "Jar of Flies." Enter: Sap. "Sap" is best known as a necessary transitional piece; the first experimentation with the soft and subtle.

The opener, "Brother," is simply classic Jerry Cantrell; A superb vocal line over open-barre chords. The band even delves into pop-alternative on the fan-favorite "Got Me Wrong." But the album is characterized mostly by the calm and eerie "Am I Inside," a vulnerable, self-questioning ditty that taps into the cerebral. The Alice MudGarden presented "Right Turn" is another nice touch, shining on moments of Chris Cornell's patented vocal stylings, Cantrell's writing, and the two or three notes that Mark Arm hits that aren't flat. The EP ends on "Love Song," one of those numbers that can't be listened to more than a few times, but thinking about always makes you laugh. This is a commodity that will largely be enjoyed by the faithful AIC fans, but shortcomings excluded, could convert a few. Overall: 6 of 10.

Equal to the # of songs, 2 stars for 2 GREAT songs out 5!!!!
Straightforwardly, at the very beginning, I'll clarify exactly where this cd, their first EP offering, stands in terms of relevance and approaching Alice In Chains with a fair, sober mind. Even though this little five song EP is by the most revered AIC, I feel that most of the reviewers here are misjudging it completely, romanticizing it with a bias so extreme-because it's their favorite band-that they're disadvantaging any naïve person who'd read their reviews. The reason for this is because most reviewers who review this cd are looking at it with the most discriminatory, rose-colored glasses, dismissing the glaring flaws in this work and, instead, exclusively judge it narrow-mindedly as being up-to-par, due to AIC's reputation for perfection. Right? Well, not entirely, varmints. Everything besides the marginally few Got Me Wrong and Brother aren't just sup-par-they're also beneath what one should expect from the driven ideas behind Alice and beneath what they should've offered their "fans" in between albums, those years ago.

I remember watching an interview from Alice In Chains from November 1991, concerning this cd's release, to be more particular, just with Staley and Cantrell, and in said interview, Staley explained that Sean Kinney had a dream in which he dreamt that the songs for their band's next album were sappy, due to the songs being of a "milder" nature than their normal fare. Tragically, the self-deprecating notion of this EP's title seems to have been taken advantage of monstrously too literally, as the quality of "Right Turn", "Am I Inside" and the Untitled accident all reflect the same nature of disparagement that the title of SAP eludes too. The song "Right Turn" starts of deceitfully promisingly enough-but then something wretchedly unexpected happens. What started out grudgingly decently, with Cantrell singing and two acoustic guitars being strummed in a repentantly regretful invocation, mountingly begins to reveal its true, displeasing nature when it gets to the chorus. By this point, it furiously and absolutely sounds like a truly misused country-cowboy sort of ditty, further dissatisfying because this is practically the opposite of everything that Alice In Chains stands for. Next, this song worsens this foulness by totally falling apart as it progresses to its end, when the out of harmony, discordant voices of Arm, Cornell and Cantrell are fighting each other to be the loudest voice heard. Subsequently, the next pestilence on here is no better. It must be a curse that follows these two songs around, for my complaint's almost exactly identical to why I couldn't stand "Right Turn". "Am I Inside" is afflicted from the same plague that bothers "Right Turn", namely its chorus. The verses of "Am I Inside" start out, again, promising, what with its mysteriously esoteric, thought-provoking dark origins, but then, by now predictably, like "Right Turn", it kills any tolerance one can muster, in its chorus. Not only does the inherent melody seem inconsistent, but it's also made irremediably unsalvageable with the addition of one of the banshee Heart voices of those PMSers, because their wailing screeches are intolerable. Sadly, to keep this cumulative, I've also to cover the last of the wreck, Untitled, which, rightly so, should stay unnamed and unnoticed, seeing as it's just a poorly pitiable alibi to sneak in rotten fart noises, belches and other unsanitary bodily noises and incoherent chaos from AIC's members. To finalize how passionately I can't coexist with these three failures, I would even prefer AIC's demos from before they got a record deal. That's right, not the polished demos from Music Bank, but the low ones from the late 80s, where Alice, at the time, were struggling to decide whether to go legitimate or imitate the countless other ass-shaking bands of that humiliating, hair-swinging dark period in modern history.

If you ferociously jump to conclusions-wait for it-don't get ME wrong. My appreciation for AIC's potential and pure musical gift is so great that it dissatisfies me to see that these boys had squandered it on a track they probably weren't serious with to begin with. If they would have been dedicated to crafting all five of this EP's songs-not just the two-with purposeful determination, instead of shabbily mishandling the last three, then it would be a perfect package like the rest of their creations. More troublesomely for me, someone who never ceases to be impressed by Alice's continuing escalation of achievement in each of their songs, is that this EP undependably almost looks like it was done as an inside joke job by the members of AIC, because, as the last track indicates, they seem to have dilapidated into goofing-off misbehavior at that stage.

This is supposedly the last cd where Staley was licitly clean, right before his heroin habit started checking in on him, and was supposed to tide fans over until the release of the unmatchable DIRT. Like all bad things get counterbalanced with some good, so too does this cd offer gems, restricted to the 1st two songs, and that's it. It is plain to see why Got Me Wrong and Brother stand head and shoulder above the last three. Each of them has above average success with guitar solos (ascendingly remarkable considering the sappy material), infectiously memorable melodies and beats, great feeling and yearning in how either Staley/Cantrell hum and sing the songs, and transitionally sobering themes, such as in Brother. Brother, nonetheless, though using ambiguously disturbing subject matter, retains that classic AIC penchant for scarily and enormously delving into somewhat taboo, grave themes, yet resulting in an outcome that's consistently optimistic, exclusively due to the beauty with which it was composed, written and played. It's a blinding fact that for this EP to have ended in something entirely palatable, they should have nixed the unrelentingly aggravating guest appearances (HEART, HEART, HEART), nixed the unambitiously uninspired approaches to "Right Turn" and "Am I Inside", nixed the staggering withdrawal of solos and should have curbed Cantrell's singing more, leaving more for Staley.

Foreshadowing for great changes to come
During Alice in Chains' transition from bluesy metal to grunge metal, they released an EP which raised the standard for beauty in the world of grunge. "Sap" starts off with "Brother", a hauntingly beautiful work of poetry, followed by "Got Me Wrong", a more upbeat tune which stands out prominently on the Clerks soundtrack. "Right Turn" is a good song with a who's who guest list of the Seattle rock scene. "Am I Inside" starts off creepy, but progresses into a great rock song with fantastic backing vocals, and proves itself the benchmark for sublimely dissonant harmonizing. "Sap" is the turning point for one of the greatest bands of the 90's, and proves itself listenable time and time again. There is also an untitled fifth track which is tolerable for only one listen and hardly worth mentioning.

Much better than all this new crap!
Sap is definetly one of the best albums ever.It starts out with the melodic but still hard rocking "Brother" in which Layne Staley is backed by Ann Wilson of Heart, and has some seriously good guitar riffs and their signature voice mixing. Next is the classic "Got Me Wrong" (which is also on "Unplugged" and "Nothing Safe: Best of the Box") which is often considered the best song on this album and definetly lives up to the title, with lyrics by Jerry Cantrell such as "I haven't felt like this in so long Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love." The third song is "Right Turn" where Staley sings with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Mark Arm of Mudhoney and is one of the best vocal mixings of all time. The last listed track is "Am I Inside" which I think is the best on this album after "Got Me Wrong" because of the guitar and the great vocals. the bonus track is a bizare so called "Love song" that would better fit on Facelift than Sap. Overall this a gret album. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

One to choose
A word to NIN collectors: This disc contains the two "Down In It" remixes (shred and singe) from that song's single, and if you own Pretty Hate Machine, you've got the "skin" mix -- so don't feel obliged to pick up the "Down In It" CD. This HLH Maxi-Single also includes the demo version of "Down In It," which is a treat: utterly unpolished (sounds like Trent fiddling around on a 4-track with a beatbox and a couple of synths), but listenable -- a glimpse into the early development of an NIN song.

The "Head Like a Hole" remixes are worthwhile cousins of the original; some dancier, some more a pastiche of the source noises. "You Know Who You Are" is a solid dose of the latter.

One of the HLH remixes here (slate? clay? I forget) ends with an unadulterated fade of the synth riff that's mixed into the beginning of "Terrible Lie" on Pretty Hate Machine. Savvy mixmasters can splice that with the album version to get a start-to-finish pristine cut. ("Terrible Lie" itself gets a couple of remixes here. Not my favorite tracks, but they don't detract from the disc as a whole.)

What's REALLY missing from this disc is the Opal mix, available on the 3-track import single, which I recommend -- you'd never think HLH could funk like that. But even with that omission, this is a worthy halo, a good 60 minutes of variations in the vein of Pretty Hate Machine.

Trent is rich because of this crap
This is closest thing to an official Pretty Hate Machine remix album that you're going to find, unfortunately it only takes into account three songs from the album. This is useless for the most part and is only worth getting if you're a compulsive NIN-collector. The upside to this release is that it encompases what you get on the Down In It single and the Head Like A Hole Opal import single, so you don't have to waste the money on those by getting this. The remixes on this are horrible as far as creativity goes as compared to later remix albums around the Downward Spiral and The Fragile era remixes. This only exists because Trent Reznor wants your money so he can continue using it to go Jet-Skiing and wasting his time playing video games instead of working on a new album.

No negativity here!
It's sad that some individuals need to force their hateful opinions on everyone else. Music is something for everyone to enjoy.
This single, like all the others of NIN, is a must have for collectors and appreciators of nine inch nails. To the untrained ear, yes the songs all might sound the same, but to a true lover of nine inch nails, they are all excellent.
Spread your hate somewhere else.

second single, halo 3...2.5 stars
im not gonna spend a lot of time talkin about this, but its just remixes of 'head like a hole' 'down in it' 'terrible lie' they all basically sound the same , and its boring and not really worth it...the originals arent on here, so you should just buy pretty hate machine, cuz its worth it, and this single isnt

Best Single
This is the best NIN single in my opinion. and if your new to NIN then i can honestly say this would be the first cd to pick up to test them out. it has one of reznors biggest hits to date on it, head like a hole, along with a slew of remixes and even includes some remixes of down in it and terrbile lie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's nothing diminutive about Vin Diesel or XXX, the secret agent-espionage film in which the muscular actor stars, so it's not surprising that the accompanying two-disc soundtrack is just as punishing. On the rock-oriented album, electronic production zaps through Rammstein's machine-gun blast "Feuer Frei" and Queens of the Stone Age's rough-riffed "Millionaire," while Mushroomhead and Hatebreed's straight-ahead screamers pack a ferocious punch. Other cuts are more forgiving--Bush's Gavin Rossdale contributes a soaring, crunchy rock anthem, Orbital's zooming, danceable "Technologicque Park" is inky as a starless night, and Moby's hypnotic, simple-synth "Landing" features Azure Ray on vocals. The hip-hop side isn't nearly as pulverizing--Nelly's stuttering "Stick Out Ya Wrist" and Big Tymers' "Still Fly" are especially laid-back and chilled. In the end, the results are mixed--Rossdale's song is livelier than most of his output with Bush, and the Queens and Rammstein cuts jump with life, as do those from Pastor Troy and Joi. Yet overall the generic rap disc and growling sections of its rock counterpart falter, suffering from all-too-familiar tricks and lackluster lyrics--sending the entire album sliding into mediocrity as a whole. --Annie Zaleski ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Not quite XXX
First off, does anyone actually review cd's based on the cd anymore, or are amazon reviews a simply location debate the song in the trailer? Concerning the cd, the first disc has all the good music. Rammstein rocks through "Feuer Frei" and the Drowing Pool remix is in some ways better than the original. As for Hatebreed, well, I think you have to be a fan of the band to appreciate the song. Queens of the Stone Age sound nothing like their single "No one Knows" and the Moby song is boring. The rest of the tracks, (including disc two) are dreary and forgetable, minus Fermin 4. Even if you're not a rap fan, chances are you'll like the blend of spanish hip hop and electronica. It's a tight song, put into good effect in the movie. Now if you are a fan of rap, then you'll probably dig the second disc, with artists like Nelly and P. Diddy. As for me, that second disc went from the case to the trash. None of the songs are really any good. I don't know why they included a second cd with music from a completly different genre than the first. I don't even think many of the songs from the second cd are in the movie, except for Joi's "Lick".
Anyway, if you liked the music from the movie, then you can buy it for the first cd. But you'd probably be better off checking out the albums from the artists themselves.

AWESOME PEOPLES
THIS CD IS THE BOMB!!!!! I LISTEN TO IT ALL THE TIME!!!! the only bad thing is the 2nd CD. the 2nd cd sucks, especialy 'lick'.

1st disc good....well two tracks are anyway.
this soundtrack sucks. that's all there is to it. with the exception of rammstein and QOTSA, all the other songs suck. and the rap songs weren't even in the movie! anyways, just buy rammstein's album "mutter" which has feuer frei on it, along with other excellent songs (i.e. Sonne) and also buy queens of the stone age's album "songs for the deaf". leave this soundtrack on the shelf where it belongs.

XXX IS HOTT
Vin Diesel is the next big thing! So the music is a match.

Terrible
This movie was only good because of two reasons. RAMMSTEIN, and Queens of the Stone Age. Other than that, completel out of control P.O.S. that keeps its viewers contemplating whether they have died and this movie is their eternal punishment in hell. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The band that unwittingly begat the current, if waning, rap-metal frenzy, Korn has been semidormant since 1999's multiplatinum Issues, while bands they inspired, such as Linkin Park, have ruled the charts and minds of disenfranchised teens. The wait for Untouchables' 14 cutting cuts is more than worth it, however. The quintet's heavy sound and lyrical angst have not been dulled by success. Singer Jonathan Davis's often agonized, cathartic lyrics and slightly lispy, emotive delivery are as heavy and varied as on previous outings. On the first single, "Here to Stay," which boasts a spooky, Nine Inch Nails feel and Fieldy's aggro, down-tuned bass, Davis growls in pain, "This state is elevating / As the hurt turns into hating / Anticipating all the f---ed up feelings again."

Among and within songs, Korn move seamlessly and dynamically from gentle, spooky, and lushly melodic to a bass-heavy propulsive, explosive musicality. "Embrace" is almost grandiose and Cult-like in its rock drama, in contrast to the punky, straight-up "Wake Up Hate," on which Davis's vocals are especially creepy and Marilyn Manson-like as he rants: "I'm, I'm filthy/ Wasted piece of s--t/ I am disgusting/ Take me away." Untouchables, with its brutal introspection and hints of misogyny, is sure to earn its parental advisory sticker. But the album is still a must-have: 62 minutes of deeply felt, ultra-intense spewings, a tour de force that will strike a chord with fans and critics alike. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (915)

KORN IS BACK!
Well, when i got issues, I was somewhat disappointed. There were some good songs (Wake the f**K up, Beg for me) but they didn't go well together. like most people i thought that this was the beginning of the end. but then here comes untouchables, and my fears were totally unfounded. Jon Davis's Singing is so over the top, and the lyrics, especially "Alone I Break" and "I'm Hiding" moved me. Here's my take on the songs:

1. Here to stay: great single material, but the "breakdown" is a little iffy
2. Make Believe: love the verses, chorus is a bit sluggish; i like the synth bass sound
3. Blame: a good song thru and thru
4. Hollow life: very moody, not typical korn, but i like it. reminds me of Pink Floyd's High Hopes, and the synth adds a nice texture.
5. Bottled up inside: Agressive, angry, revenge rock. a winner!
6. thoughtless: my favorite cut off the whole CD, classic Korn, should be real popular when it hits the radio, and melodic chorus makes it not good, but great
7. Hating: cool intro riff, good song
8. One more time: very catchy chorus. i wouldn't be surprised if this is a radio hit
9. Alone I Break: truly amazing. without a doubt the best tune of korn's career. The anguished chorus propels Jon Davis to the heights of a great singer.
10. Embrace: the verse is heavy as f**k, and probably the heaviest on this album! like so many songs on this album, the chorus is very melodic
11. Beat it Upright: really great groove, funny lyrics, a winner

12. Wake up hate:
heavy song, with a very angry feel to it. i like the way he sings on the verses
13. i'm hiding: a very moving chorus. guitar work is not really notewothy though
14. no one's there: fade in is ccoll, and i like the riff. anguished chorus, a good fit as closing track.
15. Here to Stay Remix: i like the sitars. otherwise not much to say

This CD is a renniasance for korn and every person should go out and buy it today.

Angry poetry with riffs a bass & drums
Now KoRn is my favorite band and have been for a very long time. Jon davis writes sad & angry & incredible lyrics. Fieldy's bass is heavy David's drums are amazing and the duo of guitars from Head & Muneky always amaze me. This was a very experimental album not as heavy as There self tituled debut or life is peachy & didn't sell as well as Follow the leader or issues but that doesn't matter the lyrics are as deep as on there 4 previous albums. I'll list my track reviews below

Here to stay 9/10 - An amazing start to the album & there 1st single off the album. Love the lyrics P.S. the video is amazing

Make believe - 9/10 This song has a dark feel to it and the chorus is definetly the best part of the song you can hear Jon's pain in it ( jus like every other KoRn song ever made)

Blame 8/10 - Not the best track on the cd but i like it i have never heard a bad song the guitar riffs are amazing.

Hollow life 10/10 - An interesting song, deep lyrics but not heavy this isn't a heavy KoRn album but its still good.

Bottled up inside 10/10 - I think jon's singing is amazing on this song & fieldy's bass is incredible!!!!!!

Thoughtless 1000000000000000/10 - OMG This right here is my favorite song of all time truly a brilliant song everything is perfect fieldy's bass david's drums Head & Munkey's guitars Jon's Singing/screaming in this song are the best & the only thing better about this song is the lyrics it shows you Jon still has it. It also has the bets video of all time ( in my opinion)

Hating 9/10 - A techno feel in the beggining & in this whole album Jon shows he can sing & not just scream David's drumming gives a good feel to this album.

One more time 8/10- I think if there was a 4th single off of the album this would be it a good song very catchy but its just missing something.

Alone i break 10/10 -This song like most dedicated hardcore KoRn fans shocked me but in a good way this really shows Jon can sing & the lrics are sad and deep ( the video sucks though)

Embrace 9/10 - a little mroe screaming in this song i think Head & munkey could have done better with the riffs though

Beat it upright 10/10 - A funny song one of my favorites on this album (behind thoughtless) A more peverted version of A.D.I.D.A.S

Wake up hate 9/10 - A good song Jon's vocals change up a bit here the chorus rocks!

I'm hiding 9/10 another emotinal song by Jon anybody can relate to this song

No one's there - Its the same thing as with " i'm hiding"

In conclusion not KoRn's heaviest but a very emotinal record. If you are new to KoRn you should start with this album.

this is probably the second best Korn album
Most of the songs on Untouchables sound different from anything Korn has ever done before. You can still tell it's Korn, but there seems to be a different sound and a more melodic atmosphere to much of the album. The entire CD is great. The songs and my reviews of each are:

1) Here To Stay (10/10): a great, heavy guitar riff. The lyrics are really good. An excellent intro to the CD, and probably my second favorite song.

2) Make Believe (8/10): This isn't one of my favorite songs, but it has a nice electronic kind of sound. Great chorus.

3) Blame (10/10): The first 10 seconds or so sound the same as the beginning of Here To Stay. Great guitar riff, nice drumming, cool-sounding lyrics . The chorus is great. My fourth favorite song.

4) Hollow Life (9/10): This hardly sounds like Korn! It's more calm than most of their stuff, but it has an eerie, HOLLOW sound to it :) The chorus is pretty good.

5) Bottled Up Inside (10/10): My favorite song! The opening guitar riff is awesome, as are the lyrics. I like from about 2:50-3:12 when the lyrics slow down and become louder, augmented by very heavy guitar playing and some amazing drumming, with scat in the background. This song is perfect.

6) Thoughtless (10/10): Nice guitar riffs. I like the chorus with two voices going at once saying the same thing at different times. I like the scatty vocals towards the end. A great song.

7) Hating (9/10): The beginning sounds strange. I like the bass throughout the song, especially during the chorus. The lyrics sound really cool.

8) One More Time (9/10): Another different-sounding song. Unlike all the other songs. This song is really catchy.

9) Alone I Break (10/10): It's hard to tell this is even Korn! One of the most unique Korn songs I've ever heard. It's hard to describe. I love the chorus.

10) Embrace (10/10): What can I say other than WOW! A great guitar riff leads to some excellent vocals mixed to the guitar sounds. The chorus is pretty good, and this entire song is great. EXCELLENT drumming from 2:35-3:10. My third favorite, this is one heavy and dark song.

11) Beat It Upright (7/10): Nice opening guitar riff, but this song is kinda weird. Scatty-sounding vocals towards the end are pretty cool.

12) Wake Up Hate (8/10): Very eerie sounding, especially the chorus. Really fast-paced with nice vocals.

13) I'm Hiding (9/10): Great guitar riff. The lyrics are cool. This song has a nice chorus.

14) No One's There (8/10): A very slow song. As with Hollow Life and Alone I Break, this is one of the songs where you need to check the cover to be sure it's even Korn! It's not as heavy or hard-hitting as their other songs, but it's a good song nonetheless and an excellent ending to this great CD.

127/140, 91%

All in all, this is a superb album, and if you like Korn, you definitely should buy Untouchables.

this iz a great CD
I love there new 1 take a look n the mirror and this 1 iz a great 1

boring and crappy
I dont know what happened this cd really really really sucks the only good song in this is Bottled Up Inside... wow what happened KoRn? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nobody ever accused Mr. Bungle of being suckers for a good melody. The syncopated blasts of cartoonish noise that fill 1991's Mr. Bungle and 1995's Disco Volante are one part speed metal and one part Speedy Gonzalez. Initially, the band served as a more aggressive outlet for singer Mike Patton, widely known for his work in Faith No More. But with Faith No More no more, Patton and Mr. Bungle decided to sweeten the Bungle batter with a little songcraft. California boasts harmonies (yes, harmonies!) that would make the Brothers Wilson proud. Opening with a chorus of seagulls and crashing waves that gives way to slide guitar, strings, and Patton singing (not screaming), the poppy yet symphonic "Sweet Charity" announces that this is not your bike messenger's Mr. Bungle album. Songs like the easy strummin' "Retrovertigo," the sultry Scott Walker-esque "Pink Cigarette," and the orchestral "Vanity Fair" make California 1999's golden-hair surprise. --Bill Crandall ... Read more

Reviews (188)

the Beach Boys meets speed metal Gypsy music!
Mr. Bungle are the musical equivalent of filmmaker Terence Malick. They both have a very small body of work (Bungle with 3 full-length albums and Malick with 3 movies) and both manage to top their previous work with every subsequent effort.

California is no different. At first, it almost seems like Bungle has gone mainstream with ballads and harmonies but this album is very deceptive. There is a lot going on, here. The boys follow their usual M.O. of mixing several musical genres together in one song and making it work. "Air Conditioned Nightmare" for example, blends doo-wop singing with metal riffs. Other songs mix rockabilly guitar riffs with traditional orchestration, and, in perhaps the most inspired combo, Gypsy music is mixed with death metal.

Mike Patton continues to inspire awe with his incredible vocal range. This man can sing practically anything... and does. One would think that a lot of studio trickery goes into producing this fantastic range but see the man live and find out for yourself what a musical genius he really is.

While this album will never be recognized for the masterwork that it truly is by music critics/writers, I daresay it deserves a place up in the pantheon of other classics (Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper, Metaphysical Graffitti, etc.). This is an incredible album for people who like challenging music.

A Snappy Good Time , HOTCHA!
Well, If you're reading this, I'm guessing you've heard Mr. Bungle before. If not.....well, sorry, no words can describe it. Imagine Middle Eastern Music, Jazz, Polka, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Rock, Swing, and lounge, all wrapped up into one song. Still interested? I just bought their third release, California, and so far I think it might just be their best. Of course, I can't really say that because all Mr. Bungle albums take time to truly digest. But so far its great, and I'm sure It will only get better. One thing I'm happy to see missing on this album is the death Metal sound. It was funny and clashing (which is good under the circumstances) on Disco Volante, but still got a little cheesy and sounded very dated. I don't know maybe I'm just not into it. I prefered songs like Chemical Marriage and Ma meeshka Mow Skwoz....And thats more of the direction this album moves in. This album continues with Mr. Bungle's classic satire. But despite the irony, there is still a very sincere beauty to these songs. It really is an amazing combination. If you enjoyed either of the previous albums, I definately suggest it, because it combines the best of both worlds. And If you've never heard them......well, no promises; it's not for everyone. If you like zappa, you might like it....but then again you might not. There really is no other group to compare them to .

Amazing
"California" is more refined than the bands previous two efforts, "Mister Bungle" and "Disco Volante". Strangely upbeat at times, terrifyingly dark at others, "California" is a masterpiece, and one of the most underrated albums of the past decade. Patton invokes everything from the Beach Boys to Lou Reed, and the only downfall of this gem is it's relatively short running time.

Buy this album. You won't be sorry.

none of them knew they were geniuses
at this point in their career, bungle have become masters of pulling the rug out from under everyone. this is a glowing example. the strange thing is, I've owned this cd for a good 3 years, and I always enjoyed it, but it wasnt until a few nights ago that I devoted the proper attention to its genius. listening at night through headphones proved a revelatory experience.

In the great tradition of frank zappa, bungle has proved itself as master of parody, in the best way. this album perfectly distills the california landscape. it's a brilliantly dark and sinister parody of both western and eastern music, achieving a level of unparalleled terror through bizarre and often comical soundscapes. dark lyrical content mixed with earnest and sometimes wacked out takes on differnt genres create a sense of maniacal forboding.

the album tackles all sorts of out-of character styles, ranging from doowop, surf, klezmer, polka, rat-pack swing, lounge and tons of others. the arrangements are remarkably mature and involved. but the unique thing about California is not only the superb songcraft, but the way the songs are attacked.

the thing that struck me most was how western and eastern music were mixed. both styles of music are fused expertly in songs like the air-conditioned nightmare, playing a middle eastern melody over a surf rock beat, and ars moriendi, blending european klezmer with middle eastern sound. its mind boggling.

the general parody of surf rock pops up on the first track and also on the air conditioned nightmare, fitting all manner of surf, from dick dale to beach boys to the surfaris, all in one song. howver, it transforms into a paranoid portrait of insanity, surrounded by pop culture, a mind going insane with the tv on.

but what sets this apart from other zappa-esque pop parody albums is the level of conviction prevalent in these songs. it draws you in so you can no longer stand back and laugh at it from a distance, it forces you to take it seriously, at which point you are at the mercy of patton's disturbing vision. pink cigarette, my favorie and I think the most compelling song, illustrates the scuzzy, deceptive world of patton, in what appears to be a love song, winds up a suicide note. the burt bacharach crooning is executed so flawlessy, I commend patton for his bravery.

the album creates a general sense of an all-too-real misery. even in the softer tunes, the lyrical/musical imagery invokes the same sense of dread and sickeningly dirtiness one experiences in clean surroundings. the feeling of uncleanliness in a sterile environment, a hospital bed or a hotel bathroom, where the silken veneer imbues you with a sickly, crawling fear that something lurks beneath. the unsettling harmonies suggest something is seriously wrong, askew in this picture. a true homage to california.

although it attacks many different subjects, it plays like a concept album. I think in general, there is a theme, that of deception, evil, and general craziness. from the psychotic meanderings to the grandiose, orchestrated numbers, California is a true work of fractured genius. the scary thing is, at some point, not only do you begin to doubt the sanity of bungle, you begin to doubt your own.

The sweet melodic joy of tempered rock
Probably the best album ever made and I say that without a hint of hyperbole. It's range is such that from beginning to end you can enjoy any and all types of music that you could care to listen to (within reason). But the originality of the record adds to it the mantle of great, especially in the context of most modern regurgitated pop-rock (strokes-iggy pop, muse-radiohead and other rip offs). Great art is never appreciated in it's time and that's what gives me great hope for the legacy of Mr. Bungle; when future generations are congealed with stagnant sound, people will rediscover California and bask in it's triumphal resonance.

The album begins with "Sweet Charity" - a sound so unfashionable it is painfully refreshing - and then suddenly delves into "None of Them Knew They Were Robots", which is so varying it balks discription. Following is easily the most mainstream song Mr. Bungle (McKinnock) ever produced, it has shades of Karma Police but probably more enterprise, going from a soft lilt to fulfilling rock before reaching it's crecendo and failing beautyfully. All the while though, it never loses it's agonising poignancy. Truely a masterpiece of construction accentuated by Patton's powerfull vocal timbre.

From there it's a wave of differing sounds, some that are Rorschach like in their individual appreciation. Rather than go on describing them, you can only understand by hearing them. I'm going to be blunt: buy the album if you love music and want refresment from the dull monotony of other bands. It defies regret, except through the lack of a follow up.

Mike, please make another!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Once upon a time in Los Angeles--during the infamous mid-'80s Guns N' Roses era--the City of Angels was spewing forth dirty, blues-influenced rock bands. Little Caesar, Junkyard, the Hangmen--even the names were redolent of dirty rock & roll, Harleys, and barroom brawls. A new breed of rebel rock has emerged in Buckcherry--sober, tattooed blues-metallers whose charismatic singer, Josh Todd, boasts a compelling Iggy Pop-Jim Morrison-Axl Rose persona. Buckcherry's 12-track debut album, produced by Terry Date (Pantera) with coproduction from former Sex Pistol Steve Jones, kicks off with the nasty, aggressive groove of "Lit Up." While the song is irresistible, many might have a problem with the "I love the cocaine" chorus. Still, Todd's persona works well with the band's aggro, melodic stomp, and with bands such as the Black Crowes, Nashville Pussy, and Honky Toast keeping barroom rock alive, Buckcherry are a ballsy and bold entry into the fray, as suited to share a stage with Hanoi Rocks as they would be with Motörhead. --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (136)

Hard rock as it should be
Back in 1987, a hard rock song called "Welcome To The Jungle" by a band called Guns N' Roses hit the airwaves. I was instantly blown away. 12 years later, after enduring a decade dominated by alternative and "grunge" music, I turn on the radio to hear an amazingly catchy, hard-rocking song named "Lit Up". All I could think was who on earth is this, and how rocking is THIS? Again, I was blown away. For sure, this debut masterpiece by Buckcherry does not disappoint if you are a hard rock fan. After "Lit Up", two equally rocking tracks follow--"Crushed" and "Dead Again". The fourth track, "Check Your Head", is the first hint of a pace slowdown; but the message is serious and the vocals are searing. "Dirty Mind" absolutely rocks again, while "For The Movies" slows things down again but just a bit. If you like balls-to-the-wall hard rock and miss the glory days of Guns N' Roses (which to me is the "Appetite For Destruction" album only), this album will be a refreshing change from most rock releases by "new bands" in recent years. For younger folks who listen to this and like it, this might help you understand why "old folks" like myself miss the "heavy metal" days of old.

Excellent Debut
Buckcherry is one of the only true rock bands around today. They are also one of the best, their sound is something we haven't heard in a while. Blues based rock in the style of Guns n Roses and AC/DC, of course their music isn't really comparable with those great bands, but they are a very good band and have the potential to stay around for a long time. Their debut album is filled with fast paced hard rock songs with the occasional mid tempo ballad. The album kicks off with the drug anthem that put Buckcherry on the map, Lit Up. I'm sure you've heard this song before. The second song is the weakest on the album, Crushed for some reason doesn't do anything for me. Dead Again is a very fast rocker, sounds like something that could have been on Appetite for Destruction. Check Your Head is a mid tempo rocker, this was also a single but to the best of my knowledge it didn't do much. Dirty Mind is another really heavy song. The band sounds great, singer Joshua Todd's voice is very powerful, guitarist Keith Nelson's guitar playing is top notch (amazing solo too), and the rhythm section of bassist J.B. and drummer Devon Glenn is very solid. The next song is one of the best on the album, and it's a ballad. For the Movies was the second single from the album, it's an amazing song. It also shows that Joshua Todd can really sing. Lawless and Lulu is a great rocker, doesn't sound all that much different from the rest of the album. Related is definately a high point of the album, it's just one of those songs that you'll hear once and it'll be stuck in your head for days. Borderline is a very mellow song, it's not a ballad though. Get Back is another rocker....big surprise. Nothing much to be said about it. Baby starts off sounding like a heavy song then mellows into another laid back mellow rock song, not one of my favorite songs by them. The album closes with Drink the Water, it's a pretty good song. The album ends on a high note and leaves you wanting more, that's the good part about it. So if you're into AC/DC and Guns n Roses you should definately check out Buckcherry, but my suggestion is that you should get their new album Time Bomb first, but if you don't like any of their singles don't even bother wasting your money because all of the songs sound relatively the same

A Breath of Fresh Air in Grunge's Stale Closet
A truly excellent album with only a few throwaway tunes. It is most certainly one of the best debuts by an LA band since Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction. The album is hard rock, for sure, and Lit Up, the big, drug-praising single, is a terrifyingly good song and most certainly worth the album's purchase price all by itself. There are some riffs here that we've all heard before but hearing them with a slightly new voicing makes this album a terrific find for any true fan of the genre.

A must own for rock fans!
Simply put, this is a great album. Right from the start of "Lit Up" to the end of "Drink The Water" you'll wonder why you listened to this album earlier. Unlike most other albums, every song is good and is not just "filler songs". I defiantly feel this is one of the top albums of 1999 (with Nine Inch Nails "The Fragile" being one of the greatest, if not the greatest, albums ever).

Rock Never Dies
My friend let my borrow this cd a few months ago. I never heard of Buckcherry before. After listening to lit up I was hooked on this cd. Unfortunalty though, almost as quick as I heard of Buckcherry, I heard they broke up. DAMNIT!!! I really love this cd. I like all the songs but my favortite's are, in order GET BACK, LIT UP, CRUSHED, and DIRTY MIND. I love all the songs though. If your a fan of bands such as AC/DC or Guns and Roses, or such as Puddle of Mud, I highly recommend this cd. I havent heard great solos in a long time. Great riffs , great lyrics, great music!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Issues are one thing Korn singer Jonathan Davis has in spades. On the quintet's fourth album, Davis spews forth about misery, hate, happiness, pain, paranoia, and other primal issues, all set to an appropriately dark soundtrack. From "Dead" (which begins with Davis's trademark bagpipes in a sort of choral musical setting), to the first single, "Falling Away from Me," the vocalist's quavery, edgy, manic delivery sets the tone for this 16-song outing. Not as modern sounding or melodic as 1998's Follow the Leader, Issues is a throwback to earlier, more metallic Korn. If possible, Issues has an even creepier vibe than its three predecessors, thanks partially to eerie guitar lines and vocal effects, especially potent on "Let's Get This Party Started." Twisted, cohesive, and epic, Issues comes through for Korn's fans, who relate to the band's cathartic musical exorcisms and aggro, bottom-heavy rage, commercialism be damned. (Please note: You may receive any one of the album's four different covers.) --Katherine Turman ... Read more

Reviews (908)

The Essence of Catharsis
With their fourth LP, Issues, Korn proves that the runaway success of Follow the Leader was completely deserved. Amidst cries of "Sell-out," Korn has delivered an album that rocks harder and better than its predecessors. Issues contains some of their most memorable guitar work ("No Way," "Make Me Bad") and some of Jonathan Davis' darkest singing ("Let's Get This Party Started") to date.

Korn has made a few stylistic changes. For one, the scat singing that was so prevalent in their three previous efforts is completely absent here. This allows for a greater focus on lyrics. Cleverly, Korn made the first eighteen seconds of the first single, "Falling Away From Me," curiously similar to "Freak on a Leash." Then it goes full throttle into an ear splitting thrash, recalling the days of their self-titled debut and Life Is Peachy.

Like all of Korn's albums, Issues gives us an intimate view of Jonathan Davis' downward spiral. A new source of anguish on Issues is the fame Korn achieved with Follow the Leader. "Beg For Me" is about the pressure from fans., while "Wake Up" focuses on turmoil within the band. Three very short songs, "4U," "It's Gonna Go Away," and "Am I Going Crazy?" are more subdued and slower entries that successfully tap into eerily dark emotions.

There is only one thing that holds Issues back from being perfect. Jonathan Davis' lyrical wellspring may be drying up. He sings constantly of rape (emotional and physical) and insanity. While we know his words are sincere, they can get a little redundant. Despite these lyrical shortcomings, it's not very important when compared to the blistering quality and ingenuity Korn shows on Issues. Intense songs like "Trash" and "Hey Daddy" prove that Korn again rules the rock roost, and deservedly so. Nobody does catharsis like Korn.

One hell of an album...
I've been a fan of Korn since I heard "Shoots and Ladders" on a local college radio station (go WSOU!) back in '94. Through the years, Korn's music has played an important part of my life. I'm proud to say that, like myself, the band has matured and greatly in these 6 years. While 94's self titled album had an intensity that I simply have yet to hear replicated (while many have tried), Issues features a more complex and melodic assault. Yes, the intesity is still there, but the guys have grown from aggressive performers to true artists in my book.. Even though I'm too old for this alternative-metal crap that's being released today (limp bizkit, linkin park and the countless imposters), I still count Korn as one of my favs simply because they continue to tweak their sound and are not afraid of trying new things.. Think about this: if every band right now features grinding guitars, rapped lyrics and hip hop influenced beats, wouldn't making a more melodic album that totally removes the hip hop vibe that's very popular in favor of a more artsy/ industrial / trip hop sound be TAKING A RISK and not selling out? The same goes for the new deftones album- they could have made MILLIONS doing a rap rock album but instead worked HARDER to make something fresh and interesting.. Anyways, don't listen to the angsty kids that want to hear Fred Durst say f*ck 300 times in a song and go get Issues (even if you're not into "alternative-metal"- my fav bands are portishead, dj shadow, bjork and radiohead- maybe that's why I "get" this album).. Peace

Good, but not great.
"Issues," Korn's fourth album, is my fifth favorite Korn CD of the six, but that doesn't make it bad at all! "Issues" is, in my opinion, the darkest of all their CD's. It's not the heaviest, but the entire album has a dark, creepy feel to it. The only thing I don't like about "Issues" is all the 1 1/2-minute-or-less interludes throughout the CD, some of which would have made great songs if they were only longer. My reviews of each song are:

1) Dead (9/10): This is one of the two good interludes. The bagpipes are great.

2) Falling Away From Me (10/10): Great guitar riffs and vocals. One of the best songs on the entire CD (probably my third favorite).

3) Trash (9/10): An O.K. song, but it gets old after a while. The guitars are good. This song is pretty creepy and dark.

4) 4 U (6/10): Too short! If it was longer, it might have worked.

5) Beg For Me (10/10): My favorite song on the CD. Great drumming and vocals, and I really like the opening guitar riff. Nice lyrics.

6) Make Me Bad (10/10): My second favorite. This song is good all around. Great guitar riffs.

7) It's Gonna Go Away (5/10): Another interlude. You can't even understand what Jon is singing.

8) Wake Up (8/10): This song is pretty good, but it's not really one of my favorites. I like the chorus.

9) Am I Going Crazy (9/10): The shortest but the best interlude with good vocals. If this was the ONLY filler on the CD, "Issues" probably would have been my favorite Korn CD of all.

10) Hey Daddy (7/10): I used to really like this song, but it's gets really old, really fast.

11) Somebody Someone (10/10): Great opening guitar riff, great vocals, and a good, creepy chorus. This song is really dark. My fourth favorite song.

12) No Way (8/10): Good guitar riffs, but nothing really stands out on this song. Another dark song.

13) Let's Get This Party Started (9/10): This song has the best chorus of any on the CD. Nice vocals.

14) Wish You Could Be Me (5/10): Another short interlude. It sounds kind of cool.

15) Counting (9/10): My fifth favorite song. The bass and guitars are really good, and the vocals are excellent.

16) Dirty (7/10): I love the first minute or so, but then it just goes downhill from there, and there's four minutes of just static at the end. It's a pretty good closer though, but you kinda expect a bonus track after all that static.

OVERALL: 131/160, 82%

"Issues" has some some great songs, and the only thing wrong with it is the fillers. It's still an excellent CD, and I would recommend buying it.

IT BLEW ME AWAY!!!!
Believe it or not, Take a look in the mirror, their new album, was the first album I ever listened to. Then I thought I should listen to some more KoRn lately. I picked up a copy of this cd and OH-MY-GOD! This is KoRn's best album (I've listened to the others now) and it RULES! KoRn is probably the greatest rock band to ever be rocorded and sold. THEY FU**ING RULE! I'm still blown away by this thing. It's multi-, no, Quadrupile platinum! "Falling away from me" is my favorite song on the album. IT RULES! Everything on this cd rules. From the talented Bagpipes of "Dead" to the static sound at the end of "Dirty", it's awesome. I can listen to every song on this album and be entertained. Jonathon Davis can sing like a fu""ing genius. This has a definite chance of becoming a super hit. Here's my list of the best songs on this album in order:
Number one song: Falling away from me
Number two song: Make me bad
Number three song: Wake up
Number four song: Hey Daddy
Number five song: Somebody Someone
Well that's it. I have to guarantee that you buy this album, it's awesome. Oh, and for all the people who said KoRn sucks, I have only one thing to say:

Your mother is a cow.

Korn's ONLY good disc!
I'm not much of a Nu-Metal fan, and really dislike most of Korn's discography. Issues is a different story! There is no hip-hop (thank God!), and the album showcases depression,angst, and sorrow in the vocals and lyrics (qualities I adore in metal!). These qualities in conjunction with the overall "heaviness" of the disc puts this recording well above all the "cookie cutter" nu-metal acts. If your a fan of good metal, don't discount this disc becuase of Korn's mainstream status. Did I mention......no rap on this album! ... Read more