What album are you listening to v.8

[nick_z]

Slope - Freak Dreams

Well, this was some throwback to late 80s/early 90s funk metal  I guess some good, obnoxious energy for a Monday morning? Influences from early RHCP, Beastie Boys, a bit of Suicidal Tendencies when the guitars get heavier (some decent riffage, by the way) and definitely some Turnstile vibes, to look at more recent stuff. Not bad if you are in this kind of mood!

[ReaperKK]

That sounds like it'd be right up my ally. I'll give it a listen.

Currently spinning The Harmony Codex by Steven Wilson

[hefdaddy42]

Glitterer - Rationale

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace

[hefdaddy42]

MGMT - Loss of Life

[Zydar]

Toto - The Essential

Where should I start with the albums if I want to check out more? Just go chronologically?

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy

[hefdaddy42]

Rafael Toral - Spectral Evolution

[hefdaddy42]

Rafael Toral - Spectral Evolution

Well that's enough of THAT.

[hefdaddy42]

Hurray For The Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive

[nick_z]

Toto - The Essential

Where should I start with the albums if I want to check out more? Just go chronologically?

I guess it depends on what "flavor" of Toto you are going for. Personally, I really enjoy the classics Toto (the debut) and Toto IV, but then I have a slight preference for the albums where Lukather has a bigger role on lead vocals (Kingdom of Desire, the last one with Porcaro on drums, and Tambu, the first with Simon Phillips on drums). Albums like Hydra, Turn Back (the second and third) and Fahrenheit get a bit lost in the shuffle for me (although there's always good stuff to be found), while other favorites of mine are Isolation (the only one with Fergie Frederiksen as the main vocalist) and The Seventh One.

Of the more "recent" ones (relatively speaking!), Mindfields is too long, but the playing on it is delicious. Falling in Between is almost "prog metal" at times. Toto XIV, weirdly, is not as good production-wise (I say weirdly because, sonically, Toto albums tend to be quite pristine - Tambu, in particular, sounds absolutely fantastic), but it has good tunes.

What did you enjoy the best on the compilation album?

[Zydar]

Toto - The Essential

Where should I start with the albums if I want to check out more? Just go chronologically?

I guess it depends on what "flavor" of Toto you are going for. Personally, I really enjoy the classics Toto (the debut) and Toto IV, but then I have a slight preference for the albums where Lukather has a bigger role on lead vocals (Kingdom of Desire, the last one with Porcaro on drums, and Tambu, the first with Simon Phillips on drums). Albums like Hydra, Turn Back (the second and third) and Fahrenheit get a bit lost in the shuffle for me (although there's always good stuff to be found), while other favorites of mine are Isolation (the only one with Fergie Frederiksen as the main vocalist) and The Seventh One.

Of the more "recent" ones (relatively speaking!), Mindfields is too long, but the playing on it is delicious. Falling in Between is almost "prog metal" at times. Toto XIV, weirdly, is not as good production-wise (I say weirdly because, sonically, Toto albums tend to be quite pristine - Tambu, in particular, sounds absolutely fantastic), but it has good tunes.

What did you enjoy the best on the compilation album?

I only sampled some songs like Hold The Line, I'll Supply The Love, 99, Africa (of course), Rosanna, Stranger In Town, and Stop Loving You. So I'm guessing the early stuff then?

[hefdaddy42]

Erika de Cashier - Still

[nick_z]

Toto - The Essential

Where should I start with the albums if I want to check out more? Just go chronologically?

I guess it depends on what "flavor" of Toto you are going for. Personally, I really enjoy the classics Toto (the debut) and Toto IV, but then I have a slight preference for the albums where Lukather has a bigger role on lead vocals (Kingdom of Desire, the last one with Porcaro on drums, and Tambu, the first with Simon Phillips on drums). Albums like Hydra, Turn Back (the second and third) and Fahrenheit get a bit lost in the shuffle for me (although there's always good stuff to be found), while other favorites of mine are Isolation (the only one with Fergie Frederiksen as the main vocalist) and The Seventh One.

Of the more "recent" ones (relatively speaking!), Mindfields is too long, but the playing on it is delicious. Falling in Between is almost "prog metal" at times. Toto XIV, weirdly, is not as good production-wise (I say weirdly because, sonically, Toto albums tend to be quite pristine - Tambu, in particular, sounds absolutely fantastic), but it has good tunes.

What did you enjoy the best on the compilation album?

I only sampled some songs like Hold The Line, I'll Supply The Love, 99, Africa (of course), Rosanna, Stranger In Town, and Stop Loving You. So I'm guessing the early stuff then?

Yep, those are, chronologically, from the debut (Hold the Line and I'll Supply The Love), Hydra (99), Toto IV, (Africa and Rosanna), Isolation (Stranger in Town) and The Seventh One (Stop Loving You)...so the latest you have there is from 1988...

EDIT: I would add that the earlier stuff, especially the ballads, do tend go get a little, um, schmaltzy (for lack of a better term). I mean, the musicianship is stellar throughout, but your mileage might vary depending on much you like that kind of approach. Later albums, while being, you know, still "Toto", I feel they've left behind some of the "cheese" (a little bit, at least)

[Sacul]

Such an amazing pop record.

[hefdaddy42]

Real Estate - Daniel

[hefdaddy42]

Mary Timony - Untame the Tiger

[twosuitsluke]

You can't deny this...

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Warren Zevon - Transverse City

[nick_z]

You can't deny this...

Yep, always enjoyed it.

[twosuitsluke]

You can't deny this...

Yep, always enjoyed it.

Pure nostalgia and some great riffage.

[hefdaddy42]

Heart - Dreamboat Annie

[hefdaddy42]

Heart - Magazine

[Metro]

Black Midi - Cavalcade

[jjrock88]

The Police- Greatest Hits

[PixelDream]

Ozric Tentacles - Arborescence

One of my absolute favorite bands for over 20 years now (my username is actually the title of one of their tracks).

Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, and psyched to see them live again this year for the first time in quite a while.

[nick_z]

[twosuitsluke]

OK, I've got these lined up for tomorrow. I've heard you mention this Counting Hours album a few times, so I'll bite. Talking of biting, how could I pass up on a band called At the Plates?! I think the band name tells me everything I need to know about them, without hearing a note

[nick_z]

OK, I've got these lined up for tomorrow. I've heard you mention this Counting Hours album a few times, so I'll bite. Talking of biting, how could I pass up on a band called At the Plates?! I think the band name tells me everything I need to know about them, without hearing a note

Some of us briefly talked about At the Plates here when the record came out in January...I mean, don't stop at the band name and just take a look at those song titles  They are all takes on death metal songs, but with a diet/culinary reinterpretation. Punish my Waistline might be my favorite (from the Dark Tranquillity song)  . Anyway - the concept is very silly, but the music is anything but. Not mind blowing, to be clear, but some tasty (ha!) death metal, for sure.

I'm really enjoying Counting Hours, not sure if it's entirely up your alley....maybe too depressing?  Awaiting your report!

[TAC]

Luke, At The Plates should be your kind of album!

[Grappler]

Slayer - Reign in Blood
Slayer - South of Heaven
Slayer - Show No Mercy
Slayer - Decade of Aggression

[TAC]

Slayer - Show No Mercy

Underrated album

[ReaperKK]

You can't deny this...

Yep, always enjoyed it.

Pure nostalgia and some great riffage.

My least favorite of the first three Creed albums but it's still a great album.

[nick_z]

Slayer - Show No Mercy

Underrated album

Agreed! I got into it quite late in the game myself...neglected it for a long time. Crionics is such a great song, almost "classic metal".

Luke, At The Plates should be your kind of album!

Absolutely!

Among more recent releases, I checked this out as well:



Back in the day, I had liked their Undoing Ruin and Deliver Us albums...good slabs of Swedish-style melodic death metal seen through American lenses...then I lost track of them a bit. This sounds very much like a Darkest Hour album and it's quite enjoyable.

[TAC]

I checked that out this weekend as well, but...man those vocals are tough to get through.

I gave harsh vocals a shot back in in the late 2000's and Darkest Hour was one of the bands that I tried. Musically I liked it, but I couldn't get through more than 2-3 songs at a time.