Gamingforce Music Exposure Club™

Anal Cunt - I Like It When You Die
Label: Earache
Release: 1997
Genre: Grindcore




AMG describes this band the best:

Quote:

One of the most offensive and musically challenging bands to ever produce music, A.C. are one of the most infamous bands in the heavy metal underworld. Most famous for their name (the A.C. stands for Anal Cunt, believed to be taken from a G.G. Allin song), the band writes short grindcore songs that contain some of the nastiest song titles in music. "The Word Homophobic Is Gay" and "I Like Drugs and Child Abuse" are two of the tamer examples of what the band is capable of. Their mystique is that they never let their audience in on whether it is a joke or not, many believe it is an elaborate gag being played on homophobic metal fans, while others think the band really believes what they say. Seeing as members of the band reportedly have very normal family lives outside of the band, the former is probably more true than the latter. The group began in 1988 as a sonic experiment. Vocalist Seth Putnam, guitarist Mike Mahan and drummer Tim Morse began with the idea of being the "most non-musical band in the world."

1. JACK KEVORKIAN IS COOL
2. VALUJET
3. YOU'VE GOT NO FRIENDS
4. YOU KEEP A DIARY
5. YOU OWN A STORE
6. YOU GOT DATE RAPED
7. RECYCLING IS GAY
8. YOU'RE A COP
9. YOU CAN'T SHUT UP
10. YOU'VE GOT CANCER
11. WE JUST DISAGREE
12. HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS
13. YOU ARE AN ITERIOR DECORATOR
14. POTTERY'S GAY
15. RICH GOYETTE IS GAY
16. BRANSCOMBE RICHMOND
17. YOU LIVE IN ALLSTON
18. YOU ARE A FOOD CRITIC
19. JUST THE TWO OF US (DUET WITH HILLARY LOGEE)
20. YOUR BAND'S IN THE CUT-OUT BIN
21. YOU'RE GAY
22. YOU LOOK ADOPTED
23. YOUR COUSIN IS GEORGE LYNCH
24. YOU HAVE GOALS
25. YOU DRIVE AN IROC
26. YOU PLAY ON A SOFTBALL TEAM
27. BECAUSE YOU'RE OLD
28. YOU SELL COLOGNE
29. BEING A COBBLER IS DUMB
30. YOU LIVE IN A HOUSEBOAT
31. RICHARD BUTLER
32. 311 SUCKS
33. YOUR KID IS DEFORMED
34. YOU ARE AN ORPHAN
35. YOU'RE OLD (FUCK YOU)
36. YOU GO TO ART SCHOOL
37. YOUR BEST FRIEND IS YOU
38. YOU'RE IN A COMA
39. WINDCHIMES ARE GAY
40. NO, WE DON'T WANT TO DO A SPLIT SEVEN INCH WITH YOUR STUPID FUCKING BAND
41. RENÉ AUBERJONOIS
42. THE INTERNET IS GAY
43. HA HA, YOUR WIFE LEFT YOU
44. HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH
45. YOU WENT TO SE DISHWALLA AND EVERCLEAR (YOU'RE GAY)
46. LOCKING DROP DEAD IN McDONALDS
47. TECHNOLOGY'S GAY
48. YOUR FAVORITE BAND IS SUPERTRAMP
49. I'M IN A.C.
50. YOU (FILL IN THE BLANK)
51. KYLE FROM INCANTATION HAS GOT A MUSTACHE
52. BONUS TRACK #3


This is one of the funniest albums I've ever heard in my life. It borders on brilliance in it's own twisted, self-parodic way that really has to be heard to be believed. I recommend looking up the lyrics, because they are just as fucked up as the song list. Here's a review from AMG that sums it up nicely-

Originally Posted by AMG

Break out the tissues, because America's going to cry. Or laugh really hard, if you happen to be in on the inanely offensive joke that A.C. has ridden to perverse perfection. A.C. -- whose sound might best be described as metal's response to dysentery -- stretched shock value to its most absurd limits on such albums as Morbid Florist and 40 More Reasons to Hate Us. I Like It When You Die (1997) follows in an all too similar vein. As with all things A.C., the humor's in the context, the proportions, and, of course, the song titles. I Like It When You Die weighs in at an epic 52 songs, but few exceed 60 seconds in length. Each song sputters forth with blast beats, gravel-crunch guitars, indecipherable, cat-in-a-blender vocals, and abrupt endings. Call it musical premature ejaculation, call it total swill, but above all else, A.C. is only trying to be funny. So laugh if you want. Die delivers its punch lines with dimwitted condescension, and reading the album's track list is like watching The Onion, grindcore parody, and Beavis and Butthead all meet each other halfway. The album boasts song titles like "Your Band's in the Cut-Out Bin," "You Drive an Iroc," "Your Best Friend Is You," "You Can't Shut Up," and "You (fill in the blank)." Seemingly neutral subjects prove to be metal-worthy as well: "You Have Goals," "Your Cousin Is George Lynch," "Kyle from Incantation Has a Mustache." Die can be funny, sure, but it's also a certifiable waste of money. Save yourself a trip to the record store and light a 20-dollar bill on fire instead. Metalheads, skaters, crust punks, if you know A.C., you know the drill: Skip the music, read the back of the CD, laugh at the funny song titles. I Like It When You Die is an abomination on every level, but A.C. wouldn't have it any other way. And hey, can you really hate a band that writes amphetamine-paced metal songs named "Being a Cobbler Is Dumb," "Hungry Hungry Hippos," and "You Are a Food Critic"? That's right -- didn't think so.

Hurt your ears here

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Dream Theater - Images and Words
Label: WEA
Release: 1992
Genre: Progressive Rock




1. Pull Me Under
2. Another Day
3. Take The Time
4. Surrounded
5. Metropolis - Part I (The Miracle and the Sleeper)
6. Under a Glass Moon
7. Wait For Sleep
8. Learning to Live


This will mark the first of many Dream Theater albums that I will upload to the MEC. Dream Theater's first album with vocalist James LaBree is a wonderful album, filled with well-written, well-performed music. It's the album that propelled them into the focus of music-lovers everywhere, and deserves a place in anyone's library.

Notable tracks include Pull Me Under, Take The Time, Surrounded, and the absolutely spellbinding Metropolis, which spawned an entire concept album based around it. Metropolis is one of Dream Theater's best songs in a library of already stellar work. This whole album is a marvelous example of what Dream Theater is capable of. Enjoy!


GET IT HERE

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Dream Theater - Awake
Label: EastWest
Release: 1994
Genre: Progressive Rock



1. 6:00
2. Caught in a Web
3. Innocence Faded
4. A Mind Beside Itself I: Erotomania
5. A Mind Beside Itself II: Voices
6. A Mind Beside Itself III: The Silent man
7. The Mirror
8. Lie
9. Lifting Shadows off a Dream
10. Scarred
11. Space-Dye Vest

Dream Theater's followup to their incredible Images and Words is yet another great entry into their expansive discography; the heavier, longer, and more epic Awake. This album is much bigger, badder, and ballsier than Images and Words, but their incredible technical skill and songwriting is still intact. It's just as tight as any other Dream Theater album, and is argued by many to be the highlight of their career. It's also the last album they would record with keyboardist Kevin Moore.

GET IT HERE!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Dream Theater - Metropolis Part II: Scenes From a Memory
Label: Elektra
Release: 1999
Genre: Progressive Rock



1. Regression
2. Overture 1928
3. Strange Deja Vu
4. Through My Words
5. Fatal Tragedy
6. Beyond This Life
7. Though Her Eyes
8. Home
9. The Dance Of Eternity
10. One Last Time
11. The Spirit Carries On
12. Finally Free

Dream Theater's masterpiece. This epic concept album thrust them back into the hearts and minds of fans after the very lukewarm reception of their "studio" effort, Falling Into Infinity. This album is Dream Theater at it's finest. Long, powerful epics, blistering solos, and great songwriting, all wrapped up into a cool concept album that is based on the song Metropolis from the album Images and Words.

I can't recommend this album enough. This is what turned me into a hardcore DT fan, and I'm sure it could do the same for you.


GET IT HERE!

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Dream Theater - The Number of the Beast
Label: YtseJam
Release: 2002
Genre: Metal



1. Invaders
2. Children of the Damned
3. The Prisoner
4. 22 Acacia Avenue
5. The Number of the Beast
6. Run To The Hills
7. Gangland
8. Hallowed Be Thy Name

Dream Theater has, on occasion, shocked fans when they play a special concert that consists entirely of covers. This is one of the few they've released publicly, along with Master of Puppets, and Dark Side of the Moon (which I do not have). I think this is an extremely faithful cover of one of metal's greatest albums. Sure, Iron Maiden isn't really MEC material, but Dream Theater is, and hearing them faithfully recreate Maiden is pretty sweet. Enjoy!

GET IT HERE!

I was speaking idiomatically.

Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Label: Elektra
Release: 2002
Genre: Progressive Rock



Disc 1:
1. The Glass Prison
2. Blind Faith
3. Misunderstood
4. The Great Debate
5. Disappear

Disc 2:
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
I. Overture
II. About to Crash
III. War Inside My Head
IV. The Test That Stumped Them All
V. Goodnight Kiss
VI. Solitary Shell
VII. About to Crash (reprise)
VIII. Losing Time / Grand Finale

Dream Theater's only 2-disc studio album is quite a stunner. The first disc lays in 5 experimental, but awesome tracks, including the fantastic opener, The Glass Prison. The Glass Prison serves as the first song in Mike Portnoy's AA Suite, in which he tackles the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, with a few steps per song. Each subsequent album has had an AA song, and they plan to release an AA set sometime in the future. Regardless, The Glass Prison is the one that started it, and it's a fantastic, high-octane song.

The centerpiece of this album is the expansive, 40-something minute titular song on Disc 2, split up into 8 parts, but joining together to form one incredible prog rock opus that weaves a full story in the one song. It's a stunning song, and is the main reason people should check out this album.

Enjoy!

GET IT HERE!

Most amazing jew boots

Between the Buried and Me - Colors
Label: Victory
Release: 2007
Genre: Progressive Hardcore



1. Foam Born, Pt. A: The Backtrack
2. Foam Born, Pt. B: The Decade of Statues
3. Informal Gluttony
4. Sun of Nothing
5. Ants of the Sky
6. Prequel to the Sequel
7. Viridian
8. White Walls

This is one of the best releases of the year, if you ask me. BTBAM is like some sort of unholy combination of two of my favorite bands (Dream Theater and Cave In, both their old and new stuff). Unlike most bands that try to break boundaries, these guys pull it off with ease, creating a truly beautiful, epic hardcore album. Everything is seamless... Well, it should be. When I bought this on iTunes, each song had a 2 second piece of silence afterwards which clearly shouldn't be there. I went into my audio editing program and removed all that dead space pretty flawlessly, so this is the album as it should be - 64 minutes of ass-kicking, heart-stopping progressive hardcore music. This is as good as it gets, people. Don't pass this up.

GET IT HERE!

FELIPE NO

Dream Theater - Master of Puppets
Label: YtseJam Records
Release: 2002
Genre: Thrash/Speed Metal



Track Listing:

1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Leper Messiah
6. Disposable Heroes
7. Orion
8. Damage Inc.

This is another Dream Theater cover album. During very special nights of their Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence tour, they encored by covering entire albums, this being one of them. I uploaded Number of the Beast a few months ago, and figured now is a good time to get this one uploaded.

They are extremely faithful to the source material as one would expect. The only weak link, really, is James LaBree on vocals. But on the same token, it's so different from James Hetfield that its pretty refreshing to hear someone else bat out these lyrics. Overall a worthwhile listen for fans of both Dream Theater and Metallica.

GET IT NYAH

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Yellow Matter Custard - One Night in New York
Label: Radiant Records
Release: 2003
Genre: Pop/Rock



Track Listing:

Disc 1
1. Intro
2. Magical Mystery Tour
3. Dear Prudence
4. Dig a Pony
5. She Said She Said
6. I Call Your Name
7. You Can't Do That
8. When I Get Home
9. Nowhere Man
10. Rain
11. Free As a Bird
12. Come Together
13. I Am the Walrus
14. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Disc 2
1. Baby's in Black
2. I'll Be Back
3. No Reply
4. The Night Before
5. You're Gonna Lose That Girl
6. Ticket to Ride
7. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey
8. Oh! Darling
9. Think for Yourself
10. Wait
11. Revolution
12. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
13. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
14. Lovely Rita
15. Good Morning Good Morning
16. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
17. A Day in the Life

This is one of the rarest Dream Theater-related works out there. This highly sought after disc finally came into my possession today and of course, I needed to share it with you guys. Yellow Matter Custard is Mike Portnoy's Beatles cover project.

From Wiki:

Quote:

Yellow Matter Custard is a Beatles cover band consisting of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Transatlantic, OSI, Liquid Tension Experiment, Liquid Trio Experiment), Neal Morse (Transatlantic, Spock's Beard), Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big) and Matt Bissonette (Mustard Seeds, Jughead, The Squirts, Joe Satriani, ELO). They take their name from a lyric in "I Am the Walrus": "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye".

More a project than a band, they performed only twice: on May 17, 2003 at Upper Montclair, New Jersey and May 18, 2003 at BB King's Blues Club, New York. The latter performance was recorded and released as the double CD One Night in New York City later that year, on the Radiant Records label.

This is a dream team of musicians playing music from the greatest band ever. It's extremely good stuff. Neal Morse is a phenomenal vocalist and he shines while batting out songs from the Beatles. It's always been Portnoy's dream to be in a Beatles cover band, and he got his wish with this. It's very very cool, and a must-have for Beatles and Dream Theater fans. Enjoy!

I WANT YOU SO BAD IT'S DRIVIN ME MAD

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Label: Atlantic
Release: 2007
Genre: Post Rock/Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Fear of a Blank Planet
2. My Ashes
3. Anesthetize
4. Sentimental
5. Way Out of Here
6. Sleep Together

This is one of my all time favorite albums. Porcupine Tree came back in 2007 with a triumphant return to form in Fear of a Blank Planet. The content of this album focuses on our growing dependence on TV, video games, and mood-enhancing drugs to stay happy. It's a haunting, chilling, and sometimes challenging listen. It paints a bleak picture of the world, but its emotional melodies are as endearing as anything you've ever heard.

The highlights of this album are the 17-minute monster Anesthetize, and the somber Sentimental that follows it directly. But honestly, there is no bad song on this album. Everything is as good as it gets. This is one album you don't want to miss.

DOWNLOAD HERE

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream
Label: Snapper
Release: 1999
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Even Less
2. Piano Lessons
3. Stupid Dream
4. Pure Narcotic
5. Slave Called Shiver
6. Don't Hate Me
7. This is No Rehearsal
8. Baby Dream in Cellophane
9. Stranger by the Minute
10. A Smart Kid
11. Tinto Brass
12. Stop Swimming

This is one of Porcupine Tree's more mainstream efforts, but don't let that detract you. It's about as solid as it gets. This was my first PT album, and it's a good, easy listen. It's not as musically brilliant as Fear of a Blank Planet, but it's equally enjoyable on a different level. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD HERE

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I have for you all three fantastic albums from one fantastic, but short-lived band - Transatlantic. This progressive supergroup was formed by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy and Spock's Beard vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse. Joining them are bassist Pete Trewavas from Marillion and guitarist Roine Stolt from The Flower Kings.

Together, these guys produce a sound that is just unmatched. They are juggernauts in the progressive world, and they came together and made some really incredible music. Their short-lived career can be blamed on Neal Morse becoming a born-again Christian. When he found God, he left both Transatlantic and Spock's Beard to pursue a solo career that, while pretty good musically, is absolutely nothing, NOTHING compared to how wonderful Transatlantic was.

The following three albums are their only three studio releases, one of them being an alternate mix of their first album. They put out two live albums that I've yet to get my hands on, but I can only assume that they too are a pleasure to listen to.

Enjoy!

-

Transatlantic - SMPTe
Label: Metal Blade/Radiant Records
Release: 2000
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. All of the Above
2. We All Need Some Light
3. Mystery Train
4. My New World
5. In Held (Twas) In I

Transatlantic's first studio effort was like a megaton bomb to the progressive scene. Here are four of the most prolific prog rockers out there combining their forces to make an album of undoubtedly epic proportions. The results of this collaboration is SMPTe, a masterful album that harkens back to the earlier days of prog rock.

It borrows mostly from Morse's band, Spock's Beard, but there are some Flower Kings influences in there as well. Regardless of the criticism that this album is "basically a great Spock's Beard album," it doesn't change the fact that these guys know how to make music like few others. This is one of the best CDs I own, and I hope you all enjoy it.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
Label: Metal Blade/Radiant Records
Release: 2001
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Duel With The Devil
2. Suite Charlotte Pike
3. Bridge Across Forever
4. Stranger in Your Soul

The epic sequel to the epic SMPTe is.... epic. Much grander in scale than SMPTe, and with a more diverse sound, drawing their influences further away from Spock's Beard, and instead becoming something truly original. Oh gods, if only these guys continued their career onward... What greatness could have come? This is simultaneously a fantastic, ball-shattering listen, but at the same time completely heartbreaking. The makings of a truly one-of-a-kind, brilliant outfit are shown here even moreso than in SMPTe, and the fact that they had to disband is just suicidally depressing.

Regardless, enjoy this fantastic album. It in many ways surpasses SMPTe, but in the end it's still a powerfully solid prog album throughout.

DOWNLOAD HERE

-

Transatlantic - SMPTe: The Roine Stolt Mixes
Label: Radiant Records
Release: 2003
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. All of the Above
2. We All Need Some Light
3. Mystery Train
4. My New World
5. In Held (Twas) In I

Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings compiled his own mix of the fantastic Transatlantic debut, and this is the result. I prefer the original mix better, but this is still essential listening for fans of either Transatlantic or The Flower Kings. His influence is definitely shown more in some tracks than in others. In the mammoth opening track, his influence is shown in a fairly egotistical way, by bringing out the guitars more while drowning out Morse's keyboards in some areas. Throughout the album, Stolt's mix is distracting at times, good at others, and sometimes better than the original mix.

The best way to put this mix is this - Stolt took the original SMPTe and made it flowery. A lot of the tracks sound more in line with Flower Kings material than anything else (especially My New World), but in the end, it's still Transatlantic all the way, and amazing it still is and always will be.

DOWNLOAD HERE

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Genesis is a band of two identities. The first and probably the most well-known is Genesis the pop band, headlined by Phil Collins, and popularized in the 80s and 90s as a chart-topping venue-filler.

But there is another identity that is arguably not as well-known, and that is the identity they held in the 70s as arguably the most important prog rock act of all time.

The lineup of this far better iteration of Genesis was Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Phil Collins. The music I will be sharing with you is during their best and most successful time with this lineup. Musically, they were unmatched, but Gabriel was the centerpiece of their live act, often performing in different costumes for different songs.

It made for a truly excellent musical experience that still resonates powerfully to this day. Peter Gabriel left after the double-disc concept masterwork The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, citing clashes with the other members of the band. It marked the end of an era, and the beginning of the Phil Collins period, a period marked with their progressive sound diminishing in favor of pop-rock crappiness. A truly depressing thing when you think of what the band might have been had it not been for the dissent between Gabriel and the others, and Collins having his way with the band after he left.

Regardless, enjoy these 4 masterful musical accomplishments.

-

Genesis - Nursery Cryme
Label: Atco
Release: 1971
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Musical Box
2. For Absent Friends
3. The Return of the Giant Hogweed
4. Seven Stones
5. Harold the Barrel
6. Harlequin
7. The Fountain of Salmacis

The first great Genesis album is not nearly as great as the ones that followed, but still a necessary addition to their discography. The Musical Box and The Return of the Giant Hogweed are the centerpieces of this album. It doesn't flow nearly as well as the others, but is still a worthwhile listen.

AMG Review:

If Genesis truly established themselves as progressive rockers on Trespass, Nursery Cryme is where their signature persona was unveiled: true English eccentrics, one part Lewis Carroll and one part Syd Barrett, creating a fanciful world that emphasized the band's instrumental prowess as much as Peter Gabriel's theatricality. Which isn't to say that all of Nursery Cryme works. There are times when the whimsy is overwhelming, just as there are periods when there's too much instrumental indulgence, yet there's a charm to this indulgence, since the group is letting itself run wild. Even if they've yet to find the furthest reaches of their imagination, part of the charm is hearing them test out its limits, something that does result in genuine masterpieces, as on "The Musical Box" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed," two epics that dominate the first side of the album and give it its foundation. If the second side isn't quite as compelling or quite as structured, it doesn't quite matter because these are the songs that showed what Genesis could do, and they still stand as pinnacles of what the band could achieve.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Genesis - Foxtrot
Label: Atco
Release: 1972
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Watcher of the Skies
2. Time Table
3. Get 'em Out By Friday
4. Can-Utilities and The Coastliners
5. Horizon's
6. Supper's Ready

This is where things picked up for Genesis. This album is nearly perfect. It has my personal favorite Genesis song (Get 'em Out By Friday, a stunning concept song with Gabriel singing as a few different characters), as well as two of their most universally acclaimed songs, Watcher of the Skies and Supper's Ready. Watcher of the Skies was often the song they played to kick off their live shows, with Gabriel dressed up AS the "watcher of the skies." It was always a crowd pleaser.

Supper's Ready was one of their most epic songs, clocking in at nearly 23 minutes. It's a great listen, though not as impressive as some of their other songs on this and other albums. Regardless, this is one of their tightest releases, and well worth the download.

AMG Review:

Foxtrot is where Genesis began to pull all of its varied inspirations into a cohesive sound -- which doesn't necessarily mean that the album is streamlined, for this is a group that always was grandiose even when they were cohesive, or even when they rocked, which they truly do for the first time here. Indeed, the startling thing about the opening "Watcher of the Skies" is that it's the first time that Genesis attacked like a rock band, playing with a visceral power. There's might and majesty here, and it, along with "Get 'Em Out by Friday," is the truest sign that Genesis has grown muscle without abandoning the whimsy. Certainly, they've rarely sounded as fantastical or odd as they do on the epic 22-minute closer "Supper's Ready," a nearly side-long suite that remains one of the group's signature moments. It ebbs, flows, teases and taunts, see-sawing between coiled instrumental attacks and delicate pastoral fairy tales. If Peter Gabriel remained a rather inscrutable lyricist, his gift for imagery is abundantly, as there are passages throughout the album that are hauntingly evocative in their precious prose. But what impresses most about Foxtrot is how that precociousness is delivered with pure musical force. This is the rare art-rock album that excels at both the art and the rock, and it's a pinnacle of the genre (and decade) because of it.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Label: Atco
Release: 1973
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Dancing With the Moonlit Knight
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
3. Firth of Fifth
4. More Fool Me
5. The Battle of Epping Forest
6. After the Ordeal
7. The Cinema Show
8. Aisle of Plenty

Genesis set the bar extremely high with Foxtrot, but lucky for all of us, they don't disappoint with their follow-up. This is one of the most incredible albums I've ever listened to in my life. It's full of genius on ever measure. Everything comes together in a pitch-perfect way, and is a stunning listen from the first song to the last.

There aren't any stand-out songs, since they are all basically perfect. The whole album is composed with such skill and grace, it makes their departure into pop-rock all the more depressing.

If I must talk about one song, it would be The Cinema Show, which features an utterly mindblowing keyboard solo that carries into the closer, Aisle of Plenty, which shares a common guitar riff with the first song. It brings the album full-circle to a beautiful, stunning conclusion.

This has become one of my all-time favorite albums, and is easily one of the most essential progressive rock records ever made. Please get it.

AMG Review:

Genesis proved that they could rock on Foxtrot but on its follow-up Selling England by the Pound they didn't follow this route, they returned to the English eccentricity of their first records, which wasn't so much a retreat as a consolidation of powers. For even if this eight-track album has no one song that hits as hard as "Watcher of the Skies," Genesis hasn't sacrificed the newfound immediacy of Foxtrot: they've married it to their eccentricity, finding ways to infuse it into the delicate whimsy that's been their calling card since the beginning. This, combined with many overt literary allusions -- the Tolkeinisms of the title of "The Battle of Epping Forest" only being the most apparent -- gives this album a story book quality. It plays as a collection of short stories, fables and fairy tales, and it is also a rock record, which naturally makes it quite extraordinary as a collection, but also as a set of individual songs. Genesis has never been as direct as they've been on the fanciful yet hook-driven "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" -- apart from the fluttering flutes in the fade-out, it could easily be mistaken for a glam single -- or as achingly fragile as on "More Fool Me," sung by Phil Collins. It's this delicate balance and how the album showcases the band's narrative force on a small scale as well as large that makes this their arguable high-water mark.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Label: Atco
Release: 1974
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

DISC 1:
1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
2. Fly on a Windshield
3. Broadway Melody of 1974
4. Cuckoo Cocoon
5. In The Cage
6. The Grand Parade
7. Back in NYC
8. Hairless Heart
9. Counting Out Time
10. The Carpet Crawle
11. The Chamber of 32

DISC 2:
1. Lilywhite Lilith
2. The Waiting Room
3. Anyway
4. The Supernatural Anaesthetist
5. The Lamia
6. Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats
7. The Colony of Slipperymen
8. Ravine
9. The Light Dies Down on Broadway
10. Riding the Scree
11. In The Rapids
12. It

The final album with Peter Gabriel is a full-blown concept album. It was written entirely by Gabriel based on a story he thought up. It almost became a film, but that's another story.

This album divided the band, since everybody thought that Gabriel was hogging all the limelight with his theatrics and with him writing the entire album, things became sort of tense. He announced his departure during their expansive tour of this album.

Musically, this is very different from their previous works, though it still retained the same Genesis sound that became well-loved with them. It's an epic concept album that focuses on smaller compositions rather than the epic pieces that were featured on the previous ones. Regardless, it still plays out like a few giant suites, and is a very fun listen.

In my opinion, it's not as good as Foxtrot and Selling England by the Pound, but that's like saying that doggystyle sex is better than reverse cowgirl. It's still sex, and it's still amazing, but it's just a matter of taste. It's a more demanding listen, but it's still very rewarding if you give it the time and patience it deserves. It marked the end of an important era for an important band.

AMG Review:

Given all the overt literary references of Selling England by the Pound, along with their taste for epic suites such as "Supper's Ready," it was only a matter of time before Genesis attempted a full-fledged concept album, and 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was a massive rock opera: the winding, wielding story of a Puerto Rican hustler name Rael making his way in New York City. Peter Gabriel made some tentative moves toward developing this story into a movie with William Friedkin but it never took off, perhaps it's just as well; even with the lengthy libretto included with the album, the story never makes sense. But just because the story is rather impenetrable doesn't mean that the album is as well, because it is a forceful, imaginative piece of work that showcases the original Genesis lineup at a peak. Even if the story is rather hard to piece together, the album is set up in a remarkable fashion, with the first LP being devoted to pop-oriented rock songs and the second being largely devoted to instrumentals. This means that The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway contains both Genesis' most immediate music to date and its most elliptical. Depending on a listener's taste, they may gravitate toward the first LP with its tight collection of ten rock songs, or the nightmarish landscapes of the second, where Rael descends into darkness and ultimately redemption (or so it would seem), but there's little question that the first album is far more direct than the second and it contains a number of masterpieces, from the opening fanfare of the title song, to the surging "In the Cage," from the frightening "Back in NYC" to the soothing conclusion "The Carpet Crawlers." In retrospect, this first LP plays a bit more like the first Gabriel solo album than the final Genesis album, but there's also little question that the band helps form and shape this music (with Brian Eno adding extra coloring on occasion), while Genesis shines as a group shines on the impressionistic second half. In every way, it's a considerable, lasting achievement and it's little wonder that Peter Gabriel had to leave the band after this record: they had gone as far as they could go together, and could never top this extraordinary album.

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I was speaking idiomatically.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer was progresive rock's first supergroup. comprised of Keith Emerson (The Nice), Greg Lake (King Crimson), and Carl Palmer (a ton of bands). They enjoyed critical and commercial success due to their unique, powerful sound, and killer lineup.

What I have for you here is their first four studio albums that they put out before descending into mediocrity and obscurity (Pictures at an Exhibition not included). Enjoy!

Bonus knowledge - They originally courted Jimi Hendrix to join the band, but he died before getting a chance to jam with them. They would have been called HELP if he had joined.

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Label: Island Records
Release: 1970
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. The Barbarian
2. Take a Pebble
3. Knife Edge
4. The Tree Fates
5. Tank
6. Lucky Man

The first ELP album is barely even a group effort. Only the first track features credit for all three band members. The rest are essentially solo efforts. Despite that, it's a good listen.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
Label: Island
Release: 1971
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Tarkus

a. Eruption
b. Stones of Years
c. Iconoclast
d. Mass
e. Manticore
f. Battlefield
g. Aquatarkus

2. Jeremy Bender
3. Bitches Crystal
4. The Only Way [hymn]
5. Infinite Space [conclusion]
6. A Time and Place
7. Are You Ready Eddy?

Tarkus was a concept album, the centerpiece of it being the 20-minute suite that kicks off the album, Tarkus. The unfortunate truth is, due to the strength and awesomeness of the title track, the rest of the album kinda flounders. Regardless, it's worth getting just for the title track alone.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy
Label: Rhino Records
Release: 1972
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. The Endless Enigma (Part One)
2. Fugue
3. The Endless Enigma (Part Two)
4. From the Beginning
5. The Sheriff
6. Hoedown
7. Trilogy
8. Living Sin
9. Abaddon's Bolero
10. Hoedown (Live)

This is my favorite ELP album. It's overall their most solid work, with naught a weak track to be found.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
Label: Manticore Records
Release: 1973
Genre: Progressive Rock



Track Listing:

1. Jerusalem
2. Toccata
3. Still... You Turn Me On
4. Benny the Bouncer
5. Karn Evil 9

a. Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 1
b. Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2
c. Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression
d. Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression

The biggest and widely regarded as the best album in ELP's library is this. The centerpiece, like Tarkus, is the epic song on the album, this time being the closer, Karn Evil 9. Unlike Tarkus, the rest of the album is just as strong. On top of that, the album features badass artwork by HR Giger. A worthy listen.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Most amazing jew boots

Into Eternity - The Incurable Tragedy
Label: Century Media
Release: 2008
Genre: Melodic/Progressive Death Metal



Track Listing:

1. Prelude to Woe
2. Tides of Blood
3. Spent Years of Regret
4. Symptoms
5. Diagnosis Terminal
6. The Incurable Tragedy I (September 21, 2006)
7. Indignation
8. Time Immemorial
9. The Incurable Tragedy II (November 10, 2006)
10. A Black Light Ending
11. One Funeral Hymn for the Three
12. The Incurable Tragedy III (December 15h, 2006)

When I saw Dream Theater in 2007, Into Eternity opened up for them. I as blown away by their stage presence, and above that, their absolutely awesome music. After getting and obsessing over their 2006 album, The Scattering of Ashes, Into Eternity quickly became one of my favorite metal outfits. Their punishing music combined with the incredible vocal stylings of Stu Block made this album one of my all-time faves.

This is their new album, set to release next month. I am blown away. It is a powerful album both in how it kicks your ass, and also how it actually carries some pretty decent emotional weight. It's a concept album about someone with a terminal illness from what I can gather. It's stunning, and a worthy listen. I will post The Scattering of Ashes sometime in the near future, but for now, enjoy my 2nd favorite release of 2008 so far.

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FELIPE NO

Van Der Graaf Generator is one of a handful of incredible bands that came from the big progressive rock surge in the 60s/70s. Not only was their sound unique, but their vocalist, Peter Hammill, is one of the most gifted vocalists ever. This quote from Wikipedia sums up his talents nicely:

Quote:

Hammill's voice is a very distinctive element of his music. He sings in an emotional, often even dramatic way. As a former Jesuit chorister, his delivery is usually (a notable exception is the track "Polaroid") middle class English (rather than Americanised), and ranges in tone from peacefully celestial to screaming rants (which are nevertheless highly controlled). Singing in registers from baritone to high falsetto, he growls, croons, shrieks and shouts in ways that have drawn comparison with the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix

I have for you today four albums that defined Van Der Graaf Generator and their style. All of them are compelling, deep, and enjoyable works of art, and are timeless albums that transcend musical standards.

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Van Der Graaf Generator - H to He, Who Am the Only One
Label: Charisma Records
Year: 1970
Genre: Progressive Rock



1. Killer
2. House With No Door
3. The Emperor in his War-Room
4. Lost
5. Pioneers Over c.

This oddly titled album is probably the most easily accessible of the four I have here. Robert Fripp of King Crimson lends his guitar to the excellent track The Emperor in his War-Room.

Download H to He, Who Am The Only One

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Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Label: Charisma Records
Year: 1971
Genre: Progressive Rock



1. Lemmings
2. Man Erg
3. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers

Widely considered to be VDGG's masterpiece. This album is a scant three songs, but the musical experience is as full as it gets. The monster concept song, A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, features Robert Fripp on guitar again.

Download Pawn Hearts

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Van Der Graaf Generator split up after this album was released, but thankfully reunited for their strongest, strangest, and most haunting works yet.

Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff
Label: Charisma Records
Year: 1975
Genre: Progressive Rock



1. The Undercover Man
2. Scorched Earth
3. Arrow
4. The Sleepwalkers

My favorite of the four VDGG classics. There is not one dull moment on this record. Hammill experiments with the Clavinet in this album and puts it to great use. This is easily the darkest of the 4 albums, not just in subject matter, but sonically it's as black as the album cover. Stunning music.

Download Godbluff

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Van Der Graaf Generator - Still Life
Label: Charisma Records
Year: 1976
Genre: Progressive Rock



1. Pilgrims
2. Still Life
3. La Rossa
4. My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)
5. Childlike Faith in Childhood's End

Parts of Still Life were recorded during the Godbluff sessions, and it shows. This is as close to a follow-up as you can get. It shares many of the same sounds, keeps most of the darkness, but throws a few curveballs at you in the process. The title track is one of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful songs I've ever heard in my life.

Download Still Life

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

John Frusciante - The Empyrean
Label: The Record Collection
Year: 2009
Genre: Alternative



1. Before the Beginning
2. Song to the Siren
3. Unreachable
4. God
5. Dark Light
6. Heaven
7. Enough of Me
8. Central
9. One More of Me
10. After the Ending
11. Today [Japan Bonus Track]
12. Ah Yom [Japan Bonus Track]


After many years, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante is back with his latest solo work, The Empyrean. Like most of his solo albums, this is vastly different from his work with the Peppers. This is probably the most haunting work he's done since his first solo effort, recorded when he was strung out on heroin.

From John's website:

Spoiler:

The Empyrean is a story that has no action in the physical world. It all takes place in one persons mind throughout his life. The only other character is someone who does not live in the physical world but is inside it, in the sense that he exists in peoples minds. The mind is the only place that anything can be truly said to exist. The outside world is only known to us as it appears within us by the testament of our senses. The imagination is the most real world that we know because we each know it first hand. Seeing our ideas take form is like being able to see the sun come into being. We have no equivelent to the purity of that in our account of the outside world. The outer world appears to each of us as one thing and it is always also a multitude of others. Inside to outside and outside to inside are neverending. Trying and giving up are a form of breathing.

Enjoy this, the first awesome release I've heard since 2009 began.


Download It!

Jam it back in, in the dark.