Grave Digger – The Clans Will Rise Again (2010: Napalm)

More Scottish war lore,
more blade sharp riffs which kick ass,

Uncle Reaper thrives!

http://www.grave-digger-clan.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Clans-Will-Rise-Again/dp/B003XIO7ZK

Blind Guardian – Follow the Blind (2005: Century Meuda - a reissue of 1989: No Remorse)

Youngsters lack finesse
but show signs of later peaks;

raw but quite tasty.

http://www.blind-guardian.com/discography/albums/

Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of OrWarrior (2010: Century Media)

Deft style shifts show how
intricate great bands can be;

stellar on all counts.

http://www.orphaned-land.com/releases.html

Rough Silk – Walls of Never (1994: Mausoleum)

Clunky rock’s trying,
turgid Queen thefts all the more -

“toxical” apt term.

http://www.rough-silk.com/lyrics_wallsofnever.php

Vain – Fade (1997: Polystar/Saraya)

Trippy art reads true,
past sleaze gets Cure makeover;

No Respect whine stays.

http://www.davyvain.com/discography.htm

http://www.heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=324&CDName=Fade

Dokken – Hell to Pay (2004: Sanctuary)

Quirky mix aside,
Don’s clan relives gloried past;

too bad wear/tear shows.

http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=44094

Fire Merchants – S/T (1989: Medusa)

Everyone else shreds,
why not Zappa-esque progsters?

Jazz tones meet Satch style.

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1520

Amon Amarth – The Avenger (1999: Metal Blade – reissued 2009)

Raging Viking horde
stick to trusty battle plan –

rage, fight, die, repeat.

http://www.amonamarth.com/

Candlemass – King of the Grey Islands (2005: Nuclear Blast)

Like sprints in soft sand,
doom’s steady gait’s a work out;

tires but pleases by end.

http://www.candlemass.se/candlemass/discography/king-of-the-grey-islands/

Aeternitas – Le Danse Macabre (2004: Serpena)

Gothpra musical
passing start, drudging middle,

misery by end.

http://www.aeternitas.info/3.html

Marty Friedman – Introduction (1996: Shrapnel)

Tokyo fave ratchets
down shredding for mellow-dic,

nears new age status.

http://www.martyfriedman.com/media_discograph_soloalbum.php (and scroll your way down)

Another Animal – S/T (2007: Universal)

Ugly Kid Whit goes
a-grunging with Godsmackers;

tré in vein of Layne.

http://www.myspace.com/anotheranimalxxx

Soulfly – Primitive (2000: Roadrunner)

Max drifts farther nü,

sailor-tongued yet says nada;

spoiled from what was.

http://www.soulfly.com/board_posts/primitive

Cradle of Filth – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa (2010: Nuclear Blast)

Bombast with wraith’s voice,
indulge, excess teeters so;

beauty’s most dark shades.

http://www.peaceville.com/cradleoffilth/darklydarklyvenusaversa/introduction.php

AC/DC – Black Ice (2008: Columbia)

Innovation be
damned, assembly line one more

tour n merch excuse.

http://www.acdc.com/us/music/black-ice

War & Peace – Light at the End of the Tunnel (2001: Shrapnel)

Don-less Dokken lets
Pilson, shredders craft slick licks;

bogs a bit by end.

http://www.jeffpilson.com/

http://www.heavyharmonies.com/cgi-bin/glamcd.cgi?BandNum=18&CDName=Light+at+the+End+of+the+Tunnel

Mercyful Fate – In the Shadows (1993: Metal Blade)

Nine years gone means naught,
old school yet great for today;

melody matters.

http://www.covenworldwide.org/intheshadows.php

Loudness – Disillusion (1984: Music for Nations)

Pert near brilliance here,
Akira shreds, songs kick ass...

shame import only.

http://www.takasaki.net/Loudness/disco/Disillusion/

Down – Diary of a Mad Band (2010: Down Records)

Live set sludges forth,
bruises exposed to all eyes;

ain’t pretty, but real.

http://www.down-nola.com/shop.cfm/pk/category/ac/detail/cid/400489/prodid/444150

Velvet Revolver – Contraband (2004: RCA)

Glitter meets gutter,
more Weiland show than Gunners

slinks to ho-hum pile.

http://www.velvetrevolver.com/

http://www.fanfire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Store.woa/wa/artist?sourceCode=VREWEB&categoryName=Music+and+Video&artistName=Velvet+Revolver

Metallica – St, Anger (2003: Elektra)

All counts terrible,
as bloated an album comes;

saving graces: none.

http://www.metallica.com/Media/Albums/albums.asp?album_id=11

Lumsk – Asmund Frædegjevar (2003: Tabu)

Norse folkers stay paced,
let instruments drive the whole;

dig it though touch soft.

http://www.lumsk.com/

Abigail Williams – Legend (2006: Candlelight)

Casio blackness
suits EP length; passable

nothing new, needed.

http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=350

Mushroomhead – Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children (2010: Megaforce)

Slipknotted bash lopes
Korn-y with Coop’s eclectics;

too nü for these ears.

http://mushroomhead.com/site/main/

Lacrimosa – Fassade (2001: Hall of Sermon)

Pristinely packaged;

German goths love symph layers,

atmospheric edge.

http://www.lacrimosa.ch/cms/front_content.php?idart=22

De Infernali – Symphonia De Infernali (1997: Nuclear Blast)

Barest of budgets,
ambient techno mishaps
best quiet or off.

http://store.nuclearblastusa.com/Item/De_Infernali_-_Symphonia_De_Infernali/3415

Mortiis – The Smell of Rain (2001: Earache)

Still the troll get-up
but chucked dungeons for dance clubs,

chucked a fan aside.

http://www.mortiis.com/index.php?p=discog

Dixie Witch – Smoke & Mirrors (2006: Small Stone)

Fuzzy n skuzzy
bar bash earns retro Southern

whiskey-soaked praise.

http://www.smallstone.com/albuminfo.php?album=51

Brainstorm – Downburst (2007: Metal Blade)

Anthem choruses,
spirited band, skilled play -

consistently sound.

http://www.brainstorm-web.net/music/music-downburst/

Jerry Cantrell – Degradation Trip (2002: Roadrunner)

Money’s worth or dosed
over set of bleak Chains tracts -

moderation advised.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/newreleases/release.aspx?releaseID=43

Virgin Black – Requiem: Mezzo Forte (2007: The End)

Goth goes opera,
Aussies’ ponderous gloom flirts,

skirts excess fine lines

http://www.massacre-records.com/bands/bands_releases.asp?bands=VIRGIN+BLACK&orderno=200551

http://www.myspace.com/virginblackofficial

Jester’s March – Acts (1992: SPV)

Echo chamber tones
makes off vocals that much worse;

obscurity earned.

http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=4546

Avantasia – The Metal Opera: Part 1 (Century Media: 2001)

Ed-guy gets buds to
prog and pomp up Helloween;

ballads stink, rest rocks.

http://www.tobiassammet.com/eng/music/AvantasiaMetalOpera1.php

Killswitch Engage – As Daylight Dies (2006: Roadrunner)

Scream, screech, croon, scream more,
metalcore’s pattern wearies

though in bits, just fine.

http://www.killswitchengage.com/index.php/kse/releases/category/albums/

Votum – Metafiction (2009: Mystic Production)

Slow prog stakes claim to
destitute man’s Ayreon -

that’s not a good thing.

http://www.votumband.pl/

Aggression – Moshpirit (2009: Xtreem)

Ruthie’s Inn worthy
thrash merits Repka artwork,

sore neck hours later.

http://www.myspace.com/aggressionband

Smashing Pumpkins – Adore (1998: Virgin)

Caged rat rageless as
Corgan wallows in grey shades;

disc for stark fall morns.

http://www.amazon.com/Adore-Smashing-Pumpkins/dp/B000006NPY

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

Absolve – Sadistic Crown EP (2010: Panoptic)

Too much metalcore
weights down some decent death bits;

Anselmo-shouts irk.

http://www.myspace.com/absolveband

The Cult – Born Into This (2007: Roadrunner)

Ian’s creaking wail
over stock Stonesish mishmash...

lacks Rubin-days bite.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/newreleases/release.aspx?releaseID=221

Happy Anniversary

Hard to believe it has been a year. While I can't imagine ever coming close to the production of that first month ever again (38!!!), I'm still happy to be listening to music and finding the motivation to churn out syllables accordingly. If you've navigated here somehow, thanks for showing up and giving this little parcel of cyberspace some of your precious time. Cheers!

... now back to the haiku

Accept – Blood of the Nations (2010: Nuclear Blast)

Back from the has-beens,
reunion welcomes new throat,

same rock solid band.

http://www.acceptworldwide.com/27-0-MUSIC.html

Arsis – We Are the Nightmare (2008: Nuclear Blast)

Tech riffs, wraithly rasps
no mids, snare drums a plenty:

Strange mix but good deth.

http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/nb/v2/bands/album_details.php?albumID=578&bandID=320

Venom – At War With Satan (1983: Neat)

Spawning band for kvlt,
low-fi, low-skilled, yet awesome;

Cronos does no wrong!

http://www.venomslegions.com/lyrics/03_awws.htm

Entwine – DiEversity (2004: Spinefarm)

H.I.M. meets Nickelback,
mainstream pop ploys aplenty;

has moments, but few.

http://www.entwine.org/Discography/tabid/8778/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Sabaton – Coat of Arms (2010: Nuclear Blast)

Step below bombast,
still pushes Cats-esque limits;

solid b minus.

http://www.sabaton.net/releases.html

Heart – Red Velvet Car (2010: Sony Legacy)

Soft as rockin’ gets,
Wilsons conjure their magic

smooth, pretty, and smart.

http://www.heart-music.com/

Senser – Stacked Up (1995: Ultimate)

Brits do House of Pain
with crunchy guitars below;

more club than mosh pit.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j9foxqqhldde

http://www.senser.co.uk/

Rata Blanca – La llave de la puerta secreta (2005: Ratarecords)

Ricardo Blackmore?
Close enough as Rainbow love

transcends language gap.

http://www.rataweb.com.ar/

(multimedia: albums: bottom row, #3)

Shotgun Messiah – S/T (1989: Relativity)

Ultra-net savvy,
tunes just as fluff’d & empty;

Skold will improve loads.

http://www.jonasbeijer.com/shotgun_messiah/index2.htm

(click "official releases" and choose album from right side)

Riot – Inishmore (1998: Metal Blade)

Never-quite-weres pleased
Japan loves melodic rock.

Track record still sound.

http://markreale.com/

(projects: Riot: scroll down to Albums)