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/