Heavy Light

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Steven Mackey (b. 1956) characterizes his music as "…weird but with a sense of humor, bright, colorful but slightly twisted … The material in my music—the tunes, chords, and textures—tend to explore fringe modes of consciousness rather than brand-name emotion or logical thought. Generally speaking, these fringe modes are alert and lucid as opposed to trance-like. Often it is the unlikely combination of otherwise simple elements that transcends and confounds familiar patterns…. It is an omnivorous music that represents free speech, liberal democracy with an adventurous spirit that unflinchingly embraces all of life’s experiences. And it doesn’t sound like anything else." Heavy Light (2001) started life as a collaborative venture with choreographer Donald Byrd and the ensemble MOSAIC. The music and dance grew up together as an exploration of a psychedelic aesthetic. To me that meant a music that was more about stream of consciousness than logical development, that was more evocative than dramatic, that would exist in a world where time, space and gravity were slightly warped. Heavy Light begins with a long section that is, at its core, a slowly building ritual percussion solo. The middle of the piece is made up of a series of miniatures including a pre-recorded tape of computer-processed voices separated by electric guitar drones. The final ten minutes is a guitar solo based on the drones and a raga-like melody. Micro-Concerto (1999) attempts to imagine particular ways to coax sound out of pieces of wood, metal and skin instead of simply hitting things. In addition to providing a virtuoso "vehicle" for the percussionist, Micro-Concerto also explores a variety of more complex roles that the individual can play in relation to the ensemble. Indigenous Instruments (1989 is vernacular music from a culture that doesn’t actually exist. I fantasized about a culture and their uses for music, did thought experiments to invent the kind of instruments they might play, and wrote "folk melodies" idiomatic to those instruments. The exercise was silly but did in fact succeed in leading me to sounds and textures that I would never have thought of in my mode as a serious concert-music composer. My starting point was to re-tune or de-tune the ensemble; the cello has a radical microtonal scordatura, the violin’s G string is tuned down an octave and a quarter tone, the flute is pulled out a quarter-tone flat, and one note of the piano is prepared. —Steven Mackey

Tracks:

Quicksand
A Kiss To Send Us Off
Dig
Anna Molly
Love Hurts
Light Grenades
Earth To Bella (Part 1)
Oil And Water
Diamonds And Coal
Rogues
Paper Shoes
Pendulous Threads
Earth To Bella (Part 2)

Amazon.com

A rare case in which a band actually gets better with time, this California hard rock quintet seems to have finally grown into its skin on its fifth album. Casting off the dated slap-bass funk and pointless nu-metal angst of its early years (well, mostly), Light Grenades is not only a worthwhile follow-up to 2003's A Crow Left of the Murder--the expansive disc many fans consider Incubus's best--but shows improvements all around. Singer Brandon Boyd has learned to temper the words he plucks out of the thesaurus with genuine heartbreak, while the rest of the group proves it can do a lot more than offer up nonstop grooves. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

Mixed results on 2006 offering........2007-07-17

The first half of this album is great. Exactly the sort of catchy songs that you'd expect from them. "A Kiss to Send Us Off" is a strong opening track, "Dig" explores the territory of previous hit "Drive", "Anna Molly" is the standout track on the album, with a clever play on words, and "Love Hurts" is an excellent ballad. There are a few more songs that I thought were pretty good, but the rest of the album seems like weak B-side material. Corny song names like "Oil & Water" and "Diamonds and Coal" don't help either.
I think Incubus is a great band, but they should have waited until they had a full album of above average songs before releasing it. As it stands, I give the first half a 4.5, and the second a 2.5. Check out the songs first before buying, and maybe you'll like the whole thing, what do I know? But I think most will agree that there are only 5 good songs on here.

BUY THIS ALBUM!.......2007-06-24

I think this album is one of Incubus' best yet. There is not one song on this album that I dont like. If you like lyrics that have deep meaning and a sound that opens you up from the inside out through vocals and instrument, then this is for you.

For some reason Earth to Bella pt. 1 is getting a bad rep. I dont understand that at all. This song took me on a roller coaster ride the first time i listened to it and its one of my top 5 on the CD. My favorite song on the album is Oil and Water. You know, if you're reading these reviews and you're not sure whether or not to buy it, stop right now. Listen and judge the album for yourself. You wont be let down.

This is a different spin for Incubus and it was a good one. I have no complaints at all for this album. Buy it and enjoy the magic of INCUBUS.

A Kiss to send us off
Dig
Anna Molly
Earth to Bella pt. 1
*Oil and Water*
Diamond and Coal

Great band getting even better.......2007-05-13

Know how some of your favorite bands seem to get a little less great over time, until eventually you stop picking up their weak albums? Well, Incubus has broken the mold because their newest album, "Light Grenades," is actually much stronger than the past two. While I would give "Morning View" a 4/5 and "Crow Left of the Murder" a 3/5, I give "Light Grenades" a 5/5 for sure. Every song on the record is a slam dunk, seriously. BUT if buy this CD thinking it's full of crunchy guitar riffs and expecting to rock out, you might want to preview the songs first. This is a melodious and beautiful rock album but it's nothing to mosh to.

Incubus rule!.......2007-04-29

Aidin Vaziri - why are Amazon paying this opinionated bigot?

Just because Incubus are taking a turn towards your taste does not mean the earlier work was wrong or poor.

In fact they would not be around today and making music more to your liking if people like me hadn't bought and enjoyed their previous albums with the angst and slap bass you seem to abhor.

I think they were great and are great, but shy from dogmatic comments like those of Aidin Vaziri, Amazon review author. Slap bass and angst still have a place in music, it is not 'dated' as he said, and there is nothing bad about nu-metal. If you happen not to like it, then don't listen to it.

The irony is that there would be less angst if it wasn't for such intolerance in the world.

Karl

Light Grenades.......2007-04-28

The first half of this album is great...the second half...not so much

Anna Molly is the best song on the album

I also like Earth to Bella 1 and 2.

Average customer rating:

HIM is awsome
Great record...
More "light" than "dark".
Darklight
...you people are dumb.

Dark Light
H.I.M.
Manufacturer: Sire / London/Rhino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000ATT2QO
Release Date: 2005-10-03

Tracks:

Face of God
Rip Out the Wings of A Butterfly
Killing Loneliness
Behind the Crimson Door
Dark Light
Under the Rose
Vampire Heart
Play Dead
Drunk on Shadows
In the Night-Side of Eden

Amazon.com

Finland's His Infernal Majesty (H.I.M.) has managed to release a solid, if not wholly overwhelming album. Listening to vocalist Ville Valo work his magic on the title tune, where he bridges the distance between Bono and Bowie, you almost believe you're listening to one of the great voices, maybe even great bands, of the age. The sharp, hook-laden tunes such as "Killing Loneliness," "Vampire Heart" and "Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly" only seem to confirm that initial spark of discovery. However, the brilliance evident at the beginning barely stretches to the halfway mark. "The Face Of God" and "Drunk On Shadows" are little more than hooks around which other things happen rather than the promising, fully realized material found at the album's start. That said, Dark Light ultimately proves an album worth owning even if it's just to hear Valo work his unmistakable magic from end to end. --Jedd Beaudoin

Album Description

After conquering the rest of the world with chart-topping albums and sold-out tours, Finland's HIM (His Infernal Majesty) makes its U.S. debut with Dark Light. A Scandinavian rock icon, HIM enjoys more than a mere buzz overseas. It's a frenzy. Haunting, gothic, rocking, beautiful and melodic-produced by Tim Palmer (Robert Plant, U2) with the band recording for the first time in the U.S.-Dark Light opens the eyes of America to HIM.

Album Description

After conquering the rest of the world with chart-topping albums and sold-out tours that have seen them play before literally hundreds of thousands of fans over the last decade, Finland's finest are finally making the push for American dominance with Dark Light. Some musicians might feel pressure, but HIM front man Ville Valo had one concern in making Dark Light - bettering himself. Mixed at New York's famed Electric Ladyland studios with producer Tim Palmer (Robert Plant, U2), the band recorded for the first time in the States, holing up for several weeks in the famed Paramour house in Silver Lake, California. The goal was to create a crazy, surreal, weird, David Lynch, Tim Burton feel, but all within the AC/DC context. You can still shake your hips to it, bang your head, or play air guitar. The results are the kind of songs that have made HIM global rock stars, earning Valo a recent spot on the cover of British metal magazine Kerrang! alongside Ozzy Osbourne and Slash. This 10-song collection is classic HIM: haunting, gothic, rocking, beautiful, melodic, and an album that can only come from Valo and his mates. Warner. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

HIM is awsome.......2007-05-23

this album is just different from the other albums. It is a transition that they wanted to do before making a heavy album like VENUS DOOM that is gonna be out in a coupple of months. HIM is one of the best rock bands out there...just go and buy all the cds!!!

Great record..........2007-04-16

Since HIM's incarnation, the band has released five studio album and countless singles, along with one greatest hits compilation and one album full of acoustic songs and remixes. However, up until the release of Dark Light, HIM was virtually unknown to the states, and when this record was released, it marked a new era for HIM and their stateside fans.
Since this was the first HIM record to be released in the states, new fans had this album, and only this album, to give them their daily dosage. However, long time fans of the band, from Finland and even some here in the states, threw the sell out label at HIM. Why?
Most people think it's because Ville Valo (vocals) cut his hair. His hair was short during the Razorblade Romance era, too.
Anyways, the album starts off with a bang with Vampire Heart. The chorus to this song is infectious, and the guitar riff and bass/drum collaboration work in perfect succession with one another, and of course the keyboard help to lend atmosphere to the mood of the song (and album) as a whole. Next up is the albums first single, Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly. The intro is catchy and is just a teaser for the chorus this is to follow. Under the Rose is a more mediocre track, not a bad one but not as catchy as its predecessors. Killing Loneliness is a moody Gothic anthem with a killer chorus and some great keyboard work. Dark Light is a beautiful song with great falsetto from Ville, and Behind The Crimson Door, followed by the astounding The Face Of God, are worth the price of admission alone. The last few tracks seem to lack the punch of the others but they're still good songs and can hold their own.
This album is amazing, and while fans of the band say it is sellout, I personally feel this to be some of the heaviest stuff the band had released yet. Sure, Vampire Heart is no Razorblade Kiss, but Razorblade Romance was six or seven years ago- let the band evolve.

More "light" than "dark"........2007-03-18

Dark Light is the album that is making me lose all respect and hope for this band. A huge let-down compared to the amount of time invested in it.

Let us begin with the positive aspects of the album. "Vampire Heart", the opening song, is a great opener that manages to raise your hopes for this one, and you can hear Valo's old vocal style at the end. "Under the Rose" is a great song that manages to carry one away also. The other hookers are... there aren't any... well, except for "Behind the Crimson Door" and parts of "Face of God".

Now, unto the weaknesses. Valo's new vocals, now that we know he chose to switch to, are still aggravating and could have been SO MUCH better, but then average at mediocre. "Wings of a Butterfly" is a good song, but it became so overrated that, it bores the living hell out of me, and its mood in the chorus is entirely different than the overall "let's rock" mood of the song. Another problem is the lack of atmosphere and the "cheerful", pop-ish direction some other songs have taken. You can sense a great potential in this album, which, if it had been left SIMPLER, would have turned into an actuality. As of now, the "let's push this riff a little more" approach results in catastrophe. The song "Dark Light" should be removed from the album, it is THAT bad. "Killing Loneliness" was blown out of proportion, as there are two better songs than that. Valo's way of putting out the chorus of "Face of God" is another example of this album's overall attitude of pushing things further than they are supposed to go.

Not a total failure, but could exist as a perfect EP rather than a mediocre-at-best LP. I wouldn't recommend it for non-HIM-fans, and the fans should consider themselves warned before jumping the gun on this one.

Darklight.......2007-01-06

HIM is at their best as usual.I completely recommend this cd to all HIM lovers as well as new comers.

...you people are dumb........2007-01-04

This band is named HIM not H.I.M

It doesn't stand for His Infernal Majesty, that's just there old name. Of course it hand an influence on their name, but Ville has said that one of the reasons they changed to HIM is because it was easy to pronounce in many languages, and His Infernal Majesty was getting them too many accusations on what there band's genre was, giving a false inpression.

Average customer rating:

A follow up to a classic...not bad.
House with no blue
This isn't your father's Deep Purple
One and a half stars for Spanish Archer . . . .
My favorite Deep Purple album

The House of Blue Light
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Umvd Special Markets
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JBFX
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Bad Attitude
The Unwritten Law
Call Of The Wild
Mad Dog
Black & White
Hard Lovin' Woman
The Spanish Archer
Strangeways
Mitzie Dupree
Dead Or Alive

Customer Reviews:

A follow up to a classic...not bad........2007-06-11

No question, "Perfect Strangers" is a Deep Purple classic. "The House of Blue Light" was the follow up. Not all the songs are classic Purple, or even in the vein of "Perfect Strangers," but as a whole the album is pretty solid. For me, Bad Attitude, Strangeways, Mitzie Dupree, and Dead or Alive are the highlights of this album. Gillan's vocal work is, for the most part, excellent, especially on Mitzie Dupree. The Unwritten Law could have been a good song if the vocals weren't incredibly...stupid, for lack of a better word. The tensions between Gillan and Blackmore resulted in some pretty darn good guitar playing from Ritchie (Dead or Alive) and vocals from Ian trying to bridge the gap ("...why don't we call it a day before we call it a nightmare, darlin'?") or lashing out ("...you think I'm chained up, but I'm just tied down"). Overall, "The House of Blue Light" is a consistent, if sometimes unspectacular, album.

House with no blue.......2007-05-12

Great title but where is the blues ??? no likee....

This isn't your father's Deep Purple.......2007-03-15

I my humble opinion this was the best of the reunited Deep Purple. Perfect Strangers was a great album but the music was cut from the same cloth that much of the early Deep Purple and Rainbow for that matter. The thing that was great about the original Mark II two lineup was that from "In Rock" to "Fireball" to "Machine Head" to "Who Do We Think We Are" the sound and music on each of the albums was very different. There was growth and adventure in the development of each album. The House of Blue Light returned to an attempt to be creative. Granted these won't be the songs that will talk about forever or hardly at all twenty years later but they are great in their own rights. Songs like "The Spanish Archer", "Hard Lovin' Woman", "Strangeways", "The Unwritten Law", and "Dead or Alive" show a real stepping outside of the box with the style of the band. It was unfortunate that this album and tour were marred by the fighting within the band however as has always been the case with the band, the music is seemingly at it's best when there is tension from within. I have heard the album termed as an "experimental" album and I would have to agree and say that this was a successful experiment.

One and a half stars for Spanish Archer . . . ........2006-12-29

I'm not sure what DP was trying to be on this effort, but it didn't work. Maybe they weren't trying too hard to be anything at all, which would explain the insipid songwriting and mostly forgettable performances.

The opening two tracks, "Bad Attitude" and "Unwritten Law", are decent -- no memorable riffs or great performances, but listenable. "The Spanish Archer," featuring some interesting guitar work by RB, is far better than that. The rest are hardly worth mentioning. Songs like "Dead or Alive" and "Mad Dog" have plenty of energy but no life. (The blue lights are on but nobody's home?) Overall, these songs sound almost like each musician was recorded separately and the tracks were later mixed.

"Perfect Strangers," which preceded this, is one of Deep Purple's best albums, and "The Battle Rages On" is very good. As far as "The House of Blue Light" goes, get "Spanish Archer" for your IPOD and then close the door.

My favorite Deep Purple album.......2006-10-30

Talk about an underrated album, from an underrated legendary band.

When most famous groups reunite (like Cream or Pink Floyd) they do it for a one-off show, or a small reunion tour and then it's goodbye! But NOT Deep Purple, once they reunited it was stated: We are in it for the long haul. Boy, they weren't kidding!

This was the follow up to their famous reunion album "Perfect Strangers." I always found this album, "The House of Blue Light" to be even better. Of all the rock music I bought back in the 80's only a handful are still played in my house. This being one of them.

Ian Gillan has to be one of the most underrated lyricists in all of rock music. Next to Ozzy and Robert Plant, Gillan's lyrics are like Bob Dylan, or Dylan back in the 60's. Anyway, the rest of the band are brilliant as ever. For being an 80's sounding rock album it has held up much better than all the other hard rock outfits of that era.

Highlights: The Unwritten Law, Dead Or Alive, The Spanish Archer and Strangeways

Light and Heavy: The Best of Iron Butterfly

Average customer rating:

Essential Iron Butterfly
IB
Impressive account of one original band !
It's Iron Not Led And Butterfly Not Rooster.
nostalgia at best

Light and Heavy: The Best of Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 1993-01-19

Tracks:

Iron Butterfly Theme
Possession
Unconscious Power
You Can't Win
So-Lo
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Most Anything You Want
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My Mirage
Termination
In The Time Of Our Lives
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Belda-Beast
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Easy Rider (Let The Wind Pay The Way)

Customer Reviews:

Essential Iron Butterfly.......2006-05-19

The name "Iron Butterfly" immediately invokes thoughts of strength and agility. This is what you'll find in this collection of songs, gleaned mostly from the band's albums "Metamorphosis," "Heavy," and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

Iron Butterfly's music was written mostly during the "flower power" era of the late 1960's (when America was deep into the space race and our boys were fighting in Vietnam) which is reflected in many of the songs here. A few may have been "suggested" by an LSD- and/or alcohol-induced session as well, which was the case with several bands during this time. Whether or not this is true, the fact remains that the music presented here is a good representation of the times, a theme which Iron Butterfly exploited. Sadly, the band would be quickly forgotten soon after its breakup in 1971, yet rediscovered in the late 1970's when they once again began to tour, much to the delight of "Butterfly" fans everywhere.

The CD opens with the "Iron Butterfly Theme," an instrumental that sets the stage for what is to come. Hint: if you listen closely at the end of the track, you will hear the phrase "I Love You" played by Doug Ingle on the organ in Morse Code.

It is true that only the three-minute radio-edit version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is included in this CD. If the producers had decided to add the long version, either the set would have been made into a double-CD (which was not the trend at the time) or many of the songs now on the CD would have been sacrificed. Instead, a "mini" retrospective of Iron Butterfly's other works are to be found here, including the non-album single, "I Can't Help But Deceive You, Little Girl."

For the new fan just discovering and exploring Iron Butterfly, "Light and Heavy: The Best of Iron Butterfly" provides a good cross-section of the band's work and is a good first CD, especially for listeners who enjoy psychadelic heavy-metal, and is a fair retrospective for those who have been fans of the "Butterfly" for years.

IB.......2005-10-13

This CD would be worth it if only for In the Time Of Our Lives & Iron Butterfly Theme, two of the most evil sounding songs I've ever heard (next to Dutch Nepal by Amon Duul 2). The fact that they could go from that sound to bubble gum & soul all on one side of a vinyl disk was a testiment to their versitility. This album avoids most of their weaker material and is a fine overview. Can't wait to see them in a couple of weeks (Oct 30 2005) at the Chet Helms Tribute in SF.

Impressive account of one original band !.......2004-12-16

The peak of the crown is In a gadda da vida, but there is still more : Easy rider is a hard to kill rock work and for many of my fellow friends the masterpiece of Iron . .
Real fright is a punch theme and in this order My mirage , it must be love , Belda-beast and Stone Believer .
The presence of Rhino was the supreme difference . And beware he was the artificer of Captain Beyond four years later .
Iron was a terrific band with one of the darkest voices in the rock ever : Doug Ingle . There were six successful works made for this band in their brief career , but this anthology is fundamental apart of course of Iron Butterfly live from San Diego 1972 , one of the most interesting live experiences in the rock music ever performed.

It's Iron Not Led And Butterfly Not Rooster........2004-06-30

Hey, it has seven more tracks than the cassette version so quit complaining. Yeah, they could have included the entire InAGaddaDaVida trilogy, but why bother? Besides, if they did that, there wouldn't have been room for the extra tracks which are at least as interesting and inarguably more listenable. The selection is unimpeachable, the sound quality is great and the nostalgia factor is noticeable only if you miss InAGaddaEtc. Otherwise it's a blast: Ingle's Dracula impression on 'Possession' from the HEAVY LP is not to be missed, and the collection just keeps getting better from there. BALL seems to be the favored LP as it gets more tracks than any other but that's okay as it was their best album. 'Soul Experience' and 'In The Time Of Our Lives' are just awesome, and 'In The Crowds' is almost as great. The inclusion of the non-LP single 'I Can't Help But Deceive You, Little Girl' is certainly a nice bonus, but even better would have been the inclusion of its B-side 'To Be Alone' and 'Silly Sally', the non-LP flip to 'Stone Believer' to make it even more inclusive. And now: the rising and indignant chorus of "Yeah, but INAGADDADAVIDA, dude. . .!"

nostalgia at best.......2004-06-08

i couldn't give it 5 as i am not an iron butterfly purist.
however, i must say i did enjoy this album. when the music first came out i hated it becasue i thought in a gada da vida was the most boring of all the music of that era... a listen to moby grape will tell you why. however, i was judging it as a musician at that time. today, some millions of years thereafter, lol, as a listener, i quite like it. you hear strong, if not obvious, influences
of doors and love. not so surprising since they were practically neighbours to the composer of IB.
a couple of songs were quite beatle-ish :track 8 reminds me of got to get your into my life, good day sunshine ; track 3 with a bit of daytripper. ingle, the main composer is not of the calibre of a keith emerson; pat moraz or even vangelis; least of all a rick wakeman,
but giving him credit, he is melodic and definitely not as self-indulgent. he comes from the doors and jefferson airplane school, which is not bad for that era. a nice album considering the price of this cd. goodness you couldn't get any worse;
if you have to spend the money on something that is from today's
top charts, i would suggest you better spend your hard-earned money on this cd instead. not something for rap or drum machine zombies though. sorry! this guys learned to play their instruments, not great like return to forever, mahavishnu orchestra or weather report, but much better than 99% of today's "musicians";
a good album for someone trying to learn to play a musical instrument, for sure. buy it!

Average customer rating:

Another Immolation masterpiece
Immolation: on the verge

Shadows in the Light
Immolation
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

Another Immolation masterpiece.......2007-06-23

The new Immolation cd is another Immolation masterpiece. It's actually even better than Harnessing Ruin, and I love Harnessing Ruin. (as well as all of their albums) This effort seems to be a little more precise and focused than Harnessing. Also, the production and mix is a little more clear on this album. The results? This seems to be the most straight forward, to the point release so far. Kind of like Close To A World Below but the songs are all just under 4 minutes except for a few.

Another point to make is that even though this whole album seems more straight forward, they didn't lose any of their trademark Immolation songwriting ability whatsoever!It still has Bob's trademark riffing and their punishing,pummeling,Immolation whirlwind style.
It's really amazing how a band can still maintain their identity like this band has without becoming cheesy or corny or without completely changing their style.
This band is simply one of the best and most under-rated bands in all of extreme music. Highly recommended if you even just liked one of thier cd's.

Immolation: on the verge.......2007-06-12

I have to start by admitting that Immolation is one of my favorite bands: not for what they are, but for what they could be. If you listen closely to Shadows in the Light and its predecessor, Harnessing Ruin, you will find complex structures, memorable riffs, and Death Metal that is approaching a state of sophistication that other bands are not reaching.

The biggest negative Immolation is facing is their studio recording, production, and mixing. Oh, what I'd give to hear a Tue Madsen produced Immolation CD! Shadows in the light is slightly less muted and muddied than Harnessing Ruin, which is a plus. However, when you listen to Behemoth's Demigod or Kataklysm's latest, you will understand this point. Immolation just needs technical expertise to truly blast the world with superior DM.

I rated Shadows in the Light at 4 stars because of the production values. I rate Immolation as a band at 5.

Nuclear Blast 20th Anniversary Into the Light

Average customer rating:

Nuclear Blast 20th Anniversary Into the Light
Nuclear Blast Allstars
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Average customer rating:

Excellent 2-on-1 Reissue
Can't go Wrong With German Melodic Metal
Bonfire is awesome!
Bonfire is awesome!
Deutsche 80s Metal / Power Metal at its best!

Don't Touch the Light/Fire Works
Bonfire
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Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Rough Cutt/Rough Cutt Wants You!
Red, Hot and Heavy
Electrified
Time Will Tell
Double Eclipse

ASIN: B00004TFDF
Release Date: 2000-06-20

Tracks:

Intro
Starin' Eyes
No More
SDI
Hot to Rock
Don't Touch the Light
Longing for You
Ready 4 Reaction
Never Mind
Sleeping All Alone
Champion
Don't Get Me Wrong
You Make Me Feel
Sweet Obsession
Rock Me Now
American Nights
Fantasy
Give It a Try
Cold Days

Album Description

Bonfire ignited their career on both sides of the Atlantic in the early to mid-'80s. Originally from Germany, Bonfire fit right into the booming Heavy Metal world with their hard-rocking heavy metal sound. The two original albums collected together on this one CD offer over 75 minutes of head-banging music, including the radio hit, Sweet Obsession.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent 2-on-1 Reissue.......2007-05-10

If you look at European AOR and melodic rock today, the different styles are quite noticeable, with British, Swiss, Swedish, and German being the major sounds. The German melodic rock sound pretty much comes back to Bonfire (and later Fair Warning). Bonfire's brand of melodic rock merged the radio-friendly approach of Bon Jovi with the hard yet melodic style of their countrymen the Scorpions.

This affordable 2-on-1 reissue features Bonfire's first two albums in their entirety. Here's what you get:

Don't Touch the Light - With just 8 songs (9 if you count the instrumental introductory track) at 37 minutes, this 1986 release is a relatively brief introduction to the band. Still, you get a pretty good idea of what Bonfire's sound is all about, with plenty of hard rocking tracks like "Starin' Eyes", "Longing for You" and the title track, as well as the occasional ballad ("You Make Me Feel").

Fireworks - 20 years later, this 1987 release remains the best example of Bonfire's sound. The album features a great assortment of hard rockers (Ready 4 Reaction, Never Mind) and catchy party anthems (American Nights and the cover of Surgin's Sleeping All Alone), and as ballads go, Give It a Try isn't half bad. Great guitar work, great vocals, great melodies...great album!

Both Don't Touch the Light and Fireworks are important albums in AOR/melodic rock, and are albums that most 80's rock fans should check out. They don't make `em like this anymore!

If you're new to Bonfire and are looking for a place to start, look no further! If you're already a Bonfire fan and have had trouble tracking down one (or both) of these albums, this reissue is probably your best bet.

Can't go Wrong With German Melodic Metal.......2005-07-22

Recommended for fans of the Scorpions, in particular, and 80s style melodic metal in general. This disc is a fair value too, since it actually contains 2 albums (Don't Touch the Light 1986 and Fireworks 1988). The second release, and second half of this disc, is the better of the two. The first album, Don't Touch the Light, while not containing any bad tracks, is not quite strong enough to stand on its own, having only two standout tracks and being on the brief side -- only 7 tracks total.

Highlights of the disc in order of appearance are: No more, SDI, Champion, You Make Me Feel, Fantasy and Give it a Try.

Fans of the band should be pleased with this release. The two albums display a nice variety of rockers and ballads. Claus Lessman has an attractive voice and good sense of style. He often sounds quite similar to Klaus Meine, especially on the ballads.

Also of note -- the overall sound is crisp, unlike that heard on so many other 80s metal discs, where it seems as if the band are playing from the depths of a giant tin can.

Bonfire is awesome!.......2002-10-02

I got Fireworks on Vinyl while stationed in Germany in the Army back in '87. I just picked up the CD yesterday and it sounds as good as ever. Nevermind is my personal favorites on this disc and I've listened to it so many times! These guys have a nice edge but remain melodic - a fine balance. There are many other excellent songs on here including Ready 4 Reaction. This disc is one of my all time favorites & these guys are one of the best European metal bands to never quite make it in the US.

Bonfire is awesome!.......2002-10-02

Deutsche 80s Metal / Power Metal at its best!.......2002-06-05

Fireworks is undoubtedly one of the landmarks in the annals of 80s metal and power metal. Imagine Scorpions-style vocals with huge melodic choruses, keyboards, and heavy Teutonic guitar. Very inspirational, fist-pumping 80s metal at its best.

Average customer rating:

A COMEPLETE MASTERPIECE - In every sense of the word...
a differant, but equally intersting green carnation
A prog-metal epic that lives up to the hype!
could have been better.
Great CD

Light of Day, Day of Darkness
Green Carnation
Manufacturer: The End Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Acoustic Verses
The Quiet Offspring
Blessing in Disguise
The Mantle
Second Life Syndrome

ASIN: B00005UK1F
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness

Album Description

Full title - Light Of The Day, Day Of Darkness. Immensely epic in scope, blasting through dark passages of swollen, over-distorted guitars to serene, idyllic moments of acoustic & choral enchantment, this release will surely go down in history as one of the most progressive, innovative albums to ever see the light of day. More than 30 musicians were involved into this epic project, including full opera & children's choirs, classical composers, saxophonists, church organists & a lot more. This highly complex work of art was recorded using 150 tracks & almost 600 samplers. The End Records.

Customer Reviews:

A COMEPLETE MASTERPIECE - In every sense of the word..........2007-05-17

'Light of Day, Day of Darkness' is a complete album in every possible way: Not only is the album one continuous song; it is one whole composition, fitted together with all the necessary components that make for a complete masterpiece!!!
The epic nature of this song is really hard to describe in words. Although I have listened to it multiple times in its entirety I am always amazed by its brilliance. The band utilizes a full orchestra with their powerful riffs to create climactic build-ups within the composition. The intensity of these developments sometimes lead straight into another guitar sequence of even more epic proportions. The male vocals on this composition are perfectly suited to the mood and flow of the piece, sung mostly in a baritone type range, with some operatic sections and minimal yelling. The female chanting/singing in the middle section of the song is wonderfully appropriate followed by a lengthy guitar solo that is completely euphoric.
The tones used for many of the riffs are a high-pitched metallic sound that immediately result in serious head-banging. The great thing about this piece is how some of the riffs are recurring throughout while also incorporating newer soundscapes into the composition as it unfolds, thus creating a complete song - unlike other bands who seem to combine multiple songs into one just for the sake of creating a single song.
No amount of words can ever do this album justice - it quickly became one of my favorite albums ever upon hearing it a few times through. If you like epic progressive metal this is a must have!

RECOMMENDATION: If you want to hear other metal of epic and progressive nature then check out Aghora's album 'Formless'. The riffage will not disappoint you!

a differant, but equally intersting green carnation.......2006-10-18

This album if you have not yet gathered consists of one peice of music. On some editions the peice has been split into tracks , but it is still just one peice of music.
It starts off with some samples and acoustic guitars, light drums and clean vocals. This sets the mood for the album. It is a dark reflective peice of music, yet this is not doom metal, nor does it get particularily heavy or fast at any point.
The Song is a series of passages and twists and turns. Passages are repeated and referred back to in various places so the listener can grab some sense of familiarality, and it ends much like it finishes. But inbetween there is many parts, some good riffs and some nice vocal parts, both clean and black metal inspired.

This peice however is not about choruses and riffs, it is about atmosphere and mood and it creates these very well.A dark reflective song it can engulf the listener as it evolves and changes, builds up to false climaxes and unexpected changes.
It could be perhaps more varied, yet like i said the peice sets a mood and it does so very well. Even so, there is a fair amount of textures and dynamics here, ranging from picked acoustic guitars, to double pedals and distorted guitars, to (original) clean vocal, to black metals vocals, to tense string-like riffs even to saxaphone solos and female scat singing.
The lyrics are about the fall into insanity which add to the musical depth of the album.

this album is worth buying if you are into intelligent metal at all, opeth, agalloch, black metal, katatonia etc...

In short, this is not a novelty project, it is a complete peice as a whole (even though it is part 1 of a later sequal) with a varied soundscape and use of dynamics. Heavy at times, darkly beautiful at others.

worth hearing if you are into metal / rock / experintal or just have an ear for good music

thankyou

A prog-metal epic that lives up to the hype!.......2006-04-22

I realize a lot of people give extra high ratings to concept albums, especially single song concept albums. Most of the time the ratings are totally undeserved. However, this album really is interesting. I was very skeptical because with the exception of Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick, most of these projects fall woefully short of a 5 star rating.

In all honesty, so does this recording. It isn't an "absolute, must have or your life will be unfulfilled" kind of recording. However, it is better than most skeptics like myself would have thought. Even my "metal-phobic" friends and co-workers enjoyed this effort. It's got enough metal to have a bite when needed and enough prog to draw you into their world. I've only listened to the album 7 times since buying it a couple weeks ago, so I'm not too deeply involved into the lyrics and story. Then again, I rarely pay attention to lyrics unless they are audaciously bad.

I'm not going to go into minute by minute detail other than to say as others have said that the female vocalist's solo in the middle of the song is not only bad, but it is also out of place and ill-fitting the rest of the music. Personally, I ripped this into a sound editor, removed that section, and reassembled the track. That alone puts it in the 4.5 star category. All in all, this is well worth the $12 investment and will definitely provide a lot of musical enjoyment in the years to come.

could have been better........2005-10-08

I don't know why some people compare this album to anything Pink Floyd has done, because quite honestly this album doesn't compare. It is an admirable effort and overall pretty decent, but not even in the same ballpark in terms of greatness as The Wall, or Dark Side of the Moon.

I decided to put the 60 minute opus on while I write this review. There are some great riffs at the start, and indeed, throughout most of the first 30 minutes, but that's about where it ends. Kjetil Nordhus' voice kind of reminds me Jonas Renkse, the singer from Katatonia. It's very pleasant, and has a sad, lamenting quality that doesn't sound overdone.

It's pretty obvious that the 60 minute track is actually several different songs tied together, and in that respect it's not written very well. Good progressive music is beginning at one point and arriving at an entirely different point and not being able to explain exactly how you got there because it sounds so natural. An example would be Agalloch's brilliant song In The Shadow of Our Pale Companion. This track isn't like that. It's not arranged very well, but it's not bad either. It's just not something I get lost in.

There are some great moments in this album, though. Great riffs, but most of them happen before minute 33. Indeed, it's when you're cruising along to a kickass riff that the song drops off a frickin' cliff and goes into a quiet passage. The vocals change, and the woman kind of reminds me of Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance, although less impressive. This halfway point is usually where I start the CD over, because as I said before everything up to that point is really, really good. The song just loses a ton of momentum at the halfway point, and even though I've heard the whole thing on more than a couple occasions, I can't be arsed to review it proper. So I'm just going to say it was less impressive than the first half, although there's some good stuff happening around minute 44-55.

The quiet passage just doesn't work for me at all, which is unfortunate because it cuts the song in half. It would've been better to end quiety with it, because then the arrangement would've at least made some sense.

If you're a fan of progressive music, or if you are interested in this band/CD soley on the strength of the bands it is associated with (like me), then you'll probably dig it. It's certainly not epic SOUNDING, nor is it life-changing, so as long as your expectations are in check you'll be okay.

Great CD.......2005-08-25

This album is definitely different than anything I've ever heard. I'm a huge metalhead & love all things heavy. This CD is actually kind of mellow, with heavier parts. When it comes to the more mellow music, it takes a lot to really get me, most of it just gets really boring. This is a very good one, sort of psycedelic actually. A great one to get stoned to. It has some hints of heavier metal that really adds a lot to it also. One of my favorite things about it is that it's only 1 song, a song that lasts an hour. That's something you don't see too often. If you can get into the more melodic Opeth stuff you'll like this CD for sure.

Average customer rating:

Call iit what you will.

Songs of Darkness, Words of Light
My Dying Bride
Manufacturer: Peaceville UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Dreadful Hours
A Line of Deathless Kings
Turn Loose the Swans

ASIN: B000E5KU5G
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Tracks:

The Wreckage Of My Flesh
The Scarlet Garden
Catherine Blake
My Wine In Silence
The Prize Of Beauty
The Blue Lotus
And My Fury Stands Ready
A Doomed Lover

Product Description

1. The Wreckage Of My Flesh
2. The Scarlet Garden
3. Catherine Blake
4. My Wine In Silence
5. The Prize Of Beauty
6. Blue Lotus
7. And My Fury Stands Ready
8. A Doomed Lover

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Call iit what you will........2007-06-13

My Dying Bride prefers to call thier music "Doom Metal", and MDB fans hate it when you call this band "Gothic Metal"...but in truth, either tag applies. Whatever you want to call it...it's an amazing album. I love it's slow and melodic atmosphere...ultra darkness. If your looking for deathmetal...there are a few traces of that here. This isn't a speedy or hard hitting power band....this is just sheer dark metal that evokes darke desire and invites deep emotional response. IMO, this is one of the most unique band in metal culture.

Average customer rating:

melodic metal
The editorial review sucks
Most mature and BEST!!
Great, but Could have been better
more sarcasm, more 80's rock, less depression...

Cold White Light
Sentenced
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Funeral Album
Crimson
Frozen
Escapexstacy
Down

ASIN: B0000695TK
Release Date: 2002-07-09

Tracks:

Konevitsan Kirkonkellot
Cross My Heart And Hope To Die
Brief Is The Light
Neverlasting
Aika Multaa Muistot (Everything Is Nothing)
Excuse Me While I Kill Myself
Blood & Tears
You Are The One
Guilt And Regret
The Luxury Of A Grave
No One There

Amazon.com

Alongside their swashbuckling countrymen in Amorphis, the Finnish band Sentenced have long abandoned their death-metal roots in search of a less punishing approach. This conversion doesn't earn any points with the diehards, but raises the question: Why shouldn't metal bands create radio-friendly, textured melodies? Sentenced mixes heavy-metal strychnine with the saccharine sweetness of pop and comes up with a fetching formula that's still 10 times dirtier than Creed. After all, Sentenced is merely saucing up ballads like Black Sabbath's "Changes," Judas Priest's "Last Rose of Summer," and Iron Maiden's "Strange World." Like it or not, schmaltz is part of heavy metal, and Sentenced pulls it off with Scandinavian poise. --Ian Christe

Album Description

This is the eighth release from Sentenced. Produced by Hill Hiilesmaa (Moonspell, Theatre of Tragedy). 11 tracks and the bonus enhanced video to 'Killing Me Killing You'. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

melodic metal.......2005-10-03

i liked this album better than their funeral album. its a good metal album for people who like a little singing in their metal.

The editorial review sucks.......2005-07-21

This is a great melodic death album. Clearly the man who wrote the editorial view knew very little about this sort of music. Sentenced are almost like one parts bodom, one parts in flames, spliced with clean vocals.

And they're nothing like creed at all.

Most mature and BEST!!.......2005-07-05

Masters of depressive metal have done it! Their best album that even beats one of my all time favourites, Down. This album is simply breathtaking. Cold White Light ain't as heavy as Down nor as catchy, but much more emotional and thoughtful. Production is also top notch. Listening to Cold White Light envokes many emotions in me at the same time: depression, hope, grief and joy. No other album has ever done that. It's funny to read how some people wonder the theme chosen by the band. Depression and hatred and all that is very common and daily mood for a Finnish guy. It goes without saying if someone (me) feels this way most of the time. Especially wintertime it's very dark and no sunlight at all for many weeks or months, one or another inevitably begins to hold and ponder these thoughts in his/her head. It's something you can't experience and feel if you live in the tropical zone or somewhere nice, warm and sunny place. It's a very natural subject to start writing songs.

"Cross My Heart and Hope to Die" is simply amazing! The guitar sound is something never heard before, not even from Sentenced, there's something so emotional, it's unmatched. Laihiala's vocals are so sad and emotional that it almost makes me cry, so sad yet so hopeful. Maybe the best track on album and one of their all time best.
"Brief is the Light" Absolutely beautiful melodies and lyrics. This is actually very positive song, at least for me it has become my cure for depression. The song and lyrics are extremely effective when listened at the dark of winter or at a brightest summernight when sun never sets. Then it hits you, 'brief is the light', and I mean daylight and summer alltogether is very brief, though the lyrics are about the light of life. Guitar solo is amazing. Competes with "Cross My Heart..." for the best song on this album.
"Neverlasting" a really trashy piece that shows Sentenced can still make very heavy songs. And that clapping effect in the middle of the song is not handclapping, it's Laihiala (or someone) clapping his bare buttocks with wet hands =D.
"Blood and Tears" with trademark guitar sound and riffs from Tenkula, very catchy and rockin' song.
"The Luxury of a Grave" has over the top funny lyrics but still very nice song with again awesome guitars.

It's difficult to discribe how I feel about this album, or what it means to me. It's like a neverending elixir of life for me, purification. Listening to it makes me rejoice of life once again. Right now when I'm writing this (and listening the album) is a beautiful summernight at 1:00am and the sun is setting lighting the whole sky, and to rise again in an hour...and I feel great!

Need to say? Get this album immediately if you want to experience something depressing...or joyful...or anything at all that touches your emotions!

-Make the most out of your day/for brief is the light on our way/on this momentary trail-

Great, but Could have been better.......2005-06-14

I was hoping this CD would sound more like Crimson, No big deal, these guys still rock, I just tend to listen to Crimson more then Cold White Light

more sarcasm, more 80's rock, less depression..........2005-01-17

..which happens to be a good thing! Granted, this album may not be a heavy metal-milestone(labelling this as heavy metal may even be a stretch), but the songs are slick, catchy and well-written. Some really nice melodies crop up from time to time and most of the choruses are pure sing-along material. The singer is obviously having a blast (even when the lyrics don't sport the best English in the world) and the bass 'n guitars are thick in the mix. Just listen to that solo at the end of the first song, great stuff! This album may be far removed from their death-roots but it's an enjoyable slab of heavy rock. Recommended!

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Candy: Teenage Neon Jungle

Kelly Hall-Tompkins - Violin

Git-Fiddle Shuffle [Import]

A Girl Named Joe

The Jazz Butcher's Free Lunch!

I'm Still in Love With You

I Wanna Be Loved By You

François Couperin: Un Concert Royal (Sonate à 4 "La Sultane" / Dizième Concert / Sonate "La Françoise", from Les Nations / Treizième Concert "Les Goûts Réünis", 1724 / Troisième Concert Royal) - London Baroque / Charles Medlam

Dressed in Black - A Tribute to Johnny Cash

From the Asylum

Emoh

Dream Jungle [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Farmboy

Worship for Teens

"Ray Charles - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 [DCC]"