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Black Ice (Deluxe)

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: AC/DC

October 20, 2008
It's an interesting album Black Ice, it's a marked improvement on the last two Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip, but I wouldn't say there was anything special about it. Usually when a classic album comes out, there's two maybe three stand out tracks on it where the band excels themselves, but on this there aren't any. There are some good tracks like Rock n Roll Train, Big Jack, Money Made, Spoilin for a fight, but no classics. There's isn't a bad song on this album, but it all sounds so familiar, almost like they were afraid to push the boat out, I'm not knocking it, but I almost feel like AC/DC played it safe, when they are capable of so much more.

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Appetite For Destruction

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Guns N' Roses

March 20, 1999
One of the most overrated albums ever. Why G n R were ever feted beats me. They were nothing special, just one of a long line of dire hair metal acts from Sunset Strip. G n R only differed in that they tended to rip off Aerosmith rather than Van Halen. Slash is a competent enough guitar player but he's added nothing to the canon of axemanship but Axl Rose has a voice that strips paint. Even if you allow for the hits as being half OK the other tracks are dismal, plodding sub Stones riffage.

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Rodrigo Y Gabriela [CD + DVD]

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Rodrigo Y Gabriela

November 26, 2007
I can't remember how I first heard of this, but I am so glad I did because the music they play just blows you away. It's uncategorisable. it's new. It's energetic use of the guitar as the percussion for their tracks is so unknown to most modern listeners, but so good to listen to. I never knew acoustic guitar could be so compelling! If you like any kind of guitar music, you must buy this. And something from Seasick Steve. Something fresh at last.

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Use Your Illusion I

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Guns N' Roses

December 23, 2002
... and thus, inseperable.

I have a hell of a history with these Use Your Illusion albums, indeed with Guns N' Roses in general. "Appetite for Destruction" was the first `metal' album I ever heard, and it changed my life immediately. I actually first heard it while on stage in a school play. It's a strange story, and probably more interesting if I leave it at that. I actually heard it at a time when I didn't think there was any music I liked. As soon as I heard it, I knew that it was what I had been looking for.

Moving onto the Use Your Illusion albums, well I don't think there is any record I have heard more times than these. I've owned them on vinyl, tape and CD. There was one two week holiday when I went to Scotland with my parents, and they were ... Read More:

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Minutes To Midnight

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Linkin Park

May 14, 2007
If you are a massive fan of their old sound, of the Nu metal, then you should definitely avoid this album. If you are a music fan with an open mind then you should definitely purchase this. The sound that they have created is incredibly different. I really don't know why they changed that much. Once I like a band's sound I really don't like it when they try and reinvent themselves to change that, and that's exactly what Linkin Park have done here. I bought Meteora as my first Linkin Park album back in 2003 and I instantly loved it. The sound of the music was so unique, and to a 13 year old, pretty surprising as well. Meteora was the band's pinnacle and it is such a fantastic album. Then, after a couple of years of no activity from the band, I was highly anticipating a new album, ... Read More:

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Use Your Illusion II

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Guns N' Roses

December 23, 2002
Both are strong albums, but where as Vol.1 is in your face Hard Rock/Metal , this is more experimental, dare I say, progressive!
Estranged, Locomotive, Civil War are all GREAT, lengthy epics, with complex arrangements and musicianship.
A really strong, (still) modern sounding Rock album.

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Death Magnetic

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Metallica

September 12, 2008
I'm not much given to hyperbole and "ace" is not a word I've used much since I was 14, twenty years ago, but then I haven't enjoyed an album this much since 1988 either. Certainly not one by Metallica. Death Magnetic, however, is just...ace.

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Nevermind

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Nirvana

August 01, 1991
Quite simply the best peice of music to exist today. Each and every song is an epic and will leave you listening to it over and over again. Cobains voice is powerful throughout the album and for me its hard to pick out a favourite song but it will have to be "Drain You". If you like music and havent heard this album yet, then you must. it was the beginning of a passion for rock music for me and it still gets played very loudly on my hi-fi.

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Crosby Stills & Nash

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Crosby Stills and Nash

September 05, 1994
The beginnings of CSN are the stuff of rock legend, meetings at Joni's (or was it Cass Elliott's)house, Nash's seminal high third harmony and then Woodstock. This first record is full of arguably, some of the best music these three would ever make. The melody, structure and sound were highly original. In a time when guitars were getting louder and harsher, the mostly acoustic sound was an intersting departure. The songwriting is excellent throughout and although of it's time in theme and outlook, the content feels very pertinent to today's cynical and jaded mainstream world view. Three such strong characters were always going to agitate and annoy each other. But on this record there was as yet no signs of the fragmentation and drug fueled paranoia that would later tear the group apart.

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Master Of Puppets

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Hard Rock and Metal
by: Metallica

May 01, 1989
Whoever says this is not their best is wearing earplugs.... or something!!!

You cannot ever want this to end!! It's brilliant from start to finish, and back again.

Anything from these boys after this was downhill all the way!

Not least because of the sad and tragic loss of the inimitable Clifford Lee Burton, lost to us all on the Damage Inc.tour.

What ever you do put this on in memory of Cliff, clamp on your headphones, tight, turn it up to no.11, turn out the lights and let it happen!!!!!