
OATH TO VANQUISH:
- Applied
Schizophrenic Science
(2006) Never seen this before, death metal from Lebanon! But
why not? There's angry people wherever you go (considering the current
state of the area, they may have more to be angry about than most).
This debut album is actually quite impressive. Shades of old Broken
Hope, Malevolent Creation, Brutality, or the best comparison would
probably be Disgorge except with a more riff based approach that has
straight forward song structures instead of complete chaos. Vocals are
a mix between super low and gargled and ruthless high-pitched screaming
in about equal portions. Lots of fast picking on the guitars, as well
as tremolo and some slightly more melodic bits. The drums are highly
triggered, clean and complex, with plenty of blasting and machine-gun
doublebass. The production is good, a little bit of reverb to make the
sound more epic, but not enough to make the band sound weak or far
away. Some really good riffs here too, there's enough slower bits and
more melodic bits to give contrast to the insane blasting. Nothing
super innovative or anything, but very well done death metal that's
highly satisfying in ever respect.
OBITUARY:
- Slowly We Rot
(1989) The debut for the band. Not only should you own this because
it's a piece of history, but again, some lesser known songs on this CD
kick some serious ass.
- Cause Of Death
(1990) A classic CD from which a good chunk of the band's modern live
set comes. After a successful first album, the band had to show with
their second album that it wasn't just a fluke, and they did with
better production and better songs. Even if you own their live album
and their best-of "Anthology", there are many lesser known songs on
"Cause Of Death" that are just as good if not better than their more
well known material. So go and buy it today!
- The End Complete
(1991) Not as strong as their first 2 albums, although probably the
most well known and popular album by the band. The songs are decent,
and certainly a number of their classics come from this album, but in
general I find the production quality to be lacking. The band is
missing that big huge sound that just about all their other albums
have. The distortion is slightly muffled, too smooth and doesn't sound
like a huge army of guitars. This album is still worth buying, but only
after you get all their others.
- World Demise
(1994) Not in any rush to become the fastest band on the planet, they
prefer
a slower, more plodding type of death. Excellent and memorable riffs,
the
band smashes you with this immense wall of sound. Think of them not as
a jack hammer, but as a cement truck rolling over your body several
times.
- Don't Care
(1994,
EP) 3 song EP, two tracks off "World Demise", and a bonus track from
the
"World Demise" session. The bonus track is ok, but a little too
derivative,
making this EP a collector item only.
- Back From The Dead
(1997) The riffs are still there, but there's nothing terribly
innovative
on the album, and the production doesn't sound as polished as World
Demise.
Also, a few of the songs rock a little too hard for my taste (ala the
new
Entombed style). The whole album comes off as forced, it's an average
effort
at best. Get World Demise instead.
- Dead (1998, Live) What can
I
say, this
album has a good selection of music, some excellent riffs, good
production
with a clear mix. If you like Obituary, you will not be disappointed.
- Anthology (2001, BestOf)
What
every
good bestof album should be, 3-4 tracks from every album the band
produced,
which makes it a perfect introduction to all the band has to offer.
However,
if you already have all their albums, don't buy this, the two bonus
songs
both suck, one is a bad techno remix, the other is some sort of weird
"moody"
song that sounds like nothing the band has ever done before, and it
should
have remained that way.
- Frozen
In Time (2005) Obituary are not only back, but seemingly
untouched after a 7 year break, with all 5 original members returning.
That's quite a feat really (even when Suffocation reformed they managed
to just hold on to 3 originals). And it's no surprise they'd title
their new album "Frozen In Time", since that seems to be what happened,
the band got frozen back in '98, and have now been thawed, and they
haven't even skipped a beat. "Frozen In Time" is pure Obituary, a band
who's style really hasn't modified or progressed during their career,
and why should they change the formula? The production on this album is
great, not quite as large as on "World Demise", but still thick. It's a
short album, only 10 songs, but it does the job of saying "Hey
everyone, we're back!" A few of the songs really aren't that exciting,
like for example the first track (an instrumental) has some excellent
riffs, but it
fades out at the end which seems like a lack luster way to begin an
album. They really should have put that song at the end. Tracks like
'Insane' are cool, and the main riff in 'Mindset' is one of those riffs
that only Obituary would write. Overall, the album is nice and solid, a
few filler songs but plenty of good material, and a nice reintroduction
to the band.
- Frozen
Alive (2007, DVD) THE must have DVD for all Obituary fans. First
off, this is a concert from the same venue in Poland that did the
recent Sinister DVD. So expect fantastic camerawork, excellent pacing
on camera switching, excellent lighting, and fantastic sound. As for
the performance, Obituary are at their finest. The show is about 90
minutes, and has a good variety of songs (I'd personally like a few
more tracks off "World Demise", but that's a personal nit since that's
my favorite album of theirs). They play a lot of material that's
already available on the "Dead" live CD, but also a bunch of stuff off
the new album as well as a few more oldies. It is funny though, a lot
of the stage banter is identical to the stuff off of "Dead", I guess
the band's stage show doesn't change too much, even after taking a long
break. The mix is great, you can clearly hear every instrument. I also
love how the two guitarists have tuned their guitars to take up
different parts of the audio spectrum. One guitar is very bassy and
slightly muted. One is nasally and harsh. Together they form one
awesome guitar tone. And you can clearly hear the solos over the other
rhythm guitar. The band is fun to watch on stage, it's obvious they're
really enjoying themselves up there. The DVD also has a few bootleg
extras, and almost an hour of interviews with the band where they get
down into the details on everything, a lot of band interviews come off
as dumb or boring, but this one kept me watching all the way through. I
really can't think of how this DVD could be any better, so again, you
will not be disappointed.
- Xecutioner's
Return (2007) Unfortunately, the return of the Xecutioner isn't
as exciting as I'd
initially hoped. First off, the guitar tone is totally muffled. It cuts
off all the attack from the guitars, turning them into a smooth mushy
sound. I mean, they might as well be performing on keyboards, all the
notes blend together with no separation. And second, the songs just
don't have that special spark to them. There's a few ok songs, but most
of the rest sounds like recycled riffs, stuff that might be fun to jam
to in the rehearsal hall, but nothing worth putting to tape for all the
world to hear. On the up side, one notable bit about this CD is the
solos are cooler than normal, they're a little faster and some really
interesting passages. Really kind of a letdown, I was hoping for more.
A step down from their previous album.
OBLIGE:
- Expectants
(2007) If you remember the band Scar Culture or Sickbox, or if you've
heard Chimaira's first album, or the heavier parts of Meshuggah's "I"
EP, this is in a similar vein. Very, very low guitars with lowish angry
vocals. Riffs generally consist of single notes played in somewhat
unconventional rhythms. The sound is punchy, tight, and as said before,
the guitars are tuned very low. The drums are midpaced, but with spurts
of super fast double bass now and again. Songwise, the album does tend
to blend together rather than having specific memorable songs, but
taken as a whole, it definitely creates a powerful mood. One acoustic
number in the middle of the album manages to give a nice break, and has
a nice uneasy feel to it. If you enjoy start-stop math metal type
rhythms, this albums got some cool stuff to offer. Thoroughly enjoyable.
OBLIVEON:
- Whimsical Uproar (1987,
Demo) Whimsical is certainly the word :) Old school thrash without a
lot
of the technicality of later released, but still fun to headbang to if
you like the whole Dark Angel / Testament thing with death metal vocals
overtop. 3 tracks.
- From This Day Forward
(1990) A combination of old school thrash and death metal. The
mid-range
vocals are definitely death, but the riffs and performance is
definitely
thrash with a few melodic bits. The production is clear, although not
very
in-your-face (there's lots of reverb and echo here so it sounds like
the
band is playing in a chasm somewhere). The riffs are generally good,
and
these guys obviously have some talent, a good indication of things to
come.
- Nemesis
(1993)
Technical death/thrash metal at it's best. The music is tough to play,
the song writing is perfect, the sound is perfect. Very complex songs
(like
old Metallica), but with a more processed, outer space kind of sound.
Tons
of alternate picking and downpicking make this album a guitar players
nightmare.
A must buy album.
- Cybervoid
(1996)
I didn't like this album as much as Nemesis. The songs are shorter and
more straight forward, but still a well produced, chunky album.
- Planet Claire
(1998, Promo)
- Carnivore Mothermouth
(1999)
Cyber
metal for a new millennia, starting where the last album left off, but
a much improved result in so many ways. First the songs, these songs
are
very catchy, just about every song is memorable all the way through the
entire album, these rhythms totally get the listener wanting to mosh
(or
dance, since some of these beats do incorporate a certain dance techno
element, but don't worry, not in a bad way). Several of the songs have
a much stronger industrial feel (lots of repeated riffs) in a Meshuggah
Chaosphere feel, others are still more riff based and are similar to
older
work, or the likes of Fear Factory. Speaking of everyone's favorite
factory,
the drumming on this album is a vast improvement, lots of complex
double
kick rhythms that lets the kick drum become an integral part of the
song.
The sound is unearthly, really huge and in your face with every
instrument
clearly heard. Everything has a very spacy feel due to the proper use
of
tight reverb, keyboards and samples in appropriate places. The guitar
sound
is very thick, and very distorted, making it difficult to actually tell
notes apart sometimes (this is also due to how low the guitars are),
but
the band remains razor tight. An excellent album, if you like bands
that
do that techno industrial thrash death thing, definitely pick up this
CD.
- Greatest Pits (2002) A
sort of
BestOf
album commemorating 14 years of the band's existence, and also marks
unfortunately
the end as the band broke up earlier this year. Contains 12 songs from
their previous albums on the CD itself. Then if you have a computer,
you
can view 11 of their songs transcribed for guitar, and listen to 10
extra
bonus tracks, 8 of which are from their early demos (early thrash
style,
the recording quality is pretty poor but it's fun from a historical
perspective
I suppose), one new track called 'PsychoMatrix' I believe from the
"Carnivore"
recording sessions, and a cover of Ozzy's 'Suicide Solution'. Maybe
it's
just because I'm from Montreal and fondly remember going to the band's
shows, but I have to agree with the words printed in the accompanying
booklet,
"Now nothing is gonna be the same from his day forward..."
OBSCENITY:
- Age Of Brutality (1992, EP)
- Suffocated Truth (1992)
- Amputated Souls (1993, EP)
- Perversion Mankind (1994)
- The 3rd Chapter (1996)
Take a
touch
of black metal, add it to a standard death metal band, add great
production
and a super tight sound, some melodic parts, some insane fast parts,
and
then add happy female vocals along with some guy who sounds like satan
in a bad mood. What can I say, it works.
- Whipped, Raped...Obscene (1997,
Video)
- Human Barbecue (1998) Death
/
Black
/ Melodic metal in the same style as their last album. Still excellent
production, but the songs are a bit weak. Some of the later songs are
better,
but it's a mixed bag of great and mediocre riffs. Still decent overall.
Includes a cover of Slayer's 'Raining Blood' at the end.
- Demo-Niac (1999) 10 songs
from
various
out of print demos the band recorded. The booklet has absolutely no
info
about how many demos, of when they were produced, or whatever, so all I
can say is the songs are pretty good, we have another early version of
the bands signature song 'Utter Disgust', the production is good on all
tracks (even considering their demo status), but obviously not as good
as their later albums. Probably only something a big fan of the band
would
like, otherwise, get their other albums.
- Intense (2000) Well, the
songs
got
a lot better, more like the stuff from the 3rd chapter. The usual
blasting
drums, and good steady doublekicks, great production, angry vocals
(most
of the black metal elements are gone now, replaced with a more straight
ahead death treatment). Certainly nothing inventive, but I cannot say
bad
things about any band that spends time writing a good riff and backing
it up with good production and a truckload of hatred for mankind. I'm
really
digging these songs, worth checking out.
- Cold Blooded Murder (2002)
See
my review
of "Intense", basically everything I said there can be said about this
album, good songs, good production (a little thicker than "Intense",
more
layered guitars for a larger sound). Nothing new but plenty of
intensity
and good riffs to make this an album worth owning.
- Where
Sinners Bleed (2006) Man, it's been 4 years now. And the band
is back with a vengeance. This album is way faster and angrier than
their last two, a little less melody, a little more blasting and
doublebass. But otherwise the core of the band is the same Obscenity
we've come to know and love. A little old school actually, it's been
awhile since I've heard death metal in this style. But that shouldn't
make it any less enjoyable. Decent songs, a bit of nostalgia to the
early 90s, but they're just as relevant now as they were then.
Recommended.
ON A DEAD
MACHINE:
- Demo 2003 (2003,
Demo) 3 song demo, sort of Hum with Tool / hardcore vocals. First off,
for a demo, this has really great production, everything is very clear
and well mixed. Guitarwise lots of strummed chords with plenty of
distortion. The drumming is pretty complex, keeping a strong beat but
lots of fills. Vocal wise, the vocalist sounds a bit like Maynard James
Keenan from Tool, certainly the sung parts remind me of that, and then
every once inawhile he'll go into these hard core screams. Song wise,
the tunes are pretty catchy. This band is at that early stage where
they are more a collection of influences than something totally
original, but considering the production and the good songs, I think
there's plenty of potential here for the band to gel into something
cool. Well worth a listen and to keep an eye out for.
- Demo
2004 (2004, Demo) A new 3 song demo, 10 minutes of music. Same
overall style as their last demo, except the songwriting on this has
definitely gone up a notch. You know that point where a song stops
being an assembly of individual riffs and just becomes a song? The band
has reached that point and beyond, I could easily see myself enjoying a
full length album of material like this. And while the same obvious
influences are present, they've achieved a much better blend. My only
last critique would be that the band may wish to accentuate the guitar
sound a bit more during the screamed sections. I.e., have a slightly
harsher guitar sound when the vocalist screams might help the screamed
vocals blend with the rest of the music a bit better. For that matter,
a bit more treble in the mix overall would probably be a good idea, but
otherwise the production is really good. I definitely think the band is
ready to move on from the demo stage to doing a full length, so
hopefully they've sparked some label interest with this EP.
- On A
Dead Machine (2005) Very similar to their most recent demo, with
all the same strengths and a few of the same minor nits (like for
example some more top end to the guitars would have been cool). Some of
the songs are rerecorded versions of their demo material, along with
some nice new songs that are equally as good if not even better.
Despite the material coming from a number of periods, it all gels
together really nicely with a very consistent sound and performance. A
lot of variety too, you have some great lively songs, some angrier
songs with the screamed hardcore vocals, and then some songs that are
very soft indeed with beautiful singing and great melody. The really
neat thing is how they do a lot with really a quite minimal approach,
for example, the songs are not super complex, but they manage to keep
them interesting with great writing and great melody. Their sound
manages to sound big and yet really isn't too layered, no obvious
overdubs or keyboards/samples, just a guitar/bass drums and singer for
the most part. When you don't have a thousand things hitting the
listener at the same time, your songs better be strong (which they
are), because you can't distract them with complexity. Fans of Hum,
Filter, or Devin Townsend's Ocean Machine / Terria would do well to
grab a copy of this album ASAP.
OPPRESSOR:
- World Abomination (1991,
Demo)
- As Blood Flows
(1993, Demo) See European Oppression review.
- Solstice of Oppression
(1994) Very technical minded death metal (or heavy thrash with death
metal
vocals), while not as solid as Agony, the song writing is excellent and
very memorable. Good production although a little unrefined and muffled
at times. I really like how they combine complex tapping riffs and
acoustic
layers with straight ahead good riffing. Technical but not overly
technical,
they combine the complex with the simpler riff to have musicianship
with
anger at the same time, which I appreciate. Out of print and hard to
find,
but all Oppressor fans should have a copy of this.
- 7" Oppressor
(1994, EP) A 7" with two songs, 'I am Darkness' and 'Valley Of Thorns'.
These are early demos of songs that appear on "Agony". The sound
quality
is pretty bad, and the production is super soft, this 7" is for
collectors
only, if you want the songs how they should be heard, buy their full
length
album.
- European Oppression (Live,
1995) Five
live tunes, two unreleased tracks, and seven tracks from the "As Blood
Flows" EP. The live songs come from various shows around Europe, so the
recording quality goes from great to bad depending on the performance.
The unreleased tracks are good, including a cover of "Looks That Kill".
The stuff from "As Blood Flows" is also quite nice, the recording
quality
is quiet (you'll have to bump up your volume), but it's also clear and
well mixed (with adequate high and low end, only ever so slightly
muffled).
The riffs are a little simpler than later Oppressor stuff, but have all
those usual gems. If you're into the band, this will fill up all those
holes in your collection.
- Agony (1997) Very well done
Death Metal.
A very technical band, lots of harmonics, strange tapping licks and
bizarre
acoustic interludes. And the production is crystal clear, lots of
bottom
end with some serious chunk. Great songs, really well thought out.
Their
aggressive sound should not be missed.
- Elements Of Corrosion
(1998)
Similar
to their last album, except a little faster and overall more
aggressive.
Lots of really amazing riffs, excellent song writing, very original and
technical stuff. Unfortunately, the production totally sucks. Where the
previous album had a thick, full sound, this recording is horrible. Way
too much top end, a very thin recording sound. I have no clue what
happened
to that great production from the last album. But even with this major
downfall, I find myself listening to the album a lot, because of the
great
songs.
ORIGIN:
- A Coming Into Existence
(Demo,
1998)
Now re-released and remastered from the band, this contains 4 songs all
available from their 2000 Debut. It's a different drummer, and a few
other
modifications to the now solid lineup, but overall a good EP, with
great
production for a Demo (although obviously not quite as good as their
official
release). Some of these songs seem possibly faster than those recorded
for the "Origin" album, although certainly not as fast as the ultra
hyper
"Informis" album. Worth getting if you're a fan of the music.
- Origin (2000) Standard
death
metal
with an emphasis on achieving a very precise and staccato sound. Sounds
a little like Deranged or Deeds Of Flesh, a never ending onslaught of
intense
blastbeats and triggered double kicks. Guitar sound is a little top
heavy,
but clear and, as mentioned before, very precise. Sound wise, think
Malevolent
Creation's "Stillborn" album then remove most of the reverb and add
some
bass. Most riffs revolve around quick switches between tremolo picking
and then fast downpicked chugging. Riffs are pretty complex, which
makes
the music a bit tough to mosh to sometimes, but unlike say the newest
Deeds
Of Flesh album, they do manage to keep the riffs flowing a lot better
with
less sudden changes, making the music a bit more straight forward, and
keeping a riff or two stuck in your mind for longer. Vocals are medium
range angry screams. In general, a very decent debut album, I highly
recommend
throwing it on your pile of purchases if you're at your local store and
see a copy lying around.
- Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas
(2002)
Without a doubt one of the sickest albums I've heard for quite
sometime.
Holy fuck this shit is fast. I mean, it really does sound like they
went
in and sped up the tape, except I couldn't believe a reasonably well
known
band would dare to do so, afraid of the revenge from the fans. From the
first second after the intro your jaw will be on the floor. Anyways,
same
general style as the last one, tremolo picking and more chunkier riffs,
but no slow chugging songs to be found, it's all top speed from
beginning
to end. Vocals trade off between 3 separate vocalists doing their thing
at different pitches, all well done. Riff wise, while the songs do have
a certain similarity to each other, there's enough stand out stuff to
make
sure you know what song you're listening to. Expect very technical
riffs
that change times quite frequently, although they retain a pretty
decent
level of groove. Very technical drumming, a constant assault of buzzsaw
double bass and superfast blasts mixed with a chaotic flow of crash
hits
and other random percussive sounds. If you're into speed, this will be
your new bible. Very impressive, and highly recommended.
- Echoes
Of Decimation (2005) You know it's funny, Nasum releases
"Helvete" when I wanted "Human 2.0" part 2 ("Human 2.0 is one of my
favorite albums), and when it doesn't deliver I give it a bad review.
Now here's Origin, they release "Echoes Of Decimation" that is
basically "Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" part 2 ("Informis" is also
one of my favorite albums, and a former album of the year winner), and
my first response is I'm not sure if I dig the lack of progression. I
guess there's no pleasing me. But those feelings quickly departed as I
came to the realization that I was listening to one of the absolute
fastest, scariest, brutalist set of songs ever recorded on cd. It's
true! First off this album is mixed better, with more bass, less
muffled topend, it's a total makeover without losing that buzzsaw
guitar vibe that contributes so much to their brutal sound. The songs
may take a little longer to stick in your brain, but once they're
there, they're stuck, trust me. And yes, despite John Longstreth
leaving the band, somehow the band found an equally fast drummer in
James King, this guy is sick. Guitarwise, lots of tremolo picking,
sweep picking and overall crazy riffs that are just impossible to play.
Heart attack inducing mayhem. If you enjoyed "Informis", you must,
must, must buy this.
- Antithesis
(2008) Origin is back, with the same lineup as their amazing "Informis
Infinitas Inhumanitas" album (including drummer John Longstreth). And
the results are great, but I'd still probably have to place this
release ever so slightly behind their last 2 efforts. But that's not
really a bad thing, considering how awesome those albums were. All the
elements you expect are here, with probably their best mix yet. And
there are a few really awesome songs with standout riffs, especially
'Al-Gorithm' and the album opener (although the opening song gets a
little repetitive in the middle). There are even a few songs with
slower parts, which
are absent from their last 2 albums. A couple of intros help
differentiate the songs, although do you really need to make a 40
second intro a separate song? My only real beef is that there are a few
filler songs on the album. And that while their 2nd album seemed fresh,
so many bands are doing the ridiculously fast hyper drumming and
picking things these days, this release doesn't add much new to the
mix. But still an impressive album, fans of the band will certainly
enjoy this one as well.
OTEP:
- Jihad
(2001, EP)
- Sevas
Tra (2002) I listened to this their 1st album second, so when I
say this is similar to their last album, I'm actually going forward in
time as opposed to backward. But I'm sure you get the idea, just read
the review for the second album first and then this review will make
more sense. My main issue with "House Of Secrets" isn't a problem at
all on "Sevas Tra", there's way more angry heavy stuff here. Yes, there
are still some whispered intros, but because there are less of them,
they don't become repetitive, they do what they're meant to do, break
the album up a bit. Track 2, 'Blood Pig' is a serious knock to the
groin, it's just so devastatingly heavy, from the vocals to the super
low guitar rumblings. Track 3 and a few of the others have some rapping
type stuff I'm not a huge fan of, but it's done decently for the style,
and mixed with a lot of screaming and growling, so I don't find it too
distracting. This album is strong all the way through, and the final
song which deals with molestation is just super frightening, it just
makes you feel ill. Talk about emotional impact.
Fans of Pantera, Slipknot, early Korn, or Coal Chamber will eat this
stuff up. Definitely the stronger of their two first albums, hopefully
their upcoming third album takes more from this than from their second
release.
- Abominations
(2004, DVD)
- House Of Secrets (2004) Metalcore band that packs a
serious punch when they want to. First off, you can't discuss the band
without discussing the female vocals. Yes, all the sounds you're
hearing are indeed the work of a lady, and she does an awesome job,
managing to sound like a girl without sounding like a girl. I know that
sounds contradictory, but I guess what I mean is you realize without a
doubt that she's a girl from her voice, and yet she makes her voice do
things that you just don't hear a female voice generally do. The
variety is the best part, from whispers to singing to screaming to
growling to super-low distorted gargling, imagine the vocal variety of
Slipknot, but in female form. The album starts out with 'Warhead',
which is a prime example of what the band can do. Super chunky pounding
Pantera style riffs with an insane range of vocal carnage overtop.
'Buried Alive' brings it down a notch at the beginning to whispered
vocals and some moody music before exploding into into some slow,
sludgy pounding riffs with the words "I hate my life" screamed overtop.
The album continues with some good songs, and a few soso songs. I guess
my only beef with the album really is that some of the songs are a
little too generic sounding, and the whispered intro growing to a full
on assault formula gets repeated way too often. A little more than half
the album seems to be these whispered intros, I feel the band should
shift things more in the angry direction. They've proved they can do
it, they just need to do more of it. I recommend this album, it's got
some great songs, but is a little uneven, so be warned.
- The
Ascension (2007) Capitol merges with Virgin, and poor Otep are
caught in the middle. What's going on? Has the band been dropped? Will
their new album ever come out? After a rocky and I'm sure frustrating
couple of months for the band, they get let go, and venture off to find
a new label. Man, did Capitol make a big mistake or what. After an
uneven 2nd album, the band really redeems themselves with "The
Ascension". Great songs and a great performance, the whole album gels
really well with plenty of song variety and outstanding moments. Not
that every song is perfect, but the vast majority of it is great, the
few weaker moments are short lived, and the quieter whispered bits are
better integrated into the heavy parts of the music. The CD starts off
with the usual bang. Track 3 is a slow song with a really odd chord
progression that I really like, very original and spooky sounding. They
do a cover to Nirvana's 'Breed', which is really well done, I always
knew the missing ingredient in Nirvana was fast doubekicks. And that
leads us to their loudest and angriest song, 'March Of The Martyrs',
which is a really fantastic song. A big step up from their last album,
this is on par with if not a touch better than their debut.
OZZY OSBOURNE:
- Blizzard Of Ozz (1981)
The crowned prince of metal decides to step out on his own (and leave
Black
Sabbath behind), and the result is a classic album. Helped along by now
legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads, Ozzy pumps out some of the best
written
songs ever. A must have in any metal collection.
- Diary Of A Madman
(1981)
- Live E.P.
(1982,
Live)
- Speak Of The Devil (1982,
Live)
- Bark At The Moon
(1983)
- The Ultimate Sin
(1986)
- Tribute
(1987,
Live) A live tribute album featuring and dedicated to Randy Rhoads, who
is gone but not forgotten. The sound quality is pretty good, and the
guitar
playing is spectacular.
- No Rest For The Wicked
(1988)
- The Ten Commandments
(1990, Best Of)
- Just Say Ozzy
(1990, Live)
- No More Tears
(1991) Ozzy welcomes Zakk Wylde into the guitar slot, who proves that
not
only can he shred like satan, but he can write a good riff, and perform
it with a menacing and thick tone that's damn tough to beat. Some of
the
songs on the album are unmemorable, but overall, and especially during
the title track, you'll be blown away by the sound and good riffs. Ozzy
is ready for the new decade.
- Live And Loud (1993,
Live) As the title suggests. Two discs worth of quality Ozzy songs,
well
produced (almost as good as a studio album, I wonder how many overdubs
were used...), and with tons of Zakk (big thick guitar tone, lots of
squawks
and quick fills). Imagine many of Ozzy's classics performed with proper
production mixed with a few of his newer masterpieces. A fitting
addition
to any Ozzy fan's CD collection.
- Ozzmosis (1995)
More powerful songs from Ozzy and Zakk. A few too many power ballads on
this album (such as 'I Just Want You'), but then there are these
powerhouse
slow plodding monsters like 'Thunder Underground' that slap you around
with their heaviness. Good riffs, good performance, I do wish a few of
the songs had been a bit faster to add a little more variety. The
production
is thick as usual, with an unending massive guitar tone, giant bass
sound
and soulful orchestration, everything is well mixed and balanced. Ozzy
manages to (as usual) capture depression, hope, sorrow and all kinds of
other emotions with a single word, and backs it up with excellent
songwriting.
If you liked "No More Tears" you'll probably like this too.
- Ozzmosis Import (1995) An import with one Bonus track: 'Whole World's
Falling Down', which is a really great song, heavy with several
memorable riffs and a killer solo. It could very easily have been a
single from the CD,
if you don't already own Ozzmosis, I highly recommend getting the
import so you can get this song.
- The Ozzman Cometh
(1997, Best Of)
- Down To Earth (2001) While
you
have
11 decent songs whose riffs tend to stick with you, there really is
nothing
in this album that stands out as spectacular. Maybe it's because Zakk
Wylde
didn't write any of the music on the album (although he does perform),
the riffs just don't jump out at you, the power isn't quite there.
Maybe
it's just that the vocals have more prominence here, and the guitar is
not very central to the music. While I love Ozzy's voice, It's the
music
that lays the foundation, and the music just doesn't seem to be
happening.
Otherwise, a decent album, but his last two were more than decent, so
I'm
afraid this one is a bit of a letdown.
- Black
Rain (2007) After a six year break (during which he did his
reality TV show, among other things), Ozzy is back producing music. And
while he doesn't reach the heights of 1991's "No More Tears", he
definitely has improved over his last few albums. It seems Ozzy's
goodness is directly proportional to the intensity of the song. The
faster and more energetic the song, the better it is. Songs like 'Not
Going Away', 'I Don't Wanna Stop' and the surprisingly heavy 'Trap
Door' are all excellent, and well worth a good old fashioned headbang.
But slow "ballads" like 'Lay Your World On Me' and 'Here For You' or
midpaced songs like 'Civilize The Universe' just strike me as filler
material. As a whole though, there's way more good songs here than bad.
And may I take a moment to say the packaging really sucks, no liner
notes, no pictures, no booklet. I'd consider it sparse even if it were
an EP. If you enjoy Ozzy's bleak singing and Zakk Wylde's usually
distorted and grungy guitarwork, and are fine with skipping a few soso
songs to listen to some really great ones, I'd recommend picking this
up.