Stone Temple Pilots - No. 4 (1999)

STP's 4th was there closest thing to matching the hard rockness of there debut album Core. Unfortunately, Scott Weiland had gotten arrested around time of the release. It can be said that this album has a little bit of everything the earlier albums had but, I think ultimately they found there sound after Tiny Music and that's why this one is the only Pilots' album that slightly resembles the effectiveness that made the other albums strong and groundbreaking. Yes, groundbreaking...they didn't sound like any grunge band ever and I'll debate that they fall into the category hard rock where they just wrote songs that were in a good time to rip off the grunge style which is bullshit. I think they sound more like Led Zeppelin than anyone. Sounds to check out "Down", "Heaven & Hotrods" and "MC5".

1. "Down" 3:49
2. "Heaven & Hot Rods" 3:26
3. "Pruno" 3:14
4. "Church on Tuesday" 3:00
5. "Sour Girl" 4:17
6. "No Way Out" 4:19
7. "Sex & Violence" 2:54
8. "Glide" 5:00
9. "I Got You" 4:15
10. "MC5" 2:42
11. "Atlanta" 5:19

Faith No More - Angel Dust (1992)

I don't think I can deny my love for Faith no More as this post is probably going to be really bias. Just warning... To describe how influential this album is to the rock community is understated because it's the most influential album of the nineties!! I assume this could be the time where hard rock was at it's highest in the nineties as well. Alike Metallica's Black Album, Angel Dust was at the right time and place is why this album is and was largely successful. It wasn't a lot like there first album with Mike Patton in The Real Thing because this is the first one where Mike Patton used his one of a kind creativeness and song writing skills to the works of Faith no More as they got rid of Chuck Mosley while a lot of the material was already written. Angel Dust is a trip but an awful good one with likes of "Crack Hitler", "Midlife Crisis" and "Be Agressive."

1. "Land of Sunshine" 3:44
2. "Caffeine" 4:28
3. "Midlife Crisis" 4:21
4. "RV" 3:43
5. "Smaller and Smaller" 5:11
6. "Everything's Ruined" 4:33
7. "Malpractice" 4:02
8. "Kindergarten" 4:31
9. "Be Aggressive" 3:42
10. "A Small Victory" 4:57
11. "Crack Hitler" 4:39
12. "Jizzlobber" 6:38
13. "Midnight Cowboy" 4:12
14. "Easy"

Bush - Sixteen Stone (1994)

Ironically, I just heard Bush had just reunited a day ago or so. In memory of Bush, Sixteen Stone there first album was by far my favorite. The production and sound of the post-grunge I believed defined the nineties after Nirvana in my opinion. I think lead singer Gavin Rossdale sounds a lot like Kurt Cobain maybe a little better but, the band did come after Nirvana so people can say they were a ripoff. All that really matters is that they wrote this amazing album which had two #1 singles and there debut album entered at #4. Besides they recorded the material a lot cleaner than Nirvana. The thing I dislike about the album is not the music but the front cover, i'm not sure what the hell that thing is. I think the picture of the dog on the backside of the booklet would've been more suitable but, i've never been told or heard what's the deal with all the numbers and such. Songs to check out are "Everything Zen","Little Things" and "Comedown".

1. "Everything Zen" - 4:38
2. "Swim" - 4:56
3. "Bomb" - 3:23
4. "Little Things" - 4:24
5. "Comedown" - 5:27
6. "Body" - 5:43
7. "Machinehead" - 4:16
8. "Testosterone" - 4:20
9. "Monkey" - 4:01
10. "Glycerine" - 4:27
11. "Alien" - 6:34
12. "X-Girlfriend" - 0:45

Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains (1995)

I'll try not to be too bias as this is one of my favorite albums of all time. I don't care what anyone says about this release but, it's very underrated even though it debuted at #1. To me Alice in Chains self entitled never got the credit that it deserved. When I see them live I never hear people screaming for "God Am" like I would be hoping for and usually the crowd is wanting hits like "Man in the Box" and "Them Bones". This is as classic as Dirt and Facelift. I'm not sure if a lot of people know this but, this was pretty much suppose to be intended as a Jerry Cantrell solo record because the band at the time took a hiatus and Layne was struggling with heroin big time. Eventually everybody came back together and finished the record even though they knew Alice couldn't tour anymore and the longevity of the band seemed uneasy because of circumstances within the band. Songs to check out are "Again", "Heaven Beside You" and "Sludge Factory".

1. "Grind" 4:45
2. "Brush Away" 3:22
3. "Sludge Factory" 7:12
4. "Heaven Beside You" 5:27
5. "Head Creeps" 6:29
6. "Again" 4:05
7. "Shame in You" 5:35
8. "God Am" 4:08
9. "So Close" 2:45
10. "Nothin' Song" 5:40
11. "Frogs" 8:18
12. "Over Now" 7:03

Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)

I bought this album at Streetlight Records to get into the material as i'm seeing them open up for Alice in Chains in a couple of months on the Blackdiamondskye tour. When I first opened the CD the case I noticed had broke cause the bottom hinged was snapped off originally by the previous owner. Not a good start as this cost me ten bucks or so. First off, my introduction album was Crack the Skye I didn't like Remission when they first came out so I dismissed them until there newest album. Obvious candiate one of the bands of the future. I'm sure Mastodon gained most of there popularity by touring with Metallica which was a good move for Metal music that Metallica always is bringing these younger bands on lengthy and large tours for exposure such as Mastodon themselves, The Sword and Gojira. This album obviously has to do with Moby Dick as the coverart and song title relations. It's a concept album which i'm not a fan of single entities like I get the feeling that a lot of bands do this because they become inspired to a high degree when it'd be better to put the inspiration of that entity in one song not based on all tracks. I've always paid more attention to the music than whats been said anyway. Obviously, these guys are tremendous musicians and more importantly creating a different kind of feel with there songs with the awkward tempo changes and they have there own unique way of constructing the songs. It's hard to critique something fresh and artistic. I did a good job of not labeling them stoner throughout. Songs to check out are "Blood and Thunder", "Iron Tusk" and "Island".

1. "Blood and Thunder" 3:49
2. "I Am Ahab" 2:45
3. "Seabeast" 4:15
4. "Ísland" 3:27
5. "Iron Tusk" 3:03
6. "Megalodon" 4:22
7. "Naked Burn" 3:43
8. "Aqua Dementia" 4:12
9. "Hearts Alive" 13:39
10. "Joseph Merrick" 3:33

Mad Season - Above (1995)

The Seattle supergroup Mad Season consisted of Layne Staley(Alice in Chains), Mike McCready(Pearl Jam), Barrett Martin(Screaming Trees) and John Saunders(The Walkabouts). Above was the only release by the band and no surprise it didn't work out because originally 3/4 of the band were all sober and fresh out of rehab and the second being that they all belonged to another band. It was a side project that turned into a big deal as they made there first single land #2 with "River of Deceit" on the Billboard Rock Chart and the album went gold. A lot of hope was put into making the band to help struggling heroin addicted Layne Staley to possibly stay away from the Alice in Chains life and into this sober band which didn't pan out. No surprise that it wasn't critically acclaimed as the material is said to be not upbeat, slow and sludgy a equation to not be liked by mainstream. I disagree with Rolling Stone's review of Above, I really think this is just four guys exploring music outside of the main projects where there accustomed to be playing at shows each and every night. It has hint's of Pearl Jam with Alice in Chains, a totally awesome grunge album. It blows my mind that someone told me it took less than a week for the writing process of Above. Songs to check out "River of Deceit", "I Don't Know Anything" and "Long Gone Day".

1. "Wake Up" 7:38
2. "X-Ray Mind" 5:12
3. "I'm Above" 5:44
4. "River of Deceit" 5:04
5. "Artificial Red" 6:16
6. "Lifeless Dead" 4:29
7. "I Don't Know Anything" 5:01
8. "Long Gone Day" 4:52
9. "November Hotel" 7:08
10. "All Alone" 4:12

Anthrax - Stomp 442 (1995)

Of the eve of the Big Four movie, I recently got a new Anthrax record. To be honest, i'm not familiar with anything from the Bush era other than We've Come for you All. In the debate of Anthrax singers Bush and Belladonna, it's obvious to me that I prefer Joey Belladonna just despite he was in all the classics like "Caught in a Mosh". Insult to injury, Dan Spitz lead guitarist stepped out of Anthrax and wasn't part of the band anymore. The sound by no surprise doesn't sound anything like Among the Living or Spreading the Disease. It's the worst release by Anthrax obviously. It's still heavy and everything but, lacks great songs. I don't recommend bad albums and it isn't bad it's just that everything they've done is just hands down better. Songs to check out are "Random Acts of Senseless Violence", "Riding Shotgun" and "Fueled".

1. "Random Acts of Senseless Violence" 4:02
2. "Fueled" 4:02
3. "King Size" 3:58
4. "Riding Shotgun" 4:25
5. "Perpetual Motion" 4:18
6. "In a Zone" 5:06
7. "Nothing" 4:33
8. "American Pompeii" 5:30
9. "Drop the Ball" 4:59
10. "Tester" 4:21
11. "Bare" 5:29