Alternative Rock Compilations music reviews

If you're a fan of 80s music you'll want to get this CD! There's 18 memorable songs from that crazy decade, most of which I'd heard before time and again. Ah the memories! The songs on the CD are the following:

1. The J. Geils Band - Centerfold
2. INXS - Need You Tonight
3. Duran Duran - Rio
4. Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well
5. Men At Work - Down Under
6. The Psychedelic Furs - Heaven
7. The Cars - You Might Think
8. Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny
9. Nena - 99 Red Balloons (English version)
10. Herbie Hancock - Rockit
11. Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
12. Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
13. Loverboy - Working For The Weekend
14. Bangles - Manic Monday
15. Prefab Sprout - Cars And Girls
16. Steve Perry - Oh Sherrie
17. 'Til Tueday - Voices Carry
18. Dream Academy - Life In A Northern Town

Well worth the purchase price and a great party kind of album! It does seem to be an early to mid 80s album so perhaps a sequel is in order ... hmm! 80s music rules man!

THE OC MIX 2.

By now, I'm sure most are aware you can usually count on The OC Soundtracks to contain some pretty good indie music. This is a good soundtrack to pick up if you're a fan of indie, or even if you're just a fan of the show and you enjoyed the music throughout the season. Pick it up, It's a good decision.

SATURDAY MORNING - Good track by the Eels. This number gives a good start to the entire soundtrack. Definitely a song that will make you want to get up and dance.
HELLO SUNSHINE - One of the wider known tracks on the soundtrack. Some might think its been played too much, but I think a great song and I'm glad they put it on here.
SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT - Who doesn't love the Killers by now? Another great track from their album, Hot Fuss.
A LACK OF COLOR - I knew of Death Cab long before the OC..But I think to some people, this show definitely gave them exposure to this marvelous band. A good song choice by them as well.
SPECIALIST - This is not one of the better Interpol tracks.
SOMETHING PRETTY - I think this is one of those "most remembered" songs played on the show.
YOU GOT ME ALL WRONG - Definitely a favorite to most on this album. Its one of those songs you never get tired of hearing on repeat.
IF YOU LEAVE - Remake from the 80s song we all know and love. This was a pretty decent remake, but I think most would still prefer the older version.
BIG SUR - The Thrills! A marvelous band. Definitely one of the most fun songs on the entire CD.
LITTLE HOUSE OF SAVAGES - The Walkmen. This song is very reminiscent of late 80s music.
TROUBLE SLEEPING - Personally, my favorite on the entire soundtrack. You'll catch yourself smiling and thinking of that 'certain' person in your life.
SO SWEET - Another one of the better tracks on this CD. A rock song with a slight folk influence.
POPULAR MECHANICS FOR LOVERS - A definite folk song. I love it. Beulah is another great band to check out if you've grown into this genre of music.
WALNUT TREE - This song doesn't really stick out on the soundtrack. It's pretty forgettable.
MAYBE I'M AMAZED - Another remake by a beautiful voice, Jem. Of course once again, most of us will probably prefer McCartneys version, but you've got to admit, she did a good job.
EASTERN GLOW - A pretty calm, peaceful song. One of those songs best to lay in bed and listen to.

i've never even watched the o.c., but when i saw some of the artists that were on the album i bought it, and i was SO glad afterwards. this soundtrack is amazing, one of my favorite CD's, and even though i dont watch the show, O.C. soundtracks ROCK!!

If you're a fan of the OC, or at least the music from the OC, then this is a great buy. I've now got 1, 2 & 4 and i rate this one the highest. It's a fantastic mix and there's really no need to change CD on the car stereo!

Headbanger's Ball...I used to watch this show back in the day, when real metal reigned supreme. That was the mid-90's. Ten years later, I really see what happened. Following the breakout of nu-metal in 1997 thanks to bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and Sevendust coming out and gaining mainstream popularity, the show started on it's decline. Next, the metalcore explosion in the mid-00's after Trivium released their terrible album came, and bands like Shadows Fall, Atreyu, Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying ruled the MTV2 and metal channels. Sad. Headbanger's Ball quickly jumped on this fad, and they released two compilations. I have heard from quite a few people that this compilation is awesome, ear-shredding and brutal, and contains the new generation of heavy metal. So I go to the record store and ask the guy for the compilation. I get it and look at the songs on the back.

And I laughed. I then cried. Why? Maybe because this is a haven for garbage metalcore, aging nu-metal bands and wannabe death and black metal bands. Later on, I went to my buddy's house and what do you know? He had it. He burned both discs for me. Later that night, I put this CD in. I got through the tenth song when I threw the CD in a pile of junk in my basement. If this is what happened to metal, then maybe I should start listening to rap. Boring, generic riffs, terrible screaming vocals, inaudible bass, and guitar playing that I wonder how some of these bands (I should say most) became big. Seriously, if you want a compilation of true, talented metal bands, get the Choosing Death CD. That should make you forget that this ever existed. Metalcore is terrible and I don't care what anybody says. Why can't nu-metal just die, also?

The first disc starts off with Slipknot and Korn. Both songs and bands are terrible. Then, Killswitch Engage. I almost hate these guys as much as I hate Trivium. I just don't see (or hear) where the talent is. They have Megadeth, but the song sucks. The next three songs and bands for that matter also suck. Atreyu is not metal. Drowing Pool and A Perect Circle are just examples of below-average metalcore. Next, Shadows Fall. They may be talented, but I personally can't stand them or their vocalist. I like Machine Head and that album, so that's one song I like. Everything after that just makes me vomit the soul. Kittie and H.I.M. are terrible excuses not just for metal, but music. H.I.M.? There is nothing worse than some terrible musicians mixed with a [...] vocalist. Avenged Sevenfold are the most overrated band in existence, and I call them emocore. Lamb Of God is not the great American heavy metal band!!! That title belongs to Slayer. Lamb Of God may also be somewhat talented, but don't implement it well. Two words for Soulfly...old Sepultura.

Zakk Wylde is a great guitar player, but he is [...] and yesterday's news. Damageplan is okay, but whatever. In Flames...the end of melodic death metal as we know it has come. This is their nu-metal song, but now they converted to metalcore. It's over. I [...] hate that [...] band and I don't give a [...] about how long of a fan I have been. Fear Factory is also yesterday's news. They haven't been big since the nu-metal explosion. That's the conclusion of the first CD. In other words, one good song out of 20 and only about five talented bands out of twenty. It only gets worse. The second CD, while not as bad as the first, is still terrible. We go from the nu-metal and metalcore bands to the wannabe black and death metal bands. Just because you call yourself true, that doesn't mean you are. Some of these other bands I have just never heard of, and attempted to listen to. Better then Killswitch Engage, but not even close to Cryptopsy or Necrophagist.

The first band on the first album is Cradle Of Filth. Maybe they can be good if they get rid of that [...] Dani Filth. He is the biggest [...] in music. If they trashed him, then maybe they could be good because they are descent musicians. Unearth is bad. God Forbid are kid of descent musicians, but not my thing (obviously). The Agony Scene is bad, too. Come on..."We Bury Our Dead At Dawn". Your real original (sarcasm). Children Of Bodom is good, though. Thrashy, yet dark and moody. I like them. Bleeding Through and Trivium are the definition of bad metalcore. Trivium are the worst. The only band I hate more then Trivium is Korn. And that's hard to rival. Satyricon is meh. I never heard of Himsa and never bothered to listen to the song. 3 Inches Of Blood is no different then all the other metalcore bands with the word "Blood" in their title. The Black Dahlia Murder, Every Time I Die, Blood Has Been Shed and Eighteen Visions are really just more and more mainstream metal examples with an edge. They all sound the same.

The next 5 songs are descent. Deicide is a great band and have never sold out. After the trite "In Torment, In Hell", they released "Scars..." and what a great album. The title track is a great song, and I love them. New album on 6.6.06. for them. All That Remains and Twelve Tribes are alright, but I ain't rushing to buy their CD's. I am on the fence with The Dillinger Escape Plan, but I really don't care. After Martyr A.D., the album concludes with another black metal wannabe, Dimmu Borgir. These guys try way too hard. While not as bad as Cradle Of Filth, there are still tons of other great black metal bands that beat the living [...] out of Demon Burger. So, what you get is the worst compilation of metal that just throws a bunch of similar sounding, boring bands together into an epic double-disc package. Only two songs I like here, and only about 5-7 talented bands in the bunch. In other words, just stay away from this and don't support anything by MTV, Headbanger's Ball or most of the fake metal acts in this compilation. (Except for Deicide, they own).

I wonder how much negative votes I am going to get... And to Ethan S. Ridner. Maybe you should appreciate Deicide because they are better than every other band on this CD (except Megadeth). Those four guys beat the living piss out of all of your [...] metalcore bands. Respect the real musicians of death metal.

INTRO:

Well, this complication isn't that bad it's kinda good, alot of metalcore and nu-metal junk thrown into the mix being that this is MTV. This though blows Headbangers Ball Vol.1 out of the freaken water, and it's a step in the right direction. So it's a decent complication for those who have mixed tastes in metal or for somebody to get started on.

OVERVIEW:

The 1st disc is pretty medicore, with barely anything good I as a metal vetrean could barely get through it I mean Slipknot, KoRn, Atreyu, A Perfect Circle, Drowning Pool, Kittie, BLS( they are practically country) and HIM shouldn't even be on the freaken complication they pretty much destroyed any potential the 1st disc had. Also, they have a crappy edited version of Lamb of God's "Laid To Rest" on the ablum, which was very poor and really was a shame. I mean come on just put the original song on their and if you wanted it edited just block out the words like you did for almost every other song on the ablum. Why do the songs have to be edited in the 1st place, I mean what did swearing ever do to anybody(I absolutely hate censorship being that it is stupid). Well they had Megadeth's "Kick The Chair" which was a pretty fun tune. I also enjoyed Shadows Fall( though they could have picked a much better song), old school A7X (before they became a bunch of emoish MTV sellouts), Machine Head, Damageplan, In Flames(though they are really going down the drain), Soulfly (would have perfered Dark tranqulity or At The Gates), and some decent Fear Factory.

Disc 2 was what saved the complication. It was far from perfect, with some uneeded generic metalcore here and there, such as Unearth, Every Time I Die, Blood Has Been Shed, Twelve Tribes, and Matyr A.D., but they made it up with the rest of the ablum I was especially pleased with the fact that Cradle of Filth, Children of Bodom, The Agnoy Scene, Himsa, Saytricorn, 3 Inches of Blood, The Black Dahlia Murder, Deicide, and Dimmu Borgir were on here, but they could have improved on the song selection a bit. I mean they did pick a bit of a crappy Dimmu Borgir song, pick something different from them not the most overrated and over played song that you can find. I'm not the biggest fan of Trivium but I liked the ablum version of "Like Light To Flies", but MTV and all of their wisdon did the same thing they did to Lamb of God's song they made a medicore clean version which can't even compare to the original.

SONG RATINGS/INFO:

Disc: 1

1. Duality - Slipknot 1/5
-Typical nu-metal garbage, which sucks though Slipknot is one of the better bands in the dying genre with a few cool songs, excluding this highly overrated, overplayed and annoying song.

2. Right Now - Korn 0/5
-KoRn is dead,...and this song proves it. Only nu-metal idiots who don't even knoe the 1st thing about metal will wnjoy this.

3. Rose Of Sharyn - Killswitch Engage 3.5/5
-Well Killswicth Engage is a solid metalcore band with some solid material this song is a fun little song.

4. Kick The Chair - Megadeth 4/5
-A classic, but I'd personally would've picked a better Megadeth tune but this works with me just fine.

5. Right Side Of The Bed - Atreyu 0/5
- Some of the biggest posers in the history of metal. This song is a disgrace to metal.

6. Step Up - Drowning Pool 0/5
- This song is annoying as heck it's so medicore and plainly it makes the old Drowning Pool with the old vocalist seem goo, which is sad. This doesn't belong on this complication.

7. Weak And Powerless - A Perfect Circle 1/5
- Doesn't belong on the complication but I don't mind a Perfect Circle, this song just isn't my cup of tea.

8. What Drives The Weak - Shadows Fall 3/5
-I like Shadows Fall, but they sould have picked one of their better songs. The clean singing kind of ruins the song, though I do admire the instrumental work.

9. Imperium - Machine Head 3/5
-Could have picked a way better Machine Head song.

10. Waiting For The Turning Point - Superjoint Ritual 3.5/5
-A pretty good song, but nowhere near Pantera level. *(Member(s) were previously in Pantera)

11. Into The Darkness - Kittie 2/5
-If I was a chick I might appreciate it more, but I'll take Arch Enemy anyday over this watered-down chick glam metal. Angela from Arch Enemy owns Kittie easily.

12. Your Sweet Six Six Six - Him 0/5
-Give me a break more watered down goth pop-metal.

13. Unholy Confessions - Avenged Sevenfold 4/5
-Now this is what A7X used to be before they sold out, and i must say how the mighty have fallen. This was a great song and one of the highlights on this sadly pathetic first disc.

14. Laid To Rest - Lamb Of God 2.5/5
-I like the song, but the ablum version blows this out of the water. Seriously this was unnecessary, they did not have to reamke the freaken song.

15. Prophecy - Soulfly 4/5
-An enjoyable song by Soulfly.

16. House Of Doom - Black Label Society 3/5
- BLS has some alright music, but seriously THIS IS NOT METAL!!!

17. Breathing New Life - Damageplan 4/5
-(see song #10) RIP Dimebag Darrel

18. The Quiet Place - In Flames 3.5/5
-In Flames has so many better songs than this, but this is enjoyable to listen to from time to time.

19. Archetype - Fear Factory 4/5
-I really enjoyed listening to this song, nothing else to say.

20. My Tortured Soul (Live From Headbangers Ball) - Probot 1/5
-More uneeded material that just drug the complication down.

Disc: 2

1. Medusa And Hemlock - Cradle Of Filth 5/5
-An awesome COF song, one of my favorites from the band. Early COF ROCKS!!!

2. The Great Dividers - Unearth 1/5
-Unearth is more generic metalcore, and this song is proof.

3. Antihero - God Forbid 4/5
-God Forbid are a great talented band, and this song shows them at their best. I personally wasn't turned on by the guitar work at the beginning overall though this is a solid track.

4. We Bury Our Dead At Dawn - The Agony Scene 5/5
-This is a great song that really grew on me, and it's a highlight for sure on the CD.

5. Needled 24/7 - Children of Bodom 5/5
-Yet, again another great song by Children of Bodom, who are true metal gods.

6. Love Lost In A Hale Of Gunfire - Bleeding Through 3.5/5
-I'm personally not the band's biggest fan but there is no denying that this song is nice catchy, and unique the vocals are a bit generic.

7. Like Light To The Flies - Trivium 3/5
-The ablum version is way better, but this works too. It's actually a decent remake unlike the Lamb of God song however.

8. Fuel For Hatred - Satyricon 5/5
-Some good old classic black metal, this song is a classic. The musicmanship, especially the vocals really deserve a thumbs up.

9. Rain To The Sound Of Panic - Himsa 3.5/5
-Himsa really isn't anything special but this is a good song but is overshadowed by other songs on the complication.

10. Deadly Sinners - 3 Inches Of Blood 4/5
-A very catchy song, and a fine example of good power metal.

11. Contagion - The Black Dahlia Murder 4.5/5
-I love the complex guitar buildups and breakdown on this song.

12. I Been Gone A Long Time - Every Time I Die 0/5
-Annoying metalcore.

13. She Speaks To Me - Blood Has Been Shed 0/5
-(see above)

14. Waiting For The Heavens - Eighteen Visions 2/5
-More metalcore, but this song wasn't totally horrible.

15. Scars Of The Crucifix - Deicide 5/5
- This is probably the best track on the entire complication and is probably the first song I put on when i put this disc in. Some great death metal, though some offensive lyrics.

16. The Deepest Gray - All That Remains 3.5/5
-This is actually some good metalcore, and this is quite a catchy songs I really admired the guitar work, the vocals are a bit annoying.

17. Venus Complex - Twelve Tribes 1/5
-The guitar work sucked and the song was repetive as heck, though it was somewhat catchy but it got old fast.

18. Panasonic Youth - The Dillinger Escape Plan 3/5
- Not a bad track, but no masterpiece.

19. American Hollow - Martyr A.D. Listen Listen Listen 2.5/5
(see song #17)

20. Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse - Dimmu Borgir 3.5/5
-I love Dimmu Borgir, but this is one of their most overated songs.

Overall, this was a bad complication and nothing you should get unless it's in a bargain bin somewhere. Only fans of metalcore,nu metal, and pop metal will truly enjoy this. True metal fans will be left wanting more. This complication does not deliver. I give this a

2/5

-Lord Mayhem

*Thanks to everybody who took the time to read my review I both appreciate postive and negative feedback, but I will not accept being bashed for having an opinion.

I enjoy compilation albums. IT gives a chance to preview bands you may not get a chance to hear otherwise. This is one of the better compilation albums that I have heard. The second disc is much better then the first as the first contains a lot of tracks you can hear on the radio. I'd give the first disc 3 stars and the second 5.
Trivium, Children of Bodom , The Agony Scene and Deicide are some of the many highlights here.

First off, I'm not as close-minded as those reviewers below me. Yes, I keep an open mind on music. But this CD tells us that Headbangers Ball is getting bogged down with mainstream music and less underground bands are being supported. I mean, come on, Korn? Avenged Sevenfold? new Underoath? From First To Last? H.I.M.?! Wow...talk about sinking to an all time low. I enjoyed the first two compilations of this, but I didn't even bother to buy this one.

My Favorites:
Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Mastodon, In Flames, Chimaira, DevilDriver, Opeth, A Life Once Lost, Still Remains, God Forbid, Killswitch Engage, Dragonforce, High on Fire.

Overall, this compilation ISN'T for everyone. It covers many genres of music, but some artists could be taken out and replaced with these artists:

Between The Buried and Me, The Black Dahlia Murder, Himsa, Demiricous, Dead To Fall, Obituary, Through The Eyes of the Dead, Soulfly, etc.

If you're into modern music and like a variety and aren't "1337", you MAY like this. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

This cd is awesome I bought it on the first day it came out

Disc 1
1.Slipknot-before i forget(1/5 this songs okay but i think the band really sucks
2.Korn-Liar(2-5 korns a great nu-metal band but they're not the same without Head and fieldlys old bass slapping)
3.Iron Maiden-The Trooper live(4/5 this songs rocks dickinsons voice sounds better live)
4.Hatebreed-to the threshold(2/5 this is an okay hardcore song)
5.Mudvayne-forget to remember(1/5 this song is great but i gave it a 1 cuz its a little too light determined would be a better song 4 this soundtrack)
6.a7x-burn it down(2/5 its a good song but there old stuff is betta
7.HIM-vampire heart(3/5 kinda light but i liove HIM)
8.Trivium-a gunshot to the head of trepidation(5-5 an awesome and catchy song)
9.Lamb of god-now you got sumthin 2 die 4(3/5 this is a american metal)
10.10 years-wasteland(1/5 way too light)
11.disturbed-guarded(2-5 this is a good speed metal song)
12.as i lay dying-through struggle(3/5 this is metal)
13.lacuna coil-our truth(0/5 im not feeling it 2 me it sounds like a wannabe amy lee
14.underoath-its dangerous buisness(0/5this song sucks its not even worth writing the full title)
15.Mastodon feat. clutch's neil fallon-blood and thunder(4/5 a great stoner metal song)
16.killswitch engage-a bid farwell(3/5 this is a american metal)
17.Black Label Society-In This River (5/5 I Love This Song Its About Dimebag Darrell Who Was Murdered While Doing A Concert With His New Band Damageplan R.I.P)
18.Bleeding Through- Kill To Believe(2-5 catchy tune but i like the old bleeding through)
19.In flames-take this life(3-5 awesome song this is probably their most clean singing song)

i dont feel like writing the second disc so im just gunna end this review with saying disc 2 is great

"Headbanger's Ball: The Revenge" is excellent! All of the tracks on here are excellent.

Disc 1
1. Slipknot - Before I Forget
2. Korn - Liar
3. Iron Maiden - The Trooper (live)
4. Hatebreed - To The Threshold
5. Mudvayne - Forget To Remember
6. Avenged Sevenfold - Burn It Down
7. HIM - Vampire Heart
8. Trivium - A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation
9. Lamb Of God - Now You've Got Something To Die For (live)
10. 10 Years - Wasteland
11. Disturbed - Guarded
12. As I Lay Dying - Through Struggle
13. Lacuna Coil - Our Truth
14. Underoath - It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door
15. Mastodon - Blood & Thunder
16. Killswitch Engage - A Bid Farewell (live)
17. Black Label Society - In This River
18. Bleeding Through - Kill To Believe
19. In Flames - Take This Life

Disc 2
1. Chimaira - Nothing Remains
2. Bullet For My Valentine - Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
3. Arch Enemy - Nemesis
4. It Dies Today - Severed Ties Yield Severed Heads
5. Opeth - The Grand Conjuration
6. Norma Jean - Liarsenic
7. DevilDriver - Hold Back The Day
8. Still Remains - The Worst Is Yet To Come
9. God Forbid - The End Of The World
10. Throwdown - Burn
11. From First To Last - The Latest Plague
12. 36 Crazyfists - I'll Go Until My Heart Stops
13. Dragonforce - Through The Fire And Flames
14. A Life Once Lost - Vulture
15. High On Fire - Devilution
16. Bloodsimple - Sell Me Out
17. Haste The Day - When Everything Falls
18. Walls Of Jericho - A Trigger Full Of Promises
19. Kingdom of Sorrow - Buried In Black (Jamey Jasta with members of Crowbar, Down & Seemless)

Ok, so I haven't bought this album - and odds are, I won't. So, you might be asking yourself why I'm writing a negative review. Well, two of my favorite artists are Ryan Adams and Wilco. I have the albums the two songs here are from, and these are two of the weakest songs on each album. So, while I love hearing great new music, I'm wondering how good of a sampling I'm really getting from the other artists also. I'm very disapointed with the songs they chose from the artists I know, so I'll skip this in the fear that the other artists are also misrepresented.

Ok, so here's the rundown of Mtv2's Short List Prize album.

The Shortlist, for those who don't know, is a way of awarding those who aren't doing as well as they should. All of the artists on this CD were HEAVILY considered for the prize, which consisted of, I believe, $50k. They were judged on live performances by a panel of celebrity judges (Norah Jones, John Mayer, among others) and a winner was selected.

However, what we have here is a pretty good representation of the music YOU are not hearing.

Now, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers are doing a bit better, but just about everyone else is just another name you don't know. Nellie McKay, for instance, is one of THE most talented artists to be produced in a good long time. Her album is a saucy mix of blues, jazz, rock, and rap. If you have any expectations of her song, "David", drop them. You're wrong. Also featured on the album is Jem, a strikingly talented Brit who's past lies in the deep beats of Drum N' Bass. Her debut album is like Dido with a dark side. The song on this album is one of her best offerings. TV on the Radio is a very interesting mix of hip hop and rock that you just have to hear to believe. Loretta Lynn, can you believe she's on here?, is represented with a song off her album which was produced by White Stripes' Jack White. I wasn't expecting much when hearing this song, but I was *very* pleased with it. Jack White's production made is crunchy and raw, while keeping her voice and message categorized as "Country".

There's loads to love here, and I highly recommend this to anyone who hates to commit to buying artists' albums. Get this, and be happy living blissfully in indecision.