Albums of the Week - Grunge It Up

  Those who know me know that I grew up listening to most of the 90's rock and so called grunge movement that started in the early 90's late 80's.  I started listening to Nirvana after he had killed himself but understood his impact on music, and really respected the music.  I also grew up loving Alice In Chains, and was really upset when I heard Layne Stayley killed himself as well.  I can listen to Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden any time of the day, and go back to when these guys was all I was jamming.  There are also a lot of groups that got lost in the mix of stuff that was consuming radio waves, and store shelves and deserve much more respect than I think they get like The Black Crowes, Days of the New, Candlebox, and Silverchair.  These bands are all really great bands that I feel don't get their due credit for their contribution to a great genre of music.  So here are a list of 10 grunge oriented records that birthed in the 90's that I think are great and at least note worthy.  So enjoy.

Candlebox - Candlebox -1993

This record is amazing.  It's melodic, passionate, and very angry at moments.  I still remember the first time I heard one of the hit singles Left Behind.  It floored me how moody and calming the intro was at the same time.  I really felt his passion in the lyrics and wanted to go buy his record the first time I heard that song.  Although Candlebox have had a number of great albums released this will be their shining star for sure.  I highly recommend checking this release out you won't be sorry.

Toadies - Rubberneck - 1994

This record is one of my favorite records to jam when I like out in the garage fixing something, mowing the lawn, or just wanna here some great rock N roll with a grungie twist.  The Toadies are another under rated giant of the 90's, and they're from Texas which makes it even cooler.  I love this record, and there are so many good songs on it.  This like Candlebox's self titled debut will be The Toadies shining star as well I think even though they too have released some great releases in addition to this one.  My wife hates the song I come From the Water with a passion.  I used to jam that song over and over and over again, and I think it's burned into her brain now.  I just love the vibe on that song.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - 1995

This record is by far one of my favorite records in music in general.  The Smashing Pumpkins will live on as one of the best things to come out of the 90's for sure.  With their heavy guitar textures, their use of subtle electronics, great drum production, and top notch musicianship.  Billy Corgan and the gang have really concocted a great brew of rocking, passionate, aggression.  I remember getting this record on tape from my aunt and I wore that thing out many times over.

Bush - Sixteen Stone - 1994

Bush will also for me be one of the greatest under rated 90's groups.  Gavin Rosdale really knows his way around great riffs, and tones that really give them a flair, and sound all their own.  I'm excited about the return of Bush, but to be honest I don't think it will live up to the standard I hold them to, and it's because of this very record.  I had like three copies of this record when I was like 15 because I had one everywhere I went, and didn't want to be without it.  For sure one of my favorite records from the 90's

Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine - 1992

You can't go wrong with Rage Against the Machine.  No matter what mood you're in the will satisfy any urge.  I love their funky, aggressive, moody, angry, driving sounds that flow from every member of this group.  Their uncanny tendency to poke, and point fingers at all the ugliness in the world is unmatched.  Nothing drives home better that the lyric Fu*k you I won't do what you tell me. haha I remember listening to that song over and over and over again just because I could here exactly what I was wanting to say to so many people around me haha.

Stone Temple Pilots - Core - 1992

Core will forever be my favorite STP record for sure.  They were on fire on this one.  I also like Purple but for me there's nothing better than this one.  Scott Weiland's voice is unmatched, and many people have to tried to imitate, and copy his style and have fallen so short of what he can do.  The musicianship on this record is great.  There are some great guitar riffs, and bass workings on this record that I feel really have helped a lot todays modern post grunge rock.  Great record from a great band.

Nirvana - Nevermind - 1991

You can't mention the 90's and not talk about this band.  Come on everyone knows, or has at least heard of this band.  As AC/DC are the staple of rock.  These guys are what made grunge come to power.  Although Nirvana gets a lot of the credit for starting the movement I feel they were just part of a hand full of artists that really got this music moving.  Along with Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Peal Jam,  and The Smashing Pumpkins these guys really helped push the style to a new level.  I love this record for so many reasons, and I think more so I love that one of my favorite musicians comes from this band.  The one the only Dave Grohl.  I think he is one of the smartest, most innovative guitar players out there, and also a thunderous, heavy footed, very diverse drummer as well.  This record will live on as the defining trophy of the 90's grunge movement, and I love it.

Soundgarden - Superunknown - 1994

Even Though Soundgarden had gotten their start many years before this record.  I feel that I didn't catch on to what they were building until this record.  I'm sure they had a di-hard local fan base that was steadily building, but when they released this record I don't think there was a single person who didn't know who Soundgarden were.  Chris Cornell is another iconic singer that really transforms his voice into the beast it is.  This album has so many great songs on it, and still is just as powerful for me, as the first day I heard it.

Pearl Jam - Ten - 1991

Another band you can't leave out when you talk about the 90's.  Honestly I think they are one of the only great, successful bands to survive the 90's into the new world of music.  Some have just stopped playing, killed themselves, broke up for whatever reason, or just lost their popularity and drive.  Pearl Jam have been able to survive and push through their obstacles as a band and really continue to give us great rock N roll music.  This record is absolutely perfect in so many ways, and still is my favorite record from these guys.  I will forever love Pearl Jam no doubt about that.

Alice In Chains - Dirt - 1992

By far my favorite artist to come out of the 90's.  I can't get enough of Alice In Chains.  I used to say when I was younger that I wanted to have a sound just like these guys, and play just as good as Jerry Cantrell.  I said it then, and I still say it now.  I love Alice In Chains, and will forever say they are one of my favorite bands for sure.  It's really hard to say which album of theirs I like the most.  I really dig this one, but I also really like Rotten Apple as well.  I highly recommend this band for anyone who likes great heavy rock with a great vocal range.  

So there you go, a list of some of my favorite records from the 90's.  Now just as the 80's there are so many more that I will talk about on the next ones.  Like Silverchair, Live, Sublime, Days of the New, and the Black Crowes.  If you haven't heard one of these records I highly recommend listening to them and going out and buying them for sure.  Some of the best purchases I've ever made were right on this list haha.  So until next time stay hard, stay heavy.

Fav Albums From My Top 50 Artists

Over the years I've liked, loved, and disliked many artists.  I've even disliked particular workings of some of the artists that I really respect.  Case in point being Korn's last few albums, Rob Zombie's last one, and Marilyn Manson's last few releases as well.  Even though I may not have liked their newer stuff there will always be those albums that I remember, and still respect as some of my favorite albums of all time no matter what their career is doing these days.  So what I wanted to do was put together a list of my all time favorite album from my top 50 favorite bands.  Some of these albums were really hard to narrow down as my favorite.  The main struggle was of course Opeth, and a few others so here we go.  This is a list of my favorite album from my top 50 favorite artists.

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

Soilwork - Figure Number Five

Cold - 13 Ways To Bleed On Stage

In Flames - Come Clarity

Ozzy Ozbourne - Blizzard of Ozz

Between the Buried & Me - Alaska

Rainbow - Rising

Agalloch - The Mantle

Stone Temple Pilots - Core

Trivium - Ascendancy

Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast

Opeth - Blackwater Park

Seether - Disclaimer 2

White Zombie - Astro Creep 2000

Behemoth - Evangelion

A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Metallica - Master of Puppets

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon collie and the Infinite Sadness

Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Megadeth - Rust In Peace

Alice In Chains - Dirt

Tool - Aenima

Meshuggah - Catch 33

Clutch - Clutch

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For the Deaf

Sepultura - Chaos AD

Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengance

Bush - Sixteen Stone

Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Pearl Jam - Ten

Korn - Issues

Celtic Frost - Monotheist

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

Slayer - Reign In Blood

H.I.M. - Love Metal

Danzig - Danzig

Foo Fighters - The Color and the Shape

Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

Fear Factory - Obsolete

Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli

Staind - Break the Cycle

The Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal

   So there they are.  There are a lot from the 90's, and 80's for obvious reasons.  Some are classics that I will never be able to get rid of.  Like Slayer, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Rainbow which are all amazing in their own way.  Some are from the 90's grunge movement like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and THe Smashing Pumpkins which I grew up listening to as a teenager.  I will never stop listening to albums like Aenima, or Dirt from Alice In Chains.  Some were a little harder to narrow down because the artist has released so many good albums like Opeth, Alice In Chains, and Mastodon.  Some were easier like Slayer's Reign In Blood.  That will forever be my favorite Slayer record although all Slayer records have a certain sound that defines Slayer, I just think that Reign In Blood was their best work and will live on as one of the defining albums in the thrash metal movement that started in the 80's.  So if there is single record on here that you haven't listened to I highly recommend checking them out for sure.  They are all great and each have great things about them all.  So until next time stay hard, stay heavy.