A change of pace

Well, summer camp put a large dent in my scheduling plans. Fear not, I intend to return to my weekly routine. In any event, today's post is not going to include more free music. I've been doing more than enough of that lately. Instead, I'm going to list a few of my favorite albums. For the record, this is a highly subjective and inconclusive list. I'm not making a list of "best" albums. Those lists irritate me. Judging music's worth through a rigid ranking system just doesn't sit well with me. Anyways, I didn't want to start a rant: on with the list!


Black Sabbath: "Black Sabbath" + "13"





I am a huge fan of Tony Iommi, guitarist of Black Sabbath. He's shown absolutely mind-blowing versatility over his career. I, for one, am the proud owner of a Tony Iommi signature Epiphone sg. I may be a metal-head, but I have blues-man's heart. As such, I'm drawn towards the sinister blues of Sabbath's self-titled debut album and the crushing bluesy grooves of their latest work, "13." My favorite tracks? That's like asking me which of my children I like the most...They're all amazing in my opinion.


Trouble: "Manic Frustration"



Now HERE'S a feast for the ears! The album is a legendary doom metal band's fantastic take on psychedelic rock. This is hands down one of my favorite albums. It's hard hitting, but is ultimately more reminiscent of Hendrix than it is of, say, Sabbath. I'd have to say that Hello Strawberry Skies is one of my favorite hard-rock songs period. You really don't need to be a metal-head like me to enjoy this one.


Slash: "Slash"



This solo album by Slash, guitarist of Guns and Roses fame, features a nonsensical collection of vocalists. Never had I expected to see Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy Kilmeister, Adam Levine, and Fergie co-star on the same album. The album, naturally, is not the most coherent of compilations. Frankly, I see that as a good thing. It keeps the listener on their toes. Slash masterfully juggles a variety of styles, from glam-infused-alt-rock to traditional hard-rock, from haunting ballads to airtight modern metal. With thirteen different singers, the album's eclectic nature keeps me coming back for more. There's really something for everyone there.


Well, that's it for today's post. I'll be back later with more of my favorite albums.

Oleg Serkov

Well, I'm a little behind schedule, but life happens. Anyways, I'm just going to cut to the chase and bring out the music!

Catalogue professionnel de musique libre

Oleg Serkov is a Russian guitarist and songwriter with a sizeable collection of free singles and extended plays for your perusal. He's a fantastic musician, but an even better composer. His songs are rife with poignant melodies, diverse interludes, and dramatic tension. Coupled with fantastic production values and stellar musicianship, he's worth a listen.

Edit: Once again, I don't know why the Jamendo player is being so weird lately. Gah.

3 Leg Torso

Hello, again. This time, it looks like I've actually made my schedule for once. I'll make more of an effort on that front in the future. Anyways, on to the music. It's not free this time around, but it's worth it.



3 Leg Torso is a fairly peculiar chamber music group from Portland, Oregon. While their studio albums are (comparatively, at least) normal, their live performances are interspersed with comedic acts. These segments sometimes serve to "explain" the significance of certain songs, or even simply to add a spontaneous flair to the night's music. I went to a 3 Leg Torso concert about a month ago without any prior knowledge of the band (the concert was a surprise addition to my school-planned senior trip). During the intermission, I bought three albums: one on cd and two on download vouchers (which, for the record, did not actually work, much to my chagrin). Yes, the band is just that good. But hey, don't take my word for it. Go give them a listen. With a repertoire of emotions ranging from frivolous to haunting, I guarantee that you will find something to like from them.

Recognition!

Hello again. No this is NOT the post I promised. This is just something I've been meaning to post for a while now. Remember Maldia? Well, it seems that we'll be hearing from them again. A while ago, I received an email from Jesus (sorry friend, but my computer doesn't seem to want to accent the "u" today), the guitarist of Maldia. According to him, the band is currently working on some new material with more of a modern vibe (in his words, "trying to be less classic but keeping the good stuff"). I personally have no problem with classic metal, but I'm going trust his decision on this. Considering their impressive debut, we can expect great things from Maldia's upcoming work. In the meantime, here's the music video for their debut's first track "Bajo Mi Cama" ("under my bed") for your enjoyment.

Well then...

It would seem that my internet hates me. I had intended to write this post yesterday and schedule it for release today. Sadly, I have not been able to access the internet at my house since lunchtime yesterday. As a result, I'm writing this in the backroom of a local coffee shop. Furthermore, as you may have noticed, I am several hours late in doing so. To prevent a repeat issue, I will be queuing an additional blog post that will be released next week on schedule. Without further ado, let's hear some music.

Royalty-free music for professional licensing

Drop Alive is a two-man hard rock outfit from Pavia, Italy. I say hard rock, but Drop Alive's eponymous debut opens with a pulverizing wall of rhythm guitar that reminded me of the works of Canadian thrash metal giant Annihilator. The album is a bit short, at some thirty-odd minutes in length, but it hits hard and fast from start to finish. Interestingly enough, the band's frontman, Simon, was responsible for all instruments (except the drums) and songwriting for the album. Drop Alive isn't quite a one-man-band like Brad Sucks, but there is still a tremendous sense of unified artistic vision on the album. I could go on, but I think the music speaks for itself. It's amazing, and it's free. Honestly, what more could you want?