Isbjørn

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Unknown Soldier

Yes another reviewer that agrees with my assessment of that album and that is an interesting point concerning Dio as well. Just imagine if Ozzy hadn't had left Sabbath and Dio had teamed up with Randy Rhoads instead

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Isbjørn

Artist: Bathory
Album: Blood Fire Death
Year: 1988
Chronological position: Fourth album
Genre: Black/viking metal
Expectations before listening: Something harsher than the debut, but still as epic as Batty says it is

Right after hearing Bathory's debut, I asked the others in the club if we could have more Bathory, and suggested Blood Fire Death. I was really excited to hear Bathory play viking metal, since Norse mythology is the bomb and Batty says that the viking-era Bathory albums are among the most epic things to ever be released on record.

Come to think of it, the album he's been talking the most about is Hammerheart, not this one. That might be a key point. This album, Blood Fire Death, had only two tracks that I would consider truly epic: “A Fine Day to Die” and “Blood Fire Death”. The rest didn't sound much different from the debut apart from greater speed and hoarser vocals. It sounded pretty good, but my expectations were not fulfilled. Two songs aren't enough. I'm really excited to hear Hammerheart, though.

4/5

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Isbjørn

Artist: The Beatles
Album: Revolver
Year: 1966
Chronological position: Seventh album
Genre: Psychedelic rock/pop rock

I'm starting this review with a shout-out to Taxman, whose name is taken from the first song on the album, and Pet_Sounds, who gave me the idea of reviewing the album by posing this question (he just started his own journal, by the way):

I decided to review this album track by track, instead of following the mini-review format I've been using lately.

The first track on the album is named Taxman, and is a rather straightforward rock song with hooks and cowbells. Next up is Eleanor Rigby, which is more baroque pop-tinged and, in my opinion, the most depressing song on the album, though the Beatles don't really write depressing songs. I'm Only Sleeping is the first real psychedelic track on the album, with a brief solo sounding like it's being played backwards, and one of my personal favourites. Gotta love that bridge! The follow-up, Love You To, is obviously written by George Harrison (it's Indian raga). It's pretty interesting, but not a favourite of mine, so I'll say it's one of the weaker songs on the album*, along with Here, There and Everywhere, which is way too slow and sentimental. Ah, Yellow Submarine! Everyone needs some nonsense lyrics and repetition once in a while. A very catchy and fun song. It's followed by another great song, She Said, She Said, which was inspired by something Peter Fonda said during an LSD trip. The line "you're making me feel I've never been born" was what John Lennon responded to him to make him shut up, and it's really sticking in my head. Good Day Sunshine is a piano-driven pop song which, to me, sounds a bit bluesy, at least in the chorus. I think it proves that The Beatles can be great without even trying, because I like it even though it sounds so incredibly simple. And Your Bird Can Sing is my favourite song on the album, because of its beautiful melody and excellent vocal delivery. It is followed by For No One, which is similar to "Here, There and Everywhere" in theme and nature, but more baroque. I like the horns. Doctor Robert is alright, but to me it does little more than prepare the listener for I Want to Tell You, which is infectiously catchy and great in its simplicity. Got to Get You Into My Life was The Beatles' last top ten hit in in USA until 1995, when "Free as a Bird" was released. Even more nice horns, sweet. At the very end of the album, our beloved Beatles go insane with the song Tomorrow Never Knows, a psychotic mix between experimental, raga and psychedelia.

Of the merely seven full Beatles albums I have heard, this one is my favourite. Most critics tend to favour Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and while I agree that that one is a great album, too, this is the one I will sit down and listen to in its entirety whenever I'm in the mood for some Beatles. It marks the transition between the pop rock of their earlier albums and the experimental stuff on the later ones, and I think it's a near-perfect mix between the two styles.


5/5

*The weakest tracks on the album are not bad in any way. They just fade in comparison to the rest.

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The Batlord

It's considered viking metal cause of the lyrics, not so much because of the musical style. Starting with the album before this though they started to move away from the more simple, raw black metal style and more to a mid-paced, heavy sound that was the precursor to Hammerheart. So the sound was still developing even then.

From Under the Sign of the Black Mark

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Isbjørn

Was that viking metal lyrics? I'm pretty sure they mentioned Satan more often than Odin.

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The Batlord

He's mentioned, but I think the majority of the religious lyrics are more about being in opposition to Christianity. I'm sure I don't need to lecture a Norwegian on how Christianity suppressed the older Norwegian culture and that's really what Quorthon is on about, especially with all the Viking talk. It's about old Norwegian nationalism more than Satanism. I think that's really the undercurrent for Amon Amarth's lyrics for that matter.

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Pet_Sounds

Excellent write-up of Revolver, Briks. What are the other six Beatles albums you've heard?

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Isbjørn

Thanks!
They are A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles and Abbey Road, in addition to the red and blue compilations.

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Taxman

You must hear Rubber Soul too.

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