The Doors - The Doors [1967]

There are quite a lot of the classics that everyone knows on this album. It's quite ethereal and the music skips through varying degrees of madness, excitement, and calmness. It has that charming '60s recording feel to it, complete with the drums in the left speaker only. Nicely varied, but somehow all cut from the same cloth. There's a good amount of consistency in the songwriting. So none of the songs feel particularly weak or rushed.

Rating: 7

http://thedoors.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Gore Obsessed [2002]

Another push on the production quality makes this the heaviest CC album by far. There's a lot of good stuff here. There's more catchiness and blasting, too. While all of the songs have very good riffs, a worrying amount have filler riffs blended in as well. So, it's a bit uninspiring at times, but awesome at others.

Rating: 7.75

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Bloodthirst [1999]

New production quality isn't as warm as Gallery, but it is a bit heavier much more clear. The overall level of excellence for this album is much higher than anything CC had done before. It's more brutal, more active, more technical, and more focused. Very good album. It has everything that I love about the new style of CC and it's all well-executed.

Rating: 8

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Gallery of Suicide [1998]

After the thrashy "I Will Kill You" and the incredibly catchy and brutal "Disposal of the Body", "Sentenced to Burn" dives into the more mid-tempo and chunky side of Death Metal. "Blood Drenched Execution" has a few catchy parts, but most of it feels pretty weak compared to the previous songs. "Gallery of Suicide" drops into the slow-tempo'd style for the first bit. It's not all that catchy or gripping, but it does have an evil twinge to it. It even feels like Black Metal at a few points. "Dismembered and Molested" picks things up on all fronts. Then, there's "From Skin to Liquid", an epic and purely evil opus that can easily get every hair on my neck to stand straight up. "Unite the Dead" is a heavy romp that brings more catchiness to the CC sound. It's a tiny bit gimmicky, though. "Stabbed in the Throat" largely passes by unnoticed. "Centuries of Torment" brings that low pitch evil guitaring that I love back to the album. Overall, it's got good production quality and some good writing. There are a decent number of standouts as well and it's always heavy.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Vile [1996]

Kick in the nuts start to the album. "Devoured by Vermin" really seems to set the stage for the newly evolved CC to push the brutality and complexity of the music to a level far beyond what they've done before. Admittedly, I don't like the flow breaking sections in songs like "Mummified in Barbed Wire" and "Perverse Suffering". All seems to be redeemed by the awesomeness of "Disfigured". "Bloodlands" initially takes the dark, doomy, and evil CC style before breaking out with an explosion of thrash and technical guitaring. There are a lot more stand-outs in this album than the previous one. "Devoured by Vermin", "Disfigured", "Puncture Wound Massacre", "Relentless Beating", "Absolute Hatred", and "Monolith" stand out in my ears.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding [1994]

Right from the start, it feels a bit more like the passionate brutality that CC is known for. Hopefully it will last through the whole album. I'm a bit worried that they may have front-loaded this album with good songs... I mean, shit, they just keep coming one after another: "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead", "Fucked with a Knife", "Stripped, Raped and Strangled". It's hard to imagine that they can keep such a level of song writing throughout the rest of the album. I must say, Chris' vocals are starting to fucking annoy me, especially his high-pitched screams that sound like a five-year-old is yelling while holding his nose. For the most part, the material does actually stay pretty strong through the rest of the album. However, there aren't really any standouts like the first three songs of the album.

Rating: 7.25

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Tomb of the Mutilated [1992]

Off to a catchy, heavy, and grinding start with "Hammer Smashed Face". It doesn't have the excitement of their later works overall. I'm not sure if it's the dead production quality or the filler riffs, but it just doesn't feel as exciting. There are a few tracks on here that will get my blood pumping: "Hammer Smashed Face", "Addicted to Vaginal Skin", and "The Cryptic Stench".

Rating: 6.5

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Butchered At Birth [1991]

There's a lot more doom to this album. There are also places where the album drags quite a lot. It feels like the writing for this one isn't quite as strong and forceful as Eaten. There are definitely a few classics like "Meat Hook Sodomy", and "Covered With Sores".

Rating: 6.75

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cannibal Corpse - Eaten Back to Life [1990]

Heavy writing. It's a lot more thrash inspired than CC's later stuff, but the classic CC style is still buried in the music for those who know. It's not down-right catchy, but it's invigorating and energetic. The production quality is surprisingly clear and clean for being the first album. Pretty good distortion on the guitars as well. It's still mixed in that early Death Metal style. So, the guitars could stand to be higher in the mix and contain more punch. It's still a good album, even by today's standard.

Rating: 7.25

http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

The Devin Townsend Project - Ghost [2011]

Judging by the beginning of "Fly", this will be an album more in the style of Ki. Fuck, it's so damn calm it's impossible not to feel relaxed. Good use of Native American flute... not too forward, but certainly audible. "Heart Baby" seems to reinforce what the album is leaning towards in style and mood. "Feather" is a large song that relies more on the atmospheric natural world to get by. "Kawaii" picks things up a little by switching focus to more of what the album started off as. Then, "Ghost" somehow changes style entirely to something reminiscent of southern folk, and "Blackberry" continues the direction with the addition of more traditional American folk instruments and writing. "Monsoon" and "Dark Matters" opt for a very ethereal, natural, and atmospheric feel. "Texada" brings the music more forward. This album differs from Ki in that the style feels much more like it was influenced by New Age. It's a very pleasant album that seems to sooth the soul. It's very impressive that Devin has managed to so accurately mix New Age into his own style.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.hevydevy.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction [2011]

Wahey! I was NOT expecting an electronic almost break-beat style to the beginning of the album. Damn, nice way to ease the music into epic and crushingly heavy metal. "Stand" drags a lot during the middle, but tries to make up for it with a validating end. "Juular" is quite an epic and energetic song... it is much needed after the very long and drawn-out "Stand". "Planet of the Apes" is all over the place. Thrashy, dragging, energetic, validating... it's got the lot. "Sumeria" flexes some of the catchier and more brutal muscles that Devin has. It's a strange album, this. It's so all over the place that it never really settles on anything that I prefer. So, there are times when I feel it's just boring. It's also not the catchiest or most gripping album. Even so, there is a lot to like about this album. The creativity is nearly burning the album alive. There are some really great riffs thrown in here as well as a lot of madness. Most of what I don't like about this album I can chalk up to me simply not being in the mood for a concept album. I can still see what an epic album this is despite my mood. As the album progresses, I feel myself diving deeper into it... it could be that my mood is being altered, or maybe it's that the songs have gotten better.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.hevydevy.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - The Gathering [1999]

The production quality is nearly perfect. Even 12 years later, this album is still one of the heaviest I've heard. Nearly every song is excellent. There aren't any filler riffs to be found on this album. Every second is a triumph of heaviness, yet, there is a good deal of variation on the album. Some songs have ominous clean guitars. Some are 6/8 romps through a metal fortress. Others are forays into the thrashing days of yore. All are energetic and hair-raising experiences overall. What an awesome album. When one concentrates, creativity can be found in some of the background effects and guitar slides that are barely noticed. The lyrics are very strong as well. Everything just feels so tight, like everyone was on the same page for the writing of this album.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - Demonic [1997]

FFFUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!! "Demonic Refusal" is one fucking hell of a way to start the album. It's so fucking heavy and evil. Chucks vocals are purely his own brand of Death Metal. "Together as One" would have been great if they didn't include that really fucking gay and repetitive section with such a shitty riff. Shit kicks back into gear with "Jun-Jun" and "John Doe". Things actually even go back to Thrash Metal for the first time in years with "Murky Waters". The songs from this point on are all fucking great... except for "Nostrovia". This is an INCREDIBLY heavy, evil, angry, and destructive album that makes me want to mosh against the world. That said, there are a couple weak songs and some riffs throughout the album feel a bit half-assed.

Rating: 8

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - Low [1994]

There is finally an appreciable increase in production quality. It's pretty damn heavy. Chuck has even taken to doing some growls that are more Death Metal now. Good use of 6/8 to create the feel of a heavy groove. There is also a blending of traditional Rock into the heavier sound. They're all heavy, but not all of them capture my attention. "Low", "Hail Mary", "Trail of Tears", "Dog Faced Gods", "Chasing Fear", and "Ride" stand out to me.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - The Ritual [1992]

"Electric Crown" is already better than anything that was on the previous album. "So Many Lies" is completely pointless until the chorus. So, it's mostly boring. "Let Go Of My World" is acceptably energetic and heavy. "The Ritual" manages to inject a smidge of evil into the style. "Deadline" has a pretty damn catchy chorus and a decent amount of energy. This album is obviously the point at which Testament started driving their style more towards the Heavy Metal genre and away from Thrash. It's pretty good. Most songs have a good beat and heavy riffs with energy. It's a bit more Rock inspired in some parts which takes away from the attempted darkness of the album. There are a lot of good songs in here with good energy. It's not a breakthrough album that has the polished songwriting and perfection of style that I was hoping for. However, there are two gems that outshine the rest, "Electric Crown" and "Return to Serenity".

Rating: 7.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - Souls Of Black [1990]

A short and pointless intro track for "Beginning Of The End". "Face In The Sky" is pretty good. However, it's almost all groove metal with no semblance of the thrash they used to have. "Falling Fast" has a little thrash to it, but it's mostly a very aimless song with few riffs that are any good. "Souls Of Black" tries to redeem the album a little with a darker intro, but then drops into very non-evil groove metal. "Absence Of Light" is possibly the most disappointing thing I've ever heard... the beginning sounds like they're going to kick in with some insane thrash, but instead they just jump into a moderato beat with a boring and shitty guitar riff. "Malpractice" is one of the very few songs that actually a good verse riff to it. Extremely large let-down. This album is a very unpleasant turd. I'm not sure how it went wrong, but the riffs are lifeless and sound like they were taken from the reject bin. The only possible exception to this is "The Legacy"... and it's still not that great. Also, why the hell hasn't the production quality increased at all in the last four albums? What the fuck are they doing?

Rating: 5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - Practice What You Preach [1989]

"Perilous Nation", while catchy and heavy, is quite predictable. There are a few songs that feel a bit tired and repetitive. However, overall it's a pretty catchy and heavy album with a lot of good riffs and energy. The production is a bit odd; heavy and powerful during palm muting, but feeling like it was played through a single-speaker practice amp the rest of the time.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

植松伸夫 - Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack [1997]

Much unlike FFIV, this actually has some really good writing mixed in. When he does evil and dark, it's very good. However, the more regal stuff feels too childish and weak. The whimsical stuff is TOO whimsical and ends up sounding camp. The battle music is usually pretty good. There are a few recurring themes that do get annoyingly repetitive and really tiresome by the end of the album. USE THEM SPARINGLY, NOBUO! While he does a great job with most of the dark stuff, the Sephiroth themes are actually some of the weakest of the dark songs. Sure, this is one of the best from the FF soundtracks up until this point, but, damn, that's not saying much. The old FF soundtracks are really over-hyped by people that don't know what good songwriting is. Most of it is shitty and bland. Damn, this thing is just waaay too long and there is way too much crap in here that really doesn't need to be on the soundtrack.

Rating: 5.5

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/uematsu/index.html

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness [1989]

This whole album is full of great old-school Death Metal. It's hella-energetic and even pretty damn modern in some ways. The production is typical of under-ground bands of this period. There's obviously a lot of Slayer influence throughout the album. Lots of thrashing around and plenty of blasting. There isn't much in the way of variation at all, and compounding that issue is the fact that the album is over fifty minutes long. However, I never really found myself getting bored. I liked it all the way through. Didn't seem to be any fillers. That said, it wasn't mind-blowing, just solid well-written Death Metal.

Rating: 7.25

http://www.morbidangel.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Machine Head - The Blackening [2007]

"Clenching the Fists of Dissent" is an epic length. It has quite a lot to like... amorphous, energetic, and even beautiful at some parts. The song only drags, briefly, once or twice. "Beautiful Mourning" starts off really energetic, but drags like a fat-ass in the middle of the song. "Aesthetics of Hate" is a bit like the previous track, but with more hate and catchiness. "Now I Lay Thee Down" has a more mellow first half to it with a middle section made of barbed wire. "Slanderous" has the 6/8 energetic groove thing going on and it's pretty catchy until the chorus. "Halo" starts its epic-length off with a groovy and heavy riff. Light and catchy chorus, too. I hate the boring-ass cheap ending. "Wolves" takes a while before the good stuff kicks in, but after a little while, it becomes more bland, weak, and boring. "A Farewell to Arms" has a beautiful recurring theme to it, but a majority of the middle section is let down by filler riffs that only delay the awesome middle-ending riff. I must say that I'm impressed with the variation found within each song on the album. It keeps things interesting. Sure, not all of the riffs are good, but there are certainly more good than bad. I've never been a fan of Flynn's vocals, though. They always sound slurred to the point of being annoying... like he's drunk or something. It's a pretty damn good album. However, the good is mixed with bad riffs and it really lets the album down a bit.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.machinehead1.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.