records i get. what i think.

*Amil (Featuring Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, & Beanie Siegel)* - *For Da Family* - I don't remember what I was listening to in the summer of 2000 when Amil's debut album came out, but it wasn't Amil. It's kinda hard to even hear her here on her single cuz she's on it for about 20 seconds. Beanie steals the show anyway. And Memphis Bleek is a heavy metal fan, who knew? Jay-Z sleeps, but he's the boss, so he's allowed to. I dig the orchestral movie soundtrack sample. What's it from?

*B.G.* - *Bling Bling* - This sounded amazing to me in 1999 and it still sounds amazing to me. It must be amazing. You could put this out today and it would sell a million records. Just change the title to "Zing Zing" or "Ding Ding" or something. I'm REALLY glad that I own the instrumental version of this now.

view from masada is dope, even if fall of solomon got left off it hard times is a classic. basically is a biblical concept joint, my 2nd fav kp after priesthood.

4 da fam is a timeless joint too, roy budd sample from some movie soundtrack, classic sigel verse

this LP has the 4 da fam break on it
http://www.moviegrooves.com/images/covers_main/fearkey_main.jpg

what can you even say about bling bling... buy chopper city in the ghetto

*Dalvin Degrate* - *Why Can't We* - This is pretty horrible. And a mess. I was already scared of it when I saw it was on Maverick. It hurts my ears. Album title from 2000: Met.A.Mor.Phic. There are like six different mixes and I tried to find one that doesn't hurt, but there isn't one. Bad R&B dude over bad busy beats. Stevie J is responsible for this. Despite my aversion to all things Bad Boy, there must have been something he did that I liked a lot. This is not one of them.

thanks for the soundtrack tip! looks very cool.

*Doug Lazy* - *Can't Hold Back(U No)* - Primo hip-house if you like that sort of thing. I dig it. And I've always been kind of curious about the Doug Lazy full-length from 1990 that this single is from, *Doug Lazy Gettin' Crazy*. The dub version is the coolest thing on this 12 inch and they even add some acidhouse action to the song. Produced by the king of bounce Vaughan Mason. He of "Bounce Skate Rock Roll" fame. Me, I've always been a huge fan of Vaughan's early single "Jammin' Big Guitar".

Killswitch Engage have a song called "Rose of Sharon" on The End of Heartache. Don't know if you've heard it, but I guess that's a reference.

*R.O.C.* - *4 Richer Or Poorer* - This is okay, but just okay. So So Def rap from '99. Chorus is kinda catchy. Eh. This is a label I love, but I don't love this. Beats are tight though.

Yeah, figures there would be metal Rose Of Sharon references. or even a band named that.

*2 Pac + Outlawz* - *Baby Don't Cry(Keep Ya Head Up II)* - I know absolutely nothing about the chronology or production of dead Tupac songs, but this one is pretty good. it's basically a catchy chorus and some fat beats. And a SERIOUSLY scratchy sample. Jeez, just shell out for a nicer copy of whatever album it is, dude.

*Lil Soldiers* - *Where Da Lil Soldiers At?* - This is just brilliant. The music is amazing. The instrumental version is definitely going on the next mix that I make. The kids are adorable - "I'm your favorite little snack after taking your nap" - they are lots of things apparently! Were these Master P's kids? I forget. And did they have a whole album? They must have. I fear, and have feared for quite some time, that I have neglectfully slept on way too many No Limit records that I would probably love to death. I can't buy everything! I'm only one man.

*King Force* - *Doggie Style* - Very cool '91 hip-house stuff. And it doesn't leave out the hip part of hip-house, which is nice. Awesome beats, great mixes. Don't know who put it together, though I could look it up. This is a DJ International test pressing with no info.

*Deskee* - *Kid Get Hyped* - These German dudes actually got play and made the charts (dance charts, anyway) here. Their euro-rap house is all about the house music and it's pretty good even if it has gotten a little moldy. They went on to put out a zillion rave records. probably. Anyone who can tell me what happened to their rapper "Crumpley" wins a prize.

*En Vogue* - *Riddle* - I really like this song. I miss living in a world where En Vogue ruled. This was the one and only single from their flop *Masterpiece Theatre* album from 2000. This single tanked big time too. Elektra dropped them and the rest is herstory. Bastards! I've never even heard the album. I'll bet it's good. They put out an album in 2004 too! Called *Soul Flower*. Has ANYONE here heard it? They soldier on in some form to this very day. The eurodance remixes on this single are excellent.

good thread

*Chapter 1* - *T.N.T. EP* - Strictly Rhythm is, without a doubt, one of my all-time fave labels of the 80's, but other than the odd single here and there, I never kept up with their 90's output. This is pretty groovy slow-ass techno. The T.N.T. in the title actually stands for "Techno for the Non-Technical". Which would be me, for sure! Moby is involved. But it's 1991, so it's a silent beat-generating Moby and all is good. Most of the music is created by DJ Moneypenny though. Someone I have no knowledge of. Other than I recognize the name. Who he?

*DMX* - *Party Up(Up In Here)* - The dance mixes! And they rule! Who knew? Not me, that's for sure. When was the last time I even listened to DMX? When was the last time YOU listened to DMX? These are EXCELLENT remixes. High energy. Thumping. Raucous. Wonderful. A-side mixes are by Jonathan Peters(??). The b-side mix is titled *Super Jupiter Dirty Dawg Club Mix* and the instrumental version RULES. And, likewise, the a-side dub is just massive tribal funhouse techno. Maybe I just need to listen to more late-90's techno. Or maybe I don't. In any case, this surprised the heck out of me.

that dmx sounds cool :D

*A.W.O.L.* - *5,4,3,2,1(Come On)* - Hardcore rave stuff from the early 90's. It's okay. Nothing to write home about though. On the British Elicit label. It's suitably "anthemic". If I were on drugs I would probably dance like a maniac to it.

*Garbage* - *Queer Remixes* - Not horrible. One mix by Rabbit In The Moon that is slow and low and down tempo. soothing even. The Danny Saber mix isn't as good. Dubby big beats and a severe case of Sneakerpimpitis. But if you just wanted Garbage to be Curve than you are all set. Ultimately, nobody really needs to own this in 2007.

The only Killah Priest I have is Heavy Mental. I like the sound of it, but his writing is just too damn dense + paranoid. I would normally say the more mystical shit in my hip-hop the better, but in this case no.

*Bif Naked* - *Lucky* - I am now the proud owner of NINE different mixes of Bif's *Lucky*. Might be nine too many. I had never heard of her before today. Here is a picture to refresh your memory:

http://photos.lacoccinelle.net/36/34/183634.jpg

ugh

she's also a spoken-word artist.

*Adrienne Ferlita* - *I Can Make U Forget* - This is godhead to me. This record makes me drool. This is Mickey Oliver Chicago house that just about makes me cry it sounds so good. On the blink-and-you'll-miss-it SRO label. The DJ Pierre drums...AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

*Kamikaze* - *Kamikaze Way* - Completely forgotten garage house stuff on the tiny Newark label Ace Beat (Probably best known for Blaze singles. Maybe. I'm no expert.) An Ace Beat comp would be great. Some of it is probably on that huge house box from the 80's, but I'd love to hear more. Um, not that I own the huge house box. But I'd like to hear more anyway. I have the completely insane *Beat This* single on that label and that should be on cd someday. That one was mixed by Blaze. You want minimal house music? Sheeeeeeeeet, that record is so minimal it ain't even there no more.

*Side F-X* - *This Is A Journey* - Full-length album from 1990 and HOLY SHIT HOW HAVE I NEVER HEARD THIS????????? Jeeeeeezus, so goddamn cool. This is on Nastymix, home to The Accused and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Just amazing beat action. Half the album is nothing but multiple awesome beats, samples, and scratching. Scratching is courtesy of Kut Mighty Swift. The rapping is nothing great, but nothing great in the way that Mantronix album rapping is nothing great and it doesn't matter because the beats and music are so fucking cool that you could put your mom over them and the song would rule. I'm in love with this thing. The only album they made, i think. Just looked and the only info on the web is from Pappawheelie on Discogs. This record being made in Florida and all.

Side F/X Are: Rod 'Rundu' Whitehead, Chris 'Almighty' Pringle & Reggie 'Kut Mighty Swift' Lalanne.

http://www.koolkeith.co.uk/btf/sidefx.jpg

*Matrix* - *Get Out Remixes* - Early underground deep house awesomeness from Kerri Chandler on his Mad House label. I love this. The dancehall mix gives Green Velvet a run for his money when it comes to extended rants. Very very cool. Er, it does this in 1992. Probably before Green Velvet ever put out a record, but, whatever. This dude has put out like 4 million records that I've never heard. I want the album this song was originally on called *A Basement, A Red Light, And A Feelin'*.

*G-Dep* - *One Way* - Now this is a Bad Boy record I can get behind! Who the hell is G-Dep? This features Black Rob as well. I dig it a ton. Great headphones rap. Love the synth. Love the delivery. Love whatever that repeating scratching sound is. Love the ominous turn that a Blondie song takes. Well, I guess the original song was supposed to be kinda ominous too, but Debbie was never very scary. From 1999.

*The Raid* - *The Party/Jump Up In The Air* - Todd Terry on Lumar. 1991. The Man. The Myth. One of my gods. Seemingly made brilliant records in his sleep in the 80's and 90's. This is just one example of many that I could give you. The elephant horn stab sample on *The Party*. Love it. There is a pricey Todd Terry boxed set. I kinda wish I had one. This isn't on it, but there is loads of great stuff on it. All the classics and more.

*Raze* - *Jack The Groove* - On the German BCM label. *Jack The Groove* is killer klassik electro house. The drums could go on for days and I'd be happy. The b-side *Jump In Your Dance* is sappier by virtue of some lame vocals, but the bonus instro/beats dub more than makes up for that. Again, Vaughan Mason had a hand in this.

*Pure Energy* - *One Hot Night* - Prism electro-disco from 1984. I've listened to so many songs like this in my lifetime it's a wonder that I don't speak in breathy electro-disco rhyme on a daily basis. What does all that death metal and disco do to a person? I'll let you know! An M&M mix.

*Lidell Townsell* - *Nu Nu* - Lidell is best known for his late 80's house singles on Trax like *Jack The House*, but this early 90's single is hot too. Great vocal harmonies and just THUMPING bass action. This originally came out on Chicago's Clubhouse label and then Mercury Records picked it up of all people! Don't know if it did anything for them. It was his only single for Mercury. So that might say something. Anyway, this is great.

*Paula Perry* - *Down To Die For This* - Daaaaaaaaaamn, what a fat fuckin' beat! Paula Perry used to hang with Masta Ace, and other than that I don't know a lot about her. This is a great single though. She's bad-ass. Dude rapping is Jesse West and he's great on here too. Produced by Easy Mo Bee. Not what I would expect from Motown in 1998. Now here's the question: She had one other single on Motown called *Extra, Extra* and on it it says that the single is from her forthcoming album *Tales From Fort Knox*. But Discogs and everywhere else has no info on an album. Did it ever come out? What happened?

g dep record is great, i would recommend shyne + black rob's records from that era too

*Babe Ruth* - *First Base* - What can I say? I want *Black Dog* and *The Mexican* played on a loop at my funeral.

I like Black Rob! But, yeah, I don't own any of his records.

*Wink* - *Are You There...(Size 9 Groove Mix)* - On a limited-edition Ovum 10-inch no less. Dude just strips his tune down to solid thump and I appreciate that. I dig thump. This gives good thump. To me, Josh was just the scraggly little dude riding his bike all over Philly. I would forget that he was revered in Japan or wherever. Someone pointed out Cash Money to me on the street years ago in Philly and I actually shivered a little. Dude is god.

lidel townsell also put out this record on mercury: http://www.discogs.com/release/69019

*Company Flow* - *Presents Little Johnny From The Hospitul* - Okay, I didn't just GET this album, I bought it when it came out, but it still manages to thrill me after all these years. Even after getting death threats from Def Jux fans and nasty e-mails from El-P himself. In fact, I was gonna put it up on ebay with a bunch of other stuff and I just couldn't do it! I like it too much. Just so cool. Beat heaven. Every beatnut should own a copy.

I'm gonna have to expand this thread to include everything i'm playing. not that anyone cares. otherwise i'll just get confused. fuck a bloghat.

*Eddie Henderson* - *Sunburst* - 1975 on Blue Note. Such a cool record. This record is all about Billy Hart and Harvey Mason's fat funky beats to me. So tight in places and then so inventive in others. These men put on a clinic. And I like the general post-Miles funk + jazz + prog/fusion vibe of the whole thing. Things gets spacey and then these dudes get down to work with some blasting solos. Eddie on trumpet and flugelhorn, George Duke working his mini-moog, Bennie Maupin in fine form, Julian Priester, Alphonso Johnson (nice!), Buster Williams on acoustic bass, and Bobby Hutcherson on marimbas!!! What a line-up!

I never could get into "Little Johnny", the beats are so cold. It's like hip-hop version of an Autechre record, just abstract and clinical sounds without any emotional content at all.

"Sunburst", however, is a great record. The one song that starts with radio noise, then fuses into a fuzzy bassline, and then the horns start to play the same riff is just lovely.

Yes! That song on *Sunburst* is amazing. And that intro is beyond cool.

I dunno, I actually hear a lot of emotion on Little Johnny. There is sadness on some of those tracks. Not on everything on the album, but I honestly hear that in some of the more dramatic pieces. It definitely involves me and sucks me in more than anything else those dudes ever did. And more than most of those heralded "beatscape" dudes like shadow, etc.

*Liszt* - *Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat* - *Leonard Bernstein - New York Philharmonic - Andre Watts, Piano* - The debut of Andre Watts! True, he doesn't have a mini-moog like George Duke, but he can play his ass off anyway! This is glorious. It makes boxing Ebay records up seem like some noble and triumphant task. Five stars!

*Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66* - *Crystal Illusions* - Wow! What a record. I just got a prisine original German pressing of this album and it's staggering. No wonder MFSL put out Sergio records. I swear you have never heard this album until you hear it like this. *Crystal Illusions(Memorias de Marta Sare)* is utter genius. Just epic. I think I had a religious experience listening to this just now. Wow!

"pristine" that should be.

Just got a ton more 12-inches too. I'll report back later.

Scott I should send you Zoltan Kocsis with Ivan Fischer doing the two Liszt concertos! It's my fave version of both right now.

SPK - Leichenshrei

Um, perfect. Brutal and creative early industrial. My onll\y question is HOW IN THE FUCK did they go from this to Machine Age Voodoo? Is there some obscure 7" series I'm missing out on?

this isn't your thread, jerky boy

:D

i have that SPK record. found it for a buck in a thrifshop and have seen it on the wall at Recycled on Haight for $50!

oh, snap. i misunderstood the idea of the thread. my bad! forget i was here ...

:[

did I frighten you out of the spk thread?

There should be nothing frightening or intimidating about a surgical penis klinik.

killah priest's heavy mental has some great stuff on it. b.i.b.l.e. is in the top 3 hip-hop songs of the 90s for me. and the title track is like whoah

suddenly, the soul becomes hot as coal
the flame blows from out my brain holes like a volcano
the brain begins to process as we start the conquest
from out the physical bondage, the thought launches,
voyaging 144 billion light years through the shadows of your imagination
now open your eyes do you see the flaming arrows aiming at pharoahs' inhibitions
as we begin racing like a sparrow through the narrow population
seeking purification, the destination is the holy land of bethlehem
I eat lamb with abraham and break bread with the son of man
so slowly hold these hands and stretch forth from the skies like a rubber band
as I begin to step, you above, the land out of the atmosphere
don't look back, why? cause we're almost there
just try to prepare and adapt to the air pressure
now we searching for the mental treasure - pleasure -
beyond the measure of yards
you can't comprehend to god or to distance between stars
pick up quasars inside the radar
as we're going far past any astronaut
moving so fast in this aircraft
everything we pass get hot from the take-off
the blast turns glass into rocks
at last my supreme task was to no longer walk on green grass
till I become a beam of gas
and travel through extreme draft
unable to be picked up through cable
out of the reach of all manner of sky examiners, heaven scanners,
giant antennas, high tech space cameras
or evidence in any cemetry or obituary
not found in any library or dictionary or encyclopedia or media
I'm in star mode with the discipline of dahmo I broke the U.S. bar code
now I'm on Allah's road to journey, into the realms of the cosmos
where only god knows or goes, blow like a UFO
to give up my work clothes, only to glow with a holy robe
and explode through the mysterious black holes
deep warp the outer zone, without a phone, to the unknown
to sit on my throne alone

I feel myself getting older, sitting on my sofa
in the position like yoga, till my mind passes over
the solar system, my wisdom nova, I am the controller
I begin to loosen up my shoulders forming each joint
into the sun's 8 points, then I begin to rise like helium
escape in the milleniumm, two thousand meditating
to the soft note of a violin
I've been on mars, building the holy synagogue for the royal seminars
long before they had the renaissance there existed a hebrew lodge
(heavy mental)
a phenomenon from out of the matrix
the world looks at me with envy and hatred
just because I appear to them half naked
rising into a spaceship
with an armful of solid gold bracelets

God damn you it does look great on paper. I may have to try yet again.

there's another great song on heavy mental that's on the ghost dog soundtrack. but I know what you mean, it's a weird one - listening to the whole album's a chore. there's a lot of filler and the high points are kind of subtle, they don't jump out at you.

Oops I think I deleted it a few months ago in an HD-clearing fit. O well.

we came from the atmosphere
the physical trapped us here
then they gave us crack and beer

i haven't given killah priest's new one a listen yet but that "Gun For Gun" track with Nas ain't too bad

*Tear Da Club Up Thugs* - *Hypnotize Cash Money* - Juvenile and B.G. are on this, so all is good. But the actual thugs in question don't impress that much on this track. I might actually prefer the instrumental.

*Qkumba Zoo* - *I'm Scared, You're Scared(Cloud Eyes)(Junior's Main Club Mix)* - Never let it be said that a nine minute Junior Vasquez tribal house remix of a tune by a 90's South African dance act can't go with your morning coffee. Because it can! I like this. *Qkumba Zoo's* vocalist has more of an arty new wave thing going than a house thing. I dig the *Tribal Beats* track too. I'm itching to make an instrumental mix. A house mix. A rap mix. With the occasional acappella track thrown in.

*Anticapella* - *2√231* - Do people still play this stuff anywhere? Maybe clubs for old people. Old Italians. This is most definitely an "anthem". And apparently it was a big dance hit, but I don't remember it. Italo-house banger! hahaha, I dig it. It's so big and fat.

*DJ Hurricane* - *The Life* - With Kool G Rap, Papoose, & Jinx. And featuring Money Mark, in case those other people weren't enough. This is actually the b-side to Hurricane's *Connect* single. I never paid attention to the album this is on. This is a nice track though. The instrumental track is suitably fffffffffffat. I just checked and the album has a track with Adrock and Black Thought on it? Battling? Oof. I dunno about that. And Scott Weiland is on the album too? Oh my. Otherwise, it looks like it might have some good stuff on it.

*The Last Emperor* - *Secret Wars(Prince Paul Mix)* - I've never heard The Last Emperor before. And he's from Philly, so I feel a little bad about that. He's annoying me. But meanwhile the music is great. And I think I'll just skip to the instrumental. This is a single from MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch album and the other side has Xzibit on it. Oh yeah, this is more like it. The instro is awesome. Definitely worth a dollar if you see this anywhere.

*L.A. Mix* - *Don't Stop(Jammin')* - Classic house from Les Adams. What I love on this copy from BCM is the "Brutal Remix". I've never heard it before. Lotsa samples. Newbeat lovers would love it. The original version is still fuckin' hot though. I could listen to this all day. It's one of those songs that just displays endless invention. it keeps getting better and better as it goes along. And it keeps changing.

*50 Cent* - *How To Rob* - Featuring The Madd Rapper. Okay, I'll admit, I've been known to hate on fiddy, but I dig this a bunch. Maybe it's cuz The Madd Rapper lightens things up. But even fiddy is pretty damn funny on here. And the track is hotttttt too.

*Loose* - *Gunz* - All I know is he was friends with DMX. Other than that, I don't know nothing about Loose. And now I know why.

*Eddie Griffin* - *Hot Laugh Joints* - Hahahahahahaha! Promo sampler of Eddie's album including *This Is For The Riders* the song he did with Master P. Comedy gold.

It's rare that there is a news story about hot beats from my hometown, but here you go:

DANBURY, Conn. - A musician and a family member both contracted a non-contagious form of anthrax, apparently from imported animal skins used to make drums, officials said Wednesday.

Mayor Mark Boughton described one of the individuals as a renowned African drummer and drummaker who stored untanned animal hides obtained from areas of the world where anthrax is common.

A spokesman for the state Department of Public Health, Bill Gerrish, said a second member of the same family also had the disease. Both apparently had the cutaneous form of anthrax, which is not contagious and can usually be treated with antibiotics.

*The Real Roxanne* - *Roxanne's On A Roll* - From 1989. Beyond great. The whole thing. Jam Master Jay and the L.A. Posse on the hip-hop end and Omar Santana, my lord and saviour, on the house/edit/remix end. The best of all possible worlds.

*Daisy Dee* - *Crazy* - From 1991. I dig this because it reminds me of some of my fave hiphouse tracks by monie love and the wee papa girls. And the beats are way tight. The "Nasty" mix especially is really cool. Super-speedy techhouse vibe. No Monie Love hearts and flowers here. I'm not a Ya Kid K hater or anything, but this is just way more intense than most of the endless wave of commercial newbeathiphouse insanity that devoured nations whole.

I think the Last Emperor has a (or at least one) RZA produced 12" somewhere and it's really good (the a-side to the Kardinal Offishal remix of "Click Click", I think.)

*Thirstin' Howl III* - *The Polorican* - This is great! Great beat. Funny rhymes. Um, yeah. I just like it. The other side has *Money Stretch* by Lil' Zane on it and I like that too. This is from 2000. Just a good rap single all around.

*Blood Of Abraham* - *Velvet Glove Iron Fist* - This is kinda horrible. Lame beat. "Moody" atmospherics. Linkin Park level rapping. I don't think I even want to hear the b-side that features WILL.i.am. From 1999.

*Tuff Crew* - *She Rides The Pony* - Thank god I have some Tuff Crew on deck to wipe the taste of bad rap out of my mouth. Just in case you didn't know, Tuff Crew were one of the greatest rap groups in the history of the universe and everything they ever did is gold gold gold.

this is one of my fave albums ever:

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FNGDF59HL._SS400_.jpg

and i didn't know it was on cd! get it. even if it's on cd.

(Phanjam is actually Tuff Crew + Krown Rulers, but Krown Rulers ruled too, so it's all good.)

*Tyree* - *Nation Of Hip House* - I forgot I played this too. An entire ALBUM of hip house on the D.J. International label from 1989. The rapping on this is pretty horrible, even by hip house standards, but Tyree certainly knew how to make house music. And then some. So, all is not lost.

*Two Without Hats* - *The Breeze* - Superior house music on Micmac. Especially when things really get going and you are treated to yaz, new order, AND peech boys samples at the same time. Two Without Hats were the freestyling brothers Danny & Victor Vargas.

*The Temple of Hiphop(featuring Thor-El) - *Patiently* - Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! No. No. Abort! Abort! Blah. Ptooey! Oh well, can't win them all.

*Basicx* - *Burning Down The House* - I don't know who Robert Vazquez is, or was, but this is very cool electrohouse stuff by way of City Heat Records in Miami. From 1989. Someone should tell Discogs that they spell his name wrong for this release and it's not included in the discography of his other stuff under his actual name. I would, but i'm lazy.

*The Lox* - *Fuck You* - My new theme song!

yo everybodys a snake
thats why i try to keep the grass cut
so i can see em when they comin
then i heat they ass up

that is a great line.

*Style* - *What A Brother Know* - On Select from 1990. And I am in love with this. So cool. Even the "Midnight Mix" is beyond cool. The synthpulse is hypnotic. If they had an entire album I want it yesterday. Oh, er, this is a rap single. Just in case you have never heard of Style.

Brief metal break here as I try to make sense of the onslaught from the mailbox. And, no, I didn’t get the new Onslaught in the mail. Metal, like rap, is a minute by minute, um, game of inches. You gotta keep your eye on the ball. It ain’t over until it’s over. And so on. Anyway, like I said, briefly:

*Atavist* - *II-Ruined* - I agree with Adrien, Profound Lore is on a serious roll. Of course, he HAS to say that, he lives in Canada! It’s all a part of being a good citizen. But I do agree. One quality slow motion suicide after another. The Atavist is hardly my favorite album of the year, or even the month, but it’s solid sludge/doom made with admirable conviction and gnashing of teeth.

*Procer Venificus* - *A Summerhaze Array for August Nights* - This is, without a doubt, my jam. I was sooooooooooooooo looking forward to this. Ever since I heard the last Procer album! It was well worth the wait. This is a joint release between my favorite American metal label God Is Myth and the very cool Ars Magna Recordings label. Two CDs in a handsome box that comes with one small leaf and a plastic bag containing incense. Sandlewood, I think! Mmmmm, smells lovely. The first disc, Duskworlds, is a mix of acoustic and electric material. The electric stuff is faraway and echoey black metal where the shrieks come as whispers and the guitars transfix and hypnotize. So beautiful. The second disc, Lunar Transit, is completely ambient. Like, REALLY ambient. So slow and quiet and majestic. The loudest thing on this disc is the sounds of the crickets and birdsong. If you only buy one pagan folk bm ambient masterpiece this year, make it this one.

*Freedom Call* - *Dimensions* - “If you ask Freedom Call fans about the outstanding characteristics of their favorite band, they tend to list two main qualities: melodic and up-tempo.” And there you have it. That about sums up Freedom Call’s German ridonku-metal. I like this album. Especially when I set my computer’s AC97 Audio Configuration Sound Effect program to “stone corridor” or “quarry” or “padded cell” when I’m playing it. ENDLESS fun, I tell you.

*Amplified Heat* - *How Do You Like The Sound Of That* - I really like this band. They aren’t really “metal”. More stoner/60’s/hard/bluesrock. But they are definitely heavy. They used to be known as Blues Condition. They are from Texas. They are three brothers. Jim, Chris, & Gian Ortiz. I think I still like their last EP on Arclight more than this, their new full-length. But this album is growing on me in a big way. They do the ye olde boogie rock routine, but it sounds fresh. The guitar solos are invigorating. I would LOVE to see them live. They are that kind of band. The song “Through And Through” has some of the best screaming psych guitars on it that I’ve heard in a long long time.

*Exterminance* - *Vomiting The Trinity* - Big booboo number one for this band is directing people to their website in the CD booklet and having the (incorrect) address be the same as a white power site that has nothing to do with the band. Well, not that white power people might not like this band. They might. Although white power people are hardcore xian, no? So maybe they wouldn’t like this band. Anyhoo, I like this band. Hardcore underground death & destruction. This is all old stuff. Demo stuff. Unreleased stuff.

*Vreid* - *I Krig* - Okay, the black & roll express is getting seriously out of hand. And, of course, I am talking about the blatant and copious use of COWBELLS on Vreid’s album. Extra-grim Lynyrd Skynyrd covers can’t be far behind. (Having said that, this album is pretty cool)

*Hearse* - *In These Veins* - Sweet and speedy death & roll here. But no cowbells! If you buy only one Swedish death & roll album produced by Dan Swano this year…Well, alright, you don’t really have to buy this album. But it’s very fine stuff. Sad to say, this is way better than the new Entombed album. And they invented this kind of stuff. Although Hearse add a dash of unified thrash attack on this album just to keep things interesting, so it’s not JUST motorhead + death metal, ya dig?

*Gentlemans Pistols* - S/T – 70’s hard rock retro stuff from the U.K. More boogified at times than the more formal Witchcraft, GP still kick up some dust. I guess. I don’t know, I’m just a sucker for this stuff. They’re good at it! They’ve got some Free in them, some Deep Purple. Really, what’s not to like? And they are suitably straight-faced about it. You gotta sell this shit, you know?

*Tulus* - Biography Obscene* - These dudes are first-wave Norwegian bm who went away and became Khold and now they are back as Tulus. Which is cool. They are talented dudes. They mix up their bm with acoustic guitar, violin, cello, etc. Sounds nice. Their riffs are compelling enough. I need to listen more. I think this might grow on me. Or not. There might just be a little TOO much violin action at times…

*Mehida* - *Blood & Water* - This is kind of a nightmare. AOR Eye Of The Tiger-metal that is way over the top. And I often don’t have a problem with the style at all, but it has to hit me right off the bat and this doesn’t. There are even occasional beats on here! It’s pretty tiresome.

*In Battle* - *Kingdom Of Fear* - Porn, comic books, horror movies, metal albums. They all share similar characteristics and appeal to people (men people, mostly) in similar ways. They are shiny new toys with colorful and alluring cover-art that appear with frightening regularity at a store near you. They all prey on the collect/hoard mentality. The gotta catch ‘em all mentality. They offer the same old same old in an infinite number of same old same old permutations. People feel a need to “defend” them. What people are often defending is their own lethargy, ennui, and monkey-like impulse to be turned on time and time again by lurid imagery, fantastic fantasy situations, and quickly-dissipated visions of world supremacy in a world that they might not actually be trapped in, but that they certainly had next to no hand in making. I LOVE the new In Battle album.

*Knights Of The Abyss* - *Juggernaut* - After a promising intro, this just devolves into breakdown-heavy metalcore. And not the good kind. I don’t need this in my life. Blah.

*Gorefest* - *Rise To Ruin* - But I DO need Dutch death legends Gorefest in my life. I never actually heard their 2004 comeback album - I heard it was good - but this is awesome. Tons of energy, four million cool riffs, and circa 1987 guitar solos that do all sorts of crazy things. Love this.

*NecroMessiah* - *Antiklerical Terroristik Death Squad* - When your first demo tape is titled “ In nomine dues quad ecclesias igne absumor” the only place left to go is down…TO HELL! Highly efficient Pope-fucking metal.

*October Falls* - *The Streams Of The End* - Epic raindrop-metal with acoustic interludes. Possible tree-huggers.

*Sodom* - *The Final Sign Of Evil* - I love Sodom. Talk about troo! This is a re-recording of their first EP and lots of bonus tracks. And this is the original line-up too! Tom Angelripper, Grave Violator, & Chris Witchhunter. 2007 is a magical year.

That’s it for now. Tomorrow I actually have to write reviews of 14 albums put out by a small Estonian metal label and some other stuff for Decibel.

But watch this space. More hip house and house music remix reviews coming soon!

*James Brown* - *The Payback Mix* - This is dope! From 1986. It isn't really James Brown. I mean, it is, but it's just funky drumming remix action of James Brown samples. This originally came on a Casablanca dance music comp. Or so it says on the cover of this 12-inch. The Coldcut mix manages to cram every conceivable James Brown sample - vocal, horn, drum - into its five minutes. The Norman Cook mix is also pretty good. Love the funky drummer loop bonus beat action too!

*Hong Kong Trash* - *Skuzzlebutt* - This is very cool. Tech house, I guess you'd call it. This is on Glow Records from 1998. I don't know anything about Hong Kong Trash. I just like the busy vibe. And the weird noises. I'm easy.

nice bloggin'!

i have this classic philly comp with some tuff crew (my parta town) and krown rulers (kick the ball) on it...that's a great album if you can find it on CD, it was called classic material: philadelphia....

Vried, Hearse, and Gentleman's Pistols have sounded okay to me so far, but I haven't had time to play them much -- There's not enough hours in the week to keep up with metal stuff I get anymore!

Didn't like Gorefest or Exterminance or Knights of the Abyss, I don't think (I didn't take notes).

Didn't play Freedom Call or Sodom yet. I think they are still in my "will play these sooner or later" pile though.

I can't find my copy of Mehida, and from descriptions by George (who liked it) and you (who didn't), it sounds like something I might like! Oh well.

Metal in my CD changer now: Witchcraft, Warfare, Agua De Annique. (Non-metal there: Gary Allan, Bobby Bowens.) (Well actually, Gary Allan might be more metal than Agua De Annique* by now, but never mind.)

* = Anneke Van Giersbergen from the Gathering's new combo, but Scott already knows that!

"nice bloggin'!"

i actually do have a blog, but I never post on it. There is something about the blogger/blogspot "look" that makes me never want to go there. I find ILX to be the one place where I feel comfortable writing stuff for fun. I don't even write e-mails. And I rarely write on my own. Unless its for money.

hey, in case some people who might care didn't see my filthy 50 list in Decibel's stoner rock issue, you can look at it online. but not with the cool album covers. i got a little grief from the nitpickers at stonerrock.com and the southern lord board, but not to much. it's just stuff that i like. decibel actually added the word "masterpieces" to it. i just wanted to give a shout-out to stuff i love. i wouldn't be capable of making a list of the "most obscure" 70's hard rock albums anyway. i haven't heard most of them! i figured it was a good bet that most decibel readers hadn't heard a lot of the stuff i did list. thus, they are obscure to them! but not obscure to freaks and recordheadz.

http://decibelmagazine.com/features_detail.aspx?id=8926&terms=scott+seward&searchtype=2&fragment=True

Baby Elephant's Turn My Teeth Up! Out Sept. 15. Prince Paul and Bernie Worrell, with guests George Clinton, Davind Byrne, Yellowman, Shock G, Nona Hendryx ("Alright, where you been, how you doin Nona?" "Fine." "I know you're fine, but how you doin?!" This is not on the album.There are skits, though.) Also: DJ Roc Raida, Reggie Watts, Gabby La La, etc etc. So far I like tracks 8, 10, 13, 15 16 the most, others to some extent. (So far I)kinda prefer Bernie's own Funk Of Ages, incl covers of Sun Ra and J.S.Bach (covers might help here).