[>NF<] Noobs Forever Game Servers - Forums

THE DURUTTI COLUMN - The Return Of The Durutti Column (1980).

PARADISE LOST - Icon (1993).

"They betray, uphold the law, accuse the future!"

MILTON NASCIMENTO - Geraes (1976).

"Você me quer forte, e eu não sou forte mais."

LEONARD COHEN - Songs Of Love And Hate (1971).

"I stepped into an avalanche... it covered up my soul."

Sorry by being fag and all, but I'm listening to Pink Floyd's Ummagumma.

Listening to Nine Inch Nails' "The Downward Spiral"

So, my favorite band of all time, URIAH HEEP, released their new album, Into The Wild, a few months ago. From their extensive discography (this is their 23rd studio album), I guess their last album I digged was 1982's Abominog, and not that much. It was OK but nothing compared to their real classics: most albums from their first and most important phase with legendary vocalist David Byron (Look At Yourself, Demons And Wizards, The Magician's Birthday and Return To Fantasy, to name a few), and the great trio of albums with former Lucifer's Friend's vocalist John Lawton (Firefly, Innocent Victim and Fallen Angel). I could never quite bring myself to sympathize with current vocalist Bernie Shaw, who's been with the band since 1995, although he is a great singer technically.

But then, I just had to check out their new release, and PORRA!!! These guys, who are old enough to be parents or grandparents to anyone here under 40 or so, managed to pull out an album that, like the opening track says, hits the NAIL ON THE HEAD! All of the band's trademark sound - a mix of progressive rock with hard arena rock with melodic metal - is back in all its classic magnificence, and the songs will stick to your head from the very first time you listen to them. Bernie Shaw delivers a vocal work which is on par with the very best from his predecessors, and the whole band displays a kind of vibrant energy that's missing from most contemporary disposable commercial musical trash. If you listen to a song like "Trail Of Diamonds" and the music and lyrics don't send a chill down your spine, then, my friend, you're already dead and someone forgot to tell you.

On a very negative note, this album has just been released and already needs a proper remastering badly, since it features some of the most horribly extreme loudness war mastering I've ever seen (or heard). The album has been mastered so loud that it's uncomfortable to listen to without bringing the volume way down, which kills much of its power. The morons who mastered this should indeed get a real nail in their heads so they won't commit any more technical atrocities.

The Sacred Emperor wants to see this album getting the attention it deserves and so He commands you: BUY THIS CD NOW !!!



URIAH HEEP - Into The Wild (2011).

"Then the dream, it turned so slowly, like a dream within a dream... She appeared to me so ghostly, and she kissed me with a smile!"





Uriah Heep's Official Website

U2 - Achtung Baby (1991).

"Well you stole it, 'cause I needed the cash, and you killed it, 'cause I wanted revenge."

FRANÇOISE HARDY - La Question (1971).

"Tu est le sang de ma blessure
Tu est le feu de ma brûlure
Tu est ma question sans réponse
Mon cris muet et mon silence."

PINK FLOYD - Wish You Were Here (1975).

"Welcome, my son! Welcome to the machine!"

That's the soundtrack of my Favela:

Qu4s3M4Ch0 Seu Badernista

HEART - Heart (1985) / Wikipedia.

"If looks could kill
You'd be reeling from the pain
And you'd never lie again
If looks could kill!"

The MFSL UDCD 597 1994 edition is the definitive CD edition of this album, but unfortunately it's out of print (but can be found in lossless formats on the net with a little effort). Steer away from compilations like These Dreams - Greatest Hits (1997), in which some moron in charge of mastering decided to swap the stereo channels on If Looks Could Kill (this is specially noticeable with the guitars). The Japanese Capitol edition (probably the same master used in the Capitol editions currently available in other countries) is passable, although horribly compressed in the best loudness war style.

CAMEL - Harbour Of Tears (1996).

"When you sail from the Harbour, it's your last eyes of Ireland."

JUDAS PRIEST - Stained Class (1978).

"Stand by for Exciter - salvation is his task!
Stand by for Exciter!
Here it comes now...
Fall to your knees and repent if you please!"

As always, avoid the remastered CD editions.

RENAISSANCE - Ashes Are Burning (1973) / Prog Archives.

"Can you understand? You can really understand?
When the darkness comes you still shine
Open up your eyes and make the day shine sunshine now
Open up your dreams and make the way shine sunshine now
Can you understand, you understand?
Can you understand, you understand?
Open up your life and make your lifetime sunshine now
Open up your soul and make your lifeline sunshine now
Can you understand, you understand?
Can you understand, you understand?"

DEICIDE - Deicide (1990).

"Suicide sacrifice
Destruction of holy life
Blood of unholy knife
Satan I sacrifice!"

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE - Sleeps With Angels (1994).

"When dreams come crashing down like trees
I don't know what love can do...
When life is hanging in the breeze
I don't know what love can do..."

(Original LP cover / CD edition cover)

MIKE OLDFIELD - Ommadawn (1975) / Wikipedia.

Mike Oldfield's third album, Ommadawn, is both his masterpiece and The Sacred Emperor's all time favorite record. If you have't listened to Ommadawn at least once in your lifetime, you haven't lived at all.

IMPORTANT: in 2010, Mike Oldfield released new editions of some of his classic albums like Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn with new, HORRIBLE mixes, and in the case of Hergest Ridge (and also the 2011 Incantations re-release), completely different cover art. I can't say if old Mikey has finally gone insane or is desperately in need of some money in order to deface his quintessential works like he did, but he lost all my respect and should definitely retire. CD's with the original mixes are included in the 2010 "deluxe" editions, but the 2010 "non deluxe" editions feature ONLY the new mixes. The 2011 remastered edition of Incantations has a glitch in the fourth track, as described here. If you're interested in getting to know Mike Oldfield's classic works, stay away from these appalling re-releases and stick to the original versions of his albums.

You should check out this new artist, Justin Messina!!!