Forrest Gump OMPS, Grim Skunk, Indigo Girls, Megadeth, Subtle

Alright! Well, over the past 5 days I’ve given you 50 albums that are fanastic for late night listening, and I know there are a zillion others. I like making lists like that, fun times! So what else has been in my ears lately?

Megadeth – Greatest Hits: Back To The Start

Incredible playing, really really satisfying metal riffs, and packed to the tits with hits. A one-stop shop if you want Megadeth but don’t want to have to buy the whole discography. I’m still not sold on Mustaine’s vocals, but no matter. Super-cool tunes.

Subtle – For Hero: For Fool

However many times I play this CD, I still find things I hadn’t heard before. Weird, experimental, and he raps at super-high speeds. I’ll admit, at first I didn’t like it. But repeat listens make it worthwhile now. It’s full of effects, crazy bits all over the place. Fun!

Grimskunk – Fires Under The Road

An album chock full of punk metal rock riffs. This would make great barroom rock. Being from Québec, of course there’s a little politics on board, like America Sucks, or Vive le Québec libre (sung en français, no less), but never mind. Just throw it in, turn it up, and get your freakin’ rock on. This sounds great to me.

Indigo Girls – Indigo Girls

What a debut! I love Indigo Girls, as do we all, surely, and this one is fantastic. Closer To Fine! Damn, what an album opener. But this whole thing is brimming with hooks, guitar bliss and those wonderful harmonies. This is from 1989, but it sounds timeless, born of that folk tradition that always just is.

Various – Forrest Gump OST/OMPS/Soundtrack

If ever there was a movie in the 90s that was huge on story but still dominated by music, it’s this one. And this soundtrack blows the mind, excellent song selections melded indelibly with scenes and events. We saw this film in the theaters, and when it was done and we were enthusing about the songs and how they fit so well, my Dad said “there was music?” Yes, Dad, there was music. Haha.

Back To The Start

For Hero: For Fool

Fires Under The Road

Indigo Girls

Forrest Gump

Megadeth – Rust In Peace

So, this is post 1001. Hey Stephen, is this album in the 1001? That would be awesome coincidence.

I got this for $2, in pristine shape, in our local thrift shop. Seriously, who just tosses this disc into a donation bin? Anyway, their loss, my gain.

Up to this point, all I owned was the Hits set called Back To The Start. It’s pretty great (though my issue remains, see below). So of course, as soon as I plugged in this disc, I knew Holy Wars… The Punishment Due and Hangar 18 straight away. And holy fuck, those two songs are career-makers, right there. Absolute monsters.

The rest of the disc is, honestly, more of the same. You know what you’re getting when you buy Megadeth, right? If you don’t, it’s probably not your thing. Break-neck pacing, blistering guitars, nimbly punishing bass, pounding drums. Thrash! Think the first four Metallica albums only, well, not them. Still. Big 4. Hell yeah. But every track here fits that mould and rarely deviates, though Dawn Patrol is a slower departure.

I had this album on while I worked away here in the basement, and I have to be honest. It kicks all kinds of ass, musically. It really does. But all of the songs sort of blended together. If there were no breaks between the tracks, one could be forgiven for thinking it was all one big long, angry song. That’s not a bad thing. Musically, this is some really stellar metal. The guitars alone will melt your brain. Still, though, I have no idea what he was yelling about, for most of it. I wasn’t even trying to pay attention to the words at all.

And now we reach my one issue with Megadeth. I can’t stand Dave Mustaine’s vocals. For fuck sakes, everytime he comes in to yelp, I cringe. He’s so nasal, so whiny-sounding, the very last thing I think when I hear him “sing” is ‘evil’ or ‘menacing.’ At all. Frankly, it’s comical. Now, this is not to say I could do any better. I know for damn sure I couldn’t. But it does damage the listening experience.

And look, I’m sure this is some classic album of the genre and I just don’t ‘get it.’ I can live with that, I calls ’em as I hears ’em. And believe me, I get half of it completely – the music part.

So yeah. Megadeth. Fantastic music better left as instrumentals.

The Big Four (Disc One)

Just back from my buddy’s place, where we watched the entirety of the first disc of the Big Four concert in Bulgaria. Wow, what a show. The blu-ray is gorgeous, by the way. And what a lot of hair! My goodness, boys.

Anthrax pretty much had the deck stacked against them: opening act, full daylight, not yet a full crowd… but they ripped out a blistering set of their metal and punk hybrid sound that was really something to see (and hear) – and they were clearly having a blast doing it, too. Good on ’em. That’s how it should be done, kids.

I’ve never much cared for Megadeth – I don’t dislike them at all, just never really sought them out… I have no good reason why. Weak, I know. Well, this set was proof that I probably should have been paying attention all along. Note-perfect renditions and jaw-dropping guitar work, all while it poured rain on the fans. Mustaine looks like he’s in pain when he sings (and the vocals could have been higher in the mix to compensate for his less-than-loud delivery), but the band was on fire at this gig. Damn.

And Slayer? Sorry… SLAYER! Well, what’s to be said? They did their thing, and it was loud and fast and I loved every minute of it. Even though it probably wasn’t their greatest live performance, it still kicked the ass of most other bands you could name. It was weird seeing them in daylight… they really should be in the dark, right? Of course. The highlight, for me, was Lombardo – that double bass drum work is absolutely crisp and punishing, and the man can play way better than you can even dream of dreaming you ever could play. Hot damn.

We’ve made verbal plans to throw in disc two (Metallica) at some point in the near future. I’m sure you’ll hear about it, after we do.