365 Albums In One Year

177/365
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Lonesome Crow - Scorpions
Format: CD/Digital

I'm Goin' Mad - A very different style of Scorpions is found on their very, Schenker displays some promising guitarwork on this song, nice bass and precussion work on the song. Klaus' vocals are subdued, with a spoken word section, a very odd track with some good guitar work, Klaus' outro screams are nice - 7/10

It All Depends - Klaus sings more regularily on the second track, his distinct voice from the late 70s and 80s isn't as distinct here. Nice guitar work again from Schenker albeit so different from his later work - 8/10

Leave Me - Blowing winds open the next track, more of the same comments here as the previous two tracks, the band while very different sounding than later Scorpions is very tight but Klaus is so underutilized - 7.5/10

In Search Of The Peace Of Mind - A calm ballad, not nearly as amazing as the ones which will come later but a step in the right direction - 8.5/10

Inheritance - Beautiful guitar work from Schenker on this track, Klaus while underutilized isn't missed too much due to the band doing a really good job with the instrumentation on this track. Still nothing compares to their later work - 7.5/10

Action - Klaus comes in more prominently again on this track, a slower track but at the same time feels upbeat. An okay track - 7/10

Lonesome Crow - The long sprawling title track closes off the album, encompassing around 1/3rd of the album's length, dynamic with some varying styles throughout, I just wish Klaus had some better vocal preformances because this track has the potential to be amazing - 7.5/10

Overall 75%
 
178/365
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The Song Remains The Same - Led Zeppelin
Format: Vinyl

Initial Thoughts: A hits filled set, however it is known for having dropped monstrous tracks such as Since I've Been Loving You, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, while keeping tracks I feel are weaker like Moby dick and Celebration day. However as a whole a great set on the original but even better on the full resissue - 8/10

Rock And Roll - A roaring opener to the concert, Rock and Roll is elevated greatly in the live setting compared to the studio. My enjoyment of this track which I feel was overrated from the studio version is surprising - 9/10

Celebration Day - Continuing on the train of elevating tracks which I wasn't a huge fan of, the band delivers a ripping rendition of Celebration day, transitioning straight from Rock And Roll the band does another great job showing why they were such a great live band - 9/10

The Song Remains The Same - The opener from the bands masterpiece 5th album, a great performance, Robert manages to sing the high notes throughout - 9/10

The Rain Song - The calm masterpiece the Rain song comes in, it loses a little in the live performance but the live setting amplifies it in other ways, overall the song remains incredible. - 10/10

Dazed And Confused - Side two is encompassed by a massive drawn out version of Dazed And Confused, slower at the beginning before erupting into a massive guitar solo, quite honestly this is far too drawn out, Page's immense talent is his downfall on this track, I'd rather these little solos be divided up among the rest of the tracks as smaller extended solos instead of all in the one massive helping - 7.5/10

No Quarter - Side 3 begins with the haunting No Quarter, John Paul Jones masterpiece, the piano of this track's intro made all the hair on my arms stand up straight. Another extended song, with piano solos and overall when the song itself is played the song is great when it is being extended too far it isn't quite on par. Not nearly as boring as Dazed And Confused. - 8/10

Stairway To Heaven - Stairway signals a return to the simple art of sticking to the studio version, incredibly powerful and Robert is on fire for the entire song. The musicianship of Zeppelin is unreal - 10/10

Moby Dick - Another extended song, as I've said before I don't like instrumentals, drum solos worst of all. Extended intro with the band before Bonzo does his thing. - 7/10

Whole Lotta Love - The final song is the bands classic opener from their 2nd album, an extended track once more however this one stays closer to the formula of the album. A strong performance from the whole band. - 8.5/10

Flow - The overall flow from song to song was excellent but the extensions made the album a little tiresome at times, It may have been better to shorten the extensions and add in another song or two... - 8/10

Closing Thoughts - Amazing performance and despite the indulgence the band was unreal throughout - 9/10

Overall 86%
 
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Album 109/365

1. I Don't Know - Talk about making a good first impression. An absolutely ripping song lead by the OzzMeister and his trusty sidekick and guitar legend Randy Rhoads. It's a great song, a scorching way to open up the record. 10/10
2. Crazy Train - And we follow it up with the immortal classic, a monster hit for OzzMan, a pure metal number with some pop leanings to boost up its effect. That riff blew my mind the first time I heard it, and it's still great all these years later. 10/10
3. Goodbye To Romance - A very solid ballad track. Ozzy does a good job here and Randy's more acoustic attempts here are pretty good. Just not as good as the previous two, but as far as album flow is concerned, it works well here. 8/10
4. Dee - A very nice little acoustic interlude. I dig it. 9/10
5. Suicide Solution - Love the riff in this one. The song as a whole is pretty great, but I wouldn't quite put it up there with "I Don't Know" and "Crazy Train". I think the controversy overshadows it a bit. But it's still a great song all the same. 9/10
6. Mr. Crowley - But this one is definitely on that level, in fact it's even better than "Crazy Train". I love the organ intro, Ozzy's sinister verses, and Randy's two amazing guitar solos. Great, great song. 10/10
7. No Bone Movies - I dunno what the general consensus of this song is among OzzFans, but to me it feels a bit like "Gangland" on TNOTB. It isn't a terrible song, but it's lackluster compared to previous fare. The outro also goes on for too long. 6/10
8. Revelation (Mother Earth) - I love the guitar solo at the end of the song, but the rest is only okay. It's a solid song, but it doesn't stand out as well as others on here. Better than the previous one though. 7/10
9. Steal Away (The Night) - And we end with a good rock'n'roll song. Nothing more than that, but hey, it's decent. 7/10

Pretty good debut from Ozzy. A lot of good songs (some better than others), and three absolute monsters within. Randy is really the star of the shoe here, but Ozzy does a good job at using his limited vocals to full effect. Pretty strong stuff!

Rating: 84%
 
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Album 110/365

1. Moonshield - Whoa, this is the "melodic death metal" I've been looking for. I love that acoustic opening we get and I was pleasantly surprised to hear how actually melodic the riff was. The vocalist here is pretty typical Gothenburg fare, but that's hardly a bad thing. The song has a very folk-y vibe that I quite enjoy. Let's see if it gets even better with the rest of the record. 9/10
2. The Jester's Dance - Oh hell yes. This instrumental is amazing. I love the distortionless guitar pieces, and the way it moves into heavy territory is awesome. Some of the melody here feels akin to Maiden, only heavier. Great song. 10/10
3. Artifacts Of The Black Rain - And this one keeps up that atmosphere very well, with the heavy riff punching to the listener, coupled with great vocals and lyrics. The chorus is great too. Awesome song. 10/10
4. Graveland - I love the atmosphere and lyrics to this one, but the beating music doesn't quite grab me as much as it did the previous song. Still, it's pretty great and I dig the chorus a lot. 9/10
5. Lord Hypnos - This song doesn't quite grip me as much as its predecessors. I'm digging the atmosphere again, and I liked the middle section, but it doesn't quite go over the top for me. I must say though that the vocals on this album are really awesome, full of passion and emotion and I'm loving them. 8/10
6. Dead Eternity - This one was pretty great. Gradually building up to a frantic, slaughtering song, but I think the outro went on a bit too long for me taste. Still great though. 9/10
7. The Jester Race - Exactly what I wanted from the title track. Scorching lyricism, fantastic vocals, crushing guitars, and otherwise much awesome etc. Great song. 10/10
8. December Flower - And this one is awesome as well. Heavy as fuck, ripping right across the listener, great lyrics, and I love those harmonized guitars that make an appearance here and there. Another great song. 10/10
9. Wayfaerer - Hmm, this is a bit of a departure from the general sound of the album, and I don't think I like it as much. The opening was good, but the rest seems almost too happy for my taste. Definitely the weakest link so far, but I guess it's solid enough. Would probably fit better if this was, say, a Nightwish record. 7/10
10. Dead God In Me - Solid way to close off the album, but this one was probably the weakest song on the whole thing. Just didn't pack the same punch that most of these did. Doesn't really diminish the record much in my eyes, but I wish that it was stronger. 7/10

So this was way better than I expected. The final two songs were a bit weaker but as a whole the songs on here were at least good and most of them were great. I loved the atmosphere throughout, all the melodies, the vocals were awesome, it's a very strong record. I dig it.

Rating: 89%
 
Diesel 11 said:
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Album 110/365

1. Moonshield - Whoa, this is the "melodic death metal" I've been looking for. I love that acoustic opening we get and I was pleasantly surprised to hear how actually melodic the riff was. The vocalist here is pretty typical Gothenburg fare, but that's hardly a bad thing. The song has a very folk-y vibe that I quite enjoy. Let's see if it gets even better with the rest of the record. 9/10
2. The Jester's Dance - Oh hell yes. This instrumental is amazing. I love the distortionless guitar pieces, and the way it moves into heavy territory is awesome. Some of the melody here feels akin to Maiden, only heavier. Great song. 10/10
3. Artifacts Of The Black Rain - And this one keeps up that atmosphere very well, with the heavy riff punching to the listener, coupled with great vocals and lyrics. The chorus is great too. Awesome song. 10/10
4. Graveland - I love the atmosphere and lyrics to this one, but the beating music doesn't quite grab me as much as it did the previous song. Still, it's pretty great and I dig the chorus a lot. 9/10
5. Lord Hypnos - This song doesn't quite grip me as much as its predecessors. I'm digging the atmosphere again, and I liked the middle section, but it doesn't quite go over the top for me. I must say though that the vocals on this album are really awesome, full of passion and emotion and I'm loving them. 8/10
6. Dead Eternity - This one was pretty great. Gradually building up to a frantic, slaughtering song, but I think the outro went on a bit too long for me taste. Still great though. 9/10
7. The Jester Race - Exactly what I wanted from the title track. Scorching lyricism, fantastic vocals, crushing guitars, and otherwise much awesome etc. Great song. 10/10
8. December Flower - And this one is awesome as well. Heavy as fuck, ripping right across the listener, great lyrics, and I love those harmonized guitars that make an appearance here and there. Another great song. 10/10
9. Wayfaerer - Hmm, this is a bit of a departure from the general sound of the album, and I don't think I like it as much. The opening was good, but the rest seems almost too happy for my taste. Definitely the weakest link so far, but I guess it's solid enough. Would probably fit better if this was, say, a Nightwish record. 7/10
10. Dead God In Me - Solid way to close off the album, but this one was probably the weakest song on the whole thing. Just didn't pack the same punch that most of these did. Doesn't really diminish the record much in my eyes, but I wish that it was stronger. 7/10

So this was way better than I expected. The final two songs were a bit weaker but as a whole the songs on here were at least good and most of them were great. I loved the atmosphere throughout, all the melodies, the vocals were awesome, it's a very strong record. I dig it.

Rating: 89%
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One of the better albums from their classic era but it doesn't beat Clayman imo.
 
179/365
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Tokyo Tapes - Scorpions
Format: Vinyl

Initial Thoughts: Honestly this setlist is near perfection from the early Scorpions era, it lacks Catch Your Train but includes 2 deep cuts being All Night Long (Unreleased as a studio version) and Suspender Love. Overall a fantastic setlist, lifes like a river would have been another great addition - 10/10

All Night Long - A track which was never put onto any album, fun riffing and Klaus' vocals are very similar to those on their albums of the time. - 9/10

Pictured Life - The opener to Virgin Killer comes up next, the song sounds heavier in the live environment, Klaus' vocals are on point to the studio track. A quality performance of a decent track - 8.5/10

Backstage Queen - Continuing on the Virgin Killer train is a track which really comes alive. Backstage Queen is a fun catchy track on the album, but the added heaviness from being preformed live makes it a much better track - 9/10

Polar Nights - Uli takes the lead vocally and delivers some brutal guitar work, his live vocals aren't quite as bad as they are on the studio version which seems so backwards to me, overall another improved song. - 8/10

In Trance - The title track to the bands amazing third album comes in next, calm beginnings soon shift as the band comes in and psychedelic groove with them. Klaus sings great and the dynamics of the track flow perfectly. Roth's outro solo is amazing. - 10/10

We'll Burn The Sky - The first song off the newest album at the time, the epic We'll Burn The Sky comes in with a great guitar intro from Roth and Schenker, Klaus delivers calm vocals as the track builds and then it switches into the rocking epic for some verses, fantastic rendition of an early masterpiece - 10/10

Suspender Love - A nice driving bass line opens the next track, a B-Side to a single off of Taken By Force, this song hasn't done much for me in the past and today isn't much different. Overall a track which isn't bad it just isn't great - 7.5/10

In Search Of The Peace Of Mind - The only song from the first album to be in the set, a good choice to only have it, only playing part of the track the band is calm and Klaus sings nicely over it all. - 8/10

Fly To The Rainbow - The second album's title track comes in with a calm intro but as soon as Klaus introduces it the band picks up the pace and they deliver some beautiful harmonized guitars, Herman's drumming is upbeat. Majestic and building, another track which Roth lets loose a massive solo during - 10/10

He's A Woman, She's A Man - A building intro from Schenker launches into the proto-metal rocker, Screechy vocals from Klaus, but they work for this track. A good rendition - 8.5/10

Speedy's Coming - Compact and to the point, the rocker from the bands 2nd album delivers amazingly live. Unreal song which I've been lucky enough to have heard twice. - 10/10

Top Of The Bill - A crunchy rocker opens up with a solo from Roth, a good song done really well, with a short drum solo in the middle which actually fits fairly well into the song - 8.5/10

Hound Dog - The first in the pair of Elvis covers, a super short and direct cover, lots of energy - 9/10

Long Tall Sally - Transitioning from the previous track, another short and punchy cover. - 8.5/10

Steamrock Fever - The final side opens with the final Taken By Force track, heavy and low riffing off the start, Klaus sings in a lower and menacing way. Another strong live rendition by the germans - 8.5/10

Dark Lady - Uli introduces the track and the strange guitar work kicks in, Klaus and Uli do an amazing attempt at replicating the studio version. Beautiful guitar work and tone. - 9.5/10

Kojo No Tsuki - Klaus due to the special occasion learned 2 japanese folk songs, one of which is their national anthem (left off the album). The band plays calmly in the background. Klaus sings beautifully over the song, allowing the crowd to sing it back to him. A great way to show respect to the local fans. - 10/10

Robot Man - The album closes off with the fun rocker from In Trance, having small solos throughout, a strong ending to a really good live album - 9/10

Flow - The album had a nice flow throughout, the band had a strong setlist mixing in shorter rockers towards the bookends with longer tracks in the midsection. - 10/10

Final Thoughts - The lack of some notable tracks as mentioned earlier isn't super key to the album but with 3 covers and a B-Side which could have been replaced with at least 1 of them (which was played at the concerts for this tour) it leaves off one of the best songs from that era - 9/10

Overall 91%
 
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Album 111/365

1. Rock Brigade - A solid song, this. Certainly a solid start to the band's career, but the cheesy lyrics about "rock" don't jive with me all that well. 8/10
2. Hello America - Def Leppard have always been successful with their group vocals and they're one of my favorite aspects about the band. That said, this song is pretty boring. It's fine enough, but the lyrics are pretty dumb and there's little outstanding about it. Not terrible, but not particularly good. 6/10
3. Sorrow Is A Woman - Boring ballad-rock mix. 4/10
4. It Could Be You - I like the riff to this one, but Joe is pretty meh in the vocal department here, which brings the song down. 6/10
5. Satellite - Much better song than the previous three. The verse feels quite akin to Maiden, and I loved that mid section they had with the melodic guitars. Definitely one of the best on here so far. 8/10
6. When The Walls Came Tumbling Down - I dig the chorus to this one. The verses could use some more time in the oven but as a whole I like the song. Certainly better than much of the album has been. 8/10
7. Wasted - Okay, there we go. This song is great. I love the riff here, the lyrics are pretty good at painted a picture of someone who's completely wasted, and they're finally using the NWOBHM vibes to full extent. Great song, not one that fully blows me over the top but it's classic Leppard certainly. 9/10
8. Rocks Off - Another boring song. Meh. 4/10
9. It Don't Matter - This is pretty standard classic rock fare, but I like it more than some of the shit the band has slung at me so far. It's not a great song but it's solid. 7/10
10. Answer To The Master - Whoa, that solo section is amazing. I dig the song as a whole, the verses aren't stand-outs but they're good certainly. But the solos bump up the song to higher than what I was originally going for. 8/10
11. Overture - A bit too long but not a bad song. Kind of a Uriah Heep vibe to it. 7/10

I like hair band Leppard more. This album is stuffed with filler and feels like it runs longer than it actually does.

Rating: 68%
 
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Album 114/365

1. Snap - I like the sound of this one, particularly the guitars, it's undeniably a '90s band, and I like that sound. It sounds like there are two singers here. The main one isn't all that great but the one who comes out for the pre-chorus and chorus is pretty good. It's not the best song ever but I like it. Quite catchy. 8/10
2. Fly - This one doesn't have as much going for it. The chorus melody is one I'm pretty sure I've heard countless times in other grunge songs. The verses are kinda boring. It isn't terrible but it's far, far away from being an outstanding song. If this continues then it's no wonder why the band disappeared after this release. 6/10
3. Wait For Tomorrow - Okay, but this one is great. Not perfect, but great. It's another song that's undeniably '90s, but the dudes put all their money on the melodies here and it pays off for them. The pre-chorus and the chorus are awesome and the outro is really cool as well. Great song. 9/10
4. It's A Shame - And this one has a really great chorus. The verses aren't quite there but I like the song. I wish the second singer could take over from the main one, though. I can barely find anything out about this band, so maybe it's just the same singer doing different styles, but anyway I like the second style / vocalist more. But anyway, good song. 8/10
5. My Only Love - The verse here wasn't great but the chorus has a nice melody. It's not a truly outstanding ballad though. 7/10
6. All These Things - Fine song, not really outstanding but it's a nice listen. The lyrics to this album aren't very inspired but it is what it is. 7/10
7. Home - Yeah, same thing here. 7/10
8. This Love - This one doesn't draw me in as much. Kind of ballady, fine melody but nothing much more. 6/10
9. If All The World Hated Me - This one was the first song I heard, having found a Maiden interview from the 2000s and they played this song during it. I dig the riff here. The lyrics are cheasy but it's a very good song. Very '90s. 9/10
10. My Emotion - Another fine song, not too outstanding but I like it. 7/10
11. Sleep - This one feels like it was directly inspired by "Down In A Hole" from AIC. The chorus is different but the rest has the same vibe. Same thing as above for me. 7/10
12. Poison Apple - I just realized that this singer sounds a lot like Bon Scott. Interesting. This is a very cool way to close off the album. 8/10

I dig this band. This was their sole release and it's very solid, very '90s sort of aesthetic just flowing throughout. Not the strongest set of musicians but the listening experience is a good one.

Rating: 74%
 
180/365
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Moving Pictures - Rush
Format: Vinyl

Tom Sawyer - Prior to doing these reviews this was the sole Rush song I had heard and I couldn't stand Geddy's vocals. Fast forward to now and his vocals have clicked with me and I can appreciate this synth masterpiece, the musicianship throughout is is beautiful the instrumental passages flowing seamlessly throughout. Only downside to this song is that some of lyrics aren't quite as amazing as the band's delivery - 9.5/10

Red Barchetta - Heavier than the previous track, lacking the synths, Geddy sings lower on the verses but his vocals do climb as they go on, once again the highlights of this track as the transitional pieces where the trio unleash some wicked licks. Dynamic with calm sections following eruptions of vocals and guitar. - 9/10

YYZ - An instrumental named after the Toronto Airport, there is a call and answer style between the bass and guitar for some time, it is a solid one, the sound effects within the track. The quick riff is enjoyable but I feel like it would be more suited to a song with some lyrics. - 7.5/10

Limelight - Side 1 closes off with a fun track, Geddy sings very melodically, lyrically about the Neil's discomfort with being in the limelight as a band due to their popularity, a very subdued guitar solo ensues with amazing drumming from Neil in the background -9/10

The Camera Eye - Side 2 opens with the albums lengthy track, with two distinct parts the track begins with a long drawn out instrumental featuring sci fi esc effects, coming in Geddy is rather high in the mix and sings nicely over the flowing instruments, the band's groove on this track is remains strong throughout. It does feel its length but still is a rather enjoyable track - 8/10

Witch Hunt - An ominous beginning with a crowd's chanting behind the music, the guitar and bass are very subdued while Peart's drums and the synths drive the song. Slower throughout keeping the ominous feeling. - 7.5/10

Vital Signs - The album closes opens with a reggae style keys riff. Another track which features the band delivering but it doesn't click, the reggae feeling is a nice swap from the direct rocking style and Neil's drums are great in the background. - 7.5/10

Overall 83%
 
The Dissident said:
180/365
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Moving Pictures - Rush
Format: Vinyl

Tom Sawyer - Prior to doing these reviews this was the sole Rush song I had heard and I couldn't stand Geddy's vocals. Fast forward to now and his vocals have clicked with me and I can appreciate this synth masterpiece, the musicianship throughout is is beautiful the instrumental passages flowing seamlessly throughout. Only downside to this song is that some of lyrics aren't quite as amazing as the band's delivery - 9.5/10

Red Barchetta - Heavier than the previous track, lacking the synths, Geddy sings lower on the verses but his vocals do climb as they go on, once again the highlights of this track as the transitional pieces where the trio unleash some wicked licks. Dynamic with calm sections following eruptions of vocals and guitar. - 9/10

YYZ - An instrumental named after the Toronto Airport, there is a call and answer style between the bass and guitar for some time, it is a solid one, the sound effects within the track. The quick riff is enjoyable but I feel like it would be more suited to a song with some lyrics. - 7.5/10

Limelight - Side 1 closes off with a fun track, Geddy sings very melodically, lyrically about the Neil's discomfort with being in the limelight as a band due to their popularity, a very subdued guitar solo ensues with amazing drumming from Neil in the background -9/10

The Camera Eye - Side 2 opens with the albums lengthy track, with two distinct parts the track begins with a long drawn out instrumental featuring sci fi esc effects, coming in Geddy is rather high in the mix and sings nicely over the flowing instruments, the band's groove on this track is remains strong throughout. It does feel its length but still is a rather enjoyable track - 8/10

Witch Hunt - An ominous beginning with a crowd's chanting behind the music, the guitar and bass are very subdued while Peart's drums and the synths drive the song. Slower throughout keeping the ominous feeling. - 7.5/10

Vital Signs - The album closes opens with a reggae style keys riff. Another track which features the band delivering but it doesn't click, the reggae feeling is a nice swap from the direct rocking style and Neil's drums are great in the background. - 7.5/10

Overall 83%
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Good review. I have the first five tracks as a 10, all classics!
 
Collin said:
Good review. I have the first five tracks as a 10, all classics!
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The only 1 of those 5 which I feel won't in time reach that would be YYZ, never been a fan of instrumentals but it still was a good one, It just feels like it is missing something when all is said and done.
 
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