onsdag 7 Maj 2014, 15:54
1985
Stakes get higher. I'd say 1985 resulted in some exponentially more influential albums than the previous year. Atleast as far as my own collection goes.
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Anthrax - Spreading The Disease
If I ever really had to choose between this one and Megadeth's debut album from the same year, I would probably let fanboy emotions get the better of me and go with the latter without even blinking an eye. Yet when putting both of them under the critical microscope I think Spreading The Disease etches out Killing Is My Business by a clear margin. Anthrax simply had their shit together much better (not blowing your studio budget on drugs helps a lot) and put out a more cohesive effort. First album with the "classic" lineup and it sounds like their hungry for success. Can't go wrong when half the songs are considered fan favorites today and the other half balance the album out nicely.
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Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Firstborn Is Dead
The songs on The Firstborn Is Dead are at times almost atonal, making it a challenging album to listen to the first few times around. But when it clicks, it clicks. I still marvel at some of the songwriting and how they turned these odd riffs and sounds into working songs. Standout track for me would be "Wanted Man", a visceral interpretation of a Johnny Cash song. Good stuff.
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Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
Of the original trilogy of albums, To Mega Therion is my favorite. Celtic Frost is an interesting band as they blur genre boundaries to the point that the band is considered a representative of black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, gothic metal and even death metal. Could simply calling them a "heavy metal" band do? Anyway - thrash metal being close to my heart, it's those nuances that draw me to Celtic Frost and this album specifically. Albeit much similar to their previous effort Morbid Tales, To Mega Therion is a much grander vision. From the cover art by HR Giger to the songwriting and production. It's difficult to pick favorites on such a strong album but check out opening and closing tracks, "The Usurper" and "Necromantical Screams".
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Nada! sticks out like a sore thumb in the DI6 discography due to it's dance influences. The last album to feature original member Patrick Leagas, the band's sound would return closer to what could be considered contemporary neofolk with their next release. Regardless of it's unique qualities, Nada! is a classic of the genre and produced many fan favorites and live staples such as "She Said Destroy", "Behind The Rose (Fields Of Rape)" and "Leper Lord". The song that probably most represents Leagas' influence on Nada! is "The Calling (Mk II)", an excellent track that I believe has not been played much live since due to it's departure from the stripped down neofolk sound. This album is well worth checking out if you're into neofolk, 80's gothic, post-punk and the like.
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A great american adventure in sonic form if there ever was such a thing. Ripe with carnival-atmosphere and spanning several genres, Rain Dogs is one of Waits' very best. It's an easy album to recommend and you really don't need me to tell you how great it is, it's a popular opinion. There's something for everyone. Blues, jazz, Keith Richards… Step right up, folks!
I'd say most people would agree all of these are classics in their own right so it's not just me preaching to the masses. All highly recommended.