MASS HYSTERIA (ABO#427)

MASS HYSTERIA
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
(1997-2009)

Mass Hysteria is all my youth. As a young student, this was one of the most frequent music I used to listen. On their first album, a fusion of Metal, Hardcore and nearly disco rhythm summed up this very energic music. On their following album, that recipe endured even if the band was clever enough not to restrictively and exclusively stay in that description. However, this is what we remind the most from them. By the way, Mass Hysteria is a great act on CD but really deserves being witnessed live. Recently this month a new live DVD as been edited. I truly think that this will be worth the listen. You can buy it here

Extracts :

Une Somme De Détails
(from Une Somme De Détails, 2007)


Knowledge Is Power
(from Le Bien-Être Et La Paix, 1997)

My Mass Hysteria TOP :
1. Le Bien-Être Et La Paix (1997)
2. Contraddiction (1999)
3. Un Somme De Détails (2007)
4. Failles (2009)
5. De Cercle En Cercle (2001)
6. Mass Hysteria (2005)

CORONER (ABO#419)

CORONER
'TIL DEATH DO US PART

Of the many Thrash bands which raided the Metal scene in the second half of the eighties, Coroner (from Switzerland) are among the finest and most original, no doubt.
Alas, a deadly combination of bad luck, lack of support from their label (which shows promotionally as well as with the quality of the recordings doomed by low budgets). But, as quality almost always wins, Coroner has gained a well-earned cult status.
From their early material, something like a more melodic and technically evolved Kreator, to their final album (the much underrated Grin), the band has known a tremendous evolution continuing to set themselves apart from their scene-mates. Eventually, the three-piece will grow tired of their lack of success and recognition and call it a day leaving the metal scene short of one of its greatest values.
Not much has been heard from the three lads since. Tommy Vetterli alone will keep on the radar, joining country-mate Stephan Eicher as a live musician and, later, Kreator during their most controversial period.
Coroner recently came back together with plans for a Celebratory World Tour. No recording has been scheduled yet.
About the compilation, I chose a chronological order as to demonstrate how big an evolution Coroner has seen. Also, I excluded both the covers the band recorded, namely The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy" and Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze"; both are fine versions but not good enough to be included here. I hope you'll enjoy what I came up with and won't mind the somewhat muddy production of most of Coroner's recordings.

A taste of what you'll get:

3 samples to demonstrate Coroner's technical skills, compositional abilities and evolution, ENJOY!

Masked Jackal (1988)
from "Punishment for Decadence"

Read My Scars (1989)
from "No More Color"

Host (1993)
from "Grin"

RIYL:
Kreator, Death Angel, Watchtower, Celtic Frost

NATURAL DISASTERS (VAC#049)

N.A.T.U.R.A.L
DISASTERS

Let me explain how the idea for this VAC (Various Artist Compilation) came. I was listening to Pendulum's album "In Silico" and just loved their Tempest song. I thought that it would fit nicely with some (mostly) recent songs from indie, sludge, prog and metal bands which happened to also have songs with a word in the title evoking... a Natural Disaster!
And so, with the exception of the first track (a classy, almost fusion, instrumental from Gary Moore's 1979 album, Back on the Streets) which is an obvious homage to the sadly departed northern-Irish axeman, all the songs featured here are pretty recent.
I hope you'll enjoy this selection and especially its final track witch I "remixed" myself.

ENSIFERUM (ABO #404)

ENSIFERUM
VALHALLA

And now, kids, here's a bit of harmless fun by Finnish Viking Metal legends Ensiferum.
Basically, what you're having here is a tasty slice of metal infused with folk influences creating something that is catchy, epic, melodic and, well, a little cheesy too.
Formed in 1995, the band has released his debut album in 2001 which doesn't make 'em one of the precursors of the Viking Metal genre but one of the best nonetheless.
With 4 full-lengths, 1 EP and quite a lot of singles, Ensiferum have established themselves as one among the leaders of a metal scene which isn't scare to go over the top with symphonic and orchestral arrangements while still retaining the aggression and harshness inherited from their Black Metal roots.
I have selected 14 songs to cut this 79 minutes long compilation which should serve as an introduction to a band worth investigating in. Enjoy!

RIYL:
Finntroll, Amon Amarth, Turisas

AYREON (ABO#399)

... AND OTHER SHORT STORIES

(1993-2010)

Arjen Lucassen is an astonishing case. Almost completely unknown in 1998 and dutch-born, he managed to become one the most central Progressive Metal ambassadors, and maybe the most accepted for non-Prog-Metal addicts.

After having participated in bands like BODINE or VANGEANCE, Arjen Lucassen decided to have his own projects and put some more Progressiveness in his music. Very soon, he had such aura that guests like MARILLION's FISH, IRON MADEN's BRUCE DICKINSON, LANA LANE were involved into his best projects, recorded under the name of AYREON.

Beside, Lucassen founded many other bands : STAR ONE whose music is more spacy ; AMBEON is a lighter AYREON, less metal-sounding while STREAM OF PASSION is almost fully Metal oriented. Although he founded that latest band, he left it for their final album. I although decided to include that album in this chronological selection that gathers both AYREON's songs and other Lucassen's projects ones... Ayreon and Lucassen's other short stories...

The revolutionary album Into The Electric Casle(1998) That year, Lucassen was still a confidential artist, only known by an underground community. This didn't prevent him from guesting such Prog and Metal stars like FISH, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN (THE GATHERING), DAMIAN WILSON (THRESHOLD, LANDMARQ)

The best album Universal Migrator Pt 1: The Dream Sequencer(2000) Clearly the best. The wiser one, Arjen Lucassen leaves his metal habits far behind and records an album in a real Pink Floyd spirit. Mostly each song is worth the listen

The best live album Live On Earth (Star One, 2003) This album is not necessarily an essential one, but it's a good live introduction to Arjen Lucassen's universe. It includes both Ayreon and Star One repertory. Well interpreted and recorded.

The worst album Strange Hobby (Arjen Lucassen, 2003) Not even a bad one. Just a useless one. Lucassen is just having fun covering his old favourite songs. This is just sometimes surprising, especially for the Simon & Garfunkel's song or other soft pop songs played, as usual with Arjen, in a progressive metal style.

NOTRE DAME (ABO#397)

NOTRE DAME
THE VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA

Notre Dame was a Swedish metal band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2004. Members included Snowy Shaw and Vampirella (vocals) and Jean-Pierre de Sade (guitar and bass) and Mannequin de Sade (drums) two brothers who claimed to be descendants of legendary revolutionary writer Marquis de Sade. The band mixed black metal with elements of electro, horror, gothic and orchestral themes.
Geemarcus has been able to cook you a simple cd of this unique act. Thanks to him and enjoy the selection while you can.

RIYL: Cradle of Filth, Tristania, Penumbra

LIVING COLOUR (ABO #393)

LIVING COLOUR
IGNORANCE IS BLISS

Living Colour is an American funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, and hard rock. Their lyrics range from the personal to the political, in some of the latter cases attacking Eurocentrism and racism in America. The bands were prominent members of the Black Rock Coalition during the late 1980s and early 1990s (a movement which also featured Fishbone, and 24-7 Spyz).
Living Colour rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988. Although the band scored a number of hits, they are best remembered for their anthemic single "Cult of Personality", which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989, and their highest charting single "Type". They were also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. After disbanding in 1995, Living Colour reunited in late 2000 and released two albums in 2003 and 2009 failing to recapture their past fame.

My LIVING COLOUR List
1 – Vivid (1988)
2 – Time’s Up (1990)
3 – Collideoscope (2003)
4 – Stain (1993)
5 – The Chair in the Doorway (2009)

RIYL:
Bad Brains, Fishbone, 24-7 Spyz, Urban Dance Squad, Body Count, Mother’s Finest

PARADISE LOST (ABO #380)

PARADISE LOST
HAVEN

Starting as a Death/Doom Metal band in the late 80s, no one could have ever expected the evolution which affected Paradise Lost’s sound. Culminating on the Host album (their seventh album, released in 1999) where the band sounds kind of like a metal version of Depeche Mode. Alas, their metal fan base didn’t like it and the band was forced to return to something a tad more traditional on their following albums producing some quality melodic Gothic Metal.
This compilation (with a track list crafted by Baker) sums up the great musical adventure Paradise Lost’s career has been up to “Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us” (released in 2009). Enjoy the ride.

My PARADISE LOST Top Three
1 – Host (1999)
2 – One Second (1997)
3 – Draconian Times (1995)

My PARADISE LOST Bottom Three
1 – Lost Paradise (1990)
2 – Symbol of Life (2002)
3 – In Requiem (2007)

RIYL:
Katatonia, My Dying Bride, Type O Negative

RONNIE JAMES DIO (ABO #376)

RONNIE JAMES DIO
KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

Ronnie James Dio will no longer move us with new material featuring his golden voice. That’s sad news.
At age 67, he left us. The gems of his long and fruitful career remain. From Elf to Heaven & Hell, Ronald Padavona (his real name) has given us some of the finest music in the rock/metal realm. Thinking about it, it’s quite incredible that such a small man has become one of the greatest, but the gift Mother Nature had given him was a sure sign of a grand destiny.
Not all of his artistic choices were judicious, he may even have released a few albums, under the DIO moniker, that didn’t fit his grandeur. Nevertheless, he will be remembered and cherished as the rock legend he managed to become.
We all miss you Ronnie.
R.I.P.

Find more DIO on our RAINBOW compilation.