Tool - Ænima

Of course I've got to start this off with my favorite album of all time. I had liked Tool a little bit before this cd came out, but I didn't think they were all that special (of course all I had heard was Undertow once), but when I brought this one home the day it came out, I just laid there and listened to the whole thing the whole way through with my eyes closed. I suggest you try it, except use headphones and sit in the dark. Trust me, it's an amazing experience, I still do it to this day. Ever since that moment, I've been in love with Tool. The best way to describe it is art-metal or art-rock, because of how beautiful and how much creativity and talent goes into their music, it's all very much a piece of art. Not only that, but the subtle political and philosophical views that are thrown in really make you want to pay attention to the lyrics and analyze them yourself.

Recommended songs: Ænema, Forty Six & 2, Hooker With A Penis

Fear Factory - Obsolete

I had a hard time choosing my favorite Fear Factory album. I mean, they're all very different, yet all are very good in their own way. However, I chose Obsolete because of what they added to their sound this time around. Still with them is the heavy, mechanical, rapid-fire, electro-metal of old as well as the morphing vocals that they pioneered in the early 90's. But now they've added a few elements into the mix, such as Burton trying his hand at a little rapping in Edgecrusher, or the use of violins and cellos that make Resurrection and Timelessness inspiringly beautiful songs. It's a shame these guys aren't around anymore, they were easily my favorite metal band.

Recommended songs: Shock, Edgecrusher, Descent, Resurrection

Mushroomhead - XX

Mushroomhead is a band I hold very near and dear to my heart, and probably the band I have the most passion for. Most fans of metal have heard of Mushroomhead by now, but you see, I first heard of them about 7 years ago when they got banned from playing in a small town's high school gym and made the news here in Northeast Ohio. And I've been a fan since 98 when they opened up for the Rammstein/Soulfly show in Cleveland. As soon as I heard their first song that night, I was hooked. Not only do I love this band because I got to see them in a shitty ass backwoods bar with about 200 people and I've seen them grow from that to being on Ozzfest and touring Europe, but they're one of the most unique and eclectic bands out there. Take literally any current style of music, and you can hear it in their music. Black metal, hardcore, pop, hip-hop, techno, industrial, progressive rock -- you've got it all here. If I had to narrow it down to a couple bands that they sound like, it'd be as if you threw together the circus-like keyboards of Mr. Bungle, the upbeat yet heavy industrial of Ministry, and the pure metal of Pantera. But limiting them to just that would be a shame, because they're so much more. If anyone tells you they suck because they ripped off Slipknot, tell them they're a fucking idiot because 1) Mushroomhead has been around about 5 years longer than Slipknot, and 2) nothing against Slipknot, but Mushroomhead is a much more talented band. This particular cd of theirs is their first national major label release, and is basically a best of cd. Normally, I don't like best of cd's, but this is the best cd to get if you're new to the band. After this one, give Superbuick a shot.

Recommended songs: Solitaire/Unraveling, Simpleton, Bwomp, Chancre Sore

System of a Down - Toxicity

Yeah yeah, I know -- everyone loves SoaD now, but god dammit, I've been in love with this band since the week after their first cd came out. I had a hell of a time deciding between this cd and the self-titled too. That cd is why I fell in love with these guys, I couldn't get enough of how silly or crazy their sound was. You had Serj's vocals going from one end of the spectrum to the other in a split second, and Daron's amazingly fast yet astonishingly accurate guitars and whacky backup vocals. Then on top of that, their lyrics actually have meaning behind them. That cd still gets a 10 in my book. Now with Toxicity, most bands that change for the sophomore album change to try to sell records, but you can just sense this cd was a natural evolvement for them. It has everything else the first cd had plus a melody that feels much more tight than the first cd, creating a less chaotic mood to it, yet still keeping the quirkiness and bounciness that is System of a Down.

Recommended songs: Deer Dance, Bounce, Shimmy, Prison Song

Black Bomb A - Human Bomb

Black Bomb who? Yeah, that's what I said when I first heard these guys on some internet radio station awhile back. But damn I was impressed with these crazy bastards. I looked into who they were, and even though not much existed on the internet about them, I discovered they're a French hardcore band. I didn't know Frenchies knew what hardcore was, but I'll take this band over any American hardcore band. The one thing that really stands out is their two singers and their dueling vocals. One sounds alot like Otep, while the other at times sounds like Morgan Lander from Kittie and at other times like Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence. But here's the thing...from what I've gathered, they're both guys (please correct me if I'm wrong), yet they sound like women...I mean, imagine a Frenchman doing hardcore vocals...kinda hard to picture isn't it? Well, apparantly that's because they sound like girls. That's funny as hell, but their music is really really good -- very intense and chaotic. I read somewhere that the best way to describe them is "sound terrorists", and that seems to fit very well. Whatever you want to call them, go get on your favorite file sharing program and maybe you'll find a few of their mp3's. And if any of you reading this has any video footage of them, please get ahold of me, I'll do anything for it.

Recommended songs: Human Circus, Project, Make Your Choice, My Mind Is A Pussy

...more coming soon...