Albums released on August 13th that are in my collection.
The Beatles – Help! (1965) Sometime my favorite, usually the best pre-Rubber Soul album.
Flo & Eddie – Moving Targets (1976) A bit fun, a bit schmaltzy. These guys probably sang on a record you own. They were also in the Turtles
The Cure – Head on the Door (1985) When you want a far less drab Cure.
Twisted Sister – Love is for Suckers (1987) Actually a Dee Schneider solo album. Pop metal. Meh.
The Pixies – Bossonova (1990) If you ask what my favorite Pixies album is this will most likely be the answer.
Low – The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996) The slowest and quietest of the slow core. Fragile and pretty. I fell asleep at not one but two different shows of theirs.
Albums released on July 21st that are in my collection.
Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1972) This is the first Sabbath record I bought. I wanted Paranoid but it was sold out. My 9 year old brain was not prepared, this was my favorite for a while, until I got Sabotage.
Rezillios – Can’t Stand the Rezillios (1978) The Scottish version of the Dickies or are the the Dickies the US version of the Rezillios? The Rezillios were first, they’re both great.
Loudness – Devil Soldier (1982) The pre-US major label Loudness is a completely different thing. Sure some of the old sound pops up especially on “Lightning Strikes / Shadows of War”. A bit more progressive in the playing and some song structures, t’s definitely more adventurous, I’m sure their A&R person told them to streamline it for the US.
Circle Jerks –Golden Shower of Hits (1983) The first three Circle Jerks are the best, this would be second best after Group Sex. Never as good as Keith Morris’ time in Black Flag.
Guns ‘n Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987) Lots of baggage here. I can’t listen to this anymore do to its omnipresence. I was in from the “Live like a Suicide” EP and for the year before Appetite blew up. Aerosmith now sucked and Guns was here to take their place. Then it was everywhere and all the other shit happened.
Solitude Aeturnus – Beyond The Crimson Hnrizon (1992) Not fully realized yet a damn good doom album. In the line of slower Dio Sabbath.
Devin Townsend – Beyond The Crimson Hnrizon (1992) Im not quite sure I like this or any Devin Townsend for that matter. It’s very dreamlike and washes over you and is pretty one dimentional. I think I don’t like his production style.
Voivod – Morgoth Tales (2023) An unecessary rerecording of their own songs. The good stuff is the Die Kreuzen and Public Image Ltd. covers. Edit: The Die Kreuzen cover of “Man in the Trees” is not on this its only on “Lean into It: A Tribute to Die Kreuzen” on Erosion Records.
Every week Apple Music makes a Friends Mix. I will make off the cuff “reviews” of the songs in this list. As Apple Music likes to put the same bands on the list often, so I will skip some of the tracks.
Fugazi “Latin Roots” As funky as Fugazi is going to get. This is an average song of theirs. Listened to all of it.
Wax “California” Haven’t heard Wax in a long time. Way better than I remember, Powerpop with a bit of punk, catchy. Must reinvestigate. Listened to all of it.
Jawbreaker “Tour Song” Not a fan, The foghorn vocals not my thing. Very east bay punk. Listened to 45 seconds.
Dag Nasty “Values Here” Another Hate My Friends where it should be I Love My Friends.essential melodic hardcore. Listened to all of it.
Rocket from the Crypt “Drop Out” There’s two essential RFTC this one – Scream Dracula Scream – and Circa: Now! Just listen to them I feel bad if you never got to witness them live. Listened to all of it.
The Vendictives “Assembly Line” It’s bad enough I like Screeching Weasel well two albums but a tangent band from them. Nope Listened until the vocals started.
Slayer “Dissident aggressor” From my favorite Slayer album, South of Heaven. Slayer were good at picking covers and making them sound like Slayer songs Listened to all of it.
Megadeth “The Blackest Crow” Fucking a banjo! Just stick with “Rust in Peace” and before and you’ll be ok. Fuck country Megadeth this really sucks. Listened t60 seconds.
Black Sabbath “Wishing Well” Even a lesser song from “Heaven and Hell” is great. The combo of Dio and Sabbath made magic on the album,s they did together, now I need to listen to this full album Listened to all of it.
Pot Valient “Nuggest Killer” Fianlly somethsing I don’t know,. starts nice 90’s style fuszzy distorted loud quiet indie rock, wait when is it from? 1994. Not sure how this escaped my radar back then. Not great but nice. Listened to all of it.
Nothing “July the Fourth” I have two Nothing albums this isn’t on either. I like this, I mean the hey we listen to Hum aspect is really obvious. Listened to all of it.
Sunny Day Realestate “Song About an Angel” Still trying to figure out how this is emo besides that bands that were influenced by them were called emo. It’s alternative arena rock. Listened to all of it.
Moonshake “Blister” New to me. Very 90’s but a lot of ideas usually you don’t find, squanky sax weird guitar sounds. Need more exploration. Listened to all of it.
Soccer Team “Nose to Chin” Fuck this band name. Fuck the album cover. The music is fine, it almost does something for me. Somethings missing though, can’t put my finger on it. Listened to all of it.
Helium “Lucky Charm” Quirky, angular 90s indie rock. A nice amount of catchy and weird. Listened to all of it.
Government Issue “Written Word” DC hardcore that doesn’t sound DC. It’s all good. Listened to all of it.
Gray Matter “Chutes and Ladders” DC hardcore that sounds like DC. It’s all good. Listened to all of it.
The Dismemberment Plan “A Life of Possibilities” I like one of their songs, this isn’t it. Listened to 30 seconds.
Pixies “Hang Wire” Depending on when you ask this is my favorite Pixies album, I’d love to say listen to all of it but the reunion stuff isn’t up to snuff, then there’s stuff without Kim . Listened to all of it.
Dark Throne “Sjakk Matt Jesu Krist” Umpa beat black metal, with some dude croaking over it, pass. Listened to 1:45.
Sonic Youth “My Friend Goo” Do I bag on Day Dream Nation again, nah. Listened to all of it.
The Who “Water” It’s fine, The Who is like Deep Purple for me way too inconsistent. Lots of hits, lots of half ass albums. Listened to all of it.
The Wonder Stuff “Red Berry Joy Town” Part of that group of UK bands that love Minneapolis / Midwest US indie rock of the 80s. Good stuff. Listened to all of it.
Madness “The Prince” I fucking hate ska. Pick that up. Listened to ten seconds.
Albums released on July 7 that are in my collection.
The Stooges – Fun House (1970) Runs out of gas at the end, hey let’s just do a noise freak out.
Rainbow – On Stage (1977) A nicely edited single album that saves you from the bloat and Dio’s scatting on the unedited live albums like “Live in Munich”
Styx – Grand Illusion (1977) I still enjoy this but not as much as I did in 1977. It’s a lot. What the Brits call “pomp rock”.
David Lee Roth – Eat Em and Smile (1986) The only Van Halen related album post 1984 that’s worth my/your time. Even if it’s an approximation of Van Halen’s Roth years. There’s a version in Spanish that’s worth tracking down.
Faster Pussycat – Faster Pussycat (1987) Ridiculous sleaze metal/rock. Very over the top and very enjoyable if you partake.
Every week Apple Music makes a New Music Mix for users. I will make off the cuff “reviews” of the songs the algorithm “thinks” I will like. I can manipulate this list much easier than the friends list by what I listen to. That being said it loves feeding me Black and Death Metal which for the most part isn’t my thing.
The Damned “Making Time” if I didn’t know this was the Damned I’d never guess. Listened to 1 minute and 8 seconds.
Civic “Cosmic Astronaut “ Not the Aussie punk band. Apple you need to fix the multiple bands with the same name problem. Listened 8 seconds.
Landowner “Slippery Abyss” Jangly guitars with talk singing, a painful combo when the song is so bad. Listened to 31 seconds.
Hey Colossus “Runaway Heart” I think this is supposed to be weird, it’s boring. Listened to all of it waiting for something to happen.
A Place to Bury Strangers “Acid Rain” Ultra distorted guitars almost to being painful. Ethereal vocals. Not sure what I think. Listened to all of it.
Megadeth “Another Bad Day” Lifeless. Listened to 1 minute.
Lubomyr Melnyk “Windmills, Pt. 1” Dark, creepy almost ambient piano. Eventually gets into his more Philip Glass type music. Listened to it all.
Black Swan “When the Cold Wind Blow” Starts off and I’m excited for some noisy rock, then it becomes dull power metal. Listened to 1 minute 18 seconds.
Joe Hoekstra’s 13 “Lifeline” Wow sterile unimaginative pop metal in 2026. This is paste. Listened to 50 seconds.
Necofier “Servents of Darkness, Guide My Way III” You know you’re in trouble when you’re on the second sequel of a song. Generic Black Metal. Listened 1 minute and 31 seconds.
Possession “The Black Chappel” Out of all the music I play, I listen to Immortal once and it’s like here’s a lot boring of Black Metal . 1 minute 2 seconds.
Final Gasp “No Hand to Lead” Someone likes Lane Staley. 34 seconds.
Psycroptic “Failing” Music is as bad as the band name. Enough with the metal. 22 seconds.
The Silver “Memorias” Melodeath Black metal. Kinda prog. It’s shit. 53 seconds.
At the Gates “The Fever Mask” It’s good but do you really need more than Slaughter of the Soul? Listened to all of it.
Harrowed “The Haunter” Maybe there should be some kind of license needed to have a metal band. 1 minute 10 seconds.
Suplecs “Pentacle Star” i think this is supposed to be Stoner Rock, whatever it is it’s bad. Listened to 1 minute and 12 seconds.
Chuck Treese Rachel Anne “Our Town (Eye Can Tell)” How this was recommend to me and what did I listen to trigger it is a mystery. Listened to all of it to see if it was anything but vocals and breathing, it wasn’t.
Good Riddence “There’s Still Tonight” Great I listen to hardcore punk and it thinks I want this crap. 58 seconds.
Social Distortion “Born to Kill” Still mining the “I work on my car/motorcycle 50+ punks”. 33 seconds.
Stereolab “Cloud Land” never been much for them. A bit too twee. I kind of like this. Listened to it all.
ADULT. “No One is Coming” Shit, two in a row I enjoy. Noisy Electronic/Industrial with Lene Lovich like vocals. Listened to it all.
Nick Plunti “Bruises and Bandages” The dreaded singer songwriter, who is good at neither. 12 seconds.
Dada Laida “The Beyond” Because you can play guitar technically doesn’t mean you play it well. 44 seconds.
Angel Du$t “Downfall” What did I do to deserve this? 37 seconds.
