Bastards
Artist: Motörhead

After doing the unthinkable (selling out!) on their commercially minded -- and only -- major-label release March or Die, underground heroes Motörhead thankfully returned to a more familiar sonic formula (extremely loud and fast) on the excellent Bastards. Gloriously distorted thrashers such as "On Your Feet or on Your Knees" and "Death or Glory"... Read More

Black Juju
Artist: Entombed

Few metal bands underwent a more radical evolution in the 1990s than Entombed, who entered the decade as an amelodic, high-speed death metal/ thrash/grindcore band, but who evolved into a slower, more accessible outfit with Metallica leanings and a strong appreciation of Motorhead. While singer Lars-Goran Petrov once favored the type of choked,... Read More

Bring 'Em Bach Alive
Artist: Sebastian Bach

After Skid Row split up in the mid-'90s, singer Sebastian Bach formed an alternative/heavy metal supergroup dubbed The Last Hard Men. In addition to Bach, the group included Breeders guitarist Kelley Deal, Frogs guitarist Jimmy Flemion, and Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Unfortunately, the group never issued an album (just a cover... Read More

Chocolate Box
Artist: Phil Mogg
Community Score: 10.00

Phil Mogg & Pete Way's 1999 album Chocolate Box finds them returning to their UFO style of space metal, particularly on tracks like "Muddy's Gold," "Jerusalem," and "King of the City," which showcase Mogg's strong singing and songwriting skills. "Whip That Groove" and "Sparkling Wine" showcase the group's technical prowess with more cohesive... Read More

Loaded for Bear: The Best of Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes
Artist: The Amboy Dukes
Community Score: 9.00

In the late '60s, when such things mattered, Ted Nugent was quickly gaining a reputation as a young-gun guitar hotshot, largely based on the back-to-back success of two singles issued by his group, the Amboy Dukes. The first, "Baby Please Don't Go," was a hopped-up rendition of the old blues standard, which Nugent and the band had learned off... Read More

Blue Oyster Cult/Tyranny & Mutation
Artist: Blue Öyster Cult

In 1999, Mobile Fidelity reissued Blue Oyster Cult's first two albums, Blue Oyster Cult (1972) and Tyranny and Mutation (1973) on a single 24-karat gold CD that was aimed at audiophiles. Hearing the albums back to back on the same disc, one is reminded how much crisper, tougher and sharper Murry Krugman and Sandy Pearlman's production was on... Read More

The Time to Rock: Best of Singles A's & B's
Artist: UFO

Many British metal bands of the '70s/'80s have been the subject of numerous compilations over the years, especially such acts as Motorhead, Saxon, and UFO. The latter outfit is best known for their era when German six string wunderkind Michael Schenker led the charge, but the 1999 British double disc anthology, Time to Rock: Best of Singles A's... Read More

The Best of Helix: Deep Cuts
Artist: Helix
Sell Out
Artist: Pist-On

Despite a three-year absence and having replaced half the band, Pist-On's second album, 1999's Sell Out, shows little change over its predecessor. Once again, the band creates a fairly unique combination of heavy, plodding guitars and depressing lyrics & melodies. Overall, the record is a little more cohesive than their debut, as the band... Read More

Paraphernalia
Artist: Enuff Z'nuff

Accepting the fact that they're unlikely to become anything bigger than a cult band has actually done wonders for Enuff Z'Nuff. Instead of shooting for the stars, they're simply working on their craft, sharpening their melodic skills and trying different things. They've returned to hard rock, but haven't left their popcraft or studio mastery... Read More

Early Days: The Best of Led Zeppelin, Vol. 1
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Community Score: 8.68

As legend has it, Led Zeppelin never played the singles game. That's not entirely true -- "Whole Lotta Love" was a gold-selling, Top Five single, while "Immigrant Song," "Black Dog," and "D'yer Mak'er" all went Top 20. But since their reputation was built in part through album rock radio, and since they never released "Stairway to Heaven" as a... Read More