Burn My Eyes
Artist: Machine Head
Community Score: 8.70

Released to massive European acclaim, Machine Head's full-length debut, Burn My Eyes, successfully bridges the gap between second-generation Bay Area thrash (Testament, Death Angel, etc.) and the modern-day Pantera school of hard knocks. Produced by underground stalwart Colin Richardson, Burn My Eyes is a bone-shattering exercise in brutality... Read More

The Battle of Los Angeles
Artist: Rage Against the Machine
Community Score: 7.73

Rage Against the Machine isn't really the only metal band that matters, but their aggressive social and political activism is refreshing, especially in an age of blind (or usually self-directed) rage due to groups like Limp Bizkit, Bush, or Nine Inch Nails. Recorded in less than a month, The Battle of Los Angeles is the most focused album of the... Read More

The Gift of Game
Artist: Crazy Town
Community Score: 5.99

Crazy Town's debut album, The Gift of Game, is similar to many other rap-inflected alternative metal albums in that it concentrates on sound over structure, creating macho, aggressive grooves with grinding, noisily textured guitars and the underlying feel of squared-off hip-hop beats. Hooks can be a bit hard to come by, since this isn't music... Read More

Soulfly - BONUS DISC
Artist: Soulfly

Long-time Sepultura fans who feared that ex-leader Max Cavalera would conform to the 1990s' tempting (and lucrative) alternative music scene need not worry. Like his last release with Sepultura (the superb Roots), experimentation (Brazilian tribal drumming/rhythms, samples, unearthly sound effects) is a catalyst on Soulfly, but gut-wrenching... Read More

Spit
Artist: Kittie
Community Score: 7.57

Brandishing a meatier, heavier sound than contemporaries Limp Bizkit and Korn, the London, Ontario quartet Kittie debuted with Spit in late 1999. These 12 emotionally brutal tracks exhibit high degrees of angry, brash, pro-feminist declarations, proving these young women learned well the lessons of predecessors Joan Jett, Lita Ford, and the... Read More

Under the Radar
Artist: Grade
Community Score: 8.00

Canada's (Grade) cranks out unrelenting, frontal-assault punk rock just the way any true rock loyalist from the late 70's should remember it. The guitar licks are powerful, sharp-edged and churn with fiery anthem-like energy. (Chris Danner) batters the drums as though he's been promised new ones if can adequately destroy the set he presently has... Read More

Chamber Music
Artist: Coal Chamber
Community Score: 6.99

In retrospect, White Zombie was one of the most influential metal bands of the '90s -- their breakthrough album, La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1, relied more on camp theatrics than catchy melodies or guitar riffs, and the follow-up, Astro-Creep 2000, featured an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production that camouflaged the simplicity of the... Read More

The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
Artist: P.O.D.
Community Score: 7.55

With their full-length debut, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, POD (Payable on Death) shows considerable promise, crafting an album that flows from aggressive rap-metal to trippy, Beastie-styled reggae dub excursions. It may be all over the map, but give the group credit for trying a bunch of styles and pulling most of them off. At times,... Read More

Home
Artist: Sevendust
Community Score: 8.15

All too often, bands that have shown as much promise as Sevendust did on its self-titled debut album (which went gold) have fallen prey to the dreaded sophomore curse and failed to make good on that promise. But there are no signs of a sophomore slump on Sevendust's second album, Home, which like its predecessor, is as melodic as it is angry and... Read More

Tonight the Stars Revolt!
Artist: Powerman 5000
Community Score: 7.40

Displaying an obsession with trashy science fiction, Tonight the Stars Revolt! maintains the forceful production of Mega!! Kung Fu Radio, mixing roaring heavy metal with electronics and sound effects. Even if the record sounds great, though, Powerman 5000 still has a hard time writing consistently memorable songs; while some tracks do take hold,... Read More

Significant Other
Artist: Limp Bizkit
Community Score: 6.66

Limp Bizkit made their reputation through hard work, touring the hell out of their debut album Three Dollar Bill Y'All and thereby elevating themselves to the popularity status of their similarly rap-inflected, alt-metal mentors Korn. With their second album, Significant Other, they come close to reaching Korn's artistic level; at the very... Read More

The More Things Change
Artist: Machine Head
Community Score: 7.55

The title isn't really a joke, actually. Machine Head do take some chances on their second album, The More Things Change..., expanding their brutal attack with gothic flourishes and prog rock pretensions without ever abandoning their blistering thrash metal roots. And that's good -- few bands have the appealing, gut-level visceral attack of... Read More

Hot Animal Machine/Drive By Shooting - 1999 REISSUE
Artist: Henry Rollins

Hank roared out of the box with this, his first solo release after the demise of Black Flag. Recorded in England with friend and guitarist Chris Haskett, this is a less groove-oriented album than subsequent Rollins Band releases, but it is still one hell of a rock & roll record. The punishing opener "Black and White" and the cover of Suicide's... Read More