De...Marga...

DeRank : 32,23 • DeAge™ : 4216 days

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  • Here since 25 january 2014
Helmet: Born Annoying
Vinile I have it
A work from 1995 that closes the first disruptive chapter of Helmet's career; it contains b-sides, hard-to-find tracks, author covers, and early singles. One can, for the last time, listen to the historic stellar lineup led by Page Hamilton: Mengede, Bogdan, and Stanier are the other musicians armed with a record that "smashes," with that hardcore-noise sound that shatters eardrums!! Listening to the six minutes of the opening title track, in the 1989 version, is mind-blowing...PROPHETS...
Helmet: Meantime
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
After a debut of equal value and unheard power, Helmet unleash their definitive album: just 37 minutes and 10 songs of such compactness and sonic solidity that they knock you flat. Tons of guitar riffs amplified by a thunderous primal rhythm section; those who saw them live in the early nineties know.... and can share with me the "destabilizing ferocity" of "UNSUNG"...................
  • rolando303
    2 apr 14
    This detonates.
  • rolando303
    2 apr 14
    Even a certain, Rollins Band, was no joke... eh.
  • De...Marga...
    2 apr 14
    The Rollins Band wasn't kidding at all. Their double vinyl album "The End Of Silence" from 1992 was another explosive listen; I haven't heard from them in ten years now, and it’s a huge shame not to be able to hear them with new work anymore.
Helmet: Betty
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
June 1994: the sweltering summer sees the birth of Helmet's third album; a bucolic cover that immediately showcases Page Hamilton's intent to somewhat distance himself from the musical violence of the previous two works. Adding strength to this is the arrival of new guitarist Rob Echeverria, replacing Peter Mengede; however, there are still disruptive songs like "I Know" and "Milquetoast" with that "bone-crushing" sound so familiar to us...COMPRESSED...
  • Goldfinger
    26 aug 14
    For me, the countdown to October 19 has begun, and I think you’re getting ready too. To me, this album is beautiful; I can’t wait to see them.
  • De...Marga...
    26 aug 14
    For me, it will be October 18th; I will definitely write a review, hoping not to destroy myself too much in the pogo I’ll be participating in with my unchanged spirit... despite the age. Hi Gold, thank you for stopping by.
  • SilasLang
    26 aug 14
    I saw them during the 'Betty' tour...deadly. Their swan song in my opinion, this. Even though "Strap It On" was and will remain unmatched.
  • De...Marga...
    26 aug 14
    I slightly prefer Strap It On over Meantime, but don’t ask me why Silas; I instead saw them in July 1993 in that Sound Temple that is still Bloom in Mezzago. TERRIFYING.
  • the last
    27 aug 14
    Fantastic album
  • SilasLang
    27 aug 14
    Well... 'Meantime' is another amazing album. I like the first one more... I don't know why. It's super loud and industrial, not because it's industrial... just the sensations it evokes in me. The sound of a metallurgical factory turned into an album. I saw them in the fall of '94... I was left with my jaw dropped. And my eardrums perforated...
  • De...Marga...
    27 aug 14
    Dear Silas, it's a pleasure to talk with you about Helmet, as with many other bands, because everyone presents their own reasons without denying others' listens and preferences; for me, this is a sign of intelligence and exquisite musical taste. Regarding the Bloom date in Mezzago, I may have mentioned more than once that my hearing suffered almost irreversible damage!!! But what a sonic delight...
Helmet: Strap It on
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
The debut of Helmet, released in 1990. A short-lived album, just over thirty minutes, that offers no escape: a blast of violence in Music capable of erecting a terrifying and insurmountable sound wall. It starts with "Repetition" and reaches, without taking a breath, "Murder": heavily laden noise-rock, with metallic hardcore remnants led by the two guitars of the duo Hamilton/Mengede: cybernetic drills that penetrate your auditory system and cause irreparable damage... RUDE...
Helmet: Aftertaste
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Listened to the album again this afternoon after years, thanks to yesterday's concert; and I must candidly admit that I've changed my mind, adding a good star to an album that doesn't reach the lethal ultra-noise impact of its proud predecessors, but holds its own quite well. Songs like "Birth Defect" and "It's Easy to Get Bored" contain all those noisy, violent characteristics and wouldn't be out of place in a work like "Betty." Their last album from the nineties.
Hüsker Dü: Candy Apple Grey
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Spring 1986: "Candy Apple Grey," the first album by Husker Du for Warner, is released. Absolute freedom is the boys' precise request at the moment of signing the historic contract; the fear of a commercialized generational sound is immediately swept away by the stunning opening double-header. "Crystal" and "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" are two anthems of immeasurable greatness, once again confirming the musical qualities of the trio...TOO FAR DOWN...
  • madcat
    2 oct 14
    a great album this one too, often underrated (even by myself in the past) due to what came before and what will come after, yet it is a splendid necessary stop in their journey
  • shark
    2 oct 14
    it's the second most beautiful in my opinion, then there's the one from '88 (the last decent one)
  • De...Marga...
    2 oct 14
    Too bad shark that the last album was released in 1987; brush up on history...
  • shark
    2 oct 14
    Another year, what a disaster... the little professor gets angry...
  • De...Marga...
    2 oct 14
    Look, I'm not upset at all, dear; I just like to point out inaccuracies, that's all. You know, loving the group to bits, I also know their history quite well. Hello and thank you anyway for your continual visits to my writings: it makes me happy.
  • Hank Monk
    2 oct 14
    Well, the "88" is the last decent one as it is the last one, really. :D

    This Candy Apple Gray was my first Husker Du. Beautiful. Too bad they broke up.
    Who knows, with a contract with Warner and their songs, could they have become as famous as R.E.M.?
    Could we have Husker Du concerts today filling stadiums?
    Who knows... maybe it wouldn't have been the same.
  • shark
    2 oct 14
    I know it's the last one, it was a reference to that... idiot... de marga no problem...
  • Hank Monk
    2 oct 14
    ohmygodddd shark!
Hüsker Dü: Land Speed Record
Vinile I have it ★★★★★
Legend has it that Reflex Music, due to budget constraints, forced the Minneapolis trio to release their debut album recorded live. We are in 1982, and the music of Bob, Grant, and Greg is unwavering, pitch-black Hardcore, played at a derailing speed. Twenty-six furious, piercing, frantic minutes that only slow down in the concluding "Data Control." Recorded, terribly but it hardly matters, in their city on August 15, 1981...THE GENESIS...
  • hjhhjij
    9 sep 14
    You can't understand a damn thing, super rough :D
  • De...Marga...
    9 sep 14
    Imagine the scene: they played in a venue in their city that could hold a maximum of 650 people; I doubt they managed to fill it, considering the band had formed just a few months earlier. Reflex Music forced them, due to a lack of funds, to record their first album during the performance, and it’s easy to imagine the inadequate technical resources of a not-so-famous label. As a result, the quality level isn't exceptional, but the historical significance is devastating. And then the cover art speaks for itself!!! I own the vinyl re-issue that came out in 1987 on the famous SST: does it ring a bell for you, boy from the capital?
  • SilasLang
    9 sep 14
    Ahahahah...it's not a 5 for me. A complete mess. Maybe the one I listened to the least along with 'Candy Apple Grey'...Already "Everything Falls Apart" will be a masterpiece.
  • De...Marga...
    9 sep 14
    What the hell are you saying, Silas!!!! I listened to it again today, super quickly, as a record that lasts 26 minutes should be. Considering the over five final minutes of "Data Control". I respect your rating, though flattering.
  • SilasLang
    9 sep 14
    Oh, I didn't say it sucks. I mean, yeah... but that's what makes it cool.
  • De...Marga...
    9 sep 14
    But I was just kidding, come on; Hi son...
  • De...Marga...
    10 sep 14
    I need to clarify something: Reflex Music handled the band's first singles, while the live album was recorded for New Alliance, with a budget of three hundred dollars.
Hüsker Dü: The Living End
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
October 1987: the last tour of Husker Du begins in their homeland. A series of concerts that will be interrupted, and never resumed, by the definitive human and artistic break of the bond that seemed unbreakable between Bob and Grant; the record label seven years later publishes this monumental sonic epitaph. Twenty-four tracks that open with the furious "New Day Rising," continue with the epic "Ice Cold Ice," and conclude with the cover of "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker"...LEGEND.
  • madcat
    8 sep 14
    I still have to retrieve this.
  • Hank Monk
    8 sep 14
    If you've seen them live in the past, I will have to DeOdiare you :P (just kidding!)
  • De...Marga...
    8 sep 14
    @madcat: get it as soon as possible because it's an incredible live performance, where you can clearly perceive the dramatic tension reached by the two band leaders, who were also friends, leading up to the traumatic split a few months later. And if you haven't already, go read the review that former debaseriano Lewis Tollani wrote a few years ago, my dear friend from Domodossola with whom I often talk, very well, about Music. It's one of the most beautiful reviews I've ever read, without any doubt. @Hank Monk: I wasn't able to see them. They passed through Italy, around Turin, for one of their last tours. I was 19 and my parents wouldn't let me go by train, as I didn't have my driver's license yet.
  • imasoulman
    8 sep 14
    eheheh what luck to be a bit older (well then - June '87 - right?) and also be from Turin...Big Club...they started with "Warehouse" from the beginning ("These Important Years," for those two or three who don't know...) and played it straight through to "Could You Be The One"...all of this amidst mixer problems, not a word between tracks, and noticeable tensions even back then between the two, with hindsight, now former friends, and the concert, precisely for this reason, lasted a short time, far too short (but that "Celebrated Summer" I still remember now: despite being marred by awful acoustics, it brought tears to my eyes...). I truly left feeling confused and happy, conflicting emotions, almost premonitions of having witnessed something that was - unfortunately - irretrievable...
  • De...Marga...
    9 sep 14
    @imasoulman: I have chills. I am captivated and pierced by the sincere emotion I felt while reading your memory...(Do you remember?...) I was already aware of your concert in Turin with the guys from the American province, but I don’t feel envy; I couldn't convince my parents and had to give it up against my will. A dear friend of mine from Omegna went, and over the years he has recounted the concert to me in detail, with the sound issues and the impenetrable wall that had now divided Bob and Grant, with the moustached bassist trying to play the "peacemaker" to little avail. Those were incredibly important years, even for us young lads. Hello big brother, much respect.
  • Pinhead
    9 sep 14
    Who knows why, I have the feeling that a review of Mould's new work will soon be published and that it will contain a reference to this concert.
  • De...Marga...
    9 sep 14
    If I remember correctly, dear Pinhead, you listened to Bob's new album; I've read encouraging reviews and as soon as my finances allow it, which is pretty much never, I will buy the record. Bye.
  • imasoulman
    9 sep 14
    do you want an instant-rece? beautiful with electric fury like (more? less? more or less? bah...details) the one before. I mean, such beautiful records the big guy hasn't made since the days of Sugar
  • De...Marga...
    9 sep 14
    After this quick, successful review, I'm off to get into debt....Flip Your Wig.
  • Pinhead
    9 sep 14
    The latest and the second to last both of which you should have.
Hüsker Dü: Flip Your Wig
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Third album in just over a year; the creative vein of the Minneapolis trio knows no pause. Last record for the SST label, before their historic transition to Warner; Bob, Grant, and Greg produce themselves and continue their musical journey, arriving at a fierce Pop-Punk sound in the songs written by the guitarist and less furious, somewhat surprising tracks in those of the drummer. The first signs of discord are already in sight, not too far off: signs of a break...GREEN EYES.
  • hjhhjij
    1 oct 14
    Disco-of-Venus (Madonna it seemed obvious to me).
  • De...Marga...
    1 oct 14
    I subscribe and appreciate.
  • madcat
    1 oct 14
    the predecessors: Zen Arcade and New Day Rising, the successors: Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs and Stories, or the embarrassment of choice
Hüsker Dü: New Day Rising
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
A huge album, right from the cover and the title, never so evocative and eloquent; released just a handful of months after "Zen Arcade," it showcases the unquantifiable and unparalleled prolificacy of the guys, who are moving towards compositional maturity. A work that has marked, pointed out, and traced a groove, a path to follow: and over the years it will be assimilated by hundreds of groups, thus demonstrating the enormity of Husker Du. A stratospheric opening, my favorite...EVOLUZIONE (ARMATA)...
  • madcat
    13 sep 14
    Stratospheric opening..and the second track even better, an album obviously among their best, and very influential for the 90s.
  • De...Marga...
    13 sep 14
    Right, absolutely right, I didn't mention any songs, aside from the opener, due to space reasons: And what can we say about the seventh track "Perfect Example", a perfect example indeed that the Georgians R.E.M. appreciated and "copied" a lot. And since I feel like mentioning a few more tracks, I’ll add "How to Skin a Cat," a proto-noise, lopsided and limping piece. If you know them well, you might have noticed how in a good portion of their discography, which is immense to me, the opening track of the album is masterful; "New Day Rising" remains unsurpassed for me... Hi madcat, your comments and expertise are always a pleasure.
  • madcat
    13 sep 14
    Thank you de marga, I obviously return the compliments :) Among the tracks, I'm reminded of Powerline, a hypnotic guitar that, like throughout the whole album, overshadows everything, magnificent. How to skin a cat is the mind-blowing track of the album, how to skin a (mad) cat :D
  • De...Marga...
    13 sep 14
    Ahahahaha; your ironic touch made me laugh out loud. That's why I appreciate you so much, because besides being musically knowledgeable, you know how to combine good manners and sarcasm like few others. As the craziest piece on the album, I would put, on the same level, the explosive and destructive finale of the last long track, according to their usual standards.
  • madcat
    13 sep 14
    Thank you really, Marga, and when it comes to good manners, you definitely outshine everyone in here :D. I was also thinking about the last track of the album, and you are absolutely right.
  • De...Marga...
    13 sep 14
    And I can tell you that your words really do wonders for my sick spirit...
  • madcat
    13 sep 14
    Come on, grit your teeth my friend, as I already wrote to you in private.
Hüsker Dü: Everything Falls Apart And More
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
...I-just-have-to-quote-the-third-p iece-written-by-Bob-"Punch Drunk": a universal flood played at a crazy speed with a guitar solo that lasts a nanosecond...ALL IN TWENTY-NINE, I SAY 29, SECONDS...TARGET-TARGET-TARGET-TARG ET-TARGET-TARGET-TARGET-TARGET..... .fundamental.
  • SilasLang
    12 sep 14
    Masterpiece of the Madonna. One of my favorite hardcore records. It's part of my "bible." A hardcore album that looked ahead: amidst the blind fury, you can already glimpse pop openings [the title track, the marvelous 'Gravity'] and those "wave" atmospheres that permeate 'Wheels': that damn bass line driving 'Wheels' is or isn't the quintessence of post-punk? If you also have the early singles, there's also 'Statues'...deadly!
  • De...Marga...
    12 sep 14
    Of course I also have "STATUES": monumental. I was waiting for your passage and I am glad. I wanted to insert spaces between words to give a sense of speed to my writing, considering I was referring to that particular track which is HARDCORE AL CUBO... Last night on YouTube I watched a good part of a concert by Husker Du in 1985 in Germany if I remember correctly: they open with New Day Rising and it's incredible the wall of sound they manage to create even though there are only three of them. Bob is unrecognizable, so many hair and pounds ago!!!!
  • SilasLang
    12 sep 14
    ...think that I have the vinyl of E.F.A. and as if that wasn't enough, I also bought the CD of everything falls apart + more just to get my hands on the various 7" including 'Statues' and 'In a Free Land' :D
  • De...Marga...
    12 sep 14
    Ahahahahahahahahaha. Do you know why I’m laughing, dear? Because I did the same thing, going out to buy the big vinyl first and then the Rhino reissue that came out in 1993... We’re like siamese twins now, just a few years apart!!!
Hüsker Dü: Metal Circus
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
An EP of just 7 tracks for 19 minutes of great Music. A record that marks the beginning of a journey for the trio: going beyond the uncompromising hardcore of their early days. Released in 1983 by the SST label, it opens with a pair of songs, written by Bob, of undeniable "physical" impact: "Real World" and "Deadly Skies". But it’s Grant’s two tracks that kick off the journey leading them to chart new musical coordinates: "It's Not Funny Anymore" and the poignant "Diane"...SACRE SCRITTURE...
  • SilasLang
    11 sep 14
    It seems that I always comment...but it's not my fault, it's just that you define 90% of the albums that I love XD
  • De...Marga...
    11 sep 14
    Hahahahaha... I love you "little brother." Because from today, you will be my little brother; the older one is imasoulman. There's not much else to say about the record; actually, each song could tell many things. I'll just mention the ballad "Diane," with Grant’s voice becoming increasingly dramatic and tense, as Bob's guitar creates a solo around the third minute, one of the most beautiful, lyrical yet emotionally devastating, giving me chills with every new listen. A song that devastates with its story of rape and murder; there you go dear Silas, this track is one of the reasons I side with Grant, without taking anything away from Bob’s excellent writing abilities, of course. Now I’m going back to listen to the whole mini, thinking of you.
  • hjhhjij
    11 sep 14
    Hardcore beyond Hardcore, the best appetizer possible before the main course of the revolution.
  • De...Marga...
    11 sep 14
    "The revolution starts at home, preferably in front of the bathroom mirror." Quote from Husker Du in their latest album. In my opinion, you're referring to that light, barely decent album called "Zen Arcade"... THE BIBLE...
  • SilasLang
    11 sep 14
    Indeed, dear big brother, Hart let me down in those last 2 albums... certainly not here. Damn, songs like "Diane," "Statues," "Wheels".... DAMN!!
  • SilasLang
    11 sep 14
    *of course. Pardon
Hüsker Dü: Warehouse: Songs and Stories
Vinile I have it ★★★★★
January 1987; two and a half years after "Zen Arcade," it’s still a double album that marks, tears and all, the conclusion of the band's career. "Warehouse: Songs and Stories" is its title. Almost seventy minutes, twenty songs: Vince Bob 11 to 9 against Grant...and that is the drop that will lead to the final break. But the album doesn't suffer from it, with a heart-stopping opener, that prophetic "This Important Years" right from the title. "She Floated Away," "Could You Be The One?"...I should name them ALL...THANK YOU!!!!...
  • SilasLang
    10 sep 14
    A record that pisses me off almost as much as 'Kiss Me' by the Cure. For the same reasons. Mould carves out noise-pop jewels like it’s raining ('These Important Years', 'Standing in the Rain', 'Ice Cold Ice', 'Could you be the One?', 'Visionary' etc. etc.)... Hart, in my humble opinion... ruins a bit of a picture that would otherwise have been yet another masterpiece (and in the end it is, given the quality of Mould's writing)...
  • Pinhead
    10 sep 14
    What a wonder, Husker-mania has exploded! My favorite is the ultra-pop "Turn It Around," closely followed by the generational anthem "These Important Years," but every single episode is a gem ("Visionary," just to name another). Keep it up, DeMarga!
  • De...Marga...
    10 sep 14
    It's a complicated matter to reply; I'll start by saying that I love both equally, though under torture I would choose Grant for a whole series of reasons that would take me a page to list. Bob, on this record, deliberately takes the reins, as he writes more songs than Grant. The drummer is coming from a dramatic period that you surely know well, and he curls up with a series of tracks in "minor key," so to speak. Nevertheless, and to conclude, for me it remains an imposing Cathedral, second only to "Zen Arcade." And it's incredible, but worth mentioning, that in two and a half years the band has released FIVE, I say 5, albums, two of which are double. One more thing: from Silas "She Floated Away" is a beautiful song. Hello dear friend, and I like to remind you from time to time to send greetings to our wonderful land!!!!!!!!!
  • De...Marga...
    10 sep 14
    @Pinhead: I'm going through a tough time and I've discovered that I'm drawn to Husker Du, Sugar (right now I'm enjoying the album "Copper Blue"), Nova Mob, and the solo works of Grant and Bob. I'm rediscovering a musical moment that was truly a godsend for me; as for the album, every song is memorable in my opinion, but the opening of the fifth track, which closes the first side of the first vinyl, remains UNREACHABLE; and when Bob starts singing and Grant repeats the title of the track, the urge to headbang against the wall at home remains unchanged... I won’t mention the title, which consists of three words, the first one repeated twice.
  • hjhhjij
    10 sep 14
    Discone. It would have been the masterpiece for many bands, not for them.
  • madcat
    10 sep 14
    Despite Zen Arcade, New Day Rising, and Flip Your Wig, Warehouse: Songs and Stories remains my favorite by Husker Du, even though it's tough, huh...
  • De...Marga...
    10 sep 14
    How wonderful to receive all this appreciation for an album that deserves infinitely more; @hjhjjij: I remember you telling me that before, and I can only respect your decision. After all, I also slightly prefer "Zen Arcade." @madcat: an album that sweeps away much of the punk-hardcore rubbish that came after the sacred word of Husker Du; by the way, this morning, listening to the double vinyl for the millionth time, I really appreciated a track that rarely gets mentioned, which opened the second vinyl, "Bad Of Nails," which lasts almost five minutes, led by Bob's voice with his usual powerful and epic guitar strumming that sends me "off my rocker"... GOD WHAT A BAND...
  • madcat
    10 sep 14
    I've also reevaluated Candy Apple Grey, which is anything but a minor album; it fits perfectly among the wonders they've released since Zen Arcade, although it's overshadowed by giants :D
Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade
Vinile I have it ★★★★★
Husker Du: Do you remember? It’s easy for me to recall, exactly thirty years ago, when I first listened to this MONOLITH: I was 17 and I was literally struck by the opening sequence "Something I Learned Today"-"Broken Home, Broken Heart," which then gave way to the heart-wrenching, in its simplicity, "Never Talking To You Again." And I will NEVER stop loving the album, the masterpiece by Bob, Grant, and Greg: "One of the ten commandments of Rock," as my friend Lewis Tollani put it.
  • Hank Monk
    12 aug 14
    Beautiful.
    My first time with this album was a solo trip to Paris. I had some terrible headphones and thought that the confusing sound of the record was their fault. Then I listened to it again on a decent stereo, but the sound was the same as with the awful headphones.
    Despite, or perhaps because of this, I have an unconditional love for this band.
  • De...Marga...
    12 aug 14
    Your comment fills me with immense joy; certainly, the sound of Bob's guitar, indeed the wall of sound built by Mr. Mould's guitar, is an unlimited guarantee through the ages...AMEN...Since I conclude the definition by quoting the ten commandments.
  • Psychopathia
    12 aug 14
    beautiful album. too bad I no longer have it. but one day I will definitely buy it again. AMEN
  • De...Marga...
    12 aug 14
    How do you no longer have it? Ask for forgiveness with ten Hail Marys...
  • Hank Monk
    12 aug 14
    that then listening to it again over the years the sound isn’t that horrible. it’s just dirty but it makes its filthy impression. Then well, the songs...