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great record

Well done. A well-written review that I agree with.

Absolute top

American Idiot was not a masterpiece. It's a mediocre album with some good ideas. This is even worse. After selling out, Green Day is trying, with poor results, to overdo it, to become something bigger than what they can really be. The results are ultimately messy like this, chaotic, with no head or tail, while we have been longing for Kerplunk and 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours for 15 years.

I really like this album. It fully deserves its place among what can be considered Metallica albums, obviously excluding the Horrible Trilogy whose titles are pointless to mention. DM has been filled with a lot of unfair criticism because after the nonsense they produced in the 90s, Metallica finally realized that they still called themselves Metallica. You know, a black hole of 17 years in the career of an artist/band corresponds to a lifetime: it makes sense to return to the spotlight with an album that has truly unexpected qualities (cyanide, that was just your life, the unforgiven 3, all nightmare long, judas kiss... the fast and aggressive riffs, heavy and raw sound...) and also has its various flaws (some solos a bit rushed, a few mediocre songs that are a bit too long...) that testify to something important: the desire of the most significant thrash band in history to at least be worthy of their name. And then try to imagine the voice you find at 45 after being a junkie and a drunk since you were in the cradle...

I definitely agree with you when you say that the punkreas heavily lean on their anarchic vocation, which they make quite explicit in their lyrics, and that in the early days they expressed it through raw and rough punk. However, the punk discourse is much more complex than just the musical sphere: punk is also a lifestyle, an ideology that needs to be expressed in a certain type of music because only that type of music reflects what one wants to say. You either like punk or you don't: I do think, though, that your analysis of punkreas is a bit hasty. The fact that the punkreas play simple and rough punk isn’t entirely true. Let’s say that during the early days and for the album you’re analyzing here, that’s certainly the case... and I admit I also struggle to digest the early punkreas, agreeing with you. However, with the success that came later and made them nationally known, their music evolved while still keeping within the punk framework... let’s be clear, the themes in the lyrics have remained somewhat the same... but if you listen to the riffs or the structures of the songs themselves, you’ll realize it’s not just high school punk... I recommend WTO, Satanasso, Cuore nero... give them a listen... there are some interesting riff patterns, excellent interplay between the two rhythm guitars, and a more refined sound...

It horrifies me a bit when you say there are rock 'n' roll influences on the album, and that "Nothing Else Matters" is the best song Metallica has ever written, period. I'll take away a point because I disagree with part of what you say, one point for some spelling mistakes that others have already pointed out before me, and one point because this is the twelfth (I believe) review of this album. That said, I truly believe the Black Album is a great record because with it Metallica managed to find a perfect synthesis... shorter songs, simple yet effective riffs, a more classic metal sound, a much "warmer" and fuller tone, all combined with a greater melodiousness compared to previous albums (with "Enter Sandman" being the absolute example). This well-thought-out mix allowed Metallica to achieve astonishing sales (which were unexpected: they didn't make this album to reach number one on the charts...) without compromising: it's not selling out, it's just artistic growth, reaching a peak that may never be touched again. Selling out is what Metallica would do in the following years with "Load" and various nonsense, and honestly, there’s no comparison between those albums and this one because it would mean putting them on the same level. I understand the more thrash-oriented fans, but we must face reality: just as "Master of Puppets" was the pinnacle of thrash metal, so the Black Album was the pinnacle of a more classic and mature metal, the highest point of Metallica's career, something unique and unrepeatable.

It can definitely be said that Unmasked is a second act of Dynasty, because the slightly more pop sounds and the consequently less demanding listening experience it requires are common aspects with its predecessor. I've never had the chance to listen to it all, just a few tracks, but I still believe it’s enjoyable to hear; it’s not a masterpiece, but it absolutely doesn't deserve all the criticism and beatings it has received from everyone. In theory, one should criticize Dynasty in the same way, but there was "I Was Made" on that album, and that’s why the sales were high and justified Kiss. I would say that the 80s really brought worse albums for Kiss (Creatures of the Night is the exception)... and to tell you the truth, I prefer those songs from this album that I have listened to over many from Dynasty and some from the 70s albums. To each their own, though. In short, Unmasked is a record in pure Kiss style: carefree, pleasant, and engaging just enough.
P.S. The cover is terrible and Kajagoogoo is not entirely wrong... thankfully, what matters is the music inside!
The rating for the album is a rounded-up 3.5 :D

Damn man woman mouse is the ESSENCE... show

Thank you, guys. You moved me.