Top 5 of 2005!!

So this one ended up coming together much more quickly than I expected.  My Anniversary Article focused a lot on power metal, and things are not much different for my Top 5.  Once again, please keep in mind that this is just my opinion, and that I can't listen to everything I'd like to.  Still, there were plenty of honorable mentions, ranging from Wolfmother's self-titled debut and Presto Ballet's Peace Among the Ruins, to power metal giants like Masterplan, Allen/Lande, and Sabaton.  However, I think the following five albums are the best this year has to offer.

5. Nickelback - All the Right Reasons

Yeah, I know.  Yeah, this is the album with the meme song, I know.  I don't care.  This album just rocks.  Honestly, I think the Nickelback hate is overblown.  Sure, they're not the greatest band in the world, but they're generally good rock song writers, and this one happens to have quite a few of them.  Yes, I like "Photograph," but also songs like "Fight for All the Wrong Reasons," "Side of a Bullet," and even the satirical "Rockstar."  I like my post-grunge crunchy and catchy, and this is one of the best albums with that kind of style.

4. DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage

You probably expected this one to be higher, didn't you?  To be clear, this is definitely the album where their really nailed their sound and got a ton of attention (partially thanks to Guitar Hero III), but it still holds up pretty well over all.  "Through the Fire and the Flames" is practically a power metal classic, now, but I also like "Body Breakdown" and "Cry for Eternity" as well.  Admittedly, I haven't kept up with the band, as they have been riding the same sound since this album, but I do think this remains a pivotal point in the genre's history.

3. Stratovarius - Stratovarius

A bit of a black sheep in their catalog, this album comes from a pretty troubled time in the band's history, and the stripped down style certainly reflects that.  While there may not be as many lush synths or neo-classical noodlings, I still like a lot of the songs on this album, mostly the first three of "Maniac Dance," "Fight!!!", and "Just Carry On."  The album does lose some steam towards the end, but it remains a personal favorite, even if it is the end of an era for the band.

2. HammerFall - Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken

When I did my retrospective on this band, I noted how this album was the one where the band started stream-lining their sound a little more, focusing on mid-tempo anthems.  However, it does have some pretty dang good ones.  Relisting to this again, I still love "Fury of the Wild" and the rest for their natural epicness and catchy choruses.  While it may not be one of their best albums, it still dominates most of the competition for this year.

1. Kamelot - The Black Halo

However, when I started listening to albums for this year's list, I knew this would be my number one.  After building a unique blend of power metal, symphonic metal, and prog metal over the last few albums, they really nail it here with a masterpiece.  The second half of a pair of concept albums, the story does get pretty melodramatic, but the execution of music and arrangements are incredible, and make for a pretty satisfying ending to the story.  Between Roy Khan's beautiful voice and Thomas Youngblood's epic riffing and solos, this album was the best of the year, not just in power metal, but in any genre.

Top 5 of 2000!!

It's at this point we start to drift away from what was big and into what I've mainly listened to, as was the nature for the Anniversary Articles.  For 2000, I primarily focused on power metal, and in the end, it also dominates my Top 5 for the year as well.  However, I did want to give an honorable mention to Rob Halford's return to heavy metal with his solo band Halford.  Quite the Resurrection indeed!  I also made sure to give the stuff I heard last week its chance, but in the end, they didn't make it, mainly because these five are some of my personal favorites!

5. Edguy - The Savage Poetry

After cutting their teeth on a few albums, they decided to record their debut demo, and it's a considerable improvement, as they have their power metal sound worked out by this point.  Kicking off with "Hallowed" and "Misguiding Your Life," their songs crackle with Helloween-like energy, with the epic "Eyes of the Tyrant" being the highlight of the album, in my opinion.  While the band might be MIA these days, they were definitely one of the big stars during the swell of power metal bands growing at this time.

4. Nightwish - Wishmaster

Back before they were doing more progressive, cinematic metal, Nightwish was the premier symphonic metal band at the time.  Seeped in a gothic tone, and powered by Tarja Turunen's operatic voice, they were as epic as a band could get.  While I do think Oceanborn is a slightly better album, this one had plenty of great songs, like the bombastic title track, and the twisted "Kinslayer."  

3. 3 Doors Down - The Better Life

Nostalgia can be a pretty powerful stuff.  I was in high school, and post-grunge was really blowing up, with this album dominating my attention at the time.  While "Kryptonite" was the big hit, the album has so much more, with the somber "Be Like That" and the tense "Duck and Run, to the energetic tracks like "By My Side" and "So I Need You."  This was a contender to take the #1 spot, but after listening to everything, it settles comfortably at #3.

2. HammerFall - Renegade

Back when I did my big retrospective for this band, I considered this one to be caught between two very good albums.  However, classic HammerFall will always have a massive place in my heart, and this album is no exception.  With so many great tracks from beginning to end, from the pounding opener, to the electric title track, to the epic closer, it was going to take something pretty incredible to beat it.

1. Stratovarius - Infinte

Speaking of incredible!  I admit I haven't talked about Stratovarius very much here on my blog, and that's kind of a shame, as their albums were instrumental in getting me into power metal, with their blend of proggy keyboard solos and neo-classical riffing and shredding.  While Visions might be their best, Infinite is probably my second favorite of theirs.  Starting with the catchy "Hunting High and Low," the album just excels above the rest, with tracks like the near thrashy "Phoenix" and the epic "Infinity."  While it's not perfect, I can't deny the majesty of this album, and so it takes the top spot of 2000 for me!

Top 5 of 1995!!

Still making progress on these articles, but it's gonna be tight if I want to get through all of them before the end of the year.  As for this one, 1995 was definitely a curious time, as genres were evolving and expanding.  As usual, I should explain that I can't listen to everything, and these lists are pretty subjective to me.  However, after listening to a bunch of albums (including ones I didn't review), I felt these were the five that stood out the most.

5. The Flower Kings - Back in the World of Adventures

I'll admit that third-wave prog rock can be a mixed bag sometimes, as I feel they tend to lean a little too much into jazz fusion for my tastes.  However, Roine Stolt and his buddies really went big for their (kinda) debut album, really capturing the whimsy and mystery of those classic 70s styles.  It's not perfect, but it does establish some decent atmosphere with slick passages and melodies throughout.

4. Paragon - World of Sin

After reviewing it last week, I did wonder if this might not sneak into the Top 5 somewhere.  Compared to the other two I reviewed, this one felt the most complete and consistent, with their wearing their Metal Church influences on their sleeves for their brand of power metal.  While they haven't quite reached their full potential (and the great vocalist Andreas Babuschkin hadn't shown up yet), it's a debut that certainly demands attention.

3. Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side

At this point, Blind Guardian is firing on all cylinders, nailing their peculiar mix of power, folk, and speed metal.  The title track, "Bright Eyes," and "I'm Alive" are highlights for me, and I know this album has plenty of acclaim in the power metal fandom.  It's only below the others as I think they're stronger and have more of the power metal style I prefer, but that I still think this is a great album in the genre.

2. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free

Losing Ralf Scheepers may seem like a big deal, but Kai Hansen really steps up to the mic and discovers that he has a good voice for this concept album about freedom and oppression.  It's also when the band really embraces their power metal sound, helping to establish the genre along with their contemporaries.  The album does get a little clunky here and there, but honestly, these are nit-picks, and certainly not enough to prevent it from getting such a high placing.

1. Stratovarius - Fourth Dimension

While they wouldn't have their iconic lineup just yet, it can't be denied that Stratovarius really starts with this album.  I love "Against the Wind," "Distant Skies," and "We Hold the Key," and the rest of the album isn't too shabby.  Timo Kotipelto's soaring vocals and Timo Tolkki's neo-classical guitars really come together to make some solid stuff, and the first of a string of excellent power metal albums!

Anniversary Series - 1994!

This year is certainly a tough one to write about.  While there was plenty going on in rock and metal, it was mostly in genres I generally don't cover on this blog (like pop punk or death metal).  That being said, I think I've got enough to scrape a few paragraphs together to try and cover the year without resorting to a handful of reviews.

Naturally, grunge was still big.  Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden put out some reelases to their diehard fans, with Soundgarden in particular having a massive hit with "Black Hole Sun."  However, this year would also serve the biggest blow with the death of Kurt Cobain.  Almost acting like a turning point for the genre, more radio friendly bands like Bush and Our Lady Peace would move the genre into the post-grunge era.

Prog would end up having an interesting year as well.  Classic bands like Yes and ELP (among others) would put out albums, showing they still have what it takes, while Pink Floyd released Division Bell, marking the end of an era (as it was the last album for them for many years).  Progressive metal was picking up, however, with Dream Theater leading the charge with Awake, their celebrated follow-up to Images and Words.  With newcomers like Vanden Plas and Symphony X following in their wake, prog metal was clearly on the way up.

Meanwhile, power metal was starting to come together.  Stratovarius would be in a state of transition with Dreamspace, but the big story was the comeback of Helloween.  Picking up new singer Andi Deris, the band returned to their speedy, melodic roots with Master of the Rings, one of my favorite albums of theirs.  Finally getting past their experimental phase, they laid out epic tracks like "Sole Survivor" and "Where the Rain Grows," anticipating the explosion of power metal that would soon follow.

So it's not much, but it's something, and there's certainly more in the playlist below, so check that out.  If I've missed something, let me know in the comments below.  Meanwhile, I'll keep carrying on, putting out articles as often as time permits.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1997!

I'm going to be honest, this year's article is going to be mostly about power metal, as 1997 was the year HammerFall exploded, bringing with it a massive wave of new bands.  I'll try to include a few others, and if there's anything you think I missed, don't hesitate to let me know.  Now, let's get this anniversary article started!

Let's just start with HammerFall and go from there.  The idea of a band that embraced the clichés of the 80s, added a heavy layer of fantasy and historical themes, and charged with some neo-classical energy was considered pretty novel when their debut album landed.  While I think their next few albums were better, they were off to a great start.  With epic tracks like "The Dragon Lies Bleeding," "Unchained," and "Steel Meets Steel," they established a foundation they and many other bands would build on.

Other power metal highlights from the year include Edguy's second album Kingdome of Madness, Kamelot's second Dominion, the debuts of symphonic titans Nightwish and Rhapsody of Fire, and earlier in the month, I covered Kai Hansen's one-two punch of Iron Savior's debut and Gamma Ray's Somewhere Out in Space.  Finally, there's Visions by Stratovarius, including blazing tracks like "Black Diamond," "Forever Free," and "Legions."  This album would cement the band as one of my favorites from this era!

Progressive metal also had a strong showing.  Not only did Dream Theater give us Falling into Infinity, with the iconic "Peruvian Skies," but Symphony X released The Divine Wings of Tragedy, with the 20-minute epic title-track that builds on John Milton and Gustav Holst, and Vanden Plas provided their own style of prog metal with The God Thing, featuring great songs like "Rainmaker" and "Crown of Thorns."

Of course, it wasn't all metal.  Post-grunge was starting to pick up again, particularly with The Colour and the Shape by the Foo Fighters.  Songs like "Monkey Wrench," "Everlong," and "My Hero would become rock radio staples.  And then there was the iconic debut of Creed with My Own Prison, the first of three great albums that I jammed repeatedly when I was in high school.  At least, when I wasn't listening to the new Yes album Open Your Eyes.  It's no innovator or prog rock triumph by any means, but one I have a lot of nostalgia for as well.

So that's 1997 in a nutshell!  Definitely some great music, and I have more selections below in the Spotify playlist.  Perhaps it's not the robust selection, but it will get better as I explore more music.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1996!

Time for another anniversary article, this time for 1996!  Once again, as we get closer to the present, it becomes harder to focus on the year as a whole.  Looking over it, I'm realizing that I actually haven't listened to much from this year that my blog covers.  Still, some really great stuff came out this year.

First of all, there's a lot of solid power metal that came out this year.  Stratovarius finally gets their iconic lineup together and release an iconic album, Episode.  Featuring speedfests like "Speed of Light," "Will the Sun Rise," and "Father Time," as well as epic tracks like "Eternity" and "Babylon," it's an album with plenty of great tracks, full of Tolkki's solid riffing and iconic solos.  Definitely a power metal classic.

Of course, these Finns weren't the only ones providing some epic power metal.  Germans Helloween followed up The Master of the Rings with Time of the Oath, with "Steel Tormentor" and "Power" as standouts.  They would also release a live album this same year called High Live.  Brazilian Angra would also give us Holy Land, a power-prog concept album I reviewed two years ago!  Trans-Siberian Orchestra would round things out with their debut, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, ensuring that the holiday would never sound the same again.  This year also features Apocalyptica's debut, made up of fascinating covers of Metallica songs on nothing but cellos.  While they would go on to write interesting stuff themselves, their debut is still an interesting listen to this day.  

Other records of note include the Flower Kings Retropolis and Nickelback's Curb, both of which I reviewed here on the blog last month.  The first is a solid representation of third-wave prog, while the second is an early step of what would become a giant in the post-grunge scene.

To cap things off, I'll talk about two of my big three (well, sorta).  Alan Parsons solo group released On Air, bringing back the concept album motif, this time focusing on flight for its theme.  Meanwhile, Yes reformed a classic lineup from the 70s and released Keys to Ascension, a strange combination of some solid live material, and a few new studio tracks that have never really stuck with me.

As always, I've got a playlist for they year, featuring all of the above plus a few extras.  However, I make lists to help me with these articles, and I know I've missed a lot of stuff.  Maybe I'll get to more of it in the future.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 2005!

I have to say, writing these Anniversary articles has been fun.  I get to go over stuff I love as well as dig into things I haven't heard before.  This month: 2005.  I admit that my knowledge of what the rock world in general was doing at this time is pretty sparse, but I know what I like, and this year has plenty of melodic rock and metal worth celebrating.

Speaking of which, let's start again with power metal.  A lot of really good albums came out this year for the genre, including the debut of Allen/Lande, a team-up to two very dynamic singers who really lay it on thick.  The album is full of fist-pumping anthems that are blast to hear.  HammerFall would continue their crusades, providing another set of stomping huge songs in Chapter V, namely "Blood Bound," "Fury of the Wild," and "Born to Rule."  And while Stratovarius' history would be pretty bumpy at this point, their self-title release is something of a dark horse in their collection, having some of their best material, in my opinion.

Kamelot would carry on their quality streak with The Black Halo, the second half of a concept album pair based on Faustian legends, and features tons of epic material.  Sabaton would kickstart their military history flavored metal with Primo Victoria, camo pants and all.  And of course, a discussion of power metal in 2005 wouldn't be complete with DragonForce's Inhuman Rampage, featuring the Guitar Hero favorite "Through the Fire and the Flames," and cementing the band as the poster child for the genre.  Admit it, when most people think about power metal now, it's usually DragonForce they think of.

Of course, there was more to 2005 than power metal.  Post-grunge continued to stick around, with 3 Doors Down's opener "Right Where I Belong" from Seventeen Days, and Nickelback showing us that "Photograph" everyone keeps making fun of them for.  Other highlights include Wolfmother's debut, full of Sabbath-y riffs and Deep Purple-y organs, as well as Disturbed finally turning the corner into their now iconic groove metal with Ten Thousand Fists.

To cap off, I want to end with band that may have flown under the radar.  One called Presto Ballet.  Formed by Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, he set out to put together an album that paid homage to classic rock bands of the 70s, taking Yes and Kansas into strongest consideration.  Along with a dedication to more analog recording techniques, their debut album is a very bright and vibrant album that straddles the line between crunchy and prog the way bands like Kansas and Styx did back in their heyday.

So that's another anniversary article in the books.  As usual, the playlist with even more good stuff is posted below, and if I've missed something, shout it out!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 2000!

Once again, it's the middle of the month, so it's time for another anniversary article.  This time, 2000!  Once we got over the whole Y2K nonsense, what rocked that year?  I'm here to tell you!

Let's start off with some power metal, as the genre had really its stride by this point.  HammerFall would give us Renegade, with iconic tracks like the title track, "The Way of the Warrior," and "A Legend Reborn."  Nightwish expanded their symphonic stylings with Wishmaster, featuring another great title track, "Deep Silent Complete," and the dramatic number "The Kinslayer."  Other highlights include Rhapsody of Fire's Dawn of Victory, which gave us "Holy Thunderfoce," and Edguy's rerecording of Savage Poetry, which has the epic "Eyes of the Tyrant," a ten minute epic that goes through many different moods.

However, the one power metal album that stands out to me the most is Stratovarius's Infinite.  Building off of the sound of their successful trilogy of Episode, Visions, and Destiny, they add some thicker grit to their guitars and push to even greater heights.  Kicking off with the opening rocker "Hunting High and Low," the album moves through some great tracks.  "Millennium" is another great high-speed affair, "Phoenix" is a personal favorite with some massive riffs, and "Infinity" is probably their best epic track.  Full of speed and grandiosity, this album is pretty much peak power metal for me.

Of course, there were other metal bands doing work at this time.  Trans-Siberian Orchestra's third album gets away from their Christmas carols to give us a new story about the life and death of Beethoven in Beethoven's Last Night.  Melodramatic, but with some nice songs, and the references to classic music are weaved in quite expertly.  Other notable records are Helloween's The Dark Ride, Dark Moor's The Hall of the Olden Dreams, and Rob Halford's return to traditional metal with his first solo album Resurrection. 

Meanwhile, progressive rock was starting to come alive again, with new works from new bands.  While I admit I haven't listened to much from this time period, I did recently listen to Transatlantic's debut album, and thought it was pretty decent.

Finally, another genre that was big at this time was post-grunge.  While most of the stuff I'm familiar with didn't come out this particular year, one big album did, and that's The Better Life by 3 Doors Down.  This has to be one of the best debut albums I've ever heard, and I put it along side Boston's and Asia's first records as a solid rock album, from start to finish.  While "Kryptonite" would be the bit hit single from the record, the rest of the album is just a great, with songs like the crunchy "Loser," the driven "Duck and Run," the touching ballad "Be Like That," and the uplifting "So I Need You."  Honestly, I could have put all eleven tracks of this album on the playlist below, but I tried to keep it to the best.

So that's 2000!  Perhaps not as much variety as I would like, but I'm growing!  Also, if you think I've missed something, speak up!  These playlists are not set in stone, you know!

Anniversary Series - 1995!

Well, I'm making some serious progress on these, now that we're in July!  As we move further in time, rock music really begins to separate out into its genres and communities, making it difficult to really say anything conclusive about the time period as a whole.  As such, these articles are going to focus more on what I've listened to, and therefore be less comprehensive and historical in nature.  Still, there's plenty to talk about for the year of 1995!

Let's start things off with some power metal, as the genre was really starting to come alive by now.  Blind Guardian released Imaginations from the Other Side, Gamma Ray finally got things together for Land of the Free (which I reviewed here), and Stratovarius would find their voice in Timo Kotipelto and give us Fourth Dimension, the first in a long string of great albums.

1995 would be a big year for prog rock.  Pink Floyd's big final tour would result in the Pulse live album, with the iconic blinking light on the spine.  King Crimson continued their unique complexity with Thrak, and Roine Stolt, after the success of The Flower King, would bring together the band The Flower Kings and produce their debut album, which I reviewed earlier this year.

Prog metal would be no slouch either, with Ayreon releasing their debut, Symphony X following up on their debut by introducing the great Russell Allen to the world with The Damnation Game, and Dream Theater expanding their songwriting with the epic "A Change of Seasons," released as an EP.  However, the big surprise was Savatage suddenly coming back with Dead Winter Dead and the hit single "Sarajevo 12/24," the song that inspired the Trans-Siberian Orchestra project.

Of course, atlernative rock was still a big deal at this time, but grunge was making its shift into post-grunge.  Dave Grohl would bounce back with the debut of the Foo Fighters, Candlebox released Lucy, and Alice in Chains had their self-titled third album.

Just to round things out, Van Halen would carry on with Sammy Hagar with the successful Balance, Iron Maiden had The X Factor with their new singer Blaze Bayley, and AC/DC released Ballbreaker, proving that the older styles of rock and metal hadn't gone anywhere.

So that's 1995.  As usual, there's a playlist below, and I'm sure I've missed some good stuff, so don't hesitate to give me recommendations!  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - May 2019 Part Two!

I know I've been focusing on the video articles lately, but things remain busy in my life, so I'm doing all I can.  Excuses aside, I've got some great videos to share, so let's turn it up!

While it is technically an advertisement for a video game, it's hard to deny the catchy, anthemic sounds of Sabaton.  Their style of power-metal-meets-military-history remains unchanged, sounding a great as ever!

Mixing things up, this is the new single from Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, one of the classic bands from the Rock Progressivo Italiano movement, coming back with a new album.  The single has a nice 70s flair, with a dash of folky guitar and jazz drumming.

More catchy power metal!  Here we have Majesty with a hook-laden, uptempo stomper that sounds just plain huge.  They may have also picked up some of Beast in Black's synths as well to help things feel so big.  Great stuff!

I admit I'm not likely to cover thrash metal here (though I am a big fan of it), but when it's this melodic, how can I resist?  With some crunchy riffs and soaring vocals, it sounds like Savage Messiah has found a great balance between thrash and melodic metal!

One more video for the recent Alan Parsons album, we get a kind of pirate-y recap of the creator's career.  The song is classic 80s Project material, though, fitting comfortably between Ammonia Avenue and Vulture Culture.  The thing that troubles me most, though, is how the song makes it sound like the end of Alan Parsons, but I suppose time will tell.

Let's end on another piece of power metal!  Here we have a more neo-classical piece, thanks to ex-Stratovarius shredder Timo Tolkki.  As a massive Stratovarius fan myself, I like a lot of what I'm hearing in this song.  Nice to see him come back!

Last Played - November 2018

So I want to start a series of columns that are something like a list of what I've been listening to without really digging into the nitty-gritty.  Think of them as mini-reviews for albums as I'm listening to them.  There is still so much that I haven't listened to, so expect a weird mix of old and new stuff.  For now, here's what I've been listening to recently.

Roine Stolt - The Flower King

As a big Yes fan, I've always been curious about Roine Stolt ever since Jon Anderson did that collaboration with him (the enigmatic Invention of Knowledge).  Having heard that the Flower Kings were a kind of modern Yes, I figured I'd start with the album that started it all, Roine Stolt's The Flower King.

While it was an interesting listen, prog rock usually requires a few passes really get a feel for it.  However, I can tell Stolt wanted something that was more uplifting, in contrast to all the dour rock music being made at the time (the mid 90s), and it really shows throughout the album.  I liked it, but think I need more time with this one to really decide.

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

While I didn't get my hands on that luxurious remaster, I did give some of it a listen, only to not really notice any difference.  That being said, it get me in the mood to listen to it again, so I did.

In retrospect, it's a bit of a strange album.  Metallica had never done, nor has done since, something that was so complex and focused.  While not quite a concept album, ...And Justice For All really digs into social issues backed by layered riffs and rhythms.  It was a band on a mission to make a statement with their music, both sonically and lyrically.  This album had really grown on me over the years.

Gamma Ray - Sigh No More

Gamma Ray is a band I need to listen to more, as they are one of the pioneers of the power metal sound.  I decided to relisten to their sophomore effort here a few weeks ago, and it's not bad.  Kai Hansen is still rocking his Helloween chops, but the band hasn't quite solidified into something of their own.  Still, it's fun to hear a young Ralf Scheepers before he would gain his iconic Primal Fear voice later on.

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

I've been trying to learn more about classic progressive rock, and it's been interesting to hear the albums that helped make the genre what it is.  To be honest, I don't know how much I really get into classic prog Genesis.  With The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, I have listened to every Peter Gabriel Genesis album, and while some of it was interesting, I don't know if it's really clicked with me.  As I mentioned earlier, sometimes prog takes a few listens to really wrap your head around it, but this one may take more than others.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a concept album about a Puerto-Rican man living in New York who ends up going on a bizarre psychedelic odyssey full of strange imagery and symbols.  It's not so much a narrative as it is a through-line for Gabriel's theatrical song writing as it shifts from mood to mood.  Certainly an odd and unsettling collection of music, and one that I might not get back to very soon.

Stratovarius - Intermission

More classic power metal!  This one is mostly a compilation of b-sides and covers that Stratovarius released to tide fans over during a long recording hiatus before they released Elements Part 1.  While it's very much classic in sound, and there are a few gems, it's also not their best material.  Mostly for completionists who want everything they've recorded.

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Well, that's it for now.  I definitely want this to be a regular feature, so keep an eye out for future articles like this.  I'll probably have another one before November ends.