The Rat is my favourite distortion/fuzz pedal. This pedal is always on my board and I’m always using it as my ‘go to’ distortion. It’s so versitile, with sounds ranging from just a slight boost to a full blown rough fuzz. It’s very easy to use and …

I first heard of the German rock band Rammstein when I had just left high school and had begun to crave metal and explore some of the heavier genres of rock music. Someone had introduced me to the music of Rammstein, which I became even more interested in hearing …

Listening to Circus by Britney Spears, I must say that she has definitely improved on her style of singing. Though not that much of an improvement, her songs are mostly trance-like and kind of like an 80’s era or disco kind. You can’t quite put the money on …

“Caterpillar March” is the seventh song off of the stellar Kyuss album “Blues for the Red Sun” It is a rather short but powerful song, at only one minute and fifty six seconds in length. Despite being such a short song, “Caterpillar March” musters up more talent that can …

Last Of The American Girls is a song by Green Day which appears on their latest record, 21st Century Breakdown. This song starts off with a bass line by Dirnt before Armstrong comes in with the vocals of the track with yet another vocal melody which works incredibly well …

I guess I can never get tired of James Blunt’s songs. I do think that he is one of the few singers who can seriously sing and at the same time mean his songs.
From the lyrics to the melody to the delivery, James Blunt’s music really touches my …

The Fallen Angel is a song by Iron Maiden which appears on their record Brave New World. The best way that I can describe the instrumental opening of this track is that it has a very driving sound to it both from the three guitarists, Harris’ galloping rhythm, and …

When I was younger, even though they released most of their hits songs in the nineteen eighties, one of my favourite bands was “Toto”. How I became familiar with them was not through my parents , but I’d hear their songs play from time to time on the radio, …

Overview —“ Dookie, Green Day’s third effort, is the album which launched them into commercial success, and for obvious reasons. After listening to the first three tracks or so you should get a sense that this album will feature some extremely catchy parts, and once you get to songs …

Artist: Mariah Carey
Video: Make It Happen
Album: Emotions
Label: Columbia Records
Director: Marcus Nispel
“Make It Happen” is the third and final single and music video from Mariah Carey’s second album titled “Emotions”, following the previous singles and music videos which are “Emotions” and “Can’t Let Go”. Marcus Nispel directs the music video …

When Britney Spears was in her prime I was never really a big fan of her. I did like some of her songs, just not all of them. When she went through her difficult time of cutting off her hair and locking herself in the bathroom, I thought it …

Elton John is a famous musician who now is properly called, Sir Elton John, since he was given the title by the Queen of England. Well deserved! Elton John has been around since before I even thought about music, but since I grew up in a family that loved …

As one of the earliest songs from Circa Survive, “Handshakes at Sunrise” remains one of my favorites, if only for its sentimental value. Displaying a sound that would become standard for the band, you get a feel for where they started, and how the sound of their early music …

Jay-Z ft. Blackstreet
“The City Is Mine”
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Roc-A-Fella Records
“The City Is Mine” follows “(Always Be My) Sunshine” as the second music video and single from Jay-Z’s second album “In My Lifetime, Volume 1″. Here, Jay-Z samples “You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else” by The Jones Girls …

I went to check out guitars since my friend suddenly has an interest in learning to play a musical instrument. Since my cousin brother is a guitar player, I asked for his advice on getting one. He recommended Ibanez AEB10E to me.
When I first …

Overview - Metallica, also know as The Black Album, is Metallica’s fifth effort and is the album known as combining heavy metal with commercial success. With more mainstream songs, the band was able to merge into the mainstream and become more of a household name rather than an underground …

I was never really into Reggae as a genre of music but if I was ever to get into it then the legendary Bob Marley would serve as my personal entry point. All the more fitting I thought then, that his first album I would get is entitled —˜Legends’.
It …

The song Teddy Bear is one of the many that Red Sovine sings that I like. It is considered to be a truck driving song but that makes no difference to me. I’m not a truck driver but I sure like the beat of the song. It makes me …

I’d never heard INXS before i saw the TV show Rockstar:INXS. I liked the show very much and now i see them on TV with this new album Switch. So i decided to try them out. I don’t feel sorry for buying the CD, infact, i love the set …

Children Of The Damned is a song by Iron Maiden which appears on their album The Number Of The Beast. Opening up in a very melodic fashion, Children Of The Damned features a nice interplay between a clean guitar pattern mixed with some very nice bass fills from …

Overview —“ Hero Of The Day, the second music video released by Metallica for the album Load, continues in the sort of strange symbolism that the band first introduced with Until It Sleeps. I don’t mean to come off as sounding as if symbolism is bad in music videos, …

I love this song and first heard it a few years back at Christmas time from a CD comprising of 101 Christmas songs. Little did I know it was sung back in 1960! But the song itself is so cute and I was hooked immediately when I heard it.
The …

Canadian rockers Finger Eleven have been kicking it now for more than eleven years. From the underground smart-grunge sounds of their 1997 debut album “Tip” to the emotive and acoustic-laden drones of 2003’s self-titled outing, they’ve managed to run the gamut within the confines of alternative hard rock.
But with …

I am a huge fan of music that has a distinct eighties vibe to it, not least of which music actually made in the eighties. There is just something about the use of cheesy synths and rhythm inspired pop base lines that just keeps me listening without question. For …

I’m not sure why I have the Alan Jackson: When Somebody Loves You CD. I don’t remember buying it, but I just found it, still in its wrapping to be truthful, so however I got it, I’ve never listened to it until this evening. Very strange to …

R. Kelly
“Trapped In The Closet, Part 9″
TP-3 Reloaded
Jive Records
Part 9 in the “Trapped In The Closet” series picks up right after Part 8. Officer James begins to hear a noise in the kitchen and starts searching around - behind the fridge, under the table - nothing, but he does …

I heard this song while I was on the beach one night, and some really good firedancers were singing to this tune! The song is titled Fire Burning On The Dance Floor, and what better song to use than this one when the group perfoming are firedancers! This is …

Regrets by Jay-Z is the last song off of his debut album “Reasonable Doubt” released June 25, 1996. I personally find it to be a perfect song to conclude the album. The song Regrets samples “It’s So Easy Loving You” by Earl Klugh and Hubert Laws. This makes the …

The song “I just came back from a war” is sung by Darrell Worley. It is about a soldier trying to catch up on old times with a group of friends and how he has changed sinse comeing back from a war where he was not appreciated. This song …

Judgment Of Heaven is a song by Iron Maiden which appears on their album The X Factor. I will say right now that I do not like Blaze Bayley with Iron Maiden, I don’t think that he fit their style and I think Dickinson fits substantially better and that …

When released, Barbra Streisand: One Voice CD got a lot of attention and for good reason. It’s not everyday that this amazing singer gives a concert. This was back in 1987, before her big concert tours of the 90’s. Barbra gave a concert in her backyard, …

Don’t Tell Me by Avril Lavinge is a song I like to listen to when a guy tries to tell me what to do and I tell him to go buzz the heck off. I hate guys who do that and my friends do to. All the guy wants …

Now that I’m listening to a bit more of Muse’s music I’m realizing that a lot of it actually isn’t driven by guitar very much at all, and this is quite a contrast to the music which I’m typically accustomed to listening to. Obviously Muse does have guitar parts …

Insomnia is a song by Megadeth which is the first song for their record Risk. The track opens up with a very brief guitar riff before Mustaine comes in nearly immediately with the vocals as he sings above this guitar riff as well as a bass line and the …

A very fast song from the start as the lead guitar pumps up the volume of the praise song and as Joel Houston sings. He was sounding hoarse voice here but it is still okay because he is doing it with all his heart and what his soul can …

I began listening to this amazing band quite some time ago (even though they haven’t been around for all that long) and I must say, as sadly often is the case with other bands, the sound of their music has NOT faded the tiniest bit. I can listen to …

If you have ever seen the new line up of Guns N’ Roses, you may know a guitarist by the name of Richard Fortus. I recently saw the band live and they sounded amazing. Axl Rose was late as usual, but it was amazing to see them and …

I am a HUGE fan of Carlene Carter! She is a country singer, and being the daughter of June Carter of the legendary country band The Carter Family, you have no choice but to expect EPIC musical masterpieces and heartfelt lyrics from this lady’s mouth, and she does NOT …

Tikiwid is a song by Animal Collective and the second track on their 2006 EP entitled People. In contrast to the previous title track on the EP, Tikiwid returns the band to a more traditional sound which actually has a solid structure and a proper vocal performance. After listening …

Whiplash Smile is Billy Idol’s third solo album, and (at least until 2005’s highly disappointing Devil’s Playground) the final Idol album to feature both guitarist Steve Stevens and producer Keith Forsey. While not quite up to the level set by the preceding Rebel Yell (what is, really?), it’s still …

Artist: Destiny’s Child
Video: Stand Up For Love
Album: Destiny Fulfilled
Label: Columbia Records
Director: Matthew Rolston
“Stand Up For Love” is the fifth and final music video and single from Destiny’s Child’s fourth and final album called “Destiny Fulfilled”, it follows their past singles and music videos from the album which are: “Lose …

This album is amazing. Even though the two previous Pixies records were really good, this one was even better in some crucial respects. I think that what this album turned out to be is simply unpredictable, if you look at what the previous records were. There must have been …

I got a copy of this due to a recommendation from a good friend in the music biz that knows my taste pretty well and always seems to introduce me to things i like.
when he told me to seek this album out i had to call him to …

Produced by Erik Rutan and Cannibal Corpse, released on Metal Blade Records in 2006, this is the band’s 10th album, and first not to feature explicit artwork, they decided to put the artwork intended for the cover on the inside of the album. Unlike most albums by the band …

Let There Be More Light is a song by Pink Floyd which appears on their album A Saucerful Of Secrets. The track opens up with a nice distinct guitar riff and also some keyboards coming in behind it which gives the track this very psychedelic sound to it, the …

Mastermind is a song by Megadeth which appears on their album Cryptic Writings. The song opens up with a heavy guitar part before giving way to a nice bass fill with the guitar rhythm coming back in and out. The guitar itself soon doubles up on this bass fill …

It was my first time to hear Melissa How on this song as she leads the song Nothing Holding Back. It was one of the most favorite songs I have which the band Jesus Culture started.
The song started on the cymbals of the drummer as it counts the introduction …

Enter Sandman, the opening track of Metallica’s fifth record, is probably the one Metallica song which is the most well-known from either fans or just listeners and probably has one of the most recognizable riffs in metal, ironically written by Hammett and not Hetfield. I don’t want to get …

Aaliyah ft. R. Kelly
“At Your Best (You Are Love)”
Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number
Blackground/Jive Records
Aaliyah’s follow up to “Back and Forth”, “At Your Best (You Are Love)”, takes a more laid back, and chilled-out yet funky and romantic approach in both the song and the video itself. She’s got …