Album Review: Lacuna Coil - "Dark Adrenaline"

Impressive. This is the perfect mixture of 100% solid male and female vocals with hard rock. They kick ass with it and it's the main reason why this is such a good album. It's uptempo, but dark. More haunting than Evanescence and In This Moment combined. Perfect if you're depressed or angry. They do a killer cover of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion." They actually make the song worth listening to. It was hard to pick my favorites, but "Against You" and "Fire" caught my ear! 4 out of 5 stars!

Album Review: Metallica - "Beyond Magnetic"

Alright, it's Metallica. The usual is expected. Grungy, hard, pure rock, and angry. There's a million guitar solos. The first track is especially cool because it transitions from fast to slow like crazy with some sweet melodic breakdowns. Even though this is an EP, it's almost the same length of an entire album considering they write 473429037 minute long songs. Perfect for you Metallica fans that need some freshness from them. Track 3 has one of the best intro's I've ever heard, and track 1, "Hate Train," was my favorite. 3 out of 5 stars.

Album Review: Green Day - "On The Radio"

This is a very unique album. I wish more bands did this. This is of Green Day's live show in New Jersey back in '92 in support of their second album. No audience, just recorded by WFMU Radio. The boys talk and goof around and play their early stuff. Even though our technology has advanced for live recordings, this sounds really clear. The perfect album for you hardcore Green Day fans and those of you digging on their early sound. "Paper Lanterns" was my favorite track. 4 out of 5 stars!

Album Review: Rise Against - "Endgame"

Just like all of their other albums, this is a freakin powerhouse. You'll find yourself head banging, fist pumping, and more than likely air-drumming to every song. You can almost hear a hint of old school Green Day in some of these songs. Traks 3, 8, and 12 are my favorites. Track 3, "Make It Stop," is about all the bully issues going on with kids these days. It sends a very powerful message. 5 out of 5 stars! ROCKED

Album Review: Halestorm - "Hello, It's Mz. Hyde"

Holy sh*t! Halestorm's new EP "Hello, It's Mz. Hyde" will make you fall in love with Lzzy even more. These 4 songs are a HUGE tease to me and you'll find that you want more too. It feels like Halestorm, Avenged Sevenfold, and The Distillers had a love child and then that child grew up and had a baby with Bret Michaels. There's a great balance to the album; two slower songs, and two songs that kick your ass and punch your ears. Expect tons of guitar shreds and ridiculous vocal range. I especially love the way Lzzy rants and wails at the 2 minute mark of "Love Bites (So Do I)." She literally has one of the best voices in rock right now and goes to show that the girls can run with the boys (and sometimes can cut better albums than the boys too!) 5 out of 5 stars. Can't wait for more.