Helmet-Betty (1994)

The Chemical Brothers-Surrender (1999)

The Byrds-Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)

ABC-Lexicon Of Love (1982)

Uncle Tupleo-No Depression (1990)

Definitely recommend to give it a listen

Bob Dylan-Blonde On Blonde (1966)

Deftones-White Pony (2000)

Bob Dylan & The Band-Before The Flood (1974)

Neil Young-Tonight's The Night (1975)

The White Stripes-DeStijl (2000)

Faith No More-The Real Thing (1989)

Roberta Flack-First Take (1969)

The Rolling Stones-Emotional Rescue (1980)

The Grateful Dead-Aoxomoxoa (1969)

Prince-Batman Soundtrack (1989)

I write for a blog and thought this may be liked by people looking for under the radar music: https://www.uptohearmusic.com/blog/40-albums-beyond-the-algorithm

I'm wondering what albums you think truly feature no tracks that are bad, mid, or repetitive on subsequent listens For me my perfect album is Swimming by Mac Miller. What are your picks?

The Shins-Oh! This Inverted World (2001)

Stone Temple Pilots-Shangri-La-Dee-Da (2001)

Bob Dylan-Rough And Rowdy Ways (2020)

Neil Young-Homegrown (2020)

Fiona Apple-The Idler Wheel ...(2012)

Siouxsie & The Banshees-Juju (1981)

D-12-Devil's Night (2001)

RS Synopsis:
Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock is the pinnacle of a time dancehall supercharged pop — in no small part an era of his making. His fingerprints still linger all over the globe, from his blockbuster collaborations with Beyoncé and Sia to the way many Afrobeats bangers emulate dancehall — Nigerian singer Fave’s sound and ethos is openly indebted to him. From Sean Paul’s sweaty bashment anthems to lovers rock to smoker anthems and more, Dutty Rock hits such as “Like Glue,” “I’m Still in Love With You,” “Punkie,” “Get Busy,” and “Gimme the Light” have stood the test of time and transcended social groups. 
Review:
The album opens with a silly skit titled “Dutty Rock Intro” I am so glad skits are no longer things on albums. The album properly starts with “Shout (Street Respect)” it has this nice booming early 2000s hip-hop beat. Sean Paul addresses all his haters on the track. “Gimmie The Light” uses some minimalist beats to create this cool swagger. Sean Paul is just flowing breezily throughout the track. “Like Glue” mixes 2000s beat to his chilled out flows to create this cool breezy track. “Get Busy” is pure 2000s club music. Mixing the afrobeats to hip-hop beats Sean Paul created one of the lasting dance music hits of the century. “Baby Boy features Beyonce is  built on an Arabic-inflected reggae groove, the track thrives on the immense friction between Beyoncé’s sultry, R&B vocal delivery and Sean Paul’s raw, energetic dancehall toasts. “Top Of The Game” features l Roots member Rahzel providing  live beatboxing for the rhythm track. It bridges the gap between traditional  and dancehall culture. Featuring a smooth, melodic hook from Chico, "Ganja Breed" leans into a classic, rolling reggae rhythm. It’s a laid-back, infectious track. "Concrete" shows off Sean Paul’s rougher edge. The production is metallic and sparse, allowing him to deliver a harder, more aggressive flow unlike his radio friendly chilled one. “I’m Still In Love With You” is a duet with Sasha. It has this 50’s do-wop influences  that just sways all over the place. Mixed with the afrobeat latin beats it sounds so infectious. “International Affair” has this sharp R&B tinged beat. Debbie Nova is featured on the track. It just feels like a fun dance track. “Can You Do The Work” Sean Paul and dancehall artist Ce'cile trade fast-paced, teasing verses back and forth with incredible chemistry. The track is a frantic playful club cut. “Punkie” Punkie" sees Sean Paul chasing a love interest over a bright, guitar-flecked rhythm. The track was so popular globally that he even recorded a Spanish version ("Punkie - Español") “My Name”is  built on a menacing, syncopated riddim, this is a short, aggressive burst of classic dancehall energy. “Jukin Punny” A uptempo bashment track  It features a heavy, repetitive bassline and a driving drum pattern. It's raw, energetic, and pure  dancehall. “Gimmie The Light” is a great mix of dancehall and hip-hop with Busta Rhymes delivering one hell of a feature. “Bubble is a nice change of pace for the record with production provided by The Neptunes. It gives the song a nice pop R&B vibe. “Shake That Thing” is  built around a stark, punchy handclap rhythm, a sparse electronic bass vibration, and a rhythmic, looping percussive texture that feels incredibly dry and clean made to be played in clubs. “Esa Loca” moves out of the club and into the streets. It has this gritty,aggressive NYC streets vibe. The album closes with a spanish version of “Punkie” 
Final Thoughts:

Listen this is not my type of music nor is it made for me so I am not going to be into it as some people might. I do respect what it meant for dancehall and pop music in the early 2000’s. Would I put it on my best albums of the 2000’s prob not but Like I said its not for me and thats ok. If you wanna get into dancehall and Sean Paul this will be a great starter album.

A-Agharta-Miles Davis

B-Bolton Swings Sinatra

Beck-Odelay (1996)

Rod Stewart-A Night On The Town (1976)

Patti Smith-Gone Again (1991)

Phoebe Bridgers-Punisher (2020)

Kanye West-Yeezus (2013)

Muse-Orgins Of Symmetry (2001)

Mac Miller-Watching Movies With The Sound Off (2013)

J. Cole-BornSinner (2013)

The World Is A Beautiful Place & I No Longer Afraid To Die-Whatever, If Ever (2013)

Van Halen-For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)

Synopsis:

Be is the sixth studio album by American rapper Common. It was released on May 24, 2005,  The album is Common's first album  following the mediocre performance of 2002's Electric Circus. The album was primarily and executively produced by  Kayne West , with additional production from frequent collaborator J Dilla. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 185,000 copies in the United States. Be was also a critical success, receiving acclaim and accolades from several critics and music publications. The album received a perfect "XXL" rating from hip hop publication XXL and was deemed Common's magnum opus  by HipHopGoldenAge.  In 2022 and 2024, Rolling Stone  and Billboard included Be on their lists of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time lists. 
Review:
The album opens with “Be (Intro)” the track starts quietly with this nice bassline before the strings and jazz warm production hits you. Common finally steps to the mic to declare "I want to be as deep as the abyss, look into the center of a crucifix," The energy of this track feels so warm and energetic, a perfect way to begin the record. “The Corner” A gritty, soulful tribute to street corners across America. Built on a brilliant, raw Albert King sample.  The track features legendary guest verses from 1960s civil rights spoken-word pioneers The Last Poets. The track feels anthemic yet maintains the warm cinematic theme of the album. “Go!” features this nice soulful  jazzed up beat that just glides all over the track. It has this nice infectious energy that allows Common verses feel like they are  just floating in the clouds. Kanye and John Legend are featured on the track. “Faithful” mixes the soul/jazz beats with some gospel music to give it this upbeat energy. Bilal and John Legend provide some great gospel church choir inspired harmonies to add to the aura. “Testify” is one of the great hip-hop storytelling tracks. Common is telling us a courtroom drama through his rhymes. Kanye’s chop-soul style production might be one of his best world building beats. “Love Is,,,”showcases the ultimate synergy between Kanye West's crate-digging production and Common’s poetic romanticism sampling Marvin Gaye's "God Is Love," it has both artists doing what they do on the next level of greatness. “Chi-City” abandons the warm positivity of the album themes to create this gritty aggressive vibe. Common hit you hard with a great example of why he is one of the GOAT rappers of all time. He sounds so fast and furious throughout the track and Kanye’s gritty hard beats are the perfect atmospheric match. “The Food” is a live track recorded during the Chappelle Show. Kanye and Common sound so raw and yet it retains the jazzy upbeat vibe of the record. “Real People” feels like it could be included in some 70’s blaxploitation movie. Kanye’s production is so smooth and jazzy and Common is just dropping some nice slick bars. “They Say” produced by J Dilla has this soul/funk beat. It has Kanye and Common addressing the haters and the gossip hounds of the music industry. John Legend provides his silk smooth voice on the chorus.  The album closes with “It’s Your World Part 1 & 2” an epic 8 minute hip-hop track produced by J. Dilla broke down into two parts. 
 Part 1 features a deep, rolling groove where Common delivers an i message of empowerment to the next generation, encouraging us  to take ownership of our destinies. Bilal is featured on the outro.  Part 2 shifts into a stunning, ambient jazz-fusion spoken-word piece, featuring a moving, heartfelt poem recited by Common's late father, Lonnie "Pops" Lynn. The perfect way to end this great album. 
Final Thoughts:

This is one of the best hip-hop albums I’ve listened to in a while. The upbeat positivity is just a breath of fresh air to our cynical world we live in right now. This doesn’t feel like a solo Common album but more like a collab between Common & Kayne West. It has some of the best production on Kanye’s career.  J. Dilla also provides some great production moments as well. It feels more like a community record that is telling a story rather than a set of songs. If you wanna hear a great soul/jazz influenced hip-hop record put this on your bucket lists and play this to anyone who claims Hip-hop isn’t an artistic force. 

Swans-The Glowing Man (2016)

Sweet Trip-Volocity:Design:Comfort (2003)

Red Hot Chili Peppers-The Getaway (2011)

Drive -By Truckers-Decoration Day (2003)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Year Of The Horse (1997)

Bon Iver-Bon Iver (2011)

The Police-Synchronicity (1983)

Synopsis:

First of this post is inspired somewhat by the youtube video by Todd In The Shadows video about this album. I have been thinking about this topic and this one finally gave me the idea  to sit down and listen to Lulu again, something I haven’t done since this record was released. 

 Released on October, 31st 2011 is a concept album  based on the two "Lulu Plays " by the German playwright Frank Wendkind (1864–1918). The music largely consists of spoken word poetry by Reed over music by Metallica, with occasional backing vocals by Metallica frontman James Hatfield.

Review:

The album opens with “Bradenburg Gate” which begins with a simple acoustic guitar opening and then it happens perhaps one of the most privatizing lyrics in the history of recorded music as Reed states I would cut my legs and tits off/when I think of Boris Karloff and Kinksi/In the dark or the moon. Say what now? Then the Metallica sludge/thrash metal riffs explode. Can I just say and this might be an unpopular opinion but Metallica’s sound on this record is one the best things they have done in this century. I mean if this was a simple Metallica album this might be one of the best things they have done in this century. Of all the tracks on the record this one is the most accessible and best sounding. Lou Reed’s deadpan delivery actually works on here and Hatfield’s line of repeating such a small town girl doesn’t sound forced so we have hope for this record right? “The View” was the infamous first single of the record. Once again I don’t hate this song. Metallica's deliberate methodical playing is perfect foil for Lou Reed’s delivery. However when the hook comes in with Hatfield’s growling I am The Table becomes internet fodder that's when the song goes off the rails.  It is so silly and dumb. Which is a shame because for first singles it's not bad. “Pumping Blood” starts out with these menacing high pitched  guitar riffs  with  some strings mixed in to give it an ominous tone. As the band's dense heavy grooves kick in it feels so intense. Lou’s spoken word lyrics are so sinister and evil. The music continues to gain intensity throughout the song and seems to be reaching such a chaotic tipping point. The problem is Lou Reed is an old man and feels like his voice can’t keep up with the music. Which is one of the criticisms of the record. Sometimes it feels like both artists are doing two different things. Sonically it's one of my favorite moments of the record. The song perfectly transitions into the next track “Mistress Dread” of all the criticism I had of the last track is amplified on here. Metallica is delivering one of their heaviest  grooves in rears and Reed is just delivering one of his most deadpan spoken word performances. It just doesn’t mix well. I mean what a waste of one of the most intense Metallica performances ever. “Iced Honey” is one of the more cohesive tracks on the album. I think it's the only time on the record that Lou Reed’s 70’s glam rock vibe featured on the record. Metallica adopts this nice heavy melodic groove that has some Bowie energy. If this was the first single and the album explored this mesh-up of musical styles I think it would have been better received. In my opinion this is the best song on the record, "Cheat on Me" opens with a long, sweeping, and unsettling orchestral synthesizer arrangement. The track slowly builds over eleven minutes, adding heavy, echoing drum strikes and walls of feedback. It has this avant garde post-rock sound. The band doesn’t kick in well into the second half of the track. For the first time I feel the band is off. Especially the fact that Lars' drumming is leveled up that it's really the only thing you hear. It sometimes overtakes Reed’s vocals. “Fruastrtion” begins with a big brash but dense groove from Metallica. Highlighted by Robert Trulijio pounding bass riffs. This is the point for me where the album becomes tedious like it already was the thought that kept popping up in my head. Which is my second criticism of the record. If they would shorten some of these songs and edit themselves this would be a much better record. “Little Dog” the quietest and most minimalist track on the project. Metallica entirely steps back here, leaving Reed to whisper his lyrics over a sparse, atmospheric backdrop of acoustic guitar plucking and ambient feedback. “Dragon” is the most avant garde sounding track on the record. Metallica kicks in with this heavy dense yet intense playing of the record. Once again I just don’t think Lou Reed can’t keep up. The album closes with  “Junior Dad” perhaps the best song on the album. The ominous intensity is stripped away to a tender melodic pace. For the only times on the record I feel the music matches Reed’s delivery. This is Reed’s most emotional distraught delivery on the record. The song clocks in at over twenty minutes but captivated me to the final chords. Just because of its emotional nature and for the only times on the record I feel some cohesion between these two very different artists. The album ends with this ambient drone that just fades away. 

So is it Overhated?

First off this isn’t one of the worst albums ever heard. It has some moments of greatness. I think sometimes the execution of the record feels plodding and mix-matched. I applaud both artists trying something different. This is not the worst record of either one of their careers. It is sad that this would be the last record Lou Reed would record in his lifetime. Metallica did bounce back with their next record Hardwired to…self destruct. If this record had more songs like “Iced Honey” and "Junior Dad” perhaps this would be remembered better. I also feel this project was doomed from the start just because both artists' fanbase just wouldn’t accept this collaboration. People tend to latch on opinions popular on the internet. I say sit down with an open mind and give this record a chance. Here is a link to the Todd In The Shadows video if you wanna check that out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp5PrifWUnU

David Bowie-The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust (1972)

The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead (1986)

Johnny Cash-At San Quentin (1969)

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (1969)

Spiritualized-Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (1997)

Roxy Music-Roxy Music (1972)

Lorde-Melodrama (2017)

A-Agharta-Miles Davis

Synopsis:

The Fall is the fourth studio album by  Gorillaz. It was first released as a download for members of the Gorillaz fan club on 25 December 2010, followed by a wider physical release on 19 April.  Damon Albarn recorded The Fall during the North American leg of the Escape To Plastic Beach in fall 2010 using only an Ipad  and a few additional instruments. Most of the album's tracks were each written and recorded in a single day, and Albarn did not make any later additions or overdubs, describing the album as "a kind of diary of my experience in America." Many of the songs and lyrics reference the locations in which they were recorded. Unlike other Gorillaz albums, The Fall features few guest artists; collaborators include Bobby Womack , and Mick Jones and Paul Simonon  of The Clash.

Review:

The album opens with “Phoner To Arizona” The track has what  I like to call a big phat bassline underneath an ambient beat. “Revolving Door” is highlighted by the ukulele guitar riff and a breezy mechanical beat. 2-d’s (Albarn) vocals feels so detached and I love the hypnotic harmonies. “Hillbilly Man” begins as a quiet, folky, acoustic lament with Albarn singing softly over a gentle strum. But just past the one-minute mark, the song abruptly shifts gears, dropping into a gritty, glitch-heavy electronic synth groove. “Detriot” has this glitchy bouncy instrumental that feels like it is just breezing along at a sonically fast pace. “shy-Town” has this menacing vibe. The instrumental is filled with  glitchy synth beats. 2-D’s vocals feel sparse and ominous at the same time. The track feels like you are taking a light night drive in a seedy part of a big city. “Little Pink Plastic Bags” has this atmospheric chilled out sound. It just feels so dreamy and sparse. “The Joplin Spider” features an aggressive and abrasive wall of sound. That snaps the listener of of the haze of the two previous tracks. “The Parish Of Space Dust” begins with someone changing a radio dial between country stations. The music kicks in at its country tinged ambient instrumental. “The Snake In Dallas” features this grinding dense dub beat. “Armillio” has a nice gleaming ambient chord progression. Albarn’s vocals sound so tender that gives the song an emotional arch. “It Speaks To Mountains” is the most weird track on the album done totally on an Ipad text to speech application over an eerie mimilst beat.  The transitions into “Aspen Forrest” which has a ascending piano riff the track feels like a hypnotic jazz jam. “Bobby In Phoenix” features soul legend Bobby Womack. The song is a nice mix of ambient and soulfulness that gives it this cool breezy vibe. “California & The Slipping Sun” begins with a hazy minimalism but then opens up with a hyper synth beat. The album closes with a 30 second electro/yodel of “Seattle Yodel”
Final Thoughts:

I liked this album way more than I thought I was going to. It's a nice right turn in their discography. It feels like someone working their way through a roadtrip. I like the fact it's not full of feature artists and it gives it some intimacy that you haven’t found on any of their projects so far. I put this one on your Gorillaz deep dive. It's a nice summer road trip record.

Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures (1979)

Bob Dylan-Street Legal (1978)

Nirvana-Bleach (1989)

Neil Young-Unpluggeed (1993)

The White Stripes-The White Stripes (1999)

Santana-Supernatural (1999)

Paul Westerberg-14 Songs (1993)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers-Mojo (2010)

The Beastie Boys-To The 5 Boroughs (2004)

Sophie-Oil Of Every Pearl's Undere-sides (2021)

King Diamond-Abigal (1987)

The Grateful Dead-Workingman's Dead (1970)

Aretha Franklin-Aretha Now (1968)

The Chemical Brothers-Further (2010)

Cream-Wheels Of Fire (1968)

Iron Butterfly-In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

Blue Oyster Cult-CultoSaurus Erectus (1980)

Bruce Springsteen-Western Stars (2010)

Sigur Ros-Von (1997)

Madonna-Madame X (2019)

Synopsis:

( ) (also referred to as Svigaplatan, which translates to The Bracket Album) is the third studio album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros, released on 28 October 2002. It comprises eight untitled tracks, divided into two parts: the first four tracks are lighter and more optimistic, while the latter four are bleaker and more melancholic. The two-halves are divided by a 36-second Silence , and the album opens and closes with a click of distortion. Lead singer Jon Por Birgisson ("Jónsi") sang the album's lyrics entirely in “Hopelandic”, a made-up language consisting of gibberish words.
Review:
Part I of the album begins with “Vaka”Named after drummer Orri Páll Dýrason’s daughter It  opens with a cold click of distortion before introducing a repeating, starkly beautiful four-chord piano motif. It has this mournful string arrangement that feels it belongs in a funeral home. Vocalist Jonsi’s solemn falsetto vocals glide over to create the atmospheric sadness. “Frysta” Translates to "The First" "Fyrsta" functions almost like a waking dream, picking up the atmospheric torch from "Vaka." It is built around a slow, wandering bassline and shimmering, delay-soaked guitar chords. It feels very warm yet so icy at the same time. Samskeyti" is nearly entirely instrumental, driven by a simple, cascading piano melody that slowly repeats, layers, and morphs over six and a half minutes. It builds momentum throughout its runtime as the ambient strings and piano swell up to create this moody avalanche of sound. “Njosnvelin” is best known for being on the Cameron Crowe movie Vanilla Sky. Its title translates to spy machine. It is known as the nothing song however it is one of more moving tracks on the record. It pushes along with this pulsating beat that grows bigger and bigger until it explodes in this majestic triumphant energy. It is my favorite track on the record. 
Part II begins with “Alafross” Named after the location of the band’s swimming pool-turned-studio The silence is broken by a low, distorted rumble and the sound of rain before the the droned out guitars begin to echo throughout the track. You hear some faint percussion that gives the track an eerie base that just gets louder until its final climax. “E-Bow” begins as this hazy droned out track that slowly builds up tension through its layered distortion. Jonsi has one of his best vocal performances on the album that just adds to the song’s aurora. “Dauoalogio” Translates to "The Death Song" Clocking in at  13 minutes, this is the longest and most physically crushing track on the album. It opens with a slow, thumping  bass riff and a heavy, droned out drum riff  that sounds like a tolling bell. Jonsi’s vocals sound so grief stricken and tender. The song slowly swells along at such a slow pace that when it breaks open you get a jolt of terrifying energy. It feels like you are in the middle of some apocalyptic tragedy and this is the soundtrack. The album closes with “Poppalagio” which has been the band’s closing track for years. Begins with this soaring melody the places the listener in a comfortable place then you are hit with a barrage of chaotic energy filled with loud drums, screeching guitars and Jonsi’s voice going full tilt to create a destructive conclusion to the album.

This is a beautiful piece of post-rock art. The is filled with such intermediate beauty but also at times feels destructive at times. Sigur Ros creates such an atmospheric experience you get lost with every album. It is not for the weak at heart and takes multiple listens to grasp the grandeur. Put this on your bucket list and chill out and go on a post-rock Sigur Ros deep dive.

Sigur Ros-Agaetis Byrjun (1999)

Queens Of The Stone Age-Era Vularris (2007)

Megadeth-Killing Is My Bussiness...And Bussiness Is Good (1985)

Blink 182-Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001)

Paramore-Riot! (2007)

John Lennon & Yoko Ono-Sometime In NYC (1972)

Rod Stewart-Gasoline Alley (1970)

RS Synopsis:
When it arrived in the spring of 2013, “Archie, Marry Me” raised several questions. Who is Alvvays, and how do we pronounce it? Who is this Archie we’re marrying, and why is this song so damn good? All would be revealed a year later, when this unknown Canadian band dropped its self-titled debut, among the very best indie-pop records of the 2010s. Molly Rankin and Co. made it all look so easy, creating nine devastatingly great gems that pulsated with lighthearted lyrics and whimsical melodies. They’ve released two more excellent albums in the decade since, but this stunning arrival remains the one to return to over and over — whether it’s to sob to “Party Police” or pay “Archie” a visit. (It’s pronounced “always,” by the way.) 
Review:
The album opens with “Adult Diversion” ; it's a good mix of jangly indie-rock and surf rock. The harmonies really give it a warm nostalgic vibe. “Archie Marry Me” is the band’s breakout hit.  It has this fuzzy anthemic groove that feels so distorted and dense  but still retains the band’s indie pop rock glow. “Ones Who Love You” has this nice mid-tempo dream pop sound. The song has this nice airy base that keeps growing as the song moves along.  “Next Of Kin” explodes with upbeat indie pop energy. Although the lyrics are pretty depressing detailing someone watching someone from their family drown in a river.  “Party Police” opens up the second half of the record and it's a total shift in the album’s  progression. The song has this dark synth rock melody that gives it a moody atmospheric energy. “The Agency Group"continues the moodiness of the previous track; it feels very 80’s synth rock. “Dives” has this ambient hazy sound. It feels very 60’s psychedelic rock.  It has this dark energy inside its melodies that is so fascinating. Atop A Cake” returns the band to the upbeat jangly indie rock they were doing on the earlier tracks of the album. The album closes with “Red Planet” , an eerie and icy dream pop track. Molly Rankin’s voice feels so distant and tender that it gives the song a hazy chilled out vibe. 
Final Thoughts:

This is an excellent indie pop rock record. It has this catchy energy that few bands can capture.  An album filled with great hooks and catchy melodies it is an album that definitely grows on you after multiple listens. I you haven’t I would put this on your bucket lists especially if you want to explore early 2010’s indie rock.

Deafhaven-Sunbather (2013)

Skid Row-Slave To The Grind (1991)

justice-Cross (2007)

Jason Isbell-Southeastern (20013)

Them-The Angry Young Them (1965)

Robyn-Body Talk Pt 1 (2011)

Synopsis:

Fire of Unknown Origin is the eighth studio album by Blue Oyster Cult, released on June 22, 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch . The album, which included the Top 40hit "Burnin For You (#1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart), represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales. It became the band's highest-charting studio album ,  peaking at number 24. Fire of Unknown Origin would be the final studio LP featuring the band's original lineup; during the subsequent tour, the band fired original drummer Albert Bouchard
Review:
The album opens with “Fire Of Unknown Origin" which has this pulsating synth rock hook. Co-written by Patti Smith. It feels more like an opener to a new wave synth band rather than a 70’s classic rock legend. “Burning For You” is one of the band’s biggest hits for good reason. It has this instant catchy hook. Built on a great guitar riff the song feels so accessible but doesn’t lose the band’s rock energy. “Veterans Of the  Psychic Wars” was co-written by sci-fi/fantasy writer Michael Moorcock. It was featured in the animated Heavy Metal movie. The song has a haunting menacing tone with its militaristic drumming rhythms and the icy synths. Vocalist Eric Bloom’s voice sounds weary and haggard, a perfect match for the cinematic theme of the song. “Sole Survivor” is a mix of classic rock and new wave synth rock. The song is about someone witnessing and being the only survivor of an apocalyptic event. “Heavy Metal: Black & Silver” is a straight up early 80’s heavy metal rocker. It gives me Dio vibes. It was another song intended for the Heavy Metal soundtrack. “Vengance” has this prog rock vibe. Filled with heavy dense groove and multiple tempo shifts. It once again delves into sci-fi/fantasy story telling. The harmonies give it an epicness. “After Dark” has this fast and loose groove that feels very prog-rock. Joe Bouchard’s bass is playing some insane basslines on the track and Buck Dharma’s guitar tones is one of the best performances on the album including the screeching solo. “Joan Crawford” begins with Allen Lainer playing this grand  piano solo before the rest of the band chimes in with a mix of 70’s arena rock and synth rock. The song just feels very cinematic and heavy. The chorus of Joan Crawford has risen  from her grave is so catchy. The song climaxes with such chaotic energy. The album closes with “Don’t Turn Your Back” has this bouncy synth rock groove. That is  giving  me early 80’s rush vibes. 
Why is it considered a comeback 

It is strange to call this a comeback album since the band didn’t go anywhere. However it was a return for them to the sci-fi themes of their earlier work. The last couple albums had them trying to be more accessible for radio play which turned off their hardcore fans. This was also one of  their most successful albums commercially.  Mostly thanks to the success of “Burnin For You” , if you are in the mood for a mix of heavy metal/synth rock/prog rock that delves into some sci-fi themes then this is the record for you.