Albums of the week (released 12th May 2003) - Tiscali Music News

2003-05-12

For this week's albums, read on, but for this week's singles, please click here

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Marilyn Manson - Golden Age Of The Grotesque

Marilyn Manson, the world's only true rock star, returns with his eagerly awaited fifth studio album.

Inspired by "the glamour of 1930's Hollywood, the grotesque of vaudeville and the cabaret decadence and 'degenerate' art of Weimar Berlin", 'The Golden Age Of Grotesque' delivers another stunning mix of stadium metal and industrial electro-pop that fuses the trademark Manson sound on tracks such as 'Use Your Fist And Not Your Mouth' together with a moreelectro approach on 'This Is The New Sh*t' and the new twisted cabaret of the title track.

Includes the single 'mOBSCENE'.
"This album is about expression.

The imagination and personality of the individual cannot be trapped by small minds or defined by any one person.

The genius of art finds sanctuary among children and madmen to survive. That, is who we are" - Marilyn Manson

This limited Edition includes two UK bonus tracks - 'Tainted Love'and 'Baboon Rape Party' - plus bonus DVD

Buy this album here

Tomahawk - Mit Gas

Talk about dream line ups. Bringing together the cream of dangerous rock, Tomahawk are made up of vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Peeping Tom), guitarist Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard), drummer John Stainer (Helmet) and bassist Kevin Rumanis (Melvins, Cows).

Produced by Joe Barresi (Queens Of The Stone Age, Pennywise, Led Zeppelin), and released on the wonderfully titled Ipecac Recordings imprint ('Making People Sick Since 1999'), 'Mit Gas' canbe seen as picking right up where where 2001's 'Tomahawk' debut left off, offering up another twelve gonzoid tracks of sadistic, scatological, lounge-core rock 'n' roll.

(File under) Awesomely uneasy listening.

Buy this album here

UNKLE - Big Brother is Watching (2CD)

Another UNKLE production, this time under the auspices of the UNKLE Sound.

As ever, the vibe here is one of top-level crate-diggers gems meeting obscuro-mix dynamite with suitably seismic results and a high-registering cool factor.

Buy this album here

Alkaline Trio - Good Mourning

The Alkaline Trio make a very welcome return with their first album since 2001's 'From Here To Infirmary'. Previous singles 'Stupid Kid' and 'Private Eye' are still very much club favourites - indeed, the band have never left our hearts and anticipation is high for new material from them.

There will certainly be no disappointed fans - every track on 'Good Mourning' is an instant classic, from the pop-punk stab of 'This Could Be Love' and forthcomingsingle 'We've Had Enough', to the deep and dark 'All On Black' and the love song 'Every Thug Needs A Lady'.
Includes two UK bonus tracks: 'Dead End Road' and 'Old School Reasons'

'Alkaline Trio are without doubt one of the finest melodic punk bands in history' - Kerrang!

Click here to download the Alkaline Trio deskblip

Buy this album here

Alpha - Stargazing

To date Alpha have released two full-length albums as well as a compilation of remixes for Massive Attack's Melankolic imprint.

It's fair to say that their sound most especially the atmosphere they created on their debut set 'Come From Heaven' spawned a generation that counts the likes of Zero 7 and Lemon Jelly amongst its members. 'Stargazing' is Alpha album number three, a collection of bittersweet torch songs infused with their love of The Carpenters and Jimmy Webb ballads.

'...evoking the colours that swim in your eyeballs after you've been staring at the sun for too long' - Uncut

Buy this album here

Killer Mike - Monster

Having contributed the killer flow to OutKast's 'The Whole World' track a couple of years back, it's now time for the man to shine in his own right.

What's more, his 'Monster' debut comes in on the Kast's own Aquemini imprint with Big Boi (who signed him to the label) hooking up for a couple of tracks on the set with Andre helping out with production.

However, this isn't simply another Outkast clone.

Atlanta native Killer Mike has heavy rhyming skills and his ability toswitch between sing-song delivery and ruffneck no-messin' makes him another string to the Dirty South bow.

Other guests on the set include Slim Calhoun and Rock D.

Buy this album here

Bluetones - Luxembourg

Produced by the band and Gordon Mills at Raezor Studios in Wandsworth, 'Luxembourg' was recorded after the release of the Bluetones' 'Singles' album last year.

Three years on from 'Science and Nature', the new material denotes a radical change in direction for The Bluetones.

With a more basic approach to songwriting, Mark Morriss says that the album is "completely different to anything we've ever done before".

Calling in at just under 35 minutes, the ten tracks are stripped down, raw and more immediate than any of their previous work.

'Here It Comes Again' is a fast and furious blast to kick off the proceedings, whilst 'Never Going Nowhere' is one of the best songs The Bluetones have ever written.

Buy this album here

Lou Reed - Ultimate Collection

'NYC Man' is the first ever multi label definitive Lou Reed and Velvet Underground collection.

Chosen and remastered by Lou Reed himself, this 31 track, 2CD retrospective spans his entire career - from the Velvet's 'I'm Waiting For The Man' and 'Pale Blue Eyes', through 70's classics 'Walk On The Wild Side' and 'Perfect Day' onto 80's and 90's gems like 'Dirty Boulevard' and 'Magic And Loss'.

'NYC Man' also includes a previously unreleased version of 'Who Am I', taken from his most recent album, 'The Raven'.

Buy this album here

Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster

Bursting into life from Brighton at the front of 2002, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster's Incendiary, chaotic, and breathtaking live shows, alongside the riveting debut single, 'Morning Has Broken', promised great things...so now they keep their promises by presenting a mouth-tingling, spine-watering taste of the 'Horse Of The Dog' that bit you.

The first album (10 tracks, 26 minutes) to be released on the band's own 'No Death' records, 'Horse Of TheDog' is vertically challenged and horizontally challenging.

It powers itself beyond excess, the sound of 1000 vehicles hurtling towards oblivion and glory.

They're turning poison into medicine like alchemists on absinthe, so make like Van Gogh and lend it your ear.

Includes the single 'Celebrate Your Mother'.

'Effervescent ear-bleeding antidote to American pop-rock. Very, very intense' - Sleaze nation

'Turbo-Nutter, Jugger-Pop Mayhem to vapourise the cobwebs' - The Face

'If Playlouder were a band, it would be The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, and there is no higher compliment we could offer' - Playlouder

Buy this album here

Jessica Andrews - Now

Incredibly Jessica Andrews is just 19 years of age, upon hearing her music for the first time, one would expect an artist of at least twice that age.

'Now' is the follow-up album to the highly rated 'Who I Am', and even in the space of two years, here across these 16 tracks is clear evidence that Andrews maturity as not just a country singer but as a talented singer-songwriter in general already knows no bounds.

Full of life as well as sentiment, there's a dazzling array of fine balladsand great up-tempo tracks.

'Now' is one of the most refreshing albums of the year so far.

Buy this album here