If Definitely Maybe was an unintentional concept album about wanting to be a rock & roll star, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is what happens after the dreams come true. Oasis turns in a relatively introspective second record, filled with big, gorgeous ballads instead of ripping rockers. Unlike Definitely Maybe, the production on Morning Glory is varied enough to handle the range in emotions; instead of drowning everything with amplifiers turned up to 12, there are strings, keyboards, and harmonicas. This expanded production helps give Noel Gallagher's sweeping melodies an emotional resonance that he occasionally can't convey lyrically. However, that is far from a fatal flaw; Gallagher's lyrics work best in fragments, where the images catch in your mind and grow, thanks to the music. Gallagher may be guilty of some borrowing, or even plagiarism, but he uses the familiar riffs as building blocks. This is where his genius lies: He's a thief and doesn't have many original thoughts, but as a pop/rock melodicist he's pretty much without peer. Likewise, as musicians, Oasis are hardly innovators, yet they have a majestic grandeur in their sound that makes ballads like "Wonderwall" or rockers like "Some Might Say" positively transcendent.Alan White does add authority to the rhythm section, but the most noticeable change is in Liam Gallagher. His voice sneered throughout Definitely Maybe, but on Morning Glory his singing has become more textured and skillful. He gives the lyric in the raging title track a hint of regret, is sympathetic on "Wonderwall," defiant on "Some Might Say," and humorous on "She's Electric," a bawdy rewrite of "Digsy's Diner." It might not have the immediate impact of Definitely Maybe, but Morning Glory is just as exciting and compulsively listenable.

Band:Oasis
Album:(What's the Story)Morning Glory?
Genre:Rock,Britpop
Year:1995
Rating:9.8/10

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http://www.megaupload.com/?d=76J9LDTO

On Throwing Copper, Live tightened their sound, added crashing crescendos for dramatic effect, and injected some anger into their sound and songwriting. They also eased up a bit on the Eastern philosophy; the result is a more cohesive, memorable record overall, and quite an improvement from the sometimes overly precious Mental Jewelry. And for all of Mental Jewelry's ideologies, Throwing Copper is ultimately a more passionate and successful album, thanks to tracks like "I Alone," "Selling the Drama," and "All Over You," all of which received heavy radio play. The rebirth-themed "Lightning Crashes," the album's biggest hit, was written in memory of Barbara Lewis, a classmate who was killed by a drunk driver in 1993. Other standouts include the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love-inspired "Stage," the apocalyptic "White, Discussion," the bass-driven, obsessive "Iris," and the dark "Dam at Otter Creek." Of course, Ed Kowalczyk couldn't resist throwing in a song like "T.B.D." (for the Tibetan Book of the Dead), based on Aldous Huxley's slow descent into death, aided by heroin. Its melodrama is a bit much, even for Live, and is just a sign of things to come on their next album, Secret Samadhi. But Throwing Copper is still a huge improvement from Mental Jewelry, and is the least overtly preachy Live album to date.

Band:Live
Album:Throwing Copper
Genre:Alternative rock,Post Grunge
Year:1994
Rating:9.5/10

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/7514455/Live_-_Throwing_Copper.rar.html

The Offspring's second album for Epitaph did the impossible: it landed in the Top Five, unheard of for independent records. The Offspring crossed over due to the raucous, Eastern-tinged single "Come Out and Play," which stopped and started just like Nirvana, only without the Seattle trio's recklessness. The record stayed in the charts because the Offspring sounded relentlessly heavy, no matter how much the band claimed to be punk. Their tempos are slower than traditional hardcore, and their attack is as heavy as Metallica. But they acted like they were punk, with odes to no "Self Esteem" and singing about fighting in school. Nothing on the album matches the incessant catchiness of the singles, but Smash is a solid record, filled with enough heavy riffs to keep most teenagers happy.

Band:The Offspring
Album:Smash
Genre:Rock,post grunge,skate punk
Year:1994
Rating:9.3/10

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/36807988/1994_-_Smash.rar.html

Just say the name Wolfmother.Go on.Do it slowly,let it roll around your mouth,savour it and then spit it out.Good.Now,didn't it feel menacing and somehow reassuring and comfortable and even spiritual?

From start to finish,Wolfmother's debut album is a perilous knapsack journey by three men over craggy mountains to rock Bethlehem.And the gifts they offer are of golden guitars,sonorous organs and lyrics which thankfully make no sense whatsoever.It is true that much of the band's sound and lyrical vision are rooted in the kind of stoner mysticism favoured by led zeppelin and their kin.

On the Grammy winning track "Woman",guitarist/vocalist Andrew Stockdale's voice recalls a young Robert Plant.There is also no doubting the flower child mentality beaming through tracks like the transcendent "Mind's Eye" and "Colossal" where Stockdale barks "She's talking to the trees again".The song "Witchcraft" features the best flute solo heard since Jethro Tull's last tour."Joker and the Thief" is all tumbling drums and louder than love guitar bites.

This band makes you want to pick an instrument and thrash yourself into a frenzy.Play it loud and howl.

Band:Wolfmother
Album:Wolfmother
Genre:Hard rock,Psychedelic rock,Stoner rock
Year:2006
Rating:10/10

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/4934243/Wolfmother.rar

What sets Stone Sour apart from others of their breed is the band's ability to create smooth, radio-friendly alternative metal songs while simultaneously not boring the people who have heard way too much from post-grunge groups. The secret to this lies in guitarist James Root's unique style and drummer Roy Mayorga's unyielding intensity. Root and singer Corey Taylor re-created Stone Sour after the success of Slipknot in the late '90s; the band was meant to serve as a more introspective, melodic, and creative outlet for them, while not disenfranchising the fans of Slipknot. Stone Sour are more fierce than most alternative metal groups, incorporating brash heavy metal into many of their songs. The band's aggressive self-titled debut was far more reminiscent of Slipknot, but Come What(ever) May is moving further and further away from the shock rock, rap-rock aspect that originally brought Slipknot into the mainstream.Taylor lets loose his nearly metal growl (which is nearly untouchable compared to most of his contemporaries) on occasion, but maybe not as often as he should. The album's better moments are felt when his relentless, vicious pipes -- coupled with distortion-heavy riffs and double bass drum -- forge their way through the immaculately produced sound. Come What(ever) May starts out strong with the bass drum-heavy "30/30-150." The song explodes out of the speakers; it's a solid metal start for an album that dips between alternative rock, heavy metal, and post-grunge. Unfortunately, the album isn't always interesting. Songs like "Through Glass" are your average run-of-the-mill alternative metal tunes, and after a certain point the album seems to have little new to offer. "Sillyworld" follows along the same lines, but still has more in common with Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed" than a Godsmack song. Still, Come What(ever) May has plenty of shining moments and it rocks hard, channeling heavy metal and blending it with alternative melodies. It's an unyielding effort from a promising talent -- one that might just help save alternative metal from becoming deeply generic.

Band:Stone Sour
Album:Come What(ever) May
Genre:Post-grunge,Alternative metal
Year:2006
Rating:9/10

Download:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MTMW5SO9

Drummer Nicko McBrain kicks off Iron Maiden's 13th studio record with an uncharacteristic one-two-three-four before launching into the rousing opener, "Wildest Dreams." This bar-band sensibility permeates Dance of Death's first three refreshing yet unremarkable tracks before shifting into the more familiar fantasy rock of previous releases. That shift begins with the remarkable "Montsegur," a brutal, melodic assault that recalls the group's glory days and showcases lead singer Bruce Dickinson at his venom-spitting best. The anthemic "New Frontier" is a musical sibling to the band's 1982 classic "Number of the Beast" and eclipses any doubt about the band's ability to keep up with the phantom specter of age. Despite the dark imagery and the ferocity of the performances, there's a looseness to the record that conveys a surreal sense of fun. They enjoy playing together, and that more than anything shines through on old-fashioned rockers like "No More Lies" and "Gates of Tomorrow." No Iron Maiden album would be complete without a Dungeons and Dragons-style epic, and they deliver on the hammy title track and the lush closer, "Journeyman." The group's innate ability to consistently cater to its fans' stubborn tastes, while maintaining a level of integrity that other veteran bands displace with unintentional Spinal Tap zeal, is a testament to its talent and experience. While the keyboard-heavy sound of their previous release, the excellent Brave New World, creeps into some of the more indulgent tracks, Dance of Death is a triumphant return to form for these heavy metal legends.

Band:Iron Maiden
Album:Dance of Death
Genre:Hard rock,Heavy metal
Year:2003
Rating:9.6/10

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/98320084/Iron_Maiden_-_2003_-_Dance_Of_Death.rar

Billy Howerdel is a name that most fans of Tool and A Perfect Circle have heard of. Howerdel famously worked as a guitar technician for Tool in 1996 after the release of Ænima before forming A Perfect Circle in 1999, which included Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan. The band would go on to record three successful albums and tour the world before they went on hiatus in 2006.

This hiatus allowed Howerdel to pursue a solo career, and with the help of Josh Freese, producer Danny Lohner, and a collaboration between a few fellow musicians, Ashes Divide came into fruition and Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright was the result. The album is similar to A Perfect Circle, but in a sense, is also radically different from what A Perfect Circle was doing in the early part of the 00’s.

Howerdel has always been praised for his guitar work, and Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright is no different. Howerdel is able to keep the music grounded, with his guitar adding to the dark and emotional lyrical content. His riffing can go from quick to steadfast to calm ambivalence all in the same song. The same is said about his bass work, which sounds up front and organic in the mix and drives many of the song’s melodies.

The keyboard/piano is a tool that Howerdel uses several times to his advantage to increase the tension. “Sword” is a perfect example of this, with a single piano playing a beautiful, yet repetitive, piece with Devo Keenan’s cello following along with the piano in the background. The song then builds steadily into some of the heaviest playing on the whole album. The piano ends the song the same way it began; depressing, repetitive, and magnificent.

Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright mixes a solid blend of alterative rock bordering on hard rock melodies with softer, acoustic driven songs that could almost count as ballads…just very depressing ones. “Stripped Away” hits you like a Shinkansen Bullet Train (yeah, I just used that reference), while impressing you with the way that he can use a guitar to create a moodful sonic landscape. “Enemies” is another fast one with Howerdel almost shouting the vocals and Freese pounding the shit out of the drums, leading to the fastest ending of any song on the album.

Most people have heard of the single “The Stone,” which is one of the best songs on the album. It is hard hitting and has a few great solos packed into its tight four minute running length. “The Prey,” which features Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, keeps the intensity at a high level and perfectly leads into the epic closer “Sword.”

There are a few songs that, like I said earlier, could be considered “ballads” in the loosest sense of the word. “Forever Can Be” starts off with an acoustic guitar before the whole band comes in, with the song showing off Howerdel’s vocal skills. “A Wish” is a short number that has a dreamy atmosphere boosted by keyboards and slowly-played electric guitar.

I do want to highlight one particular characteristic about the album that I have just briefly touched on; Howerdel’s vocals. In a recent interview with Matt Pinfield, Howerdel told Pinfield that doing vocals was a challenge and that he practiced in his studio by himself for a while to try to get them down pat. I think all the work that Howerdel put in definitely paid off, as he has a deep, airy quality to his vocals that allow him to hit everything from an angry shout to high notes. You can hardly tell that this is his first time doing lead vocals.

It took me a while to get into Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright, as the album has so much going on in it that it takes multiple listens to really grasp what Howerdel has put on display. Some people may find themselves disappointed that there aren’t more songs in the vein of “The Stone” and “Enemies.” The album is softer than expected, but that is where Howerdel seems to be the most comfortable. Whether Ashes Divide is a solo project or the beginning of a long term band, Howerdel has made an album that could make it as big as any of the albums from A Perfect Circle. While we were all sad that A Perfect Circle went on hiatus, at least it gave a talented musician like Howerdel a chance to spread his wings and show off his songwriting skills.

Band:Ashes Divide
Album:Keep Telling Myself It's Allright
Year:2008
Genre:Alternative rock
Rating:7.4/10

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http://rapidshare.com/files/105411297/ASHES_dIVIDE.rar.html