This is not a review thread
 

It isn't. All I'm doing here is keeping a record of the albums - new and old - that I listen to, putting up one or two videos to illustrate them and rate them. On rare occasions I may throw in a few short comments, but other than that, I don't intend to say much, and let the music do the talking.

Obviously I'll be happy to discuss any album(s) someone may be interested in, so there's plenty of scope for debate and conversation, but there absolutely won't be any reviews as you know them from me.

For now, I'm going to kick off with ones I have reviewed, both for "Bitesize" and "Trollheart's Listening List", which never got posted. I may post the full reviews later on when I get back to journaling, but for now I'll just be doing them as above.

Rating system will be simple, and will run from 1 to 10 as below

1: Awful, terrible, crap album. Nothing at all to recommend it. Wish I hadn't listened to it. Should have been drowned at birth etc.

2: Pretty terrible, really not interested in ever listening to this again, though it might have the odd redeeming feature.

3: Very weak, poor album but possibly might have some small potential on further listens. Not likely though; still very bad.

4: Not great. Not quite bad, but certainly nowhere close to good. Needs a whole lot of work to be even half good.

5: Not bad. Not bad. Could be a lot better but shows some potential.

6: Decent album. Some good points, probably some decent tracks. Might grow on me in time.

7: Pretty good. Quite impressed with this. Better than expected/as good as expected.

8: Really damn good. Definitely going to listen to this one again, and/or more of the discography, if it exists.

9: Excellent album. Very close to perfect. Very little bad I can say about it.

10: The pinnacle. Nothing in the least I can say to detract from it. Every track perfect, wonderful album. Perfect ten.

http://www.progarchives.com/progress...42832015_r.jpg
Title: The Final Breath Before November
Artist: Edison's Children
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year: 2013
Rating: 9/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ings_album.jpg
Title: War of Kings
Artist: Europe
Genre: Melodic Rock/AOR/Hard Rock
Year: 2015
Rating: 5/10

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U710QMibtt4/hqdefault.jpg
Title: The Elegance Machine
Artist: Newman
Genre: AOR/Melodic Rock
Year: 2015
Rating: 3/10

http://www.metal-archives.com/images...09352.jpg?3654
Title: Nocturnes of Hellfire and Damnation
Artist: Virgin Steele
Genre: Power Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 9/10
Listening to this at the moment. The guys have still got it! :thumb:

http://echoesanddust.com/wp-content/...cf_300x300.jpg
Title: The Menagerie Inside
Artist: Midas Fall
Genre: Prog Rock/Post Rock/Electronica
Year: 2015
Rating: 5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...The_Rising.jpg
Title: The Rising
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Americana/Heartland Rock
Year: 2002
Rating: 9/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rius_album.png
Title: Eternal
Artist: Stratovarius
Genre: Power Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 6/10

Damn Trollheart I kind of want to steal this idea for my listening log.... Especially for albums that don't fit into my journals. But I should probably get back to those...

Steal away. I'm kind of ripping off Ki and Goofle anyway, maybe Exo too. If you can't be original, be, well, uh ... just be. :)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ighCountry.jpg
Title: High Country
Artist: The Sword
Genre: Heavy Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 4/10

http://hardrockhaven.net/online/wp-c...ER-350x350.jpg
Title: Indestructible
Artist: House of Lords
Genre: Hard Rock
Year: 2015
Rating: 9/10

http://www.metal-archives.com/images...04152.jpg?0201
Title: Epic Tales
Artist: Avenguard
Genre: Power Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 8.5/10
(Not a single YouTube available; sorry.) :(

http://www.metal-archives.com/images...17469.jpg?2350
Title: Devil's Dozen
Artist: Royal Hunt
Genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 8/10

https://img.discogs.com/huYayP94HMwE...-5691.jpeg.jpg
Title: Aesthesis
Artist: Dead Letter Circus
Genre: Rock
Year: 2015
Rating: 3/10

I can usually tell a power metal album cover from a prog metal cover. PM covers are ludicrous, but not as pompous, and are probably also more self-aware of just how goofy they are.

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/wp...d-for-pain.jpg
Title: Take as Needed for Pain
Artist: Hank Williams III
Genre: Country/Rock
Year: 2015
Rating: 4/10

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/...20100428195947
Title: Feel No Shame
Artist: Aslan
Genre: Rock
Year: 1988
Rating: 9/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...e_Comeback.jpg
Title: Jordan: the Comeback
Artist: Prefab Sprout
Genre: Pop/Rock
Year: 1990
Rating: 10/10

http://img.boredbee.net/imager/w_500...90d5bec2c1.jpg
Title: The Road Goes On
Artist: Offramp
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year: 2015
Rating: 9.5/10
(Again, nothing on YouTube, sadly...)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._lifelines.jpg
Title: Lifelines
Artist: a-ha
Genre: Pop
Year: 2002
Rating: 8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ll_THITHEM.jpg
Title: Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine
Artist: Daryl Hall
Genre: Pop/Rock
Year: 1986
Rating: 7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...hronicles.jpeg
Title: The Twilight Chronicles
Artist: Ten
Genre: Melodic Rock/AOR
Year: 2006
Rating: 9.7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rs_in_Arms.jpg
Title: Brothers in Arms
Artist: Dire Straits
Genre: Rock
Year: 1985
Rating: 9.8/10

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....BL._SY355_.jpg
Title: The Planets (Suite)
Artist: Gustav Holst
Genre: Classical
Year: 1916
Rating: 10/10

I love this album. Glad to see you rated it so high. I have it at a 9.3 myself.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Valentine.jpg
Title: Blue Valentine
Artist: Tom Waits
Genre: Rock/Blues/Jazz
Year: 1978
Rating: 9.8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...m_Cover%29.png
Title: Honeymoon
Artist: Lana del Rey
Genre: Pop
Year: 2015
Rating: 9.5/10

http://www.progarchives.com/progress...62482012_r.jpg
Title: Hail (EP)
Artist: Eden Shadow
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year: 2012
Rating: 9/10

Definitely one of their best, up there with Love Over Gold. :thumb:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...e_Coverart.png
Title: Close
Artist: Kim Wilde
Genre: Pop
Year: 1988
Rating: 8.9/10

https://img.discogs.com/ZDwMaeacwZI4...88761.jpeg.jpg
Title: Speak Slowly
Artist: The Stars of Heaven
Genre: Country/Rock
Year: 1988
Rating: 9.8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...-radiokaos.jpg
Title: Radio KAOS
Artist: Roger Waters
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year: 1987
Rating: 10/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...aFireAshes.png
Title: Fire and Ashes
Artist: Xandria
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 4/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...y_You_Will.jpg
Title: Say You Will
Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Genre: Rock
Year: 2003
Rating: 9.5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...lues_Cover.jpg
Title: Transcendental Blues
Artist: Steve Earle
Genre: Country/Rock/Americana
Year: 2000
Rating: 9.3/10

http://www.metal-archives.com/images...18705.jpg?4415
Title: Ride for Glory
Artist: Iron Kingdom
Genre: Heavy Metal
Year: 2015
Rating: 4/10
These guys want to be the Canadian Iron Maiden so bad! :laughing:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...en_Killers.jpg
Title: Killers
Artist: Iron Maiden
Genre: Heavy Metal
Year: 1981
Rating: 10/10
Had to remind myself how good the real thing was!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...pothetical.jpg
Title: Hypothetical
Artist: Threshold
Genre: Progressive Metal
Year: 2001
Rating: 9.2/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...a/Deucecov.jpg
Title: Deuce
Artist: Rory Gallagher
Genre: Blues Rock
Year: 1971
Rating: 9.1/10