New Music!

So on the trip to Norway I posted about in the previous post, I bought a bunch of CDs:

NAS - Illmatic


This has been one of my favorite hip hop albums for quite a while now. Sure, it may be a popular choice, but this album just gets hip hop stripped down to the essentials, focusing on them, working them out in great detail. It's a little bit of a grower, but the raw beats and (generally) interesting lyrics really make this shine. It's just bad-ass.

Dinosaur JR. - You're Living All Over Me


Another album I enjoy quite a bit. Unlike Illmatic, which I play a lot, I don't listen to this album that often (at least, not before buying it). However, as I was going to see them live, I was so enthusiastic I picked this one up, remembering how I liked it when I first heard it. And it was definitely worth the money!

Meyvn - Splintered Skies


Here's one I had never heard of. However, for a mere 2.50 euro's and awesome artwork, I really couldn't leave it. I expected something symphonic metal, in the line line of Epica or After Forever, but instead I got something better; a lengthy progressive metal album with plenty of impressive guitar, synths and heavyness. A friend compared them with Dream Theater; I actually don't like them- but if he's right, maybe I should give DT another chance.

Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder


Another 'classic' that I hadn't heard in a while. The RVG edition of this album is impressive like all the RVG jazz remasters I've heard (Ornette Coleman, I'm looking at you). Though perhaps not as avant-garde as I usually like my jazz, this album still has plenty of variety to offer and is a must-hear if you're working yourself through jazz.

Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

(the text is on a plastic sleeve)

And here is a new album. I got this one with perhaps a little too little thought; I actually thought I was buying an atmospheric metal album. Surprise soon made place for enjoyment, however; this album is extremely pleasing to the ears (Steven Wilson- you actually did a good job here). However, unlike Porcupine Tree, this album doesn't suffer much from boringness (or at least, not yet). Also, this album includes a DVD-A of the album (which I have yet to try). Pretty good, for the price of a regular new CD. Oh- did I mention the carefully crafted packaging?

And that reminds me of yet another task I will probably forget about: documenting my CDs, one post for each, with pictures and all that. If I ever do it, the Anathema album, Fear Factory - Mechanize, Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar, Sigur Rós - Takk.., Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive, Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV, will probably be the albums that go first, since (my editions of) these all have awesome/non-standard packaging.