If you were to argue Mel Brooks'Young Frankensteinranks among the top-10 funniest movies of all time, nobody could reasonably dispute the claim. Spoofing classic horror in the way that Brooks' previous film Blazing Saddlessent up classic Westerns, the movie is both a loving tribute and a raucous, irreverent parody of Universal's classic horror films Frankenstein(1931) and Bride of Frankenstein(1935). Filming in glorious black and white, Brooks recreated the Frankenstein laboratory using the equipment from the original Frankenstein (courtesy of designer Kenneth Strickfaden), and this loving attention to physical and stylistic detail creates a solid foundation for non-stop comedy. The story, of course, involves Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his effort to resume experiments in re-animation pioneered by his late father. (He's got some help, since dad left behind a book titled How I Did It.) Assisting him is the hapless hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the buxom but none-too-bright maiden Inga (Teri Garr), and when Frankenstein succeeds in creating his monster (Peter Boyle), the stage is set for an outrageous revision of the Frankenstein legend. With comedy highlights too numerous to mention, Brooks guides his brilliant cast (also including Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo role) through scene after scene of inspired hilarity. Indeed, Young Frankensteinis a charmed film, nothing less than a comedy classic, representing the finest work from everyone involved. Not one joke has lost its payoff, and none of the countless gags have lost their zany appeal. From a career that includes some of the best comedies ever made, this is the film for which Mel Brooks will be most fondly remembered. No video library should be without a copy of Young Frankenstein. And just remember—it's pronounced "Fronkensteen". —Jeff Shannon

This Monty Python Movie Box Set contains all four Python movies: And Now for Something Completely Different (1971), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)—the two-disc set—Monty Python's Life of Brian—including a 50-minute documentary—and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

The extended editions of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Ringspresent the greatest trilogy in film history in the most ambitious sets in DVD history. In bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's nearly unfilmable work to the screen, Jackson benefited from extraordinary special effects, evocative New Zealand locales, and an exceptionally well-chosen cast, but most of all from his own adaptation with co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, preserving Tolkien's vision and often his very words, but also making logical changes to accommodate the medium of film. While purists complained about these changes and about characters and scenes left out of the films, the almost two additional hours of material in the extended editions (about 11 hours total) help appease them by delving more deeply into Tolkien's music, the characters, and loose ends that enrich the story, such as an explanation of the Faramir-Denethor relationship, and the appearance of the Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor. In addition, the extended editions offer more bridge material between the films, further confirming that the trilogy is really one long film presented in three pieces (which is why it's the greatest trilogy ever—there's no weak link). The scene of Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship added to the first film proves significant over the course of the story, while the new Faramir scene at the end of the second film helps set up the third and the new Saruman scene at the beginning of the third film helps conclude the plot of the second.

To top it all off, the extended editions offer four discs per film: two for the longer movie, plus four commentary tracks and stupendous DTS 6.1 ES sound; and two for the bonus material, which covers just about everything from script creation to special effects. The argument was that fans would need both versions because the bonus material is completely different, but the features on the theatrical releases are so vastly inferior that the only reason a fan would need them would be if they wanted to watch the shorter versions they saw in theaters (the last of which, The Return of the King, merely won 12 Oscars). The LOTRextended editions without exception have set the DVD standard by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. —David Horiuchi

One of the hallmark seasons of The Simpsons, season 7 features some of the strongest episodes produced during the show’s run. Considering that this is The Simpsons we’re talking about here, that’s saying a lot, but this collection deserves the accolades.

Broadcast in 1995, season seven features several signature episodes, including Part II of "Who Shot Mr. Burns," "Bart Sells His Soul," and "Two Bad Neighbors" where former President George Herbert Walker Bush moves into the neighborhood (an episode gamely playing on the former President’s open dislike for the show). One of The Simpsons’s most definitive episodes, "Treehouse of Horror VI" famously broke the third wall by using the then-groundbreaking CGI technology to render Homer first in a 3-D world, then in real life, (despite the evolution in his form, he naturally ends up in an erotic cake shop). As the producers openly note on the commentary, it was a big deal at the time, and super expensive, which is why they could only do a few minutes of footage in CGI (some fans will particularly enjoy the revealing commentary on this one, as the producers explain the many visual puns and math jokes appearing in the background of the 3-D world). It’s a great example of how The Simpsons continued to play with its visual style and take creative risks years into its run. In fact, one of the best episodes on this collection, "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" proves just how far the look and style of the show really came during that time. Hosted by actor Troy McClure (voiced by the late comic great Phil Hartman), it presents never-before-seen outtakes and original footage from the show’s debut days on The Tracey Ullman Show, while taking a few self-referential digs at show creators Matt Groening, James Brooks, and Sam Simon. Other gems include "Homerpalooza" where Homer thanks guests The Smashing Pumpkins for their gloomy music because it has made his kids "stop wishing for a future I can’t possibly provide," and "Bart the Fink" where Bart inadvertently gets Krusty the Klown busted for tax "avoision."

Along with the 25 episodes there are extensive commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes all of which add immense value to the set and will give die-hard fans another excuse to spend more hours in front of the TV. It’s another benchmark collection from a show that, up to this point, doesn’t seem to know its own limits. —Dan Vancini

Serenityis a film that, by rights, shouldn't have been made. For starters, it's spun out of the short-lived and quickly-cancelled TV series Firefly, which has only itself got the full recognition it deserves on DVD. It then marries up two seemingly incompatible genres, the western and science fiction, has no major stars to speak of, and pretty much has `hard sell' written all over it.

Perhaps that explains its modest box office performance back in 2005. What it fails to reflect, however, is that this is one of the most energetic, downright enjoyable sci-fi flicks in some time. Not for nothing did many rate it higher than the Star Warsmovie that appeared in the same year.

It follows renegade captain Mal Reynolds and his quirkily assembled crew, as they work on the outskirts of space, trying to keep out of the way of the governing Alliance. That plan quickly changes when they take on a couple of passengers who have attracted the attention of said Alliance, and thus the scene is set for an action-packed, cleverly written movie that deserves many of the plaudits that have rightly been thrust in its direction.

What's more, Serenityworks whether you've seen the TV series that precedes it or not. Clearly fans of the Fireflyshow will be in their element, but even the casual viewer will find an immense amount to enjoy.

The only real problem is that given the film's box office returns, further adventures of Reynolds and his crew look unlikely. Unless Serenityturns into a major hit on DVD, that is. It's well worth playing your part in making that happen.—Simon Brew

It’s criminal, really, given the sheer outright quality of Family Guy that more people aren’t willing to give it a try. For while it tends to draw comparisons to The Simpsons—after all, it is a family-based animated comedy show—Family Guy very much has a voice of its own. It’s also less worried about catering to a family demographic, something the writers have little problem making the most of.

Season four has plenty of evidence for why the show shouldn’t be overlooked. Picking up the story of the family Griffin, this time more of the background characters are allowed into the limelight, and that’s really to the programme’s benefit. That’s not to say the main players are out of sight, and the quite wonderful baby Stewie has plenty of air time, but there’s a real ensemble feel.

The rapid-fire, razor-sharp wit and writing quality that’s become the trademark of the show is present and correct too, and the quality of the episodes on offer put season four up there as not quite the finest series of Family Guy to date, but it nonetheless runs things very close indeed. If you’ve not taken the plunge yet, you’ve really, really been missing out… —Jon Foster

Better action, a bit of sex, and gorier R-rated violence make Underworld: Evolutiona reasonably satisfying sequel to 2003's surprise hit Underworld. Looking stunning as ever in her black leather battle gear, Kate Beckinsale is every goth guy's fantasy as Selene, the vampire "death dealer" who's now fighting to stop the release of the original "Lycan" werewolf, William (Brian Steele) from the prison that's held him for centuries. As we learn from the film's action-packed prologue, William and his brother Marcus (Tony Curran) began the bloodline of vampires and werewolves, and after witnessing centuries of warfare between them, their immortal father Corvinus (Derek Jacobi) now seeks Selene and the human vampire/lycan hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) to put an end to the war perpetuated by Victor (Bill Nighy), the vampire warrior whose betrayal of Selene turns Underworld: Evolutioninto an epic tale of familial revenge. This ambitious attempt at Shakespearean horror is compromised by a script (by Danny McBride and returning director Len Wiseman, Beckinsale's real-life husband) that's more confusing than it needs to be, with too many characters and not enough storytelling detail to flesh them all out. Aspiring to greatness and falling well short of that goal, Underworld: Evolutionsucceeds instead as a full-throttle action/horror thriller, with enough swordplay, gunplay, and CGI monsters to justify the continuation of the Underworldfranchise. If you're an established fan, this is a must-see movie; if not, well... at least it's better than Van Helsing! —Jeff Shannon

"Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V For Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who ironically played Winston Smith in the movie 1984) whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After gaining power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot and his philosophy on how to induce change.

Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V For Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrixfame) and directed by their protégé James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current US political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. —Rob Bracco

The debates have already been raging across the Internet over whether Family Guy has peaked, whether it’s the funniest show on television at the moment, and whether it’s better than The Simpsons, or some way behind it. Yet while most will agree that season five isn’t the best the show’s creators have produced, don’t let that blind you to the sheer joy contained within this DVD set.

The highlights of Family Guy for many, of course, are Stewie the ingenious baby and the family’s dog Brian (arguably the sanest one of the lot), and both are in fine form here. And while this series again allows many of the supporting characters a space in the limelight, it’s Stewie and Brian who remain responsible for some of Family Guy’s funniest moments. Bluntly, there are plenty of them.

Still, there’s little getting away from the fact that season five lacks the spark that energised the superb first two or three series, and as a result, there are episodes here that are good where they were once great. There are, still, plenty of examples of the old magic, and it’s still primarily a real pleasure that’s pretty much guaranteed to raise laughs from those who don’t mind their entertainment with a bit of edge. But it’ll be interesting to see where Family Guy goes from here, and whether its real glory days are permanently consigned to the past. —Jon Foster

In a nutshell:

If you want as gentle an introduction as possible to the world of Wii then this user-friendly compilation of mini-games is just the thing for you, with a collection of games that are as easy to play as they are fun.

The lowdown:
It might be easy to use but the Wii is still a pretty unusual beast and a bit of a culture shock from the overly complex controllers of other consoles. This compilation of mini-games aims to ease you in gently with simple to play games that only need the Wii Remote to enjoy. These include games of table tennis, air hockey (or Laser Hockey as the game would have it) and an updated of NES classic Duck Hunt. There's also Wii Billiards, a fishing sim and a number of games which use your customised Mii Channel character, including Wii Pose and the Where's Wally style Find Mii. Since many of these games have a multiplayer mode the game also comes bundled with an extra Remote (but not a nunchuck), which usually sells for £29.99 separately.

Most exciting moment:
Although all of the games are fun the best one is probably the Duck Hunt update (which also has you shooting UFOs and other non-avian enemies). Perhaps what's most exciting about it is that it proves how good other light gun franchises, such as Virtua Cop and Time Crisis would be on the Wii.

Since you ask:
Many of the mini-games included with Wii Play, such as Duck Hunt and Table Tennis, were first seen as technical demos at the E3 trade conference in May 2006, when the Wii was first revealed in playable form.

The bottom line:
The beginner's guide to Wii, with a handy extra controller. - HARRISON DENT

36 Crazyfists

36 Crazyfists

36 Crazyfists

All That Remains

Apartment 26

As I Lay Dying

Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold

Ayreon

Beatles Proving yet again their willingness to dice 'n' slice their burgeoning legacy into new—if not exactly fresh—product, the Fab Four Minus One released this single disc compendium of their No. 1 hits. Though obviously superfluous to long-time Fabs faithful (who may also find themselves quibbling over the precise definition of "No. 1 hit" and the exclusion of seeming contenders like "Please Please Me" and "Strawberry Fields"), newly arrived visitors from the Pleiades star cluster and other neophytes will find it a concise and generous (nearly 80 minutes) single-disc introduction to the band's career-spanning, unparalleled dominance of pop music in the 1960s and beyond. But more than merely a trophy case of commercial success (and it won't be hard to find people to argue that these singles aren't even the band's best work), 1is also a quick sketch of a remarkable seven-year musical evolution, one that stretches from the neo-skiffle of "Love Me Do" through a remarkable synthesis of R&B, rockabilly, Tin Pan Alley, gospel, country and classical that still defies efforts to effectively deconstruct it. —Jerry McCulley

The Beatles There are only three stories worth knowing from the last 2,000 years of history: the life of Mohammed, the life of Jesus and the career of The Beatles. They invented all music ever. John was the best one; but Paul is—despite the knighthood and everything—still the most under-rated songwriter of the 20th century. This is the album with "Eleanor Rigby", "Here, There and Everywhere", "For No One", "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" on it—but then, you knew that anyway. We presume you have this album already and you're just getting a second copy in case you lose the first. —Caitlan Moran

The Beatles How much better, you could be forgiven for wondering, could Let It Bebe? The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is "a bit". Let It Be, while obviously better than almost everything ever recorded by anyone else, was compromised by the fact that the Beatles were disintegrating as a unit during the recording sessions, the rancour most famously illustrated by John Lennon calling in Phil Spector behind Paul McCartney's back to rework "The Long and Winding Road". Let It Be... Naked, then, is the album as the Beatles would have heard it while they were making it.

The tracklisting on this version of Let It Bediffers slightly from the original—there's no "Maggie Mae" or "Dig It", while "Don't Let Me Down" has been added. The rest of the songs, shorn of Spector's decorative flourishes, confirm that although the Beatles were having occasional difficulty speaking to each other during these sessions, there was no problem about playing together. The only two minor quibbles are that "The Long and Winding Road" is still McCartney at his most saccharine, and that any Beatles version of "Across the Universe" is never going to hold a candle to that by Laibach. —Andrew Mueller

Bicycle Thief

Black Sabbath Though most of Black Sabbath's classic material from this album ("War Pigs,""Iron Man,""Fairies Wear Boots," and the title track) can also be found on the collection We Sold Our Soul for Rock & Roll, Paranoidis essential for the completist. One of the best albums from one of the bands to define heavy metal, this album is chock-full of the best stuff from Sabbath's Osbourne years. (Where else will you be able to hear "Rat Salad?") The music isn't exactly complex, but it doesn't need to be; its importance lies in its evocative power, with which any teenager will be able to identify. —Genevieve Williams

Ray Bradbury

Max Brooks

Max Brooks

Bill Bryson

John Carpenter

Arthur C. Clarke

Coral While the fiery rock & roll spirit of The La's Lee Mavers courses through their veins, the debut album by youthful Liverpudlian mystics the Coral proves they are far more than Merseybeat chancers. The opening "Spanish Main"—"We've set sail again! / We're heading for the Spanish Main!"—casts the sextet as marauding scally pirates, out to pillage musical history for any loot they can lay their hands on. Magnificently, it's possible to hear the influence of everything from Captain Beefheart to Miles Davis, from Spanish mariachi guitar to rambunctious Cossack dance rhythms surfacing between the tight, ragged grooves of "I Remember When" and "Shadows Fall". But the staggering thing about The Coralis that it's stuffed to bursting point with ideas, yet presents them all in such stark clarity. It's hard to pick an album highlight, but it's probably a toss-up between the curious, swooping fable of "Simon Diamond" and the unfettered insanity of "Skeleton Key", which finds frontman James Skelly croaking "Solid gold skeleton key / opens the most intricate lock / Brother roll another for me/ I am shipwrecked on the rocks!" as his bandmates caw like parrots in the background. The Coral are off on a totally mental trip. It would take a fool, however, to choose not to join them. —Louis Pattison

Michael Cumming Chris Morris'Brass Eyeis a brilliantly funny spoof on current affairs media that carries on where his previous The Day Todayleft off. The show ran for one single, contentious series in 1997, to be followed by an even more controversial one-off in 2001. While these episodes might cause offence to those not versed in Morris' satirical methods, and while one occasionally suspects his work is informed by a dark seam of malice and loathing rather than a desire to educate, Brass Eyeremains vital satire, magnificently hilarious and, in its own way, fiercely moral viewing.

Brass Eyesatirises a media far too interested in generating dramatic heat and urgency for its own sake than in shedding light on serious issues. Morris mimics perfectly the house style of programmes such as Newsnightand Crimewatch, with their spurious props and love of gimmickry. Meanwhile his presenter—an uncanny composite of Jeremy Paxman, Michael Buerk and Richard Madeley among others—delivers absurd items about man-fighting weasels in the East End and Lear-esque lines such as "the twisted brain wrong of a one-off man mental" with preposterously solemn authority. Much as the media itself is wont to do, each programme works itself up into a ridiculous fever of moral panic. Most telling is the "drugs" episode, in which, as ever, real-life celebrities, including Jimmy Greaves and Sir Bernard Ingham, are persuaded to lend their name to a campaign against a new drug from Eastern Europe entitled Cake. The satirist's aim here isn't to trivialise concern about drugs but to point up the media's lack of attention to content.

A response to the ill-conceived News of the Worldwitch-hunt, in the wake of the Sarah Payne affair, the 2001 "paedophilia" special was the most supremely controversial of the series. It followed the usual formula—duping celebs such as Phil Collins into endorsing a campaign entitled "Nonce Sense", urging parents to send their children to football stadiums for the night for their own safety and mooting the possibility of "roboplegic" paedophiles—and prompted the sort of hysterical and predictable Pavlovian response from the media that Brass Eyelampoons so tellingly.

On the DVD:Brass Eyeon DVD includes brief outtakes, such as "David Jatt" interviewing celebrities about breeding hippos for domestic purposes, an hilarious exchange with Jeffrey Archer's PA ("He's a very wicked little man") as well as trailers for the paedophilia special.—David Stubbs

Romeo Dallaire

Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

Decapitated

Dream Theater Not since 1980 and Yes's Dramahad progressive rock dared to show off quite so unashamedly: Dream Theater's 1992 Images And Wordsis not so much an album of songs as a series of showcases for instrumental virtuosity. For many listeners that sounds like an instant recipe for disaster, but for die-hard progressive-rockers weaned on the glory days of Rush and Yes, Dream Theater were a shining throwback amid the low-fi wasteland of the 1990s. Images And Wordsis the kind of album that amateur musicians listen to with a mixture of awe and despair at the effortless display of fretwork pyrotechnics (it's also the kind of album that non-musicians listen to with blank incomprehension at why anyone would bother producing such endless widdly-widdly stuff). If the guitar work of John Petrucci (whose notes-per-second ratio puts Steve Vai to shame) isn't enough, just listen to drummer Mike Portnoy (who clearly models himself physically and emotionally on Animal from The Muppet Show) playing like a demented Neil Peart, thrashing his kit with every ounce of his strength while maintaining utterly baffling 15/8-metre rhythms. But what really makes this album work is that the whole band play together so well: they actually function as a single unit and consequently the music is much more than the sum of a series of individual solos. Production, too, emphasises the democratic balance within the band, giving due prominence to all. And unlike British wimps such as Genesis, you can also file Dream Theater under Heavy Metal, since not only can they out-play any progressive rockers you might care to mention, they can out-thrash Metallica whenever they feel like it, too. A slice of musical Hell, or a marriage made in Heaven, Images and Wordsdoesn't exactly break any new ground, but it's a landmark in the history of progressive rock nevertheless. —Mark Walker

Dream Theater Some rock & roll purists consider the term "progressive rock" an oxymoron. After all, rock & roll is supposed to be about feeling, not thinking. Prog rock bands miss the point by taking the soul out of a musical form that's purposely crass and anti-intellectual. All the precise, long-winded arrangements, keyboard flourishes, wailing vocals, and over-orchestration of groups like Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and, to a degree, Rush suck the soul out of something that should be less head and more body. Dream Theater, though they possess many of the same characteristics as these bands, still manage to maintain a human element in their music. Awakeis at times self-indulgent and pompous, but songs like "Lie", a passionate crusher that finds guitarist John Petrucci launching riff after thunderous riff in a cacophonous volley of crunch, ring true with real passion and base emotion. It's the depth and tonality his guitar brings to the music that keeps Dream Theater from falling into the Styx-isms they often veer dangerously close to. A very solid record for those who don't mind thinking while rocking. —Adem Tepedelen

Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Martin Evening

Richard P. Feynman

Paul Gannon

Neal Stephenson Frederick George

Karl Pilkington Stephen Merchant Ricky Gervais

Glassjaw At the vanguard of hardcore’s evolution stand Glassjaw: five Long Island-born straight-edgers sporting a firmly progressive approach to punk-rock, and a fantastic second album in the shape of Worship and Tribute. Frontman Daryl Palumbo is the band’s immediate touchstone: on lyrically adventurous songs like "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" and "Trailer Park Jesus" he wages war on American cultural orthodoxy, his rocky, undulating vocal morphing between a raw-nerve croon and a tortured shriek sharp enough to cut glass. Where the band truly differs from their nu-metal and conventional hardcore peers is in the arrangements, however: tracks like "Mu Empire" and "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss" combine Faith No More-style anthemicism with a complex post-hardcore structure that could put Fugazi to shame, while "Ape Dos Mil" reins in the pure noise, guitarist! s Justin Beck and Todd Weinstock turning down and wringing twisted melodies and shimmering walls of ambience out of their instruments as Palumbo weaves a tale of obsessional love in a high, shivery vibrato. They’re a thoroughly uncompromising band, but Glassjaw are as fearlessly individual as At the Drive-In, and every bit as good. Worship and Tributepresents the new hardcore heroes-in-waiting. —Louis Pattison

God Forbid

Green Day Punk had flirted with mainstream attention before—the Clash and Sex Pistols had hits—but didn't fully advance from the underground until this pure-punk 1994 album. In singing catchy, tight rock & roll tunes—including "Longview", "Welcome to Paradise" and "When I Come Around"—Green Day sneered its way into the hearts of millions. The Berkeley, California, trio also ignited a debate: Is it selling out for punks to sign with a major record label and become multi-platinum stars? Fortunately, this band didn't seem to care as much as Kurt Cobain did. —Steve Knopper

Peter F. Hamilton

Peter F. Hamilton

Peter F. Hamilton The term "space opera" has evolved over the decades. Originally it meant "hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn, spaceship yarn" (Wilson Tucker), but since then it has come to be (slightly) less pejorative, encompassing any sci-fi action story on an interplanetary or interstellar scale. The Reality Dysfunction rests firmly in the space- opera camp with its intense starship combat, roguish space captains and raw frontier planets, but Peter Hamilton keeps the formula fresh and up-to-date with an infusion of "modern" science fiction technology. His universe is digitally and nanotechnologically savvy, which opens up plenty of possibilities for new perils and plot twists.

It is the late 26th century and humanity's thriving culture spans 200 planets. The usual squabbles and disagreements continue, but generally everyone gets along and lives well as humanity's outward expansion continues apace. On newly colonized Lalonde, though, a strange force emerges from the jungle, lobotomizing people and turning them into super-powered soldiers. At the same time, the story of Joshua Calvert emerges. He's the young captain of a trading ship, who innocently travels to Lalonde and becomes embroiled in the mysteries there. Both threads have plenty of action and exotic scenery. Peter Hamilton's descriptive prose, particularly in action sequences, is breathtaking (and scientifically accurate), creating a dramatic backdrop for a story where the stakes keep getting higher, the villains keep growing more evil and the heroes keep surviving—but only just. Space-opera fans will enjoy this deftly written and engaging novel. Those who feel they don't like the genre might give this example a try to see just how unhacky, ungrinding, sweet-smelling, and robust it can be. —Brooks Peck

Hell Is For Heroes Prior to the release of their own debut, The Neon Handshake, it must have been a bittersweet experience for Hell Is for Heroes to watch kindred spirits Hundred Reasons crack the UK Top 40, securing their critical position with a superb debut album. On one hand, it no doubt gave them hope that their own brand of intelligent, impassioned, post-emo breast beating could enjoy a similar fate. But on the other, they probably worried they were a crucial twelve months behind the zeitgeist. With two of Symposium in their ranks, they surely know how important timing can be in rock. Inevitably, The Neon Handshakeis an extremely accomplished album that lurks a little too self-consciously in the shadow of Ideas Above Our Station. Songs such as "Out of Sight" and "Cut Down" follow the British post-hardcore model to the letter, lurching and screaming in all the familiar places. Far more affecting are the songs that strive to reach some kind of maturity. "Disconnected" is slight and subtle, while the singles "I Can Climb Mountains" and the particularly excellent "Night Vision" show an encouraging ability to layer musical and emotional tension. It's not quite the startling album that was hoped for then, but far worse debuts have led on to earth-shattering careers. —Ian Watson

Bobby Henderson

Nick Hornby

Hundred Reasons The second album from Home Counties emotional hardcore stalwarts Hundred Reasons, Shatterproof Is Not a Challengesees them consolidating the punk-rock revolution they partly sparked off on these shores: one that rejects the snotty rush of UK punk, instead harking back to American post-hardcore touchstones like Fugazi, Quicksand, and At The Drive-In. Hundred Reasons offer a poppy, mainstream take on this most defiantly underground of musical genres, but no qualms, they do it very well: the production clarity demonstrated on "What You Get" and "The Great Test" renders hirsute frontman Colin Doran's skinny roar in spittle-flecked high-resolution, and supplies an agreeably punchy presence to the twin-guitar interplay handled by Paul Townshend and Larry Hibbitt. And while often vague, Doran's lyrics frequently attain a sort of tear-pricked emotional resonance: "Sing this with me now/ Try to harmonise this," goes the mantra-like 'Harmony', gaining strength in every plucky repetition.

If there's any criticism here, it's that Hundred Reasons appear to have found a successful formula and stubbornly stuck to it: "Pop" sounds uncomfortably like a band ripping off themselves, and even a pair of ballads, "Still Be Here" and "Makeshift", appear to be tacked on just because that's what well-rounded rock-albums are supposed to do. In future, a touch more variety would prove a real boon. But in short bursts, Shatterproof Is Not a Challengeremains a bracing example of sturdy, cathartic punk-rock, and we very much suspect that's exactly what Hundred Reasons were after all along. -– Louis Pattison

Aldous Huxley

Ill Nino On the evidence of Revolution Revolución, the New-Jersey-based Ill Niño fit very neatly into the Roadrunner label's aesthetic, while still providing enough of a twist on the metal genre to carve out their own niche. While the influence of everything from Korn to Machine Head to Sepultura marches under the banner of their debut album, it's Ill Niño's Latin heritage—many of its members hail originally from South America—that makes this much more than another monochromatic nu-metal effort: the billingual "Nothing's Clear" opens with a battery of punishing percussion and frontman Cristian Machado's phlegm-spattering, pig-throttling vocals, but two minutes in it's ready to break for a surprisingly virtuoso Spanish guitar interlude. Ill Nióo's powerful Sepultura-heavy impact is hardly blunted by such bursts of startling melodicism, though;"No Murder" slips effectively between bursts of gutteral howling and passages of Tool-like anthemics with ease. The closing "With You" is the real surprise, though—a soulful, restrained four-minute long Flamenco love song that might skirt the borders of cheese, but ends Revolution Revoluciónon a satisfyingly light, and characteristically eclectic note. —Louis Pattison

Ill Nino

In Flames

In Flames

In Flames

In Flames Asian edition of the seventh album, originally issued in 1990, for the Swedish dark metal act, featuring Jesper Stromblad (ex-Ceremonial Oath), includes one bonus track 'Strong & Smart'. Slipcase. Dream On.

In Flames

In Flames

In Flames

John Frusciante

John Frusciante

John Frusciante

John Frusciante

John Lennon

John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess

Killswitch Engage

Killswitch Engage

Killswitch Engage

Dick Winters Cole C. Kingseed

Kinks Sensing that the Beatles, Stones and Who were radically transforming rock music by turning it literate and conceptual, Ray Davies decided the Kinks should be his vehicle to explore his unusual longing for a simpler time when the English empire was not in decline. A reliance on English music hall tradition and sentiments indicated in titles such as "Last of the Steam- Powered Trains", "Picture Book" and "Village Green" clearly show Davies's nostalgic streak. Davies' singing has always been rough and non-Kinks fans may have trouble getting past his sloppy pitch. But for those listening closely, the tales are one of a kind. —Rob O'Connor

Kinks How Ray Davies made it through is anyone's guess. He fought constantly with his brother and bandmate Dave. He received not a penny of royalties throughout the Kinks' late-1960s heyday, due to a management dispute. He endured two divorces—the first of which saw him hospitalised in a suspected suicide attempt—and a painful break-up with Chrissie Hynde. Under terrible stress, he announced his retirement every six months from 1967 onwards. Yet somehow he held together one of the 60s' most stylish outfits, and released a string of hits that rank among the wittiest, most provocative and most socially aware songs ever written.

The first disc of the two-CD The Ultimate Collectionbegins with their third single and first No. 1, the insistent "You Really Got Me", then races through the glory years with the absurdly infectious likes of "Sunny Afternoon", "Waterloo Sunset", "Lola" and "Apeman". Dave's two hits are included, too, and the disc ends with "Come Dancing" and other selections from The Kinks' early-80s comeback. Disc Two includes songs that were hits for others ("David Watts" and "Stop Your Sobbing"), various B-sides and other rarities, including "God's Children", from the soundtrack of Percy, a movie about a fellow seeking the original owner of his recently transplanted penis. The Ultimate Collectionis an excellent addition to the Kinks's cannon. —Dominic Wills

Kinks

D. Leavitt

Richard P. Feynman Ralph Leighton

Libertines Can Up the Bracket, the debut album from London dandies The Libertines live up to the hype? Sure, they walk the walk: it's hard to see how four doe-eyed indie dreamboats with greasy hair, cider-stained leather jackets and a wide-eyed mythology that places them as chivalrous defenders of Old Albion could fail to capture the attention of a nation of students dead-set on aping the Strokes' sense of louche retro-cool.

Certainly, though, there's some fine pedigree to Up the Bracket. With the Clash's Mick Jones at the production helm, gravelly tracks such as "Horror Show" and "The Boy Looked at Johnny" rattle along like phlegmy first-gen punk classics. But like the Strokes, The Libertines manage to imbue snotty garage-rock with a sort of wistful romanticism—an effect that adds genuine soul to their raucous clatter. Although there's no sign of "What a Waster", the snotty single with which the group made their name, there's no shortage of excellent tunes here: "Boys in the Band" is an affectionate hymn to the groupie, with frontmen Pete Doherty and Carl Barat hollering "And they all get 'em out / For the boys in the band". "I Get Along" proves that behind their shambolic veneer these boys have an eye for a tight, nervy but undeniably classic songwriting style that pricks memories of the Jam or the Buzzcocks. Very, very promising. —Louis Pattison

Libertines Rock'n'roll can pretty much burn off pure mythology alone, but what happens when the soap opera of drug abuse and broken friendships threatens to overwhelm the music? That's the problem the Libertines' eponymous second LP must face up to – and while it sometimes struggles to live up to the magic of its predecessor, 2002's Up The Bracket, it's still peppered with enough inspiration to explain why people still care about this band. Co-frontmen Carl Barat and Pete Doherty tackle their problems head on with the opening "Can't Stand Me Now", an anthemic, harmonica-accompanied number with echoes of The Cure's "Lovecats", that sees Barat sum up The Libertines' troubled history in the album's most quotable line: "The boy kicked out at the world/ The world kicked back a lot fucking harder". Further rollicking moments come on the Barat-sung "Narcissist" and knockabout closer "What Became Of The Likely Lads?" But there's some workmanlike moments, and almost inevitably, they feature Pete at the helm: see the hoarse, off-key "Don't Be Shy". All told, a merely good record. If The Libertines truly want a place in rock history, they'll have to prove they have the discipline to channel their undeniable inspiration. —Louis Pattison

The Libertines

Liquid Tension Experiment

Liquid Tension Experiment Over-wrought, self-indulgent, bombastic—hurl every clichéd prog-rock epithet you can think of—this group will suck 'em in and spit 'em right back in a deafening flurry of notes plucked, struck, hammered, and slapped. Without question, these guys (Dream Theater's drummer and guitarist Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci respectively, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and bassist Tony Levin) are masters. And they make no apologies for having recorded an album of intensely virtuosic instrumental hard rock. Armed with chops, taste, and panache, LTE groove seamlessly from the lightning-fingered metal-fest "Paradigm Shift" to the comical drum & bass duet "Chris and Kevin's Excellent Adventure"; from the full-throttle jamming on "Universal Mind" to the house-crushing mayhem of "Three Minute Warning". Throughout, the staggering speed and technique of both Portnoy and Petrucci consistently grab centre stage. It's a riveting work from start to finish and a scorching testament to the power of musical inspiration and collaboration. —Michael Mikesell

Machine Head

Machine Head

Machine Head Machine Head's Superchargeris, at its best, a monumental success. Since their searing debut Burn My Eyes, Machine Head have continuously exhibited that sadly rare quality—musical ambition. Not for them the post-Bush bleatings of Creed or the dumb bulldozing of Limp Bizkit. Machine Head attempt to create ever more varied and meaningful rock soundscapes. Take "Trephination" for example: as Robb Flynn pants his desperate tale of childhood abuse and a consequent self-hatred that can only be cured by a drill to the skull, the guitars buzz like medical instruments before reaching an awful sawing crescendo. It could so easily be clumsy and silly, but the execution is tasteful and effective. Elsewhere, there's the semi-humorous "American High", where a scratcher duels with the lead guitar, and "Nausea" where a horribly distorted guitar engages in a series of deeply unsettling descents—as with "Trephination", the music cleverly and admirably mirrors the lyrics. Elsewhere, there are extraordinary individual performances. During "White Knuckle Blackout", Flynn passes from a Dani Filth shriek through Layne Staley melodics to a furious rap, backed by a mighty guitar and what sounds like the buzz of a printer. During the maudlin "All in Your Head", the guitars rise from staccato riffing to a magnificent, near-orchestral sweep. Unfortunately, these exciting innovations make Machine Head's lapses into bog-standard contemporary rock all the more disappointing. Nevertheless, they should be proud of an album that's three-quarters brilliant. —Dominic Wills

Machine Head A live album capturing the brutal majesty of Oakland metal veterans Machine Head playing at London's Brixton Academy back in 2001, Hellaliveprovides a fine opportunity to take a look back at the career of one of heavy rock's most underappreciated acts. It's true, Machine Head have never quite been able to top their fantastic debut, 1994's Burn My Eyes—right here, totally blistering takes on the brooding heresy of "I'm Your God Now", the pogo-thrash of "Old" and the Ministry-style jackhammer nastiness of "Davidian" only confirm that to be the case. But there's plenty here to demonstrate why we shouldn't let Machine Head get lost under the pile of generic rap-rock acts. "The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears" carries the gruesome, thick heaviness of Pantera like a torch. And on "Crashing Around You", frontman Rob Flynn launches into a chilling spoken introduction that broadens its misanthropic edge into an anthem to the grey, dispossessed ranks of old-skool heavy-metal. "I used to think I was the only weirdo in the world that has thoughts like this," he ponders. "But now I know I'm not alone." Live albums are so often a hollow excuse to fleece money from obsessive fans. Roadrunner, however, do them with a little care and attention—see also Sepultura's Under a Pale Grey Sky—and Hellaliveis no exception. —Louis Pattison

Machine Head With Through the Ashes of Empires, Machine Head appear to be taking stock, looking backwards and forwards. Before this, using scratching, samplers and bewildering distortion, Machine Head strove to rise above the ferociously rocking pack inspired by their 1994 debut, Burn My Eyes. Yet in much of the first half of this album they return to the churning, multi-faceted metal of their early years, as if attempting to rediscover their former flaming spirit. It's not that it's not aggressive—"Bite the Bullet" and "Left Unfinished" are really quite fearsome—just that it's lacking the furious innovation we've come to expect.

Thankfully, this situation changes. "Days Turn Blue to Gray" features what ought to be a crushing riff that's instead hushed and made to back a pastoral interlude. "All Falls Down" veers from crunching metal to melancholy folk, singer Rob Flynn weirdly employing all the seductive softness of INXS's "Need You Tonight" while threatening strangulation and worse. The tough talkover of "Wipe the Tears" and the sub-classical guitar-fest of "Descend the Shades of Night" bring the album to a glorious conclusion. Machine Head still burn brightly, and Flynn, in discussing the birth-parents who discarded him, takes his rage to new levels. You'd think he'd be over it by now. Be glad he isn't. —Dominic Wills

Muse

Muse With Absolution, size is most definitely an issue. Hoping that it will finally propel them into the musical major leagues, Muse have set out to create a cross-genre monster, a contemporary meisterwerk, the biggest-sounding album in years. That they almost succeed is testament to their sky-high confidence and unarguable abilities. With just three members to draw upon, they've individually stretched themselves to fill in the inevitable sonic gaps. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme, in particular, does sterling work, producing a driving buzz to lift "Time Is Running Out" to a massive crescendo, then a rush of distortion that pushes "Hysteria" to Queen-like levels of ecstasy.

Throughout, Matt Bellamy adds classical grace with his tinkling, rolling grand piano, all the while moaning and shrieking out his fear of decay, destruction and death, like a traumatised Gene Pitney. Indeed, aside from their classical leanings and clear kinship with the prog-rock likes of Queen and Rush (there are some outbreaks of metal here), Muse often draw on classic pop, employing lush 1960s-style arrangements. With "Blackout" they go even further, daring to conjure Bacharach's "Magic Moments". If there's a weakness here, it's that the songwriting remains inconsistent, but this is usually covered up by musicianship and studio wizardry that leave Coldplay languishing in Muse's dust. —Dominic Wills

Muse It's practically impossible to mention Muse without also bringing up Radiohead. Listening to Muse's debut, it's easy to see why. Showbizwas produced by John Leckie, the producer of The Bends, and features the frightfully Yorke-esque choiral falsetto of front-man Matthew Bellamy, running the whole emotional gamut of unhappiness from sincere upset to outright dysfunction. New ground, it's fair to say, remains distinctly unbroken. To Muse's credit, though, they do this angst thing pretty well. "Cave" is a wonderful, terrible epic, replete with rank after rank of bludgeoning guitars, "Muscle Museum" builds up swathes of complex baroque noise, and "Escape"—well, it's a surrogate "No Surprises" with a firework finale, and should keep us ticking over until the next Radiohead album, thank you very much. See? You can't escape the comparison. But at least Showbizwears it well.—Louis Pattison

Sir Isaac Newton

John O'Farrell

Original Television Soundtrack

Original TV Soundtrack While the idea of infusing a weekly TV series with a Broadway-musical ethos isn't exactly a new one, it became something of a turn-of the-century television mini-trend. But few have reached as far—or succeeded—like this 2001 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Penned by series creator-producer Josh Whedon and performed by Sarah Michelle Gellar and cast, it's a loving, loopy musical pastiche that takes pot shots at everything from Andrew Lloyd Webber to indie-rock. Paralleling the show's lovable pop culture tweaking, the musical styles here (the episode's musical conceit is a curse visited upon Buffy's hometown of Sunnydale) range from a patent footlight chorus of demons being interrupted by Gellar's hard-rocking stake thrusts on "Going Through the Motions" to Spike the Vampire's goth-metal complaint "Rest in Peace", with everything from parking tickets and mustard stain removal to climactic duels with the supernatural getting the Broadway send-up. Also includes strong orchestral score-suites from three other episodes, as well as Whedon and wife Kai Cole's demo for "Something to Sing About". —Jerry McCulley

Pantera Even those who scoff at the idea that rock & roll is the devil's music have to think twice when listening to Pantera. The pill-popping, strip-bar-ogling, beer-guzzling Texas combo takes Metallica's speed-metal cues to new heights of brutality and sacrilege. Fortunately, they're extremely good at what they do. The polyrhythmic complexity of Vinnie Paul's drumming in "Psycho Holiday" and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell's breathtaking solo in "Heresy" are examples of state-of-the-art metal musicianship. Vocalist Phil Anselmo often sounds like Metallica's James Hetfield, but his brooding croon on "Cemetery Gates" and his falsetto screams on the blindingly fast "Shattered" are more like vintage Deep Purple. Released in 1990, Cowboysmade Pantera one of metal's top draws during an era in which it was almost eclipsed by alternative rock. —James Rotondi

Pantera

Pink Floyd One of the most famous albums of all time, Dark Side Of The Moonsold 25 million copies in its first 25 years of release. It continues to be a favourite, with 20 per cent of those sales occurring in the period since it first came out on CD, a medium to which it is ideally suited, especially in its current carefully remastered form. Dark Side Of The Moonwas the first album that Pink Floyd decided to break in live before attempting to record, with the debut performance of what they then called Eclipsejust over a year before the final release date. When they finally retired to Abbey Road with top sound engineer Alan Parsons, state-of-the-art 16-track recording equipment and the new Dolby technology to hand, it was to produce one of the great pieces of studio art. Covering a range of styles, this was the last album (prior to Roger Waters' departure in the early 1980s) to whose writing the other members of Pink Floyd contributed significantly. Nevertheless, it remains a stunningly coherent package, bound together by surreal fragments of speech (mostly gleaned from asking questions of the doorman at the studio) and Waters' bold and bleak lyrics. Often reputed to be about former member Syd Barrett's decline into schizophrenia, in fact Waters has said the lyrics "were a lot about ordinariness" and dealt with people's responses to the increasing insanity of the pressures of everyday life. Some of the extraordinary sound effects used came from the most unlikely sources—the coins at the start of "Money" from Waters tossing handfuls of change into an industrial food-mixer that his wife, a potter, used to mix clay. Whatever the medium, a new standard for attention to detail and production values had been set and the world of studio recording would never be the same again.—James Swift

Queen

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minutewas the first and only album to feature the talents of guitarist Dave Navarro, formerly of Jane's Addiction. A difficult sixth album, especially after the phenomenal success of Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik; in true form, the band beats a p-funk groove, be it bittersweet ballad or abrasive punk. More progressive than their previous offerings, songs like "One Big Mob" and "Warped" blur the fine line between frenetic power-metal and intense psychedelia. At the quieter end of this infinitely coloured spectrum are the signature ballads for which they are so revered and "My Friends" does the job perfectly. One Hot Minutehas got everything a Chili Peppers record should need and then some, as their music grows in all manner of wondrous new directions. —David Trueman

Red Hot Chili Peppers With their second album, Freaky Styley, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were still growing into their oversize funkdafied britches. The polished funk-punk-metal-rap hybrid of later albums was still in its seedling stage here, with the group yet to successfully merge those elements. Still, there's a consistent old-school garage feel. Flea's bass lines, normally in hyperdrive, are clipped and springy, like bare feet hopping on a hot Los Angeles blacktop. Lead singer Anthony Kiedis risks sounding like a parody of the vocal styles he's trying to emulate but commands the songs with every variation of bravado his voice can muster. And finally, the merit of this album could stand solely on the talents of the late guitarist Hillel Slovak, who infuses the tracks with resonating harmonics, psychedelic screeches, and righteous riffs. As disjointed and occasionally amateurish as this album was, it was also groundbreaking and captured the undivided attention of the rock world. —Beth Massa

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Chili Peppers finally hit their stride with Mother's Milk, for the first time making their breakneck mix of funk, rap, and metal smooth enough to attract the masses, while keeping it raw enough not to alienate old fans. They've straddled that edge ever since. It didn't hurt that they offered a pretty mainstream cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" to introduce the album. That single though, and the rest of Mother's Milk(including "Knock Me Down" and the randy "Sexy Mexican Maid") is pure Pepper—from Anthony Kiedis's in-your-face vocals to Flea's chattering bass. Milkwas also guitarist John Frusciante's debut with the group. —Michael Ruby

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers Taken from their mammoth shows in June 2004, Live in Hyde Parkcaptures the Red Hot Chili Peppers at their very best. The scene was set by changeable weather, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown and Chicks on Speed being unfairly jeered off the stage.

Heralded by a tense intro, the funky, fists-in-the-air sound of "Can't Stop" cutting through the ether is one of those moments that make live albums so compelling for those who were there andthose who weren't. The Peppers go on to play through 2 CDs' worth of favourites from By the Wayand Californicationplus newer material such as "Fortune Faded", "Rolling Sly Stone" and "Leverage of Space".

It's difficult to pick highlights, as the level of musicianship from the four was high as ever but unexpected, quirky numbers such as John and Flea's rendition of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" stand out as memorable euphoric moments. Sadly, the only pre-Californicationsongs were old favourites "Under the Bridge" and "Give it Away", both sounding fresh despite being 13 years old.

Live in Hyde Parkis definitely a worthy addition to any record collection. It's amazing that a band in their third decade of success can release theirfull debut live album, but the Chili Peppers prove that they've still got it (now, more than ever) and will be around for a very long time to come. —David Trueman

Red Hot Chili Peppers Four-year career hiatuses followed by sprawling double-albums could spell trouble for a band of the Chili Peppers' stature: consider they'd originally recorded enough for three discs. The restless, trouble-plagued outfit that helped break alternative rock into the mainstream with a potent fusion of punk 'n' funk in the '80s finds itself two decades on almost completely devoid of the former's energetic abandon, while the latter's effusive rhythms are considerably subdued over the course of this two-hour, 28-track collection. It's not so much that the Peppers have lost their muscular, often uber-macho edge as they have willfully tamed it in service of mature reinvention here. The mellower, often introspective, if no less potent pop ethos that characterized the crossover hit "Under the Bridge" blossoms fully here on tracks like disc one's "Snow,""Wet Sand," and the jazz-cool of "Hey."

The title track, "Desecration Smile," and "She Looks To Me" finds them venturing further into laid back pop ballad territory, while the tricky rhythms of "Dani California,""Charlie," and "So Much I" eventually kick into familiar top gear on the pop-savvy "Tell Me Baby" and hip-hop seasoned "Storm in a Teacup." It's not that there's a paucity of musical adventure here ("If" and "Animal Bar" finds them wafting into Floydish neo-psychedelia while "Make You Feel Better" seems to channel no less than Joe Jackson) but that it's delivered with a subtlety—and dare we say it?—tasteful musical restraint that's a stark contrast to the band's early, overly overt nature. There's perhaps too much mid-tempo simmering and reflection going on; like most double-albums it could be focused into a much more compelling single disc. But that seems largely beside the Peppers' hooks-over-histrionics point here: an unlikely record to kick back to, and one that both challenges assumptions and eases the band into middle age with an oft languorous, if undeniably savory groove. —Jerry McCulley

Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall

Dan Simmons

Spineshank

Spineshank For Self-Destructive Pattern, Spineshank have moved on from 2001's The Height of Callousnessand mostly ditched their head-spinning electronics, replacing them with a raft of high-quality vocal melodies sure to make their second album a major hit. The opening "Violent Mood Swings" and "Slavery", both featuring heavy-duty riffing and a shredded grunt of a vocal, lead directly into a frenetic run of top class modern metal, the briefest of gaps between tracks giving the listener no time to catch breath. "Smothered", "Consumed", "Beginning of the End" and "Forgotten" are all misanthropic anthems, bludgeoning but tuneful enough to have you thinking of a hi-octane (and homicidal) Journey.

From here on, it becomes ever more aggressive, with Tommy Decker's occasional thrilling effects buried beneath the noise as singer Jonny Santos's over-riding sense of bitterness and paranoia takes over. This is the album's main problem. Spineshank have it in them to produce serious-minded melodic metal to rival the best of Alice in Chains yet are held back by Santos's tediously blinkered worldview. On Planet Santos everyone is out trick, blame, sedate or ruin him and he's thoroughly peeved about it, so peeved that he allows his lyrics to become a monotonous and graceless diatribe, meaningless to anyone outside his immediate circle. Let's hope it was cathartic, for Spineshank have huge potential. —Dominic Wills

Neal Stephenson

Still Remains

John Swartzwelder A comedy science fiction novel, featuring slow-witted detective Frank Burly. By John Swartzwelder, the author of "The Time Machine Did It", "Double Wonderful", and 59 episodes of The Simpsons.

System Of A Down Those frustrated by metal's alleged role in the dumbing-down of popular music should be forced to listen to Toxicity, the superb second album by System of a Down. Raising the bar for an entire generation of metalheads, Toxicityis an album as clever as it is loud. Weaving together influences as diverse as the dark thrash of Slayer, the ranting political frustration of the Dead Kennedys, the melodic alternative metal of Faith No More and the Eastern European music of their heritage (the four band members all have Armenian roots), this is an album unlike any other—with the possible exception of their own debut. Erratic time changes and staccato riffs are complemented by vocalist Serj Tankian's outstanding voice, which can switch from a high-pitched nasal warble to the darkest of metal growls instantly. Even the songs themselves set System of a Down apart from their nu-metal peers, running the gamut from socio-political themes ("Prison", "Deer Dance") to social observations ("Needles") to cocaine-addled groupies ("Psycho"). And, lest all this seriousness get a bit much, SOAD demonstrate their wittier side on "Bounce", while the three-and-a-half-minute epic "Chop Suey!" is the cleverest metal single heard since Faith No More decided to call it quits. Infact, like FNM's rightly regarded classic Angel Dust, Toxicitymarks a major step forward not just for a band, but for the entire genre of heavy-metal music. —Robert Burrow

System Of A Down

Thelonious Monster

Trivium

Unearth

David Foster Wallace

Joss Whedon

Who My Generation, The Who's first album, has little of the roaring, raging quartet heard on Who's Next, Live at Leedsand Quadrophenia. But the Mod-fuelled, American R&B-inspired sense of ambitious pop that powers A Quick One, Sell Outand even Tommyisn't so hard to find here. This reissue not only expands the original with a bonus-disc treasure trove of 17 outtakes and rarities (including the Pete Townshend-penned, previously unissued "Instant Party Mixture"), but has been remixed from the original 1964-6 session tapes by producer Shel Talmy and released in true stereo for the first time. Anchored by early Who/Townshend anthems "My Generation" (also included in an instrumental version), "I Can't Explain" and "The Kids Are Alright", disc one's original LP set veers somewhat schizophrenically from Townshend's nascent power-guitar thrashing on the anthems and Roger Daltrey's ill-advised James Brown and Bo Diddley impressions on "Please, Please, Please" and "I'm a Man", respectively, to the surf-inspired John Entwistle-Keith Moon instrumental showcase, "The Ox". Not surprisingly, it's the Townshend originals (like "It's Not True", "Legal Matter" and the proto-psychedelic "Circles") that point to what the band would become in a few short years. The bonus material on disc two leans equally heavily on covers, but also contains its share of signposts to the future Who, including a rare, alternate version of "Anyhow, Anyway, Anywhere". Also included is a new booklet with many rare photos and a history of the album's recording by Andy Neill (coauthor of Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958-1978). —Jerry McCulley

Who The success of Who's Nextand its slate of classic-rock tracks has often obscured its true roots—Lifehouse, the unwieldy multi-media project that Pete Townshend originally concocted as the follow-up to Tommy. Variously informed by apocalyptic visions, sci-fi notions of interconnectivity that neatly presaged the Internet and, of course, an unwavering conviction that rock & roll would save the world, the core tracks of the sprawling Lifehousewere recorded, cut, re-recorded and finally boiled down into a collection that seems to represent as much alienation ("Behind Blue Eyes") and overweening cynicism ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as it does liberation and unity. Aside from Townshend's own self-released, multi-disc meditation on the project, this expanded new edition is the most rewarding attempt to place Lifehouseand the over-exposed classic it spawned in their proper context.

Six tracks from the album's original but abandoned New York sessions flesh out the familiar material, with previously unreleased outtakes of "Getting in Tune" and a revealing, early arrangement of "Won't Get Fooled Again" warranting special note. The second disc documents one of Lifehouse's most quixotic elements with the first-time release of one of the series of concerts staged at London's Young Vic theatre during the project's gestation—events during which band and audience would somehow mystically become one. Core tracks from the project are interspersed with typical hard-rocking Who fare of the time, resulting in a show whose focus and dynamics belied something very different from the arena-rock clichés that would eventually overwhelm them. —Jerry McCulley

Who

Who Nearly a quarter-century (and bassist John Entwistle) passed between what had been considered the Who's career-capping album, It's Hardand this 21-song epic, which at its best has the band of two pining for the days of Who's Next. Built from the triumph of the mini-opera Wire & Glass EP(included here in its entirety), Endless Wiremixes metaphors of music, war, and religion, while showcasing Roger Daltrey's ageless vocal cords and Pete Townshend at his windmilling best. Launching with a "Baba O'Riley"-like synth break in "Fragments," Daltrey asks "Are we breathing out or breathing in?" and Townshend answers with a thrashing, crashing Gibson. When the volume is turned up, there are echoes of three decades ago. "It's Not Enough" and "Mike Post Theme" conjure images of Entwistle and Keith Moon—the latter song, with its quiet verse and thunderous chorus, recalls "Going Mobile" and longs for Moon to whack it into shape. But the linchpin remains Townshend's songwriting, whether he's questioning faith ("Man in a Purple Dress"), showing gratitude for support ("You Stand By Me"), or dreaming of entertaining immortals into eternity ("Out on an Endless Wire"). By the time it wraps up, Endless Wiretells two things. No, it does not quite rank with the band's best work. But yes, as long as Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey walk the earth in tandem, the Who live on. —Scott Holter

The Who Anyone who owned the vinyl copy of Live at Leedswill barely recognise its digitised namesake. While the 1970 record offered a mere six selections, the 1995 CD reissue is fleshed out with a full 14 tracks. Revelling in the augmented Leedsprompts one to wonder why in the name of "Heaven and Hell" they didn't put out a double record in the first place. No matter. This Live at Leedsis actually superior to its revered predecessor. The Who are at their Maximum R&Bpeak here, bringing an almost proto-metal aggression to supercharged covers of "Young Man Blues", "Summertime Blues", and "Shakin' All Over" (all from the original record) and treating fans to originals familiar ("I Can't Explain", "My Generation", "Magic Bus") and less known ("Heaven and Hell", "Tattoo", "A Quick One"). An improved-upon classic. —Steven Stolder

Daniel H. Wilson