2008 reissue of the 1986 album, Master of Puppets by Metallica which was ranked eighth on the list of the biggest selling groups in history, and one of the most influential bands in music. Metallica proved its metal with this groundbreaking album and it was hailed as a masterpiece by critics far outside Heavy Metal's core audience. Master Of Puppets sold over half a million copies at its time of release without any major video/radio airplay, making it the band s first record to be certified Gold by the RIAA. It was the last album the band recorded with bass player Cliff Burton before his death later that year.

17 of the greatest from Germany's premier mainstream metal group, including hits, live tracks and rarities. Spanning their entire career, it includes smashes like 'Rock You Like A Hurricane', 'Wind Of Change', 'Rhythm Of Love' & 'No One Like You', plus the CD debut of 'Another Piece Of Meat' from their album 'World Wide Live', the previously unreleased 'Love Is Blind' and more! All tracks were digitally remastered in 1999 (except 'Wind Of Change' & 'Send Me An Angel', which is their original & not a cover of Real Life's 1986 hit). 1999 release.

-review by drjeep

Rammstein is one of those bands you either love or hate. They've had their share of success thanks to a few hit singles and became notorious after being cited in the Columbine High School murders. On their 3rd album (not counting the excellent Live Aus Berlin) they avoid potentially controversial lyrics and sing about bunnies and fairies instead. OK, maybe not...

For those of you who's German isn't up to scratch, Mutter is German for Mother, but we'll get back to that later. Lyrically Mutter is a step up from Rammstein's previous efforts. I mention this because they've been criticized for writing "silly" lyrics in the past, mostly by people who translate it directly and view it out of context. The production on Mutter can only be described as huge. Take the pounding bass lines and grinding guitars, throw in some strings and keys here and there and mix it with industrial rhythms and you'll pretty much understand what Mutter is about.

The album starts with the haunting intro to Mein Herz Brennt (My Heart Burns) and builds up to the track's explosive chorus. The next track Links 2-3-4 (German army chant for marching) contains everything down to the marching footsteps and war sirens in the background. Sonne (Sun) is my favorite track on the album and also has one of the coolest music videos I've ever seen, even by Rammstein standards. The title track Mutter is another personal favorite. The lyrics are dark and almost disturbing, but it makes for one of the best tracks on the album.

Spieluhr is a haunting song about a music box and the perfect example of why Rammstein's lyrics are sometimes misinterpreted. It's filled with expressions and cultural references you can't possibly understand if you don't know German culture. Zwitter is one of two sexually-themed songs on the album (I'll leave it up to the reader to find out who or what a zwitter is) and plays out with the coolest guitar riff on the entire album. The last track Nebel, is a sad but very cool ballad in the vein of Seemann.

Basically, Rammstein fans won't be disappointed with this, their best album to date. It's a great album to mosh to, but if you have some time I dare you to look a little deeper into the lyrics. A definate thumbs-up.

Artist: Eluveitie
Country of origin:Switzerland
Location:Zurich
Genre: Folk Metal / Melodic Death Metal
Lyrical themes:Celtic/Helvetian History

来自俄罗斯的交响黑金属乐队，发行于2009年的EP。
MA：

Japanese pressing of the 2007 album from Trent Reznor and friends. This is Part One of a two-part concept album set some 15 years in the future and is a vision of that future, a cautionary tale of a world we could be living in if current world events stay on the path we are set on. 16 tracks including the first single 'Survivalism'. Universal.

2002 debut album for Finnish melodic metal band influenced by Stratovarius & Gamma Ray. 12 tracks including, 'Memories Of Time', 'Fallen Star' & 'Heart's Desire'. Spinefarm.Phduk.2006

Japanese only SHM pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Universal. 2009.

Haggard于1991年成立于慕尼黑。吉它手Asis是乐队的核心，1994年发表了一张MCD，并
在Amorphis的巡回演唱会作暖场表演。在这期间，Asis一直在探讨如何加入更多的古典
元素，其结果就是他不断找来越来越多的提琴手、钢琴手、女高音以及其它古典乐器演
奏者丰富Haggard的音乐风格。到了1997年发表首张概念专辑"and thou shalt trust…
the seer"的时候，乐队已经拥有了16名正式成员，真是不厌其烦啊。这张专辑以法国著
名的预言家Michael Nostradamus（诺查丹玛斯）的生平与著作为主要内容，在音乐风格
上也显得古风盎然，钢琴、提琴等古典乐器与吉它、鼓等金属乐器错落有致，其间并无
主次之分，同时大量运用了唱诗班、圣咏、歌剧女高音等人声因素，与男声低音、念白
以及黑死唱腔结合起来，构成了非常独特的魅力，引人入胜，使人时而仿佛置身于中古
世纪的繁华市集，时而又在冷峻阴森的教堂中漫步，充满了深邃神秘的氛围感。
2000年发表的"Awaking the Centuries"是上一张专辑的延伸，此时的时间是在1546年左
右，Nostradamus的第一任妻子与孩子都去世了，这也正是Nostradamus开始撰写《诸世
纪》的时候，专辑的名字即来自于此。在本张专辑中，Haggard把它善于整合不同风格的
音乐元素的特长发挥到极致，团员已达到20人，同时还邀请了3位guest乐手、5位口白及
9人的歌剧唱诗班，真可谓宏大之极。
专辑是以改编的Rachmaninov唱诗开始，于是时光倒流，我们仿佛置身于中世纪法国那泥
泞的城镇中，紧跟着的"Pestilencia"（瘟疫）则充满了歌剧的张力，尤其是女声的嘶叫
"c\'est la peste"（这是瘟疫！）更是让人透不过气来。第三首"Heavenly Damnation"
是前卫金属网站长评为的超级爱歌，我们来听听他的评价："以强劲的弦乐、大键琴对弹
开场，紧接带出男女唱诗班大合唱，soprano的一阵拉高后，death腔也随后喷出，精彩
的弦乐、oboe、单簧管对奏，伴随强力双大鼓接续登场，death腔、声乐腔大合唱，弦乐
、长笛、oboe、大键琴、双大鼓，真的是有够美啊！"
我最喜欢的则是第6首"awaking the centuries"，开场是以小提琴与双簧管等乐器的协
奏为引子，接着转向欢快的旋律，在这美妙的奏鸣中，吉它与双大鼓悄然现身，带来一
阵震撼性的气息，似乎在预示Nostradamus眼中所看到数百年后的战火。在忧愁的女声吟
唱"Awaking the centuries"过后，一段凄美的旋律引出了Asis的黑暗唱腔，在两位女高
音的伴唱之下，旋律转向激昂，似乎在倾吐Nostradamus内心的不安--恐怖的景象不断叠
现，而那参破生死的平静则更显得无奈。
本首歌曲直接引用了大段Nostradamus《诸世纪》的原文，诸如：
"When I open my eyes
I see soldiers in the fields
Dead bodies on the ground
There are children inbetween
Explosions shock the land
And the evil shows its face
The one called Hister rises
This is the fall of grace..."
令人听后，如有阵阵寒意袭背。
总的来说，本专辑唱念俱佳，不仅充满了浓厚的古欧洲气息，氛围感十足，同时旋律优
美，编配合理，除了时间太短以外（38分钟），几乎挑不出什么毛病，无疑是张"五星级
"的专辑。

暗夜妖娆-著名交响挪威哥特女主唱乐队海妖乐队09新专。早期海妖还是以一种旋死的姿态出道，直到Henriette Bordvik的加入，让这个死亡乐队破茧成蝶，新专辑充分展现了乐队磨练了近十年的实力，优美的交响乐加上原本就有的金属技术，让海妖在09年足足再火了一次！当然，现在的海妖听起来更显得向商业低头，但这不能影响海妖的魅力与实力！
Sirenia从2001年开始制作了四张专辑：第一张《At Sixes And Sevens》于2001年的11月份录制完成，2002年发行。当时Veland和Napalm Records取得了联系，并且和Terje Refsnes合作，在Sound Suite Studios灌制这张大碟《At Sixes And Sevens》。这张完全由Morten个人所包办创作的首张专辑，大约花费6个月的时间才录制完成所有的曲目。期间他吸收了好朋友Kristian Gundersen作为同伴。Gundersen担任结他手和部分的男声演唱。最后来自同乡的键盘手Hans Henrik Varland也加入了SIRENIA。唱片中的女声由仙音法裔歌手Fabienne Gondamin演绎（当时Henriette Bordvik还没有加入啊，同时一个法国的唱诗班也加入了这张专辑的制作）。她美丽的声音给乐队的音乐带来了更多的亮点。曾经在Tristania 、The Scarr和The Sins Of Thy Beloved专辑中现身的小提琴手Pete Johansen也在乐手阵容之中，他独特的小提琴声充满了丰富的情感和古典主义的美感。
2004年，Sirenia发行了相当出色的专辑——《An Elixir For Existence》！让Henriette Bordvik来担任女声完全就是超明智的选择，她那种轻盈飘逸的感觉，每次她的声音出现在歌曲都给人一种点缀的感觉，甚至让人有一种为了她的声音愿意去等待整首歌的冲动。同样是第一张专辑的那个法国唱诗班来担任后面的美声，但是人数却多于上次，这样的扩大人数似乎也很有效的扩大了乐队的气势。强有力的吉他和鼓声夹杂着悠扬的小提琴声（由Anne Verdot担任），小提琴的出现似乎缓解着急促的吉他声，在这样缓解之后再次出现一次又一次的高潮，这样的安排似乎都快成为Sirenia的固有特色了。而Sirenia的键盘的安排也决不输于其他乐器，同样也喜欢以两种极端的方式出现。急促时给人一种“大珠小珠落玉盘”的感觉。当舒缓下来，还是那么轻盈，如同蜻蜓点水。就是这样大量的变化，才使这个乐队如此具有吸引力。然后Sirenia经历了一个小的过渡，于2005年发表了一张MCD：《Sirenian Shores》，风格仍旧突出！后来，在众多歌迷的期待下最新专辑《Nine Destinies And A Downfall》问世了，这张专辑会带给我们怎样的全新感受呢？歌迷们自己去体会吧

残阳如血，一棵孤独的大树站立在山坡上，似乎在等着觅食的鸟儿归巢。这就是Nightwish的上一张唱片Angels Fall First的封套。
凭借新"改良"过的作品，97年7月，Nightwish同Spinefarm公司签定了两张专辑的合同。9月，乐队在Spinefarm旗下录制了4首新歌。加上以前的一些作品，首张专辑Angels Fall First于1997 年10月在芬兰发行；1998年3月，在全欧洲发行。专辑中弥漫着浓厚的歌特气息。来自其中的单曲The Carpenter在芬兰排行榜上位列第8，对于一支新乐队来说，这是一个很好的开端。

到12月7日,乐队至今最成功的专辑《Oceanborn》发布了.它登上了专辑榜第五名,其中单曲《Sacrament of Wilderness》成功的坐上了单曲榜的头把交椅。Nightwish开始全国巡演,等到99年春天,《Oceanborn》在海外成功发行。乐队在欧洲特别是德国极受欢迎,所有作品全部热卖,他们开始参加大型音乐节并进行欧洲巡演了。
专辑在密不透风的紧凑氛围下，穿插了两三首柔和的短曲，舒服得令人暂时忘记了重金属的压抑。这时，长笛，钢琴等便表露无遗，让人觉得像走进了鸟语花香地世外桃源一般。我最喜欢的是他们翻唱的名曲“Walking In The Air”，赋予歌曲以金属的霸气同时，不失歌曲原来的婉转。既有“飞流之下”的气势，也有“绕梁三日”的魅力。值得一提的还有几首男女对唱的曲目，感觉上形式有些像Lacrimosa，同样是低沉的男声配上非常悦耳的女声，或者说更像Rammstein与Stoa同台演出，因为这些曲子既带有Rammstein钢铁般的铿锵，也蕴含了Stoa的歌剧与新古典色彩。
出版于1998年的专辑《Oceanborn》可以说是延续了第一张作品的全部优点。Tarja那仿歌剧唱腔更加激进，而且吉它和键盘中更加入了许多北欧黑金属的演奏手法,整张专辑十分猛烈，所有快板作品在扫射般的Metal riff与喷火的键盘音符推动下叫人热血沸腾。不多的男女双主唱作品如《Deval&the deep dark ocean》等作品中都有一种有别于其它所谓女声Gothic metal组合的独特气质。键盘这次没有过多的音色变化,全是激进的快板旋律.只在《Swanheart》和《Walking in the air》这专辑里仅有的两首抒情慢歌中变幻出一份柔情。尤其令人称道的是，Nightwish乐队的歌词很多写得不错，这在众多摇滚乐队当中是很难得的。
总的说来，Nightwish这张经典之作带来的是一场重金属的极速之旅，偶尔的一两首慢歌，也只不过是紧张刺激之余适当的调剂罢了。无怪乎很多人同意Nightwish的Oceanborn是1998年最佳的重金属专辑之一。