Slash
APOCALYPIC LOVE
(Best Buy Collector's Edition)

Make no mistake, I'm a Slash fan.  The guy writes and plays music I like, and he has proven it in multiple bands.  While I'm sure it's more the record company's decision than the band's, this is the third version of this release that I've purchased.  There was the original, then the "deluxe" with two bonus tracks, and now the Best Buy Exclusive Collector's Edition with a bonus acoustic show and a live DVD.  Seriously, is the industry hurting so bad that they have to fuck the hardcore fans into purchasing the same music three times?  Apparently so.

Ektomorf
BLACK FLAG

Without question, Ektomorf's last two albums, BLACK FLAG and THE ACOUSTIC, are the one-two punch of disappointment that makes me really hate when bands forget what made them good in the first place.  To be clear, I'm well aware that this is a band that's never been big and never will be, but every decade I tend to latch onto a few bands that never make it big but just kick my ass each and every time out.  Bands like Skinlab and Stuck Mojo have filled that void previously for me, and up until recently, Ektomorf was one of those acts.  They were my favorite Soulfly sounding band that filled the rare void between Cavalera albums.  THE ACOUSTIC was a disastrous mistake in my opinion, as Ektomorf is just one of those bands that you don't want to hear play acoustically.  Back to being heavy with BLACK FLAG, it's apparent there weren't a lot of fresh ideas this time around.

Aerosmith
MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION

I think I waited just long enough to review this album.  My initial reaction to MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION was one of absolute hatred.  Once again, as Aerosmith has done for me every single time since PUMP, they claimed their album to be something that it just didn't live up to.  This time, it was six months of claims that they were returning to their roots and writing a new ROCKS or TOYS IN THE ATTIC.  What they delivered was, once again, a lot closer to GET A GRIP or NINE LIVES.  It was certainly disappointing, as Aerosmith is much like Metallica in my book - a band who's music I actually WANT to like, but far too often don't.

Machine Head
MACHINE FUCKING HEAD LIVE

Machine Head is one of the most intense live metal acts out there today. To me, they have filled the void that was vacated by Pantera's demise and the softening of Metallica as a live act. While this band is the single most plagued band on the planet healthwise, when they do hit the stage they are as intense an experience as you can ever witness. Additionally, they have a catalog that has a lot of brilliance in it, and for the most part they pull primarily from the better stuff when they take to the live stage.

Kid Rock
REBEL SOUL

You know, I regularly get my ass kicked by readers and friends for claiming that Kid Rock is the most talented, and best artist out there today that's making music. That's fine. I know that as primarily a metalhead, I'm supposed to loathe what Kid Rock stands for. Let's face it, he did make his mark as a rapper, and then sold that out to do what he actually wanted to do, which was make primarily rock music. I guess I see that. I also guess I don't care. I thought he was really good as a rapper. I think he's better as a modern day classic rock artist. The one thing that's never changed with Kid Rock has been his attitude. He's done whatever he wanted from day 1, and he's made it big in spite of the expectations that people in the industry throw on him. Every album now comes with a heavy dose of "fuck you" combined with a side order of "you don't know shit" that he happily throws in the face of an industry that's hellbent on defining trends instead of listening to fans and their desires. Thank God for Kid Rock.