The first re-release on Picture Disc of the third full-length studio album by legendary Danish Heavy Metal band.
Following the incredible success of his second solo album, and first conceptual undertaking, "Abigail", King Diamond set to work almost immediately on his next extravagant adventure in gothic storytelling with "Them." This time, he inserts himself among the story's characters, which also includes his mother, little sister, a haunted house, and, more unexpectedly, a batty old grandmother whose return from a long stay at the insane asylum (famously announced by "Welcome Home" 's borderline hilarious opening shrieks of "Grandmaaaa!!!") precipitates the supernatural acts of possession, murder, and madness that move this tale forward.
It is the first of two fictional concept albums, the second of these being "Conspiracy".
Also worth noting are the new musical players who had joined the King Diamond band on this outing. After all, the replacement of guitarist Michael Denner and bassist Timi Hansen by Pete Blakk and Hal Patino, respectively, signaled the King's final break with his former band, Mercyful Fate. Tellingly, other than upping the overall camp factor just so, this development had no discernible effect on "Them" 's musical vision as compared to "Abigail", thereby confirming said vision as stemming from King Diamond himself.
Co-songwriter Andy LaRocque once again delivers distinctive, semi-Thrash riffs, majestic harmonies, and searing, inventive solo passages to standout moments like "The Invisible Guests", "Tea", and "Twilight Symphony", but it's small nuances such as the acoustic break in "A Broken Spell" and the oppressive synthesized clavichords heard on "The Accusation Chair" that lend "Them" 's story its satisfyingly complex personality. What's more, overly theatrical numbers like "Mother's Getting Weaker" and "Bye, Bye Missy" take a little more license with their arrangements when incorporating the key words, plot themes, and even distinct character voices necessary to advancing the story line, but usually do so with very little detriment to the musical flow, which is occasionally embellished further by short interludes such as the title cut's symphonic instrumental interlude, and the opening and closing vignettes, "Out from the Asylum" and "Coming Home". As for King Diamond, he takes full advantage of the story's various points of view to try on any number of vocal guises, but overall, he's employing spiraling vocal chorales built upon layers of his instantly recognizable shrill falsettos far more frequently than his lower-register growling style. Ultimately, pundits generally found "Them" just slightly lacking in the face of "Abigail" 's rarely challenged excellence, but consumers ultimately disagreed, buying more copies of "Them" that any other King Diamond album before or after. "Them" has sold over 200,000 copies in North America alone.
Strictly limited to 2000 copies Collector’s Edition 180 gram Picture Disc.
Metal Blade Records, 1988/2018 (3984-25056-1). Made in USA.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Out From the Asylum 1:45
2. Welcome Home 4:36
3. The Invisible Guests 5:05
4. Tea 5:15
5. Mother's Getting Weaker 4:02
Side B
6. Bye, Bye, Missy 5:09
7. A Broken Spell 4:08
8. The Accusation Chair 4:21
9. Them 1:57
10. Twilight Symphony 4:09
11. Coming Home 1:12
The first re-release on Picture Disc of the third full-length studio album by legendary Danish Heavy Metal band.
Following the incredible success of his second solo album, and first conceptual undertaking, "Abigail", King Diamond set to work almost immediately on his next extravagant adve..
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album by the former lead guitarist and vocalist of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. The album featured Anton Fig on drums, which later performed session work on the Kiss albums "Dynasty" and "Unmasked", as well as become a member of Ace Frehley’s band Frehley’s Comet. Fig along with Will Lee, who played bass on three tracks on the album, became permanent members of Paul Shaffer’s band on "Late Night" with David Letterman and "Late Show" with David Letterman.
Of the four Kiss solo albums released simultaneously in 1978, the best of the bunch is guitarist Ace Frehley's. Similar in approach to Paul Stanley's album, Frehley did not stray far from the expected heavy Kiss sound (like Gene Simmons and Peter Criss did with their releases), but Ace was equipped with better compositions than Stanley.
Frehley proved once and for all that he was not simply a backup musician to Kiss head honchos Simmons and Stanley. All of the tracks are strong, such as the venomous opener, "Rip It Out", as well as a few tracks that confirm how Frehley was indulging in alcohol and drugs a bit too much by the late '70s ("Snow Blind", "Ozone", and "Wiped Out"). You'll also find many underrated compositions ("Speedin' Back to My Baby", "What's on Your Mind?", "I'm in Need of Love"), a gorgeous instrumental ("Fractured Mirror"), and the Top 20 hit single "New York Groove". Unfortunately, when Ace left Kiss in 1982 (eventually forming Frehley's Comet), he never came close to topping this solid and inspired 1978 solo outing.
Casablanca/Lilith Ltd., 1978/2006 (LR114LPP). Manufactured in EU. 180g Picture Disc.
Tracklist:
Side One
1. Rip It Out 3:40
2. Speedin' Back To My Baby 3:37
3. Snow Blind 3:55
4. Ozone 4:40
5. What's On Your Mind? 3:27
Side Two
6. New York Groove 3:03
7. I'm In Need Of Love 4:37
8. Wiped-Out 4:13
9. Fractured Mirror 5:26
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album by the former lead guitarist and vocalist of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. The album featured Anton Fig on drums, which late..
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album by the bassist and co-vocalist of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978.
Although he is the bass player in Kiss, Simmons played mainly electric and acoustic guitars on the album, leaving the bass duties to Neil Jason. The album features guest appearances from well-known musicians, including Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Bob Seger, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Donna Summer and Cher. Though unknown at the time, backing vocalist Katey Sagal would go on to a successful television career.
Most Kiss fans associate Gene Simmons with the band's hardest-rocking compositions; after all, he's responsible for such heavies as "Watchin' You", "Calling Dr. Love", "Larger Than Life" and "Goin' Blind". So many Kiss fans must have been surprised when they heard this Gene's diverse solo album, with songs that contained choirs and string arrangements, plus elements of Beatles pop, '70s Funk/Disco and feel-good Rock & Roll. Granted, there are a few heavy rockers (such as the single "Radioactive", "Burning Up With Fever" and "See You in Your Dreams"), but Simmons was always a closet Beatles fan, as evidenced by "See You Tonite", "Always Near You", "Man of 1,000 Faces" and "Mr. Make Believe".
Simmons re-recorded "See You in Your Dreams" because he reportedly was not happy with the way it was recorded on "Rock and Roll Over". The only real misstep is a preposterously embarrassing cover of the Disney classic "When You Wish Upon a Star" (complete with Disney-esque sound effects/music). Simmons said that he covered "When You Wish Upon a Star" because he related to the song and was a fan of Disney movies. But Simmons made sure that the top artists of the day lent a hand (Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Donna Summer, Cher, Bob Seger, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Helen Reddy, and Janis Ian), which makes Gene's solo album an unpredictable yet ultimately enjoyable release.
The album reached #22 on the US Billboard album chart, making it the highest-placing of all the four Kiss solos of 1978. It was certified Platinum on October 2, 1978, having shipped 1000000 copies.
Casablanca/Lilith Ltd., 1978/2006 (LR113LPP). Manufactured in EU. 180g Picture Disc.
Tracklist:
Side One
1. Radioactive 3:51
2. Burning Up With Fever 4:22
3. See You Tonite 2:28
4. Tunnel Of Love 3:53
5. True Confessions 3:30
Side Two
6. Living In Sin 3:51
7. Always Near You / Nowhere To Hide 4:14
8. Man Of 1,000 Faces 3:17
9. Mr. Make Believe 4:02
10. See You In Your Dreams 2:49
11. When You Wish Upon A Star 2:43
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album by the bassist and co-vocalist of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978.
Although he is the bass player in Kiss, Simmons played main..
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album by the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. It is the only album of the four Kiss solo albums to feature all original songs, as Simmons, Criss and Frehley each recorded one cover song on their albums.
Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album was the most Kiss-like of the four, sounding more like an official band release rather than a solo outing. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing - Stanley had become a seasoned Hard Rock songwriter by this point, churning out some of Kiss' best material ("Love Gun", "Detroit Rock City", "I Want You" etc.), and wisely stuck to his winning formula on Paul Stanley. With the help of studio musicians, as well as guitarist Bob Kulick (who was almost an original member of Kiss, and brother of future Kiss replacement guitarist Bruce) and Rod Stewart/Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, Stanley's album is on par with Ace Frehley's as far as consistency is concerned. A couple of epic compositions (by Kiss standards) are highlights: "Tonight You Belong to Me" and "Take Me Away (Together as One)", as are the more straightforward tracks "Ain't Quite Right", "Wouldn't You Like to Know Me?", "It's Alright" and "Goodbye".
While his other Kiss bandmates took more chances with their solo records (with varying results), Stanley's album is more or less what a new Kiss album released in 1978 would have sounded like!
The album reached #40 on the US Billboard album chart. It was generally regarded as the second best of the solo albums, following Frehley's.
Casablanca/Lilith Ltd., 1978/2006 (LR116LPP). Manufactured in EU. 180g Picture Disc.
Tracklist:
Side One
1. Tonight You Belong To Me 4:40
2. Move On 3:11
3. Ain't Quite Right 3:35
4. Wouldn't You Like To Know Me? 3:18
5. Take Me Away (Together As One) 5:34
6. It's Alright 3:34
Side Two
7. Hold Me, Touch Me (Think Of Me When We're Apart) 3:40
8. Love In Chains 3:33
9. Goodbye 4:09
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album by the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. It is the only album of the four Kiss solo albums..
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album the drummer of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. The album was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to produce the Kiss albums "Dynasty" (1979) and "Unmasked" (1980). Criss covered "Tossin' and Turnin'", which was a #1 hit for Bobby Lewis in the U.S. during the summer of 1961. The song was subsequently covered by Kiss on their 1979 tour. Much of the material on the album was originally written in 1971 for Criss's pre-Kiss band Lips.
At the peak of their popularity in 1978, Kiss decided to maximize their sales potential and exploit their loyal audience by having each member release a solo record on the same day. Instead of sending sales through the roof, it had the unexpected effect of stopping their momentum cold. It wasn't because the market was flooded with Kiss product - although it certainly was, since they released nine albums, including two double-live records and a compilation, in the course of four years - it was because the albums were, for the most part, terrible. Peter Criss' effort was one of the most undistinguished of the bunch, lacking hooks on the Pop-Metal rockers or the power ballads, as well as personality throughout. Even Kiss fans will have a hard time making their way through this record, or any of the other solo albums.
The album was the lowest charting of all the Kiss solo albums of 1978, reaching #43 on the US Billboard album chart. Of the four solo albums, "Peter Criss" was the only album to have two singles released from it: "Don't You Let Me Down" and "You Matter to Me".
Casablanca/Lilith Ltd., 1978/2006 (LR115LPP). Manufactured in EU. 180g Picture Disc.
Tracklist:
Side One
1. I'm Gonna Love You 3:19
2. You Matter To Me 3:17
3. Tossin' And Turnin' 4:01
4. Don't You Let Me Down 3:43
5. That's The Kind Of Sugar Papa Likes 3:01
Side Two
6. Easy Thing 3:54
7. Rock Me, Baby 2:53
8. Kiss The Girld Goodbye 2:46
9. Hooked On Rock 'n' Roll 3:37
10. I Can't Stop The Rain 4:26
First re-release on picture disc of the debut full-length solo album the drummer of legendary American Hard Rock/Glam Rock band Kiss.
It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. The album was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to produce the Kiss albums &..
For the first time on Picture Disc, the fifth full-length studio album by American Progressive/Sludge Metal/Hard Rock band.
"The Hunter" is Mastodon's second non-concept album. Moreover, it's marks the first time that drummer Brann Dailor composes and sings a Mastodon song in its entirety ("Creature Lives"), and takes lead vocal duties on more than two songs. Like Mastodon's previous album "Crack The Skye", "The Hunter" features a mix of clean singing and a few songs with harsher shouting vocals.
On "The Hunter", Mastodon abandoned the Proggy, conceptual route taken on previous outings, choosing instead to mine the trailblazing, riff-heavy abandon of their 2004 masterpiece, "Leviathan". Mastodon's increasingly accessible sound may not land them a hit anytime soon, but cuts like “Black Tongue”, “Curl of the Burl” and “Balsteroid”, all of which arrive in sequence at the front of the set, show a willingness to write within the parameters of 21st century Pop music’s dark side. That’s not to say that the band has pulled its head out of the vastness of space, as there are more than enough tracks here to satisfy fans who prefer the Sludgy, drop-D epics of yore to the more organized roar of "The Hunter" 's front end. Fueled by Brãnn Dailor's Jazzy, machine-gun drumming, songs like “Octopus Has No Friends”, “All the Heavy Lifting” and “Bedazzled Fingernails”, despite coming in at under five minutes, are epically arranged, and the surprisingly hummable, bass melody-led swamp monster anthem “Creature Lives” sounds like a Sabbathy, Lovecraftian take on Jane’s Addiction's “Summertime Rolls”. The closest " The Hunter" comes to reaching an apex is on the breathless “Spectrelight”, a relentless three-minute slab of pure unadulterated fury that will probably clock in at around a minute and half live, but it’s an album that doesn’t really need to peak, as it never promises a thing it can’t back up, boldly and loudly.
The song "Spectrelight" features Neurosis vocalist/guitarist Scott Kelly as a guest. Guitarist Bill Kelliher provides lead vocals on the bonus track "Deathbound". "The Hunter" is their first release with producer Mike Elizondo.
In its first week of release in the UK, the album reached number 19 on the UK Albums Chart and position number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart selling over 39000 copies in the first week. As of December 2011, "The Hunter" has sold over 75133 copies in the United States.
Reprise Records/WEA International Inc., 2011/2017 (561701-1). Made in Czech. First press on Picture Disc.
Tracklist:
SIDE A:
1. Black Tongue 3:25
2. Curl Of The Burl 3:38
3. Blasteroid 2:33
4. Stargasm 4:37
5. Octopus Has No Friends 3:46
6. All The Heavy Lifting 4:29
7. The Hunter 5:15
SIDE B:
8. Dry Bone Valley 3:57
9. Thickening 4:28
10. Creature Lives 4:39
11. Spectrelight 3:07
12. Bedazzled Fingernails 3:06
13. The Sparrow 5:30
For the first time on Picture Disc, the fifth full-length studio album by American Progressive/Sludge Metal/Hard Rock band.
"The Hunter" is Mastodon's second non-concept album. Moreover, it's marks the first time that drummer Brann Dailor composes and sings a Mastodon song in its ..
€ 34.90
MEGADETH "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" /Picture LP/
First re-release on Pic-Vinyl of the second full-length studio album by legendary American Thrash Metal band.
One of the most influential Thrash Metal albums of the decade. The first big commercial success of Megadeth, followed by a first world tour.
Arguably Megadeth's strongest effort and a classic of early Thrash, "Peace Sells..." combines a Punkish political awareness with a dark, threatening, typically Heavy Metal world-view, preoccupied with evil, the occult, and the like. The anthemic title track and "Wake Up Dead" are the two major standouts, and there is also a cover of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious", which takes on an air of supernaturally induced paranoia in the album's context. The lines between hell and earth are blurred throughout the album, and the crashing, complex music backs up Dave Mustaine's apocalyptic vision of life as damnation - his limited vocal style is used to great effect, growling and snarling in a barely intelligible fashion under all the complicated guitar work.
This was the last Megadeth album to feature drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland, who were fired shortly after the album was released.
"Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" is highly regarded as a Thrash Metal classic and as an album that gave prominence to Extreme Metal. It has been featured in several publications' best album lists, including Robert Dimery's "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" and Martin Popoff's "Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time".
Vital, necessary Thrash Metal!!
Capitol Records, LLC/Universal International Music B.V., 1986/2014 (0602537976485). Made in Netherlands. 180 Gram Vinyl. Release includes a voucher to download MP3 version of the album.
Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Wake Up Dead 3:40
2. The Conjuring 5:04
3. Peace Sells 4:04
4. Devils Island 5:05
Side B:
5. Good Mourning / Black Friday 6:41
6. Bad Omen 4:05
7. I Ain't Superstitious 2:46
8. My Last Words 4:47
First re-release on Pic-Vinyl of the second full-length studio album by legendary American Thrash Metal band.
One of the most influential Thrash Metal albums of the decade. The first big commercial success of Megadeth, followed by a first world tour.
Arguably Megadeth's strongest effort and a ..
The sixth full-length studio album by legendary American Funk/Soul/Pop singer.
It’s hard to believe now, but when Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" was released in the UK in time for Christmas 1982, there was an initial sense of misfire. In choosing the album's most lacklustre track, "The Girl Is Mine", as its lead single, the postcard delivered was mildly disappointing. The playful duet with Paul McCartney, chosen no doubt to emulate the success McCartney had had earlier the same year with Stevie Wonder on "Ebony And Ivory", was simply not what the listeners were expecting... It reached number eight on the UK chart, and the album sold well, but certainly not in the manner that the man who’d delivered "Off The Wall" should have done.
"Off The Wall" was a massive success, spawning four top ten hits (two of them number ones), but nothing could have prepared Michael Jackson for "Thriller". Nobody could have prepared anybody for the success of "Thriller", since the magnitude of its success was simply unimaginable - an album that sold 40 million copies in its initial chart run, with seven of its nine tracks reaching the Top Ten. This was a record that had something for everybody, building on the basic blueprint of "Off The Wall" by adding harder Funk, Hard Rock, softer ballads, and smoother Soul - expanding the approach to have something for every audience. That alone would have given the album a good shot at a huge audience, but it also arrived precisely when MTV was reaching its ascendancy, and Jackson helped the network by being not just its first superstar, but first black star as much as the network helped him. This all would have made it a success (and its success, in turn, served as a new standard for success), but it stayed on the charts, turning out singles, for nearly two years because it was really, really good!
By the following Christmas, "Thriller" had become the phenomenon it remains to this day. Singles kept dropping off the album like golden fruit from a platinum bough: the precision snap of that snare on UK number one "Billie Jean"; the raucous Eddie Van Halen guitar on "Beat It"; the groove-driven frenzy of "Wanna Be Startin' Something". It became apparent that this was a remarkable, ever-yielding Pop jukebox.
By 1984, the album got an extension on its lifecycle with the John Landis-directed video for "Thriller", which took the album from successful Pop record to cultural icon. Casting the then-clean cut, scandal-free singer as a werewolf in a 15-rated short film was a risk, but one that truly paid off! Soon enough "Thriller" had become a greatest hits package – seven of its nine tracks were issued as singles.
Love it or hate it, "Thriller" is Pop's great, immovable Everest. Marketing departments realised that more and more singles could be pulled from a record to prolong its shelf life, and Michael Jackson became the King of Pop with the whole of the recording industry at his investiture!!
Dedicated to the 60-year date after the Michael Jackson's birthday, 180-gram Picture Disc.
MJJ Productions Inc./Legacy Recordings/Epic Records, 1982/2008/2018 (1907586642111). Made in EU.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Wanna Be Starting' Somethin' 6:02
2. Baby Be Mine 4:20
3. The Girl Is Mine 3:42
4. Thriller 5:57
Side B
5. Beat It 4:17
6. Billie Jean 4:57
7. Human Nature 4:05
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 3:58
9. The Lady In My Life 4:57
The sixth full-length studio album by legendary American Funk/Soul/Pop singer.
It’s hard to believe now, but when Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" was released in the UK in time for Christmas 1982, there was an initial sense of misfire. In choosing the album's most lacklustre ..
The first re-release on Picture Disc of the twelfth full-length studio album, also known as a “Death Or Glory”, by legendary British Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band.
For fans who had been disappointed for earlier Motörhead releases, “Bastards” came as welcome return to the band’s roots in the loudest and hardest-driving kind of Rock’n’Roll.
Into the early 90’s, Motörhead’s influence had spread. Terms like “Speed Metal” were being used to describe not only Motörhead’s own style but also that of other bands playing in a similar vein. Thus “Bastards”, whose tracks are featured here, seemed too many to present to a return to hard-core form. By the time Motörhead began recording “Bastards”, the band was essentially a quartet, consisting in this case of Lemmy, Mikkey Dee, Phil Campbell and Michael Burston, who was known as Würzel.
“Bastards” mixed band’s characteristically angry and intense Hard Rock – songs like “On Your Feet”, “Burner”, “Born To Rise Hell” and “Liar” – with powerful, more acoustic ballads like “Lost In The Ozone” and the thoughtful and painful child-abuse number “Don’t Let Daddy Kiss Me”. Many fans have ranked “Bastards” among the best of Motörhead’s many albums.
In the many years since “Bastards” was released, Lemmy has kept up his relentless approach to touring and recording with various iterations of Motörhead. The tracks offered here provide the fine example of the band’s staying power and commitment to its founding ethos!
Golden Core/ZYX Music, 1993/2007 (GCR 20002-1). Made in Germany. 180 gram vinyl.
Tracklist:
SIDE A
1. On Your Feet Or On Your Knees 2:33
2. Burner 2:52
3. Death Or Glory 4:50
4. I Am The Sword 4:28
5. Born To Raise Hell 4:57
6. Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me 4:05
SIDE B
7. Bad Woman 3:16
8. Liar 4:10
9. Lost In The Ozone 3:26
10. I'm Your Man 3:46
11. We Bring The Shake 3:46
12. Devils 5:59
The first re-release on Picture Disc of the twelfth full-length studio album, also known as a “Death Or Glory”, by legendary British Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band.
For fans who had been disappointed for earlier Motörhead releases, “Bastards” came as welcome return to the b..