20th Century Masters - Platters (The)

Advantages: Flawless Heavy Metal record, technically stunning time signature shifts with occasional classical structuring
Disadvantages: 20 year old production job, could do with a re-mastering

...instruments closing the track. 'Disposable Heroes' - boom. badda, badda, badda, badda, da. da. da. This riff is intense, and furiously paced. It was hand picked by 'Chimaira' to be covered for the 20th Anniversary version of 'Master of Puppets' that was given away freely on cover mount magazine 'Kerrang!'. What a choice from another great band, it lived up to the hype. Now back to the original, and we're on that intro riff, the thing that strikes most is how tight the band have become over the years. There are absolutely no moments in this track where you don't feel amazed; it's that precise right through. At 8 minutes 16 seconds this kind of intense riffing is bewildering, how on earth do they manage to keep the momentum up for so long? It's over one and a half minutes before 'Hetfield' has even begun to stretch his vocal cords "Bodies fill... Read review

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Advantages: The perfect continuation of a popular score with a lot more drama thrown in
Disadvantages: If you never bought into any aspect of the Star Wars saga, then you probably won't like it

...(3:05) 8. Yoda and the Force (4:02) 9. The Duel (4:03) 10. The Battle in the Snow (3:48) 1997 2-CD Special Edition CD 1 1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (0:21) 2. Main Title/Ice Planet Hoth** (8:08) 3. The Wampa's Lair/Vision of Obi-Wan*/Snowspeeders Take Flight (8:48) 4. The Imperial Probe*/Aboard the Executor* (4:24) 5. The Battle of Hoth (14:48) 6. The Asteroid Field (4:15) 7. Arrival on Dagobah** (4:52) 8. Luke's Nocturnal Visitor (2:35) 9. Han Solo and the Princess (3:26) 10. Jedi Master Revealed/Mynock Cave** (5:44) 11. The Training of a Jedi Knight**/The Magic Tree (5:15) CD 2 1. Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) (3:02) 2. Yoda's Theme (3:29) 3. Attacking a Star Destroyer (3:04) 4. Yoda and the Force (4:02) 5. Imperial Starfleet Employed*/City in the Clouds (6:03) 6. Lando's Palace (3:53) 7. Betrayal... Read review

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Advantages: Differing styles, beautiful lyrics, haunting melodies, something for everyone.
Disadvantages: Why did "Certainty of Chance" only get to 42 in the charts?

...with "Generation Sex", which I'm adamant will one day be studied in school to show kids what life was like at the end of the 20th century, and continuing apace with the fabulous "Thrillseeker" (think squirrels chasing nuts, and Connery hanging from high places; why Neil Hannon hasn't been asked to write a Bond theme I will never know), before dropping down to familiar stringed pace with the beautiful "Commuter Love." You know that really pretty girl you see every morning when you wait for the train, the one who always has her nose in a book, and a beautiful smile? The one you keep trying to talk to but never can? Well so does Neil Hannon. Track 4 is the rousing "Sweden" full of pomp and ceremony. By the way, never get into an argument based on this song, because Henrik Ibsen is actually from Norway. Oh well, I suppose if the lyrics work... passing... Read review

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