The Scrounger's Report

Nov. 10, 1999

What? *Another* spending binge?

I spent enough money on CDs yesterday, right? Wrong.

Today's paycheck was a "no-deduction" paycheck (happens
twice a year...enjoy it when it happens :), and it just
happened to dovetail nicely with the local mom & pop
CD store's 30th Anniversary Sale: 20% off all regularly
priced merchandise. Time to gamble on a few discs and
stuff. Most of their stuff is $15.99, so I don't gamble
often, but at $12.79 things become a little more palatable.

I haven't listened to any of these yet, so fire away...

[most of this is metal stuff, so my apologies to those
on lists where it's off-topic]

I at least was smart enough to not open any of the discs
until I got home and had a chance to search the web for
sample audio tracks first, in case any of the gambles were
gross mistakes. A good thing too...

Going back tomorrow:

In Extremo - Weckt die Toten. 1998/99. Metal Blade Records.
   I was sucked in by the sticker on the front: "IN EXTREMO
   are all minstrels, vagabonds, or outlaws. They interpret
   old minstrel tunes. Some of the lyrics are over 1000 years
   old. The latest one was written in the 15th century, the
   others between the 8th and 14th century. The musicians all
   play a variety of instruments, like it was usual in the
   middle age... The acoustic instruments like pipes, shawms,
   flutes, and trumpets are all made by the musicians by hand."

   Egads! I only found 1 audio sample on the web, and while it
   does have some curiosity value, the execution is pretty bad.
   I think I'll get the new Metal Church in its place...

Keepers:

Kip Winger - Down Incognito. 1999. Deadline Records.
   The reports thus far on this one have been good, as opposed
   to the Mike Tramp effort.....we'll see.

White Skull - Tales From the North. 1999. Nuclear Blast. 
   The cover art is what caught my attention....

Kenziner - Timescape. 1998. Leviathan Records.
   I'd seen this one sitting there for a while, and in all honesty
   it annoyed me. Why? It has that "look" of power or prog metal,
   but I never felt like gambling. No one ever bought it and it
   nagged at me every [CENSORED] time I saw it. This time I
   angrily snagged it. Produced by David T. Chastain.

Various Artists - A Tribute to Accept. 1999. Nuclear Blast.
   I took one look at the list of performers on this and
   pounced:

   Sinner - Balls to the Wall
   Hammerfall (with Udo Dirkschneider) - Head Over Heels
   Tankard - Son of a Bitch
   Steel Prophet - Fast as a Shark
   Sodom - I'm a Rebel
   Primal Fear - Breaker
   Atrocity - Shake Your Heads
   Axxis - Flash Rockin Man
   Grave Digger - Starlight
   Seven Witches - Monsterman
   Therion - The King
   Tarot - Generation Clash
   Metalium - Burning
   Pegazus - Restless and Wild
   Watchtower - Run If You Can
   Rykers - London Leatherboys
   New Eden - China Lady
   Sacred Steel - Fight It Back
   Dimmu Borgir - Metal Heart

   19 tracks....you get your money's worth on this one....

Hammerfall - The First Crusade (VHS). 1999. Nuclear Blast.
   I never thought I'd find this sitting in a local store.
   81 minutes of Power Metal, here I come!

Time to bang the head...

-Dan