Dimmel's Albums

  Messengers was released in 2007. Track Listing: 1. The Truth of a Liar 2. Up Against the Ropes 3. Back Burner 4. The Blinding Light 5. Composure 6. Vital Signs 7. The Eleventh Hour 8. The Balance 9. Black Sheep 10. An American Dream 11. Redemption Genre: Metalcore A tighter band, a better vocalist and more cohesive song structures.  They took the lessons learned on Thrill Seeker and put out an excellent follow up. Melodic sections, previously only used sporadically become a much larger part of the album and give the songs room to breathe and make this a much more memorable album. Even chug fests like Up Against the Ropes sound better here, and I'm not entirely sure why.  Better production? More consistent structure? It does still suffer from ABR's biggest problem.  Sameness.  When you put on an ABR record you know what you're getting.  They have a formula and rarely deviate.  The riff salad approach is great, but for a whole album it gets a bit tiri...

  A Trick of the Tail was released in 1976 Track Listing: 1. Dance on a Volcano 2. Entangled 3. Squonk 4. Mad Man Moon 5. Robbery, Assault and Battery 6. Ripples... 7. A Trick of the Tail 8. Los Endos Genre: Progressive Rock And now we have the first post-Gabriel album.  This one was critical to the bands continued success because Gabriel had really set himself up to look like the main force in the band. It feels like they set out to prove they can still so everything the band is known for up to this point.  Prog songs like Los Endos, stupid voices like on Robbery, Assault, and Battery, snooze fests like Entangled (and the first half of Mad Moon Man), and wild story telling like on the title track. Oddly Squonk has an almost 80s feel to it.  The guitar tone has an almost synthesizer sound and paired with the driving bass it wouldn't feel out of place alongside some 80s classics. I do miss Gabriel's rougher edged vocals.  He has a raspy quality that he put on di...

Thrill Seeker was released in 2005. Track Listing: 1. Your Little Suburbia Is in Ruins 2. Speech Impediment 3. Endorphins 4. Too Late for Roses 5. Barbarian 6. The Reflective Property 7. A Wish Full of Dreams 8. Consumer 9. A Shot Below the Belt 10. Eve of the End 11. The Seventh Trumpet Genre: Metalcore This album was a record store day pick up.  Its a different vocalist than the rest of their discography, the songs are a little rough but its still a fun ride. McManness (original vocalist) is capable, just doesn't have quite the range as Luhrs.  His vocals are muddy and less understandable than Luhrs.  He left shortly after this album and it made a huge difference. The problem with this album, and really August Burns Red as a hole is their lack of diversity.  Most of their songs are chug-fests with some nice riffs occasionally thrown in.  They're at their best when they give the song room to breathe, like Speech Impediment when the intro ...

  Out of Exile was released in 2005 Track Listing: 1. Your Time Has Come 2. Out of Exile 3. Be Yourself 4. Doesn't Remind Me 5. Drown Me Slowly 6. Heaven's Dead 7. The Worm 8. Man or Animal 9. Yesterday to Tomorrow 10. Dandelion 11. #1 Zero 12. The Curse Genre: Hard Rock After their self titled 3 years prior, Audioslave decided they should make an album that was distinctive from their respective bands previous output.  This one isn't just RATM with Chris Cornell, it actually feels like they worked together to make something new. Cornell's instantly recognizable voice paired with Tom Morello's unique approach to guitar is such a good mix.  Unfortunately, they forgot to write anything interesting to use that combo with. Unfortunately, this album feels a little light on ideas.  Songs like Out of Exile and Heaven's Dead just feel like they go nowhere.  They all follow them same verse/chorus/verse/chorus/solo/outro pattern.  And after 8 or 8 songs Morello's co...

  August Burns Red is a metalcore band that formed in 2003. I don't recall when I first heard about August Burns Red, but I think a friend introduced me to them.  Either way Constellations was my 2009 soundtrack.  I saw them in concert once on the Constellations tour and it was a great show.  Unfortunately though we had to sit through Emmure, what a terrible band. Albums Owned: Thrill Seeker - Vinyl Messengers - CD Constellations - CD Albums Wanted: Leveler (maybe)

Audioslave is a Hard Rock / Post Grunge band that formed in 200.  They're basically Rage Against the Machine with Chris Cornell instead of Zach de la Rocha. Cochise, Show Me How to Live and Like a Stone were constantly on the radio, so of course I bought Out of Exile from a CD club.  That's when I learned all of those songs were on their debut. Whoops. Albums I Own: Out of Exile - CD Albums I Want: Audioslave