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Courtesy of Kung Tunes

Nailbomb - Point Blank - 62:40 -9 - 1992
Nailbomb is a slightly industrialized hard core side project fronted by Max, formally of Sepultura, and Alex of Fudge Tunnel. This pairing makes for an interesting, if not exciting, combo that also features guest players like Andreas (Seps.), and Dino (FF). Overall, this CD doesn't do much in the way of getting you pumped up, but it does pass the time adequately enough. I do find myself bobbing my head on at least two songs, but it's just not quite enough to really hold my interest. The coolest song is a warped medley of Sep/Tunnel songs that unfortunately only last a few seconds.

Napalm Death - Utopia Banished - 39:10 - 1992
There's one big thing that I don't like about Napalm Death, and that's their 1 2, 1 2 flash beat they do so frequently. It totally muffles out the sound and just generally sounds stupid. It's like a commercial you have to wait through until the good stuff comes on again. But, other than that ND is a pretty cool band. They were one of the first to sing in that guttural demon voice that so many bands use these days. Thank goodness too, that ball crunched squealing of the 80's sucked. This CD is not the greatest, but you can tell these guys are on to something good. The lyrics don't integrate well with the music, mostly because the music is so fast.

Napalm Death - Greed Killing - 23:40 - 1995
Oh yeah, Napalm Death comes out fighting on this EP. This is intense stuff featuring two songs from the then unreleased Diatribes CD, plus 5 other songs and a live track. The band show a lot of maturity with more sophisticated arrangements, tighter playing and a refreshing departure from their rhythm staple the flash beat (as mentioned above). I'm not ready sure why they put this out and then released the CD a little later, it would have been a stronger CD if they put the both on one, but that's ok.

Napalm Death - Diatribes - 46:24 - 1995
This review pretty much follows the preceding one as the style is the same; fast and furious, what else would you expect from Napalm Death? Like I said before, their music has matured a lot, but their appeal is still quite simple, raw and often subtle. ND generally keep going at one speed, which can be good on an individual song basis, but in one stretch can get tiring. There is a little bit of variation, (but not much) which I think is holding them back from being a really great band. All and all ND serves up consumable doses of raw adrenaline.

New Order - Power Corruption and Lies - 57:20 - 1983
I don't think I can review this one accurately because it was sort of tangled up in a really heavy transitional period in my life. When I bought it, I was on the never ending search for high tech keyboard bands, so imagine my surprise and lament when I got this whinny guy singing over what basically sounded like endless tracks of banjo music. So, I shelved it for a while. After that, I fell in love, fell out of love, and after about 6 years, realized that I really liked this album. New Order has a strange way of being slightly upbeat as well as depressing.

N.W.A. - Straight Outa Compton - 00:26 - 1997

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral - 65:10 - 1994
I've always asserted that NIN were annoying, pretentious, contrived, and tripe, which is why you see so many trucks with NIN stickers next to their Skoal Bandit sticker. Although this still may be true, fear not, for the CDjunkie will never hold a grudge or not like something because it is or isn't "cool" - good music is good music, and that's it. Mr. Reznor has been exploring the venue of keyboards, noise, and angst for a long time: on The Downward Spiral, it all came together. Nothing beats a well paced CD, and this one is a prime example, from insecure melancholy, to primal rage. Perhaps after Manson's thunder dies down, Trent will see fit to make a follow up.

Nine Inch Nails - Quake - 62:26 - 1997
I thought I'd throw this one in, not only because it is a great game, but also because you can play it on your CD player, and have an hour of really creepy material by Trent Reznor. The mood is very dark, and compliments the game perfectly. You actually get a little case of the willies, when you are up at 2:00 am working your way through the labyrinth, waiting for the next ugly mug to pop out and start ripping at your flesh. The darkness of the music reminds me of Throbbing Gristle a little bit, and is largely composed of deconstructed material off of The Downward Spiral.

Nok - Nok - 19:17 - 1998
Never heard of Nok? That's ok, you will. If there's one thing I've learned here at CDjunkie, it's that just because you suck is no reason to keep you from being rich, and even if you're good that doesn't mean anybody cares. Falling in the later category, Nok is yet another unsigned band, that is unduly left out in the cold. Although I wouldn't worry too much, because they have forged quite a path on their own, and it's only a matter of time before someone throws some money at them. This "home made" (if you can call using Durran Durran's producer home made) EP is far too short, but it offers you a look at Nok's block rockin beat, that scorches out of the gate with a song that you can't seem to turn up loud enough. Vocals kind of sound like a cross between Pantera and Coal Chamber. Nok rocks!

Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care - 35:04 - 1989
On the one hand, I kind of like NA, on the other I kind of don't and I'm not really sure why on any hand. I mean, they play fast and kind of rock, but their just a little too 80's metal. The singer reminds me of Sam Kinnison's body with a little bull terrier head. I guess it's mainly that there's not a lot of originality: nothing really grabs me but their one song that Jessica Hann was in the video for. That song is great, but the rest is just ok and a little annoying in places. Oh yeah, then there's this one song that sounds a lot like "Sadam A Go Go". Coincidence? ....hmmm...

Gary Numan - Replicas / The Plan - 71:45 - 1987 (78/79)
Much like the Tubeway Army / Dance 2on1 CD, this represents the best of two distinct periods in Gary's music. I'm not entirely satisfied with the way they chose to release these CD's, but I am nonetheless extremely grateful that they did. First you've got the Replicas, (which is actually the more recent album) that represents the turning point where his music started to shift from more angry guitar driven music (which you will find on The Plan) into the generally depressing, keyboard heavy sound that would carry out most of his career. Gary was brilliant, and bands like Fear Factory continue to take inspiration from his bleak visions of a technologically oppressive future.

Gary Numan - Tubeway Army / Dance - 72:45 - 1987 (78/81)
Beggars Banquet had an interesting approach in releasing Gary Numan's catalog. They would combine a good album with a not so good album, then cut tracks for space reasons. The good thing is, all the dumped songs show up on a double CD (Exhibition). This CD showcases two distinctly deferent Numan styles. The first is the lesser known "punk" sound he had when he was in the band Tubeway Army. Although he denounced these years as something he did just to get a record contract, it is outstanding material. The second album, is the somber alienated Gary that most of his material reflects.

Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle / Warriors - 74:21 - 1987 (79/83)
I just can't say enough good things about Gary, except when I'm ragging him out for his work past the mid 80's. Somewhere along the way he picked up this reliance on this one keyboard rhythm preset, and this god damn saxophone! But forget all that, lets speak of the genius that's found on TPP. Here you will find the perfect blend of Gary's different periods. His depressing ass lyrics are tempered with wicked keyboard sounds, and up tempo beats (mostly by a human), so you don't get totally sucked into his hole. Also, he is more cynical, so he is isolated, but he doesn't need anyone, whereas later the bitterness turns to loneliness.

Gary Numan - Outland - 43:29 - 1991
Man does this stink. Some people don't know when to say when, and Gary's when was about 5 albums ago. This is like late 80's Janet Jackson with some annoying nasally man singing. I hate to diss on Gary because his early stuff was so good it's kind of sacrilege, but damn, I blew a lot of money hoping the real Gary would reemerge. To quote "Dream Killer"..."you won't like this". On a more recent note, it seems our boy is attempting a comeback, which I hope goes well, because he really meant a lot to me at one stage of my life.

Gary Numan - live dark light - 109:42 - 2001 (94)
Each time I think I have finally broken the uncontrollable need to purchase Numan CD's (that I'm positive he must have programmed in me through his early releases) I find myself with yet another in my possession. I broke down and ordered this one out of a combination of curiosity and the price being right ($8 for a 2 CD set). This live CD is SO POORLY designed it's hard to distinguish it from a bootleg, but luckily the sound is not so bad. All and all, the old boy pulls it off I guess, although it's a little weird hearing this drummer (who is actually GOOD and quite lively) pound away during all these slow depressing songs. If you're an old Numan fan from way back, and you find this ugly CD for cheap, pick it up, it won't leave a bad after-taste like so many of Numan's post Dance albums did.
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