Added 6-24-05

Today we hear from Phil Sgrosso guitarist of As I Lay Dying as well as our first staff list, this week we get Hobo's Top Five. 

Phil Sgrosso's Top Five Albums of All Time!

5.  AFI - Sing the Sorrow
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4.  Lamb of God - As The Palaces Burn
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3.  At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
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2.  Tie: Muse - Absolution & Origin of Symmetry
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1.  Iron Maiden – Powerslave
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About Phil Sgrosso (As I Lay Dying) : As I Lay Dying's new album "Shadows Are Security" hit stores last week (June 14th, 2005) and debuted at #35 on the Billboard Top 200! The band has their hometown CD release party on Sat night at Soma in San Diego (6-24) and then they will be part of this summer's Ozzfest!  So be sure to check out the new CD and see them on tour this summer. 

For more on As I Lay Dying 
Official Website for As I Lay Dying 
Preview and purchase As I Lay Dying music
 

We'll be rolling out Top Five lists from our staff as well as from the rock stars. We kick things off with Hobo's Top Five list. 

Hobo's Top Five Albums!

5.  Terrifyer - Pig Destroyer
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4.  Jane Doe - Converge
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3.  Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
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2.  Reign In Blood - Slayer
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1.  Outlaw Anthems - Blood for Blood
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Special Mentions: 
Dahmer - Macabre
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One With the Underdogs - Terror 
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Crowned In Terror - The Crown
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About Hobo: When Hobo isn't violently stamping out bad music you'll find him hard at work bringing the world underground metal at it's finest at Grindhead Records in his native Australia. 

For more on Hobo 

Official Website for Grindhead Records
Read Hobo's Rants 
Don't miss Hobo's new series "Hell Awaits" where he tells us about the best underground metal on the scene

James "JY" Young (Styx)'s Top Five Albums of All Time!

5.  Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger - Bo Diddley: The first vinyl LP I ever purchased; I am to this day learning by revisiting this record.  How many thousands of people have been influenced by the Bo Diddley-beat and those amazing maracas?
(samples / buy cd)

4.  Highway To Hell – AC/DC:  Adolescent rebellion is at the core of all rock music. These guys led the heavy metal convoy to the place we're all probably destined to go.
(samples / buy cd)

3. The Inner Mounting Flame - Mahavishnu Orchestra:  Another group of individuals, who I thought initially were from another planet, who applied classical and jazz virtuosity with rock instrumentation and a sprinkling of Eastern philosophy. 
(samples / buy cd)

2.  Aqualung - Jethro Tull: This is an album that combines classical elements with rock guitar and the incredible intelligence, insightful, and unapologetic irreverence for all things created by man.
(samples / buy cd)

1.  Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix: Hendrix combined the African American blues experience with the psychedelic trends emanating from the Timothy Leary-maharishi spirit permeating Britain.  Here's this man from another galaxy and this is the album that changed it all... for me.
(samples / buy cd)

About Styx: The timing for this special couldn't have been better to include JY as Styx just released "Big Bang Theory," an album that features covers of some of their favorite songs. The band is currently touring Europe to support the album and will return to the states early next month to kick off their North American tour. 

For more on Styx 

Official Website for Styx
Preview and purchase Styx music

Dizzy Reed of Guns N' Roses's Top Five Albums of All Time!

5.  Best of Mountain - Mountain: Don't like to include best of records but all my friends had this one when we were kids learning about rock and roll. There would be no Metal at all without this band.
(samples / buy cd)

4.  Rocks - Aerosmith:  One of the first records I ever bought. If you look at the sound levels compared to records that came out before this one, this one is when things suddenly started to get loud. Rock song writing at it's best.
(samples / buy cd)

3. One More For the Road - Lynyrd Skynyrd:  The best live album ever by the hardest working band of that era or possibly any era, except for the band I'm in. And the best pure rock blues piano player ever.
(samples / buy cd)

2.  Machine Head - Deep Purple: They heard "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain on the radio. They thought about giving up 'cause they didn't think they could top that. They wrote this record instead. 'Nough said. 
(samples / buy cd)

1.  Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones: I would have included every Stones record from the 70's but that would have been retarded. This is my favorite record by my favorite band. It's magic. If you don't get it, listen to the other stuff they were doing around that time (Sticky Fingers, It's Only Rock and Roll, Goats Head Soup, etc.) then go back and listen to this.  If you don't get it then, then you are retarded.
(samples / buy cd)
 

About Dizzy Reed: What's cool about Dizzy is that he takes every opportunity to showcase his favorite music and influences. When he's not working with GNR he's playing shows with his band Hookers N Blow which features a set of rock classics (many included in his list above). It's a great time so if you get the chance to see him, definitely do so! They tour regularly. You can also catchy Dizzy most Thursday nights at the Cat Club in Hollywood playing with The Starf**kers, an all-star jam headed by Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom and Dizzy's old bandmate Gilby Clark.  They bust out the classics too and you never know who will show up to jam with them!  Finally, if you're in the LA area comedown to The Joint (on pico) tonight (June 22, 2005) for a birthday bash for Dizzy! 

For more on Dizzy Reed 

Official Website for Dizzy Reed
Preview and purchase Dizzy Reed's music
 

Now we go from the world of rock into the world of Hip-Hop with Chino XL's list. Chino's latest project is Back 2 Basics by Sway And King Tech. 

6.  Back 2 Basics - Sway And King Tech: showcases usually heavy lyric artists in a more song structured manner...every song is tight...
(samples / buy cd)

5.  Homogenic - Bjork:  I loved the mixture of drum and base, hip hop, live orchestration and her concepts and vocal pitch.  I also saw on the news some footage of an insane fan who killed himself to one of the songs on there, which is kinda fresh!! 
(samples / buy cd)

4.   I won't write number four because I am superstitious so I will go up to number six being that I am a fair guy :)

3. All Mobb Deep Albums:  Make me wanna break shit...
(samples / buy cd)

2.  Muddy Waters - Redman: Makes me wanna beat the shit out of people 
(samples / buy cd)

1.  Back 2 Basics - Sway And King Tech: Sway And King Tech - because I'm on like 5 songs and that is what I'm currently promoting. 
(samples / buy cd)
 

About Chino XL: Chino is known as the king of metaphors and one listen to his two solo CDs you'll know why. As Chino said in his list he's currently promoting Back 2 Basics by Sway And King Tech (The Wakeup Show). 

For more on Chino XL:
Official Website for Chino XL
Preview and purchase Back 2 Basics featuring Chino XL and check out Chino's solo CDs