Alice's first album in a new decade the 2010's, Welcome 2 My Nightmare is diverse if anything. It's not exactly a straightforward sequel to the original Welcome To My Nightmare (1975). It has some rockers as usual, country elements on "I'll Bit Your Face Off", Techno/Pop on "What Baby Wants" and even sees Alice Cooper rapping on the hard to describe "Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever". In the context of another Nightmare album this somehow all makes sense and it makes for a fun album. For Welcome 2 My Nightmare Alice reunites with producer Bob Ezrin and even brings back members of the Alice Cooper Band (Michael Bruce, Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway on "I'll Bit Your Face Off", "When Hell Comes Home" and "A Runnaway Train". Those tracks sound a little more like the 1970's sound found on Welcome To My Nightmare all those years ago. Steve Hunter also contributes on "Something To Remember Me By", "When Hell Comes Home" and "What Baby Wants").

"I Am Made of You" is a soft ballad with excellent lyrics, I quite like this one. Here Alice makes use of a vocoder which adds a certain modern sounding effect to his voice (not it's not autotune). To be honest I would've preferred Alice to sing in his normal voice on this one but I still like the song with the effect and all but I don't think it was necessary. Cafeine is a great more upbeat song, a full-on rocker and a catchy tune. "The Nightmare Returns" is sort a prelude to it all, it has the haunting piano piece from the original nightmare. "Last Man On Earth" is hard to describe it has almost a slow 1940's big band soun. Totally unexpected this great song has a fantastic feel, some excellent lyrics from Alice and the musicians on this track are fantastic! "I'll Bite Your Face Off" has a country riff and feel to it. There's definitely some country inspired guitar work here and mixed with Alice's angry delivery it works. I like the piano breakdown, a nice touch. "Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever" is one of the craziest songa Cooper has ever recorded. He raps the lyrics in many parts of the song for one, and the weird disco beat and accompanying voices. Yet towards the end it goes into full-on rock mode with some fast playing and solos. All this contributes in making this the odd song on W2MN. "Ghouls Gone Wild" is reminiscent of 1960's surfer music, very upbeat as well, not my favorite but not bad either a fun track. "Something To Remember Me By" is the album's second ballad; Alice's voice is touching and very effective on this one. "The guitar-piano combination on "When Hells Comes Home" contributes in setting a creepy mood. And the lyrics are twisted and fun ("Daddy likes to drink when daddy drives...", "I'm just so tired of being scared"), one of my favorite songs on the album and reminiscent of his 70's work. "What Baby Wants" features Pop singer Ke$ha. Yes, I know what you're thinking I wasn't so sure of this at first but I reserved judgment until I heard the song. It's very modern Techno/Pop and while I'm not a fan of this music I actually enjoy this song. With repeated listening I think this is one of the best songs on W2MN, it's enjoyable. "I Gotta Get Outta Here" also has a Country feel to it because of the guitars yet it's still unmistakably Alice and it has a nice chorus. "The Underture" is an amazing instrumental that shifts beats and moods often, it's unpredictable. It puts together very well parts of the original nightmare with this new nightmare, I love this one.

I got to give credit to Alice, he did what he wanted on this album with whoever he wanted (Ke$ha, Bob Ezrin, members of the Alice Cooper Band) and although I don't like everything he did on this album I respect him for trying. Welcome 2 My Nightmare is not experimental in the same way the earlier AC records are but here Alice tries Country, Techno/Pop, uses a vocoder etc. so there are some experiments on this album. This Alice Cooper quote from the Amazon.com editorial review pretty much sums it all: "I like people that don't belong and yet what they're doing works perfectly. I don't care where it comes from, as long as it's right. If you tell me something doesn't work, I'll work my head off until it does then shove it down your throat."

Interesting enough there are several bonus tracks on different versions of the album. The Itunes and Vinyl versions both have an extra track (even the standard edition is credited as having a bonus song). The deluxe edition has three bonus songs the Classic Rock Magazine Fan Pack has two extra songs as well. It's a little hard to keep up. I would've liked a version with a second CD with all the bonus tracks that would it much easier and less expensive for collectors like me.

Welcome 2 My Nightmare is not a straightforward sequel to the original but it stands on its own as a good, diverse Alice Cooper album. The more I listen to it the more I can appreciate the album and its diversity. Not my favorite Alice Cooper album but I think he delivered once more a solid album and an entertaining one at that. With all the collaborations, style experiments and the dark humor sprinkled on it, I think Welcome 2 My Nightmare is a very good album. Perhaps not 5 star material but a great album in this reviewer's opinion. The nightmare is just as real 36 years later. 4/5

Every year EA makes a few additions to the gameplay although it has basically been kept the same as NHL 11. They have found a successful formula in keeping the best of the old and adding a few new things. This year we now have the helmet coming off, hitting a player to send him in the bench area, contacts with the goalie (you can hit the goalie, he can hit you), goalie fights which is really cool, shattered glass and the nets can be moved more easily. EA Sports claim there is a better physical engine and I have to say they're right. This is especially true when playing Be a Pro/Legend where you can notice some improvements when it comes to control, hitting other players and shooting. EA have always been about realism and this year it's a little better than the last. However it doesn't "look" any different from what I've experienced it's very much the same graphics. The one big change is in Be a Pro when it comes to gameplay. Now unlike previous titles you can't spend 45 minutes on the ice. Before you could play pretty much as long as you wanted by pressing the B button and taking another player's place on the Ice. Instead of doing that you "simulate" until your next shift on the ice. Now the amount of play your player gets depends on the line you're on.Basically the big new thing in NHL 12 is that you can now play as select legends in whatever team you want. Say what you will playing as those legends is a cool option that should've been available before this year, I'm glad this addition was made.

The Be a Pro mode now offers the possibility of developing in the CHL before being drafted to the NHL which is a nice option and enhance realism factor. Plus there are all time records you can beat which makes it all the more challenging. As far as I know NHL 12 also marks the first time you can play as a female in Be a Pro. Also you much more choices for the player faces this time around. Be a Legend is basically like Be a Pro where you take the role of a legend and earn career achievements. It's a fun addition to be able to play as legends and its one thing I've wanted EA to add to the franchise for years. The legends you can play as are Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Chris Chelios , Gordie Howe, Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy, Jeremy Roenick and Borj Salming . You each have to unlock them except Roenick which is already playable and each of those legends have a degree you need to reach ex: Legend, Legend 2, Pro and so on while in Be a Pro. As far as I can tell, Be a GM has not changed much they basically kept it the same as the previous edition. There aren't any GM or Coach option that weren't available in NHL 11. The 2011 Winter Classic match between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins is also playable and you also have the option of playing with the two teams you chose. It's a fun novelty, you play in a snowy environment that looks nice (and the arena/crowd area looks great) but otherwise I don't its one I will play too often, except maybe to show some friends.

Due to recent changes in the NHL the Atlanta Trashers aren't part of this game and the Winnipeg Jets have been added. I noticed that you have the classic Jets jersey but not the new logo, instead you a plain NHL jersey. You can bet that EA Sports will put them in the game as a form of downloadable content sometime soon (hopefully).

If you thought that NHL 12 would see a whole new gameplay, and major changes it's obviously not happening. Maybe for a future title but this is basically the same as the previous edition with a few changes and things added to it. It does what it sets out to do which is improving on the last one and I think it did just that. I particularly like the legends (an all legends team anyone?) and the fact that Be a Pro offers up to four years in the CHL before being drafted. If you like the new additions I listed and being able to play as legends appeals to you NHL 12 is a great buy, if not you may be just fine with one of the past editions but for the fans who buy those yearly editions each year will want to play it. I won't say it's the best or my favorite title in the series but NHL 12 is a good game overall that will please hockey fans. 4/5

Twisted Sister's third effort, 1984's Stay Hungry is famous for being home to the band's two biggest hits namely "I Wanna Rock" and "Were Not Gonna Take It". Those two songs are classics yes, but one would be foolish to overlook Stay Hungry thinking only those two songs are worth the price of admission. Truth is I think they're not even the album's best songs but they are catchy (and MTV heavily rotating the videos for those songs helped Twisted Sister gain popularity) and still played today on the radio and in sporting events. I have to give credit to Dee and the guys; there is not a bad song on Stay Hungry and even the album's only ballad "The Price" rocks. Twisted Sister were heavier in their pre-MTV hits days with their first album Under The Blade but Stay Hungry has teeth and isn't what one would call a "soft" record. 20 years after this album's release, 2004 saw the band re-recording Stay Hungry in its entirety but in my opinion the original is still where its at.

"Stay Hungry" the title track is a heavy rocker that starts off the album with a bang, it's heavier than one would expect for Twisted Sister and there is nothing wrong with that. Next up we have the popular single "We're Not Gonna Take It", a strong youthful anthem on rebellion that I'm sure you've heard before or perhaps are familiar with. Perhaps a bit overplayed but still a great song on a topic that never gets old, pure Rock'N'Roll. This song also had a very memorable video. I must admit the first time I heard "Burn In Hell" it shocked me. I bought Stay Hungry thinking it was going to be full of anthems like "We're Not Gonna Take It", I was impressed at the sheer heaviness of this song. I think the breakdown part in which Dee sings "Hear no evil/don't you see no evil/ don't you lay no evil down on me..." is brilliant. A highlight of Stay Hungry for me is "Horror-Teria (The Beginning): A) Captain Howdy B) Street Justice". Yes it's a complicated title that doesn't seem to make sense at first but it doesn't matter because it's a one two punch of two songs in one the first being Captain Howdy which then goes in Street Justice. It is also the longest song on the album at 7:43. "I Wanna Rock" was the other popular song from this album and it has appeal to every Rockers out there, this is all about the desire of Rocking out, what's more Metal than that? Its catchy, edgy and it makes you want to rock, what's not to like? "The Beast" is a slow heavy track that's very effective, rocking and catchy. "S.M.F." which stands for "Sick Mother ...(I can't say the rest so you figure it out)" concludes the album, not bad but to me its overshadowed by the other tracks. Besides "The Price" and the two hit singles I believe the rest of Stay Hungry is fairly heavy for its time and probably a little heavier than the uninitiated would expect Twisted Sister to be. It's definitely an 80's album but it's not overproduced soft or full of keyboard, it has aggression and edge. This is a METAL record.

2009 marked the 25th anniversary edition of Stay Hungry saw the original remastered and adds a second disc devoted to material such as unreleased songs and demos. It even includes a new song "30". It's great to have a full disc devoted to unreleased material, but a lot of this material is under 3 minutes and a good part is even under two minutes. The extra material makes for a worthwhile reissue; fans of Twisted Sister might want to re-purchase this album just for disc 2.

Twister Sister has the misfortune of being labeled a "Glam" or "Hair" Metal band quite often, but their fans know better. Yes their songs are catchy and the band did venture a little more in Glam/Hair Metal later on with albums like Love Is For Suckers but TS is generally a heavier band and a bit closer to Hard-Rock/Metal both in attitude and music. At least Dee Snider knew he looked ridiculous in his stage outfits. Some will even go as far as saying the band's lyrical content was immature and so on but in their defense a lot of bands at that time in the 80's were doing worse. TS was all about standing up for what you believe in and having fun (and good songs!), if that's immature then sign me up. TS Stay Hungry represents the band's commercial peak, maybe not their absolute best but still quite memorable. This is essential to any Twisted Sister fan and would of course make a perfect entry point for a new fan. A classic album, good all the way through and very recommended! 5/5.

I know, I know. You're thinking this is the band that made The Final Countdown. In reality few people know that Europe existed before or even beyond The Final Countdown. It's as if they were frozen in time to 1986/87. As the band proves with their first album, Europe (1983), early Europe was much more aggressive and heavier overall going for more of a Metal sound on their debut album (think Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with some Scorpions thrown in it). The band's self-titled album shows a very different Europe, there aren't any keyboards here, Joey Tempest's voice is less forced and more much natural and not overproduced. Plus it's a relentless guitar attack, there are some killer riffs and solos that I think a lot of Metalheads could enjoy. Certainly not the Europe most remember, they were much more successful during The Final Countdown/ Out of This World era during the late 80's. I believe they would have much more credibility among hardcore metal devotees if they continued to release albums like this. It's probably not a 'classic' album but I consider it somewhat of gem because it's actually a well-kept secret and tends to be unfairly overlooked. It doesn't have much in common with The Final Countdown except that three band members are the same as that lineup.

The story behind this album and ultimately Europe's career is quite interesting. The band competed in a sort of 'battle of the bands' competition in Sweden when they were known as Force and earned the first place. Their prize was a deal with a record label. The result is the band's very first album; they headed to the studio and quickly changed their name. Europe doesn't sound commercial or doesn't give any sings that it was heavily produced. The band co-produced the album and did most of the work themselves and the result is stunning. Not a masterpiece but quite impressive considering their young age and the fact that English isn't even their first language.

'In The Future To Come' came as quite a surprise to me. The first song from the first Europe album, I expect something softer and then comes in this amazing heavy song out of nowhere (they're from Sweden actually)! 'Farewell' is an edgy rocker that has a youthful spirit (Don't know where I'm going/ So long/Farewell/ I Gotta Go) that cannot be replicated by older bands. Nice chorus, catchy without being pop or repetitive and Norum's solo is terrific. Tempest tells a story here and doesn't focus on choruses or 'Oh ooohhs!'. It's a wonderful display of youthful aggression and opens the album with a bang. 'Boyazont' is a neat instrumental, displaying John Norum's talents on guitar. He was latter overshadowed by keyboard and almost barely audible and I'm only slightly exaggerating here. 'Seven Door Hotel' starts all soft with a piano leading the listener incorrectly in thinking that it's going to be a soft song. WRONG! It soon kicks into fast and heavy gears and quickly becomes what I consider to be the highlight of the album. 'Children of this Time' has some excellent lyrics and has a galloping beat not unlike Iron Maiden, solid track. The closest thing to a ballad here is 'Words of Wisdom' which is a slower and more melodic track. This track features the 'Oh oohs!' that Tempest would later be famous for. 'The King Will Return' is another slower song, not one of the album's best tracks but still quite good. 'Paradise Bay' is full on rock and roll, catchy as well and concludes the album just as well as 'In The Future To Come' started it.

It would be interesting to put this album on and have someone guessing which band's album it is. Unless it's a hardcore Europe fan, chances are this person won't be able to tell or guess accurately. One could even compare it to Def Leppard, another European band who gained a lot of success in the 1980's. Their first album, 1980's On Through The Night sounds almost nothing like the popular Def Leppard material. It's much heavier and shows their influences. That's why I find it interesting, it's different and miles away from the sound of the commercially successful Europe.

If you thought The Final Countdown was too pop or commercial and prefer Hard-Rock/Metal this is more likely to suit you. If you're into metal do yourself a favor and grab Europe's debut album, it's much heavier than one would expect and it's an overlooked album that deserves more recognition. Europe's Europe isn't overproduced or filled with keyboards. It's much more raw and honest. I like myself some Final Countdown as well, after all it was my introduction to Europe like many others but this and its excellent follow up, Wings of Tomorrow (1984), is totally different and in a good way. 4.5/5.

Seriously who hasn't heard the song 'The Final Countdown'? It's such a memorable track (well for some) and it is still at sporting events around the world, on the radio and was a musical phenomenon around 1986-87. Originally released in 1986, Europe's breakthrough The Final Countdown was reissued in 2001 with new liner notes and three extra live tracks as a bonus. Besides the iconic title track, The Final Countdown had four other singles in the hard rocking 'Rock The Night', the melodic 'Cherokee', the power ballad 'Carrie' and the excellent album closer 'Love Chaser'. This is Europe at the height of their fame, they did some good albums before but their commercial success reached peak with The Final Countdown. Europe's earlier albums, the self-titled Europe (1983) and Wings of Tomorrow (1984) were both heavier and were more guitar oriented albums. The band somewhat reinvented themselves with The Final Countdown going for catchy pop-like melodies, less aggressive and guitar oriented work and instead feature more keyboard and more friendly image. Sort of a departure musically but for the most part this idea worked very well for Europe and you have to admit they had come memorable tunes and epic keyboards to say the least.

The biggest hit and most popular song from this album is obviously the title track, many people buying this album are doing so just because of this track. It remains Europe's best known song and I cannot imagine without going to see this band live without them performing this track. The fantastic keyboards are what most people remember, such a catchy melody that stays in your head. Some people are tired of this song, some hate it but it reminds of a certain time in a good way. 'Rock The Night' is an excellent more upbeat rock song and perhaps my favorite song on The Final Countdown. It's a fun youthful anthem, very enjoyable Glam-Rock. 'Carrie' is a power ballad done right, Joey Tempest's voice here is powerful and sounds excellent. I really like this ballad, it's emotional, majestic and there's just something about it that reaches me, not quite sure what it is though. 'Cherokee' grabs you from the first keyboard melody and never lets you go. It's one of the best songs on TFC, listen to that chorus! 'Love Chaser' is probably my least favorite out of the singles but it manages to close in nice fashion. I quite like the vocal harmonies of this one. As it turns out the singles released from TFC really are the best tracks of the album unlike some albums that have some truly underrated songs. The other songs are enjoyable to a certain degree like 'Heart of Stone' that has certain likeability to it but for some reason I've never been able to get into 'Danger on the Track' too pop for me and too repetitive. 'Ninja' is probably my favorite out of the non-singles track; it features some nice guitar playing and a nice solo.

The three bonus live tracks are a nice addition, I would've love on the other to have heard some demos or alternate versions like what the title track or 'Rock The Night' initially sounded like. That would've been cool but any extras are nice although I would not recommend re-purchasing JUST for those live tracks. It's cool to hear The Final Countdown live, it's a good version from the Final Countdown tour and it works well although it doesn't quite have the effect of the studio version. 'Carrie' is probably the best out of the live tracks; it's very powerful live and has an effect on the crowd. Tempest's voice is just as good live as on the studio version and it carries the song. 'Danger on the Track' is the third and last live track but I won't comment on it since I'm not really a fan of this song.On a side note got to give props to the keyboardist, Mic Michaeli, for some work that's nothing short of epic. Joey Tempest in my opinion has one of the best voices in this genre and the rhythm section of bassist John Leven and drummer Ian Haugland. John Norum is a good guitarist and provides some good guitar playing and solo but is generally overshadowed by the keyboards on this album (he was unhappy with the direction the band took with this album and left soon after, he eventually came back).

It's definitely a product of its time: catchy choruses, plenty of keyboards and nice melodies. It's what would often be called Glam/Hair/Pop- Metal or simply 80's metal. This is the Europe people generally remember. If you're looking for heavier types of Rock/Metal or if you simply don't like Glam and keyboards I would say stay away from this album, this is not what you're looking for. But if you like fun catchy 80's rock, with good melody and clear vocals I would recommend Europe. The Final Countdown is always a good starting point for new fans; it has the hits and popular songs and may very well be all the Europe you will ever need. If one wants to look further Europe also has some other good albums, I like their early work very much and their following albums 'Out of This World' and 'Prisoners in Paradise'. Even their more recent albums such as 'Start From The Dark' and 'Last Look At Eden' have some good music on them. If you're into this type of music Europe will be a good addition to your collection, if not avoid! I'm not sure I could say it's their best album for sure but its surely the most popular and is regarded as the definitive Europe album after all. I know a lot of people like to hate on this music or laugh/make fun of it but I actually like Europe. 4/5 stars.

Europe was riding high after 1986's The Final Countdown which was a very successful album for this band from Sweden. Following a hit album is never easy and chances are that you can never quite replicate yourself. Out of This World doesn't try to be another Final Countdown, Europe does not try to reproduce their hits in a poor manner, it goes further down the pop route and goes for a softer image overall (after it worked extremely well with The Final Countdown). If you don't like Glam/Hair bands with catchy choruses, hooks and keyboard then you won't like Europe. Some people would consider those bands and Europe "guilty pleasures" but I actually like this style of playing. Europe know how to craft a catchy pop-rock song, they can write and they don't sing just only about sex, drugs and Rock'N'Roll which makes them somewhat stand out from other bands (plus I think out of all the 80's bands they had by far the best and most prominent keyboards). They write genuinely great songs that are undeniably catchy and they're good musicians.

"Superstitious" opens the album in nice fashion; it's one of Europe's most popular songs. The album's first single is catchy, melodic and so unmistakably Europe. "Open Your Heart" was first released on the 1984 album "Wings of Tomorrow" and was also a single from that album. It's essentially a more polished sounding version of the 1984 (even if that was one was very pop to begin with, one verse is different), Joey Tempest's vocals sound better on here but the original song rocks a little more and features a better solo. I like both versions but I heard the Out of This World version first so I tend to lean towards this one a little more. It's a highlight of the album and one of my favorite Europe songs, the acoustic opening is fantastic. "More Than Meets The Eye" sounds like it could have been on The Final Countdown, it's a great up-tempo song that's fun and catchy and has a great solo courtesy of Ken Marcello. I love the "Sign of the Times" is I feel an underrated song and is possibly my favorite song here. The keyboard on this song are exceptionally epic and haunting, they provide great ambiance and along with Tempest's powerful voice contribute in making this a great song. What makes "Just The Beginning" work for me are the soft acoustic guitar parts mixed with the melodic keyboards because they blend so well together. "Never Say Die" is a more upbeat track and is very rooted in the 80's with its "Ah Oh Oh" chorus. "Let The Good Times Rock" and "Ready Or Not" are the most guitar oriented songs on the album. "Let The Good Times Rock" is the heavier of the two and was released as a single. "Ready Or Not" has aggressive guitars but they are not the focus here although it's a good song and I would consider it the better of the two. I feel that "Lights and Shadows" and "Tower's Calling" are nothing special, too generic and only take up space but that's only my opinion. I feel like they could have been better songs but something is missing somehow. The album ends on a much more positive note with the beautiful piano ballad "Tomorrow" in which Tempest plays piano and delivers a heartfelt vocal performance.

Guitarist Ken Marcello replaces John Norum who departed in late 1986 not satisfied with band becoming more commercial. Marcello does an excellent job and even though he only played on more Europe album (the other being 1991's Prisoners in Paradise) his playing is solid and constant throughout Out of This World. There are parts where he is overshadowed by the keyboard but he plays some surprisingly neat solos and has some noticeable acoustic parts on "Open Your Heart" and "Just The Beginning". Europe is known for their use of keyboards since The Final Countdown. Mic Michaeli is amazing on keyboards and he proves himself once again here with some fantastic keyboard work. They are often the highlights of Europe's songs and certain passages really stand out. The keyboard sound of Europe is very present and is just as important as the guitars it turns out. Joey Tempest was always one of my favorite singers of the 1980's era and his voice is clear, powerful, distinctive and touching at times. Nothing has changed there. Bassist John Leven and drummer Ian Haugland form a tight rhythm section but are ultimately overshadowed by the rest of the band.

One could make the argument that the band used to play more guitar-oriented material and were heavier in their early days. This is true as Europe went towards a pop direction that so many bands took at that time but they did better than almost anybody. Even if some of their songs are too pop for my liking I will admit they are well crafted pop songs. It could also be said that The Final Countdown was a bit more rocking than this one even if it went for a pop/glam sound. Truth is Out of This World is a soft Glam/Hair Metal album that relies mostly on its (excellent) ballads and softer songs, there are no real heavy or hard-rocking sounds, and this album is really a product of its time which is what it should be enjoyed for. That's the biggest problem on Out of This World, its perhaps a bit too soft and full of ballads but it doesn't rock as hard as Europe's previous offerings.

Out of This World proved that there was still an audience for Europe and despite not being as successful or as good as The Final Countdown (it still managed to earn Platinum status in the U.S.) is still a good album and a worthy follow up. For many The Final Countdown is still THE ultimate Europe album but that doesn't mean Out of This World doesn't have its share of good moments. I personally feel this follow up is a little weaker but it also has some of the band's best and most underrated songs. It rocks a little less than the band's previous album and goes for an even more melodics style of music and it has its fair share of ballads. If you like melodic metal or previously enjoyed Europe I suspect you will find many of the songs on OoTS enjoyable. 3.5/5 stars, an enjoyable yet softer album. Worth it if you're a fan of this type of music, Europe or 1980's ballads.

I liked Alice's work in the past decade; the 00's were really a good and productive period for him in which he released some strong material in my opinion. Some fans have mixed opinion on this album and other just plain hate it, it certainly tends to get a certain reaction from fans. I can't say it's awful, at the very least Along Came A Spider is much more true to the Alice Cooper of old and more consistent overall than most of his 1980's work. Obviously not the best AC album or even the better or more consistent album of this past decade, Along Came A Spider is purely Alice in a way that only he could deliver it. It's not 'Classic' Alice Cooper material like 'Love It To Death', 'Killer' or 'Billion Dollar Babies' but it's a good modern album from the man who inspired so many musicians and performers. It has modern flair but is still unmistakably Alice. It's also a concept album about a serial killer named Spider who takes a leg off each his victims in order to form a human spider. Spider falls in love with his eight victim which complicates things as you would expect. Dark, twisted and sick just like his fans like it. Very Alice Cooper-like indeed.

'I Know Where You Live' starts with a prologue which explains the concept of the album a little. A women's voice tell us that 'they found his diary today'. From then on you're taken into the concept of the album. It's a strong rocker that starts off the album nicely. 'Vengeance Is Mine' features some crunchy guitar work courtesy of Slash and has very modern feel/production to it. It has a nice breakdown, great effects and memorable, probably the best part. 'Wake The Dead' is one of the most fun moments of ACAS. It has a modern feel to it which isn't bad and a good mindless chorus (Shake my head/Wake the dead) that ends up being pretty catchy. Ozzy makes an appearance on this song and plays harmonica. '(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side' is one of the most effective tracks here; it stands out from the rest. Solid build-up the the chorus and a highly effective chorus, very catchy. 'Wrapped In Silk' to me is one of the highlights here, it's aggressive and has some excellent lyrics (notice the tambourine used by the drummer, it . The song is about some fantasies the killer has (You should be wrapped in silk/you should be bathed in wine/I'll make that dream come true tonight), brilliant and twisted, just like the Alice I know and love. My favorite song on this album. 'Killed By Love' is good sentimental ballad that shows very emotional vocals from Alice, I love the sound of his voice here particularly in the beginning it has a nice effect added to it. However it doesn't really fit the rest of the album or its concept, it's more like a side ballad. 'I'm Hungry' is a bit blank and the chorus is slightly too repetitive, not the best song here but nice solo and overall guitar work. 'The One That Got Away' is exactly that, a song about the one who got away. I particularly love the spoken interaction in the track between Alice and one of his targets. 'Salvation' is one of the best songs of the album, no silly lyrics on this one. Instead the lyrics on this one makes the listener think, it's a softer song but it's a powerful one. Interesting enough there is even a part in which Alice makes a reference to his Christian faith.

The 2010 reissued version of Along Came A Spider offers three extras tracks: 'Shadow of Yourself', 'I'll Still Be There' and a different version of 'Salvation'. It's great to have bonus songs but if you already own the original album I wouldn't say that the 2010 edition is worth purchasing just for those songs however. I'm not a huge fan of those bonus tracks actually and they rarely get a listen. The best out of the extra tracks to me is the alternate version of 'Salvation' which features very effective orchestration, is acoustic, and the piano on this version is more prominent and the song sounds epic and majestic.

Not Alice's best album and probably not the best album he released in the past decade but it has moments of brilliance and is a fun album. Along Came A Spider is not to every Alice Cooper fan's liking but if you've ever been a fan chances are you'll find at the very least some of the songs to your liking. I can't say it's an amazing album but it's not awful either, it has a modern feel to it which is good at times and less effective at others. I like the concept of it and there are some very good songs that makes the album worth hearing. To me Along Came A Spider earns 3.5/5 stars; not the best album of Alice's lengthy career of course, but not the worst either. I like ACAS, I think it's worth a listen.

Taking its name from the popular Aerosmith song, Stephen Davis' Walk This Way is official, uncensored and by far the most revealing book on "America's greatest rock and roll band". Walk This Way covers most if not all of what fan should look for in an autobiography of a band like Aerosmith. From the band' formative years, early albums and tours to more recent events (keep in mind the book was originally released in). It's there and covered in great details by the band and witnesses. The band is brutally honest here and says things as they are, if a band member wasn't happy with how things were going or if a certain person in their entourage got on the nerves, you'll know. Of course Joe Perry and Steven Tyler are the ones who receive the most attention but the truth is everybody in the band has a say and all five members get to share with the fans.

Walk This Way reads as a magazine-style interview, there are names next to each lines/paragraph any individual says but in a way it's much more pleasant to read and a lot more entertaining than reading a simple interview. The story is told mostly by Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, Brad Withford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer, the five men who together make Aerosmith. No other could tell the story like the band itself. It was also interesting to read what crew members, producers, managers, record company people and other involved with Aerosmith who are in the music industry or not had to say about their experiences with the band. Reading what the wives and ex-wives had to say was entertaining as well.

The book begins with Aerosmith reminiscing about telling Steven Tyler he needs to go in rehab. Steven insists he's fine at first but breaks down and admits he is in need of help. Then the book changes its focus (there will time for rehab stories latter on don't worry) and chronicles Aerosmith's lengthy career. In its first few chapters Walk This Way sees the band members talking about their childhood and what it was like, the pre-Aerosmith bands and the foundation of the band in pretty much linear fashion.

Aerosmith tells us all about the recording of their albums and the creative process behind writing songs, recording and performing. I've always been interested in the writing process and especially recording and I liked how the recording experience of each album was discussed in details and how the events surrounding that experience are described. It seems nothing was overlooked in Walk This Way; good, bad or ugly it's all in this book. There are great stories like how Steven was kicked out of a restaurant because of the rags he was wearing only to have the restaurant owner run up to him to excuse his staff and invite him back in. Or how Aerosmith was almost on the plane that killed members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Or the time Steven almost had himself and the band killed. Or...You get the point.

It's easy to think of the band as legends today and they have plenty of radio staples but there was a time when Aerosmith wasn't so hot. Joe Perry left the band in 1979 and went on to form the Joe Perry Project, Brad Withford left the band a little later in 1981 and Aerosmith continued doing their thing with different musicians. Each member of the band struggled at one point or another during a certain period in the early to mid 1980's. Aerosmith went from being one of the biggest bands in the world in the mid-late 70's to almost nothing. As fate would have it the band reunited and released what was supposed to be their comeback album, 1985's Done With Mirrors. It wasn't until Permanent Vacation (1987) and Pump (1989) that the band would really get the ball rolling again. They were able to reinvent themselves to a new generation and became more successful than they ever were. It's also around the late 1980's that they famously found sobriety when they cleaned up their act. Aerosmith made it through the ups and down and are still around today performing and is living the dream, reading all about this is a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Walk This Way the book would be an excellent read for the devoted fan and is the best book available on Aerosmith be assured(Joey Kramer and Steven Tyler also released books). For some the excess will be too much to handle, therefore Aerosmith's bio is not for everyone but those who are fascinated or even slightly interested should give it a try. It's a page turner that's very hard to put down you just want to keep on reading which is not necessarily a bad thing. It ranks up there with Stephen Davis' Hammer of the Gods, his acclaimed book on Led Zeppelin as one of the finest biographies on Rock musicians. Being passionate about this type of music I'm an avid reader of biographies on Rock musicians and I can tell you that it doesn't get much better than Walk This Way. It earns the highest rating, 5/5 stars. As I previously said, no one can tell Aerosmith's story quite like the band itself. It's entertaining, funny, sad, shocking and oh! so fascinating. I can't recommend this enough to fans of the band, even those who don't know much about the band could find this to be an intriguing and interesting read.

Nearly three years after Bark At The Moon Ozzy returned with The Ultimate Sin. Since the last album things have changed, it is now 1986 and hair metal now dominates. Ozzy followed the current and released a hair metal album. This album helped him reach some commercial success (Shot In The Dark). The Ultimate Sin was quite different from his three previous albums and is pretty strong for the time it was released considering most bands were playing poppy songs and were doing anything to get a hit. It's certainly not his best album I'll tell you right now, and Ozzy himself hates the album, but is it really that bad?

It's Ozzy so of course it's a little heavier than your average hair metal band. I think the title track is a good example of that. The title track is a classic and doesn't give any sign about this album being a hair metal one. It is truly one of Ozzy's classics and I think most fans will agree with me on that one, the beginning's heavy drums with that crunchy guitar riff is memorable. The next song Secret Looser is another heavy track that's catchy and in some ways reflects all of us, one of the best songs on the album. Never Know Why sounds more like hair metal than the previous two songs, different I quite like it. Thank God for the Bomb on the other hand is my least favorite song and I just don't get it. Never is much better and the chorus is great, not great but a good song.

Lightning Strikes is a good song and get you in, another great song. Up next is what I can describe as perhaps my favourite Ozzy song ever; Killer of Giants. The song is much talked about and it just has to be heard to know what fans are talking about. It starts slowly with some great guitar work by Lee and just gets better from there. It's an epic song with fantastic guitar work and Ozzy delivers an inspiring performance singing this song. Fool Like You is a great song I can't say much more, it's a great song. Shot In The Dark is another classic and unfortunately it's the only song Ozzy acknowledges from The Ultimate Sin (he prefers the live version from "Just Say Ozzy"). It was a huge hit in the 80s and is one of his best songs.

The Ultimate Sin would be the last album with guitarist Jake E. Lee, Lee did a very good job at replacing Randy Rhoads and proved on his work with Ozzy to be a very good and creative guitar player. The album is clearly a hair metal album but it's good at what it is and rocks. I believe it is an underrated album as besides Shot In The Dark, Ozzy refuses to acknowledge the album. In fact it didn't even get a remaster, it was just ignored. It has some classic songs and is worth listening. It's just too bad that the album is so underrated and sometimes skipped when you look at Ozzy's career. I give it 3.5 stars.

After two albums Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman, Ozzy's guitarist Randy Rhoads died in a tragic plane crash. Following the death of Randy, Ozzy was left in shock after all its hard to believe when it's someone close to you. The thing is that even after the record company gave him some time to mourn Randy, a week after his funeral he was back to doing music. Randy's replacement would be the short-lived Brad Gillis, and despite being good his only work with Ozzy would be 1982's Speak Of The Devil a live album featuring only Black Sabbath material. That's when guitarist Jake E. Lee stepped in. Lee had been around for some time playing in bands like Ratt and others and was given a big chance with Ozzy. In 1983 Bark At The Moon was released, it would be different from the first two due to Randy's death and Jake's arrival.

The album starts with the classic title track, perhaps his creepiest song. This song is one of my favourites in Ozzy's career and probably my favourite on the album too. A dark and heavy track featuring great guitar work by Lee. The video for this song was awesome! You're no different to me follows; it's my favourite song besides the title. Ozzy sounds inspired and it features some superb lyrics. Now You See It (Now You Don't) is a nice rocker with a catchy chorus. Rock N' Roll Rebel is Ozzy addressing the ones who claim he is satanic; "they say I worship the devil, they must stupid or blind, I'm just a Rock n' Roll rebel". Once again great guitar by Lee and Ozzy delivers his message.

Centre Of Eternity starts with some church chant that sounds very creepy and then kicks into the song. It's fast paced and energetic, one of the best of the album. So Tired reminds me of Goodbye To Romance from Blizzard, it's a decent ballad but not his best it doesn't really mean anything. Slow Down is another favourite, crunchy guitar work, catchy song and the keyboards despite sounding too 80s really add something extra to the song. Waiting For Darkness is a great emotional song, truly an underrated song. Spider is my least favourite song of the album, it just get anywhere and is not nearly as good as the rest of the album. The bonus song One Up The B Side is pretty good for an unreleased song and is worth hearing.

The bad thing on this remaster is that it is not the original album. It is in fact a remix of the album with some things sounding louder or just different, the keyboards in "You're No Different To Me" are sounding louder than they were on the original is a pretty good example of this. At least this time Ozzy didn't erase band member's contributions as he did for the remaster of his first two albums. It is still not the original, and there's no excuse this time, no court cases or anything at all, he just wanted to remix it. There's a saying that goes "If it ain't broken don't fix it" and I think Ozzy obviously never heard that one. Try to get the original and not this remaster. A good thing about the remasters however is that you get expended liner notes from Ozzy which are worth reading and really interesting. The fact you get an unreleased song is pretty cool too.

Lee is not remembered as much as Rhoads is, but the albums he did with Ozzy (the other being The Ultimate Sin) proved that he had a lot of talent and that he was the right choice to replace him. Bark At The Moon is another classic album by Ozzy, of course not as good as he first two but still very good. I remember the album mostly for the title track's video in which Ozzy is a werewolf, I think that despite being dated it's one of the best thing he did. Overral it's a solid album worth getting for any Ozzy fan, just try not to get this remaster as it does not match the original.