They have a great name and they do what Napalm Death was doing years ago. What more do you need for success?

Um, perhaps a life. This is kinda funny as far as joke value goes, but as far as serious music... come on.

The fact is, Napalm Death did this much better. This is the weirdest attempt to cash in, but I can't imagine what the other reasons could be. Morbid Florist was fairly entertaining at times. This is not.

Not to say "I told you so," but I've been rather aware of the growing "Johnny Cash is cool" movement for quite a few years now. Why, in the past three years at least six bands have covered old Cash tunes. At my old station, we played a "classic album" every Sunday night. When I suggested Johnny Cash's Greatest Hits, everyone said, "Oh, wow, yeah!"

Everyone is amazed that Rick Rubin, of all people, should produce such a sparse album. Of course, Rubin would be most familiar with Cash's early sixties work, and while there isn't any boom-chicka-boom drumming, it still carries into his guitar work.

Perhaps the pipes are a little worn, but that makes for some really spooky moments. And while you might laugh at Motley Crue's silly theatrical imagery, when Johnny says he shot her twice and she was dead, you believe him. Because his voice is so earnest and real.

This is perhaps the darkest critics' album celebre since Lou Reed's New York. It seems the national music media need a catharsis every now and then. American Recordings just might work for you, too.

Good production that yields a tight guitar sound, but the music is heavily borrowed from the Testament/Overkill school, with nods to the current metal-core scene. The samples are nice, but they are used as introductions and not in any sort of intricate fashion.

These folk have chops, but they still need to find their own sound.

Seems like everywhere I turn, there's another Richmond (VA) band. Decent musicians, but I've yet to hear one with a coherent idea as to how they should sound.

Coral follows that trend well. But as a whole the members can't decide if it wants to be a heavy pop band, a mellow pop band or whatever.

It all sounds kinda halfhearted. There are some good songs, but more effort is needed. Coral may be the perfect slacker band, but I think you should give a shit.

Straightforward melodic punk from a few folk who have been doing it a while.

The production is a little raw, but that's certainly nothing to bitch about. The lyrics get a spot contrived at times, but that's nothing unusual, either.

I guess the thing that bugs me is the lack of a distinguishing characteristic. This is good punk stuff, but there's a lot of that going around now, and I can't find a spark here. This edition of D.I. is merely above average.

There are two ways to make pop music. You can go straight ahead and make wonderful tunes, but that takes real musicianship and a knack for that sort of thing.

Or you can do what Dingle does, and throw a load of bones into a bag and see what dribbles out.

Meandering from light, wacky tunes to heavy, sure-reminds-me-of-Alice-Donut songs, the Dingle boys have put together a collection of eclectic pop that almost anyone should adore.

There is absolutely no intent or attempt to be normal here, so don't go looking for that. But you can still pop a beer and enjoy.

So are the saxophones an attempt to rip off the Bosstones or Rocket from the Crypt? You be the judge.

While the horns flow with the sound of those bands, they manage to wank out the Dog Eat Dog sound a little more.

On the plus side, the songs aren't quite as bad as their EP. In fact, when DED settles down and cranks out some decent hard core (for about 30 seconds at a time), I can get along.

But these boys give lame Beastie Boy impressions and play this "jump around" style of music most of the time. It's enough to make a real rap fan want to do some damage.

Just a hint for the boys: It's been done, and you aren't even the hundredth band to do it. I know it's a stretch, but how about some originality?

I'm not sure how all this got hooked up, but the result is one brutal 7".

Godplow are another of the fine crew of N.C. metal bands. The boys simply destroy anything in their path, and this single is no different. Pleasant deadly aggression.

Many of you are on the Dumpster Juice album, but you might want to check this out. A little heavier than their last album (haven't heard the new one yet), D.J. finds a couple grooves and rip their way on through.

Four good songs, kinda muddy production. Wallowing ever so slightly in the grunge universe, GM manages to convey its own identity through the gauzy sound.

A direct contrast to Charlotte's Webb; these folks aren't the greatest technicians, but they do know how to write good songs in their own voice. Very nice.

This is precisely what all those Sabbath rip-off bands should do: pick just part of their influences to imitate. Melts take Geezer's thick bass sound and proceed to create a highly original sound.

Heavy it is, but the rhythm section keeps things moving, and Theo (guitar and vocals) spits out his lyrics through an interesting drawl.

Yes, there is a North Carolina metal scene, and it's pretty good. Most of you have heard of Buzzov*en, now get ready for the Melts. And if you don't have a copy of this, get one. Just don't get left out.

I'd put this more on the MC5 side of things, which was "stoner rock", right? I'm not sure.

Motocaster blends catchy riffs and melodic tunes with reality-bending distortion. If this sounded clean, it might be a little dull, but the production folk did it right.

Six songs, every one a lot of fun. This isn't socially redeeming, and there is no pretension that way.

Whatever your poison, imbibe or indulge and crank this one to eleven. So you weren't born when this stuff was popular. That doesn't mean you can't like it now.

I remember thinking their live album was full of excess and not exactly the best songs. It was just a little bombastic.

On the other hand, this new studio outing brings a lot more country and blues into the sound, produced with a light touch.

Sure, it's a little overly anthemic at times, but in general the attitude is more fun than overbearing. And there are some really great songs here.

A nice return to form. And I have to admit that while I don't like much southern-style rock, I like this a lot. That says something.

At first I thought the production really wanked, but I think things were intended to be a little thick. Powder are a little too anthemic for their own good, because at times they come off with a real Pearl Jam sorta vibe, and no one wants that.

For the most part, though, Powder has a good feel for what's cool and what's shit. The songs are loose in construction, but the playing is very tight. A first-rate effort.

Good production, nice take on a traditional metal sound. Good riffage, nice thrash touches. The vocals have that just-rough-enough feeling.

I liked the their last demo, and I'm left wondering why these guys are still in Kansas without a deal. This is heavy yet accessible, just ahead of the trend. Very solid.

Yes, there are 23 songs here. And if you have 23 good songs to release...

Well, so maybe only 20 are good. Life goes on. As most of you know, this is a couple of OpIvy hands, Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, with Brett Reed on drums. Lars Frederiksen (guitar) was added to fill out the sound.

While this is tightly produced, the band has an almost self-consciously sloppy sound that is a little addictive. It's so easy to imagine the raucous fun of a Rancid show. All you have to do is turn up the volume.

Much stronger than their debut (I think the extra guitar is very helpful), Rancid moves forward with Let's Go. High class all the way.

Perhaps only the fine folk at Revelation/Crisis have done as good a job at finding good hardcore and getting it out as Tony at Victory.

A lot of you jammed the Earth Crisis album (with good reason), and this thing jumped out of the box at the stations who played it (two #1s and a #7 a month ago). But the rest of you apparently haven't decided to join the party and are content to play spent folk like Rollins.

Don't get me wrong; Hank deserves all the cash and recognition he is getting. But the music isn't there anymore. It is here. Snapcase do the anthemic thing a little, but not enough to annoy. And as the people who have listened will tell you, this is great stuff. Enough crossover appeal to get the metal crowd, enough integrity to keep the punk crowd. And they aren't ripping anybody (like Senor Rollins) off. A tough trick to pull off, but Snapcase does it with seeming ease.

Um, yeah, this is absolutely great.

For the longest time, folks have been trying to foist quite a few European industrial bands on the States. These bands have in common: lots of guitars, dance/metal beats and a general metal attitude. I'd put Bloodstar, God Is LSD, the Young Gods and these folk at the top of the list.

Why people haven't really picked up on this is a mystery. It's catchy as hell, heavy enough to attract the headbanger and with good enough beats to work in a club. Some of you may remember the Swamp Terrorists album on Noise some time back. I loved it, and so accordingly it disappeared.

This moves ahead the sound, cleaning it up and yet adding a little aggression. A nice sort of grind (in the non-metal sense) pervades. Check it out.

A little more club-oriented than most of the stuff on Re-Constriction (the Cargo label run by Chase, If It Moves being actually owned by him), things range from merely upbeat to truly experimental dance music.

There are a few Reconstriction artists here, and a cool song by Recliner, a Vampire Rodents-Babyland side project (sounds like an early version of a tune from Lullabyland).

Like most compilations, production values and music quality do vary, but as usual, Chase has brought a load of great stuff together, weeding out the chaff. Crank it, enjoy, and pick your own favorites.

Some of the best tracks from recent Blues Bureau releases, including Leslie West, Rick Derringer, Pat Travers and the Outlaws.

Most of this is pretty good and doesn't succumb to the temptation to put too much rock into the blues. And if you get past the big names and check out tracks by folks like Craig Erickson and Glenn Hughes, you'll find some real nice stuff.

Picking the best from the BB albums is a great idea, and the songs collected here fit the bill quite well. A nice set.

Music born in the cyberspace. Where some folk like to say things like "No machines" on their records, everything here is processed through some sort of sampler, keyboard, drum machine or other unit.

What comes out is a wildly imaginative set of heavy techno songs. This isn't the stuff you'll find on lame techno samplers, but a more industrial, more creative side of techno. The kind that helped originate the term.

This set is compiled from eight years of recording, and it certainly is rather impressive. A sonic assault on all levels, to be sure. Worthy of long exposure.