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      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ¢
      °
      e
     
     
      Opinions
     
     
      by
      Mike
      Beagan
     
     
      Hello
      again,
      readers.
      This
      week
      I
      have
      a
      pile
      of
      discs
      that
      are
      guaranteed
      to
     
     
      make
      your
      ears
      bleed,
      but
      in
      a
      good
      way.
      Since
      Steppenwolf
      coined
      the
      phrase
     
     
      Heavy
      Metal
      so
      long
      ago,
      it
      has
      been
      a
      powerful
      force
      in
      music.
      Ever
      changing,
     
     
      ever
      feeding
      off
      its
      past,
      metal
      has
      been
      an
      influence
      on
      the
      music
      of
      millions.
     
     
      Few
      are
      more
      influential
      than
      my
      first
      subject
      this
      week.
     
    

    
     
      Ozzy
      Osbourne
      has
      come
      out
      of
      retirement,
      again,
      and
      released
      a
      fine
     
     
      example
      of
      his
      metallic
      prowess
      on
      Ozzmosis
      (EPIC).
      Retirement
      hasn't
      mel-
     
     
      lowed
      metal's
      “Grand
      Old
      Man”
      in
      any
      way,
      however,
      he
      has
      lost
      a
      little
      of
      the
     
     
      cartoonish
      posing
      that
      his
      previous
      albums
      were
      marred
      by.
      Fans
      or
      Ozzy's
      days
     
     
      with
      the
      original
      (and
      best)
      Black
      Sabbath
      will
      be
      pleased
      to
      hear
      that
      Sabbath
     
     
      bassist
      Geezer
      Butler's
      distinctive
      crunch
      is
      heard
      throughout
      the
      album.
      Though
     
     
      Ozzmosis
      isn't
      likely
      to
      win
      many
      new
      fans
      for
      Oz,
      his
      millions
      of
      minions
      are
     
     
      sure
      to
      be
      pleased.
     
    

    
     
      Sabbath
      fans
      will
      also
      be
      happy
      to
      hear
      that
      Geezer
      Bulter
      has
      formed
      a
     
     
      new
      band
      featuring
      Ozzy
      drummer
      Deen
      Castronovo,
      and
      Fear
      Factory
      vocalist
     
     
      Burton
      C.
      Bell.
      G/Z/R/
      Plastic
      Planet
      (TVT)
      is
      the
      heaviest
      album
      I
      have
      ever
     
     
      heard
      with
      such
      intelligence
      of
      lyrics.
      Megadeth
      take
      notes,
      please.
      Ifyou
      like
     
     
      your
      music
      loud,
      fast,
      and
      smart,
      than
      give
      this
      one
      a
      spin.
     
    

    
     
      Life
      Of
      Agony’s
      sophomore
      release
      Ugly
      (Attic)
      is
      the
      one
      of
      the
      best
     
     
      albums
      I
      have
      heard
      in
      months.
      These
      guys
      from
      New
      York
      City
      have
      the
      audac-
     
     
      ity
      to
      produce
      an
      album
      of
      “songs”
      rather
      than
      “singles”.
      This
      great
      disc
      has
      no
     
     
      frills
      to
      get
      in
      the
      way
      of
      the
      music.
      Simple
      power
      chords
      and
      a
      clockwork
     
     
      rhythm
      section
      back
      up
      the
      superbly
      melodic
      vocals
      of
      Kieth
      Caputo.
      Metal
      with
     
     
      melody
      --
      what
      a
      concept.
      As
      proof
      of
      their
      diversity,
      Life
      of
      Agony
      even
      per-
     
     
      form
      an
      outstanding
      cover
      Simple
      Minds’
      80s
      hit
      “Don't
      You
      Forget
      About
      Me”.
     
    

    
     
      Ontario's
      ACME
      have
      produced
      a
      fine
      debut
      in
      Fighting
      Among
      Ourselves
     
     
      (IMD).
      They
      have
      played
      with
      the
      likes
      of
      Our
      Lady
      Peace,
      Rhymes
      with
      Or-
     
     
      ange,
      Killjoys,
      and
      13
      Engines.
      Uncomplicated
      in
      style,
      but
      very
      catchy
      and
      more
     
     
      intelligent
      than
      average,
      ACME
      have
      a
      definite
      presence
      that
      will
      please
      many
     
     
      fans
      of
      modern
      heavy
      rock.
      You
      know,
      that
      stuff
      that
      they
      call
      alternative,
      but
     
     
      isn't
      because
      it
      outsells
      everything
      else.
     
    

    
     
      Rather
      than
      producing
      a
      new
      album,
      Living
      Colour
      have
      decided
      to
      use
     
     
      their
      latest
      release
      to
      reintroduce
      themselves.
      Pride
      (Epic)
      features
      four
      previ-
     
     
      ously
      unreleased
      tracks,
      their
      biggest
      hits
      “Glamour
      Boys”
      and
      “Cult
      of
      Personal-
     
     
      ity”,
      and
      several
      tracks
      from
      each
      of
      their
      previous
      four
      albums.
      They
      are,
      of
     
     
      course,
      still
      the
      world’s
      best
      all
      black
      metal
      band.
      This
      is
      something
      that
      they
     
     
      Prove
      on
      every
      track
      of
      this
      album.
      Each
      song
      is
      a
      lesson
      in
      diversity,
      and
      worth
     
     
      a
      listen.
     
    

    
     
      That
      does
      for
      this
      week,
      but
      I
      hope
      to
      be
      back
      soon
      with
      another
      collection
     
     
      of
      ear
      bleeders.
      Stay
      tuned.
      By
      the
      way,
      have
      you
      tried
      Zorba's
      Psychic
      Network
     
     
      yet?
      Man,
      my
      life
      will
      never
      be
      the
      same.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      David
      Wilcox
     
     
      Thirteen
      Songs
     
     
      (EMI)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      latest
      release
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      David
      Wilcox
      has
      an
      acousti-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      the
      inging
      abilities
      ofa
     
     
      fter
      taking
      a
      listen
      to
      the