190n120: 30 Years of Music with Adam Johnson...Episode Fourteen: "Most gods throw dice, but Fate plays chess, and you don't find out til too late that he's been playing with two queens all along"

155. Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal (2005)

Rather than spend my first wedding anniversary with my wife, my drummer and I traveled to Reggie's in Chicago, Illinois to see Bolt Thrower in 2012. They probably won't come back to the States (their drummer recently passed away), but I can say with confidence that I have seen the best death metal band in the world. And this is their magnum opus.



Recommended Listening: At First Light, Those Once Loyal, When Cannons Fade

154. Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973)

Their compositional skills were deft, and they were only scared of the Stooges. Before their singer struck out as a solo parlor clown, the Alice Cooper band laid the groundwork for any rock band with two competent guitarists; and not just any guitars, Gibson SGs. Vincent could belt with the best of them, too, turning in some of his best performances, nuances and non.

The morbid finale was an invitation to the "nightmare" to come.




Recommended Listening: Hello, Hurray, Elected, Billion Dollar Babies, I Love the Dead

153. Against Me! - Searching For A Former Clarity (2005)

After leaving my punk band of four years, I struggled with a few feelings. I wasn't satisfied with the scene, my conventions were on the fence, and I just couldn't write a decent "protest song" to save my life. Then I found Against Me! Turns out all the good songs have already been written; no need for me to waste my time or look like a fool. Space was the place for me, not a soap box. Besides--again--all the good songs have already been written.

Thanks, Tom...

...or should I say, Laura Jane Grace.


Recommended Listening: Miami, Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners, Violence, Searching For A Former Clarity

152. A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms (2000)

This isn't even the most embarrassing relic of my youth, either. I found Tool through A Perfect Circle, and seeing APC live is still amongst my best memories (the lucid ones, at least). Lots of mood, lots of guitars, and lots of feels made for the perfect aural adolescent cocktail. I have, remain, and will continue to be an enormous fan of Maynard James Keenan's voice. No apologies, no remorse: "It's not like you killed someone".



Recommended Listening: Judith, 3 Libras, Thinking Of You

151. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street (1972)

Though I've never truly been a fan of the Rolling Stones, I can't deny that this is a masterfully composed rock-and-roll album. Probably one of the top five releases in terms of ambition and skill. Water marks are noted for a reason, I suppose; but this was the last time Mick and the gang gave the world anything worthwhile.




Recommended Listening: Tumbling Dice, Loving Cup, I Just Want to See His Face, Stop Breaking Down