Simplistic, serial killing spree, barbaric & brutal, death metal butchery that is overloaded with long horror movie snippets, songs in a majority runtime of 1-2 minutes, and mechanical drum machining at a million miles an hour. For its depraved & disturbed bloodlust content, the main criticism that many have is the too formulaic & tedious repetition. However problematic the application (depending on point of view), as well as the deep & low guttural grunting and inhumanly indecipherable vocals, the drawbacks have also in turn made CD a cult classic among the band's loyal purist fans who couldn't give a damn about the bashing negativity, and truly dig the murderous macabre subject matter as much as the one-dimensional monotony. Either way, happy 20th anniversary.

Remarkable & criminally underrated classic crossover thrash with the album title also a song from their first album (which was more skater punk). TJOY is filled with catchy heavy hooks, singer Dan's great vocals, bounce, and a killer version of 'Message in a Bottle' by THE POLICE. EXCEL got later exposure for the 1991 METALLICA controversy that saw the opening riff of 'Enter Sandman' accused of plagiarizing EXCEL's 'Tapping into the Emotional Void'. Dan threatened to file a lawsuit citing copyright infringement and while there is an undeniable similarity, Dave Mustaine called the riff a straight rip off while Kirk Hammett said the influence/inspiration came from listening to SOUNDGARDEN. When it was noted that the riff is featured very briefly on an early 1987 METALLICA demo -- 2yrs before EXCEL's release -- the claim was chalked up to a flukey coincidence and Dan dropped taking any legal action. TJOY is the last to feature guitarist Adam and drummer Greg, and for the band's 3rd & final album, they again switched their sound to stoner groove metal. Happy 30th Anniversary.


Happy 30th Anniversary also to this band's 3rd album. It was the first for singer Mike Patton and his joining was an immediate & major upgrade. With 3 hit singles (as well as a solid cover of BLACK SABBATH's 'War Pigs'), FNM was catapulted into stardom, were hailed by critics & colleagues alike (except for singer Anthony Kiedis of the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS who accused Mike of stealing his style in a feud that was dismissed but later reignited), and were a fusion forerunner of the funk/rap metal genre. The framework on their following albums were departures and reflective of Mike's overall signature: showcasing his extraordinary vocal range with widespanning output that would see him become one of the most proficient & prolific virtuoso singers in all of music as the famous frontman (full-time and guest) for no less than 25(!!) other outfits. While also a co-founder of the Ipecac experimental/noise record label, aside from his numerous solo releases his ventures also extend into film scoring & soundtracks, and video game work.

More than just a cheap TAXI DRIVER-ish knockoff about a psycho wielding a power tool, DK helped usher in the dawn of 80's slasher movies, was high octane fuel & ammunition in the 'video nasties' crusade in the UK from its vhs cover alone (one of the most memorable in horror history), and gave a good glimpse of the New York punk scene. Happy 40th Anniversary.

Oh, the games people play.
HAPPY NATIONAL SEX DAY. (6/9, get it?)