Mason

I’ve heard the first half of Illmatic many more times than the second. That’s not because the second half is bad, but for a long time I’d only heard side 1. And it’s a pretty stacked side 1. NY State of Mind is epic. Life’s a B is also good. And The World is Yours is probably my favorite. The second half had evaded me for a long time. And it’s a shame it did because it’s just as good. Halftime is good. I really like the Rhodes sample on Memory Lane. The drum sound on One Love is awesome. As well as that sample on One Love. This is still the only Nas album I have heard. The highlights for me are definitely the sampling and the bass playing. I do like Nas’ flow too. It seems to me that the goal of this album is to highlight the rapping first and foremost. And fair enough! Nas is a rapper! But I do prefer other 90s rap/hip hop that highlights the sample and music more so. That’s just my preference. Tupac for example. Maybe what I mean to say is that Illmatic is just straight rapping. No choruses really. I know you could argue there are. But not traditional song structure. Many songs on Illmatic vamp on the same sample for minutes while Nas unleashes his lyrics over the beat. But I prefer a slightly different style of 90s hip hop. I do still greatly appreciate this album though. And recognize its significance.

For all of the albums that Mason is obsessed with that I am not a very big fan of, this one is actually a great album. I’m not traditionally a metalhead, although I can, and try, to appreciate the genre. This is the first megadeth album that I ever listened to. And it remains my favorite. Rust in Peace is a pretty strong album. I think Dawn Patrol is really the only true weak link. A lot of iconic and really cool guitar riffs going on throughout. And although it is that metal guitar tone, it’s not the worst guitar tone ever. Far better and significantly less compressed sounding than a lot of other metal tones out there. On the topic of guitar, Marty Friedman makes this album what it is. Just sick riff after sick riff. Followed by insane solos. Holy Wars is a perfect example. Very cool stuff. Multiple wicked guitar solos and riffs in the opening song alone. Poison was the Cure, also an incredible guitar solo. Dave’s voice is also not the worst. That doesn't necessarily mean it's my favorite. The peak of the album is definitely Tornado of Souls. One of the greatest guitar solos ever in my opinion. Not just the genre of metal. Honestly though, although I recognize the value in all of the songs other than Dawn Patrol, it’s not anything I’d choose to listen to. Other than Holy Wars and Tornado of Souls really. This thrash metal is just usually not for me.

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