The Oscar Peterson Trio with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen lacked the competitiveness of his earlier group with Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and the later daring of his solo performances, but the pianist was generally in peak form during this era. He sticks to standards on this live CD (a good example of the Trio's playing), stretching out "Sometimes I'm Happy" creatively for over 11 minutes and uplifting such songs as "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "Chicago" and "The Night We Called It a Day." Few surprises occur, but Peterson plays at such a consistently high level that one doesn't mind.

The Sun Season is an enormously uplifting album. At first blush it might give the impression that the recurrence of the sun motif might be a little overdone, but in actuality the metaphor never tires and much—if not all—of this has to do with the breathtaking voice of Dara Tucker. Hers is a husky, sensuous voice that captivates time after time, song after time—most memorably beautifully on Harold Arlen and “Yip” Harburg’s “Over The Rainbow,” but exquisitely throughout as well. Hers is a light, floating voice that seems cut out for breathy vocals as well as those songs where the lyric calls for a soaring sensibility…

"Inishmore" is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Riot. It was released on January 27, 1998 (Japan, 97.11.12). The album is based on conceptual sagas of Celtic & Irish myths. The Japanese Zero Corporation version has an extended version of the beautiful "Inishmore Suite" that ends with an interpretation of the Irish folk song "Danny Boy" that is not available anywhere else. The Japanese version misses the song "Turning the Hands of Time" that is on the American Metal Blade version of Inishmore, but that is available on the Angel Eyes EP.

"Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a live album released by singer Meat Loaf in 2004 on the Mercury and Sanctuary labels. The album was recorded on February 20-February 22, 2004 during Meat Loaf's Australian tour. Meat Loaf is backed for the concerts by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As the name suggests, the album contains live performances of the seven tracks off Meat Loaf's 1977 album, Bat out of Hell. The Australian and limited edition versions of the album also contain a performance of "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (Song is available for listening, in addition to the track "Couldn't Have Said It Better" and a bonus DVD for the limited edition. Of note is the fact that the song "Heaven Can Wait" is present on the album, while it has not been performed on either of the recorded shows." (Wikipedia)

‘Silence’ is an immense and supreme ‘sound-folly’ that celebrates the capriciousness of destiny, the fugacity of life and the eternal presence of darkness in light. An instinctive impetus made of pure emotions, calibrated by awareness and experience. This album represents our maturity as musicians and the highest and most sincere expression of myself as an artist and as a woman. These new compositions are extremely gloomy and sinister, but they give off an explosion of power, intense energies and deep sensations. ‘Silence’ will guide you into a carnival of imagination and reality, where doom and free will are playing their last chess game. I’m sure it will leave many people speechless. Silence!

Swedish death metal supergroup BLOODBATH, which features in its ranks KATATONIA's Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström, as well as OPETH's Martin Axenrot, has recruited PARADISE LOST's Nick Holmes as its new lead singer. Holmes will make his BLOODBATH debut on the band's new album, "Grand Morbid Funeral", which will be released on November 17 via Peaceville. The effort features guest appearances by Chris Reifert and Eric Cutler from AUTOPSY.

The Hunting Of The Snark is a musical based on Lewis Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark", written by composer Mike Batt. Although Mike Batt is relatively unknown in the United States, he is a huge person of influence in British music. As Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry, people tend to listen to him. Before that he was responsible for one of the most popular children’s shows in England, The Wombles. Between these achievements came Batt’s most ambitious project ever, The Hunting Of The Snark.

Shocking Blue's second album was partly recorded in New York and continues the band's exploration of Americana and country music, although its style is firmly rooted in rock…