Rock Island - Chapter Eleven

There's not much to do on the island. Everyone is bored and tempers are starting to run high. The captain suggests everyone make up a game or activity. Some of the better ideas are golf clubs made from clam shells and bamboo with avocado pit golf balls, a badminton net and rackets (Roy says he can make the rackets, but he suggests you not ask how he makes the birdies), a bowling alley with bamboo lanes and coconut bowling balls, and turtle races.

At lunch one day (fish, again; no one wants to eat the turtles), Cinnamon mentions that you haven't finished telling her the songs on your MP3 player. Happily, you finish the list:

• Savatage - Sirens; Midas Knight; Hall of the Mountain King; Gutter Ballet; When the Crowds are Gone; Edge of Thorns; Chance; I Am; Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24); Drive
• Saxon - Princess of the Night; Power and the Glory; Run for Your Lives; Bloodletter; Circle of Light
• Scorpions - The Riot of Your Time; Another Piece of Meat; Can't Get Enough; Lovedrive; The Zoo; Animal Magnetism; Blackout; Can't Live Without You; No One Like You; Rock You Like a Hurricane; Still Loving You; Hit Between the Eyes; Alien Nation; Mind Like a Tree
• Seven Witches - Camelot; Second War in Heaven; Xiled to Infinity and One
• Silent Force - Infatuator
• Silver Mountain - Felo De Se
• Stratovarius - Eternity; Season of Change; Babylon; Infinity; Soul of a Vagabond; Fantasia; Elements; Awaken the Giant
• Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
• Symphony X - Sea of Lies; Evolution (The Grand Design)
• Tad Morose - Anubis
• Testament - Alone in the Dark; Electric Crown
• Threshold - Consume to Live; Angels; Turn on Tune In; Ravages of Time; Mission Profile
• Thy Majestie - Wings of Wind; The Siege of Paris
• Tierra Santa - Pegaso
• Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry; I Wanna Rock
• Vanderhoof - Nowhere Train
• W.A.S.P. - L.O.V.E. Machine; Inside the Electric Circus; Headless Children; Kill Your Pretty Face; Shadow Man
• War Babies - Hang Me Up; Blue Tomorrow
• Warrior Soul - I See the Ruins; We Cry Out; The Losers; Trippin' On Ecstasy
• White Spirit - Midnight Chaser
• Whitesnake - Fool for Your Loving; Still of the Night; Judgment Day

You're alone with Cinnamon. She catches you staring at her. And then you hear the captain calling. "I guess I need to go," you say.

Top Ten - 1998

Two non English-singing bands made the 1998 top ten list. I do like both bands a lot, even if I can't sing along to the songs. There are many big names among the 43 albums rated for that year, and while most released albums worth buying (or at least worth considering), there were a few notable duds.

1998 Top Ten:
91.18 -- Iced Earth - Something Wicked this Way Comes
89.74 -- Helloween - Better than Raw
89.18 -- Mägo de Oz - La Leyenda de la Mancha
88.59 -- Molly Hatchet - Silent Reign of Heroes
87.81 -- Savatage - Wake of Magellan
85.47 -- Iron Maiden - Virtual XI
84.96 -- Joe Stump - Rapid Fire Rondo
84.67 -- Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus
84.40 -- Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding
84.00 -- Aria - Generation of Evil

Other 1998 releases:
83.97 -- Angra - Fireworks
83.80 -- Riot - Inishmore
83.52 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Heaven Forbid
83.35 -- Running Wild - The Rivalry
82.84 -- Stratovarius - Destiny
81.22 -- Threshold - Clone
80.64 -- Kiss - Psycho Circus
80.46 -- Blackmore's Night - Shadow of the Moon
79.84 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Oceans of Time
79.52 -- Vanderhoof - Vanderhoof
79.27 -- Iron Savior - Unification
79.10 -- Edguy - Vain Glory Opera
79.04 -- Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied
78.67 -- Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
78.64 -- Balance of Power - Book of Secrets
76.84 -- Monster Magnet - Powertrip
76.46 -- Blitzkrieg - The Mists of Avalon
76.46 -- Nightwish - Oceanborn
76.15 -- Angel Dust - Border of Reality
75.92 -- Rage - XIII
75.79 -- Gov't Mule - Dose
75.06 -- Kamelot - Dominion
74.94 -- Kamelot - Siege Perilous
74.23 -- Brainstorm - Unholy
73.56 -- Motörhead - Snake Bite Love
72.54 -- Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings
71.21 -- Therion - Vovin
70.27 -- Whitesnake - Restless Heart
68.55 -- Anvil - Speed of Sound
68.23 -- Praying Mantis - Forever in Time
68.21 -- Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
60.93 -- Deep Purple - Abandon
59.79 -- Van Halen - Van Halen III

Top Ten - 2008

I rated 61 albums released in 2008. There were some pretty big releases last year, and while I like a lot of them, not many of the big names made my top ten. (Note: There was a recent change to the Top Ten as Anthem knocked out Ross the Boss).



2008 Top Ten:
91.45 -- Uriah Heep - Wake the Sleeper
89.75 -- Rage - Carved In Stone
89.57 -- Blood Ceremony - Blood Ceremony
89.36 -- Grand Magus - Iron Will
89.26 -- Anthem - Black Empire
89.21 -- Billy Lee Janey - Soul Driver
88.19 -- Order of Nine - A Means To Know End
87.36 -- Overdrive - Let the Metal Do the Talking
87.15 -- Metal Church - This Present Wasteland
87.03 -- Avantasia - The Scarecrow

Other 2008 releases:
86.97 -- Ross the Boss - New Metal Leader
86.64 -- Blaze Bayley - The Man Who Would Not Die
86.55 -- Circle II Circle - Delusions of Grandeur
86.25 -- Firewind - The Premonition
86.06 -- Motörhead - Motorizer
85.90 -- Thy Majestie - Dawn
85.75 -- Metallica - Death Magnetic
85.58 -- Warrior Soul - Chinese Democracy
85.46 -- Crystallion - Hattin
85.42 -- Brainstorm - Downburst
85.33 -- Black Tide - Light from Above
84.35 -- Graveyard - Graveyard
84.29 -- Dominici - O3 - A Trilogy Part 3
84.17 -- Mötley Crüe - Saints of Los Angeles
83.88 -- Crystal Eyes - Chained
83.35 -- Benedictum - Seasons of Tragedy
82.77 -- Robin Trower - Seven Moons
82.62 -- Hibria - The Skull Collectors
81.81 -- Whitesnake - Good to Be Bad
81.53 -- Pyramaze - Immortal
81.30 -- Michael Schenker Group - In the Midst of Beauty
80.84 -- Iced Earth - The Crucible of Man - Something Wicked Part II
80.74 -- Ten Years After - Evolution
79.94 -- Edguy - Tinnitus Sanctus
79.32 -- Judas Priest - Nostradamus
79.12 -- Sabaton - The Art of War
79.11 -- Helstar - The King of Hell
78.57 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Perpetual Flame
78.50 -- Lääz Rockit - Left for Dead
77.17 -- Jørn - Lonely are the Brave
76.58 -- Revolution Renaissance - New Era
76.30 -- Royal Hunt - Collision Course: Paradox II
76.00 -- Bassinvaders - Hellbassbeaters
74.84 -- Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown
74.53 -- Hydrogyn - Deadly Passions
74.13 -- Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider
72.91 -- Queen - The Cosmos Rocks
71.60 -- Jon Oliva's Pain - Global Warning
71.37 -- Dokken - Lightning Strikes Again
69.47 -- Blackmore's Night - Secret Voyage
68.72 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Chinese Democracy
68.32 -- Bob Catley - Immortal
67.33 -- AC/DC - Black Ice
65.95 -- Def Leppard - Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
65.50 -- Lauren Harris - Calm Before the Storm
65.17 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Tales of the Crown
64.31 -- Chris Caffery - House of Insanity
63.54 -- Manilla Road - Voyager
61.78 -- Presto Ballet - The Lost Art of Time Travel
60.05 -- Haggard - Tales of Ithiria
29.90 -- Vigilante - IV