Building upon the evolved sound and lyrical maturity of 2016's 13 Voices, Canadian punks Sum 41 unleash a topical rage brought upon by world affairs on 2019's fiery Order in Decline. Produced, mixed, engineered, and written by frontman Deryck Whibley, this seventh full-length is laser-focused and angry as hell, taking multiple shots at a certain United States president without ever explicitly wasting any breath on his name. Decrying division and a society seemingly on the verge of moral collapse, this is one of Sum 41's most earnest and thoughtful statements to date, a compact burst that recalls a wide swath of influences ranging from Linkin Park to Bad Religion to Muse.

Bohemian composer Leopold Kozeluch earned himself a negative historical reputation by putting himself forth as a rival to Haydn and Mozart; badmouthing the former to the latter, he received the retort that "even if you were to put the two of us together, you would still not produce a Haydn!" German clarinetist Dieter Klöcker, an indefatigable investigator of the context that surrounded the mighty Viennese trinity, sets out here to rescue Kozeluch from obscurity with performances of a trio of highly idiomatic clarinet pieces. It's hard to disagree with a newspaper critic of the day, quoted in Klöcker's excellent notes, who wrote that Kozeluch showed "great imaginative boldness" but too often offered "mere copies of ordinary life" that were "prettily dressed up like a young woman trying to please her admirers by means of flowers and ribbons."

Chilean prog rockers Abrete Gandul received their widest international attention to date with the release of 2011's Enjambre Sismico on Fading Records, an affiliate of the Italian AltrOck imprint. But the Abrete Gandul that issued Enjambre Sismico was far different than the group of the same name that had its origins back in 1999. In its earliest incarnation, the band that performed in and around Santiago was very much a vehicle for singer/guitarist Mauricio Dell (aka Doctor Octava), who, according to ProgArchives, formed the group with his drummer friend Antonio Arceu and bassist Pablo Garcia.

Along with Mackerras' EMI recording, which appeared at the same time (1966/67), Davis' Messiah established the standard for properly scaled, tastefully ornamented renditions using modern instruments. Like all classic recordings, the musical values embodied on these two well-filled discs haven't diminished a bit. You can still enjoy Davis' lively and sympathetic direction, enthusiastic singing and playing by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, two fabulous female soloists, and though the men are a bit less distinguished, they certainly don't drag the standards down to any significant degree.

At first glance, the title of Queensrÿche's eleventh studio album, Dedicated to Chaos, seems strangely at odds with the track record of one of heavy metal's most cerebral and civilized bands; but, on second thought, it's actually a perfect summation of the Seattle group's uninterrupted musical evolution from album to album throughout its storied career, frequently to the chagrin of its loyal fans…

This is one of the greatest chamber CDs, bringing together Chausson's timeless Concert with his elusive String Quartet in the most beautiful, idiomatic performances imaginable. Augustin Dumay and Jean-Philippe Collard have never been bettered as a duo, but they particularly are in their element in this music, given its full expression by their passion and strength, which combines with a sense of style that is as natural as speech.

A.K. Salim - The Modern Sounds Of A.K. Salim, Complete Savoy Recordings 1957-1958 (2007) {2CD Set Fresh Sound FSR-CD 474}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 651 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 289 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 105 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957-58, 2007 Savoy / Fresh Sound Records | FSR-CD 474
Jazz / Bop

A.K. Salim (Ahmad Khatab Atkinson) was an ex-reed man who retired from playing in 1943 to arrange and compose for several jazz and Afro- Cuban bands. This 2-CD set draws together all the recordings he did as a leader for Savoy Records in 1957-1958. Most of his work here reflects Salim’s deep knowledge of blues and his arranger’s talent for setting down relatively simple lines combining down home traditionalism with harmonic sophistication. His unpretentious arrangements have an unmistakably visceral quality and offer a fine framework for the eloquently powerful soloists of both reed and brass sections.

Nuggets, Lenny Kaye's original 1972 compilation of garage and psych, loomed large in the record collectors consciousness, canonizing a portion of rock that was originally laughed off while setting the standard for reissues. Rhino's 1998 box set of the same name expanded the scope of that record, replicating most of the original while gloriously spilling forth over three additional discs – and, in doing so, it spurred a minor revolution, becoming one of the most talked-about reissues of the last half of the '90s…