Saw II (2005)

The miracle is not that each succeeding disc of Vivaldi concertos by Europa Galante led by Fabio Biondi is as brilliant as the preceding discs. The miracle is not that for each succeeding disc that Biondi finds more first-rate Vivaldi concertos. The miracle is that, with so many gracefully charming, elegantly witty, and delightfully diverse concertos to chose from, that only Vivaldi's Four Seasons have become the musical wallpaper of elevators and airlines throughout the world.

Beethoven’s ten violin sonatas span the period from 1797-1812, and the G major work ending the series (which he evidently revised prior to its publication in 1816) came as long after the Kreutzer as the difference in opus numbers suggests – the nine intervening years saw the appearance of Symphonies Nos. 4-8 and much else. Stylistically, this last sonata looks forward to his third period and its lyricism differs markedly from the fire of its predecessor, while the other eight are youthfully confident; it is perhaps significant that only two of the whole series are in a minor key.

It appears that just when you thought the folks at Discipline Global Mobile had re-released every single King Crimson track in as many configurations as possible, they surprise you with another compilation: 2005's The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson, Vol. 2: 1981-2003. Following in the footsteps of 2004's The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson, Vol. 1: 1969-1974, the second volume combines the best tracks from Crimson's studio albums from the advertised period, as well as mixing in live takes and rarities. When Crimson reconvened in 1980 after an extended hiatus, no one could have predicted that the group would have more in common sonically with Talking Heads and the Police than Yes and Genesis.

Merging thrash metal together with six-string pyrotechnics, Annihilator was one of the top metal exports from Canada, circa the late '80s and early '90s. But longtime leader/guitarist Jeff Waters has managed to keep the band afloat, as the early 21st century saw Annihilator issue an absolute onslaught of releases (averaging at least one per year). And despite Waters being the only constant member throughout the years (Annihilator is perhaps the best example of a band playing musical chairs with its members), the group continues to churn out incredibly intense albums, such as their 2005 outing, Schizo Deluxe. You can easily picture bodies (as well as long hair and black leather jackets) flailing away in a most pit to such airtight compositions as "Drive," in which impossible (for the average musician, anyway) guitar riffs and drum patterns do battle, as well as the Pantera-esque "Warbird"…