Customer Reviews

Green

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I can't believe all the bad press this album has received. WHY!?!?! I have been a Forbidden fan since the beginning, so I have heard it all. Everyone knows "Forbidden Evil" and the others are classic thrash albums. But personally, I think "Green" blows them to shit! This music is SO intense and fast (i.e. "over the middle") how can anyone refute its greatness? It's too bad Forbidden has gotten fucked so many times by record companies over the years because they deserved to be at the top. Now that they are broken up, they never will be, except in the minds of many hardcore fans like myself. If you have never heard of Forbidden, buy this. If you have been a fan or at least have heard them, buy this. Songs #2 and #3 (pHat) will get your blood boiling like no other. So will "turns to rage". Excellent production, guitar work, aggressive vocals, and oustanding drumwork demand this album at least a little attention for Christ's sake.

Forbidden came out of the slew of San Francisco thrash bands to follow in the wake of Exodus and ultimately Metallica. Accordingly, they have the hallmarks of that particular region's heavist: tight and bludgeoning rhythmn section, tempo changes galore et al. But what set them apart is they have an actual singer. This may very well have been their downfall, as tastes were turning predominantly toward growlers like Hetfield at the time. I would liken them to more of a Flotsam and Jetsam vocal meets Testament/Vio-lence.

"Green" without a doubt is their overall strongest release. Not to knock their scary-as-all-hell debut, the venomous "Forbidden Evil" or the nearly-brilliant "Twisted Into Form", but "Green" is much more varied and just H-E-A-V-Y. It just grinds you down with it's sheer weight juxtaposed against brilliantly twisted melody.

Sad that they never saw these heights again.

Avoid "Distortion" altogether - it reeks of "contractual obligation".

First off, net metal reviewers, can we please stop throwing "Nu" around needlessly when you really just want to say an album is well produced? Its like you would have us believe Fred Durst will suddenly step from behind Tim Calvert's cabinet and drop some mad rhymes mid-solo. "Nu" does not belong anywhere near ANY record in Forbidden's catalog. And while yes, there are some distorted vocals and guitar squeals, there are also raging melodic solos, and quite frankly, King Crimson was doing the distorted vocals thing in 1969 with "21st Century Schizoid Man" well before most of the guys in Korn were even born.

This album is classic prog-thrash with 90s attitude, well-produced, four-to-the-floor NASTY. Since they are second-generation San Fran thrash, this band is a bit more obscure than even Death Angel or Violence standards, strictly a cult thing, but ask any real bay area veteran and you will be schooled. In contrast to the first album fans, whose haste to condemn them is alarming for having a little fun ("Over the Middle"), let me assure those of you who have heard bad things about _Green_ that Forbidden is here on serious business on this, their swansong. And they go down swinging. The entire album generally shows confidence, band chemistry and mature songwriting than the wildly uneven _Distortion_. _Green_ has many highlights, with typical searing guitar from Locicero and Calvert, as well as excellent, melodic but throaty vocal work from Russ Anderson, starting with the psychadelic opener "Last Time." The album reaches an early, speedy apex with the ravenous "Face-Down Heroes," which starts its rhythm from a phone busy-reorder sample and just gets deadlier as the song continues. The next stretch of songs starts to get a little samey, "pHat" and "Noncent$" continuing the political/environmental themes while "Blank" sees Forbidden try a somewhat novel (for them, anyways) "ballad"-like approach. But the awesome, psychadelic eastern-tinged album closer "Focus" is a song dark and mysterious enough to make Maynard from Tool's tiny little arm hairs stand up at attention. Great underrated and neglected semi-masterpiece, perhaps the highlight of their catalog.

After looking for bands that I use to listen to I came across Forbidden which were great in the late 80's and 90's. This record is no exception. Good heavy thrash that the Bay Area was putting out still banging hard. The only problem I have is with the quality of the MP3 download. Sounds like a CD skipping and you will be very disappointed if they do not fix it. Buy the CD if you want this album.

Others have written about these CD-Rs coming from a bad master, just received this CD and it sounds like its skipping and missing bits of the music, others have said the same of the MP3s. Forbidden are, for me, one of the finest metal bands on earth and I could'nt really form an opinion of this album. I chose not to listen further and wait until I have an "intact" copy of it. What a shame, bought Mortal Sins Face Of Despair from "pressed on demand" and had no problems.

This is not a review of the music, but a review of the pressing. I have received 2 cds and they both skip in the exact same spots through out the entire cd. They are CD-R and are pressed on demand when bought from amazon. Whoever is doing the pressing has a bad master. You get the same problem when downloading the music from Amazon.

If this album was available for MP3 downloads, I'd steer you toward Green, Phat and Turns to Rage. Those three tracks in a row are vintage Forbidden that grab you by the throat and don't let go.

The last recording of Forbidden is "Green". An album which takes their sound to the top. Starting out rough and raw early on, this band always had many gallons of hidden talent. Russ Anderson's pipes are in full range effect here, serving up some crushing tunes. Although we really don't need a song about football (little cheesey there folks!), the rest of the album is a full blown work of thrashy art. Even a couple of slow speeders too! Mid and fast range cuts shred brilliantly throughout. It maybe a little more corporate sounding, kind of showing that Pantera, Slayer type grinding, but nevertheless it is pulled off slickly. The crowning jewel in the entire catalogue. Oh yeah, also a great recruiting center for other bands (Slayer, Nevermore). Thrash about!

This band rocks! But in a kinda scary way,ala Slayer. Just as good as Slayer too. The songs lead into each other nicely and the tempo never slows. Just great metal sums it up!

i purchased this cd through a cd club which i am no longer in and popped it in. this is some HEAVY stuff. this is not kid rock or limp bizkit. it's too bad that this band is no longer around. i heard one of the guys took a job in the band nevermore.