"Mediocrity is a killer"
Back in the summer of 2002 i recall watching the new version of Headbangers Ball they played a video from a band called Norma Jean for the song Face:Face and i remember thinking "what the hell is this?" and then i recalled reading about them briefly on amazon during my phase when amazon and kazaa were my only means of discovering new music, i remember thinking the music was very noisy and raucous and it was quite unsettling, upon further investigation into this band i decided to check them out, it took me forever to find the whole album online, in fact by the time i did, one of the local christian book stores finally got the album in and i couldnt have been more happy to finally own it...
I've probably listened to this album at least 30 or so times my senior year in high school and it still never really sunk in how good this album actually is. I know people who loathe this album and say this it is boring and generic...but in my opinion, not only does this album still stack of formidably with most bands doing this style 7 years later...but if this album were released in 2009 it would rank very high on most people's year end lists...it's got EVERYTHING! The guitar tone on this album is absolutely perfect, the lyrics and scogin's vocal delivery are absolutely incredible, the drumming on this album is very frenetic and very very very solid, the basslines are groovy, there are alot of noisy feedback drenched moments, lots of gigantic breakdowns, lots of very catchy bits of assorted guitar noise and feedback floating in and out, the song "Pretty soon, i don't know what, but something is going to happen" is one of my favorites on this album, when i was in high school it was my least favorite on the album, but now that i've become retardedly fond of bands like isis that have made a career out of feedback and noise and 15 minute songs that take 12 minutes to fully develop, i actually love that song on a whole new level.
If you want to break it down by song, the best songs on the album are at the very front, they are by far the most memorable, my favorite song on this album is "Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste" that song has EVERYTHING catchy memorable sing-a-long parts, absolutely filthy, disgusting riffage, the aaron weiss vocals on that song are absolutely gorgeous. Of course, Face:Face is the song that made me decide i needed to own this album, the songs other than 'Memphis...' that made me realize that this album was 100% completely worth my time were actually tracks 3 & 4 "Creating Something Out Of Nothing, Only To Destroy It" and "Pretty Soon, I Don't Know What, but Something is Going to Happen" make for an absolutely destructive 1-2 punch! 'creating something' starts out with one of the coolest drum patterns i've ever heard, and then the breakdown and all the chaos surrounding the lyrics "like bringing a knife to a gun fight" are just absolute magic, but what makes it so awesome is that as the song is ending it ends with a big fat heavy groove and alot of good sludgy guitar tone and builds into the next song which is a 15 minute monster...the tone on this song is so so heavy and the fact that it's 15 minutes long ensure there is alot of big huge dirty noise, but rather than just pointless instrumental wandering you can tell every riff being played on that song was played intentionally to build up for the next one which destroys that riff and then creates a new pattern that gets destroyed. Also, i love that when the song reaches just above the half way point Josh Scogin repeats the phrase "on and on and on and on and on and on" especially because people like myself who werent used to super heavy instrumental metal were thinking "yeah, it does go on and on and on and on" however due to the way that the riffs are so catchy and they just build on each other steadily is just awesome.
Josh Scogin's lyrics and vocals are incredibly volatile on this album, which fits the tone of the guitar and bass and even the drums perfectly. Every riff on this album serves a purpose, you can tell that there is certainly no filler on this album as every song adds something to the song before it, the only thing i don't like about this album is the fact that they threw the 15 minute mega-jam right in the middle of it, and while it doesnt kill the albums progress...it does leave it in a semi-meandering spot for a while, i mean, that many insanely catchy riffs all thrown together in one song would be better suited as the grand finale of the album. But my god, the guitar tone on this record is SO HEAVY! The thing that bothers me about this album though, is that even though it is known among Norma Jean fans as their best, nobody in any real metal circles ever gives this band any credit for what they did, most people just remember their blatant botch/coalesce rip-off albums that followed this one and they tend to forget how absolutely heavy this album really is, i know that it completely shattered my thoughts on how metal should be played, i mean, it's got alot of fantastically heavy songs, it's got alot of incredible groove from the drummer and the bass is very distorted and heavy and the guitars take on a life of their own in many different incantations and styles and sounds.
Of course i couldnt add enough 0's to the 10 this album would get if based on a 1-10 scale...however i've decided to see where it would possibly fit in my all time favorite albums of all time list, i think that because this album impresses me alot more now even than it did when i first started listening to it, that it definitely deserves a spot in the top 50, i would say that due to it's incredibly heavy, violent, technical, nature and the fact that there are so many riffs on this album that make me want to harm every living creature in a 10 mile radius, this album would fit quite comfortably at home in my top 25 so i'd say that out of my top 100 albums of all time this album would fit anywhere between 25-30 due to it's groundbreaking nature for the time and the fact that they've not yet since been able to come even close to the glory of this album, neither have any other bands in their genre really...plus the fact that it sounds even better now that i listen to it as a music snob, that this album is an absolute monster and i love it oh so much.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sweatin To The Oldies...A Life Once Lost - Hunter
With the fiscal year for music quickly winding down, i only plan on doing one more batch of reviews of 2009 albums, with that being said, i've decided that i want to start taking a look back at some older albums that i still enjoy and find incredibly significant and relevant to today's music scene.
The first album in this series i'd like to start with is one that i still feel is one of the most underrated albums of it's genre ever...
A Life Once Lost - Hunter
"I need a miracle to conquer this endeavor"
In 2005 A Life Once Lost had been widely known throughout the scene as a phenomenal band, their album "A Great Artist" had created quite a bit of buzz, and they inked a deal with Ferret Records, who at the time could do NO wrong, with the release of bands like Zao and Blood Has Been Shed and Misery Signals Ferret was on fire and Alol was looking forward to capitalizing on this success, in fact for the vocal production of this album they even recruited Randy Blythe who was (and for the most part, still is) one of the biggest figures in the metal scene today.
The first song released from the album was it's opening track "Rehashed" which comes barreling in with a rock hard groove very familiar to their original sound, from their the album thrashes wildly and with an absolutely ferocious amount of groove, very reminiscent of 'far beyond driven' era Pantera, mixed with a lethal amount of Meshuggah, and still with the right amount of their core-sound.
My favorite song on this album, without question is Track 3, Vulture. This song has an absolutely disgusting meshuggah type bounce to it, and the lyrics are very sharp and violent and poignant "i can promise you one thing, I WILL HUNT YOU, TIL YOU DIE!" the drums are also quite bludgeoning, especially right before the solo at the 1:45 mark...all leading to Randy Blythe coming in and further decimating an already vicious song, the timing and rhythm and groove of this song are just absolutely fatal.
This album has 0 weak spots, no filler songs, just a big fat, huge, wicked groove, and alot of talent behind it. Songs like 'pain and panic', 'a rush & siege', 'with pitiless blows', and 'rehashed' are some of the best songs this band has ever written, and honestly, they could fit in very well on a metalcore (though it's not -core in the least bit) greatest hits album.
On top of the incredibly heavy riffs that supply this album with such a fat groove, there are also so many tasty guitar solo's, it seems every time they get jumping on a big awesome riff, it seems a guitar solo comes noodling it's way through to take the riff even further over the top. The album even takes a breather halfway through with the song 'hunter' which starts out with a slow ominous riff and then the vocals come in very sharply and then the song picks back up with the chorus "crush and rebuild, destroy and organize", which is quite ironic because that phrase sums up exactly what this album did for their career. It's just too bad the album's follow-up "Iron Gag" was pure garbage that saw them slowly coming back to earth.
This album is without question, a 10/10, if it wasnt i wouldnt have reviewed it, however the rating system i'm going with for this series of reviews is what number range it would fit in on my all time favorite albums list.
With it's obvious Meshuggah influence, and one amazing guitar riff after another, and one of the best vocal performances put to tape in quite some time, i do think this album deserves a spot in the top 100, as good as they are they really would be quite out of place in the top 50, but i think this album could fit in easily in the range from 50-75 on my favorite albums of all time list.
The first album in this series i'd like to start with is one that i still feel is one of the most underrated albums of it's genre ever...
A Life Once Lost - Hunter
"I need a miracle to conquer this endeavor"
In 2005 A Life Once Lost had been widely known throughout the scene as a phenomenal band, their album "A Great Artist" had created quite a bit of buzz, and they inked a deal with Ferret Records, who at the time could do NO wrong, with the release of bands like Zao and Blood Has Been Shed and Misery Signals Ferret was on fire and Alol was looking forward to capitalizing on this success, in fact for the vocal production of this album they even recruited Randy Blythe who was (and for the most part, still is) one of the biggest figures in the metal scene today.
The first song released from the album was it's opening track "Rehashed" which comes barreling in with a rock hard groove very familiar to their original sound, from their the album thrashes wildly and with an absolutely ferocious amount of groove, very reminiscent of 'far beyond driven' era Pantera, mixed with a lethal amount of Meshuggah, and still with the right amount of their core-sound.
My favorite song on this album, without question is Track 3, Vulture. This song has an absolutely disgusting meshuggah type bounce to it, and the lyrics are very sharp and violent and poignant "i can promise you one thing, I WILL HUNT YOU, TIL YOU DIE!" the drums are also quite bludgeoning, especially right before the solo at the 1:45 mark...all leading to Randy Blythe coming in and further decimating an already vicious song, the timing and rhythm and groove of this song are just absolutely fatal.
This album has 0 weak spots, no filler songs, just a big fat, huge, wicked groove, and alot of talent behind it. Songs like 'pain and panic', 'a rush & siege', 'with pitiless blows', and 'rehashed' are some of the best songs this band has ever written, and honestly, they could fit in very well on a metalcore (though it's not -core in the least bit) greatest hits album.
On top of the incredibly heavy riffs that supply this album with such a fat groove, there are also so many tasty guitar solo's, it seems every time they get jumping on a big awesome riff, it seems a guitar solo comes noodling it's way through to take the riff even further over the top. The album even takes a breather halfway through with the song 'hunter' which starts out with a slow ominous riff and then the vocals come in very sharply and then the song picks back up with the chorus "crush and rebuild, destroy and organize", which is quite ironic because that phrase sums up exactly what this album did for their career. It's just too bad the album's follow-up "Iron Gag" was pure garbage that saw them slowly coming back to earth.
This album is without question, a 10/10, if it wasnt i wouldnt have reviewed it, however the rating system i'm going with for this series of reviews is what number range it would fit in on my all time favorite albums list.
With it's obvious Meshuggah influence, and one amazing guitar riff after another, and one of the best vocal performances put to tape in quite some time, i do think this album deserves a spot in the top 100, as good as they are they really would be quite out of place in the top 50, but i think this album could fit in easily in the range from 50-75 on my favorite albums of all time list.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Mini Music Reviews Pt 2. (Cleanin Out The Closet)
This is the 2nd installment of my attempt to review all the new albums that i've been listening to lately, there is some good stuff in here that you should check out. Enjoy!
Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate
Black Dahlia is a band that has taken quite a while to grow on me but with this new album they've finally produced something that is very for me to listen to multiple times.
Their past few albums had alot of parts where the vocals were horribly annoying and there were no discernible riffs to really get the blood boiling, on Deflorate however that is most definitely not the case. The addition of one of Arsis's 5 Million ex-guitarists Ryan Knight, and Trevor Strnad's new found ability to lay down legitimate vocals makes this album without a dout, a million times better than their previous albums, it took them alot longer than most of the bands in their genre to release their best album, but this one is most definitely a doozie. There's just alot of really really good, really brutal riffs on this album, and the production is solid, my only complaint is Strnad's lyrics...their pretty stupid.
This album blows their entire discography away and is full of some very memorable and very listenable riffs that are very much relevant today, and for that i think this album is an 8.5/10.
Muse - The Resistance
What can i say about this album that hasnt already been said, it's really epic.
I kind of knew that this album was going to rule based on their insanely rising popularity amongst twilight fans, and the fact that this band rarely writes a bad song. This album has so many epic parts in it that it's almost too much to deal with at times, i mean it's REALLY epic, the lyrics fit the theme of the album title "The Resistance" as most of them are very obviously about rising up against oppressors and whatnot but it's decidedly un-rock n' roll and more atmospheric. My favorite song on the album other than the main single "The Uprising" is "United States Of Eurasia" because it is SUPER epic and has a very very cool bohemian rhapsody moment that i absolutely adore.
The album has a very synthy, atmospheric feel to it and even ends with a symphony in 3 movements that would fit in just as well at an opera-house as it would to an arena full of rabid hipsters; this album is definitely deserving of a 9/10.
Fu Manchu - Signs Of Infinite Power
I must admit that i am incredibly biased about this album because i am 100% obsessed with this band. With that out of the way, i am, of course, excited about the release of this album, and even though it's only been 2 years since their last album, it feels like forever.
Their Century Media debut "We Must Obey" was an absolute work of art! Needless to say, my expectations for the follow-up were alot higher and though i will go on the record saying this album isn't better than 'Obey, it is most certainly not worse. They seem to have gotten alot fuzzier on this album and have gone back to the roots of their sound, as alot of these songs are very reminiscent of the Brant Bjork days, which is pretty cool. Their are still alot of monstrous riffs and plenty of songs to drive fast/skateboard to.
The thing that gets me about this album is that most bands who sign to a major label and take on a different sound for their debut generally appear doomed, but not only did Fu Manchu take on a different sound with their major label debut, it worked really really well, but the kicker is...they actually reverted back to their previous sound on their new album, generally bands on majors nowadays tend to go awry on their followup and take their previously redefined sound and ruin it completely by trying to capitalize on their success, but Fu Manchu just went back to their older sound and fuzzed everything out alot and brought back a really old-school vibe to their sound and for that i applaud them very loudly, 9.5/10 album.
Steel Panther - Feel The Steel
Okay, so i must admit...i used to have a slight obsession with hair metal bands my freshmen year of high school, an obsession that lead to me getting into some great bands like Guns N' Roses, and Van Halen, and of course there were bands like Dokken and Ratt and Motley Crue and even Def Leppard. Of course i'd be lying if i said that i don't still have alot of those bands on my zune.
With that being said, i'm extremely excited about Steel Panther! This album has all the punch and zazz that made those bands great, except they don't take themselves seriously. In the song "Death To All But Metal" there are alot of awesome jabs at people like Britney Spears, Madonna, Papa Roach, Sheryl Crow, and of course the line "50 Cent's a fag, so is Kanye West, shootin hot sperm, on each others chest!" haha, gotta love it!
Their lyrics are cheeky, the music is actually pretty good, the album has alot of re-playability and will have you both laughing and banging your head at the same time which makes me feel okay with giving it a 9/10.
Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
*speaking in redneck accent* "Bruh, look! Aylic n' chaynz got a new al-bum out, wunder how dey sound now dat ole boy is ded...i bet it aint no gud without 'im"
Most people at the store seem to echo that sentiment, to which my mental reply is "yeah dumb-dumb, cause Layne Staley played drums, bass, guitar, and wrote all the songs..." because i think it's 100% ignorance to write off a band who's lead singer died, especially when their guitarist wrote most of the songs and gave them alot of the balls that they are famous for.
Now that i'm off my soapbox, i'd like to say that this album is really, really good. There are alot of very solid riffs on this album and you can tell that new singer William DuVall definitely added alot of heart to these songs even though Jerry Cantrell is the one that really propels this album, especially the two hit singles "Check My Brain" and "A Looking In View" which, when played on the radio, i can't turn my volume knob far enough to the right.
Now, there are a few songs on the album that are very similar to Staind and Puddle Of Mudd, however it's unfair to judge them for that because...after all, if not for AIC those bands would still be playing in bars, or wouldnt exist at all. The good on this album most definitely outweigh the more generic radio rock parts which is always good.
I believe that this album proves that Alice In Chains are not only masters of their craft, but are still very much relevant 14 years after their last album obliterated Billboard charts and it is worthy of a 9, however some songs are entirely too long at the album does drag on a bit too much, although that dragging-on feeling fits the mood of the lyrics and music perfectly which is very strange....i give this album a solid 8/10.
Rammstein - Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da
It's been quite a while since Rammstein put out a new album...and i must say, this one is a doozy.
Upon first hearing about this album it was revealed that the first single was called "P*ssy" which immediately caught my attention! And as expected, not only are the songs lyrics in terrible taste, but the song brings a smile to my face every time i hear it because of it's clumsy and perverted nature, but it is so much fun to listen to, and the chorus will stay stuck in your head for eons.
One thing that is very certain about this album is the musicianship though, the synth on this album is phenomenal, they add alot of really good elements to the music beyond the guitar and drums, there's so many really cool sounds going on in it in fact that it's best to listen to this album through headphones. The title track of the album has a very very catchy chorus, as do most songs on the album really.
The whole album is very eerie, finely crafted, and supremely catchy. The fact that you can't understand 98% of the lyrics really gives it a pretty neat little touch because not only are the lyrics in german...but they fit very very well. I have been a fan of alot of their work so i'm used to listening to just the music and ignoring my ignorance to what the songs are about, if you are able to do get past the german and enjoying the music and Til Lindeman's incredibly unique vocal style this album is incredibly enjoyable and i think it's at least an 8/10.
Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
If you're a Wolfmother fan than you are most certainly going to enjoy this album quite a bit.
It's got all of the elements you'd expect from a Wolfmother album. You've got the gobs and gobs of influence from Zeppelin and Sabbath, plus a few new tricks added by a completely revamped lineup including a new drummer, bassist, and an additional guitarist, so naturally this album definitely goes in some new directions. The vocals are still very sabbathian in nature and semi-high pitched, and incredibly unique. The first single off the album "New Moon Rising" is definitely the best song on the album, but at the same time, that song is better than 99% of the stuff i hear on the radio now so that's not really surprising.
There's really no complaints about this album because it achieves everything i would expect from a Wolfmother album; it rocks incredibly hard, it's got some really good sabbathy riffs, plenty of songs that make you wanna shake your body part of choice, and of course it also avoids being a rehashed version of the last album which is always good. This album is at least 8.5/10.
Hatebreed - Hatebreed
Ever since listening to the covers album Hatebreed recently put out, i knew when Jamey Jasta released a new Hatebreed album it would most certainly be a horse of a different color, and i was definitely right...sorta.
You can tell 2 things upon first listen to this album
1: Jamey Jasta has been listening to alot of Crowbar recently, probably a by-product of Kingdom Of Sorrow
and
2: What they lost when Sean Martin left, is made up for a million times over by Frank 3-Gun.
This album has alot of the traditional Hatebreed elements, however they have become decidedly more metal. There are alot of really really awesome guitar solo's and old-school thrash parts on this album that separate it quite a bit from the rest of the Hatebreed discography.
It certainly isn't better than Perseverance, but Hatebreed is an absolutely super-solid album by these guys and though they are a million miles away from their original sound, i'd say Hatebreed have most definitely released an album that proves they are still relevant in the world of metal/hardcore and i think this album deserves an 8/10 for effort.
The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
This is generally the kind of album i tend to avoid, because let's face it the term "Alt-Country" is at times vomit-inducing.
I will admit however, even though this album is classified as country, it is definitely not a typical country album. It is mainly driven by thoughtful lyrics, and alot of piano and acoustic guitar. I don't generally listen to this type of music so it's very hard to use the right verbage to describe it, but based on what i could tell, this album is very happy and folky and it has some very creative parts and at times the vocalist sounds like Aaron Weiss from mewithoutYou but a little less free-spirited.
I would imagine that this album would be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of: Bright Eyes, Bob Dylan, Fleet Foxes, and Wilco. I actually enjoyed this, at times i wish it would have had a little more energy, but i think that giving it a 7/10 is a fair judgement based on the fact that these guys could have made a much better album if they had pepped it up a little bit and lost the boring country parts.
Relient K - Forget & Not Slow Down
I've been overtly criticised many times for my unabashed love of Relient K and not once has it caused me any disdain towards them, because plain and simple, this band is incredibly creative and insanely talented.
Over the years the change in Relient K's sound has been not only insanely obvious, but also incredibly smooth, the way they shifted from a typical tongue-in-cheek pop punk band, to a tongue-in-cheek pop punk band with thoughtful lyrics, to a highly accessible pop punk band with very well told stories and a wide array of different instruments at their disposal.
These songs are not nearly as catchy as those from mmmhmmm, but they have taken the creative storytelling from their last album and advanced it quite a bit, every song seems to be a story, some even have intro's and outro's that flow smoothly and don't stick out too much which is pretty cool.
Without repeating myself too much i'll just say that this album is very happy and contains typical Relient K style catchy songs and alot of really cool progressive instrumentations, but it doesnt stray too incredibly far from the sound they've developed over the last few years. This album gets a well-deserved 8/10.
Jesu - Opiate Sun Ep
To quote Marvin Tickvah "4 al-bums with ya name on em in 1 yee-uh? cobb-on justin broadrick...cobb-on..."
Okay, so i'll admit i was incredibly psyched when the Greymachine project with Justin Broadrick and Aaron Turner was announced, even more psyched to find out that Jesu - Infinity was coming out too, then i saw where Mr. Broadrick was releasing the old final demos under the name White Static Demon...and i thought "uhh...okay...guess you gotta clean out the closet of some older stuff" and now this, Justin Broadrick has put out his 4th album of the year, which normally would never be a bad thing, except for the fact that this album sounds identical to every other Jesu album and really doesnt have any discernible differences that make it just completely amazing.
With that said...I really dig this album and i think it's got some really cool songs on it. It's got really good heavy guitar-tone plus the vocals are absolutely beautiful and it's most definitely a good album to listen to in the winter in front of a fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand and your other arm around the neck of the one you love, which is odd for a Jesu album, but not really, so to avoid sounding like another Jesu fan pissed because of over-saturation of my zune i'll just say that this album is a solid effort and gets at 7/10 rating even though it deserves higher.
Lye By Mistake - Fea Jur
I once had the luck/good fortune of seeing this band live once in a dive-bar in Shreveport and i couldnt be anymore excited about this fact.
Freshly signed to Blackmarket Activities like most of their friends, Lye By Mistake have finally put a new albumt out, but with one glaring difference, it's instrumental! As much as i love their old singer Tony, i think that this was probably the best possible direction this band could go in, because frankly, as talented as they all are i think that the dillinger-esque screams subtracted ever so slightly from certainn people being able to enjoy this band.
This album is an absolute wet dream for fans of instrumental music, metal with a bit of jazz-infusion, guitar shredding, and well played music.
It's really kind of a moot point to go into too much detail into this album so i'll leave it at this, Fea Jur is a smorgasbord of acid-jazz and instrumental metal but with guitar shredding that is absolutely to die for! The drummer and bassist lay a solid foundation throughout and Josh Bauman destroys it all with a jackhammer with his incredibly skilled guitar-work. This album rules alot and if you like instrumental metal then its definitely worth your time. It gets a 9/10.
Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate
Black Dahlia is a band that has taken quite a while to grow on me but with this new album they've finally produced something that is very for me to listen to multiple times.
Their past few albums had alot of parts where the vocals were horribly annoying and there were no discernible riffs to really get the blood boiling, on Deflorate however that is most definitely not the case. The addition of one of Arsis's 5 Million ex-guitarists Ryan Knight, and Trevor Strnad's new found ability to lay down legitimate vocals makes this album without a dout, a million times better than their previous albums, it took them alot longer than most of the bands in their genre to release their best album, but this one is most definitely a doozie. There's just alot of really really good, really brutal riffs on this album, and the production is solid, my only complaint is Strnad's lyrics...their pretty stupid.
This album blows their entire discography away and is full of some very memorable and very listenable riffs that are very much relevant today, and for that i think this album is an 8.5/10.
Muse - The Resistance
What can i say about this album that hasnt already been said, it's really epic.
I kind of knew that this album was going to rule based on their insanely rising popularity amongst twilight fans, and the fact that this band rarely writes a bad song. This album has so many epic parts in it that it's almost too much to deal with at times, i mean it's REALLY epic, the lyrics fit the theme of the album title "The Resistance" as most of them are very obviously about rising up against oppressors and whatnot but it's decidedly un-rock n' roll and more atmospheric. My favorite song on the album other than the main single "The Uprising" is "United States Of Eurasia" because it is SUPER epic and has a very very cool bohemian rhapsody moment that i absolutely adore.
The album has a very synthy, atmospheric feel to it and even ends with a symphony in 3 movements that would fit in just as well at an opera-house as it would to an arena full of rabid hipsters; this album is definitely deserving of a 9/10.
Fu Manchu - Signs Of Infinite Power
I must admit that i am incredibly biased about this album because i am 100% obsessed with this band. With that out of the way, i am, of course, excited about the release of this album, and even though it's only been 2 years since their last album, it feels like forever.
Their Century Media debut "We Must Obey" was an absolute work of art! Needless to say, my expectations for the follow-up were alot higher and though i will go on the record saying this album isn't better than 'Obey, it is most certainly not worse. They seem to have gotten alot fuzzier on this album and have gone back to the roots of their sound, as alot of these songs are very reminiscent of the Brant Bjork days, which is pretty cool. Their are still alot of monstrous riffs and plenty of songs to drive fast/skateboard to.
The thing that gets me about this album is that most bands who sign to a major label and take on a different sound for their debut generally appear doomed, but not only did Fu Manchu take on a different sound with their major label debut, it worked really really well, but the kicker is...they actually reverted back to their previous sound on their new album, generally bands on majors nowadays tend to go awry on their followup and take their previously redefined sound and ruin it completely by trying to capitalize on their success, but Fu Manchu just went back to their older sound and fuzzed everything out alot and brought back a really old-school vibe to their sound and for that i applaud them very loudly, 9.5/10 album.
Steel Panther - Feel The Steel
Okay, so i must admit...i used to have a slight obsession with hair metal bands my freshmen year of high school, an obsession that lead to me getting into some great bands like Guns N' Roses, and Van Halen, and of course there were bands like Dokken and Ratt and Motley Crue and even Def Leppard. Of course i'd be lying if i said that i don't still have alot of those bands on my zune.
With that being said, i'm extremely excited about Steel Panther! This album has all the punch and zazz that made those bands great, except they don't take themselves seriously. In the song "Death To All But Metal" there are alot of awesome jabs at people like Britney Spears, Madonna, Papa Roach, Sheryl Crow, and of course the line "50 Cent's a fag, so is Kanye West, shootin hot sperm, on each others chest!" haha, gotta love it!
Their lyrics are cheeky, the music is actually pretty good, the album has alot of re-playability and will have you both laughing and banging your head at the same time which makes me feel okay with giving it a 9/10.
Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
*speaking in redneck accent* "Bruh, look! Aylic n' chaynz got a new al-bum out, wunder how dey sound now dat ole boy is ded...i bet it aint no gud without 'im"
Most people at the store seem to echo that sentiment, to which my mental reply is "yeah dumb-dumb, cause Layne Staley played drums, bass, guitar, and wrote all the songs..." because i think it's 100% ignorance to write off a band who's lead singer died, especially when their guitarist wrote most of the songs and gave them alot of the balls that they are famous for.
Now that i'm off my soapbox, i'd like to say that this album is really, really good. There are alot of very solid riffs on this album and you can tell that new singer William DuVall definitely added alot of heart to these songs even though Jerry Cantrell is the one that really propels this album, especially the two hit singles "Check My Brain" and "A Looking In View" which, when played on the radio, i can't turn my volume knob far enough to the right.
Now, there are a few songs on the album that are very similar to Staind and Puddle Of Mudd, however it's unfair to judge them for that because...after all, if not for AIC those bands would still be playing in bars, or wouldnt exist at all. The good on this album most definitely outweigh the more generic radio rock parts which is always good.
I believe that this album proves that Alice In Chains are not only masters of their craft, but are still very much relevant 14 years after their last album obliterated Billboard charts and it is worthy of a 9, however some songs are entirely too long at the album does drag on a bit too much, although that dragging-on feeling fits the mood of the lyrics and music perfectly which is very strange....i give this album a solid 8/10.
Rammstein - Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da
It's been quite a while since Rammstein put out a new album...and i must say, this one is a doozy.
Upon first hearing about this album it was revealed that the first single was called "P*ssy" which immediately caught my attention! And as expected, not only are the songs lyrics in terrible taste, but the song brings a smile to my face every time i hear it because of it's clumsy and perverted nature, but it is so much fun to listen to, and the chorus will stay stuck in your head for eons.
One thing that is very certain about this album is the musicianship though, the synth on this album is phenomenal, they add alot of really good elements to the music beyond the guitar and drums, there's so many really cool sounds going on in it in fact that it's best to listen to this album through headphones. The title track of the album has a very very catchy chorus, as do most songs on the album really.
The whole album is very eerie, finely crafted, and supremely catchy. The fact that you can't understand 98% of the lyrics really gives it a pretty neat little touch because not only are the lyrics in german...but they fit very very well. I have been a fan of alot of their work so i'm used to listening to just the music and ignoring my ignorance to what the songs are about, if you are able to do get past the german and enjoying the music and Til Lindeman's incredibly unique vocal style this album is incredibly enjoyable and i think it's at least an 8/10.
Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
If you're a Wolfmother fan than you are most certainly going to enjoy this album quite a bit.
It's got all of the elements you'd expect from a Wolfmother album. You've got the gobs and gobs of influence from Zeppelin and Sabbath, plus a few new tricks added by a completely revamped lineup including a new drummer, bassist, and an additional guitarist, so naturally this album definitely goes in some new directions. The vocals are still very sabbathian in nature and semi-high pitched, and incredibly unique. The first single off the album "New Moon Rising" is definitely the best song on the album, but at the same time, that song is better than 99% of the stuff i hear on the radio now so that's not really surprising.
There's really no complaints about this album because it achieves everything i would expect from a Wolfmother album; it rocks incredibly hard, it's got some really good sabbathy riffs, plenty of songs that make you wanna shake your body part of choice, and of course it also avoids being a rehashed version of the last album which is always good. This album is at least 8.5/10.
Hatebreed - Hatebreed
Ever since listening to the covers album Hatebreed recently put out, i knew when Jamey Jasta released a new Hatebreed album it would most certainly be a horse of a different color, and i was definitely right...sorta.
You can tell 2 things upon first listen to this album
1: Jamey Jasta has been listening to alot of Crowbar recently, probably a by-product of Kingdom Of Sorrow
and
2: What they lost when Sean Martin left, is made up for a million times over by Frank 3-Gun.
This album has alot of the traditional Hatebreed elements, however they have become decidedly more metal. There are alot of really really awesome guitar solo's and old-school thrash parts on this album that separate it quite a bit from the rest of the Hatebreed discography.
It certainly isn't better than Perseverance, but Hatebreed is an absolutely super-solid album by these guys and though they are a million miles away from their original sound, i'd say Hatebreed have most definitely released an album that proves they are still relevant in the world of metal/hardcore and i think this album deserves an 8/10 for effort.
The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
This is generally the kind of album i tend to avoid, because let's face it the term "Alt-Country" is at times vomit-inducing.
I will admit however, even though this album is classified as country, it is definitely not a typical country album. It is mainly driven by thoughtful lyrics, and alot of piano and acoustic guitar. I don't generally listen to this type of music so it's very hard to use the right verbage to describe it, but based on what i could tell, this album is very happy and folky and it has some very creative parts and at times the vocalist sounds like Aaron Weiss from mewithoutYou but a little less free-spirited.
I would imagine that this album would be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of: Bright Eyes, Bob Dylan, Fleet Foxes, and Wilco. I actually enjoyed this, at times i wish it would have had a little more energy, but i think that giving it a 7/10 is a fair judgement based on the fact that these guys could have made a much better album if they had pepped it up a little bit and lost the boring country parts.
Relient K - Forget & Not Slow Down
I've been overtly criticised many times for my unabashed love of Relient K and not once has it caused me any disdain towards them, because plain and simple, this band is incredibly creative and insanely talented.
Over the years the change in Relient K's sound has been not only insanely obvious, but also incredibly smooth, the way they shifted from a typical tongue-in-cheek pop punk band, to a tongue-in-cheek pop punk band with thoughtful lyrics, to a highly accessible pop punk band with very well told stories and a wide array of different instruments at their disposal.
These songs are not nearly as catchy as those from mmmhmmm, but they have taken the creative storytelling from their last album and advanced it quite a bit, every song seems to be a story, some even have intro's and outro's that flow smoothly and don't stick out too much which is pretty cool.
Without repeating myself too much i'll just say that this album is very happy and contains typical Relient K style catchy songs and alot of really cool progressive instrumentations, but it doesnt stray too incredibly far from the sound they've developed over the last few years. This album gets a well-deserved 8/10.
Jesu - Opiate Sun Ep
To quote Marvin Tickvah "4 al-bums with ya name on em in 1 yee-uh? cobb-on justin broadrick...cobb-on..."
Okay, so i'll admit i was incredibly psyched when the Greymachine project with Justin Broadrick and Aaron Turner was announced, even more psyched to find out that Jesu - Infinity was coming out too, then i saw where Mr. Broadrick was releasing the old final demos under the name White Static Demon...and i thought "uhh...okay...guess you gotta clean out the closet of some older stuff" and now this, Justin Broadrick has put out his 4th album of the year, which normally would never be a bad thing, except for the fact that this album sounds identical to every other Jesu album and really doesnt have any discernible differences that make it just completely amazing.
With that said...I really dig this album and i think it's got some really cool songs on it. It's got really good heavy guitar-tone plus the vocals are absolutely beautiful and it's most definitely a good album to listen to in the winter in front of a fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand and your other arm around the neck of the one you love, which is odd for a Jesu album, but not really, so to avoid sounding like another Jesu fan pissed because of over-saturation of my zune i'll just say that this album is a solid effort and gets at 7/10 rating even though it deserves higher.
Lye By Mistake - Fea Jur
I once had the luck/good fortune of seeing this band live once in a dive-bar in Shreveport and i couldnt be anymore excited about this fact.
Freshly signed to Blackmarket Activities like most of their friends, Lye By Mistake have finally put a new albumt out, but with one glaring difference, it's instrumental! As much as i love their old singer Tony, i think that this was probably the best possible direction this band could go in, because frankly, as talented as they all are i think that the dillinger-esque screams subtracted ever so slightly from certainn people being able to enjoy this band.
This album is an absolute wet dream for fans of instrumental music, metal with a bit of jazz-infusion, guitar shredding, and well played music.
It's really kind of a moot point to go into too much detail into this album so i'll leave it at this, Fea Jur is a smorgasbord of acid-jazz and instrumental metal but with guitar shredding that is absolutely to die for! The drummer and bassist lay a solid foundation throughout and Josh Bauman destroys it all with a jackhammer with his incredibly skilled guitar-work. This album rules alot and if you like instrumental metal then its definitely worth your time. It gets a 9/10.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Mini Music Reviews Pt 1. (The Cream Of The Crop)
So i've built up a massive backlog of awesome albums that need to be reviewed so for your viewing pleasure this is the first batch of music reviews that i'm working on...these albums are the real cream of the crop of what i've been listening to lately...there will however, be more to come later that has lots of good stuff in it as well so stay tuned...
#1. Converge - Axe To Fall
After attending a listening party for this album i can't stop listening to it! This album has been one of my most anticipated albums of the year ever since they released random practice footage and an announcement that a new album was coming. By far, one of the best songs on the album is "Dark Horse" when it starts out with just furious furious riffing you know your in for a very bumpy ride, from their the songs only get riffier, nastier, and more vicious.
There are alot of guest spots on this album, but my favorite is Steve Von Till from Neurosis, because his is by far the most disgusting thing he, or Converge have done in quite a while.
Basically, this band can do no wrong, and have done no wrong yet again with this album, it is without a doubt a 10/10 album.
#2. Baroness - The Blue Record
This album is also very very difficult to stop listening to. It's got so many awesome elements to it, it's very very doomy and heavy, but at times also incredibly catchy and reminiscent of classic rock like Thin Lizzy.
Baroness manages to take what their contemporaries in Kylesa, Torche, and Mastodon have done with their classic rock and metal influences and expanded upon it even further with this album, the guitar leads are absolutely gorgeous! This is a hard album for me to review though honestly because i like it so much that it's really hard to nail down one thing that's awesome about it accept for the fact that it's just a nice amalgamation of catchy classic rock riffs and doomy metal destruction to put a big smile on my face and especially on the faces of fans of mastodon, torche, and kylesa
This album is also without question a 10/10.
#3. Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder
Oh man...talk about a dream-team of doom. Everything Scott Kelly touches turns awesome so naturally when you combine him with the master of Doom metal Wino, and Al Cisneros the incredible bassist from Sleep and Om and Dale Crover of The Melvins you're going to get really awesome results.
"The dark signal returns", from the second the album starts you can tell it's going to rule, Dale Crover's drums come in quite noisily while Wino starts out on vocals and then leads to Scott Kelly who comes in and destroys the entire rockin tone Crover and Wino had going and they proceed to take the song in many different directions. Basically the sum of Shrinebuilders parts are equally as awesome as the whole. I had really high expectations that this album would be awesome, and it totally is.
To sum this album up without going too fanboy i'll say this; Wino and Kelly provide a vicious 1-2 punch of doom, rock n' roll, and beautiful noise while Crover and Cisneros provide an incredibly solid rhythm section, and every member has their moment to shine on this album where the vibe at the time sounds like one of their previous projects...which i don't think was meant to happen...it just kind of came out...which is awesome that these guys can just play what comes natural and manage to have the other 3 musicians going along with it perfectly without missing a beat. There is not one bad song on this album...in fact there isn't anything bad about this album except that it's entirely too short.
This album is also VERY deserving of a 10/10 because it rules entirely too much.
#4. The Gates Of Slumber - Hymns Of Blood And Thunder
This album is yet another amazing album that i've spent alot of time listening to lately because it is just really really good and well put together, i had not heard these guys until it was announced they signed to metal blade, then i read a glowing review of them that intrigued me to listen to this album and needless to say...it rules...alot.
It's got a very throwback sound very reminiscent to Black Sabbath and Candlemass, as in, it's incredibly doomy and the lyrics are very battle-oriented but the music has a very analog-tone and it sounds like it was recorded in the 70's which is pretty cool, the only other band nowadays that can really master the old school sound without sounding too cheesy is The Sword, which these guys are very reminiscent of.
This album has alot of awesome songs like "Beneath The Eyes of Mars" which has a very Sleep-oriented vibe which is very cool, the only downside to this album is that it's just entirely too long; it's one of those albums where certain parts just drag on forever and i find myself wondering when the album will finally end which is not a good thing...but this album is still good enough to deserve an 8.5/10 because it's got alot of really really awesome parts in it.
#5. Pelican - What We All Come To Need
Pelican have forged a very devoted fanbase (myself included) who are very fond of their instrumental doodlings, and they have taken a very big turn in sound over the years; with the release of their Southern Lord Records debut Ep "Ephemeral" you could tell they were undergoing a major overhaul in their sound...it was becoming MUCH crunchier and alot more rock oriented and on their first full length for Southern Lord you can tell the overhaul is finished because this album is a completely different sound from their previous efforts, it's alot faster and the riffs are ALOT bigger and crunchier and dirtier than before, rather than relying on atmosphere to take over like before, Pelican are letting their guitars do all the talking.
When i saw Pelican live earlier this year i remember being disappointed by their song structure because they didnt play any songs from "fire in our throats" however, i did notice that the standout songs were all the ones from the Ephemeral Ep and the rest of the songs just lacked punch after hearing these big crunchy riffy monstrosities. Plus, the drums and bass set a very very solid rhythm section which helps contribute a great deal to the awesome punch that this album seems to pack in a major way.
Needless to say, Pelican have put out yet another gem...albeit one that may take a little getting used to (hint: their are semi-vocals!) but it's definitely a really good step in the right direction for these guys because as heavy and crunchy as it is...it is still equally as catchy and happy and awesome. This album definitely merits a 9/10
#1. Converge - Axe To Fall
After attending a listening party for this album i can't stop listening to it! This album has been one of my most anticipated albums of the year ever since they released random practice footage and an announcement that a new album was coming. By far, one of the best songs on the album is "Dark Horse" when it starts out with just furious furious riffing you know your in for a very bumpy ride, from their the songs only get riffier, nastier, and more vicious.
There are alot of guest spots on this album, but my favorite is Steve Von Till from Neurosis, because his is by far the most disgusting thing he, or Converge have done in quite a while.
Basically, this band can do no wrong, and have done no wrong yet again with this album, it is without a doubt a 10/10 album.
#2. Baroness - The Blue Record
This album is also very very difficult to stop listening to. It's got so many awesome elements to it, it's very very doomy and heavy, but at times also incredibly catchy and reminiscent of classic rock like Thin Lizzy.
Baroness manages to take what their contemporaries in Kylesa, Torche, and Mastodon have done with their classic rock and metal influences and expanded upon it even further with this album, the guitar leads are absolutely gorgeous! This is a hard album for me to review though honestly because i like it so much that it's really hard to nail down one thing that's awesome about it accept for the fact that it's just a nice amalgamation of catchy classic rock riffs and doomy metal destruction to put a big smile on my face and especially on the faces of fans of mastodon, torche, and kylesa
This album is also without question a 10/10.
#3. Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder
Oh man...talk about a dream-team of doom. Everything Scott Kelly touches turns awesome so naturally when you combine him with the master of Doom metal Wino, and Al Cisneros the incredible bassist from Sleep and Om and Dale Crover of The Melvins you're going to get really awesome results.
"The dark signal returns", from the second the album starts you can tell it's going to rule, Dale Crover's drums come in quite noisily while Wino starts out on vocals and then leads to Scott Kelly who comes in and destroys the entire rockin tone Crover and Wino had going and they proceed to take the song in many different directions. Basically the sum of Shrinebuilders parts are equally as awesome as the whole. I had really high expectations that this album would be awesome, and it totally is.
To sum this album up without going too fanboy i'll say this; Wino and Kelly provide a vicious 1-2 punch of doom, rock n' roll, and beautiful noise while Crover and Cisneros provide an incredibly solid rhythm section, and every member has their moment to shine on this album where the vibe at the time sounds like one of their previous projects...which i don't think was meant to happen...it just kind of came out...which is awesome that these guys can just play what comes natural and manage to have the other 3 musicians going along with it perfectly without missing a beat. There is not one bad song on this album...in fact there isn't anything bad about this album except that it's entirely too short.
This album is also VERY deserving of a 10/10 because it rules entirely too much.
#4. The Gates Of Slumber - Hymns Of Blood And Thunder
This album is yet another amazing album that i've spent alot of time listening to lately because it is just really really good and well put together, i had not heard these guys until it was announced they signed to metal blade, then i read a glowing review of them that intrigued me to listen to this album and needless to say...it rules...alot.
It's got a very throwback sound very reminiscent to Black Sabbath and Candlemass, as in, it's incredibly doomy and the lyrics are very battle-oriented but the music has a very analog-tone and it sounds like it was recorded in the 70's which is pretty cool, the only other band nowadays that can really master the old school sound without sounding too cheesy is The Sword, which these guys are very reminiscent of.
This album has alot of awesome songs like "Beneath The Eyes of Mars" which has a very Sleep-oriented vibe which is very cool, the only downside to this album is that it's just entirely too long; it's one of those albums where certain parts just drag on forever and i find myself wondering when the album will finally end which is not a good thing...but this album is still good enough to deserve an 8.5/10 because it's got alot of really really awesome parts in it.
#5. Pelican - What We All Come To Need
Pelican have forged a very devoted fanbase (myself included) who are very fond of their instrumental doodlings, and they have taken a very big turn in sound over the years; with the release of their Southern Lord Records debut Ep "Ephemeral" you could tell they were undergoing a major overhaul in their sound...it was becoming MUCH crunchier and alot more rock oriented and on their first full length for Southern Lord you can tell the overhaul is finished because this album is a completely different sound from their previous efforts, it's alot faster and the riffs are ALOT bigger and crunchier and dirtier than before, rather than relying on atmosphere to take over like before, Pelican are letting their guitars do all the talking.
When i saw Pelican live earlier this year i remember being disappointed by their song structure because they didnt play any songs from "fire in our throats" however, i did notice that the standout songs were all the ones from the Ephemeral Ep and the rest of the songs just lacked punch after hearing these big crunchy riffy monstrosities. Plus, the drums and bass set a very very solid rhythm section which helps contribute a great deal to the awesome punch that this album seems to pack in a major way.
Needless to say, Pelican have put out yet another gem...albeit one that may take a little getting used to (hint: their are semi-vocals!) but it's definitely a really good step in the right direction for these guys because as heavy and crunchy as it is...it is still equally as catchy and happy and awesome. This album definitely merits a 9/10
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