Saturday, August 12. 2006
I had no idea what to expect when I put this disc in the player, I ended up playing it three times in a row. I then put on two other newly acquired releases......they didn’t last 5 minutes, and I listened to the Torchbearer two more times. This is a great release, and with hooks like these you’d swear your brain was bleeding from them latching onto your mind.
I was starting to think that some of this was very predictable, which at times can be annoying. Then I realized to my surprise what I was predicting was actually what I was hoping to hear, not dreading. After about 20 seconds of the first song you start to think things like these guys are going to be great, and man the sound is crisp, modern and heavy. There’s so much influence from many genres of metal that it is astounding they could be meshed together in such a great way without anything being overdone, and nothing weak to ruin it.
The guitars are catchy, sometimes a little more melodic than I like to hear but the record in itself is irresistible. I guess you probably figured that out since I listened to it 5 times in a single day. If you read my bio you will know I prefer the harshest heaviest types of metal, and this is not exactly my favorite style. However what makes this band so killer is I could see them opening for some tough crowds with any major death or black metal bands and them being more than tolerated, I can see this appealing to many metal heads regardless of what they prefer to listen to. This record has no boring parts, it is an interesting listen and it astounds me that things so familiar could enter my mind seeming so fresh, as if it is a rejuvenated improved version of more traditional metal gone as heavy as modern metal of this day and age.
I was not a big Testament fan, but I definitely acknowledge Alex Skolnick as one of the most phenomenal guitarist I ever had a chance to see. Some of the soloing on this record reminded me of his style and that is seriously impressive. This band could somewhat be described as a power metal band gone death metal. The drumming is more aggressive and the vocals are much heavier than the overly melodic operatic type power metal that people who listen to much heavier music find annoying. Vocally it is death/ black metal, no actual singing here. These guys are extremely talented. This a well written, great sounding record and this band shows some serious promise. I look forward to hearing more from them and hope you check them out. This is not regurgitated crap, this sounds like a record written by guys who know their metal and found a phenomenal way to manifest their influence into one great record, buy it!
From the Candelight Records site:
The debut album Yersinia Pestis was released by Metalblade under license from Cold Records throughout Europe/US in 2004. The new album Warnaments is, like the debut album, a concept album lyricwise. While the debut dealt with the black plague and its way through medieval Europe, Warnaments deals with two special occations from World War One. Mainly itÌ?'s about the Battle of Jutland, which was a massive naval battle between the British and the Germans. Apart from that, two of the songs concern the sinking of a German submarine outside the coast of Great Britain in 1915.
Wednesday, July 26. 2006
I haven't had the time to listen carefully to these new indie releases, and while I can usually form my opinions based on the shallowest of criteria quickest listen when it comes to dance music, most indie/alt recordings deserve more attention. And yet, there are still only 24 hours in a day.
I'm not sure about Hallelujah Sirens. Their new CD is Dirty on Purpose, a Mogwai-ish sophomore effort released late last month. They tend to grab me because I'm a sucker for that chiming guitar thing, but the music is maybe a bit drowsy. It's all about the interweaving vocals and the guitar special effects and although it's more focused than their first album, the title of that previous release sums up how I feel about this one: Sleep Late for a Better Tomorrow. Which isn't a bad thing. Just, you know, drowsy.
I'm not a Belle & Sebastian fan, but I can't resist B&S proteges Camera Osbscura, whose third CD, Let's Get Out of this Country, was released in June. Chimey guitars (yeah, I'm fucking predictable, bite me), pretty vocals, and an air of enchanting poppiness infuse the recording. They also dabble in a kind of country-ish thing on a few cuts, most notably the standout track "Dory Previn." I don't really think this is as sweet as it seems at first, but then again, it might be.
I'm sort of morally opposed to concept albums, although in my younger years, I wore through three copies of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis when they were still Peter Gabriel's bitches. But usually when I hear a band is doing a concept album I want to just hide my eyes and cover my ears. And mabye The Early November felt the same way, because I've heard they almost broke up several times while writing and recording their massive three-disc concept CD The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path. This story of a boy's troubled relationship with his father, and his subsequent troubled relationship with his own child is getting great reviews and I guess I'm just cranky and irritable because it's not working for me. They do, though, put the "rock" in "indie ROCK," definitely not a pop moment in sight. Keep my bias in mind and maybe give it a try.
Sunday, July 23. 2006
Thanks to Candelight Records US Office for contributing to club.kingsnake.com! One of the first discs they sent me to review is the new Gorgoroth. What a tremendous release it is!
This band has been around for many years now and the name Gorgoroth has been etched into the minds of many worshipers of Norwegian black metal. This record is definitely my favorite but I think some fans of their older harsher releases will not be too into it. Tough shit on them, as this is really a killer record
Rather than draw comparisons to the old recordings I will focus on the new one. The production is awesome, a good sounding record without being too over produced. Everything is audible and clear but not too digitized. I hear some death metal influence and even some traditional metal riffing thrown in the mix,. I remember years back when black metal was very specific as far as the style and sound, very un-death metal. This has changed a lot and this record has balls, as the heavier guitar sound of death metal is apparent. The song writing is excellent. The vocals are varied and really fit in with the feel of this record, I love it. The record is the type that really held my attention. Zoning out with the different feel from song to song and of course when the band goes into brutal mode it is definitive of what extreme metal should be, especially from a legendary band out of Norway.
The long list of musicians who have contributed to the history of Gorgoroth must be raising their swords in honor of this glorious attack on the senses. I think this record will attract some new fans who may not have been much into the older records, but if the next record was a slopfest of harsh destructive noise, or ambient melody or anything in between, nothing would surprise me. Black metal has mutated a lot since it’s rise to popularity. Some of it sucks and some of it is just a gift to the world of extreme music. This release seems to be in comparison to the way bands like Behemoth and Immortal chose to go in a more serious direction. What I mean by that is some bands prefer to stick with recordings released by themselves through mail order only or despise the thought of appealing to the masses. They care little for sound quality and expect to attract a small audience of “true� kult fans. They try to come off as the harshest of the harsh as if their lives revolve around the band and destruction of serious ideals of what most people would see as normal is what they want you to believe they focus on. This attitude works well for some, but what they don’t tell you is they live with their parents and spend the majority of their time looking for the most obscure bands on the planet in an attempt to be cool. Gorgoroth are apparently trying to spread their message and music with better song writing that does seem more appealing to the masses, but not in some bullshit sell out way! It is just a very easy-to-get-into record. Easy to inspire you let out your aggressions and get your neck in a brace.
Knowing the band's strong beliefs and history in the back metal uprising this must be a very important record to them. With unbelievable set backs to people unfamiliar with black metal such as suicide and imprisonment and of course not being on the same page with some of the former members this record is a triumph. Founding member Infernus has overcome a lot and hopefully has secured a lineup to deliver their message of hate and a true wake up call to ask yourself what you believe in,.....and why? Infernus has had some well known musicians contribute to Gogoroths recordings such as Frost of Satyricon, Samoth of Emperor/Zyklon, and now Dirge Rep from Enslaved for live performances. It seems the three members who will be looked at as names to be heard again in the band are Gaahl on vocals and King on bass and of course Infernus on guitars. Frost played drums on this recording and as usual he did a tremendous job.
I highly recommend this release, it is by far one of the best I have heard in a while. To run through this band's discography and get to this phenomenal record would be a journey into darkness with times being almost too much to handle mentally, yet to finally get to this record would leave you in shock, with screams of anguish and hate and a violent whirlwind of noise in your mind......this is the real deal. Horns up for Gorgoroth, this record is worthy of worship. TRUE Norwegian black metal from some of the most serious men in corpse paint. Buy it.
In the US it’s on Candelight Records, the release date was July 15.
In Europe...Regain Records.
Wednesday, July 19. 2006
This is pretty much a can't-miss disc for fans of the South African band Seether. Continuing with MTV's unplugged concept, Seether performs a special live acoustic set of some of their best songs at a small club. Lucky for us, not only did they make an audio recording, they also recorded a DVD, which is included.
I love Seether, so for me this was like a slice of hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream, hard to turn down, and when finished I was left greedily hoping for more. Even though this is an acoustic set, it still rocks. One thing that really struck me when listening to this disc is Seether's aural resemblance to Nirvana on some cuts. Seether is known to cover some Nirvana tunes live, and sometimes the resemblance on this disc can be spooky.
This is one of the cleaner mixes I have heard for a live disc. Kudos go out to the engineers that put this down. There are 12 live songs included on the disc(s). Each one is great.
- Gasoline
- Driven Under
- Diseased
- Truth
- Immortality
- Tied My Hands
| - Sympathetic
- Fine Again
- Broken
- The Gift
- Remedy
- Plastic Man
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An extra bonus on the DVD is a one-hour interview with the band and the CD includes a special "radio edit" of "The Gift."
Saturday, July 15. 2006
As dry and gritty as a West Texas sandstorm, Ray Wylie Hubbard's latest release "Snake Farm" is a slice of texified outlaw blues rock best washed down with a cold Lone Star. Some Texas musicians have earned the right to be called legendary and this disc is a perfect example of why Ray Wylie Hubbard is on that list.
This release couldn't come out of L.A. or Nashville, it just doesn't fit into any of their genre labels and Ray's fusion of Texas country, rock, and blues show much of where Rick Rubin must have come up with the "distressed country" direction that he took with Johnny Cash's final releases. Never mind that I am already partial to the artist, having seen him during the "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mothers" cosmic cowboy days at the Dillo in the 70s, never mind that the album is called "Snake Farm" and has snakes on the cover and you know I am goin' to be partial to that, this is one damn fine disc.
It starts with the title track "Snake Farm" about a guy and his relationship with a gal who works at the snake farm. Though the song is not specific to any particluar snake farm, Ray in fact got the idea and words for the song as he drove past the "infamous" snake farm in New Braunfels, Texas. Not sure if Ray knows of that particular institution's history as a "bawdy house" in the 60s, masquerading as a snake farm, but I digress. It's a great song that evokes the feelings most people have the first time they encounter one of these roadside attractions. I know I felt that way when we would see the signs for one up in Oklahoma on family vacations. We would always scream "EEEEWWWW" and then "Can we stop and see the snakes PLEASE!!!" Of course we never did. I finally saw a snake farm, the one in New Braunfels, but only after I became a herper and by then the reaction had changed from "EEEWWW" to "WOW."
Songs like "Killowatts," "Heartaches and Grease," and "The Way of The Fallen" are masterful and robust yet raw and unrefined. I absolutely love the song "Rabbit," its got a real "thwack" to it. Songs like these could only be penned by someone who has been to the very edge of the precipice and had a good hard look at what lies beyond.
Best Line: "Young pups ask me, what makes my kind, shameless women and pork rinds..." Ray is a true Texas poet laureate. I liked every song on the disc.
Sunday, July 9. 2006
Buckcherry
Manufacturer:Eleven Seven Music
Released:11 April, 2006
When Buckcherry first came out I didn't want to like them. Yeah sure, in the past I partied pretty hard, but a mega hit song about cocaine? Come on now, that's just plain bad. Then I kept listening. I got Time Bomb. I got hooked.
To me Buckcherry is the glam of the new century. I hear a lot of things that remind me of bands like LA Guns, GNR, even Crue at times. They are a little rougher around the edges, but they are to me at least the New Glam Metal. They sing about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll and they make it seem fun again.
"Crazy Bitch" is the first song I heard off of this on Bubba the Love Sponge's Show used as bumper music. So what if I am a bubba mark, I sure as hell wasn't going to hear this song OFF of satellite radio. And if I did, it wasn't going to be anywhere near as fun. Come on, a song about sex with a half crazed woman? Tell me that isn't glam. Unfortunately it is catchy as hell, and let me tell ya the folks at the grocery store give me dirty looks when the song gets stuck on repeat in my brain.
Everything is a sweet sounding song about basically a girl having a shit ass life. "Sorry" is the true glam love ballad. The apology song. "Carousel," a song about broken romance. "Brooklyn," a song about rock star life.
Sure there is no substance. Sure it's a whole lotta fluff. Sure it's catchy and will probably get some mainstream air play (can't tell ya for sure tho). But it's a damned fun CD. It's glam, but it's damned fun.
Song List
So Far
Next to you
Out Of Line
Carousel
Sorry
Crazy Bitch
Onset
Sunshine
Brooklyn
Broken Glass
Fave Songs
Crazy Bitch
Sorry
Broken Glass
Wednesday, June 28. 2006
Billy Talent
Billy Talent II
Atlantic Records/Warner Music Canada
Every song on the album is strong. Every song on the album is angst-ridden, angry, or jaded. Ben Kowalewicz's nasal vocals and larynx bruising screams are in fine form.
For me the shining star in this band is guitarist Ian D'sa. His machine gun riffing style is unique and he somehow manages to make a chimey clean guitar sound incredibly heavy as it teeters on the edge of breaking up. With the exception of the fuzzed-out tone on "Devil in a Midnight Mass," Ian's heavy tone allows every note to be heard and the cool chord inversions don't just disappear under a wall of distortion.
That being said, "Devil in a Midnight Mass" does feature what has to be one of the heaviest guitar riffs ever recorded.
"Pins and Needles" and "Surrender" are the closest Billy Talent get to a ballad. They don't get too close though.
"Worker Bees" has anthem written all over it. I can't wait to hear it live.
So much for the sophomore jinx. Canada's Billy Talent have taken their unique music style and crafted a solid second effort. Billy Talent II isn't noticeably different from their self titled debut, but you know what? Who gives a fuck?
High Points:
The whole damn thing!
Saturday, June 24. 2006
Montreal boys the Stills used Vice records as a catalyst to their fame to break out to the scenesters far and wide (well, in Canada at least) with their debut Logic Will Break Your Heart. It had a sweet sound that wasn't very out of the ordinary, but when the sometimes dark and heartbreaking lyrics drenched in honesty hit you, it was addictive. They sang about love, drugs and sex, typical rock star themes, but somehow you could relate to it. You could lie back and listen to that record and let the imagery flood your mind, and every song could be a soundtrack to one night or another.
So when the Stills finally got around to putting out their second album, there were high expectations to deliver an album as real and personal as the first. Alas, Without Feathers came out a little under par after the band played musical chairs and let the hype of Logic go to their heads. Moving Dave Hamelin from drums to vocalist/guitarist and losing a lot of their charm, the Stills were back with their second album. It opens with a build up of guitar that slowly adds keyboard and other things into the mix, to a very pop melody that is deadened by Dave's flat vocals. The lyrics are mostly repetitive and nowhere near as touching as before; as well as the musical aspects being less innovative than Logic. With "Oh Shoplifter" and "It Takes Time" both having upbeat fairly danceable music but with lyrics that get almost annoying, the songs are ruined. Other songs drone on a little too long, with either poor song writing or Dave's voice simply being a little too much to handle in such a large dose, overall making the album less than impressive.
The band describes it as their journey through dealing with fame and breakups with girlfriends and the like, all things which typically could make a changed band with a great, matured second album, but The Stills seem to have lost their touch. Their charm of cleverly talking about girls and their virginity, night clubs and death is lost in poor singing and song writing, with boring music underneath it all, even on tracks that attempt to revive their dance rock vibe. As with every record there are a couple exceptions, such as "Helicopters" which may be explained by the fact that original Stills singer Tim is taking care of the lead vocals. "Helicopters" is a long buildup of pulsing guitar and the sorrow filled question "Why do you take this so hard?" that rocks out at the end and the vibe of the whole song is almost like a throwback to the feel of the debut album. Great for dancing without needing any sort of electro beats as well, which makes it superb. It is followed by "In The End" a ballad about an unattainable, lonely girl but finishes up with fun keyboard melodies and with Tim's vocals making it much more listenable, this is another great track to give a little bit of merit to Without Feathers. A few other tracks are fun, but overall the album has taken a slide downhill, which probably doesn't lead to anything else noteworthy coming from the Stills boys anytime in the near future.
Wednesday, June 14. 2006
It's hard to imagine that a remake of the old Kansas chestnut "Dust in the Wind" could find new life as an indie/alt rock vocal over an eletcro-tech-trance-house dance beat. And even more bizarre, that it would be so fucking good.
But San Francisco dj/producer duo Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden do all that and more on their debut album Organized Nature. From the massive club hit "Tracking Treasure Down" (don't miss the Francis Preve remix) to standout tracks like "One Step Closer" and "Enemy," this scorching mix of vintage guitar, high tech gadgetry, powerful lyrics, and engaging melodies is kicking dance floor ass all over the US and Europe.
Vocals on "Dust in the Wind," "One Step Closer," and two other songs are handled by Atlanta's indie rock vocalist Molly Bancroft, and four others, including "Enemy" are sung by London-based Josh Burton, whose voice at times bears an uncanny resemblance to that of David Sylvian.
It's true that Gabriel & Dresden are best known for producing the massive trance hits "As the Rush Comes" by Motorcycle and "Way Out West" by Mindcircus, but a little trance goes a long way with me, and I loved this album. Although frankly dance music and certainly electronic, it plays with the boundaries of many genres, including rock and pop, for a sound that's easily recognizable as their own.
Gabriel & Dresden have also done remixing chores on songs by Annie Lennox, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Depeche Mode, and a number of other artists. This is the first release on their own label, also called "Organized Nature."
By the way, you don't have to take my word for it... the album is streaming free here.
Sunday, June 11. 2006
It's awfully hard to think of any band that sounds stranger than Primus, but Primus frontman Les Claypool apparently finds even Primus too constricting at times. Thus begat Les' latest solo project "Of Whales and Woe."
This disc is a lot like eating sushi with a a variety of tastes and textures, flavors and smells. Some of the dishes you want to go back for seconds on, others just may not be your thing. Certainly his music is not designed to appeal to the great unwashed masses, but to push the boundaries of what music is and what it is composed of at the nuclear level.
My best description aurally of this new release is that of an MTV deathmatch between Primus and the Mothers of Invention with the blow-by-blow commentary provided by Buck Owens of Hee-Haw and a guest appearance by Ravi Shankar. Les is flat out all over the place on this disc as usual (was that a theremin I heard?), and being un-bounded by the restrictions (?) of Primus, it gets kinda funky and kinda freaky.
Some of the tunes are annoying at best, filler at most, some of them are wonderfully bouncy and funky. "Vernon The Company Man" is a strange tale with some odd sitar work. "Iowan Gal" is a bluegrass tune that left its harmony in my head and took days to shake. The song "Nothing Ventured" sounds like a something taken from the King Crimson's Discipline song book . "Of Whales and Woe" and "Phantom Patriot" have a Mothers-esque vibe that is helped by some neat xylaphone work. "One Better" and "Rumble of the Deisel" are just flat out funky in a Parliment/Funkadelic meets Zappa kind of way. "Robot Chicken" is pure Primus and "Filipino Ray" and "Off White Guilt" have some of the wickedest bass riffs you'll ever hear.
Not for beginners, Les Claypool is definitely an aquired taste.
Favorites:
One Better
Nothing Ventured
Rumble of the Deisel
Monday, June 5. 2006
Cannibal Corpse, the forefathers of death metal as we know it, are back with a vengeance. Kill is hard. Not like Cannibal was ever pussified, but this one is hard. It starts off like a punch in the chops and a kick in the nether regions and does not let up. Hearing it, I yearn for the hella pits I have been in. As I have said before I always worry when a band I have loved for a long time starts releasing things these days. Are they going to change? Well Cannibal has proven that they, much like a good whiskey, only get better with age.
This album brought back they days of Eaten Back to Life for me for some reason. Hard, fast, and straight in your face. They show the delicate balance between death and nlack metal.
I really liked some of the changes between the chunk guitar and an almost melodic tone on both "Murder Worship", "5 Nails In Your Neck" and "Necrosadistic Warning," however, the pauses in "Necrosadisitic Warning" left me bored (a second of silence in the pure aggression that is Cannibal). The solo, though, was lovely.
The drumming is flawless. Double bass that when turned up can make your heart stop.
The first video and single off this album is "Make Them Suffer," a kick ass song. Over the years, I have always defended the aggression of the land of death metal, and recently some of the newer acts are too busy sounding evil in their growls while losing themselves completely lyrically. That is one thing I have always adored about Cannibal, be it back in the Chris Barnes days or present. They don't try too hard to be what they are, they just be.
Whatever mix that is needed to create the perfect death metal band has always been present in the land of Cannibal Corpse.
Favorite Tracks:
Time to Kill is Now
Purification By Fire
Wednesday, May 31. 2006
Well, to answer the band's question posed, no I am rather bored thank you.
I liked this music better when it was new, in the 80s, and the bands that were doing it were more inventive and daring both musically and lyrically (and hair-stylistically as well I suppose). This, this just sounds like a re-gurgitation of those bands and their music into a putty colored melange of turgid bull plop. Overall I hear strains of the Cure, The Smiths, some Ultravox, a little INXS and a couple bands I just can't quite put my finger on (Simple Minds?). Don't get me wrong, I love most of those bands, that era, and those sounds, and I love new wave bands in general, but this disc just doesn't rise to the occasion.
Even the songs listed on the label as being the "feature" tracks, "Paralysed" and "Hide Away," aren't really edgy enough or distinctive enough to elicit much enthusiasm. I don't know what they did to earn "Band to Watch 2006" from Rolling Stone and Alternative Press but I hope that it was for something other than this disc. I think for this band to succeed they will need to reach beyond the 80s for their inspiration or Molly Ringwald will start having to make teen films again.
Tuesday, May 30. 2006
Being a metal head, I shouldn't like country right? Well when it is David Allen Coe, country is cool. Often referred to as "Outlaw Country", his most mainstream song is "Take This Job and Shove It" (even tho his performance isn't the one that made him famous) but anyone who has been in a hole in the wall bar with a juke box knows the song "You Never Even Called Me By My Name". I have yet to be in a bar after midnight when this song come on and not seen someone singing it, from the Punkiest Punk to the most uptight Yuppie.
If you are a fan of Pantera you will also know one other of his songs at the very least. "Jack Daniels If You Please" was often used as a warm up occasionally played during their shows. Dimebag was a huge Coe fan, and rightly so. When I heard Dime, Vinnie and Rex were releasing an album that had Coe on Vocals, I must say I got mildly excited. I love the Southern Rock Genre, unfortunately the majority of that is older than I am. What a perfect match (in my mind at least) for another great mix of Metal and a little dash of something else. This album is heavier than most southern rock you will ever hear, and it at times rivals some of the best thrash bands. Dime has some incredibly hard riffs at times.
Between the Humorous "Cowboys do more Dope", the sweet sounding ballad "Arizona Rivers", the catchy title track "Rebel Meets Rebel" and the heaviest track (featuring Hank Williams III) "Get Outta My Life" this album spans the genres of Metal, Rock, Country and Blues. And all the Genres Blend together Seamlessly. I honestly can say I really love this CD.
One side note, this may be the last recording with Dime on it, so if you are a true Die-hard CFH, you must buy this. This album defiantly comes from the hearts of 4 Cowboys From Hell. The hardest part is knowing this is a one shot album.
Track Listing
1. Nothin' to Lose
2. Rebel Meets Rebel
3. Cowboys Do More Dope
4. Panfilo
5. Heart Worn Highway
6. One Nite Stands
7. Arizona Rivers
8. Get Outta My Life
9. Cherokee Cry
10. Time
11. No Compromise
12. N.Y.C. Streets
Monday, May 22. 2006
Hank Williams III is indeed going straight to hell.
Initially I had a hard time trying to decide if this was a serious album or a caricature of the country music genre. After two or three listens I am convinced that it is a serious album. Lyrically it is as dark, destitute, self-destructive and morbid as any death metal album I have heard, and yet this album has a pure classic country sound, too far beyond alternative to be considered alt-country, done in a style that harkens back to his grandfather's era and roots.
This is not an album for minors, and in fact it might be a little rough for actual miners as well. Hank III seems to be aiming to be pegged as the blackest sheep in the Williams family and he hits that mark here. Songs abound about drug and alcohol abuse, and murder, death, and suicide. This is all of country and western's self destructiveness, compressed into one single release. Hank even takes time in the liner notes to jab a sharp stick at the Grand Ole Oprey and the Country Music Association.
If Hank lives as he writes, he is indeed going straight to hell.
I loved every song on this album. This is a must-have and needs to be place right next to Johnny Cash's final releases. Songs like "Country Heros" and "My Drinkin Problem" should be considered instant classics that cross genres. "Satan is Real/Straight to Hell" starts out like an old time gospel tune then rapidly turns into a romp & stomp hoedown. "Thrown out of the Bar" will make you want to get up and dance. "D Ray White" probably could have done without the echo effect but is excellent otherwise. "Louisiana Stripes" is just unreal. "Smoke & Wine" is a wonderfully bouncy pick fest set to a chorus of "I'm drinking & drugging, I'm having lots of fun, I always carry round a loaded shotgun," and "My drinking problem" with "My drinking problem left today, she packed up all her things and walked away" is an unbelieveable honky tonk. Hanks band is incredible, with Andy Gibson on steel, Joe Buck on the stand up bass, and Donnie Herron on fiddle.
Even if you are not a fan of country music, this is one album worth owning.
Favorites:
"Country Heros"
"Louisiana Stripes"
"My Drinking Problem"
Wednesday, May 17. 2006
Horror Sexy
Some things always amuse me. How Rob Zombie can make music sexy and scary at the same time.
He channels cheesy stripper songs and adds a dash of the Devils Rejects to make horror sexy music.
I love the intro song which is exactly that, an intro. Short, could have melded a tad better for a smooth transition in a heavier song. I must say I like "The Scorpion Sleeps." Although it can be a bit cheerleader anthem at times. But sometimes I like my music like I like my horror movies, super cheesy. "Let It All Bleed Out" is a pretty decent fast paced song and one of the heavier tracks. "17 Year Locusts" is a bit too slow for my tastes. Much like he has in the past, there are quiet intros to most every song. Nice to hear when you are listening to it loud, but at respectable tones, it tends to get lost.
Lyrically, it could be better. I like continuity to my lyrics. Some people are heavy on the instruments, but I hang on the words. Songs need some sense to them. Some of the songs actually sound like stuff off of his older songs. I hear "Living Dead Girl" in "American Witch." Sometimes its good to stay the same, and sometimes you really need to expand a bit.
One thing you can say about Rob since he went solo is that he is always Rob Zombie. Nothing changes really. If you like his stuff from before you will like this. Nothing excessively impressive, but nothing disappointing. Rob is Rob, the Zombie Man. Occasionally I wish he would go back to the heavier days of White Zombie, but this is nice relaxing super sexy tunes. Overall a decent album. Fans of the Zombie Man will not be disappointed. He sounds the same as always.
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