Wednesday, June 13. 2007
I popped Necrophobic's Hrimthursum into the stereo and was immediately taken by the intro. It's majestic and powerful and sets the mood for METAL. It really is one of the best intros I've heard in a while as I find most pointless. Then at the first listen, track one let me down just a bit. I thought the guitar sound could have been a lot heavier. There was just something about the record that made me think they could have done things differently, creating a heavier record overall, but I soon got over it and realized I was wrong.
One of things about Hrimthursum that makes it great is the fact that nothing is overdone. Nothing is too over the top. It is a bunch of killer songs that are also arranged in an order that gave the record a cool feel to it. It seems very well thought out and put together. Being a guitarist myself, I have a tendency to over-analyze things and look at music in a sense of how difficult it is to play. The song "I Strike With Wrath" has what guitar players usually refer to as the AC/DC or Iron Maiden bounce-the-notes-off-the-high-E-string riff. Almost anyone who can play guitar at all could easily play it, but it really ads a lot of feeling to the song. The riffs have some mildly technical parts, but again it's all very basic. Don't think that takes away from it; this is one hell of a record.
Surprisingly, the vocals hack into the mix, and you can actually understand a lot of the lyrics. Song topics are typical for the black/death genres, but I found the cheese factor to be minimal. The levels of all the instruments really were put together brilliantly on this disc. It doesn’t sound over processed and that only helps you get into Necrophobic's music. The underground used to be dominated by old school production, and since every other band has an engineer capable of recording from their garage on equipment that is quite high tech, way too many records have come out that sound too digitized. Metal isn't supposed to be that way. This record is clean, but it still has balls. I would guess Necrophobic had a decent budget for recording Hrimthursum and thankfully they didn't go overboard on the production.
The drums are also arranged perfectly. There are many tempos, but nothing gets lost in the speed of it all. It's never so fast that you're distracted by the impressive speed many modern drummers possess. That aspect of metal in general really damaged the genre as drummers were suddenly looked at as not much more than speed freaks who would try to be as over the top fast with blasting and double bass to the point where that's all people would speak of. I love speed, but what about the fucking guitar riffs? Guitars create songs, drums keep the beat... and Necrophobic created an awesome disc, as Hrimthursum is very much so worth a listen. Chances are it won’t soon leave your CD player as it's a quality release that's down right addicting.
Tuesday, May 22. 2007
Fate has decreed that I review this CD. I got the opportunity to see Loudon Wainwright III perform at La Zona Rosa for the media party for the Judd Apatow film Knocked Up during this year's SXSW, so it came as a pleasant surprise to see a copy of the CD Strange Weirdos: Music From And Inspired By The Film Knocked Up, show up in my mailbox last week. Then tonight watching Conan O'Brien, I catch him playing again.
With a recording career stretching back to 1970, it's a little surprising to find Loudon Wainwright III doing the soundtrack for a film aimed at such a young audience, but it's not that surprising knowing how seemingly random and disconnected the connections in the entertainment industry can be. The music itself is certainly a refreshing change from the buzzsaw guitars I'm usually reviewing. A singer-songwriter, one of many touted in the 70s as the new "Dylan," his voice reminds me a lot of Don McLean, but not quite as flowery. Probably best known to the public for his 70s song "Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road," I remember him more for the three episodes of M.A.S.H., where he was credited in the role as Capt. Calvin Spaulding, the singing surgeon.
I really enjoyed seeing him play live, and he performed a number of songs off this disc. This CD is loaded with great music and I especially enjoyed the cuts "Grey in L.A." and and "Valley Morning." Loudon even shines on the songs he didn't write, like Peter Blegvad's "Daughter." This disc is like a series of audio snapshots taken with a black and white camera that captures the emptiness of living in modern day suburbia. It will be interesting to see how the music works with the film. I really enjoyed this disc and it will end up long term on my iPod.
Thursday, May 10. 2007
I was anxious to get this album. Vinnie Paul gathered up a few of his friends from Mudvayne and Nothingface and created a NEW super group of metal. Not really a fan of the other bands involved, I automatically had a preconceived notion of the album. And from hearing from other people who got it, they did too. We were all a smidge wrong.
First off this is not Mudvayne, Nothingface, Damageplan and this is notPantera. That’s not saying it isn’t good, however, if that’s what you want it to sound like, save the $15 and go get a different CD. Yeah, some of it sounds like Pantera, some of it sounds like Damageplan. It should. It has a member of those bands. And yeah, you can hear parts of Mudvayne and Nothingface as well. It should, as there are members from those bands, too. This is a supergroup. It has influences from all areas.
While most people are drawn to the title track “Hell Yeah,� I find myself going back to “Alcohaulin' Ass,� which is just a heavy southern rock, feel good type of song. I also find myself drawn to the song “Thank You,� which instantly made me think of Dime. It gave me chills and choked me up. That’s ok, I’m female and that reaction is allowed. I was also really partial to the guitars on the song “Goddamn.�. Of the heavier songs, this was my clear favorite.
I think for fans of any of the bands involved in this project, there is something to enjoy. You need, however, to separate what you expect from those bands and what's in this band. Looking at this to be just like any of them it will disappoint you. Looking at it as a NEW act will be the deal breaker. Yeah, there is a ballad. GET OVER IT. People change and grow with life experiences. Vinnie is still pulling out heavy as hell drum beats. If you don’t believe it, check out the song “Matter of Time,� where they sounded just like a Harley warming up.
Thursday, May 3. 2007
Startling. That's what first comes to mind when introduced to the Nightwatchman. Tom Morello is the rapid-fire-riffing, space-sound-creating lead guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave right? Well, when he's not a metal revolutionary (in Rage) or flailing under Chris Cornell's plodding vocals (in Audioslave), he is also a folk singing revolutionary called the Nightwatchman.
I caught the Nightwatchman's set in the basement of Stubb's Bar-B-Q back in March while I was in Austin for South By Southwest, and I for one was impressed. Thought hard about this next line.
Pretty sure it's true.
If you take a step toward freedom it'll take two steps toward you
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It was such an intimate setting and it lent itself very well to Tom accompanied only by his nylon string "Whatever It Takes" guitar and a harmonica. Tom has an immediately identifiable guitar style and this comes through even on an acoustic. His vocals make me think of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
This juxtoposition seems to throw many for a loop. No, Tom is not a incredible finger picker, and his version of folk doesn't sound like Peter, Paul and Mary or Joan Baez. Breezy and beautiful it ain't. The album has an immediacy to it. Like any moment storm troopers could bust in and haul us away for speaking our mind. I feel hot and dusty just listening to it.
Yeah, this is wierd. Tom may not find tremendous success as an acoustic folk/protest singer, but he's got me as a fan, I'm glad I saw him live and I'm glad I bought this album. Keep fighting Tom.
The highlights for me include "Maximum Firepower," "Flesh Shapes The Day," and "House Gone Up In Flames."
Wednesday, May 2. 2007
Slow, grinding and brutal. That would be the quickest way to explain the new Commandment. It's heavy enough to satisfy the most discriminating palate of death metal fans, but it seems almost normal.
Chris Barnes' vocals are, as always, pure death metal perfection. Demonic growls with an intelligible quality that is sometimes lacking from other bands. There is almost a "dying a slow death" quality to the whole album. This album has the potential to attract more than just death metal fans. Fans of the heavier stuff, who shied away, may find a new love in death metal. Rounding out the band is bass god Terry Butler, Steve Swanson on guitar, and Greg Gall on drums.
It's hard to pick the true highlights of this album because each song is damned solid. "Zombie Executioner" is probably my fave track vocally on this CD. Of course "Bled To Death" has all the evils of an excellent chunk guitar, blast beat, and strong base line, a combination of all things that make one helluva tune. I really also liked the guitar line on "As The Blade Turns." Definitely one for the live show. Lastly the drum line on "The Evil Eye" gets the blood going.
Old school or new style death metal fans will definitely enjoy this CD. Heavy enough to piss you off, yet the calming aspect I have always found in death metal.
Tuesday, May 1. 2007
Hot off the presses, sixteen-year-old Jimmy's new self-titled album was dropped off to me the other day.
The opener, "Diamond Ring," brings to mind Gordie "Grady" Johnson and Big Sugar, although Jimmy's guitar tones aren't quite as monsterous as Gordie's (but whose are?). It's a great opener that sets the tone for the rest of the record.
"Rattle Snake Shake" is Jimmy's take on legendary Peter Green's (Fleetwood Mac) blues rock anthem. The lead break is a thing of beauty and I love Wayne DeAdder's baseline just hanging out in the back.
I was introduced to "Nine" at one of Jimmy's shows in fall 2006 (at that time called "Nine String Thing"). This is Jimmy on one of the mad scientist guitars he builds in his workshop, a flat top accoustic with three extra strings shoehorned onto it. "Nine" is a hybrid bluegrass, folk, blues, with drones a la Indian classical music. The Tabla accompaniment further ads to the Indian feel. I dug it last fall and I really dig it now!
"Drifting Haze" isn't necessarily my cup of tea. At a length of 6:04 it's Zepplin-meets-Stonerrock that goes on for a few more minutes more than I would have liked. If I recall correctly, the lead breaks are performed on an electric twelve string which in itself is pretty cool. If you're into moody Zepplinesque jams then this may be your cup of tea.
In "Far From Reality," Jimmy definately has a Page/Plant vibe going on. I also had flashes of early Aerosmith. I like this song and its tastey single note riffing, chord inversions, and the always dissonant 7#9 chord. The guitar tone is stellar on this as well. Sounds like a little 'Class A' sleeper cranked until it is begging for mercy.
"Black Sea Star" a is shining four and a half minutes. I love the way Jimmy used the ambient room sound of the guitar and drums to create an intimate lo-fi reggae sound. I feel like I'm right in the room, and sipping a tropical drink.
Hmmm, was "The Kara-Dag" co-written with the drummer? The two minute drum solo at 00:50 may have tipped me to that. Just call me Sherlock.
"Loser" is from the same ballpark as "Drifting Haze", but with some moody and fitting slide lines. Jimmy's vocals also take the wheel and we get to hear his chops now that his voice has changed.
A great groove from the get-go is what "Mortisha" offers. Fun lyrics too.
The album's only ballad is "Falling." This is a beautiful song hindered only by the heavy-handed drumming which seems to come from left field.
Rounding out Jimmy's effort is the masterpiece "The Truth," A minor blues which is just pumped full of emotions, from the heartfelt vocal to the lead breaks which squeeze a story from a recurring four or so notes and a wha pedal.
With this self titled disc, Jimmy has moved away from the more traditional blues found on his two previous recordings. Overall the album has a classic stadium rock vibe. Earth shaking drums and big guitars are found throughout. This is an evolution I for one am happy to witness. Will this alienate some of the more conservative fans? Probably. Will this bring new fans into the fold. For sure!
Thursday, April 26. 2007
Oh Patti. I wanted to love this. I'm a whore for cover albums. I have loved you since I was 17 years old. I cried with happiness when they put you in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and you sang "baby baby baby was a rock 'n' roll nigger."
I'm so sorry, Patti, but Twelve is just kind of boring. It really is.
I would have sworn Patti Smith would do a brilliant job of Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced," Neil Young's "Helpless," Grace Slick's "White Rabbit," the Doors' "Soul Kitchen." She didn't. They were just kind of rough and tuneless.
I was scared to hear what she'd do with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and rightly so.
I'm so very sorry, Patti, I still love you, but please go write a whole album of your own stuff right now, kthnx.
She did give a great interview to Salon last week, though:
When I was younger there was the mainstream and the maverick, and there was a real difference between us. Right now in America, we're a nation of disenfranchised people. All of us are victims, no matter if we're right wing or left wing, of the terrible mistakes of the Bush administration -- whether it's because of the atmosphere he has produced globally, the loss of Iraqi citizens' life and infrastructure, the loss of American life, the abandonment of New Orleans, the deterioration of our environment. And economically the country is heading for a fall.
I think rock 'n' roll is more valuable as an acceptable form of communication because we don't need some cool, hip thing that only a few people understand or communicate about: We need global action. We need a voice. The new generation is communicating, deciding how they're going to receive and send music [on the Web], and the next step is to inject content into it. And they will do that, because things are just going to get worse and worse and people will react. I don't think the new generations are going to be like Nero and fiddle while Rome burns. I think that people are going to step up. It's just that people are finding each other, finding their voice and figuring out how to process all the information around them.
Go read or listen to the podcast.
But you should probably skip Twelve.
Wednesday, April 25. 2007
When I first heard Chevelle's latest release, Vena Sera, I promised myself I wouldn't read anyone else's review first. Wouldn't you know it, though -- when I googled it for the track list, Rolling Stone's review popped up. And they dogged it. Of course, their rabid fans replied saying it was "their best album ever" I dunno. I gotta go with the Stone on this one.
Tool, er... eh... Chevelle is one of those bands whose musical complexity takes a while to appreciate at the best of times, sometimes requiring repeated playings to hear the subtle hooks. Kind of a "creeper" type of music. The first full play of Vena Sera through my stereo, I couldn't hear a single. It was only after listening for a week that the nuances started to seep into my head. After that, I found myself humming songs such as "Antisaint" and "Brainiac" while I was in the produce section of my local market.
I like Chevelle, and I am not ashamed to admit it's primarily because of Pete Loeffler's ability to channel Maynard James Keenan, but this disc is definitely not their best work. It sounds droney, and heavy, and because many of these songs are previously unreleased material, it feels pieced together. I like a couple songs but this is no Wonder What's Next.
Click Below For Track List....
Continue reading "CD Reviews: Chevelle - Vena Sera"
Thursday, February 8. 2007
In case you haven't noticed, all my reviews are for death and black metal bands. This is NOT a typical review for me. Time Requiem ( Regain Records) is an incredible group of musicians very influenced by classical music adapted into the genre of progressive metal. Regardless of your personal tastes, as a musician you find yourself at times unable to ignore music you would not normally pay attention to. This record had that effect on me. It is simply brilliant.
Continue reading "CD Review-Time Requiem, Optical Illusion"
Wednesday, January 17. 2007
The Deftones fifth album, Saturday Night Wrist, released Halloween 2006, is loaded with 12 tracks of aggressive music, adding a new twist to their sound. Lyrically, this is a darker Deftones CD compared to past releases. This Sacramento-based quintet attempts to change up their style and they succeeded. The CD embodies a dynamic play list with tantalizing vocals and mid-tempo beats with Tool-influenced drum solos. They have definitely kept their “Deftonian� sound fans know so well. Chingo Moreno’s hushed vocals layered atop a massive guitar wall take their musical experimentation to a newer, harder place while not forsaking their trademark sound.
The bulk of the album highlights Moreno’s vocal range, crying over heavy guitar licks and wildly paced drum variations. Their single, "Hole in the Earth," leads off the CD with an explosive blending of both bass and electric guitars with hard hitting drums working in unison to bring you the Deftones’ latest of works. Moreno’s voice eases its way in after about thirty seconds of instrumentals, producing a song that goes beyond the vocal realm of what listeners would expect. "Beware the Water" is a great example of the darker lyrical pieces on the CD. Chingo Moreno comments on this song in a Rolling Stone interview stating, “The lyrics are a warning against the temptation of women, drugs, alcohol or any other vice. It's quite dark."
"Cherry Waves" is a meditation on trust and its inherent limitations. It has a catchy chorus with dreamy guitar strums. There are two “scream-o� songs, "Rapture" and "RATS!RATS!RATS!". "Rapture" defines the Deftones’ heavy metal experimentation, but listeners beware: a lyric sheet is required, “thankfully enclosed.� "RATS!RATS!RATS!", a song about an old actress gone crazy named Frances Farmer, is another Moreno screamer, incorporating peculiar “non-royalty-receiving� cricket sounds towards the song's closure.
Continue reading "CD Review - The Deftones, Saturday Night Wrist"
Thursday, January 11. 2007
This little gem of alternative rock came out last October, just when I was in the middle of moving, and I only sat down to listen to it the other day. Too bad, because its angsty folky geeky jangly dissonant vibe would have been the perfect soundtrack to my hellish move.
Some people find Nathan Willet's voice annoying, others worship it. It's perfect for songs such as "Hang Me Up to Dry" or "We Used to Vacation," perhaps more on the annoying side of the spectrum on cuts like "God, Make Up Your Mind," sung in his falsetto. Or maybe you'll love his falsetto.
I don't know if they're really doing anything new here, and I'm kind of easy for bands that give me the jangling chiming guitar sound, but their music is clever and fun.
"Hang Me Up to Dry" is the free download of the week on iTunes if you want to check it out for free.
Wednesday, January 10. 2007
Coming up on their 25th anniversary with a collection of records behind them any band would be proud of ,Vader still continues to release nothing but top notch death metal perfected with their signaturistic song writing.
There are many reasons to support this band. Live, they are just about perfect, and their sound is always audible. The songs are memorable and follow the tried and true formula this band has stuck with since the beginning. They do not ignore their past, and include songs from many older releases in their set list, which is something fans, including me, really appreciate. Many bands push newer songs from the most recent release, which is understandable, but fans always want to hear the classics. Vader is the type of band that delivers them with a fresh ferocity that makes their music timeless.
Continue reading "Vader-Impressions In Blood"
Sunday, December 24. 2006
I feel I should warn you guys about the dangers of folk music. You may feel, like I once did, that you would never be stupid enough to get into folk. I mean, we’ve all seen those sad bearded fools delirious on the joys of hard accordion, and thought “I’ll never let that happen to me!�
Well, I’m here to tell you. It can happen. It happened to me.
I started off as many rock folk do, y’know a bit of New Model Army, a couple of Levellers' albums. It’s not really “folk,� I told myself. It’s so heavy! I thought I could handle it. I thought I could keep it under control. Then before I knew it, I was enjoying a regular dose of Kate Rusby and downloading Nick Drake albums. It took me a while before I admitted to myself I was hooked.
My name is Tony Reptiles and I have a folk music habit.
There. I said it. And it feels good!
So when the new CD by Roddy Woomble landed in my mailbox, I thought I was saved. Roddy is the lead singer of Scottish rock band Idlewild, which is well known for their loud, abrasive,punk rock sound. “No folk fix here, then!� I thought.
I should have known better by the picture on the sleeve. “FECK OFF!!!!� he seems to be saying from beneath his beard and thick knit beanie hat. Sorry Roddy, here, have a beer! You’re alright you are! You’re my best mate you are!
I slipped the CD into the machine and sat down with the media notes. Then it hit me. This was folk, alright. Another smooth mellow hit of folk. I eased back into my seat as the fiddle and the accordion took hold of me again.
Although the last few Idlewild albums kind of leaned in this direction, this solo project is something more traditional. “These are songs that would never have lived with Idlewild, but are very much a part of me," says Roddy in the media notes. “I felt like I was part of a new band. This allowed me to feel free to describe myself in a way I’ve wanted to for a long time……and I think it shows.�
The album was two tracks in when I caught myself tapping my foot. “As still as I watched your grave� is a meaty, beaty track where you can still get a sniff of the Roddy’s rock roots. (Should you indeed wish to?) “Whiskyface� is an acoustic fiddle-battering tune that left me wanting more.
But most of this album is pretty mellow and acoustic, and blends into the background easily. I like that in an album. I found myself enjoying the smoothness without having to try too hard. “Waverly steps� would be at home on commercial radio with its melodic vocals and electric guitar. I think I can hear a single release here.
You would certainly need a folk leaning to enjoy this album in its entirety, but I think you should give it a try. There’s something here for discerning the listener and you’ll catch yourself enjoying it - if you can get over the fact that it's folk. There are some great melodies and some excellent musicians at work. They just happen to be a bit folky, that’s all.
Track list after the jump.
Continue reading "CD Review: Roddy Woomble – My Secret is My Silence"
Wednesday, December 13. 2006
I'm not a big fan of Sarah McLachlan, finding her mostly overly sentimental and over-produced, a deadly combination. There's no denying her voice is beautiful, and I have a few remixes, live cuts, and duets with other artists that get fairly heavy play on my iPod. But a fan? No.
I'm also not a big fan of holiday compilations.
So what the hell am I doing reviewing Wintersong, a holiday CD released last week by Sarah McLachlan? I got hooked on it when I downloaded, in a fit of perversity, her cover of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," and thought it was... gulp... really good. Okay, maybe my brain melts at the holidays, I don't know. Probably that's the reason why I completely lost my senses and bought the whole freaking CD.
And it really doesn't suck. The icy purity of her voice works beautifully with the Christmas standards, such as "Silent Night" and "What Child is This," while also doing beautiful justice to newer holiday songs like the Lennon cover and Joni Mitchell's "River."
So I don't know, if you have to buy a holiday CD this year, you could do a lot worse than the unrelenting prettiness of Wintersong. And I won't tell anyone you bought it.
Note: "Silent Night" from the CD is the free download on iTunes this week, and you can also see videos from the CD on Amazon here.
Friday, December 1. 2006
Some concerts have a way of becoming "historical events" the more they are documented. The big festivals like Woodstock and Live Aid certainly are more than historical footnotes in the conciousness of the music listening public, but the smaller shows also have an important place in history as well. Every once in a while the archives serve up one of these musical time capsules, a slice of time, a musical millisecond, and allow us to view artists from a perspective or point in their career literally lost to the march of time. Such is the case with the new release by Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
Recorded live at the Fillmore East in 1970, the end of a turbulent decade, the beginning of a new, this six-song disc captures a young-ish Neil Young, post-C,S,N&Y, post-Buffalo Springfield, starting up with a new band, Crazy Horse, way way before their movie Rust Never Sleeps and accompanying album Live Rust propelled the band's career to the heights of superstardom.
Featuring the second act in a three-act bill that opened with the Steve Miller Band and closed with jazz legend Miles Davis, this six-song disk is a musical snaphot of a moment in time, catching Neil immediately after his debut solo album. This is especially so since it includes guitar work by the late Danny Whitten, who played with Crazy Horse only until his death in 1972. This disk contains some blisteringly long extended versions of "Down By The River" and "Cowgirl In The Sand." This is the first of a series of planned releases from Neil Young's archives, and it will be interesting to see what comes next. I liked this disc, it won't replace Live Rust in my collection, but it makes a fine addendum.
Track list after the jump.
Continue reading "CD Review: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Live at the Fillmore East"
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