3RD STRIKE
Lost Angel
(Hollywood Records)
Super-produced funky metal-rap here, folks. Fans of Rage Against the
Machine might give 3rd Strike a second listen. There is some real slick
production here, radio-friendly choruses, and white-guy angst-rap.
Big guitars come in when they should, then give way to mellow interludes.
It’s kinda angry, but too polished to ever sound evil or mean or to be recommended
by me.
[Laird Sheldahl]
ALL THAT REMAINS
Behind Silence and Solitude
(Metal Blade)
I understand these guys are opening for The Crown on their US tour this year,
so that should be a good chance to check out All That Remains. Until
then, I've got their CD. Hardcore for the most part, there's some rather
elaborate guitar posturing interspersed. Perhaps this shouldn't be
surprising, but the album opens so rigidly, with nearly shouted vocals whose
syllables fall only on quarter notes. The switch to super-riff guitarwork
was kinda nice. Perhaps my favorite tune of the album is “Follow,”
which is either a love song hardcore style, or is a song about the joys of
being a stalker. Heck, I guess it could be both, huh? At any
rate, if the vocals weren't so gruff, you could almost sing along.
[Laird Sheldahl]
ARCHETYPE
Dawning
(self-released)
After releasing a couple of demo CDRs, Ohio's Power Metal quartet Archetype
have issued Dawning, a full-length album. With a rich production and
a sound that mixes technicality with heaviness and melody in perfect measure,
it shouldn't be long before Archetype gets some major attention.
"Final Day" opens with rolling drums and classic metal riffs, with vocalist
Greg Wagner taking command of the mic in no uncertain terms. His voice
reminds me a tad of Matthew Barlow at times, but it is far cleaner overall
and less melodramatic - it's a unique style that fits in perfectly with the
progressive-tinged metal surrounding it. "Visionary" is another standout
track, featuring one of the most memorable riffs on the album. "Arisen"
showcases a lighter, jazzier direction for Archetype, relying heavily on
acoustic guitar and billowing basslines, before switching into overdrive
halfway through. These kind of unexpected change-ups are one of the
hallmarks of Archetype's sound and make for interesting listening, to be sure.
Guitarist Chris Matyus is the driving force behind Archetype, penning all
of the music and lyrics, not to mention delivering some damn fine leads on
every track. When I saw that Coroner was his biggest influence musically,
I knew I was in for something unique and I was not disappointed. Chris
plays with that flair that only supremely confident players have, his fingers
dancing across the fretboard effortlessly at any speed. He has the
keen sense of melody that the more classically-oriented players do (Yngwie,
Vinnie Moore, etc.), but without the pomposity and self-indulgence that plagues
many of that ilk The result is a set of strong songs with strong solos,
rather than just one or the other. The rest of the band (Keith Zeigler
on drums and Jamie Still on bass) are equally capable, handling the complex
arrangements with utmost precision.
Kudos to Archetype for maintaining a well-defined style throughout the ten
songs on Dawning without simply repeating themselves the way many power metal
outfits tend to. This is a bold debut that is highly recommended to
fans of everyone from Jag Panzer to Dream Theater to Blind Guardian.
More info: http://www.archetype1.com
[Daniel Hinds]
CHANDEEN
Spacerider - Love at First Sight
(Synthetic Symphony)
I went into this CD with several hesitations, just recently having given
up my entire Chandeen collection with further and further disillusionment
with each new CD. I so loved their debut, but over the course of just
a few albums they had developed into the most harmless overproduced gothy
new age product imaginable. I must admit how pleasantly surprised I
was when I picked this up and gave it a lesson.
The music is still quite minimal, provided almost entirely by Harald Löwy,
but does feature some really fantastic guitar work backing the vocals of
both Stephanie Härich & Antje Schulz. The sound is more full
on this CD, with a few trip hop elements, just overall a spacey-modern folk
permeating through the tracks. This provides the perfect background
for almost any occasion and a close listening brings a sense of warmth while
making a person want to burst into tears at the same time. The emotion
that had escaped Chandeen on the previous albums is back in full-force with
this new CD.
This is bound to appeal to fans of people of Sarah McLachlan and the like
and works much on the same level of subtlety. This maintains a little
more primal feel to it and does not feel as produced as other songs in the
genre. Chandeen is truly no longer a Gothic band, but in this case, I definitely
welcome the change. If you need music to chill to when the rain softly
falls outside your window, flames from the fireplace glistening in the glass,
this is your CD.
[Victor Mejia]
COMMODORES
Live!
(Motown)
When The Plague started as a printed 'zine back in 1988, we covered only
metal. After a few issues, we moved up to a tabloid newspaper size
and started to incorporate more and more alternative bands. Then, as
I transitioned the 'zine to the web in '95, I focused on a lot of industrial
and goth bands. Basically - we cover what we like and what we're currently
listening to. Granted this has probably limited the appeal of The Plague,
but I'd also like to think there are people who have at least somewhat similarly
diverse tastes who might be able to discover some great new music along the
way, too.
I've always been a fan of funk, whether it was the rock hybrid stuff form
the early 90s like the Fishbone, Mordred, or the RHCP, the fun 80s music
like Cameo and Prince, or the truly classic stuff from the 70s. In
the latter category, one certainly must mention The Commodores right up front.
This is a live recording from 1977 that really showcases the band at its
best. The actual recording is excellent, too, better than many of the
studio albums from this era.
The upbeat numbers are my favorites here, naturally, such as "Won't You Come
Dance With Me," "Fancy Dancer," "I Feel Sanctified" and of course the funk
standard "Brick House." The bouncy basslines and brash horns are more
of a directive to dance than a mere invitation. The band sounds
like it is having at least as much fun as the audience, which always lends
a live album that extra bit of energy that you can never quite get in the
studio. Having said that, though, the album also includes a great studio
track at the end, the sassy "Too Hot ta Trot."
The other side of The Commodores is the smoothed out soul ballad, which appears
here in the form of "Sweet Love," "Easy" and "Just To Be Close to You."
These cuts are good for what they are, but they remind me too much of the
bland 80s material lead singer Lionel Ritchie would go on to do after leaving
the band.
While I'm sure there is a more complete greatest hits collection out there,
you would be hard pressed to find a better representation of The Commodores
than this fiery live set.
[Daniel Hinds]
DECEMBER
The Lament Configuration
(Earache)
The cover art and the album title suggest something moody, but the Earache
label is a sure sign December will be anything but. And, yes, they
are noisy... and yet not the pure pain-and-noise-for-pain-and-noises-sake
that so many Earache bands have been. December is all thrash with vocals
distorted beyond recognition, yet all that extra noise on the vox doesn't
muddy up the razor-sharp guitar work. And, I can hear the bass guitar
quite well in parts... so often the bassist gets lost when bands add extra
guitarists and then detune their guitars. Anyhow, I love being very
aware of the bassist. I also really like this album, definitely worth
checking out.
[Laird Sheldahl]
DEFILE
4-song Demo
(self-released)
This LA based outfit rip out some pretty cool thrash riffs, along with some
pretty standard death metal vocals and drumming. The quality of the
recording is good for a demo and while the songs could use a bit more polishing,
there is great promise on display here.
"Lost Hope" is up first and features plenty of those great riffs that California
bands were known for back in the heyday (Dark Angel, Defiance, etc.).
"Predestined" follows in similar fashion, with an excellent change-up midway,
while "Machete Burn" is a little less involving. "Miscarriage of Justice"
ends on a better note, again displaying some very creative riffing.
There is still some room for development within Defile, as the vocals are
very generic and the arrangements a bit haphazard at times. But I was
still very impressed with this demo and look forward to seeing where this
young outfit takes their craft in the future. More info: http://www.defile.cc
[Daniel Hinds]
ENTETY
Cadaveric Necrogrind
(Mercenary Musik)
Just when I was about to rip into this album, I read the bio and realized
this is actually a re-issue of some material from nearly ten years ago.
Apparently, these guys were one of the originators of the gore/grind scene,
but only managed to release a demo and a 7". This disc combines that
7" release (1993) with several unreleased recordings from a session in 1994.
A more fitting description of the music than 'Cadaveric Necrogrind' would
be difficult to imagine.
"Hideous Malformation" is grindcore to a tee. The subterranean vocal
burblings cruise right along with the hyperspeed riffs and drums, with a
keen sense of hostility toward melody or traditional song structure.
"Carnage of Massacred" follows in a slightly more chaotic fashion, with some
unruly and almost painful leads near the end. The final three tracks
are from the '94 session and, while the sound does change noticeably (with
more audible hi-hats), the actual quality isn't any better.
While this may subjectively be an interesting piece of history, I can't but
judge this album harshly from a more objective viewpoint. The sound
quality is just beyond poor and, even were that not the case, the songs lack
any real identity. I applaud the efforts of many labels to unearth
and bring back to life lost metal gems from the past, but I'm afraid this
is one that was better left buried.
[Daniel Hinds]
ENTWINE
Time of Despair
(Century Media)
Apparently, this is part of the new "depro-rock" scene coming out of Sweden
& Finland. I have not followed the career of Entwine, this being
my first real exposure to the band, but I have to say I am very much impressed.
Out of all the music trends in Europe, I must admit this is one of my favorite
genres. There is a definite rock element that drives the band within
this scene, most of whom started off in the black or death metal scenes.
The addition of keyboards & driving rhythms put many of these bands in
the vein of what the Sisters of Mercy may have been doing by now if they
had continued releasing albums and went in the more rock direction that they
seemed to be headed in with Vision Thing.
The opening track, "Stream of Life," is the strongest track on the CD.
It is full of infectious hooks and catchy. It brings to mind other
great gothic metal bands such as Paradise Lost. The rest of Time of
Despair takes on a far more despairing tone. I hope in future releases
Entwine may go with a bit more songs that are in this vein.
There are some definite highlights in the more downbeat numbers. My
favorite of these tracks is "Burden." It has its definite moments.
This is probably my favorite use of keyboards on this CD. The only
song I really did not appreciate on the disc was "Nothing Left to Say."
Mika Tauriainen's vocals are one of the strengths of this CD (along with
production of Anssi Kippo & injection of keys), but on this song, they
take on almost a Michael Stipe quality and that is never good...not even
in REM. On "Until the End," there is a wonderful blend of Mika's vocals
alongside female vocals provided by Saara Hellström. I think this
is definitely something that deserves further exploration in future Entwine
endeavors.
There is a large amount of crossover potential on this CD. So many
genres seem to be crossed over, if marketing in the right way, Entwine could
be played over several different formats. This works about 80 percent
of the times, but there are moments when certain elements feel really out
of place. It is the moments when it feels they should be played on the radio
alongside bands such as Alice in Chains & Pearl Jam (eek). Other
than those brief moments, I think this is a solid effort.
[Victor Mejia]
FALCONER
Chapters From a Vale Forlorn
(Metal Blade)
Pure, unfiltered melodic power metal this be. Galloping rhythms, guitar
harmonies, clean vocals aplenty - it's all here. In order to distinguish
themselves from the million other bands doing just that very thing, Falconer
throw in some rather folky melodies, flute, violin, and most importantly,
a collection of finely-honed songs. The sad dissolution of Viking metallers
Mithotyn resulted in guitarist Stefan Weinerhall and drummer Karsten Larsson
winding up in Falconer. The metallic trio is completed by vocalist
Mathias Blad, a unique choice for a couple of reasons. First off, his
background is in musical theater rather than metal, having performed in productions
like Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar. His voice is very smooth, sticking
to the mid-range on most songs, which makes a nice break from the usual power
metal wailer.
The diversity of material on Chapters From a Vale Forlorn is its chief strength.
Up-tempo rockers like "Decadence of Dignity" (which features a disgustingly
catchy chorus, watch out!) and "For Life and Liberty" nestle comfortably
next to slower, folkier tunes like "Lament of a Minstrel" and the balladic
"Portals of Light." Hints of Jethro Tull, Dio-era Rainbow, Riot and
mid-80s Maiden pop up here and there, not to mention Mithotyn, but Falconer
obviously wanted to create their own style and have done well in that regard.
The lyrics are generally unusual and thought-provoking, particularly the
rather unhappy ending of the narrative "We Sold Our Homesteads."
If you get your kicks from progressive rock, folk, Viking, power or classic
heavy metal, you will find plenty to like on Falconer's sophomore effort.
Mathias' voice occasionally seems out of place with the music (you can tell
he didn't grow up living and breathing metal), but that is really the only
complaint I have with this disc and it's a pretty minor one. Not a
flashy band nor one you are likely to thoroughly absorb on the first listen,
Falconer offer a unique, rather subtle take on metal with this rare gem -
well worth seeking out.
[Daniel Hinds]
GODSIZE
Street-leveled, Wiseheaded, Fun-Lovin', Filthy Scumbags (MCD)
(self-released)
Another four tunes of gutter metal from this Norwegian trio for your diseased
pleasure. Godsize combine many retro and modern elements to make a
sound that is loud, in-your-face and quite infectious, but don’t expect any
easy comparisons…
"Fast and Mean" features a chorus straight off a NWOBHM comp, early Metallica
vocals, crude lyrics and a ripping solo. "Payback Time" features an
equally excellent solo and a more straight-up rock 'n' roll vibe. "Hellride"
is a bit more meandering and is probably my least favorite cut, though even
this one features some great drumming and another kick-ass solo. "Hate
vs. Hate" is an all-out speed anthem that will have you banging your head
and chanting "I won't take no shit!" right along with it on the first listen.
How some bands get deals and bands like Godsize don't is truly a mystery
of the universe. Is it just too original to market easily? I
don't know, but damn if these guys don't make one hell of a great noise and
anyone who loves metal, rock, thrash, punk, or anything loud and fun simply
must check these guys out. http://www.godsize.no
[Daniel Hinds]
HATE THEORY
Hate Theory
(WWIII)
This sounds like the sort of band Phil Anselmo would just love - ugly, super-crunchy
riffs, angry, screamy vocals, and just a general 'fuck you!' attitude.
So, by the same definition, it sounds like the sort of band I don't like.
I didn't hate this album, but it still left me rather unmoved by the end.
The not-so-subtle "Whore" kicks down the door and sets up shop immediately.
Hardcore rhythms churn beneath the slabs of metallic guitar and Jeff Fahl's
vocals are just brimming with bile. "Vent" is more what I expected
in terms of monotony and kind of sets the unfortunate standard for the rest
of the album. "From Scabs to Scars" has a somewhat mournful and melodic
start that shows a side to Hate Theory I would like to see more of in the
future. The eight-minute "Lightbulb" features some clean singing and
acoustic guitar, always with the underlying feeling that the band is going
to break into another monster riff or screamed vocals but it never happens.
Which is cool, it breaks up the album at just the right point and adds some
unpredictability to the proceedings.
In terms of mid-tempo, chunky riffs, Hate Theory cranks them out with the
best of them. The two problems I had with this disc is the songs drag
on a bit too long (generally) and the tempo never really picks up.
If anything it seems to slow down as the album unravels. The flashes
of off-beat melodicism that spring up rarely are the real highlight of what
is otherwise a pretty average album.
[Daniel Hinds]
HAUJOBB
Penetration (CDS)
(Metropolis)
I skipped right to the Converter remix on this CD single. After all,
Converter is what it’s all about. I loved that remix. As for
the rest, well... last time I listened to Haujobb they were flirting with
IDM, but now they are flirting with synth-pop. No, they have wed synth-pop.
After all, there are remixes here by Assemblage23 and Forma Tadre.
If you don't own their new disc Vertical Theory, then there's no real reason
to go search this thing out. But if you are a dyed-in-the-wool industrial-gone-synthpop
fan, you might enjoy this CD. I on the other hand, love the Converter
remix. Did I mention that already?
[Laird Sheldahl]
HIGH ON FIRE
Surrounded By Thieves
(Relapse)
This is what grunge should have sounded like. High on Fire play dirty,
murky, heavy rock music that isn't quite like anyone else. Motörhead
meets Tad via Neurosis? It ain't stoner rock and it ain't doom metal
and it ain't quite sludge rock either, but it incorporates elements of all
three.
After a slow building intro, "Eyes and Teeth" rolls out in all its ugly glory.
Similarly, "Hung, Drawn & Quartered" is a cauldron of churning riffs
and bile-filled vocals that moves quite a bit, but more in a dizzying rotational
way rather than anything linear. "Speedwolf" starts off slow and menacing
before transforming into another typical High on Fire cut. The first
track to really impress me is "The Yeti (Ballad of)," which is just monolithic
in its heaviness. It also seems to have more thought put into its arrangement,
which I can't say for most of the other tunes except the epic-length "Thraft
of Caanan."
High on Fire didn't strike me quite the right way for some reason.
The smothered production doesn't help any, but the songs themselves just
feel a bit directionless more often than not. On the plus side, the
band has a distinctive sound and there are a couple of memorable cuts, but
I'm not sure that's enough to make this worth buying.
[Daniel Hinds]
HUMAN FROTRESS
Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir
(LMP/SPV)
Hold onto your hats because Human Fortress is…. a power metal band from Germany!
That's right, the dreaded beast of a million clichés has been cloned
again. The usual influences are present - Angra, Iron Maiden, Stratovarius,
Queensryche - along with all the fantasy themed lyrics and imagery.
Does this all spell disaster for Human Fortress? Not quite.
The one thing saving the day here is band's ability to write decent songs.
Sure, you've heard the epic keyboards and big group choruses a million times,
but at least they are put together in an intelligent way and played without
the usual melodrama that kills bands in this genre. Songs such as the
title track and "Damned to Bedlam" benefit from a keen sense of melodic placement
and restraint. "Forgive and Forget" is a full-blown ballad that relies
on piano, weepy strings and Jioti Parcharidis's clear voice. The song
works but just barely, coming very close to being mere fluff.
I received this disc along with several other bands in the same vein and
I knew if I didn't put this aside and review it later by itself, it would
just blend into the others and be impossible to tackle constructively.
With a little distance and time to observe, I still recognize the need for
Human Fortress to work on their identity in the future, but at least they
have the basics down pretty solid and there are some enjoyable moments to
be found here.
[Daniel Hinds]
INAVOID
Inavoid
(self-released)
This is a three-track demo from young Danish progressive metallers Inavoid.
The slightly rough recording cannot shroud the technical prowess and obvious
love the band has for melodic, introspective metal.
Opening cut "In a Void" has that somber, somewhat laid-back feeling that
later Fates Warning was drench in. "Brindisi" is where the CD really
came alive for me, though, with the fully-charged power metal base that brought
to mind my fondness for acts like Liege Lord and Anacrusis. It's that
ability to cross-pollinate progressive rock with heavy metal and make it
work from both angles. "Forgave" is a slower, slightly moodier track.
It is probably the most 'progressive' track here, but the band never loses
its metallic edge.
The vocals are passable but probably the weakest link in the band's sound
(which is fine, since they are currently searching for a full-time lead singer
at the moment anyway). Obviously, a punchier, heavier production would
do wonders for Inavoid's sound, but there are clearly some good ideas and
extraordinary musicianship to be found even on these three demo tracks.
More info: http://www.inavoid.dk
[Daniel Hinds]
INSISION
Beneath the Folds of Flesh
(Earache)
Insision is trying to take extreme metal back to its roots, so Beneath the
Folds of Flesh is, in a way, a protest for the direction that other death
metal bands have taken. Their old school death metal sound (under-produced,
heavy, and fast) is a stand against the pussification of death metal everywhere.
The lyrics: "World impaled, human race, is erased, we are the waste / World
impaled, as you crawl, in your blood, Satan wins / Blind deliverance of pain,
as we understand our fate. We are the waste!" from "World Impaled" is also
old school in feel and more importantly growled incoherently to perfection
over incredibly tight riffs. If this were only well-produced, this
would be a fantastic album. Everything is just too muddy, but the playing
on it is precise and the songs are very well-crafted...pretty much what one
would expect from a Swedish death metal band whose CD has managed to find
distribution on this side of the pond.
Each member seems to have a wide-variety of music they seem to lean towards...maybe
a few more of these influences will spill into some of Insision's future
releases. I'm sure this is bound to please the purists; I just look
forward to seeing if this 5-piece takes a bit more professional approach
with their next CD.
[Victor Mejia]
INFAMY
The Blood Shall Flow
(WWIII)
This is a re-release from 1997, and as a general rule I believe that if you
don't already know you need this album, then you don't need it. Having
said that, though, I think The Blood Shall Flow holds up to some modern releases.
Well, heck, it is only 5 years old, but the recording quality matches up
to some current grindcore releases (would being lo-fidelity hurt a grindcore
release?). Sluggish and murky guitars barely eek out any actual notes
through all the distortion, guttural vocals about carnage and the like, and
there is an occasional onslaught of snare drums. I got over my preconceived
notion that this re-release would only appeal to the completist-type of music
consumer, especially when I heard the spastic track "Salem's Burning".
This track is like Ash's death scene in Alien... it flops about wildly and
then vomits green goo. This is, of course, par for the course of a
grindcore release.
[Laird Sheldahl]
INSOMNIUM
In the Halls of Awaiting
(Candlelight)
This is my favorite promo CD this time around. It's melodic Scandinavian
metal and very well done, especially for a debut. Insomnium has more
than one trick up their sleeves to keep the triple-guitar onslaught almost
constantly heavy and evil without getting predictable and repetitive.
At times very Teutonic and machinelike, other times employing polyrhythms
and sometimes pierced by silence, In the Halls of Waiting is a great listen.
Perhaps my favorite is “Medeia,” which is almost ballad-like throughout,
even when the guitars and drums descend into fast pulse-like attacks.
I especially appreciate the addition of clean guitar arpeggios over some
of the heavier sections, rather than the standard saving the melodic bits
for quiet sections whose sole purpose is to make the heavier parts sound
even heavier. This happens too, such as the beautiful opener to “The
Elder,” but luckily the beauty remains when the meanness kicks in.
I definitely suggest you check this out if you like anything scandahoovian.
I'm still waiting for one of these bands to chant "Uf Da!" instead of "hey!",
though.
[Laird Sheldahl]
KAOS RISING
Welcome to the Violence
(JetSpeed Records)
Self-described as "hardcore stomping death groove," you'd be hard pressed
to find a better label for this Chicago outfit's sound. The vocals
are deep and growly, the riffs are chunky and hardcorish in their brutality,
and the rhythms are of the slower, mosh-oriented variety. Nothing terribly
outstanding about this release, but at the same time there's nothing bad
about it and the band do play with a good deal of conviction.
"Structure" was the first song to really grab my attention, with its slightly
offbeat descending riff and rather old-school hardcore break down near the
end. "Suffer Beyond Me" has a quick-footed riff that I expected to
break into an orgy of speed all around, but it never quite does.. Normally
I find this very annoying, but Kaos Rising keep it alive by running through
a variety of interesting drum rhythms as well as well as a slower bridge
and solo spot. A brief respite shows up at the start of "Social Parasite,"
but the death heavy guitars and vocals quickly come in to set things right
again. "Bloodstained Ground" shows a different side to the band, too,
as it slams into full-on grindcore for a minute or so before returning to
the band's more natural groove.
One thing I like more about Kaos Rising than many bands who play death/core
is that they aren't afraid to put in lots of change-ups in each song, even
the shorter songs. The vocals are well done for this style, though
perhaps a tad generic. Still, I must say this album surprised me in
a lot of ways and I think Kaos Rising (despite the terrible name) have hit
upon a pretty nifty and unique sound in a very overcrowded market.
Put on your safety goggles and check out: http://www.kaosrising.com
[Daniel Hinds]
KEEP OF KALESSIN
Through Times of War
(Mercenary/WWIII)
Originally released in 1998, I presume this is the first US release of this
Norse black metal band. Also released this year is the more recent
album Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark which I haven't heard, so I can't
make any comparisons. But, if you removed the keyboards from Dimmu
Borgir, you wouldn't be all that far off from this album... even if this
CD is a bit older by now. To cut to the chase, is it worth going out
and tracking this CD down? For the black-metal completist, yes.
And while I think this CD has held up fairly well timewise, I'd still be
more inclined to plop something like In Flames or Immortal into my CD player
for the umpteenth time than pull this disk out. I am very curious to
hear their more recent material (I've heard hints of a new one? That'd
make sense, then, to re-release these discs), so maybe we'll get a chance
soon. Or maybe the editor is/will be hogging that disc and I only get
the old one.
[Laird Sheldahl]
MOTÖRHEAD
Hammered
(Metal-Is/Sanctuary)
After seemingly losing some inspiration during the early 90's, the timeless
Motörhead has really come back into its own with the past few albums.
We Are Motörhead was a particularly pleasing slab of pure rock energy,
but Hammered doesn't fall far behind.
"Walk a Crooked Mile" is a strange choice for an opener, but is a cool song
nonetheless. It has that somewhat more melodic feel that Lemmy started
developing around the time of 1916, but it also features a riff that is straight
off of Orgasmatron. The way the song moves and varies tone without
losing direction is quite impressive and shows a detail to subtlety that
most people probably would never associate with Motörhead. Elsewhere,
a heavier approach is taken, such as the "Let There Be Rock" storm of "Voices
From the War" and the dark, grinding "No Remorse." More traditional
hi-octane material is also in evidence, most notably "Brave New World," the
Rock 'n' Roll flavored 'Mine All Mine," and the balls-out "Red Raw."
The most unusual track has to be "Serial Killer," an experimental, spoken-word
number that is wisely kept fairly short. There are also two bonus tracks
of rather dubious nature. "The Game" is the WWF anthem that sounds
too forced and modern for a Motörhead song. The live version of
"Overnight Sensation" is better, but not mixed very well and the album would
have been much better without either.
Hammered is almost like a cross-section of Motörhead's entire catalog.
Each song is comparable to a different era, which really helps give the album
a more diverse feel than many Motörhead discs. I wouldn't say
the songs themselves are necessarily the band's best ever, but they're all
pretty good and Hammered makes for a nice, slightly more relaxed follow-up
to the juggernaut We Are Motörhead.
[Daniel Hinds]
NECTRONOM
A Darkening Path
(Winterthorn)
From what I can tell, this CD is the work of just one person. There's
lots of orchestral synth material laid over some desperately noisy death
metal, which I find fairly interesting. The guitar sound itself is
pretty unique, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Detuned wah-wah?
Well, its lo-fi whatever it is, all dark and buzzy. The whole recording
itself is very lo-fi, which accentuates the miserable and hopelessly depressed
feel of the album. Did I mention this CD is depressing? I can't
mention that enough. Depressing depressing depressing... which is kinda
off, I'm used to thinking death metal was fairly aggressive in nature.
For those who like to listen to metal in a dark room and brood over whatever
ails you, this is your stuff. I, however, think the lo-fi recording
tends to interfere-- it goes beyond being murky and dark, and at times gets
so saturated that some parts get quieter when they should be getting louder.
[Laird Sheldahl]
NOCTURNAL RITES
Shadowland
(Century Media)
I've had a tough time coming to terms with how Nocturnal Rites has progressed
from Tales of Mystery and Imagination onward. I love the Riot-esque
blend of pure heavy metal and modern speed/power metal and they know how
to knock out a catchy riff and vocal melody when they want, but the band
sounds increasingly tired with each album and I'm not quite sure why.
"Eyes of the Dead" and "Shadowland" open the album with promise but also
with the constant underlying feel that they could be even better. One
thing is the tempo always seems to be just a tad slower than the songs seem
to call for, an attribute that gets under my skin after a while making me
want to somehow speed them up. "Invincible" is the probably the worst
offender in this regard, but fortunately the band finally comes to on "Revelation,"
a quick-footed number that harks back to the band's more glorious past.
More than the speed, the song features a couple of very cool, rather unusual
riffs that have a slight Eastern feel to them. "Never Die" comes hot
on its heels and sports some top-notch soloing. Later, "Vengeance"
lays down a storm and "Faceless Gods" offers some particularly strong vocal
lines. "Birth of Chaos" is particularly heavy, reminding me of the
good songs on the post-Wayne Metal Church discs.
While vocalist Jonny Lindqvist has never been my favorite singer in the world,
I blame the mix more for my disappointment here than his actual singing.
The guitars are nice and full, but the drums and vocals both feel a bit hollow
and separated from the rest of the music at times. It's not a horrible
thing, but it is distracting from the album as a whole.
Nocturnal Rites might offer some sustenance for fans who can't get enough
of Angra, Blind Guardian and the like, but they'd probably be better off
delving into the band's back catalogue rather than getting this. Still,
a good half the songs here are worth hearing and they're pretty well distributed
over the course of the album, keeping things alive despite a few fillers.
[Daniel Hinds]
THE OCTOPUS PROJECT
Identification Parade
(Peek-A-Boo Industries)
I got a chance to preview this CD from a mutual friend and over time, this
CD has won me over. Never been a fan of low-fi or electronica &
the thoughts of such an album in instrumental form would have been enough
to make me just give up this whole reviewing business altogether, but I have
to say with Identification Parade, I have been converted. This is beautiful
aural tapestry of songs & soundscapes.
I think "What I Found" is the perfect introduction to this CD and is followed
by the very minimal "Roral" which reminds me of an element in my friend Zera's
Seattle band Tagging Satellites. Next comes my favorite track on this
CD & what has become one of my favorite instrumental tracks of all time:
"The Way Things Go." My favorite thing about this track, is as much
as it feels there is not much going on musically, there really is so much
happening. And it is the variation in the layering of sounds that keeps
it from getting boring. It is one of my favorite songs to start off
my mornings because it just steadily builds around the same melodic sequence.
The CD continues much the same way, very bare in its production yet complex
in its simplicity. It is very rhythmic and planned out without ever
sounding contrived. The programming of the percussion and how it is
treated is one of the highlights that keeps my interest. My other favorite
tracks on the CD are "It's Caption Was a Star" that sounds like a perfect
soundtrack to a very sublime work of cinematography & the almost retro
feel to "Porno Disaster" (feels like an electronic take on the Beatles with
fucked-up drums.)
Another thing that this Austin trio has managed to do is create an album
that plays as an album. As complete as all the songs are in & of
themselves, they work much better within the framework of the other songs.
The only song I would pull from this CD and burn onto one of my mixed listening
CDs is "The Way Things Go," yet, without a doubt, this is probably my favorite
lo-fi CD I have heard in years and the only electronica CD that will remain
a permanent fixture in my CD collection.
I really do hope they manage to hit the road and play the west coast in early
2003. I encourage everyone with an interest in either lo-fi, electronica
or instrumental soundscapes, to look this CD up and visit the band's website:
http://www.theoctopusproject.com
to keep up with the bands career.
[Victor Mejia]
OPHELIA RISING
Step 1: Acknowledge You Are Part of the System
(self-released)
This four song EP is comprised of three originals and a very cool cover of
the standard "You Don't Own Me." Ophelia Rising is a 5 piece of rocking
women based in Los Angeles, California. This EP brings to mind the
Nymphs only release back in the early 90s and the very first CD by the Divinyls
nearly 20 years ago. The music is raw and very honest and hopefully
this is just the beginning.
The very first song, "Lori," is hard for me to really even comment on, having
known someone by this name long ago down in California and so much of it
rings true with the girl I used to know. The addiction, the despair,
the inability to be loved, no matter how hard you might try. The song
gradually picks up until it climaxes and then slows back down to the perfect
ending. My least favorite track on the CD has got to be "Novocain."
If it wasn't for the violin in the background of this song, it would be far
too boring to listen to...there really are no changes in this song and it
just feel like it goes on far too long. "Rockstar" is another great
piece of work. The lyrics on this song are the strongest and the freshest.
I don't know if the vocal samples throughout the song really work, but other
than that, I love this song. It is scathing and troubling while remaining
subtle. That is where the lyrics work the best on this CD, is in their
subtleness...makes them hit even harder and truer.
The cover of "You Don't Own Me" is surprisingly noisy, considering it was
produced by Human Drama frontman, Johnny Indovina. But I love how it
works within the framework of the EP. Adds a bit of a classic feel
to the other three songs, while Ophelia Rising clearly makes this song their
own at the same time. Thematically it is a nice fit to the other three
songs.
There truly is a lot of potential for growth for Ophelia Rising, but there
is definitely a very firm base for this band to grow on. As personal
and as well as some of the lyrics work, at times they sound very similar
to lyrics other bands have written on similar subject matter. With
time, I believe Ophelia Rising could really leave their mark on the music
scene, both musically & lyrically and I look forward to what is to come. http://www.opheliarising.net
[Victor Meji
PROTOTYPE
Trinity
(WWIII)
Prototype's bio sheet brings attention to their diversity. No, they
aren't a United Colors of Benetton ad with guitars, although I might really
enjoy such a thing. Anyhow, I digress. Trinity opens up with
nu-metal music and prog-rock vocals (which suffers further from Overrhyme
Syndrome), and they sure don't settle down into a single sound at any point.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of overly-artsy mixed with badass 'n evil,
at least not in the separate-but-equal method Prototype delivers. Now, I
just mentioned I'd enjoy a United Colors of Benetton ad with a bunch of multicultured
kids with guitars and leather and spikes, but I'd enjoy that from a kitschy
perspective, and Prototype ain’t kitschy. No, not like Cannibal Corpse
and such. Prototype is very accurate and thought-out, sometimes super-chunky
with 32nd-note double bass drums, other times spacey and complex melodicwise,
they are always a showcase of talent and technical skill.
[Laird Sheldahl]
RONDELLUS
Sabbatum
(Beg the Bug)
It's weird how things turn out. This was the first CD I received after
the last Plague update back in March and yet it turns out to be the last
one I'm reviewing for this issue. Saving the best for last, I suppose,
as this is one of the coolest discs I've received all year.
The gist of Sabbatum is a band from Estonia re-interpreting classic Black
Sabbath songs in a very classic medieval folk style. Instruments used
include harp, lute, fiddle, bagpipes, and frame drum, as well as some lesser-known
instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, psaltery, positive organ, and organistrum.
Possibly even more important to creating the proper atmosphere is the vocal
styles used. Translating all of the lyrics into Latin, the songs are
then delivered by male and female vocalists with an almost sacred reverence.
While the album is enjoyable as a whole, there are certain cuts that really
stand out. First up is "Oculi Filioli (Junior's Eyes)," which takes
an on air of real Eastern mystery. This has always been one of my favorite
little-known Sabbath cut and the combination of the harp, the frame drum
and the full chorus really brings it alive in an all new way. Similarly,
"Funambulus Domesticus (A National Acrobat)" is broken down to its main riff
(played very solemnly on fiddle) and female vocals delivering the emotional
lyrics. "Solitude," my favorite Sabbath ballad, is perfect for the
vocal/organ rendition it is given here.
Some of the songs are so stripped of their modern adornments, it is difficult
to recognize them. "Symptom of the Universe" and "After Forever" are
good examples, sounding more like the collections of Gregorian Chants on
the market than anything that used to be a metal song. And the female
vocal harmonies used on "Wheels of Confusion" are equally unique and inspired.
To me, this is just further proof that Rondellus has succeeded in creating
a truly inspired work of art with this album.
For fans of Black Sabbath, this is simply a must. Forget the half-assed
Nativity in Black comps (and the even worse Dwell 'tributes') - this is the
one you simply must have. More info: http://www.sabbatum.com
[Daniel Hinds]
PAULINA RUBIO
Border Girl
(Universal)
I will be the first to admit how incredibly fucking hot
Paulina Rubio is, especially on her video that has managed to get some airplay
on M2's dance show. I have been torn over getting one of her albums
though now for a couple of years. Always had a fondness for all the
pop diva's and her Mexican background was the key selling point...Paulina
is one of my peoples. Border Girl marks her first full venture into recording
an album in English. Not to fret though, there are 5 Spanish versions of
songs on this CD, too.
"Don't Say Goodbye" is a great single and so wonderfully catchy. More
trancelike and modern dance sounding than the other tracks on the CD and
somewhat out of place, but still, a pretty nice groove to kick this disc
off. "Casanova" has more of a Latin feel to it, and more in line with
her older material. This being said, even this song, is far more geared
to a pop/dance market. The title track has a very 80s pop feel
and not in a good way, but it is followed by one of my favorite tracks on
this album. "The One You Love" is the perfect combination of all the elements
on this CD and possibly a good crossover track to a little more adult pop
market. The best mellow track, "Undeniable" has a very retro feel to
it, even more so than other songs on the CD and "Last Goodbye" is the song
most reminiscent of her previous albums with a definite Mexican flare with
the horns and instrumentation. The most shocking part of this CD would
be the choice of covering KISS' biggest hit "I Was Made for Loving You."
Not my favorite cover of a KISS song ever, but it is definitely the best
choice of a KISS song to make into a dance track.
It will be interesting to see what direction Paulina's next album will take.
As far as I can tell, this CD is having at least a small amount of success
crossing over to the non-Latino market. Not sure if this means her
next CD will be even more of a departure from her roots and if she will sex
it up even more (we can only hope!) Guess only time will tell.
[Victor Mejia]
THE SHROUD
In the Garden
(Magpie Records)
The Shroud has always been one of my favorite bands for a long time and I
am so happy to see they have finally released a new album for the first time
in 3 years. And this is truly a wonderful release. There are
very few bands that can create such a dynamically beautiful piece of work
and they manage to just get progressively stronger from CD to CD.
This CD features the same five members as A Dark Moon Night, and it feels
like they are truly one unit on this CD. I love the keyboard work on
this CD provided by Hendrick Groger and the textures it creates with Rodney
Walkers guitars. The rhythm section is especially strong as well now
that Iyan Reed and Eric Dansby have been together on the past two CDs.
And of course, Lydia Fortner's vocals still provide the perfect guide through
each and every track on this CD...this is truly a magnificent musical journey.
It is difficult for me to pick favorite tracks on this CD...I believe this
album is nearly perfect...I am hard-pressed to even come up with a flaw on
this CD. The flow of each song is incredible and how they come together
as a whole is also spectacular. There is something soothing in the
music, yet it still has a driving force pushing it along. It manages
to exist on several different levels. This is by far & away my
favorite The Shroud album to this point and my favorite album I have listened
to this year.
[Victor Mejia]
THE SINS
5 Song Demo
(self-released)
This is a very strong EP demo from a band just started in early 2001.
It is very much in the vein of classic 80s Gothic bands such as the Mission
UK. The music sounds very much restrained & the production has a very
old school quality as well. The vocals, performed by Nightmare Boy
(smirk) are in the vein of many of the bands from this era as well, a cross
between Glenn Danzig & Jim Morrison. Even on tracks such as "Rivers"
the feel of the music is somewhat restrained. As close as the band
feels like it is breaking through on this demo is "Angels." Still,
there always feels like there is another level they could reach on every
song and the CD creates a small level of frustration & anxiety in that
it never quite seems to bring fulfillment. I am sure live, this comes
across better and on their forthcoming full-length CD. The lyrics are
nothing out of the usual either. They fit the music well and flow within
the songs, but there is definitely more room for growth there as well including
a more uniqueness to the voice of the words. The Sins are well on their
way to bigger things, you can hear it in this 5 song sampler, and well worth
visiting their website at http://www.nightmareboy.com
to check for more.
I hope they manage to grow in creating more of their own voice & sound
so they do not just fade into the tapestry of the modern scene today.
[Victor Mejia]
SKEPTICISM
The Process of Farmakon (MCD)
(Red Stream)
Despite the somewhat obscure album art (makes one expect either proggy indulgence
or power electronics mania), this two song affair is actually more in the
gloomy death/doom vein. Slow riffs, plodding drums, graven vocals and
creepy keyboards and FX make for a sinister, if somewhat sleepy, listening
experience.
The CD opens with the seven-minute "Backward Funeral and the Raven," the
more 'upbeat' of the two tracks. Of course, it is still a thoroughly
dreary affair, but the arrangement mutates in unusual ways, belying the ennui
that can often set in during extended doom numbers. "The Process of
Farmakon" is similar in length, but feels a bit too bloated for my tastes,
sticking to a central theme the whole way. A minute or so after it
ends, we are treated to a minute or two of funereal drums and guitar fidgeting,
making for a cool end to the disc.
What the band achieve in the atmosphere department (and it is quite a bit),
they equally fail to achieve with the production. The guitars are buried,
the drums are muted and thin, the keys and FX sound cheap. Perhaps
it is meant to add to the shrouded, despairing mood of the music, but it
doesn't work for me. The one-dimensional vocals are another sore spot,
though at least there I can see some worth in terms of extending the mourning
mood. It's a low-key CD that might do well with the more patient doom
mavens, though I would definitely suggest listening before you buy.
[Daniel Hinds]
SPACEBOY
Searching the Stone Library for the Green Page of Illusion
(Southern Lord)
Not really sure what to say about this at all. I have no real information
on this band. This is pretty fucking brutal at times. It is always
heavy. Very much dirge-oriented. At times unlistenable. Not sure
if this would benefit from sounding less-muddy at all. It truly sounds
like these guys can play, but I think if this were cleaned up, it would probably
be even less listenable at times. This is the soundtrack of hell.
I think the picture of these guys pretty much sums up their music:
http://www.southernlord.com/images/spaceboylarge.jpg
Each song on here feels like its own EP. They are all incredibly long,
with multiple change-ups. It is really hard to tell when one song starts
and the other ends or when it is still the same song playing. It is
just one mini-jam session after another. This is completely numbing
to the senses. Wonder what the other bands on Southern Lord might sound
like. If you want to challenge your endurance for brutal sludge core...then
Spaceboy is probably your type of thing.
[Victor Mejia]
TAD MOROSE
Matters of the Dark
(Century Media)
I won't bore you with gushing praise for past Tad Morose releases like Paradigma
and A Mended Rhyme, but suffice to say I like these guys and feel they are
one of the most criminally underrated power metal acts in the world.
These Swedes blend heaviness and melody in a rare and splendid fashion.
Bands like Iced Earth, Lefay and Savatage all move in the same general sphere,
but there was always something special to me about Tad Morose's style.
On first listen, Matters of the Dark left me feeling a bit let down.
It had all the elements that I loved, but none of the songs really reached
out to me. As happened with their previous outing, Undead, it took
a few spins to really appreciate what was going on. While Matters of
the Dark still isn't my dead favorite Tad Morose offering, it is a very worthy
addition to their impressive catalog.
"Sword of Retribution" kicks off in very traditional style, with a nice thick
riff and larger-than-life drums reminiscent of Metal Church at their heaviest.
Of course, it wouldn't be Tad Morose if they didn't temper that heaviness
with a more melodic, catchy chorus, and they do just that on every track
here. "Matters of the Dark" quickens the pace and vocalist Urban Breed
really injects some venom into his voice during the verses. "Ethereal
Soul" takes a slower approach ala Lefay, while "I Know Your Name" suffers
from a slightly too obvious chorus. "In the Shadows" reminds me of
the kind of metal that Dio should be doing - very strong and heroic, with
plenty of emotion.
The most unusual song on offer is "Another Way," which has a slightly more
upbeat mood, more hard rock-oriented than really heavy. It's a cool
change of pace and shows a new side to Tad Morose that I've never really
seen before. "New Clear Skies" is more generic,
but "Riding the Beast" is yet another classic cut. The remaining three
songs don't quite rise to that same level of greatness, but the oddly-titled
"The Devil's Finger" comes very close.
Tad Morose weave intriguing tales of fantasy and spirituality into some of
the most rock solid power metal in existence and Matters of the Dark may
actually be their heaviest outing to date. The formula hasn't strayed
much over the years, but the band adds a couple new tricks with each album
and Matters of the Dark is another proud chapter in the story of Tad Morose.
[Daniel Hinds]
TEARABYTE
Embrace Oblivion
(Screaming Ferret)
Tearabyte plays a rather straight-forward brand of modern retro thrash metal
that manages to show some potential. Bassist/vocalist Al Mead spent
the 80s in the minor league outfit Knightmare and even survived some time
in GG Allin's outfit before ending up in Dallas, where he put together Tearabyte
with his brother Kevin (guitar) and drummer Jeff Owens.
"Road Rage" is pretty straight-forward hardcore-inflected, mid-tempo thrash.
The vocals are fairly old-school in nature but are mixed a little strangely,
making them seem a bit disembodied from the music. The title track
is next and is much more interesting, featuring a cool chugging riff and
a more memorable chorus. "Strike the Enemy" features a cool, more modern-sounding
riff, while "Tear it Up" passes by without making much impression.
"Lash of the Gash" gives Anvil a run for their money in the lyric department
but falls a bit short musically. "It's All a Lie" proves more interesting,
while "Screaming Pig Fucker From Hell" lives up to its overly crude title
(closer to GG here than Anvil this time). Instrumental "Spear of Destiny"
features a nice crunchy riff and the album closes with a cool and surprisingly
faithful version of the Johnny Cash classic, "Ring of Fire."
Stylistically, Tearabyte remind me of several dissimilar bands at different
times, from Nuclear Assault to Hallow's Eve to Exodus. Which means
that Tearabyte is definitely onto their own sound here and it is one that
should prick up the ears of elder thrash fans looking for something new.
Embrace Oblivion is a mixed bag, but there are some decidedly meaty cuts
to be found within and it is always cool to hear a band keeping alive the
tradition of classic thrash metal. More info: http://www.tearabyte.com
[Daniel Hinds]
[various artists]
12 Tales
(Instinct Records)
This is a compilation of 12 artists doing songs about different faerie tales.
The CD is beautifully packaged with art by Amy Brown (www.amybrownart.com).
The booklet has a summary of each tale written by Melora Creager, bandleader
of Rasputina, who open the CD with the song "Hunter's Kiss." The CD,
on a whole, makes a beautiful backdrop to almost anything, but is highlighted
by several performances.
The first very notable track is "O! What a Dream It Was" performed by Future
Bible Heroes. A child is reminded by all of his friends that looks
do matter, but in a dream, he finds a sweet & spritely girl, but awakens
to find it was only a dream. Stephin Merritt's languid lead vocals
make the perfect medium to carry this tale to its end.
This CD would not be complete without a song from The Cranes...nearly all
of their songs already sound like a faerie tale with Alison Shaw's little
girl vocals. "Flute Song" is no exception. Not their best song,
but still a wonderful piece to this compilation. "Slipping Away" by
the Creatures is in a similar vein...not the greatest song by the band, but
definitely carried wonderfully by Siouxsie's vocals.
The song that follows, "Purr La Perla" by Violet Indiana is the next real
highlight on the CD. It is trippy and spacey and sublime and I love
Siobhan De Mare's vocals. I am definitely going to try and pick something
up from them. Miranda Sex Garden follows with one of their more percussion-laden
pieces, but it is ultra cool and a nice transition from the previous track.
The CD slows down with Russell Mills / Undark doing "Room of Sixteen Shimmers."
David Sylvian adds additional vocals to this track and it has an almost eastern
quality to the songs, and it more than the other songs on this CD, this truly
does feel like a tale being woven. Again, it picks up with the following
track. Livid Kittens provide a dark low-fi driving track with "Flying"
pushed along by the steady bassline and Paige Alison Harvey's vocals.
The guitars add just enough texture to the track to keep it interesting.
Another band on this CD that I really want to look into more is the Devics.
"You Could Walk Forever" provides much the same feel as my other two favorite
tracks on this CD do (Violet Indiana & Future Bible Heroes). There
is this sense of something really beautiful happening while being wonderfully
haunting at the same time. There is magical sadness in all these songs
and I adore them for this quality.
The CD closes with "War of Silence" by Legendary Pink Dots. Reminds
me of Leonard Cohen to a point, but makes a nice way to round out this CD.
This tends to be value priced in most stores, so I do recommend picking this
one up. And if you are fans of The Flir & Bitstream Dream, they
are on here as well, so pick this one up.
[Victor Mejia]
[various artists]
Now That's What I Call Music! 9
(Universal)
This series of comps is an interesting look into the current state of pop
music. While the popular version of 'metal' these days (Drowning Pool,
P.O.D., anyone else who has played Ozzfest in the past few years) is devoid
of melody, production values or real songcraft, I have found that these elements
still exist in some of the more traditional pop arenas. The lyrics
and image might be saccharine and superficial, but there are some great tunes
coming from artists I never would have imagined listening to in the past.
The album starts off on a downer, unfortunately. Pink's brand of alterna-hip-hop
never sat well with me so I was quite surprised by the rather groovy "Get
This Party Started," which was much more of a retro-funk concoction than
anything. Instead of the album version, though, this is a blah, downbeat
version with the vocals completely redone (rather badly I might add), with
the addition of lines from Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" and rapping by Redman,
both of which are totally out of place. Next is fading star Britney,
with the bouncy and fairly enjoyable "I'm a Slave 4 U." Here I wish
they had gone with the much more energetic remix that was getting club play
for a while, but this is still decent. The incredibly simplistic yet
highly enjoyable "Family Affair" from Mary J. Blige follows, with Colombian
mega-star Shakira keeping the energy going on "Whenever, Wherever."
This song is the perfect example of a great pop song - interesting but not
overly deep lyrics and a hook that you simply can't dislodge from your head.
Her vocals might steer a little too close to Jewel-like whininess at times,
but hey, nobody's perfect.
Here the album takes a wrong turn for several tracks. J-Lo has done
much better work than "Ain't It Funny" and Ja Rule, Ludacris and Mr. Cheeks
all exemplify everything that is wrong with hip-hop these days. Petey
Pablo saves the day with "Raise Up," one of the few rap tracks I've heard
in a while that actually works. City High's "Caramel" is a nice and
sweet R&B cut, slightly marred by the rather distracting remix elements
here and Nelly Furtado's "Turn Off the Light" is so good, it makes me wonder
why the rest of her material is so crap. Another detour as we are presented
with five utterly unlistenable ballads from the usual suspects (Ginuwine,
Backstreet Boys, U2, Destiny's Child, N'Sync). Never been a huge fan
of Aerosmith, esp. the modern stuff, but "Just Push Play" never sounded so
good by the time it kicks in! Same story with Lenny Kravitz' "Dig In"
- more 'classic rock' sounding than a lot of actual classic rock. Incubus
and Adema end the album with their usual brand of shit posing as rock music.
Just like a random hour on MTV2, you get some hits and some misses here.
If you are looking for more rock-oriented material, you will be left out
in the cold with only Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz delivering. But if
you can dig on some dancey pop numbers, too, there are several winners here
- just prepare to program around the losers.
[Daniel Hinds]
[various artists]
Oh Say Can You Scream
(Screaming Ferret)
This is a collection of tracks by several underground metal acts, crossing
styles from thrash to hardcore to death metal. There is an unpolished,
rough-around-edges charm to some of the tracks offered here, while a few
others just fall flat, but anyone looking for some new blood in the aforementioned
genres would do well to at least check this out.
Fans who followed the rise of thrash metal will recall some surprising signings
in the late 80s by the majors, most notably Powermad, Rigor Mortis and Meliah
Rage. The latter appears to still exist, delivering the opening cut
"Mind Stalk." The band's potent brand of power-thrash hasn't changed
a bit, leading me to wonder if this really is a new track or not. Distrust
are next with less interesting mix of modern hardcore and death metal, but
Red Right Hand up the stakes a bit with their groovy Testament-goes-hardcore
style. Candy Striper Death Orgy kick both of their asses, however,
with their speedy take on punk-influenced thrash metal (or maybe its thrash-influenced
punk rock). Cold Blooded take a more distinctly hardcore approach,
despite the overly-long "Raining Blood" like intro.
Up to this point, the production quality has been pretty good, but Tearabyte
have a very lo-fi, demo quality sound on "Doom Generation." Which is
weird as their recently released album sounds way better. Disdain set
a tense mood with "Reign of Terror," before a superbly simplistic metal riff
kicks in (think Hallow's Eve). The gruff vocals sound a bit flat by
comparison, but I give these guys major points for knowing how to come up
with the catchy riffs. Recognizer is nearly as adept at coming up with
the easy-but-cool riffs, but are hampered by a terrible drum sound and overall
mix. The crude lyrics fit the title "Built For Porn" as you'd expect,
though the rap breakdown in the middle might have been better left out.
Comadose also suffer in the sound department and attempt to incorporate alternative
elements to their sound, much to their detriment. Suicide Contest end
the album with a very bizarre style, almost like a southern-sludge version
of Last Crack.
I didn't love this disc and there were a few real losers in the lot, but
there is a real old-school charm to many of the tracks, too. If you
go into this with no grand expectations, you will likely come away with at
least a couple of new bands to dig on. More info: http://www.screamingferret.com
[Daniel Hinds]
VNV NATION
Futureperfect
(Metropolis)
VNV Nation is one of the most frustrating outfits in existence. They
are capable of penning some of the most electrifying, emotional and downright
danceable music in the world, yet they never seem to be able to come up with
more than a few songs of that caliber per album. The rest is just bland
filler material that isn't worthy of the band's talents.
Futureperfect continues this sad trend, possibly even more vividly than the
more balanced Empires. The start of "Foreword/Epicentre" is brilliant
- a huge beat, precise electronics and some of Ronan Harris' edgiest vocals
yet. Then the album takes an immediate turn for the worst, starting
with the lifeless instrumental "Electronaut" - all six-plus minutes of it.
What's the plan to recover from this dismal detour? "Liebestod," an
even less interesting instrumental! This is one of the orchestral,
ethereal tracks that VNV Nation loves to do yet can never pull off, with
or without vocals. Case in point - the next song, a god-awful ballad
called "Holding On." And then "Carbon"… another downbeat, six-plus
minute number!
At this point in the album, you'd think I would welcome any return to the
energetic side of VNV that I know and love. Well, first single "Genesis"
is next and, yeah, it moves, but it feels very hollow, like an Assemblage
23 song or something. Finally, my ears perk up as the far more industrial-sounding
"Structure" kicks in. Grating samples, a hard beat and no real melody,
this is the kind of stuff VNV did early on in their career and I wish they
would incorporate more into their current sound. Now that things are
back on track, the band launches into possibly their best song ever, the
raucous self-affirmation that is "Fearless." Seeing this song performed
live was a true joy and had me jumping and singing along to the lyrics almost
immediately. VNV Nation's generally positive (but realistic) outlook
has always been one thing I admire about them and this is probably the best
expression of those feelings, lyrically and musically.
Following this gem is another short instrumental that leads directly into
"Beloved," the only semi-ballad I've heard the band tackle so far that actually
works. The song starts off very slow and low and just builds and builds
until the mighty VNV beat finally kicks in. Ronan's melancholic voice
works superbly with the layered synths and bittersweet lyrics. Not
content to leave us on a good note, we get eight minutes of Nytol called
"Airships."
The mini-movement of EBM or future-pop that has dominated the industrial
scene in recent years seems to be really running low on inspiration, with
both the new Apoptygma Berzerk and Assemblage 23 releases eliciting nothing
but yawns. Futureperfect isn't much better, short of a couple of tracks
of brilliance, so it rests on the shoulders of Covenant to keep things alive
with their next album. Good luck guys and please - save us!
[Daniel Hinds]
VOLTAIRE
Boo Hoo
(Projekt)
I have been awaiting this new album from musician/artist Voltaire for months
now and was thrilled the day it surfaced in my CD player. With his
first two full-length albums, Voltaire had created the perfect melding of
wilting melodies and often sardonic lyrics. Especially on his second
CD, Almost Human, there are very few shortcomings lyrically or musically.
Boo Hoo is not quite as strong of a release.
The highlights on this CD tend to be when Voltaire shows off his keen sense
of humor on tracks such as "Irresponsible" and "Brains." The best of
these tracks though is "The Vampire Club" where Voltaire manages to poke
fun at his favorite and easiest target, the Goth scene.
When the album isn't as fun, it isn't necessarily weak, it just isn't as
strong as in past efforts. Each song has its own lyrical moment, while
in the past it was just one long lyrical moment from beginning to end.
The lyrics work much better within the framework of the songs, which in the
past they stood well on their own minus any accompaniment.
The other alarming trend is how much Voltaire seems to sound like Morrissey.
This seems to grow more and more with each CD...don't get me wrong, I love
Morrissey and the Smiths, but I hope Voltaire does not begin to just bring
him to mind like Tori Amos did with Kate Bush to several people. Voltaire
is better as an original and not so much as derivative.
[Victor Mejia]
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