Album Reviews

[binnie]

Skid Row – United World Rebellion: chapter 1 (2013)

Yes, it’s a silly title. No-one in Skid Row is rebelling against anything. Except, perhaps, their own legacy. It is an awful thing to witness a once great band limp on long after their sell-by date. Johnny Solinger has now been the singer in Skid Row for a far longer period of time than Sebastian Bach ever was, but in that period of time the band has managed to notch up two studio albums – ‘Thickskin’ (2003) and ‘Revolutions Per Minute’ (2006) - and this, the first of several Eps they promise to release in the coming years. Like those former post-Bach records, it’s an odd affair: still built upon a mix of hard rock and a dabble of punk (like their classic records were), it is essentially a dirge of abrasive sounds floundering around to feel edgy. Solinger himself is a decent enough singer and seems to be the sole member here with real fire in his belly – but you have to admit that Skid Row in 2013 have very little in common with what they once sounded like. Striving for the new in order to avoid becoming a nostalgia act is commendable, but when you leave the ballpark in which you once played it becomes either contrived or aimless. More importantly, however, we have to remember that this was a hair metal band that it was cool to like – a band who could sell millions of records but still have some genuinely heavy music and an street-wise ‘fuck you’ attitude. In that sense, ‘Slave To The Grind’ (1991) may have been a gateway album to heavier metal in a way that Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ (released a year later) was. But here, that once innovative, stratosphere crushing 8-ball of hedonism and anger is reduced to putting out 20 minutes of new music in 7 years. That it sounds like it was knocked up in a garage only adds insult to injury.

There are some glimmers, however. Opener ‘Kings Of Demolition’ is big, brash and ballsy, and has a cool Sabo riff. And ‘Get Up’ is by far the best tune here – proof, it seems, that the Sabo/Bolan writing team can still serve up killer tunes when they want to. Clumsy politics aside, with a chorus like this much can be forgiven. But get past these moments and all you’re left with is absence. No killer solos, no real anthem moments, and no sass and groove that was so crucial to Skid Row’s bite. ‘United World Rebellion’ is not even self-parody. It’s worth than that: it’s self-immolation.

(Hurts to say these things – I am a HUGE Skid Row fan. You just know that they can do better).

[Von Halen]

Binnie, you have a knack for writing interesting and entertaining album reviews. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[binnie]

Cheers Von.

I do my best........

[binnie]

Attica Rage – Road Dog (2011)

This record has clearly been done on a budget – there is something decidedly home-made about the artwork, absence of linear-notes and printing here – but don’t let that act as a comment on the quality of the music. Attica Rage may be an underground band, but few are more deserving of major label exposure because, put simply, they make heavy music that is just so joyous. This is ‘Metal’ wit a capital ‘M’. The component parts are Maiden, Priest, Motorhead (and the rest of your record collection) but this bunch of Scottish firebrands do much, much more than engage in slavish emulation, and channel their influences through a distinctive sound and contemporary nuances. Hooky, and rampantly melodic, even at their most polished these songs never lose the swills of the bar room, and testament to the fact that sometimes ‘raw’ (read: low budget) production works by adding flavours that bigger purse could not.

Each of the 14 songs here is distinctive: ‘Altered Metal’ is classic metal; ‘Ashamed’ is the stadium-filling soft/heavy dynamics of Foo Fighters played with balls; ‘Hacked For Vanity’ is metal injected with both post-grunge and psychedelic elements; and the ballad ‘Through the Inner Eye’ is HUGE – when the Karma To Burn inspired riff kicks in, it’s all over people. If you’re not grinning like a sex-addict in a brothel during the blokey-emotions of ‘Road Dog Forever’ then it’s time to cash-in your membership of the metal club. You do get the sense at times that Attica Rage are not quite sure who or what they are – some of the songs are very heavy, some more commercial – but perhaps that to be expected from a band working on their own without an experienced producer to guide them. Faced with a performance as infectious as this, you really hope that happens because bands like this ARE rock ‘n’ roll – the beating heart and yearning limbs of what makes it all happen. ‘Road Dog’ is well worth an hour of your life, and bands like this need your support now more than ever.

[binnie]

Queens Of The Stone Age – Clockwork (2013)

It’s not Kyuss. If you are waiting – 15 years in – for QOTSA to make a record like their leader’s former group, you really must be pathological. QOTSA have never been as thunderously heavy, have always been more song than jam based, and work through the injection of a certain amount of weirdness into their music – think Captain Beefheart or Black Francis – instead of relying solely on juddering guitar power. Even those who don’t get it would have to admit that QOTSA are one of the most interesting bands to garner mainstream success in recent years. Recent records – ‘Lullabies To Paralyse’ (2005) and ‘Era Vulgaris’ (2007) – felt less purposeful and focused than what came before, as the desert rock power of the first three records gave way to something which drew from a broader palette. ‘Clockwork’ continues that evolution. This album is not a guitarmageddon cluster-bomb – but it is a rich, beautifully written piece of rock music and easily the best thing which QOTSA have done in a decade. If on ‘Era Vulgaris’ all of the band’s myriad influences unfolded and collapsed in on themselves; on ‘Clockwork’ they pull together into something tight and compelling.

Lyrically it’s a sombre affair. The hedonism of the early records is long gone, largely in response to the sobering experience of nearly dying on an operating table several years ago. ‘Clockwork’, then, is an emotionally richer record than you might expect from QOTSA – perhaps not as instantaneous as you might have hoped, but it repays multiple listens. Opener ‘Keep Your Eyes Peeled’ begins with piano and woozy guitar, before picking up into scorching hard rock around the 3 minute mark. And there’s plenty of hard rock bite elsewhere, too. ‘My God Is The Sun’ is propelled by juddering rhythms and jaded guitars; whilst ‘Kalopsia’ is Bowie at his most jagged, and the best thing this band have done in ages. But there are other hues here too. ‘If I Had A Tail’ is pure Tom Waits, but with a decidely Wagnerian undertone too; whilst ‘The Vampyre of Time And Memory’ is piano-led simplicity, and is stunningly delicate; and ‘Fairweather Friends’ comes close to Mott The Hoople and Bad Co, an organic bluesy rock which hearkens back to a time before genre labels made music cluttered, and less pure.

If you’re not convinced that Josh Homme has the voice to front a rock band, nothing here will change your opinion. You’d have to admit that it is certainly distinctive, however. And if the band’s desire to head off on tangents frustrates you, then you will be frustrated here, too (‘I Appear Missing’ wanders like a drunken cleptomaniac at a flea market). But whatever your view, it seems indisputable that QOTSA have something very unique and have proven themselves remarkably reluctant to engage with anything outside of their own bubble. We might call them ‘captivatingly quirky’. Like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, QOTSA are a band who manage to fill arenas despite being so willfully idiosyncratic – cuckoos in the rock ‘n’ roll nest that just refuse to go away.

[78/84 guy]

Black Star Riders – All Hell Breaks Lose (2013)

Black Star Riders are a confused band. Built from the remnants of the band which toured as ‘Thin Lizzy’ (original Lizzy drummer Brian Downey stepped aside and is replaced here by journeyman Jimmy Degrasso), they announced their intention to continue making music with that legendary moniker, before bottling it half-way through making this record upon realizing that the negative press that would ensue would be counter-productive. Or, perhaps they realized that without Phil Lynott these songs fuck all like Thin Lizzy. Either way, dropping the moniker is not a bad thing in its self. What is a bad thing, however, is not knowing who or what you are. For this is the sound of a band that existed as ‘Thin Lizzy’ trying not to sound like Thin Lizzy whilst performing songs originally written with Thin Lizzy in mind. Me either…………

In truth, this is a decent enough rock band featuring some experienced hands and – in the presence of Lizzy axeman Scott Gorham – one legend. But legends are not always excellent songwriters, and Gorham does not do much of the pen-work here. That task is left to fellow guitar player Damon Johnson and ex-Almighty man Ricky Warwick. The latter has the un-enviable task of filling Lynott’s shadow. In the live arena, it must be said, he has done this exceptionally well and with considerable respect (noting that he ‘stands beside Phil’s shoes’ is a nice touch). Here, he often drops into parody by copying Lynott’s turn of phrase and vocal nuances. Whilst those moments are rare, they’re enough to be unconvincing – added into to that that Warwick’s voice is much better suited to more aggressive and heavy music and the whole feels a little contrived. But perhaps the bigger problem is the relative subdued nature of the performance. Johnson does not play well off Gorham, and often these songs scream for guitar histrionics. When the patented Lizzy harmonies do emerge, they also feel somewhat forced.

That’s not to say that there aren’t moments here. ‘Hey Judas’ has a great Warwick hook and is a punchy little anthem; the title-track is peppered with piss ‘n’ vinegar; the Gaelic fury of ‘Kingdom Of the Lost’ smashes punk into folk with venomous results (although it sounds an awful lot like Warwick’s solo work); and ‘Bloodshot’, which features some tasty Gorham licks, is the sort of rock ‘n’ roll we were hoping for. It’s just a shame that the record is marred with mediocrity – surely everyone involved with this project is better than characterless, cliché-driven drivel of ‘Someday Salvation’, ‘Kissin’ the Ground’ and ‘Hoodoo Voodoo’? Maybe a dirtier production – Kevin Shirely’s work is remarkably polite here – would have helped.

But you know what, despite the cliches, despite the rather restrained performances, and despite the myriad of other problems, I can’t help but quite like ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’. Maybe it’s because I wanted to. But you have to ask this: if a band without the legacy involved here performed these songs to an A&R man, would they get signed? On the evidence here, you’d have to assume it would be no sure thing…………..

Hmmm... I thought the songs I did hear were great. I ordered it . But I also don't buy into the oh this was going to be the new Thin Lizzy. I couldn't care less most of these guy's toured using that name. It means nothing but trying to sell tickets. Nobody compared Rainbow to Deep Purple for the most part. Gorham & Warwick were smart enough to fiqure out why bother pissing people off using the Lizzy name for new songs ! Is it ground breaking ? No. But it's a good rock record. Those are hard to find these day's. Why worry about what it was going to be and enjoy it for what it is. A good rock record. Johnson is a awesome player & song writer.

[binnie]

I certainly enjoy the Black Star Riders record, but there's really nothing there that's stunning and even the most generous ears would have to admit that there is some filler there.

Without the 'Thin Lizzy' connection no-one would really pay it much attention, so I understand why they play it up. However, there is a confused sense to the record: it was clearly planned as Thin Lizzy mark 2, and then they pulled back from it - it feels a little unbalanced as a result.

And there are plenty of decent rock records released these days. The sad fact is that the music media isn't really interested in them.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Obituary – Cause Of Death (1990)

At the turn of the ‘90s Florida Death Metal wunderkids Obituary released a brace of albums – ‘Slowly We Rot’ (1989) and ‘Cause Of Death’ (1990) – which both helped to define an emerging genre and spun it in fresh directions. Almost a quarter of a century on they still have considerable impact, if for very different reasons from when they were initially heard – where in 1990 Obituary were potentially overwhelming, about as extreme as any band on the planet; in 2013 it is the relative restraint (as far as modern extreme metal goes) that surprises. Where much Death Metal in 2013 is a willy-waiving competition of complexity and endurance, a pro-tooled to pristine perfection statement of technical brilliance, Obituary were crusty, wounded and often devastatingly simple. There is a warmth – and, it must be said, added evil – to the sheer primitive nature of the music on ‘Cause Of Death’. That’s not to say that it’s unsophisticated, but rather to note that displaying sophistication was not the aim of the game. Rather, bowel-loosening scariness was what Obituary aimed for. And they achieved it in glorious, ‘I’m grinning like I’m about to disembowel you’ abandon. The songs revolve around a demented barrage of tempos lurched together in ways that shouldn’t work, but do.

The songs second time out where slightly more distinctive on the debut, and in Scott Burns Obituary found a producer who simplified and found added depth through a sparser approach. As with all Obituary records the sheer weight of this record comes from two sources: Trevor Peres’ skin-melting guitar tone (surely the ugliest sound ever ripped from a six-string?); and John Tardy’s otherworldly guttural vocals. Proof that the latter is ever human is yet to be found, his whirlwind of guttural terror adding something more abrasive than most Death Metal vocalists can even dream about delivering. Opener ‘Infected’ is sloooooow, bruising Death Metal shot-through with a brooding, hulking groove; whilst the title-track is almost formless in places, and was experimental for its time in showcasing the levels of extremity which this sort of metal could achieve. Elsewhere the horror-schlock of ‘Body Bag’ and ‘Chopped In Half’ as exercises in darkened simplicity; and ‘Circle Of Tyrants’ (a Celtic Frost cover) is terrfying heavily, welding together a series of all-time classic riffs with frightening power. New lead guitarist James Murphy (Testament, Death, Cancer) added a whole other dimension and colour to proceedings – never over-widdling, his distinctive approach to noise-terror is the perfect foil to Tardy’s vocals.

Obituary met the challenge of earlier US Death Metal here. Never as technical as Death, their’s was an approach much closer in spirit to Autopsy: bludgeon, tar-black groove and gore. Perhaps it was the Floridian context, but you always sensed that there was something swamp-like about this music – oppressive, dangerous and having way more beneath the surface than may first appear.

[ODShowtime]

Their’s was a sound of laid-back, slacker fuelled rock ‘n’ roll crafted around cooler-than-cool tones and bourbon stained licks. And at the tail of the ‘80s they were like no-one else. Grunge before anyone had heard of grunge, and Southern Fried hard rock before anyone gave a rat’s ass about The Black Crowes, this was music with songs, depth and feel first. Hard rockin’ certainly, but the range of references here was so much wider
Just listen.

Yep I'm buyin' this.

Great review of the new QOTSA album but no mention of the dirty funky Smooth Sailing?

[binnie]

Yep I'm buyin' this.

Great review of the new QOTSA album but no mention of the dirty funky Smooth Sailing?

Cheers, man.

I try to avoid song-by-song reviews because I always feel they're overlong and read like a list. I just try to give a sense of (how I hear) the album. If I'm honest, I've always struggled with QOTSA - I've always respected them, but they don't always excite me. But the new one is the best they've sounded for years.

[binnie]

Halestrom – The Strange Case Of (2012)

Strange indeed. How can such a devastating live band – easily one of the best out-and-out rock ‘n’ roll live bands this reviewer has seen in a decade – suck such an unholy amount of dick on record? You sense that this – album number two for Halestrom – was conceived with world-domination in mind. There is a pervasive whiff spreadsheets, focus groups and demographics throughout, and a frankly Disneyfied approach to production which spruces up and buffs what is at heart a dirty rock ‘n’ roll band into a shiny-teeth-and-shinier-shoes product for middle America. Add in the cluster of outside writers (I stopped counting at 14) and you have to ask whether this is a band at all, or just a vehicle to sell units to Wallmart.

There are certainly plenty of radio-friendly unit shifters, albeit spiced with just enough contrived baddassery for this to be filed under ‘(not really) edgy’: ‘Mz Hyde’ is the sort of ‘hard rock’ that makes Evanescence look abrasive – essentially a Katy Perry song with the guitars turned up in the mix, it is an awful display in cynical girl power trading on the gender of front-woman Lzy Hale (I’m sure this is meant to be ‘Lizzy’, but surely it is actually ‘ulzy’?). And the pretense of edge continues – ‘Freak Like Me’ is the way Taylor Swift would sound in punk get-up; and ‘I Miss The Misery’ has a feint twang of the ‘rock’ that comes out of Nashville (i.e. not very rock at all). By the time you get to ‘Rock Show’ you’ll be laughing. And ‘You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing’ is not just an awful (and rather sexist) idea, it is appalling executed – even the 14 year old girls this is meant to empower will surely see through it in 10 seconds flat? At least Courtney Love meant it…….

And then there’s the ballads. Even Barry Manilow would baulk at these for being too saccharine. ‘Break In’ and ‘Beautiful With You’ are woeful, smaltzy tofu-filled balls of cheese; whilst ‘In Your Room’ was probably passed over by the Partridge Family for being too twee. So why write all of this? Well, the thing is you actually sense that beneath the stylists, and beneath the production, and beneath the ‘hit factory’ songwriting team, Halestrom are a genuinely good rock ‘n’ roll band. Lzy has a sensational voice. Truly, jaw-droppingly brilliant. And when she does wail – as on opener (and best thing here) ‘Love Bites (And So Do I)’ it pierces you, owns you, and takes you with it. And given their live performances, the covers they’ve done (from the obvious [AC/DC] to the not so obvious [Skid Row]) you just know that if they focused on kicking ass rather than selling records they could deliver something very satisfying indeed. As it stands, they’ve made a conundrum. Who is ‘The Strange Case Of’ for? Surely too risque for Wallmart moms and clean-cut America, it is far from dirty enough for the rock ‘n’ roll barflies who should be Halestrom’s natural audience.

So this is not a review, but a plea to Halestrom: play to your strengths. Ditch Howard Benson (actually, shoot him); ditch the outside writers; stop restraining your playing and do it like you do live – solos, caveman drum fills, spit, piss, vinegar and a genuine enthusiasm for the music we all love. When you do that, I’m in. Until then, pass the Meshuggah record………………I’ve gotta get this shit out of my ears.

[Dave's Bitch]

I like this review,It made me smile.I fucking hate Halestorm

[DLR Bridge]

I'm writing this without having gone past your first paragraph, Bin. To me, this band is just as corporate as Evanesance. Takes a lot more than a cute chick in a VH t-shirt singing all ballsy-like to earn my $12.

[ELVIS]

Amen to that...

Halestrom is garbage...

[binnie]

I like this review,It made me smile.I fucking hate Halestorm

I normally don't bash bands for a couple of reason: 1) if you've got nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all; 2) what have I ever done; 3) it's actually very easy to do. But in some cases, there are valid points to be made - Halestorm could be a cracking band. It seems that they have chosen not to be.

[Coyote]

Personally, I kinda hope Halestorm can get their shit together on the third album. (If they get a shot at that...)

[ToraToraTora]

Airbourne. Black Dog Barking.

Shit title. Disappointing Album. Great Live tho.

Short sweet and straight to the point.

[DLR Bridge]

I normally don't bash bands for a couple of reason: 1) if you've got nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all; 2) what have I ever done; 3) it's actually very easy to do. But in some cases, there are valid points to be made - Halestorm could be a cracking band. It seems that they have chosen not to be.

I apply rule number 1 to people, not rock bands. Judging a band harshly is part of the critiquing business. Hold no punches!

This comes from a guy who had a scathing review written about him once. I don't think I deserved it, but the guy was entitled to express his view however he saw fit.

[ELVIS]

Halestrom is garbage...

I take that back...

I watched a few current live clips and they're actually pretty damn good...

Way better than I thought...

They still suck though...

[binnie]

Airbourne. Black Dog Barking.

Shit title. Disappointing Album. Great Live tho.

Short sweet and straight to the point.

I reviewed 'Black Dog Barking' on the previous page. I don't think our opinions are that far apart - I'd say it's better than the previous album though.

[ODShowtime]

Cheers, man.

I try to avoid song-by-song reviews because I always feel they're overlong and read like a list. I just try to give a sense of (how I hear) the album. If I'm honest, I've always struggled with QOTSA - I've always respected them, but they don't always excite me. But the new one is the best they've sounded for years.

Understood. I hated the new album at first, then again the first time I spun it was when the Penguins were getting slaughtered in the NHL ECF (hockey playoffs) so that didn't help. It has grown on me but there are a few shitty songs. That vampire song is hot garbage and the first track is too minimalist for me.

Keep it up Binnie you are really good at this. And thanks for the Halestorm below to remind me how much life sucks.

[ODShowtime]

I heard that Halestorm had signed a development deal with Atlantic back in the day. I think that means they are pretty much beholden to whoever is in charge. They are no Led Zeppelin in terms of their control of their music.

I guess that's what it takes to be a new rock band on a big label these days. It sucks. Like any of these shitbags in the record companies has a fucking' clue about rock music.

[binnie]

Stone Sour – House Of Gold & Bones pt.2 (2013)

There are many things which are interesting about Stone Sour. Firstly, they are a ‘side-project’ (vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root have day jobs in Slipknot) which is actually worth your time – indeed, it is clear that on this, album number 5, their arena rock pretensions are nearing fruition. Secondly, part two of their concept album series comes in a very cool package – the digipack folds out into an epically cool ‘house’ of the album’s title. Thirdly, Skid Row’s Rachel Bolan plays bass throughout here. Oh, and fourthly they are one of the few metal bands in the world today who can do crushing heaviness and Foo Fighters-like soaring melodies. This – like all of their albums – is metal that you can sing. It is also classic songwriting – far, far more conventional than Slipknot, but rarely less exciting (albeit in a different manner). There could hardly be a testament to Corey Taylor’s talents.

The concept here revolves around a character called The Human, who awakens in a mysterious world, meets a serious of characters who guide him towards the Red City, where his fate is revealed. But you don’t really need to follow that to enjoy the music. Continuing the trend begun with album number 3 (‘Audio Secrecy’ [2010]) Stone Sour here branch further into the more melodic side of metal – much here could be heard on FM radio, and if we’re honest the ingredients here are not really any different from Nickleback (although each one is a) far, far stronger; and b) delivered with a genuine emotional depth). Where ‘Audio Secrecy’ was something of a damp squib, here the band’s crackling hard rock power is complemented (rather than smoothered) by the atmospherics and Taylor’s vocal intensity. Opener ‘Red City’ builds very slowly and then just CRUSHES as it opens up; ‘Black John’ is perfect arena rock that 10,000 bodies could bounce up and down to in unison; whilst ‘Sadist’ has an epic quality about it, despite being a fairly conventional soft/heavy rock song at its heart. On ‘Peckinpah’ drummer Ray Mayorga shows off his chops; whilst on ‘The Conflgaration’ – a piano-led ballad of dazzling beauty – Taylor lets his pipes rip to fine effect: rarely has a voice which is so familiar being able to surprise so readily. The ‘House….pt. 2’ has enough of the metallic crunch of the first two records to really get its claws in you.

It is very, very easy to fall in love with this band. They’ve always been more than a mere ‘project’ – but 5 albums in, few would dispute that they have become something very worthwhile in their own right rather than a mere stopgap between Slipknot records. It is quite remarkable that a band as innovative and combative as Slipknot has spawned one as conventional as Stone Sour – more remarkable still that the latter can prove time and again that ‘conventional’ is not always synonymous with ‘boring’. This is an intense affair – make no bones about it.

[binnie]

I heard that Halestorm had signed a development deal with Atlantic back in the day. I think that means they are pretty much beholden to whoever is in charge. They are no Led Zeppelin in terms of their control of their music.

I guess that's what it takes to be a new rock band on a big label these days. It sucks. Like any of these shitbags in the record companies has a fucking' clue about rock music.

I don't buy into that 'no choice' argument. There are a gazzillion bad ass hard rock bands in 2013. None of them are getting air play, but they exist nonetheless. Halestorm chose to compromise because they wanted to play the major label game.

Check out the band Royal Thunder (I reviewed them in the last couple of pages somewhere....................)

[DLR Bridge]

I heard that Halestorm had signed a development deal with Atlantic back in the day. I think that means they are pretty much beholden to whoever is in charge. They are no Led Zeppelin in terms of their control of their music.

I guess that's what it takes to be a new rock band on a big label these days. It sucks. Like any of these shitbags in the record companies has a fucking' clue about rock music.

That's interesting. I wonder if VH was under similar label control early on regarding their music. Didn't they pretty much get chicken winged into turning Down In Flames into a cover of You're No Good? I guess in many respects, all acts have to bend to the hand that feeds.

[ODShowtime]

That's interesting. I wonder if VH was under similar label control early on regarding their music. Didn't they pretty much get chicken winged into turning Down In Flames into a cover of You're No Good? I guess in many respects, all acts have to bend to the hand that feeds.

Well, they at least had Ted Templeman producing, and he knew what he was talking about. Dave wanted to sell records. There are ways to do that without selling out. I haven't heard that much of Halestorm so I don't know but its a shame they supposedly rock out hard in concert these days and can't do a good album. My guess is that the guitar player is not the strongest politically since he's not in the family, so he's not boss hoggin' anything and I'd bet the drummer will do whatever the singer says since they're (little) brother and sister.

[binnie]

My guess is that they had too many outside songwriters thrust upon them. As I said in the review, I stopped counting at 14.

When you're not in control of your songs, it's easy to be steered into other territories.

[binnie]

Children Of Bodom – Halo Of Blood (2013)

As they settle into middle-age (in band terms, rather than personally – they’ve been going for nigh-on two decades) it is a little redundant to expect Children Of Bodom to demonstrate revelatory growth or dramatic sonic change on a new record. ‘Halo Of Blood’ sounds exactly like what anyone familiar with COB will expect it to sound like: a blend of thrash, power, and extreme metal glued together with some irresistably infectious pop dynamics. The latter has long been COB’s left-hook to the jaw – approaching extreme metal with a hearty sense of fun, and a full-tilt rock ‘n’ roll dynamic in the lyrics, this is a band that doesn’t want to enter a ‘heavy for the sake of it’ or ‘more mysanthropic than thou’ competition. Injecting aspects of extreme metal into songs which adopt a conventional verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, they serve up the best bits of classic metal and extreme metal – anthemic sensibility and extreme aggression, respectively – without a hint of compromise.

The return to more overt displays of virtuosity on ‘Relentless, Reckless, Forever’ (2011) was heralded with shit-eating grins by many fans, and ‘Halo Of Blood’ continues the trend. Alexi Laiho shreds all over this record, and underscores his status as one of the premiere axemen of his generation, with ‘Bodom Blues Moon’ being particularly flamboyant. But it’s not all willy-waving. Both ‘All Twisted’ and ‘One Bottle & A Knee Deep’ – which trace Laiho’s battle with the bottle – adopt a more testosterone charged approach, and tap into the defiant determinism which sets metal apart from other aspects of rock. Elsewhere ‘Waste Of Skin’ demonstrates the band’s indebtedness to Death Metal (as well as one of the band’s best-ever hooks); whilst ‘Halo Of Blood’ wades into the muscular form of thrash dominated by The Haunted. But perhaps most welcome is the atmospheric and eerie ‘Dead Man’s Hand On You’, which hearkens back to the industrial metal of the mid-‘90s (think Misery Loves Co.).

Perhaps COB will never make a true classic, but there’s no shame in that. You can become a classic band without releasing a truly classic record – Overkill would be an example to emulate, and one who’s dogged adherence to the cause COB are well on course to replicating. If they continue to serve up records as enjoyable as this every couple of years, COB will long have a place in metal fan’s heart.

[ODShowtime]

I love how Binnie just plows ahead with another great review.

Masters of Reality came last night and it was pretty cool. More mellow than I expected but the louder songs are near the end. Definitely digging it and it sounds like a grower!

[Von Halen]

Black Star Riders – All Hell Breaks Lose (2013)

Black Star Riders are a confused band. Built from the remnants of the band which toured as ‘Thin Lizzy’ (original Lizzy drummer Brian Downey stepped aside and is replaced here by journeyman Jimmy Degrasso), they announced their intention to continue making music with that legendary moniker, before bottling it half-way through making this record upon realizing that the negative press that would ensue would be counter-productive. Or, perhaps they realized that without Phil Lynott these songs fuck all like Thin Lizzy. Either way, dropping the moniker is not a bad thing in its self. What is a bad thing, however, is not knowing who or what you are. For this is the sound of a band that existed as ‘Thin Lizzy’ trying not to sound like Thin Lizzy whilst performing songs originally written with Thin Lizzy in mind. Me either…………

In truth, this is a decent enough rock band featuring some experienced hands and – in the presence of Lizzy axeman Scott Gorham – one legend. But legends are not always excellent songwriters, and Gorham does not do much of the pen-work here. That task is left to fellow guitar player Damon Johnson and ex-Almighty man Ricky Warwick. The latter has the un-enviable task of filling Lynott’s shadow. In the live arena, it must be said, he has done this exceptionally well and with considerable respect (noting that he ‘stands beside Phil’s shoes’ is a nice touch). Here, he often drops into parody by copying Lynott’s turn of phrase and vocal nuances. Whilst those moments are rare, they’re enough to be unconvincing – added into to that that Warwick’s voice is much better suited to more aggressive and heavy music and the whole feels a little contrived. But perhaps the bigger problem is the relative subdued nature of the performance. Johnson does not play well off Gorham, and often these songs scream for guitar histrionics. When the patented Lizzy harmonies do emerge, they also feel somewhat forced.

That’s not to say that there aren’t moments here. ‘Hey Judas’ has a great Warwick hook and is a punchy little anthem; the title-track is peppered with piss ‘n’ vinegar; the Gaelic fury of ‘Kingdom Of the Lost’ smashes punk into folk with venomous results (although it sounds an awful lot like Warwick’s solo work); and ‘Bloodshot’, which features some tasty Gorham licks, is the sort of rock ‘n’ roll we were hoping for. It’s just a shame that the record is marred with mediocrity – surely everyone involved with this project is better than characterless, cliché-driven drivel of ‘Someday Salvation’, ‘Kissin’ the Ground’ and ‘Hoodoo Voodoo’? Maybe a dirtier production – Kevin Shirely’s work is remarkably polite here – would have helped.

But you know what, despite the cliches, despite the rather restrained performances, and despite the myriad of other problems, I can’t help but quite like ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’. Maybe it’s because I wanted to. But you have to ask this: if a band without the legacy involved here performed these songs to an A&R man, would they get signed? On the evidence here, you’d have to assume it would be no sure thing…………..

In my opinion, track 11, "Blues Ain't So Bad" is the best song on the disc.

It's not bad. Seems the best songs, are the ones that sound the most like Thin Lizzy. Unfortunately, not all of them do.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Papa Roach – Metamorphosis (2009)

Yeah, I quite like Papa Roach. Don’t laugh. No, please – stop. For many people – those who know the band primarily for their uber-hit, 2000s ‘Last Resort’ – Papa Roach’s only redeeming feature is that they were not as truly turgid as Linkin Park. But, whilst they may no longer be selling anywhere near as many records as in their Nu Metal heyday, they are making music of far greater quality. Now treading a musical path that might best be termed ‘anthemic rock’, Papa Roach approach song-writing with a ‘simple but effective’ manner, centering things around huge hooks and performing everything (even the silences) like it was their last night on earth. The result of this is that if you approach ‘Metamorphosis’ – or any of their more recent records – with an open mind, and don’t take music too seriously, you will yourself pleasantly surprised.

Opener ‘Change Or Die’ is a scuzzy sort of punk which treads into the territory best inhabited by The Bronx – it’s nowhere near as killer-cool-fuck-yo-mama as The Bronx, but it is powerful enough to neuter a bull at fifty paces. Elsewhere ‘Holywood Whore’ adopts the sleazy-lament in a Buckcherry style; whilst ‘I Almost Told You That I Loved You’ is a filthy rock anthem which reminds you why you loved rock ‘n’ roll in the first place. It is relieving to hear Jacoby Shaddix move away from the angst-ridden lyrical tropes – surely no human being has ever endured as much pain as Mr Shaddix, if those lyrics are taken at face value – and even the rock-by-numbers heartbreaker ‘Live This Down’ is carried by his charisma. Sure, much of this is saccharine, but many bands have made a career out of this – ‘Carry Me’, however, may be a step too far along the Bon Jovi route of bullshit. If you scratch the surface you will find fault: the record certainly has a ‘by committee’ feel to it, with every type of rock catered for (hipster punk, ‘Change Or Die’; radio rock, ‘Lifeline’; sleaze, ‘Hollywood Whore’, and so on). But Papa Roach are never going to be game changers – in truth, few bands are. Taken at face value, ‘Metamorphosis’ is a rock record: and it’s a bloody good one.

[Von Halen]

Binnie, have you reviewed the new Five Finger Death Punch yet?

[binnie]

No: but it's on my (very long) 'to do' list. I've never been a huge fan, but they're certainly a lot of fun if you don't apply the mircoscope.

I'll certainly get round to it, though.

[binnie]

Church Of Misery – Thy Kingdom Scum (2013)

Disappointed with the new Black Sabbath record? Check THIS out. Japan’s Church Of Misery combine the juggernaut power of ‘Masters Of Reality’ (seriously: how can anything be THIS heavy?) with the swing which made ‘70s Sabbath great. It is that swing which 99% of the Sabbs modern copyists fail to capture, but drummer Junji Nariko deserves plenty of accolades here, guiding COM through some of the most hypnotic doom metal ever recorded. As with all COM records, ‘Thy Kingdom Scum’ is about various serial killers – represented here are Dennis Rader (B.T.K), Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, Dennis Nilson, and Peter Kurten, amongst others – and that macabre subject is handled in a manner which more than a freakshow dabbling in gore. Like all truly great Heavy Metal, COM explore evil and delve into the darker side of humanity – in their hands, the subject matter titillates because it is taboo and because the band teeters on the edge of celebration in a manner which is far, far more subversive and unnerving than the tens of thousands of Death Metal bands can hope to conjure up. The latter deal in gore; COM deal in something truly evil. And that exploration is complemented by the free-form nature of the music, the almost psychedelic sense of being carried somewhere that only jamming can. This is the (very) dark side of the trip, my friends. But it is also expertly handled – more than just a collage of heavy riffs, COM’s compositions are always based on songs.

‘Lambs To The Slaughter’ is, for want of a better word, magical. Sizzling with live feel, the band is completely immersed in the moment. Elsewhere, the band is so raw they sound unhinged – the sliding morass of ‘All Hallows Eve’ is crushingly heavy, whilst the bluesy bombast of ‘Dusseldorf Monster’ is 11 minutes of jet-propelled, sun-scorched Satanic majesty. Hideki Fukasuma’s vocals might not be to everyone’s taste – he growls like a trucker as the end of a life of hard knocks – but even a critic would have to admist that it fits the subject matter. And in Ikuma Kawabe, we have one of the world’s least celebrated riff masters – possessed of an Iommi-like ability to make the simple bludgeoning, Kawabe serves up riff after anvil dented riff here with abandon (‘Brother Bishop’ has at least two battleship sinkers).

In a year in which Cathedral have called it a day, it is importance to reflect on and celebrate doom’s best bands. Perhaps High On Fire might now be hailed as the kings, but COM would have to in the conversation. Album number 5 is a phenomenal addition to their oeuvre – it may also be one of the best records of 2013 for those bold enough to embrace it.

[binnie]

Alice In Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)

To say that this is a silly album title is an understatement. But it does reveal something interesting about how AIC have changed (or, perhaps, ‘evolved’ – geddit?) on this, their 5th studio record. The title refers to certain branches of fundamentalist Christians who refuse to accept the existence of Dinosaurs because they are not mentioned in the Bible, and who – bafflingly – believe that fossils are a ploy by the devil to delude mankind out of faith in God. Tackling themes like this is an evolution for AIC, a band whose exploration of the agony of the human condition and perils of addiction revolved around lyrical themes both introspective and insular. Hearing that trademark viscous, tar-thick sound underpinning lyrics about subjects projecting out into the wider-world is thus something of surprise – a critic might suggest that the music loses some of its (incredible) emotive punch as a result; a more generous reviewer would suggest that this is changed AIC, but accept that ‘different’ is not necessarily ‘better’ or ‘worse’.

But perhaps most people won’t give a shit either way because – as always – AIC serve up two things on this record that hit you like Wladimir Klitschko: Jerry Cantrell’s ungodly heavy and instantly memorable riffs; and melodies that could make the dead feel. Warmer sounding than previous outing – ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’ (2009), which dealt with the death in Layne Stayley in a torturous manner – the band here explore a wider melodic palette, and even branch into psychedelic pastures in places. There’s a real ‘60s vibe beneath the grunge of ‘Low Ceiling’, for example; whilst ‘Breath On A Window’, although still crushingly heavy, has a looser, less metallic vibe than you might expect. William Duvall’s vocals blend seamlessly with those of Cantrell (who is high in the mix here), adding an instinctive an unparalleled polyphonic richness that is unlike anything else in rock or metal – the chorus in songs like ‘Hollow’, for instance, are just instantly classic. On ‘Pretty Done’ they display the vim of a much, much younger band and positively wallow in hooks that are so thick they choke the air around you. There Cantrell’s guitar oddities scream and squeal; whilst ‘Stone’ heralds a riff sludgier than a crack addict’s first dump of the day. The acoustic ‘Voices’ is all the vintage AIC you could want, and sounds like an old friend from the first listen. But perhaps best of all are the title-track – which is a near indescribable soundscape of intermeshed guitar and vocal melodies morphing into one unholy powerful and terrifyingly captivating web of music – and ‘Phantom Limb’, which is just……chilling. Most guitar players would sell their mother to pen riffs like this, and the lyrics are beyond perfect.

Twenty five years in, AIC shouldn’t sound this hungry. Their compositions are tight and focused, where most ageing bands are more interesting in playing than writing; and they continue to find things to say, where most ageing bands rest on the big ‘ol book of rock ‘n’ roll cliches. If ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’ was the peak of the nightmare which grief creates, ‘The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here’ is the dawn in which you awaken changed by trauma, recognizably you but knocked over into the light of an older soul.

As good as music gets? It’s close, really close…………..

[jhale667]

Great review of a great album.




Hey, do a review of the Butcher Babies "Goliath" EP. Would be interested to hear your opinion, they're friends.

[binnie]

Do you reckon you could arrange a date with for me if I give it a good review?

[jhale667]

Do you reckon you could arrange a date with for me if I give it a good review?

The brunette is married, but I'll put in a good word for you with the blond.

[binnie]

Evile – Skull (2013)

Despite its importance to the origin and development of Heavy Metal, when it comes to thrash the legacy of Britain is somewhat quiet. Onslaught and Sabbat aside, these isles made little of an impact on what is perhaps the most important sub-genre in heavy music’s history. It is refreshing, then, to see that Evile are doing plenty to put the UK on the thrash map. Even as the past decade has seen an explosion in thrash metal – firstly through the crop of bands inspired by (or plagirising) The Haunted; secondly be a wave of nostalgia enthused, white-top wearing Bay Area wannabes – Evile are a band that has stood out. On ‘Skull’ – their 4th record – the band continue to develop. You can certainly here the influences drawn from the Bay Area bands of the ‘80s, but this is far more than an exercise in nostalgia. Indeed, this is a band whose song-writing chops have steadily developed with each record, and Evile can now comfortably incorporate their classic influences into modern dress and production. For anyone who didn’t quite have their hunger for thrash satiated by the new Megadeth album, ‘Skull’ will be a more than meaty second dish.

Opener ‘Underworld’ is one of the best tunes Evile have penned – more than just fast, is soaring melodies and hooks switch-hit you with the heaviness and typify a band who have the ability to be very heavy and very memorable. The title-track injects thrash with elements of Maiden’s epicness, and recalls the lofty heights with latter-day Kreator and Destruction have ascended to on their recent albums, albums which are as strong as this genre of music has ever been. On ‘The Naked Sun’ you find yourself startled – ‘fuck: why don’t Metallica sound like this any more?’ Riff-riff-riff-riff-riff and then….BOOM, a side-swiping time-change into a huge hook. It’s classic, classic stuff. Even on the mid-paced material (where they have been less convincing in the past), Evile shine here: ‘Head Of The Demon’ features a riff that rules; whilst ‘Words Of The Dead’ has the crunchy bottom-end that vintage Anthrax owned so well. Closer ‘New Truths Old Lies’ features such an accomplished displayed of controlled power that you can only imagine that the future will be very bright indeed for Evile.

Relentless riffage, a hypnotic tsunami of speed, spiraling solos and duel guitar melodies – familiar friends served up on a bed of very well-crafted song dynamics. Evile are not the best thrash band in the world, but they are a very, very good one, and ‘Skull’ will be a very healthy addition to your record collection.

[binnie]

Burgerkill – Venemous (2011)

I would suggest that Metal is the only true form of world music. Maybe it’s because aggression is universal, maybe it’s because this has always been a genre that attracts lifers rather than fair-weather fans, but you’ll not find a corner of the globe without a scene. If the UK and US spawned the genre, and the Europeans and Scandinavians saw it blossom into a host of ever-expanding sub-genres, in the current millennium the sheer levels of talent from bands in the Middle and Far East has been truly astonishing. Indonesia’s Burgerkill are one of the best of those bands – fuck that: on the evidence here, they have the talent to be considered amongst Metal’s very best regardless of geographical entity. Borrowing heavily from Black and Death Metal, ‘Venomous’ has all the hallmarks of the genre in the 21st century. You sense, however, that Burgerkill’s distance from the claustrophobic conformity of UK or US scenes has allowed them to develop more organically and to choose which elements of their influences to bring to foreground outside of any pressure from a record label or producer. Indeed, what pleases most about this record is its processing of 21st century metal through the killer sounds of the mid-90s: there is more than a slight dose of ‘Chaos AD’-era Sepultura about proceedings, and it adds a hardcore, crushingly abrasive groove to the band’s power.

Opener ‘Age Of Versus’ kicks things off with a flailing whirlwind of drums and grating guitars. This is brutal metal. But it is also well-composed, sophisticated and with enough dynamics (tempo changes, multiple riffs, and so on) to pummel you to attention. ‘Through The Shine’ is incredibly direct: balancing The Haunted’s post-thrash crunch and dark melodies with Hatebreed’s muscular hardcore delivery, it is metal at its most head-buttingly abrasive. By way of contrast, the experimental and spacey sections of ‘For Victory’ show a band who know how to be expansive and balancing the sonic depthcharges out over the space of an album; and ‘Only The Strong’ serves up riff after tortured riff of molten metal of epic ugliness. The variety is impressive, but remains subsumed into a coherent aesthetic. In the bruising mid-paced ‘House of Greed’, the band conjures the guitar pummel of the first Machine Head record – it’s almost as exciting as that record, too.

Lean, mean and continually on ‘kill’ mode, this is a record where not one bar is wasted if more crushing metal can be crammed in. Burgerkill have the chops to match any band in the West – drummer Andris is clearly a three-armed genius – but they have wisely eschewed the often over-processed and compressed production methods of US bands. The rawness of their production makes it feel more human, and adds groove in crucial places. And it feel that really separates ‘Venomous’ from the host of bands who – superficially, at least – are as heavy and intense as Burgerkill. In Indonesia, being different – let alone a metalhead – takes remarkable courage. Metal is consequently more than music, more than entertainment – and you really sense that here. Burgerkill deserve our attention not out of some sense of patronising Western curiosity, but because they tell us what music can be.