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Thread: Album Reviews

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    Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots

    So here it is, the record behind the soap opera that is Scott Weiland. For a band fronted by a figure who spends a sizeable chunk of his time incoherently rambling about in a condition which would be undignified for a man half of his age this is a remarkably sober record. It seems that the muse for this new found focus is older than the band itself. A glance at the floral decorated ‘V’ sign on the front cover highlights what becomes abundantly clear seconds after hitting the ‘play’ button: STP have discovered the ‘60s with relish. Kicking things off with vigour, opener ‘Between The Lines’ sounds like Cheap Trick masquerading as a British Invasion cover band, gloriously awash with saccharine melodies. The jangle of ‘Hickory Dichotomy’ and taught-rock of ‘Bagman’ see Weiland exercise his Bowie-fixation, whilst the grandiose of ‘Maver’ is the lament the Velvet Revolver never quite managed to pull off. It’s everything you’d expect: quirky lyrics, odd time signatures, slab-like riffs, and jangling percussion. And yet far from falling into the trap of many reunions of trying to recapture lost glories and merely grabbing self-parody, this is an album which looks firmly into the band’s future, hinting more firmly at the ethereal avant garde rock that they made towards the end of the ‘90s than the post grunge fury of earlier releases.

    It’s not all great, however. The sub-standard ELO rip-off ‘Dare If You Dare’ is uninspired an on the frighteningly trite ‘Cinnamon’ the band manage to achieve something which they’ve never done before – they sound dull. But the duds are few and far between. There might not be anything demanding a place on a ‘Best Of’ here, but there record works as a whole, feeling more concise and focussed than previous outing ‘Shangri-la-dee-da’. This is no ego trip or cash ‘n’ grab, but a band pulling as one. It’s not great enough to make your year, but it’s certainly good enough to brighten up your summer.
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    From the vaults: Kerbdog – On The Turn (1996)

    This is Irish Grunge, but it’s long way from Seattle. Eschewing soft/heavy song dynamics in favour of more intricate crafting, and displaying a sense of melody more akin to Husker Du than Kurt Cobain, this was a dazzling record when it appeared in 1996. Painting from a palette far broader than angst, songs ‘Didn’t Even Try’ and ‘Severed’ feel like they have been lived, the sort of songs someone has invested their whole lives in, and the impassioned delivery of Cormag Battle only solidifies that impression. The staggeringly defiant ‘Pledge’ bursts with riffs that most bands would trade body parts to write, and on the web of twists and turns on ‘JJ’s Song’ the band craft an epic in 4 minutes. Songs like ‘Lesser Shelf’ and ‘Pointless’ blend metal and punk in a way skin to fellow countrymen Therapy?, but in truth Kerbdog had a resume of material infinitely superior to that band, on any other of the ‘Brit Rock’ explosion of the mid-90s – Skunk Anansie, Three Colours Red, Feeder et al may have shifted the units, but they never came closer to the raw abandon and metallic efflorescence on display here. This record may have been a hell of a ride, but Kerbdog’s journey ended prematurely – listening to it today I am reminded of the sense of incredulity I was gripped with when it was released: why do all my friends love Oasis when there’s stuff like this being made? I still couldn’t tell you. Epic, accessible, casuistic, and beautifully aggressive, this is rock music as it should be: vibrant, vicious and vivacious.

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    From the vaults: Emanuel – Soundtrack to a Headrush (2005)

    “Listen up, motherfuckers, this is that new unheard of unspoken so if you're down then get down and if you're not then get the fuck out!” That’s quite a way to start your career, and encapsulates a verve blasting through this debut record. Part emo, part screamo, part post-hardcore, in truth Emanuel pass beyond those genres, having a more bluesy, rock ‘n’ roll sensibility about them. And balls. Big balls, the sort that need a wheel-barrow to carry them around – imagine the New York Dolls mated with a rabid pitbull and you’re getting close. 35 minutes of incendiary 21st century rock’n’roll, songs like ‘Buy American Machines’ ‘The New Violence’ and ‘Hey Man’ possess a bombast which breathes life into a genre that has been limping for almost as long as it exists, and combining clever lyrics with vocal-guitar interplay makes for a record which feels very much like a seasoned band. On the swooning lament of ‘Make Tonight’ screaming is eschewed in favour of actual singing, and its impressive, a moving yet disturbing tale of lust and yearning. But at times the band is trading on enthusiasm rather than talent – ‘Hotline’ and ‘Breathe Underwater’ verge on the generic, whilst ‘Xeroxicide’ seems oddly directionless. This is not an album that will change music – but it may very well be one which kick starts a career bristling with potential.

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    From the vaults: Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes (1982)

    Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow was a long way from that of Ronnie James Dio, epic soundscapes being eschewed in favour of pop senibilities, and in truth this is a record more of its time than timeless. It remains undervalued, however, and should not be dismissed as AOR, even if the band do come close on 'Stone Cold.' What we have here, rather, is a solid Heavy Metal record. 'Death Alley Driver' is a straight out rocker delivered at piledriver pace which comes on like a motherfucker, even if it does suffer by comparison with 'Highway Star'; and 'Tite Squeeze' sees Richie Blackmore and Roger Glover return to the funk-soul of their Deep Purple heyday. In the annals of rock history, Joe Lynn Turner is not accorded the place he deserves as singer: a master of diction, he puts in a remarkable performance here and if his lyrics suffer from cliche, his delivery on the emotive croon of 'Tearin' Out My Heart' is world class. Blackmore, as expected, is on fire and his sultry riffs even carry filler like 'Power' and 'Rock Fever'. Drenched in a crisp and clear production, the songs suffer from a sheen which burries their blues influences far below the surface and have meant that it hasn't aged well. That being said, it deserves a place in any classic rock collection - closing with 'Eyes of Fire', awash with eastern orchestratin and the bombast of '80s rock, this was the sound of a band still fire much of fire if not quite 'Rising.'

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    Quote Originally Posted by binnie View Post
    Ozzy Osbourne – Scream

    This is a unique Ozzy record for two reasons. Firstly, it is the only Ozzy record since 1991’s ‘No More Tears’ to actually live up to the hype job performed by Mistress Sharon Management – unlike every other Ozzy record of the previous 20 years, this one doesn’t suck more dick than Paris Hilton on an average Saturday night. Secondly – and far more importantly – this is the only Ozzy record not to be defined by the guitar player who lavishes his talents on it. That’s not to say that new boy Gus G doesn’t have his moments here, but rather to note that he hasn’t left his individual stamp on the Ozzy sound just as yet – largely because the songs were written before he became involved. The odd dazzling solo aside, this is a long way from his power metal day job, and there are a few moments where he sounds like a pastiche of Zakk Wylde.

    However, the absence of a God-like guitar player actually makes for a stronger record, one in which the strength of Ozzy’s melodies and the craft of the songs dominates. Too often in the past both have been overshone by Zakk’s increasingly busy guitar style, but here we have an Ozzy Osbourne revitalized and re-focussed. Indeed, his vocals sound better than anyone could possibly have imagined – the ‘studio magic’ on his voice is well hidden, and thankfully he no longer sounds like a demonic incarnation of Kermit the Frog. Rather, he’s clearly having a wail of a time and is at his menacing best. Yet it’s the sheer heaviness of the material that staggers you: opener ‘Let It Die’ is six minutes of granite fury, whilst the double bass-drum blast of ‘Diggin Me Down’ is probably the heaviest solo tune Ozzy has ever penned. On the sludge of ‘Soul Sucker’ he nods to his Sabbath past, whilst ‘Fearless’, ‘Crucify’ and ‘I Want It More’ are the finest blend of Ozzy-style metal we’ve heard since ‘No Rest For the Wicked’, the latter possessed of a melody stronger than anything you thought that the double O had left. Seriously, that good.

    Even the more introspective moments don’t hurt. There’s no ‘Mama I’m Getting’ Old’ or the aptly titled ‘Road To Nowhere’ here, nor is there a faux-Beatles ‘Dreamer’ tune to make us whince. The Creed-esque ‘Life Won’t Wait’ is a single in the waiting, and ‘Time’ has an oddly post-grunge feel to it – they’re no ‘Goodbye To Romance’, but you can’t have everything.

    Is this the best metal record of the year? No – it’s not even the best metal record of the month. But it’s bloody good. Anyone expecting ‘Blizzard…’ or ‘Diary…’#2 will be disappointed, and rightly so. You don’t fuck as well as you did in 1981, and it’s uncharitable to expect an artist in his 60s to conjure up the vibrancy of his heyday. But judged against the last two decades of his career, this stacks up way ahead of the competition; it is also infinitely more inspired, and consistent, than the sort of records his peers are knocking out – ‘Black Ice’ is nowhere near as solid as this.

    He’s Ozzy and he wants you to scream – you won’t be able to help yourself.
    I've forgotten to listen to this. Changed days when I would have ran to the shop on the release day of an Ozzy album.

    On the strength of your review I'll go and give it a try but I'm not giving that woman any more of my money...
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    Give it a try, Sesh. It's a grower, rather than an instant hit. It is also much heavier than you'll be expecting.

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    From the vaults: Husker Du - Flip Your Wig (1985)

    This is rock'n'roll at its most primal essense, stripped of any nicieties or embellishments and drenched in conviction. Evolving from the more brutal punk of earlier releases, 'Flip Your Wig' was something of an iron fist in a velvet glove: underground fury wrapped in sacharine melodies. Many would point to 'Zen Arcade' as the pinnacle of Bob Mould's songwriting, but this gives it a run for its money. 'Divide & Conquer' is the best song that The Stiff Little Fingers never wrote; 'Hate Paper Doll' is a tune that early REM would have sold kidney's to have penned; and 'Find Me' has a buzzsaw guitar brimming with aggression. On the uncomfortavle jangle of 'Makes No Sense At All' and the lament of 'Green Eyes', vocals are burried beneath deafening guitar to give the album an uncomfortable, claustraphobic feel, and one which cannot fail to affect the listener. Sure, it was recorded on a welfare budget which makes for a barren sound, but in an increasingly bloated musical landscape of 1985 this must have sounded like rock'n'roll deconstructing itself. Mould's lyrics are witty and peppered with pithy images of the everyday, the perfect encapsulation of a band which sound as uncomprimsing today as they ever have. The Godfather of grunge? Maybe. Under-appreciated genius? Definitely.

  8. Thanked binnie for this KICKASS post:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Seshmeister View Post
    On the strength of your review I'll go and give it a try but I'm not giving that woman any more of my money...
    Without that woman there would be no Ozzy...
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    Black Label Society - Order of the Black

    Anyone expecting a deviation from the BLS sound will be sorely dissapointed by this, Zakk's 8th record. The sound is still very much between Black Sabbath and Pantera. So, its still a parada of pinch harmonics, screaching solos, piss-poor lyrics and steroid fuelled riffs over arrangements that come straight out of songwriting 101. But what separates this record from every BLS album since 'The Blessed Hellride' is the sense of fire, and the focus that has gone into its production - sure, Wylde is never going to win a Grammy for songwriting but that's not the point. The typical BLS elements have been mixed here to perfection, and the end result is metal: straight with no chaser. If this record even had sophistication in its rear view mirror it'd turn around just to go wrestle with it, and on songs as stomping as 'Crazy Horse', 'Black Sunday', 'Southerh Dissolution' and 'Riders of the Damned', Zakk delivers up some of the most bombastic moments of his career. So, this is an album a couple of notches above 'solid'. What stops it from fulfilling its grasp, however, are the piano ballads, which sound tired and kitsch. Zakk simply doesn't have the voice to pull off the like of 'Darkest Days' or 'Time Waits for No-one', a song straight out of a bin that even Desmond Childs would label 'vapid.' But when he's flying the metal flag, there's few who do it with more passion or sincerity; and even fewer who make you feel like a 14 year old air guitar player all over again.

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    Quote Originally Posted by binnie View Post
    From the vaults: Husker Du - Flip Your Wig (1985)

    This is rock'n'roll at its most primal essense, stripped of any nicieties or embellishments and drenched in conviction. Evolving from the more brutal punk of earlier releases, 'Flip Your Wig' was something of an iron fist in a velvet glove: underground fury wrapped in sacharine melodies. Many would point to 'Zen Arcade' as the pinnacle of Bob Mould's songwriting, but this gives it a run for its money. 'Divide & Conquer' is the best song that The Stiff Little Fingers never wrote; 'Hate Paper Doll' is a tune that early REM would have sold kidney's to have penned; and 'Find Me' has a buzzsaw guitar brimming with aggression. On the uncomfortavle jangle of 'Makes No Sense At All' and the lament of 'Green Eyes', vocals are burried beneath deafening guitar to give the album an uncomfortable, claustraphobic feel, and one which cannot fail to affect the listener. Sure, it was recorded on a welfare budget which makes for a barren sound, but in an increasingly bloated musical landscape of 1985 this must have sounded like rock'n'roll deconstructing itself. Mould's lyrics are witty and peppered with pithy images of the everyday, the perfect encapsulation of a band which sound as uncomprimsing today as they ever have. The Godfather of grunge? Maybe. Under-appreciated genius? Definitely.
    I'm surprised you liked this album, as to most Husker Du fans it is a bit of a throw-away. A much finer and heavier album is the classic New Day Rising which was issued a mere six months earlier. Flip Your Wig is made up of left overs and half-hearted songs, and was cobbled together to satisfy the contract demand for the last record owed to the SST label. This was a water treading period for the band, who were saving their better material for the awesome major label debut of Candy Apple Grey the following year, which essentially turned them into an alternative band as opposed to a punk outfit. Of course, this set the stage for the outstanding Warehouse: Songs and Stories double album two years later, and sadly the band's ultimate demise due to drug use during the tour to support the release.

    For evidence of the band's raw power in a live setting, seek out the hard to find The Living End, a document of the band's final tour. Seething with onstage tension at times, the bare bones sound (courtesy of mix desk tapes) is both menacing and positive, two words that serve to aptly sum up this amazing band.
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    I just love Husker Du, really.

    When I'm picking stuff to review, I try and pick out the black beauties and rough diamonds - what would be the point of reviewing 'Led Zep IV' or 'Blizzard of Oz': everyone's heard 'em! So, I look for the records I love others overlook.

    I really don't think 'Flip Your Wig' is made of half hearted songs - in fact, I don't think Bob Mould has ever really done anything half hearted. The songs may be left overs, but then again, 'Physical Grafitti' was made up of leftovers - and that was hardly half-hearted.

    'Flip Your Wig' is no 'Zen Arcade', but it's still a great rock'n'roll record to me - I'm not as keen on the major label stuff, they lost a little something in my opinion.

    Glad to have found another fan, Chef. Did you ever manage to seem 'em live?

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    Quote Originally Posted by binnie View Post
    Glad to have found another fan, Chef. Did you ever manage to seem 'em live?
    Yes, with a local band called Psycho Daisies at a place called Fireman's Hall, a joint that was little more than a community center in Fort Lauderdale, sometime in 1985!
    Last edited by chefcraig; 09-19-2010 at 04:03 PM.

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    I really miss Husker Du. Sadly, I never did get to see them live

    And wouldn't you know, they're the one band that never seemed to show any interest in a reunion. I don't know if Bob Mould & Grant Hart still despise each other's guts, but probably so....

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    Is Grant Hart the only drummer who can actually sing while he's playing the drums. Seems that most of the drummers who they decide they want to sing (Ringo Starr/Phil Collins/Don Henley/Dave Grohl/etc) end up not doing both at the same time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FORD View Post
    Is Grant Hart the only drummer who can actually sing while he's playing the drums. Seems that most of the drummers who they decide they want to sing (Ringo Starr/Phil Collins/Don Henley/Dave Grohl/etc) end up not doing both at the same time.
    It's a pretty short list. There was the guy from Rare Earth who played drums and happened to be the lead singer, Don Brewer from Grand Funk, Levon Helm with The Band and Buddy Miles come to mind. I think the guy in The Romantics sang a couple of tunes, as well as the drummer in Triumph.

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    Forgot about the Rare Earth guy. I actually have one of their live albums on vinyl. I don't think there's a single song under 7 minutes on it. So I guess he had lots of time to play the drums and NOT sing.

    Pretty much everyone sang in The Band, right? Admittedly, I'm not all that familiar with Buddy Miles apart from his work with Hendrix. And Jimi was singing that.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FORD View Post
    Pretty much everyone sang in The Band, right? Admittedly, I'm not all that familiar with Buddy Miles apart from his work with Hendrix. And Jimi was singing that.
    Robbie Robertson only sang lead on a couple of songs, and Garth Hudson sang none. Miles sang lead on a few of the Band of Gypsies tracks, but I'd be willing to bet few people know that he was the singer on those California Raisins commercials, doing "Heard It Through The Grapevine".

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    Now, you see, it's little asides like this that make me love this site!

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    Stone Sour - Audio Secrecy

    This is a cross roads album for Stone Sour, a band fronted by Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor. First impressions reveal that this is a step up from earlier releases. Not so much in terms of the quality of the songs, but in the efforts made to record them: the production here is crisp, polished and thought through, layers of guitars and vocals encasing songs. At times the effect might be to rob the band of some of the infectious energy captured on their first two records, but it also sees them move to a more commerical sound. A move that will inevitably be met with dismay by those who only heard the beast in Slipknot, and not the beauty, it should not be seen as contrived - the songs here are delivered with the passion, enthusiasm and sincerity we have come to expect. At its best - as on the rolling riff and unbridled adrenalin of 'Mission Statement' or the acoustic lament of 'Imperfect' - the added focus works with aplomb; at its worst, however, it yields songs that feel mired with over-thinking - 'Dying' and 'Hesitate' are little more than throwaway AOR for the maggot generation. A mixed bag, then, but one well worth picking up. Indeed, this is the record which will see Stone Sour enter the big league, the transition point which will see them become one of rock's big players. 'The Bitter End' is destined to be a metal classic, and 'Let's Be Honest' and 'Unfinished' are perfect slices of 21st century hard rock which contain slivers of Slipknot: a testament not to band trapped in the shadow of its frontman's past, but to the unquantifiable impact that band has had on heavy music, present even at the point of assumption. Corey sings perfectly throughout this - from lord of the underground to high priest of the mainstream? Only time will tell.

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    Converge - Axe To Fall

    As a man who has been afflicted by clinical depression, I can tell you quite candidly that Converge have managed to capture that feeling of anguished terror on this, their eigth album, which sounds like a mind slowly eating itself to inertia. If you think rock'n'roll is about having a good time, partying hard, going to strip clubs and celebrating hedonism, you flat out won't get this. If you think music, great music, is about more than that, a reflection of the human condition and something which can touch it, you will be staggered. Can you ever say you 'enjoy' Converge? Maybe that's not the right adjective, but it will affect you - like the first time you heard Swans, the first time you heard Meshuggah, this is startlingly heavy, unflinchingly sparse, and ceaslessly brutal, a total deprivation of sense which paints in countless shades of aggression before culminating in 'Cruel Bloom/Wretched World', a lament which sounds like Tom Waits being tortured. Listen at your peril: this is an album which could scare The Hulk, and will probably leave you with your kness tucked into your chest, rocking back and forth in a dark room and wondering what the point of it all is. Outstanding, and untouchable.

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    36 Crazyfists - Collisions and Castaways

    Always an above average metal band, the enjoyment yielded from 36CF's previous outings has always been the result of enthusiasm rather than originality: such is the passion and power of this band's commitment that they have traded thus far on perspiration not inspiration, a trait that has seen them become of the world's most deadly live bands. 'Collisions and Castaways' marks a step up, for there is a real sense of purpose about this recording, a purpose felt most keenly in the remarkably provacative lyrics ('Anchors' is a case in point). The songs contain little flab, boiled down to their fighting weight without feeling over thought, and on 'Trenchers' and 'Death Renames the Light' the delivery is visceral. Opener 'In the Midnights' is the past 20 years of metal in five minutes: vocals are alternatively screamed and crooned, double kick-drums predominate, and breakdowns crush all. The charred melancholy of 'Caving In Spirals' is chilling, and the Glassjaw-like creepiness of 'Mercy and Grace' makes for a career-high performance. Perhaps a more extreme affair than previous albums, the rigid production has a tendancy to rob the band of some of its natural groove. Nonetheless, it is hard not to be impressed with this record. Certainly of its time rather than timeless, there is little here that Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall or a host of other modern American metal bands don't do - what makes 'Collisions and Castaways' remarkable, then, is not its styling but its delivery, the unrelenting commitment which ensures that this release is far more powerful than much of the mainstay of Roadrunner's roster. Indeed, listening to this one is led to feel that, like Devildriver, 36CF should be a much, much bigger band. Perhaps the perspiration will finally pay off.

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    Avenged Sevefold - Nightmare

    Oozing with emotion, 'Nightmare' was recorded in the aftermath of the death of drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan. But if this is a record gripped by a sense of loss, it is also one drenched in purpose, an epic album dressed in pop sensibilities. Imagine 'Use Your Illusions'-era Guns 'N' Roses with Dave Mustaine at the helm, and you're getting close: this is a band that blends a wealth of music into every single song, double drum patterns, complex arrangements, soaring guitars, piano interludes and huge riffs swirling in lengthy tracks. What has always made Avenged Sevenfold work, however, is the fact that this complexity is so accessible: these intricate structures and inter-realted parts held together by beautyfiul melodies which drive the songs forward. It also makes for much variety: the Hetfield-esque strut of the title track offset by the sheer beauty of ballads 'Fiction', 'Victim' and 'Tonight the World Dies', bravdo offset by tenderness in a real journey of an album. Mike Portnay deputizes for the Rev beautifully, his astonishing drumming overshadowed only by Synster Gates's epic guitar-playing: groove ladden riffs, Helloween like melodies and soaring guitar solos, and, most importantly, the sense of when to underplay, he is an axeman with it all. Is it perfect? No. This is a band which has remarkable talent and a paints with a broad pallet of colours. It is the template that often holds them back: too often cliches emerge, aggressive verses merging into the safety of melodic choruses. When they losen up on the second half of this album, they are startlingly good: the confidence to throw the rulebook away and embrace their own potential could quite easily see Avenged Sevenfold make the metal album of their generation; as it stands, fans will have to settle for a really, really good one. I'm sure 'The Rev' would be proud.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FORD View Post
    I really miss Husker Du. Sadly, I never did get to see them live

    And wouldn't you know, they're the one band that never seemed to show any interest in a reunion. I don't know if Bob Mould & Grant Hart still despise each other's guts, but probably so....

    I listened to Husker Du for a little while in college. I also used to listen to a band called The Hoodus Goorus (i can't even remember if i'm spelling that right). They had a record called Blow Your Cool that i used to really dig. Anyone remember them?
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    Crippled Black Phoenix - 200 Tons of Bad Luck

    Hushed into life with 3 minutes of restrained organ, listeners are immediately aware that this is an album which belongs to another era, an era in which songs developed in their own time and pace and in which instant gratification was eschewed in favour of the slow burn. The music on this record - a 'supergroup' of members from Iron Monkey, Electric Wizard and Mogwai - feels like the moment at which the 'Summer of Love' faded into something darker. Lost in the ether, songs exist on the cusp of jams in music which is egoless, melodies and harmonies emering from waves of instrumentation before disapearing seamlessly. It's an eclectic affair: opener 'Burnt Reynolds' consisting of a choir laid over southern rock riffs, sounding like a gentle storm; and the impossibly beautiful 'Wendigo' blending guitar, celo and trumpet in a piece that is hauntingly solemn. For the most part the songs are vocal-less, dark lullabys for broken souls - although their elegance is soiled by liner notes which are somewhat pretentious, awarding each piece an explanatory blurb which often read like a self help book for a character in a Russian novel. This is a little sleepy in places, and the injection of some pace would have made what is a long album more accessible, but it is well worth persevering into these often mezmerizing pieces of progressive rock laments.

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    Swallow the Sun - New Moon

    For an album whose lyrical are so depressing - even despondent - it is a triumph that the music here manages to be inspiring, even touchingly uplifting in places. This is doom which is more than bleak, each song elegant in its drift from the speakers, both evocative and provocative; thoughtful and immediate. It is also a very complete album: becoming progessively heavier, songs like the title track and 'Servant of Sorrow' combine the ultra-heavy with the irrisitably melodic. Inobtrusive keyboards, wailing riffs and intricate guitar melodies blend seemlessly into one, birthing songs both powerful and diffuse. Indeed, the likes of 'And Heaven Cried Blood' and 'Light on the Lake (Horror Pt III)' are near faultless in their trying beauty, and exist as further proof - should it be needed - that the last 10 years has seen a high point in the history of heavy music. Surely eclipsing even the likes of Katatonia and My Dying Bride, Swallow the Sun have delivered something here which is truly innovative: inventive doom metal played with conviction and restraint. They may not have received the attention of the likes of Mastodon, but this will surely be hailed as a modern classic - many shades of melody carress the listener on a voyage from the beautiful to the harrowing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by chefcraig View Post
    It's a pretty short list. There was the guy from Rare Earth who played drums and happened to be the lead singer, Don Brewer from Grand Funk, Levon Helm with The Band and Buddy Miles come to mind. I think the guy in The Romantics sang a couple of tunes, as well as the drummer in Triumph.


    Andy Sturmer from Jellyfish (if that passes for drumming)
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  28. #107
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    Quote Originally Posted by FORD View Post
    Is Grant Hart the only drummer who can actually sing while he's playing the drums. Seems that most of the drummers who they decide they want to sing (Ringo Starr/Phil Collins/Don Henley/Dave Grohl/etc) end up not doing both at the same time.

    Kelly Keagy, Night Ranger, but he's a better drummer than he is singer.
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    Morcheeba ~ Blood Like Lemonade



    Good news, after a seven year absence singer Skye Edwards reunites with the Godfrey brothers to restore the original, classic lineup. After forcing her out they failed to come up with a suitable replacement and released two albums with mixed results. While Skye's solo material lacked the musical muscle of Morcheeba.

    Bad news, Blood Like Lemonade is a return to form but not a powerful surge forward. The material is good but seldom great, a bit too familiar with little variance in mood or tempo from song to song (read: mellow) except the two instrumentals.

    That said there is plenty to get excited about. The first single/video "Even Though" has that dreamy floating feel that makes it an instant classic. The title track is not about a vampire but a man seeking to avenge his wife's death, he drinks blood like lemonade, tasty. Other standouts include "Recipe For Disaster" addresses why there's a dead guy in her dining room and "Easier Said Than Done" on walking the band reunion tightrope. The only clunker is the droning "Self Made Man" that's at once both quirky and cliche. Overall the album presents a subtle but strong musical undercurrent that along with Skye's crystal velvet voice sweeps you away. A good first step, hopefully next time out they can expand on the theme.
    Last edited by GreenBayLA; 09-29-2010 at 09:56 PM.
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  31. #109
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    Quote Originally Posted by binnie View Post
    Black Label Society - Order of the Black

    Anyone expecting a deviation from the BLS sound will be sorely dissapointed by this, Zakk's 8th record. The sound is still very much between Black Sabbath and Pantera. So, its still a parada of pinch harmonics, screaching solos, piss-poor lyrics and steroid fuelled riffs over arrangements that come straight out of songwriting 101. But what separates this record from every BLS album since 'The Blessed Hellride' is the sense of fire, and the focus that has gone into its production - sure, Wylde is never going to win a Grammy for songwriting but that's not the point. The typical BLS elements have been mixed here to perfection, and the end result is metal: straight with no chaser. If this record even had sophistication in its rear view mirror it'd turn around just to go wrestle with it, and on songs as stomping as 'Crazy Horse', 'Black Sunday', 'Southerh Dissolution' and 'Riders of the Damned', Zakk delivers up some of the most bombastic moments of his career. So, this is an album a couple of notches above 'solid'. What stops it from fulfilling its grasp, however, are the piano ballads, which sound tired and kitsch. Zakk simply doesn't have the voice to pull off the like of 'Darkest Days' or 'Time Waits for No-one', a song straight out of a bin that even Desmond Childs would label 'vapid.' But when he's flying the metal flag, there's few who do it with more passion or sincerity; and even fewer who make you feel like a 14 year old air guitar player all over again.

    I have to say that I love the new BLS album. The production is definatly the best of any of ZW's albums. No more muddy detunes and bass. The drums are really clear and the guitars are not so layered that they are mud. It is a really clear album. I think the music written too is above what he has done in the past. Some nice interludes in the center section of a lot of the songs. Really strong album. I agree, ditch the piano ballads, that is my only complaint.
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    I would definitely agree that it sounds crisper than previous outings. Zakk is never going to write a classic, but this is a pretty decent straight-out Heavy Metal record.

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    Buckcherry - All Night Long

    You know the sort of guy who's in his late 30s or early 40s but still believes its cool to act the way he did at 21? The sort of guy who hits on girls youger than his daughter, wears a vaguely commical hat as a contrived 'cool' affectation, and comes about as close to an actual stereotype as any individual could? Now imagine a bunch of such men got together and made a record.......and here it is, album number 5 from Buckcherry. Perhaps thats unfair. This isn't a bad album, not by any means. Big choruses, sleek solos, slick production and plenty of volume. But it feels forced and contrived. 10 years ago when 'Buckcherry' and 'Timebomb' came out, listeners were in no doubt that these guys walked the walk as well as talking the talk, smoking, drinking, snorting and fucking their way around the globe. Here, I'm not sure we buy it - they might tell us 'Its A Party' 'All Night Long', but the vibe here feels like a bunch of middle aged guys let out to play by their wives on the weekend. Songs like 'These Things', 'Neve Say Never', 'Liberty' and 'Recovery' are all solid enough blues drenched Sunset Strip anthems, and in a time where goo time rock 'n' roll bands are in the minority perhaps it is uncharitable to want more from a band who believe that music was vastly superior before Kurt Cobain - but the whole thing feels unambitious. Like a familiar lay rather than a newfound fuck, this is nice but unexciting.

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    Skunk Anansie - Wonderlustre

    As a man who is deeply suspicious of 'reunion' albums, it is comforting to come across one which actually displays some hunger. After an almost 15 year hiatus, the darlings of 90s British rock/metal return with a record which is remarkably focussed, considered and powerful, if not instantly loveable. Floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee, opener 'God Loves Only You' - with its eerie verse and crushing chorus - is the perfect combination of beauty and agression which reminds us why we loved this band. Not that 'Wonderlustre' is a retro album - picking up where previous outsing 'Post Orgasmic Chill' left off, this is a much more mature affair displaying closer affinity to alt. rock that the punk/metal/ragga hybrid of their earlier incarnation. On the likes of 'The Sweetest Thing' and 'You Can't Always Do What You Want To' ambient, trippy guitar parts replace powerchors in a soundscape which is more luscious than angry. Rage, then, has been replaced by reflection. On the whole, this is delivered sincerely and works well, even if we might long for some pace to give the disc an added dimension. But in the presence of Skin's vocals, it is hard not to marvel - a voice which could cut through the hardest of hearts, the twisted melancholly of 'Talk Too Much' and 'My Love Will Fall' are delicately beautiful compositions. Perhaps oneday the band will write some world class material for her to wrap her world class pipes around - until then, this is a more than majestic return.

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    Volbeat - Beyond Hell/ Above Heaven

    Deceptively simple anthemic punk/metal from Denmark's finest. This is a LOT of fun and incredibly infectious. It is also one of the rarest things in the modern world of rock 'n' roll: a band that celebrates the joy of living. As much 1950s rockabilly as classic heavy metal, the obvious point of departure here are The Misfits, an influence clear in vocalist Michael Schon Poulson's crooned vocal style. Big riffs, subtle melodies, cool lyrics and an imagery that is very much their own, this is a band with a real sense of purpose. Songs like 'Magic Zone' and 'The Mirror And The Reaper' exhibit ultra-cool B-Movie schidcht, and the toffee sweet hooks of 'Heaven Not Hell' and 'Who They Are' will be in your head for a week. But there is much, much more than style over substance on exhibition here - 'A Better Believer' is the sort of forlorn punk that you just don't hear anymore. They are also keen to celebrate their Danish roots, with songs about Mercyful Fate and boxing champion Mikkel Kessler on display. That this never excludes listeners of non-Danish descent is a testament to the fact that Volbeat tap into that most universal of music exploits: the sheer joy of rock'n'roll. An ill-advised duet with Napalm Death's Barney Greenway aside, this is a great little record. To reach the heights of their idols, Volbeat simply need to mix up the formula a little with some variety.

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    Deep Purple - Come Taste The Band (Reissue)

    A repackaging and re-mastering of Purple's 'lost' record. With Ritchie Blackmore gone, this was a very different band: more refined and certainly not as heavy, 'Come Taste the Band' remains a blinding hard rock record. Less tempestuous, epic, or violent, the emphasis was on hooks, melodies and groove, elements which come together superbly on the funk-rock of 'Gettin' Tighter'. Tommy Bolin made his mark on Purple precisely because he didn't try to fill Blackmore's boots. He played liked he looked: slick and handsome. More tonal than centre-stage, his bluesy, funky style sat well with the direction of Hughes and Lord were moving in, leaving the song's free to showcase Coverdale's melodic croon and ear for melody. The understated rock of 'Comin' Home', 'Lady Luck' and 'I Need Love' could almost be Bad Company tunes and would sit well in any band's back catalogue, whilst the epic lament of 'You Keep On Movin' is a real gem in Purple's arsenal. It doesn't all work, however. 'Dealer', for example, is a mess of genres, and this album is no 'Rocks', or as pivotal to rock history as 'Machine Head' or 'Fireball'. But whilst certainly not the band's best record, it might nevertheless their coolest - more smooth bourbon in sound than the acid freak-out of their peak.

    Disc two of this package features the album re-mixed by Kevin Shirely, a measure in keeping with other Purple reissues which have displayed a keeness for tinkering with their canon. It's interesting, but unnecessary. The real success of this reissue is rather to draw attention to the album itself and place it before a wider listenership. What impresses most is Bolin, one of rock's great 'might have beens'. The linear notes draw attention to how tumultuous this period in Purple's career was, and in many respects it's remarkable that they managed to produce any record at all, let alone one as coherent as this. With all the members of the band burned-out or strung-out, that they made music of such vibrant joy is a real testament to their talents.

  37. #115
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    Bolin was a fantastic player. It is a shame that he isn't as well known as some of the great 70's players like Montrose or Trower. That CD is full of great tunes but Coverdale is just a bad singer. He was alot better on the Whitesnake albums. A great Bolin disc is Live At Ebbet's field 1974. He was in the Games Gang at this time. Alot of killer solos on it. Not a great recording but a must have if you love great guitar playing. Bolin was a big influence on Ed but he will never admit it. VH covered a couple of his tune's.
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    Black Sabbath - The Eternal Idol (Reissue)

    Although his tenure in Sabbath is often relegated as the band's wilderness years post Ozzy and Dio, it must be remembered that Tony Martin was the band's second-longest serving singer. His era is consequently deserving of rbeing emembering. His peformance is much maligned by hardcore fans, but we must remember that his was an unenviable task. Following two of rock's most iconic singers and frontmen, the job Martin did here was admirably solid. The bombast of the band's heyday, however, was long, long gone. As would be expected from a record featuring Tony Iommi, there are riffs aplenty, the most notable being those which drive 'Hard Life To Love' and 'Lost Forever'. The title-track, in all its gothic splendor, is also much stronger than this reviewer remembers. Indeed, the problem here is not that the songs are bad - its just that they don't sparkle. There was a distinct lack of chemistry. Indeed, Sabbath at this point was not so much a band as a series of hired hands, with the birth of this album marred by a host of musicians and producers walking. The absence of vibe was exacerbated by the rigid and muddy production which overcooks many of the tunes here and leaves the band sounding like countless other groups of the era.

    Its a real shame, because the second disc of this reissue, featuring the sessions done with Ray Gillen (late singer for Badlands), demonstrates what might have been. Its inclusion serves to highlight the failings of the final product. Not only did Martin copy Gillen's vocal lines very closely, he didn't posses the range, soulfullness or warmth of the latter's pipes. With Gillen at the helm, the songs feel losser, freer and more '70s in its vibe than the final cuts allowed. This reissue, then, exists not so much to highlight the strength of Sabbath's post-Dio era but to underline what might have been. It is a worthy addition to any collection.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 78/84 guy View Post
    Bolin was a fantastic player. It is a shame that he isn't as well known as some of the great 70's players like Montrose or Trower. That CD is full of great tunes but Coverdale is just a bad singer. He was alot better on the Whitesnake albums. A great Bolin disc is Live At Ebbet's field 1974. He was in the Games Gang at this time. Alot of killer solos on it. Not a great recording but a must have if you love great guitar playing. Bolin was a big influence on Ed but he will never admit it. VH covered a couple of his tune's.
    Agreed with the comments about Bolin. His playing is infectious.

    Not too sure I'd say Coverdale was a bad singer - he's a piss-poor lyricist, for sure, and much of his material is cliche ridden. But I think the records he did with Purple and the first few Whitesnake records have some great singing on them. Soulful and husky. He's no Paul Rogers, but who is?

    I mean, we'd all take 'Rocks' 'Machine Head' or 'Fireball' over a Coverdale record, but that doesn't mean his era isn't worth anything.

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    Motorhead - The World Is Yours

    Often dismissed for making records that 'all sound the same', it is often forgotten that developing a sound that is recognizeable within four bars is a towering achievement in itself. In Motorhead's case, however, the charge of repetition is hopelessly inaccurate. Anyone who has actually listened to any of the albums they've made this decade would be hard pushed to write them off as clones of their '80s records. Much heavier and crunchier since hiring producer Cameron Webb to work on 2004's 'Inferno', the band have been on a hell of a run, making records that really deserve to be listened too.

    On tunes like 'Brotherhood of Man', with its 'Orgasmatron'-esque hulk of a riff, we are reminded that this is a band which is heavy, but not metal; visceral, but not vicious. It's rock'n'roll for sure, but gargantuan in its size, the bastard offspring of King Kong and Godzilla. 'Born to Lose' and 'Waiting For The Snake' both revolve around monster riffs which roll over the songs. 'I Know How To Die' spits a venonmous blues riff and hooky chorus, whilst 'Outlaw' and 'Devils In My Head' underscore the fact that Lemmy and co. have a knack for harnessing other-worldly heaviness to pop sensibilities. Featuring Lemmy's best set of lyrics for years, this album is also Motorhead at their most focussed. Just 10 songs in 39 minutes and no balladry, this is a purer and more condensced affair than 'Kiss of Death' or 'Motorizer', amplifying the low, dirty rumble driving the production of the latter to new heights. It all comes to together perfectly on album closer 'Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye', a tune which encapsulates Motorhead's ethos: combining humour, venom and piss 'n' vinegar in equal measure, it is at once world weary and life affirming.

    This is Motorhead's 20th studio album. 35 years in, they're still hungry and focussed. No frills, no pretence, no self-indulgence, there is still plenty of fire in this band's belly. They've been on a hell of a run, never really looking back since 'Bastards' (1993) - 'The World Is Yours' is another addition to a canon of material equally as deserving of your attention as 'The Ace Of Spades'. Fuck your neighbours; fuck your ears: play it loud.

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    The Jim Jones Revue - Burning Your House Down.

    11 songs: 33 minutes. There's no bullshit here, just pure unadulterated Rock 'n' Roll. Imagine Little Richard and Chuck Berry fed through Johnny Thunder's amp. The result is a joyful menace, a snarling mess of a record ripped right off the studio floor. Pianos bang, guitars screech, and drums pulsate - this is the juice of pure abandon. Fuck all the pretenders, this might very well be THE BEST ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND ON THE PLANET! 'Dishonest John' and 'Foghorn' are finely crafted songs with ragged edges; whilst 'Premeditated' and the title track are chainsaw blues. Get in now before the whole world jumps aboard.

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    Quote Originally Posted by binnie View Post
    Agreed with the comments about Bolin. His playing is infectious.

    Not too sure I'd say Coverdale was a bad singer - he's a piss-poor lyricist, for sure, and much of his material is cliche ridden. But I think the records he did with Purple and the first few Whitesnake records have some great singing on them. Soulful and husky. He's no Paul Rogers, but who is?

    I mean, we'd all take 'Rocks' 'Machine Head' or 'Fireball' over a Coverdale record, but that doesn't mean his era isn't worth anything.
    I think ya mean In Rock there, bin. Believe it or not, when Gillan first left, the band asked Paul Rogers to sing for Purple, but he declined.

    I agree with the assessment of Coverdale. His singing on those three DP albums was quite good, but the lyrics were downright boneheaded and cliche-filled in places. Glenn Hughes' singing on those records was outstanding ("This Time Around", "Gettin' Tighter"), and his voice paired with Coverdale's (as on "Sail Away" from Burn or "Lady Double Dealer" from Stormbringer) was really cool. Too bad he usually resorted to yelping and screaming onstage.
    Last edited by chefcraig; 12-18-2010 at 08:26 PM.

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