Album Reviews

[Seshmeister]

My understanding was that Daisley just did the lyrics on this one(apart from Shot in the Dark).

As ever Terry has the same music taste as me. I would quibble with some of the things in the review but that is maybe more to do with my memories of it rather than how it sounds now.

I've posted before that I was really disappointed with this album. Ozzy was my favourite band at the time and not only is it miles away from the first 2 in quality, I don't think it's any where near as good as BATM.

It should be called 'Lets quickly throw something out because we have to'.

I think what annoys me about it most is that it was just fucking lazy and the people involved underachieved.

I bet if they were honest they would all admit that.

A little anal sidenote on the guitar solo's.

Jake E Lee was an extraordinary guitarist but on this album I think he had made up his mind to try and develop a unique personal style in his soloing based on a difficult technique he had come up with kind of breaking up chord arpeggios barring with his index finger. Any new attempt to be original is to be applauded but unfortunately it just wasn't very exciting or interesting to watch.

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[binnie]

I think that's a bit harsh, Sesh.

Sure, it's not a great album as I said, but it's not a complete disaster. Rather than lazziness, I think the issue might have been them not really being a band, just a set of hired guns who didn't necessarily gell. Jake E Lee's contributions were pretty damn good, IMO. It's just that no one came up with any cool arrangements/melodies for his riffs.

[Terry]

binnie is spot on with the hired guns analogy, although I'd also agree with Sesh that there is a difference between what Lee was doing solo-wise on BATM vs. Ultimate Sin. Perhaps easier for a guitarist to hear than a non-playing fan...put it this way: just take the BATM title track and Lee's solos, particularly the outro. Flashy to be sure, but above all memorable. I can't think of one solo on Sin that was really memorable. I do recall reading a GW article around the time Sin was released when Lee was discussing his technique in detail, and the solos on Sin seem to be servicing said technique rather than the technique being used to craft anything that had any resonance.

[binnie]

That all changed with Badlands though. Maybe Lee was getting bored working with Ozzy in 1986...

[hambon4lif]

Fuck Ron Nevison! He completely destroys everything he gets his hands on. The way he mixes the drums is a crime. Instead of having that crisp smack of the drums that should be in your face, he softens them to the point where they sound like they're coming from another room. And that signature keyboard sound that's in the background of everything he's ever produced is downright nauseating. It doesn't matter who he works with (KISS, Heart, Ozzy, etc.) or what material you give him, he'll mutilate it and turn it into some cheesy Giorgio Moroder-sounding disco crap. I can't figure out why any rock band would hire this guy or let him put his treatment on their music, he has no rock sensibilties whatsoever.

I can't see any producer who could've helped Ultimate Sin or given it any life because most of it is total shit, but to hand it over to Ron Nevison is a fucking sacrifice.

[binnie]

It's not shit, its just average.

If you want shit, listen to Ozzmosis - fucking clusterfuck.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Sepultura - Roorback (2003).

This was the third album from the Sepultura era known as 'Max-less'. Even Sepultura stallwarts would have to admit that once principle songwriter and vocalist Max Cavalera left in 1996, Sepultura were never the same band. But that doesn't mean that there wasn't any value to their output in the intervening years. Whilst 'Against' (1998) and 'Nation' (2001) saw the band mixing tribal rhythms, hardcore and thrash in a mish-mash of songs, on 'Roorback' Sepultura 2.0 began to gell. This was certainly not the sound the band which had created thrash materpieces 'Schizophrenia', 'Beneath the Remains' or 'Arise', nor was it the band who produced the discordant and metal-boundary-stretching 'Chaos AD' and 'Roots.' Indeed, if anything Sepultura had ceased to be leaders and opted to become followers, and the sound here is heavily indebted to both hardcore and the 'nu' brand of metal. Slower, more thoughtful, and more inclined to experiment with melody, it automatically alienated those fans who rank their metal according to how fast and aggressive it is. But, realizing that they could not compete with their former selves, Sepultura made an album which, for all of its highs and lows, was well worthy of a look.

As with previous effort 'Nation', much here is centred around Derreck Green's voice, and sees the band explore soft/heavy dynamics in a manner akin to many 'nu' metal bands. The results are mixed. 'Urge' buzzes and jangles, disturbing the listener into feeling the emotion on display; whilst ballad 'Bottomed Out', with its oddly Deftones sounding heavier moments, is more proficient than profound. Elsewhere, we gets some serious slabs of groove. 'More of the Same', with its Korn(y) riff and spoken interludes, is reminiscent of Spineshank; and the thunderessly heavy 'Godless' possess some odd rhythms and short, Sonic Youth inspired riffs. But it's perhaps at their most simple that 'Roorback' is most effective: the hardcore fury of songs like 'The Rift', 'Corrupted' and 'Leech', and the vitriol of 'Activist', make for a powerful and passionate disaply of aggression, and you can't think that Sepultura would have had a much easier ride if they'd re-invented themselves as a hardcore band rather than experimenting so boldy. Is any of it particuarly memorable? Not really, but it works well as catharsis. It is 'Apes Of God' which really shines though: underlining Iggor Cavalera's position as one of the best ever drummers in rock, its bouncy, discordant riff and pulverising rhythms make for an under-appreciated anthem.

Let's be clear; no one would hail this as an under-valued classic. But it is worthy of exploration, and marked the point at which Sepultura began to feel like a band again, whether or not you liked their new sound or not. The absence of Max from these songs is glaring, however. The record was originally issued with an EP of covers, and when you compare the album with the sheer energy that Sepultura can produce when given decent songs, the difference is glaring. From the crushing take on Jane's Addiction's 'Mountain Song', the apocalyptic romp through Hellhammer's 'Messiah' or epic reinvention of trip-hop master's Massive Attack's 'Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos' (which sounds like God having angry make-up sex), the EP serves to remind you of how vital Sepultura were. Hell, on 'Bullet the Blue Sky', they even make U2 sound like they have a pair.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Love/Hate - Wasted in America (1992)

'Something's gone wrong with the TV generation......'

Oh, what could have been. Towards the tail end of '80s metal, there were a handful of really ballsy, bluesy bands that had the potential to put some fire back into a genre that was becoming increasingly poppy and flacid: alongside Badlands, Raging Slab and Salty Dog were Love/Hate, whose debut record 'Blackout in the Red Room' erupted from the speakers like a pitbull on heat. These bands might have hailed a return to substance for the strip, but grunge willed it not to be. Love/Hate continued to release great records regardless, however. Whilst on 'Blackout....' they sounded raw, ragged and dirty, like Faster Pussycat with songs, 'Wasted In America' was a more considered and powerful record. Part hard rock, part punk, funk and alternica, Love/Hate's music was a sonic stew of jagged riffs and swirling rhythm's topped off with Jizzy Pearl's raspy voice. The title track - a rant about broken America - kicks things off sounding like a more muscular Jane's Addiction on speed, whilst the gloriously dirty 'Miss America' and 'Cream' hold up a mirror to '80s excess before grinning straight back at it. Love/Hate were a band who proved that LA had some bite and some balls, that the Poisons and Warrants of the world were far from as good as it got in the early '90s: there is no overblown powerballad or airbrushed Slaughter induced 'hard rock' here: just a gritty, Johnny Cash inspired and outlaw driven 'Don't Fuck With Me' and the jilted riff and epic chorus of forgotten anthem 'Tranquilizer'. This was a band which sounded like no-one else, and possessed considerable variety. 'Yucca Man' was pure bombast, a raucous, sandpaper vocal and blistered guitar; whilst 'Don't Be Afraid' was delicate song indebted to the Cure and early U2. Love/Hate sit squarely in the 'should have been huge' category.

Sure, there are duds. The melody on 'Social Sidewinder' doesn't work, and 'Times Up' is more a sign of the times than the band's own. This remains a lost classic, however, and proof that Love/Hate were about more than their debut record. In fact, I would suggest that 'Wasted In America' was both more ambitious and conistent than 'Blackout...' and perhaps the true statement of what this band was all about. Beg, steal, or borrow.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Saxon - The Inner Sanctum (2007)

Like Motorhead, despite possessing some the band's best material Saxon's latter-day output is chronically overlooked. They'be been on something of a run since 'Unleash the Beast' (1997) and, like 'Lionheart' (2004), 'The Inner Sanctum' is the best of that era of good-tinme heavy fucking metal.

That's not to say it's a throwback record. Opener 'State of Grace' takes back from the European power metal scene as much as Saxon gave to it. Drenched in melodies and hyperfast double-bass drums, its a modernization of a classic form. Brooding ballad 'Red Star Falling' (about the end of communism) sees Biff Byford at his best, and is as fine a performance of epic metal majesty you'll ever hear. But, its when they simplfy things that Saxon are at their best. Energetic and invigorating, 'Let Me Feel Your Power' is pure Painkiller-era Priest; whilst 'I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)' is an honest, unpretentious metal anthem which a band of this age has absolutely no right to be able to pen. People often bemoan this music for being unsophisticated, but whilst putting a big chorus and some power chords together sounds simple, on 'Going Nowhere Fast', Saxon prove that no one does it better. This is pure fun, and even the most reserved person would have to headbang. Saxon heark back to a time when metal wasn't all about ernest overkill but entertainment and celebrating life - on this album's epic moment, 'Attila The Hun', they deliver up a slice of riff-tastic melodrama which is the chrystalization of everything joyous about Heavy Metal.


Still think that Saxon were only about 'Strong Arm Of The Law', 'Denim & Leather' and 'Wheels of Steel'? Think again.

[binnie]

Architects - The Here & Now.

This lattest offering from rising British stars sees them taking a gamble, trying to broaden their sound for a wider audience without 'selling out.' Architects have the maturity to realize that competing to be the biggest, fastest and loudest is ultimately sefl-defeating because it limits the scope which a band can adopt. The range of musical styles on offer is admirably wide, taking in metal, prog, emo and even ambient influences. Certainly less full on than earlier releases, it is still a record with plenty of weight and power, and sees the band grow as songwriters. You might describe the sound as poast-hardcore meets prog. 'Day In Day Out' - featuring some remarkable drumming from Dan Searle - is anthemic, featuring sprawling arrangements which snap the song around almost frenetically; and 'Delete Rewind' is built around some odd time signatures and slashing riffs interspersed with some classic hardcore interludes. What separates this band from the pack is their capacity to couple fury with memorability: songs like 'The Blues' and 'Stay Young Forever' merge speed, aggression and melody and point to a band who might one day deliver something special. Sure, there are moments of conventionality here: 'Heartburn' is a twee love song, and 'Learn To Live' enters territory which Alexisonfire do much better. This might very well see them emerge from the underground into chart bothering territory. the songs are well written, well structured and boom from the speakers courtesy of Steve Evetts crisp, thudding production. But is it exciting? Not so much: it feels over-thought, even a little over-cooked, and is consequently a couple of notches short of classic. They may very well get there one day though.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Faith No More - Album of the Year (1997)

The end of the road for FNM was met with awful reviews upon its release and has been held in an ambivalent regard by fans since. Not as quirky or ambitious as earlier releases, it retains that vital element which set FNM apart: the sound here is completely unclassifiable and is reminiscent of no-one else. Much of the reason for the record's 'dark horse' status, I would suggest, lies in the fact that it is not as guitar driven as earlier albums: John Hudson didn't seem to gell with the other members to the extent that Jim Martin had. But the songs here were stellar. Opener 'Collision' bleeds from the speakers, a pulsating bass line overlaid with fiesty punk; 'Naked In Front of The Computer' is a vicious oft-kilter take on internet pornography; and 'Ashes To Ashes' - with its immense riff and howling chorus - maybe see FNM at their most conventional, but it also sees them at their most powerful. It is perhaps the detours away from the metallic which prove most rewarding, however. The synth heavy 'Stripsearch' is a song of dark, delicate beauty featuring one of Patton's purest vocals; 'She Loves Me Not' is a heartfelt take on Mo-town; and 'Mouth to Mouth', with its funk rock and carnical organ, is the musical equivalent of a cynical cackle. So far, so FNM: unpredictable, visceral and gloriously out-of-step with everyone else. On forgotten tunes like 'Pristina', a broken ballad about the conflict in Yugoslavia which is almost structureless but impossibly beautiful, the band attain a truly transcendent level of playing. 'Last Cup Of Sorrow' is pure spasmodic punk, and sees Patton alternating from soring melodies to scatting the lyrics - this really is his album.

More mature and restrained than earlier releases, and also noticeably darker, this is a long way from the street punk/funk of 'We Care A Lot', or the invigorating electric acid trip of 'Angel Dust', but 'Album of The Year' does not deserve to be overlooked. Listening to it today, you can't help being sad that FNM aren't here to give us some more genre defying battery. Indeed, 'Paths of Glory' sounds - rather appropriately - like a helpless lament for something dying.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Pearl Jam - Vitalogy (1994)

The third album from grunge's biggest band saw them dangling their old success over a naked flame and tempting fate to burn it. For all of its failings, this was music on the edge, raw and unbroken. Less riff-driven than the stadium straddling rock behemoth of debut 'Ten' and the monstrous rush of adrenaline of 'Vs', the sound was smaller and less meaty and driven through with references to alt. rock kings like Husker Du. The change is clear from the second that 'Last Exit' noodles into life, anouncing the band's rather nonchalent, even resentful, take on fame. There are some moments of trite self-indulgence here, most clearly in closer 'Hey foxymprphandlemama, that's me', 7 minutes of unpleasant distorition and effects which rapes the name of funk, and the accordion led and otherwise aimless 'Bugs'. But the good largely outweighs the bad: the delicate 'Nothingman' is shimmering folk caressing naked vulnerability, and 'Better Man' is shattered take on the power ballad. At the album's more intense moments, 'Corduroy' is awash with jangly guitars and a huge chorus, and 'Not For You' is a blast of grinding chords offset by trippy interludes.

This was the beginning of Pearl Jam existing solely for Pearl Jam: not playing the game in any way, touring where they wanted to tour, and consciously avoiding pop melodies as though penning a hit was a blow to credibility. Spitting in the face of fame cuts opinion down the middle: for some, it is the action of a bunch of petulent, ungrateful, flannel-clad primadonnas; for others, an expression of artistic freedom and a commitment to integrity. Which ever way you view it though, you can't denying that deliberately de-railing a multi-platinum status run takes some big balls, and that commands admiration, whatvever the musical results. Indeed, in many respects Pearl Jame have always been easier to admire than love. The lyrical hopelessness and unbridled anger here is projected outward rather than as a commanding form of introspection - that makes Eddie Vedder a somewhat sullen and uncharismatic figure, almost the anti-Jim Morrison. He'd probably like that.

[FORD]

"Better Man" was actually a song Vedder wrote and performed with his old band Bad Radio in the 80's.

[Seshmeister]

From the vaults: Love/Hate - Wasted in America (1992)
Beg, steal, or borrow.

Or just download for free from their website http://www.lovehate.com/

My fave album from the 1990s.

[binnie]

Wow! That's a big, big statement. I wouldn't go that far, but as you can see I do think that it is chronically underrated. Probably Love/Hate's best, IMO.