Album Reviews

[binnie]

Never heard anything about Ritchie playing with Purple (do you mean Steve Morse?)

I think he played in Lauren Harris's band (Steve Harris's daughter....)

[binnie]

Walking Papers – Walking Papers (2012)

At the risk of using one of the most ugly words in rock ‘n’ roll, this is something of a Seattle ‘supergroup’. Comprising of just two members – Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees/Mad Season) and Jeff Angell – Walking Papers features a roll-call of guest musicians including Duff McKagan and Mike Mcreedy wrapped up into one amalgam of dusty hard rock. Put simply, this is one helluva album: understated, poignant and fiercely idiosyncratic, these are songs delivered with such passion and joy that you sense the whole thing just poured out of them. Points of reference do not come easily, but the most helpful comparisons might be the Afghan Whigs, Mudhoney or (the heavier side of) Neil Young – the sort of rock that knows when the heaviness is endanger of robbing a damn good song of nuance and couldn’t give a damn about fitting into any scene.

The range is staggering, from dark beauty (‘Leave Me In The Dark’), quirky lament (‘The Butcher’) to funky rock (the irresistible ‘Capital T’), but it all hangs together effortlessly. The songs are deceptively simple, husky hard rock pitched with a limb in the blues, another in grunge, and a third in the crackly side of country. ‘Already Dead’ is the sort of lo-fi drawl Mark Lanegan pulls off so well, a relentless sombre pulse bombing behind sutblely melancholic melodies; ‘Your Secret’s Safe With Me’ sounds so open, like Tom Waits jamming with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; whilst ‘The Whole World’s Watching’ is awash with crunchy swagger, Deep Purple swinging on a heavy bass riff. Combining that pilferers’ guide to the musical landscape of rock with a knack for lyrics with avoid cliché whilst being smart (but avoiding pretentious) and wilfully sardonic (but never bitter), Walking Papers is a band that are doing something truly special. Heading straight out of the blues with world-dented grins, well-worn voices and plenty of yarns to spin, this is a dream of a record for those who like their rock dirtied up and laid back.

[binnie]

Rival Sons – Head Down (2012)

Being a retro band is deceptively easy. Most make any number of mistakes: producing music of such slavish adherence to their ‘70s icons that they border on a tribute act; confusing a song with a guitar work out; base their ideas around tired sexist clichés; or, at best, make you hungry to listen to the originators. All of this is unsatisfying. But perhaps the biggest mistake that retro rockers make it to pen song after song which adopts a paint-by-numbers approach to the fiery end of Zeppelin’s spectrum – the result is that they serve up plenty of rock, but not a lot of roll. Rival Sons – thank fuck – have roll in abundance. Don’t be mistaken, this is hard rock. But it’s hard rock with a whole lot of added extras: more than a dabble of soul, a douse of Americana, and a morsel of funk all add up to a sonic palate which is wider, richer and more organic than another tired ‘Black Dog’-wannabe band. And it all hangs on the rhythm section – a pulsating, hip-grinding rhythm section – rather than staid power chords and Les Paul histrionics. Rhythm, blues and grit – what more could you want?

Songs, you say. They’ve got ‘em and then some. This is the soundtrack to this summer and every one that comes after it. ‘Keep On Swinging’ is an amalgam of Willie Dixon and Motown; ‘Wild Animal’ is plain sexy – like U2 covering Free or Humble Pie in the space age; ‘You Want To’ breathes and pulsates between calm and thunder, reeking of desperation and yearning. Even when the ideas are sketchy, the charisma – and confidence – is such that it just doesn’t matter: ‘All The Way’ is a triumph of simplicity over histrionics, whilst ‘From Revelation’ – which could have been just another tired blues workout – is a monster of a tune topped only by ‘Manifest Destiny I’s’ 8 minutes of blistering cowboy badassery straight outta the desert. Rival Sons’ previous albums had been fun, and they’d been classy – but on ‘Head Down’ they’ve experimented their way into growth which feels wholly uncontrived and completely under control. That it’s all topped off by the heroic pipes of Jay Buchanan – who shrieks, croons, and smoulders throughout – provides an extra ‘LV syndrome’ that turns the exquisite into the exciting.

Sure, there are plenty of bands who build on the ‘Exile On Main Street’ template (The Black Crowes have steered a two decade career on it) and the simple fact is that it ain’t ’67-’72 any more. But whilst plenty of bands try to evoke the spirit of that period, they usually end up reeking of a suffocating nostalgia – what proves most remarkable about Rival Sons is that even they’d have been around in the ‘Golden Era’, they’d have been able to trade with the best of them.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Fight – War of Worlds (1993)

Fight are something of an under-remembered band. We forget how shocking it was when Rob Halford announced his departure from Judas Priest in the wake of 1990’s ‘Painkiller’, the band’s best record in almost a decade: it seemed like an odd decision at a moment when Priest had finally re-discovered their metal (geddit) after ‘Turbo’ (iffy) and ‘Ram It Down’ (woeful). But in hindsight, the thrash-fuelled bludgeon of Halford’s new band was more a continuation of ‘Painkiller’ than new juncture. Along with Priest sticksman Scott Travis, this was a band which played metal stripped back to its essence: a juicy riff, a solid beat, and a huge chorus to hit you in the chops. Completely devoid of the studio frills which had doused the fire of much ‘80s metal (Priest included) the songs here were delivered raw and un-polished, and there is a primal sensitivity about it which renders the album captivating 20 years later in a way that much of the period’s music is not. It must be remembered that most Halford’s contemporaries – Maiden, The Scorpions, Black Sabbath – were dead on their arses at this point as far as creativity goes, and whatever the flaws of ‘War Of Worlds’ it must be admired for its fire and inspiration.

It was clear that Halford had been listening to a lot of metal’s heavier bands - Pantera drips from this record (as do Heathen in some of the more intricate parts). But Fight did not just heavy metal up: they actually wrote some tunes, and the hooks are always first and foremost. Opener ‘Into The Pit’ is a thrashy, dirty sounding affair topped off by Halford’s trademark piercing screech. Conversely, ‘Nailed To The Gun’ sees him explore the lower end of his register with considerable impact, and the downtuned bluster of the likes of ‘Little Crazy’ provide unheralded belters which two decades has done little to damped. The bruising title cut is possessed with an irresistible groove and crunch, and the guitar work throughout (provided by Russ ‘Satchel’ Parrish and Brian Tilse) is finger-falling-off good. It must be noted that the slower and more experimental material is not quite as convincing – the grungy ‘Life In Black’ never quite captures the atmosphere that it aims for, whilst ‘Laid To Rest’ never really gets beyond a sizzle – but if you do not headbang to the likes of ‘Kill It’ and ‘Immortal Sin’ then it’s probably time that you retired your leathers and bought some Coldplay records.

Ultimately, Fight were dogged by the problems that many similar projects were dogged by: the near impossibility of escaping the shadow of a big band. Perhaps the fans were not ready and willing; and the music landscape was about to change dramatically (Korn’s debut came out a year later). But when judged on its own merits rather than on the ‘impact’ it had on metal’s history, ‘War Of Worlds’ remains a worthwhile record with plenty of power to thrill with.

[binnie]

Apologies to those who requested it that that one took me so long to get around too......

[binnie]

Astra – The Black Chord (2012)

Astra make prog at its most beautiful. Erring on the side of ethereal rather than pretentious, this is the sort of prog rock made in the early ‘70s (before it went off the cliff), and owes far more to Pink Floyd and King Crimson than Yes and Genesis. Bluesy and emotive as well demonstrating virtuosity – guitarist Brian Ellis plays like manna from heaven – Astra produce (largely instrumental) movements, rather than songs, pieces of music which hover on an emotion of groove in a style which is captivatingly hypnotic in its delicate subtleties.

What impresses – and refreshes – most about this sort of music is that it exists purely on its own terms. Opener ‘Cocoon’ begins with over a minute of hushed, swirling soundscapes, this is an oozing form of rock which develops and matures at its own pace, hushed to life with sitar, organ, moog and 12-strings lavishing the speakers and announcing that this is a band isolated from pretty much anything going on in music right now. ‘Quake Meat’ is serpentine grandeur, whilst ‘Draft’ is a beautiful whisper of a song which breezes over the listener. But best of all is the (15 minute) title track, a luscious ode to understatement which builds and builds before releasing a force of fuzzy melodies in a torrent of beauty. When they appear, Conor Riley’s hushed vocals add a tinge of melancholy to the dusky, sun-kissed soundscape and essentially work as another instrument. Unconventional? Certainly. Instantly appealing? Definitely. The charm here is the presence of a band so confident in the effervescent power of its music, and so unapologetically flying its own flag in the face of any trend. Astra are certainly a band for people who like ALBUMS – and have the patience to absorb them – but for those that get it, ‘The Black Chord’ will reap rich rewards indeed.

[binnie]

Destruction – Spiritual Genocide (2013)

You know you’re holding an old skool metal album when it comes with a ‘30th Anniversary Patch’ for your denim/leather jacket. Destruction – one of Germany’s ‘Big Three’ of thrash – play metal like men: big, chainsaw-wielding, maniachal men. For them metal shouldn’t be about ‘feelings’, or how ‘complex’ your life it is, it should be about two things, and two things only: death and, errrm, destruction. And it rules. Picking up where 2011’s rather brilliant “Day Of Reckoning” left off, this is classic thrash metal with a modern production capable of capturing the sonic battery of its power. Militia riffage slots precisely into a rhythmic barrage to deliver Motorhead-like levels of energy and flatten pretty much any band which lays before it – in a world of breakneck and fuck heavy metal, Destruction would be near the top. ‘Spiritual Genocide’ feels and sounds like master craftsmen delivering the goods: the title-cut is Celtic Frost jamming on a Heathen epic; ‘Under Violent Siege’ is thrash at its most compelling (think Anthrax’s ‘Gung-ho’); ‘Cyanide’ could snap a battalion of necks; and on ‘Legacy of The Past’ you’re left panting, exasperated and wondering ‘HOLY FUCK! WHY DON’T SLAYER SOUND LIKE THIS?’ There is an incredible amount of music packed into these songs, but Destruction’s skills as writers prevents the results from being overwhelming or unfoccussed, and particular credit must go the Vaaver, perhaps metal’s most under-heralded drummer, who combines dazzling technique with thunderous power to keep the whole thing in check. They may not be as famous as Kreator or Sodom, but Destruction are making the most vital music of their lives in their 4th decade – you wonder how many albums in 2013 will come close.

[ELVIS]

Nice...

[ELVIS]

These guys are good, but their riffs are no match for Slayer...

[katina]

Binnie, I was listening to P.F.M. when I read your review about Astra´s The Black Chord, LOL, it seems that today is a prog day. The weather today is very cloudy, windy and cold, so it´s perfect for some nostalgia

In May of 2012, I read about The Black Chord in a spanish H.P.Lovecraft fan blogspot, (music, books, sci.fi reviews).
It is an excellent album for a very young band, it´s also very refreshing for the old audience, like me.
I agree with your review, and I think that Astra has the potential to make history in the progressive cosmic rock world.

[binnie]

Holy Grail – Ride The Void (2013)

The current trend for nostalgia in rock ‘n’ roll is not ultimately very healthy – when does the replica ever surpass the original? On the surface of things, Holy Grail seem to be an exercise in rampant nostalgia for mid-80s metal: the rhythms gallop, the riffs chug along with hypnotic regularity, and twin guitar melodies compete with grandiose choruses for the memory’s attention. But there’s something oddly compelling about ‘Ride The Void’ – it has more than a foot in the past, for sure; but it’s not just a paint-by-numbers approach to this type of music. The delivery and arrangements have plenty of 21st century reference points, and the band’s ability to span the spectrum of the heavier end of hard rock to the thrashier end of metal makes for plenty of variety and songs which carve out their own distinctive place amidst the whole.

Oh, and it’s also a lot of fun. Harking back to a time with metal was still injected with classic rock heroism, Holy Grail understand that they are here to entertain you first and foremost. ‘Dark Passenger’, ‘Too Decayed To Wait’ and ‘Silence The Scream’ are all hummable metal ditties which will tease their way into your head; whilst ‘Ride The Void’ is a galloping piece of euphoria-drenched anthemic heaviness which conveys the statuesque power of Dio-era Sabbath. The expert – and I mean EXPERT – guitar histrionics of Alex Lee and Eli Santana benefit from a beefy production which allows them to positively scream out of the speakers; and James-Paul Luna’ pipes ensure that this meaty metal is packaged in relentlessly melodic clothing – think the second Skid Row record, with muscles.

If there’s a downside, it’s that it all feels a little over-cooked. 13 songs is a few too many (we could have done without second-tier numbers like ‘Take It To The Grave’ and ‘Sleep Of Virtue’. But what this record doesn’t have is the rawness that made ‘80s metal so captivating – live, you sense that this band will kill it. But on record, it has a tendency to be weighed down with over-processing in places. One day they might make a killer: this isn’t it, but if Holy Grail have made an album that will change nothing other than the expression on your face they’ve certainly done the world a service. You’ll be grinning like a fat kid in a sweetshop.

[binnie]

Shadow’s Fall – Fire From the Sky (2012)

Shadow’s Fall have been one of the best bands in metal for a decade or so now, and easily one its least heralded. Getting tagged into the ‘metalcore’ label/Albatros was a disservice – all they’ve ever really had in common with that sub-genre is the switch from growly to clean vocals – because what this band has always done very, very well is make abrasive, heavy music that you can SING! And in 2013, that is quite an asset. For all the inventiveness of the more avante garde end of metal exploding in the 21st century – prog metal, black metal, mathcore, technical metal are all pushing the barriers in exciting new directions – sometimes you just want to crush the world to something easily digestable. Thank the lord for this.

Simplifying their compositions from previous outings, ‘Fire From The Sky’ sees the band making a nod to the greats – shades of Maiden, Helloween and Anthrax are noticeable throughout – without ever slipping over into anodyne nostalgia. Jon Donatis shreds like a mutha all over these songs, and Brain Fair has grown to understand that singing often adds a depth to songs that cookie-monsters never can. ‘The Unknown’ is awash with mighty guitar, choppy riffage and mashing rhythms booting a soaring chorus into life in what is, in essence, classic metal update for 2013. ‘Divide and Conquer’ is empowering, its stop/start rhythms made to mosh in a sound which recalls early Suicidal Tendencies. But it’s the variety which impresses most: ‘Nothing Remains’ is pure Bellodonna-era Anthrax, whilst ‘Save Your Soul’ and ‘Walk The Edge’ could easily find a home on rock radio (hooks make heavy more palatable) and the warp-factor hardcore/thrash of the title-track is more than enough to keep fans of metal’s heavier end happy. It is also, incidentally, the best that this band has ever sounded.

The militia-like approach is a breath of fresh-air in a musical genre increasingly weighed down with complexity. 10 songs, fat free, and no let-up – what you waiting for?

[TFM_Dale]

Shadow’s Fall – Fire From the Sky (2012)

Shadow’s Fall have been one of the best bands in metal for a decade or so now, and easily one its least heralded. Getting tagged into the ‘metalcore’ label/Albatros was a disservice – all they’ve ever really had in common with that sub-genre is the switch from growly to clean vocals – because what this band has always done very, very well is make abrasive, heavy music that you can SING! And in 2013, that is quite an asset. For all the inventiveness of the more avante garde end of metal exploding in the 21st century – prog metal, black metal, mathcore, technical metal are all pushing the barriers in exciting new directions – sometimes you just want to crush the world to something easily digestable. Thank the lord for this.

Simplifying their compositions from previous outings, ‘Fire From The Sky’ sees the band making a nod to the greats – shades of Maiden, Helloween and Anthrax are noticeable throughout – without ever slipping over into anodyne nostalgia. Jon Donatis shreds like a mutha all over these songs, and Brain Fair has grown to understand that singing often adds a depth to songs that cookie-monsters never can. ‘The Unknown’ is awash with mighty guitar, choppy riffage and mashing rhythms booting a soaring chorus into life in what is, in essence, classic metal update for 2013. ‘Divide and Conquer’ is empowering, its stop/start rhythms made to mosh in a sound which recalls early Suicidal Tendencies. But it’s the variety which impresses most: ‘Nothing Remains’ is pure Bellodonna-era Anthrax, whilst ‘Save Your Soul’ and ‘Walk The Edge’ could easily find a home on rock radio (hooks make heavy more palatable) and the warp-factor hardcore/thrash of the title-track is more than enough to keep fans of metal’s heavier end happy. It is also, incidentally, the best that this band has ever sounded.

The militia-like approach is a breath of fresh-air in a musical genre increasingly weighed down with complexity. 10 songs, fat free, and no let-up – what you waiting for?

Love me some Shadow's Fall, great review as always!

Sent from my Nexus 7

[binnie]

Ginger – 100% (2012)

Ginger’s solo career has always been more eclectic than his day job in The Wildhearts. Whilst his band’s metal/punk/hard rock hybrid excelled at delivering Godzilla style riffs and radio shinny melodies in the same black-hearted, jaded-by-life-and-loving-it songs, his solo material has always straddled the spectrum of rock (and considerably beyond). ‘100 %’ is no different – the warmth and humour are ever-present; the songs are – expectedly – superb (has there been a better British songwriter in the past 25 years?); and the reference points are abundantly wide, from rock/metal into Sparks, XTC, the Undertones and far, far beyond. Huge hooks deliver anthemic choruses, and deceptively simple songs twists and contort around rhythmic nuances and deviations by which Ginger has always put his unique stamp on rock ‘n’ roll – that the whole things is drenched (like everything he does) in pop sensibilities makes this record more fun than Rihanna dipped in warm honey with a ‘do anything you want to me’ look in her eyes, and twice as satisfying. ‘Forget About It’ is somewhere between Social Distortion and Sonic Youth; ‘Internal Radio’ is a Wagnerian pop song; ‘Lover, It’ll be All Work Out’ makes desperation more compelling than grunge ever could; whilst ‘Time’ is an explosion of riffs which takes in pretty much the entire rock spectrum from punk to prog without ever becoming cluttered. This is rock ‘n’ roll with both eyes fixed on the funometer, but it’s also far from a cheap thrill – it’s an often bittersweet blast of life’s good, bad and ugly in fuck me boots. Roll on the summer: I’ve already found my soundtrack.

[binnie]

Love me some Shadow's Fall, great review as always!

Sent from my Nexus 7

Cheers dude