Album Reviews

[binnie]

From the vaults: Lizzy Borden – Deal With the Devil (2000)

As is often the case with bands who put a considerable degree of evidence of look and show, the music that Lizzy Borden made over the years is often overlooked. Even amidst a gazzillion rockers on Sunset Strip’s ‘80s heyday, they had tunes that stood out to elevate above the pack (if not quite into the A league). And they had schicht to boot. Satanic in the same way that WASP were ‘satanic’ (i.e. not really) this was an ‘80s rock band which injected the big choruses and reverb-happy sound with elements of melody and pop dynamics learned from vintage Kiss and Cheap Trick. ‘Deal With the Devil’ – the ‘reunion’ record from 2000 – evinces all of those evidence and leaving aside the (vastly improved) quality of the production, not much had changed since 1985. LB pretty much sat out the ‘90s (like most of their peers) and, for the most part at least, wisely decided to avoid following trends and stick to what they did/do best. The result is a record which was hopelessly out of place at the turn of the millenium – where theatrics, leather, and plank spanking solos were out and hip hop, baggy pants and frat boy metal were in – but which nonetheless kicks up something of a storm for fans of metal the way it used to sound.

Most comfortingly, Lizzy still had a killer voice. And he could still pen the sort of melodies that stick in your ears like shit to a blanket – every song here has one, and that should be enough to silence anyone who thought that this band was more style than substance. Opener ‘There Will Be Blood Tonight’ is just classic piercing metal; whilst ‘Hell Is For Heroes’ and ‘Lovin’ You Is Murder’ sound like the heavier end of The Scorpions. Cheesy, or classic? You decide. Not everything here was killer, however. ‘We Only Come Out At Night’ panders to what the band clearly thought was contemporary (i.e. the industrial sounds of 5 years previously, think Motley Crue’s ‘Generation Swine’ and you’re in the same ballpark) and the covers range from pointless (Alice Cooper’s ‘Generation Landslide’) to woeful (Blue Oyster Cult’s ‘This Ain’t The Summer Of Love’). But when you have title track as glorious as this one, and which practically demands that you smile, all of the foibles just fade away.

In 2000 – or, indeed, in 2013 – this sort of metal is about as desirable as a fart in a spacesuit. But who cares? The solos are big, the choruses are big, and the melodies are bigger still. Fun times, cheap thrills, and big smiles.

[binnie]

Volbeat – Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (2013)

Another year, another excellent album from Denmark’s Volbeat. Sticking firmly to the ‘if it ain’t broke….’ school of thought, ‘Outlaw Gentlemen….’ serves up yet more rock ‘n’ roll cool and B-Movie schdicht which these Misfits worshipping Danes do so very well. Yes it might slightly odd for Scandanavians to drench their music in such rampant Americana; and, yes, Michael Schon Poulson’s Danzig-esque baritone is an acquired taste, but you can’t really argue with this much fun. Indeed, writing up this review the word ‘anthem’ kept cropping up all too regularly, but almost every song here could fall under that mantle. Welding together punk simplicity with huge hooks and bouncy tempos, this is very much a kick yer ass and take yer name sort of record and with the added oomph of ex-Anthrax axeman Rob Caggiano (whose sinewy riffage on the likes of ‘Dead But Rising’ is a joy to behold) there is a certain special sort of energy in evidence here. ‘Pearl Hart’ is a lesson in how not to over-complicate rock ‘n’ roll; ‘Cape Of Our Hero’ is commercial rock with substance; and ‘Doc Holliday’ and ‘The Hangman’s Body Count’ sound like Metallica………………covering the Misfits. Indeed, with the exception of the King Diamond duet on ‘Room 24’ (in which Volbeat sound more like King Diamond than they do themselves) there is little to fault here. 2013 will undoubtedly deliver better record, but few will be more fun.

[binnie]

Silent Descent – Mind Games (2012)

England’s Silent Descent describe themselves as ‘Trance Metal’. ‘Great’ I hear you cry ‘another anal sub-genre to further over-complicate modern metal’. I feel where you’re coming from. But in this instance the moniker is actually accurate: what Silent Descent deliver – or, more accurately, attempt to deliver – is a hybrid of dance electronica, post-Gothernberg extreme metal and mid-90s industrial rock. Full marks for ambition and novelty. It has certainly garnered them plenty of exposure – they were the darlings of certain areas of the British rock press last year – and it is unquestionably a lot of fun. But it is also a complete and utter mess in places, largely because the juxtapositions don’t work: we have metal guitars (angry) wrestling with keyboards and programming (joyous/euphoric/jolly); bouncy-bouncy music with lyrics exploring the darker side of the human condition; a band that wants you to dance fronted by a singer who wants to make you think. And then there’s the vocals – I count at least three different styles here (shouty, growly and clean). ‘Mind Games’ indeed – it is like being pulled in several different directions.

That’s not to say that there are not some very impressive moments here. ‘Psychotic Euphoric’ is a future rock club classic driven by big melodies and big power chords; ‘Coke Stars’ has a relentless groove and a massive chorus; and the exploration of the dark side of predatory sexuality on ‘In That Trip’ is the sign of a band that could one day do something with some real depth. It’s just that on the evidence here you sense that Silent Descent want to be a scenester band, a band that skims the surface of heavy music rather than really engaging with its core. That the cover of this album (and almost every page of the linear notes) features scantily clad pictures of an admittedly hot woman (Vikki Blows, since you asked) only adds to the suspicion that despite not knowing who or what they are, this is a band that desperately wants to hit the big time and will employ any trick, however cheap, to do it.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Auf Der Mer – Auf Der Mer (2004)

It is something of a travesty that this, the debut solo record from former Smashing Pumpkins and Hole bassplayer Melissa Auf Der Mer, is not more widely known and better appreciated. Sounding little like either of those previous ventures – not as contrived and affected as the Pumpkins, nor as trashy as Hole – the sound is heavily indebted to alt.rock but with plenty of harder-edged bite. Indeed, the presence of Kyuss/QOTSA men Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri and Brandt Bjork here, added to Chris Goss on knob-twiddling duties, means that there is plenty of stoner rock ingredients in the riffs and vibe, ingredients which are offset by Auf Der Mer’s quirky melodies and silky voice. Where had she been hiding those pipes? At once sultry, seductive and furious, it makes these songs utterly compelling.

Opener ‘Lightning Is My Girl’ is heavy rock with new wave arrangements and more than a nod to Bowie; ‘Followed The Waves’ is sultry, venomous rock with a haunting lyric about resentment in a relationship; and ‘Real A Lie’ is simultaneously furious and mellifluous. The variety of display is impressive, from the piano led ‘Overpower Thee’ to the quirky ‘I’ll Be Anything You Want’, a song which captures Auf Der Mer’s capacity to pen deeply personal lyrics and make being uncomfortable a virtue of the record. Indeed, this is very grown up rock rather than a cheap thrill. ‘I Need I Want I Will’ is ethereal, an otherworldly sort of rock which passes beyond the bounds of desire, whilst ‘Taste You’ explores the boundary between sexy and obsession with captivating aplomb. It may very well be the best song you’ve never heard. This is mature music when ‘mature’ is anything but a euphemism for ‘dull’; edgy rock which takes the component parts of heavy music and makes them its own.

[knuckleboner]

Volbeat – Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (2013)

Another year, another excellent album from Denmark’s Volbeat. Sticking firmly to the ‘if it ain’t broke….’ school of thought, ‘Outlaw Gentlemen….’ serves up yet more rock ‘n’ roll cool and B-Movie schdicht which these Misfits worshipping Danes do so very well. Yes it might slightly odd for Scandanavians to drench their music in such rampant Americana; and, yes, Michael Schon Poulson’s Danzig-esque baritone is an acquired taste, but you can’t really argue with this much fun. Indeed, writing up this review the word ‘anthem’ kept cropping up all too regularly, but almost every song here could fall under that mantle. Welding together punk simplicity with huge hooks and bouncy tempos, this is very much a kick yer ass and take yer name sort of record and with the added oomph of ex-Anthrax axeman Rob Caggiano (whose sinewy riffage on the likes of ‘Dead But Rising’ is a joy to behold) there is a certain special sort of energy in evidence here. ‘Pearl Hart’ is a lesson in how not to over-complicate rock ‘n’ roll; ‘Cape Of Our Hero’ is commercial rock with substance; and ‘Doc Holliday’ and ‘The Hangman’s Body Count’ sound like Metallica………………covering the Misfits. Indeed, with the exception of the King Diamond duet on ‘Room 24’ (in which Volbeat sound more like King Diamond than they do themselves) there is little to fault here. 2013 will undoubtedly deliver better record, but few will be more fun.

thank you, sir!

caught heaven nor hell on the XM and picked up above heaven/beyond hell. tremendous record. sad that theses guys aren't much bigger in the U.S.

i will have to start getting more of their catalog.

[binnie]

They've not released a bad record, so you can't really go wrong with Volbeat.

[binnie]

Mudhoney – Vanishing Point (2013)

Another year, another cracking album from Mudhoney. A band who existed long before Seattle’s grunge bubble and are here long after it, these master of lo-fi, Stooges inspired, garage rock rarely put a foot wrong and ‘Vanishing Point’ is no exception. And it is heavy: bass heavy, bare bones, muscular riffage heavy. Employing simple dynamics and a willful desire to be understated to aplomb, these are songs with charm, more than a little wit, and hooks to kill. Opener ‘Slipping Away’ is a loose rocker driven by luscious bass; ‘I Like It Small’ is awash with Stooges stomp and New York Dolls Swagger, and crackles with twisted charisma in the lyrics; whilst ‘In This Rubber Tomb’ is spacey acid rock swirling with synths, music with incredible power and hypnotic potential. It’s certainly true that Mudhoney have become less scuzzy over the years – the shadow of late ‘60s garage rock looms large in everything they’ve done this century – but don’t be fooled into thinking they’ve lost their power: ‘Chardonay’ is furious punk on which Mark Arm sings like he’s spitting grit out of his throat; and ‘The Only Son Of The Widow From Nain’ is screaming with life, and as a good as anything this band has done.

Whilst grunge’s Godfathers continue their autumnal flourishing, it is something of cruel twist of fate that they are once again overshadowed by the return of bands who followed them. Soundgarden and Alice In Chains have put out some incredible albums in recent years, but despite the attention lavished on them it is debatable if they’re making records as complete as this. Storytelling lyrics, macabre humour, and a unique aesthetic, Mudhoney are the Stooges of their generation.

[binnie]

Hypocrisy – End Of Disclosure (2013)

Album number 12 from one of death metal’s most influential bands is refreshing in a number of ways. Firstly, in that even two decades in Hypocrisy still want to challenge themselves and their fans by making a genuine addition to their mighty back-catalogue, rather than just another album. Secondly, and most importantly, it is refreshing to listen to a heavy band that doesn’t feel the need to ‘out extreme’ all of their competitors and work safe in th knowledge that there is often more power in restraint and simple song dynamics than relentless extremity. Thus ‘The End Of Disclosure’ is not a relentless blast-beat fest; nor is it an exercise in crude pro-tools mechanized brutality. This is certainly death metal, but it is melodic and played with feel. Peter Toytigeren’s guitar is often very indebted to hardcore, warped chord progressions adding a buzzsaw like energy. The result is a sound which is often sparse, but which allows the band to pull together with colossal power – even at mid pace they sound huge.

Lyrically, Hypocrisy continue their exploration of extraterrestials and alien abduction. Many of the themes here are indebted to the CBS show ‘4400’ and it is a suitably dark topic for a death metal record. The quite frankly epic artwork only adds to the aesthetic and, like artwork used too, adds to the power. The title-track is propelled by some serious groove and melodies which drop like a wall of cascading darkness; ‘Tales Of Thy Spineless’ is a scuzzy thrash which has more than a whiff of early Sepultura and Celtic Frost about it, and the sort of mid-section which made those Metallica and Maiden epics, well, epic; and ‘The Eye’ is industrial-tinged filthy thrash. It’s compelling – but unlike so many extreme metal bands it is also, crucially, memorable. And if you’re sort of metalhead who thinks that complexity is the only way to heaviness, ‘When Death Calls’ – which is awash with face-ripping riffs and neck-snapping drum patterns – should be a revelation.

There are Swedish death metal bands who get more accolades, but few can claim to be as influential as hypocrisy. Fewer still can claim to be making records as good as the ones that they made their name on.

[binnie]

From the vaults: Cathedral – The Carnival Bizarre (1995)

Sometimes people confuse ‘heavy’ and ‘extreme’. Plenty of bands play at a billion bpm, scream like a toddler denied a trip to a sweet shop, and lurch from time-change to time-change like an epileptic at a rave, but are they as heavy as Sabbath on ‘Master of Reality’? Do they possess that gut tapping, sonic clout that makes something HEAVY? Often, they don’t. Doom bands have always excelled at heavy rather than extreme and England’s Cathedral have been the best doom band on the planet for 20 years now, releasing album after classic album of vintage quality, dark melodies, and, quite frankly, superb collections of riffs (guitar player Gaz Jennings is – no arguments pleased – the most unheralded six stringer in metal history). What made Cathedral better than most other doom bands was simply that they didn’t slavishly follow Sabbath: they took the roots of heavy music, realized that a great song requires more than a great riff, and spun it through prog, hardcore and more extreme metal into something very special indeed.

‘The Carnival Bizarre’ – their third record – is perhaps the band’s least doomy. The lyrics are more upbeat and whilst the component parts are essentially the same, the vibe is more stoner than anything else. And fuck me it’s heavy. Opener ‘Vampire Sun’ is rollicking stoner metal. Sounding like an outtake from ‘Vol. 4’, it is perhaps one of the best openers in metal history. ‘Hopkins (The Witchfinder General)’ is genuinely evil sounding and built around a quality riff served up at juggernaut pace; and ‘Palace Of Fallen Majesty’ can actually rival classic Sabbath. That good. But there is plenty of variety, too, which makes this record a bonafide classic. The trippy doom of ‘Night Of The Seagulls’ is beautiful; whilst the title-track sweeps over blues, prog and stoner without ever coming close to sounding cluttered – this is heaviness of cavenous proportions.

Cathedral have announced that they are calling it a day. And whilst metal is certainly not losing one of its biggest selling bands, it is certainly losing one of its most unique, charismatic and best. The quality on display here – as on every Cathedral record – is staggering: the riffs, the melodies and the dynamics are all simple, crisp and effective. Avoiding the temptation to be willfully complex is perhaps the secret to being so utterly captivating.

Thanks for the music boys, it’s been a blast.

[binnie]

Tracer – El Pistolero (2013)

Finally: a hard-rocking Australian band that doesn’t shamelessly emulate ‘DC or Rose Tattoo. Three-piece Tracer certainly have all the hallmarks of classic rock, but they’ve got their ears tuned firmly into more modern sounds too. Queens Of The Stone Age get more than a few passing references, as does Detroit garage rock and Audioslave. There are no histrionics here, no slavish Zeppelin hedonism or ‘80s xeroxes. Rather, what Tracer serve up is dry, sun-scorched tones and tunes that reek of hunger. And it kicks like a mule on steroids.

The title-track is dirty, filthy classic rock injected with lashing of bass heavy stoner buzz and bite. ‘Lady Killer’ is a punky bruiser; whilst ‘Dirty Little Secret’ is rock with lots of roll and swing to it – music that engages the ass as much as it does the ears. The band are certainly confident. ‘Dead Garden’ sees them exploring sounds and jamming, whilst ‘Scream In Silence’ takes on a similar updated classic rock sound to Audioslave and demonstrates the sort of control that young bands so rarely possess. In places, you will adore this record: it’s fun, it mostly avoids cliches (‘Wolf In Cheep Clothes Aside’) and it balances fun with depth with considerable aplomb.

It’s certainly not all excellent, however. At 13 tunes it’s a little over-long, and the likes of ‘There’s A Man’ and ‘Santa Cecilia’ are still unconvincingly rough around the edges. But with a band as raw as this, perhaps that’s to be expected. Tracer are a band to whom the idea of polishing hard rock is anathema, and if they’re prepared to leave the nuts and bolts showing, that means that oodles of dirt and groove can seep through. If trading a cool vibe for perfect tunes is the deal, Tracer have chosen wisely, for ‘El Pistolero’ is the sort of record that will make you want to kiss the sun.

[TFM_Dale]

Tracer – El Pistolero (2013)

Finally: a hard-rocking Australian band that doesn’t shamelessly emulate ‘DC or Rose Tattoo. Three-piece Tracer certainly have all the hallmarks of classic rock, but they’ve got their ears tuned firmly into more modern sounds too. Queens Of The Stone Age get more than a few passing references, as does Detroit garage rock and Audioslave. There are no histrionics here, no slavish Zeppelin hedonism or ‘80s xeroxes. Rather, what Tracer serve up is dry, sun-scorched tones and tunes that reek of hunger. And it kicks like a mule on steroids.

The title-track is dirty, filthy classic rock injected with lashing of bass heavy stoner buzz and bite. ‘Lady Killer’ is a punky bruiser; whilst ‘Dirty Little Secret’ is rock with lots of roll and swing to it – music that engages the ass as much as it does the ears. The band are certainly confident. ‘Dead Garden’ sees them exploring sounds and jamming, whilst ‘Scream In Silence’ takes on a similar updated classic rock sound to Audioslave and demonstrates the sort of control that young bands so rarely possess. In places, you will adore this record: it’s fun, it mostly avoids cliches (‘Wolf In Cheep Clothes Aside’) and it balances fun with depth with considerable aplomb.

It’s certainly not all excellent, however. At 13 tunes it’s a little over-long, and the likes of ‘There’s A Man’ and ‘Santa Cecilia’ are still unconvincingly rough around the edges. But with a band as raw as this, perhaps that’s to be expected. Tracer are a band to whom the idea of polishing hard rock is anathema, and if they’re prepared to leave the nuts and bolts showing, that means that oodles of dirt and groove can seep through. If trading a cool vibe for perfect tunes is the deal, Tracer have chosen wisely, for ‘El Pistolero’ is the sort of record that will make you want to kiss the sun.

Sounds pretty interesting, I will have to check it out.

[binnie]

Rough and ready in places, but a blinding little rock record if you look past the warts 'n' all approach.

I'd recommend you check out Rival Sons if you haven't already, too.

[Dave's Bitch]

Hey Binnie

Will we be getting a Super Collider review this week?

[binnie]

Hey Binnie

Will we be getting a Super Collider review this week?

Yup, that's the plan (assuming my copy turns up tomorrow I should be able to fast-track it and get it done by the end of the week).

[binnie]

From the vaults: Pentagram – Day Of Reckoning (1987)

Pentagram are a band who divide opinion. For doom devotees, their early albums are treated with a reverence akin to a gift from God handed down from Mount Sinai; a reverence which the band’s detractors greet with a very simple question – why not just listen to the first 4 Black Sabbath albums? It would be foolish – and churlish – to deny that Pentagram’s brand of doom is anything other than straight out of the Sabbath songbook. Slow, punchy and with thick lashes of swing – a crucial element which so many Sabbath-clones miss – this is classic music served up with a bare-bones simplicity which somehow makes it more magical. And when the ingredients to songs are so few, the result is that each one – each riff, each bassline, each melody – has to be golden to work. Pentagram’s capacity to serve up such ingredients – and with them classic songs – deserves greater recognition.

The title-track is a doom classic. Surprisingly up-tempo there is a freedom to the performance that makes it rawk like a porn starlet on overtime. ‘Evil Seed’ practically seeps weed out of the speakers and is possessed of a floating, vapor-like evil blues; and ‘Wartime’ has a choppy riff which commands you to bang your head. But this is not just heavy – the variety is what makes Pentagram special. ‘When The Screams Comes’ sounds like the sky is crying; whilst the dope-fiend brilliance of ‘Burning Savior’ – 8 minutes of slow-building spirals of doom falling from the heavens. It’s crushing and ethereal; uplifting and lamenting, in equal measure. But what makes it really special is how sparse everything is. Victor Griffin under plays the guitar with dazzling beauty and serves up riff after crisp riff. And whilst Bobby Liebling doesn’t sound much like Ozzy, he has the same capacity to make up what his voice lacks with an infectious charisma in the delivery.

Pentagram have certainly made records with more abandon (see their debut) and with more weight (see ‘Be Forewarned’) but perhaps never one with such consistently brilliant songs. The production is woeful (the drums are tinny and rigid) and robs the songs of their power, but it just doesn’t matter. Some albums have something beyond the ingredients, something beyond the component parts that no-one else can quite emulate. Perhaps it was the context in which the album was recorded, perhaps it was the moment in time which it captured, or perhaps it was the drugs that they were smoking. Either way, it is an ethereal presence which makes the music magical. Pentragram’s early records have that special something and whatever their indebtedness to Sabbath, surely even the band’s detractors cannot deny them that.