Album Reviews

[binnie]

Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven & The Righteous Side of Hell, vol.1 (2013)

5FDP are not, by any stretch of the imagination, the best metal band in the world – but they are certainly one of the biggest. Future festival headliners, if you will. With this – the first of two albums under ‘The Wrong Side…’ mantle – it is clear that 5FDP are striving for global domination and put simply, when you can write this many tunes which are catchy, crunchy and full of melodies that command you to sing, that domination is surely an inevitability. The ‘Death Punch’ formula is essentially to fuse the frat-boy bounce which made nu metal so commercially viable in the late 90s to the testosterone-charged aggression of Pantera which has become the core of all latter-day metal. The results are abrasive enough to satiate hardcore metalheads, but direct enough to connect with the mainstream – who can’t, for example, connect with the simplest of impulses expressed in songs like ‘Burn Motherfucker’?

Critics have previously focused on 5FDP’s rather crass US jingoism and ‘right-wing’ politics – themes which are largely ignored here in favour of generic ‘pro-power’ lyrics. And it’s powerful stuff. Opener ‘Lift Me Up’ is a headbutt to the bridge of the nose – graced with Rob Halford’s mighty larynx, this is metal that makes the world a little bit better. ‘Watch You Bleed’ – a juicy tale of vengeance – is awash with bottom-heavy rhythmic assault and a hook big enough to level cities, whilst ‘I.M. Sin’ hits like a juggernaut and their cover of LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ is so infectiously bone-headed it’s bound to become a classic. You might say that this is a band walking furrows well-ploughed by Disturbed: bouncy, crunchy metal which is controversial, but not challenging; huge, but cloyingly simple. In Ivan Moody, they have a vocalist who can take a tune up a notch or ten and who oozes charisma.

It’s not all great, however. ‘Anywhere But Here’ is a radio-friendly-unit-shifter of truly dire proportions, whilst the title-track’s token balladry proves only that this is a band which cannot do depth – when they do, the results are cringeworthily purple. But you know it will sell, and you also know you’ll be singing it despite your condescending impulses. And, you know what? Sometimes it’s good to give in to your inner knucklehead. This is not an ‘Album of The Year’ contender – but that’s no a reason to dismiss it. Inventive? Nope. Infectious? Like chlamydia in a whorehouse.

[Von Halen]

Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven & The Righteous Side of Hell, vol.1 (2013)

5FDP are not, by any stretch of the imagination, the best metal band in the world – but they are certainly one of the biggest. Future festival headliners, if you will. With this – the first of two albums under ‘The Wrong Side…’ mantle – it is clear that 5FDP are striving for global domination and put simply, when you can write this many tunes which are catchy, crunchy and full of melodies that command you to sing, that domination is surely an inevitability. The ‘Death Punch’ formula is essentially to fuse the frat-boy bounce which made nu metal so commercially viable in the late 90s to the testosterone-charged aggression of Pantera which has become the core of all latter-day metal. The results are abrasive enough to satiate hardcore metalheads, but direct enough to connect with the mainstream – who can’t, for example, connect with the simplest of impulses expressed in songs like ‘Burn Motherfucker’?

Critics have previously focused on 5FDP’s rather crass US jingoism and ‘right-wing’ politics – themes which are largely ignored here in favour of generic ‘pro-power’ lyrics. And it’s powerful stuff. Opener ‘Lift Me Up’ is a headbutt to the bridge of the nose – graced with Rob Halford’s mighty larynx, this is metal that makes the world a little bit better. ‘Watch You Bleed’ – a juicy tale of vengeance – is awash with bottom-heavy rhythmic assault and a hook big enough to level cities, whilst ‘I.M. Sin’ hits like a juggernaut and their cover of LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ is so infectiously bone-headed it’s bound to become a classic. You might say that this is a band walking furrows well-ploughed by Disturbed: bouncy, crunchy metal which is controversial, but not challenging; huge, but cloyingly simple. In Ivan Moody, they have a vocalist who can take a tune up a notch or ten and who oozes charisma.

It’s not all great, however. ‘Anywhere But Here’ is a radio-friendly-unit-shifter of truly dire proportions, whilst the title-track’s token balladry proves only that this is a band which cannot do depth – when they do, the results are cringeworthily purple. But you know it will sell, and you also know you’ll be singing it despite your condescending impulses. And, you know what? Sometimes it’s good to give in to your inner knucklehead. This is not an ‘Album of The Year’ contender – but that’s no a reason to dismiss it. Inventive? Nope. Infectious? Like chlamydia in a whorehouse.

It's about time, slacker!

I love this album!

[binnie]

Chimaira – Crown Of Phantoms (2013)

Another album, another line-up. You have to admire Chimaira’s dedication and self-belief, or at least that vocalist and sole original member Mark Hunter, who’s been keeping this beast breathing through more career woes than most bands could endure. As with the band’s 6 previous records, ‘Crown Of Phantoms’ is relentlessly heavy, riotously aggressive, and rarely drops below full tilt. And yet, you can’t help but damn this album with faint praise – ‘good’, ‘solid’, ‘powerful’ are the adjectives which comes to mind, but rarely little more. ‘The Machine’ is a typically bruising opening of double bass drum assault; ‘No Mercy’ proves that at mid-paced are always are a caustic proposition; and ‘I Despise’, with its slippery Korn-esque riff, has a certain darkness about it which makes the aggression more captivating. This is not Chimaira’s best record, but it has some crunching moments – the stripped-back approach of ‘Age Of Hell’ (2011) suited them far better, and often here the songs struggle to stand out amidst the unrelenting swoooosh of brutality. Any metal head would enjoy this record, but it is perhaps and exercise in the law of diminishing marginal returns – what does ‘Crown Of Phantoms’ do which the rest of Chimaira’s catalogue, or that of their copyists, not?

[binnie]

It's about time, slacker!

I love this album!

Me too.

The critics are a little harsh on this band. They're not trying to change the face of metal like Opeth, Mastodon or Goijira, so don't judge them for not doing so.

I can see all the cracks in 5FDP and I don't care - sometimes you want fine cuisine, and sometimes you want steak and potatoes.....

[binnie]

Devildriver – Winter Kills (2013)

Somebody needs to give Devildriver a medal. Quite frankly, they’ve served up yet another killer record. ‘Winter Kills’ will certainly not surprise anyone familiar with their sound – the band plays at 100% all of the time in a style which pretty much captures the centre-ground of 21st century metal and lyrical content which focus on pro-power and over-coming. But with Devildriver, it’s not what they do it’s the way that they do it – the band’s infectious appeal comes from energy rather than innovation. And that energy is boiling over on ‘Winter Kills’.

Where last time out (2011’s ‘Pray For Villains’) the band opted for a punkier, more direct approach to song-writing, here they’ve reverted to the thrashier, more brutally metallic type which worked so effectively on ‘Beast’ (2009) and ‘Last Kind Words’ (2007). Opener ‘Oath Of The Abyss’ is ripped with some serious rhythmic crunch which should make Lamb Of God eat their heart out – this is easily one of the best songs Devildriver have ever produced. ‘Ruthless’ is a mid-paced powerhouse with a hulking riff which is ready to incite circlepits the world over, whilst ‘Desperate Times’ proves that Dez Farfarra is quite a hook writer. And the good stuff keeps on comign – ‘Tripping Over Tombstones’ and ‘The Appetite’ have the menace of an imminent beatdown, whilst the switchblade slash of ‘Gutted’ has a rhythm that is off the heavy chart. As ever, drummer Jeff Kendrik is the furnace driving this powerhouse – his patterns add so much crunch and spit into the band’s venom.

Devildriver have managed to be both conventional and utterly distinctive, which is not a feat to be underestimated. Welding the riff worship of metal with sense of gang mentality and less-is-more dynamics of hardcore makes for quite a record. They may never make that true classic they’re clearly ambitious to deliver, but whilst they continue to serve up album after album of inspired and inspiring metal on such a regular basis they deserve far more celebration than they receive. They may ever be a latter-day Motorhead: defiant, resiliant, and forever delivering the goods.

[binnie]

Motorhead – Aftershock (2013)

I feel like a broken record when it comes to Motorhead, but in reviewing ‘Aftershock’ I’ll say what I’ve said about every ‘head record since ‘Inferno’ (2004): this is an incredible record which easily equals the muscular power of the band’s ‘golden’ era (1979-82), and it is a travesty that more people won’t listen to it. Yeah, it sounds like Motorhead, so in a sense you’ve heard it before – but no-one else sounds like ‘em, and no other rock ‘n’ roll band on the planet is as instantly invigorating. So fuck off. ‘Inferno’, ‘Kiss of Death’ (2006), ‘Motorizer’ (2009) and ‘The World Is Yours’ (2011) are not just very good albums, they’re truly astonishing albums. Buying them is a shortcut to living a happier life. ‘Aftershock’ is no different.

You know what you’re gonna get: incredible power, bomber-engine bass lines, lyrics that crackle with dry wit and weary wisdom, and nitro-charged songs which charge at your ears completely free of fat or self-indulgence. That the hook in ‘Heartbreaker’ is a killer, that ‘Keep Your Powder Dry’ is a jaded fist of blues that you’ll sing all day, and the ‘Coup De Grace’ could surely light up the radio is by the by, because it seems the Lemmy is never going to get his dues as a melody writer. These songs - and dozens of others – should be part of metal’s bloodstream like those of Priest and Maiden. ‘Silence When You Speak To Me’, for instance, has more than enough bite and power to match any of metal’s current generation, it’s bone-crushing groove being a suitably awe-inspiring sound to couple to that awe-inspiring title. But, in truth, it’s the less familiar side of Motorhead – the side drenched in the blues – which shines most here. ‘Lost Woman Blues’ takes it down a couple of notches (11, perhaps!), its breezy, acoustic quality oozing warmth and allowing Phil Campbell’s floating melody the space to shimmer; whilst ‘Dust & Glass’ is a truly moving moment – anyone doubting these boy’s songwriting chops, or accusing them of anodyne repetition, should look no further to be refuted. The ominous ‘Death Machine’ could almost have been on their debut – sizzling like bacon, this is music so muscular it has a near tactile quality to it. The gristle of the Heavy Metal carcass, if you will.

Writing in these terms about Motorhead is not patronising. Nor is it an exercise in willfully rose-tinted nostalgia (as it is when the releases of so many of their peers are reviewed). ‘Aftershock’ really is that good: that any band can simultaneously hold the status of Legends and Underdogs is a true testament to how utterly unique Motorhead are.

[binnie]

Avenged Sevenfold – Hail To The King (2003)

If you take this record at face value, you’ll enjoy it. Featuring all of the hallmarks of metal’s biggest and best bands – Metallica, Maiden, Megadeth, G’N’R – ‘Hail To The King’ is a record which has been designed to make arenas bounce, teenage bedrooms become air guitar havens, and FM radio become the band’s new home. And it does all of these very well. But ‘designed’ is the key word here, for on album number six the biggest metal band of their generation has served up something heavily contrived. The results are thus frustratingly unsatisfying: feeling like it is being performed rather than played, the pervasive sense throughout this record is of a band holding back.

You see, there was a time when (whatever you think of them) Avenged Sevenfold were remarkably musically ambitious, penning songs of sprawling proportions and complex arrangements which took in the whole spectrum of heavy music (often in one song) is a style that was unrelentingly melodic and utterly distinctive. ‘Hail….’ – with its hook-heavy, short songs and simple-to-the-point-of-ridiculous arrangements – thus partially feels like another band, and when that change has come with arenas and platinum records in mind you can’t help but feel a little aggrieved. They do the ‘Black Album’ mid-paced stomp very, very well – the songs are memorable, command you to sing, and are eminently uplifting. But they’re also devoid of substance. Whatever you think of the band’s previous album ‘Nightmare’ – the musical tribute to their fallen drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan which some critics blasted as inconsistent and unfocussed – it was anything but shallow.

There’s also another problem: wearing your influences on your sleeves is one thing, but when it reaches the point of near-plagiarism it is quite another. ‘This Means War’, for instance, is a near carbon-copy of Metallica’s ‘Sad But True’, and as you proceed through ‘Hail….’ you find yourself mentally checking off the points of departure (‘ahh, this is the Megadeth song, this is their ‘Enter Sandman’ and so on). It’s indisputable that the likes of ‘Heretic’ and ‘Coming Home’ have an anthemic quality to them, and that the likes of ‘Requiem’ are as stirring as it is intended to be, or indeed that the title-track has more than a little badass swagger to it – Avenged Sevenfold are more than happy to embrace the mantle of ‘rock stars’ where so many of their peers cringe at the thought. Nor is it possible to deny that lead axeman Synster Gates delivers solos which still sparkle and possess enough restraint to avoid tripping over into ‘shredder’ territory (there is a real Schencker quality to the ripping lead on ‘Coming Home’, for instance); or that vocalist M Shadows still uses his rich baritone to devastating effect. It’s charisma-a-go-go, and even cheese-fest ballad ‘Crimson Day’ (which sounds like something Desmond Childs threw up) is passable in the hands of his larynx.

But you just sense that they’re capable of much better. Often here choral chants and string arrangements are used to add grandeur to songs which the band’s superb playing and writing used to do all alone (see the albums ‘City of Evil’ and ‘Waken the Fallen’). Given that most of the influences ripped off here were the creative zenith of the previous generation, it is eminently worrying for the future of metal that one of the genre’s flagship bands has had to resort to recycling 20-year old ideas to puncture the mainstream. Listening to ‘Hail To The King’ is certainly an enjoyable experience, but it is the musical equivalent of fast food – forgettable and not very good for you.

[binnie]

Michael Monroe – Horns & Halos (2013)

This is the sort of record that exists purely to inspire bar-room excesses and back-alley lays. A perennial shoot from the hip, wise-cracking, by the seat of his pants bonafide baddass, Michael Monroe has always been one-half rock star one-half prima donna. ‘Horns & Haloes’, like ‘Sensory Overdrive’ (2011) before it, continues his later-day career rejuvenation, serving slice-after-slice of cast in the die, gutter drenched rock ‘n’ roll which views the world from one day to the next and always from the street up. This time out Dregen (of The Backyard Babies) replaces Ginger (of The Wildhearts and one of rock’s most talented mofos), serving up quality tune after quality tune alongside lead guitar-player Steve Conte (The New York Dolls). ‘TNT Diet’ is foot-to-the-floor rock ‘n’ roll which kicks things off like candy for the soul, whilst ‘Saturday Night Special’ fucks your ears like a sloppy drunk and ‘Ballad of The Lower East Side’ narrates a longing for the sleazier side of life in a shop-worn, but glorious, fashion. Elsewhere, ‘Half The Way’ is a perfectly fucked-up lil ol’ love song, and ‘Stained Glass Heart’ and ‘Child Of The Revolution’ are bittersweet laments of a man who doesn’t know how to do anything else. Monroe’s lived-in voice sounds richer than it has in years, and his capacity for telling stories adds repeated crackles of warmth amidst the debauchery. If you think his career ended with the demise of the Hanoi Rocks, think again – this is some of the best rock ‘n’ roll you’ll have heard in years.

[Mr. Vengeance]

Motorhead – Aftershock (2013)

I feel like a broken record when it comes to Motorhead, but in reviewing ‘Aftershock’ I’ll say what I’ve said about every ‘head record since ‘Inferno’ (2004): this is an incredible record which easily equals the muscular power of the band’s ‘golden’ era (1979-82), and it is a travesty that more people won’t listen to it. Yeah, it sounds like Motorhead, so in a sense you’ve heard it before – but no-one else sounds like ‘em, and no other rock ‘n’ roll band on the planet is as instantly invigorating. So fuck off. ‘Inferno’, ‘Kiss of Death’ (2006), ‘Motorizer’ (2009) and ‘The World Is Yours’ (2011) are not just very good albums, they’re truly astonishing albums. Buying them is a shortcut to living a happier life. ‘Aftershock’ is no different.

You know what you’re gonna get: incredible power, bomber-engine bass lines, lyrics that crackle with dry wit and weary wisdom, and nitro-charged songs which charge at your ears completely free of fat or self-indulgence. That the hook in ‘Heartbreaker’ is a killer, that ‘Keep Your Powder Dry’ is a jaded fist of blues that you’ll sing all day, and the ‘Coup De Grace’ could surely light up the radio is by the by, because it seems the Lemmy is never going to get his dues as a melody writer. These songs - and dozens of others – should be part of metal’s bloodstream like those of Priest and Maiden. ‘Silence When You Speak To Me’, for instance, has more than enough bite and power to match any of metal’s current generation, it’s bone-crushing groove being a suitably awe-inspiring sound to couple to that awe-inspiring title. But, in truth, it’s the less familiar side of Motorhead – the side drenched in the blues – which shines most here. ‘Lost Woman Blues’ takes it down a couple of notches (11, perhaps!), its breezy, acoustic quality oozing warmth and allowing Phil Campbell’s floating melody the space to shimmer; whilst ‘Dust & Glass’ is a truly moving moment – anyone doubting these boy’s songwriting chops, or accusing them of anodyne repetition, should look no further to be refuted. The ominous ‘Death Machine’ could almost have been on their debut – sizzling like bacon, this is music so muscular it has a near tactile quality to it. The gristle of the Heavy Metal carcass, if you will.

Writing in these terms about Motorhead is not patronising. Nor is it an exercise in willfully rose-tinted nostalgia (as it is when the releases of so many of their peers are reviewed). ‘Aftershock’ really is that good: that any band can simultaneously hold the status of Legends and Underdogs is a true testament to how utterly unique Motorhead are.

Nice! This one, like all Motorhead new releases has been in my heavy rotation since it came out, and will likely stay there for another couple of months. I honestly don't have any Motorhead albums that I don't play. They all get their regular spins. Like you say, you know what you're going to get, and they always deliver. My fave Motorhead album is actually the one most Head fans dislike- Another Perfect Day with Brian Robertson on guitar. Fantastic combination of Lemmy's usual Motorhead bombast along with Robertson's virtuosity on guitar.

[Von Halen]

Me too.

The critics are a little harsh on this band. They're not trying to change the face of metal like Opeth, Mastodon or Goijira, so don't judge them for not doing so.

I can see all the cracks in 5FDP and I don't care - sometimes you want fine cuisine, and sometimes you want steak and potatoes.....

I have Volume 2 binnie. More of the same. Good stuff. Not sure when it will officially be released.

[binnie]

I have Volume 2 binnie. More of the same. Good stuff. Not sure when it will officially be released.

It's out later this month, I think - not sure if I review it, but I'm certainly looking forward to it.

Hopefully they'll play UK festivals next summer, as I think they light 'em up.

[binnie]

My fave Motorhead album is actually the one most Head fans dislike- Another Perfect Day with Brian Robertson on guitar. Fantastic combination of Lemmy's usual Motorhead bombast along with Robertson's virtuosity on guitar.

I'll be reviewing this one in the next couple of months. It's been on my 'to do' list for ages........

[saint]

I'll be reviewing this one in the next couple of months. It's been on my 'to do' list for ages........

Love that album, one of my all times fav, nothing but killer songs. All that I love with motörhead, with a touch of guitar equilibrist

[binnie]

The Temperance Movement – The Temperance Movement (2013)

That this bands are signed to Earache – the doyen of extreme metal for 25 years – is a testament to how entrenched ‘Retro’ rock has become in the last 5 years or so. Whether it’s the shameless Zeppelin and ‘DC plagiarists, the host of rather excellent Swedish retro-garage rockers, or truly inventive bands like The Rival Sons, those with their eyes purely on 1967-72 have been very much in vogue. The Temperance Movement thus walk a well-trodden path, albeit with two noticeable differences: firstly, their point of departure is not thunderous hard rock Les Paul overload, but the R’N’B (rhythm and blues, before it was rap and bullshit) of Free, The Faces and Humble Pie – music with an emphasis on the roll over the rock, and on the less rather than the more; and, secondly, in Phil Campbell they have one helluva singer. In his hands, these all so familiar blues licks seem fresher, sparkier and ooze charisma.

Describing this band’s sound is somewhat redundant – who doesn’t know what the white-boy take on the blues sounds like? It’s certainly nothing that you’ve not heard before, but it must be said that the tunes here are very, very impressive indeed. There’s an effortlessness about proceedings – the band doesn’t overcook their performances, knows when to lay it back, and don’t ruin it by trying too hard – and the like of opener ‘Only Friend’ (think early Black Crowes), ‘Chinese Lanterns’ (a woozy, breazy tune perfect for the post-party wind-down) and ‘Smouldering’ (a searing take on yearning which doesn’t so much blast out of the speakers but seeps out of them) are very impressive indeed. The guitar tones are rich, luminous in places, delicate in others, and every aspect of the performances exist to accentuate Campbell’s voice and melodies. This is the DNA of the music we all love in its rawest form, and come the summer it’ll be all over your speakers like the aftermath of a particularly messy bukake party.

[Mr. Vengeance]

I'll be reviewing this one in the next couple of months. It's been on my 'to do' list for ages........

I look forward to another fine Binnie review.