Album Reviews

[binnie]

So, there they are: The Dirty Dozen, the records that made me.

As I said above, it's partly a work of fiction - there are several record (AC/DC 'Let There Be Rock' and The Almighty's 'Crank') which we equally as formative, but I've already reviewed them. And there were several others (Tool 'Aenima' and Refused 'The Shape Of Punk To Come') which I just can't find the words with which to suitably express my awe.

But it feels good to have it done!

[vandeleur]

Great read binnie , as always your a credit to the place

[binnie]

Jake E Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel – Eponymous (2014)

You’ll want to like this record, but I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t. It should have been a glorious, all-guns-blazing return to form from one the the ‘80s best – and most distinctive – axemen, the man who more than filled the shoes of Randy Rhoades in Ozzy’s band and who, in Badlands, gave us a raw, bluesy take on rock ‘n’ roll which acted as an antithesis to the hairspray and glitz of sunset. But ‘Red Dragon Cartel’ is not that record. It’s not even close.

The problem is the exact inverse of that which normally besets ‘man with guitar goes solo’ records: where they’re normally albums packed with barely a tune in the face of ‘songs’ which serve purely as excuses of guitar-workouts (hello Black Label Society and Yngwie Malmsteem), here the problem is that there’s not enough guitar. I’ll say that again: Jake E Lee – the man who write the riffs to ‘Bark At The Moon’ , ‘The Ultimate Sin’ and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Rebel’ and who, in Badlands, shredded like he had 10 fingers on each hand – has made a record where, despite being the strongest link in the band, he takes a back seat. Sure, there are solos – but they’re almost apologetic. The plan was clearly to form a ‘proper’ band. And in some senses that works. But in Darren James Smith, they hired a singer who, to be frank, is the equivalent of drunken uncle at a wake. Smith’s leaden rasps kills some of the tunes here: opener ‘Deceived’ (with its nod to BATM riff) is a great little rocker killed by the vocals; and ‘Fall From the Sky’, which could have been a beautiful ballad, ends up sounding as disappointing as it would be to walk in on Halle Berry taking a dump.

There is also an odd sense of imbalance here, too. That’s usually the case on albums which feature lots of guest vocalists. So while the bulk of the album is bluesy hard, rock Paul Di’Anno turns up to deliver a punky vocal on the Neanderthal metal of ‘Wasted’ – which only proves that he’s never been much of a talent – and Robin Zander delivers a performance on the spacey, formless ‘Feeder’ (which sort of sounds like post-grunge in the mid-90s) that can only be described as……odd. The less said about ‘Shout It Out’ – on which the band try their hand at the broody, industrial funk that Rob Zombie churns out – the better.
There is some good stuff, however. ‘Slave’ and ‘War Machine’ are both decent, to the point metal with no bullshit. Maria Brink (from In This Moment) delivers a helluva vocal on the sexy prowler ‘Big Mouth’, and Sass Jordan absolutely kills the oozy ‘Redeem Me’. Ending with that song was certainly a smart move, but it’s not enough to redeem Red Dragon Cartel.

The career of Jake E Lee remains, sadly, a case of what could have been.

[binnie]

Supersuckers – Get The Hell (2014)

They are the Supersuckers. And they play rock ‘n’ roll like lives depend on it. Two decades in, these boys were never going to mix up the formula: ‘Get The Hell’ serves up Ramones-meets-‘DC good time noise with hooks to die for, shits and giggles a plenty and character traits exaggerated to near Tarrantino levels. A little rawer production-wise than their previous couple of records, what blossoms throughout is the charisma that oozes from frontman Eddie Spaghetti, whose trademarks are in evidence throughout (check out ‘That’s What You Get For Thinking’ for a particularly fine example). The title track is awash with bourbon-heavy bounce and pirate ship bravado; ‘Something About You’ is a punk rock love song which makes you marvel that something so simple can be so captivating; and ‘Fuck Up’ is the perfect funny-because-it’s-true loser anthem. The Supersucker’s charm has always been their ability to deliver grade A tunes whilst convincing you that they’re really only a bar band, and on moments like ‘Bein Bad’ the deliver songs with quality melodies sung by a band of charismatic drunks. You just can’t help but smile. Three minute wise cracks about best buds, broken loves and more cheap thrills than you can shake your dick at – if you don’t like this, Maroon 5 awaits…..

‘Get The Hell’ is not the Supersucker’s best album, but it’s certainly better than most.

[binnie]

Hey Hello! – Hey Hello! (2013)

Over the past twenty years it has become customary for rock fans to equate the term ‘pop’ as a euphemism for ‘shit’. There was a time, however, when ‘pop’ music was good – I think of Blondie as a pop band, the sort of band that centered upon delivering the good times without sacrificing an engagement with genuine emotion or real-world concerns. Hey Hello! – the new band from Ginger (of British metallers The Wildhearts) and singer Victoria Liedtke – is a case of pure pop made good. The Wildhearts always have more than a little poppiness about them, injecting their punk/metal amalgam with euphoric, large-than-life hooks which oozed bittersweat teenage kicks. It was perhaps natural then, for Ginger to explore a project which took his love of ‘70s punk into a more poppy direction. On Hey Hello!’s debut, he serves up 3 minute blast after 3 minute blast of punky rock ‘n’ roll that sticks in your ear like a porn star’s phone number.

The range of references are wide and relentlessly cool. You can hear Sparks, Enuff Znuff, The Ramones, The Breeders, Bowie, and it’s all welded together with a wink and a naughty sense of humour. ‘Black Valentine’ is a blast of punky Cheap Trick blowing bubblegum; ‘Feral Days’ is full of strident, blasting guitars which stab your ears with a pure rock ‘n’ roll energy – Glam Rock that’s been rolled in sleaze, the shiny hooks here could make this HUGE on the radio. What makes this such a cool little record is that it taps straight into the teen abandon, those wonderfully difficult years that shape and during which even mundane parts of life seem dramatic – in music those moments work so well because they’re common to us all, and ‘Why Can’t I Be Me Without You’ and ‘Burn The Rule Book (Fuck It)’ stick in your head like shit to a blanket. It takes some serious talent to write this many catchy tunes, and on ‘How I Survived The Punk Wars’ Ginger sounds like what he is: a man with 25 years in the music biz shooting from the hip about all of its terrors and quirks. ‘Lock For Rock (And Other Sporting Cliches)’ is dripping with melody and the sort of dynamics which can make 4 minutes sound like a symphony.

In a rock landscape which increasingly craves and celebrates complexity, it is important to remember that simplicity can be beautiful too. It is lazy to compare female rock singers to Debbie Harry, but in Victoria Liedtke there are many points of contact: her delivery is pure poker face, alluring because it simultaeously teases and dismisses. With her voice and Ginger’s tunes, Hey Hello! should by all rights be huge. But they won’t be – record executives and radio producers approach bands like this with a ‘hey, where’s the rap bit’ attitude, and the consequence is a mainstream musical landscape that is increasinly monochrome. Buy this, and they’ll will be our little secret……………..

[vandeleur]

Cool review of a rather spiffing cd .

Oh wildhearts are on tour peoples do ya self a favour go see em .

[binnie]

Skindred – Kill the Power (2014)

Critics who label Wales’ Skindred as ‘Ragga Metal’ – in reference to the Rasta vocal style of Benji Webb – entirely miss the point. They’re rock band: a good time, move your ass, sing yourself hoarse rock band. And we should thank the world for them, because ‘Kill the Power’ is a heck of a lot of fun. Concentrating on the ‘ragga’ aspects of this band’s sound alone is to focus on the finger and miss all of the heavenly glory, because Skindred inject a panoply of influences into their metal – dub step, punk and dance all contribute to a range of samples which, in a manner akin to Public Enemy, forms a rich mosaic of sound on which the band builds its songs. The title track bounces like Tigger on happy pills, whilst the bombast of ‘Proceed With Caution’ is beyond infectious. Sure, there are some weaker moments – both ‘We Live’ and ‘Open Eyed’ feel a little aimless – but overall, album number 4 feels a whole lot more focused than Skindred’s previous outings. ‘Playing With The Devil’ – which tackles gambling – proves that this is fan more than good time vibes, and that Skindred have some serious weight to their music, and ‘The Kids Are Right Now’ is the perfect foil for a fractured UK society in 2014. Angry enough to make you wanna fight or fuck, but the polar opposite of the professional miserablism which dominates modern metal, if you can enjoy the sheer comic lunacy of ‘Ninja’ it really is time you hung up your denim and bought a Colplay record…..

[binnie]

From the vaults: Cannibal Corpse – Kill (2006)

Cannibal Corpse are the biggest – if not the best – Death Metal band. The first – and as far as this reviewer is aware, the only – band of that genre to sell 1 million records. That, ladies and gentlemen, is quite a feat for music this extreme. Well into the second decade of their career, ‘Kill’ was a record of incredible brutality, a downright NASTY album which showcased all of the best bits of Death Metal. This is a genre which is the musical equivalent of horror films: it is meant to be ugly, scary and ridiculous, and when done very well it explores the darker side of the human condition. And if they veered towards comic book sadism early on in their career, with second ‘singer’ George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher they’ve definitely become a band of depth. Some of the metal here is impossibly heavy – ‘Necrosadistic Warning’ and ‘Purification By Fire’ feature more than a handful of ‘HOLY FUCK’ moments, the riffs Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett serve up are masterworks of savage power, and throughout Paul Mazurkiewicz proves himself a true hero of the genre. The gore of old is present throughout, but Cannibal Corpse have become more musically adventurous in recent years: ‘Barbaric Bludgeoings’ is a thrash masterclass, and the power of ‘The Disciple of Revenge’ is poised rather than bestial.

Where so much Death Metal is an impenetrable wall of sound or a clinical display of musical acrobatics, Cannibal Corpse have always managed to tap into that reservoir of human wretchedness that makes this music so captivatingly dark. If you can’t contemplate enjoying songs about serial killers, then ‘Kill’ isn’t for you. But if you are attracted to extremity, Cannibal Corpse would be a worthy addition to your collection.

[binnie]

Nails – Abandon All Life (2013)

10 songs. 17 minutes. And barely a nanosecond between the songs for air. Few albums ever released have been this pure or this extreme – Nails have penned one of the most intensive musical trips ever committed to tape. Describing the sound is difficult, but hardcore punk played by Motorhead comes close: the songs are built upon short, sharp stabs of spasmodic music served up through some serious bass bombards, and one of the nastiest guitar tones you’ve ever heard (think Entombed’s ‘To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak The Truth’ and you’re on the right lines). It’s as if they heard Black Breath and Trap Them – bands who are unimaginably raw – and thought ‘nah, there’s too much fat in this music’. ‘Spartan’ doesn’t even come close.

‘In Exodus’ opens things with a grinding series of riffs, giving way to the unbelievable power of ‘God’s Cold Hands’, which sounds like Napalm Death on crack. But it’s not mindless extremity. ‘Wide Open Wound’ is a very emotive (and disturbing) take on abuse, crunching, lurching and slooow, the groove here is claustraphobic, with a formless, almost Unsane like structure. Even the songs that clock in at under a minute have journey within, and on the 5 minute ‘Suum Tuique’ Nails manage to amalgamate thrash, hardcore and doom into their own unique hybrid. It’s just staggering how much impact 17 minutes of music can have.

There are lots of bands who play extreme, angry metal. But Nails channel extremity in all of its unbridled power into something that is, crucially, memorable.

[rortt]

Good to see you my friend - hope that all is well!

[binnie]

From the vaults: Motorhead – March Or Die (1992)

‘March Or Die’ was released at a time when Motorhead were rejuvenating their career, which had tailed off in the mid/late ‘80s following a series of poor business decisions and label woes. Lemmy moved to LA because it was the only city large enough to allow his legendary presence the full space to blossom, and the band were signed to Sony, a move which saw them feted with all of the media hype that could be garnered on ‘living legends’. Commercially speaking, Sony certainly pumped life into a career that was dead on its ass – but could the same be said creatively? ‘1916’ (1991) – Motorhead’s first Sony record – was certainly a clarion call, but ‘March Or Die’ is surely a record which shows that record companies should really leave bands alone.

What a difference a year makes. ‘1916’ certainly had some of its power marred by the shiny production with which it was lavished – a production typical of the time – but it at least featured all of the hallmarks which marks the ‘Head out as the ‘Head: speed, belligerence and downright gnarliness. ‘March Or Die’, in contrast, sounds like Motorhead after the snip. The production here was clean, crisp and overblown, and typical of that which major labels on other ‘legends’ on their rosters in these years such as Ozzy Osbourne (see ‘No More Tears’) and Alice Cooper (see ‘Hey Stoopid’) in attempt to garner the attention of teens hooked on the Sunset sound. The results are decidedly mixed: some of the riffs on ‘March Or Die’ tap into a sleazy vein, but some of them have a poise previously absent in Motorhead, and shake their tail feathers like cheap hookers. But the biggest sin here is the absence of PACE. Was it a ploy to get radio play? Whatever the case, it weakens the package. On ‘Too Good To Be True’, for example, you can hear the ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll that Lemmy adores, but it’s dialed down and over-packaged. The country smaltz of ‘I Ain’t No Nice Guy’ – which, in a calculated move to have a ‘hit’, features Ozzy and Slash – is more Manilow than Motorhead.

There’s certainly some good stuff, however. ‘Bad Religion’ is a crunchy shuffle of badass proportions; ‘Hellraiser’ is a juggernaut thudding its way into life; and ‘You Better Run’ is a 12-bar blues played by gunslingers which is unlike anything else in Motorhead’s catalogue. The cover of Ted Nugent’s ‘Cat Scratch Fever’ is also a motherfucker: slower and more predatory than the original, there is a real sense of menace in this greasy take on a classic. Do these moments save the whole? Perhaps not. ‘March Or Die’ is not a bad album, but it is a compromised one. Motorhead would never make the same mistake again, and they’ve spent the last 20 years delivering the best music of their career – great album after great album that no-one listens to. It’s a crying shame.

[binnie]

Shrapnel – The Virus Conspires (2014)

The sign of a great debut album is when a band has absorbed all of their influences and pushed beyond them into a sound that is absolutely their own. ‘The Virus Conspires’ – the debut album from British Thrashers Shrapnel – is such an album. Opener ‘Kingdom Come’ announces itself with adrenalin and unapologetic purpose: This. Is. Thrash. The energy is maniacal, and the power of the speed and the shred is utterly hypnotic. Just like Thrash used to be. Well, not quite. This is no exercises in redundant nostalgia, but a very 2014 take on a classic brand of music: the production is beefy, the lyrics are topical, and the feel of the whole record is a long way from the ‘80s even if the component parts are not. ‘Titan’, for example, feels like a contemporary take on early Death Angel and Forbidden; whilst ‘Branded’ crackles and spits with a venom which is very much Shrapnel’s own; and ‘The Wake’ is just riff, riff, riff, riff – the control of their own power is dazzling, and the dynamics in the songs – which are melodic enough to be memorable, and brutal enough to be up there with modern metal’s best – is the sign of some serious talent. There really is no let up, not watering down of the power – where many modern Thrash brands go down a progressive route, or show off their chops, Shrapnel feel no need whatsoever to be clever. They value might over musicianship, and we should thank the lord for it: at one point of ‘Red Terror’ when I genuinely thought that my stereo was about to take off. Top it all off with Jae Hadley – whose vocals are somewhere between Halford and Hetfield – and you’ve got quite a metal record.

Indeed, I’m pretty sure I’ve already heard one of the best metal releases of 2014: and it’s not even Easter yet.

[binnie]

Artillery – Legions (2013)

Album number 6 from Danish Thrash legends Artillery is a very, very exciting experience. Building on the ground made by fellow ‘comeback’ records ‘When Death Comes’ (2009) and ‘My Blood’ (2011), ‘Legions’ serves up all of Thrash’s hallmarks with a very contemporary sound. Yes, some of the songs could do with an edit here and then; and, yes, the lyrical themes are as generically Thrash as you’d expect, but when you’re present with the twin force of Morten and Michael Stützer’s meaty guitars and Michael Bastholm Dahl’s Belladonna-esque wail, you can’t help but grin like a fat kid in a sweet shop. The Priest-does-Thrash of ‘Ethos Of Wrath’ could have been on Forbidden’s ‘Twisted Into Form’; ‘Chill My Bones (Burn My Flesh)’ has a vocal line most bands would kill for; and ‘Godfather’ has the frantic speed and killer riffs of classic Helloween – easily one of the best Thrash tunes I’ve heard in years. Sure, ‘Doctor Evil’ is a token blast of nostalgia on an otherwise up-to-date record, but you can overlook it in the face of such molten metal.

If the last Megadeth record left you a little hungry for more crunch, ‘Legions’ could very well be for you.

[binnie]

Grand Magus – Triumph & Power (2014)

In ‘Iron Will’ (2008) and ‘Hammer Of the North’ (2010) Grand Magus produced a brace of modern metal classic. That is undeniable. The rest of the Swedes catalogue, however, remains somewhat patchy, especially when they tone down the magisterial metal of their sound in favour of its doomier end, and last time out ‘The Hunt’ (2012) fell flat. It is with relief, then, that ‘Triumph & Power’ is something of a return to form. Indeed, it’s first three songs are absolute killers: ‘On Hooves Of Gold’ is dinosaur heavy, a thudding plod of primal metal which stirs up scenes of blood and power; if praise could be shorn across the glory of a broken battlefield, if still wouldn’t capture the sheer of joy of ‘Steel Versus Steel’s’ elemental metal at its best; and ‘Fight’ is essential an anthem of Manowar proportions. Indeed, comparisons with Manowar are well placed – not only is their music mid-paced, uncomplicated, and monumentally metallic, but Grand Magus are cool precisely because they’re so unfazed by being so wonderfully out-of-step with absolutely everything around them. Crushingly heavy without being even remotely extreme – this, ladies and gentleman is metal you can sing – and even the weaker moments here (‘Dominator’, ‘Holmgang’) are captivating because they’re so drenched in the aesthetics of metal.

Grand Magus make you feel good to be alive.

[binnie]

Black Veil Brides – Set The World On Fire (2011)

For a genre that prides itself on being outside the mainstream – and consequently populated by freethinkers – metal fans can be a remarkably judgemental bunch. Black Veil Brides are written off by many largely because of the way the dress – think Kiss meets Mad Max – a sign in the eyes of many of a band which is all style, no substance. ‘Set….’ – the band’s second record – should be more than enough to prove the detractors wrong. It is certainly the case that BVB are not setting out to be Converge or Opeth, and they shouldn’t be judged as such – this melody-first rock music which is meant to be sung and headbanged too in equal measure. But for all of their pop dynamics, BVB are a far more ballsy proposition that the likes of 30 Seconds To Mars or My Chemical Romance, alongside whom diehard metalheads regularly turn their noses up.

Because of their image, BVB are often termed ‘Goth Glam’. In truth, their sound owes next to nothing to either genre. It’s metal, stoopid: staccato riffs, shredding, and FTW attitude. Opener ‘The New Religion’ is straight out of Avenged Sevenfold territory, a poppier version of Metallica packed full with background vocal chants which are designed to make arenas hum with teen abandon. It’s a heck of a call to arms, and you can hear why a generation of 13-15 year olds see BVB as ‘their’ band. The title track is equally catchy – featuring a chorus awash with ‘woah-woah’ vocals, it sticks in your head like shit to a blanket; and ‘Fallen Angels’ is the sort of entry level metal (one foot in the mainstream, one in metal) which eases younger fans into the world of denim and leather. The number of classy, hook-laden tunes BVB possess is quite remarkable – ‘God Bless You’ has a big, fat riff; whilst ‘The Legacy’ and ‘Rebel Love Song’ are perfect anthemic hard rock songs for the 21st century.

If you’ve been listening to metal for years, none of this is going to change your life. But, then again, BVB are not trying to. Yeah, the lyrics are largely banal – the world ending heartache of ‘Die For You’ might make you smirk, but is the staid angst of much of the heavier end of metal any the less staged? This is a good time, feel good rock record that drips with the headrush of adrenalin we all get when we first discover the heavier side of life. In essence, BVB distill the essence of 30 years of heavy music and inject it into pop dynamics to make something which it is very, very hard to resist.