Welcome to AARON JOY'S ROMAN MIDNIGHT MUSIC CD & DVD REVIEWS BLOG featuring weekly reviews of unique/interesting rock & metal post-1980 - any style, mainstream & independent, from across the hard rock spectrum. Submissions welcomed, see below for contact. (Find reviews via the search bar below or through the tag list in the right column.) And please to support the bands by buying their music! This blog is known for being the first to review many independent musicians.
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Israel's DH have churned out a prog-metal album that opens with the mysteriously titled "Kono Yume", until one finds out it means "This Dream" in Japanese. But, with the other songs being "Breathe", "Obsession", "Blue", "Unfair" & "Utopia" there is a bit of mystery to the surroundings & DH are certainly looking to create a dreamy ride. "Kono Yume" opens with acoustic piano appeggios soon joined by contrasting soft strings light in the mix before guitars chime in making a symphonic crescendo, then it all turns into more traditional sounding riffing & soloing leading back into moments of piano & acoustic guitar as a light voice whispers in. "Kono Yume" is an eight minute technical powerhouse opening that casually moves from bit to bit with just enough repetition so it all gels together as a single unit yet still crosses both soft & heavy moments with equal skill. Actually, it's impossible to describe the sound of DH, as its really impossible to describe prog-rock whatever the band, but those who know the career of vocalist Lana Lane or her keyboard playing spouse Erik Norlander will find similiarities in arrangements & flow. Though some might also call up the heavier end of the prog spectrum via Ayreon. There's also hints of Dream Theater but without the overly indulgent instrumental parts. This firmly sits in the modern age of prog-metal. The five tracks that follow follow the same instrumentation of acoustic & electric guitars & pianos with symphonic backgrounds that do have similiarities but also their own individual twists. "Breathe" is a diving guitar rocker that even includes a heavy bass solo that turns into a guitar minefield, literally it sounds like a soldier running through a minefield like in a movie where one knows the soldier will be safe but the explosions are going off every second. DH constructs a sound that is aiming for the same thing prog forefathers Yes aimed for - sound like an orchestra but without the strings. Yes, the guitars may riff & solo but the end result is something where the whole is supposed to be stronger than the pieces. With all but one song lasting an average of eight minutes this might technically be an EP based on songcount but its far from being short on music. The title track is over twelve minutes. It doesn't feel like all the songs are eight minutes on their own, but taken in a single listen the songs aren't always distinctive enough & do blend into each other making it feel the hour plus that it is. Some shorter songs would be a nice break from the length & give the individuality back that's lost in a straight through listen. There's a delightful inclusion of a saxophone in "Unfair" which might be a rarity in a prog-rock song. Sadly, one of the reasons the songs lose their individuality in a full listen is because all the songs come to feel like they're in the same mood. There's a general emotional seriousness with an under-developed emotional pallette. After numerous listens I found a bit of a struggle to connect with the album on an emotional level as its a bit of a serious affair.
(Click on heading to visit official website.)
Style: Americana, country-rock, folk-rock
Label: CBS
Year: 1989
Home: Indiana
Members: Henry Lee Summer ~ vocals/keyboards/guitar
Mike Organ ~ drums
Rick Benick, Jimmy Rip, Mike Wanchic ~ guitar
Leigh Foxx, Graham Maby, Toby Myers ~ bass
Mimi Mapes, Chrystal Taliefero, Georgia Jones, Kim Fleming, Vicki Hampton, Ross Fleming III ~ b. vocals
Additional: John Cascella ~ keyboards/saxophone
Flip Miller ~ trombone
Paul Yinger ~ trumpet
Lisa Germano ~ violin
Michael Read ~ keyboards
Sheila Lawrence ~ b. vocals
I consider HLS the under-dog of the Americana heartland musical genre spearheaded by John Cougar Mellencamp & later Melissa Ethridge with Bruce Springsteen doing the city version. Culling also from Indiana like Mellencamp HLS released two indie albums before hitting MTV with the infectious folksy pop hit "I Wish I Had A Girl" from his self-titled major label debut. I'll confess that this is a favorite song of mine to suddenly break out into song with & its nearly impossible to get out of my head once in there. I've even been caught dancing around the living room singing along. Though his debut had some modest success for many people it was too imitative of early Mellencamp, while in the long-term photos of HLS's mullet, now gone, has probably had more talk about it then his music. It's ashame, as the debut is a great album not to be casually overlooked by anyone who likes heartland rock. I find it hard not enjoy HLS. His music not just gets me dancing but inspires me to dig up more Americana wondering why I don't listen to it more often. He has a lighter touch lyrically than Mellencamp, focusing on love songs instead of social commentary, & isn't pushing the genre in any new directions, but HLS creates completely unpretentious music that is aiming for lots of fun & easily makes a bullseye. Sadly, his career would take a turn to awkward & overly polished hard rock with a twist of Michael Bolton in an attempt to get more chart hits & appeal to a wider audience. The result has its moments & luckily only lasted a single album. By the time HLS realized the mistake & tried to reverse gears, or at least straddle both worlds, it was too late as his fanbase was just not big enough nationally to get him over the hurdle. Today he gigs numerous nights a week around Indiana doing cover songs & originals & I can only hope enjoying a second chance at trying to pay the rent through music & being creative after a career of ups & downs. If you enjoy his debut the follow-up I've Got Everything is its twin even down to sharing five musicians. Other than adding a gusty R&B choir that gives a bit of a gospel shout it's not that much different from the previous release, staying safe musically & even spurring the minor hit "Hey Baby". Much like the debut it's low on suprises & just straight ahead heartland rock at its best with a few electric guitars & keyboards thrown in for good measure. Though, HLS does push his singing much farther here instilling an energy into the affair not present earlier albums. He even has less of the sandpaper feeling that some have criticized his voice as having. While the debut has the bigger singles this album just might be the better recommendation to hear HLS's voice at its finest. Further, there's really no weak tracks on the album. The MTV single "Hey Baby" could have easily been followed-up with a numerous other similiar sounding songs if the promotional machine had been in top gear & his popularly more, including the must hear vocal rocker "My Turn Train". The thing with HLS albums is that while there tends to only be a few singles per album they aren't that much different from what bumpers them & one could easily be exchanged for another. HLS albums are not about standout singles but just one rolling great rock'n'roll affair that just grows & grows in energy. The only real weak track might be the synthesizer & funk bass heavy 80's soft rocker "Don't Leave" that predicts where HLS was slowly moving musically. It's not bad, but HLS can do better. At least he pours his heart out through his voice pulling the song up from its blandness. To his credit, even during the later hard rock days, HLS has always penned most of his own songs & his skills as a songwriter are top notch. He very well could have written music for other artists ... or maybe, he's not just great but he sings his heart out & thus makes a simple lyric sound exciting. Opener "Treat Her Like A Lady" is the only non HLS track on the album & though it great is only a tease of what follows. HLS also is responsible for his own arrangements & this album finds him getting more comfortable in the studio. Unlike the debut where he only sang here he plays guitar & keyboards. He also turns in two piano heavy songs (i.e. "Something Is Missing, "What's A Poor Boy To Do") that provide a nice break because otherwise the energy just builds up & up over the album where its very possible one's head might explode when before the album is finished. HLS sings like he's having the time of his life & the feeling is undoubtedly infectious. Let it infect you.
(Click on heading to visit official website.)
Style: pop, country
Label: Mind Of Music, Inc.
Year: 2011
Home: Virginia
Members: John Nicole ~ vocals/keyboards
Additional: Scott Harlan ~ guitar/bass
Dave Sharp, Tom Walker, Bill Vasso ~ guitars
Seth Kibel ~ saxophone/clarinet/flute
Karen Chisholm ~ cello
Susan Jones ~ violin/viola
Andy Hamburger ~ drums
Daryl Davis ~ piano
Laura Baron, Karen Oliver ~ b. vocals
I reviewed some months back Happy Life, the debut of a 60 year old marketing executive who found himself suddenly out of work, out of a girlfriend & also nearly out of hope who decided to make the best of his time & his frustrations. The result was a homespun funky protest song "Can't Get A Job", with the coda line "Everything will be okay." This spun into a debut that I compared to a hip new Tom Jones album or the solo albums of Queen's Roger Taylor but with a bit of country twang, some tongue-in-cheek humor & simple uncliched love songs. It was a debut hard not to enjoy or really find fault with. The success of that first endeavor spurred JN into a new career, with the motto "music of love", as a performing & recording artist, doing music video production & making soundtrack music. One might say that not just did JN find the second career he needed but also discovered his inner child. Or, more properly, re-discovered the inner fun child after having it stifled away in the confines of a suit & tie for many decades. Breathing You is JN's second release & has developed beyond, but with the same instrumentation, the previous outing's Taylor-esque pop of piano, guitar & strings against subtle bubbling dance beats, which one critic has wonderfully described as "sophisticated pop". It's still pop but just a bit more sophisticated & wide open musically. He also keeps some of the casual tongue-in-cheek humor setting it right up against more serious love songs. This second album also finds JN putting away the protest & focusing on love nearly exclusively. Relaxed is a key word for the music of JN & though it may sound cliche, this is an album you unembarressingly give to a lover on Valentine's Day. You're not going to wonder if he or she is going to like it or get the message. Breathing You, for no apparent reason other than they fit the mood, pulls over a handful of tracks from JN's debut (i.e. "Together Forever", "It Ain't All Up To You", "Feel You In My Arms", "I Do Love You (Go Away)", "Dance With Me", "Happy Life") which makes for about a third of the album old songs. But, these are all such delights, many I pointed out in my previous review, that no one will mind the repetition. Though, at seventeen songs at mostly slow tempos the album does feel a bit long at it gets past the dozen mark, so the inclusion may not really be necessary in hindsight. While the opener "Together Forever" may have been on Happy Life, a track that I mentioned as one of the best, it almost has a better home here as its lyrics are more in line with the theme of Breathing You & thus works as a perfect welcome: "I'm doing the laundry/washing sheets & pillow cases/I clean the house/about an hour ago/I put away the dishes/& I made myself some soup/& I sat on the couch/& thought of you/we were made to be together forever". But, focusing on the new songs & letting the past review speak for the others, this is an album of love songs which includes the quirky standout violin piano single "I Don't Play Piano". It might remind some of Elton John's "Your Song" or George Harrison's "This Song" as it takes the same approach of talking about the composition, though it ties together not being able to play the piano with not deserving a particular lover, but somehow they both work out ... or maybe they don't. It's really only a handful of songs that come across as comedic but they do tend to stand out as some of the most memorable. "I Don't Play Piano" also shows the growth in JN's music. The electronic-esque pop drum beats still exist but he's taken a less keyboard/guitar oriented approach along with arrangements that aren't so cluttered with layers of sound. The new music is airy ... breathing more ... it's more piano oriented with some bits of country & blues guitar, saxophone, strings & all sorts of bubbling sounds & low-key beats as JN develops out his musical pallette, including even a Hawaiian sounding instrumental with "Curacao Blue". All it with his distinctive casual breathy voice that lends an intimate air to the experience. With this album JN also introduces into his recording catalog some covers including Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love", a bluesy take so much more ethereal & relaxing than the shout it out original, & a surprisingly soft rendition of Gerry & The Pacemakers' "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying".
For those comparing the two albums the difference between the new & old songs will probably be obvious. Everyone else will just enjoy the diversity of music. & most folks will probably just think JN has created a nice album of love songs & follow his lead of doing something with your time instead of languishing in hopeless misery. Actually, I can support his endeavor. I started Roman Midnight Music after leaving a decent paying job, not by choice, working as a college president's assistant. She didn't like people who didn't always say yes & even told me once that me thinking made the world a worse place. I was one of many who left before finally she was told to go, in a cast of just desserts. But, the economy suddenly crashed & hundreds of resumes later I was wasting time & energy & thus decided to do something in the music world that I was dreaming about for decades, let alone to prove to my ex-boss how wrong she was. This blog soon followed as earning outreach & three years later ...
(Click on heading for official website.)
Style: symphonic metal, Hungarian, power metal
Label: self-released
Year: 2005
Home: Budapest, Hungary (disbanded)
Alhana previously released three demo EPs, five of the eleven tracks here carried over from those EPs (i.e. "Magus", "Csillagszello", "Alomvilag", "A Zafir Egen Tul", "Az Utolso Bard"), but for the most part their first & only full length only sounds like cliched symphonic rock but just done in Hungarian. If they were looking for commercial success on the world-wide scale of Hungarian metalheads Tundertanc has some potential as it certainly fits the mold, for non-Hungarian speakers the language can be a bit rough to digest lacking softer tones, but in terms of individuality Alhana wasn't doing anything particularly interesting or individual & they fit the mold too much. But, this is an improvement over the demos as the multiple songs allow them to develop out their sound more & get some of that much needed individuality. The demos are even more imitative sounding.
Sadly, the result is probably not enough for producers' ears as Alhana would split up in 2009 never getting any major label release nor going into the studio again to see where they could go next. Formed in 2002 with three members from the band Tuzmadar, who continues to record & perform, Alhana is interesting if for no other reason than to see the imitative quality of foreign bands by a group of musicians looking to do their own thing. It also shows how a band has a lot of ideas & really just needs a helping hand to strengthen & tighten it up. The least interesting & non-workable part of the band is the imitation, here being the guitars. They thrash away rhythmically & boringly. Underneath them is a drummer going to town on the double bass drum attempting to boost up a very non-heavy rhythm section. Perhaps its the production but there's no low-end here & thus the drummer seems to be carried away in the moment with his own song while the rest of the band is either floating or riffing. Too much powers & the guitars aren't doing anything to compliment it. Riffing does not always make magic. Also being a weak feature is the female lead singer singing in the cliched style of unenthused quasi-operatic metal. It's not that her voice is bad, very much not so, but she doesn't have a tone that makes her sound any different than her English peers. Actually, there is much more inflection in her voice & a bit of a range that goes from higher notes, though not so many, to a whisper (i.e. "Kisertet") that is quite interesting at times. In another band she'd find a better fit where she could be a stronger presence. Or, at least, in another band the music might be pushing her up & giving her something interesting instead of sounding like they are limiting her. What does work & gives everything an extra splash is the heavy use of the keyboards, who even take solos before the guitars, that float back & forth from the background to the lead. It's not just the droning symphonic synthesiser but much more a prog-metal approach where they might be the most important instrument in terms of carrying the music forward through an array of sounds (for example, "Elj Ugy", "A Zafir Egen Tul"). The keyboardsare the main feature that actually reflects the title Tundertanc which means fairy dance. The keyboards dance delightfully across the album. It's just ashame they have to carry the album. The good songs show a band trying to move symphonic metal forward with their own personality, but the problem is not all the members of the band are moving forward at the same time. There is some glimmering moments. "Szamuzott Angyal" has a lovely dual acoustic guitar opening calling up folk songs but it's anti-climactic with the thrashing guitars following killing everything. If they'd kept the guitars throughout the result would have been stronger. The only thing that continues to sound folk-like is the keyboard marking out the chord changes & the melody line & taking the main solo. This problem is solved by "Az Utolso Bard" & the very gentle un-metal "Kisertet" that copy the acoustic opening & keeps it going through the the song, but sadly now it sounds imitative next to the earlier lackluster moment.
(Click on heading to visit official website of The Hang.)
Style: pop rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2010
Home: Los Angeles, California
Members: Trey Green ~ vocals/piano
Jeff Norberg, John Konesky ~ guitar
John Spiker, Frank Gagliardi ~ bass
Brooks Wackerman, Kevin Hupp, Jamie Douglass ~ drums
Dan Rowe, Charlotte Kendrick ~ b. vocals
Getting a bit of notice for one's song titles can't hurt when inticing potential listeners ... examples here being "Totally Awesome", "It Was Late, I Was Tired", "Bill Murray, Philosopher", "The Honest Lullaby", "That Really Was Stupid", "The Shepherd's Pie Song" & "The Gay Pirate Song" for starters. It also doesn't hurt that Kyle Gass of Tenacious D gets a thank you in the album for advice on the lifestyle of a particular pirate & Tenacioius D for the studio space ... one assumes sans pirates but potentially with Bill Murray. Nor does it hurt the band consists of members of Bad Religion & the Tenacious D band, though musically its rock light & heavily relaxed acoustic guitars with a steady backbeat & nothing like these two groups. The key to getting people interested in a band is to get them in the door. The awesome TG has easily done that without trying. But, do you stay for the party? As long as one is having a good time at the party ... & you're probably thinking that, given the hints so far, you're either going to have a good time with TG or end up blowing beer out of your nose in embarressing laughter, at TG not with TG, as you sneak out the room. Surprise, the beer doesn't go anywhere you don't want it to. This isn't really a comedy album. It's more a fun album of primarily acoustic alt rock with some witty lyrics of the Tenacious D sort versus in your face Spinal Tap. Its joking but not a joke. It's funny but just as much fun rock. An example is "Blew A Kiss" about a girl from Peru, "she's pretty tall but so am I", who he liked when they were just kids. It's more than the cliche 'I like her' songs but instead the un-cliched I liked her "back in the day ... now she's in magazines & all the rage I wish she wouldn't doctor her age" from "Blew A Kiss". This is followed by a collection of fun, sometimes witty but not in that distracting or annoyingly forced way or over-played to the detriment of the music, songs covering "trouble in some fancy packaging" (i.e. "Criminal"), to talking about being a new dad & looking forward to the future when "you'll only get A's & B's ... & play a mean lead guitar ... you'll make up for the nerd I was" (i.e. "The Honest Lullaby"), to wanting to rock out "when MTV was still about the music" with name checked details of the 80's rock scene cause "there's nothing like a heavy metal solo" with the ending plea "can't the ones that are still alive start a school & teach ... how to solo" (i.e. "I Wanna Rock'N'Roll") to what Bill Murray said in the movie 'Groundhog Day' (i.e. "Bill Murray, Philosopher') , to a song hailing Shepherd's Pie (i.e. "The Shepherd's Pie Song") to the stand out piano ballad (i.e. "The Piano Song (Feelings)") about the difficulty of writing a love song in the "I'm gonna act like I really care of what I sing, gonna pour my heart & soul into some random words that just don't mean a thing ... this song is moving right along & I'm pretty sure eventually I'm gonna have to raise my voice ... I'm gonna hold on this last chord for way too long." Some inbetween song studio babble reminds us that even when TG & co are being more serious than not ... or more Bad Company than the Big D ... this is all about having fun. As for the pirate song ... what do you expect, it's a pirate song! To tour The Awesomeness TG put together a live band, taking the role of rhythm guitarist/vocalist, that has since morphed into The Hang including drummer Jamie Douglass from the album & new faces Jon 'Sos' Sosin on guitar & Nick Campbell on bass. Under this new moniker TG & company have lots of new music on way.
(Click on heading to visit official website.)
Style: country-rock, glam rock
Label: Poor Boy Records
Year: 2011
Home: Arizona
Members: Bret Michaels ~ vocals
n/a ~ other instruments
Guest: Miley Cyrus ~ backing vocals
The first of singer BM's four solo albums to have a charting single ... but don't expect the big hair hard rock of his former gig Poison. Actually, if you've been paying attention to his well-orchestrated comeback there's no hint of Poison, even figuratively speaking. The venom is gone while what remains of the L.A. glam should not be this imitative & bland from someone who was once in the front of the scene. But, well-orchestrated is the keyword. Authenticity is not. Poison is long gone & in his mind he never stopped being a superstar, even if nowadays most people only remember Poison for a few hits & being imitative of Motley Crue with extra big hair, so therefore he should be doing what superstars do & not the nostalgia music circuit. There's no nostaligia here. What is it that superstars do today? They're on tv! BM has rekindled his career not as a music superstar but as a tv star who happens to do music, but with 'America Idol' & all its spin-offs that seems to be what everyone does. He's already appeared on 'Celebrity Apprentice 3', 'Nashville Star', 'America's Got Talent' & has his own shows 'Bret Michael: Life As I Know It' & 'Rock Of Love'. Those that grew up with BM in the 80's may have tuned in a few times to see their guy return, but probably tuned out when they saw it was the same face but different scene. 80's rockers who remain 80's rockers aren't interested in being anything but what they are & certainly not 00's rockers. What remained, sadly, ended up being suburbia Christian America that watches a lot of tv ... & buys a lot of stuff including music. There's a reason this album has charted as BM found a niche & a new audience & has recreated himself to their interests. Which means it's not L.A. but Nashville. BM has largely become a country balladeer. The problem is he's about as much as a country singer as Jewel & she has even more of a smalltown image from out of the way Alaska than he does ... it's a way to stay alive, stay relevant, make a living, be famous ... it just lacks any soul or feeling of being real. At least Ted Nugent really is a country boy even when he was a bad boy. I'd like to see BM go out hunting & talk about Republicans & being a good Christian, which he may already do even if his history states otherwise. This isn't a dive on Christians or Republicans, some of my best friends are both, but it's a far different scene than L.A. party time. Some people dig BM's new attitude. That's cool. Really. It's not a bad look. It's just not great music. In a way I hope those people who like it will just go back in time to the good days & check out Poison. This is for those who think Kid Rock is a great rocker & prefer the later decade of Bon Jovi over the early days. Actually, it sounds a lot like later era Bon Jovi. It's commercially slick, a bit of country-flavored Americana, not the Springsteen/Mellencamp Americana genre, & very safe & very middle America middle class. The troops in Iraq reference in at least one set of lyrics is definetly aiming for middle America versus the L.A. sleeze scene where going to war is something to decry not give tears of hope for. But, Bon Jovi is still a relevant band even if those of us who remember the first time around think differently. I give them & BM kudos for finding a way to return & be relevant to a new generation. I just hope ... Though, really, BM has always had a bit of country in his vocabularly. The problem is here he redoes the classic "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as a straight country song. It's lost its personality & sounds tongue-in-cheek maudlin. What's worse is that this horrible remake already appeared on his earlier Freedom Of Sound album & now gets reissued here. It's one of a three tracks pulled over from the earlier album with a remix of a fourth track, while another track comes from the earlier "A Letter From Death Row." Repeating tracks is nothing but a marketing scheme & belays the well-orchestrated approach as its obviously an album built around the latest reality tv show. Thus, Custom Built is really just an EP in disguise. As for that EP there's a few country rock songs, more country pop than Johnny Cash county folk ... "Riding Against The Wind" even gets a fake heartland accent ... rotating with some imitative sounding sleaze rock. The best songs are the country ballads for the main reason that the country songs feature heart-felt lyrics while the hard rock distorted guitar outings have the most shallow cliched sex lyrics one can get, such as "it's just sex so let's just fuck ... even try to get your name right" from the workable "Lie To Me". The feeling coming across is that BM is totally obvious of the strides that sleaze rock has taken over the years to be something more than bad love songs. Or, maybe he wants to continue the stereotype that rock has nothing to say while country music has a story to tell. It's too bad he has to pander to this line of thinking as obviously he can write good songs whatever the style. One of the more interesting inclusions on Custom Built, if the title itself doesn't belay well-orchestrated, is a cover of Sublime's "What I Got" with a beatbox opening over acoustic guitars in a strange sythesis. But, it rocks harder than anything else on the album when the electric guitars chug in. While if Sublime doesn't reach the new generation than a song with Miley Cyrus doing backing vocals certainly will. It's probably one of the more interesting tracks only hurt by the fact that a non-Cyrus acoustic demo version is included which is obvious filler. As for filler there's a club mix of "Go That Far" showing both BM's desperation to reach everyone, though I've never seen Poison as being good for gay nightclub dance floors, while also giving a compilation appeal to this new release. It's ironic that it's thus the first solo release to have a chart-topping single when its such a marketing scheme in disguise. BM has become a heavy balladeer picking up what made "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" so interesting decades ago but leaving the soul & authenticity behind. What's worse is there's so many of his peers that have also made a comeback but with the music everyone loves them for & the accolades are overwhelming. BM is playing the tv game, good for him for getting the gig, but it's also a fickle audience. Once reality shows are over he'll be over, but 80's rock fans never grow up.
(Click on heading to visit official website.) Style: industrial, heavy metal, Norwegian, live Label: Earache Year: 2005 Home: Norway
Concert location: The Ocean, London, 2004
Year Recorded:
Length: 120 minutes
Bonus Features: tv commercial, electronic press kit, band interviews, photo gallery, music videos of "Parasite Girl", "Mental Maestrom (Implode)", "The Grudge", "Decadent & Desperate (Absentia)"
Members: Mortiis ~ vocals
Levi Gawron, Asmund Sveinunggard ~ guitars
Leo Troy ~ drums
n/a ~ backing vocalist/keyboards
This live concert catches Norwegian industrial band touring their release The Grudge during what they call Era 3 of the band ... most bands have eras charting out the changes in their music but Mortiis actually makes a point of including it as a part of the promotional materials as, according to the bonus interview with the frontman also named Mortiis, each era brings different types of fans. The band is famed for their frontman & only constant member, though some might say Mortiis refers to him & not a band, who always wears a goblin mask/make-up the band has gone. But, this is not the typical shock rock one has come to except from similiarly heavy make-up'd bands such as Kiss, Cradle Of Filth, Slipknot, Gwar or Marilyn Manson & except for the make-up there is little musically to tie Mortiis to these groups. This is angry like Slipknot but not theatrical like the un-angry Kiss or comedic like Gwar or even shocking like Manson. Further, as the concert shows, the make-up doesn't land as the foundation of a stage set such as Alice Cooper might do. Actually, musically this point in Mortiis's musical timeline might be aquainted to some of Nine Inch Nails. Frontman Mortiis has created for The Grudge thrashy guitar based industrial, sans solos or pyrotechnics, where most of the melody is on the shoulder of the keyboards & vocals but in turn giving the songs a bit of a sober meloncholy nature, at least on this recording, than what one might expect. It doesn't feel as hard as one might expect. It paints them into a unique niche in the shock rock field. In some way, it's more akin to watching the slow industrial of Gary Numan that's more hypnotic than just wild head-banging. Sadly, the compositions might be better relayed at the hands of a better singer as its just average singing going from screaming to quasi-talking & whispering while the guitars churn out nearly identical riffs that without the keyboard would have little to differenciate them. Mortiis's decrying of guitar pyrotechnics is a limiting factor that brings on additional comparisons to Cradle Of Filth that also sounds like the same song repeated over & over to unfamiliar ears. While his performance is just jumping around on stage slamming around, versus the theatrics of normal shock rock. But, as Mortiis says in the bonus interview the mask is just a habit & thus shouldn't be how one perceives the music, except people will. But, in their defense, to get the full range of musical diversity one should look at the full career of Mortiis. While this may not be the most interesting live band, with bad sound quality not helping, there is a bit of a desire to investigate them in a studio setting for comparison & to see them in a controlled musical environment where more of the nuances can be felt. Thus, at least it succeeds on some level to do something. Behind the scenes clowning around footage from the band is cut briefly inbetween the songs for little effect & of little necessity other then to break up the momentum of the show. For those unfamiliar with the band Mortiis started out as a bassist for black metallers Emperor & was influencial in the early Viking Metal scene that brought together slashing metal guitars with synthesizer melodies based on Norwegian folksongs. At 18 years old he left Mortiis to go solo with his self-titled group debuting with an album of electronic instruments hinting more at goth than anything. While Soul In A Hole is marked as Era 3 in hindsight it became the start of Era 4 as it would show an expansion into more of a band than a solo project & would be a culmination of thundering black metal & electronic influences. Bonus footage includes uninteresting professional promo material & two interviews with frontman Mortiis that includes one that's soundbites in costume & another extensive interview that's honest, deep, less flashy & out of make-up & worth watching if you're a fan of the band. Those who find the concert uninteresting should watch the interview to get a new perspective of this angry young man. Includes music videos of four songs though they all fall into the Nine Inch Nails mode focusing on the frontman & arent' particularly flashy though "Mental Maestrom (Implode)" features an interesting Phantom of the Opera-esque juxtaposition of characters if an under-developed narrative while "Decadent & Desperate (Absentia)" features Mortiis arguing with himself in & out of make-up, which probably has never been done by a costumed shock rocker. The videos & interview give me pause to give the band better kudos than the concert.
Tracks include: Broken Skin (Intro)
Way Too Wicked
Marshland
The Worst In Me
Monolith
Gibber
Decadent & Desperate (Absentia)
Parasite God
The Loneliest Thing
Asthma
The Grudge
Smell the Witch
Mental Maelstrom
Le Petit Cochonsordide
Click on heading to visit official website.)
Style: experimental, avant-garde
Label: Interscope
Year: 1992
Home: San Francisco, California
Members: Les Claypool ~ bass/vocals
Larry LaLonde ~ guitars/synthesizer
Tim Alexander ~ drums
For all the albums folks usually mention when recommending the the bizarre Zappa-esque experimental rock frontier of Primus, directed by ringmaster bassmaster Les Claypool, this EP tends to not be the first off the tongue, exclipsed behind Pork Soda, Sailing The Seas Of Cheese or Tales From The Punch Bowl. Though, it could be because these are more interesting names to say than the less odd Miscellaneous Debris & that this is only a covers album of a meager five songs. But, what a covers album this is to recommend. Many critics even call this a great introduction to the band, which is an extremely rare recommendation for a covers outings. Though, it may not be that great as it doesn't reflect Claypool's wierd often disorienting arrangements, but it certainly is worth the newcomer checking out due to its listenability & avant-garde interpretations. Though, while it may not have the quircky arrangements that Primus's original material studio albums do such arrangements are often the more difficult part of a Primus listening experience. Songs sometimes come across as odd piecemeal rambles or jams, not cohesive units. This EP is only cohesive units without losing a touch of the difficult strangeness ... actually, it does hone in some of the wierdness for the sake of retaining the pre-determined song structures, but doesn't lose the Primus sound or magic. Even if you don't know the songs in question you'll probably know a couple of the artists & will enjoy the comparisons that will for the most part excite you. Even if you don't consider this the best of Primus there's no way you won't appreciate the end result. If one wasn't familiar with the songs I'd challenge them to name the original artists ... if they even dare as this is 100% Primus & thus sounds like nobody except Primus. For those not wanting to be embarressed the cheat sheet is: Peter Gabriel, XTC, the Residents, the Meters & Pink Floyd. But, expect nothing sounding like this amazing range of bands reinterpretted. Reinterpretted is the key word as Primus has digested all the songs & churned them out with a whole new spirit where the bass upfront & vocals off-kilter. Personally, if I was Peter Gabriel I'd be calling up Claypool to play on my next album or re-record more old songs from my catalog or do a whole album with me. Even playing others music Claypool still manages to reinterpret the sound of the bass bringing awe to any who listen. Even a normal bassline has a different feel, while the rest of the band still weaves around him leaving the rhythm & melody in his over-capable hands. Pink Floyd has never sounded so heavy. The only weak moment is the less than minute long instrumental by the Meters where Claypool plays some lead basslines & there's more focus on the funky guitar. It's the only non-cohesive under-developed sounding bit. It's a bit of a throwaway that sounds out of place for Primus. The EP Rhinoplasty followed in 1998 as a quasi-sequel, filling in time between albums, featuring more covers & live tracks including more Peter Grabriel & XTC plus the Police, Metallica, Stanley Clarke & Jerry Reed. This follow-up might be the only Primus album not to get high reviews & basically only because the format was already done by the band.
(Click on heading to visit official Marc Almond website.) Style: pop rock, electronica, live Label: Eagle Vision Year: 2001 Home: England
Concert location: Rolling Stone, Milan, Italy
Year Recorded: 2001
Length: 105 minutes
Bonus Features: 20 minute interview with band
Members: Mark Almond ~ vocals/percussion/rhythm guitar/theremin Dave Ball ~ synthesizer
Everybody knows the 80's synthpop gay/straight duo SC due to their sexually-risque chart topper "Tainted Love". The fame of that song would bring their career to a close after only three albums, while peers Erasure & the Pet Shop Boys kept going, only for the duo to reunite for a new album & tour in 2001. This DVD catches them in absolute top form on that tour in looks, sound & a new set of songs that fit snuggly with the old ones. Some might decry the fact that it's not the early days but these guys are far better performers today while the modern light show, think Gary Numan, is perfect for them. Leather jacketed vocalist & defacto frontman Mark Almond comes on hitting a synth drum hesitantly almost like he's a little kid on stage for the first time, with a big grin & short blond hair that knocks the years off the 44 year old face, before pounding out a steady beat against Dave Bell's keyboard workings leading into the hit "Memorabilia", before abandoning the drums for the microphone. The grin never fades & he really looks like he's 18 years old, tattoo'd arms & all, as the camera flashes the heavily middle aged male audience singing the lyrics like they're also 18 again. It's an intimate performance drawing from the influence of raves where the energy is super high as if its one body not a band & an audience. Almond dances around on the stage like he's in his living room dancing out mini-stories, just here intricately choreographed (i.e. "Heat", "Monoculture", "Baby Doll", "Martin") while the older looking, though actually younger, but certainly more serious looking Bell is in the shadows pumping out multitudes of electronic layers & only noticeably smiling when Almond plays the theremin during "The Art Of Falling Apart". The venue is small & intimate & packed to the gills & one can imagine the early days of SC back in a small gay club with the same energy & excitement. It's those small gay clubs where Madonna got her inspiration, as "Vogue" comes right from those clubs, & one can see why. The music is fun, the beat steady & hidden under Almond's grin is some very personal lyrics of anxiety & frustration that are far more revealing that "Tainted Love" would ever let on would come from SC (for example, "Monoculture", "Divided Soul", "Youth", "Best Way To Kill", "The Art Of Falling Apart" "Baby Doll"). Almond may not have the strongest voice but his young looks & almost common sounding voice is part of his appeal. It's easy to see yourself on that stage having as much fun as him ... or if you're gay to see yourself with him on that stage, as the audience calls out as he pulls his t-shirt out to show his skinny abs. Further, the dancing & mannerisms, though a bit reminiscent of Mick Jagger today, is no different than what one might find at a packed gay bar on a Saturday night ... basically, SC is one of us ... that's the secret of SC. While the songs have far more depth than most of what's on the radio. If you only know the few hits of SC or the early 80's visuals or interested in rave culture, this video cannot be missed. A cute scene comes where roses are bounced up to the stage & Almond cuts his finger on a thorn & though makes a Christ joke ends up licking it as the song starts. Nothing like pain for one's work. Bonus footage includes an interview with both Ball & Almond where they discuss the origins of SC & the early days, the music that influenced them & what they wanted to do with their original music & what did happen right to the present. A really insightful & jovial narrative that's also very honest & objective. Fascinating hearing them call SC as Northern Soul meets Kraftwerk with a bit of Dusty Springfield, seeing Almond's face tweek at the word bootleg & Almond embarressingly revealing being inspired, in every way, by the S&M scene.
Tracks include: Memorabilia
Monoculture
Heat
Divided Soul
Last Chance
Youth
Best Way To Kill
The Art Of Falling Apart
Somebody Sometime
Baby Doll
Torch
Bedsitter
Tainted Love
Where Did Our Love Go
Say Hello Wave Goodbye
Martin
Sex Dwarf
(Click on heading to visit official website.)
Style: prog-rock, pop rock
Label: Charisma Records
Year: 1982
Home: England
Members: Steve Hackett ~ guitars/vocals/harmonica
Nick Magnus, John Acock ~ keyboards
Chris Lawrence ~ contrabass
Ian Mosley ~ drums
Additional: Nigel Warren-Green ~ cello
British prog-based guitarist SH really needs no introduction. He might not be as flashy as some of his guitar peers, nor have the chart hits nor get credit he deserves but his lush guitar work as an early member of Genesis, joining them on their third release & staying through five more, & later alongside Steve Howe with GTR is nothing to be embarressed about. For those not familiar with the Peter Gabriel days of Genesis that's a loss that should be rectified. One of the problems with SH's career & reputation is a regular focus on solo work & minimal commerically focused band work, outside of GTR & Genesis SH has only recorded as a member of Quiet World predating both these ventures, while the chart hits are but one - "Cell 151" in Britain only - thus limiting his audience exposure to a new generation. But, he's really no different than the prolific but lacking chart hits careers of peers Rick Wakeman, Howe, Jon Anderson or on the other side of the ocean Lou Reed, John Cale, Phil Keaggy, Dire Straits, Boz Skaggs & countless others. Chart success should not be how one ultimately judges an musician ... as in that case Lou Reed must certainly be a non-entity in the music business. Thus, it's largely forgotten that SH is one of the first to experiment with guitar tapping that would be a staple of Eddie Van Halen, along with being an exponent of the same picking technique that Yngmie Malmsteen would use as his respective cornerstone. Both these guys would surely pay compliments to SH, though sadly those who have come after probably haven't heard him. & it's hard to say that's he's a musician of past glories as with 24 studio albums as of 2011 he's had a larger, & potentially musically more diverse output, than not just any of his peers but also his students. His forays into Brazilian rhythms & nylong string classical guitar have also shown him to be always growing & far from stuck in the past. But, with such a catalog where does one start? Actually, just about anywhere as much of his catalog gets positive reviews, including both live & studio albums. The early days are firmly prog while the later tends to be more plaintive classical influenced. The pre-GTR Highly Strung is often recommended as one of the best starting points, standing in the middle of both styles. It's only fault might be that it stands a bit too much in the middle of the 80's too as its a bit too MTV pop with now dated sounding keyboards. Highly Strung, confessionally, may not even be SH's best musicially & its certainly not the most experimental or exploratory, but has a strong set of polished songs that span an array of styles from pop (i.e. "Cell 151", "Walking Through Walls") to prog (i.e. "Camino Royale", "Weightless", "Group Therapy"), even sounding like a bit like a lite version of the Rabin led Yes with some Rick Wakeman-esque harpsichord (i.e. "Give It Away") & with a a bit of King Crimson prog (i.e. "Hackett To Pieces"), to classically tinged (i.e. "Always Somewhere Else", "India Rubber Man"). Being a guitarist first its surprising how many few songs are instrumentals (i.e. "Always Somewhere Else", "Group Therapy", "Hackett To Pieces"), though with a lot of bland forgettable lyrics of the prog genre quality, in his workable tenor, there are a handful of songs that could probably be improved if given an instrumental workout. It should be said that this is not a hard rock album & for the new generation where wild guitar solos rule it may not even be that interesting as a guitar album. This stands in that wierd place of slow rock guitar more on the pop end that's more that's more plaintive than flashy, more lush in both feeling & playing style than much of what dominated the music scene at the time & since. Though, the album does open & close with a straight on prog-influenced rock number, both co-written with keyboardist John Acock & foreshadowing GTR but without the commercial feel ... but its a bit of a deception of what lies between the bookends. This might not be the best album to discover SH the guitarist but its a good place to discover SH the composer. In an interesting inclusion "India Rubber Man" includes SH on his first instrument - the harmonica - as the entire song is only synthesizers & keyboards with no guitar for a somber moment that is probably as close to Genesis as this album gets.
