Sunn O))) ~ Monoliths & Dimensions (album review) ... All the sounds you've never heard before!

Style: experimental, drone metal, black metal, doom metal
Label: Southern Lord Records
Year: 2009
Home: Seattle

Members: Greg Anderson ~ guitar
Stephen O'Malley ~ guitar

Guests: Oren Ambarchi ~ bass/cymbals/gong/guitar/oscillator/keyboards
Dylan Carlson ~ bass/guitar
Attila Csihar ~ keyboards/vocals
Keith Lowe ~ double bass
Stuart Dempster ~ conch shell/dung chen/trombone
Steve Moore ~ conch shell/dung chen/trombone/keyboards
Julian Priester ~ conch shell/trombone
Mell Dettmer ~ hydrophone/tubular bells
Brad Mowen ~ percussion/b. vocals
Rex Ritter, Eric Walton ~ keyboards
Hans Teuber ~ clarinet/flute
Josiah Boothby ~ French horn
Taina Karr ~ English horn/oboe
Cuong Vu ~ trumpet
Timb Harris ~ violin
Eyvind Kang ~ viola
Melissa Walsh ~ harp
Daniel Menche, Jessika Kenney, Joe Preston ~ b. vocals

Sunn 0))) is a tough band to get the ears around & they surely won't deny that. Their drone metal creation is for those that want to break from traditional musical templates & move into something more hypnotic, non-melody oriented & outer-worldly. It's not for everyone. But, I've found a secret to moving one's appreciation, understanding & enjoyment of the duo up a notch - high volume. I wouldn't normally recommend such a cliché, & I don't think I ever have before, but it's absolutely true & this, what I consider their best album outside of their Altar collaboration with Boris, is an album for audiophiles who like nuance. It's also shows the band at what I consider their most creative & most breath-taking. As their most guest spangled album it's more than just a long droning chunk of guitar & bass distortion, but different instruments slide between each other like Phillip Glass or John Adams in a way that will be completely missed at low volume. I say this from listening to this album to write this review. At first I heard a bunch of guitar distortion with some male & female vocals. It sounded like every other Sunn 0))) album I've heard, which is about half of them. I like lots of shimmering sounds & vocals popping up, which is why I like Altar. This is not that different I realized, but you have to go to it instead of it coming to you. The key was that I looked up the list of players & was startled to see trombones, conch shells, percussion, keyboards, horns, strings & tubular bells in the roster. I couldn't recall hearing any of this. So, having already heard a hiss of distortion under the guitars, perhaps deliberate or perhaps not, I decided to turn up the volume a bit. I wanted to hear the sounds lower in the mix. Suddenly I heard horns lines I previously thought were guitar bits. I suddenly amazed by the subtle changes going on behind the vocals, how one sound melted into another, let alone how I couldn't distinctly recognize some of the instruments. What I thought was a long drone was made up of a lot of pieces & instruments. It's truly symphonic. This is what makes Sunn 0))) distinct from other drone metal bands. It's more than just bleeding distortion or music taken to the extreme end of a listener's patience. It's a wall of sound but its not a solid wall but full of windows & doors that just aren't apparent on first or casual listen. The irony is that I do my own share of experimental music & wonder if listeners get all the little nuances I either accidently or deliberately create. Probably not, as I myself now give witness to. I have to say I'm often lost on exactly how Sunn O))) create their music. How much of it is live & how much studio effects & cutting & pasting? The album gets the award for longest song title - "Big Church (Megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért)" -that means far more than the English translation gives. You don't even want to hear this pronounced. It's Hungarian, if you don't know, a language few are probably going to recognize written & its grammar rules do indeed create a word this monstrous. The common joke among foreigners is that it sounds like Klingon. It looks like that. It's a language I used to speak as I lived there, so I'm not showing off my linguistical arrogance here. The other songs are more vocally manageable: "Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)," "Alice" & "Aghatha". This album is often the one many recommend for Sunn O))) at their creative peak. I would concur. Though, I didn't think it was particularly dark, or as dark as earlier releases. Or maybe, I've heard too much dark music to rate this of the same feeling anymore.

The Arc Angels ~ Arc Angels (aka debut) (album review) ... Stevie Ray Vaughan lives!

Style: blues-rock
Label: Geffen
Year: 1992
Home: Texas

Members: Doyle Bramhall II, Charlie Sexton ~ guitar/vocals
Chris Layton ~ drums/b. vocals
Tommy Shannon ~ bass/b. vocals

Guest: Ian McLagan ~ keyboards

 

 

   I've been listening to this album periodically since a friend gifted it to me some time ago. I had no idea what he was sending, but he felt sure it would hit home with me. He's right. He knows what I like. It's bluesy, yet hard rock; heavily melodic; great singing; soulful; sometimes restrained, yet sometimes wild; a bit of a classic feel. Okay, the fact that Little Steven produced is cool too, but doesn't mean much to me. But, there's a problem. I find myself stuck on the first couple tracks with a jaw dropped, unable to continue or find words to describe accurately what I'm hearing. Those songs are so good I want to hear them over & over ... forget about the fact that the whole album is like this. There's some moments that are a little too pop for my tastes, or a bit too radio friendly, but then, there's some great blues playing elsewhere, ranging from hardcore blues to more Whitesnake-esque rock blues, to knock away any low points. One of the things that struck me while first listening was how much the feeling was reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan but with a rock edge. Of course, any blues player today is influenced by his amazing style, even if it is copped from Hendrix & Albert King. But, my guess was closer than I realized. AA is SRV's rhythm section that joined with two guitar playing disciples after his tragic death. This was the only album the AA did but is well worth checking out. Of course, we all look at SRV's playing, but as a bass player I know how hard his rhythm section is working & not necessarily getting credit for. While the frontmen here, Bramhall & Sexton, recall SRV's Texas style but don't duplicate or even aim to, trading off both vocal & guitar lines with a great sense of joviality that's all their own but keeping the memory of a friend internal. Bramhall's father even co-wrote some songs with SRV, so friend is not an understatement. Ian McLagen of the Faces & later the Rolling Stones guests. This might seem a strange inclusion, but don't forget the blues roots of all those British Invasion bands, let alone McLagen is also an Austin resident now so he knows the local vibe. Bramhill's heroin addiction eventually led to the splitting of the band, but one wonders if it was ever really meant for more? It's almost fitting that it would be brief like it's source of inspiration. For those wondering, SRV/AA's rhythm section have remained together recording behind Buddy Guy, John Mayer, Kenny Wayne Shephard & others.

Vulture Kult ~ Don't Let Rock'N'Roll Ruin Your Life (album review) ... Don't let this album pass you by!

Style: punk, hard rock, alt rock
Label: n/a
Year: 2012
Home: Saskatoon, Canada

Members: Hans Bielefeld ~ guitars/vocals
Bradley Friesen ~ drums/vocals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, I love the name of the album! There's just so many ways to interpret it, from the typical party lifestyle, to creative burn out, to the fan level in my own experience where I see arguments happen over bands & favorite music & whose the greatest. Second, I have to say that VK isn't going to ruin your life. They're not examples of their warning! I say that in jest, but I've come across many bands that the music churns your stomach & you can't wait for the album to end. VK is vibrant, heavy & dark, with a punk-esque churning guitar, some minimal lead overdubs & straight ahead rock drummer. Vocals, seemingly low in the mix but to good effect, recall something more akin to the bluesy psyched-out era of Blue Oyster Cult or Blue Cheer. There's without a doubt an out of time aspect to VK that I haven't heard in awhile. They've got a moody Black Sabbath plod underneath their guitar rhythms, like Geezer Butler's fast yet sounding mysteriously slow 16th note bass playing. Actually, I've been listening to the album repeatedly today as I can't put it down. It's an interesting band. At first I thought of Big Elf for comparison, but they sound nothing alike, yet the same out of time drugged out 1960's/70's moody feeling is here. Actually, taking a break to something else to rest my ears I suddenly went back to the album with the thought of the New York Dolls & imitators Hanoi Rocks. But, in comparison neither are a really a good match. I even thought I heard the Rolling Stones in one song (i.e. "Avenue H"). That's how odd yet interesting this band is. They sound so familiar but I'm at a loss how or who, in order to properly give a point of comparison or to lead you from who you the listener know to who you don't. With some band you immediately hear a similarity & that's it, you know what you've got. For example, Yngwie's keyboardist Nick Marino sings just like Graham Bonnett of Rainbow on his solo album. Listening to him again & again I never change my mind. But, with KV I'm now completely off wanting to call their playing punk. While the guitars may at first sound like punk playing there's so much more about their feel that I get on later listens that I don't even want to use the word punk as it now feels derogatory. Perhaps in a few minutes I'll be wanting to compare them to other guitar/drums outfits like the Black Keys, but I'd prefer not. That jump is much too large. What makes it all the more of an interesting & out of time release is the final two songs, a total of three minutes between them, which both are a coda to the album where the distortion is gone & the echo slightly tweaked up. "Movie Of Me" goes for a brushed country drum beat & Hammond B-3 organ playing. While "Checking Out" is an instrumental folksy flavor. When I used to work in a record store that specialized in 60's/70's albums this would have fit in perfectly. For fans of classic underground rock this is a new generation interpreting things. Highly recommended for the listener with a historical bent. Definitely an album I'm going to be returning to in my desire to figure it out, if I can. & I'd love to hear their first album to see where they've come from & where they might be going.

Backhill Project ~ Fool (EP) (album review) ... Lightening strikes a fool twice!

Style: prog-metal, hard rock, Finnish
Label: self-released
Year: 2010
Home: Finland

Members: Kimmo Peramaki ~ vocals/guitars/keyboards/drum programming
Mikael Kontolampi ~ bass

Guests: Wella Yli-Mayry ~ drums
Heidi Lehtinen ~ b. vocals
Liwa Saarinen ~ keyboards

 

I'd previously reviewed BP's Tribute To Savatage EP by Kimmo Peramaki, also of the band Masquerage with PB being his side project. Savatage is a very difficult band to emulate. BP turned in probably the best tribute album that's been done yet, but I felt the result was mixed of which you can read in that review. Sadly, Peramaki heavily criticized me saying that it was just for fun, thus immune from criticism, & since no band can match the original my views were, to quote, "totally wrong", a phrase he repeated many times. I found out after that he didn't actually read the review but a very brief summary of it, like above, as he asks if I read the liner notes ... liner notes I quoted in the review in his defense to balance out my negativity. I feel sad that he believes art can be interpreted either right or wrong, let alone he can judge a critic without actually reading the review but a summary no different than above. Thus, he opens the door to the carnal essence of this blog - education & finding out how people hear things. The magic of music & art is that there is no right or wrong. He also said "every critic should know that no one can´t replace never original versions, also who would like to kill the original with better version." It's an interesting theory, but history sadly proves Peramaki quite wrong. Does not Soft Cell's of "Tainted Love" eclipse the original disco version ... a version few remember? Certainly the Beatles "Twist & Shout" is better than the original by the Top Notes ... whoever they might be. Is not Sinead O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U" eclipses Prince's original? Or, what about Santana's "Black Magic Woman" versus the Fleetwood Mac original? He also called his own music "pussy music," which makes me sad as that is really a derogatory term. It implies less than good imitation in my mind, the opposite of cock rock. So, I'm sad his imitation of American slang means he puts his own music down. But, really, he just felt the sting of criticism. It has nothing to do with my views. So, in a way, I don't mind confessing that I took to another EP of his with hesitance. I wasn't thrilled by the first & I'm sad he proved me right on a personal level. Sometimes I truly do wonder how people will respond to my writing. I don't know if they will get what I'm about & my approach. But, I take the risk anyways. But, this is not for him. This is for a mutual acquaintance in songwriter Kevin Brady. His song appears on this EP & for him I don't want to ignore this EP. But, first, based on my 'totally wrong' listening, I don't think BP is pussy rock. Actually, I hear something very much prog-metal. I was quite surprised. The Fool EP makes up for where the other fell short. His singing is better, the songs have soul, the rhythm section is stronger & it doesn't sound like a hair metal or pussy rock wanna-be. The fact that he thinks he does is these styles is where things like us critics become a sociological study in itself. The key to this EP is that doing his tribute to Savatage he was shackled with their creation & decided not to run too free. But, here he relaxes & has fun & the result sounds loose & enjoyable. Opener "The Waiting Place" starts with a soft keyboard part that goes into some big guitar power chords a la Savatage, where one can imagine Jon Oliva on the keys. I can hear Oliva here but I couldn't on the other EP, strangely. But, he doesn't rest here. BP may start soft but soon leads to something more reminiscent of Iron Maiden. It has that intertwined sound of numerous layered parts & a forward driving riff that I similarly feel when listening to Iron Maiden, but with more of an acoustic foundation. Think Iron Maiden's "Lightning Strikes Twice", "The Pilgrim" or "These Colours Don't Run" for some similarity, it's not a perfect comparison but workable. BP is much more acoustically intricate & softer & far from as viciously metal. The acoustic foundation keeps the sound grounded from flying into crazy heavy metal realms. The Iron Maiden feeling takes a more prominent form in the second song "Fool", written by Brady, where Peramaki vocally shines taking Brady's seemingly simple song about dreaming to greater heights with a strong chorus ... but then, memorable sing-a-long strong choruses is a bit of a trademark of BP. Things get another boost from the symphonic to the gothic with "The Place For Sinners" featuring extended instrumental parts & female backing vocals & a bit of a Renaissance Fair feeling ... or a metal version of it, if such a thing exists. "Time Won't Wait You Crying" is the most acoustic, bringing things on to a musical circle. The EP start with soft keyboards, take some bold strikes to heaviness & then simmering down after four songs. It really does feel like a circle where everything returns to the roots. But, this is not all. There's one more track, an instrumental, that feels like a coda & truly brings things back to the roots. "The Storm" is a seven minute piece that sounds like Al Pitrelli & Trans-Siberian Orchestra, ironically or maybe not as they also have a song by this name. But, this has more variety & less pretentiousness than a lot of TSO. They don't let their instrumentals linger & develop like this, instead keeping to classical templates that sound familiar but yet all too familiar. I started this review discussing Peramaki's criticism of me, only to criticize him going back & forth, but not with a desire to argue but to show. Art & music is about a back & forth relationship, often surprising. When it loses that it loses its magic. If the listener feels something different than maybe it has to do with how the musician is presenting himself. That might be good or bad, who knows.

Savatage ~ Fight For The Rock (album review) ... Don't fight over this album!

Style: hard rock
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1986
Home: Florida

Members: Criss Oliva ~ guitar/b. vocals
Jon Oliva ~ vocals/piano
Johnny Lee Middleton ~ bass/b. vocals
Steve Wacholz ~ drums

Additional: Brent Daniels ~ b. vocals

 

Fight For The Rock is an interesting album. It's reputation often proceeding it into the room & doing more harm than good. Much of this reputation has spun off of not necessarily the music itself, but the history of the making of the album & the feelings of the band itself. But, I don't subscribe to the belief that whatever a band says about the album is the same opinion the listener should have of the album. So, while I may agree with some of the reputation I also believe it's given the album an unfair advantage that it can surely pull out from under if given a second chance. The general agreement is that Fight For The Rock is the worst album by Savatage - all agree: fans, critics & the band, who disown the album as much as they can, while none of the songs were performed live. The album would nearly destroy the band's reputation, let alone drive frontman Jon Oliva into alcoholism & leaving the band, while leading to producer/songwriter Paul O'Neill being brought in to rescue the struggling rockers. The main problem is that Oliva was hired as a songwriter for Atlantic records & when the previous Savatage album failed to earn enough money, the label forced Savatage to record his newest songs. Not having much control over their career, they acquiesced. Oliva in turns has decried the existence of the album ... though, he's done that since before the album was even recorded, & as so much of the animosity for the album comes from him in the long-term, though its not the best album its no monster, one must recognize his bias in judging it ... as much as mine as a fan & band biographer in wanting to try to give it a second chance before blanket agreeing with him. But, thus, Savatage ends up recording songs meant for other bands. But, there's something here that gets lost in translation by critics & Olivia himself - if Oliva was hired as a songwriter, a rare move by a label, that says something about the quality of his work. He's certainly not going to pen horrible songs for other bands. He's out to make a reputation, it's ironic the tide turned. So, essentially, these songs are actually not as bad as reputation says, but just not being interpreted by the right band. The result is like an album of cover tunes by bands that never covered the tunes. Sometimes this works & a band has success with a song written for someone else, but here it's mixed. The faults of the album domino effect making the result weaker than it might really be. It's not going to win any awards, but it may not deserve the complete demonizing that it gets. Certainly, if the band endorsed the album its legacy would be different. One problem is that Savatage had changed so much musically since their debut that at this point in time what is the Savatage sound? They may not even have known & thus are unable to put a strong enough stamp on the songs taking them away from the bands they were written for & making them a Savatage product. That's the real problem here. The late Criss Oliva was a great Randy Rhoads-eque guitarist, raw & over-playing at times. Here, he's turned into Bon Jovi light. The irony is that if one looks at his playing from the beginning this album stands out because of this change. He grew so much as a guitarist in a few short years. He's far from raw & unfocused here. Further, unlike earlier albums there's no general mood or feeling that permeates the whole album. Since the songs where written for others & Savatage hasn't stamped them enough the result feels like a compilation of songs taken from different record sessions. It's like a B-Sides collection, back when such things existed. As for being B-Sides ... it's not Oliva's worst collection of songs but it's not his strongest. At his best Oliva crafted dark songs of a personal flavor, such as "The Dungeons Are Calling", but he also had more than his fair share of bland love songs & shake your fist rock'n'roll songs. Here, half the songs are of the bland flavor. So, it's a collection of the weaker side of Savatage, not necessarily bad, just weak. Probably half the album is salvageable & worth a relisten ... a lot of peers of the time could only be so lucky. The dark story "Hyde" might be as close as he gets to a new "The Dungeons Are Calling", though the spoken opening is a good idea but poorly executed & the bad production the album suffers from pulls the song down into imitative realms. The dark undertones "Crying For Love" & "Lady In Disguise" are similar, but are moments of glimmering. If the entire album was like these tracks history would be very different for the boys. The magic with Savatage is that earlier albums featured bland songs but the mood & playing made up for it. Here even the intricate textures that are lost in the personality crisis that laces the album. It's interesting that a remake of "Out On The Streets" is included, originally on their debut Sirens. It's far more polished & over a minute shorter. It's not so bad, but the bland lyrics come through while on the Sirens original it doesn't sound so bland. Covers of Badfinger's "Day After Day" & Free's "Wishing Well" are good, but returns to my earlier thought about this being like a collection of songs previously released from different albums ... these are culled from tribute albums. Good songs but strange filler for such a prolific composer. They aren't standout singles so what's the point of their inclusion? Also of note, is that this is the debut of bassist Johnny Lee Middleton, the only member to appear on every forthcoming Savatage album, who gets a few writing credits right off the bat. If anything, the album begs some questions: How far could have Criss gone as a guitarist? If Savatage hadn't done this what album would have come in its place? If it hadn't been a failure what would have happened instead & would Criss still be alive, being in a different place at a different time? Would Paul O'Neill have come into the picture if it had been successful? The ground-breaking Hall Of The Mountain King followed, changing their career path & sound, but would that just be another Grieg song if things had been different for Fight For The Rock? Savatage is a band of what if's. Fight For The Rock proves that point.

Pond ~ The Practice Of Joy Before Death (album review) ... The practice of grunge before Cobain's death!

Style: grunge, alt rock
Label: Sub Pop
Year: 1995
Home: Seattle

Members: Chris Brady ~ bass/vocals
Charlie Campbell ~ guitar/vocals
Dave Treibwasser ~ drums

Additional: Julie Weiss ~ b. vocals

A lot of folks say that there is no such thing as an explicit grunge sound. You can recognize heavy metal - even if you don't know power metal from thrash - you can recognize country, you can recognize blues, but what makes grunge different from any other 90's alternative rock? Is it location? Generally, yes. Personally, I believe that you have to be of the Pacific Northwest, either Oregon or Washington & maybe sometimes Vancouver British Columbia, to be grunge. But, many folks say that location is the starting point but not the ending point. They'll list bands from elsewhere, like Smashing Pumpkins. I'll let them in only because there's no other place to put them. Does location really make a difference? Yes, I've lived on both sides of the United States but grew up north of Seattle. People are different there. Life is different. It's very insular. While there are more variations in the grunge scene than not, I believe for the more underground raw style when you hear a grunge band you know it. You feel it. I'm not talking Alice In Chains. I'm talking Mudhoney or Screaming Trees. I'm talking the unsung grunge heroes who might be more grunge sounding than Nirvana or Pearl Jam. Also, I believe there are no grunge bands left. None of them lasted. But, what is the grunge sound? It's hard to describe. It's like describing the New York City sound. It's a dose of Sonic Youth, a lack of guitar solos & riffing or any real fancy playing, moody unassuming unpretentious lyrics that are not about your typical topics, a bit of a hypnotic feeling, less is more sparse production & a bit of a depressing feeling overall. Pacific Northwesteners, as we call the Washington-Oregon-Idaho & British Columbia, Canada region, are a moody lot. The music should reflect it. Pond falls right in this slot ... as comfortable a fit as any grunge band can fit in the awkward labeling system. If you don't know this is grunge on first listen, you don't know grunge. Grunge is a feeling & you're feeling ... well, you don't have it, sorry. Pond made three albums, this their second one is the strongest. Signed to the premiere grunge label Sub Pop they built a small following & gained positive reviews but never were able to fit into the scene. Maybe they were too clean-cut, or not moody enough, or too literary. Maybe their music was a bit too nice & not angsty enough, the guitars not fuzzy or wild enough. Maybe they were too experimental. Even after going major label they'd continue with positive reviews but no buying audience, a trend that would plague them till they split after doing only three albums. It's a shame, they're quite enjoyable. There's a few moments that are a bit too experimental, such as the tortured lo-fi acoustic "Union" & the Sonic Youth-esque "Mubby's Theme", "Carpenter Ant" & the noisy & directionless "Happy Cow Farm Family" & "Artificial Turf". Closer "Gagged & Bound" is a funky country tinged piece that's fun but not for everyone. I find the sitar & harmonica mix on "Sundial" fascinating but others might not. Pond is a bit too experimental for their own good, but it adds a bit of charm to the mix. But, besides these few bumps in the road I wish this was the sound of alt rock today. That's all I need really say about this album. That's the best endorsement I can make. Pond makes me nostalgic for a style of music I grew up with & didn't realize I missed until I heard them. There's something about a fuzzed up guitar that just sounds comforting. Check out the deftly grunge moments in "Sideroad", "Glass Sparkles In The Hair" & "Magnifier".

Rhythm Of Mars ~ Romancing The Snake (album review) ... Snakes are surprisingly good lovers!

Style: instrumental
Label: self-released
Year: 2011
Home: Arizona

Members: Patti Unruh ~ keyboards
Aaron Straub ~ guitar
Mike Bailey ~ bass/percussion

 

  It's not often when I describe a rock group in terms of being reminiscent of new age composer Yanni. Actually, it's very much a rarity. Yet, ROM indeed reminds me of Yanni at times (for example, "Forbidden Dance", "Vague Impression", "Moonlite Bliss", "Romancing The Snake"). This studio only trio is made up of a classical pianist, electric rock guitarist & occasional drummer-percussionist who is also their engineer. The outcome is a modest little rock group that self-confesses to playing with a strong new age inclination, with a focus on soundtrack ambiance. The music moves between a focus on rock guitar lead lines - its a welcome break that there's no riffing as instrumental bands like to relying on - to relaxing piano progressions, often with a light percussive beat & synthesizer deep in the mix for texture. Most of the time the songs are driven by the guitar, though "Forbidden Dance" is only an acoustic sounding piano with synthesizers & occasionally tinkling chimes. But, the group really take things up a notch on the enchanting highlights "Romancing the Snake" & "Rain Ethereal" where the piano & guitar have equal time driving the song. ROM is not about fast or overly technical playing. Even when the drums are present the pace is still more on the laid back side. What ROM are is textured & romantic. This is the group's first album with a desire to do soundtrack commissions. 

Sword ~ Sweet Dreams (album review) ... Sweet dreams with a sharp edge!

Style: heavy metal
Label: Aquarius Records
Year: 1988
Home: Montreal

Members: Rick Hughes ~ vocals/keyboards
Mike Plant ~ guitar/keyboards
Mike Larock ~ bass
Dan Hughes ~ drums

 

  The two albums by this Montreal area band have been lost in the shuffle in the landscape of 80's hard rock/heavy metal. As one reviewer said when they did a brief reunion & played a new song in 2011 ... who needs a Black Sabbath reunion when you have Sword? That just about says it all. A bit of Led Zeppelin & a lot of Black Sabbath in the guitar & arrangements & even the vocal stylings of both Ozzy Osbourne (i.e. "Sweet Dreams) & Ronnie James Dio (i.e. "Land Of The Brave", "The Trouble Is"), but without the distinctiveness of either singer. It's as if Black Sabbath skipped over their psyched out 70's days & Ozzy was singing the 80's songs that weren't so black & moody & a bit more of the era. It's fascinating, as there's a distinctiveness to the band, yet not at the same time. Perhaps the interesting thing is based on the fact that in 1988 a lot of bands were following the L.A. hair metal of Motley Crue with in your face teenage anthems. Sword are not a bunch of pretty boys in spandex. They are far more heavy & dark, yet not thrash or speed metal. Thus, in a strange way this becomes a great listen & a lost gem. It's imitative but not imitating what everyone else was doing. It's actually quite a solid & listenable album with some great riffs & interesting lyrics ... the Dio influence ... but they didn't find much success & the band folded soon after until a brief reunion. They've only released two albums & there's no regret in taking the effort to hunt them both up.

Erik Norlander ~ The Galactic Collective: Live In Gettysburg (DVD review) ... Let the battle begin!

Style: instrumental, prog-rock, hard rock
Label: Think Tank Media
Year: 2012
Home: California

Concert location: Rites Of Spring Festival, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Year Recorded: 2011
Length: 2 hours
Bonus Features: two CDs of the concert, bonus track from 2010 concert

Members: Erik Norlander ~ keyboards/narration
Mark Matthews ~ bass
Nick LePar ~ drums
Freddy DeMarco ~ guitar
Lana Lane, Debriss McKinney ~ vocals

Guest: Michelle Moog-Koussa ~ introduction

I've reviewed keyboardist-composer-pianist EN's vocalist wife Lana Lane, I've reviewed his band Asia Featuring John Payne, I've dropped his name as a favorite litmus test for contemporary prog-rock keyboardists & composers, let alone regularly encouraged the discovery of his growing catalog ... so, it's about time I finally reviewed his own work. The fact that he has two new simultaneously released DVDs, both including two CDs & detailed packaging, not just works for my schedule but is also very exciting. They're based on his earlier CD The Galactic Collective that featured reworked versions of favorite songs from his career. But, now, we get to discover the project a new way via videos of the original studio sessions, extensive interviews, alternative audio versions & a second DVD of the album & a bit more on stage. It's a grand concept of doing everything sans turning the album into a picture book or redoing it with other musicians in a self-tribute format or rearranging it for a Romanian gypsy band! Though, if EN wants to pursue any of the above ... The problem is, both as a fan & a reviewer, I don't know what to say in response either to the project as a whole, or this particular live DVD The Galactic Collective: Live At Gettysburg. What more can be said about EN that hasn't already been said by reviewers? "Keith Emerson was so impressed with EN's Threshold, that he wrote the liner notes" ... let alone handed off his keyboard tech ... "evocative synthesizer technique is reminiscent of the legendary Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson & Jon Lord, while still very unique & forward-moving in its own right" ... "all his recordings are recommended" ... "well thought out & packaged with the fan in mind" ... "EN's star is certainly in the ascendant at the moment" ... "In these days where mediocrity is celebrated & true ability often ignored it is wonderful to see a musical craftsman of EN's stature receiving praise for his many talents." I recently posted in my other blog a brief interview with Erik about the releases, where he discussed their background & his current activities, so I don't wish to repeat that here, but instead let you investigate his own words. So, I'm left with only some general off-the-cuff responses to watching him & his troupe, including wife Lane, in concert during 2011's Rites Of Spring Festival, indeed at the looming battleground. First, though I enjoy his playing I'm not obsessively familiar with it. I don't know what song reinterpreted here appeared on what album or when, nor even how it originally sounds, nor who performed it previously. I have a handful of his albums, some I've listened to & some I haven't found time for yet. For some bands who reinterpret their own catalog, knowledge of the past is part of the experience. You need the comparison to fully comprehend the new creative process & outcome. I'm reminded of the final INXS album where they brought in guests to sing all their old hits, that were reworked in every way but the familiar. Or, for example, it helps knowing Metallica before you can really enjoy Van Canto. To enjoy or not enjoy these new album you really needed to know the roots. While, for an example closer to home, John Payne of Asia re-recording older Asia songs, before his time in the band, might be decried by some long term fans but the jump isn't so big where you really don't need one to appreciate the other. So, on some level for EN's new work I might be missing out, but I don't feel the loss is that big & I don't think anyone should worry coming to the project. EN has not recrafted the songs to reflect changing bandmates, as The Galactic Collective is a new band assembled for this project with their future unknown, nor to mark a career moment or revival, nor to discover a new style of music. EN is not making a leap from prog pianist to gypsy prog king & needing to demonstrate how the old songs hold in up a new folk context. He's recrafted the songs for his own enjoyment - the end. Though, if you know of a gypsty band he might be interested ... The Galactic Collective also focuses on the instrumentals, which have sometimes gotten lost in between his vocal output. With this new band, based on his narration in the concert as he introduces each song with a little background giving the whole show an intimate feeling, he's given his works a more edgy rock feel than may have been delved into before. Certainly, the show stomps forward & is the more rock end of prog then hypnotic trance-like or drug-like, depending on the decade. It might even stomp a bit too much as, having not heard the original release or seen the companion DVD yet, I was expecting a roller-coaster of emotional contexts. Songs full of soft moments next to cacophonic prog. Extreme variation that was more akin to a greatest hits ride. There's no solo piano moments here, no Wakeman-esque flourished showcase with a spotlight only on EN, & everything is kept within a rock mood creating a sense of cohesiveness & flow. The songs meander like traditional prog, but they also stay linked into a groove that keeps things focused, courtesy of a masterful powerhouse finger aching bassist & a laidback 60's drummer who never seems to break a breath. Focus & groove is something not often distinguished in the prog vocabulary & show's the modern feel of EN's music. EN rotates his solos with guitar solos keeping things squarely in the format of rhythm section with lead melody lines versus an intertwined rock symphony. He has but two keyboards & a Moog, connected to what he calls a the Wall Of Doom a 6 console control system looming behind him, so there's not even a Rick Emerson look at me moment ... who once had 28 keyboards on stage earning him a Guinness World Record. It's rather modest. While the prog side of me was expecting a bit more variation, at the same time keeping things largely within the same mood means this will be equally enjoyed by the non-prog enthusiast who doesn't want the instrumental spirals & cacophony that the genre is gluttonously famous for. This is not a show that's going to get maudlin. Uplifting is the key word. Vibrant alongside it. Thus, unintentionally, the subtle nature of EN's playing, though still prominent with his trademark heavy use of vibrato, tends to be more a bridge between big moments than a focus. Since most of the songs are instrumentals the focus is undoubtedly on EN who plugs out the melody line. EN fans tend to be divided over if they prefer better his instrumental or vocal works. This is certainly his show, even if some of the songs were written with others in mind. Certainly, with a vocalist he's forced to step back more often than not, while the instrumentals force a lead instrument to come forward. There's a few vocals here with Lana Lane taking the center spotlight & a backing vocalist who often sings sounds over words, something that has a great effect. In the end, its nice seeing both aspects of EN's music in the live venue. As it is, most of us aren't used to a solely instrumental show. As for guitarist Freddy DeMarco, he doesn't overplay, though he does turn in a lot of semi-shredder solos that feel a bit more showy than the music might really need. It would be interesting hearing EN expand his band a bit to including an additional non-rock guitarist, such as a flamenco or classical player, allowing both the rock & non-rock style to sit side by side. Though, for DeMarco's credit he does show a lot of courage by playing the guitar with a violin bow, as made famous by Jimmy Page & barely repeated since, & doesn't show-off or so much solo but actually uses it as a strange new sound. For those wondering, no, this does not sound like Rocket Scientists or Asia Featuring John Payne or a Lana Lane concert. EN's troupe has its own particular feeling. Perhaps, a bit more rock than EN's other efforts. Also to be noted, Michelle Moog-Koussa, the daughter of of the famed inventor introduces the show ... with a bit of an academic style versus lets get rocked. It keeps sets a tone immediately of an intimate show, which really this feels. The only bonus tracks on this DVD is a clip of Lana Lane's "Garden Of The Moon" live in Cleveland, 2010, though sans Lane. A great little song but some odd camera views, going from static balcony to oddly angled onstage shots & a wobbly back of the audience shot that ties to show the full experience of the theater but fails. It's obviously something that wasn't intended as anything but a rough record of the experience, probably never meant for public consumption. It merits inclusion as its the stage debut of this line-up. The real bonus is in the linear notes which includes lots of photos, an extensive essay of the equipment by his keyboard tech who previously worked for Emerson, lyrics to the few non-instrumentals - though there's a bit too much reliance on rhyming Jon Anderson-esque cosmic sounding lyrics that luckily sound far less cliched when Lane sings them - & an essay on the background of the project by EN himself. The two bonus CDs reproduce the entire concert sans the introductions, making it feel like a slightly different experience. Some live concerts require the visual, while others just aren't that interesting visually. Being stuck immobile behind a keyboard may not be the most exciting thing, but watching EN casually work his magic in front of his Wall Of Doom has its treats ... while listening to it with only one's thoughts has its own set of treats.

Joey Stuckey ~ The Shadow Sound (hits comp) (album review) ... Presenting the Official Ambassador of Music for Macon Georgia!

Style: jazz, blues, folk-rock, rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2010
Home: Georgia

Members: Joey Stuckey ~ guitars/vocals/bass
Tim Brooks, Jimmy Herring, Ken Wynn ~ guitars
Donnell Poweel, Skip Slaughter ~ bass
Miguel Castro, Basil Dixon, Steven Floyd, Skeebo Knight, Jerome Thomas ~ drums
Dr. Marcus Reddick ~ percussion/vibes
Randy Beddingfield, Mike Eubank, hugh Hession, Tom Rule, Clifton Warren ~ keyboards
Randall Bramblett ~ keyboards/horns
Barbara Altman, David Ragsdale ~ strings
Brian Bogle, Dr. Scott Turpin, Dr. Douglas Hill ~ horns

Known as the "Official Ambassador Of Music For Macon, Georgia", according to his press release, JS has worked with an array of folks, from Carole King, Ike Turner to Charlie Daniels, plus lesser names Huey Thomasson from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimmy Herring of the Allman Brothers Band, Danny Seraphin of Chicago, Allen Vizzuiti from Chick Corea & Chuck Mangione, Chris Hillman from the Byrds, Jerry Peake for Steve Morse Band, John Dunn of Earth, Wind & Fire & George McCorkle from the Marshall Tucker Band, amongst others. Quite a resume, right? But, what to expect musically from such a career? Well, throw in some of that Marshall Tucker/Allman Brothers Band bluesy influence (i.e. "Runnin'") & lots of that classic rock. There's also a touch of melancholy Morrissey in the lyrics that is nothing but subtle (i.e. "Funny", "Mr. Mooney", "Not The End Of The World", "Hate You"). There's also a lot of contemporary folk-rock (i.e. "Mr. Mooney", "Bad Dreams", "Truth Is A Misty Mountain"), Stevie Ray Vaughan-esque blues (i.e. "Take A Walk In The Shadows"), a bunch of Bernie Worrell-esque keyboard driven funk (i.e. "The Light That Guides Us"), lots of laidback pop (i.e. "So Blue"), a touch of hard rock (i.e. "Mr. Mooney", "Hold") & an unexpected drop of jazz swing in the instrumental "Holly Tree Hopeful". What makes it more complicated is the fact that all these cited styles are all mixed together in a cornucopia. JS is a guy whose encompassed the sound of so many of those he's played with, lacing it all together with a homespun personal feel. The Shadow Sound is a collection of previously recorded songs, spanning the range of his music & making it difficult to pinpoint the JS sound, which seems to be rooted in a style of music long ago yet actually having never existed. I'm reminded of John Caffery's great soundtrack for the first Eddie & The Cruisers movie. On one hand it sounds like it was lifted from the 1950's/60's, yet if one had to place exactly where on that timeline his imitative music goes it's impossible. It draws in the past, feeling imitative, but yet is completely original & not distinct to any time. JS sounds like something you know quite well, but you can't lay your finger on it. The Morrissey-esque songs are my favorite, & one can hear Morrissey croon "Not The End Of The World". Actually, The Shadow Sound is his second compilation. Though, it duplicates much of the earlier hits compilation So Far, making it a toss-up which of the two discover JS through. It includes songs from his two live albums, plus Ironies, Pain & The Light That Guides, Take A Walk In The Shadows & a newer track found on So Far. There's also two new tracks: "Holly Tree Hopeful", which appears on his newest album Mixture & a live version of "Truth Is A Misty Mountain", not available on any album. Why he would release this album, with So Far not being so far in the past, is a bit of a mystery outside of marketing considerations. Due to a brain tumor as a child JS lost his sight & sense of smell. Also, he's studied with jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan. Many reviewers put his disability right up front. Yes, it's a selling point. But, being blind doesn't make you play music this diverse or timeless.

Kathy Troccoli ~ Pure Attraction (album review) ... Everything changes!

Style: Christian, pop
Label: Reunion Records
Year: 1991
Home: n/a

Members: Kathy Troccoli ~ vocals
Rich Tancredi ~ keyboards
Joe Franco ~ drums
Mark Russell ~ bass
Richie Cannata ~ saxophone
Al Pitrelli, Bob Cadway ~ guitar
Jim Hobson ~ drum programming
Tony Harnell, Joe Lynn Turner, Billy T. Scott, Brenda White King, Mary Davis, Tina Stanford ~ b. vocals

This is commercial pop rock with a real sense of passion, something missing from so many of KT's peers. It's a vocal album with a backbeat that pushes one to not so much dance but instead sing along with as much emotion as possible. It‘s easy to forget that rock can really be this tender. It doesn‘t hurt to have Diane Warren‘s always beautiful pen in the mix. Yes, it's by a renown Christian artist. But, KT is not singing Jesus this & Jesus that, or campfire church songs, which is how a lot of people mistakenly label Christian music, alienating themselves with stereotypes from great music. These are songs of passion, life & the heart. KT calls them Christian songs. Other bands might just call them love ballads ... KT is no more religious than Metallica in the end. As it is, a few songs are penned by the non-Christian artist Warren, who should be as iconized as much as Bernie Taupin or Jim Steinman having written chart-topping ballads recorded by Cher (i.e. "If I Could turn Back Time", "Just Like Jesse James"), Milli Vanilli (i.e. "Blame It On The Rain"), Aerosmith (i.e. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"), Michael Bolton (i.e. "How Can We Be Lovers"), Meat Loaf (i.e. "I'd Lie For You (& That's The Truth)"), Bad English (i.e. "When I See You Smile"), to name only a few. Right there one knows the material is strong, while KT's own pen brings out equal delight. With her strong voice, different than many female singers with a more husky tone that's often been criticized or equated to jazz not pop, the weaknesses of the album are risen over. Yes, there is a weakness in the album, but its one obvious only through hindsight, as at the time the album was considered her strongest. The music is flooded with a now dated Michael Bolton-esque reliance on synthesizers. Though, ironically, of note on the recording is Twisted Sister drummer Joe Franco, Megadeth guitarist Al Pitrelli & Shakira bassist Mark Russell, all who would soon join Dee Snider for two albums in the hard rocking Widowmaker, plus Beach Boys sax player Richie Cannato & backing vocalists Joe Lynn Turner of Rainbow & Tony Harnell of TNT. The troupe was led by producer Ric Wake & award-winning keyboardist Rich Tandredi, who helmed the same group, san Pitrelli, in crafting "Tell It To My Heart" for Taylor Dayne. It's no accident that the successful Dayne session group was recruited by KT. She was a backing vocalist on the album. Wake & company would appear on numerous albums throughout 1990 & 1991. Their inclusions would always be the only rock moments in heavily synthesized albums, making it a bit odd that the synthesizer would play such a prominent part here where they'd finally get a chance to do more than a track or two. Pitrelli gets a two bar solo in one song that's nearly lost & plays some rhythms tucked in the mix. The real highlight is Franco who drives the album with a strong beat, far more enjoyable than the electronic drums chosen by so many of KT's peers at this time. For those not familiar with Troccoli besides being a musician she's also an author & lecturer. She also auditioned for the role of Eva Peron for the film version of Broadway’s Evita. She was obviously beaten by Madonna, but not before three call-back auditions. Pure Attraction was Troccoli’s first album to wield a mainstream chart hit with the single "Everything Changes", peaking at 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, & marking a comeback after five years out of music.

FallsStart ~ Our Summer (EP) (album review) ... This doesn't look like my summer!

Style: alt rock, punk
Label: self-released
Year: 2012
Home: Honolulu, Hawaii

Members: Davey Leatherwood ~ vocals/rhythm guitar/violin
Adrian Cottmeyer ~ lead guitar
Jason Seuis ~ drums 

 

 

  

For some strange reason it's rare when I encounter a band from Hawaii. Perhaps the sun & surf distracts too much from being stuck in a windowless rehearsal space for hours on end. FallsStart advertise themselves as a punk band, but songs like "Happy Song" or the title track seem to be sucking up the positive vibes of the environment more than rebelling against it ... as one expects, or at least I do, when hearing the punk label thrown out, calling up the angry world of the Clash & Sex Pistols. Though, one might properly say that punk is all about rebellion. It's not about music, it's about perspective. Too many punk bands are wandering through thoughts of morbidity, broken hearts, teenage angst & a lot of other problems that are more daydreams than actual material woe. FallsStart have, all with a background in the U.S. Air Force, seen more of the horrors of the world than most their age ever will & probably made all of the above emotions more real than imagined. Not to be crass, but I can imagine they've spent more time considering their morbidity & how to stay alive & enjoy life, than contemplating rebellious suicide over a broken heart caused by the girl next door. So, the pleasures of life become that much more valued & thus it makes sense to sing of happiness not woe. So, one can say, they're rebelling against the norm of their musical peers, thus, in essence, they are a punk band, even if musically I believe not so much beyond chunky rhythms. FallsStart chunks out chords that just provide a foundation for the story-telling lyrics, with guitar breaks few or lost under the wall of rhythm, sadly losing their power. The album starts off a bit average for my tastes, straight ahead pop-punk rock that doesn't have any strong direction or feel. Then, the third track, "Carnivale", drops a surprise with little tinkling little guitar bubbles & a fun ska backbeat before jumping into a punk rhythm with backing vocals. From here the band weaves between straight-forward bland & letting loose individual. It's almost as if they have accidentally hemmed themselves in with a particular genre which is causing sparks but no fire ... or they've let the autonomy of their military time affect the individuality of their music. Essentially, the problem is a wall of distorted guitars. The proof is in a couple videos on youtube of acoustic versions of the songs. I would highly recommend watching these to get a full picture of the band, plus they are candid, low-key & fun. Not just does this acoustic setting let a classical feeling come through, as cited in their press release, but it also allows the intricate guitar parts to be heard. Lead guitarist Cottmeyer has some very interesting little figures, almost with a prog-rock feeling, but the distorted studio recordings aren't allowing enough space for these to come through. I certainly would love to see more of his finger work which balances well his bandmates strumming & singing. My recommendation is to let it hang out & not worry about sounding like what is on the chart or making sure a bridge follows a verse or any of the traditional restrictions. Jam a bit. FallsStart was created when the two guitarists met while stationed on active duty in South Korea, the drummer was already touring in the military band. Cottmeyer remains on active duty. Not that this is that vital to the music. You won't find songs about America or patriotism here. You won't even find the aggression of war. The punks are rebelling against a society that seems to be focused on talking about world aggression & not enough about enjoying life.

Edison's Children ~ ... in the last waking moments ... (album review) ... Just close your eyes!

Style: prog-rock, experimental, psychedelic
Label: Random Disturbance Records
Year: 2011
Home: England/New York

Members: Eric Blackwood ~ vocals/guitars/synthesizer/bass
Pete Trewavas ~ vocals/guitars/synthesizers/bass/programming/VG sitar

Guest: Steve Rothery, Robin Boult ~ electric guitars
Mark Kelly ~ synthesizer
Ian Mosley ~ drums
Steven Hogarth, Mandy Delly ~ b. vocals

About 2 years ago I had the opportunity to interview on the air songwriter Anthony J. Foti of Closenuf & Blackwood & Foti. One time bandmate Eric Blackwood & I had spoken on the phone previously & I told him about the interview. Knowing how busy he was with a job in the movie/tv industry I was surprised to have him call in, while Foti was ecstatic as it was the first time the guys had spoken since the band closed its books a decade earlier. It was my first interview & I just sat back & listened to these two old friends & couldn't have asked for a better show. Blackwood mentioned that he had some new music in the works, but it was early & the project nameless. A year later he released the debut of EC with bassist Pete Trewavas. Trewavas is known for his work with prog-rockers Marillion, who helped keep prog-rock alive in the 80's. Blackwood had written some songs at the same time that Trewavas, who he'd met having been a part of Marillion's North American touring crew, wanted a chance to experiment & sing. It should be mentioned the boys of Marillion appear here as guests. A bit after I got the CD, with the intent to review it, Blackwood wrote me a bit anxious as no review had appeared. He didn't know my schedule is not based on street dates, but when I'm just able to get through my growing stack in whatever time I have. But, essentially, he was just old fashioned worried that folks wouldn't get it. He felt the album takes some time to sink in & was worried I didn't like it & should listen to it for awhile before judging. Sorry, Eric, I review so many albums & it takes me days if not weeks to listen & write just one review that I can't let everything sink in like you or others may want. If I spend my time listening to your CD than I won't have time to listen to others. This would thus be a very sparsely updated blog. I do try to give it my best focus when I finally listen to make up for lost contemplative time. But, hindsight as shown his anxiety unfounded. Out the door EC entered 2011 super well received & topping charts as the best new prog-rock album with a climb up internet radio charts. Within a couple months EC would even release an EP of some new tracks to meet the growing wave of international fans. So, having been there very early on, followed them through a name change, even had Blackwood bounce my name in an interview of which I appreciate, citing my knowledge of guitarist Al Pitrelli who did a Blackwood & Foti session & called it one of his best solos, & now having seen the buzz of their debut with numerous fan clubs across the globe ... I can delay my review no longer. Here's the catch-22. Though its been edited many times, everything you just read was initially written months ago. What follows is one of the most difficult reviews I've ever written ... eclipsing even my last review of Tired Wings, a band I used to play in & was severely criticized for not saying I loved them or considered them the best thing yet & accused of animosity & anger where none exists. Basically, upon first hearing EC it was nothing like I was expecting, considering the music of the Blackwood & Trewavas camps. I'll confess, yes, Eric, you were right, I didn't review it because I didn't like it, wasn't sure what to do & you echoing my thoughts kinda put me off more ... & us reviewers universally hate being asked if we've reviewed something, as it is. I mean, if you think people won't like it then what am I to think if I'm having the same initial feeling? Though, most musicians say they have the best music ever, so its great to hear fear & worry for once. I've heard musicians with the worst music ever shout how their band is the best. After a while reviewers turn off to what a musician says about themselves. Blackwood broke the rules! Surprise, he did it musically, too. In the past months I've put on the album periodically, not ready to give up. I even asked a friend whose a big prog-rock head & he was even a bit iffy on it too. Yet, two against an array of fans makes me wonder. I obviously was missing something. Then, last week, I had a realization. It's not that its a bad album. Not at all. But, it's not the type of prog I typically go to for enjoyment, nor what I want in my prog. In high school I first heard Yes & declared them my band, Howe being my first guitar hero right next to Robert Johnson, followed by ELP & later anything from any Yes alumni. Then, I heard the other side of the genre with Pink Floyd. I like Syd Barrett's stuff, but the rest I consider boring & depressing. Gilmour & Waters are not as interesting a singer as Anderson, who I used to emulate for hours. Howe, Banks, Rabin, Sherwood solo, yet underneath them is tons of weaving lines, like jazz, by the rest of the band. Tons of layers. Gilmour's solo weave over hypnotic lines far from any cacophony. Pink Floyd is introspective where Yes is bombastic. For me prog is bombastic & gluttonous. I like the excess, versus the hypnotism. Though, I can appreciate the other end. That's the end EC is in. It's keyboards droning, strummed guitars & fading notes that glimmer (i.e. "Dusk") & at times, whether deliberately or not, sounds like it comes right out of Pink Floyd catalog (for example, "Fracture", "Fallout Of The 2nd Kind", "Spiraling"). It wasn't what I expected. Blackwood & Foti is pop rock while the post-Fish Marillion that I like is radio friendly prog more akin to GTR or Asia. This doesn't draw on any of that. EC is all about soundscapes & not in the Wakeman or Emerson classical meaning of the word. Opener "Dusk" truly does sound like the evening dusk with its soft unassuming notes. I enjoy unassuming but its too unassuming for me, its too subtle for what I like to turn to for personal enjoyment. Of course, this review is becoming a show of my own bias, but if you know where I'm coming from you can formulate your own review. Obviously the problem is they've put themselves in a category & now I'm not letting them break the box. I'll take that criticism. But, there's another problem, not so reflective of my bias, that doesn't help. The album is just about an hour long & on top of that includes the fifteen minute "The Awakening". It's a near double album in disguise. Some of the songs sound like firm pieces of the story, & this is definitely a story album, while others are transitional songs setting a stage but being feeling at times incomplete. So, basically, I'm listening to a story that has chapters ending too soon, while others go on to long. I want tighter & less expansive. The best comparison I can think of is Judas Priest's Nostradamus where the songs floated in & out of each other with musical bridges. The focus is the whole not the individual pieces necessarily. Yet, most people I know skip much of the album for the strong tracks. I get that feeling here. This is an album meant for full consumption in one sitting, not random downloads put on shuffle with a thousand other songs on your ipod. But, is anyone under 30 doing that anymore? I've never owned an ipod, surprise, but have yet to find a friend who wasn't constantly shuffling tracks. I will say, that I greatly enjoy "Fracture" as its soft yet rocks, even if it is one of the Pink Floyd moments. The rock songs (i.e. "Lifeline") I prefer over the ethereal ones. "The Other Dimension" is primarily an instrumental track that moves through an array of citing other songs with weird instrumentation, flashes of instruments & talk overs. It's almost like a weird remix of the entire album, but of all the story songs might be the most interesting in terms of arrangement. Further, Trewavas's bass playing is super delightful & its nice to hear the bass taking a prominent role driving the feeling of the songs instead of just accentuating it as the instrument often does. The sparse music opens the door to his playing like Marillion certainly doesn't offer all the time. He's also responsible for all the programming that accentuates the often heavy acoustic with electric leads atmosphere. The atmosphere is that of a journey of love & a bleeding heart & soul. "Dusk" sets out the story upfront "twisted/don't know-where the hell I am/blinded/will I ever see you again ... winter/when will this November ever end ... all that's left inside/bleeds into the falling rain". The next line reads "haunted" & that's exactly what this journey is - haunting. It's a sad album. While it may not strike my fancy the way I hoped, or wished, I can't but commend EC for crafting something different, moody & for many prog fans refreshing. It still is a bit bombastic & gluttonous, but in a different way - Pink Floyd & Gabriel era Genesis. I just happen to not be a big fan of either, though I enjoy moments & appreciate the goal to create something different. I imagine this to be the prog soundtrack of a yogi in meditation. For trivia fans ... one may know Blackwood's brother who starred on the first season of the Sopranos, Vincent Pastore, aka the murdered Big Pussy who would go on to haunt Tony Soprano. Blackwood actually came out of musical retirement to write for his brother's film Growing Down in Brooklyn. He's also the author of 500 Ballparks which features photographs of 650 stadiums across America & his website www.digitalballparks.com was named one of the top 20 websites in the entire world by Yahoo! in their 2002 Year In Review. So, now, Eric, here's that review I said I'd do on the show. It may not be what you wanted. But, it's honest & lays everything out, good & bad, as I see it. I'm also sure I've listened to it more than any other reviewer before publishing, what you wanted. It reacts to the music, yes, but that's really what anyone who doesn't know you is going to do as they pour through itunes looking for that next track to add to their ipod. Hopefully the reader here will want to find out more, whether to agree or disagree with me or at least see what bee got under my bonnet, & then make up their own mind. I've been criticized for not making a firm judgment on albums telling readers what to think. But, music isn't that clear cut & I'm not a musical guru. Music is about discovery & that's what this review is & that's what ...in the last waking moments is essentially about. I hope I'm not the only negative sounding critic, just so I don't feel alone, but I'll take the noose if I am. I'm not being arrogant or critical for the sake of it, though, or to look cool. But, I'm probably the only reviewer whose spent months listening to it long after I found I didn't get into it on a first listen to give you more. Most of the time I pass on an album if I don't like it. & yes, I consider myself more knowledgeable of Indian music than most rock fans & can listen to a sitar for hours, all the alap-jor-gat parts, so I do get the hypnotic musical journey part but this just didn't get it for me. When you play a raga you find a mood, or rasa, & don't change it for the entire raga. Here there's too many rasas for me to be hypnotized.

Metallica ~ Metallica/The Black Album (aka self-titled) (album review) ... Blackness never sounded so good!

Style: thrash
Label: Elektra
Year: 1991
Home: California

Members: Kirk Hammett ~ guitar
James Hetfield ~ vocals/rhythm guitar
Jason Newsted ~ bass
Lars Ulrich ~ drums+

 

I hadn't listened to this album for years when I put it on for this review. I sometimes wonder if people still listen to it like they once did. When it first came out, I remember well, you couldn't get away from it. I even had my mother listening. But, so many years, tours, bandmates, controversies & albums later there's become so many shades of Metallica that one can't just randomly choose an album & feel as satisfied as ever. There's too many choices. Do you put on the Cliff Burton crunch era climaxing with Master Of Puppets that made the thrash mold forever? Do you turn to the Load or St. Anger albums of the sparse sounds of apocalypse era? Or, do you go for the current Death Magnetic stuff ... or even the poetic abomination Lulu? Or, do you go for the chart-topping breakthrough self-titled album, come to be known as The Black Album, that turned so many of us to the band initially ... including myself, though I'd seen "One" on MTV but didn't know the band beyond that single epic dirge from the previous album. It's the sign of a band that's continued to grow that an answer doesn't come quickly. The problem is, for many of us, there's no album quite like The Black Album in the Metallica catalog. The progressive metal that came before was successfully trimmed away, here the songs are just a bit shorter & a bit tighter, while after came some directions that don't rate too high generally with a majority of fans & critics. This album was a climactic moment, musically & career-wise, & could not be repeated. Thus, it leaves us in a lurch. There is no questioning why it was successful or remains a career highlight ... I mean, the echoing drums & sparse riffing of opener "Enter Sandman" still is as powerful as ever, while how can one not head bang & scream along to "Sad But True"? But, does it represent Metallica now in the long term? Did it then? It's an important stepping stone in their musical growth, but what does it say about the band? It's certainly the album I'll recommend to someone young who doesn't know Metallica & I feel may not be a big metal fan. Though, is it even the best Metallica album? I know I tend to go to Master Of Puppets & rarely hit the post Black Album outings, if at all. But, am I giving new fans the best introduction to the band? In many ways, absolutely. At its best the album is as strong as one could ask from a thrash band, as sparse, chunky, heavy, with pretty much any musical nuance & mood one might want. The songs are more straight forward than what Metallica was doing, but just a touch of experimenting remains (i.e. "Nothing Else Matters"). Bands have gone faster, more complicated, sparser, blacker, angrier certainly, but there is magic in this album. There's a few songs I'd remove on the later half that are a bit imitative, but its a minor qualm. Certainly, the album churns out more variety over a couple songs than many bands do over an entire release. Though, really, this might not be one of the best thrash albums. Some may say that its really not thrash. I know, I loved it but didn't consider myself a thrash fan until I got into Megadeth. But, I think one can say that this might be the best mainstream thrash album. The greater thrash albums by Megadeth, Testament, Pantera, Anthrax or whoever never had the commercial success upon release like this album, except maybe Megadeth's Countdown To Extinction but that wasn't as big as this Metallica moment. This point offers another question ... none of which really can be answered & I'm not trying. As Metallica has moved beyond the album into other territories, so have other bands. Maybe more than ever the Metallica versus Megadeth argument rages. Are Metallica really the top thrash band? Ignoring their live show which is certainly one of the best to answer that question. I tend to be a Megadeth fan, I'll confess. The lyrics, Dave's voice, the playing, the lyrics, everything gets me on a level Metallica doesn't. Megadeth's worst album invites me & hits me more than Metallica's worst, excluding Lulu. But, can one even compare these peers as they really are quite different. Metallica is controlled where Megadeth is raw, Megadeth is also far more angrier a lot more of the time, let alone seemingly more socially conscious. Plus, there's two guitarists versus one. I can clearly remember when this album landed & the uproar it caused. It was like a treasure everyone owned & yet it still remained valuable. Today, looking back, does a new fan still have the same view of the album who wasn't there, still sucking up the music with as much praise & enjoyment as my generation did? As someone once said to me, anyone can enjoy the Beatles, but if you weren't there you'll never really appreciate or know their music. Is that accurate? I've always been a Rolling Stones fan ... so what do I know?

Ruined Machines & Michal Brodka ~ Celestial Bodies: Mercury (EP) (album reviews) ... Paint this music, play this painting!

Style: instrumental, progressive, experimental
Label: self-released
Year: 2012
Home: New Jersey

Members: Joseph Kenyon ~ all instruments
Michal Brodka ~ visual arts

 

The collaboration of one man band RM & Polish born visual artist MB has ventured into one of the more grand & interesting musical feasts of the year by an indie artist. They are creating Celestial Bodies, an astrology/planetary themed quasi-story released over twelves months & twelve EPs. On the first of every month the pair are releasing another chapter in their musical fortune telling. It's a fascinating idea based on the theory of creating music & visual art under a short deadline, while eschewing perfect technique or production or even pre-planning. Where the story or music goes nobody knows. Going with each EP is a two toned art print interpreting the same theme as the music aims for. I've always been interested in musicians that release an on-going array of tracks based around a central theme, so I took an immediate interest when coming across RM. I originally was planning on reviewing an earlier RM album, but when I saw this collaboration it struck a chord with me. I'll confess, I'm jealous, as I've desired to do something grand like this musically but haven't found the vision, or the collaborator, to last longer than a few footsteps. RM/MB's releases started in May 2012 with The Sun, followed by Mercury, Venus & The Moon. Each release, so far, includes at least ten minutes of music spread over one to three instrumental tracks. While traditionally this is too short a release to get reviewed on this blog, & I'm not going to cheat by reviewing all four releases under one heading, the fact that the individual release cannot be seen out of context of succeeding releases I feel changes its status a bit to merit mention here. On Mercury the music is varied. At times it feels musically predictable & then surprises with a change & something different & out of the blue ... or maybe one should say out of the cosmic blue yonder. Opener "Celestial Bodies" is long droning notes tinkling on a keyboard reminiscent of its name. Nothing out of the ordinary, but this is just the prelude. The main song on the EP "Heavy Bombardment/Mariner 10" opens with a highly distorted instrumental guitar & drum mix with a few sound effects. It starts predictably before suddenly changing course with weird static-like sound effects before going into much more organized prog-rock guitar & keyboard runs. It sounds like Phillip Glass with a rock band as the changes are slow & unpredictable, with a bit of Iron Maiden passion thrown in but just without Bruce Dickinson moving the emphasis away from the music. This eventually feeds into droning guitars & an unexpected dance beat. This track is, without a doubt, distilling the essence of the Celestial Bodies project & why I chose this second release to review instead of the debut The Sun. This is a project in pieces & within the pieces are more pieces & while The Sun shines as a strong first step Mercury takes things up a notch. While, closing piece "Ode To The Possible Past" is an undistorted almost acoustic piece of a strummed guitar that plucks away randomly before fading into a coherent soft melody with a light synthesizer background. It's an instrumental love ballad if there is such a thing & only further shows off the diversity one can expect both on the EP & the entire project. As for the art ... intricate cosmic fantastical line-drawings that add much to the experience, a visual coherency RM never had before, & a delightful focusing tool for the music. Kadinsky always said you could actually play his paintings, here RM/MB are actually trying.

Donny Osmond ~ Eyes Don't Lie (album review) ... But, the music tells a different story!

Style: pop, dance
Label: Capitol
Year: 1990
Home: Utah

Members: Donny Osmond ~ vocals
Carl Sturken ~ guitars/keyboards
John Nevin ~ bass
David Gamson ~ keyboards/drum programming

Additional: Bruce Dukov, Debra Price, Arnold Belnick, Isabelle Daskoff, Joel Derouin, Henry Ferber, Reg Hill, Brian Leonard, Gordon Marron, Don Palmer, Haim Shtrum, Bob Sushel, Mari Tsumura, Shari Zippert ~ violins
Fred Seykora, Ron Cooper, Larry Corbett, Ernie Ehrhradt, Dennis Karmazyn, Suzie Katayama ~ cello
Sam Boghossian, Ken Burward-Hoy, Myra Kestenbaum, Dan Neufeld ~ viola
Guests: Dave Koz, Michael Brecker ~ saxophone
Al Pitrelli ~ rhythm guitar
Rory James Collen, Paul Jackson Jr. ~ guitar
Paulinho da Costa ~ percussion
DJ Aladdin ~ scratching
Cornelius Mims ~ bass
Oliver Leiber ~ drum programming
Rich Tancredi ~ keyboards
Joe Franco ~ drums
Billy T. Scott, Jamillah Muhammed, Shelly Peiken ~ b. vocals

 

Once teen idol DO really needs no introduction. Though, anyone that might hear this album will certainly be looking for one ... if not at least an explanation. Imagine Rick Springfield or New Kids On The Block pop meeting a white boy's take on Quincy Jones or Prince-esque funk with all the electronic drums, light R&B backing vocals & splashes of keyboards. This may not be what you'd expect from boy scout DO, but its what he turned out in his only studio album in the 90's. The result is a pop album with a weak dance beat & a "syrupy" manner, as many critics have labeled it. A few guitars are thrown in with good measure, but its primarily a synthesizer affair. The result sounds as alien to the vision & music of DO as heavy metal jazz was to Pat Boone. The difference is Boone turned in something masterful. This is just cliched through the roof, shallow through the floor & as alien as Mars. Surprisingly, it's not the music that's the problem with this album. It sounds like DO was copying what he had in his music collection & he copies well. The George Michael-esque "Private Affair" is a lovely little ballad, written by Diane Warren, maybe the strongest track on the album, while some of the funky Prince-esque moments (i.e. "Eyes Don't Lie", "Sure Lookin'") aren't that bad. The problem is that since debuting on TV at age five, DO never really had a sound of his own. He's trying to find one here, but while all the little beats, funky lines & keyboard moments might be in their proper place the music never really rises to any climactic moment or to anything beyond imitation & DO's voice never soars to carry the album higher. This followed his 1989 self-titled release, his only album for that decade, that was a deliberately planned comeback co-engineered by Peter Gabriel. It spawned two singles that were originally marketed by a "mystery artist". The Osmond name & 70's tv star image had come to haunt DO & being broke & weary he was desperate to basically start over. The idea was to remove his reputation from his career. Thus, we return to the problem for Eyes Don't Lie & the 90's DO. He has no place to go without starting from scratch. He's not like Alice Cooper who abandoned the make-up of Killer Alice in the late 70's & 80's to find a new character & voice, only to return to what he did well with Killer Alice. DO can't return to the teen pop star nor The Osmond family singing troupe. He's now stuck in the predicament of all imitators. He may have written all but two songs, but the material isn't strong & the musical team on hand isn't pushing him to do anything individual, original or more than sub-par interesting. While an album full of day dreaming romance love songs isn't exactly showing DO at his most personal, considering his Mormon upbringing & getting & staying married to a youthful sweetheart. Today, the album reak of a world dominated by New Kids On The Block & sounds more dated then ever. At the time though, thinking back, one can see that it's not really an embarrassment. It fits its era, or at least one end of the spectrum. Of note is that the track "Just Between You & Me" was produced by Ric Wake & engineered by Bob Cadway with drums by Joe Franco, keyboards by Rich Tancredi & rhythm guitar by Al Pitrelli. Or, more properly that's Joe Franco of Twisted Sister & Al Pitrelli of Megadeth/Trans-Siberian Orchestra, here both during their session days. Tancredi & Franco are also on "Private Affair". But, all of the above names would also be found the same year on Kathy Troccoli's Pure Attraction, Expose's self-titled album & Henry Lee Summer's Way Past Midnight, while all but Al would be involved with creating Taylor Dayne's signature song "Tell It To My Heart" & her later album Soul Dancing. Producer Ric Wake was known for using the same set of musicians once a groove was found ... or a hit. Further, guest bassist on one track Cornelius Mims also did drum programming for Quincy Jones on Michael Jackson's Bad, while some drum programming here was done by Oliver Leiber who had produced Paula Abdul's debut & written some of the material. It certainly looks like DO was checking out the linear notes of the songs he liked in his collection & who played on them. The linear notes read "My sincere appreciation to everyone at radio, retail & the press for accepting a change." It can be said that whatever chart position this album didn't hit, his next act would be to spend six years starring in Broadway's Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat & the later movie. That's a real comeback.