Blackhammer ~ Damned World (EP) (album review) ... Leave the hammer, take the cannoli!

Style: black metal, death metal, noise, experimental
Label: Dod Incarnate Records
Year: 2012
Home: Bolzano, Italy

Members: Xulur, Terror ~ guitars/drums/vocals

 





Formed this year Italian duo Blackhammer turns out a debut, following the recording of the demo Daemon & a single, that is as basic as one can get, sparse & painfully cold death. It's music for zombies to plod by. Actually, this type of black metal is the shining forte of Dod Incarnate Records that also features noise monsters Dod Beverte & Dethcentrik. Eight tracks cut off any sense of daylight or hope via a single Television-esque crooked guitar riffing tirelessly against top speed pounding double bass drums & croaked vocals. The music has a bit of a droning hypnotic quality, decrying solos or much variation once the pattern is established. Though, at over three minutes it can make a song a bit long, without at least a break or scream or something. It doesn't help that the production is also as bare as one can get. No studio tweaks. Though, it would be interesting to hear a simple keyboard line tucked into the mix adding some light ambiance giving a bit of warmth to the starkness. This is the music community moral groups warn you not to listen to. Though, it's not necessarily Satanic, just as black & raw as it gets. "The Story Of Your Death", "XIII", "The Beginning Of Agony", "Fire Above Us", "Agony", "Endless Sufference", "The Face Of Death", "Buried Under The Desert Sun" walk you through zombie land. It should be noted it that there is two different sessions as "XIII", "Agony" & "Fire Above Us" come over from the demo, which is obvious as a couple songs have one guitar sound while the demos have a more fuzzed up variation. I label this an EP though its beyond that at eight songs, but three of the songs are under a minute & merely sound bridges.

SOS ~ Adult Situations (album review) ... And, adults like it brutal!

Style: hardcore, thrash, punk
Label: self-released
Year: 2008
Home: New York City, New York

Members: Mike SOS ~ guitars/vocals
Nino Brown ~ guitars
David DeCanio ~ bass
Brett Thompson ~ drums

SOS is a punk meets thrash band making brutal music that could only come from the gutters of New York City. What is NYC music? It's impossible to define, but its dirty & thick like the city & often emphasizes a groin groove over flashy L.A. solos. It's got an attitude that isn't as menacing or lonely as one might first intuit. Living Colour, Tired Wings, Anthrax, D Generation, Twisted Sister, Cro-Mags, Blondie, Television & the early CBGB's scene come to mind as prime examples along the NYC spectrum. They all might sound completely different but there's a thread that goes through all these bands & countless others calling NYC their birth home. Basically, they couldn't have been born anywhere else. But, NYC might be the only scene that can not be defined musically or even stereotyped. Of course, we all know that not all Scandinavian metal is black death, but when talking about this part of Europe we're all thinking about black metal. L.A. brings to mind flash, spandex & big hair. NYC? You know it when you hear it. Not all bands in NYC have the NYC feel, though. Some try to hard to be something else. That you can hear too. SOS fits very comfortably in the scene with a style that has a bit of thrash but without the speed. This is more akin to groove thrash. Though the music is different, I'm reminded of Faith No More or maybe a better comparison is Clutch. They both had a metal sound but each song was unpredictable, though staying within a particular audio mold. While SOS has a particular sound they have far more variety than many reviewers give them credit for. Repeated listens pull out the fact that this is more than just a riff rhythm/solo/rhythm band. The music churns, builds up & dives. Like Faith No More there's no predicting where each song will go, or with Clutch the rhythms are all vibrant. SOS tries to be tough sounding but aren't. The talk is tougher than the walk. But, a lot NYC bands have this wall they try to put up but really can't enforce. This weak strain is obvious in the vocals. They sound more mainstream than one might expect from such a heavy band. Some reviewers have drawn James Hetfield of Metallica comparisons, I can see that maybe in a verse here or there (i.e. "Walk Of Shame") or maybe its more apparent on earlier albums as it's a tough stretch here. The one problem is of the dozen tracks a couple (i.e. "Half Mast," "The Thing Is...", "Hypoxphilia") sound like they come from different recordings sessions with inferior production or at least different mixing, the vocals being obviously lower in the mix, while the songs are quite different & a bit more punk than what has come before. They're not bad but sound like filler, disrupting the flow. It makes one wish this was an EP of the first five songs & then an EP of the rest of the album & leave out the three odd pieces for their own release. But, actually, besides that one incentive, cutting the album in half into two EPs wouldn't be a bad idea. The songs are strong, but there is enough non-variety where there's a bit too many tracks pulling the individual distinctiveness down. It's not that the album is too long, it just could be a little tighter. But, I will say, though this style of music is not often my first choice I found I really enjoyed the album far more than I expected. I'd only heard a few tracks by the band before listening to the whole thing, but you can't judge a band or album by a few tracks ... which is why I don't share singles on this blog even though I get them sent to me. A lot of albums I review here I don't keep. I won't listen to them again. Or, I save a couple tracks & get rid of the album. But, SOS I know I'll listen to again. I think that's the best thing I can say about it & that really says more than anything else I've written so far.

Ian Stuart's Skrewdriver ~ The Strong Survive (album review) ... But, that doesn't include you!

Style: protest, hard rock
Label: Rock-O-Rama
Year: 1990
Home: England

Members: Ian Stuart ~ vocals/guitar
Stigger ~ guitar/keyboard
Jon Herson ~ bass
Jon Burnley ~ drums

This might just be one of the best albums by Skrewdriver, featuring cult frontman Ian Stuart. It's the same under-produced highly distorted non-melodic guitars against an non-descript rhythm section that marks much of their output. The secret being Stuarts's distinct crunchy voice & biting social commentary. Skrewdriver started as a typical anti-social angry punk band before a change of membership, predominantly in guitarist Stigger, brought a more hard rock sound. While Stuart's obsession with the British Nationalist movement & later his becoming a father figure to the White Supremacist movement turned his lyrical content from just anti-social to racial, eventually leading to his untimely murder. It put Stuart & Skrewdriver into the British & international spotlight & gave them a distinctiveness they hadn't had & probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise, but it also shrunk their fanbase & isolated them in the music community, let alone any community. Skrewdriver would be an on/off affair, while Stuart formed many side groups, such as work with Stigger, Rough Justice & the Klansmen, that would experiment with metal, rockabilly & folk or cracked country as its come to be known. The lyrics, though, always the focus over musical development. The problem is that most people, if they know Stuart & company at all, only tend to know him for his racialist views, the term used by the community versus the more common racist, but much of his recording output actually is not racialist at all. His beliefs on race were just one part of his personality & one thing to protest. Yet, people think that's all he knows & sings about & hate him fiercely for it. It's no different than saying everything George Harrison sang was related to Hare Krishna, even if "This Song" & "When We Was Fab" & "Sue Me Sue You Blues" have nothing to do with spirituality, while Hinduism has often been seen as a backwards pagan religion. The difference is nobody hates Harrison but many hate Stuart, so it doesn't matter if what they say about him is based on what he actually did or what they think he did. It's a case of not separating the stereotype from reality. But, then, those people are never going to listen to anything Stuart has done, no matter what, & its their loss. But, considering we iconize rap musicians who kill others or superstars who act like embarrassing jerks in public, but yet Stuart who did neither is ostracized & murdered for his beliefs. This is sad how fame works, because much of his output, particularly with Skrewdriver, & certainly with the one-off Rough Justice, was actually aimed at universal problems, particularly the big brother government & the more modest disillusions of failed friendships. On this album there's not a single racialist line, while his pointed & unabashed criticisms are as powerful as Dylan, Baez & Guthrie, if not far more direct. His lyrics should be floated out at every protest. This is the album to float out. This album doesn't necessarily have the most poetic lyrics, the one album with Rough Justice is my recommendation for that, but the album congeals in a way that Skrewdriver albums don't always do. Stuart doesn't necessarily get as explicit on who he is talking about on some albums, but hits big themes such as pride in one's ideas & even teachers. In "The Strong Survive" Stuart sings: "However they hit us/we'll be back again/the strong survive/look at us baby/we're still alive". Or, in "Shining Down": "Don't tell me nothing can be done/with that attitude/nothing will be won." As for education, in "Voice Of Evil" he sings: "Crime in the classroom ... some call it a teacher/they'll try to tell you that north is south/they're making up stories ... they never stopped trying/to make you feel bad." There's also a cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid", which is a nice little inclusion & feels like it lyrically matches though I haven't considered if it really does or not & far better than his take of "Back In Black" on another album. "Backstabber" & "Warzone" are Stuart's take on bad personal relationships, thus rounding out the album with some personal notes.

Northern Light Orchestra ~ The Spirit Of Christmas (album review) ... TSO for the Christian crowd!

Style: holiday, heavy metal
Label: VSR Music Group
Year: 2009
Home: n/a

Members: Lanny Cordola ~ rhythm guitars
Chuck Wright ~ bass
Ken Mary ~ drums/b. vocals
Phillip Bardowell ~ vocals

Guests: Dave Ellefson, Krys Van Slyke ~ bass
George Lynch, Bruce Kulick, Doug Aldrich, Chris Sanders, Bill Leverty, Elliot Randall, Steve Conley, Jason Hook, John Davis ~ lead guitar
Shane Gibson, Kendall Bechtel ~ guitars
Dizzy Reed, Brian Stewart ~ keyboards
Kip Winger, Alan Gregson ~ strings
Rose Stone, Jon Gibson, Robin McAuley ~ vocals
Danny Vaughn ~ b. vocals
Debbie Sledge, Eddie James, Bob Carlisle ~ lead vocals

They've named themeselves an orchestra, only tour at Christmas, have a rotating door of guest musicians & a modifed line-up appearing on stage, have an album of Christmas songs which are all rocked up versions of Christian hymns ... no, it's not Trans-Siberian Orchestra, it's the NLO. It's hard not to call NLO an imitation. It's hard not to figure that the creators of the group saw the success of TSO & with their own careers stuttering in obscurity along wanted to do something bigger. Certainly, the array of guest musicians on NLO's one album is a step to get noticed. The big difference between the two bands is that there's no instrumental classical songs getting a rock treatment here, which TSO often likes to do to the point of nauseum. There's also no story, while all but two songs of the seventeen (i.e. "Celebrate Christmas", "I Feel The Warmth") have to do with the baby Jesus. One might say this is a super safe TSO for the Christian crowd, great to play at holiday worship services. TSO has always walked a fine line of discussing Christian morals, angels included, but without directly touching on anything Christian. The other difference is where TSO is operatic, over-the-top, classically influenced & with an array of musical styles, this is primarily a guitar riffing affair. There's not much soul or world beat or jazz, no violin solos or piano only ballads & certainly no childrens' choirs. It's a rock'n'roll Christmas party. No one can deny that TSO has pushed what can be done with rock & Christmas music to new levels, while bands like Glenn Kaiser & Rez Band, Larry Norman, Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill & countless others have pushed rock & Christian music in wide & varied directions, thus Christian songs with lots of guitar solos is ultimately less than exciting. Individually there's some fun upbeat songs, but rock musicians release every year countless Christmas albums doing the same thing. However good the individuals, the big picture suffers from a lack of inspiration. Actually, the Kings Of Christmas debut release in 2012, featuring former members of TSO, sounds nothing like TSO & shows just how far one can go away from that dominating influence. I commend NLO for taking a overtly Christian approach, which opens the door to criticism by anti-Christians. Youth oriented worship groups everywhere will greatly enjoy this album. While, it doesn't rock harder than any other Christian group, like Rez Band, so its not lacking in drive. As for the creativity of the project ... personally, I'll go to TSO. Even where they are maudlin they are the litmus test. While I get tired of TSO's classically influenced songs, I also like my Christian music a little less direct than Jesus this & Jesus that ... think Larry Norman. Though, "Child Of Abraham" is a standout with Bruce Kulick of Kiss & & vocalist Phillip Bardowell at his best. A great voice you've probably never heard. What truly makes this project stand out is the names involved in it, most prominently bassist Dave Ellefson of Megadeth, on hiatus from Megadeth at the time, who became a spokesman for the group & performed live with them. Sadly, on the five tracks he's on, of course, the bass is just another instrument in the mix, lost behind the guitars. The core band is actually all of the supergroup Magdallan, with drummer Ken Mary & guitarist Larry Cordola appearing on all the tracks & bassist Chuck Wright & singer Bardowell on most in either lead or backing roles. It should be mentioned that all but Bardowell are also former members of House Of Lords. Bardowell & Cordola are also Beach Boys alum. Bassist Wright is mostly known for his work with Quiet Riot, while drummer Mary has been a part of the Alice Cooper band & Impellitteri. As for the rest of the album, the big selling point no doubt, the guests include: guitarists Chris Sanders of Knight Fury & Lizzy Borden, Jason Hook of Alice Cooper & Five Finger Death Punch, Bill Leverty of Firehouse, Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake, Steve Conley of F5 with Dave Ellefson, Kendall Bechtel of Fifth Angel, Shane Gibson of Korn, John Davis of Superdrag, session man Elliot Randall of Asia & Steely Dan, George Lynch of Lynch Mob & Dokken, Kip Winger of Winger; keyboardists Dizzy Reed of Guns N Roses, Brian Stewart of Backstreet Boys & Evermore; vocalists Danny Vaughn of Tyketto, Rose Stone of Sly & the Family Stone, Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge, Eddie James of London/D'Priest, Robin McAuley of Survivor & McAuley Schenker Group; Christian singers Bob Carlisle & Jon Gibson; producer Alan Gregson.

Michael Lee ~ Hold On To Heaven (EP) (album review) ... And, let go of the slick music!

Style: glam, rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2010
Home: Houston, Texas

Members: Michael Lee ~ vocals/guitar/keyboards/bass
Steve Bundrick ~ drums/keyboards/bass
John Bundrick ~ keyboards
Paul Vander ~ b. vocals


Additional: Eric Jimenez, Kathy Crumpler ~ b. vocals

  I'll confess I'm not a glam fan, outside of Bowie but he goes beyond glam. I haven't heard as much Marc Bolan as I wish & I like Hanoi Rocks on their final album with Razzle when at their least glammy. I've basically never had a good glam introduction to lead me deeper into its midst. But, I appreciate those who draw up the scene & keep it alive. Hold On To Heaven certainly in the glam tradition, from the look to the music. Lee is certainly not a guitar shredder & this is far from straight alt-pop rock. It's a bit more pop than I typically gravitate to personally, but having said that I was offered some samples from Lee's album by Ariel Publicity & was given a choice whether I wanted to get a CD or not. I heard something in it, though going against my normal grain, to want the CD. Note, I don't ask for music if I don't have plans to review it. Lee crafts a slick album with no rough spots with lush keyboards, soft vocals & melodic guitars that don't dominate with lots of backing vocals. He sings mythical lyrics of love ... dragons, angels & vampires included. While I prefer music less Scissor Sisters & more hard rock, less polished & more real, I do have to give credit to Lee for interesting vocal arrangements that make up for a less than strong voice, while not crafting a typical chunking guitar pop album. A few reviewers have called him an over-the-top 80's flashback. Briny Fox were over the top 80's & Steel Panther are over-the-top flashback 80's. This is not 80's rock, though it might have some new wave in it. I just don't hear the energy of 80's hair metal here. It does cull from the same source, the glam that inspired Hanoi Rocks that inspired the 80's scene single-handedly, which would explain the comparison, but its limiting to call this an 80's throwback. I love 80's music. I know 80's music. This is David Bowie meets HIM. Lee might not be a glam fan, though the eye make-up says differently, but if this is his interpretation of 80's he's coming through the back door. He's getting the essence of the 80's & the same roots, but with a different shade of pomp & circumstance. Hard rockers won't care for it, but those that like something a bit sweeter & softer & lyrically intimate versus biting, Lee is worth checking out. The album was engineered & drums were provided by Steve Bundrick of the Alice Cooper band. His uncle John "Rabbit" Bundrick appears on a couple tracks. Rabbit has played with the Who, Johnny Nash, Free & Roger Waters ... & if you don't know his work he also played guitar on the original Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack. This is Lee's debut, having since released a follow-up. He made his name as a two time Emmy nominated TV editor & producor ranging from E! True Hollywood Story to Super Bowl post-game wrap-ups.

Beach Boys ~ That's Why God Made The Radio (album review) ... And, thank God for music like this to hear on the radio!

Style: pop rock
Label: Capital
Year: 2012
Home: n/a

Members: Al Jardine – vocals/whistle
Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston ~ vocals
David Marks ~ guitar

Additional: Jeffrey Foskett ~ b. vocals/snaps
Adrian Baker, Christian Love, Hayleigh Love, Skip Masters ~ b. vocals
Jeff Baxter, Tom Bukovac, Jim Riley, Nick Rowe, Scott Totten, Nick Walusko, Jeffrey Foskett ~ guitar
Probyn Gregory ~ guitar/banjo/french horn
Cliff Hugo, Larry Millas, Michael Rhodes, Brett Simons ~ bass
Jim Peterik ~ ukulele/percussion
Scott Bennett ~ keyboards/vibes
Paul Fauerso ~ keyboards/percussion
John Hobbs ~ keyboards
Joe Thomas ~ keyboards/snaps
Gary Griffin ~ accordian
Joel Deroulin, Sharon Jackson, Peter Kent, Songa Lee, Julie Rogers, John Wittenberg ~ violin
Alisha Bauer, Vanessa Freebarin-Smith ~ cello
David Stone ~ double bass
Paul Mertens ~ flute/sax
Chris Bleth ~ oboe
Jessica Bish ~ snaps
Eddie Bayers, Curt Bisquera, Chad Cromwell, Nelson Bragg ~ drums
John Cowsill ~ snaps/drums

Once upon a time there was a world of feel good music. Literally - feel good music, about beaches, girls, sun & not having a care in the world. There wasn't a hint of sadness or dismal problems & even broken hearts weren't so bad because they never lasted. That world is gone. It's been gone for a long time. Thus, listening to the new reunion album by the remaining BB - excluding the ill Glen Campbell who originally replaced Brian Wilson on tour & played on Pet Sounds - is a strange experience. It is music out of time that sounds like it's 1962 all over again & the last few decades of anything-but-feel-good music has never happened, let alone Wilson never got ill & vanished for decades. But, at the same time it's strange hearing a band that sounds like this, because time has moved on & nobody expects a band of senior citizens to sound the same & sing the same feel good songs in the same way. 71 year old don't sit at the beach or cruise down the highway. Yet, I can't think of another band that has returned after so long & turned in an album that so masterfully feels like so much of a flashback its scary. Wilson proves his amazing ear yet again, not that it was ever tarnished, as primary songwriter & producer. He's crafted a timeless, or out of time, lyrical walk through joyful emotions about the pleasures of love, God, music, beaches & just a general celebration of life. Yet, at times it feels emotionally forced & too light. The music might be lush but I've always believed that darker emotions come across more realistically, because nobody wants to feel angry so it's an emotion you struggle with as it cuts deep, while happiness you just let happen & float across ones life. But, yet, really, its hard to say if this honestly is a happy album, however it sounds. It may sound lush but the BB have never been a sad sounding band so Wilson isn't going to let them become that now. Maybe on one hand all the songs are nothing but joyful, maybe a bit too much at times, a bit too shallow, but yet its hard not to hear under the surface this as a dance with mortality for a band that many thought had died a long time ago & has seen the passing of some of its members. The final three songs form a masterpiece suite that puts all the negativity & sadness right up front. Wilson is going to let us enjoy this party for the most part & not weigh us down with worry. But, he knows the score & plays the game fair at the end. When he is going to be nostalgic it's going to be a tear-jerking farewell all the way. The album opens with "Think About The Days", a piano instrumental with some trademarked BB chorus vocalizations, that might be one of the saddest openings an album has ever had. This is Lou Reed Berlin sadness. It makes one tense for what is going to follow, for what one expects. The fact that what follows is a complete throwback belays that Wilson knew what the expectations would be & he is not going to dwell on his mortality just to meet those expectations. He ends the project with that mortality, exactly where it should come in the progression of the album. Obviously, musically, there is no doubt this is a Brian Wilson project. There's the multi-layered instruments & surprise arrangements of the Pet Sounds era, that only Wilson can create, not the sparse pop songs of earlier days or the radio friendly rock of the "Kokomo" era. With Pet Sounds Wilson made the instrumentation as important as the trademarkable "Help Me Rhonda" vocal arrangements had once been. In awhile it would have been nice to hear the pop early 60's pop band again. Pet Sounds might be Wilson's masterpiece, but a majority of hits come from the sparser sounding early days. In some ways, this sounds like Wilson picked right up where he left off with Smile. Perhaps the recent reworking of this lost project brought him back to where he was decades earlier, versus the sound that marked the solo albums after his return to performing. Wilson could never have constructed this album years ago. He may still be the performance shy stiff musician, but his voice is much looser & his comfort level has grown, though really, he's never going to be a great singer & remains a bit of a weight to listen to & watch. Really, he should stick to producing & not performing. One wonders if when Wilson started his return to music if he could have even have composed songs as cheerful as these? He had to purge his demons first & he surely has & now he can go back in time. Actually, it's amazing how vocally accurate & timeless the album is. Yes, there might low tones sung more often than there once was, but this feels like the BB in every way. So many musicians, like Rod Stewart & Heart, have released albums where the age in their voice was obvious & it was painful to hear them fall, but not here. But, its still really hard to listen to. It's so strange & alien sounding. The ear isn't used to music like this. Nobody even listens to the radio anymore, like they used to. But, then, when the BB debuted they were something different, Pet Sounds was the album that inspired Sgt. Pepper & the BB have always been different. The trend continues. The songs here are short & to the point like songs haven't been in decades, sans guitar solos or anything that is seemingly part of modern music. Instrumental sections are like an orchestra not a rock band. How will Wilson follow this up? Surely there will not be another BB album, even though the band is now on tour. Wilson has released the complete Smile tapes, let alone re-recording the album. He's done everything musicians never do. He's recreated the past. Now that he brought the past back where does he go from here? There's another question that also lingers ... will folks listen to this album down the road or will it be forgotten? The fact that its getting the best reviews a BB album has gotten since 1977's Love You says a lot ... but, people don't listen to albums like they used to. It's now a world of singles not cohesive units. It's also now a place where music is accumulated faster than ever & albums quickly forgotten. There's really no place for a Smile or Pet Sounds anymore. People don't even listen to sounds & layers like they used to, just the rush they get off an initial listen. Is there a place for the BB anymore for the under 30 crowd who didn't grow up with them? Even their last hit "Kokomo" is a few generations past. The answer to these questions will show why God made the radio. Hopefully the DJ's will play it over & over as that's what it takes. It's not a hard album to enjoy, it's just hard to come to terms to. A few historic highlights of this album, the BB's twenty-ninth coinciding with their 50th anniversary, deserves mention. It's the first album to feature original material since 1992's Summer In Paradise & the first to be made since the 1998 death of Carl Wilson. It's also the first to feature guitarist David Marks since Little Deuce Coupe in 1963, who was 13 when he originally played with the BB moving over their first four albums. The title track reached number three on the Billboard charts & is their highest charting song since 1965, placing them second with longest span of top ten albums, beating the the Beatles by two years with Sinatra at fifty-two years of top ten albums & the Rolling Stones fourth place with forty-five years. It was also the first top ten studio album since 1976 & the highest studio album since 1971 in England.

Y&T ~ Unearthed, Vol. 1 (comp) (album review) ... Digging deep to find gold!

Style: hard rock
Label: Meanstreak Music Co.
Year: 2003
Home: n/a

Members: Dave Meniketti ~ vocals/guitars/bass/keyboards
Joey Alves ~ guitar
Phil Kennemore ~ bass/b. vocals
Jimmy DeGrasso ~ drums
Leonard Haze ~ drums/b. vocals

Additional: John Nymann, Bill Costa ~ b. vocals
Taylor Rhodes ~ keyboards

Y&T, previously known as Yesterday & Today, are a band that deserves a re-evaluation. In 2001 the band reunited for the second time & released Unearthed Vol. 1 featuring seventeen unreleased demos spanning from 1974 to 2003. This is the perfect starting point for that re-evaluation. Known more for their 70's studio albums than later ones, the Yesterday & Today era, & ultimately stronger on stage than in the studio, if this collection had been released as a normal album in the early 80's instead of the less than stellar albums they did put out, their reputation would be far different. It's a shame that only fans will probably grab this & Vol. 2 as it might be the best album they released in over a decade. Though, note, only one song is from 1974, with all the rest is 80's/90's material, so this is clearly an 80's album, not a true compilation as it advertises itself. Some nugget seekers will be surely be disappointed. But, outside of that one inclusion at the end, being that the music is from the same time period gives the album an evenness not always found in demo collections. Great remastering & original high quality recordings also help, with only a few songs pulled from cassette tape showing any glimmer of something less, giving the songs all a polish sound. One would be hard pressed to know how any of the songs are in demo form. But, demo here being simply the fact they weren't released until now, not necessarily representing incompleteness. Though, according to the linear notes the music is “rough, with all the warts (& magic) expected from a demo” culled from “nearly 100 tunes locked away in the Y&T vaults”. You could have fooled me. As to why this is such a stellar album, & the first recommendation I would give to anyone who wants to know Y&T's music, is the diverse range of music. Seventeen tracks, versus the typical dozen of an album, span a range of approaches lyrically & musically, not falling into the trap of all sounding alike as they were all written for the same album, nor was this album released under label pressure to have a hit. The only odd track is 1974's "Rockazoid Rolleroid" at the end. A strange psychedelic multi-vocal space-rock song reminiscent of the first Alice Cooper Band album meets David Bowie & nothing like the Y&T this album is unearthing. It's not bad, but out of place. The one attraction is that it is a true nugget from their first demo tape. All the tracks are unheard demos that were never finalized for formal release, but almost all of them have hit potential, check out "In The Name Of Love" for proof. The only exceptions is the inclusion of the original version of "Hard Times" from Ten & "Wild If I Wanna" of which 38 seconds was used in the film Out Of Bounds. "I Make Believe" & "Give Me Rock", both written in 1982 for Black Tiger, are the only two songs given a second chance with new lyrics & solos in 2003. Also of note is that the album is split between line-ups fairly evenly with eight tracks with the Meniketti, Kennemore & DeGrasso line-up & six with the Meniketti, Kennemore, Alves & Haze line-up. Casual fans will probably not notice as the focus is all on the Meniketti most of the time, as it is, as frontman & songwriter. Sadly no recordings from Stef Burns few years as rhythm guitarist. A super feature of the album, making it worth buying not downloading, is extensive linear notes including quotes about every song from every band member, plus co-writer John Nymann. They're funny & as interesting to read as the album is to listen to. In 2011 Kennemore passed away from cancer, but Y&T continues.

The Book Of Love ~ I Touch Roses: The Best Of The Book Of Love (hits comp) (album review) ... Take a page from this book!

Style: electro pop, synth pop, dance
Label: Reprise
Year: 2000
Home: Pennsylvania (disbanded)

Members: Jade Lee ~ keyboards/percussion/b. vocals
Ted Ottaviano ~ keyboards/melodica/bells/b. vocals
Susan Ottaviano ~ vocals
Lauren Roselli ~ keyboards/b. vocals

Additional: Lori Lindsay, Ray Carroll, Richard Joseph ~ guitar
Mark S.J. Roselli ~ b. vocals

 

This now obscure one hit pop group has been called "saccharine" by some reviewers, but I'd like to suggest differently for a new listening experience. I feel the BOL brought an enjoyable non-saccharine moody coldness with a female voice to the synth-pop new wave world. The lyrics might indeed be sappy love songs with more often than not weak cliched proto-Europop lyrics, but the music on the whole was more akin to the feeling Shirley Manson would try with Garbage or maybe more properly the Eurythmics. Fun, yet cold. Danceable, with a sly grin. The Eurythmics just didn't have the dance beat so prominent or the lyrics so weak, & Annie Lennox always had a bit of a chill in her demeaner & she knew it & played upon it. The producers of the BOL didn't realize what made them good & thus brought their own decline by missing the mark they accidentally stumbled upon. They pumped up the beauty when they should have pumped up the isolating lyrical aspect of some of the songs. They wanted to be friendly when they should have gone distant. A happy accident but the band, nor the reviewers, I believe, have realized it. Some maybe. The BOL aimed for a womanly touch but the singing is anything but motherly. In hindsight the BOL is a deliberately harsh Shakespeare's Sister waiting to happen. One band understood what people liked but weren't able to make it happen again in the long-term. The other one should have gotten a new producer instead of trying to reinvent themselves on every album. Thus, we have the only major hit "I Touch Roses", with its flashes of sound & cold drum beat & synthetic rhythm, being quite enjoyable ... but critics don't want to confess this as they feel obligated to critique the band in light of them failing to not match their PR materials. But, listen with open ears & it becomes enjoyable by being everything that it didn't intend to be. That's the secret of re-discovering the BOL. But, really, given all this, they really are a one hit band & there's no surprise why. The best songs are good but not strong enough to battle what else was on the charts, particularly some of the more experimental pieces from the later albums that just gracefully miss the mark by being a bit too experimental. Three new tracks are included in this compilation from 2000 & one remix. The new tracks could be out of Madonna's Confessions On The Dancefloor & I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me they were. Sadly, these new tracks have the most intricate & modern electronica foundations but the weakest of lyrics relying on repetition of cute phrases versus interesting storytelling. They show the other reason the band declined commercially - not just did they not realize what made them good, but they went from interesting lyrics to words that just sound good against a beat. Critics err again on this point by calling it saccharine. Music needs meaning to be saccharine. These weak songs have no meaning. "Counting The Rosaries" which is so wanna-be Madonna ... though the horrible male voice intoning Latin is creative but disruptively too experimental ... has a non-exist message & is purely simple lines strung together for the sake of it. It's dry & boring electropop. The emotional quality is non-existent, if not forced, & is just bad not saccharine. Saccharine is being nice. I'm trying to show what could be fixed. Their dance beat version of "Tubular Bells" is case in point, as what is somewhat an already sterile song becomes flat. It's worse in this case because what makes the best songs interesting is not just the unintentional coldness but also the lyrical twists. So, having an instrumental gets rid of whatever was left of interest. It's just sad. Its as sad as Donna Summer becoming a hardcore Christian & decrying her overwhelmingly gay fanbase. For example of their good lyrics turn to the modest college hit "Boy". With a little work this could find a whole new audience ... if, like "Tainted Love", it was given a twist by a gay artist. Consider the chorus, to demonstrate, as its certainly halfway there: "I wanna be where the boys are/but I'm not allowed/I wait outside of the boys bar/I want them to all come out/I'm not a boy ... I stay at home at night/& I play with my toys/I'm not a boy." I'd be looking for a gay artist to record this without hesitance. Actually, there's a few songs that have a slight gay innuendo feeling from the debut album. Put these innuendo lyrics with the cold beat & suddenly the BOL take on a new life, which is the life I wish to encourage folks to listen for. It's a dancefloor explosion waiting to happen. If I haven't proven the case yet of how an accident creates life, consider ... who would give a band the name Love only to have a cover with four depressed looking faces looking in different directions, if the band was only about happy love songs? Maybe the producers did know what they were doing ... then we'll blame it on the PR firm they hired.

Monks of Mellonwah ~ Neurogenesis (EP) (album review) ... Getting up early for prayer hour!

Style: alt rock
Label: n/a
Year: 2012
Home: Sydney, Australia

Members: Will Maher ~ vocals
Joe de la Hoyde ~ guitar/b. vocals
John de la Hoyde ~ bass
Josh Baissari ~ drums

 

There's certain countries that don't seem to carry well across the ocean musically. I've always felt Australia was one of them. We all know the Bee Gees, INXS, Midnight Oil, Men At Work, Kylie Minogue, AC/DC & black metal heads should know Sadistik Exekution, while its easy to forget Crowded House & Air Supply are from there, but I've always felt like there was more to offer from this sprawling country. We've barely tapped into their talent reservoir. It is thus a pleasure to share the new four song EP by alt rockers MoM of Sydney, bridging time as they work on their next full length following their 2010 debut, & they've no less literally created a musical moment that sounds like a boat rolling on the waves. Created by a production crew that includes Jeff Bova of Michael Jackson & Howie Weinberg Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins & Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the tongue-twisting Neurogenesis weaves a tapestry of alt rock drawing on the 90's scene, not the current scream & strangle approach. Muse & Coldplay are the bands thrown out in the PR as current equivalents & certainly one can see similarities via the forward-moving diverse arrangements. MoM show off a firm grasp on building up the music from a simple line to a layered but not chaotic denseness where all the layers are still clear. Each song builds up, crashes climactically & lets go gracefully. Solos are less important than texture, rhythm & movement forward. This is the mood that comes through over numerous listens. Though I don't often discuss visuals here, I particularly like the Adam Ant-esque outfits. It important & I hope they experiment more with visual themes, as otherwise they're four good-looking lads in t-shirts & messed up hair. But, is this memorable for the band? If it wasn't for the communication with the PR guy & uncovering the costume photos I probably would have just passed them over as yet another moody slashing guitar screamo-esque band that I tend to not like & not give a listen to. That's just a shame, but it shows how important visuals are in getting attention. Though, my opinion on this may not be much as MoM won the award for "Best Indie Rock Band" at the 2012 Artists In Music Awards, were nominated for Best International Act at the L.A. Music Awards & featured on a CMJ mixtape.

Bruce Springsteen ~ VH1 Storytellers (DVD review) ... The boss explains the devil & dust!

Style: rock, Americana
Label: Columbia
Year: 2005
Home: New Jersey

Concert location: Two River Theater, NJ, VH1 Storytellers
Year Recorded: April 2005
Length: 115 minutes

Bonus Features: 15 minute audience Q&A

Members: Bruce Springsteen ~ guitar/vocals/piano

Guest: Patti Scialfa ~ b. vocals

This is the complete concert, including an unaired question & answer session, filmed for VH1's Storytellers tv series where artists explain the songs during the performance. BS takes the approach of doing a stripped down unplugged performance with just his voice, his acoustic guitar, a piano for one track & his wife slipping in for backing vocals on "Nebraska". Considering the show follows the release of BS's third folk release Devils & Dust, it's no surprise that he's chosen an acoustic format, while at the same time looking back to where he came from & the music he's honed it's also a no risk moment, as it might be for other musicians. His songs work well stripped down to their absolute basics & BS's voice is as good as ever. It's a very comfortable set-up that doesn't feel gimmicky or odd, let alone it brings the inherent intimacy of the show & in turn the lyrics right up front. It also helps that BS stays away from some of his bigger hits, that are dependent on an electric guitar thump, for more storytelling songs. He also deliberately choses songs that show different lyrical approaches over the years. The result is anything but a disappointment. For those that know the "Born In The U.S.A." bar band BS this concert will show the side of BS that has kept so many fans coming back even when he wasn't topping the charts. It shows the BS so many of don't remember because of the bigger pop songs on MTV. Actually, he often feels a little bit like Tom Waits without the oddness, particularly when he sits at the piano for "Jesus Was An Only Son" & "Thunder Road". It's a guy who writes songs because it seems like the easiest thing on earth to do. Besides the fact that he might be one of the best aging rock stars, he still performs with the same swagger he had when he was just starting his career. As for the behind the lyrics part of the show he goes line by line through each song. As he says of "Devils & Dust", after performing the song fully: "What's working against the lyrics? The music, that's the sound of resistance. It's the unspoken subtext that the lyrics rest on." BS takes the concept of the show to heart. But, then, he confesses: "How much of this was I thinking about when I wrote the song? None of it. I wrote all of that yesterday afternoon on my kitchen table." Thus, he says more about the show than anyone could, moving right on to "Blinded By The Light", made famous by Manfred Mann, which was a deliberate ploy for a pop hit for producer Clive Davis "with a rhyming dictionary in one hand & a notebook in the other." The rest of the descriptions include lots of humor & float between spontaneous stories & pre-conceived lyrical notes in a notebook that stays by his side. At one point he even sings one of the songs imitating Smokey Robinson. It's a must see moment. Even with notepad in hand & the self-confession of having done some homework, never once does BS feel anything but honest. He's certainly not arrogant or claiming to be anything but a humble songwriter. & he certainly is never less than entertaining. Any fan who hasn't seen this is missing the elder statesman at his best. Any fan that only knows the "Born In The USA" BS doesn't know BS. The fascinating thing about VH1 Storytellers, particularly with BS's chosen stripped down & line by line approach, is the pacing is different. There's no flash or polish. The most low-key performance possible. It meanders & he fumbles. He forgets his harmonica a couple times. You hang on every moment. It might be one of the best VH1 Storytellers made, even though its a long way into the series as episode 62. The fact that he did some prep work might make it less spontaneous to some, but it also makes the show everything it can be. Welcome to my studio ... welcome to my pen & paper. Welcome to the end of the Jersey pier on a late night with a bottle of beer. It's also all about the lyrics. Welcome to English 101. It might only be eight songs but few will probably complain. The bonus feature is a fifteen minute Q&A with the audience that opens with an audience member saying he feels like he knows BS, does he? The response: "No. It's part of the job, that whole feeling like I know you." It might be part of the job but the rest of the talk is unpretentious, un-showy & what is VH1 Storytellers is all about, the person under the persona.

Panther ~ Panther (aka debut) (EP) (album review) ... Jeff Scott Soto is crawling to you!

Style: hard rock
Label: n/a
Year: 1986
Home: Los Angeles, CA

Members: Jeff Scott Soto ~ vocals
Mike Barrish ~ guitars
Scott Taylor ~ drums
Glen Davis ~ bass

 


This is a guilty pleasure. Straight ahead 80's hard rock with over the top vocals crying out cliched epic lyrics that even include a few dragon references, with guitar solos to match & the periodic synthesizer line to add an emotional quality where there really isn't one. Nothing more needs to be said. It's not a great release & typical of its era. Though, as the only album by Panther it's obscure status gives it a mystique it really doesn't deserve. Albeit .... there is one fact that needs to be mentioned. It's obvious why 18 year old frontman Jeff Scott Soto had previously gigged as the first lead singer of Rising Force featuring guitar master Yngwie Malmsteen ... he has the pipes to match the guitar. Today Soto, having sang most recently with Journey & Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has said that his early vocal style is a bit of an embarrassment at times, as its more put-on to reflect then current styles versus being reflective of his real vocal comfort zone. The regular shatteringly high screams do certainly date the album. Brainless speed metal riffing guitars, not particularly playing any riff worth remembering, doesn't give Soto much foundation to work with either. There's a few decent tracks like "Danger", though its far to close to Blondie's "Call Me" to be comfortable. "Deliver The Axe" & "Warchild" are Dio meets Lizzy Borden with not enough of the best of either. The title track, ending the album, is what happens when Steve Harris of Iron Maiden writes a love song for Dio ... shades of better bands. Panther is undoubtedly an interesting listen because of the future of its frontman & that's about all. If it wasn't for Soto the album would have little going for it, let alone a complete lack of melody. While, overdubbing himself on the screams to add obvious duet-esque echo might seem cool it actually doesn't make it more interesting, particularly considering how often it was deemed necessary to sing incredibly high notes that seem to all merit echo. Some singers in rock are vocalizer, such as Alice Cooper or Jizzy Pearl or Jon Oliva, changing vocal styles to fit the songs. Then there are the more traditional singers, such as Joe Lynn Turner, who may not always have the most distinct tone but can be called upon to hit any note with accuracy & always turn in a reliable performance. At this point in this life Soto was trying to be a vocalizer, though his only trick was the high notes, while today he has become a solid singer with a warm tone & far more vocal subtlety & control. The fact that Trans-Siberian Orchestra nearly went backwards during the recording of their epic two album Night Castle after discovering Soto & wanting to rewrite to give him the lead vocal role only shows how far he's come vocally. This band is not to be confused with the more successful Panther, also out of California, featuring vocalist Chris Rodd that released three albums. For those that don't know Soto you probably won't become a fan from this release, but his career is well worth hunting up with recordings for Axel Rudi Pell, Roger Taylor's Queen Extravaganza, Talisman, W.E.T., Michael Schenker, Slaughter, Lita Ford, Stryper, Bob Kulick, Dokken, along with regular solo albums & countless guest vocals.

Savatage ~ Gutter Ballet (album review) ... I dare you to choreograph this ballet!

Style: prog-rock, heavy metal
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1989
Home: Florida

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

Additional: Bob Kinkel ~ keyboards

 

  Gutter Ballet is often touted as the moment Savatage went from a heavy metal band to a prog-rock band with epic inclinations. But, this isn't really true. With a good listen of their earlier albums one can hear the pieces were being laid down since day one. Founder Jon Oliva always wanted something that was more than ordinary metal band. But, one has to get out the door, build a reputation, move from a small recording budget to a large one, develop out a sound. It's a process. Also, Paul O'Neill was introduced as producer who dovetailed Oliva's weaknesses, while able to stand back from the music. But, the real difference here is that Oliva was driven. The previous album Fight For The Rock, often called the lowest point of Savatage's output, was a collection of songs Oliva had written for others & was forced to record by the label. Oliva now was feeling desperate & was ripe for a spark of inspiration. That inspiration came through watching the Broadway show Phantom Of The Opera. Oliva could now present an example of the feeling he wanted to achieve to his guitar playing brother, Criss, & O'Neill. It makes all the difference, as before Savatage might have sounded like a take on Meat Loaf meets Randy Rhoads, the band now introduced complicated arrangements & epics. The instrumental classical interpretations are still in the mix (i.e. "Temptation Revelation"), having been introduced in the earlier release Hall Of The Mountain King, not yet a cliched & worn out feature as they would become with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. While Oliva still churns out dark lyrics, but now he pushes his vocals to the max in every direction. Criss Oliva still churns out metal riffs that deserve more credit than he's given, but the range is more than ever including an acoustic instrumental (i.e. "Silk & Steel") & not always being the top most instrument in the mix. Gutter Ballet is a band wanting to make a statement. Such songs as the title track & the under-rated "Hounds" & "When The Crowds Are Gone" are indeed statements. There's even an inclusion of a story stretched over the final three songs (i.e. "The Unholy", "Summer's Rain", "Thorazine Shuffle"). But, Gutter Ballet not the grand statement it sets out to be. It's certainly a highlight of the Criss Oliva era, not that Savatage ever really did anything embarrassing or clichéd, but it's only the beginning. There are a few weak tracks that sound like they were composed in pre-Phantom writing sessions & give the album a bit of a bumpy ride as it sounds like two bands, one with a piano as its foremost instrument a la Queen (i.e. "Gutter Ballet", "Temptation Revelation", "When The Crowds Are Gone") & one with typical driven guitar riffs (i.e. "Of Rage & War", "Silk & Steel", "She's In Love", "Hounds"). Oliva pushes his vocals into the direction that would stay with him but sometimes he reaches the peak of his range to a painful listen (i.e. "When The Crowds Are Gone", "Of Rage & War"). The final three song suite, from now on Savatage would make a point of doing concept albums, is not a strong suite as the songs sound too much alike & fall into the riffing style that Savatage would move away from on some level. While in the download era one is not likely to be able to tell just from the lyrics that the songs go together. But, Savatage was giving it their all & more & on that's what's required to eventually find the comfort zone. Later albums such as Streets: A Rock Opera & the Al Pitrelli era of albums would smooth out the hurdles & ironically retire the band in the process as it morphed into the very different Trans-Siberian Orchestra. On later tours the title track would be turned into a vocal duet between Oliva & baritone Zak Stevens & later tenor Damond Jiniya. The change is minor but it completely turns the song into a monster & shows what might have been if the band had pursued such vocals on later albums. It's also the video I share with anyone when they ask why I like heavy metal - it has everything. It's strange that not even Trans-Siberian Orchestra has pursued the duel vocal approach given its array of strong singers, perhaps they will as they are currently re-recording Gutter Ballet.

NineDollarMelonBaller ~ Seeing In The Dark (album review) ... Hearing in the dark world of post-grunge!

Style: pop rock, hard rock
Label: Surgeland Records
Year: 2000
Home: Iowa

Members: Marc Barry ~ guitar/vocals/drums
Mike Linsey ~ drums
Brandon Mills ~ bass


Additional: Denny Gibbs, Matt Hartleip ~ n/a
Tom Barry, Jack Graham, Kathy Cameron, Tom Tritle, David Rachor ~ strings

I was recently talking with someone about the ways I keep up with new music to review. I confessed that I didn't do a very good job at it, often relying on submissions & promotional companies & even then, I get to things long after the street date & initial buzz. I look at my delay as reminding people the album still exists. I also said that I wasn't very good at covering new releases, on the whole, as many of the new bands don't interest me. Those who read this blog regularly may see that I have an affinity for 80's/90's rock & music that stems directly from that era. I do like a lot of new music. Some genres I know little about & wish I would review more often but just don't have their music at my fingertips. Other styles I tend to avoid as it generally doesn't interest me, beyond the the casual needle in the haystack. It's no secret I'm not a punk fan, regardless of era. While the new music that calls itself alt rock tends to bore me with its slashing guitars, lack of interesting solos & screaming vocals. I prefer the alt rock of the 80's & 90's, I said in the conversation, the era when alt rock still meant Dave Matthews Band or Hootie & The Blowfish. 9DMB fits the bill of the last era of the alt rock I find enjoyable. Seeing In the Dark, their third & final album, falls heavily under the shadow of the hard rock band Live, but without the heavy spirituality dominating the mood. Though primarily an acoustic outing, the harder moments, the undoubtable highlights, have that same somewhat funky unpredictable stop/start rhythm & strained vocals & chorus that Live made popular (i.e. "Nothing At All", "Drown", "Brother James", "Is There Any Reason?", "Insomnia", "Reconciliation"). But, they also throw into the mix a dose of the heartland (i.e. "Moving Mountains", "Marco Polo", "Trapped"). Though, some might feel more comfortable calling it more akin to the acoustic/electric commercial pop of Bare Naked Ladies, sans the humor, or Hootie (i.e. "King For A Day", "Selfish Acts Of Kindness", "Dogged", "Years Ago"). Sadly, Seeing In The Dark got ignored in the post-grunge world of 2000 where their friendly sound was no longer the popular trend. But, a decade later the music no longer sounds out of place & appeals to a wide audience. If anything, though, the album does have a heavy commercial sheen which some might find uncomfortable, but its no worse than any of their contemporaries. Formed in 1996, 9DMB was led by frontman & songwriter Marc Barry. Who knows where he is now, but if he's still doing music Seeing In The Dark is a great album to show off his many sides. I could imagine him doing straight hard rock, folk or country. It should be mentioned that the track “Marco Polo” has been featured on two Columbine tribute albums, while 9DMB was also heard on CD Baby's first Mp3 compilation, MTV, the Disney Channel, ABC & the show 'Dog The Bounty Hunter'. Seeing In The Dark is one of the few releases from indie label Surgeland Records, also responsible for releasing music by vocalist Kelly Keeling of Baton Rouge & promoting many other musicians including members of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Carmine Appice, Asia with John Payne, & prog royalty Erik Nordlander & Lana Lane. 

Black Shape Of Nexus ~ Mannheim (live) (album review) ... The hills are alive with black shapes!

Style: sludge, experimental
Label: Quiet.Still.Dead.Records
Year: 2010
Home: Germany

Members: Jan ~ electronics/keys
Geb, Ralf Bernhardt ~ guitars
Stefan Kuhn ~ bass
Malte Seidel ~ vocals
Marco Hauser ~ drums

 


I recently reviewed BSON's latest album, Negative Black, which led to having the chance to interview them & also come across this earlier live release. Being familiar with the band & never having heard a sludge group live I obviously took an interest. First off, it should be mentioned the super quality production for a live album. Though, not a bit of audience sound is to be heard. Next, the fact that it is nearly instrumental except for some undecipherable screaming, which doesn't even come until fifteen minutes in. I've always felt if you have to scream you probably don't need the vocals & I continue with resolve here listening ... though with the echo effect it can be a bit cool when the vocal sound trails off. The vocals are an effect here, not traditional vocals. While the new album finds them moving across the sludge landscape looking for new sounds in the genre, to great success, this collection of five songs over sixty minutes is much more tame & subdued with less obvious experimentation. The heavy low-end two guitar onslaught of BSON is apparent & recognizable here & they just churn forward like a rolling mudslide in every sense of the word. One critic has likened them to a slowed down Mastadon. The comparison isn't too far off. Slow Black Sabbath-esque riffs just repeat & repeat in a thick haze of sound. It must be a monster to hear at top volume. But, while the new albums features the same thick haze there is also squawking guitars & keyboards weaving through it with abandon. Here this is kept to a minimum, or at least doesn't seem to in your face & much more subdued. It's not until the second half of the concert that things start to break down to just basics, moving in a direction that would be taken up on Negative Black. It should be noted that the songs also have a much more similar sound here, or a much tighter range. Or, more properly, while the end of the album doesn't sound like the beginning the change is subtle one built over steps like a John Adams or Philip Glass composition. To recall my earlier review, I said BSON was "one of the heaviest sludgy rhythms I've had a chance to hear. It's masterful it's so heavy. It one big stone slab of pure low-end power riding against a very simple drum beat." Now hearing them both live & in the studio across a couple years I can hear a band in change, this is sludge but not as menacing as the new album nor as experimental, but I can also hear a band honing in on a few key factors to get their chops down tight. Mannheim was originally released on cassette, followed by a CD release on a different label.

Indigo Girls ~ Come On Now Social (album review) ... A rite of passage!

Style: pop rock, folk rock
Label: Sony
Year: 1999
Home: Atlanta, Georgia

Members: Amy Ray ~ guitar/mandolin/vocals
Emily Saliers ~ guitar/bazouki/vocals

Additional: Claire Kenny ~ bass
Caroline Dale ~ cello
Carol Isaacs ~ accordian/moog organ/b. vocals
Reginald Houston, Tim Green ~ sax
Renard Poche ~ trombone
Ian Stanley ~ organ

Guests: Justin Adams ~ ngoni lute
Rick Danko, Me'Shell Ndegeocell ~ bass
Garth Hudson ~ keyboards
Joan Osborne, Sheryl Crow, Natacha Atlas, Ozilline Walker, Malcolm Burn ~ b. vocals
John Reynolds ~ drums/kazoo
Kate Schellenbach, Rev. Brady Blade, Jerry Marotta ~ drums

    No one could live through the 90's without listening to & enjoying the IG, particularly for the pre-Ellen gay crowd to which the band was a beacon of inspiration with their politically bent songs. I'll confess I saw them in the mid-90's at Seattle's famed Bumbershoot Festival & I've never seen so many lesbians in a crowd, my roommate one of them. Over the years they would have the typical band highs & lows, the political message often eclipsing the music, while having a tendency to suffer with predictability, a problem with many bands with lengthy careers & a recognizable trademarkable style. Come On Now Social was their unintentional comeback. Or, perhaps the better phrase is it was a new burst of creativity. Just like their earlier climactic Rites Of Passage this new album found the duo of Ray & Saliers doing more than just the folksy rock they'd started as. Like Rites Of Passage, this new burst of energy was partially accomplished not just by the traditional approach of mixing electric guitars into what was once a primarily acoustic mix but calling on friends to help expand the musical palette, here including Sheryl Crow, Joan Osborne, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Sinead O'Connor's backing band Ghostland & members of The Band & Luscious Jackson. The outcome is an array of styles from rock to blues to country. The key to the IG is that whenever they tackle new styles there's always a sense of questioning underneath it - will this work, is it going to far, is the message still clear? They don't experiment for the sake of it, but for the fun of it ... & to make their still reigning political message come through on a new level. Some bands experiment to reinvent themselves for a new audience, not IG. Jewel went dance then hardcore country when her original folk minded audience began to lessen. IG are a folk rock duo & always will be. They are predictable on a certain level, & certainly more radio friendly than not, & there's nothing wrong with that. Come On Now Social is later era IG, after they've become icons, where they're still willing to take risks musically & lyrically. They're still willing to push buttons. Opening electric rocker "Go", penned by Ray, kicks the album fast into high gear, yet the first lines are about a blacklisted suffragette, with the chorus "Don't take a seat/don't stand aside/this time don't assume anything." The opening message is that Come On Now Social is going to give you everything that you expect from the IG, nothing will be held back, but there's going to be lots of unexpected turns along the way. Ray ends up being the more exploratory of the pair exploring rock, country & blues with mandolin, banjo, violin, accordion & Moog organ. Emily turns in a softer pop folk collection that brings in the early IG sound. It makes for a bit of a disjointed affair going from soft to rock, feminine to unintentionally masculine. But, IG fans are used to it. What keeps it vibrant & not awkward is the high level of the music across the board. Also, the two writers appeal to different listeners, laying something out for everyone that IG have made an art out of. If you're building up your IG collection this album is a must. It's a comeback that's a success, whether they planned it as a comeback or not ... which might just made it that much better because its unintentional.

Seizure Crypt ~ You've Been Had (album review) ... But, is the joke really on you?

Style: punk, hardcore, speedcore
Label: 316 productions
Year: 2011
Home: New York

Members: Thomas "The Madness" Reardon ~ vocals
Michael "Sos" ~ lead guitar/vocals
Grand Mal D Ranged ~ bass Doug Williamson ~ drums

I reviewed an earlier album by SC, describing them as a "cacophonic deluge of socially relevant musical madness ... slam your head against the wall mosh pit music ... though these guys sound so outta control they're smashing their heads to save you the headache." It was a pleasure to be surprised by their newest release arriving in the mail. I'm not going to do the typical follow-up review by saying how the band has come to a new level of maturity turning in their most intelligent release yet, blah blah blah. SC is about intelligence, yes, greatly hidden under the musical madness, as a peruse through their raging lyrics will show. SC have a socially pointed poison tipped sword, such as in "Bigger Than Politics" with "Spoon fed like a baby you accept it all ... taught not to know the difference/the messages sent are not/decisions informed/from all the campaigns misleading" or "Spastic Summer" with "Walking the streets & its 5 AM ... I'm going to bed while he is going to rot in work ... graveyards walk by shaking their heads/I would rather be high/than working till I'm dead" or "Born & Bred" comes the almost Buddhist advice "Do what you need to get by/follow the rules all your own/choose calmness when tensions run high ... rebuilding the mess left behind." This is the musical biography of a beer drinking party animal ... who understands the late nights are a means to escape & yet still remembers what the escape is from & that there's more to live than just getting drunk to forget. But, as for new levels of maturity. SC isn't about being mature. It's music of rebellion & was on the previous release Under The Gun & they don't change much here. The music may not be so chaotic at times, as Under The Gun felt like lots of jagged musical parts banging against each other "with no sense of melodic counterpoint, while a rhythm section attempts to destroy its instruments with every beat", but this outing is as fierce as ever. Though, with the songs largely under two minutes, I don't have handy the times for the earlier release but it was similarly a short album, there's also not much room to have too many colliding musical parts. Most of the collision feels in the dueling vocals while the instruments twist & turn away like thrash metal meets Captain Beefheart or Zappa. Actually, it may be just as cacophonic as always but my ears already know what to expect, so I'm hearing SC differently a year later. Maybe now I'm seeing the sadness underneath the beer guzzling. Maybe now I'm seeing the cacophony representing the frustration not just the beast. One doesn't bang the head against the wall to be stupid or have fun, it's because it hurts too much to think about the world. If it hurts ... then enter the crypt.

Howie Pyro's Freaks ~ (Heavy Orange) Hippi Skelter: A Rock Opera In Five Movements (EP) (album review) ... The D Generation comes of age!

Style: hard rock, experimental, punk, alt rock
Label: self-released
Year: 1988 (disbanded)
Home: New York City

Members: Howie Pyro ~ bass/b. vocals
Andrea "Big Mama Freaks" Matthews ~ rhythm guitar/vocals
John Fay ~ lead guitar/b. vocals
Eric Eckley ~ drums

"I never want to grow up. - Neither do I, kids are more fun than grown-ups. - We don't have to grow up if we don't want to. We can take some magic I have for that, Crummulus Pills," comes a conversation between Pippi Longstocking & her friend, Annika, opening up this obscure collector's item from the bassist of New York hard rockers D Generation. The voice-over, taken from one of the many Pippi Longstocking movies, eventually is joined by a guitar fading in, bringing along a bubbling mix of indecipherable incantations & studio effects that is nothing less than an acid-laced musical Alice In Wonderland as she falls through the rabbit hole. Thus is the strange five song rock opera about Pippi Longstocking, her friend Annika, & according to later interviews with Pyro, a link to Charles Manson ... though outside of the title that link is a bit hard to discern. Albeit, the link might not be a literary one but a figurative one, as Freaks is an authentic jump back to a psychedelic 1970's where punk is beginning its crawl through underground sewers. If it wasn't for the date on the album, released only on handmade cassettes, one would have no inkling that it was from the age of Motley Crue & Guns N Roses. Freaks was a retro rock outing, here in all its lo-fi glory, lasting barely over a year with Pyro, his future wife, to be nicknamed Big Mama Freak due to this project & who would later find fame with the Fleshtones, her cousin on drums & a friend on lead guitar. It was about an experience over anything that had long-term commercial potential. Freaks called up the spirit of Blue Cheer, the MC5 & the Stooges & they would release only two singles, the album In Sensurround & this little experiment lasting only but a fourth of the cassette. It may not be the most musically coherent album Pyro has been involved with, but it's one of those little obscure releases that drives collectors & fans crazy. This one even more so as information about it is rare, let alone bootleg recordings nearly non-existent. It's certainly one of Pyro's most ambitious projects & while the album might include too many voice-overs from the movie, have disastrous nonsensical lyrics elsewhere (i.e. "When Is The Cow Going To Eat Your Yellow Shirt, Annika (Heavy Orange Reprise)" & "Heavy Orange Theme"), blazing guitar solos destroyed by the voice-overs & wierd sound effects & a bad a cappella piece (i.e. "Heart Is What We're Made Of") ... when the band gets down to playing they actually turn in a great punk driven album. This is a case of a band lost underneath its own art. But, it should be said that for a band that didn't hide the fact that too many drugs were involved in the making of this recording, the songs are pieced together quite well with the many layers showing some dedicated & thought out work, while the vision itself has merit even if the outcome is too psychedelic for its own good. Bonus points for trying & sounding like it was made twenty years earlier than it was. In British English, the term "helter skelter" has the its meaning of "in disorderly haste or confusion" ... Pyro got that right!