Record Reviews: March 20th New Releases
This week there weren’t many big releases at all, in fact, Unsane was the only major band to release an album this week, and the Flying Humanoids album actually came out on Sunday and not on Tuesday, but it’s still a great record and worth checking out, which is why i’ve included it on here. This week is just the calm before the storm because next week is going to be full of some huge albums.
Unsane – Wreck – 8/10
With the release of their new album “Wreck”, Unsane have once again managed to deliver a hate-filled punch in the gut. “Wreck” is their seventh album, yet the band sounds as hungry as ever, and unlike bands from their era like Helmet, they have managed to continue to stay relevant and super heavy. If you’re used to Unsane’s noisy, hardcore side however, you might be in for a surprise.
The first time I listened to “Wreck”, I honestly didn’t get it, but after listening to it while in a very angry mood a couple of times, I totally get it. The thing that blows my mind about this band is the fact that Unsane are a three-piece, yet somehow they’ve managed to come up with the fullest, heaviest sound ever. One of the reasons the album is so heavy is the grating vocals of singer/guitarist Chris Spencer. Spencer’s voice is full of rage and it’s incredibly harsh, almost as harsh as his piercing guitar riffs which manage to work perfectly with the incredibly huge bass sound of Dave Curran. My favorite songs on this album are “No Chance” and “Pigeon” with both feature a bluesier, twangier guitar tone, in fact, in the intro to “No Chance” a harmonica comes in and adds a southern kick to Spencer’s bluesy riff. On “Don’t” it also features Spencer’s bluesy guitar work in perfect syncopation with Curran’s huge bass sound and the solid drumming of Vinnie Signorelli.In fact, though the three tracks i’ve mentioned so far all feature a sound more like sludge or southern rock than the bands signature noise rock/hardcore punk sound, the whole album is full of fantastic, southern, bluesy guitar riffs, also, there is a wonderful cover of Flipper’s “Ha Ha Ha” at the end of the album that ends it perfectly.
Though this album is kind of a grower, once you give it a chance to glue itself to your brain and you start to enjoy it, you’ll get addicted to it’s huge bass sound and incredibly bluesy guitar work. If you’re a fan of this band at all, then you probably already to know what to expect from this album, but even if you’ve never heard em before, if you want something heavy, bluesy, and noisy, this album is worth checking out. Also, as I stated before, it’s a fantastic album to listen to when you’re in a bad mood because all it makes you wanna do is smash a brick over someone’s head.
The Flying Humanoids – Arrival 7/10
The members of The Flying Humanoids have been involved in the music scene in Monroe, LA for quite a few years, featuring members of bands such as Twelve Gauge Valentine, This Blessed Mourning, The Avaricia, and Zebrawolf. With the release of their debut album “Arrival” they have crafted a rock solid slab of songs that will certainly put them on the map as one of the best and more unique rock n’ roll bands this town has to offer.
The album begins with the song “Party Animal” which has a swing and fury as well as a lyrical approach similar to something you’d hear on a record by Every Time I Die or The Bronx. When listening to songs like “Pink Heat”, “Chant Of The Dead”, and “Monarch” you can detect a very heavy Baroness influence with the guitar tone and style of riffing, but they are by no means just another hipster rock band aping Baroness or Mastodon. One unique aspect of the album is the vocals which are done by the duo of guitarists Kyle Snellenberger and Chris Esswein who trade off quite frequently, but another aspect that gives the band their own unique sound is the drumming of John Reed Loflin who shows off his Dave Lombardo influence perfectly at the beginning of “Chant Of The Dead” and album closer “The Thing” reminds me a little of The Melvins with it’s sludgy guitar sound and the stomping pace of the drums. My favorite moment on “Arrival” is the song “Velvet Trap” which features a rhythmic bassline by Jimmy Hale that is perfectly augmented by a stomping drum beat that eventually slows down and flows perfectly into the beginning of “Monarch” which features a huge, avalanche of an opening riff. Overall, the album has a very heavy, biting, unique tone and sound and one of the main contributing factors to it is the production of John Michael Caldwell of Airsick Sounds, in fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a debut album from an unsigned band sound better than this, especially on a low budget.
It seems that these days, most rock bands are attempting to sound like Nickelback or Saving Abel, which is why it’s so impressive to hear an album like “Arrival” which features a sound that’s very heavy, but not specifically pinned down to ripping off any particular bands. These guys have alot of different influences and they all come out on this album and mesh together perfectly and showcase just how good they really are as musicians, and with a debut album this impressive, the sky is certainly the limit for this band. If you are a fan of rock music, but want something gritty that sounds like a night of drinking whiskey and inhaling hip hop cigarettes, this is an album worth checking out.
Record Buying Adventures: Good Records, Dallas, Tx 12/30/2011
I was in Dallas, Tx over the New Years weekend for a couple of sporting events, while i was there i made a point to hit up Good Records, one of the best record stores i’ve ever been to. Good Records is the record label started by Tim DeLaughter of The Polyphonic Spree and Tripping Daisy, he started a record store in downtown Dallas which houses both bands releases, as well as the other artists on the label and many, many other artists. My favorite part about this store is their expansive vinyl collection, which is housed upstairs, as well as fair prices and many very hard to find items. The store has a huge variety of indie/pop/punk/metal releases, although I usually don’t find much metal i’m looking for there. While i was there this weekend I found a few amazing records, and I wanted to share my finds on here, because i’m a dork and love discussing music i’ve purchased.
Failure – Fantastic Planet
I’ve been wishing for a copy of this album on vinyl since the day i got my first record player. In my opinion it’s one of the greatest rock albums of the 90′s. Ken Andrews has an amazing voice and the riffs in this album are absolutely brilliant. Also, I love the fact that A Perfect Circle covered “The Nurse Who Loved Me” even though none of their fans realize it’s a cover, or even care. The minute I put this record on and the opening riff to “Saturday Saviour” hit, it brought back some amazing memories.
Helmet – Meantime
This album just recently got reissued and it features some of the most crushing guitar riffs ever. This album is also one of my favorite albums of the 90′s and it’s by far one of the heaviest rock albums ever released.Fortunately I got to see them perform this whole record in New Orleans and they absolutely killed it! After giving it a spin on wax my record player melted from the sheer ferocity of Page Hamilton’s riffage, but seriously, for being a reissue, this album sounds incredibly killer.
Earth – Earth 2: Special Low-Frequency Version
I was a HUGE fan of Earth’s album “The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull”, but I don’t have any of their albums on vinyl, and i’ve always wanted to hear their first album, so i decided to pick this album up and give drone a chance. After listening to this album, I can certainly see it’s influence on bands like SunnO))) and OM. There are 3 songs on this album and it’s a double lp which gives you an idea just how long each song is. I’ve never been much into drone, but I will say that Dylan Carlson knows how to make a 15 or 30 minute song still be entertaining just by the sheer volume, anger, and heaviness enstilled in each and every note played on this record.
Motorhead – Motorhead
This has always been one of my 3 favorite Motorhead records next to Overkill and Ace Of Spades, and I was psyched to see it available at a store that doesn’t sell alot of metal. The coolest thing about this record is that it’s on white vinyl and it’s hard to find for a good price online. The other cool thing about this record is that it’s got a very decidedly punk rock vibe about it, with some blues thrown in for good measure and definitely brings you back in a time warp to the days when only budweiser and headbanging mattered when it starts spinning.
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga
This album was recommended to me by my wife a few years ago and I remember enjoying it quite a bit, so I decided to get a record that we could enjoy together instead of me sitting around headbanging and rocking out while she finds other stuff to do. The record itself sounds fantastic, but the songs are absolutely incredible. It’s a very thick slab of indie rock with a very funky and awesome sound to it and I am definitely glad i got this album.
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
This is an album I wouldn’t normally listen to, but it came highly recommended to me, and I remember enjoying a few songs i had heard of theirs in the past, so i decided to check this album out. This album is incredibly wild, adventurous, dancy electronic indie pop, which, like I said, i don’t normally listen to, but this is very enjoyable. The record is packaged together nicely in a single sleeve with 2 records in it and it sounds fantastic. This album is great for listening to late at night, or with company over and it’s a good addition to add some more variety to my record collection.
Sweatin’ To The Oldies: Helmet – Meantime
Sweatin To The Oldies: Helmet – Meantime
This is a column i’m doing in tribute to some of my favorite albums of all time, because nothing is more fun to write reviews for than albums you’ve been listening to for 10 or 20 years, right? I wrote this a while back regarding an album that was finally re-released on vinyl in November, Helmet’s 1992 magnum opus “Meantime”. This album has been on my wish list since the day i got my first record player, and i couldn’t be more excited about it being reissued. Now allow me, if you will, to strap on my flannel shirt and reminisce about one of the noisiest, grooviest, and awesomest albums of the 90′s…or ever for that matter.
Before i begin, i would like to state very proudly, that i got to hear this album played live in it’s entirety, and even at the age of 50 years old, Page Hamilton is the baddest guitar player in the land. The thing that strikes me the most about this album is how easily accessible it is with it’s huge hit single “Unsung”, which was featured on the first Guitar Hero game, and was a huge hit on the radio in the 90′s, even peeking at number 32 at one point. The other thing about this album is how damn heavy it is, seriously, there’s not one song on this album that won’t leave you smashing your head on any solid object within 30 feet. Whether it be the opening bassline and ensuing riffage of “Give It” or the main riff in “Ironhead” or even the riff 15 seconds into “You Borrowed” if this album doesnt leave you with a sore neck, you’re doing it wrong.
This album really is just a compilation of one heavy riff after another. Page Hamilton may not do alot of solo’s but the thing that makes him a true “guitar god” is the fact that he is a champion at writing riffs and sick rhythms that stay stuck in your head for days. Page Hamilton is also amazing at writing riffs that bounce up and down with an absolutely ridiculous tone and pace and are incredibly full of anger, specifically on tracks like “Fbla II” and “In The Meantime”. Page Hamilton isn’t the only hero on this album, however, Henry Bogdan’s bass on this record is some of the sickest you’ll ever hear, just listen to the intro to “Give It”, but the real m.v.p. of the record in my opinion is the drumming of John Stanier who ended up playing with both Tomahawk, and Battles. It would be hard to imagine this record being as good with anybody else behind the skins, the best examples of this are: “In The Meantime”, “Unsung”, “Ironhead”, and “He Feels Bad”, but really every single song on this record is full of fantastic drumming.
In my opinion, this album is the best alternative rock album of the 90′s. Sure, “Nevermind” was revolutionary and “Superunknown” and “Fantastic Planet” changed the game completely, but “Meantime” is meaner than both of those albums and neither of them name-dropped “Downtown Julie Brown”. This record may turn 20 years old in 2012, but it still crushes every skull in a 40 foot radius, and after all, killing hurts, but it has to be done.
Listomania: Favorite Albums of 2010
If there is one thing in the world i love, it’s making lists of stuff, it’s fun to force yourself to narrow things down to a single list. It’s even more fun when it’s about music, particularly at the end of the year when you’re looking back on your favorite albums from the past 12 months. I’m going to be going VERY in depth with my favorite albums, shows, and random stuff of 2011 in the next few days, but before i take a look at this year, i’ve decided to take a look back at 2010 and recall some of my favorite albums from last year. Granted, 2010 wasn’t a great year for music, but some incredible albums came out. If you see any glaring exceptions from this list, please feel free to comment.
1. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
I’ve always been a huge fan of this band, but the first time i heard “Rocket Skates”, “Diamond Eyes”, and “You’ve Seen The Butcher” i knew they hit a bottom of the 14th inning game 7 of the world series grand slam. This album is easily their best since White Pony, and that’s saying ALOT. Favorite song: Diamond Eyes
2. Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
This album is seriously breathtaking. The mix of throat-smashing black metal with some of the sharpest riffing you’ll ever hear with absolutely gorgeous atmosphere and scenery on this album is just unbelievable. It literally makes you feel like you are at peace in the forest one minute, and ripping off your skin and burning the forest down the next. Favorite song: Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires.
3. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
This album was hot on the heals of their best record ever, so the bar was set high, and they nailed it. It is a little more…dare i say “90′s rock” oriented with songs like “Don’t Look Back” but this album is an absolute masterpiece. Favorite song: Tired Climb.
4. The Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards
Everything Jack White touches turns to gold. This album has some of the sickest guitar riffs, and songs i’ve ever heard. Songs like “I’m Mad” and “Die By The Drop” make me love this album even more than their debut. It’s like psychadelic indie blues on speedballs. Favorite song: Die By The Drop.
5. Kings Destroy – And The Rest Will Surely Perish
This band is easily one of the most pleasant surprises i’ve ever heard. Pretty traditional doom metal mixed with bad ass Alice in Chains inspired vocals. I never thought i would heard doom metal and grunge mixed together, but they make for an absolutely amazing record. Favorite song: Planet XXY
6. High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine
Matt Pike and the boys achieved, what i believe to be their most ridiculous album to date. Songs like “Frost Hammer”, “Snakes For The Divine”, and “Bastard Samurai” all have their own little atmosphere and the tone on this album is absolutely killer. They managed to take their already amazing style of metal, and give it the swagger of a serial killer on meth. Favorite song: Bastard Samurai.
7. Intronaut – Valley Of Smoke
This band is so talented it’s stupid. They have a very heavy guitar tone, a bassist trained in jazz and classical music, and one of the best grind/death metal drummers of all time. There is such a smorgasbord of influences going on in this band that it meshes to make an absolute monster of a record. Favorite song: Elegy.
8. Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Pt II
Nachtmystium are definitely one of the best black metal bands to come from the us for sure, but on this album they took their unbelievably razor sharp psychadelic black metal sound and added some elements of goth and industrial and this album is just as good as, if not better than Assasins. Favorite song: Nightfall.
9. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium
I usually don’t like female vocalists, but Christine Davis is definitely on the short list of the ones i do like. Her haunting vocals mixed with the super old school metal/classic rock vibe is just amazing. It’s like if you took kill em all era metallica and asked them to play songs that sound like sad wings era judas priest and deep purple with a cute female singer. Favorite song: Desert Rose.
10. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
This is by far one of the best albums Enslaved has ever put out. It’s got their signature psychadelic black metal sound, but the vocals on this album are the best they’ve ever had, particularly the Mikael Akerfeldtian crooning on “Ethica Odini”. This album is a very high point in an already stunningly impressive discography. Favorite song: Ethica Odini.
11. Coliseum – House With A Curse
Really awesome punk/hardcore/classic rock sound on this album. Very haunting, scathing, beer drinking monster of a record. Favorite song: Blind In One Eye.
12. Nails – Unsilent Death
An aboslutely incredible mix of grindcore/hardcore with a swedish death metal delivery. Very short, but very very nasty record. Favorite song: Scum Will Rise
13. Helmet – Seeing Eye Dog
Ole Page has done it again. Another album full of awesomely heavy riffs and terribly bitter lyrics. Very awesome cover of “And Your Bird Can Sing”. Favorite song: So Long.
14. Haarp – The Filth
Absolute bone-crushing New Orleans sludge metal done exactly the way it should be done. Huge riffs come one after the other with no relent. Favorite song: Here In The Dark.
15. Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
Another classic album in the Iron Maiden catalogue. The boys prove once again they are one of the best metal bands ever. Very heavy riffs and killer melodies as usual. Favorite song: Satellite 15…The Final Frontier.
16. Monster Magnet – Mastermind
Incredibly heavy riffs on this album that rip through like a cannonball with a part punk rock, part old school classic rock pace. Killer album. Favorite song: Dig That Hole.
17. October Tide – A Thin Shell
Fantastically awesome Swedish doom album featuring former member of Katatonia. I like this much better than the new Katatonia because it’s got bals…big, depressing balls. Favorite song: Deplorable Request.
18. Misery Index – Heirs To Thievery
Incredibly brutal death/grind with drums that put even the best drummer to shame. Great, angry album to listen to when you wanna smash stuff with a hammer. Favorite song: Fed To The Wolves.
19. Wino – Adrift
Probably the most menacing acoustic album i’ve ever heard. Wino just kills it with his bluesy, angry style of acoustic guitar on this album. Also, the cover of Iron Horse/Born To Lose is absolutely killer because you can tell he means every word he says when he sings that song. Favorite song: Iron Horse/Born To Lose.
20. Sleigh Bells – Treats
Indie dance pop isn’t really my thing, like ever, except when they incorporate very, very heavy guitar tone and some very abrasive guitar playing which is something this album does that has me completely sold. Favorite song: Tell ‘Em.
