Eschewing the plain

Album Review: Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance

2011-10-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

Artist: Arch/Matheos

Album: Sympathetic Resonance

Year: 2011

I make no apologies for my long time love of Fates Warning. I think Jim Matheos is one of the best song writers in the progressive rock/metal arena, a fabulous guitar player, and a groundbreaking artist. Likewise, John Arch is one of my favorite vocalists, both for his clear, powerful voice and his truly unique vocal melodies. Their collaboration produced some of the truly influential albums back in the 80s. I believe that the entire genre of progressive metal owes Fates Warning a huge debt.

However, real life gets in the way, music may not always pay the bills, and John Arch split with band after their classic record Awaken the Guardian. Fates continued, evolved and Jim Matheos' writing continued to mature. John and Jim collaborated back in 2003 for the EP A Twist of Fate, which was excellently received and really had fans begging for more, particularly for John's unique vocal work. More years passed, though, with nothing new. Fates released their last studio recording in 2004, though Jim kept himself busy with OSI amongst other things. But nothing new from the pair.

Why mention all this history? What bearing could it possibly have on the album in question here? Expectations. It is all about expectations. When I heard that Jim had some songs for a new Fates Warning record, my excitement started to build. When I then heard that Ray Alder (vox for Fates) was too busy and that Jim had contacted John and they decided to move ahead with their own record, my excitement hit 11 and stayed there until the album dropped. I had incredibly high expectation. Foolishly high. High to the point that it would have taken an almost superhuman feat to meet them, let alone exceed them.

It would appear that this was a superhuman collaboration then. Expectations: exceeded.

Sympathetic resonance is a harmonic phenomenon in which a passive vibratory body responds to external vibrations to which it has harmonic likeness. Incredibly appropriate. Bringing these musicians together again seems to have lead to a synergistic response, in which each responded to the other, augmenting their individual skills and contributions. I suppose what I am trying to say is this: this is some incredibly great music.

The group is rounded out with Frank Aresti on guitars as well (former guitarist for Fates Warning), Joey Vera on bass (current Fates bassist) and Bobby Jarzombek (current drummer for Fates, amongst other gigs). Each person contributes magnificently, and despite the band bearing the names of John and Jim, this really does feel like a group effort. And it is that collaboration that makes this come together so well.

The guitars are excellent. Crisp, clear, yet with a rich, heavy bite to them. This is the heaviest Jim Matheos' guitars have sounded since No Exit. No question about the "metal" side to this record. Frank Aresti's solos further add to that, with some soaring, blazing solos peppered throughout the album. The rhythm section adds to this strength. Joey Vera is as solid and reliable as ever, with a rich, low driving bass that fills out the album. I was saddened when Mark Zonder left Fates after X, as he is an incredible drummer. All doubts have been erased after hearing Bobby Jarzombek on Sympathetic Resonance. His playing is masterful. He has all the technical chops necessary to play the intricate, progressive music that Jim writes. On top of that, he brings a power, precision and inventive style that adds to the energy and urgency of these songs. I have a new person to add to my list of favorite drummers (in good company with the likes of Neil Peart and Gavin Harrison).

But what about the vocals? After so many years, was there any possible way John could still hit those high notes? And would he still write the most unique and unconventional vocal melodies in rock/metal? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding "Yes". He sounds as good as ever, in fact possibly better than ever. His voice is crystal clear, and carries with it power and emotion that are unequaled. The melodies are fascinating, going places that only John Arch would take them. Lyrically, he continues to eschew the banality of contemporary rock music and draw from the wells of poetry, mysticism and life experience. A word of warning though, the vocals are not what people are generally used to. It took some time for me to really appreciate John's vocals. Now, with this release, I would say he is at the top of my list of vocalists. There just is no one like him, and he shines on this album. And if you have something bad to say about John Arch's vocals, well, it might be best if we just didn't talk.

Sympathetic Resonance is a fantastic record. It is powerful, vivid, provocative and reaffirms my love of this style of music. Every track is stellar, with "Neurotically Wired" and "Under Stained Glass Sky" epitomizing everything that makes progressive metal appealing and challenging. This is not an easy album. It is challenging. However, it never becomes actively antagonistic, a trap that progressive music can fall in to. It is a richly rewarding record, with accessibility to hook you, and depth to keep you coming back. After dozens of listens (yes, plural), I still find myself drawn inexorably back to this album. I haven't grown tired of it in the least, and other releases have suffered by being compared to this or coming out after it.

Final verdict: Adore it
If you couldn't guess that from the text of the review, one of us is in trouble. Sympathetic Resonance sets a new high water mark for what modern progressive metal can be, and what I feel it should all aspire to be. Powerful, technical, emotional, evocative are just a few of the words that come to mind to describe this stellar release. I'll add one more term: Album of the Year. I'm calling it now. If something comes out in the next two months that tops this, my gast will be officially flabbered.

Album Review: Wolverine - Communication Lost

2011-06-30T21:02:00.000-04:00

Wolverine - Communication Lost
Year: 2011
Click here for the artist's site

A few years back I stumbled across a Swedish band called Wolverine. A track titled "His Cold Touch" was my first introduction. I was impressed and quickly sought out their other albums.

What I discovered was a really unique band that seemed to defy description. They called to mind a number of bands I really loved (Fates Warning, Riverside, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Katatonia) yet still managed to have their own sound.

With their most recent release, that trademark sound has been honed to a razor sharp edge, polished to perfection. Let's just cut to the chase right here: Communication Lost is a fantastic album.

Having progressed beyond their melodic death metal roots, Wolverine has become an incredibly mature and thoughtful progressive rock/metal band. That is apparent in every track on Communication Lost. From the instrumental tracks that bookend the album, to every moment in between, the listener is awash in a sea of emotional music and lyrics the likes of which I have rarely encountered.

That Communication Lost can have such a profound impact with apparent accessibility is just another testament to how mature these Swedes have become as artists. The music is beautiful, with more acoustic and calm passages than on any prior album of theirs. Yet the guitars are never absent and come to the forefront in a manner that is so powerful that every note feels important. There simply isn't a single wasted moment.

I have to give special mention to Stefan Zell's vocals. He is a joy to listen to, and is able to communicate so much emotion and feeling through his singing that it is breathtaking at times. And breathtaking is really what this album becomes. I still contend that Cold Light of Monday is the single most cathartic listening experience of my life, but this comes close. By the end of the album, you have taken a journey with the band, have sampled moments of their lives, and have renewed your understanding that music, even rock/metal music, truly can be art of the finest type.

Final Verdict: Adore it
Communication Lost is an incredible experience, one that I believe anyone owes it to themselves to experience. There is so much heart and soul in this album. And while the music appears deceptively accessible, there are so many layers, so much nuance to explore, even the harshest music critic and most pompous "prog snob" will find joy in exploring this wonderful album. If this is not at the top of my album of the year list I will be shocked. It is just that good.

Liveblogging the Devin Townsend Project.

2011-06-15T22:47:00.004-04:00

I've loved Devin Townsend for years. I remember the first time I heard Accelerated Evolution, the frenetic sense of motion, the layers upon layers of sound - the absolute beauty of it all. I remember when I heard Alien for the first time, and the disorientation and comforting discomfort that it brought. (Yeah, it's that kind of album.) I remember laughing at the conceit of a concept album about a puppet that demands all the world's coffee.

I also remember it's been two years since I've heard a peep from the man. That, for him, is an inordinately long time. For years, he'd put out at least one album of amazing music a year, and often more. In 2009, we were treated to the first two albums of the four Devin Townsend Project discs, and I was left waiting for more.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Finally, the wait is over. The two concluding parts of the Devin Townsend Project are being released, and I'm thrilled to hear what the madman of metal has for us this time around. I'm going to write quick reactions to my first listen-through of the project as a whole, from the beginning two discs to the two new ones. Think of it like liveblogging an event - one that's way better than the Oscars or Grammys could ever hope to be.

Ki

This album is heavier than I remember it being. When I was describing the DTP to my wife, I told her the first part was very low-key and soft. It is in parts, but "Coast wastes no time getting a bit heavy. And "Gato"? Listen to that lovely crunch.

There is a certain feel of raw sound that Ki has that no other Devin album has had. It's not that it sounds like a demo, but it has that type of urgency and simplicity. This is pared down to a degree Devin rarely is - often just one guitar track, one vocal, a bass and a drum. It's lucid.

I love the female vocals on this CD. They're so different from Anneke (who we'll hear so much from on Addicted) that they make a great contrast.

Tense. That's the best way to describe Ki. It's a record that seethes.

"Heaven Send" is Devin's songwriting at its most powerful. And its most terrifying. And "Trainfire" is a weird, Elvis-y feeling thing that doesn't feel like it really belongs here. And then, it does, as the Elvis fades and the sense of calm comes back.

The piano is a nice touch on "Lady Helen". It's really a great song. And so too is "Ki", easily the centerpoint of the album. It's a wonderful little song, with a lilting melody, stoic guitar work, and just the right groove - which picks up pace and verve near the end, feeling frenetic and terse. It's got all the technicality of a Strapping Young Lad song without any of the violence. Beautiful.

And we close out the album with "Demon League", quiet and simple. It ends on a promise of more - on a promise of loudness to come...

Addicted

And boy, does it get loud. "Addicted!" starts with a crunch, and it's a whole new ballgame. Heavy, layered, multiple vocals punch in, and the whole things starts feeling blessedly chaotic. Between Devin's clean and harsh vocals and the addition of Anneke, it's busy and full. Just like any Devin Townsend record should be.

I love the spacey synth sounds that permeate Addicted. It's just crazy sauce.

On the matter of production: in terms of the solidity of the whole thing, it's the closest (in Devin's back catalog) to Physicist, which has some blistering metal on it, but remains sounding controlled and centered. So too here - this is very heavy metal, but it's produced like a pop record. This is not a slight against it, by any means - it just has a beautiful identity crisis, like it's a pop metal album trying to decide what it's going to be.

Here we are: "Bend it Like Bender!", where Anneke takes the reins of the vocals and dominates the song (and much of the rest of the album). She has such an inimitable, memorable voice, Devin was beyond wise in enlisting her help. And when the two sing together? Gold.

And let's be honest. On Ziltoid, "Hyperdrive" was a great tune. A soaring anthem. Reproduced here, with Anneke singing the vocals, it's (arguably) even better. It punches just right, and her dulcet voice peaks beautifully.

"In-Ah!" has a gorgeous melody. It's the calmest point on this record, probably - and it's just stunning. Even pop records need their ballads, and this metalpop album has a doozy of one here.

And we approach "Awake!", the sprawling album-closer that features more melodic ideas than all six of Nickelback's albums combined. It's big and splashy, and then fades out into quiet introspection. It really sums up what the new, cleaned-up Devin Townsend is all about better than anything I write can. And so we're on to the brand-new stuff...

Deconstruction

It starts . . . not where I expected it to start. Lots of synth, weird drumming, and almost no guitar at all. I'm curious to see where Dev is going to take this sound - this is supposed to be his weirdest, most blistering album yet. And it's starting like . . . a Depeche Mode album or something. (Don't get me wrong - it sounds great.) But what is this? Who are you, Devin Townsend? And from whence do you come?

And there it is. Utter confusion and chaos. No time wasted. Less than four minutes in, and now I know this is a Devin Townsend album. Lyrically, this is dark stuff - lots of violence and drug use. This is Dev battling his inner demons. And then it fades out. This is going to be a roller-coaster of contradictions, methinks.

Oh! Oh my! Is that Mikael Ackerfeldt's harsh vocals I hear in there?!? IT IS OH DEVIN WHAT HAVE YOU DONE. "Stand" blisters, peels, and cracks, just to blister all over again. And when it calms down, it's just a ruse, waiting to assault you as soon as you let your guard down.

"Juular" sounds like a demented carnival ride. Another polka for the centuries, just like "Vampolka" and "Vampira" on Synchestra. It's madness.

The madness continues. There's so much going on in this album, a one-time listen through will never suffice to describe it. It has definite touches of everything Devin has done before this, but it's a creature all on its own. It's an ugly thing, but I think I love it.

"The Mighty Masturbator" is one of the strangest songs Dev has ever given us. I don't even know where to begin to dissect it. It's so massive and layered. I expect nothing less than surprises from Devin, every album - this one doesn't disappoint. And once again, I feel like I'm trapped in a terrifying carnival of sound.

"Cheeseburger . . . cheeseburger . . . cheeseburger." "Shut up, Rick!"

And "Poltergeist" wraps it up - loud, violent, and abrasive. Deconstruction is every bit of those, all eighty minutes of it.

Ghost

Did this album really just start with flute?

Yes. Yes it did. And it's a perfect way to begin it. This is the most low-key (while still interesting - yes, I'm looking at you, The Hummer) that Devin has ever done. This is music I would put in the car if I knew I was driving my mom somewhere. It's just that pretty.

"Feather" sprawls, but stays just so airy. It's like new age music that doesn't suck or something.

The title track, "Ghost", has a great sway to it, and bubbles with effervescence. The vocal layers add so much, as each is so light and (dare I say it) friendly. This is Devin's friendly album. What? Devin Townsend made a friendly album? Yeah, I'm thinking it too - while I'm tapping my toe to it.

The use of lots of synthesizers really fills out the sound of the whole album - it's really solid.

And so I reach the last track, "As You Were", which closes us out with calm, seagulls and oceans and breeze and all that. This has been quite the journey to bring us to this ending, but I've enjoyed every minute of it.

REACTIONS: Devin Townsend is a musical genius. Few (if any) can write as varied and as enjoyable a catalog of music as he has, and these four albums truly showcase every bit of his impressive talent. I can't wait to listen again.

Single Review: Symphony X - The End Of Innocence

2011-06-11T21:23:00.001-04:00

Symphony X: The End of Innocence
Year: 2011
Click here for the artist's site

It has been a few years since Symphony X released their last effort, Paradise Lost. They have been busy, of course, with multiple other side projects. But fortunately, they buckled down and have finished up a new album. The End of Innocence is the first single to be released from the upcoming album Iconoclast.

Right from the start, the Michaels are in your face, with crushing guitars from Michael Romeo and fabulous keyboard acrobatics from Michael Pinnella. The beginning really has a great feel to it. In fact, this same synergy really carries through the entire song with some stellar work from each of the members. Lest I shun the rhythm section, Michael Lepond and Jason Rullo propel the music forward in usual, excellent fashion.

As always, Russell Allen does a fabulous job, with both some rough, gritty vocals as well as a fantastic use of his rich, impressive clean vocals. There is no doubt that Allen is one of the most versatile and talented singers in rock/metal these days, and he puts that versatility to good use in this track.

The End of Innocence certainly has a bit of a heavier and darker feel than tracks on Paradise Lost, which serves the material well. Yet never is lost the versatility, theatricality and pure sense of music the band is so well known and regarded for. While I have enjoyed all the recent albums from this band, as a lead single, The End of Innocence has me more excited for this album than I have been in a long time.

Final Verdict: Adore It
There are few bands out there with the pure ability that Symphony X possesses. This looks to be another excellent addition to their catalog, and potentially some of their strongest music yet.

Kamelot announcement: They're dropping like flies

2011-04-22T10:50:00.001-04:00

Are you kidding me?

First, Jeff Loomis and Van Williams leave Nevermore yesterday. Now Roy Khan is leaving Kamelot. This is really sad news. Kamelot is a talented band, and their playing and songwriting is great. However, Roy's voice is really what pushed them over the top for me.

While I have been disappointed by their past two releases, Roy's vocals have never been the reason for that. I suppose the writing was on the wall when it was announced that he wouldn't be doing vocals on the tour for them. But it is sad to hear he is leaving.

I hope they can find an equally capable vocalist. Their style really has relied on the strength of his vocals.

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore"

2011-04-21T15:07:00.000-04:00

I previously posted on Mike Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater. That was disappointing, mostly because he was such a stalwart of the band. For me though, Dream Theater hasn't really interested me for years, so I couldn't really get too worked up.

Not today though.

Jeff Loomis and Van Williams, lead guitar and drummer for Nevermore, announced today their decision to split from the band. Something was fishy when the band announced a week or so ago that they were cancelling the rest of their shows this year and that a statement would be forthcoming.

It never came. Looks like this was probably it though.

This is certainly disappointing. Nevermore has but out some of the very best American prog/power/speed/thrash/technical metal for the past decade and a half. And I really, really like Warrel Dane's voice. There is no question in my mind though that Jeff Loomis' playing and writing has been the real heart of the band. You need to look no further than his excellent solo album "Zero Order Phase" to hear just how crucial he is to the band. Whether or not they continue with new people, as far as I am concerned, Nevermore is done.

I will look forward to what Jeff and Van do in the future, as they are both immensely talented musicians.

The year in rearview: 2010 edition

2011-04-13T20:18:00.001-04:00

Good grief. I am slow. I am lame.

I have though many times about writing this post, about what I would say, what music I would discuss. But I never let myself get around to it. Well here it is. Only 4 months late. Sweet. Also, I'm not doing the top ten thing here. These are just some albums that, in one way or the other, I thought worth mentioning.

The Disappointing
Okay, let's start with the few things that let me down. There really isn't going to be much here, as I just didn't spend time with music that didn't wow me. I mean, I do this as a hobby. I'm not getting paid, so I won't subject myself to unnecessary pain.

Joe Satriani - Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards
Oh Joe, what happened to you? I mean, I sill have an undying love for his older music, pretty much up until Engines of Creation. There are still some really great songs on Strange Beautiful Music and Is There Love in Space? But since then, I'll just pass. Three albums in a row that aren't even worth listening to, let alone buy. Not a positive trend for who was, for many years, my absolute favorite guitarist.

Kamelot - Poetry for the Poisoned
I really fell in love with Kamelot with the release of The Black Halo. But I don't know if it is me or the band, but nothing since that albums has really grabbed me. Their latest was no different. There were some great parts, but not enough to make me want to come back regularly.

Deftones - Diamond Eyes
This album started out so strong, but then just quickly lost me. For whatever reason, I just don't like these guys that much anymore. I was really left kind of feeling meh after this one.

The Good
There is a fair bit here, for good reason. I'll just give you a quick run down.

Fear Factory - Mechanize
Fear Factory has been releasing albums for years since their groundbreaking second full length release, Demanufacture. And I think it is pretty universally held that they hadn't met up to the high bar that release set. That is until 2011. I personally think that with Mechanize they not only reached that bar, but set it even higher. There is a full review here for my thoughts. It is sufficient to say that I still think it is a brilliant album, and their very best.

Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
Here is the thing, Jeff Loomis is THE MAN. He has an absolutely uncanny ability to play heavy, fast, techincal and yet astonishingly beautiful music. He can take a ridiculous riff, play it so fast that your head is spinning, but still make it lovely and musical. That skill was evident all over his solo album, and is firmly entrenched on Nevermore's latest. These guys are one of the greatest American metal bands. This is another fantastic release from them.

The Ocean - Heliocentric/Anthropocentric
We have reviews here and here for these albums. They are awesome, and taken together are very powerful. They are inventive, evocative and fascinating musical experiments.

Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
The story for which this album is a prequel is too silly, too overwrought in the worst way of comic stories could possibly be. But the music on this album is consistently great, and consistent is the one thing that Coheed and Cambria have not been up to this point. They have been moving that direction with each album, but didn't realize that until this one. My favorite of theirs, it is a great place to start exploring these guys.

Soilwok - The Panic Broadcast
These Swedes know what they want to do, and they do it very well. Adding a bit of a groove feel to the "Gothenburg metal" sound, they manage to not sound too samey to their compatriots. The Panic Broadcast is probably the best example of this in many years. They riffs are massive, manic and melodic in that particularly Swedish way, but with a healthy dose of Pantera mixed in.

Alter Bridge - ABIII
I have a confession to make. I really, I mean really liked Creed back in the day. Okay, now that I got that off my chest, I feel better. Even though I really can't listen to them anymore (Scott Stapp rubs me so wrong), I still really like the sound of Mark Tremonti's guitar. So I have been a big fan of Alter Bridge since their debut album. Now on their third, it is probably their best yet. This is also their darkest album to date. Even the songs that start off sounding like butterflies and rainbows (I'm exaggerating a bit here) turn dark at some point. It is an interesting, if minor, evolution of the sound of this band.

Star One - Victims of the Modern Age
Again, no surprise this is on the list if anyone read my review. This is just another shinning example that Arjen Lucassen is brilliant. Seriously. Go, find something this man has done and listen. Now. Really.

Hans Zimmer - Inception OST
I'm a sucker for Hans Zimmer. His overwrought, distinct style just gets me every time. It didn't hurt that this soundtrack was for such a great movie. But the music helps the movie be even better. Taken alone, I find the soundtrack a compelling listening experience. If you like the movie, it is even better.

Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
Yes, I love this album. If you had told me in January that my favorite album of the year would come from these Norwegian Viking/Black/Progressive metallers, I would have balked. I would have believed it would have been in my top ten. However, I was absolutely not prepared for just powerful, dynamic, and impressive this album would be.

Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy OST
So here was the biggest surprise. Obviously, I am a bit of a hard rock/metal head. Out of nowhere, Daft Punk came and smacked me upside the head with a fantastic melding of electronica and orchestral soundtrack goodness. I seriously obsessed over this album and still love nearly every minute of it.

Album review: The Ocean - Anthropocentric

2010-12-10T12:18:00.001-05:00

The Ocean: Anthropocentric
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

I was blown away by The Ocean's earlier release this year, Heliocentric. (So was Peter.) But deep down, I knew it wasn't quite complete - and here is presented its complement.

With the exception of their first album, The Ocean have always dealt with duality in their releases. Fluxion and Aeolian were designed to be listened to together, and were initially planned as a single release, but were kept separate by the record company.
2007's Precambrian was a sprawling, double disc epic with one part wonderfully orchestrated heavy metal and the other part a blistering, deafening metal powerhouse.

The same has occurred here with Anthropocentric. A continuation on many of the themes presented in Heliocentric, this is its heavier big brother. Rather than starting with ambient noises and instrumentals like the previous record, Anthropocentric starts with the agonized screams of vocalist Loïc Rossetti thundering forth before the tremendous guitars even begin. And with that, the stage is set for the heavy that is to follow.

That's not to say that Anthropocentric doesn't have touches of grace and moments of calm. There is real beauty here in a few spots, but they're fewer and further between than on Heliocentric. This is a consolidation of the sounds they've played with in their previous albums, creating something better than the sum of its parts.

Ultimately, Heliocentric may be a slightly superior album. However, in my head, they'll always be one album - two halves of the same coin. As such, they may be the best metal to come out in 2010.

Final verdict: Adore it
It starts heavy and ends softer, the opposite of its other half, but in between, there's another shockingly powerful metal release. The Ocean continue to impress and I can't wait to see where else they will go in the years and albums to come. This is perfectly balanced and precisely crafted metal of the highest order.

Album Review: Star One - Victims of the Modern Age

2010-11-18T15:35:00.000-05:00

Star One: Victims of the Modern Age
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Well, it's 2010, so that must mean time for another Arjen Lucassen release, right? I mean, this guy has been cranking out the music lately. With that, there has to be a bit of burn out and fatigue, right?

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

Don't get me wrong, Arjen's take on prog isn't for everyone. You have to accept a certain amount of cheese and camp. His latest release with side project Star One, Victims of the Modern Age is no different. But it is the willful embracing of camp, coupled with Arjen's unmistakable sound and songwriting prowess that makes it such a delicious trip to take.

Star One doesn't break new ground on the latest release. But there is a logical progression from Arjen's past work. Similar to Space Metal, Victims of the Modern Age is over-the-top, sci-fi space metal. It knows that up front, and embraces it. Again, each track on the album is based on a science fiction movie, with options ranging from "Escape from New York", to "Firefly/Serenity", and even "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Matrix". Knowing which movie goes with which song certainly makes the lyrics more enjoyable.

The usual cast of supporting characters is again in top form. Vocals are handled by top notch singers. Damian Wilson (!), Floor Jansen (!!), and Russell Allen (!!!) all return, and are joined by Dan Swano. Their performances are magnificent. These are some of the most talented vocalists out there.

Musically, the album is perfect for the subject matter. Arjen's rich guitar sound builds over the unmistakable Ed Warby's drums. These two work so well together. Joost van den Broek brings his skill and style with the keys, and Gary Wehrkamp's signature tone make appearances in some excellent solos. Overall, I would say the music is darker and slightly heavier than on the previous Star One release. There is certainly some evolution of Arjen's style on this album.

Final Verdict: Adore It
This album isn't for everyone. Some will be put off by the science fiction movie pastiche. However, as a self-proclaimed geek/nerd/dork (whatever you want to call me), I embrace it. The music is excellent, up to Arjen's incredibly high standards as always. However, some of the darker overtones found on other projects such as On This Perfect Day and 01011001 are readily apparent. Victims of the Modern Age isn't revolutionary, but it is a delightful evolution of the Star One formula.

Album Review: Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

2010-10-08T10:36:00.000-04:00

Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

There are some truly ground-breaking albums that have been released in recent years. Take, for example, Opeth's monumental Blackwater Park. It was a masterful blending of death metal stylings with folk and prog. It introduced a whole new group of people to the band.

Axioma Ethica Odini should be right there next to it. While it may have yet to truly stand the test of time, I honestly believe that this, too, will be remembered as a ground-breaking album, a masterful melding of black metal with progressive rock/metal, that should introduce a whole new generation to this increasingly fascinating and brilliant band.

Picking right up where Vertebrae left off, Axioma Ethica Odini is replete with progressive rock/metal influences. In fact, I would say this is more of a progressive metal record with black metal influences, rather than the other way around. However, whereas the first thing from Vertebrae that struck me was how mellow the guitars were at times, AEO kicks it off from the very start with a full, powerful and distinctly metal sound to the guitars.

The opening track, "Ethica Odini" is a monster. It finely balances all of Enslaved's best characteristics. The careful, near equal balance of their harsh vocals with the fine clean singing is readily apparent. The guitar riffs are massive, juxtaposed to some calm, melodic moments. And it is suffused with a sense of the epic. From there on it never lets up. In fact, album closer, "Lightening" is one of the most epic tracks I have heard in a long time.

One of the most notable differences on AEO from their past two albums, Ruun and Vertebrae, is the sound of the guitars. They are up front, aggressive, powerful and full of kick. However, they are also very well used, never seeming brutal. Everything on this album speaks of the skill, artistry and love for their craft of the members of the band. The drumming is impeccable, the bass full and rich. Again, the clean singing is perhaps even more dominant here than on Vertebrae.

Final verdict: Adore it
Here it is folks. So far, Axioma Ethica Odini is the front runner from album of the year status. It will take a truly epic, monstrous and ground-breaking release in the next couple of months to topple this from the top spot. This album is just that good. It has just about everything I could ask for: a great, heavy sound, progressive song writing without pretension, flawless production, and a real sense of a love for the music. Don't let the harsh vocals turn you off, this album is fantastic. Time will tell if it ranks up there with the likes of Blackwater Park, but my gut says it will.

Album Review: Kamelot - Poetry for the Poisoned

2010-10-05T15:23:00.000-04:00

Kamelot: Poetry for the Poisoned
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Kamelot blew me away with their 2005 release, The Black Halo. It was a fascinating mix of power metal, some progressive elements, and a dark edge to the entire experience. However, their follow up release, Ghost Opera, didn't quite live up for me. While I appreciated its continued emphasis on their more progressive tendencies, it just didn't click with me on the same level.

So just where does their latest release, Poetry for the Poisoned fit in? Well, that is a tough question to answer.

There is no question that Kamelot has pushed even further into the progressive metal arena, taking cues from numerous sources. Whether intended or not, the influence I see the most on this release is Ayreon. Perhaps it is emphasis on guest vocals that calls to mind this particular comparison.

That is one area in which this release really shines. Björn Strid lends his harsh vocals to the background of opener "The Great Pandemonium", Jon Oliva's gravelly growl graces "The Zodiac", and Simone Simons is very effectively used on three different tracks. This certainly adds to the album, bringing some variety to the experience.

Musically, Kamelot continues to be as tight as they ever have been. Thomas Youngblood's guitar work is powerful, intricate, yet still tactfully restrained at times. Roy Khan continues his bid as my favorite vocalist of all time by turning in another fabulous performance. The rest of the band, too, performs without any notable flaw.

However, something about the album just doesn't grab me the way I expected. Perhaps it is the almost too varied nature at times. Perhaps it is too much emphasis on the keyboards. Whatever it is, Poetry for the Poisoned has yet to catch my attention and take hold of me the way The Black Halo did. It is still an admirable effort, but not one that lives up to my personal expectations.

Final verdict: Explore it
I get the sense that Poetry for the Poisoned will be one of those albums that grows on the listener. There is a lot going on (almost too much at times), and a fair bit to digest. However, there just isn't anything really powerful that jumps out and grabs me from the start. I am warming to the album. Time will tell if I adore it, but thus far, I just don't yet.

Album Review: Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky

2010-09-29T12:06:00.001-04:00

Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Swans is one of those bands, like Neurosis, that all the kids claim are a huge influence on them, but that the general populace remains woefully ignorant of. And it's obvious why; they were never released on a major label, and they haven't put out new music since 1997, the band having gone on to do many other things in other groups (most notably Jarboe, who has worked with just about every experimental metal group at this point).

Thank heavens, however, that bandleader Michael Gira decided it was time to get the band back together - and while Jarboe doesn't return, Gira enlists former bandmate Norman Westburg with some new faces and has created one of the most electrifying albums of the year.

I can't think of another album that's started with a bigger bang than the opening track here, "No Words/No Thoughts". It's nearly ten minutes of brutality, from the cacophonous bells that ring in the song to the decay of the closing strain. This is an opening statement to defeat all others - a glorious return to form to a certain degree, but with new energy and sinister seething.

After this, it calms down considerably (and necessarily); the following tracks, while less imposing, still have an electricity that pulses underneath, until "My Birth" erupts yet again with force and violence. The most terrifyingly moving track follows, "You F*#$ing People Make Me Sick", which features a duet between indie-rock darling Devendra Banhart and Gira's three-year-old daughter - but don't think because Banhart is here that this is anything like indie music.

But it doesn't stop there. "Eden Prison" attacks the senses, an aural assault as heavy as any sludge metal group, before closing out with "Little Mouth", filled with bizarre noises and uncomfortable juxtapositions of sound, followed by a sixties-country-inspired calmness that oozes with catharsis as it ends with just Gira's unique vocals.

Final verdict: Adore it
This thing is huge, and one of the best releases of the year. It's a wonderful gateway to the world of Swans if you're not familiar with their past work, and it's a welcome return of pioneers for old fans. "No Words/No Thoughts" may be the best song of the year so far (its only real competition is "All Delighted People" by Sufjan Stevens, and you couldn't ask for a different type of tune), and the rest of the album is equally weighty.

Five desert island songs.

2010-09-27T10:21:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about what I would consider really seminal pieces of music, examples of cinema, works of literature, et cetera today. So I decided to craft a list of my five desert island songs and why they're worth picking as the only music I would ever listen to again - if I had to. (Thankfully, that's not going to happen.)

In no particular order.

Eric Whitacre - Water Night

I still remember the first time I ever heard this piece of music. It was the lead-in from an intermission at a friend's choir concert. I spoke to her during the break, and she proclaimed, "I just wish I could see your face during the first song of the next set."

Perplexed, I asked her why. She responded, "You'll see."

I did see that night. I saw things I never had seen before about music; what it can do, what it can mean, how it can be made. It caused a complete paradigm shift in me - and forever altered my perception.

One listen and you can see why. There's so much going on in this for being a piece of a'cappella; there are up to fifteen parts coursing in and out of each other at one point. It's an overwhelming piece of choral music, and every time I hear it I get goosebumps.

Rush - Natural Science

Anyone who knows my taste for tunes knows the importance of Rush in my formative years. The first album I ever owned was Grace Under Pressure; I can probably sing every single song of theirs off the top of my head, simply out of beautiful repetition. But after all is said and done, and heaps upon heaps of great songs, my favorite Rush track is "Natural Science". It's a wonderful amalgam of different tunes, telling a story of the microcosms we each are trapped in and how we don't understand how ephemeral and transitory everything is.

I could listen to this a million times.

Samuel Barber - Adagio for strings, Op. 11

I heard Barber's Adagio for the first time in an uncharacteristic place - during the opening sequence to an old video game, Homeworld. (That was a great game, by the way. One of the best. And way, way too hard for its own good.)

It was the choral version rather than the strings version, and was truncated to two minutes, but I remember vividly sitting there watching the opening sequence and hearing this song and my heart pumping a million miles a minute, and sitting back and thinking, "What was that?!? That makes my person ache with loveliness." Needless to say, I did my research and hunted it down, and have been enamored by this song ever since.

Art Tatum - L'Elegy

I don't know what else can be said about the inimitable Art Tatum. He was the best jazz pianist. Like, ever. Even in this day and age where there have been so many sages at the ivories, he remains The Man. Just listen to it. It's the greatest piano solo of all time - so far, at least. Goosepimples every time.

Opeth - Blackwater Park

I may not listen to heavy metal very much these days, but metal is still in my core. Deep down in my bits. And Opeth will forever be the band that introduced me to brütal heavÿ mëtal. (With umlauts.)

And this is their most compelling single song. (Their last album, Watershed, is easily their best, but I digress.) It starts with such forceful energy, and then recedes to the corner, content to seethe for two minutes of distressing calm, before erupting once again. And it just gets heavier and meaner, until there is just a moment of clarity at about the nine and a half minute mark - where you're staring into the abyss at the edge of the cliff, and then you get kicked off and plummet. (Sorry this crappy video cuts the last twenty seconds off the song.) Ah, this tune. Certainly not for everyone. And certainly not what I usually listen to. But so very, very good.

Portnoy leaves Dream Theater

2010-09-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

I actually wanted to write about this back when the announcement came out, but just wasn't doing much writing at the time, so it passed me by. Plus, I was just not sure how much I cared.

On September 8th, 2010, Mike Portnoy announced he was leaving Dream Theater. Talk about shock of shocks. After all, Mike was one of the original, founding members of the band. Likewise, he has seemed to be taking a more and more active role in the band (for better or worse), writing more lyrics, contributing vocals, and just generally being the public face of the band. (To his credit, he has been, for many years, very interactive with fans on his own website).

But the reasons behind his departure are, in my mind, the most uncomfortable part of the entire drama. His press release is very clear in stating that he did not want to leave the band, rather just wanted things with Dream Theater to slow down a bit. It would seem he just wanted a break. However, the rest of the band apparently was not content with this idea, and wanted to continue on, with or without him.

It looks like it will be without him.

This really is sad news. While my interest in Dream Theater's music has waned over the past few releases, there is no doubt that albums such as Images and Words and Awake (and to a lesser degree Scenes From a Memory) are seminal, essential progressive metal releases. They really are the band that introduced me to "progressive metal". And throughout it all, Portnoy's very technical, impressive (at times too impressive) drum work has been the back bone of the band.

After so many years, it just seems sort of cheap of them to ignore his wishes to take a break. If that take is the truth, it is pretty low class. I wish Mike the best in his endeavors (did anyone else realize he was now the official drummer for Avenged Sevenfold?). As for Dream Theater, I think I will pass on their next album (again). Unless Gavin Harrison or Mark Zonder is announced as the replacement. Then I won't have a choice but to listen, as I will listen to whatever either of those two do.

Album Review: Sepultura - A-Lex

2010-09-14T09:43:00.001-04:00

Sepultura - A-Lex
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site

Stalwart. That is the best word to describe Sepultura. For years now, they have been championing their own mix of death, thrash, and groove metal. Many fans cast them by the wayside after the departure of Max Cavalera (and later his brother Igor). But now, with 5 albums with Derrick Green (just one shy of what Max contributed to), they continue to marshall onward.

In fact, their last two releases have entered some really interesting territory, with the previous album Dante XXI being based on The Divine Comedy, and their latest A-Lex based on the novel A Clockwork Orange. But with such heady (for such heavy metal) lyrical inspiration, how is the music? In one word: amazing.

A-Lex is an interesting collection of mini-tracks (many of the 18 songs hover right around the 2 minute mark) and proper songs. However, even the shorter tracks carry an amazing weight. Lyrically, the album tells the story of A Clockwork Orange, and the music fits the anti-social, brutal and somewhat bleak nature of the story.

Derrick Green continues to be an admirable replacement for Max Cavalera, with his vocals carefully balancing the brutal, harsh growls and his moments of clean singing. Yet there is little of that, as the music is heavy. Very heavy. New drummer Jean Dolabella pounds the skins with aplomb, filling the gap left my original member Igor Cavalera brilliantly. The guitars, as always, are heavy, gritty, groovy and thunderous. There is never a dull moment.

Final Verdict: Adore It
Fans of thoughtful, yet heavy music will find a lot to appreciate on A-Lex. Fans of Sepultura should put aside any negative feelings they have about the missing Cavalera brothers and should explore this for the excellent slice of metal mayhem it is. Those unfamiliar with the band could do much worse than use this album as a starting point to explore this seminal metal band. Highly recommended.

Album Review: The Ocean - Heliocentric

2010-07-26T20:12:00.000-04:00

The Ocean: Heliocentric
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Never a group to settle for the same old thing, The Ocean (often known as The Ocean Collective) have impressed me with every album. A mix of ambient sounds, progressive metal, classical music, electronica and post-hard core, they really are one of the more unique bands playing heavy music.

Their latest release, Heliocentric, is no different in that regards. And yet, it is undoubtedly their most mature, focused and varied work to date.

The first and most notable change in the band comes in the form of Loïc Rosetti, vocalist. In the past, vocals on The Ocean albums are almost entirely harsh in nature. However, Rosetti instead chooses to employ clean, soulful vocals on the majority of the album. This serves multiple purposes. First, it makes the album more accessible to those put off by harsh vocals. Second, it deepens the album, giving it more breadth and layers of textures.

Musically, this is also The Ocean's most diverse album. While there is certainly the expected heavy riffs The Ocean is so good at, there is also an abundance of space. Many songs have quiet, introspective moments of sparse orchestration. There are also plenty of strings and piano on the album, each used to their strengths to broaden the music and provide a spacious, at times ethereal canvas for the thematic elements.

As might be supposed from the title of the album, Heliocentric deals with the rise of the idea of heliocentrism. Direct quotations from The Bible, as well as from many modern scientists and philosophers, it is a fascinating journey of an idea in evolution.

Great songs abound, with the final two tracks creating a powerful climax. However, my personal favorites are actually the two ballads, "Ptolemy was wrong" and "Epiphany". They are beautiful tracks that are perfect balances to the albums heavier moments.

Final Verdict: Adore it
The Ocean has created a wonderful, epic album with Heliocentric. I love all of their albums, but this is their most diverse, most interesting and most fully realized work yet. I look forward to Anthropocentric, due for release later this year. This is a great place to begin exploring this fascinating band that defies easy categorization.

Point-Counterpoint: My Dying Bride - 34.788%...Complete

2010-07-25T10:17:00.000-04:00

Peter

Make no mistake about it, My Dying Bride has become, in the past year, one of my very favorite bands. Their entire library is full of epic, amazing British doom. Yet plunked just about right in the middle of the oeuvre is the singularly unique 34.788%...Complete.

Taken on its own, it is an interesting piece of artistic expression. A very mellow, chill, electronic inspired take on doom metal, there is, in fact, very little doom on it. A cursory listen reveals an album that sounds nothing like My Dying Bride. But don't let that fool you. Closer inspection demonstrates hidden layers of heavy, ponderous MDB riffs.

But where this album really shines is taken in the context of all their albums. Sandwiched directly between Like Gods of the Sun, the pinnacle of their early evolution to more melodic metal, and The Light at the End of the World, their darkest, most bleak and crushing album, 34.788%...Complete truly stands out as fascinating. What has come since this album is amazing doom metal, so I can't complain. But this is one album to not be overlooked.

From the trippy, "Blade Runner" style interrogation (questions are asked by a female voice, in Japanese played backwards, then answered by lead vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe in English) in "The Whore, the Cook and the Mother", to the almost groove-metal of "Under Your Wings and Into Your Arms", the album is full of fascinating moments. "Der Uberlebende" is the closest the album comes to doom, with a slow, dirge-like pace. "Apocalypse Woman" is carried by a rapid, groove laden bass line. Finally, the first song that really caught my attention was "Heroine Chic". I find it to be the most interesting MDB song ever, with electronic percussion, spoken vocals, (almost) self-censored lyrics (listen closely with headphones to see why I say almost), a lilting female vocal over the top of it all, and moments of thunderously heavy riffs, it is just fantastic from start to finish.

Final verdict: Explore it (though I adore it, it is different and unique enough that I gotta say explore first, though you may come to adore it as well)

Braeden

I think it's taken me as long as it has to counterpoint this album because I still don't know what to make of it.

I'm not as familiar with My Dying Bride as Peter is, obviously. Before working on this article, the only exposure I'd had to them was their latest release, 2009's For Lies I Sire, which is certainly a shining example of melodic doom metal.

However, for a lot of reasons, I think 34.778% is a superior album. As has been documented previously, I have a lot of love for well-done electronica. (I can't stand most of the stuff they'd play in clubs and such; but when a group or artist is good at creating electronica - groups such as F*ck Buttons or Röyksopp or the inimitable Daft Punk - I can listen to it all day.) The subtle, electronic music found intermingled here with some pretty crushing metal is very good, and helps create an ambiance that most albums of this ilk only hope to duplicate.

It really is a great album, and the more times I've listened to it, the more I've felt that way about it.

Final verdict: this surprises the heck out of me, but Adore it (at night. In the darkness. Hidden under your covers.)

Point-Counterpoint: Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8

2010-07-06T21:53:00.000-04:00

Braeden

I'm not exactly sure how I found out about Cloud Cult - what website or who introduced me to the wonder of my favorite band. (After Rush. Of course.) All I know is that I've loved everything they've done for half a decade now.

While my love of most indie music is something that's come about in the last year or so, even when I was in the midst of my most brütal hëavy mëtal moments of life, I've still been able to listen to Cloud Cult and find joy, honesty, and the truths of human emotions laid bare. They're not your typical indie band, not one that you'd imagine all those hipster kids from New York listening to - there's something fundamentally different about their music, from their harmonies to their deceptively simple seeming guitar work.

The Meaning of 8 is no exception. Until Monday of this past week when they released their newest album, Light Chasers, on their website, I would've told you it was their very best album. It's full of catchy songs, lilting melodies, a message about overcoming and the everlasting nature of love, and it's just a wonder to behold. Since 2000 and the passing of lead singer / guitarist / keyboarder / songwriter Craig Minowa's son, their music had tended towards melancholy, but with this release, they strike a happy balance between the sadness that's obviously still there (especially in songs such as "Your 8th Birthday", written for the boy on what would've been that day), but there's a sense of hope and faith in the future here, too.

I love this record. It's got some of my favorite Cloud Cult tunes on it - from the unique love musings of "Chemicals Collide" to the melancholy of "Dance for the Dead" to the beautiful tragedy of "A Girl Underground" to the poignant "The Deaf Girl's Song". It's hard to even point out one thing that's out of place on this disc - it's nineteen tracks of perfection.

Every Cloud Cult album is a listening event - and this one, specifically, is a marvel.

Final Verdict: Adore it (and pick up everything else they've ever done, too - especially their brand new one)

Peter

My brother is on a quest. A quest to cure me from my Philistine ways. Such it is with this latest selection.

Cloud Cult scratches the indie-but-not-dirty-hipster itch very well. The music is slick and polished, without the need to appear rough and raw (like too much indie music). This album is replete with happy moments without being saccharine. The music is a vehicle, not a weapon. A vehicle to gently propel the listener on to the end.

In these ways, the album succeeds.

However, for it to succeed for the individual, you need to have that itch that needs to be scratched. And, frankly, I don't. It would appear I have no indie itch. That doesn't surprise me. So in the end, this was a brief diversion, but that is all.

Final verdict: Explore it (if you find you have an indie itch, scratch with this, not some of the other absolute dreck that is out there)

A Mini Mixtape for Melancholic Meditations

2010-06-30T01:16:00.000-04:00

This is part of a potential series of mixtapes I'll be doing over the next few months, depending on their popularity. It's a perfect mix of downtempo, pensive songs that are ideal for chilling and hanging out to.

Tracklist:

1. The National - Sorrow
2. Regina Spektor - The Flowers
3. Tegan and Sara - Nineteen
4. Death Cab for Cutie - Summer Skin
5. Midlake - Winter Dies
6. PJ Harvey - Dear Darkness
7. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
8. Eluvium - An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death

Yeah, I know it's indie-heavy. (This is not a mixtape for you, Peter - but more metal-centric ones are to come.) Give it a listen, enjoy, and by all means, let us know how you like it.

Click here to enjoy this soothing, melancholic adventure.

Essential Album Review: Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood

2010-06-23T11:39:00.000-04:00

Neurosis: Through Silver in Blood
Year: 1996
Click here for the artist's site

*Disclaimer: I have written this review in my head at least a dozen times. However, actually putting it down has been nigh unto impossible. Such is the task that stands before me.

Every once in a while, music comes along that leaves one completely gobsmacked. Such an one is Through Silver in Blood.

Not Neurosis' first album. Nor their first groundbreaking album either (I give that nod to Souls at Zero). However, it is their very finest album and in my opinion the most important metal release that you've never heard.

Beginning as a hardcore/punk band, it didn't take long for Neurosis to evolve into something much darker, much more inventive and much more influential. That evolution (which continues to this day) hit a peak with their fifth album, Through Silver in Blood, released in 1996. From the very first track, the titular song, Neurosis proves that they are unequaled in the metal world. Beginning slowly with ambient/industrial sounds, followed by tribal drumming, the song takes a full 2:45 to build to its first crescendo of drumming, guitar, bass, and guttural howls and tortured screams. From there it never lets up to the very end of the album.

That isn't to say that the entire album is one loud wall of cacophony. Rather, Neurosis truly perfected the ebb and flow of music. Songs rise and fall like the waves of the ocean. Moments of quiet tranquility are wiped out by torrents of noise and rage. When suddenly, you don't know if you can take anymore, the songs switch directions, offering another moment of peace. But the peace is perhaps even more sinister. It is foreboding, brooding, menacing. It gently lulls you, while hinting that something truly terrifying is coming.

Two sub 2 minute tracks of speaking and noise are the only moments of apparent respite amongst the other tracks, most of which are > 10 minutes long. Yet even these shorter tracks only serve to build on the disquiet the rest of the albums thrives on. They serve a greater purpose in constructing the album as a whole.

Every track is powerful, and the album ends on two monstrous tracks. "Aeon" builds slowly from a mournful, plaintive piano and string melody to a crushing, thundering mass of epic proportions. "Enclosure in Flame" finishes the album in a furious manner with Scott Kelly's tortured howls leaving your skin crawling as it gently fades to silence. This is an album that leaves and indelible mark on the listener.

Through Silver in Blood is the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It is Beethoven's 9th Symphony, bringing to a close the Classical period and ushering in the Romantic. It is a complete game changer. One comes out of the experience of listening to Through Silver in Blood a different type of music fan than one went in. Such is its import, its power, and its lasting legacy. There is no question that I listen to music differently now than before I experienced Neurosis in general, and this album in particular. It is, as I mentioned earlier in this review, the most important album you've never heard.

Final verdict: Adore it
Through Silver in Blood is a true essential album. It is epic in scope, with a breadth and depth that has yet to be rivaled in modern music. It is supremely influential to those who are willing to work their way through it (because it certainly takes work). I cannot recommend it highly enough, while readily recognizing that it will be a terrifying experience for many who listen to it.

Point-Counterpoint: Testament - The Gathering

2010-06-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

Peter

Music is a fickle beast. Music fans can be even more fickle. Fads come and (thankfully) go, all in a short amount of time. Bands and artists that find success with one fad will often find they either evolve or die. And every band knows, they have just as much of a chance with every album to loose fans as they do gain new ones.

Yet amongst the fads, there are the stalwarts. Those solid, stable, reliable factors that you can count on. Likewise, certain musical styles become reliable enough to stand the test of time, supersede fad status and become bona fide genres. Such it has been with thrash metal. I won't go into too much depth regarding the genre, it is sufficient to point out that it arose as an angrier, heavier cousin of speed metal, in reaction to the gloss, pop and pomp of glam metal.

Emerging from the "Bay Area" thrash scene, Testament proved themselves to be one of the stalwarts of this new and evolving genre. Even when when grunge and subsequently nu-metal were overtaking the radio waves and record sales, Testament pressed on, sticking true to their trash roots while evolving in new directions. The pinnacle of that evolution is witnessed on The Gathering. Easily their heaviest album ever, and possibly one of the heaviest thrash albums ever recorded, it represents a big middle finger, straight up into the air, aimed directly at Korn and their ilk.

The Gathering is a magnificent example of American thrash. It is fast, technical, heavy as all get-out, and more furious than the hounds of hell. Chuck Billy brings back a bit of his singing growl that was mostly absent on Demonic, but he retains much of the fierce style he used on that record. Eric Peterson proves he is one of the best metal guitarists and songwriters around, completely owning the entire record. And Dave Lombardo, well, it's Dave freaking Lombardo. He owns the kit. From the beginning track, "D.N.R", through the album highlight "Ride the Snake" to the final track "Fall of Sipledome", The Gathering never lets up. It is a pummeling ride to the very last moment.

Final Verdict: Adore it (just keep the Advil handy)

Braeden

Blech. Finally, Peter has picked something that I can unequivocally say I don't like.

Thrash has never really been my thing - I love Persistence of Time because it's a classic, and ...And Justice For All doubly so. I can stand Megadeth, and that's really about the extent of my relationship with thrash.

As far as this CD goes I can concede to almost everything my compatriot said regarding its musicality (and especially the talent of Mr. Lombardo in the kit), but it just doesn't appeal to me. It's ugly and abrasive, and not in the ways I like. My metal-listening time is metered; I don't feel like wasting any more of it on this album.

Final Verdict: Ignore it (and listen to better metal instead)

Point-Counterpoint: Yes - Close to the Edge

2010-06-15T20:33:00.000-04:00

Braeden

Even though Yes is one of the original progenitors of the progressive rock genre, it's taken me years to be willing and able to truly process their music. I can't really describe why that was; but be that as it may, two years ago I finally decided I needed to see what all the fuss was about.

Because Yes has been around so long, like any older group they have some albums that are stellar and some that are just "meh". Thankfully, Close to the Edge is the former. With only three tracks and clocking in at barely under forty minutes, it's a behemoth to try and digest, but doing so is more than worth the while.

The first song (in fact, in the original vinyl, the whole first side - not unlike Rush's "2112" or "Hemispheres") is the title track, one that starts with ambient sounds before erupting in a funkadelic beat. The bass, guitars, and keyboards are all going in different directions, soaring and weaving into one another, until vocal harmonies break through, silence everything, and it all coalesces into a wonderful whole, until the motif for the song is presented. The vocals are nearly always in harmony, and it flies quickly from quiet to loud with abandon, and the lyrics are mystical and spiritual. The real shining instrument here is Rick Wakeman's keyboard - he stands out among other very talented musicians, especially during that vibrant, effulgent organ section. It's one of the best examples of early progressive rock you'll ever hear.

This continues throughout the next two tracks as well, "And You and I" as well as "Siberian Khatru". The former continues an eastern, mystical motif musically and lyrically; it is about renewal and rebirth, whereas the latter seethes with energy and has a great beat and catchy syncopated guitar work. Both also exemplify what early progressive rock was, and it's obvious why this is regarded as many to be Yes' best album.

Final verdict: Adore it (with a mind for expansion)

Peter

Ah Yes. One of the quintessential progressive rock bands, even though they probably need it, they should require no introduction. Certainly groundbreaking, often innovative, Yes has long been a rotating cast of very skilled musicians.

Oh, and they are boring.

Yeah, I said it. Boooooooooring. Like insomniac curing boring. In fact, there is really only one song of theirs I can even stand. "Roundabout" is a decent track that wears out its welcome if you aren't hearing the radio edit.

So what can I say about Close to the Edge? It is an epic, sprawling work that is full of pseudo-mystical lyrics, impressive yet incredibly subdued music (even when "energetic"), piercingly high vocals and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. . .

Final verdict: Ignore it (unless you need some help with your insomnia)

Random thoughts on music news.

2010-06-11T16:55:00.001-04:00

1. First off, Thom Yorke of Radiohead has decided that the music business is folding - and fast. Radiohead had a very successful release of their last album, In Rainbows, digitally - and at whatever price you felt like paying for the album. (I paid a sufficient sum for the record - and it is one of their finest.) Because of that, he's now claiming that the whole business is going to go under within a few months:

"[It'll be] only a matter of time,"Yorke says. "Months rather than years before the music business establishment completely folds."

Advising aspiring musicians not to tie themselves to such a "sinking ship", Yorke adds that the fall of the music business will be "no great loss to the world".

That's fine and dandy for him to say, but the fact of the matter is that Radiohead succeeded in digital self-release because they are a well-known act with multiple platinum releases to their name. I don't think upstarts are quite ready for that - nor do I think that the music industry gigantor, for all its hideousness, is that ready to die.

No matter how bad it is.

2. If music IS dying (and sales point to yes, at least as far as physical media goes), there is at least one shade of silver to that cloud - the Melvins broke the top 200 for the first time in their storied career. It wasn't a huge sell for them, and not even their best first week - but hey, this is The Melvins. They should've broken it every time they've sold a thing, so just smile and be happy for them.

3. More evidence to the continuing of awesome music - Sufjan Stevens is FINALLY following up 2005's amazing, mind-blowing Illinois. And he's not doing it alone - apparently he's been hard at work with The National. Word is, it sounds like nothing Sufjan's ever done before - but if my favorite indie artist is working with one of my favorite indie bands, this can only end in piles of awesome. [/hipster]

Point-Counterpoint: Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know

2010-06-08T23:25:00.000-04:00

Peter

Black Sabbath needs no introduction. They are the de facto fathers (grandfathers?) of heavy metal. Even if you aren't that familiar with all their work, you are undoubtedly familiar with the band. But what many people might not realize is that Black Sabbath has been a revolving cast over the years, with 22 musicians having been in the band at some point. Too often, people think of Ozzy when they think of Sabbath. The real person to think of is Tony Iommi. Over the past 42 years, he has been the single constant in the band.

I mention this for those unfamiliar with Heaven & Hell. Named after the 1980 album from Black Sabbath (the first with Ronnie James Dio as vocalist) of the same name, the band is, for all intents and purposes, Black Sabbath. Comprised of Dio, Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Apice, this is the group from the early 80s (and again in the early 90s). What resulted was The Devil You Know.

As such, I was anticipating some straight up heavy metal. You know, down-tuned guitars, plodding, ethereal tempos, and somewhat theatrical vocals (thanks to the inimitable Dio). However, what I did not anticipate was just how much this album would rock. Right from the start, the guitars and deep, throaty and thundering. This is trademark Sabbath.

Some of the tracks are a touch faster (the energetic "Eating the Cannibals" for one), and others are funereal in the pace (the standouts "Bible Black" and "Breaking into Heaven"). In between you have the expected mid-tempo tracks. They never veer too far from the template, but hey, this is a template these guys freaking created, so they can stick with it. Especially when done so well.

As mentioned, the guitars have a fantastic heavy metal sound. The drums and bass fill out the rhythm perfectly. And Dio's voice sounds as good as it ever has. Powerful, rich, somewhat operatic in nature, it is everything that made Dio such a respected vocalist. It is a shame to have lost him, but what an album to go out on.

Final Verdict: Adore it (and relish in the celebration of heavy freaking metal)

Braeden

Honestly, there isn't much to say that my counterpart here hasn't said. Sabbath is wonderful; Dio era Sabbath all the more so. Ronnie James just had a voice that was perfect for heavy metal - it soars, it's emotive, and it rocks.

I mean, this is essentially the guy who introduced the devil's horns symbol to heavy metal. He is metal incarnate - and this album showcases it more than almost any other I can think of.

Whew. It's big, ugly, and wonderful.

Final Verdict: Adore it (I'm pouring drops of (root) beer out for you, Dio. You will be missed)

This drummer is mad.

2010-06-07T20:44:00.000-04:00

As in MAD CRAZY AWESOME.

I'm just going to leave this here for you all. It's music related. And it must be lauded.

Album Review: Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

2010-06-04T15:32:00.001-04:00

Nevermore: The Obsidian Conspiracy
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

In life, there are few things you can reliably count on. So it is welcome when you find those things. For example, you can bet on the sun rising in the east in the morning. Chances are pretty good that in the Northern Hemisphere, July will be warmer than January. If you throw something up in the air, it will most likely fall to the ground at some point. You can count on these things.

Guess what else you can count on. Nevermore releasing killer music.

There is history. In the almost 20 years since the band formed in 1991, they have released (prior to their most recent) 6 studio albums, one EP and one live release. Every one of those albums is good. Some are better than others, but they all are impressive releases. Not a single throw out in the bunch.

The Obsidian Conspiracy stands toe to toe with all of them.

Not that there was every any question, with with his 2008 release Zero Order Phase, Jeff Loomis quietly and with impeccable class asserted his position amongst metal's great guitarists. And he is back in top form on The Obsidian Conspiracy. His guitar work dominates any album he plays on, and this is no different. His lightning fast riffs kick off the album with "The Termination Proclamation", and the onslaught never lets up from there.

However, while certainly a metal guitarist, he isn't one dimensional. He proves again on tracks such as "The Blue Marble and the New Soul" that he is very capable of emoting with his playing as well. He can also slow the barrage down to a plodding, down-tuned dirge. He exercises all of these techniques on The Obsidian Conspiracy.

He isn't the only star of the show here. Again, Van Williams is brilliant on the drums, playing impossibly fast and precise throughout. Jim Sheppard continues to be the perfect bass foil to Loomis' lead guitar licks. Together, they create a finely tuned machine of rhythm.

But no review of Nevermore is complete without some discussion of Warrel Dane. Honestly, it was his impressive vocal ability that first turned me on to these guys. He has an incredible range, though doesn't use this as much as he used to. However, he certainly still can as evidenced on the live album Year of the Voyager. Nevertheless, he still is one of metal's standout vocalists. With a powerful voice that can quickly switch back and forth between menacing, melancholy, hopeful and haunting. He uses all to fantastic effect on this release.

Final Verdict: Adore it
Not their best release ever (I honestly don't know which album I would give that to), but an incredibly solid release that stands tall amongst their oeuvre. There is plenty to like here. I have to give special mention to the track "And the Maiden Spoke". It starts off slow with some interesting guitar effects, then quickly unleashes an absolute sonic assault in both intensity and technicality. It is a fantastic song, in that "synapse fracturing" sort of way that causes your head to involuntarily crank to the side and wonder what just happened. It might be my favorite Nevermore song. Period.

Album Review: Rush - Caravan Single

2010-06-02T19:15:00.001-04:00

Rush: Caravan Single
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

I know that I recently wrote about my lack of excitement for the upcoming Rush tour. One of my biggest complaints was that this was a tour before album sort of situation. There were some hints of surprises, but nothing definite. Needless to say, I haven't been planning on going.

Today, that all changed.

Imagine my surprise to see the email in my Inbox telling me it was "New Music Time". The new album has a title, Clockwork Angels. Not only does it have a title, two tracks are recorded, done and released. As of today. So, like the sucker I am, I immediately went and bought the digital "EP".

First off, the digital booklet is only 5 pages, but really quite beautiful. Included are lyrics for the two tracks, as well as some new artwork by the ever reliable Hugh Syme. While certainly not necessary, it is a nice addition. But let's get to what matters: the music.

"Caravan" slowly builds with guitar and bass layers, a hint of mellotron, and some ambient noises, until the band kicks in with a thunderous chord. Immediately evident is the influence of Nick Raskulinecz, whose enthusiasm for working with the band on Snakes and Arrows was evident in the power and energy of that album. Again, the sound on "Caravan" is full, multi-layered and rich. Alex Lifeson's guitar is front and center here, though always with the classic three-man-band balance that Rush is so good at. There is a lot to love in this track. It definitely has some great progressive chops going on, with interesting rhythms, changes in style, and wonderful progression from start to finish. Great song, and great single to tantalize us.

"BU2B" can officially be dubbed the worst titled Rush song ever. Yes, ever. But the second the songs starts, all is forgiven. This is, without doubt, the heaviest Rush has sounded in a long, long time. Another cynical song, lyrically, directed at those who unquestioningly believe (in any philosophy really, it is broadly applicable), it is a powerful statement of thinking for yourself. Musically, this one is a monster. The main riff is just incredible. Again, this one keeps things dynamic, with more mellow and melodic parts. But that monster riff never goes away. It melts into the rest of the song at parts, yet it is ever present.

Final Verdict: Adore it
"Far Cry", the first single released off Snakes and Arrows was a great track. I ate it up. Guess what, these two tracks blow that away. It is amazing that these guys have been together as long as they have (36 years now), but they honestly are sounding better and better. Caravan is a fantastic little release to build excitement for the upcoming tour, remind us why Rush is just so good, and hold us over until we have more songs. I have to say, this release has completely reignited my love of this band.

Do this now, thank Trent later

2010-05-31T12:40:00.000-04:00

Back in early 2009, Trent Reznor stated that it was time for NIN to take a bit of a break. Shame, to, as he was really gaining steam in his march against the music industry.

Well, no more worries. Tomorrow, the eponymous album from his new band How to Destroy Angels (with his new wife Mariqueen Maandig) will be released. The best part? Head here today and you can preorder the new EP, and immediately receive one track ahead of time.

Oh, and in case I forgot to mention, as long as you are happy with the 320 kbps .mp3 version, it is free. Yep. Free, gratis. Pretty awesome. That little thing over there on the left? That is just if you want a physical CD. Heck, for $2 you can upgrade to a lossless format if you are one of "those" people.

Thanks Trent and co.

Point-Counterpoint: AC/DC - Iron Man 2 Soundtrack

2010-05-31T12:27:00.000-04:00

Braeden

I've never said this out loud before. (And I guess this is written, so I've still never said it out loud.) I'm a closet AC/DC fan.

In fact, I have been for years. In fact, I've mostly ridiculed them when other people have mentioned them. Never have I liked them enough to buy an album or anything (mostly because, let's be honest - an AC/DC album is mostly filler, with a few really shining moments of awesome). But I don't need to anymore.

Thanks to the Iron Man 2 soundtrack.

This has compiled all of the AC/DC songs that are worth remembering and listening to into one compact little package. And it is a doozy - it's got "Highway to Hell", "Back in Black", "TNT" and "Thunderstruck", among others.

And it isn't until you start hearing them all together in this way that you see how pervasive AC/DC is as a band. You know the riff from just about every song on the album - they've been heard in just about every time and place imaginable. It's nothing complex or technical, but it's darn fun - and I can legitimately say that it's really great to drive with. You feel just like Tony Stark (that is, if Tony Stark drove a Hyundai Accent).

Final verdict: Adore it (just don't get pulled over while cruising to it)

Peter

The Iron Man 2 Soundtrack. "Okay," says I when my partner in writing suggests this. I head to Amazon.com to check it out, and it has some big AC/DC title on it. So I read up a bit. Turns out, someone must have wanted to save time and make a little extra cash on the side. 'Cause guess what folks? This is a cheap cash grab, nothing more.

Sort of a "greatest hits" group of tracks here, what you have are some classic AC/DC tunes, mixed in with some not so great songs. There is no question that tracks like "Back in Black", "TNT" and "Thunderstruck" are classics. But do you really need to hear them again?

I mean, any track worth listening to on this album can be heard in any 90 minute span on any classic rock or rock radio station. And if you aren't so familiar with them that you kind of throw up in your mouth every time you hear them, well then I think you are the type of fool they are looking for. You know what they say about a fool and his/her money. . .

Final verdict: Ignore it (as the blatant money grab it so obviously is)

Album Review: Deftones - Diamond Eyes

2010-05-29T20:08:00.001-04:00

Deftones: Diamond Eyes
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

While sitting on my high horse, I had shunned the Deftones for a few years. I considered them to be "nu-metal" and thus, below me. However, when my brother recommended I check out White Pony, I acquiesced and gave the band a listen.

And was pleasantly surprised.

Diamond Eyes, their latest release, and the first since serious trauma to the band in the form of a car accident involving Chi Cheng (he remains in a "minimally conscious state"). And it is the work of a band that is feeling the result of this trauma.

Diamond Eyes starts off incredibly strong with the title track. The riffs are full, heavy, and meaty. In fact, the riffs are sufficiently heavy that my first thought was "Wow, these guys have shed the nu prefix and have gone full metal." The chorus is suitably singable, as the Deftones tend to do so well. Likewise, "Rocket Skates", the first single kicks in with another killer riff, and carries that throughout.

There are other strong tracks on the album, with plenty of Chino's trademark whisper/scream dynamics. The guitars are more full, with more depth to the sound. When Diamond Eyes is good, it is very good.

However, there are a number of tracks that, for one reason or another, send my finger straight to the "skip" button. Some of them just feel out of place nestled amongst the other tracks. "CMND/CTRL", "Sextape" and a number of others just don't work for me. As a band, the Deftones have never been content to play the same song over and over again. Yet these experiments just fall flat.

Final Verdict: Explore it
I actually wanted to like Diamond Eyes more than I did in the end. It starts off very strong, but just can't seem to keep that momentum going for the full 11 tracks. As such, I don't find myself wanting to go back to the whole album. There are certainly tracks worth listening to again and again (and again, some are so good). But as a whole, it doesn't stand up to some of their other albums.

Point-Counterpoint Classic: Anthrax - Persistence of Time

2010-05-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

Peter

Okay, this one isn't even fair. I totally am cherry picking here. But as I said in a previous article, I have been feeling the need to just sink my teeth into something I already know I love. Welcome, then, to my brief trip back to High School, and one of the albums that opened my eyes and mind.

I always knew I liked rock. I gravitated to the sound of a distorted electric guitar early on. Songs like "Money for Nothing", "Pour Some Sugar on Me", and "Modern Day Cowboy" captivated my tween year old mind in the 80s. But it wouldn't be until the 90s that I realized that I really was a metal head. In respect to my good upbringing, I had veered far away from any of those "evil" metal bands, and Anthrax was just one such band.

That all changed when a friend lent me Persistence of Time. I was completely blown away. I suddenly realized that yes, this band played heavy freaking metal. But what I didn't expect was the talent I was met with. Amazing guitar work, powerful, rapid drumming, and surprisingly politically/socially conscious lyrics all culminated to create an album that sent my musical world reeling. Suddenly heavy metal wasn't evil. It was awesome.

Since that time, my musical tastes have broadened (somewhat, though admittedly no where near as broad as my brother), but metal remains at the roots of it all. And in there, with the best of any of those albums, you will find Persistence of Time, an example of one of the very best thrash metal albums of all time. The songs still hold up today, 20 years later, just as well as they did back then. The lyrics, while admittedly simplistic and heavy handed at times, deal with issues we still are dealing with today (racism, divorce, hate). In short, I love this album as much, if not more, than I did when I first heard it so many years ago.

Final verdict: Adore it (as one of the seminal albums in American thrash metal)

Braeden

There's nothing wrong with a bit of cherry picking when it comes to album reviews - how better to introduce people to your favorites, so that they can put your other opinions in context?

However, I don't hold this album in quite the regard Peter does. I remember picking up a used copy years ago, but I never really got into it (thrash isn't my thing, I guess - I can't really think of ANY thrash CDs I own anymore). I must've given it away or sold it back used to a place, because I couldn't find it for the life of me when my co-conspirator here decided this should be our next joint article.

However, I can honestly say that it's a great album - a perfect example of what American thrash was, and what it can be again. It's ugly, grating, complex, and blistering. As Peter mentioned, the lyrics are inane, but inane in a way that only wonderful eighties bands can be - it's endearing rather than off-putting.

As mentioned, I do have broad tastes - arguably TOO broad for some people. However, re-listening to this gigantic album has brought me back to my heavy metal roots and has made a perfect accompaniment to my workouts for the last week.

Final verdict: Adore it (with a smile and a nod to the old-time thrash masters)

Introducing a new series: Essential Albums

2010-05-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

Since our recent revamp of the rating system here, I have had one nagging doubt about the move: How to distinguish true masterpieces from other really good albums. For example, there are a LOT of Rush albums that get the Adore it rating. But those are certainly not all equal.

So, I have decided that for certain albums, they will be introduced as "Essentials" right in the review title. The rest of the review will follow the same format, but those albums get that extra special label. And to kick it off, the first review will be for a doozy of an album.

The S:L ratio

2010-05-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

While working on some of the recent albums we have taken a look at here on the site, I realized that I had, unconsciously, created a sort of mathematical formula in my head when working on a review. I believe that trying to review music in a strictly objective manner is rubbish, as what makes music so powerful is its inherent ability to be subjective.

However there are objective criteria that can be applied to music. For example, Enemies of Reality by Nevermore was a stunning example of bad mastering. The initial release was muddy, incoherent, poorly mixed. This is objectively bad. Likewise, the remix which corrected these flaws was clear, precise, well balanced. This made the album objectively better.

Yet the intangibles are often more important than the tangibles. This last week I realized I had this measurement in my head that tried to balance the subjective to the objective. I call it the Skip to Listen ratio, or the S:L. It is simple really. A ratio of 1 means I am skipping as many songs on the album as I am listening to. An album with a ratio that hovers around 1 will get an Explore it rating. Go much higher than 1 and you can bet there will be an Ignore it at the end of the review. In other words, the smaller the ratio the better. You know, inversely proportional.

Sadly, too much of the stuff I have been listening to lately has been > 1. That makes for an unpleasant listening experience. So don't be too surprised if you see a few reviews that are purposely chosen because they have low ratios. I need some music that really gets me going, not music that feels like a chore. Also, don't be surprised if you start to see the S:L ratio showing up in reviews at times.

Point-Counterpoint: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf

2010-05-25T13:21:00.000-04:00

Braeden

I came to Queens of the Stone Age the long way around - never mind the fact that they've been playing these guys on x96 for years.

I had a friend online who was a huge fan of Masters of Reality, and I started listening to them. They typify everything great about the misnamed "stoner rock" scene, and through them I came to start listening to other bands in the genre - of which QotSA is the best example.

And this is their best record. It's loud, brash, unapologetic, and mean. It starts heavy and stays heavy throughout, with moments of calm hidden throughout, but even in the quiet passages, the loud is right around the corner once again - which is just the way I like it.

One of the things that I've come to love about the album is something that initially annoyed me a bit are the radio station interludes - the whole album is presented as the soundtrack to a drive, and in between many of the songs there are the sounds of tuning around the dial, with each station playing different songs off of the record. Yes, I found it a little weird and off-putting from the beginning, but it's become one of its many charms.

And the songs in between all these interludes are memorable. Album opener "Millionaire" starts the disc in just the right place, followed by the single and the song you've probably heard off it if you've heard anything - "No One Knows" is a catchy, lucid tune. Sort-of album titler "Song for the Deaf" is mean and grungy, and the similarly titled "Song of the Dead" is equally so. And everything else in between? Also great.

Final verdict: Adore it (and enjoy it when you're feeling persnickety)

Peter

Two key points to get out in the open right up front. First, these point-counterpoints are not full album reviews. They just aren't. That will be important later. Second, I am a very finicky music fan.

As to the first point, that means that I don't feel the same onus to really, really listen to all these choices. That is good for me because, to be entirely honest, I don't have that much time to listen to music. I have to actually work it in to my day. It is an effort to listen to music. This plays directly into the second point (almost called it number two, but thought that would be juvenile, so I didn't). Because I have to actually work music into my day, I can be very picky.

Now that that is all out of the way, let's get down to this album. I was aware of Queens of the Stone Age, but had not knowingly heard their music. So when Braeden selected this as our next album I welcomed the excuse to familiarize myself with the band. What you have here is a fuzzy, raunchy mix of solid rock with some metal overtones. On paper that looks great.

Unfortunately, something about this album just kept itself distanced from me. I never really felt interested by the songs. I enjoyed the "radio" theme they had going on, and thought it was an interesting twist on the album. And the music certainly had moments. But the moments were not enough to draw me in. I often found myself fighting the urge to hit "next" on the iPod about halfway through each track.

I suppose the fact that I have already deleted this from the iPod tells the story. While I didn't have the immediate rejection of it that I have with some others, I just didn't find anything that interested me or made me want to go back for more. As such, I won't discount this one out of hand, but I personally won't be going back for seconds.

Final verdict: Explore it (just explore it without me, I'm done exploring this one)

Album Review: The National - High Violet

2010-05-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

The National: High Violet
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Ah, The National. I feel like a traitor to my progressive metal roots even mentioning them. But you know what? I'm going to mention them anyway, even though everyone else on the internets is mentioning them right now, too. (Quiet, little prog-metal imp in my head. You just shut right up.)

Frankly, there's a reason why The National is getting such press right now - and that's because they write wonderful, soulful, melancholic music. It's not the kind you want to work out to (believe me, I've tried - way too slow.) It's not the kind of stuff you headbang to. But when it's dark and you're sitting, huddled in a blanket, reading Vonnegut and pondering on your life and how you've become what you are, The National have written the soundtrack for your existential crisis.

While their first two albums were pretty good alt-country, it was with third effort Alligator that they proved themselves to be game-changers - and this grew to an even greater degree with 2007's Boxer. But how do you follow two albums like that?

The progression to this point has been slow, deliberate, and painstaking - but it feels just where it needs to be. The music is more symphonic, almost suffocating in spots. The three albums, taken as a whole, feel like a three-act play about growing up and accepting the responsibilities and sorrows that come with adulthood. (Nowhere is this more prominent than on High Violet, with songs about raising children and dealing with long-term relationships that ooze pathos and understanding of what life is like now as we all get older.)

Matt Berninger, the distinctive baritone who sings and writes the lyrics for the band, has come a long way as a songwriter. Some of these words create such an overbearing feeling of defeat mingled with hope, and his deep, spaced-out voice simply adds to the allure. Lyrics like "Sorrow found me when I was young / sorrow waited, sorrow won" feel like things any one of us could have written, but couldn't articulate.

As I mentioned, the music feels more expansive this time around - the band brought in lots of outside help from string sections, backing vocalists, and the like. Consequently, it doesn't have the intimacy of Boxer, but seems to be detached - which, given the subject matter, is perfectly appropriate.

I know that all this gushing about how great this album specifically and this band in general are seems really predictable, seeing as how every major music publication is doing the same thing, but they're just that good. They deserve the praise, and they deserve the attention.

Final verdict: Adore it
It may not be quite as good as Boxer (but then, I've always been partial to second acts in three-act works), but it's one of the best things to come out this year so far. Every track seems essential to the whole of the record, and nothing feels unnecessary or like filler. The plaintive cries of their songs echo the hearts of a disaffected generation - and make it somehow even more communal, more honest. I know this may not be up my fellow reviewer's aisle, but it's his loss - this really is a release of the highest caliber.

Album Review: Foals - Total Life Forever

2010-05-21T20:41:00.002-04:00

Foals: Total Life Forever
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

I came upon the debut album by Foals in a strange way. It was about two in the morning and I was channel surfing with my little sister. We stumbled upon the music video for their song "Olympic Airways" and we were suitably impressed. I jotted the name of the band down, determined to check them out in the morning and expecting to be disappointed once I heard them while awake and fully cognizant.

I wasn't. Instead, Antidotes was one of the single best albums to come out in 2008, a poppy, guitar driven math rock record filled with silly lyrics and catchy melodies. Even the slower songs had a sense of seething intensity that boiled just under the surface, ready to erupt and any time.

With a debut like that, it's obvious that I was very excited about the follow up.

Regrettably, it was a useless excitement - a buildup to the release of an album that is disappointing at best, infuriatingly aimless at worst. All of the speed and zest of their first disc is gone - replaced with laid-back beats, lazy guitar work, unimpressive vocals, and completely forgettable melodies. There is no interplay between instruments, no inventive rhythms, and everything just feels so wasted.

Seriously, I haven't been so disappointed in an album in years. The first was so impressive, they'd set the bar so high I figured there would be no way they would overtake it - but I didn't expect something that, to put it bluntly, sucks so very, very much.

Final verdict: Ignore it
It pains me to say it. I've been preaching the Foals gospel for over a year now, and this sophomore effort is a colossal mess. There are maybe one or two songs that have a shade of the genius of their first disc, but the vast majority are a filler waste of space. Avoid it - just go listen to Antidotes and pretend that this album doesn't exist.

Point-Counterpoint: Novembre - The Blue

2010-05-20T13:30:00.001-04:00

Peter

Novembre is another band I discovered through the wonders of the internet and Pandora.com. They showed up on my Katatonia station as another example of the melancholic, haunting music those Swedes are so adept at. And with good reason.

The Blue is their most recent effort. Novembre is an interesting band. They started out as an Italian death metal band. However, over the years they have evolved into something much more interesting, and nowhere is that more evident than on The Blue. Yes, there are harsh, death metal style vocals. Yes, there is thunderous double bass drumming. Yes, there is no shortage of crushing metal guitars.

However, there is also an almost ethereal quality to the music, a sense of artistry that takes these heavy element and crafts them into something exquisite, with an almost porcelain beauty. There are moments when it is easy to forget just how heavy this album can be because of the delicate aspects of so many of the songs.

Novembre expertly balances all their influences on The Blue. From distorted to clean acoustic guitars, from light, airy vocals to harsh growls, the album keeps you always guessing as to what will come next. This is only heightened by the unorthodox song structure. Gone is the ABABCBB song structure that is so common to modern music. Novembre will take you from A to F, but how it gets there is a real mystery and treat. Some tracks will have repeated motifs, but most move gently from one passage to the next with little to no repetition. It is a breath of fresh air.

Final Verdict: Adore it (and don't let the harsh vocals get you, there is real brilliance here)

Braeden

The real beauty of this disc is hidden in the carefully crafted, subtle guitar melodies that weave through each song. They're flying by so fast and are mixed really low in the mastering, so you don't even notice they're there half the time - and more's the pity.

In fact, that's my only genuine complaint about the album - I would have made the melodic guitar parts more prominent and mixed the rhythm section a little lower. But if that's my BIGGEST complaint, that's proof positive how great this album is.

It seethes with honesty and beauty. It feels like the kind of thing that took years to create, but seems simultaneously effortless and smooth.

Final verdict: Adore it (and let the melodies take you away on wonderful journeys)

The passing of another legend: ISIS breaks up

2010-05-18T23:25:00.001-04:00

It's official - ISIS is breaking up. In a surprising announcement earlier today, they've decided they're calling it done after their upcoming tour. They went on to say,

This end isn't something that occurred over night and it hasn't been brought about by a single cataclysmic fracture in the band. Simply put, ISIS has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say. In the interest of preserving the love we have of this band, for each other, for the music made and for all the people who have continually supported us it is time to bring it to a close.

It's a shame to watch them go - they've been one of the great progenitors of the post-metal movement, and their effort from last year, Wavering Radiant, is one of the essential metal albums of the last decade. My sister and I had the opportunity to see them live a year ago, and they put on one of the better shows I've ever seen - and it was hearing the songs live than sold me on their last album.

I'm sad to see them go, but they're leaving on top. Good luck with your musical endeavors, guys.

Point-Counterpoint: Jaga Jazzist - One Armed Bandit

2010-05-18T09:52:00.000-04:00

Braeden

I love jazz. I really, really do. I know that people think I'm weird sometimes because of that, because jazz is often seen as an intellectual effort that is at best ignored, at worst reviled. But I'm not one of those revilers - I find it a wonder.

And experimental jazz? Even more so. I like music that pushes the envelope and demands attention from its listeners, regardless of the genre. And when it comes to experimental jazz, there is no group that does more than Jaga Jazzist. Their 2005 release, What We Must, is certainly one of my favorite albums of all time - and a seminal jazz release. So how does their follow up from this year, One Armed Bandit, hold up to the hype they generated five years ago?

Better than I ever could have hoped.

There is more of a focus on rock influences, and one could make a case that much of this album feels more like a post-rock band rather than a Scandinavian experimental jazz group. But there's more than that going on - there's bits of electro, fuzz, and even shades of Mannheim Steamroller when you hear the harpsichords coming in. And don't forget plenty of seventies-era psychedelic progressive rock . . .

"Prognissekongen" and "Toccata" are the clear standout tracks for me, with heavy bass and polyrhythms flowing every which way, but there are plenty of great songs that all flow into each other and create a sense of completeness. "One Armed Bandit" starts the album out strong, and "Music! Dance! Drama!" have big horn sections, lots of electronica, and melodies that captivate.

Final Verdict: Adore it (with a virgin daiquiri and plenty of time to chill out)

Peter

Another new one for me. I was aware of my brother's love of Jaga Jazzist, having seen countless plays on last.fm and with his recent review of their previous release. When he picked this album, I was excited for the opportunity to check out his band he so adores.

Now, after listening, I have to say that my excitement is somewhat tempered. But only somewhat. Jazz is one of those styles of music I appreciate more on an intellectual level than on a visceral level, and One Armed Bandit exemplifies this well. There is a lot of fascinating music to be found. Rhythmically, the album is very interesting. The multitude of different styles that are pulled into the music keeps the listener on his/her toes.

However, in the time I have spent with the music, it has not connected with me on any level other than intellectual. With time, it is possible this could change and I could develop more of a connection to the music. But this will certainly take time. As such, I can definitely state that I find the music fascinating, but not captivating.

Final Verdict: Explore it (but you will need to let it sink in)

The passing of a true legend: Dio will be missed

2010-05-16T19:06:00.002-04:00

The Holy Diver has passed.

After an earlier post that was later confirmed to be inaccurate, the inevitable happened. The great Dio has died after a battle with stomach cancer. Who knew, the guy was from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Just down the road.

You don't have to be a fan of the theatrics, you may not have even liked his bands (though to dis the mighty Sabbath, along with Rainbow and Dio is musical heresy if you ask me), but you cannot deny the man's impact on metal and rock in general. He was one of the great vocalists of the past decades, and a real pioneer in the creation and identity of an entire genre.

Ozzy may be better known, but Dio was by far the better vocalist, and will definitely be missed.

Point-Counterpoint: Gordian Knot - Emergent

2010-05-16T09:35:00.001-04:00

Peter

I came to Gordian Knot in a roundabout sort of way. I first became familiar with Sean Malone due to his stellar bass work on the first OSI disc. I then came (far too late) to the party that was Cynic. I was blown away. I had to hear more.

Enter Emergent, the second album from Gordian Knot. The band really is Sean Malone's project, with a rotating cast of supporting players. At the heart of it, you have a jazz inspired rock/fusion. There is no shortage of electric guitars and dynamic bass playing.

However, Sean Malone isn't afraid to really embrace the jazz aspect. There are plenty of moments that have an organic, jam feel to them. Other moments feel very thought out and focused. And while there certainly is rock, rock isn't the only side to the music here. "Mutterspache" is a fantastic way to kick the album into high gear after a lovely bass intro in "Arsis". For me, though, the highlight is the achingly beautiful "Grace", a live version of a song off the first album. It is sweet, plaintive and simply one of the most memorable and sublime songs I have ever heard. While the first Gordian Knot album was lacking in a few areas, Emergent is a fully realized, moving and powerful record.

Final Verdict: Adore it (and make sure to take the time to let this sink in)

Braeden

Everything Peter said about this album is true - it is a great fusion album, filled to the brim with impressive musicianship and meticulous songwriting. Malone is a bassist unlike most others, with a sense toward jazz style and improvisation that most rock bassists wish they could have and never will.

Moreover, the guest musicians that Malone brings in are cream of the crop people with years of experience in progressive rock and other media. We've got Steve Hackett of Genesis fame, Jim Matheos (mastermind behind that all-important archetype of progressive metal, Fates Warning), Bill Bruford - who has spent time playing with both Yes and King Crimson, among others. Each of their contributions can be felt in little ways in the overall style of the record, from the more psychedelic stuff to the heavier aspects.

And it all just works together so well. At heart, this album is truly a jazz record; the fact that they use rock instruments and musicians does nothing to deter the fact that it has all the style, grace, and sophistication of basically any other great jazz fusion album. In the classic tradition of Miles Davis' Bitches' Brew, the Weather Report's eponymous album, or Chick Corea and Return to Forever's seminal Light as a Feather, Emergent combines everything I love about jazz - the fluidity, the improvisation, the exploration - with the tropes of great rock.

Final verdict: Adore it (and sit back, zone out, and enjoy)

Album Review: Zero Hour - Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond

2010-05-14T19:48:00.000-04:00

Zero Hour: Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Year: 2006
Click here for the artist's site

Zero Hour managed to fly under my radar almost completely for a few years. I actually had a copy of Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond shortly after release due to a recommendation, but had never really listened much. It wasn't until their 2008 release Dark Deceiver that they caught my attention. I was blown away by that album, and couldn't really imagine technical progressive metal done any better.

That was when I noticed this two year old album in my collection. Boy, was I wrong.

Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond is quite possibly one of, if not the greatest example of techincal progressive metal ever recorded. It truly is that good.

Zero Hour is built on an amazing base, with twin brothers Troy and Jasun Tipton handling the bass and guitar respectively. They are both incredibly talented musicians, and this is clearly evident on this album. The guitar work is amazing, stunning in its speed and precision at times, yet emoting and communicating deep feeling at others. The rhythm combination of Mike Guy and Troy Tipton is nearly peerless. Astonishingly fast at times, with nearly machine-like perfection, they provide a powerful and thrilling backbone the the entire album.

New vocalist, Chris Salinas, fits the music perfectly. He is a bit of (old school) Geoff Tate mixed with Ray Alder, yet his own sound as well. An agile, powerful, and compelling vocalist, he expertly uses the entirety of his range on the album. Finally, the production is crystal clear, an absolute necessity with such precise music.

One of the most interesting aspects of Specs is that of rhythmic unity. There is a subtle, but identifiable rhythmic motif that recurs throughout the album, but is sufficiently distinct each time to never feel the same. The first two tracks, "Face the Fear" and "Falcon's Cry" showcase Zero Hours ability to switch rapidly between heavy and gentle, while still maintaining a sense of cohesion through each track. "Embrace" and "Zero Hour" are two very distinct instrumental tracks. "I Am Here" is a beautiful ballad. However, it is the title track "Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond" and the closer "Evidence of the Unseen" that elevate this album to its lofty position of "Favorite album of all time". Both of these songs are truly incredible, heavy, dynamic, powerful, with moments of quite contemplation before unleashing the full storm these guys are capable of. They are both in my list of 5 favorite songs ever. They are that good.

Really technical progressive metal too often falls into the trap of relying overmuch on the flashy aspects of the music. However, Zero Hour sets themselves apart by writing highly technical music that still has heart. There are deeply emotional passages on Specs, with moments of real beauty to balance the pummeling assault. The fact that they have done this on every release of theirs adds to their considerable talent.

Final Verdict: Adore it

This type of technical metal might not be for everyone. However, there is just such an amalgamation of talented songwriting, unsurpassed musicianship, and perfect production that this is a perfect album. I can't find a single flaw on this gem and recommend it whole-heartedly.

Point-Counterpoint: Extra Life - Secular Works

2010-05-09T19:20:00.001-04:00

Braeden

If there is one way to describe Extra Life's debut album, it's overwhelming. Purely, sublimely, overwhelming. Secular Works is not the kind of album you come to really get your first or second (or, to be honest, even your tenth or twentieth) time through. It's such a hodgepodge of musical ideas, I'm not even sure where to start talking about it.

I suppose I'll start, arbitrarily, with the vocals. In terms of voice quality, they're nothing overwhelming or worth writing home about - but it's in the melody lines that are sung that the true genius lines. They weave through uncomfortable, foreign modes, far from the realm of normal, acceptable music. Here, the vocals are far more an instrument as part of the mix rather than the focal point for the listener.

And the rest of the music is equally baffling. The guitar work is frenetic and driven, while feeling completely improvised and free. So too are the violin and bass - all seem to be playing whatever they want, and yet they coincide at the necessary moments (signaled by the loud, brash drums) and the cacophony finds unity and harmony.

The music is not what one expects - it sounds like modal Gregorian chant ran headlong into an improvisational heavy metal outfit, pushing it into the side of an experimental violinist. It's not for the faint of heart, and I'm not surprised when people hear it and don't like it. But I do - a lot.

Final verdict: Adore it (with a mind for befuddlement)

Peter

Wow. Just wow. This was my first introduction to Extra Life, and what an introduction it is. There is sort of a "kitchen sink" mentality going on here. But that is odd, because it isn't as if there are tons of instruments or such here. It is more the feeling. The songs have so much going on rhythmically, melodically and harmonically that they feel packed to the brim, even in the more sparse moments.

The vocals certainly stand out. I'm still not sure if that is a good thing or not, but unique they are. The vocal melodies often contrast against the music, and seem almost haphazard. However, I have no doubt that, despite the apparent chaos in the music, it is all very planned out.

The end result is music that is anything but comfortable. You aren't going to be humming any of these songs when the disc is done. In fact, you probably aren't even going to remember most of the music when it is over, until you have listened again and again. It is, however, interesting and fascinating if you can get over the high "price of admission".

Final Verdict: Explore it (but you're going to need to be very sober to not be nauseated by the musical twists and turns)

Essentials of the last decade: More Metal

2010-05-07T22:33:00.000-04:00

When I wrote the first installment of the metal portion of this list, I didn't realize how much longer it needed to be. So there will be two more (including this one), both of which will contain metal that may or may not be deemed "progressive". I'm not snooty enough to care about separating the remaining albums - they're all to good for segregation. If you really need an identifier for these five albums, they're all deathly, deathly ugly. (And that's not a bad thing.)

So, without further ado, let's get five more essentials explained!

Made Out of Babies: Coward

This may be the ugliest album ever recorded - if not, it's very close to it. And you know what? That's perfectly okay. It is infectious and creepy, loud and garish, mean and hideous. This is not the kind of album that you'd play with your mother around, simply out of respect for her eardrums. But is there better music to work out to than the ugliness that is Made Out of Babies? Probably not. The guitars are raw, the bass overpowers, and vocalist Julie Christmas may be the best creepy female vocalist of all time - the way she can weave beautiful, innocent sounding melodies with screeches of the highest order is to be commended.

Yob: The Great Cessation

Yob is the preeminent doom metal band, in my view. Every track on this album accentuates everything that doom metal is supposed to encompass - slow, crushing tempos, guitars tuned so low you're amazed they'll still play, and a palpable sense of despair that hangs like a pregnant spider in every measure. Each track is a behemoth (most longer than ten minutes) and the whole thing is louder than things should be allowed to be. It feels like it invades your space - it's like the mouthbreather that seethes right behind you - you hesitate to give it the time of day, but to ignore it is impossible.

Shrinebuilder: S/T

Another album that refuses to let go, Shrinebuilder's first (and only, so far) album is a sonic joy - if you want to bleed from the eardrums. Being a supergroup, they are somehow able to avoid the nastiest trope of such types of musical outfits - incongruence. Every bit of this belongs - from the mean drums from the Melvins to the guitar work and vocals from Neurosis to the bass from Om. I love this disc, and I'm eager to see if this supergroup keeps working together - I can only see bright futures from artists of this calibre working together.

Dillinger Escape Plan: Ire Works

DEP is not one of those bands one listens to casually. It's not a band that you can say, "Oh, you know, that's kind of cool." Either you really like them, and support what they're trying to do (which is mind-blowing) or you say, "That's not my cup of tea." Either way, I do like them - and Ire Works is the best reason as to why. It changes its mind as to what kind of record it wants to be constantly - but without the pretentiousness of so many "progressive" groups. I'm uncomfortable to try and fit DEP into a type of metal, other than experimental. The vocals clash against the sound of the guitars throughout, the drumming is brutal and maddening, and the whole shebang is wonderfully technical and efficient. It's not for everyone, but I'm impressed by it every time I listen to it.

Agalloch: Ashes Against the Grain

Few CDs shock me the way Ashes Against the Grain did the first time I listened to it. I was familiar with Agalloch's earlier work, but this album absolutely astounded me in every way - it took all the tropes I liked from their previous records - a mix of clean and harsh vocals, methodical, layered guitar work, and a focus on melody unlike many metal bands - and distilled them into a perfect mix of awesome. Just read what Peter gushed about it when he first heard it - it echoes my sentiments exactly. This is a work of immense import, and one that has remained a constant in my playlist for years.

Point-Counterpoint: Moonspell - Night Eternal

2010-05-05T22:59:00.000-04:00

Peter

Too often in modern culture the term "gothic" brings to mind lame, pseudo-emo kids who are trying to be a bit more edgy. There is nothing gothic about wearing black and white stripped leggings. Keep trying.

Moonspell is a Portuguese band that delivers fantastic gothic metal. And that is nowhere more evident than on their latest album, Night Eternal. The album is a nonstop crushing blend of black metal sensibility with gothic metal overtones. Orchestration and hauntingly beautiful keyboard layers (including ethereal choral tracks) add depth to the pummeling double bass onslaught.

Harsh vocals are juxtaposed with clean, deep baritones passages and occasional whispered lyrics. Every track is dripping with a distinctly dark, gothic atmosphere. "Shadow Sun" is the prime example, vacillating between slow, brooding verses and frenetic driving choruses. Yet even in the frantic moments, the album retains its funereal mood. Finally, the guest vocal work of Anneke van Giersbergen on "Scorpion Flower" is worth the price of admission alone. If you aren't familiar with her uniquely angelic voice, go. Listen. Now.

Final Verdict: Adore it (but leave the black lipstick and nail polish at home, this isn't for poseurs)

Braeden

I've never been much of a fan of gothic metal, and usually when a singer has a really noticeable accent, it turns me off to the music altogether.

And yet I've spent all day wrapping my head around this CD, and I'm surprised to say that I quite enjoy it. Sure, the accent is a little distracting - especially in the spoken word opening. And yes, the cover is goofy looking. But the music is pretty awesome levels of brutal - just the right mix of heavy and calm. It oozes sensation; it seethes like a perfect storm. (And, as Peter mentioned, any reason to hear Anneke van Giersebergen is reason enough to give an album a try - her work with Devin Townsend, Arjen Lucassen and especially with her own bands The Gathering and Agua de Annique are all impeccable, and her voice sounds as splendid as ever here.)

The level of musicianship here is really quite astounding - and the production is clean, effective, and punchy. The bass is plenty thumpy, the drum work is effective, the keyboards are wispy and unobtrusive, the guitars are fun and melodic. This really is a pretty great album.

Final verdict: Explore it (while reading a moody, gothic book - but no vampires, please)

Essentials of the last decade: Progressive Metal

2010-05-04T10:04:00.000-04:00

It's time for another installment of essential music of the decade.

While I may have cut my music-loving teeth on progressive rock and alternative rock, it was metal that introduced me to the wider world of heavy, crushing music. I've spent years listening to and enjoying it, and there is a veritable cornucopia of great albums that I've adored as time has gone by. While I don't listen to heavy metal nearly as often as I used to, it remains the music that I've heard the most and probably the type of music I own the most of.

Since there is such a plethora of essential recordings in heavy metal, I've chosen to split the sizable list into two - one for progressive metal and one for more vanilla heavy metal. (And to be perfectly honest, these divisions are rather arbitrary - something you may call progressive will end up on the other list, and vice versa.) They're not in any particular order, so just make sure to pick them all up. As such, today's list is going to focus on the progressive greats!

Fates Warning: X

Fates Warning is (or at least, used to be - it may have been supplanted in the past couple of years) Peter's favorite band, and X was my first introduction to them. It is their tenth record, and the last that they've made to this point. While Peter might disagree and say that their penultimate effort, Disconnected, is their best - I'd have to go with X. It's their most rounded effort, with crushing guitars and tight drum work, heavy bass and soaring vocals. From the quiet seething of the opening track to the thunderous melancholy of the closer, it's a study in song construction - and Jim Matheos (the essential member of Fates Warning) has an ability to craft a tune that most artists only wish they could have.

Mastodon: Leviathan

Mastodon is a band that has ambitions that most groups would balk at, and Leviathan is the album where those ambitions pay off most wonderfully. It's a concept album about the story of Moby Dick - not the usual fare for thunderous, roaring heavy metal - and it never lets up for one moment. The two vocalists weave their two voices together into a cacophony of sound, and the music is heavier than you'd care to know. Having recently seen Mastodon live, I can tell you that they are just as brutal in person as they are on compact disc - and hearing them play album opener "Blood and Thunder" as their last song of their set was a perfect way to end the concert. It's ponderous and overwhelming music.

Opeth: Watershed

I never thought anything in Mikael Akerfeldt's future would be able to beat the thrilling title track from 2001's Blackwater Park, especially after the only other original member of the band, Peter Lindgren, in 2007. Oh, how wrong I was. Watershed came out while I was living in Tarragona, Spain, and I remember loading it onto my mp3 player and meandering the town. It starts delicately, with lilting acoustic guitar work and a duet between Akerfeldt's signature voice and that of a woman, setting the scene for a different kind of Opeth album. And then the rain begins; the thunder cracks, and your eyes become the size of dinner plates. It took me a long time to realize the brilliance of Watershed, but it is easily the best thing Opeth has ever done, and is one of the best albums of all time - period. Right when you think you've figured out what will come next, they surprise you and turn you on your ear.

Neurosis: Given to the Rising

Neurosis is a band that has wavered on the edge of public consciousness for decades, but remains one known only by those who are true metal aficionados. Much like the Melvins (who deserve to be on one of these lists, but I'm sure having trouble deciding where to place them), they've been influencing well-known musicians without being well-known themselves. That needs to change, and Given to the Rising is the tool that will affect said change. Peter (upon commenting on this album a couple of years ago) called it the soundtrack to the apocalypse - and I simply can't think of a better way to describe it. It will crush every bit of you, grinding you into a contented pulp and roaring away at the edges of madness.

Isis: Wavering Radiant

I didn't care much for Wavering Radiant when it first came out - I much preferred older Isis albums such as Oceanic. In fact, I didn't really get into it until I saw them play most of the album live in a club show, where the music thundered and the heads were a-banging. Afterwards, listening to the record was changed for me, and I understood exactly what I'd been missing before - and it has since become my favorite Isis album of all, without question. There's more of a focus on melody than on previous Isis albums, with more clean singing and less throaty grunt vocals, as well as more keyboard work than they've used before. This makes it layered and complex, and absolutely wonderful.

Om: Pilgrimage

Om is a band that I didn't know what to make of for a long time. A two-piece band with a bassist/vocalist and a drummer, it's the most sparse and droning stuff you will ever hear. It's as though someone took the feel of the Krishna chant and channeled it into heavy metal. The melody line (as played by the bass, of course) repeats itself many times, but it doesn't feel cheapened for that repetition - instead, it moves in ways nothing else can. Four long songs that seem to flow into each other, this is a record best heard while feeling meditative - it will take you to new realms of consciousness.

OSI: Office of Strategic Influence

OSI is a supergroup of sorts from Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore, and it's absolutely brilliant. Each of their albums is quite different from the last, but while some days I might argue that their newest effort, Blood, might be their best, Office of Strategic Influence is the most essential. The guitar work is driven and precise, the programming and keyboards are perfect, and the vocals are sublimely remorseful and melancholic. And the seven-plus minute "shutDOWN" featuring Steven Wilson on vocals is one of the most moving pieces of metal ever written. You do yourself a disservice by not knowing this band.

Point-Counterpoint: Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

2010-05-03T18:08:00.001-04:00

Braeden

I love music that is challenging, complex, and layered - but oftentimes that results in music that is difficult to decipher and kind of ugly. Sometimes, however, it's nice to find music that may not be complcated and off-putting, but simply sounds so pretty. Grizzly Bear is one of those latter bands, and Veckatimest is their strongest, most beautiful work.

It's filled with delicate acoustic guitar work, quiet swells, and careful vocal melodies and harmonies wrapped in a comfortable, unobtrusive rhythm section. This is music that is clearly composed, not just written - everything is precise and lushly orchestrated. The strings are beautiful and effulgent; the electric piano is in perfect harmony with the rest of the record.

Every track on this album is a keeper. From album-opener "Southern Point" to wonderfully kick-butt closer "I Live With You", it's a beautiful cacophony. The lyrics are poignant and filled with melancholy (especially the sad refrain in "All We Ask"), and the harmonies are painted like masterpieces. It's as though the culmination of everything beautiful about music in the last four hundred years has coincided in this one moment - and the future couldn't look brighter.

Final Verdict: Adore it (with lots and lots of smiles)

Peter

One of the most exciting aspects of these point-counterpoint articles is that my bro and I have the opportunity to introduce each other to music we may not be familiar with previously. Such was the case with Grizzly Bear and Veckatimest. Not only had I not heard the album, I was not familiar with the band.

As the album started, I was intrigued. There was a lot going on here, and most of it was working for me. Then the second track hit. The electric piano evoked a visceral, somatic response in me. And that response centered around one word, a description I could not avoid: hipsters. These guys were hipsters, playing hipster music. I wasn't even surprised when I saw pictures of the band with their American Apparel skinny jeans and hipster oh-so-cool carefully mussed hair. I knew it was coming.

The album is a flashy, well executed blend of folk and hipster indie rock. They pull it off very well. Their sound certainly hearkens back to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. For some, that will be a great thing. For me, well, I can't stand CSN&Y. Yeah, burn me for the musical heretic I am. Overall, not a good combo. CSN&Y AND hipsters. No thanks.

Final Verdict: Ignore It (I mean seriously, if there is one thing I find more terrifying than Wild Things, it is dirty hipsters)

Album Review: Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

2010-05-01T20:23:00.001-04:00

Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Broken Social Scene is one of those bands that it seems like everyone's heard of, but no-one's actually heard. They're spoken of in hushed tones amongst the hipster crowds, like some sort of secret password that you, as a plebe, are not allowed to be privy to. It's difficult to find copies of their albums in stores around here (thank you, the internets) and, truly, more's the pity. (Apparently outside of the Utah Music Bubble they're quite big. And thank goodness for that.)

They're something of a supergroup in the indie rock scene (or perhaps better termed a musical collective) that has ranged in size drastically during its many permutations. All of the artists involved work within other groups or have solo projects, and as such Broken Social Scene is a collaborative, fusion-driven work. There is the definite influence of post-rock (from members of Do Make Say Think), folk (Feist is heavily involved), and world music (many people in the band also participate in the collective Valley of the Giants) among others. And yet despite all those disparate musical ideas, somehow Broken Social Scene make unique, vibrant songs that pulsate with the beat of an entire community.

This is still true in their newest album, Forgiveness Rock Record. There are choirs of people singing, layers upon layers of guitar, multiple percussion tracks in each piece of music, and plenty of programming and electronic work. If that sounds overwhelming, it is - a Broken Social Scene album is not something one delves into without preparing first for an aural assault of the highest quality.

All of these things come together to create memorable music. This is no more apparent than the stand-out track of the album, "Forced to Love". There's so much going on that it's worth listening to many times. From the flute to the fuzzy bass, from the four melodic guitar lines weaving in and out of each other to the driving, cymbal-heavy drum work, it's a lesson in making a wall of sound. In fact, if Canada's metal madman Devin Townsend were to ever create indie rock, I'd imagine it would sound something like this.

While the two albums released under the title "Broken Social Scene Presents:" were not quite up to the snuff of the entire band's projects (they're pseudo solo albums done by members of the collective), Forgiveness Rock Record captures everything I've loved about Broken Social Scene and renewed my faith in the band. It is their most cohesive, driven, and accessible album to date. Between this release, the new album from The National, and the rumors of new music from The Arcade Fire, 2010 is shaping up to be a banner year for indie rock.

Final verdict: Adore it

Broken Social Scene is a band worth your attention, and this is the best place to start. Everything feels fun and organic, even though it's obviously so carefully planned out and structured. This is one of those releases (and definitely one of those groups) that you do yourself a disservice to not know.

Album Review: My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire

2010-05-01T18:42:00.001-04:00

My Dying Bride: For Lies I Sire
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site

Music can have a powerful effect on the mood and the psyche. There are some songs that, no matter what is happening, if I hear them my mood improves. There are other songs that evoke less positive emotions, leading to a powerful catharsis.

And then there is My Dying Bride.

For Lies I Sire carries on a long tradition of amazing albums from this seminal British doom metal band. But this is not the place to look if you want music that will pick you up. This album also carries on their tradition of lyrics that are soul-crushingly bleak.

That may sound like a negative commentary. It is not. My Dying Bride's greatest strength is their ability to write bleak, barren, dark lyrics that are hauntingly poetic and wrap them up in the most beautifully depressing music. Their latest release is no different.

"My Body, a Funeral" begins the album, setting the stage for what is to come. Aaron Stainthorpe's melancholic baritone croons over the clean guitars. As the music progresses, the distorted guitars are accompanied and balanced by the crystalline tones of the violin. Such balance and juxtaposition is throughout the album. The bleak lyrics complimented by beautiful musical passages. Double bass contrasted to slow, plodding guitars. Gentle, plaintive vocals placed against heavy, doom guitars.

While ever track is fantastic, the highlight is "Santuario di Sangue", and 8+ minute epic track that typifies My Dying Bride. Poetic lyrics telling a particularly gothic tale (hint: it's about Vampires), brooding, funereal guitars, clarion violin tones, and dynamic drumming combine to create a masterpiece.

My Dying Bride has, as any good band does, evolved over the years. At times experimental, other times they have been far closer to a death/doom band. On For Lies I Sire, all their past epochs seem to come together to create a brilliant album. After over a decade with no violins, their return is incredibly welcome. Stainthorpe's vocals continue to be magnificently understated. This is an excellent introduction to new fans, and a welcome addition for those who have been with the band from the beginning.

Final Verdict: Adore it
Really, I love this band and this album. There is a reason this was my top album of 2009. It is excellent is so many ways. My Dying Bride seems to be in top form (a real feat considering how amazing their past work is as well), and with For Lies I Sire has released one of the most haunting musical experiences ever.

Point-Counterpoint: Porcupine Tree - Signify

2010-04-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

Peter

Porcupine Tree blew me away with In Absentia. I decided I needed to hear more. I picked up Deadwing shortly after it was released (that is another album for one of these point-counterpoint articles). Then, while browsing a Borders in Detroit, on my way to yet another residency interview, I picked up Signify.

When I finally had a chance to put it in and listen to it, I was initially thrilled. The opening track is more of a "noise" track, but sets up the rest of the album. "Signify" is a fabulous instrumental number with a great bassline that propels the track. Then the organ intro to the third track kicked in. Suddenly I wasn't in Kansas anymore. I'm not even sure I made it through the entire album on that long car ride from Knoxville, TN, to Raleigh, NC (360 miles FYI).

Signify has some great moments, no doubt. However, there are too many skip-worthy tracks on this album for it to be a frequent item on any playlist of mine. There are really strong tracks here. But there is also too much psychedlia/spacey pop stuff for me. Porcupine Tree is a fantastic band, but I definitely prefer their latter work.

Final Verdict: Explore it (probably best explored with mind-altering substances, though no first-hand experience)

Braeden

In Absentia was also my first foray into the world of Porcupine Tree (because, of course, I was introduced to them by Peter. It happens). Following that, I gobbled up every PT album I could get my hands on - and one of the very first I found was Signify.

Porcupine Tree really has three eras in their music - the first was a psychedelic experiment in ambiance, the second was a time of melody-driven power pop, and with In Absentia on it's been heavier and more crushing. As far as that first epoch of their sound goes, Signify is the bright shining example of what Steven Wilson and crew could do.

In points, it's loud and cacophonous; in others, it's spare and empty, carefully weighing the use of sound and silence to the greatest degree. It's filled to overflowing with samples of old radio programs, grounding it in musical history; the bass is very loud (just the way I like it); the drumming by former drummer Chris Maitland (who has gone on to greatness in Guilt Machine) is poppy and slick; and Wilson's guitar work is always detached, antiseptic, and awesome.

In short: I love this album. It's the best thing PT did in their first decade.

Final Verdict: Adore it (with a virgin daiquiri and plenty of time to sit back and enjoy)

Essentials of the last decade: Alternative Rock

2010-04-29T23:28:00.004-04:00

It's time for another installment of my series of articles dealing with the best albums of the last decade. Today, I wanted to focus my attention on my first true love in music - alternative rock.

I cut my teeth on alt rock - the local alt rock station, x96, has been basically the only thing I've listened to over the airwaves other than NPR. Like, ever. Consequently, I have a lot of love for this genre, even if it's not one I listen to much these days.

Regardless, there have been some resounding efforts that have impressed me in the last decade. (Keep in mind, I still have to do indie rock, so it could be that what you think may be missing from this list could show up there.) But enough lolligagging!

Deftones: White Pony

I still remember when this album came out, and the way it made me feel. It encapsulated all of the impotent rage that surges throughout the disaffected teenager, crystallizing it into something painful and beautiful. The guitars are scathing and unfriendly; The bass is fuzzy and washed out; the vocals are unintelligible, but transmit an emotion that can only be described as teenage angst. Maybe I only love this album as much as I do because of that connection to my past, but after listening to it again a few times in an effort to decide what should be included on this list, it definitely belongs here.

Muse: Black Holes and Revelations

Muse is one of those bands that seems to ride the cusp between being a mainstream, radio-friendly band and an all-out progressive madhouse. (And in their later years, it seems like they're leaning more and more to the madness - last year's The Resistance is, after all, a crazy concept album about political insurrection.) But it's on Black Holes and Revelations that all the disparate pieces of their style come together in a divine combination. From the ominous keyboard arpeggios of the opening track to the thundering horse-clapping of album-closer (and crowing jewel) "Knights of Cydonia", it's the right combination of gutsy and accessible that so many bands only wish they could pull off.

Radiohead: Kid A

Picking a Radiohead album may have been the most difficult decision of any record on the master list of essentials I'm working from (not wanting any duplicates from any group or person, despite their inimitable talents). And there was a short time when I would've said their newest release, In Rainbows, would be their best of the decade. But after careful review of both albums side-by-side, it's still obvious that Kid A was the game changer Radiohead put out at the exact right time. From its beginning electronic swell, it announced itself as something fundamentally different from what we were used to from alternative rock - and while it was clearly Thom Yorke's voice flitting throughout the album, the music was virtually unrecognizable from their more radio-friendly early releases. From the fuzzy, cacophonous "The National Anthem" to the disconcertingly techno "Idioteque", it's an album that still feels as jarring and inventive a decade later as it did the day I pulled it from its cellophane.

The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

I admit it - I'm a huge Jack White fan. I've loved his work with the Raconteurs as well as The Dead Weather. (And let's be honest - he looks like he'll be splendid in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World this summer.) But his most vital work is with The White Stripes, where he and Meg create some of the most honest, crunchy rock you'll ever hear. After two sporadically wonderful albums, it was with White Blood Cells that Jack hit his songwriting happy spot, and every song feels euphoric. The fact that it's such simple music (often just guitar, drums, and vocals) does nothing to diminish the power with which it presents itself - a testament to the fact that sometimes, less is more.

PJ Harvey: Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea

PJ Harvey has an impressive back catalogue, and her ouevre ranges from the very delicate (White Chalk) to the very brash (Rid of Me). Yet it's on SftC, SftS that she writes her most affecting and moving music - stuff that makes you smile, laugh, sigh, and tear up. She runs the emotional gamut, hooking you through the guts and dragging you along for the sometimes ugly, often poignant ride. And it's still meaningful after all these years.

Masters of Reality: Pine/Cross Dover

Masters of Reality are one of those bands that, frankly, not enough people listen to. It may be due to the fact that they only release new music sporadically; perhaps it's because the main spoke of the band, guitarist and vocalist Chris Goss, is known far more for his producing work with bands such as Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss among others; but for whatever reason it is, that needs to end - now. Masters of Reality's previous release, Give Us Barabbas, was a wonderfully folky acoustic album, mostly acoustic guitars and strings. Pine/Cross Dover is a great return to form, with clanging guitar work, thumping bass, and that wonderfully smooth Chris Goss vocal work. It's got some of my favorite Masters of Reality songs ever (Such as "Absinthe Jim and Me" or "Worm in the Silk"), and the whole album feels imbued with a sense or reinvigoration and renewal.

Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf

Another example of a band that's horribly underrated and under-listened-to (and other of the "Palm Desert Scene" bands along with Masters of Reality) is the wonderful Queens of the Stone Age - and Songs for the Deaf is where they're firing all their pistons in perfect synchronicity. It's fuzzy, crunchy, balanced, and unforgettable. It's enough to make you wonder why they don't have more radio play. It's not pretty music, by any means - but it's certainly gutsy and meaningful.

Essentials of the last decade: Progressive Rock

2010-04-26T00:33:00.002-04:00

Seeing as how everyone else has been making end of decade lists (whether you regard the decade as having been 2000-2009 or 2001-2010 is irrelevant), I decided in the shower this morning I wanted to do the same.

However, in the name of shorter articles, I'm going to do this by genre, therefore making it a less daunting task. These are albums that I feel every music fan should have in their collection. Eventually I'll write one of these for each big genre of music I listen to (metal/prog metal, indie, jazz, etc.) but first up: Progressive Rock!

Rush: Snakes and Arrows

A band that has always been evolving, some of the nineties/early 2000s sound - while still Rush and still wonderful - just wasn't up to the snuff of their earlier efforts of musical euphoria (banner albums such as Moving Pictures and Signals). However, 2007's Snakes and Arrows changed all of that - Rush was back and they meant it. A sprawling effort with no less than three instrumentals, the boys from Canada proved that progressive rock was as relevant as it ever was. The production is impeccable, the instrumentation is awesome, the lyrics are thought-provoking - it's simply a perfect disc.

Dredg: El Cielo

A case of the "sophomore slumps" being the opposite of what happened, the stars aligned and dredg put together an album that runs the gamut from melodic to rocking, from esoteric to traditional, from spacey to solid. Everything is exactly where it needs to be, and while it's a concept album of strange origin (it's about sleep paralysis, and was inspired by this famous Dalí painting), the songs flow into one great whole, filled with vibrancy and effuse with musical brilliance. While the last two albums from dredg haven't been up to the snuff of this record, it's good to know that sometimes great things just happen.

Porcupine Tree: Fear of a Blank Planet

It was hard to decide what was the best Porcupine Tree album of the decade (they having put out three great albums and one really good one), but ultimately Fear of a Blank Planet clinches the spot. A concept album about our interconnected and disconnected twenty-first century, its lyrical themes are depressing and frightening. It is bleak and unmoving, remaining a monolithic album from the preeminent British progressive rock band. Moreover, the guitar solo from Rush axeman Alex Lifeson in the middle of the monumental "Anesthetize" is a fascinating counterpoint in style to Steven Wilson's guitar styles. Add to that the fact that the album's name is a nod to Public Enemy's inimitable Fear of a Black Planet is simply icing on the cake.

The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute

The Mars Volta hit the ground running with their debut album (De-loused in the Comatorium) unlike almost any other band I've ever heard - one that didn't need to find its legs, but was already sprinting along with the best prog groups out there. Sure, Cedric Bixler-Zavala has a gratingly high, sometimes off-putting voice, but the music flowed in such a way to make the occasionally unpleasant singing to shame. Enter Frances the Mute - a frenetic, sprawling, cacophonous second record that took everything great about the initial formula and pared it down to just the essentials. A mix of diverse genres such as jazz, latin, and heavy rock (among others) that is as beautiful as it is befuddling, this album resonates with uniqueness. Too bad they've followed it with two rather disappointing albums and one trainwreck.

Guilt Machine: On This Perfect Day

I know, I know, I know. Of all the Arjen Lucassen projects I could pick to put on this list, why Guilt Machine? Because this is a list of albums that EVERY music lover should have, and (stone me if you disagree) I think On This Perfect Day is a perfect album, where everything belongs and is exactly WHERE it belongs. None of the gleeful pompousness of the overstuffed Ayreon albums (which I love, don't get me wrong) and a tighter focus than either Ambeon or Star One. The lyrics are rightfully dark, and emote in a way that none of his self-lyricized projects have before. If this is the calibre music Arjen decides to release now, I'm comfortable that we'll have more awesome albums to come. It's effulgent with the emotions that it evokes and translates into aural ecstasy - it's simply flawless.

Mew: No More Stories...

This was my favorite album from 2009 for a reason - it shines above and beyond in a year filled to the brim the great new releases. Alternately called shoegaze, indie, art rock, alternative rock, and many other things, Mew is at heart a progressive band - one that evolves and changes, creating music that seems better with each release. No More Stories... is everything Death Cab for Cutie would be if Ben Gibbard would make the progressive rock he's always hinted he wanted to make but has never had the guts to do. From its backtracked-in-places opener to its sprawling five-songs-in-one "Sometimes Life Isn't Easy", it's an album that oozes honesty, humility, and even a bit of naivety. Even in its slowest parts it still moves in a way few albums can. And so much of it is filled to overflowing with talent, guts, and zazz. Yes, this record has zazz.

The death of the "Review"

2010-04-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

For a few years now (though admittedly in an inconsistent fashion) I have been writing "reviews" here at Progged. Heck, I even had a brief stint as a writer over at Blogcritics.org. In that time I have discovered something.

Reviews are rubbish.

At least as I have been trying to write them. See, all reviews about entertainment are subjective. Sure, there are objective things that can be measured and perhaps quantified: is the mix even, is the production done well. But so much is ethereal. Particularly when it comes to music.

There are albums that I love because of what I relate them to, the memories they evoke. Likewise, many songs/albums evoke certain emotions that strengthen or weaken the music. And those are unique to each person. So trying to review objectively equals one thing only: Fail.

As such, here at Progged, after discussion with my bro, we are going to be moving to a less precise, more general type of review. It will likely be a three tiered system that will break down something like this: Great music, okay to good music that is at least worth checking out, but maybe not owning, and crap.

Yeah, that middle one is long and awkward. We're working on it.

Rush announces new tour. . .

2010-04-20T22:04:00.001-04:00

But did I leave my fanboy card at the door?

That's right. Rush recently announced their "Time Machine" tour. My initial reaction was "Awesome, must go." I mean, they are playing Moving Pictures in its entirety, for the first time ever. And I still feel that, to this day, Moving Pictures is one of the best albums ever. Period.

Then I start to think about it. Don't get me wrong, I still love Rush. But where is the new material for this tour? Sure, they hint at some special surprises. What does that mean though? Are they going to play some new songs on tour? Maybe. But is it worth it for me to go see them for that?

I just can't help but feel they are falling prey to what I call the Dream Theater syndrome.

You know, pumping out live album after live album (due to tour after tour) with no real new material. Snakes and Arrows was a great album and a great tour. They seemed really energized and enjoying themselves. Then they announced Snakes and Arrows tour part 2. No new music, just another tour.

I couldn't make myself do that one. It just becomes too hard with a family, a 2 1/2 hour drive each direction and a resident's schedule. Add in to that the $200 price tag for two tickets by the time you add it all up. Rush puts on a great show, no doubt. I saw them for Roll the Bones, then for Vapor Trails, R30, and Snakes and Arrows. All of them great shows.

But I really would love some new material that I can become familiar with, then tour and play those live. But this Rolling Stones-esque money grab? It leaves me a little cold. Perhaps I am not the fan I once was.

Great news for Rock Band DLC!

2010-04-17T07:37:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest aspects of the Rock Band series of games from Harmonix is their continued addition of content. I have mentioned before just how awesome the Rock Band Network is as both a concept and with the execution so far. However, that is certainly not the only way in which the game continues to receive new content.

Earlier this week, I professed my love for the new Coheed and Cambria album, Year of the Black Rainbow. Well then, you can imagine my joy when I saw the announcement this morning (okay, the announcement was yesterday, but I was only just able to see it) of the official Rock Band DLC (downloadable content) announcement for next week.

Amongst the 6 songs being released you will find the Coheed and Cambria pack, including three really great songs from Year of the Black Rainbow. Those tracks are "The Broken", "Here We Are Juggernaut", and "Guns of Summer". I can assure that all three songs are really great. In fact, "The Broken" is one of my overall favorite C&C tracks, not just from this new album. All three tracks have great vocals, guitars, bass and drums. They should be a lot of fun to play in the game, and I can guarantee I will be picking up the whole track pack so I can virtually rock out to those three.

Definitely exciting news, and the fact that they are calling this Coheed and Cambria track pack 01 gives me hope there will be some more tracks released from them.

Album Review: Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder

2010-04-15T14:25:00.001-04:00

Shrinebuilder: Shrinebuilder
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site

Supergroups are a tricky thing. Too often they feel like odd amalgamations of the disparate contributions of their constituent members. They feel forced, trying to pigeonhole Band X's sound into Band Y's style. Most of the time, they just fall flat. Perhaps it is the bane of the supergroup: to succumb to the unrealistic expectations.

Enter Shrinebuilder.

Comprised of Scott "Wino" Weinrich of Obsessed and Saint Vitus on guitar/vocals, Scott Kelly of Neurosis on guitar/vocals, Al Cisneros of Om and Sleep on bass, and Dale Crover of The Melvins on the skins, those are huge expectations to live up to. So what does Shrinebuilder do to those expectations?

It crushes them.

Shrinebuilder is expansive yet intimate. Crushing yet ethereal. Enraged yet contemplative. This is an album full of contradictions. The elements of each band are clearly present, yet together they create something entirely new. Yes, this is doom metal. It is also post-metal, sludge metal, and psychedelic. Despite all these apparent inconsistencies, this is also one of the most consistent and most impressive releases of the past few years.

Wino and Kelly carry most of the vocal work, trading off perfectly. Wino's higher pitched vocals are complimented by Kelly's raspy growls, fitting the mood of the music. The guitars also change to fit the mood of the music. Thunderous riffs are propelled forward by the hypnotic bass lines of Cisneros, pummeling the listener. Yet true moments of beauty emerge. Fuzz-tone guitars are contrasted by crushing, distorted passages.

The music never dwells too much on one extreme or the other, well balanced throughout. It also never strays into the really heavy realms. Rather, it is content to tip-toe to the edge, then just hang out there, showing you just how terrifying it could be, but never jumping off that edge. This sense of restraint strengthens the record.

Recorded in a brief 3 day period (with some overdubbing and post-production work), the album has the feeling of a brilliant moment in time, a collaboration of great talent that just happened to immediately click. The tracks flow from one to the next in a very organic manner. The record has a cohesive sound that belies that short time during which it was created. Shrinebuilder is a magnificent example of what happens when ego is set aside, and the music reigns.

Final verdict: 4/5

I know, I gushed. Also, this was tied in my top spot on my "Best of 2009" list. Make no mistake, it belongs there as I continue to feel that this was one of the very best albums to emerge from last year. So why the 4? I actually think that the next Shrinebuilder album has the potential to be even better. While this is a fabulous album, and one that any music fan owes it to themselves to check out, I believe even better will come from these four. Nevertheless, this is a monster of a record, and a stunning collaboration.

Album Review: Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow

2010-04-14T08:51:00.003-04:00

Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Coheed and Cambria shouldn't be popular. That is all there is to it. Music that at times is heavy, progressive rock/metal, then swings wildly to emo-pop. A vocalist whose upper register touches the clouds. And most importantly, an intricate (and "out there") science fiction yarn that spans (now) five albums, each of them a concept album in a larger work. In terms of popularity, these guys should be niche at best.

Yet Year of the Black Rainbow demonstrates admirably just why they are so popular.

Year of the Black Rainbow is a Coheed and Cambria that has been around for a while now. This is an album of matured songwriters and artists. That maturity comes through clearly in each track. In the past, I have vacillated when it comes to Coheed and Cambria. Previous albums have been mixed bags. Every album has one or two really brilliant tracks, and one or two throw-aways. The rest of the tracks fall somewhere between those extremes.

I was encouraged, though, to see that, overall, the albums were becoming more consistent as time passed. That progression comes to fruition on Year of the Black Rainbow. This is, by far, Coheed and Cambria's most consistent album ever. There are no bad tracks here. From the powerful and rocking "The Broken" (the first "real" track, as they continue to trend of a first track that is more sound and atmosphere than music) to the epic closer "The Black Rainbow", Coheed and Cambria are hitting all the right notes.

In terms of story, the album fits in as a prequel to the "Amory Wars" saga chronicled over the previous 4 albums. Yet lyrically it doesn't seem overwhelming. If you are familiar with the story of the Amory Wars, you will pick up references to aspects of that story as you listen to the music. However, even if you have no idea who Claudio Kilgannon or Wilhelm Ryan are, the lyrics will, in some aspects, resonate. Lyrically this is a much more accessible album.

Musically, the band continues to be impressive in both writing and playing abilities. Many songs are intricate, multi-layered compositions. Guitars, of course, predominate. Other styles are brought in as well, to make a wonderfully varied album that never feels repetitive. "Pearl of the Stars" relies on clean acoustic guitar work. "Far" builds over a base of electronic percussion and "Guns of Summer" is replete with electronic and techno overtones. There is something for just about everyone here. Yet it is all very definitely still Coheed and Cambria.

Final verdict: 4/5

Year of the Black Rainbow is a very strong album from a fascinating band. It is consistently good from start to finish, with no bad tracks. This is its biggest strength. On every previous album, there is at least one or two tracks that I skip every time. Not so here. From start to finish, Year of the Black Rainbow is without question Coheed and Cambria's best album. I look forward to what they come up with next.

Thoughts on Beatles Rock Band.

2010-04-13T19:10:00.000-04:00

I've never been a fan of the Beatles.

Sure, I grew up knowing their music (thanks largely to my mother, who always has enjoyed them) and I had a cassette copy of Abbey Road that I listened to back when there were nothing but cassettes, and listened to it until the tape literally disintegrated and snapped. But I never thought I really liked them.

That was until the last couple of weeks, as I've been enjoying a romp through their history thanks to Beatles Rock Band.

When we received it, my little sister Natalee scoffed in disdain. "I don't even know how you can call the Beatles rock music anyway - it's more like manufactured pop band." And I didn't feel any need to correct her, because clearly I didn't know their music as well as I thought I did.

Certainly, much of their early oeuvre was rather poppy, and didn't involve much instrumentation or much of a mind towards intricate songwriting. But if there's one thing to be said about even their early works, their vocal harmonies remain unrivaled by any but perhaps Queen.

However, as I've played the story mode and moved through the Beatles' career, one thing has become painfully apparent - these guys have a lot of talent for rock music that I've ignored over the years.

As a lad, I always loved "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", because I thought it was the closest thing the Beatles ever did to "rocking out". Not so; "Helter Skelter" is a blistering rock track, filled with dissonant guitars and unfriendly melodies. So too is "Back in the USSR"; whereas "Dear Prudence" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" have moments of delicate beauty in them.

So I'm not like a HUGE Beatles fan or anything. But thanks to Rock Band, I can honestly say that I respect them a whole lot more than I used to.

Gaga versus M.I.A.

2010-04-11T10:34:00.001-04:00

It seems that there may be a war brewing in the world of pop music, and all of us will have to pick sides.

Sri Lankan-born, U.K.-based madwoman M.I.A. has been asked about Lady Gaga, and what she had to say is very honest, and (more to the point) not especially flattering:

"People say we're similar, that we both mix all these things (influences) in the pot and spit them out differently, but she spits it out exactly the same! None of her music's reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is. She models herself on Grace Jones and Madonna, but the music sounds like 20-year-old Ibiza music, you know? She's not progressive, but she's a good mimic. She sounds more like me than I f**king do! That's a talent and she's got a great team behind her, but she's the industry's last stab at making itself important - saying, 'You need our money behind you, the endorsements, the stadiums'. Respect to her, she's keeping a hundred thousand people in work, but my belief is: Do it yourself."

Now, M.I.A. isn't really mean to Gaga, but she does say what's become rather obvious to me - her "originality" isn't what I used to think it was - it's wholly manufactured. (This is especially prominent in her new "Telephone" video, which tries to act ironic about product placement but fails spectacularly. How could you, Miracle Whip? HOW COULD YOU?)

I'll admit it - there was a time when I thought Lady Gaga was doing something pretty amazing to pop music. My attitudes towards her are best described in this graph:

I started by making fun of the ridiculous that is Lady Gaga, with eventually became a begrudging liking. For a couple of weeks there, I actually considered myself a Gaga fan.

And then reality set back in, and I stopped that madness right where it needed to be stopped.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Gaga's new album is going to be pretty boring, because her second album, The Fame Monster, was pretty freakin' boring. One decent song with a decent pop hook (the first single and first track on the disc) and a bunch of drek. I'd imagine the same will probably be true of her next album.

However, this next graph best describes how I feel about M.I.A.:

Yep. M.I.A. is a genuinely new artist, creating a music unlike any I've heard before. It's a weird mix of pop, rap, Bollywood, electronica, and myriad other weird things - and I think it's brilliant. I mean, this is a girl who can incorporate years (nearly decades) old Pixies lyrics into her music with aplomb and chutzpah. I can't wait for her new album to come out this summer, because if it's anything like her first two, it'll be worth checking out for sure.

So in this coming war between M.I.A. and Gaga, I'm squarely in the M.I.A. camp. It's that whole "unironic fandom" thing.

Russian Circles: Geneva

2010-04-05T10:52:00.000-04:00

Russian Circles: Geneva
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site

Russian Circles, a three piece band from Chicago, released a really great debut a few years ago. They struck a nice balance of thunderous, instrumental post-metal with atmosphere and building tension. Their second release left me a little cold, being too much atmosphere and not enough thunder.

Geneva, the band's latest effort, however, manages to strike the perfect balance between the two extremes. Stand up and take note. If you haven't heard of Russian Circles before now, I recommend you pay attention.
Geneva will readily appeal to many different types of music fans. All instrumental, there are no lyrics to distract from the real focus here: the music and the aural landscapes created. Layers upon layers of carefully crafted sound sometimes gently, other times violently pile on top of each other until the tracks climax.

You want power? Look no further than the monstrous title track "Geneva" with is fuzzy, thumping bass line that permeates throughout. How about some mellow, beautiful ambience? Head to track 4, "Hexed All" and just chill out. How about some energetic, fast post-rock? My personal favorite "Malko" will fill that desire nicely. Want it all in one package? The 10+ minute closer, "Philos" is for you.

The guitars come at you from every angle. For me, though, the real star here is the rhythm section. The bass is powerful, in your face, yet restrained when the moment calls for it. The drums are fabulous, with brilliant, rapid and intricate rhythms that avoid the too-often overused double bass. Russian Circles just seems to be firing on all cylinders here.

Final Verdict: 4/5

Geneva is a great album, and an excellent example of American post-rock/post-metal. Lush instrumental soundscapes with varied and fascinating textures help to elevate Geneva above many of their post-rock contemporaries. With yet another really solid release, keep and eye on these guys.

Jaga Jazzist - What We Must

2010-04-04T10:26:00.000-04:00

Jaga Jazzist - What We Must

Year: 2005

Click here for the artist's site

In my ever-constant evolution as a jazz lover, there are a lot of groups or artists that have caught my attention for a bit, only to have that attention wane as their music seemed less layered, less complex than I originally thought. (What can I say? I'm a perennial music dissector. It's just what I do.) For example, The Bad Plus was a great gateway drug into the world of three-piece-jazz-ensemble, but I'd rather listen to the Esbjörn Svensson Trio any day over them now. (RIP, Esbjörn.) There are others, however, who've had staying power in my pantheon of jazz listening - Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland . . .

And Jaga Jazzist is bound to be one of those latter bands.

Their albums have been (understandably) very highly regarded in the world of experimental jazz, and for good reason - few groups can honestly say they've evolved as musicians as drastically with each release as they can. Beginning back in 1994 as a cacophonous mix of jazz and electronica, their fourth effort What We Must is their most accessible to the casual listener - much of the esoteric has been stripped away in favor of a more rock-based, guitar driven sound that still pulsates with everything jazz.

It's as though the best post-rock outfit you've ever heard ran head-on into a jazz quartet, and dragged a keyboarder along for the ride - and it takes that many people to make this band function. A ten piece monstrosity, everything feels exactly in its place, and the soaring bits DO soar sky high, while the calm parts seethe with a hidden intensity.

What We Must very literally brought tears to my eyes the first time through, and has forever changed my perception of what jazz is and should be. I know exactly how ridiculous that sounds, but it remains true - I love every single second of this record. I don't care that it cost me thirty dollars to get the special edition with the bonus disc shipped over from Norway - it was worth every penny, and would have been worth a lot more, to be honest.

Final verdict: 5/5

This is what jazz was always meant to be - a constant reevaluation and revolution (and evidenced by Jaga Jazzist's new disc of this year, One-Armed Bandit - which is very nearly as good as What We Must - this is continuing for them as a group). It's dynamic, layered, effulgent, and one of the best records of the last decade. (My "10 favorite albums of all time" list is becoming more and more peppered with jazz, and I'm afraid this release would make said list.) Moreover, it's a great gateway drug for the rock-n-roll listener into the strange, beautiful world of experimental jazz.

Dream Theater: Black Clouds & Silver Linings

2010-04-04T07:26:00.001-04:00

Dream Theater: Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site

Ah Dream Theater. Where to begin with this band.

Despite being a Rush fan for years, and being somewhat acquainted with the whole genre of "prog rock", I hadn't really delved into the somewhat heavier realm of "prog metal". That was, until I heard "Pull Me Under" by Dream Theater. Released in 1992, Images and Words quite frankly blew me away. Thus began my long love of progressive metal.

Yet I cannot say that Dream Theater has been a constant throughout these past 18 years.
As with any band, some albums have been brilliant, while others have been firmly planted in that large field known as "mediocre". However, even their most brilliant albums at times irritate me. There is just something about the band and their music. Sometimes I love them and proclaim them on of my favorite bands. Others, well, I couldn't care less.

Lately, the latter has predominated. When Octavarium was released, I hailed it a true return to form for the band. However, in retrospect I find this album just as uninteresting as much of their other work. Systematic Chaos was a real mis-step, and Black Clouds & Silver Linings continues this current vein. Musically, the band sounds just the same. If you are a real fan, that will please you. However, for a "progressive" metal band, there has been zero progression. The band seems stuck in a rut they just can't get out of.

Long songs that feel even longer than they are (e.g. the snoozer "The Count of Tuscany" clocking in at over 19 minutes and feeling like a good half-hour wasted), excessive and painfully self-indulgent guitar and keyboard wanking, and truly embarassing lyrics combine to create an unsatisfying record. Jordan Rudess continues to insist on using tacky keyboard effects. Mike Portnoy inflicts his "signing" on the listener time and again. John Myung, a truly talented bass player, continues to be buried in the mix. James LaBrie is certainly talented, but his attempts at sounding menacing are coming off as more and more forced. Finally, John Petrucci is a very techincally gifted guitarist. There is no question the man can shred. However, someone, for the love of all that is decent, take the pen away from that man! No more lyrics John, please! The lyrics are truly cringe-worthy.

Final verdict: 2/5

Give me some progression. Mix things up a little bit (other than a steady downward spiral in lyrical quality). I would love to hear the band take their collective musical talent and do something innovative and interesting. Instead they are treading water, just keeping themselves afloat, writing and recording the same ideas, over and over again with no apparent effort to experiment. Rather than being at the forefront of American progressive metal, Dream Theater is continuing their slide into irrelevance, having been eclipsed by much more talented and innovative bands. Ultimately, it would appear that Dream Theater is no long "for me".

Fear Factory: Mechanize

2010-04-02T11:10:00.002-04:00

Fear Factory: Mechanize
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

Right off, let's just ignore the entire Fear Factory argument of the past year. I has been well documented elsewhere, so there is no need to do so here. Here is a quick rundown of who is out and who is in:

Vocals: Burton Bell sill IN (despite stating he no longer wanted to make this kind of music)
Guitars: Christian Olde Wolbers OUT (initially bass player, switched to guitar when Dino left after Digimortal), Dino Cazeras back IN
Bass: Byron Stroud still IN (took over bass after Wolbers moved to guitar)
Drums: Raymond Herrara OUT, Gene Hoglan IN

The first question someone familiar with the past work will ask is: How does this compare to Demanufacture? I will answer that question, in time.

Fear Factory has a definite formula to their music: growling/yelling vocals with melodic, clean sung choruses, staccato, machine gun fire guitar riffs, industrial/electronic overtones, and blast-beat drumming. In that aspect, Mechanize is no different than past albums. The formula is intact. However, every one of those aspects is just that much better than recent albums. The choruses are bigger and more anthemic. The guitar is incredibly fast and powerful. The drums, well, it is Gene Freaking Hoglan. What do you expect? Pure, undistilled awesome. As for bassist Byron Stroud, I think the best compliment I can give is this: He keeps up with Hoglan. 'Nuff said. Add all those components together and you end up with an unexpectedly vibrant album that sounds both current and retro, paying homage to their ground-breaking past while gazing fixedly on a promising future.

There simply isn't a bad track on Mechanize. From start to finish, this is an aggressive, yet carefully melodic album. There is an abundance of brutal riffing, but carefully hidden moments of true beauty. The rapid-fire moments of guitar and double bass/snare and cymbal work are stunningly fast. I honestly don't know that I have ever heard so much precision and speed on an album before.

So, to answer that question: Mechanize is every bit as good as Demanufacture. In fact, in some ways it may be even better. From the title track to the long and surprisingly emotional closer "The Final Exit", Mechanize is a brilliant album that simply blows away everything Fear Factory has done in the past 15 years. Not for the faint of heart, but this really is an essential metal recording.

Final verdict: 5/5

Rock Band Network is live

2010-03-28T15:12:00.000-04:00

Released a year and a half ago, Rock Band 2 continues to lead the pack in terms of music based games. Now, I am the first to admit that I am a little biased, as Rock Band 2 is the game of choice in our home. It just seems to have everything together to really work well. The note charts are far better than in the current Guitar Hero iterations, the presentation is more polished, and the focus is more on the music.

As a music fan, that is the real key.

Probably the biggest advantage that the Rock Band platform has over Guitar Hero is the amount of additional content released. There are currently over 1,000 tracks that have been released, with 14 complete albums from over 250 artists. This means that, even if you don't really like the tracks that come on the disc (of which there are 100), the chances are great that you will find something you like from the store.

Harmonix has been very vigilant about releasing at least a few tracks every week since the original Rock Band game was released. However, due to limited staff and availability, only so much can be released. Also, due to constraints with rights of the music and publishers, not everything can end up released.

Until now.

After months of beta-testing, Rock Band Network has been released. I'm not sure if most people realize just how revolutionary this is. In essence, it is a set of tools that goes directly in the hands of the artists. Anyone who has the rights to the music can create their own tracks for Rock Band, have the quality tested by the community and Harmonix, then have them released into the wild for everyone to download.

As an artist this is an amazing tool. This opens up the floodgates for indie artists or smaller labels to get their music on the platform. I can personally attest that Rock Band is an excellent vehicle to introduce people to new artists and songs. This increases name recognition and record sales. Also, they receive a portion of the revenue from the sale of the track.

As a consumer this is just as amazing. On launch there were over 100 tracks available. There is a great mix of well known artists, indie artists, and different genres. Prices range from free to $2 a track. What is even better is that the tracks have a downloadable, playable demo available, not just a preview. You can actually play one minute (or 35% of the track) to get a feel for how it is charted, and if you choose to purchase it, it immediately unlocks and you are good to go.

More music, more choices, more fun. Anyway you look at it, this is a win for all involved. Rock on.

My top albums of 2009

2010-03-24T23:06:00.003-04:00

Much like my brother said, 2009 was a huge year for music. There were so many outstanding albums it's taken me a fair amount of time to synthesize a list that reflects my favorite offerings in a year filled with awesome acts. Moreover, there are so many that I've loved so intensely, it was difficult to get the list down to a bare ten. The honorable mentions list is enormous, and the best thing to do would be to look at this top ten my brother did and check out all the things I neither have space nor predilection to mention again. He does have impeccable taste, after all...

But here's my top ten, after considerable trouble deciding.

Honorable Mentions: Everything on this list

Fever Ray: S/T

Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest

Dethklok: Dethalbum II

The XX: xx

10. Muse: The Resistance

Muse have a lot going for them - they're ridiculously popular, they supposedly put on one of the best live shows you'll ever see, and (most importantly) they're awesome. 2006's Black Holes and Revelations has some of the best hooks you'll ever hear in a rock album. While The Resistance might not be as formidable an album as their previous effort, its concept album feel gives it a leg up on its predecessor. It's an album where everything belongs and has its place, and when it's good, it's ridiculously good. The last three tracks (an imposing three-movement song) give hope to me that perhaps popular music isn't as far gone as I feared.

9. The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come

While The Mountain Goats have been around forever, it's only been in the last few months that I've really heard them, but it's got to be said - you might not enjoy the slightly nasal delivery of vocals that John Darnielle sings with, but he writes some of the most literate, engaging, worthwhile lyrics you'll ever hear. His latest outing has everything one expects from a later-period Mountain Goats release - poignant, autobiographical wordsmithing, simple, warm guitar work, minimalist instrumentation. But its incorporation of themes from biblical scripture make it a more personal, spiritual effort.

8. Devin Townsend Project

Devin Townsend is probably the artist that consistently makes my "Top Albums of XXXX Year" list more than any other. His inventiveness and constant reinvention make him usually engaging, sometimes off-putting, and always worth a listen. Or ten. And his two albums last year are no exception. Ki is by far the stronger of the two albums, a huge departure from Devin's usual style, but Addicted has plenty of great hooks, too. Also, the addition of Anneke van Giersbergen as a vocalist on Addicted makes it that much better (I honestly believe she may have my favorite female voice in rock). Devin is changing as a person and as an artist, but when change results in releases of this calibre, I'm grateful for it.

7. F*** Buttons: Tarot Sport

Pay no attention to the name of this band. It's the most offensively nonsensical name I've heard all year. But that stupid name belies the talent and greatness of the music. This is electronica of the highest order; sure, it takes ten minutes to venture through one of their songs, but the ride is so crazy it's worth every minute of it. It's the first electronic album since Daft Punk's 2001 album Discovery that makes me want to listen to electronic music. It is almost like carefully packaged epilepsy - but the seizures last only as long as you want them to.

6. Kylesa: Static Tensions

This album is huge. The dual drumming is stellar, the grungy production hits all the right spots, the whole thing erupts in your face for forty minutes without letting up. It's been a constant play in the game Audiosurf, and has kept me entertained for hours.

5. OSI: Blood

The Matheos/Moore combination hits its sweet spot with their third release under the moniker OSI. It is heavy and progressive in all the right spots; it fades to calm and foreboding just when it needs to. The drumming is top notch (no need for Portnoy's ego this time around), the guitars are as slicing as ever, the programming and keyboards add the perfect level of ambience to every measure. Creepiness made perfect, this is a must-have for the rocker in all of us.

4. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion

I've listened to this album a couple of dozen times, and I still don't know what to make of it. I can't figure out how to describe it, what words or phrases might make you understand what is going on here. And I've had an epiphany - I don't have to explain it. The music explains itself, even if you don't know what to make of it. This is a strange, beautiful thing.

3. Riverside: Anno Domini High Definition

I've been listening to Riverside since the release of their second album, and while their following release was worthwhile, I didn't feel it came close to what Second Life Syndrome had done. Anno Domini High Definition doesn't come to that previous level - it demolishes it, becoming by far their best release.

2. Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

This album makes me dance. And dance. And then dance some more. It will probably make you do the same. That is all.

1. Mew: No More Stories...

This album is a constant barrage of progressive awesomeness, from its some-of-it-is-backwards-and-some-of-it-is-forwards opener to the jarring guitars and subtle melodies that weave throughout the disc. Right when you think you know where Mew is going to take it, they go another direction - and make you enjoy every minute of it. This is the natural evolution of progressive rock, and I can't help but smile every time I hear the album. It feels equal parts prog, indie, electronica, and chutzpah - and is my favorite disc to come out in 2009.

Guilt Machine: On This Perfect Day

2010-03-24T20:17:00.000-04:00

Guilt Machine: On This Perfect Day

Year 2009

Click here for the artist's site

Arjen Lucassen doesn't even know what "rest on your laurels" means. Always the innovator, Arjen has done it again with Guilt Machine.

Taking a break from his Ayreon project (hopefully not permanently) and having left Stream of Passion, Arjen embarked on a new pursuit this year. Setting aside the science fiction storyline of Ayreon, Guilt Machine is a project that allows Arjen to look within, exploring the themes of guilt, regret and their potentially destructive power.

Guilt Machine differs from Ayreon on other levels as well. Rather than assembling a large cast of vocalists and musicians, Arjen gathered just three other people: Jasper Steverlinck on vocals, Lori Linstruth on lead guitar, and Chris Maitland on drums. With such a change from the formula that has worked so well for many years, this begs the question: How are the results?

Magnificent.

On This Perfect Day is wonderful. The music is, overall, much more relaxed. Many of the songs take 3-4 minutes or more until they really climax. Yet when they do it is an experience. Retaining his powerful, driving guitar sound, Arjen does a perfect job propelling the songs forward at just the perfect moments, as well as giving them space to explore. Chris Maitland carries the music on his powerful rhythm work. Lori's guitar work retains its unique, lyrical quality, making it a pleasure to listen to. Finally, new-comer (to me) Jasper's voice has just the right mix of melancholy, plaintive pleading, brightness, and subtle power.

While this album initially didn't jump out and grab me, after repeat listens I found myself drawn back to listen, again, and again, and again. The lyrics are unapologetically bleak, but presented in such a way that you have to pay close attention to realize just how depressing this album it. This adds a wonderful depth to the record. This is one of those records I can say, without hesitation, I really love.

Verdict: 4.5/5
Yes, I am cheating with the half point. I don't know if I could call it an absolute essential, but it is just such a joy to listen to that a 4 just doesn't cut it.

Rebirth of Progged?

2010-03-24T12:55:00.001-04:00

Progged was born years ago, out of a desire for me to write about some of the music that I love. Over the years it has added a writer (my amazingly talented brother) and has covered a variety of different types of music. It has gone through active periods and some long droughts of new content.

Part of the issue with the droughts was my desire for things to be very ordered. I had this idea in my head of what made a good review. However, this often made it so reviews took longer to write, or were just plain difficult to fit into the mold.

Due to that, and the huge backlog I have of music articles to write, I am going to just write however and whatever I write, and invite my brother to do the same. Currently he and I are listening to very different styles of music, and I would love to know what he is enjoying about his music, and I hope that any who stop by to read will find something rewarding.

There will still be reviews, but I envision them much more loose in structure. I am not a professional critic, a professional musician, or a professional writer. I am just a dude who likes to sing, play the guitar a little and play Rock Band. Yes, that means I will probably include some music game articles here as I think they are germane.

Hopefully this can be a full rebirth, and hopefully someone will join us along the way. Please feel free to leave comments. I have turned on comment moderation as the spam has been getting worse.

Top 10 albums of 2009

2010-01-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

2009 was, again, another pretty great year for music. As always, there is just too much out there to be familiar with it all, but here are my top 10 albums of the year. Important to note, these are my 10 favorite albums of the year. This may not exactly agree with what I consider the best albums.

Honorable Mentions: In a lesser year, every one of these would be in the top 10. They just were beat out by some even more stellar offerings.

Isis: Wavering Radiant
Mastodon: Crack the Skye
Porcupine Tree: The Incident
Megadeth: Endgame
Karnivool: Sound Awake

10. Kylesa: Static Tensions

Kylesa has been doing the two drummer thing for a few albums now, but on no previous album has it been utilized as effectively as on Static Tensions. With the drummers clearly separated in each channel, the effect is driving and propulsive. The music rocks as well, with a sort of raw and primal energy, yet a sound that balances clear production and that grunge that is so vital to the music. Awesome album.

9. YOB: The Great Cessation
YOB is one of those bands I had heard of, but had not heard. After the dissolution of the band, and formation of Middian, I was aware that they were out there and were a respected Doom band. But it wasn't until the release this year of The Great Cessation that I heard these guys. And what an introduction it was. This album is fabulous. It is the distilled essence of Doom. And it is suffocatingly heavy, in the truest sense of the word heavy.

8. The Devin Townsend Project: Ki and Addicted

Devin Townsend took some time off from his many other projects (The Devin Townsend Band, Strapping Young Lad) and spent a bit of time with his family. The result is The Devin Townsend Project. Four albums over two years, this year gave us the first two. Ki is a much more mellow, laid back Devin than we have seen in just about ever (if you don't count his ambient, electronic album). It is a lush album, full of dynamics and contrasts, yet very restrained. Addicted is almost the opposite. Full of the trademark Devin Townsend "wall of sound", with layer upon layer of rocking riffs, yet packaged in an almost pop styling, it is a fantastic album.

7. Riverside: Anno Domini High Definition

With the conclusion of the "Reality Dream" trilogy, Riverside had to move on. I was a bit apprhensive about where that move would take them, honestly. But not to worry. The wrote an album dealing with our frantic "high definition" lives (cleverly titled so the initials of the album are ADHD) that is their most urgent, energetic release yet. This is a fantastic album, and one of my favorites of theirs.

6. Katatonia: Night is the New Day

Katatonia starts off Night is the New Day with "Forsaker", probably one of their best songs ever. The album ends with "Departer", likewise one of their best songs. While the songs between may not be better than the first and the last, they are of superb quality. Katatonia manages to strike the perfect balance between their melancholy and the metal tendancies on this album.

5. Russian Circles: Geneva

Russian Circles first album, Enter, was a powerful post-metal/post-rock instrumental statement. Their second album, Station, was a decent album, but a bit too mellow for me. On Geneva, these Chicagoans have managed to find the perfect balance between they two. This is an album full of layers, textures and different moods. The rhythm work is impeccable as well, with fabulous drumming and bass work. With Geneva, Russian Circles have solidified their position in the pantheon of American post-rock royalty.

4. OSI: Blood

Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos have been collaborating long before the release of the first OSI album. However, never before have they found such marvelous synergy with their styles. Matheos' fantastic song writing, married with Moore's electronic ambience and unique vocal delivery work on Blood better than ever before. Bringing in Tim Bowness and Mikael Akerfeldt for additional vocals was just another brilliant move. Blood is a fascinating album for fans of music of just about any kind.

3. Guilt Machine: On This Perfect Day

Arjen Lucassen has the Midas Touch as far as I am concerned. Every project he seem to touch these days turns to gold. After the brilliance that was The Human Equation and 01011001, Arjen decided to take a break. He also stepped away from Stream of Passion, another project he had helmed. His next project became Guilt Machine, more of a band than the collaborative efforts of his previous projects. Guilt Machine is pure, distilled essence of Arjen prog. Long compositions, slowly building to powerful guitars, soaring vocals, and uncharacteristically bleak lyrics combine to create one of my absolute favorite albums of the year.

And coming in at a tie for the top spot, I just couldn't pick one of these over the other.

Shrinebuilder: Shrinebuilder
Supergroups can be tricky. Too often they fail under the egos and styles of the individual members. On their debut album, Shrinebuilder bucks that trend. Retaining all the style and individuality of the comprising members, yet effectively creating something entirely new, Al Cisneros and company deliver a record of truly epic proprotions. This is much more than the sum of its individual parts, and a monster of an album.

My Dying Bride: For Lies I Sire
My Dying Bride was a new introduction for me this year, and proved to be one of the most impressive. For Lies I Sire is a masterpiece in atmosphere building. With the reintroduction of violins, the music becomes that much more haunting and eerie. Turn out the lights, crank up the volume, and prepare to be moved. It was a tough call, but after repeat listens, this is my favorite album of the year.

So there you have it, 10 (actually 11) fantastic albums from a pretty darn good year in music. I'm looking forward to what 2010 brings.

Mini-reviews for the bored.

2008-11-11T21:20:00.001-05:00

Rather than write a set of long reviews that no-one will read or care about, I decided to write a slew of small reviews (that no-one will read or care about). But anyway.

Cloud Cult: Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) This is Cloud Cult's latest release (and purportedly their last for a while, possibly ever), and is well worth a listen. It's streamlined, focused, and well-written. It's a bit shorter than other albums, and nearly every track is a full-bodied song rather than having short interludes and such. The melodies are tight, the harmonies are memorable, and the music is poppy-indie, full of optimism and metaphysical messages. It's also got one of the best songs of 2008 - 'Hurricane and Survival Guide', which basically has become my new motto. I'm sad to hear that Cloud Cult might be done with this record, but if it's their last, they're going out with a worthwhile bang.
Tracks to catch: Everybody Here is a Cloud, The Tornado Lessons, Journey of the Featherless, Hurricane and Survival Guide.
Rating: 4/5

Sole: Selling Live Water I don't know how else to describe this album other than how I did it a few days ago on another site, where I said: 'Aggressive, biting, ponderous, confrontational, thumptastic, eerie, abrasive... There are a lot of adjectives I can use to describe this album, but none of them do it justice. It's simply one of the greatest hip hop albums I've ever had the good fortune to listen to.' I stand by that statement, and am more excited to see Sole live this week than almost any other concert I've yet attended. I'm almost wont to call it post-hip-hop, as it transcends the hip-hop genre and becomes something else entirely. It's completely worthwhile and gets better with each listen.
Tracks to catch: Salt on Everything, Respect Pt. 3, Selling Live Water, Pawn in the Game Pts 1 and 2
Rating: 5/5

Gojira: The Way of All Flesh Harder to digest on the first few listens than their 2005 release From Mars to Sirius, but ultimately I think it's a better album. The hooks are more pointed, there's more diversity in the sounds, and the heaviness is better balanced with the melodic bits. Once again their harsh lyrics have more melody than almost any other band, and it's full of awesome passages that will make you headbang.
Tracks to catch: Oroborus, A Sight to Behold, The Art of Dying, The Way of All Flesh
Rating: 4/5

Jonas Hellborg: Art Metal This was an ambitious project, aiming for the fusion of western metal with eastern sounds and jazz sensibilities. Regrettably, it loses something in translation, and it's much better in concept than in execution. While some of the hooks are good, and there are flashes of genius from time to time, it's largely lost on me. The bass is awesome, but everything else left me nonplussed. It's worth listening to from time to time, but isn't something I'd recommend to everyone I know.
Rating: 2/5

Polar Bear: Eponymous.

2008-10-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

Polar Bear: Polar Bear Year: 2008 click here for the artist's site

It was March of this year when I heard Polar Bear's 2005 album Held On the Tips of Fingers. I found it completely moving; it was overwhelming. I didn't think that anything would surpass what I thought about their sophomore effort. However, when I heard that they were finally releasing a follow-up this year, my interest was beyond piqued - and my curiosity was rewarded tenfold. Part of what I found so impressive about Held On the Tips was its innovation and fusion within the jazz genre - it's more than just free jazz, more than avant-garde, and much more than anything traditional or simply improvised. It was forty-three minutes of super-high-quality music. When people have asked me, 'What is your favorite music album of all time?' I've never answered with a set disc; it's far too wide-open to give a favorite. However, after a few weeks with Held On the Tips I would answer, 'It's not necessarily my favorite answer, but I'd say this is the one album I'd want if I was trapped on a deseret island forever.' I didn't imagine that it could be eclipsed - and then I imported a copy of Polar Bear's newest effort, the eponymously titled Polar Bear. It has everything that Held On the Tips has, in greater abundance - fourteen songs, seventy-plus minutes of mind-blowingly awesome jazz that has changed the way I think about jazz forever, broadening my musical horizons and deepening my understanding of what jazz can mean. Polar Bear is characterized by inventive drumming, dueling tenor saxophones vying for your attention almost every minute, fun bass lines that leap up and down the neck, and something that no other jazz group I've yet heard incorporates - live, active electronics, strange sound effects, and ambient noises from British ambiance legend Leafcutter John. While it sounds like it would be a gimmick, it actually strengthens and gives the music variety. The whole group has a sense of unity and clarity that lacks in a lot of new-wave jazz. Most of the time it seems like newer jazz groups focus so much on individual improvisation that the main message of the music gets lost in the cacophony of sounds. However, while there are obviously improvised rifts, the whole thing has a very distinct sense of knowledge of where the band is going. It's an album that I can't stop listening to. It's been in my car for weeks, finding its way into the player on an almost daily basis. Usually I'll put another disc in my player, only to find Polar Bear back in there in short order. I can't think of another album that's come out this year that is more honest, beautiful, thoughtful, and introspective - it's easily (and I'm almost sure it'll stay there) the single best album that has come out this year. If you like jazz, do not miss this album - you will be sad you have up until now.
Tracks to catch: Frankly, there isn't a weak part in this entire album, but I suppose I'll enumerate some of my favorites. 'Tay' begins the record with a jaunty beat and fun interplay between both tenor saxes and the double-bass. 'Goodbye' has moments where it sounds like there are laser battles occurring amidst the soaring, avant-garde sax solos. 'tomlovesalicelovestom' is a meandering, sweet song with memorable, vibrant melodies. 'Voices' has moments where you're left wondering where it's going, only to see the resolution and be moved by it. 'It Snows Again' has some of the best harmonies between the two woodwinds - they almost sound like two parts of the same whole, they're so entertwined. 'Joy Jones' has one of the most beautiful, longing melody lines you'll ever hear - one that will resonate with you long after the disc stops spinning.
Rating: 5/5 I'll unequivocally give this album a perfect record. I don't know how people can't love it - I know a lot of people don't and won't, but I can't get over it. It's fundamentally changed the way I look at music, and is the one album I'd want with me if I could only listen to one for the rest of my life. Pick it up - if you're open to new music and ready for a change, you surely won't be disappointed.

Metallica: Death Magnetic

2008-09-29T20:02:00.000-04:00

Metallica: Death Magnetic

Year: 2008

Click here for the artist's website

No doubt about it, Metallica has been through some "rough" times. Twenty years ago they were the preeminent US metal band. Master of Puppets and ... And Justice for All were both fantastic albums, true triumphs of American metal.

Enter the 90's, grunge on the rise, a new brand of heavy music gaining ground, and Metallica made a drastic change. Their self-titled album skyrocketed to the top of the charts, firmly entrenched them as one of the most popular metal bands, and alienated a significant portion of the cadre of fans that had supported their rise from the musical underground. In the ensuing years, the band flirted with music that was less and less metal, more commercial, and increasingly boring. In an attempt to get back to their roots, in 2003 St. Anger was released. A truly terrible album in every way, many wondered if the mighty Metallica would ever return to glory.

In an attempt to answer that question, the band has released Death Magnetic. A new producer, James well out of rehab, and reports of a more positive working environment (any wonders as to why St. Anger was so horrible are quickly put to rest watching even clips from the documentary "Some Kind of Monster"), created some positive buzz before the official release. A deal with Activision to release the entire album for Guitar Hero III added to the hype. So how does Death Magnetic rate?

For starters, Death Magnetic is, by no means, a bad album. However, nor is it a good album. What it is, in one word, is mediocre. It is average. A relatively standard, run-of-the-mill metal album, its most distinguishing characteristic is that it is not the unmitigated disaster that St. Anger was.

Metallica attempts to bring back their lost sense of epic songwriting, with 7/10 tracks weighing in at over the 7 minute mark. Initially this appears promising. However, too often the longer tracks feel just that: long. Lost is the sense of progression, of unity, of common themes being weaved throughout the songs, as was found on MoP and AJfA. Instead, they sound like disparate, random riffs (all of course in the key of E) just hooked together with no real thought of composition. Long jams fill many of the songs, with a welcome return of Kirk Hammett's guitar solos. However, again these feel artificial, with no cohesive nature to them.

Lyically, James has reported a recent fascination with death, hence the album's title. Sadly, his lyrics deal with serious subjects with less tact and grace than that teenager down the street with the black nail polish and calculatedly brooding look. They are just atrocious. In an attempt to convey a sense of gravitas James sings "Love is a four letter word." Seriously. You can't make that stuff up. If you like being brutally beaten over the head with the lyrics, this is the album for you. If you want something thoughtful, eloquent, and subtle, look elsewhere.

Despite all the negative from Metallica's time in the 90's, at least the production of their albums was awesome. Clear, powerful, deep and rich guitars filled out the albums. Gone is all of that. The production hearkens back to MoP, but not in a good way. The guitars sound thin and tinny. The bass is nearly nonexistent. And Lars, good old Lars, sounds, again, like he is pounding on a set of trash cans. Then there is the clipping. A modern production method, the album is mixed far too hot. Clipping abounds, with a terrible distortion to the guitars and drums that comes from forcing the album to sound loud.

Yet, underneath it all, there is a new sense of energy, a sense of a return to their roots that helps the album. It can't save it from itself, but it elevates above anything the band has done in the past 20 years, at least if we still consider Metallica a thrash band. Unfortunately, this too sounds forced and contrived at times, almost like James and co. are hoping we will forget all the crap from the past 20 years and just pretend it never happened. Well, those years did happen, and no matter how much they may want to forget them, they have left an indelible mark on the band the used to be the preeminent American thrash band.

Rating: 3/5

Metallica has its work cut out for it. There is just so much good metal these days, that Death Magnetic cannot stand above the crowd. However, for the first time in decades, it doesn't sink to the bottom. Death Magnetic is a competent album, marred by atrocious lyrics and repulsive production. Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction.

Dethklok: The Dethalbum

2008-09-25T11:11:00.001-04:00

Dethklok: The Dethalbum Year: 2007 Click here for the artist's site

I remember last year when Dethklok's first CD dropped, people couldn't seem to heap on enough praise. But I took one look at it and thought to myself, 'It's the soundtrack to some silly cartoon show about the most popular metal band in the world. How good could it be?' and I never listened to it. I'm sad that happened. For those who aren't familiar with Dethklok, they're the fake metal band from the television show 'Metalocalypse'. This album is a collection of the most metal songs that were created for the show, released as though it was a real record by a real band. But it's so much more than just a soundtrack. This album is ridiculously fun - it's got the most overblown metal lyrics you'll ever hear, from screeds about murdering mermaids because you can't leave fingerprints underwater to hate-filled invectives directed straight at their fans (or as they refer to them in the aptly titled 'Fansong', 'brainless mutants') to blisteringly heavy symphony-backed rants against the government for wanting them to pay income taxes. But it's even more than that - it's one of the most thunderous, mean, uproariously fun metal records I've ever heard. It's louder, meaner, and has as much teeth as any other metal album that came out last year (and is, in fact, a lot more metal than many of the supposedly 'heavy' discs released). The fact that all of the instruments are played by one guy (with the exception of the drums) makes it that much more impressive. Now, don't expect this to be the next great progressive metal epic. It's very straightforward stuff - this isn't going to change the way you think about metal. However, creator Brandon Small does a very good job of capturing the essence of death metal - if only in the name of comedic parody. The amazing thing is that it's through said parody that he makes one of the best examples of what death metal should be. It's supposed to have silly lyrics. It's supposed to have horrible sounding vocals. It's supposed to feel driven and thunderous, cacophonous and agressive, with flying guitar solos and in-your-face downtuned chugging. And all of those are found by the bucketfull in this album. Small has a sufficiently ugly voice as vocalist Nathan Explosion (he also does the voices of most of the rest of the band), and his rhythm guitars are lean and mean. His basswork is quite adroit. And he does impeccable guitar solos. These things soar above thump of the music, meedling and noodling enough to make most other metal guitarists jealous. They are a beautiful icing on a delicious metal cake (with mercury frosting, babeh) that truly tie this album together. In fact, the only thing that Small doesn't do is the drumming - however, SYL veteran Gene Hoglan is in the battery, and the 'Atomic Clock' is as good as he ever was, beating his double basses with his feet almost constantly, making the album that much more abrasive and aggressive. He rounds out the sound perfectly, adding his signature noise just where it needs to be to make things that much more impressive. Tracks to catch: Album opener 'Murmaider' is great, with the silliest lyrics about underwater killings you'll ever hear. 'Fansong's heavy beat and message about how their fans should all kill themselves parodies the aloofness and uppityness that so many artists espouse with deftness. 'Briefcase Full of Guts' should be self-explanatory. But the true gem of the album is the track 'Dethharmonic', with full orchestral backing, lucid, gorgeous violin work, and words about how the band would rather kill people than pay taxes. It's hilarious. Rating: 3/5 As I mentioned earlier, this album isn't going to change one's mind about metal - if you like it, you'll dig this album. If you don't, you can't expect Dethklok to change your mind. But there's enough enjoyment here to really merit a listen or ten, if only to revel in the delicious irony of parodies. This CD really is comedy gold and blisteringly heavy, invasive metal.

Maybeshewill: Not for Want of Trying

2008-06-29T08:09:00.003-04:00

Maybeshewill: Not for Want of Trying

Year: 2007

Click here for the artist's site

Maybeshewill is a band that I was introduced to only a few weeks ago, through a recommendation of my last.fm software. The thirty-second clip it gave me was very reminiscent of the impeccable post-industrial band 65daysofstatic (even the name - words run together - seemed to suggest serious ties). So after a bit of searching, I was able to get my hands on a copy of their debut LP, Not for Want of Trying.

Now, before I go any further (and in case my words of praise in the first paragraph weren't enough), I should admit that I quite enjoy 65dos' music - I find it dense, layered, complex, inventive, and original. Consequently, I figured that a group with a similar style would be worth my time.

The problem lies, however, in the fact that Maybeshewill doesn't sound similar to 65daysofstatic. The newer band sounds derivative.

The difference between the two is huge.

It's one thing to be influenced by and incorporate elements from an artist or group that you admire, taking their ideas and adding them to your own, making something new. It's another thing entirely to completely rip off the sound of a well-established and respected post-music outfit.

Regrettably, that's all Not for Want of Trying is - a poorly done rehash of 65dos' style, sound, and vibe. Everything is a copy - from the overly-used piano sounds on the keyboard to the gaudy attempt at inventive drum programming to the bad male/female duet. It's all been done before and done amazingly better by the older band.

It doesn't even sound as though Maybeshewill is trying to bring anything new to the table. For example, their programming drumkit noises are the exact same sounds that 65dos uses. It's as though Maybeshewill carefully read the liner notes for the other group's last release and bought all of the same equipment and software, trying to recreate the successful sound - but without any of the heart, passion, or complexity.

It all feels forced; it all feels like a path that's been tread on my far better musicians. Yet at the same time, it feels simplified, watered-down and soulless. It's like the difference between playing 'The Entertainer' my Scott Joplin and the primer arrangement of the song for a second-year piano student. It's like hearing Beethoven's Fifth turned into a monochromatic ringtone for a 5-year-old mobile phone.

The whole thing disappoints me greatly. I was hoping for something that would set my teeth on edge and take my breath away like 65daysofstatic can; instead, all it earns is a resounding 'harrumph.'

Tracks to catch: 'Seraphim and Cherubim' is the closest this album comes to original, and is probably the best song on the record. 'Heartflusters', with its laughably ugly duet, is worth listening to if only to giggle. 'He Films the Clouds' tries - and turns out marginally okay.

Rating: 2/5

It would be unfairly harsh for me to give Not for Want of Trying 1/5, even though a part of me really wants to. If you like post-rock or post-industrial, and aren't familiar with the work of 65daysofstatic, go ahead and listen to these guys first. That way you won't hate it as much as I did. And then go pick up some of the masters of post-industrial and find out what you're missing.

An open message to Maybeshewill: next time, try writing your own music, instead of putting someone else's superior product through the crap filter and calling it yours. I'm sorry. I really wanted you to be good, but you're not.

Made Out of Babies: The Ruiner

2008-06-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

Made Out of Babies, The Ruiner

Year: 2008

Click here for the artist's site

When I first got my hands on Made Out of Babies' sophomore effort, Coward, I couldn't say enough good about it. I loved (and continue to love) that album. I still think it's one of the most frightening records I've ever heard. It's brutal, it's ugly, it's engaging, and it's scary. I can remember thinking to myself, There's no way they'll be able to top this with their next release.

I am pleased to announce that I was full of it.

MOoB's newest disc is an even more focused, driven aural assault than their last two albums were. It's got every bit of the hideous power that characterized their first two releases, while having a more streamlined approach, a better handle on what exactly they want to do with this disc. However, don't think this doesn't sound every bit as much like Made Out of Babies as their other two releases do - all of their signature sounds are there, from the growly detuned guitars to the aggressive drumming to the loud, prominent bass to the inimitable creepiness that is vocalist Julie Christmas' voice. If anything, the interplay between bandmembers seems more fluid, more natural; you can tell this is a group that has been playing together for a few years now, and it reflects in the way they play off one another.

It hits hard from the beginning, with syncopated guitar noises and Christmas' trademark disgusting growl, erupting into a brutal, devastating attack on everything you expect from a rock and roll band. This is an album that refuses to conform, even to the standards they created for their first two discs. It's got a more melodic focus, while still being every bit as unfriendly as before.

As per usual with a MOoB release, it's Christmas who reigns supreme in center stage for the bulk of The Ruiner. Her multiple vocal personalities all return to the mix, with even more interaction between her eerie singing voice and harsh, guttural grunts. She purposely veers off tune in parts, making it that much more disconcerting. She can still sing in that sweet, little girl voice, which disappears in the face of the tempest of her growl. She screams and she cries and she bellows and she absolutely captivates me while simultaneously scaring the crap out of me.

But the rest of the band is better than ever as well. They're pushing to more progressive territories, playing with complex time signatures and song structures, while still being more brutal than most supposed metal bands could ever dream of. And the production is much tighter this time around, making the album a more harrowing experience. It doesn't feel as muffled and sanitized; this is raw, this is unfriendly, this is not the sort of thing you play when your mother is in the car with you.

But I can't stress enough just how good this album is. And I really don't think it's because I set my hopes high and I'm simply justifying my love for this disc. I expected it to be less than its predecessor, not the terrifying progression into desolate, musical hells that we are treated to through this entire record.

Lyrically, it's much more focused and guided than their last two efforts. Most of the lyrics on Coward seemed almost like a tribute to Dadaism, with no sense to be had in any way, shape, or form. On the other hand, The Ruiner has a sense of direction, has a voice to be heard and a story to be told - adding to enhance the record as a whole.

Tracks to catch: Album-opener 'Cooker' is a blisteringly progressive and ugly starting note, setting the tone for the rest of the disc. 'Invisible Ink' sees Christmas singing some of her most melodic music to date, which serves to augment the creepiness that pervades the song. 'Bunny Boots' has some of the most scathing, hideous screams committed to CD, and the lyric 'Each time you say it louder and more boring' is only half right - it's plenty loud, but miles from boring. 'Peew' captures the essence of Coward's crown jewel, 'Gunt', and will haunt you long after the disc stops spinning.

Rating: 4/5

As scathing, as biting, as acerbic and fugly as this album is, I can't in good nature give it a perfect score, because it will scare most listeners away - but that's true of everything Made Out of Babies does. (Their name alone serves to scare away the majority of people, I imagine.) The best way I can describe MOoB's music is how singer Julie Christmas' mother described it - 'I really like it, but it makes me want to punch things'. Made Out of Babies is musical violence, flayed and put on display, gory and oozing. And did I mention The Ruiner is absolutely brilliant?

Sigur Rós: Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

2008-06-27T04:54:00.000-04:00

Sigur Rós: Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

Year: 2008

Click here for the artist's site

Sigur Rós is, to me at least, inexplicably popular. I don't really understand how a band that sings in either Icelandic or a made-up language and that composes as down-tempo and chill music as they do gets as large of a following as they do.

I've been a fan of theirs on and off since the first time I heard 2005's Takk, but it's only been in the past few months that I've really listened to them in earnest. They've got an undeniable style, but they can be very hit-and-miss with me. Some of their stuff I love with a passion, and I listen to over and over, whereas some of it only results in an echoing 'meh'.

That's certainly true of their newest album. (For sake of my typing sanity I'll refer to it through the rest of the review as 'Endalaust', because it's a word I can type with a normal English keyboard, unlike most of the words in the title.) It starts with a bang, offering what may be the most energetic, moving, and engaging song Sigur Rós has ever released; from its acoustic guitar to abnormal rhythm structure to its chorus of happy singers to its fast, unusual (for this band) beat, it's almost a perfect song. It makes the entire album start with a roar.

And that roar continues rather well through the first five tracks of the album, which are impeccably good. Still signature Sigur Rós style stuff, but with an energy and a vibrancy that they've never displayed. It seems the diametric opposite of my favorite disc of theirs, the oddly titled (). While the 2002's parenthetical release was dark, heavy, and slow, the first half of Endalaust is almost poppy and brings an immediate smile to my face.

Regrettably, they can't seem to sustain that new, vibrant sound through an entire album.

The second half of the record, from about the sixth track on, feels like an empty rehashing of earlier releases of theirs; it's devoid of anything new or groundbreaking, and is completely disappointing after the first half. It's as though they had enough music for an amazing EP that would take the band in an entirely new direction, but got scared of losing fans or something and crapped out some boring follow-up to make it an LP.

And that bothers me. By the time I reach the last track, almost all of the goodwill this album built up through the first few tracks is lost on maudlin repeats of their old sound. Thankfully, I can either just push play again and enjoy the first few songs, or I can just open up my music player and give the dark, moody () a listen again.

So that's what it comes to. I only really ever want to listen to the first half of this album. It starts so very, very strong, but loses steam far too quickly.

Tracks to catch: Pretty much the first five tracks. The opener, 'Gobbledigook', is by far the best song Sigur Rós has ever put out up to this point, and I can't help but grin when I hear it. 'Inní mér syngur vitleysingur' uses a lot of lound, brassy horns to make its presence known, and is a warm, fast song, full of life and energy. 'Festival' starts out slow in usual Sigur Rós style, but builds to an amazing close.

Rating: 3/5

I'd love to give this album more, and the first half would easily earn a 4 out of 5, but the second half almost bores me to tears by the time it's over, bringing the overall rating much lower than it would have been. If you're a fan of Sigur Rós, check this album out, and pay special attention to where I think the band might be going in those first couple of songs - it's exciting new territory. If you're not familiar with the band, go listen to () and cry for awhile, because it's that emotive. All in all, it's a pretty okay record from a pretty okay band. While I wish there were more meat to it, it's still a decent outing.

The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath

2008-04-24T07:29:00.001-04:00

The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath
Year: 2008 Click here for the artist's site

The Mars Volta seems like a band that you either get or you don't. There's not a lot of middle ground with a band as marginalized (and marginalizing), eclectic, and strange as they are.

That's not to say there's not a lot to like about them - there most certainly is. Their debut LP, De-Loused in the Comatorium, is one of my "Ten Best Albums of All Time" without a doubt. It's a frenetically paced record, full of jazzy riffs, soaring, high vocals, and aimlessly wonderful guitar solos. It was such a strikingly original album that it's hard not to fall in love with it. But with each subsequent release, they've become even more eclectic and hard to define, from the heavy Latin-music influences of Frances the Mute to the directionless mess of Amputechture.

Never ones to be content to tread worn ground, the newest record by The Mars Volta is their hardest to get into - but consequently, very rewarding. It combines the styles that have defined TMV up to this point - heavy progressive/drug rock, jazz stylings, Latin beats, and adds new influences, from the decidedly Eastern qualities of the new melodies to the inconsistent half-rhythms of Arabic music. Almost every moment of the disc is filled past capacity with notes, a pulsating romp through new musical territories that most artists only dream of achieving.

But at times it feels a little too overwhelming. It's definitely a step up from Amputechture (which, while still good, just disappointed me), but it's not quite up to Frances stature, much less touching the heights of their first album. Part of it may be the truncated songs - while I wouldn't call the long-winded musical wankery of TMV epic, it's thick and engaging when their tracks go for ten to fifteen minutes (never mind the forty minutes of "Cassandra Gemini"). The Bedlam in Goliath lacks any of those stand-out tracks, ones that demand your attention and respect. It's a solid, dense disc, but it's not got those shining moments.

Don't take that to mean that there isn't moments of absolute brilliance on this album - there are, and there are a lot of them. For once, TMV has decided to leap from the starting gates - whereas all other releases had a bit of buildup before erupting into musical chaos, Bedlam begins heavy, fast, and thick, keeping you off your toes with strange, almost impossible to follow rhythms, and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's ever present weird melodies. Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala seems to soar to new heights with his already disconcertingly high voice, and there's often 8 or 9 vocal tracks going in different directions all at once.

Lyrically, this album is an incomprehensible as any other Mars Volta release. It's based around the stories told by a strange ouija-type diviner board that the band owned at one time, dubbed "The Soothsayer", which supposedly haunted the band until its burial in an undisclosed location by Bixler-Zavala. It's full of strange, meaningless lyrics, permeated by a sense of chaos and misunderstanding, and supposedly haunted. You can't get much weirder than that.
Tracks to catch: "Aberinkula", the opener, has an infectious blend of melodies and rhythms that gets inside your head. It's in "Soothsayer" where the Eastern influences are the thickest and most rewarding. "Goliath" is really the strongest point on the album, a loud, bangy song, full of a classic, early TMV sound.
Rating: 3/5
The Bedlam in Goliath is a pretty great release from The Mars Volta, and well worth my time and listening. However, it's the exact last place to start listening to this band, being far too dense and esoteric to serve as a decent introduction. It's a wonderful addition and a natural (if unexpected) evolution of TMV's sound, but it's too much in a lot of places and in a lot of ways. If you want to check out The Mars Volta, start with De-Loused and, when you're feeling especially brave, give Bedlam a try.

Chevelle: Vena Sera

2008-03-17T09:43:00.000-04:00

Chevelle: Vena Sera

Year: 2007

Click here for the artist's site

Chevelle blew me away with their debut album, Point #1 back in 1999. It was urgent, raw, full of energy and passion. Over the course of the past few years, internal problems, mostly focused around youngest brother and bassist Joe Loeffler, took something of a toll on the band.

On their third release, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), this internal turmoil resulted in a record that was too formulaic, lacked much real energy, and was quickly forgettable. With the addition of Dean Bernardini (brother-in-law to Sam and Pete, talk about keeping it in the family) as the official and full-time bassist, could Chevelle reinvigorate themselves?

Vena Sera, their latest release, answers that question with a positive, if not fully convincing, yeah, probably.

Vena Sera definitely rises above its predecessor, mostly on the strength of it variation. Whereas This Type of Thinking felt like the same song over and over and over again (with the exception of the final acoustic track "Bend the Bracket"), Vena Sera does seem to have a bit more going on. There are still plenty of mid-tempo, chugging rockers that Chevelle has become expert at. However, the are more acoustic guitars, a few more mellow tracks, and some up-tempo tracks.

This variation helps Vena Sera from feeling too stagnant. However, the band still hasn't captured the frantic energy that made Point #1 such a strong album. Likewise, missing is the utter confidence and polish that powered Wonder What's Next.

Musically, the mix is perfect. The bass is present, but not overpowering. The guitars have just enough edge to them to keep this from sounding anemic, without spilling over into the realm of true heavy metal. Pete Loeffler's vocals continue to walk the fine line between clear, melodic singing and guttural screams, with a bit more emphasis on the singing this record. As This Type of Thinking suffered from too much angst, the more present clean vocals strengthen the record. Lyrically, Chevelle continues to attempt to wax poetic, while generally just coming across as somewhat incomprehensible. But that is just what they do. At least it hasn't changed.

Tracks to catch: "Antisaint" has a great, angry chorus that just begs you to sing along. "Humanoid" is one of the darker songs, with some powerful guitars that help it build to a monstrous crescendo. "I Get It" is a pleasant change of pace, with its acoustic guitar based verses. "Midnight to Midnight" is a solid track as well, with an excellent bridge section.

Rating: 3/5

Vena Sera will be immediately familiar to fans of the band's previous work. The album immediately feels comfortable. This also hinders the record, as there is little new here to look forward to. The subtle variability certainly makes Vena Sera more interesting than the bands previous release. However, if you aren't already a fan, Vena Sera isn't going to do much to win you over.

Ayreon: 01011001

2008-03-13T20:02:00.000-04:00

Ayreon: 01011001
Year: 2008
Click here for the artist's site

Arjen Lucassen set the bar high back in 2004. No, not just high. He set the bar incredibly, astronomically high. The Human Equation is, in my opinion, the single finest rock opera and progressive rock/metal epic ever written. That powerful. Yes, I think it is better than The Wall, Tommy, Dark Side of the Moon or just about anything else you could bring up.

How in the world do you follow that up? Simple, you leave the world behind.

01011001 is the continuation of the massive sci-fi epic that Arjen has been crafting since the release of The Final Experiment back in 1995. The scope of the story is well beyond this article. It is sufficient to say that every Ayreon album has been a cog in the greater wheel of this masterful rock opera.

And as far as epic goes, there are none more epic than 01011001.

Again spanning two discs, weighing in at very nearly 2 hours, 01011001 tells the story of Forever and their attempts to rediscover emotions. One of Arjen's greatest strengths is his ability to synthesize disparate styles of music in his story telling. There are plenty of heavy, crashing, thunderous moments of metal guitar. These are carefully juxtaposed to quite moments of acoustic reflection and introspection. Progressive rock, electronic music, and pop sensibilities are all brilliantly melded together to create the most musically diverse album in the past years.

Arjen heads up the instrumentalists, providing the majority of the guitars, bass and keyboards. However help abounds, with keyboard solos from the likes of Joost van den Broek (After Forever), Tomas Bodin (The Flower Kings), and Derek Sherinian (Planet X, Platypus, Dream Theater). Lori Linstruth (Stream of Passion) and Michael Romeo (Symphony X) lend their talents on some fabulous guitar solos. Ed Warby continues to impress as one of the most powerful and versatile drummers in music today. Cello, violin, flutes and recorders round out the instrumentalists.

The other highlight of any Ayreon album is the guest vocalists. Arjen pulls out all the stops on 01011001. There are 17 vocalists, many of them huge names in the world of rock and metal. The list is extensive, but includes such luminaries as Tom Englund (Evergrey), Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation), Jonas Renske (Katatonia), Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian, Demons and Wizards), Floor Jansen (After Forever), Ty Tabor (King's X), and Jorne Lande to name just a few. Each vocal performance is powerful, and for the first time in years we hear Jonas Renske's growl.

Tracks to catch: "Comatose" is a haunting, chilling minimalist tune that highlights the emotional loss of Forever. "Connect the Dots" is a biting satire of our reliance on technology. "The Fifth Extinction" is an explosive start to the second disc. "Liquid Eternity" explores the blessing and damnation Forever have discovered in their mechanical form. "The Sixth Extinction" finishes the second disc off and is one of the most powerful, progressive epics I have ever heard.

Rating: 4/5

I would love to give 01011001 5/5. However, as I strive to reserve that rating for albums that truly are essentials, I can't give 01011001 the full score. The only reason, though, is because the previous album, The Human Equation, is so brilliant and demands a perfect score. Don't let that detract from the power and brilliance of 01011001, though. This is a magnificent album, and sure to be one of the best albums of the year. Arjen again proves that he has the Midas touch. Fans of metal, folk, acoustic, pop, prog and even electronica can all find something to enjoy on this album. Lyrically, the story is coherent, cohesive, and powerful. Again, Arjen demonstrates that he is perhaps one of the most brilliant minds in progressive music. I recommend 01011001 without reservation to music fans everywhere.

Rush: Snakes and Arrows

2008-03-10T14:52:00.001-04:00

Rush: Snakes and Arrows

Year: 2007

Click here for the artist's site

Five years have passed since the last real studio album from Rush. 2004's Feedback was an entertaining foray into the realm of cover songs, but it never got a lot of play for me. After all, these weren't Rush songs. They were fun, but didn't feel right. The boys from the Great White North appeased fans in the meantime with first Rush in Rio on both CD and DVD (yes, I have both). This release really set a high water mark that all concert DVDs should aspire to. Next came R30, a DVD worth it alone if for nothing other than seeing Jerry Stiller headbanging whenever you want. Finally, they released Replay x3, a reissue of three older Rush concert shows on DVD.

But none of these really sated our hunger for some new Rush songs.

When they announced last year that they were entering the studio, well, the excitement began to build. Finally, after many months and loads of teases from the band, on May 1st, Snakes and Arrows was released.

And what we have is, quite honestly, a joy to experience.

Eschewing the trends set by some of their peers, Rush has once again set the bar incredibly high for rock music. Snakes and Arrows is a complex album, full of shifting musical direction, changing time signatures, and musical dichotomies. But more importantly, it is a thoughtful, introspective, emotional and stirring album.

The album kicks off with "Far Cry", a rousing track that starts things off in fantastic fashion. Electric and acoustic guitars in a stuttering start/stop fashion that sounds distinctly Rush ramp the energy up. It is a great opening track, and one of Rush's best singles in years. From there, the album never looks back.

Musically, Snakes and Arrows is one of Rush's most diverse albums ever. Written almost entirely on acoustic guitars, their presence permeates the songs, adding a sense of depth to the tracks. This also provides for some truly beautiful melodies and acoustic passages. However, don't let that fool you to thinking this is Rush growing old. Snakes counters this with some of the heaviest passages in years as well. This is a more polished heaviness than 2002's Vapor Trails, though. Whereas VT was much more pure energy and aggression, S&A is a more balanced, metered style.

On the surface, the lyrics on Snakes and Arrows appear to be some of the more dark, depressing lyrics Neil has penned in years, easily since Grace Under Pressure. What elevates each song is a hint of hope. A careful review demonstrates a constant theme of endurance despite all challenges. In "Far Cry" Neil pens "One day I feel I’m on top of the world/And the next it’s falling in on me/I can get back on/I can get back on". "We Hold On" finishes the album with the anthemic chorus "Keep going on until dawn/How many times must another line be drawn/We could be down and gone/But we hold on". Distinctly political and social on context, but still remaining deeply personal, Neil has penned perhaps his most poignant lyrics of his career.

Finally, I must mention the three, yes three, instrumentals on the album. Rush has long been known for their instrumentals, from such classics as "La Villa Strangiato" and "YYZ" to more recent offerings such as "Limbo". Never before, though, have they packed three on one album. The first, "The Main Monkey Business" is a romping, energetic tune that is classic Rush. Sudden interplay between acoustic and electric guitars, varying styles and time signatures, this is an instant classic, and their strongest instrumental since "YYZ". Next is "Hope", a 2 minute breath of fresh air on Alex Lifeson's 12 string acoustic guitar. It is a beautiful piece, with just a hint of come Celtic and even Middle Eastern melodies thrown in. Finally, the most spontaneous of the three, "Malignant Narcissism" is a rollicking romp, full of jazz inspired beats and rhythms, rapid fire solos from drums and bass and just an overwhelming sound of three long time friends who happen to be extremely talented musicians just having a good time.

Rating: 5/5

Snakes and Arrows is a marvelous album. It has a wonderful depth to it, that begs repeat listens. It tackles real, difficult political and social issues with grace, never coming across as preaching or pedantic, rather reflective and introspective. It has every element that makes a Rush album such a pleasure, great lyrics, stunning music, and a subtle sense of humor that is so refreshing. The production, handled by Nick Raskulinecz, is flawless. Every instrument has its place and is crystal clear. The artwork, once again handled by Hugh Syme, is beautiful. This is, without doubt, Rush's strongest album since Moving Pictures, and album I often refer to as a perfect album. In some ways, Snakes and Arrows even gives Moving Pictures a run for its money. Without reservation I give Snakes and Arrows a perfect score.