Local CD Reviews
Issue 223 / July 2007 More from this Issue
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Adjacent to Nothing
S/T
Independent
Street: 07.10
Adjacent to Nothing = Korn + Disturbed + Mudvayne + Chevelle
This is the first release from Orem’s Adjacent To Nothing. The album was produced by big-timer Sylvia Massy–Shivy, the woman responsible for many classic records such as Tool Undertow, Johnny Cash Unchained and the first System of a Down album. Massy-Shivy’s production style can be heard through out the album and brings out the emotion in ATN’s music. The boys in ATN are all about the n-metal. These guys have the style down cold. Had this album come out five years ago this band would have been huge. The music has all the necessary elements, creepy somber verses, chugging heavy choruses with anguished screams accompanied by soaring vocals. Everything you could want from n-metal. Vocalist Mike Shumway has all the tricks down, the variety of his vocal range is best heard on the third track "Your Share of Nothing." This band has the potential to be amazing, if they let some different influences into their composing and mixed up the lyrical subject matter. All in all ATN’s first release is solid. –Jon Robertson
Xur Photo by Mitch Meyer Photography
Manicproject
Squareone
Self release
Street:06.19
Manicproject = NIN – Trent + Phil, a monochromatic voice that hurts ears real bad.
While the down beats and atmospheric pressure of the seemingly distant background music put you in an ecstasy based trance, the lyrics and vocals that Phil Istomin chose to combine with them immediately pull you out of the drug cloud and straight into what NIN would be without Trent—nothingness. And while lyrics can be a difficult thing to dig out of the depths of the aorta; they shouldn’t make you pray for hearing abnormalities. Some people say music is a good way to put bad poetry into circulation. This is perhaps where Phil and I agree. Unless Phil means something other than, "please god make my vocal cords evaporate so no one has to listen to my toneless voice," when he states in the song "Room 101"…make it stop. Regardless if we’re on the same page I have a little advice for you Phil: stick with the instrumentals. The whole monochromatic thing works well in photography… not so much in music. –Myles
Vividend
Thirsty City
raincLOUD Records
Streets: OUT
Vividend = Sage Frances + Sole
Jesus-tap-dancing-Christ! I want to be a hip-hop superstar. If only to be recognized under a pretentious barely literate, semi-biblical alias. I here by now proclaim myself Milengidnus Dikotemyor Mortakye. Get it right oh ye bitches. Vividend reminds me of my Grandpa learning to dance: he understands the basics but stumbles, never quite on top of the rhythm and beats (by far the best aspect of Thirsty City). Vividend’s sped up lyrics don’t open up much; he likes to deal in burnt out bumper sticker haikus repeating everything we’ve already seen plastered on some leftist’s ancient Volvo. "Fattening the Boredumb" is perhaps the most succinct song in summing up Vividend’s lacerating lyrics.. Man was he right.. This is boring. But you have to give it, Vividend drops bones and slides high-fives with his fuck you attitude. But listening I still can’t help but think that maybe Vividend should have headed the advice of the two rappers that told him he was doing hip-hop wrong. Umm. Word. –Myles
Xur/ Mich!gan
By the Beard of Zeus
Exigent Records
Street: 07.10
Xur = Ocean + Lustmord + Isis
Mich!gan = Converge + Botch
By the Beard of Zeus is a split LP from the bands Xur and the no longer existing Mich!gan. The first three tracks are Xur’s the band is a big gnarly metal machine. The first track "Under Siege" begins with a looped trumpet sample and jumps directly into a sludged out detuned awesome nightmare, this song is definitely the best of the songs that Xur offer on the album. The next two songs are like the first, dirty sludge/stoner metal every once in awhile throwing in some acoustic guitar to break up the chaos. Xur’s music is the most original local music I have heard in a while and after talking to bassist Kory Quist at Oni Tattoo, they are getting a lot of attention from Metal Blade. These guys are going to be famous rock stars soon, so check them out now so you can brag about it. Mich!gan basically consists of the members of Xur plus the new drummer for The Used, Dan Whitesides. These three intense tracks are basically a speed up version of the first three Xur tracks with a lot more screaming. It’s cool to listen to these songs to see how the members of Xur have grown musically. By the Beard of Zeus is the way to go. –Jon Robertson
S/T
Independent
Street: 07.10
Adjacent to Nothing = Korn + Disturbed + Mudvayne + Chevelle
This is the first release from Orem’s Adjacent To Nothing. The album was produced by big-timer Sylvia Massy–Shivy, the woman responsible for many classic records such as Tool Undertow, Johnny Cash Unchained and the first System of a Down album. Massy-Shivy’s production style can be heard through out the album and brings out the emotion in ATN’s music. The boys in ATN are all about the n-metal. These guys have the style down cold. Had this album come out five years ago this band would have been huge. The music has all the necessary elements, creepy somber verses, chugging heavy choruses with anguished screams accompanied by soaring vocals. Everything you could want from n-metal. Vocalist Mike Shumway has all the tricks down, the variety of his vocal range is best heard on the third track "Your Share of Nothing." This band has the potential to be amazing, if they let some different influences into their composing and mixed up the lyrical subject matter. All in all ATN’s first release is solid. –Jon Robertson
Xur Photo by Mitch Meyer Photography
Manicproject
Squareone
Self release
Street:06.19
Manicproject = NIN – Trent + Phil, a monochromatic voice that hurts ears real bad.
While the down beats and atmospheric pressure of the seemingly distant background music put you in an ecstasy based trance, the lyrics and vocals that Phil Istomin chose to combine with them immediately pull you out of the drug cloud and straight into what NIN would be without Trent—nothingness. And while lyrics can be a difficult thing to dig out of the depths of the aorta; they shouldn’t make you pray for hearing abnormalities. Some people say music is a good way to put bad poetry into circulation. This is perhaps where Phil and I agree. Unless Phil means something other than, "please god make my vocal cords evaporate so no one has to listen to my toneless voice," when he states in the song "Room 101"…make it stop. Regardless if we’re on the same page I have a little advice for you Phil: stick with the instrumentals. The whole monochromatic thing works well in photography… not so much in music. –Myles
Vividend
Thirsty City
raincLOUD Records
Streets: OUT
Vividend = Sage Frances + Sole
Jesus-tap-dancing-Christ! I want to be a hip-hop superstar. If only to be recognized under a pretentious barely literate, semi-biblical alias. I here by now proclaim myself Milengidnus Dikotemyor Mortakye. Get it right oh ye bitches. Vividend reminds me of my Grandpa learning to dance: he understands the basics but stumbles, never quite on top of the rhythm and beats (by far the best aspect of Thirsty City). Vividend’s sped up lyrics don’t open up much; he likes to deal in burnt out bumper sticker haikus repeating everything we’ve already seen plastered on some leftist’s ancient Volvo. "Fattening the Boredumb" is perhaps the most succinct song in summing up Vividend’s lacerating lyrics.. Man was he right.. This is boring. But you have to give it, Vividend drops bones and slides high-fives with his fuck you attitude. But listening I still can’t help but think that maybe Vividend should have headed the advice of the two rappers that told him he was doing hip-hop wrong. Umm. Word. –Myles
Xur/ Mich!gan
By the Beard of Zeus
Exigent Records
Street: 07.10
Xur = Ocean + Lustmord + Isis
Mich!gan = Converge + Botch
By the Beard of Zeus is a split LP from the bands Xur and the no longer existing Mich!gan. The first three tracks are Xur’s the band is a big gnarly metal machine. The first track "Under Siege" begins with a looped trumpet sample and jumps directly into a sludged out detuned awesome nightmare, this song is definitely the best of the songs that Xur offer on the album. The next two songs are like the first, dirty sludge/stoner metal every once in awhile throwing in some acoustic guitar to break up the chaos. Xur’s music is the most original local music I have heard in a while and after talking to bassist Kory Quist at Oni Tattoo, they are getting a lot of attention from Metal Blade. These guys are going to be famous rock stars soon, so check them out now so you can brag about it. Mich!gan basically consists of the members of Xur plus the new drummer for The Used, Dan Whitesides. These three intense tracks are basically a speed up version of the first three Xur tracks with a lot more screaming. It’s cool to listen to these songs to see how the members of Xur have grown musically. By the Beard of Zeus is the way to go. –Jon Robertson
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