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April 2007 - Issue 220

Arcade Fire
Neon Bible
Merge Records
Street: 03.06
Arcade Fire = Regine Chassagne, Owen Pallet,
Through the black waves of bad vibrations, The Arcade Fire’s eagerly anticipated second album, Neon Bible, materializes out of the darkness. “MTV, what have you done to me? See my soul, set me free,” cries the somber lead vocals of Win Butler, hoping to gain clarity while wading through an ocean of noise. Arcade fire resets their broken bones with finesse through meticulously orchestrated woodwinds, processed strings and maniacal mandolins that rumble through every haunting song. Neon Bible jumps from purely dark and depressing tracks to sung dissertations of hope/trial and error aiming for grandeur, leading me to believe that Arcade Fire is the most intriguing rock band to ever come out of Canada. With 10 different band members, excluding the four other touring members, you have to suspect that this album is one of the most multilayered compositions to be released in 2007. Also, the most multilayered packaging of 2007. Prepare to be astounded! –Lance Saunders

The Arsons
Too True to be Good
Mad at the World
Street: 03.28
The Arsons = Grey Area + Screeching Weasel + Lifetime + 7 Seconds

Ernie Parada’s last band, Grey Area, was the perfect hybrid of hardcore and pop punk. It’s a formula that doesn’t always work, but in the case of Grey Area, it was an easy conglomeration. The Arsons don’t fare as well as Grey Area, and that’s probably because the band, evident by their own press release and info on their website, are completely content using their cumulative resume’s as their justification of credibility. From the onset, they are doomed to stand in the shadow of their prior bands (Grey Area, Token Entry, Warzone). However, this works only slightly to their detriment; the Arsons are a fine band. The guitar lines are pop-punk catchy with old-school hardcore riffing thrown in and the lyrics are obviously written by someone who has been around the music block a few times. Ooooaaaahhhoooah backgrounds are a welcome addition, and the band’s lightheartedness is welcome in a scene dominated by feigned intensity and vapidity. This is designed as accompaniment to the best summertime drive, and for those that remember the Descendents, 7 Seconds and Kid Dynamite in their heyday. They will just not stand as tall as their prior endeavors. –Peter Fryer

Artrosis
In Nomine Noctis/Fetish
Metal Mind
Street: 02.20
Artrosis = The Gathering + The Cranberries + Dismal Euphony
It took some time for Artrosis to grow on me but after a few listens I found solace in this diverse, ethereal, female-fronted gothic-metal band. Seeing a dual re-release via Metal Mind, In Nomine Noctis and Fetish are welcome additions to any seasoned metal listener’s vocabulary. The thing that makes Artrosis stand out is the variety in their music, from heavy guitars to stellar keyboard work. Everything just exudes brilliance, though the vocals take some getting used to. To compare each record, Fetish definitely takes a more modern edge than the album before it, In Nomine Noctis. But both, while different, carry relatively the same style and spirit. There is so much going on here musically it is easy to keep busy just listening to one, let alone both. –Bryer Wharton

Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan
Pullhair Rubeye
Paw Tracks Records
Street: 04.27
Avey Tare and Kria Brekkan = mm + John Frusciante
Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan are pseudonyms for Dave Portner of Animal Collective and Kristin Anna Valtysdottir of mm. The two married and decided to make music. The outcome: a mishap eight-track to two-track mix that sounds like Calvin & The Chipmunks singing on a record in reverse. Every track has the motion sickness—induced glitch that comes from reelin’ a tape backwards. The original, straightforward sound of Pullhair Rubeye must have been so bad that Avey and Kria thought it best to keep the subliminal syringe on this record by hiding everything altogether. Well, I’m pulling my hair and rubbing my eyes, so I suppose they get two points for clueing us in with the title. –Senator Spencer

The Berzerker
Animosity
Earache
Street: 04.24
The Berzerker = Napalm Death + Carcass + dance music gone horribly wrong
Not a whole lot has changed from album to album, from the first Berzerker offering to their fourth album, Animosity. However, like the last record, World of Lies, the songs are more developed and longer instead of the short bursts that were encapsulated on The Berzerker and Dissimulate. The defining characteristic of the Aussie band is their programmed drum sound, which pretty much sounds like a techno beat set to a death/grind-metal backdrop with growled, guttural vocals and all. To put it easily and shortly, the band has matured much since their inception, gotten cleaner, more polished, tighter and ultimately, heavier. Add a lengthy back history in noisy techno and crazed live shows and you have a lot of character for a band that is relatively young. –Bryer Wharton

Big Business
Here Come The Waterworks
Hydra Head
Street. 03. 06
Big Business = Motrhead + Sleep
Big Business consists of two members: bass player/vocalist Jarred Warren (formerly of Karp and The Tight Bros From Way Back When) and Coady Willis (formerly of The Murder City Devils), better known as the new rhythm section that plays on the Melvins album A Senile Animal. Well, in case you didn’t know, Big Business have put out albums of their own and this one is a fine stoner metal album at that. Here Come the Waterworks, the second full-length released from the band, follows in the footsteps of their first release, Headed For The Shallow. Warren’s vocals and lyrical themes sound like a dead pirate haunting your dreams and cursing your existence, while the music sticks with the usual structure of fuzzed-out bass and deep, pounding drums. The band did sneak in some guitar and synthesizer overdubs here and there to spice up the sound a bit and add to the euphoria of their music. But it would have been nice for the band to stick strictly with bass-and-drum combo alone to demonstrate the absolute chaos the two instruments can create. –Jon Robertson

Bill Callahan
Woke On a Whaleheart
Drag City
Street: 04.07
Bill Callahan = Leonard Cohen + Neil Young
Bill Callahan, after over 15 years as Smog, teams up with Neil Michael Haggerty to release his first album under his real name. It comes with the usual Callahan trademarks; folky, dark, introspective lyrics sung in his uniquely haunting baritone. The record is rich with both Nashville and gospel influences, but doesn’t get stuck in tradition or clichs. Callahan blends country, folk, pop and indie rock to accompany his masterfully written words, creating a sound that is at once retro and timeless. It’s a little brighter than the last Smog album, A River Ain’t Too Much Love. However, Whaleheart maintains the brutal honesty and dark irony of previous works, as in the song “Sycamore,” when he sings, “Remember the bottle gives birth to the cup/And you won’t get hurt if you just keep your hands up.” –Jeff Guay

Bloodjinn
This Machine Runs On Empty
Pluto Records
Street: 03.06
Bloodjinn = Soilwork + Shadows Fall + Lamb of God
I wrote Bloodjinn off after hearing their debut release on Tribunal soon after the turn of the century. This was due to the fact that it was yet another attempt at tired old metalcore, before metalcore became the monster it is today. I was surprised to hear how much the band had progressed with “This Machine Runs on Empty”. The first 45 seconds of the album reminds me quite a bit of the beginning of Behemoth’s “Zos Kia Cultus” due to the almost industrial-sounding intro, and the remainder of the first track, as well as the remainder of the entire album, could almost pass for Soilwork’s “Chainheart Machine”. This comes dangerously close to just plain screaming “RIPOFF!”, but after a few spins it becomes its own animal. I actually found myself enjoying the slower, almost swaying interludes scattered in the songs. “Swedish-Nu-Death-Metal-Core-Stuff” fans rejoice! –loveyoudead

The Blow
Poor Aim: Love Song
s States Rights/Slender Means Society
Street: 11.02.2004
The Blow = Mirah + Gravy Train
Poor Aim is a dance-pop album somehow worthy of both indie-dance parties and underage-girl night at the Vortex. Imagine Gwen Stafani singing lyrics like, “You're all Jenny and Lindsay and fine/and I'm underwater, I'm shedding my mind” and you get music like this. Khaela Maricich of The Blow teamed up with Jona Bechtolt to make an album that, as the title suggests, is about misdirected love made danceable. These songs will make you move, but also have the depth and originality that comes only with the touch of a true songwriter. –Jeff Guay

Bugsy
Black Sheep
Karim Movies, Inc.
Street: 04.12
Bugsy = 2Pac + less talented Pep Love + sameoldsamold
I’m so sick of everyone rapping about how they are “Trapped in da Maze” of life, being fly, hitting “Da G Spot,” and being a fucking “soldier.” Can we all just acknowledge that it has all been done before and move on with some sort of creativity and imagination when it comes to music? I can see how this album could be scrutinized, not only by the art critic, but also by schoolteachers, religious leaders, public officials…even the person next to you waiting for the bus. It seems that this is just another example of how rap music has become a clich diversion from more pressing issues in the world. I’m talking about the problems…not the medium in which they are conveyed. How many times can an artist get away with recycling the same shit over and over (while sounding EXACTLY like 2Pac—I might add), spoon-feeding it to their communities and calling it “original?” –Lance Saunders

Calvin Johnson and the Sons of the Soil
Self-Titled
K Records
Street: 04.24
Calvin Johnson & the SOS = Halo Benders + Beat Happening + Dub Narcotic Sound System + better than average musicianship
This new Calvin Johnson disk is a veritable who’s who of K Records talent. Backed by members of the Blow, Little Wings and Yume Bitsu, Johnson performs songs from his various projects over the years. Highlights of the 11 tracks include “Love Travels Faster” (a Halo Benders tune) and “Booty Run” (Dub Narcotic Sound System). A few of the songs were recorded during a live show in Spokane, but the bulk was recorded later, in Johnson’s Olympia studio. The outcome is quite solid and the assembled musicians are skilled and well rehearsed, forming a concrete foundation for Johnson’s signature melodically, monotone voice. If you’ve liked Calvin Johnson’s baritone sound in the past, then this CD is for you. Then again, if you’ve found his voice to be as drone-like as a Grace Jones record played at the wrong speed, then run like hell. It’s not the greatest record I’ve ever heard, but it might just be Johnson’s best vehicle to date. –James Bennett

Chelsea
Faster Cheaper and Better Looking
TKO Records
Street: 02.20
Chelsea = Oxymoron + Buzzcocks + Gene loves Gezabel
Faster, Cheaper and Better Looking marks Chealsea's first release in over a decade, and they still have their refined 77-tyle in tact. Surviving an on again off again relationship with numerous bandmates, and more than five break-ups, Gene October is the lifeblood of Chelsea, but just hasn't been able to keep the band together for more than about three years at a time. Luckily for us, Chelsea is at it again. Faster Cheaper and Better Looking is catchy and melodic, but fast too with non-obnxious lyrics. It's punk rock that you can have a good time singing to, but not too cliche. My favorite track off of the album is “New Utopia”. This track made me want more of their sweet 77 lovin'. Chelsea are veterans of the punk rock world, and this release proves that they can still entertain the hell out of their fans. –Sara Edge

Chinese Stars
Listen to your Left Brain
Three One G
Street Date: 3.20
Chinese Stars = Six Finger Satellite + Arab on Radar
Fuck Yeah! The most abrasive and angular Chinese Stars album yet, the sound drifts back to the roots of bassist Rick Pelletier in Six Finger Satellite (think Paranormalized), undoubtedly because of the widespread introduction of synthesizers on Listen to your Left Brain. As a result, the Chinese Stars fabricate a new dimension in their unclassifiable niche–one reminiscent of a dance party full of PCP and sex offenders. So bring your roofies and wear protection, because it looks like this album is going to fucking explode. –Ryan Powers

Christ Agony
Elysium
Metal Mind
Street: 03.30.06
Christ Agony = Death + Testament + Venom
There is some big-time Venom worship going on here and that really isn’t a bad thing. These guys like to be evil and play evil metal. The music itself hinges between thrash and death metal with vocals peppered with thrash screams and death growls. The real appeal here is the ultimate groove and flow of the album— it’s all extremely seamless and tight. Also, this record deserves multiple spins based solely on the lead and bass work alone, never mind that two of the trio pictured on the back of the CD are wearing Venom T-shirts. These folks have indeed harnessed that raw power of Venom, slightly twisted it into their own little niche and obviously had a lot of fun doing it. –Bryer Wharton

Combichrist
What The Fuck Is Wrong With You People?
Metropolis Records
Street: 03.06
Combichrist = Icon of Coil + KMFDM + Scandy
What the fuck is wrong with you people? is a question that is going to backfire on Combichrist. The third full-length album is powerful as ever, but lacks the punch that made Everybody Hates You a must-have for industrial fans of all variety. From the second track bearing the same name as the album, it seems all that time spent on the road with KMFDM had an effect on this release. The beats roll just like KMFDM and the chorus brings in an angry group of chanting fist-throwers. Luckily, the influence is short-lived among the 14 tracks. “Electrohead,” “Adult Content” and “Get Your Body Beat” pull in the catchiness of Andy LaPlegua’s other projects and include the electroclashy, robotic beats of Scandy and the lighter side of Icon of Coil. Combichrist is still among the hottest dancefloor-filling acts, but WTFIWWYP? loses the intensity and brings too many throwaway tracks that don’t hold up when the album is played in its entirety. –oneamyseven

Crimson Glory
Astronomica
Roadrunner/Metal Mind
Street: 11.30.06
Crimson Glory = Judas Priest + Iron Maiden
This double album reissued from Roadrunner and Metal Mind productions is easily one of the most enjoyable of the massive amount of albums reissued thus far. It just screams true metal in every fashion—high falsetto vocals, blazing solos and intricacies that are sorely missed in today’s metal scene. The aptly titled record also has that spaced-out vibe that you would expect from a record called Astronomica. In addition to all the regular recorded tracks, there is a bonus disc contained with the reissue with demos, reworked versions of songs and live cuts. So jam out to some robot power/progressive metal with this unexpected great album. –Bryer Wharton

Desecration
Process of Decay
Epitomite
Street: 10.19.06
Desecration = Killwhitneydead + Dying Fetus
At first listen, Desecration sound like your average death/grind outfit, and in many ways, they are. The production is tight, the lead work is sparse and the brutality level is high. The record definitely mops the floor with blastbeat drumming. The vocals are a mix of piercing screams and guttural style, though on the song “Black Putrefaction,” they sound almost beast-like. It is in said song when Desecration jumps from the average to the sublime. Regardless of the similarities or, say, lack of pure originality when you listen to Desecration, the raw brutality is there starring you in the face, something that many grind outfits can’t seem to tackle. –Bryer Wharton

Die!Die!Die!
Self-Titled
S.A.F. Records
Street: 04.03
Die!Die!Die!= Wire + Mclusky + Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Dance-punk, art, noise, supercilious, discordant—all of these describe Die!Die!Die!’s self-titled album. It will be gracing the ear buds, file-sharing and downloads of an asymmetrical-haircut-donning hipster near you. This album was recorded by the legendary Steve Albini, although tagging the Albini name to an album these days is merely hype-generating and not necessarily quality assurance. Some of the dancier numbers on this album work, and it certainly has a different timbre—this I’m sure can be attributed to Die!Die!Die! hailing from New Zealand. The production quality is great, catching the simultaneous chaos and starkness of post-punk. The snottier moments remind me of McLusky’s disdain and disinterest for the listener, and that kind of aloof mentality is always an entertaining listen. Some of the tracks are merely tolerable, but the tracks that work, such as “Shyness Will Get You Nowhere” and “Franz (17 Die!Die!Die! Fans Can’t Be Wrong)” are get-up-and-shake-that-ass good. –Peter Fryer

The Dollyrots
Because I’m Awesome
Blackheart Records
Street: 03.13
The Dollyrots = The Applicators + Sahara Hotnights + Hillary Duff + Avril Lavigne
There are so many words and feelings that come to mind while listening to The Dollyrots’ latest record, Because I’m Awesome; for instance: teen pop, nausea, vomit, practical joke, Nickelodeon, Disney, dog feces, etc. Not one part of this album has any form of musical dignity. We’re all aware of the age-old adage that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the cover and title of this record bloodies the face of that adage. After seeing the oversized cartoon bunny with a gas mask on and the words: “Because I’m Awesome,” written just above, it is hard to not prejudge the quality of music contained on the disc. These thoughts are only intensified with songs titles such as: “My Best Friend’s Hot,” “This Crush,” “Tummy Tum Tum,” and of course, the painfully amazing, juvenile and ridiculous title track. There are two things I can’t figure out: One: Why Joan Jett, an undisputedly talented musician, could associate herself with a band of such childish notions, especially when she has bands on her label like The Vacancies who actually have talent. Two: how Disney or Nickelodeon didn’t find The Dollyrots first and exploit the hell out of them to their pre-adolescent audiences. If you are 10 years old and love Lizzie McGuire, then the Dollyrots are your band and Because I’m Awesome could be your new favorite CD. –Jeremy C. Wilkins

Drats!!!
Welcome to New Granada
Who the Hell is Jim?
Street: 02.13
Drats!!! = Frank Zappa + Devo + Cheap Trick
Welcome to New Granada is a rock operetta based on Over the Edge, the feature film debut of Matt Dillon and, apparently, a cult classic. I'd never even heard of Over the Edge before, but after a quick Wikipedia search, I think I got the gist of it: troubled, drug-loving young people rebel against the buttoned-down lifestyle of a planned community. This movie seems pretty standard, so why make a concept record out of it? After repeated listens to Welcome to New Granada, I couldn't tell ya. Drats!!! strike me as a bunch of dudes in their late 30s or early 40s desperately trying to reclaim their youth. The press sheet makes numerous comparisons to The Who and their similar projects. However, musically, Drats!!! sound more like a combination of Zappa and Devo's general weirdness and the jerky danciness of Gang of Four and The Minutemen, but a lot more forgettable than any of those bands. Maybe if I were familiar with the film, I would appreciate it more, but as it is, Welcome to New Granada is a mostly boring album with a slightly ridiculous premise that only someone who appreciates Matt Dillon and crappy music could truly enjoy. –Ricky Vigil

The DT’s
Filthy Habits
Get Hip Recordings
Street: 01.30
The DT’s = Etta James + Bikini Kill + MC5
The DT’s have fused many musical greats of the past to create something that is pretty damned good. The lead singer, Diana Young’s voice sounds like one part Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, and one part Etta James. When her soulful voice is paired with the blues-infused rock that the band plays you end up with something very unique compared to other recent releases. Unfortunately, the album lacks creative lyrics—if it was harder to understand Young it might be okay, but on “Freedom” when she clearly sings “I got freedom to buy/ I got freedom to sell/ I got freedom to drive my car,” I realized that the lyrics lacked the intensity and depth found in the rest of the band’s music. It’s too bad really. –Jeanette Moses

The Fall
Reformation Post TLC
Narnack
Street Date: 02.12
The Fall = The Fall, duh…
When you have been putting out albums for nearly 30 years, you’d think you’d be able to record a decent album. If that is true, I don’t know what the fuck happened here, it sounds like a deaf vagrant with cerebral palsy mixed this album. The vocals are stupidly loud, to the point that it is sort of embarrassing. Now we all know that Mark E. Smith’s vocals are the trademark and soul of The Fall, but seriously, swallow your pride and let the musicians take a stab at making an album, eh? That being said, the music on the album is actually some of The Fall’s best material, crossing the line between no-wave dub and garage rock, pounding consistent and hyper-repetitive rhythms like a techno song through a distortion pedal without all the fucking glowsticks. I hope to God they remaster this album before the world (and The Fall) suffers a terrible death. –Ryan Powers

Funeral Dress
Hello From The Underground
SOS Records
Street: 03.10
Funeral Dress = Oxymoron + As Rotten
It's about time for a new record from Funeral Dress! Their last release came in 2005, but this one was definitely worth the wait. Although the sound is more refined and clean, it still holds as much power as one of their older songs,“The Pogo Never Stops” My favorite track from Hello From The Underground is track number six, “Burn The City”. It's a great “raise your fist as a toast to the god's of rock” kind of song. Its got speed and great hooks. All of the tracks are fast, hard and will make you feel like a mother trucker just by listening to them. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Hello From The Underground, it got me up and kept me moving. It also proved to me that Funeral Dress can still strut their stuff.–Sara Edge

Glos
Harmonium
Lovitt
Street: 03.27
Glos = Portishead +Denali + Dredg
Glos features the sibling duo Keely Davis (formerly of Engine Down, Denali, and currently Sparta), Maura Davis (formerly of Denali) and Cornbread Compton (formerly of Engine Down and currently Heavens). Both Keely and Cornbread started trading song ideas and parts via the Internet. Eventually the file-sharing turned into a bunch of songs. Keely then asked his sister, Maura to throw some vocals down over the top and before long Glos’s debut album Harmonium appeared. The most notable thing about this recording is the drumbeats and tempos. From the first track, “Unharmed” the percussion is harsh and overdriven, which gives the album a much needed boost of energy. It also helps look past the rest of the music, which seems pieced together—due to the file-sharing instead of recording in a studio. The album as a whole has an urgent and driving hip hop vibe which makes it interesting at first, but grows tiring towards the end of the 11 tracks. I think this album would have been much better had the members written it together in person. Hopefully next time around they will. –Jon Robertson

Greg Ashley
Painted Garden
Birdman Records
Street: 03.07
Greg Ashley = the Gris Gris + Mayo Thompson + Roky Erickson
This album sounds lost and deserted. Not in a bad way ,but in a rustic, wild West sort of way. The vocals are a haunting echo ala Mercury Rev put in front of shimmering drums and meandering guitar. It slips from there into a Sonic Youth-esque dalliance of “Little China Girl.” Painted Garden flitters between intimate doleful awakenings, and sly restful rock. An expansive and convincing album of idiosyncratic psych-folk that is in turns enchanting, deliberate and interesting. –Erik Lopez

Hacride
Amoeba
Listenable Records
Street: 02.26
Hacride = Amorphis + Sepultura + Bleeding Through
As far as metal goes, Hacride are all over the place. Pacing, time changes, melodies and styles, everything is developed on Amoeba. A single celled organism is kind of an inapplicable title for a band that has many personalities. Unfortunately, and in it’s own right good for the band, it is these multiple personalities that lead it in to some sort of limbo or land of excellence. In my opinion, the diversity in sound is a positive note, I think the band knows exactly where they want to go, they just want to explore a lot of territory from hardcore to straight up melodic death metal, acoustic, thrash, progressive metal realm and even Spanish influences. There is also a wealth of stellar lead work added to an already deadly assault of audible bass that goes beyond just playing along with the songs. The song “Fate,” has been permanently added into my memory banks of grandness. This debut for Hacride may not get them exactly where they want to go, but it is a great start. –Bryer Wharton

Hot Cross
Risk Revival
Hope Division/ Equal Vision
Street: 02.20
Hot Cross = At the Drive In + Pretty Girls Make Graves + Inside Out era de La Rocha vocals
(Letters found between Hot Cross’s guitars and the rest of the instruments)
Dear other instruments and vocals,
I will be playing fast complex rhythms in the vein of old Pretty Girls Make Graves and At the Drive In before those dudes got all “why don’t we just masturbate our guitars onstage”, I dare you bitches to keep up!
Sincerely,
Guitars

Dear guitar,
We got your note this morning. We are going to do our damndest to keep up with you. There will even be singing that we hope coincides with your spastic tendencies. Yeah, that’s right, we’re all gonna be flippin’ out. It might not all make sense, but we’re going to do it anyway.
Sincerely,
The rest of the instruments

-And so the recording of Risk Revival occurred, and it provided interesting musical treats, but will not be toppling any musical mountains. –Peter Fryer

Illinois
What the Hell Do I Know?
Ace Fu Records
Street: 03.07
Illinois = Beck + The Beta Band
Illinois, like Beck and The Flaming Lips, seems to have mastered the art of studio engineering; taking what must have at first been a simple pop song and producing the hell out of it until it becomes something truly great. The five-piece from Pennsylvania is putting out their first EP, which in only seven tracks displays an impressively varied style. “Nosebleed” is a banjo-sampled hip-hop track, followed up by “What Can I Do For You,” a bittersweet love ballad. This is a promising debut, showing an obvious knack for pop music, and on a label like Ace Fu (Devotcha, The Dears), they seem likely to have a bright future. –Jeff Guay

Impious
Holy Murder Masquerade
Metal Blade
Street: 02.06
Impious = Slayer + In Flames
Scandinavian death metal band Impious’ sixth record Holy Murder Masquerade is musically the same record that you have heard from all the other bands included in this genre of music. The band applies the standard technical chops and death metal time signatures, along with the trademark deep growling vocals, but there are a few elements of Holy Murder Masquerade that make the album original and entertaining. The album is a concept album about a crazy self-righteous killer going on a rampage through a normal town and killing all the sinners that cross his path. The album even comes with a comic book detailing the concept of the songs, the pictures and dialogue in the comic booklet come straight from the lyrical ideas expressed in the songs. The addition of the comic book made it a lot easier to become emotionally involved in the music. It made the album more entertaining, and helped me get past the generic sounding black metal instrumentation. –Jon Robertson

In Ending
Pavlovian
Independent
Street: 03.27
In Ending = Taproot + Tool + Strata
In Ending’s debut full length, Pavlovain, is the kind of melodic metal that should be popular. Instead of horrible bands like Hinder and Nickelback, not that In Ending sound anything like these two bands. The boys of In Ending play with more talent and passion then almost any band around. The recording production on Pavlovain is crisp and clean, with several layers of vocals and guitars weaving in and out of the each song. Songs like “Loathe” and “Circus” display the technicality and off time signatures featured through out the majority of the record. While tracks like “Two Moons of August” and “Nowhere Wandering” are the soft and introspective side of the bands music. The tracks featured on the album paint a clear picture of what melodic metal should be, and provide a good example of what mainstream rock music has the potential to be. It will be interesting to see what In Ending’s sound develop into. Will they give in to the metal or the melody? –Jon Robertson

The Inevitable Backlash
Sex For Safety EP
Hegemony Records
Street: 03.27
The Inevitable Backlash = None More Black (sort of) + a band that thinks they're better than they are
The inevitable backlash of the Sex For Safety EP is ultimately sounding like shit. The music is alright, and even good at times, but John Renton's vocals are terrible. It sounds as if he is trying to seem more sincere or sensitive than his voice will allow him to do, so it ends up whiney (but not quite to the degree of every emo group on the market). In the middle of the EP is an acoustic track called "Snowstorms". The acoustic guitar repeats itself, making the song incredibly boring and Renton's voice makes it unbearable. Not only is the EP musically bad, the lyrics are stupendously simple and really just retarded. The first line of the EP is "This is how I'm feeling..." and I really could care less how John is feeling. This is how I'm feeling: perhaps if The Inevitable Backlash redesigned their entire EP, I might consider calling it music. –Josh McGillis

Inner Surge
Signals Screaming
Clone Records
Street: 04.01.06
Inner Surge = Tool + System of a Down + Nonpoint
Canada’s Inner Surge throw modern metal through the ringer in the best way possible. They have the sound and production value of a small independent band that is probably practicing in their garage. However, unlike a lot of the modern metal bands that get that n-metal tag today Inner Surge makes their melodies prevalent and they are highly focused on writing interesting songs with a political edge. Apparently a few filmmakers liked the band according to their bio the group is featured in roughly three upcoming feature films. Who needs publicity? Signals & Screaming is a welcome departure from the stale modern scene that thrives more on sounding like established bands than creating something fresh and original. These guys definitely aren’t getting enough credit. –Bryer Wharton

The (International) Noise Conspiracy
Live at Oslo Jazz Festival
Alternative Tentacles
Street: 03.13
The (International) Noise Conspiracy = The Stooges + Refused + The Hives
The (International) Noise Conspiracy has always seemed like a band capable of so much more. Given the pedigree of the band's members, including former Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzen, Stooges-influenced garage-punk always seemed too simple and predictable for a band known for their fiercely radical political idealogy. Even though it was recorded nearly four years ago, Live at Oslo Jazz Festival finds The (International) Noise Conspiracy's music finally catching up with their politics. Featuring noted Swedish jazz musicians Jonas Kullhammar and Sven-Eric Dahlberg, Live at Oslo Jazz Festival combines the dirty swagger of T(I)NC's brand of rock with high-energy saxophone improvisations and slower, cooler song structures. The combination of jazz and garage-punk could've been disastrous, but by keeping the jazz elements mostly in the background and letting them naturally move into focus, The (International) Noise Conspiracy demonstrate that they're capable of being both wildly reckless and tightly restrained when the situation demands. Lyxzen & Co. may never step out of the shadow of Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come, but Live at Oslo Jazz Festival captures the band at their best.– Ricky Vigil

The Postmarks
Self-Titled
Unfiltered
Street: 01.31
The Postmarks = Poe + The Decemberists + The Pixies
The tracks on the Postmarks Self-Titled release are smooth, graceful and soft. Overall they have a very powerful emotional presence. I really enjoyed the androgynous feel of Tim Yehezkely soft angelic voice. Although that may throw some of you off, trust me, there is no lack of talent when it comes to the Postmarks. “Summer Never Lasts” was my favorite song. While listening to this track, everything seemed beautiful and serene. The smallest things are used to top off Yehezkely’s voice, like the small instrument by the name of the "Jaffee"( a hollow flute instrument) are emphasized and brought to the forefront—creating a magical masterpiece. This was a really refreshing release. This band really holds their own among the thousands of releases that are deemed indie rock. –Sara Edge

It Prevails
The Inspiration
Rise Records
Street: 04.03
It Prevails = Shai Hulud + Preacher Gone to Texas + Poison the Well
C’mon Oregon! There’s not much coming from the Northwest in terms of hardcore bands these days, so it would be nice if one of the few had something fresh for the ears. It Prevails isn’t unpleasant, or bad, just not great. The Inspiration is melodic in the way that Shai Hulud is melodic, not so much in the way that the Melodic/Youth Crew Revival Hybrid bands are. The formula for It Prevails is easy: heavy guitar parts with an open chord breakdown pattern, layered with harsh vocals and then topped with melodic guitar lines. These particular lines meander and repeat, sounding like they’re already sick of their benign musical task. Predictable lyrics about “rising up” and “putting the pen to the paper” abound. The exception is the title track at the end of the album, which moves, has great guitar lines and strays from the formula of the rest of the album. It Prevails is trying to push into an already overcrowded room, and they don’t have much clout behind them to make it happen. I’d give this three spins max before it’s filed away. –Peter Fryer

I Walk The Line
Desolation Street
Gearhead Records
Street: 01.23
Desolation Street = Johnny Cash + Social Distortion + The Clash
Have you ever met someone who means well, but just doesn’t quite accomplish whatever it is they are trying to? Of course you have, everyone has. Have you ever heard a band that has good influences, and tries to build upon those influences with their own personality and style, but isn’t quite able to make it work? Unfortunately, I Walk The Line runs along those lines. Desolation Street is a great attempt from Helsinki, Finland’s I Walk The Line, but it just doesn’t quite make it. Occasionally their great influences are apparent, but the rest of the time it’s hard to decipher what they are going for. With each listen, I couldn’t decide if I liked this record, or if I couldn’t stand it. I felt like I was sniffing a gallon of milk, trying to decide if it had gone sour or not; and let’s be honest, when it comes close to the expiration date you start smelling the milk, but it’s almost impossible to tell without tasting it when it first goes bad. At times I thought I might like Desolation Street, and at other times I thought I’d had all I could handle. When it came down to it though, there just wasn’t enough on this record that I liked to make me actually say that I liked it. –Jeremy C. Wilkins

Joshua English
Trouble None
Welcome Home Records
Street: 04.17
Joshua English = Rocky Votolato + Elliot Smith + Mason Jennings + French Toast
With his solo performance on Trouble None, Joshua English sets himself aside from all of his past side projects, including the Boston-based, Six Going On Seven and short-lived post-punk Attractive. Though indie rock/pop similarities can be heard at different moments of Trouble None, English does well in creating his own brand of acoustic folk rock. His lyrics and vocals come across as a person who has been holding in what they strongly believe in and are finally able to get everything out. The overall feel of the songs on the album are consistent and it all meshes together as well as a redneck with a bag of pork rinds, in spite of his blending of pop, rock, folk and acoustic styles. With the right exposure, English should have no trouble in his solo career. –Jeremy C. Wilkins

Krum Bums
As The Tide Turns
TKO
Street:04.03
Krum Bums = The Virus + Iron Cross + Discharge
This record hits like a ton of bricks. Yeah I can’t say that it’s completely different from all the other street punk type bands out their, but at least it’s very well done. The big sound that this band has is remarkable, especially the songs that have duel vocals. This band also has just a touch of second generation metal to them, mostly in the guitar work. This band may not completely stand out from the pack, but they’re not completely lost in it either. The thing is that most street punk bands don’t get into the music because they want to change it, they got into it because they love the music. The Krum Bums simply play they’re brand of punk, and they play it well enough to not be forgotten.- –James Orme

Last Crack
Burning Time/Sinister Funkhouse #17
Roadrunner/Metal Mind
Street: 11.16.06
Last Crack = Ugly Kid Joe + Warrant + Saigon Kick
Last Crack take a lot of heat for sounding too grunge; apparently, my ear must not be that good because I just don’t hear it. For the most part, with the two reissued releases it is more of a hard-rock feel than anything else. There is actually plenty of variety on the two discs, each carrying its own aesthetic, something you need to hear to truly appreciate. I think Last Crack gets way more crap than they deserve for attempting to hone in on their own style and sound. Enjoy the plethora of melodies, screaming solos and just plain originality. Nothing really sounds completely like these guys, so there is no reason to pass them off. –Bryer Wharton

Leftver Crack/Citizen Fish
Deadline
Fat Wreck Chords
Street: 03.06
Leftver Crack = Choking Victim + No Cash + Crack Rock Steady Seven Citizen Fish = The Specials + Subhumans
Fucking amazing wouldn't do this album justice, so I had to dust off the ol' thesaurus to come up with this, relatively unimpressive, bad boy: fucking prodigious. Simultaneously launched with this year's Cracktoberfest Tour, Deadline is the split album of the two headlining bands, Leftover Crack and Citizen Fish. Citizen Fish, which contains members of Subhumans, are a U.K. ska group that make me want to skank around my room in the buff. The brass isn't overused, and songs are filled with some wicked bass lines. The second half of the album, however, is “dark ska,” a.k.a. “crack rock steady,” Leftver Crack delivers a form of music so brutal, yet so upbeat, that it's hard to not love every second of it. Deadline also contains a nice little treat to unsuspecting fans. LoC play a cover of a catchy little number by Citizen Fish and a tune by Subhumans. Citizen Fish chips in too and plays one LoC cover and one Choking Victim cover—a former crack rock group containing members of LoC. As great as the album was, every CD has a black sheep. When "World War 4" began to play, I felt the urge to Van Gogh my ears. Despite "World War 4", Deadline is the best album I've heard so far this year and proves that Citizen Fish and LoC go together much like Skoal and a spitoon. –Josh McGillis

Little Brazil
Tighten the Noose
Mt. Fuji Records
Street: 02.06
Little Brazil = The Statistics + Cursive – any energy
Throw a stick in Omaha, and someone will write a sad song about it. If the thought of another group of heartbroken Midwestern emo-rockers makes you cringe, then you probably wouldn’t bother with an album called Tighten the Noose anyway. However, if you like to forget about your hipsterhood for an evening and indulge your soft spot for catchy, Saddle-Creekish sap-rock, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself with these guys. At the very least, it can help you write your philosophy term-paper: If a couple in Nebraska breaks up and no one makes an album about it, did it really happen? –Jeff Guay Lou Rhodes
Beloved One
Cooking Vinyl
Street: 04.10
Lou Rhodes = Beth Orton + Hope Sandoval

Lamb wrote the most amazing songs. In one breath there were quiet musings on love and the next was a gasp as the driving emotions burst forth in crashing drums and a catastrophic stirring of strings. They were trip-hop without rules, electronic music without the cold steel of electronics, and after four albums they were no more. In the wake, there were always promises of new projects, whisperings of acoustic directions, hippy communes and the separation of lovers. Beloved One could have been a disaster, or at the very least, the sound of an artist dismissing her past as irrelevant. Instead, Beloved One is simply a new extension, an artist moving from chalk to paint. Love, with the divine intimacies and delicate details, still remains the focus and Lou sounds just as blissful without the electronics crashing around her, as she did when I fell in love with her scratched soul vocal. She twists bitter-sweet lyrics like Joni Mitchell’s ballads of loss mixed with a hope to regain. So maybe they’re heralding her as a leading voice in the rediscovery of folk music (enough so they short-listed her for the UK’s Mercury Prize for album of the year), but don’t let that distract you from the fact that Beloved One is also a fabulous album regardless of its genre. –ryan michael painter

Lower Class Brats
Loud And Out Of Tune
TKO Records
Street: 03.20
Lower Class Brats = The Adicts - make-up + a pinch of ultra-violence
Lower Class Brats are one of the only groups that have a cult-like following and have created their own sub-genre of punk rock. They call it “Clockwork Punk,” and there couldn't be a better title for it. A Clockwork Orange heavily influences their lyrics, some songs being absolute tributes to the book/film—but enough background. With Loud And Out Of Tune, LCB has released one of the best live albums I've ever heard. All too often live albums are unbalanced; with vocals overwhelming the instruments, or the guitars overbearing; the crowd's shouting is not heard; comments from the band are either scarce or cut out, and the list goes on. All of that is nowhere in sight on Loud And Out Of Tune. You can hear the crowd chant along with the songs and shout out for their favorite tunes; Bones makes remarks before and after songs (my favorite being his love for "stiff Gatorade" and cream cheese), and the album sounds like any other studio release. Packaged with a live DVD, LCB finally showcases the energy of their live shows, the only way to beat Loud And Out Of Tune is to actually be there. –Josh McGillis

Lux Occulta
The Mother And the Enemy
Metal Mind
Street: 02.20
Lux Occulta = Dodheimsgard + Aborym + Red Harvest + Portishead
One thing is for sure Lux Occulta take their brand of sci-fi black metal into realms unexplored. The whole thing starts out heavy, brutal and scathingly harsh. Black metal guitar riffing carries a unique guitar sound that shreds through the senses, along with a diverse array of keyboard work, all futuristic sounding in nature with touches of free-form jazz tossed into the salad. A little more than halfway through the record a curveball gets thrown right into your face. There are ambient/dub-type songs, with a female singer completely on the other end of the sound of raw bitterness that was early on in the album. Then it makes you think it is going back to its raw beginning but, throws you for another loop. Again, continuing with the dance/dub-type rhythms. This album is diverse and heavy enough to appease any open ears. I’m glad it fell into my lap. –Bryer Wharton

Malassis
Birds Like Bricks
Spaff Records
Street: 04.01
Malassis = David Bowie + The Icarus Line + Metallica
There is this awkward, lo-fi, hybrid creep that spans Birds Like Bricks. It’s what I imagine the advent of heavy metal rock in the Middle East to sound like: ritualistic by way of tradition with fixed forms inscribed by impression. Besides some of the rigidity this creates, there are some interesting sounds that culminate from this maladjusted relationship: patterns and progressions that would have otherwise been passed up by those soaked in the milieu of heavy rock. At its best, Birds Like Bricks rocks hard and convincingly, originally, and able to dismantle its predecessors; at its worst, uh, it gets ugly—ugly like Mick Jagger in leather pants. –Senator Spencer

Matthew Herbert
Score
K7
Street: 03.29
Matthew Herbert = Mark Mothersbaugh + The Dust Brothers + A little big band swing dust
Matthew Herbert is a demigod when it comes to the detail involved in searching out an original way to produce the perfect sound. On any given day, you might find Herbert hanging microphones from a hot-air balloon or recording the sound his cars’ glove compartment makes as it barrels 160 km per hour down some backcountry road. Accordingly, Herbert’s latest, Score, a collection of different film scores and other scored works, is pieced together (mostly) from sound samples recorded on each song’s respective set—those jazzy drumbeats are actually the sweat dripping from grip number eight’s fat face. Original? Hell yes! And while the process is interesting, I can’t help but feel, in holding to his stringent “codes of originality,” Herbert has missed the larger picture. Removing such an obscure collection of scores from their original context is like me stacking this review with metaphors (Feb. Braken review). There’s no way for the recipient (you) to understand where the writer’s overall intentions are grounded. OK? But, is it listenable music? This one’s easy. No, not really. Score is stripped down background music that was meant for backing specific big screens and should be left to the hands and fixated minds of hardcore Herbert fans. And to you few, I say: Search and ye shall find. –Miles Ridling

Minmae
835
Greyday
Street: 03.13
Minmae = Juno + June of 44 + Neil Young + Grant Lee Buffalo
The first track of 835 “Pay More” is the coolest song that I have heard in a long time. This song, plus the second song, “Your Band Controls the Weather,” sound like outtakes from The For Carnatioin’s self-titled record or darker versions of songs off Fugazi’s End Hits. Then the third track on 835 drops off the face of the earth as far as being moody and coo. It seems like when they were writing this record, they must have been satisfied with writing two really awesome songs and then filling the rest of the album up with a bunch of folk-rock songs. The majority of the tracks on the album wouldn’t sound so bad if you didn’t have the first two songs on the album to compare them to. It’s just such a huge letdown knowing you could have had an album that might have been Spiderland part 2, instead of a bunch of sappy pop songs. Minmae should have just released a two-song EP, not a full-length album that consisted of two excellent songs and 12 horrible ones. –Jon Robertson

Mors Principium Est
Liberation = Termination
Listenable Records
Street: 02.26
Mors Principium Est = Dark Tranquillity + The Duskfall + In Flames
Back in 2002, when Mors Principium Est released Inhumanity they showed a hell of a lot of promise: something that hadn’t been done in the melodic death-metal world quite yet. Then came The Unborn, which took a step back though it was faster and heavier, it lacked that melody that their debut had. Now with Liberation = Termination, it almost seems as though the band is trying to bank off of what others in the melodic-death-metal realm have made themselves famous for. The keyboard work that complemented the band so well on Inhumanity is basically gone and in its place are some out-of-place dance beats—kind of like what In Flames did on their Reroute to Remain album. Though all the bad aside, the new record does provide small doses of good stuff. It’s fast, really fast, and when a lead or melodic part does pop up, as small as it may be, it brings back the memory of how good they used to be. I think the band is still just trying to hone in on what they want to play : and hopefully it doesn’t kill their career right away, because they do have talent. –Bryer Wharton

Mothboy
Deviance
Ad Noiseam
Street: 11.20
Mothboy = Jack Dangers + Daniel Myer
If I could go back in time and listen to Mothboy’s second full-length before I had to turn in my top five albums for 2006, I would put Deviance at the top of my list. And that’s the problem with top 5 lists—it’s impossible to listen to absolutely everything. Much like The Fears, the urban mood on Deviance resonates with deep, bassy beats on “Given Away,” and flow flawlessly to the very end with “Down’s” gorgeous blend of male and female vocals drizzling down piano chords and gritty beats. “Outside” does a fantastic job layering crisp female vocals to sticky beats and similarly enriches “I Can See Cities” with the help of UK hip hop artist, Akira The Don, adding a new dimension to the textures. Aside from mixing it up with vocals on some tracks, Mothboy shows range everywhere, from in-your-face beats on “Deviance” to a beatless mood on “Bienambo.” With such a powerful debut, I had my own fears that Simon Smerdon couldn’t do it again, but with two in a row, he proves that his sound is innovative and polished. –oneamyseven

Nekromantix
Life is a Grave
Hellcat
Street:04.10
Nekromantix = The Meteors + The Guanna Batz + Bauhuas
Life is a Grave is a bout 60 percent usual Nekromantix. Gothic-tinged psychobilly with plenty of playful humor, and that would be fine for the majority of their fans, but beyond that there are some tracks that they’ve really tried to push themselves into new territory. For instance the slow ballad of “Anaheim After Dark.” “Fantazma,” is a haunting country tune where guitarist Troy Russel really shows how versatile his playing is. What Nekroman and company are really good at is taking every day situations and dressing them in horror and gothic imagery, like having to deal the terrible fast food in the song “Rot in Hell,” and just being a guy, downloading some porn in “B.E.A.S.T.” Even with a new line-up the band has the feel of the Nekromantix. This is a band that with their humor and musicianship will always be able to create interesting rock n’ roll records. –James Orme

Nox
Ixaxaar
Earache
Street: 04.24
Nox = Morbid Angel + Vader + Anglecorpse
Sometimes I really wish I had the liner notes to go with certain CDs that I review. Nox’s bio prides the band on being affiliated with occult organizations, so I can’t help but wonder what the lyrics are about on this nifty piece of death metal. I’ll just use my imagination from song titles like “Insane Hatred for the Supposed Creator,” or “Darkness Undying.” As far as the music itself, these boys don’t wander much out of the realm of what Morbid Angel has so justly made a living off of, your typical blastbeat-oriented death metal with hints of technicality, though with only tidbits of what the real masters can do. It is interesting for a few spins, but ultimately ends up in bland land after a while. –Bryer Wharton

Oohlas
Best Shop Pop
Stolen Transmission
Street: 09.26.2006
Breeders + Sonic Youth + Belly
This talented indie-rock band has an unfortunately lame name. Hailing from California, you can hear the sunny pop sounds of The Pixies without their sillier lyrics, cleverly penned by singer/guitarist Ollie Tamale. As lead guitarist/vocalist, Greg Eklund is better with this group than the 90s Northwest band he played drums for. I won’t name this other group you’ve heard of because the Oolahs are so much better. Promise. –Jennifer Nielsen

Orangeburg Massacre
Moorea
Pluto Records
Street: 04.03
Orangeburg Massacre = Botch + Norma Jean + Kid Gorgeous
The Orangeburg Massacre is a little known tragedy that occurred at South Carolina State when policeman killed three students protesting a segregated bowling alley during the Civil Rights era. Instead of Death Love or Reign Ultra or some other nonsensical, self-aggrandizing name, The Orangeburg Massacre put some political thought into theirs, hoping it would generate discourse among their listeners. Didn’t anyone tell them it’s not 1981 in D.C. anymore!? Bonus points already. The music holds the same amount of thought and passion that their name does. Time shifts, gritty, unpolished recording, and what I can assume are thought-provoking lyrics (because Pluto sent no lyrics sheet!) are a fresh assault on the ears. Visions of basement shows with sweat dripping from the ceiling and people packed in like sardines come to mind. “Damn” is what I thought on my first listen. The music is interesting, of course paying tribute to bands that came before, but crafted in a way that’s both fresh and invigorating. There are melodic interludes, some Southern-fried guitar lines, gallop-beat punk rock style drums, plus the expected force of hardcore music. It’s heavy, musically tasteful, and draws its influences from many genres. This is not only a well-crafted album, but an attention-keeping one as well. This is why people get into hardcore in the first place. –Peter Fryer

Other Men
Wake Up Swimming
Robcore
Street: 03.20
Other Men = Pinback + Heavy Vegetable + DIS
This album is a reunion of sorts. It reunites the core members of the band Heavy Vegetable. These former members have been busy doing some fairly peculiar things since Heavy Vegetable’s demise in 1995. First of all, Rob Crow struck it big with Pinback, drummer Manolo Turner became a professional gardener and former bass player and now guitar player (Rob switched from guitar to bass) Travis Nelson went to Thailand to live in a monastery with non-speaking monks. Apparently, both Travis and Manolo got sick of not speaking and planting flowers and decided that they wanted to play some music again. The music on this album, the first release on Rob Crow’s own record label, Robcore, is pretty proficient and fluent indie-math rock. You can tell these guys are veteran musicians with solid off-time beats and song structure with minimal effects or bells and whistles. The clean-sounding band can become a bit bland by the end of the album. But, if you’re into solid, pure math rock, this is definitely an album worth listening to. –Jon Robertson

Pat Todd & the Rank Outsiders
The Outskirts Of Your Heart
Self-Released
Street: 04.17
Pat Todd & Rank Outsiders = Social Distortion + Supersuckers + Bruce Springstein
Pure rock n’ roll has found its voice in Pat Todd. Once the leader of the L.A based Cowgirls, Todd plays rock n’ roll that can’t be denied. The high energy gives you the hint of punk, but there is so much more here that you can’t pigeon hole this band. This 2-disc 27 track monster ranges from blues to bluegrass influences. Songs like “November 11th” are sincere and pull you in for more. Flares of Chuck Berry guitars, and R&B break downs drive this record down a lonely country highway. It is tough to digest so much music at once, but “Thought I Saw My Future in a Grey Dress” stands out the moment you hear it. Pat Todd isn’t trying to reinvent rock n rock he’s just trying to resuscitate it. –James Orme

Poison Arrows
Straight Into The Drift
File 13 Records
Street: 03.20
Poison Arrows = DJ Shadow + Sonic Youth
The Poison Arrows are composed of former members of Atombombpocketknife, Don Caballero, and some drummer from Chicago. Their second EP, Straight Into The Drift, is four tracks, each one an intense collage of sound. This EP definitely tests the listener’s capability to understand and compute the lush and complex musical compositions contained here. All the different layers can get confusing, but the solid rhythm section of bass player Patrick Morris and drummer Adam Reach provide enough overdriven power to keep the dissonant songs moving while Justin Sinkovich’s vocals come across with a mellow spoken-word quality similar to Lou Reed. The most original and entertaining thing about this four-song EP is the instrumentation—with every listen there is something new to hear. The layers and layers of guitar, bass and drum tracks make the four songs seem like eight. If the Poison Arrows actually made a full album, it might take a lifetime to absorb all the sound and detail. Or it’ll just make you insane and your head will pop off. –Jon Robertson

Psyopus
Our Puzzling Encounters Considered
Metal Blade
Street: 02.20
Psyopus= Dillinger Escape Plan + Agoraphobic Nosebleed + Today Is The Day
Lately I’ve been experiencing these intense waves of vertigo. They happen every few minutes and I’m pretty sure they started the second the first note was struck on Our Puzzling Encounters. I think listening to Psyopus gave me a concussion, probably minor brain damage. Imagine the illegitimate child of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Then imagine that child brutally murdering his parents in their sleep with a Swiss army knife, eating their remains and promptly excreting them into obscurity. Even that description doesn’t do them justice. Apparently guitarist Chris Arp had to send video of himself playing to get a sponsorship from Mesa Boogie, to prove to them he could play as fast as he does on the recording. I’m still in disbelief that anything could possibly be this fucking good. All hail the new kings of math/grind. –Chris Carter

The Queers Munki Brain
Asian Man Records
Street: 02.06
The Queers = Screeching Weasel + The Ramones + The Descendents + The Riptides + The Parasites
With more than a baker’s dozen releases since 1982, The Queers have etched themselves a place in the punk rock hall of fame with their respective style of punk. Munki Brain is a strong release, especially considering how many years and albums Joe Queer and his ever-changing lineup have behind them. Punk bands and longevity are two things that generally aren’t associated with one another, but somehow, The Queers continue to put out records and call themselves a band. Most of the tracks on Munki Brain are quite a bit slower than older Queers material, but don’t let that discourage your listening. “Duke Kahanamoku” is by far the biggest let down, with an obnoxious and seemingly never ending chorus, but tracks like “Overdue” and “Tangerine,” which were written by Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel, make up for whatever is lacking. Overall, the good songs and aspects of this album outweigh anything which could be considered negative. –Jeremy C. Wilkins

Realm
Suiciety/Endless War
Roadrunner/Metal Mind
Street: 11.09.06
Realm = Savatage + Exodus + Anthrax + Voivod
Prepare yourself for a lesson in the ways of old school thrash metal. Endless War was released in 1988 and Suiciety released in 1990, and the band didn’t last much longer after that, but what does stand is the effort and maximum metal prowess displayed on the albums. The vocals are high and the music, while based in thrash, holds a huge progressive element. The bass lines are wicked and guitar solos even sweeter. Realm may have been a little late in the timeline of thrash metal, starting out in the late 80s when metal took a dive on the slopes. That probably explains the break-up so soon after the band’s inception. Fortunately for metal fans, Roadrunner and Metal Mind decided to rerelease both of their albums on gold discs, upping the production value of each record. Realm may not find themselves inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame or known by the masses, but the die-hards will always have a special place in their heart for the short-lived band, because albums this metal stand the test of time. –Bryer Wharton

Rio en Medio
The Bride of Dynamite
Gnomonsong Records
Street: 02.13
Rio en Medio = Devendra + CocoRosie + Nico
According to the press sheet, “Devendra Banhart barged into Casady’s (Sierra Casady of CocoRosie) apartment one day while she was playing Rio’s music and he fell in love with it.” It’s difficult to get beyond the image of hairy Devendra barging into a room and falling in love, but it’s also understandable—Rio is hypnotizing. The Bride of Dynamite has its share of dork-folk and poke-a-polka-dot, though there is subtly dark and warm electronic waves that carry these otherwise untenable ukulele confessions, giving the record significance beyond hippy disco hits. Plus, The Bride of Dynamite draws impressions from William Blake, and anyone who pays attention to that cat is on the right track. –Senator Spencer

Shadows Fall
Threads of Life
Atlantic Records
Street: 04.03
Shadows Fall = Metallica + Exodus + Testament
Strivng to find a hard-working modern metal band with an older yet updated sound? Then look no further than Shadows Fall. The band’s fifth record, Fallout From the War, was released in June 2006 and now, less than a year later, the band has come up with Threads of Life. Continuing in the path plowed by Fallout From the War, extreme thrash tendencies bombard the senses with plenty of bountiful guitar solos. The only thing that really makes Shadows Fall sound remotely modern is the addition of the style of clean singing that Brian Fair uses. While at first the album doesn’t catch on, Threads of Life is one of those albums that grows on you after repeated listens. It is strange how Shadow Fall started out in a more metalcore style, gradually progressing into more of a thrash beast with an old-school aesthetic to please the tastes of old and new metal fans. Thread of Life may have even been rushed since it is their major label debut, regardless, the band somehow found time to record an album while not touring in support of their last record. Now that is a work ethic to be proud of. –Bryer Wharton

The Shaky Hands
Self-Titled
Holocene Music
Street: 04.10
Shaky Hands = Rooney + The Strokes + Tripping Daisy
The Shaky Hands are part of the 60s revival hung-over garage-rock sound. But, there is a little bit more sunshine involved in the band’s music (as if the band was hung over on the beach). Listening to this album makes you wish that it were summertime; the music shifts from distorted power chording to psychedelic acoustic jam-outs. All the while, the band does the best it can to involve quiet background noises including an assortment of horns, organs and hand percussion to keep the listener in their euphoric state. Singer Nick Delffs’ vocals sound like a tired, more relaxed version of Tim DeLaughter’s during his time in Tripping Daisy. You can’t help but enjoy the laid-back vibe that The Shaky Hands provide. The band should give up on the garage rock sound. Their music is more effective when the power is turned off and the tempo slowed down to give way to the relaxed and wandering acoustic sessions. –Jon Robertson

Sirrah
Acme/Did Tomorrow Come…
Metal Mind
Street: 02.20
Sirrah = My Dying Bride + Therion + (old) Theatre of Tragedy
Ready for another excursion from the realm of gothic metal from Metal Mind productions? The dual re-release of Acme and Did Tomorrow Come… shows a difference in style on both records. Acme is similar to early Theatre of Tragedy, with male and femal vocals, a slow tempo andwith a lot of atmosphere. As for Did Tomorrow Come…it sounds a lot like My Dying Bride, less growled vocals, more operatic male-only singing and violin accompanying many of the tracks. In the end, Sirrah is nothing really special and at times, the vocals can be bothersome, I can’t help but think that I’ve heard this sound before done much better. –Bryer Wharton

Slaraffenland
Private Cinema
Hometapes Records
Street: 02.26
Slaraffenland = Mew + The Notwist
Slaraffenland—meaning “the land of milk and honey” in Danish—play hooky, honky rock that dovetails trolled-out gang vocals and gappy, gaunty instrumental tangents. What does this all mean? Am I simply being pretentious, entertaining myself with the sounds of silly adjectives? Well, I suppose, but then Slaraffenland should also be blamed—they piece together otherwise cautious, banal juxtapositions from traditional instruments and shape them through discursive experimentation, which, when all is said and done on Private Cinema, sounds like the boys of Slaraffenland enjoyed themselves in making this record. I’m lappin’ it up like a malnourished kitten. –Senator Spencer

Sleeping In The Aviary
Oh This Old Thing?
Science of Sound
Street: 02.06
Sleeping In The Aviary = The Vines + The Strokes + Weezer + a pinch of Ima Robot
The guys in Sleeping In The Aviary are sloppy, but, it’s a good kind of sloppy. Oh This Old Thing? is 13 tracks in 23 minutes. I almost wish this was a live album to see if the band could really race through all these songs that fast. The highlight of this sloppy noise is definitely Elliot Kozel’s spastic, carefree vocals. His voice is reminiscent of the reckless abandon of Frank Black or Serj Tankian. At times it seems that Kozel might just snap before the end of the song arrives. The music is as dirty as garage power-punk can get. The band has mastered several different feelings inside of these 13 tracks-meandering slow songs (“Sign My Cast”), quick 48-second bursts of noise (“Face Lift Floats”) and bouncy pop sings (“Lanugo”). There is enough variation on the album to keep you entertained and in the quick time that it begins and ends, you wish that the time hadn’t gone by so fast. –Jon Robertson

Sterling
Cursed
File 13
Street: 03.20
Sterling = Explosions in the Sky + Mogwai + your favorite horror flick
Cursed begins as Sterling drops a layer of sonic fuzz over the first track, only to break it with a repeated guitar riff that is simultaneously creepy and soothing. The drums, bass and piano all follow suit, delivering music with a definitely sinister bend. Purely instrumental music (and all music for that matter) always runs the risk of losing its audience's attention, but Chicago's Sterling have created a record that functions equally well as either a completely immersive musical experience or fully competent background music. Pianist Andy Lansangan steals the show when he is allowed to take front and center, building upon the already creepy ambience created by the rest of the band. The metal-influenced guitar of Eric Chaleff is also a highlight, as he jumps from the background with a wicked lick and drops back as support without anyone noticing. This is the perfect kind of music for mute serial killers and their admirers who, as socially damaged as they may be, deserve a soundtrack as much as the next man. –Ricky Vigil

Toxik
World Circus/Think This
Roadrunner/Metal Mind
Street: 11.30.06
Toxik = Anthrax + Testament
While listening to World Circus and Think This back to back, there isn’t a whole lot of room for any stylistic difference. Does that mean that the band should be discounted for lack of originality, or, coupled with the fact that the band sounds a lot like Joey Belladona-era Anthrax, should one totally write off any quality contained on the two records? Not at all—so what if they sound a hell of a lot like their peers? Toxik play thrash with skill and grace. In fact, the only reason the band probably never took off is the fact that they just got lumped in with everything else coming out at the time. There are plenty of speedy hooks, solos and acoustic interludes here to appease the pickiest speed-metal fans. So what if they sound like other bands before them? It doesn’t discount the quality of each of the records when they stand alone. –Bryer Wharton

Tristania
Illumination
SPV
Street: 01.25
Tristania = Theatre of Tragedy + Sins of Thy Beloved + Trail of Tears
As far as gothic metal goes, Tristania have always held a place in the metallic heart of this reviewer. First, hearing the band’s second and still amazing album, Beyond the Veil, I quickly snatched up the other two available releases and found that each owned its very different sound. Well, Morten Veland left the band, before or after the band’s third record, World of Glass, and went on to found the similar-sounding Norwegian band Sirenia and Tristania moved on and released another album, Ashes, which stunk to high heaven—I mean, no redeeming quality whatsoever, just boredom. Thankfully, with Illumination, the band has gotten back to that Beyond the Veil sound that I fell in love with. It’s epic as all hell and the vocal ranges are all over the place, from operatic male and female singing to growled and screamed male vocals. The guitar structure and melodies are the notable things with Illumination. Each song is carefully crafted and melodies perfectly chosen; it is no question that the new album puts Tristania back on top of the gothic-metal heap, a heap they owned once before. –Bryer Wharton

Turbo
Awatar
Metal Mind
Street: 03.30.06
Turbo = Anthrax + Armored Saint – John Bush
Playing old-school thrash well is a talent seen by only a few. Unfortunately for Turbo, they play new-school thrash in the vein of later Anthrax and why play a style that Anthrax couldn’t necessarily get down all that great when they were doing it. Turbo’s vocalist sounds like a Russian version of John Bush; you don’t really catch the accent until the end of the record when a ballad appears and then wow, there is a really heavy, out-of-place sounding accent. Ultimately, Turbo is pretty bland metal without a lot of flair. The cover art for the album is cool, though. –Bryer Wharton

The Turbo A.C.'s
Live to Win
Acetate Records
Street: 03.20
The Turbo A.C.'s = Motrhead + Angel City Outcasts - sick as hell guitar solos
Like a Pontiac GTO loaded with rocket fuel, The Turbo A.C.'s kick off Live to Win at full throttle with “Nothing's Forbidden.” The song opens with what sounds like a 14-year-old girl losing her virginity and loving every second of it. The song slowly builds and then rocks away as backup vox exclaims that “nothing's forbidden.” The Turbo A.C.'s blaze through “Genuine,” displaying their Motrhead-esque sound. Unfortunately, they shift into low gear for the next four songs, which really kills the vibe of the album. Their bare-bones rock n’ roll finally begins to pick back up after the over-extended intro to "Nomads" and sticks strong throughout the rest of the album. "HKWC" is a clever little track telling a story similar to "Mohawk Town" by The Vandals, but instead of being about punks and skins, it's about White Castle. I'll admit, it gave me a few chuckles. With an acute rhythms guitar (which thinks it's better than it is), a deep and fast bass also reminiscent of Motrhead, and a plethora of drum rhythms, The Turbo A.C.'s will kick your ass. –Josh McGillis

The Twilight Sad
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
Fatcat
Street: 04.03
The Twilight Sad = Kitchens of Distinction + Sigur Ros
Halfway through the opening track, “Cold Days from the Birdhouse,” I stop surfing the net to focus. Did I really hear that crescendo build, tease and subside in chaotic beauty? “That Summer…” begins to play and I listen as a bunch of upstart Scots crash-land the heavy guitar swoon of Ride and the Kitchens of Distinction into the atmospheric swirl of M83, Mogwai and Sigur Ros. Clearly, whatever I had intended to do this afternoon wasn’t going to happen. I’m already reaching for repeat. Rarely do you find a band that can remain distinctly passionate without being domineering, pretentious or insincere. The heart aches in the wake of the emotional release as the guitars screaming out, like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive in the same body. There is a part of me that wants them to be my little secret and then there is the other half that wants to see them orchestrating the ebb and flow of stadiums as the backlash of distortion spills over the piano when the lights go down. Brilliant, simply brilliant. –ryan michael painter

Type O Negative
Dead Again
SPV
Street: 03.13
Type O Negative = Carnivore + pop sensibility
Sometimes record labels, in an effort to avert pirating, wind up wrecking the listening experience for somebody reviewing the advanced copy, in this case, the constant voiceover on the promo of a guy saying, “This is the property of Type O Negative, Brooklyn, New York,” about every two minutes. Needless to say, it gets frustrating and ruins the flow of the album, but I guess it’s the nature of the beast. As far as the new album, well, it is a welcome addition to the legacy of Type O Negative, fortunately, much better than their last record, Life is Killing Me, which was flooded much more with pop styling than this new record. Dead Again has parts that remind me a lot of Peter Steele’s Carnivore days, but then again, it also holds true to the ethic that Type O has so firmly planted with the seeds of gothic metal. Steele does happen to be one of the most emulated vocalists in gothic metal, period. The standout for the new record is that there are multiple tracks that clock from seven minutes to 14 minutes. These epic songs are diverse, complex and really fun to listen to. Dead Again is definitely the best Type O Negative album to come out since October Rust. –Bryer Wharton

Unknown Instructors
The Master’s Voice
Smog Veil Records
Street: 03.20
Unknown Instructors = fIREHOSE + Saccharine Trust + a William S. Burroughs spoken word album – William S. Burroughs
This is the second album by Unknown Instructors, a sort of SST Records legacy band. Backed by the unparalleled rhythm section of Mike Watt and George Hurley (Minutemen, fIREHOSE) and including Saccharine Trust guitarist Joe Baiza, Unknown Instructors’ founder Dan McGuire delivers his poetry-style spoken-word storytelling over an improvised and well-crafted punk score. Watt and Hurley create a massive jam space for Baiza’s screaming guitar work, and McGuire weaves his voice in and around every one of his tracks. Maguire only does vocals on half of the album’s 10 tracks; the other five songs feature spoken word by bassist Watt, guest vocalist David Thomas (Pere Ubu) and SoCal artist and poster-maker Raymond Pettibon (the man who designed the four bars logo for Black Flag). This is a good record and a must for anyone that ever thought that they were hardcore. Some of the tracks border on being too artsy, but in all, I get the idea that this is the kind of music these guys would like to have made 20 years ago, but it’s only now that they are talented enough to really pull it off. –James Bennett

Unleashed
Midvinterblot
SPV
Street: 10.10.06
Unleashed = Grave + Dismember + God Dethroned
Like Unleashed’s Swedish peers, the band started out pretty raw and uncompromising and with time, they upped their production value, which has positive and negative aspects. This, the band’s SPV debut, is worthy of some recognition; it is by far the band’s best since they got back together. There are some mad skills going on with some great guitar solos in pretty much every song. Unlike in the band’s past, where vocals were indecipherable, the singer enunciates with prowess and you can hear virtually all the lyrics. Unfortunately, the lyrical content is nothing above par; actually, it’s pretty cheesy, though damned if your not singing along to the record’s title track right after you hear it. In the scheme of things Unleashed have done better; why this promo came so late I don’t know, but the record is solid on its own and another great chapter in the long history of these Swedish death-metal legends. –Bryer Wharton

The Used
Berth
Reprise Records
Street: 02.06
The Used = Thursday + From First to Last + Utah
The Used are the biggest musical sensations to come out of Utah since The Osmonds, but bearing witness to their new live CD/DVD is only marginally better than a below-average episode of The Donny & Marie Show. The CD showcases nine whole tracks worth of The Used's mediocre output, alternating between songs in which vocalist Bert McCracken screams at the top of his lungs and songs where his voice is little more than a whisper. Throughout it all, he commands the pubescent crowd to jump up and down, put their hands in the air, and delivers other such generic banter that belongs to the realm of ridiculously popular bands. The first track, "Take It Away," is actually pretty stellar, but from then on, the songs seem to blend together and get remarkably boring. Throw in the ridiculously hyper-emo intro of "I'm a Fake" and an unremarkable performance of the Refused classic “New Noise,” and you've got yourself one steamin' pile of crap. The accompanying DVD features, among other things, footage of the band members vomiting, peeing on things, pretending to have diarrhea and getting girls to make out with each other. No wonder these guys are so popular! –Ricky Vigil

Vader
Kingdom/Live in Japan/The Darkest Age – Live ‘93
Metal Mind
Street: 02.20
Vader = the forefront of polish death metal
Getting the re-release treatment from Metal Mind are these three records from the mighty Vader. And yes, the band actually did name themselves from thee, Darth Vader. Kingdom is an EP with four standard Vader cuts, “Creatures of Light and Darkness,” is actually pretty damn cool. In addition, there are a couple of un-attributed remix tracks that are really bad and out of place. The other two re-released records are both live records from different periods of time in the history of the band. There is The Darkest Age–Live ’93, which was definitely early on in Vader land and without question it is raw and production value not that high, but it carries its own cool aesthetic and is a worthy chapter in the band’s long line of albums. The other live disc is a concert recorded in Japan, and compared to the other disc that was recorded in the band’s native Poland, the singer speaks in English during his brief stage banter, which really isn’t that big of a deal. The production value is much better than the other live disc. I personally have been a fan of Vader for quite a while and had no idea these live discs really existed; they’re fun to listen to for seasoned fans, but a newbie would easily become distracted and bored with them. –Bryer Wharton

Various Artists
The Best Of: A Taste of Chaos 2
Warcon Records
Street: 01.30
The Best Of: Taste of Chaos 2 = screamo bands + modern metal bands
Take the best and worst of modern metal and you have this two-CD collection of songs from Warcon Records. Well, some of it I wouldn’t even call metal, with bands like Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday, Sasoin and Thursday. Let’s just say Chaos is something that this compilation does not embody. The likes of Gwar and Strapping Young Lad do class up the album a bit, though. I really can’t see the audience for something like this other than your Hot Topic shopper that may recognize a couple of the bands and want to give a few new bands a try. Pretty much all the bands on the 36 tracks of Taste of Chaos are already established, so whatever promotion they would get from this pointless compilation is obviously limited. –Bryer Wharton

Various Artists
Take Action! Volume 6
Hopeless Records
Street: 2.06
Take Action! Vol. 6 = three discs of melodrama and sellouts + a miniscule contribution to a good cause
"A portion of the proceeds (equaling 5 percent of the suggested retail price)...of this release will be donated to the Kristin Brooks Hope Center—founder of the Youth America Hotline! A peer-to-peer counseling line" reads the inside of Take Action! Volume 6. The dollar contribution to the good cause is hardly enough for me to suggest anyone actually purchase this godawful compilation, but because of the big-name lineup, you will choose to buy it or not just by looking at the back. When I was assigned to review this CD, I told myself to try and keep an open mind about it, and maybe try using some tact. After going through the three discs, I realized that using tact was out of the question. The three discs contain 72 songs of melodramatic vocals and lyrics, repetitive music and a couple punk rock sellouts. Halfway through Disc 1, it occurred to me that the first song seemed really long, but then much to my surprise, I was on track 9. The only way I could have known this is to check my iTunes, because every song sounds exactly the same (with maybe five exceptions). Disc 2 even contained one huge disappointment: The Briggs! What happened to the sailor-hat-wearing, kick ass band that I know? After I throw this garbage away (because you don't need to keep the album to give the contribution), I'm going to go listen to "Media Control" and reminisce about The Briggs I once loved. –Josh Mcgillis

V.E.G.A.
Cocaine
Debemur Morti/Moribund Cult
Street: 01.31
V.E.G.A. = Carpathian Forest + Aborym + Dodheimsgard + Celtic Frost
Leave it to Moribund Cult to bring some obscure black metal from the depths of hell to the metal masses. I have a habit of listening to music while watching random, never-heard-of horror movies, thus associating some strange, crazed, sadistic or just plain random imagery with already psychotic music. This Italian-bred trio, V.E.G.A., which stands for Vacum Era Gelid Atmosphere, don’t like to be pigeonholed, according to their bio. But the music at its very core is scathing black metal with visceral throat ripping guitars and hyper-blasting drumming ruling the album, along with harsh, and clean vocals. Where things get changed up is in the subtle parts. Atmospheric keys or almost techno-sounding beats add to an already manic portrait. Whatever your black metal tastes may lay claim to, there is no denying that talent lies heavily in the hands of V.E.G.A. – Bryer Wharton

Walls Of Jericho
With Devils Amongst Us All
Trustkill Records
Street: 08/22/2006
Walls Of Jericho = Every other Trustkill band + female vocals
Having not heard Walls Of Jericho since the “Day And A Thousand Years” MCD back in 1999, I was intrigued to see if they had been able to turn themselves into a band not resembling a haphazard, uninteresting hardcore bandwagon jumper. The musicianship on “With Devils Amongst Us All” is head and shoulders above what I remember hearing on that first MCD, but at the end of the day, this is just another cookie-cutter metalcore record, pretty evenly split between the “metal” and the “core,” depending on the moment. There are spots on the record that I could swear were written by Terror, and the biggest distraction is the mismanagement and overuse of “crew vocals”—please, even the most hardcore of hardcore bands know that this shit gets old quick. If you want to hear a female REALLY belt that shit out of the park and do it in a way that doesn’t suck, Crisis or Fuck The Facts are head and shoulders over this junk. –loveyoudead

Wendy Atkinson
Pink Noise
Smarten Up! And Get to the Point Records
Street: 02.15
Wendy Atkinson = The Service + Richard Pinhas
Pink Noise draws from a healthy palette: ambient machine machinations, acoustic and double-bass moseys, family BBQ anecdotes and megaphone-like drones. The first is the most interesting as what sounds like field recordings of everyday machines form organic arcs; wholesome narratives that speak of the digital, mechanical world around us. Smack in the middle of Pink Noise is a little story about when Wendy’s mother-in-law came to visit and was a sassy bitch. The guitars are boring, but the electronic buzz and hums are yummy. If Pink Noise were a soup it would be yucky; however, the kernels of vegetable and beans keep me a-eatin,’ wondering if there’s another way to slurp, chew, taste and swallow. –Senator Spencer

XBXRX
Wars
Polyvinyl Records
Street Date: 04.07
XBXRX = Tyrades + Mika Miko
XBXRX are a fucking train wreck. The songs are constantly in clash, the vocals yelping desperately above a steady stream of percussion, which makes for a goddamn amazing album. XBXRX are bringing a fresh perspective and ridiculous amount of attitude back to punk, minus all the bullshit and ,mohawks. The sound is young and completely untainted by pretension or genre. One part Charles Bronson, one part The Boredoms and two parts what the fuck means we are all in for a treat every time this group releases an album or plays a show. –Ryan Powers