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March / April 2008Gallucio | Kottonmouth Kings | Danny Diablo | Tangerine Dream & The Brandenberg Symphony Orchestra | Jon Anderson | Savage Messiah | Tom Savell | Iggy Pop | Jars of Clay | Vixen | Bullet for My Valentine | Annihilator | Saw IV | Mortal Love | Bloodsimple Gallucio Hard to believe that "All For You" is Gallucio's debut release. It's such a solid, well written effort. You would think that a band that can put out a release this good would've been around for years. You don't expect to hear something this fantasic the first time around. Not in this day and age. The first track, "California Jesus," kind of brought Bon Jovi to mind. It has that arena rock sound. It's probably my favorite track from the album. When you get to the second track, "Eye To The Sky," it's kind of a different style. It's more in the line of classic rock. It's like that through the whole album really. Each song is something different. Track five, "Breakin'," is another favorite. It's radio rock that has enough of an edge to please a hard rock audience. As I sit here and think about it, it's really hard to place Gallucio comfortably into any one genre because his music has a little bit of everything. I mean, there's even a reggae flavored tune on this release...and it all comes together rather well. Like I said, it's a solid, well written effort and if you're into music where the song is the most important thing, "All For You" is...well...it's the disc for you. http://www.gallucio.com Kottonmouth Kings When a band comes out with a new release, people usually say, "Oh, it's the best album they've ever done." Most of the time, it's more hype than anything. Gotta say that about the new release because that's what the band is tryin' to promote. When it comes to "Cloud Nine," straight up, this IS the best album they've ever put out. You know, they've been doin' their thing for a long time now and they've got a ton of great material floatin' around out there. But, this release doesn't sound like a band that's been poundin' the scene for ten years. There's a hunger in these songs...a hunger like a band that's just startin' out and they wanna make the best impression they possibly can. You don't expect that from a band that's been around as long as Kottonmouth Kings. They're still hungry, man and they still have a passion for what they're doing. That was obvious to me before I even heard the album from begining to end. Success hasn't spoiled 'em and their well is far from runnin' dry. I couldn't get past the first eight songs because they packed such a punch...I couldn't get enough of 'em. They start off with "Controlled Substance," which sets the tone for the rest of the album. This is the track they get you excited with and they do one hell of a job. Then they rip into "Livin' Proof," which is a punk rock/hip hop tune that's pure energy and they keep it going with "Marijuana." Then we get to the first tune to feature a guest artist, which would be Insane Clown Posse. "Think 4 Yourself" has a chorus that will stick in your head as soon as you hear it. This song has a lot of bounce. From there, they go into another punk rock/hip hop tune, "No Escape," and this one seems a little faster than "Livin' Proof." It's almost like they're saying, "What...you don't think we could do it again. Check this out." It's kind of funny...as I sit here going through these first few songs, it's almost like they set up the album to feel like a live concert and I got that impression once "Lita's" (think...lighters) came up. That's the tune that sounds like they're talkin' to their audience. Anyway, we get to "One Day" and...wow...this is simply a great fuckin' song, man. It has a rock 'n' roll feel to it and it's a lyrically brilliant song. One of my favorites on the album. It's a song about hope and that's something we can all get behind. My favorite track on the album is "City 2 City," which features Tech 9 and Big Krizz Kalico. I can't get enough of this song. I went to a show that was about an hour away from my house and I had this song on repeat the whole way there...and once I got there, I got the band to crank this tune before they took the stage and you could see people noddin' their head to the groove. I've played this tune for damn near every single person I know and I'm like, "Isn't this just a great song?" Instant freakin' classic. No doubt about it. I could go through the rest of the album track by track because each tune hits you in a different way. But, I'm not gonna do that because I don't wanna take anything away from your first listen. I will say this...the rest of the album has a lot of variety and they manage to hold your attention all the way to the end...and to get there...it's gonna take you 78 minutes and, believe me, they make every second count. Do you know how seriously good that is? I mean, really, 22 songs and there's not a weak one in the bunch. That's quite an accomplishment. But, wait...there's more. "Cloud Nine" comes with a bonus DVD. It's got a running time of about an hour and, once again, they make every second count. There's a video for "Think 4 Yourself," "Livin' Proof" and "City 2 City." They also include videos from Kingspade, Big B, Danny Diablo, Dirtball, Dogboy, Hed p.e. and more. They don't just throw this stuff together either. It's set up like a news program...the underground report...and Daddy X is your host. He's with you from begining to end, which gives it a more personal touch. How often do you see that? Bottom line...they go above and beyond the call of duty for their fans. You're not just getting an album here...you're getting an experience. I'll tell you what...the end of the year is coming up fast and this album better be on somebody's top ten list. It would hold the number one spot on my list, that's for sure. I wouldn't even have to think about it. If you don't have this in your collection...GET IT! It's as simple as that. http://www.kottonmouthkings.com Danny Diablo I've heard quite a few SubNoize releases in the past and I dig a lot of the music that they release. So, when I saw Danny Diablo's latest release in my mailbox, I couldn't wait to hear what he had to offer. So, I throw the disc in my CD player and...WOW...this album blew me away. The first track, "We Don't Care," is a raw, straight forward, hardcore tune that will melt your face, it's that hot. Get to the second track and there's some old school scratchin' and, once the tune kicks in, it's a heavy ass rap track. Third song in and I'm listenin' to a tune that's more metal rap and my head is spinnin' because this guy seems to be all over the place. First three songs and you're gettin' hit with three different vibes. I mean, we're not even knee deep into the album yet and you've got this one, two, three punch. I figure, okay, we've got nine more tunes to go through and Danny Diablo doesn't want us to know what's comin'. Just when you think you know what to expect, he goes in another direction. I've heard releases like this in the past and they didn't sound too good. But, Danny Diablo makes it work. "Thugcore 4 Life" just has this really good, kick ass vibe that flows through the album. It totally wasn't what I expected. But, it quickly became one of my favorite albums. Besides those first three tracks, I also dig "Unstoppable" and "The Harsh Truth." There's a lot of variety on this release and that's always a good thing. Also, I've gotta say, it's probably the most fresh and original release that I've heard from the SubNoize label. Well worth checkin' out, man. http://www.dannydiablo.com Tangerine Dream & The Brandenberg Symphonic Orchestra This project certainly sounds like it was major undertaking! Legendary electronic music innovators Tangerine Dream have teamed with an orchestra to produce something of an epic, synthesizer rock opera. There's a lot going on here. Tangerine Dream play their trademark synthesizer-based music, weaving it with the classical styles of the orchestra. Tangerine Dream have always had a lot of classical music influence to begin with and here they work with some actual classical musicians, and put their two styles together to create something quite unique. This music is very trippy and spacey, and takes the listener on a weird and wonderful voyage. They use many complex and sophisticated song structures, plus there's also Tangerine Dream's pop style used, with some perky beats and interesting synthesizer use. This goes from pop to classical to opera to psychedelic to techno and back again. Several singers were used on the project. As well as Tangerine Dream's vocalists, Iris Camaa and Linda Spa, they use a couple of tenors and sopranos, among others. This makes for a number of vocal styles, from pop to opera. On this whole project, it's musical styles across the board that are used, and oftentimes combined. Some songs are danceable, others are operatic. The synthesizers and orchestra interweave often to create some very interesting sounds. Tangerine Dream have been creating unique music through synthesizers for many years, and have always ventured into new territories. Now it seems they've raised the bar for themselves (and for music in general) with this project. This clearly took a lot of effort and talent to create. Mind you, it's very long. Two CDs, both are over an hour, and many of the songs are quite long too. It's also a bit indulgent, and sometimes things are overdone-they put a little too much into it. That can make it a chore to listen to at times. However, there's no denying the amount of talent that went into this. Everything is very well done, and this is a monumental project. It's also very unique-I can't put this into a certain genre or category. There's a lot of classical and opera, a lot of pop, a good amount of techno and psychedelic, but it doesn't specifically fit into any of those genres. It stands alone. Anyone who can create a project that not only takes a lot of talent, but also stands out in its own category definitely deserves credit. For that reason alone, I dare say that I think this should be considered Grammy material. Jon Anderson This is another disc to be included in the Jon Anderson box set, "The Lost Tapes". As Jon himself puts it, "So here we are with lots of demos, lots of loose ideas coming through." This disc is a bunch of not-quite-finished demos, recorded in 1986. The songs have the sound of that period. They sound like 80s pop/rock, like something you would have heard on the radio during the 80s, and some of them sound as if they could have on an 80s Yes album. They are all light-hearted, perky, uplifting tunes, and very keyboard oriented. A lot of those 80s style "twinkly twinkly" keyboards are used, and it sounds like drum machines are used for percussion on most of the songs. This does sound like generic 80s pop/rock music, and is very commercial and poppy, but having said that, they are done by a man of great talent, and he does them very well. Jon upholds the top notch musical standards he's famous for, even on something like this. His singing, playing, and songwriting are all excellent, as one might expect. One must also keep in mind that this is a set of demos dug out of his archives, and is meant for die-hard fans and collectors. It is something Jon was experimenting with at the time and decided not to use, until now. Plus, everyone needs to lighten up once in a while, and this is perfect music to chill out to. It's not as complex as Yes's music, which makes it a bit easier to listen to, and just as enjoyable. Savage Messiah This is gonna be a rather easy album to write about because I don't need to hype this one up at all because the music will speak for itself. Plain and simple...it's straight up, in your face, high quality, thrash metal...and when I say metal...I'm talkin' METAL. They've got an old school vibe with a modern sound, a better sound...a much better sound. I mean, let's face it, a lot of that old school music doesn't tend to age well. Even some of the so called "classic" albums don't seem to have the same punch as they did back in the day. "Spitting Venom," on the other hand, has A LOT of punch. It's like being hit with an iron fist. I knew this was gonna be a great album even before I got through the first track. Of course, I had to listen to the rest of the album just to be sure and...I was right...it kicked ass from start to finish. I guess I should also mention that there's only eight tunes on this release...and not a weak one in the bunch. I tend to lean towards music that I can really get excited about and it's not too often that I get an album that makes me stand up and take notice. "Spitting Venom" did the trick. This is a MUST HAVE release for anyone who's into metal. So, be sure to get a copy. It won't let you down. I promise you that. http://www.myspace.com/savagemessiahmetal Tom Savell Well, I wouldn't say that I love it. But, it was a cool disc to spin once or twice. Eight tunes. Moody Blues covers. Neil Diamond covers. Some tunes from the 50's and 60's that really didn't float my boat. Gotta give the guy credit though, it's quite the unique release. Don't think anyone else would try to pull something like this off. Tom does it rather well I guess. I mean, for me, I can appreciate the fact that it's different. I can appreciate the fact that it's done well. But, the music doesn't get me too excited. In order for me to get into something...I have to like the tunes and, to be honest with you, I'm not familiar with any of these. Maybe I heard 'em before...I don't know. If I did, they went in one ear and out the other. I did like the Neil Diamond tune, "Play Me." Other than that....not much more I can say. Good album for what it is. But, I think the audience for this one is gonna be limited. Iggy Pop Ah, man...this is awesome. I wish more artists would release an album like this. I view this disc as a professional bootleg due to the fact that it's a soundboard recording. The sound quality is a little better than some of the other bootleg releases that I have in my collection, which is cool. You can never complain about good sound quality. As for the performance...it's totally raw, man. If you were at the gig, this is what it sounded like and, personally, that's the kind of vibe I like when it comes to music...even if it's a studio album. I mean, listen to some of the early releases by artists such as The Rolling Stones, AC/DC or Def Leppard to name a few. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Even those artists don't make 'em like that anymore. I used to think, "Well, maybe it was the time in which they were made." But, you know what, that's just an excuse. People can capture that sound again if they wanted to and there's people out there who actually try to go in that direction. So, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Anyway, if you're like me and you enjoy music like that, you're gonna love this album. Iggy Pop, with drummer Clem Burke (Blondie) and Carlos Alomar (David Bowie) rip through twelve tunes, all of which were recorded at the tail end of the "Party" tour. What makes this release a little better than a regular bootleg are the two bonus tracks, "Fire Engine" and "Warrior Tribe," which were recorded with Ric Ocasek (The Cars) in 1983. Both of these tunes are previously unreleased and, even though they're studio tracks, they still have that raw vibe to 'em and they go rather nicely with the rest of the disc. Nice way to end the album. If you're an Iggy Pop fan, of course, this is an album that you need to have in your collection. You always hear talk about the heart and soul of an artist. Well, Iggy's heat and soul can be found on this release and I think "Live In San Fran 1981" will give you a good idea of what he was...and still is...all about. http://www.iggypop.com Jars Of Clay I've gotta mention this right off the bat...I'm not a huge fan of these "essential" collections because, if you're a fan of any band, you already have most, if not all, of their material already and, for the most part, compilation albums, greatest hits, essential collections, whatever you wanna call 'em, they usually don't have anything new to offer. Oh, don't get me wrong, there is a use for an album such as this. If you haven't heard the band before, this is a good way to get a taste of what they have to offer. Sometimes you'll get a good release, sometimes you'll get a bad release that isn't worth the plastic it's wrapped in. As for Jars Of Clay, well, they have a pretty strong body of work and, if you're gonna put a compilation album together, which is pretty much what this release is, you really can't mess it up unless you're actually trying to throw something crappy out there. Also, since this is the first career retrospective from the band, that's all the more reason to do it right...and do it up right they did. A tip of the hat to you for that. Yeah...this two disc set features a total of 34 songs that covers their entire body of work. Of course, there's the more popular tunes like "Flood," "Liquid," "Five Candles (Wish You Were There)" and many others. I could also mention "Sunny Days," "Dig" and "Dead Man (Carry Me)" as well. There's also "Widowing Field" from the "When We Were Warriors" soundtrack and fan favorite "Little Drummer Boy." If you're a new fan or an old fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this release. http://www.jarsofclay.com Vixen The first live album from Vixen is a pretty decent effort with a good song selection. Of course, they had to include the hits from the first album, "Edge Of A Broken Heart" and "Cryin'," as well as "Love Made Me," "Cruisin'" and "I Want You To Rock Me," during which they also include a cover of the Queen classic, "We Will Rock You." The "Rev It Up" album has the honor of being featured the most here with a total of six tunes. Makes sense to me since that was a much stronger album than their debut. Besides "Rev It Up," we also get "Streets In Paradise," "How Much Love," "Love Is A Killer," "Not A Minute Too Soon" and "Bad Reputation." The "Tangerine" album is completely ignored while the final three tracks come from Vixen's most recent studio release, "Live & Learn." The featured tunes from that album include "Anyway," "Little Voice" and "Love Song." It's classic Vixen. The only difference between this release and their previous efforts is the fact that this is a live album. If you're a Vixen fan, you'll dig it. If you're not familiar with their music, it's a pretty good way to get a taste of what they're all about and I'd suggest picking it up. I'd also suggest picking up the first two releases. Those are the best. http://www.vixenrock.com Bullet For My Valentine Bullet For My Valentine have made quite a name for themselves over the past couple years. The huge success of their debut 'The Poison' sold them over a million albums. With the release of their latest 'Scream Aim Fire', they're sure to continue on just the same. The new album opens with the title track and is a fury of heavy, thrash fueled riffs sure to please any one who calls themselves a metal head. It just continues on from there. One heavy riff-filled track after another. Call them what you will. Many have put them into several different genres. They really are a hard on to pin down. An all out metal band to please all is what I would say. They have been penned as "the future of metal". I don't know if I would go that far as there really is nothing that is added to the overall genre of metal that has not already been done. But the thing about B4MV that is pretty amazing is the diversity that their music has to it. One track will be a full on thrash sounding track where another is a more pop influenced track. There are a couple really radio friendly tracks here. But for the most part a much heavier album then their last. According to the band, this is not a way to just sell albums, but the way that they write. They have just as many influences as they do fans these days and with one listen to 'Scream Aim Fire' you too will be hooked. This is a brilliantly written and played album that will surely surpass everyone's expectations of whether or not they can live up to the success of the debut. Because it will. www.bulletformyvalentine1.com Annihilator Jeff Waters and Annihilator have done it again. Another crushing metal album by a band that will never compromise what they started out doing in the mid-80's. And that is to deliver honest, guitar-fueled heavy metal they way they want to play it. This formula has seemed to work over the past 12 albums providing Waters and Co. with an honest career in the music industry. And with SPV U.S.A. picking up 'Metal' here in the states, it's great to see the band getting a proper release here. One that has not happened in some time. 'Metal' is what it is. "Annihilator-Metal" at it's best. The album consists of 10, heavily guitar laden metal tracks sure to assault the senses. One after another. Jeff states, "Metal is going to be known as of the coolest guitar albums out there but this is also one of the best written albums of my career; something that you can never achieve if you try…it just happens!" 'Metal' is chalked full of guests too. Something Jeff was both excited and unsure about at the same time. But keeping with the times, and inviting a few close friends along, 'Metal' not only has a star-studded cast involved, but will definitely go down as a classic, must have metal album. I could probably go on and on about this album as it has been close to the player for a couple weeks now finding it's way to get a listen every other day or so. I love it! But I will only state this, check it out today. You will not be disappointed. http://www.annihilatormetal.com "Saw IV" Gotta repeat a line that I used when I did a write up on the "Saw III" soundtrack. In that write up, I said that "Saw III" might be another low budget film where people suffer in a most brutal way. So, why should the soundtrack be any different?" Well, if the last soundtrack didn't do you in, this one might. There's 19 songs that will hit you harder than an out of control freight train. You've got artists such as Drowning Pool, Sixx AM, Avenged Sevenfold, Everytime I Die, Ministry, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and more. That's some deadly stuff right there. It's kind of interesting...it's not too often where you see a soundtrack that's just as good as the movie. They usually have a song or two that's worth getting and the rest isn't worth the disc that it's printed on. Here, you've got a full album of material that's all worth checking out. Can't think of too many other soundtracks like that. Anyway, if you're a fan of the movie...be sure to pick up the soundtrack as well. Your collection won't be complete without it. Mortal Love This band is basically an Evanesance knock off. Their music is very much in the same vein. They combine elements of pop, rock/metal, classical, goth, and emo. All the songs are played at a slow rhythm, with a mournful, "shoe-staring" feel, but also with commercial accessability. There are crunchy guitar riffs, along with classical style keyboard arrangements. There appear to be two lead vocalists, one male, one female, and they duet a lot. They girl has a haunting, operatic voice, and both sing as if in anguish, much of the time. It really just seems like this band is doing a "by the numbers" imitation of Evansesance, and other such bands. To their credit, Mortal Love are decent enough musicians, but they're not doing anything really different or special. Bloodsimple First of all, the sound on this release is out of this world. It's crystal clear, top quality all the way. You can crank the volume up loud and it still has a great sound. It's kick ass if you don't have any neighbors to worry about. If you do, man, you're gonna shake their walls because you're gonna blast this one for sure. It's heavy, straight forward metal with enough groove to make you start a mosh pit in your own livingroom. The vocal style also adds to the variety. They go from spoken word to regular singing to hardcore screamsHardcore music veteran...and vocalist...Tim Williams said in the band bio, "We weren't trying to rewrite the book on heavy music. But, we just wanted to do something that was more organic and fine tune our sound." Okay, well, they might not have tried to rewrite the book on heavy music. But, I think that's just what they did because "Red Harvest" is freakin' great...and the variety they have within their music makes it ten times better. Don't get me wrong...I mean...there's some music out there that I like where it's just in your face metal and from song to song, the band doesn't change too much. That's good if you can pull it off. However, if you can add something different to each song and mix it up a bit, which is exactly what Bloodsimple has done...and you can pull THAT off, well, you'll have an album like "Red Harvest." If you call yourself a fan of heavy music, it should be mandatory to have this album in your collection. It's as simple as that. |
