Issue #9 – May 2003
Album
of the month:
Jon James & The Trashcan Fantasy Danceband; Self-titled
999 Manifesto
There’s no
doubt that there is being released a lot of really good independent music
worldwide these days, but it doesn’t happen very often that a self-released
album actually is chosen as the album of the month from the 50 or thereabout
CD’s reviewed in every issue in Past and Present Music. There might have been
self-released albums that have deserved that honor in the past, but it hasn’t
happened since we started choosing the album of the month. Until now, that is,
as there’s a first time for everything. Jon James and his band are just so
deliciously nice and appealing that it is almost entirely impossible not to
like them. They have a 70’s rock sound to them, but they’re not afraid to bring
in influences from as different artists as David Bowie and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
Track one “Turn It On/High On Flashback” is one of the best songs I’ve heard
all year, “New King Of Japan” is also ranking pretty high, and, well, so are
the rest of the songs on this album. I love it. Enough said. (JJJJJJ) hje
5
“Runner-up” albums
Banker Dave; Deposits Of Love and Withdrawl
Indecisive Records
Apart from the
Marble-album reviewed elsewhere in this issue, this is probably the funniest
and weirdest beast in this months CD-pile, but it’s also definitely one of the
most original, and, well, interesting ones too. Banker Dave is the “one-man
project” brainchild of Dave Jorgensen. The ideas for the music on this disc
were gathered between customers while working in an American bank, as an
attempt on staying sane. If it worked or not, I will not be the one to judge.
All I know is that this is one freaky album. We got a whole lot of jazzy
soundscapes sounding somewhere between the insanity of a John Coltrane or a
Miles Davis record and the easygoing of a Billie Holliday or Duke Ellington
record, while added the best pieces from today’s alternative rock and
electronica cultures. Banker Dave is too jazzy for electronica fans, too trippy
for rock fans, and way to scary for contemporary jazz-fans. Love it. (JJJJJJ) hje
Lagwagon; Blaze
Fat Wreck Chords
A lot of
melodic punk bands can be accused off following down the path of Green Day and
others that made punk reach the tops of the charts in the early 90’ties, but
not Lagwagon. First off, they were around even before melodic punk started to get
mainstream attention, and secondly they’ve written a lot of songs that beat the
living hell out of Green Day and The Offspring. Ok, sure enough, there wasn’t a
potential “Self-Esteem” on any of their previous albums, and there isn’t one on
“Blaze” either, but what the heck, there are enough sweets to sink your teeth
into here to have you happy throughout the summer. Everyone knows that I love
melodic punk rock, so some of you might think that anything goes. But it
doesn’t, a lot of these so called pop-punk bands suck big time – Lagwagon,
however, rule. Lagwagon might come across a little goofy at times, but they
will appeal to a more mature audience than, say, Blink 182 and Good Charlotte.
(JJJJJJ) hje
Since By Man; We Sing The Body Electric
Revelation Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
Oh, my God,
this one really hit me on the head like a sledgehammer. I had just gotten some
of the worst news in my whole life before I put this record in, and in no way I
thought that I was going to find comfort in a hardcore album. Well, I didn’t
really, but it helped me a lot in getting rid
of a lot of stored anger and aggression. But it isn’t just because it’s
aggressive and wild that I like it, I mean, if that was what I was looking for,
I could just have put a Cannibal Corpse album on and banged my head against the
wall until I dropped dead. Since By Man have just the amount of originality
that I am looking for in my hardcore, and besides, they’re really good players.
And if that wasn’t convincing enough, this is actually a debut-album… And no, I
won’t pick a favorite track. Have a go at it and find your own, you lazy
bastard. (JJJJJJ) hje
Sixpence None The Richer; Divine Discontent
Squint/Reprise Records
Back when I
went to school, I remember this one guy always telling me how strange tastes in
music I had, always listening to some obscure band no one had ever heard about,
and while there was nothing obscure about Sixpence, they were definitely one of
the bands I really loved that no one else cared or even knew about. Their
“Fatherless and The Widow” album from 1993 is simply a classic and songs like
“Trust” and “An Apology” are truly amazing. I never thought that Sixpence would
become a hit, but they sure did. Their self-titled album came out in 1999 was a
turning point in the career of Sixpence, for which the single “Kiss Me” should
be getting the main credit, when becoming one of the biggest hits in 2000.
Since then the band has been taking a little time out off the spotlight, but
now they’re ready for having another go at it. Personally, I think “Divine
Discontent” is even better than their previous album. Perhaps, it doesn’t
contain another “Kiss Me”, but it sure features a new “There She Goes” in form
of another cover-song, namely the Crowded House classic “Don’t Dream It’s
Over.” Otherwise this pretty much goes along the lines of the old Sixpence
album with beautiful, stripped down pop-songs with intelligent and poetic
lyrics and over the top female-vocals. This is so much more than just another
pop album aimed at the charts. (JJJJJJ) hje
Various Artists; House Of Stairs Vol. 1 – Useless In Bed
House of Stairs
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
This is the
first record to come out from this label, and what a record it is. This doesn’t
sound like one of those “we took the best songs from the 10 demos that were
sent to us” kind of compilation that a lot of debuting record-labels release.
Each and every band on this disk sound like they’re in it for the long run, and
from the first sound of Miss Helsinki’s “I Felt Your Arms Around Me” until the
last sound of Geiger Counter’s “Drink Your Milk” you’re presented to some of
the most thoughtful and well-played post and math-rock the British underground
will be able dig up. Sweep The Leg Johnny and Guapo might not be totally
unknown among people into this kind of music, but a lot of the other might be,
but hey, they won’t be for long. I would love to hear full-length albums by all
the bands featured on this disc. (JJJJJJ) hje
The
Rest of this month’s albums
Annihilator; Double Live Annihilation
AFM Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
Since the
release of “Waking The Fury”, Annihilator have parted ways with SPV and now
find themselves on AFM Records, and for this occasion the two of them
(Annihilator and AFM Records) have decided to release a double live-album
featuring some of the strongest Annihilator material to date. And, honestly, I
seldom find myself enjoying a live-album as much as I enjoyed this one. I never
heard Annihilator live, but if they’re ever in Denmark, I’ll make sure that
I’ll be in the crowd somewhere. Unfortunately, the label has only sent me a
promo-copy featuring about an hour of the music that is on the actual double
CD, so that I am missing about ½ an hour. Somehow, though, I don’t think
hearing the rest would spoil anything for me. It probably wouldn’t make it
better either. If you like Annihilator, you might consider checking this one
immediately. This reviewer’s favorite cut: “Alison Hell.” (JJJJJJ) hje
Antimatter; Antimatter vs. Antimatter
Asphodel
(Provided by Rooftop Promotion)
First off,
cool album title, don’t you think? Well, me thinks so, anyway. Luckily, the
music on here is cool too. This can be considered a best-off album as well as a
remix-album, which probably explains the album-title. Anyway, there are enough
combination of noise-patterns and contemporary dance-beats on this disc to keep
industrial, noize, and underground dance-thinkers happy. (JJJJJJ) hje
Peter Bayreuther; Acceptance
Self-released
No matter how
hard I try, I can’t seem to find anything I like about this CD, and it has come
to the point where I don’t want to put in the CD-player ever again, but I guess
Peter can accept that – he’s the one naming this album “Acceptance”, not me.
Anyway, the nine tracks on this CD go along in some kind of weird
overtone-singing pop meets German schlager-music meets euro-vision contest type
of stuff with a few oriental moments thrown in for good measure. A mouthful
then, huh? You bet ya. At first I thought this was a joke, but when I read
through the inlay-card I found out that this guy is dead serious about his
music. I don’t like this, but hey, you might, right? (JJJJJJ) hje
Big Midnight; Everything For The First Time
Alive Records
Here’s finally
a cool garage-rock band again. Oh my, take some old Rolling Stones and some
70’s Aerosmith and put them in a blender, then add a little The Ramones and The
Stooges before you throw a few harmonica and Rhodes pieces in there. Finished?
Well, chances are that what you have in your hands right now is the new Big
Midnight album “Everything For The First Time.” Alive Records have a lot of
really cool stuff coming out these days, I think, and Big Midnight hold their
head high amidst them all. If a cocktail with everything I mentioned earlier
sounds like something you might enjoy, then this should make you very happy. (JJJJJJ) hje
The Black Lips; The Black Lips
BOMP Records
For some
reason I think I’ve heard enough “The” bands lately. Of course, The Black Lips
aren’t as bad as a lot of the longhaired grease balls showing up on MTV2 every
15th minute, but they’re not really broadening the horizon of the
retro-rock scene either. That said, everyone who’s into psychedelic garage-rock
with lots of punk-energy should be more than pleased when putting “The Black
Lips” in the CD-player. For me, this one didn’t change my life, but I’ll be
pulling it out on occasion. Garage-punk
mayhem. (JJJJJJ) hje
Blaze; As Live As It Gets
Steamhammer/SPV
(Nordic Metal)
SPV certainly
have been releasing some live-albums lately, haven’t they? Well, here’s another
one. Most people probably know Blaze Bayley as the front man off Wolfsbane, who
released four albums back in the day, or as the lead-singer in Iron Maiden in
their least inspiring period. Well, after the somewhat unfortunate Iron Maiden
period, Blaze Bayley went solo, simply under the name Blaze. So far two albums
have been released: “Silicon Messiah” and last years “Tenth Dimension”, which
was reviewed in this very webzine last year. Based on all the things I
mentioned before, the Wolfsbane, Iron Maiden and Blaze material, SPV now
releases a double live-album featuring all the best Blaze Bayley songs, plus a
Led Zeppelin cover. It’s not a bad album, but somehow I doubt that metal-fans
will think that this is something that they really need to get their hands on.
Personally, I’ll be spending a little more time with the new Annihilator
live-album than this one, but that’s just me. You can find out for yourself. (JJJJJJ) hje
Belvedere/Downway; Hometown Advantage (Split-CD)
Sessions Records/The Union
I hadn’t heard
off either of these bands before this CD showed up in my mailbox, but both of
them actually made for a pleasant listen on throughout this split-release. Both
bands get five songs to show for on “Hometown Advantage,” and both do it very
well, making the forthcoming albums something that actually might be worth
checking out. Both bands have a very melodic punk-rock sound with a lot of
really catchy hooks and vocal-lines. This is definitely one for the Warp-tour
people. And by the way, summer is coming and this should also be perfect for
one of those beach-parties. (JJJJJJ) hje
Burning Point; Feeding The Flames
Limb Music
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
I pretty much
hated Burning Point’s debut-album “Salvation By Fire,” so you can imagine that
I wasn’t jumping up and down the couch when their second album came in the
mail. Luckily, “Feeding The Flames” is slightly better than “Salvation By Fire”
– the songs are better and the melodies are stronger, but other than that
Burning Point have pretty much followed the same formula that they used on the
debut. It’s still classic metal taking influences from the likes of Accept,
Iron Maiden and Yngwie Malmsteen. If you liked the debut, you’re most likely to
be all over this one too. If you didn’t like the debut, chances are that you’ll
like this one anyway, because of the slight progress that has been taken place.
If you’re not into classic heavy metal, though, just stay far away from this –
it won’t do you no good. (JJJJJJ) hje
Brighteye Brison; Brighteye Brison
River Records
The new
record-label, Rivel Records, owned by Christian from Narnia, proves from the
start, that you don’t necessarily have to be playing neo-classic heavy metal to
be singed to the label, by releasing albums by as different acts as Crimson
Moonlight and Brighteye Brison. Ok, the label has been around for a while, but
if I am not terrible mistaken under a different name. Anyway, the self-titled
debut by Brighteye Brison is quite a unique album, as it can switch from
advanced progrock to simplistic Beatlesque pop-music in seconds, while, in
time, letting folk, jazz and fusion inspirations dominate the soundscape. These
Swedish guys are gifted musicians and fortunately they have the ideas to back
them up too. Brighteye Brison is the kind of band that would fall perfectly
into place on a label like InsideOut Music. One thing that irritates me a
little about this recording, though, is the fact that the vocals aren’t always
hitting it home. I mean, sometimes the vocal arrangements are almost perfect,
kind of Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” like, but at other times they sound really,
really bad. I don’t know, all four band-members share vocal-duties throughout
this record, so it’s hard to tell who’s the guilty one, but one of them should
definitely concentrate on his instrument of choice. Otherwise this is a pretty
decent album. (JJJJJJ) hje
Cage; Darker Than Black
Massacre Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
Here’s another
power metal band that has existed since 1992 and that has released two albums
prior to this, that I’ve never even heard off. There isn’t really that much to
say about these Americans. They play power metal the American way. The
production is good. The musicians are good. The singer is good. But everything
on “Darker Than Black” has been done a thousand times before, and therefore
nothing really seems to stick with me after putting the CD back on the shelf.
Like a lot of power metal albums I’ve been receiving lately, this is neither
good nor bad - it simply is. But that’s my opinion: try and ask the staff at
Heavy Oder Was? weather I am right or not? I bet ya they’ll say no. You see,
they picked “Darker Than Black” as the album of the month in their April Issue.
(JJJJJJ) hje
Camarosmith; Camarosmith
Dead Teenager
So, what do we
have here, except for a cool band-name and a solid rock band? Well, twelve
tracks featuring the heaviness of the stoner rock genre, the catchiness and
dept of the Soundgarden-like grunge and just enough blues moodiness to keep
even the most drunken bar-rockers happy. Camarosmith don’t score many points
for originality, but they win a few points home by having the heart at the
right place. Fans of everything from Soundgarden to Black Sabbath will find
something to chew on here. Favorite tune: “Motorgun” – a really heavy blues
song with some really cool harmonica playing. (JJJJJJ) hje
Circle II Circle; Circle II Circle
AFM Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
In 2000, after
touring constantly with Savatage, Zak Stevens decided to leave the band,
concentrating on his family, but as it turns out, Zak just couldn’t live
without his music. So here it is, his new band: Circle II Circle. Actually, Zak
never really retired from writing and playing music, as the songwriting for
this record already started in 2001, when he and Jon Olivia started to record
some early ideas. Musically Circle II Circle sounds like a natural progression
from Zak’s time with Savatage, but heavy metal fans will be glad to know that
Circle II Circle has a life all on their own. (JJJJJJ) hje
Crimson Moonlight; The Covenant Progress
Rivel Records
While not
being very well known outside of the Christian extreme music sub-culture, these
guys have actually gotten some positive response in a few Scandinavian
metal-magazines. Truth be told, though, they’re far from being on the same
level as bands like Satyricon, Emperor (R.I.P.) or even other Christian black
metal bands like Extol. They’re far from being bad, though, it’s just that
there’s some way from not being bad and actually being top of the game.
Musically we’re in the typical Scandinavian black metal world with lots of
chaotic soundscapes with a fair share atmospheric keyboard-parts. The main
difference between Crimson Moonlight and their contemporaries probably lies
within their lyrics that praise God instead of Lucifer. I guess you shouldn’t
be afraid off getting hit by a sheep’s head when attending a Crimson Moonlight
show, then – a bible perhaps, but definitely not the head of a sheep. Satanic
black metal fans should get this - perhaps it could knock some sense into their
sorry heads. No, really, I am just kidding – that is not up to me to decide,
but what’s wrong with a little positivety? (JJJJJJ) hje
Dirty Power; Dirty Power
Dead Teenager
With nu-metal,
emo and retro-rock still being the biggest things within rock n’ roll, and with
bands still making some big bucks on pop/punk and neo-grunge, it’s quite
pleasant to hear a band as straight ahead and as uncommercial as Dirty Power.
Their sound is like the name suggests: very dirty and very powerful. Songs like
“LSD” (Lost Souls Day) and “Hey Superman” are destined to spread joy among all
fans of good old heavy metal from the 70’s and 80’s. Don’t be expecting another
average left over hair band from that period, though, because Dirty Power is no
such thing. Instead, they’re what might have come across if the power and
energy of totally different bands like Ac/Dc, Motorhead and Guns n’ Roses were
put in a blender. Sounds alright, doesn’t it? Believe me, it does. (JJJJJJ) hje
Tony Dzik; Smashville
Self-released
Even though
the album-title and the picture of the artist on the back of this promo may
suggest otherwise, this country/folk/blues/rock n’roll CD is not really that
Nashville-sounding as one could be afraid of. Sure, there’s the occasional
Nashville-ism in there, as with most other country-releases coming from the
states, but Tony Dzik (pronounced “Zike” as in “Like”) does give the songs his
own dark little twist, which makes them stand on their own, even in Nashville.
When being particularly dark, Tony can sometimes remind one off Johnny Cash and
Chris Rea, but when being more straight-ahead “contemporary country radio”
friendly he sounds like just about any other country artist out there, of
course with a little folk and blues thrown in. There are even times when Tony
takes time to rock out a bit, even sounding like a Young Elvis at times.
Overall, though, this album can best be described as on the back on this promo:
All songs published by Really Average Tunes. Who came up with the name? It’s
funny, because most of the songs on this disc are really average. Average and
ordinary, and we’re talking both music and lyrics here. Now, the Johnny Cash
sounding moments, that’s where I tend to get on. Oh, and by the way, when will
a country singer make an album without singing about booze and women? It’s just
that it could be refreshing, you know. (JJJJJJ) hje
Everything Must Go; Apocalipstick
Dead Teenager
If you’re
looking for your next Blink 182 alternative, then you can just as well skip
this review, because, even though this is punk, this is nothing like Blink 182.
Actually, Everything Must Go put back the punk into punk rock. Really, they
play punk like punk was supposed to be played: angry, fast and aggressive. Not
that I don’t like modern punk, I do, it’s just that this is taking us back to
the roots, bringing in a whole lot of Black Flag influences, while not being
too old-school to also sounding a bit like newer Rollins Band at times. There’s
nothing original about this release, but it’s definitely something fans of
old-school 80’s punk should be checking out. (JJJJJJ) hje
Exit Ocean; Exit Ocean
Self-released
This is one of
those albums that you expect to blow up on you any minute, but sadly it never
does. Exit Ocean always keep one leg on the floor, even when what they really
should be doing is jumping right up in the air, letting everything go and just
rocking out – plain and simple. I am not saying that this is all bad, because
it’s not, it’s just that there are enough mid-tempo indie-rock albums out there
that are building up atmospheres and expectations of something that never
really gets full-filled. But maybe it’s just me who has these feelings?
Whatever. Exit Ocean is for fans of Sea and Cake. (JJJJJJ) hje
Fairyland; Of Wars In Osyrhia
NTS Records
(Provided by Intromental Management)
Having
previously called themselves both Fantasy and Fantasia, these French guys
apparently had some problems finding a suiting name for themselves. Well,
Fairyland it is then, and it’s actually quite suiting when you hear the music,
but then again, so would both of the other names. When listening to “Of Wars In
Osyrhia” you’ll come to think about fairytales, adventures, fantasy, you’ll
think “Lord Of The Rings”, and if you’re 14-16 you may even think “The
Neverending Story.” You’ll think dragons, castles, forests and things like
that. Yeah, it’s that sort of feelings that are laid in Fairylands music, and
they’re given away with some of the most bombastic, symphonic and epic metal
compositions heard so far this year. Fans of bands like Rhapsody, Angra and
Falconer will love Fairlyland. Of course, Fairyland isn’t quite up there with
the previously mentioned, but they’ll do just fine while waiting on new Angra
and Rhapsody records (Falconer broke up, didn’t they?). (JJJJJJ) hje
Farstar; Broken Down and Wandering
Crucible Records
Even though
Farstar hail from California, their modern pop-rock approach actually sounds
more British to me. Of course, that is because a lot of the bands I’d compare
them to come from England (Deliriou5, Coldplay, Radiohead, etc.). The music of
Farstar is good, but not quite as edgy as any of the aforementioned bands.
Instead we’re talking modern pop-rock that leans a little heavy on the safer
side of modern rock radio, but “Broken Down and Wandering” is still quite good
overall. Me? I’ll listen to it again. (JJJJJJ) hje
Bill Foreman; Chevy W/ Balding Tires
General Ludd Music
It would be a
shame to say that Bill Foreman is the best singer out there. However, it would
be quite accurate to say that Bill knows how to write a good story, as all the
lyrics on this CD seem to be telling a story. But Bill, the
multi-instrumentalist, certainly also knows how to write the music, and not to
mention how to play it. Musically, Bill goes along the lines of American
folk-rock, alt-country and singer/songwriter type of stuff with an occasional
world-music moment here and there, but without ever sounding as safe and
commercial as many of his contemporaries – actually Bill’s music is anything
but safe and commercial. Instead it’s original, interesting and thought
provoking. I will be keeping an eye on this guy. (JJJJJJ) hje
The Grannies; The Grannies
Dead Teenager
The Slipknots
of this world come in many different shapes and forms, and The Grannies come
dressed as, well, grannies. Not funny. Anyways, after listening to the
vinyl-single they did with The Undertones (reviewed elsewhere this issue) I
thought that I was going to hate this album. Not so, though. I actually find
myself enjoying it a whole lot. At times there’s sort of a punk-inspired rock
n’ roll thing going on, not sounding too far away from Motorhead. Other times
the lead-singer sounds like Kurt Cobain, shouting on the top of his longs on
stage with some small-time punk band. At other things are actually getting
quite melodic and catchy. An overall pleasant listen, but still the Grannies
find themselves beaten at the finish-line by label-mates Dirty Power. (JJJJJJ) hje
Helheim; Yersinia Pestis
Massacre Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
Even though
Helheim have releases three albums and an EP prior to this, and even though
they have quite a reputation in Norway, the Bergen group hasn’t been one of the
bands this reviewer has bothered to check out before. It probably has something
to do with the fact that a lot of the hyped bands from Norway haven’t delivered
these last past years. I don’t know, it seems like a scene that once was so
alive, now seems tired, cold and, quite frankly, a parody of itself in its’
prime years. Anyways, Helheim is quite good at what they do. I must admit that
Viking metal isn’t the first thing to come to mind when deciding what music to
listen to, but when putting some newer Viking metal in the player, it might
just as well be Helheim – at least they’re better than some of the new Bathory
material, even though they’re not really that comparable. Overall, Helheim
hasn’t done anything new here, but for fans of the genre and extreme metal fans
in general, this should have plenty to bang along to. (JJJJJJ) hje
The Hope Conspiracy; Endnote
Equal Vision
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
I don’t know
about their homeland, America, but these guys’ talent has been victim of a few
headlines in the UK for sure. Magazines like Kerrang and RockSound seem to have
realized the potential of this band, and after listening to The Hope
Conspiracy’s second album, I can understand why. It’s just a damn fine album
all the way through, mixing the typical aggressive, evil and hateful
Boston-based hardcore with emotion and melody. If you’re into the new school of
hardcore, then you can’t go wrong with this album. (JJJJJJ) hje
Invictus; Black Heart
Limb Music Products
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
These French
guys released two self-released albums under the name Quark 7 before they
changed their name into Invictus and signed to Limb Music. On “Black Heart”
they play solid melodic power metal with a few symphonic moments coming and
going. The sound is very 80’s-ish. If you’re into power metal, I am pretty sure
you’ll be humming along to some of the songs on this disc, and if you’re into a
more traditional melodic 80’s metal kind of thing, you’ll be pleased to hear
that there are a few pretty convincing power-ballads on there too. I like it. (JJJJJJ) hje
King Prawn; Got The Thirst
Golf Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
These guys
might want you to think that they’re hailing from Kingston, but, really,
they’re as British as “Bed and Breakfast.” They’re quite good at the reggae,
ska, punk thing, though, and I actually had a really good time listening to
this record. There aren’t a lot of ska records coming out anymore, so I better
enjoy them as they come, right. No, not really, but I did enjoy this one. These
Londoners should ease up a bit on the “Smoke Some Shit” part, though, because
the mothers of teenage-boys might refuse their sons to go out after dark, just
in case they went to a King Prawn show. But why bother, I bet they get there
somehow anyway and I understand why. (JJJJJJ) hje
Lewis; Progress and Regress
AlterScience Records
Some of you probably
know this band from their Deep Elm album released last year. Well, before
Lewis’ signed to Deep Elm they released this one on AlterScience Records, and
their old record-label has been so kind to send the album to us. So here are a
few words even though the album actually was released in 1999. Lewis play, at
least on this disc, sensible and emotional pop music, heavy on guitar-hooks and
melodies. It’s good, but not exceptional. I haven’t heard their Deep Elm album,
but from what I hear they’ve become a lot better since releasing this album. (JJJJJJ) hje
Linkin Park; Meteora
Warner Bros. Records
Linkin Park’s
“Hybrid Theory” is probably the nu-metal CD I’ve listened to the most together
with P.O.D.’s “Satellite” and System Of A Down’s “Toxicity.” So, is the long
awaited “Meteora” as good as the debut? Well, let me put it this way, I like
it, but it’s not as good as “Hybrid Theory.” Actually, it sounds too much like
“Hybrid Theory.” Bands don’t always get better when they get millions of
dollars on their bank accounts. (JJJJJJ) Ane Erlandsen
Marble; Starlite Storage
MarbleMusic
These guys
definitely have some strange elements going in their music, and they know it.
The press-release says: “When you think you’re hearing a straight-ahead classic
hard rock inspired band the next thing you know you’re confronted with musical
strangeness a la Frank Zappa.” True, so true, but that’s hardly all you’ll be
confronted with on “Starlite Storage,” for when the strangeness of Frank Zappa
takes off again you’ll be hearing the band going through one musical style
after another during the 15 tracks on this CD. For the most part, though, we’re
moving along the lines of the freakier corner of the progrock spectrum, and
it’s not pretty all the time. Overall, Marble should be getting credit for
having a lot of ideas to show for, even though there are definitely times when
you’d wish they’d eased up a bit on the freakiness and concentrated a bit more
on just writing good songs instead of being different. (JJJJJJ) hje
Pantokrator; Blod
River Records
“Blod” is the
Swedish (and Danish and Norwegian for that matter) word for “Blood,” just so
we’re clear about that. All the songs are sung in Swedish, but I think I’ve
translated enough this time around, don’t you think? Anyways, musically
Pantokrator is a cutting-edge death metal band. I wouldn’t say that they’re a
typical Swedish-sounding death metal band, but they definitely have that
melodic part covered, though. However, they have just enough catchiness and
brutality in there to keep things interesting throughout, if that’s what you’re
into, and while not as big on its compositions as the progrock off Brighteye
Brison’s new album (also reviewed in this issue), this is probably my favorite
River Records’ release yet. (JJJJJJ) hje
Ramsie Shick; Sinner’s Serenade
Crucible Records (JJJJJJ)
Ramsie Shick; Personally There
Crucible Records (JJJJJJ)
For some
reason when receiving a bunch of releases from Crucible Records, I also received
these two albums from Ramsie Shick, which both are several years old, but in no
way you hear me complaining, as I find at least one of the two albums really
enjoyable. Well, I enjoyed both of them in one way or another, but one of them
I really, really enjoyed, you know what I am saying? “Personally There” is the
older of the two, and it’s also the one I got really excited about. Because it
was the older one, it was also the one I listened to first, and as I said it
really worked for me. Actually, Ramsie already convinced me off her talent in
track one and she didn’t disappoint after that, even though not all songs are
as good as the opener and title-track. Stylewise she has sort of an alternative
chick pop/rock thing going that at different times can remind one off artists
such as Joan Osborne, Meredith Brooks, Alanis Morrisette and Sheryl Crow, and
even though those are big names to be compared to, overall Ramsie doesn’t shy
away from any of those. On “Sinner’s Serenade”, the newer of these two albums,
Ramsie isn’t quite as convincing as on “Personally There”, but still it isn’t a
bad album. It isn’t all that different from “Personally There”, but “Sinner’s
Serenade” is a bit more raw and features Ramsie sounding a bit more along the
lines of Janis Joplin than previously, not that that is bad thing, but somehow
the songs didn’t come across quite as convincing that time around. Still, as I
said, this isn’t bad. hje
Rawhead Rexx; Diary In Black
AFM Records
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
First off,
this band has got to change their band-name – it is just sooo bad. Secondly,
the very typical metal-cliché cover sucks too. The music on the other hand is
pretty good. It says in the press-release that these guys have been playing
shows with Manic Street Preachers and Body Count (Ice T’s rap-metal band, I
think). Oh, my God, was that misplacing this band. I bet the crowd threw rotten
eggs at them before they got halfway through their set. Playing with the likes
of Annihilator and Saxon must have been matches made in Heaven, though, or Hell
if you want, as I hear influences of both those bands in Rawhead Rexx’ music -
those two, and of course a healthy dose of Iron Maiden. So, style wise there
haven’t been many changes since the debut, then? No, but musically I’d say that
“Diary In Black” is a step in the right direction. (JJJJJJ) hje
Ritutal; Think Like A Mountain
Tempus Fugit/InsideOut
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
InsideOut is
on a roll right now with one amazing release after another coming out, and once
again they surprise with a band that I’ve never even heard off before. Ritual
are from Sweden (who isn’t, really?) and do intelligent, progressive music that
you’re not likely to hear a lot of other places. There is sort of a psychedelic
feel going on throughout this disc, while traditional Swedish folk music
collide with classic rock riffs and progrock soundstructures. Like most other
original bands, Ritual probably will go unnoticed thought their careers by
mainstream music-lovers, but what will mater when they’re 70 and burned out
will be that Past and Present Music said that they were cool. (JJJJJJ) hje
RM 101; Half Of What You Wanted
Indecisive Records
This band has
a really unique way of writing music. The take the best from the indie-pop
scene and combining it with psychedelic progressive jams coming straight out
the 70’s, leaving just enough space for a few heavy guitar assaults to burst
out every now and then. What makes this band even more unique is their use of
trumpets and other jazz-oriented soundstructures that help making this release
being even more spicy. Actually, the only bad thing I can say about this album,
is that the lead-singer sounds too much like Thom Yorke from Radiohead most of
the time. I mean, I absolutely love Thom Yorke, but I think one Thom Yorke is
enough, especially after a zillion indie-singers have secretly been trying to
become him. Still, this is a pretty good album that should appeal to fans of
everyone from Radiohead to King Crimson to Miles Davis. (JJJJJJ) hje
Superfly 69; Dummy of the Day
Sweet Lemon
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
This is catchy
metal with a punky vibe. The two full-length and the two cut-version songs
featured on my promo-copy are ok. Hard to tell about the rest, though. (no
rating) hje
Yasuanao Tone; Self-titled
Asphodel
(Provided by Rooftop Promotion)
Japanese
Yasuanao Tone must be seen as one of the pioneers within the electronic music
world after having created experimental sound-pictures since the early 1960’s.
However, what I find funny, is that he’s still at it at the age of 67, creating
experimental compositions bordering on contemporary electronic music and
noise-structures, but I figure when Alice Cooper is still doing the heavy metal
thing at his age, and even after getting born again, a 67 year old electronic-geek
isn’t so strange anymore, even though other people at his age probably don’t
even know that music like this exists. Overall, I’d say that his first album
for Asphodel is solid stuff if you’re into this kind of music. For everyone
else this will take blood, sweat and tears to get through. I think I’ll give it
an extra spin. (JJJJJJ) hje
Various Artists; Household Name Records: Of London
Household Name Records
Ok, I don’t
even think this compilation can be purchased anymore (it came out with an issue
of Big Cheese Magazine last year), but the label sent it for review, so we’ll
review it anyway. It’s a truly great compilation, which is quite impressive for
a label as young as Household Name Records. Actually, if you read Kerrang, Big
Cheese or and/or RockSound, you probably know that Household Name Records is
considered to be one of the, or perhaps even THE, label in Britain that
releases the best ska-albums. Of course, they also release punk and hardcore,
but a lot of labels do that very well these days. What sets’ Household Name
apart from the rest is the very cool ska-releases that even Golf Records and
the likes can’t compete with. Not all music on this compilation has actually
been released by Household Name, but most of it has, and most of it is really
good too. What I like best on this disc, is the opener “Faith No More” by
Capdown and “Check List” by Big D and the Kids Table, but the likes of Captain
Everything, Five knuckle and Thinktankt will do what’s in their power to make
this a pleasant ride for whoever might be listening. Good stuff. (JJJJJJ) hje
Various Artists; Ragamuffin Hip Hop 2
Lion Of Zion
Here’s another
compilation from the reggae label, this time with the concept being hip hop. As
on most other compilations from the label, we’re presented to artists like
Christafari, Sherwin Gardner, Youth Exodus, Tiko & Ghita, Spiritual Ninja
and Monty G, but as those artists ready do specialize in reggae much rather
than hip hop, it has been necessary to bring in a few guest-starts in for a lot
of the songs here. Yeah, we’re talking guests-contributions from some
well-known (and a few not so well-known) faces from the Christian hip hop scene
like Priesthood and Redcloud among others. As you can imagine, the result is a
heavily reggae and dancehall-fused hip hop cocktail. Imagine commercial hip hop
and rap being combined with some of the least commercial reggae around and
you’ll not be far off. Not all songs are great on this disc, but overall this definitely
isn’t bad, though. (JJJJJJ) hje
Various Artists; Roots Of Dub Funk 3
Tanty Records
I never had a
chance at listening to the two previous compilations in this series, so, of
course, it’s kind of hard to say if this one compares to the other two or even
to say if this one is as good as the previous ones. I take it that at least
musicians have thought that “Roots of Dub Funk 1 & 2” were a great deal,
because according to the press-release over 90 CD-R’s were sent in from all
over the world for consideration for this record. Only twelve cuts have made it
on the final edition, and I am telling you, it’s a collection of some of the
finest reggae, dub, funk and dancehall you’re likely to hear all year, and just
for the record, this isn’t one of those “safe” albums that rely totally on
slick production and high technology, but an album where the music flows from
the heart. So weather you’re into dancehall chanting, jazzy and funky
dub-grooves or simplistic roots reggae, you’ll love this. You’ll love it for
the heavy bass, the charming horn playing, the laid-back echo-arrangements and
a lot of other things. (JJJJJJ) hje
Various Artists; To The King…
Lion Of Zion
What I find a
bit troubling about a label like Lion Of Zion, is the fact that most of their
releases the last year have been compilation, and each and every time they
feature more or less the same artists. Well, here’s another one, and again it
features artists like Sherwin Gardner, Vanessa Briggs, Spritual Ninja, Youth
Exodus, Tiko & Gitta and Monty G. Like always there’s sort of a theme going
on. In the past the theme has often been centered around a certain music style,
like roots regga, dancehall, hip hop or something like that, but there’ve also
been releases where there has been more of a lyrical theme. Ok, sure, you could
say that all Lion of Zion releases have the same lyrical theme, more or less,
as the main focus is always on God. This time the lyrical theme is praise and
worship – praising and worshipping God. And for the occasion there have been
used tradition and new songs. Youth Exodus deliver the best tracks on here in
form of “Always and Forevermore” and “Everything”, while Sherwin Gardner’s “I
Worship You” and “Can’t Live Without You (Mega-Mix)” by Vanessa Briggs, Sherwin
Gardner and Monty G are absolutely to be seen as a definite highlights. (JJJJJJ) hje
With Dead Hands Rising; Behind Inquisition
Life Sentence Records
Life Sentence
Records was one of the coolest underground record-labels that I got introduced
to last year – they just have some of the most amazing metalcore bands on their
rooster. Until now they’ve pretty much been unknown by the masses, but I think
that some of their bands could become huge within the metalcore scene. With
Dead Hands Rising is one of the bands that should have a bright future ahead of
them. I heard them on a Life Sentence three-way-split-album last year, and was
blown away by their furious metalcore fused with melodic metal parts. Of
course, the sound didn’t do them 100% justice that time around, but this time
improvements have been made in that department. And musically, these guys are
just as stinking tight as on the split-CD. If you’re into metalcore, do
yourself a favor and check them out – they rip. (JJJJJJ) hje
Wizard; Odin
Limp Music Products
(Provided by Nordic Metal)
2001’s “Head
Of The Deceiver” didn’t do anything for me. I can’t honestly think off any
album at all that sounds as much as Manowar copycat material than that
particular album. Wizard haven’t changed much: they still chase every true
metal cliché in the book and they still sound an awful lot like Manowar – and
as on previous albums even the album-cover suggest 100% true metal. That said,
the songs are actually a little better this time around, and if you’re a sucker
for this kind of thing, then Wizard probably will be right up your alley. Like
Manowar before them, Wizard have an ear for producing memorable sing-a-long
choruses, and I am sure a lot of Manowar fans will be singing along to some of
the songs on “Odin.” There’s luckily one thing that makes Wizard differ a bit
from Manowar: the concept on “Odin.” Instead of doing the same old and tired
“Gods-of-metal vs. defenders-of-metal-fight-and-kill” kind of thing, they’re
hailing the Gods from the Norse mythology (Odon, Thor etc.), but, honestly,
even though that may be another set of Gods than the ones Manowar so frequently
sing about, this still has been done plenty of times before within metal
circles. (JJJJJJ) hje
Wuthering Heights; To Travel For Evermore
Lucretia Records
(Provided by Intromental Management)
Danish metal
bands haven’t been hanging from the trees lately, but it seems like that is all
changing now with Nuclear Blast signing them by the truck-loads, and several
others being signed to other smaller labels. One of the best exports from the
Danish progressive metal scene is Wuthering Heights from Copenhagen (ok, not
all members are Danish, but let’s forget that shall we?). Even though I live
just outside of Copenhagen, I can’t say that I’ve ever heard Wuthering Heights
music before, even though I’ve heard the praise from other progfans. The hype
is well deserved to say the least, and Wuthering Heights definitely has no need
to shy away on the international progmetal scene. The band compares itself to
the likes of Symphony X, Angra, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody, which actually
gives a pretty good description of what Wuthering Heights sound like.
Especially the Rhapsody part shines through on “To Travel For Evermore.” Fans
of power, neo-classical and progressive metal will find both the musical
ability of this band, as well as the production of Tommy Hansen to be top
notch. (JJJJJJ) hje
Single/EP
of the month:
Pulby; The Soundfreeze EP
Dead Digital
For Christ’s
sake, Record-labels send more stuff like this to us for review. The stuff on
this EP is delicious; danceable and yet very relaxing. It comes with techno-ish
beats, gentle guitars, lush harmonies and melancholic vocals that all gathers
into a higher existents, namely quality music. I’d definitely like to hear more
from this band in the future. (JJJJJJ) hje
Other
singles, EP’s & short demo’s this month:
Awek; Awek
New Amsterdam Records
Here’s another EP that’s really easy to
fall in love with. We’re talking sweet indie-rock on this debut-EP that they’ve
released on their own label. The EP features five really strong songs that
perhaps don’t get under the skin after the first few listens, but after you’ve
gotten to know them, it’ll take more than a shower to shake them off again.
Here’s to D.I.Y. (JJJJJJ) hje
Kasey Curtis; Timeless
Crusible Records
The six songs on this EP sure pass by
quickly, but they do leave an impression, however. Vocally Kasey Curtis sounds
like a cross between Rebecca St. James and Alanis Morrisette, but musically
she’s much more pop and CCM oriented, while having a few country influences
thrown in for good measure in “Joy.” All songs on this disc are about the light
of Kasey’s life, God, and she sings them out with passion – like if she
believes in what she is singing. If you’re into the contemporary Christian
music scene, then this should have you covered and then some. (JJJJJJ) hje
Enigmatic; Where Evil Is Cloistered
Self-released
This French band is obviously influenced
both by death and black metal, as the black metal atmosphere of Dimmu Borgir
and the brutality of death metal shine through on this six-song disc.
Unfortunately, the production isn’t quite doing this French band full justice
in making this an interesting listen. On a different note, these guys aren’t
musically quite up there with the best within any of the aforementioned genres
just yet, which means that this demo is definitely expendable. There simply has
to come something a little more original from these guys, before I would call
myself a fan. The piano intro in track two is excellent, though. (JJJJJJ) hje
Gafftape; Klout
Self-released
These guys rock. Yeah, I know I’ve said
that a lot lately, I guess it’s because Past and Present has been receiving
more music than ever before lately, but, really, these guys really do rock.
They rock so hard that it was a close run choosing the “single/EP of the month”
this time (except for the actual winner, Pulby, the split between XcanaanX and
Thirty Seconds To Armageddon” was also in consideration). Anyway, these guys
remind me off bands like Demon Hunter. They have the same really melodic side
to their metallic hardcore songs. Songs like “Bunny Boiler” and “Rotation”
sound like something that could’ve been taken straight off of the new Demon
Hunter album. Gafftape is heavy as a metal band, aggressive as a hardcore band
and catchy as a pop-rock band. This is good stuff. (JJJJJJ) hje
The Grannies/The Undertones;
Sorry/Teenage Kicks (Split vinyl)
Dead Teenager
Here’s a vinyl-single I’ve received from
Dead Teenager. It must be kind of rare, because there’s no info on it on the
Dead Teenager website. Anyways, this is definitely not the best release to come
from that label. Both songs on this record sound like put together in a hurry.
On side A we have The Grannies and their song “Sorry”, and on the B-side we
have The Undertones and “Teenage Kicks.” This isn’t the cure for cancer, but if
fast and punky rock n’ roll type of stuff will do then go all out. (JJJJJJ) hje
Isreal; Antient Tale
Self-released
I know
absolutely nothing about this band. Well, except for their name and the title
of this demo. I don’t even know what the tracks are called. All I got was a
CD-R copy of this demo. No biography, no nothing. Anyways, Isreal play
mid-tempo heavy metal that is varied enough, but not nearly interesting enough
for me to listen to again after finishing this review. (JJJJJJ) hje
Loman; Demo
Self-released
On this demo
Loman deliver three mid-tempo tracks with an metallic edge and a grungy groove.
It isn’t the most original set of songs you’re likely to hear in 2003, but I’d
still like to hear more from this band in the future. Not bad, but not really
great either. (JJJJJJ) hje
Tripswitch; Tripswitch
Self-released
People seem to
be getting awfully tired of nu-metal these days, but not all of it is bad, you
know. At least, that’s what Tripswitch might be here to tell you through their
modern metallic compositions. Drawing influences from the likes of One Minute
Silence, Raging Speedhorn and Earthtone9, Tripswich might sound like any other
English metal band, but with Fear Factory-like sampling and System Of A Down
strangeness added to the mix, they’re sure not to be tagged as copycats of any
of the previously mentioned. This is a good EP, but it’s just too bad that the
lead-singer suffers a bit from the Jonathan Davis syndrome. Not much, but
without help it might become worse, you know. It’s a good thing that he manages
to control his illness reasonably well, though. No shit, this is a cool EP. (JJJJJJ) hje
Vantage Point; High Plains Drifter
Vantage Records
This release from Irish Vantage Point
doesn’t do much for me. It’s a ride through three tracks of traditional heavy
metal with the obligatory screaming guitar-solos and high-pitched vocals.
Unfortunately, none of it comes even close to what is considered to be the most
important music within this field. If you want to get a hold of this, you
better be a big fan of traditional heavy metal. (JJJJJJ) hje
XCanaanX/Thirty Seconds To Armageddon;
Split-EP (vinyl)
Ignition Records
Last month I said that the British
metalcore scene was growing bigger and bigger and that Ignition Records had two
of the coolest bands to look out for within this genre. Well, make that four,
as both XcanaanX and Thirty Seconds To Armageddon are some of the maddest
metalcore fuckers around. Neither of the two are quite insane enough to put up
a fight with Zao (R.I.P.), but don’t let that come between the three of you,
since neither of the two is far from it either. And besides, Thirty Seconds To
Armageddon’s “Drone” is one of the coolest metalcore songs to come out from any
metalcore band in, like, ages. Well, since Zao’s “Parade Of Chaos” anyway.
Check this really cool piece of a 2x2 vinyl tracker out – who knows, it might
surprise ya? (JJJJJJ) hje