Vanderbuyst - Flying Dutchmen

So, you've heard of Steel Panther by now, right? They're good, they're real good; but they're gimicky. Vanderbuyst is the real deal. These guys can crank out some serious tunes. First thing that caught my eye about the album was the cover. It's just the three band members against a white background with the band's name in rainbow covered angular font, true 80s class.

I gave it a listen, I gave it another listen, hell, I didn't stop. When I say this album is 80s to the core, I don't mean your stereotypical high pitched vocals loads of silky guitar, synthy drums and douchey (phonetically and characteristically) snare. Oh no, this is the down and dirty 80s. The kind of 80s rock you listen to when you're John Rider from "The Hitcher."

This band really has its own sound. Sometimes you'll hear some Megadeth, some power pop influences, but really, they do their own thing. The songs all pop, they stick in your head. The album's title track (kind of) "The Flying Dutchman" is a catchy catchy catcher of a catchy song. "Give Me One More Shot," is a power ballad, but it feels great to listen to and headbang with. The album's lead, "Frivolous Franny," almost has a Van Halen feel to it, almost. It's grindy and dirty and sleazy as hell. It's all just fun to listen to. Put your sunglasses on, roll your windows down, light one up and ride.

I've got it on shuffle a lot, and when it comes on I can always tell who it is, instantly. They have a sound, it's cohesive, and bitchin.

This band is the real deal, check them out. Oh look, this CD releases the day I'm writing this.

--Headshot


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vanderbuyst/100980883276480

Curse of Disobedience - S/T

A while back I wrote about the deep south, home-brewed heavy metal of Arise Within.  Kinda spartan, kinda raw, but when they hit their groove, pretty damn effective.  "Black Pearl" made it's way onto the Ripple Effect sampler, and sat well with the other heaviness.

Well, turns out that guitarist Paul Hill has another band, one based in Texas (not his native Mississippi) and rather than being a two piece like Arise, here we got a full-fledged outing.  Their new disc popped into Ripple a while back, and somehow immediately got misplaced under the unslaught brought in by Postman Sal.  But ReverbNation has several tracks that are worth checking out.

Plying a more doomy end of the metal spectrum, Curse of Disobedience is a more fleshed-out venture than Arise.  The sound is fuller, thicker, and more menacing, and benefits from a fuller production.  I've always been a fan of D.I.Y ethic music, and these guys got it going in spades.

"Letting Go" is pure post-Sabbath doom, haunting and mesmerizing.  The vocals of David Hernandez are perfectly Ozzy-ish, while Paul's guitar has more room in the expanded arrangement to distinguish itself.  This is halloween doom, and perfect for scaring the kiddies.

"Tooth and Nail" rides a damn impressive opening riff with a gutsy industrial tone before locking into a steady groove that should appeal to any doomster.  "Fist of Rage," also shows off the gutsier production to good effect, pounding out loud and heavy and full, with some searing guitar licks tossed in.  Overall, each track benefits not just from being heavy, but from having some significant melody as well.  A plus for any metal album.  

The band has 3 albums done now.  There's a 2-CD Curse of Disobedience set out there, and the self-titled and Reflections albums are available on Amazon and iTunes.   Their new album, Reborn should be heading there soon. 

Doomy and metalic.  Thick and heavy.  Worth Checking out.

--Racer


http://www.reverbnation.com/curseofdisobedience

A Ripple Roadtrip - The Way Back - Featuring Joey Ramone, the Bombay Royale, Corsair, White Light Cemetery, Jazzanova, and The Orb featurng Lee Scratch Perry

Not quite 30 hours after arrival - time spent taking Ripple inventory, eating burritos, doughnuts, and watching way too much bad sci-fi with my recuperating Ripple partner, the Pope -- and I found my self back on the road.  Early Sunday morning, up before the sun, desperately aiming to get through the quagmire of LA before . . .whatever.  LA just sucks.  Let me get through there as fast as possible. 

Which I did.  Man, I set a land speed record.  San Diego to downtown LA in 1 hour 15 minutes.  To the downside of the Grapevine in 2 1/2 hours and all the way home to SF Area in 6 1/2 hours.  Flying!

Not a lot of time for music, but the player was always going.  Here's what played.

Joey Ramone  - Ya Know?

Ok. We all know Joey Ramone.  A posthumous collection of songs can often be a dicey affair.  Were these quality songs left behind by a legend or crap demos rushed out by greedy record execs to capitalize on his still surging fame?   Fortunately, and undeniably, the former.  When Joey Ramone died from lymphoma in April of 2001 he left behind a cache of songs in various states of completion and fidelity. Some of them appeared on Don’t Worry About Me, released in early 2002.  Now a decade later comes another batch of Joey classics.   One cool thing is that the music itself was re-recorded by a handful of Ramone’s friends and collaborators over the years, including Joan Jett, the E Street Band’s Stevie Van Zandt and Plasmatics guitarist Richie Stotts.  Sure, they're a bit more produced than we'd expect from a Ramones release, but the quality of the songs deserves it and never do they suffocate under the production.

Instead, what we got are some slightly poppier than expected, but still full-on Ramones-esque cuts like, "Rock 'n Roll is the Answer, and "Going Nowhere Fast."  Joey's voice is perfect throughout.  That same voice we've known all these years, sounding strangely liberated, having fun, and more soulful at times than I'd expect.  All in all, songs that do the legacy of Joey proud and make us realize just how much we miss him.

The Bombay Royale - You Me Bullets Love 

As the Pacific Ocean began to fade away to my left side, and the sprawl of Orange County took over, Joey Ramone popped out of the player and this . . . this . . .  well, this way cool disc popped in.  The band name and album title kinda say it all.  Imagine if Peter Gunn took a rocketship to Bombay in the mid-60's.  James Bond in New Dehli.  Freaky cool spy-theme instrumentals mixed with Bollywood psychedelic cinemascopic dreams.   Trumpets, trombone, keys, sitars . . .it's all here.  Some violin, some almost flamenco sounding horn.  Even a beach guitar vibe.  It's just crazy cool.  A lost 60's spy-flick soundtrack in search of the perfect love-in groove-fest movie.  Put this on as the party starts and watch the eyebrows raise, the hips shake, and the lava lamps flow.  Groovy.  http://thebombayroyale.com/?clickthrough=1

Corsair - S/T

Another band I know well making the perfect accompanyment to my drive as I blow through LA.  And in case you can't tell by now -- I just can't blow through LA fast enough.  It was a while back that Marie Landragin dropped their debut EP into my lap, and now they're following it up with a ful-length.  Yep, everything I loved about the debut is still their.  That fantastic dual lead harmony guitar work, the raw and roughened production, the faint NWOBHM DIY feeling, all the way down to the self-printed CD cover.  Perhaps this one leans even more into the Thin Lizzy camp, with a track like "Chaemera," sounding like it could've been a lost outtake or demo, with the harmony guitar leads and the very Phil Lynott-voiced phrasing.  In truth, I'd love to see them bust a bit more away from the Lizzy blueprint and explore some of their own territory, but if you're looking for an old school, guitar rock album, look no further.  http://corsair.bandcamp.com/

White Light Cemetery - S/T EP

Ok.  LA is behind me.  Hell yes!  Open road ahead.  Time to rock.  In pops the new White Light Cemetery Ep and I'm groovin' just fine  Hands pounding the steering wheel in manical fits, head bopping dangerously away from watching the road, foot stomping on the gaspedal like a damn bass drum.  That's what WLC does to me.  A bit post-grunge, NOLA rough 'n ready rock.  Yeah, there's lots of COC in there and the songs aren't complicated, but who the hell says rock has to be?   This is balls out sludge-fest of gutty vocals  and pounding shit.  I know these guys.  I love these guys.  I put them on the Ripple Effect Presents: Volumen One, didn't I?  Now go listen to them.  http://www.reverbnation.com/whitelightcemetery

Jazzanova - Funkhaus Studio Sessions

Getting closer to home.  Ears starting to bleed.  Need to calm things down a bit.   Jazzanova have been around for years and years.  I've got lots of their chill-out jazz/soul triphop stuff lying around and I've always dug them.  This album is no exception.  A bit more R&B at first than I expected, but good R&B.  Not overly produced. Soulful with dynamite vocals.  Playful and fun.  It's allowing my ears to rest as the album plays out through moods of gentle dance, downtempo, funk, jazz and always soul.  Always soul.  Definitely worth checking if you dig R&B and can't believe what the producers have wrecked upon that once proud genre.   http://www.jazzanova.com/

The Orb - Featuring Lee Scratch Perry - The Observer in the Star House

Ok.  Home stretch.  Pulling off the 5 onto the 580 and close enough to home that I can smell my dogs waiting for me.  In pops the "scariest " CD of the batch.  What do I mean by that ? Well.  I know Lee Scratch Perry.  He's a well-deserved legend of dub and reggae.  And I know the Orb, and I've been less than impressed with their overly-synthed dance/trance stuff over the years.  So what happens when you combine a legendary producer/toaster with an electronic dance outfit that hits me like fingernails on a chalkboard?   Surprisingly, a damn fine dub record.   Fortunately, the album is all about Lee Perry.  His unique scratch of a voice, his tone, his phrasing.  In fact, it's not that different from the last Lee Perry album I reviewed.  But the Orb do make their presence felt, in very understated, wel-done effects, tones, and beats.   Swallowing the 20 billion beats per minute flavor of modern dance/trance, The Orb blend beautifully with the vibe of Perry's dub.  It all just flows and ebbs and does so seamlessly.  Diehard fans of the Orb's ambient house may hate this album.  But fans of experimental dub have nothing to fear.  A perfect ride to end my drive. 

That's all. . . until the next roadtrip.

--Racer

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata

Pandora's Piñata has been one of the most difficult albums that I’ve ever had to review. On one hand, I could simply say, ‘You just have to sit down and listen.’ But, that doesn’t do this record any justice. There aren’t enough words to describe the album, but then again, sometimes less is better. Conundrum. Pandora's Piñata is a God damn conundrum. But in all the good ways.

Diablo Swing Orchestra is a band that, intentionally or unintentionally, challenges their listeners. Not in that over-your-head, too-smart-for-their-own-good kind of way that a lot of prog-rock bands will do, but more in that this Swedish outfit effortlessly incorporates sonic delights without it ever feeling forced. The listeners challenge is simply that we sit back and think, ‘How in God’s name did they think of doing that?’ or ‘Why on earth did they do that and how is it possible that it didn’t derail the entire song?’ 

Few bands can seamlessly fuse elements of swing jazz, Latin jazz, classical, heavy metal, noise, a little electronic, and house it all under big top carnival tent. Numerous, almost unrelated stylistic sounds into it and never sounds forced. Diablo Swing Orchestra can and do, and they keep the music heavily emotional, albeit with a little air of Tim Burton goth throughout. In short, Pandora's Piñata is brilliant. In long? How much time have you got? 

From the opening snap of the drums on “Voodoo Mon Amour” to the fading electro-techno drone of the album closer, “Justice For Saint Mary”, Diablo Swing Orchestra satisfy the listening (and dancing) audience with a thrill-a-minute joy ride of musical excesses. The lead track offers up a tremendous burst of trumpet led swing jazz followed up by thunderous and rhythmic heavy metal, and all sung with a juxtaposed female swing and male haunted gothic-ness. The entire track is littered with chaotic ear candy (huh . . . just got it. Pandora's Piñata. Break open the piñata and get all the candy you can consume), such as cello’s, a variety of brass, and drums that are brimming with character.

The band injects a ton of Latin rhythms and brass textures with “Guerilla Laments”, and simply gets this music fan shaking his ass. This song is an amazing groove laden beast, and made constantly compelling with the vocal harmonies. The breakdown near the three minute mark instantly teleports the listen to street party held in a Central American Zócalo, complete with colorful Spanish regalia, string hung lanterns, the smell of pollo, carnitas and carne asada permeating the early evening air. It’s a party we should all be at . . . passing a jug of tequila around the square as we dance our feet bloody!

Things turn suddenly dark and violent with “Kevlar Sweethearts” and things come to a head on “Exit Strategy Of A Wrecking Ball” (quite possibly one of the coolest song titles ever). The drums on the latter track are stunning! Hell . . . the pure dynamics on this track are enough to write a 400-page Manifesto! The tune opens with a maelstrom of heavy metal riffagery that creates images of breaking shit, and while this is all going on, the band manages to incorporate violins into the mix to make everything sound (if possible) even more menacing. Oh . . . they’re not done with mixing shit up . . . then the electronics and horns drop in the create a wondrous background for the vocal talents of Daniel Håkansson to shine. The song rolls all over the damn place, drifting to the serene then back to the utterly dark and violent. The turning point on this track is from the four minute mark on . . . full on serenity with this uneasy tension slowly building, and then Håkansson seems to lose his fuckin’ mind and everything explodes! Absolutely fantastic execution of build and release of tension in music . . . seriously, these guys should teach a class on the subject.

To show that the band isn’t all violence and hard rhythms all the time, they deliver “Aurora” and “Honey Trap Aftermath”. The former sounding like a soundtrack from a Disney Fantasy scene, the latter a smooth, white-boy funk track. The vocals emit that sex appeal, but with an underlying sinister quality. Once I hear the chorus, it’s stuck with me for the rest of the day . . . full on ear candy . . . and delicious! 

The album wraps up with two tracks that bring all of the chaos back to the forefront. “Of Kali Ma Calibre” is an epic journey led by the vocal performance of Annlouice Loegdlund that shifts from a marching beat to a thunderous metallic beat down. Of further note, the drumming on this track is furious and emotional and frenzied and, most of all, just a goddamn good listen! The album closer is a progressive gem . . . “Justice For Saint Mary” might be my favorite individual track on the album simply because of the its sprawling elegance, its diverse moods, and dynamic shifts. The performances of the all of the musicians involved is above stellar, no one overplaying their part and everyone working in unity towards the completion of a brilliant song. 

Pandora's Piñata is right up there at the top of my Album’s of the Year. No question. It’s an album that I can’t stop listening to (hence the delay in writing this review) and one that I don’t want to stop listening to. I listen to this album so much that I almost feel guilty that I’m not paying attention to some of the other fantastic releases in my collection. Hey . . . it’s not an album for everybody coz’ not everyone gets the operatic vocals and the horns mixed with heavy metal, or the tempo changes, or the weirdness that is Diablo Swing Orchestra. That’s fine. I can live with that, but y’all should at least take a moment to listen to the album, turn off any preconceived notion that music has to be kept in a box, and enjoy the bombast. 

That’s enough from me . . . I gotta’ go find an affordable copy of the vinyl edition. I have serious work to do!

Pope

http://www.diabloswing.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diablo-Swing-Orchestra/61680950315

Wo Fat - The Black Code

Up until about a month ago, I had never heard Wo Fat. I was familiar with their name, and quite honestly, I was intimidated. I’ve already explained this to Kent Stump (guitars/vocals) of the band, so we’re all good there. I had some weird, preconceived notion that if I listened to Wo Fat, well . . . something violent would happen within my head, something unforeseen would damage my already damaged psyche and my personal End of Days would be right around the corner.

Actually, after having spent some time with the Wo Fatcatalog, I can’t dispute any of the above mentioned possibilities are out of the question.

Enough babble . . . on with The Black Code!

The latest Wo Fat release, as found on Small Stone Records, is a devastatingly heavy album. Where the previous album, Noche Del Chupacabra, was a heavy beast of a record, The Black Code up’s the game and redefines the word “heavy”. The production is a little crisper, and that adds a greater definition of the variety of tones that the band uses to convey their menace. The greater definition makes the cleaner portions of the music cleaner, therefore, when the heavy portions drop, it feels even more overwhelming than before. But none of the knob twiddling and sound engineering knowledge would mean shit if the music wasn’t up to par . . . and folks, The Black Code beyond par . . . it’s a hole-in-one, if you really want to follow a golf analogy!

The songs, while at times are marathon in length, they’re so well conceived and executed that they don’t feel like they’re as long as they are. The individual performances from the trio of musicians is top notch and, while the focus may be on the guitar heroics of Stump, the rhythm section of Tim Wilson (bass) and Mike Walter (drums) keeps this sludge-y, doom-y, Lords of All That Is Heavy sound moving in the right direction. Grok . . . to listen to the rhythm section alone is a lesson that every bassist and drummer should enroll in. This tandem kills it . . . every minute of every song . . . which allows Stump’s guitar work to soar to the heavens when he’s not following along the trail that’s being blazed ahead of him.

Opening the album with “The Lost Highway”, I was originally surprised that with the subtle injections of blues mixed in with groove. By no means was it a “bad” surprise, it just wasn’t what I was expecting and it was a welcome change from those preconceived notions that I had going into this record. The riffs follow aplenty and savagery of the rhythms make the body roll with the groove. Brutally heavy music, but done with class. It’s not heavy just for the sake of posturing and knuckle dragging Neanderthalic music fans . . . it’s heavy with a purpose and as a way of life. What could get lost if one’s not paying attention on this particular gem, is the bridge leading to the wah-ed out guitar solo. There’s a dynamic there, a building tension, and when that sucker breaks, it’s like dam busting open and getting caught up in the oncoming rush of water. Try to cling to the guitar solo for some buoyancy, but beware . . . the thundering crash of the rhythm section will try to break your grasp. Fucking great song!

The title track follows next, and for over ten minutes, you will be bombarded with a tune so finely crafted in the ways of the Heavy that it may go down as the blueprint for those who follow. The tone that Stump gets out of his rig is awesome, and I don’t mean the overused meaning of the word . . . you will truly find yourself sitting in front of your speakers with mouth agape and staring in wild wonder at how such a heft can come from an instrument . . . you will be in awe, ergo . . . his tone is awesome. Once the band kicks in and the trio is riffing in unison, damn, it’s an example of the fierceness that these guys can seemingly whip out without a thought. It feels natural and organic, nothing is forced, almost as if these guys are connected by the strain of DNA and they have become a living, breathing, riffing single entity. Again, the Wilson/Walter tandem hold a great groove in the mid-portion of the song while Stump goes absolutely nuts! Jesus . . . the sounds this guy gets from his guitar are insane! And, when the trio drop back into the main riff, the tempo goes up and it’s a stunning sensation . . .

Only five songs in length, but clocking in at over forty-five minutes, The Black Code is rife with sonic exploration and extended jams. Sit back and take the journey, man . . . and when you get to the album closer, “Sleep of the Black Lotus”, I’ll be here waiting to wax poetic about its brilliance. I’m thinking that this is my personal fave off the album, but I have a sneaking hunch that “The Shard of Leng” may be lurking in the shadows to usurp the closer from this temporary throne. “Black Lotus” is a gem of heavy rock . . . in fact, if you close your eyes and image hard enough, you can actually see someone chipping away at the edges of a piece of ore yanked unmercifully from the earth, and the gleaming radiance of the precious rock shining from the crud surrounding it. That’s how I hear this song . . . beauty and elegance wrapped in a shell of darkened, crusted matter.

Wo Fat may still be creeping around the underground, but don’t think that this creature of the depths won’t be pulling itself out of the muck to spend time in the sun. These guys are on the rise and The Black Code is the elevator that will lift them to a greater audience, a more receptive ear. It’s an album that just stuns with every listen, not just in song structure, but instrumental performances and sonic execution. With the year coming to a close, I suspect this album will be on my Year End Best Of List. I can’t see it not being there. The album was done so well that the music just can’t be ignored.

--Pope

http://wofat.net/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wo-Fat/127735577283067

Earthen Grave - Earthen Grave

I’ll be the first to tell you that I have no idea who the band Trouble is. I’ve seen their name and logo floating around in conversation and press for something like twenty years, but for some reason, I never followed up to find out anything on these guys. And, as of this writing, I still haven’t. I have other things to follow up on at the moment, and one of those things is a new band called Earthen Grave, which was founded by ex-Trouble bassist, Ron Holzner. Ta-da! See what I did there? Tried to link to the past with the present.

Earthen Grave just released their first full length, self-titled album, and folks . . . this is some heavy stuff. Perhaps, not the heaviest music I’ve ever heard, but it’s done with a unique flair that I appreciate wholeheartedly. Doom, as a genre, can be boring and derivative, at least to me . . . and if you know me, you know I like my music to push boundaries, get experimental, and explore new ideas to further expand said genre. Earthen Grave do just that. They work in textural passages, classical instruments, quieter instruments, and additional voices to create a style of Doom that constantly perks the ears towards the new nuances.

Case in point, check out the second track on the album called “Life Carries On”. The songs crushes with a great guitar riff, first in the left speaker, then picked up in the right, then back to the left . . . heavy, right? Then, barely fifteen seconds in, the ears are treated to the piercing wail of a violin. Not something obnoxious, but keyed in with the other instruments and complimenting their sounds. This pleasant little surprise is provided by the virtuosic talents of Rachel Barton Pine. Perfect notes played at the perfect times, adding textures where needed, and providing mesmerizing solos that steal the spotlight. I love the way the violins mesh so well with the ever powerful guitar work of Jason Muxlow and Tony Spillman, almost as if they’re holding their own private conversation within the master work, but never completely overshadowing the song. Of special note, check out the violin/guitar/guitar solo(s) around the 3:45 mark . . . the brilliance in the rhythm section holding down that Middle Eastern tinged groove and then having the soloists coming in to add the layers of sexy spice and sultry flavor, all flying around the senses in chaotic fashion, but never out of control.

Then there’s “Dismal Times”. Doom-y and dirge-y, with its slow and somber opening passage, then building to a guitar fueled riff in classic palm muted fury . . . this song is a horned fist thrown in the air and an homage to all that is classic heavy metal. Again, the violins add great textures and a fresh voice to the menacing and oppressing musical tones. The solo that Barton Pine lays down midway through the song is chilling and morose, caked in a veil of cobwebs from a haunted castle passageway. Then, the eruption of the band coming back in and the upbeat, mosh inducing riffology! Killer stuff! Serve me music with dynamics like this all day, all night . . . I’ll eat it up!

“Beneath A Shovel Load” is another classic metal ditty that opens with soaring and diving guitar antics, a devastating droning rhythm, and some well timed distorted guitar chugs. String bending and mind altering, Earthen Grave deliver a scorcher of muscle flexing metal. This one is a full on headbanging groover that makes me want to dust of the old leather jacket or denim vest and sequester myself in a steaming room of like minded music freaks. I’m digging the guitars on this track, especially when one of the guitarists decides to sustain the notes while the other continues the multi-noted rhythmic groove. Subtle, but effective. Bitchin’ guitar solo on this track, as well. The violin solo towards the end of the tune is outstanding . . . full of energy, anger, excitement!

This album took some time to grow on me, but I’m finding myself going back to it more and more as time goes on. If Earthen Grave is the future of Doom, then the genre is in good hands. As I mentioned, I’m not the biggest of Doom fans, but when it’s performed and executed like this self-titled album, I could very easily be on the road to embracing the genre with greater tolerance. Every song has something fresh and unique thrown into the mix, whether it’s a female vocal harmony or a violin or an acoustic guitar,Earthen Grave are seemingly working towards separating their music from that of the masses. Heavy, yet with flashes of elegance. Menacing, but with touches of beauty. Yeah . . . I’m sold. Earthen Grave is a kick ass record!

Pope

http://www.earthengrave.com

Malice - New Breed Of Godz

What? New Malice? New songs? New takes on old songs as well? O.k. before you read more please be aware that I was a malice fan from way back. I have the famed cd, Metal Massacre  which features a then almost unknown Metallica. I saw Vice Versa and went nuts during the Malice concert part.

 This album is chock full of reworked hits and some new songs. Most notable is “new breed of Godz.” This killer track sounds like a freight train smashing right out of the 80’s and into the modern world. I would argue that these guys made a decision to recreate that sound rather than jump on the digital bandwagon of the age.

The production is superb and the song structure is classic Malice. “New Breed Of Godz”….This song is the stand out new song on the album. “Branded”,” Winds Of Death(Angel Of Light)”, and “slipping through The Cracks” are all destined to be classic Malice tomes of sonic assault.
   
“Sinister Double” reworked with vocalist James Rivera is just too good for literary words. I can’t describe it and that’s my job. Grab some headphones…put it on ten and scream along. “Air Attack”, are you kidding me. Amazing, brilliant. A rebirth of classic metal that it unmatched.
   
 Pete Holmes breathes new life into this cosmic metal power horse.  A thunderous Trojan horse that will explode in your cd player like none other. I am and always will be a fan. These guys need another movie cameo! I also like the album artwork. Tastefully ripping your eyeballs off the page. New godz of metal indeed. Five horns up on my own personal metal scale…two being the best!!!


--MetalRising

LINE-UP:

Jay Reynolds – guitars
Mick Zane – guitars
Mark Behn – bass (played on the re-recorded songs)
Robert Cardenas – bass (played on the new songs)
James Rivera – vocals
Pete Holmes – drums


Tracklisting:

CD:
1. New Breed Of Godz (new song)
2. Hell Rider
3. Against The Empire
4. Branded (new song)
5. Sinister Double
6. Circle Of Fire
7. Stellar Masters
8. Winds Of Death (Angel Of Light) (new song)
9. Air Attack
10. Chain Gang Woman
11. Slipping Through The Cracks (new song)
12. Godz Of Thunder

Never To Arise – Hacked To Perfection

In my never humble opinion, one of the true joys of music is that no matter how many songs you’ve heard, no matter how many bands you’ve seen, no matter how much you think it’s all been done before, it never fails that you hear a new album or you see a new band perform live, and they grab you by the throat and don’t let go.  Sometimes it’s the energy of the performance, sometimes it’s the sheer brilliance of the songs, but whatever it is, it happens often enough that it makes you want to continue to seek out new music.  At least in my world.

So here we have Never To Arise, a new band out of Florida.  Actually a death metal duo, and man do these guys have the goods.  I received this promo, started listening to it, and within about 45 seconds had a stupid, shit eating grin on my face and involuntarily said, “Fuck Yeah!!”  This was, like, the same day that a buddy of mine had been lamenting all over Facebook about how “new” death metal bands just did not have it any more.  I immediately referred him to Never To Arise.

According to the press release accompanying the music, these guys are recommended if you like Death, Dying Fetus, Suffocation, and Malevolent Creation.  And let me be crystal clear, they do not sound like carbon copies of those bands, they have their own unique voice, but if you do like those bands just mentioned you too can have a giant shit eating grin on your face.

This is quality, well written music.  I’ve heard many death metal albums that just blend together, so you can’t tell one track from another, or for that matter, you forget what band you are listening to after about 3 tracks in.  Each track here is unique, has great parts that blend well with all the other parts, and are performed very well.   There really is nothing with this album about which I could complain.  I LOVE it!!  This is the kind of album that makes Odin’s shriveled black heart sing for joy.

They only bad thing about these digital promos is that you don’t get a lyric sheet, and I love me some death metal lyrics.  But take a gander at the song titles and I think you’ll know what to expect from this.  “The Femicidal Impulse”.  “Hyberbaric Torture Chamber”.  “Sloppy Surgery”.  “In Debasement”.  “Mutilation Supreme”.  “Bereft Of Conscience”.  “I Made Her Famous”.  (Probably my fave from this release).  “Snuff Film Superstar”.  “Devoured By Wolves”.  “Misogynistic Acts Of Barbaric Sadism”.  And a comment on this last track.  A death metal track that goes almost 9 minutes is usually, quite honestly, a train wreck.  But not in the hands of these lads.  Again, a very well written and performed song that doesn’t seem like it lasts 9 minutes, which is a sure sign that they did something right with it.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I cannot say enough good things about this release.  I really dig it and you should really make every attempt to get it in your sweaty, metal hands.  Bands don’t always make death metal records like this anymore, but if your tastes run to the old school and well written songs, check this one out.  Your ears will thank you, your brain will thank you, and your faith in death metal will be restored.

 - ODIN

Heidevolk - Batavi

I stood staring out the open door, watching the earth move 15,000 feet below me.

I'd taken many a dive before, so I had no reason to be anxious, but as the wind belted my face, I couldn't help but think something was about to go terribly wrong. Fastening the earbuds into my ears, I hit my iPod and the Pagan Folk Metal of Dutch band, Heidevolk, burst into my ears.  It seemed like the perfect accompaniment to my jump.   Swallowing my fear, I leaped from the plane, flinging myself into the vastness of the early morning sky.  The air buffeted my cheeks, icy daggers of pain digging into my face as if a butcher were filleting my face with tiny scalpels.  Adrenaline seared though me, but not in the sense of the normal rush.  It was the fear of the unknown.

Lightning cracked.  A vortex swirled around me, a maelstrom of darkened clouds and stinging rain.  Thunder resounded within the whirlpool of whipping clouds and ice particles.   The Earth disappeared.  My body descended into nothingness.

Then, just as quickly as the vortex arrived, it was gone.  I was on the earth, unharmed, yet I hadn't ever deployed my chute.  How was that possible?  And where was I?  The darkened forest around me was a far cry from the windswept, brown grassy fields of my landing zone.  Rain fell about me.  I crawled onto my knees in the mud.

Then, they were there.

I saw them before I heard them.  Pounding drums and chants of a long-lost time.   A time of dark ages and lost Germanic tribes.  Terror seized my heart as the foliage parted and out they stepped.   The Batavi.  Yes, I know they existed over a thousand years ago when they dared to rise up and fight against the oppression of the Roman Empire.  But there they were.  In single file formation.  Battle armaments at the ready.  The regiment began chanting in unison "Een Nieuw Begin."   I don't know how they had electric guitars, but they did, and they crushed out one brutal metallic riff after another, searing up and around the melody of the chorus and back into the group chant.  I should have been terrified, but I wasn't.  The Batavi didn't want to harm me.  They knew I wasn't from a lost Roman Legion.  No . . . they wanted me to join them.

We marched back to their village and the feast began.  In the main hall, mead and ale poured like a sexual fluids as the guitar whipped into the melodic lines that rode over the staggering metal riff of  "De Toekomst Lonkt."   Paired clean vocals rose above the fray of rousing metal guitars, leading the men into the hall, ushering them forward to celebrate the upcoming battle.  And the men did.  Rushing in amid a tempo change and perfect thrash riff, they gathered and chanted in unison.  I don't know what they were singing, some Germanic dialect, but I was totally wrapped with them.  Mead flagons held aloft.  A God was going to bless them that night and the men planned to meet that God drunk off their asses.

We feasted on boar and deer, tearing the meet from the animals bones with our teeth, juices dripping down our chins, as a funeral mall fell over the group.  The dirge of "Het Verbond Met Rome" settled over the large room, walls of guitar screaming and echoing as if in mirror of the dying that would happen tomorrow.  The reality of our situation settled in.  We were about to face the world's mightiest army--the mere few of us.  But we weren't going to falter.  Picking up the mead flagons we jumped upon the table as the crushing thrash riff picked up the tempo.  Another group chant.  Another rousing metallic riff.  A brotherly slap to the warrior besides me.  If I was to die, these would be the men I would meet my maker with.

"Wapenbroeders"  brought us to the frenzy.  Crushing blast beats accompanied by the mournful wail of a violin filled the air as we lined up single file, grabbing our weapons.  A battleaxe in my right hand, I grabbed a metallic mace in my left.  I steadied the shield that protected my left forearm and pulled the helmet down over my bald scalp.   Our leader called out to us as the cacophony broke into a raging guitar riff.  "Hey" we screamed back in time with the band.  Battleaxe raised.  "Hey!"

Adrenaline speeding through our veins and the taste of blood lust in our mouths, we marched through the village to the raging metal of "In Het Woud Gezworen."  The women stepped out of the earthen huts, babies draped on their hips.  Then it was time for a moments reflection.  A lone violin stepped in above a delicately strummed acoustic guitar as we took the two minutes of the mournfully beautiful "Veleda" to say our goodbyes.   Tears stained their cheeks and even the bravest man felt the knot grow in their throats as the reality of our eventual battle set in.  Not many of us would return to our homes, but fight we must.  For freedom.  For our children.

And fight we did.  To the hyper-intense death scream blitzkrieg of "Als De Dood Weer Naar Ons Lacht" and on through the thrash metal assault of "Einde der Zege" we fought.  Limbs rendered from torso.  Heads split open under the crushing might of my mace.  I defended my brothers, fighting for my new adopted land.  Blood splayed, flesh tore.  The band played on in furious thrash metal as the lone violinist joined in, lending her mournful gaze to the bloodshed.

And then, as quickly as it had started, it was over.  "Vrijgevochten" rang out, a lone guitar scratching out a metal riff, soon accompanied by the full band and the rousing gang vocals of us survivors.  We rose above the dead, our arms locked with each other.  We raised our voices to the Gods, giving thanks for our victory and remembering the brave deaths of our fallen comrades.  As sweet as victory is, the muted metal of "Vrijgevochten" reminds us that nothing comes without a cost.  We gather up our dead and wounded and head back to the village.  Women and mead await.

As for me, I have no desire to go home.  I'm one of the Heidevolk now.  I live with the Batavi.  Romans beware.

--Racer

Cortez - S/T

This is one of the easiest reviews I'll ever get to write. Cortez is one of my favorite contemporary bands playing mid-tempo heavy rock. They have a new DOUBLE ALBUM on 180-gram vinyl with great cover art that's worthy of acrylic on denim. All the kick ass songs I've been hearing them blast out at shows the past 4 years are now documented and now I know what the songs are actually called. It's the full meal deal! Be warned, there isn't a parental advisory sticker on the cover but there are a lot of pottymouth lyrics.

Since their 2007 EP Thunder in a Forgotten Town, Cortez switched singers and lost a guitarist but the changes only made the band stronger. Lots of bands out there are playing in a heavily Sabbath influenced realm but Cortez is one of the few to utilize more than just the usual Master/Volume 4 riff rehash. For those of us who have spent decades analyzing the Sabbath family tree know just how much killer shit there is that people tend to overlook. The reason why all those Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple records are so classic is the variety. Cortez understands that and plays the music they want to hear. I wanna hear it ,too and have been playing the hell out of this!

Album opener "Johnny" is the perfect introduction to Cortez. Guitarist Scott O'Dowd laying it down hard and heavy. Drummer Jeremy Hemond comes in with one of his patented Cozy Powell-esque drum fills to signal bassist Jay Furlo to start thudding away and singer Matt Harrington starts belting it out big time. This is a fast and catchy song that I guarantee that you will cause you to increase the volume at least twice before it's over. The rest of side one is equally killer. "All Hail" is slow and powerful while "Until We Die" has a killer trippy jam in the middle. "Ride On" is easily my favorite Cortez song. Kick ass speed limit rock with references to cheap beer and dirt weeed. You will definitely want to crank this one loud when you cruise around the parking lot looking for a spot at the Priest concert. It's too bad radio stations don't play album sides anymore, this would be a good 'un for people to get down to this summer.

And the other sides ain't bad either! Side two shows them stretching out with some psychedelic warrior jams like "Wormwood" and the Mountain-influenced "Beyond The Mountain." "Monolith" has some excellent Corky Laing style cowbell and "Immigrant Song" moans. Side three has great songs like "Nice Try" and "Northlander" but "Satan" towers high above them. If you ever wished "The Tempter" by Trouble wasn't so damn pro-Jesus, then you've got a new favorite song. Also, anyone that loves the song "Warhead" will be thrilled. Side four (!) has raw demo versions of "Johnny," "Until We Die" and "Monolith" as a nice bonus. The music's heavy and the vinyl's heavy. What more could you want?

--Woody

Not sure of the exact street date on this one but their record release show in Boston is 5/5 with special guests Mighty High.

Band website

http://www.cortezboston.com/

Buy from Kozmik Artifactz

http://www.kozmik-artifactz.com/shop/index.php?cat=c170_KOZMIK---BILOCATION-LABEL.html&XTCsid=4d8a9ced74923384fe1d49242bd35b47


"Johnny" on bandcamp
http://cortezboston.bandcamp.com/album/cortez

Stubb - S/T

Tenacity and perseverance…two of the most essential personality traits to have as a rock musician in this day and age. As the old saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. This is no more pertinent than when discussing a certain Jack Dickinson. In 2006 Jack put together the initial line-up for Stubb; a hard rocking stoner/psych/jamming three piece. Fronting the band and cranking his guitar, Stubb very quickly built up a strong live reputation in the UK scene but no sooner had the train started rolling when the wheels fell off and Jack found himself without a band. The erratic Stone Turner briefly filled the void until Jack was thrown a lifeline by two friends and fellow musos. Enter the Trippy Wicked duo of Chris West and Peter Holland. Chris is easily one of the finer drummers in the UK stoner/doom scene and his easy, fluid yet hard hitting style was to be the rhythmic kick Stubb needed to rejuvenate their sound and breathe them back to life. Peter Holland, Trippy Wicked front man and guitarist may have seemed un unusual choice to fill the bass slot but his perspective as a guitarist now allows him to jam on the bass alongside Dickinson with ease as well as providing some very welcome backing vocals to add extra dimension to the core sound. And so it came to pass, Stubb were reborn!!!

It turns out West is not only a fine all round musician but also an enterprising bastard who, when labels failed to deliver, decided to form his own and this Stubb album is the first fruits of this…and you may be hard pushed to find a better album with which to kick-start the whole shebang.

Firing up the engine with old favourite “Road”, it’s clear from the outset that West and Holland’s rolling groove and Dickinson’s Hendrix inspired lead playing were destined to meet in some form of psychedelic supernova. This song as always a highlight of the original band’s set, in no small part to Dickinson’s syncopated and synchronised guitar vocal runs. The song writing is simple and effective built around an easy free flowing riff but bound up in a ton of groove. Holland’s bass playing adds an extra level of diversity that the band missed before playing around the riffs under the solos as opposed to just maintaining the riffs. The fact that he’s playing his bass through a guitar amp in an old school style just adds to that authentic 70’s vibe.

“Scale The Mountain” eases back on the pace but retains the weight and groove of the previous track and allows West free reign to open up on the drums and display some deft jazzy touches. Here also, Holland’s vocal contributions prove to be a perfect counterpoint to Dickinson’s own. Whereas the latter has a rougher, more bluesy tone, Holland punctuates the song with his higher register, Chris Cornell-esque wail that pulls the song up into a higher plain.

Holland kicks off “Flame” with a nice elastic bass line before being joined by the rest of the band. The vibe here is easier and more relaxed pushing the band’s blues influences to the fore. The live instrument recording serves to accentuate the inherent soul of the song keeping it clear and unfussy and allowing the groove to do the talking. It also has to be said that, throughout the album, Dickinson displays some very tasteful chops on the guitar that have barely been touched by the last 40 years of influence…the guy has a very old head on pretty young shoulders.

“Soul Mover” offers a welcome step up in pace with its acidic, early Monster Magnet reminiscent punked up psych rush. Here Dickinson tells us “Oh Baby I don’t know what you like, but I’ll keep you satisfied”. Presumably there will be an element of trial and error and guesswork in the lad’s love making!!! I was initially worried that the new Stubb album may be given over too heavily to aimless jamming but it couldn’t be further from the truth. The songs are all tight and concise and the jamming elements stay on the right side on tolerable offering just the right level of unpredictability without ever crossing over into self indulgence.

On “Crosses You Bear” the band offer their first respite from the fuzz overload with a delicate, folk driven acoustic ballad that shows that Dickinson is not only a tasty finger picker but  capable of delivering a vocal with some true emotional depth. Melodically this is a clear stand out track…and over far too quickly.

The Big Muff muscles its way back onto the scene on “Hard Hearted Woman”. Another tale of heartbreak and loss, a theme that seems to run through many of the lyrics here. Musically this draws less from the psychedelic end of the heavy spectrum and plants its size 9’s firmly into muscular 70’s hard rock with yet another killer riff before playing out with some mellow, bluesy yet tasteful axe heroics.

Next up we have the potential album stand out. “Crying River” is a Neil Young flavoured mid paced ballad featuring dual lead vocals from Malin Dahlgren from Swedish folk duo the Polly Tones. This is an achingly beautiful song that also features Dickinson’s most emotive playing on the whole album and shows that the band are so much more than just a bunch of heavy rocking hairies!!!

The seven plus minute “Galloping Horses” plays the album out on another fat, rolling groove that is almost literally dripping with 70’s testosterone. It practically smells of Denim aftershave and chest hair before changing tack at the mid way point into something altogether more esoteric and spacey.

Do I have any criticisms? Yeah a couple but they’re most certainly far from being deal breakers and more a question of taste than anything else. Firstly, although Dickinson shows a real flair for a vocal melody and has a decent set of pipes with which to put this across, his delivery doesn’t yet show the same level of confidence as his guitar playing, occasionally sounding a little awkward. It is still relatively early days for Dickinson as a vocalist and in time he will grow deeper into the role and really define his personality as a singer. It is also something of a shame that, given Holland’s ability as a singer, his skill isn’t utilised to a greater degree to provide counterpoints and harmonies with Dickinson to create a vocal breadth that could be truly spectacular. When the technique is employed here it provides a major lift and could prove to be a real selling point for Stubb lifting them above their contemporaries. Lastly, don’t come into this album looking for divine lyrical inspiration. The lyrics, for the most part are ridden with clichés that either drip with psychedelic mysticism or broken hearted melancholy but come across as fairly uninspiring, meaningless sixth form poetry. Fortunately I rarely take much notice of a band’s lyrics and let them gloss over me unless they really carry some form of intrigue or weight like Neil Fallon’s from Clutch. So in this case the lyrics didn’t prove to be a major distraction.

On the far greater plus side, this is an excellent debut album from a supernaturally talented bunch of musos who know every trick in the book when it comes to creating some awesome, kick ass heavy rock and roll with true passion and guts. Stubb’s debut album is definitely a triumph of, not only dogged determination from all involved, but of sheer class! You will be hard pushed to find a better debut album this year…so don’t bother looking, just get this.


--Ollie

http://stubb.bandcamp.com/
http://www.superhotrecords.com/

Wino & Conny Ochs - Heavy Kingdom

“Hi everyone I’m Penfold.   Welcome to Penfold’s Wildlife Adventures.  In today’s episode you’ll follow along as I try to observe the legendary Wino and his latest musical accomplice Conny Ochs in their natural environment, the Heavy Kingdom.  That’s right friends!  I’m travelling deep into the heart of the Heavy Kingdom, and I don’t know what I’ll find once I get there.  All I know for certain is that I have to go.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!  Join me won’t you?”

“Welcome back friends.  My crew and I touched down at an airport near the outskirts of the Heavy Kingdom about an hour ago.  Once we retrieved our camera equipment from the tarmac we passed through customs and met up with our guide.  His name was Gunther, and boy did he ever look the part!  He was dressed in all black from head to toe.  Black shoes, black denim jeans, thick black belt with an enormous silver animal skull buckle, worn black leather vest over worn black t-shirt.  Couple that with his unkempt hair, multiple piercings and omnipresent sneer.  This was obviously one heavy dude.  Nobody messed with Gunther.”

“We drove in Gunther’s vehicle, which to my estimation was more like a tank, through the Kingdom’s treacherous landscape.  Navigating several deep ravines filled with enormous boulders fallen from the towering mountains looming overhead was rather intimidating.  Thankfully, we eventually cleared the mountain range and emerged into an expansive savannah.  Everyone took out their cameras when we noticed several herds of large animals grazing in the distance.  If we were not on such a tight schedule I would have asked Gunther to stop his half-track.  It’s too bad, but the photos turned out great!”

“A short time later the sun began to disappear below the horizon.  As the day turned to night, Gunther pointed out lights emerging from the darkness far out in front of us.  He informed us that those lights came from the capital city of the Heavy Kingdom.  I couldn’t believe it.  We were almost there!  Sure enough, as we got closer to our destination the lights got brighter and brighter.  More numerous too.  When we were still several miles away I could easily make out the gigantic ring of skyscrapers that effectively formed the capital city’s border.  Passing beneath these sky-conquering structures we entered into a virtual labyrinth of streets and alleyways.”

“Thank goodness for Gunther.  Left to my own devices I would never have been able to find my way around this bustling city.  Fifteen minutes later our guide stopped the vehicle and pointed to his right.  I turned in my seat to see a small building sitting between two skyscrapers.  The front of the building was unadorned except for a neon sign indicating the door was open.  I thought Gunther was kidding me, but he insisted that the men we were looking for would be inside.  Trusting our guide my crew and I exited the vehicle and entered the building.  Sure enough, there on a slightly elevated stage were two men with guitars in hand standing in front of some speaker cabinets.  Could it be?  Yes!  Yes it was!  It was Wino and Conny Ochs!”

Good day waveriders.  Truly, I mean that.  This is a good day.  Scratch that.  This is a great day!  What fills me with such positivity?  Simply this.  I’ve listened to the stunning new Wino & Conny Ochs album Heavy Kingdom.  Stunning might not be a strong enough descriptor in this case.  I’m really not interested in mincing words right now.  Heavy Kingdom is firmly planted in my list of the best albums of the year, and it’s staying there.  Allow me to persuade you as to why you should all feel this way too.

If you are a regular visitor to The Ripple Effect I’m one hundred percent certain that you do not need me to explain who Scott “Wino” Weinrich is, or explain that this man is a legend in several heavy metal circles.  His work in bands such as Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, The Hidden Hand, Shrinebuilder, Spirit Caravan, etc. speaks for itself.  Conny Ochs on the other hand might be an unknown quantity.  I was introduced to this talented young German artist in early 2011 when I had the opportunity to review his solo debut album.  Raw Love Songs drilled the name Conny Ochs permanently into my brain with its elegance and emotional resonance.  I love that album!  So how did these two artists meet and decide to write music together?

The genesis of Heavy Kingdom occurred back in 2010.  That was when Conny Ochs opened up for Wino on his solo acoustic tour in support of Adrift, his latest album.  As the story goes, the two artists immediately found musical kinship and by the end of the tour they were performing with each other onstage.  I suppose I would call that a pretty good indicator for future collaboration.  Not wasting any time the two recorded an album of material near the end of the tour entitled Labour Of Love.  Honestly, I had no idea about this album until I had done some research for this writeup.   Fast forward to 2012 and we have Heavy Kingdom.

Allow me to reinforce my position.  Heavy Kingdom is a magnificent album!  These two musicians have put their heart and soul down on each of these eleven songs.  Conny Ochs’ soulful, haunting vocals perfectly complement Wino’s gruff, weathered voice when he is singing lead (and vice versa).  The only other instrumentation on these tracks is their guitars.  That’s it.  No bass.  No drums.  No strings.  It’s just two guys with their guitars laying down some serious music.  Perhaps it is due to this simplicity that these songs sound so incredibly honest.  They’re beautiful.  They’re moving.  They’re heavy as all get out!  You can ask me to pick a favorite out of the bunch but you’re wasting your breath.  I’m telling you it can’t be done.  Different songs offer different observations and provoke different emotions.  One day I’ll favor a song like “Heavy Kingdom”.  The next I’ll favor “Dark Ravine”.  The point is that every song on this album is a winner.  It’s true.  I watched the entire ribbon ceremony online.

Waveriders you have to hear this album!  If you’re a follower of Wino or Conny Ochs this is a mandatory listen.  If you are a fan of honest musical expression, pick up a copy of Heavy Kingdom immediately.  While I can’t make the claim that this music will change your life, I can promise that it will definitely alter your listening habits.  Whatever you are listening to now will have to make room for Heavy Kingdom.  My apologies go out to those albums that fall by the wayside.

--Penfold

Moonspell - Alpha Noir

I’m really surprised more people aren’t talking about this album. I don’t meaning raving and claiming it to be the second coming of Master of Puppets or whatever . . . just surprised that I’m not hearing Moonspell pop up in musical conversations more often. Okay then, allow me to turn the topic over to these doom-y, gloom-y, goth-y, super heavy (heavy with a cape) Portuguese rockers.

I have a couple of Moonspell records in my ever morphing collection of music, and though I like the bands past records, they never jump out as the albums that I feel compelled to propel me through the doldrums of every day. They’re good, they have their moments, they just don’t live up to what I guess I want them to be. That’s completely on me. I’m good with that. Those albums aren’t going anywhere, so in time, I may find the hidden brilliance in them as well. As I said, I like them, I just don’t currently love them.

Now, Alpha Noir finally hits every mark for what I ever perceived of this band (which means that the old school Moonspell-heads probably think it sucks . . . but they’re wrong). This album, released through Napalm Records, is all things heavy, and intricate, and nihilistic, and oppressive, and moody, and all the dark things that make me think that Moonspell is all about. Alpha Noir is a demonic groover that emits the faintest odor of brimstone as it spins on the player. A positively dark record that has me banging my head at my desk, behind the wheel, or pushing a shopping cart through the grocery store. Simply beastly.

Take your pick of songs . . . the lead track, “Axis Mundi”, for instance . . . it has a great and intense building intro that is a true harbinger of devastation to come. Huge tribal rhythms amidst a wash of feedback and thundering sound effects, and then a laser-like guitar riff that cuts through ¼ inch sheet metal like it was a sheet of velum. That’s the kind of stuff the fires me up! Follow this up a few seconds later with a one of the more powerful riffs on the album, all accompanied by a drummer who more than knows his way around a kit, and I’m in pure heaven. The tightness of that riff and the steadfast and straight forward drumming make the opening couple minutes of this song an exercise in power. Moonspell do a great job of mixing in a little ambient texture in the song, as well, by dropping in some subtle keyboard flourishes . . . and then there’s the middle/end break where the band completely drops out and we’re left listening to the creepy crooning voice of frontman and band mainstay, Fernando Ribeiro sing over a plaintively plinking piano passage. Fucking epic song that never gets old!

Check out the title track and its opening salvo of galloping guitar riffs, and then feel how you’re blown back a step or two when the band kicks in. What a wonderful treatment of mid tempo, palm muted riffing! Feel the song kick into overdrive as the double bass drums suddenly thunder their way onto the scene. And the textural washes of the keyboards and contrasting melodic guitar lines that weave throughout the chaotic flurries of sound. Just a well composed track that has enough changes and shifts to keep things constantly interesting and compelling. Searing guitar leads and Ribeiro’s trademark gothic croon sprinkle the last bits of seasoning that this song needs to make it a must listen!

“Opera Carne” is a blistering tune that features one of those melodic choruses that’s accompanied me in my early waking moments for the past week. It’s not one of those over the top melodies with a huge operatic choir or a big sing-along moment, but there’s something about the way Ribeiro growls the words “How our flesh burns . . . in mysterious ways” that it sticks in my head and I easily hum this ghastly tune. Musically speaking though, this one is brutally heavy! Great effects on the guitars opening the track and the production on the drums it superb . . . the drums sound like they’re set up in my office right next to me. Sharp, crisp, powerful!

Then onto my personal favorite on the album, “Love Is Blasphemy”. I can’t play this monster loud enough! It’s almost ridiculous how killer this song is . . . the opening musical intro with its rhythmic tom work and melodic guitar lines, creating a few moments of dark tension. Then Moonspell drop the fucking hammer. A guitar riff crafted by the hands of goblins in the darkest reaches of Mordor, cymbal crashes that invoke memories of Metallica at the moment when they were poised to rule the world, a guttural vocal utterance that spits venom in the faces of church leaders world-wide, and one of the most tastefully aggressive heavy metal songs one will hear for the rest of the year. Beautifully crafted, not up its own ass with too much progression, not too stripped down to be redundant . . . Moonspell get to the meat of the matter right off the bat and beat the listener senseless for just over four and half minutes.

The musicianship throughout Alpha Noir is top notch, but it’s not too show-y. Moonspell have chops, but thankfully, they don’t see the need to pummel us with technical glitz and just keep the music simple. This is, by far, the heaviest record I’ve heard all year and also the biggest surprise I’ve experienced. As I mentioned, I know some stuff about Moonspell, and I’ve just never been a monstrous fan. One of my first experiences with them was when I caught them live opening for Opeth a few years back, and they blew me away! The showmanship, the stage presence, the seemingly 7’ tall Fernando Ribeiro extending his arms and looking like some nightmarish vulture . . . it was enough to sear an impression in my mind’s eye for a lifetime and with Alpha Noir, the sound I always associated this live imagery with has been captured. Massively heavy music propelled by monstrous grooves full of heavily distorted guitars and insane drumming. Great record that I simply can’t listen to enough!

Pope

http://www.facebook.com/moonspellband

Ojos De Brujo - Techarí

There I was - an American in Barcelona in the late 1970’s.  I paid for a small habitación off Las Ramblas.  The city was, and is, a dizzyingly strange merger of cultures.  The Romans conquered it and it is said to have been settled by the crew of one of the nine ships of Hercules and Jason and the Argonauts when they shipwrecked in search of the Golden Fleece.   The City has been run by the Christians, overrun by the Visigoths, conquered by the Muslim Moors, and tended by the French.  All that cultural clash has led to an interesting eclecticism in the architecture (just look at the Gaudi Cathedral) and in the City’s population.  Modern influences, Western European and American influences, mix with the old. 

As I walked up Las Ramblas  I was surrounded by birds in bird cages, vendors, artists, musicians, singers, acrobats and dancers, all performing simultaneously, The influences changed as I walked.  It was like the Doppler Effect of ambient sound - changing volume, timbre, tempo, style and pattern every few steps with a merger of two in the space between.  I wondered whether these amazing and seemingly disparate influences I heard - flamenco, pop, jazz, rock, gypsy, middle eastern and classical - could ever be melded together by a band of musicians to capture the feel of a modern Barcelona.

I finally found that band in Ojos De Brujo, which in English means “Eyes Of The Sorcerer.”  The band now has several albums under its belt and is marketed in North America by Six Degree Records located in San Francisco, CA.  My first experience with Ojos De Brujo was their 2006 release entitled Techarí.  It consists of a CD with fourteen tracks (all en español) and a CD-ROM of four videos, photos of the making of the album, lyric translations in 15 languages and a booklet pdf of album illustrations.

Band vocalist Marina “la Canillas” Abad has a fascinating voice that ably handles an incredible variety of musical styles - sometimes within the same song.  Maxwell Wright handles male vocal duties and plays some percussion. Panko (yes, that is his full name) plays keyboards but also scratches like a NYC Club DJ at 1a.m. on a Saturday morning.  Ramon Gimenez and Paco Lomena are flamenco guitar masters.  Javi Martin plays bass.  Xavi Turull pounds on the cajón, tabla, congas and percussion. and Sergio Ramos assists on the cajón and plays drums.

It is incredibly difficult to characterize the sound of Ojos De Brujo.  It is crisp, clean, clear - an amalgam of influences and flamenco-tinged.  It all comes together to form a fascinating and entirely enjoyable aural experience. - much like the band’s hometown of Barcelona.  There are pop, jazz, rock, hip-hop, gypsy, middle eastern and classical influences, yet the music is thoroughly modern. 

Really, though, back in 1978 I did wonder whether such a mixture of cultural musical aesthetics could ever amalgamate and synthesize.  I realized that someday they would when I walked in and sat down at a table in a small steak restaurant/bar near the Barcelona bullring.  Along with the torero clothing, bull horns, capes, hats, swords, picas and other bullfighting memorabilia that covered the walls, was a small television.  The bar patrons’ eyes were transfixed on the TV.  As I looked up I heard, “Mamacita!, Mamacita!” and saw on the screen a small girl running across a field to Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.   A man’s voice melodically intoned over the scene.  “La casa de la pradera” - Little House On The Prairie.  Fusion had already started.

- Old School



 

Pussy - Invasion

Only a real friend will send you Pussy in the mail. Thankfully I have such a friend in Racer. He could have been greedy and kept the Pussy all for himself, but no, he let me have it. A month or so ago, Racer said he was going to concentrate his Ripple ramblings on his beloved but neglected Proto-Metal report. His reviews of bands like Toad, Jerusalem, Iron Claw, etc was a big factor for me getting involved with these clowns a few years ago. Jerusalem's album is a real favorite of mine and I was thrilled to find out that they gave birth to Pussy.

Jerusalem's self titled album was released in 1972 and produced by Ian Gillan. That's all it took for me to pick up a copy of Rockadrome's reissue of it. Thankfully the music was just as primitively heavy as I had hoped but I must have forgotten that the band later morphed into Pussy. So when this showed up I rushed straight to the stereo to get a taste of this Pussy. It did not disappoint. This is some fine, fine Pussy indeed! While not as heavy, Pussy's Invasion is a definite growth from Jerusalem and reminds me a lot of the band Hard Stuff, another band associated with Deep Purple. Bassist/vocalist Paul Dean was the main songwriter for both bands and there's a definite refinement in the material and the playing. He's joined by Jerusalem drummer Ray Sparrow. Guitar duties were originally handled by Bob Cooke who was later replaced by Brian Goff. Tracks 1- 10 were recorded for an album that was never released with Brian and the bonus tracks from their original single and outtakes are played by Bob. Both guitarists are nothing fancy, but solid British blues-rock players. Everything was produced by Ian Gillan, who also throws in some backing vocals and percussion.

70's rock freaks will definitely want to get ahold of this. There's tons of flange on all the instruments, bluesy guitar solos and plenty of mid-tempo heavy rocking beats. Plus, you gotta love a band called Pussy that wrote a risqué song like "Feline Woman." As George Clinton once said, "more power to the Pussy!"

--Woody

http://www.rockadrome.com/superstore/product_info.php?products_id=5792

Hypno5e - Acid Mist Tomorrow

A couple of years ago, this little art-y metal band from France called Hypno5e came along with an album entitled Des Deux L’une Est L’autre, that in the most complex manner ever, floored me. This album devastated my reality and all that I thought I knew about heavy music. It was an intense listen that scrambled the brains with its complicated time signatures and dramatic musical shifts.  An epiphany, of sorts.

Please welcome in the band’s long-awaited follow up album, Acid Mist Tomorrow. In a word . . . holy . . . yeah, that’s pretty much me sitting with my headphones on, spinning this disc over and over and over again, and with every subsequent spinning thinking to myself, ‘ This can’t be possible.’ My reality has, once again, be turned inside out, flipped upside down, positive made negative, cats and dogs living together, dark into light . . .

The last album from Hypno5e was a bludgeoning, highly involved listen. Basically, I felt one had to think too much while listening to it and was often left exhausted afterwards. At times, it had a jarring effect from song to song. Not a bad thing, necessarily, just noting how it was an album that could intimidate. Acid Mist Tomorrow has a far better fluidity to it. The songs are much more seamless, even as the band goes from the mellowed out, acoustic and soft passages into the heavily distorted walls of cacophony. Everything is executed with, if it were even possible, greater precision, and then tempered with an even softer touch. A contrast of tones.

The open forty seconds or so of the first song (also the title track) is enough for anyone to know that this album has the makings of something far beyond what we’ve come to know and love from this band. A subtle clean toned guitar with a somewhat tranquil and distorted sound bite of nature hauntingly humming away in the background starts the song. The production of this short bit is perfect, captured in what sounds like mono . . . giving the sounds an old transistor radio vibe . . . before the heavily distorted guitar chugs away at a mighty riff,  and then, BAM! The song goes to stereo, hitting us with this incredible sonic weight . . . and yet, the band gets this great stuttering effect to play for a second as the song is just about to take off, and this little effect, tiny and almost insignificant to most, adds all of this juice and gusto to introduce this song. Without that effect, sure, the song would be fine, but with it . . . added intensity and breaking of tension that makes the listener more vested in what’s going on. The rest of the song roils and tumbles all over itself, highlighting the musicianship of the band and the performer’s insane abilities to start and stop in a fraction of a second. Hypno5e bludgeons with the hardest of them, but the trait that separates these guys from the masses of hyper-intense, metal-core, math-core, progressive neophytes is their ability to bring everything crashing down to the most mesmerizingly melodic and mellow passages. Absolutely beautiful and brilliant moments of tranquility and serenity before they kick the music back into high gear.

The album is essentially five songs in length, however, three of those songs are multi-part passages. One of those multi-part tracks that requires multiple listens for sheer brilliance alone is “Gehenne (I – III)”. Part I is an almost tribal, throbbing and mesmerizing tune with lyrics that sound as if they’re being sung in Spanish rather than France. I could be completely wrong about that . . . the Romantic languages have a tendency to throw me from time to time. Suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, Part II kicks in and we are beaten senseless with the blastbeat that time forgot, and these manic harmonics mixed into the ferocious guitar riffs . . . and then these bizarre string sweeps that raise the hairs on the back of the neck . . . and then, almost as suddenly as when all hell broke loose, the music winds down, the tempo slows a bit, the noise abates, and Hypno5e serenade us with their elegant voices, harmonized just so. Part III picks up there the chaotic frenzy of Part II left off, and almost immediately drops into a chilled out passage that almost sounds like its being led by a mandolin. The remainder of the song is a topsy-turvy affair and ends with us listeners sitting back in our chairs with an audible sigh.

Hypno5e push their music further and further with every release, hell . . . practically with every song. They’re progressive in so many different aspects . . . with their virtuosic abilities, then with their conscious effort to shelve an idea if they’ve already used it, then again with the sonic exploration of heavy and light music, then with their use of samples to further a story along . . . these guys are fucking genius! Smarter than all of us combined! Acid Mist Tomorrow is an early favorite for my Best of 2012 list. I can’t stop listening to the album, probably because they add so many new wrinkles to their style, most notably the mellow melodic portions. These elements tug on the heart strings and are packed with so much raw emotion that I can’t help but go back again and again. This one is a stunner!

Pope

http://www.facebook.com/Hypno5e