Imminent Sonic Destruction – Recurring Themes

Imminent Sonic Destruction.  When you read a band name like that, it makes you think twice before you open the file and start listening.  I mean, what if the band name is literal?  What if you start listening and unleash destruction upon the planet?

Thankfully, that didn’t happen.  In fact, there isn’t much about this release that would lead you to think of destruction at all.  Not that it is all pretty music or anything like that.  But I’ve heard music that makes you think that the end of the world is like, right now. 

This release reminds me a lot of Devin Townsend Project stuff.  There are some real prog touches in here, mixed with some heavier, metal type music, and some flat out death metal vocals at times.  There are some very interesting juxtapositions of pretty synth parts with raging metal guitars, blasting double bass drum and the aforementioned death metal vocals.  Things that you don’t normally hear in a metal release, but then, that’s what makes an album like this standout.  This isn’t cookie cutter stuff that sounds like everything else.

Imminent Sonic Destruction is a project of Detroit based guitarist and vocalist Tony Piccoli.  He has recruited various other Detroit musicians to form this band and put out this release.  Most of these guys have a pedigree in prog styles, along with some metal, and it helps create some really good music.  This is the kind of album that rewards you with multiple listens, but even from the first listen you get pulled in by the melodic hooks.  There are some crazy time changes that keep you on your toes, and some very interesting songs that really keep your attention.

My favorites on the album are “Monster” and “Sick”.  Both are just awesome examples of how to put a variety of metal styles together in ways that just work.  And the lyrics to “Sick” will stick with you; there is definitely some weight to the subject matter in that one.  Overall, there are some shorter songs, although nothing shorter than 5 minutes, and a few really long ones, and the shorter songs seem to work a little better for me.  I’m still trying to decide if prog is really my thing and the longer songs have a lot of different passages that just don’t grab me as much as the shorter ones.  But to each his own, and the album overall still works very well.

If you dig Devin Townsend, Meshuggah, or Dream Theater, or wished all 3 of them would just do a mash up album, then you will think your prayers have been answered with this release.  Put it on, chill out, and enjoy!

 - ODIN

Exciter - Death Machine

Unlike my previous long winded rants that read like overstuffed versions of “War & Peace”, this is less a review of Canadian speed metal band EXCITER’s new album “Death Machine” and more of a tribute to the band itself.  You see, unbeknownst to some, EXCITER is a pioneer and founding father of the speed metal sub-genre movement, as well as being influential in the North American thrash movement in the early 1980’s.  It’s a salute to their pioneering spirit, their ability to break new creative ground and help forge new sonic paths, their tenacity, longevity and focus on staying true.  This is a tribute to their pummeling musical legacy.  This is EXCITER.

Exciter got their early start way back in 1978 originally as the band Hell Razor.  Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario Canada they came barrelassing out of the woodwork laying down a new brand of sonic mayhem the likes of which the world had barely seen.  “Having sold nearly 2.3 million units in the USA and racked up total sales of 10 million units worldwide they are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal bands on the planet and a seminal influence in thrash.”

Sure they’ve had more members over the years than you can count on Hindu god Durga’s many hands (14 to be exact, but who’s counting?... band members, not arms).  And they circulated through the band faster than the revolving door at Macy’s the week before Christmas.  But to the band’s credit, they can brag that they’ve toured with everyone from fellow Canuck metal heads Anvil to RATM to Flotsam and Jetsam to Motorhead to Manowar to Anthrax to Accept to Megadeth to Mercyful Fate to Steel Attack and played every Eurometalfest  from the Tradate Iron Fest in Italy to Bang Your Head!!! in Balingen and Keep It True VI in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany to Metalcamp in Tolmin, Slovenia and the Atarfe Vega Rock Festival in Granada, Spain plus a few more stops in between on their home turf and south of the border.  Not many bands can say that, especially in one breath. 

Exciter has cranked out no less than 11 albums with somewhat varying approaches and feels between 1983 and 2010 as well as a live album, a compilation album and an EP and have been on no less than 7 labels including Megaforce and Shrapnel.  In that time, they’ve “garnered numerous positive reviews from many Euro fanzines”.  At one point in their long career, they even worked with Motörhead producer Guy Bidmead.

The new album?  ELECTRIC!... with all the intensity you’d expect from a first class speed/thrash record.  It delivers nine head bashing tracks of pure unadulterated mayhem.  Veteran Exciter Producer Manfred Leidecker was behind the helm once again and steered the band through their trademark grinding rhythms at a crackling pace that bespeaks the band's name as “one of the most classic speed metal bands ever”.  Lyrically the theme of the album addresses “sadistic unforgiving torture and the demented individuals who deliver such horrific pain and suffering onto others.”  OK!... anybody up for a rousing game of Rumoli?

Of note, the title track DEATH MACHINE pays homage to and momentarily smacks of Judas Priest’s “Rapid Fire” and POWER AND DOMINATION has a driving, knuckle dragging beast of a head banging Accept feel to it.  If shrill, screaming, guttural Orc-like vocals, great musicianship, obsessive bloodied chainsaw guitar tones, tight pummeling instrumentation run amok at a breakneck, racehorse pace riddled with rip snare solos galore is what flicks your Bic, then you’ve come to the right place.  Exciter isn’t really breaking any new ground here musically, but what they do within the framework of their sound they do well.  Any speed metal fan worthy of their stripes should have more than one Exciter album in his or her collection, including this one.

EXCITER (currently)is transplanted Brooklyn, New York native Kenny "Metal Mouth" Winter on vocals, mastermind and founding member John Ricci on guitars, Robert "Clammy" Cohen on bass and Richard "Rik" Charron on drums.

--Teeder

http://listen.to/exciter

http://www.myspace.com/exciterofficial

The Boss Mustangs - S/T

Lost along the top margin, printed in tiny block letters, are the words "File Under: The Boss Mustangs - Rock and Roll."

Hell yeah!

I mean, HELL YEAH!

The Boss Mustangs come raging from outta where ever it is that they come from sounding like the kinky bastard sex child of the Sonics and the MC5 or the bloody aftermath of an epic night of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, a case of whiskey, a fist full of uppers,  and some unknown substance to be identified by the science lab later.

File Under: Rock, indeed.

Revved up, amped up, frantic old school garage rock is the name of the game here and the Boss Mustangs bring it on full throttle, raw and full of badass '60's attitude.  Imagine an illegal drag race on the mean streets of Detroit circa 1969, beer and oil spewing, speed and bennies flying, girls lurching and churning, men angry and throwing fists, as big motored muscle cars tear the shit outta the asphalt.  Yep, that's the Boss Mustangs.

From their too-cool-for-words matching Nero jackets to the authentic fuzz of their dual-guitar assault, The Boss Mustangs don't miss a trick.  So let's dig in shall we?  First, did I say fuzz?  I meant it.  Whereas, Dave Davies famously took a razor to his amp to produce that fuzz tone for "You Really Got Me," The Boss Mustangs took a freaking chainsaw.  Thick slabs of distorto guitar cranking through 3-chord rave-ups of the first order and guitar solos serious enough to show that these guys got real chops.  Not a lost note here, just crunchy spewed out garage guitar nirvana.

The singer?  Well, I wouldn't want to be an epithelial cell on his vocal chords.  When this dude wants to rave, he can reach down and screech with the best of em.  Serious vocal chord shredding loss of abandon like the best moments of those crazy Sonics songs like "Psycho."  And when he's not letting it loose, the guy can actually sing.  Soft or loud, we got that covered.

So that leaves just one thing.  The songs.  From the first moment that big guitar comes in after the high hat intro to "Turn On"  I was sold.  Toss in a fertile scream, set the rhythm section loose like a pack of angry attack dogs and we got one of the damn best garage-punk songs I've heard in ages.  I mean this song has it all. Wailing guitars, big hooks, and a beat that'd drive the Go-Go dancers crazy, shaking that frilly stuff covering their hips and asses in an orgasmic frenzy.  No matter what anybody else says, this should be the party anthem for pool parties the nation over. 

And The Boss Mustangs aren't one-trick ponies.  "Mrs. McKee" b/w "Hazel Holly (Please Come Back) was the bands first 7" and both cuts are included here.  The first being a pounding retro-60's beast of burden with more fuzz than an orchard of peaches, while the later brings in some sweet songwriting dynamics before launching into that crushing riff and mayhem that follow.  Both cuts got big melodies and serious garage chops.

Then there's "New York Francine."  Damn, I know I've heard this song before.  It was at that speed party in the basement underground club.  1969?  Detroit?  Chi-town?  Don't remember.  Too many dead brain cells but the booze was flowing, the girls were loose, and . . . well, I'll never tell.   Needless to say, "New York Francine" brings out all the best of Motor City madness.

The Boss Mustangs call what they do Powergarage RocknRoll.  Yep.  They say they nail the sound of heavy post psychedelic-era Detroit and London.  Check.  Raw and ragged, high energy, oil can smashed to the face, garage rock stompers.  I'm there.  Liked the album so much I immediately ran out and bought the 7"  vinyl.  You should too.

File Under: The Boss Mustangs - Rock and Roll.

--Racer

www.thebossmustangs.com/

Les Discrets – Ariettes Oubliees . . .

 
I have no idea what to say about this album.

I think it’s brilliant. I think the soundscapes that Fursy Teyssier has created are wondrous and majestic. I think that the contributions of vocalist Audrey Hadorn are immaculate in their beauty. I think that the complexities of the musical movements are intriguing and dynamic. I think the tones are dark and foreboding. I think that Ariettes Oubliees . . . is a fantastic musical experience that begs for me to listen again and again, and at ever increasing volume. And, I think that I’m going a little mad trying to formulate a cohesive set of thoughts about this record!

The album opener is an instrumental track called “Linceul d'hiver” that is simply a beautiful, slow building mini epic. Teyssier does a great job of not rushing this song. It builds measure by measure, each measure adding a new musical element, filling all of the open space with sound, until we’re left with this densely intense wall of sound. Then, it vanishes and begins to fade away, only to drop immediately into “La Traversée” and then we, the listeners, are introduced to the dual vocal harmonies of Teyssier and Hadorn, each voice complimenting the other over a passage of strumming guitars, droning in a shoegazers fantastic voyage. Gloriously dynamic and epic, this song changes pace about three minutes in and gets a little darker, a little moodier, a little more distorted around the edges and heavier. Though the song ventures into some progressive territories, it always retains some beautiful melodies, both in the way of the haunting strains of the guitars notes and in the vocals. The song even flirts with a little heavy metal moment around the six minute mark as a well produced and captured guitar tone, distorted to the point it vibrates the teeth, but not so much that it rattles the head. The first ten-plus minutes of this album was enough for me to recognize that this was going to be a different experience than I had with the band’s first album, my beloved album of 2010, Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées. A different experience, but maybe one that was more satisfying!

The beauty doesn’t end there. “Le Mouvement perpetual” is another 7 minute track that captures Teyssier and Hadorn feeding off each other in their elegant fashion. When I hear this song, I can almost picture the images from the album cover (vinyl edition . . . beautiful gatefold jacket . . . bonus poster . . . quality work) coming to life. Skeletal images dressed in their finest evening attire, elegantly dancing a discordant waltz across the parquet floors of a ballroom, draped in dark curtains, lit by the soft light of a meager amount of candles, and led by a dark and somewhat sinister band . . . the voices of Teyssier and Hadorn actually have a dancing quality to them, in the way they work together, breathe together . . . entwined in the rhythms of the music. Darkly romantic, almost gothic. What an amazingly emotional song!

The entire album does this . . . get’s the imagination flowing, tickling the emotions, and flooding the soul with music that moves. For over forty-two minutes, Les Discrets regale the listener this delicate sound that still has some heft to it. The pop-tinged “La nuit muette” features a huge vocal performance, layered voices that soar and never come back down. The acoustic guitar-based “Après l' Ombre”, also featured on the Prophecy Productions compilation album, Whom The Moon A Nightsong Sings, with all of its haunting tones and darkened chords, and tortured vocal melodies. “Les Regrets”, in all of its instrumental glory, with its ultra-somber, almost depressive air . . . Ariettes Oubliees is an amazing trip into the darkest recesses of the emotions and human psyche.

On the first listen, I was concerned that Ariettes Oubliees . . . wouldn’t match up or live up to my expectations based on my past experience with Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées, and like all things new, it almost didn’t. But, I continued listening, working to separate my memories of the previous record from the sounds I was currently listening to, and I found an equally satisfying record. Top 10 Album of the Year? I can’t answer that, for the year is young and there are a lot of records coming out this year. But, I can say that I will probably be playing this disc, like I did the last one . . . in between every other release that comes out. Great work and highly recommended!

Pope

www.lesdiscrets.com
www.prophecyproductions.de

Hopes Die Last - Trust No One

I'll admit, I was apprehensive when I first saw this band. They were on a list with Modern Day Escape, Black Veil Brides, and Freshman 15, all bands I don't like. I almost skipped right over Hopes Die Last, thinking they wouldn't be any better than the other bands on that list. Can I please go back and smack myself silly for thinking that? I freaking love this band!!!

"Unleash Hell" was the first thing that popped up on YouTube when I typed in Hopes Die Last. Very strange but cool video, and even better song. It was just awesome. Straight forward, heavy metal-core, but they're not trying too hard like many other metal-core bands out there. The focus isn't on looks or certain band members, the focus is rightly on the music (even though their clean vocalist IS really cute = ] haha!).

As someone who's primarily an extreme metal listener, I consider myself a pretty good judge of scream vocals, and I say Hopes Die Last has a freaking brutal screamer on vocals. And on "Unleash Hell" he breaks down into death metal style growling, yay! Their clean vocalist has a beautiful voice; he has a fantastic range, mixing in with the brutality  to positive results. And he's really good looking too. All right! All right! Back to the music! I can be professional, I promise!

Key tracks: "Unleash Hell," "This Song Plays Suicide," and "Life After Me Life After You." A lot of the songs don't have much of an intro, often diving straight into screams, and a little bit of an intro wouldn't hurt. But, it doesn't take away from the songs at all, instead shows how in-your-face awesome they are.

Um, they did a cover of Katy Perry's "Firework." Take a moment to let that sink in. You good? Prepare yourself, they did awesome. Though that's hardly surprising, they're phenomenal. I despise Katy Perry, but this was a damn good song. Yes, I'm now considering it Hope Dies Last's song. They play it much better than she does anyway.

Unfortunately, the metal-core scene is full of I'm-so-hardcore, look-how-much-gore-we-have-in-our-videos-not-at-our-mediocre-playing ignoramooses. Luckily, Hopes Die Last is much better than those idiots. Their album, "Trust No One" is flat out brilliant. Melding together heavy as hell guitars with pitch-perfect synths, and sprinkling in marvelous duel vocals, it's just a terrific album from a tremendously talented band. If you like Motionless In White, or are wishing that Modern Day Escape didn't suck, you'll like this band. =) Now go buy this album!!! You won't regret it!!


--Gorgeous Nightmare



 

Anthony Green - Beautiful Things

 
The music coming out this year has been nothing short of incredible and really hard to keep up with. I'm behind at least a couple months on what has been released. With that said, I am finally getting around to writing up Beautiful Things, the latest album from one Anthony Green. It's an incredible album to say the least.

Most people know Anthony Green as the front-man for post-hardcore Saosin and Circa Survive. Over the past few years,his focus has increased on his solo career. Green expands his musical chops by implementing bits of country, rock, pop and electronica. Musically Beautiful Things is all over the place, but it's in a good way.Calling Beautiful Things a diverse record is an understatement.

The first stand out track on this album is the song "Blood Song". If an alternative country song is what you're looking for than look no further. Lyrically this song is what you would expect from Mr. Green.
                                                                                              "Who's gone, buried in the well?"
Who's gone, buried in the well?
Nobody knew him, he had only arrived.
Who's gonna break it to his wife?
Who's gonna break it to his wife?
She died giving birth to her fifth and final one...
Who's gonna rescue all his sons?
Who's gonna rescue all his sons?
Bares heavy burden, but you could give them away...
Who's got a home for them to stay?
You can't sell the children, but there's hell to be payed.
And I'm not giving these orphans away...er dream...
Who's gone, swallowed by the sea?
Who's gone, swallowed by the sea?
She was only twenty, but she fucked like thirty three.
Who's gonna round up all her things?
Who's gonna round up all her things?
Nobody liked her, but they loved it when she'd sing.
Who's got a bell for us to ring?
We won't make a sound 'till her body's in the ground...
And I'm admitting the voice sounded strange...
Said, "You'll get no more sleep at night. You no longer sleep at night. You
No longer dream.
You won't get no sleep..."

My favorite track on this album is only available on the deluxe edition. From my past reviews you know I am quite fond of Deftones/Crosses/Team Sleep crooner Chino Moreno. Well, the track "Right Outside" features him. The mix of dueling croons from Moreno and Green make this track special. Not to take anything away from Anthony Green but Chino Moreno's added vocals make this track amazing. Lyrically this song speaks of break up and the endless wait for someone.
"What did you ever see in me?
You know that diamond ring will set you free.
While you are waiting for that dream..
I'll be waitin' in the morning when you're coming to your senses.
Don't keep tellin' me you didn't mean it just to make me stay.
How did you get so far away?
How did you get so far?
What did you ever do for me?
You thought those eerie eyes would break you free.
Are you still waiting for that dream?
I'll be waitin' in the morning when you're coming to your senses.
Don't keep tellin' me you didn't mean it just to make me stay.
How did you get so far away?
How did you get so far?
Something in our dreams to keep the stars away..
Something in the stars control our fate..
I'll be waitin' in the morning when you're coming to your senses.
Don't keep tellin' me you didn't mean it just to make me stay.
How did you get so far away?
How did you get so far?
I'll be waitin' in the morning when you're coming to your senses.
Don't keep tellin' me you didn't mean it just to make me stay.
How did you get so far away?
How did you get so far?"

Anthony Green's Beautiful Things is truly that, beautiful. With the great range in music genres, it's 41 minutes of Green stepping out of his comfort zone. Lyrically I loved this album as it is brutally honest. Like most music in this genre, I used it as a nice  break from my normal metal and hardcore jams.

-Cicatriz

Anthony Green goes good with: Saosin, Circa Survive, Team Sleep, Crosses, Deftones, Team Sleep, Thrice, Dustin Kensrue, The Sound of Animals Fighting

Del Castillo - Infinitas Rapsodias

It is times like this that I really wish I was fluent in Spanish. 

I remember a high school Spanish 2 test where I was confronted with a photograph of a beautiful silver dinner fork.  It had an exquisite scroll work handle and four equally-spaced tapered prongs.  The instructions were to identify the object in español using the proper noun and gender. I just stared.  I couldn’t remember the word.  Time was not on my side.  I quickly filled in “el forko,” because I truly was forko’d on that one, and moved on.  However, my linguistic handicap never stopped me from slipping across the Mexican border during college to order “una mas cerveza” before it was legal for me to do so in the U.S. Yet, I can’t help feel that I’m missing out on an entire universe of experience or, at least, a different lens through which to experience the universe.

I started playing guitar in the folk tradition in the 1960’s.  As a beginner I admired such pieces as Besame Mucho and Malengueña.  The frantic dance and rapid fire guitar of flamenco intrigued me. Later, players and bands comprised of the likes of Segovia, Carlos Montoya, Paco de Lucia and Carlos Santana elevated my latin guitar music experience to one of reverence.

Now, I can add Del Castillo to my latin guitar music reverential list.  Del Castillo combines elements of Rock, Latin, Blues, Flamenco and World music into beautiful Spanish guitar-based soundscapes.  Infinitas Rapsodias is a special 2-disc set that also includes a 5-track bonus DVD that has a March 13, 2012 scheduled release date.  Del Castillo is a band based in Austin, Texas comprised of guitarist brothers Rick and Mark del Castillo; lead singer Alex Ruiz; Albert Besteiro on bass, Mike Zeoli on drums and Jason Murdy on percussion. Infinitas Rapsodias showcases five brand new Del Castillo songs, as well as newly-created versions of several tunes from prior CDs. The band even includes a World Music take on their popular song, “Maria” - this time sung in Italian .  They also sing one song, “Brotherhood”, in English.

Part of the CD is out of left field, but, even left field can be absolutely beautiful.  Austin artists  guitarist Monte Montgomery, singers Malford Milligan and Leann Atherton, and violinists/gypsy fiddlers Erik Hokkanen and Phoebe Hunt help out adding layers of sound and emotion. The release closes with a wondrous classic opera duet, “Amor Venme a Buscar”, performed by acclaimed German opera diva, Anna Maria Kaufmann, and Alex Ruiz of Del Castillo,  This is passionate music and, for the most part, I don’t understand a word of it and I don’t care.  It is just that good.

Once I sat on a bench outside the Madrid, Spain municipal swimming pool,  It was over 100 degrees out and I took off my 45 lb back pack to have a cigarette.  There were two flamenco guitarists ripping it up on the lawn with a beautiful lady practicing flamenco dance moves in the square in front of the pool entrance.  I had a pack of Spanish Marlboros but no way to light a smoke and couldn’t remember the Spanish word for match.  I approached every smoker walking to and from the pool and, in broken Spanish, asked “¿la luz?” 

Women stared at me and protected their children.  Men looked at me quizzically.  Finally, a U.S. ex-pat came up to me and said, “You’re American, right?”  I looked at him and nodded.  He then said, “You might want to stop asking everyone for a light bulb.  Here,” He lit a match, “It’s ‘el fosforo’.”  At first it didn’t register. The music was beautiful, the Spanish sun was bright.  The cacophony of children in water play mixed with the music and voices.   I stared not understanding and then was enlightened, “Oh, that’s match!” I exclaimed.  He handed me the matchbook, said “Keep them,” and then something I didn’t understand.  But I think he was talking about the Lone Ranger because I distinctly remember him pointing at me and saying “tonto.”

- Old School