Flavors Volume IV (Reprint - originally published September, 2002)
Firstoff, thanks to those of you for the positive email (AND the minor correction) since I started doing this... it seems you don't mind, and a few of you are apparently hungry for something else to listen to besides, well, whatever it is you're listening to. With that said, thanks for reading, and on with the show...
*+*+*+*
Soilwork - "Natural Born Chaos" (2002, Nuclear Blast America, Inc.)
Okay, so the last Dream Theater CD thing really, really, really, really, really, really, really blew... donkeys... Instead of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (a 2CD, wish-they-were-Queensryche attempt at a concept album (which they CLAIM is heavily influenced by TooL, and fellas, I'm just not hearing it)), they could have called it "Six Degrees of Warm Ass" and it would have been a little more accurate. (NOTE: I'm really not meaning to be such a hardass to Dream Theater. I mean, I'm sure that one of their other CDs will make its way into my CD player, and into a future list like this, but honestly, without trying to sound like a critic or something, their recent CD has rendered me unable to listen to them at all for a while...) Anyhow, I've had go elsewhere for my progressive fix (if you could call it that). A former (and hopefully oneday again) co-worker lent me a CD from a band called Spiral Architect that turned out to be very cool, indeed (and yeah, I'm gonna have to return it, one of these days), but that was many moon ago, and I was needing something new... Enter Soilwork. Well, hmmm... if you only like Dream Theater for the singer (which I only know one person on the planet who does), you will probably hate this CD, but if you like Dream Theater for the (older, anyway) music, you stand to like this CD quite a bit... It has a bit of a "more edgy than Dream Theater" sound, and the singer sounds a whole heck of a lot like the former singer of the band Vai, Devin Townsend (who, speak of the devil, produced the album (and also appears as a guest on two songs)), nearly diametrically opposed to Dream Theater's more "girlieman," James LaBrie... I'm still trying to figure out if they're German or Swedish (like Spiral Architect), but apparently, this is thier fifth full-length CD since '98... zowie, and jinkees, even. A really cool album front to back, I think, and if you're looking for something in the Spiral Architect/In Flames/Arch Enemy Swedish-prog sound but with a little bit of a twist, then Soilwork just might be up your alley... a note to them, though (in case they're reading, of course - heh) - we can probably do without the little cutesy trying-to-sound-cooler-than-you job descriptions like "Verbal Terrorist," "Percussive Destruction," and "Groove Generator" in place of vocals, drums, and bass, respectively. That hasn't been all that tricky (or even cutesy) since Zappa listed Steve Vai under "Stunt Guitarist" or "Strat Abuse" (there's another funny one, too, but it eludes me). PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Follow the Hollow," 2.) "As We Speak" (can be seen on M2 and MMUSA), 3.) "The Flameout," and 7.) "Black Star Deceiver."
*+*+*+*
36 Crazyfists - "Bitterness the Star" (2002, Roadrunner)
Yet another band I found with a little help from antipopvideos- very well put together music... The singer has this unique, "shaky voice" thing going on that I'm not sure if I like or just find novel... nonetheless, they're pretty cool. They ring a little reminiscent of deftones and Glassjaw (whose "Worship and Tribute" I talked about recently, and still can't seem to get out of my player for too long a stretch...) and with any luck, this Alaska-based quartet (yeah, I know... Alaska) should be due some spotlight in the future. PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Turns to Ashes," 3.)"An Agreement Called Forever," 5.)"Slit Wrist Theory," 7.)"Dislocate," and 9.)"Chalk White."
*+*+*+*
Sex Pistols - "Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" (1977, Warner Bros.)
Whether you love or hate John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), you can give these guys credit for helping to breed a culture that would go on to spawn bands like the Cult, Circle Jerks, the Police, Joy Division, Adam Ant, Husker Du, Odd Man Out, Bad Religion, the Cure and COUNTLESS other bands. Okay, the Sex Pistols weren't exactly a bunch of musical geniuses (or is that genii?) or anything, but Lydon's tongue was so sharp that, that... well, he continues to piss a lot of people off every day, if at all possible. (bring back RottenTV) PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Holidays in the Sun," 2.)"Bodies," 6.)"God Save the Queen," 8.)"Anarchy in the U.K.," 10.)"Pretty Vacant," and 11.)"New York."
*+*+*+*
Dead Kennedys - "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" - (1980, 2002, Cleopatra)
Speaking of sharp tongues, meet Jello Biafra and little bunch of merry men, lovingly referred to as Dead Kennedys... "Fresh Fruit..." is considered by many to be one of the (if not THE) first "hardcore" album, ever... The longest song checks in at a whopping 3:03, while there are a half a dozen songs that do NOT break the two-minute barrier. If you've never heard DK and you're a member of the Republican party, you might not wanna listen to it too closely (or maybe those to the right of center should listen even closer)... ;) PICK TRACKS: 3.)"When Ya Get Drafted," 4.)"Let's Lynch the Landlord," 7.)"Chemical Warfare," 8.)"California Uber Alles," 13.)"Holiday in Cambodia," and 14.)"Viva Las Vegas."
*+*+*+*
Engine - "Engine" (1999, Metal Blade)
A friend of mine and I started a band back in the late '80s (that shared it's name with a big-deal action movie that's currently in the theaters) and we were all really into Fates Warning at the time (which, speaking of, is where Dream Theater singer James LaBrie got a big break, singing backing vocals on a couple of their albums (a la Don Dokken with the Scorpions)). Fates singer Ray Alder joined with (former Armored Saint, current Fates Warning, and repotedly soon-to-be Metallica bassist) Joey Vera and ex Agent Steel guitarist Bernie Versailles for a little side project called Engine. It's definitely NOT Fates Warning... it's a bit more straight-ahead than the godfathers of progressive metal... more tangible and accessible. I guess they have two other releases out, now, but this is their 1999 debut and it's pretty wicked. PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Monster," 3.)"Falling Star," 4.)"Taste," 6.)"Teach Me," and 7.)"Bear Your Cross."
*+*+*+*
The Cult - "Ceremony" (1991, Beggars Banquet)
A lot of people didn't seem to take to this offering from the Cult, but I have always thought it was quite a good listen, actually. Sure, it's not "Sonic Temple," but it's full of some more of that full-on arena-rock guitar of Billy Duffy guitar and new Doors (his new "side project" - heheh) frontman Ian Astbury's one-of-a-kind vocal dominance... PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Ceremony," 2.)"Wild Hearted Son," 3.)"Earth Mofo," and 7.)"Heart of Soul."
*+*+*+*
Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" (1980, ECM/PolyGram Recordings)
When I was quite young (well, 10 or 11, anyway), my brother came home with this on vinyl, and I would have to say it didn't leave the turntable for at least a month... This album had a whole lot to do with me ever wanting to play guitar in the first place (alongside Rush's "Exit Stage Left" and "Van Halen II" - well, I'm leaving other stuff out, but those three albums really and truly sold me). I seriously doubt that you'll be able to walk in ANY record store within about 100 miles of here and find this CD (Media Play on West Broad in Columbus had it last time I was there), but there's always Artist Direct - they usually have preview clips from all kinds of albums, and links to where you can go buy it online right this very second... so... jazz/fusion guitar buffs, what ARE you waiting for? PICK TRACKS: well, there's only five songs on the album... and they're all good... besides the title track (an all-time Metheny fave), another pick (all-time, as well) is "September Fifteenth," dedicated to the memory of jazz pianist extraordinaire Bill Evans (Sept. 15 was the date of his passing, which fell in the middle of the recording of this album).
Firstoff, thanks to those of you for the positive email (AND the minor correction) since I started doing this... it seems you don't mind, and a few of you are apparently hungry for something else to listen to besides, well, whatever it is you're listening to. With that said, thanks for reading, and on with the show...
*+*+*+*
Soilwork - "Natural Born Chaos" (2002, Nuclear Blast America, Inc.)
Okay, so the last Dream Theater CD thing really, really, really, really, really, really, really blew... donkeys... Instead of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (a 2CD, wish-they-were-Queensryche attempt at a concept album (which they CLAIM is heavily influenced by TooL, and fellas, I'm just not hearing it)), they could have called it "Six Degrees of Warm Ass" and it would have been a little more accurate. (NOTE: I'm really not meaning to be such a hardass to Dream Theater. I mean, I'm sure that one of their other CDs will make its way into my CD player, and into a future list like this, but honestly, without trying to sound like a critic or something, their recent CD has rendered me unable to listen to them at all for a while...) Anyhow, I've had go elsewhere for my progressive fix (if you could call it that). A former (and hopefully oneday again) co-worker lent me a CD from a band called Spiral Architect that turned out to be very cool, indeed (and yeah, I'm gonna have to return it, one of these days), but that was many moon ago, and I was needing something new... Enter Soilwork. Well, hmmm... if you only like Dream Theater for the singer (which I only know one person on the planet who does), you will probably hate this CD, but if you like Dream Theater for the (older, anyway) music, you stand to like this CD quite a bit... It has a bit of a "more edgy than Dream Theater" sound, and the singer sounds a whole heck of a lot like the former singer of the band Vai, Devin Townsend (who, speak of the devil, produced the album (and also appears as a guest on two songs)), nearly diametrically opposed to Dream Theater's more "girlieman," James LaBrie... I'm still trying to figure out if they're German or Swedish (like Spiral Architect), but apparently, this is thier fifth full-length CD since '98... zowie, and jinkees, even. A really cool album front to back, I think, and if you're looking for something in the Spiral Architect/In Flames/Arch Enemy Swedish-prog sound but with a little bit of a twist, then Soilwork just might be up your alley... a note to them, though (in case they're reading, of course - heh) - we can probably do without the little cutesy trying-to-sound-cooler-than-you job descriptions like "Verbal Terrorist," "Percussive Destruction," and "Groove Generator" in place of vocals, drums, and bass, respectively. That hasn't been all that tricky (or even cutesy) since Zappa listed Steve Vai under "Stunt Guitarist" or "Strat Abuse" (there's another funny one, too, but it eludes me). PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Follow the Hollow," 2.) "As We Speak" (can be seen on M2 and MMUSA), 3.) "The Flameout," and 7.) "Black Star Deceiver."
*+*+*+*
36 Crazyfists - "Bitterness the Star" (2002, Roadrunner)
Yet another band I found with a little help from antipopvideos- very well put together music... The singer has this unique, "shaky voice" thing going on that I'm not sure if I like or just find novel... nonetheless, they're pretty cool. They ring a little reminiscent of deftones and Glassjaw (whose "Worship and Tribute" I talked about recently, and still can't seem to get out of my player for too long a stretch...) and with any luck, this Alaska-based quartet (yeah, I know... Alaska) should be due some spotlight in the future. PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Turns to Ashes," 3.)"An Agreement Called Forever," 5.)"Slit Wrist Theory," 7.)"Dislocate," and 9.)"Chalk White."
*+*+*+*
Sex Pistols - "Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" (1977, Warner Bros.)
Whether you love or hate John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), you can give these guys credit for helping to breed a culture that would go on to spawn bands like the Cult, Circle Jerks, the Police, Joy Division, Adam Ant, Husker Du, Odd Man Out, Bad Religion, the Cure and COUNTLESS other bands. Okay, the Sex Pistols weren't exactly a bunch of musical geniuses (or is that genii?) or anything, but Lydon's tongue was so sharp that, that... well, he continues to piss a lot of people off every day, if at all possible. (bring back RottenTV) PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Holidays in the Sun," 2.)"Bodies," 6.)"God Save the Queen," 8.)"Anarchy in the U.K.," 10.)"Pretty Vacant," and 11.)"New York."
*+*+*+*
Dead Kennedys - "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" - (1980, 2002, Cleopatra)
Speaking of sharp tongues, meet Jello Biafra and little bunch of merry men, lovingly referred to as Dead Kennedys... "Fresh Fruit..." is considered by many to be one of the (if not THE) first "hardcore" album, ever... The longest song checks in at a whopping 3:03, while there are a half a dozen songs that do NOT break the two-minute barrier. If you've never heard DK and you're a member of the Republican party, you might not wanna listen to it too closely (or maybe those to the right of center should listen even closer)... ;) PICK TRACKS: 3.)"When Ya Get Drafted," 4.)"Let's Lynch the Landlord," 7.)"Chemical Warfare," 8.)"California Uber Alles," 13.)"Holiday in Cambodia," and 14.)"Viva Las Vegas."
*+*+*+*
Engine - "Engine" (1999, Metal Blade)
A friend of mine and I started a band back in the late '80s (that shared it's name with a big-deal action movie that's currently in the theaters) and we were all really into Fates Warning at the time (which, speaking of, is where Dream Theater singer James LaBrie got a big break, singing backing vocals on a couple of their albums (a la Don Dokken with the Scorpions)). Fates singer Ray Alder joined with (former Armored Saint, current Fates Warning, and repotedly soon-to-be Metallica bassist) Joey Vera and ex Agent Steel guitarist Bernie Versailles for a little side project called Engine. It's definitely NOT Fates Warning... it's a bit more straight-ahead than the godfathers of progressive metal... more tangible and accessible. I guess they have two other releases out, now, but this is their 1999 debut and it's pretty wicked. PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Monster," 3.)"Falling Star," 4.)"Taste," 6.)"Teach Me," and 7.)"Bear Your Cross."
*+*+*+*
The Cult - "Ceremony" (1991, Beggars Banquet)
A lot of people didn't seem to take to this offering from the Cult, but I have always thought it was quite a good listen, actually. Sure, it's not "Sonic Temple," but it's full of some more of that full-on arena-rock guitar of Billy Duffy guitar and new Doors (his new "side project" - heheh) frontman Ian Astbury's one-of-a-kind vocal dominance... PICK TRACKS: 1.)"Ceremony," 2.)"Wild Hearted Son," 3.)"Earth Mofo," and 7.)"Heart of Soul."
*+*+*+*
Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" (1980, ECM/PolyGram Recordings)
When I was quite young (well, 10 or 11, anyway), my brother came home with this on vinyl, and I would have to say it didn't leave the turntable for at least a month... This album had a whole lot to do with me ever wanting to play guitar in the first place (alongside Rush's "Exit Stage Left" and "Van Halen II" - well, I'm leaving other stuff out, but those three albums really and truly sold me). I seriously doubt that you'll be able to walk in ANY record store within about 100 miles of here and find this CD (Media Play on West Broad in Columbus had it last time I was there), but there's always Artist Direct - they usually have preview clips from all kinds of albums, and links to where you can go buy it online right this very second... so... jazz/fusion guitar buffs, what ARE you waiting for? PICK TRACKS: well, there's only five songs on the album... and they're all good... besides the title track (an all-time Metheny fave), another pick (all-time, as well) is "September Fifteenth," dedicated to the memory of jazz pianist extraordinaire Bill Evans (Sept. 15 was the date of his passing, which fell in the middle of the recording of this album).
posted by TONY at 11/26/2002 07:55:00 PM
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