The Smashing Pumpkins: Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.

Hello! Today i was hoping to tackle another really heavy album but nothing really peaked my interest this morning. Instead i will tackle a newer album from The Smashing Pumpkins that is short but interesting. This album is notable for being a mostly full reunion with the original line up minus the bassist due to unresolved tensions. This was originally intended to be a series of eps released but was instead combined into a full album; thus being their shortest release yet. It does prove to be an interesting release and will bare an expectedly stronger melodic rock focus as opposed to the heavy psychedelic roots in the last couple albums. It will as a result feel more focused in terms of writing and should leave you guys with a brief but hopefully interesting album to sink your teeth into. Enjoy!

Knights of Malta (Single): We begin the album classically soothing strings and echoed vocals from Billy. He arrives to deliver a firm and complex yet easygoing presence to the track. It places heavy emphasis on the lyrical structure of the track and combines with backing female vocals to give it a give of a soulful choir vibe. It’s soothing nature touches on elements of complexity and beauty that were tended to be overdone a hair on their last two albums. The conventional rock instrumentals play a standard support role leaving the vocals and classical elements as the primary focus on here. So don’t expect to see any real bashing elements from Jimmy yet (yes believe me i was ecstatic for that once i heard he was back in the band). This one is an interesting piece that still retains a good deal of risk for the album and creates a cheerful sense of relaxation without feeling like it lacks energy. 8/10

Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts) (Single): This single is a highlight on the album and begins with a more pop rock/indie guitar opening that continues to build to soothing chemistry on the album and perhaps demonstrates the nature of the band’s relationship now that the members have reunited. Billy provides a trademark strength in his vocals that mesh perfectly with the melodic nature of the track. His lyrics prove to be very fluid and catchy to follow along to. It doesn’t really contain a firm chorus which enables this easygoing number to continue to cruise along at melancholy speeds.The instrumentals maintain their relaxed and supportive nature; but do take time to infuse some blissful solos that would stand out nicely live. If you are doubting the album then i would suggest checking this track out first because it will deliver a sense of structure that doesn’t contain the excess of being a Billy Corgan solo project (though he still very likely controlled most of the direction on this album as well lol). It also contains a middle-aged care-free type mood where all the drama from the past is set aside and these people are just playing for the enjoyment of it now. Whether that’s the case with their personal chemistry it’s too soon to tell; but it paints a positive picture in that aspect. 9/10

Travels: The guitars begin this track with a stronger sense of melodic force and brings a cheerful theraputic tone to the listener. Billy arrives smoothly to infuse a sense of calmness in his vocals that are a perfect remedy to listen to during one of your rougher days. The lyrics prove to be straightforward yet compelling and will provide the listener with another strong track which was smart to not waste on an ep. I do kind of wish that they would of wrote the second half of this album series and combined them; but for reintroducing the band this “small taste” of their work is not a bad move to win their old fan base over. The solo is another tastefully melodic number that sit ideal for days where you need to combat an inner tension and reach a sense of peace within yourself. So far this is proving to be one of the band’s smoothest albums in awhile. 9/10

Solara (Single): This final single for the album is also the heaviest track on the album; so expect Jimmy to finally showcase his muscular edge here. The guitars begin with a tense arrival that is rhythmic yet low at first. Billy arrives with a matching tension that delivers a nice texture to the gives; thus creating a surprisingly catchy groove for the listener to dance to. The drums bash along nicely and would probably look nice live and would be a good focal point in this track. That technicality does take a little catchiness from the chorus due to their pacing but it is still a nice trade off when you break it down. Other than that; this is not a bad piece to showcase that the band can still deliver some aggression into their music. 8/10

Alienation: The second half of this album begins with an emotionally tense yet worldly sounding key entry. Billy arrives to bring in some of his eccentric psychedelic roots. It doesn’t go overboard and keeps guitars present to deliver a fitting melody. As it ventures forward it does begin to build some Beatle like tones which will please some fans and turn off others. For me this isn’t my personal taste and touches on the excessive tastes of Billy that were dominant on their Oceania album (still a very good album but a complex listen). Because of that; this can be easily viewed as their risk offering to the listener that will combine both line up eras of the band together for the listener to compare. 7.5/10

Marchin’ On: The drums begin this one with a nice rhythm and the guitars take more of a charge in delivering a nice dose of rock energy. Billy delivers a smooth combination of angst and melodic tinge into the music for the listener to dance along to quite nicely. This will help to boost the live appeal of this track and album as a whole; while also bringing in a little extra power into the album as well. The jam segment is nice and forceful without throwing off the overall tone of the album and who wouldn’t appreciate a little extra muscle being brought in when it was appropriately called for. 8/10

With Sympathy: This next track begins a relaxing rock entrance that feels fitting with the title of the track. Billy arrives with a familiar yet smooth vocal melody; which places prominence on the theraputic tone of his voice. The lyrics fall by the wayside a bit but other than that; this is a pretty straightforward piece with the purpose of setting you up for the finale number. It’s good but too familiar to the previous songs to really prove all that memorable. 7.5/10

Seek and You Shall Destroy: This finale track starts off a raw and somewhat guitar crunch. Billy does a fair job of arriving with a grungey angst that will fit fairly well with his modern style of singing. The lyrics are a bit hard to really pick out but the cheerful emotion in his vocals are a decent element to focus on in this closing number. The aggressive nature of the drums and raw bass lines will help to create an interesting element for the listener to contemplate as this song progresses. Overall it does a decent job of giving the album an energetic and positive tone to conclude with. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Well this wasnt a terrible comeback performance for the band’s older lineup (minus the bassist). It was a nice tone to show the band at the middle age state enjoying what it is like to write music together again. I do wish that they would have made a double album first before releasing this because on its own; 8 tracks is far from the grandiosity that Billy is typically known for. That in itself can be a good trait and showcase that he is showing more maturity in how he interacted with his older band members verses his heyday attitude. Hopefully it winds up being a good thing the group carries on with a couple more albums to enjoy.

Stone Temple Pilots: No 4

Hello guys! I am back again to tackle another anniversary review and was really surprised to the level of response to my last review for My Chemical Romance. It got about 100 responses and is my most popular review currently. Thanks for the response and i’ll get straight back to the reviewing the forth album by the Stone Temple Pilots. It is about 20 years old this year and is one of my older albums left for review. Let’s get started and see how it turns out.

Down (Single): We start the album off with a series of singles that showed this album was given a strong level of label promotion at the time. It begins with an aggressive yet atmospheric rhythm entrance from the guitars. It develops a firm rock n roll vibe that thrives fully on the raw intensity of Scott Weiland’s echo styled vocals. His lyrics won’t stick out very much but the raw hardness of the guitars and drums will combine everything to establish a pretty solid opening for a live concert and leave the listener with a straightforward yet effective album opener. I’ll give the solo props due to its showing of raw technicality; though i would otherwise criticize it for lacking much complexity. Though in retrospect this will fit nicely as a jam track if you are in the mood to ease into things and not get carried away just yet. 8.5/10

Heaven & Hot Rods (Single): This next single starts up things with a faster tempo that will be very nice to dance along to during a live show. Scott uses the echo style of the last track to build a nice feeling of adrenaline; which fits neatly with the nature of the song title. The lyrics as expected are muffled by the echoed vocals but it serves well in an instrumental aspect to provide added rawness to the guitars. The solo is another solid performance to add to the album’s listening experience and will further solidify this album’s emphasis on it’s garage jam presence. Otherwise it will continue to stand out as one of the band’s less complex albums. I don’t suggest dismissing it for that reason but compared to their work that Scott’s vocals stood out stronger; this album will give you arguably a more direct impression of the band and a taste of their live quality as well. So this alone helps to give this album a nice perspective since it (for better or worse) avoids the experimentation that was done on Tiny Music and Shangr-la dee da. 8.5/10

Pruno: The instrumentals start off with a loud rustic rhythm and Scott enters with muffled harmonies that gradually infuse more echoed melodies as they warm up. The lyrics as a result will stick out a bit more coherently than on the last two tracks. The chorus is direct but flows pretty well with the high energy of the instrumentals. I will point of the rustic rhythm of the bass and guitars as a signature trait of the band that is emphasized very firmly in this album over others. This one would showcase nicely live as a jam track and for its melodic interludes that do bring in some complexity to the track. These interludes make heavy use of Scott’s signature harmony style and will help to keep the listener from feeling that the album is too repetitive of its jam tendencies and instead; will add further substance. 8.5/10

Church on Tuesday: This track begins with a very nice sense of melody that doesn’t sacrifice it’s rock n roll edge at all. The vocals a finally completely coherent this time and place heavy emphasis on some rather catchy lyrics. They are definitely some of the most appreciable lyrics on this album as a result thus far. I’m surprised that this one wasn’t picked as a single because it is a very solid track for mainstream airplay and compares favorably to their work on Purple and Tiny Music without ripping it off. The harmonies in the ending give it a nice Beatles quality that will be nice to appreciate and begin to shift the album from it’s heavy jam elements and venture into relaxing ballad territory. 8.5/10

Sour Girl (Single): This single begins with a nicely rustic melody that uses the echo quality of the acoustic riffs to develop a very soothing atmosphere for Scott to enter to. His lyrics are very relaxing and will provide a slow moving but interesting sense of beauty for the listener to appreciate. It will bring some complexity to the album without really going over the top. It’s live quality is pretty solid and will be a nice piece to toss in for when they need to mellow a set list out a bit. It does have a little length to it but the guitars will provide plenty of subtle substance for the listener to relax under. It definitely will fit neatly as a song to play when relaxing late at night and getting ready to unwind; as well as a lazy weekend morning tune. 9/10

No Way Out (Single): This next single was one of my favorites on the album and begins with a nice guitar opening that brings forth a lot of tension to the atmosphere. This opening alone would of made this a likely better pick to open the album up with. The guitars create a very raw yet catchy rhythm and Scott uses it to develop a strong sense of swagger that is perfect for making his lyrics stick out in the mix.  This one will be perfect to get a little dancing to; as well as a good driving/ work out tune also. Gotta appreciate the raw flow of the guitars on this one because they really flow just the right way that you would want on here in order to really cement this song’s strength. I definitely recommend this one as one of the highlight tracks on the album. 9/10

Sex & Violence: Aggressive drum bashing starts this track up with a nice level of anger and the guitars arrive to put the song on high octane. Scott matches the speed and keeps things flowing with a pretty high level of build up. The chorus is chaotic but highly catchy and will help to shape this muffled number as another catchy jam piece for a live show. It doesn’t take any time to build up any real nuances or moments of mind blowing complexity but it does it’s job in giving the listener something to build up some adrenaline with and that should be plenty for this song. 8/10

Glide (Single): The final single of this album begins with a very radio friendly guitar melody. It is soothing and catchy and benefits from the echoed nature of Scott’s vocals. It creates a good atmosphere to unwind to and could be a decent beach track to toss on during a hot summer day. The chorus has a good deal of melodic power and is supported well by a low but energetic instrumental presence. Definitely another solid ballad track that helps to provide a stronger impression for this album than initially presented. It’ll help to wind the album down quite neatly though i do feel that the next couple tracks will be nearly all ballads from here on. 8.5/10

I Got You: We begin this one with a strong echoed acoustic foundation that is very soothing and perfect for an outdoor day in the sun. Scott provides a very solid performance full of strong lyrics substance and melodic purity. He is very soothing and combines with subtle backing harmonies to create a nice atmosphere for the listener to fully appreciate. I’ll note this one as another very well done single that while; it does take a bit to get through it adds considerable substance to the album as a whole. Because of this; i definitely recommend this as a track to check out when doing a browse session because they definitely nail it on this album with their easygoing ballads. 9/10

MC5: Drums begin this track with a nice show of raw technicality for drum fans to appreciate. Scott reverts to his highly muffled style of vocals but his lyrics retain a firm level of coherency throughout the chorus. At just under three minutes long; this is the shortest track on the album and will give the listener one final fix of quality jamming before you venture onto the finale track. 8.5/10

Atlanta: Acoustic guitars start this finale piece on a somber farewell note. Scott arrives with a soothing echoed voice that delivers a very blissful atmosphere to the listener. He places very heavy emphasis on the lyrics and will give the listener plenty of substance to follow along to. I do feel that he sings them along a bit too slowly but it does serve well to gradually wind the album down to a rolling stop. They bring in some strings this time that give additional complexity to the track and something a little extra unique on the album as well. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 8.6/10

Well; it got a decent scoring and proved to be another well rounded release from the band. It gave me a risky impression that it was going to be a more generically basic rocker but gradually shaped up to show a firm level of strength. This album would probably be noted as the end of the band’s golden era since they went into a lot of issues with Scott and took a lengthy few hiatuses following their Shang gri lah dee dah album. I’m going to go head out now but hopefully you enjoy this review and i’ll keep them coming. Their second album Purple is in its 25th anniversary this year so maybe i’ll take a crack at it before the year is up. See you!

*Reviewer’s Pick*

My Chemical Romance: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

Good morning everyone! Today i was feeling motivated to scratch off one of my crucial anniversary albums for the year. This album turns 15 years old and is one that would be a shame if i let slip through the year. It is arguably the band’s most iconic release though it would be a hard debate between this and The Black parade in terms of overall popularity. I feel that the latter will be picked out by future generations but this one will be the one for their original fanbase. Let’s get started because i’m really going to enjoy this one today!!

Helena (Single): We begin with the first of the band’s many staples on this album. The music video for all of the singles are amazing and definitely worth viewing if interested. Gerard begins with a soothing vocal harmony that creates a fitting sense of mourning before the guitars and drums arrive to infuse a moving rock edge. Gerard’s vocal presence infuses a very firm level of emotion that delivers a very powerful chorus; which will be very hard not to sing along to during a live performance. The lyrics are easy to follow along to and provide heavy substance into the track. I believe the track deals with his grandmother’s passing but i’m not exactly certain. Either way; the instrumentals do a solid job of standing out on their own and delivering a high dose of punk rock energy for a first time listener to fall in love with. It is direct and straightforward and perhaps a direct benefactor of middle school nostalgia on my behalf; but it begins the album rather solidly and sets the listener up for a very engaging listening experience. 10/10

Give ‘Em Hell, Kid: This next track begins with a groovy bass line and joins with the guitars to shift the album into a more aggressive jam direction; thus fitting of the song title. Gerard delivers a very energetic performance that would be amazing to see being done live. He is a bit muffled at times but it creates an authentic sense of chaos that translates nicely what their live energy would be like. Naturally the lyrics will not have much coherency as a result but the chorus will clean things up enough to help balance out this short two minute jammer with ease. 9/10

To the End: Gerard begins over some sinister guitar riffs to create a dark demeanor that still retains a building energy. The instrumentals build up firmly into another very lively jam track that benefits from emotionally raw backing vocals. Gerard as a result achieves a layered vocal presence that helps to keep their signature chaotic foundation intact. The lyrics are decent to follow along to but the overall atmosphere and emotion is what makes this track really stick out. The jam solo segment towards the latter half is a nice stand out moment that will showcase the band’s technicality quite nicely. 9/10

You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison: Keys begin this piece with a nicely classical vibe before the instrumentals arrive to further infuse it with a very groovably rhythm. Gerard warms the track up nicely and once the guitars go into full motion he pours more of his emotionally crazed vocals into the chorus. It helps the band to really achieve a proper jam foundation that other band’s would find hard to replicate on an album without feeling rehearsed. It definitely is a bit more raw than the previous tracks but the jam solos will help this one to stick out nicely during a first time listen. 8.5/10

I’m Not Okay (I Promise) (Single): This next band highlight begins with an emotional guitar opening and is supported by energetic drum beats. Gerard enters with an emotionally high powered vocal demeanor that delivers his lyrics with a very honest sense of emotional despair. These lyrics are some of the strong on the album to follow along and keep things simple but highly substance filled. This will make them the primary focal point of the single but the solos will stick out very nicely to give you a dose of blissful melody. They build up a nice emotional breakdown segment that really brings home a state of mind from that narrator that rings true even today with the mentality of somebody in school. 10/10

The Ghost of You (Single): This track begins with a somber guitar/ key opening that Gerard uses to deliver a more serious sense of turmoil to the listener. The chorus is direct and very powerful in tone and emotion. The lyrics fit very well with the music video and i highly recommend checking out during your first listen; because they really represented this single perfectly with it. Instrumentally it will be straightforward but it’s simplicity enables for Gerard to really pour his heart into his delivery; which is really where this band shines when you deconstruct everything. I’m not knocking the instrumentals of course but without that emotional connection; they wouldn’t have the same impact by a longshot. 10/10

The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You: This track picks up from the last song and leads into a nice organ opening before the instrumentals construct a rather soothing opening. It is blissful and danceable while Gerard warms the track into a nice rocker. The chorus is direct but works with the instrumentals to create a nicely balance energy that will keep the listener from getting overwhelmed or bored. It keeps the album flow consistent as result without the risk of getting stale and would be another decent addition during a live performance. 8.5/10

Thank You for the Venom (Single): This final single begins with an energetic guitar opening and develops a nice foundation that would be very nice to dance along to during a live performance. Gerard thrives on the energy of the instrumentals to deliver a firm rock n roll presence that would be amazing to see live. The chorus is perfect with firm instrumental support and demanding emotional control from Gerard as well. This will be a highlight for the jam tracks in the album and lyrically is very engaging to follow along to during a first time  listen. The little solo segment towards the end builds up some nicely melodic tension before shifting full speed into a nice finish before Gerard takes the reins again to nail this song down perfectly. I really miss this Band! 10/10

Hang ‘Em High: This track begins with a fitting western tinge before shifting into a chaotic drum bash. Gerard takes over and delivers an equally choatic vocal performance that will rile up a live audience with ease. The lyrics are very easy to follow along to and will have very little difficulty in giving the listener ample elements to focus on throughout it. The chorus is a bit more muffled but creates a layered vocal presence as a result that further showcases their live elements. 9.5/10

It’s Not a Fashion Statement; It’s a Deathwish: Guitars begin this song with a climatic level of tension that Gerard naturally jumps into with ease. The instrumentals create a very energetic jam approach that falls in line with the rest of the album without being a detriment as a result. Gerard continues to thrive in this atmosphere and uses a dire level of angst to really impress the lyrics onto the listener. These lyrics are very strong and focus driven; which creates a finale setting which would of been a perfect choice for a closing track if needed; but i firmly pick this as a track to listen to if for some god forsaken reason you decide to only browse listen. Trust me; this album is too good for that; so treat yourself right and blast the whole album during your first listen. 10/10

Cemetery Drive: Drums begin with a nice marching vibe and guitars create a soothing atmosphere that enables Gerard to deliver some very blissful harmonies. His lyrics are pretty fitting with the nature of the track and help to create an atmosphere very representative of someone transitioning from a tortured life into eternal rest. This helps to set up the album for its finale track and wind things down a bit without taking away any sense of emotional strength or purpose. 9/10

I Never Told You What i Do for a Living: This finale track begins with another healthy heaping of chaotic instrumentals and angsty punk vocals from Gerard. He uses the tempo of the instrumentals to really lose himself in his performance. The lyrics are easy to follow along to and space things out enough to keep subtle moments of melody to seep through the guitar strings. It will help to keep things feeling fresh and climatic for this closer. They have a build up segment that leads into a decent breakdown segment that showcases their angsty side at full force. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 9.3/10

Well it easily took the spot as my highest rated MCR album and for good reason. It is a nostalgic album that culturally stood out as significantly in the mid 2000′s as Green Day’s American Idiot did. I highly suggest checking this album and band out if you haven’t already because they are a band that ended arguably at the top of their game. Their more experimental Super hero themed Danger Days albums was probably their weakest release but was still an interesting one in the end. At some point i’ll have that one on here for you; but i’m really hoping Gerard Way comes out with another solo album soon because it’s been too long for him to not use his amazing vocals.

*Reviewer’s Pick*

Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway: Dictator

Good morning everyone! Today i am going to tackle another newer album and it will be the long awaited second release from Scars on Broadway. It is a bit more direct in terms of experimentation; compared to their first album. It still retains the classic SOAD middle eastern flairs that make both bands unique; but focuses further on an aggressive rock edge. This release was originally recorded in 2012 but was held off on when SOAD was contemplating recording. Now that they pretty much have written that aspect off; Daron Malakian has finally released this album and is in the works of recording a third album this very month. Looking forward to it but let’s see where things go on this one first. Hope you enjoy!

Lives (Single): We begin the album with the first single and it starts us off on a rather energetic rock note. The guitars have a nice rhythm and creates a dance-able foundation that meshes with the lyrical structure of the track quite nicely. Daron’s vocals are pretty smooth and deliver a uniqueness that is pretty hard to compare to other popular vocalists. The lyrics are easy to follow along to and create a decent substance that naturally relates to a common theme of the Armenian Genocide back during the WW1 era. This opener will give you a nice rock opening that should wake you up fairly easy but contain a careful balance between being straightforward and displaying some dose of musical risk. It leans more heavily towards the straightforward route but anything with a SOAD vibe is inherently unique in style. 8.5/10

Angry Guru: We start off nice and aggressive with furious drum beating and fast guitar riffs. Daron delivers a very catchy vocal flair that is quick and further implements a danceable nature into the music. It would be a nice live piece to really get yourself going. The lyrics are easy to follow along to and further add to the catchiness of this track. So far this album definitely showcases as a guitar centered album since Daron recorded this himself. It has a nice little jam segment towards the end that will really get your adrenaline going and could be noted as a highlight on this album but there are a lot of them on here. I will say early on that this release will feel a lot more fluid and easier to venture through than their 15 track debut. This is mainly just because this album is a pure rocker while that one was very much more experimental in focus. Both great albums but the comparison is there and it’s a pleasant one. 9/10

Dictator (Single): This next album single begins with a nice chugging guitar riff and a steady drum support. It has a medium range of tension and Daron arrives to infuse it with an interestingly melodic angst vocally. He gradually grows to develop a very nice echo style that gives it a lively punk edge that will showcase very nicely live. It is supported pretty firmly by the instrumentals and should provide the listener with plenty of encouragement during an enthusiastic workout session. I contains a pretty nice breakdown segment towards the end that would be perfect for a mosh moment so this situates itself as a pretty solid live track and is an easy pick to try and promote on the radio. 8.5/10

Fuck and Kill: This track begins with a low and gritty but catchy guitar rhythm and combines with some experimental middle eastern instruments. Daron has a pretty smooth delivery that continues to remain highly catchy and is highly energetic. It will do well to give the listener something a little less safe in terms of style but retain the garage jam/punk nature of this album. I could see this one being a fun one to play live as well so its decently rounded. 9/10

Guns Are Loaded (Single): This final single begins with an angsty electronic tinge before melodically soft guitars arrive that immediately sound like leftover material from System of a Down; Which goes to show unsurprisingly how strong of a role Daron had in the band’s sound. Daron takes on a slow and emotionally firm focus in his delivery; which will place heavier emphasis on his lyrics. The guitars do still provide some muscle halfway through the track when Daron gradually works his vocals into a very emotionally powerful vocal segment. It is highly catchy and thought provoking in its flow and more importantly is organic in feeling; as opposed to feeling planned and forced. 9/10

Never Forget: This next track begins with a eerie Halloween like sound that is fresh and rather interesting. Daron enters with a guilt trip style lyrical opening and flows rather smoothly with the instrumentals. It contains a nice energy but is moderately rather effectively by the vocal mood.  This and the last track as a result will help to provide balance to the album’s overall flow. This will help to keep the listener from either but burnt out from too much too soon; or a simple case of putting the brakes on the album’s energy. 8.5/10

Talkin Shit: We start the second half of the album off with a soft guitar rhythm that will provide a firmer middle eastern vibe for fans of their first album or SOAD in general. It focuses heavier on the lyrics which do provide a very interesting level of substance to the track but instrumentally is one of the more tame ones in terms of energy. So it will focuses heavier on the band’s more experimental edge while still retaining balance overall. The build up into the guitar solo is very blissful and provides guitar lovers with plenty to fall in love with on here. I will note that as the major highlight of this track and is a pretty smart way to begin the second half of the album. 9/10

Till the End: We begin with an apocalyptic style of guitars that would feel fitting as a finale track for the album. Daron takes on a blissful tone that provides a nice texture to the overall atmosphere of it. His pleasant focus on harmonies will help to make this stick out on the album and become an interesting piece to see live; but so far this album is pretty much set up like how i would imagine a live setlist to be. Overall this is a pretty decent piece to come across at this stage of the album. 9/10

We Won’t Obey: The guitars start a bit quicker this time and encompass a nice jam feel that will help to bring another adrenaline rush back into the album. Lyrically its pretty simplistic and will not likely be as heavy of a focus as with the previous tracks. So this will most likely be best appreciated for the chaotic energy pouring through it. 8/10

Sickening Wars: This track continues the speed of the last track but adds a little more uniqueness to it. It uses echoed elements that bring further interest to it and develops a nice punk vibe that will surely be appreciated by the listener; and likely cranked during a road trip. At just over 2 minutes long it is the shortest track on the album; but overall the album has done a good job of keeping things moderated in terms of length. 8.5/10

Gie Mou “My Son” (Instrumental Stamatis Kokotas cover”): This cover track is soft and melodic with a very firm focus on its middle eastern influences. It creates a desert travel type feeling that brings the movie Aladdin to mind. It doesn’t overstay its welcome but considering how heavy the finale track is; i wonder if this really fits on here; due to how drastically it slows things down. 7.5/10

Assimilate (Skinny Puppy cover): This cover track begins with an energetic guitar rhythm and the drums keep things nice and steady for the listener to appreciate. After a lengthy opening Daron arrives with a very fast vocal delivery and will do well to get the listener moving. He really belts his vocals during the chorus with a nice echo quality that would radiate rather nicely during a live performance. It closes the album up pretty decently overall and should be appreciated as a good cover pick overall. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.5/10

not a bad score the album and was a decent choice to scratch off the promo list today. It is essentially a jam rock album that should be appreciated and will stoke a decent level of interest in follow up album. I have to stay brief on the conclusion today so i will leave you guys here to make your own opinions on it. Let me know what you think because i love hearing peoples opinions on albums and the reviews that i do. Peace!!

Megadeth: Endgame

Good morning guys! today i will be tackling a Megadeth album that is turning 10 years old in September. In my opinion it is another example of the band’s growing technicality that had dominated the later 00′s up till now. As a result it features a modern spin on their 80′s thrash era as opposed to their mid to late 90′s mainstream rock days. I was thinking it would be a good day to toss in something heavier since most of my recent reviews have touched on more easier listening music (minus Dir en Grey). Hope you guys enjoy this one!

Dialectic Chaos (instrumental): We begin the album off which an instrumental build up for the following track. It presents a good opportunity for Chris Boderick to demonstrate his abilities with the band for the first time on an album (left after the release of Super-collider). Some straightforward riffs warm up over moving drum bashing before bring forth a nice jam instrumental. It showcases some interesting power metal influences and will do a decent job of warming a listener up for this album. I could see some potential in it being a smooth opener for a live show due to its opportunity for an audience to soak in the band’s technicality on a visual level. 8.5/10

This Day We Fight!: This track begins with some furious drum riffs and chaotically fast guitar riffs to churn along with them in perfect harmony. Dave does a solid job of delivery his vocals with a nice sense of throaty angst as well as a interesting sense of calmness. The band showcases their musical chops very easily and show that this album would very likely be fun to see being played live. It also showcases some of the band’s most complicated work in awhile (minus their previous album United Abominations); and will be a very pleasant surprise for any older fans catching up on their recent work. The lyrics are a good focal point and should give the listener plenty of metallic substance to salivate over. So far no real complaints on this well-rounded opener. 10/10

44 Minutes: This track showcases a robbery that happened in california i believe. It uses a steady instrumental support to create a nice level of tension without taking energy from the mix. Dave focuses mainly on delivering a story telling style of two robbers that were decked out in body armor and military grade weapon while robbing an armored car i believe. I don’t have the name of the event present but look it up because it’s a really interesting story. The instrumentals keep this support structure going while the listener pays ample attention to the nature of the lyrics. They do however take plenty of time to deliver plenty of complex and melodic solos for the listener to bask in. It’s another one that would be a decent toss in for a live performance due to the interesting subject matter in the song. 8.5/10

1,320: This track begins with a nice race car effect before guitars arrive to give it a bit of their Countdown to Extinction style of jamming.It takes a little bit of warm up time before Dave arrives to infuse a nice show of energy into the track. The lyrics are decently done and will serve as a good focal point to balance things out as the instrumentals continue to deliver some solid jam instrumentals. The melodic nature of them will be ideal for any fan of 80′s metal; so this album so far is doing a good job of creating an old meets new presence. This definitely is due in part to some well done production as well for the album which shouldn’t be overlooked; because if the instrumentals were mixed terribly there wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of smooth balance on here. 9/10

Bite the Hand: The instrumentals begin with a nice and aggressive rhythm approach and Dave arrives shows up with a decent showing of energy; grit; and firm control in his voice. The lyrics take on a bit more of a political nature unsurprisingly considering his heavy focus on worldly events. The solo is pretty nice and will be hard not to appreciate due to it’s arrival at ideal times; in order to space out the vocals. This helps to keep them purposeful and free of monotony in the song; thus not boring the listener later on in the song. 8.5/10

Bodies: We begin this track with a stronger bass presence in the mix; which works well with the instrumentals to create a more tense rhythm for Dave to work with vocally. His chorus showcases a decent level of melody that will keep the lyrics remaining fresh and of interest to the listener. The slower but firm tempo of the instrumentals will help to decompress the listener a bit from the more intense nature of the previous tracks. It showcases some slower but equally appreciative melodies in the solos that will give the listener added variety in terms of riffs. It will do well to keep the tracks from sounding too familiar in tones and hopefully enable you to be able to pick out your favorites easier. This completes the first half of the album. 9/10

Endgame: This title track begins with a prison audio sample that sets an interesting degree of tension in the track. Dave arrives over more raw riffs to deliver the opening monologue. Its a bit more bumpy of a beginning but gradually shapes together a nice texture for the listener to groove with. The lyrics aren’t as fluid as the previous tracks but as with most of Megadeth’s music; Dave will be able to remain a focal point both instrumentally and vocally. The solos are not as stand out this time around so i could rate this as one of the weaker tracks on the album overall. 7/10

The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss: This is two songs within one that touch on two entirely different subject matters; so it is risky in theory but provides plenty of interest for the listener to come across. It begins with a melodic acoustic riff which infuses a bit of a romantic desert vibe into the album. Strings join with them to give Dave’s vocals a unique style of complexity that is not often found in the band’s work. It does venture into ballad territory and makes a nice touch lyrically on here. The strings remain prominent in the background while the instrumentals shift into more aggressive but controlled territory. It will gradually grow more sinister lyrically and provide the listener with plenty of substance to ponder over. I could see live potential on here due to its ability to stick out as something out of the usual for the band. Not a bad risk track to surprise the listener this late into the album. 8.5/10

Head Crusher (Single): The instrumentals immediately pick up with a good show of chaotic fury and help to showcase a nice bashing element from the drumming. The vocals do get a bit muffled at first by the intensity of the guitars but the lyrics still maintain a firm focus in the mix. The lyrics have an interesting sense of catchiness during the chorus that could get an audience up and moving to a great effect. They due to in some audio sample styled verses to develop the overall theme of the album; which mostly deals with political overreach and fascist style incarceration acts in the USA. The jams on this one will be a very nice stickout point on the album so i wouldnt recommend skipping if going on the browse session; though it is hard to pick what i would skip since the quality is remaining firmly consistent throughout the album. 9/10

How the Story Ends: The guitars begin with a nicely climatic and tense guitar charge that will get the listener feeling renergized. Dave takes on a more casual delivery which leads into a decently catchy chorus segment. The lyrics are bit more simplistic so the strength in the aspect is average in comparison to the previous tracks but the overall tone of the song will help to set the album up effectively for its finale track. It also brings in a nice Spanish guitar vibe to set up for a decently rounded solo to finish off with  8/10

The Right to Go Insane (Single): This finale track and final single is probably the most well known track on this album if any. The music video is interesting and touches on the guy that hijacked a tank and went driving through a city in a tank before being shot dead by police. The guitars begin with a nice rhythm which establishes plenty of tension for the listener to gain interest in. The instrumentals develop a nice and quick rhythm that is nice to dance to a bit and Dave arrives to deliver some pretty straightforward vocals. The chorus doesn’t really bring catchiness but instead focuses on showcasing a strong sense of substance in the lyrics. It proves to be a pretty straightforward end to the album which hopefully will leave the listener feeling content. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.6/10

Well this one got an expectedly decent score and proves to be one of the band’s stronger albums overall. I recommend checking it out if you are looking for an album that is filled to the brim with tasteful solos and a well rounded vocal performance. I was originally planning to do their album Risk since i’ve mentioned it a lot on previous reviews and it turns 20 years old; but this album was a good one to scratch off the list finally. I hope you guys all enjoy this and tomorrow i will try and jam out another review for you if all goes well.

*Reviewer’s Pick*

Creed: Human Clay

Well; i am back to another anniversary review and have decided to tackle Creed’s most well known album. It turns 20 years old this year and is something that is better to have off the list sooner than later. Let’s begin and see how well this album has stood the test of time!

Are You Ready? (Single): We begin with the first single and it begins with a middle eastern type melody to ease the listener in with some wonder before shifting into some standard mainstream rock riffs. The bass has a prominence presence in the mix and works with the drums to keep things moving in a pretty easygoing note. Scott produces a pretty strong delivery that is straightforward but infuses a good deal of relaxed rage in his vocals. The lyrics prove to be straightforward in a simplistic manner but retain ample catchiness to follow along to pleasantly. The chorus helps to push things along smoothly and will shape this up to be a safe pick for them to play live. So you know; i have seen this album played in its entirety before they ended their reunion era tours. As you guys can expect with this song and album in general; you are looking into mainstream rock n roll that won’t favors accessibility over complexity. 8/10

What If (Single): This next single is one of my favorites from the band and it begins with a sinister guitar melody that brings forth a pleasing sense of darkness and lurking tension. It sets itself up nice and easy before guitar riffs roar into one of the most powerful rockers on the album. Scott arrives with a full dose of fury in his vocals to grasp the listener’s attention. The lyrics are some of the album’s catchiest and provides ample sing along moments during the chorus. It moves along nice and steady with aggressively powerful drum bashing and focused guitar blasts. This track is a must see for during a live performance and showcases Scott’s vocals at the top of their game. The prominent presence of the bass in their music is a good move because it helps to prevent the band from feeling empty anywhere. 9/10

Beautiful: This track begins with a low but soothing guitar melody underneath Scott's casual opening. The guitars infuse a clever balance between cultural melodies and more muscular riffs to keep a steady balance for the listener to encounter. The drums deliver a decent show of aggression in the background to add to the muscle of the guitars without trying to absorb too much of the spotlight. The lyrics aren’t bad but do focus more heavily on a spoken word style and as such may risk leading the listener to some boredom due to its lower level of catchiness than on the last couple songs. The guitar solo produces a nicely melodic atmosphere and showcases some of Mark Tremonti’s early technicality without really venturing too far into it. 8/10

Say I: Guitars immediately begin this one off with a nice level of muscular force for the listener to feel engaged by. It still showcases those echoed middle eastern tinged guitar riffs that Tremonti was very prominent with during his early career. Scott takes on a more risky vocal style that is very firm and focused but ventures on with a lighter show of musical prominence than on the previous tracks. Because of that while; instrumentally it is an interesting piece to pick apart; it does progress rather slowly and risks leading the listener to a state of boredom. This is mainly due to a near absent focus on making the vocals or lyrics display a sense of catchiness to move along to. Still not a bad piece but more suited to being background music to set a rhythm; as opposed to deserving heavy focus. 7/10

Wrong Way: Echoed guitar melodies begin the song on a worldly yet gloomy tone that fits with a title of the track. Scott arrives with a lecturing style of vocals that gradually displays some interesting melodies without feeling the need to bring out the muscle from the guitars and drums. Despite feeling like a straightforward filler track it moves by pretty quickly and doesn’t do much to offend as it does to really be memorable to the listener. Hopefully the next couple tracks bring a little more magic into the album. This and the last track do a decent job of prolonging the listening experience for what it’s worth. 7/10

Faceless Man: More of the middle eastern riffs arrive to create the worldly feeling of a journey underway. Scott delivers some pretty melodic verses and the inclusion of acoustic riffs helps to give his vocals a nice texture that would showcase a solid live performance for the band. It stays nice and melodic and the lyrics should do well to keep the listener focused while the instrumentals maintain a soothing sense of relaxation that would be properly appreciated in this album. They do still bring some of their signature muscle later on in the song that will help it to be more well rounded track for mainstream rock fans.  This one definitely will also be a highlight for Scott's vocals due to the level of convincingly emotional power he develops as the song reaches its gradual ending. Definitely one of the stronger tracks that isn’t a hit. 8.5/10

Never Die: Guitars begin with an odd yet interesting echo melody that feels like waking up on a rough morning with a hangover. I mean that in a positive manner since i could see a humorous music video centered on that type of excess scenario. The vocals are good and deliver a good show of force while the drum bash around a bit more this time of some slightly angrier riffs. It keeps that chime like guitar melody running consistent throughout the song and even though it’s not bad; i could see a half engaged listener growing gradually annoyed due to its persistence. The lyrics on this one are decent and will deliver a decent focal point for a listener that is interested in it; Though i don’t envision many listeners in this genre that will really give the music that level of analysis. They do have some decent near-jam segments that will fluff its live appeal and shape this up to be another of the more well-rounded non hit tracks. 8/10

With Arms Wide Open (Single): Now these next two singles are signatures for the band and begin with a highly memorable guitar melody; which immediately lulls the listener into a deep state of ease. Scott arrives with a calm and assuring vocal presence that is full of reflection and growth. This can probably be easily viewed as containing some of the Scott’s most memorable lyrics of his career. That will be a major focal point in this track but the instrumentals do a pretty good job of emphasizing the emotion in Scott’s voice. I would definitely suggest checking this track and the next one out if just discovering the band or browsing the album; because it is a staple track that has endured pretty firmly throughout the years 9/10

Higher (Single): This next staple for the band as a whole begins with a reassuringly theraputic guitar melody but with a bit more power guitar wise than the last song. Scott enters pretty smoothly and provides it with a decent level of melody and power for the listener to be soothed by. The lyrics are decently strong and will be a good focal point for the listener and help to cement it as one of the band’s consistent live staples. As with the last track it is a pretty straightforward track that is honestly simplistic but emotionally compelling. It is surely to be around for another 20 years on the radio as long as 90′s era music remains played. But if Nickelback’s older work is still played then this band is a given; since both play to the same market for better or for worse depending on your personal taste preference. 8.5/10

Wash Away Those Tears: This is the longest track on the album at roughly 6 minutes long. It shifts the album back towards a more somber note verses the last two tracks. Scott arrives with a more echoed and angsty style in comparison to the previous material. As a result he is much less supported instrumentally and can leave this track feeling somewhat empty as a result. Instrumentals gradually do pick up in activity and help Scott to achieve some level of melody in his lyrics. It does gradually grow to hit the listener with a nicely climatic level of power and vocal emotion. It does help to make the long build up worth it even if its not screaming for attention. It would make for a good live piece to come across as long as the setlist flow is solid. As for the album flow its lengthy but keeps you occupied in a positive manner. 8/10

Inside Us All: This finale track starts off with a stronger sense of melodic urgency in the guitar riffs. It is soothing but thought provoking in terms of emotion. Scott arrives with a calming sense of melody that makes effective use of his lyrics to really grasp onto the listener’s need for theraputic release. As a result it has a decently fitting atmosphere for a finale track for this album. It keeps things straightforward as is typical but a continued ability to get you thinking whether its about the music itself or your own personal conflicts. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Well it got a fairly decent score and actually stood out as a much more well rounded album than i expected it to be. It is still what you would label as mainstream generic radio rock; but it is the better of the lot. It is lengthy but flows pretty smoothly as an overall album and does provide you with ample opportunity for reflection; which is hard to find in this type of music. I would rate it as being very mood oriented in terms of appreciation and is best suited for an easygoing day in which you want something with energy and some attempt at complexity without throwing the kitchen sink at you. I would suggest that you give it a listen when the mood feels right but play it in album sequence.

*Reviewer’s Pick*

Disturbed: Evolution

Hey guys i am back from a small vacation to bring back some reviews for you. I havent been getting much motivation from my anniversary list so i am going to press on with the newer albums for promo. This is the latest album from Disturbed and features a shift towards a much more soft rock sound than prior releases. It still has some of your typical songs but on this release they decided to experiment more heavily with the success they had on their cover of The Sound of Silence. I haven’t listened to this one much but hopefully it proves to be an interesting risk from the group. They have described it as being their version of Metallica’s Black album which is fair; but i would likely align it closer to Megadeth’s Risk album.

Are You Ready (Single): The album begins pretty ambitiously with a hard hitting rocker similar in spirit to their previous track Indestructible. It begins with a nice electronic tinge to open up before David enters to rile to listener up. The instrumentals are pretty basic and straightforward but provide ample support for David’s vocals. His energetic delivery provides a very firm focal point for the listener to enjoy and it delivers an interesting sense of hidden catchiness that showcases nicely during the chorus segments. This would be a decent track to open up a live show with due to its straightforwardness and ability to energize a room. I do wish that the guitars had a little more teeth to them in order to really cement this as a highlight piece but its a decent beginning to this album thus far. 8.5/10

No More (Single): This next single continues to more energetic rock direction of the album before venturing into their melodic acoustic and melodic centered tracks. It starts off with a rather danceable guitar rhythm that showcases the guitars rather nicely. The dance vibe to it will showcase very strongly during a live performance and David’s vocals match in catchy swagger. He continues to stand out very highly on this album and uses some very strong lyrics to provide a powerful presence on the track for the listener to rally around. This is definitely a nice pick for a single and hopefully will set the album up to continue with a nice momentum. I would definitely recommend checking this track out if you are in a mood to just browse; because its one of the track’s i’ve remembered the most so far besides In Another Time. 9/10

A Reason to Fight (Single): Acoustic melodies begin with a rather rustic, almost celtic like vibe and David arrives to deliver some rather catchy vocal harmonies. It is a very risky approach for the band but he continues to be consistent with strong lyrics and a solid vocal performance in order to make it work out well. The acoustic elements give a nice texture to the song that supports David more firmly than expected and helps to provide the album with an interesting sense of hidden complexity for the listener to soak in. It will surely be a polarizing track to older fans but it is a smart choice as a single to showcase this newer side of the band. It also brings forth something new the band’s catalog that can’t immediately have several tracks already compared to it. The closest i can think of off the top of my head is the classical track Darkness off of their second album Believe. Though even that track was very unique to itself as well. 8.5/10

In Another Time: Melodic loops begin this song off with a rather soothing tone and develops a nice sense of poppy class before aggressive guitars arrive to sink some teeth into the track. The use of electronic beats underneath the guitars give it a very nice texture for David to thrive on. They use these electronic elements sparingly so as to not take away their standard rock structure and that should leave older fans feeling interested in it. Other than that this is pretty decent half rocker/ballad piece for the listener to be engaged by and the more raw guitar solo is a nice moment to be struck by before the chorus proceeds to finish the song off. 8.5/10

Stronger On Your Own: This middle track begins with a muffled guitar rhythm and begins to develop a nice rock rhythm texture with the spaced drum beats. David takes his time in building the song up and manages to create an interesting sense of tension and motivational swagger. I gotta give him props on this album because i have yet to really find any weakness in his vocals and his lyrics have proven consistently solid on each of these track to make him the real highlight on this album thus far. It does show that this album is mostly composed of inspirational ballad centered tracks but David’s strong presence really makes it a worthwhile effort otherwise; it would be a lackluster album. 8.5/10

Hold On to Memories: Acoustic melodies begin this track on a very relaxingly peaceful note. David changes his vocals up a hair to bring a different vibe into the album. He manages to make this vocal style work very well in presenting a very theraputic set of lyrics to the listener to decompress to. Despite being a very subdued track; i would be interested to see it being done live. The ironic part too is that i can pretty much imagine this being a solo album for David if his other band mates weren’t involved. I will also give the instrumentals props because they deliver a very strong support for the vocals and energetic melodies to really cement this as a solid track for the listener to appreciate. Even if you are expecting heavier material; you can at least acknowledge that their intentions with this album are working out pretty well. 8.5/10

Saviour of Nothing: Guitars arrive with a decent build up and David arrives to deliver a balanced dose of inspirational verses. The guitars have a little more rawness to them that will mesh with their stronger energy decently. They do take the focus away from the vocals this time a bit; but the chorus will stick out for people that are enjoying David’s presence on the album.I will note this track as probably one of the weaker ones but not to the band of being a throw away track. Probably bonus track level but nothing filler. The drums do have some nice moments to bash around with the guitars so pay attention to that segment when it comes; because the solo is really nice and technical with subtle electronic elements added to spice it up further. 8/10

Watch You Burn: Energetic acoustic riffs begin that bring in more of a pop rock vibe (think goo goo dolls lol). David arrives to deliver some very soothing verses that will help to further ease the listener during a tense day. He does get a hair carried away with his high notes at times but with a slightly stronger instrumental support it would of blended in smoother. The bass rhythm does stick out rather decently on here so it will give a decent foundation to get a little slow dancing to with your significant other. I could of actually pictured a good music video for this one centered around an outdoor campfire due to its lyrical structure. They bring in another surprise with a modest orchestral solo to enhance the complexity of this track further. It’s an interesting surprise that will make this a more memorable track than initially expected. Definitely can’t say that this album will bore you if you listen to it open-minded in album sequence; because doing so on shuffle really doesn’t work well on this album. 8.5/10

The Best Ones Lie: This track begins with energetic electronic loops before the guitars arrive to pour and aggressively energetic rock presence. The drums bash along rather nicely and David arrives to present the listener with a more back to basics Disturbed track. The lyrics don’t stick out as heavily on here as on previous tracks but they still do develop a nice texture as they rant along convincingly. The instrumentals will be a stronger focal point due to their more dramatic draw. It contains some rather nice jam elements that will really showcase nicely during a live performance. It is placed smartly in the album since it injects a heavy dose of power into the album; which sets it up very strongly for the finale track. 8.5/10

Already Gone: This finale track begins melodic strings and a classically sound guitar presence. David uses a deeper vocal melody which has infuses a compelling sense of darkness into the atmosphere. This one really shapes up to be a beautiful highlight that conveys a strong level of emotion for the listener to be astounded by. The lyrics are perfect for the mood of this track and David really takes advantage of them to end this album on a solid note. I would highly recommend checking this track out because it is a really nice surprise that justifies the band’s focus in this album. 10/10

Overall album rating: 8.7/10

Well this one had a very surprising score from what i was expecting (7.8-8.1 range) and is just .1 of matching my score for their highlight album Indestructible. This is a very solid album from the band that takes a very risky experiment and pulls it off very well. David is terrific in his vocals and lyrics and the band provides a solid support so that he can work his magic with ease. I highly recommend checking this album out because it will surely surprise you with a love it or hate it impression; though there will be little doubt that it is a complex work. I will stay open minded on where they go from here on their follow up album since this worked out as well as it did. Enjoy your weekend guys and i will get more albums out next week since i am off from work.

*Reviewer’s Pick*

Dir En Grey: The Insulated World

Hello guys! Today i decided to do another promo review and tackle the latest album by Dir en grey. I had a little extra time today so i wanted to make use of it and scratch off a longer album that i usually would of backed off on. This album features a continuation of their sound on Arche (reviewed) but with a very rough combination of their chaotic rawness found on Marrow of a Bone. Hopefully this album goes by pretty smooth but time will tell.

Keibetsu to Hajimari: We begin very abruptly with aggressive drum bashing and rhythmic guitar riffs before Kyo arrives to deliver a chaotic growl segment. It is a pretty muffled under the mix but builds a decent level of aggression that would showcase decent live. The bass needs a stronger presence to fill in things since it feels a little empty underneath everything. Kyo continues to demonstrate that he can deliver his chaotic vocal style without any issue. This song so far compares more heavily to their Dum Spiro Spero (reviewed) style of chaotic yet complex metal. It is definitely a more direct yet still heavily complex jammer that would be best appreciated in a live setting verses album style. It feels like it could use some sort of melodic solo in it to bring out some more flavor and a stronger bass line as well. Other than that it won’t match expectations set on Arche but will please fans of Dum Spiro Spero and Marron of a Bone. 7.5/10

Devote My Life: The next track starts off a fast marching style drum beat and brings forth a stronger bass line to combine with Kyo’s aggressive grow vocals. The bass is highly appreciated but the high pitch guitar riffs get highly annoying to the ears till they go away. Then we go into a very nice bass breakdown that would showcase perfectly live and showcase exactly what the last song could of used. This one would definitely be much higher appreciated if that guitar screeching riff wasnt incorporated because its probably the most fucking annoying riff i’ve heard on an album; and its doesn’t let up until the end. Other than that the vocals are decent but don’t capture direct focus like they usually do and the the bass/drum combo proves to be the highlight on here. This is one that i recommend skipping and wish wasn’t on this album. 4/10

Ningen wo Kaburu (Single): This is the first single on the album and it starts off with a nicely melodic opening combined with a strong drum entrance. It has a nicely complex strutcure that joins with the guitars to create a stronger and more coherent presence than the last song. Kyo is still utilizing his muffled growl style which works but isnt a focal point as typical till the chorus arrives. When the chorus arrives it demonstrates his skill and really provides a little life to the album. Its also the first show of real melody in the album thus far. The jams are solid and will showcase well live and do stand out as the stronger track so far in the album. I would recommend listening to this one if you are browsing because it will compare a bit to their sound on Arche but with a little polish left off purposely. 8/10

Celebrate Empty Howls: The drums and guitars start off with a complex yet familiar opening before Kyo arrives to inject an interesting dose of chaotic verses into the mix. It goes into a standard jam segment that will allow the listener to decompress a hair while still being presented with an interesting drum performance to soak in. The drums are probably the most consistently strong element on this album and are worth a focus. The atmospherically tense melodies in the song allow for some appreciated spacing in order for the listener to avoid being too overwhelmed by whats going on. Despite being a rougher album from them so far; i can see some strong live potential from it and it does move along a bit faster than expected; however the songs are appreciating shorter in response. Most tracks are under 4 minutes and it makes a big difference in ability to take in as opposed to their more ambiotious 5 to 7+ minutes songs. 7.5/10

Utafumi (Single): This is the second and final single of the album which came out a few years before the actual album release. It’s different from the original release but is probably my personal favorite on the album. It begins with a powerful drum bash and chaotic yet purposeful growls before giving the listener a brief moment of emptiness to soak in. The instrumentals then go into full speed with a chaotic level of bashing and backing growls; that give it a decent gang texture. The chorus is melodic and powerful thus thriving on Kyo’s ballad qualities. The guitars are more subdued in a supportive role which works out decent for the mix; though some brief solo flares are thrown in to give it some more flavor. Zero complaints on the drum work because the bass flows with them solidly and they pretty much command the speed on the song while showcasing most of the technicality in it as well. The guitars are still complex but where as they dominate past work; they stay in a supportive jam role. Because of this; you will come to appreciate this one as a drum showcased album. 8.5/10

Rubbish Heap: We begin here with electronic loops which are interesting and provide a little diversity before the instrumentals arrive. The drums are chaotically bashing their way around in this song while the guitars roar and Kyo matches them with his chaotic show of force. This one actually stands out nicely when focused on for its technicality and live appeal; because it would be perfect for getting an audience crazy. It benefits from listening in album sequence since you really have to be in the right mindset to enjoy this style of music; otherwise it’s going to overwhelm you fast. 8.5/10

Aka: The second half of the album begins with a pleasingly echoed guitar melody that creates a very ideal atmosphere to decompress and soak in some complex emotion. The bass showcases very nicely with the bass and Kyo enters with his spoken verse style that is much appreciated at this point in the album. The subtle guitar melodies fill in gaps nicely while the the rhythm segments remain the signature component of the song. It all combines nicely to really get a powerful sense of emotion from Kyo. This track highlights the brightest moments of their last album Arche and hopefully will make first time listeners venture off to that album when they are done with this one. This one is a very nice surprise that is easily my personal favorite on the album thus far. 9.5/10

Value of Madness: Electronic rhythm components begin this one and the drum arrive with a nice sense of muscle. The guitars arrives to give it a bit more of a rock vibe. Kyo showcases a near rap like style at moments that actually works very nicely with the instrumental style. It will showcase very highly live and Kyo’s aggressive yet highly melodic chorus will be a nice bonding glue to push this song along nicely. This second half of the album so far is shaping up to be the easier listen for their more melodic focused fan base. It still has a very strong combination of their sound from Marrow of a Bone, Dum Spiro Spero, and Arche in it; so if you like this album those are your three companion albums as well. Maybe throw Uroboros in there as well since it’s more aggressive moments are comparable; though its focuses more melodic moments heavier. 8.5/10

Downfall: This one begins with a quick push into chaos riffs that are less substance centered and focus solely on being as intensely furious as possible. It gives ample spacing between those moments to keep it feeling as coherent as best as possible. It is a decently quick track at just under three minutes so while it doesn’t really do anything for me it’s not terrible to sit through. It seems mainly like a garage jam kind of track. 6.5/10

Followers: Some eerie sound effects start and combine with some interesting electronic elements that bring a nicely atmospheric texture to the track. It has a nice show of guitar presence that will establish a strong foundation for Kyo to deliver his ballad style of vocals. The drums and bass continue to showcase neatly in the mix and keep this track from feeling empty. Kyo gets a hair overpitched at times but it still presents itself as the right track to have at the right time on this album. The guitar solo is a very strong highlight that will be worth the focus and allows for guitar fans to be able to find some riffs to savor over. 8.5/10

Keigaku no Yoku:  Keys begin and continue the melodic nature of the last track but with a stronger darkness and complexity to it. The vocals arrive over it with an eerie sense of tension that would be fit for a horror scene. The drums and bass provide some nice blast style rhythm that brings some elements of Slipknot to the mix. It then all goes into a chaotic jam that would get the audience roaring. It focuses primarily on its eerie rhythm that to me probably means the bassist wrote this one; since naturally his tracks feature the bass as the primary component and bare stronger jazz elements in it as well. This is another highlight track that is making this album shape up to be a much stronger one than i originally thought. 9/10

Zetsuentai: This seven and a half minute long track begins with more eerie sound effects and melodic guitar riffs. The bass and drums space themselves out to give the song a very airy opening. Kyo uses a soft spoken and melodic vocal style to develop a decent level of class. The bass and drums dominate the instrumental support for Kyo while the guitars focus on tossing in melodic tinged riffs to fill in the background. It places heavier focus on Kyo’s voice though instrumentals will space it out enough so that there is a lot of substance for the listener to soak in. Vocally i am still waiting on Kyo to bring a stronger sense of power into his voice so this lengthy track will feel as such...lengthy lol. They bring forth a show of aggressive jamming and growl vocals to liven things up effectively though it still feels like it needs something to really set a spark off.The guitars do begin to showcase with some decent solos; so you will have to look forward to. 7/10

Ranunculus: This finale track starts off with an eerie sound effect that is a ambient in nature and gradually grows more melodically dark and complex and Kyo arrives. It has a decent bass rhythm to ground things and the instrumentals gradually grow in life. Kyo delivers a pretty strong chorus that is a bit muffled by the guitars but still showcases strong melodies and a suitable range for the listener to appreciate. The guitars over time grow to give his chorus a nice show of power that should be a pleasantly beautiful way to close out this album. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 7.8/10

Definitely a decent drop in score from Arche, but it’s surprisingly a better album than i thought it would be. Listening to it when it first came out reminded me of my impression of Dum Spiro Spero and Marrow of a Bone where i hated it at first and didnt understand it; but gradually came to appreciate it over time. I think Dum Spiro Spero is the strongest of the three albums i mentioned with this one arguably in the middle of them. It’s a decent jam album that will take time for you to decide an opinion but it’s still worth checking out if you are a strong fan of the group. If you are new and are curious about their other work then check out Arche, Kisou, and Vulgar. Those three are my personal favorites from the band. Withering to death is another favorite that is worth a listen as well. I gotta head out now so thanks for taking the time read my review and i’ll see you next time!

The Devin Townsend Project: Sky Blue

Hello guys! Thank you for the response on my latest reviews. It tempts me to continue putting the newer ones out but today i am going to tackle a curiosity album that is also due for an anniversary review. I just started listening to this musician a few months ago and have taken quite a strong liking to his overall work. This album is by one of his full band projects and is technically part of a double release. The first being this disc and the second one being the follow up solo album to Ziltoid the Omniscient. I reviewed that one a month ago and found it to be a surprisingly solid release so here’s to hoping this is another solid review. It’s reached five years old so let’s see how its aged.

Rejoice: We begin with some metallica futuristic effects to set up an interesting ambiance. Muffled female vocals in the background begin over a rough rhythm section before Devin arrives with a nice sense of grit in his voice. The aggressive instrumentals will do well for fans of standard metal that focuses on rhythm. It does lack in terms of melodic catchiness since it lacks a full chorus. As an opener it doesn’t ease listeners in casually and takes them on very bluntly; risking losing a casual listener. I could see decent live potential due to its experimentation with backing vocal choirs and a rhythm focus that could keep an audience entertained. Aside from that it feels like its missing something to really latch onto the listener this early on in the album. 6/10

Fallout: The guitars begin with a more melodic tone over computerized female vocals. It takes its time in warming up before the female singer arrives to deliver some rather engaging vocals. She brings a sense of melodic catchiness that the previous track lacked. Devin does a solid job of delivering complex high notes that never seem to wear down. Its a nice dual role between him and the female vocalist that seems to be a common staple on his work with the Devin Townsend Project. It does a good job of avoiding the risk of smothering the listener with overproduction and really brings a sense of climatic ambition to the album; which will surely stand a strong chance of convincing the listener to continue on with their listen. 8/10

Midnight Sun: Acoustic riffs begin this track with an interesting surprise because based on his prior work i was expected some much heavier work; but this album seems to be showcasing a more classically melodic focus. Devin experiments with heavily layered harmonies that mesh with the full feeling instrumental melodies to create a strong sense of atmospheric depth. It certainly shifts a bit more towards the ballad side of music but does offer the listener a risky experiment that does well and showcases Devin’s consistent level of complexity; even if he goes overboard at times. The thing that i do appreciate about him is that he is fully indie with owning his own label and writes pretty much everything that he has released. It showcases a true sense of honesty and what his true vision in his music is; with all its positives and shortcomings attached. It makes it easier to connect with these tracks when looked at it as such. 8/10

A New Reign: Devin begins with a slightly darker but equally holistic set of vocal harmonies. The instrumentals bring forth a decent showing of melody while Devin and his female vocalist work together to create an emotionally powerful vocal duo. Their layered atmosphere is very beautiful and will do a great job of providing a therapeutic outlet to the listener during a time of frustration. They do bring in some tense moments in here with gloomy keys and guitar work and some spaced out growl vocals for added emphasis. I do wish that the drums had a little more complexity in the album so far since past albums have really showcased that guy’s talent; but these kind of songs are simplistic enough instrumentally to be understandable in that regard. It helps keep some smothering out of the mix and doesn’t throw off the tempo in it as well. 8/10

Universal Flame: This is a highlight track and as close to a single as there is on here. It begins with an immediate shout of powerful bliss and energetic instrumentals to proper it even higher. The backing female vocals give it a nice sense of beauty while avoiding smothering things. Devin takes on a slightly different style vocally and uses softer harmonies to create a nice texture for the listener to soak into. The lyrics will stick out a little bit more this time and should be nice to sing along during the chorus; which actually sticks out this time firmly. This would make for a decent live track and is a nice one to get slowly energized to; after waking up in the morning. Devin really showcases some power during the mid section with growl vocals that actually add emotional urgency to the vocals as opposed to direct aggression. The guitar solo is a great focal point that will further enhance it’s live appeal as well. Definitely recommend this track if you are just browsing; though his albums typically seem best enjoyed in sequence verses shuffle; due to their very complex structure. 9/10

Warrior: This middle track begins with more cheery guitar melodies and powerful vocal harmonies. The female vocallist arrive for slightly rougher instrumentals in the background. They create an interestingly chaotic rhythm that is nice to focus on for a bit before they shift into softer atmospheric melodies. As with the majority of the other tracks; the vocals are too layered to really make out what she is saying so unfortunately lyrics rarely seem to get the chance to ponder over and appreciate. It’s not a bad piece but definitely is a bit bumpier with just the female vocalist featured as opposed to her and Devin working together to strengthen each other up evenly. 7/10

Sky Blue: Devin arrives over a soft bass line to deliver low harmonies that will be easy to appreciate as the instrumentals slowly wake up in an effective manner. It’s a more electronically subtle track that gives the minimal instrumentation a nice sense of interest that outweighs the risk effectively. The female vocals continue to do a good job when focused on but this relaxing piece focuses pretty strongly on a sense of melodic bliss instrumentally. I could see it being an interesting piece to see played live since it would be a good piece to wind things down after more his heavily ambitious work. Not bad at all for a title track! 8.5/10

Silent Militia: A solo vocal call to arms begins over heavily muffled samples before the drums arrive with the guitars to slowly begin to energize the listener. It contains a more aggressive yet cautious rhythm that will showcase interestingly live. It uses softer transition segments to showcase the subtle electronic effects; bass lines; and female harmonies. Devin delivers a pretty powerful chorus that makes effective use of his growl vocals and could make this one of the heavier tracks on the album. It still isn’t heavy by the standards of his older solo work; but provides a gradual change of pace that still manages to fit neatly with the tone and focus of the previous tracks. 8/10

Rain City: This nearly 8 minute song begins with a shift towards calming key work that provides a soothing support for Devin’s gradual entry. He focuses on soft harmonies that gradually grow in emotional urgency as the electronic drums grow. The female vocals combine for a layered effect that will develop a strong level of complexity that is beautiful and extremely relaxing. This song brings forth a strong sense of melody that shaping it up to be one of the most interestingly effect tracks on the album; which will make its longer runtime eagerly worth the sit through. I’d be interested to see this live but considering it’s heavily dominance on electronica in the background and atmospheric flair; it’d be a challenge to reach this level of strength. 9/10

Forever: Devin begins with a layered vocal style that works over a soothing yet spaced key presence. It provides a holistic feeling that will continue to provide a sense of relaxation that helps to make this album different form most of his previous ones. It feels very heavily like a suitable pick for an album closer so considering there are two more tracks and one is 8 and a half minutes long; i’m curious how this is going to effect the flow of the album. 8/10

Before We Die: Drums begin this track with a nice sense of powerful ambition that makes the previous track understandable. It has a nice sense of emotional beauty and motivational energy to get the listener compelled to resolve whatever issue is troubling their mind. The drums deliver a slightly more energetic presence in the mix but remain in the background firmly still. choir vocals are used to a very pleasing effect that delivers a strong sense of emotional complexity to the track. They are a smart trait to add more interest to the listener this late into an hour long album. It also shapes it up to be another of the album’s highlight tracks. I could see it being a very solid live track that would deliver an ambitious performance while using the choir segment to garner a sing along moment with the audience. It would actually be a very beautiful sight to see live so i’ll have to look for live videos  when i get a chance. 10/10

The Ones Who Love: This finale track is only a minute and a half long and is basically a choir closing that feels like a continuation of the previous song. 0/0

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Not a bad score for this album and it’s a good pick for when you want something that is softer while energetic verses his more aggressive material. It does a good job of avoiding the risk of being overdone; so i could see this being one of his more mainstream friendly albums that is a decent length listen but a smooth one at that. Other than that i hope you guys enjoyed the review; now i have to head out and get ready for a wine festival today.

Thirty Seconds to Mars: AMERICA

Good morning everyone; i was nicely surprised by the response for my last review of Rammstein’s latest album. So i’m gonna go to another newer one that i never really gave a thorough listen. This is the latest album by Thirty Seconds to Mars and is their final release with their long time guitarist Tomo Milicevic. It seems he departed for personal issues as vague as that is but since they haven’t replaced him maybe there’s wiggle room for him to return down the road. From what i’ve gotten this album takes a venture into a more pop direction than the experimental rock of previous releases. I am going in blind so let’s get started and hopefully it’s an overlooked gem.

Walk on Water (Single): Okay so all the album singles are going to hit you right away. It starts with some low synths and worldly vocal segments that are meant to give the song an ambitiously motivational pop foundation. Jared is not bad vocally but keeps things very basic lyrically. Instrumentally it fits decent for a pop setting that could be danced to somewhat; though it does lack the artistic complexity of any of their previous work. So i am guessing this album is venturing for a less is more mainstream approach. The use of backing choir elements is a good touch for playing on the song’s atmospheric tendencies. The drums are okay and if they didn’t sound programmed it would bring elements of Radiohead and Fall Out Boy together in a odd but convincing combination. It is not a bad choice for opening the album up since it is a simple ease in for the listener that does contain some catchy elements to convince the listener to give them a chance. 7/10

Dangerous Night (Single): This next single begins with an emotionally compelling vocal entrance from Jared that delivers a stronger set of lyrics. They bring in some pop rock acoustics and combine it with synths to create an uplifting atmosphere. Because of that it still retains a minimalist approach that does manage to give him ample support. Though Jared’s lyrical flow is realistically the only thing that will make or break it for the listener; because the instrumentals otherwise wouldn’t have much to really bring attention to themselves. It does have a decent little synth interlude to build up a low key dance opportunity; but nothing more than that. I will give them props for keeping most of the songs in the three minute range because they would feel a lot more drawn out in the 4 to 5 minute range. 7/10

Rescue Me (Single): The final single of this album begins with more of that pop rock guitaring that is nicely melodic till the drum loops arrive. Jared is left a little alone in terms of support since the instrumentals don’t truly seem to have what it takes to lift his otherwise promising vocal delivery. So far this album is setting itself up to be best listened to in the background instead of being analyzed like their previous work had the benefit of. Other than that this one doesn’t really bring in anything to the table in terms of being memorable let alone catchy. 5/10

One Track Mind (Featuring ASAP Rocky): The synths start this off on a blissfully soothing note and the muffled voice of the guest vocalist is a refreshing change of pace. Jared’s vocals are a bit processed but he manages to finally succeed in creating a very emotionally deep effect on the listener. He is supported minimally as expected on here but to a much more meaningful effect. This would be a decent one to play while winding down for bed at night. His lyrics are delivered very carefully and deliver a stronger sense of substance to the listener even though they are highly repetitive. This might of been a better pick for a single than Rescue Me but it really depends on how they sell it. The guest vocals show up towards the end and do a pretty good job of staying true to the intended sound of the song; while also lyrically paying tribute to the band. 8/10

Monolith: This minute and a half long number starts off with some drum beats that finally appear to build some classic tension for the following track. It may of been a good opener for the album to please their older fans since it makes use of solid harmonies and classical string elements. It combines with a blast riffs they used heavily on their last album. It is too short to score on this album but it helps to lift this album up a bit finally. 0/0

Love is Madness (Featuring Halsey): This one starts from the previous track into a dark and gloomy call and response duet between Jared and the guest vocalist. They actually do a really good job of working together without appearing to force it. They both grow rather ambitious in their delivery and use a strong diversity of energy to set a sense of tense conflict between the two singers. Because of this the lyrics prove to be some of the strongest on the album and contain a very compelling dose of catchiness. This is definitely a highlight on the album and a clear example of what their pop sound should be like on this album. 9/10

Great Wide Open: This song begins with a soothing loop open that creates a very compelling sense of blissful atmosphere. Jared arrives with a slightly gospel demeanor. He finally seems to be shaping the album’s pop approach into something that is finally engaging and understandable. The lyrics are pretty compelling and benefit a bit from the drawn out delivery; even if it risks feeling sluggish when overly analyzed. This and the last track would of been smart picks for singles. This one mainly because it demonstrates the compelling strength of Jared’s vocals and could bring some similarities to sound and spirit on This Is War (Reviewed). 9/10

Hail to the Victor: This track begins with a little more spacey approach. It explores a sense of emptiness and vulnerability before shifting into some more energizing drum beats. The stronger use of synths and distortion works decently to change things up; as well as add a sense of convincing emotion to Jared’s lyrics. It helps to set up a mood of conflict and rising to overcome it. I can see a better dance reaction to it since it is better suited for a live performance or late night club scene than most of their earlier tracks were. 8.5/10

Dawn Will Rise: We begin this track off with some soft electric riffs and french female vocals to give it a nice sense of artistic class. Synths arrive to slowly seep a danceable yet peacefully relaxing presence. Jared’s vocals feel a bit processed but deliver some sufficient lyrics to focus on while the song progresses. His vocals vibration can get a hair annoying but overall he does succeed in achieving a sense of catchiness that will enable the listener to appreciate this song. 8/10

Remedy: Acoustic riffs start off with an interesting rustic approach. I think Shannon Leto is singing on this one and his more rough approach fits rather nicely with the tone of this song and offers an interesting surprise for the listener to encounter. I definitely appreciate them changing things up with this track because it adds some diversity and helps to set the album up for a gradual conclusion. I actually wouldnt mind hearing a solo album from Shannon if this is in fact him on vocals. 8.5/10

Live Like a Dream: This track begins with a nicely soothing yet modestly energetic opening. This one sounds a bit more familiar to their older work. Jared demonstrates a masterful control over his vocals and helps to keep things feeling inspirational and interesting as the song progresses. He delivers a firm sense of catchiness without trying to take away the subtle impact from his instrumental support.  I definitely think a few more tracks like this on the album would of made their pop venture a bit easier to get into; though by this point they have pretty much returned to the sound of their last album instead of their intended mainstream soft pop. Kind of creates a damned if you do; damned if you don’t situation for them ha ha. 8.5/10

Rider: Here’s the finale track to the album and it begins rather softly with some audio backing before Jared arrives to deliver a wounded and compelling vocal presence. The acoustic riffs and drum loops create a rather nice ambiance that is cleverly complex and emotionally engaging. It helps to establish a very fulfilling sense of farewell to this album. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 7.9/10

Even though this album had some lackluster bumps in the first half; the second half is very solid and will please their fan base if they give it a chance. Their attempt at more direct pop in the first half i don’t believe works really well for them; because of their emphasis on slowness and heavy complexity verses the faster and catchier elements that i believe pop requires. I wouldn’t mind it if they tried to incorporate a more successful dance element into the music but i feel that it wouldn’t be in the band’s nature otherwise they would end up sounding like a modern day Maroon 5. Still; i would still suggest giving it a listen in album sequence and see what you think. It’s going to be conflicted but that feeling alone should feel fitting coming from this band. Hopefully they learn from whatever input they got on this album and build on it for their next album; which i hope but doubt won’t take another 5 years to release.

Rammstein: Untitled or Self titled (not sure lol)

Hey guys; today i am going to venture into my promo list of new albums and will tackle the newest album by Rammstein. I has been ten years since their last album; so it’s worth giving it a little publicity. From what i have heard so far it has a fresher sound that still focuses on aggressive rhythm but with a return to the more danceable sounds found on their past album Sehnsucht. So far it seems to be performing very well since its only been a week and it’s shipped a record 250k albums.  Let’s begin and see how this album flows!

Deutschland (Single): We begin the album with the first of two singles as of the time of this review. electronic keys begin and set up a semi danceable foundation that is toughened up by some raw guitar riffs. It takes it time in warming up but succeeds in setting up a nice degree of tension for the listener to pump himself up to. The keys actually remind me a bit of the more melodic Norwegian metal bands. Till arrives with a casual yet highly commanding voice that will be a perfect return to their audience after ten years. The chorus is pretty straightforward but catchy and aggressive; which will be suited well for opening up their live shows with. I dont know if it will stick out as a favorite among their fanbase but it tackles older sounds with a fresh approach to it; and that should be as good as any a start for their older fanbase. 8/10

Radio (Single): This next single is more dance able in terms of electronic melodies than the last one. It should give the listener a good example of the band’s shift towards a surprisingly more radio friendly yet compellingly complex sound.  The instrumentals create your trademark marching rhythm that is typical of the band’s older work and the keys arrive to give you that clear Sehnsucht sound. Till continues to give a compelling vocal performance before delivering a simple yet catchy chorus for the listener to dance along to. If i wanted to critique repetition i could for the guitar riffs but only in a manner that wouldn’t be fair since their riffs are specifically written with a rhythm focus in mind.  As a live piece i can see it catching some appeal and does work as a more mainstream minded track. The big notice on this track is that is a much stronger emphasis on melodies instead of your typical aggressive punch you would come to expect. It will help to give the band’s catalog some added diversity as well as some material that will be easier to play as they get older (considering that everyone but the bassist is in their early to mid fifties now.  8/10

Zeig dich: This one starts off rather interestingly with female operatic vocals that deliver a very strong combination of tension and classical complexity. It definitely sounds like it deserves to be in a hitman film. The guitars give it a nice texture before joining with marching drums to transition into a slightly poppier rock sound. It works rather nice and Till arrives with an echoed melody to give the song a rather nice texture to be soothed into. it contains a clever balance of atmospheric traits combined with aggressive transitions to turn this surprisingly energizing rock number into a solid dance tune. I definitely hope that they make this into a single because it brings in a very fresh approach to their writing that fits with their more mainstream centered style while also being much more memorable than the last two tracks. Those were still good but this track really lifts momentum in the album for older fans to grab onto. 9/10

Auslander: Electronic synths begin with a decent opening that flirts with some trance elements before the instrumentals arrive to give it more balls. Till begins with a standard vocal presence that would appeal better to native speakers but still provides a good texture. The chorus continues to bring more pop like elements into the album that could be either a loved or hated by older fans; but will likely bring them a stronger appreciation in Europe than in the past. Not bad but definitely better appreciated if you can understand the lyrics well. 7.5/10

Sex: Now this song should translate pretty easy ha ha! This is a personal favorite on the album along with tattoo. It begins with soft and soothing keys before guitars slowly arrive to create an interesting blues like transition. The guitars and drums chug along rather catchy and create a desert rock tone that fits very well with a lusty setting. Till’s vocal presence is very strong and compelling. The chorus is straightforward with a careful balance between strong melodies and subtle bursts of lustful fury. This is definitely a good pick for a live track that capitalizes strongly on Tills spoken word style. It still retains some dance elements but gives the listener a break from the more poppy elements in the album. 8.5/10

Puppe: Soft and gloomy guitars begin and establish a nice darkness for the listener to soak into. Till arrives with a more gritty spoken word style to help build up interest in the song rather effectively. It works nicely in the album flow and Till utilizes his higher range to a successful effect. The drums are subtle and while i can’t tell if its a loop or not it helps fill in the texture very strongly so that the song is highly risky yet complex. Till shifts things up dramatically into a maniacal rant that goes on for a bit and seems like a rather cathartic experience for him during the recording. I’m definitely going to guess going by Rammstein’s signature; that the lyrics on this one are especially disturbing. I’ll have to look it up later but i definitely live their shock elements which this album doesn’t really touch on; but is still appreciated nonetheless. 8.5/10

Was ich liebe: The drums begin with a pounding effect that reminds me of Nine Inch Nails’s track Closer. Till delivers a low and gritty presence that warms the listener up to a good effect before slowly seeping in more complex vocal melodies. This will be a compelling trait that i am sure is written to appeal the more classical leaning portion of their fanbase verses their standard headbanging side. The chorus provides a decent level of drama based on Till’s high notes while the instrumentals continue to keep things chugging along rather gracefully. So far due to the stronger presence of softer ballad tracks i would definitely recommend listening to this album in sequence instead of shuffling; because i feel that the individual songs would lose considerable strength and interest from the listener; if they didn’t build up into each other. 8/10

Diamant: Acoustic melodies begin that have an oddly refreshing balance of darkness and hope while relaxing on a beach. Till delivers some rather beautifully soothing melodies for the listener to ease into. I could see the gloomy tension of this track being a good live pick to use since it could prep the audience up strongly with its tense nature before tossing them a very compelling follow up track. Even though this is the shortest track on the album is still delivers a very compelling addition to the album in terms of complexity. 8.5/10

Weit weg: This track begins with a more angsty synth opening before the guitars arrive to give it a more rock foundation; though the synths play a much more prominent role this time around. Till is a bit drowned out by the drums and synths this time around but he manages to do a fair job. Other than that; they focus too much on the synths to really get any meaninful melodies out of it. Because of that this is easily the weakest track on the album. The guitar solo towards the end does help to prop it up a bit but not by very much.  6/10

Tattoo: This is another of my personal favorites on the album. It begins with a nicely aggressive riff that gradually grows more intense as the drums force their way in with a firm bash. This brings back a more familiar tone to older fans. Till does a decent job of delivering a steady vocal presence in the track. The instrumentals while solely rhythm focused provide steady energy for Till to grow gradually more aggressive till the chorus arrives. He does a decent job of delivering some solid melodies during the chorus. I can see simplicity as being a possible criticism from listeners but i does well enough to set the album up for the finale track. 8/10

Hallomann: An interestingly gritty guitar riff combined with a layer synth and key pattern begins the song on a very gloomy note. Till does a solid job of warming the listener up with a strong vocal build up. The chorus is a hair bumpy instrumentally but vocally delivers a decent balance of beauty and complexity. There is a very nice piano solo towards the end of it that works with the guitar support to bring in a surprising show of aggression as well. This makes for a strong finish to the album and hopefully leaves the listener feeling satisfied with the ten year wait. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Well it scored alright and is definitely a more modernized version of the band. It sacrifices a lot of aggression in return for a more mainstream focus with stronger dance elements. It still retains a decent degree of complexity for the listener to appreciate but as far as a ten year wait goes; older fans may be disappointed depending on what they expected from the band. Personally i can’t complain too much because it offers something new in terms of sound and hopefully it motivates them to put out a follow much quicker than this one. I gotta go now so enjoy your weekend everyone!

Devin Townsend: Ziltoid the Omniscient

Hey guys! i didnt get you last week due to training and likely won’t get you next week since my girlfriend graduates with her Bachelor’s degree from AIC. So today i can going to tackle a new artist i downloaded. His Z2 album was up for an anniversary review but since it’s technically a sequel album and i’m new to him i am playing it safe and going with the first of the two concept albums first. Expect this musician to be very over the top in terms of production with the goal of achieving an overall powerful sound, It is more comedy based as well so; expect a lot of audio segments in it. Long story short for the album concept; it’s an alien coming to earth for coffee; finds that it sucks and invades Earth in response. hopefully this is a smooth listen but let’s see where it goes!

ZTO: We start off with a pretty triumphant opening track full of choir based vocals aggressive guitar riffs with powerful drum beats. The growl vocals are decent and help create an interesting show of aggression to new fans before the audio segment arrives to delivers the alien conquerer’s request for black coffee. It’s barely over a minute so i won’t score it but it sets the tone quickly for the odd comedic factor and the show of aggression in the instrumentals. 0/0

By Your Command: The first gradeable track is an 8 minute long number. It begins with a decent instrumental opening that shows rather strongly produced keys combined with powerful riffs and aggressive drum bashing. The vocals are pretty muffled by the production value but for the most part you can make out what he is saying. This should appeal fairly well to fans of aggressive growling but the high clean vocals will change things up and show an interesting change up i dynamic for a first time listen. Because of the smothering at times it becomes a bit hard to get into the concept but for a live performance i could see it coming off fairly decently considering that this guy is known for putting very high production value into his live shows. Gotta give the guy props for making his own label to release his music since it provides a lot of risk to him financially but allows him to express himself and grow more honestly as an artist. It does create issues for criticism since he writes and nearly performs most of his work like Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails’ but as i said; it gives the listener a sense of honesty from the listener. This track does do well to showcase some interesting technicality in both the instrumental and production side of things. I actually see the audio segments as adding a fair value to the song otherwise the lengthy instrumentals would run the risk of getting boring after awhile and from what i’ve gotten; this guy does not write short albums by any means!  8/10

Ziltoidia Attaxx!!: This track is a little more straightforward in terms of length at just under 4 minutes long. It begins pretty quickly with Ziltoid calling on his forces to attack Earth. The instrumentals move quickly with little need for a warm up and deliver some very nice headbanging instrumentals. It definitely works well to infuse a nice sense of aggression for the listener to build some adrenaline to. The vocals are very hard to make out due to their presence in the background but their aggressively raw texture mixes well with the blast instrumentals to create an interesting show of force for the listener to be hammered with. Despite the very high production that on other other albums would be viewed as excessive; since he flaunts it very bluntly from the start i can actually find myself to dig this album pretty strongly. It is certainly interesting for a work out so far; so hopefully the album keeps things fresh for the listener remain engaged by because it will certainly be an invested listen the first time around. 8.5/10

Solar Winds: By two seconds this is the longest song on the album at nearly 10 minutes long. Holy fuck i hope this is a mind blowing listen to review lol. I would have like 3 songs done by the time that wraps up ha ha. It starts off with a decent softer instrumental opening that builds up a nice bit of tension and allows vocal segments to help add to the concept with a bit of dry humor as well. It introduces a hero by the name of Captain Spectacular and Devin utilizes some softer vocal harmonies to build the song up into an interesting show of theatrics. The bass gives the backing vocals a nice layering for Devin to infuse further high notes for the listener to be engaged by. It does feel a hair over the top but being a 10 minute long track this lengthy build up is written interestingly to explain the album’s story further if the listener is paying attention. As a guitar player i cannot knock the guy at all since he pretty much plays everything with the section of the programmed drums and it manages to fit together fairly well. The aggressive elements showcase nicely and may shape this up to be a track to stand out stronger from the previous ones. Not that the others were less memorable but this album so far has an interesting knack to lead into another song without you noticing if you arent careful. 8.5/10

Hyperdrive: Well so far it looks like with the exception of track 9 everything is under six minutes and a few are interlude tracks; so the rest of this album should breeze by a little quicker for you if it is feeling like too much. This next track begins with a decent fade in set up by the ending audio segment of the last track. It uses distortion to fade into an rather soothing yet fairly energetic instrumental segment. It creates a nice melody to balance Devin’s smooth harmonies. It will help to ease things up a bit for a listener that is just getting to understand the musical mindset of Devin Townsend. He infuses some growl vocals that will graduate amp up the instrumentals and give the listener a nice degree of adrenaline to pump to while still having some atmospheric melodies to lose ones self under.  As a middle track i certainly have to give him props because its clearly a heavily complex work in a manners of things but still eases things down a bit without boring the listener this far into the album. 9/10

N9: We begin with a little more tension than the last song brought and instead bring back a sense of chaotic conflict compared to the peaceful nature of the last track. It uses layered vocal harmonies to give the instrumentals an airy touch that makes you still feel like you are zooming around in space. Some aggressive growls are tossed under the mix to add to the fullness of the song without drawing any intended focus onto them. The vocals manage to bring out a surprising sense of emotion from the instrumentals that will be energizing yet soothing for the listener to appreciate. It shifts into a nicely chaotic but calculated set of guitar riffs that really showcase the tension going on at this stage of the conflict; which i can only assume is a space battle between Ziltoid and Captain Spectacular. It definitely has a little length to it but boy does it bring substance to the listener whether they want it or not lol 9/10

Planet Smasher: The guitars start off with a rather tense strum which showcase a catchy rhythm segment that would get a live audience engaged very easily. The concept starting off is basically Ziltoid giving orders to his subordinates to bring in a super weapon for combat. It brings a nice sense of tension that makes this lengthy dialogue worth sitting through, The very low growl vocals definitely make a nice dungeon monster format that shows that Captain Spectacular is getting ready to fight a very powerful being, Devin;s usual high scream vocals are very aggressive but clean and easy to understand; which only adds to the clearness of presenting the concept to the listener. I gotta give him props for actually paying heavy attention to the concept and not leaving the listener to try and guess what the tracks are contributing to the overall story. You do have to pay attention and listen to the album in order obviously; but it’s very easy to get where things are going with each track. That certainly makes this album a very surprisingly interesting listen, 9/10

Omnidimensional Creator: This interlude track is surprisingly under a minute long and informs the listener of Ziltoid’s failure to get the Planet smasher on his side and moving onto his next  plan which involves some stoner hippie/surf guy. Sounds about right. 0/0

Color Your World: This is the other track that is just under ten minutes long and begins with a very blunt show of aggressive riffs before Devin arrives with clean high notes for the listener to be engaged by. It gives off a slight holistic feeling that shifts things slightly from aggressive screams to some a bit more positive but equally as powerful. It then brings back some very compelling growl vocals that are interesting and mesh with the blast instrumentals to really get the listener in the mood to head bang. It does get a little carried away with the rawness of the heavy segments but it shifts back to some melodic interlude segments to ease things up. The melodic guitars will be a nice refreshing portion to wind the listener down a bit before some very beautifully emotional vocals arrive to further enthrall the listener. Gotta give him props for being skilled at both aggressive growl vocals and heavily risky high vocal melodies. It shows a very talented range for him and is making his work surprisingly more interesting to review than i initially thought it would be. I was expecting to be overwhelmed by each track due to the heavy production value; but this album so far has been flowing by with relative ease and would make for an interesting show to see being played live as a whole. 9.5/10

The Greys: This likely finale track begins with a strong guitar opening and very emotionally compelling vocal harmonies in the background. You can’t really make out what he is saying but it brings forth a sense of emotional power that is ideal for this stage of the album. As he slowly weaves the song the instrumentals move with compelling speed to fill any gaps that you could think of without overwhelming the listener with excess. This one is easier to find yourself zoning out to a bit more than the other tracks but considering that it is the finale track it is understandable. 7/10

Tall Latte: This outro track concludes the finale with essentially an employee at a coffee store waking from a slumber and dealing with a rush. Assuming that it simply means the whole story was a stoner dream but you take what will from it. 0/0

Overall album rating: 8.6/10

Well; that was a surpringly worthwhile album to review. I figured get this one done so that i could tackle the anniversary album; but it was actually a solid entry album into Devin Townsend’s  music style. I cant speak for how easy it will appeal to the average listener since it clearly is too complex to be mainstream; but it’s still a very nice surprise to come across. I hope you guys enjoy this album and  i’ll probably crank out the second half (which is a double album technically so expect two more album reviews in total) next time when i have a good amount of time put aside. Sleep well everyone and check this guy out!

*Reviewer’s Pick*

The Rolling Stones: Self Titled (1964)

Okay guys; So i didn’t really have much motivation today for a specific album to do; so i decided to venture towards another stones album. This is the very first album by the band and is easily the oldest album listed on my review sheet at 45 years old (Hence why i want to tackle it today). It is sure it will have a dated sound being as old as it is but it should be an interesting one to get through quickly. It is just over a half hour long and with the exception of one song (Tell Me) it is entirely cover based and contains no singles. Well let’s begin and see how easy of a review this is.

Not Fade Away:  We start with a nice little guitar jam combined with some enjoyable harmonica additions. It works to fill in gaps nicely and Mick casually delivers his verses with a solid show of energy. This Buddy Holly cover is probably going to be the easiest cover to remember due to its presence in a couple 90′s movies. At just under two minutes long it comes and goes very quickly unfortunately. It would of been nice to of had another half minute in order to toss in a guitar solo for closing; but other than that not a bad start. 7.5/10

Route 66: This album mostly has 2 and a half minute long R&B covers so expect these song reviews to be very short. This track starts at just two minutes long. It begins with a very clear 60′s rock jam that should appeal to fans of that era. Mick sings solidly and the instrumentals do a good job of creating an energy that will be hard not to want to dance along to live. This one will start the album off very directly with some nice jams tossed in without overdoing anything to throw the listener off too soon. 8/10

I Just Want to Make Love to You: This next cover begins quickly with a nice guitar and harmonica jam familiar to the first track. Mick brings forth a little southern drawl into his vocals that fit very nicely with the energy of the song. It does well to create some solid jam segments and allow for an audience to get up and dance with ease. Instrumentally so far the tracks are expectedly straightforward given the time but do very well at given modern listeners a good show of music from that era. 8/10

Honest I Do: This slow moving blues ballad starts off with a more vulnerable vocal presence from Mick that manages to hold its own rather firmly. The more blues like guitars work with the harmonica to give a nice sense of complex tension to the mix and allow modern listeners to be able to find a sense of appreciation for it. The drums and bass naturally arent going to be expect to stand out on the album but they get the job done so i can’t knock them. 8.5/10

Now I’ve Got a Witness: This next track starts off a little more rustic in terms of old fashioned key melodies. The keys dominate the front of the mix while the harmonica commands the sidelines. It makes for an interesting garage band feeling that would make this album more interesting to see being performed live verses hearing solely on record. I think this track and the next one are original songs by the band but aren’t entirely sure. But this instrumental will help to lengthen the jam experience on the album without dragging things along too sluggishly. 7.5/10

Little by Little: This slower country tinged track concludes the first half of the album with a nice rhythm to dance along to. The subtle keys in the background fill in gaps efficiently while Mick dominates the front with a more angsty performance than normal. The guitar jam is a nice focal point that will be enjoyable to see live. The harmonica combined with the keys definitely make for a very full presence and the drum beats stick out more energetically for a change; which is a big plus overall. 8.5/10

I’m a King Bee: The second half of the album begins with an acoustic deviation for the band. Mick uses this structure to bring forth more of his rustic drawl into the song. It creates a slower moving presence but shifts focus more heavily towards the vocals this time around. I would say that while it is a little slow moving for me; the guitars do spice it up well with interesting melodies at times. 7/10

Carol: Now this is a Chuck Berry cover so i’m sure you will remember this one a bit. The guitars start off with a trademark Berry sound and the band latches onto it with a very convincing energy. Mick delivers a very fast and energetic performance in perfect sync with the instrumentals. The instrumentals do very well in making this one of the most dance friendly tracks on the album. If you are just doing a browse listen on this album; (i don’t really see a mood for just browsing but okay) then this track is definitely going to be one of those picks. 8.5/10

Tell Me: Now this is definitely one of the band’s first original songs and is an emotional ballad. It begins with an interesting acoustic opening. Mick arrives over an echoed foundation that is very reminiscent of the 60′s sound. The drums create a nice echo that fits nicely with the emotion of the vocals. Mick does well at delivering a very convincing sense of heartbreak which can relate well with people today and many years to come. 8/10

Can I Get a Witness: Keys begin on here with a more uplifting mood verses the last song. Mick uses an energetic but less melodic style and incorporates more backing vocals from Keith into the mix. The instrumentals have a much more repetitive structure so you could probably view this as a hit or miss on the album. I defintiely think the half hour timing is a smart pick because while it may be interesting; it would by no means be able to keep a listener engaged if it ran into the 40 or 50 minute time frame. 7/10

You Can Make It If You Try: Mick starts off with a more emotionally wounded drawl supported by a more background centered instrumental focus. The instrumentals dial down their energy in order to emphasize the emotional tension in the song’s lyrics. The backing harmonies help to add a little extra spice to the song without really reaching for attention. Well that could of been the closer for the album but let’s see how the next one does. 7.5/10

Walking the Dog: Mick begins on the closing track with a nice sense of vocal swagger that is supported rather strongly by a good instrumental rhythm. Other than that; this will conclude the album fairly well and leave the listener to make their own opinions of it. 7/10

Overall album rating: 7.8/10

Well; that was definitely a dated album to review today; but it’s important to always take a look back at albums from this era in order to appreciate how music has evolved over the decades. It’s a decent album to look at when interest in checking out that style of music or where the Stones started from. Now we are about two anniversary albums from the Stones down; so hopefully you guys enjoy the double hitter today. See you next time guys!

The Rolling Stones: Steel Wheels

Hello everyone; today i will continue with my string of anniversary reviews and will tackle one by The Rolling Stones. I have 4 of their albums up for review and decided to pick this one over their first album (mostly covers at 55 years old) due to it being lengthier (had the time actually for a change) and one that i haven’t listened to very much. It is notable for being their last album to feature Bill Wyman on bass before retiring; as well as having some of their last major hits. It also is the album that signified the end of the 80′s feud between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger over musical direction and solo work. Let’s get started and see how this album flows.

Sad Sad Sad: We begin the album with some energetic guitar riffs to get the energy level up. The drums keep a steady beat as expected and Mick delivers a pretty energetic delivery that is very in tune with the 80′s tone of the era. The instrumentals keep a fair focal point while Mick is a bit muffled under things so the lyrics will have a hard time finding some coherency with the listener. It’s small solos do help to make for a nice jam track that will signify a return to the band’s more simpler rock n roll sound verses the experimental extravagance of their mid 80′s work. Other than that it does the job as an opener and showcases the energy they were looking for on the album without really hooking you in just yet. 7.5/10

Mixed Emotions (Single): The guitars start off with a very catchy rhythm that will be very hard not to dance along to. The vocals take their time in delivering a nice sense of grit while enjoying some rather emotionally melodic duel verses with Keith Richards. It makes a nicely symbolic gesture of the singer and guitarist being on better terms during this recording. The drums do a decent job of keeping a nice beat and overall it will shape up to be a pretty strong pick for softening up the mood during a live performance. This probably is the most well known hit from the album; so if you are looking to cherry pick then this is probably one track to check out.  8.5/10

Terrifying (Single): This next single begins with a more bass centric tone and some melodic guitar riffs to give the song an interesting texture. It brings forth a little of the glossy side of their 80′s sound but a firm soft rock base. The vocals do a fair job of filling in gaps and keeping the listener engaged. The lyrics are easier to follow along to and will provide some added substance for the listener as well. As a live pick it follows the relaxing flow of the previous song and will be another smart pick towards the end of a setlist to wind down the audience easily. I do wish that there was a little more jamming in the album so far; like there was on the opening track. So far though it will make for a nicely relaxing drive at night; so always gotta appreciate albums that fit that kind of mood. 7.5/10

Hold On to Your Hat: Now this is where the guitars start rocking hard. The vocals arrive with a smart balance of echo and aggressive rawness that will shape this up for a nice live performance. The guitars are a strong focal point on here and provide ample jamming for any classic fan to salivate over. It still doesn’t stick out as much as their hits but it will bring more of that authentic rock n roll jam feeling that is centered in this album. So far the album won’t come off as a highlight gem in their catalog but it does a good job of showcasing a middle aged band reconnecting with their younger days of keeping it simple and just rocking out for the fun of it. 8/10

Hearts for Sale: We begin with an interesting guitar echo before join with the rhythm section to create a nice groove component for the listener to encounter. Mick arrives nicely to add a romantic vibe to the song. He carefully infuses the song with a nice sense of urgency without getting carried away and does well to give the lyrics a nice sense of substance to center on. The instrumentals maintain their supportive role to a decent effect without making the song feel like it is dragging on. I will commend the relaxing nature of the track that will further be ideal for a late night drive with the girl. 8/10

Blinded by Love: This song will end the first half of the album on an interesting acoustic ballad note. Mick arrives to give it a strong classical foundation that actually flirts a little with country elements. The vocals will be a strong focal point as a result and the lyrics will provide some interesting substance to follow along to. They make use of some interesting instrumental choices like the fiddle and mandolin and some other rather multi cultural picks. It helps to keep it from feeling overly empty or cluttered and will infuse complexity into the song without trying to ram it down your throat. So far another decent ballad that would be suitable for a live performance. 8/10

Rock and a Hard Place (Single): This next single begins with another return to their poppy 80′s rock direction. It has an interesting balance between groove and melody while Mick provides a smooth vocal presence in the mix. His lyrics come by effectively as a firm supporting element rather than a dominating factor at first. The chorus is pretty straightforward and uses backing female vocals and subtle brass to give it a little extra lift. The guitars do take a nice spotlight later on and give a little power to Mick’s vocals that will be very much appreciated. So far it continues to keep an easygoing flow for the album that may get tiring for more energetic moods; but will be very appealing to more relaxed settings. 7.5/10

Can’t Be Seen: We begin here with more poppy guitar riffs that produce an interesting melody and a stronger drum section to beat along to. Keith sings this time around and provides a much appreciated surprise (not really a surprise since he almost always has one song on a post 70′s album). He provides a smooth sense of force with his voice that lost the gritty angst that he typically had on previous songs. The lyrics are pretty smooth and keep a nice momentum going in the song while staying in sync with the easygoing nature of the album. So far not a bad pick for Keith since his songs tend to be very hit or miss at times. 8/10

Almost Hear You Sigh (Single): This final single begins with a much more subdued Mick back on vocals. The instrumentals are very minimal and focus on creating the atmosphere of a failed relationship. Mick does a decent job of providing a convincing sense of wounded heartbreak that reflects on the strong substance in his lyrics. While that wouldn’t be the best pick for a live performance; does succeed very well at demonstrating complex songwriting perfectly centered around an emotional concept. I would probably rate this as the strongest ballad piece on the album thus far. 8.5/10

Continental Drift: This experimental 5 minute long number begins with bagpipes and more echoed (believe african style) drums to give a very cultural atmosphere. Even Mick’s style showcases a sense of worldliness that will demonstrate a strong sense of complexity for the listener to be enthralled by at this point in the album. towards the end it creates a very nice buildup of tension that would make this a very compelling pick to see live. I really gotta give them props on this one due to the high degree of experimentation and complex elements that would easily be unexpected on this album. 9/10

Break the Spell: This song begins with a more gloomy guitar grunge rhythm that is actually pretty catchy to dance along to. So far it serves as a decent set up for the finale track which is another Kieth number. Mick’s vocal style begins with soft and calculated before slowly growing more focused and gritty. The guitar solos are soft but develop a very tasteful touch in the song that separates the verses effectively in order to prevent empty gaps from surfacing. On it’s i could see it being boring if listened to at the beginning but in album flow is rather effective and would be a nice toss in to separate their more commanding hits. 8.5/10

Slipping Away: This finale track is a soft romantic sounding ballad from Keith Richards. He arrives with an interesting background presence that helps to moderate the typical excess grit that comes from his vocals at times. The bass proves to be a prominent foundation instrument for the guitars to slowly seep in some blissful melodies. Brass is present to fill in gaps as well as add in a little middle aged class from the band. It is a slow moving number but does well to infuse the album with a nice sense of closure to this album. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Well this achieved a decent scoring for the band. It is a decent album to come across for when you are in the mood for something soft but strong in emotion. It does showcase the band returning a bit to their garage style days verses the heavy polish of their other 80′s work. Well; that wraps up one of 4 albums on my anniversary list for the band. Hopefully throughout the year i will be able to tackle one more. I hope you guys enjoyed the review and i’ll see you all next time!

Ratt: Out of the Cellar

Hello everyone; Today i am going to tackle Ratt’s most well known album. It’s debut work turns 35 this year and is notable for numerous hits that helped defined the decade of glam metal. Between picking this and their self titled album for an anniversary review; this was obviously the more urgent one to get one. Let’s get this started and see how things flow!

Wanted Man (Single): We begin the album with classic guitar riffs that scream the 80′s. It has a decent rhythm to it and eases the listener into the album with a nice pace. The guitars bring in some soothing melody over the bass to give Stephen’s vocals a nice texture to flow with. His lyrics are rather catchy and give the listener ample substance to follow along to. The chorus is pretty direct but fits and fits firmly with the song’s theme. This drums are pretty standard but do present some decent patterns when focused on heavily; but the guitar solo is what will really cement the song for the listener. Not a bad opener that showcases their musical strengths to the listener without giving too much away too soon. 8.5/10

You’re in Trouble: Audio samples begin before the bass and drums arrive to infuse some of that tense 80′s night life feeling. It warms up effectively and uses some smooth guitar melodies to ease the vocals in. The vocals are a bit echoed but help to give the song a nice hazey feeling. The guitars do well to keep a steady degree of growing tension that will help to keep the listener engaged. The lyrics are a little less of a focal point but the vocals do manage to make a strong presence on here. The guitar solo stands out on this one and will help to make it a nice live track for them to perform. It also does well to showcase the strengths of their style without showcasing their more basic tendencies. 8.5/10

Round and Round (Single): This is the band’s most well known hit and begins with a strong guitar entry before Stephen arrives full of swagger in his voice. The lyrics will be a very strong focal point that will dominate the listener for the majority of the song. The instrumentals do a good job of elevating the vocals and will further cement this track as a highlight on both the album and as a live staple. When browsing through the band for the first time; this is obviously the first album to listen to; but this track lack of communication and back for more are the three songs to make sure you hear before moving on. This track also has one of the best solos from them so it’s even more reason to give this track and album a good listen. 9/10

In Your Direction: This next song starts off with a lower guitar entry before the drums arrive to infuse a little extra bashing into the mix. It helps to give a nice rhythmic feel to the song that will change things up a hair without really breaking new ground. The vocals are pretty stable and push the song along with a decent flow. The guitars keep things feeling full but the drums produce more of a presence this time around and might be worth focusing on more during a live performance. It does get a nice solo later on that joins with the drums to deliver a rather nice jam segment which will further enhance the live appeal of this track. 8.5/10

She Wants Money (Single): This middle track begins quicker with a stronger dose of jam life. Stephen arrives with a little echo in his voice that gives him a nice texture to deliver his verses. The lyrics have a nice sense of substance to follow along to and the simple gang vocal chorus has a good show of catchiness to keep the listener engaged. The guitars do spend some time in the background during the regular verses and let the steady drumbeat maintain a frontal presence in the mix. The solos come by rather nicely and help to transition things so that the listener doesn’t begin to tire and lose interest in it. 8.5/10

Lack of Communication (Single): This single arrives with a memorable guitar melody that is a bit rougher but benefits highly from it as a result. It meshes with the drums very smoothly and Stephen work with his band’s backing vocals to really infuse a sense of life into the track. It gives the lyrics some nice focus with a strong sense of catchiness to be engaged with. The backing vocal element is a nice change up that will help this single to stick out a bit more firmly from the other tracks on the album. The solo is a nice jammer that will help to make this another live staple to hope for if you get to see them live. 9/10

Back for More: That is another personal favorite of mine from the band It begins with some nice guitar melodies before hitting the listener with some aggressive power riffs. It takes its time in really getting going and succeeds in building a good level of excitement in the listener as it progresses. Stephen arrives full of aggressive swagger and delivers strong lyrics and a very memorable chorus. The lyrics to this one will be hard not to sing along to during a live performance. This one will do well to help liven up the album further and help keep the listener energized for the final three songs. Normally the more simplistic nature of the band would make later albums progressively boring to focus on as a whole work but their formula works perfectly so far on this one. But in retrospect this style of music isn’t exactly meant for a highly critical review anyways.  It’s simply fun music to perform live and sell records for. 9/10

The Morning After (Single): The guitars begin with a nice energy that has some catchy melody to it as well. The drums develop a more energetic power bash this time that is worth noting even if it is easy to ignore. The vocals flow by very smoothly and continue to deliver very catchy lyrics that actually get a nice level of attention in their own right. As with all the other tracks on the album it has strong live potential and is an album that is very well positioned for full performances during their tours. The solo on here gets more intense and infuse some nice technicality into the album that usually isn’t expected from them. They do make for some nice solos but this one has a little extra push from it that flirts slightly with thrash territory. 9/10

I’m Insane: On here the guitars and drum start off quick with a strong rhythm foundation and the vocals arrive a little lower; but quickly obtain a compelling amount of catchiness for the listener to be enthralled by. The live potential is very easy to spot early on and Stephen continues to deliver very solid vocals supported by a very competent instrumental backing. The solo is smooth and has some more of those technical elements from the last song without going full overdrive. So far this album is setting up for a very strong finish. Hopefully the final track succeeds and does this album justice! 9/10

Scene of the Crime (Single): The guitars begin with a bit more of a stadium rock feel that utilizes a nice echo beat from the drums. Stephen arrives with a softer vocal melody that further develops a climatic feeling of farewell on here. This makes it uniquely well positioned to be the finale track. The backing vocals work well to give the song a little added texture without really getting too intense. Other than that it is pretty straightforward and serves well to end this album on a pretty strong note. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.7/10

Well; this one as expected dethroned their latest album Infestation as the highest rated Ratt album on here by a margin of .4 This is definitely a hallmark album of the 80′s to check out and is something that hopefully was worth the wait for review. It’s hard to think that this album is already 35 years old. The only other Ratt album left for review (their self titled) may come up on here for review later in the year in order to close out my Ratt category of reviews. I still have two for the Stone Temple Pilots and Megadeth i’m leaning towards for an anniversary review but we shall see how things go. The new one from Children of Bodom is going to be on here because it really surprised me with its strong jamming that they haven’t reached in awhile. Well i gotta go now so catch you all later!

*Reviewer’s Pick*

Buckcherry: Warpaint

Hello everyone! Today i didn’t really have any motivation towards an anniversary review so today i am going to do a new album by Buckcherry, I grabbed this and album the latest one from Children of Bodom and decided to tackle this one since i warmed up this morning to the other. The new Children of Bodom album is phenomenal by the way and brings back their classical sound with some very intense jams with a bit more purpose than a lot of their prior work had. This album is notable due to it having only the singer as the original member due to disagreements in musical direction. Their guitarist Stevie D. is the longest tenured guy currently going back to their 15 album (I reviewed). From my brief listen it seems to venture a little more towards their live appeal instead of the focused polish from their last few albums. It has been compared to 15 and in terms of rawness i will agree; but add some elements of their debut album to it as well. Let’s get started and see how this album shapes up.

Warpaint (Single): We begin with the title track and first single. It begins with an old school 80′s rock n roll vibe before Josh arrives to infuse a strong sense of rawness into the front. His is a bit hoarse in the mix but with the relatively slow jam progression; it should ease the listener in with a fair sense of ease. The chorus has a decent sense of catchiness but the raw regular verses will bring firm similarities to their 15 album to mind. I can see this being a decent live track to toss in due to its balanced energy and well done solos. I do think the initial track should of been one with a little more punch to it; but the ease-in factor of this track will make it a suitable opener as well. 7.5/10

Right Now: This track begins with an interesting southern grit guitar and a groovy drum beat that Josh arrives with a nice drawl to warm things up. It contains an interesting texture that i could see a crowd dancing to rather nicely. I would say that vocally Josh is bit muffled when picked out so; while they clearly are focusing on his raw traits in this album; i think the production might of touched his performance up too much. Other than that it’s another easygoing bar vibe track that focuses more on jamming than on the lyrics. 7.5/10

Head Like a Hole (Nine Inch Nails Cover/Single): Now i heard bad things about this at first but upon listening to it; i can easily say this is a surprisingly solid album highlight. It begins with a burst of guitar rage that immediately catches the listener’s attention with ease. It also serves to grow a sense of excitement in this album finally. The drums have a perfect bashing quality that echoes off of the guitars in perfect respect to the original. Josh’s vocals are left alone this time and have their signature sense of swaggery aggression. He does a perfect job of covering the vocals and paying tribute to Trent Reznor’s vocal delivery while still staying true to himself as well. Even though it’s a cover; its a smart pick for a single because it showcases a significant level of strength for the album and demonstrates a potential risky move being pulled off to a significant success. This will easily be a crowd highlight on their upcoming tours and it has me hoping the track on here titled Closer is another NIN cover. 10/10

Radio Song: This ballad track is a mainstream intended song as titled ha ha. It because with an emotional vocal entrance from Josh and is supported by blissful acoustic riffs. He delivers stronger lyrics this time around that establishes a nice sense of substance for the listener to unwind around. The chorus will be easy to sing along to and it will make for a good live pick. I could see this as a good pick for a single over their title track due to its clear mainstream appeal that could sit on the radio effectively. I do note some strong vibration in Josh’s vocals later on in the song; which doesn’t take away from the song’s strength; but its noticeable. I would probably change whoever handled vocals for next time to eliminate that.  Other than that; this is a pretty solid track to lighten the mood a bit and showcase the band’s talent with ballad tunes. 9/10

The Vacuum: The guitars return to a more gritty rock n roll vibe that sounded like something Nickelback would do at first before the vocals arrive. It has a soothing melody that is supported by a prominent rhythm section. The vocals are okay and progress decently but that muffle trait starts to get annoying as it progresses and could of brought more catchiness with a smoother delivery. He does continue to hit his high notes with ease so i will continue to suggest the guy that handled his vocal polishing get a pink slip for their next album. The instrumentals will deliver strongly and have some neat solos to focus on; so while it has it’s flaws it’s a listenable track on the album. 7/10

Bent (Single): Now so far this is my favorite track off the album and i’m glad that it was made into a single. It begins with some light guitar melodies before drums arrive to signal for the guitars to roar into a powerful jam track. It screams Velvet Revolver to a tasteful degree in terms of guitars initially and Josh delivers very solid vocals that aren’t fucked with this time around. His lyrics are solid and the chorus really livens things up and would really rev up a live audience. The instrumentals are very competent on here and i can tell they really had a blast jamming on this one. I recommend checking this out if you are on a browse listen. The solos are solid, the drums bash with ease and while the bass is hard to pick out; it doesn’t feel like it’s missing. 8.5/10

Back Down: This song begins with an odd back and forth vocal echo from Josh that will give a prime example of his live style for rallying an audience during a song. After his pep talk opening he goes into some pretty smooth verses that benefit from a nice sense of swagger. It meshes well with backing female vocals and a groovy rhythm section to strengthen some dance appeal in it. So far it’s a pretty simple piece that showcases more of the band’s performance centered side and has some very strong and melodic solos to sink your teeth into as well. Not a bad way to ease your way into the second half of the album. 8/10

The Alarm: This song begins with guitars that develop a very groovy southern blues tone. It immediately screams for some nice bar dancing and Josh’s vocals work very well at developing a sense of catchy swagger that would be nice to see live. As is usual lyrics probably wont stick out much over the general vocals and instrumentals but they make a firm statement during the chorus without being too overly dramatic. I definitely appreciate the stronger use of old school rock solos on here verses past albums.; because it really helps to give you a feel of how well they are live. 8.5/10

No Regrets: We begin with a nice guitar riff that is rather energetic but soothing and meshes with a consistent drum beat nicely. Josh delivers some decent vocals that don’t vibrate too much but really benefit from a strong sense of substance in his lyrics. It gives the song a nice sense of reflection that would make this a nice jingle for a tv show. The solo stands out strong as has been the case on most of these songs. I would note this as nice live friendly track that further showcases how fun and raw of an experience these guys had recording the album. 9/10

The Hunger: The guitars begin with more of a country vibe than normal; but is a very nice surprise on this ballad. Josh arrives to infuse a strong of emotion and lyrical substance into the listener’s front. This song actually demonstrates that Josh would stand a strong chance of having mainstream success if he dabbled with country in his solo work. 9/10

Closer: This song begins with some strong guitar/drum bashing that reminds me of AC/DC to a positive degree. Josh takes a more casual vocal delivery that matches the instrumentals in creating a slightly more easygoing progression. It gradually infuses more aggressive elements as it progresses but it foes feel like it misses something to really make the song stand out on the album. Other than that it’s a fairly decent rocker that pays heavy tribute to AC/DC and while it may not be the actual closer as titled; it does set the album up somewhat for the real closer lol. 7.5/10

The Devil’s in the Details: This finale track begins with a bluesy rock entry that builds up nicely before Josh arrives to deliver a more angsty vocal tone. He does suffer from that over echo effect but does succeed into creating a more raw and bluesy tone with the instrumentals. It does feel like it needs a little extra lift during the casual vocals since they take awhile to progress. Other than that it closes the album in a fairly decent way showcasing the album’s more raw and live jam/performance centered focus. 7/10

Overall album rating: 8.2/10

It is a good drop in score from their last album by a margin of .7 but remains consistent with their scoring on the other albums i reviewed so far. While the over production of his vocals on some tracks hurt them to a strong level i will praise the band for their performance overall. After 20 years in the game this album showcased and energized band stripping back their complex elements from the last two albums and just jamming in an old fashioned garage band day. It heavily showcases the live strength that this band thrives on and is some class old school rock n roll. I do hope on their next album; the vocals are done better but the current band members demonstrated their competencies for creating some solid jams and tasteful solos. I hope you guys enjoyed this review and i shall see you next time.

Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine

Hey everyone! Today i was planning on tackling another of the more notable albums up on my list for an anniversary review. I was planning on Ratt’s Out of the Cellar since they have two up this year; Instead i’m going to do the debut album by Nine Inch Nails. I saw that this and the Downward Spiral were up for review so it was a no brainer to scratch at least one off before i got too far in the year and slacked. Last year a lot of goodies were missed and i’m looking to do a bit less of the odd ball albums this year in return. This album has an 80′s synth that is fitting being released at the tailend of that decade. It can probably be viewed as Trent Reznor’s most rudimentary work in terms of straightforwardness but that should be a decent thing for new listeners to ease their way into his work; because his work only continued to get more diverse and experimental from here on out.

Head Like a Hole (Single): We begin the album out strong with arguably his biggest and most mainstream hit (Discounting Closer as mainstream of course). It begins with some interesting click effects before drums arrive to give a rather powerful but contained metal bash. The guitars and synths infuse that 80′s vibe into it full of tension that would be hard not to want to dance to. Trent’s vocals are delivered very straightforward with a sense of angst and gradually grows more frustrated till he arrives at the chorus. The chorus is a perfect crowd pleaser with a loud pouring from Trent of catchy verses to sing along to without going into overdrive in terms of speed. It helps to create a fair degree of momentum to start the album off strong before introducing the listener into Trent’s more unconventional style. I would recommend this as one of your initial tracks to check out when first checking out this band because this is as straightforward of a single as the band gets besides maybe his With Teeth album (Reviewed already). 9.5/10

Terrible Lie: This song begins with a smooth transition from the last song and ventures into a dark and gloomy guitar/drum combo. It melds with Trent rather smoothly to create a rather erotic atmosphere that would be perfect for a bondage session with the misses. The vocals are delivered softly in between back and forth screams that emphasize that disgust in his lyrics rather firmly. It creates a rather catchy flow that would be interesting to see live and follow along to lyrically. The middle section features a real nice build up of tension with minimal instrumentation. The bass is a good help in giving just that little gradual increase for Trent to infuse for angst in his delivery. The back and forth emotion does give it a rather interesting bipolar effect that will further intrigue the listener and hopefully convince them to venture onto the rest of the album. 9.5/10

Down in It (Single): This is the second single for the album and is personally the weaker of the singles. It begins with a stronger 80′s club drum opening and joins with subtle synths and more prominent guitars to create a strong dance atmosphere. Trent is a little more conventional in his vocal style and is a bit more instrumental in the role of his voice. The lyrics are a bit odd to follow along to in terms of substance but it creates a near hip hop like groove that further enhances it’s dance appeal for the era. This one will probably be viewed as one of the most dated tracks on the album due to there being no mistake that it is an 80′s album. Other than that; there’s really nothing to truly complain about because it adds to the album’s flow effectively and maintains a sense of smoothness without those low points of boredom (due to either slowness or general length of the album or songs); that occur during most of his later work. 8.5/10

Sanctified: This track starts off with an interesting drum loop and fantasy themed synths in the background before arriving to meet with a rather firm bass groove. It’s a nice showcase of the bass that creates more of that firm dance appeal for fans of very gloomy night life music. Trent is a bit slower in his delivery which matches the progression of the song and helps to maintain a firm level of smoothness as the guitars gradually introduce more aggressive but spaced out effects. The guitars definitely get more artsy on this track so be sure to pay attention to what they do; even though they are not a commanding force in the song. The lyrics are pretty well done and will enable the listener to have ample substance to follow along to in order to keep the nearly six minute runtime from overstaying its welcome. 8.5/10

Something I Can Never Have ( Featured in the Natural Born Killers film): Now this song is definitely a hidden gem that any fan of Quentin Tarantino’s early classics should immediately recognize. It begins as a very easy fade in from the previous track with a very soothing and blissful key open. It contains a sense of complexity that fully encompasses the less is more format. The Keys work with subtle synths to create a sense of wonder and euphoria that Trent’s vocals deliver a surprising sense of focus and captivation. They deliver on the less is more approach as well due to the level of strength in its lyrics and clever use of electronic effects to pick up potential dull points and infuse it with a strong sense of consistent support. This is certainly best viewed as an example of a very risky experiment for the artist that pulls off with surprising strength and is an easy highlight on the album. Definitely recommend checking it out during a brief browse of the album. Other than that it is a very good way to close the first half of the album; even if it could of easily been the finale track as well. 10/10

Kinda I Want to: This track begins with subtle animal samples before the instrumentals return the album to its 80′s club tone. Trent takes on a more aggressive but firm vocal style that delivers his lyrics with a good sense of emphasis that enables them to succeed in terms of substance and draw. The electronic loops do very well at elevating his vocals and boosting the chorus with a nice sense of life. They bring forth an interesting little guitar jam towards the end which brings forth a little extra diversity in the instrumentation. Other than that it overstays it welcome just a bit but after only feeling that way on a Nine Inch Nails album this far on; its a good thing. 8.5/10

Sin (Single): This is the final single of the album and probably the most aggressive as well. It begins with an eerie synth before drums arrive to really infuse it with a nice dance vibe that will be perfect for a live performance. Trent arrives with a nice sense of erotic swagger that contains some very strong lyrics to follow along to. The instrumentals do very well at elevating the sense of adrenaline in the song and is perfect with the chorus in that regard. The use of electronica really shines on here and even experiments with the guitars to create some very compelling jam segments. This will further elevate it as one of the most performance friendly tracks on the album and is perhaps one of its most mainstream friendly tracks on here as well. 10/10

That’s What I Get: A nicely emotional synth drum opening begins this song on a very complex note before keys arrive to further fill it with a very spiritual energy. Trent arrives with a very vulnerable vocal presence that places firm emphasis on his lyrics and brings forth a sense of wounded emotion that seems rightfully placed at this point in the album. I would definitely recommend checking this track out after warming up to the others because it is definitely a nice treat to come across when in an experimental mood. 9/10

The Only Time: The bass begins this track with a bit of a jazzy like vibe which gives Trent’s more drawn out vocal delivery an interesting flair this time around. The guitars and drums then arrive when Trent’s aggression increases to create an odd yet interesting groove to dance around to somewhat. This track immediately sets itself up to be one of the more oddball tracks on the album but being this far in may work to its advantage if the finale tracks pulls itself off well. 7/10

Ringfinger: This nearly six minute album finale begins with a more straightforward drum synth opening that is groovy and soothing yet simplistic. Trent arrives into the background with a more echoed tone. The lyrics continue to maintain a consistent level of substance that the listener should be able to follow along to fairly well. It does get a little too low at times vocally but still experiments with guitar effects and loops to help keep it from feeling to airy in the background. It ends the album on the a bit of a lengthy note but a filling one nonetheless so cant complain much personally. 8/10

Overall album rating: 8.9/10

Well it’s kind of fitting that an album that came out in 1989 gets a score of 8.9/10 It dethroned With Teeth by a margin of .3 to take the top spot for my Nine Inch Nails reviews. It’s probably the easiest album from him to get into and is very likely responsible for the high score. I would recommend checking it out either this or his more rock centered mid 2000′s work before really getting to in his more diverse work. I hope you guys enjoy the review and maybe if things go right i will put up a review for The Downward Spiral later on in the year. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

*Reviewer’s Pick*