ALBUM REVIEWS!; New Music From Kolp, Zombified, Porcupine Tree, Aluk Todolo, AC/DC, Cryptopsy, Kid Rock, Sacred Reich, Blynd, Death, Dissipate, Bad Brains, Incite; November 25th 2012
kind of a slow week, not as much original material nowadays since we're getting closer to the holiday season, but we've still got some cool stuff from Blynd, Incite, Zombified, and Bad Brains, plus the first live album from rock legends AC/DC in 20 years. Oh, and the new Kid Rock record, which fucking sucks btw.
I have a review written for Led Zeppelin's 'Celebration Day' which will be posted later on tomorrow as part of a new feature, so stay tuned for that.
Released November 13th 2012
One thing that’s common for black metal bands is their tendency to sound very similar to one another, a natural occurrence when everyone in the genre dresses the same, sings the same, and talks about the same things. Kolp is no different from these bands and suffers more from a lack of any real innovation or originality, settling to blend in with the hundreds of young black metal bands who scavenge the metal community. What’s worse is that they can barely even live up to the foundations of the genre, and after the first few tracks, it becomes clear just what kind of direction the album is taking, complete with lyrics about Satan and heavy distortion. This isn’t necessarily bad, buts its boring as hell. I understand it’s hard to sound fresh in a genre so dark and brooding, but even the slightest sign of effort can really make a difference, and if you have to settle for recycling riffs from a debut album, then perhaps it’s time to call it a day and see if you can get a job at somewhere that will let you wear face paint and chains during your shift.
“Carnage Slaughter & Death” by Zombified
Released November 16th 2012
Bursting onto the scene as hungry and un-coordinated as any other deathgrind act out there, Zombified is one of the rare acts that knows their respective genre isn’t exactly brilliant and embraces the sheer insanity of it, including some fucked up subject matter and an awesome wall-to-wall zombie infested album cover. From there, Zombified opts to scare the living shit out of you with an abrasive mix of crust punk and grindcore, coupled by an overall brutal presentation that is stretched over lyrics, themes, and instrumentation, but balanced by Garageland Studios into something surprisingly clean enough to comprehend and make things clear, without sacrificing the raw power of the album. It’s still dirty deathgrind covered in scabs and filth, and it’s a true riot to play through. Things can monotonous at times, but that’s a small complaint when the album is bathed in such evil, raw, and brutal energy, topped off by some epic samples from the 2008 ‘Rambo’ film and one of my new favourite album covers (seriously, the album art alone deserves a fucking 5/5 guys, I want this shit framed on my wall).
“Octane Twisted” by Porcupine Tree
Released November 19th 2012
It’s a shame Porcupine Tree disbanded. They had an old-school progressive edge to them along the lines of early Genesis that bordered on alt. rock conventions that really set them apart from most prog metal bands, and in retrospect, had more of a new prog feel to their sound. ‘Octane Twisted’ could be the last thing these guys release for some time, but thankfully, its arguably one of their more interesting albums. A 2-Disc set, the first disc is a complete live rendition of ‘The Incident’, which is actually my favourite album from Porcupine Tree, whereas the second is just a series of live cuts. Both are great, but the vibe and natural atmosphere of ‘The Incident’ feels like something entirely new and powerful with the added hype and adrenaline of a live audience, and though it arguably loses the impacts of its themes as a result, it sounds fresher now than it did when it first arrived, complemented by the natural talents and presence of Porcupine Tree. To top it off, a trippy-as-fuck-but-totally-amazing live DVD is included as well, making this a great purchase for any fan of the band.
“Occult Rock” by Aluk Todolo
Released November 20th 2012
‘Occult Rock’ presents a risk that no band is usually willing to take, stretching out 8 continuous and extremely intricate songs that reach an 85 minute length over a 2-Disc set. Once you factor in the natural foundations of black metal and the gloomy atmospheres of post-rock, this becomes an album that is very long, which inevitably is the first problem with ‘Occult Rock’. It’s too fucking long. The post-rock elements typically dominate the middle half of this record, but its impact can be heard throughout, as Aluk Todolo delivers riffage that practically bleed with gloom and misery and outbursts of volume. That unfortunately leads to the next problem, is that the mix of sound is actually pretty uneven, and that only becomes more apparent when realizing how excessive and often pretentious ‘Occult Rock’ can be and could be claimed as lazy for recycling riffs. However, this is in many ways less of an album, and more of an artistic statement. It stretches its chords and ideas throughout its duration and is treated with a sense of maturity and responsibility that fits the themes of their respective genres and if you’re a fan of post-rock or art rock, this is certainly worth a look.
“AC/DC: Live At River Plate” by AC/DC
Released November 20th 2012
An AC/DC live album is much rarer than you’d think given their insane mega-stardom, but ‘Live At River Plate’ is actually the first live album released by AC/DC in almost 20 years, but don’t worry, time has not withered the talent and charisma of these rock n’ roll legends. The crowd at this show is pumped from the very beginning, and that sense of energy is translated incredibly through its diverse tracklist of classic AC/DC material, not to mention the absolutely amazing charisma and stage presence of the band members themselves, with guitarist Angus Young in particular whipping out a stadium-pounding ten minute solo during ‘Let There Be Rock’ that is just ballistic and amazing from start to finish. From the thunderous pound of Brian Johnson’s voice, to the bombastic fury and excitement of the crowd, ‘Live At River Plate’ steams with energy, to the point where you feel as if you’ve been put in that show, front row centre, watching a legendary band do what they do best. Rock the fuck out.
Rating: 4.5/5 (Incredible!)
“The Best Of Us Bleed” by Cryptopsy
Technical Death Metal/Deathcore
Released November 20th 2012
For those of you who haven’t figured it out, I hate 2-Disc compilations. Having a 2-Disc greatest hits album is the equivalent to saying ‘all of our stuff is amazing, and you’d better like it’, and it’s completely unnecessary, especially when Cryptopsy hasn’t released enough material that I would consider to be great. Granted, this isn’t all just old material. Infact, the opener happens to be a new track, acting as a representation of where Cryptopsy is at this point in their career. Beyond these three new tracks though, there isn’t much unique here aside from a few live cuts and demo’s, since it’s a guarantee that most Cryptopsy fans probably have already heard the so-called ‘hits’ many a time, and are most certainly fed up with the more deathcore tinged material that they’ve put out recently. To make matters worse, we even have to put up with an embarrassing cover of Strapping Young Lad’s ‘Oh My Fucking God’, which ironically enough, is a pretty good summary of that song. The actual ‘hits’ that are included are still great for the most part, but ‘The Best Of Us Bleed’ still has absolutely no use to any fan of Cryptopsy, and the fact that it exists is quite puzzling.
Released November 19th 2012
After the surprisingly soulful release of ‘Born Free’, it seemed that Kid Rock finally found a style that worked for him, after years of trying to bounce rap metal, southern hip-hop, and outlaw country into one cohesive mix. Then he decided to destroy that by releasing ‘Rebel Soul’, which is basically the same thing as ‘Cocky’ but with a surreal heartland rock presence that is just un-easy to listen to. While not officially a metal record, it’s clear that Kid Rock wants metal in this album, from the driving rock of ‘Let’s Ride’, to the nu-metal riffing of ‘Cucci Galore’, which only contradicts him as auto-tuned vocals and various hi-hop samples get thrown into the mix, along with the standard clichéd and painfully simple lyrical formula that Kid Rock is infamous for. To top it off, it’s become even more clear that Kid Rock is yet another gun-loving American conservative, reflected to the extreme through the lyrics and themes mentioned above, which go as far as to make the average soldier sound like machines born and manufactured to kill and ‘bleed red, white, & blue’ (that last part is an actual lyric btw). ‘Rebel Soul’ is the sound of a confused rocker whose age and political beliefs has re-shaped his music, and in turn, channels his debatable love of music through a cocky, overly patriotic template of styles that essentially sounds like ‘Bawitdaba’ covered by Mitt Romney.
“Live At Wacken” by Sacred Reich
Released November 20th 2012
It’s been a long ass time since Sacred Reich has released a studio album, 15 years to be exact, but thankfully we’ve managed to get ahold of Sacred Reich’s reunion show at Wacken 2007, and its probably a definitive statement to what Sacred Reich is, and inarguably the best thing they’ve released since their debut album. With a setlist that takes mostly from Sacred Reich’s first two albums, plus the ‘Surf Nicaragya’ EP, this is essentially old-school thrash at its finest, ripping and blazing away with all of its power. I would have liked to heard material from ‘Heal’ and ‘Independent’, but then again, this is Wacken, one of metal’s biggest festivals. Therefore, it’s understandable that they would have wanted to pull out earlier material, all of which is still easily among thrash metal’s finest. As for the band themselves, they sound awesome, chanting and connecting with the crowd and just generally having a blast, with notable praise for guitarist Wiley Arnett, shredding with absolute prowess. We might not get a new studio album anytime soon, but ‘Live At Wacken’ is the next best thing.
“Punishment Unfolds” by Blynd
Melodic Death Metal/Thrash Metal
Released November 20th 2012
I don’t know why nobody’s ever bothered to fuse melo-death with thrash metal, the two should work amazing in theory. Blynd figured that out, and though this isn’t as amazing as I had hoped, it’s still one of the coolest metal records of the year. Borrowing from both genres, as well as classic death metal and even symphonic rock, ‘Punishment Unfolds’ unleashes a furious blend of those genres, of course including some awesome death metal and even the occasional upbeat thrash/speed metal mix. It’s a contrast of styles that add something different to each track and allow Blynd to wear their influences on their sleeves without ripping them off. Admittedly, this blend could be better if it was, ironically, perhaps more straightforward, as most of the material is based in thrash metal, at least in terms of instrumentals, and the production itself should be sharper, but its hard not to admire ‘Punishment Unfolds’, even if just for its unique mixture of genres.
“Spiritual Healing” (Relapse Records Re-Release) by Death
Released November 20th 2012
Death metal has quite honestly never been a genre that I’ve particularly liked as much as traditional heavy metal or thrash metal, but even so, its hard not to love ‘Spiritual Healing’, an album that is arguably one of the best death metal albums ever made. Lead by the late Chuck Schuldiner, this band single-handedly defined death metal with just this album, and paved the foundations for tech-death with fantastic riffing, coated with pure brutality and technicality blended into one ingenious mix. To describe why it’s so great could take quite some time, and is an easy recommendation, even if you aren’t a huge fan of Death. Perhaps what’s more interesting though is the additional material included, as Relapse Records opts to pull from Death’s extensive history and include various rehearsal tapes, demo’s, jam sessions, and studio outtakes, acting as an insight as to how such a record was created. And of course, no true re-release of a metal classic is complete without the mandatory live album, including cuts from the original ‘Spiritual Healing’ and Death’s first two albums. All in all, it’s an impressive package that is sure to please fans, and of course is an easy way to listen to death metal’s first true masterpiece.
Rating: 4.5/5 (Incredible!)
Released November 20th 2012
Dissipate manages to cover a lot of ground on this debut EP, to the point where they actually describe themselves as ‘Technical/Groove/Djent/Hardcore/Metal/Thrash/Shred’, which is most certainly overkill, but not entirely false either. The technical and hardcore aspects lead up to some awesome mathcore/death metal moments, and the groove parts add a truly brutal aspect to the EP. Infact, this release as a whole is very brutal and very metal, without of course being overbearing. What I like most about Dissipate is their interest in all these genres and how they incorporate other elements into their music, from the clean vocal stylings of the title track, to the frenzied technicalities of ‘Becoming The Mantis’. While these ideas don’t always work the way that Dissipate would like them to, it’s still impressive to see a band’s debut EP delve into so much territory, and handling it all with the upmost respect and professionalism. ‘Tectonics’ actually stretches so many different styles that it’s pretty hard to label it to any one genre, offering short bursts of strong and diverse metal that Dissipate will hopefully expand on within the future.
“Into The Future” by Bad Brains
Hardcore Punk/Reggae Rock
Released November 20th 2012
Though they’ve lost a lot of the heavy metal edge that made them so important in the 80’s, as well what made them a pioneering band for hardcore punk, Bad Brains still sounds as vital and alive as ever, pumping out reggae-infused, fast and un-relentless punk that is undeniably Bad Brains. Built on power chords, frontman Paul Hudson breaks out his famously dynamic vocals, supported by an always fantastic rhythm section, and mixed to near perfection. Every beat is perfectly audible, and every style is balanced just right, allowing every element to shine when it needs to. That said, it’s far from perfect. As per usual on any Bad Brains album, it’s typically the lighter, more mellow material that draws you out of the experience, and sometimes even feels out of place after hearing some of their more metal-tinged material. It’s still great, and ‘Into The Future’ is perfect for a nostalgic rush, but sometimes you can’t help but wish that Bad Brains would just pump out more hardcore stuff.
Groove Metal/Thrash Metal
Released November 20th 2012
From start to finish, it’s clear that Incite has learned a lot this time around, pumping out some really stellar metal. Their writing is a lot more focused this time around, probably due to the guidance of producer Logan Mader, and the songs as a whole have a lot more punch to them, channeling the energy of Pantera, or more appropriately given the family connection, post-2004 Soulfly. You can also thank guitarist Gene Macazan for the adrenaline and power that ‘All Out War’ stirs up, pummeling away with some truly bad-ass riffs, carrying the album with the character and confidence as a long-running thrash metal band would do, and adding fuel to this fire of mayhem, and again interweaving them with more distinguishable and often melodic riffs. It’s clear that these guys know exactly what they are good at, and what they want their sound to be like, but I can’t help but feel as if the guitarist is often stealing the show. If they can balance the talents of all the band members whilst continuing in this musical direction, then Incite’s next album will be an absolute beast.
