I had intended to write a review of David Bowie's new CD a few weeks ago but I needed time to absorb the disc and then I bought a few new ones and started in with them and then the next thing ya know the whole dang month has gone by. So here are some capsule reviews of what I've been listening to recently.
ANTHRAX-ANTHEMS
It's not as horrible as you've heard or as great as you've heard. People unfamiliar with the band are praising it, long time fans are mostly dismissing it. I stand in the middle. If you take it as face value this is an entertaining EP of cover tunes, if you are looking for more it is hollow and lacking in personality. Both are correct (at least change the Oi! chant in AC/DC's "TNT" to a NOT! chant. Come on guys!). While the songs are played with reverence to the original material, and clearly show off the band as a unit, the trademark humor is gone and there's nary a thrash riff to be found. "Anthems" is being marketed as a thank you to fans and fun project for the band, but what it really is is an attempt to keep the name out there and alive until the next new release, a way to plug the current tour and a cash grab by the label.
2 1/2 out of 5 Daves
DAVID BOWIE-THE NEXT DAY
This is far beyond the comeback album Bowie fans have been waiting for, it is the culmination of his career. It's almost too much Bowie for one person to handle at one time. Every era seems to be represented here, from the "Ziggy" and "Diamond Dogs" to "Earthling", "Hours", "Let's Dance" and "Heroes" all shoved into a blender and poured out as the rich creamy nectar of Bowie. Okay, that was weird but you get the idea. D.B. has been away for ten years and this sounds like the best of all the albums he would have made in that time. On a record this eclectic it's hard to pick a favorite or a misfire. It's just a good compelling listen all the way through. The year's first "Top Ten" contender.
5 out of 5 Daves
RIVAL SONS-HEAD DOWN
Rival Sons are a relatively new band from California (their first self financed digital only release came in 2009) that have had quite a bit of success in Europe but are just now making waves here in the U.S. Their sound is classic, mixing elements of Free, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Uriah Heep and early Who to form a fresh yet familiar sound. But these guys are no nostalgia act or mere tribute to a bygone era. This is a living, breathing rock and roll entity deserving our attention. It's not perfect, mind you. The vocals have a tendency to go a bit high for no reason, and some of the songs go on a bit too long with no real ending or resolution. But these complaints are minor. It's big, pure, heartfelt rock and roll music in the truest sense of the term. Give 'em a listen or three. And turn it up LOUD for maximum effect.
4 out of 5 Daves
SON VOLT-HONKY TONK
Have you ever wondered what Jay Farrar would sound like leading a western swing band? Me neither, but that's the question "Honky Tonk" attempts to answer. Overall, this record is a near miss. There are some good songs, no doubt, but it doesn't quite live up to its own potential. The instrumentation and arrangements are all there but these songs fall flat. Even in the slowest traditional honky tonk ballad there is a swing, a groove, an electricity to the song that is just missing here. I can't tell if the band is trying too hard or not trying hard enough. Again, not a total failure but probably more for hardcore fans than the rest of us.
3 out of 5 Daves
And that's the new stuff for now. Happy listening!
*****BONUS REVIEW*****
IRON MAIDEN-MAIDEN ENGLAND '88
This is exactly what it says it is. A DVD and CD of the band's 1988 "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" tour. The audio portion is previously unreleased so it's nice to have that gap filled in for us completists. It's also interesting to note how fast these songs were being played at the time and how much the band TORE IT UP on stage during the height of the Maiden's most popular line up. A great listen. As for the DVD we get the full concert (originally released in '89) with the previously unavailable encore section, the original documentary "12 Wasted Years" (I wore out my copy as a lad), some promo videos and part 3 of the ongoing "History Of Iron Maiden" documentary. Essential package for fans of one of the top metal bands in history. Up, as always, The Irons!
5 out of 5 Daves
Showing posts with label anthrax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthrax. Show all posts
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Monday, October 3, 2011
Recent Release Roundup
Anthrax-Worship Music
This, finally, is the CD Anthrax fans have been waiting for. Not just because Joey Belladonna is back on vocals (though he's never sounded better), but because it's the strongest record they've done in years. It's a little bit darker than most Anthrax records and the goofy humor is missed. However, the music more than makes up for it. There are all out thrash numbers, which somehow feel fresh not dated, some heavy groove stuff (a la John Bush era) one or two tracks that are just this side of rock radio songs, and even a Soundgarden style number. An unexpectedly varied set from these guys.
As mentioned, this record is a little on the dark side, which is my only complaint. It just seems as though the band felt they had something to prove and they're trying too hard to prove to us how "metal" they are. The pentagram with the A for Anthrax in it was cute the first time, but come on guys we get it. You're metal. We've known it all along. The music speaks volumes, no need to push the point.
Anyway, a solid set. A few misfires here, but a winner nonetheless.
Key tracks: "Fight 'Em Til You Can't", "Crawl" "The Devil You Know", "Revolution Screams"
4 out of 5 Daves
P.S.-The sixteen year old me is amazingly happy with this set, and that counts for a lot.
Bottle Rockets-Not So Loud
After nineteen years as a band, the Bottle Rockets are releasing their first live acoustic album. The alt-country band has been criminally overlooked by most, coming out in the days of Uncle Tupelo, and being from the same town, these guys haven't ever really been given their fair due. This is a pity, because they have been putting out consistently quality material the whole time. The Bottle Rockets live shows are known for being loud, raucous good times, which makes this set all the more special and appreciated.
Captured live at the now defunct Lucas Schoolhouse in St. Louis, the recordings come from two nights in a very intimate setting, and are all the better for it. The casual environment created a chance for Brian Henneman to tell some entertaining stories, but more importantly it enables the focus to be placed squarely on the music. Coming across somewhere between Woody Guthrie and Neil Young, this is a delight of a set, and one that is recommended for anyone who has ever been curious about the band or considered themselves a fan of alt-country music.
Key Tracks: "Lucky Break", "Perfect Far Away", "1000 Dollar Car", "Rural Route" "Kerosene"
41/2 out of 5 Daves
Dream Theater-A Dramatic Turn Of Events
For the first time since the beginning of the decade I've been excited about a new DT record. After the departure of drummer and key writer Mike Portnoy I was quite intrigued. I have long thought that Portnoy had been given too much power within the band and wasn't the right guy to steer the ship. So I was looking forward to where the band would go on this first record without him.
And the answer is: nowhere new. I hear nothing but retreads of older material. Maybe my tastes have just moved too far away, but after four listens I remain largely disappointed. Now having said that, all the elements are there. The musicianship is still first rate. New drummer Mike Mangini fits like a glove, guitarist John Petrucci still plays lightning fast while conveying emotion, and James LaBrie is singing better than he has in years. So what happened?
Some of the blame can be put on the horrible job done in the mixing/mastering of the disc. It sounds quiet, flat and lifeless, even when turned up to twice the necessary volume. But the big problem is in the songs themselves. In the rush to put out an album and make a statement, the craft of songwriting has been lost. There are no memorable choruses here, something which Dream Theater has always been capable of in the
past. Sparse lyrics that fail to capture the imagination abound, and is it just me or have we heard some of these solos before? The heavier songs are not heavy enough and the quiet parts are too quiet. All in all it's an unmemorable collection of material.
Which is all too bad, because the frustrating thing is that there's a good record here somewhere. There are flashes of greatness in each song, it's just that the good stuff gets swallowed up in a bunch of muck. I believe that if the band would have taken a little more time here they could have really had something. I can't actually say it's bad, but I remain underwhelmed. However, prog-metal fans and die hard DT fans will no doubt be pleased.
Key Tracks: "On The Backs Of Angels", "Lost Not Forgotten" "This Is The Life"
2 1/2 out of 5 Daves (though my brother will surely disagree...)
Got a few more new CDs to write up. Look for more stuff this week.
This, finally, is the CD Anthrax fans have been waiting for. Not just because Joey Belladonna is back on vocals (though he's never sounded better), but because it's the strongest record they've done in years. It's a little bit darker than most Anthrax records and the goofy humor is missed. However, the music more than makes up for it. There are all out thrash numbers, which somehow feel fresh not dated, some heavy groove stuff (a la John Bush era) one or two tracks that are just this side of rock radio songs, and even a Soundgarden style number. An unexpectedly varied set from these guys.
As mentioned, this record is a little on the dark side, which is my only complaint. It just seems as though the band felt they had something to prove and they're trying too hard to prove to us how "metal" they are. The pentagram with the A for Anthrax in it was cute the first time, but come on guys we get it. You're metal. We've known it all along. The music speaks volumes, no need to push the point.
Anyway, a solid set. A few misfires here, but a winner nonetheless.
Key tracks: "Fight 'Em Til You Can't", "Crawl" "The Devil You Know", "Revolution Screams"
4 out of 5 Daves
P.S.-The sixteen year old me is amazingly happy with this set, and that counts for a lot.
Bottle Rockets-Not So Loud
After nineteen years as a band, the Bottle Rockets are releasing their first live acoustic album. The alt-country band has been criminally overlooked by most, coming out in the days of Uncle Tupelo, and being from the same town, these guys haven't ever really been given their fair due. This is a pity, because they have been putting out consistently quality material the whole time. The Bottle Rockets live shows are known for being loud, raucous good times, which makes this set all the more special and appreciated.
Captured live at the now defunct Lucas Schoolhouse in St. Louis, the recordings come from two nights in a very intimate setting, and are all the better for it. The casual environment created a chance for Brian Henneman to tell some entertaining stories, but more importantly it enables the focus to be placed squarely on the music. Coming across somewhere between Woody Guthrie and Neil Young, this is a delight of a set, and one that is recommended for anyone who has ever been curious about the band or considered themselves a fan of alt-country music.
Key Tracks: "Lucky Break", "Perfect Far Away", "1000 Dollar Car", "Rural Route" "Kerosene"
41/2 out of 5 Daves
Dream Theater-A Dramatic Turn Of Events
For the first time since the beginning of the decade I've been excited about a new DT record. After the departure of drummer and key writer Mike Portnoy I was quite intrigued. I have long thought that Portnoy had been given too much power within the band and wasn't the right guy to steer the ship. So I was looking forward to where the band would go on this first record without him.
And the answer is: nowhere new. I hear nothing but retreads of older material. Maybe my tastes have just moved too far away, but after four listens I remain largely disappointed. Now having said that, all the elements are there. The musicianship is still first rate. New drummer Mike Mangini fits like a glove, guitarist John Petrucci still plays lightning fast while conveying emotion, and James LaBrie is singing better than he has in years. So what happened?
Some of the blame can be put on the horrible job done in the mixing/mastering of the disc. It sounds quiet, flat and lifeless, even when turned up to twice the necessary volume. But the big problem is in the songs themselves. In the rush to put out an album and make a statement, the craft of songwriting has been lost. There are no memorable choruses here, something which Dream Theater has always been capable of in the
past. Sparse lyrics that fail to capture the imagination abound, and is it just me or have we heard some of these solos before? The heavier songs are not heavy enough and the quiet parts are too quiet. All in all it's an unmemorable collection of material.
Which is all too bad, because the frustrating thing is that there's a good record here somewhere. There are flashes of greatness in each song, it's just that the good stuff gets swallowed up in a bunch of muck. I believe that if the band would have taken a little more time here they could have really had something. I can't actually say it's bad, but I remain underwhelmed. However, prog-metal fans and die hard DT fans will no doubt be pleased.
Key Tracks: "On The Backs Of Angels", "Lost Not Forgotten" "This Is The Life"
2 1/2 out of 5 Daves (though my brother will surely disagree...)
Got a few more new CDs to write up. Look for more stuff this week.
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