Well, what to say about this week's record releases. The first word that comes to mind is obviously diversity. Here we see Rush, JT, Moby, Nelly, All Time Low, Joan Jett, The Browning and more all coming together nicely for your listening pleasure. Like I say on numerous occasions about Tuesday releases... I am excited to take a few of these for a spin.
My younger side wants to explore the works of Mr. Timberlake and Nelly for their contributions to the hip-hop, funk, groove side of things. Nothing wrong with getting a lil stride in your step for those random times you are singing in your shower. I really hope that wasn't a rhetorical comment (any shower singer out there?) On the other hand, my groove does want to explore the synth-metal of The Browning's "Hypernova" or just the good ol dark vibe of new Scar The Martyr. Either way, as a music fan I highly doubt you won't find something to entertain you at least till next week.
So the usual folks. Love music? Then buy music! Head to a local record store, online retailer or other legal source to pick up your favourite albums today. Cheers!
(Moby - Innocents)
...Innocents finds Moby returning to the cinematic melancholic sound that transformed him from a techno nerd into one of the world’s biggest-selling pop stars—most notably on the lo-fi electronica of “A Long Time,” which features the same kind of haunting vintage vocal that defined the likes of “Natural Blues” and “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad,” and the string-soaked opening instrumental, “Everything That Rises,” which recalls the widescreen glory of signature hit “Porcelain.” -Music Is My Oxygen
...Innocents finds Moby returning to the cinematic melancholic sound that transformed him from a techno nerd into one of the world’s biggest-selling pop stars—most notably on the lo-fi electronica of “A Long Time,” which features the same kind of haunting vintage vocal that defined the likes of “Natural Blues” and “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad,” and the string-soaked opening instrumental, “Everything That Rises,” which recalls the widescreen glory of signature hit “Porcelain.” -Music Is My Oxygen
(Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience Part II)
The moments when Timberlake and his producers show some restraint are the brightest moments on the record, and the more romantic second half features most of them, like the “Mirrors” cousin “You Got It On”, which features JT engaging in some full-on classic crooner shit, reminding you of how damn good he is at mixing classic ’50s martini pop and modern Hennessy R&B. “Amnesia” is actually two songs that really should not have been put under a single umbrella, but both songs would have acquitted themselves well on Futuresex/Lovesounds, a high compliment for any JT track. Final track “Not A Bad Thing” is an N’SYNC song, basically, and serves as pitch perfect nostalgia-bait. Its predecessor, the penultimate “Only When I Walk Away”, actually pulls off its White Stripes blues guitar blast on the hook. But, of course, only until the five-minute outro. Sound familiar? - Consequence of Sound
(Rush - Vapor Trails Remixed)
Lee came to this realization not long after the record came out, but there was little he could do to fix the situation. "It's a terrible feeling that, due to lack of objectivity, you let an imperfect piece of work get out there," he says. "But the songs are very strong and people really responded to the record and people were welcoming us back. The sonic defects of it got lost in the excitement of the band's return to functionality. It's always been a bee in my bonnet."
Eleven years after the album came out, Rush fixed the situation by hiring producer David Bottrill to remix the album. "He understood what it should sound like," he says, "so I'm very pleased with the end result. I think he's finally brought some completion and some justice to some of those songs we'd put so much of our heart and soul into." -Rolling Stone
(The Answer - Rise)
This isn’t a band that’s gimmicky in the way that The Darkness is – even though some of Neeson’s vocals are as wildly outlandish as Justin Hawkins’ most high-pitched stuff.
Instead, The Answer sincerely go about updating and reviving the old rock sound. Hence, die-hard rockers who still pine for the heyday of Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy and co ought to dust off their black leather jackets, let their hair down and seek out The Answer’s next live shows.
It’s loud, proud and – in the case of album highlights Preachin’ and Memphis Water – a worthy addition to its genre. Some of the tracks struggle to impress in the same way that the stand-outs do but the air guitar brigade will probably be having too much fun mimicking the power riffs to realise… -Indie London
This isn’t a band that’s gimmicky in the way that The Darkness is – even though some of Neeson’s vocals are as wildly outlandish as Justin Hawkins’ most high-pitched stuff.
Instead, The Answer sincerely go about updating and reviving the old rock sound. Hence, die-hard rockers who still pine for the heyday of Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy and co ought to dust off their black leather jackets, let their hair down and seek out The Answer’s next live shows.
It’s loud, proud and – in the case of album highlights Preachin’ and Memphis Water – a worthy addition to its genre. Some of the tracks struggle to impress in the same way that the stand-outs do but the air guitar brigade will probably be having too much fun mimicking the power riffs to realise… -Indie London
(Nelly - M.O.)
Nelly’s “M.O.” is ultimately a solid effort that may re-establish his hold on the top of the charts. But the odds are stacked against him as he competes against new releases from other heavyweights such as Drake, Jay-Z and Kanye West, and hot newcomers J. Cole, Juicy J and 2 Chainz.
Nelly’s hits aren’t as automatic as they used to be. Even when his songs succeed commercially, as “Just a Dream” did a few years ago or “Party People” in 2008, they don’t do much to lift the accompanying album. And in hip-hop circles he’s viewed as too pop, too soft, and thus often dismissed.
But while “M.O.,” is no ground-breaker, Nelly proves he can still produce has potential chart-toppers, and he’s nowhere close to being counted out. -STL Today
Nelly’s “M.O.” is ultimately a solid effort that may re-establish his hold on the top of the charts. But the odds are stacked against him as he competes against new releases from other heavyweights such as Drake, Jay-Z and Kanye West, and hot newcomers J. Cole, Juicy J and 2 Chainz.
Nelly’s hits aren’t as automatic as they used to be. Even when his songs succeed commercially, as “Just a Dream” did a few years ago or “Party People” in 2008, they don’t do much to lift the accompanying album. And in hip-hop circles he’s viewed as too pop, too soft, and thus often dismissed.
But while “M.O.,” is no ground-breaker, Nelly proves he can still produce has potential chart-toppers, and he’s nowhere close to being counted out. -STL Today
(Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Unvarnished)
The album is short, sweet and to the point, and has many signature Jett moments on it. That being said, there is something about it that seems to lack the proper venom. At times, Jett’s vocals come off as a little understated. Where the lyrics should be spat forth, they are merely sung, and there are no real frantic rockers on it. That aside, it is a fine album and worth the near decade long wait. Jett fans with be loving every moment of it. -Ultimate Classic Rock
The album is short, sweet and to the point, and has many signature Jett moments on it. That being said, there is something about it that seems to lack the proper venom. At times, Jett’s vocals come off as a little understated. Where the lyrics should be spat forth, they are merely sung, and there are no real frantic rockers on it. That aside, it is a fine album and worth the near decade long wait. Jett fans with be loving every moment of it. -Ultimate Classic Rock
(All Time Low - Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!)
Fast forward 18 months, and ‘Don’t Panic’ sees them returning home to their old label Hopeless, and crucially, their old sound. Without the hands of major label henchmen edging them into the most marketable direction, there’s an overwhelming feeling that consumes you when listening to ‘Don’t Panic’ that they’ve had more time, more room to breathe, and more fun this time around. At times it’s self-prophesising; bookending the album with the lyrics “Long live the reckless and the brave” and “You’ve got to let me be me” says more than they’ll ever do in interviews about the last 18 months of their career, but everything else in between is crunchy, sharp and totally, wonderfully reinvigorated. -Rock Sound
Fast forward 18 months, and ‘Don’t Panic’ sees them returning home to their old label Hopeless, and crucially, their old sound. Without the hands of major label henchmen edging them into the most marketable direction, there’s an overwhelming feeling that consumes you when listening to ‘Don’t Panic’ that they’ve had more time, more room to breathe, and more fun this time around. At times it’s self-prophesising; bookending the album with the lyrics “Long live the reckless and the brave” and “You’ve got to let me be me” says more than they’ll ever do in interviews about the last 18 months of their career, but everything else in between is crunchy, sharp and totally, wonderfully reinvigorated. -Rock Sound
(Hearts & Hands - My Own Machine)
To summarize what makes this album different from a lot of acts that you might associate with their scene, I've narrowed it down to one word: cohesion. Sadly, many bands throw several riffs together to make what they call "a song." A handful of these in a playlist are an "album," and if you were to shuffle their discography on your iPod, you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell what songs go with what album unless you're super-familiar with their work. This album, on the other hand, seems meticulously crafted, from the intro which emulates melodic themes of the first full song to the rise and fall of energy over the course of the whole record. -Pure Grain Audio
To summarize what makes this album different from a lot of acts that you might associate with their scene, I've narrowed it down to one word: cohesion. Sadly, many bands throw several riffs together to make what they call "a song." A handful of these in a playlist are an "album," and if you were to shuffle their discography on your iPod, you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell what songs go with what album unless you're super-familiar with their work. This album, on the other hand, seems meticulously crafted, from the intro which emulates melodic themes of the first full song to the rise and fall of energy over the course of the whole record. -Pure Grain Audio
(The Browning - Hypernova)
It’s not the fact that I was disappointed that “Hypernova” is basically “Burn This World” 2.0, but I would have liked a little bit more creativity. Having a bunch of time to finely tune their unique art, I wanted my ears to experience something even more new. If you are a fan of Breakdown of Sanity, The Crimson Armada, and/or Volumes with a mix of electronica, then The Browning is perfect for you! It’s unfortunate that The Browning put out more of a “supernova” rather than a “hypernova”. -Real Metal Reviews
It’s not the fact that I was disappointed that “Hypernova” is basically “Burn This World” 2.0, but I would have liked a little bit more creativity. Having a bunch of time to finely tune their unique art, I wanted my ears to experience something even more new. If you are a fan of Breakdown of Sanity, The Crimson Armada, and/or Volumes with a mix of electronica, then The Browning is perfect for you! It’s unfortunate that The Browning put out more of a “supernova” rather than a “hypernova”. -Real Metal Reviews
(Fates Warning - Darkness In A Different Light)
So where does the album fit into the canon of Fates Warning? To be blunt, right at the top of their game. They've been on the uptrend since the "pretty good" A Pleasant Shade of Gray in 1997 (which might seem like long ago, but there's only been two other albums between that and Darkness In A Different Light) and Darkness In A Different Light only showcases a band that has gotten better with time. If Darkness In A Different Light isn't in your Top X of 2013 list at the end of the year, there may be something fundamentally wrong with you. -Metal Injection
So where does the album fit into the canon of Fates Warning? To be blunt, right at the top of their game. They've been on the uptrend since the "pretty good" A Pleasant Shade of Gray in 1997 (which might seem like long ago, but there's only been two other albums between that and Darkness In A Different Light) and Darkness In A Different Light only showcases a band that has gotten better with time. If Darkness In A Different Light isn't in your Top X of 2013 list at the end of the year, there may be something fundamentally wrong with you. -Metal Injection
(Soulfly - Savages)
The best moments come with the guest appearances – not because they feature artists in any way superior to Max, but because they provide a counterpoint to his somewhat one-dimensional vocal approach. Neil Fallon of Clutch adds spoken word spookiness and a muscular melody to Ayotollah Of Rock ‘N’ Rolla, to the timely accompaniment of the album’s grooviest guitar parts. Napalm Death‘s Mitch Harris adds low-end grunt to KCS, and Jamie Hanks of I Declare War adds a deathcore edge to Fallen, its technical atonal riffs inspired by latter-day Machine Head.
All of which makes for decidedly mixed results – but also, a sense of light at the end of the tunnel. With a growing sense that it is too late for a reunion of the classic Sepultura line-up, Max needs to find the formula to make Soulfly more than an extended coda to his career – and on the evidence here, an album of elder-statesman-with-young-pretender collaborations (think Tom Jones but hairier and Brazilian) could be the only way forward. Because without it, Soulfly run the danger of becoming no more than what your friends think metal is – a man grunting over noisy riffs. -Music OMH
All of which makes for decidedly mixed results – but also, a sense of light at the end of the tunnel. With a growing sense that it is too late for a reunion of the classic Sepultura line-up, Max needs to find the formula to make Soulfly more than an extended coda to his career – and on the evidence here, an album of elder-statesman-with-young-pretender collaborations (think Tom Jones but hairier and Brazilian) could be the only way forward. Because without it, Soulfly run the danger of becoming no more than what your friends think metal is – a man grunting over noisy riffs. -Music OMH
(Scar The Martyr - Scar The Martyr)
The record is a collaborative effort with a perfect balance between heavy and melodic. Joey also pushes his own boundaries and explores new sonic territories. The melodies backing these dark atmospheres are equally catchy. They blend alternative metal and industrial rock fused with cinematic melodic structures to create a truly successful musical experience. The guitars as the drum playing create dense melodies and atmospheres, contrasting both, intense guitar leads, guitar solo (Mind’s Eye, Last Night on Earth) and heavy riffs (White Nights In A Day Room). The great dynamics in this rhythm section are at the end, for the listener, an enjoyable journey. The outcome is living up to your expectations. The closing track Last Night on Earth features one of the most intense guitar solos on the album. -Evigshed
Box Sets:
The Studio Albums 1989-2007, which includes every studio album Rush recorded for Atlantic Records: 1989's Presto, 1991's Roll the Bones, 1993's Counterparts, 1996's Test for Echo, 2002's Vapor Trails, 2004's Feedback covers EP, and 2007's Snakes & Arrows. Each album will be presented in a wallet sleeve that faithfully reproduces the original artwork—except for Vapor Trails, which features a re-interpreted version of the original cover, for reasons that will become clear below. -Roadrunner Records
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