Other notable releases such as Della Mae, Snoop Dogg, Veil of Maya, and Wolves At The Gate will be very pleasing to listen to for the week/weekend as Canada celebrates an extra day off work! I hope you all get a chance to visit your local record store, online retailer, or trusted digital source to pick up some of these tunes for the long weekend. Cheers and have a great week discovering new music (and a happy Victoria Day)!
(Della Mae - Della Mae)
For album three, the four women get assistance from famed roots producer Jacquire King who, according to their notes, helped them find a once elusive groove in the studio. The basic instrumental lineup of guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle is augmented by stand-up bass and occasional percussion. A musical saw even makes an appearance to further push the group into a fuller, more eclectic territory. Songs such as the pulsating “Rude Awakening” and the jazzy accusatory “Shambles” display a sassy, feisty attitude that had previously been lurking in the background. -American Songwriter
(David Duchovny - Hell Or Highwater)
...it’s refreshing that David Duchovny’s musical debut is such a low-key affair. He makes no false claims of being a musician before he was an actor — in fact, he didn’t even start playing guitar until a few years ago, which coincided with him trying his hand at poetry. His poetry rhymed, songs are supposed to rhyme, bada bing bada boom: He had enough material for an album.
And, to his credit, he knows his way around a meat-and-potatoes chord progression. Opener “Let It Rain” and the more Western Swing-leaning single “Another Year” both have a likable roots rock directness akin to latter-day Wilco and R.E.M., two bands that Duchovny cited as influences while recording. Likewise, closer “Positively Madison Avenue” rolls along with muscle that feels custom-built to soundtrack bar chatter. It thankfully lacks the theatrical pretension found in other actor-fronted bands like, say, 30 Seconds to Mars. -Consequence of Sound
(Snoop Dogg - Bush)
Bush sees Snoop step firmly back into his comfort zone; working in the studio with long-standing collaborator Pharrell Williams and producing material which gravitates around his staple of hip hop and pop. Sonically, Bush dabbles with funk; a solo extension of his 2013 collaboration album with Dâm-Funk – 7 Days of Funk. Seventies throwbacks and popping contemporary production dovetail to create a typically Snoop atmosphere; languid, contagious and pimping as fuck. Imagine Jeff Bridges boogying in between disc battles at the Tron City Oceana. This is what he’d be listening to. Snoop has a clever way of adapting his music to popular trends, fitting his style around whatever is emerging and Bush is no different. Here he has adapted what is essentially the same content as everything he has ever done, but has fit it to the glimmerings of a funk rebirth which are going on at the moment. -Drowned In Sound
(Hinder - When The Smoke Clears)
Granted, this is a band that has enjoyed great success and "When the Smoke Clears" should be able to move plenty of units, even in this sales-strapped market. Like them or not, HINDER plays music designed to fill up high profile bars and summer festivals where units of alcohol are measured with more importance than CDs and tour shirts. Part of moving brews and shots is writing those Average Joe songs with a ribald empathy for those looking for nothing more than to get shitfaced and sing along to relatively safe rock music. If that doesn't apply to you, you likely never got this far in the review. -Blabbermouth
(Civil War - Gods & Generals)
Gods and Generals closes out in dramatic flair with the title track. Some of the band’s best individual instrumentation comes to life here. Heavy on harmony vocals and melody, Civil War thunders onward into battle. Civil War has delivered an impressive sophomore effort with Gods and Generals. It is filled with sonic grandiloquence; an explosion of auditory bombast, laden with big hooks, memorable melodies, and intriguing historical tales. The record manages to balance intelligence with whimsy to create a powerful heavy metal gem. -Metalholic
(Veil of Maya - Matriarch)
When looking at Matriarch, many will see an album that pushed a band further, kept them progressing instead of regressing, in an effort to avoid becoming predictable. On the other hand, just as many people will see an album that signaled the demise of one of their favorite heavy bands, a band that was reminiscent of a time when clean vocals were sparse and trends seemed less overpowering. It is within this paradox that this album lies. It allows for two ideas that seemingly conflict with each other to exist side by side. This positioning adds nuance and character to the music the band makes and in turn the band itself. There is no definitive answer here as to whether or not this album is definitively progression or regression. In an era of radical change and want for established absolutes, it is quite the feat to make us consider what such a small alteration can accomplish or unravel. -Heavy Blog Is Heavy
(Within Silence - Gallery of Life)
Power metal can be, all too often, a genre where the keyboard elements overshadow the metallic elements. Thankfully, Within Silence, perhaps because of their lengthy time spent out on the road, keep their sound hard-edged throughout and the result is an album that packs a similar punch to the classic Maiden albums of the early eighties. There are crunchy riffs galore, endless solos and the sort of huge, soaring choruses that have made Blind Guardian such a powerful force. Talented, oozing confidence and with a wonderfully powerful set of songs, Within Silence have arrived and metal fans had best sit up and take notice, because these guys have the skill and the burning ambition to go far. -Sonic Abuse
EPs:
(Wolves At The Gate - Reprise)
Wolves at the Gate have the talent and ability to knock a record like this out of the park, but a listen or two through Reprise will have you wondering what could have been. There are definitely enjoyable moments and a track or two that really stand out, but it just feels a little underwhelming as a complete project. WatG fans will still want to check out some of their favorite songs done acoustically and those who have thought the band was too heavy for their taste can get a pleasant experience as well. If you're looking for a truly inspired acoustic experience though, the Jars of Clay or The Classic Crime releases from last year are a better place to look. -Jesus Freak Hideout
Singles:
(Muse - Dead Inside)
If "Psycho" is the roaring, terrifying new introduction to Muse's seventh studio album, then "Dead Inside" is the more grounded, emotional cousin. Though not a ballad by any means, "Dead Inside" brings in the crashing, anti-authoritarian elements of Muse's new sound and tones it back for a song with more of a personal biting edge. -Music Times
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