And we finally come around to the music releases round up this week. As you can no doubt see, there is quite a bit of quality albums hitting shelves this week. Between Faith No More, Sammy Hagar, Steve N Seagulls, Mr. Irish Bastard, Coal Chamber, Haste The Day, and TesseracT, there seems to be too much of a good thing. Just kidding; there is never enough good quality music. It just takes more time to get through it all! haha
(Artwork by AFGM. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
(Faith No More - Sol Invictus)
Long term fans of the band will not be disappointed, this is an album that does pretty much everything you would expect from Faith No More. Cone Of Shame for example is a slow burner that initially hides the disturbing imagery of Patton’s lyrics. This is nothing new, he’s been talking about bizarre sexual practices and the darker side of life whilst cloaking it in pop hooks or carefully picked metaphor for years. This time it’s not quite so well camolflaged so by the track’s close, Patton’s careful dismantling of the object of his desire, described in lines like “I like to peel the skin off/I like to strip the bone…” is genuinely disturbing. -Music OMH
(Jeff Beck - Live +)
I could write an essay about all the different sounds and feelings Jeff Beck conveys through one instrument but I really don’t think I can do him justice. His instrumental music speaks for itself. If you haven’t listened to Jeff Beck much before, this album is a great place to start. You’ll hear some familiar tracks made famous by other artists and I’d wager you’ll appreciate how Jeff Back makes them his own. And if you’re a fan you may be excited by the two new tracks Tribal and My Tiled White Floor which may be teasers for what will hopefully be released later this year. -Renowned For Sound
(Sammy Hagar & The Circle - At Your Service)
*no reviews as of yet*
(Gangstagrass - American Music)
With their fourth album, Gangstagrass is only getting better. American Music is an amazing mix of Bluegrass and Hip Hop. It works. The album is upbeat and showcases the artists' talents. The album starts off strong with Pulling Everything with Me and the remake of Long Hard Times to Come. Dan Whitener's You Can Never Go Home Again is a very strong offering from the band's banjo player. Ain't Going to Heaven When I Die is a fun song featuring fourteen different MCs. Nuts. The band really is something you need to experience. Having just saw them recently live, they are a fun group of guys and gals and this is their best album to date. Looking forward to the next! -Amazon (customer review)
.jpg)
*Originally released on May 12th, 2015 (digitally).*
While excellent musician ship elevates the songs on Farm Machine above being a novelty album, it’s the fun injected into these songs that make them easy to listen to time and time again. Dio’s “Holy Diver” is played impeccably, but with a whimsy that Ronnie would have never integrated into his music. AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” is offered in a spot on performance that includes majestic harmony vocals that give this acoustic rendition a majestic, and just plain fun, sound. The Guns’N’Roses classic “Paradise City” has a swing that gives the song a rolling flow that is great replace for the driving crunch of the original recording. Steve’n’Seagulls have injected a light-hearted feel into these songs, and in doing so have made an album that is catchy and listenable. -Burning Point Online
(Mr. Irish Bastard - The World, The Flesh, & The Devil)
Well the latest offering from Mr. Irish Bastard ‘The World, The Flesh & The Devil’ definitely doesn’t disappoint. 2015 has been quite a year so far for celtic-punk album releases but I think it’s safe to say that Mr Irish Bastard will be appearing in the top 10 celtic-punk albums for 2015 at the end of the year. If I’m wrong I can’t wait to hear what is coming from the competition in the next 8 months. The album is packed with 13 tunes with 3 bonus tunes if you feel flush and want to splash out on the deluxe version. -London Celtic Punks
(Emery - You Were Never Alone)
You Were Never Alone pays homage to “old” Emery – full of fight, with dueling vocals and poppy hooks. It’s not a perfect album, nor is it the best release of the band’s career, but it works.
As scene veterans, Emery have earned the right to experiment and forge their own path. The process continues on You Were Never Alone, but this feels as much like an album for the fans as any you’ll hear this year. The combination of new and old suits the band well in 2015 and solidifies their status as songwriting pros in the post-hardcore scene. -It's All Dead
(Silverstein - I Am Alive In Everything I Touch)
The bulk of ‘I Am Alive in Everything I Touch’ is easily digestible popcorn post-hardcore, but comes off as neither hackneyed nor melodramatic. ‘Face of the Earth’, ‘Buried At Sea’ and more omit the monotone open-note hammering that’s standard fare for the genre nowadays in favour of melodic riffs and simple but never obvious guitar patterns, the rhythm section likewise shining without ever really taking prominence. Shane Told’s vocals are perfect for the music because of the force of will he injects into each line, perfectly exemplified on the screams of the album’s title on “Millstone”. He also has a knack for very visual lyrics ideal for the narrative concept. “A Midwestern State of Emergency” is the best example among a batch of choruses straightforward in melody but made immeasurably more interesting by the words applied to the melodies. -Caliber TV
(Coal Chamber - Rivals)
With a guest appearance by MINISTRY's Al Jourgensen, the question remains, "How good can this album actually be?" The upbeat answer is, it's pretty darned good, if slightly flawed.
COAL CHAMBER fans will rejoice the band sounds this tight, much less sounds like anything at all. Dez Fafara appears to be having fun and the rest of the band too. Despite its duplications, "Rivals" is a flashback bundle of energy. DEVILDRIVER is hardly finished, however, which leaves reason to believe "Rivals" is, at best, a rowdy trip down nu metal memory lane in the interest of leaving the worst of COAL CHAMBER's past exactly there. -Blabbermouth
(Will Haven - Open The Mind To Discomfort)
Open The Mind to Discomfort could very well be the finest release I have heard all year, it certainly is my first 5 star release and if I could give it 6 then I would personally staple the extra star directly on this webpage. -Rock N Reel Reviews
(Haste The Day - Coward)
Foundationally, Coward is as solid as you would expect from a veteran band. The riffing is strong, the lyrics are compelling, and the musicianship is commendable across the board. Unfortunately, the songwriting is a bit of an uneven mishmash. Perhaps this is because Coward represents an attempt to reconcile the two very different musical approaches the band has taken in the past. A great example of this is the track "Take." The majority of the harsh vocals in the song are delivered by Jimmy, and his raw, vicious approach is both fun and effective. But the aggression of the song is squandered in the chorus, with a clean-singing gang vocal melody that is far too simple and really clashes with the atmosphere set in the verses. It's great one moment, then lackluster the next. -Jesus Freak Hideout
CD/DVD/Blu-Ray:
(TesseracT - Odyssey/Scala)
Full Concert Stream: TesseracT - Odyssey/Scala
Scala, which sees the band performing the same set list as contained on Odyssey, achieves that goal. I think it was as the second song “Deception – Concealing Fate” kicked in that, with my surround-sound cranked up, I legitimately felt like I was seeing the band play in front of me…..albeit on a puny flat screen television (I can only imagine how awesome it would be with a much larger screen). Tiny televisions aside, Scala is easily the most visually stunning of any live DVD release I’ve seen thus far, with footage from multiple angles beautifully edited into one cohesive, immersive live concert experience. -New Noise Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment