Slantpiece -Aggression in the Midwest

Kearney Nebraska to most is a small sleepy town in the middle of the state if you know of Kearney at all.  Home to The University of Nebraska at Kearney and not much else.  When you think of new music, I would be willing to bet that Kearney isn’t in your top 1000 cities...yeah, I can’t think of 1000 cities either, but before Kearney you’d think of Omaha simply because of bands such as 311 as well as other artists who have had some success such as Matthew Sweet and Conor Oberst and his band Bright Eyes.  

If you were to travel to Kearney and look for good local music, you would find a resurgence in metal,  I’m not talking teased hair glam metal.  I’m talking about sludgy, heavy metal made by guys who know how to play and also know how to wring every bit of anger and aggression out of their instruments.  

The band that comes to mind immediately is a 4 piece band called Slantpiece.  Featuring the talents of Derek Johnson on vocals and guitar, Derek Tavis on lead guitar, Wryan Carpenter on bass, and Bill Sabah on drums, Slantpiece is a heavy band playing straightforward metal with influences ranging from Black Sabbath, Black Label Society, Clutch, Metallica, Slayer and Corrosion of Conformity.  

This band specializes in dark, heavy, brooding riffs, that while they are sludgy, they are very technical and precise.  They are currently working on their debut EP in Lincoln Nebraska. The EP will be titled ‘Get You Some’ .  Working with producer Michael Beck, who’s clients range from Chiamera, Soilwork, Knights of the Abyss, Marilyn Manson,

Ke$sha, Kill Hannah, Black Dahlia Murder, Badlands and Death, who are quite arguably the most notable death metal band on the planet.  

The band has recently made two songs, “Muddy Water” and “Act of Betrayal” available to listeners on the reverbnation website.  You can find these songs by going to www.reverbnation/slantpiece.  

So let’s dig into these tracks and see what makes them tick shall we?  The first offering is a track called “Act of Betrayal”.  This piece a mid tempo, heavy piece of work with a lot of aggression to offer.  The riff opens with a roar.  The bass work follows the lead riff closely and adds ferocity to it.  The drumming on this track is solid and accomplishes both driving the song as well as adding to the anger of the vocals.  The vocals on this track are throaty growls but not the typical RAWRROARLETSSEEHOWFUCKINGANGRYICANBEROAAARRRRR!!!  Johnson’s vocals are unique in that while they are heavy and angry, you can understand every word and he sings on key with the song rather than just a single note like so many of the bands that you hear today.  You honestly don’t hear musicianship this accomplished with bands who have honed their craft for years.  This is notable because this band got it’s start at the beginning of 2012.  

The second track, which in this reviewer’s opinion is the strongest of the two offerings is called “Muddy Water”.  

This song also shows another dimension of this band.  The guitar riff, while heavy is more melodic and feels a bit blues influenced.  Listening to this one, I am instantly reminded bands such as Down, Attika 7 and Biohazard.  Johnson’s vocals are a bit more melodic, with less of a rough edge to them, though adding screams at just the right times to punctuate the heaviness of the song.  This one gallops along and does not let up.  The drumming takes a back seat to the riff in this song and allows the guitar work to really shine of this track.  Note pinches at the end of some of the guitar lines are reminiscent of Zaak Wylde’s work for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society.  

It is impossible to describe a band’s sound in a review.  The best way to hear a band’s talents are to hear them for yourself.  The sound of these two songs is clear and dynamic.  The songs are heavy and loud, but the sound is not brickwalled and hard limited such as most albums are nowadays that fall victim to the loudness wars.  It’s clear this band knows what they want and how they want to sound and will not compromise on that.  There are a lot of nationally known bands that could learn a lesson or two from the studio work of Slantpiece.  

Overall, this is work that should not be ignored.  This band is making good music and it should be heard, hopefully on a national level. 

Ghost B.C. Infestissumam

Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam

When listening to an album, what makes it better than others?  What makes it good at all?  Is it musicianship that is far superior to others?  Complete virtuosos of their craft?  Soaring vocals that rival that of some of the worlds most renowned and accomplished vocalists?  One could say that these things could be taken to mind when trying to identify a good album, but if this were the only criteria, there would be very few albums that would qualify. 

To me, creativity, musicianship and playability play a huge part of rather an album is good.  Is it an album that can be played all the way through with no filler or is it a singles collection stuffed to the gills with fluff enough to make a full length album? 

Today, I am speaking to a small group of people and after you have read this, you can decide if you are one of these people.  Today’s album is Infestissumam by Ghost B.C.  The band hails from Sweden, home of black metal, though this is no black metal band.  For those who know and love their hard rock and heavy metal, take Danish metal band Mercyful Fate, the vocals qualities of Blue Oyster Cult and the doomy riffing of Black Sabbath.  Add an organist and give them a creative angle and you have Ghost.  Worldwide Ghost is know as Ghost, and only in the US are they Ghost B.C. because of the existence of another band already named Ghost. For the convenience of typing, I will refer to them as Ghost as that is how they are known world wide.  

Infestissumam translates to ‘hostile‘ for you language buffs and trivia addicts.  The album is the sophomore effort by this band.  Their first album Opus Eponymous was released in Europe to critical acclaim.  It took the dark and doomy sounds of Black Sabbath and added vocals that were on par with Blue Oyster Cult’s in their classic Don’t Fear the Reaper, meaning clear clean lyrics sang rather than growled or screamed.

Infestissumam has divided the bands following.  This release is arguably less heavy than the first record, however the things that made Opus Eponymous so great are still here along with some new surprises.  

I mentioned that I am speaking to a select group of people who can appreciate this release.  Before reading further, ask yourself, can you separate from reality?  Can you listen to an album, enjoy it for it’s sound and put aside the band’s message?  For fans of bands such as Slayer and Marilyn Manson I still have your attention.  If you are unable to do this, Please put this away and read no further...no hard feelings....I mean it...you’re staying?  Ok, thanks for hanging on my every word, Ha!

Let’s talk first about the music of this album.  Hailing from Sweden people expect this band to be a black metal band.  They are a very theatrical band, choosing to let their music speak for them rather than their personalities.  The band collectively refers to themselves as “The Clergy”.  They play as faceless ghouls.  Six masked performers take the audience through their shows.  Five of the members play in black cloaks with black masks on their faces.  The leader of the band is a man known only as Papa Emeritus.  He dresses in a Cardinal’s outfit and a skull mask hiding his features as well.  

The album opens with the track Infestissumam which is completely in Latin and sounds very much like beginning of a heavy metal mass.  The song fades directly into drums, bass and guitar riffing of “Per Aspera Ad Infiri” translating to “the hard road to hell”.  Each song on this album is catchier than the one before it.  A rather vaudevillian organ glosses over the top of the album giving it a dark and sinister feeling.  The album then goes to the first single titled secular haze.  If you have not hear this band before, this is a good starting point.  Beginning with a circus-like organ that is then combined with the rest of the band, you will find yourself singing along rather you know the words or not.  The vocals are thin but they are richly complemented with harmonies.  

Ok, let me say that while this album was rated as one of the top 10 albums to hear of 2013 by Spin magazine, let me tell you the only questionable thing about this album is the lyrics.  This is why I made mention of being able to separate the overall sound of an album from their message.  The lyrics all revolve around Satan and Satanism, not in the LaVeyan sense but rather in the horror movie sense of the coming of Lucifer’s son to destroy the earth and reward his followers.  I might mention here that the band’s ultimate goal is to make a horror movie in the form of an album.  I doubt they are any more serious about this than the actors in Roman Polanski’s brilliant film Rosemary’s Baby.

The entire record follows a theme which is a continuation of the previous album, but a completely different style.  This album is rich in creativity and catchy as can be.  You will find yourself humming the choruses of each song all the time rather you want to or not. 

I do not in any way condone the lyrical content of this band, however, I find them no different in content than Marilyn Manson, Slayer,, Black Sabbath or any other band that is a common name today.  This band is resurrecting the classic sound of heavy metal from the 1970’s rather than the galloping guitars, blast beats and RAWRGROWLHOWLGRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWLLLL!! that has become common in many bands today.  These bands are sort of dime a dozen to me and sadly when you have heard one, you’ve heard them all.  This is just my opinion, however.  I am sure that others would disagree.  What I do know however is that this band has a retro sound that also sounds completely modern.  The playability and creativity is there rather they focus their talents on a message that you agree with or not.  This may just very well be the album of the year for me, although there are several months to go before my final list will be complete.  

Lets talk tech specs of this album.  There are several versions available.  There is a 10 song cd, a deluxe edition containing two additional songs, one of those being a cover of I’m A Marionette by fellow Swedes ABBA (who knew that when the disco was removed, there was a good song in there?!!?!?!?!).  There is also a vinyl version available too.  

For those familiar with the loudness wars, the cd versions as well as the MP3 are bricked and hard limited with no dynamics.  The vinyl is cut from a different master and is dynamic and clear.  In the US, is pressed on standard weight red vinyl with one of the album labels being the uncensored art that many disc makers would not press.  

Overall, this is a solid release showing growth and change from their debut album.  This is not a sophomore slump by any means.  It’s theatrical metal.  This could stand on it’s own as a very good horror movie, but decide for yourself.  Pick this one up and give it a listen.  

Puscifer - Donkey Punch The Night EP

Ahh, good independent music.  Something that doesn't come around very often.  Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle understands good independent music by way of his least commercial group Puscifer.

Maynard James Keenan is the only permanent member of the group, however his road band often includes members of A Perfect Circle. Last year, the group released the fantastic Conditions of My Parole marrying rock to electronica in a way that few other groups could do.

Puscifer is back for 2013 with a new EP called Donkey Punch the Night.  The 8 song EP will be released on Tuesday in the US, but for now, you can hear it streaming on many music sites. 

After one listen, I can say that I am impressed.  This collection follows in the footsteps of Conditions of my Parole only in that it still blends rock with electronica, however this time around, Keenan and company take a different approach in the types of songs.  The Project opens with a cover of Queen's ambitious Bohemian Rhapsody.  This track finds Maynard stretching his vocal range singing all parts.  While he doesn't have the vocal range that Freddy Mercury had, it is very close.  The track does little to make it a complete original, instead trying to stay close to the original. 

8 tracks total on this project go from hard core keys and bass of the second track, to the 1980's feeling percussion of Dear Brother.

The project is satisfying from beginning to end.  This shows yet again, that while Puscifer is a vent for some of Keenan's more avant garde work, it is not a collective for releasing throwaway tracks from Tool or A Perfect Circle.  This group has it's own feel and it has it's own identity that is just as original as any of the bands that share Keenan as a member.

If you are looking for pure guitar driven rock, you might be better off looking elsewhere.  What you will find here is great music.  It is driving and sonically thunderous, but not because of screaming guitars, bass and drums.  That is all there, but this project shows Keenan as a singer in a way that his other projects just don't do.

Besides Bohemian Rhapsody, which is present in two different mixes, a very 80's new wave take on Accept's classic rocker Balls To The Wall is also present.  The arrangement remains closely in tune with that of the origial, but layering of vocals over synthesizers make it a track of it's own.   Anyone familiar with Keenan's covers should expect this however by way of A Perfect Circle's eMOTIVe album which contained covers from Marvin Gaye, Depeche Mode, Elvis Costello and others.

This project will best be received by fans who enjoy remix projects that contain multiple versions of tracks.  Two versions of each of the songs appear.  4 tracks with a remix of each. 

Overall this is a solid project and it belongs in the collection of any Puscifer fan.  Check it out.  You won't be sorry.

Newsted Metal

Newsted - Metal

If you have not been living in a cave for the past 30 years, you will know who Jason Newsted is and his importance to Heavy Metal Music.  Jason's beginnings were with a little thrash band called Flotsam & Jetsam.  He has also played on multiple albums by Voivod as well as countless side projects ranging from sloppy (IR8) To just downright terrible (Echobrain).

Newsted's most important musical contributions came when he became the fan who joined his favorite band as their bass player.  Jason joined Metallica shortly after the death of bassist Cliff Burton, staying on with the band through several albums for a career spanning 14 years with them.  In 2002, Jason announced his departure from Metallica and for a while faded into obscurity.  He worked on his various side projects, Echobrain being his most well known.  He had bad blood with his former band mates and Metallica's fans found themselves in yet another split over who was a better bass player.

2013 finds Jason with a new band bearing his name and a new 4 song EP out today aptly titled Metal.  There are many things that this collection will be, unfortunately, Vinyl is not one of them.  This project was released directly to iTunes for 3.99.  It is a worthwhile purchase.

The name of EP sums it up perfectly.  It is metal, pure metal and nothing but metal.  There is no Voivod, Flotsam & Jetsam or Metallica here.  What you have is Jason on bass but fronting his own band with vocals. Jason's voice is good, his lyrics are a little difficult to digest on this album.  They're not complex, they're just not exceptional.  The songs on the EP average about 5-6 minutes each

4 songs is all we get to base our judgment of this band on.  Ultimately this gets the nod from me.

The album opener Soldierhead starts out with a galloping speed riff followed immediately by rollling toms.  The drumming on this track is primarily blast beats though played a little slower than you would think.  A better drummer would be an asset to this band, but the timing is solid.  Lyrically it's about a soldier in a war torn place looking back on his life trying to determine how he got to where he is.

Track 2, Godsnake begins with slow big riffs for the intro, settling with a slow sludgy chug chug riff.  It's not bad.  It's heavy and fun.  Again, nothing groundbreaking here.

Track 3, King of the Underdogs starts off with a bass guitar intro that is mimicked immediately by a lead guitar.  After the first 3 or 4 sung lines, the main riff takes off and the track shows itself for what it is.  It is arguably the best song of the 4.

My least favorite is the 4th and final track, Skyscraper.  The song has a bouncing bass guitar line that seems just a little too commercial and overdone, still, in the overall flow of the songs, it fits well.

So there it is, I've sat with this project all day and listened to it several times before judging it all.  It's a solid project and I would definately want to hear more by them in the future.  It's good to hear Jason singing and playing.  It left a rift with some of Metallica's fans, however, I hope they find their way to 'Metal' and let this band be what it is and not overshadowed by the biggest metal band of all time, that he just happened to be part of for a time.

Happy Listening

scrap224; Rush- HEMISPHERES

This is a Journey into Sound.....

Rush's 6th studio album, released in 1978 was a concept album like their critically acclaimed masterpiece 2112 but not quite as successful.
Following themes going back to Rush's second album, Fly by Night, on Hemispheres lyricist Neil Peart continues to heavily utilize fantasy and science fiction motifs. Similar to their 1976 release, 2112, Hemispheres contains a single, epic song broken into chapters as the first side of the album ("Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres") while the second half contains two more conventionally-executed tracks, "Circumstances" and "The Trees."
The album's final track, the ambitious nine-and-a-half-minute "La Villa Strangiato," was the band's first instrumental release. According to Peart the band spent more time recording "La Villa Strangiato" than they did recording the entire Fly by Night album.
All that time and effort were worth it after just listening to this album once.
The album contains examples of Rush's adherence to progressive rock standards including the use of epic, multi-movement song structures, complex rhythms and time signatures, and flexible guitar solos, like those found in "La Villa Strangiato." In the 2010 documentary film Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, the band members comment that the stress of recording Hemispheres was a major factor in their decision to start moving away from suites and long-form pieces in their songwriting. That change in philosophy would manifest itself in the band's next album, the considerably more accessible Permanent Waves.
For a short period of time, the album was available in Canada also as a red vinyl LP in a gatefold sleeve with poster (catalogue number SANR-1-1015), and as a limited edition picture disc (catalog number SRP-1300), both of which have become much sought after collector's items. I own the picture LP version!
Side A or the Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres side is 18:08 in length & broken up into 6 movements;
I. Prelude
II. Apollo (Bringer of Wisdom)
III. Dionysus (Bringer of Love)
IV. Armageddon (The Battle of Heart and Mind)
V. Cygnus (Bringer of Balance)
VI. The Sphere (A Kind of Dream)
This epic song deals with the story from Cygnus X-1 on the album A Farewell to Kings. It uses the Greek Mythology of Apollo, the god of Reason, and Dionysus, the god of Love. The followers of Apollo believe straight logic can lead them while the followers of Dionysus believe that love will lead them. Civil War ensues until the adventurer from Cygnus X-1 comes across this world. Since traveling through Cygnus X-1, a black hole, his body has been destroyed but he can still see and think. He becomes upset with the war and cries out to the people, Apollo, and Dionysus. The people hear his cry, stop fighting, unite, and proclaim the hero Cygnus, the god of Balance. Pretty heavy stuff if your so inclined to think while listening to music. Besides I have always considered Rush to be the thinking mans band.
The other songs on the album include CIRCUMSTANCES (Geddy sings some in French on the heavy track). THE TREES (whether Neil Peart knew it or not, I have always considered this a song about the haves & the have nots) & LA VILLA STRANGIATO (an exercise in self-indulgence). This track is over 9 minutes in length. It is broken up into differing movements like that of the first track.
I. Buenos Nochas, Mein Froinds!
II. To Sleep, Perchance to Dream...
III. Strangiato Theme
IV. A Lerxst in Wonderland
V. Monsters!
VI. The Ghost of the Aragon
VII. Danforth and Pape
VIII. The Waltz of the Shreves
IX. Never Turn Your Back on a Monster!
X. Monsters! (Reprise)
XI. Strangiato Theme (Reprise)
XII. A Farewell to Things
This album is a monster start to finish. This is considered by many fans & Rush themselves to be the last of their EPIC songs in terms of length. They so far have remained true to that pledge. HEMISPHERES represents the end of the beginning 'golden' age of Rush & the turning of the page to something different. I love this album. Spin It.

The Main Event! The Big Ticket!!!

Hello Sports fans!  Welcome to the big event! The votes are in and the ballots have been counted.  2012 was a hit and miss year for music with a lot of albums that just weren’t that great.  But in the midst of all the mediocrity, 11 albums made the top of the heap. 

It is now time for your humble writers here at ana-logs to post the albums that we feel in our opinions were representative of best of the year. 

Below you will find my top 10 along with Scrap224’s top 5.  Each album in the top  5 has been reviewed by each of us.  believe me when I say that while we can agree on music, our tastes are very different so you will be able to see differing viewpoints on almost everything.  Take our words and get some of these albums for yourself and make your own decision.  

While we tend to endorse vinyl, these are also available on cd and in digital markets. Pick them up in any format you listen to your music and just enjoy

Scrap224's Top 5
5. ZZ Top - La Futura
4. Jack White - Blunderbuss
3. Soundgarden - King Animal
2. Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
1. Rush Clockwork Angels

Your humble narrator’s top 10
10. The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet
9. Ministry - Relapse
8. The Man With the Iron Fists Soundtrack
7. Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
6. Down IV - The Purple EP
5. Rush - Clockwork Angels
4. Dr. John - Locked Down
3. Soundgarden - King Animal
2. Testament Dark Roots Of The Earth
1. Jack White - Blunderbuss

1. Jack White - Blunderbuss

Jack White - Blunderbuss

Occasionally there is an artist who has either the luck or the talent to make anything they touch a project that will garner both public and critical appeal.  Jack White is one of these artists. 

Hailing from Detroit Michigan, White has released albums under The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.  As a solo musician, he has collaborated with Beck, The Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, Alicia Keys, Bob Dylan, Electric Six, Wanda Jackson and Loretta Lynn.  It is apparent that Jack White has a passion for music that is not seated any Genre.  His Nashville record store and label, Third Man Records, boasts a recording studio, performance venue, vinyl pressing plant and store and is constantly turning out collectables under their slogan “your turntable is not dead!”  White’s releases are released specifically to vinyl with cd’s and digital copies being an afterthought, which seems to be the exact opposite that other labels think.

On to the meat of this album, which hands down is the album of the year.  The title of Jack’s first completely solo project is called Blunderbuss,  It is experimental and diverse into almost all genre of music.  Occasionally, it treads on familiar territory such as the White Stripes feeling single Sixteen Saltines.  With it’s catchy yet simple riffing, it displays all the characteristics that The White Stripes held dear.  If this album simply repeated the format, it would be a good record, but would only be a one trick pony and not the album of the year.  The album opens with a simple electric piano opening into the track Missing Pieces.  Following soon enough are drums, guitar and bass.  This song sounds nothing like Jack’s previous body of work, yet it doesn’t feel alien to his voice as he manages the vocals with dexterity.  Freedom of 21, the album’s third track opens with whining steel guitars and strings and clearly feels that it could belong on an old country troubadour record, however it is completely modern and feels equally like a rock song. 

It would be easy to go through the tracks one at a time and provide a little background of each, but this would rob you, the listener, of experiencing this record as it should be, and that is with no preconceived notions. 

There are some additional gems that should be mentioned such as the side 2 opener, I’m Shakin', which is a feel good 50’s era blues rocker with female backing singers.  It is indeed too fun to miss, as well as Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy which would take an amazing amount of willpower to not dance to in your chair or at least smile and hum along. 

The vinyl itself is made by a label that loves vinyl and puts great care into releasing a package that carries a greater value than the cd.  The vinyl is a single LP 180 gram pressing in a gatefold cover. The outside cover features a picture of White on the front with a large black bird on his shoulder.  The back is a picture of the Nashville Electric Service.  Inside the Gatefold, there is artwork as well as an insert featuring the artwork from the cd booklet as well as a download card to get a free copy of the entire album in 320 KBPS mp3’s for your portable player. 

To me, there’s no question that this record is album of the year.  It’s a very diverse album with absolutely no filler tracks.  Each time you listen, you will hear something new.  While some songs will stand out as favorites, there is no doubt this album can be played from beginning to end each and every time.