Killswitch Engage -- 'The End of Heartache' [review]

Killswitch Engage
"The End of Heartache"
(Roadrunner Records)


Ever since exploding onto the metal scene in 2000 with the release of its self-titled album, Killswitch Engage has proven over and over again it is at the forefront of the latest metal emergence.

With driving guitars, thunderous drum and bass tradeoffs and vocals that ranged from hardcore screams to melodic wails, Killswitch Engage's Roadrunner Records debut, "Alive or Just Breathing," further solidified the group's position.

But just as everything was coming together, vocalist Jesse Leach quit the band. The remaining members -- guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroezel, bassist Mike D'Antonio and drummer Justin Foley -- pushed forwards, incorporating Blood Has Been Shed front man Howard Jones into the fold.

After over a year of touring, the band, with its new lead singer, settled in to record a follow-up. Even with the new blood, "The End of Heartache" follows the same trademark sound instantly recognizable as Killswitch Engage. Jones' voice is noticeably different at times, but doesn't take away from the foundation laid by the band.

Even with the release of "When Darkness Falls" last fall, Jones' voice immediately stands out on the opening track "A Bid Farewell." He's far more guttural than Leach, but as the song progresses Jones' sound begins to feel more comfortable.

Coming from a hardcore background, Jones has a killer scream and his melodic singing is definitely better than what Leach was offering. The straight-up quasi-hardcore vocals are more abrasive than what the band initially had but, by the time "Take This Oath" comes around, Jones feels like a good fit. The double-bass work and driving guitar riffs are pretty tight, and Dutkiewicz' backing vocals sound better here than anything he's done before.

"When Darkness Falls" first popped up on the "Freddy Vs. Jason" soundtrack last year. It's a nice track to ease Jones into the new line-up, but the driving bridge between the verses and choruses and the chorus itself is the meat of the track. It feels like the verses could have been better, though the urgency displayed towards the end of the track is really good too.

"The Rose of Sharyn" is vintage Killswitch. The driving force of Dutkiewicz' guitar riffs is what propels the song at the beginning, but Jones soon takes over, especially towards the end of the track when the vocals are almost exclusively melodic. It's hard to really pick a standout track on this album, but "Rose" probably just edges out the competition.

"Inhale" is the album's token instrumental, something Killswitch is phenomenal at (there were two such tracks on the band's last release). The band (Dutkiewicz in particular I would assume), are really good at crafting haunting yet beautiful tracks that stand so good on their own there's no need to add lyrics (though it would probably be amazing if they tried).

As with the band's other instrumentals, "Inhale" acts as a lead-in to "Breath Life," one of the album's hardest-hitting tracks. Foley's drumming is intense against D'Antonio's bass riffs during the song's verses. Jones is intense as ever but really does a nice job on the melodic choruses. There's also some great guitar solos during the bridge.

The album's title-track feels like a re-hash of the band's previous offerings and would normally stand out as the disc's low point if it wasn't still so good. It's probably one of the band's more anthem-sounding tracks and the distorted vocals play well off the intricate riffing.

"World Ablaze" has a more old-school feel to it -- start-stop riffing during the verses is similar to something Prong or Helmet would have released years ago. There's actually a lot of tempo changes throughout the song which makes this one of the album's most interesting songs to listen to.

The drumming during the opening of "Wasted Sacrifice" is some of the strongest on the whole release. The song has a nice "chug-a-chug" tempo throughout. The chorus -- "There is no forever, just today. Don't let your sacrifice waste away..." -- really sounds amazing and heartfelt with Jones' vocals. I really wish this was moved to the final slot on the album, but the band saved that spot for "Hope is..." The band seemed to want to go out on a thunderous high note. The song sounds more intense than the others during the verses, but the chorus is a sing-a-long anthem with the rest of the band. Not a bad note to go out on, but "Wasted Sacrifice" seemed more poignant.

"The End of Heartache" is the perfect example of a "can't stop" release: one you start listening and get involved in the music, there never seems a good point to turn it off. Each song bleeds well into the next. The album, as a whole, is super-tight. Even though there are low points on the album, those low-points are still good.

Pearl Jam -- 'rearviewmirror' [review]

Pearl Jam
"rearviewmirror"
Epic Records


Pearl Jam has had a storied career, starting off just before the grunge explosion and continuing to thrive until this very day. Sure, there's been highs and lows, but Pearl Jam, as a creative unit, have soldiered on through an almost 15 year career.

While most bands attempt to crank out a greatest hits package after a couple of hit albums (like the recently released Creed album encompassing a catalog that spans an unimpressive three albums), Pearl Jam waited and, in turn, made fans wait.

Well, after seven studio albums, 73 official live offerings, a collection of b-sides and rarities and various singles and soundtrack tidbits, the wait is over.

And boy was it worth it.

"rearviewmirror" is spread out over two discs, the first a collection of the band's more "rocking" tracks, while the second is a more retrospective offering. There's nothing "new" here (except for some remixes), but nothing new was needed.

The collection kicks off with "Once" and "Alive," two tracks that sound as fresh and intense as they did back in 1991, made even more so courtesy a Brendan O'Brien remix (O'Brien also remixed "Black" on the second disc). "State of Love and Trust," off the "Singles" soundtrack makes an appearance (explaining why it and its counterpart, "Breath" -- on the second disc -- didn't show up on the "Lost Dogs" collection). There's a solid mix of tracks present, from "Not for You" and "Spin the Black Circle," to "I Got ID" and "rearviewmirror"; the older ("Jeremy" and "Even Flow") juxtapose the newer ("Save You" and "Do the Evolution") very well.

The second disc is far more mellow, presenting Pearl Jam gems like "Immortality" and "Who You Are" as the classics they are. "Man of the Hour," off the "Big Fish" soundtrack, is a welcome addition for Pearl Jam fans who never picked it up upon initial release. The super-hit "Last Kiss," which originally came about as a fan-club "gift" before blowing up on radio, is here, along with the melancholic "Nothingman," the retrospective "Wishlist," and the rocking-yet-moody "Better Man." And the band chose to close things off with one of its biggest songs that was never on a proper album, "Yellow Ledbetter."

All in all, "rearviewmirror" appeared at first to be a fantastic walk down memory lane, but turned into an amazing collection of fantastic songs. Not only is it a great companion piece to the "Lost Dogs" set, but it's a great addition to fans' collections and an even better way to introduce new fans to the band. Highly, highly recommended.

Dry Kill Logic -- 'The Dead and Dreaming' [review]

Dry Kill Logic
"The Dead and Dreaming"
Repossession Records


It has not been an easy road for the New York metal crew known as Dry Kill Logic. After toiling on the indie scene as Hinge, the band was signed to Roadrunner Records and forced to change its name ... twice (from Hinge to Hinge A.D. to Dry Kill Logic).

Though the band offered up a killer debut, 2001's "The Darker Side of Nonsense," it soon dropped off the "metal radar." According to the band's Web-site, the band was hit by a one/two punch: the events of Sept. 11 and the fact that Roadrunner Records "temporarily stopped supporting aggressive music and encouraged Dry Kill Logic to record more melodic songs that would be easier to push to commercial radio."

Fast-forward three years and Dry Kill Logic (DKL) are as aggressive as ever, yet still maintain that sense of melody and overall musical tone that is practically trademark DKL. While the transition from its debut to "The Dead and Dreaming" has been less than smooth (the band's guitarist and bassist quit in the interim), DKL has persevered and the listening public is, in turn, treated to a bombastic masterpiece of metal.

Tearing open with "Lost," the band immediately returns to form with thunderous beats and steamroller-riffing undercutting Cliff Rigano's instantly recognizably voice -- an almost half-growl that seethes with urgency while still maintaining a melodic edge. Rigano walks a fine line between death metal and hard rock without ever fully giving up to one side or the other. And he can turn on a dime to offer up more melodic vocals and, dare I say, straight-up sing. This juxtaposition of vocals is the main hook on tracks like "Paper Tiger" and "With Deepest Regrets" where Rigano will growl through the verses before sweetly offering up the chorus (a sound more common today amongst bands like Killswitch Engage or Nonpoint).

The band sounds much more tight and raw when compared to prior offerings. Phil Arcuri is a demon behind the drum kit, pounding away from track to track and always sounding fresh. If it's Rigano's voice that pulls the entire DKL sound together, it's Arcuri's backing beats that frames the entire mix. (Speaking of mix, the drumming is made all the more aggressive with the cymbals, at times, almost getting lost in the tracking.)

Guitarist Jason Bozzi and bassist Danny Horboychuk easily find their places in the band. Horboychuk plays well off of Arcuri but is in no way a subtle addition to the band as the DKL sound has always been bass-heavy (though it's not clear if he actually played on this disc as the bass guitar work is credited to Bozzi -- possibly due to the fact the band spent a couple of years working on the album). Bozzi adds an extra dimension to the band as guitar solos are liberally sprinkled throughout the album.

The only weak point on "The Dead and Dreaming" (and this is stretching it), is that the band tries to replicate the sleeper success of "Goodnight," the acoustic track which closes "Darker Side of Nonsense." In this case, "No Reason" is a strong enough track, but almost comes across as forced. (It may have worked better with a more explosive, powerful ending.)

Either way, much like 40 Below Summer, DKL have made the best from dropping off the major-label scene to deliver a more-than-solid follow-up to a killer debut.

Future Leaders of the World -- 'LVL IV' [review]

Future Leaders of the World
"LVL IV"
Epic Records


Do you ever sit back and find yourself wondering what Nirvana may have turned into had the band's front man Kurt Cobain not passed away? Then this new album by Future Leaders of the World (FLoW) is for you.

Sure, we got a hint of that sound when South African imports Seether made a splash on the rock scene a few years ago, but this debut from FLoW really seems to encapsulate what might have been ... and not entirely in a good way.

FLoW's lead singer, Phil Taylor, has the Cobain snarl and disaffected drawl down pat. On the other hand, the band lacks the rawness that flowed through Nirvana's releases. The rock sheen flows around Taylor's vocals from track to track ... much like you'd expect Nirvana's music would have become more and more polished over time as the band moved away from its indie-punk/rock infused music to a more radio-friendly sonic assault (theoretically speaking of course).

But, for the sake of FLoW's debut "LVL IV" (level four), let's leave the Nirvana comparisons for a moment.

The band's bio over at Epic Records Web site details Taylor's struggles trying to make it in the music industry. He eventually scored big getting a demo to Puddle of Mudd backstage at a concert (much like Puddle of Mudd did with Limp Bizkit -- and thus securing a recording contract a couple of years ago). In fact, FLoW's sound is reminiscent of stronger, edgier Puddle of Mudd tracks. But Taylor is a better, more dynamic vocalist than PoM's Wes Scantlin. His voice oozes desperation throughout the album ... almost mumbling through songs' verses with a laid-back drawl before picking up the pace on choruses or flying through pseudo rap-like delivery on bridges.

The band is making a splash on rock radio at the moment with "Let Me Out," a deliberate, plodding rock number, perfect for an introduction to the band (a la Creed's 1997 debut single "My Own Prison").

The music throughout the album is, for the most part, unimaginative rock. That's not to say it's bad, it's just the typical down-turned guitar rock with a steady back beat. In fact, there's nothing too pull out of the mix and point out ... except for Taylor. (And here's where Nirvana returns to the mix.)

His vocals really do evoke the spirit of the late Cobain. Whether it's screaming through the end of "Sued," the chorus of "Let Me Out," or the more fast-paced (almost fun-sounding) "Killpop," Taylor IS the reason to check out this band.

It's not all angry rock on "LVL IV" though. The band offers up the almost-ballad \"House of Chains" that almost brings about a memory of late-'80s/early-'90s rockers Faster Pussycat.

Overall, FLoW aren't doing anything that hasn't been done before. Far from declaring the band the second-coming of Nirvana, this is more of a spotlight for Taylor to shine vocally. The band has the opportunity to make something of itself, but only time will tell where its headed.

Nightwish -- 'Once' [review]

Nightwish
\"Once\"
Roadrunner Records


Though Nightwish's latest offering, "Once," has been available for months overseas, it is finally seeing release stateside via Roadrunner Records.

The follow-up to the band's successful 2002 release "Century Child," is already a hit in Europe -- "Once" has been certified platinum in Germany (sales in excess of 200,000 copies) and double-platinum in the group\'s native Finland (sales in excess of 60,000). The group\'s latest single off "Once," "Wish I Had an Angel," entered the Finnish charts at number one, and the group headlining hometown performance at the Helsinki Icehall sold out in one day (all 6,000 tickets).

Not bad for a little band out of Finland.

But, can the success translate into the American market?

The band was snatched up by Roadrunner Records, no doubt, due in part to the wildly successful Lacuna Coil (on Century Media). Though some may argue, the success of Lacuna Coil was probably due to the success of Evanescence last year (it should be pointed out, Lacuna Coil and Nightwish each have a solid catalogue and had been making music for years prior to Evanescence's inception). Times are good for rock/metal outfits headed by female singers.

But, while Evanesence is readily accessible to fans of rock and pop, and Lacuna Coil can be enjoyed by fans of metal and rock, Nightwish is a little harder to place. The band fuses a solid offering of European metal (read: heavily orchestrated, elaborate, epic in scope and usually catchy) fused with orchestral vocals courtesy of frontwoman Tarja Turunen (who is trained in classical singing).

The group is rounded out by Tuomas Holopainen (who wrote all the songs on the album) on keys and piano, drummer Jukka Nevalainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen and bassist Marco Hietala (who also trades vocals on some of the tracks with Turunen a la Lacuna Coil).

The vocals range from straightforward singing to operatic offering. When Turunen's voice is more muted there is a definite "accent" to the sound (usually it's rare to notice something like that when musicians sing in English). Hietala's offerings, while few, do nicely offset Turunen's sometimes overblown vocals.

The songs have a hint of metal to them, but the band overall sounds more like a soundtrack to a medieval novel.

Most of the tracks on "Once" are tight, metal offerings with a twist. There are a few exceptions: the lengthy "Creek Mary's Blood" (clocking in just under nine minutes), the epic "Ghost Love Score" (nearly 10 minutes in length) and the haunting "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" (translated roughly to "a death creates an artist") sung in the band's native language. Listening to "Ghost Love Score" feels like watching something like "Lord of the Rings," there's an air of medieval magic to the song. Heavily orchestrated, the song flies by and hardly sounds as long as it is.

"Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" sounds like something taken out of a Broadway musical or movie soundtrack -- very different for a metal band to be offering up.

"White Night Fantasy" and "Live to Tell the Tale" are bonus tracks for the U.S. release of "Once." The disc also features the video for "Wish I Had an Angel." Turunen recently spent time in Finland recording two traditional Finnish Christmas songs for her first-ever solo CD single, due in Finland in December, so I\'m not sure how much longer the singer plans to stay with Nightwish.

So, who would have thought there was a way to mesh metal and opera? Normally such an undertaking would fall flat, but Nightwish pull it off nicely. It may not be album of the year, but "Once" is worth the purchase.

Mastodon -- 'Leviathan' [review]

Mastodon
"Leviathan"
Relapse Records


Every once in a while a band comes along that demands people stand up and take notice.

Mastodon is one of those bands.

Yet, it's clear that the means to get music fans to take notice of this band is escaping people. There's a slight buzz hovering around the band in metal circles at the moment (those that don't already sing the band's praises). The sticker on the groups latest offering suggests a mix of older Metallica and Rush, but that's not it at all.

At its heart, Mastodon is a metal band, but it's impossible to stick that one-word "label" on it and even come close to what the band is creating: a brutal mix of metal, southern, sludgey rock (a la Clutch or Corrosion of Conformity) and mind-bending, complex, technical music mastery.

There's so many layers to the band's sound, hearing each song time after time is a continuous journey of discovery. Within the confines of each track, which range in length from two to four minutes with one whopping 13 plus minute song, the band throws multiple time changes out, morphing from one style to the next, without missing a beat.

Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor is a venerable beast behind the kit, leaving listeners' heads spinning with the various fills and breakdowns from moment to moment. Troy Sanders works off Dailor nicely. Rarely following the guitarists, he lays down tracks that accompany the drumming to the fullest. Guitarist/vocalists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher play off each other tremendously, with solid, heavy riffing that can give way to melodic interludes while still maintaining a certain air of urgency that propels the music forward throughout the album. The vocals are the final piece to this complex puzzle. And, while it's safe to say of any band, the vocals are as important to the Mastodon sound as any instrumentation -- they drift from husky groans to deathly screams to straight-forward rocking prose in the least jarring of fashion.

The album itself seems loosely based on the tale of Moby Dick, right down to the cover art and song titles ("I Am Ahab," "Seabeast"). But, much like the book, the tales woven through the songs can be taken at many different levels -- like Ahab, we all have our own beast to track down.

The album explodes from the get-go with "Blood and Thunder." Dailor immediately goes to work with his intricate drumming and never seems to let up. Clutch's Neil Fallon shows up on this track to add his own flair to the vocals. And later on, Scott Kelly (he of Neurosis) helps out on vocals during "Aqua Dementia."

The complex nature of the music works two-fold here: a song like "I Am Ahab," that clocks in at a little under three minutes, feels like an epic, while "Hearts Alive," the nearly 14 minute masterpiece, seemingly goes by in the blink of an eye. Hinds and Kelliher's genre-bending riffing throughout this song (and the album as a whole) is one of the group's many spotlights.

It's clear, in the end, the only thing the band really needs for anyone and everyone to stand up and take notice, is for only a few seconds of time, a few bars of a song, a moment in your life ... just to hear the littlest output from the band ... and you'll be hooked. That is all it will take for you to see the brilliance hiding, packaged in this "metal band."

Kittie -- 'Until the End' [review]

Kittie
"Until the End"
Artemis Records


Somewhere along the way they got lost...

In the fall of '99, a rumbling came from the great white north -- an all-female (teen) metal band from Ontario under the moniker of Kittie. The band was getting constant mention with the likes of Slipknot on commercial radio and, by the time their debut album "Spit" hit shelves in January of 2000, there was a steady enough buzz surrounding the band to warrant stardom.

But the teen trio seemed unable to live up to the task.

After steady touring in support of "Spit" the band lost guitarist and secondary vocalist Fallon Bowman (leaving frontwoman Morgan Lander to handle all guitar and vocal work). The band soldiered on a three-piece for its second offering, "Oracle." But for everything "Spit" was -- metal meets heavy punk with a one-two punch of screeching vocals and melodic singing -- "Oracle" was not.

Gone was the musical hybrid the band had embraced and crafted nicely with its debut ... replaced almost entirely with death metal and chunky riffs.

Gone was the vocal range of the band's lyrical delivery ... not only was Bowman no longer on hand to deliver vocal "comebacks," but Lander had all but abandoned her melodic singing, preferring instead to gutturally growl throughout the disc except for spots here and there. (To be fair, this was not a new development as the band performed using the death-metal vocals prior to the release of "Oracle" and could almost be seen as a natural progression.)

In the end, this second offering did nothing to expand the band's fan base. In fact, if anything, it pushed the members further into a corner. Bassist Talena Atfield quietly bowed out of the group and the Lander sisters (the band featured Morgan's sister Mercedes on drums) were left alone in their musical playpen. The duo recruited bassist Jennifer Arroyo (formerly of LA underground metal-rap outfit Spine) and soldiered on.

A lengthy lawsuit with label Artemis Records took up most of the band's time in the later half of 2003. The suit was eventually settled and the band spent a month holed-up at Longview Farm Studios in Massachusetts hammering out the tracks that were to finally become "Until the End." The band also welcomed guitarist Lisa Marie into its fold and is once again a quartet.

So after a nearly three year wait, is "Until the End" everything fans could hope for and more? In short, no.

After all the history, Kittie really does seem to just be a toy for the Lander sisters to play with. (All songs were written by Morgan Lander, melody, lyrics and guitar riffs, while Mercedes had a hand in "additional arrangement" on six songs and Arroyo on two. Marie was added towards the end of recording and it isn't clear how much part, if any, she had one this album.)

"Spit" seemed raw and the band seemed to show some sort of promise. But instead of developing into a formidable band with direction, the trio floundered around in the death metal pool for its follow-up and, on its third full-length (there was an EP to follow each album), the band continues to feel directionless and unformed pulling in elements from each of the previous albums.

The addition of "scene" veteran Arroyo helps in some respect. She is able to form the songs and add a nice back-beat to keep things somewhat on track. The band's "sound" does seem more fleshed out, production-wise, from the opening of the first song "Look So Pretty." But Morgan's vocals just seem to lack that certain something evident in fellow female growlers like Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy. Maybe it's the switching between the death metal growl and the melodic singing (which she does pull off with haunting success). Or maybe she just lacks something in the death metal delivery.

Speaking of the vocal switching, it's back in full-effect on "Until the End," and is actually quite welcome as "Oracle" just felt overbearing with the lack of melody. On the album's title track, Morgan remains rooted almost entirely in the melodic vocal delivery, and it pays off as this is probably the disc's best song.

On the guitar front, all the riffing sounds more full than anything the band offered up prior (again, probably due in part to the production). The riffing on tracks like "Red Flag" and "Career Suicide" sounds great.

As for the real star of the band, Mercedes has continued to develop as a drummer and it really shows. The back-beats throughout the album are meaty and energized. In interviews, staff working on the production side of things at Longview pointed out Mercedes could pound out track after track in perfect time without any aid. The drumming on each and every song is something to behold and definitely the star of "Until the End."

Northstar -- 'Pollyanna' [review]

Northstar
"Pollyanna"
Triple Crown Records

"And operator, I can't hold much longer ..."
-- From "To My Better Angel"


For Northstar, it\'s been a long journey from the local music scene in and around Alabama from its 1997 inception to its place on the national music scene and current release, "Pollyanna."

The band gained attention when Taking Back Sunday declared the group the "greatest band in the world" in the liner notes of the band's debut "Tell All Your Friends" in 2002. The praise was used in the marketing of Northstar's debut "Is This Thing Loaded" later that same year.

Whether or not you agree with the praise, Northstar are out to prove it just may be true with its latest release.

Kicking off with "For Members Only," a fast-tempo rocker similar to the opener of "Is This Thing...," Northstar immediately grab hold of the listener with its trademark sound. The production is noticeably better this time around. While the band, in general, focus on a generic sound (strong rock music, catchy lyrics and choruses for the most part), it does it extremely well. Lead singer Nick Torres has a particularly distinctive voice and delivery, almost dreamy and slightly slurred with an element of snotty punk vocals but also probably due to his southern dialect.

Whereas "Is This Thing..." started off strong and sort of petered out mid-way through the album (where it almost all started to sound the same or, at least, less inspired), "Pollyanna" starts off with a bang and just gets better and better.

The title track follows up the opener with a strong guitar opening from Tyler Odom. Odom lays a nice hypnotic riff under the verses of the song before the song explodes into the chorus. Musically, during the chorus, the band's tight trades are fully evident, showing it pays to tour relentlessly to polish your craft.

"American Living" is also great musically, while "Pornographers Daughter" shows off the band's haunting backing vocals, specifically the hollow "This is not for me..." The later also features some really interesting guitar play especially after the first chorus.

But while the album rocks out track after track, the band also throws in a couple of slower songs. "Accident Underwater" starts off slow and hypnotizingly melodic with some nice drumming from Gabe Renfroe before flourishing into a full-bore rock track at its conclusion. On the flip side, "Two Zero Zero" starts off slow and stays that way, a haunting acoustic number showing the band can strip down at times without loosing the spark most of the other songs have.

Following the slower two-song intermission, the band offers up a hard-hitting one-two punch, and the strongest tracks on the album, "To My Better Angel" and "Between Horns and Halos."

"To My Better Angel" is completely jarring following the lullaby-like "Two Zero Zero." Renfroe sounds frenzied behind the drums while bassist Jake Fisher lays a nice, subtle underbeat. The lyrics are some of the album's more interesting, talking about trying to get out of a small town, and follow through throughout the song: Torres starts off with a refrain of "So if anybody talks of me, tell them I am never coming home again. Tell them I am gone..." while begging the operator to hurry since he can't wait much longer, but by the end of the track the music becomes more frenzied and the lead singer snarls, "So if anybody talks of me, tell them I'll be gone forever without these scars that are completely invisible."

The smart lyrics continue on "Between Horns and Halos," the perfect song to really see how smart the band's writing can be. The opening lines "Looking out of a second floor window, planning out my exit wound" directly juxtapose the same theme later in the verse, "Trying on a makeshift halo, kissing on my exit wound." The idea of alienation with a lover isn't just presented, but almost drawn like an artist:

"She felt so cold, so cold,
She froze under the sheets while I slept all day...
She will sleep here
In between the cracks
Just a flower with a broken back
'Waiting for dirty water'
Did you sleep alright?
She's giving beat stares from being beat all day
Indian eyes in the American way
'Hail Mary's' and ale ... A Hailed Mary that ails..."


(The juxtapose of Hail Mary's and eventual hailed Mary is especially thought-provoking.)

Not content to let the album slide to a halt, the band offers up two more rocking tracks, "Digital Me," the disc most hard-hitting track, and "Rocket City."

Closing out with "Rocket City," the band continues the album's overall theme of alienation, and feeling trapped living in small-town America: opening with the track "For Members Only"; lines in "American Living" like "things don't get much better than this ... life doesn't get much bigger than this," and "Just teach me something so I can go"; the theme throughout "To My Better Angel"; and closing with the echoing lines of "Rocket City," "If I stay here I'll be dying forever.\"

Ultimately, "Pollyanna" offers up what, at first, is just a solid rock album with great vocals and lyrics. With each listen the songs become more poignant and thoughtful, and eventually the album's full theme comes into focus. There isn't a weak song on here and the album is well-worth checking out.

Walls of Jericho -- 'All Hail the Dead' [review]

Walls of Jericho
"All Hail The Dead"
Trustkill Records


Of the slew of female-fronted metal bands -- bands like Kittie, Otep and Arch Enemy to name a few -- Walls of Jericho, really stand out from the pack. Unlike other frontwomen who can either switch the metal on or off -- fluctuating between the hardcore and death metal growl or the more feminine singing -- Walls lead singer Candace Kucsulain can tear through track after track in full hardcore mode while still maintaining the slight femininity in her voice which is a great touch.

The band -- Kucsulain, bassist Aaron Ruby, drummer Alexei Rodriguez (formerly of Catharsis) and guitarists Chris Rawson and Mike Hasty -- has been a staple on the hardcore scene for a couple of years now. The band toured relentlessly following the release of its Trustkill debut, "The Bound Feed the Gagged," and really established itself on the scene. "All Hail the Dead" is set to further the band's legacy and does a great job at doing just that.

From the opening title-track, it's clear WoJ is tighter and stronger than ever. Ruby's machine-gun like bass work teamed with Rodriguez' double-bass drumming is relentless, allowing the listener little time to come up for air as Kucsulain tears through her vocals. The same goes for the follow-up, "There's No I in Fuck You," which unfolds as a perfect hardcore anthem with thudding beats and scratchy vocals.

"A Little Piece of Me" has a little thrash metal element mixed into the overall sound, and Rodriguez' drumming really shines as he never misses a beat tearing through fill after fill. The band shows hints of old-school Slayer at times and Kucsulain's vocals really blossom into an anger-filled amalgam.

There's a changeup vocally on tracks four and five, "Another Anthem For The Hopeless" and "Revival Never Goes Out Of Style," with Kucsulain adding in some more melodic backing vocals. That adds a nice element to the band's sound that might prove interesting if incorporated more into the band's sound. "Revival" also has a great sing-a-long chorus that features the whole band joining in on backing vocals towards the end of the track.

"All Hail..." unfolds, the tracks start to feel a little repetitive. The band seems unwilling to change it up too much, but the quality of the musicianship and vocals keep everything from becoming boring.

Rodriguez' drumming is, hands down, the star of this release. Everything else seems built up around his skills. Kucsulain's voice is great for hardcore singing -- the backing melody is haunting and the subtle female nuance is definitely a plus. The band's vocalist is also aware of the group's place in the hardcore scene and how important the scene is to fans -- as she points out at the Trustkill Web-site: "What is important to me about our band's music is what is a common thread throughout the hardcore scene. Hardcore's aggression has been appealing to me ... because when I was younger I was an angry kid, and I was having to deal with the emotions that life forces on you. This band becomes a way for me to vent, even now."

At times, "All Hail..." feels a little repetitive, but overall it's a solid release chock full of tight, intense music.

Melissa Auf Der Maur -- 'Auf Der Maur' [review]

Melissa Auf Der Maur
"Auf Der Maur"
Capitol Records


It's hard for a musician to shed the restraints of their band and blossom into a full-fledged solo artist after handling mainly instrumental duties in a band.

Dave Grohl went on to front Foo Fighters after drumming for Nirvana.

Phil Collins started off as the drummer for Genesis before fronting said band and eventually going solo.

Jerry Cantrell was the guitarist for Alice in Chains before trying his hand at a solo career,

And now, after a nearly two year wait, Melissa Auf Der Maur's debut album is finally seeing the light of day.

Moving to the United States in 1994, Auf Der Maur played bass in Hole for 5 years and followed that up with a final album and farewell tour with Smashing Pumpkins. There were hints -- most notably her backing vocals during the time in Hole -- that there was more to Auf Der Maur than just a bass player and a pretty face. So in 2001, the musician began the process of putting together her first solo-album.

According to Auf Der Maur (via her Web site), "The songwriting took place over the last decade. For creative reasons, it was important for me to do this on my own, before even entertaining the thought of a record company. So I got a plan together and spent every penny I've made. I just needed to make my album with no thought of how it would get out there."

Auf Der Maur collaborated with many other musicians throughout the recording, most notably Eric Erlandson (formerly of Hole), James Iha (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins), Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age and Brandt Bjork (formerly of QotSA and Kyuss).

As for the recording of each track, Auf Der Maur laid a foundation down with a drummer (recording bass, guitar and vocals herself) and then invited other musicians to build upon each song in specific areas.

So, is Auf Der Maur's "Auf Der Maur" a success? Well, kind of.

The album is an eclectic collection of songs, sounding familiar to everything from Sonic Youth to Veruca Salt to the musician's former bands. Vocally, Auf Der Maur seems very gifted, which has been apparent since her backup vocals during Hole's "MTV Unplugged" performance and cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Black Gold Woman" (off the "Crow: City of Angels" soundtrack) outshined the band's frontwoman.

Most of the tracks on "Auf Der Maur" suck you in in a hypnotizing fashion. The album's lead-off single, "Followed the Waves," chugs along repetitively, lulling the listener with it's stoner-rock murkiness. Homme and Bjork work great together, but it's Auf Der Maur's almost-melancholic voice and amazing vocal range that is the true star here.

The track's follow-up, "Real a Lie," keeps the sludgy (yet upbeat) undertone, but is a better song if only for the simple yet catchy chorus reminiscent of a band like Lush or Magnapop.

The rest of the disc is a mix of flavors: the sexually-charged "Taste You" was obviously born out of the Auf Der Maur's time in Hole; "Beast of Honor" has an opening closely resembling a water-logged Nirvana; "My Foggy Notion" is a great QotSA-inspired rocker; "I Need I Want I Will" and "My Foggy Notion" have an subtle, interesting middle-eastern flavor flowing through them.

The problem here is that, as good as songs like "Followed the Waves" and "Real a Lie" are, there's just too much slow filler here that, at times, just sounds boring. Despite Auf Der Maur's strong vocals the songs are lyrically weak, bordering on triteness most of the time. And the eclectic element surrounding the album as a whole actually weakens the overall product -- Auf Der Maur swings from stoner-rock to alternative pop to hollow, pseudo-jazz cum rocker tracks (like "I'll Be Anything You Want") so if you like a couple of songs, there's the possiblity you might not like others.

Despite the album's short-comings, Auf Der Maur's vocals and musical sensibility is compelling enough to warrant a listen. The album does a great job of showcasing Auf Der Maur's fantastic voice but is hit or miss on the song-crafting end of things. This album was a sort of labor of love for Auf Der Maur, so hopefully it will do a good job of getting her foot back in the door of the music scene.

Seemless -- Self-Titled [review]

Seemless
Self-titled
(Losing Face Records)


Seemless is a band many of you have probably never heard of.

Collectively the band is a faceless entity, but taken in it's parts, much of the band has been part of the elite hardcore/metal scene over the past few years: Vocalist Jesse David Leach, former frontman of Killswitch Engage; Drummer Derek Kerswill, formerly keeping beats with Shadows Fall; Former Medium bassist Kevin Schuler; Guitarist Pete Cortese, founding member of Overcast.

With a line-up solidly anchored in the metal community it would have been easy for Seemless to offer up a brutal release in the vein of any of the member's former bands. But instead, "Seemless" plays out more like an alternative-rock masterpiece right out of the height of the grunge era.

Throughout the band's self-titled debut, hints of early Corrosion of Conformity swim around vocals similar to something from Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden -- sounding like the bastard son of grunge and metal.

After a moody two-plus minute instrumental opener, the album tears open with "Something's Got to Give," with thick guitar and bass riffs tumbling over each other to a solid drum and cymbal-filled back beats. As Leach starts singing, it could really catch first-time listeners off-guard -- a mix of Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Weiland ("Core"-era STP) and Cornell (Soundgarden) -- moody, melodic and emotional all at once.

"Something's Got to Give" sets the tempo for the album as the band tears through track after track, each one in a similar vein: an alternating slow-paced or up-tempo, grunge-tinged rock song. The bluesy instrumentation juxtaposed against Leach's restrained vocals creates an interesting dynamic that can easily appeal to a plethora of listeners.

Occasionally the members' history catches up with them, especially Leach as he lets loose with a nice scream here and there. Production-wise, "Seemless" has a nice raw feel to it at times and the band has embraced an old school mentality letting loose with guitar solos from time to time.

The album is solid as a whole, with some great "moments" along the way: "The Wanderer" sounds like a cut off of Corrosion of Conformity's 1994 release "Deliverance"; "Soft Spoken Sanity" has a killer guitar solo to close it out; "Endless" is a great, slow-paced moody ballad in the vein of Alice in Chains with a nice, loud middle portion; Many of the songs have great drum-laden openings.

Seemless has offered up something completely out of left field in this day and age. If this had come out in the mid '90s, it could have been easily overlooked. Yet, with little competition in this specific genre, the band feels like a breath of fresh air. Outside its native New England, I'm not sure how much buzz Seemless has generated so far, but with a national tour looming on the horizon and the band still with a wide-open future ahead of it, the band is sure to come into its own.

Bleeding Through -- 'This is Love, This is Murderous' [review]

Bleeding Through
"This is Love, This is Murderous"
Trustkill Records


"For a few seconds, this place was Armageddon. And there was a firefight!"

From the opening riffs of "Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire," the first track off Bleeding Through's latest offering "This is Love, This is Murderous," the band pummels the listener with blazing guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, hard-hitting bass work and seething, anger-infused vocals.

And this track (with an opening clip from the movie "The Boondock Saints"), is how Bleeding Through chooses to unleash its intricate, electronically-fused metal and hardcore styling to the masses ...

Since its inception, the band has pulled itself out of the hardcore underground to solidify a name for itself, earning a mass of fans along the way including the metal-band Lamb of God and Davey Havok, lead singer for AFI.

Fronted by former Throwdown and Eighteen Visions guitarist Brandan Schieppati, Bleeding Through have crafted a multi-layer cornucopia of sounds: traded riffing of guitarists Scott Danough and Brian Leppke, the brutal trade-offs between bassist Ryan Wombacher and drummer Derek Youngsma and subtle atmospheric keyboarding from Marta. Each of the tracks off the band's latest offering have a underlying sense of urgency and immediacy to them, with an interesting sense of old- and new-school metal meshing together.

Going back to the opening track of "This is Love..." -- "Love Lost" explodes with a "pop, pop, pop" drum attack courtesy of Youngsma, before Danough and Leppke tear through their opening riffs, Marta adding effects in the background while Youngsma goes wild behind his set. Schieppati piles on his hardcore-style vocals over verse after verse before the song breaks down with a more mid-tempo speed and strong double-bass work. By the time the second bridge comes along, the lead vocals screaming "I want to see your face. Show me your true face!" are downright chilling. Then everything takes a 180 and Schieppati starts singing "And my heart belongs to you, so save me" with classic-style guitar riffing in the background. This is definitely the band's best and most striking song to date.

"On Wings of Lead" sounds oddly reminiscent of In Flames. The song feels like a perfect metal track: solid riffs, really tight bass and drum back-and-forths and vocals that are turgid with anger, yet not too abrasive. The subtle keyboards add just the right texture to the song's undercurrent of melancholy.

The disc's title-track is a perfect example of the depth apparent in Bleeding Through's music. Opening with abusive riffing, the music steadily builds up speed through its steam-roller-like force, eventually flourishing into a full metal juggernaut with massive guitar parts and superb double-bass drumming. But just below the surface there's a sense of melody, personified by the barely-there keyboards. Schieppati's vocals hold the entire piece together as he growls, screams and sings over the orchestration.

The effect of Marta's keyboards are more noticeable in songs like "City of the Condemned" (with a keyboard opening and bridge) and "Mutilation" (with more prominent keyboards throughout the track).

The only song that really seems out of place on "This is Love..." is the minute-and-a-half heavy-hitting "Sweet Vampirous." Being so short, the song really doesn't have any chance to evolve and, in turn, seems underdeveloped and repetitive.

"This is Love, This is Murderous" is a great addition to any hardcore or metal fan's collection. There are slight problems overall with the release, but it's a strong outing nonetheless.

"I'll fight you with every ounce of strength I have left. I'll seal it with a bullet and a kiss. So look at your horror."

-- From "Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire."

Drowning Pool -- 'Desensitized' [review]

Drowning Pool
"Desensitized"
Wind Up Records


Riding high off the success of its first single, "Bodies," Drowning Pool exploded onto the metal scene in 2001 with the release of its debut album, "Sinner."

Over the next year the band would gain more and more fans and grow in popularity through constant touring. Then, the unthinkable happened as the group's frontman, Dave Williams, was found dead in a tour-bus during the 2002 Ozzfest. The remaining members -- guitarist C.J. Pierce, bassist Stevie Benton and drummer Mike Luce -- eventually decided to soldier on recruiting Jason "Gong" Jones to fill the vacant vocalist slot.

Now, with the release of "Desensitized," the band's second release on Wind Up Records, the band seems primed to recapture its momentum.

From the opening, "Desensitized" has the same feel to it as the group's debut. The disc kicks off with "Think," a thick, metal-tinged anthem akin to the last album's opener, "Sinner," and from there swings full-force into "Step Up," a sing-along anthem similar to the band's biggest hit, "Bodies."

Musically, Drowning Pool feels tighter and heavier in a sense, having polished the sonic assault the group crafted over the past few years. Jones' vocals are, at times, eerily similar to Williams (especially during the break-down screaming on "Killing Me"), yet completely different. Williams had a husky quality to his voice but could easily wail away with the best of the metal community; Jones' vocals seem more anchored and deep. The vocal nuances are subtle at times, and by the time "This Life" (track 4) is over, the listener could very easily forget they're listening to the band with a new singer. It's hard to miss that this disc is still a Drowning Pool album. "This Life" is also an interesting track as it was the first riff Pierce had written following the loss of Williams.

From end-to-end, "Desensitized" is a full-bore metal release. Even when the band tries to "slow it down" on a track like "Love and War," the bridges and choruses are still hard-hitting. Pierce really shines on all the tracks with his interesting riffing. Benton's bass work feels real thick, and plays nicely off Luce's drumming. Actually, Luce's drumming sounds a lot fuller on this album thanks to Randy Staub's mix.

Overall, Drowning Pool really pulled off an accomplishment. After the death of the band's frontman, the band's future was most definitely in doubt. At the band's Web site, Pierce points out, "This new Drowning Pool record is the most amazing work we have ever done as a rock band. Not only is this about a band continuing on and overcoming a most unfortunate situation, but it is also about personal triumph. I know our family, fans, and friends will be pleasantly surprised, amazed, stunned, and struck by the fact that this recording is heavier and deeper than our previous effort." With the addition of Jones, the band took what it started, built upon said foundation, and really crafted a solid follow-up given the circumstances.

Slipknot -- 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)' [review]

Slipknot
"Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)"
Roadrunner Records


Boasting nine members in its ranks and three full-length albums under its belt, after a couple of years of inactivity Slipknot seem posed to retake the throne atop the heavy metal heap.

Exploding into the national consciousness in 1999 with a well-embraced self-titled debut on Roadrunner Records, Slipknot -- vocalist Corey Taylor, guitarists Mick Thompson and James Root, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn along with Sid Wilson on turntables and sampler Craig Jones -- established itself as a hard-hitting, anger-seething musical monstrosity with a thick, multi-layered sound courtesy of a nine-piece roster of talent.

The band already had a self-released album, "Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat" under its belt. After stints on various national tours including multiple Ozzfests, along with the release of 2001's "Iowa," Slipknot established itself as a metal monolith to be reckoned with.

The metal foundation laid by "Slipknot" was torn down and expanded upon with "Iowa" which followed up the template with a hefty injection of death/thrash metal influences. But after a lengthy world tour in support of that album, the band members split apart to focus on various side projects (most notably Taylor and Root's venture with Stone Sour and Jordison's experiences as guitarist for The Murderdolls).

Despite the various members' distinct side projects, they pledged to regroup for one final album (though talk about this being the final release of Slipknot has since subsided).

Now, three years since a release, Slipknot has finally re-emerged with "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)," a change of direction or sorts for a band that, for the most part, is known exclusively for its metal styling.

First things first, there are a few fundamental changes that the band has incorporated.

Longtime producer Ross Robinson is gone; in his place is Rick Rubin. How big of a problem is this? Robinson seemed to have a firm grasp at fleshing out the three-piece percussion on "Slipknot" and "Iowa," but that sound feels more subtle this time around. Attention seems to fall more on the guitars here. However, musically, the band does sound tighter and more focused on this outing. Taylor's vocals sound as intense as ever. The acoustic guitars everyone was buzzing about prior to the release sound a little less out of place than they may have under the direction from a lesser producer.

Thematically, the band has again embraced new masks (as they have for each album). The familiar layout of album tracks has been abandoned -- the instrumental opener and lengthy, ambient closing track that bookend the first two Roadrunner releases are gone. (The lengthy closer was even more ingrained in the band's lore as this was how the group closed out "Mate, Kill..." as well.)

Clocking in at just over an hour, "Vol. 3" offers up a hodgepodge of music, with portions that seem all the more extreme when juxtaposed against one another -- acoustic guitar vs. drawn-out, screaming solos; hard-hitting drums or just a simple backbeat; vocals that range from screams and growls to melodic, heart-felt singing.

Kicking off the new album is "Prelude 3.0," a song which, at first, appears to be the usual instrumental/sample-laden opener, but what soon evolves into a full-blown song as Taylor sings over otherworldly samples and the drums and guitars kick in as he sings "Now it's over." Jordison's drumming sounds better than ever during the simple fills as Taylor progressively begins to scream harder and harder.

While "Prelude 3.0" could stand on its own as a solid track, it still feels like simple filler, with "The Blister Exists" coming off more as the album's first true, meaty song. "Blister" opens with the familiar heavy guitar riffs and full trio of percussion while Wilson scratches away on the turntables. Taylor tears through the verses before the pogo-inducing chug of the bridge ("Can you feel this!?"). Mid-way through, the song turns into a marching anthem of sorts as Jordison lays down a repetitive beat with the guitars joining in and Taylor and company chanting along.

"Duality," the album's first single, is the first real notice that the band is going for something different here. The vocals are reminiscent of the Butthole Surfers' 1996 offering "Pepper," sounding slightly distorted as though coming through a speaker presented so fast the words almost tumble over one another. Crahan's accentuation of the drumming is great during the chorus. "Duality" is obviously this release's "Left Behind" (off "Iowa"), a straight-forward hard-hitting song that showcases the band's many staples: the forced vocals, hefty guitar and bass, and triple-threat of percussion.

"Circle" is the first glaring example that the band is incorporating some new ideas into its tried and true method. The song opens with an acoustic guitar over a looped sample while Taylor gently sings with string-accompaniment following along in the background. But, as mellow as the song sounds, there's hints of extremity boiling just under the surface: intense guitar feedback following the chorus and the haunting violins in the background. The sample work is similar to Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" at times, which is the air surrounding the song until it devolves into a sample-heavy dirge towards its conclusion.

The biggest part of "Vol. 3" needed to be addressed is the two-piece "Vermilion" tracks. "Vermilion," the album's eighth track, unfolds like a newer, less-intense "Purity" (available on initial pressings of "Slipknot"), with seductive, low-key vocals spilling through verse after verse lulling the listener into a sense of forced-intimacy, making the track seem all the more intense. By the time the chorus of "I won't let this build up inside of me" breaks the song's tone, the melodic guitar and vocals hardly seem out of place. And Thompson and Root offer some amazing guitar work during the song's bridges. "Vermilion Pt. 2" (track 11), is the most shocking of "Vol. 3's" offerings: just Taylor's heartfelt vocals (with backup accompaniment by other members), acoustic guitars, violin (?!), piano and other ethereal sonics. The one and only word to describe the song was one I never thought could sum up a Slipknot track: beautiful.

Not one to let the listener become complacent however, the band quickly snaps the mood with "Vermilion Pt. 2's" follow-up, "The Nameless," which opens with fast-paced drumming and bass trade offs and Taylor trading vocals with himself, alternating between a growl and scream. But the chorus comes out of left-field with Taylor crooning "I've never wanted anybody more, than I've wanted you..."

The band hasn't sounded tighter and it shows on tracks like "Welcome" and "Before I Forget." Slipknot has grown and matured since its last release, and it shows through the willingness to incorporate nuances like acoustic guitars and string arrangements while still keeping the blistering guitar solos and double-bass drumming.

"Vol. 3" is a completely solid release end-to-end and would be a welcome addition to any fans' collection.

All That Remains -- 'This Darkened Heart' [review]

All That Remains
\"This Darkened Heart\"
Prosthetic Records


Massachusetts-based All That Remains has been carving out a niche for itself in the hardcore scene since 1998. The band's latest effort, "This Darkened Heart," (Prosthetic Records) is certain to keep fans of the bands happy while winning over more listeners in the process. Things can only get better for this band that initially started off as a side project.

Vocalist Philip Labonte formed All That Remains while still singing in the band Shadows Fall. After leaving Shadows Falls, Labonte made All That Remains his main focus. Endless touring and writing finally paid off when the band scored a record contract and released its first album, "Behind Silence and Solitude," in 2002. Fans in the metal and hardcore community welcomed the new release and the band enjoyed three tours in support of the album, though the band's original guitarist and bassist left during this time. But Labonte and the rest of the band soldiered on, found new members and prepared tracks for what would become "This Darkened Heart."

Labonte is an established vocalist and his energy translates well as he wavers from hardcore screaming to angry rumbling throughout the new album. Rounding out the band are guitarists Oli Herbert and Mike Martin, drummer Mike Bartlett and bassist Matthew Deis.

Herbert's and Martin's guitar work is the highlight of "Darkened Heart," as the duo seamlessly trade riffs and solos from track to track. Deis' bass work is subtle at times, but is almost nonchalantly driving, so much so you would really miss it on tracks like "I Die in Degrees" and "This Darkened Heart," while Bartlett's drumming adds a nice backbeat to the proceedings.

The beauty of All That Remains is that the band isn't pigeon-holed by genre barriers. The album kicks off with acoustic guitars before exploding with rage to open "And Death in My Arms"; the driving force of the closing guitar, bass and drums gives way to hauntingly melodic guitar at the end of "I Die in Degrees"; the instrumental "Regret Not" features a lengthy acoustic opening before steamrolling drums and bass kick in and the guitar riffs become more frenzied, but the track comes full-circle in the end closing out with the acoustic guitars again. And on tracks like "Focus Shall Not Fail," Labonte's vocals range from guttural growling to clear harmony.

The band is able to shift gears without losing its edge. As Labonte points out in the band's press material, "We try to cover lots of ground, but do stuff that is still true to ourselves: we do solos because we like them; we do breakdowns because we like them; we have clean singing because we like it."

Two tracks really shine on "Darkened Heart": "The Deepest Gray" and "Passion." Both feature the band sounding tighter than ever, driving guitars and a catchy backbeat held together by Labonte's straightforward vocals, a cross between Pantera, Vision of Disorder and In Flames.

In Flames -- 'Soundtrack to Your Escape' [review]

In Flames
"Soundtrack to Your Escape"
Nuclear Blast Records


It feels like Sweden's In Flames is one of the metal scene's best-kept secrets. The band cranks out album after album of solid material that could appeal to a broad range of listeners, yet they seem to have nothing more than a cult status in the U.S.

The band has been cranking out albums since 1994, but it was the release of 2000's "Clayman" that seemed to establish In Flames in the U.S. (the band had been a big hit in Europe and Japan for longer).

While the band has featured a revolving door of members over the years, the band's current lineup -- guitarists Bjorn Gelotte and Jesper Stromblad, bassist Peter Iwers, drummer Daniel Svensson and vocalist Anders Friden -- have crafted a solid, if not entirely inspired, follow-up to 2002's "Reroute to Remain."

"Escape" opens up with the hard-hitting "F(r)iend," with Iwers and Svensson laying down a thick beat that the guitarists paint over with melodic riffing. "F(r)iend" is a little more abrasive than most of the album's other tracks, with Friden growling and snarling through the verses.

Overall, "Soundtrack" has an almost ethereal feel to it, showcased in tracks like "The Quiet Place," which opens with synth-tinged guitar riffing, or "Evil in the Closet," one of the disc's more intriguing tracks (a ballad at that!). Friden creates an interesting atmosphere with his voice and the band's musical arrangements sound interesting and layered.

Really, it's the instrumentation that makes In Flames stand out in this day and age. Even tight three or four minute tracks sound epic in nature, due in part to the layered sound the band creates. That, included with the vocal arrangements, gives the band a fuller sound than most other metal bands in the scene today.

That said, "Escape" isn't necessarily a bad album. It stands good on it's own. Taken as a piece of the band's catalogue, "Escape" just seems a rehash of "Reroute" without the outstanding tracks like "Trigger" or "Reroute to Remain." Most of the band's fans are turned off with this, in addition to the fact that In Flames essentially started out as a death metal band and have matured over time adding more melody and keyboards.

"Soundtrack to Your Escape" is a strong release that has suffered the fate of those waiting for it having higher hopes. It's a good album to introduce a new fan to the band, but not the best it has to offer. The disc's stronger tracks come towards the end of the release, so if you check "Escape" out, make sure to give the later tracks a chance to sink in.

Various Artists -- 'Bring You to Your Knees' - hardcore tribute to Guns N' Roses [review]

Various Artists
"Bring You To Your Knees"
Law Of Inertia Records


Tribute albums are a tricky business. There are those that love them. There are those that hate them. But love them or hate them, tribute albums just don't seem to go away.

It's been almost 13 years since Gun N' Roses released a full-length studio album. Apart from a new GnR song showing up on a soundtrack here and there -- and it's a big here and there: a cover on 1994's "Interview with a Vampire" and a new track on 1999's "End of Days" -- the last impression the band left on the music scene was 1993's cover album, "The Spaghetti Incident?"

Well, it's now 2004 and, in turn, members of the hardcore and indie music scene have come together to cover Guns N' Roses. Even with only three full-length releases under its belt, GnR is a band whose influence can still be felt to this day, and "Bring You To Your Knees" aims to prove that.

Opening the CD much like GnR did back in 1987 with the familiar riffs of "Welcome to the Jungle" are underground legends Zombie Apocalypse. While initially staying true to the original (albeit slightly faster), ZA soon turn this rock classic into a full-out hardcore anthem while adding its own little nuances ("You know where you are? You're in the graveyard!")

Haste follow-up with an down-tuned, moody take on "You're Crazy." It's not a particularly inspired cover, but the band gives its own take on the song and, while essentially a straight up metal rendition, the bluesy-backbeat of the song really shines through the sludge (more so than I noticed on the original).

Massachusetts metal-band Unearth offer up "It's So Easy," complete with double-bass drumming throughout the entire track. The production on this track is what hurts it however, as the vocals are slightly muffled and blown out. And the band offers a little tongue-in-cheek nod to GnR frontman during the song's famous vocal bridge: "I see you standing there. You think you're so cool. Hey Axl! F**k off." But what Unearth lacks in the vocal department, the band makes up for it with interesting guitar breaks and solid drumming.

There's a handful of straightforward covers featured here:

-- Break The Silence's version of "Nighttrain" differs little from the original, apart from the more drawn out, snotty vocals. The band's guitarist does a great job mimicking the Slash outro guitar work too.

-- Death by Stereo's take on "Anything Goes" also differs little from the original, although the band's rendition of the song's chorus seems more fun than its predecessor: the lead singer grunting "my" and "your" while the band takes the rest of the line.

-- Eighteen Visions do justice to "Paradise City" keeping it simple. It seems like some of the lyrics may be slightly altered but this is another straight up cover until the song's close where everything gets slowed down and muddied up.

-- One of the most surprising takes on the disc is Every Time I Die's cover of "I Used to Love Her" that is remarkably close to the original. The production sounds a little more full than that of the original, but it was weird to hear ETID's frontman doing straight forward vocals.

-- God Fobid's "Out Ta Get Me" is also faithful to the original. The band's frontman growls a little more than usual through the song, but the band follows along nice and tight.

While the opening piano to Most Precious Blood's version of "Sweet Child O' Mine" sounds pretty artificial off the keyboard, the band's frontman more than makes up for the artificiality in his strained vocal delivery while the guitars chug along in the background. In fact, the band replaces almost all the guitar soloing throughout the track by the piano although, it should be noted, the lead guitarist does a fabulous job on the guitar solo preceding the "where do we go" bridge.

The Dillinger Escape Plan try to infuse some salsa into the opening of "My Michelle" before exploding into a punk-tinged out of control cover that seems impossible to sing along to. This is probably one of the album's lowest points, but still not terrible to listen to.

The album's other low point is the simple re-do of "14 Years" by Vaux. The band does a competent cover, but the song was never that interesting to begin with, and without any surprises it just doesn't stand up next to the other songs on here.

Bleeding Through tackle "Rocket Queen" turning the song into a sludgy hardcore track. As most of the other tracks on here, the vocals are more guttural while the music stays true to the original. The mid-point of the song that was originally filled with a drum solo (where the track turns from a rock anthem into a ballad) is done on keyboard (set to saxophone) here, and the band has a little fun singing answers during the song's closing moments: "If you need a shoulder (I need a shoulder), or if you need a friend (I need a friend), I be here standing until the bitter end (THAT sounds great)." Trust me, it's funny stuff.

The Beautiful Mistake offer up the album's second best track, "Estranged." Staying relatively close to the source material, the band offers up a nice compressed version of the song, although The Beautiful Mistake's vocalist has sounded better (he almost sounds whiney here). The piano solo is left intact and there's a great drum fill prior to "I knew the storm was getting closer ..." The only problem is the band never quite finishes the song as it sort of drifts off into feedback without the requisite "I never wanted it to die" with the lead singer holding onto the last note.

The disc's absolute highlight is Time In Malta's phenomenal cover of "November Rain." Upon first listen, it's almost impossible to connect the cover to the original in the opening until the vocals kick in. While turning a ballad like "November Rain" into a hardcore track seems like an impossible undertaking, Time in Malta seems to have done so with ease and crafted a song that feels entirely like its own. After the band lays into the "Everybody needs some time, on their own" bridge, the band adds in a break of "Spent such a long time, just trying to kill the pain." After the piano break right where the song begins to flourish for the final minutes (when Slash gets on the piano in the video to do his solo), the frontman growls "been through this such a long time" as the guitars ominously chug away in the background, over and over again with the drums filling in -- and then the band completely stops except for a single note on the guitar as the singer screams "We've been here such a long time, just trying to kill the pain," and then the guitars fill back in with the guitar and the whole effect is sure to give the listener chills of satisfaction as the band "takes it home" repeating "everybody" as the tracks fades away.

Most of the songs on here are pretty strong, and keep this release from sinking from the low points. There wasn't any need for a "14 Years" cover, and The Dillinger Escape Plan just sounded lazy. I have some problems with "Estranged," but that only because it's my favorite GnR track and I knew The Beautiful Mistake could do better with the ending. And the cover of "November Rain" is so good, it's worth tracking this release down just for this song (the rest is just garnish).

Fear Factory -- 'Archtype' [review]

Fear Factory
"Archetype"
Liquid 8 Records


Since its debut album, "Soul of a New Machine," on Roadrunner Records in 1992, Fear Factory has been one of the mainstays in the metal scene, influencing countless bands and fans around the world. With each subsequent release, the band refined and polished its machine-like technology-infused metal; each album built upon the foundation of the last.

In 1995 the band released what some consider is one of the best metal albums of the '90s, "Demanufacture"; the band's most commercially viable release, "Obsolete," saw the light of day in '98. Along the way Fear Factory experimented with remixing to varying degrees of success. (The hard-hitting "Fear is the Mindkiller" EP featuring tracks off the band's debut, and the hit-or-miss "Remanufature" which featured remixes of tracks off "Demanufacture.")

Following the success of "Obsolete," the band struggled to craft a follow-up, due in part to inner band turmoil that wasn't apparent at the time. The band's last "new" album for Roadrunner, 2001's "Digimortal," was a stumble of sorts. While not a bad album by any means, it seemed fans were used to holding the band up to a higher standard. "Digimortal" wasn't as "heavy" as fans were used to, and incorporated more melody and simpler riffs -- while not its best effort, the release turned into a unfortunately overlooked disc.

At the same time, things behind the scenes were reaching a boiling point. Vocalist Burton Bell talked about a hiatus and side-projects, and then up and left the band in 2002, causing the remaining members to disband. Roadrunner released two posthumous albums, "Concrete" (the band's original demo that got it signed) and "Hatefiles" (a collection of remixes, b-sides and unreleased tracks).

And then a few months later the band reconnected, sans original guitarist Dino Cazares. Bass player Christian Olde Wolbers shifted to guitar and Bell once again took up singing duties. The band offered a song for 2003's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" soundtrack, signed with Liquid 8, and released "Archetype" in 2004.

While Wolbers handled bass and guitar duties for a majority of the recording, the band brought in former Strapping Young Lad bassist Byron Stroud into the fold to round out the line up which also includes drummer Raymond Herrera.

The band wastes little time opening up with the hard-hitting "Slave Labor." Herrera's double-bass work is immediately evident, and Wolbers sounds more than comfortable in his new position on the axe. And while "Slave Labor" seems a little like a palate cleanser from the band's previous efforts (the track plays out like a faster-tempoed "Edgecrusher"), the next song, "Cyberwaste," is a full-out assault. Wolbers is absolutely obliterating on the guitar, and the drumming is insane, thick and full. Bell's vocals on here seem more angry than anything off "Digimortal."

The band goes a little more melodic on "Bite the Hand That Bleeds." Bell's vocals are melodic throughout the tracks that harks back to a FF classic like "Resurrection" (off "Obsolete"). But as always, the beauty with FF is that the band is able to offer up something melodic like "Bite ..." and still maintain an edge through the intense-yet-subtle drumming or through maintaining an almost-frantic pace throughout the song, like it's almost about to explode but never quiet does. That sort of tool is especially effective when followed by something like "Undercurrent" that also features melody, but is more of a return to solid metal with thick riffing and explosive drums.

"Default Judgment" is a page right out of "Obsolete." The trademark drum/bass guitar play is in full-effect here, and Bell growls through the verses before unleashing the melodic chorus of "Your final judgment stands. Fate, by your will. I never had a chance, I never will."

The disc's title track is one of the stronger songs on the album and plays out like a mission statement from the band. Sonically, this track is probably the most "mainstream" sounding song on the disc. Immediately opening with a strong double-bass kick and thunderous riffing with Bell's melodic droning in the background, the track feels like something that a band just starting out would try to make in order to "blow up." As Bell kicks off the song singing "You must never forget the essence of your spark," the band sounds tight and the listener can tell this is coming from a group re-invigorated. There's also a little jab at the group's former bandmate during the bridge before the chorus: "The infection has been removed, the soul of this machine has improved." On an album full or great tracks, "Archetype" stands up as the strongest.

The band offers up an interesting little cover of Nirvana's "School" to close the album. It's a jarring way to end the album and may have played better as a hidden track, but is a solid cover nonetheless. It appears that "Ascension" is the disc's "true" closer anyway, a seven-plus minute ethereal trip across an endless musical landscape (think "Obsolete's" closer "Timelessness," only longer and more "out there"). The cover track pays homage to its original, but expands upon the punk-sounding roots, instead flourishing into a full-blown metal anthem.

Fear Factory have never sounded better. While the past few years were filled with their share of problems, Fear Factory seems to have risen to the task, borrowing and building on past efforts to craft a masterful album.

Machine Head -- 'Through the Ashes of Empires' [review]

Machine Head
"Through the Ashes of Empires"
Roadrunner Records


What's a band to do?

You're one of the most beloved metal outfits to emerge from the early '90s. Your debut and its follow-up are considered by fans to be metal masterpieces of sorts. Yet, you experiment with your heavy sound, evolving slightly and adding more melody. Your last studio album is considered a huge letdown to your hardcore fans. Newer fans and critics are lumping you into a dying music trend.

What's a band to do?

Well, if you're Machine Head, you tell the naysayers to go f*ck themselves, delve into you past and embrace what you've become.

Then you turn around and release one of the most intense metal albums you can muster.

And THAT'S what "Through the Ashes of Empires," Machine Head's latest release, is: A brutal assault, drawing comparisons to its earlier work while still thriving on elements that have been added to the band over time (like melodic vocals and even more melodic guitar riffs).

Vocalist and guitarist Robert Flynn, bassist Adam Duce, drummer Dave McClain and new addition to the band, guitarist Phil Demmel, got together and crafted a sonically tight, blistering metal album. And along with battling to put the music together, the band endured an even bigger battle to get the music to the streets. Machine Head had split with its longtime label Roadrunner Records in 2002. "Through the Ashes" was released via Roadrunner last October in territories outside of North America, but without a U.S. deal the disc was only available as an import. Machine Head finally patched things up with Roadrunner in February, and decided to record a new song for the American release (initially the band was to record a new song and a cover, but opted for the solo new piece instead).

The overall sound of the disc is as heavy as the band's debut, bringing the kind of anger and emotion that was missing on later releases. There is some melody that has crept in, with some clean vocals comparable to the band's later work on some songs. The musical production on the disc is fantastic; the mix is guitar-heavy, but the drums and vocals never get lost in the overall sound. In fact, the standout on this release may be the drumming.

The album's opener, "Imperium," is, simply put, vintage Machine Head. Opening with a chunky guitar riffs and blistering drumming, as Flynn screams "Hear me now," you can fell this is like a rebirth for the band that has laid dormant for three years. And, unlike 2001's "Supercharger" (and to a lesser extent, 1999's "The Burning Red"), the band seems to have dug further into its past in an attempt to resurrect the energy off its debut and fan-favorite, "Burn My Eyes" -- "Imperium" has the feel of a track like "Davidian" or "Old" (off "Burn My Eyes"). And the song, as the album as a whole, focuses on the band's trademark sound: Flynn's alternating growling and melodic vocals, thick bass and drum beats and intense guitar licks wavering from industrial droning to solid, metal riffing.

But what an introduction "Imperium" is. The track clocks in at over six minutes in length, filled with crazy chord progressions and break downs and some killer double-bass pedal work in the song's latter half.

The solid drumming flows over into the intro for the disc's next track, "Bite the Bullet," and it's clear the band is on a mission to craft a hard-hitting metal album.

"Through the Ashes" definitely has its stand out tracks. "Left Unfinished" is an explicit laden diatribe against bad parenting (with maybe an undercurrent towards the music scene in general?). Featuring great double-bass again, the fast-paced song is like a sonic weedwacker tearing through your head on the verses, before it becomes more deliberate at the chorus.

"Days Turn Blue to Gray" is this album's best track, bar none. The song opens like a blues-tinged hard-rock track before flourishing with metal riffs and loud drums. But right before Flynn starts the opening verse, the music stops for a beat as Flynn exclaims "Oh!" and the song seems to do a 180 as he melodically belts out the lyrics almost like a lullaby and the band follows along, hard and heavy. Lyrically the song once again deals with parenting and is split in two by a melodic bridge mid-way through the song that slowly becomes more frenzied before flourishing into a start-stop bridge with Flynn almost chanting "Father, Mother, destroyer, destroy her" over an amazing solo by Demmel.

Then you have a song like "Elegy," that has an old-school Corrosion of Conformity feel to it at the onset, but once Flynn starts singing the verses and it takes on an ethereal quality with his bluesy, Black Sabbath-like singing before he growls through the chorus. "Elegy" is also a great song showcasing just how tight the four members sound together. The drums and bass play around each other and the guitar riffs compliment the vocals.

The disc's new track, "Seasons Wither," is also a welcome addition. Unfolding like a thrash song, the chorus slows down to showcase the band's sludgy sound. The band also plays with the tracks production fading in and out at times (in an non-jarring fashion). You can feel the band wanted to craft a mosh pit anthem with this, and can visualize the crowd going crazy during the bridge, especially with the guitar solos and drumming. There's also a nod to the newer bands in the genre as the song sounds reminiscent of Killswitch Engage towards the end.

On the band's official Web site, McClain says the band's mission when they began writing "Through The Ashes Of Empires" was clear: "To write an album that would really satisfy us musically. Longer songs, off-time parts, leads. We didn't worry whether this song or that song could be played on the radio or not. ... We feel that if 'Through The Ashes Of Empires' was our first album, it would do the same things that 'Burn My Eyes' did, in terms of establishing Machine Head as one of the best metal bands out there."

And upon listening to "Through the Ashes," you can't help but agree with that sentiment. From end to end, there not a single low point or skippable moment, which is quite a feat. After a lengthy wait and heaps of accolades, Machine Head's latest turned into one of the best surprises of the year. Not a let down at all.

Various Artists -- 'Punisher' soundtrack [review]

Various Artists
"The Punisher"
Wind-Up records


Soundtracks are usually a hit-or-miss proposition. Usually the collection is too diverse and thus listeners buy them for one or two tracks and end up skipping the rest. A strong collection can do a good job of using established bands to lure in people and get them to check out the lesser-known bands. There's also the lure of obscure tracks or collaborations (for example, last year's "Freddy Vs. Jason" featuring a previously unavailable song from Slipknot along with an anticipated new track from Killswitch Engage featuring a new lead singer). When the collection falls flat, the few high points are overcome by tracks that feel too out-of-place (for example, last year's "Underworld" with anticipated Page Hamilton and Wes Borland tracks, but little else to offer).

Featuring a whopping 19 tracks, "The Punisher" soundtrack features five standouts and a slew of supporting players.

Leading off the collection is the first taste of the new Drowning Pool lineup featuring ex-Built-XL frontman Jason "Gong" Jones on vocals. While the band's previous efforts sounded angry, "Step Up" is a straight-up rock/metal track. And it sounds mean. Not angry, mean. The band feels retrofitted, like a throw back to early 90s metal (early Pantera or Skid Row), complete with guitar solos. Jones' vocals at times have a hint of Drowning Pool\'s prior lead singer to them, but also sound like a mix of John Bush (from Anthrax) and Max Cavelera (ex-Sepultura, Soulfly).

One of the more interesting tracks off the soundtrack is the anticipated collaboration of Damageplan and Jerry Cantrell. The song, "Ashes to Ashes," was recorded last Thanksgiving while Damageplan were still finishing off its debut album. The song has a old school Alice in Chains (Cantrell's former band) feel to it, and features Cantrell and Damageplan vocalist Patrick Lachman trading off singing duties between verses and choruses. This song is definitely one of the album's high-points.

Edgewater's debut single, "Eyes Wired Shut," is another standout track. The band's melodic rock is reminiscent of mellow Staind mixed with a more pop-centric rock sensibility (think Three Doors Down or The Calling). The guitars are driving during the verses and catchy during the chorus and the band seems destined for heavy rotation on commercial rock radio.

The soundtrack also features an almost-reunion of Evanescence bandmates Amy Lee and Ben Moody, albeit on different tracks.

Moody teams up with Jason Miller and Drowning Pool frontman Jones for "The End Has Come," a slow-burning rock track that has a definite Evanescence feel to it (especially the band's earlier work), complete with ethereal guitar during the opening and verses, and driving riffs during the chorus.

Lee teams up with Seether on the re-recorded "Broken" (off Seether's 2002 release "Disclaimer"). While the song kicks off like the original, Lee joins in on the chorus and takes over the second verse alone. Lee adds a pleasant dimension to Seether\'s sound without taking the track over and making it sound like an Evanescence tune.

Rounding out the rest of the soundtrack is an astounding collection of tracks from well-known -- Nickelback, Hatebreed, Puddle of Mud, Queens of the Stone Age, Trapt -- and more obscure -- Strata, Submersed, Seven Wiser, Atomship -- bands. And the collection runs the gamut from heavier tracks (Drowning Pool, Hatebreed, Chevelle) to more mellow rock offerings (Seether w/ Lee, Smile Empty Soul, Mark Collie's acoustic closing track). In all, it seems there's something for all your rock needs.

Red Tape -- 'Radioactivist' [review]

Red Tape
"Radioactivist"
Roadrunner Records


Red Tape feels like a throw-back band. Listening to the group's Roadrunner debut, "Radioactivist," feels like crawling into a Hollywood club circa 1987 and rocking out to whatever dirty-rock band was on the stage.

How exactly the band fits into Roadrunner Records is a bit of a mystery -- it isn't metal enough to fit into the label's older mentality, not pop enough to fit in with the band's on the label in the vein of Nickelback, and doesn't fit in with any of the newer metal acts (Killswitch Engage, Soulfly or Slipknot). In fact, "Radioactivist" has the same punk meets metal feel of Amen's 1999 self-titled (only) Roadrunner release, except more organized and less noisy and chaotic.

After hearing some of Red Tape's demo tracks in 2003, I had high hopes for the band's debut on Roadrunner Records. While initially taken aback by the heavy punk influence apparent throughout Red Tape's music, the punk edge gives a nice dimension to the band and effectively causes them to stand out from the pack.

Fronted by lead singer and guitarist Jeff Jaworski, the band is comprised of bass player Twig Von Wussow (who also adds backing vocals), guitarist Mark Meraji and drummer JD.

In the band's official bio, Jaworski talks about the band's revolutionary vibe: "We're thrash-punk. The term "hardcore" has changed. We're hardcore in the early 80s sense. If it were 1986, we'd be a hardcore band. Nowadays, the meaning has changed."

Upon first listen, "Radioactivist" feels like a punk album -- it's only after you let the music sink in that you start to realize you're hearing so much more. With only four of the album's 15 tracks clocking in at anything more than three minutes (and never exceeding four minutes), each song feels like a frenzied, sonic assault. Jaworski's vocals are enveloped in music heavy with distortion and feedback, yet each song comes across like a sing-a-long anthem reminiscent of Black Flag or Bad Religion.

From the searing, opening riffs of "Damage Control," to the steady blistering back-beat drumming of "Droppin' Bombs on Your Moms," Red Tape seem content to tear through each track with a take-no-prisoners attitude.

The disc's standout track has to be "Stalingrad." Opening with a killer, semi-distorted bass line that's eventually joined by an equally distorted high-pitched guitar riff, Jaworski snarls through the verses before the sing-a-long chorus. By the closing repeated chant of "No sleep to Stalingrad!" It's impossible to not be banging your head along with the band.

Other strong songs include "El Salvador" and "Divebomb" -- the former featuring a crazy start/stop tempo that feels more and more frenzied the further you venture into the track; the later focuses on a strong guitar riff that leads listeners down a rabbit hole of anthemic venom of Jaworski singing "No future's what I see. That's why I live so carelessly."

Since the band's inception five years ago, it's shared the stage with the likes of Sworn Enemy, Tsunami Bomb, The Hope Conspiracy and Bleeding Through just to name a few. The constant touring has won over new fans and this latest release is also sure to do the same.

Soil -- 'Redefine' [review]

Soil
"Redefine"
J Records


Released Sept. 11, 2001, Soil's major-label debut album, "Scars," was a brutal, fast-paced hard-rock/metal amalgam that was hailed by some as one of the year's best offerings riding high off the success of the band's single "Halo."

The band -- vocalist Ryan McCombs, guitarists Adam Zadel and Shaun Glass, bassist Tim King and drummer Tom Schofield -- toured relentlessly for "Scars," hitting the road with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie and Mudvayne to Static-X and Sevendust. Soil was also one of the featured acts on the second stage of Ozzfest.

The pressure was on to deliver a follow-up that would exceed the foundation the band had forged and, with its new album, "Redefine," Soil takes aim and hits one right out of the park.

As King points out on the band's home page, Soil took everything fans came to expect from the first album and turned it up a notch. "We were on the road for 13 months, and we learned a lot about ourselves. ... When we sat down to do the new record, we wanted to stay true to our sound. We took that energy and passion and brought it into the music."

Kicking off with the explosive "Pride," the band immediately shows that when it comes to rocking out on this latest offering, there's no screwing around. The songs plays out like a faster-paced "Halo" with McCombs tearing through his intentionally-paced lyrics. The dueling guitar work sounds more frenzied this time around, with Schofield and King laying down a nice back-beat.

The beauty of Soil's sound is that as much as the band can simply throw it down and rock out, they play tight enough to really explore the melody they create and add depth to the music's flow. This is especially evident in a song like "Redefine" where the initial riff is reminiscent of Drowning Pool's "Pity Me," yet as soon as the band is able to establish the song's groundwork, the guitarists lay down some thick, catchy riffs and the chorus sounds like something completely out of place yet exactly what you would expect. And the band is able to throw in a mellow breakdown mid-way through a song like "Redefine" -- with McCombs singing "Somebody to make me feel whole again" -- and gradually pick the pace back up without any of it coming off forced.

"We like songs that grab you, hook you, and don't f*ck around, but at the same time, we love melody," Glass states in the band's official biography.

"Can You Heal Me" has an old Alice in Chains feel to it, from the vocals to the down-tuned guitar riffing. And the band even experiments with Middle Eastern flavor on "Deny Me."

The album's best track has to be the closer "Obsession." The song unfolds like an epic starting out melodic and slow with a steady backbeat and subtle cymbal-work before exploding at the chorus. As McCombs strains out "You are my everything," it adds that extra sense of urgency in the song. The song progresses in alternating slow and fast tempos and, just when you think it can't get any more intense, the closing moments flourish like a Tool song with insane drumming and thunderous riffs before shuddering to a halt.

"Lyrically, these songs are our children, and they've all got their special places to us," McCombs points out. "No matter what your position in life -- whether you're married or not, a dad or not, or what you do for a living -- you keep having trials and tribulations, moral dilemmas, and confrontations you need to face, and whether it was on the road, or at home with my family, I've had my eyes opened up to a whole new realm of experiences. A lot of people have their 'Halos,' it doesn't matter what mine was when I wrote the song."

Overall, "Redefine" is a welcome relief as fans have been anticipating its release since "Scars" hit shelves. Given what the band delivers, two years was hardly long to wait. Simply put -- a great album.

Jawbreaker -- 'Dear You' [review]

Jawbreaker
"Dear You"
Blackball Records


What a hectic trip it was for Bay-area legends Jawbreaker.

In the band's eight years of existence, they managed to build up a strong fanbase, record over five albums worth or material, alienate some of their diehard fans and, in the end, even alienate their record label.

Jawbreaker's debut, 1990's “Unfun," was a great, raw punk album. The honesty and imperfection on the tracks is what drew many of the band's fans. The follow-up, “Bivouac," seemed like a more experimental album at the time, maintaining the punk roots but heading in a more alternative-rock direction with songs “Sleep" and "Big" reminiscent of early Nirvana recordings.

With the release of 1994's “24 Hour Revenge Therapy," the band embraced a more radio-friendly song structure (easy chord progressions, etc.) and created probably one of their more accessible albums. Maybe it was the peaking of the grunge movement, or the rising of pop-punk bands like Green Day or Blink-182, but after “24 Hour Revenge Therapy" the band was scooped up and signed by record company behemoth DGC (David Geffen Company) and given the means (a large contract with creative control) to craft perhaps its finest album, the controversial 1995 release "Dear You."

"Dear You" wasn't what new fans of the band expected; it certainly wasn't what the record company envisioned, and by '96 Jawbreaker was no more. (Posthumously a live album -- "Live 4/30/96" -- and collection of rarities and b-sides -- "ETC." -- were released on Pfahler's imprint label Blackball Records.) Schwarzenbach went on to form Jets to Brazil and the other two band members went on to various projects.

Still, the legend of Jawbreaker lived on, and fans eventually clamored to get their hands on "Dear You," which was out of print within a few years and severely hard to track down. When copies were available, the prices were soaring (I remember finding one in a used CD store for upwards of $24).

Pfahler made his move and eventually bought the rights from Geffen. Giving long time listeners a reason to pick it up again, the "Dear You" re-release is set to include studio outtakes and b-sides (the unreleased "Shirt" along with "Into You Like a Train," "Sister," "Friendly Fire" and a re-recorded version of "Boxcar") as well as the Fireman video and an expanded booklet.

As for the main content of "Dear You," it still holds up almost 10 years later.

The disc's opening track, "Save your Generation," along with songs like "Chemistry" and "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault" are typical punk-tinged alternative rock songs with a slightly murky sound (thick guitars and noticeable bass work), a sonic direction that was on show throughout "Dear You."

The disc's lead off single at the time was "Fireman," a simple track to showcase the band's sound. The song kicks off steadily building throughout the verses with simple chords that slowly sound more frantic before the false start of a chorus into the second verse -- leading, of course, to the payoff the of the intense chorus. Schwarzenbach glides through his cute yet biting lyrics, like "Dreamed I was a fireman. I just smoked and watched you burn," and "Dreamed we were still going out. Had that one a few times now. Woke up to find out we were not. It's good to be awake."

The down-tuned guitars create an false sense of laid back atmosphere and Bauermeister's bass during the song's bridge is a definite high-point.

"Jet Black" remains breathtaking: Schwarzenbach's murky guitar riffs and deadpan vocals with thick-as-hell bass throughout the chorus compliments Pfahler's subtle drumming throughout the song until the brief explosion at the ending.

"Accident Prone" is probably the greatest song Jawbreaker has ever made. The melancholic lyrics are delivered with more emotion than any band today claiming to be "emo." From beginning to end, the band seems tighter than you ever thought they could be: Schwarzenbach's lullaby-like guitar parts throughout the verses and Bauermeister's intentional and heavy bass lines combine with Pfaler's understated drumming and gentle cymbal work. As the song progresses, the trio suddenly picks up speed through the bridge to the chorus before opening up full-force and tearing through the chorus with a definitely mission in mind. Mid-way through the song everything seems to finally come apart, the drums and guitar accentuate a nice bass breakdown and the band again begins to build up steam -- faster and faster until the intensity is almost too much to handle and a release is achieved through the chorus again -- yes, it's as close to a sexual moment as you can have in a song. Words could never do "Accident Prone" justice and it is definitely the highlight of "Dear You."

For the original tracks alone, "Dear You" would still be a great disc to add to your collection; the added tracks are just the icing on the cake. The "Fireman" video had moderate airplay on MTV's Alternative Nation back when it was released, and while it doesn't quiet translate the band's live energy, it's still worth a viewing.