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.