A closer look at Chinese Democracy [opinion]

[Note to readers: Given the history of this album, combined with my own feelings on Guns N' Roses, Axl and this album, there was no way I could tackle Chinese Democracy as a straight-forward review, hence the column format. Enjoy...]




Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
Geffen (11/23/08)
Rock

Close to a decade-and-a-half in the making, Guns N' Roses' latest effort, Chinese Democracy, finally hit shelves over the weekend. But even before its release, the album had managed to polarize a listening public.

First off, most of the album had been leaked in some capacity over the past handful of years. Demos or live versions of songs had been traded and posted all over the Internet.

People either loved the songs or hated them. Then again, people were either going to accept or dismiss this album either way, what with frontman Axl Rose being the only original, founding member of the band left, holding down the fort with keyboardist Dizzy Reed and a handful (or more?) of other musicians.

Six Feet Under -- 'Death Rituals' [review]

Six Feet Under - Death Rituals
Metal Blade Records (11/11/08)
Death metal

Fronted by the most prolific vocalist in death metal, Six Feet Under has crafted another killer album, chock-full of groove, and driven by Chris Barnes’ inhuman, guttural wails.

The band keeps its trademark, foreboding groove-riffs in full effect on songs like “Eulogy for the Undead” (which features some great, technical guitar breakdowns), “Seed of Filth” and “Death By Machete”.

And Barnes is an absolute beast on the microphone, having never sounded better than on tracks like “Involuntary Movement of Dead Flesh” and “None Will Escape”, with his trademark, low-toned growls and nuanced screams, effectively turning his voice into another instrument.

Leaving Cannibal Corpse was the best thing to ever happen to Barnes. While Corpse has begun to really spin its wheels over the past three or four albums, Six Feet Under has found a way to maintain its edge, crafting classic death metal and then throwing in just enough groove to keep things from becoming repetitive (check out the cover of the forgotten Motley Crue classic “Bastard”, not only for the groove but also for Barnes' unbelievably deep growls). The songs are more than just constant blast-beats, as Six Feet Under can do the straight-forward death-metal thing, and it can get pretty boring. This time around, the band throws plenty of metal riffs into the mix, giving the album a more dynamic sound.

This type of music isn’t for everyone. That said, Six Feet Under has definitely put together the album of its career. The sound is varied and dynamic, and Barnes, as always, is a gem in the genre, and the band is slowly affirming a spot as a death-metal legend. What Death Rituals shows is that the band could actually craft a solid cross-over metal album if it really wanted to.

The Answer -- 'Never Too Late' [review]

The Answer - Never Too Late EP
The End Records (11/11/08)
Hard rock

The Answer might not have the best name in rock, and this latest EP might not have quite enough material on it to form a full-fledged opinion. But there must be a reason the band is being touted as the next big thing coming out of the UK.

Mixing a blend of classic rock, blues and solid musical hooks, the group offers up a nice little taste of things to come with its recent EP, Never Too Late.

With deep roots in classic rock, some have been quick to label The Answer a “new Led Zeppelin,” a title that’s sort of lacking. If anything, The Answer sounds like a revamped Whitesnake, especially on the blistering “Highwater or Hell”.

The rest of the EP is a mixed bag of sorts. “The Doctor” is a slow-tempo blues anthem, with vocalist Cormac Neeson drawling over the deliberate guitar licks. (The song ultimately turns into a groovy little rock track, reminiscent of, say, Tesla.) Many bands have recently attempted the straight-up blues approach, but more often than not the effort falls short, becoming plodding or just plain boring. The Answer doesn’t blow the track out of the water, but does put forth an admirable effort.

Rounding out the effort are two straight-forward rock songs, “Never Too Late” and a live rendition of “Come Follow Me.” The former is a little too repetitive (with Neeson almost channeling Sammy Hagar for the opening wails), and takes too long to get to the hook (ironically) which is especially frustrating given that the hook is catchy, but not overly impressive. The latter, recorded live in Japan, is a little more fun. The hook is in the music as much as the chorus, and the song manages to leave the listener on a high note (ready to spin the album once again).

The set also includes a DVD with tour footage from the band, interviews and a couple other songs.

Overall, this is a nice little taste of things to come from The Answer. The band already has a full-length under its belt but has yet to debut in the States. I’m sure everyone will have a better sense of The Answer in ’09.