Nirvana -- 'With the Lights Out' box set [review]

Nirvana
"With the Lights Out"
(DGC Records)


More than 10 years since the death of the band's front man led to an abrupt end of the group, Nirvana fans finally got their hands on a "holy grail" of sorts: a four disc box set of the groups demos, hard-to-find songs and other rare material.

I really want to love this set. When you first take a look at the contents, you can't help but think this is the best box set to ever be released -- there's just so much material included. But is the wealth of the sonic offerings really enough to sell "With the Lights Out?"

It's a real catch 22 when you look at it ...

On one hand, it would seem to be a fan's most treasured wish: to hear all the songs you grown to love stripped down to their barest forms in some cases; to be able to actually hear a song's progression from acoustic demo to rough track to finished product. Sprinkle in some obscure live tracks and some noteworthy b-sides and you should have a hit on your hands.

It depends on which side of the fence you're looking at this from.

Diehard Nirvana fans should, in theory, be chomping at the bit for something like this. For more casual listeners, it's something to easily overlook. In reality, this is simply a large collection of sub-par recordings that, for the most part, were never meant to be released. And that is the conundrum when you really take a look at this set.

Sure, it's fun to hear an early version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or "Rape Me," to hear how the lyrics evolved over time, to see how Cobain and Co. modified the song structures ... but ultimately you're just reminded of the strength of the actual songs and would rather just listen to those.

The initial excitement over hearing something like the acoustic tracks "Beans" or "Clean Up Before She Comes" is soon replaced (after a couple of listens) with a sense of "how often will I really want to listen to something this rough?"

Don't get me wrong, there are some gems here.

On the second disc, outtakes like "Oh the Guilt," "Return of the Rat" and "Old Age" are welcome additions to a fan's collection (for those who hadn't already tracked these songs down). Cobain's solo offering of Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (which showed up as a live rendition on the "Unplugged" disc) is a nice gem among the collection.

Disc 3 kicks off with two versions of "Rape Me," an acoustic track with weak vocals, and a more polished demo. The acoustic version sounds more like Cobain still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to do with the song. The demo is much more lively as the song was really starting to take shape at this point. As a bonus, baby Cobain can be heard (intentionally I'm thinking), crying in the background at various points throughout the song, a nice touch.

The demo of "Scentless Apprentice" is much more raw than the track that eventually found its way onto "In Utero." The whole song sounds like a pretty good jam session, though, it should be noted that the overall sound is almost more Foo Fighters (Grohl's eventual band) instead of Nirvana.

There's interesting acoustic versions of "Serve the Servants," "Very Ape" (sans lyrics with mumbling) and "Pennyroyal Tea" (which was surprising near-completion).

As for "Heart Shaped Box," this is another instance of Cobain still exploring for just the right lyrics ("I wish I could eat your cancer when I get sick;" "Locked in heart-shaped coffins"). The same goes for "Milk It" or "M.V." (a song that wasn't that accessible to being with, I was actually surprised they included a demo of the track instead of the finished version).

Though it isn't labeled as such (read: demo), "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" doesn't sound like the version that eventually went public, unlike "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip" and "Marigold" (probably the crown jewel of songs that never made it on official Nirvana release with Grohl on vocals), which are pretty much the versions that showed up on international release and b-sides. Same goes for "Sappy" (also known as "Verse Chorus Verse") though the demo was on disc 2.

The most interesting aspects of the set as a whole, is not only the ability to see the songs develop over time, but to see the band actually attempt to fully realize songs. Watching Cobain take "Rape Me" from an acoustic mish-mosh to a raw demo and then to the finished track (on "In Utero") is something fans of bands are rarely able to experience. Then, on top of that, listening to something like "Other Improv" (off disc 3), obviously a glimpse of the band trying to find a song, is just amazing to be able to experience.

On the flip side, how many people really want to pull out demo material when they're in the mood to listen to music. When this set is, musically, over 70 minutes of material spaced out over three discs, one can't help but think there was some way to shorten things a little.

In the end, you are able to say that this is a fantastic look into the inner working of a band, but much like a history book is an interesting look into, well, history. Do you get something out of reading the book? Yes. Do you want to read it over and over? Maybe. "With the Lights Out" is the musical equivalent of a Nirvana text book. It's something that is worth listening to ... at least once in a while. It's just that the really good tracks are spaced out amongst the rawer material, which makes this something only Nirvana diehards would really be interested in.

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."