Alice Cooper -- 'Along Came a Spider' [review]

Alice Cooper - Along Came a Spider
SPV Records (7/29/08)
Rock

Thirty years into a career and Alice Cooper is still managing to crank out solid material. And much like his more metallic doppelganger, Ozzy Osbourne (if Ozzy’s the godfather of metal, there’s no reason Alice can’t hold the same title for rock), it’s as much about the talent you surround yourself with as it is about your own.

On Along Came a Spider, Cooper has his own little core (Kiss drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Danny Saber) for the most part, with a revolving door of musicians to fill in the missing pieces, most notably guitarist Slash adding an entire new dimension to “Vengeance is Mine.” Sharing songwriting credits is an equally eclectic bunch—from Keri Kelli to Jani Lane (Warrant) and Osbourne himself.

Musically, Cooper tries to take a page from the various touchstones in his career. The concept album, spinning a tale (no pun intended) of a serial killer named Spider that wraps his victims in silk and takes a leg, eventually killing eight to form his spider, features an interesting mix of material. “I Know Where You Live” and “I’m Hungry” harks back to 70s-era Cooper, with a low-key, garage-rock feel. “Catch Me If You Can” feels like an outtake from 1991’s Hey Stoopid, while “Wake the Dead” pulls from Cooper’s later experiments with industrial music (and ironically comes across like a cover of Beck covering Cooper). Cooper even goes for a Beatles homage with the ballad “Killed By Love” (probably one of the stronger ballads he’s crafted over a long career).

Cooper still sounds best when attempting balls-out rock, that’s why tracks like “Vengeance Is Mine” and “(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side” shine brightest. It doesn’t hurt that Singer puts forth such a strong outing behind the drum kit. And while the lyrics may be a little mundane or lacking most of the time, Cooper still manages to craft an engrossing tale (think of it like a horror comic brought to life through song). The lowest point on the album, “Salvation,” is being universally panned simply because is sounds out of place on the album (perhaps it could have been saved away for a Cooper attempt at musical theater instead).

In the end, you have a nice little concept album, which Cooper has proved he has a knack for, that ranks somewhere between Dragontown and Welcome to my Nightmare -- or, if you’re a diehard fan, much stronger than The Last Temptation. Speaking of diehard fans, you’ll probably want to stick around for the last couple of moments of Spider to catch up with an “old friend.”

Obituary -- 'Xecutioner's Return' [review]

Obituary - Xecutioner's Return
Candlelight Records (8/28/07)
Death metal



Obituary has once again proved its place among the metal and death metal elite.

Let's be honest, 2005's Frozen in Time was a stellar comeback album, but its sole purpose was to show that the band still had what it took to make killer metal. With that established, Obituary set out to craft what will ultimately rank up amongst its best efforts (did anyone think it was possible to even approach Cause of Death-era work?).

The shift in home label (the band had been on Roadrunner for its entire career) and loss of longtime lead guitarist Allen West did little to slow the band down. Newcomer Ralph Santolla's addition appears seamless. In fact, it may have offered up an added creative spark as Santolla does have a more deliberate approach to his playing and things seem to be a little more thought-out at times.

The classic Obituary sound -- the slow, sludgy guitar -- is back in full effect. Tracks like "Feel the Pain" and "Bloodshot" crawl out of the speakers like a corpse. But the band still manages to incorporate a faster thrash feel to songs like "Drop Dead", or the guitar solos on "Seal Your Fate" and "Face Your God", creating an absolute avalanche of seething metal.

Obituary is one of death metal's best outfits for a reason; John Tardy's guttural and growled vocals are always clean and easy to decipher, as the band's song structures are pretty simple and straightforward, yet they still manage to make them sound elaborate. While a lot of their contemporaries seem to overstay their welcome or become overly repetitive, Obituary still sound fresh and imaginative (perhaps due to their extended hiatus a few years ago). Whatever the case, Obituary is a band that inspired and continues to inspire many metal bands out there today.

With Xecutioner's Return, Obituary manages to release an album no one thought it was still capable of creating. From the classic-sounding "Evil Ways" to the haunting "In Your Head", to the seven-minute opus "Contrast the Dead", Obituary proves it has a lot more to offer fans.

Obituary is one of those bands that will never be in the mainstream. While longtime fans already know how good the music is -- it's time for a new generation of fans to discover this band.

Hatebreed -- 'Perserverance' [classic review]

Hatebreed
"Perseverance"
(Universal)


Fans' usual fears when a band makes the move from an independent label to the big leagues ... especially a band with as loyal a following as Hatebreed. Such fears would prove to be completely unfounded. Sure, the band grew beyond the hardcore label, but hardcore can be a one-dimensional genre for the most part and implementing a metal style to its sound only helped bring Hatebreed to a place the band was surely headed in the long run.

Hatebreed took the core of the hardcore sound its had grown comfortable in and turned everything up to 10. The songs grew from one- to two-minute tastes into complete metal anthems. With notorious (at least in New England circles) producer Zeuss at the controls, the band was able to craft these slick, riff-heavy soundtracks of brutality. Every song has a nice little hook, crazy double-bass drum kicks, bass lines that strangle anything in their paths and riffs that tear through the speakers. Live, it's impossible to not jump into the pit when any of the album's tracks explode: "Proven," "You're Never Alone," "We Still Fight," the title-track, along with my personal favorites, "A Call for Blood" and "I Will Be Heard."

Almost every track has the requisite group sung chorus for added (anthem) effect. Kerry King even graces the band with an appearance.

Could I break down each and every track for the reader? Sure, each has a unique element to love. Is it necessary? Not at all. In short, this is a total package of no-nonsense, pedal-to-floor, heart-stopping metal.

Another Society -- 'Blood Wrong' [classic review]

Another Society
"Blood Wrong"
(PC Music)


Another Society wastes little time on "Blood Wrong," grinding off the starting line with the twisted, deliberate opening riffs of "Let Down." The triple guitar threat (Jason Huckaby and Jim Koster along with lead vocalist Luke John) gives the band a riff-heavy yet thick, murky sound. The down-tuned guitars are kept high in the mix. Add to that the under-produced vocals (not in a bad way -- they just aren't cleaned up to any extent), heavy bass and drumming and you're left with a heady sound you could cut with a knife (to steal an over used cliche).

The lyrics and choruses are as catchy as the (headbanging) music itself. "Let Down" devolves into a steamroller of bass riffs and drumming, building to the crescendo of the chorus. The band has a nice little way of putting together these driving bridges and verses that dissolve away to a hook-filled chorus of riffs and melody without it coming across as jarring or out of place. Every so often there's a tempo shift toward the later half of the song, but it usually used to make room for a solo.

The album chugs along in much the same fashion without becoming boring in any way. "No Time for Speech" seethes with anger and the music compliments the cutting lyrics perfectly. "Little Gypsy" is the catchiest song on the album and was probably the only track to make it out to commercial radio (the band was heavily played in a handful of markets including its hometown and northern New England).

The band slows down a couple of times, but for the most part is settled and comfortable in riding out the dirges.

Talk about a band ahead of its time. Another Society hit the scene at the worst time. The band was incorporating classic metal elements to its sound -- think Prong, Crowbar, Corrosion of Conformity, Life of Agony, early Pantera -- all essentially contemporaries of the group. Yet, as Another Society was toiling on the metal circuit, bands like Coal Chamber, Korn and Rage Against the Machine were dominating the airwaves. Add to that the grunge scene was pretty much sputtering to a halt around the time of the "Blood Wrong" release, and you can see why the audience at large may have overlooked a band that took slight elements from the sound but didn't fit into that category at all either.

Hardcore genre fans like bands across the boards, but the fans at large gravitated toward a more polished, hyper-produced sound at the time (these days it's a sound blended with hardcore and melody). While your Crowbars and Corrosions had a built-in fan-base to weather the down-cycle, Another Society's gritty brand of metal had a tough time catching on. If the band hit the scene today, there's no question it would have garnered far more attention and been better embraced. Instead, after two solid outings, the group just simply faded away.

Biohazard -- 'Kill or Be Killed' [classic review]

Biohazard
"Kill or Be Killed"
(Sanctuary)


The album clocks in a little over half an hour, but what a trip. What "Kill or Be Killed" lacks in length, it makes up for with pure Biohazard punch. The band crafted an album that pulled the foundation from the early New York hardcore scene (the heavy, slow, down-tuned riffs) and mixed it with a punk attitude, not in sound, but in attitude. The songs are hard-hitting and to the point.

The group's sound is instantly recognizable -- the ominous riffs, the foreboding sound, the juxtaposed vocals (Seinfield's guttural groans against Billy Graziadei's higher-pitched yells), the bass-heavy grind of each song with everything pulled together by the double-bass drum kicks.

The album opens with "Never Forgive, Never Forget," a pit-anthem if ever there was one (on par with the band's most venomous anthem, "Authority"). The kill or be killed theme runs through the album, mentioned in this track and continued on the title-track (obviously). Throughout the album the band has this knack of steamrolling ahead from track to track, putting the perfect hook into each song to make you long for more. Not only that, but the band manages to change things up enough to prevent the album from becoming redundant or boring. Both of these elements were lacking on earlier (read: mid-career) material.

The one-two crunch of "Never Forgive ..." and "Kill..." is prime Biohazard material, the band switches it up with "Heads Kicked In" (a slower, more deliberate assault) and "Beaten Senseless" (probably the closest the band has ever gotten to hardcore). From there the band never lets up; "World on Fire," the crush of "Make My Stand," the drowning riffs of album closer "Hallowed Ground." In the end, it all ends too fast but leaves an indelible mark on the listener.

Slayer -- 'Diabolus in Musica' [classic review]

Slayer
"Diabolus in Musica"
(American Recording)


Few can string together a metal album like Slayer. A streamlined power-punch of rhythm and a crushing wall of drums, intermingling with intense sociopolitical influenced vocals. Tom Arraya in still album to string together a violent string of choked vocals as good as the foreboding bass riffs he supplies to the band. Add to the proceedings one of the best guitar duos in metal (six-string god Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman) and the vastly underrated drumming skills of Paul Bostaph and what do you expect? Nothing short of "the devil's music."

King's minor key riffs seethe with a sense of foreboding and fans wouldn't want it any other way. The one-two attack opening of "Bitter Peace" and "Death's Head" is one of the best openings of a metal album (ever!). "Bitter Peace" begins with slow, plodding drumming and down-tuned guitar that slowly pick up steam before plowing into the opening riff. King's guitar riffs mid-way through the track are particularly venomous. The track abruptly comes to an end, giving way to the "Death's Head" rumble of heavy bass and guitars opening.

The rest of the album is no slouch either: from the bludgeoning force of "In the Name of God" to the incendiary cry of "Stain of Mind," if it weren't for Slayer classics like "Reign in Blood" and "Seasons in the Abyss," this would be the focal point of the band's storied career. Instead, as it stands, "Diabolus" is simply another reason Slayer is one of the most noteworthy and influential metal bands of all time.

Rob Zombie -- 'Hellbilly Deluxe' [classic review]

Rob Zombie
"Hellbilly Deluxe"
(Geffen Records)


"After your first success you never know if it's going to be you last one. After having finally reached a wide audience you have no idea what that audience thinks, or what they expect - it's kinda weird."

-- Rob Zombie

"Hellbilly Deluxe" is the perfect encapsulation of everything that was right with White Zombie. The album is a full-on metal assault of chugging riffs, head-spinning beats and classic Zombie charm.

The album is full of rock/metal staples, hits and fan-favorites: the explosive opener "Superbeast" that is a huge hit during the live shows; the chug-a-chug rumble of "Demenoid Phenomenon" and "What Lurks on Channel X"; the hit singles "Living Dead Girl" and "Dragula."

Zombie had perfected the sound he was creating with White Zombie, a blend of sleazy rock and twisted metal, a hint of industrial noise, churning rhythms and some occasional sampling. The whole amalgam is spiced up with a cult-horror flavor, whether it be the lyrics or the samples (even some of the riffs start to sound like organ chords).

While the music Zombie is creating isn't exactly anything new, he is able to put his own subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) spin on it and make it truly his own. Long-time fans have more than enough to love here; new fans will be instantly hooked with the unique melodies and cult imagery.

Following "Hellbilly Deluxe," Zombie began to expand his sound. The "Sinister Urge" was still a strong outing, but taken as a whole the album had its share of hit-or-miss moments. (As it turns out, Zombie was experiencing a little burnout at this point and internal struggles with his band was making his music life "seem more like work" than usual.) With a new band in place, Zombie felt rejuvenated -- this year's "Educated Horses" takes the fundamental Zombie sound and tempers it with a classic rock feel.

Zombie is also spending more and more time making movies. With "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects" already under his belt, the modern-day auteur is working on a full-length animated feature and is rumored to take the helm of "Halloween 9."

Still, whenever the whim hits, Zombie is sure to offer up more spooky-metal for the masses.

Anthrax -- 'We've Come For You All' [classic review]

Anthrax
"We've Come For You All"
(Sanctuary Records)


"The reality is that when it is going to be 5 years, one or two months don't make any difference in that point because there is already five years. Our point was to make the best record that we can ever possibly make, to make it sound amazing, to make the best record that Anthrax has ever done and released and has state of mind and that's why it took a little bit longer."

-- Anthrax vocalist John Bush

You can really tell Anthrax took its time with this one.

All the heavy handed genre staples are stripped away, yet still there in a subtle manner. Instead, "We've Come..." offers up a heavy helping of metal, tempered with the rock-ish sound John Bush brought to the band.

"Safe Home" may have been the lead off single (and perhaps the "strongest" track on the album), but it was hardly indicative of what "We've Come..." offers. There's a depth of sick double-bass drumming and bass trade-offs throughout the disc (courtesy of drummer Charlie Benate and bassist Frank Bello), but an even sicker offering of riffs from newcomer Rob Caggiano. With Scott Ian anchoring the production, each song permeates a slick thrash rhythm but is tempered with a slower "metallic" approach. The metal isn't too extreme, but it's still a solid kick in the gut.

From the anthem "What Doesn't Die" (which spirals to a head at break-neck speed toward its finale) to the seething "Refuse to Be Denied" and chugging "Nobody Knows Anything," Anthrax is tight and spot-on. Bush growls and emotes his way through each song while the rest of the pack jams away as a tight unit. Even a surprise appearance by the late Dimebag Darrell is downplayed due to the overwhelming wave of metal Anthrax serves up. In the end, the band manages to put together one of 2003's best: a tight metal juggernaut with a host of influences, genres and talent on display.

"We've Come For You All" was the perfect album for the culmination of what Anthrax has become. It might not fill the void thrash fans might have wanted. But, much like Machine Head with "Through the Ashes of Empires," Anthrax saw a solid return to (its new) form with this release. The album is full, vibrant, aggressive to the core and features few weak moments. In short, it is everything fans who loved the Bush-era stuff wanted in an album.

If the band decides to not work with Bush again in the future, this album acts as a perfect bookend to the experiment: there was the explosive opening with "The Sound of White Noise" and the equally impressive "We've Come For You All." In between, there was some good and bad, but nothing can dim the effect of the new and older classics.

Tool -- 'Aenima' [classic review]

Tool
"Aenima"
(Volcano Records)


"... a jagged, brooding nightmare filled with roaring guitars, abrupt rhythm shifts, and jarring sound effects. One of 1996's strangest and strongest alt-metal records."

-- from Entertainment Weekly's review of "Aenima"

"Aenima" is one of those albums that, after release, seemed to yield hit after hit. Each subsequent single seemed better than the one before. From the title track to "Stinkfist" to "Eulogy" to "H" to "Forty-Six and 2" and "Hooker with a Penis," the hits never stopped. Anything that wasn't released, very well could have.

"Aenima" has a fairly sterile feel to it. The production is crisp and the tone undoubtedly foreboding. Whether the band is tackling the destruction of L.A. (on the title track), death ("Eulogy"), drugs ("H") or even the taboo topic of fisting (on "Stinkfist" -- think about it, this song is on national radio since its release to this day), the message is quick and to the point and conveyed with a deadpan delivery. Even the instrumental and other interludes seamlessly flow between the tracks and pull the rest of the tracks into one complete cohesive unit.

The beauty of the Tool sound is that it isn't an in-your-face assault. Rather than the percussive unit, the guitar is the driving force behind the music and the rhythm is what propels the album. Not quite tech-metal, not quite an industrial durge, the focused delivery is what makes this album a classic.

The album and band pulls you in with a hard-hitting assault and then keeps shifting and changing the tempo and direction in such a pure manner that you feel powerless to stop the onslaught. That's the true beauty of the album. You can pull any nugget out and it sits perfectly alone. But it also fits into this complex puzzle of sound. You could never change the tracklist order for "Aenima," but each piece can be enjoyed on its own.

Shadows Fall -- 'The Art of Balance' [classic review]

Shadows Fall
"The Art of Balance"
(Century Media Records)


"We wanted to create a full on thrash metal album, especially the way they had variety back then. You had like the three-minute basher to open the record, an eight-minute metal epic somewhere in the middle, and the total power thrash ballad somewhere along the line. We wanted to do that instead of just making nine songs that all sounded very similar. We just wanted to mix it up."

-- lead singer Brian Fair

The core of Shadows Falls sound comes from the tag-team of guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matthew Bachand. The duo trade licks and riffs, crafting amazing solos which the metal scene had really been lacking for a good part of the late '90s. This, coupled with the dual vocals from Fair (everything from growling wails to melodic singing) and the complex back beats is what pushes Shadows Fall to the front of the line.

The song structures are never boring: a combination of the technical mastery and shifting tempos keep listeners on their toes and only add to the overall metal-effect of the band's music. Much like Metallica's "And Justice For All" (only with audible bass), "The Art of Balance" is an epic of a metal release. Each track is turgid with solos, bridges, anthemic choruses and elaborate verses.

From the explosive ("Destroyer of Senses," "Idle Hands" and "Thoughts Without Words") to the epic ("Stepping Outside the Circle" and "Idiot Box") to the haunting and almost beautiful (the instrumentals "Casting Shade" and "Prelude to Disaster" and "Fire in Babylon"), never is a song predictable and every one is a headbanger. The band sounds like a throwback to mid '80s power metal, but with that European edge of technical mastery; not quite thrash, not quite melodic hardcore ... but definitely a classic.

Like I already said, Shadows Fall's follow-up "The War Within" almost felt like a retread of "The Art of Balance," not that that is a bad thing. And really, that's simply this writer being a little too harsh in order to justify a pick. If anything, "The War Within" is a glimpse of where Shadows Fall is headed. The album is edgier, heavier, but still undoubtedly Shadows Fall.

Fusing metal and melody, the band has crafted a sound instantly recognizable and hard to duplicate. Each element of the band's sound -- the hard-hitting drumming and bass work; the dueling guitarists; the two-sided vocals -- is a perfect piece to the puzzle that is glued together with inspiration (the 80s metal scene) and emulation (the European metal scene).

If ever there was an album to retread over and over again, "The Art of Balance" isn't a bad choice.

Fear Factory -- 'Obsolete' [classic review]

Fear Factory
"Obsolete"
(Roadrunner Records)


"The concept of this record is that man is obsolete. The idea is still man versus machine. Demanufacture told a story, Remanufacture was another chapter in the story and Obsolete is another part of the Fear Factory concept. We're up to the point in the story where man is obsolete. Man has created these machines to make his life easier but in the long run it made him obsolete. The machines he created are now destroying him. Man is not the primary citizen on Earth."

-- Burton Bell on "Obsolete"

If you ever asked me to point out a killer concept album, my list would be pretty short. and I'm pretty sure this album would be right on top. A continuation of a theme that Fear Factory had been working on practically its whole career, "Obsolete" tells the story of a world of the future, where man has let machines take over the world and has, in turn, become obsolete. It's pretty much "Terminator 4" set to music.

From the opening bombast of "Shock," Fear Factory grabs you by the throat and rams the metal down your throat. The drumming is frantic, the bass is HUGE, the riffs are unforgiving and Bell's vocals are as attacking and haunting as ever. Think of Pantera's one-two punch opening on "Vulgar Display of Power" -- Fear Factory does the same thing here with "Shock" and "Edgecrusher," only, to be honest with you, I think it's done better here. The two tracks build into one another and almost act as a two part opener for the album, paving the way for what's to come, whereas, Pantera almost seemed to front-load "Vulgar" with two killer tracks. (Of course, the flip side there is that every song on "Vulgar" was an absolute killer.)

Throughout the album, Fear Factory melds its vision of metal mixed with industrial mixed with thrash and tempered with melody and ambience to perfection. For every gut-wrentching, balls-to-the-walls metal anthem, there's a break with melody or ambient transition that heightens the experience (like adding just the right amount of salt to a cooking recipe to intensify the flavor).

Given the direction the band was headed toward, it had honed the technological metal aspect of its sound to a T. But, on top of that, never before had Bell's melodies soared so high. These two aspects, along with the perfect production value (and here I'm talking the addition of a string section, the ambient effects and overall mood of the album) combine to form a nearly perfect album.

"Obsolete" is a perfect concept album, probably the best when you're pulling from the metal genre (edging out Queensryche's "Operation: Mindcrime"). When Roadrunner double-dipped to make some money, the "concept" was essentially ruined. While a huge hit for the band, I was never really impressed with Fear Factory's cover of "Cars" which was tacked on to the end. The other additions were solid tracks, especially "O-O," but these were songs perfectly fit for a "Hatefiles" collection of rarities or b-sides.

From the thunderous opening of "Shock," to the spine-tingling closer of "Timelessness" (with special mention to the final proper track, "Resurrection") Fear Factory really created a masterpiece. While "Demanufacture" is a metal classic, hands down, "Obsolete" is a true Fear Factory classic. The group has created a sound uniquely its own. The band has influenced countless emulators (most notably Spineshank which trashed an entire "sound" to follow in Fear Factory's footsteps), but none have come close to the originators.

Today, the band seems to be moving in a more melodic, experimental direction (a la Slipknot). However, even if the group called it a day (again) tomorrow, there's no denying it left one hell of a legacy in its wake.

Slipknot -- 'Iowa' [classic review]

Slipknot
"Iowa"
(Roadrunner Records)


Much like Pantera and Skid Row, when Slipknot prepared for its sophomore album the band decided to turn the metal up to the extreme. It could have spelled career suicide, but the group didn't care. It set out to release an unrelenting metal assault and that's exactly what resulted. The band was interested in touring with Deicide to promote the release, that's how heavy it was. Taylor opened the album with a guttural, death metal wail; the three-piece percussion unit performed like a fine-tuned machine; the guitars and bass traded riffs back and forth at a sometimes breakneck pace. The nine-piece outfit pulled together and unleashed a metal assault like a precision bomb.

The metal anthems ("Left Behind," "My Plague") just gives way to heavier tracks ("New Abortion," "Heretic Anthem") to even heavier fare ("I Am Hated," "Disasterpiece").

Much like a death metal album, apart from a handful of tracks (that ultimately became singles anyway), there wasn't anything that immediately jumped out at you. The beauty of the album is that it begs to be taken as a whole. It's as heavy as an album can get without shifting into a different realm of the genre (think Pantera's "Great Southern Trendkill"). Nothing feels overproduced but everything avoids sounding underdeveloped.

As it turns out, "Iowa" ended up being a completely misunderstood album. It was far too extreme for the masses that had embraced the aggression of "Slipknot." And fans from the heavier side of the tracks chose to shun the album with the impression Slipknot was nothing more than a "Hot Topic" band of the month (read: overly commercialized). But what I see is a classic.

"Iowa" captured a moment in time for Slipknot. The band wanted to make a statement and it did. The album and subsequent tour were so brutal it almost turned out to be the group's swan song. Instead, the members scattered and spent time working on other projects (The Murderdolls, DJ Starscream, Stone Sour, To My Surprise) and were able to regroup with a new appreciation for what Slipknot could become.

"Vol. 3" sees the band more in a different direction with the band exploring other dimensions of its sound and drawing inspiration from various extremes (metal and melody). I don't see the band ever reaching into the depths (of hell) to create "Iowa" part 2, let alone match or further the extreme nature (like I said, you can't get much more heavy without shifting into the death realm). Slipknot is capable of creating another classic, but will never outdo "Iowa."

Corrosion of Conformity -- 'In The Arms of God' [review]

Corrosion of Conformity
"In the Arms of God"
(Sanctuary Records)


Everyone has an extended family, and the metal community if no different.

You've got the grandfather you're close to: Black Sabbath.

The bad-ass father: Slayer.

The kids you're tight with: Trivium, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall.

The cousins you see once in a while: In Flames, The Haunted, Children of Bodom.

And the crazy uncle you see once in a while but you know is going to give you a good time: Corrosion of Conformity.

Well, that crazy uncle is finally back, and he's been gone far too long ...

Corrosion of Conformity is back with a vengeance. Pulling from its "Deliverance"-era sound, COC has pushed the blues-edge back into the mix and crafted a superb metal offering, "In the Arms of God," a true return-to-form.

Opening with sick, bluesy riffs, the album lead-off track, "Stone Breaker," soon tumbles over itself into a thick, sludgy metal anthem. Front man Pepper Keenan's vocals are instantly recognizable, as his intent, crisp drawl spews forth the lyrics with angry abandon. Bassist Mike Dean and drummer Stanton Moore do an adequate job backing up Keenan, but its him and fellow guitarist Woodroe Weatherman that anchor the riff-heavy COC sound.

There's hardly a break between tracks as the steamroller of "Stone Breaker" gives way to the more up-tempo yet just-as-crushing "Paranoid Opioid," which in turn offers little reprieve before Keenan is screaming over the foreboding opening notes of "It is That Way."

The beauty of "In the Arms of God" is that the band seems to have turned its back on the crisp production offered on "America's Volume Dealer" (the band's last studio album released in 2000). On this new beast of an album, the group has embraced an almost garage-band like sound, reminiscent of early Black Sabbath material blended with southern rock.

Standout tracks would have to be the aforementioned "Stone Breaker" and "Paranoid Opioid." But there seems to be little in terms of weak tracks -- the spoken-word verses of "Dirty Hands Empty Pockets (Already Gone)" are the perfect juxtaposition to the faster bridges and chorus (definitely vintage COC), while the slower "Crown of Thorns" comes across as the band's attempt at its own "Planet Caravan" (to use the Sabbath analogy).

Sandwiched in between is some of the best straight-forward southern-fried metal this side of Black Label Society.

It has been far too long since COC was on the scene and this is one hell of a welcome back party.

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.

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.

Slayer -- 'Soundtrack to the Apocalypse' [review]

Slayer
"Soundtrack to the Apocalypse"
American Recordings


Slayer.

Every fan of heavy metal has listened to this band.

Even people that don't listen to heavy metal are familiar with the name.

Over the years, Slayer has consistently built a strong catalogue and even stronger fanbase, from 1983's "Show No Mercy" on Metal Blade Records to their debut on American Recordings, 1986's "Reign in Blood," to newer albums like 1998's "Diabolus in Musica" (one of my all-time favorites) and 2001's "God Hates Us All," Slayer has cranked out some of the most blistering, awe-inspiring tracks of all time.

Singer and bassist Tom Araya, guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, along with a rotating line-up of drummers (most notably Paul Bostaph and Dave Lombardo), have been tearing through the metal scene for over 20 years. Surely it was time to put some sort of career retrospective out.

Enter: "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse."

"Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" is a box set of Slayer material spanning its years with American Recordings.

There are two different versions of the box set: a four disc set and a limited edition five disc set. The four disc set consists of three CDs worth of "greatest hits," rare and live tracks, songs from soundtracks, overseas releases and a DVD of performance footage spanning 20 years. The limited edition consists of the same thing but comes in an "ammo box" and also features a banner, backstage pass and fifth disc that features a full concert.

So, is this a box set worthy of one of the greatest (metal) bands of all time? Let's take a look at each aspect of the set and then at the set as a whole.

Disc 1

The first disc acts as a "greatest hits collection" off the band's first four albums for American Recordings (the band's Metal Blade catalogue is ignored). There's a nice remix of "Criminally Insane" and crisp transfer of "Raining Blood" (both off the "Reign in Blood" album). From the live version of "Chemical Warfare" (off 1991's "Decade of Aggression") to the chunky, riff-heavy "Seasons in the Abyss" (off the 1990 album of the same name), Slayer's older stuff sounds as good as ever.

Disc 2

Most of the second disc continues chronologically, touching on Slayer's next four albums. There's a whopping five tracks from Divine Intervention (with "Serenity in Murder" and "Dittohead" standing out as the stronger cuts), three off Slayer's "Undisputed Attitude" ("Gemini" was a nice pick), three off "Diabolus in Musica" (including "Stain of Mind") and three off of "God Hates Us All" (with the obvious inclusion of "Disciple" with a chorus of "God hates us all...").

The remaining tracks are where the meat of the collection finally starts to get exposed.

First up, there's Slayer's cover of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" off the soundtrack for the 1987 movie "Less Than Zero." It's not a bad cover per se, but I remember thinking at the time of it's initial release that Slayer could have really made this a creepy-ass, heavy cover.

Also from the realm of movies, there's "Human Disease" from "Bride of Chucky" and "Disorder" off the "Judgement Night" soundtrack.

The tracks off the "Judgment Night" soundtrack featured heavy metal bands and rap artists joining forces (Cypress Hill and Pearl Jam; Biohazard and Onyx). In this case, Slayer teamed up with Ice T which wasn\'t such a stretch at the time since Ice T was also fronting the metal band Body Count.

Rounding out disc two are songs available off the overseas releases of "Diabolus" and "God Hates Us All" (two each) -- with "Wicked" being one of the stronger tracks on the entire set.

Disc 3

The third disc consists entirely of rarities. There's live tracks from the very early days (the disc kicks off with "Ice Titan" live from 1983) all the way to 2002 ("Bloodline" live in Sweden), rehearsal stuff, home recordings (a couple of home recordings by Jeff Hanneman -- "Raining Blood" and an early version of "South of Heaven") and a rough studio mix of "Piece by Piece." There's also a track Slayer did with Atari Teenage Riot complete with industrialized techno that seems totally out of character for the band, but at the same time not a terrible song.

Disc 4

This is the DVD of the box; it contains 15 live tracks spanning the band's career. From "Die by the Sword" (live from 1983) to "Disciple" (live from 2003), the disc offers a glimpse into the evolution of Slayer, from an 80's big-haired, thrash band in a small California club, all the way to grizzled, tattooed, head-shaved, arena-touring, metal veterans.

The earlier clips are pretty rough. The video is as clear albeit somewhat grainy, but the audio is murky at times, with a lot of bass; the sound is ambient instead of coming off the sound board (which is what is done when the show is specifically being taped for release). Obviously these shows weren't taped to be put on DVD and released, but they do their job showing the band in its beginning stages. Though the clips are seen out of context (I know it's California, 1983, but what club? And is Slayer the opener or headlining?), it's still amazing to see them packing the house with what appears to be die-hard fans. "Aggressive Perfector" is particularly fun to watch.

The later clips are great both sonically and visually. "War Ensemble" and "South of Heaven" (live from Michigan in '91) feature great live energy. The ESPN performance of "Bloodline" is solid, even if the band was performing in a cramped space. "Disciple" and "God Send Death" (live from France, 2003) sound good, although the band was performing on a dark set so there's not too much to look at.

In addition to the live footage, there's two other "gems" to be had. There's some home video footage of the band accepting the Heaviest Band Award at the Kerrang! Magazine Awards in 1996, and an electronic press kit for "Diabolus in Musica." While the award thing is a little too lengthy for what it was (the band simply said thanks and that was it), the EPK is great to watch -- spliced between interview clips from all band members is rehearsal and live shots of the band performing what was, at the time, new material. But it also gives a little insight into the album in general and where the band was at that point in its career. The EPK is definitely the highlight of the DVD.

Disc 5

The deluxe edition of "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" also features a fifth disc: a full-length concert from the band's Anaheim stop on the God Hates Us All tour (2002). This was Slayer's first tour with original drummer Dave Lombardo back in the fold (he had left the band in the early '90s). The CD comes in a "Blood pack" sleeve -- essentially a slip case that's filled with fake blood and floating skulls -- that looks pretty cool.

As for the set list, the band dug way back for this one. After kicking off with the two opening tracks off "God Hates Us All," the band essentially played all their classics. Sure, they fit in "Stain of Mind" (off "Diabolus in Musica"), but the rest of the material had been aged at least 10 years (maybe this had to do with Lombardo re-entering the fold). It's nice to know the band can still bust out old favorites like "Chemical Warfare" or "At Dawn They Sleep" (featuring a kick-ass mini drum solo) and not miss a beat while "Seasons in the Abyss" and "Raining Blood" still sound as strong as ever.

The Extras

The limited edition of "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" includes a wall banner and a replica backstage laminate. Both versions of the box set come with a booklet featuring tons of pictures spanning the band's career, along with interviews with each band member and producer Rick Rubin. The booklet is pretty big in the deluxe version of the box, so I'm not sure how it is packaged in the regular version (from what I saw on the shelf, the regular version seemed to be packaged in what was, essentially, a double CD case).

Assessment

Well, the set kicks off with "Angel of Death," and it's such a great thrash-based song and a perfect way to kick off things. Slayer has just always been such a strong, riff-based metal band, and all of these tracks are great reminders. The "Decade of Aggression" live tracks are still phenomenal -- the live version of "Hell Awaits" is full of fury with great King riffs throughout. In between you've got gems like "Raining Blood" (with a great opening of rain and drums before the riffs and double-bass kick in) and "Seasons in the Abyss" (another one of my Slayer favorites). Also nice to hear the great Araya scream on songs like "Aggressive Perfector."

I'm particular happy with the inclusion of "Bitter Peace" on disc two, just because it has one of the coolest openings of any Slayer song -- the slow, plodding drumming and down-tuned guitar slowly picking up steam before plowing into the opening riff (great opening track for "Diabolus" too). And the guitar riffs mid-way through the track are particularly venomous. It's great to have "Death's Head" following because you expect the heavy bass and guitars of this tracks opening right after the abrupt ending of "Peace." Drummer Paul Bostaph shines on the "Intervention" tracks but instead of having such a heavy focus on this release I would've preferred a cover or two off "Undisputed Attitude," or maybe something else off of "Diabolus" or "God Hates Us All." The Ice T track is pretty interesting too, as it's substantially different from T's Body Count stuff, and he adds a weird element to the band that almost makes them sound slowed-down. Plus, it's weird hearing Araya moved down to background vocals.

The sound quality on disc three is questionable, but that's what you expect given the source material. The vocals on "Seasons in the Abyss" threw me off at first, and the rawness of the garage recordings is fun, but overall this is a hit-or-miss collection of rarities. The Atari Teenage Riot track really caught me off guard, but was pretty good.

As for the DVD, I was pretty disappointed with it. What was there was fine. The club shows sounded raw but I "get it" and still enjoy watching those clips (I had the same problem with the old clips off Fear Factory's "Digital Connectivity"). Still, I was dying for the band's actual videos. And maybe a couple of interview clips or something. Even something off a Headbangers Ball, or some festival stuff -- ANYTHING. As it stands, the whole thing clocked in a little over an hour, so there was obviously room for more.

The setlist for the live disc is strong. The sound quality is great and it stands unedited (with Araya comments throughout the set including a nice rant against the bouncers at the front of the stage). Plus, it's a nice capture of the energy the band has live (better than the other live clips sprinkled throughout the set apart from the "Decade of Aggression" tracks). In short: a strong live disc.

I loved the booklet that accompanied the set, but was mixed with the rest of it. I guess collectors would be into the banner and laminate, but I'll just keep those things in the box. I never understood the point of the laminate anyway, it's just a replica. (Now if you could keep it for potential fan meet-and-greets down the road, it would be a different story.) I just look at these things like prizes in a Cracker Jack Box: they kind of fun to get but useless overall.

OVERALL

Well, first off, the Metal Blade stuff is largely ignored except for live tracks or the DVD (although the studio version of "Aggressive Perfector" was a nice addition). The set could have been a lot stronger even if there was just an EP as the sixth disc with five or six tracks on it.

As for an anthology of sorts, the first 2 discs do a great job of spotlighting the band's career. Slayer's music hardly sounds dated, and the energy from the earlier tracks is comparable to anything being released today (there's a reason Slayer's considered one of the greatest metal bands of a ALL TIME).

The rare stuff is probably something only diehard fans would really be into, although there's nothing wrong with any of it. The DVD fell below expectations which is the biggest problem with the set overall. As for the bonus disc: there's nothing quite like seeing (or in this case hearing) Slayer live, and the set list is a great mix of old and new tracks.

You get the sense there could've been more included here. The band supposedly had done a rumored 50 or so tracks during the sessions for "Undisputed Attitude." There were also rumors of older tracks getting re-recorded at some point. I suspect there were a couple other unreleased tracks that could've been dug up.

There's some nice touches here. The CD's themselves are black (on the underside -- instead of shiny and reflective like most retail CDs). The box itself is what it is, the booklet is great to look through, and while I question the value of the extras, they were nice inclusions.