PlayRadioPlay -- 'Texas' [review]

PlayRadioPlay! - Texas
Island Records (03/18/08)
Pop / Rock / Alternative / Electronic

PlayRadioPlay! falls into that genre of music that merges hook-filled, pop-ish, alternative music (say, mellower Saves the Day or maybe Straylight Run) with a decidedly electronic background of beats and melody, to create this mish-mash of music that is as much about atmosphere and experience as it is about content (think Idiot Pilot or Postal Service and the like).

The results are pretty enjoyable. Not completely outstanding, but enough to hook you in and entertain. The melodies are simple and catchy, the lyrics are just quirky enough that you’re captivated without rolling your eyes and the vocals are actually the high point of the entire package. Daniel Hunter, who alone initially made up the band—though he has put together a full band for touring, and I did notice, I believe, a female vox in a couple of spots on the album—oozes this faux innocence in his delivery, but is commanding enough to drive each song on the strength of his vocals, meshing with the music.

Candlebox -- 'Into the Sun' [review]

Candlebox - Into the Sun
Silent Majority (7/22/08)
Rock

Almost a decade to the day since its last release (Happy Pills, 7/21/98), Candlebox has risen again and produced an album to equal its self-titled debut album.

Bursting onto the scene in 1993, the band may have found itself in the middle of a win-lose situation; the right-place, right-time story was both a blessing and a curse. Hailing from Seattle, label mismanagement attempted to capitalize on this fact and the band found itself lumped in with the grunge scene. This may have garnered the group a little extra attention, but as the music landscape shifted in the mid-'90s, the band unfortunately got lost in the shuffle (releasing the overlooked-yet-superior Lucy in 1995 and the weaker Happy Pills three years later). As the world welcomed a new millennium, the band was pretty much forgotten.

Into the Sun reminds listeners how missed Kevin Martin's soulful vocals have been in the rock scene. The album is immediately comfortable, and the band manages to string together a collection of songs to rival its best effort. For a moment, the group seems to channel "You" in opener "Stand", the familiar riffs giving way to a more modern explosion of rock. Candlebox also channels the intensity of earlier tracks like "Simple Lessons", offering up a nice blend of riff-heavy rock and roll with just the right amount of blues influence. The band shifts from louder material (the aforementioned "Stand") to a more laid-back rock-blues approach ("Bitches Brewin'") but really shines the brightest when it gets melancholic ("Surrendering", "Miss You" and the title-track). Of note are the aforementioned and much-missed vocals from Martin and the fantastic guitar work from Peter Klett (check out the solos on "Bitches Brewin'", "Underneath it All" and especially "Surrendering").

Of particular note is the blues-heavy, eight-minute-plus "Breath Me In" (which, for some reason, is split into two separate tracks on the album—an intro and the actual song), but truth be told, there isn't a weak track on here. Managing to channel the ghost of Mother Love Bone, the band just rocks out in every way imaginable.

The best part of this entire album is that Candlebox never sounds dated, and the band was never so huge that the effort might reek of a nostalgia trip. Instead, the group puts forth one of this year's strongest rock releases. Longtime fans can rejoice, and those new to the table can enjoy the ride.

Kessler -- 'Know Your Voice' [review]

Kessler - I Know Your Voice
Adrenaline Records (7/8/08)
Rock

On first listen, Kessler basically comes across as Fall Out Boy Version 2.0. And if you were to base your opinion on the first handful of tracks off I Know Your Voice, you'd probably be right. But the band manages to have this slight edge on the melodic rock offerings that hark back to older Spitalfield material, or maybe a little bit of Something Corporate (bands that never hit the big time like the aforementioned Fall Out Boy).

"Love Is War" (with its overly cliché lyrics: "Love is war and you're worth every fight") ... "Bravo" (which happens to feature some nice, driving guitar work) ... "Outside Your Window" (featuring some nice melancholic riffs) ... every track just seems to pass by with little to note. It surely doesn't help that the vocals of lead singer Mike Mitchell sound so similar to those of Patrick Stump.

It's around the sixth track ("Perfect") where the band starts to get a footing and begins giving the music more of an air of originality. From the stinging urgency of the guitar work during the verses, to the desperation seething through the chorus, they finally seem to figure out what they want to do. And it doesn't hurt that the vocals change up enough to finally start sounding unique.

And they follow that up with the piano-driven "Where You Are". The anti-ballad (or should it be un-ballad?) slows everything down and gives the band a chance to shine with the melody instead of the rock (though the aggressive guitar work around the chorus adds a nice touch). The band continues that melody through "Run Away", a more rock-oriented track with underlying piano work. It would have been nice if the group chose to have the piano be the hook for the entire album, to set Kessler off from the umpteen other bands doing this type of music.

The rest of the set plays out using a mixture of the now-established methods of attack, though special mention should be made of the acoustic guitar work on "Dallas" (though much more would have been welcome).

In the end, I Know Your Voice is a good enough first effort, but the unique moments that crop up midway through the album, if incorporated more, could have made this a much better outing. Once the band embraced the piano, the album became much more interesting.

Man Raze -- 'Surreal' [review]

Man Raze - Surreal
VH1 Classic Records (06/03/08)
Rock

While you wouldn’t necessarily call Surreal a vanity project, you might wonder if Man Raze would really be releasing albums if not for guitarist Phil Collen (Def Leppard) being the driving force behind the band. (It may also be a telling sign that the album is released on VH1 Classic label.)

The purpose for Man Raze, according to the band’s press material, is that Collen was looking for an outlet for the songs that didn’t fit the classic Def Leppard mold. Sadly, most of the material on Surreal, at least the stuff that doesn’t drastically deviate from the pop rock mold, sounds like Def Leppard light. And since Def Leppard itself sounds like Def Leppard light these days, well …

Man Raze presents pretty straightforward, uninspired pop rock. There’s other elements thrown in to the mix -- some punk (“This Is” and “Turning it Up”), reggae (“Runnin’ Me Up”), modern rock (“Low”) or heavier rock (“That’s Entertainment”).

The best the band has to offer sounds too much like some other band: “Skin Crawl” and “Spinning Out” would have had a perfectly suitable home on any Def Leppard release, while “Can’t Find My Own Way” plays out like an homage to The Police.

Surreal isn’t a complete waste of time, and fans of timid rock music will find something to enjoy, but there’s plenty of other, better bands out there that aren’t getting an opportunity because they don’t also have a “day job” in a bigger, better band.

Six -- 'Between the Warning and the War' [review]

Six - Between the Warning and the War
1605 Records (10/23/07)
Rock / Metal

How best to describe Six's latest offering, Between the Warning and the War? Basically it's a metal band taking all the elements of the hardcore genre and spewing it forth without falling into the worst subtlety of the genre—the simple nature of the song structure.

Pulling a heavy amount of inspiration from the legendary Suicidal Tendencies, along with elements of hardcore and punk, Six pulls everything together in a blistering metallic shell and each song seethes out of the speakers, full of fury and rage.

With guest appearances from Tony Campos (Static-X) and Mike Clark (Suicidal Tendencies), Six attacks the listener with a barrage of punishing grooves ("A Guide to Living Alone" and "The Beautiful Things"), thick riffs ("Broken Girl", with its insanely catchy melody, and "Had Enough", which features some great machine-gun blast beats) and punishing intensity ("Forgiveness" and "Warning"). The couple of curve balls, where the band most emulates Suicidal, come in the form of "Perfect Life" (a more mellow approach that still loses none of the band's intensity) and "Throwing the World Away".

PlayRadioPlay -- 'Texas' [review]

PlayRadioPlay! - Texas
Island Records (03/18/08)
Pop / Rock / Alternative / Electronic

PlayRadioPlay! falls into that genre of music that merges hook-filled, pop-ish, alternative music (say, mellower Saves the Day or maybe Straylight Run) with a decidedly electronic background of beats and melody, to create this mish-mash of music that is as much about atmosphere and experience as it is about content (think Idiot Pilot or Postal Service and the like).

The results are pretty enjoyable. Not completely outstanding, but enough to hook you in and entertain. The melodies are simple and catchy, the lyrics are just quirky enough that you’re captivated without rolling your eyes and the vocals are actually the high point of the entire package. Daniel Hunter, who alone initially made up the band—though he has put together a full band for touring, and I did notice, I believe, a female vox in a couple of spots on the album—oozes this faux innocence in his delivery, but is commanding enough to drive each song on the strength of his vocals, meshing with the music.

Air Traffic -- 'Fractured Life' [review]

Air Traffic - Fractured Life
EMI Records (02/05/08)
Rock



From the opening chords of Fractured Life, you'll find yourself trying to put a finger on where you've heard this before.

What is it? Is it The Bends-era Radiohead?

No, that’s not it (but how cool would that be?). You cycle through a couple more bands from the UK, trying to place the voice... Nothing.

Then you focus more on the overall "sound" of Air Traffic, and it hits you. The band is a UK version of The Fray, only more extreme on each end of the sonic spectrum (the rock is harder, the moody stuff is heavier).

After almost a year of availability overseas, Air Traffic's Fractured Life is finally making a debut stateside. The band's piano-driven rock, if it can find an immediate audience, is sure to catch on and be a big hit. This album could find quite the little niche into which to settle. It's not overly garage rock; the piano adds this additional depth to the band's sound, and their considered peers are bigger hits in their homeland than in North America (then again, that might be a bad precursor).

Opener "Come On" builds slowly, opening like a piano ballad and growing into an anthem by the close (you’ll hear the Radiohead influence in the guitar work). "Charlotte" is a short, little catchy rock song with an infectious chorus. "Never Even Told Me", "Just Abuse Me" and "I Like That" are carried by Chris Wall on lead vocals, as Wall also tears it up on the piano. And apropos to its title, "Shooting Star" just soars with airy, driving riffs reminiscent of U2 or Coldplay's finer moments (with some killer soloing mid-way through the song). And the band can slow down and still string together some great music (just listen to "Empty Space" or "No More Running Away").

The first listen of this album was a tough one to get through, just because I didn’t know what to expect. Once you settle in to the band's approach and take everything in (as opposed to trying to figure out where the group is coming from), it's like flipping a switch. Fractured Life is one hell of a rock album, and a fine debut. It's smart, mournful, fun and catchy—sometimes all at the same time. If the band manages to catch on and take off, it could be huge.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble -- 'Pride and Joy' [DVD review]

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Pride and Joy [DVD]
Epic Records (11/06/07)
Unrated
70 minutes



Originally released just after his untimely passing, Pride and Joy acted as the definite Stevie Ray Vaughan video collection. Now, recently re-released in an expanded DVD set, the collection is still a fantastic look back at one of the guitar greats from the 20th century.

Vaughan was a master when it came to blues/rock riffs. This set features videos for hits like "Superstition", "I'm Leaving You," "Cold Shot," "Love Struck Baby" and a blistering version of "The House is Rockin'" (all on the original video release).

But it's the added material that really shines here.

First you have three tracks from Vaughan’s Unplugged appearance ("Rude Mood," "Pride and Joy" and "Testify"). Then there are two videos from The Vaughan Brothers release, "Tick Tock" (filmed after Stevie’s death and dedicated to the legend) and the so-so "Good Texan."

And the gem of the set, a classic video for Vaughan’s cover of "Little Wing," includes tons of great footage from guitar legends of the past, along with some nice spoken word overlaid on the track.

To wrap things up, we get vintage commercials for two of Vaughan's albums and an electronic press kit for The Vaughan Brothers which is only of interest since it's basically an extended interview with Stevie and his brother Jimmie.

There are no bells and whistles with this collection. It's presented, bare-bones, full frame with the sound mixed off the front channels in normal stereo. All the video looks clear, except for the live video for "I’m Leaving You" which is a little grainy given the source material.

My only gripe would be that the commercials and EPK are presented as chapters in the set instead of bonus material (which it obviously is). Add on, say, a handful of audio-only tracks (maybe mixed in surround sound) and this would be a must-have for everyone. As it stands, it's a must-have for any Stevie Ray Vaughan fans. Or, if you love the blues, you should buy this just for what it is—a look back at a legend of the genre.

Yes, Stevie Ray Vaughan is still missed.

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.

Northstar -- 'Pollyanna' [review]

Northstar
"Pollyanna"
Triple Crown Records

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Armsbendback -- 'The Waiting Room' [review]

Armsbendback
"The Waiting Room"
Victory Records


ArmsBendBack burst onto the scene in 2002 with "Even Though I'll Hurt You." While there were only a handful on songs on the disc (five to be exact), they seemed to generate enough buzz to sign with Trustkill Records. Of course, it didn't hurt that this Philadelphia quartet was also heavily touring with the likes of OneLineDrawing and A Static Lullaby.

The band isn't nearly as grinding and hardcore as some of their label-mates (Nora or 18 Visions). But then again, Trustkill is also the home of Open Hand (a phenomenal band) and Poison the Well (which, while pretty hardcore, has it\'s moments of melody and softness).

I was familiar with the band prior to this release, but hadn't really heard any songs. I assumed the band's sound was similar to A Static Lullaby -- there's a huge sticker on the front of the wrapped CD talking about Finch and Thrice ("If you're a fan of these bands, check this out..."). Victory Records had done this type of marketing in the past with the likes of Taking Back Sunday and Thursday to try and get more buys. It almost saying the band can\'t stand on it's own, so we'll reference these other well-known bands instead.

And that's definitely not the case with Armsbendback -- they CAN and COULD stand out on their own.

The band consists of Andrew Kegerise on drums, Brad Sloan on bass, vocalist Mike Coasey and guitarist Carson Slovak. Slovak and Sloan also handle backing vocals. The band's sound is catchy and dynamic, with vocals drifting from melodic wails to angry screaming (but leaning towards the former); the tracks seem intricate and simple all at the same time. Coasey's vocals didn't appeal to me on first listen. The vocals seemed murky, almost waterlogged if it were possible, like there was a weird bass to it. But that was just a "first-listen" thing, and the strength of his vocals are what's rapidly making this one of my favorites of the year.

Four of the five tracks from the first album were re-recorded for "The Waiting Room" at Big Meanie Studios in New Jersey (where Thursday has also recorded for what it's worth). The rest are new and the whole thing was recorded in eight days, a commendable feat given nothing seems rushed or off, and the disc probably feels a little more raw (in a good way) for it.

"Hooray for hell if it\'s on the way." With those words Armsbendback opens "The Waiting Room." The opening track "Countdown to the End of the World," sets the tone for the album: driving guitar and bass with thundering drums and traded off vocals ranging from melodic rambling to strained screeching and screamed, hardcore punctuations.

"Primera (Last Goodbye)" is a fantastic track. The song works great as the second track: it isn't quite intense enough to open the album, but a great lead in to the meat of the disc. The vocals are strong and Coasey's singing really shines, especially as he draws out lyrics like "This is my last goodbye" and makes them sound so haunting.

"Trading the Silence" has some interesting back and forth vocals in it, but the music seems too monotonous. Definitely one of the disc's weaker tracks... but that's still saying a lot as it isn't terrible, just not too exciting musically.

"The Arms of Automation" is one of the songs redone from the first album and is my personal favorite on the disc. The lyrics, seemingly dealing with spurned love, are great ("My arms will not take hold of you. Instead of giving up I wait."). The guitar riffs and drumming are fast-paced but deliberate during the song, while the chorus' music has a great catchy sound. And as the song comes to a close with Coasey singing "I've waited all my life for this," there's a sort-of sing-along scream in the background that still comes off as melodic.

The drumming shines during "Terms and Conditions." The vocals seem pretty strained, but the bass and drumming trade off work well. This is another one of those songs that seem almost monotonous, but the double-bass pedal-work of Kegerise makes it worth while.

"Garry Gilmore's Eyes" has a Helmet feel to it: the thick guitar start/stops with a driving, hook-laden chorus. "Radial" is more of a hardcore track, with an interesting start/stop during the verses. The chorus is more melodic and Coasey voice again shines. There's a great, almost hypnotic guitar line played through most of the song too, just a simple back and forth chord.

"Watermark" again revisits work from "I'll Hurt You..." The lyrics make the song come off like a love song ("I want to live inside you, just to see just what you see"), but I can't help but feel there's more underneath the surface. That's the great thing about most of these songs, they're open to interpretation. The verses are slower and melodic, with the choruses picking up energy and the vocals becoming more scratchy.

"Dystopia" (the last of the previously released tracks) is just a great, slow brewing song with a lot of energy in the choruses and haunting feedback during the verses. There's some great drum work mid-way through the song too.

"This Could Be" seems out of place on the disc overall. It has the thick, guitar riffs during the verses, but the tempo seems off for some reason ... it might be the placement of the song so close to the end of the disc. There's some nice melodic singing during the chorus though.

"Red Ceiling" is a slower, driving track -- musically the song just keeps drilling towards something, but never seems to get there. But the vocals save it: Coasey follows along, ploddingly during the verses but really opens up during the choruses ... and I assume he handles some of the hardcore yelling during the bridge which sounds great. "Red Ceiling" is the perfect example of a song that starts off boring, but hooks you in by the middle, and then by the end you're wondering why you didn't like it to begin with.

A piano break opens up the last and longest track on the disc, "Apollo's Collapse" (clocking in around 7 minutes). It reminds me a little of the weird, Pink Floyd sounding stuff Snapcase puts out from time to time. There's some space effects, and Coasey sounds like he's singing a lullaby ... then right as you feel safe and relaxed the track really opens up with the whole band rocking out. Of course, the lullaby returns to calm things down again ... and the cycle continues. A nice ending to a solid album.

Mushroomhead -- 'XIII' [review]

Mushroomhead
"XIII"
Universal Records


It can be tough trying to classify a band when it mixes so many elements to its sound. Such is the problem with Mushroomhead, relative newcomers to the national metal scene. What to call the band's sound? Hard rock with a techno edge? Even that seems too confining, although it's clear the band is firmly grounded with at least one foot in the metal scene.

Starting out, Mushroomhead was more of an underground sensation, developing a reputation off the strength of its live show. The band broke nationally in 2001 with the release of "XX," an album which featured re-mixed material from Mushroomhead's hard-to-find independent releases: "Mushroomhead"(1993), "Superbuik"(1996) and "M3"(1999). The band has been compared to everything from Faith No More (musically) to Slipknot (both bands feature mask-wearing jumpsuit clad members -- that's where the similarities end in this case), but the band has managed to create a unique enough sound that is easily recognizable: dualing vocals, chunky bass riffs, down-tuned guitars, plodding drums, samples and interesting orchestration. If you had to sum it all up in one word: Murky.

So, does "XIII" do anything to further the legacy of Mushroomhead? Whereas "XX" was really hard to digest (covering such a large expanse of the band's catelogue -- the album lacked a certain focus on it's own but served as a nice introduction to the band), "XIII" features all new, fresh music.

Mushroomhead's unique sound comes from a variety of elements: the vocal combination of J Mann and Jeffrey Nothing, drummer Skinny playing off of Pig Benis' wicked bass lines, Shmotz on keyboards, guitarists Gravy and Bronson with Stitch rounding out the amalgam with samples.

"XIII" kicks off with "Kill Tomorrow." The song has some great, fast-paced rhythm during the verses with the bass and drums sounding better than ever, but the choruses slow down to the familiar Mushroomhead sound.

The disc's strongest track, "Sun Doesn't Rise" was, I assume, the first single off the disc, and is reminiscent of "Solitaire/Unraveling," the big hit off the last album. The vocals are pretty strong, the drumming is great during the bridge, and overall the song exhudes a creepy vide which is perfectly suited to the band.

"Mother Machine Gun" starts off with an interesting piano and drum piece before the sludgy guitars kick in. This song is a perfect microcosm for the album as a whole: it starts off real promising but falls back to the safe, usual sound for the band, and comes off lacking in some fashion. Still, the guitar riffs in this song are great.

On "Nowhere to Go" the band finally slows down, this song has a ballad feel, but still features an edgey guitar sound to it -- like, you're not quiet sure if the song is going to tear apart at a point (in a good way), and by the time the full band florishes mid-way through, it's like a well-deserved payoff.

"Becoming Cold" seems like a write-off track. At this point on the disc, the similar-sounding songs start to blend together. You start to feel like you've already listened to the song before it really gets going.

"One More Day" opens up with piano too, but the piano stays throughout the song which creates a great atmosphere (with the vocals and programming) for what I assume is a spurned-love song with lyrics like "You take me higher than the lowest place."


Benis' bass work on "The Dream is Over" is fantastic, grinding under the vocals like a steamroller and giving the track a feel of something like a song off Coal Chamber's first album. The fast paced "The War Inside" follows, giving a a nice one/two punch mid-way through the disc. I wonder if the album would have been better off leading off with these two tracks, and then blending into a slower track.

"Almost Gone" has a nice Corrosion of Conformity vibe to it. Vocally, the COC vibe popped up slightly in "Nowhere to Go" first, but here it\'s the vocals and the general feel of the music -- the sludgey guitars and bass and bluesy riffs -- that almost make this sound unlike anything else the band is doing. (This is personally, my favorite track.)

From here the album just sort of plows on -- each song has nice little moments but aren't too great: "Eternal" features some great attacking bass lines and drum progressions on it; "Our Own Way" is a powerful track ending with a constant scream of "Arise" and piano; "Destroy the World Around Me" just seems too long and overblown clocking in at over 8 minutes.

The last track, "Thirteen," begins as an instrumental, but turns into a heavy cover of Seal's "Crazy." I could recognize the song, and never liked it before -- but I don't mind it so much here. If you never recognized it as a cover, it would sound like a good Mushroomhead track. Instead, it's a hard twist on a mellow song. As far as covers go, it's not bad, and the band puts its stamp on it.

Static X -- 'Shadow Zone' [review]

Static-X
"Shadow Zone
Warner Brothers


Static-X burst onto the music scene in 1999 with the release of "Wisconsin Death Trip." At the time, I had just seen Static-X open for Fear Factory and remember being taken with lead singer Wayne Static's vocal delivery. It was fast paced and urgent ... and he wrote lyrics that rolled off his tongue in such a unique fashion. The music sounded almost industrial in nature (think: Ministry without the edge), and over the years developed into a mix of programming and metal almost on par with Rob Zombie's band for the solo material (only with all the production effects added).

"Death Trip" was, at its heart, a nice little metal album. Static did some programming effects for tracks throughout the disc, but the album as a whole, was a nice little kick in the ass for fans of that type of music. Songs like "Bled for Days" and the title track are as good today as they were four years ago while other bands making disposable music at the time have since disappeared.


Static-X followed up "Death Trip" with 2001's "Machine." The album was much heavier than its predecessor. Songs like "Get to the Gone" and "This is Not" were louder, angrier and more fierce than anything the band had offered up previously. At some point the band also offered up a track for an animated Batman series that sounded like trance music and seemed totally out of character for the band.

"Shadow Zone" seems to have taken a step back from the foundation laid by "Machine": the band toned the "heavy" down, and added a lot more programming -- it just seems overly apparent in every track. Plus -- and this is a complaint I heard about the band from fans and non-fans throughout the years -- each song seems to bleed into the other and sound the same. In the past I'd have disagreed, but "Shadow Zone" seems to lack whatever I had heard in the previous albums.

Each song has nice parts, but most of them don't seem very memorable. It's nice to hear the trademark Static growls at the end of the opening track, "Destroy All." Tony Campos' underlying bass riffs on "Control It" are fantastic, but the guitar riffing gets annoying after a while. "Control It" is actually one of the strongest tracks on the album and I'm surprised it wasn't the lead off-single as it's a track that showcases the elements that fans of the band have come to love.


"New Pain" starts off with some potential, but then there's a strange bridge after each chorus with weird vocals that detract from the overall sound the song has going for it. The title track has some nice vocal delivery from Static, but the actual lyrics seem nonsensical, and the song again suffers from a weak chorus heavy on the keyboards. The singing reminds me of "Bled for Days" only less threatening. The guitar work done by Static and Tripp Rex Eisen on "Dead World" is another trademark of the band, the buzzing back a forth of the two creates a nice frenetic atmosphere.


"Monster" has some great vocals again from Static. He just rattles off line after line at breakneck speed while the guitars grind along with him like a locomotive. While it's mostly a list of words or phrases, everything flows nicely together and actually makes sense.

"The Only" is a little slower than the tracks preceding it, but has a nice edge to it. The drumming and bass lines at the end of the song are a highlight of the track. "Kill Your Idols" is the closest song to sound like the Static-X of old. Musically "All in Wait" is strong, especially the bass, but the vocals seem distant and bring the song down. The programming on this track also seems out of place. "Otsegolectric" was the song I heard touted before the release of the disc, but doesn't really do anything to stand out on its own.

"So," a song about pushing a loved one away, is the best song on the "Shadow Zone." It's a great love-type song with a nice edge. It's the type of song you could put on a mix tape for someone, but still listen to it alone and get into it.

"Transmission" is just a bridge of noise and sounds to the last track, "Invincible." The band goes out on a slower note with this melancholic track that doesn't seem to fit in with its normal sound.

Well, at first listen it seems like Static-X has lost it's edge. The songs have strong elements, but suffer ultimately from either bad choruses or weird structure. The strongest songs on the disc have to be "Control It," "Shadow Zone," "Monster" and "So." I know that the programming is one element of the "Static-X sound," but I just feel like it gets overwhelming after a while. On second and third listens the band still comes off angry and loud, but in the end this album just didn't quite do "it" for me.

From Autumn to Ashes -- 'The Fiction We Live' [review]

From Autumn to Ashes

"The Fiction We Live"

Vagrant Records



"Climbing on the way up,

Sizing up the competition,

waiting for the right time,

To strike a chord and change your life."

-- From "Lilacs & Lolita"


When From Autumn to Ashes made the jump from Ferret Records, home/once-home to bands like A Static Lullaby and Killswitch Engage, fans wondered exactly how much the band's sound would be altered. Well, if ever a band benefited from the jump from an indie to major (or in this case, somewhat major) label, it's From Autumn to Ashes.

The concern on the part of the fans was not unfounded ... after all, From Autumn to Ashes, at its core, was a hardcore band experimenting with tinges of metal, acoustic guitar and heartfelt melody. Its first full-length release, "Too Bad You're Beautiful," was raw, aggressive, and beautiful all at the same time. Would the band become more mainstream? Would a major label tone down the hardcore aspects and play up the emo elements?

The answer to these questions is a resounding no.

After signing to Ferret Records, From Autumn to Ashes went and made a phenomenal From Autumn to Ashes disc. The band sounds more crisp and polished than ever, due in part to constant touring over the past few years, and also the great production work of Garth Richardson who has previously worked with the likes of Rage Against The Machine, L7, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne and Kittie (to name a few).

The band features two vocalists, lead singer Benjamin Perri and drummer Francis Mark, who trade off throughout the songs. Bassist Mike Pilato keeps a nice backbeat through the disc and has some nice breakout moments in some tracks (which I'll get to later). Guitarists Scott Gross and Brian Deneeve round out the line-up trading guitar riffs, neat little guitar licks and dive bombs from track to track. The beauty of the band is that no one aspect or member outshines the other, the five form a well-oiled machine and complement each other nicely.

The disc kicks off with "The After Dinner Paycheck," which had actually been released a month earlier on the Freddy Vs. Jason soundtrack. The track is a great introduction to the band's sound with Perri growling out vocals before Mark starts answering back about a minute in, with a more strained delivery, sounding slightly forced and more rock-centric. The bass and guitar tumble over each other like a steamroller before opening up with driving guitar riffs at a more frantic pace.

"No Trivia" is one of the best songs on the disc, both lyrically and musically. Pilato is great on the bass here while Mark handles all the vocals ... by the end of the song as he's yelling, "You know I care," I defy the listener to not get chills up the back of your neck.

By now the band's settled into a groove and the songs flow heavy and hard: "Milligram Smile" (which the band filmed a video for and may currently be seen on MTV2) combines quick verses with heavy drumming and guitar riffs alternating with acoustic bridges; "The Second Wrong Makes it Right" does the opposite with slower verses and more metal-like bridges and ends with a great piano piece.

"Autumns Monologue" is one of the strongest songs on the disc and one that fans will like more than casual listeners. Melanie Wills (of One True Thing) does the vocals on the track accompanied by only an acoustic guitar, piano and quiet drumming. The song is a continuation of "Short Stories With Tragic Endings," the last song off the band's previous effort "Too Bad..." Wills has a great voice and I highly recommend checking out her band (www.onetruething.net).

"Alive Out of Habit" and "All I Taste Today is What's Her Name" are strong tracks. "The Fiction We Live" is an answer song to "Autumns Monologue," the same song with Mark singing different vocals. I personally like the song a lot but sometimes skip over it because I feel like it would work better at the end of the disc, maybe as a hidden track. Instead the disc ends with "I'm The Best At Ruining My Life" which seems to end abruptly and leave you wanting more.