Byzantine -- 'Oblivion Beckons' [review]

Byzantine - Oblivion Beckons
Prosthetic Records (01/22/08)
Metal

In a bittersweet turn of events, up-and-coming potential metal legends Byzantine greeted 2008 with probably the best album of their short career, and then abruptly broke up before the thing even hit the shelves.

North America's response to European prog-metal masters Opeth, the band just seemed to be gaining momentum. With Oblivion Beckons, every aspect of Byzantine's sound has been ratcheted up a notch (or ten)—the riffs are thicker and more complex, the drumming more frenetic, the bass meatier and the vocals either grittier, more horrific or melodically haunting.

Opening with "Absolute Horizon", the band just tears into fifth gear from the get-go. Starting off with some Morse code, the beeps build like a sense of paranoia before a couple of guitar chords break the hypnotic tone. And then a guttural howl from OJ Ojeda explodes the track into a metallic juggernaut, with machine-gun drumming and breakneck riffs.

Cavalera Conspiracy -- 'Inflikted' [review]

Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted
Roadrunner Records (03/24/08)
Metal

While it may have seemed inevitable, no one was quite sure how long the world would have to wait before Max and Iggor Cavalera, the brothers behind the founding of Sepultura, would reunite. Max had left the band to form Soulfly in 1996, while Iggor left the group more recently, in 2006.

A blistering combination of Arise-era Sepultura and Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy merges thrash metal with a punk ethos, to great result. Iggor, a vastly underrated metal drummer, is a force to be reckoned with on Inflikted, incorporating a mix of thrash and straight-up metal drumming with tribal beats and elements (listen to "Black Art" for the best example of Iggor's method of attack). And after sounding a little stunted on the past couple of Soulfly albums, Max seems rejuvenated, with more explosive riffs and intense vocals.

Kingdom of Sorrow -- 'Kingdom of Sorrow' [review]

Kingdom of Sorrow - Kingdom of Sorrow
Relapse Records (02/19/08)
Metal

After a far-too-lengthy delay, Kingdom of Sorrow has finally been unleashed upon the world. And man, was it worth the wait.

The brainchild of Jamie Jasta (Hatebreed) and Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down), the project languished for years as the duo sorted out a variety of record label issues. But the little that did find its way to the fan base over the past year or so has done well to whet its metallic appetite.

Each track spills forth like a avalanche of sludgy, thick sonic turmoil. Jasta's guttural wails merge perfectly with Windstein's more mournful howls. Sure, it sounds like a merger between Hatebreed and Crowbar (as many reviewers have pointed out in a negative fashion), but what did you expect? Hell, one of the earlier titles for the project was Crowbreed. But what's wrong with a combination of those sounds?

Kate Voegele -- 'Don't Look Away' [review]

Kate Voegele - Don't Look Away
MySpace Records (01/22/08)
Pop / Rock / Folk

One online reviewer called Kate Voegele’s release a little Sheryl Crow but a lot more Michele Branch. It's a perfect way to sum up Don't Look Away.

There seems to be a cycle to the singer/songwriter genre—it comes in waves. There's nothing for a few years, then a bunch all at once, then another lull. And like with all things, there's a handful of truly talented singers, and more than a few misses that caught a break riding the latest wave. Hindsight being what it is, in a couple of years we'll be left with the good ones (that's called staying power) and the rest will fall by the wayside (into oblivion).

Getting back to Voegele: Much like the aforementioned Branch, she's a young talent with a respectable amount of ability to back up the pretty voice (she not only plays guitar, but also wrote all of her songs). And as a younger singer, rather than focusing her music toward a teen fan base, Voegele's style drifts more toward an adult-contemporary mindset. (Think Mandy Moore's more mature, recent offerings as opposed to her earlier career.)

Don't Look Away shoots out of the gate with melody and catchy hooks, and never seems to let up. With a voice that betrays her 22 years, Voegele commands attention from the album opener (the demanding "Chicago") and carries the rest of the album with authority through to the end (check out the vocal freestyling at the end of the piano ballad "Kindly Unspoken").

And it's near impossible to shuttle Voegele into one style. Sure, it's basically pop-rock, but there are other elements in there, too. Voegele works some soul ("Devil in Me" and "Kindly Unspoken"), hints of country ("I Won‘t Disagree"), and a little bit of folk ("Wish You Were") into her vocal delivery.

An impressive debut for this singer/songwriter, Don't Look Away shines as bright as her contemporaries in this latest wave (like Sara Bareilles). Easy and enjoyable to listen to, there's a little bit of something for everyone on this album. Everything is catchy enough to keep you wanting more, and the music is actually good enough that it doesn't get old or boring at all throughout the entire set. This is one of the best singer/songwriter albums to be released this year (so far).

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.

Idiot Pilot -- 'Wolves' [review]

Idiot Pilot - Wolves
Reprise Records (02/12/08)
Rock / Alternative / Experimental

Idiot Pilot follows in the steps of bands willing to put together musical landscapes and experiences instead of just making songs (think mid-career Radiohead, Postal Service or certain elements of Sparta). It’s great for fans who love albums instead of singles. But Idiot Pilot seems to be able to take the foundation of such an approach and still put together killer stand-alone tracks at the same time (like the rocking opener "Last Chance").

The band bends this alternative-rock approach around synthesizers and ambient (electronic) noise and programming. The vocals are reminiscent of the above-mentioned acts with a couple of screams thrown in for good measure here and there. That pretty much sums up every song on Wolves. The band switches everything up more than enough that the approach never becomes predictable or boring.

The entire album pulls elements from notable acts like Sunny Day Real Estate, The Cure, Deftones, Sparta and numerous others, yet manages to find its own place among the mix. Take a song like "Good Luck", which one minute can have this machine-gunning attack of drums give way to rudimentary electronic beats, which in turn gives way to a soaring melody.

Upon first listen, I wanted to hate this album. I wanted to write a review that basically said "been there, done that." But with each listen a new layer gets peeled away. Sure, there’s some forgettable moments sprinkled in there (especially in a couple of the later songs), but taken as a whole this is a pretty good album that creates an enjoyable atmosphere and manages to cover a broad range of spectrums without getting caught up in itself.

Seven Mary Three -- 'Day&Nightdriving' [review]

Seven Mary Three - Day&Nightdriving
Bellum Records (02/19/08)
Rock / Alternative

"Remember you said you'd rather be scared then bored to death with one another / You’d rather be broke and trying than sit still dying"
—From "Break the Spell"

It's never easy to feel like you are constantly being measured against your first big hit. Such may have been the case for Seven Mary Three. The band's first hit, "Cumbersome", still finds its way into many rock radio playlists to this day. But it was never an adequate representation of what the band had to offer. So, rather than re-writing the same album over and over, the band chose its own road, and in the process crafted some of the most criminally overlooked albums of the last decade. And like each album that preceded it, the band’s latest, Day& Nightdriving is chock-full of great rock music.

Sure, the blistering opener "Last Kiss" might not match the ferocity and emotion of, say, "Water's Edge" or "My My" (both off the band's debut, American Standard), and the melancholic appeal of "Hammer & a Stone" or "She Wants Results" doesn’t quite measure up to "Lucky" or "Make Up Your Mind" (off Rock Crown), but all are a solid addition to the band's catalogue.