Melissa Auf Der Maur -- 'Auf Der Maur' [review]

Melissa Auf Der Maur
"Auf Der Maur"
Capitol Records


It's hard for a musician to shed the restraints of their band and blossom into a full-fledged solo artist after handling mainly instrumental duties in a band.

Dave Grohl went on to front Foo Fighters after drumming for Nirvana.

Phil Collins started off as the drummer for Genesis before fronting said band and eventually going solo.

Jerry Cantrell was the guitarist for Alice in Chains before trying his hand at a solo career,

And now, after a nearly two year wait, Melissa Auf Der Maur's debut album is finally seeing the light of day.

Moving to the United States in 1994, Auf Der Maur played bass in Hole for 5 years and followed that up with a final album and farewell tour with Smashing Pumpkins. There were hints -- most notably her backing vocals during the time in Hole -- that there was more to Auf Der Maur than just a bass player and a pretty face. So in 2001, the musician began the process of putting together her first solo-album.

According to Auf Der Maur (via her Web site), "The songwriting took place over the last decade. For creative reasons, it was important for me to do this on my own, before even entertaining the thought of a record company. So I got a plan together and spent every penny I've made. I just needed to make my album with no thought of how it would get out there."

Auf Der Maur collaborated with many other musicians throughout the recording, most notably Eric Erlandson (formerly of Hole), James Iha (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins), Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age and Brandt Bjork (formerly of QotSA and Kyuss).

As for the recording of each track, Auf Der Maur laid a foundation down with a drummer (recording bass, guitar and vocals herself) and then invited other musicians to build upon each song in specific areas.

So, is Auf Der Maur's "Auf Der Maur" a success? Well, kind of.

The album is an eclectic collection of songs, sounding familiar to everything from Sonic Youth to Veruca Salt to the musician's former bands. Vocally, Auf Der Maur seems very gifted, which has been apparent since her backup vocals during Hole's "MTV Unplugged" performance and cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Black Gold Woman" (off the "Crow: City of Angels" soundtrack) outshined the band's frontwoman.

Most of the tracks on "Auf Der Maur" suck you in in a hypnotizing fashion. The album's lead-off single, "Followed the Waves," chugs along repetitively, lulling the listener with it's stoner-rock murkiness. Homme and Bjork work great together, but it's Auf Der Maur's almost-melancholic voice and amazing vocal range that is the true star here.

The track's follow-up, "Real a Lie," keeps the sludgy (yet upbeat) undertone, but is a better song if only for the simple yet catchy chorus reminiscent of a band like Lush or Magnapop.

The rest of the disc is a mix of flavors: the sexually-charged "Taste You" was obviously born out of the Auf Der Maur's time in Hole; "Beast of Honor" has an opening closely resembling a water-logged Nirvana; "My Foggy Notion" is a great QotSA-inspired rocker; "I Need I Want I Will" and "My Foggy Notion" have an subtle, interesting middle-eastern flavor flowing through them.

The problem here is that, as good as songs like "Followed the Waves" and "Real a Lie" are, there's just too much slow filler here that, at times, just sounds boring. Despite Auf Der Maur's strong vocals the songs are lyrically weak, bordering on triteness most of the time. And the eclectic element surrounding the album as a whole actually weakens the overall product -- Auf Der Maur swings from stoner-rock to alternative pop to hollow, pseudo-jazz cum rocker tracks (like "I'll Be Anything You Want") so if you like a couple of songs, there's the possiblity you might not like others.

Despite the album's short-comings, Auf Der Maur's vocals and musical sensibility is compelling enough to warrant a listen. The album does a great job of showcasing Auf Der Maur's fantastic voice but is hit or miss on the song-crafting end of things. This album was a sort of labor of love for Auf Der Maur, so hopefully it will do a good job of getting her foot back in the door of the music scene.

Seemless -- Self-Titled [review]

Seemless
Self-titled
(Losing Face Records)


Seemless is a band many of you have probably never heard of.

Collectively the band is a faceless entity, but taken in it's parts, much of the band has been part of the elite hardcore/metal scene over the past few years: Vocalist Jesse David Leach, former frontman of Killswitch Engage; Drummer Derek Kerswill, formerly keeping beats with Shadows Fall; Former Medium bassist Kevin Schuler; Guitarist Pete Cortese, founding member of Overcast.

With a line-up solidly anchored in the metal community it would have been easy for Seemless to offer up a brutal release in the vein of any of the member's former bands. But instead, "Seemless" plays out more like an alternative-rock masterpiece right out of the height of the grunge era.

Throughout the band's self-titled debut, hints of early Corrosion of Conformity swim around vocals similar to something from Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden -- sounding like the bastard son of grunge and metal.

After a moody two-plus minute instrumental opener, the album tears open with "Something's Got to Give," with thick guitar and bass riffs tumbling over each other to a solid drum and cymbal-filled back beats. As Leach starts singing, it could really catch first-time listeners off-guard -- a mix of Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Weiland ("Core"-era STP) and Cornell (Soundgarden) -- moody, melodic and emotional all at once.

"Something's Got to Give" sets the tempo for the album as the band tears through track after track, each one in a similar vein: an alternating slow-paced or up-tempo, grunge-tinged rock song. The bluesy instrumentation juxtaposed against Leach's restrained vocals creates an interesting dynamic that can easily appeal to a plethora of listeners.

Occasionally the members' history catches up with them, especially Leach as he lets loose with a nice scream here and there. Production-wise, "Seemless" has a nice raw feel to it at times and the band has embraced an old school mentality letting loose with guitar solos from time to time.

The album is solid as a whole, with some great "moments" along the way: "The Wanderer" sounds like a cut off of Corrosion of Conformity's 1994 release "Deliverance"; "Soft Spoken Sanity" has a killer guitar solo to close it out; "Endless" is a great, slow-paced moody ballad in the vein of Alice in Chains with a nice, loud middle portion; Many of the songs have great drum-laden openings.

Seemless has offered up something completely out of left field in this day and age. If this had come out in the mid '90s, it could have been easily overlooked. Yet, with little competition in this specific genre, the band feels like a breath of fresh air. Outside its native New England, I'm not sure how much buzz Seemless has generated so far, but with a national tour looming on the horizon and the band still with a wide-open future ahead of it, the band is sure to come into its own.

Bleeding Through -- 'This is Love, This is Murderous' [review]

Bleeding Through
"This is Love, This is Murderous"
Trustkill Records


"For a few seconds, this place was Armageddon. And there was a firefight!"

From the opening riffs of "Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire," the first track off Bleeding Through's latest offering "This is Love, This is Murderous," the band pummels the listener with blazing guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, hard-hitting bass work and seething, anger-infused vocals.

And this track (with an opening clip from the movie "The Boondock Saints"), is how Bleeding Through chooses to unleash its intricate, electronically-fused metal and hardcore styling to the masses ...

Since its inception, the band has pulled itself out of the hardcore underground to solidify a name for itself, earning a mass of fans along the way including the metal-band Lamb of God and Davey Havok, lead singer for AFI.

Fronted by former Throwdown and Eighteen Visions guitarist Brandan Schieppati, Bleeding Through have crafted a multi-layer cornucopia of sounds: traded riffing of guitarists Scott Danough and Brian Leppke, the brutal trade-offs between bassist Ryan Wombacher and drummer Derek Youngsma and subtle atmospheric keyboarding from Marta. Each of the tracks off the band's latest offering have a underlying sense of urgency and immediacy to them, with an interesting sense of old- and new-school metal meshing together.

Going back to the opening track of "This is Love..." -- "Love Lost" explodes with a "pop, pop, pop" drum attack courtesy of Youngsma, before Danough and Leppke tear through their opening riffs, Marta adding effects in the background while Youngsma goes wild behind his set. Schieppati piles on his hardcore-style vocals over verse after verse before the song breaks down with a more mid-tempo speed and strong double-bass work. By the time the second bridge comes along, the lead vocals screaming "I want to see your face. Show me your true face!" are downright chilling. Then everything takes a 180 and Schieppati starts singing "And my heart belongs to you, so save me" with classic-style guitar riffing in the background. This is definitely the band's best and most striking song to date.

"On Wings of Lead" sounds oddly reminiscent of In Flames. The song feels like a perfect metal track: solid riffs, really tight bass and drum back-and-forths and vocals that are turgid with anger, yet not too abrasive. The subtle keyboards add just the right texture to the song's undercurrent of melancholy.

The disc's title-track is a perfect example of the depth apparent in Bleeding Through's music. Opening with abusive riffing, the music steadily builds up speed through its steam-roller-like force, eventually flourishing into a full metal juggernaut with massive guitar parts and superb double-bass drumming. But just below the surface there's a sense of melody, personified by the barely-there keyboards. Schieppati's vocals hold the entire piece together as he growls, screams and sings over the orchestration.

The effect of Marta's keyboards are more noticeable in songs like "City of the Condemned" (with a keyboard opening and bridge) and "Mutilation" (with more prominent keyboards throughout the track).

The only song that really seems out of place on "This is Love..." is the minute-and-a-half heavy-hitting "Sweet Vampirous." Being so short, the song really doesn't have any chance to evolve and, in turn, seems underdeveloped and repetitive.

"This is Love, This is Murderous" is a great addition to any hardcore or metal fan's collection. There are slight problems overall with the release, but it's a strong outing nonetheless.

"I'll fight you with every ounce of strength I have left. I'll seal it with a bullet and a kiss. So look at your horror."

-- From "Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire."

Drowning Pool -- 'Desensitized' [review]

Drowning Pool
"Desensitized"
Wind Up Records


Riding high off the success of its first single, "Bodies," Drowning Pool exploded onto the metal scene in 2001 with the release of its debut album, "Sinner."

Over the next year the band would gain more and more fans and grow in popularity through constant touring. Then, the unthinkable happened as the group's frontman, Dave Williams, was found dead in a tour-bus during the 2002 Ozzfest. The remaining members -- guitarist C.J. Pierce, bassist Stevie Benton and drummer Mike Luce -- eventually decided to soldier on recruiting Jason "Gong" Jones to fill the vacant vocalist slot.

Now, with the release of "Desensitized," the band's second release on Wind Up Records, the band seems primed to recapture its momentum.

From the opening, "Desensitized" has the same feel to it as the group's debut. The disc kicks off with "Think," a thick, metal-tinged anthem akin to the last album's opener, "Sinner," and from there swings full-force into "Step Up," a sing-along anthem similar to the band's biggest hit, "Bodies."

Musically, Drowning Pool feels tighter and heavier in a sense, having polished the sonic assault the group crafted over the past few years. Jones' vocals are, at times, eerily similar to Williams (especially during the break-down screaming on "Killing Me"), yet completely different. Williams had a husky quality to his voice but could easily wail away with the best of the metal community; Jones' vocals seem more anchored and deep. The vocal nuances are subtle at times, and by the time "This Life" (track 4) is over, the listener could very easily forget they're listening to the band with a new singer. It's hard to miss that this disc is still a Drowning Pool album. "This Life" is also an interesting track as it was the first riff Pierce had written following the loss of Williams.

From end-to-end, "Desensitized" is a full-bore metal release. Even when the band tries to "slow it down" on a track like "Love and War," the bridges and choruses are still hard-hitting. Pierce really shines on all the tracks with his interesting riffing. Benton's bass work feels real thick, and plays nicely off Luce's drumming. Actually, Luce's drumming sounds a lot fuller on this album thanks to Randy Staub's mix.

Overall, Drowning Pool really pulled off an accomplishment. After the death of the band's frontman, the band's future was most definitely in doubt. At the band's Web site, Pierce points out, "This new Drowning Pool record is the most amazing work we have ever done as a rock band. Not only is this about a band continuing on and overcoming a most unfortunate situation, but it is also about personal triumph. I know our family, fans, and friends will be pleasantly surprised, amazed, stunned, and struck by the fact that this recording is heavier and deeper than our previous effort." With the addition of Jones, the band took what it started, built upon said foundation, and really crafted a solid follow-up given the circumstances.

Slipknot -- 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)' [review]

Slipknot
"Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)"
Roadrunner Records


Boasting nine members in its ranks and three full-length albums under its belt, after a couple of years of inactivity Slipknot seem posed to retake the throne atop the heavy metal heap.

Exploding into the national consciousness in 1999 with a well-embraced self-titled debut on Roadrunner Records, Slipknot -- vocalist Corey Taylor, guitarists Mick Thompson and James Root, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn along with Sid Wilson on turntables and sampler Craig Jones -- established itself as a hard-hitting, anger-seething musical monstrosity with a thick, multi-layered sound courtesy of a nine-piece roster of talent.

The band already had a self-released album, "Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat" under its belt. After stints on various national tours including multiple Ozzfests, along with the release of 2001's "Iowa," Slipknot established itself as a metal monolith to be reckoned with.

The metal foundation laid by "Slipknot" was torn down and expanded upon with "Iowa" which followed up the template with a hefty injection of death/thrash metal influences. But after a lengthy world tour in support of that album, the band members split apart to focus on various side projects (most notably Taylor and Root's venture with Stone Sour and Jordison's experiences as guitarist for The Murderdolls).

Despite the various members' distinct side projects, they pledged to regroup for one final album (though talk about this being the final release of Slipknot has since subsided).

Now, three years since a release, Slipknot has finally re-emerged with "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)," a change of direction or sorts for a band that, for the most part, is known exclusively for its metal styling.

First things first, there are a few fundamental changes that the band has incorporated.

Longtime producer Ross Robinson is gone; in his place is Rick Rubin. How big of a problem is this? Robinson seemed to have a firm grasp at fleshing out the three-piece percussion on "Slipknot" and "Iowa," but that sound feels more subtle this time around. Attention seems to fall more on the guitars here. However, musically, the band does sound tighter and more focused on this outing. Taylor's vocals sound as intense as ever. The acoustic guitars everyone was buzzing about prior to the release sound a little less out of place than they may have under the direction from a lesser producer.

Thematically, the band has again embraced new masks (as they have for each album). The familiar layout of album tracks has been abandoned -- the instrumental opener and lengthy, ambient closing track that bookend the first two Roadrunner releases are gone. (The lengthy closer was even more ingrained in the band's lore as this was how the group closed out "Mate, Kill..." as well.)

Clocking in at just over an hour, "Vol. 3" offers up a hodgepodge of music, with portions that seem all the more extreme when juxtaposed against one another -- acoustic guitar vs. drawn-out, screaming solos; hard-hitting drums or just a simple backbeat; vocals that range from screams and growls to melodic, heart-felt singing.

Kicking off the new album is "Prelude 3.0," a song which, at first, appears to be the usual instrumental/sample-laden opener, but what soon evolves into a full-blown song as Taylor sings over otherworldly samples and the drums and guitars kick in as he sings "Now it's over." Jordison's drumming sounds better than ever during the simple fills as Taylor progressively begins to scream harder and harder.

While "Prelude 3.0" could stand on its own as a solid track, it still feels like simple filler, with "The Blister Exists" coming off more as the album's first true, meaty song. "Blister" opens with the familiar heavy guitar riffs and full trio of percussion while Wilson scratches away on the turntables. Taylor tears through the verses before the pogo-inducing chug of the bridge ("Can you feel this!?"). Mid-way through, the song turns into a marching anthem of sorts as Jordison lays down a repetitive beat with the guitars joining in and Taylor and company chanting along.

"Duality," the album's first single, is the first real notice that the band is going for something different here. The vocals are reminiscent of the Butthole Surfers' 1996 offering "Pepper," sounding slightly distorted as though coming through a speaker presented so fast the words almost tumble over one another. Crahan's accentuation of the drumming is great during the chorus. "Duality" is obviously this release's "Left Behind" (off "Iowa"), a straight-forward hard-hitting song that showcases the band's many staples: the forced vocals, hefty guitar and bass, and triple-threat of percussion.

"Circle" is the first glaring example that the band is incorporating some new ideas into its tried and true method. The song opens with an acoustic guitar over a looped sample while Taylor gently sings with string-accompaniment following along in the background. But, as mellow as the song sounds, there's hints of extremity boiling just under the surface: intense guitar feedback following the chorus and the haunting violins in the background. The sample work is similar to Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" at times, which is the air surrounding the song until it devolves into a sample-heavy dirge towards its conclusion.

The biggest part of "Vol. 3" needed to be addressed is the two-piece "Vermilion" tracks. "Vermilion," the album's eighth track, unfolds like a newer, less-intense "Purity" (available on initial pressings of "Slipknot"), with seductive, low-key vocals spilling through verse after verse lulling the listener into a sense of forced-intimacy, making the track seem all the more intense. By the time the chorus of "I won't let this build up inside of me" breaks the song's tone, the melodic guitar and vocals hardly seem out of place. And Thompson and Root offer some amazing guitar work during the song's bridges. "Vermilion Pt. 2" (track 11), is the most shocking of "Vol. 3's" offerings: just Taylor's heartfelt vocals (with backup accompaniment by other members), acoustic guitars, violin (?!), piano and other ethereal sonics. The one and only word to describe the song was one I never thought could sum up a Slipknot track: beautiful.

Not one to let the listener become complacent however, the band quickly snaps the mood with "Vermilion Pt. 2's" follow-up, "The Nameless," which opens with fast-paced drumming and bass trade offs and Taylor trading vocals with himself, alternating between a growl and scream. But the chorus comes out of left-field with Taylor crooning "I've never wanted anybody more, than I've wanted you..."

The band hasn't sounded tighter and it shows on tracks like "Welcome" and "Before I Forget." Slipknot has grown and matured since its last release, and it shows through the willingness to incorporate nuances like acoustic guitars and string arrangements while still keeping the blistering guitar solos and double-bass drumming.

"Vol. 3" is a completely solid release end-to-end and would be a welcome addition to any fans' collection.

All That Remains -- 'This Darkened Heart' [review]

All That Remains
\"This Darkened Heart\"
Prosthetic Records


Massachusetts-based All That Remains has been carving out a niche for itself in the hardcore scene since 1998. The band's latest effort, "This Darkened Heart," (Prosthetic Records) is certain to keep fans of the bands happy while winning over more listeners in the process. Things can only get better for this band that initially started off as a side project.

Vocalist Philip Labonte formed All That Remains while still singing in the band Shadows Fall. After leaving Shadows Falls, Labonte made All That Remains his main focus. Endless touring and writing finally paid off when the band scored a record contract and released its first album, "Behind Silence and Solitude," in 2002. Fans in the metal and hardcore community welcomed the new release and the band enjoyed three tours in support of the album, though the band's original guitarist and bassist left during this time. But Labonte and the rest of the band soldiered on, found new members and prepared tracks for what would become "This Darkened Heart."

Labonte is an established vocalist and his energy translates well as he wavers from hardcore screaming to angry rumbling throughout the new album. Rounding out the band are guitarists Oli Herbert and Mike Martin, drummer Mike Bartlett and bassist Matthew Deis.

Herbert's and Martin's guitar work is the highlight of "Darkened Heart," as the duo seamlessly trade riffs and solos from track to track. Deis' bass work is subtle at times, but is almost nonchalantly driving, so much so you would really miss it on tracks like "I Die in Degrees" and "This Darkened Heart," while Bartlett's drumming adds a nice backbeat to the proceedings.

The beauty of All That Remains is that the band isn't pigeon-holed by genre barriers. The album kicks off with acoustic guitars before exploding with rage to open "And Death in My Arms"; the driving force of the closing guitar, bass and drums gives way to hauntingly melodic guitar at the end of "I Die in Degrees"; the instrumental "Regret Not" features a lengthy acoustic opening before steamrolling drums and bass kick in and the guitar riffs become more frenzied, but the track comes full-circle in the end closing out with the acoustic guitars again. And on tracks like "Focus Shall Not Fail," Labonte's vocals range from guttural growling to clear harmony.

The band is able to shift gears without losing its edge. As Labonte points out in the band's press material, "We try to cover lots of ground, but do stuff that is still true to ourselves: we do solos because we like them; we do breakdowns because we like them; we have clean singing because we like it."

Two tracks really shine on "Darkened Heart": "The Deepest Gray" and "Passion." Both feature the band sounding tighter than ever, driving guitars and a catchy backbeat held together by Labonte's straightforward vocals, a cross between Pantera, Vision of Disorder and In Flames.

In Flames -- 'Soundtrack to Your Escape' [review]

In Flames
"Soundtrack to Your Escape"
Nuclear Blast Records


It feels like Sweden's In Flames is one of the metal scene's best-kept secrets. The band cranks out album after album of solid material that could appeal to a broad range of listeners, yet they seem to have nothing more than a cult status in the U.S.

The band has been cranking out albums since 1994, but it was the release of 2000's "Clayman" that seemed to establish In Flames in the U.S. (the band had been a big hit in Europe and Japan for longer).

While the band has featured a revolving door of members over the years, the band's current lineup -- guitarists Bjorn Gelotte and Jesper Stromblad, bassist Peter Iwers, drummer Daniel Svensson and vocalist Anders Friden -- have crafted a solid, if not entirely inspired, follow-up to 2002's "Reroute to Remain."

"Escape" opens up with the hard-hitting "F(r)iend," with Iwers and Svensson laying down a thick beat that the guitarists paint over with melodic riffing. "F(r)iend" is a little more abrasive than most of the album's other tracks, with Friden growling and snarling through the verses.

Overall, "Soundtrack" has an almost ethereal feel to it, showcased in tracks like "The Quiet Place," which opens with synth-tinged guitar riffing, or "Evil in the Closet," one of the disc's more intriguing tracks (a ballad at that!). Friden creates an interesting atmosphere with his voice and the band's musical arrangements sound interesting and layered.

Really, it's the instrumentation that makes In Flames stand out in this day and age. Even tight three or four minute tracks sound epic in nature, due in part to the layered sound the band creates. That, included with the vocal arrangements, gives the band a fuller sound than most other metal bands in the scene today.

That said, "Escape" isn't necessarily a bad album. It stands good on it's own. Taken as a piece of the band's catalogue, "Escape" just seems a rehash of "Reroute" without the outstanding tracks like "Trigger" or "Reroute to Remain." Most of the band's fans are turned off with this, in addition to the fact that In Flames essentially started out as a death metal band and have matured over time adding more melody and keyboards.

"Soundtrack to Your Escape" is a strong release that has suffered the fate of those waiting for it having higher hopes. It's a good album to introduce a new fan to the band, but not the best it has to offer. The disc's stronger tracks come towards the end of the release, so if you check "Escape" out, make sure to give the later tracks a chance to sink in.