SCORPIONS - In Trance

Artist:  Scorpions
Album:  In Trance
Year:  1975
Genre:  Heavy Rock

Growing up as a hard rock / heavy metal kid in the very early 80s, I couldn’t help but love Scorpions.  In the youthful days of MTV, I was introduced to them through their classic video “No One Like You.”  The song was loaded with stinging solos, bullying guitar riffs and a voice that was relatively unrivaled.  Plus, the video had a beautiful woman in leather, limos, sharks, Alcatraz, death row and some crazy guy who looked like the cloth-wrapped invisible man with forks over his eyes losing his shit and smashing a guitar.  Of course, the video made zero sense for the song, but that’s all it took for 11 year old me to get hooked.  I bought the phenomenal Blackout album and anything that was released previously that I could find.  I also purchased every album they put out after that release and did so through the Savage Amusement record.  By 1988, so much of my musical tastes had changed and Scorpions new material was no longer on my radar.  Yet, my adoration for what I owned never faded.  Compared to the other bands that were considered their peers, Scorpions always stood out due to style and presentation.  They were a formidable and physical live band giving off enough energy to light a city block.  Check out their Rockpop In Concert from 1983 or their Rock In Rio performance in 1985 and tell me what band could compete with them; there weren’t many.  More importantly, their songs were just different, separating them from the rest of the rock and metal bands of that era.  They are one of those bands you’ll recognize even before that iconic voice of Klaus Meine kicks in to high gear.

Preceding their worldwide fame, Scorpions started just like any other band of that era and gained popularity album by album, tour by tour, which was the standard for building and audience when record labels had patience and belief in an artist.  Anyone else miss that formula?  That’s a rant for another day.  Scorpions had a much smaller existence with their seven studio albums before 1982 but obtained superstardom and beyond starting with Blackout, rose even higher with Love At First Sting and remained a force in the 80s and early 90s.  Their origin dates all the way back to 1965 but they didn’t begin to release albums until 1972.  Originally, the music was rock, but not necessarily hard.  Their first two albums displayed faint hints of what was to become their signature sound, but they were buried in a sea of progressive rock with psychedelic tendencies and extremely tame songwriting.  In 1975 the band shed the prog ways of their first two lumbering releases and became a fire-breathing, heavy rock monster.

I am resolute in the belief that In Trance is where the version of Scorpions we all know and adore truly began.  The trademark sound that they would continue to develop are all over this album; the throbbing bass lines, the forceful riffs, the blisteringly infectious solos.  And then there’s the voice.  Klaus Meine is a phenom.  He has the range, the tone, the charisma and the melody.  I say “has” because he’s still blasting it out at 76 years old with the rest of the band.  I remember Lita Ford saying somewhere, “He could sing me the phonebook.”  I totally get what she’s getting at.  I’ve always felt his only true competition was the great Ronnie James Dio.  If I’m able to be honest and don’t get people looking to crucify me, Klaus was the better singer and showman.  From the very first note of this record you know the Scorps upped their game as “Dark Lady” burst from the speakers showcasing the more focused and aggressive persona of the band which then leads into the remarkable title track where there’s no avoiding the delicate verse leading into the crushing chorus riffs and beautiful harmonies of Rudolph Schenker.  In Trance ebbs and flows with peaks and valley of emotion and dynamics.  Scorpions are one of the few heavy bands I trusted with a ballad.  Yes, they knew how to bulldoze with the heavy sound, but they fully understood how to display their melancholy side without sounding cheesy or contrived.

 In Trance was the beginning of a stellar run of albums.  Anything they released from 1975 through 1984, which included 7 studio records and 2 live records, was not only great, but some bordered on bulletproof.  Others will tell you their releases from 1988 and 1990 should also be included in that list.  Looking back at everything, when Scorpions were at the top of their game, they were invincible, but in the history of rock, it feels like their accomplishments fall in the shadow of other large, successful bands.  They are even often left off  “top selling” lists.  I know the 110 million (Source: BMG) people that have bought their albums disagree.

Listen to "In Trance" here.

IHSAHN - Ihsahn

Artist:  Ihsahn
Album:  Ihsahn
Year:  2024
Genre:  Black Metal / Progressive 

Without hearing a single note off this record, I made a bold prediction that Ihsahn would be my favorite record of 2024.  Once I learned of this album, the hype engine in my head skyrocketed.  Ihsahn is a revelation in music.  He’s innovative.  He’s relevant.  He’s unique.  He’s dangerous.

At the age of 53, I’m finding it more and more difficult to get stoked over a new release.  For a few years now I’ve been trying to unravel what the hell my problem is…and I’ve come up with nothing except I’m a cynical old fuck.  Well, I’m not completely dead on the inside yet because this is a record I’ve had high anticipation to hear and I was counting down the days until its release.

Ihsahn is a master.  From his brutal beginnings in an embryonic black metal scene to the progressive metal innovator he is now, there is no denying the ferocious persistence to his craft.  He will keep you guessing, but no matter what direction he chooses to go in, it is always top tier quality. When you expect him to turn left, he goes right.  When you expect him to go right, he runs you over.  Ihsahn has never abandoned his barbaric black metal roots; he’s just surrounded them with advancing and experimental intricacies that show the growth of a professional musician.  This is extreme music.  Dare I say more extreme than his previous work in Emperor due to the challenging nature of what he’s presenting.  No, not because it’s the fastest, heaviest or most deranged.  It’s extreme because of the bold and adventurous compositions.  These are not just songs, but deep creations put to tape.  There are peaks and valleys.  There is hostility and meekness.  There is dark and there is light.  Ihsahn’s musical brain is just different than many of his peers as proven by the orchestral version of Ihsahn that was released simultaneously as this record.  I know the word “refreshing” probably isn’t a term metal fans like to hear, but after watching many hours of interviews with the man, I believe he’d appreciate that descriptor of his music.  This eponymous album may just be his best work to date.  It’s complex but doesn’t ever lose the listener.  For those wondering if he’s given up his signature black metal voice yet, there’s plenty of it on this record and he is still as virulent and terrifying as he ever was.  So far, “A Taste Of Ambrosia” is my favorite song of the year with virtuoso writing that balances melody and bleak emotion.  There are generational artists in every genre of music and my prediction is that his name will be chiseled in stone along with the other innovative greats in music history.   

Listen to "A Taste Of The Ambrosia" here.

ELDOPA / 1332 - Skinless

Artist: Eldopa / 1332
Album: Skinless
Year: 1996
Genre: Hardcore Punk

Pure. Audio. Violence.  Eldopa, or 1332, whatever your preference is to call them (Thanks lawsuit! I'm gonna stick with Eldopa for the rest of this) were a godly hardcore punk band straight our of the thriving Bay Area scene of the 90s.  The pedigree of members of this band includes Econochrist, Grimple and Watch Them Die, so, there is zero surprise what you're going to get, right?  Well, that's possibly wrong.  I'll explain.

The first full length by this band is a favorite of mine.  It's an incredible mix of hardcore crust punk with some heavier, almost dreary elements ala Neurosis.  Recently, I played this 7".  I wore this thing out when it was first released, but, like a lot of 7"s these days, I don't take the time to put them on much.  When the title track kicked in, it was almost as if I was listening to it again for the first time.  If you see my review of Reign In Blood, this also recently happened with that album.  My ears were then pulverized for the next ten minutes and I came to a stark realization, "Wow, this really reminds me of the first Die Kreuzen album!"  I have no idea why this didn't hit me previously.  With that said, that is one of the highest compliments I can give any record.  The first Die Kreuzen record is one of the best albums of the 80s independent music scene as it's originality, aggression and overall genius was rarely matched or duplicated.  In four songs, Eldopa twist and turn in and out of slower, harrowing rhythms and furious speed.  Anger is the name of the game here and it drips from every second of the record. The vocals only intensify what is happening musically and screech in a way Dan Kubinski would be proud of hearing.  There is nothing fake about this.  These guys don't like you and want to scare the hell out of you.  After ten minutes, I'm beat up in the best way.  I'm not waiting so long between plays with this one again.

Listen to "Skinless" here.

Songs You Should Know #37 – Uada, A Day To Remember & Basement 5

Artist: Uada

Song: Devoid Of Light

Genre: Black Metal

Artist: A Day To Remember

Song: Fast Forward To 2012

Genre: Melodic Hardcore

Artist: Basement 5

Song: Last White Christmas

Genre: Post Punk / Dub

FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY - Caustic Grip

Artist:  Front Line Assembly
Album:  Caustic Grip
Year:  1990
Genre:  Industrial

Front Line Assembly is tied with Ministry as my second favorite industrial band.  Yet, if the high caliber of a body of work counts, they would knock Al and crew right to the bronze podium.  (any reader willing to delve into my previous posts can discover who the reigning gold medalist of my electro world is).  Coincidently, Front Line Assembly founder and constant, Bill Leeb, was once a member of that band.  Leeb has spearheaded a 37 year journey for Front Line Assembly.  Strangely enough, he has instituted very few member changes or major contributors throughout the years, unlike the aforementioned Ministry, and other genre icons such as Nine Inch Nails, Killing Joke, KMFDM, and My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult who seem to have a revolving door for members.  I believe this consistency keeps the focus of Front Line Assembly strong and the music solid.  Firmly rooted in what could be considered “textbook” industrial, Front Line Assembly are masters of layering sounds and samples over up-tempo, dare I say dance oriented, rhythms.  Don’t let that statement frighten you.  These are not the friendly, bass thumping techno beats that get your butt moving out of a chair, but rather aggressive patterns that push each song into a mechanical and bleak direction.  Leeb rarely strays from his harsh, ghost-in-the-machine vocalizations, which adds another dimension to the soundscape.  I truly mean it when I say I listen to every Front Line Assembly record and enjoy each one of them.  The record I find myself coming back to time and time again is 1990's Caustic Grip.  I easily put it in the same class at Pretty Hate Machine, Land Of Rape And Honey, and Too Dark Park.  That's some hefty, yet well deserved, company.

Listen to "Provision" here.

Video Mix Tape 19

Mix 19

0:00  Backyard Babies

2:43  Brutal Truth

4:12  Doggy Style

6:24  Def Leppard

12:20  Cloud Rat

14:10  Sugar

18:00  The Almighty Strut

21:53  Weep

26:00  Zipgun

28:06  New Order

A Flock Of Seagulls - A Flock Of Seagulls

Artist:  A Flock Of Seagulls
Album:  A Flock Of Seagulls
Year:  1982
Genre:  New Wave

I have the sneaking suspicion that there is not one kid who grew up in the 80s that isn't familiar with A Flock Of Seagulls.  Could it be because it was impossible to turn the radio on without hearing the two mind-invading songs "I Ran (So Far Away)" and "Space Age Love Song" from their debut album?  Perhaps.  Maybe because they were huge at the dawn of MTV?  Sure.  My theory is most people will remember the band for the unique haircut one of the members sported, which, even by new wave and punk standards was a touch unusual.  To put it bluntly, keyboard player and singer Mike Score looked like a horned owl.  It might sound silly, but it sure created a lasting impression.  So, we have an image laden group with pop songs on FM radio who were MTV darlings.  I knew both the hits well and even spun “I Ran (So Far Away)” on the Blast Off comp on K-Tel my sister and I had, but I wouldn't have given their full album two seconds of thought no matter how difficult it was to avoid their presence.  As posted earlier on my review of Shock Therapy, my musical life and outlook changed in 1987.  No longer was I inundating myself solely in hard rock, heavy metal, punk and hardcore, so bands like A Flock Of Seagulls were now welcome in my world even if it was five years later from the release of this album.  Good thing, as A Flock Of Seagulls has been my long-standing, favorite synthpop / new wave record ever made.  People will make an argument that this high praise and distinction belongs to Devo, Duran Duran, Blondie or a handful of others, but my vote goes to the boys from Liverpool.

Closely following the blueprint laid out by The Tubeway Army, A Flock Of Seagulls put their forever stamp on the new wave genre by incorporating pop and technology while not forgetting their punk predecessors in the process.  The guitars fall somewhere between the most complex U2 riffs and the most melodic Joy Division riffs with leads that stand on their head.  Therein lies the magic of this band.  So much of the synthpop movement in the 80s was a bit too happy, or sappy, for my tastes.  Bands were straddling the line between saccharine-infused bubble gum pop and overdramatized sentimental garbage to make the best attempt to become, at minimum, a one-hit-wonder.  The result was exceedingly tame music with ultra-happy songs or ultra-boring ballads.  This is the exact reason bands such as Yaz, Spandau Ballet, ABC, Heaven 17, OMD and others never resonated with me. A Flock Of A Seagulls is a guitar-driven band that propels the songs in much more of a late 70s new wave, bordering on post-punk, direction which I absolutely love.  Even in the pop realm, my aggressive side still needs to be entertained and songs like “Messages” or “Modern Love Is Automatic” do absolutely that.

A Flock Of Seagulls created something exceptional on their debut.  They became an icon of their genre and forever ingrained themselves into pop culture.  Three less successful albums later, the 80s were done with the band and the band was done with itself.  Does that forever condemn them to the realm of the famous 80’s one hit wonders?  I suppose it could if one were to look so narrowly at only their successful songs.  There was so much more to A Flock Of Seagulls and they proved it on this stellar release.

Listen to "Messages" here.

SLAYER - Reign In Blood

Artist:  Slayer
Album:  Reign In Blood
Year:  1986
Genre:  Thrash Metal

Why on Earth am I writing anything about Reign In Blood?  Other than possibly Ride The Lightning or Master Of Puppets, is there another metal album held in higher regard by millions?  Let’s be realistic at this point, not even the mighty Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden have albums that command the reverence of those three pinnacles of thrash.  They changed the world and set metal on a new course which, to the chagrin of some, included worldwide fame.  Not much else to be said about this record, right?  Well, here’s the deal.  I recently threw a copy of the album on my turntable to play test.  I’ve owned this album since the day it was released, but I came across another copy that I am going to sell.  To be a diligent record dealer, I play-test expensive items.  It was late at night.  Everyone was asleep at my house.  I had nothing to do.  I sat in a chair right in front of my overly large speakers and listened to this monumental album from the first note to the last.  I haven’t enjoyed Reign In Blood as much as I did in that short 30 minutes in many years.

This is where the reason for writing this comes into play and raises a pivotal question with classic albums that you burned into your brain enough times that it’s now part of your DNA: what albums have you heard so much that you almost feel you don’t need to play them again?  It sounds strange, but after listening to an album for just under 40 years, it might not be an unreasonable inquiry.  I imagine it’s akin to riding any thrill ride over and over and over and each time the thrill lessens a bit.  You may even have to take some time off so your memory of experience fades to allow it to become exciting once again.  I cannot begin to count the times I’ve played Reign In Blood.  Whether it was listening while riding my bike, being stupid at a friend’s house, repulsing some random girl in my car, or hiding under the covers with my off-brand Walkman when I should have been sleeping, it was in constant rotation in my life for quite a long time.

The title of this blog is named Every Note, Every Word, Every Chord for a specific reason.  Reign In Blood falls comfortably in the parameters of knowing every note, word and chord.  That means I’ve studied every inch of the album like I was going to be given an enjoyable test.  It also means I know it so well that I don’t find myself going to listen to it very often as more time passes.  It’s a possibility that I’ve amassed a huge amount of music since 1986 so it gets lost in the shuffle, or it’s made such a sizable imprint on me that I don’t need to listen to it much.  Either way, this listening session hit me like a ton of bricks dropping on my head from a 747.  I found myself mesmerized by the songs and actively realizing how fucking brutal this album is…again.  Not that it ever wasn’t brutal, but music has gone in such and extreme direction that the forefathers could be viewed as a bit more tame in comparison.  I focused on the speed and the precision of the playing.  I was once again amazed with the stripped-down production and the razor-sharp clarity of the recording resulting in each instrument standing alone only to converge into an aural killing machine.  I also was reminding myself that I was a couple weeks away from getting my driver’s license when this was released.  Reign In Blood was a revolution in many ways including: label, producer / production, Billboard chart, lyrics, and most importantly, its continuing legacy and profound impact on heavy metal.  It’s an astounding sliver of music history that cannot be outdone or reproduced.  

I’m going to make a sharp left turn here.  I have a small story.  In 1991 I ended up in the same room as Slayer, backstage during their Michigan show for the Clash of the Titans tour.  The guys in Anthrax were cool and friendly.  Alice In Chains were very drunk in a corner.  Megadeth were on stage unknowingly being made fun of by the other bands as they watched Dave and company on the TV monitors.  Then Slayer walked in the room to celebrate an Anthrax roadie’s birthday and I just sat there, staring, in complete silence.  My friend who took me to the show tried like hell to encourage me to talk with them.  I refused.  What could a guy with a devilock wearing a Gorilla Biscuits shirt possibly say to them that they haven’t heard before?  Yes, I remember my shirt because Scott Ian commented that he heard of them and asked, “Aren’t they from where we are?”  Anyways, it might mean more now in 2024 than it would’ve back then, but, if I could have that moment in time back, I would just say, “Thank you.”  

Listen to "Criminally Insane" here.

WORMROT - Dirge

Artist:  Wormrot
Album:  Dirge
Year:  2011
Genre:  Grindcore

Grindcore still feels like the red-headed stepchild of the hardcore punk and metal world.  35+ years later it continues to stand as the genre too extreme for even the most seasoned underground fan of the wildest, least commercial bands.  Seth Putnam wrote a song called “Grindcore Is Very Terrifying.”  Well...yeah…it is.  I think anyone in a grindcore band would agree.  Grindcore has zero boundaries and doesn’t give one flying fuck about restraint.  

For example:

-Go slow, go slower, go fast, go faster.

-Guitars…clean or dirty…who cares?

-Recording sucks?  Oh well.

-Lyrical subject matter from politics to porn.

-Throw in a saxophone, kazoo, or some other random instrument.

-Have one or multiple inaudible singers.

-Use samples.

-Play tight or sloppy.

-Add a shitload of noise.

-Write a 5 second song. 

-Use a drum machine.

Basically, be punk as fuck in attitude and do anything you want.  It doesn’t matter.  That’s the glory of the genre.  Yet, it’s also what keeps most bands buried well below the level of popularity that other extreme music, such as what many death and black metal bands, has achieved.  Singapore’s Wormrot choose the very direct approach that rattles my head just like nineties stalwarts Insult, Assuck and Spazz did previously.  They don’t pull any huge surprises reflected in the list above; just pure speed and brutality.  There is so much auditory violence happening in these songs which are just brief moments in time as most barely reach the 1 minute mark.  25 songs in 18 minutes leaves no time to breathe.  Wormrot are tight players, but the humble production of the album feels like you are right in a room with them giving the record a live feel that could go off the rails at any time.  They do utilize a bit of hardcore influence to divert slightly from blasting away at blinding speeds.  It becomes difficult to speak at length about an album like Dirge.  It’s going to be one of those black and white things; either you like it, or you don’t.  It’s not going to be the album that breaks grindcore out to the masses, but it is an extremely strong output by a tremendous band.

Listen to "Compulsive Disposition" here.

Songs You Should Know #36 – Hazel, Troller & Atrophia Red Sun

Artist: Troller

Song: Sundowner

Genre: Post Punk

Artist: Atrophia Red Sun

Song: Code Word (Personal) Cold World

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Artist: Hazel

Song: She’s Supersonic

Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock

TOP 6 ALBUMS OF 2023

 

Album Of The Year: Cavalera Bestial Devastation / Morbid Visions

Top 5 Contenders:

The Damned Darkadelic

Grove Street The Path To Righteousness

Home Front Games Of Power

Ren Sick Boi

Trespasser ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ

For the few weeks I have been genuinely questioning my choice for the best album of 2023.  I finally settled my internal argument between some excellent releases.  My choice turned out to be rather odd.  Not only am I choosing two albums for the top spot, but I am also choosing two albums that have been re-recorded.  The world is officially spinning in the opposite direction.  If you seek out my full review of Cavalera’s redo of Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions, you’ll get a dose of my disdain for re-recordings.  I don’t like them and don’t think they’re necessary.  In this case, I was wrong.  So wrong, in fact, that Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions albums are my favorite and most listened to records of the year.  What the Cavalera brothers pulled off needs to be the future blueprint and standard for what a re-recording should be if a band decides to go that route.  Not only did they keep the aesthetics of the original recordings, but they modernized in all the right ways.  If these two records sounded like this in 1986, we’d be talking about them as a couple of the greatest death / thrash metal records in history.  Kudos, Max and Igor!  Next…The Damned are a gift to the world! 47 fucking years later they remain a force when they play live and consistently release wonderful albums.  I know when bands get a bit long in the tooth, the tendency to put out a record that is a poor facsimile of their glory days becomes a real thing.  Well, Captain and company prove that wrong with Darkadelic.  No, they don’t play as aggressively as they once did, but boy do they come off with major style and atmosphere on this record.  Mr. Vanian turned in a stellar vocal performance and sounds like he’s 25 again.  It definitely takes me back to their Phantasmagoria / Anything and, as any Damned fan knows, there’s zero wrong with that.  The Path To Righteousness by UK’s hardcore unit Grove Street entered my world very late this year.   It’s been a while since a pure, street-level hardcore record has caught my ear.  Upon my initial listen, I instantly heard the best parts of Leeway and Biohazard.  The riffs are super and take the songs back and forth between traditional stomping hardcore and some thrashy, crossover vibes.  I feel like you could throw a rock at the hardcore scene and hit 10 bands that play this style, but Grove Street have something special happening.  Canada’s aggro unit Home Front absolutely killed it with their second release, Games Of Power.  They seamlessly incorporate aspects of industrial, post-punk and new wave and wrap it up in an anarcho punk rock blanket without falling directly into any one of the genres.  They are so energetic live, and that same vigor just jumps off this record.  This album is insanely infectious.  Wrapping up my Top 6 was the biggest contender for the number one spot.  For those not in-the-know, Ren is a multi-instrumentalist artist from the UK that has gained well-earned fame and respect through YouTube the last year or so.  His phenomenal yet harrowing video for the mesmerizing song “Hi Ren” hooked me immediately and since April of this year I have been studying Ren’s music like it’s a test.  Sick Boi, his deep stab into the hip hop / electronic world, is only scratching the surface of his talent.  I have a full-scale review of the record posted that goes into much more detail because the music is too difficult to explain in this short commentary.  It's been quite a while since a new artist has dominated my attention like he has.  Ren is someone that I truly believe could become a generational musician and I am feverishly anticipating what he does next.  Just because their name falls late in the alphabet, it doesn’t mean Trespasser are in 6th place.  Yet, another record that I found further into the year which makes me realize that I need to pay way more attention to new releases.  Nowadays it takes quite a bit for a typical/true, more straight-forward style black metal band to remain at the top of the heap.  Usually, it’s a new Deathspell Omega, Spektr or Blut Aus Nord and their mangled, maniacal sounds that gain my attention.  That should tell you a lot about Trespasser’s sophomore effort ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ (don’t ask…I have zero idea).  This is HEAVY black metal with lyrics that don’t rely on fascism or satanic idiocy.  Death metal tones enhance the incredible riffs.  Some people call Trespasser melodic.  No, they aren’t.  What’s being mistaken for melody are their top tier arrangements which make each song memorable and individualized.  Trust me, they are quite pulverizing and vicious.  If I had more time with this album, it may have crept up to first place.  Now, I’m not usually a “honorable mention” type person, but it you haven’t checked out Dolenz Sings R.E.M. and you are a fan of The Monkees or R.E.M., you’re missing out!  Happy New Year everyone and stay safe out there!

JUMPIN' JESUS - The Art Of Crucifying

Artist:  Jumpin’ Jesus
Album:  The Art Of Crucifying
Year:  1991
Genre:  Death Metal

THIS is the reason I still seek out and open my ears to old, unfamiliar music!  I don’t know what it is with me, but even at what now is a slightly advanced age, I continue to look for bands from the past that have never crossed my path with the hopes that I find something that knocks me for a loop.  I look at it as finding undiscovered treasure.  Jumpin’ Jesus only existed for only 2 years and released a demo and one album, so they were easy to miss.  With a relatively stupid name like Jumpin’ Jesus, there may have been a chance I would’ve skipped over them even if I was aware of their existence.  Since I’m so much more open-minded now (ha!) I was very eager to spin this record when it walked through the doors of the record store where I still put in a whole 3 hours a week.  Dumb names don’t even stop me now when an album I’ve never heard of is available to me.  I borrowed this record to take home and spin on my turntable with zero expectations.  The cover art is great.  The guys look pretty cool on the back.  It’s from a superb, relatively uncharted era of death metal.  Oof…but that name!?!  Any apprehension was put to rest within the first minute and a half of the album.  Jumpin’ Jesus is classic, early 90s death metal with a heavy concentration on instrumentation.  Depending which way your fandom sways, you’re going to think of Morbid Angel, Deicide, Immolation, Hellwitch when listening to this German wrecking crew.

This is a pretty technical album for extreme metal standards in 1991.  The playing and the avantgarde nature of the songs really make their mark.  Maybe only Atheist’s debut proceeds this record in the technical category, but the overall styles of the two bands aren’t comparable.  Death wasn’t even doing the overtly tech technical style until the Human album.  So, not only is this album a nice surprise, but it’s also rather innovative.   Jumpin’ Jesus got a whole lot right on The Art Of Crucifying.  The production is raw and unrelenting.  The vocals are very convincing and don’t just stick directly to the typical grunting so prominent in early death metal.  The playing is the right balance of musical and unrelenting brutality.  As I said, there is some flashy stuff happening mixed in with the chaos.  The songs twist in all sorts of directions that aren’t expected and there isn’t a dull moment on the record.  Except for one 7+ minute epic, they keep things shorter and to the point.  I’ll say it, I’m impressed.  Wish I would’ve discovered them years ago.

Listen to "Out Of The Unknown" here.

REN - Sick Boi

Artist:  Ren
Album:  Sick Boi
Year:  2023
Genre:  Hip Hop / Alternative / Electronic / Acoustic

This is a new one for me.  Previous to stumbling upon the multi-instrumentalist sensation Ren, I’ve never been wrangled in by a YouTube sensation.  Obviously, since I’m writing this, I’m not against it.  I’ve just never fallen into the trappings of an artist whose main platform is YouTube.  My relationship with Ren’s music began in April this year.  I started with his uber-talented busking cover band The Big Push whose fantastic cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” made me listen further and I soon landed on the breakout solo video, “Hi Ren.”  What he achieved on “Hi Ren” is one of the most artistic creations I have seen and heard in a very long time.  Hell, maybe ever if we’re just talking about video.  It’s a 9 minute, initially confusing, emotionally engrossing journey into the existence of a young man’s relatable struggles.  I cannot count the times I’ve watched the performance and to this very day it’s still able to jar something emotionally in me. Everything about it fascinates me.  The facts that it is played and recorded live, the raw story it tells, the unbridled talent on display, the minimal but effective use of scenery and camera angles and the self-reflection of his unfortunate medical history all play into what is a genius-level piece of art.  After the first viewing, I knew this was a person I needed to dedicate attention to in the future and catapulted myself into a continual YouTube rabbit hole discovering the world of Ren’s music and his ever-increasing levels of artistry.

From that moment forward, I did my research into Ren’s back catalog and enthusiastically awaited every future release.  The person running the Ren’s online street team sure knows what they are doing, from the timing of song releases, well-placed social media segments, multiple versions of songs, encouraging the viral song reactions market and even a rap battle propelled him toward his million plus subscribers and multiple millions of views.  From the information I have, Ren oversees much of this. There have been 12 video releases leading up to this full album, which only has 18 songs total.  Remarkably, he has 6 or 7 other current songs receiving above 5 million views that aren’t even on the album.  He’s been a busy guy.  The end result is him having the #1 album in the UK the week Sick Boi was released.  It should also be proudly said that he has no major label backing him.  He is an independent artist.  It’s exactly what Prince dreamed of!  Also, Ren is sick.  I mean literally sick (way too long of a story to go into here) and has been recovering from ailments the last 10 years that have plagued his mental and physical health.  His personal touch of giving health updates has also endeared him to people.  He’s worked this whole time and has come out on top even with intimidating challenges.  

Although Ren has touted Sick Boi as a hip hop album, it is much more than that.  Certainly, hip hop is the at the heart of this record, especially the majority of the vocal delivery, but it incorporates aspects of alternative, reggae-fusion, new wave, EBM and straight up pop.  The other important fact to know about Sick Boi is that Ren is the sole composer on the record.  No producer.  No engineer.  It’s all him front to back.  Due to my YouTube obsession with him, I had already heard all but 6 songs on this record, so there weren’t many surprises.  Yet, listening to an album in its sequenced entirety is significantly different than hearing one-offs online.  I love hearing the production value of the songs.  There are aspects that listening on computer speakers don’t do justice in the recording and mixing.  Musically, Ren’s songs run the gamut of simple to complex and there are plenty of subtleties in the instrumentation as he explores the use of synths, drum programming, sampled sounds, acoustic stringed instruments and piano.

The album is intensely vocal-centric and it is immediately recognizable that the music is only a backdrop for the vocal performance.  What I found from his performances in The Big Push is that Ren commands an extraordinary range and is not one to be boxed in stylistically.  He expands this even further with his solo outings on non-album songs such as “Chalk Outlines” and “Humble” which showcase his formidable capability.  On this record he incorporates some major league MC skills along with a variety of singing / spoken word techniques.  Ren is a talent and it comes to the forefront on the songs “Seven Sins,” “Su!cIde” and “Lost All Faith” which he utilizes multiple styles in a single song.  That’s not to say the pure and brutish hip hop nature of the aggressive and semi-political “Animal Flow,” the horrorcore influenced “Masochist” or the somewhat lyrics-in-a-blender nature of “The Hunger” aren’t A-list songs, but they are singularly focused and glued directly to the genre.  He also proves he likes to have fun and not everything has to be deathly serious as one will hear on the extremely Beastie Boys influenced “What You Want” and the slightly juvenile “Down On The Beat” will get you moving and smiling and proves he can flow with the some of the heavyweights.  The most audacious piece on the album is “The Money Game Pt. 3” which almost seems out of place on the record since it dives more toward Ren’s madness-driven creativity he’s shown multiple times outside of this album.  It' is part of a trio of the "Money Game" song and video series and it’s a song that’s very difficult to separate from the video and its stunning, powerfully brooding visuals that present a unique approach to the disease money can become when a person gives their life trying to obtain it.  Much akin to “Hi Ren,” it works more like a play than it does a song.  It’s definitely the pinnacle of the album.

After listening to the majority of these songs via YouTube, I was very interested in seeing how this album would come together.  Due to Ren’s immense and unique talent, many fans give him a blanketed pass on everything he creates.  While his innovation and talent cannot be knocked, not everything is exactly perfect.  The record plays as a random collection of songs rather than a cohesive assembly with a purposeful scope and sequence.  I find this odd since Ren pays so much attention to detail in everything he releases, especially the videos he creates with Samuel Perry-Falvey. The fact that the album’s opus, the aforementioned “The Money Game Pt 3,” is in the fourth spot and not ending the album is odd.  I’m sure there is a reason, but it doesn’t flow sonically.  The groupings of songs also feel off and doesn’t lead to much variety as the record progresses.  The bangers hit hard, but their superiority over other songs make 18 tracks feel unnecessary.  Songs such as “Loco,” “Genesis,” “Uninvited” and the album closer “Wicked Ways” hit like white noise amongst the other songs and feel like they’re there to expand the length of the record.  Yes, even someone as talented as Ren is capable of having filler.  It happens.  Am I just being super picky?  Yes, and that’s ok.  It’s good to have high expectations of a potential generational talent.  Does this have any effect on me listening to this album over and over again?  Not in the slightest.

Listen to "Lost All Faith" here.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY - Bestial Devastation / Morbid Visions

Artist:  Cavalera Conspiracy

Album: Bestial Devastation / Morbid Visions

Year:  2023

Genre:  Thrash Metal / Death Metal

From the moment I heard the opening song on the reissued Bestial Devastation EP, I knew I was also going to enjoy what was to come on the reissued Morbid Visions LP.  Little did I know how much I was going to love both of these releases and that they would both end up in my top albums of 2023.  The Cavalera brothers did something magnificent that few are successful in pulling off.

Let’s go backwards a touch.  Max and Igor Cavalera ranged from age 14-17 during the time the first two Sepultura records were recorded and released.  If you’ve never heard either album, you can imagine what death metal by a couple of young teenagers from Brazil, not exactly the hot bed of extreme metal at that time, sounds like.  Their effort should be commended, but the results were substandard at best.  Many hold Morbid Visions as a “classic” thrash / death metal record, but I believe it has more to do with nostalgia and what Sepultura became than the actual recording.  No one can tell me those original recordings sound good.  Even when I was young, just discovering new bands in the same genre, these sounded like garbage.  That shouldn’t be insulting.  They were just kids and were miles ahead people their age.

I can only imagine the Cavaleras felt the same way and that’s why they decided to re-record both records.  As a personal rule, I am against the re-recording of previous material.  If a band wants to update a song here-and-there I don’t have a problem.  But a whole album?  One…it feels like a money grab.  Two, and more importantly…it rarely turns out good.  Yes Exodus, Twisted Sister and Suicidal Tendencies, you all screwed up.  In fact, I think only Testament did this well on The First Strike Still Deadly, but that wasn’t a full album, just cherry-picked catalogue tracks.  Well, I proudly stand corrected when it comes to Cavalera.  Not only did they do their past justice, but they also greatly improved upon their humble beginnings with zeal and conviction.  These recordings are fucking brilliant!

Improvement in production was most likely their main focus and they nailed it!  This isn’t your typical “trying to sound dirty, but it’s super clean” extreme metal recording trap so many bands fall into now.  Just because you slap an HM2 pedal on everything doesn’t mean it’s filthy or heavy.  It’s an art to connect tones that all work with one another to sound like a band playing together instead of different instruments piled upon each other.  This new recording is like a raw wound; stinging and vicious.  This is the most feral the brothers have sounded in an extremely long time and not two 50+ year old men traveling down memory lane.  You just know the blood was pumping hard and the sweat was hitting the ground during the recording.  They kept the speed of the original recordings and even some of the original esthetics from back in 85/86.  The vocals sound cavernous just like they did originally and it works so well with the new production.  Which brings me to the biggest surprise, the songs themselves.  As mentioned, I hate the way the originals sound, so I can truthfully say I didn’t put too much time into listening to them.  One thing for sure, it really was the sound of those records that irritated me.  Now hearing the songs, played exactly the same way they were almost 30 years ago, makes me realize the band was exceptional even at such a young age.  I appreciate that the labels that signed them for having the foresight that my ears didn’t.  The fucking riffs!  They’re all so brutal.  Paired with Igor’s primal drumming generates a mood and tension other bands only dream of creating.  Granted, all the players are exceedingly more talented than their teenage selves, but I caught so many things that hinted at what was to come on their next few albums that I never recognized previously.  These now sound like Sepultura records.  Major props to everyone involved in this project.  I will still stand against the concept of re-recording, but this is more than a welcomed surprise and shows the reverence the band has for their early work.

Listen to "Bestial Devastation" here.

Video Mix Tape 18

Mix 18

0:00  Method Man

6:01  All Eyes West

8:43  Deathspell Omega

12:27  Lynyrd Skynyrd

19:19  Kraut

21:40  Sludgeworth

24:49  Tears For Fears

29:24  Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats

32:46  White Lung

35:08  Abyssos

GRAVEVIEW - Ruthless Obliteration Of Sanity

Artist:  Graveview
Album:  Ruthless Obliteration Of Sanity
Year:  2023
Genre:  Death Metal

This makes me so happy.  I’m sure that isn’t the intent of this gruesome quintet, but I can’t help it.  Sometimes the uglier the music, the better it makes me feel.  I’m just a weirdo, I suppose.  This is pure, unadulterated, old-school death metal with some extreme weight behind it.  Graveview isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but they are doing it right.  Ruthless Obliteration Of Sanity reminds me of Grave, Morgoth and Incantation and instantly takes me back to the very early 90s and the terrifying thrill of discovering the most extreme sounds metal had to offer at the time.  Graveview take a no frills approach to their songs and ruthlessly slam the listener from the first note to the last.  This release only has 5 songs and clocks in around 16 minutes, giving the band no room to fuck around with intros or exit passages.  What is very noticeable is the band’s ability to seamlessly transition without the typical start-stop approach of introducing new parts.  Their songs are very well constructed.  Graveview are also comfortable with tempo changes ranging from doom to grind which really keep you guessing where they are headed.  Brutal is the most common word for what death metal is and the only time the band lets up is when the last track ends.  They waited quite a few years to release anything between their 2018/2019 demos and this CD.  Here’s hoping it’s not another 4 years until we hear from them again.

Listen to "Esophageal Lacerations" here.

FASTBACKS - The Question Is No

Artist:  Fastbacks

Album:  The Questions Is No

Year:  1992

Genre:  Pop Punk

Fastbacks are one of those bands you know exactly what you’re going to get regardless of the record you pop on the turntable. What are you getting, you may ask?  The comfortable familiarity of upbeat, sugar-coated pop punk.  Not a whole heap of use going into a long-winded, overly detailed description because, as with so many of their peers, this tiger that doesn’t change her stripes.  It’s the same as asking what the new Queers or Screeching Weasel releases are about.  It’s almost a useless question since you’re pretty much guaranteed that some memorable and hyper melodies are going to blast your eardrums to have you humming along in no time.  This is not to imply that Fastbacks are typical in any way.  Guitarist Kurt Bloch was creating the modern pop punk framework back in 1979 while Joe Queer  and Ben Weasel were still Kiss fans.  His guitar work is chock-full of little intricacies that other guitar players would do well to check out.  The other standout attribute Fastbacks have to offer is the wonderful female vocal presence of Kim Warnick and Lulu Gargiulo.  Do I dare to say that the vocal tone almost sounds “cute?”  Yep, I'm going there.  The vocals are almost delicate and the melodies complement the powerful attack going on behind them, which makes for a unique approach to a formulaic genre.  Fastbacks didn't last past 1999.  Their legacy is made up of six wonderful records and more singles and EP's than you can count.  All are worthy of your attention.

Listen to "Everything I Don't Need" here.

POLYPHIA - Remember You Will Die

Artist:  Polyphia
Album:  Remember You Will Die
Year:  2023
Genre:  Progressive / Experimental / Trap / Math Rock

God. Damn. It.  Unfortunately, that is not an expletive leaning toward the total positive or total negative side of the emotional spectrum.  It takes a whole lot from a new band to make me feverishly anticipate their new release.  Polyphia did it.  I enjoy their first two releases and love their last album.  The build up to this one with the release of the YouTube sensation singles “Playing God” and “Ego Death” had me hooked.  The third song they threw out, titled “ABC” did zero for me, but there was always the hope it wouldn’t end up on the album.  I’ll explain why in a little bit.  Remember You Will Die was unleashed upon the world in October 2022, but I intentionally ignored any digital formats of the full release until I was able to buy the LP.  My goal was to sit and bask in what would I had planned to be my new favorite release.  The vinyl dropped in May of 2023 and I patiently waited to listen to it without interruption.  I’ve now immersed myself in it at least 8 times and…well…I’m torn.  Let’s get into it.

We’ll start with the positive first.  When this album is on, it’s mind-bending.  For those not familiar, Polyphia are consummate masters of tones, production, instrumentation and are pound-for-pound one of the most imaginative acts in the broad realm of rock.  Polyphia have a strength in writing ambitious, mesmerizing instrumentals.  They utilize a cornucopia of genre influences yet retain the distinct auditory identity they’ve carved out for themselves.  Their songs are exorbitantly overplayed but it doesn’t present as pretentious or just instrument-wanking for the sake of showing off.  Every second of their music drips with laser focused intention to construct absolutely unique music.  No other band sounds like them and this is the result of labor-intensive writing and production technique.  As perfectly as this album is engineered and performed, it never feels robotic or stiff.  They successfully avoid the trap set for bands that decide to use Pro Tools to make them perfect.  Whether it’s due to intent or style, Polyphia do not sound cold or mechanical like so many others.  They sound perfect, but still remain human.  Somehow Polyphia keep their ultra-precise music almost loose sounding.  It’s rather amazing.  I’m not going to prattle on about the intense level of musicianship they possess.  You can throw a dart at any of their songs and you will be instantly schooled at how talented Polyphia are. With zero doubt, the best and my favorite songs on this record are the instrumentals.  The band remains fiercely original and the songs require multiple listens to delve into what they laid down. 

Five out of the twelve songs have vocals from various guest artists and that’s where my deep problems with this record lie.  I could do a breakdown of what the vocals don’t bring to each song, but it’s easier just to say that they sound out of place and severely unnecessary.  Yeah, I know, who am I to say what a band should do creatively?  But they’re my ears and it doesn’t sound right.  Most of the performances are just bland.  Shit, the song Chino from Deftones sings on hits like a throw away idea from his real band and almost sounds like he’s vocalizing to a different song.  The truth is Polyphia don’t write for vocals, so having anyone to sing over their complex writing is a tough ask, and an unnecessary ask in my not too humble opinion.  The aforementioned song “ABC” is a fusion of very technical progressive rock and kiddie-pop.  I hated it my first play on YouTube and I hate it still.  But, if it was one song with annoying vocals that was just tucked away deep on the record, I wouldn’t be down on this album so badly.  It’s not the only one and the rest are just as irritating. My best guess is the band is doing what they want and their immense artistry is leading more and more down less traveled avenues.  The band has had some vocals in the past, but the songs here just sound so damn out of place.  I know people as creative as Polyphia can’t be kept in a restrictive box, but I just wish they would find another way to expand without resorting to vocals.  Or, at least write songs that will compliment the vocals.  This is my only issue with this album, but it’s a huge one.  Unless my brain finally “gets it” at some point, Remember You Will Die will land far from my expectations of being the finest of 2023. 

Listen to "Ego Death" here"

JUNK MONKEYS - 5 Star Fling

Artist:  Junk Monkeys

Album: 5 Star Fling

Year:  1992

Genre:  Indie Rock / Modern Rock

Metal Blade Records and The Replacements.  I’m curious if those two entities have ever previously been put in the same shitty sentence fragment.  Metal Blade, the pioneering independent US heavy metal label that gave the world its first recorded exposure to bands like Ratt, Black ‘N Blue, Armored Saint, Trouble, Lizzy Borden, oh, and a couple of bands that basically changed music history in Slayer and Metallica.  Visionary Metal Blade owner Brian Slagel took gigantic risks and built an empire of heavy metal that marches forward this very day.  Now on to The Replacements; the groundbreaking, bombastic modern rock band whose fierce dysfunctional independence kept them out of rock stardom, but placed them in the hearts of every kid who liked their rock ‘n roll a bit left on the dial.  For a band that didn’t sell well, their history and music live in infamy amongst fans and peers.

So why am I putting these two mortal enemies of the music business together?  Well, something strange happened with Metal Blade Records in the early 90s.  In 1989, Death Records, a division of Metal Blade, released the second album by then punk band Goo Goo Dolls.  Yes, you read that right.  Who would have ever thought the biggest bands related to Metal Blade would be Metallica, Slayer and Goo Goo Dolls?  Although the album, titled Jed, is a punk record, it was still odd for a label that housed the thrashing insanity of D.R.I., Mentors, C.O.C., Cryptic Slaughter, Beyond Possession and more.  One year later the Goos moved up from Death Records to the main label with their 1990 seminal album Hold Me Up.  One year previous, Metal Blade released Soul Cakes by Detroit’s beloved indie rock all-stars Junk Monkeys.  

So where do The Replacements fit into this equation?  Well, you have never heard two bands whose sound and style are more influenced by The ‘Mats than Junk Monkeys and Goo Goo Dolls, and both of these bands, whose style was firmly planted in independent rock, were signed to a record label that was not a label exactly known for genre diversity.  By the early 90s Metal Blade Records released as many good bands as bad bands, but there was no question that it was all heavy metal.  So, was the truest headbanging label on the planet at the time going to turn into an alternative record label?  Well, that’s the oddest thing of all…they never signed another indie-type rock band ever again.  These bands’ albums were released right before the monumental, Nirvana-inspired alternative wave of bands dominated the 90s, and, subsequently, it predates Goo Goo Dolls rocket-like ascent into superstardom which conquered airwaves and MTV.  It’s strange to think that Metal Blade was once again on the cutting edge of music in which they had zero association.  What is even more strange is that the label could’ve easily cashed in on the opportunity, but did not.  Well, that’s not necessarily true.  Metal Blade was listed as a co-label on Goo Goo Dolls first two Warner Brothers albums, which, I assume, made Mr. Slagel a ton of cash.  Quite an interesting story that I would love to know more about, for sure.

That leads us to my hometown heroes Junk Monkeys, who, unfortunately, did not make the same colossal leap as their Goo Goo labelmates.  It has always made me wonder if being on Metal Blade hindered their growth, because it certainly wasn’t the music.  Junk Monkeys played modern rock with a pulsating and passionate punk heart underneath.  They had excellent songwriting and gravely hooks.  They maintained their quirky, off-beat style just enough so that they never fully embraced the pop punk world, much like the other two greats from that 80s Minneapolis scene, Husker Du and Soul Asylum.  Instead of landing them in rotation on 120 Minutes, they ended up buried in obscurity.  Songs such as the blistering opener, “Sad Letters” and the more subdued and heartfelt “I Don’t Mind” have hit written all over them, especially in an era where the world was preparing for a mammoth 120 Minutes, alternative musical shift.   Five releases later, they called it a day and never returned to recording.  Junk Monkeys will now be a band that people reminisce upon fondly, or accidentally discover and question how or why they have never heard them previously.  

Listen to "Sad Letters" here.

Songs You Should Know #35 – Death Sentence, Les Discrets & Rage

Artist: Death Sentence
Song: Fake
Genre: Hardcore Punk

Artist: Les Discrets
Song: Ariettes Oubliees
Genre: Post Rock / Shoegaze

Artist: Rage
Song: A Pilgrim’s Path
Genre: Speed Metal