earpollution album reviews [page 2] - issue 2.Ų7, july 2ŲŲŲ

A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Ambre & Mark Spybey - Sfumato
Audra - Audra
Destruction - All Hell Breaks Loose
Devo - Pioneers Who Got Scalped
Euro Boys - Long Day's Flight 'til Tomorrow
Fontanelle - Fontanelle
Impaled Nazarene - Nihil
Killah Priest - View from Masada
Kiss the Clown - Pretty Paranoia
Looper - The Geometrid
Lowfish - Eliminator
OneAgainstFive - OneAgainstFive

Pandemia - Spreading the Message
Power Symphony - Lightbringer
Rain Fell Within - Believe
The Royal Beat Conspiracy - Gala Galore
Running Wild - Victory
Savatage - Ghost in the Ruins: A Tribute to Criss Oliva
Scary Valentine - Gorgon
Systemwide - Osmani Stepper
To/Die/For - All Eternity
Vanderhoof - Vanderhoof
Various Artists - Cream of the Drop
Various Artists - Projekt 100
Woggles - Fractured

Power Symphony Lightbringer Pavement Music Links: Power Symphony		Power Symphony--consisting of four guys and the Italian mistress of metal, Michela D'Orlando, on vocals--have come out with their follow-up to Evillot. That 1999 release was their first full-length release, and can be found on Radiation/Nuclear Blast. Lightbringer is the band's first release for Pavement Music. Power Symphony is getting rave reviews in the Italian metal scene, which may be due to a bit of nationalism. However, the beautiful voice of D'Orlando is something that cannot be ignored: Her style is of the classical/gothic temptress swooning alluring beauty that flutters along smoothly. D'Orlando seductively dances along to the underlying power/epic metal mixed in with the Celtic/folk/classic parts to bring out a new sound combining the old and new. Parts of this release remind me of Styx fronted by a female vocalist and other parts make me think that someone put the metal crunch in Bach's overtures rising and falling as the music flows smoothly along. If you're looking for something new with seductively beautiful vocals and varying styles of music behind this, then check this out. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Rain Fell Within Believe Dark Symphonies Links: Rain Fell Within		Believe is a distinct nominee for CD of the year. This is one of the best bands doing non-wimpy symphonic metal (the best is Septic Flesh, but Rain Fell Within isn't far off) with gorgeous operatic vocals courtesy of Dawn Smith and stunning guitar work from Owen Davis and Kevin Thomas. Dawn also handles the keyboards which add to the rich texture of the music without dominating it. "A False Reality" and "Believe" are fantastic--these two songs easily justify the purchase price. If you have ever felt that you might enjoy a truly different sound, this might be the disc for which you are searching. Strong, operatic vocals soar and highlight the rich textural metal that pulses and ebbs in strong metallic patterns with just enough atmosphere to enthrall and just a wee touch of gothic that strengthens the stunning songs. Their name is a metaphor for feelings induced by the sound of rainfall: "the soul's emotive response to the rhythms of a steady downpour," according to their press release. Boy do we need rain in Florida--in more ways than one. Hopefully they'll tour Orlando and I'll get to see the thunderstorm that is Rain Fell Within. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
The Royal Beat Conspiracy Gala Galore Bad Afro Records		The Royal Beat Conspiracy, hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, is not meddling in the "Gothenburg" sound that is known for its metal. These guys are busting out of the gates playing a variety of styles. The ground that these Swedish souls cover ranges from early Rolling Stones, garage rock, psychedelic, ballads, pop, punk, soul and rockabilly. The Royal Beat Conspiracy also have horns, organ and a string section including a cello and violins to help out with this diverse range of musical styles. Each song seems to cover its own type of music: the '70s disco-inspired "Disco Boy," to a modern rocker like "Tonight" and a '50s-soaked rocker ditty in "Hollywood Fever"; simply amazing ballads on "Spend It All on You" and "The Sweetest Love" to soul showstoppers like "Flame of Love" and "It's Not Enough." The Royal Beat Conspiracy combines all of these styles without sounding superficial or overtaxed. The horns, string and organ are all very well incorporated in the song structures, resulting in great musicianship and excellent song writing! These guys must be incredible to see live! Everything is done with fluidity without the pretentiousness of some wankers. If you're looking for that band that can play many different styles of music without getting lost and even without the use of a multi-disc changer then check out The Royal Beat Conspiracy on Bad Afro Records. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Running Wild Victory Pavement Music		Running Wild has been just that--running wild--for over 20 years! This German pirate band of crazies has been filling the airwaves with their uncompromising and merciless metal for many years. With Victory, Running Wild releases their eleventh album. Without succumbing to the current trends of electronic and classical instruments, Running Wild keep the German metal flag flying high and proud, just like defiant fists raised high above their long sweaty hair. This power quartet continues to pound out the metal riffs of yesteryear with "wild" abandon. Running Wild has not strayed far from their roots and keep to the path that vocals and guitarist Rock'n'Rolf started out with in 1979, which is German power metal. These guys even cover the Beatles' "Revolution," giving it the German makeover that it was missing. If you're looking for that classic German power metal band, then look up the new Running Wild Victory album. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Savatage Ghost in the Ruins: A Tribute to Criss Oliva Nuclear Blast Links: Savatage		Ghost in the Ruins: A Tribute to Criss Oliva is a live compilation with excellent, well-produced sound and superior song selection. It is also a tribute to the original Savatage guitarist, Criss Oliva, brother to vocalist Jon, who was killed by a drunk driver. This is a fitting tribute to a brother and a band member and it shows Savatage at their very best. I've been listening to Savatage since Gutter Ballet so I'm not as familiar with their earlier material. Hall of the Mountain King was out during my first year of high school so I was kind of late in getting exposed to this brand of heavy metal. "City Beneath the Surface" starts off powerful, but the full force of this live disc doesn't hit you until the second track, "24 Hours Ago," and the power continues full force through the rest of the disc. Tribute has the great intensity of a true live metal concert. This intensity is lacking in most bands today which are either too dark and evil or use extraordinary light and stage shows to make up for their lack of talent. Savatage wouldn't need either gimmick to bolster their talent. "Gutter Ballet" and "When the Crowds are Gone" were my favorites before listening to the disc, but after hearing the live versions--wow, they were done exceptionally well. After the first line of "Gutter Ballet" the stereo was cranked as loud as it could go for the rest of CD...and it stayed there for subsequent playbacks. Tracks such as "Dungeons are Calling," "Sirens" and "Hall of the Mountain King" continue to highlight the remainder of the CD with a powerful force that leaves you wanting more in the end. This is a must purchase for any fan of metal or music in general. *-Jason Haines* [ top of page ]
Scary Valentine Gorgon Orchard Links: Scary Valentine		Scary Valentine is a two-person project by Scot Gordan and Valenta. Scot, having traveled the world over, has given time to studying the indigenous music of several cultures and has incorporated them into his songwriting. They have influences by the likes of Kraftwerk, Haujobb, Skinny Puppy, Alien Sex Fiend and Garbage. These two have melded Eastern vocal styles with dark, moody synth dance interpretations into a slow, brooding dance trance that is hard to describe. The sound that they churn out is relaxing, soothing and won't interrupt you while enjoying a good book. My colleague Jeff says that they used a couple of Haujobb electronic parts in a couple of their songs; I'm not into Haujobb as much as Jeffery and therefore did not notice this. Gorgon is not something that I would pick up first to play to a new guest--but if the right mood would present itself, I might play this. The songwriting isn't bad and as a first album release is not too far off the mark. There is potential for this band, but for the people that like a soothing laid-backness to add to the environment, I would recommend that they give this a spin. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Systemwide Osmani Stepper BSI Records Links: Systemwide		Beginning with the caustic flip of DJ's hand, Systemwide teeters on the cliff edge for a second before plunging off and dragging us along. Six tracks (including three remixes by English labelmates: two from Alpha & Omega and one from the Rootsman) of clattering, echoing, ethnically infused dub madness that closes over your head as Systemwide takes you into the waters at the base of the cliff and hauls you deep. It's a Jamaican holiday for the first few seconds--all dubbed up and ready to party--and then you're deep in black waters, churning and thrashing for your life. There are sharks in these dark waters and Systemwide has towed you past the coral reef and is going to leave you here. This is dub with teeth. Swim at your own risk. You have been warned. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
To/Die/For All Eternity Nuclear Blast		To/Die/For plays some very mournful and melancholy melodic gothrock. Unfortunately, goth rock isn't my favorite style so I was not as impresssed with All Eternity as someone else might be. Jape Peratalo's vocals are very reminiscent of those new romantic bands in the '80s like Duran Duran, Information Society and Spandau Ballet, etc. Jape is a proficient vocalist, but just not my cup of tea. I never got into the new wave/new romantic or goth scenes and have no plans of hopping onto their music trains now. The band is extremely good, especially drummer Tonmi Lillmann from Sinergy. I could get into their music until Jape starts singing. I don't know how they talked Kimberly Goss (Sinergy, Dimmu Borgir) into doing background vocals, but the music is elevated when her operatic voice kicks in. To/Die/For would be truly outstanding if only they could talk Goss into doing the main vocals. Until then I'm afraid this would only appeal to Goths or retro '80s fans mourning the loss of the Simple Minds. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Vanderhoof Vanderhoof Nuclear Blast Links: Vanderhoof		Vanderhoof includes Kurdt Vanderhoof formerly of The Lewd (awesome punk gods) and now of Metal Church (a pop metal band on Nuclear Blast). Metal Church's affiliation with Nuclear Blast is the only reason I can think of for why Nuclear Blast issued this fluff. There isn't an ounce of metal on this self-titled disc. Most of the other musicians with Vanderhoof are studio musicians or music teachers. It sounds about like a harder-edged Matchbox 20 or maybe college rock on steroids. On the bright side, this could be Nuclear Blast's first foray onto major radio airwaves. This could easily be played on any AM station across America. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Various Artists Cream of the Drop ZseroBPM Recordings		ZeroBPM Recordings has made a certain splash in the larger puddle of the Seattle music scene with their compilation release that circles in on the downbeat movement. Definitely music in slow motion, this hour-plus of fabulous smoky tracks is quality time that'll make the gray go away and keep you from wandering too close to the edge of the Aurora Bridge. Beginning with EVP's (the duo of ZeroBPM's resident Quincy Jones--Jeremy Moss--and Sky Cries Mary alum Roderick Romero) manifesto for slow change (the song is called "Stasis II") and all the way through Shane Watson's "Calm Notes from Hanging Horn," this compilation surfs along at a pace equally sedate, sublime and stateless. Sporting only a single clunker (every album has to have one, it helps to make the other tracks shine that much more), we are shown that Seattle has elements that can meet what the rest of the world has to offer head-on. Whether it be English downtempo ą la Cup of Tea Records or Pork or skewered beats Ninja Tune-style, Cream of the Drop has strong contenders with Emory Liu, Penumbral Glow, and Tone Scientist (whose track is eerily like a cut-up remix of Penumbral Glow's). In the silky diva department, there are offerings from Yva Las Vegas, Nikol Kollars (whose "All Angles" contribution ranges far from her Strange Voices days and heads into Nicolette vs. Kemistry & Storm territory), Veronica Jayne, and Michele Meyers. Rounded out with David Smith's melodic IDM contribution, the Subdwellers' sharp rap stylings and Penguin's blunt blowing, a fourth world excursion into wordless vocalizations from Anisa Romero and Jeff Greinke (under their Hana moniker), and Stephan Mendez's introspective rainy day soundtrack, Cream of the Drop is an hour that can be well-spent in and out of the rainy season. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Various Artists Projekt 100 Projekt Audra Audra Projekt Links: Audra		We love even numbers. Ten, one hundred, six, twelve. We get a little squirrelly with the odd ones--especially the prime ones. And with the evens comes time of reflection--in the record industry, we're talking the time for compilations and retrospectives. For the longstanding ambient/ethereal/goth label Projekt, the number one hundred is the time to look back on the last fifteen years of label history and assemble what label founder Sam Rosenthal calls the "Great Lost Projekt Compilation." It's not a collection of dusty throwaway b-sides that Sam has tossed together in an attempt to appeal to your sense of the insistent imperative of reliving history, but rather a collection from the early years of the label (1985-1995) of songs that, for whatever reason, have never been heard until now. Coupled with the archaeologically interesting liner notes, these thirteen tracks succinctly sum up a decade of Projekt's output. You've got your melancholic melodies dripping with ennui and atmosphere with Lycia and Black Tape for a Blue Girl (the first two acts signed to the label); the echoing ambient and ethnic flavored landscapes of O Yuki Conjugate and Terrace of Memories; the haunted introspection of Eden, Soul Whirling Somewhere and Thanatos (all before such introspection became unavoidably tinged with a tired sense of déją vu); and the elegiac noise of loveliescrushing. God, I loved this label during this time and can remember searching to find the truly underground stores that carried the Projekt roster. Sam Rosenthal has come into his own finally with the label (you can find Projekt releases constantly racked in the playstations at Borders now) and this collection of early music is an inspiring testament to the purposeful driv which has kept it vibrant these last fifteen years. That said, I have to turn to the odd number now. Whomever called Audra (the Project release numbered 101) the "new sound of Gothic" has a very short-lived memory of the gothic tradition of music. The press releases lists a number of influences on Audra's sound, but let's be honest and stop with Bauhaus. This "new sound" is nothing but a pallid shadow of uninspired channeling of Peter Murphy--the poor fellow who can't seem to shake his (truly) Gothic heritage and following. History lesson kids, since Bret and Bart didn't seem to be paying too much attention the first time 'round: Bauhaus had Kevin Haskins' rhythmic intensity, David J's sly lyricism, and Daniel Ash's dissonant energy in addition to Peter Murphy's vocal delivery. You swipe one, you've got a homage--a pastiche that isn't forward-looking in the slightest. An unfortunate addition to the label, especially at a time when we should be looking forward to the next 100 releases and not wallowing in insipid sepulchritude. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
$[ woggles - fractured ]$ The Woggles Fractured Telstar Records Links: Woggles		The Woggles, having released Fractured, have again come out with another masterpiece of classic rockin' shit! This fearsome foursome from Georgia is here to take your groovy rock order and rock your fucking socks off! If the song "C'mon and Swim" does not make your body move then I'm afraid to tell you that you are dead. In fact this piece of perfection will have you up and about as soon as it is cued up! Think of a modern day Sonics and early Rolling Stones, and toss in some intro surf grooves, extreme amounts of enthusiasm and catchiness to boot and you have The Woggles. These guys have that '60s rock hammered down while creating one hell of a Woggles wail. The Woggles are easily in my top five funnest bands to see live. This group is another one of those greatly underappreciated bands of the last decade; they shuffle from show to show almost in obscurity which is a damn shame because these guys deserve more from the music-buying public. Of course this is not the spoon-fed shit MTV dishes to the blind masses! Let the Woggles lead you to the promised land. Goddamn it, get off your ass and let The Professor teach you how to swim! *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]

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