earpollution - album reviews [page 1] - issue 3.12, december 2ØØ1

As Friends Rust - Won
Benediction - Organized Chaos
Comadose - Re-up
Corporal Blossom - A Mutated Christmas
Dilated Peoples - Expansion Team
Electric Frankenstein - The Buzz of 1,000 Volts
Front Line Assembly - Epitaph
Fugu - Fugu 1
Grave Digger - The Grave Digger
Headhunter D.C. - And the Sky Turns to Black
Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions - Bavarian Fruit Bread
If.then.else - Pause
Kreator - Violent Revolution
Lina - Stranger on Earth

Milemarker - Anaesthetic
Mortiis - The Smell of Rain
Nephasth - Immortal Unholy Triumph
Rabies Caste - Let the Soul Out and Cut the Vein
Saint Sophia - The Deepsweet Nothings Network
Slipknot - Iowa
Sodom - M-16
Solarized - Driven
Tarmvred - Subfusc
Therion - Secret of the Runes
They Might Be Giants - Holidayland
Trembling Blue Stars - Alive to Every Smile
Various Artists - Soul Addiction
Vendetta Red - White Knuckled Substance

As Friends Rust Won Doghouse Records Links: As Friends Rust		As Friends Rust is a magnetic fivesome out of Gainesville, Florida, who place just as much emphasis on melody in their hardcore as they do on breakneck rhythms and aggressive vocals. There is enough color, found in both the vocals and guitars, to push much of the music found on Won into other categories, such as hard rock/metal and pop punk. Whatever you want to call it, the album simultaneously satisfies the basic tenets of hardcore--lyrics steadfast in their defiance of commonly accepted norms and music that pushes the envelope of speed and power--while also opening the door to non-hardcore listeners with a timeless blend of dynamics and melody. Damien Moyal, formerly of the band Culture, draws on a naturally rich tone to spearhead the band's melodic drive, elevating to a proper hardcore roar when aggression beckons. He delivers lyrics about the sometimes sorry state of social interaction with a focused earnestness that recalls the work of Bad Religion's Greg Graffin. The guitars challenge us by rising above and beyond the basic, revved-up chord gymnastics heard in a lot of hardcore and punk, adding a wealth of fiery riffs and darting lead runs to the kinetic mix. Indispensable anchor to the tightly wound sound, drummer Zach Swain keeps us honest with unexpected double-bass kicks and abrupt tempo swings. "Won't Be the First Time" is one giant hook of a song that finds As Friends Rust at their most melodic and most catchy. Moyal spins a vehement tale of an uneven friendship gone sour, his tight verses cascading over one another as sharp chords, gurgling bass and echoing drums keep the pace. Unique, given the musical environment, is a penetrating slide riff that acts as melodic glue holding the ecstatic vibe together between verses. The chorus is an impeccably put together stretch of harmonizing that belies the band's hardcore grit, as heard on drilling blasts like "Fourteen or So" and "This Is Me Hating You." It's this facility with a handful of different but related, aggressive rock styles and the seamless transition from one to the next that makes As Friends Rust a band to watch. On Won, the band never relents in its pursuit of adrenaline-pumping moments of hard fought bliss. *-Dan Cullity* [ top of page ]
Benediction Organized Chaos Nuclear Blast Kreator Violent Revolution SPV/Steamhammer Links: Kreator		Benediction and Kreator: does it get much more old school than these two bands? Benediction, persevering since 1989, producing at least eight albums featuring multiple vocalists. The newest heir to the microphone in Benediction is Dave Hunt. Yeah, no one else ever heard of him before either. They won't forget him now! Dave turns in one hell of a performance, growling legibly through songs that felt like standards and were sung with energy and passion. Organized Chaos feels fresh, possibly this Hunt kid has revitalized the kings of grind. This is rollicking death metal as hard as Monstrosity and as rocking as Motörhead. Benediction recruited Andy Sneap to twist the knobs and he marks this production with a clean and crisp yet organic sound. Not as harsh as earlier releases (The Grotesque, and Subconscious Terror), but more accessible and melodic without compromising the toughness and old school attitude. Kreator had a lot of jaws to replace after Endorama, not that it was a great release or a bad release, just very slow and melodic and doomy and gothicy and very unlike Kreator's flashy, mean thrashy image. Violent Revolution takes Endorama and kicks its self-pitying ass back into playing shape. The opening tune, "Reconquering the Throne," is the manifesto of the times for Kreator. I can picture Mille Petrozza pissed off and stewing about the negative criticism for months before snapping into lunatic gear and thrashing for all his possessed life. Maybe Violent Revolution isn't the best Kreator album, but it is the most welcome. Metal heads had to be terrified that they had lost their thrash kings to their feminine side after Endorama. They can rest soundly now, Mille is back to normal. With songs like "All of the Same Blood," their mission statement "Servant in Heaven--King in Hell," "Ghetto War," and "Bitter Sweet Revenge," there are precious few moments of tenderness in a Violent Revolution. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Comadose Re-up Screaming Ferret Wreckords Links: Comadose		This debut release on Screaming Ferret Wreckords is a band that has pounded the northeast U.S.A. to shreds. Comadose have the power and aggression to rip the lids off steel cans. This six-piece has been around for four-plus years, exposing all who dare come to see them to a high energy all-out assault on your blood-soaked brain. Driving, hook-laden groovy guitar riffs that are bottom heavy infuse your neural components, telling them to slam into the nearest wall and break it down. The heavy power that comes pumping out of your stereo conspires with nods towards Slipknot, only at a slower pace. Dan's well placed electronics and samples are unique, adding texture and depth to this disc. With this release, Comadose are begging to smash the sounds that come out of your FM dial. Re-up even has a couple of hits with "Buzzkill" and "Junkie" that radio stations around the U.S. will be singing praises to. With the potent release of Re-up, Comadose continue to show the rest of the world that New England's metal scene is vital without compromising for anyone, and is still a viable outlet for kids that want to piss-off their parents. Comadose is a force to be listened to, and will destroy your eardrums in a small venue--thus leaving one feeling whole and complete. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Corporal Blossom A Mutated Christmas Illegal Art Links: Layng Martine III		Layng Martine III is fucking with your head. Operating under his black ops moniker of Corporal Blossom, he has stolen your daddy's record collection and has cannibalized all of those 45s. He's after your holiday music, intent on shattering your eggnog-induced stupor with reconstructed Christmas carols. Piecing together hundreds of samples from MP3 sharing, crappy cassette tapes lifted from the back bins at the local Goodwill store, your aforementioned poppa's record collection, and every home recording of your neighborhood carol sing-along, he and his band of sonic outlaws have, well, mutated Christmas. The opener, "White Christmas," while keeping with the original tempo, contains vocal contributions from Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Ross and the Supremes--literally something for everyone. DJ Olive breaks down "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" until you're not sure exactly who the narrative voice is. Fellow deconstruction master Brian Siskind snaps open "Carol of the Bells," revealing the previously unknown subliminal structure of about 16 other instrumental carols. It all reaches a feverish, mentally exhausting peak with Mom and Daddy's version of "O Holy Night"--a track which sent me shrieking into the dark corners of the room. I'm crouching there, panting and trying to find my sanity as Lustmord's version of "Silent Night" fills the room. Seven minutes of choral voices performing the carol while a small military conflict rages in the background. My first impression was horror and then the ultimate sadness of the sonic situation completely overwhelmed me. In some places of the world, this is the backdrop for caroling, this is what the children (and bigger people too) hear every night. Santa? I'm grateful this year for everything that I've ever taken for granted, and could you pass my house by this Christmas? There are some people out there who need some hope. Pass me by. Give them what you can. And thank your chief mischief maker Layng and his merry pranksters for waking me up enough to actually remember the intent of all these songs. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Dilated Peoples Expansion Team Capitol Records Links: Dilated Peoples		For the record, let me first say that I respect and, more importantly, appreciate what producers Dr. Dre, Jermaine Dupri, Timberland, and P-Diddy have done for hip-hop music. Which is why when I hear groups like Dilated Peoples I start banging my head against the wall. Real hip-hop needs to include the DJ. It doesn't have to be on every track but it would be nice. Think about it: what would rock 'n' roll be without guitars? Hip-hop music started out being nothing more than two turntables and some mics; and now its samplers, drum machines, and synthesizers. What happened to the man who could spark the crowd into a frenzy with the mere flick of his wrist? Tell me you don't still get excited when you hear a blazing hot new guitar riff or see Eddie Van Halen solo live? As a big fan of hip-hop I feel the same way when DJ Babu cuts it up on the wheels of steel. One listen to any of the first three tracks on Expansion Team, his group's latest release, is proof positive of how something as simple as letting a DJ manipulate the chorus can light a joint up. Look, I've said it before and I'll say it again: it isn't hip-hop without the DJ. When rock 'n' roll re-invents itself and becomes the dominant music genre without the use of guitars of any sort, you can tattoo "fuck the DJ" on my ass. Until then, I'm begging all super producers out there to please recognize the effect that a good DJ can have on your joint. I mean, it's not like a good one is hard to find. Half of today's young punk-rock-metal-whatever bands have DJ's; how's that for ironic? Hell, even Detroit wonderboy Kid Rock--who plays every instrument on his albums--can kick it on the one and twos. Anyway, this box I'm standing on is starting to creak, so back to the review I go. Things fall apart on Expansion Team as soon as the A-list of producers is exchanged for the B-list. The first couple of tracks burst forth like molten lava shot skyward by an active volcano, thanks to producers The Alchemist and DJ Premier. After that, the album bogs down in mediocrity, and the skyward bound molten lava quickly begins to cool, falling back to earth as fast and hard as boring lifeless gray chunks. DJ Babu combined with top-notch production is worth every penny of the sticker price. Anything less isn't. Don't believe me? Check out Dilated Peoples' latest and see for yourself. *-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake* [ top of page ]
Electric Frankenstein The Buzz of 1,000 Volts Victory Records Links: Electric Frankenstein		Electric Frankenstein, with 20-plus releases under their belts, has released the mother of all rock 'n' roll albums. This slab of CD just drips with rock hook after rock hook. It has a vintage raw sound that just begs to be played. The Buzz of 1,000 Volts was recorded with vintage gear in a vintage studio to create an incredible vintage rock sound. You can hear bits and pieces of many older rock bands, including AC/DC and The Dictators. But do not be fooled by these influences, the guys of Electric Frankenstein place their own stamp throughout the disc with mind-numbing riffs, shredded vocals, and one hell of a thumping rhythm section. I have not listened to the band in a couple of years, and this release is probably one of there finest. Electric Frankenstein are bound to influence many, many young bands to the sound of rock 'n' roll in the new millennium, and with their punk attitude will smash to bits those that conspire against rock 'n' roll. Electric Frankenstein have melded the lines of genres and defied pigeonholing the sounds of their music while continuously churning out street-level punk rock that very few bands can imitate. These guys will, without a doubt, go down in the punk annals as one of the most influential and prolific underground bands of all time. If you want to hear slabs of history, just buy this fucker, sit back and smile. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Front Line Assembly Epitaph Metropolis Links: Front Line Assembly		I am in the throes of some new millennium sickness, some disease which has hurled me onto a 12-step track of revisiting history. I'm at step three or four, I'm not terribly sure, but this is where I make amends and voice confessions, like this one: I still regularly play the last Front Line Assembly album. Sure, last time FLA came through the eP grain thresher, we turned the speed up on the blades, and rode back over the corpse several times. But you know what? I was out there late at night, putting all those pieces into a box, sorting out the chaff from the plastic, and gluing it all back together with the silvery side down so it would actually spin in my CD player. No thresher this time. I am here to listen. And what I'm hearing is the sound of Bill Leeb jockeying for a position just off the bow of the mainstream. Look, I still love all the old Delerium records (you know, the ones whose lineage you can't hear in any note of 2000's Poem) and there are even a few FLA albums that still rock my boat, but--and Leeb has been upfront about this in more than one interview--he has realized the obvious benefit of a larger audience. The vision of Front Line Assembly is still of a dystopian future where our humanity has been subsumed under radioactive clouds and machine interfaces. Bludgeoning despair still provides the power for the electronic drums and fragmented lyrics which catalog a world of darkness and woe still provide the blueprint for a FLA tune, but there is no reason that the children of this generation--the gothic unwashed, the disassociated cybervandals, the plastic-sheathed idolaters of the grotesque--can't have a decent beat to dance to in their underground sanctuaries. The guitars of past transgressions have been replaced by breakbeats and textured keyboards, and the bursts of sound are now built from static and noise instead of choral arrangements. But the vocoder still works, Leeb's voice is still marred and scarred by technology. Front Line Assembly is streamlining their sound, machine code that is constantly revising and updating itself, stripping away the extraneous lines of instruction to a more digitalized, more processed core. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Fugu Fugu 1 Minty Fresh Links: Fugu		I didn't know that I'd been waiting for an album like Fugu 1 until the first delightful chords floated out of my stereo speakers. This is thoughtfully composed retro-pop par excellence; a delicious confectionery mix of vocals, horns, strings, basic rock elements and playful keyboards. Though altered from its proper debut on the French Ici d'Ailleurs label, the CD design suits the music: a nostalgic '60s flavour, slightly whimsical and unpretentious. However, these self-contained orchestral pop arrangements, written and produced by the veritable one-man act Mehdi Zannad, go far beyond the standard pop song. Zannad has elaborated on an archetype first established by the Beach Boys and the Beatles, dressing it in the fashion of the day and adding clever embellishments of his own unique devising. And the result is truly remarkable. "Vibravox" whirls like a rainbow pinwheel; "The Best of Us," with its soprano vocals, stands on tiptoe and grasps for the wafting strains of the flute; "Variations Fitzwilliam" bows and curtsies in time to the harpsichord--yes, the harpsichord, which reappears on "Triple Bass," one of four instrumentals. The drawback to this seemingly endless succession of allure, like a perpetual supply of Soma, is that the songs lose their individual definition and begin to merge into a kaleidoscopic whole. If it is possible to have too much of a good thing, Fugu 1 is the example. The untitled track thirteen, 70 seconds of wailing babies in sync with a rather basic melody, can be grating. But this is a relatively unimportant quibble when taken with the overwhelming appeal of the whole album. For foreigners, English lyrics, trendy and more marketable, can often be a sure path to disaster. Zannad pulls it off successfully and with grace to boot. In fact, his lyrics are far better than what most American bands try to peddle to their poor listeners. No slave to Anglophone market forces, Zannad's cosmopolitan propensities surface in "Au Depart" and "Sol y Sombra," rendered in French and Spanish respectively. Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier sings on the latter, a cameo that gives some indication of the shared pop sensibilities between the two bands. Fugu 1 could be dismissed as fluff, but only because its sophistication is obscured by its charm. Each song on the album can be deconstructed and examined just as easily as it can be enjoyed as pleasant ambience music. Now that these 18 tracks have thankfully been given their much deserved North American release, it's likely that Zannad and the rest of his band will find an adoring audience on both sides of the Atlantic. *-Eric J. Iannelli* [ top of page ]
Grave Digger The Grave Digger Nuclear Blast Links: Grave Digger		Grave Digger have been perfecting Teutonic metal for nearly two decades. Tons of bands have patterned their Germanic attack, but none have the integrity and longevity of Grave Digger. Grave Digger has been putting out quality discs containing content drawn from medieval topics such as the Knights Templar, the Crusades, and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, for years. This time they have progressed up the history timeline to the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Grave Digger has also replaced long-time guitarist Uwe Lulis with ex-Rage guitarist Manni Schmidt. Manni is a little younger and faster than his predecessor, so he is an improvement and a welcome infusion of youth. Stefan Arnold is so precise that it might be irritating that, as usual, he is so smooth on drums. Keyboards are not predominant but serve as a terrific garnish to the overall melody of The Grave Digger. Chris Boltendahl has a lower range rockish growl that resembles Rob Halford with more testosterone, and are not as squealy as most of the competing Germanic power metal bands. This maintains a medium level of speed consistently--with only one ballad, "Silence"--and only a few slow breaks to modulate the rhythm. This is more sophisticated (yeah, even with the clichéd skeleton cover) than Sinner, Udo or Hammerfall. If you miss real power metal that you can sing along with and won't hurt your ears, you need to be all over Grave Digger. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions Bavarian Fruit Bread Sanctuary Records		If there's a record perfect for these upcoming winter months, it's Bavarian Fruit Bread, from Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions. There's an ethereal simplicity to this record from the singer of Mazzy Star. Her distinct, soft vocals, combined with Colm O'Ciosoig's (My Bloody Valentine) instrumentation, have a somnolent effect, and are bound to take the listener to a dream-like trance. The album is perfect for those introspective winter evenings as the incense burns and candles flicker. The opening track has the simple strumming of a guitar and a bell which, in essence, is the overall sound of the album. The simplicity of Bavarian Fruit Bread is reminiscent of old recordings by Velvet Underground's chanteuse Nico during her Chelsea Girls days. The exception is that Sandoval's honeyed vocals are more soothing and palatable to the ears. Lots of reverb on the vocals creates that otherworldly, airy breath that characterizes Sandoval's voice. In "Drop" Sandoval's vocals, backed by guitarist Bert Jancsch form this wistful world where her voice and his strumming, like a sprite in flight, flits across this starry musical landscape bound to take the listener for a mesmerizing journey. "Suzanne" is close to having pop sensibility where the listener can grab onto something to sing along. Sandoval's lilting vocals sing, "She pulls aside a four-leaf clover and makes me feel like I'm on my own. " "Butterfly Mornings" has the same mystical feel of Van Morrison's "Ballerina" off the lovely Astral Weeks. Dreamy and contemplative, Bavarian Fruit Bread offers a sensual realm for a long winter's night. *-Hope Lopez* [ top of page ]
If.then.else Pause Emanate Records		Pause exudes introspection, navel gazing of the most mind-corrective sort. Emanate Records label head Deno Vichas took an unexpected six-month tour of the Big House for marijuana possession and brought back a peaceful introspection that completely permeates the nine tracks of this record. Me? I would have been crawling the walls and trying to dig my way out with a plastic spork. You wouldn't find the words "placid as a pool of still water" anywhere on a progress report filed about me during those one-hundred and eighty days. Yet, after even one listen to Pause, that is exactly where I am: floating on that flat surface. Filled with elongated bell tones, gentle washes of static, the clipped chop of electronic cicadas, and the drifting ghosts of early Aphex Twin, Bola, and Pole, Pause is an entryway into a space of energizing calm. There is none of Aphex Twin's later digital fuckery to make your nerve endings twitch with unease, none of the sudden, shearing motion that a lot of current electronic music throws at you in an effort to discover just how flexible your thinking is, none of the harsh bleats of overloaded signals trying to stop/start your heart with a static-fueled cacophony. Pause is the sound of a man reaching past all of that--all the fierce motion and the frightful noise and the pounding hammer shots of his digital enhanced environment--to a place of serene contemplation. Maybe it comes from being in a five-by-five room with nothing on the walls but cinder dust and no change but the regulated binary state of the lighting system. Maybe it comes from hearing no music but the melancholic rhythm of your own pulse as it quietly glides along with your thoughts and dreams. Deno Vichas discovered something while he was away and we're are fortunate that, through his musical persona of If.then.else and Pause, he has discovered a means of expressing the soul of that discovery. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Lina Stranger on Earth Atlantic Records Links: Lina		Looking back on my childhood, one of my more colorful memories is of an uncle on my mother's side I had who used to make moonshine. If family legend is to be believed, he was apparently very good at his craft, undergoing the transformation from moonshiner to root beer purveyor only after moving here to the Northwest at the end of Prohibition. It was from this uncle (whom I won't name for obvious reasons) that I learned the intricacies of the distillation process. And it's this very process that came to mind the first time I listened to the unique musical liquor that is Atlantic Recordings artist Lina's debut release, Stranger on Earth. My initial taste testing revealed the following items in the fermentation tank of Stranger on Earth's brew: a little speakeasy, some authentic period shaker dresses, a touch of '40s Harlem, and a heaping scoop of hip-hop attitude. Upon closer examination, more rare and secret ingredients turned up, like hairs from Josephine Baker, Duke Ellington sheet music, a dab of Cab Calloway hair grease, and a small swatch of antique velvet from an old lounge chair from a popular French cabaret. All this combined with a hefty dose of talent in the form of Lina is brought to a boil and properly distilled to give us a fresh and unique, new sound for music fans. R&B music hasn't had a debut from a female artist this spellbinding or original since Erykah Badu dropped Baduizm in 1997. Samples and loops throughout this body of work sound like they were ripped directly from one of those old Victor V 12-inch turntables with the shiny oak cabinet, black horn with brass bell, and triple spring motor. For the CD generation, think RCA logo minus the cute Dalmatian. The first track, "Playa No More," is a prime example of all the key elements come together. The horns sample used throughout sounds like it's been taken from your great grandmother's era and mixed with a thumpy bass line from some present day hip-hop. Lina's vocal stylings will make you think of past greats like Sarah Vaughn or Bessie Smith. This unique and eclectic combination or musical eras works well and Lina seems perfectly at home playing the bridge between past and present. Stranger on Earth is captivating ear candy, sure to spend plenty of time in your CD player bringing a smile to your face--something we could all use this holiday season. *-Cecil Beatty-Yasutake* [ top of page ]
Milemarker Anaesthetic Jade Tree Links: Milemarker		I would be lying if I didn't say that it took me a long time to get Milemarker's latest release out of the jewel case and into my stereo for a proper listen. The album and packaging are done entirely in pink, with no tracklisting or other info whatsoever. And with a huge My Little Pony pony on the front cover, it was utterly annoying, to say the least, and not likely to find its way into my stereo. But then again, Milemarker have been making a habit of annoying people since its inception, when they used to play shows behind a black screen which had a television in front of it that simply said "entertainment." However, close your eyes, fumble for the CD, jam it in your stereo and hit "play," because Anaesthetic is definitely worth a listen, even to the point of visiting Jade Tree's website to get the song titles and track listings. The sound here is a clash between hardcore and new wave, with a jigger of swing à la International Noise Conspiracy for good measure. Roby Newton's vocals reach out in operatic proportions and, strangely, it sounds "okay," while Dave Laney and Al Burian keep her soprano in check with some heavy hipster beatnik vocals of their own. Well worth the listen, just be careful not to cut yourself with the cover art, okay? *-Craig Young* [ top of page ]

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