earpollution - album reviews [page 1] - issue 3.Ø5, may 2ØØ1

Angels of Light - How I Loved You
Baretta - Velvet Brick
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade - Live Frogs Set 1
Destroyer 666 - Phoenix Rising
Diesto - Outland
Emperor - Emperial Live Ceremony
Fuck on the Beach - Endless Summer
Gandalf - Rock Hell
Hog Molly - Kung Fu Cocktail Grip
H.P.P. - Hard Pounding Percussion
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows

Mark Lanegan - Field Songs
Murder Squad - Unsane, Insane and Mentally Deranged
Nebula - Charged
ohGr - Welt
Peccatum - Strangling from Within
Pigface - The Best of Pigface
Red House Painters - Old Ramon
Seafood - Surviving the Quiet
Silo - Alloy
S.I.N.A. - Snapshot
Sister Machine Gun - 6.0

Angels of Light How I Loved You Young God Records Links: Michael Gira		The musical career of Michael Gira is much akin to that of Nick Cave (this similarity I point out only for those not familiar to the former, although, some may say, "Nick who?"). Both began wreaking havoc on our ears with their first bands--Gira with the Swans and Cave with the Birthday Party. In 1983, the Swans released Filth, a visceral, aural portrait of body and mind. The early Swans LPs were like nothing else-- filled with rhythmic undulations and amazing with their level of self-depreciation. With the release of Burning World in 1989, a change in approach was quite apparent. Gone was the bludgeoning sound, replaced with a beautiful melancholy. This transition, however, never affected my reaction to the music; it still scared me with its brilliance. I think this is were the aforementioned Nick Cave comparison ends. Yes, the Birthday Party ended and Nick grew up with the Bad Seeds, but his transformation wasn't as profound as the Swans' transformation from an ugly ducking into a...swan. Album after album, the Swans made some of the most pleasing music I have ever heard. The Swans were "terminated" by Gira in 1997. Another change took place when the first Angels of Light album, New Mother, was released in 1999. Jarboe, Gira's right-hand lady, was gone from the musical fold and the music had grown more sparse. The songs were as full in sound as with the Swans, yet maintained a folkier, stripped-down feel. How I Loved You continues in this path. This time around, Gira's baritone voice is found to be singing love songs. Yet they are love songs written by Michael Gira and Celene Dion he ain't, so don't let this fact scare ya. This album has not so much a country feel, but more of a western one. Gira has always had a knack for bringing out the filmic qualities in his music. Listening to "My True Body," I can not help one but hear the influence of Hugh Montenegro and Ennio. One problem I had with the first Angels record was that a lot of the backing vocals sounded like Jarboe's voice. I don't know if this was Gira's intention or the vocalist's but it always bothered me. That's since been resolved. Bliss Blood of the Pain Teens duets on the Hawaiian steely/country-slidy "Untitled Love Song." If you've ever been a Swans fan or just have a liking of melancholic music, you'll surely dig this record. It's truly alive. *-Tiber Scheer* [ top of page ]
Baretta Velvet Brick Emanate Records		A little over a year ago, we reviewed Jeff Allen's Baretta EP on the Sprout label and I likened the experience to waiting for a subway and grooving to the music that should be soundtracked to that experience. Now, as I listen to his full release on Emanate Records, I'm thinking about traveling again. Velvet Brick is bursting with analog melodies, fat and juicy like a summer peach. And, actually, I was traveling. I threw this in the car while I took the scenic route south from Portland, Oregon. The morning was crisp and the thick stands of evergreens were full, and the fields and scrub were glowing with vibrant green colors and the flowers were beginning to spread in their full spring glory. I had fallen into a 1950's road movie--something bursting with Technicolor and probably filmed in Italy. So much of recent electronic music that I've been exposed to has downplayed melody for experimentalism and it has been really fantastic to spend an hour with Velvet Brick. It is a warm toffee melting on your tongue, bringing up so many warm summer memories of periods of your life that are invariably sepia-toned and much kinder and simpler. These nine tracks are warm, instrumental delights: an appellation that I usually reserve for Boards of Canada type material. I need to do a little retro-fitting to my historical categorization because Allen's work here is the standard now and everything else should stand in line behind Velvet Brick. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade Live Frogs Set 1 Prawn Song Records Links: Les Claypool		Consider a time when pure sound loomed larger than image and persona, a time when studied musicianship garnered praise and worship, a time when rock musicians pursued their craft with the same unquenchable thirst as the world-wandering Odysseus of Greek legend. Sure it's been years since bands like Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and Rush recorded their finest material and roamed the earth, magically transporting millions into alternate realms by creating wondrous atmospheric symphonies, while foregoing the basic three or four chord, verse-chorus-verse rock song. But as Les Claypool has demonstrated throughout his eclectic career as bass pioneer and leader of groups such as Primus, Sausage, Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel, and now, the relentlessly touring Frog Brigade, the ideals of progressive rock blanket his gray matter like ever-expanding nebulae. Claypool spent the better part of the year 2000 (and much of this year) as ringleader of the Frog Brigade, a colorful mix of characters who share his passion for limitless musical exploration and carnival-like stage shows. Two of the five recruits, guitarist Todd Huth and drummer Jay Lane, are longtime co-conspirators of Claypool's. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti has played with Bob Weir's Ratdog, saxophonist Skerik with Critters Buggin', and guitarist Eenor ("the world's only guitar playing redwood tree") simply answered Claypool's want-ad for like-minded musical renegades. This seven track live album, recorded over two nights at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, is a tantalizing taste of the Frog Brigade's live prowess and tensile virtuosity and serves as valuable documentation of Claypool's genre-transcending abilities. With his outrageously skilled bass manipulation and warped lyrical outlook, he's been able to connect with followers of metal, progressive rock, funk, and the jam band movement. Expect to see a strange mix of headbangers and Birkenstock hipsters at any Claypool show. On this, the first of two live albums (expect the second this Summer) released on Claypool's Prawn Song label, the Frog Brigade take the long way through five numbers from the bass wizard's two major side projects of the mid-'90s: Sausage and the Holy Mackerel, while also tackling King Crimson's "Thela Hun Ginjeet" to open the set, and Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" to end it. Claypool's percussive bass is the dominant force throughout the Brigade's 14-minute-plus version of the King Crimson staple. Lane delivers a fidgety rat-a-tat-tat as keyboards, saxophone, and guitars weave their way around bullish bass lines and through the song's anxious theme, with especially mind-bending results. On "Hendershot," a Holy Mackerel number, the Brigade ride Claypool's gleefully quirky bass into a frenzied surf rock celebration that would make Dick Dale jealous. Prior to their intense reading of a Pink Floyd classic, the band loosely follows the structures of "Running The Gauntlet" and "Girls for Single Men," while indulging in the spirit of the jam. Claypool introduces each member before he respectively takes a bath in the territory of the leader's masterful playing, but unfortunately the fine drumming of Lane doesn't feel the spotlight here. The inclusion of the Floyd number is no surprise, since many of the Brigade's shows include a near note-for-note retelling of Pink Floyd's Animals, as well as unique readings of "Crazy Diamond." The Brigade explodes, bass throbbing and guitars razor sharp, after the familiar four-note theme introduces the song to the crowd. As it did on last year's cover of Black Sabbath's "N.I.B.," Claypool's bass puts a refreshing new spin on a rock classic. His ebullient vocals seem a glowing tribute to the lasting power of the '70s prog anthem. Successfully captured on disc, Claypool's Frog Brigade transcends not only genres, but time as well. *-Dan Cullity* [ top of page ]
Destroyer 666 Phoenix Rising Renegade Records Emperor Emperial Live Ceremony Candlelight Records Peccatum Strangling from Within Candlelight Records Links: Emperor		The problem with multiple-country issues is that it's a scam to torture collectors. It's great that I can purchase the disc at a domestic price, but usually I've already paid for the import by the time someone gets around to issuing a U.S. release. I hope Candlelight and Renegade have tremendous success in the U.S. so that we may get our releases faster and cheaper. Destroyer 666 is an Australian war metal band that has crushed all the competition from Downunder and is working it's way around the globe hitting new heights of brutality. Fans of Bestial Warlust and Angelcorpse probably already own Phoenix Rising, but should you not own this chunk of insane metal, now is your chance. Destroyer 666 exceeds the usually high limit for Australian mayhem in music. Destroyer 666's previous efforts are only available as Australian imports and are definitely developmental once you've heard Phoenix Rising. Phoenix Rising shows Destroyer 666 at the height of their career so far. If you want to headbang, this will literally blow your block off. The best cuts are "I am the Wargod," "Lone Wolf Winter," "Rise of the Predator" and "The Eternal Glory of War" although there isn't any filler here. You will regret not purchasing this disc, so avoid the suffering and give into the beast. Candlelight is reissuing Emperor's live release Emperial Live Ceremony on DVD, CD and video. You will need to own at least one format because it's the only way you'll see Emperor live (for the time being) since they've decided to quit touring. The CD also includes a video track for "I am the Black Wizards" and screen savers, but you can get all that plus live action on the DVD. Peccatum is Ihsahn's (Emperor) symphonic side project. Candlelight is not only issuing Strangling from Within, but also Amor Fati for Ihsahn's hordes. Peccatum includes Ihriel (Ihsahn's wife) and Lord Pz. Ihriel has a gorgeous voice and the music edges towards a quieter, more gothic and operatic style rather than symphonic bombast. Strangling from Within was so slow and primitive that it didn't appeal strongly to me, but those into a more ethereal and serene musical experience will relish it's intricacies. *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Diesto Outland Elastic Records		This is my first time hearing this noise rock trio from Portland, Oregon, and I am very impressed with Diesto's heavy, dark, noisy guitar sound. It seems like a three-piece is all that any band should consist of; everybody has their part and they seem to always play that part well and Diesto play their type of music tightly. Everything sounds right on and played as if this is their last song to record. The noisy structures may seem sloppy, but it is all part of the master plan. That plan is to drive the listener into submission, or Diesto will want you to get the fuck out. Outland is not for the average listener, but for someone who likes his or her music loud, throbbing and strained. Think of Today is the Day that The Cows meet Unsane in front of the Capital building to bring the walls down. Singer/guitarist Chris Dunn's yelling and screaming combined with the dissonant discord peels the layers of paint back while the rhythm section vibrates the mortar out from between the bricks. Diesto has some good company behind the controls of the recording desk as in Alex Newport from the Theory of Ruin and Fudge Tunnel camps [click here to read eP's interview with alex newport. --ed.], and Steve Austin (from Today is the Day) mixing the volatile sludge into a toxic puss-oozing head wound. If you like your rock noisy with angular guitars frothing from the mouth with bass and drums, then you may want to check out Outland by Diesto. Keep your ear to the track for Diesto's rumbling sound at a club near you! *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
Fuck on the Beach Endless Summer Slap a Ham Records		Tokyo's Fuck on the Beach return with their 2nd album, Endless Summer. Their first album Power Violence Forever was a brutal offering of fastcore mastery. Endless Summer finds Tsuyoshi, Sanshiro, and Kensuke trading off some speed for riffage. Upholding the tradition of Japan's hardcore past, this album pays homage to 1980's greats like Lipcream and Gauze. The clumsy playing of punk yesteryears, I'm happy to report, is disappearing as bands up the ante with their competency. More thrash than punk, Fuck on the Beach still stay true to the chaotic frenzy with which they always churn. The bass breaks! They're awesome. Not enough of them, in my opinion, but still fucking rad. "Betrayed Again" breaks out with an awesome bass intro before going full throttle onwards and outwards. In place of lyrics, there is the "classic" hardcore photo collage. You know the kind, lots of pictures of the band making funny faces with their friends. It is quite enjoyable, but I haven't got a clue as to what they're singing about. Bummer, but it doesn't make this album any less enjoyable. My ass is doubly kicked with each listen. They tour the United States quite a bit, so catch 'em if you can. Colored vinyl can be purchased through the website only. *-Tiber Scheer* [ top of page ]
Gandalf Rock Hell Earache		Rock Hell is an interesting idea, but Gandalf won't be there. Rock Hell is way too good to toss over the abyss into Rock Hell. Gandalf manages to connect elements of progressive metal, death metal and black metal and then makes the dots form one hell of a disc. This isn't the heaviest and it isn't the catchiest, but it will slip under your skin so effortlessly that you'll find yourself humming Gandalf's tunes all day. They manage to extract a little from every metal genre and mix it up real good so that you'll have a hard time picking an exact influence. This is a melodic metal meltdown. It's all the little details that Gandalf tosses into their mix: the superlative ringing tone of the guitars as they chime sickly-sweet through "L8X Queen"; the eerie keyboard fills on "The Dragon"; the ELO-style harmonies on "Geysir." Getting the picture? Better yet, get the disc and tell me if "Dead Man's Hand" doesn't just blow your eardrums into nirvana. Cuts like "One More for the Dead" and "Human Value Zero" just flat out rock. I wonder if their debut was this great. Guess I'm going shopping again. This is monumental rock--let your ears enjoy! *-Sabrina Haines* [ top of page ]
Hog Molly Kung Fu Cocktail Grip Kool Arrow Records		I did not think that anyone could keep Tad Doyle down for very long. For one, he is a rather big man with a very bad disposition. I think Tad (the band) reached their peak with the song "Jinx" which is one incredible track that everyone should own! Tad is back with a new band that will rock your balls off. On Kung Fu Cocktail Grip, Tad the mastermind ups the ante of heavy music under the guise of Hog Molly. It is not hard to compare Hog Molly to Tad--think of this as the next step in Tad's evolution of heavy sound. Hog Molly come storming out of the box with driving hooks and thick-as-ass sludge that will have you clutching that cocktail glass so tight in the hopes that nothing seeps out your backside. The low end on this release will leave your internals shaken--not stirred--creating such a volatile slurry mess that you hope you can make it to the throne before the mess can make it's exit. Hog Molly is not a pretty band you will find on your local rock radio station. This shit is just too nasty and mean, making the radio executives scurry for their butt plugs--oops, I mean ear plugs. This is Tad in overdrive, hopped up on groove balls, ready to set the rockin' scene on fire. This just kicks your ass, leaving no power chord unstrummed. Pure rocking pleasure, fans of Tad will go hog-wild listening to Hog Molly's Kung Fu Cocktail Grip. *-Steve Weatherholt* [ top of page ]
H.P.P. Hard Pounding Percussion Possessive Blindfold		Like any child fascinated with words, when presented with an acronym, I immediately start puzzling out possibilities. Maurizio Landini probably had a similar childhood and, for his second noise release, has chosen Hard Pounding Percussion as the definition of his project's name. This is more suited as a description of the sound than this first release, Horse Penis Pants--which, frankly, can't really be visualized as a sonic description without straying into territories that will leave disturbing mental scars. Ghosts of Landini's I-Burn project swim in the distorted ether beneath the visceral beats of Hard Pounding Percussion as these eleven tracks sizzle and steam with an arctic ambience. "Homonculus" lurches around the laboratory like an aberrant construction fueled more by dying gasps of electricity and broken pipes than clay and blood and magical convocations. "Left-Hand Balling" pays homage to the Ant-Zen style of technoir beats with its splintered beats and savaged bleats of synthetic noise. The scarred detritus of radio broadcasts howl in concert throughout the course of "Rizomatic." "Mannerbunde" eats into my skull with its searing spike of static, pushed farther and farther into my gasping cortex by its--what else?--pounding percussion. And yet for "File Type: Unknown" and "The Lord's Supper," the brutality is left at the door. "File Type: Unknown" eschews the beats for spattered drones and icy chimes that sound like metal stretched beyond elastic limits, and "The Lord's Supper" is calmer still, evasive with its distant drones and rumbles. But, before you go, a ZymOsiZ remix of "Girlfriend-Mass-Murderer" brings you back from the indistinct horizon of the last two tracks with the thunder of a 10,000 RPM engine as it splits apart at the speed of sound. Once you've stopped reeling and can reach the board, put up another marker for Possessive Blindfold as they continue their noise assault with H.P.P's Hard Pounding Percussion. Not completely relentless, Hard Pounding Percussion has a wide array of ideas that it offers through its scream of noise and static, which is something that you always like to see in an album. The diversity can also detract and, while Hard Pounding Percussion certainly does pound along when it is in its groove, its transitions can be equally abrasive. *-Mark Teppo* [ top of page ]
Idlewild 100 Broken Windows Capitol Records Links: Idlewild		The quirky, often cheeky lyrics, lush aural landscapes, and lilting melodies that often identify the rock sound of the British Isles to Americans are lost on Idlewild. The only thing this dynamic yet melodious band has in common with Travis, for instance, is a Scottish upbringing. These four upstarts from Edinburgh transfer power and aggression without coming across as snide or showing any defining links to the U.K. punk movement. The unassuming delivery of singer Roddy Woomble and the band's economical and effective playing style are the building blocks of Idlewild's sound. Throughout the greater part of 100 Broken Windows, they adhere to a direct, driving approach that frames a bountiful cache of irresistible choruses and hooks. There are moments of soft melancholy and dreamy introspection, like on the album-ending "The Bronze Medal" and during parts of "Quiet Crown" and "Let Me Sleep (next to the mirror)," but these take nothing away from the album's prevailingly ardent vibe. Idlewild forges a compelling identity, serving a steady diet of razor-sharp transitions and magical bursts of vocal melody. Aggressive enough to please the hard rock oriented and catchy enough to entrance those who bow to the pleasures of good pop songwriting, these twelve tracks build a bridge between power and beauty. 100 Broken Windows boasts a number of songs worthy of hit status. Released last year in Europe (the album was actually recorded between May and November of 1999), the album has already struck a chord in Great Britain with the singles "Little Discourage" and "Actually It's Darkness," and could serve as an important part of the remedy for the stagnant major label rock scene here in the States. "These Wooden Ideas" rises steadily from the start as Woomble's rich, open brogue moodily traces subdued and intertwining guitar and bass. Enter a nervous single keyboard that sows a field of anticipation for the flood burst ahead, as Woomble repeats the line "I stopped and waited for progress." In a euphoric release, the band forcefully slices through the building intensity, Woomble's voice rising and falling throughout the chorus. "Idea Track" is Idlewild's foray into more experimental territory. It's an oddly smooth blend of three clashing musical themes: a detached, amorphous verse, a few croaky shrieks over three brutalized chords, and a world-saving chorus where words are unintelligible but somehow universally understandable. It's as if these four musicians sat down and, for once, decided to forego writing a well-rounded rock song, and rather, set their sights on simply creating a masterful, cascading chorus powerful enough to transcend the expectations set forth by the tenets of good songwriting. After pressing the rewind button about ten times, I'd have to say they succeeded. Arguably the strongest cut on the album, "Actually Its Darkness" seems to explore the stormy shadows of introversion, breaking through once again with an electrified chorus. Woomble cuts loose over Rod Jones' warm bending guitar riff, vigorously pushing the line "you shed a shade of shyness," finishing off the rampage with "why can't you be more cynical?" It'll be interesting to see what Idlewild does with this near mastery of the choral hook. Will they scale their sound down, making the bursting chorus their calling card, thus ensuring at least some form of mainstream success, or will they stretch out stylistically, an avenue they've already trod upon on 100 Broken Windows? *-Dan Cullity* [ top of page ]

1 2 Next->