Random Album Review #11

Each week I am going to write a short (under 200 word) review for an album from my collection chosen at random by iTunes. You can expect anything from Slayer to Salmonella Dub to (Ravi) Shankar and that is all part of the fun. Enjoy.

Week 11: Cake – Showroom Of Compassion (2011)

Country: USA / Alternative rock, Indie rock, Pop/rock

Goofball alt-rock alumnus Cake returned after seven silent years in 2011 with Showroom of Compassion. Could a band that, despite their impressive collection of albums, will always be remembered for their hit ‘The Distance’ actually go the distance? The answer – in album form – is a resounding “Yes”. The album is peppered with a series of solid tunes that starts with single ‘Long Time’ and culminates in the blaxploitation pizzazz of ‘Moustache Man (Wasted)’. There is a knowingly awkward charm to a group of grown men who can sing songs about Italian men and teenage pregnancy (as in on songs ‘Italian Man’ and ‘Teenage Pregnancy’ respectively). Things do slow down on the B-side as the band slides into an adult-contemporary groove. It is evident that this is an album for Cake the band first and foremost, and if you’re along for the ride then you had better keep up or go home. After seven long years Cake are back; not in it for the acclaim, just for the good times to be had. It’s been a long time, indeed.

Rating: A-

For fans of: Weezer, Presidents Of The United States Of America, Ween

Album Review: Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline

It has been three years since the Italian rock powerhouse Lacuna Coil released the divisive Shallow Life. Many fans despaired at the idea that Lacuna Coil had seemingly turned into their pop-radio American counterparts Evanescence on that record. It was a shameless stab at mainstream appeal that, in the minds of many, backfired by diluting some of their majestic clout for airwave space. If the title is anything to go by, their new album Dark Adrenaline is designed to set the record straight.

The tremolo picked, bass-heavy opening of ‘Trip The Darkness’ is a promising start. It is an obvious choice for a lead single but that is because it is a good song rather than a tame one. Down-tuned nu-metal riffs with gothic overtones and sky high choruses are still the band’s trademark and Dark Adrenaline is no exception. If anything those two musical constants seem more energised than usual – adrenalized if you will. The first few seconds of ‘Upside Down’ or ‘I Don’t Believe In Tomorrow’ would not be out of place on a Slipknot or Korn album. Upon close inspection the only thing that really lets Lacuna Coil down are their often cringe-inducing lyrics. “I’m leaving the dark side upside down / laughing at my disaster” elicited more than one shudder from this reviewer even though the song is pretty decent. You have to tip your hat to anyone who can actually make lines like that sound half good.

Singers Christina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro have regained some of their lost power; the former sounding more commanding and the latter sounding less awkward than they have been. Ferro plays a larger role in general which might put some people off but the man has clearly put some real effort into refining his craft. Take ‘Kill The Light’ as a solid example of his melodic take on the hard rock vocal performance. Scabbia is on fire on REM cover ‘Losing My Religion’; it is a nice counterpoint to ‘Enjoy The Silence’ (originally by Depeche Mode) from Karmacode. It casts the band in a playful light, a knowing cheesiness that cuts through their pomp like a knife.

The whole affair is produced by post-nu-metal maven Don Gilmore (who has worked with Linkin Park, Hollwood Undead, and Bullet For My Valentine). He wraps everything in a slick sheen that is fortunately not nearly as slick as their previous album. The guitars have an appropriate degree of crunch and the percussion is a solid building block for the rest of their sound. Dark Adrenaline is unlikely to win many new fans but some disillusioned old fans are likely to get back on board – assuming they haven’t moved on entirely.

Rating: C

Random Album Review #10

Each week I am going to write a short (under 200 word) review for an album from my collection chosen at random by iTunes. You can expect anything from Slayer to Salmonella Dub to (Ravi) Shankar and that is all part of the fun. Enjoy.

Week 10: The Fireman – Electric Arguments (2008)

Country: UK / Singer-songwriter, Trip-hop, Rock

 

There are few musicians as consistent and (thus) predictable than an ex-Beatle. What a shock is it then that sneaky Sir Paul McCartney has been recording music under the pseudonym The Fireman since 1994 with former Killing Joke member Youth. By leaving his formidable name behind, The Fireman allows McCartney the freedom to explore new musical territory. First song ‘Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight’ manages to be the most uncouth rock number he has made since his journey to the ‘Helter Skelter’. The best moments on Electric Arguments are where the two musician’s strengths weave into a sublime tapestry. ‘Sing The Changes’ bursts euphoria from every seam. It is a gorgeous anthem that incorporates electronic and world music into a jolly good pop tune. Elsewhere ‘Travelling Light’ is the type of new age blues that Moby made popular in the late 90s. Everything else gets the unpromising distinction of sitting somewhere between these other ideas. Electric Arguments is an opportunity for a music legend (and his well-respected partner in crime) to flex some new muscles and traverse some new territory.

Rating: B-

For fans of: The Beatles, Moby, Robert Plant

Album Review: Alcest - Les Voyages De L’Ame

Even in the clandestine universe of metal, there are few styles more dogmatic than Black Metal. Bands are forever being shouted down for not being true (or “cvlt”) enough. People have ever been murdered over it, as was the case with Mayhem’s Oystein Aarseth in 1993 by fellow band member Varg Vikernes. It is probably due to the bat-shit crazy antics of the scene that in the 21^st century there are certain acts that are attempting to distance themselves from the genre’s Norwegian roots. This can be something as simple as actually being able to read the band’s name on their album cover – as extreme metal bands are notoriously unintelligible – to dressing like normal people, or deconstructing the rigid “rules” of the genre. Bands like Liturgy, Horseback, Fen, and Nachtmystium have made a career out of making Black Metal sound new and fun to be around.

You might well start listening to Les Voyages De L’Ame and wonder why on earth I am talking about Black Metal. Well, apparently that is how the French band Alcest started out their musical life although you might be hard pressed to hear it on this album, at least at first. As it lead-off track ‘Autre Temps’ is more likely to be found on a Smashing Pumpkins album than from anyone who was ever described as “Black Metal”. Neige’s Vocals are cooed tenderly under rolling blankets of shoe-gaze fuzz. But metal cannot be ignored so easily. Second track ‘Là Où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles’ appears to carry on seamlessly from the first until you hear a muffled, but audible, scorched-earth howl. Then along come the harsh rasped singing and even subdued blast beats from drummer Winterhalter. However none of this is not meant to scare you off. It is merely a ruse to lure you into their world with pleasant sonics and warm you up to the idea that things are going to get heavy in here. Even still, some will recoil from a song like ‘Faiseurs De Mondes’ that wears its extreme roots very near the surface. 

The heaviest song is (quite ironically) ‘Beings Of Light’, having a prolonged rock-out bridge that demands a physical reaction from its audience. It is still ethereal and stirring, just in a more visceral way. The musical constant here is the swarm of uplifting guitars that cloak every song. They are an unwavering motif in what is otherwise a very challenging (but rewarding) record. Les Voyages De L’Ame is more an album for music lovers to springboard into the heavier end of metal than for metal heads to kick back and chill out to. It can be likened to an enthralling journey through uncharted lands. There are signposts around to clue you into where you are going but the destination is a mystery. As an album it is a striking depiction of its title - a journey of the soul – through a vividly realised vision of heaven and hell.

Rating: B+