Album Review Wrap-Up: Featuring Cage the Elephant, Red Fang, Paul McCartney, and Sepultura

October has been a fine and dandy month for new releases. It almost pains me that I haven't been able to write a review for every single album that I have been enjoying lately but I'm just going to have to learn to live with it. On the upside here are four reviews from different corners of the musical universe. Kentucky's Cage the Elephant continue their scrappy climb to fame and fortune with Melophobia. Portland rockers Red Fang unleash their inner sasquatch on Whale and Leeches. Paul McCartney gives us a timely reminder that you can never count a Beatle out (as long as they aren't named Ringo) on his fantastic album New. And finally, metal pioneers Sepultura may finally have run out of steam on the tepid The Mediator Between the Head and Hands Must Be the Heart. What a mouthful!

1. Cage the Elephant - Melophobia

Kentucky's Cage the Elephant have spent the last few years proving their credentials as proponents of scrappy, acidic rock and roll. Their new album Melophobia sees the band sounding more focused than ever but still leaving plenty of room for their flights of fancy. Melophobia is the fear of music and you can hear strains of that panic, terror, and paranoia spun into convincing yarns. But by the end of the record you have to wonder if music shouldn't be afraid of Cage the Elephant.

Things start with the lead single 'Spiderhead'; chock full of goofy classicist swing, complete with with hammering piano riff. Cage the Elephant have never been afraid to play it a little on the abrasive side and it doesn't take long for the poison to sink in. There might not be anything as manical as say 'Sabretooth Tiger' but they sure try. 'It's Just Forever' featuring Allison Mosshart (The Kills, Dead Weather) is a strange little journey crammed into just three and a half lean minutes – from raucuous duet, to sneering blues howler, to abstract piano jazz. It really has to be heard to be believed. That lurking sense of paranoia raises its head again on the batshit crazy rambling of 'Teeth'. It's a song that makes your face ache; all scratchy chords, unhinged babbling, and a dubby outro that sounds like it was recorded inside the depths of Matthew Schultz's brain.

Razor-bladed indie pop is alive and well in 2013. The Nielson brothers (the family responsible for The Mint Chicks and Unknown mortal Orchestra) are leading the charge, and MGMT's recent effort reaffirms that their dalliances into electro-pop were a fluke. Cage the Elephant have always existed in the spectrum between “heart on your sleeve” and “blood on the frets” - it's just a matter of which one you get on any particular track and how long it is until they change the game out from under you. Music should be very, very afraid of Cage the Elephant.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Teeth, It's Just Forever

2. Red Fang - Whales and Leeches

Red Fang have come for your beer and your daughters! This hard rocking quartet hail from Portland, Oregon although you would be forgiven for pegging them as Georgians. Yes, they hail from further north than their Relapse label mates Black Tusk and Baroness but their modus operandi is rather similar: rock out, kick ass, exit.

Whales and Leeches (album number three for those of you who are counting) is a rollicking good time for those who love their rock music thick, bass-y, and unrelenting. 'Blood Like Cream', a track that earns its place as the album's lead single, is what Foo Fighters would sound like if Dave Grohl was replaced by a feral Sasquatch. It rides a heavy groove while still being catchy and melodic and it boasts a shout along chorus to die for. While Red Fang are obviously on a quest to define their own legacy they know what their fans want from them. It is for this reason that on tracks like 'No Hope' and 'Crows in Swine' find Bryan Giles doing his best Troy Sanders impersonation. Hey, if the people like Mastodon is it such a crime to sound a bit like them?

On a different tangent, 'Dawn Rising' leans heavily on the band's stoner rock tendencies. The pace is slowed, the intensity is upped, and the guest appearance from Yob vocalist Mike Scheidt further solidifies their bong-rattling credentials. That seismic momentum flows right into the Sabbath-ian 'Failure' as it slow-burns its way through to the crescendo. Do you like your rock music brutish, brackish, and speaker-bustingly loud? If so I think Whales and Leeches might just be for you.

Rating: B

Recommended tracks: Blood Like Cream, Dawn Rising

3. Paul McCartney - New

When you get a new Paul McCartney album in your hands you are never 100% sure which Paul McCartney it is going to be. Will it be full of shmaltzy ballads, perhaps age-defying rockers, or even furtive electronic experiments. Nothing can properly prepare you for what you will find in New. It is a genuine modern pop record from the man who helped define the genre fifty years ago.In accordance to contemporary pop standards Macca has roped in a cadre of producers to help him construct the record. These include Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Adele), Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon), Paul Epworth (Florence and the Machine), and Giles Martin (son of George) and they each bring their A-game to the table.

Of course there will still be plenty of cheese to be hard. 'On My Way to Work' flirts with some ridiculous phrases (“On my way to work / I bought a magazine / Inside a pretty girl / Who liked to water-ski”) but it is delivered so earnestly that you just go along with it. And then on the flip-side you have 'Early Days' which further mythologizes the Beatles beginnings while at the same time refusing to be apologetic or nostalgic. It walks a difficult line between contemplation and rancor. Comparisons to Beatles records are inevitable but McCartney is hardly trying to avoid drawing the parallels. 'Queenie Eye' is so Sgt Peppers it will cause many a double take – all wit and pomp. The incredibly hooky 'Save Us' manages to out-Kaiser Chiefs the Kaiser Chiefs which is quite an achievement in itself.

The album is fifteen tracks long and it rides some incredible highs and lows throughout. Just when you thought you had a handle on New something comes out of left field to not only prove you wrong but leave you smiling about how foolish you were. Most importantly of all, it appears that the revered Sir Paul McCartney had a lot of fun making New. If that is indeed the case, and if this is the result of him enjoying himself, then long may it continue.

Rating: B

Recommended tracks: Save Us, Queenie Eye

4. Sepultura – The Mediator Between the Head and Hands Must Be the Heart

Chaos AD was a long time ago (twenty years to be exact) and Sepultura have done everything in their power to move on even if some of their fans refuse(/resist) to do so. The Mediator Between the Head and Hands Must Be the Heart is their seventh album with singer Derrick Green, which officially puts him at the wheel longer than Max Cavalera. This is an album about the dehumanizing nature of the modern world. Between metropolitan overcrowding and our over-reliance on technology we are less human and more robotic than ever. This disaffection is like fuel to the fire of the heavy metal genre and it burns at the heart of every song on the record.

Try as both bands might, Sepultura and Soulfly will forever be compared to one another as long as they both shall live. Naturally it is a coincidence that they have both released new albums so close together (Soulfly's Savages came out earlier this month) but you have to admit it is one hell of a coincidence. While Savages cast its gaze wide and worked hard to draw in its myriad of influences,The Mediator narrows its focus to a fault. If it isn't hardcore thrash then these guys don't want to know about it. This unfortunately makes for a very workaday metal record despite the concept and sky-high potential of all involved.

Special mention must be made of their new drummer Eloy Casagrande who more than holds his own. I admit that after a few spins of the album I found myself listening to his dextrous fills and tribal breakdowns more than anything else. Guitarist Andreas Kisser is one of the great unheralded riffers and he is generally a delight to listen to . But you know something isn't quite right when by the third or fourth track you are already getting bored of how straight-forward everything feels. There is little in the way of subtly and nuance to the performances. By now everyone knows about Sepultura's nihilistic agenda which makes songs like 'The Vatican' (complete with angelic choir before the sledgehammer assault strikes) a bit on the nose. Some might consider this criticism a little unfair given that this is a metal album but haven't most of us moved on from 1983 yet? For the genre to advance we need the respected elders (including Sepultura) to lead the way forward.

Rating: C

Recommended track: Manipulation of Tragedy

Album Review: Soulfly - Savages

Brazilian metal hero Max Cavalera unleashes his ninth album with Soulfly. Some things change over the years but Soulfly's dedication to big, bold, groovy metal is not one of them. Time to become Savages.

With sixteen years and eight albums under their belt Max Cavalera's Soulfly have become one of the most consistent and reliable properties in modern metal. Sure, some of those early records suffered from some strange decisions (3's world metal tendencies still raise eyebrows) but since 2005's Dark Ages the band have been riding an almighty wave of momentum all the way through to album number nine, Savages. Whereas Dark Ages resurrected thrash, Conquer evoked doom, Omen worshiped hardcore, and Enslaved was yoked to death metal, Savages tries to distill all of these influences into a signature sound.

A new Soulfly album generally means two things; a change in the line-up and a new group of special guest vocalists. Savages delivers on both of these. Borknagar drummer David Kinkade is out and Max's son Zyon Cavalera is in. His drum solo breakdown on 'Master of Savagery' is worth the price of admission alone and heralds the arrival of a new generation of this storied clan to the metal-verse. In the second regard the album features appearances from Jamie Hanks (I Declare War), Mitch Harris (Napalm Death) and Neil Fallon (Clutch), each turning out show-stealing performances on their respective tracks. The latter of these, 'The Ayatollah of Rock 'N' Rolla', is particularly enthralling. Fallon has a great turn with the spoken word passages, recalling classic White Zombie more than Sepultura, and then again with his righteous bellows.

Opening track 'Bloodshed' runs the gamut from old school riffing to tribal chants to industrial blood-letting without ever losing sight of being a honest-to-goodness Soulfly tune. Max is at his throat-shredding best – no-one can incite a most-pit quite like he can with his rabid dog vocal style. It would be a grave error to overlook the rock-solid input of bass player Tony Campos and guitarist Mark Rizzo. Rizzo may well be one of the most reliable and underrated axe men and he proves his worth at every given opportunity. He has a knack for riffs that are tailor made to make a crowd bounce and his solos can be played as either sublime and fluid or downright feral with equal poise.

On a slightly less positive note the album suffers from some pacing issues. The last few tracks drag and suffer from a case of “more of the same”. This is far from a fatal error but you definitely feel as though most of the effort went into the first half of the record and the second half just has to fend for itself. As the pace of the metal world steadily increases, it becomes harder and harder for veteran acts to stay visible and remain relevant. The reason that Soufly have stayed so vital is due to the constant shift in personnel and a willingness to experiment with their core sound. With their web of influences cast wide, and with the revered Nuclear Blast label behind them, Cavalera and company have another riveting record to add to their canon. Metal fans, it's time to become Savages.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Bloodshed, The Ayatollah of Rock 'N' Rolla

Album Review: Mark Lanegan - Imitations

Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Gutter Twins, Queens of the Stone Age) applies his iconic voice to some crooning classics in this new covers album. Mixing new artists with oldies yields mixed results.

 

Former Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan can be many things to many people. Some see him as an underrated grunge survivor, some a noir-blues pioneer, and others still a gruff modern troubadour. It is that last persona that Langean leans heavily on for Imitations, his second album for 2013. Whereas Black Pudding tried its hand at minimalist nocturnal rock this is a showcase for the gentler side of his nature. As the title may suggest, Imitations is a covers album and it features tunes from Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, and John Cale. These are songs that are near and dear to the singer's heart and he tackles them with the right amounts of shmaltz and gusto.

The stripped back arrangements put the focus almost entirely on Lanegan's famously haggard voice. It is a supple instrument and applies itself well to the task. Frank Sinatra's 'Pretty Colors', given a light psychedelic treatment, is played back to back with his daughter's famous Bond theme 'You Only Live Twice' in a nice bit of synergy. The decision to take some older, classic crooners and mix them with some young blood (Chelsea Wolfe, The Twilight Singers, Nick Cave) gives the album a timeless feeling. While some of the song choices are inspired the approach taken in the renditions raise some pertinent questions. When you take Bobby Darin's 'Mack the Knife', one of the most vicious and best pop songs of the 20^th century, and pare it down to an acoustic lullaby you are bound to get a mixed reaction. Its a good performance but it makes you wonder how much better it could have worked as a sleazy big band revue.

Your appreciation of this album will hinge on how much you enjoy Lanegan as an easy listening revivalist. He is well up to the task as his trio of records with Isobel Campbell from 2006 and 2010 can attest. If you are after a gentle, pretty listening experience then this album might just be for you; it has enough cred to be cool while being friendly enough to play to your grandmother. If you are looking for the next Gutter Twins album or Dust volume 2, then Imitations will leave you sorely disappointed.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Pretty Colors, Mack the Knife (I still love this song despite the lackluster arrangement)

Album Review: Korn - The Paradigm Shift

Nu-metal originals Korn return with a renewed sense of focus on The Paradigm Shift. After a nine year / four album break, guitarist Brian “Head” Welch has returned and the enthusiasm with which they tackle album number eleven is infectious.

In 2013 Korn are emerging from a tumultuous decade. In the last ten years they lost two of their founding members and tried their hands at heavy pop, dubstep crossovers, side projects, and unplugged concerts. Each of these undertakings had their own merits and degrees of success but they are no substitute for an honest-to-goodness Korn record, the kind people took for granted in the 90s. With original guitarist Brian “Head” Welch returning to the fold for the first time since 2003 the stage is all set for The Paradigm Shift.

Korn have always married filthy down-tuned guitar riffs to powerful melodies and this album is laced with them both That perfect balance of heaviness and hookiness shines on tracks like 'Love & Meth' and 'Prey for Me'. When all of these elements combine seamlessly Korn are truly at their finest. A song like 'Never Never' has a chorus that is both vicious and sweet. It's the sort you will find yourself singing to yourself for days on end in spite of the harsh electro freakouts and EDM heartbeat. It is hard to deny that Head brings an extra edge to the band's sound that has been missing as of late. Even in their shiniest moments he adds a layer of menace that the music sorely needs.

If you close your eyes you can find yourself transported to the heady days of Follow the Leader and Life Is Peachy. This might aim to be a throwback style album but there are still some concessions to modernity. 'Spike in my Veins' is a reminder of 2011's dubstep collaboration The Path of Totality, even bringing Noisia along for production duties. Again, this doesn't dominate proceedings but rather adds another string to their already impressive bow. All of these juggled elements might not hit you at once but over multiple listens they gently worm their way into your mind.

Singer Jonathan Davis remains a divisive figure - you either love him or hate him. Fortunately he has long outgrown his teenage angst schtick. Instead he weaves tales of dysfunction, anxiety, and redemption together into a compelling narrative. Even when he lays it on a bit too thick ('Lullaby for a Sadist' is a prominent culprit) he is still one hell of a front man and commands your attention. The fact that much of this album lyrical content comes as a result of Davis' recent rehab visit makes it a more humanized listening experience in a genre that often fetishizes fantasy over reality.

The Paradigm Shift is a definitive statement from a band that have been written of by people since they first came to prominence. It says “This is who we were and what we can now be”. Korn will always have their detractors (“That old nu-metal band? Yuck!”) but they remain as creatively fearless as ever. Simply put, the Korn of 2013 is brighter and bolder than ever before.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Love & Meth, Never Never