Review Wrap-up: Featuring Black Label Society, Afghan Whigs, Brody Dalle, Killer Be Killed, and Damon Albarn

Black Label Society - Catacombs of the Black Vatican

Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society are the perfect example of an artist who has established his identity and has stuck to his guns. Over the course of his nine albums with this band Wylde has created a formidable style of Southern heavy metal boogie rock that is instantly recognisable and dripping with personality. With every new release he explores the possibilities within that realm. Their 2013 release Unblackened showed off their subdued, soulful, and largely acoustic side. Catacombs of the Black Vatican is a violent lurch back towards good times and guitar heroics. It opens with the powerful combo of ‘Fields of Unforgiveness’, ‘My Dying Time’, and ‘Believe’. Yes, the Society are in full swing here and nobody does it better than they do. When it comes to scorching guitar solos ‘Damn the Flood’ takes the proverbial cake. But Wylde’s penchant for poignant ballads is present too. Given his gruff appearance many will be surprised at the tenderness that he brings to a song like ‘Angel of Mercy’. But that’s just part of the mystique – the heavy and the heartfelt stand side by side. This is a gutsy album, entirely assured of its identity, and willing to play things to the hilt. Catacombs of the Black Vatican is everything we have come to love and expect from Black Label Society.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Damn the Flood, My Dying Time

The Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast

If Ohio’s The Afghan Whigs never got the recognition they deserved in the 80s and 90s their comeback might just right some of those wrongs. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, we have their latest album Do to the Beast, a mere sixteen years since their last release. This albums serves as an apt reminder often that just because music is dark doesn't mean it’s got to be mopey. This album swings, grooves, and often flat-out rocks. 'Parked Outside' opens the album up, kicks the doors wide open, and is possibly the heaviest thing they have ever recorded. What makes this album so thrilling to listen to is that while the songs mesh naturally amongst themselves, inside each one you will find a strange assortment of familiar elements. Elastic guitar leads butt heads with gritty funk ('Matamoros') and soaring pop melodies clash with a creeping piano dirge (‘Lost in the Woods’). This incarnation of the band has been constructed to very much make singer Greg Dulli the star. He and bass player / multi-instrumentalist John Curley are the only two original members who perform here. Luckily these two have an easy chemistry between them. They have reinvented Afghan Whigs into something far broader and more dramatic than the original blueprints allowed for. Do to the Beast achieves something that happens all too rarely in the world of 21^st century rock music: it never loses sight of its intelligence and its heart.

Rating: A-

Recommended tracks: Parked Outside, Matamoros, These Sticks

Brody Dalle - Diploid Love

Maybe it says a lot about females in rock nowadays but Brody Dalle seems fated to be spoken of in relation to the men in her life. At the turn of the millennium she made snotty, caustic tough chick punk in The Distillers that coincided with her marriage to Rancid’s Tim Armstrong. Fast forward to 2014 and we have her debut album under her own name and Diploid Love will be held up against the work of her new husband, Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. While it is a well-made album in its own right this new comparison is also entirely apt. They both share a tortured rock sensibility and a penchant for finding the groove amidst the darkness. From the brutish chords that kick off Rat Race you have a fairly good idea what you’re in for. This is straight-forward, fast paced, fist in the air, kick you in the guts rock and roll. There are moments that are designed to shake up the formula (like the flamenco flourishes in ‘Underworld’ or the new wave strut of ‘Carry On’) but they never hang around very long. Dalle is also backed by a couple of QOTSA players on the album which further pushes her family ties. Alain Johannes and Michael Shuman contribute along with Shirley Manson (Garbage) and Nick Valensi (The Strokes). Manson in particular has great chemistry with Dalle as a co-vocalist and helps turn ‘Meet the Foetus / Oh the Joy’ into a high point of the album. Even if Diploid Love doesn’t turn out to be the most original rock record of 2014 Dalle herself remains a powerful and engaging figure.

Rating: C+

Recommended track: Meet the Foetus / Oh the Joy

Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed

Is there such a thing as too much star power in a band? This is a valid question that needs to be applied to Killer Be Killed, a new heavy metal super group and their self-titled album. When you put Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Sepultura), Troy Sanders (Mastodon), and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) and Dave Elitch (Mars Volta) together you are bound to make headlines. With three vocalists on board the singing/growling is going to play a large part in the album. Puciato, Sanders, and Cavalera are all well-respected in their own fields and tackle every track with gusto. Elitch’s background in prog rock more than equips him to keep pace with these guys on the drums as well. The riffs are never short of solid, the music energetic, and this is a heavy album, but the style is fairly uniform right through - a hybrid of groove and thrash with a hint of punk and sludge for flavour. As fun as ‘Wings of Feather and Wax’ and ‘Face Down’ are at a certain point fatigue has to set in. The odd track mixes up the tone and pace (‘Save the Robots’ and ‘Forbidden Fire’ are particular stand-outs) but they are just not frequent enough to create a serious deviation from the punishing grind. In spite of the harsh tone this is on the ‘fun’ end of the metal spectrum. It’s the sort of fun that inspires young metalheads to mosh manically and heads to bang. Still it’s hard to shake the feeling that Killer Be Killed came together as a statement of music celebrity first and foremost, a solid metal record second.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Face Down, Save the Robots

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

No matter what else he does Damon Albarn will always be best known to most as the real frontman for Blur and the fictional frontman for Gorillaz. It is little surprise then that his numerous solo projects have been largely overlooked for these big name affairs. His latest record is called Everyday Robots and it is a marked departure from his previous work. The album cover portrays Albarn sitting hang-doggedly on a stool in front of a grey background. Just like putting his name front and centre, this is a clue as to the sort of album we are in for. For starters the itchy guitars and bombastic hip-hop beats have been traded in for a gentle acoustic strum and confessional, sing-along tone. In doing this he doesn’t sacrifice his sense of humour but the sheer power of his personality shines through just as bright as ever. The beats are still there but here Albarn favors the sedate and organic over rattling club bangers. They are the heartbeat that underpins these constructions instead of the framework on which everything hangs. Some of these songs are not entirely divorced from his previous work (especially some of the more stripped down Gorillaz tracks) it’s just that they have been allowed to inhabit a new creative space and shine through with a new voice. And then there are the rare moments of unrestrained levity when he unleashes joyous numbers like ‘Mr Tembo’ on the largely unsuspecting listener. Everyday Robots is a quintessentially English album from an iconic English artist, veering casually between the poles of ‘cheery’ and ‘glum’.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Mr Tembo, Hollow Ponds

And there we have it folks, the end of the month is upon us. In May we can look forward to big-name releases from The Black Keys (Turn Blue) and Jack White (Lazaretto) as well as albums by Lykke Li, Mushroomhead, Swans, and The Roots. Strange times are ahead, true believers. Until next time be a good neighbour and improve your street with good music - if you don't do it, who will?

- Ricardo "The Professor" K

Album Review: Crippled Black Phoenix - White Light Generator

"I am not what you say I am. I will not be what you tell me to be. You stare at me through a prism of delusion, of hatred, or propaganda, and I refuse to see myself in your lies. You try to turn me into a barroom anecdote, a whispered slur, a vile fairytale to fool the gullible. But I will not be the mirror for your self-loathing. You use accusations as weapons, scarring me where no blade can pierce. But I will not plead guilty to your crimes. I will not perform a spastic puppet dance to the lying chorus of your psyche." 

All too often musicians are reduced down to a handful of prominent components or, even worse, a series of buzzwords for the sake of uncomplicated consumption. It is refreshing then to see an act like England's Crippled Black Phoenix who not only strive to be hard to define but actively reject such flimsy labels. They have refuted all attempts at being categorised as a ‘super group’ or ‘collective’. In truth they are an entity. The music they make is a force of nature and the players sometimes seem more like acolytes to its grandeur than those who have performed it.

Their last album, 2012’s (Mankind) The Crafty Ape, was audacious even by prog rock’s own lofty standards: a concept-heavy triple record. The intention behind White Light Generator was to pare back some of the band’s more extravagant tendencies. Underneath all of the pomp and fluff they have become known for there is an elemental force yearning to break free. White Light Generator is a window into that fundamental energy and it is glorious to behold.

‘Sweeter Than You’ is a very disarming introduction to an album like this. It is a stripped back sing-along that serves as our formal introduction to new vocalist / guitarist Daniel Anghede. Every one of CBP’s vocalists has brought their own distinctive flavour to the final product and Anghede is no exception. However ‘Sweeter Than You’ does a very poor job at preparing you for the rest of the record, but that seems to be the point – disarm the listener then bombard them with bombast. It is well to get these formalities out of the way as the monstrous two-part ‘NO’ comes next. If anyone was alienated by the sweetness of the opening track then this is exactly the sort of thing that will bring them back into the fold.

Things only get darker and more turgid from there. 'Let’s Have an Apocalypse Now!' is vicious and uncompromising. The song is built around droning industrial clatter, the bones of krautrock, and a thoroughly menacing guitar riff. It just screams discomfort. But any “heavy” band can set out to horrify and intimidate. For CBP this is just one of their many talents. When they want to they are capable of acts of great beauty and awesome power. There are moments in 'Northern Comfort' purpose built to remind us that nobody does epic quite like prog rockers.

In among these monstrous compositions are sprinkled some spoken word sections. But this isn’t The Wall. The music never steps aside to let the story take over. You can’t expect these voices to tell you a coherent narrative (though, I suspect, many will try and fail to do just that). Rather these are here to set the mood, to set the scene, or to touch upon that album’s underlying themes whatever they might be. But it's all too easy to try and dissect and album with this sort of power and grandeur into a series of highlights. This isn't a loose collection of songs: it's an album, designed to be played from start to finish in one sitting. Anything less is not doing the material justice.

White Light Generator has been divided into two colour-coded halves; a black side and a white side separated by one of those disturbing spoken word sections (see the quote at the top of the review). These divisions were designed to convey different moods but the distinction isn’t so clear cut in practice. On the face of it the black side is heavier and the white side is gentler but after a few listens those lines are thoroughly blurred. The guitar heavy songs are more immediately attention-grabbing (and further towards the beginning) but the masters of rock through history have taught us that sometimes it’s the quieter songs that carry the most weight. It comes down to how you choose to perceive each half; is it the one that’s powerful but charming, or the one that’s charming but powerful?

To many, progressive rock is a style entirely relegated to the past tense. It was a movement of music that gained some traction nearly half a century ago and lost its popularity soon thereafter. To others it is a vital creative force that pushes musicianship and storytelling in music to greater and greater heights even in this day and age. It is certainly a genre that has its modern champions who have worked tirelessly to return it to the current lexicon of music. Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) are partners in crime and prominent genre leaders who have been unleashing their proggish manifesto on us through their various bands and projects for years now. But it is not a mainstream style like it was is the mid 70s. In the 21^st century perhaps traditional prog is fated to remain only in underground circles and nipping at the fringes of popular music. If Crippled Black Phoenix and White Light Generator are any example to go by this is a position in which the genre can still thrive. It was never meant to top charts and win mainstream acclaim. The fact that it ever did was merely a fluke – the last 40 years of lurking in the wings is just the long comedown from that impossible, unlikely high.

Rating: A-

Recommended tracks: Let's Have an Apocalypse Now!, Northern Comfort, Caring Breeds the Horror

Prolix – starring Mastodon, Killer Be Killed, Antemasque, Wu-Tang Clan, and Manchester Orchestra

Welcome to Prolix - short news for short attention spans. In this semi-regular series I will be rounding up music news, reviews, opinions, rumours, and much more in bite-sized chunks of 100 words or less. Because, let's face it, sometimes you need information fast! 

American metal titans Mastodon now not only have a title for their new album (Once More Round the Sun) but they also have a general release date (June) and a new song to show for it. The track is called 'High Road' and it is everything we have come to love about Mastodon. It's loud, brash, and heavy but maintains the band's signature quirkiness. Check out those killer harmonies in the chorus – I guess that's the advantage of having three vocalists on the payroll. I look forward to going Once More Round the Sun myself.

Speaking of Mastodon, their bass player / singer Troy Sanders and his new band Killer Be Killed are also on the verge of an album release. Sanders stars alongside Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Sepultura), and Dave Elitch (Mars Volta). Needless to say, this band has metal cred to spare. If the leaked tracks are anything to go by this will be one hell of a ride and a possible contender for best metal record of 2014. Here's a wee preview of the album. You be the judge. Killer Be Killed is out May 13.

  

Speaking of Dave Elitch (how many times can I do this in one article?), his new band Antemasque (masterminded by Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of Mars Volta / At the Drive-In fame) have a great offer on their self-titled debut record that is out on July 15th. Don't wanna wait that long? Head over to their Nadie Sounds website and pre-order it. All it costs is US$4 and that will net you four songs right now (including the bonus track 'Drown All Your Witches') and access to the album two whole weeks before its released.

Now for something completely different: the Wu-Tang Clan. By now everybody knows that their new album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is limited to just one copy. That's it. Just the one. Ever. Whoever ends up owning it can do with it as they please. Last we heard the Wu had apparently received a bid in the vicinity of $5 million from a record label. Wu fans Russell Meyer and Calvin Okoth-Obbo have started a kickstarter campaign to purchase the record and distribute it to all the fans themselves instead. I cannot think of a more noble cause.

Last of all, here is a short review I wrote recently about the new Manchester Orchestra album, Cope: “Have you ever found yourself listening to someone like Muse or My Morning Jacket and found yourself thinking 'What this needs is less idiosyncratic elements that make it unique and a lot more of what everyone else is doing?'. Of course you haven't. Nobody has. Except for Manchester Orchestra that is. They are not an orchestra. They are not from Manchester. They are shite. Do not make the mistake of having to Cope with this dreck.”. You're welcome.

Thank you for tuning into Prolix – short music for short attention spans. Keep your eyes peeled for more editions in the coming months and plenty of album reviews (full length and probably less scathing than the one above) as well. Until next time, keep it eclectic true believers.

- Professor Ricardo

Album Review: Gazpacho - Demon

Gazpacho are a motley band of Norwegian prog maestros named after a Spanish style of chilled tomato soup. It goes then without saying that this is a band rather unconcerned with what people think of them. Such a disposition leaves them free to pursue their eccentric muse and mine the depths of material that prog affords them. This devil may care attitude is reflected all through their new album Demon. The title might have you licking your lips at the prospect of cacophonous riffs and bludgeoning occult themes. So how is one meant to react to what the album actually provides; four lengthy compositions that wallow in their peculiar breed of gentle melancholy?

The arrangements of Demon are closer in line with the ethos of jazz or classical music than rock and roll. It is more Emerson, Lake and Palmer than Uriah Heep. More Bitches Brew than Moving Pictures. By the time the album wraps up you will not have heard a single chorus or radio ready single. Instead you will be treated to hosts of mellotrons, pianos, string arrangements, ghostly choirs, mandolins, decaying vocal samples, banjos, and accordions (most of these contained within the track 'The Wizard of Altai Mountain' alone). This is the kind of grand pomp we would expect out of a band like Muse, only extrapolated and inflated to the nth degree.

In spite of best efforts to the contrary, Gazpacho could not deny their heavy metal roots forever. There are brief moments buried among these songs when the guitars get to shine through the fog. They creep into the twists and turns of both parts of ‘I’ve Been Walking’ and the hellish conclusion of ‘Death Room’. People won’t be banging their heads to this or getting caught in a mosh anytime soon but it is a welcome addition all the same. Just as suddenly as these heavier flourishes arrived so too do they retreat back into the gloom.

The thick bass lines of that final track ‘Death Room’ remind us of Norway’s metal legacy. The trick is in how they are being used. Rather than being paired with unrestrained thrashing and corpse paint, they help to frame something far more delicate, adding muscle without upsetting the underlying frailty. It is a tough balancing act to strike – the gentle and the powerful make unlikely bedfellows. That contradiction is at the heart of the album. Can emotional heaviness replace the sonic variety without short-changing the listener? Demon is a definitive argument that yes it can.

Scandinavia is one of the final bastions of classic (non-ironic) progressive rock that we have on Earth. The Americans and British have largely moved on, trying to relegate this once-glorious genre to the past. Only in the old world does it continue to thrive and Gazpacho have been keeping the faith for over a decade now. Demon is just the latest in their long line of modern day prog opuses. It is a challenging album but will keep you coming back. With every listen it will reveal more of itself to the listener – the prolonged tease that the genre is famous for.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Death Room, I've Been Walking Part 2