Album Review: The Cult - Choice of Weapon

If you have only heard their enduring 1985 hit single 'She Sells Sanctuary' it might come as a surprise that The Cult have been around, on and off, for nearly 30 years and have released nine studio albums. Those more familiar with them will know that The Cult are still riding the wave of re-invigoration they have been enjoying since their injection of new blood in 2006. That new blood came in the form of bass player Chris Wyse (Ozzy Osbourne) and drummer John Tempesta (Helmet, White Zombie). Much like their 80s contemporaries Guns'N'Roses however, The Cult are practically a two-man game. Many may have had their hands in the pot and left their fingerprints on the discography but singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are the true owners of the moniker. While Born Into This might have been their most engaging record in years it suffered from an identity crisis. Producer Youth (The Orb, Killing Joke) made the unusual choice in blunting Duffy's feral guitar oeuvres and pushing them deeper in the mix. The Cult might be getting on (Astbury and Duffy are anyway) but they are some of rock'n'roll's greatest survivors and they are all geared up to prove it with Choice Of Weapon.

This time around along with the ubiquitous Bob Rock, production duties are handled by Masters Of Reality's Chris “godfather of desert rock” Goss. As well as his own band's storied career, Goss has lent his talents to an amazing pantheon of rockers including Queens of the Stone Age, Stone Temple Pilots, Kyuss, and Screaming Trees. These two men know how to make rock'n'roll sound big, powerful, even playful and it starts right away with 'Honey From A Knife'. The album's very first song is a fun affair that can actually pull of a chorus as daft as “we got the drugs” being chanted cheerleader-style ad infinitum. As we have come to expect, when these crafty veterans a firing on all cylinders, stand back!'Life > Death', aside from having a blatant truism for a title, has the sound of an older, world-weary Queen and the ominous 'Lucifer' has all the ungodly swagger of a lost Black Sabbath classic. But underneath all the stadium-sized bravado there is a tender, wounded soul at the heart of The Cult. You can find it in Astbury's time-worn croon on the vulnerable 'Elemental Light', easily one of their best songs in decades. Album closer 'This Night In The City Forever' is a majestic kiss-off that would not be out of place in their canon if they collectively decided to hang up their bandanas and call it a day.

Maybe this shift in energy is fueled by behind-the-scenes politics. Between Choice of Weapon and Born Into This the band were dropped from Roadrunner Records. Their new appointment with Cooking Vinyl lets them breathe a little easier and allows them to stake their claim at rock god status once again unfettered by label interference despite the big names behind the mixing desk. As we have come to expect from resurgent rockers all of the good intentions in the world cannot save a lackluster or deficient concept, and as with pretty much every Cult album there are some definite low-points. 'The Wolf' sounds like a lukewarm Velvet Revolver outtake (one that was left on the cutting room floor for good reason) and 'Amnesia' barely leaves an impression. All this means is that you have to learn to take the good with the bad, something which should have been a mantra for fans of The Cult since the early 90s anyway.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Elemental Light, Life > Death

Album Review: Neneh Cherry & The Thing - The Cherry Thing

Aside from a few one-off featuring appearances, Neneh Cherry has not been heard from much since her 1996 masterpiece Raw Like Sushi. The one-time trip-hop chanteusse has been out of the spotlight for some time now but she has found one hell of an inroad to return with. That would be her new album The Cherry Thing, and it is the wildest entry to her small but potent canon. What makes this release so different from her others is the inclusion of Swedish jazz trio, The Thing. Considering that The Thing named themselves after a song by Don Cherry – that would be Neneh's father - this collaboration is not so much a revelation as it is an inevitability.

Most of the songs on the album are covers that range from quite natural selections (Martina Topley-Bird's 'Too Tough To Die' and Ornette Coleman's 'What Reason Could I Give?') to the downright absurd (MF DOOM's 'Accordion'). It is to the testament of everybody involved that the whole ordeal comes off very evenhandedly as opposed to a haphazard collection of disparate cover songs. Even poppa Cherry gets a look in with a very subdued take on 'Golden Heart'. This unholy but entirely organic pairing take a free-wheeling approach to the material at their disposal that is as mad as it is infectious. Even the brutish Stooges classic 'Dirt' cannot escape their delicate fervor. The Cherry Thing's interpretation of this song is a balancing act between the original's narcotic stomp and the fiery jazz maelstrom at their fingertips. Every time the saxophones howl and spiral out of control you are thrown back into the relative safety of that legendary leaden groove.

Cherry's voice is the driving element underpinning many of these outlandish compositions. She is smoky, lusty, and sensual but is also capable of great sonic violence should the need arise. See how, at just over the one minute mark, opening song 'Cashback' folds and crumples into a lopsided salsa while Cherry keeps time. The Cherry Thing is a restless record that never stands still long enough to be fully pinned down which, I'm sure, suits Neneh and co perfectly.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Dirt, Cashback

New Release Wrap-Up: May - June 2012

Hello everybody,

The professor has been busy! Normally my new release wrap-ups sit at five albums. I figure that is an easy amount to 1) write about, and 2) absorb at a time. This month or two however I am pushing it out to a full nine. Why nine? Because I can and because I couldn't find a10th. Without further pissing about, the albums ...

#1 Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Americana

 

Neil Young is a rock'n'roll institution and has earned the right to do whatever strange fancy takes him. For Americana he takes some classic folk tunes and warps them into a mangled guitar rock strut. We all know what Young is capable of by himself but he is making a definite statement by bringing Crazy Horse back into the fold after many years. Many of these tracks barely resemble the standards on which they are based but that all seems to be part of Young's plan. 'Gallows Pole' is a timeless tale that was made famous by Led Zeppelin and it now has another great rendition to its name. They even include the very un-American 'God Save The Queen' perhaps as a nod to The Queen's jubilee (Young is Canadian after all) but it's more likely someone told him that he couldn't do it. Americana is exactly what it sounds like.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Gallows Pole, Oh Susannah

#2 Gojira – L'Enfant Sauvage

French sludge metallers Gojira are back and are on the biggest stage that their career has ever known. They've recently toured with Metallica and have released their new album (which translates to “The Wild Child”) through the esteemed Roadrunner Records. Unfortunately all of this is starting to show in their sound. Sure, singer Joe Duplantier (fresh from touring with Cavalera Conspiracy) still sounds pretty sauvage and the riffs are mighty thick and plentiful. Check out 'Planned Obsolescence' and 'Liquid Fire' for abundant evidence of this. All of this new found regard does have a downside in that the album sounds meeker and more streamlined (for lack of better terms) than their previous efforts were. That spark that made previous Gojira albums such memorable thrill rides is sadly lacking. While the album has some great passages L'Enfant Sauvage never really reaches that moment of pure clarity that you can recall long after having heard it.

Rating: C+

Recommended track: The Gift Of Guilt

#3 Smashing Pumpkins – Oceania

If many felt that 2007's comeback album Zeitgeist was a bit of let down (not me though, cracking album) then Oceania is what you have been waiting for since the mid 90s. Oceania might have been conceived as part of the 44 song Teargearden By Kaleidyscope cycle but it is an amazing coherent album that leans as heavily on theatrical 70s rock as Billy Corgan's own 90s salad days. 'Quazars' seems to actively evoke Cherub Rock but this is no half-heated rehash or reboot. Further along you can hear the influence of bands like Queen, Rush, Pink Floyd, and The Who but Smashing Pumpkins is still Corgan's show and bends to his every whim. Everything. From the ballsy opening number to the esoteric title track, there is an earnestness and determination underpinning everything which is something that has been absent from the Pumpkins camp for too long. Oceania is a fantastic album that deserves to be ranked alongside their very best.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Oceania, Quazars

#4 PHILM – Harmonic

In spite of often being referred to as the world's most influential metal drummer, Slayer's Dave Lombardo still feels the need to flex his creative muscles from time to time. He has had a brief stint with Apocalyptica and drums for the almighty Fantomas but his new band, PHILM, is completely different again. This trio attempt to find the common ground between hardcore, post-punk, psychedelic rock, and free jazz on Harmonic. I know right? The strange part is that are pretty successful at doing it. What starts as a pretty conventional hardcore album deconstructs into some amazing, but still virulent, forms. 'Held In The Light' positively seethes through its raging punk veneer even as it verges on industrial goth. Just don't expect to hear Reign In Blood and you'll be just fine.

Rating: B

Recommended tracks: Held In Light, Area

#5 Rush – Clockwork Angels

What can you say about Rush that hasn't already been said before? The legendary Canadian band who revolutionized prog rock in the 80s with epic albums like 2112 and Moving Pictures have been steadily releasing albums since 1974 and gaining acclaim at every step. Clockwork Angels is their 19^th record in total and shows the band maturing into a comfortable but formidable sound. Lead single 'Caravan' has all the glitz of their best pop songs with enough hard-headed rock to kick serious ass. 'Seven Cities Of Gold' is a monolith of rumbling bass and riffs, the gorgeous 'Halo Effect' tugs at the heart strings, and the title track oozes proggy grandeur. There is everything here that you would want from a modern Rush record. Messrs Peart, Lifeson, and Lee are no slouches in the increasing age; they can do it all and intend on doing just that. Along with Snakes & Arrows, Clockwork Angels is another great example of later era Rush still kicking ass in the 21^st century.

Rating: A-

Recommended tracks: Caravan, Seven Cities Of Gold, Clockwork Angels

#6 King Tuff – King Tuff

When you are in a band with J Mascis his penchant for unhinged guitar pop must rub off on you. That is the case with Kyle Thomas AKA King Tuff. His second album under that name is a thrill ride of greasy garage punk and sour pop hooks. The album lopes and shimmies like it was released in alternative rock's early 90s golden era; you can practically hear the plaid shirts wrapped around the slacker mantra. What is remarkable is how much restraint went into the creation of all of this. There are tracks (such as the riotous album opener 'Anthem' and the sheer nonsense of 'Hit & Run') that threaten to leap into the abyss and drown in their own raucous, wanton ways but Thomas and crew know when to rescue them from the point of no return and reign it in.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Anthem, Baby Just Break

#7 Be'lakor – Of Breath And Bone

Australia may not be the first place you think of upon the topic of melodic death metal, but Be'lakor certainly use that to their advantage. Primal rawness and ethereal melody appear to have mated and created a child named Of Breath And Bone – their third album - and what a bastard it is! What these Aussies are doing may not be revolutionary (in fact it reminds me a bit of early In Flames) but their execution is flawless. The overall sound of the album is very Scandinavian which will please metal purists (i.e nerds) no end. The guitar solos are a particular highlight: fluid but not masturbatory they actually serve the songs as opposed to being a showcase for a guitarist's ego. The only drawback is in the songwriting department which relies a little too heavily on genre cliches for my liking. A very respectable outing from a band who clearly still have a lot to off the world of metal.

Rating: B

Recommended tracks: Abeyance, In Parting

#8 Royal Thunder – CVI

Blistering hard rock hasn't been a novel concept since 1971 but Royal Thunder are a band that actually have something to add to the conversation. Singer Mlny Parsonz has a star quality to her that gives the whole band their edge. On 'Whispering World' she lets rip with a melodic howl, tough but still quite feminine. If you like your hard rock in any flavour other than vanilla then I can hardly recommend this album enough. Given the temperament of modern rock audiences it is an audacious move to include three songs that break the eight minute mark. Fortunately, Royal Thunder it seems thrive on being audacious; a female-fronted heavy metal band from sunny Georgia could hardly be anything else. CVI is a grab bag album filled with points of familiarity but enough charisma and aptitude to still make it feel quite organic. This the real shit right here

Rating: A

Recommended tracks: Shake & Shift, Blue, Parsonz Curse

#9 Old Man Gloom – NO

This experimental prog metal collective hasn't been heard from since their bizarre 2004 album Christmas but the individual members have been anything but inactive. Founder Aaron Turner was of course the mastermind behind defunct post-rockers ISIS and the group also features members of Cave-In and Converge. What we have in NO is anything but comfort music; if anything the band set out to keep you constantly on edge, throwing new ideas at the wall to see what makes the loudest noise. The vocals are ominous and intense, the guitars deep and howling, the beats punishing and chaotic: this is the sound of madness. The cruel heaviness of 'Common Species' sees the band's sound devolve rapidly from cutting-edge sludge to pulverizing drone. And if the apocalypse is really around the corner then we have the perfect soundtrack to the end times in the blood-curdling 'Shuddering Earth'. Even the rare moments of quiet are heavy in their own way. Old Man Gloom are clearly not progressive in a “look how artsy we are” way but rather they adhere to a “fuck what you think” credo.

Rating: B

Recommended tracks: Common Species, Crescent

Half Year Wrap-Up

With the half-way point of the year rapidly approaching, I take a look back at all the great records we have been blessed with this year. Out of that merry jumble I have grabbed 20, thrown them into some kind of order, and given each a wee sentence or two expounding their greatness. Drum roll, please ...

20. Horseback – Half Blood

Horseback seem to be determined to push black metal into gloomier and more rustic territory than anyone else. Throw in some drone and electronic ambiance and you get Half Blood.

19. Jack White – Blunderbuss

Mr White finally makes good on his decision to go solo for a while. Rock with a healthy smattering of blues and his ever-present pop sensibilities.

18. Ancestors – In Dreams and Time

Another powerful offering from the LA quintet. Prog metal of the highest order.

17. Quakers – Quakers

Geoff Barrows from Portishead offers his second album of the year as a series of brief hip-hop sketches stung together like a killer short film festival.

16. Philm – Harmonic

Slayer's legendary stickman carves his own route with Philm. Metal, punk, and jazz all get filtered through a grimy kind of psychedelia. Mr Lombardo has outdone himself.

15. Galactic – Carnivale Electricos

America's hottest funk band write another love letter to their hometown of New Orleans and the carnival is in town.

14. Arc of Ascent – The Higher Key

Pummeling astral rock from New Zealand's kings of heavy. The band reach audacious heights and hint at greater feats still to come.

13. Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe

One of soul's most endearing and controvertial figures shows that he still has many good years left in him. He might just be The Bravest Man In The Universe.

12. The Men – Open Your Heart

Bratty and ballsy, The Men have made one hell of a first impression. Open Your Heart rocks like the classic albums of alterna-rock's glory days.

11. Dr John – Locked Down

With the help of Black Key's Dan Auerbach, Dr John serves up another slice of steaming swamp pop. A true original still going strong.

10. Killing Joke – MMXII

Still around, still kicking ass. Killing Joke add another impressive album to their staggering legacy.

9. Storm Corrosion – Storm Corrosion

Two esteemed gentlemen (messirs Mikael Akerfeldt and Steven Wilson) finally unleash the unwieldy prog monster from the basement.

8. Pallbearer – Sorrow and Extinction

Epic, powerful, and chock full of killer riffs. If you like your metal slow then this might be the best debut of the album of the year.

7. Crippled Black Phoenix – (Mankind) The Crafty Ape

This immensely talented prog rock outfit hit all the right notes from prog's knotty history and project that far into the future.

6. Mark Lanegan – Blues Funeral

Alt rock warhorse Lanegan is at peace playing the crotchety old crooner who frequents bars at midnight. Its not good, its great depression.

5. Soulsavers – The Light the Dead See

Soulsavers manage to paint bleak portraits of the human soul that still hint at our ultimate salvation. David Gahan (Depeche Mode) adds a layer of weathered sincerity to the broken-hearted ballads on the album.

4. Left Or Right – Buzzy

One of New Zealand's best, most original bands hit it out of the park on their second full length. Reggae, metal, and funk are all jammed straight into the stratosphere. Buzzy, indeed.

3. Mars Volta – Noctourniquet

The Mars Volta do not know how to disappoint. What they do know how to do is make cutting edge, daring acid rock for a generation drowning in “safe” music.

2. Band Of Skulls – Sweet Sour

Band Of Skulls' second album is a power play – a record that grabs at both the heart and the spine. These songs worm their way further into your mind with every spin.

1. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pandora's Pinata

Manic, moody, frenetic: Pandora's Pinata does it all. The most accomplished album from an already formidable outfit. Viva DSO!

So what does the rest of the year promise? With new albums from the likes of Rush, Baroness, Gojira, MGMT, Tomahawk, Palms, and many more that we don't even know about yet 2012 is shaping up to be a fine year for music indeed.

- Prof. Ricardo K

From The Professor's Page - M.I.A. Bands, or "Now where they at?"

On a bleak winter's day I profile five bands who have been missing in action for too long for my liking. Obviously there are many more that fit this description but these five main offenders are of particular prominence and each will make my day when they finally announce what they have been working on. Without further ado, Professor Ricardo presents: MIA, or “Now where they at?”

Queens of the Stone Age

For years on end (how many now? Five?) we have been waiting to hear from Queens of the Stone Age after Era Vulgaris, one of our generations best rock and roll bands. First came rumours of another series of the legendary Desert Sessions, Josh Homme's musical playground and a think-tank of sorts for future Queens material, but so far nothing has come of it. Then we got the side-project treatment with the cool as fuck Them Crooked Vultures album in 2009. This was allegedly the cause of the delay between albums. So here we are, three years later, and no new album. Not even a second TCV album which was originally due out in 2010. Mr Homme, you owe us two kickass albums. I'm a patient man but even I have my limits.

Modest Mouse

Between 2000 and 2007 Modest Mouse were on an enviable roll. They released three albums (The Moon & Antarctica, Good News For People Who Like Bad News, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank) – each arguably better than the previous – and made the treacherous transaction from indie darlings to touching upon mainstream exposure. Then in 2010 we were drip-fed an amazing revelation that would turn the world of Modest Mouse on its head: they were collaborating with Outkast's Big Boi on a new album. Big Boi went as far as to say that Modest Mouse were one of the best, funkiest bands on the planet. Mind blown! Its been oh so quiet since then but that one tidbit of information will sustain us for a long time if the outcome is even half as awesome as it sounds on paper.

Franz Ferdinand

“Franz Ferdinand” I hear you say, “Really?”. Indeed! I thoroughly enjoyed their debut album, was a little puzzled about the second, and got back on the boat for the third. They make fun, quirky, uptempo records that are easy to just throw on and enjoy. A few years ago in an interview singer Alex Capranos said that he regretted the build up to that third album, Tonight, in the way that they were feeding their fans a constant string of pointless updates that only served to build expectations for it to a ridiculous level. This time around the boys from Glasgow are keeping tight lipped until they have any actual news to tell us. Godspeed, fellas.

One Day As A Lion

Former / current Rage Against The Machine vocalist Zack De La Rocha unleashed his official solo debut, One Day As A Lion, as a five-track EP four years ago. It was raw, hard-hitting, angry, and had former Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore on stickman duty. What more could we want? How about an actual album. Five songs was a great start but it was also a cruel tease. It has been over 10 years since De La Rocha's last full length album, this is getting ridiculous.

Tool

Barely a month has gone by since I started working in record stores in late 2006 that someone hasn't either asked me about or spread rumours about the next Tool record. Obviously Maynard's involvement with his Puscifer project will slow the whole process down, but Puscifer is damned good in its own right. What more can I say really? It would be easy to rant and rave on the matter but I trust the band's creative processes to know that when something does arrive, it will be worth the wait.Waiting: commence.