Album Review: That Handsome Devil - The Jungle Book

“We all just wanna be kids again / but you can't buy back your innocence”.

These are world-weary words from a world-weary band. They come from That Handsome Devil's song 'Buyer's Remorse' and they lament the woeful transition from wide-eyed children to the drudgery of adulthood that we all must undertake sooner or later. That Handsome Devil's latest release is called The Jungle Book and it is, indeed, based on the classic 1967 Disney film of the same name. Each of it's six songs is a cover of a song featured in the movie as sung by apes, crows, elephants, bears, and people. Is this a last ditch attempt at buying back that innocence? Not by a long shot.

The cold introduction introduces us into this new, frightening world before diving into the swooning doo-wop of 'Friends'. The lyrics might expound friendship on the surface but they leave a bad taste in your mouth, turning a once heart-warming sentiment into bitter irony – all driven with a Sergeant Pepper's marching beat. 'March', all militaristic beats and squelching guitars, has become a dehumanizing doctrine about the loss of individuality. 'Fire' revels in its own self-destructiveness even if the sour horns drag you slowly down to hell. 'Bare' – formerly the sing-along favourite 'The Bare Necessities' – has lost all of its joy, now merely a whimpered plea for survival. THD find the evil at the heart of these tunes and exposes it for all to see. I dare to say that it will be hard for me to ever hear the original versions of these songs the same way ever again should I attempt to revisit my childhood. Only Godforbid and crew could turn the music of a celebrated kid's cartoon into a morose meditation on (sur)reality and the dark side of the human soul.

The sole moment of tranquility in all of this is the final track, 'Home'. It acts as the voice of compassion that pierces through the gloom; soothing the savage beast with female vocals and gentle string arrangements. That Handsome Devil move in leaps and bounds never satisfied with their current lot in life. For a band with only two full-length albums (and three EPs) to their name, their sound has a maturity that is hard to match. For years now I have been calling THD one of the best, most overlooked bands on Earth. The Jungle Book is just more ammunition for me to do so.

Rating: A

Recommended tracks: March, Fire, Home

Do you know what the BEST part of this album is? It is 100% FREE! You can download it here.

Review Wrap-Up: August 2012

#1 Kendra Morris - Banshee

Kendra Morris has been setting the internet alight before Banshee, her debut album, had even released with a series of covers that ranged from Jennifer Lopez to Metallica to Pink Floyd. This is a lady who knows how to set the bar high. Banshee is filled with slinky, sultry tunes that show off Morris' sparkling voice. She has the instrument she needs to stand out from partically any other female R&B performer you care to name. Production duties are handled by Jeremy Page, one of the musical geniuses behind That Handsome Devil (AKA the world's greatest band). His sound is all over this record; skittering hip-hop beats, wonky organ vamps, and knowing just when to bring in those menacing guitars. All of these things come to a head on 'Concrete Waves', a track that sets the tone for the entire album. Fans of Janelle Monae and Alice Russell should apply here.

Rating: A-

Recommended tracks: The Plunge, Concrete Waves, Today

#2: Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Bad Moon Ritual

When it comes to Chris Robinson, the name of the band might change but the modus operandi stays the same. Whether it's with the Black Crowes or his new band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, the singer remains enamored with rock music of yesteryear. The southern-fried opening track 'Tulsa Yesterday' blends Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, and the Grateful Dead into an unstoppable eleven minute jam session. Robinson is a country boy at heart with songs like 'Star Or Stone' transporting the listener to the dusty vistas of the American south. No song sits under the seven minute mark which makes the weaker tracks marathons of endurance at times. Ultimately, if you've heard much of the Black Crowes then not much here is likely to surprise you. But with all of its charm and warmth Bad Moon Ritual – warts and all - is a very hard album to dislike.

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: Tulsa Yesterday, Star Or Stone

#3: Easy Star All Stars – Easy Star's Thrillah

Having already tried their hands at Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and The Beatles Easy Star All Stars' next covers album tackles one of pop music's most revered records: Michael Jackson's Thriller (aka Thrillah). The choice of album is inspired as many of these songs are already ingrained into our collective musical consciousness. The group of musicians involved are clearly fans of the original and their enthusiasm for the source material is obvious. “Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'” is reinvented as a funky seven-minute soul revue and the smooth dubby bassline on “Thriller” will bring a smile to any Jacko fan. As fun as Thrillah is it does lack the stroke of genius of pairing up reggae with prog rock that made Dub Side Of The Moon a cult classic. All the same this is the perfect summer party record for all you beach bums out there.

Rating: B

Recommended tracks: Thriller, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

#4: Jackson Firebird – Cock Rockin'

If the name of this band conjures up images of muscle cars, stereos blaring, filled with long haired dudes then it has done its job. This Aussie duo are all about greasy rock and roll - beer soaked , petrol breathed, and ready for mayhem. Part early Kings of Leon and part early Black Keys, Jackson Firebird check all the right boxes to make a kickass party record. In defiance of modern rock trends Cock Rockin is roughly produced and dangerously raw which is of course a part of their sweaty charm. At the end of the raucous title track you can practically hear the mixing board catch fire and the guitar leads on 'Rock Solid' are the kind of ballsy blues that had been putting Aussie rock on the map since the 70s. This is bare bones rock, for better or for worse. This album is a no-brainer for fans of The Datsuns or Eagles Of Death Metal.

Rating: C+

Recommended track: Cock Rockin'

#5: Katatonia – Dead End Kings

Swedish stalwarts Katatonia have slowly been blurring the lines between melodic death metal and hard rock for over 20 years now. Dead End Kings is their ninth album and easily their most accessible to the outsider so far. Singer Jonas Renke has a voice that is sweet, supple, and instantly recognizable which helps to set Katatonia apart from the crowded European metal scene. At this point in their career Katatonia have nothing to prove which affords them the room to experiment with their core sound. While keyboards and electronics have always been prominent in their albums Dead End Kings takes the occasional detour into trip-hop (as on the excellent 'Leech') that is bound to turn heads. An excellent example of a band that is maturing without pandering to the expectations of the masses – they seem to be happier following their demented muse than following trends. Their mellowest album yet and truly gorgeous.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Leech, Undo You

Idle Worship: Tomahawk (2000 - Present)

The Players

Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard) - Guitar

Trevor Dunn (Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Melvins) - Bass

Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantomas – co-founder of Ipecac Records) – Vocals, keyboards

John Stanier (Helmet, Battles) – Drums

Former:

Kevin Rutmanis (Melvins) - Bass

The Albums:

Tomahawk – 2001 (Ipecac)

Mit Gas – 2004 (Ipecac)

Anonymous – 2007 (Ipecac)

Oddfellows - TBC

A number of years back a good friend of mine coined the expression “Tomahawk is God's gift to music” and ever since I have found no reason at all to disagree with him. They are dark, violent, and visceral but also humorous, ridiculous, and mightily unpredictable. What more could you want from you local pack of weirdos?

The term “supergroup” aside, Tomahawk is comprised of men with a lot of talent, prestige, and an endless capacity for sick genius. Each are memorable players in their individual projects and are well regarded by those in the know. Since their formation the only change in personnel is when Rutmanis exited with the band under mysterious circumstances. He performed on the first two albums, but left to be replaced by Patton's running buddy Trevor Dunn (they also worked in Fantomas and Mr Bungle together) to commence work on Oddfellows earlier this year. Each member brings their unique voice to the collective sound - and that sound is a menacing one – but any band that features Mike Patton is going to create some serious buzz.

Vocally, Tomahawk is the closest to Faith No More that Patton has come since they stopped making albums after 1996. Tomahawk generally seems to be following a structure of some sort which separates it from the manic experimentalism of Fantomas, or the freakshow spectacle of Mr Bungle. This both a blessing and a curse: a blessing as it makes for an easy point of reference to draw in new fans, but a curse in that some will accuse the project of running on fumes. Mike Patton, let alone the other 2-3 members, doesn't half-ass anything and any fears that this was a limp FNM retread were quickly put to rest. The major difference is that this is not friendly stuff – more like some sort of musical psychodrama blaring out of amplifiers. 

Even when Tomahawk leaned the furthest into mainstream recognition it was still pretty freaking out there. Each of they're three existing albums bear only one single each. The first 'God Hates A Coward' is performed live using a mic-rigged respirator just so it sounds creepy enough. The second, 'Rape This Day' has a name only a mother could love and, for obvious reasons, received very little airplay. Finally 'Sun Dance' is mostly made of wordless chanting, and a slice of hardcore wedges into a cut-throat tribal jam. No 'Epic' or 'Ashes To Ashes' are likely to be found in here.

Tomahawk is a willful exercise in psychosis, you can feel it seeping through the tales of murder and misanthropy. It might be a carjacking ('101 North') or the ramblings of a musical outsider pushed too far ('Pop 1'). Mit Gas just pours gasoline on that fire, closing the record out with a truly demented coda. 'Harlem Clown' samples the same phrase on loop as it decays into clicks and record skips. Top that with the positively acidic 'Aktion FM1413' as it dictates the basic principles of hand-to-hand combat in a soulless robot voice. The album's final breakdown is punishing, glorious noise rock at its finest. As unusual as those first two albums are nothing adequately prepared people for their third album, Anonymous. Tomahawk had decided to infuse their scowling rock with Native American rhythms and pay homage to a practically-extinct musical style. It turned out not to be as bizarre of a combination as it initially sounds. Which brings us to Oddfellows. Apart from a 40 second teaser clip nothing has been heard from the album and even an exact release is hard to pin down. You could always spend the time that you have to wait twitching in anticipation. If you are in / can get yourself to Australia next year you might well have a chance to catch Tomahawk at Soundwave Festival 2013. They join the likes of Metallica, A Perfect Circle, Garbage, and Kyuss (Lives) in what is sure to be a hearty good time.

Are you behind the ball when it comes to Tomahawk? Ipecac records has kindly re-released all three of their albums in a boxed set titled Eponymous To Anonymous. You officially have no excuse now.

Album Review: Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine

What if black metal was capable of being accessible to the outsider? What if you could cut through all the pretensions of the surrounding culture straight to the throbbing musical core? What if there were more bands out there like Nachtmystium? What makes this impressive outfit even more impressive is the fact that the entire project is overseen by a single man. That man is Blake Judd (one of the masterminds behind kvlt supergroup, Twilight) and for the past few years it has been his modus operandi to completely deconstruct black metal only to rebuild it in his own image. This is a harsh, foreboding landscape indeed and you need a strong stomach for powerful, oppressive music if you intend on staying here for any period of time. No more Mr nice guy. Welcome back to hell.

If all of you know of this band is their (admittedly excellent) two-part album Black Meddle then prepare to be surprised at what you find in Silencing Machine. Those two albums (Assassins in 2008 and Addicts in 2010) served their purpose well as an opportunity for Judd to travel new ground in metal and to appeal to fans of more experimental music that could be drawn into his world. All this talk of being “accessible” is bound to make you think that Judd and co have gone soft. Have a listen to 'And I Control You' and tell me that they have. They are just as heavy as ever it's just that they are finding new ways to be that. The time for experimentation is clearly over.

From the first ragged notes of 'Dawn over the Ruins Of Jerusalem' through to the gnashing coda of 'These Rooms In Which We Weep' Nachtmystium take absolutely no prisoners. 'Decimation Annihilation' verges on industrial's bleak wrath that has been shoved into black metal's scorched-earth wheelhouse. And then there's 'Borrowed Hope and Broken Dreams' which apes Sonic Youth right up until those scourging vocals kick in. These are sharp, heavy tunes that benefit from the masterful playing of the studio band, which features members of Wolves In The Throne Room, and Lord Mantis as well as other Twilight alumni. With such incredible talent behind the record it was always going to make people stand up and take notice.

Nachtmystium is a process of careful and constant redefinition in their pursuit of black metal's heart – every new avenue they segue down gives their hellish symphony another trick up its sleeve. The hooks are buried deep under the skin of every song, so deep that you can easily pretend that they're not there at all if that is your persuasion. With Silencing Machine Judd and crew have made the album they were destined to make. At nearly an hour long I can imagine many unable to ride this one out but those that do will find an American black metal masterpiece.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Decimation Annihilation, The Lepers of Destitution

Album Review: Baroness - Yellow & Green

Baroness are a polarizing entity in the world of modern metal. They have been making their presence felt profoundly over the last half decade; playing Coachella, touring with Metallica, etc, but their detractors still decry them as Mastodon-lite. Over the course of their previous two albums the band from Savannah, Georgia has been trying to stake a claim to their unique identity in among the world of sludge metal. Their latest album, a 75-minute double CD opus Yellow & Green, may be their strongest statement of individuality yet and hopefully one that sticks once and for all. In today's world of MP3s, iTunes, and Soundcloud some would argue that full-length albums are a dying art form which makes a double-album (the mainstay of 70s prog rock) particularly audacious. But that is indeed what Baroness have made; two short albums that are linked thematically but can be easily digested as separate entities.

The Yellow half starts on a familiar note. After the short introductory instrumental the barn-storming 'Take My Bones Away' picks up right where Blue Record left off. It is a song bellowed at top volume, riffs and hooks aplenty, and has a vigorous pace that is carried on by 'March To The Sea'. It is the second half of Yellow that really takes flight. From the gothic-acoustic 'Twinkler' onwards the album hits an almighty stride; through the brooding and buzzing 'Cocainium', the mournful expanse of 'Back Where I Belong', the desperation of 'Sea Lungs', and finally 'Eula' which ends the first half on a gorgeously dark note. The increased uses of melody and harmony elevate these songs and let them plant hooks in your mind that take days – sometimes weeks – to remove. But if Yellow felt like Baroness chasing their Blue Record muse to its logical, proggy conclusion then Green is a voyage into uncharted waters. It touches upon indie rock, post-rock, country, dub, electronica and so much more making it the “experimental” disc by comparison. By now Baizley has settled well into his clean-singing style and the listener has gotten used the groove and the rhythm of the album which makes room for these stylistic leaps.

What made Blue Record so striking was the self-assured classic rock undertones. For Yellow & Green these tendencies have bloomed into a psychedelic fingerprint which runs rampant. How else can you accommodate the subtle acid rock flourishes of 'MTNS' from one of America's great sludge proponents? That track is revolutionary in that it has more in common with Morphine than it does Slayer – an outright sin in the metal-verse. That is not to say that Baroness have forgotten themselves in part two, just that they've taken some time to expand their horizons. If you should feel lost or alienated in this calm but dreadful storm just hold out until the end. Right at the end the familiar returns in the form of 'The Line Between', positively erupting back into glorious sludge metal albeit with a healthy dose of harmony.

Special mention must be made of the usage of the bass guitar. Metal acts are notorious for under-utilizing the four string but Baroness seem to be reversing the trend. It is front and center on Yellow's 'Little Things' and 'Cocainium', practically more prominent on these tracks than the other guitars. It is a small alteration in the mix but it gives the album an entirely different feel to both Red and Blue. I actually cannot remember the last time that a metal album (by any definition of the term) really struck me lyrically as much as Yellow & Green has. There might have been an arcane meaning behind a song like 'Isak' or 'A Horse Called Golgotha' but it was hidden under mountains of metalisms. 'Back Where I Belong' does not suffer the same fate, allowing you to comprehend the ingenious cruelty in a line like “Here's the rub / there's no difference / between poison and the cure / when the one tastes so great its a crying shame / that I'm back where I belong”.

Heavy is no longer about saturating your songs with amplifiers and bong-crushing bass, but rather something that is emotional and psychological by nature. Lowering the volume a little has allowed a lot of heart and soul to creep in. It is by this philosophy that Pink Floyd can be as heavy as Led Zeppelin, King Crimson as heavy as Black Sabbath, Tool as heavy as Pantera. It is an elemental weight that is evident even in the quiet passages. But this is not the quiet of exhaustion – it is of isolation and dread. Baroness have joined the likes of Opeth and Mastodon in the upper echelons of acts who have evolved beyond merely being a metal band. You can feel them crossing the line of being a heavy band with the potential for great musicality to being musicians capable of great heaviness. Ironically Baroness' most introspective album to date is the most likely to propel them to stardom. If Red Album was a primal scream and Blue Record a hungry growl, then Yellow & Green are a buzz and a moan respectively and make for one of this year's most intriguing listening experiences.

Yellow
Rating: A+
Recommended tracks: Cocainium, Sealungs, Eula

Green
Rating: B+
Recommended tracks: Board Up The House, The Line Between

Overall Rating: A