NYS Music 20​14

Category: Reviews

  • Hearing Aide: LIVE ‘The Turn’

    Live_-_The_Turn_(album_cover)After a contentious break-up in 2009, a two-year hiatus (through 2011), a skeptically received announcement about a new lead singer (in 2012), and then another two years waiting for new music, LIVE has finally delivered a new album. Officially released on October 28, The Turn contains almost 50 minutes of sound that’s similar enough to old-school LIVE to satisfy the faithful, but with an edge that’s sure to win over new fans.

    LIVE’s signature sound in the 1990s was a unique blend of spiritually inspired lyrics with alternative rock sound. Now, focusing less on the faith, love, and water that seem to constantly flow through the old albums, The Turn digs up a darker, harder twist — and also includes a few references to fire. “Siren’s Call,” focusing on the torment of losing oneself to another, seems to be in direct opposition to “Dance with You” (1999) which presents getting lost in love as a graceful experience.

    The harder side of LIVE isn’t necessarily a new thing; earlier songs such as “White, Discussion” from Throwing Copper (1994) or “Lakini’s Juice” from Secret Samadhi (1997) both have a darker feel with a sound best described as “hollow.” Songs from The Turn, such as “6310 Rodgerton Dr” could be seen as progressions of those earlier sounds.

    The lengthy delay following  the departure of original frontman, Ed Kowalczyk, and the addition of Chris Schinn allowed time to thoughtfully redefine LIVE. The time was well spent. The Turn presents a good balance between LIVE’s original personality and the new chemistry produced by Schinn, Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey, the other founding members of the group.

    Offering up 11 tracks, The Turn is a great comeback album. “Natural Born Killers” in particular tells a good story; “The Way Around Is Through” offers good advice and “The Strength to Hold On” will hopefully someday be performed by LIVE with the support of an orchestra.

    Key Tracks: Natural Born Killers, The Way Around Is Through, The Strength to Hold On

  • Hearing Aide: Pink Floyd ‘The Endless River’

    The-Endless-RiverFor twenty years Pink Floyd has sailed on that final lyric from their penultimate album. This week the final cut of songs from the genre-defining band greeted the world under the title The Endless River with official release dates ranging from November 7 to 11.

    Gifted unto Pink Floyd followers and bystanders alike, The Endless River is a soundscape that washes over the listener like a mist and wraps around the ears with a curtain enveloping the mind with 52 minutes of blissful listening (or 65 minutes if you have the deluxe edition).

    The listening experience is slightly different from that of Pink Floyd’s four previous albums – back to The Wall. A double vinyl LP is available for a total of four sides of music, but it is likely more common for people to listen to The Endless River either digitally or to the CD version. The subsequent versions from the LP retain the four album side grouping, each with its own motifs. It would be impossible to enjoy the album just one song at a time. In order to get the full creative effect of the album it is best to listen from start to finish, akin to the experience of Dark Side of the Moon. However, listening to each of the four sides in separate sittings won’t slight the experience too much.

    Pink Floyd, who is now just David Gilmour and Nick Mason, made it known in advance of the album’s release that it is largely a tribute to the band’s late keyboardist Rick Wright, who passed away in 2008. Without prior knowledge of this, however, it is easy to notice Wright’s as the album progresses – his keyboard parts play an intricate role in the whole album. And yes, we do hear Wright’s playing on this album. Many of the keyboard recordings were taken from extra material from The Division Bell sessions with other parts freshly re-recorded. Only a few of the new songs have been supplemented with new keyboard recordings.

    The Endless River is primarily an instrumental album except for “Louder Than Words,” a new composition with lyrics by Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson, and a spoken word refrain from Stephen Hawking on the mediocre-titled “Talkin’ Hawkin’” (the song itself is far from mediocre). It is a little tricky to discern the intent behind an instrumental release, but referring back to the Rick Wright tribute it is likely that backing away from lyrics helps highlight his contributions as he never had a lead in vocal parts.

    With news of The Endless River drawing upon The Division Bell sessions there had been anticipation of it being a lot like a “part two” of that album, which probably would have pleased many Pink Floyd fans while disappointing only a smaller portion of the crowd. It was a pleasant surprise being swept away with something that wasn’t quite expected. A respectable amount of arranging and new composition is put into the album with emphasis on including ear candy for long time Pink Floyd fans. Here’s one of the reasons why it stands alone from The Division Bell.

    The Endless River is rather complex though a novice Pink Floyd listener may glance over these complexities. It contains a fabric of elements from A Saucerful of Secrets, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall, among others. Most distinctly, we hear relics from “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” “On the Run,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Run Like Hell,” and “High Hopes.” Some are very obvious, such as Wright’s keyboard lead on “It’s What We Do” echoing the tones of “Sine On You Crazy Diamond” or subtle like the guitar rhythms of “Run Like Hell” brought back to 2014 on “Allsons-y.” When listening to the album, be sure to listen carefully for these and other relics that aren’t as conspicuous. It seems like Gilmour and Mason took creative advantage of building off of the 1993 sessions to explore, rediscover, and reinvigorate what has been set aside for the past several Pink Floyd albums to bring their repertoire full-circle, adding a sense of closure.

    There is a lot to say for most of the songs individually but it is better to speak on each of the four sides mentioned earlier. Side 1 introduces the album with the well-known Pink Floyd melodic ambience crossed with Gilmour’s guitar style that grew into his last solo release On An Island (2006). Side 2 brings us back to the band’s early psychedelic jams and ambient airs. It feels intellectually busy yet at the same time relaxing as it concludes with the well-structured song “Anisina.” Moving on to Side 3 we hear a mixed bag of miscellaneous noodling to start before a sudden change to a more aggressive second half which provides a welcomed boost of energy at this point in the album. On Side 4 more linearity is given to themes and ideas where they had previously been intertwined. The motif of death and what happens after becomes evident in the mood progression and even in titles of the songs, again a possible (more subtle) nod to Wright. “Calling” starts this section off with dark tones with a transition of emotion that progresses through “Eyes To Pearls.” “Surfacing” then brings it around with a sense of optimism granted by either a breath of fresh air or new discovery. Looking at the four sides as whole, those hungry for the 25-minute album side epics such as “Echoes” may be a little disappointed. Each album side is short, ranging from 11 to 15 minutes, which left some room for new material independent of the 1993 sessions. The clever part about retaining the album side grouping on the digital and CD track listings is that we still get a virtual sense of pausing to flip the record. Perhaps a little nostalgic, but it gives a fresh experience in today’s listening environments and gives consistency between release formats.

    Those who bought the deluxe edition or the CD/DVD combo received a few more goodies – three outtake tracks taken directly from The Division Bell sessions. These tracks, especially the studio jam session sounding “Nervana,” go beyond a gimmick to get people to buy the extra content. It is worth the few extra dollars to get your ears around these. The bonus DVD video provides three songs not on the CD and video/images from the 1993 recording sessions, which is worth checking out.

    As the band’s (likely) final album, Pink Floyd gives us a decent reflection on the band’s years. The sense of dreaming invoked by some of the songs makes it tough to not choke on a tear at the craftsmanship put forth by band mates Gilmour and Mason on the album to tribute the contributions of Rick Wright. It was a disappointment to learn earlier this year that Roger Waters would not return to Pink Floyd to contribute to the album, but it wasn’t a surprise as it’s been 29 years since he left the band on bitter terms (which as of late he seems to feel differently about the terms he left on). However, adding Waters back in the mix could have broken the musical train of thought that’s carried through from The Division Bell.

    Pink Floyd will not be touring to support the album, so with The Endless River closes a 49-year chapter in music history. But, should David Gilmour decide to perform a few solo concerts with Nick Mason there would be a lot of happy music fans. High Hopes? Perhaps.

    For some people, it may be easy to default to mixed feelings on the album on a first listen. Do yourself a favor: Listen to the album, soak it in, and repeat. You may place it higher on your list of favorite Pink Floyd albums than you think.

    Key Tracks: It’s What We Do, Anisina, Allons-y (1 and 2), Louder Than Words

    Key Side: Side 2

  • Ray LaMontagne Turns the Palace Into a Supernova

    Words by Lauren Byrnes

    On Sunday night, Albany’s Palace Theatre was given a real treat: The Belle Brigade opening for Ray LaMontagne. LaMontagne’s new album, Supernova, was produced by The Black Keys’s Dan Auerbach and promised a new sound from the singer/songwriter.

    The opening act, The Belle Brigade, was a traditional four piece rock band with a brother and sister duo at its heart. Barbara and Ethan Gruska play the drums and guitar, respectively, and both do the vocals for the band. Their set at the Palace ran about 45 minutes and was excellent. Their sound was reminiscent of the pop rock sound that predominated in the 1990s without ever truly giving in to it. They have been touring with Ray for the past 6-7 months and were even part of his band during the singer/songwriter’s set.

    Bryan-Lasky-Ray-LaMontagne-2

    Ray came on about half an hour after The Belle Brigade had finished to an eager crowd. The sound was different from his earlier works as Mr. Auerbach’s influence was well evident from the first song on. Four out of the first five songs came from the new album where the new rock influences were heavy. The first song, “Lavender”, had an incredible trippy feel to it. The use of the synth/keyboard contributed heavily to this. The four acoustic songs toward the end of his set were a nice call back to his days with The Pariah Dogs and much appreciated by the crowd. Throughout the performance, the lighting for him was very reminiscent of the old Joshua Light Shows from the Fillmore East and West of the 60’s and 70’s. LaMontagne’s lighting is usually subdued to fit his folksy background, but with this new direction, the lighting fit perfectly along the vein of his musical supernova.

    Overall, the combination of the two bands was unmatched in compatibility. The pop rock sound of The Bell Brigade matched with the folk and newfound psychedelic sound of Ray LaMontagne made for a truly magical evening of music.

  • Michelle Renee and Local Female Vocalists Serenade the Lost Horizon

    Imagine you have a singers voice, a deep love for making music, and a desire to share wisdom through lyrics. You know that a voice by itself often needs some accompaniment to truly be heard. So you learn guitar. You then start writing complete songs and playing them for people wherever you can. Fast forward, and in a few years, you are requesting a spot on the highly celebrated and well-attended local festival – Sterling Stage – and you get the spot. As things progress you realize that your dream is not complete without a means for more people to hear your music. So you pull together some talented friends, and voila! In three months, you put out a LP, via the premier Syracuse recording studio- SubCat Studios.

    But in order for people to really get excited about the album, you know you will have to give people a live experience first. So you book your first big show (that you happen to be headlining) at a well-known, long-established venue in Syracuse, the Lost Horizon. But that isn’t enough. You know that for others, your vision and message might not convince them to buy a ticket to your show. They want to be entertained all night with different types of music. So you pull together even more friends, including a stage-grabbing young upstart (Riley Mahan), a band of ambitious young composer/performers (Early Bird), and a funky veteran band (Root SHOCK) that you know will make them dance the hours away. And, it all goes down without a hitch.

    This is the story of the fiercely driven, big-dreaming Michelle Renee, whose Reflections album debut party November 7 at the Lost Horizon culminated the realization of a vision and brought out over 150 people from the community to enjoy it. And enjoy it they most certainly did.

    The lineup for Michelle’s party began with Early Bird, a self-described progressive/folk/indie-pop band that actually held up to the appellation of “progressive.” Their vocal harmonies were adventurous, carefully composed, and stylistically diverse. Although there were moments where intonation wasn’t perfect, Sheralyn Wellman, Katherine O’Leary and Aaron Walters (who also played lead guitar) gained “Hella” respect points for their musical bravery, intellectual creativity and diligence in writing and performing this level of vocal music. Guitarist Aaron Walters mirrored this well-trained yet genre-defying theme with his tasteful and seldom-simple chord progressions. This was best demonstrated on the hauntingly beautiful, finger-picked arpeggiation in the tune “Lullaby,” from the Early Bird EP. In reflecting on this young band, a much-loved, incredibly skilled “progressive” indie band was immediately brought to mind as similar in structure and writing style. The Dirty Projectors, an indie cult favorite, also base their songs on shared vocal harmonies between a soprano, alto, and tenor voice, the last of which (in both bands) happens to be the guitarist. Early Bird also followed suit with the Dirty Projectors in regards to their trans-genre songs, highly composed harmonies, and usage of intentional vocal dissonance. Bravo!

    Early Bird’s performance provided a seamless transition to Michelle Renee’s act, as every member of Early Bird (besides singer Katherine O’Leary) assisted in backing up Michelle for the full band experience of her debut album, Reflections. Michelle’s music was written in a folk/soul/singer-songwriter style, but as she worked with a full band to release her album, the sound evolved to incorporate undeniable rock/pop elements. This ensured that Michelle’s unique, soulful, rich, almost choral vocal parts were held up by a solid rhythm section, vocal harmonies and a rock ‘n’ soul energy that got folks dancing. Michelle’s songs were catchy, solidly performed, and included moments of sorrowful sweetness that shut the crowd up to the degree that you could hear a pin drop.

    Michelle came prepared with some secret weapons too, including “shredding” violin solos by guest musician Brandon Gosson, vocal harmonies by the angelic voice of Sheralyn Wellman, and cover collaborations with a petite young lady that made you ask, “did that just come out of her?”, Riley Mahan. Michelle teamed up with Sheralyn for a bluesy rendition of “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman and a high energy cover of “Long Train Running” by the Doobie Brothers.  She then passed the mic to Riley as she took the lead on covers of “Mercy” (Duffy), “Dock of the Bay” (Otis Redding) and “I Want You Back” (Jackson 5). Riley’s voice never fails to stun listeners, as her grasp of R&B/soul improvisation and runs (think young Aretha meets Winehouse), and her raw energy evoke the image of a singer far beyond the tender age of 19. At the apex of Michelle’s act, she re-took the lead with Sheralyn, and brought down the house with the classic CCR (and later Tina Turner) tune, “Proud Mary.” Michelle let out her sassy side for this tune by announcing to the crowd, “First we’re going to do it nice. Then, we’re going to do it nice and rough.” Michelle started with an innovative, almost eerie, ambient introduction. She then came in full-force with her sexy, soul-woman alto sound backed up by some rockin’ instrumentals. Tina would have done a double-take for sure.

    The third act was the Syracuse-born, party-proven, soul/roots-rock Reggae band, Root SHOCK. Root SHOCK was the perfect conclusion for a night of of female-led groups. Jessica Brown “came correct,” as she always does, with a mature, soul-shaking vocal strength, and a band that never fails to hit that funky groove right away. Although many folks that came to support Early Bird and Michelle Renee chose to leave after Michelle finished, everyone that has heard Root SHOCK knew better. Those that stayed were in store for a few hours of danceable, sing-a-long, soulful good music. And Root SHOCK delivered. Root SHOCK also knew that an audience relishes fun covers, so they made sure to include some greats, such as a reggae/ska version of Mike Snow’s “Animal,” the funky classic “Use Me” by Bill Withers, and for us local Reggae nerds, “Rough Cuddle” by Syracuse/NYC’s own Morning Sun and the Essentials.

    Besides playing some lovely music, Michelle Renee’s album debut party demonstrated the grace, drive, maturity and confidence characteristic of a veteran performer and musician. Besides orchestrating and organizing the whole thing herself, Michelle comfortably and humbly acknowledged the crowd and members of her band throughout the show, thanking them for their undying support and love. It was a heartwarming experience to witness her project and vision truly coming to fruition in all regards. Where there is a vision, there’s a way. Congrats Michelle!

  • Funk Sessions at Putnam Den with The New Mastersounds

    The Heard opened a night of funk at Putnam Den, bringing blazing Chicago funk along with them courtesy of a solid horn section, who would later join The New Mastersounds for a few numbers. With guitarist Eddie Roberts leading the ultratight rhythm section, the night was full of instrumental funk that dipped into various subgenres of their signature sound, including funk of the late 60’s and early 70’s, surf rock, boogie, disco and Sly and the Family Stone-level peaks when accompanied by the horns. Little is left on the stage when the Leeds quartet plays and Saratoga Springs was fortunate to have such high caliber musicians in town. Here’s hoping to a quick return to the Capital Region. Check out their new album Therapy and see them in 2015 when they likely return to the Northeast for festival dates.

    Setlist: Soulshine, All I Want, MRG, Yo Moma, Each to their own, This ain’t work, Pure, MM’s, Upstairs*, Fast Man*, Surfin, Burnt Back, Freckles>Be Yourself>Knees, 33*, Nervous*

    Encore: 20 minutes of funk

    *with The Heard horns

  • Across The Pond: Spoon Plays London’s Shepard’s Bush Empire with Hamilton Leithauser

    Spoon is a band from Austin, Texas and on Friday night, the five-piece found themselves playing in London, England for the last date of their European fall tour.

    spoon hamilton leithauserThe geographic details of the concert, at first glance, have nothing to do with and its connection to Northern New York. But this Upstate staff writer, currently spending some time across the pond, wanted to share with his compatriots back home the excellence that Britt Daniel and his band brought to one of London’s most historic venues.

    With the August release of their eighth studio album, They Want My Soul, Spoon have been kickin’ for nearly two decades. And although the band’s lineup has shifted over the years, frontman Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno have been around since Telephono debuted in 1996 on Matador Records.

    In much the same way that They Want My Soul takes Spoon’s experience and uses it to exhibit an invigorating fresh sound, the band’s live performance gives no indication of just how long Daniel and Eno have been performing.

    Aside from the level of energy that Daniel put into each song – falling to his knees during incredibly calculated guitar solos and jumping from Eno’s drum platform to highlight instrumental breakdowns – the most obvious proof of Spoon’s long-lasting youth was their genuine enjoyment for playing together.

    Young gun Alex Fischel joined the band just before going into the studio for They Want My Soul, and his presence behind the keyboard on Friday seemed to bring out a boyish enthusiasm in his senior band mates. Fischel’s contributions on guitar often came in the form of background texture – controlled cacophony that he physically represented by gyrating in place, as if shaken by the instrument’s power. His fluttering style drew amused looks from Daniel and Eno, occasionally encouraging Daniel to raise his own emotional output.

    The only indication of Spoon’s age was their setlist, which featured songs like “The Way We Get By,” dating all the way back to 2002. While their most recent tour dates have come in support of They Want My Soul, Britt and the gang played a balanced combination of greatest hits and new material over the course of their 1.5-hour set.

    It was a night of frontmen giving fantastic performances at Shepard’s Bush Empire. Before Spoon took the stage, Hamilton Leithauser – of the indefinitely disbanded Walkmen – played an opening set of songs from his debut solo album, Black Hours. With only a guitarist backing him, Leithauser’s stripped-down versions of Black Hours material let him showcase his beautifully crooned-out vocals.

    Between Leithauser and Spoon, the Empire put on a night of music any fan could appreciate, regardless of its distance from Upstate New York. To see a band play at what is quite possibly the peak of their 18-year career is a special experience, no matter where it is.

  • String Cheese Incident Returns to Upstate

    A cover heavy jammin good time was had by a packed State Theater in Ithaca on Monday Nov. 10, the band’s first return to the Southern Tier since 2005.

    string cheese incident upstateOpening with a 10+ minute “Shine”, the audience was enthralled from the high energy exhibited from the band members. “Orange Blossom Special” emerged from a jammed out “So Far From Home,” while “Dirk > Jungle Boogie > Dirk” stood out as a highlight of the show, giving a nod to their performance at Lockn’ Festival with K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band. A closing “Colorado Bluebird Sky” was the highest of notes to end on, full of jamgrassy goodness throughout the western anthem.

    Two songs stood out in the second set – the opener “BollyMunster” and off of the recent release Song in My Head, “Colliding”. I am still not sold on “BollyMunster,” simply because of its melting pot nature, featuring touches of bluegrass, Bollywood, and electronic as it just overwhelms what could be a stronger composition if stripped down slightly, even to an acoustic level. “Colliding,” however, wowed the audience with returns to the composition after a strong central jam. “Can’t Wait Another Day,” another track off Song in My Head, could easily transport you to a beach in the Caribbean, full of life and carefree dancing. “Outside and Inside” had a surprising inclusion of U2’s “Mysterious Ways,” catching the audience off guard but welcomed more than Songs of Innocence on their iPhones.

    The encore was a treat. Bill Nershi weaved his way through the semi-biographical “Jellyfish,” which ended up with two verses of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritavilla” before moving into the closer “Black Clouds”. Their first time back in Upstate in nine years and String Cheese impressed the capacity crowd who were sent buzzing into the streets of Ithaca. Fortunately, this night’s show did not end early with the fire alarm being pulled. Back in October 2005, Bill Nershi made up for this faux pas by treating the fans to acoustic versions of “Bar Stool” and “Texas” in the street in front of the venue, but tonight the band would leave it all on the stage and the fans likewise would leave it all on the dance floor.

    Set 1: Shine > So Far From Home > Orange Blossom Special, Sweet Spot, Master Blaster (Jammin), Drums, Dirk > Jungle Boogie > Dirk, Colorado Bluebird Sky

    Set 2: BollyMunster, Miss Brown’s Teahouse > Chameleon > Miss Brown’s Teahouse, Colliding > Land’s End > Can’t Wait Another Day, Outside And Inside > Mysterious Ways > Outside And Inside

    Encore: Jellyfish > Margaritaville > Black Clouds

    String Cheese Incident continued their tour of NY with two nights at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. The crowd was getting restless until, at last, SCI took the stage a little after 8:30 with no shoes on but big smiles. The show kicked off with “Search” featuring some killer dueling solos from percussionists Jason Hann and Michael Travis. Keeping up with the upbeat vibe, “Birdland” saw strong organ chords from Kyle Hollingsworth with light cymbal work making for a fusion of jazz and funk when adding Keith Moseley’s bass. Bill Nershi gives a consistent earthy folk sound on his acoustic guitar as he danced merrily around the stage with Michael Kang, providing high voltage on the electric guitar. “Sometimes a River” held the classic rock rhythm with an easy flowing country melody as the crowd happily sang back the lyrics with gusto. Performing the title song of their album, “Song in my Head” was a swirling and dizzying light tune with steady builds before turning into a dark jam as the melody suddenly dropped to the thunderous boom of Travis. The set ended with “Close Your Eyes” which was a harmonious and ferocious jam with an ethnic flair from Hann on bongos and old world plucking from Nershi.

    The second set was a nonstop roller coaster of dark space and psychedelic melodies, starting out with an awesome Caribbean cover of “This Must Be the Place” by Talking Heads. “Valley of the Jig” was an Irish Lord of the Dance show, but with a dark side of Mars vibe. Taking a moment to experience the here and now, Moseley shouted out “Happy 11/11!” at 11:11pm as the band appropriately went into the breezy cute ballad of “Smile”. Not too surprising given the reputation of The Cap, but the beginning notes of The Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” resulted in a full-out explosion of midnight madness. SCI must have been on Colorado time as the show went pretty late for a week night as the set closed out with a spooky “Desert Dawn.” The encore of “Restless Wind” summed up everything there is about String Cheese Incident. Kang’s fiddle work brought out their deep roots of bluegrass, Hollingsworth slammed on his keys, and the entire band lifted the crowd with rockitude. SCI was appreciative of the fans and the atmosphere of the venue as they repetitively thanked the crowd. Both shows are available for download on livecheese.com.

    Set 1: Search, Birdland, You’ve Got the World, Sometimes a River, Indian Creek, Song In My Head > Give Me the Love, Close Your Eyes

    Set 2 : This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) > It Is What It Is> Valley of the Jig, Smile, Joyful Sound> Shakedown Street> Desert Dawn

    Encore: Restless Wind

  • Hearing Aide: Cavalera Conspiracy, ‘Pandemonium’

    Cavalera Conspiracy PandemoniumMax Cavalera seems to be a man who can never rest. After years of touring with Sepultura to forming Soulfly, Max has teamed up for the third time with his brother Igor to bring Cavalera Conspiracy’s Pandemonium. November 4 the album was dropped via Napalm Records. Cavalera Conspiracy had a lot of momentum with the previous record Blunt Force Trauma. So how did this one pan out?

    Opener “Babylonian Pandemonium” may be the heaviest track of 2014 and sets the tone for the entire album. Definitely heavier than anything that anything Max Cavalera has ever released. Absolute brutality that even puts Sepultura’s Arise to shame and in terms of heaviness, it’s a fist coming straight at you. No other way to put it.

    The Cavalera brothers have taken grindcore and thrash to a whole new level. The track “Bonzai Kamikazee” continues exactly what the previous track brought and by far, some of the most insane drumming from Igor Cavalera.   I always believed that Igor was always the X-Factor. It seems that Max always brings his best material when his brother Igor is there behind the kit. My only complaint about this album is that it seems to have buried the bass. However, on the track “Scum” we get a bass intro from Nate Newton. But the album has so much heavy guitars and drums it’s damn near impossible to hear the bass.

    My favorite track, “I, Barbarian”, is a suitable title for a song with such eerie guitar solos and riffs from Mark Rizzo and Max Cavelera. But the breakdowns make it much more fun to listen and bang your head to. The following track, “Cramunhão”, has Max’s best vocal performance. It’s hard to believe at his age he can still bring such monster vocals to the table. The last track, “The Crucible”, is a really awesome closing track. The album has two really kick ass bonus tracks “Deus Ex Machina” and” Porra” (which has a Roots flavor to it).

    Mark Rizzo’s best work on this album has to be the track “Insurrection”, which has the most guitar solos. The album really centers around the Cavalera brothers, but “Insurrection” gives Rizzo the spotlight. Maz Cavalera and John Gray produced the album and while the production is good, not great, is that it is so damn heavy that some of the bass seems to be buried, but the vocals and guitars sound great and the drums really stand out.

    Overall, Pandemonium is a heavy album that is meant to be played loud and by far, Cavalera Conspiracy’s heaviest album and definitely in the conversation as the heaviest album of 2014. Fans of early Sepultura will be pleased.

    You can purchase the album here.

    Key Tracks: Babylonian Pandemonium, I, Barbarian, Cramunhão, Not Losing The Edge
    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/161774185″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Hearing Aide: Dopapod’s ‘Never Odd or Even’

    After consuming Dopapod’s fourth studio effort Never Odd or Even a few times I started to feel a kinship with that moth lead guitarist/vocalist Rob Compa sings about in “Present Ghost” – the albums lead track. Unlike most releases of late, it ruled my brains mental music player for days without rest. End to end the 9 (+1 hidden) track piece has no dead air, no filler, no bathroom songs and more peaks and valleys then the beautiful Upstate NY terrain. This is music that goes beyond simple listening and invites your other senses to an emotion filled rager (w/ free tequila!). It’s happy, sad, spooky, mysterious, and ecstatic all in one prettily packaged jewel case.

    “Remembering is everything! Everything! Everything!”

    The ‘pod’s music, like many of their peers, is impossible to pigeon-hole into any sort of simple description . This is genre-non-biased music by definition – a conglomeration of every influential mentor on four musician’s lives. Like Mr. Compa says – remembering is everything – to transcend ones predecessors one must appreciate their crafts in their own original way. Influences are rife throughout N.O.O.E – the “Empty Spaces” (Pink Floyd) like breakdown in lead track “Present Ghost” – the Zappa like guitar and organ harmony in “Like a Ball” – the Cream sludge rock bookends on quite probably the world’s only honky-tonk jazz instrumental: “Hey Zeus (Que Pasa)”. Even Hollywood gets a nod here with the  Poindexter infused peaks of the aptly titled “Nerds” which – beyond an amusing spoken part – only contains the repeated lyric “No words”.

    “They just don’t like sing that much, there’s like no words”

    It would be remiss of me to exit this review without mentioning the absolute high point of an album full of them. Track 4 – the mysteriously titled all instrumental “FABA” – takes back the sadly overused word “epic” to its original meaning. Despite containing elements of jazz, funk, rock, and electronica this nine minute piece is closest to a classical composition – as if Mozart and Anastasio smoked a giant blunt and made a hippie opus for the ages. Put simply – it fucking rocks. All of it rocks, get on this album, it’s the best 10$ you’ll spend this year.

    Key tracks: Present Ghost, Like a Ball, FABA

  • Hearing Aide: Machine Head ‘Bloodstone and Diamonds’

    machineheadbloodstonecdNovember 10 saw the release of Machine Head’s eight studio album Bloodstone & Diamonds. This marks the first time that original bass player Adam Duce is missing from a Machine Head recording. Since then, Duce has been replaced by Jared MacEachern, who auditioned for the part. The lineup is rounded off with lead guitarist Phil Demmel, longtime drummer Dave McClain, and main song writer vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn.

    The album opens up with “Now We Die”, which starts the album up with an orchestral piece. The use of the orchestra throughout the song makes it a very unique Machine Head song. Far from the street metal sound from their debut Burn My Eyes. But don’t get it twisted, it’s still a heavy Machine Head that we all know. Phil Demmel’s guitar solo is brilliant in the song.

    “Killers & Kings” is guitar blazing with very dark tone. This one is more in vein of 2007’s The Blackening.  You can tell already by the opening tracks that there are far more guitar parts recorded in this album than ever before and real bonecrushing drums from McClain throughout the album. Vocally Robb Flynn has really getting better with the melodic parts, which really shows in the song “Ghost Will Haunt My Bones.”

    The next track that really stands out is the dark, yet melodic “Sail Into The Black”. This one is a metal masterpiece, similar to “Darknest Within” off Unto The Locust. The band is kicking on all cylinders with this song, damn near perfect. This would be the reason to purchase the album even if you’re not a Machine Head fan. The next track “Eyes Of The Dead” is interesting and one of the heavier tracks off the album. It has that angry sound from 1997’s The More Things Change… that is sure to please the old school Machine Head fans.

    Every song lyrically is brilliant. Some of them really paint a picture or tell a compelling story. Especially “Night Of Long Knives” (which tells the story of a woman who was raped and gets revenge) and in “In Comes The Flood.” Rob Flynn sings every lyric with emotion, and it properly suites the music. Lyrically this may be the best Machine Head record yet.

    The album takes it slow with the ballad “Damage Inside”, similar to the song “The Burning Red”, a song off the album of the same name, but doesn’t have the produced beats yet it has that similar gloomy atmosphere. But it’s a good tune because you rarely ever hear Machine Head do any ballads in their albums.

    Towards the end of the album there’s finally a nod towards Burn My Eyes. The second to last track is an instrumental tune called “Imaginal Cells” which also contains sound clips from news reports, similar to the track “Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies” off Burn My Eyes. This definitely put a smile on my face. Clearly Machine Head is working hard to gain new followers as well as keeping the fans of old happy. The album finishes with “Take Me Through The Fire” which is a fast blazing track with absolute killer riffs and solos from Phil Demmel, however it doesn’t feel like a closing track; “Sail Into The Black” would have been a more appropriate way to close the album.

    Overall, this is a fantastic record, one that stands out among all the recent metal releases this year. Comparing it to the rest of the catalog, defiantly comparable to Burn My Eyes and The Blackening in terms of their best work. I would put this above Through The Ashes Of Empires and Unto The Locust which is saying a lot. Musically and lyrically this album is fiend and will grab the attention of people who have never listened to Machine Head and hook them into the band while keeping the current fan base happy. I would expect great things to come from Machine Head in the future due to this album.

    You can purchase the album here. This one is a must.

    Key Tracks: Killers & Kings, Sail Into The Black
    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/170022125″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]