Massachusetts metalcore legends, Killswitch Engage, are back with another solid release, Incarnate (Roadrunner). This is the second album released since Howard Jones left the group and original singer, Jesse Leach, stepped back into his vocal duties. While I will avoid the Jones vs. Leach debate, I will say that this work may be the most mature work from Leach-fronted Killswitch. The Westfield, MA natives continue to tinker with their sound to make the heavy, heavier and the melodic, more emotional and memorable, but do not stray too far away from what they know works. In no way would I call this an experimental album, but neither is it a safe one.
Incarnate is one of those albums that gets stronger the farther down you go. While some of the opening tracks are good songs, the second half of the album avoids the “more of the same” sentiments that I am sure many metalcore deserters would use. ‘Embrace the Journey…Upraised’ kicks off the second half of the album which showcases the Killswitch sound the best. Thunderous verse riffs with harsh vocals that lead into a hardcore pre-chorus followed by an uplifting, memorable chorus. The bridge/breakdown builds off of the pre-chorus parts to bring the track together. ‘It Falls on Me’ is one of the tracks that broke the mold a bit and borrowed some post-metal influences (The Ocean certainly came to mind, specifically the Pelagial album). The bridge of the track brings some of the ever emotional, yet catchy tremolo guitar work with a nice delay effect to create a spacey feel. The outro of the song reminds the listening that this is Killswitch Engage with a breakdown and harsh vocals to complete a very Jekyll and Hyde track. ‘We Carry On’ might be the best track written by the band since The End of Heartache era. This track brings together all of the elements present on Incarnate and then blend them together into one epic ballad. Heavy guitar riffs, catchy melodies, uplifting lyrics with both harsh and clean vocals, plus a little more of the spacey guitar effects seen on ‘It Falls on Me’ are all eloquently mixed. The closer, ‘Ascension’, is a return to the norm and wraps up the record perfectly. This is certainly the most “hardcore” track on the album and leaves the listener with Jesse Leach shouting “This is fair warning…your time… will… come!”
With so much music coming out the past couple of years, and mostly on the extreme side, it is always nice to return to the middle of the spectrum. Killswitch Engage once again has pulled me back to my youth with this release. My hometown heroes came through and then some on Incarnate.
It may seem a bit on the nose, but Dig Deep (Sumerian Records) is probably the most appropriate moniker that After The Burial could have mustered up with for their first album since the untimely passing of guitarist and founding member Justin Lowe. Last year was shaping up nicely for as they were set to perform on last year’s Summer Slaughter tour and record the much-anticipated follow-up to 2013s Wolves Within (also Sumerian).
Then the unfathomable occurred. On June 24, following several days of troubling internet posts and subsequent departure from After The Burial, Lowe was found dead of an apparent suicide. Tours were canceled, recording plans indefinitely postponed, and the Minnesota outfit was at the most difficult crossroads of their prosperous career. Following weeks of silence and introspection, After The Burial considered all of their options (including disbandment) and announced the intention to continue forward as a collective.
This was great news not just for the fans, but for Sumerian Records as a whole. After The Burial is one of the current crop of progressive metal acts with the most upside and so it’d be challenging for Sumerian to scout young talent of the same caliber. It’s also worth noting that as an imprint Sumerian isn’t the recruiting force it used to be due to losing ground to labels like eOne, Nuclear Blast Entertainment and Metal Blade, so it would be wise to hold on to as many assets as possible.
But all the momentum and prospect status in the world become null and void if After the Burial couldn’t produce music with the same ferocity as it has in the last eight years. In the aftermath of losing such a talented player like Lowe, it would’ve even been acceptable to have Dig Deep further delayed, but instead After The Burial crafted some of their best material in a very quick turnaround. Credit that to lead guitarist and band MVP Trent Hafdahl who is now picking up all the guitar parts with equal parts shred and gusto. Recently released single ‘Collapse’ opens the album with a riff that’s like Unearth on meth and a ripping solo that’d make Alex Skolnick proud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YvcCHsdojw
And it gets better from there as Hafdahl eschews the more Meshuggah-sounding-the-better approach adopted by so many of their contemporaries in favor of whatever dynamic suits his fancy. Backed by a laser focused rhythm section consisting of bassist Lerichard Foral and drummer Dan Carle, Hafdahl can bounce from the modern Pantera staccato crunch of ‘Lost in the Static’ to the thrash banging of its follow-up ‘Mire.’ ‘Catacombs’ later on the album is another mid-tempo stomper that’s heavier than present day Axl Rose.
But it’s not all blastbeats and brimstone, as ‘Laurentian Ghosts’ follows in the vein of past After the Burial slow jams like ‘Aspiration’ and ‘To Carry You Away’ with its acoustic lines at the beginning and consistent melody throughout. However Anthony Notarmaso’s meaty growls keep the proceeding from going too far into All That Remains territory. And then you have the more melodic death flavor to Dig Deep’s strongest song, ‘Deluge.’ Right out the gate it’s a storm of searing leads and finger numbing riffs. To unleash that beast live will certainly require the aid of a second (and skilled) guitarist.
With the songwriting quality so high on Dig Deep, it didn’t really need that title, but I guess After the Burial didn’t want its message to be lost to their fans. A more than formidable return to form and tribute to a fallen comrade.
Modern thrash is a tricky genre to pinpoint. It could mean a band falls into the oft-maligned retro-thrash scene, or it could mean that they’re more akin to bands such as Lamb of God or The Haunted. Wisconsin’s Product of Hate falls somewhere in between those two. On their debut album Buried in Violence (Napalm Records), Product of Hate display a punishing blend of modern groove and classic thrash that is both awesome and frustrating. The opening track, ‘Kill. You. Now.’ begins with a flashy riff reminiscent of early Testament, which becomes a recurring treat that is sprinkled lightly throughout the album. The rest of the song follows the same kind of punishing groove/thrash that Exodusperfected during their Rob Dukes era. This can be said for nearly every song on Buried in Violence, really, save for the instrumental interlude ‘Vindicare,’ which displays a melodicism that is absent from the other ten tracks.
The sibling guitar duo of Gene and Cody Rathbone is Product of Hate’s most impressive and obvious strength. While they stick with relatively standard riffing for most of the album, the flashes of finesse and their excellent soloing prove that these are talented musicians. The clean and punchy audio mix, done by death metal legend James Murphy, adds a sharpness to the audio beatdown that Product of Hate inflicts upon its listeners. The most frustrating characteristic of this album lies mostly with the vocals, as they are the typical, generic “tough guy” vocals that are often found in groove metal and metalcore. The aforementioned Rob Dukes is a decent comparison, actually. Although, admittedly, Adam Gilley’s vocal range is much more varied than that of Dukes’, ranging from an effective death metal growl to an impressive thrash scream. One extreme or the other would give this album, and the band, much more of a singular identity. Instead, it’s difficult to differentiate the vocals here from any other metalcore vocalist. Another frustrating aspect is that a couple of songs, namely ‘Kill. You. Now’ and ‘Blood Coated Concrete’ lose steam near their end due to unnecessary deathcore-esque breakdowns. Going from thrash riff/guitar solo to brutal breakdown is quite jarring, and it immediately takes you out of the song.
Product of Hate’s tight musicianship and youthful exuberance proves that they should be a killer live act. While their debut lacks a bit in songwriting and originality, the band shows a ton of promise for the future.
For many years now, Megadeth has been a beast of two heads. The first, basically just a dripping, cavernous maw filled with razor sharp knives, was born in 1983 and would attack anything that moved with unnatural speed, venomous aggression, and of course, biting sarcasm. Then, a few albums down the road, a second head began to form alongside it’s bitter, hateful brother. Although still not the friendliest of things, this second head possessed a more laid back personality, preferring melody, patience and a more commercial approach to music.
Since the early nineties, these two distinctly different personalities have sat, occasionally uncomfortably, side by side on the same body, one continually attempting to become the dominant force over the other. When the original, Thrashier head gains control, we get albums like Endgame (Roadrunner), but when its more easygoing counterpart takes the helm, records like Cryptic Writings (Capitol) or the much maligned Risk (Capitol) are the results. Every now and again though, the two set aside their differences and actually co-operate, working together to try and achieve great things. Other times, it all goes horrifyingly wrong and things like Super Collider (Universal/Tradecraft) happen.
On new album, Dystopia (Universal/Tradecraft), the balance between the two is as good as it’s ever been. Just pretend Super Collider didn’t happen. Scrub it from your mind because the turnaround from 2013 to 2016 is unbelievable. While people have been happily writing Megadeth off as a spent force, frontman Dave Mustaine does what he always does with his back against the wall – digs in belligerently and refuses to go down without a fight.
In a situation like this, one of the best ways to make positive steps forward is to return to the past. And while it’s sometimes difficult to know whether a band is harking back to former glories so fans can identify quicker with new material, or whether it’s just because it’s an easy option from a band out of ideas, the answer lies in the shape of a ginger frontman. Dave Mustaine may be guilty of many things, but he doesn’t do easy.
So, when opening track ‘The Threat is Real’ begins with it’s atmospheric Arabic maqam introduction, one of the first things that leaps to mind is ‘Holy Wars… The Punishment Due’ from 1990’s Rust in Peace (Capitol). Although not as good as that seasoned classic, ‘The Threat is Real’ is still a great way to start an album. Snappy lyrics, a chunky central riff and some sharp soloing courtesy of new boy Kiko Loureiro help this song become easily the best album opener since ‘Sleepwalker’ from 2007’s United Abominations (Roadrunner), even if it does sneakily try and fit an ever so slightly reworked ‘Five Magics’ riff in at the end.
The slightly downbeat, but still quite pacy title track follows next. Melodic riffs and catchy verses only let down by a slightly unimaginative chorus. However, it’s a more than worthy title track, and one with definite shades of ‘Hangar 18’ as the second half of the song becomes an entirely instrumental affair.
The already released ‘Fatal Illusion’ rumbles into view next, it’s discordant intro followed by a fast, smoothly played bassline from the always reliable David Ellefson. Some quick incisive riffing follows along with the first real signs that drummer Chris Adler, borrowed from Virginia’s Lamb of God, is seriously beginning to put his own individual stamp on the album. From then on though, it becomes a bit of a hotch-potch of other songs, with riffs and vocal patterns being casually lifted from the likes of ‘Devil’s Island’, ‘Black Friday’, and ‘Five Magics’ (again). Luckily, this is the only time the reliance on older material is so blatant, and with ‘Fatal Illusion’ being the song used to introduce people to the album in the first place, it was possibly even written that way with that in mind.
The album stalls briefly with the mid-paced and pretty forgettable ‘Death From Within’, which although isn’t awful or anything, is just sort of there. ‘Bullet to the Brain’, a song which on the face of it appears to be about a man lured into having an affair, but knowing Mustaine probably has some sort of deeper hidden political meaning, starts with a brief acoustic intro before turning on the heavy and delivering one of the catchiest choruses on the album. The brooding ‘Post-American World’ follows next, warning of future political dangers while tweaking the main riff to ‘Sweating Bullets’ to suit its purpose.
Next up is ‘Poisonous Shadows’. Somewhat similar in tone to ‘A Tout Le Monde’ (albeit with different subject matter), its gentle, recurring backing vocals and quiet piano outro (played by Loureiro) give the song a distinct personality while Adler finally becomes the star of the show, his powerful drumming pushing the song forward with precise, interesting patterns.
‘Conquer or Die!’ is one of the better instrumentals in Megadeth’s arsenal. Beginning slowly, a uniquely Mustaine riff takes over, becoming heftier as the sound of bells toll ominously behind some fantastic solo work. Instrumentals have been known to sap the interest of some listeners, but any cobwebs which may have appeared during ‘Conquer or Die!’ are instantly blown away with the ferocious intensity of ‘Lying In State’. A bludgeoning riff kicks things off, Adler adds to the carnage and Mustaine spits out the words with sneering disdain as it builds towards a frantic and extremely satisfying conclusion.
After such an explosive climax to the previous song, ‘The Emperor’, with it’s uptempo punk meets Alice Cooper vibe, feels strangely out of place. Also, it’s “The Emperor has no clothes” chorus conjures up some very unwanted images of a naked Mustaine wandering around his bedroom in just a pair of socks. Forget the themes of war, deception, murder, and political subterfuge. That image alone is scarier than all of those put together.
A cover of ‘Foreign Policy’ by California’s Fear rounds things off. Nice and straightforward, Mustaine does a better job of evoking the spirit of punk in this than he did with ‘Anarchy in the UK’ back in 1988, even if it does feature a very un punk-like guitar solo. Truth be told, these last two tracks are good but fairly unnecessary additions. Just treat them like bonus tracks and convince yourself the album finishes with ‘Lying in State’.
Varied and entertaining, ‘Dystopia’ is Megadeth’s best album in years and everything that fans who recognise Mustaine’s youthful piss and vinegar has matured into something else could hope for. Super Collider, is but a distant memory so stick it back on the shelf to gather dust, grab this one instead and smile that blacktooth grin once more.
I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to hear this record right now or to write this review. I was not ready to learn David Bowie had died of cancer, and that this already rough start 2016 had already dealt my mental musical Parthenon another harsh blow. Before I was laid low by these events, I was intrigued by the ‘Lazarus’ music video and pre-ordered Blackstar (Columbia/ RCA) on Amazon. But I hadn’t played the album one time in a busy weekend. And then once the news came down, I retreated to what most do in these cases, share my sorrow publicly and played my favorites on a loop for a few days. Mainly relegated to what is on my old iPod Classic 160 GB, my portable Bowie collection is mainly the 70s albums I grew up on (Diamond Dogs, Station To Station, Low, Heroes, Lodger, my 1990s favorite Outside, and some obligatory hits here and there I’m sure everyone else knows well. I wasn’t sure how to approach this final album review from an artist I admired all my life, knowing this was the last new thing I would ever hear from him. I laid down in bed for the first few listens. Just in bed in the dark with my headphones on.
As much an album rooted in Bowie’s entire oeuvre, ‘Blackstar’ is equally an album that would have come from a future timeline or reality. The epic title track opens things up and is almost like a little elctronica-based rock operetta. It chirps to life at once, but soon morphs into a gorgeous, almost Gospel rock-inflected anthem. The third motif in the middle section has the grit and grace of any great rock song the man ever put down on wax. Vocally and lyrically alone, the performance moved me to tears right away. Of course these ominous whooshing churchly vocals, swelling and brooding horns and reeds, right along side with lyrics about life, death, fame and rebirth heard in the context of knowing he had died surely hit me harder than it would have otherwise. That doesn’t make this track any less amazing.
The rest of the album flirts with an array of stylistic choices. The powerful uptempo beat of ‘Tis A Pity She Was A Whore’ comes with a subtle Sun-Ra style discordant beauty to it. A chaos that flirts with ruin, but holding together by a thread of greatness. David’s voice is just magical, and harkening back to his earliest work in a lot of ways. Donny McCaslin’s brass work just crushes on this track.
‘Lazarus’ is a song that along with its companion video will be analyzed, deconstructed and perhaps books will be written about for the next few decades I would imagine. The somber balladry of the tune can barely stand up to the titanic lyrics. It was hearing the collected writing of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross set to song. No doubt anyone who heard the track when it came out, saw it in a different light after David’s death. The eerie lyrics are not just prophecy, they are spooky real. Like a manifest from the before the grave. Many artists wrote with their own death as a specter in their life that was all too real to them. Hank Williams Sr., Warren Zevon, Frank Zappa, and hell, evenin the tragic case of Jeff Buckley; he must have “felt like he was dying since the day he was born” in the purest sense. Bowie was clearly leaving no illusions to chance with this track, so present and bare and raw about the sum of his life coming to a bittersweet end. And you never want the track to end, but it does as well.
At this point, after a track like ‘Lazurus’, it starts to be hard to even track quality on a real scale that has meaning, but I will press on. In a change of pace and tone ‘Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)’ is a slick blend of those killer collaborations with Brian Eno, but via the centrifuge of the many who followed in those massive footsteps too like Nine Inch Nails or more recently, Puscifer. ‘Girl Loves Me’ has a creeping rhythm and a call and response refrain. The full expanse of his singing range, including a not often enough heard vamp in his bass register is a thrill and treat. This song will find its fans, but really it’s just slightly above filler.
‘Dollar Days’ again finds us in familiar ground. Almost a call back to his earlier work: a deceptive, emotional, subversive, brilliant pop song. And lyrically again, so final and so very sad, it will break your heart to hear it. Special note goes to the piano work of Jason Lindner.
As the penultimate track evolves via a danceable beat into the beautiful final cut, ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’. It is the sound of an acceptance an artist saying goodbye forever. It would seem that the sentiment of the title is quite the opposite in reality. On Blackstar, Bowie left nothing behind or unsaid; if anything it’s a bit esoteric. Not just in a sense of this album, but his career and his life. And I am still not ready for this. And neither are you.
It we have learned anything from the current events in the world right now, we know that life is precious. In our own little worlds we drone away at work, at our passions, and our daily escapes. It can all go away in an instant. We all feel the pain of loss, but we can all rise again. The pendulum can sway either way for us. And when we feel those little pins of excitement, ones that quicken our pulses, that make the hairs on the back of your next stiffen, even the ones that hurt your heart; we need to cling to them, fiercely as we can. Baroness is a great example of bleeding triumph from pain, and their new album Purple (Abraxan Hymns) is as much a testament to being alive as any piece of music I have heard in a long time.
Back in 2011, I hadn’t thought it was possible for the band to top the sprawling double album Yellow And Green (Relapse). It represented both sides of what the band could be: Sabbath-ian heaviness with a late-era Led Zeppelin variety. It felt huge and it didn’t change what they were or or how fans felt about them either. Then came the well documented bus accident that almost took their lives, and everything changed. And just like in other tragedies, we focus on the chaos of the moment, our emotions ebbing towards the familiar. Yes, the accident was horrible and the relief in the entire music community was thick enough to taste. However, equally arduous was the band finding their way back to mental and physical health, and at last the victory of touring again. I don’t know if any of this played into the craft that went into making Purple, but then how could it not? A life changing event surely can reshape your art, as it must have for John Baizley in particular. Even though Purple is a Baroness album to its very bones, if feels like a new sounding band at times. This is music born of suffering, but one conveying strength of will through tears.
From the first notes of ‘Morningstar’, you get a sense that this album is going to be different, and you would be right. Inspiring heavy rock with giant sweeping choruses have been common for this band, but now they are doing it on a much grander scope. Part of it must be the comfort level Baizley has with guitarist Pete Adams; the musical ninja assassin to John’s zen master. They play off each other perfectly vocally and guitar-wise. ‘Shock Me’ starts with pastoral keys from bassist Nick Jost, but gives way to bombastic jamminess. Just a tremendous cut in scope and energy. Sebastian Thomson’s perfect drumming propels the track. Baizley finally has the players to match him and to help him realize his great vision.
Baroness, photo credit Jimmy Hubbard
‘Try To Disappear’ and ‘Kerosene’ are both straight out amazing, each could vie for the best song here. Heavy without trying to be super heavy, ‘Kerosene’ features Robert Fripp influenced guitar work and glorious twin-harmony lead vocals throughout. Jost’s bass playing is melodious and tight here and all over the album. The last minute or so of the song is transcendent.
‘Fugue’ is a transition piece, one that is a ties back to early albums like First, Second or Red. ‘Chlorine & Wine’ follows and was the first single, and it has a bit of a space rock thing going on. That intro alone will make you well up with tears that reminded me of Pelican or Rosetta’s best moments, although I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. If you obsess over great guitar work like I do, this track has the kitchen sink of effects on it. They are all done in a tasteful way, not at all schlocky.
I am not sure any band can blend the musicianship of Pink Floyd with the soul inferno of Thin Lizzy the way ‘The Iron Bell’ came out, but damn it if they didn’t achieve just that. ‘Desperation Burns’ is the heaviest track on the album, coming on with a chopping riff and great lyrical depth. If you were a fan from the very beginning of this band, this song will give you all the feels. This is also one of the many songs where the new rhythm section of Jost and Thomson just crushes it. Right out of the Blue playbook, it’s great to see artists pulling back to what made them great, but then demonstrating growth.
‘If I Have To Wake Up (Would You Stop The Rain)’ reminds me a bit of the chill moments from Yellow. The interplay of keys, bass and guitars over a shuffle beat from Thomson with mostly a solo vocal from Baizley will get you where you live. The chiming notes in the chorus will send you over the moon. The final track is a little transmission of sorts, that sounds like what I hope to hear before the aliens attack and vaporize the Earth once and for all. Ok, that one is just for me, make of that what you will. Producer Dave Fridmann’s masterful work is all over Purple and should not be understated in its importance.
Like most albums in their career, there is no filler on this album. More so, there are no flaws either. Every part written for a purpose, every strum and riff, every beat, every plucked bass string right in its perfect place, all meant to give birth to a masterpiece. Prog without being classically progressive, old-school in spirit, but with a modern touch: the heart of Baroness lives in a dichotomy of what makes them great and they redefine their genre with each new album.
While most of the rock world is patiently awaiting the next Tool album, Maynard James Keenan has released yet another gem from his (sort of) solo project known as Puscifer. Money Shot (Puscifer Entertainment) is the third full length release from MJK and has quickly shot up the list of my favorite albums of the year. This record provided proportionate doses of both your typical instrumentals with a more percussive feel as well as the electronic, manufactured sound. Probably one of the most important elements outside of Maynard is the returning second vocalist, Carina Round. As Ghost Cult’s own Keith Chachkes said of Carina, “She is the yin to Maynard’s yang.” Money Shot only adds evidence to that claim as Round and Keenan once again make magic.
Puscifer, photo credit Tim Cadiente
I always found it hard to pick out any favorite tracks when listening to new albums from any of Maynard’s projects and this album followed in the same fashion. Each song on Money Shot is truly one of a kind with their own personalities almost. Opening track, ‘Galileo’ , kicks off the record with a very spacey feeling song which is suiting of its title. This song is slightly more electronic then rock but still showcases both sides of Puscifer in an enjoyable five minute opener. ‘Simultaneous’ is half spoken word/story over crescendo instrumentals and then spills into lyrics. I found the story itself to be the best part of the song. The story is being told by a man who tried holding a conversation with someone else who was mostly too wrapped up in the music on their walkman. It is not until the batteries stop dying that this person finally starts giving his undivided attention to our narrator. At which point, the man grabs hold of the narrator and tells him that world peace cannot be obtained until three people simultaneously look each other in the eye. ‘The Remedy’ is another solid cut from this album and which really resonated with me both musically and lyrically. Instrumentally, the riffs in this song, especially in the second half, get my hair to stand straight up each time I listen. The lyrics take a big shot at people nowadays that have that entitlement feeling about themselves. Specifically, one passage of the song has Maynard mentioning that a person is speaking “like someone who has never been… smacked in the fucking mouth. That’s OK, we have the remedy.” I am sure many listeners can think of a time they had to deal with some snotty brat that thought they were better than you. Now if only we could deliver such a remedy to said asshole such as the one mentioned in this song.
From start to finish, Puscifer delivers money shot after money shot in the form of aural enjoyment. There is enough variation across the album that there really is something for everyone here. Keenan and Co can continue to be proud of their work after yet another successful release. So, instead of pounding away at your keyboard on social media bitching about the next Tool album, maybe you should hit up YouTube and try out Puscifer.
Most modern music careers go a little bit like this. Write a good (or even great) record. Become popular. Have that “difficult second album” syndrome. Get less popular but retain a fan base. Record a third album that might have an unexpected hit. Record the same album for the rest of your career until everyone gets bored. Split up and then return and do a tour where you play the entirety of your first album because it’s a “masterpiece”. Ho, and indeed, hum.
Thank goodness then for Clutch. Clutch aren’t like most bands. Wait: Clutch are not like any other band. Now into their 20-something year of making smart, intelligent rock music, Psychic Warfare (Weathermaker) is the eleventh studio album from the Maryland, USA residents. Psychic Warfare sees Neil Fallon and Co in the rudest possible health, invigorating and invigorated, creatively refreshed and simply staggering and swaggering.
With their last record, Earth Rocker (also Weathermaker) delivering a veritable feast of passionate, invigorating rock music that proved that straight up rock ‘n’ roll could appeal equally to heart and head, one may have anticipated that Clutch would return with a record that sounded completely different, as has been their wont. Contrarians to the last, Clutch have taken the quality threshold set by Earth Rocker and simply upped the ante. If Earth Rocker set a new high benchmark for the Clutch boys, Psychic Warfare is the call and response that you can only have dreamt of, such is its dynamic power and prowess. In short, it’s utterly brilliant.
Psychic Warfare leaps out of the speakers, hoists you by the throat and never lets up, not for a second; punchier and harder than its predecessor. It’s as if the band has been in the gym for a few months: it’s muscular, tough, ripped. Psychic Warfare sounds like the band are not only content with sounding like Clutch, they are revelling in it. This new album has an immediate, warm sense of familiarity, one that breeds total and utter content.
The spoken word scene setting paranoia of ‘The Affadavit’ gives way to the instant Clutch classic of ‘X-Ray Vision’ which is so infectious it should carry a biohazard warning. The rest of the album just gets better and better. There are more riffs than a guitarists’ convention running throughout: Tim Sult has excelled himself with licks and flourishes that are inspired and imaginative, frenetic and pulsating: just listen to ‘Your Love Is Incarceration’ or ‘Sucker for the Witch’ and you will understand just what I am getting at.
Clutch 2015
Clutch understand tone and dynamics perhaps better than any band operating today. It’s hardly a surprise that Jean-Paul Gaster is many people’s favourite drummer, such is his ability to bring depth, warmth and structure as well as light and funk to proceedings. In lesser hands, the forcefulness of these songs would feel oppressive, repetitive. In Clutch’s hand’s, these are songs that get in under your skin, make you dance and smile: it is a sheer bloody joy.
Psychic Warfare, like all the best Clutch albums (and, already, it’s amongst the very best of Clutch’s albums) is a record packed full of wizened characters, paranoia, liquor, esoteric cityscapes and name dropping of Stevie Nicks. I have no idea what’s going on in Neil Fallon’s mind but when he produces songs as strong and compelling as this, you cannot help but be drawn into his maelstrom of evocative storytelling. He is a master of American letters; Clutch are a band of sublime brilliance and Psychic Warfare might just be the album you’ve waited all year for.
In their fifteen year existence, Raleigh, North Carolina quintet Between the Buried and Me has resisted all attempts at categorisation largely by the ever-changing nature of their music. Breakthrough record Alaska in 2005 saw them being lumped in with the ascendant metalcore scene largely by virtue of their choice of record label and haircuts, despite that critically acclaimed release being very different in content to anything post-Killswitch.
Further records such as Colors in 2007 and The Great Misdirect two years later (all Victory) saw the band flirting with death metal and grind yet the overarching theme was that of fully-fledged progressive metal, something that has now come to fruition on Coma Ecliptic (Metal Blade) a bona-fide rock opera that was always in the works, yet few thought would ever be quite so glorious.
With a concept detailing a coma patient’s self-induced exploration of his past lives, facing the choice to either stay or move on to parts unknown and the strange, arcane machine which enables him to do this, none could accuse Between the Buried and Me of lacking a sense of the grandiose. However it is the music that matters and on this record the band has wandered further into the lands of bewildering, arcane prog than ever before, while thankfully still in touch with their metal safety ground. Bands such as Genesis, Queen and Pink Floyd are notable reference points here, with BTBAM seeking to emulate the sense of wonder and freedom those noted acts managed to achieve with their seminal records back in the 70s.
The guitars on Coma Ecliptic are more interested in swirling leads and deft licks than common-or-garden heads down riffing, with rhythm largely left over to the solid, yet often playful bass guitar. This is apparent from the first time the axes make an appearance; with a brief yet histrionic solo which closes the soulful, piano-led opening track ‘Node’. Of course, this is still a metal album at heart and most tracks feature basic one/two chugs during the verses, although the attention will mostly be focused on the ever-present spiralling leadwork. A prime example of this is ‘The Coma Machine’, which develops the themes of the opening track into a surreal yet wholly engaging journey of bewildering prog rhythms, fluid guitar acrobatics and soaring, mysterious keyboards. It’s one hell of an impressive start to a record and things only get better from there.
Between the Buried and Me, photo by Justin Reich
Whether it’s the Zombi style 80s synth of ‘Dim Ignition’ complete with buzzing vocal effects which pitches the listener straight into a John Carpenter action film, the absurdly fun Vaudevillian stomp of ‘The Ectopic Stroll’ which Faith No More would have killed to have included on their recent comeback album or the emotionally devastating ‘King Redeem – Queen Serene’ which flits between soulful acoustic introspection to searing melodic death metal with a few maniacal prog flourishes thrown in for good measure, it’s utterly impossible to get bored. This is a record that you could listen to over twenty times and still find surprises waiting for you at every turn.
Each member of the band has come on leaps and bounds since the early days with Paul Waggoner surely staking a claim for one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation and the man DreamTheater should be keeping a close eye on when they next suffer a crisis in the ranks. But it is mainman Tommy Rogers who deserves most of the plaudits. His soulful croon will tug at your heartstrings on ‘Rapid Calm’ during the wondrous guitar solo-used-as-verse, but will instantly switch to feral death growl without breaking sweat, and crucially without ever sounding contrived.
The record that they were always promising to make but you weren’t sure was possible, on ComaEcliptic Between the Buried and Me have exceeded all expectations and delivered not only the album of their careers but one of the most monumental ambitious rock concept pieces this side of Operation Mindcrime (EMI).
How they will ever top this remains the only sticking point.
High Testament (Tee Pee/Under the Gun Records) is the latest release from Texas fuzz trio, Fogg. They’re a little softer than anticipated but that’s not a bad thing if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally, I like to be moved by what I listen to.
The song ‘Seasons’ is easily my favorite track off the of the album as it’s heavier than the rest, particularly once you hit the 4:05 mark and it turns into something that actually resembles a stoner anthem. That’s when the band just lets the instruments do the talking for them and you start getting the fuzzed out riffs and groovy bass lines that I love.
‘Mountain’ follows suit with a touch of something a little more sinister sounding. The organ really fits in well with this song and adds extra depth and life to the song when the vocals just aren’t enough. That’s not to say that Brandon Hoffman is inadequate in any way, I would just prefer a voice that is less light and fluffy, and a lot more emotion.
If you’re looking for a decidedly chill record, this is a good pick. It’s quiet and soothing, possibly too much, in my opinion. I prefer things to have a little more energy, but when these boys do kick things into high gear, they do it well. It would have been nice to hear more of that rock and roll sound with less of the whole flower child vibe to break up how monotonous the album can be.
