Known as the crazy metal rockers from Finland, Waltari celebrate 25 years of existence and 20 years from the release of their first album. Frequently combining quite diverse music styles as alternative metal, progressive metal, death metal, hard rock, heavy metal, hip hop, industrial, pop, punk, rap, symphonic metal, techno and thrash metal, most of the band’s music is written by bass player Kärtsy Hatakka, while they lyrics are dealing mainly with personal feelings of anxiety, loneliness and the cruelty of the world, often with heavy irony and sarcasm. They crafted totally new combinations, sounds and approaches, pioneering and assimilating everything that is currently new and becoming a melting pot of musical genres.
Released 11 studio albums and 3 compilations, “Covers All!” deliver a nice collection of covers from diverse artists such as System Of A Down, Midnight Oil, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Madonna, David Bowie, The Cure, etc Read more Waltari – Covers All! 25th Anniversary Album (2011)
Life and Living
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Kerrang! Presents – Nirvana Nevermind Forever (2011)
Back in August SPIN Magazine released as free download their own version of Nirvana’s breakthrough album and “Newermind A Tribute Album” collected reinterpretations of those classic songs by artist such as Meat Puppets, Titus Andronicus, Amanda Palmer, The Vaselines, Butch Walker & The Black Widows, Surfer Blood, etc. It was a funny, but quite vivid, “hollywoodish” way to recall Cobain’s genius.
“Nevermind” turns 20 and in September Kerrang! listed 101 reasons why it still rocks and delivered a 14-track Nirvana covers CD, featuring bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Kids In Glass Houses, The Blackout, Arcane Roots, Deaf Havana, Rise To Remain, We Are The Ocean, etc. Read more Kerrang! Presents – Nirvana Nevermind Forever (2011)
Bill Frisell – All We Are Saying… (2011)
“All We Are Saying is give peace a chance” became the anthem of the anti Vietnam-war movement back in ’69. Guitarist and composer Bill Frisell took his chances on some of the most famous songs written by John Lennon and record his take on the classic songs such as “Across the Universe”, “Nowhere Man”, “Imagine”, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”, “In My Life”, “Come Together”, “# 9 Dream” or “Mother”.
Some might know Bill Frisell from John Zorn’s Naked City, but before that, he worked with Jan Garbarek on “Paths, Prints” in 1981 and one year later Pat Metheny recommended Frisell to Paul Motian who was recording “Psalm” for ECM Records. Frisell became ECM’s in-house guitar player. In ’83 he collaborated once again with Garbarek on “Wayfarer”.
Frisell’s first solo release was In Line featured solo guitar and duets with bassist Arild Andersen in 1983 and since he released almost 30 solo albums and had collaborate with Vernon Reid, Elvis Costello, Jack DeJohnette, Tim Berne, Michael White among many other artist on several release. Read more Bill Frisell – All We Are Saying… (2011)
Powerman 5000 – Copies, Clones and Replicants (2011)
Michael Cummings aka Spider One is most known to being the younger brother of Rob Zombie. He’s also the founder and only original member of Powerman 5000 – sometimes abbreviated to PM5K – and their styles and sound have often been also compared to Rob Zombie. “Copies, Clones & Replicants” are a fun collection of cover tunes released yesterday, 30th August and we’ve got 12 songs originally performed by artist such as T. Rex, Devo, Van Halen, David Bowie, Twisted Sister, The Cars, The Clash, etc mashed up, twisted inside out and reassembled by PM5K in their music blender.
Spider One said they continue working on original material, consider this an interlude. Read more Powerman 5000 – Copies, Clones and Replicants (2011)
ReinXeed – Swedish Hitz Goes Metal (2011)
This is fun. And eventually an excellent way to market the band and a product. ReinXeed a Symphonic/Power Metal band from Boden, Sweden, formed in 2004 by vocalist Tommy Johansson. They released four albums, I admit, never listen or heard about them before. Johansson take inspiration from different movie soundtracks – such as Lord of the Rings -, cartoons and bands like Helloween with Michael Kiske, and Rhapsody of Fire. On their official YouTube Channel you will find lot of covers from cartoon tunes to Tina Turner, Helloween or Celin Dion. “Swedish Hitz Goes Metal” is a collection of covers from three classic, exclusively Swedish bands: Abba, Roxette and Ace Of Base.
Singing mainly high, Tommy Johansson have an extremely powerful voice. Classic Heavy Metal fans – Helloween, Judas Priest – will be delighted. Read more ReinXeed – Swedish Hitz Goes Metal (2011)
SPIN Presents Newermind A Tribute Album (Free Release!)
Back in 1991 “Nevermind” was an unpredicted revolution. Sold over 30 million copies worldwide, “Nevermind” was responsible for bringing alternative rock to a large mainstream audience, and critics subsequently regarded it as one of the best rock albums of all time. Kurt Cobain on April 5, 1994 decided to join “27 Club” (Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and more recently Amy Winehouse) and this was the premature end of Nirvana.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: following the release of “Nevermind” “nothing was ever quite the same, for better and for worse” – and this is in few words exactly the essence of Nirvana.
SPIN Magazine pays tribute to the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”, and as part of their package, tapped some of their favorite contemporary artists to cover the influential album’s 13 songs, in their original order and the tribute album is a gift – free download – at their web page.
From Meat Puppets to Titus Andronicus and from Amanda Palmer to The Vaselines this is an exciting and colourful trip to take. Read more SPIN Presents Newermind A Tribute Album (Free Release!)
Project Bob Dylan – celebrates Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday and more!
There are probably million different point of views, different perceptions of America. All of them are simultaneously right and wrong and that might be the “secret” of “the land of hope” and that’s why nobody is indifferent about America. On the other hand, I believe we don’t actually know enough about America as we actually do not know enough about each other generally speaking. Just for example, probably most of the people may thought that the official language of America is English while the truth is that America have none official language at federal level and English is only de facto national language. Everyone identify America by something, most of us by some products such as Coca-Cola, Marlboro or McDonald’s, others might think about country music or blues… In one way or the other, all these are icons. And speaking ’bout blues, Bob Dylan is one of the most respected and loved icons. And Dylan is not only a singer-songwriter and musician, but also poet and painter as well.
As a huge Laibach fan I read about this project of the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana on their web site and I didn’t hesitate to write an e-mail to obtain my free copy of the CD: [email protected]. One week later – this morning 🙂 – I received the CD and a beautiful 78 pages booklet. Read more Project Bob Dylan – celebrates Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday and more!
SIN-atra – The metal tribute to Frank Sinatra (2011)
Butchering disaster. I became skeptical back in January right after I listen “New York New York” covered by Devin Townsend, an absolutely genius guy otherwise, but not even his talent and powerful voice could bring out something exciting from this project. The idea itself might be alright, but the result is horrible. Eagle Rock thought to give another shot to the team that put together “We Wish You A Metal Xmasâ€, the supergroup made of Richie Kotzen – guitar, Bob Kulick – guitars, Doug Katsaros – keyboards, Billy Sheehan – bass and Brett Chassen – drums and putting to the microphone legendary rock singers such as Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple), Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Tim “Ripper†Owens (ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth), Devin Townsend (Devin Townsend, Strapping Young Lad, etc), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Joey Belladonna (Anthrax), Doug Pinnick (King’s X), Jani Lane (ex-Warrant), Franky Perez (Scars on Broadway) and Elias Soriano (Nonpoint). So, only and exclusively a line-up made of (rock) super-stars. Read more SIN-atra – The metal tribute to Frank Sinatra (2011)
Alfa Matrix Re:Covered 2 A Tribute To Depeche Mode – 2CD (2011)
Founded in 2001, based in Brussels, the Belgian record label, Alfa Matrix, becomes a quality trademark and home of some bands as Front 242, Leæther Strip, Unter Null, Armageddon Dildos, Zombie Girl, Mind:state, Psy’Aviah, Adam X, Dunkelwerk, Trisomie 21 – to mention only a few.
As the official release note says: “Although the first volume of this Depeche Mode cover album received a more than successful echo from both indie and mainstream worlds, this project would have definitely remained a one-off project if some of our label bands had not insistently pressed us to launch a second volume.” Leaether Strip, Ayria, Kant Kino, Komor Kommando, I:Scintilla, Technoir, Helalyn Flowers, Plastic Noise Experience, Implant, Krystal System, Acylum, and other bands delivered some twisted and exciting covers of Depeche Mode and definitively this double CD (plus free EP) are an excellent trip and perfect follow up of the previous, two years earlier release. Read more Alfa Matrix Re:Covered 2 A Tribute To Depeche Mode – 2CD (2011)
Richard Cheese – Live At The Royal Wedding (2011)
Prince William and Catherine Middleton get married. Who gives a shit? Well, it seems a few million of idiots from all over the world. I asked this, I ask again: we’re getting retarded? Yes, we do, because, yes, we can. I don’t wanna sound disrespectful, but hey, what’s so fuckin’ special about already balding Williams? Except the fact that he won the birth lottery and instead born in Somalia and starving to death he was born at St Mary’s Hospital, London, in the right freaky family, well, I think there’s nothing special about this dude. And well, being short, fuck the Pope, fuck the Royal Family, and generally speaking: fuck everybody! (Who’s volunteering to be the first? 😀 )
On 29 April 2011, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine performed at the royal wedding reception for Prince William & Catherine Middleton in London, England! 😆 The album captures this live “cocktail hour” performance, featuring 15 romantic love songs recorded live at Buckingham Palace. Well, actually I don’t think so, but still, we’ve got a new live recording of Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine. Read more Richard Cheese – Live At The Royal Wedding (2011)
