Soulfly – Savages (2013)

Soulfly - Savages (2013)

Soulfly - Savages (2013) The soul-tribe of Brazil is back! “Savages” is the upcoming ninth studio album of the band and the first to feature drummer Zyon Cavalera, Max’s son. Scheduled to be released on October 4, “Savages” consist of 10 grinding metal tracks and it was produced by the legendary Terry Date, responsible for some memorable albums such as Metal Church – Metal Church (1984), Sanctuary – Refuge Denied (1988), Dream Theater – When Dream and Day Unite (1989), Overkill – The Years of Decay (1989), Pantera – Cowboys from Hell (1990), Prong – Cleansing (1994) and many more. The album benefits also from featuring several guest artists including Igor Cavalera of Lody Kong, Jamie Hanks of I Declare War, Neil Fallon of Clutch and Mitch Harris of Napalm Death. Read more Soulfly – Savages (2013)

Diwon and the games that we play

Diwon Diwon is a Brooklyn-based American DJ, producer and songwriter. Under his legal name, Erez Safar, he runs Bancs Media, a cutting-edge production company specializing in branding, video and music production, graphics, interactive design, and commercials.
Safar’s career in music began at the University of Maryland when he founded Juez, a breakbeat klezmer jazz quartet in which he played drums. That year, he also began performing under the moniker DJ Handler, spinning a blend of Hip hop, Afro beat and Arabic music. In 2004, Juez released their lone album, “Shemspeed Alt Schule”, on Modular Moods, an independent record label founded by Safar. As they describe it: “Punk klezmer jazz influenced heavily by John Zorn and underground experimental group, Gutbucket.” Something interesting and worth to dig into it deeper!! Reminded me of one of my favorite bands: Hasidic New Wave of Greg Wall (tenor saxophone) and Frank London (trumpet; also a member of The Klezmatics). Read more Diwon and the games that we play

Metallica – Through the Never (2013)

Metallica – Through the Never (2013)

Metallica – Through the Never (2013) IMAX and the mixture of a Sci-Fi adventure and some live recordings with Metallica performing mainly good-old classics can bring back the band to fortune and fame? Maybe not, but probably yes. Smells like flogging a dead horse and desperately trying to cash-in much as it’s possible from their own past.
Metallica is not a band, but a brand. It’s important to understand and accept the differences. I loved Metallica back in the eighties, but that Metallica was a metal band and not the brand they become after ’91.
Although in a recent interview, Lars Ulrich stated that “2014 will be all about making a new Metallica record”, and that the album most likely will be released in 2015, all that they were able to came up with so far are some live recordings from August 2012. The last Metallica album was the killer “Death Magnetic” in 2008, a really strong and defying album after some adventurous releases. 2011 bring us the dubious “Lulu”, the disappointing collaboration with Lou Reed. Two years later still no new songs, new recordings, but meanwhile Metallica managed what not any other artist managed, they have acquired the rights to all of their studio albums and launched their independent record label, Blackened Recordings, which – obviously – will produce all future releases from the band. Now I’m expecting that Lars Ulrich will set up a Bandcamp page for Metallica and put up there for free download (name your price) all their albums. 🙂 Well, probably not in this life!! 😆
But for now, if you’re an IMAX and cinema maniac and a Metallica fan, this is probably the perfect opportunity to bang your head in a cinema theater. Read more Metallica – Through the Never (2013)

Sammy Hagar – Sammy Hagar and Friends (2013)

Sammy Hagar – Sammy Hagar & Friends (2013) Mr. Hagar, the successful businessman, nightclub, restaurant and store owner, tequila and rum mogul, but not at least rock star, is back solo again. While everybody expecting the revival of his Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve and the new formula including Neal Schon (Santana, Journey, Bad English), Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), this solo project come a little bit by surprise. The album it’s a vivid mixture of memorable heavy riffs (“Not Going Down”, “Knockdown Dragout”) and easy summer (blues) songs for tequila spots as the cover of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville”. In between we’ve got “Personal Jesus” (Depeche Mode) and “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” (Bob Seger) covers, lemonades (“Father Sun”) and classic rock tracks (“Bad On Fords and Chevrolets”). Not bad for an alien abducted, 65 years old red head! 😆
Seriously? This is a fine and classy Hagar album. Read more Sammy Hagar – Sammy Hagar and Friends (2013)

The Rott Chils – Alleluia A Brit Milah In G Melodic Minor (2013)

TRC Alleluia 2013

TRC Alleluia 2013 The brit milah, “covenant of circumcision”, is a Jewish religious male circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day-old male infants by a mohel. The G melodic minor scale (G, A, Bb, C, D, E#, G) is a commonly used minor scale key – G minor on circle of 5ths…. What the heck I’m talking about??! 😆
According to the rumors, The Rott Childs are 4 nephews, hailing from a notorious European family bloodline. After one too many magic tricks gone wrong at the annual family dinner, they were shunned and shut off from the family fortune. Forever. One of them sweared, another one stomped his foot while the others howled and cried gypsy tears. It was decided then and there that this was music. Alleluia!!
This is (post) hardcore. True, ferocious, sometimes chaotic, but colorful and full of interesting ideas and turns, The Rott Chils delivers something exciting, unique and addictive. No connection to the fancy, mainstream trends, no EDM/dubstep flavors, no electronic/sampler layers, but bold, merciless grindings and smart passages related to punk, blues and godknows what other genres. Sometimes they go pretty technical, sometimes they quite melodious, sometimes they simply raging. One thing is sure: you can’t get bored, they don’t let you breath throughout the whole album. Read more The Rott Chils – Alleluia A Brit Milah In G Melodic Minor (2013)

Fish – A Feast of Consequences (2013)

Fish – A Feast of Consequences (2013) Fish is back. It’s been a while. “A Feast of Consequences” is the first album since “13th Star” released in 2008 and the tenth solo studio album since he left Marillion in 1988. Anybody still remember Marillion and those fabulous for albums – “Script for a Jester’s Tear” (1983), “Fugazi” (1984), “Misplaced Childhood” (1985) and “Clutching at Straws” (1987)? Fish was the charismatic figure, the mind behind the concept and the voice of Marillion in those good old days. While Steve Hogarth with a new singer, Steve Hogarth, choose a quite different path after Fish departure, while Fish generally continued the story. Had better and less exciting albums along the way, but he was the same charming voice and sensible story teller and in the Marillion era.
“A Feast of Consequences” it’s not different, eventually this new album sound even more fresher and alive and have a few really good moments, some of them obviously bringing back good-old Marillion memories, as well as the Genesis/Rush/Pink Floyd/Jethro Tull/King Crimson resonances are still vibrating through the songs. This is a very nice, very soulful and colorful album. More I had listen it, more I enjoy it. Read more Fish – A Feast of Consequences (2013)

Dream Theater – Dream Theater (2013)

Dream Theater - Dream Theater (2013) I’m not an enthusiast, unconditional fan of DT, mainly because I’m not really liking the voice and style of James LaBrie, yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s not his fault, it’s all mine, mine, all mine! On the other hand there is very thin and invisible line between self-indulgence and the need of communicate by artistic vehicles – in this case, instruments, and sometimes DT sounded more as a demonstration of virtuosity and indisputable technicality then an expression of feelings and thoughts, a down to the bone artistic act. But I’ll be the first to admit that the same DT had some fabulous moments and delivered some brilliant songs.
And their the upcoming twelfth, and self-titled album is another highlight of their fruitful career.
DT was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2010. In July 2012, “Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory” was listed as the number one all-time progressive album by a Rolling Stone readers’ poll, beating “2112” by Rush and “Close to the Edge” by Yes. On April 9, 2013, “Images and Words” won Loudwire’s fan voted March Metal Madness for world’s best metal album beating albums by influential artists such as Dio, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Metallica. The band’s 1992’s album, “Images and Words”, it’s also their highest-selling album, reaching gold-selling status and reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200 chart. With total sales exceeding 10 million albums and DVDs worldwide, Dream Theater have long stood among the upper echelon of hard rock giants. Read more Dream Theater – Dream Theater (2013)