Some bands are coming out of the blue and breaking all the rules and conventions, and delivering what we should simply call “the real thing”. Music. Not conveniences. Not consumables. Not that predictable boom-boom, bang-bang what we use to upload in our mp3 players to cover the urban background noises and isolate ourselves from all the others and the rest of the world. No. It’s definitively something it’s very wrong whit this species.
But this isn’t everything. If a really-really good, to the bone creative and ground breaking band surface the scene, mainly they will come and go unnoticed and will disappear in the media trash. People love products, prefabs, love the s*it nicely packed in cellophane, love Lady GaGa because she’s so eccentric! And we love any other bitches, any other freaks and any other fake and fabricated star the industry and media deliver to us as “the real thing”, but never, never, never, the real thing.
The real thing it’s weird, unusual, not easy to assimilate, hard to compare and impassible to label, to fit into a box.
Although they manage to infiltrate one episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles” and had a song placement in the documentary “h2indo”, Tangent Transmission it’s still mainly remains completely an unknown band.
They also were awarded with the Artist of the Year in the All Indie Magazine music awards last year. And they really deserve it! Read more Tangent Transmission – Pull, EP (2011)
rock
Beyond The Styx – Sloughing Off The Shades, EP (2012)
This is brutally good! Merging Deathcore with modern flavored Metalcore, but with solid roots back to classy and powerful Heavy Metal, this 5 piece band from Tours, France formed in 2010 are making their debut with a consistent 5 track plus intro EP. It’s almost like August Burns Red would play Manowar covers.
And Emile Duputié (vocals), Adrien Joulin (drums), Matthieu Dupou (bass), Mickey Martin (rythmic guitar) and Anthony Mateus (lead guitar) mention as influences bands such as: August Burns Red, The Ghost Inside, Lamb of God, Norma Jean, Pantera, Haste the Day, Chimaira, Hatebreed, The Bled, Every Time I Die, Emmure, The Acacia Strain, Comeback Kid, Cancer Bats, Trivium, All That Remains, etc.
Powerful, furious riffs, mainly death like growls and intense, pounding drums are the ammunition of Beyond The Styx and they gonna grind you into the ground. Read more Beyond The Styx – Sloughing Off The Shades, EP (2012)
Byzant At Sunset – Bang Ur Head, double EP (2012)
This is Jazzcore, Avant-garde and experimental, genres merging and envelope pusher music, weird for any average, comfortable and conservative listener, but definitively something intriguing and exciting for the people with open mind and open ears, bored of comformities and cliches.
While the album starts quite furiously with a grinding and contorted Tango followed by a genuine Punk classic in the vein of Dead Kennedys twisted into modern contortions and fueled by wildly improvising saxophone solos; the album rides in and out of genres from Post-Rock to Jazz and from Dubstep to Industrial only to quieting down to a Coltrane feel-like Jazzy smooth ballad as a closing act. Anyway, almost like a ballad. With Byzant At Sunset you never can be sure of anything.
An extended play (or EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP.
This is the second EP by Byzant At Sunset, a double EP actually, but this is really-really an ultra-mega-super extended play while the band delivered 9 original tracks (more then 44 minutes) and 10 plus 1 (hidden bonus) remixes – which are pounding more then 46 minutes.
Totally 95 minutes of music, it’s definitively hell of an extended play!!
The three members of this project are living on different continents, they never been in the same room, not even in the same country ever, but they are playing together. This is an exclusively “via internet” (on-line) collaborative-creative project. One proof of the positive effect and impact of Globalization and technology over humanity. Although they never had the opportunity and pleasure to playing together in the rehearsal room, this music sounds very alive, very fresh, raw and impossible to fit into any genre. Read more Byzant At Sunset – Bang Ur Head, double EP (2012)
Eric Burdon and The Greenhornes – Self-titled EP (2012)
When I said a few days back that I’m tired and bored of music because music became only the additional sub-product of an exclusively profit oriented industry and the true values (the music) were replaced by fad, predictable, patterned and instantly forgettable (background) noises. In this world, in this frightening circumstances, Mr. Burdon and his youngster new allies, The Greenhornes, delivered balm for my (ears and) soul.
In a world where nothing seems genuine anymore, 71 years old Eric Burdon, the man who led The Animals in the 60s and the War in the 70s, proves – once again – that music it’s music when it’s still played with soul.
While Burdon was ranked 57th in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time; the Garage Rock band The Greenhornes from Cincinnati, Ohio, are less famous. Formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler, they released four albums, one EP and one compilation. In 2005 Lawrence and Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Jack White and Brendan Benson which eventually bring them some more exposure.
Released on November 23rd as part of Record Store Day’s “Black Friday”, this 4 track self-titled EP it’s a raw, pounding, powerful modern Blues release flavored with noises and garage feel. If this is not genuine, don’t know what it is. Read more Eric Burdon and The Greenhornes – Self-titled EP (2012)
Panzerballett – Tank Goodness (2012)
Their previous album, “Hart Genossen von ABBA bis Zappa” was pointed out as his favourite record of 2009 by Clawfinger guitarist Bård Torstensen. About the same album Dweezil Zappa said: “Very well done. Normally, I don’t like people re-arranging my father’s music but this was a pleasant surprise.” Not at least, Randy Brecker said: “Panzerballett is the first band I’ve heard that really leads Music into the 21st Century!”
So, what Panzerballett are actually playing? This is an intense, extremely technical Jazz-Rock with some powerful Metal infusions. In-your-face type of riffs are smartly built-in into the classy, but modern flavored Jazz-Rock constructions. “Vulgar Display of Sauerkraut” sounds like Pantera versus Al Di Meola (I’m thinking of songs such as “Alien Chase On Arabian Desert”) – eventually. Double-bass drum slaughterings and killer riffs are merged with mystic flavored Jazz breakdowns. Read more Panzerballett – Tank Goodness (2012)
Junkyard Birds – Freewheeling Free Will (2012)
The kickstarter “High Heels And Leather Boots” reminds me of Iggy’s “The Passenger”, it’s an enjoyable ride, although it’s a genuine, “bad to the bone”, wicked and dirty, garage Rock anthem. And Iggy’s name, the reflection of his wild spirit returns here and there along the album. But more present it’s the ghost of Lemmy, with roots back to Hawkwind and wings spread out to Motörhead.
Junkyard Birds find their own noisy path of raw, loud and distorted Rock perfumed with Blues resonances and turning into Psychedelic and Stoner shades. Fans of MC5 or Stooges, as well as fans of Blue Oyster Cult, Hawkwind or Fu Manchu and Monster Magnet will definitively gonna enjoy the ride along Junkyard Birds. But sometimes they reminded me of Cathedral too. Read more Junkyard Birds – Freewheeling Free Will (2012)
Adler – Back From The Dead (2012)
Adler? Sounds familiar, kind of from a million years ago. Adler, Adler… Hell yeah, Steven Adler, the former GUNS N’ ROSES drummer who was fired on July 11, 1990 during the recording session of “Use Your Illusion” because of his cocaine and heroin addiction.
He managed to record “Civil War” only for the album, although Adler featuring on the infamous “Appetite for Destruction” (1987) and “G N’ R Lies” (1988). “The Most Dangerous Band in the World” were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, their first year of eligibility, featuring both Adler and his replacement Matt Sorum, but also keyboard player Dizzy Reed.
After G’N’R he reformed his old band Road Crew and briefly joined BulletBoys, which both proved unsuccessful. During the 2000s, Adler was the drummer and frontman of his own band Adler’s Appetite playing mainly G’N’R songs from the “Appetite for Destruction” era. Released a self-titled EP through the band’s official website in 2005, featuring Ratt singer Jizzy Pearl, former Slash’s Snakepit guitarist Keri Kelli, and former Ratt bassist Robbie Crane.
But this new band and new album are actually really a back from the dead attempt from this restless guy. Read more Adler – Back From The Dead (2012)
Serments – Erotic Drive (2012)
While there are not too many woman fronted Rock/Metal bands, it’s pretty hard not to compare those bands to each other. This Parisian band reminds me mostly of the Göttingen based Guano Apes and Sandra Nasić got a serious competitor in Vanessa. Although, she’s got also something from Amy Lee of Evanescence as well, but they also reach out for some of the Portishead’s tumultuous sensuality sometimes. The music of Serments it’s a solid blending of Rock and Metal, a smartly textured braiding of electronic and acoustic elements where heavy riffs and spacious synth layers are efficiently assembled together. Sometimes Pop and Trip-Hop flavored, melodious elements are smartly sneaked into the gloomy and twisted atmospheric trips of the band adding a glamorous, smooth touch to their mainly dark and heavy tones. Also, the band introduced several Metalcore inspired, modern sounds in their mostly 90’s flavored Rock/Metal sound which gives to their rides a further intense and fresh breath.
Formed in 2005, they draw serious attention among the Parisian scene starting with 2007. Read more Serments – Erotic Drive (2012)
Illogistical Resource Dept. – Catharsis (2012)
The apocalypse comes from San Francisco. Or just the catharsis. The nature try to get back at us? Eventually. God knows…. 😆 But wont save us from ourselves.
Dan Menapace – Bass and Synths, Jim Harris – Guitar, and Noa Appleton – Drums are explorers, soundonauts. “Speak” it’s a modern, reiterated “Astronomy Domine”, a tasty and gloomy evoking of past values, but also a brave step into the unknown and the future.
This is a groovy, sometimes blowing in your face, but mainly gloomy and atmospheric Rock machinery build to explore the universe of sounds and find new paths for creativity and expression.
Released on 14 November 2012, the 8 tracks of “Catharsis” lead us into the dark world of our worst fears and subconscious.
“When Frogs Attack” starts menacing, the Primus taste is definitively there, but Illogistical Resource Dept. add their own flavor as well. Wicked riffs and spicy grooves are blending into a powerful, catchy song, an excellent “door opener” for an album full of different blends and flavors.
“The Secret Box” it’s a more Psychedelic flavored trip with a charming, mysterious aroma. What Forrest Gump’s mom said about life, it’s go to “Catharsis” as well: “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Read more Illogistical Resource Dept. – Catharsis (2012)
Fear – The Fear Record (2012)
Originally recorded in 1981 in Sound City Studios, California, titled simple “The Record” and released by Slash Records on May 16, 1982, and it’s definitively one of the pillars of modern Hardcore, a milestone of Punk/Metal/Hardcore colored brilliantly with Blues/Jazz and all sort of unexpected, out of patterns inflections and infusions. So, why would Lee Ving decide to re-record it 3 decades away? One possible explanation might be a shity record deal with Slash and a better deal signed now with The End Records and the 30 years anniversary may be a great opportunity for some smooth and simple cashing-in. Anyway, this band and the original album deserves both respect and celebration. This re-recorded version surprisingly sounds pretty raw, the few small changes do not really makes any difference and as always, if you want the best, go back to the original.
Several songs have been rewritten to shock/offend less. The 62-year-old Ving and the world over the last three decades have been changed. Ving try to seem more mature, while the world play the card of being more enlighten, sensitive or something… Some people get offended nowadays if you sing lyrics like the one of “New York’s Alright If You Like Saxophones”. Read more Fear – The Fear Record (2012)
