What can be said which hasn't already been said about this ingenious Canadian program? It's full of foul mouthed, drug addicted, jail bouncing fun. The show originated from a short film that John Paul Tremblay, Mike Smith, Rob wells, and Mike Clattenburg originally made called "The Cart Boy". This video shows the modestly dressed and coke bottle glasses donned character Bubbles, stealing shopping carts to help collect money for the stray cats he takes ownership to. This idea catapulted into a multi-season television series that brings you through the adventures of Julian, Ricky and Bubbles who all live in a trailer park in Nova Scotia. The premise is simple; the boys are constantly in and out of jail and finding new crazy schemes to make money, all the while finding ways to stay drunk and high. Ricky tends to mispronounce everything under the sun, and Julian is never seen in a framed shot without a rum and coke in his hand or near him. There are very important side characters such as the trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey, his shirtless boyfriend/assistant trailer park supervisor Randy, as well as the timeless J-Roc, Cory & Trevor. The show ran for 7 official seasons; two vignettes (one post season 7 and one a pre-quel inspired by Christmas), not to mention two full length feature films.
This show is a staple in Canadian culture, and has made a huge surge into the States as well. Slowly but surely, the boys are becoming known on an international level too. After 7 seasons and 2 movies though, what's left to do? Theatre of course!
This show was wise enough to perform at the Plaza Live Orlando; this really was the perfect venue for a show like this. With such an intimate setting, you were guaranteed a good spot no matter what. The stage set up was less than complicated, involving only the 3 main characters, a video screen and a digital video camera. In keeping consistent with the premise of hair-brained schemes, Bubbles is hell bent on being in the new Jackie Chan movie. He comes up with several scenarios to record for Mr. Chan, and looks to Julian and Ricky to help him out with it. Sadly, they end up more of a distraction from Bubble's plan, but a hilarious and entertaining distraction nonetheless. The boys manage to retouch old routines from the show in the material they are sending to Mr. Chan such as an astronaut launch gone wrong, revisitation of a scene from an old episode where Julian scares off local thug Cyrus, as well as the quintessential Julian joke demonstrated by dancing out a scene from Dirty Dancing, (with bubbles in drag dressed as Jennifer Grey no less). There was a lot of crowd participation; this type of show with a cult like following begs for it. Some of the antics revolved around Julian selling the theatre's hot dogs for $10 a pop (one kid in the crowd tries to pay for a hot dog with his chain and is caught in a cyclone of greasy chain jokes), a girl is pulled to play out an American Idol scenario where she sings (and wows the audience), and a group of girls are brought up to play a quiz show where Bubbles finds one member particuarly frightening, and focuses on her "Dahlmer-like resemblance".
They manage to revisit Lahey and Randy in this show by Skyping them and harrassing them. Immediately they are connected to Lahey, drunk as always, and Randy utilizing a water pipe as he so often does. The back and forth is relentless, and in typical TPB style (lot's of swearing, shirtless jokes, and other hilarious back and forths). Conky , who was Bubble's alternate personality as channeled through a puppet in earlier episodes of the TV Series, is a free standing puppet with seemingly his own soul. In between intermissions, and pre-show Conky is being videoed with no live human operating him, to give the sense of him carrying his own weight.
I have seen the Kids in the Hall live, which was spectacular, and this Trailer Park Boy's spectacle far surpassed it in the comparison of Television shows brought to life in a theatre style. The stripped down stage set up really brings the whole low budget feel from the TV to the stage, and their classic degrading, lewd banter never goes out of style. The show was surprisignly bordering the line of 3 hours, which gave fans like me (obsessed and raving ones) the feeling like I didn't pay nearly enough to see such brilliance in action.
If the humor of this show satisfies you, then keep an eye out in 2012 for their newest collaboration with Amy Sedaris...Drunk and on Drugs Happy fun time hour.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Fiona Apple:2012 tour review
Some fans may be a little sore at Fiona, but not for being anything less than brilliant . The time she takes the construct each album is worth every minute, even if it means waiting a little longer for the live interpretation. If there is anything negative to say about a live Fiona Apple show, it's that you can't see it more than once in a 5 year cycle. Fiona's last appearance to Orlando in the beginning of October was absolutely no different. She, and her back up band, were both clearly in control of the room. There was a live drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, and a piano player towards the back of the stage. There also was a piano for Fiona to sit down at as well, closer to the front of the stage. She did her fair share of piano playing, but some songs both old and new consisted of Fiona taking center stage and focusing solely on her singing (if only to sit back down at the end of the song and jam on the piano to transition into the next song).
The set list was compiled of songs from all of her albums. The show started, with material from "When the pawn...", and led into some newer material before heading back to "Extraordinary Machine". Songs off of "Tidal" also took shape in the live setting, and adhered to the album versions for the most part, with the exception that the feeling Fiona gets across in a live setting is so much less restricting than the studio. There's no way to really describe it without being there and hearing everything technically flawless about her style mixed with the raw emotion of where she is at that point and time.
During the "When the pawn..." songs were set in motion though, they really took a steeper dive into the concept of "jam out", stretching the songs out with different arrangements and solos. Slight live treats ad variations not heard on the original recording came right to the front of the mix. The drummer really took some liberties in songs like "Fast as you can", and from Fiona's junior release, "Not about love". This song in particular took on a much more transformative deviation from the album's original sound. The drums, and the timings most notably were tweaked. In the hook "This is not about love, because I am not in love, in fact I can't stop falling out", the shifts to drastically slower tempos were expertly crafted and highly exaggerated in the live setting. Especially since the part leading up to the hook and following it both have a much faster pace. This is timing that is experimented with in a lot of styles of music; the thunderous tom work and barrage of stringed instruments really changed this cynical, yet gentle, song into a very aggressive borderline heavy metal kind of a song.
So will it take Fiona another 5 years to make a brilliant album and come to town? Probably, so...but it doesn't really matter if the end result of both an album release and a tour is complete and total perfection.
I will not be providing any pictures or video for this performance. No photography or video was allowed. Signs were posted at the ticket office, the point of entry, the bars, the merchandise table, and on the video screens for 40 minutes before the performance. I respected this rule (if only because it was posted absolutely everywhere), others who were perhaps a little braver than I were escorted out by Hard Rock Staff... and what's worse, not allowed back in to see the show. So let this be a lesson, if the signs says no pictures, it really means no pictures. The rules are not different for you because of this one memory you have about this one song this one time in your life that you just absolutely have to have video for; if signs are posted that say "Don't take pictures or we'll escort you out", they undoubtedly will.
Fiona Apple
Extraordinary Machine
The set list was compiled of songs from all of her albums. The show started, with material from "When the pawn...", and led into some newer material before heading back to "Extraordinary Machine". Songs off of "Tidal" also took shape in the live setting, and adhered to the album versions for the most part, with the exception that the feeling Fiona gets across in a live setting is so much less restricting than the studio. There's no way to really describe it without being there and hearing everything technically flawless about her style mixed with the raw emotion of where she is at that point and time.
During the "When the pawn..." songs were set in motion though, they really took a steeper dive into the concept of "jam out", stretching the songs out with different arrangements and solos. Slight live treats ad variations not heard on the original recording came right to the front of the mix. The drummer really took some liberties in songs like "Fast as you can", and from Fiona's junior release, "Not about love". This song in particular took on a much more transformative deviation from the album's original sound. The drums, and the timings most notably were tweaked. In the hook "This is not about love, because I am not in love, in fact I can't stop falling out", the shifts to drastically slower tempos were expertly crafted and highly exaggerated in the live setting. Especially since the part leading up to the hook and following it both have a much faster pace. This is timing that is experimented with in a lot of styles of music; the thunderous tom work and barrage of stringed instruments really changed this cynical, yet gentle, song into a very aggressive borderline heavy metal kind of a song.
So will it take Fiona another 5 years to make a brilliant album and come to town? Probably, so...but it doesn't really matter if the end result of both an album release and a tour is complete and total perfection.
I will not be providing any pictures or video for this performance. No photography or video was allowed. Signs were posted at the ticket office, the point of entry, the bars, the merchandise table, and on the video screens for 40 minutes before the performance. I respected this rule (if only because it was posted absolutely everywhere), others who were perhaps a little braver than I were escorted out by Hard Rock Staff... and what's worse, not allowed back in to see the show. So let this be a lesson, if the signs says no pictures, it really means no pictures. The rules are not different for you because of this one memory you have about this one song this one time in your life that you just absolutely have to have video for; if signs are posted that say "Don't take pictures or we'll escort you out", they undoubtedly will.
Fiona Apple
Extraordinary Machine
I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes
-And-
I certainly haven't been spreading myself around
I still only travel by foot and by foot, it's a slow climb,
But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so
I can't stop changing all the time
I notice that my opponent is always on the go
-And-
Won't go slow, so's not to focus, and I notice
He'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as
They go fast from whence he came
- But he's no good at being uncomfortable, so
He can't stop staying exactly the same
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
I seem to you to seek a new disaster every day
You deem me due to clean my view and be at peace and lay
I mean to prove I mean to move in my own way, and say,
I've been getting along for long before you came into the play
I am the baby of the family, it happens, so
- Everybody cares and wears the sheeps' clothes
While they chaperone
Curious, you looking down your nose at me, while you appease
- Courteous, to try and help - but let me set your
Mind at ease
(Chorus)
-Do I so worry you, you need to hurry to my side?
-It's very kind
But it's to no avail; I don't want the bail
I promise you, everything will be just fine
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
-And-
I certainly haven't been spreading myself around
I still only travel by foot and by foot, it's a slow climb,
But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so
I can't stop changing all the time
I notice that my opponent is always on the go
-And-
Won't go slow, so's not to focus, and I notice
He'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as
They go fast from whence he came
- But he's no good at being uncomfortable, so
He can't stop staying exactly the same
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
I seem to you to seek a new disaster every day
You deem me due to clean my view and be at peace and lay
I mean to prove I mean to move in my own way, and say,
I've been getting along for long before you came into the play
I am the baby of the family, it happens, so
- Everybody cares and wears the sheeps' clothes
While they chaperone
Curious, you looking down your nose at me, while you appease
- Courteous, to try and help - but let me set your
Mind at ease
(Chorus)
-Do I so worry you, you need to hurry to my side?
-It's very kind
But it's to no avail; I don't want the bail
I promise you, everything will be just fine
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
Monday, January 6, 2014
Wage of Sin, Final show 2005
There seems to be a fascination in
the hardcore community with the word it. Does such and such a band have it? Do the fans get it? We spend a lot of time
trying to figure out precisely what it is and we immediately try to quantify it as an
absolute truth. As long as I’ve been
alive, it is merely the connection
between the listener and the band. Do the band’s lyrics move people? Does the band's creativity compel the audience not just to listen,
but to want more? That brief 30 minute set
allows the musicians and the fans to disconnect simultaneously from the grim
reality that lays in wait for them upon the lights going out and the club
locking its doors.
So allow me to share with you, a
hardcore show that at the risk of sounding completely trite and uninteresting,
changed my scope on music and life. This to me, is a band that truly has it, and always will have it,
even if they never reform. The band is
the Wage of Sin and the scene is Lexington ,
KY.
Now keep in mind, I’m a Floridian . I was
born in New York ,
and moved to Florida
at the ripe age of 8. Being that I moved
from New York
at a wee age, my knowledge of the hardcore scene was…non existent at best. It barely covered the difference between
drums and guitars and failed to elaborate on the distinctions between thrash
and grind. I was, however, familiar with
New Jersey
giants Bon Jovi. I remember everyone in my third grade class
at P.S. 32 - baby blue shirts and pink dresses alike that were in love with the
New Jersey
freight train and their ever so addictive “Bad
Medicine”. Little did I know, a
bunch of bad ass girls that drove on the same freeway as Jon Bon Jovi &Richie Sambora (and that keyboardist with the weird haircut whose name escapes me) would affect my ideal of music and creativity forever.
In May 2005, the Wage of Sin
scheduled two final shows. One was in Kentucky , and the other
in New York . Upon finding out about these two shows, I was
listening to The Wage of Sin for no more than a year. It blew me away that a band so heavy and so
good, could have been around for 4 years without me knowing about it. Upon first listen I fell in love with how passionate the songs were. My roomate and I decided a road trip from FL to KY was completely worth it if this band truly was breaking up, and never planning to play or record again.
Without even seeing them live, they conjured up a fire in me to spread the word about them and see them get the respect they deserve. This is a sure sign that they’ve got that illustrious it we’ve all been trying to figure out. Seeing them live definitely reassured me of how in tune with ‘it’ they truly were. Upon deciding to go, I dropped a line on Melissa Fornabaio, the lead singer of the Wage of Sin. I still had her email from an episode where I attempted to buy a Wage of Sin shirt from their website that wasn’t in stock anymore. I offered to send the money to her, but she said she’d meet up with me at the show, and we could just do business face to face instead.
My roommate and singer at the time,
Michael came along with me to the show. As we made our way from FL, each state we stopped showed
detrimentally low signs of hardcore activity, at least around the freeway exits anyway.
No jump kicks, no two stepping, and absolutely no screaming. I heard haunting muzac renditions of Hank
Williams Jr. songs in truck-stops. I walked through a gas station that had a
live karaoke bar and a gun display bigger than the candy and condom aisles
combined; in that very same gas station/karaoke bar I witnessed a grown woman
sing “Stand by your Man” to a tearful audience (by the way this was at 2:30 in
the afternoon, for all you readers that cling to disturbing details). I
purchased a camoflauge hunting cap in the most ironic attempt at crossing over
hardcore-culture and redneck Americana
the south ever did see …all just killing time before seeing the greatest
hardcore show ever assembled.
Once we reached the YMCA in an off the beaten path town in Kentucky, it was truly time. Once we arrived we saw the band bringing in their equipment and getting setup. It pays to be early. After the awkwardness of the first
nerve racked “hello”, I was impressed by how amicable and approachable everybody
in the band was. She and Rachel proceeded to ask me if there were any songs I
wanted to hear. My first, obvious answer
was “Every song you’ve ever written plus a couple of 'Indecision' songs”. But once I
digested how serious what they were asking me was, I made my official request, so I asked for "First born against", my all time favorite from them.
It was prom night apparently,
because kids were coming in and out of the show room in tuxes and gowns and
what not. Melissa countered the crowd by
wearing a very 80’s out polka dot gown with a pair of black converse to match
(striking a positive chord in me). I’d say for that first 10 seconds where
there was just feedback, I was truly entertained by the fashion…but
that was only because they hadn’t actually started playing yet. I’m just a sucker for an
ironic pair of chucks, no matter what day of the week, what strange city I’m in
or what strange pretense I’m there under.
The set itself was out of control. Being that the YMCA didn’t provide a stage, it was possible to be about two feet from the performance. Melissa was giving the microphone to the crowd every third word; there were crowds of people standing straight up clapping their hands. The entire room was alive with a rare type of energy; a celebratory farewell. They played several songs off of both A mistaken belief in forever…” and “The product of deceit and lonliness”. They of course fulfilled my request for First Born Against and basically handed me the microphone. At the end of the show my roommate and I were completely taken care of on the merchandise tip. This also led us to a band called All for Nothing in which Laura from The Wage of Sin also plays bass.
The 45 minute set that we traveled 14 hours to see was completely worth it. It was everything a show should be. It was in your face, microphone in your mouth, two stepping good time. To celebrate their final proud days in what was to be their second to last show was mind-blowing at best. That proud rock and roll spirit that beckons you to get in your car, pack up your gear, and get the fuck to it was personified more in those 45 minutes than any show I’ve ever been to.
Melissa Fornabaio
"First Born Against"
You question my everything
I am not "perfect"
Not "imperfect"
But human
Disappointment's all too familiar
That's the last thing I wanted to be to you
I'm sinking deeper.
I'm falling harder.
I can't get much lower.
I've lost control.
In hysterics over everything
In control of nothing
Drained by your words.
Drained by your actions.
My dreams like fire in my eyes, burning. Burn out. Have left me with these scars.
My aspirations extinguished by your oceans of excuses. I'm drowning in them now.
Anything I've ever done is nothing in your eyes.
Of your blood I'm born.
Of your word I die.
Born against you.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Thursday Breaks up
January 16, 2012
Thursday,
a band who has managed to evolve through 13 years of song writing and touring
has officially broken up. Their most recent show in Orlando (House of Blues
last summer), was one I had the pleasure of seeing, where they shifted effortlessly between old and new material while opening for Taking Back Sunday I was so sad to see the show end (due to them being openers for TBS), and
assured myself that I could catch them on the next tour. Sadly, they will not
be coming to Orlando or anywhere for a while.
At the turn of the century, this band initially was signed to Victory Records after several shows and live performances that gave them a wide appeal in the North East. Public feuds had arisen over Victory cashing in on the band's logo and likeness, which forced the band to move around to various labels such as Island and Epitaph. One of their most visceral releases was Full Collapse, relased in 2001. Recently, before the relase of their newest album No Devolucion, the band did a tour specifically dedicated to Full Collapse, and played each song from the album from start to finish as a 10 year aniversary remembrance. Shortly after, the band toured to support No Devolucion (released on Epitaph), an album that is exquisite and beautiful in its musical arrangements as well as its lyrics.
Written By Dennis Scelza
Albums:
Waiting (1999)
Full Collapse (2001)
War all the Time (2003)
A city by the light divided (2006)
Common Existence (2009)
No Devolucion (2011)
To read the band's full statement,
visit the band's news page.
Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart
Written by Geoff Wrickly
She spins magnetic rings around the dark, violet heart of god.
She's a magnetic field, shower of sparks when she comes on
There's a silent charge in a coil of wire when the currents pass right through it.
We're coupled lines in lighting strikes
We jump like birds on a vine - we're magnets caught in a metal heart
Where the blood is pumping through it - when the needle spins, it sings
"Feels like we're in love"
He spins magnetic rings that fall apart - When he's removed from her
He's a magnetic field under the silver of clouds where the lining of skies looks like
dirt on the ground. His only true north is down.
Standing on the Edge of Summer
written by Geoff Wrickly
In this room , 'm sitting by your side - cause it rains for hours and the phone is off its hook
Standing on the edge, casting lots to set me up before you knock me down
off the summer's edge and drown me.
We're betting on our own lives, making up for all the time we lost
In this house of cards, we're all holding hearts and spades
One breath, one step could knock it all down
But you lead with your eye and you give it away-Decide, design to cut from the clouds
When you leave you leave nothing but broken hearts, you let it go and then you fold
So we stay o the open road...we drive for houors and still no end in sight at all
Driving your car, miss the stop sign, fall in love. Just to get knocked out.
Pulled your punches and burn with your cigarettes, puled like a punch and burnt like a cigarette ? Forever.
Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart
Written by Geoff Wrickly
She spins magnetic rings around the dark, violet heart of god.
She's a magnetic field, shower of sparks when she comes on
There's a silent charge in a coil of wire when the currents pass right through it.
We're coupled lines in lighting strikes
We jump like birds on a vine - we're magnets caught in a metal heart
Where the blood is pumping through it - when the needle spins, it sings
"Feels like we're in love"
He spins magnetic rings that fall apart - When he's removed from her
He's a magnetic field under the silver of clouds where the lining of skies looks like
dirt on the ground. His only true north is down.
War all the Time
written by Geoff Wrickly
Standing on the edge of the Palisades' Cliffs
In the shadown of the skyline, very far away
Like a lighting rod that couldn't pull the storm from me
I was 5 years old - My best Friend's older brother died
He fell from these cliffs - the river washed him away the current
pulled him downstream, and our lives float in the headlines,
so we park these cars - parent's garage
Listen to the Lullaby of Carbon Monoxide
War all of the time
In the shadow of the NY Skyline
We grew up too fast, falling apart
Like the ashes of American Flags
If the sun doesn't rise, We'll replace it with an H-Bomb explosion
A painted jail cell of light in the sky
Like 3MileIsland nightmares on TVs that sing us to sleep
burn on and on like an oil filed
or a memory of what it felt like
To burn on and on and not just fade away
All those nights in the basement, the kids are still screaming.
ON AND ON AND ON AND ON Oh
War all of the time
In the shadow of the NY Skyline
We grew up to fast, falling apart
Like the ashes of American Flags
...and we're blowing in the wind
We don't know where to land so we
kiss like little kids
We used to be very tall buildings, we've been falling for so long,
Now your eyes are a sign on the edge of town
They offer a welcome when you are leaving
War all of the time
In the shadow of the NY Skyline
We grew up too fast, falling apart
Like the ashes of American Flags
The pieces fall it's like a last day parade
and the fires in our streets start to rage
So wave to those people who long to wave back
from the fabric of a flag that sang "Love all of the time"
written by Geoff Wrickly
Standing on the edge of the Palisades' Cliffs
In the shadown of the skyline, very far away
Like a lighting rod that couldn't pull the storm from me
I was 5 years old - My best Friend's older brother died
He fell from these cliffs - the river washed him away the current
pulled him downstream, and our lives float in the headlines,
so we park these cars - parent's garage
Listen to the Lullaby of Carbon Monoxide
War all of the time
In the shadow of the NY Skyline
We grew up too fast, falling apart
Like the ashes of American Flags
If the sun doesn't rise, We'll replace it with an H-Bomb explosion
A painted jail cell of light in the sky
Like 3MileIsland nightmares on TVs that sing us to sleep
burn on and on like an oil filed
or a memory of what it felt like
To burn on and on and not just fade away
All those nights in the basement, the kids are still screaming.
ON AND ON AND ON AND ON Oh
War all of the time
In the shadow of the NY Skyline
We grew up to fast, falling apart
Like the ashes of American Flags
...and we're blowing in the wind
We don't know where to land so we
kiss like little kids
We used to be very tall buildings, we've been falling for so long,
Now your eyes are a sign on the edge of town
They offer a welcome when you are leaving
War all of the time
In the shadow of the NY Skyline
We grew up too fast, falling apart
Like the ashes of American Flags
The pieces fall it's like a last day parade
and the fires in our streets start to rage
So wave to those people who long to wave back
from the fabric of a flag that sang "Love all of the time"
Standing on the Edge of Summer
written by Geoff Wrickly
In this room , 'm sitting by your side - cause it rains for hours and the phone is off its hook
Standing on the edge, casting lots to set me up before you knock me down
off the summer's edge and drown me.
We're betting on our own lives, making up for all the time we lost
In this house of cards, we're all holding hearts and spades
One breath, one step could knock it all down
But you lead with your eye and you give it away-Decide, design to cut from the clouds
When you leave you leave nothing but broken hearts, you let it go and then you fold
So we stay o the open road...we drive for houors and still no end in sight at all
Driving your car, miss the stop sign, fall in love. Just to get knocked out.
Pulled your punches and burn with your cigarettes, puled like a punch and burnt like a cigarette ? Forever.
All out War
All out war has been a staple in my listening collection for
years. This is a band, that in the
beginning set out to create a sound inspired by bands such as Kreator,
Destruction, and Sodom. The combination
of these influences culminated in a lot of people comparing the band to Slayer,
something Mike Score (vocalist) has been quoted as not really understanding. This is a band that has implemented not just
old school thrash techniques into their songs, but they have enough brutal,
breakdown oriented riffs and arrangements and chunky guitar tone to appeal to
the common Hatebreed fan. Listening to "Into the Killing Fields" reaffirms
that they are probably the only band left on Victory bringing it with %100
pure, and legitimate aggression.
Being a huge fan of hardcore, metal, and everything in
between released in New York in the early to mid 90's, this CD was like
stepping foot in a time machine. There
is so much of their old sound that has been preserved, while still making way
for some new tricks.
The first, and
probably most noteworthy edition is drummer Lou Medina formerly of the New York
Hardcore band Breakdown (classic band started in the mid 80's before the term "breakdown"
was so frowned upon in musical culture). His hardcore background really shines
on what I believe to be this newest and best All out War release since their
1998 offering "For those who were crucified". His drumming is much less straight forward
and not nearly as thrash oriented. Although there are thrash and metal elements
to his style, the passion of his performance is more rooted in stripping the
part down, concentrating on the groove and not cheating the listener on subtle
accents. It's not just about blistering
speed on this release, it's about the full composure of the song.
All out war has been known to follow a very audibly
addictive thrash metal formula infused with a topical think tank of corruption
in politics and religion (listen to Assassins in the house of God for examples
of that formula in its finest hour); being that bassist Erik Carillo, original
guitarrist Jim Bremer, and Brad Mader (introduced to the band back in 2002 when
"Condemned to Suffer" was released) are all playing on this album, it
would make sense that we would hear that formula come back. However, songs like
"Mercy Killer", "Fear those who claim divinity", and the
title track have some timings and riffs that definitely separate themselves
from the old style.
Mercy Killer, by far, is my favorite track on the album, due
to how stripped down yet precise the riffs are, and how rooted in circle pit,
punk beats the song is. The head nodding
crunch riffs and groove is never-ending on this track, and by the end of it you
feel like you walked through a sledgehammer rainstorm only to fall off a cliff.
The outro to Apathetic Genocide is one of the catchier hooks I've ever heard
come out of their song writing. The
heavy thrash leanings on the track "Fear those who claim divinity"
combined with overly simplistic crunch riffing and seething lyrics are quite
simply put perfect". Beware of the
title track off of this record. It should be on the "don't listen to in
your car" list; the death metal inspired strumming towards the end
combined with heavy face stomping breakdown riffs and unrelenting "thrash
at the speed of light" angle is unsafe for you and the rest of the world to
experience at speeds over 45mph.
On the production value front, this is hands down the best recording they have put out. I have friends who are much more rooted in super technical thrash, metal, and grind core that seem to enjoy this album from a production standpoint, (maybe not so much from a songwriting angle). The guitar tones are just thick as could be, with the bass line heavily prevalent and hardly undermixed. The snap and pop of the drum track can't be contested. A lot of bands that blend the punk rock and hardcore element into thrash and lose points on the production value; but this is not the case on this record.
On the production value front, this is hands down the best recording they have put out. I have friends who are much more rooted in super technical thrash, metal, and grind core that seem to enjoy this album from a production standpoint, (maybe not so much from a songwriting angle). The guitar tones are just thick as could be, with the bass line heavily prevalent and hardly undermixed. The snap and pop of the drum track can't be contested. A lot of bands that blend the punk rock and hardcore element into thrash and lose points on the production value; but this is not the case on this record.
The only real complaint that I have hardly registers as a
complaint. Technically speaking, there
are only 8 new songs on this record, since the song "Still Crucified"
originally recorded on "Condemned to Suffer" has been revamped for
this record. It hardly counts as a complaint, because simply put the production
is better and the drums are way more over the top. Stylistically, this song stands out from the
rest since it has such a galloping thrash effect in the rhythm section. But, it
serves as a pretty impressive closing track, regardless. Most bands struggle to ever be good enough to
have their own patented sound, let alone reinvent it. All out war has managed to re-establish
itself as one of the heaviest hitters in metal today.
Written by Dennis Scelza
Written by Dennis Scelza
Shai Hulud: Misanthropy Pure
Shai Hulud is one of those bands that
always have and always will exist beyond generalizations. Their Metal
Blade debut from 2008, "Misanthropy Pure" is proof of just
that. On this album their newer lead vocalist, Matthew Mazzalli still
attacks with intelligent, well written passages that speak to Shai
Hulud's origin, most notably found in the title track, Misanthropy Pure:
"This will read as a plea to vindicate intolerance as surely as it is
written. Understand, Contempt born of clear perception is a birthright to those
who channel it toward progression...This is a birthright and obligation."
Their lyrics, even in the early Vande der Velde/Gilbert days, have always been a touch more poetic than most bands on the boundaries between Metal & Hardcore. If you were a fan of the lyrical style of albums such as "Hearts once Nourished..." or "That within Blood Ill Tempered" this album will not disappoint. Compared to past vocalists in this band, he definitely holds his own and maintains his own vocal timbre in spite of the lyrical arrangements being somewhat similar. Whereas previous albums floated between aggressive screaming, passionate spoken word parts, and gang vocals this album focuses more on Mazzali's deeper, grittier solo screaming capabilities. When I was younger and first exposed to Shai Hulud (and other meaningful bands such as Indecision, Rammalah and Sky Came Falling), I would only check out a band after I read their lyric sheets. I did this to make sure I knew who was composed of real substance and who was filler. There are
plenty of bands in all genres that I get into maintaining unimpressive, generic lyrics, but this band continues to stand apart from this classification.
As far as the arrangements are concerned, Shai Hulud is still leaps and bounds above most band still playing today. Matthew Fox's guitar playing and songwriting reaches into a more technical, progressive dimension on this album. Whereas some older material was more riff driven, the guitars on this album habitually sway back and forth between brutal groove oriented riffing, strange time shifts, and dissonant, cascading leads (The Creation Ruin, Venomspreader, and the title track are perfect examples of this). Plus, part of what I really like about it is that the implementation of these technical aspects speak more to the structure of the songs and flowing in and out of the rhythm section; this implementation is not so much an exercise in ear fatiguing technical ability but creates a certain depth to the song itself. In selections like "Four Earths" you get a healthy dose of that haunting Shai Hulud signature melody and a whole lot of furious
downstroking and fast paced drumming to counteract it. This album, to me, is all about balance. Finding balance between old & new, punk & progressive, technical & simple, hardcore & metal (without being cheesy) and maintaining it's aggression while still being engaging. There are several leads and jam out sections that will be stuck in your head for days (most notably the last 2 and a half minutes of "Cold Lord Quietus").
Part of what really makes these odd tempo shifts and subtle guitar magic stand out is how cleaned up and professional this recording is. Depending on where you sit in the spectrum of Shai Hulud fans, this could be good or bad. Some people tend to enjoy the old recordings because the energy was discernible and real (in spite of some less than spectacular production). Although, it's pretty rare to run into someone who can scoff at production values as clean as these. The cool thing about this CD is the band gives you one of their most hard hitting and moving old songs, "Set your body ablaze". I personally prefer the older version of this song, for the reasons stated above, however I certainly enjoyed hearing this song with more precise studio discipline.
So all in all, if you are a fan of thought provoking music with substance, pick this CD up, as well as their previous efforts. In a time where bands developed in the late 90's into the new century have foregone what made them listenable in the first place, this band maintains its roots while expanding itself into a more mature chapter of their project.
Written By Dennis Scelza
Track Listing:
1) Venomspreader
2) The Creation Ruin
3) Misanthropy Pure
4) We who finish last
5) Chorus of the Dissimilar
6) In the Mind and Marrow
7) To bear the brunt of many blades
8) Four Earths
9) Set your Body Ablaze
10) Be Winged
11) Cold Lord Quietus
Previous Recordings
That within Blood Ill Tempered, A Profound Hatred for Man, Hearts once nourished with hope and compassion, A whole new level of sickness (Split w/ Another Victim), The fall of every man (Split w/ Indecision).
Their lyrics, even in the early Vande der Velde/Gilbert days, have always been a touch more poetic than most bands on the boundaries between Metal & Hardcore. If you were a fan of the lyrical style of albums such as "Hearts once Nourished..." or "That within Blood Ill Tempered" this album will not disappoint. Compared to past vocalists in this band, he definitely holds his own and maintains his own vocal timbre in spite of the lyrical arrangements being somewhat similar. Whereas previous albums floated between aggressive screaming, passionate spoken word parts, and gang vocals this album focuses more on Mazzali's deeper, grittier solo screaming capabilities. When I was younger and first exposed to Shai Hulud (and other meaningful bands such as Indecision, Rammalah and Sky Came Falling), I would only check out a band after I read their lyric sheets. I did this to make sure I knew who was composed of real substance and who was filler. There are
plenty of bands in all genres that I get into maintaining unimpressive, generic lyrics, but this band continues to stand apart from this classification.
As far as the arrangements are concerned, Shai Hulud is still leaps and bounds above most band still playing today. Matthew Fox's guitar playing and songwriting reaches into a more technical, progressive dimension on this album. Whereas some older material was more riff driven, the guitars on this album habitually sway back and forth between brutal groove oriented riffing, strange time shifts, and dissonant, cascading leads (The Creation Ruin, Venomspreader, and the title track are perfect examples of this). Plus, part of what I really like about it is that the implementation of these technical aspects speak more to the structure of the songs and flowing in and out of the rhythm section; this implementation is not so much an exercise in ear fatiguing technical ability but creates a certain depth to the song itself. In selections like "Four Earths" you get a healthy dose of that haunting Shai Hulud signature melody and a whole lot of furious
downstroking and fast paced drumming to counteract it. This album, to me, is all about balance. Finding balance between old & new, punk & progressive, technical & simple, hardcore & metal (without being cheesy) and maintaining it's aggression while still being engaging. There are several leads and jam out sections that will be stuck in your head for days (most notably the last 2 and a half minutes of "Cold Lord Quietus").
Part of what really makes these odd tempo shifts and subtle guitar magic stand out is how cleaned up and professional this recording is. Depending on where you sit in the spectrum of Shai Hulud fans, this could be good or bad. Some people tend to enjoy the old recordings because the energy was discernible and real (in spite of some less than spectacular production). Although, it's pretty rare to run into someone who can scoff at production values as clean as these. The cool thing about this CD is the band gives you one of their most hard hitting and moving old songs, "Set your body ablaze". I personally prefer the older version of this song, for the reasons stated above, however I certainly enjoyed hearing this song with more precise studio discipline.
So all in all, if you are a fan of thought provoking music with substance, pick this CD up, as well as their previous efforts. In a time where bands developed in the late 90's into the new century have foregone what made them listenable in the first place, this band maintains its roots while expanding itself into a more mature chapter of their project.
Written By Dennis Scelza
Track Listing:
1) Venomspreader
2) The Creation Ruin
3) Misanthropy Pure
4) We who finish last
5) Chorus of the Dissimilar
6) In the Mind and Marrow
7) To bear the brunt of many blades
8) Four Earths
9) Set your Body Ablaze
10) Be Winged
11) Cold Lord Quietus
Previous Recordings
That within Blood Ill Tempered, A Profound Hatred for Man, Hearts once nourished with hope and compassion, A whole new level of sickness (Split w/ Another Victim), The fall of every man (Split w/ Indecision).
Candiria
Here it is, folks. The band I've been waiting to review my
whole life...I will be doing reviews of their older albums, too, because no
progressive/metal discussion could be complete without talking about a band as
innovative and influential as Candiria. Back when Meshuggah was releasing their
first offerings, Candiria was there as well...testing the water of bizarre
timings, redefining the term "groove", and combining seemingly
combative styles of music together with ease. The members of this band were trained
at Berkeley, and exercise a very dilligent discipline when approaching all
styles of music that they play. A lot of people became fans Between the Buried
and Me, Glassjaw, The Dillinger Escape plan, etc for much the same reason.
There is a combination of many styles that all centralize themselves towards a
very aggressive end result.
"Kiss the Lie" is a very different record from Candiria. If
you've never listened to them before, it might be best to take a dive into their
older work, and then smooth into this 2009 offering. This record displays the efforts of members
Carley Coma (Vocals, wind instruments), Kenneth Shalck (drums, percussion),
John Mallachia (guitars), and Michael McIvor (bass). John entered the band
before "Beyond Reasonable doubt, and became an
mainstay over the years. It was released on their own record label, Rising
Pulse Records.
This album was released on vinyl only, with a digital
download to accompany it. This was done since there were so many issues with
the record label they initially were working with to actually get it released.
Candiria's claim to fame in the beginning was intertwining
jazz, world beat, hip hop, structural elements of hardcore, and traces of metal
into their complex and overwhelming sound. This is a sound that early in the
90's the band described as "Urban Fusion". Although they released a couple albums
before, it was really "Process of Self Development" that helped them break through to mass appeal.
With epic, poetic lyric sheets fueled by the
most diverse poly-rhythmic drumming you ever heard in your life and some of the
most creative guitar and bass licks ever put onto vinyl, Candiria changed my
entire opinion on music in general.
Where a drum beat is traditionally used to keep pace and accent
guitars and repeat when necessary, the
drums in Candiria songs all have subtle accents that defy and comply with a
click track and the rest of the instrumentation all at once. The guitars, in earlier works, were the only
thing that you saw with any type of repetition; they played the role of the drums
and the bass. Even the bass lines (in contemporary and older work) defy the
song completely, and stray from the drum and guitar into it's own time
signature and composure.
After "Process..." you had "300% density" which is the most befitting name of any album ever made.
Imagine the boundaries that were defied in"Process..."and feed them human growth hormone and steroids. This album has a more furious jazz influence, many
arrangements floating in and out of each other creating a dizzying effect upon
listening.
And of course, the 2 album epic"The Coma
Imprint"that offered some ethereal, spaced out experimentation in
the midst of their furious jazz/metal/hardcore hybrid.
They moved into more mainstream, yet very complicated territory with
the album "What doesn't kill you", an album that was released after a near fatal accident sent
them all to the hospital with a couple years recovery time. They ended up with a pretty substantial
settlement, which showed in the production value of "What doesn't Kill
you", although I prefer the analog approach to "Process...". "What doesn't kill you" was
criticized heavily for having a 50/50 balance of their older, frenzied and
complicated songs with newer, simpler and catchier stuff. Compared to anything
coming out at the time, it was a breath of fresh air to hear something more
rock oriented and catchy that didn't sound like other trash.
Now that you have a little background of these musical
giants, we can delve into the mellower "Kiss the Lie". It is from start to finish, much mellower, rock
influenced offering. It includes a lot more singing than you might be used to
as a fan of Candiria. However, Carley
coma has a very impressive singing voice, so it is very easy to immerse
yourself into this style. Since this
album was not intended as an album to tour on, they put a lot of effort into
the vocal production and overall production which certainly will trip you out
upon a careful listen. There is some
screaming for sure, and it's used more of an addition to the overall song, not
as a mainstay from beginning to end. One thing you will not find on this record
that was on almost every Candiria album is the designated jazz arrangements and
hip hop experiments. This was not
audible on [b]"What doesn't kill you"also; and rightfully
so. The songs that lean more towards classical rock/edgy alternative just don't
hold together the same way with specific jazz arrangements. The deletion of
jazz from this album is very tasteful in this regard (even though their jazz
interpretation is some of the most wild and off the charts that I've ever
heard).
So, let's go through a few of this album's highlight songs
shall we?
"Reflection 11- It
has some very subtle, clean guitar tones, lots of buildup, crescendo, and
groove. Coma's whispering/singing really
take this song to an intimate level that has not been heard on previous
arrangements. Very inventive guitar and bass work as well. This one starts out
softer than any song on the album, but still packs a pretty heavy punch as it
continues.
"Icarus Syndrome:- This song
is a drummer's delight. Schalk plays a very simple live drum set, but also
brings in several percussive elements in this song. There is a very prevalent
bass line that leads this song to its various back and forth from heavy,
alternative riffing to to polyrhythmic, tribal drumming. Coma's vocals are as
catchy and brilliant as one could expect, with his screams sounding primal as
always.
"Sirens"- Here's another one
that combines hard rocking and casual, off timed verses in a very well balanced
way. Screaming is used often and a lot,
but not without some smooth singing to back it up. If there was a radio track off of this album,
this would probably be it...since the guitar really steals the show and is so
hard to get out of your head once you listen to it. The album's title is taken
from a line from this song.
"Legion" - If there was a
throwback song on this album, this is the one.
Trace elements of their old style (furious poly rhythms, hyper speed
double bass, and endless down-stroking over dissonant chords take you back to
the 300% density days while still maintaining an heir of catchiness that could
be found on "What doesn't kill you". Bass line is unbelievable also
in this song; Coma's vocal style crosses over emotionally charged speaking, and
very well executed singing, and BRUTAL screams in the midst of it all.
Overall, this album gets a little catchier and slower
as it progresses...Some songs at the end are more instrumentally driven without
lyrics, and are there to sort of smooth you into the next song. As an avid fan
of Candiria, I feel this is their most mature release yet. They are sadly not a band anymore. There is a wide selection of side projects, but one of the most surprising progressions of any band member
is Kenneth Schalk joining the alternative power ballad squad Fuel. As
astonishing as Candiria is to listen to on album, they are even more
unrelenting live. The last time I saw
them play live was around the time that "What doesn't kill you" came out. Candiria in my
humble opinion, is the most well rounded group ever assembled in rock
history. They were able to take so many
different styles of music, master them, and intertwine them into the most
original sound ever put together. Long live the legacy which is...CANDIRIA!
Written by Dennis Scelza
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER 9 "Process of Self Development"
written by Carley Coma
"If I come of one, will you understand the depths of
me?; perceivable, I can only belong to the man in me. they no longer believe in
a cause
they amputate persuasive speech to entice; the human flaws I
move to associate.
we believe in the vision
we believe in the goals
we believe in the universe
and the hands that touch the soul
persecuted for my gaping jaws, bleeding the gums ,walking
with the dogs
the ultimate reality sense of all strength heals the
sores"
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