Getcha Rocks Off

Fat Freddy wrote:

Ouch! I guess I'm alone in this, but I liked that Skid Row album, I thought it was way better than Thickskin. "You Lie" seems to get the most hate from reviewers, but that song cracks me up every time I hear it.

Judging from all the bad press that CD has gotten, I have a feeling that if I ever meet one of the Skid Row dudes and tell him that I really liked "Revolutions Per Minute," they'll reply "WOW, so YOU'RE the guy? We thought you were just a legend, man!"

I find myself wondering if they did an album full of punks, song and changed their name, would I like it? I'm sure if they split this thing up into three EPs I would enjoy it a lot more, but I simply couldn't get it out of my head that this was Skid Row. Yeah, Sebastian is gone, but the core songwriting team in the band remains. I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

And I am very forgiving of bands. This is just one of those rare albums that I couldn't really find much positive about.

Quote :

I find myself wondering if they did an album full of punks, song and changed their name, would I like it?

Are you familiar with "Prunella Scales"? It was the side project of bassist Rachel Bolan a few years ago. I never owned it myself and didn't care for it, but I remember a buddy of mine had it. It was more in the punk-vein.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

I find myself wondering if they did an album full of punks, song and changed their name, would I like it?

Are you familiar with "Prunella Scales"? It was the side project of bassist Rachel Bolan a few years ago. I never owned it myself and didn't care for it, but I remember a buddy of mine had it. It was more in the punk-vein.

Did I really write that line? WTF?

Yeah, I have one Prunella Scales album (I think that's all they did). It's not bad, from what I remember, but I can't really remember it, if that says anything. I know I didn't dislike it, though.

Eyesore wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

I find myself wondering if they did an album full of punks, song and changed their name, would I like it?

Are you familiar with "Prunella Scales"? It was the side project of bassist Rachel Bolan a few years ago. I never owned it myself and didn't care for it, but I remember a buddy of mine had it. It was more in the punk-vein.

Did I really write that line? WTF?

Yeah, I have one Prunella Scales album (I think that's all they did). It's not bad, from what I remember, but I can't really remember it, if that says anything. I know I didn't dislike it, though.

From what little I remember about Prunella Scales, their sound was very similar to that new Skid Row CD. Who knows, maybe some of those songs were leftover Prunella Scales tracks?

Overloaded are trying to win a slot opening for Godsmack. I know a lot of people here dig rock music, and these guys are great. Here's their video entry, I guess:

OVERLOADED - FEELING OVERLOADED/HEAVY METAL HIGHWAY (LIVE)

Good stuff.

DISILLUSION - GLORIA (Progressive Industrial Metal)



The term "progressive" has become something of a misnomer in music over the last few decades. It once referred to a band that was constantly evolving, reinventing their sound, album to album, song to song. At some point, though, that term simply applied to bands that played in odd time signatures and mixed myriad musical influences into their songs and albums, not necessarily doing much in the form of progression. I'm not an elitist; I understand what the term once meant, and what it means today. I have no problems with it. So I found it odd when I was taken aback with Disillusion's first full-length since Back To Times Of Splendor. On Gloria, gone are the complex, brutal guitar melodies and drum work; gone are the gut-wrenching vocals and death metal exploitations. Instead it's all been replaced by simpler riffs and vocals more akin to industrial metal than the progressive death metal that was on Back To Times Of Splendor. Disillusion seems to have embraced the original meaning of "progressive," releasing an album that is seemingly the product of a different band.

"The Black Sea" starts Gloria off with some violin, not unknown to fans of their previous work. The smoke soon clears, though, and once Andy Schmidt starts to "sing"—in a distorted, half-spoken word style, accompanied by female harmonies during the chorus—you know something has changed. "Dread It" follows, and largely travels the same road; though it features an utterly distracting, herky-jerky guitar riff, and the gothic overtones during the chorus are boring. A truly oddball track is next: "Don't Go Any Further" begins with what seems to be some processed, off-the-cuff spoken words—"Um…I saw you this morning, when you were ironing all the…all the…uh…you know…all the stuff that we need…". It makes no sense. And it's repeated again during the first verse, and the second verse if more spoken word nonsense. The chorus is simply the title shouted over a groovy riff. (In fact, the lyrics in the booklet are simply "don't go any further" written over and over again.) The song ends in a cacophony of disjointed noises. "Too Many Broken Cease Fires" and "The Hole We Are In" are the only two songs that seem to be a distant product of the band that released Back To Times Of Splendor. But even these songs are not without the new oddities the band has injected into the rest of the album.

This formula is essentially repeated over the course of eleven songs. Nearly every song features spoken word verses, utilizing some kind of vocal processing, samples, industrial-sounding (i.e. artificial) rhythms, simple, groovy guitar riffs, and an astounding lack of anything as memorable as found on Back To Times Of Splendor. However, with that said, Gloria is a decent and interesting album. It's just not very comparable to what this band has done in the past. But taken as a singular piece of art, it's a decent progressive industrial metal release. Gloria is simply a bit too short on character appeal.

Rating: 5.5/100
Website: http://www.disillusion.de
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/timesofsplendor
Downloads: Don't Go Any Further (Video)

Thanks. I actually liked Stonegard, but Seemless surprisingly didn't do much for me. I don't really hear the Only Living Witness influence that they claim for themselves. OLW isn't a name to be thrown around lightly in my world!
It's not on this thread, but I got a Priestess CD too. It's sitting in my truck, I hope to find time to spin it this weekend. I'll let you know what I think.

SAHB Healer wrote:

Thanks. I actually liked Stonegard, but Seemless surprisingly didn't do much for me. I don't really hear the Only Living Witness influence that they claim for themselves. OLW isn't a name to be thrown around lightly in my world!

I definitely hear a little bit of that OLW groove in Seemless. There is still no band that sounds like OLW, but I definitely think Seemless touch upon a bit of it.

I still find it pretty amazing how many people like OLW. Definitely a cool thing.

Quote :

It's not on this thread, but I got a Priestess CD too. It's sitting in my truck, I hope to find time to spin it this weekend. I'll let you know what I think.

Cool. I think it's probably the best CD by any of these neo-retro (can that make sense?) bands.

I recognize a few of these.

metalness wrote:

I recognize a few of these.

Yep. I tossed a few up here, too. They're not afraid of forum reviews here. Haha.

CIRCUS OF DEAD SQUIRRELS - THE POP CULTURE MASSACRE… (Industrial Metal)



Recently a band sent me their latest EP for review. The package consisted of one CDR that had the band and album name spelled incorrectly. There was nothing else in the package—no tracklisting, no band info, no website info, absolutely nothing but a twenty-five cent CDR. This was sent to me by a band member, one who couldn't even spell his band or album name correctly. I'm still annoyed at this, thinking back to the time when I was sending out albums from my own bands and how much time we put into it. Luckily, not every band is of the same uncaring mind, when it comes to their presentation, what represents them as artists, as a whole. Circus Of Dead Squirrels take the old school approach, understanding that the music is not all that matters, there is a visual aspect that also speaks to people.

The Pop Culture Massacre And The End Of The World Sing-A-Long Songbook!, Circus Of Dead Squirrels's third album, is lavishly presented as a childrens' book, but featuring full-colored, detailed artwork (cartoons, to be exact) correlating with songs on the album: a squirrel slitting the throat of the McDonald's owner (I presume) and making Ronald and friends eat worm-filled burgers ("The Happy Meal-Worm"); a ghoulish-looking squirrel with a chainsaw chasing down current presidential failure George W. Bush, depicted as Pinocchio ("President Pinocchio"); a squirrel performing a "fatality" a la Mortal Kombat ("Prizefighter"); a squirrel operating a guillotine, about to behead beloved Elmo while his Sesame Street pals happily watch on ("Elmo's Last Laugh"); and a squirrel raising a pitchfork over its head in a fiery, hellish cavern, looking to be commanding knife- and tuna can top-wielding killers in the manner of the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger, Charlie the Tuna, Mr. Peanut, and the Hamburger Helper Helping Hand ("Hell's Kitchen"). And that's not all. Circus Of Dead Squirrels put a lot of time and effort in creating The Pop Culture Massacre…, and they did the same on their previous two releases, Indoor Recess and Outdoor Recess.

Of course, as they say, "You can't polish a turd." So what of the music? Well, Circus Of Dead Squirrels's talent doesn't end with creating a nice visual package, the music is pretty damn good—for what it is. The Pop Culture Massacre… is a mash up of GWAR meets Misery Loves Co. meets Slipknot meets the lyrical prowess of Tesco Vee and The Meatmen—with less homo-erotic comedy (though Ninja Turtle Liberace does play guitar and keyboards, so I could be wrong). The first true song on the album is "Overpopulation Annihilation," a brutal, pounding industrial metal anthem, sure to get the blood flowing, through the body or knuckles. "The Happy Meal-Worm" follows a similar path, but more upbeat, layered with a twisted, circus-like foundation. "Losing Touch" sounds like a Slipknot song played through the haunted speakers of a techno dance club (Where are my glowsticks?). The rest of the album flows in a pretty similar style, not throwing out many curveballs until the track "Nobody Quite Like Me," a mid-paced, eerie, atmospheric gem of a song. This song finds the band in more serious and mature territory, musically and lyrically. I'm tempted to say the song doesn't fit on the album, because it does seem to sort of skewer the satirical flow of the rest of the songs, but it's simply too good a song to ignore.

The Pop Culture Massacre… isn't without its flaws. As is the case with many undustrial-like bands, sometimes a little noise overindulgence interrupts the flow of a song; it's easy to include too much, making for a somewhat distracting listen. This doesn't apply to any one song completely, only parts now and then. The production is outstanding, and the mix is killer. While I think some songs have a little too much going on from time to time, nothing ever gets lost in the mix. The music is generally captivating in its driving rhythms and grooves, and the lyrics, while satirical, aren't necessarily stupid, or cringe-worthy. And again, the artwork and layout is topnotch. The album begins with a disclaimer track, a warning to those would-be naysayers with no sense of humor, which, to quote the final moment of the track, essentially states: "Thoroughly F*** off, or enjoy the show." And the latter is what I did.

Rating: 80/100
Website: http://www.circusofdeadsquirrels.com
MySpace: http://myspace.com/circusofdeadsquirrels
Downloads: Overpopulation Annihilation (30-second CD Baby clip)

Dead Squirrels or Dead Children? That some kind of Fruedian slip?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dead Squirrels or Dead Children? That some kind of Fruedian slip?

I was gonna ask the same thing... the CD cover sez "Dead Squirrels"

Fat Freddy wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dead Squirrels or Dead Children? That some kind of Fruedian slip?

I was gonna ask the same thing... the CD cover sez "Dead Squirrels"

Whoops! There's a band called 20 Dead Flower Children, and for some odd reason while writing this review I kept writing that band name. No idea why. 20 Dead Flower Children is a good band, though. Circus Of Dead Children... There's something a little disturbing about that, huh? Haha.

Eyesore wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dead Squirrels or Dead Children? That some kind of Fruedian slip?

I was gonna ask the same thing... the CD cover sez "Dead Squirrels"

Whoops! There's a band called 20 Dead Flower Children, and for some odd reason while writing this review I kept writing that band name. No idea why. 20 Dead Flower Children is a good band, though. Circus Of Dead Children... There's something a little disturbing about that, huh? Haha.

There's also a death metal band called "Circle of Dead Children," I just assumed that you got the two names confused.

Is there? Interesting, but not shocking. Haha.

HARMONY - DREAMING AWAKE (Progressive Power Metal)


I stumbled upon this CD by complete chance. I was trading on lala.com and someone that was sending me another CD had this one up for trade, so I requested it. The cover looked cool and I took a chance. I’m glad I did. This is a pretty solid album, akin to prog-metal heavyweights Circus Maximus, though not as heavy on the progressive side.

Dreaming Awake kicks off with the first of three instrumentals, “Into The Afterlife.” It’s the only one that’s not orchestral, relying on fast guitars and a heavy rhythm section that leads directly into “Eternity,” which follows a stylistic pattern of fast and furious power metal. “Dreaming Awake” is up next, and it’s easily the album’s best track. A heavy mid-paced number with a ridiculously catchy chorus; this is the song that draws the most comparisons to Circus Maximus. If by this time you’re enjoying the album, the rest shouldn’t let you down. Dreaming Awake continues a similar path throughout the rest of the album; uptempo power metal numbers with a progressive edge—“Fall Of Man” and “Maze Of The Past”—and mid-paced anthems—“Then Shadows Fall” and “Remember.” The two orchestral instrumentals are largely forgettable, but they’re short and really don’t interrupt the flow of the album.

Recently I was sent a CD by a new Ulterium Records band called Darkwater. Four of the five members of Harmony make up the same number in Darkwater, all playing the same role in each band; the only member not making jump is the bass player. I’m not yet sure if Darkwater is considered a new band, or if they’ve simply changed their name, but Darkwater is not too far off in terms of style; they’re simply more progressive and heavier. Whether Harmony and Darkwater are one and the same or not, I highly recommend both bands.

Rating: 80/100
Website: http://www.harmonymetal.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/harmonyfanpage
Downloads: Dreaming Awake (Clip), Fall Of Man (Clip), When Shadows Fall (Clip), Remember (Clip)

A classic!

LAS CRUCES - RINGMASTER (Doom Metal)


Chances are, if you’re not a fan of Solitude Aeturnus, you may never have heard of Las Cruces. In 1996, Brainticket Records (founded by Solitude Aeturnus founder and guitarist John Perez) released a monstrous slab of southern doom metal called S.O.L. by the then unknown band Las Cruces. The album made huge waves throughout the underground doom metal scene, and two years later Ringmaster was met with great anticipation. It was called one of the heaviest albums of that year, and remains a doom metal classic to this day, as does the debut. Unfortunately the band disappeared for the most part shortly thereafter, only managing to self-released an EP called The Lowest End in 2001. Since then rumors of a break-up often persisted, but a few years back the band announced plans to release their third full-length album, Dusk, once again on Brainticket Records.

For those who have not heard Ringmaster, if you’re a fan of up-tempo doom metal (i.e. mid-tempo) like Solitude Aeturnus, Wall Of Sleep, and the obvious Black Sabbath, then Ringmaster is one you should seek out. Unfortunately it’s not so easy to find these days. The debut even harder to find. The Lowest End EP harder than that.

History lesson aside, Ringmaster is a classic doom metal album. The aptly titled “Behemoth” simply crushes, while “Killer Kane” brutalizes in a mere two and a half minutes. Mark Zammaron’s vocals stand out here as quite unique in the doom genre; not only can he lay down epic wails like those heard by the almighty Robert Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass), but he also has an underlying gritty stoner rock style (see the self-titled debut by Blood Of The Sun for reference). Those two combined make for quite an interesting texture, as evidenced on the progressive dirge “Cascades Of Phantoms” and the pounding “Human Form.”

Like I mentioned, it’s not the easiest album to come by (unless you wish to spend a decent amount of cash), but if you happen across it, pick it up! You won’t be disappointed. Las Cruces are preparing to release their upcoming album entitled Dusk sometime in the near future. The album will feature Zammaron on vocals, but it’s unclear whether or not he’ll continue as a member of the band, as it was previously reported that he chose to not continue on with them. Either way, while we await the coming of Dusk, Ringmaster remains an unsung classic; an oft overlooked masterpiece of crushing, southern-influenced doom metal. Find it!

Rating: 90/100
Website: N/A
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/lascruces
Downloads: Behemoth

Eyesore wrote:

Thanks! I've got 15 reviews to do, so expect this thing updated a lot in the coming days! Haha. Sucks for me!

SKID ROW – REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (Modern Rock/Punk/Country Rockabilly)



Skid Row have come a long way since the days of "Youth Gone Wild" and "Monkey Business." After two classic 80s rock releases—Skid Row and Slave To The Grind—Skid Row struggled to match the greatness of those two albums with their third full-length album, Subhuman Race. An increasingly volatile relationship between vocalist Sebastian Bach and the rest of the band effectively sent Skid Row to an early grave. However, the band did not stay dead. In 2003 the band released their fourth album, Thickskin; this time featuring the very capable and new lead singer Johnny Solinger. While more modern rock (reference 3 Doors Down, Seether, et al.) than 80s rock, Thickskin was a decent effort. The album featured some very good songs, especially "Ghost", which could have been a top 40 hit—for any band not named Skid Row. And that's the problem. Skid Row is yet another band not willing to let go of a name that is far too synonymous with what they're clearly not anymore, and never will be again. Very few bands can make that generational leap, and the name "Skid Row" will likely always have that "washed up 80s rock band" stigma. Regardless, for the open-minded, Thickskin is a fairly solid release. And now we have the follow-up, Revolutions Per Minute.

While Thickskin had some oddball tracks—like the horrendous updated punk cover of the classic "I Remember You" (titled "I Remember You Two")—Revolutions Per Minute plays like a compilation album. This time out the band seems to have just gone into the studio and recorded whatever came to mind—while drunk. Revolutions Per Minute jumps from modern rock to punk to—puke—country rockabilly nonsense. "Disease" starts thing off, and it's a solid modern rock tune with a slight punk vibe and a nice hook. The sleazy rock anthem "Another Dick In The System" follows, and again it's a very good song. The walls crumble right after. "Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me" is a quasi-acoustic pop rock song, while "When God Can't Wait" is trying way too hard to be Dropkick Murphy's (and would be a respectable song coming from that band). "White Trash" makes Sum 41 seem mature. And the hoedown starts sharply at track 8; "You Lie" is a twangtastic, country rockabilly turdfest—a song we're subjected to twice, this version and the virtually identical Corn Fed Mix bonus track. The one other song worth mentioning is "Strength," an excellent modern rock take on the hit song by The Alarm. The rest of the songs bounce back and forth between styles; making for a seriously uneven, confusing, and difficult listen.

If Skid Row decided to record a stylistically consistent album, they'd do well in either style presented on this album—if they pandered it to the right fans. Unfortunately Skid Row has rock fans, and rock fans want rocks songs, not country, or rockabilly, or punk songs. Somewhere on Revolutions Per Minute there's a great modern rock EP. Getting to it, though, is simply far too much of a chore.

Rating: 30/100
Website: http://www.skidrow.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/skidrow
Downloads: When God Can't Wait (Fan-made Video), Ghost (Video from Thickskin), Thick Is The Skin (From Thickskin)

Well then. Guess I don't have to worry about picking this one up, unless I find it real cheap. Thanks.

ultmetal wrote:

Well then. Guess I don't have to worry about picking this one up, unless I find it real cheap. Thanks.

Real cheap is the only way I'd say the price was worth it. I listen to a lot of different styles of music, and because of that I'm generally forgiving of bands that shift directions as long as the music remains consistent. But this one is tough to swallow.

I guess I'm still the only one who liked that Skid Row album

Fat Freddy wrote:

I guess I'm still the only one who liked that Skid Row album

To me it's just inconsistent. Like I said, if you separated all the styles and put the songs together on EPs, it would all flow well and it'd probably be a good listen. As it stands, I just find it a hard CD to wrap my head around.

Where's the "Into the Pit" review?