So, Clutch have just finished touring the US with Hellyeah. Seemed like a really odd combination of bands to me - Clutch are certainly a thinking man's hard-rock band, whereas Hellyeah are more of the beer-drinking and hell-raising variety. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy them both, but it's an odd combination. Even odder is the fact it's a co-headline tour... Hellyeah have barely 5 years on the clock and 2 albums to their name (with a third pending), whereas Clutch have over 20 years and a pretty impressive back catalogue.
I mean, of course I'd go if they toured it down here, but I doubt that's going to happen.
Grumbles aside, one highlight of the tour - from what I've read - is the fact that Clutch have debuted a bunch of new songs and used the tour as a chance to road-test and fine tune them, in advance of a possible new album release later this year.
From what I've heard so far on YouTube, all the signs are pointing towards this being a ripper of an album.
(credit to the diligent posters on Clutch's official message board Sassafras Cove for tracking all of the videos down and of course thanks to the good folks who posted them in the first place)
Newt Gingrich was one of the first tracks to be performed - as early as last year. The main riff is huge, but equally impressive is the way bassist Dan Maines anchors this track brilliantly. It combines the up-tempo vibe of Freakonomics with the more hard-rock attitude of the Blast Tyrant era. Great chorus too: "Mind yourself as you walk out the door... the wolfman is coming out". Could potentially be as huge for them as The Mob Goes Wild (and not dissimilar either).
Pigtown Blues debuted in mid-2011 as well and is soon to get a limited vinyl-only release - so it's not clear whether or not this will appear on the new album or whether it's just some special rare thingamabob. It sounds like this was written around the time the band were putting together Basket of Eggs for the Blast Tyrant reissue - there's a real Southern vibe to it which also recalls Steve Doocy and Box Car Shorty's Confession.
Crucial Velocity starts out reeeeallllly doomy - the guitar tones recall Clutch's very earliest material, before some great tempo changes - shades of the up-tempo aggression of Burning Beard and the stomp-rock of Promoter (Of Earthbound Causes) are both recalled at times. Possibly my favourite of the new material thus far.
Cyborg Betty has a real up-tempo boogie vibe to it and one has to wonder if this track was originally conceived alongside some of the Beale Street material given it also comes with a healthy dollop of blues. Really nice guitar work and a great solo from Tim Sult here.
Rush the Face's initial segment is a bit sparse although I think this is partly to allow Neil's lyrics to come to the fore... he clearly hasn't lost his knack for fantastic, cryptic lyrics with gems like "1000 chessmasters thrown into the sea... religion and liquor, they lost their minds". Which then later evolves to said chessmasters rising up from the sea. How does he come up with this stuff? Anyway, there is a pretty sweet riff a bit further along. This one feels like it might still be slightly unfinished, but the alternative explanation is that the band are planning a concept album a la Blast Tyrant and that this track is intended to serve more of a lyrical than a musical purpose in that regard.
There's always some guy yelling 'Spacegrass'. Fortunately, on the live video below, the band instead play Earth Rocker which is jagged and impetuous and a little bit Steppenwolf. The audio quality isn't great but initial indications are that the chorus is of Electric Worry-like proportions.
"Come on, rock on! Everybody hear me now
Blllluurrrrrrraaaaahhhh
Come on, rock on! Everybody get the message
Blllluurrrrrrraaaaahhhh"
British Intelligence comes complete with MOAR COWBELL! This one is a hard-rocking track that really has Neil to the fore with an aggressive vocal delivery a la Cypress Grove.
Night Hag originally didn't grab me - good, but not amazing - but there is a pretty cool solo from Tim about halfway through.
Last, but by no means least, is Puerta Abierta. A serious ass-kicker of a track this one - the whole band is really in full flight here with each member neatly showcased around a scorching main riff and a great solo section.
This isn't all either - other tracks to have reportedly surfaced include Nuevo Doom and Brass Tacks. By my count that's a total of 11 tracks - and who knows what other demos or partly finished tracks might be lurking. Between European festival dates and some US headline dates, they're unlikely to be back in the studio for a while. We might be waiting a little longer for studio album #9 but I suspect it will be well worth it.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Shihad: The Albums
Ah blog, I've neglected you of late. I must have been too busy working or something. Sorry about that. Time to refocus.
And with the Shihad documentary coming out this weekend, that seems like an ideal topic starter. Unfortunately a fair chunk of the headlines have centred around the scraps between directors and producer. I think that's a bit of a disservice to a band who have so consistently demonstrated an ability to rise above that sort of thing, but anyway. It makes good news, I guess.
I can vividly remember the first Shihad song I heard - it was Factory. I heard it on bfm... no idea who it was by but I had it dubbed to cassette, as was the style of the time, and I played it a lot. I loved the way the industrial feel of the song perfectly matched the chorus... "stuck... stuck... stuck in a factory stuck". Not the most eloquent lyric Jon Toogood ever wrote, but it worked.
I figured out it was Shihad when I heard Bitter, maybe a year or so later, and put two and two together. That was the song that really got me into the band. The urgency, the way it grooved along without ever falling into any sort of standard verse-chorus-verse, that catchy main hook: "you're so bitter inside", the distinctive buzzsaw guitar tones, and above all, those huge chords in the bridge. Fantastic song.
Since then, I've picked up pretty much every Shihad album at, or close to, release. It's fair to say that I like their old stuff better than their new stuff, but the contribution of this band to my life, to New Zealand music, has earned them my loyalty. Above all, though, their live shows are what commands the most respect. I've seen this band live countless times, and they never, ever disappoint. They've even figured out how to use festival sets effectively, which remains a mystery to many bands. They can play a "regular" concert, and it's always great. They can play an old album in its entirety, and throw in a couple of obscure old tracks as an encore, and it's amazing. They can play a chronological 'greatest hits' type set, and it's brilliant. Maybe they never figured out quite how to make that work in the US, but well, timing (or lack of) was everything there unfortunately. But if you are a New Zealander aged between 25-40 and you have not seen this band live, you need to fix that.
So anyway, my tribute to Shihad will be in the form of a list - my favourite Shihad albums, starting from the bottom and working to the top. Studio albums only - the live album is brilliant in its own right though, and essential. Here goes.
#8. Beautiful Machine (2008)
I was nervous when the promo material for this album talked about every Shihad album being a dramatic departure from its predecessor - like the self-titled album was with respect to Killjoy. I liked Killjoy a lot. I also liked Beautiful Machine's predecessor Love is the New Hate a lot. And unfortunately that 'dramatic departure' didn't win me over. The album is for the most part much more catchy and accessible and "radio-friendly". It's just that isn't the Shihad that I really love. Aside from Rule the World and Vampires, this album just doesn't do it for me - it's just not very interesting. Also I hate the way Tom Larkin's snare sounds on this album - it's a nasty, shallow, synthetic sound which unfortunately seemed to be really popular at the time.
#7. Shihad (1996)
Some really good moments on this, their self-titled album AKA The Fish Album. Home Again deservedly became one of their biggest hits, while Ghost from the Past and La La Land saw them marry the heavy crunch of their earlier material with tight songwriting. But beyond the good moments there is certainly some filler... although melancholic closing track Boat Song almost manages to redeem these.
#6. Ignite (2010)
After hearing the first half of this album, I was convinced this was potentially on track to be one of their best. Opening track Final Year of the Universe is an absolute revelation, a very clever marriage of industrial grind and just enough sun peeking in the corners. Certainly one of the most unique songs the band have written and 20 years in, that isn't to be taken lightly. And then it's followed with the hydraulically grunty and exceptionally well-constructed Lead or Follow - which tips its hat to Factory whilst adding a scorching chorus and 'that' bridge at 2:52 (which is a serious HOLY S%$T moment). Followed by I'm A Void, In the Future and Sleepeater - this is an exceptional start to an album. It sort of peters out a bit after that though and loses its balance - Nemesis (Dark Star) is one of the most punkish tracks they've written but feels a bit odd coming after slower, moodier numbers like Ignite and Engage. Closing track Cold Heart is a winner, but ultimately this album falls into the 'almost great' category thanks to its meandering middle.
Of course it could have been fixed if they'd included the propulsive, snarly Beatlab (a bonus track on some versions) somewhere in the middle - bit of an unfortunate omission, that.
#5. Pacifier (2003)
Forget all the bullshit that surrounded it... this is a good album. At this point in time, the band had demonstrated they could rock hard, and they'd also demonstrated they could write pretty catchy, accessible songs. This album is really where they put those two elements together to good effect. Tracks like Semi-Normal, Bullitproof, Trademark and Comfort Me hit hard but balance that with some great harmonies and sing-along choruses. Then there are a few acoustically led tracks like Home and closing track Coming Down which provide a good (probably essential) counterpoint without stalling the album's momentum at all. After quickly revisiting this album for the purposes of blog, I've concluded I need to listen to it more often - it's certainly unfairly overlooked.
And for the record, once again one of my favourite Shihad songs from the respective era unfortunately isn't on it - in this case the mighty Toxic Shock.
#4. The General Electric (1999)
This was the album that took Shihad from student radio favourite to huge drawcard, and for good reason - it's a good album with some great songs. Most notably the title track, which from a songwriting perspective was easily Shihad's crowning accomplishment at that time - it's an absolute monster of a song. From an album perspective it's really a group of quite different songs that the band have magically hung together in a way that somehow works - the punkish My Mind's Sedate, the bouncy Wait and See, the singalong of Pacifier, the slow-building Spacing, the aggressive-passive-aggressive of The Metal Song, and a personal favourite - the often overlooked mid-tempo groove of Life in Cars. It isn't perfect but it's still pretty damn good.
#3. Churn (1993)
The album that started it all (although it was preceded by the Devolve EP). Savage, uncompromising and occasionally beautiful. Even in the early days it was pretty obvious that Shihad had an innate sense of melody and some great songwriting chops as well as a strong love of metal. And yeah, this album is largely about the metal, thanks to the powerful industrial crunch of Factory and Derail, and the thrash-influenced Screwtop - all of which remain live favourites to this day. But let's not forget about I Only Said, which bristles and broods for three minutes before the Big Metal Outro. Or the mighty Stations for that matter.
#2. Love is the New Hate (2005)
Well, this was unexpected. After a multi-album trend towards tighter, hookier songs, Shihad throw that particular book out in favour of a particularly metal approach. It might be bookended by the pensive None of the Above and the wistful Guts and the Glory, but in between those two tracks Love is the New Hate is one hard, aggressive piece of work. It almost sounds like the band has ignored ten years of their own history and produced an album that sounds more like a logical successor to Churn and Killjoy - because it sure doesn't sound like Pacifier. On first listen, this album completely blew me away - particularly tracks like Big Future, All the Young Fascists, Day Will Come and Alive which were like nothing I'd ever heard from Shihad before. There's a little filler, but when this album is good, it's just so very, very good.
#1. Killjoy (1995)
Ah, that old chestnut. Band produces astoundingly good album early in their career that then becomes the yardstick by which all subsequent albums are judged. I think Shihad have sort of escaped this to some extent by being such musical chameleons at times, but Killjoy is still their gold standard, their 5-star moment of brilliance. I was lucky enough to hear them perform the album in its entirety last year - which really only entrenched my views, because genuinely great albums still have a knack of sounding fresh, even 15 years or more down the track. The crunch of You Again, the adrenaline of Bitter, the stand-offishness of The Call, the call-to-arms of closing track Get Up... this is one consistently outstanding album from start to finish. Undoubtedly a desert island disc for me.
So there you have it - my views on Shihad's recorded catalogue. Perhaps you agree - or perhaps you don't. Are you planning to see the documentary?
And with the Shihad documentary coming out this weekend, that seems like an ideal topic starter. Unfortunately a fair chunk of the headlines have centred around the scraps between directors and producer. I think that's a bit of a disservice to a band who have so consistently demonstrated an ability to rise above that sort of thing, but anyway. It makes good news, I guess.
I can vividly remember the first Shihad song I heard - it was Factory. I heard it on bfm... no idea who it was by but I had it dubbed to cassette, as was the style of the time, and I played it a lot. I loved the way the industrial feel of the song perfectly matched the chorus... "stuck... stuck... stuck in a factory stuck". Not the most eloquent lyric Jon Toogood ever wrote, but it worked.
I figured out it was Shihad when I heard Bitter, maybe a year or so later, and put two and two together. That was the song that really got me into the band. The urgency, the way it grooved along without ever falling into any sort of standard verse-chorus-verse, that catchy main hook: "you're so bitter inside", the distinctive buzzsaw guitar tones, and above all, those huge chords in the bridge. Fantastic song.
Since then, I've picked up pretty much every Shihad album at, or close to, release. It's fair to say that I like their old stuff better than their new stuff, but the contribution of this band to my life, to New Zealand music, has earned them my loyalty. Above all, though, their live shows are what commands the most respect. I've seen this band live countless times, and they never, ever disappoint. They've even figured out how to use festival sets effectively, which remains a mystery to many bands. They can play a "regular" concert, and it's always great. They can play an old album in its entirety, and throw in a couple of obscure old tracks as an encore, and it's amazing. They can play a chronological 'greatest hits' type set, and it's brilliant. Maybe they never figured out quite how to make that work in the US, but well, timing (or lack of) was everything there unfortunately. But if you are a New Zealander aged between 25-40 and you have not seen this band live, you need to fix that.
So anyway, my tribute to Shihad will be in the form of a list - my favourite Shihad albums, starting from the bottom and working to the top. Studio albums only - the live album is brilliant in its own right though, and essential. Here goes.
#8. Beautiful Machine (2008)
I was nervous when the promo material for this album talked about every Shihad album being a dramatic departure from its predecessor - like the self-titled album was with respect to Killjoy. I liked Killjoy a lot. I also liked Beautiful Machine's predecessor Love is the New Hate a lot. And unfortunately that 'dramatic departure' didn't win me over. The album is for the most part much more catchy and accessible and "radio-friendly". It's just that isn't the Shihad that I really love. Aside from Rule the World and Vampires, this album just doesn't do it for me - it's just not very interesting. Also I hate the way Tom Larkin's snare sounds on this album - it's a nasty, shallow, synthetic sound which unfortunately seemed to be really popular at the time.
#7. Shihad (1996)
#6. Ignite (2010)
Of course it could have been fixed if they'd included the propulsive, snarly Beatlab (a bonus track on some versions) somewhere in the middle - bit of an unfortunate omission, that.
#5. Pacifier (2003)
Forget all the bullshit that surrounded it... this is a good album. At this point in time, the band had demonstrated they could rock hard, and they'd also demonstrated they could write pretty catchy, accessible songs. This album is really where they put those two elements together to good effect. Tracks like Semi-Normal, Bullitproof, Trademark and Comfort Me hit hard but balance that with some great harmonies and sing-along choruses. Then there are a few acoustically led tracks like Home and closing track Coming Down which provide a good (probably essential) counterpoint without stalling the album's momentum at all. After quickly revisiting this album for the purposes of blog, I've concluded I need to listen to it more often - it's certainly unfairly overlooked.
And for the record, once again one of my favourite Shihad songs from the respective era unfortunately isn't on it - in this case the mighty Toxic Shock.
#4. The General Electric (1999)
#3. Churn (1993)
#2. Love is the New Hate (2005)
#1. Killjoy (1995)
So there you have it - my views on Shihad's recorded catalogue. Perhaps you agree - or perhaps you don't. Are you planning to see the documentary?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Songs to ride to...
So, last year I was introduced to the joys of snowboarding. Or, more correctly, I spent a couple of days learning how not to fall over, and THEN I discovered the joys of snowboarding.
Anyway, following a couple of awesome weeks up at Sun Peaks in Canada in January, I am now completely addicted (and, importantly, not completely useless) and we're already planning our next snow adventures. Frankly, there is not much that compares to being up on the mountain... the fresh cold air, the vast expanses of white snow, the peacefulness punctuated only by an occasional 'swoosh' of edge on snow, and the feeling of thinking only about what is in front of you, what line you could take down that hill, how you could cut through that glade or trick off that feature - the possibilities! Frankly - at least on what little I've seen - Canada fully has it over NZ in this regard, but snow is still better than no snow.
But this blog is not about snowboarding, this blog is about music. See, initially, I never would've considered putting a pair of headphones on while snowboarding. Music would have been another distraction from the crucial task of not-falling-over while making one's way down a run. But the other day, I had the iPod on shuffle, and I was struck by the thought of how kick-ass it would be to crank Space Hoes by Dangerdoom while riding down the mountain.
This was always one of my favourite MF Doom tracks - Doom's usual brilliant flow, over a particularly groovy (and insanely catchy) Danger Mouse beat. But considered as a track to ride to, it took on a whole new dimension. Relaxed and laidback but with an irrepressible - and FUN - groove, I can't imagine many songs better to listen to while cruising down a run.
So then, of course, the challenge was to construct a whole playlist of songs that might be similarly excellent to ride to - noting of course that firstly I can't roadtest this until August, and secondly, I doubt my current headphones would fit on under my helmet. But still, definitely worth thinking about.
And one thing that occurred to me very early on was that - as much as I love hard rock and metal - it's generally not a great snowboarding soundtrack. It's a bit too aggressive for cruising to (unless you're doing hardcore speed runs, I guess), and in the case of metal the complexity tends to hinder the all-important flow. Not to mention that listening to, say, Trapped Under Ice or Headcrusher might be tempting fate just a tad.
There's something about hip-hop - like Space Hoes - and electronica with a nice, balanced groove that just seems to me to fundamentally suit that sort of setting. Maybe this is partly because back in the day I spent WAY too much time playing SSX Tricky and SSX 3, and consequently, tracks like Slayboarder, Like This and the UNKLE remix of No One Knows are unavoidably associated with snow. Even if it is considerably easier to pull a 5x Backflip Frontside 1080 Stalefish from the comfort and safety of one's couch. With a controller. And not an actual snowboard. Anyway.
So, the playlist. It needs to be sufficiently long that it could last for half a day - maybe even a full day, if I can find enough. And I suspect it will be a great chance to revisit a lot of hip-hop and electronica that I haven't listened to in quite some time. And maybe some more mid-tempo, groovin' rock - seems like Fu Manchu might not be a bad bet.
Anyway, I'll post the results when I get there... it might be a while!
Anyway, following a couple of awesome weeks up at Sun Peaks in Canada in January, I am now completely addicted (and, importantly, not completely useless) and we're already planning our next snow adventures. Frankly, there is not much that compares to being up on the mountain... the fresh cold air, the vast expanses of white snow, the peacefulness punctuated only by an occasional 'swoosh' of edge on snow, and the feeling of thinking only about what is in front of you, what line you could take down that hill, how you could cut through that glade or trick off that feature - the possibilities! Frankly - at least on what little I've seen - Canada fully has it over NZ in this regard, but snow is still better than no snow.
But this blog is not about snowboarding, this blog is about music. See, initially, I never would've considered putting a pair of headphones on while snowboarding. Music would have been another distraction from the crucial task of not-falling-over while making one's way down a run. But the other day, I had the iPod on shuffle, and I was struck by the thought of how kick-ass it would be to crank Space Hoes by Dangerdoom while riding down the mountain.
This was always one of my favourite MF Doom tracks - Doom's usual brilliant flow, over a particularly groovy (and insanely catchy) Danger Mouse beat. But considered as a track to ride to, it took on a whole new dimension. Relaxed and laidback but with an irrepressible - and FUN - groove, I can't imagine many songs better to listen to while cruising down a run.
So then, of course, the challenge was to construct a whole playlist of songs that might be similarly excellent to ride to - noting of course that firstly I can't roadtest this until August, and secondly, I doubt my current headphones would fit on under my helmet. But still, definitely worth thinking about.
And one thing that occurred to me very early on was that - as much as I love hard rock and metal - it's generally not a great snowboarding soundtrack. It's a bit too aggressive for cruising to (unless you're doing hardcore speed runs, I guess), and in the case of metal the complexity tends to hinder the all-important flow. Not to mention that listening to, say, Trapped Under Ice or Headcrusher might be tempting fate just a tad.
There's something about hip-hop - like Space Hoes - and electronica with a nice, balanced groove that just seems to me to fundamentally suit that sort of setting. Maybe this is partly because back in the day I spent WAY too much time playing SSX Tricky and SSX 3, and consequently, tracks like Slayboarder, Like This and the UNKLE remix of No One Knows are unavoidably associated with snow. Even if it is considerably easier to pull a 5x Backflip Frontside 1080 Stalefish from the comfort and safety of one's couch. With a controller. And not an actual snowboard. Anyway.
So, the playlist. It needs to be sufficiently long that it could last for half a day - maybe even a full day, if I can find enough. And I suspect it will be a great chance to revisit a lot of hip-hop and electronica that I haven't listened to in quite some time. And maybe some more mid-tempo, groovin' rock - seems like Fu Manchu might not be a bad bet.
Anyway, I'll post the results when I get there... it might be a while!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Machine Head... kings of SW12!
One of the (many) things that I love about Soundwave festival is that every year, it seems to produce (at least) one genuinely mindblowing set that stands above the many other highlights of the day.
In 2009, it was Alice in Chains' early evening set on the main stage - a great opportunity to hear some classic material performed by a band I never thought I would have the chance to see live.
In 2010, it was Faith No More's gloriously manic headline set on the main stage. It was Mike Patton doing what only Mike Patton can do, and a fantastic set to close the day - We Care A Lot was a huge highlight near the end. And again, FNM had the theme of 'bands I never thought I would have the chance to see live'.
In 2011, it was Sevendust's early afternoon set on the metal stage. Brutal, uncompromising, and packing more energy and intensity into a 30-minute set than most bands could manage in two hours. It might also have been Iron Maiden's set, had we not already seen them two days earlier.
And in 2012, it was Machine Head's closing set on the metal stage.
This is not to suggest that there were not other highlights throughout the day. There were many - Hellyeah were beer-drinking and hell-raising on the metal stage early in the afternoon, Alter Bridge brought Slash out as a guest during their set, Mastodon played an action-packed set including almost all my personal favourites, and Black Label Society were a bit of an unexpected highlight.
But the truth is that none of these came close to the crushingly heavy, melodic assault that Machine Head inflicted upon the metal stage at the end of the day.
The ingredients were all there - last act of the day, a major drawcard, a fearsome live reputation. And importantly, they were also playing at the same time as the major headliner on the main stage. Now, I don't mind System of a Down, but I consider Machine Head to be an infinitely better band, and I was perfectly happy about this particular clash. The great thing about seeing a band that's clashing with a headliner is that you know you are going to get a dedicated hardcore crowd there. Which is exactly what happened.
MH took the stage to a raucous chant of "Machine Fucking Head" and opened with the thrash-metal-vs-neoclassical-guitar of I Am Hell (Sonata in C#), and it was clear that this set was going to be one for the ages. I can think of few other bands that manage to simultaneously be so thunderously heavy and melodic at the same time - but it's a thing to behold on their albums and live it takes on an entirely new dimension. There was moshing, there was headbanging, there were circle pits (for better or worse) during the heavy parts... but during the quiet parts the crowd displayed a sense of what could best be described as awestruck respect. That or they were just using the chance to catch their breath. And that was pretty much how it panned out for the next 60 minutes - a band with great songs, who clearly know their stuff and have some pretty phenomenal musical chops, and an audience who were 100% up for it.
Their set traversed mostly newer material - because let's be honest, The Blackening and Unto the Locust are both absurdly good albums - whilst throwing in a few older gems too. We didn't get Bulldozer or Ten Ton Hammer, but Old was a major highlight. Although even that didn't perhaps quite hit the heights of recent single Locust which dropped mid-set to a fanatical crowd response.
They closed with old-school track Davidian and the crowd sing along to the main refrain ("Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast!") was a pretty fitting finale. The footage below is from Wacken a few years ago, but you get the idea.
Personally, I've always taken festival sets as a necessary evil - you know you're going to hear less songs than you want, but that's the price you pay for getting to see a bunch of great bands on a particular day. There's a few bands however, that have figured out how to transcend the boundaries of those shorter sets by putting on a truly memorable performance. Machine Head are clearly one of those bands - and as much as I enjoyed a lot of bands at SW12, when I'm reflecting on it in the future I know that SW12 will be forever remembered as 'the Soundwave at which Machine Head thoroughly kicked ass".
And of course the great thing about Soundwave, and it's consistently awesome line-ups, is that we can now spend the next six months or so puzzling about who will be there next year...
In 2009, it was Alice in Chains' early evening set on the main stage - a great opportunity to hear some classic material performed by a band I never thought I would have the chance to see live.
In 2010, it was Faith No More's gloriously manic headline set on the main stage. It was Mike Patton doing what only Mike Patton can do, and a fantastic set to close the day - We Care A Lot was a huge highlight near the end. And again, FNM had the theme of 'bands I never thought I would have the chance to see live'.
In 2011, it was Sevendust's early afternoon set on the metal stage. Brutal, uncompromising, and packing more energy and intensity into a 30-minute set than most bands could manage in two hours. It might also have been Iron Maiden's set, had we not already seen them two days earlier.
And in 2012, it was Machine Head's closing set on the metal stage.
This is not to suggest that there were not other highlights throughout the day. There were many - Hellyeah were beer-drinking and hell-raising on the metal stage early in the afternoon, Alter Bridge brought Slash out as a guest during their set, Mastodon played an action-packed set including almost all my personal favourites, and Black Label Society were a bit of an unexpected highlight.
But the truth is that none of these came close to the crushingly heavy, melodic assault that Machine Head inflicted upon the metal stage at the end of the day.
The ingredients were all there - last act of the day, a major drawcard, a fearsome live reputation. And importantly, they were also playing at the same time as the major headliner on the main stage. Now, I don't mind System of a Down, but I consider Machine Head to be an infinitely better band, and I was perfectly happy about this particular clash. The great thing about seeing a band that's clashing with a headliner is that you know you are going to get a dedicated hardcore crowd there. Which is exactly what happened.
MH took the stage to a raucous chant of "Machine Fucking Head" and opened with the thrash-metal-vs-neoclassical-guitar of I Am Hell (Sonata in C#), and it was clear that this set was going to be one for the ages. I can think of few other bands that manage to simultaneously be so thunderously heavy and melodic at the same time - but it's a thing to behold on their albums and live it takes on an entirely new dimension. There was moshing, there was headbanging, there were circle pits (for better or worse) during the heavy parts... but during the quiet parts the crowd displayed a sense of what could best be described as awestruck respect. That or they were just using the chance to catch their breath. And that was pretty much how it panned out for the next 60 minutes - a band with great songs, who clearly know their stuff and have some pretty phenomenal musical chops, and an audience who were 100% up for it.
Their set traversed mostly newer material - because let's be honest, The Blackening and Unto the Locust are both absurdly good albums - whilst throwing in a few older gems too. We didn't get Bulldozer or Ten Ton Hammer, but Old was a major highlight. Although even that didn't perhaps quite hit the heights of recent single Locust which dropped mid-set to a fanatical crowd response.
They closed with old-school track Davidian and the crowd sing along to the main refrain ("Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast!") was a pretty fitting finale. The footage below is from Wacken a few years ago, but you get the idea.
Personally, I've always taken festival sets as a necessary evil - you know you're going to hear less songs than you want, but that's the price you pay for getting to see a bunch of great bands on a particular day. There's a few bands however, that have figured out how to transcend the boundaries of those shorter sets by putting on a truly memorable performance. Machine Head are clearly one of those bands - and as much as I enjoyed a lot of bands at SW12, when I'm reflecting on it in the future I know that SW12 will be forever remembered as 'the Soundwave at which Machine Head thoroughly kicked ass".
And of course the great thing about Soundwave, and it's consistently awesome line-ups, is that we can now spend the next six months or so puzzling about who will be there next year...
Monday, January 9, 2012
A few things to look forward to...
It's early days yet, but 2012 is already shaping up pretty nicely on the concert front. So far, I've got the following lined up.
Seether, Logan Campell Centre, Auckland, 10/2/12
I can't name any of their songs, though no doubt I'd probably recognize some of their singles if I heard them. But, I'm looking forward to checking out this show with the Epitomy of Culture, because it should make for a good start to a Friday night, plus I think the experience of hearing an unfamiliar band play unfamiliar songs will be interesting. Maybe I'll like them, maybe not. But still, it should be fun either way.
Rogers Waters, The Wall Live, Vector Arena, Auckland, 22/2/12
The Wall is certainly not my favorite Floyd album, but this promises to be a pretty impressive live spectacle all the same. 30-odd years and modern technology have arguably given Waters the ability and experience to perform this show to the standard he originally envisaged. It's sparked an unprecedented level of interest here too - selling out four nights at Vector Arena which is certainly a record locally and matched only on the current tour by Madison Square Garden. Guess we New Zealanders like our Pink Floyd then? If it's half as good as the Dark Side of the Moon tour in 2007 was, I'll be happy.
Soundwave Festival, Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney, 26/2/12
The annual Silly Club trip to Soundwave Festival this year threatens to be the most action-packed yet. That this festival can consistently pull such massive line-ups is a huge credit to the promoters, and a reminder that good music festivals are about one basic thing: figure out what you're going to do, and do it really fucking well. Take note, BDO, and your weak attempts to appeal to everyone. Anyway, this year I hope to see (if the timetable permits, and this is a big IF): Hellyeah, Dragonforce, CKY, Meshuggah, Black Label Society, Devin Townsend Project, Staind, Trivium, Lamb of God, Bush and Slipknot, although the biggest highlights for me will probably be Alter Bridge, Mastodon, and Machine Head. Here's why:
1. Alter Bridge are a hugely under-rated and talented hard-rock band that I made the enormous mistake of initially overlooking because three quarters of the band was (is) in Creed. Understandable, maybe, but near-unforgivable considering it meant I almost missed out on a band that has written some astoundingly good hard rock tracks - check out Ties that Bind or Metalingus. Plus Myles Kennedy is one of the best rock front-men to emerge in ages.
2. Mastodon are kick-ass. Progressive metal, hard rock, call them what you will, but they can't seem to do a lot wrong. I am immensely excited about hearing great new tracks like Black Tongue, Blasteroid and Spectrelight alongside classics like Blood and Thunder, Crystal Skull and I Am Ahab. Undoubtedly one of the standard-bearers of modern metal.
3. Machine Head threaten to be a thrilling, punishing live act. Their last few albums have all been brutal, uncompromising slabs of metal - take some of this and put it alongside classics like The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears and they could absolutely tear it up.
Regardless, it could easily be the most jam-packed Soundwave yet.
Bush and Staind, Enmore Theater, Sydney, 27/2/12
The other great thing about Soundwave is the proliferation of sideshows it tends to propagate. Why make a trip to Sydney for one festival when you can add in a bunch of other shows too! Anyway, this is arguably the '90s nostalgia sideshow'... both bands have probably just enough good songs to put on decent live sets. If you ask me, Staind are immeasurably better when they go for harder rocking numbers (example: Mudshovel and most of their self-titled album from last year) as opposed to Aaron Lewis' penchant for acoustic ditties. As for Bush, well it's really only half of the original line-up, but they put out some decent tracks back in the day so maybe Gavin Rossdale still has something positive to contribute to modern music.
Alter Bridge, Enmore Theater, Sydney, 28/2/12
The third night of a triple-header... actually this is a double-bill with Steel Panther but I dislike 80's hair metal enough without needing that dislike to be reinforced by 80's hair metal imitators. Anyway, I already raved on about Alter Bridge... somewhere I have a half-finished blog post dedicated to them. This should be a really good show, and one of the last chances to see them for quite a while.
Seether, Logan Campell Centre, Auckland, 10/2/12
I can't name any of their songs, though no doubt I'd probably recognize some of their singles if I heard them. But, I'm looking forward to checking out this show with the Epitomy of Culture, because it should make for a good start to a Friday night, plus I think the experience of hearing an unfamiliar band play unfamiliar songs will be interesting. Maybe I'll like them, maybe not. But still, it should be fun either way.
Rogers Waters, The Wall Live, Vector Arena, Auckland, 22/2/12
The Wall is certainly not my favorite Floyd album, but this promises to be a pretty impressive live spectacle all the same. 30-odd years and modern technology have arguably given Waters the ability and experience to perform this show to the standard he originally envisaged. It's sparked an unprecedented level of interest here too - selling out four nights at Vector Arena which is certainly a record locally and matched only on the current tour by Madison Square Garden. Guess we New Zealanders like our Pink Floyd then? If it's half as good as the Dark Side of the Moon tour in 2007 was, I'll be happy.
Soundwave Festival, Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney, 26/2/12
The annual Silly Club trip to Soundwave Festival this year threatens to be the most action-packed yet. That this festival can consistently pull such massive line-ups is a huge credit to the promoters, and a reminder that good music festivals are about one basic thing: figure out what you're going to do, and do it really fucking well. Take note, BDO, and your weak attempts to appeal to everyone. Anyway, this year I hope to see (if the timetable permits, and this is a big IF): Hellyeah, Dragonforce, CKY, Meshuggah, Black Label Society, Devin Townsend Project, Staind, Trivium, Lamb of God, Bush and Slipknot, although the biggest highlights for me will probably be Alter Bridge, Mastodon, and Machine Head. Here's why:
1. Alter Bridge are a hugely under-rated and talented hard-rock band that I made the enormous mistake of initially overlooking because three quarters of the band was (is) in Creed. Understandable, maybe, but near-unforgivable considering it meant I almost missed out on a band that has written some astoundingly good hard rock tracks - check out Ties that Bind or Metalingus. Plus Myles Kennedy is one of the best rock front-men to emerge in ages.
2. Mastodon are kick-ass. Progressive metal, hard rock, call them what you will, but they can't seem to do a lot wrong. I am immensely excited about hearing great new tracks like Black Tongue, Blasteroid and Spectrelight alongside classics like Blood and Thunder, Crystal Skull and I Am Ahab. Undoubtedly one of the standard-bearers of modern metal.
3. Machine Head threaten to be a thrilling, punishing live act. Their last few albums have all been brutal, uncompromising slabs of metal - take some of this and put it alongside classics like The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears and they could absolutely tear it up.
Regardless, it could easily be the most jam-packed Soundwave yet.
Bush and Staind, Enmore Theater, Sydney, 27/2/12
The other great thing about Soundwave is the proliferation of sideshows it tends to propagate. Why make a trip to Sydney for one festival when you can add in a bunch of other shows too! Anyway, this is arguably the '90s nostalgia sideshow'... both bands have probably just enough good songs to put on decent live sets. If you ask me, Staind are immeasurably better when they go for harder rocking numbers (example: Mudshovel and most of their self-titled album from last year) as opposed to Aaron Lewis' penchant for acoustic ditties. As for Bush, well it's really only half of the original line-up, but they put out some decent tracks back in the day so maybe Gavin Rossdale still has something positive to contribute to modern music.
Alter Bridge, Enmore Theater, Sydney, 28/2/12
The third night of a triple-header... actually this is a double-bill with Steel Panther but I dislike 80's hair metal enough without needing that dislike to be reinforced by 80's hair metal imitators. Anyway, I already raved on about Alter Bridge... somewhere I have a half-finished blog post dedicated to them. This should be a really good show, and one of the last chances to see them for quite a while.
But for holiday plans, I would have also gone and seen the mighty Soundgarden and supporting acts of variable (mostly shit) quality at Mt Smart (this I believe is referred to as the Big Day Out) - I shall have to settle for a Soundgarden t-shirt instead.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Foo Fighters, Western Springs, 13/12/11
There's no beating about the bush here, so I'm gonna come right out and say that I've seen better shows from this band, in this city.
And yes, that includes the legendary, one of a kind Town Hall show this year - but it also includes the 2008 shows at Vector, and the 2005 show at the Supertop (and, if I'm being nostalgic, the 1998 gig at the Town Hall).
I'm a big Foo Fighters fan - have been since the start - but there was just something a bit off about last night's show at Western Springs. Don't get me wrong - it had its moments, but past Foos gigs have set a high bar that this one failed to hit. Maybe that's why I'm a little negative about it. Anyway, here goes.
Firstly, stadium shows suck. I am not a fan. When there is that much distance between you and the band, it's not quite the same. It's always better to be close to the action, and the setting just didn't lend itself to that. Perhaps a circular stage a la Metallica or Muse might have been a winner. And yes they had big screens, but so does Lady fucking Gaga. If I want to watch shit on a big screen, I've got Foo's DVDs that I can stick on the TV at home.
The other big stadium problem is sound. The bass was muddy and way too strong in the mix. Maybe that is a necessity of playing such a large venue - but at other points in the stadium it sounded really treble-heavy. Or maybe they could just learn a trick or two from Roger Waters - the Dark Side of the Moon gig at North Harbour Stadium a few years ago had a very good sound set-up.
Anyway, grumble number 2 was the setlist. This is more a criticism of the band than the gig itself, but it bothers me when bands play the same setlist every night across a tour. The only real change the Foos made across this tour was to replace Bridge Burning with All My Life as the opening song - and I reckon the former was actually the better choice (although the latter is a brilliant track). But if other big name acts like Pearl Jam and Metallica can play setlists that vary quite heavily from night to night - why can't the Foos? To be blunt, I'd like to see the Foos playing less of the singles (some of which, like Learn to Fly and Wheels are just weak and MOR and not good), and more album cuts like Low, Hey Johnny Park!, and Exhausted. The covers are a good touch - but they've got such an enormous repertoire that it would be good to see them vary that up too - throw in Darling Nikki, or Band on the Run.
Grumble number three was the jamming. Don't get me wrong - I love it when bands fool around with songs and in most cases I will be disappointed when bands don't jam, at least for a little bit. But I thought the Foos were a bit off target with their extended sections for two reasons. Firstly, they overdid it - at one point it seemed like they were rumbling into extended instrumental sections on almost every song. Definitely a case for 'less is more'. Secondly, they were jamming the same songs in the same ways that I've heard before - like the outro to My Hero or the bridge in Stacked Actors. It would be more of a novelty for them to play Stacked Actors straight - it is, after all, possibly the best song they've written.
But equally, the Foos deserve credit for being one of the few bands that can play a whole lot of new stuff, without fans getting restless. Rope and Arlandria both got a great reception (and deservedly so). And I really enjoyed White Limo. Although I do wish they'd played more songs off their first (and best) album - and not Big Me either, what about I'll Stick Around or Wattershed or Good Grief.
I'm sure many people enjoyed the gig immensely, but for me it was in the category of 'could do better'. What did you think?
And yes, that includes the legendary, one of a kind Town Hall show this year - but it also includes the 2008 shows at Vector, and the 2005 show at the Supertop (and, if I'm being nostalgic, the 1998 gig at the Town Hall).
I'm a big Foo Fighters fan - have been since the start - but there was just something a bit off about last night's show at Western Springs. Don't get me wrong - it had its moments, but past Foos gigs have set a high bar that this one failed to hit. Maybe that's why I'm a little negative about it. Anyway, here goes.
Firstly, stadium shows suck. I am not a fan. When there is that much distance between you and the band, it's not quite the same. It's always better to be close to the action, and the setting just didn't lend itself to that. Perhaps a circular stage a la Metallica or Muse might have been a winner. And yes they had big screens, but so does Lady fucking Gaga. If I want to watch shit on a big screen, I've got Foo's DVDs that I can stick on the TV at home.
The other big stadium problem is sound. The bass was muddy and way too strong in the mix. Maybe that is a necessity of playing such a large venue - but at other points in the stadium it sounded really treble-heavy. Or maybe they could just learn a trick or two from Roger Waters - the Dark Side of the Moon gig at North Harbour Stadium a few years ago had a very good sound set-up.
Anyway, grumble number 2 was the setlist. This is more a criticism of the band than the gig itself, but it bothers me when bands play the same setlist every night across a tour. The only real change the Foos made across this tour was to replace Bridge Burning with All My Life as the opening song - and I reckon the former was actually the better choice (although the latter is a brilliant track). But if other big name acts like Pearl Jam and Metallica can play setlists that vary quite heavily from night to night - why can't the Foos? To be blunt, I'd like to see the Foos playing less of the singles (some of which, like Learn to Fly and Wheels are just weak and MOR and not good), and more album cuts like Low, Hey Johnny Park!, and Exhausted. The covers are a good touch - but they've got such an enormous repertoire that it would be good to see them vary that up too - throw in Darling Nikki, or Band on the Run.
Grumble number three was the jamming. Don't get me wrong - I love it when bands fool around with songs and in most cases I will be disappointed when bands don't jam, at least for a little bit. But I thought the Foos were a bit off target with their extended sections for two reasons. Firstly, they overdid it - at one point it seemed like they were rumbling into extended instrumental sections on almost every song. Definitely a case for 'less is more'. Secondly, they were jamming the same songs in the same ways that I've heard before - like the outro to My Hero or the bridge in Stacked Actors. It would be more of a novelty for them to play Stacked Actors straight - it is, after all, possibly the best song they've written.
But equally, the Foos deserve credit for being one of the few bands that can play a whole lot of new stuff, without fans getting restless. Rope and Arlandria both got a great reception (and deservedly so). And I really enjoyed White Limo. Although I do wish they'd played more songs off their first (and best) album - and not Big Me either, what about I'll Stick Around or Wattershed or Good Grief.
I'm sure many people enjoyed the gig immensely, but for me it was in the category of 'could do better'. What did you think?
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The First XI of 20XI
As much as I don't really see a lot of point in dividing music into calendar years (arbitrary 365 day period!), the truth is that very little new music gets released between the end of November and the start of February. So there is a certain logic to year-end lists, even if you subscribe to the theory that January 1 is just another day. And on that note, I am proud to present my favourite 11 albums of 2011...
11. DJ Shadow - The Less You Know, The Better
When I listen to DJ Shadow these days, it tends to not be the studio albums as much as some of his live mixes - Funky Skunk, and Los Angeles 10/31/09 in particular, but also Live! In Tune and on Time. It's those live mixes (particularly the first two mentioned) that really showcase Shadow's eclectic taste, masterful turntable skills, and his ear for a good groove. What I enjoy about The Less You Know, The Better is that it captures that same groove and varied musical palate that is such a highlight of his live mixes. There are nods to hip-hop, electro, rock, turntablism, drum and bass, soul, funk - and yet it all comes together as a coherent, interesting whole. A great reason to put the headphones on and groove out.
10. Black Country Communion - 2
Certainly the best supergroup album of the year, although that isn't necessarily saying much. 2 is a huge step up from their debut, and it's great to hear this band really evolve their own unique sound - equal parts classic rock, hard rock and blues. A couple of things really shine about this record, in my opinion. The first is Glenn Hughes' vocals - powerful, genuine and a real highlight. The second is the quality of the songwriting - accessible yet never simplistic, with plenty of detail and some nice twists. That four such quality individual talents can put together an interesting, balanced rock record which is undoubtedly more than the sum of its parts should tell you everything you need to know.
9. Machine Head - Unto the Locust
Although I'm pretty new to this band, it's not hard to appreciate the quality of Unto the Locust. It starts with the aggressive, unpredictable and unrelenting I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) and pretty much goes from there. The dynamic balance between full-on thrash and quieter, acoustically-driven sections keeps things interesting throughout in a way that harkens back to the likes of Master of Puppets. Top-notch metal songwriting and musicianship - I am really looking forward to catching MH at Soundwave early next year.
8. Beastie Boys - The Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2
As unlikely as it sounds, three old white guys have produced one of the year's best hip-hop albums. Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 is a brash, bouncy romp which mixes the irreverent party attitude of old-school Beastie with plenty of fresh, contemporary beats. Consistently enjoyable and consistently fun.
Check out my personal favourite track, Here's A Little Something For Ya:
7. Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
I was hooked on this record - and this band - from the opening 10 seconds of Ain't Fit to Live Here. It literally sounds like these guys were on a roadtrip in 1971, cranking plenty of Cream and Steppenwolf in the van, when they accidentally drove into a timewarp that brought them into the present day. But a one-trick pony they are not - whilst there is plenty of hard-rock boogie, there are also some fantastic slow-building tracks (Uncomfortably Numb and The Siren). A very exciting upcoming band, these lads from Sweden - watch this space.
6. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
This is the closest thing to a standout album that the Foos have produced since their self-titled debut. The quality of the first five songs, in particular, is just mind-bogglingly good. In fact, the insanely good opening quintet of Burning Bridges, Rope, Dear Rosemary, White Limo and Arlandria might just be the best run of songs on any Foos record. The only downside of this is that it sets the bar high for the album's second half - in this case, unreachably high. I mean, the rest is still really good, it's just not the rock revelation that the first half is.
And yeah, White Limo is still the best music video of the year, maybe ever:
5. Megadeth - TH1RT3EN
It's an absolute delight to hear Dave Mustaine pushing the boundaries with brutal, snarling, pedal-to-the-metal tracks like Never Dead and Sudden Death, even after 12 albums, career-threatening injuries, and almost 30 years. TH1RT3EN is another reminder that Megadeth are the only Big Four band that have managed to be consistently interesting, innovative and relevant. A great balance between technicality (Sudden Death, Never Dead), infectiousness (Public Enemy No. 1 and Whose Life (Is It Anyway)) and straight-up honesty (13).
Also, props for an excellent video involving gangster monkeys.
4. Mastodon - The Hunter
The Hunter eschews the prog-metal extremities of its predecessor, Crack the Skye, in favour of a much more direct approach. And in doing so managed to produce such utter gems as the foreboding Black Tongue, the catchy Curl of the Burl, the ritalin-deprived Blasteroid, and the brutal Spectrelight - all insanely good tracks.
If I had one criticism of this album, it would be that it meanders a little through the middle, and if it were up to me (which it is, thanks to the wonders of modern technology), I'd insert the two hard-rocking bonus tracks The Ruiner and Deathbound somewhere in the middle. But in saying that, it's still a fine metal album by a great band.
And whilst we're on the topic of great videos of 2011, we have Mastodon's hilarious Adult Swim-produced video for Deathbound. Don't watch this if you have any issues with the concept of a puppet apocalypse.
3. Symphony X - Iconoclast
When I was first introduced to Symphony X a few years ago, I initially concluded that they were a bit like Dream Theater but not as good. Anyway, fastforward to 2011, and Symphony X have rather turned the tables by releasing a double album which (at least in my opinion) pretty much crushes Dream Theater's latest effort. With 12 tracks spanning 83 minutes (and a Matrix-like concept about machines conquering the planet), it's certainly not an easy listen, but progressive metal never really is. The pairing of lead guitarist Michael Romeo and singer Russell Allen is probably the best and most enjoyable in metal, following the dissolution of Nevermore, and both are highlights throughout this epic effort.
And for the record, there's a single disc version floating around as well, but make sure you get the double.
2. Soundgarden - Live on I-5
You can debate all you like whether it's legitimate to include live records on lists like this (my opinion: live albums are OK, singles collections/b-side collections/greatest hits are not), but in my opinion this is a damn fine live album. Stunning performances of most of the best Soundgarden tracks (not just singles), and a couple of very well-executed covers make for a live album that is pretty much outstanding from start to finish.
Also, totally off topic, but I realised the other day that most of The Day I Tried to Live is in 15/4 time.
Anyway, amongst the many highlights:
AND THE WINNER IS...
1. Rose Hill Drive - Americana
I always thought RHD had it in them to make a genuinely great album. Americana is that album - or, if we are lucky, the first of many. One of the most crazy, clever and unabashedly fun rock albums you could hope to hear - and for me personally this album reminds why I love music so much. It gets stuck in my head, it makes me smile, and I just can't stop listening to it. But for all its accessibility and sheer rock-out-ness, it's also detailed and clever. Anyway, stop listening to me gush about it and just go get it (digital is your best bet as the physical release is a little tricky to track down). DO IT!
These two videos should give you some sort of idea just what you're in for...
Anyway, coming up next, a discussion of some of the albums this year that DIDN'T make this list. For various reasons, ranging from almost-but-not-quite to sheer godawfulness.
11. DJ Shadow - The Less You Know, The Better
10. Black Country Communion - 2
Certainly the best supergroup album of the year, although that isn't necessarily saying much. 2 is a huge step up from their debut, and it's great to hear this band really evolve their own unique sound - equal parts classic rock, hard rock and blues. A couple of things really shine about this record, in my opinion. The first is Glenn Hughes' vocals - powerful, genuine and a real highlight. The second is the quality of the songwriting - accessible yet never simplistic, with plenty of detail and some nice twists. That four such quality individual talents can put together an interesting, balanced rock record which is undoubtedly more than the sum of its parts should tell you everything you need to know.
9. Machine Head - Unto the Locust
Although I'm pretty new to this band, it's not hard to appreciate the quality of Unto the Locust. It starts with the aggressive, unpredictable and unrelenting I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) and pretty much goes from there. The dynamic balance between full-on thrash and quieter, acoustically-driven sections keeps things interesting throughout in a way that harkens back to the likes of Master of Puppets. Top-notch metal songwriting and musicianship - I am really looking forward to catching MH at Soundwave early next year.
8. Beastie Boys - The Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2
As unlikely as it sounds, three old white guys have produced one of the year's best hip-hop albums. Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 is a brash, bouncy romp which mixes the irreverent party attitude of old-school Beastie with plenty of fresh, contemporary beats. Consistently enjoyable and consistently fun.
Check out my personal favourite track, Here's A Little Something For Ya:
7. Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
I was hooked on this record - and this band - from the opening 10 seconds of Ain't Fit to Live Here. It literally sounds like these guys were on a roadtrip in 1971, cranking plenty of Cream and Steppenwolf in the van, when they accidentally drove into a timewarp that brought them into the present day. But a one-trick pony they are not - whilst there is plenty of hard-rock boogie, there are also some fantastic slow-building tracks (Uncomfortably Numb and The Siren). A very exciting upcoming band, these lads from Sweden - watch this space.
6. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
This is the closest thing to a standout album that the Foos have produced since their self-titled debut. The quality of the first five songs, in particular, is just mind-bogglingly good. In fact, the insanely good opening quintet of Burning Bridges, Rope, Dear Rosemary, White Limo and Arlandria might just be the best run of songs on any Foos record. The only downside of this is that it sets the bar high for the album's second half - in this case, unreachably high. I mean, the rest is still really good, it's just not the rock revelation that the first half is.
And yeah, White Limo is still the best music video of the year, maybe ever:
5. Megadeth - TH1RT3EN
It's an absolute delight to hear Dave Mustaine pushing the boundaries with brutal, snarling, pedal-to-the-metal tracks like Never Dead and Sudden Death, even after 12 albums, career-threatening injuries, and almost 30 years. TH1RT3EN is another reminder that Megadeth are the only Big Four band that have managed to be consistently interesting, innovative and relevant. A great balance between technicality (Sudden Death, Never Dead), infectiousness (Public Enemy No. 1 and Whose Life (Is It Anyway)) and straight-up honesty (13).
Also, props for an excellent video involving gangster monkeys.
4. Mastodon - The Hunter
The Hunter eschews the prog-metal extremities of its predecessor, Crack the Skye, in favour of a much more direct approach. And in doing so managed to produce such utter gems as the foreboding Black Tongue, the catchy Curl of the Burl, the ritalin-deprived Blasteroid, and the brutal Spectrelight - all insanely good tracks.
If I had one criticism of this album, it would be that it meanders a little through the middle, and if it were up to me (which it is, thanks to the wonders of modern technology), I'd insert the two hard-rocking bonus tracks The Ruiner and Deathbound somewhere in the middle. But in saying that, it's still a fine metal album by a great band.
And whilst we're on the topic of great videos of 2011, we have Mastodon's hilarious Adult Swim-produced video for Deathbound. Don't watch this if you have any issues with the concept of a puppet apocalypse.
3. Symphony X - Iconoclast
When I was first introduced to Symphony X a few years ago, I initially concluded that they were a bit like Dream Theater but not as good. Anyway, fastforward to 2011, and Symphony X have rather turned the tables by releasing a double album which (at least in my opinion) pretty much crushes Dream Theater's latest effort. With 12 tracks spanning 83 minutes (and a Matrix-like concept about machines conquering the planet), it's certainly not an easy listen, but progressive metal never really is. The pairing of lead guitarist Michael Romeo and singer Russell Allen is probably the best and most enjoyable in metal, following the dissolution of Nevermore, and both are highlights throughout this epic effort.
And for the record, there's a single disc version floating around as well, but make sure you get the double.
2. Soundgarden - Live on I-5
You can debate all you like whether it's legitimate to include live records on lists like this (my opinion: live albums are OK, singles collections/b-side collections/greatest hits are not), but in my opinion this is a damn fine live album. Stunning performances of most of the best Soundgarden tracks (not just singles), and a couple of very well-executed covers make for a live album that is pretty much outstanding from start to finish.
Also, totally off topic, but I realised the other day that most of The Day I Tried to Live is in 15/4 time.
Anyway, amongst the many highlights:
AND THE WINNER IS...
1. Rose Hill Drive - Americana
I always thought RHD had it in them to make a genuinely great album. Americana is that album - or, if we are lucky, the first of many. One of the most crazy, clever and unabashedly fun rock albums you could hope to hear - and for me personally this album reminds why I love music so much. It gets stuck in my head, it makes me smile, and I just can't stop listening to it. But for all its accessibility and sheer rock-out-ness, it's also detailed and clever. Anyway, stop listening to me gush about it and just go get it (digital is your best bet as the physical release is a little tricky to track down). DO IT!
These two videos should give you some sort of idea just what you're in for...
Anyway, coming up next, a discussion of some of the albums this year that DIDN'T make this list. For various reasons, ranging from almost-but-not-quite to sheer godawfulness.
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