Category: Classic Album Review

Reviews of older and classic albums

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Classic Album Review

Classis Album Review: Metallica – …And Justice For All

The fourth studio album from Metallica; recorded January – May at One on One Recording Studios in Las Angeles, California, and released on August 25, 1988 …And Justice for All (Elektra) amounted to the end of Thrash Metal as it was known at the time. Helping to mold the genre, Metallica, with this record, effectively brought it to its logical conclusion.

Not only was the album a natural progression of the band’s sound – starting with Kill ‘Em All (1983), through Ride the Lightening (1984) and Master of Puppets (1986) –  …And Justice for All was progressive metal (before there was such a thing). When Cliff Burton unexpectedly died in 1986, Metallica was searching for an outlet of sorts, I think, and with this record came an unleashing of rage and torment. It features staggering complexity, fast tempos, multiple time changes per track, eight or more riffs per track, and lyrics concerned with politics, the environment, legal injustice, censorship, and war. Jason Newsted was tapped for the bass position, though the final mix of the record nearly filtered him completely out. Blame for this fact flies all around, but I think it’s a sign of the struggle on behalf of Hetfield and Ulrich (and to some degree, Hammett) to cope.

Though the lyrical content of …Justice covered new ground, this record is all about the instruments! Specifically, nasty riffs, percussion, and double bass. Speaking of double bass, Lars’ double kicks on this album, have been dubbed, double “paper bass.” I love how they sound! The song “One” was the first music video for Metallica and was seen as an anti-war rant. The track “To Live is to Die” is a bass medley of unused recordings by Burton. Newsted played the medley that Burton wrote on the album. All lyrics on the record were written by James Hetfield, except the Spoken Word on “To Live is to die,” posthumously credited to Cliff Burton. All other music is credited to Hetfield Ulrich, and Hammett (Newsted gets co-credit on Blackened).

…Justice reached Gold in Norway; Platinum in Argentina, Finland, New Zeland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; 2X Platinum in Australia and Germany; 3X Platinum in Canada; and 8X Platinum, selling 8 million copies in the United States.

Favorite Songs: Blackened; …And Justice for All; Harvester of Sorrow

Rating: 10/10!! And quite possibly my favorite Metallica album!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

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Classic Album Review

Great Find: “Michael and His Slipper Tree” – The Equals

A few weeks ago, skimming through Spotify, I came across a brilliant track by the East London R&B/Rock Fusion group, The Equals. The song is titled “Michael and His Slipper Tree” and was released in 1969 on their album “Equals Strike Again”. The band was formed by Eddy Grant, Lincoln Gordon, Dervin Gordon, Pat Lloyd, and John Hall when the five were in high school. They began touring by 1965 throughout Europe. “Hold Me Closer” was the band’s first single, however it did not make it big. It was their 1967 song “Baby, Come Back” that put them on the charts. The song did particularly well in Germany and the Netherlands.

I was surprised to discover the band recorded in the 1960s. When I heard “Michael and His Slipper Tree” for the first time, I initially thought the band would have been from the 1980s. They certainly have a unique, timeless sound that will have you singing “Michael! Michael and his slipper tree, slipper tree, slipper tree, brand new shoes for you and me!” all day. Spotify even has a radio and maxi version!I  highly recommend giving this band a listen!

-DJ Lizzo 

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Classic Album Review

Hidden Gems brought to you by The Eclection

Pure Reason Revolution - "The Dark Third"

ALBUM REVIEW: Pure Reason Revolution – “The Dark Third” 2007 Europe Release

BEST TRACKS: Golden Clothes, Twyncyn / Trembling Willows, Voices in Winter

FCC Violations: none

Recommended if you like: Space rock AND Symphonic metal 

 One of the best progressive rock albums to be released in 2006, but went largely unnoticed. The Europe Release in 2007 is the important one to obtain given that it has 5 added tracks that can only be found on that release and are some of the best tracks on the album. 

Some background is that Pure Reason Revolution was formed in England in 2003 and have released 3 full-length studio albums since then. The Dark Third is their first and probably their most essential album. If you have any interest in both space rock and symphonic metal, this may become your new favorite album. 

According to Wikipedia, the “dark third” is a reference to how a person spends a third of their life asleep, and this comes out in the spacey themes that pervade this album.

Produced by Paul Northfield (who has produced albums from many other progressive outfits such as Dream Theater and Rush), this album takes virtuosic instrumentation and a capella and crafts it into a rainbow of different emotions. One moment you’ll feel reminiscent for the past, and the next you’ll feel an epic march toward the future. I have always described this album as “if the members of Pink Floyd decided to start a symphonic metal band and add a female vocalist.” In fact, one of the tracks from this album “The Bright Ambassadors of Morning” is a direct reference to one of the greatest Pink Floyd tracks of all time, “Echoes.” 

The beginning of The Dark Third is a long wash of spacey guitar riffs as it works its way into the 2nd track “Goshen’s Remains” where the female vocals come in, the music slows down, and builds into an intense wall of sound, which continues to persist throughout most of the tracks. Of course there are parts where things get slowed down, but that delectable intensity never quite ceases. One of my personal favorite tracks on the album is “Voices of Winter / In the Realms of the Divine” which exemplifies this duality perfectly. The first side of the track being more low-key “astral folk” and then moving into the second half which uses the themes from the first half for a crazy build up into another crash. 

Another track that exemplifies the “eclectic”-ness of this album is the last track (European Release only) “Golden Clothes.” This track is 7 and a half minutes long but contains 3 themes that go from light to dark and back with ease, and contain an impressive mixing of genres ranging from classical, to alternative, to metal, to electronica.

Give this album a shot if you are interested in anything that does a lot of genre-mixing, but even moreso if you enjoy space rock and symphonic metal. 

 -ArtZoid (Host of The Election)

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Classic Album Review

Hidden Gems brought to you by The Eclection

ALBUM REVIEW: Sweet Trip – “Velocity : Design : Comfort” 2003

BEST TRACKS: Sept, Fruitcake & Cookies, International

FCC Violations: none

Recommended if you like: Shoegaze AND Electronica 

 There are many ways to define “experimental” music, but I think the most accurate description is something that does not fit any particular genre definition. This album certainly deserves the title of experimental. Before I get into the music though, Sweet Trip was a little known group from San Francisco, California that focused on mixing alternative rock and dream pop sounds with heavy electronica. Although it is worth checking out the rest of their discography (only 3 total albums) if you are into this kind of music, Velocity : Design : Comfort is essential.

On the surface, the music overall is purposely glitchy and difficult to follow at times, but the more one listens to this album, the more fun and intriguing it gets. I personally seem to find new ear candy every time I give the album a listen through. This album’s carefully crafted intricate soundscapes that juxtapose dream pop and electronic glitch music is a one of a kind experience. Songs like “Dsco” seem like they had influenced artists like Anamanaguchi, but then you have tracks like “Fruitcake & Cookies” which are arguably some of the most creative shoegaze songs you will come across. Furthermore, “International” is an epic 10 minute journey that will throw at you a cornucopia of emotions throughout it’s duration through it’s everchanging soundscape.

This album may not be accessible to people who do not listen to experimental music often, but it’s worth giving a shot for anyone interested in electronica and shoegaze, because I think you’ll find yourself listening to it nonstop once its grown on you because it is so unique.

 – ArtZoid (Host of The Eclection)

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Classic Album Review

Classic Album Review: Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction

Released on July 21, 1987, Appetite for Destruction (Geffen Records) hardly even raised an eyebrow. It was the debut album by Guns N’ Roses, and the band immediately hit the road in support of the record. “It’s So Easy" was the first single released, a month before the debut dropped. The single, “Welcome to the Jungle” followed the debut on October 3, 1987. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” came in August of `88, “Paradise City" in November of `88, and “Nightrain" in July of `89. With the radio play of the middle three singles, the video for “Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV, and relentless touring by the band, in`88 Appetite became a massive commercial success. It was #1 on the Billboard 200 and became the best selling debut album of all time (the 11th best selling album of all time with 30 million copies sold).

Guns N’ Roses changed what was acceptable as Hard Rock, though for the general public, the band members themselves were completely unacceptable. Axle Rose (vocals) and Tracii Guns (lead guitar) were the original founders and the band’s namesake. But with larger than life personalities and even larger egos, the two could not keep it together. Guns left to form L.A. Guns, with moderate success (especially from their first couple albums). He was replaced by Slash and the fire was set. Duff McKagan, Seven Adler, and Izzy Stradlin finalized the lineup.

As noted above, G N` R instituted an irreversible change in the music industry, especially in the dark alleys of the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal world. Their appearance was (originally) “Big Hair,” but their sound was something else altogether. The band’s live shows were only an extension of the vision of Appetite. For the `80’s, they were wild! While the record was totally put together, it wasn’t long until the band, individually and collectively, began to show cracks. The song, “Mr. Brownstone,” for example, was about the band’s problems with heroin. They were no strangers to the police (before and during their success) in every town, state, and country; being known for violence and public intoxication. G N’ R were the poster children for “Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll.”

The original album cover art was based on Robert Williams’ painting Appetite for Destruction. It featured a robotic rapist about to be punished by a metal avenger. Record stores refused to stock the album with this cover, so the label moved this depiction inside and replaced the cover art with the classic Celtic cross and skulls of the five band members. The original artwork was a representation of the band (the metal avenger) wrestling back the power of the people from the system (the robotic rapist).

The song listing for the record reads like a list of chart toppers:

1.     Welcome to the Jungle

2.     It’s So Easy

3.     Nightrain

4.     Out ta Get Me

5.     Mr. Brownstone

6.     Paradise City

7.     My Michelle

8.     Think About You

9.     Sweet Child o’ Mine

10.  You’re Crazy

11.  Anything Goes

12.  Rocket Queen

Album Rating: 10/10!!

Favorite Songs: Welcome to the Jungle; It’s So Easy; Anything Goes

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Categories
Classic Album Review

Classic Album Review: Van Halen – Van Halen

The band’s self-titled debut album, Van Halen was recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA from August 30 – September, 1977 and was released by Warner Bros. Records on February 10, 1978. “Diamond" David Lee Roth is the vocalist (and acoustic guitarist on Ice Cream Man), Eddie Van Halen plays the (groundbreaking) guitar and sings backing vocals, Alex Van Halen is the drummer, and Michael Anthony is the bassist and backing vocalist.

In 1976, Gene Simmons (KISS) discovers Van Halen and finances a three-track demo, which does nothing for the band in attracting record labels. But the demo does get the attention of Marshall Berle (the bands future manager) and he catches their sold-out show in their hometown of Pasadena. After killing it at (the legendary) Whiskey a Go Go and the Starwood club, Warner Bros. were ready to sign them to a deal. The band’s first tours after recording their debut were opening for Journey and Montrose in the US and, later, for Black Sabbath in Europe and the US.

The cover photo for Van Halen are pics taken at the Whiskey a Go Go, along with a pic of Eddie’s original signature guitar, Frankenstrat, a replica Fender Stratocaster that is now housed in the Smithsonian Institute.

The record hit Gold Status on May 24, 1978 and Platinum October 10, 1978 (4½ months later!). On October 22, 1984, the record achieved 5x Multi-Platinum status; 6x Multi-Platinum on February 1, 1989, 7x Multi-Platinum on September 29, 1993, 8x Multi-Platinum on July 11, 1994, and on August 7, 1996 the record reached Diamond status by RIAA (that’s a certified ten million copies sold, yo!).

The music world and their fans were enamored with the charismatic, sex symbol in Roth and the electrifying pioneer of the six-string in Eddie Van Halen. Nothing of it’s time sounded at all like Van Halen. With Roth’s powerful stage presence – swagger, martial arts, and screeching vocals; as well as a bluesy billow – and Eddie’s “jaw-dropping" techniques – he was doing in reality what most other guitarists only imagined in dreams – Van Halen reawakened the Rock/Hard Rock world.

Eddie Van Halen 

David Lee Roth 

Runnin’ With the Devil is the opening track, followed by a perfect example of Eddie’s brilliance, the instrumental, Eruption. Following that is the cover of the Kink’s, You Really Got Me (Roth insisted covers were the way to go, for someone else had already done the work). Side One is completed by Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love and I’m the One. Jamie’s Cryin’ leads off Side Two, followed by the heaviest track on the record, Atomic Punk. Feel Your Love Tonight and Little Dreamer smooth out the roughness. Ice Cream Man is a cover of John Brim’s song, and On Fire ends the offering with a blaze.

Favorite Songs: Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, Little Dreamer, Atomic Punk

Rating: 10/10!!

Fun fact: I used to make my dad play Little Dreamer all the time when he was dropping me off at elementary school! It will always be one of my favorites!! 

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

Categories
Classic Album Review

Ultra-Depressive Rap Rec : Bedwetter – vol 1

Travis Miller is no stranger to stark, disturbing content. After several early (largely ignored) stints in genres like black metal and noise, he gained notoriety with his half-parodic Memphis rap homage persona, Lil Ugly Mane. Pushing the already dark and murky sonic elements of the genre to the absolute brink of their extents, Ugly Mane tracks either came out hilariously listenable (“LOOKIN 4 THA SUCKIN”), as legitimate, raw bangers (“CUP FULLA BEETLEJUICE”), or sinister, avant-garde opuses (“UNEVEN COMPROMISE”). Travis took the latter style and ran with it on his 2015 project Oblivion Access, his planned final project under the LUM moniker. Though largely ignored or underrated by critics upon release, Access created something otherworldly with Travis’ bleak and cynical vision — no longer seemingly drowned in irony or imitation, he ditched the pitch-shifted vocals, derivative or quasi-experimental beats, and gratuitously vulgar lyrics for a Travis that had never sounded so concurrently confident and insecure. Diving into mental illness, mortality, filth, social issues, critics, and fans, backdropped by a harsh, spacious, and disturbed array of instrumentals sounding unlike even other experimental or noise rap contemporaries (e.g. Death Grips, clipping., or BLACKIE), Oblivion Access seemed Travis’ ultimate sendoff.

Yet suddenly at the start of 2017, Travis returned with a brand new alias, sound, and supposed series. The first (and for now, only) installment was titled “Flick your tongue against your teeth and describe the present” listed as “bedwetter.”  His Bandcamp description of the project opens with “I really thought today would be the start of something different” and the album itself with a distorted, chopped up sample of John 1:1. Initially, it all feels a bit melodramatic and edgy. Until the actual music starts.

“man wearing a helmet,” the second track but first actual song, has Travis at unprecedented levels of vulnerability, fear, and agony, not just for his own music’s standards, but for truly anything I’ve ever heard before. Bedwetter raps from the perspective of a frightened young child being kidnapped — perhaps young Travis himself, or a recurring nightmare of his, or even a metaphor for the clutches of his depression. Travis scrawls this uncompromisingly brutal and grotesque portrait in blood and Crayola, filled with “chafed legs, denim tears, piss, vomit” and narrating his further decent into his (and his parents’, as bedwetter also notes) personal hell in this “hidden jail.” The song climaxes with a chilling return to the present: “all this time passed, I’m scared that I’m there still” before the drums and foreboding piano melodies kick in, with Travis’ urgent and deeply pained refrain: “all these f****** years, I just don’t remember.”

The album continues with further ventures into bedwetter’s corrupted psyche and personal agonies, via both bitterly candid verses and myriad instrumental interludes, venturing through experiments in electronica, sparse guitar riffs, unsettling samples and ambience. Travis flashes forward to the present day with “stoop lights,” a meditation on a life in decline. Bars contemplating family rifts, alcoholism, and self-hatred flow over the closest thing to a modern trap beat Travis has ever worked with.

vol 1’s truest moments of doom and utter frustration come on the final rap track of the record, “haze of interference,” an apocalyptic instrumental teetering between dark heavy synths and hi-hats and low-tempo boom-bap drums with the specter of a repeated Jandek sample looming over all. The raps are beyond cynicism, beyond fear, beyond contemplation — it’s a screaming, utterly defeated polemic against the agonies mental illness have brought him his entire life. Beyond even this, biting self-awareness and direct references to the audience and his fanbase are slung toward the end — “You’re treated like a muse / Are you happy now, Travis?”

-Ethan Myers 

Categories
Classic Album Review

Retro Review: Serotonin – Future Anterior

Serotonin - Future Anterior

Girls and ghouls this album is more than meets the eye! What a mystery – we love to see it, especially during the Halloween season. I’m not even talking about sound here, I’m talking about publishing. Whether you look for this album on a search engine or in an app, you’re gonna get a different publishing date. How old is Future Anterior? We don’t even know, but let’s go with the date a popular band info website used – 2003! 

At first glance, you know what I’m thinking. We’re probably all thinking it. Another butterfly. We saw it 2009 on brand new eyes, we see it now as a popular back tat, and we see it on this Serotonin album, but I’m not mad about the butterfly these folks chose! I can appreciate the symbolism. I can also appreciate that this butterfly is basically half robot. Look closely and you notice a circuit board shaped into a wing. Excuse me but that’s pretty cool. A twist on a classic that I’m here for. 

Now when I stumbled upon this little number in the music library the only thing written on it was a short review with a bunch of exclamation points – perfect summarization. I am not a big fan of heavy sound or screaming because I don’t get it and it scares me, but I love some angsty half-yelling. As the person who reviewed this back in 2004 said, it is off key, but wonderfully so. Future Anterior doesn’t hold back in this album, even in songs that start off a little slower like Impulse Response. The whole thing seems very genuine. Even if you don’t like the vocals, these band is full of incredibly talented musicians which is obvious throughout. I could totally listen to this album while building a chair or something. Would recommend. 

 xoxo

your trusty music librarian 

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Metallica – Master of Puppets

image

The third studio album by the (now) legendary Metallica, Master of Puppets is so important to the history of music generally, and the evolution of it specifically that in 2015 The United States Library of Congress preserved the recording in the National Recording Registry; the first heavy metal recording to do so. It was recorded September 1 – December 27, 1985 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records.

Whereas Kill ‘em All (the band’s first studio release) is straight-forward, in your face thrash metal, and Ride the Lightening (their 2nd release) evolved further into unchartered Metal waters (both of these records were heavily influenced by original lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine – Megadeth), Master is a full-blown leap off the map! The album is nearly universally praised as the best heavy metal album of all time, both inside and outside of the metal community. The record peaked at #29 on The Billboard Top 200, and was the first “Thrash Metal" album to be certified Platinum. It was certified 6X Platinum by RIAA in 2003.

Metallica was formed in Las Angeles, CA in 1981 (San Francisco has been the band’s base) by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) was the original lead guitarist, but was fired just before the recording of Kill ‘em All. Cliff Burton was the original bassist until 1986 when, during their European tour, the band’s bus crashed in Sweden killing Burton. Kirk Hammett (Exodus) was tapped to replace Mustaine and has been a constant ever since. Jason Newsted (Flotsam and Jetsam) replaced Burton (R.I.P.), until January 2001. Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies; Infectious Grooves; Black Label Society) stepped-up in 2003 and has been a solid member on the bass to the present day.

Master stretched Metallica’s previous “thrash metal" sound, and invented a new one! A heavier, darker feel than any offering of it’s time. Hetfield’s vocals are deeper and chunkier and all guitars are drop tuned. The overarching theme of the record concerns control and the abuse of power (notice the cover art), as the title track suggests; as well as Battery, The Thing That Should Not Be, and Leper Messiah (directed toward the televangelists of the 80’s). Welcome Home (Sanitarium) expresses a result of such abuse. Disposable Heroes addresses the subject from the point of view of soldiers sent to endless wars on behalf of the elites. And Orion is a beautiful instrumental, composed by Cliff Burton, putting on full display his classical training. Don’t let my “beautiful” description fool you, though, this song is a beating; while Battery is the fastest, and The Thing That Should Not Be is the heaviest.

The “O.G. Metalhead" (a.k.a., my dad!) saw Metallica (with Cliff on bass) in 1986, in Binghamton, NY during the band’s first arena/stadium tour supporting Ozzy. “We had never heard of them. Upon seeing them perform, we had never seen or heard anything like it before! The rest is history!” I finally got to see them in Atlanta in 2018, and again right here in Raleighwood, January of this year (2019).

Favorite songs: Master of Puppets (duh!); The Thing That Should Not Be

Rating: 10/10!!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Retro Review: Hafdís Huld – Synchronised Swimmers

Hafdís Huld - Synchronised Swimmers

Aw. It’s nice. More like pop, with very sweet and gentle vibes. I probably would not put Huld’s Synchronised Swimmers (she spells it that way idk) on at a party, but I could appreciate it playing at my local bookstore. Perhaps it might do well in a quaint coffee shop as well. It definitely doesn’t rock, but Hafdís Huld’s talent is undeniable, so I’m not mad about.

 All of these tracks sound nice. That’s really the best way I can describe them. Each track is cute and sweet and kind of makes me picture bunnies in the grass. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of my day could be backed by this type of music. It’s just soft. As I said, though, Huld pulls it off. The vocals really are beautiful, and you can hear the raw talent. The lyrics are also gentle on the ears and the mind. It’s hard to screw up soft words sung by a soft voice. Again – it’s NICE. Like I would maybe be friends with it, but Synchronised Swimmers is not marriage material. I wouldn’t be excited to commit to this album.

I think what brings it down for me is the way this entire album is produced. The finishing touches seem heavy-handed. Huld DOES have a beautiful voice, but these songs seem too polished. Gentle guitar with occasional piano and very soft percussion is basically Huld’s voice in instrument form. They clash. What I would really love to hear is Huld uncut backed by some soft acoustic sound – something not as shiny.

Basically – fine album with fine tracks. Maybe play it for your grandma while she sips some tea and you help her organize her file cabinet. Synchronised Swimmers is mild and unoffensive. Not mad about it, just underwhelmed. Ending this review with a shrug.

xoxo

your trusty music librarian