The end of last weeks column (where I started to discuss CD covers that look the same) got me thinking about the various cool album covers I’ve seen over the years. While I can’t even begin to list all of them, I thought I’d point out a couple of notables off the top of my head.
First up, Obituary’s “Anthology” cover.
While I’ve always been partial to the band’s “Cause of Death” album and cover, I won’t place it on this list as it was actually a borrowed image. I’m pretty sure they commissioned the “Anthology” cover themselves. (As a side note, I was eager to get the cover tattooed on my arm at one point, but my tattoo artist said it would take at least six-months to do all the intricate parts and even then, wouldn’t come out exactly like I wanted. Oh well!)
Let’s see, what else? I was always partial to Ministry’s “Psalm 69” cover.
It’s pretty simple, but does the job nicely. This cover will probably always hold a special place for me. I love the way it look ancient, but at the same time doesn’t.
A couple of classics:
Do I really need to say anything?
And finally, some newer covers that caught my eye:
And while this one is really not metal, I really like it’s “too-emo-for it’s own good” properties:
I heard the new single from the upcoming Mudvayne CD, and it seems as if the band is abandoning it’s stop/start frenzied sound, along with the melody, in an attempt to head in a more aggressive direction (think Pantera moving from “Cowboys from Hell” to “Vulgar Display of Power”). I’m digging it, if that’s the direction they’re headed in (keep in mind I’m basing all of this off a single song). Still, there’s something to be said for the interesting, somewhat melodic stuff the band was doing on the first couple of albums. Plus, much like Slipknot’s “Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat,” Mudvayne’s initial material (“The Beginning of All Things to End”) was extremely experimental, but really worked with the sound the band was cultivating. I’m looking for to this album either way.
Anyway, let’s more on to the column proper…
Here’s something fun: Velvet Revolver dressed up as Guns N’ Roses for a Halloween performance. An administrator over at the Velvet Revolver Forum posted a photo which features Scott Weiland decked out as Axl Rose and Slash dressed up as Buckethead. Fun stuff!
Life of Agony, currently in the studio finishing up the band’s first new album since “Soul Searching Sun” was released in 1997, took a break from recording so the band’s drummer could get married in New York. The band is scheduled to head back to Los Angeles Dec. 1 to finish up the album. I was always disappointed the band never put any studio material out while Whitfield Crane (he of Ugly Kid Joe fame) was fronting the outfit. I heard the group perform live on Boston’s WAAF one night during the “Soul Searching Sun” tour, but that was it. Crane has a good voice and has fronted a handful of bands at this point (most notably, the two already mentioned and Medication). Anyway, keep an eye out for this new one from Life of Agony, due out spring of ’05.
North Carolina’s Corrosion of Conformity will be releasing an “aggressive new studio album” on Sanctuary Records (also due in stores in early ’05). According to a posting over at Blabbermouth, the new album is tentatively titled “En los Brazos del Dios” (In the Arms of God), and is among the band’s heaviest in years. “We all have a certain affinity for real music, including truly heavy stuff,” says founding guitarist Woody Weatherman.
“We started writing songs, and they somewhat had the vibe of ‘Blind’, ‘Deliverance’ and our earlier material,” says vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan. “We started thinking from that perspective, and it evolved into a heavy, classic sound but with a modern wisdom to it. We really got back to our roots with this one, listening to old records that we all grew up on and headbanging at Woody’s farmhouse. It was a good time putting it together.”
Methinks COC is looking to cash in on the resurgence on real, heavy, metal, and I mean that in the most positive way. COC is a solid metal outfit. The band’s past couple of studio albums have been killer. I have yet to pick up the band’s live offering, “Live Volume,” from 2001, but the tracks I’ve heard are great: the band extends “Clean My Wounds” into an epic, almost-bluesy, anthem. Definitely worth tracking down.
And go here for more speculation about the new album, including potential track titles.
Static-X entered the studio last month to work on its fourth full-length album. According to a posting at the band’s Web-site, the band is “excited to be working, for the first time, in the studio with new drummer Nick Oshiro.” Yet again, the album is slated for release in Spring of next year (three for three!). The album is untitled at the moment, but potential song-titles include “I’m the One,” “Hollow,” “Night Terrors” and “I Want To Fucking Break It.” Stay tuned.
And finally, Devildriver is busily preparing its sophomore release with producer Colin Richardson (he who has worked with Machine Head, Fear Factory and Napalm Death to name a few). When is it scheduled to shelve? Why, April/May of 2005, of course! I never actually picked up the Devildriver disc. I’m a fan of the work front man Dez Fafara did with Coal Chamber, but I think he lost something going to the extreme he did with Devildriver. It’s kind of like Phil Anselmo and Superjoint Ritual. I love Pantera, enjoy Down, but only like Superjoint. I will say the latest Superjoint album is far better than the debut…
..:..Words from the dead..:.. John Tardy, vocalist for Obituary, recently sat down for a fan interview (read: Q&A) which has since been posted at the Roadrunner Records Web site in the In The Pit area. In the interview, Tardy talks about his favorite Obituary album (“Dead”), how the recording is going for the next album, influences (Death, Morbid Angel, Deicide) and how he able to maintain his deathly growl on stage (practice, practice, practice!). Read the whole piece here. The new album is slated for release mid-2005.
..:..When masked metal bands collide..:.. In a recent interview with the e-zine Fourteen G, Gwar front man Dave Brockie tore into Phil Anselmo over Anselmo’s perceived disrespect of Gwar’s legacy (the whole matter has sense been cleared up and Brockie has apologized). However, in the same interview he also discussed a short feud with Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor: “He was doing a thing on his Web site and he started ragging on GWAR. I would never let my band get like GWAR, and blah blah, going on and on, totally self-involved, my overalls are too hot. I’m reading his interview is in Rolling Stone and he’s sitting here talking about how hot his overalls are. Man, give me a feature in Rolling Stone and I’ll talk about something that actually makes sense, that’s intelligent and make people go, ‘Wow that’s interesting.’ I’m not going to sit there and complain about how hot it is on stage. You want to feel hot you can crawl into my costume for one show; you’ll have a damn brain hemorrhage. The whole interview can be read here.
..:..Soil’s new front man..:.. Soil recently announced its new singer via the band’s official Web site. According to a posting at the site, the new singer, AJ Cavalier (formerly of Diesel Machine), “originally hails from NY and was recommended by some very close friends. … Once he came to rehearsal to jam and lay down some rough demos with us, we knew he was the man for the job. We are currently writing the new album and preparing to get ready for the new chapter of SOIL. It feels great to be a full band again.” Soil left J Records earlier this year after the release of its last album, “Redefine,” and the band is yet to find a new “home.” I’m pulling for these guys. Both album recorded with Ryan McCombs were solid outings, so maybe these guys can pull a Drowning Pool and refocus their energy for a good followup.
..:..Success=re-release time..:.. Word is going around that Lamb of God are planning on re-releasing it’s pre-Lamb of God effort “Burn the Priest,” on Dec. 23 on Epic Records.
Talk about a Christmas gift for the fans. The album was recorded back when the band was called Burn the Priest. I imagine this won’t be altered too much from the original, so check here for a complete track listing and some sound clips. I thought Amazon was selling a few copies, but as of today I can find none.
..:..Borderline music news (AC/DC dept.)..:.. You’ll recall a while ago, there was some hubbub down under involving the re-naming of a street in Melbourne to ACDC lane. Well, seems one artsy individual (and, I assuming, fan of the band) decided the sign wasn’t done, so he added a giant lightening bolt. This information has come to light via a in-depth news report on street artists in “The Age,” an area news paper, I assume. The full story, including a photo of the new, improved(?) sign, can be found at this location.
Here’s some CDs I want, recently picked up or already have that I haven’t listened to nearly enough (you should check them out too):
Note:The Cave In listed here this week is not, probably, the Cave In people have come to know nationally. While the same band that put out psychedelic metal and last year’s alternative rock album “Antenna,” Cave In actually started out as a kick-ass hardcore outfit. I highly recommend you track down “Beyond Hypothermia,” you won’t be disappointed.
Cave In: “Beyond Hypothermia”
Shadows Fall: “The Art of Balance”
Killswitch Engage: “Alive or Just Breathing”
Unearth: “Oncoming Storm”
Staind: “Tormented”
I really wanted to just say a word about the latest Amorphis album. While the album was released in Europe in 2003, fans in the U.S. were forced to wait over a year for an international issue (but, at least the band added a whopping five extra tracks to the album at that point).
Amorphis is an interesting band, in that the music has metal or hard rock roots, but really branches out beyond typical genre barriers. Many European metal bands do this, but I’ve always thought Amorphis had this special quality that made its songs seem undefinable altogether; maybe it was the soothing yet aggressive vocals, maybe it was the keyboards sprinkled abundantly throughout the albums, maybe it was that the songs were structured like metal songs, but then expanded so much that each one took on epic proportions.
At any rate, “Far From the Sun” is an excellent release, one that took far to long for me to be able to pick up. From the opening track (“Day of Your Beliefs”) right through, I am hard pressed to point out a weak track.
In fact, where the album does show signs of weakness is in the bonus tracks — in the songs added after the fact! And I’m only talking one or two at that point. “Follow Me Into the Fire” is actually phenomenal, and I can’t believe it didn’t make the initial cut.
So, who knows where the band is headed now (as the lead singer has since moved on from the band), but if “Far From the Sun” was a last effort, what a high note to leave on.
And that’s that. As always, drop me a line. Until next time, I’ll be here at Inside Pulse making sure no metal news falls through the cracks.
Take it easy…
