“This was a real rock ‘n’ roll moment for me. I would never in my life have imagined that Sebastian (Bach) would take notice of my version of the track, (let alone invite) me on stage to sing with him. I mean, he is one of the great voices of rock ‘n’ roll and has fronted one of my favorite bands and played in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ on Broadway. What more could you ask for? Jesus himself… I was just afraid that I would scare him off stage with my voice…”
— Singer Sofia, who recently covered Skid Row’s “Wasted Time” for her debut album.
This week’s most listened to CDs by yours truly were NOFX’s “45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records,” Ratt’s “8191” and Corrosion of Conformity’s “Deliverance.”
I did manage to finally pick up some new music last week, though not as much as I had hoped.
There’s nothing quite like the disappointment felt when you’ve been anticipating an album for a while, with high hopes from the last outing, only to be severely disappointed with the new direction.
I can only think of a few cases off the top of my head. Cave In is one — one of the most promising hardcore acts I had heard in a while, the band shifted direction so drastically over the span of a few albums that it became an entire new entity. The first couple of albums could be lumped in with the likes of Converge or Hatebreed, while the newer material is nothing more than alternative rock…
I can appreciate a band trying new things. I don’t hate Metallica’s “St. Anger.” I’ve enjoyed witnessing Atreyu’s evolution. But I can’t get past the new Avenged Sevenfold album.
When I picked up “Waking the Fallen,” I was blown away by the combination of melody and screamed vocals, along with the epic, riff-heavy music. The band was putting it’s own twist on the metalcore movement, and creating something completely unique.
For the new album, the band completely lost the screamed element of it’s sound and, in turn, lost an important piece of the puzzle. Normally, I wouldn’t mind the change, but the new straight forward singing on the album sounds forced and (extremely) whiney. Without the offset of the screams and the melody, the band lost the little hook that made it special. I still love the instrumentation the band provides, but sadly I can’t embrace the new “sound.”
I’ve heard it’ll grow on me with time. Maybe so. And I’ve heard rumors one of the singers blew his voice out, hence the lack of screaming. Then again, the band signed to a major label, so that could have something to do with it.
At any rate, listening to “City of Evil,” I felt like I was at the wake of a good friend, looking at the body in the casket. It still looks like my friend, but the soul is gone. And I can’t figure out if it’s the label or the band that killed it …
But enough about that …
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Amorphis’ “Far From the Sun” still manages to make me smile. As I had said in my column from last November: 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.
If you still haven’t checked this band out, do so. Pick up either 2001’s “Am Universum” or my pick for album of the week, “Far From the Sun” …
..:..One more has left the Pool..:.. Drowning Pool officially confirmed that Jason “Gong” Jones has left the band. Jones reportedly left the band last weekend, forcing the cancellation of a hometown show in Dallas, Texas. Drowning Pool’s manager, Paul Bassman, told Launch Radio Networks that while the band was “very proud” of 2004’s “Desensitized,” the relationship with the vocalist “just didn’t work out.” He added the band already has another front man lined up … someone “really good” and someone the band had wanted when they first set out to replace original vocalist Dave Williams nearly two years ago. An official announcement is expected soon, but rumor has it that the Damageplan front man Patrick Lachman may be the person filling the slot. It’ll be interesting to see what direction the band moves in. I loved both Drowning Pool albums and hope the band doesn’t turn into a revolving door for lead singers. Stay tuned …
..:..Cantrell working on next album..:.. Jerry Cantrell has revealed he’s been working on his next album for the past year and a half during a recent interview with MTV.com. “I’ve worked with some great songwriters, and I’ve just been stockpiling my warheads, so to speak, until it’s time to do a record. And it’s getting pretty close to that time. I’ve been just gearing up for the next phase of my career, whether that’s my third solo record or, of course, there’s a possibility it may be a new band as well. Cantrell has been performing with Cardboard Vampires, a cover band featuring Cantrell and guitarist Billy Duffy (formerly of The Cult). Cantrell is hoping for release in early 2006 but he’s still without a label. He also said it was great to perform with his former bandmates from Alice in Chains during the K-Rock Tsunami Continued Care Concert in Seattle. “It was great … being back onstage with those guys, but it was also heavy. There’s a big hole there, and Layne (Staley, late Alice in Chains front man), he’s still something major to get through. … Layne not being there, it’s such a huge hole, and such a sad thing. All we can do is appreciate what we had … Still, there’s always the possibility … But there’s really no plan of it.” Oh well. I always hoped those guys got back together for an AIC reunion, but I’m happy with what the band left behind too.
..:..Unleash the Snake..:.. Whitesnake’s “The Rock & Roll, Rhythm and Blues Show Live” DVD is set to hit shelves in August. The show was shot last October at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, which is one of Whitesnake front man David Coverdale’s favorite places to play. However, more interesting is that the band plans on releasing two separate catalogue releases: on Sept. 20, a three-CD box called “Whitesnake Chronicles” will come out and will feature “Slide It In,” “Whitesnake” and “Slip Of The Tongue.” Then, a two-CD best-of called “Whitesnake Gold Series” will follow on Oct. 4. I can’t imagine what might be on that best-of set, but I’ll definitely pick up the first one — I had those tapes, but never made the switch to CD. It’ll be a much welcome addition to my collection … and yours too.
..:..Amorphis preparing for next album..:.. Finnish metal heads Amorphis (a band I have a soft spot for) are said to be intensively rehearsing and writing new songs for the follow-up to “Far from the Sun.” The band will enter studios in Helsinki to start the recording process in July with a projected release date of late 2005/early 2006. “The new AMORPHIS material will be heavier than ever,” the band said in a recent statement. “There will be an epic theme through the album, influenced by Finnish tradition.” I know I’ll be looking forward to that one…
..:..Himsa reunion..:.. Himsa parted ways with guitarist Matt Wicklund and replaced him with the returning Sammi Curr. Curr was a key member of the band for a number of years through the release of 2003’s “Courting Tragedy and Disaster” album. Himsa will hit the road as part of The Dirty Black Summer Tour (wasn’t that a Danzig tour once upon a time?) with Scars of Tomorrow, The Esoteric, The Agony Scene and Full Blown Chaos this summer. The band’s next album, “Hail Horror”, is due out in October.
Agents Of Man: “Count Your Blessings…” … this New Jersey band is being compared to Killswitch Engage … and that’s a good thing …
As I Lay Dying: “Shadows Are Security” … this band’s debut was a killer blend of metal, death metal and hardcore, so I anticipate good stuff with the follow-up …
Dark New Day: “Twelve Year Silence” … featuring former members of Sevendust, Doubledrive, Creed, Stereomud and Skrape …
Foo Fighters: “In Your Honor” … two discs: one mellow and one rocking. I haven’t heard the fantastic reviews I anticipated, but the album’s first single is rapidly becoming one of my favorite songs …
Funeral For A Friend: “Hours” … a great alternative rock/metal band, this should be good …
Life Of Agony: “Broken Valley” … the anticipated release from these reformed metal masters …
Static-X: “Start A War” … Wayne Static returns with the band’s original line-up …
As Cities Burn: “Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest” … a mix of hardcore and metal …
Clutch: “Robot Hive/Exodus” … It’s Clutch, either you love it or hate it …
DevilDriver: “The Fury Of Our Maker’s Hand” … sophomore effort from the man that once fronted Coal Chamber. This is supposed to be even heavier than the band’s debut …
Ra: “Duality” … More rock than metal, this band has a good enough hook to stand out from the crowd …
Stutterfly: “And We Are Bled Of Color” … I’ve had a hard time figuring out what this band is about … a mix of metal and hardcore with melody and comparisons to Taproot and Queen (?!?!) …
Also of note, Lamb Of God’s: “Killadelphia” DVD … It’s Lamb of God, and the DVD looks chock-full of music and content. Isn’t that enough? …
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):
100 Demons: “100 Demons”
Amorphis: “Far From the Sun”
Drowning Pool: “Sinner”
A Static Lullaby: “Faso Latido”
Avenged Sevenfold: “Waking the Fallen”
A quick correction: one astute reader pointed out that in last week’s column I forgot to mention that, in addition to Blood Has Been Shed’s bassist and lead singer pulling double duty, the band’s drummer, Justin
Foley, also performs with Killswitch Engage. (Thanks again Brandon.)
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…
