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The Alchemy Index Volume III: Air and IV: Earth

Published on June 26, 2008 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 7 Comments

I hope you’re ready for the final part of my Alchemy Index review, since this ones going to be a big one feel free to skip to the final verdict if you’re too lazy to read. While I found Thrice’s first two volumes to be slightly lacking in depth, they’ve more than made up for the disappointing Water EP with the final two volumes of III:Air & IV: Earth.

Though concept album’s have been kicking around since the 60′s (The Who’s Tommy & Pink Floyd’s The Wall), most modern attempts at the Rock Opera seem to revolve around the principle of tying an album’s songs together through a storyline rather than a instrumental theme. (Green Day’s American Idiot, My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade and all of Coheed & Cambria’s albums). Therefore when I first heard that Thrice’s next album would revolve around capturing the raw feel & power of the elements I was intrigued to see what their interpretation of a concept album would be.

While the initial two volumes of The Alchemy Index succeeded at capturing the fury of fire & the calm of water they seemed to be lacking the heart & passion of previous Thrice Albums. The theory of a concept album only seemed to constrict their sound and resulted in too many songs sounding the same. Thankfully their previous experimentation seems to have paid off with volume III :Air & IV: Earth. So without further ado here’s my track by track review of Air & Earth.

Volume III: Air

Broken Lungs: The opening track begins with subtle guitar strumming, gentle drumming & a chime of bells before it hits it’s stride with a soft chorus at the minute mark. While it’s name brings to mind screaming vocals, at heart it’s really a mournful ballad about the S11 attacks ‘Cause we all watched the buildings fall, watched the scales fall from our eyes’. While the pace gently changes throughout, the anger is effectively held back until the final minutes when the drumming reaches a crashing peak & the vocals break out with ‘We want answers, scream from the roofs, we want justice, we want the truth’.

The Sky Is Falling: The lines ‘Your dance & jingo cabaret, it’s coming down’ perfectly sum up the feel of this hand clapping, bell jingling track. While this is one of the most pop sounding and catchy Thrice songs I’ve heard it’s contrasted with a conflicting message about war and the condition of the world, ‘I’m gonna be strong enough, not let my fear decide my fate, surrounded by *jingoists* , I don’t want any part of this’.
(* There’s your word for the day).

A Song For Milly Michaelson: Wind chimes, simple guitar chords and some beautiful singing are the only components in this song based on the 1980′s film The Boy Who Could Fly. While it’s probably not to everyone’s tastes it’s stripped back nature and haunting melody makes this the most effective sounding wind song on the EP.

Daedalus: This 6 min long tale, tells the story of Icarus’s father with a metaphoric message that could be interpreted as giving someone more responsibility than they’re ready for. Dominant instrumental work give this song a strong backbone to work with but the coarse vocals are a bit too gravelly to fit in with the wind theme. It’s also a bit too meandering and slow for my liking.

As The Crow Flies: Another acoustic track that sounds fairly similar to A song for Milly Michaelson. Mandolin & soft vocals conjure an airy peaceful atmosphere about a child growing up & spreading his wings. While it hasn’t grow on me as much as the earlier tracks it may appeal to those that like slower paced songs.

Silver Winds: Volume III is concluded with the synthetic beats of Silver Wings. While it sounds fairly similar to songs on the Water EP this one has more life due to prominent vocals that weave a less abstract and more personal tale about love & relationships. At only 2 min long it doesn’t really have enough room to spread its wings (excuse the pun) and would have benefited with a longer length.

Final verdict: Thrice have successfully managed to capture the ethereal nature of air on their third volume of The Alchemy Index. While the first three tracks on the EP contain poignantly powerful lyrics & interesting melodies the remaining songs seem to loose a bit of steam and unfortunately start to sound fairly familiar to each other. Additional guitar overlays and more drumming work would have alleviated these problems but as it stands this EP is much better than the boring drone of the Water volume. If your in the right frame of mind and just want to kick back & relax Air is definitely worth a listen and is a perfect contrast to the Fire EP.

80 / 100 pennies

Highlight Tracks
Broken Lungs
The Sky Is Falling
A Song For Milly Michaelson

Volume IV: Earth

Moving Mountains: This raw & sincere acoustic track appropriately sums up the earthy sounds found of Volume IV. The presence of twanging guitars, subtle foot stamps & absence of drums lend this track a real blues & roots style. The honest lyrics ‘All hidden things are opened up to me, but I don’t know the first thing about love’ are at the forefront of this song and showcase how far Dustin’s singing has progressed since the early days of Thrice. This simple yet effective track has become one of my favorite tracks from The Alchemy Index.

Digging My Own Grave: Another quality track that really has a life of it’s own. The prominent and mournful piano melody sets up an atmosphere thats probably not to everyones tastes and brings to mind Brand New at their depressive best. The title pretty much speaks for itself & I can only assume this is a fiction tale about resignation & defeat ‘You know cancer can’t catch me, let’s have another drink or three, don’t be a bore’.

The Earth Isn’t Humming: Some fantastic bass chords lend this one a real tribal beat that blends perfectly with the rich arpeggio style guitar chords. This heavily instrumental track gives the song plenty of weight while the powerful vocals are used to conjure an apocalyptic menace with the repeating message ‘Fall down’.

The Lion And The Wolf: A real stripped back song with soft vocals accompanied by more sombre piano. The presence of choral support vocals lend it an almost classical sound and while this may not appeal to everything it really shows that Thrice are capable of tackling any musical subject matter. The melody & fairy tale lyrics bring to mind a haunting brother’s Grimm tale but the words could also be interpreted as an anti war analogy ‘The lion’s outside of your door, the wolf’s in your bed, the lion’s claws are sharpened for war, the wolf’s teeth are red’.

Come All You Weary: This is the only earth track to contain drumming from Riley Breckenridge (he must have felt really left out on this EP) which lends the song an extra layer of depth and provides it with the same hypnotic quality as Burn The Fleet (from the Fire EP) . The rich timbre guitar sounds blend perfectly with the husky vocals & fit in with the laid back vibe.

Child Of Dust: The finale to the Alchemy Index doesn’t really live up to the hefty standards set on the previous tracks. Like all the final songs from each volume this ambient track is really a poem about man’s relationship with the elements. Since all these songs contain the same verse structure, vocal melody & chord progression (in a different key) it comes as no surprise that this tracks just as disappointing as the other finales. Interestingly there’s a dramatic cutout of the piano at the half way point with a muffling of vocals that convey the smothering feel of being buried alive. The last minute of silence is a stark ending to the album which symbolises returning to the earth through death (Either that or it could just mean that after 24 songs of The Alchemy Index, Thrice finally ran out of ideas of how to end it).

Final Verdict: The final volume of The Alchemy Index is a perfect example of how to embrace a concept album. While Volume I was fully of intense rage & power it’s lack of uniqueness didn’t really push the band into any new areas. On the flipside the antithetic nature of Volume II resulted in too much digital experimentation that ultimately resulted in a flat and lifeless EP. Fortunately Volume III breaths some new life into The Alchemy Index & perfectly captured the soothing & incorporeal nature of air. Volume IV brought Thrice back to earth with heartfelt acoustic numbers that showcased the spirited nature of the elements. I would definitely rate Volume IV my favorite EP from The Alchemy Index and would place it just under the sublime Vheissu as my favorite Thrice release. The only downside is that they didn’t make this EP into a full album and therefore I can only wait to see where their next evolution of sound will take them.

90/100 pennies

Highlight Tracks (yep pretty much all of them)
Moving Mountains
Digging My Own Grave
The Earth Isn’t Humming
The Lion And The Wolf
Come All You Weary

Anti-flag – The Bright Lights Of America

Published on April 11, 2008 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 3 Comments Tags: , .

Now this is how you make a punk album! Anti-flag received a lot of flack about joining with a major record label on their last release (For Blood & Empire), but all doubts should be forgiven with their newest album The Bright Lights Of America.

This powerful record has plenty of heavy hitting numbers and rousing sing along choruses that will have the blood pumping and the fists raised in the air. Chris Head (guitar), Chris # 2 (bass/vocals), Pat Thetic (drums) and Justine Sane (lead vocals/guitar) all get their moment to shine with plenty of short guitar & drums solo’s that reveal a tight knit band in top form. The introduction of wood block, harmonica, trumpet, piano, violin and some choral backing vocals also contribute towards Anti-flags most diverse sounding album yet.

With tracks like We Are The Lost, Vices and The Modern Rome Burning you know you’re in for a lot of political charged and recalcitrant songs. While previous Anti-flag albums have often overemphasized this message, this time around the band step off their soapbox & replace the preaching with righteous anger and protest inspiring vibes. However unlike some bands (I’m looking at you Fallout Boy), Anti-flag can hardly be accused of jumping on the activist bandwagon since they’ve always worn their hearts on their sleeves. They’ve also been involved in a number of goodwill charities over the years and have recently released a benefit album for victims of violent crimes after Chris #2′s sister was murdered.

This seamlessly flowing record has the rare quality of being a good listen from start to finish with no weak or boring tracks that you’ll need to skip through. A lot of the songs do overplay the chorus aspect, but when they stick in your head this effectively, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The only other downside to the album is Justine’s vocals. Even though he’s improved remarkably from earlier years, I still wouldn’t say that the singing is fantastic (after all this is punk music), but it does convey a message of frustration and anger aimed towards the current state of America.

Overall, The Bright Lights of America is how great punk rock music should sound. Fun, fast, aggressive and with something important to say. While it probably won’t appease those thought their last album was too commercial, it’s a great starting point for those looking to get into their music. I think Pat summed it up best in a recent interview, “We’ve got to do what’s interesting to us. People were saying you’re a punk rock band, if you do this people aren’t going to like you. Fuck ‘em, we don’t care.”

Overall Rating: 85/100 pennies

Highlight Tracks

Good & Ready: This song serves as a perfect introduction to the rest of the album and starts with an acoustic guitar which quickly gives way to the energetic chorus, “You’ll get your’s when your good & ready”. This song has a great anthem quality with plenty of shout along moments and fantastic bass work throughout. A hint of a triangle leads into a major breakdown with bell chimes, some more acoustic and support vocals from a children’s choir.

The Bright Lights Of America: The catchy chorus, pop punk chords and hand claps make this one an ideal candidate for a single. The upbeat harmony and memorable hooks are contrasted with a bleak message of frustration “There are whole houses full, of fucked up kids like you and me, can’t find a way”.

Vices: A song written by Chris #2, to exercise his past demons. “The son of a full time working mother and a molester for a father who lives in the prison for home” “I’m so fucking sick of being ashamed of my own flesh”. More choral work, a mournful piano section and a slow pace give this song an cathartic feel that also serves as a moving eulogy to his sexually abused and murdered sister.

If You Wanna Steal: A fantastic track with resonating guitars and plenty of high hat action reminiscent of the arctic monkeys, but with an extra dose of anger to complement it’s anti-capitalistic message. The drumming, guitars and lyrics meld perfectly into an infectious dance beat melody that has become my favorite song on the album.

No Warning: A count in leads into a song about apathy and being influenced by public opinion. The rumbling drums and crashing cymbal work are the real highlights of the track and give it a vibrant angry beat. A chaotic clanging of sirens and an echo of “Hey’s” make you stand up and take notice, ” This is critical mass destruction”.

Spit In Your Face: This vehement track begins with a gritty and brief piano section that is shattered with thunderous drumming and guitar shredding. The rapid fire riffs then grab you by the neck and spin you around with some hard hitting vocals. This breakneck tempo is relentlessly continued for 4 minutes until it’s partially slowed down by a guitar solo and more piano work. The caustic message about greed should appeal to old school fans as it sounds similar to material (Drink, Drank Punk) on their first release Die For The Government.

We Are The Lost: This epic track brings down the pace with some string work and another chorus anthem supported by a trumpet. This one should appeal to the disenfranchised and lonely with lyrics like “Each station filled with static. Broadcasting nothing but noise”.

The Smartest Bomb: An anti war song that hits the mark without retreading on old ground. “You’re so disposable, real life video game. Sit down-line up-knuckle down-shut up”. Roaring vocals, bell chimes and a staccato beat drive the chorus home ” They won’t miss you when you’re gone, when your heart stops beating and pumping blood”.

Shadows Of The Dead: Starts with a foreboding bass solo which leads into trumpet blasts and gunfire guitar strings. At the 2 minute mark the instruments cut out and Justine’s monotone voice carries the chorus “As I walk through the valley in the shadow of the dead, will you remember them?”. While the message isn’t as striking as previous songs, the tempo changes keep things interesting. The track ends with a foreboding cello that segues perfectly into the final track.

The Ink & Quill (Be Afraid): Continues the war theme from the last two songs and indicts greedy corporations who benefit from the suffering of others. This song shares similarities with the opening track and contains stirring verses complemented with interesting riffs and powerful drumming. Lightning crashes, a marching drumbeat and the return of the children’s choir at the half way point herald the apocalyptic ending “Be afraid, be afraid… be very afraid of the coming nightmare”.

Pennywise – A Reason To Believe

Published on April 7, 2008 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 2 Comments Tags: , .

While the last albums I reviewed (Panic At The Disco’s:Pretty Odd and Millencolin’s:Machine 15) showed a dramatic or a subtle change in sound, the 8th album from Pennywise shows absolutely no change from the music that they were playing back in the 90′s. They even unashamedly reference this on the intro song, with the lines “Competitive, narcissistic you know we’re not going to change”.

I was originally going to say give Pennywise some credit for how they’ve released this album for free over myspace. However, I was left with a slightly bitter taste in my mouth after finding out that you have to sign up to myspace & add the mobile phone parasite company Textango as a friend (just think of all those annoying ads on TV).

It’s albums like this that explain why I was never a massive fan of Pennywise. This is the worst kind of punk music as it’s stereotypical, stagnant and despite the rapid fire speed actually kind of boring. The first time I heard the album I couldn’t even stomach listening to the whole thing and switched it off after only getting to the ½ way point. It’s sounds like someone’s flicked the switch on a mechanical drum & guitar machine for 40 min and it’s impossible to distinguish when one track finishes & the next one starts. This means nearly every song sounds the same and there’s little sense of melody or diversity found on the album.

However if you’re to judge the songs on an individual basis you may get a bit more out of them including the first track As Long As We Can which is actually one of the highlights on the album and builds up from a slow beginning to a powerhouse chorus with a breakdown thrown in for good measure. This is followed on by the thrash track One Reason with contains some heavy guitar chords and thundering drum work that complements the chorus with some Wooah’s and yeah’s throw in for good measure. There are plenty more of these melodic vocals on the rest of the album and while I’m normally a huge sucker for sing along sections, they just don’t seem to do it for me & instead come across as sounding repetitive and desperate after first couple of tracks. The only other track that stands out is their single The Western Wall, which the band describes as being their most commercial song yet. In the end it still sounds pretty ordinary and their old school singles Alien or Fuck Authority are much better.

It’s a shame that this record is so disappointing as I really thought their last two underrated releases (The Fuse & From The Ashes) were really good and finally showed some progression for the band. The breakdowns, changes in pace & anthem nature of these songs show how good Pennywise could be, but only go to highlight how bad their latest record is. The band actually stated in an interview that they had written about 60 songs for this album and it’s therefore a bit baffled why they chose so many songs that sound the same. Overall A Reason to Believe is an utterly forgettable album that I doubt will get many plays on my ipod (I struggled to get through it 4 times for this review). Alright I’ve burned this album enough, now for something completely better.

Highlight Tracks

  • As long As We Can
  • One Good Reason
  • The Western Wall

Overall Rating

60/100 Pennies

Millencolin – Machine 15

Published on April 5, 2008 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 2 Comments Tags: , .

Machine 15

Australia was actually the first country to receive the machine (just like Pennybridge Pioneers & Home From Home) & we’ve been lucky enough to hear it weeks before anywhere else. They must really love our country as they also decided to kick off their album tour here first.

Machine 15 is Millencolin’s eight album release and refers to the Swedish punk rockers racking up an impressive fifteen years together. As such, the album seems to contain a general theme of reflecting on life and moving on to the future. After departing from their ska musical style in early years, Millencolin have undergone little change over the years but their latest record pushes their punk rock music into a more melodic area.

Brand New Game references this change and contains allegories to earlier albums or songs, “Fork & Plate” (Life On A Plate), “Greener Side” (Grass Is Greener),”Twenty two” , “Lozin Must” and “Fingers Crossed”. The track Machine 15 also sounds very similar to their work on Kingwood and is full of great power riffs and a catchy chorus. Detox is similar to their old pop punk favorite Fox and has a bouncy beat and subtle piano kick that’s for all the music lovers out there “She thinks it’s time for your detox. She wants romance but you want guitars” “Your an addictive to the audio, a chronic record lover, who feeds off the stereo”.

Done Is Done introduces some string work from the Swedish chamber orchestra and is a welcome addition that progresses the band into new territory. The dominant drumming, cymbals and violin hit the mark at all the appropriate moments and make it Millencolins most epic song to date. This is complemented with tracks like Brand New Game, Come On, Route One & Vicious Circle which take influences from Nikolas’s solo material and slow down the tempo with tales about relationships or family.

The most effective of these personal tracks is Ducks & Drakes which uses string work and moving lyrics to make a tribute to Nikola’s brother who disapeared 3 years ago without a trace “When bells ring out for those who die, I try to say one last goodbye” “ The thorn will always be in my side”. Saved By Hell maintains the slow pace with more sting work and guitar solos that weave a tale about domestic violence.

Who’s Laughing now is one of my favorite tracks from the album and has a hard hitting beat, harmonic vocals and a sticking chorus that really leaves it’s mark after a number of listens. This is contrasted with the simple track, Broken world which doesn’t significancantly add anything to the well worn issue of global problems, “A broken world well ain’t that a bummer”. There’s also another couple of filler tracks such as Danger For Stranger & Turnkey Paradise, which lack memorable riffs and hold this album back from being perfect.

Overall Machine 15 is an album that accentuates the message of moving on in life and subtlely progresses Millencolin into areas while still retaining a few songs that old fans will be instantly familiar with. While the Orchestral work could have been more pronounced its presence makes the album slowly build on you after a number of listens and show the more melodic side of the band. While not as good as their classic album Pennybridge Pioneers, it sits comfortably between Home From Home and Kingswood with a new style that is best summarised by Millencolin “I would rather take the road less traveled than face shit I already know”.

Highlight Tracks

  • Machine 15
  • Done Is Done
  • Detox
  • Route One
  • Who’s Laughing Now

Overall Rating: 80/100

Panic At The Disco: Pretty. Odd. album review

Published on April 1, 2008 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 6 Comments Tags: , .

I was really baffled when listening to the aptly titled Pretty Odd for the first time. What’s this? No trace of synthesiser or electronic driven music and no frantic crunching of as many lyrics as they could into a verse. Throughout the whole running time I kept listening out for even one track that contained a trace of their old style. Nope, guess they lied when they stated in the introduction song (We’re So Starving) “You don’t have to worry because we’re still the same band”. This whole album is such a wide departure from their previous style that it will definitely have many listeners wondering if this album is an attempt at an April Fools joke.

Pretty Odd, sees the band experimenting in a number of different styles and pulling out every trick in their music repertoire with violin, cello, trumpet, piano, tambourine, ukulele, fiddles, banjo, harmonica and organ. Folkin’ Around see the band delving into country territory, while She Had The World has them trying out a renaissance sound and I Have Friends In Holy Places sees them tackling a Dixie land tune. Despite these additions most of the tracks lack the infectiously energetic pace found on their last release and are largely forgettable. The only exceptions are the grandiose & upbeat single Nine In The Afternoon and the increased tempo of tracks That Green Gentleman and Mad Rabbit, which finally add a little bit of fun to the proceedings.

It’s a shame that Panic have undergone such a dramatic change in style as somewhere along the line they’ve lost an exclamation mark to their name and forgotten to include more entertaining material. While some of their previous work was overwhelming and overproduced at least it was notoriously catchy and fun.

In the end Panic At The Disco seems to have traded in their pretentious pop music style for an attempt at orchestral music that ironically feels dull & lifeless. At it’s best; the album could be called a failed Beatles imitation (it was mixed at Abbey Rd Studios), while at it’s worst it just sounds boring. If listen to this album with no preconceptions you might appreciate the mellow sounds more than I did.

Pretty odd? More like pretty shit.

Final rating: 50/100 pennies

Breed Obsession review

Published on March 19, 2008 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 1 Comment

Get ready because Daniel Sanders (vocals/guitar), Zoran Trivic (guitar/piano), Brad Campbell (bass) and Rob Nassif (Drums) are about to hit the big time with their newest release Breed Obsession.

This is Gyroscope’s 3rd album and follows on from their 2005 sophomore release Are you involved, which was recorded in LA by producer/mixer Mark Trombino (The Living End, Blink 182 & Jimmy Eat World). While this album perfectly showcased the tight knit and energetic nature of the band, Zoran has recently admitted that Mark’s production was “very clinical, in that they recorded with the drums first, then we come to lay down guitar tracks for the drums, [with] the vocals sort of put on at the end”.

This inflexible method may explain why Gyroscope parted ways with Mark and decided to record the initial Breed Obsession tracks (Snakeskin) at the RnR studio in South Australia. When they sent this demo material to producer Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers), they receiving the thumbs up and headed over to the UK for the first time to record the remaining tracks at the Elevator studio in Liverpool.

The free form environment and recording process allowed each of the band members to jam in their own circle of power (basically a string of lights) and feed off each other’s rock vibes. This style lends the album an infectious enthusiasm and energy that captures the feeling of a live Gyroscope set. Dave summarises the new album as “A really eclectic record with heavier than Foo Fighters riffing at one end to beautiful Beatles‘y acoustic songs at the other taking in a Pink Floyd homage along the way”. I think this record really rocks!”

After hearing some of the new material at a recent gig I can also attest that Gyroscopes new material will seaminglessly blend into their future set lists. The heavy hitting Snakeskin, 1981 and Weapon, Enemy, Friend are instant rock classics while the diverse sounds of Her Design and Polyphones & multidors add further strength to an already impressive repertoire.

Track Rundown

Snakeskin: What a great start to the album. It probably needs little introduction, as it’s received plenty of radio play after its release back in November 2007. Since then it’s picked up a number of accolades including being voted to the # 16 spot on Triple J Hottest 100 and being the # 1 most requested song on Triple J’s Super request and JTV programs. Recently it also won two WAMi awards including most popular single and most popular music video. They recorded the later in a crop circle in Wiltshire, South London (the same field featured on the front of the Led zeppelin Remasters album).

This heavily layered track begins with a simple piano piece from Zoran and some soft vocals from Daniel. The subtle drumming then bridges into the epic chorus that’s belted out with typical Gyroscope passion. This fantastic track contains all the bands signature sounds that fans have come to love including breakdowns, catchy guitar hooks & a screaming chorus. The heavily layered sounds (a subtle bell ring in the background) and production quality also manage to showcase their progression and what to expect on the rest of the album.

All In On One: The resonating off key guitar chords and angst filled lyrics provide a darker tone than some of Gyro’s previous work while still retaining a catchy vibe. When the chorus comes around you’ll probably be singing along with the lines “Hey, hey I admit I messed you up, I truly thought you would learn by now!” With a running time of 3.20 this one shouts out more hey’s & woe’s than a horse rider (26 to be exact), which will undoubtedly make it a popular live choice.

These Days: A simply classic guitar riff from Zoran starts things off while a ticking drumbeat supplements Daniels “Un, Deux, Trois” count in. Memorable guitar chords and tight drumming perfectly complement what will surely become another Gyroscope classic. The sing along chorus “I’ll figured out your name come morning, but your scent is something I should know, ” has been stuck in my head for days.

Australia: This is essentially a romantic ballad about home which was obviously written while on tour overseas “Such a long, long way back home”. The subtle drumbeats and acoustic guitar supplement Daniel’s vocals and the string work (Violin & Cello), gives this song some extra depth. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it some more before next Australia day. While the passive beat and absence of a catchy chorus do slightly interrupt the albums momentum this song shows that the bands equal capable of creating melodic numbers as well as the harder hitting ones.

O.K: A creepy baseline starts with the words “You know that window in your basement, I used to sleep outside it. Now I’m inside hiding from you”. The reverberating vocals and thudding guitar chords work well at conveying the stalker motif but also hold it back from reaching it’s full potential. An accelerated rhythm or some classic Gyro screaming would have really made this track something special but in the end the title of the song sums it up best, just O.K.

Weapon. Enemy. Friend: A killer bass chord kicks things off before the drums throw you into the gritty beat. This is the most straight up rock track on the album with powerful lyrics “ I shot the shit, I fucked the fake” and plenty of thrash heavy guitar chords. Just like O.K, there are plenty of creepy vocals but they slide more into the background this time and let the instruments do the talking. When I first heard this song at their last gig, the distinct jam session at the end of the song really stood out and had the whole band feeding off each other. Now that I’m more familiar with this fantastic number I can’t wait to hear it again live.

Polyphones & Multidors: This one just oozes atmosphere and has a real unique style unlike anything the boys have tried before. The slight jazz melody and relaxed structure gives this song a laid back breezy vibe. As usual Daniels fantastic singing melds perfectly into the guitars, which provide an interesting droning accompaniment. This highly atmospheric song will undoubtedly become one of my favorites.

The River Between: The subdued tempo and lack of distinct guitar tune make this song initially difficult to absorb. It seems to be missing the spark of previous song and only grabs your attention in the final minute when the pace picks up and some yodeling like vocals appear. I’m still undecided on this one and may need a few more listens before I make up my mind.

Her Design: Another enjoyable acoustic track that starts off with some Tambourine. While the chorus is rather repetitive it’s to Daniel’ credit that he can pull off lines like “Girl you look so good in the evening light, when the moon is right and the stars are bright”, without sounding sappy or cliché. At its roots it’s obviously a love song but the country like melody and background siren sound give this one a slightly hypnotic ambiance.

1981: Their second single starts with an electronic drumbeat that quickly shifts into gear with some crashing symbols and some tight guitar work. Rob’s industrious drumming is the real highlight of this track and help complement the catchy as hell hooks and the chorus “Pain won’t go away, even when the drugs say, I won’t forget”. It took me a while to get my head around the synthesiser style beat but this song has now become my favorite from the album.

Silver Heart: A moody sounding track with twanging guitar and thudding drums that picks up some speed and screaming vocals along the way. Brad gets a chance to show off his excellent bass skills while the collective shout of “Roof top, shout it out” gives everyone’s vocals a good workout.

Time: This multi layered finale is a fitting end to the album and demonstrates that Gyroscope have truly evolved into a dynamic and mature quartet. The masterful piano work and ambient sound effects evoke an ethereal Pink Floyd feel and Daniels singing reaches all new heights. Every time I hear the lyrics “Like a candle in the window” I’m reminded of the Elton John song and I can already imagine the fans swaying with their lighters out at the next concert.

After giving Breed Obsession a number of solid listens I can undoubtedly say that Gyroscope have smashed my expectations. They’ve delivered a memorable and diverse rock album with a perfect mixture of light and heavy music that should appeal to a broad demographic of listeners. The high production values also push the band into some new and interesting areas while still delivering the distinct Gyro sounds that fans have come to love.

As of writing the Breed Obsession album has now hit the #1 spot in the ARIA charts after it’s first week of release. Well done guys!

Gyroscope: Number 1 with a Bullet

Published on March 17, 2008 in Albums and Gigs. 1 Comment

x229y229I want to give a huge shout out to our boys Gyroscope who’s newest album Breed Obsession debuted at number #1 on the Aria charts.

I would also like to take credit in shooting the guys to superstardom as I bought their album twice. You’re welcome guys!

Their album has been getting rave reviews and was also the feature album on Triple J. Also being featured on the AFL ads for Channel 10 Gyroscope have been getting maximum exposure and it’s paid off.

I won’t be doing an album review in this post but Breed Obsession is yet another quality release which following on from Are You Involved? showcases a mature Gyroscope experimenting with new sounds while still doing what they do best.

After recently knocking off the Pre-Obsession Tour Gyroscope aren’t stopping for a breath before hitting the road again for the Breed Obsession Tour.

Gyroscope Breed Obsession Tour

Fri May 02 – Bar 388, Brisbane QLD (18+)

Thu May 08 – Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River WA (18+)

Fri May 09 – The Prince of Wales, Bunbury WA (18+)

Sat May 10 – The Capitol, Perth WA (18+)

Wed May 14 – Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide SA (Licensed All Ages)

Fri May 16 – The Metro, Sydney NSW (Licensed All Ages)

Sat May 17 – The Hi-Fi Bar and Ballroom, Melbourne VIC (18+)

Sun May 18 – The Hi-Fi Bar and Ballroom, Melbourne VIC (Under 18 only, doors 1pm)

Tickets are available through gyroscope.com and the usual outlets.

Cover it up

Published on January 8, 2008 in Albums and Random Stuff. 1 Comment

Ok, my as my last post was so large I thought I would put something up that doesn’t require any reading.

The following link contains some of the funniest album covers ever, so make sure you check it out.

There’s a sneak peak so you know what your in for.

Rat On! cover

Album of the year nominations

Published on December 14, 2007 in Albums, Best of 2007 and Music. 1 Comment

The first category in the ‘Best Of’ awards is for album of the year.

This year there’s been a lot of talk about the tumultuous state of the music industry and how record sales are rapidly declining due to file-sharing (sounds dirty if you call it illegal downloads) and the ability of bands being able to distribute their music through websites such as myspace. Record companies have recently tried to recuperate their losses by introduce a policy where they will only sign bands that agree to give them a share in their touring and merchandise profits. This could potentially screw over bands struggling to make a living and hopefully this desperate measure will backfire on them.

In retaliation big names like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have shaken the music industry by splitting with their major labels and deciding to release their music in a pay as you see fit principle. Hopefully this distribution method will be the way of the future and the big record labels will face the music (pun intended) and realise that their blood sucking days of fucking over bands are numbered.

Thankfully despite all the doom and gloom in the music business there’s still been a lot of great music releases this year. Classic bands such as Bad Religion, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Strung Out and Reel Big Fish have shown they’re still capable of kicking it 10 years later, while relative newcomers Bloc Party, Kings Of Leon and A Wilhelm Scream showed they’re more than one hit wonders with their releases.

Against Me! who were previously applauding for their independent releases ended up coping a lot of flak from fans by joining with a studio label on their ‘New Wave’ album, while The Smashing Pumpkins (well 2 of the original members anyway) made a come back with their album ‘Zeitgeist’.

My favorite band The Mad Caddies released their reggae/dixieland style album ‘Keep It Going’ while Thrice released the first two parts (Fire & Water) of a unique 4 part concept album based on the elements.

While local releases were rather scarce (come on Gyroscope, where’s your new album?), Powderfinger, Grinspoon and my new favorite Australian band Horsell Common showed that the Oz music scene is still alive.

Hopefully this rundown of my favorite albums of the year has given you a few ideas and to jog your memory I’ve also included a list of all 2007 releases I have on my ipod below. As people’s choice in music is often more diverse than mine (I love punk), tell me what you’ve been digging this year and I’ll add it to the list.

1. AFI: I heard a voice – Live from long beach
2. Against Me: New Wave
3. Anberlin: Lost Songs
4. Bad Religion: New maps of hell
5. Billy Talent: 666
6. Bloc Party: A weekend in the city
7. Dropkick Murphy’s: The meanest of times
8. Fall Out Boy: Infinity on high
9. Flatliners: The great awakening
10. Foo Fighters: Echoes, patience, silence and grace
11. Grinspoon: Alibies and other lies
12. Horsell Common: The rescue
13. Jimmy Eat World: Chase this light
14. Kings Of Leon: Because of the times
15. The Mad Caddies: Keep it going
16. MxPx: Secret Weapon
17. Nine Inch Nails: Year zero
18. NoFx: They’ve actually gotten worse live
19. Operator Please: Yes Yes Vindictive
20. Powderfinger: Dream days at the hotel existence
21. Queens Of The Stone Age: Era Vulgaris
22. The White Stripes: Icky thump
23. Radiohead: In Rainbows
24. Reel Big Fish: Monkeys for nothing and the chimps for free
25. The Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist
26. Streetlight Manifesto: Somewhere in the between
27. Stung Out: Blackhawks over Los Angeles
28. Sum 41: Underclass hero
29. Thrice: Alchemy index – Fire & Water
30. A Wilhelm Scream: Career Suicide
31. Yellowcard: Paper walls

Tis the season to be lazy

Published on November 29, 2007 in Albums, Music and Reviews. 0 Comments

Ok its that time of the year when bands try cash in on the holiday season and release a number of new lazy album’s. While I usually expect a lot of half arsed best of’s this year is slightly improved with a selection of live recordings from Billy Talent, AFI and NoFX.
It also looks like record label Tooth and Nail are trying to exploit their previous connection with Anberlin by releasing a B-side compilation. In keeping with the slacker theme I’ve decided to only give these new albums a general writeup instead of track by track reviews.

'They've Actually Gotten Worse Live' cover art

NoFx’s new release titled ‘They’ve actually gotten worse live’ is a bit misleading as it’s better than their previous live effort ‘I heard they suck live’.

The first couple of tracks You’re wrong and Franco un-american from their last two albums sound really good live and even though they reflect their current trend of writing religious and political songs they don’t come across as wanky or contrived. Maybe I’m just getting old but some of the more puerile songs just don’t sound as good as these early tracks.

It’s not a one off thing as they did the same when I saw them live this year but the amount of banter and crapping on in between songs detracts a little from the album. I don’t know if this is due to the fact that they’re over 50 now and don’t have the stamina to play a full set or whether it’s all the booze consumed during the show that’s to blame. Also a lot of the jokes seem to miss the mark and the only amusing parts are when they hang shit on a red head and when they sing a birthday song to someone in the crowd with the lines “happy birthday you’re a crack whore, you’re a fucking shithead”.

Throughout the albums there’s a number of songs that have a different cadence than the original versions. While The glass wars, Eat the meek, Whoops I OD’d sound better, We march to the beat of indifferent drums doesn’t fare as well. In the middle of the set list Nofx also showcase their renowned ability to play 9 nonsensical songs in 6 minutes including; Monosyllabic girl, See her pee and Can’t get the stink out.

Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t really reach the same heights again and I assume this is due to the joint that Fat Mike smokes during the show. Before the final song his vocals are even more gravelly and out of key than normal and the last few tracks lack the energy present in the beginning. It’s also a bit disappointing that they don’t play more of their classic songs like Don’t call me white, Bottles to the ground, My vagina or The brews. However the real kick in the balls in felt when they state at the end that they’re going to play their longest song and the crowd goes crazy expecting the 10 minute song The Decline. Unfortunately they only play about 1 minute of this track before it fades out and the album finishes. If the full song was included I would have rated this album much higher, but as it is it’s still a great release that captures the essence of what NoFx’s live shows are all about.

Final Verdict: 7.5/10

'666' cover art

Next up is the Billy Talent live effort titled ’666′ which was recorded this year in Düsseldorf Germany. For the fans it’s definitely excellent value for money as it clocks in round the 65 min mark and contains all their biggest songs off their last two self titled albums I and II (not very original named but they seem to have a thing with numbers).

Like the rest of these recent live recordings the sound quality is superb and really captures the energy they put into all their songs. However unlike NoFX’s live session there’s little banter between the band and crowd but they seem to lap up the music none the less and shout along at all the appropriate moments. I suppose the only negative thing I can say about this album is that the vocals of the lead singer Benjamin Kowalewicz can be rather grating and his constant shouting makes it hard to tell what the hell he’s actually singing about. I actually thing the support vocals are better than the lead and the songs where the screaming is toned down are much better than other tracks on the album. These include the highlight songs ; Standing In The Rain, The Navy Song, Worker Bees, The Ex, Prisoner Of Today, Fallen Leaves and Red Flag.

Unfortunately the wining baby screams annoyed me after about 1/2 hr of listening but if you can get past this aspect then you may enjoy this album more than I did. Also keep an eye out for the DVD version which should also be good bang for your buck as it contains all the footage of the above mentioned show and also a show played at Brixton Academy (wherever the hell that is).

Final Verdict: 7/10

Live from long beach arena

The other new live album release is from AFI and is appropriately titled, ‘I Heard A Voice: Live From Long Beach’. The 18 tracks present cover all their career’s work and should please both new and long term fans. You can actually tell straight away that this was their biggest headlining show as the audience really sounds massive and contributes quite a lot to the sound of some of the songs. The instrumental work provided by piano’s and synthesizers also add a great atmosphere to the album. The best songs are those that feed off the energy of crowd and include; God called in sick today, Girls not gray, The day’s of the phoenix, Endlessly, she said, The missing frame and their radio friendly number that shot them to the big time Miss Murder.

Just like the Billy Talent release the only major downside to this album is the singing of the lead singer Davey Havok. Even though AFI are renowned for their ‘screamo’ style the strained coarse screaming got on my nerves at times especially during their song Death of seasons which is my least favorite off the album. After listening to their American accents they come across as sounding like spoiled whiny kids more than anything else and at at times I just wanted to give Davey a strepsal and say “Cheer up emo your makeups running”. Anyway if you’re a big AFI fan you’ll probably disagree and you’ll be sure to love this album.

Final Verdict: 8/10

'Lost Songs' Cover Art

Anberlin’s latest album titled ‘Lost Songs’ is a bit misleading as most of tracks have been floating around the net for quite a while and were downloadable long before Tooth and Nail decided to milk a band that had already left their company.

Personally I’ve never enjoyed Anberlin’s slower work and this album just has too many bland and uninterested tracks such as Uncanny and The Haunting which should have stayed on the cutting room floor. The only song to have enough rock grunt is the Downtown song which is a B-side track from their Never Take Friendship Personally album. There is actually another rock track titled Baby please come home, but it’s Christmas theme is too cheesy for it to be enjoyable.

Most of the album is filled with acoustic renditions of previous songs that really highlight the excellent singing ability of Stephen Christian (A day late, Cadence and Dismantle.Repair). However as I’m not an acoustic fan most of these songs are just too boring. The only version that I like is Naive New Orleans while the same cannot be said for the lackluster AOL session of The unwinding cable cart which lacks the epic build up and choral work present in the original.

The album is salvaged somewhat by the rough demo versions of Driving and Readyfuels and covers of Enjoy the silence (Depeche mode), Creep (Radiohead) and I promise (When In Rome) which are just as enjoyable as the originals. The bonus track is also worth a listen as it’s a fun rendition of Glass to the arson carried out on Nintendo style synthesisers (kinda like mario bros.)

Overall this album just doesn’t do it for me as it lacks the energy that Anberlin are usually capable of. However if you enjoy acoustic music or you’re a big fan who wants all their B-side material in one place then this record should belong in your collection.

Overall Verdict: 6/10 (+1 if you like acoustic music).

Well as usual I’ve crapped on too much, gone way over length and should really get back to work. Feel free to leave your opinions or any comments on what you’ve been listening to at the moment.