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Realm - Suiciety (2006)

Realm were a progressive-thrash metal group that left the scene almost as quickly as they showed up after two albums, their debut Endless War and this 1990 release, the pretty cool titled Suiciety. They were often lumped into the Bay-Area American thrash scene of the 80's and early 90's, but their progressive intent does seem to negate that to an extent. Still, at it's heart, this album is a massive (a somewhat too-massive, atypical sort of) beast of pure-blooded thrash. It's influences are both the progressive rock that was prevalant all throughout the 80's and the hardcore punk that injected metal with a healthy dose of pure adrenaline during the same period.

Suiciety is anchored by the twin-guitar assault of Takis Kinis and Paul Laganowski, who's punchy, ballsy riffs and sharp ear for melody highlight the majority of these fast-paced rockers. "Cain Rose Up (Scream Bloody Murder" is a helluva opener, the grinding intro giving way to furious proto-blast beats and technically swift leads. The rhythm section is spot-on throughout, but acts as mostly a driving force instead of puffing itself up as the rest of the band tends to do. Good or bad thing, depending on who's listening. Other memorable tracks include the Megadeth-ish "Gateway", "Dick" and "Energetic Discontent". The 9-minute title track is hit-or-miss, taking way too much time to make a point that would've taken half that time to really get across. This re-issue also includes a cover of King Crimson's "One More Red Nightmare", one of my favorite KC tracks. It's done admirably here, but doesn't much benefit from the Realm treatment. It is what it is.

And that's pretty much what I've made of this record. It sounds not so much similar to other thrash acts of it's time, but maybe not as polished or focused. The music tends to be more of an overload of ideas lapped atop one another rather than truly memorable songs, and as such it's more likely to appeal to those who live for the technical aspects of their music, namely the skills of their favorite guitarists and such. They might have influenced a band or two to look deeper at their pure skills with their instruments, and for that I still should like to thank Realm for doing what they did. Progressive metal has been refined to the point of near mastery today, but bands like this helped paved the way. 

Mars - Mars Lp (2008)

Mars was one of those NYC No-Wave bands that helped take apart punk, give it an  angular, kinda sleazy

intellectual vibe, and pave the way for genres like New Wave and shoegazing that were much worse

than the original intention. Here, though, we can listen in on those  heady days when everything seemed

possible and the only people who werent in bands were those too  afraid to pick up an instrument.

Everything was possible, and all for the low low price of two chords!

Though the band made a significant appearance on Brian Eno's seminal "No Wave New York"

compilation, Mars didn't make much of dent before their demise."Mars" collects their complete studio

recordings from 1977-78, eleven tracks of atonal goodness that all sound as if they are about to

disintegrate into either noise or irrelevance. Yet, to their credit, for at best rudimentary musicians,

they did know when to end a tune, as well as to sense a moment when something interesting was

happening, and to let it happen. That deliberate trainwreck makes "11,000 Volts" and "3E" burst with

Velvets-esque tension. On all the tracks, especially on "Puerto-Rican Ghost," the dark, obnoxiously

droning bass of Mark Cunningham is the musical hero. The vocals tend to be screaming or whispered,

 and either grate or distract from the music. Guitarist Sumner Crane's lyrics are psychotic haikus,

which suits the tunes just fine.

 For a band that allegedly first picked up instruments only at their initial rehearsal, Mars cover a lot of

sonic ground, from Ubu-esque skronk to noise to ponderous art-jams. "Mars LP is a period piece, yes,

Sir Victor Uwaifo - Guitar-Boy Superstar 1970-1976 (2008)

Lo and behold, right in the middle of my recent obsession with African funk, this drops into my lap. Sir

Victor Uwaifo is surely one of the smoothest, funkiest MFs you will ever hear. "Guitar Boy Superstar" is a

generous survey of what made the man THE MAN. Damn, Nigeria must have been a greqt place before

the shooting started.

Apparently the man has used every ounce of his time with us, from making his own guitar at twelve, to

being at various times a poet, painter, sculptor and Commissioner for Culture; this openness and daring

more than applies to music.

From smooth soul jams like "Kirikisi" to the testifying psych-funk of "Idogo," which features an opening

ode to booze in English, followed by a killer mellow groove that blends into a crazy guitar riff and tribal

call & response goodness. The hypnotic drone of "Edge Natete" is holy and loose, like the Grateful Dead

in theory as opposed to in reality. A tasty horn section mimics the main riff, then takes off on its own.

Throughout the nineteen tracks, whether working up a sweat and kicking it down to slow dance mode,

Uwaifo's playing is sweet and ragged, and full of soul. He appears to mastered whatever he was hearing

both locally and from abroad in the early to mid 1970s, though there is nothing retro here-it is all

serious party music.

Pick up "Guitar-Boy Superstar" and meet your new guitar hero, one who doesn't overpower, but

saturates tunes with his tone and imaginative riffs. You need to know Sir Victor.

Hayaino Daisuki - Headbanger's Karaoke Club Dangerous Fire (2008)

Grindcore fans rejoice; former underground legends Discordance Axis vocalist Jon Chang is back in the fold with two new projects; GridLink and Hayaino Daisuki. This 3-piece incarnation seems more of an outlet for Chang's varied metal influences. Headbanger's Karaoke Club Dangerous Fire (an odd title for an album, to be sure) has grind all over it's 4 tracks but the riffing and tempos transform from the extreme into the extremely dark and...gasp...melodic! At times sounding like Pig Destroyer covering Motorhead or perhaps what Dragonforce would sound like if they lost all the cheese and found the real metal within. Hah.

The sheer excitement in the speed of these four tracks is enough of a selling point to just wrap this review up now for any extreme metal fan, but it's the ample amount of top-notch melodies in the riffs of Takafumi Matsubara. This guy has the kind of chops that should turn him into a name not quite on par with the sissified likes of Herman Li or whoever that dude is, but definitely more knowledgable of the sounds of heavy metal and how to turn a solo into more than a wankfest. The only distracting force, for me, is the intensity of Chang's vocals. After even four tracks, however surprisingly long for their genre they are, my senses are somewhat dulled by the constant cat-in-distress shrieks. I suppose this music demands it, and it's a pleasant change from the death-grunts and roars we're all so used to.

I can't see much of anything wrong with this release. While not re-inventing the wheel, it deftly combines a few different styles of songwriting into a fast-paced juggernaut of an EP. Hopefully this is the sign of more to come from both Hayaino Daisuki and the metal-morphed mind of Jon Chang. 

The K's - Can't Get It Together (2007)

The K's are a pop-rock group playing out of NYC, featuring Dan Kilian (singer-songwriter) currently found in the Louisville, KY band The Uglies. Can't Get It Together is their 2nd release so far. It's a hefty slab of well-played pop, featuring a horn section that adds some effective soul and groove. Certain songs stand out as especially well-written, while sadly a good half of the album is more or less the expected funk-infused rock they introduce early. It's only when they deviate from the expected that they really catch your attention.

Luckily, the opening title track is one of those tracks, coming off as someone playing a Beatles record while slowly melting it down to nothing. Dan's a better songwriter than he is a vocalist, but his voice at least sounds good mixed with the constant backing singers creating smooth harmonies to hum along to. The album really starts to shine between the 7th (The laid-back jamming "Good Man (Most of the Time)) and 9th (the darker and somewhat familiar "We're Never Getting Out Of Here") songs. In between is the excellent "The Mosquito". the best dose of power-pop to be found on the record. 

Overall there's alot of material you'll be able to see coming, but it won't stop your toes from tapping along. You'll be amply impressed by the solid song craftmanship, and you'll realize when it comes to this type of nostalgic pop rock, few bands can make it their own and you won't fault The K's for not quite pulling it off. They still offer a pleasant and persistent bunch of numbers on Can't Get It Together, and it's worth checking out for any pop adorer, especially those still stuck on the sounds of The Beatles, Beach Boys and those from a not-so-long-gone era of rock'n'roll. 

Anthony Green - Avalon (2008)

Here is what fans of Circa Survive have been waiting for. Almost super-human vocalist Anthony Green finally released his solo album, Avalon. With an unmatched vocal range and lyrics that would make your heart melt this is an album that has been in the works for years and years. Legions of fans have been waiting to find out what he would do. And thus, he made a folk album with a sprinkle of a pop feeling ("Dear Child I've Been Dying To Reach You"). 

Avalon starts with a folky love song entitled "She Loves Me So." With flowing and twangy guitars it is a perfect start to a incredible album. Now we move on to the first single and in my opinion the best track of the album, "Dear Child (I've Been Dying To Reach You). Impressive in every way Green delivers one of his best performances period. The esoteric lyrics and vocal delivery are some of the best of his career and are full of conviction and passion. Followed up by a gem of a song dubbed "Drug Dealer" which is a stripped down track dealing with self-hate and self medication. Followed by songs like "Stonehearted Man," "Miracle Sun," and "Califone" the album transitions beautifully into its' more folky and raw (the word being used in the best way possible) second half. A track called "Slowing Down" is easily the most personal and emotional track of the album. It tells a tale of a failing relationship and honestly shows you another side to Green's demeanor. Not only is this album amazing but after the first 11 tracks is an included EP and another Five demos or so. This album is arguably perfect and a high point of his career. In short Anthony Green's Avalon is not something you want to miss. 

They And The Children - Home (2008)

The east-coast hardcore movement stretches throughout a number of states, and the 90's Connecticut HC movement has spawned many an imitator and even an innovator or two. The scene is alive and kicking today, with new bands making graceful entrances (and exits) seemingly daily. One of the newest into the fray is CT's own They And The Children, dropping their debut full-length Home just last month. While a pure hardcore album at heart, there are ample amounts of melody and groove injected throughout that seem to call to a higher set of priorities than your typical hardcore punk outfit.

Over the 8 songs, the boys in They And The Children bounce around like nobody's business, tearing things up and doing it with a careful sense of engaging songwriting, so as to leave you on the edge of your seat throughout. Any great album should be bookended by great tracks, and this one is, with opener "Mechanical" slamming the pedal to the metal with some tasty groove-centric licks through, and closer "Gift" is an absolute monster clocking in at a surprising 9+ minutes (and oddly enough for a hardcore release, there are two such tracks, the only being the also excellent "Invisible" which comes in at a little under 9 minutes). In between are ample shots of HC. The vocals are the only real generic thing to be found, nothing too special but certainly fitting. The songwriting abilities of the band, coupled with the guitarists' brilliant sense of timing and rhythm, make almost every song stand out as memorable.

Debuts like this are always a treat. When a band comes out of nowhere with a clearly defined sound, however similar it may be to anyone else's, it's worth mentioning. While they take their cues from bands such as Converge, it's clear to see that They And The Children are trying to make waves on their own terms. This is one hardcore band you'll have to keep your eyes and ears on, as I see nothing but good things for them in the future. 

Warning - Watching From A Distance (2006)

Warning came with none, and left an impression on the post-millenium doom metal scene that no other band has quite matched yet. Watching From A Distance is a monolith of an album, towering in it's nature and demonstrating a ferocity that's only balanced by the lyrical themes. 5 tracks, 50 minutes of agonizingly slow grinding doom metal.

As a 3-piece, the band creates something that sounds so much bigger throughout the album. The style, as mentioned, is all down-tuned grinding depression, with riffs that slowly churn on as the drums punctuate the deafening drone. Above it all soar the twisted and melancholic vocals of Patrick Walker, who's lyrics add to the overall sense of damnation and suffering through tales of bitter loss and punishing burden. While most doom fans will feel right at home, there will be many who are drawn back by this style; mostly because it doesn't change at all. The tempo might vary slightly, but only from mid-paced crawl to slow crawl to an inching crawl. An oozy pit of despair is boiled over and over...and over. Even if you love this stuff, you just might feel as loaded with baggage after one listen as the album is itself. 

So, apart from any stylistic differences you might have with it, there's nothing but good things to be said for Watching From A Distance. Despite the negativity that comes pouring from it. A true benchmark in doom metal this is, and as such any fan should indeed own it. 

Tiernan - The End Of The World (2007)

Tiernan is a 3-piece power pop outfit hailing from the eastern reaches of Japan. Their name refers to frontman Laurier Tiernan, apparently the mastermind of the whole deal. The End Of The World is their first recorded material, a 4-song demo that offers up some pretty cool pop rock that seems to carry some of the frantic pace of life in Japan.

The band holds it's own throughout the 4 songs, showcasing their songwriting skills and easily communicated passion for their craft. "(I Pray That) You Are Okay is a nice fast-paced opener, with guitar that sounds like mandolin to my ears but is probably just an electric played very darn fast. The music is very melodic, dependent on smooth vocals and the guitar for cues. The rhythm section keeps the foundation secure, and the drumming of Toru Hirasawa in particular are a real treat to listen to. My favorite of these tracks is the closer and title song, in which Laurier invents a psuedo-armaggedon plot with the line "Arnold Schwarzenegger will be president of the United States and he will usher in the end times for the human race". Needless to say, it's fairly light-hearted, but the energy of the music is very infectious.

An admirable and well designed (the package for this demo, according to a little note included, is made entirely from used cartons and recycled paper. I've never seen a slip case quite like it) demo, The End Of The World should make some waves for the band, if not only on their home island than across the Pacific where I believe music of this nature would have just as much appeal. With the right exposure (which they're now getting some of through itunes), I could see Tiernan creating a full-length to remember. For now, this demo should satify any fan of smart and sharp power-pop. 

The Forgotten Archetype - The Diaries Of Lord Xenu (2008)

They're back! ME's favorite mash-up melting pot of a band, The Forgotten Archetype, have unleashed another dose of ADD-riddled hip-hop...metal...pop...music...stuff. Not much has changed since their debut EP was more or less given away, so anyone lucky enough to have caught them then is going to want to check out The Diaries Of Lord Xenu. They're still nothing but fun to listen to, novelty act or not, they've got a sound that they can put their own stamp on AND they've got all kinds of talent.

Every song more or less features the same things; intense hardcore death metal passages, electro-pop breaks and choruses, and hip-hop verses all laced with lyrics that just don't fail to entertain. I broke out laughing at the intro to "Like Times Two", a clip from one of the hilarious GI Joe parodies you've probably seen floating around the webnet highway. There are tons of influences in this music, and you can tell that the guys want to show those off while at the same time having the upmost fun possible making their music click. And it really works, despite the break-neck speed and sudden jolts into almost totally different songs within the songs. Take a song like "Cheerio", that starts off sounding oddly of Blink 182 (eerily similar) before transforming into a death metal track you'd probably have enjoyed hearing back in 1986. They are doing some different stuff this time around; the synth-heavy trip-hop on "An Open End" is delicious, and the hilarious outro to "A Christmas Story" is all shits and giggles. 

A better time with a record might not be found by anyone this year. Like their EP, The Diaries Of Lord Xenu is a twisted masterpiece of several different styles scooped up and thrown violently together, but with some obvious skill and passion to make it all come together nicely. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll question the two dudes' sanity. But most of all, you should enjoy the hell out of it. I certainly am. Look for this one on my year-end list...it's that much fun...

Adam Marsland - Daylight Kissing Night - Adam Marsland's Greatest Hits (2008)

Two obvious questions came to my head when coming across this CD: who the heck is Adam Marsland and why does he have a Greatest Hits release? Obvious because we all know there are more bands coasting it on local celeb status and good old-fashioned work ethic than there are those packing arenas and going triple-platinum. This is about as "indie" a release as it gets; here's a guy in Marsland with ample history writing pop music, both as a solo artist and with his band the Cockeyed Ghosts. Daylight Kissing Night and it's 20 tracks, culled from every year of his life as a musician so far, serves as a melodically sound, lyrically expressive introduction to a guy who's got a firm grip on the ins and outs of pop music.

Adam's approach is mostly based on standard-format, not so complex alt-rock that's got touches of Jack Johnson, Ben Folds, and even some classic pop influence in the melodies that reminds of The Beatles.  His lyrics are a big focal point, as his voice is always at the front of the mix and he's got a way with words. It's apparent on tracks like "How Can You Stand It?", "At the Bookstore" and "The Fates Cry Foul" in particular. Of all these songs, I tend to enjoy the songs he's done under the Cockeyed Ghost monicker the most; they sound more fleshed out and developed.  Whoever's taking up the backing duties at any given point sounds totally competent, a rare thing indeed for a true indie act such at this.

All told, quite a decent pop record here. For those fans of Adam's out there, this disc should already be on your shelves, so it's not worth recommending it to anyone other than fans of acoustic, soft pop rock with some intelligence and personal flavor to it. I'm almost curious enough to go seeking out some more Cockeyed Ghost material. 

1990s - Cookies (2007)

1990s debut Cookies was lauded by all the prestigious media outlets in 2007.  NME, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork-they all relayed the same message: 1990s is a witty and wild rock and roll band that draws comparisons to legends like The Strokes and The Rolling Stones.  I have no explanation for the misguidance of those reviews, but I am without hesitation to write that Cookies is a dreadful album.  1990s have the swagger of an 80's hair-metal band (a la Guns N Roses)-an attitude manifesting in the album's cursory production and tactless lyrics, like on "Enjoying Myself," "And now I'm here with my friends and we're taking some drugs / It's such fun we'll be taking some more soon / I just like enjoying myself."  1990s is just as crass musically, with their seemingly endless repetition of lyrics and abrasive vocals.  Combined this formula makes for some of the most overhyped music I've ever encountered, but since I can't alter the press, I can only warn potential listeners not to waste their time with this sophomoric effort. 

Jeff Healy - Mess Of Blues (2008)

Released just prior to his death this spring, "Mess of Blues" showcases the kind of raw Blues that made Jeff Healy's name in the mid-90s. He had certainly strayed from that in recent years as he aimed for more mainstream success, and as a result faded from the public eye and lost all but a die-hard core of fans in the process. This record though serves as a fitting epitaph, as it features both his strengths (blistering, often Hound Dog Taylor-esque guitar) and weaknesses (obvious song choices that are sometimes impossible to overcome even with vigorous arrangements).

It's not that "The Weight," "Jambalaya" and "Like a Hurricane" are bad, and Healy's playing is raw and right throughout. And certainly the choices of familiar songs benefit a bar band, and this was recorded with a bar band backing him, and two tracks on the record are live. But too often the playing doesn't rise above what you'd hear on a Friday night anywhere. And you know yourself, most Friday night bands sound great only after a beer or four. Other tracks like "It's Only Money" and "Mess O'Blues" are by the numbers barrellhouse blues, nothing more.

Better are the slow, sexy strut of "How Blue an You Get," or the semi-funky "Sugar Sweet."

But even here there is nothing adventurous at work, nothing that tries to take you higher. Healy, at least in the early days, was mentioned as a new blues guitar hero, only just below Stevie Ray Vaughn. What kept him from reaching that level, aside from not being able to singvery well, is that his fretwork, for all its fire and bruising potential, never made any tune his own. "Messof Blues" is fun record, one featuring several shit-hot guitar solos by an artist who'll be missed, but who didn't leave anything classic behind. Maybe some posthumous live stuff will come out and make me sound like a son of a bitch. I hope so.

Amos Garrett - Get Way Back: A Tribute To Percy Mayfield (2008)

It is a surprise, if not a nice shock, to listen to this record, a cover record with soul and a firm respect for the blues and R & B. Amos Garett has played with higher (Steview Wonder) and lesser (Maria Muldaur) lights, but here plays inspired and honest. He shines a light on his own chops as he pays homage to a master songwriter.

"Get Way Back" is a salute to the great writer/singer Percy Mayfield, who wrote classics for, among others, Ray Charles, as well as hitting the charts on his own. Garrett aims to explore the deep soul of these tracks; his arrangements are slow in most cases, allowing the emotion to full draw out from tunes like "My Jug and I" and "Pretty Eyed Baby." In the first, depth is added to his fretwork by horns; in the latter, a surprisingly mournful vocal does the trick. Always though, there is his holoow-body jazz guitar, sometimes slick, othertimes distorted, always effective.

Some of the more uptempo tunes, like "Stranger in My Hometown," are standard jump-blues that don't ring very soulful; they sound like Dr. John coverband outtakes. The dark shuffle of the rest of the set more than makes up for those couple tracks.

Percy Mayfield worked in pop, R & B and Soul, but his heart always broke like a bluesman. Songs like "The Country," "Fading Love," and even his most famous songs like "Hit The Road Jack" (thankfully not covered by Garrett) dig deep and drip with emotional truth. Garrett takes a laid back approach to the legend on "Get Way Back," but also manages to tap into that honest, whistful melancholy that made Mayfield a genius.

Canvas Solaris - The Atomized Dream (2008)

Canvas Solaris are a progressive rock outfit hailing from Georgia (USA), with about 9 years experience under their belt coming into this their 3rd full-length release. Their roots are surprisingly enough in death metal, according to their bio. I can imagine, from what I'm hearing on The Atomized Dream, that they were once a highly technical sort of metal outfit, resembling the likes of Necrophagist or, more likely, Cynic. On this album they sound like a free-form jazz band trapped in the confines of a rock group, regulated by structure that somewhat stiffens the creative atmosphere they're trying to create. But the musicianship...off the charts.

As an instrumental group, it's required that your music be everything it can be.  The band consists of guitarists Chris Rushing and Nathan Sapp (both nimble-fingered and technically sound), bassist Gael Pirlot (very up-front and most songs depend on his grooves to succeed), percussionist Hunter Ginn (perhaps the weak link but holds his own, rarely lending the solo flair music of this nature demands), and keyboard/synth player Donnie Smith (adds some sense of atmosphere and context to certain sections). All let their chops shine on Atomized Dream's 8 tracks. The music has an atmosphere of and otherworldly nature, almost but not quite psychadelic. "Chromatic Dusk" was a quick highlight at number 3, with it's brief interludes featuring 8-bit-ish synths that never fail to perk my interest. "Heat Distortion Manifest" has to be the best track here, melding the two things the band does best; sudden spurts of prog-metal laced with atmospheric interludes. The results are ferocious here, while on most of the rest of the disc they're par for the course. 

There's limitless potential in a band this talented, if you ask me. The only things holding them back seem to be a true lack of direction to their varied creative influences and personal attributes. Their identity is much their own already, but perhaps one more album's worth of similar material will cement it. It could just be the lack of vocals that finds my enjoyment waning slightly; music of this nature, in my opinion, always sounds better vocalized. They sound to my ears like a Jon Anderson-less Yes, covering Cynic's unreleased material (if any) while secretly worshipping the likes of Dream Theater. A band with vast creativity, a hardened edge, and an ear towards hooks delivered with a veil of technical flash that should impress any fan of progressive rock out there. Misses a half-point because something is just...missing. 

Puscifer - "v" Is For Viagra - The Remixes (2008)

This is a very hard review to write. Setting aside all pre-concieved notions of who Maynard Keenan is and what he should sound like, it's still hard to review. This is far from what I'd call a worthwhile album. I wasn't too pleased with "V Is For Vagina" to begin with, and now we get mostly technoized versions of songs that already sounded like remixes of other people's material to begin with, with MJK using an extremely out-of-sorts baritone over top. A couple of these tracks improve on the originals, but with originals that weren't so great to begin with. So what you're left with is...not much of anything, really.

The only two tracks worth mentioning as good are the "Hungover and Hostile in Hanover" mix of "Drunk With Power" and the "Guns for Hire" mix of "Dozo". Other than these fine numbers, there's nothing here. Techno versions of so-so songs. I want to spend the majority of this review questioning Maynard's want to do such trivial shit, and I am willing to chalk this whole Puscifer project up as a mid-career life-crisis or something. But c'mon, dude, this isn't what people listen to you for, and they're not going to start. If there's one person out there who didn't know of Tool or A Perfect Ciecle before hearing Puscifer, and claims to be a big fan of theirs and especially the vocals of Maynard Keenan, I think I'd just about crap my pants. 

Which would resemble this disc. Get those two goodies from itunes, they'd make great additions to certain playlists. Otherwise, unless you're one of those Tools who follows everything Maynard does as gospel, you can safely avoid V Is For Viagra. 

Joshua James - The Sun Is Always Brighter (2008)

Don't leave it to a guy like me to let you know what's in and what's out and why in today's music scene. I tend to stick to what I like and, if that stuff is making waves, to then judge the impact and actually care about what people are saying. Through this job, however, I've come to love more than ever the surprise (pleasant or otherwise) in hearing new things that new people are claiming to be the new big ones. Joshua James is making some waves, but he's riding those already churned up. His music is strictly alt-country, bareboned and free of the melodrama and emo tendencies some bands of this ilk cling to. But only so much, and in the end it's hard to say whether or not the record belongs in any of our collections.

To be sure, each song is quite like the last, only the stories and the tempos seem to change as Joshua and his band roll through easy to digest, soft, breezy and personal Nashville-ready numbers. For a man who's seen as being indie in his musical nature, his finger is firm on the pulse of what's hot today. His voice is the most enjoyable part of the entire affair, bringing to mind a more lively Paul Simon or a less disgruntled and strangled Connor Oberst. The songs feature flourishes of mandolin, steel, organ and piano at proper moments, hitting all the right notes but doing so rather flatly in the process. When the songs focus more on James' story-telling is when they're most effective; "FM Radio", "Lord, Devil & Him" and "Tell My Pa" stand out on such merits. The rest just sorta blends together in an admittedly easy but ultimately too easy fashion, going down like a glass of lukewarm lemonade on a blistering hot day. 

I'm really not the guy you want reviewing someone like Joshua James. When it comes right down to it, all the honesty, integrity, skill and will you can muster doesn't save such standard music from letting me down. It's altogether a good album and one fans of the country-minded singer/songwriters popular nowadays should most certainly own. For the rest of us, however, we might long for Dylan or Cash to get a feel of how music of this nature was originally done, and done with much more honesty, integrity, skill and will.  

Control Escape - Generation Of Waste (2008)

Engel - Absolute Design (2007)

The ever-growing line of "next big thing"s from Sweden's metal scene was added to last year with the debut of Engel, an act featuring former In Flames guitarist Niclas Engelin. Absolute Design dropped to much critical acclaim, and I am also refreshed by the album's mix of Swedish melo-death (Think In Flames or modern Soilwork) and other metal influences, which shine more here than they do with most other similarly stationed bands. You'll hear vocals that rip like a Wayne Static, a thick and grimy industrial film over some tracks that, combined with Engelin's skill at penning hooks, brings to mind the dance-metal sleaze of a Rob Zombie. Then when the tempo cranks, one is almost sure the band is influenced by certain black metal groups.  Variety is the name of the game on Absolute Design. 

What you mostly hear from the band is a heavy dose of In Flames, mostly because of Niclas' former participation and somewhat because their vocalist, Anders Friden, recorded and mixed the album, giving it a certain modern metal flair. The riffs are the focal point of almost every song, extremely varied playing that isn't always technically mind-blowing but is always tight and fitting for the moment. As to the In Flames model of song, all of these feature heavier verse sections before giving way into a bombastic chorus. They take the model and fly with it, injecting their own creative spurts at effective moments. They hit all the right notes on tracks like "Next Closed Door", "Propaganda", "Scyth" and my personal favorite, the COB-ish "Calling Out". 

Stronger debuts are rarely found, and the experience of the band as a whole has plenty to do with this quick start for Engel. I'm more interested in how they follow this up; changing too much would be a mistake, but it's clear to me that the band is still digging in and finding it's own sound. Their next release will be more telling, but for opening curtains, the solid Absolute Design is worthy of much praise. Here's hoping for bigger and better things in the future; they've certainly got all the potential.