Still "single" Saturday "singles"

Instead of covering a "bunch" of new singles on an individual basis I thought I would just do a quick run-down on a few singles that are relatively new. Call it laziness, or more like lack of time on my part, but it's much simple to do them all at once. And yes, I do know that this article's title is a terrible pun.

Killswitch Engage-"In Due Time": This is the first single to be released from Killswitch Engage's forthcoming album "Disarm the Descent". With Jesse Leach back on board there is already a lot of anticipation for this album among not only Killswitch fans, but the metal community in general. Obviously it helps if you're a fan of metalcore, but "In Due Time" sees the band pushing beyond that simple tag into something more unique. While it's got all the trademarks that this band has become known for it's the utter heaviness of the track that speaks volumes about the intensity that these guys bring. It's a great single and, if it's any indication of where the new album stands, a sign that Jessie Leach has the band feeling angry again.

Stone Sour-"Do Me A Favor": I wanted to say "Do me a favor and drop off of the face of the Earth guys" as I went to hit play on this cut. Say what you will about this nu metal/ rock radio band, but they keep of doing their own thing and adding more and more fans along the way. I would wager a nickle that if it wasn't for a certain someone (Corey Taylor) being in this band the Stone Sour would not be as big as they are. This new track (off of their new release, "House of Gold & Bones-Part 2", which is a concept album) isn't bad, but it's nothing to stop the presses over either. Of course that could be said about a lot of Stone Sour's back catalog!

Clutch-"Earth Rocker": Now we're talking! This is the Clutch doing what Clutch does best. Loud, and full of swagger, rock done up right. It's like having a fine steak, with all the fixings, with a tall cold beer on the side.
Clutch is one of those bands that everyone seems to know about and yet their still almost a cult band in their own right.

Lordi-"The Riff": Sure, they're a Gwar rip-off. To be fair though Gwar ripped of Mushroom Head, who ripped of Alice Cooper, etc etc etc. Everybody borrows/rips off from everyone else these days. It is what it is. As for "The Riff"? It's no "Devil is a Loser" (which I'd love to hear a children's choir cover!) or "Hard Rock Hallelujah", but it doesn't suck either. It's just so-so.

The Godfathers-"I Can't Sleep Tonight": Yes, the same band that gave us "Birth, School, Work, Death" are back in business! This single is off of the bands long in the works (it's been 18 years since there last album!) new album "Jukebox Fury". It's funny how even after all of those years off the band still sounds like a bunch of brash young men playing punk-tinged garage rock and roll that's both quirky and charming.

Escape the Fate-"Ungrateful": Post-hardcore/melodic hardcore/metalcore. Take those three genres and, after forming this angst-ridden "metal" band made up of friends who all meet in college, sit them down in a locked room and task them with writing a song called "Ungrateful" in one hour. There you go.

Lordi-Deadache

The End
2008

Two years since the release of their last album, "The Arockalypse", Lordi return with their fourth studio album "Deadache". What we get this time around is an album with possibly less hype surrounding it although their approach has not changed all that much. They still seem to put more effort into their image than they do into their music. That's not to say that the music is bad, but it's certainly a step down from where I wish is was. This is a drippy dose of hard rock largely influenced by mid-late 1980's acts. I hear some Alice Cooper from around the time of "Constrictor" and "Raise your fist" plus some KISS, Twisted Sister and maybe even Accept. The main riffs are simple and strong and they benefit from cranking the volume up. This definitely is a more melodic album than their previous effort. The melodies are tied in well enough and the production certainly helps. However I can't help but think that they are becoming soft to some extent. If anything worked for this band on "The Arockalypse" it was the moments when their music was as monstrous as their image. Granted those moments were few and far between, but on "Deadache" the promising moments are even more rare. They growl loud and the lead riffs often kick off with some heaviness behind them, but most of the songs soon become as appetizing as stale cereal in sour milk.They are a gimmick band, but unfortunately they are quickly becoming rather mediocre. It's fun for a little while, but there just isn't enough going on to keep this cheese machine going for the duration of the album.