Nick Oliveri's Uncontrollable-Leave Me Alone

Schnitzel Records
2014

Before we even start with "Leave Me Alone" let's go ahead and establish a quick point of reference just so that we can get it out all of the way. Bassist/guitarist/vocalist Nick Oliveri is primarily known for having spent time with Kyuss (and subsequently Kyuss Lives!), Mondo Generator and of course Queens of the Stone Age. He has also played with the Dwarves and Moistboyz. What's more it is making the rounds that Oliveri is collaborating with the likes of Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Gary Holt (Exodus) and Casey Chaos (Amen) on the soundtrack for the movie documentary "House Of Shock"! So, even if Nick Oliverri is mostly recognized for his contributions to the stoner rock scene this bassist/guitarist/vocalist has seen and done it all. Or at least musically-speaking. But, here's the thing about "Leave Me Alone". Cue the dramatic music because this is not the Nick Oliveri we've heard before and for those looking for past points of reference an album like this one shatters those expectations (along with rock and roll fundamentals!) into a million tiny pieces. In other words if you are expecting something along the lines of Queens of the Stone Age or Kyuss you are going to be disappointed. "Leave Me Alone" abandons those kind of principles. There is just no other way to put it then that. And other than a couple of guests (one of which is Motörhead's Phil Campbell!) "Leave Me Alone" finds Nick Oliveri working solo in order that he alone can take credit for the new direction he takes on his first solo release. It's true that he oft-times discomforting nature of  "Leave Me Alone" is unexpected as it definitely finds Nick Oliveri throwing all caution to the wind! By deconstructing (raw, striped-down and dive bar-worthy to begin with!) rock and hard rock and purging punk rock of what little purity it had left Nick Oliveri has certainly given fans and critics alike something new to talk about with this new release! At it's best "Leave Me Alone" is ramped-up post-rock/punk-rock cleverly disguised as noisy trash metal. And that works! At it's worse though it's an exercise in tolerance and patience where noise is just that-noise. Often times "Leave Me Alone" balances perilously close to that edge (a uneasy tipping point if you will) where one minute it's pure heavy rock/punk rock ecstasy and the next it's merely a bad acid trip waiting to happen. More so "Leave Me Alone" kind of carries itself as if it is a live album misdiagnosed as a studio recording. What happens to work great live (bare naked riffs, grungy bass lines and clunky drums) is a different animal all together behind the paddle walls of a recording studio. I suspect the bulk of what's been laid out on Nick's first solo album (the unedited moments where this vocalist/string-man just goes with the flow and improves punk rock and roll) would go over gangbusters in a live setting. Otherwise it is suspect to interpretation (ie: is this true, unfiltered and unspoiled post-rock art or is it much ado about nothing more then unrestrained noise?) more so then a statement one way or the another of whether or not is is good. Honestly I fall more of the side of "Leave Me Alone" as a good album with quite a lot to say, but there is a case to made that the "Uncontrollable" part of this project's title might be more than mere words....

Baxter Stockman-Punter

Ektro
2013

Looks can be so deceiving. If I had to guess about this one I would have gone with "heavy rock" or maybe "80's-infleunced hard rock". Neither answer would be correct although this is a form of rock I guess. After the title-cut, which opens this debut-album from the Helsinki, Finland-based three-piece known as Baxter Stockman, tests the boundaries of even my patience before things get a tiny bit more "Even Steven"...although, it's not by that much admittedly. Baxter Stockman*, which was founded in  in 2006 (and has a name that sounds like the title-character to some 80's comedy about an adventurous teenager!), find their inspiration in the likes of Swans, G.G. Allin and Rapeman (a group that feature Steve Albini of Big Black). If your looking at those three influences and you find yourself saying "Well, that looks like one hot-mess of psychotic inspirations" then you are pretty much correct! The vocals are bizarre (going from almost raw punk-like moaning/murmuring to eery cries) and the actual music is the sound of rock and roll as it's getting raped by Frankenstein's punk-rock obsessed monster! Is it tolerable? Well, that just depends upon what your ears can endure. These guys founded the band with the aim of making intense rock that was harsh and hammered into the listeners eardrums with the surgical procession of a circus strongman drunk on his own power and filled to the brim with rage and cheap beer! In that regard this one is a success! But if your squeamish and don't like the sound of screeching guitars and drums that sound as if they are being played by a out-of-control, one-armed robot then you would be best served to just keep on walking, no, make that running, away from "Punter" as quickly as your tiny feet can carry you! 

 

 

*In reality the group is named after a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.