Witchingseason-"Spiders" Single

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Heavy rockers would do well to take note. Here's another tasty new treat from my friend Lizzie over at Quite Great PR.  Having already received some fantastic (and damn-straight warranted!) feedback from the likes of Phoenix FM host, Scott Sparx, "blown away by their music!... and couldn’t wait to share them" and advice from Alain Johannes (Them Crooked Vultures, Queens of the Stoneage, Chris Cornell) before one of his shows*, the hard rock trio Witchingseason offer up the freshly-released single "Spiders" with a follow-up single,"Codeine", due to be released on October 1st. Heavily influenced by the likes of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and Queens Of The Stone Age this explosive trio is lead by guitarist/vocalist Tom Reynolds with the rhythm section of James Willans and Wayne Summers (bass and drums respectively) rounding out the fold. In a word "Spiders" is HEAVY while the band as a whole comes across as early nineties grunge/alternative rock tumble-dried in 2000 something modern rock. Making this old rocker hit the repeat button a few times, "Spiders" (which can be download on Amazon and iTunes) finds a band that knows how to merge gritty hard rock guitar riffs, post-Black Sabbath bass lines and melodic, Chris Cornell-like lead vocals into one glorious, can't miss (and most assuredly can't help but fall in love with!) rock cruncher with the reported November 10th EP release an event that I will be marking down on my calender! Find these guys on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/Witchingseason

*Alain Johannes was apparently impressed enough by the promise of Witchingseason as he ended up talking to the trio for several hours even buying them a few beers!

ToxSyn-ToxSyn

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario and (for the most part) musically falling somewhere between (heavy) industrial rock (think early N.I.N. and Filter), goth rock and 90's grunge (specifically Alice In Chains and "Louder Then Love"/"Badmotorfinger"-era Soundgarden) the cleverly-named ToxSyn is a one-man project from RC Ricci. With a full-length album reportedly due for release sometime later in 2014, which will be one debut album that I'll be keenly keeping an eye out for(!), this three-track EP offers a ground-floor look at one Canadian act that (hopefully) will be around for a long time to come! Opening with "Crumble to Clay", which is probably the most "commercial"-sounding cut of the three on "ToxSyn", RC Ricci shows off his love for both the old-school (Black Sabbath/Alice Cooper) and "new"-school (Soundgarden/White Zombie) while aiming his sites on creating a distinct sound all his own. And, for the most part, he succeeds in that quest as ToxSyn's sound is fairly unique all around. The heavy metal-tinged "Be My Evil" continues the exploration of both old and newer sounds as does the (early) Ministry-like "Toxic Shock". While they both offer knowing nods of appreciation towards the likes of Rob Zombie I somehow found myself thinking about God Is LSD as well. Although here's the thing. With ToxSyn the delivery is a bit more raw and (in a good way) the project almost has a garage metal-like vibe. Both of those elements give a band like ToxSyn an almost punk-like appeal and a rather charming underground edge. If "ToxSyn" lacks anything it's blistering guitar solos, something that would give this Canadian band a bit more "attitude". Otherwise I like where this project is going and I look forward to hearing more from RC Ricci down the line. 

http://www.toxsyn.com/ 

Inner Temple-Inner Temple

Contorted Records
2013

Released back on October 13th of 2013, and available as a name-your-own-price/free digital download at the link below, "Inner Temple" is the self-titled debut release from Pennsylvania's latest grunge trio. Wait, did I say grunge? Indeed I did and Inner Temple, which was formed in August of 2013 by  Dustin Schumacher (guitar/vocals), does it as good as any. And that's in spite of the short time span from formation to the release of this 5-track EP! Citing the likes of The Greater Victory, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana, The Doors, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and even Johnny Cash as influences Inner Temple, which is rounded out by bassist Dan Dent and drummer Keeyan Zimmerman, the band's lone release starts off with Alice In Chains meets Bush heavy rocker "Red" and from there they keep the party going "Seattle-style"! Borrowing from Black Sabbath on "Taste" the band takes a crack at Nirvana on "Father" before diverging into Pearl jam territory on "Life Support". On the plus side a band like Inner Temple has it all down pat and there's little chance at denying that this one could easily pass off as a legit grunge release from the movements' heyday. Problem is that's the downside as well. While "End Song", the EP's aptly-titled last cut, is fairly original (for a post-Black Sabbath grunge rocker and all) the rest of the tracks on "Inner Temple" sound a little too close to band's influences for their own good. Time will probably help the band work through that issue, but it's still something that should be noted. But hey, this is a free recording so it's not like there is a lot of financial investment involved with snagging "Inner Temple" for your personal (digital) collection so if grunge (Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, Nirvana and Pearl Jam) is your jam I say go for it!



http://innertemple.bandcamp.com/

Pearl Jam- "Mind Your Manners" and "Sirens" Singles

Monkey Wrench Records
2013

I feel as if I should start off my review of these two new Pearl Jame singles by stating up-front in full-disclosure mode that I'm never been a fan of this post-Mother Love Bone band. Honestly when the band's debut album "Ten" dropped in 1991 I didn't care and when it finally broke into the mainstream in 1992 I cared even less. To me there was this great band (Mother Love Bone) and then there was Pearl Jam. Part of the problem I had with this bunch was when it came to Eddie Vedder, well, he was no Andrew Wood. His vocals annoyed me for the longest time. Beyond that I just found Pearl Jam's actual music to be only so-so. I never understood what all the hype was back then in the early 90's and, for the most part, even now. So, why then would I purposely go out of my way to cover any Pearl Jam material? If  I'm admittedly not into them why even listen to the new stuff? Call it a challenge I guess. A friend told me that these singles showed a different Pearl Jam. Maybe he's right or maybe he's wrong. As I haven't paid any attention to these guys I don't know if this is the natural progression for this group or if this is indeed some radical change. Either way read on as I tackle the first two singles from the band's forthcoming album, "Lightning Bolt".

 First up was "Mind Your Manners". Having never been a fan of Pearl Jam anyway (in case you were not aware of that as many times as I've mentioned it LOL!) I approached this one with skepticism. On album number ten, or at least this first single from it, I see that the band is pushing the punk rock aspect of their sound to the very front of the show. Wait, Pearl Jam has a punk side? I didn't know they had it either! Reportedly it was Pearl Jam's lead guitarist Mike McCready who actually set the tone for this track. He wanted to create a "really hard edge-type Dead Kennedys-sounding song". OK. I could see where he was going with this one, but what he strove for and what they ended up were two different things. In reality "Mind Your Manners" comes across more like a stripped-down garage rocker with a loose punk rock mentality then a heavy hardcore crusher. In other words it's not exactly the hardcore of  Jello Biafra's band. However, and I can't believe I'm going to admit to this one folks, it's not a bad little rocker at all. It's not something to stop the presses over, but it's a well-designed number that showcases the band in a looser state of mind.

Meanwhile single number two, "Sirens",  sounds as though it wants to make a case for a more folksy Pearl Jam. Stacked next to "Mind Your Manners" it's comes off as a simple cut in every sense of the word. It's not just that it's vanilla. Instead it just feels like a tired number from a tired band. Trying to find some form of life in this cut proved to be a near impossible task. It was like playing a game of trying where's Waldo in a pitch black cave with the added difficulty that Waldo would be dressed all in black from head to toe! If this was the first single off of this album then I couldn't see how anyone would be excited to hear all of "Lighting Bolt". The only good part of the track (besides when it ended!) was the fact that it at least shows that Pearl Jam offers variety these days. Other then that it's a real downer of a song that's (at best) "fair", but that's just being kind. So yeah, I loathed "Sirens".

So, after all these years it looks as if my opinion of Pearl Jam hasn't changed much. These two songs show how so-so their music still is. But, at least I tried and that has to count for something right?

Doll-The Rag Doll Diaries

Cargo Records
2013

Formed in 2005, and not to be confused with the old London punk rock/new wave band named "The Doll", Ottawa-based Doll are a female-fronted alternative rock and roll band. This 11-track album, which originally saw the light of day back in late November of 2011, was meet with critical and commercial praise with units moving at a steady pace in not only their native country, but here in the U.S. as well. This was no doubt a result of Doll spending 2012 on the road. With several tours having taken place across Canada and then numerous appearances being made at such festivals as Ottawa Bluesfest, IndieWeek Canada, NXNE, and D-Tox Rockfest it was almost inevitable that Doll would become a break-out group. The band even managed to bring their own blend of punk-fueled heavy rock and roll to America which translated into even more copies being sold of this particular album. With reviews popping up in magazines such as Revolver and Outburn, and again with all the road shows that Doll had put on, new fans from across the globe eagerly went looking to buy the album. Sticker shock set in though when people went to pick up what was then an import-only recording. Thanks to Cargo Records "The Rag Doll Diaries" will now be released in the UK meaning no more ridiculous import prices for those seeking out this 4-piece act's sophomore album.

Recorded by Jason Jaknunas and mastered by David Cain, which has given the group the perfect canvas on which they were able to paint this work of art, the group's latest recording is the perfect follow-up to Doll's 2009 award-nominated debut album, "Inside The Dollhouse". Fronted by Christina Kasper, who also handles some of the guitar work, this Canadian act manages to carve out their own niche even as they draw from a host of different bands and artists. Taking center stage among those influences is a list of who's who from the heyday of alternative rock/power pop (The Breeders, Bikini Kill, Sonic Youth, Material Issue) and punk rock/grunge (L7, Veruca Salt, Babes In Toyland, 7Year Bitch, The Gits, Hole, Fastbacks) although one should be quick to point out that in Doll's capable hands the material in question rocks it's own pathway to greatness! With 3 separate guests handling bass duties (Alex Vance reportedly plays bass for the band in a live setting) the remaining band members Peter Kasper (guitars) and Nick Richer (drums) help complete this every man, back alley, rock-steady outfit. Listening to this album is like visiting with an old friend. As you sit there in conversation, and you revel in the warm feeling of beers having been tossed back over the course of the evening, it's with a feeling of openness that everything gets laid upon the table in front of you. Doll tackles it all in good spirits even when the topic at hand is one of frustration or even anger. Lead singer Christina Kasper doesn't hold back on her emotions as the group (highlighted by the gripping solos of Peter Kasper)  tangles itself in a beautiful arranged net of punk rock, alternative rock, heavy metal and grunge. There's few bands that can pull off this style of street-level rock and roll anymore without sounding terribly out of fashion and out of date. The danger in looking back for your rock instead of looking forward is that the music can often sound hollow and uninspired. Doll never seems to fall into that trap as their music is intensely personal and honest in the most raw way possible. "The Rag Doll Diaries" is the story of a road weary/world weary band with so much to say and share. Its the combination on heartache and despair offered with a hand meant for holding. In other words here is real music for the real world.

http://doll.bandcamp.com/music

Alice In Chains-The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

Capitol Records
2013

I was back in high-school when Seattle's Alice In Chains released "Facelift" and I do remember that it was not an instant hit. It took awhile for the group to catch on, but when they did, thanks to "Man in the Box", they did it big time! Suddenly everyone was talking about this new grunge band and how sick they were. As much as I did like "Man in the Box" I never ended up buying the album. I'm not sure exactly why that was. Maybe I was just afraid that it was all hype. Back then there were limited means available if you wanted to preview an album from start to finish. Outside of having someone lend you the album or being somewhere where the whole thing played you were really at the mercy of word of mouth and print reviews. I'd been burned way to many time by killer singles mixing with mediocre albums. So I never did get this album back in the day. In fact, to this very day I don't believe that I own a hard copy of "Facelift". I keep meaning to change that, but I never get around to it or I plain forget. The fact that this band is now on album number 5 is strange to me for several reasons. First off I didn't expect the group to last because of addiction rumors in the early years. While they did survive their lead singer didn't. In 2002 Layne Staley died of an overdose. At that junction I expected the band to fold so, in another way, it's as weird to see these new discs appear post-Staley as it is to think "They're only on album number 5 after all these years?". To be fair though there has been 3 EPs and 2 live albums as well. But full-length wise? Only 5 for this American band. Here it is though and even now I'll admit that I don't own a physical copy of an Alice In Chains release including this one! I was just fortunate that my local library was able to secure a new copy of this album. I checked it out twice. Willium DuVal, who joined Alice In Chains in 2006, marks album number two with these hard rockers and it all clicks. From track number one onward this thing just smokes. The guitar riffs that pour forth from founding member Jerry Cantrell are decidedly nasty and overall this album has a unique heaviness all it's own. In a way it's the natural progression from grunge and in another way it's almost a step by step instruction as to how to perfectly build a heavy metal record from the ground up. I'll not go track by track as their are plenty of reviews out already that tackle that approach. Instead my overall impression is that this LP hits more high points then lows. It also gives me a new appreciation for the musicians who played in the background from the word go. Yes, Layne Staley was one of a kind, but the actually band  that stood beside him and in back of him made Alice In Chains just as tough as his tortured vocals did. Willium DuVal might not have the same sort of impact for a lot of fans, but he carries his own and with the band hitting high gear this LP sizzles. Definitely an album that I will have to buy a physical copy of for my very own.

A Pale Horse Named Death-Lay My Soul To Waste

Steamhammer / SPV
2013

Brooklyn's A Pale Horse Named Death is a project turned real-band that came together in 2010 when Sal Abruscato (Life Of Agony, Type O Negative) and Matt Brown (Seventh Void,Uranium) decided to work together. The pair first released "And Hell Will Follow Me" which was, per articles found online, produced and engineered by Matt Brown. With their sophomore release it looks as if the two of them have been joined by Eric Morgan (bass) and Eddie Heedles (guitars). If that isn't the case then someone feel free to correct me as the promo that came with this is rather vague. What isn't vague though is the pairs appreciation for doom and gloom. A Pale Horse Named Death could best be summed up as Type O Negative (without the keys and Peter Steele's eery vocals) served cold with a side of post-Black Sabbath grunge. Sal Abruscato's vocals are every bit as chilling and dreadful as the band's name would imply while musically it's quite fair to say the group haunts the listener with the ghosts of Type O Negative. That's to be expected I suppose considering Sal's involvement with Type O Negative, but it's not as if this is a badly faded copy of the late Steele's band. Really A Pale Horse Named Death are much more "grunge" then Type O Negative with justifiable comparisons having been made to Alice In Chains. Again though A Pale Horse Named Death only take these influences and shift them through a distinct (and very creative!) process that results in a darkly-tinted goth/doom/grunge hybrid. There's not enough words to describe how effective the band's sophomore release is at conveying one's nightmares in a musical form so let's just leave it where it is. Fans of Type O Negative and Alice In Chains should track this one down of course as should fans of doomish metal. "Lay My Soul To Waste" is wonderfully dark and depressing and oh so enjoyable!

 

Slaves On Dope-Covers EP Vol. 1

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Slaves On Dope are one of those polarizing groups where people seem to be either crazy about them or dead-set on writing them off as nu metal cast-offs. I'll come right out and say that I'm not here to argue either point, but rather I'm here reviewing this EP because I dig cover songs/cover albums. I especially dig album's/artists like this that offer metalized versions of songs you wouldn't normally expect to be heavy and twisted. With the exception of "Digging the Grave" (Faith No More) these are all tracks that fall well under the tag of "hard and heavy". You could perhaps argue that Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend" (which opens this EP up) or Genesis ("Mama") are not too far removed from getting a serious heavy metal look, but covering Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and Sheriff's "When I'm With You" are kooky choices on any level! So, what do these Canadian alt-metallers do with the material at hand? It should first be mentioned that this isn't the band's first rodeo as they have covered Black Sabbath in the past as well as Poison. So, Slaves On Dope know their way around cover songs. With that said the first single from the EP was Slaves On Dope's take on "Mama" (which you can hear below) so let's tackle that one first. "Mama" was actually the first single from Genesis' self-titled 1983 album and this one-time hit, at least in the hand of Slaves On Dope", is tapped for into for it's sinister and dark nature. While their version is obviously heavier it's a good choice for the band as it translates rather well into a gritty street-rocker. While "Mama" was a good choice for the first single as it's a dark and crunchy rocker "Working For The Weekend", which actually opens this EP comes off (unfortunately) as a tad lifeless. In a way I think trying to make Loverboy's 1981 hit into something dark (when it's clearly meant to be an upbeat nod to having fun) was a bad call, but it's not without merit as the band does give it their all. "Digging the Grave" works well as a grunge-inspired thrasher as the source material was heavy to begin with. And then there is Sheriff's "When I'm With You". I was really wondering about how they would pull off this cheesy ballad. As I never liked the original (it made me want to puke) I feared it would be truly dreadful, but it's a cool take on the cut and actually makes it bearable to the listener! It's a really interesting choice to make into a heavier rocker so what do they then do with "Sexual Healing"? Well, it's both good and bad. It does work as a heavier, almost sleazy, grunge cut and Slaves On Dope play it full-tilt. It's only that when you've heard the original and experienced the original (if you know what I mean) then hearing it like this takes away a lot of it's "power". As it's played for fun though it's all good in the hood as they say. Of the bunch my favorite is probably "Mama" followed by "Digging the Grave" with "Working for the Weekend" being my least favorite. All in all it's a cool little EP though.
 
http://www.noisecreep.com/2013/04/09/slaves-on-dope-genesis-mama/

Coma-Don't Set Your Dogs On Me

earMusic/Eagle Rock Entertainment
2013

This was one of those albums that I specifically asked for. That alone makes this review all the more "interesting". Let me explain (if I can). I'll go out on a limb here and admit that I didn't recognize the name at first. So I was simply going by some positive reviews and word of mouth recommendations when I put in a request for this promo. When this one showed up in my inbox I read through the notes. "Poland’s biggest rock band..." ended up rattling some brain cells. I did a quick search through my previous reviews and then it finally struck me! I had reviewed their one album, "Excess", back in 2010. I had forgotten all about that album. Of course a lot of stuff was going on for me back in 2010 so it's no wonder this band slipped my mind. Quite honestly I had easily dismissed the band back then as a Linkin Park wannabe. That just goes to show that bands, just like life situations, can change for the better. As I listened to the track "Keep The Peace" kick this album off I'm still secretly questioning if this is the same band I wrote off. That doesn't mean that the Linkin Park vibe I got when listening to this group the first time around has gone completely away. Hell, I'd wager that the bulk of people out there, whether they read this particular review or not, would get the same vibe too. It's still there so that's one influence for this Polish rock band. But there's more to this band then just wanting to sound like Linkin Park. If anything these guys sound more American then most American rock bands! "Always Summer" recalls Creed while "Dance With A Queen" pulls no punches with it's Deftones-style alternative metal. Coma works their way through music that would appeal to fans of Staind, Hinder, Nickleback and Puddle Of Mudd. That's about what you get from "Moscow". Meanwhile "With You" is a catchy number that seems to have found the hidden connection between The Killers and U2. Just when you think you've got the band sort of figured out though they shake things up and dip into post-grunge. Cuts like "Late" and "Song 4 Boys" recall the early rainy days of Seattle. Maybe that's to be expected out of a rock band when you're living in a place that's all cold and wet? That would explain a few things about Coma. That grunge sound doesn't stray too far from their mind. At first "Furious Fate" acts like it's going to a silly ballad before these muscular riffs cut in and crush everything. It's got a bit of a Pearl Jam flavor to it which makes you think that the guys in Coma are all about heavy rock no matter if it comes off sounding like grunge or not. Call it that (grunge) or call it nu metal, alternative rock or just regular radio rock. That part doesn't really matter. Either way you've got to appreciate the crunchy rock these guys bring to the party on so many of this album's tracks ("Rainy Song" anyone?). So yes, these guys know how to rock. But, Coma isn't afraid to flex their creativity on this new album. Take the title cut with it's crunchy & punchy (hey, that's a new description!) heavy funk rock attack and you'll see a group that is willing to take some risks. "Don't Set Your Dogs On Me" ends up being an album that offers more to the casual listener then just another band trying to capitalize on the success of the "Hybrid Theory" guys! I was wrong for thinking I could just pigeonhole them as such because of what I heard on "Excess". This album might not be album of the year material, or for that matter make them a household name here in the U.S., but it shows that Coma is committed to their craft as a band. It shows a marked improvement as Coma has grown and improved. That's the sign of a good band and Coma are at a stage in their career where they can choose where they go from here. Tweak the edges some here and there and Coma could very easily make some waves here in the States. 

Damned Pilots-Spaced Out

Self-Release/Independent
2012

Italy's Damned Pilots (not to be confused with supergroup/supercrap Damned Things) are an odd little entity. Let's address the obvious. From the album art alone these guys remind me of Powerman 5000 (except for the guy in the bottom right corner who for some reason reminds me of  Adrian Brody). Of the 6 tracks on this EP 2 are covers. "Believe Me Now" by Electric Light Orchestra and "Sleeping (In The Fire)" by W.A.S.P. (I'll get back to that cover in a second or two). Damned Pilots, who dub their sound "superrock post nuclear stoner glam", somehow make both covers work and seem like naturally choices. As this is the band's first recording it's a rather smooth trip. The title might be even more fitting then you'd expect (given the EP's art work and all). "Spaced Out" sees this Italian band (Trieste, North Italy) tripping the light fantastic with a smash-up of White Zombie/solo Rob Zombie, Soundgarden, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, T Rex and maybe even some Jane's Addiction. No worries though. If you were reading that and said "Jane's Addiction?" or "David Bowie?" it's all good as Damned Pilots are, if nothing else, more heavy then glam. If you're into "tags" then file this EP under "post-grunge", "alt. metal", "hard rock" or "stoner rock". This is the sound of a young band tossing it all out there and letting the chips fall where they may. Oh, I did say I'd get back to the W.A.S.P. cover. I had to go back and listen to the original ballad again to make sure I wasn't mistaken, but Damned Pilots, while making the cover song there own, do make it sound more like a heavier Pink Floyd then anything else! That might sound weird, but weirdly it works. Damned Pilots might need a little more time to "mature" their identity and tighten up a few loose ends, but they have a solid foundation in place and could soon stumble upon a truly out of this world sound.

http://damnedpilots.bandcamp.com/album/spaced-out

Soundgarden-King Animal (iTunes Deluxe Edition)

Seven Four Entertainment/Republic
2012

This is just one of two "new" albums, both from older groups that were a part of the soundtrack of my youth, that I've been sitting on for a little while. Why? Well, the obvious answer who be that I've just been trying to decide how I feel about these new albums. In case your wondering the other release is from Neurosis. Again, with their new album, "Honor Found In Decay", I'm just not sure what to think. Both of these releases share a common theme for me and, as such, I hope to tackle the pair this weekend. One today, Saturday the 15th, and the other one tomorrow. As I had heard the single "Been Away Too Long" prior to the release of this new album I was left with a underlying sense of both fear and anticipation. The more spins I gave that single the more I liked it. The guitar work from Kim Thayil was heavy and featured this intimating riff while frontman Chris Cornell sounded as if he could still hold his own. For the most part those two statements are also true of "King Animal" as a whole. If anything though the 2012 version of Soundgarden sounds a lot like the mid-90's version of Soundgarden so, if you are like I am and loved "Badmotorfinger" and the previous albums more then "Superunknown" and what followed, you might be left out in the cold looking in. "Been Away Too Long" is the album's opener followed by the cut "Non-State Actor". "Non-State Actor" and "By Crooked Steps" are both numbers that wouldn't have felt out of place on "Superunknown". While the songs showcase an older and wiser Soundgarden, there is no doubt that not only these two tracks, but the whole album is well-crafted and technically sound, therein lies a potential part of the problem as you listen to "King Animal". The band has aged and even though all four musicians sound good, drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd still manage to anchor the band's solid rhythm section without ever getting a chance to truly show off their own skills, band's sixth studio album is not as loud or imposing as "Been Away Too Long' suggested it might be. Produced by both the band and Adam Kasper (Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age) "King Animal" is not a bad album at all. "A Thousand Days Before" is rather good as is "Attrition" which, while not living up to it's full potential, is still a nice little kicker of a song. But, when the band tries to play outside of it's own comfort zone ("Blood on the Valley Floor" is marked-down, bargain stoner rock), or forgets that this is not a Chris Cornell solo-album ("Black Saturday" and "Halfway There" are acoustic-driven numbers) things quickly go astray. Why the band also felt the need to tack on the obligatory ballad ("Bones Of Birds") is a question in need of a serious answer. While the knocks against the band might seem to be too many to count (Old age, not as loud or fierce, lacking credibility-with Chris Cornell in a bromance with Brad Pitt is there anyway you can really take some of his rants against the system seriously?) the truth is "King Animal" still features a good half-album's worth of material that is worth while. Whether you choose to call them grunge or post-grunge/alternative rock (or for that matter just rock) Soundgarden is still capable of writing good material and pulling off an addictive hook or two when they set their minds to it even if some of us are left wondering what relevance the band has left to offer in this day and age.

Forgotten Gems: Hash Palace-Grit and Bear It

Resonance
1990

Last night I had dinner with my friend Suzanne. As we talked about the music of our youth

(as we are both close in age) we touched briefly on the nineties 

and I was reminded that I owed you, our faithful readers, 

a respectable write-up of Hash Palace.Despite the negativity that 

often times is associated with nineties rock (and rightly so)

there were more then a few really solid groups/ 

albums that emerged from that time period. Of course we all

know that in addition to 90's rock (which had it's own sound

just like 80's and 7o's rock did)the era was all about grunge.

While I have run into my fair share of people who hold a long-

standing grudge against the movement (all because one simple song,

"Smells Like Teen Spirit", killed off hair metal)I would gladly take

Nirvana, Soundgarden or Alice In Chains over some of what passed for

"metal" back in the day. While it might not be completely fair to

associate Hash Palace with the movement (sound-wise they not 

only owed a debt to 80's punk and hardcore, but 70's hard rock 

as well)as this album came out before the big explosion that 

"Nevermind" started they do admittedly have more in common with 

the post-Black Sabbath rock scene then any other scene of the time.  

There is not much to go by when it comes to the band (which I

found both weird and frustrating as the Internet seems to have 

information about even the most trivial/unimportant subjects)

as far as their history goes there is no doubt that Hash Palace

deserved a better fate. With a heavy sound that combines elements 

of not only grunge (more Tad-style grunge then Nirvana at that), 

but hardcore/punk (Misfits, The Butthole Surfers) and dirty 

garage rock (you can almost close your eyes and picture these guys

playing in some old bingo hall) Hash Palace seems as if they

should have easily been able to hold their own.I suspect that if 

you were to also label this psychedelic pseudo-heavy metal you 

probably wouldn't encounter much of an argument. With a vocalist 

that often-times sounds all the world like a (more) crazed version

of Glenn Danzig this is certainly an interesting album. At times

I imagine that this is what The Doors would have sounded like

if A)they had more then their fair share of acid to go around

and B)they had been served a healthy dose of Black Sabbath in

their formative years. Other times it comes off as Nirvana 

meets any number of defunct 80's punk bands. That is the 

sound of a band playing simply for themselves and not some

industry suit.It's hard for me not to appreciate to a band that 

is all the above while still have other moments where they employee 

this classic punk meets Jane's Addiction sound! Thankfully this

isn't one of those albums that you have to search high and low for.

I found this on the excellent site "I Hate The 90s" (link below)

before picking up a copy off of Amazon for under $5.00 (incl.

shipping!). I've provided a link for that as well for those of you

that prefer hard copies of albums. With bands like Hash Palace the

90s were not all bad. 

http://ihatethe90s.blogspot.com/2012/09/hash-palace-grit-and-bare-it-1990.html

http://www.amazon.com/Grit-Bare-It-Hash-Palace/dp/B0001MXR3O/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353329526&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=hash+palace-grit+and+bear+it

Punchline-Superfly

Pure Rock Records
2012


Intro tracks are supposed to pull you in and make you inspired/hopefully for what is to follow. I can't imagine then that anyone would be inspired to continue on to the rest of "Superfly" after the sounds of an airport terminal. Being the trooper I am I carried on though and two observations strike me right from the start. The first is the that album artwork seems all wrong. To me it conveys a hair metal/sleaze affair which is most certainly not the case. The second observation is can these three guys really be from Germany? They really sound as if they should be a west coast outfit. Anyway, Punchline could best be described as alternative hard rock although even that title is a bit off. Starting things off (after that intro of course) is the title cut and for better or worse it comes of as late 90s alternative rock. Early on the album came off as more retro then anything (some alternative rock, some grunge, some punk, etc-you get the picture), but by the time "Killing Me" kicks in I'm beginning to feel a bit more helpful and intrigued. While the promo states "modern-rock-fans will absolutely love PUNCHLINE" I'd say the band would more realistically appeal to those who loved 90's rock (again, the alternative rock, grunge, punk, etc that all mixed and morphed together) then modern rock fans. What's interesting as well about Punchline is the man fronting the three-piece. Punchline is lead by Jörg Juraschek and, while that name might not ring familiar, he is partly responsible for an album that both Metal Mark and I enjoy. Lead singer/bassist Jörg Juraschek was also the singer and bassist for Warrant (no, not that Warrant, but rather the original one) who released “The Enforcer” on Noise Records in 1985. That Warrant was a nice and nasty thrash outfit and, while Punchline sounds nothing like Warrant, it is interesting to see a guy like that go from one extreme to another. Anyhow, back to Punchline and names tossed about on the promo include Weezer, Green Day and Sum 41. The later two are pretty close, at least riff wise, as there is a lot of punk-pop and punk metal floating under the surface, although let's be clear about one thing, neither of these acts are as focused on straight ahead post hard rock/grunge as Punchline is. There is some Nirvana/Soundgarden as well Gruntruck to be found so its safe to say that Punchline will appeal to those of you that loved the nineties (after that one song came along and mercifully killed off the hair metal/pop metal scene) or those that enjoy bass heavy, alternative hard rock.