ZZ Top - Eliminator

For those unfamiliar with this album, well, where the hell have you been? Several of the songs from this abum have achieved such a level of fame that they have been heard by almost everyong in the Western world at some point or another, so that even if the name was completely unfamiliar if the riff were played the person would recognise it. Why is it that this album achieved such massive success? Quite simply, because it's an incredible album.

ZZ Top - Eliminator

By the time of Eliminator's release, ZZ Top had been recording albums together for just over a decade, and certainly had a fairly large discography, yet it was this album that catapulted them into the massive celebrity that they have held ever since. There are several reasons behind this change, although the most obvious is that it quite simply is an extremely well done album.

Aside from that, the first major factor behind this success was the time at which Eliminator was released. MTV was still brand new and still playing music, ZZ Top had a catchy single with an interesting music video replete with old hot rods and beautiful women, and they had a unique look. As anyone familiar with ZZ Top will tell you, guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill are known for their trademark waist length beards (as an aside, during the mid '80s the Gillette razor company offered the pair a million dollars each to shave their beards off for an ad, which they refused)

The next factor has more to do with the music itself. Prior to Eliminator's release, ZZ Top had been a band that leaned far more heavily towards their blues side, and while blues was still very popular at the time in the Western market, the mass public's tastes had shifted to that of the New Wave bands and the new sounds of the musical scene of the day. With this album, however, ZZ Top made the radical decision to pair new elements of this musical scene with their classic blues rock sound. With the addition of synthesizers, heavier, more rock oriented playing, and a simpler, more driving drum beat, the band managed to encapsulate both the edgy, new sounds of the 1980s with classic blues music.

Enough of that, I'm sure most of you are thinking to yourselves by now "Get on with it and talk about the songs themselves!" Alright! I've already said that I consider this to be one of the quintessential blues rock albums (the other being 1977's compilation The Best of ZZ Top) so clearly I enjoy it. The simplest thing that I could say about this album is that there are no bad tracks. Not one. From the time that opener "Gimme All Your Lovin'" starts to the last notes of "Bad Girl" the music is excellent. This is due I think in large part to the band's history together. By this point, they had been playing music together for nearly 15 years, and they were comfortable, both which eachother and with their style. I also think that the lyrics from this album encapsulate what I love about ZZ Top perfectly, namely their humour. Nearly every track on this album has some sort of a joke in the text, excepting only the heavily blues oriented track "I Need You Tonight."

Beyond that the album is an excellent soundtrack to nearly anything. The obvious sense of fun that the band are having recording this make it an excellent background for a couple of friends hanging out, the steady rhythm make it an excellent album for long drives, for those so inclined the guitar is perfect for air-guitaring, etc, etc.

The bottom line on this album is that it is ZZ Top's masterpiece. Unfortunately, due I'm sure to Eliminator's massive success, ZZ Top have spent the past 25 years trying to record another version of it, and as such their records have not been nearly as good as they had been. But for a perfect glimpse into blues rock, ZZ Top, and the best rock of the 1980s, one need look no further than this album. Simply put, Eliminator is as close to perfect as blues rock has ever gotten.

9.5/10

Holograf - Undeva Departe

Holograf - Undeva Departe

Today I'll be writing about a band that I'm fairly certain most of the people reading will not have heard of, but really should. The band in question is one of Romania's most popular and long lasting rock bands, Holograf.

Undeva Departe is sort of a hard album to talk about objectively, as it is first and foremost a best of album, with the traditional one bonus song. The thing is, most of the songs have been re-recorded or remastered (unfortunately, my grasp of Romanian is limited only to its similarities with Latin, Spanish, or French so I can't say which of those) More confusing still, some of the tracks are from previous best of compilation Banii Vorbesc. As a result of this, I'm going to try to just regard Undeva Departe as a separate entity entirely.

Holograf have been around since 1978, and were relatively prolific in that time. When this album was released in 1999, they had 6 LPs, 1 EP and a previous best of to draw from. The selections for this album leaned fairly heavily upon the mid '80s output from the band, which I frankly think was their best period stylistically, so the updated recording quality made for a good choice.

The reason why I prefer the period from which most of these songs were drawn from is because in their early days Holograf were a hard rock band, drawing somewhat on the style of the 1980s but not to excess. (As a dramatic comparison, listen to their most recent release, 2006's Taina which is closer to elevator pop than anything the band recorded prior to this release)

Because of the emphasis on the early middle period of the band's output, there is a decent amount of heavier songs, but the albums isn't all rockers. The band wasn't as well known for their slower, more ballad like tracks at this point, but the quieter songs contrast nicely with the heavier ones.

This was the first album that I heard from Holograf, and to date the only one that I've been able to find in hard copy, and I think it's an excellent introduction to the band and the sound that they carried forward up to this point. I'm not a huge fan of the band's two most recent LPs, but for those who like a sort of hard rock carried forward from the 1980s Holograf are an excellent listen.

8/10

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

I had originally planned to write a review of a Finnish album, Melkein vieraissa, as my first entry for the blog, but as a long-time fan of Nine Inch Nails, I thought this was a fitting place to start. (Hopefully I will get the other one written soon, though...)

Anyone who has not been living in a musical vacuum will have heard that on May 5, a scant two months after the surprise release of Ghosts I-IV, Nine Inch Nails have published yet another stealth album, this time as a completely free digital release (with the promise of a normal physical CD release available sometime in July) with multiple high quality audio formats available for download.

Stylistically, The Slip (or halo 27, for those who are keeping track) primarily fits somewhere between With Teeth and Year Zero, ranging from noisy electronic industrial anthems with frenetic beats through a delicate ballad into intricate ambient instrumentals. However, I find it feels overall more introspective and perhaps subtler than either of the aforementioned albums in spite of some serious aggression at the start, probably in part because the play order puts the faster, noisier songs early in the track list. The tempo slows in the middle and then more significantly in the second half of the album, and this slower pace in the latter half, especially "Corona Radiata" and "The Four Of Us Are Dying", seems to determine the general tone of the album for me.

Musically, the contrast between the distortion and melody, between the noisy, energetic industrial songs and the multi-layered instrumental soundscapes works very well for me, and the album has gotten better the more I have listened to it. While "Head Down" and "The Four Of Us Are Dying" were instantly addictive for me, the slow, organic build-up in the haunting "Corona Radiata" seemed out of place at first, yet the deliberate pacing and layering of the tones and the sometimes bizarre distorted samples intrigued me and drew me in. The vocals mesh well with the music, as do the lyrics, which deal with common themes for NIN such as isolation and disaffection, with a bit of social criticism thrown in. I also like the individual graphics for each track, quite stylish and eye-catching.

As I mentioned earlier, this album is something of a blend of the styles of With Teeth and Year Zero, leading some people to discount it as a collection of unused B-sides from those two albums. At 10 tracks, with a playtime of just under 44 minutes, the album is a little on the short side, but don't let that, the short lead time or the lack of a price tag fool you -- this is no throwaway. The Slip may not break any new musical ground, but fans of Reznor's recent offerings will not be disappointed, and if you haven't yet invested in Nine Inch Nails' recent albums, this is a good introduction. But honestly, anyone interested enough even to read this review should go download the album and give it a careful listen or three. It is definitely worth the time.

9/10

Audioslave - Revelations

Audioslave - Revelations

Audisolave are a somewhat controversial band, in that there are very divided opinions about them. Some feel that they were a worthy successor to the member's previous, incredibly succesful groups, while others feel that the band fell vastly short of the heights of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden. Whatever one might feel about them, it is nearly impossible for most to separate them from these two bands, and during their time together they were usually only spoken of as the band that so-and-so from one of those earlier bands joined. It wasn't really fair, and I can't help but wonder if on some level this was a reason for the band's breakup last Spring, and I'm hoping tonight to try to deal objectively with the band's last album without invoking the others too often.

First, a little bit of background, which unfortunately is inevitable...

Audioslave are the result of a jam session between former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and the instrumental section of Rage Against the Machine, sans vocalist Zack de la Rocha. Because of the difference between these styles, the earlier work of Audioslave was often somewhat fragmented, as Chris Cornell's role as vocalist and front man often meant that the Rage boys' style was pushed to the back. Not to say that the more funk influenced work of Rage wasn't present in Audioslave's sound right from the beginning, but it was obvious that the Soundgarden influence was great.

I have been a fan of Audioslave since I first heard the single "Like a Stone." There, I've said it, I am among the group who enjoy Audioslave. To be quite honest, they have been one of my favourite bands since I first bought their self titled debut back in early 2003. While there were a few jagged edges, I was impressed with that album, and while I was not nearly so impressed with their second abum Out of Exile, I did feel as though most of those edges had been smoothed out. The band was finding its own unique sound, which they finally found on their third (and, sadly, their last) album, 2006's Revelations.

What is the sound that Audioslave found? Well, it has some relation to their earlier incarnations, but in the end it owed a great deal more to funk and soul from the 1970s then Rage ever had (which will hopefully be the last time I need to invoke that name until the end of this review) Before the album was released, guitarist Tom Morello made comparisons to the Motown era funk band Earth, Wind, and Fire, and after I first listened to the album the comparisons are apt. Excepting the first single, Original Fire, which is a complete throwback to Motown and feels slightly out of place on this album, the songs are bass heavy and bear a great debt to funk music in particular. While still bearing a recognisable connection to their first album, the music has evolved to the point that the instrumental influences of Rage (damn, I've had to mention them again) which were greatly those of the first wave of popularity of African-influenced musical styles, has fully meshed with the heavy metal of the 1970s. For once, I really can't say that there is any real level of conflict between these styles, and the band sounds relaxes and confident with what they're playing. When I first bought this album, I couldn't stop listening to it for two weeks, which with me is a mark of something special.

My only real complaint is that at times the album can sound a little too alike, as the style which was finally fully achieved with this album is still too limited. When I first listened to it, I kept thinking about how absolutely incredible the next album would be, since the band had achieved a new style with this album, one with which all the players felt comfortable and which was excellent. Unfortunately, within a few months of its release Chris Cornell announced that he was leaving to pursue his own directions, and since then the musicians have reunited with Zack de la Rocha to perform live as Rage Against the Machine, perhaps one day to record again. Had they not released this album first, I might have just been happy to have such a titan of the music world back, but having heard Revelations I'm very torn between joy at having Rage back and the simple fact that Audioslave will never be able to continue to perfect the wonderful sound they achieved with this album, and I suppose that is really the most fitting tribute to the band; that they could inspire regret despite the revival of one of the most popular and influential bands in modern rock music history.

8.5/10

Mugison - Mugiboogie

It's taken me nearly a week, but here is the review I promised of the latest album from the opening act to Queens of the Stone Age...





Mugison - Mugiboogie
I first heard this guy live as the opening act for Queens of the Stone Age, so my initial expectations and impressions were naturally going to be a little different than the album would be. Most bands sound much louder and heavier live, but based on the set that he played I was expecting a hard rock sound that verged a little on metal (on one of the live tracks he used the death growl) The first four tracks held up my initial expectations pretty well, as they were all tracks he played live, but then things started to change. While listening to these songs, since I was enjoying them so much, I went and did a little research, and discovered that apparently Mugison (real name Örn Elías Guðmundsson) is actually an artist usually in the vien of fellow Icelanders Sigur Ros, which as anyone familiar with their sound is practcially the antithesis of hard rock. The rest of the album conforms to his earlier work fairly well, and it doesn't really veer back into hard rock (although one later track was the one with the death growl, it was very different than the live version, as this was odd experimental soundscape with muffled growled vocals)
Naturally I was disappointed that it wasn't all like the absolutely killer opening tracks, and I do suspect a lot of the people hat bought the album at the show feel similarly, but after I got past that I did start to appreciate the album as it is. There are some bluesy and country elements in Mugison's experimental tracks, and if you were to take out the hard rock tracks it would be a very well done post rock album. I've bought his earlier two albums, though I haven't really listened to them yet, and I can hear a distinct evolution in his sound. Unfortunately I'm not really a huge fan of the softer post rock movement (I am however quite familiar with the so called post metal movement) so I can't really compare Mugison to anyone other than Sigur Ros on these tracks, but from what I can tell he does them very well. They're quite pretty and appealing to listen to, and his voice has a much deeper tone (this is relative, mind) than Sigur Ros, which is much more suited to my taste. There are also more in the way of conventional rock structuring in Mugison's music than some post rock artists, which makes it a little easier to listen to in my opinion. I highly recommend the last three quarters of the album to post rock fans.
The problem to me is that the first couple tracks feel like they should be a totally different disc, maybe an EP, since they have so little in common with the rest of the album when played in order. There's this blast of bluesy hard rock, replete with somewhat sexed up lyrics a la Danko Jones, and because they're so put together it doesn't flow well. I find myself often stopping the playback now after the first four tracks unless I skip them altogether, which of course detracts from the overall experience. That said, the first tracks are very, very good in the style they're in, and I think Mugison clearly has it in him to release an absolutely killer hard rock album if he wants to.
So what's my final verdict? Taken as a whole, it feels a bit schizophrenic, like Mugison started to make a hard rock album and chickened out at the last minute, or decided to try something new on a regular album. I don't know the story behind the new sound, but I'd urge him to try maing a whole album. The set he performed was very, very good and he made a fan of me, even though he's primarily the shoegazer post rock stuff, but were he to release a whole album of songs as quality as the first ones he'd win legions more I suspect. I can't say I would recommend anything but the beginning to hard rock fans, but the latter half is very well done for what it is. As a result, I'm going to have to give this album three different ratings...
For just the first four tracks: 9/10
For the rest of the album: 8.5/10
For the album as a whole: 6.5/10

Queens of the Stone Age

In honour of my going to see Queens of the Stone Age perform Sunday night (technically tonight) I decided to make today's review one of their albums. I thought it might be appropriate to start at the beginning.

Queens of the Stone Age - Queens of the Stone Age
Many have now heard of QotSA, due to the massive success of their third album, Songs for the Deaf, but they have been recording music for a long time before that. Not just as Queens of the Stone Age, but in the case of band leader Josh Homme and former bass player Nic Oliveri, for about 8 years longer in the broken up desert rock band Kyuss. For those not familiar with Kyuss, they were among the early pioneers of the style known today as desert rock, or stoner rock, or any of a myriad of other titles. Essentially they wrote downtuned, semi-experimental hard rock songs with a great groove to it. As they had only recently broken up when this record was recorded (primarily by Homme, excepting drums) the album naturally contains many similarities to the work of later Kyuss, but there are still some fairly noticeable differences.
The style that Homme was going for at this point, according to interviews conducted at the time, was what he dubbed "robot rock" namely, getting a good groove going and then just hammering away at it. I personally don't really agree with that assesment of the music, as there is a great deal of movement within the songs themselves, but I will definitely agree that it is a very groove oriented album. This starts immediately, with album opener "Regular John" which is one of the most catchy songs on the album, featuring some really killer riffing.
Lyrics on this album are a little less important, while featuring some of the later Queens trademarks like surreal and/or sex infused lyrics, in many ways (to me at least) the vocals are more there to complement and balance out the instrumentation. What Homme is singing isn't as important as the singing itself, basically. Which really leads into the most important and yet basic fact about this album: it wants you to have a good time. It's a fairly simple, groove and riff filled hard rock album, but it was recorded by one of the best at this style out there. Homme is clearly experimenting with things which he couldn't do in the more collective atmosphere of Kyuss, and as he would prove with the later album Lullabies to Paralyze, he is often at his best when he's allowed to go all out with his own vision. This is one of my favourite hard rock records, and is always great to just put on when you're looking for some great simple music. While the band would get much more experimental later on, this showcases the best of one branch of hard rock.
8/10

Best of Deutschemusik.net

Seeing as I missed my weekly "Best of DM.net" feature last Wednesday, along with all of the other posts, this (my third make-up post) is naturally the next installment.



Joachim Witt - Bayreuth III

In the past Witt always proofed his state as an exceptional artist who walks his own way, without consideration for musical borders, genre limitations or press expectations. After listening to Bayreuth III it soon becomes obvious - this recored makes no exception. The gate into the world of Bayreuth III is opened with "Dämmerung" (perhaps again a hint of Witt's admiration of Richard Wagner). Seagulls, harbour-sounds together with beautiful violins and shiny trumpets create a wonderful introductional atmosphere.
The following songs are faster and heavier, but never loose the fascination of the whole concept that is Bayreuth III. The sound is always unique, you would never want to compare it with any other artist. It's the great combination of wind instruments, classical instruments, calm and sometimes oldfashioned nuances, but then again always a good level of heavy guitar support that makes the Bayreuth-experience so special. Witt didn't want his music to sound "modern", it somehow transports the feeling of timeless fascination, sometimes it even sets you musicaly back in time. It's always worth to concentrate closely to the music to hear the many astonishing details in each and every song. In "Hundert Leiber" for example the beginning consists solely of a cembalo play, a famous instrument of the Baroque era that's no longer used these days. In "Abendrot" there is a very interesting arangement of violins and eguitars, each alternating in leading the melody. The e guitar in the refrain of "Ich spreng den Tag" becomes slightly transposed down with every repetition, a simple but effective idea, the song sounds really impressive. The overall music sounds often "wide" and like in a Wagnerian opera. This is where the rare opportunities lay that could have improved this record. Throw out the electronical voice of "Dämmerung"'s outro, it's just unnecessary, and almost the same with "Abendrot", i'd rather changed the electronical motif at the end with a pure violine arrangement playing the very same notes, but it's ok. No need to be perfect, after all there's always some different tastes and likings.
Although songs like "Wem gehört das Sternenlicht?" and "Wo versteckt sich Gott?" could be potential super hits, it's the high quality of every single song on Bayreuth III what makes it so special and creates it's fascinating atmosphere. In fact, i wouldn't even call a single song weak or unsuitable for the concept. Nevertheless, in between there are again and again real treassures like "Ich spreng den Tag!" with a great viola counter voice to the e guitar and meaningful text lines. "Tiefenrausch" is a beatiful ballad, to dream and reflect. As a contrast followed by "der Turm "Edelweisspiraten" (only on the limited edition) that deals with national-socialism and comes in a harsher sound cloaking. In conclusion i'd say the playlist was done very well.
The album closes with another beautiful ballad, named "tief in der Tiefe" which comes in a calm mood with powerful vocals and the same musical background as "Dämmerung", it closes the circle of Bayreuth III in perfect harmony. The 13 titles of the album unite the complete range of Witt's Bayreuth sound galery: Heavy guitars alternate with well written melodies, orchestral force, electronic sequences... Each song is more than a short-lived ear worm, and fits well in the overall concept. The lyrics of the album are down the line of highest quality: The use and abuse of power, sociopolitical threats and the search for identity and solutions are pervasive in each song, the nerve of the time is successfully hit and Joachim Witt's metaphorical language knows to please. Between rage and pain, melancholy and power, he created a worthy ending of his Bayreuth trilogy.
Each time the cd ends, all i want is to press the repeat button of my cd player again and enter the world of Bayreuth once more. Joachim, thank you very much for this beautiful masterpiece!
If i could give away a "SuperPick UltraChoice Award", no doubt it would be the first time to do it! Highly recommended.
10/10

Reviewer: Tobias Weigl

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

Well, I apologise for the huge delay since the last set of reviews. I had an extremely busy two days at the beginning of the week with school, the details of which I'm sure would be of no interest but suffice it to say it was a busy two day. Then I worked Wednesday night, and unfortunately became very sick from food poisoning that night/the following morning, and only just started to really recover yesterday. Glory be, however, I have an extremely unusual four day weekend, and as a result I have an extra two days to try to catch up.

With that in mind, here is the first of these reviews.



Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

My experience with Muse has been, and please, pardon the cliche, that one either loves or hates the band. Neutrality is rare with regards to their sound, but for quite a long time I'll admit I fell squarely into that camp. I honestly can't recall where I first heard Time is Running Out, but it inspired me to pick up Muse's third album, Absolution. I liked the album well enough that it dodged my CD purge of several years ago, but the album never really grabbed me as a whole. There were five or so tracks which I thought were great, but the rest of the album I was a bit blase towards. I eventually shelved it in the hopes that I would come back at some point in the future and maybe have a better opinion then, and promptly forgot about Muse.
That was 2004. 2006 rolls around, and Muse are releasing a new album. I only hear about this a little while after the release, for obvious reasons, and don't have much reaction. At least, I don't until I hear the first (North American) single, Supermassive Black Hole. It was so different from the Radiohead-esque sound of earlier albums, with a completely new (and incredibly catchy) sound that as soon as I could get to my computer I downloaded the album. And I must say, while it doesn't as a whole live up to the promise of that first single, the album is a massive (forgive the pun) step forward from their earlier work. The most noticeable change was the adoption of somewhat simpler, hard rock riffs and the loss of a lot of the spacy, electronic experimentation. While that sounds at first glance like it might ruin the sound of the band, in truth the new style actually helps to make them more unique and impressive than before, finally letting them step out from behind the shadow of Radiohead. (Not least of all by lead singer/guitarist Matthew Bellamy's different vocal delivery this time around)
Bellamy does stick to the same sort of lyrical themes as previous albums, such as conspiracy theories, aliens, theology, etc. but he infuses a lot more overtly political sentiments as well. This is brutally obvious on opener Take a Bow, which skewers modern political leaders. While I am sometimes put off by such unsublte displays, somehow it works with Muse.
As for the playing itself, the band are definitely developing their skills as musicians since their earlier days, and as a result they sound relaxed and capable with the intruments, helping along the sound dramatically.
I guess I can only close by bringing special attention to closer Knights of Cydonia, which is definitely an epic track. Clocking in at around 7 minutes, it is noticebaly longer than most Muse songs, but the track never really drags. It builds slowly over the first few minutes before exploding with a long payoff of progressive rock styling, surf rock undertones, and pop sensibilities. Frankly, the album is worth it to me for just Supermassive... and Knights..., but luckily almost every song on here is of similar quality. It's a great intro to the band, and is hands down their best work to date.
8/10

Danko Jones - Born a Lion

So today I move far, far away from the Finnish music scene to a Great White North slightly more familiar to me, to the band Danko Jones, hailing from my home country Canada. Well, sort of, seeing as they come from "the center of the universe". (For those of you not from Canada, just ignore that last comment!)

I'm not even completely sure where I first heard this band, I believe it was their single Sound of Love on MuchMusic, but I can't say that for sure. All I know is that I first discovered them a little while before this album was released,and that I eventually bought it about 6 months after its release at the same time as another Canadian album, and my all time favourite album (Matthew Good's Avalanche, which I will cover in a later review) So, seeing as this was released in 2002, it's been at least 5 years that I've been listening to it, and I have fairly solidly formed opinions as a result.



Danko Jones - Born a Lion

As I mentioned in my introduction, I have been listening to this album for a long time, and I've been a long time fan of the band as a result. This was their first full-length debut after several years of releasing very well received EPs, and as a result (at least, to those who were familiar with the band, which in those days was admittedly a small group, which didn't include me yet) this album was highly anticipated. Some people were disappointed with the end result, namely because the band altered their sound somewhat to make it a bit more mainstream and catchy, but having listened to their earlier material since I have to say that I prefer this sound.
How best to describe the band? Well, I guess the best short form description would be ZZ Top for the '90s, although that's not really complex enough. The influences of the band are fairly up front (as are most things with Danko Jones) and they are obviously heavily influenced by blues (see opener Sing the Blues where Danko & Co. namedrop some of the most important blues musicians of the modern blues movement) funk, '80s heavy metal in the vein of AC/DC, and so on. That said, they do manage to surprise at times, particularly on closer Love is Unkind, where they include a completely unexpected but very welcome gospel choir in the chorus.
The other, perhaps even more obvious comparison to ZZ Top would be in the lyrics. Danko Jones (the alias of the lead singer as well as the band itself) is not about subtelty on any level, adn the lyrics are at times surprisingly reminiscent of ZZ Top's heyday, full of lyrics about love, sex, and rock & roll, often to fairly humorous effect. One comment I read about the bad stated that one had to "check their political correctness at the door" and I think that's a very apt statement. Not to say that Danko is ever offensive, as is shown in the lovely Caramel City, an ode to the diversity of Toronto. I suppose it's also worth noting that Danko himself is of African descent, and coming from Toronto he would surely have experienced prejudice as a younger person.
The playing itself is perhaps not anything to write home about, but I think that the simplicity of the music is actually a major benefit to the overall sound. Danko Jones are first and foremost about rocking out and having a great time, and it's pretty hard not to feel picked up listening to the music. Had there been major guitar solos and complex playing it would have made this a much less effective record.
At the end of the day, this record really silenced any criticism on its own merits. Despite being initially faulted for straying from Danko Jones' earlier, grittier sound, the album became hugely popular and in the end critically acclaimed. It was really responsible for launching the band to the level of popularity they enjoy now, and while none of their albums since have been quite as good, they released one of the best fun, rocking records of the early 2000s, which despite its relative simplicity has remained one of my most frequently played albums for more than 5 years. That alone is enough to make it worthwhile to checkout.

9/10

Marraskuun lauluja II

So, after a one day break I return for the second installment of Marraskuun lauluja.

Viikate - Marraskuun lauluja II (November Chants II)
When I first really started to get in to Marraskuun lauluja I, I remember thinking to myself that it seemed a little but..incomplete somehow, not long enough. At the time, I discounted this feeling, because I frankly thought that most of Viikate's albums were too short, but about 6 months I discovered that it really was unfinished, because at the end of the year Viikate would release a follow up. Naturally my first thought was joy, as one of my top five favourite bands would be releasing not one but two albums within the same year, but once this initial rush of happiness faded I started to get a bit nervous. While I knew that Viikate were extremely prodigious musicians (not a single year has passed since they released their first EP back in 1998 where they haven't released either a full length album or an EP) they're never released two full lengths this close together. I frankly worried that they might end up having to put in some tracks that were purely filler, but I filed these thoughts away until after I could hear the album.
So, the time passes and this past weekend I remember that the album is set to be released in a few days. As I always do that close to a release date, I checked the torrent sites to see if the album had been leaked yet, and to my surprise it had.
I think I was quite lucky this time around, because I was expecting something at least somewhat similar to their last release, especially since it had been advertised as a direct continuation of the themes. As such, I didn't have any of the problems I encountered with getting into this album, and I could get right down to enjoying it.
First I think I'm going to deal with the negative points about this album, because I'd like to get these out of the way. The single greatest complaint I have about the album is that it can be a little bit repetitive at times, and it does seem to follow the general blueprint of I in the way the songs are laid out. Especially if listened to back-to-back with I, it can get a little bit long at times.
And frankly, that's pretty much it for the negatives. I know I didn't make this clear before, but I love Marraskuun lauluja II. I think it's hands down the best album Viikate have released to date, and it probably now takes the cake for my favourite album of the year. The changes that Viikate started with I have continued here, but they have been coupled with a new and even greater sense of melody. The tendency towards incorporating elements from old pop has been increased, but it's been layered into the music in a way that they haven't used before, often having the much lighter elements featured side by side with heavy rocking guitars. The band has also incorporated a completely new element into their sound which was hinted at on I which I would never have expected: old style American country music. Don't worry, this is only used to augment their previous sound, but it adds a new depth which I think is fantastic. Kaale also seems to have managed to add more depth and feeling into his voice, which lends itself perfectly to the new elements in their music.
I mentioned earlier that the band had added greater melody to their sound, and this is most evident when listened to back to back with I. There was a sense of frenetic energy at times on I which never really materialises on II, and I'm somewhat surprised to say that I think this is a noticeable improvement.
Overall, I'm blown away that Viikate could release two incredible albums in the space of a year, but I'm even more blown away that their second album would be a marked improvement on the first. I have to encourage the band to try this pattern again, because they clearly work well under a deadline.
10/10

So that's it for my two-part review of Marraskuun lauluja, I hope you've enjoyed it. I'm going to try to take a break from Finnish music for a while and move into Canadian music for a few days. I know that all my reviews to date have been extremely positive, and I promise that there will be some negative reviews coming.

Viikate + Marraskuun lauluja I

Alright, so I'm going to try a slightly more ambitious review today. I'm writing up the first part of Viikate's recent album Marraskuun lauluja, but where the catch comes in is that it was released in two parts. Today I'm going to write up a brief introduction to the band, followed by the first half of the review. If I get a chance before work tomorrow night I will write up the second part, otherwise I will be introducing my new "Best of Deutschemusik.net" reviews, whereing I take a review from http://www.deutschemusik.net/ (I am one of the main reviewers for that site, focusing exclusively on German music). I'll try not to use that more than once or twice a week, but it'll depend on how busy I am between school and work.

For those who are familiar with the Finnish music scene, Viikate will undoubtedly be one of the first names they came across. Viikate are among a fairly small group of major Finnish rock bands. They are label mates with the band Kotiteollisuus (see my review of 7) and often tour with them, though they aren't particularly similar in sound. Other bands that are big within Finland include Turmion kätilöt, Ruoska, and the singer Timo Rautiainen.
Viikate are somewhat typical of modern heavy Finnish music, with a fairly heavy emphasis on melody. They are often classified as a metal band, although (aside from a few exceptions) I would strongly disagree with this assessent. They are another one of those bands that are impossible to neatly classify into a genre, as they incorporate elements of pop music, instrumental ballads, Finnish folk music, surf music, American rockabilly, schlager, etc.
I mentioned that they are influenced by pop music, but I should point out that possibly their single greatest influence would be the Finnish pop music from the '50s, and possibly the singer Reino Helismaa above anyone else. They do have a few individual trademarks, however, such as te aforementioned emphasis on melody, they also have an often rather melancholy tone; lots of interwoven picked guitar work; and extremely clever and beautiful lyrics. Unfortunately, I don't speak Finnish myself, but even the translations that I have read have been pretty amazing.
So there's a bit of background on the band, let's get on to the reviews themselves.

Marraskuun lauluja I (November chants I)
Marraskuun lauluja is not a debut album, it's not an early album, and it's not the work of a band still finding their voice. Viikate have been around for a little over a decade now, and it's been 9 years since they released their debut EP. Their sound has shifted somewhat over the years, but for the most part it had been a gradual, almost unnoticeable shift in sound. Their previous album, Unholan urut, had been generally regarded as their best work to date, and I guess the band must have asked themselves what they wanted to do in the future. This was only the second album with the two new members (second guitarist Arvo and bassist Ervo had only been a part of the touring band prior to this) and I'm sure that they had an influence now in the way that the new music would be recorded. I had only recently discovered Viikate when this album was released, and at the time I was a little nervous as to where the band would go after such a great work.
It was obvious from the first listen that Viikate had changed their sound more noticeably than between any other two albums. Unholan urut had spent a lot more time on slower paced, lower toned songs, and I is at first listen a remarkably fast paced album compared to their earlier work. In truth, I can't say that I was too impressed the first time I heard the album. Or the second, or the third. I don't quite know why it took so long to grow on me, maybe I just wasn't familiar enough with the whole of Viikate's catalogue and struggled with the change, I don't really know, but I was smart enough to persevere and keep listening to it (I had a similar, except even more pronounced, experience with Turmion kätilöt, but that's another review) It really came to me back in February when I was out of town for a couple days in Toronto, and I had a lot of time to listen to music without the chance to change what I had on my MP3 player. As a result, I spent most of three days listening to I and somehow it just suddenly worked for me. I hate to use the cliched expression, but it was like a light turning on in my head. Ever since then, I've had this feeling grow on me, and I would say now this is probably my favourite Viikate album.
I think I owe a little more information on this "dramatic change" between albums, because I suspect I'm giving off the wrong impression. They didn't really change their sound as much as I thought, I just wasn't very familiar with Viikate's earlier catalogue yet. I would frankly call their sound on I more of a consolidation of their strengths than any big change, because it's essentially a fusion of their early, heavier sound mixed with the slower and more melodic work of later albums, and as a result it's a lot more..well, fun than some of their other works in later albums.
I honestly doubt that any amount of ramblings could really do this album justice, so I'll stop here, with just a few last words (before part II) Marraskuun lauluja I is a geat consolidation of the band's musical strenghts, showcasing especially the talents of bandleader/lead guitarist/vocalist Kaale Virtaanen. His voice is perfectly suited to the music, his talent for playing is noticeable, and his lyrics are beautiful. I is the perfect introduction to the band, and is highly recommended to any interested parties.
8.5/10

As before, www.recordshopx.com/johanna is also highly recommended for hard copies of Finnish music.


Hope you've enjoyed this look at Viikate, tune in tomorrow for either part II or the first "Best of Deutschemusik.net"

Kotiteollisuus - 7

My inaugural review is coming straight out of Finland. Kotiteollisuus were one of the very first Finnish bands I discovered, and they are definitely among the best. Their work is easily available for download from various torrent sites, as well as available for purchase from http://www.recordshopx.com/johanna/, whom I can't recommend enough.
I wrote this review a while ago for my own interest, so it may be a little unpolished. It's late, so if I don't like it as well in the morning I may edit/rewrite it.


Kotiteollisuus - 7 (Seitsemän)

[This review would be remiss without a little background information on the band, so I will be including that in the opening paragraph]

Kotiteollisuus are a veteran Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band that hail from Lapeenranta. They have been recording music for more than a decade since their formation in 1991, and 7 is (as the title might suggest) their seventh release. 7 also showcased the continuing development of the band. On early recordings, their sound was reminiscent of a sort of hardcore punk, thischanged with their sophomore album, Aamen, when they adopted a harsh heavy metal sound. This sound stayed largely the same until their fourth album, Tomuhsta ja tuhkasta, which featured some newer, more melodic tracks. This has continued ever since, and 7 is the pinnacle of this development of melody mixed with heaviness.
While Kotiteollisuus’ lighter tendencies likely hit their peak on their previous release, Helvetistä itään, the juxtaposition of heavy riffing and lighter melodic passages found their perfect balance on 7. This is illustrated right throughout the album, but I feel the absolute best example is track 4, Perkeleen työtä. While the opening/closing riffing is among the heaviest the band has done (perhaps only really equaled by the track Kadoneet, from their next album Iankaikkinen) the chorus is a much lighter hard rock sound.
Every track on here is also catchy as hell, and quite frankly this is one of the best headbanging records I own. Particular highlights are Pohjanmaan kautta, Murheen mailla, and the aforementioned Perkeleen työtä. However, the vast majority of this album are all extremely high quality tracks, and the album only really sags a bit for the last two songs on the album. I have heard very few heavy metal albums that have been able to retain this quality right through the album, and in particular that the length of some tracks (no less than five tracks are at or over the 5 minute mark) doesn’t detract from the catchiness or quality. Not to mention, of course, that the band packs real power for a trio.
The only real negative comment I have of this album (aside from wishing there were an extra two or three tracks!) is that I can’t understand the lyrics. I have been told by Finnish speakers that Jouni Hynynen (the singer/guitarist of the band) is a very good lyricist, and from the one song I have read a translation of he does seem to be very good. As a result, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for the rest of the album, and assume that the rest of the lyrics are of the same quality.
Overall, 7 is an excellent album. It’s powerful, yet melodic; catchy, yet still done with quality; and most of all it retains a sense of fun right through. 7 is the perfect album to play while going for a long drive or just hanging out with friends, and it’s highly, highly recommended, both on its own and as a starting place for new listeners to Kotiteollisuus.
10/10