Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted

Let’s face it – Sepultura just wasn’t the same band after the singer Max Cavalera left in 1996, right after the now-classic Roots. I’m not one to say the present-day Sepultura with Derek Green isn’t any good at all, but it’s just not the same thing anymore. And with Max’s brother Igor – sorry, Iggor – now gone too, there seems to be very little left of what Sepultura once was. So, when it was announced, that after twelve years, the brothers had finally reunited and were working on new material, it was a dream covered with ice cream made of pure awesome come true for an untold number of metalheads around the world. But was it actually a dream worth dreaming in the first place?

Yes. Yes it bloody well was. The Cavaleras weren’t in speaking terms for over ten years – and it shows. A decade’s worth of pain caused by a deep rift between close brothers is finally set free on Inflikted (released 24th March 2008): the title track kicks the album off with ball-bustingly barbaric force and anger, and from there on, the pace never lets up. The style on Inflikted falls somewhere between and around Sepultura’s Arise and Chaos AD, incorporating also a lot of the sound present on Max’s own Soulfly. The ethnic elements that were so prominent in making Sepultura and Soulfly sound distinct are, surprisingly, cut almost completely, showing up for just a couple of very tiny cameos in a couple of songs. Instead, Inflikted concentrates on delivering some of the most merciless thrash metal on the planet. An angrier-than-ever Max barks and roars apocalyptic propaganda like no tomorrow, Iggor thrashes away with deadly precision and Marc Rizzo’s ultra-thick riffs and grooves tear the air apart. Especially Marc Rizzo deserves a special mention, as he's really managed to conjure up some truly kick-ass stuff with his impeccably accurate and inventive riff- and solohand.

Sounds a bit too much of a good thing? Of course, no record is without its blemishes. Many of Max’s lyrics STILL show traces of English not being his first language. Seriously, what else can you do with gems like Nevertrust’s ”Nevertrust – the emo kids / nevertrust – the fucking pigs” or Hex’s ”Like a hex, like a hex / mass hypnosis will equal death / like a hex, a fucking trap / buffalo soldiers high on crack” but raise an eyebrow or two? Also, variety has been discarded for an all-out, permanent rampage mode, which might put off some listeners and make it more difficult to appreciate the amount of quality and heart present in this thing. In the end, however, the good things overweigh the very minor flaws in such a way that there’s no doubt we’re talking about one of the best metal records of the decade.

Yes, one of the best metal records of the decade. Cavalera Conspiracy doesn’t reinvent the wheel, no, quite on the contrary actually. Inflikted goes back to the principles of thrash and groove metal, showing only a bare minimum of external influences, but this possible drawback has been transformed into a strength. It’s an absolutely brutal piece of true-to-its-roots thrash metal, a crushing, relentless ride to the very end, that more than makes up for its straightforwardness with pure ferocity and the sheer excitement of finally having two of the best metal musicians in the world together again. Killer tracks like the incomparable Inflikted or the murderous The Doom of All Fires are evidence enough that the Cavalera brothers are back, and I hope they will be around for a long, long time to come.

9,5 / 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

Old Man Gloom - Seminar III

Old Man Gloom - Seminar III
Subtitled Zozobra, this is the band Old Man Gloom's third album, and while it is theoretically the successor to previous album Seminar II in EP form, it is in truth both a sequel, a continuance, and a summary of its predecessor. Let me explain. First, it is obviously a separate release to Seminar II, and it was released slightly after that album. Second, it is meant to be listened to back-to-back with its predecessor, as the themes on this EP continue on from those of the first album. Finally (did I forget to mention?) the EP is one single track, 27 minutes long, which encapsulates all of the many turnings of style and concept in the previous album's 17.
The key with this album is to not allow the one song's length to daunt you. It just means this isn't an album you can pop in and skip around the tracks on, changing what you're listening to every couple of minutes. If you want to properly appreciate it you have to sit down for the haul, as the song's payoffs only really have the intended effect if what comes before is heard as well.
Stylistically the band aren't all that far removed from sister-project Isis, as one of the core members of OMG is Isis vocalist/guitarist/artist/label owner Aaron Turner. OMG explore many of the same ambient passages alternated with crushing guitar and, but on their other albums these excursions are always short, compared to Isis (usually clocking in at about 4 minutes at most) and never really exploring their sonic art to its full extent. This is why Seminar III is such a refreshing listen, coming from other Old Man Gloom albums; it's wonderful to hear them really stretch their muscles. Now, don't get the impression that OMG are Isis clones, while they do bear some general similarities, and whatever genre you want to stick Isis in these guys definitely also fall into it, but they don't have the repetitive, droning ambience of Isis, and as I say the songs tend to short and often abrasive. Of course, now I do need to come to the reason why I say this album is sort of like a shorter summary of its predecessor, you see despite being one song, and despite feeling very natural in its sound, it is in many ways a series of tracks stitched together. Of course, Seminar II is in many ways one long song cut into many individual tracks, so this doesn't pose any real problems.
The musicianship itself is very good, although there isn't much in the way of the band showing off their prowess. It's more in the way that all contributors come together to create this whole; as the song moves through its various phases it feels like the badn are building to a natural conclusion, which is hit in some ways at the 21 minute mark. I should point out that the band's lyrics usually revolve around our simian brothers (the band's full name is the Old Man Gloom Alien Simian Defence League) and space, as the ambient passage prior to this climax contains samples of what I assume to be scientists discussing monkeys, which fades slightly into a truly awesome guitar riff, which curls and explores its way for about 4 minutes before fading into a quiet denouement.
The album is not an easy listen, like most of the bands stylistically related to it, OMG requires a little getting used to, and does require some attention. But once you get past the length of the song and the oddities and start to really appreciate the music, the album will greatly reward. And, of course, it is highly recommended to fans of post metal, just make sure to listen to it back-to-back with Seminar II.
[as a side note, the band was founded in Santa Fe, where there has been a yearly festival since the early 1700s in which a figure known as Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom, is burned in effigy to represent the release of the cares and worries of the past year.]

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

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