Sum 41- Underclass Hero (*½)

There was a time in my life where I considered Sum 41 as a band that was brash, daring, dangerous, and above all exciting. Sure, I was 13 but the band always made me curious enough with subsequent albums to still keep listening even if they weren’t the poet-laureates of our time. Sadly, none of those things can be said for their latest release, Underclass Hero.

Simply put: the album is boring and predictable. In an attempt to broaden their sonic pallet, the band claimed they were returning to a more melodic sound rather be restricted by their brand of punk-by-way of metal on Chuck. Instead, the band (minus one Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh) have crafted a record that is not only heavy on the studio gloss and compression, but one that sports too many saccharine hooks, half baked social commentary, and about a dozen riffs mined from Enema Of The State era blink 182. The album itself sounds incredibly dated in the malaise of late 90s pop-punk that one can’t possibly see it as anything original.

This wouldn’t be such an issue of the band were writing about broken hearts and had a thesaurus by their side. However, Dereck Whibley is about making “statements” with his music now. Unfortunately this amounts to spouting one liners like, “Mom and Dad both in denial/An only child to take the blame” in “Walking Disaster.” It gets worse though, for they announce that “The President is dead!” in the supposedly edgy “March Of The Dogs.” Sure, Sum 41 had political (and I use that term liberally) leanings with Chuck, but those were born out of frustration and alienation; things that came naturally to them. Here, they aim to crate anthems of dissent but the problem is they have no ideas about how to make things better or how to articulate it. The end result is that these “call to arms” merely serve as the call to preteens to open up their wallets and fork over $12 for a copy of Underclass Hero.

The band misses Baksh and it shows. Hell, the Sum Trio now even rips off themselves. They borrow the same vocal delivery from “Fat Lip” and use it in the title track of this album. If your grand and “artistic” statement of an album starts by ripping yourself off, you’re in trouble. Elsewhere, the band takes the very same melody from “We're All To Blame’s” chorus and pastes it into a neat little piano outro for “Pull The Curtain.” This is supposed to be maturity? Perhaps it’s obvious to ask if there is anything worth listening to on this record. Well, “King Of Contradiction” is actually a decent foray into their attempt at hardcore punk. The track is fast, snotty and abrasive; just try to ignore the horn section that shows up halfway through the song. “The Jester” is also a not so veiled jab at George W. Bush and has an interesting rhythm to it. It’s just too bad that all of these hooks and melodies have been done by other bands and far better.

Sum 41 have painted an interesting picture with their 5^th album. Far removed from the political call to arms that they meant for it to be, the band has made Canadian idiots of themselves by trying to mine bands like blink 182 and Green Day, while still maintaining that they have a purpose or meaning for their musical statements. Really the album is a call of one thing: DAVE! COME BACK!

Sounds Like (or Steals From?): Enema Of The State (blink 182), Good Charlotte (Good Charlotte), American Idiot (Green Day)

Key Cuts: Underclass Hero, The Jester, King Of Contradiction

Live: The Smashing Pumpkins @ The Fillmore 7/25

“We thank you for spending the evening with us given all the other entertainment possibilities.” slyly remarks Billy Corgan after his band’s triumphant set at San Francisco’s Fillmore Theater on July 25^th. One of the many shows in their current residency there, The Smashing Pumpkins put together a great performance full of old material, songs off their new album and even songs written the day of the concert. Through all of it, patrons at The Fillmore seemed all at once captivated and grateful for the legendary band’s performance.

The set started with Moving Units, an entirely forgettable band that tried too hard to sound like The Strokes, and who’s plastered lead singer fell off the stage within two minutes of their set beginning. That being said, the rest of their set was plagued with mismatched soundboard levels and an inability to carry themselves on stage. Better luck next time guys.

The mood shifted significantly when the Pumpkins took the stage. From out of the shadows emerged the gargantuan Billy Corgan, acoustic guitar in hand and harmonica wrapped around his neck. The applause roared and rather than launching into a crazy tirade, the rock legend sat down and treated the audience to 3 acoustic numbers, “Peace+Love+,” “99 Floors,” and “With Every Light.” The songs themselves were folk influenced numbers that featured Corgan’s gentle croon, not too far removed from his short lived Zwan project. Like most of the new material that showed up during the night, the songs seemed reflective rather than pretentious. Little by little, Jimmy Chamberlin, Ginger Reyes, and Jeff Schroder joined him on stage and whatever quiet mood that was created was instantly smashed by the wall of sound put forth during “Tonight, Tonight.”

From there, the show really took off. They rifled through classics such as “Cherub Rock” and “Hummer” as well Zeitgiest material such as “Starz” and “Tarantula.” Throughout the entire show, the band never once spoke to the crowd. Every so often, Corgan would gesture with his ghost-like arm, but only for theatricality. It fit the mood perfectly as the night was not about egos and hero worship; rather, it was all about the music which was in top form. The Pieces Iscariot cut “Starla” built from quiet, gentle strummings, to an epic Corgan guitar solo. It seemed to evoke other great rock epics such as “Stairway To Heaven” or “Hotel California.” Another fascinating thing about the set was the fact that they snuck in some interesting songs. “To Shelia” and “Shame” off Adore had been transformed into gorgeous rock ballads rather than their snyth heavy album counterparts.

It seemed that Corgan and his Pumpkins enjoyed tinkering with arrangements ever so slightly to fit their whims. In the middle of the epic “United States” Corgan spontaneously broke out into “The Star Spangled Banner.” Elsewhere, the band completely transformed the slow and grinding “Heavy Metal Machine” into a much heavier, thrash number that seemed to simply pummel the eardrums. If anyone had doubts about Chamberlin's drumming, this number perfectly showcases his technical ability. The man is simply a spider behind the kit. And as if that wasn’t enough, Corgan appeared by himself for the encore singing “Death From Above” merely accompanied by his touring keyboardist.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire performance was when the band played “Today” off Siamese Dream. Corgan’s tortured whine over the delicious wall of distortion sounded just as mystifying as it did with the band’s original line-up, but augmented with a brilliant solo at the end. Rather than feeling nostalgic, it seemed timeless. The Smashing Pumpkins proved lots of things to me with this concert, the most important being that they (and Corgan in particular) were not reaching for faded glory. It seemed like they were securing their own legacy, pushing their sound further, taking risks, and above all playing their hearts out. It’s impressive to consider that this new band and their new material stands up to classics like “Today.”

“We thank you for spending the evening with us given all the other entertainment possibilities.”

No Billy, thank you.

(*****)

Setlist:

Geeks, UNITE!

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, I’m a big geek. That’s right, geek, nerd, dork whatever you want to call it that’s what I am. I embrace things that are cheesy, overtly theatrical, and I even have a cult-like devotion to many of those things. I love geek culture to death, but for far too often it’s written off as something to be shunned. I’ll point out that relishing in things such as science fiction, video games, graphic novels, and epic quests make one available to some great portions of pop culture. That’s not all, for people that are geeks often the most articulate and interesting people to talk to because of their passions. You find a geek at a party, never let them go! The question then becomes, How does one embrace their inner geek and what sorts of tunes (for this is a music blog after all…) allow that person to wave the geek flag so proudly?

I’m glad you asked…

Geeks! Rock Hard! (1 hour 18 minutes)

1. Knights Of Cydonia- Muse
Nothing better to start out this star-studded tribute to geekdom by celebrating the marriage of two unlikely things: space and the old west. Muse crafts a sci-fi epic that sounds like one of Ennio Morricone’s estranged children. The energy is bombastic, the lyrics urgent, the harmonies grand, and the stakes dire. Horns and spaced out keyboards add to the overall feel.

2. 2112- Rush
The near 20 minute mini-opera that Rush uses to open their smash hit album 2112 is soaked with geek. The music is typical fair for Rush standards; huge movements, booming bass parts, great synthesizers and some impressive lyrics by Neil Peart. Geddy Lee spins a tail about a far off future where a boy wanders into a forbidden temple only to find a guitar (and with it the gift of music itself). The song resolves its huge hero arch by having the main character take his own life and evil take over the galaxy. Shades of Empire Strikes Back indeed.

3. In The Garage- Weezer
One could argue that geek in rock music was never really big until Rivers Cuomo and the gang put out a little album with a blue cover. Nonetheless, this garage rock staple (complete with harmonica mind you) sits comfortably in our anthems to geekdom. In this tender track, Cuomo all at once name checks everything from D&D to the X-Men while embracing that often bittersweet solitude that results from indulging in such pleasures.

4. Killer Tofu- The Beets
Do you recall 90’s cartoons? You know, GOOD cartoons? Nickelodeon’s Doug was such a cartoon. The brain child of Jim Jinkins, the show followed its title character around in a world not so different from ours. This world also featured The Beets, a band sounding like a conglomerate of everything from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones with some squealing Van Halen thrown in for good measure. This glorious rage against a sinister bean curd will have you geeking out in no time. Odds are that if you actually own an mp3 of this song, you have already resided into your destiny of dorkdom.

5. Teenagers From Mars- The Network
So what if its Green Day and two guys from Devo? The Network craft some catchy new wave and this appropriate cover of the classic Misfits song is no exception. It’s got space, keyboards and a crazy hook. It plays out like a bad B-Movie and that’s what makes it so satisfying. Bille Joe proudly proclaims that we are “Teenagers from Mars!/And we don’t care!” Finding strength in the regions beyond allows this track to more than earn its keep in our mix.

6. The Saga Begins- Weird Al
Weird Al has always been a top choice of the nerdy. Since the 80s, Al has supplied popular culture with some ridiculous parodies that all seem to find themselves just under that Parental Advisory status. Nonetheless, it takes guts to not only take on the 8 minute epic “American Pie,” but to reenact the entire plot of Star Wars Episode I in the process, well that’s just tremendous. And he pulls it off flawlessly, his backing band giving us the same hint of grandeur that Don Mclean gave the original. Al’s version is so good, it makes us forget that the film was so bad, and that’s a gift to geeks everywhere.

7. In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 -Coheed & Cambria
Somewhere back in New York, a band that loved Rush and Zeppelin decided they’d put together a band to sing about an epic that falls somewhere between Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings. Coheed & Cambria do just that, and this cut off their album with the same title is no slouch. The ominous notes that open this beast of a song start the tension as Claudio Sanchez relates the tale of an epic battle to us. The song just builds into a haunting wall of sound featuring a dozen backing voices. Man your battle stations indeed, the universe hangs in the balance.

8. I Am A Wizard- Harry & The Potters
I’m not going to lie, Harry & The Potter are far from musically gifted individuals. But part of that is their charm I suppose. It’s somewhat endearing to hear a 13 year old lament about his favorite boy wizard and last time I checked, magic is DEFINITELY geeky. This cut off their first album introduces us to the boy wizard in all his glory. You’ll either smile at the references to J.K. Rowling’s addicting little cash machine of a book, or at this poor boys singing, but you WILL smile.

9. In Search Of 1988- Ozma
Add one part Weezer, and one part The Cars. Hit play, and relish in a song that seems to be stuck in a time warp. Ozma’s infectious little number about 80’s nostalgia name checks both Mario and Luigi. This upbeat ode to geekdom will either make you reminisce about how great the 80s were to grow up in or make you wish you were just that much older.

10. My Spirit Will Go On- Dragonforce
Really, I could have just put [Insert Any Song By Dragonforce] in this slot, but I chose this song in particular because of the wonderfully epic build up in the beginning before the song positively explodes. And its explodes it does, full of double bass, lightning fast guitars, rumbling bass work, outlandish vocals, and crazy lyrics about wizards and dragons. How could we leave this off?

11. Don’t Stop Me Now- Queen
Queen have always been theatrical in every sense of the word. If the world truly was a stage, then Queen put on one hell of a show. This little ditty off their looked over album Jazz and staple in one of the funniest moments of Shaun Of The Dead is a great addition to our collection. It features, Freddy Mercury rambling with sass and aplomb while the band plows full speed ahead. It’s the equivalent of dancing in your underwear only to find that your bedroom window is open and all your neighbors are focused on your intense performance.

12. D.O.A.- The Phenomenauts
These guys are a local band I always catch at The Phoenix Theater in Petaluma. They come from space, and play and incredibly infectious form of rockabilly by way of new wave. “D.O.A.” is not only one of the greatest songs about heartbreak that I know, but every metaphor in this song is some how connected to space. “You blew my dignity out of the airlock/You launched my pride into deep space/You put pain into my orbit/And you blamed it/On the space race.” Angel Nova weaves some incredible wordplay over this bass heavy do-op number. It makes me downright giddy every time they pepper their encores with it.

13. Fanthem- Turbo Justice & The Rockinauts
So this isn’t exactly fair because you guys probably haven’t heard about these Turbo Justice. Formed out by some of my closest buddies, the band is a set of superheros that traverse the stars and vanquish evil at all costs. “Fanthem” is their undying love for all things nerdy. It this great number, they weave in every nuance from Star Wars to Star Trek yet still manage to make the song hooky rather than wordy. And with the chorus of “And if you ever feel like the world is/Turning on you/Remember there is geek inside them too…” they ultimately show the solidarity that comes from geeking out. Definitely a must have.

14. The Final Countdown- Europe
You’ve heard the sugary synth line that won’t leave your brain for weeks. And with lines like “We’re headed for Venus!/We’re leaving ground!” how can you not end with this song? Plain and simple, it’s a song that you should hate, but can’t because it is so irresistible. Perhaps when all is said and done, this is the TRUE essence of geekdom: loving the things you should hate no matter what anyone says.

Interpol- Our Love To Admire (****)

By all accounts, Interpol is a band I should hate. These New Yorkers are hyped by anyone with a set of headphones, any shred of “indie cred,” and anyone with a love of all things 80s. At first glance, it’s also possible to write off Interpol as a Joy Division rip off that reworks the “goth/post-punk” feel and mid tempo song so much that it’s tiring. I should despise this band.

But I don’t. The hype is warranted and their songs are more gratifying the more one invests.

I’ll also add that as you sink your ears into their third album, you won’t hate them either. Our Love To Admire is a brisk record that finds Interpol paying homage to their dark and satisfying past while making headlong progress for the future. The beginnings of the album's first track “Pioneer To The Falls will have you riveted. Over Daniel Kesseler’s great lead work, singer Paul Banks is down to business dishing out the self-deprecation, “Show me the dirt pile/And I will pray/That the soul can take/Three stowaways…” And alongside all this melancholia, this epic opener goes through many different movements, a quiet percussive portion, an exciting tremolo picked solo, and Banks’ very own vocal showcase. Carlos Dengler’s bass rumbles and the Sam Forgarino’s drums change tempo on a dime. Snyths underscore much of this track, adding just the right atmosphere while the ending carefully employs the use of brilliant horns.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is just the first track!

Interpol have set out to do much more with this release than craft some intelligent songs. This time, the hints of atmosphere they always flirted with run amok on Our Love To Admire. If Antics served as the sound of this band honing its writing and structural skills from it’s previous underground sensation, Our Love To Admire serves as them pushing their sound towards more than just the conventional song. Mood is the name of the game here, for we see the band crafting compelling intros, and mesmerizing outros. The album never lets it’s ambition hinder the band though. These guys rely on their strengths of writing some great angular guitar lines, quick drum changes, and tense bass work. “The Heinrich Maneuver” might be nod to their tight songwriting on Antics, but its instrumentation takes listeners on a more winding journey. The band isn’t afraid to phase out instruments, add some in at unexpected times, and gradually allow them into the whole mix.

This exercise in choice adds to something Interpol have always done well from the get go: create tension. Sure, to the untrained ear (and for a long while my own ear), every Interpol song might sound too similar. However, the band always created an exceptional mood with its songs. As upbeat as the dance grooves might have been, the suspense and tension was always there in Interpol’s music and this album is no different. This time however, their idea in creating tension has to do with what instruments they allow to rise and fall into the song itself. There is a section on the song “Mammoth” where a hypnotic guitar line plays alongside Banks’ somber croon and suddenly the bass and drums explode in as he continues his venomous tirade. These soft to loud dynamics are something that The Pixies were masters of, but Interpol have used it nicely to round out their sound. Elsewhere, the cascading melodies of “Rest My Chemistry” bring not only the atmosphere, but genuinely envelop the listener in Banks’ depression. “But you're so young/You're so young/You look in my eyes/You're so young/So sweet/So surprised…” is all sung over a delicate guitar line that sends shivers up one’s spine just before erupting in an incredible flurry of a guitar solo.

Tension, indeed.

One thing is for certain though; Rich Costey deserves some recognition here. He’s helped the band sound full and big. The guitars shimmer and the rhythm section pounds and while none of their albums could really be considered lo-fi, Costey makes the band sound vibrant. He meticulously adds to their fullness, their atmosphere, and the tension they create. “Pace Is The Trick” begins with a rather seductive guitar line that seems to build and build until it all comes crashing in at the caustic chorus, “And now I select you/Slow down I let you/See how I stun/See how I stun…” Costey knows how the band wants to impact listeners and it’s rare that production fits a group as well as it does here.

The real gem of the album however, would have to be the closing track, “The Lighthouse.” Here the soft/loud dynamic is in full force. Implementing only snyths and a furiously strummed guitar line that leaves just as quickly as it arrives, Banks laments about how his calls of warning go unnoticed by those that need it most. Ironically it serves as a great contradiction, for the music here on Our Love To Admire leaves a lasting impression. The textures, the atmospheres, they are all something to relish and lose oneself in. If Interpol keeps crafting albums like this one, we’ll have many more reasons to admire.

Sounds Like: Pornography (The Cure), Closer (Joy Division), Achtung Baby (U2)

Key Cuts: Pioneer To The Falls, Rest My Chemistry, The Lighthouse

Using Your Illusion, Correctly!

Avid fans of hard rock and Guns N’ Roses aficionados cannot deny the impact and brilliance of Use Your Illusion I & II. And for as long as they have existed, there have been debates about which is the better collection of songs. Use Your Illusion I boasts a more aggressive and at times psychedelic quality to it while Use Your Illusion II has more of a blues feel. Both albums suffer (or excel?) from their own excess. Diehards, myself included, will tell you that to truly get the most out of these albums you should listen to them back to back in their entirety. Oh, and forget that the song “My World” ever existed.

But what about the rest of us that don’t have the time to devote to some band that once ruled the world? True, there is a compilation out titled Use Your Illusion but it features mostly singles, is sold at K-Mart (Hell), and edits out all the expletives. No thank you. A collection like that cannot give you the full range of material on these great albums. Instead, I’ll try to compile the essential cuts from both albums into a version that can be conveniently placed on an 80 minute CDR.

I present to you:

Use Your Illusion (78 Minutes 19 seconds)

1. Civil War (The band’s biggest “political statement” serves as an ominous opener, whistling included.)
2. Right Next Door To Hell (The bassline just kicks you in your gut and never lets go.)
3. Dust N’ Bones (Stradlin wrote this rocker about one bad dude. Great lead work and piano melodies on this one.)
4. You Could Be Mine (The single featured in T2 is downright sinister.)
5. Don’t Cry (Original) (Call me a sap, but the original sports better lyrics.)
6. 14 Years (By far, one of the jumpiest piano lines I’ve ever heard.)
7. The Garden (This is GNR’s foray into brutal, but dreamy psychedelica and it works.)
8. Estranged (Slash earns his keep in this huge ballad.)
9. November Rain (The ending solo. ‘Nuff said.)
10. Garden Of Eden (Great use of studio trickery, there’s TONS of sound bites here.)
11. You Ain’t The First (An underrated bluegrass influenced number. Acoustic and caustic like GNR do best.)
12. Get In The Ring (Axl attacks everyone that’s bad mouthed the band. Vulgar in every way and I love it.)
13. Double Talkin’ Jive (The song has some great flamenco guitar work towards the end.)
14. Coma (Epic closer. The song borders on prog-rock complexity.)

Why these and not others?
The idea was to give listeners a wide sampling of the various styles found on the two discs as well as the big name songs. Plus, I wanted to emphasis the ones that had the tightest arrangements. For that reason, Use Your Illusion I highly outnumbers its sister album contributing 9 tracks to II’s 5. However, let’s get into the tracks that had to be cut.

“My World”: Axl’s “surprise” bonus track is 1:26 of industrial beats, bad rapping and creepy samples of girls moaning. Oh, and Axl gives us his best Hannibal Lecter impression. Pass.

“Bad Apples”: I hate the bassline on this song. The hook is ok until they repeat the title. Then, it’s all over.

“Live & Let Die” and “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”: Covers on an album are never a good idea. Even if these covers are incredible.

“Don’t Cry (Alt. Lyrics)”: The lyrics simply aren't as powerful..

“So Fine”: So Forgettable.

“Perfect Crime,” “Back Off Bitch,” “Shotgun Blues,” “Pretty Tied Up,” and “Don’t Damn Me”: Too similar to songs like "Garden Of Eden." We needed variety and so these tracks were cut.

“Bad Obsession”: Again, too similar to other material on our version. The dynamics could have been better in the song too. It was a hard cut to make however, as I love the harmonica and overall instrumentation within the song itself.

“Breakdown”: This is an example of not having a really tight arrangement. The song meanders around for its whole running time. Great music, but sloppy when compared to the others.

“Yesterdays”: One of the weaker, but catchy songs on either album. Lyrically, it lacked the GNR theatrics that we know and love. It’s just too saccharine.

“Locomotive” and “Dead Horse”: Time. Ultimately these were the hardest to cut because I loved them both but I needed to make room for other songs and so, they got the axe.

So there you have it. While I cut many songs I enjoyed, I think this version of Use Your Illusion is sleeker, more compact, and certainly a great way to introduce new people to these incredible albums. And if all else fails, you can put it in your CD collection as a placeholder for Chinese Democracy.

Bad Religion- New Maps Of Hell (*****)

It’s not often that an album comes along and knocks you on your ass musically and lyrically. Then again, it’s also not often that a band that has been around for over 20 years puts out their 14^th album. What’s even rarer is that band sounds just as relevant and invigorated as they did during their inception. My friends that is indeed the case with Bad Religion’s New Maps Of Hell.

The boys have taken their time with this album, delaying it an insurmountable number of times, and giving the fans the smallest amounts of information about it except to say that, “the fast songs are some of the fastest we’ve ever crafted.”

They weren’t kidding.

The longest song on the entire album is a mere three minutes and forty seconds, and four of the songs here don’t even make the two minute mark. “Honest Goodbye,” while an incredibly brutal and great choice for a first single, really gives listeners no impression of the speed found in the full album. And unlike their contemporaries like NOFX, and MxPx, Bad Religion still strike that incredible balance between furious California hardcore punk, and incredibly infectious melodies. The album’s opener “52 Seconds” might pass as merely a furious assault of hardcore noise, it’s the album’s second track “Heroes & Martyrs” that really gives listeners a bit more to sink their teeth into. The track brings the buzz saw guitars, and complex drum fills, all held together by Greg Graffin’s impeccable lyricism and the ever present “oozin’ ahs.”

For as fast as this album is, it is fascinating to see how Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz sneak in those gorgeous back up harmonies in songs like “New Dark Ages.” With a quick drum roll and rumbling bassline, we’re treated to an epic wall of sound that brings to mind the best of Bad Religion’s previous album, The Empire Strikes First. And while the instrumentation is tight, we cannot forget that Bad Religion is a band of ideas and Graffin supplies them in the aforementioned track with calculating precision, “Yeah can you hear the call/In our rambling land/Susurrations/That can expand beyond all hope of light/And plunge us into unrelenting night…” While the album’s lyrics fall into two camps (telling us how backwards the world’s become, or calling us to make it right), there is no other singer in punk that can express it as eloquently as Graffin. What other figure in American punk can pull of a line like “Modernistocrat Horatio Alger” and still seem in touch with the masses? Few, if any.

The band’s longevity is also truly something to marvel at with Graffin, Gurewitz, Jay Bentley and Greg Hetson all being around since the 80s, but not enough is said about the young man behind the skins. Brooks Wackerman, to put it bluntly, is the best thing to happen to this band. He’s single handedly responsible for bringing the speed and energy back into their infectious songs and Bad Religion itself out of their lean years in the 90s. He’s fluid too, balancing some impressive rapid fire but precise beats with drumlines that just seem to keep going. Wackerman dominates the robotic “Submission Complete” giving us an impressive variety of rolls, kicks, and cymbal work that leave listeners simply in awe. It’s as if the band don’t want to leave him hanging either, for Gurewitz, Hetson and Brian Baker dazzle listeners with some impressive riffs and solos. “Requiem For Dissent” sports an impressive call and response all over blistering fast guitar lines from these great axe men. If they’ve gotten old, the music itself shows no sign of it.

New Maps Of Hell is ultimately a synthesis of what Bad Religion does best, and sports smatterings of all the great aspects of their career. The music here draws from the catchy choruses of Stranger Than Fiction, the folk experimentation of Recipe For Hate, the speed of No Control, and the complexity of Against The Grain. Ultimately, with an album his good, the old fans that disowned them before will have to accept their punk heroes back with open arms. Other punk bands have come and gone (mostly due to their fans' fickle tastes), but it’s apparent that at this point Bad Religion are a punk institution. They adhere to their own rules and craft their the most engaging music that genre has to offer. In closing, if the music on New Maps Of Hell is the soundtrack for the apocalypse, part of me hopes the world gets worse before it gets better.

Sounds Like: All Hallows E.P. (A.F.I.), Against The Grain (Bad Religion), Insomniac (Green Day)

Key Cuts: Heroes & Martyrs, New Dark Ages, Requiem For Dissent

Velvet Revolver- Libertad (**½)

When your eardrums settle down on the punk by way of blues assault that is “Let It Roll” I know you’ll be wishing that rest of Libertad had Velvet Revolver sounding this confident and fun.

I certainly did.

In their second outing together, Scott Weiland and 3/5’s of the old Guns N’ Roses (because anyone could really replace Dave Kushner at this point) deliver an album that fails to stretch itself musically and lyrically. It’s not that Libertad is a terrible album by any means for it’s filled with hook-laden choruses that are great for singing along at concerts. However, the songs as a whole feel rushed and they are gone before they really leave any mark. The single, “She Builds Quick Machines” is fitted with a riff that almost screams bone-head rock and an utterly forgettable set of lyrics. Oh, and that bone-head riff shows up later on in the song “Just Sixteen.” It’s never good to repeat yourself, but when you do on the same album, well…that’s just bad. Most of the songs on the album seem like bits and pieces of what could be stellar songs but lack just enough to keep you interested. Elsewhere, the band struggles through the bumbling “American Man”. The song itself peaks nicely through an eerie bridge and erupts with the trademark Slash solo, but goes all wrong with the chorus of “Yes I am the American man!” repeated at nausea.

It’s interesting to note that at one point, the band had said Libertad would have been a concept album. The idea was eventually dropped for the band’s focus on a tigher “rock” record. That lack of initiative shows through much of the material here. However, the more compelling songs on the album are the ballads and the more experimental songs. It would have been far more interesting if the band had crafted more epic ballads like “The Last Fight” a song that melds a military-like drum beat with an anthematic and inspiring guitar line. This is the band in top form, crafting incredible sounds capes and movements as opposed to their very limited take on the mid-tempo rock song. Interestingly, another one of the album’s high points is the cover of “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” originally by ELO. The arrangement itself is dynamic and exciting with it’s swirling melodies and of course spell binding solo by Slash. These flashes of brilliance are the most unnerving part of Libertad, for we all see the band are capable of great but settle for mediocre. Perhaps the album's biggest gem is the wah soaked “Gravedancer” that seems to move with passion and seduction. The song sways and pulls the listener in before it plateaus over, yes you guessed it, another incredible Slash solo.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Libertad, however, is that the songs and the sound itself lack any sort of bite that the band formerly displayed on Contraband. Part of this might have to be put on Brendan O’ Brien’s head as the producer. For someone that has made a career out of producing some heavy albums like Rage Against The Machine and Core, he does nothing to make the bass rumble, or the guitars cut. It’s all very bland and it only adds to the lazy feel of Libertad. I suppose in a perfect world we’d have the original Guns N’ Roses back together and Scott Weiland fronting Stone Temple Pilots, or maybe a perfect world is Libertad with 13 slots of “Let It Roll.” Either way, I suppose listeners are S.O.L.

Sounds Like: The Razor's Edge (AC/DC), Appetite For Destruction (Guns N' Roses), Core (Stone Temple Pilots)

Key Cuts: Let It Roll, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Gravedancer

The Smashing Pumpkins- Zeitgeist (****½)

Billy Corgan has fallen in love with straight-up rock music again and the results are refreshing.

The long awaited Smashing Pumpkins comeback record, Zeitgeist, found its way onto the internet in the early hours of June 30^th and has spread like wild fire ever since. Speculation has been running high with The Smashing Pumpkins, especially on the new direction and quality of recorded material since 2000’s Machina: The Machines Of God.

The good news for diehard Pumpkins fans, the record is HEAVY. It hits hard with heavy hooks and impressive technicality. In some ways, one calls to mind old Black Sabbath records upon listening. It’s also a far more stripped down approach to their classic sound as opposed to the overly produced feel of their later material. The record is loaded with big pummeling riffs counterbalanced by precision-like drumming from Jimmy Chamberlain. “Doomsday Clock” bludgeons listeners over Corgan’s apocalyptic call to arms. It’s immediate and rousing, as much of the material on Zeitgeist is. The lead single, “Tarantula” also gives a good overview of the album, driving rhythms with blazing solos and Billy’s signature whine. It’s good to know that even after his failed solo project, Corgan’s voice hasn’t changed a bit, offering that same quiet rasp to abrasive whine range that we love. That nostalgia is perhaps another comforting thing about Zeitgiest. While the band sounded burned out in the year 2000, they sound invigorated here (perhaps because Billy has complete creative control this time around).

The nostalgia comes to fruitation in the wonderfully melancholy, "Bleeding The Orchid." Coupled with with many samples of Corgan's layered voices, the ominous harmonics give into an atmospheric dirge that is reminiscent of some of the strongest Pumpkins songs of old. Elsewhere, the band plows through the epic “United States”. Clocking in an nearly ten minutes, it’s a jazzy, hard rocking juggernaut with huge movements as well as a chant of “Revolution!/Revolution!” Part of what is interesting about Zeigeist is Corgan’s new preoccupation about current events and patriotism. These themes run rampant on the record, and why not? Corgan is smart enough to know that he can’t sing about being an isolated outcast in the way he did in 1993, he’s changed too much. Instead, he questions his ability to belong in a broader spectrum outside his immediate self. “For God & Country” is as close as this album comes to a “1979” but Corgan eloquently reflects on his place in the land he loves. That very same place asking him to choose where his loyalty stands. The overall lyrical content of the album is strong and shows a gradual, but cynical embrace of maturity.

Not everything about Zeitgeist works though. Some of the hooks, like on the Roy Thomas Baker produced “Starz,” are too saccharine to fully appreciate. While some of Corgan’s writing is commendable, songs like “Bring The Light” feel like they’ve been written for radio. Everything is listenable on the album, but that immediacy might prove to be its short coming as it does not provoke the listener to delve deeper into the music. Another problem the album runs into is that of similar sounding guitar lines. While the solos are always complex and speedy, some of the riffs on the second half of the album blend together a bit too much.

The good thing, is that Zeitgeist, unlike the last Pumpkin’s record, never gets boring. While they could have varied the dynamics a bit, added some other arrangements, or written some more somber ballad-type songs, Zeitgeist should be hailed as a return to rock for The Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan and Chamberlain should be proud, because with a batch of tunes this good, who needs D’Arcy or James?

Sounds Like: Vol 4. (Black Sabbath), Songs For The Deaf (Queens Of The Stone Age), Gish (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Key Cuts: Tarantula, United States, For God & Country

Declaration Of Principles

In the same vein is greater men than myself, I set out this Declaration of Principles to those that will stumble upon or visit my humble blog. This is in order to establish a standard for my opinions and information as well as what quality readers can expect from this blog.

I. I will attempt to inform readers of both the good and bad in the music world, all for the benefit of expanding their musical tastes.

II. I will attempt to present my opinions with ample evidence and sound fact so as to be fair to the content under analysis.

III. I will also take full advantage of the feedback given to me by readers in an effort to strengthen this as a vessel for the masses.


In order to accomplish the objectives above, I will perform the following actions:

-I will write articles and editorials often, and always disclose my sources if it is a matter of music related news as opposed to a personal review.

-I will establish a rating system out of 5 stars so as to standardize my reviews:

*****: Cherish It
****: Buy It
***: Download It
**: Stream It
*: Delete It
0: Avoid It

-I will take full advantage of my inbox, comments, and accept personal emails and IMs from those that choose to take advantage of such mediums of contact.

Here is what I will NOT do:

I will not say something I do not believe. I will not bash anything without purpose or reason. I will not refuse to listen to another form of music for the simple fact that I just don't "care for it." While my focus may be on a specific music type, I will not shut myself off from other music forms.

I will not waste people's time.

In closing, I hope that this serves as a source where people might open themselves up to other forms of music they might not have thought of, or heard about. I also hope that my opinions serve a justice to the art/artists that I critique. If I do not, at anytime, measure up to this declaration, I ask that my readers remind me of the promises I made tonight so I can rectify the situation promptly.


M!ke
07.02.07