This week's news on heavy metal.
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TV highlights 03/02/2012
2 Febwww.guardian.co.uk
Egypt – Children Of The Revolution | New Girl | The Cutty Sark | How The Brits Rocked America: Go West | Storm Chasers | Stella
Egypt – Children Of The Revolution
7pm, BBC2It is almost the first anniversary of the demonstrations in Egypt that toppled president Hosni Mubarak, and it's still unclear quite what the legacy of the Arab spring will be. The military government has been sluggish over moves towards democracy, with the result that protesters have returned to Tahrir Square. But there are differing visions of what Egypt should become, as this documentary looking at the aspirations of three revolutionaries shows. Martin Skegg
New Girl
8.30pm, Channel 4Since we're up to episode five, we'll presume you're already in the "Zooey's surprisingly charming" camp. And this week you'll find her more adorable than ever as she helps her beautiful friend Cece through a tough break-up ("Yeah, he seemed like a really nice … European DJ with a face tattoo"). When Cece comes to stay, she finally opens the can of Ross and Rachel worms – does housemate Nick have a soft spot for Jess? Let the "will they/won't they?" games commence. Clare Considine
The Cutty Sark
9pm, BBC2If the Cutty Sark were a reality TV hopeful, it'd be fair to say she'd had a rollercoaster of a journey. But she's not. She's the world's last tea clipper, and a national treasure. This documentary charts the globetrotter's history and survival against the odds, with unique access to the conservation project to return her to glory. Work began in 2006, but months later the ship was nearly destroyed by fire. It's taken a mix of traditional skills and pioneering techniques to get her where she is today, and the final spruce-up should leave her lifted into air and surrounded by glass and steel. Hannah Verdier
How The Brits Rocked America: Go West
9pm, BBC4In the early 1970s, it wasn't a question of whether or not British bands were big in America; it was simply a question of figuring out who was biggest. We're talking about the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and their very heavy friends: legendary shows, with legendary excess to match. The second part of this very good series is all about economies of scale: stack the gigs high, sell 'em cheap, then get on the private jet with your sinister entourage. A tale of decadence, yes, but also of great music. John Robinson
Storm Chasers
9pm, DiscoveryWith all-American (or perhaps simply just made up) names such as Reed Timmer, the "extreme meteorologists" of Storm Chasers name their teams Dominator and Twistex, shout phrases like "Maxed out" and scream "OH MY GAD!" over Blink-182-esque metal. It's gilding the lily a bit, as the severe weather they are running after in the name of over-zealous measuring is quite dramatic enough. Last year in Mississippi, there were some insanely powerful tornados, and these overgrown fratboys in armoured cars were driving into them. Ben Arnold
Stella
9pm, Sky1Stella psyches herself up for her date with Sean but is terrified of him seeing her in the buff. Big Alan still thinks he's in with a chance and hopes to woo her at the rugby. Meanwhile, her brother Dai goes to pieces when the benefits office questions his disability payments, and a letter arrives from Canada with life-changing news for Luke. But the plot is mildly diverting background for Ruth Jones's performance and able support from Elizabeth Berrington and Owen Teale. If it was in any doubt, the show has second series written all over it. Julia Raeside
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David Lee Roth: 'I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better'
2 Febwww.guardian.co.uk
He's been up, he's been down. And in recent years he's also been a medical technician. Now he's back with Van Halen and has much to say about the band's glory days. First, though, he wants to chat about, erm, sheepdogs
There's something to clarify before David Lee Roth gets down to business, talking about his life with and return to Van Halen, arguably the most important American hard rock band ever. Namely: why did I have to watch a video of him putting his sheepdog though its paces before I was allowed to speak to him?
It's hard to tell why – because Roth's answers are circumlocutory, filled with metaphor and grandly entertaining – but my guess is it's to illustrate how his life has returned to its beginnings. "My background is in Indiana," he says. "My grandparents came from Europe in 1917 and made their living working in a general store, and selling beer by the pail for four cents in the 20s in Newcastle, Indiana, which today is still bib overalls, livestock and the great outdoors. Just down the street is Indiana University where my pop went to school – he later became a doctor. But while he was just starting college when I was born we lived in a little house at the edge of a farmer's property and I grew up chasing muskrats and collaring dogs." Training a sheepdog, then, is coming "full circle".
Full circle in another sense, too, for next week's release of the new Van Halen album, A Different Kind of Truth, marks the first recordings Roth has made with the band since departing amid a cloud of bitterness in 1985, when he was replaced by his arch-enemy Sammy Hagar (as far back as the 70s, Hagar was calling Roth a "faggot", Roth responding by saying Hagar had "a social problem").
Though Indiana-born, Roth was hardly your typical farmboy. His Uncle Manny ran the New York bohemian hangout Cafe Wha? until 1988, putting on the likes of Bob Dylan and Lenny Bruce, and Roth would hang out there as kid visiting in the early 1960s. He was never much of a student, bouncing around schools – for disciplinary reasons; he's evidently ferociously bright, even if he often chooses not to show the world – until he moved to Pasadena, California, as a teenager, where he enrolled at Pasadena City College and met the man with whom his life would become entwined, a young guitarist called Eddie Van Halen.
For seven years – from the 1978 release of their debut album, until Roth's departure as frontman in 1985 – Van Halen were a living, breathing cartoon of the rock'n'roll lifestyle. They were mocked for the supposed excess of demanding a jar of M&Ms in their dressing room at each show, with all the brown ones removed (though the reason for that was to check the promoter's attention to detail: if he couldn't get such a simple task right, what else might he have missed?). They celebrated sex and drugs and drink. Then they celebrated them some more. If Sunset Strip in the 1960s had been the party, Van Halen, a decade later, were the after-party. And the world lapped it up: the Roth-era Van Halen sold 35m albums, despite their sometimes variable quality. There were masterpieces – their debut, a shock as seismic as punk, and Roth's final album with the group, 1984 (the one that gave us Jump and the marvellously goofy Hot For Teacher with its apocalyptic drum intro) – and there was the tossed-off, 31-minute long Diver Down, from 1982, heavy on covers and instrumentals.
"Van Halen was an island unto ourselves," Roth says. "If you stop at that island – we recommend you do, but abandon all hope – do not back up! It was like Port Royal in the 1700s. It didn't belong to anybody, which was why it was great."
But was it ever hard work appearing to be having that much fun all the time? "I was a surgical tech right out of high school, I sold clothes; I shovelled shit at a horse stable for years. I've been rich and I've been poor," he says. "Rich is better. Totally better." He laughs, a great wheezy crackle. "The job we have is a privilege. The Van Halens [Eddie and his brother Alex, the drummer] and I have had steady jobs since we were 12 years old. Mine was working before and after school at a horse stable. For them it was paper routes. Mr Van Halen was classic European: you're making your money for the rent. I was lucky I didn't have to do that … Even at your worst moments, there's a whole lot of Shakespeare going on. How can you not appreciate it? At your lonesomest, most catastrophic, it's still pretty cinematic. I think the smiles were genuine. Don't mistake them for simplistic grins – there's a lot of pirate smiling." Piratical sounds about right, for Van Halen were adept at picking fights, too. When they headlined the 1983 US festival in California, in front of 375,000 people, and millions more watching on MTV – for a reported $1.5m fee – a bombed-out-of-his-mind Roth took on the Clash, who were also appearing: "I wanna take this time to say that this is real whiskey here … the only people who put iced tea in Jack Daniel's bottles is the Clash, baby!" That came moments after addressing a member of the crowd at whom Roth had taken umbrage: "Hey, man, don't be squirting water at me! I'm gonna fuck your girlfriend, pal!"
From the very beginning, Van Halen sounded unique. Their first album, with its clean, popcentric sound, changed the face of hard rock: there was no use of the devil's interval, the chord progression that traditionally signals metallic doom. Instead, as Roth says: "We're the band that sold a Ricky Ricardo rhumba in Jamie's Cryin'. Dance the Night Away is Santana, because we used to play all those weddings and those dances at the backyard parties."
The combination of chart-baiting pop and tough rock guitar spawned a legion of imitators in the LA hair metal scene – Mötley Crüe, Poison, Cinderella, Warrant and the like – who tried to set up camp on Van Halen Island. "I don't know who coined the phrase imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Roth observes. "I think David Mamet coined the phrase imitation is the sincerest form of stealing. Probably a litigating attorney coined it first. OK, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then there are a whole lot of dogs out there … At worst I feel like I'm driving past a traffic accident and I'm relieved no one was killed."
Van Halen were there first, though, and they were the best. They sounded like the future (it's no coincidence that Eddie Van Halen's alien guitar caterwauling was used in a scene in Back to the Future, to convince George McFly he was being visited by a being from another dimension). Eruption, the famous guitar solo from the first Van Halen album – and the Back to the Future wake-up call – showed a new generation of players how to bring the flash: you didn't need 10 minutes for your solo to make the point – 100 seconds would do.
If you look closely, Roth says, it's easy to see where Van Halen took their inspirations from. "I can point for you and go: right there we're imitating Eric Clapton; right there I'm imitating vocally David Bowie; right there is Bruce Springsteen" – he puts on a gruff voice, aping the Boss – "'Diamond Dave, you're a big man!'" – and he guffaws – "but this is how you create a signature sound. If you're lucky to have it, there's no way around it. I actively imitated everything from the Nicholas Brothers tap dancing to Mick Jagger going 'Oooh yeah!' But because of whatever it never sounds like anything to you but David Lee. And when Edward plays you might never have heard the material before but you instantly recognise it as fast as, say, Jimi's guitar."
Crucially, though, Roth says they were never just a metal band, even though they revolutionised the genre. "Metal is a bit specific," Roth says. "The neighbourhoods we grew up, learning, acquiring musical knowledge, were very separate neighbourhoods, unlike, for example, New York City where Mr Chin lives next to Mr Steinberg who owes rent to Mr Patel and they all speak Serbo-Croatian. It's just the school system. Here [in California], the Venice Beach surf neighbourhood is very different than San Bernadino Hell's Angels. Below south of the harbour freeway: 'Que pasa? What are you looking at?' And that all works into Van Halen. You can hear it - it's loudly diverse but you can't feel the seams. It's like if you go to a car show and you Stevie Wonder it: you can't feel where the Chevy turned into a Mercedes door frame which turned into – that's a De Soto grill! –" and suddenly he's no longer the blind man at the car show, he's an aggrieved Mexican kid wondering why the blind man's hands are all over his girl – "'That's my girlfriend loco! What are you doing?'" He guffaws. "All those different neighbourhoods add up into the sound, and to say it's one kind of sound – no! It's so much of a hybrid that you have to give it its own name." He concludes his spiel, bafflingly, with the tale of Yip Harburg. "He was a millionaire industrialist who lost everything in the stock market crash of 1929 and when his kids and his wife said: 'You can earn it back honey," he said: 'No, I've always dreamed of being a lyric writer on Broadway.' And he did. He started from absolutely nothing, with no background, and he wrote Brother Can You Spare a Dime, arguably the most famous American song of the Depression, and he wrote the lyrics and the melody for Over the Rainbow. How's Yip doing so far? I confine the theatre of my fame to what would Yip think?"
Those different neighbourhoods, plus the steals from Springsteen and Bowie and Yip Harburg, were what made the band unique. Even on the demos they recorded with Gene Simmons of Kiss in 1976, they already sound like a band who are only themselves, sui generis. "It's not magic," Roth says by way of explanation. "It's science. And the beautful thing about science is it's true whether you believe it or not." And then we're off. "For example, the busing programme in America started in 1966 and my sister and I were sent off to schools an hour and a half away that were 95% black and Spanish speaking. Today I only listen to R&B – only listen to R&B – from any time period, doesn't matter, doesn't matter at all, whether it's big band swing all the way up to anything that's on Beatport. The Van Halens went to Ridgemont High. Ever see the movie? That was their high school – 98% Jeff Spiccoli and home of the monster riff and every ending to every song should sound like world war nine or just the end of the world. Who does endings better than Van Halen live? I'll send you a ticket. I'm ready to argue this. Unarguably the best endings ever, right? They sound like the end of everything. Biblical. And the guitar solo? It is a religious icon, certainly on a par with some of our more popular professional sports, which I maintain are religions. Put the football down – I'm ready to argue." He laughs. "That's how we do the solo." And laughs again. "And you'll know when the solo's coming because there's a scream. There are moments. Combine the two and what you have is hard rock from the 70s. We enjoyed our fame in the 80s but we had nothing musically to do with it. And you can interpret that four different ways, depending on how I just said it."
After Roth left Van Halen, he embarked on a solo career that started brightly before fading away, but he found another lease of life, even before he first reunited with Van Halen for a tour in 2007. "I'm a state-licensed EMT [emergency medical technician] in New York." It seems staggeringly unlikely, but an internet search reveals it to be true. "I probably have over 200 911 calls on my ticket in the last six years alone. I live a very different life away from music."
Even so, he has chosen once again to hitch himself to the Van Halen wagon. Is it possible he and Eddie Van Halen – for all the very public acrimony between them – need each other to create anything resembling their best work? For the first time, Roth pauses – there are 30 seconds before he speaks. Then, finally: "Clearly. Very astute. Clearly." Apart, they're footnotes; together, they're a novel. "We went to school together. Literally. We took theory and orchestration together. We both have almost identical backgrounds in how we learnt. We learnt at the back of the hand from eastern-European teachers. Unfriendly eastern-European teachers." And for a long time, they shared the same aims: "I always thought of it as part of a group. I never thought in terms of Rod Stewart, I thought in terms of the Rolling Stones or the Sex Pistols. I think Edward thought in the same vein."
And does knowing you need each other make the tensions between you all the worse? And we're off on one of those long, rambling, glorious answers. "Jesus, let's go back to the 1600s again. People didn't understand psychology, right? You showed them emotional content and made somebody cry and they thought it was demons. One of the best reviews you can get in my estimation is from the villagers if they killed all the actors and buried them at the cross so their ghosts couldn't haunt the village – because everyone left the play crying and laughing and they couldn't understand why. Today we give them an Oscar for that kind of emotional ride. Being human has caused so much of that. Let's really back into some theory here. What is art? Simple, I think – something that forces and compels you to think, and that can be a mint condition copy of Raging Bull or it can be the Kardashians. The same questions will be asked and you will be forced to confront yourself, and you will be forced to triangulate where you stand on everything from racist politics to haircuts. And are they really different? Do you follow? You're going to ask the same questions and that … shit … is … art. And it has caused you to question more than that goddam soup can Warhol sold us. Or tried to. Bring that one up. You follow? You are compelled into argument. Consequently, arguing about our band and our rock'n'roll - you can do that certainly for longer than actually listening to it." Then he laughs long and loud, and offers the perspective that comes with being 56, happy, and aware that there's more to life than telling the world that it might as well jump. "Van Halen music is whisky in a paper cup! Short doses and not every night, PLEASE!"
• A Different Kind of Truth is released on Interscope on Monday.
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds -
ALLSAINTS SPITALFIELDS LAUNCH SPRING/SUMMER 2012 COLLECTION
1 FebResponseSource Press Release Wire
AllSaints has launched their new collection for Spring/Summer 2012 with a diverse range of new season essential styles for Menswear and Womenswear. Shop the new collection in store and online at AllSaints.com
AllSaints have now launched their Spring/Summer 2012 collection with a diverse range of new season essential styles for Menswear and Womenswear. For SS12 the British fashion retailer introduces a collection of Mens and Womens styles that are pivotal to all wardrobes.
The launch comes with a fresh new feel for the season with the campaign being shot by globally renowned British photographer, Boo George. Showcasing the Spring 2012 collection are models Tony Ward, Claude Simonon, Kate Harrison and Sophie Dickens. AllSaints stay true to their ageless style by portraying the older and younger interpretations of the collection with the sole use of Ward and Simonon. This is a first campaign for the retailer that see’s the use of several models to convey the different design aspects of the brand, from edgy laid-back shots filled with that signature AllSaints attitude to the delicate feminine shots giving a softer contrasting perspective.
Each definitive new season piece has been developed by in-house designers and fabric technicians, to perfect the cuts and accents that embody the classic spirit of the brand.
Be inspired by the SS12 Womenswear collection, a directional and innovative range of pieces; including reptile influenced styles such as the Serpent Chelsea Boot and Vintage Serpent Court are made using authentic Snakeskin with a vintage effect – both styles are made entirely by hand by master craftsman.
Graphic Tee’s are focused around hand-illustrated prints that are made up of monochrome blocking and tribal elements. The graphite and discharge prints are highlighted with iridescent metallic foils for a shimmering effect. View the Womens Graphic T-shirts range.
Other recurring themes running throughout the collection include influences from the Ikat weaves in India. The Ikat print is dispersed across a range of Maxi and Mini Dresses, Skirts, Bikini’s and Summer scarves. Inspiration is also derived from Native American artwork, with designs hand-embellished onto eveningwear, premium Bikini separates and the signature densely hand-embellished Mini Dresses and Skirts that AllSaints is renowned for.
Paying reference to London and the local Spitalfields area, AllSaints this season, have adorned luxurious Cashmere Knitwear and incredibly soft Lambskin with Pearly Kings and Queens motifs that are hand embellished using traditional Mother of Pearl rusty buttons and sequins.
The Menswear range embodies the classic spirit of AllSaints with authentic textures and contemporary silhouettes for the modern Man. This season, the Menswear Design team have developed complex garment patterns, large scale prints and worn-in washing techniques to perfect the deep stone tones, durable waxed textures and streamline silhouettes of the collection.
Printed Shirting is a key staple to the collection with large-scale discharge prints featuring the classic Moth print and Hawaii inspired floral motifs in the Rockpile L/s Shirt. These styles have been given a heavy bleach launder for a vintage finish and soft hand feel.
A focus on texture and construction are key to the Men's Knitwear SS12 collection, placing a heavy emphasis on this season’s colour and pattern blocking technique. Expect to see loose net knits and two-tone textures that are perfect for versatile layering with a distinctly premium appeal. The Gridd Crew and Hoodie are made using a linen blend yarn in an all-over open stitch and are finished with a ribbed hem, cuffs and collar.
Menswear Footwear ranges from the classic Loafers and Boat Shoes to leather sandals with adjustable straps and metal buckles. The Crush Sandal is a key piece that has been produced in specially waxed leather and treated by hand for a soft and luxurious finish. Pair this style with both casual or tailored shorts but also with jeans and chino’s.
Shop the Beachwear category for all your holiday essentials from luxury basic vests, shorts and bikini separates to footwear and oversized bags. Also available throughout the Spring/Summer 2012 collection are the iconic Leathers that go to the very heart of the brand with signature rusty metal work and hand burnishing for an authentic vintage look. The graphic t-shirts range returns with hand illustrated and photographic prints.
Shop online at www.AllSaints.com .
About AllSaints Spitalfields:
AllSaints was founded in 1994 as a boutique brand known as the destination for vintage-inspired, directional designs. Currently, AllSaints has an international portfolio of over 80 stand-alone stores and 36 concessions in some of the world’s most fashion-conscious cities. In 2009, AllSaints began its global expansion by launching a U.S. specific e-commerce site and opened a concession at 59th Street Bloomingdale’s in New York City. Over the past 2 years US stores have opened in Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, New York City, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Washington, Seattle and Chicago. AllSaints plans to roll out 30-50 stores internationally in the next 3-5 years. Throughout its global expansion, the brand has maintained its original sensibility; focusing on fresh and innovative design, detail, graphics, technique and fabrication.
CONTACT: info@AllSaints.com -
CD Review: Mastodon - The Hunter
31 JanLeeds Music Scene
The eight legged prehistoric prog-metal pachyderm has migrated beyond the security of concept album territory and arrived at pastures new. From 2002 debut "Remission": Fire, 2004 breakthrough "Leviathan": Water, 2006 epitome "Blood Mountain": Earth and 2009 epic "Crack the Skye": Space/ Æther; Mastodon have covered all the bases when it comes to concept records. So with the band's fifth studio release: "The Hunter", the four cavemen of the apocalypse have shattered their own mould. Gone are the fourteen minute chronicles and interweaving lyrical themes, and in their place are thirteen expertly crafted, condensed concrete cuts.
Opener "Black Tongue" is an ensnarling, trippy trek with a welcome detour via signature 'Don chugging and the first of many time changes. The sludgy, yet indefinably catchy "Curl of the Burl" follows. Composed in the vintage Mastodon tuning of standard D, with the top string dropped to a monstrous A tone, the track ruptures with ceremonious guitar and vocal harmonies, while whimsical lyrics ("I killed a man 'coz he killed my goat/ I put my hands around his throat") are constructed with stirring melodies. It's fair to speculate this is as radio-friendly as the widely acclaimed Atlantans' will ever be.
One noticeable and instantly agreeable facet of "The Hunter" is its ability to seem familiar and still remain fresh. Songs like "Blasteroid"; with infectious intonation, hardcore style verse riffage, juxtaposition of clean and roaring vocals, would easily feel at home alongside "Capillarian Crest" or "Bladecatcher", from "Blood Mountain". Likewise "Stargasm"; a tale of interstellar copulation, overflowing with wah, phasers, flange and Theremin- esque effects, would tie in nicely with the themes of "Crack the Skye". Excluding Troy Sanders' impressive vocal range during the chorus, "Octopus has no Friends" is almost a strung-out, psychedelic "Aqua Dementia", from "Leviathan". Brent Hinds' mind bending fretwork and Brann Dailor's time signature defying drum fills are present as ever and would admirably lend themselves to the 2004, Moby Dick inspired saga.
The punishing: "Spectrelight", (Neurosis front-man Scott Kelly's fourth consecutive appearance on a Mastodon release) is a cyclopean gallop in drop A which could seamlessly follow "Remission" favourites: "Crusher Destroyer" or "Mother Puncher". Let there be no discrepancy; this is not merely reversion to successful formulas; Mastodon, somehow have miraculously produced a veritable "Best of" album, comprised of entirely new material.
A master-class in song structuring is displayed by the tyrannous "All the Heavy Lifting". Fluctuating time patterns are cultivated via the blending of complex diametric sections and Sanders' edict during the chorus: "Just close your eyes/And pretend that everything's fine", is as imperative and intransigent, as it is irresistible. The title track, penned for Brann Dailor's brother who passed away during a hunting expedition is simply astounding. Ever so slightly tinged with melancholy, the haunting, hypnotic number meanders majestically and Hinds' poignant solo almost communicates a tangible sense of Dailor's loss. The cyborg-like drummer provides lead vocals during the riveting, classic-rock tinged "Dry Bone Valley" and the stick wielding, human metronome even composed and provides all the vocal parts on the solemn and austere "The Creature Lives". Psychedelia is once again restored by the spiralling climb of "Bedazzled Fingernails". While "The Sparrow" brings the record to a personal and touching close; virtually an instrumental, it is a harrowing tribute to the late wife of the band's accountant. The only lyrics are "Pursue happiness with diligence", which reputably was the mantra of the deceased.
Although there is no linear narrative as with previous offerings, Mastodon claim that the individual songs from "The Hunter" combined to create an overall theme of wood. This could simply be a ploy to retain the old, prog-loving audience the band has built over the years. Interestingly Paul Romano, who provided all of the earlier art work for the band has been replaced by wood carver AJ Fosik, giving credence to the wood based concept. Furthermore "the Burl" refers to a knot found in trees, it acts almost like a cancer to the stricken tree. Either way, concept or no concept "The Hunter" is an extraordinary step forward in the evolution of one of the finest acts of the last ten years. Mastodon have a reputation for consistently producing quality albums and the primordial pillars of progressive metal have defiantly preserved their eminence perfectly.
This article can be read online at www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/16109/.
Read more about the featured bands: Mastodon.
Read more from this author: Ben Carass.
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North Bay Resources Inc. (NBRI) Reports Positive Results of HMC Geochemical Survey at Bouleau Creek Gold Project
31 JanMarketwire - Mining and Metals
SKIPPACK, PA--(Marketwire - Jan 31, 2012) - North Bay Resources Inc. (OTCBB: NBRI) ("North Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to report that a recently-completed HMC ("Heavy Mineral Concentrates") geochemical survey of its 100% owned Bouleau Creek Gold Property in southeastern British Columbia has returned assays as high as 2.09 grams per tonne gold from conventional fire assays, and as high as 95.6 grams per tonne gold from a metallic screen assay Au(+)fraction.
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CD Review: Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
29 JanLeeds Music Scene
Lacuna Coil's latest album Dark Adrenaline starts with their first release single from the album, 'Trip The Darkness'. After a short, strong and quirky intro that marks the arrival of the album, the first vocals we hear are from Andrea Ferro; a man who is often overlooked in discussions about the band. This first track helps to demonstrate why Lacuna Coil has two singers: because the interplay between the gruff, heavy Italian voice of Ferro and the elegant, pure voice of Cristina Scabbia works extremely well. Admittedly, Scabbia does steal the show throughout the album; the power and range of her voice, not to mention her ability to alter the tone to suit the lyrics, dominates every track.
The album as a whole is very easy to listen to. The tracks 'Fire', 'Trip The Darkness' and 'Intoxicated' really showcase the band's ability to produce music that can be enjoyed by none Lacuna Coil fans. Whilst maintaining the Lacuna Coil signature, these tracks in particular speak to the masses. 'Intoxicated' is a personal favourite because of Scabbia's vocal line that sounds as though it has Eastern influences. 'Fire' is also a favourite, as it has a very interesting sound; the dancey drum beat and tempo contrasts wonderfully with the metal guitars and Ferro's voice. Surprisingly, it's all an enjoyable mix.
One track that no fan of music can avoid mentioning is the band's cover of R.E.M's classic 'Losing My Religion'. Upon first listening to it, it was hard to know what to make of it. Whilst it obviously doesn't sound like a typical Lacuna Coil track, they certainly put their own unique spin on it. The original form of the song has been completely changed, and if I hadn't have heard the original, I know that I would like this version a lot more than I do. Truth be told, they've done a good job with making it their own, yet maintaining enough respect for the original; I just can't seem to shake off my love for R.E.M.
Although not every track brings something to the album- let's be honest, that never happens, the production is great, and the musical direction of the album is an interesting one to hear. Even those who aren't a big fan of Lacuna Coil will find something to enjoy on this album; I definitely recommend a listen, you won't regret it!
This article can be read online at www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/16104/.
Read more about the featured bands: Lacuna Coil.
Read more from this author: Elizabeth Malkin.
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CD Review: Machine Head - Unto the Locust
28 JanLeeds Music Scene
Anyone who appreciates the art of metal can instantly recall the feeling and impact of hearing Machine Head's seminal 1994 debut album, "Burn my Eyes" for the first time. The incalculably influential record would serve as the Oakland natives' magnum opus for over ten years until the breathtaking 2007 paragon "The Blackening", which affirmed the band's relevance in today's contemporary metal scene. So we arrive more than eleven years removed from the baptism of Robb Flynn's baby, as the indelible front man and co face the daunting task of following up one of the greatest albums of the last ten years.
"Unto the Locust" erupts into life with opening track, "I am Hell (Sonata in C #). Building through an epically heavy intro and progressing into a viscously paced thrash attack; accentuated nefariously by Dave Mclain's massive crash cymbal. The frantic anthem divulges a tidy chorus, which is celestially accented with melody based lead work. The introduction of lead guitarist Phil Demmel for the 2004 release, "Through the Ashes of Empires" brought a fresh, technical edge to Machine Head; just like with "The Blackening" the six-string wizard appears to have been allowed free rein over his solos. A combination of massive bends, dive-bombs and smooth sweep-picking, blended with a sharp dual assault with Flynn (who is no slouch himself), produces a prudent petite lead break and the song is brought home by a crushing outro, containing the chorus melody slowed right down to half time.
"Be Still and Know" is a mid-tempo maraud which juxtaposes 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures. During the chorus Flynn displays his impressive vocal range, yet the plodding nature of the track does become slightly tedious. The pace is picked up as the wah laden solo begins, which soon shifts into 16 bars of lead work curiously similar to the duel shredding of "Aesthetic of Hate". It is not too presumptuous to speculate that Flynn has simply reprised the section to evoke the sentiment of the original song.
Lead single "Locust" builds splendidly from a cleanly picked intro, to what will become the chorus riff; the tone of which is wholly majestic. The simple, yet incredibly infectious four note verse is full of groove, damned heavy and full of the old Machine Head favourites: natural harmonics. More impressive sweeping and mind-bendingly fast pull-offs from Demmel is enough to muse on how far the band has come since the dismal offerings that were the 1999 Ross Robinson produced "The Burning Red", and the solo deficient horrible sounding 2003 album "Supercharger". A titanic beat-down closes out the track around the seven and a half minute mark, which will no doubt be butchered for the radio edit.
Clean acoustic picking ushers in "This is the End", while long serving bassist Adam Duce provides the melody until the ferocious tremolo riff annihilates the melancholic atmosphere, accented by some imposing patterns from drummer Mclain. More impressive range is displayed by Flynn throughout the chorus and nicely polarised with the all out thrash-attack verse. Some impressive song writing is displayed with the ingenious use of a catchy one-bar riff, shepherding in a half-time drum fill which slows proceedings right down; before resurrecting the all out thrash assault, complete with a 80's style solo.
So we reach the point in almost every Machine Head album: the ballad. Unlike "Halo", "Now I Lay Thee Down" or even "Descend the Shades of Night", this time around "Darkness Within" quite frankly doesn't have enough to sink your teeth into. The heaviness eventually arrives for 8 bars, however it is not enough to resurrect this perishing number. Call it personal taste, but this is the side of Machine Head I could do without.
"Pearls Before the Swine" is more in the vein of the rest of the album. Huge toms augment the superstructing guitars and a more obvious 3/4 to 4/4 time shift is instantly gratifying. Yet again there is notable vocal talent shown during the melodic interlude before a reversion to thrashtastic solo and a further cyclopean beatdown closing. Potentially this track could have been sensational; instead it follows an emerging structural pattern and therefore leaves you with a sense of slight dissatisfaction.
Pink Floyd comparisons aside, album closer "Who we are" begins with an eerily performed version of the tracks chorus by a collection of young children. Perennial teenager Robb Flynn takes over vocal duties and the number bursts into a "Blood for Blood" style riff-fest. The lyrics serve as an affirmation for the fans of the band and a manifesto for the legendary four-piece. "We are the young, And young at heart", roars the metal equivalent of Peter Pan during a number that could easily have gone the way of the disastrously abominable "American High"; fortunately a stunning solo and riffage Judas Priest would be proud of preserves its integrity. I would put money on this being the second single to be released; it is arguably the high point of the entire record.
The deluxe addition of the album contains two covers and an acoustic rendition of "Darkness Within". The latter is instantly forgettable, however a mammoth version of Rush's "Witch Hunt"; complete with brain-busting time changes is well worth a listen. An omnipotent cover of Judas Priest's "The Sentinel" is well worth the extra £3 and comes within a natural harmonic's ring of eclipsing the original material of the band.
Generally Machine Head have followed up their 2007 masterpiece as well as can be expected. The album has numerous high points and only a couple of low ones. The band may not have evolved much since "The Blackening", but damn near perfection is hard to improve on.
This article can be read online at www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/16100/.
Read more about the featured bands: Machine Head.
Read more from this author: Ben Carass.
