Razorwyre – Coming Out (EP)

Formerly known as Gaywyre, this band reeks of classic ‘80s metal. Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, the band changed to Razorwyre in 2010; “a name that reflects the energy, aggression and direction of the band”. They then came out with Coming Out. Despite the name change, their attitude remains the same; exorbitant shredding leads to a homoerotic crescendo, gratifying the likes of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

Neve Campbell is back with Scream 4 but thankfully there is no sign of her or that fuckwit Scott Wolf on opening track Party of Five. Instead the ‘Wyre hit us with explosive thrash and wailing vocals; the later half being a buildup of classic metal guitars and background hollering. The 80s metal spirit continues with Fuck You Tonight. A common hair metal subject of sexual conquest is explored here, however there’s no beating around the bush with cheesy lyrics like putting their logs in fireplaces or anything like that. The title says it all; they’re straight up, straight to the point, no fucking around.

More explosions are to be had on Operation Market Garden; the best track on the EP. There’s venom in Z-Chylde’s vocals and the wailing is taken to another level with a war zone backdrop of bombs and gunfire battle rising in intensity along with the music. 

Another important element in hard rock is a reference or two to some classic horror. Suspiria fills that role here; it’s a haunting tale of terrorizing witches. Battleshark finishes the album; an epic song which chugs along showcasing a myriad of techniques which pay tribute to Razorwyre’s heavy metal predecessors. It also displays that these guys can play pretty damn well themselves.

I’m not a massive fan of heavy metal, but these guys clearly are. What they do, they do well. Taking the piss, partying hard, theatrical vocals, spandex suits, general thrusting; Razorwyre exhibit all of these fine things to the point of excess.

Buy the album (or a classic Gaywyre t-shirt) here: 

http://razorwyre.bigcartel.com/

Live Review: Eat Skull

Mighty Mighty, Wellington – 20 April, 2011

I turned up at Mighty Mighty last night for Eat Skull’s first show of their New Zealand tour only to find that the venue was split in two. I was prepared to pay the $15 but found instead that it was free to stand at the bar on the smelly side of the curtain; there were no bands playing anyway. Opening band Full Fuckn Moon was nowhere to be seen and the other band, Pumice, could not be bothered.

A jug and a half later I heard some sort of commotion going on (it was Full Fuckn Moon baby!). It wasn’t until I went to the urinal that I realised that these guys were really good; the bathroom walls were reverberating to the sound of FFM. So I paid my $15 and in I went hoping to find out more. Unfortunately (or more likely, fortunately) I only caught the last song of their set. In this short space of time I noticed wigs and a chain. The chain was amazing; at first I thought lead singer, Bek Coogan, just dropped it in time with music, but then she dropped it again & again; Brilliant! My friend then pointed out the wigs but I was mesmerized by the chain. The set finished all too soon. Mrs Moon confirmed they were wearing wigs. I noticed the drummer was wearing a mask

Conclusion: I should learn how to play the chain.

Pumice was up next. Not really a band but a one man sideshow. He reminded me of Son of Dave but was more like the son of Son of Dave. Kind of like Dave’s son’s son being electronic and screwing around like kids these days; whereas Dave senior is all about guitars, and shit, and music, and the blues, and a harmonica. Fuck the Crash Test Dummies anyway. Maybe Dave should give his son's son more time.

Conclusion: It sounded nothing like Son of Dave

Then came Eat Skull. The music was lo-fi. The clothes were garage. The setup was DIY; this was especially pertinent seeing as one dude was playing an ironing board. The contrasting plaid shirts; one was red, the other blue, laughed in the face of the grunge fad of the early nineties. This was garage as, baby! Instead they looked to Josh Tesh (Entertainment Tonight) and his wholly (holey) t-shirt. At least I appreciated it, especially when an empty keg was kicked through the crowd. Rock!

Conclusion: Who cares what you sound like as long as you’re energetic.

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

(RCA, 2011)

You pretty much know what you’re going to get with the Foo Fighters. That is why news of a new album by Dave Grohl and gang didn’t peak my interest. There was no excitement or anticipation to the release and the fact that it was recorded in Grohl’s garage, to me, did not mean a return to raw, stripped back rock; I’m sure Grohl’s garage is not your average cold storage space with an old refrigerator, misplaced tools, and a puddle of oil under an ’82 Cortina.

To a large degree, I was right (about the album - I am yet to see Grohl’s garage); it is more of the same from the veteran rockers. Although, in saying that, it is a fine album. Gone is Grohl’s incessant shouting of hits like Best of You, The Pretender, and Erase Replace. Instead the music is a little heavier and the return of guitarist Pat Smear, last seen on The Colour and the Shape, gives the music a punk appeal.

Before the album was released, the Foo’s had been talking it up as rocking from start-to-finish; Grohl saying something to the effect that they could play any song at any time in their set and it would go off; this is certainly true for the first half of the album. By now I’m sure you’ve heard the first single Rope; a wise choice by these old heads, its appeal lapped up by rock and pop stations alike. Bridge Burning and Dear Rosemary have the same appeal (but would probably prove too heavy for the pop stations), and together with the Rope they form a heavy-hitting start to he album.

Next is the jewel and absolute standout of the album; White Limo. It takes the speed of the opening three tracks and turns it up a notch. The aggression levels here are at an all time high for the Foo’s with Grohl’s vocals some his best work and reminiscent of Weenie Beenie off their self-titled debut. Arlandria and These Days are solid tracks too; the melodies, hooks, and catchy choruses more of the mainstream stuff the Foo Fighters have produced recently.

Back & Forth is an attempt at more of the same but this is where the album starts to wane. Grohl sings “show a little backbone, why don’t you?” and that is precisely what this song seriously lacks; it’s a throwaway pop song. The promise of rock from start-to-finish ends here with the rest of the songs being fairly timid; I Should Have Known especially so and the appearance of Krist Novoselic is seriously wasted on this track.

Walk is a nice way to end the album, but by then the momentum of the first six tracks has disappeared. So yeah, another solid album by the Foo Fighters; White Limo is outstanding, the first half oozes energy, but some uninspiring work towards the back end prevents it from being great.

Meat Puppets – Lollipop

Today's review comes courtesy of Cam Paulik; a big fan of Meat Puppets, and even bigger fan of Beezy Listening.

(Megaforce, 2011)

Legendary cow punkers the Meat Puppets have released their 13^th studio album and it did not disappoint. Lollipop is the third release since the Kirkwood brother’s reunion and the line-up has changed since 2009’s Sewn Together. Joining Curt and Cris is Shandon Sham, taking the place of Ted Marcus on drums. Band leader Curt Kirkwood now resides in Austin, Texas, but still conjures up the sun drenched desert imagery which coloured seminal albums Meat Puppets II and Up on the Sun.

Lollipop starts with the track Incomplete, which is somewhat of a departure for the band. Replacing the classic guitar/bass duel is Cris Kirkwood on synthesizer. Curt’s soothing mellow vocals make their return however and this is a solid opener. The vocals remain consistently laid back for all twelve tracks, something Curt has utilised since their return in 2007 with Rise to Your Knees. The melodies are there but I can’t tell whether it’s a combination of Curt and Cris or Curt and his dubbed self. Meatheads can rejoice further when the searing psychedelic solos of yesteryear resurface.

Baby Don’t is reminiscent of a more upbeat George Jones track and is my pick for the album. Cris’s bass line is wonderful here and wouldn’t be amiss on their 1985 classic Up on the Sun. The puppets continue to test the country waters with Town. This is one of the more earnest tracks on the album as you can detect vulnerability in the vocals. In Damn Thing, Curt manages to maintain his mellow brilliance amongst fast paced twanging that Neil Young would be proud of. These forays into the country style capture the Meat Puppets at their brilliant best and are highlights of the album.

With Lollipop the enigmatic Meat Puppets deliver an album full of the variety they are famous for. It’s never easy to pin them down to one style and the mixture of acoustic-electric guitaring asserts this. For a Meat Puppets album this latest offering is surprisingly accessible. The songs mostly stay south of the four minute mark and feature catchy riffs, light-hearted song writing, and Sahm’s up tempo drumming. Lollipop is a must for Meat Puppets fans and also recommended to those unacquainted with the trio.

Secret Chiefs 3 – Book of Horizons

We'll wrap things up this week with Secret Chiefs 3. Most of the credit for Mr. Bungle seems to go Mike Patton's way, but guitarist Trey Spruance is equally gifted, if not more so. The album Book of Horizons blows my mind, so much so that I'm not even going to try to explain it. Instead I've come up with this; make what you like out of it:

(Web of Mimicry, 2004)

 

In an unsuspecting corner somewhere, anywhere, in Persia, life goes on as normal; rats scurry in the alleyways, traders barter on the streets in a frenzied manner to the unaccustomed visitor. Something sinister lurks in an unknown underbelly.

A woman sobs as she tries to get her child to sleep; wishing with all her might that he will someday have a peaceful life. Outside her window a man pulls his cart full of unsold goods home; his life one hard and unsuccessful day after another. There’s no joy to be had in this town.

The bustling streets are lively. Children play merrily, musicians exude jovial sounds. Laughter and excitement fills the air. The harsh realities of life are put on hold for day at least.

Something sinister lurks.

People are being tortured. Souls are being ripped and separated from bodies to which they belong. These souls are being sold to abhorrent demons.

Somehow these monsters need to be stopped. Peace and calm is all everyone, anyone, ever asks for here. A plan is devised. A hero is needed. But a hero simply doesn’t exist in these parts. It is a futile exercise; a futile existence.

A journey is undertaken by a few brave individuals in search of our hero. In search of the one man that can save a whole society; he who can defeat the beasts. There is hope, but it is hope that may never return.

A search is cast over all of Persia; many places are visited, no stone is left unturned. Familiar territories are covered; mysterious valleys are traversed. All have different characters and customs. All have the same result; none. There is only one place left to look… California.

Our hero lives on the water. With long blond hair and a surf board as his only possession; he is found. He who can conquer the beasts back home and bring peace to a civilisation.

Meanwhile back at home, innocent individuals continue to perish. Arms, legs, torsos, ripped and gnashed. Piercing screams fill the air. Screams which are the only signs of life amongst the discarded chunks of flesh and bone floating in makeshift rivers of blood.

An eerie change sweeps across the land.

The bustling streets are, once again, lively. Children are playing again. Wonderful music is in the air. Laughter and excitement has returned. The harsh realities of life seemed to have disappeared. The Californian dude has saved these people.

Our Californian hero returns to the surf. Farmers dance in the rain; celebrating their new found wealth. Traders pull their empty carts home; gleefully smiling after another prosperous day. Trouble will return, however it hardly matters at this point in time.

Welcome to the world of Secret Chiefs 3…

The Tango Saloon – Transylvania

Another one of the Mr. Bungle members to move to Australia is Danny Heifetz. He now resides in Sydney and is part of the band The Tango Saloon.

(Phantom, 2008)

Transylvania is suspenseful tango/spaghetti western music with dash, no make that a whole heap, of comedy.

First track The Count opens up the album with a thriller/mystery type introduction giving some insight as to what is about to come. What follows includes; a worrying tale of a woman crying out for something in her life (I Want Some Fun), enchanting stories of seemingly distant places and times (Into the Castle, L’Anima Sulle Sue Mani), and action packed escapades (The Chase). We also see a whole lot of exotic tango and humour.

Title track Transylvania gets thing going in real tango fashion with rhythm and heart, at times sounding like something out of Curb Your Enthusiasm; you could certainly see Larry David getting up to something mischievous to this music. Dance of the Dead turns the Curb Your Enthusiasm notch up a level, while Oblivious (There’s Something Down There) and Kiss of Death sound like, in the right context, they could be genuine attempts at some serious tango (if tango is meant to be taken seriously).

Dracula Cha Cha puts everything to bed with an appearance by none other than Mike Patton; and we see the whole outfit seems to be in jest. It is a fun album and would no doubt be better in a live setting (where they are sometimes known as The Mango Balloon).

Fantômas – Suspended Animation

Due to his role in Faith No More and his massive array of other projects since, and also because he's a complete genius, Mike Patton is the most well known member of Mr. Bungle. While he played a large part in making Faith No More and Tomahawk what they are/were, they were never solely his responsibility. Fantômas is his baby, his creation, his warped point of view.

(Ipecac Recordings, 2005)

Fantômas have released four studio albums to date; their self-titled debut was (and still is) unlike anything I’ve heard; experimental to say the least, with Mike Patton using his voice to frighteningly great effect. Next came an album of horror movie songs, The Director’s Cut, which was surprisingly accessible. The masterpiece in Patton’s entire library would have to be Delìrium Còrdia, a 74 minute mind-fuck where the listener overlooks a surgical procedure. However, for me, Suspended Animation best sums up Fantômas – playfully evil.

The album retains Fantômas dark and twisted way of looking at things. Patton is once again screaming, squealing, and making any other sound effect he finds appropriate; his support cast of Buzz Osborne (Melvins, guitar), Dave Lombardo (Slayer, drums), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, bass) as precise as ever. The difference comes with the abundance of samples, but they’re not just any samples; they’re all linked to children. Cartoons, toys, and kids laughing and playing; not exactly what you associate with music of this variety.

Each track represents a day in April, and by 04/10/05 Saturday there’s an overload of samples and a myriad of "uh oh’s", "bye bye’s", and "boing’s" thrown in. 04/24/05 Sunday is a prelude to the work Patton did on the Crank 2: High Voltage soundtrack and 04/14/05 Thursday somehow stands out above the rest, its production simply superb.

The end result is total meltdown of your senses best listened to on headphones; disturbing yet cheeky, sinister yet merry. It’s pure Patton; you’re unable to tell if he’s just plain evil or if he’s got tongue firmly planted in cheek and is just fucking with your head. 

MadLove – White With Foam

Next up from the Mr. Bungle clan is bassist Trevor Dunn. Although Dunn is probably most well known in his post-Bungle days for his role in Fantomas, he has become pretty much a hired hand performing with everyone from Sean Lennon to the Melvins to former Korn member Brian "Head" Welch (an album which Dunn says, despite being on it, he has never heard). His latest project is rock group MadLove.

(Ipecac Recordings, 2009)

Punchy and bass/guitar-centric, MadLove combines driving bass with classical instruments less associated with rock to produce heavy melodramatic arrangements.

White With Foam is all Dunn’s work, and his attempt at writing rock music. While the album is much more standard in terms of song structure to other projects Dunn has been involved in, there’s a bit too much variation and subtle nuances for it to become all that popular. This is a good thing because the subtle use of more traditional instruments is what sets Dunn apart from his more popular counterparts.

Korean songstress Sunny Kim handles most of the vocals; her distinctive vocals, at times, have a very vulnerable feel to them. The combination of Kim’s vocals and the use of vibraphone, harp, cello, violin, and viola produce a classical effect and another reason why it is unlikely to hit the “mainstream”.

Kim sounds more assure of herself on Absence & Noise, the strong vocals and heavy bass giving it real guts. A few songs do lack guts but for the most part Dunn’s focus on bass and Icelandic guitarist, Hilmar Jensson’s power chords keep this firmly somewhere in the rock category. Simple, punchy riffs give songs like As Sad as it Was Beautiful a foot-stomping like quality.

Dirty is very… well, dirty - gritty may be a better word; the bass being very prominent, even more so than the rest of the album. Left With Nothing sees Dunn take a turn on vocals and, in my opinion, it’s probably the standout track on the album. His vocals are a little more soothing and give a somewhat trippy effect; certainly an entirely different mood is conveyed. It would be interesting to hear the whole album sung with a different vocalist.

Umlaut – Umlaut

This week I've decided to do a little tribute to Mr. Bungle. Each member has gone on to produce some pretty incredible and different music since the band's breakup in 2004 so each day this week I'll focus on one of these projects. First up is saxophonist Clinton "Bär" McKinnon and his band Umlaut.

(Amphead Aus/Zoom, 2009)

Melbourne based Umlaut’s first effort combines quirky jazz based instrumentals with humorous experimental pop and even includes an appearance by someone named Mike Patton.

The album undeniably has the blood of Mr. Bungle running all the way through it; there’s some sort of structure but it’s impossible to tell which direction it is headed next. The songs alternate between suspenseful jazz-based instrumentals and catchy pop tunes filled with comedic lyrics. Just like Mr. Bungle the music is beautifully arranged but is not to be taken seriously, and how could you take it seriously with tracks like Dirty Dishes (an ode to cleaning up after yourself), Work Truck ("who wants oysters?"), and Chill Pill (“just chill, chill the fuck out”).

The album makes a splash early on with the vocals on Atlas Face provided by Mike Patton. He displays several different vocal techniques for the song and has me guessing as to whether some sort of voice effects machine is used for part of it or if he’s just extremely talented. The short answer is both. A heavier element is also prevalent throughout the album but most noticeable on Bigfoot is Real and Buttons. The latter is a sweeping track that encompasses electronic and heavier components before ending with a dramatic flow of synth.

Keyboards play a large part in the sound of Umlaut, but it is Bär’s excellence on the saxophone and flute, plus the addition of a vibraphone which give an edge to their sound, a sound comparable to a junior Mr. Bungle.

The Field – Yesterday and Today

(Kompakt Records, 2009)

The Field is one of the monikers used by Swedish based techno artist Axel Willner. Yesterday and Today is his sophomore effort and is highly atmospheric in its use of electronics.

Willner slowly builds into Yesterday and Today. The environmental techno opener, I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet, sends the listener into their own world, transfixed on nothing in particular. The repetitious and soothing beats empty the mind and, despite the electronic framework, it all feels very natural.

Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime sends the relaxation levels up another rank with its addition of harmonious vocals before Leave It totally disrupts the peace. A driving and repetitive beat pounds away to the back of your head for a solid three minutes until a neat little rhythm emerges and that pounding all of a sudden becomes distant and unnoticeable until you notice that you’re taking great pleasure from it. 

The main reason for my interest in this album was the presence of drummer John Stainer (Battles, Helmet, Tomahawk). He makes an appearance on the title track which turns out to be fairly nondescript club number with just a hint of psychedelia. The More That I Do was the one single off Yesterday and Today, and by the time we get to it the album has taken a whole new dynamic; the mood a whole lot more lively. The pulsing, 15 minute long Sequenced, rounds out the album by bringing everything back down a notch and once again spacing out the listener.

The album is highly ambient, minimal techno where long, repetitive conceptions are the order of the day (the six tracks clock in at a tad over 60 minutes), and while Yesterday and Today, at times, does border on boredom, for the most part it remains largely captivating.