Glass Vaults - New Space

Elephant of the Ocean - Salt, Salt, Salt!

Russian Circles - New Zealand Tour

Russian Circles are heading to Australia in September and will stop off in New Zealand at the same time. At this stage they'll play Wellington on the 14th and Auckland on the 15th with venues TBA. These dates could possibly be swapped. Joining them on the bill will be Jakob, who sold out recent shows so this is sure to be popular. No word on tickets yet, stay tuned.

Helmet - New Zealand Tour

Helmet's playing this weekend in New Zealand. Check them out in Auckland or Wellington:

The Kings Arms, Auckland

Saturday June 18th

Bodega, Wellington

Sunday June 19th

Tickets available from www.undertheradar.co.nz, www.moshtix.co.nz, Real Groovy (Auckland) and Slow Boat Records (Wellington).

This is them performing Unsung on their recent Metalliance tour of America.

  

Kora - Story Ain't Over

It's been a while since Kora released their debut album in 2007. Here's their latest offering although I'm not sure when we can expect an album, sometime this year I'm told.

Loosely described as "experimental rock/funk", Story Ain't Over seems to be quite a departure from some of their heavier influences, and most certainly different to the aggression they put into Heavy Metal Ninjas in recent times.

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/

Burning Embers – Burning Embers

(Burning Embers Inc, 2010)

Burning Embers is a rock 5-piece originating from Wainuiomata, Wellington who have just completed a fairly extensive North Island tour. Their eponymous fist release is grunge bordering on alternative rock, and ends up sounding very much like Days of the New.

The Days of the New vibe is struck very early on with the first track, No Fear, borrowing heavily from the acoustic guitar sound of the 90’s rockers. However, some guitar overlays of the more electric variety add a heavier dynamic to the mix. The first four songs on the album (No Fear, I Bleed, Open the Door, and Crystal Ball) all follow this recipe with singer Robert Morgan's forceful vocals telling of troubled past. There’s a sense of calm to his aggressiveness and it’s clear that he has buried his demons and is looking forward from here. Crystal Ball may be the best of these four tracks and sees one of the three lead guitarists show off his chops with an extended solo.

End of the Rainbow sees a change in tempo. The slow burning number seems to be a nod to Led Zeppelin with its progressive rock element making the next track Playing With Fire all the more effective. The combination of deeper, devil-like vocals with traditional metal-like wailing give the song impetus and mark a turn back to their darker side. Wait for a Moment adds a slightly trippy element while Denial’s Easy has an old school punk feel its Jello Biafra type over powering vocals.

The rest of the album is somewhat of a letdown with about three too many angst-ridden grunge ballads. Climb Any Mountain is the best of these with its uplifting theme more fitting with the early part of the album. Get Out of My Way is a good way to close the album and displays their intentions showing that what these guys do best is show their raw emotion with an aggressive attitude.

Although I have not heard these guys live, the heavier, more aggressive tracks would definitely translate well to bars and small clubs and there’s no doubt they’d give a balls to the wall performance each and every time.

Darcy Clay – Jesus I Was Evil (EP)

(Antenna Records, 1997)

Darcy Clay was a New Zealand born musician who put out two six track EPs before taking his own life at the age of 25. The first of these two EPs, Jesus I Was Evil, was recorded mostly in his bedroom on a 4-track recorder. The result is part rock, part blues, part electro-pop, and all Darcy.

Through the title track, Darcy gained some airplay and notoriety throughout New Zealand. The catchy Jesus I Was Evil has been described as a “Kiwi cult classic. It sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard before, and yet it’s everything you’ve ever heard”. He maintains high levels of enthusiasm and energy, especially on All I Gotta Do which, with its low production values, sounds exactly like it would in a small club, surely with a lively bunch of 20 to 30 students flailing their bodies about.

Darcy has certain twang to his singing voice, something that would have Dolly Parton fans cringing if they ever heard his cover of Jolene. Here it fits perfectly with a swagger and confidence befitting of Mick Jagger. The only track on the EP that was produced in a studio, In the Middle, is (for 1997) ahead of its time with an infectious electro-pop groove that would see him fit in somewhere between Disasteradio and Kids of 88 in today’s musical landscape.

Sadly Darcy’s musical brilliance was lost too early. On his next EP he covered Elton John’s tribute to Princess Diana, Candle in the Wind (Darcy named it English Rose), this song could suitably be used to describe Darcy also; “your candle burned out long before your legend ever will”.

Live Review: Melvins & High on Fire

Bodega, Wellington – 23 February, 2011

The Melvins and High on Fire arrived in Wellington a day later than planned after the Christchurch earthquake left them stranded at Christchurch airport the night before. Every measure was taken to ensure the touring party made it to Wellington including getting the ferry over from Picton. These two bands were now ready to rock the Bodega; just like they themselves had been rocked in Christchurch.

First was High on Fire who came highly recommended and they certainly didn’t disappoint, the first two songs (I have no idea what they were) had heads banging and bodies flying. The band was tight, and the sound was better than usual for the Bodega; it had me already anticipating what the Melvins would do once onstage. There was still much more of High on Fire to be seen though and I found my eyes glued to bassist Jeff Matz’s rapid finger work while guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike’s beer belly was also a sight to behold. This was stoner doom heaven; a full on rocking set was played before they finished off with Bastard Samurai and Snakes for the Divine, dedicating the show to “anyone who got fucked on by the Christchurch earthquake”. The performance best summed up by someone remarking; “Fuck Metallica; this is heavy metal!”

By the time High on Fire were finished the Bodega was packed. The late cancellation of Queens of the Stone Age (who were due to perform a few blocks away at the Town Hall) may have been a factor; Josh Homme was probably scared some “cocksmoker” would throw a shoe at him. Most were in attendance to see timeless sludge rockers the Melvins. King Buzzo and Jared Warren came out looking larger than life, imposing figures on the tiny stage, while Dale Crover and Coady Willis could hardly be seen behind their monstrous drum kits. Buzz sported a turtle neck and moo moo, the other three looked sort of like vikings. 

 

Opening track The Water Glass had the Melvins declaring they were ready; the raucous crowd in attendance were certainly ready, ready, ready. The band ran through a relentless set which included The Kicking Machine, Bar-X-The Rocking M, AMAZON, The Bit, Blood Witch, and the more recent Evil New War God, and Electric Flower; the only let up being early on when some idiot tried to look cool by dancing on stage. Jared did his best Josh Homme impersonation explaining that the idiot not only did not look cool but he also kicked a plug out of Buzz’s guitar, forcing them to stop while Buzz calmly fixed himself up.

The highlights of the show were Civilized Worm, Let It All Be, and Coady’s frenetic drumming. I could only see Dale’s sweaty hair from my position, but he would have done well to keep up with the younger, fitter Coady who was constantly pounding away. The show finished after Buzz casually strolled off leaving Coady and Dale providing a thunderous drum duet while Jared screamed into the microphone. The three of them then waved their goodbyes; a half-expected encore did not come but was not really necessary.

If the band were a little “freaked out” by their experience in Christchurch it certainly didn’t show. They gave the Bodega a magnitude 6.3 earthquake of their own, leaving the still shaking crowd to wind down to the Disney classic Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.

The Essential: Melvins

 

The Melvins are headed for the upcoming Soundwave Festival across Australia, but before then will be stopping in New Zealand for a whopping five shows! So I thought I’d do a quick little guide on them in time for their first show of the tour tomorrow night at the Kings Arms in Auckland.

The complete schedule for New Zealand, with Oakland’s High On Fire supporting, is:

February 19 – The Kings Arms, Auckland

February 20 – ReFuel, Dunedin
February 21 – Al's Bar, Christchurch
February 22 – Bodega, Wellington

February 23 – Whammy Bar, Auckland (w/ Kylesa)

Formed in 1983, with an original lineup consisting of Buzz Osborne, Mike Dillard, and Matt Lukin, the Melvins are still going strong almost 30 years later with at least 18 full-length albums and countless other releases to their name. Buzz (guitar) was joined in 1984 by Dale Crover on drums while a long list of bassists have come and gone. The current lineup features two drummers after a merger with Big Business members Coady Willis and Jared Warren (bass).

Here are a few albums to check out (if you don’t have time to sit down and listen to all 20 to 30-odd releases): 

Houdini 

& Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust

(Atlantic, 1993 & Ipecac, 2005)  

 

The definitive Melvins album, Houdini is straight up heavy sludge/grunge from start to finish. Songs such as Hooch, Night Goat, Lizzy, Hag Me, Set Me Straight, and Sky Pup remain amongst the best of their kind. The lineup had Buzz and Dale joined by Lori Black on bass and Kurt Cobain adding guitars for Sky Pup.

A Live History of Gluttony and Lust came about after repeated calls from fans to play the Houdini album and proving its legendary status. They updated the tracks giving them a live yet very polished feel with Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas) providing the bass.

 

Stag

(Atlantic, 1996)

Stag opens with The Bit, a thunderous beast which generates momentum for the rest of the album. What follows are a real mixture of styles; Bar-X-The Rocking M includes a trombone and turn-table like effects making it feel ahead of its time, Black Bock is almost Melvins unplugged sounding more like Blind Melon, Skin Horse has some downright freaky helium vocal effects, and The Bloat is just classic Melvins sludge.

(A) Senile Animal

 (Ipecac, 2006)

(A) Senile Animal marked the start of the current formation of the Melvins; half Melvins, half Big Business. After over 20 years together, the band gained a new edge with the two drummers providing extra crunch and a somewhat more cohesive feel. The addition of Jared Warren’s vocals to accompany Buzz gives extra force to an already powerful sound. Standout tracks include; The Talking Horse, Blood Witch, Civilized Worm, A History of Drunks… shit, I could just name the whole album.

    

The Maggot, The Bootlicker, & The Crybaby

(Ipecac, 1999-2000)

 

I was going to put Honky here as it is considered the Melvins most experimental release, however putting out three albums in the space of a year to help kick start the Ipecac label is a more Melvins type thing to do and these three albums are pretty strange in their own right.

The Maggot starts off with two tracks called amazonAMAZON, telling you all you need to know about the Melvins; they don’t operate like other bands. The move to Ipecac Recordings allowed them the creative freedom to do whatever they wanted (although they seem to be doing this anyway). and

The Bootlicker is the best of this trio of albums; it’s typically slow, and at times haunting. Up the Dumper and Lone Rose Holding Now are great but the centerpiece is Let It All Be which is almost two tracks joined together by ambient noise creating 10 minutes of brilliance.

A distant hint of Nirvana ends The Bootlicker and The Crybaby runs with this by opening with a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit and then adding covers of Jesus Lizard and a couple of country artists. Mike Patton also makes an appearance on G.I. Joe.

  

There is a lot more Melvins to check so go and do so. Here’s their latest video for Electric Worm off last year’s album The Bride Screamed Murder:

2010 (…& another):

Last installment of releases from 2010, a few from here in New Zealand this time:

Cornerstone Roots – Future Is Now
(Rhythm Method/MLR, 2010)

Lines such as “Plant the seeds of positivity, little by little grow your crop” (Seeds), and “Hold on to your roots, maintain your integrity” (Roots) sum up the Cornerstone Roots ethos. Once again Raglan roots husband and wife duo Brian Ruawai and Naomi Tuao have put together a bunch of tunes inspiring positive and proactive thinking for their third album Future Is Now. Joining Cornerstone Roots are appearances from heavyweight Jamaican reggae deejay Ranking Joe (on Rising Sun), local vocalist MC Mana (on Roots), and the introduction of Brian and Naomi’s 10-year-old son Reiki who contributes backing vocals on Everybody before taking the lead role on the album’s final track Bedlam.

With only eight tracks on Future Is Now I was expecting a few longer songs to fill the record up, so I was a little disappointed when it clocked in at little over 36 minutes. Still its 36 minutes packed with good vibes as one would expect from them… future is now, future is here.

Disasteradio – Charisma
(A Low Hum, 2010)

 

Picture a group of girls straight out of the eighties; frizzy hair, big sunglasses, fluro spandex, jumping around and waving their arms. Recall the sound effects from your favourite Atari or Commodore 64 game. Chuck in a couple of electronic dogs barking and a synthesizer or two. Add Luke Rowell to the mix and you have the lead track You Win off the latest Disasteradio offering Charisma. The rest of the album has more of the Disasteradio formula; geek from nineties playing with technology from the eighties making music to appeal to robots of the future. I’m stuck for more ways to describe this album so I’ll let the video for No Pulse do it for me.

The other great things about Charisma are the cover artwork (see above) and a name your price method to share all this goodness. Go get it here.

Matiu Te Huki with My Golden Soul – EP
(Independent, 2010)

More goodness here with a small taste of the talent of Matiu “The Hook” Te Huki. Matiu has lent his voice to many Kiwi acts over the years but he is at his best when performing originals from the heart. It is clearly evident that he sees beauty in everybody, reassuring listeners of their potential and encouraging them to follow their passions. The EP contains five tracks; Poppies, What’s This Thing, and two versions of Come To Me Now which reflect the positive vibes of Matiu’s home on the Kapiti Coast. Also added is a remix of Poppies offering an alternate take and filled with heavy bass.

This is a small offering filled with love and best enjoyed with family and friends out in the summer sun. Hopefully a full-length release is on its way.

Alive!

Beez has a blog.

Check here for bands/music that I listen to & that you should listen to too, plus gigs/events that may be worth seeing around Wellington & New Zealand. Stay tuned, peace!