CD REVIEWS

DEVIN LIMA & THE CADBURY DIESEL :: Mozart Popart

Devin Lima used to be in LFO—you know, those dudes who loved summer girls wearing Abercrombie and Fitch? Yeah, them. Lima’s been away from the music world for a bit, but has now launched himself a resurgence by gathering a band, writing his own songs, and teaming up with One Eleven (owned by ex-LFO mate Brad Fischetti). This CD sounds as substance-free as you’d think it would and more. A diverse listen simply because Lima doesn’t seem to know what direction to go in; it’s uninspired, vaguely funky rock with copped attitude and zero genuine emotion behind it. Lima’s trying way too hard to be taken seriously, not to mention his voice isn’t especially good. Kinda pinched, kinda annoying. Think Maroon 5 by way of Crazy Town by way of American Idol with lots of bad pop and R&B scattered around. Except Maroon 5 can write catchy songs and even those AmIdol peeps can occasionally crack one out, while Lima is left yearning and grooving in a corner. This is why aspiring musicians should always have a backup plan. [One Eleven, 111records.com] By: Corey Apar

Rating: W

LAST WINTER :: Under the Silver of Machines

Just like their Floridian peers The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (though, to their credit, with a less ridiculous name), Last Winter occupy that hard-edged terrain where alternative rock hits emo head on, producing a slick and emotional set of rousing anthems for disaffected teens everywhere. The guys can rock out and explode just as easily as they can bring it down a notch and offer up the sensitivity. They’ve been featured on episodes of MTV shows like Laguna Beach and that wonder of modern television, My Super Sweet Sixteen, and, indeed, you can practically see tanned teenagers gazing out over the ocean or embracing in deep thought while songs like “A Pacific Romance” and “Standing Here” provide the backing soundtrack. There’s nothing that makes Last Winter really stand out among their Warped side-stage brethren—what difference does it make if them or, say, A Change of Pace is playing?—but, then again, there’s nothing that triggers a forceful gag relax either. Last Winter is blissfully content in the middle-ground, their charging guitars, silky vocals, and propulsive drums neither offensive nor incredibly engaging. Super polished and, hence, ready for mass consumption.
[Lifeforce, lifeforcerecords.com] By: Corey Apar

Rating: WW

MUSTARD PLUG :: In Black and White

It's been five long years since fans have heard a new album from ska-punks Mustard Plug. Their last true release, Yellow #5, was self-produced by the band and met with mixed reactions. These are all moot points, though, as the boys from Grand Rapids, MI have gone back to The Blasting Room and the careful hands of Bill Stevenson. The result is a return to glory. While ska has seen its share of more traditional records this year (Toasters, Big D, Mad Caddies), Mustard Plug bring a dark edge to In Black and White that gives it more of a heavy punk feel throughout. A number of the songs recall other great ska and punk acts. The horns on "Something New" will remind listeners of Less Than Jake, while anyone who can't hear NOFX in the chorus of "Copasetic" has never listened to NOFX. Throughout the remaining 11 songs, Mustard Plug never fail to present interesting sounds. On "Hit Me! Hit Me!" the band try for a string of constant alliteration, and on "Real Rat Bastard" they bring forth cynicism the likes of Reel Big Fish alongside infectious chant-a-longs. It's not all gold, but Mustard Plug has still found a way to stand out from the pack. [Hopeless, hopelessrecords.com] By: William Jones

Rating: WWWW

THE STARTING LINE :: Direction

Where to begin… The Starting Line… Maybe I've just been listening to way too much new music in the last month, but so many pieces of this album sound like imitations of other things I've heard lately. And not the good kind of imitation, that seems to pay homage to the original, but the shallow, it's-been-done-better-before kind of imitation. Maybe it's the Ace of Base quote, "All that she wants is another baby, yeah" that points me in the “direction” of all the other "borrowings," but I can't listen to this album without hearing them. So, while some of the songs may be catchy, laden with an endless amount of hooks, I'm too distracted by certain elements of the songwriting to care. They've got a bit of a Drive-Thru era New Found Glory meets Fall Out Boy sound, and there are parts of this album I want to like, and then I feel like I'm being slapped in the face for my stupidity. Not terrible, but the greater Philadelphia area has much better to offer. [Virgin, virginrecords.com] By: William Jones

Rating: WW

AVENGED SEVENFOLD :: Avenged Sevenfold

What arguably made Avenged Sevenfold's sophomore full-length, Waking the Fallen, so great was the vicious growl of M. Shadows and the amazing dual ax-shredding of the equally ridiculously named Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates. With City of Evil, the band lost Shadows' growl and opted for a Guns ‘n’ Roses sound, with even cheesier lyrics and faster guitar solos, which were brought to the forefront and helped the band gain some major success. With their fourth full-length, the sound has changed once again. The solos are still there, but not nearly as prominent or awe-inspiring as on previous efforts. The band is also much less aggressive than before, and while the songwriting is more varied than ever, much of it just doesn't work for A7X, with many tracks resembling mid-‘90s ballads, offering the softer side, if you will, of Shadows. "A Little Piece of Heaven" is the most interesting of the bunch, with a sound similar to the scores Danny Elfman has composed for the Tim Burton classics. It's likeable, but would probably sound better with a Gerard Way on the mic. The experimentation is welcome and interesting, but doesn't hit its mark and will likely turn a lot of old fans off.
[Warner, warnerbrosrecords.com] By: William Jones

Rating: WW

BARONESS :: The Red Album

Drawing a variety of influences into their melting pot, Savannah's Baroness have created a solid debut. Straddling the line between riff-heavy rock and metal, there's prog, ambience, and even a pretty, folk-ish song to be found here. This mix and match of styles is interesting and makes for a varied listen, but it's as if the band is merely sketching out the idea of a sound instead of making one their own. Like fellow Georgians Mastodon, the band should appeal to even those who don't usually care for metal. There's nothing wronging with having mass appeal, and this is a decent album—the playing is accomplished and the songs are ambitious. One question, though—in the midst of all of these ideas and diverse sounds, where's the heaviness? [Relapse, relapserecords.com] By: Kevin Nelson

Ratings: WWW

 

CAESER PINK AND THE IMPERIAL ORGY :: Gospel Hymns for Agnostics and Atheists

Damn, what to do when it’s 11 pm and tomorrow’s work has disappeared from the USB stick? Pray for liberation and throw in a CD that’s been banned from college radio stations across the United States. Let Caeser Pink and the Imperial Orgy box up stress in a caboose for a chug through fine musical stylings. The trip starts with an introduction to some smoky southern gospel congregations with “The Amazing Tenacity of Job and His Brethren.” The four-song EP quickly takes a turn toward the tropics on “So It Is,” with some church organ and breezy guitars that soak road-weary feet in the warm sea white of a white sandy beach. The last stop on the tour, “Happy Endings,” swaths us in patchouli oil and sits us at a hemp-wearing, hippy campfire to hug our brothers and sisters. Caeser Pink has garnered attention with a rousing band name, but the songs just aren’t strong enough to back it. There are catchy tunes and likable lyrics, but nothing memorable. Whatever, it won’t matter to Caeser Pink. He’s heading for the creek with a “backpack full of joints.” [Chief Logan, chiefloganrecordings.com]
By: Dickson Kent

Rating: WWW

COLISEUM :: No Salvation

\At a glance, Louisville, KY looks to be a hardcore hotbed, boasting the likes of The National Acrobat, Breather Resist, Young Widows, and Coliseum. On closer inspection, brothers Ryan and Evan Patterson have been at the core of each of these bands either together or separately. Evan's Young Widows project put out one of last year's best records; now it's Ryan's turn, with Coliseum's latest LP. "No Benefit" starts the party, charging out of the gate, and the pace doesn't let up until the somber intro of "Funeral Line," before launching right back into the hardcore riff madness. The drums especially are impressive, acting one like on long, unbroken string of pounding madness. These songs are short, furious, and fast—don't blink or you may miss them.[Relapse, relapserecords.com] By: Kevin Nelson

 

Rating: WWWW

THE FLATLINERS :: The Great Awake

The Great Awake is, initially, a major disappointment. Recap: A great up-and-coming Canadian band that Fat Mike signed immediately after hearing only a few demos from the new album, i.e., a bit of hype surrounding this release. So, it's unfortunate that the band's signature "skunk rock" is not entirely intact this time around. The reggae influence is still there, though more subtle, but the band's evolving sound resorts to fairly standard punk. The scratchy yell of Chris Cresswell is reminiscent of The Lawrence Arms' Brendan Kelly at times, Nuno Pereira of A Wilhelm Scream at others. In this respect, The Great Awake is actually a solid Fat Wreck-esque album; it just leaves behind a lot of the original Flatliners sound. There's also not much of a clear focus, with disconnected musical phrases strung together like it doesn't matter at points. Still, moments of brilliance can be found on the effort. "…And the World Files for Chapter 11" has one of the best sing-along/pit choruses in a long time, and the needlessly long "KHTDR" has a great reggae vocal phrasing that Cresswell turns like a pro. Old fans will have a harder time with this release, but it's definitely worth a listen. New fans should start with Destroy to Create. [Fat Wreck Chords, fatwreck.com] By: William Jones

Rating: WWW

MELQUIADES :: We Were What We Ate

If you’ve seen the fantastic movie The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, then you know how to pronounce the name of the band. That’s not information needed to thoroughly enjoy this high energy EP. From the opening “The You in the Shadows,” Melquiades show off gatling-gun guitar riffs that take breaks to load up with spitting lyrics. The head-bobbing, fist-pounding attack takes a brief hiatus on “Cold” to drone out a female stalker that’s about to dine on sweet, cold revenge. An act that ends in cutting grooves of rhythmic guitar. The five songs this Philadelphia-based band pound out with manic guitars could have been recorded as they ripped their shirts off exposing Pixies tattoos, from the moon-roof of a speeding Cadillac. The only trouble with We Were What We Ate is the ferocious, 14-minute ride in the caddy drops hitchers off way too early. [Inchworm, inchwormrecords.com] By: Dickson Kent

Rating: WWWW

THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION :: Doomjazz Future Corpses!

Whoa! With a name like this, the music has a lot to live up to. Ignore the cheesy, effects-laden voice that introduces this live performance, this strange little record might just be one of the more interesting things you hear this year. One long piece broken up into movements, these tracks are often sparse, and while nothing momentous seems to be happening, floating just beneath the surface is something vaguely menacing. Saxophones and trombones stumble through the apocalyptic soundscape, as guitar drones and cellos provide landmarks. A lot of strange noises are roaming through the background, coming into focus at the strangest times. No percussion instruments are present, leaving the ambience to fill space, and causing the already epic length of these tracks to feel even longer. Sure, there's a lot of self-indulgence here, but it's interesting to imagine a genre called "DoomJazz," and this may be the closest anyone ever comes to it. Listening to this album is like wading through a murky puddle of ambient noise.[Ad Noiseam, adnoiseam.net] By: Kevin Nelso

Rating: WWW

NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD :: Peace with Nothing

Don't blink. This digital-only EP is over almost as fast as it starts, but in the eight and a half minutes it takes New Mexican Disaster Squad to rip through five frantic tracks, the band is on top of its game. Peace with Nothing features three original tracks and covers of 7 Seconds "Here's Your Warning" and Government Issue's "Understand." Lying somewhere between Strike Anywhere and Nitro's skate-punk style, New Mexican Disaster Squad knows how to tear it up… and in a politically conscious way. Lyrically, the band settles on fairly simple metaphors and straightforward assaults this time around. The three originals are as solid as anything they've done to date, and the two covers blend fairly well into mix, though "Understand" seems just a bit bland. Peace with Nothing offers some of the best the band has to offer, and the vinyl on Kiss of Death Records includes some amusing artwork as well.
[Jade Tree, jadetree.com] By: William Jones

Rating: WWWW

PECHBLENDE :: Collapse

The name Pechblende is the French translation for the radioactive mineral pitchblende, but don't confuse this moody hardcore band with the sometimes goofy, early ‘90s DC punk band of that name. With a thrashy punk sound, this Montreal band approaches political hardcore in a typically aggro style, mixing it up with some slower moments and some elements of early emo. Jagged, distorted guitars and fast, hardcore drumbeats are this band's forte, occasionally relenting with some melodic breakdowns. Not even reaching the 30-minute mark, this is a slim little EP that tends to blend together. "Retain" is the longest track here, and is a good hint to the band's sound, as the frantic drum beats give way to a nice little melodic outro. "Blacken the Sun" is the standout, with its ringing guitars and shuffling drumbeat that segues into a crazy riff-fest before the thrashy climax. French-Canadian aggression at its finest. [Tuned to You, tunedtoyou.com] By: Kevin Nelson

Rating: WWW

SO THEY SAY :: Life in Surveillance

Waiting to pile the cereal and milk on the conveyer belt in the grocery store line brings valuable time to learn why Jennifer Aniston is kissing Ben Affleck and how Valerie Bertinelli lost 25 pounds in two months. If the grocery store could pump Life in Surveillance through the speakers at that time, then all the useless pop culture entertainment could be dealt with at once. The five-piece power punks from St. Louis have thrown Life in Surveillance onto the growing, Everest-sized pile of albums that will have no beneficial impact on people’s lives unless it influences them to seek out creative music from bands with something significant to offer. Moments almost enjoyable come on the last two songs of the CD, when “Hand of God” and "Nuclear Sunrise” begin with gripping, Soundgarden-esque guitar. Where “Hand of God” quickly resorts to middle school party riffs and vocal harmonies, “Nuclear Sunrise” is able to sustain a slightly more interesting psychedelic sound and ends the album with a strong message—“There’s a sea of children playing in the streets with no friends / get off your ass and start a revolution.” Physician, heal thyself. [Fearless, fearlessrecords.com] By: Dickson Kent

Rating: WW

TODAY IS THE DAY :: Axis of Eden

Much like a troubling blemish that refuses to go away, and is actually starting to look worse by the day, Today Is the Day have once again reared their ugly heads. As usual, gun-enthusiast and TITD visionary Steve Austin has cleaned house, adding superstar drummer Derek Roddy (Nile, Hate Eternal) to the line-up. Roddy is given a prominent role here, his double-kick barrage sitting prominently in the mix, sometimes eclipsing some serious low-end bass and Austin's trademark one-two punch of distorted vocals and trebly, crunchy guitar. A raging blast of experimental grind/art-metal, Axis of Eden is a throbbing headache of a record. The singular vision of one strange man, featuring Austin's production, songwriting, and frightening presence, this must be what it's like inside a madman's head—terrifying!
[SuperNova, supernovarecords.net] By: Kevin Nelson

Rating: WWW

THE WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY :: Addicted to Bad Ideas

The World/Inferno Friendship Society—the band that has vowed to keep punk interesting by mixing things up with its cabaret/circus sound and revolving door mentality—is walking an interesting line in its decision to do a concept album, which seems like such a trendy move nowadays. And if not for the band's brilliant musical account of the life of the reportedly morphine-crazed Peter Lorre, one might even call them out on it. Those upset that Red-Eyed Soul contained a large number of previously released songs might be concerned that three of 11 tracks on Addicted to Bad Ideas have been re-recorded from previous efforts. It doesn't matter. The new recordings help the tracks fit alongside eight spankin' new ones for a cohesive album. The high quality songwriting and diversity of sounds on Bad Ideas highlights the innovative sound of World/Inferno more than ever, and this marks the band's best performance to date. Only the simplicity of a few songs really stands out as a possible imperfection on this album, and that's mostly a matter of taste. Longtime fans of World/Inferno won't be let down, and it's about time for the rest of the world to join the circus. [Chunksaah, chunksaah.com] By: William Jones

Rating: WWWW

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DVD REVIEW

THE FLAMING LIPS :: U.F.O.S at the Zoo

I'd be "expecting someone's head to explode," too (in the words of one fan), if I were to attend a Flaming Lips concert. Actually, circus is more like it. In the first few minutes of this concert DVD filmed at the Zoo Amphitheater in Oklahoma, the band descends from a lowered spaceship, a bubble-bound Wayne Coyne is placed into the crowd by roadies dressed as super-heroes and then crowd surfs (more like rolls over) the audience for a minute before returning to the stage for the first song, amidst blasts from a confetti cannon. Whew! With dancing fans dressed as aliens and Santa Clauses on either side and thousands of screaming people in front of them, Coyne and company hold freaky court. Culling songs from almost all of their releases (even closing with a number from their first LP), the Lips' orgy of weirdness is infectious. Not just a concert DVD, U.F.O.S is more like an entity unto itself, showing the work that went into putting on the show, interviews with adoring fans, and, of course, the band's stage show. Even if you're not a fan, this is a spectacle to behold!
[Warner Brothers, warnerbrosrecords.com] By: Kevin Nelson