A brutally cold winter in Indianapolis, coupled with limited music releases, had me shaking with the desire to dive into some music. Still nothing on the concert calendar, but there has been a lot of great music released as we inch closer to spring.
Now, I don’t fancy myself an album reviewer – people who review albums need to use phrases that have big words and sound official but don’t really actually mean anything. Actual example I read recently: “Each and every aspect of this record breathes with dynamic feeling.” Since I have no idea what that means (does anybody?), I’ve never really felt adequate to write official album reviews. Rather, I focus the blog on live shows and the experience that music gives me, because nobody can tell me I’m wrong. 🙂
BUT…..zero shows in months and a craving to write leaves me no choice. So….here’s a few notes on some albums that have surfaced recently. A couple major hits, a couple disappointments, and a couple in between. Enjoy!
The Used – Imaginary Enemy
The latest effort from McCracken and company was meant to be a statement. As you begin to digest this album, it’s impossible to ignore the themes of revolution and protest in the lyrics – something Bert has been open and honest in multiple interviews I’ve read. (check here) They didn’t quite approach Rage Against the Machine antics, but given the lyrics to tracks like “Revolution” and “Force without Violence”, it’s not far off. Musically, this album is right in my wheelhouse: great anthems, just the right amount of screams, and McCracken vocals that have carried this band for over a decade. As biased as I am about this band (read: I LOVE The Used), I have to state that if you’re new to The Used, I wouldn’t point you to this album in an effort to spark interest. Previous releases, such as Vulnerable in 2012, are simply more consistently strong albums. That being said, this is my favorite album in this blog. Don’t be surprised if I’m singing Generation Throwaway next time you see me.
Memphis May Fire – Unconditional
Reading the prep materials for this album (Mullins did a great interview in AP 310), I was concerned that the complaint was going to be that it was too preachy. Mullins is a strong Christian, and has stated multiple times that he wanted Unconditional to reflect his walk with Christ (as a strong Christ-follower myself, I was actually excited about that). However, after digging into the album for myself, that concern took a back seat to the fact that the album is musically stale. MMF again shows that they are the clear leader in the metalcore genre, but nothing sets the songs on this album apart from each other or from previous releases, and after several times through, I found myself craving The Hollow. Perhaps a great review over at Sputnik said it best: “With the release of ‘Unconditional’, MMF will sell records…However, a band with such obvious talent could have mixed up their riffs a little, changed up song structures, and created an album they have the potential to create, rather than a rehash of something that we’ve all heard before.”
Chevelle – La Gargola
Chevelle has always been shoved away in my “decent but not good enough” category. Their past music has been solid enough to hang around, and songs like The Red Hats Off to the Bull were good… but they simply weren’t the cream that rose to the top for me. However, La Gargola is a monstrous album in which Chevelle played the risk/reward game, and hit the jackpot. Experimental is the adjective I keep hearing, and by pushing themselves, they’ve created an album with both depth (technical tracks like Jawbreaker) and breadth (like the infectious Choking Game) that collectively result in their best album to date, and its not really close. A while back, a buddy of mine said “Chevelle is one lame album away from nobody ever caring again.” Kudos to La Gargola for pushing Chevelle on the right side of that fence. It’s a fantastic album that brings them right back into the heart of relevance.
Chiodos – Devil
There are two obvious facts that stick out to me with Chiodos’s newest album. First – both the band and their fans should be rejoicing in the fact that Craig Owens is back. He is capable of taking this band much farther than the previous vocalist, and he shines on Devil. The second thing that is evident is that this album is not as good as Illuminaudio because the band is still searching for a sound. Tracks in this album share themes from old-school Chiodos (circa 2001), D.R.U.G.S., the more aggressive Illuminaudio album, and everything in between. They were so excited that the old band was getting back together, they forgot to figure out what to play. Others describe this album as being able to bridge the gap between the new school and old school fans. I believe that leaves us with an album full of great pieces that create a sloppy puzzle. While I am enjoying this album, I can’t help but look forward to the possibilities for their next release. They have great pieces. If they figure out how to put those pieces together – look out.
Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion
In my opinion, Animals as Leaders are totally in a class of their own. A three piece instrumental metal band (with no vocalist), the music they play is layered with complexity in a brilliant way that makes it fresh every listen through. The Joy of Motion is arguably their best release yet, and I can’t think of a more interesting thing to listen to. Anyone new to the band will say “Really, no vocalist?” Mozart didn’t have a vocalist either, and he did alright for himself. (No, I’m not saying AAL is as good as Mozart, but I am saying that music can be complex and interesting without vocals. Stretch yourself fools). Listen to this album once through giving it all of your focus, and then once through while doing busy work. That’s all it took for me to be completely hooked on the first AAL album. Five years later, and I’m still trying to “figure out” their songs….and this album gives me a whole new set of puzzles to solve. I can’t wait to catch them live again.
Foxy Shazam – Gonzo
When someone asks me to describe Foxy Shazam, the conversation gets weird real quick. “Well, they have a horn section and a fantastically-bearded keyboardist. They sing songs about Flamingos and Rocketeers, and there’s a lot of on stage humping.” Crystal clear, right? Over the years, Foxy has made a career touching every genre imaginable and blazing their own way in weird brilliance, and it’s always resulted in something unique, crazy, and fascinating. The latest effort, released on bandcamp for free, is a pretty major step away from schizophrenia and is a more intimate album that was recorded front to back in one setting with little production. They shot for a more simple concept album about growing old in a punk world, and they delivered an album that focuses on the story. However, stripping Foxy down just doesn’t feel…well, Foxy. Kudos to the band for blazing their own way (as usual), but for me, this album lacks the chaos that makes Foxy great.
What I’m excited about next: Miss May I – Lion (April 28th)
What I listened to while writing this: Punk Goes 90s Two. I mean come on – Who doesn’t love My Own Worst Enemy? I remember downloading that song on Napster and listening to it on Winamp. BAM! 🙂
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! Hopefully will have some new concert blogs up soon!
“Everything is fine. We’re not afraid of glory. We’re moments away. We’re not generation throwaway!”