Frankie Say: It's another DVD Music Video. This time it's by the incredibly underrated Frankie Goes To Hollywood (like Modern English before them, they did make more than one song other than the one that they are most known for which in this case would be "Relax"). This release contains all of the old Frankie videos plus exclusive commentary from people associated with the band. For the most part, it's pretty good. The video for "Relax", however, was a bit too much for me, but it was interesting to see it- no wonder the song was banned from the radio (I can't be certain if the video had a direct correlation to the song being banned. I believe that I'm just fibbing at this point). "Two Tribes" was understandingly funny, but very serious in the sense of what the point they were conveying with the song. "The Power Of Love" replays the nativity scene complete with Magi and everything. The one drawback to this release would be the newer remixed videos of "The Power Of Love" and "Two Tribes". First of all, the remixes themselves are not bad, but the videos are a bit cheesy. "The Power Of Love" just shows a bunch of silly people dancing and jumping and rose-petaling along the entire the video. It's kind of funny, actually. At the end, they all huddle around this big cushioned heart and wave good-bye to the viewers- as if you're supposed to know who they are and what they were doing there. Apparently, the people who directed this video did not think about content too much. The "Two Tribes" video is alright except that it gets boring watching samurais dancing to fast electronic music and seeing two grouchy old women face it off in a chess match. And of course, there's the Xena-wannabe chick who's in this video- again, like you're supposed to know who the hell she is and what she's doing there. I guess when two tribes went to war, these folks decided to fight a battle they couldn't win. FYI, none of the original FGTH members are in the newer videos.

The exclusive commentary features Paul Morley, a british music journalist who also helped establish Zang Tuum Tumb Records (or ZTT,) and was in the band The Art Of Noise. Frankie Goes To Hollywood was the first band to be signed on the label. Others that would follow after are The Art Of Noise, 808 State, Shane McGowan (of The Pogues), The Marbles and Seal to name a few. There is also Trevor Horn who, along with his wife, were the main founders of ZTT. Trevor Horn had sung for the group Yes before becoming their producer. After that, he formed a band called The Buggles and had a hit with their song "Video Killed The Radio Star". And lastly, there is Paul Rutherford, one of the members of the band. There's plenty to learn about Frankie Goes To Hollywood in this semi-music video, semi-documentary about a very influential band that shook the foundation of British music.

At last, after all of these months of procrastination, I am finally getting around to reviewing this release by Big John Bates. Before I continue, I would like to apologize to Mary Gunning for this because she sent me the CD quite a while ago and I have not reviewed it. Go ahead and kick my ass, you have every right to. Now, on to the music…

Not being very familiar with a lot of rockabilly and not wanting to face the thrashing I got for my Tiger Army review on some Yahoo! Message Board (the guy who wrote that obviously doesn't understand that music isn't about being cool because someone listens to it and because he doesn't believe in being preached to while he himself preaches about not preaching), I'm going to approach this as objectively as possible.

This guy has a lot of energy and humor in his music and plays a rather feisty guitar. Reviews for him have been generous and overall positive on his personality and his music (and apparently, his website-making abilities as well). As for his music, it has the ability to swing hard or swing soft. Some nice pedal steel on some of the pieces make it interesting to listen to (the track is the very short "Rhyolite"). That is one thing: the songs aren't very long. That's not a bad thing, mind you. But he sure does do a lot of screaming (particularly at the end of "Surfin' With Spidey", a tribute of sorts to Spider Man).

"Sicklebilly" is an interesting piece. His little "bobadadibobadadibobadadi" (and you've got to say it fast in order to get the feel of it) highlights the chorus. He really sings with a lot of energy like all of the other songs in the album. The song ends in a quiet guitar echo.

One thing I'm noticing is that the music almost never lets down. It's in some ways the equivalent of hi-energy dance music in the sense of continuous beats and… it's energy. I don't know any other way to put it. Again, I don't listen to this kind of music very much so I may be butchering the concept of what he's trying to do.

"Tombstone Twist" is a fun little instrumental, worthy of any compilation tape or CD you would make for your friends. It's kind of punk-ish sounding and still rock-a-billy at heart. A good listen all around.

Anyway, there's more to enjoy from this album by Big John Bates. I hope that you take the time to judge for yourself and go out and listen to it and make your own judgment on the album because after all, everyone's a critic. Take a moment and look for any of Big John Bates' recordings at your favorite record shop or check out www.bigjohnbates.com for more information and music.

It's a folky noise party with guitar and noise guru Hoth(e) on his somewhat-latest release Anathema Of The Midlands. This is a slightly different recording for Hoth(e) who varies anywhere from dark ambient noise to a dark folk. Here he tries a more musical approach and it works out well. The songs are meditative and soft and it's actually something on the brighter side- something to listen to while you clean your room, if you will. I should've mentioned before that this is a very short and slightly limited 5-song EP, well worth anyone's record collection if you can get it. Three of the songs are different variations of the song "The Memory Of The Rain" which is the first song on the EP. I can't say anything too critical about it other than it is a very beautiful EP, especially "On A Gray Breezy Day, I Look At The Rain". It's kind of got that slightly Cocteau Twins-esque underwater guitar and other sound treatments. The title of the song very well fits the mood of the piece which is a very quite and serene piece. I put this song on repeat one night while I was doing my homework because it was so good. "Driftwood Ripple" is the hippy track on the EP, complete with conga drums and tambourine. It's just a great EP, what can I say? You can listen to Hoth(e)'s music on his website 4dw.hoth.com.

Communism is good. At least that's what some of the artists are saying in yet another installment in Hellcat's Give 'Em The Boot series of samplers (only 5.99 at Hot Topic!). Actually, they don't really say that, but the way the music sounds from most artists, they might as well though one group on the sampler does make it clear: Christianity is stupid.

I have never heard the first Boot record, though I would like to. I have the second one in the series and it's actually got some fantastic tracks (from Tiger Army to Vanity 5- excellent bands in my opinion). This one lacks a little in the distribution of songs throughout the record. It's like the first 70% of the album is hard-hitting punk rock and the rest is mellow music. The best tracks were by Tiger Army (again) with their very beautiful "Power Of Moonlite" and Joe Strummer and The Mescalero's "Global A Go-Go" with their (gasp!) electronic intro. I don't think that I could be disappointed by the works of these two fine groups. King Django's "Precipice" is a great break from the rest of the album with its reggae-rock ambience and excellent production work. The Pietaster's "Nothing Good To Eat" is raucous number worthy of repeat play with it's political commentary and danceable Temptations-esque feel and trumpets- definitely worth your attention. Other good ones are Nekromantik's "Who Killed The Cheerleader?", Agnostic Front's "Liberty", Hepcat's "Beautiful" and The Slacker's "Information Error".

The shoulder-shrugging to "nyeh!" tracks are the Dropkick Murphy's "The Legend of Finn MacCumhail". One comment here: I saw these guys live at the Warped Tour a few years back. What a show! Singing to "Boys On The Docks" with the crowd was so much fun. I never thought Oi! Punk could so entertaining. Unfortunately, some stupid kids decided to make a big deal out of it by flipping the band off and telling them to fuck off. Al Barr, the lead singer, paid them no mind until a fight broke out with the band and these stupid kids. To the Dropkick Murphy's credit, I thought they played a fine set with an impressive intro of bagpipe players representing different nationalities. This song in the comp does little justice to their catalog, I think. I have two of their releases, but it was with their old lead singer Mike McColgan. I think that's what made the band sound so good in the first place to me. He was an energetic vocalist that didn't fluff his music with pretentious punk-rock royalty bullshit. Al Barr, to his credit, does his best. But I must admit that it was weird to hear him sing some of the older tunes because I was used to hearing McColgan sing them. I don't know. I hate to say it, but some of their newer stuff gets old after a while. But they're still around so there is some kind of element that they are maintaining to keep a lot of their fans happy.

Leftover Crack's "Atheist Anthem" is overdone and boring. I just have one thing to say, If you don't believe in god then don't go to church. That's what I do. Devils' Brigade "Vampire Girl" is alright except for when he starts singing. Then he has this pseudo-goth tone to his voice. It's actually quite a funny song. It's about, er, gothic girls who like to hang out in cemeteries.

This release also comes with two bonus videos by Tiger Army and The Dropkick Murphys. First it's Tiger Army with "Cupid's Victim". Not bad. The song is a triumph and the video just shows them walking around pondering over this girl who's reading "At The Mountain of Madness and Other Novels" by H.P Lovecraft. These guys are not only great musicians, but they are dashingly handsome as well. Good points for them! The next is The Dropkick Murphys' "Spicy McChaggis Jig". It just shows them sitting in a bar and singing loud (and singing proud) about a guy who likes fat girls. Not my cup of tea, but I guess one would have to overlook the quality versus the content, which is actually quite funny.

It's worth getting for the good tracks. Who knows if you decided to get it, you will like others that I did not mention here or that I thought were not so good. It's out there and the last thing I have to say about that is "Oi! Oi! Oi!"

No, it's not the rock 'n roll record everyone thought that it would be, but it by far kicks the last album's ass by far. This is the latest effort by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Much to their credit, they have outdone all of the expectations that even their long-time fans have had about what an album of theirs should sound like. This album is indeed a bit rockier than most of their previous albums but it doesn't copy any of the Oasis-like idiocy of a lot of today's brit-pop. I actually have been hoping that the boys would come out with a record like this because I know that if they did that it would sound very good. And it does! It's very simple and beautiful with a lot of new twists and angles. Lyrically, it's keeps a lot of the sullenness that shadows a lot of their music, particularly in "Love Is A Catastrophy", perhaps the moodiest if not downright most melancholy filled song in the album. "London" is a pretty song but with a very true statement about middle-class, blue-collar immigrant families who come from warring countries only to look for jobs and a better opportunity for their families in a new land. "The Samurai In Autumn" goes more for their electronic roots and is mostly instrumental with very few lyrics. Like a lot of their songs, it wafts into your mind.

Initial releases of the album are limited containing a bonus CD of extra songs and the video to their single "Home And Dry". The only sad thing is that they have succumbed to this new yet dumb idea of releasing the same album with four different sleeves. Come on! Fans only want the album once! And besides, just because Michael Jackson did it doesn't mean you have to. Oh well, what can you do? It's a rather trivial and paltry tidbit that means nothing in comparison to how great this album is. I am a big fan of their music but I thought that with their last album, Nightlife, they should hang up their hat and call it a day. But this new album changes that perception entirely. For further information, check out www.petshopboys.co.uk for news and other info on this and all of their previous albums.

And here's another one for the books. More of Salt Lake's underground talent is presented here in My Sweet Records' My Sweet Compilation. At first I thought it was going to be all metal music but it's not. This album presents local bands The Kill, Form Of Rocket, The Downers, Hudson River School, New Transit Direction, Iodina, Furious Fire, and Hammergun. The album features two songs by each of the bands listed, except for Hammergun which lends to the EP a 10 minute piece. Here's a rundown of what's in the album:

The first two tracks are by The Kill. Jason Knott, the lead singer, is more vocal and more emotive here than in his days in Clear. The tracks "Pale Skin Art" and "Manic" are a bit more toned down (to me at least) but they're still listenable with plenty of room to rock out. Not as much noisy guitar riffs and more emphasis on the overall music makes these two pieces worthwhile. I think that this is definitely a welcome progression and hopefully it will carry them forth to better things for the future.

Following them is Form Of Rocket with "My Name Is Killing A Word" and "You Know What This Is". First of all, about a year or so ago I got a CD from the former lead singer of this band. Musically, it was alright though it wasn't much to talk about except for the incredibly funny sampled intros in the songs, especially the last song on the EP. On this release, their progression is evident with again more focus on how the music is presented rather than just playing instruments. From talking to one of the band members, it was my understanding that after trying out a few singers that they were going to remain instrumental. I guess that's not the case. The vocals in these songs, however, are slightly inaudible but that's ok because, overall, the music makes up for the inaudible vocals.

Next up is The Downers with "Eight Zeroes" and a cover of Pulp's "Underwear". The first song is delightful to listen to and is very musically fun and has added keyboards for nice finishing touch. The lyrics are enhanced by Paul Burke's (also with The Corleones) very good singing. The next song, like I said, is a cover of a song originally done by Jarvis Cocker's british band Pulp. Having never heard the original song or much of Pulp's music at all except for that song in the Trainspotting soundtrack, I would tend to say that this is a very good rendition of the song and a credit to their playing ability. Very good, indeed.

Coming up is Hudson River School with "Move To Perfect" and "Complications". I get a lot of e-mail flyers for these guys but I have never heard them until I bought this album. It's very pop sounding, very mellow music. The first song is worthy of being played on 107.5 FM or something like that. Same goes for the second song. The intro is actually pretty good and the song itself is not bad. It's a good listen all around. I underestimated them to be your average indie band but they're actually pretty good.

The New Transit Direction follows with "Songs For The Anonymous" and "Conditions". This has both energetic rock music and good sounding vocals from Josh Asher, another Clear alumni. The music drives a little faster than others previous on the album but that is not to discredit the previous performers. The band seems to have placed an emphasis on writing good rock and roll songs that get to the point quick. Again, I have never heard of them until I bought this album. And let me tell you what a pleasure it was to hear them.

Next we have Iodina with two untitled pieces for this compilation. Jared Hooper (ex- Triphammer, Her Blacklist Disasters) literally screams his way to then end of these songs. After a while I get to thinking "Enough already, start closing your mouth". One thing that I have discovered is that this music is better experienced live than hearing a recording of it. It is also important to note that the band members didn't see much importance in putting their names or their instruments in the compilation. The second song must be mentioned because it changes tempo and rhythm several times throughout the song. They're not bad songs but they I got sick of hearing screaming after a while. It's good angry music but it doesn't go much further than that for me. I sound like I'm trashing them but I'm not. I went to school with their lead singer and have known him for eleven years so I am a bit critical of what he does, but regardless of that he still does what him and his fellow band members feel in their hearts and minds to do without following much of the current trends in music which I think is noteworthy.

After that we have Furious Fire with members of the now defunct Iceburn. Totem (Parts One and Two) are the equivalent of a Picasso painting: each color and shape highlights their respective part of the whole piece. Their music is not a typical rock song construction which I think is very good. It's more like when they play, the accentuate their instruments and create a sort of musical noise, if you will. It's not a specific guitar or bass or drum sound, let alone a traditional one at that. Their music really does break the mold for what would be considered general rock music, in my opinion and I think that's what makes them so good to hear.

We then finish with Hammergun's "Sidewinder". This group also features local notables Sean McLaugherty, also from Clear, and Adam Sherlock from Sandkicker and Sherlock respectively. It's a slower song and it repeats itself a little bit. This song also features the traditional drum playing by Tyler Smith, another Clear alumni. What's nice about song it's that it's not too loud and obnoxious and the beat is a bit slower, a good end to an album I might say. It's a pretty quite piece with the exception of the choruses which come in a little harder but it's an overall good song. As I mentioned earlier, it's a nice to end to this compilation.

Well folks, there you have it. Some of the best that Salt Lake has to offer is presented here in this album. The music varies from hard to not-so-hard and from lyrically emotive to lyrically demanding. It's a good introduction to local music here and it's well worth your while to pick it up or at least go see them live. Thank you.

I usually cringe at the mention of a “nu-metal” band. System of a Down is an exception to my own fears of shitty music running rampant. With most bands in this genre nowadays, the first album is usually pretty good while the second album is always a disappointment and usually shows how the band is just going to get shittier as time goes by (limp bizkit anyone?). SOAD completely proves my theory wrong with this second album. Toxicity is an intense ride filled with chugging bass lines and bouncy melodies and vocals that seem to grab you by your eardrums and shake the shit outta your head. My personal favorite track on the album would have to be “Deer Dance” which is about the growing problem the cops seem to be facing with you anarchists and dirty hippies trying to stop rich people from making more money. Anyway, the album musically is very good, however the lyrics verge on semi-weak status. Someone should count how many times the singer says the same shit over and over again in the songs. Oh well, the lyrics are made up for by the melodies and the breakdowns. Rock it kids, rock it.

I have heard nothing but good things about this band and I am certainly not going to say anything on the contrary. Pig Destroyer is one of the best bands I’ve heard in a while. They do it all, metal, hardcore, metal; what else is there? What I really like about these guys is the over all insanity that drives this band. The music is fast as hell and switches over and over again. Ever hear of a band called Deadguy? Well they were one of the craziest bands ever but I think Pig Destroyer is the new king in town. Everything on Prowler In The Yard is good. There is not one song I don’t like and even the intro and outros are pretty interesting. I’m telling you this record is as insane as it is intense. You need a soundtrack to kill? Something to listen too while you stalk that girl from Hot Dog on a Stick? Need an album that your defense attorney can blame all your problems on? This is your record. This is the part of the review I tell you to go buy the album, but seeing how I checked almost every record story I know of and I couldn’t find it for weeks, all I can say is good luck. You can order it directly from Relapse via www.relapse.com. And you WILL start submitting your own reader reviews via Jacob.

Editor’s Note: There! Time to start crackin’ the whip!

I bought this record recently and I haven’t been able to get enough of it. Taking inspiration from ancient Egyptian legends and mythos, “Black Seeds Of Vengeance” follows in the footsteps of previous Nile releases. What I really liked on this album were the transitions from fast as hell death metal into melodic parts with keyboards and samples. Over all the album is very intense and has an almost Cannibal Corpse meets Iced Earth sound to it. Make sure you rock the title track “Black Seeds of Vengeance” and the almost orchestral track “Masturbating the War God.” I really like the song “Multitude of Foes” too. Included in the liner notes is something you don’t expect at all from a death metal band. Nile actually has a guide to the songs that tells you a little about the inspiration of each track came from. Its actually kind of an interesting read but lets not get distracted. Over all “Black Seeds of Vengeance” is extremely brutal and intense and yes I recommend it to everyone, including small children and impressionable youth. Thank you and good night.

Violence has arrived kids, not in the form of hijacked 747s or crazy kids with shooting up their schools. Not Parents killing each other over their kid’s hockey practice, not in the form of a mother drowning her children in a bath tub. No, no, no, Violence has Arrived in the form of marauding space mutants, the creators of the human race, the masters of mixing brutal music and comedy, known simply as GWAR. The brand new album titled Violence Has Arrived is a return to the metal roots of the band. That’s right kids, no jazz songs about some guy on the moon, and no country songs about NASA’s Sex Cow black box project. What the album has is some awesome grooves, some mean breakdowns, and some harsh vocals. If you’ve never heard a Gwar album before (you poor miserable bastard) then let me give you a quick crash course of the band. The band has one of the funniest stage shows ever, a mix between theatrics and rock and roll. The albums are basically soundtracks for their shows, and usually tell a story. In Violence has arrived, Gwar is engaged in a struggle to summon the Oberammergau (you don’t know what that is?!?!?!?) and to kill the Black Pope. Gwar has no allegiances to anyone, including the dark side; they do shit their own way. This album is far an away more then I expected and still hold its place in my current top 5-play list. Stand out tracks include “Immortal Corruptor”, “The Apes or Wrath,” and “Happy Death Day.” Trust me and go buy this, have I lead you astray in the past?

Editor’s Note: There is something to be said about the infamous yet legendary GWAR shows. Though I have never been to one myself, I know people who have and they say they are definitely something else. Anyone been to a GWAR show and want tell about it? E-mail The Perfect Cut. The address is on the home page.

First let me start this off by saying this is the release of the year, period. Converge has raised the bar another notch with their latest release of Jane Doe. This album is extremely intense as you would expect from any Converge release, but what really struck me was the emotion behind this record. Jane Doe is a sick ride of ups and downs and the occasional side to sides, but while the music changes the emotion behind the music and the lyrics is consistent through the whole album. When listening to “Phoenix in Flames” or the title track “Jane Doe” itself, you cannot deny the power or the intensity of the music. It grabs you and demands your attention. While the emotion is what stood out on the album for me, lets not overlook the intensity. Converge mixes punk, metal, old school hardcore, and even the occasional indie rock sound to create some of the hardest music around these days. Besides the already mentioned tracks, I really enjoy track 5 entitled “Homewrecker” and track 8 called “Heaven In Her Arms.” While those tracks stand out to me, I would listen to this entire album without hesitation. This album raises the standard for heavy music altogether, while still incorporating the elements Converge is known for. This IS the best album of 2001.

“Everybody needs milk. Even Pat Boone.” Isn’t that nice? Pat Boone, Graham Kerr, Richard Hart and Jan Yanahero are all here for this re-issue of the long out of print Over The Edge Radio Series. This two-disc set features the life and times of doomed radio personality Dick Vaughn in the first ever 70’s nostalgia show until his untimely death in a plane accident over Oklahoma. The disk contains music (well, most of it cut out to emphasize Dick Vaughn’s attempt at this new format) and original features and commercials along with the usual slab of Over The Edge radio call-ins. This, once again, is Negativland at their best. To be quite honest, I see this release as a companion of sorts to their album Helter Stupid which I have reviewed in the Older album reviews. Both albums incorporate aspects of one another, though in all actuality, Moribund Music Of The 70’s came first. It was originally released on SST Records during the early part of the nineties as a cassette-only release but it has long been out of print and unavailable- until now.

Dick Vaughn (who is really Richard Lyons), is marvelous at taking a look back at the “long forgotten period” and embraces the listener with Graham Kerr’s son Andy’s perfect scrambled egg recipe. He also lets Richard Hart and his companion Jan Yanahero (if that’s even how you spell her name) explain to us how dead people are looking for immortality through cryogenic freezing. And, of course, there is always The Weatherman. Good for you! Taunting callers with the Celebrity Wives Quiz and other little tidbits is only the beginning in this truly exciting new/old release from one of my favorite bands ever because as you should know, eggs are one of the world’s great delicacies and they that they should be treated with respect, right? Join us forever…

“Does everything have to be gay?” says Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys just before performing in DC for an AIDS benefit concert. The thing that I have always hated not necessarily about the Pet Shop Boys but about the way they are perceived is that they are a gay band. Well, as a man who can appreciate (and is going out with) another man, I can tell you right now that the Pet Shop Boys are, in my opinion, about the least gay band in the entire world. Neil Francis Tennant (the lead singer) has had more girlfriends in his life than I had in two years and writes ambiguous lyrics about either persuasion, as it were. You wanna know who’s gay? Jimmy Sommerville and that fucking idiot from Will and Grace who is by all of his rights NOT FUNNY. So there!

With that set aside, let’s talk about this thing. It’s the first DVD I’ve ever bought and I don’t even have a DVD player but I bought it because despite my ranting, I still like the Pet Shop Boys. I have ever since I was in jr. high. They are a group that performed their first tour seven years after they had started and threatened to cancel a performance after seeing a big commercial endorsement for Nike hanging right above the stage where they were going to do a show almost 10 years ago. This particular performance was filmed in Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Erfurt and Brussels during their Nightlife Tour 99/00. The Pet Shop Boys have always been noted for never having any musicians on the stage and for keeping the old synth habit of using backing tapes. The musicians (or rather the orchestra to be more precise) are situated just below the stage which then leaves room for Chris Lowe’s keyboard and the other dancers and performers. Their screen projections are another noteworthy fact about seeing the PSB live. One of the things that I didn’t like, though, were the costumes that they were using. They were the silly costumes with the big eyebrows and dark glasses. Didn’t do it for me. Nightlife in and of itself was not a bad album but it certainly wasn’t their best album only because people thought it was so gay. The reason this bothers me so much is that during the performance for this tour a woman was being shown waving a rainbow flag. I saw that and I was like “What is she, stupid?”. Who said the Pet Shop Boys were exclusively about gay people or gay pride for that matter? People thought for years that Rob Halford and Judas Priest were the meanest and baddest group for their time- that was until Mr. Halford came out of his big fat closet and admitted to his homosexuality. Hellbent for leather? Probably, but it’s not what you expected from them…

With all that set aside, the DVD was mildly entertaining. Hearing old songs like “Being Boring” and “What Have I Done To Deserve This” and even the b-side “Shameless” was quite fun. But when they hit the newer songs, I was like “Let’s go on to the next one.” Seeing “New York City Boy” live was like being thrown into a pool of dead, yet happy, Village People look-alikes. That song was fun at first but it grew tiresome after a while. The rendition of “Was It Worth” was one of the highlights of the show, other than the fact that it was a duet. Neil Tennant actually is a really good guitar player. I like his playing because it’s simple but mind you, he’s no Johnny Marr. And of course, to end with the beginning, the show starts of with their first hit “West End Girls”, the only song for which they are unfortunately known for.

The DVD also includes promotional videos for their newer songs off of Nightlife plus other features. It’s a good collectors item but it’s not something I would watch over and over. I thought that their older concert video Performance was far, far better than this one. Oh well. At least like any good form of media, you can always skip to something that you like better.

Rumor has it that Cabaret Voltaire was the first group to ever use vocal sampling in music. I do not know this for a fact, though. Even if they were the first, Colourbox was certainly a group that excelled in not just using obscure samples, but also in making very creative music. This collection covers their brief history in music. God only knows where the brothers Young are these days. Anyways, most folks around here do not know this, but in or about 1987, Colourbox was persuaded by the owner of 4AD, Ivo Watts-Russell, to collaborate with fellow label mates AR Kane. AR Kane, in my opinion, was mostly known for their opening song to the movie Earth Girls Are Easy. Well, this interesting combination turned out to be the biggest success for the label as they achieved their first ever (and probably only) number 1 world wide hit. “Pump Up The Volume” was a groundbreaking record for the new collaboration between the two groups which they called M/A/R/R/S. Both groups, namely Colourbox, outwardly refused to perform the song live. Colourbox was definitely a group that was remotely uninterested in pop stardom and fame, yet they have achieved what a lot of people in music dream: to have a number 1 hit. Well, all of that crashed and burned not because of anything mundane or trivial, but because “Pump Up The Volume” came out “prior to the law being clear on sampling and copyright infringement.” The song used tons of samples that apparently were not cleared and therefore the group lost every single court battle. With that, so ended Colourbox. But they have really left behind some very memorable music.

This retrospective covers from their first single “Breakdown” which has a very early New York hip-hop street beat, all the way to the aforementioned “Pump Up The Volume”. Some other rarities on this one are also “Phillip Glass”, a tribute to the legendary composer. That one was only available as a b-side on the 12” single and is now widely available for the first time on CD. Another one is “Hot Doggie” which was only available as an import. My two favorites would have to be “Just Give ‘Em Whiskey” and the two part-er “Looks Like We’re Shy One Horse/Shoot Out”. The two songs are Colourbox in their excellence because of the way not just the music is, but the way the vocal samples are arranged. Definitely one to pay attention too.

This collection is like any good retrospective and like the name of the band, colorful. Not bland by any standards, it’s a good introduction to one of the labels most underrated acts and of the most pioneering bands in electronic music.

Hey kids, feel like doing some murdering? Well I have the perfect soundtrack for your wacky adventures. Six Feet Under's latest release True Carnage is pure brutality. You want death metal, maybe some grind core? True Carnage has it all.

Chris Barnes leads the SFU pack with growling vocals and shrill screams that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Barnes, the former singer for Cannibal Corpse (yes that's him in the first Ace Ventura movie), started SFU after being booted from Cannibal. Since that time they have release a handful of full of albums, although none as harsh as True Carnage.

SFU's sound would certainly be considered death metal, although some songs would easily fit into hardcore or stoner rock albums. The album also boasts two duets, one with the legendary Ice T and one with Karyn Crisis of the band Crisis. "One Bullet Left" is the song with Ice T and yes he does rap on the track. Don't get me wrong; this isn't your run of the mill rap/metal song. This is straight death metal with Ice T rapping then singing the chorus Body Count style. If you know of any other bands that have had the balls to mix rap and death metal I'd like to hear about it. The song with Karyn Crisis is called "Sick and Twisted" and is a love ballad. Just kidding. The song is basically a lyrical duel to the death between Karyn and Barnes in which Barnes emerges victorious. The stand out tracks include but certainly aren't limited too "It never dies," "The Day the Dead Walked," "One Bullet Left," and last but certainly not least, "Impulse to Disembowel." If all this isn't enough for your greedy ass, then the CD also includes a video for "The Day the Dead Walked." This video was written by tattoo legend Paul Booth, who also did the cover art for the last two SFU albums.

True Carnage is a journey into the sick and demented mind of Chris Barnes. Seriously, this album is packed with good old-fashioned evil. I should also mention that True Carnage debuted in the Top Forty in many European countries, which isn't too bad considering the amount of shitty music out now. Then again, we are Americans so who the fuck cares about Europe? All said and done, True Carnage is one of the better SFU albums. Any fans of their previous work won't be disappointed, and it is doubtful anyone into hard music would be disappointed either.

My first encounter with Neurosis was at a Pantera show back in '97. They opened the show and had just released "Through Silver in Blood." Well I was a lot less than impressed with them. I guess at the time I didn't understand what Neurosis was about. I just thought it was some lame repetitive band with a giant for a bass player. But I was wrong. See Neurosis isn't about making music to run around a pit too. Neurosis makes intelligent, intricate, beautiful, and emotional music. They aren't here to sing about how much they hate their parents, ex-girlfriends, or their teachers. They aren't about crying about their problems much to the dismay of the new MTV metal kids. What they do is make music to elevate your mind. Music to make you think. Music that conveys raw emotion. About 5 years have past since that cold February night, and I am happy to report I have changed my ways. I don't remember how I came into a copy of "Through Silver in Blood," but I did and ironically Neurosis is now one of my favorite bands.

"A Sun That Never Sets" is Neurosis's latest release and isn't actually as heavy as their previous albums. What it lacks in heaviness, it more then makes up for in songwriting. This album reminds me of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." A lot of the songs start out mellow then build into a wall of sound that (as Neurosis themselves hailed) "demands to be heard." I would suggest listening to this with a nice set of headphones that way you can hear all the samples and tweaks to the music courtesy of Noah Landis, the resident master of sound manipulation. It's hard to say what tracks stand out, because they are all unique and all have their own identity. I would suggest listening to "Stones From the Sky" and "Crawl Back In." Both of these songs have a lot of transitions with both mellow parts and intense parts.

Well kids, this album kicks ass. You should all be running to steal money from your parents to go get this right now. Even if you're not into the music, the album artwork is worth the price. Neurosis has really outdone themselves this time, and anyone into intelligent and emotional music will appreciate "A Sun That Never Sets."

I have to say that when I first heard this album, I just about fell on the floor. I was shocked to hear Warren Defever had gone on an r&b tip of all things in this earth! After all those airy albums he made (mostly his first one Livonia) and all that rock and roll gone for a new angle. In some ways that's good because he can expand his music. A label can't stay the same forever. Anyways, Warren's blues will cover the earth one day. There you have it. This album is a very soulful (and I do mean SOULFUL) album that recruits a completely new style (r&b) and the vocals of Lovetta Pippen. But don't be fooled, this is not a U92 throwaway hit album. There are some very bright moments on this record. "Karins Blues" is exactly what it's title is: blues. Honest to god blues sung in the traditional fashion. "Solitude" is a nice victrola sounding piece which is typical only for Mr. Defever who is obviously not afraid to take his music in different directions. The pleasant surprise is his own remake of his own song "Are We Still Married?". Don't get me wrong, there's a definitive r&b element in this album, but there's also the traditional His Name Is Alive sound and ambience in some of the songs. I got it for the sheer contrast of it all. It's experimental rhythm and blues, for the sake of salvaging the album. Give it a listen. I think that most fans will be disappointed but oh well. It's not the end of the world.

The Wolfgang Press remain to be the longest running act on 4AD, starting out as Rema-Rema in 1979 and then forming to MASS with members of what would later be Renegade Soundwave. And then in 1983 they solidified as The Wolfgang Press with their very eerie first album The Burden Of Mules. The sad thing is that not only have The Wolfgang Press disbanded entirely, but this best of collection totally neglects the first album. But I think that overall, it's a great collection of some of the best moments in the band's recording history, along with some out-of-print 12" inch only release selections (Namely Barry Adamson's remix of "Executioner"). Another puzzling thing about this album is the omission of the song "Time" which was released in 1991. Oh well, you can't have everything, can you? Michael Allen's voice is one of the lowest I've heard, but it's very sensual and yet angry at times. I think that's why, in my opinion, TWP are so good; it's because they can do beautiful and angry all very well in their own style. As a gift, the album ends with a live version of the song "People Say" from their last album Funky Little Demons. Another great thing about TWP is the array of people they have worked with (label mates Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Colourbox, Throwing Muses and Dif Juz and outside of that there's everyone from producer Mark "Flood" Ellis to Apollo 440). It's a good introduction to this great band that, like a lot of other bands, all ended up hating each other at the very end. Shame.

Tiger Army have been gracious enough to break the mold of what a punk or rockabilly band is supposed to be. This album is fast and melodic at the same time (think of the Descendents, only with dark make-up, deeper lyrics and a more brooding melody). All in all, I think the album is a triumph overall. "Towards Destiny" starts the album off after the intro and sets the mood for the rest of the album. One of the main reasons I enjoy this album so much aside from the music is the lyrics (whatever I can decipher without looking at the lyric sheet). They're very caustic in a way that describes the world as a place that is heading for a somewhat impending doom. The striking melody in the album was "In The Orchard" with its pedal steel and very beautiful lyrics and melodic singing; definitely for the tender-hearted soul. But the rest of the album goes forward in typical fashion with fast guitars, a smashing drumbeat and the very cleverly added stand-up bass to go along. With what I've read about them, they've been called everything from Psychobilly to Rockabilly to Gothabilly to I don't know what other stupid word there is out there. I just call this good music and that's it. For more info on Tiger Army, check out www.tigerarmy.com.

Think about every pop artist you know, then picture a great big cooking pot. Now picture throwing in all of these pop artists (everyone from, say, Jim Morrison to oh, Michael Jackson to Fine Young Cannibals… you get the picture) and mixing them all into this pot and then giving it a good hearty stir. Don't spill any of it! Keep it all in the pot. Good. Now imagine serving all of this music to the world. Can you imagine what it sounds like? If you don't, then you absolutely NEED to get the new re-issue of the famous album that made John Oswald the name in underground music.

John Oswald is a classical composer by trade. This particular album, which consists of two CD's, one labeled "songs" and the other "tunes", covers his work in "plunderphonics" from 1969 to his most recent work in 1996. The concept is very simple, if I can explain it correctly. The point is to grab already recorded works and re-arrange the basic structure by means of tape splicing or other manipulative means (computer or anything else) and creating a completely new piece out of this song. That's the way I can explain it. I recommend going to www.plunderphonics.com or www.pfony.com for more info on what exactly is plunderphonics. Now to the album.

The set, like I mentioned above, is divided into two sections, songs and tunes. The first being the song section, which is more of the familiar songs by the likes of everyone from Metallica to Madonna, each of them re-worked and (to be brutally honest) completely fucked up from their original state. Songs like "madmod" and "vane" which very cleverly mixes Carly Simon's original hit with Faster Pussycat's verision from the "Rubiyat" Elektra compilation. Just so you all know, not all of Plunderphonics was, as they say, illegally borrowed. Some of it, like the "vane" and some of the Metallica plunderphonics were actually commissioned by the labels or artists themselves.

The tunes section (which surprisingly starts the CD out at track number 27 instead of track 1) are more intstrumental pieces, like jazz and classical music. It's not my favorite, but it's still kind of a interesting listen, especially some of the Beethoven ones. And of course, more Metallica.

The crowning jewel of this set, in my opinion is "dab", the infamous re-working of Michael Jackson's "Bad" that got Jacko and some big Canadian broadcasting company so mad that they crushed the original album for copyright infringement and now for the first time you can get it here in pristine quality. You can also download that whole album from www.this-adress.co.uk/oswald.htm. At any rate, this seriously rare jewel of music is definitely worth the price I paid for it ($33 bucks) which also includes an extensive interview with Oswald himself and some rather entertaining pictures, including the very rare Michael Jackson female shot that got Oswald into a lot of trouble. Sure, you can go ahead and listen to all of the metal music you want, but you can also listen to some Plunderphonics as well… how about that?

I personally don't get into too much of the hot top 40 hits of today's supposedly best music. Gorrilaz, which also contains contributions from Blur's Damon Albarn and Talking Head's Tina Weymouth, is probably one of the most entertaining things out there in pop music world right now. I actually think the album is very interesting and fun (of course, my mind may change in a few months or so). I first heard it being played at Tom Tom's in Sandy while visiting some friends that work there. At first I sort of winced at the album, but now I almost shamefully admitted to liking it. The album itself is a nice blend of electronics ("Man Research"), live music ("Punk"), hip-hop ("Clint Eastwood", "Double Bass") and various other genres. The nice thing about this album is that it's never the same thing every time. All the songs are different from each other (something I often times like) and the melodies are very good. It's got solid beats throughout and the music is fabulous just for a drive around the valley. The thing that sort of boggles me about this record is track 14 with it's obvious drum sample of The Specials' "Ghost Town". The CD ROM portion of this of the CD is a little too weird for my tastes, but it's not a bad listen. The clubs are and the radio are supposedly over-playing the Eastwood song, but that's one of the nice things about not listening to the radio is that the song never gets boring to you as a listener of the song.

Ah, there's nothing quite like the sound of thunderous Swedish black metal to make you realize that there are people in the world who have not only talent, but also a particular disdain for MTV and TRL in particular. The album- Quintessence, The band- Borknagar. Borknagar is a Norwegian metal outfit that has been around for a few years and a few albums. Quintessence is their fourth album and after listening to it I am extremely excited to hear the previous three. This album is laden with 360 beats per minute of pure melodic orgasm. The opening track, 'Rivalry Of Phantoms' gives the listener an opening into a new world musical bliss, and only gets better from there. My personal fav tracks from the disc are 'The Presence Is Ominous', 'Colossus', 'Genesis Torn', and 'Revolt'.

Where the music is on a level it is also matched perfectly on the lyrical side. From topics ranging from war to poverty, to a glimpse of the lackluster future, the album makes you think and realize that although the world is not a place of love, there is still hope. Hope that the future can be changed for the better, and it is up to us.

The album is not the easiest to find. Most places will not carry it or you may have to special order. You can order it on-line at centurymedia.com and believe me it really is worth it. I would rate this album on a scale of 1-5 (1 being cat yack and 5 being brilliant) I would give it a 4 1/2 (there is one track on it, 'Inner Landscape', that is pretty bad). So go out and buy it, today, now!

I was a little nervous spending $13.99 on an EP for a band I had only read things about. Seriously, 14 bucks will get you a CD you know is good. Especially with those close out CDs I've been seeing everywhere. The first three Danzig CDs for 8 bucks a piece, you really can't beat it. "Fuck it" I thought as I cruised up to the counter. The girl took the CD and smiled. "Good choice," she said. Taking my change and one last glance at the eye candy behind the register I headed out. Nervous with anticipation, I quickly made way for my car and more importantly my CD player.

The first track is called Sgnl>5 and is basically a track of samples. The track is this Sonar beep like you're in a submarine with a bunch of other samples thrown in for flavor. "SHIT," I thought. "I just bought a techno cd." Searching for something to justify this purchase I skipped to track 2, entitled "Devine Mother (The Tower Crumbles)." Scared and hoping I wasn't just bamboozled out of 14 bucks, I was overcome with joy when the song explodes into some of the hardest music I've heard in a while. Musically, the song is on the same page where you would find Neurosis tunes. "Devine Mother" is very hard as it hits you with a thunderous bass line, tribal drumbeats, and intricate guitar work. Also, "Devine Mother" is the only track to have screaming vocals on it. "Beneath Below" is the next song and it is an interesting track. It's basically a drum and bass track with an organ. Very slow and the last part of the song is basically feedback. After the almost annoying feedback we come to "Constructing Towers." This track starts of slow and works it's way into a metal number that reminds me a lot of some of the songs on Neurosis's "Through Silver in Blood" LP. This doesn't seem to really surprise me seeing how the label Neurot Records is owned by Neurosis. "Celestial (Signal Fills The Void Remix) is the last track on this EP. Personally I think it's the coolest track on the album. A very driving song, it almost makes the listener feel like you are being pulled forward. I really like this track and this CD didn't leave my player for about 2 weeks after I got it.

As the weeks progressed I started looking for more ISIS music. I found the ISIS "Celestial" LP a couple of days ago and it seemed to answer a lot of questions I had about the band and the Sgnl>5 EP. See the track listings on the album sleeve start with track 12 and go to track 16. I was curious about the significance of Sgnl>5. Last and most importantly I wanted to hear the original version of "Celestial." Well kids, Sgnl>1 though 4 are on the "Celestial" LP and obviously there are 11 tracks on the LP also. As for the original version of "Celestial," I am happy to report that I was not disappointed. In closing, the "Sgnl>5" EP is perfect for anyone into heavy and emotional music. I would highly recommend getting your grubby little hands on this and don't forget they are playing live on August 13th at Kilby Court. Go check it out, I'll be there, and that my friends, is worth the price of admission alone.

This is an amazing new album by Alison Goldfrapp. Alison and her contributor Will Gregory bring you a very sweet and soulful melody on this debut from Mute Records, whose artist catalogue includes the likes of Frank Tovey and Fad Gadget, NoN, Depeche Mode, Erasure and Nick Cave to name a few. This is a very distinct sound from the rest of the aforementioned clan. I guess you can say that there is a slight James Bond-ish feel to their music, but that would be a bit diminishing to the overall quality of this album. It's very soft and very beautiful (very comparable to The Cocteau Twins, but in a different way if that makes any sense). Very melodic yet strong vocal perfomances by Alison Goldfrapp along with some good electronic elements makes this an incredibly pure listening pleasure. I fell in love with it the first minute I heard it. Luckily, this was a birthday present so it makes it a bit more special. Check out their official website at www.feltmountain.com.

No, not all drag queens perform cabaret and dance music. There is Justin Bond, a.k.a Kiki of the performing duo Kiki and Herb from New York. Justin, along with noise expert Bob Ostertag and DJ Otomo Yoshihide who make up Pantychrist. There's actually plenty of music on this album, but this also fits the category of noise, if you will (but then, what isn't noise?). Pantychrist is a very hilarious album full of lyrical surprises, no doubt from Kiki herself I'm sure. It can be loud at times but that isn't a bad thing (check out Eric's Slayer review for really loud music!). Nonetheless, it's one of my proud collection items. This isn't drag queen music by any means whatsoever. This is a totally warped and almost twisted take on cabaret (indeed) and spoken word. One of the outstanding pieces is "Bitter Mommy", which is a very dark and dispariging number in which Justin acts like an incredibly mean mother-superior type who talks down to little children. That was the first tra!ck I ever heard from this and I was immediately hooked. Then there's "Wooden Shoes" which just about made me fall off my chair the first time I heard. I seriously laughed my ass off on this one. But then again, I find lyrics like "Here comes a truck/here comes a truck/they're putting gravel on my family/paving over all my friends" pretty damn funny, especially in the way Justin Bond sings it. I have a friend who likes some of the most crass and uninhibited punk rock and ska music ever made and when I played this for him, well, he couldn't take it because it was too much for him. Definately a triumph of an album.

Ok, I don't want to hear it. I do indeed like Frankie Goes To Hollywood. They're one of those bands that are like "They've got other good songs too!" for me. Needless to say, they will forever be marked by the worldwide success and UK banning of their song "Relax". They disbanded only after two albums (due to legal wrangles with their label and other things that I'm not aware of). Here is a collection of some of the top moments from their two albums Welcome To The Pleasuredome and Liverpool. In 1991 ZTT had released BANG!: The Greatest Hits Of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and immediately proceded with SHOOT!: Frankie: The Whole 12" Inches which was basically a selection of remixes from their 12" singles. The difference with this album is that it is a double disk with basically a broadened selection from their first two albums with an extra disk of brand new up-to-date remixes by the likes of Club 69, DJ Rene and Rob Searle to name a few. A subsequent r!elease called The Club Mixes 2000 has an even bigger selection of club remixes. The dissapointing thing about this album is the fact that if you already have these songs (from the first disk, that is), then it is kind of a waste. Some of the club mixes are actually a lot of fun and quite cleverly done, some are kind of dumb. On a side note, despite rumors, Holly Johnson, their lead singer, is NOT dead and recently released an album called "Soulstream" with a revamped version of "The Power Of Love" (not the stupid Celine Dion song, but the original Frankie tune you all know and love). Brian Nash, the guitarist, released an album called "Ripe" which is unlike anything that Frankie Goes To Hollywood ever did. It's more toned down, quiter and more melodic pop. It's kind of a poppier version of Grant Lee Buffalo. Paul Rutherford released a few singles but then disappeared for what seemed to be the longest time. From what he says, he has a record ready to be released and list!ens to Placebo and Coldplay (bands I've never heard) (Check out www.fgth.org.uk for more information). Mark O' Toole works in Florida as a producer and lastly, Peter Gill (the drummer) performs with a group called Lovestation. And that is the story so far...

I was looking through the Mordam Records catalogue at Rock City Cd's once and I came across this little album. This is the third of a series being released by both the Illegal Arts folks (www.detritus.net/illegalart) and Seeland Records. The first is Deconstructing Beck, which is a sound collage and noise reconstructions made entirely from Beck's music (Beck's lawyers almost swallowed this release, but Beck told them to back off because he thought it was actually pretty cool. Highly worth your while to get) and Extracted Celluloid which is more sound collage taken from big screen motion pictures. This one is even more sound collage and noise made up of TV Commercials. What else can you say about an album with a song title like "Mount & Do"? Well, you can say that this album is pretty damn weird altogether, but then again, so is most of the illegal arts stuff. But take heed, "weird" does not mean "uninteresting". This album is very interesting and a good listen. !But you have to pay attention to it, especially all the times they have the little song from a certain majorly-marketed computer processor chip. It's kind of hard to discribe it. My favorite song on this is Realistic's "Trademark Messaging", a neat little drum n' bass number with loads of commercial samples. The rest of the album is more sound manipulated bits from commercials. Not bad. It's definately something to be hypnotized by (I'm listening to it right now and I feel like a bit of a zombie right now). Again, check out the Illegal Arts for more on this and other projects of the like.

From Salt Lake City, the city which produced once also the Tar Babies near all kinds of religious nonsense, come Ether. " Music For Air Raids " was taken (accepted) by Dan Rathbun, formerly with Idiot Flesh, now Sleepytime guerrilla warfare museum, in the Polymorphous studio where among other things the splendid Vaccination-bubble confides regularly Rathbuns in informed fingers.

So sound do not do Ether. They press often rather apocalyptic, around ten minutes sound lump out which remind in consequence and size of Neurosis, without metal emotionalism, but. Epic, incredibly rising instrumental pieces, Soundscapes perhaps rather which are designated apparently after geographic positions.

Music for air blows just. Only only a removed rumbling which gets closer slowly, since the Sounds outlines accept and throw powerful shades. On extremes projects like Merzbow, Kato Hideki, Muslimgauze or fetish publish park. Certainly, Ether are just seen a skirt volume, but of it, or when such fit them(her) here completely extremely well there. An impressive plate (record).

Members of Danzig, AFI, and Samhain come together to form Son of Sam. Considering the hype for this album, Son of Sam isn’t really doing anything that hasn’t already been done. Don’t get me wrong, the album isn’t bad, it is just I was expecting a lot more from such a group of talented musicians. Like I said, the album isn’t covering any new ground, in fact it sounds a lot like some old Danzig tunes. Interesting side note, everyone except Havok has been involved with a Danzig project. This includes the background vocalists. With that said and done, lets get on with the album. The first song entitled “Of Power” is pretty cool. It’s a nice punk number with an organ, giving it a very Halloweenish feel. The next song is “Stray”, and I am not impressed with it, so if you want to hear what I have to say about it, buy me a drink and I will spin you an unforgettable tale. “Evernight” is the next song, and has a nice classic Misfits feel to it. Lots of down strumming, as most of the songs on this album do have. After “Evernight” we cruise onto what is probably the best song on the record. “In The Hills” is the title and is a song that makes me want to drive really fast and run down Amish people. Why? I don’t know either. After my violent streak, I am calmed down by the albums title track “Songs From The Earth.” This song sticks in my head, only because of the “oooohhhs” and the “whoooaaaas” during the chorus. Now if you want to get violent again (and I know you do) then skip back to “In The Hills” and get those damn Amish. If you want to listen to the rest of the album, then feel free to do so, but make sure you stop it after track 9 because the organ track will bore urge to kill the Amish out of you. All said and done, Songs From The Earth has its moments of glory, and its moments of crap. If you find it used or you can steal it, it’s worth the listen, but if you are going to buy anything new then get something else.

Dwid and Co. are back and this time they’re PISSED-era-PUNKED(!?). Integrity’s latest release is a throwback to an earlier time when Ronald Reagan was king, when Whoppers were still 99 cents, and when it was safe to still swim in public pools. Well maybe not, but Closure still is definitely a change. This album has samples and hardly any death metal. Yes, I am as confused as you are but fear not loyal Integrity fans. Closure rocks. It opens with “Trial of Adonis, a tune packed with tribal beats and samples. The first song is called “Bloodlust” and true to the name it does cater to an urge to kill. We listen on and come to track four entitled “Empty Shell”. This track blew me away. A nice ambient tune that calms the senses before the next song destroys your eardrums. “Angela Delamorte” starts of with an almost power metal intro and then gets you windmilling when the dance hook kicks in. This is probably one of the best songs on the CD; build-ups and sing-a-longs make for three minutes and 24 seconds of intense pit excitement. Awwww, to be 18 again. Track six was once again another surprise. A cover of The Misfits’ “Hybrid Moments” literally made me pull over and see what the hell was going on. Very cool version with what sounds like three different vocal tracks. Very cool indeed. “Mine”, I wasn’t sure about when it first started. “Hmmmm, 80’s Goth...” I thought. I was wrong. Dead wrong. After “Mine” we cruise into another cool ambient number and then onto a song entitled “Troublesome Dilemma of Fornication”. Now you might be asking yourself “Eric, what is an anti-sex song doing in the world of rock n roll?” Well kids, I don’t know, but once again this multi-vocal track song works. And it works very nicely if you ask me. “Sessions You’ll Never See” ends the music on the album and is a nice little metal number. There is one more track and if you have your CD player on repeat it mixes in with “Trial of Adonis”, a nice touch seeing how I will be able to convince my friends that the CD hasn’t ended yet (hehe). Over all, Closure is quite possibly the best Integrity release since Humanity is the Devil. The songs are structured more like punk songs, but the tuned down guitars keep the metal element that Integrity is known for. With this review, I’m starting a new grading scale. Fashioned after the previous 3-6 scale, this scale also only has 4 scores and does once again start at 3 and end at 6. Further inspired by our fearless leader, Jacob, I am giving Closure five and a half bloody knives, not 6 only because I am not on the album. Thank you and good night.

I really like the new R.E.M. record, Reveal, but more importantly, I think other people may like it as well. It sounds more like the sort of album people expect/want R.E.M. to record than anything they've done since Automatic for the People. Thankfully, this doesn't mean that the record is complete crap. It sounds somewhat like a cross between their last album Up and Fables of the Reconstruction. It's kind of like early R.E.M. with added strings and bleeping sounds.

Most importantly, it has several nice, memorable tunes. Michael Stipe's vocals sound as good as they ever have. Every time I listen to it I like it more than the last time, rather than less. I'm very happy that they didn't let a little thing like their drummer quitting to become a hay farmer get them down.

A lot of you may be saying "Thighpaulsandra, who the hell is that?" Well, let me explain just who this being known as Thighpaulsandra is. He is a classically trained musician named Tim Lewis who works with the likes of Julian Cope, Spiritualized, and Coil. Members of all projects guest with Thighpaulsandra through the album. With this solo release, his first full length which is actually a double album/CD (I believe the CD has additional material) and is available on Coils own record label, really portrays the many musical ideas of the man. His is a mind I enjoy stepping into.

The range of styles on this set is quite interesting and varied. The packaging is absolutely astonishing! The long release flows together very well as a whole too! I seem to like it more and more every time I hear it.

The journey begins with odd sounds combined with the contralto opera singing of friend and guest Dorothy Lewis. This eventually leads into droning guitars and electronics which remind me of an electric company. There is quite a shift from the long ambiance and experimentation of the first track "Lycraland" to the powerful and much more accessible medieval anthem "The Angelica Declaration." Thighpaulsandra can also sing! The song sounds as though it could be featured in a gladiator or warrior themed movie.

The third piece, "Optical Black," on the album features Coil mates John Balance on texts and Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson on computers. This may be the strangest song on the album. I have a tough time describing this one in words. "Abuse Foundation IV" could kind of be described as music for a modern ensemble. The abstract piece makes use of clarinet, marimba, tam tams, cymbals, and strings that is reminiscent of Henry Cow's (an avant garde jazz/prog band from the early seventies) stranger moments. Parts of the piece remind of music that could be used in a ballet or even on an old Warner Brothers cartoon. It becomes very creepy towards the end and becomes almost reminiscent of The Residents classic "Eskimo" album.

Now we arrive at the closing track on the first album, a magnum opus clocking in at nearly 30 minutes, "Michel Publicity Window." Now, it's no secret that Thighpaulsandra and Julian Cope (who wrote an excellent book all about this innovative type of German music) are big krautrock fans. Drones, dreamy lap steel guitar, and space dominate the piece. Strange sounds drift throughout this long and haunting epicentre. After about the 11 minute mark, the standard krautrock section interpolates with the ambiance. This song ranks right up there with the best of em such as Ash Ra Tempel's classic "Schwingungen" or Cluster's early albums and is a perfect way to close the first album of the set.

Platter two starts us out with a beautiful yet chilling piano, voice, and harpsichord piece combined with field recordings contributed by the one and only Simon Norris (ex-Death In June member and currently with Cyclobe) unaptly entitled "Terrible." This piece leads us into the near space funk of "We, The Descending." This song is definitely the closest thing to standard music on the album. It is kind of a break in the the abstract soundscape that almost serves as a link to the next world of Thighpaulsandra.

"Limping Across The Sky" is a long ambient piece that ends with beautiful chanting. This is one of my favorites. Prepare for the next wrench thrown into the mix, the comedically titled "Home Butt Club" is an almost Black Sabbath-like instrumental that fades into a wall of feedback and noise. All of these elements keep the listener on their toes indeed and do make for an interesting album.

We are near the end of the trip with "Celine And Julie Go Boating," a dissonant horn and drum piece that leads us to the final 33 minute epic "Beneath The Frozen Lake Of Stars." This track begins with ambience and slowly builds into a tribal frenzy which mutates into cosmic noise and feedback. There are hints of jazz here as well. After all, there would be no better way to close the album than with another long space drifting krautrock-type number. Julian Cope guests here on guitar and doubleneck bass. I recommend hearing this portion of the album late at night with the lights out and the candles.

In summary, this epic journey into the musical mind of Thighpaulsandra is absolutely intriguing. To all fans of avant garde, experimental, and krautrock, this is an album that I highly recommend picking up! A TRUE MASTERPIECE INDEED! - Bury

MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Know Your Enemy (Virgin) -- 9.5/10 points
By Bury

It seems that I am not able to purchase new albums like I used. Once being a collector, it was hard to no longer afford it. However, there is still that handful of artists that I must keep up with. Manic Street Preachers just happens to be one of those bands as I've been a listener since 1993.

The band has been through some interesting changes in their 10 plus year career. From original lead guitarist and political lyricist Richey Edwards carving "4 Real" deep into his forearm, requiring 17 stitches, to his complete disappearance shortly thereafter (WE MISS YOU RICHEY), to becoming one of England's biggest bands and winning many awards including band of the year in Britain, the three remaining Manics have come a very long way!

This album was one I highly anticipated especially after 1998's "This Is My Truth Now Tell Me Yours," which is one of my all time favorite albums. 16 brand new songs by one of England's most "over the top" bands! I was probably the first person in Utah to buy it. In the end, I was very happy with "Know Your Enemy" as well.

The Manics 6th full-length dish provides for an adventurous listen. James, Sean, and Nicky kick the whole affair off with a song called "Found That Soul," a traditional rock number reminding us all of the band's roots and it's past. It is an explosive way to begin the album. The track was also one of two singles released simultaneously before the album hit the shelves.

The forthcoming single "Ocean Spray" is the second track on the album. Notably, this is the first song with lyrics written by lead vocalist James Dean Bradfield. In the past, all lyrics were covered by bassist Nicky Wire and Richey where James and Sean handled the music itself. "Ocean Spray" runs back and forth from acoustic guitar (played in punk fashion) on the verses to a distorted and heavy chorus. Sean also treats us all to a bit of his trumpet, which really adds to this song. This is an excellent choice for the third single indeed.

Next, we drift into full on punk with the cleverly titled "Intravenous Agnostic." This could very well be the most driving song on the album. One of the most surprising moments on the album for me was "Miss Europa Disco Dancer" which does delve into the British club scene. The Manics had first flirted with disco on the first post Edwards album "Everything Must Go" in the form of "The Girl Who Wanted To Be A God" but this time they hit it full on.

Another very surprising new style for the Manics comes in the form of "So Why So Sad," a nice little pop song with an early 60's sensibility. This was also one of the first two singles and it is easy to see why. The "ba BA BA…BA BA BA…BA BA BA" chants have a way of getting stuck in your head in that good way.

As usual, the lyrical content on the album still has its share of aggression and depression. Not nearly as sad as the last outing or as angry as the cult classic and very sought after third MSP album "The Holy Bible," the final album with Edwards, the Manics still never lose their edge. "Let Robeson Sing" is an ode to classic actor and singer Paul Robeson who made a big difference for African Americans in show business. "Dead Martyrs" is classic MSP creedo and the title speaks for itself. The beautiful "Baby Elian" makes reference to the Bay Of Pigs Invasion on Fidel Castro. One of the funniest references is a line from "The Convalescent," "Brian Warner (aka Marilyn Manson for the few who may not know) has a tasty little ass" to be specific. The topic matter on this song is DNA. "Miss Europa Disco Dancer" is based on the club scenes and social drug abuse where the albums closing track, "Freedom Of Speech Won't Feed My Children," stabs at political and religious hypocrisy.

To sum the album up in one word, EXCELLENT! I highly recommend this album to fans of rock, alternative, punk, and modern Brit music. Fans should not be at all disappointed. This is also a great place to start if you've never experienced the Manic Street Preachers in the past. A powerful album from one of the best bands of late, "Know Your Enemy" is a work of art so get out there and buy it!

MODERN ENGLISH - Life In The Gladhouse: The Best Of Modern English 1980-1984 (4 A.D)
By Jacob Rueda

NEWSFLASH!! NEWSFLASH!! MODERN ENGLISH HAS OTHER SONGS THAT ARE NOT "I MELT WITH YOU"!! REPEAT: MODERN ENGLISH HAVE OTHER SONGS THAT ARE NOT "I MELT WITH YOU"!! The very fact that these guys were one of 4 A.D.'s first signings (following groups like The Fast Set, Shox, and Bauhaus) and that the fact this collection encompasses their first 3 albums on 4 AD should be enough indication of the worth of Modern English as more than just an overrated 80's band which I think is unfortunate that people look at them as such. Again, "I Melt With You" is just one damn song they did that just happened to make it on the charts. But if you hear songs like "Mesh & Lace", the wonderful "Life In The Gladhouse" and the eerie punk sounding "16 Days", you will discover a whole new group altogether that is more than a Burger King commercial (In case anyone didn't know, the song "I Melt With You" was idiotically used in a Burger King commercial as were a bunch of other useless 80's wondersongs like "Come On Eileen". Sorry folks, but I just don't like that song.) Anyway, the album is pretty. It's well worth getting to appreciate all their other work. Hopefully if you get this album, it will lead you to some of their other releases. Modern English: More than an 80's wonder, but a truly dark yet sensational group.

LARS FREDERIKSEN AND THE BASTARDS - Self Titled (Hellcat/Epitaph)
By Jacob Rueda

You have to know who Rancid is. I think they're actually one of the better bands that is out there right now. Lars Frederiksen (who's name I'm having a hard time spelling without the help of the actual album sleeve that has his name on it) releases this album with a few friends and unlike a lot of the other stuff that X96 is making you listen to, this is a damn good album, definitely a must. The thing that I like about the album is that I think it's got real good melodies and interesting themes throughout the entire thing. Lars has a good ear for music and it shows real well with this release. I'm listening to the album as I write this and if it weren't for the fact that I'm at a college library right now I would be dancing right now (that's chicken of me, huh?). The stand out tracks for me are "Dead American", "Six Foot Five", "To Have And To Have Not" and especially "Wine And Roses" with the little congas that you hear in the background. Nice touch. Really nice. I think that the thing with this album is that it slightly expands the boundaries of what people have considered as punk for a while both musically and lyrically. He goes through some good ideas and the whole album like I have said before is overall a fun listen. Even if you just like rock and roll, this is one is also a good one to have. Hopefully, it will lead you to some of the other work he has done with not just Rancid but with The Dropkick Murphy's as well. Definitely check it out.