Album Review: Be'lakor - Coherence

As I have noted before, I don't cover much death metal. I have my reasons for why the genre doesn't hold much appeal, but the core of it comes down to this; songwriting. Death metal, even of the melodic variety, rarely has what I would consider memorable melodies. Vocalists, in particular, do little to create engaging and hooky lines for themselves to growl. The genre simply focuses on aspects of music I'm not as enamored by, which is fine. I keep giving Be'lakor chances, though, because the first time I heard them on "Stone's Reach", they came closer than any pure death metal band had to reaching what I think the genre is capable of.

The albums since then have all been good, but disappointing in the face of my expectations. They have doubled down on progressive songs that regularly stretch eight to ten minutes, rather than upping the melodic quotient to try to make their music stand out from a songwriting perspective. I've still liked most of what they've done, but it becomes inconsequential when it doesn't have the lasting appeal of songs you can't escape.

That issue pops up in the opening "Locus", which in the middle of its nearly eleven minutes settles down into a softer section where a brief spoken word passage pops up, only it's mixed in a way to be difficult to hear, and it comes across completely superfluous. The band is trying to play with dynamics, but the ebb lasts too long, and my patience runs out before the song builds back up to its conclusion. The quiet moments are quiet without having anything to say, which kills any momentum the song was working up.

Building momentum that is sustainable would be difficult under any circumstances on a death metal record that stretches an hour long. With that much music, I'm left looking for the bits and pieces my mind can anchor around, and they don't come very often. Unmoored, that leaves the record feeling like being lost at sea, never being able to see land on the horizon. I hear plenty of nice sounding passages, but they blend together into a larger wash of music. Individual songs are harder to discern, as growl and chord sound like every other growl and chord.

So this is where I say that, yet again, death metal escapes me. I want to like what Be'lakor is doing, because I do enjoy their atmosphere, but I'm missing out on the melodic elements I need to become attached to the music. They are a melodic death metal band, but the genre's idea of what that means and mine are incompatible. They almost always have been, and I'm becoming convinced they always will be.

Album Review: Ad Infinitum - Chapter II, Legacy

So many new bands come out that often it's difficult to keep them straight, to remember who is in each one, and which are worth remembering the next time they come around. If I didn't have a record of everything I've listened to in these years, I would have countless bands slip right through my memory, only leaving a faint trace of "oh yeah, I remember them" the next time I happened upon their name. Such is the state of the industry, as the flood of new music is impossible to keep up with, and our memories fill up more and more every year.

Ad Infinitum is one of the bands I did remember. I found a lot of promise in "Chapter I", and was very much looking forward to seeing if they could pay that off with a step forward on their next record. That's where we find ourselves today, determining whether the score will be written in black or red ink.

For this album, the band has tightened their songwriting and added in heavier influences, giving their sound a more modern sheen. These songs lay Melissa Bonny's strong vocals over chugging guitars, in a sense playing 'beauty and the beast' metal without most of the beast elements. At its best, like on the singles "Unstoppable" and "Afterlife", that is a heavy foundation for gargantuan hooks stands toe-to-toe with the best of the chugging metallic pop music I have loved over the years. It's incredibly impressive how they shifted their approach to an orchestrated, mechanical version of metal while producing the record themselves. They took control, and the results pay huge dividends.

The other thing of note about this record is how the lyrics are inspired by the life of Vlad The Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula. That turns my attention backward to the Vlad-centered sequel to the "Dracula: Swing Of Death" album that was not only an Album Of The Year winner from me, but was one of the highlights of the entirety of the last decade. That album was stuck in a huge shadow, while Ad Infinitum is approaching the same concept from a fresh angle. I don't have anything against Trond Holter's album, but Ad Infinitum has made the superior telling of Vlad's life.

The album doesn't waste time on superfluous elements, despite the lyrical conceit. These songs are lean and focused, delivering strong hooks and Melissa's powerful voice quickly and efficiently. The orchestral elements never get in the way or overpower the song, instead sitting as they should as supporting pieces giving the songs added depth and color. With a loud and modern mix, they aren't always the easiest things to hear, but their presence does give us reprieve from an endless wall of guitars.

With this second album, Ad Infinitum once again a case for their status among all of the fledgling bands populating the metal scene. Look, this album doesn't reach the same giddy heights "Dracula: Swing Of Death" did, but there are a few songs that come damn close. With the aforementioned singles, along with "Breathe", Ad Infinitum shows they are capable not just of being good, but of being great. If they can keep their potential up for an entire album, Chapter III of their career might just be a stunner.

Album Review: Lucifer - IV

Of all the bands we can lump into the category of 'vintage rock', one that stands out from the pack is Lucifer. With their stoner vibe and ethereal vocals, they are unique among all the bands that sound as if the last forty years never happened. The haze that covers their music is like the blur of an old photograph that makes it hard to tell exactly when it was taken. They are both fresh and timeless simultaneously, which puts them in a rare category. They also happen to be getting better, which is only serving to raise their profile every time out.

Their previous album, "III", was their best album yet. They had dialed down the doom elements of their genesis, exchanging it for a (relatively) sunnier approach that would have fit in an old exploitation movie. They had struck a balance between heavy rock and 60s melodies, and that album was an example of a band harnessing their powers and realizing their potential. "II" had been a good album, but they were still ascending.

Reaching album number four, Lucifer is in full flight. They took the formula that worked on "III", and have sanded off a few of the rough edges. This version of the band is like taking an acid trip through old-time AM radio. You can hear hints of the early days of pop/rock, but they are buried in fuzzy guitars, and a few guitar lines that remind us this is a band that would have preferred The Munsters to be a documentary.

You can hear bluesy doom in the opening riff of "Wild Hearses", as well as in a few other places, but it's used as an accent piece, rather than driving the proceedings. Those moments are the black eyeliner that complete the ensemble, drawn on so you know what you're getting yourself into, but not so thick it becomes camp. Lucifer is occupying much of the same thematic space as Ghost, but they sound like the band that would be playing around a campfire under the full moon, while Ghost is rightly called 'Scooby Doo' metal. Both are good, but they come from different worlds.

As "III" tightened the band's writing up, so too does "IV". From top to bottom, this is the most consistent album Lucifer has yet made. What it sacrifices in experimentation is more than made up for in hammering the nail repeatedly. Lucifer has figured out how their dirty guitars and floating melodies work together, and they don't bother trying to find an alternate route to the sweet spot. Why risk getting lost, when you're already getting where you want to go?

The only downside to the album is that the hazy film hanging over the recording does obscure the details of the songs a little bit. While there's swagger in places, and Johanna's melodies are alluring, the songs blend into one another to a degree. Listening to the album, that doesn't matter in the slightest, because everything fits together into a singular experience. Afterward, however, recalling any of the songs individually can be a bit difficult. But if you're the sort who prefers to listen to albums in full, that issue isn't one at all.

"Louise" is an interesting song, because the way the chorus is built around an ascending repetition of the character's name makes the song come across like a metallic version of the classic "Jolene". That's a sentence I didn't ever plan to write, but there it is. What's stranger is how much the song works, even with that thought in my head.

If you heard "III", then you already know what Lucifer is all about, and this album is an easy winner. If you haven't yet been invited to this seance, "IV" has its arms open to beckon you come. Lucifer is in the sweet spot of their career, and this album is evidence of that. It's hard not to fall for their charms.

Album Review: Dream Theater - A View From The Top Of The World

Dream Theater's career has always been a bit of a rough ride. When the embrace the 'progressive' aspect of progressive metal, they shift their sound here and there, with results that vary wildly. When they embraced Metallica sized riffing on "Train Of Thought", it worked. When they embraced Muse, or tried to integrate harsh vocals, the results were less successful. When they attempted their second concept album, "The Astonishing", the results were downright disastrous. For all the adventurism progressive metal can allow, Dream Theater is decidedly better off when they stick to doing what they do best. That's why "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" was my Album Of The Year ten years ago. It's also why "Distance Over Time" righted the course last time around.

With this record, the band puts their adventurous streak fully into the twenty-minute closer, while letting the rest of the album focus on their strengths. Of course, that can go the other way, which it does on opening "The Alien". That song recycles a handful of tropes from various other Dream Theater songs, several of which were also lead singles to previous albums. There is a formula to some of what Dream Theater does, and it is exposed on that song, which adheres too closely, and with diminishing results. Maybe if it was better than "On The Backs Of Angels", or the others it mimics, but it isn't. It's a solid song, but a solid copy is just that.

"Answering The Call" is much more interesting, where we get more heavy chords than intricate riffing, which adds a different texture to their normal sound. Better yet are the layered backing vocals on the chorus, which amplify James' own voice, and provides a wider scope that makes the song stand out from what you might be expecting. On an album with a ten and a twenty-minute 'epic', the most epic sounding moment is that chorus.

There's a stronger emphasis on melody through the majority of the record, which is when I feel Dream Theater are at their best. No matter which album you pick, they can play fast and complicated runs that will leave you spinning. The impressiveness of their abilities is never in questions, but they don't always have songs operating on the same level as their technical skills. For every "Outcry", there are two other songs whose melodies will go right in one year and out the other. Even the ten-minute "Sleeping Giant" orbits around an attempt at a larger than life chorus.

The first six songs on the record are in line with the other modern albums I would put in the upper tier. They're highly enjoyable, both on the progressive level and as surface level melodic metal. Compared to "Distance Over Time", they might be even easier to digest on the occasions when you don't want to turn your music into math. But with a twenty-minute song at the end, the album hinges on whether they have produced another "The Count Of Tuscany", or another "Illumination Theory".

The idea of formula pops up again there, with the title track following the same tactics as those previous epics, going through one metallic run for the first half, then slowing down to an atmospheric section in the middle, before building back up to a rousing second half. I like it more than "Illumination Theory", but it lacks the quirkiness of "The Count Of Tuscany", so it sounds very much like two eight minute Dream Theater songs held together by a bit of instrumental tape, rather than a single twenty-minute composition.

So when we take stock of the album as a whole, it falls into the category of being very good but wholly predictible. These are very good Dream Theater songs, but they so heavily echo songs of the past that putting those thoughts out of your head can be a bit difficult. They have followed the blueprint to make one of their better albums, but they followed it too closely. Despite all the progginess on display, the album is so safe and rote that it fails to have much of an identity of its own. This album is a well rendered summation of this era of Dream Theater, and it's certainly one of their better efforts, but the one drawback is hard to avoid.

Whether or not you can put that aside will determine whether this album is great, trite, or somewhere in between.

Album Review - Neutral Snap - Tell Me How I Feel

This question is rhetorical here, but it's one I've been asking myself; is maturing into more serious people always a good thing? Now let me explain why my thoughts have been going down this road. When pop-punk burst onto the scene, its origin is either Green Day or Blink-182. In either case, that early wave of singles that broke through the public consciousness were sarcastic, if not overtly comical. They were the songs of people being smart-asses, taking the piss out of the waning influence of the grunge years. But a couple of decades later, I've been running into more music of that style that has transitioned into adulthood, tackling subjects of mental health especially. That culminated on Yours Truly's "Self Care", which was the best album of last year.

But now, with Neutral Snap taking up some of the same themes, I'm wondering if we need more levity in our music again. We've been working our way through the heady issues of this unprecedented time for so long, perhaps thinking is now as unhealthy as anything else.

The opening track to this record is pining "for a place where I belong", culminating in the frustration when outsiders try to explain your own feelings to you, as if your own experience is less valuable than the opinions of ignorant nobodies. You could also read those lyrics as being a call for that input, being so worn down the truth is blurred and out-of-focus. In either event, the discounting of experience is a philosophical quandary, putting us on track with a line of thought giving far too much power to forces that don't control our lives.

A familiar sound pops up on "I'm Crazy (But You) Like That", which feels like a "From Under The Cork Tree" era Fall Out Boy song, complete with a breakdown riff, incidental harsh vocals, and a title with some wordplay in it. While "Go Ahead" opens the record with energy, this song is where the band's charms begin to bloom. They have the same knack for writing a hook Fall Out Boy used to, and they bring us back to a simpler time in emo/pop-punk history.

That history pops up in "Checked Out", when the song drops into a spoken word section ranting about whether a hot dog is a sandwich. That moment goes a long way to answer my question from earlier, as it becomes clear levity is only a fun diversion when it's actually fun. There isn't a joke to the aside, so while it does tie into the frustration of life in the here and now exploding over the little things, it's the sort of moment that isn't going to age particularly well on repeated listening.

The majority of the record, though, is filled with songs that use the unpolished production to their advantage. There's an authenticity that comes through the speakers that not only buoys the strong hooks, but also adds the right amount of grit and struggle to the frustrations voiced in the songs, whether they're about quarantine or being stuck in the friend zone. The album works best when it feels like an honest conversation, and that's where most of these songs end up.

Neutral Snap tries to balance serious music about processing their issues, with moments of levity that show they haven't lost their sense of humor yet. Pop-punk tried to grow up a long time ago, but it's only now that the emo it has absorbed has truly been paying dividends. Depressive times are when the blend becomes a fuel we need to power through another day. If you thought Spanish Love Songs made a great album last year, but it was too strung-out on its own misery, Neutral Snap might be just what you're looking for.

Album Review: Cassadee Pope - Thrive

For as much as people love to whine about American Idol and the nature of competition shows, let's remember that it did produce a multitude of singers who have gone on to have lengthy and successful careers (ok, that was in the early days, but it still counts). There are plenty of people who we may never have heard of if not for that show, so why do we denigrate a way these singers were able to get their names out there? What we might be able to sneer at more is The Voice, a show that is entirely about the already famous 'coaches', a show that has never created a single real star.

Cassadee Pope was the winner of season three of The Voice, which makes it a bit surprising that when I happened upon the video to the single "Tomorrow Night", it was the first time I had ever heard her name. That's some marketing machine you've got there, NBC.

"Thrive" is an album that takes us back to the warm and sunny days when pop/rock actually sounded like what it's name implies. There are hints of "Breakaway" era Kelly Clarkson, as well as some pop/punk in the guitars, of which there are plenty. This record is that thing I've always loved most; guitar rich pop music. Cassadee is turning back the clock in order to move forward, and that decision couldn't be any better, at least for me.

Her propulsive hooks on songs like "What The Stars See" are heightened and amplified by the volume and swell of the guitars. An electronic beat wouldn't have the same energy, and that's what makes these types of songs work so well. The extra boost needed in the vocal to sing over the band requires more emotion, and more of a performance. Cassadee is giving it her all, and that comes through on every track. She is indulging in a more emo way of bleeding through her art than someone like Adele does, but for people of a certain stripe, that's even more effective.

I'm out of touch with the mainstream, so I don't know how well "Thrive" fits into the current trends. Olivia Rodrigo had a hit with a re-written Paramore song, but I don't know if that's a fluke or not. I think the fact she chose Stephen Jenkins of Third Eye Blind to make a guest appearance shows what Cassadee's aim is, and it's the same target I keep checking for stray arrows.

"Thrive" is an album right out of the height of early 00s pop/rock, bringing us back to a time when rock and pop were able to coexist without either needing to be broken down into spare parts. Cassadee Pope gives this album a warm and inviting sound, where even the tracks that don't quite stick never feel like a drag. It loses a little bit of steam int he back half, but the highlights are more than enough to make this a record well worth hearing, if this is something you've been missing. We don't get a lot of it anymore, and every time a record like this comes along, I wonder why.

Singles Roundup: Adele, Leauxx, Guns N Roses, & Soen

October has been overloaded with albums to listen to, but there are still some songs we need to talk about that don't fit that schedule. So, let's see what fun-sized packages we have this time around.

Adele - Easy On Me

In some respects, Adele is almost her own genre. Whatever label you want to apply, no one else sounds like her. She exists in her own world, which is the sort of thing that makes an artist absolutely vital. You can't replicate the feeling or the sound, so the craving can only be satisfied one way. This first piece of the puzzle that will be "30" is unlike most of her other singles. It isn't as massive, as thunderous, as... Adele. This song is relaxed, easy, and maybe just what we need right now. Do we have it in us for too many more heart-wrenching songs? This song is perhaps more inviting than "Hello" was, putting to heavy use one of the few falsettos that really sounds good. Adele has changed since the last time we heard her in many ways, but not in the ways that count.

Leauxx - Short Of You

I was quite fond of her first solo single, having been missing her voice. That song was a more pained ballad, while this one leans a bit more into electronic and pop sounds. What ties them together is her voice, and her ear for melody, which are what elevate this song into an alluring little number. The production gives us a dark syrupy sound, which stands in contrast with Leauxx's sharp vocal. The song is a bit more subdued and hypnotic than I would usually go for, but it works here. I find myself liking this, and hopefully the wait won't be too long before it gets reinforced.

Guns N Roses - Hard Skool

After putting out the terrible song, "Absurd", Guns N Roses tries again. On the one hand, they pulled out an old song that at least sounds like Guns N Roses, so this is a lot easier to swallow. On the other hand, it's a predestrian song with lazy Axl lyrics, so it's far from being a notable number. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this one, since it's another "Chinese Democracy" era song, features a twenty year old vocal, and might only have been released because an old version had leaked a while back. But if this is what Guns N Roses thinks is worth being among their first new music in so long, I'm about ready to write them off. Sometimes being silent is better than saying the wrong thing.

Soen - Virtue

The final of the unreleased songs from "Lotus" to be put out this year, "Virtue" is a stirring track that focuses on Soen's more emotional side. The strings are beautiful, the melody swells in just the right way, and Joel's voice fits this tone like a glove. As each of these songs has been unveiled, it amazes me that a record that I awarded Album Of The Year honors had these songs left off which, in some ways, are even better than some of the material that was included. It's been a good year to be a Soen fan, with "Imperial" being another great album, and these three songs making up for the short running time by leaving us occasional reminders there is still more to come.

Album Review: Lords Of Black - Alchemy Of Souls Pt II

Here we are again. Lords Of Black return with the second installment of what was an underwhelming album, and it also so happens to be the second full album of the year featuring Ronnie Romero's voice (plus a couple of other guest appearances). I keep complaining about the over-saturation of certain people on the scene, but it doesn't seem anyone is going to slow down and reduce the amount of times they pop up. Before we even get to discussing this album, I'll just say I was even less excited going into it than the band itself deserves, simply because I've grown tired of hearing Ronnie's voice so often. I have no built-up appetite to hear him when it's barely been any time since his last release. I get the realities of the music business right now, but as a fan, it gets tiring.

As for this album, the band comes out of the gates trying to be as dark and heavy as they can on "Maker Of Nothingness", but that is not at all their strong suit. The guitars don't have the right tone to sound sinister, and while Ronnie's rasp does fit the approach, it needs far more melody to carry the song. It sounds less like a song and more like a five-minute tone setter, which is not a strong way to start off an album.

Lords Of Black have been trying to straddle the line between being a hard rock band and a melodic metal one, but the production choices they make don't lend themselves to either. The guitar tone is the biggest problem, being too soft and saturated to carry a metallic edge. The band doesn't sound heavy, but rather almost fluffy. The ringing chords are washes of sound, and the muted riffs hit like a Nerf ball in the face. Turning up the gain dial doesn't make things heavier, and this album is a solid example of how that is true.

But even that could be forgiven if the band was delivering great songs, which they aren't. I don't know if it's the conceptual nature of these sorts of albums that let musicians think they don't have to bring their A-game, but this is yet another one that treats the songwriting as second fiddle to whatever greater ambitions they think are there. Great albums, whether concepts or not, are only great when they have the requisite songs. Lords Of Black not only don't have the songs, but they make the case Ronnie's main band might be his weakest. Compare this to the Sunstorm record he sang on earlier in the year, and there's no comparison which one is more memorable. I think I've already forgotten every detail of this one.

Perhaps this comes down to the psychological desire of many musicians in bands to prove they are somehow more than that. Lords Of Black's two album set is a grand idea, but it exposes the shortcomings they possess. There's a lot more artistic merit and talent involved in writing great songs, no matter how rote they may be, than there is in proving you don't know your limitations. Not everyone needs to make a concept album. Writing lyrics about a story doesn't necessarily make you any more of an artist. It heightens the scrutiny you'll receive, though, and if you're not firing on all cylinders, that's the last think you'd want.

Case in point here.

Album Review: The Grandmaster - Skywards

Edguy was the first metal band I really loved. I remember exactly where I was when I heard "The Headless Game", and that song sent me down the road that has led to where I am now. I loved Edguy as a power metal band, and I loved Edguy when they became more of a hard rock band. I'm one of the few people who says "Tinnitus Sanctus" is their best album. So let's just say their inactivity as Tobi focuses on Avantasia leaves me disappointed. Not that I don't love Avantasia too, but sometimes a more straight-forward good time is what I want to have, and that's what Edguy always delivered.

So you would think that would make me excited about  The Grandmaster, the new band that finds Edguy guitarist Jens Ludwig returning to the scene for the first time in years. You might think that, but there's a detail in here that dampens what could have been exciting. That would be the implication from the description I received of the album that Jens didn't actually write any of these songs. I'm sorry, but just hearing him play someone else's songs isn't interesting to me. I want to hear what he can do on his own, what he could have brought to Edguy if he was given more of a role in the songwriting. Having him be a hired gun on this album who might have contributed some original solos is boring.

But that's the story of the album. What about the songs themselves? There's more positive to say there. The album is filled with songs that are part power metal, and part melodic rock. So in a way, it does sort of travel the same road later Edguy did, although the two don't sound very much alike at all. Jens' solos of course sound like him, but the songs themselves are without the little quirks of classic Edguy. This album is far more serious in tone and execution, which is fine.

Part of that is the writing, and part of that is Nando Fernandes' voice. His deeper register and echoing tone makes everything he sings carry a very stern note. He can carry the melody, for sure, but his voice doesn't allow the songs to have the feel-good spirit I often associate with power metal. Without that, albums like this can drag a little bit.

We also happened to hear Nando earlier this year on the Brother Against Brother album, which had the same hands involved in the songwriting, so this feels as much like a continuation of that project as it does a unique band of its own. While many of these songs are enjoyable, it's the same thing again and again, and at a certain point I've become a bit numb to hearing the same structures and melodies over and over. This album would be better if I haven't heard several nearly identical ones this year.

Just being able to hear Jens play some solos again isn't enough to elevate this record above all the others Frontiers has been putting out. They're all solid albums, and I enjoy listening to them, but none of them stand apart from the others, since they're so similar. When everything is the same, nothing stands out. That's the fate this album is destined to. It's probably better than that, but it's hard for me to see this one tree in the forest.

"Yourself Or Someone Like You", Twenty-Five Years On

I turned on VH-1, and there was the video for "3 AM". I turned on the radio, there was "Real World".

Twenty-five years ago, it seemed like there was no avoiding Matchbox 20 (as they were then known). Wherever you looked or listened, you could hear one of their singles playing if you waited only a few moments. Something about their songs had captured the public's attention, and the endless exposure would not leave me immune. I don't know if it was something in the songs, or something in Rob Thomas' unusual voice, that spoke to me, but I still hold the vivid memory of hearing "Real World" on the radio as we drove across town on a hot, late summer day. The album was still in the offing, but I made a comment about wanting and needing it.

Buying an album was still a big thing in those days, involving a trip to the record store, and it came with a ritual of sitting in front of the speakers and hoping against hope you hadn't wasted your money on half a dozen songs filling out the disc the artist and label must have laughed about when imagining people listening to them. I had a rule of twos back then; if I heard two great singles, a record was often worth making the investment. If it was only one song, I didn't like my chances.

That was how I came to own copies of Dave Matthews Band's first album, Gin Blossom's "New Miserable Experience" (and the "Follow You Down" EP), and Hootie & The Blowfish's "Cracked Rear View". Don't ask me why I never went for "Jagged Little Pill", since it would have qualified. I don't have an answer to that.

I did get my copy of "Yourself Or Someone Like You", and when I sat down to listen to the album, there was more than a sense of relief. I am absolutely a product of my time, but there was a confluence of sound and psychology at that time I've never been able to shake. I was only thirteen when the album was released, and yet I found myself sinking into it. That made no sense, since I had not experienced any of the stories Rob sang about, but the post-grunge malaise that crept in around the edges was a precursor to understanding my stoic nature. I was hearing myself, even if I didn't yet know it.

I was at a neighbor's house for a party not long after, and one of the singles came on the radio. My friends were not as enamored as I was, and I can distinctly remember them commenting about how Rob's overacting in the music videos raised questions about his sexuality. It was not a comment of a judgmental kind, but it was one that struck me as odd, since I had not seen the same clues they did. That would not be the last time I could say that.

Listening to the album now, I can still hear what made me love it at the time. There is a sense of authenticity to it that didn't come through a lot of other records of the time. Whether you like Rob Thomas' voice or not, he sang with so much passion, it's hard to not want to give the songs a chance. It's a record that embodies the mid 90s, a time when there was nothing to rage against, but yet people still needed an outlet for their darker feelings. Those are inevitable, and they happen whether the world is on fire or holding hands. It feels even worse to be down when the world is looking up, and one of the feelings I got from this record was that sober realization.

"3 AM" is still one of those perfect pop songs. It captures the lethargy that clouds your mind that late into the night, when your judgment can't be trusted. "Push" bristles with defiant anger, even if it is often misinterpreted. Where things really get interested is with "Damn", where you can hear how everyone has resigned themselves to how things are going to be. There was an inertia of ennui that pervaded those days, which was never better illustrated than in the show "Daria", and my realization of that feeling started out with this record. It's almost as if we need a black cloud in the sky to be able to look up and appreciate the beauty of the blue without burning our eyes. When there isn't an external point to focus on, we create our own.

I tend to think that's what I did with "Yourself Or Someone Like You". I was too young to know who I was, but my subconscious could hear in these songs enough to point me in the right direction. Philosophy is not always so rational; often it is an emotional response. In that way, Matchbox 20 always made sense, whether I knew it or not.

Twenty-five years later, few things still feel like listening to "Yourself Or Someone Like You". It feels like myself.

Album Review: Wayward Sons - Even Up The Score

It hadn't dawned on me until now, but this year has been missing one of the bigger trends of recent times; vintage rock. I haven't come across much that falls into the category, let alone anything I think stands out, when that happens to be a sound that usually catches my ears. It had looked like the past was going to be the future, but the trend might be starting to die out. As our full-blown 80s obsession continues, those bands resurrecting the sounds from the decade previous once again sound dated and out of place with what's going on. How big a loss that is will depend on your perspective. Few of those bands made lasting impressions, but I would rather sort through a dozen of them than a dozen stuck in the 80s.

Wayward Sons take the old classic rock formula, and try to update it for the modern day. They aren't in the group that uses vintage equipment to make records that sound like time capsules, even if their inspiration is readily apparent. So we have more of a case of Rival Sons (not to be confusing) than that of Graveyard. What that enables the band to do is up the aggression and heaviness just a bit. There's hints of AC/DC in the guitar tone, and when the band locks into a faster tempo, the clarity helps amplify how hard they're hitting the strings.

That being said, a guitar tone isn't enough to carry an album, and Wayward Sons continue to fall a bit short when it comes to filling an album with great songs. As is the case with plenty of other bands that emulate classic rock, they also pull from the old blueprint that didn't put as much emphasis on writing compelling vocal lines for every song. "Faith In Fools" is a slinky little number that builds to a dramatic rise, but it's the exception here, not the rule.

Several of the other tracks, like "Big Day" and "Sign Of The Times", have neither stadium level riffs nor arena sized choruses. What we are supposed to pull from them and embrace isn't entirely clear. Those kinds of songs are hard to see as anything but filler, which does fit with the old-school nature of the record, but doesn't do much to impress in the modern day.

"Even Up The Score" is a classic album in the sense that it has three or four great songs that could have made singles, and the rest of the album exists just so there's a full-length product for the die-hards to buy. "Faith In Fools", "Fake", and "Tip Of My Tongue" are cool songs that have some bounce and hook to them, and could have been old time radio staples. The rest of the album is in limbo, where it's the connective tissue in between the bits you really want. As is the case with a cut of meat, some is necessary, but too much ruins everything. This record is closer to the latter case.

As was the case with their previous work, Wayward Sons are a band with talent that doesn't quite have the formula locked down just yet. They're capable of making a good record, but there's still work to be done on the consistency of their songwriting before they're going to get there.

Album Review: Eclipse - Wired

It seems like every time I sit down to review an Eclipse album, I am faced with the same issue; Erik Martensson has already released an album this year with another of his projects. Why is that an issue? The truth of the matter is that while everything he has been involved with is good, his main band is actually the project I am least interested in. I'm not sure entirely why, but I love the albums he has made with Nordic Union and W.E.T. more than any Eclipse record, and I also had more fun with the last record from Ammunition, and even his contributions to the band Xtasy. So already having an album from him this year, "Wired" will inevitably have to meet that high bar.

Even before I pressed play, that was going to be nearly impossible. The first two singles off the record put a sour taste in my mouth. "Saturday Night (Hallelujah)" is a party anthem that doesn't speak to me in the slightest, and isn't one of his catchiest songs anyway. But the real bitterness came from "Bite The Bullet", which in my estimation is the worst song I've ever heard from him. If there's one thing Erik does as well as anyone in rock, it's write huge and sticky choruses. So why does this song barely have a chorus at all? It's a pedestrian song, at best, and downright puzzling why it was chosen to be a single.

Fortunately, the rest of the album delivers classic Eclipse melodic rock, with a strong emphasis on the melodic part. Erik writes songs that are the best modern take on what arena rock could have become, as the hooks on songs like "Roses On Your Grave" are every bit as stadium ready as "Livin' On A Prayer" was. The best rock music is ingratiating, inviting, and the majority of what Eclipse offers is right there among the best of rock. Not many writers on the scene right now can match Erik's knack for memorable songs.

When he's on his game, it's hard to see why Eclipse hasn't gotten even bigger than they are. Well, maybe it's not. Perhaps giving so many great songs to other projects of smaller scale isn't the wisest of decisions. If Erik saved the best of all his songs for Eclipse, he could have a discography of some of the best rock records of recent years. Spreading them out, it feels like Eclipse gets the leftovers sometimes, and especially here. If you took the best songs off W.E.T.'s "Retransmission" and the best songs off this record, the result would have a strong case to be the best record of the year. Split, and filled out with the lesser tracks, both are just good records that don't reach the status of being highlights.

So yet again, Eclipse leaves me saying the same things. I like them, and "Wired" is a good album, but it's weaker than what else I have heard from Erik. W.E.T.'s album from earlier in the year is a better record, so it's hard to sound overly excited about someone's second best effort of a year. That's the danger in being prolific; you get compared to yourself, and you can't always live up to your own standard. Eclipse was chasing a high bar, and even though this record is thoroughly enjoyable, it can't jump quite high enough.