Album Review: Eclipse - Megalomanium

Another album cycle brings the same issues it always has. Eclipse is a good band, and I like the music they make. They also remian the least interesting of Erik Martensson's projects. They lack the darker vibe of Nordic Union, and they don't have the grandeur of W.E.T. Eclipse sometimes comes across as trying too hard to be something they aren't, sometimes they're too saccharine for their own good. His penchant for punning titles isn't winning me over either, despite the fact I grew up listening to the sarcasm of Jim Steinman and Elvis Costello. I don't know, this all reeks of effort to me.

I was rather excited when "The Hardest Part Is Losing You" was released as the first single. It blended the band's typical sound with new elements, giving off some vibes of MCR's "The Black Parade". It's something fresh, quite interesting, and certainly does more to separate Eclipse from Erik's other works. Unfortunately, it was not the first harbinger of a new direction, but instead a one-off that opens the record with a false promise.

"Anthem" is indeed what the title suggests, as the backing vocals are layered thick on a rousing chorus. It takes the elements of traditional metal I've never thought work, and redeployed them in a way that turns a chorus of chanting voices into a song to the heavens. It works better for me than "Children Of The Night" does, because Erik doesn't have the right tone of voice to pull off something trying to be sinister and ultra-heavy for melodic rock. He's miscast in that role, and I'm not sure it's the best sound for Eclipse to be tackling.

Then there's "I Don't Get It", where Erik talks about the rich and privileged, then says "I can't take it anymore", without ever saying what it is about the situation he doesn't think is fair. As a social critique, it's completely lacking a thesis. He jumps from money to religion without ever identifying the problem. His anger is in no way justified by what he says in the lyrics, so it comes off sounding like knee-jerk jealousy, rather than a reasonable reaction to an unfair system.

The bigger issue is that this record is supposed to be Eclipse tackling some new sounds and ideas, but I'm not sure what that means. Other than the first track, this sounds just like every other Eclipse record I've listened to. They're all good, but they have a very defined style, and you can hear bits of guitar and vocal melodies that pop up time and again. Erik has written so many songs between his various projects that he does have a tendency to repeat himself to a degree. What that means is that even when an album like this is good, it feels too familiar right from the start.

That's the takeaway from this record. Eclipse always delivers melodic rock at the upper echelon of the genre, and that's no exception here. Erik writes great hooks, and these songs have plenty of them. The issue is that this record is interchangeable with all the others, both in basic sound, but also in some of the melodic phrasing. This one feels as if I've already listened to it as many times as their earlier works. While that might be great for hardcore fans who just want more of what they love, it leaves me unexcited to keep coming back. I'm struggling to hear why I need to learn all the nuances of this record when I already have multiple Eclipse records I can go to when I need a dose of big, hooky rock.

"Megalomanium" is a good record that leaves me asking, "Ok, now what?"

Singles Roundup: Mary Spender, Guns N Roses, Twin Temple, & John Popper

To say this week's collection of songs is eclectic might be an understatement.

Mary Spender - You Can Have Chicago

Prominent YouTube personality Mary Spender is getting ready to release her first proper album. Blending her fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing and sultry vocals with some shimmering electrics and a slow driving beat, she paints a picture of a relationship crumbling like the edifices of a city block ignored by time. Time is the key here, as Mary's lyrics tell of needing time away from the end of a situation to heal and grow, letting her return a better and stronger person later on. Likewise, the acoustic solo turns electric in the song's outro, showing how she is steeling herself and becoming more powerful by realizing sometimes loss can be a gift.

The singer/songwriter sometimes feels like a relic of the past, but it's a timeless fusion of art and artist. Mary is well on her way, in that regard.

Guns N Roses - Perhaps

It feels weird to say, but I was not excited at all about the prospect of a new Guns N Roses song. Between how infrequent they come along, and how lackluster the previous couple have been, I was not looking forward to hearing yet another outtake from "Chinese Democracy" jazzed up with Slash's playing. I will say, though, that this is the most interesting of the songs they have put out since the 'reunion', even though it still isn't a real, honest-to-goodness new Guns song.

What baffles me about everything from the "Chinese Democracy" sessions is the inversion of Axl's writing. This song, like most of that album, features a dynamic and interesting verse, and then descends into a bland and forgettable chorus. Somewhere along the way, Axl lost his ability to write and place a hook in a song. The piano line is memorable, and Axl's melody in the verse is a winding bit that has a nice hook to it. But then that chorus... ugh. Axl has never been good at backing vocals, and his low tones sound awful leading into his piercing cries. It's not good at all, and Slash must have thought the same, as he puts in one of his weakest solos.

I keep thinking none of us should care about the band until they actually write a new song together. Then this comes along and gives me just enough hope there's something good in the vaults. I'm not sure what to think now.

Twin Temple - Burn Your Bible

Satanic doo-wop shouldn't be a thing, but it is. There's something about this band's style and sound that is delightfully silly, even if they play it deadly serious. The subversion of sunny olden pop leads us to some interesting places, as it makes us question that old idea about what is and isn't 'the devil's music'. Look, I'm not going to tell you this is the greatest thing, or that I would want to sit down and listen to this record time and time again, but when I do hear Twin Temple, they give me a bit of a wry smile. That's good enough to make this a winner.

John Popper & Jono Manson - Cabin Fever

The record this song comes from will be released on a special day for me, and John Popper is one of my earliest musical favorites, but yet I think this is going to be a hard pass for me. Steeped in backwoods Americana, this song is a slow bluesy folk tune that recycles the cliches of melody that keeps me from liking so much of those styles of music. I'm missing the charm and personality that has kept me a fan all these years. There isn't any joy in this song for me as a listener, and I guess I'm just not interested in sitting through a dour experience anymore. An entire record of this style is going to try my patience, so I might have to skip it. That's a shame, but I have to prioritize myself.

Album Review: Spanish Love Songs - No Joy

When people say that critics/commentators don't matter, what they're really saying is that they don't listen to those kinds of voices. They are important, though, and Spanish Love Songs is my proof of that. When "Brave Faces Everyone" came out, I had never heard of this band, but several people in the music world I pay attention to were all saying it was destined to be the best album of the year. They were insistent, and I heard it repeatedly, so I figured I owed it to myself to check it out. While I didn't go as far as they did, it made my Top Ten list, and that wouldn't have happened without them talking up the record.

Now that we're on to the next album cycle, they aren't coming into my attention as a surprise. There are some expectations attached, and that is what doomed this record from before the first time I heard it. While I didn't relate to the lyrics about drug abuse and a personal world on fire, "Brace Faces Everyone" was the sort of record imbued with so much passion I was able to find my own meaning in it. They took everything good about emo and alternative rock, and turned it into a howling catharsis.

None of that is true about this record.

"No Joy" is an apt title, because I felt no joy listening to this record. It is mired in the same loathing as the previous one, but without the powerful guitars and raging, screamed melodies. Instead, things are pared back, and given ore of an 80s sheen. The softer approach is completely wrong for this kind of music, as the band has gone from sounding pissed off at a world that has been unfair to them, to a band sitting on the couch in a Snuggie, having given up on ever feeling better.

This is a miserable record because it's an insular record. There is no sense of collective outrage like before, as these are not songs we can shout along with. We can't feel like everyone is in this together, because it's much more of a coffee-house open-mic night type of record. I'm not sure why they felt like making a record with no energy or power was a wise decision, because it highlights the shortcomings of their sound. The hooks aren't all that great when they don't have that sense of rage behind them, and the softer vocals sit in a deeply uncomfortable range for my ears. The shouting is far better than the warbling singing, which is something I'm not sure I've ever said before.

I can understand the attitude of not wanting to be pigeon-holed in a certain sound and style forever, but this is such a drastic left-turn, coming on the heels of breakout critical acclaim, that it leaves me baffled. Just when everyone seemed to love them, and they were growing by the day, they've made a record that does nothing to capitalize on that momentum. This one almost feels as if it is intentionally trying to push people away, because perhaps being darlings goes against everything the lyrics stand for. I'm not sure.

All I know is that this is a confounding record to listen to, both because it doesn't offer much appeal as a set of songs, but also because it makes me a bit angry I got my hopes up for this group. They are officially flukes in my book, until they prove otherwise. But at this point, I'm not sure if I'll be paying attention.

Ranking The Albums: Soen

As I have said many times, Soen is to me the embodiment of what modern metal is supposed to be. No one else has mastered the art of blending heaviness, rhythm, melody, and emotion the way Soen has. What started in my mind as an extension of a different band that made far more sense than what they did, has now become a band with the ability to be intricate and heavy, but also as immediate and memorable as any radio rock band.

The only question Soen has left, at this point, is which album of theirs is the best. That's what I'm going to try to figure out today.

6. Cognitive

When Soen came onto the scene, I was not impressed. This album was criticized for sounding like a Tool clone, and for good reason. Even today, this album feels more like a Tool record than a Soen record. It was clear the band was just finding their way, and they hadn't discovered what their identity was going to be. The music was more derivative of their influences, and Joel's vocals were not as confident. It wasn't a bad record, but it was one that didn't make much of an impact. Looking back, it's almost like an awkward teenage phase you cringe at when you see the evidence.

5. Tellurian

Album number two saw Soen developing more of a personality of their own, but it was still finding their way. They turned their attention to prog, and they couldn't be criticized for being derivative anymore, but the songwriting hadn't been honed quite yet. The riffs lack the crunchy grooves that would come to define their heavy songs, and the melodies were not yet so sharp they lodge in your brain. I would still call this a bit of a disappointment.

4. Lykaia

Still going in order, disappointment was over when "Lykaia" was unleashed. This album floored me when I first heard it, and it remains a metamorphosis of the highest order. Soen took a few elements from the first two albums, but discovered how to wrap them up in strong and sticky songs. Whether the anthemic "Jinn", or the gorgeous semi-doom of "God's Acre", Soen found the magic of songwriting during these sessions, unlocking the full extent of their potential. They were no longer a band with ties to the past, they were an entity writing their own future.

3. Memorial

We're nit-picking now. Soen's latest album continues the trend of being their most accessible yet, and it is amazing how they have been able to streamline their sound without ever sounding like they are dumbing anything down. This record is clearly built from the same elements "Lykaia" created, but with all the fat cut off. Soen masterfully pulled off the transition from being a prog metal band to the world's best radio rock band. Packed with great melodies, Soen is showing they have not reached complacency, or the end of the evolutionary line just yet.

2. Imperial

So why "Imperial" over "Memorial"? It's hard to say, but I think the latter might suffer ever so slightly from the fault of trying to be too big. "Imperial" doesn't aim to be quite as crushing, or quite as melodic, and because of that some of the dynamics and hooks cut through just a bit more. When I think about both records, the bits that pop into my head right away come from "Imperial". They have done very few things that hold me ear the way the "In the waters of sin..." chorus in "Deceiver" does. The sequel always struggles to make the same impact.

1. Lotus

If I have to pick one album that sums of Soen, though, it would be "Lotus". It's the perfect blend of their heavy side, their emotional side, and their undeniable hooks. The ballads are gorgeous, "Lunatic" is one of the most unusual Soen songs that is absolutely killer, and the singles "Martyrs" and "Covenant" are simply amazing. One album might have one heavy track that's better, or another album a ballad that's better, but none of the other records put everything together as well as "Lotus". It's a journey that transitions us from Soen's first chapter to their second, and giving us a little bit of everything is the ultimate ask. That means "Lotus" is still the best Soen album, but maybe that will change next time around.

Album Review: Soen - Memorial

I consider myself fickle as a listener, so the fact that Soen made three straight records that won Album Of The Year from me is a rather remarkable achievement. Even for my favorite artists, stringing together records I love is something that doesn't happen as often as you would think. Three is often the limit, with very few pushing past that into rare air. That is what Soen is attempting to do here, which means expectations are as high as they can be, but my sense of wariness is also on alert. Falling out of love is perhaps even easier than falling in love, and the cynic in me feels like it's only a matter of time until it happens.

With "Imperial", Soen was moving in a more streamlined and melodic direction than ever before, and that evolutionary strand is pulled even further on this record. There are aspects of melodies in the choruses of songs like "Unbreakable" that could be radio rock hits. They take that formula, and add their personality to it, creating songs with crushing heavy rhythms and powerful melodic hooks. The band's sound keeps getting bigger, with this being their heaviest production yet.

What separates Soen from so many others is their ability to play with dynamics, both in song and album. The record's ballads are beautiful changes of pace where the songs are able to lean on emotion and melody. The same was true on both "Lotus" and "Imperial", and continues on with this record. Soen is not afraid of moving the light and dark as far apart as they can. But even within songs they play with these dynamics, throwing in breaks where the band pulls back to a clean crooning, and even uses some piano for an extra layer of beauty. That means when they come back in full force, like on the last chorus of opener "Sincere", it hits harder than you realized the first time around.

As for new wrinkles, "Violence" has a synth in the background that sets a bit of a Gothic tone, but doesn't distract attention away from the song. It's a little bit of color that pulls your attention just enough for the swell of the chorus to come out of nowhere.

This is clearly Soen's most mainstream record yet. Between the thick production, immediate hooks, and the concise running times, the band is more interested now in making an impact than in proving their progressive bona fides. As proven on "Imperial", it's a wise decision, as it plays into their strengths. While they can conjure complicated rhythmic patterns for the guitars and drums, the soul of Soen's music at this point is in the way everything blends together into an emotional avalanche.

Joel was a guest on Katatonia's album earlier this year, and that's the album I think is the best parallel for what Soen is doing. Both are albums filled with heavy guitars, beautiful melodies, and a somber atmosphere that speaks to my feelings of emptiness. The difference is in the approach, where Katatonia is coming from beauty and adding heaviness, while Soen is coming from heaviness and adding beauty. They end up in very similar places, perfectly blending metal and soul. I keep saying these days I am looking for music that makes me feel something, and it is Katatonia and Soen who have been able to do that more than anyone else this year.

It doesn't matter where I rank this album among "Lykaia", "Lotus", and "Imperial". The fact of the matter is that Soen continues to make the kind of modern metal I am clamoring for; heavy in both literal and metaphorical terms. Soen has made it a two-horse race for Album Of The Year, once again delivering a treatise on what mainstream metal should be in this decade. Consider my expectations met.

Quick Reviews: Noveria & Marc Hudson

Have I been giving metal the short end of the stick recently? I'm not sure, but let's check out two new metal records today to see what I'm missing out on.

Noveria - The Gates Of The Underworld

Sometimes, I think I give an incomplete thought when it comes to prog metal. I will say that writing prog is often easier than other genres, because you can let the technicality of the music stand in place of songwriting. The flip side to that is to say writing 'good' prog is harder sometimes, because fitting strong melodies into that kind of maelstrom is not an easy task. That's what Noveria is trying to do.

They do it well. Their prog metal is filled with lush melodies and attempts at hooky choruses. Their focus on songwriting is more obvious, and more effective, than many who get lost in their own abilities. Despite their prowess, and a few tangents they go off on, all of these songs are anchored in melody first and foremost. They understand that without a song, you don't really have much worth listening to.

My issue is that despite being prog, there isn't much diversity on the album. It feels like the entire record is densely packed, and utterly unrelenting. It's a full hour of being blasted in your face by their power, which is impressive, but gets old for me long before we reach the finish line. There's a reason why rock and metal bands always go to ballads, even if a lot of listeners think they're weak; albums need room to breath. This one is very good for the style, and I do enjoy it, but I just wish it wasn't so fatiguing to get through the whole thing. A bit more tempo and tonal variation would have made this even better. But maybe that's just me being old and soft.

Marc Hudson - Starbound Stories

The Dragonforce singer steps out with his first solo album, and for as much grief as Dragonforce might get from certain people, I think this solo effort shows they have a very calculated and tempered version of absurdity. I haven't been much of a fan of the band's recent work, but early Dragonforce was some ridiculous power metal fun. This record actually hearkens back to that era before Marc was in the band, but it does it in a way I'm a bit confused by.

The press release says this is inspired as much by anime as by metal, and that's what leaves me scratching my head. The incessant double-bass drumming (Can someone explain to me how that is supposed to be an appealing sound for more than five seconds at a time?) doesn't mesh with the attempts at hyper-melody, and those don't mesh with Marc's voice particularly well. That's the biggest thing for me; this is a singer's solo album, but many of these songs seem to fall in the strangest part of Marc's range.

There are many ways to trade in absurdity, and like a Monty Python sketch, they're not all going to be for you. I still dearly love that ludicrous concept album where Jorn Lande plays the part of Dracula. I was raised on cheese, but this particular variety isn't my thing. Maybe if you know anything about anime beyond that it exists, this will have more appeal for you. For me, it's a bit confounding.

Album Review: The Unity - The Hellish Joyride

I'm certainly fickle when it comes to power metal. That's probably true of everything, but it stands out more with power metal than other genres, both because I still have a soft spot for what got me into metal in general, and because the roteness of the music stands out to me the most. There is so much power metal that does the same old things over and over, which is fine. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doing what the fans expect, but I'm in a position where I'm completely bored by the blueprint being followed so closely.

The Unity was one of those bands who caught my attention with their debut album. It wasn't breaking the mold, but it was done so well it gave me those feelings I had when I first found the genre. That made it even more disappointing that the next time I heard them was a return to the ennui I feel toward most power metal. So now we ask ourselves if two out of three isn't so bad (I know they have three previous albums, but I'm pretty sure I missed one of them entirely), or if they are on the list of bands with one fluke in their catalog.

This album is supposed to stretch some of the boundaries of power metal, bringing more diversity to the mix. That might be true, but it isn't always a good thing. "Only The Good Die Young" is more of a melodic rock song than anything metal, and it stands out for just how lethargic is sounds in the context of the album. It isn't even the pacing of the song that does it, but rather that the hook has no power or energy to it. It sloughs off my ears immediately, and I can't help but think a bit of power metal grandeur would have helped.

I'm also not impressed by "Something Good, which spends a minute and a half with a musical backdrop of just droning notes and drums. It doesn't set a compelling start, and like the previous song I mentioned, the chorus doesn't really elevate things either. That's the weird thing about this record. It's clearly melodic, but something about the delivery of them falls flat the majority of the time. It's hard to hear the fire or the passion in the songs, which leaves them feeling more boring than they might be if given a bit more 'oomph'.

By the time the record enters the second half, there isn't much that can be done to turn the tide. I will give them credit for not being power metal by-the-numbers, but these songs don't have the big hooks and memorable melodies I expect from either power metal or the more hard rock influences they're bringing in. It reminds me of when Edguy shifted their direction for the "Rocket Ride" album. The focus shifted, but Edguy kept delivering unforgettable songs that hit us over the head with hooks. This record might do that three times out of the ten full songs. It's not a disaster, but it's also not living up to the standard I've heard before.

For that reason, we can say this is another disappointment, and The Unity is probably always going to be one of those one album bands, for me at least.

Singles Roundup: Graveyard, Creeper, April Art, & A Light Divided

Plenty of exciting stuff in the grab-bag this week.

Graveyard - Twice

Coming a couple of years after I heard the rumors of new music, Graveyard is finally back, and they've reunited with the producer of their first three records. As those are my favorites from their catalog, both developments are a welcome boost to the second half of the year. Despite the short running time, there is much in the song to pique my interest. The production corrects what I thought was the fuzzy mistake of "Peace", returning them to the more organic sound of those early records. Graveyard isn't a heavy band, and I think abandoning any pretense of trying to sound that way is the best path forward.

Also of note is that this song returns to a more melodic focus. Joakim's vocals aren't overly aggressive, and the mood is set to have the song ride on a simple groove while he croons. It's classic Graveyard stuff, and is a welcome sound to hear once again. The only issue I have is that the chorus of the song barely differentiates itself from the verses, which means even as short as this song is, it feels like it's only one part being repeated. Their singles are often less interesting than the more exploratory songs the deeper cuts offer us, and I'm expecting that to be the case here as well. It's nice to have Graveyard back, although they aren't quite all the way there just yet.

Creeper - Teenage Sacrifice

Why does it seem like I can never have nice things? Creeper is about to put out an album about vampires, dedicated to Jim Steinman. So why did they have to also use 80s influences to do it? They showed with "Thorns Of Love" that they could do pure Steinman, and to be honest, I would much rather hear them explore all the ways they could play with that sound. This 80s rock aesthetic is less interesting, because it's entirely played-out. So many bands are doing the 80s throwback thing that Creeper, for the first time, doesn't feel unique. That being said, this is one of the better 80s pastiches I've been hearing. The hints of backing vocals are pure Steinman, and it does have enough rock in it to still be fun. But there's something about this sound that has always muted melody, and this just doesn't feel as hooky to me as their previous work. So while I'm interested, I can't say I'm excited.

April Art - Not Sorry

I realized sometime along the way that I am fascinated more by voices than anything else. That is what caught my ear about April Art, as Lisa-Marie Watz has one of those voices that hits me just right. Her power and rasp are delightful, and among the best I've heard from a modern modern-rock band, if that isn't too redundant. But she would not be enough without a great song, and the band delivers on that front as well. With heavy riffs launching into a solid groove, and a hook that showcases both their songwriting and Watz's voice, this is a three-minute burst of crunchy joy. They remind me of New Year's Day, but with more attitude, and a grittier sound. This is one of the best songs of the year, I'd say.

A Light Divided - Rain

Speaking of voices, Jaycee is another of those voices that is unique and captivating. Like their last single, "Rain" is a dose of addictive modern rock done to near perfection. The grit in her voice does an expert job of selling the song, which uses the upbeat melody to deliver a message about wearing a smile to hide the struggle of depression. That juxtaposition has long been one of my favorite songwriting tricks, and it doesn't fail here. The band knows how to write hooks, and this one is even more engaging than "Inhale/Exhale". It's definitely an arrow that pierces the black clouds and dissolves them before they can pour on us. The only thing I can say is that I still selfishly want to hear even more.

Album Review: Neal Morse - The Dreamer: Joseph Part I

Here's what I've never understood about religion; Why do the most fervent believers feel like they can never stop talking about their faith? Surely, if you are as comfortable with your faith as you say you are, you shouldn't need to keep proving your devotion to everyone else. Yes, I know they will say it's about promoting the religion so it can spread, but that never worked for me either. The same people who rely on freedom of religion to live their lives as they wish have no problem knocking on someone's door and trying to convert them. Where is the freedom of religion for everyone who doesn't agree with you?

Sorry for the tangent, but that's my way of saying I'm not exactly thrilled to be sitting here talking about only the first half of a new religious musical from Neal Morse. This might be a passion project for him, but it's a drag for me.

Let's get something out of the way right from the start; There is no need for this album. Like his previous album about Jesus the exorcist, there are already plenty of musicals telling the stories of the Bible. Neal doesn't need to add to a catalog too massive to even think about with these records very few are ever going to hear. Is this album about Joseph and his coat ever going to replace 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' in our popular consciousness? Hardly.

I have gone along with plenty of Neal's religious proselytizing in the past, because the music was good enough to make it worthwhile. That wasn't the true with his Jesus album, which was dad-rock of the worst kind. Neal and I haven't been seeing eye to eye for quite a while now, and when the first single for this record was released, I was already groaning at having to sit through sixteen tracks of such corny and bland music.

I will say this album is less embarrassing for me to be listening to than the Jesus album, but it's also not doing anything to move the needle. Perhaps I don't have enough understanding of stage musicals, but since this is being presented as an album, I'm struck by the lack of strong melodies and songs to be found. The characters opine about their situations, but whether it's the acoustic malaise of "Wait On You", or the blues vamp of "Gold Dust City", there is nothing to these melodies to engage me as a listener. It continues a trend of Neal's music growing less and less accessible. He used to throw out prog songs with amazing hooks, and now that he's doing something geared toward the immediate melody, they're falling flat again and again.

I'm going to hold Neal to his own standard. He made the "?" album, which is also a religious concept record. That one was filled with catchy songs and memorable moments. It sounded like a celebration of a faith that makes his life what it is. I don't get any of that from this record. The songs are dull, and that dullness makes me wonder about how these stories are supposed to convince people to come over to his side. Listening, it doesn't make me feel like my life will be better for accepting religion into my life. It's rather a downer of a record, and the prospect of having to do this again for another full hour next year doesn't lift my spirits any.

Sad to say, I've been losing faith in Neal's music, and at this point, with this record, it's just about gone.

Ten Years Ago: Dilana Reveals Her "Beautiful Monster"

Time is an elastic band, where the years we measure can seemingly stretch on forever, only to snap back into shape and feel like it was just yesterday. Our memories are pliable, as pain and joy swirl in rainbows that blot and reflect light in ways where every angle gives us a different color to be in awe of. Ten years can feel like a lifetime ago, or it can feel like we have barely moved on at all. Sometimes we can choose how close to hold a dear memory, and sometimes they slip off our fingertips when we go to hold on to our past.

It was ten years ago that Dilana released "Beautiful Monster", a record that reset my clock. There aren't too many moments in our lives when we feel like everything changed, those watershed moments where the flood wiped clean the landscape so a new reality could blossom. This record was one of those experiences for me, and it's difficult to think it has been ten years, because some days it feels as fresh as the first time I heard it, and other days it feels like it has always been a part of me. Maybe time is actually a mobius strip, and Dilana's voice is the glue holding the loop together.

I like that metaphor.

In recent years, I have found myself pining for music I can make an emotional connection with. That stems from hearing this record ten years ago, because it was Dilana who made me remember I could in fact feel. I would often tell people I didn't feel things, that my emotions didn't work properly, and then I heard these songs. Dilana's soul pours through every note she sings, and the music sits back and lets her take the entire spotlight. We can hear every nuance of her performances, and as I said back then, it's as if her voice is resonating at the frequency of my soul. I had already loved "Inside Out", but I was not expecting what this record did to me, nor was I ready for it.

It can be easy to mistake volume for passion. We heard singers belting at their limits, and we commend them for everything they're putting into their performance. What is more difficult is to bare the pain of your soul while singing in an intimate volume that brings people closer. That is Dilana's most amazing skill, and it is on full display through this entire record. The weariness in her voice as she whispers the opening lines of "Tears" is a depression I know well, and it is the soft caress that opens my heart for when she finally releases everything in the massive rumble of her voice. No one else has ever done that to me.

The record's genius is most evident on "Falling Apart". I have called it my favorite song of all time, which is mostly for the rocking version on "Inside Out". This version strips away all the volume, and all the distortion, and instead places all the grit and dirt of life into her lyric and voice. By the time she sings, "I'm so bloody fucked up", it's as if I know her and she knows me. She is putting to tape what I would be saying for myself, if I had any of the talent to do so.

I could pick out moments like that and individual lyrics from every song, but "Beautiful Monster" is one of those records I like to think about in whole. The impact it makes is emotional, and amplifies as the record unfolds with one searing song after another. Dilana makes my soul bleed, then cuts the wound open again before it fully heals. The record might hurt a bit to listen to, but it hurts in the way of knowing we have all gone through these times of pain. Sad as that might be, the record's joy is in knowing she has made it to the other side, and these songs are the bridge she used to get there. Perhaps listening to them, we can join her.

This record is special, but not just because of how it opened my eyes to a side of myself I didn't think existed. No, this record is also special because it changed my life. It was writing about everything the music meant to me, and sending those words to Dilana, that opened the door to an experience that has meant more than my words can ever express. Those sorts of events only come around a handful of times in our lives, and I'm fortunate to have this record to remind me of that whenever I need it.

It has been ten years since I first heard "Beautiful Monster", and I'm a different person because of it. Sometimes, I feel like I never was that other person, and other times I still feel like these emotions are brand new.

I hope I never lose that feeling. I don't think Dilana will let me.

Album Review: Greta Van Fleet - "Starcatcher"

 

Have you ever seen “My Blue Heaven?” It’s a Steve Martin/Rick Moranis comedy where Steve Martin plays a New York gangster who turns state’s evidence and gets dropped off in the placid sunshine of the fictional San Diego suburb of Freiburg, California. Parenthetically, the movie is (very) loosely based on the life of Henry Hill, so some have suggested that “My Blue Heaven” is technically a sequel to “Goodfellas.”  

Anyway, there’s a scene where Todd Wilkinson AKA Vincent Antonelli (Martin,) is out to dinner with a bunch of other wiseguys who are in witness protection in the same geographic area, and one of them picks up a roll from the table and declares “what the frig is this?” When he’s informed it’s a popover, he breaks it open and proclaims “there’s nothing in it!” From an Italian cuisine standpoint, it’s clear that he expects a knotted piece of bread to be stuffed with something.

“Starcatcher,” the third studio album from Upper Midwest retro trendsetters (how can you be both?) Greta Van Fleet, is the popover in this anecdote.  There’s nothing in it.

Not to mince words: this album is awful.  The ten tracks contained on the album all sound like rough demo cuts from the planning phase of a record that’s a year or more away.  The one cut that has any real potential at all is “Runway Blues,” and it’s the most demo-reminiscent of the bunch, as it not only spans all of a minute and change, but ends on a fade-out, so the song feels incomplete even in its final form.

The trouble begins early and never lets up.  “Fate of the Faithful” is a directionless mess of a song that starts with a buildup that never goes anywhere.  It sets a terrible precedent for everything on the record that follows, which is that it tries to lean into Josh Kiszka’s vocal prowess to carry the overbearing weight of ponderously tiresome rhythms.  

There’s a lot of harsh death metal out there, and much of it possesses more intelligible lyrics than “Starcatcher.”  Kiszka seems content to settle into a paroxysm of strangled caterwauling, or in the case of the closing moments of “The Indigo Streak” and “Meeting the Master,” repetitive cooing that is in no way compelling.  It’s like playing a 78 LP of Ella Fitzgerald’s revolutionary scat singing on 33 and 1/3 and living with the consequences.

Whatever you may believe about Greta Van Fleet, and there are approximately half again as many opinions about them as there are people on planet Earth, there is no denying that their most famous songs had an infectious accessibility to them, the kind of spark that ignited the imaginations of the fans and music media alike, riveting crowds and drawing praise from around the globe.

“Starcatcher” completely misses that mark.  Nine of the ten cuts are perfectly happy to amble about in a laconic miasma of simple hooks, unchanging melodies and Kiszka’s strained wailing.  This is a hard rock band that made an easy-listening record, and failed on that latter point in that there’s no emotional appeal in any particular direction.  None of these songs seem to be about anything, made worse by the indecipherable wall of mangled words.  There’s no connection here, just a pile of jumbled rhythms and occasional but inconsistent harmonies that seem to believe that their simply being is enough.

What the hell happened here?  Why does “Starcatcher” boast none of the bravado of Greta Van Fleet’s previous endeavors?  Why do none of these songs have any punch at all?  Difficult to determine what the cause may be, but this is a clear warning sign that this train may be out of stream already.  “Starcatcher” is a popover – looks nice sitting on the plate, but it has no guts, and is staunchly unfulfilling.

Singles Roundup: Apostolica, Cassadee Pope, Dream State, & Jelusick

Let's see what's in the grab-bag this week.

Apostolica - Rasputin

I quite liked their first album. Despite hating the gimmick of being anonymous, they were the best faux-Powerwolf of all the bands that have tried to be that. I got the impression they were playing the gimmick as a gimmick, which is essential. They now have a second album on the way, and this first song is a bit of a curious thing. It has the right elements, but it doesn't quite work as well. The sound is still big and bombastic, but it's almost as if they've taken their tongue out of their cheek, which I don't think it a good decision. Rasputin is a hard guy to have fun singing about, and that's the big takeaway. The best songs on their first album were fun, and a bit absurd, and this one is far more dour and straight-laced. You can criticize Powerwolf for never changing, but they know what works for them. Apostolica might not.

Cassadee Pope - Almost There

After a bright pop/punk album, Cassadee Pope's new single delves into darker emo. And it does so with sexual subject matter about submission being the key to getting off. I have no problem with that, but for a song about sex and pleasure, it doesn't sound sexy at all. Emo and sex have never really gone together, and this song is a reminder of why. It's not a bad song, and it's interesting to hear lyrics that aren't talking about taking control (given cultural scenarios), but I can't get over how unsexy it is. It's a jarring disconnect between the sound and the message, and so as much as I want to like this more, I'm being kept at arm's length.

Dream State - Chin Up, Princess

After an EP that established the band's new chapter, this single doesn't do much to convince me one way or the other. On the one hand, there's a solid hook and good vocals, so it has the immediate appeal I want. On the other hand, their sound has become so clean and polished I miss the rougher edges they had before. There's a point where music is too perfect for it to have emotional impact, and this is a prime example of that. Compared to their old "Recovery" EP, the precision they employ now strips away the humanity that made them so great. Or at least that's what I'm hearing right now. Maybe they'll still surprise me.

Jelusick - The Great Divide

Dino was briefly one of those guys who was popping up everywhere, but scuttlebutt is that he's one of the few to get fed up with how that system treats the replaceable parts, and so now he is trying to establish his ow band. After a couple of decent heavier songs, he has now turned to the dreaded ballad. Well, I love ballads, so this is his chance to win me over. The guy has a great voice, but I'm not getting enough sweeping emotion from this for it to hit like one of the greats. There's also the thing where if you watch the YouTube video, his voice doesn't sound like it should come from someone who looks like him. Petty, I know, but the same thing happened many years ago with that one-hit wonder The Calling. For as talented as he is, I think he needs to find someone to assist him with the songwriting if this project is going to be a proper vehicle for his voice.

40 Songs for...Well, Let's Not Mention It

Okay, Chris and I started talking about this offline, because I am, as of June, officially old.  He will officially turn old later this year (spoiler alert!)  If frequent readers of this space (and we know you're out there,) have learned anything, it is that I in particular am a sucker for a good list.  Top Eleven Albums of the Year, Top Ten Albums of the Decade, Top Ten Light Heavyweight Boxing Champions (cant anyone beat Artur Beterbiev?) Top Ten Barbecue Sauce Recipes, Top Ten Worst Raiders Draft Picks in Franchise History, Top Ten NBA Players (Unpopular opinion: I have Tim Duncan ahead of Kobe Bryant,) the list (no pun intended) goes on.  

As such, we came into the discussion of how to mark our milestone birthdays.  For the record, we've taken slightly different paths, and Chris, you are under no compulsion to publish yours as I am here.

Without further ado, 40 Songs for 40 Years.  My favorite song from each year I've been alive, which is an astoundingly fun exercise, because as one might imagine, there are years that require agonizing personal deliberation, and years that made me shrug and say 'well, I guess I'm going with that one.'  See if you can determine which is which!  I provided some commentary where I felt it was applicable (all songs linked!)

1983 - Metal Militia - Metallica

1984 - Trapped Under Ice - Metallica 
- I have been ridiculed for this position before, but now I'm old and grumpy and stand by it.  This is my favorite Metallica song.

1985 - This Could Be Anywhere - Dead Kennedys
- I don't know if Frankenchrist is my favorite Dead Kennedys album (that honor probably goes to Plastic Surgery Disasters,) but it is without question their deepest and most mature.  I once did an entire presentation in a non-music college class centered around this song.

1986 - Raining Blood - Slayer

1987 - I Am The Law - Anthrax

1988 - Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
- I am a creature of the environment I was raised in.  To this day, I can't hear someone say "That's the way to do it," without instinctively replying "You play the gui-tar on the MTV."

1989 - Head Like A Hole - Nine Inch Nails

1990 - Temptation - Slayer
- Much like "Trapped Under Ice," this is my favorite Slayer song, and I seem the be the only one. Which made it all the more critical that I see them when they played the 20th anniversary of this album in its entirety, since it was likely my only chance to see this song live.

1991 - Can't Truss It - Public Enemy
- This is the first rap song in my personal listening history that I recall telling one contiguous story. Public Enemy was excellent at this on the whole, and none better than this example. Unpopular opinion: I think Apocalypse '91 is PE's best record.

1992 - Got Me Wrong - Alice in Chains

1993 - Shine - Collective Soul
- I was ten when this song landed, and it introduced me to alternative music, and was super catchy, and one of my local DJs (back when those were a thing,) used to play barnyard animal sound effects during the pauses in the central riff.

1994 - Possum Kingdom - The Toadies

1995 - More Human Than Human - White Zombie
- I was a little young when "Thunderkiss '65" came out, so it was this all-time classic, the first metal song I can think of more memorable for its beat than its riff, that opened my eyes to what music could be.  I grew up in a rock house, and I was a grunge kid because of my older brother, but this was just so damn different.

1996 - Burden In My Hand - Soundgarden

1997 - On My Way To The Cage - Rollins Band

1998 - Edgecrusher - Fear Factory

1999 - Maria - Rage Against The Machine
- Zack de la Rocha is an effective and evocative vocalist, but not always a clear storyteller or sublime lyricist.  Except here, when he nails a compelling and heart-wrenching narrative.  Of all the Rage songs I love, and there are many, this is the one that pops up in my head the most.  Plus, Tom Morello somehow came up with a guitar intro that sounds like a sun beating down on dry rocks.

2000 - Everynight - The Agents

2001 - Who We Be - DMX

2002 - Lapdance - N.E.R.D
- On any given day, if you ask me what my walk-up music would be, it would be this.

2003 - WWIII - KMFDM
- Listen, when you're a metal guy, you don't really have a workout playlist versus a grocery shopping playlist, it's all kinda the same.  Aggressive, high-octane, blood-bumping tunes all the time.  And yet, for all that, this is still my go-to for those times when I am mad at EVERYTHING.

2004 - The Mob Goes Wild - Clutch

2005 - Oh No - Gogol Bordello

2006 - The Champ - Ghostface Killah
- This guy is a bulldozer, with a wrecking ball attached... Also, still the only song I know that finds an effective rhyme for 'hysterectomy.'

2007 - Runnin' Wild - Airbourne

2008 - All Nightmare Long - Metallica

2009 - Metal Metal Land - GWAR

2010 - Astraea's Dream - The Sword

2011 - Number Thirteen - Red Fang
- So many good songs to choose from in 2011.  This was the single most hang-wringing year to try and figure out.

2012 - Breathe Armageddon - Cancer Bats

2013 - The Living Infinite I - Soilwork
- For my (limited) money, this is the greatest, most complete death metal song ever written.

2014 - Behind Illusion - Red Eleven
- I still have some internal qualms over naming this album as Album of the Year over Destrage's Are You Kidding Me? No.  I go back and forth all the time because both albums are sublime, for totally different reasons.  But I have no doubt what the best single is between both records.

2015 - Lost - Shawn James & The Shapeshifters
- I wish my regular speaking voice sounded like Shawn James' singing voice in this one particular song.  Great way to lead a meeting.

2016 - Square Hammer - Ghost

2017 - I Can't Let You Go - Midnight Ghost Train
- I can't believe this was a bonus track.  A bonus track!  Not even on some versions of the record!

2018 - Sick and Beautiful - Fear of Domination

2019 - Rage, My Alibi - Destrage
- I have very personal reasons why this song is on here.  Just know that this is about more than the song itself,

2020 - Late Night - The Heavy Eyes
- I love a good, thick, fuzzed-out guitar, and really, that's all this song is.

2021 - Looking Glass - Cave of Swimmers

2022 - From the E-ternity - Dampf