EP Review: Yours Truly - Afterglow

Sometime after the release of their "Too Late For Apologies" EP, someone who knows my affection for these kinds of bands pointed me in the direction of Yours Truly. It didn't take more than a minute or two for me to realize they were exactly what I was looking for. They had the perfect blend of bright pop and crunchy rock, appealing to both sides of me at the same time. And given that the band I would most directly compare them to (whom any of you would only know through my constant invocation of their name) had seemingly broken up, Yours Truly was a godsend. The only problem? The EP clocked in at seventeen minutes, which left me wanting so much more.

And more is what we now get.

"Afterglow" is Yours Truly becoming even brighter, even catchier, even more irresistible. If you're like me, and you love pop music and rocking guitars, then the best pop album of our lifetime very well might be Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway". Despite her reality tv beginnings, that record is the epitome of rocking pop. Well, Yours Truly is carrying on in that spirit, and this EP is perhaps the closest thing to that classic as I've ever heard.

Things kick off with "Circles", with pulsing guitars that bounce with pop/punk energy. The tone and production is bright and shiny, but the guitars are rocking enough for the muted chords in the second verse to hit with power. Combine all of that with Mikaila's soaring vocals in the chorus, which sticks like velcro, and you get a winner of a song. And just to top it all off, the opening (and recurring) guitar lick is one of those motifs that is not only memorable, but helps the band stand out from all the others who rely strictly on ringing chords, and who let synths take the lead.

"I Can't Feel" comes next, and throws more of a dance feeling into the mix. The song practically begs you to bop your head along with it, and then the chorus comes along, which pulls from the mid-00s pop/punk scene. It's effervescent, and just brings a smile to my face. When Paramore went full-on pop with their least record, this is the sound they should have been aiming for. Yours Truly doesn't have to give up their rock cred, and they still write catchier songs.

"High Hopes" was released as a stand-alone single last year, and it hasn't lost any of its impact here. This song finds Yours Truly indulging their heavier side, with the guitars chunkier and less shimmering. This is the song I could most easily imagine circa-2005 Kelly Clarkson singing. It would have fit right in with "Since U Been Gone". It's just under four minutes of absolute perfection.

"Delusional Paradise" is a duet that reminds me quite a bit of "Cork Tree" era Fall Out Boy, but more emotional than snark-pop, especially with the acoustic guitars that poke through the mix here and there. It serves as the breather where a ballad would usually sit, but it doesn't go that far in softening the band's edges. Other than one needlessly crass line from Mikaila's partner, it's a lovely song that shows us how Yours Truly can do more resonant material as well as they can their ear-candy.

The title track finishes things off, with heavy chugging guitars through the verses, and a relentlessly sunny chorus that finishes the job of giving us a cavity from the sugary hooks they've been pouring into us. At this point, I can say that as good as the "Too Late For Apologies" EP was, "Afterglow" is a more interesting collection of songs. It balances pop and heaviness, fun and meaning, in a way that gives us a wonderful mix of everything Yours Truly is capable of.

What I can tell you is that in the world of bands that straddle the line between pop and rock, Yours Truly are currently the best of them all. Full stop. I adore "Afterglow", and in fact, the only complaint is that I love it so much I want another five songs to give me an even bigger dose of their addictive style.

EP Review: Manowar - The Final Battle I

It's not entirely hyperbole to say that Manowar embodies everything that's ever been wrong with heavy metal. It started in the 80s, when they made people think it was acceptable for your image to be that of loin-cloths. It continued by making the glorification of sword-swinging war a standard trope of bone-headed masculinity. The band then became run by an overblown ego who thought Manowar somehow important to the world, when everyone knows they were always laughed at. It kept going when they got to the creatively barren point of their career where they have reissues, remixed, and re-recorded their seminal (how appropriate a term) albums again and again. And now it ends with them buried under the cloud of their most recent guitarist being arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. Yes, the story of Manowar is flaming garbage at every turn, matched only by their music's descent into unlistenable noise.

I thought that had culminated with their last album, which was one of the worst sounding records I have ever come across. Joey DeMaio's bass cut through the mix like a rusty chainsaw, turning the already weak songs into a buzzing assault on the ears that any novice would be ashamed to have put out into the world, let alone a thirty year veteran who owns his own studio. If that record was indicative of their facilities, it should have gone out of business.

That brings us to this new EP, which is a complete insult to the fans who have allowed Manowar to be a thing all these years. Let's dispel any notion of this being good, because it isn't. On every level, this is a release the band should have been ashamed to put out.

We'll start with the elephant in the room. The press release trumpeting this EP, the first of three that will make up a full record, has precisely zero mentions of who is playing guitar for the band. Considering the legal jeopardy of their most recent player, one would think Manowar would be eager to make sure people know they aren't supporting child exploitation by buying or streaming this new music. But that's not where Manowar went, because these songs lead me to believe that bassist Joey DeMaio likely played guitar himself on these tracks.... and he is not a guitar player. Not only does the tone sound like a beginner's first practice amp, but the 'riffs' are so remarkably simple anyone who has played guitar for more than a few weeks would be able to master them.

The other big flaw is the closing "You Shall Die Before I Die", the title of which sounds to me like the band trying out medieval playground insults. That song drags on for six minutes, featuring Joey DeMaio's raspy spoken word vocals, as he tries to sound epic, but actually just sounds like a guy with a sore throat calling into the next room for someone to bring him a lozenge. It isn't musical, it isn't interesting, and it's a waste of time on what is already a short EP. Not to mention that the first track is two minutes of scene-setting, so what we really get here are just two 'real' songs, both of which are slow, plodding numbers that don't have any power or majesty.

I'm left shaking my head. I don't understand why this EP exists. There are only two real songs, neither one of them is good, and they put both of the most boring parts of a concept album (the intro and the narrative) on here. Maybe they would be ok if they were buried amid eight more decent tracks, but this is what they've chosen to put out to generate excitement for the next two. Is this a case of them needing the money from the sales of this to finish the other EPs? Or maybe it's an experiment to see how little effort they have to put into their music to get their fans to still buy it?

Whatever the case, Manowar is now the Black Knight from the Monty Python movie. They have been hacked to pieces by their own deeds, yet they insist they are still strong and powerful, and will continue to rock the world. Like hell they will. Manowar can't even rock the local Bass Pro Shops. Trust me, I know.

"The Final Battle" had better be just that, because I don't know if I've ever heard a better argument in favor of forced retirement.

Album Review: Pharlee - Pharlee

Whether you want to use the word occult, psychedelic, mystical, or anything else, there has been an absolute tsunami of bands coming forward with ethereal women trying to captivate us like the devil in the blues. Many have been successful. Lucifer made a compelling record last year, I loved the album The Black Marbles made just before splitting up, and the most successful of them all was the debut Blues Pills record. So let's just say I'm amenable to what Pharlee is aiming to achieve with this record.

And as I just talked about ethereal women, this record opens with a song called.... "Ethereal Woman". The riff is fuzzy, intricate, and backed by stabs of Hammond organ. Even if it's an easy way to sound like a throwback, I never get tired of hearing organ in my rock. And a throwback Pharlee is, as this record sounds every bit the time capsule from the mid 70s. The haze covering the analog recording is like the layer of dust getting caught in the grooves of a record that has sat unplayed for decades. As soon as you put it on, you know this isn't a modern record.

The band spotlights 'blues-rock banshee' Macarena Rivera's voice, but not at the expense of the ensemble. She is given her time to shine, but in the midst of songs that highlight the band's playing. They move up and down the fret-boards while she waits for her moment to unleash. She fits the mold, but doesn't have the raw power of an Elin Larsson, or the detached charisma of Johanna Sardanis. Of course, part of that could be do to the production, where we don't get a really clear performance captured on tape. I think there is more to her than we're able to hear.

That would do a world of good, because the band hasn't yet found their songwriting legs. They have the sound nailed down, but the songs themselves aren't particularly engaging. The band tears through their riffs so fast they don't have much groove or melody to them, and that doesn't give Macarena a lot to play off. She wails in the right moments, but to rise above the noise, the nuance and movement of melody get lost in the shout.

With only five original songs here, and none of them standing out, it's hard to talk about the potential Pharlee does or doesn't have. They can play, and they can recreate the production of the past, but those are the least important parts of making great music. Everything comes down to writing great songs (or picking great ones to play), and Pharlee doesn't show here that they will be able to do that. This record is much like the time period it's inspired by; clearly not the future.

Singles Roundup: Dream State, The Nearly Deads, Baronness, Neal Morse, & Scott Stapp

As we get ready to start another month, the release schedule is still filling in, so let's take a look at a few singles to get us going.

Dream State - Hand In Hand

The "Recovery" EP was a very good release that I have grown quite fond of, but this new single raises the bar even higher, is their best song yet, and is perhaps my favorite song so far this year. It amazes me how they are able to bring in aspects of hardcore, yet have the music remain upbeat and catchy. This song is one that crowds at live shows will be shouting along with, no doubt. I particularly love how when the song pulls back for a moment, CJ's soft vocals, and then the shout afterwards, make her Welsh accent readily apparent. It sounds passionate, and real. If this is any indication, their upcoming debut full-length is going to be one to watch out for.

The Nearly Deads - Halfway To Nowhere

The band's last single, "Freakshow", was perhaps their best song yet, so how do they follow that up? Very well, it seems. These recent songs inject more groove to the guitars, sounding a bit grittier, and maybe more rock because of it. TJ's vocals and hook are the key, with some sunny-day charm and an effervescence I find alluring. Like "Freakshow", The Nearly Deads are really hitting their stride here. I can only hope these songs are leading to a larger release. I would love to have more material like this.

Baroness - Borderlines

"Purple" was the first Baroness album I enjoyed, as they stripped away a lot of the sludge for a sound that was more epic, and more melodic. This new single is a continuation of that sound, for good and bad. The good is that it sets an atmosphere early, and builds a solid and strong composition around it. The bad is, like "Purple", anytime the band is playing with volume, the production is so clipped and distorted the track is ruined. I haven't listened to "Purple" since putting it on my year-end list, and I'm afraid this record is about to suffer the same fate.

Neal Morse - Get Behind Me Satan

Coming this summer, Neal adds to his collection of them with a double-concept rock opera about.... Jesus. I'm not knocking the guy for writing about his faith. I've liked plenty of his music focused on that, so that's not the issue here. The problem is that this single happens to be one of his worst songs. Neal, whether he's doing prog or pop, always writes some of the catchiest damn melodies you'll ever hear. That's what's missing from this song, which is such a generic middle-aged rocker that there's practically nothing to it. The entire piece is supposed to be diverse, and it had better be, because this first taste is not a promising start for a concept that will be hard for many to swallow anyway.

Scott Stapp - Purpose For Pain

What the hell is going on here? This year, I've already quite enjoyed an Avril Lavigne album, and now Scott Stapp has put out a lead single that's also pretty darn good. The guy got a lot of grief, and for good reason. Creed became intolerable, and Stapp joined Art Of Anarchy after the only reason to enjoy their first record had passed away. So it's with great surprise I found myself saying this new single is the best thing he's done in who knows how long. I don't know why he worked with on his upcoming record, but if it all sounds like this, we might have to get used to a world in which Scott Stapp isn't always a joke.

Album Review: Devin Townsend - Empath

I'm going to say something that is rather unpopular; I don't like Devin Townsend. I have nothing against him, who seems to be a nice and down-to-earth guy, but I have never come across music he has made that has interested me in the slightest. Strapping Young Lad was noisy anger for the sake of being abrasive, while his later solo works largely churned out the same chugging riffs and boring melodies. And throw in Ziltoid, which was one of the dumbest concepts I've ever heard of, and you get someone who holds no appeal for me. I've tried to listen to several of his projects, and while "Ocean Machine" wasn't terrible, his view of music and mine just don't mesh. So why, then, am I here to talk about his latest album?

I could be a musical masochist, or perhaps I'm intrigued by the idea of this being a mixture of every side of Devin's musical mind. If ever I'm going to find something in him to appreciate, it should be with this record.

After an ambient introduction, "Genesis" kicks off the album with electronic flourishes, those one-note chugging riffs, and Devin throwing every vocal trick in the book at the composition. He sings, he screams, and a choir comes to back his vision of what creation must have been like. Of course, this is the big-bang version, where there is a large noise, and then something arises from nothing. I find the composition slipshod, as blast beats come in from nowhere, the song bounces from sound to sound at random, and Devin sticks to his usual single note melodies that I find so boring. He does try a bit of everything, so I'll give him that.

"Spirits Will Collide" is better, if only because it's more focused. The song has an identity, and sticks to its guns through its run-time. The use of choirs is more effective with the symphonic backdrop, although it does get a bit repetitive by the end. Devin decides to semi-growl his way through some of what is supposed to be a beautiful song, which is another decision I'm not sure I understand. I suppose that is the way his music is often able to call itself 'progressive', but I find it confusing more than boundary-pushing.

It doesn't take long for me to realize this album is not at all for me. Devin's heavy use of electronics, and refusal to commit to an idea for more than a minute at a time, is simply not the kind of music I enjoy listening to. Progressive music can come in long-form, and it can integrate a wide variety of sounds, but it needs to have a built-in logic so it feels natural to make those shifts within a song. Devin's music often skips out on the connective tissue, and leaves us with a scattershot of ideas that don't feel cohesive.

And after however many albums I have listened to from him, I continue to maintain Devin is a lackluster vocalist. I'm not saying he isn't talented. His voice is good, and he can do so many things with it, I can't say he is untalented. What he is, though, is not a writer who gives himself good material to sing. Over the course of these tracks, there isn't a single melody he sings I can remember. Whether singing or screaming, they are all flat and dull, relying on the scope of the production, and his lung power, rather than crafting a set of notes with any hook to them.

And by the time we get to the ten and twenty minute epic tracks, both of which are filled with several minutes of ambient noise, my patience is fried. When I describe music as being self-indulgent, this is a good example of what I mean. Devin is indulging every creative idea he's had in the last few years, and throwing them at us without much regard for how they will sound to us. I didn't enjoy any of my previous experiences with his music, but "Addicted!" and "Ki" made sense. This record doesn't. It sounds like a jigsaw puzzle that was forced together with a hammer.

I know a lot of people love Devin, but I'm sorry, I can't see why. I may lack empathy, but "Empath" is going to wind up as one of the most painful listening experiences of my year.

Album Review: A New Revenge - Enemies & Lovers

In all the time I've been writing about music, I think this is a first. A New Revenge marks the third time in just three months I am reviewing an album featuring the vocals of Tim 'Ripper' Owens. There have been a lot of musicians who have been part of multiple records in a given year, including at least two I can remember who were on three, but they never came out so close together. I don't know if it was happenstance, or intended to try to ride the wake, but it also runs the risk of having us completely burnt out by the time the third offering comes along. And given that the first two albums Ripper has 'gifted' will wind up among the very worst records of the year, that threat is very real.

This time, thankfully, we aren't dealing with shriek-filled true metal. A New Revenge is rock and roll, driven by Ripper and Keri Kelli, who has played with Slash's Snake Pit. After what I've already heard from Ripper, that is welcome news indeed.

The album opens up with "The Distance Between", which is very Slash-like rock, with the exception of the odd laser-whoosh sound effects that pop up here and there. I'm not sure what they are supposed to be implying. Is the band somehow existing in a bad 80s sci-fi movie? Remove those, and it's a decent track. Actually, the record is much better than I thought it was going to be. Given his track record, and the spotty results from these supergroup bands, I wasn't expecting much of anything. To my surprise, what we have here is a solid record that gets in and out, throws a few punches, and doesn't try to fight above its weight.

What becomes clear as the record moves on is that Ripper's choices have limited his future. When he reaches back for a stronger note, he sounds fine. When he's singing in a more restrained manner, the cracks in his voice are undeniable. The years of shrieking over loud metal have done damage to what used to be a good voice across his entire range. I remember listening to him singing "The Clouding" with Iced Earth and believing he was better than Matt Barlow. Hearing him sing this material, his voice has deteriorated in those tones, which explains to me why he is so reliant on his high piercing voice in most of his work.

It's interesting to hear this record, as over the course of two decades, this is probably the catchiest and most melodic record Ripper has ever been a part of. Hearing him in a new context adds information I didn't have before, and what it does, at least for me, won't be something he wants to hear. A New Revenge tells me he's wasted a lot of years making generic shriek-metal, when he had the chops to be fronting a rock band that is bigger and better than any of his other projects.

Trust me, that's supposed to be a compliment. In all honesty, "Enemies & Lovers" is a good record that holds its own against all the other bands put together from 80s and 90s personalities. It's a short and sweet record that delivers fun rock and roll, the kind that's hooky and not concerned with posturing how 'rock' you are. It's refreshing, and something we need more of. I like this record, and I would certainly welcome a follow-up. A New Revenge shows a lot of potential here.

A Conversation with Erik Barath of Indestructible Noise Command

During the most lengthy hiatus in recent memory, Indestructible Noise Command was in danger of becoming a once-successful band that time had forgotten.  In 2010, they made their triumphant, violent return to the metal world, and everything has been trending up since.  Fresh off the release of their newest album "Terrible Things," we sat down with guitarist and ideaman Erik Barath

D.M.: Let’s start with how you feel about “Terrible Things.”  How does it separate itself from your previous albums, and what’s on there that fans won’t have heard from you before?

ERIK BARATH: On Terrible Things, we went back to our roots. It’s really a pure, old school thrash album so the fans that have been with us from the start will find it a familiar road they are traveling upon.

D.M.: It seems there’s less of the groove we saw on “Heaven Sent… …Hellbound,” (or “Black Hearse Serenade,”) and what feels like a return to traditional thrash – what made you go that way?

EB: Our music is dictated by whatever flows out of me. I just wrote “Fist Go Rek” and that opened a doorway in me. The rest of the album just followed that track as if it were an out of control freight train. We  are very comfortable with where we are right now. I think we’ll live here for a while.

D.M.: As you’ve gotten a little older, has the thrash writing process changed for you?  You can’t be the same person you were twenty years ago.  What’s your headspace like when you’re writing?

EB: Well now with the digital age, we don’t have to all cram into some dank rehearsal space and try and hash out a song. I can now record the song complete in my little studio and the boys just run with it from there. Much easier.

D.M.: One of the things that I appreciate about Indestructible Noise Command the most is your incorporation of the piano or a classical overture to enhance the sense of the moment – where does that come from?  What’s your influence in those moments?

EB: That probably comes from my first obsessions in music, which were Queen and The Beatles. Those bands showed there are no restriction or rules to rock n roll. You can make any other style or genre fit if you are clever enough and I love the challenge of making all the styles I love and feeling streaming through me fit together in one neat package.

D.M.: I believe I described the lyrics of “Identifier” as “deliriously random.”  It’s the album’s best song (one man’s opinion,) but what’s going on there?

EB: The song focuses on the madness following the 2016 elections so at the surface it’s political, but I approached it with poetic comedy. You will get it if you read between the lines. I left it as a bit of a puzzle.

D.M.: Talk about your band’s guitar tandem.  It’s one of the great pairs working today – if you were to compare them to the great metal tandems of then and now, whose company are you in?

EB: Oh I don’t know, Anthony [Fabrizi] and I are so different from each other and I especially from anyone else because I have no proper training, I know no theory so I learned to play my own way, which at times is unorthodox and chaotic, I think that’s why it works and has the sound it does.

D.M.: Once and for all – what happened that the band decided to go on hiatus in the first place?

EB: We had some really solid success with our first two albums in the mid-‘80s and wanted to get with a bigger label that could get us to the next level. Epic Records offered to sign us, and the deal was worked out and ready to sign when the head of A&R got fired. Our deal got cancelled. Then time just kept passing and we were lost at sea with wind in our sails. Being we were just over 20 years of age, we started fighting with each other and eventually called it quits.

D.M.: INC now has more albums post-hiatus than pre-hiatus.  What does that feel like?  Does it feel like you’ve crossed a threshold?

EB: It feels great. We actually feel like we’re at the top of our game and getting better. I have new material written already for the next record and it will be massive.

D.M.: What changed in the industry that made it the right time to end your hiatus and begin the second phase of your career?

EB: Oh, the industry sucks more than ever, it wasn’t that. I just started writing and it just started sounded better and better and it sparked the fire in the band. We do this for us and for the hard core fans that are still with us. The industry is a nightmare these days. And by Industry I don’t just mean record companies, I mean the overall business. It’s a money pit and recouping is harder than ever.

D.M.: Describe your hiatus as it relates to the band members – was there ever a falling out, or was everyone on board no matter how long it took?

EB: There had been talk of [a comeback] for years and years but it was always presented as getting together and playing some shows and I wanted to do a full comeback with new material, the whole 9 yards. It wasn’t until I started writing that it all clicked.

D.M.: As you look around in the modern version of a genre you helped foster, who gets it right in your opinion?  Who are the young thrash bands that are carrying on the torch properly?

EB: Municipal Waste are very cool. Kinda has the fun thrash thing that we were doing back in the ‘80s. Havok is a really solid thrash band as well. I am sure there are others that slipped my mind. The thrash scene is always pretty healthy with newbies carrying the torch.

D.M.: Okay, I gotta know – your band is from Connecticut and your bass player is Dave Campo.  Now, the Dallas Cowboys used to have a head coach named Dave Campo, and he’s from Groton, Connecticut.  Is there a relation there?  How many Campos can be there in such a small state?

EB: You know I have no idea [laughs]. I wish, he could hook us up with some sweet tickets [laughs].

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Album Review: Lance King - ReProgram

Sometimes it feels like a new genre is popping up every time I turn around. I remember the days when we had only a few varieties of metal; traditional, thrash, death, black, and doom. That accounted for nearly everything. Now, however, we get everything from 'pornocore' to 'power violence', and all sorts of other things I have pushed out of my mind. It's hard to know what you're listening to, even when you hear it described. Lance King says too much is never enough, as this new solo album is set to debut yet another genre tag; celestial metal. What is that? We'll figure that out as the album unfolds.

Mostly, the tag refers to melodic prog/power metal with a more introspective perspective than we usually get. These are not songs about swords and dragons, or awful teenage dystopian fiction. Lance is singing about the human condition, and our relationship with the world as it is developing. Lance wants us to think about ourselves while we listen to his music, which is a different aim than most bands have.

From a purely musical view, "ReProgram" is still a challenging listen. Whether we're talking about a more direct track like "Pointing Fingers", or the ten minute closer "A Mind At War", the music is complex and demanding. The former kicks off the album after the introduction, and it does so with a flurry of notes. I would need a more developed ear to know exactly what is going on, theoretically, but it's the kind of prog metal that has enough going on to satisfy anyone who enjoys technical music, but Lance is able to leave enough room for his chorus to hit a melodic note.

That is a tricky balance to find, as many bands have been unable to be both technical and melodic at the same time, as intricate music is not easy to sing over, no matter how skilled the musicians involved. That is one of the main reasons I don't listen to and talk about as much progressive metal as I could. While the music can often be incredibly interesting, it is not the best recipe for the kind of songwriting I enjoy. Darkwater recently released an album that isn't dissimilar to this, and it's an approach I wish more bands were able to muster.

I find "Reaction Formation" one of the most interesting tracks. With the chord choices, and the few moments of odd rhythm that come in, it reminds me a lot of Ark's "Burn The Sun", which is one of the most unique prog discs I've ever heard. I can even heard bits of similarity in Lance's vocals to some of Jorn's from that record. It has this wonderful ability to be laid back and chill, while also pushing some heavy and energetic moments. Like I said, interesting.

Another interesting aspect to the record is how in certain parts of "Technology" and "Wide Open", Lance's voice resembles Sebastian Bach. That adds another layer to the record, which morphs and changes with each new song. That keeps the album from growing stagnant, even if a song like "Chaotica" takes a path that isn't as melodic as the best material here.

The majority of the record, however, is the kind of prog metal I can enjoy. Lance anchors his deeper aims in songs that maintain their accessibility, which is the reason the record works. It's easy to go so far down the rabbit hole only the musicians themselves understand why the music is supposed to be interesting, but that's not what we have here. "ReProgram" may not rewrite the rules of prog, or rewire our thinking, but it does provide us with music that will make us pay attention and engage our minds. That's not nothing.

Album Review: Red Handed Denial - Redeemer

When it started out, metalcore was created to be the perfect take on modern metal. It fused together everything that made metal appealing to the various stripes of fans; the heaviness, the aggression, and the sing-along melodies that can turn live shows into communal experiences. That first wave of bands was offering something for everyone, but like most things, it got ruined as time went on. The generation that followed was influenced by metalcore only, and as you would expect, they watered down the sound and made the music less appealing. Few of the modern metalcore bands I've had the opportunity to listen to are able to find the melodic edge that made the genre stand out as the next big thing. So how does one move into the future without destroying the past?

You ask Red Handed Denial.

With this record, they have staked out the future of that kind of metal, whether the old genre tag applies anymore or not. Their sound is crushingly heavy, densely packed, and still balanced out with wonderful melodic moments. While the old sound was one combining alternative rock with Gothenberg death metal, Red Handed Denial takes it a step further by fusing catchy hooks with instrumentals that at times border on deathcore. It's shocking how music this heavy and technical can still serve as a base for choruses that can stick in your head. I've heard enough attempts and failures to do just that, to the point I was almost convinced it couldn't be done.

The singles "Clockwork" and "Empire" are what convinced me I needed to hear this record. "Clockwork" is a bit like an old mechanism, with guitars weaving in and out of each other, never stopping or slowing down. There is more playing going on than can be heard at first glance, hitting on circular harmonies and djent rhythms. All the while, Lauren Babic plays both the devil and angel on your shoulder. He screaming and guttural vocals are ugly in the best way, while she has an ear for simple melodies that stick I'm impressed by. This isn't the sort of record I would immediately be drawn to, but her performance is undeniable, and elevates the record well above their competitors.

I don't particularly like the term for music, but "Redeemer" is what you could call state-of-the-art metal. It uses an old formula, but the components are still shrink-wrapped as they get put together. The instrumental prowess of the band is impressive, flashing technical playing and off-kilter grooves as if it's nothing. On "The Art Of Bargaining" alone, they cycle through finger-blistering lead playing, a stuttering polyrhythm, and a melodic section that could almost have been a descendant of Iron Maiden. There's always some new wrinkle to their sound being added in, keeping things from becoming one trick repeated again and again.

"Redeemer" is a concept album telling the character's story as they make their way through limbo, and towards their afterlife. That works as a metaphor for the record, because it strikes me as a bridge between the mainstream and the underground of metal. The two are so often completely divorced, yet Red Handed Denial is a band that can bring them together. They have a unique ability to make the most modern sounds appealing to someone like me, who usually is turned off by that style. Ironically, I said the same thing the first time I heard "The End Of Heartache" back in the day. "Sins Of Yesterday" doesn't soar the same way "A Bid Farewell" did, but the appeal is much the same. It's three blistering minutes that coalesce around a hook that will endure.

"Worse For Wear" is a standout, with guitars that are far more upbeat that the rest of the record, and vocals that are clean for almost the entirety of the song. It goes a long way to showing the diversity the band can lay claim to. They can overwhelm with power, or win you over with something far more mainstream. You'll note the record gets 'softer', and cleaner as the second half unfolds, as I assume the protagonist is entering Heaven. The story would necessitate fewer harsh vocals, and Lauren does what the narrative requires, rather than put herself above what the songs are trying to convey. That is a mature attitude a lot of singers wouldn't be comfortable embracing.

That leaves us to render judgment. "Redeemer" is an album I found highly impressive. Red Handed Denial were abel to take a style that isn't my usual deal, and turn it into something I was excited to hear. Their music is challenging, but there's great reward for giving them a chance. "Redeemer" is one of the rare concept albums where the main story points can be felt in the shifting music, but more than that it just works as a thoroughly modern metal record. Red Handed Denial has a lot of appeal here.

Album Review: LA Guns - The Devil You Know

I have long said that a lot of bands and albums that get labeled 'classic' are more due to the dumb luck of coming out at the right time. I can run through a long, long list of records that would be laughed at if they came out today, but they are currently held up as defining classics of their genres. We don't like to think luck plays a factor, but it does. Take LA Guns, for example. They came up in a time when every band on the Sunset Strip was getting signed, and they had a minor tie to Guns N Roses, so it was natural they would find an audience. But they were awful then, and they're awful now. Their last album got praise from the 80s fanatics, but it was terrible. Phil Lewis might sound like he did back in the day, but that only means he sounds bad. The songwriting was weak, and the album sounded flimsy too.

So now they come back with an album that is supposed to be heavier and more aggressive, which are the same buzz-words that get trotted out every time a band is struggling to say anything good about what they've come up with. There are enough people out there who mistakenly think 'heavy' is a synonym for 'good', and that's one of the things that makes me sad about music.

Anyway, let's talk about this record. First thing's first; this is another album that sounds truly dreadful. Tracy's guitar buzzes with a horrible tone that sounds like a child's practice amp, and Phil's vocals are buried underneath that fuzz. That's both a good and bad thing. It doesn't help the songs to put all the focus on the ugly guitars, but it does distract us from hearing Phil's voice, which is an unpleasant strain. Why people from the 80s continue to say he sounds great is a mystery. Did the 80s have no standards?

The first lyric on the record is about "bullshit", which sums up the remainder pretty well. These fifty-somethings are trying their best to be heavy and tough, which is total posturing. I'm assuming it's that desire that led them to these production choices, which is a misguided attempt to slap a veneer of cool onto a band that is anything but. If the name LA Guns wasn't slapped on the cover, I would have no trouble believing this record comes from any local bar band. It's not well written, sung, or produced.

That said, it is still better than their previous record. That one had no redeeming features I could find, while this one has a couple of songs that aren't half bad. They aren't good, but they aren't embarrassing. I could do without ever hearing Phil's voice filtered through a piercing megaphone filter ever again, but something like "Loaded Bomb" isn't the worst way to spend four minutes.

But let's be honest; LA Guns doesn't deserve our time. Between the drama they have spent decades fostering upon us, and their mediocre at best catalog, there's no reason for us to care about new music from them. They have endured only because people thought they were on the verge of imploding. Being a fan of them is like waiting at the train crossing to see if a car gets hit.

This record isn't that full-on massacre, it's even worse. "The Devil You Know" is an afternoon spent waiting after forgetting the trains don't roll by anymore.