Month: April 2014

Band Of The Week: Dekades

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Shoe gaze, Psychedelia, loud bombastic art rock, these are just a few of the ways to describe the sound of Dekades. This awesome foursome have combined all the above into something driving and pulsating. Fronted by Arden Fisher, her hypnotic voice invokes quite a range of emotions in the lyrics she sings. The guitar work provides lush soundscapes before erupting into melodic rumbling. The rhythm section is extremely tight. The bass lines thump in such a lovely way with the beat of the drums. Their most recent release features 4 songs of sheer enjoyment. Dekades are fast becoming a talked about band in the Los Angeles music scene and it’s very well deserved.

 

 

http://dekadesofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Dekadesofficial

http://dekades.bandcamp.com/

 

By: Brian Lacy

Deftones- Smile ( In Honor Of Chi Cheng)

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A couple days ago marked the 1 year death anniversary of Chi Cheng from Deftones. In honor of him the guys in Deftones released a song from the unreleased album EROS. The song is entitled “Smile.” The album was shelved after Chi was involved in a car accident which left him in a coma for years. This song is quite exquisite and explore more of the etherial ambient side of the band. Chi was a very energetic member of the band. His presence alone is very much missed. Sergio Vega (of Quicksand and also a cousin of Chi’s) was brought in after Chi’s accident. I had the pleasure of meeting Chi a couple times and he was one of the nicest most genuine people ever.

Smile:

 

By: Brian Lacy

Album Review: Sevendust- Time Travelers and Bonfires

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Sevendust has always been consistent on releasing new music. Following the release and tour for their last album Black Out The Sun, they didn’t waste anytime and got right back into writing mode. In late 2013, Sevendust used crowd funding (a subject that will get a lengthy write up soon) to help get their new album Time Travelers and Bonfires done. What came from that was an acoustic album featuring 6 new songs and 6 older songs redone. The end result is quite spectacular. The more stripped down Sevendust gets, the more it shows how good they really are. Lajon Witherspoon has one of the best voices in rock music and showcases it especially on the song “Under It All.” Musically this album really helps to shed light on how good these guys are at songwriting. New songs like “Upbeat Sugar,” “Come Down” could’ve been songs in the more traditional Sevendust style, but they really do fit better in this atmosphere. The “old” songs that were redone really come across in a new light. “Black” from their debut album and “Denial” from Home are done in such a away that it seems like they are entirely new songs.

As I’ve previously written Sevendust are definitely worth taking another look. And now with this release, it really shows that Sevendust are a band that should be taken seriously. Do yourself a favor and give this a good listen and you’ll see what I mean!

 

Stream The Album Below:

https://soundcloud.com/guitarworld/sets/sevendust-time-travelers-bonfires

 

By: Brian Lacy

Great Comedy Albums: Denis Leary- No Cure For Cancer

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The 1990’s were a time of growth, change, and anger. Many notable musical groups emerged as well as comedians with a different take on life and the way we all were living. One of those comedians was Denis Leary. After gaining notoriety for his anger filled rants on MTV as well as a regular on the show Remote Control also on MTV, Denis recorded one of his comedy sets in 1992. this set became a legendary album entitled No Cure For Cancer. This album dealt with topics such as vegetarians, smoking, death, and all around political correctness. One of the highlights of this album was the inclusion of the famous “Asshole” song. Denis has been accused of stealing from the likes of the great Bill Hicks, while there are some similarities in the topics, there is a great deal of difference between the two. Denis has gone on to some great things in his career including his role as star, creator, producer and writer on Rescue Me.

 

Asshole:

No Cure For Cancer: Full Set

 

By: Brian Lacy

On The Cusp: Royal Blood

Have you ever wondered what The Black Keys would sound like if they actually had balls? Well you are in luck, here comes Royal Blood. Hailing from the UK, this dynamic duo of Michael Kerr (Vocals/Bass) and Ben Thatcher (Drums), have a great deal of energy and the chops to boot. They have already released an EP entitled Out Of The Black and are wrapping up work on their debut album.

Out Of The Black:

Little Monster:

 

By: Brian Lacy

 

Band Of The Week: Big Jesus

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So many bands try to capture the true essence of their sound on record. Not too many can achieve that without studio tricks. One of the exceptions to the myth is Atlanta, Georgia’s Big Jesus. This four piece has a knack for big melodies, large walls of sound, and silky vocals. Their debut full length ONE, has all the above and then some. The first track on the album “Cold Fire” has a rhythmic heaviness that has a Cave In feel to it. The song “Again” has a chunkiness that is almost sludgy. “Shrimp” is a more mellow mid tempo jam that has shows off the more delicate side of the band. Closing out their album is “Heaviest Heart,” a song that has a sort of Deftones feel to it’s approach. Their all together sound is deeply rooted in the great alternative bands of the 90’s. Lyrically all the songs are deep and meaningful. This band is truly on the right track and have the material to take on the masses.

 

http://bigjesus.bandcamp.com/album/one

https://www.facebook.com/bigassjesus

http://www.thebigjesus.com/

 

By: Brian Lacy

Bands That Should Come Back: These Arms Are Snakes

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Since the late 80’s Seattle has been the birthplace of many great bands. We really don’t need to go over the list. There was one band that came about in the early 00’s that took a very artful approach to their music. Formed by former members of Botch and Kill Sadie, These Arms Are Snakes gave new life to post hardcore and experimental rock. During their career they released 3 full length albums, 1 EP, and over half a dozen splits (a couple with Pelican and Russian Circles). They had one of the most energetic stage shows and best live sounds to boot. Their evolution and growth in songwriting and craft got better and better with every release. After their break up in 2010 the members all went onto other projects. Brian Cook (bass) went on to continue playing with Russian Circles. Ryan Frederickson (guitar) formed a band with former Botch singer Dave Verellen called Narrows. Steve Snere formed the more electronic Crypts and Chris Common went back to work as a full time producer/engineer. These Arms Are Snakes left a lasting impact in the underground scene and are deeply missed.

Red Line Season: From Tail Swallower and Dove

 

Subtle Body: From Easter

 

By: Brian Lacy

Black Map: Live at The Viper Room

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When it was first announced that Dredg’s Mark Engles, Far’s Chris Robyn and The Trophy Fire’s Ben Flanagan had gotten together to play music, the hairs on my arms stood up (all in a good way). The three formed the band Black Map, a melodic hard rock band that shows the harder side of what they all have to offer. In a live setting they are undeniably awesome. Their live show is intense as it is raw and powerful. Chris plays with the same intensity that he’s played with since back in the FAR days, only this time he has added more groove to his playing. Mark has a very unique tone with Dredg and parts of that carry over but in this band you can tell his love for the heavier side of things, especially with the riffs he plays. Ben has a great sense of melody with his voice and his bass tone is thick and driving. All three of these guys make what a power trio should be. Their set at the Viper Room on Saturday night was inspiring. Despite a few technical issues, they were on fire. Playing the four songs from their EP and others yet to be released, everyone in the audience was really into it. The unreleased songs has a great balance of melody and heaviness. Even their banter in between songs provided a few chuckles while at the same time engaging to everyone. I can’t wait to see them again.

Their debut EP DRIVER is 4 songs of nothing but fantastic. Kicking off the E.P. is “I’m Just The Driver.” This song is what a lead of track should be as well as a great introduction to what the sound of the band is.  The next track “Gold” has a melodic edge to it all the while rhythmically driving. “Head For The Hills” showcases Ben’s vocal ability as powerful rock singer. The music that accompanies the song is melodic in nature and shows off more of what Mark can do on his guitar. The closing track “Ropes” is a great song that features a rocking sing along (which has been missing from rock music in general). Musically this song has a nasty vibe to it with it’s dirty bass and pounding drums, but also has a sheen to it with the guitars bouncing back and forth between clean and distorted.

Black Map has recently stated that they have enough songs for a full length which they hope to have out later this year as well as lots more shows to come. These guys are the real deal, they know how to write great songs and bring back hard rock with melody!

 

 

http://www.blackmapmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/blackmapmusic

http://blackmapmusic.bandcamp.com/album/driver

 

By: Brian Lacy