I was going through my CD collection the other day and realized how many albums A.F.I. had. So naturally, I went on a listening binge of the ones I’ve always dug. Thus we are now at the point where I have made a ranking of all their albums (I’m not including EP’s or live albums) from worst to best. Let me know what your order would be.
I’m genuinely unsure as to what to think about any of the new songs from A Perfect Circle. This new song “TalkTalk” off their upcoming album Eat The Elephant (which comes out April 20, 2018), sounds like a rehashed song from Mer De Noms and a Puscifer song. The more I think about the return of the band, the more I think it took way too long for them to come back, granted this is just my opinion. I’m sure many people out there that listen to this song and all the others off their new album will really enjoy it.
What do you get when you cross 80’s metal a la Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth and 90’s rock in the vain of Nirvana and Soundgarden? Well I’ll tell you, Void Vator is the end result. This four piece Los Angeles based band, is a melodic heavy rock group that is really starting to leave their mark on the scene. Their debut EP Dehumanized, was produced by Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Pantera, Static X, OneSideZero). The five songs on the EP, especially “Time Has Come” and “No Return,” are chock full of rock, riffs, and melody, which is exactly what this band is all about. Check out Void Vator for all your melodic heavy rock needs.
Void Vator- Dehumanized EP:
Time Has Come Video:
No Return Video:
Stone Temple Pilots have released another new song from their upcoming self titled album due out March 16. It’s very well known that no one will ever come close to Scott Weiland and his talent, melodies, and lyrics, that’s just irreplaceable. Stone Temple Pilots seem to have found the right guy for the job though. On the two songs released so far, “Meadow” and the new one “Roll Me Under” Jeff Gutt fits the profile of what the next singer of STP should sound like. He’s right in the range vocally of Scott so it won’t be a stretch for him to sing the older songs. The new song “Roll Me Under” sounds like a classic STP song. At least it’s not anything as bad as their work with Chester Bennington.
Roll Me Under:
Meadow:
Baroness have long proved to be masters of epic songs. Each of their albums have gotten better and better as time goes on. Like Mastodon, Baroness have really carved out a niche within the heavy music community. It’s wonderful to watch a band grow over the years to craft something special and epic. Personally, I really dig on the closing song off their Purple album “If I Have To Wake Up.” That song is beyond beautiful.
Dredg is one of the most underrated, artistic and intriguing bands of the last couple decades. They have been been one of the most consistent bands that chose art over the easy way out. During this time, Dredg have released 5 full length albums all of which stand on their own artistic integrity. There are 2 albums that I’d like to focus on. The bands second and third albums El Cielo and Catch Without Arms are not just artistically sound but also two albums that have helped to influence and inspire countless of other bands.
After Vince Neil quit or was fired (depending on whose story you believe) from Motley Crue in 1992, Tommy, Nikki, and Mick regrouped and recruited singer/guitarist John Corabi to be the new singer for Motley Crue. Motley would go on to record only one album without Vince as their singer but, that one album they did with John Corabi is quite an underrated album. There are a ton of fans out there that want to disregard it but they really shouldn’t. Corabi brought in something else to the band that had been missing for sometime. John’s ability to write lyrics and guitar parts gave new life to Motley Crue. The album also saw them move past their “glam” image and sound to a more rock vibe a la 90’s rock and “grunge.”
I love being a fan of different genres of music. It really is such a great feeling to hear bands from different realms and soak it all in. When you hear “that” band that just hits at the right time and place, you know it’s something special. I’d like to introduce you all to GLAARE. Soaked in post-punk, dark-wave and 90’s alternative, GLAARE deliver melancholy and melody with a sense of brightness through all the darkness. The bands latest album “To Deaf and Day” is the work of Rachael Pierce, Cameron Carlin (Black Mare) and Brandon Pierce (ex-Ancestors). This is the bands first full length album and it encapsulates everything you’d want from the genre and then some. Throughout the 8 songs on the album, you get to experience the beautiful darkness that lay inside GLAARE. They are definitely one band that deserves your undivided attention.
GLAARE- To Deaf and Day:
What else can I say about Spirit In The Room that I haven’t said before? I’m not kidding when I say that with every release they get better and better. The wealth of inspiration that flows in and out of Dennis Sanders is astonishing. There are a few groups I’ve written about here on Audioeclectica that have the same type of passion as Dennis and Spirit In The Room. Well, Dennis has done it yet again. The newest song released, “Kid” is a stark and minimalist post punk gem. Instead of describing what it sounds like, just listen and let the music take you away. Something else you should do is go see Spirit In The Room live. They are one hell of a live band. It’s an “experience” seeing them.
Spirit In The Room- Kid:
Upcoming Spirit In The Room Dates:
January 29 @ The Roxy with 10 Years
February 15 @ Mal’s Bar
February 16 @ Cafe Nela
March 31 @ Bar Sinister
Spirit In The Room Catalog on Bandcamp:
I’ve said this many times before but, I really dig when a band does a cover and makes it their own and pays homage to a great band and song. I want to share a cover Pallbearer did of the classic Type O Negative song “Love You To Death.” While the vocals aren’t Peter Steele, you can still get those “dark” tones from singer Brett Campbell. Pallbearer is definitely one of those bands that just keeps getting better and better. I love that they took a chance on a song like this. Take a listen and let me know what you think. I’m quite interested to hear your opinions on this one.
Pallbearer- Love You To Death:
Type O Negative- Love You To Death:
