Last year Poison The Well announced a few shows marking their return. Today they announced they are playing shows on the west coast during the summer. This news put me in a Poison The Well kind of mood. So here is a ranking of their albums from not their best to the best.
Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder:
The Opposite Of December:
Versions:
The Tropic Rot:
Tear From The Red:
You Come Before You:
We’ve all heard bands that were so good, but it seemed they were ahead of the time. In 2000, long before bands got fully into the 80’s culture of glam and new wave again, The Start was THE band. The only problem is not many people knew who they were. All the bands that came out after them in their genre, were all bland, rehashed, and boring. The Start brought a new vibe to the 80’s new wave style, writing songs that were eye opening and full of emotion. You might know or not that the band was formed of the ashes of Human Waste Project and Snot. Aimee Echo’s voice is one of “the” most original I’ve ever heard and he lyrics were top notch. Musically, the band delivered a sound that mixed new wave, with punk and hard rock. Their debut album Shakedown is wonderful from start to finish. I’ll even put it out there that it’s one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard. Their other albums are stellar and different, showing that the band can evolve. I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing The Start a bunch of times. Let me just tell you that, you missed out on one of the coolest, best live bands ever. So if you did miss out, now is your chance to begin!!
Shakedown:
The 1234 EP:
Initiation:
Ciao, Baby:
Sludge/Doom Metal is one of the many genres of heavy music I’ve grown to really enjoy over the years. There are bands out there that try to capture that element and fall short, and there are bands that really deliver the goods. Behold! The Monolith falls into the latter. With their blend of sludge/doom along with prog and thrash, not to mention influences ranging from The Melvins, Celtic Frost and High On Fire, Behold! The Monolith put themselves on the map. Their newest release Architects Of The Void, is an album with solid riffs, groovy drums and nice subtle bass that go perfectly well with the gruff vocals. Songs like “Philosopher’s Blade,” “The Mithridltist,” “Lord Of Bones,” and “Architects Of The Void,” are stellar tracks. Behold! The Monolith are for sure a band that should be on your radar if you are looking for a great new sludge/doom metal band.
Behold! The Monolith- Architects Of The Void:
This week I present you with another cover song that I’m torn on. Stone Sour put out a second covers EP and on it was their version of The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.” On one hand there are moments that are really good. Then I think to myself am I hearing this right? I’m interested in what your take is on this classic song being covered.
Stone Sour w/Lzzy Hale of Halestorm- Gimme Shelter:
Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter:
The new Killswitch Engage album is so damn good. Jesse Leach’s vocals, lyrics and melodies are exceptional throughout all the albums he’s put out. He’s one of the most underrated singers in the last 15 years. As one of my all time favorite vocalists, my curiosity was raised to find out what other songs Jesse has made a guest appearance on. So here you go!
Killswitch Engage- Take This Oath (From The End Of Heartache):
Roadrunner United- Blood and Flames:
Thy Will Be Done- Preserving The Sacred:
A few months back while scouring the music news sites I read, I came across a band that was starting to gain some traction. The band is Red Sun Rising. They are the type of modern day hard rock band that does more than follow the same pattern as most radio rock bands do. Many bands try to do the early 90’s style of music and fail miserably. Red Sun Rising, while very influenced by that era, brings in two other elements that separate them from the pack. They have a love for the 70’s, and a great sense of melody. Throughout their most recent album, Polyester Zeal, Red Sun Rising manages to blend the best of those three things along with really solid songwriting. Granted they are not reinventing the wheel in any way, this band is just doing this style a hell of a lot better than their peers. Currently they have two songs that are taking over the airwaves on terrestrial and satellite airwaves, “The Otherside” and “Emotionless.” The rest of the album is exceptional as well, especially the songs “Push,” “Amnesia,” “My Muse,” “World’s Away,” “Unnatural,” and “Awake.” Give Red Sun Rising a shot if you are looking for a jolt of really solid hard rock.
Red Sun Rising- Polyester Zeal:
One band that I’ve been a huge fan of for many years is Radiohead. They just announced that they are playing a few shows later this year. So naturally, that had gotten me in a Radiohead frame of mind. Here is an album rank of their catalog from not their best to their best.
King Of Limbs:
Hail To The Theif:
A Moon Shaped Pool:
Pablo Honey:
Amnesiac:
In Rainbows:
Kid A:
Ok Computer:
The Bends:
This is the first album that I’ve been anticipating all year. A few years back when Killswitch announced that Jesse was back in the band, it got me very excited. Disarm The Descent was a great way to welcome Jesse back into the fold. Now on this new album Incarnate, the band have stepped it up in a huge way. Taking a cue from their masterpiece Alive Or Just Breathing, the songs on the album get deep lyrically and musically they are taking chances, expanding on the melodic metal sound they helped to bring to the masses. One of the biggest things I’ve noticed on this album is Jesse’s voice. His screams are more direct and menacing in his delivery of the lyrics, while his clean singing voice has gotten better and better over the years. His range and emotion while singing is a true stand out amongst the talented musicians. One of my favorite songs “Embrace The Journey…Upraised,” really has the feel of the Alive era, but this song brings it in a different way, adding more ambience to the song, making it more epic by nature. Not to mention the positive outlook in the words. “Quiet Distress” is similar to the Times Of Grace project that Jesse and Adam have on the side. Its acoustic setting and dual vocals really drive home the message of the song. “Just Let Go” is another emotionally charged song that sees Jesse bare his soul a little more. “Strength Of The Mind,” is a classic Killswitch song, that will get the crowds going when they play it live. The song “It Falls On Me” is one of the most epic songs the band had ever put out. This is my favorite song on the album as of this writing. I hope it becomes a fan favorite and they include it in their setlist rotation. For those looking for a real head banging track “The Great Deceit” is the song you want. Closing out the album is “Ascension,” a song that sums up the entire album lyrically.
Incarnate is an album that will leave you feeling a sense of hope and positivity. One of the things I look for in bands is the ability to write strong lyrics that have depth and meaning. Jesse Leach has done just that and then some. He has bled his heart and soul out on this album. Since I first heard his voice and lyrics, I’ve been a fan of his. Not to take anything away from what Howard Jones did with the band, but Jesse has always been the voice of the band for me. If Killswitch carries on with the direction they went with Incarnate, they will have many more years of longevity to come.
Killswitch Engage- Incarnate:
I have no idea why some bands insist on covering such classic songs, only to ruin them in the end. Not to mention when the band in question covering the song is horrible. With that in mind I present to you all a horrible rendition of The Animal’s classic “House Of The Rising Sun” done by an absolutely horrible band, Five Finger Death Punch.
Five Finger Death Punch- House Of The Rising Sun:
The Animals- House Of The Rising Sun:
I remember the day I bought Massive Attack’s Mezzanine very clearly. I was at Tower records and was browsing through the aisles and came across this very peculiar cover. It looked like one of the bugs from Starship Troopers. Needless to say, this made me curious as to what this could be. So I took it up to the counter and the guy working told me I made a wise choice. And what a choice I made. Mezzanine is an album that expands the dark undercurrents which had always been present in Massive Attack with textured and darker tones that features abstract and ambient sounds.Subtly drenched among the songs, lies deep influences of The Velvet Underground, The Cure and hints of John Bonham’s ferocious drumming. On an interesting note, and I think this helps to play into the darker vibe of the album, is that while making this album there was quite a lot of tension in the group causing one founding member to leave after the album was completed.
The album begins with a brilliant one, two, three, four, five punch of the songs “Angel,” “Risingson,” “Teardrop,” and “Inertia Creeps,” and “Exchange.” As the album moves on from that point it takes a step back into the darker corner. First with the dramatic “Dissolved Girl,” and then with “Man Next Door,” which features primitive beats, a catchy melody and soulful singing. As the album continues, the psychedelic atmospheric vibe continues to guide the songs through to the end.
There is something truly hypnotic about the way the album flows. Mezzanine is one of the best albums to come out in the last 20 years. It’s also an album that belongs in every music fans collection. So if it’s been a while or you’ve never heard Mezzanine, take the time to get acquainted with it, you’ll thank me later.
Massive Attack- Mezzanine:
