Audioeclectica

Unsung Masterpieces: Thrice- Vheissu
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Making a statement through music and art is always a complex thing to do. On one hand you know that this is the best and most fulfilling thing you can do. So much so that the direction and influence you feel at that point is going to define you. On the other hand, there is a sense that people out there won’t get it and thus give up on you. But for those that understand and really pick up on, know that this is the album that needed to be made and up till this point, it was only a matter of time. Ten years ago, Thrice released their masterpiece called Vheissu. At first it was met with a bit of hesitation but as time settled, the album began to take on a life of it’s own. Vheissu was a dramatic and experimental departure from the bands more post hardcore roots. Thrice took chances to make an album with more substance and meaning. Not to say that their previous releases weren’t up to par, but this album just had to push past all those to leave a mark. They took a chance with adding different elements including different instruments, time signatures, and the use of electronics. All of these things really helped to ensure a true artistic approach in the writing and recording process. There are so many standout songs on this album, it’s hard to pick the absolute best. My personal favorite “The Earth Will Shake,” is a perfect example of the bands progression and how well it worked out. “Red Sky,” “Atlantic,” “For Miles,” “Like Moths To Flame,” and “Image Of The Invisible” are all standout tracks on the album. The entire record as a whole is beyond anything in the bands catalog. Take a trip back ten years ago and listen to Vheissu again.

Thrice- Vheissu:

Unsung Masterpieces: Smashing Pumpkins- Adore
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The process of following up a career defining album is a very serious task. The amount of pressure that is put on a band to follow that up with a great deal of success is overwhelming. The Smashing Pumpkins follow up to Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, Adore is one of the most daring and intriguing albums in the bands discography. Recorded following the death of Billy Corgan’s mother and his divorce, this was a significant change of style from the bands guitar driven albums. Adore saw the band venture into more electronic territory. This was in part to drummer Jimmy Chamberlain being fired from the band before the recording process. Instead the drums on the album were cut from drum machines and the assistance of drummer Matt Walker who toured with the band following Chamberlains release. During this time as well, the bands image shifted toward a more darker gothic sensibility.

Adore is the type of album that when you first listen to it, you are taken aback by it. There is a purity and solemnness to it, that delves even deeper than the bands previous works. Songs like “To Sheila,” “Crestfallen,””For Martha,” exhibit this notion. The more electronic driven songs like “Ava Adore” and “Perfect” show some similarities to classic Pumpkins material. Then there are songs like “Tear,” “Appels & Oranjes,””Pug,” “Behold! The Night Mare,” that show an added maturity to Billy Corgan’s writing.

Adore was obviously not the album that fans of the band wanted, but it was necessary to reinvigorate the band to come to terms with their issues. Over time, Adore has been one of those albums that with time and age has truly become a wonderful album. It really has a sense that if you’ve lived life and been through hell to an extent, then this album will really hit the mark. Take it for another listen, and you’ll see what I mean.

Smashing Pumpkins- Adore:

Unsung Masterpieces: Audioslave- Revelations
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When Audioslave broke on to the music scene they were met with very high expectations. Their debut album was a really great album, full of great songs and a renewed sense of energy for each other the members. Their second album was hit and miss. There were some really good songs but as a whole it just didn’t come across as well. When Audioslave released their third album Revelations, they finally hit the mark and found their sound. This would be their final album sadly. Rather than working with Rick Rubin on this album the band chose Brendan O’Brien, with whom both Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden have worked with in the past. Brendan was able to really capture the essence of what this band is and was. There are more influences on this album as well delving into funk and soul. This was also the first album which Chris Cornell was sober during the making of. Audioslave did not tour on this album, instead they broke up.

Revelations though as their swan song is brilliant. The first song “Revelations” really sets the tone for the album. It’s such a great song. The songs “Wide Awake” and “Shape of Things to Come” were prominently featured in Michael Mann’s horrible film adaption of Miami Vice. Both of these songs are tremendous. “Wide Awake,” evokes some political angst as well. The song is about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. “Until We Fall,” is another song that really shows the progression of Audioslave. The closing song “Moth” is a bit of foreshadowing for what was about to happen to the band. The song is powerful and one of the most inspiring songs on the album. Chris Cornell’s voice really shines on this song (along with “Wide Awake”).

The entire band was clicking on all cylinders one this album. It’s shame they couldn’t last longer. Thankfully there have been news reports as of late that both Tom Morello and Chris Cornell said they would be open to working together again. Let’s hope so. I would love to see Audioslave return.

Audioslave- Revelations:

Unsung Masterpieces: Dredg- Catch Without Arms
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There are quite a few bands that really work to create a piece of work that is special. They don’t compromise their artistic integrity just to sell their albums. Instead they grind it out in hope that people will listen and grasp just what they are doing. One of those bands is Dredg. Never one to follow a trend or sacrifice their art for a buck, the guys in Dredg stand by their vision and don’t disappoint. Their third album Catch Without Arms just passed the ten year mark, and it still rocks just as much as when it came out. Catch Without Arms was released on June 21, 2005. This album showed a change to a simpler, and more straightforward musical style for the band but still had a bit of the etherial tinge that El Cielo had. The album was produced by Terry Date (Deftones, Pantera, Soundgarden) and had some additional help from Queensryche guitarist Chris DeGarmo.

Catch Without Arms features great songs such as “Ode To The Sun,” “Bug Eyes,” “Not That Simple,” “The Tanbark Is Hot Lava,” “Sang Real,” and “Jamais Vu.” These songs show the forward movement of the band and it’s members ability to write individual songs. Catch Without Arms is a concept album about opposites, mainly focused on positives and negatives. Each member brings something different to the table. Singer/guitarist Gavin Hayes has a very intriguing voice that makes his lyrics come to life. Drummer Dino Campanella is one of the most underrated drummers in music. His ability is astounding, not to mention his ability to play drums and piano at the same time. This is truly something awesome to watch. Mark Engles has a guitar tone that is his own. It’s melodic and clean that fits perfectly with the nature of each song. Bassist Drew Roulette grooves right along with Dino’s drums, and his bass lines add another element to each song.

Dredg is one of the most underrated bands to come out since 2000. They really know themselves and what they are capable of. Their ability to push the boundaries of their art is uncompromising and satisfying. Give this album another listen and you’ll see why it is an unsung masterpiece

https://www.facebook.com/dredg

Dredg- Catch Without Arms:

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: AFI- Sing The Sorrow
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AFI is a band that has gone through a lot of changes stylistically throughout their career. They started out as a punk band with hardcore roots, then shifted more to the Horror punk side of things. As time went on and the band evolved they found a balance of their roots of punk and added a more goth element to their music. So in 2003, AFI released their most ambitious album up till that point, Sing The Sorrow. Their die hard fans were caught off guard by the departure of their original sound, while at the same time finding a new audience. Sing the Sorrow was produced by Butch Vig and Jerry Finn, allowing the album to be more experimental. Lyrically, the album is darker and more poetic than their previous material. I for one, when I first heard the album wasn’t really in to it at all. It just wasn’t the AFI I was a fan of. Fast forward a few years and I revisited the album and really grew to love it. There is something truly intriguing about it. The depth of the songwriting really took things to another level for the band with the use of synths, strings and the all around lyrical content. Songs like “The Leaving Song Pts. I & II,” “Bleed Black,” “Death Of Seasons,” “But Home Is Nowhere,” really show the maturity of the guys in the band. There are some songs that are a little more radio friendly like “Girls Not Grey,” “Silver and Cold,” and “Dancing Through Sunday,” but that doesn’t change the fact that the songs are really good.

This is one of those albums that with time you really come to love. There is something about Sing The Sorrow that really hits home. Sure the production on it is a little too slick and AFI has completely changed from what they once were, but the growth on this album is truly astounding. Give it another shot if you gave up on them.

AFI- Sing The Sorrow:

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: Hum- You’d Prefer An Astronaut
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Let’s travel back to April 1995 and taking what we all know now, we get to experience Hum’s You’d Prefer An Astronaut for all it’s glory when it came out.  Hum was formed in 1989 and released two albums before reaching mainstream exposure with You’d Prefer An Astronaut. The bands 1993 album Electra 2000, was produced by Brad Wood who would soon go on to produce Sunny Day Real Estate’s album Diary. You’d Prefer An Astronaut is Hum’s major label debut album and has gone on to sell over 250,000 copies. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but just as I have said about Failure’s Fantastic Planet, pretty much anyone that picked up this album went on to start a band and become strongly influenced by Hum. Chino Moreno of Deftones has even gone on to say that this album is a big influence in terms of the tones they used. The album is full of atmosphere, depth, and great riffs. There are moments in the song “Why I Like The Robins,” that if you listen to some At the Drive In songs you can really hear Hum’s influence in them. Matt Talbott as a vocalist really knows how to project to get his lyrics across in the right way. Bryan St. Pere is one of hell of an underrated drummer. His knack for the right cymbal  accents is quite astonishing. Guitarist Tim Lash blend his playing perfectly well with Talbott’s. And the bass of Jeff Dimpsey is crunchy and full of grit bit also played with the right amount of precision.

Hum have reunited a few times over the years, leaving many fans to wonder if they will come out with a new album. In June 2015, it was announced that Hum would partake in two brief tours. In August 2015, Hum will open for Failure on the east coast of the United States. After that, Hum will embark on a co-headlining tour with the band Mineral on the west coast. Sadly, after the tour was announced, drummer Bryan St. Pere parted ways with the band, but Jason Gerken of Shiner will fill in for him. 

Thankfully Hum are back, and along with Failure, will continue to be a huge influence on musicians for years to come. Here’s to hoping that Hum get back in the studio and make a great new album.

Hum- You’d Prefer An Astronaut:

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: Far- Water and Solutions
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In 1998 Far released what is considered by many to be one of the top 10 influential albums of the “emo” movement in music, Water and Solutions. This record and band attracted a strong cult following in the late 1990s, due to the single “Mother Mary” and the band touring with long time friends in Deftones and Incubus. The album itself had a more melodic sound and richer fuller production by macshop” href=”#”> thanks to Dave Sardy, who was the producer on this album. The lyrical subject matter of Jonah Matranga and his vocals stretched from the raw screams to a more soulful singing voice, thus providing a real sense of intimacy for the listener to relate the words to. Musically the band has always been on point. Shaun Lopez distorted guitar and his remarkable tone is highly influential. His knack for creating a driving riff with the right amount of melody is often replicated but never quite the same as he does it. The rhythm section of John Gutenberger and the hard hitting drums of Chris Robyn were as tight as tight can be. John’s bass bellowed with the right amount of thump to push Chris’s heavy playing into the heights of the right amount of heaviness needed to fit with Shaun’s playing and Jonah’s vocals.

Sadly, not long after they released Water and Solutions, the band broke up. Though in 2008, the band reformed for a handful of US dates, and also a small UK tour. And in 2010, released a new album At Night We Live via Vagrant Records. At Night We Live is a solid album, and not just a throwback. Again though in 2011 it was announced that Far would not be be getting back together as there was just “too much drama.”

Far is one of those bands who will always be recognized for the great work they did, the material they put out, and the bands they influenced. And those of us who were fortunate to see them will always know that for sure.

Far- Water and Solutions:

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: One Side Zero- Is This Room Getting Smaller
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The early 2000’s were a very interesting time for music. There was an explosion of different genres and people were still buying music. Amongst the influx of bands to come out around this time, there was one that really stood out. One Side Zero is who I’m talking about and their stellar debut album, Is This Room Getting Smaller is an album that went unnoticed by the masses, but had a great impact on those that did hear it. Is This Room Getting Smaller was released in 2001 and produced by Jim Wirt and mixed by David Bottrill. The band toured relentlessly with bands like Incubus, 311, Sevendust, Soulfly and many others. They even appeared on the classic HBO show Reverb. The album itself is one of those listen in its entirety experiences. It really tells a story and captivates your range of emotions. Songs like “Instead Laugh,” “Holding Cell,” “New World Order,” “Eight,” “Never Ending,” and my personal favorite “Tapwater,” deliver in a harmonious melodic hard rock nature. The music really fits perfectly with the lyrical tone and voice of singer/guitarist Jasan Radford. His voice has the range of smooth and sultry to ravenous. Guitarists Levon Sultanian and Brett Kane really shine on their playing and tone. Bassist Cristian Hernandez plays perfectly in the pocket with drummer Rob Basile. I could really go on and on talking about this band. I’ve seen them so many times live and they never disappointed. Perhaps this will help get them to play shows again!!!

Sadly they were lumped into the “nu metal” genre, even though they are far from that.  Had that not have happened and their label really dug their feet in the ground to push One Side, they could have gone on to a very illustrious career. Their debut album is still stands as a perfect testament to the time it came out. The way it connects with the listener and what it carries on from there. Do yourself a favor and listen to this album start to finish. You won’t be sorry!

 

One Side Zero- Is This Room Getting Smaller:

 

New World Order on Reverb:


Instead Laugh on Reverb:

 

Shed The Skin on Reverb:

 

 

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: Sparta- Wiretap Scars
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The early 2000’s were full of so many bands and genres. One genre that really began to take off at this point was post-hardcore. Following the break up of one of the most exciting bands to come around in years, At The Drive In, members Jim Ward, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar formed Sparta. In 2002 Sparta released their debut album Wiretap Scars. The album brought well-earned respect and relieved some of the pressure brought on by the shadow of At the Drive-In. Opening the album is  “Cut Your Ribbon”  an explosive rock song that stuck true to the bands roots. “Air” is my all time favorite track on the album. Other tracks such as “Cataract”, “Glasshouse Tarot” and “Mye” are full of emotion and expansive melody. Jim Ward’s vocals really captivate those listening. His delivery makes his words really stand out. The music of Sparta packs enough of a crunch to really drive home the heavy parts, and at the same time can shift to a more subtle approach to highlight the more melodic parts. Wiretap Scars is one of the best albums to come out since the beginning of the 2000’s. It’s one that deserves to be in every collection.

Wiretap Scars:

 

By: Brian Lacy

Unsung Masterpieces: Incubus- Make Yourself
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The late 90’s and early 2000’s brought out many albums that have now become greatly underrated. One such album is Incubus’s Make Yourself. As the follow up to their very funk/metal almost Faith No More/Mr. Bungleesque album SCIENCE, Make Yourself took the band to new heights. Make Yourself added a more melodic groove approach to the songwriting. I personally remember when the album came out when I was a sophomore in high school. At first I was taken aback by their more accessible approach but I really grew to love the album with the exception of the song “Drive.” When “Pardon Me” was released as a single first, I remember going home and learned how to play it on my guitar. There are so many great songs on the album especially “The Warmth.” Even the videos that were released for the singles were captivating. The musicianship on this album is greatly underrated as well. Vocally Brandon Boyd really stepped up his game to a whole new level. Mike Einzinger seemed to have channeled a lot of influences top create a very unique guitar tone. Dirk Lance (Alex Katunich) at this time became the best bass player in mainstream music for his creativity and tones. Jose Pasillas’ drum performance still had his energy but also added a more solid in the pocket sense of playing to his repertoire. All in all Make Yourself, as a whole, is a true mainstream rock album. It has great singles, it branches off into new territory, but it also gave new life into a new journey for an extremely underrated talented band.

 

Make Yourself:

By: Brian Lacy