It’s always interesting when you wake up with a sense of aggression. Then on top of that feeling, somehow a song pops in your head and you feel the sense of catharsis through it. There’s music for every type of feeling and mood. That’s part of why I’m so immersed in it. The song that felt right and was the one in my head when I woke up was Slipknot’s “Disasterpiece” from their album, Iowa. The sheer intensity and ferociousness on this song is uncanny. Lyrically, it’s scathing and rightfully so. Musically, the way the song explodes, retreats a little, then explodes again is sublime. You feel every word as the music pulsates through you. In a strange way with “Disasterpiece,” you can have a bit of an out of body experience depending on your level of frustration and anger! Ross Robinson really brought out the best in Slipknot on this album through all their anger and frustration.
Part of the fun of doing Audioeclectica as well as putting together shows with The Cobalt Presents (aka The Cobalt Cafe), is finding a ton of younger bands to showcase their music. For the past few years I’ve been a part of putting together some pretty amazing shows featuring young bands. One band in particular that we’ve had the pleasure of working with has released their debut single from their upcoming debut album, and that band is called XCOMM. It’s really great to hear young kids that get and understand the music they are playing.
XCOMM is a hardcore punk band that evokes pure raw emotion into their songs and performance. Their upcoming album was produced by the legendary Ross Robinson. “Reasons” is the first single from their record and it’s a righteous slab of hardcore that harks back to the golden era of it in the 80’s. The video for “Reasons” was also directed by one of my favorite video directors/photographers, Dean Karr. XCOMM might be kids but, if they keep this going, they are going to grow up quick and become a force to be reckoned with. I’m looking forward to what’s to come!
I’m sure for a lot of you starting the week off can be a bit of a struggle. Dragging ass is never a fun way to start the day or week off. This morning I was having one hell of a time just getting out of bed and a song popped in my head and then I put said song on and I was awake. If you haven’t heard Soulfly’s “Eye For An Eye” off of their debut self titled album, this one will surely wake you up. And as a track one, yeah this is a banger out of the gate! The first album is chock full of great songs and the rhythms are really what takes the album to different heights. Drummer Roy Mayorga and bassist Marcello Rapp, have instant musical chemistry right away. “Eye For An Eye” is one of those classic songs. Crazy too that it’s over 25 years old now! This song also features Dino Cazares of Fear Factory as well as former Fear Factory vocalist, Burton C. Bell. So start your day/week off with this hellblazer of a track one!
Glassjaw’s debut album, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence, is one of the most influential post hardcore albums. I remember when it came out while I was in high school and it definitely had a huge impact on a lot of bands. Recently I had a Glassjaw song stuck in my head and it got me to go back and listen to them. While going back to Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence, I remembered that there was a hidden track called “Losten” which can be found after “Motel Of The White Locust.” The hidden track really does tie the whole album together. I personally miss bands putting secret songs on albums. It really made things fun! Let’s go back to that!!
Before there was Korn and Deftones, there was a band that really started it all and they were called Human Waste Project. The band formed in 1992 when Jeff Schartoff and Scott Ellis decided to start a band. Aimee Echo was picked as the vocalist/singer after finding out she could “scream.” After going through different guitarists for a bit they finally found Mike Tempesta and off they went. The next thing they were playing with large bands like Helmet, Korn, Deftones and Sublime. Eventually the band signed with Hollywood Records. Human Waste Project also wound up in the UK and Europe with bands like Tura Satana and Coal Chamber and also part of Ozzfest 98 in the UK. Human Waste Project was enjoying a bit of success especially in the UK but back in the states, things weren’t the same. Their debut album, E-Lux, which is an absolute fantastic album and debut, was considered a commercial failure and that led to the band being pegged as a nu-metal band and it left Aimee feeling uncomfortable and being typecast as such. So on July 8, 1998 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, Human Waste Project performed their last show as a band. From there, Aimee Echo and Scott Ellis went on to form The Start alongside former Snot drummer, Jaime Miller. Scott Ellis would also later go on to be the drummer for She Wants Revenge. Jeff Schartoff would go on to form Professional Murder Music and be a part of Peter Murphy of Bauhaus’s solo live band. And Mike Tempesta would go on to join Powerman 5000.
Their album E-Lux was produced by Ross Robinson and it’s not your typical nu-metal album. While there were definitely some ties to the incoming music movement, Human Waste Project had more in common with the likes of Jane’s Addiction in that they were always a step ahead of the curve. They had more to their music and lyrics than their peers and it shows very much on E-Lux. There was also a versatility to HWP that other didn’t have. Aimee had a range to her voice that could go from sweet and innocent all the way to rip your face off. Musically, there was more than just dropped tuned guitars, as they explored different styles and gravitated more towards 90’s alternative rock than metal.
Over the years, there have been a few reunions of Human Waste Project. I happen to have been at a couple of them and it was quite awesome. At a show for The Start in 2008, the remaining three HWP members came on stage and played “Dog” and “Shine” with Aimee to end the night. I have to say that was one hell of a surprise. I do remember seeing Mike Tempesta at the show and wondering if perhaps he’d jump up on stage for something and low and behold he did. Later in 2008, Human Waste Project reformed for one night (minus Scott Ellis) to be a part of Snot’s return (the one they did with Tommy Vext, we don’t need to go into that) at the Key Club in Los Angeles. I was at this show too and HWP was absolutely awesome. If anything they actually stole the night for me. Aimee stated that this would be the only full scale reunion show and the band would not be getting back together to tour. And finally at a couple other shows for The Start in 2009, Mike Tempesta joined them on stage to perform “Dog” and “One Night In Spain.”
Human Waste Project was a band that never got their due and should’ve been one of the biggest bands of that era. For whatever reasons why they didn’t, it’s a shame. They were one of the best bands of the time and their debut album is still one of my favorites of that time. In fact, the other day while on a drive up to Santa Barbara we had it on the stereo on the way up and it was glorious. So much so that I felt compelled to write this piece today. Human Waste Project was such a talented and wonderful band. If you never got to see them live, you truly missed out. I for one would love for one more show to happen. There is such a need for this band, it’s not even funny. They were true pioneers of the time and their style would show all these young bands who are trying to cop that style how to do it and do it right. Plus, how awesome would it be to just have them back again! So let’s put it out in the world that we need another go round with Human Waste Project!
Human Waste Project- E-Lux:
Human Waste Project w/ Jonathan Davis of Korn- This Town:
The long awaited second album from Mike Patton, Justin Pearson, Dave Lombardo and Michael Crain aka Dead Cross is just about here. On October 28th (via Ipecac Recordings), Dead Cross returns with an abrasive and socio-political 9 song record that will leave you in shambles. The album, while both a ravenous hardcore collection, and at times, a politically-charged opus, has its roots in friendship, with the band rallying together after Crain received a surprise cancer diagnosis. “Words can’t even begin to describe how much this album means to me. It’s birthed of pain and uncertainty,” explains Crain. “The slow, excruciatingly painful, and nauseating recovery from cancer treatments were the catalyst for every riff and note on this album. However, my will to live and be with my brothers Justin, Dave, Mike, and co-producer Ross Robinson, got me out of bed and running into the studio every day to get it all on tape.” And that couldn’t be more true. This album although only 9 songs is unrelenting and what you’d want in a follow up to the band’s 2017 debut.
The first song releases “Reign Of Error” has an interesting backstory to it. “’Reign of Error’ was recorded almost as quickly as it was written and I believe there’s a very good explanation for it,” adds Crain. “I haven’t told anybody this before, least of all the rest of the band or Ross, but I honestly felt a strong presence in the studio that day. Those riffs flew out of me and when Dave sat down at his kit it was almost as if we’d played that song a thousand times before. It literally just happened so fast. Bam! One take. I’m not trying to paint a dark or fantasy-like story either. Having just escaped death and still healing from my cancer treatments I was incredibly sensitive to energy and the other side. There was someone else there. Not evil but benevolent and inspiring. I honestly believe it was Dave’s old bandmate and friend Jeff. I think he just wanted to jam with his friend again and perhaps did so through me. There I said it. Whether people believe it or not I really don’t care. I’m just grateful that I had that experience.”
Personally, I’ve been very excited for this new release from Dead Cross. I throughly enjoyed the debut and am stoked on this one for sure. October 28th can’t come soon enough. Now, lets just hope they tour it!!!
After 3 years of non stop touring and writing, Red Fang have returned with their fourth studio album, Only Ghosts. Produced by Ross Robinson, this new album features some of the best performances Red Fang has ever recorded. There is a level of volume about Red Fang that is gripping and explosive, and on Only Ghosts, those elements are even more present. The hooks and riffs have a very strong impact throughout the 10 songs. One thing that I noticed on this new album is that the band have really become solid songwriters. There is a real sense of maturity to this album, and that really brings about something different for them. Tucked in the album are bursts of textures the band have never experimented with, along with ambiance and space to let the songs feel like a different beast. This is an “album” through and through. The mixing of the album is top notch, courtesy of Joe Barresi. Stand out songs include “Flies,” “Cut it Short,” “Shadows,” “The Smell of the Sound,” ” I Am a Ghost,” and “Living in Lye.”
Red Fang have always been a band that makes music they enjoy, and they really showcase that here. Working with Ross, seems to have really brought out something more from them all, with the results being superb. I love hearing a band grow like this and make an album that will stand up with their earlier material.
When I first heard Night Verses, I thought that this is one of the bands that is much needed in today’s stale music climate. Their debut album Lift Your Existence was an album full of epic proportions that really left a mark on me. The album is still in constant rotation in my stereo. So when I heard that Night Verses were in the studio working on their follow up album with Ross Robinson, I became even more excited about this band. The end result of their collaboration together is an album that is full of passion, inspiration, diverse music that pushes genre boundaries and vocals that are raw and powerful.
Into The Vanishing Light is an album that will take you on a journey just as a full album should. The more you listen to it all, you pick up on different things and feelings. After my first listen the flow of the album seemed to be a little disjointed, but after a couple more listens, it all began to make sense. The first track “The Future As History: I Love You Dead,” is a mood setter alright, that is set against a bit of a schizophrenic vocal delivery, but done with so much passion. The next couple songs emit pulsating music all the while a moody etherial vibe. By the time “Dialogue In Cataplexy” hits you know you are in for a ride with the way it plays out as a song with complexity and seriousness. As the rest of the album moves along the path of the journey certain songs like “Panic and Pull Your Heart Out” and “Blue Shades Of The Sun” truly leave a lasting mark. The closing song “Phoenix III” is a great encapsulation of the album and what the band has evolved into.
Night Verses have created an album that emits true artistry and vision. Singer Douglas Robinson really goes all out to ensure the words and messages come across as real and true as possible. Musically drummer Aric Improta is an absolute inspiration behind the drums. His use of time signatures and percussion adds so much more to the music. Guitarist Nick DePirro’s riffs, structures and skill is brilliant. It’s all tied together by bassist Reilly Herrera’s thunderous yet gentle playing. Working with Ross Robinson really helped to push the band to realize their potential as a band. Into The Vanishing Light is an album that separates Night Verses from their peers in the genre. I’d even go as far as to say this album could be a blueprint for the genre just as the Refused’s The Shape of Punk To Come became. Night Verses are here and deserve your undivided attention.
People’s attention spans have dwindled over the years, making it no easy feat these days to be able to create an album that holds your attention throughout the entire length of it. Though there are still people out that are such fans of music and understand that albums are a necessary part of life and need to be listened to as a whole. Wild Throne has just released their debut album and it is a tremendous slab of righteous heavy rock. Their unique blend of influences, of The Mars Volta, At the Drive- In, Mastodon and Judas Priest has made their album Harvest Of Darkness one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in a very long time. A few days ago I wrote about bands not having the sense of “Danger” in their music. Wild Throne understands the concept and made something with a great deal of substance that it pushes boundaries of what can be done these days. From the first thump of the drums on the song “Harvest Of Darkness” to the last note of “Trans,” Wild Throne captivates you and inspires throughout their album. There isn’t one song on this album that needs to be skipped. Joshua Holland, Noah Burns, and Jeff Johnson are one hell of a team and it shows in every song. The production and recording was done by Ross Robinson. Ross was able to get such great performances out of these guys. This album is for sure going to be on a lot of top 10 lists at the end of the year. I know it will be in mine. Do yourself a favor and go buy this album. You won’t be sorry.
Today the very talented Wild Throne released a new song entitled “War Is A Romance,” and have announced their debut album will be titled Harvest Of Darkness to be released August 18th from Roadrunner Records. This song is great. Loud heavy rock with a great sense of melody but not in the commercial way.
Take a listen and you’ll hear just why these guys are sooooooo good!
AUDIOECLECTICA 