I’ve been on a bit of a Soulfly kick as of late. I’ve got something really cool coming up that is Soulfly related but, you’ll just have to wait a moment for that! Part of what put me on this kick was my podcast co-host Justin doing a full Soulfly rewind review (which will be out on Sinisterreviews.wordpress.com shortly) and I went back through a few a few of my favorites. Also, Soulfly’s thirteenth studio album, Chama, comes out 11.24.25!! One of the albums I went back to was their seventh album, Omen. This record is an interesting one for a myriad of reasons. Logan Mader who would tour with Soulfly during the first album was the producer/engineer/mixer. Prong’s Tommy Victor lends his superb and very underrated guitar work to the song “Lethal Injection.” And the reason for this article is Greg Puciato of Better Lovers/The Black Queen/Killer Be Killed/ex The Dillinger Escape Plan, guests on the song “Rise Of The Fallen.” This track is a banger for sure. It’s got a really cool groove to it along with some great worldly textures and then you add in Greg’s vocals both aggressive and melodic and the combination is gold. Listening to this song you can hear how and why Killer Be Killed was formed. Max and Greg work like peanut butter and jelly! The picture at the top is of Greg and Max from the studio! And to end it on a positive note, this collaboration has happened live as well and it’s straight up vicious.
Soulfly with Greg Puciato- Rise Of The Fallen (LIVE):
This is fun AND exciting!!! One of my favorite new bands of the last few years, Better Lovers have swooped in and released a new song, “Don’t Forget To Say Please.” This new track packs quite the cocked back punch to the face. There’s also a more “raw and unprocessed” feel to the production of the song. I can already tell that this will ignite a frenzy in the pit. The riffs are there courtesy of Jordan and Will, that rhythm section of Steve and Goose is just oh so sweet, then you have the tenacious vocals of Greg and it just feels right! On a personal note, I’m very much looking forward to more new music from Better Lovers! Enjoy!
There’s definitely something going on in the ether to bring these forces together. Intensity, aggression, and ferociousness are just some of the words that come to mind when describing the onslaught that Better Lovers have delivered with their debut EP, God Made Me An Animal. When it was first announced that Greg Puciato would be joining Jordan Buckley, Steve Micciche, Clayton “Goose” Holyoak and Will Putney in a new band, the chills that ran through me were astounding. The thoughts of what this new band is capable of is off the charts. The first taste of their offering with “30 Under 13” definitely left you wanting more. Then out of left field comes the raging brush fire that is their debut EP, God Made Me An Animal. The chaotic and frantically controlled 15 minutes of length that their EP runs is one hell of a journey that leaves you with the want for more but, also a sense that what’s coming next is going to smash your face in.
“Sacrificial Participant” sets the tone and pace of the release. It wastes no time as the riffs flow, rhythms pummel and vocals rip your throat right out. Then it goes right into “30 Under 13” which is an absolute ripper. “Become So Small” is a track with a sense of urgency to it with the way it grabs you and twists and turns you. This is one of those songs that live will for sure get the pit in a frenzy. Closing out the EP is the title track, “God Made Me An Animal.” This is my favorite track on this release. It’s a track that shows off different facets of what this band is capable of. The aggressive nature of the song is ripe throughout and the melodic sensibility gives it another element to chew on.
There is a relentless energy that is found throughout this EP that is similar to the bands that the members come from. Better Lovers expands upon some interesting ground that each band delved into and brings it more to the forefront. This is only a taste of what this band is and will become. As much as I would love to have The Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die back, Better Lovers is a solid step in the evolution of the members as a whole. Each person brings something interesting to the table and with enough time, I have a feeling that this band will take things to a whole other level.
Last November I had the pleasure of seeing the debut solo show for Greg Puciato. After that show was over, I knew that the next time he came through I had to go, it was one of “those shows.” Both his solo albums, Child Soldier: Creator Of God and Mirrorcell have yet to leave my musical rotation since they came out. Live these songs take on a whole new life and the end result is precisely why I had to go see Greg live again.
Before Greg though, there were three openers to get the night going. I arrived as the last 2 songs of Trace Amount’s set was ending. The mix of industrial and noise made for a very tension filled and intense performance. It’s really interesting to listen to Trace Amount and pick out certain little nuances in the programming.
Next up was Deaf Club who I was really stoked to see having been into their albums. Their set was on fire from the get go. One of the things that I really like most about Deaf Club is that while they are a punk band through and through, they add a more technical element to it with odd time signatures and interesting arrangements. Then when you add in a frontman like Justin Pearson, it’s the right recipe for chaos in the best way possible. During their set they did a cover of Nirvana’s “Tourette’s” with their drummer, the drummer from Escuela Grind and Ben Koller of Converge. It was pretty damn cool to see and hear and the topper was all three drummers were in total sync so that sound bellowing through the El Rey was thunderous!
Following Deaf Club was up and comers Escuela Grind. I wasn’t too familiar with them but, a friend of mine who I was there with was and he got super into it. The band combines grindcore, death metal and a bit of hardcore. Their energetic set was heavy and brutal and at the same time quite fun. Their “singer” had so much energy on stage at one point I was half expecting her to breakout into a full gymnastics routine with how much she was running and jumping. Solid set from this band and just the right amount of fire to get the crowd ready for what was to come next.
When Greg Puciato and band took the stage it was ON! From the moment they ripped into “Reality Spiral” you knew this was not going to be just any show. The way the set was constructed was absolutely pummeling in both the way that it was intense and pulled at your heart strings. When you have songs like “Do You Need Me To Remind You,” “Absence As A Presence,” and “Fire For Water,” all within minutes of each other, it still has me without the right words. As the set continued, the crowd got even more into it and the next thing I knew I was right up front for my favorite song “Never Wanted That.” I stayed up front for the rest of the night feeding off the energy that was permeating off stage and next to me. One of my other favorite moments was during the end of “Evacuation” Greg broke out part of INXS’s “Need You Tonight” which was totally rad. Ending the “set” for the evening was the always great “September City.” I believe the crowd was singing as loud if not louder than Greg by this point. This night was special in more ways that one. For the encore it was in the words on Larry David “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” Starting it off was Haex joining Greg for a remix version of The Black Queen’s “Secret Scream,” followed by A Perfect Circle’s Billy Howerdel joining Greg for The Black Queen’s “The End Where We Start” which was absolutely great. Then you had Tyler Bates and Gil Sharone join the fun for “Now You’ve Really Done It” from a compilation for DC Comics. Then it was Ben Koller jumping on the stage for “Roach Hiss” which definitely got the crowd screaming along. And to end it all was an absolutely cool and different version of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s “One Of Us Is The Killer.” It was part acapella in the verses and straight up fire during the chorus parts. I also have to mention the band Greg had on this run. What a killer and tight band. Joining Greg was James Hammontree on guitar of Black Magnet (another band you should really check out), Nick Sadler of Daughters on guitar. It was really great to see Nick up there and hearing that monsterous tone he’s had for years. Jeff Geisser on bass manhandled the low end with such tenacity and finally Noah Taylor on drums right in the pocket!
This show was definitely one of those that I’ll remember for a long long time. Greg Puciato’s solo albums are some of the best releases in the past few years. If you haven’t listened to them, I highly suggest you get on top of that! It’s artists like Greg that give me hope for the musical future. The whole package was interesting and gave bands from different genres a different audience making for an eclectic show. I’m glad I went and had a great time and to go with a couple friends that I knew would enjoy it too made it all that much better. Plus getting to see some other friends out in the crowd was quite awesome. I’m kind of at a loss for words at the moment when it comes to how to properly describe this show. I will leave it at this (unless I have a total epiphany of what else to say), shows like this don’t happen all the time. When the chance comes to go see one of your favorite bands, go do it! Thank you to Greg, Deaf Club, Escuela Grind and Trace Amount for one hell of a great evening!
Greg Puciato Set List:
01) In This Hell You Find Yourself 02) Reality Spiral 03) Do You Need Me To Remind You 04) Absence As A Presence 05) Fire For Water 06) Don’t Wanna Deal 07) No More Lives To Go 08) Deep Set 09) Never Wanted That 10) Lowered 11) A Pair Of Questions 12) Creator Of God 13) Evacuation (w/ INXS’s “Need You Tonight”) 14) September City
Encore: 15) Silent Scream (Haex Remix) 16) The End Where We Start (with Billy Howerdel) 17) Now You’ve Really Done It (with Tyler Bates & Gil Sharone) 18) Roach Hiss (with Ben Koller) 19) One Of Us Is The Killer
What do you get when you mix 3 parts Every Time I Die (Jordan Buckley, Stephen Miccihe, Clayton “Goose” Holyoak) 1 part Fit For An Autopsy/END (Will Putney), and 1 part Dillinger Escape Plan (Greg Puciato)? Well, you get one hell of a new band called Better Lovers! Today, they have debuted their first single “30 Under 13” off their upcoming debut album (release date TBA). The song is an absolute sonic assault of uncompromising and blistering proportions. I personally am extremely stoked on this. An album and tour will be coming soon. In the meantime, I’m gonna be here enjoying the hell out of this song!
Back in 2009, Nine Inch Nails announced a series of shows to sort of say goodbye for the time being. It was a very bittersweet thing to hear but, as a fan for many many many years, it made sense. Before the shows were announced, Nine Inch Nails spent the summer on the road with Jane’s Addiction (with all the original members). That was origianlly supposed to be the end but, seeing as Nine Inch Nails would be playing at different times and under the backdrop of a sunset many a times, it just didn’t feel quite right for that to be the end. Instead, a series of shows were announced in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to attend 3 of the 4 Los Angeles shows. The final one was at The Wiltern and what a show it was. Over 3 hours (yes, THREE HOURS) of nonstop Nine Inch Nails at it’s absolute finest. The setlist was utterly perfect and beyond emotional. Thankfully too, there were a group of fans in the audience that night filming it all and they put together one of the best live shows I’ve ever been to. Without giving anything away, I highly recommend you taking the time to watch/listen to this show!
On October 23, 2020, Greg Puciato will be unleashing his debut solo album, Child Soldier: Creator Of God via his Federal Prisoner Records label. Today, “Do You Need Me To Remind You” the next single/video from the album was released and it is one hell of a killer track from the record. Poison The Well/Dhani Harrison drummer Chris Hornbrook lends his skills on this song. This track along with the two others already released (“Fire For Water” and “Deep Set”) have definitely made this one of the most anticipated albums of 2020. Child Soldier: Creator of God was recorded in L.A. between 2019 and early 2020. It was produced by Nick Rowe (Vampire Weekend, Haim) and mixed by Steve Evetts (the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Cure). In addition to Hornbrook, the featured drummers are Ben Koller (Converge, Mutoid Man, All Pigs Must Die, Killer Be Killed, etc.) and Chris Pennie (the Dillinger Escape Plan, Coheed and Cambria). Pre-Orders are already underway over at the label’s bandcamp HERE.
There really is something intriguing about extreme music and the heavier side of rock music. I’ve always been drawn to it in bits and pieces but, as I’ve gotten older, I’m starting to realize the technicality that comes with it. Which brings me to the band END. What began as a fun passion project for guitarist (and producer) Will Putney, quickly became something else as the band became more recognized for their aggressive and volatile music. END features a collection of musicians from various sub-genres of extreme music, including current and former members of Counterparts, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Fit For An Autopsy, Misery Signals, Shai Hulud, and Reign Supreme. And all those pieces have made for quite a reputation. The debut EP FromThe Unforgiving Arms Of God, released in fall 2017 via Good Fight Music, was met with critical praise and fan response was definitely there as well. This summer will see the release of their debut full-length, Splinters From An Ever-Changing Face. The two songs released from it so far, really are quite a glimpse into their in your face approach to heavy music. END is more than just a run of the mill heavy/extreme band. When you take the time to listen, you can hear a plethora of inspiration and influences, which in turn, makes for quite a listening journey.
In all my years as a music fan, there is something I’ve really come to understand. When you name your album after a song on your album, there is a pretty good reason for that. The “Title Track” is a very interesting song on the album let alone the one that, really brings it all together in a way. Some bands certainly have nailed it over the years like The Dillinger Escape Plan. When you listen to these tracks and their respective albums, you can definitely understand why the album was titled after it. Here are the ones that The Dillinger Escape Plan have put out. Take a listen and let it sink in.
Greg Puciato from The Black Queen and The Dillinger Escape Plan is gearing up to release his first solo album this summer entitled Child Soldier: Creator Of God (via Federal Prisoner). This album finds Greg tackling the bulk of the instruments on the record with the exception of the drums which were taken on by former Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Chris Pennie. The first song from this new venture, “Fire For Water” is a pretty killer and badass song. It’s got a bit of a vibe you’d recognize from his Dillinger days but, also a nice side of Nine Inch Nails/Godflesh, and Alice In Chains too.
To elaborate on the album, Greg has stated, “I started writing in May or so of 2019, for what I thought would be the next Black Queen album, except that’s not at all what came out. So, just like with everything else that’s been born from necessity, it felt like the right time to create a home for anything that I do that didn’t fit neatly under any other existing roof. The misfits needed a place to go. This particular song came out really quickly. I guess it’s me reclaiming and owning the abrasive part of me. This whole album is, in a way, a very extreme statement of ownership.” Personally, I’m beyond stoked for this. I have a feeling this album is going to be one hell of an experience.
AUDIOECLECTICA 