Underrated Albums

UNSUNG MASTERPIECES: SLOW CRUSH- THIRST

When a genre explodes, finding the standouts becomes imperative. Over the last few years “shoegaze” has come to the forefront of modern music. Depending on what subgenre of shoegaze you listen to shows you where the inspiration comes from. Deftones and The Smashing Pumpkins in particular have struck a chord with the younger generation. That being said let me shift this to the other side of the equation. Through all my listening and searching I believe I found one of the best albums of this new era of shoegaze. The band is Slow Crush and their album, Thirst is astounding.

Slow Crush’s album Thirst is haunting, seductive, heavy, whimsical and more. Every time I put this album on I’m completely swept away by the intensity. Across ten songs and forty minutes there isn’t one moment on this album that doesn’t fit. As much as this album is shoegaze focused, there is so much more to it. First there is an undercurrent of Black Metal running through the album. There are also elements of stoner rock, alternative rock and dream pop. Sonically, Thirst is explosive, etherial and atmospheric. The vocals will sweep you off your feet and take you on a trippy journey. They crawl under your skin and give you those chills that make you pay attention. Musically too, the intricate web of layers showcases the varied influences of the band. Being able to pull in heaviness into delicate structures is not an easy thing to do. While certain moments are crushing, the more airy ones are what captivates. The hypnotic nature of the songs and production is another part that makes Thirst such a masterful album.

For each listen, you find something new to love and discover. One of my favorite parts of this album is the ending of the second song “Covet.” The use of saxophone at the end of this song is sublime. What a great part and addition to the song. It feels like a David Bowie moment that fits perfectly. It’s almost like the band steps into another world with each song. As a listener it’s rather liberating to hear an album like this. It’s not everyday you get to hear an album that ups the game of a genre. Slow Crush have defined their sound and style with Thirst. Do yourself a favor and take some time with this album and let it take over!

Overall Rating: A

By: Brian Lacy

Slow Crush- Thirst:

GUEST VOCALS: ASHES DIVIDE WITH CHESTER BENNINGTON- THE OUTSIDER

I’ve been on a bit of an A Perfect Circle kick as of late. I’m pretty excited about the thought of new music from them. Especially since their last album, Eat The Elephant, was pretty disappointing. While going through my usual rabbit hole, I came across this fun video. If you are not aware, after A Perfect Circle went on “hiatus” in 2004, Billy Howerdel would go on to start a solo career. His first release was under the name Ashes Divide and the album, Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. That year Ashes Divide was asked to be a part of Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution tour. During one of the stops on the tour, the late Chester Bennington joined Ashes Divide on stage for a version of A Perfect Circle’s “The Outsider.” It’s a pretty solid offering and just shows that Chester could sing pretty much anything, and it sounded good. If you haven’t seen or heard this before you are in for a treat. And seriously check out the Ashes Divide album, it’s really quite good.

Ashes Divide w/Chester Bennington- The Outsider (Live):

Ashes Divide- Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright:

Underrated Albums: Static X- Machine

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Back in 2001 following on the heels of their successful debut Wisconsin Death Trip, Static X released their second album Machine and really stepped up their game. Instead of repeating what they did on Wisconsin, Wayne Static, Tony Campos and Ken Jay made an album that truly surpassed their debut. While the band always had electronics and an industrial tinge, Machine was the album that really brought that to the forefront along with strong riffs and a heavier vocal approach. Machine would become the bands heaviest album and the one that stands out the most.

I remember my dad taking me to the record store so I could buy this album. Once we got in the car I immediately put the cd in the car and let it rip. And rip it did. The moment “Get To The Gone” began, I knew that this was going to be one hell of an album. In fact every song on this album is badass. There are those songs that are heavy like “Permanence,” “This Is Not,” “Burn To Burn,” “Machine,” “…In A Bag,” and “Structural Defect.” Then there are songs that explore a bit of the melodic side like “Black and White,” and “Cold” which you might remember from the Queen Of The Damned soundtrack.

Static X made the perfect follow up album to their debut. The “sophomore jinx” was not going to hinder them even with losing a band member before the recording of this album. Another thing that makes Machine underrated is that instead of relying on drum machines and loops/samples, the band made a point to make this as organic as they could while still maintaining their “Evil Disco” sound. Static X was one of the most fun live bands of that era and continued to be throughout their career. Sadly, the band would go on to break up later on and in 2014 Wayne Static died from a drug overdose. One thing is for sure though, Static X wrote some really rad songs and Machine is probably their best album.

Static X- Machine:

Anything But This (B-Side from Machine):