Three Days Grace: “Life Starts Now”

Frikkin’ Awesome Return of Under-rated Hard Rockers

I must make a confession to start: I absolutely love this band, so any review is automatically somewhat suspect. That being said, I shall try to be objective.

The band’s sound has a certain energy to it that is highly infectious. With each new album, they are honing their craft closer to perfection. Their eponymous first album had a couple of good songs, while the sophomore release, 2006’s One-X, had some truly awesome tracks like “Animal I Have Become” and “Riot” to name but two, cementing the band in the echelons of true players in the harder end of the radio-rock spectrum.

Life Starts Now grows on this progression, offering even more catchy tunes. Each song on this album is worthy of attention and repeat listens. The structures are clearly more designed for radio (“World So Cold” and “Someone Who Cares”, for example, are quite repetitive), but the songs do not suffer from this at all. Linkin Park’s recent output has suffered, as they now produce pretty uninspiring pop-rock/-metal that is simplistic and forgettable. Three Days Grace have at least managed to retain some of their edge and gruffness, while also enhancing their hooks and accessibility. The choruses are still huge, the vocals still arresting and varied, and the musicianship is confident and immediate.

Few albums have lived up to my expectations in the past couple of years, but it is safe to say that Life Starts Now has affirmed my confidence in Three Days Grace. They should have a long and successful career ahead of them. Songs such as “Break” (the lead single) and “Bitter Taste” are immediate singles, and if they don’t have you at least nodding your head along, then chances are you’re dead inside.

Highly recommended.

For Fans of: Shinedown, Soil, Drowning Pool, Sick Puppies, Finger Eleven

Vertical Horizon: “Burning The Days”

Long-delayed return of soft rockers

Vertical Horizon first attracted my attention with their 2000 release, Everything You Want. It was melodic, well-written and pretty uplifting soft rock music. Their follow-up album, Go, didn’t really register at all. Burning The Days takes more queues from the softer side of this already soft band, mixing the competent melodies with catchy tunes. The only problem is that they aren’t quite as uplifting as they used to be. The songs are good, but they come across a little more shoe-gazing that I would have liked from this band.

If you want something to chill out to, or to listen to with a girlfriend who’s scared of anything even remotely heavy or ‘hard’, then Burning The Days should fill the role.

For Fans of: Vonray, Our Lady Peace, Matchbox Twenty

Creed: “Full Circle” (Wind-Up)

The Mega-Selling Grunge Outfit of the 1990s Returns!

I was originally quite sceptical about this album. I always liked Creed (Human Clay, despite it being ‘uncool’, is one of my favourite albums of that period and this genre), so I was interested to see how they might fare after some time apart and with mended fences.

Scott Stapp’s solo album was… disappointing to say the least. The other members of Creed went off, along with Myles Kennedy (formerly of The Mayfield Four) to form the heavier, but still melodic and grungy Alter Bridge.

Full Circle opens with “Overcome” – a heavier take on the classic Creed sound, which serves as a suckerpunch for those who had forgotten what Creed’s original appeal was. “Bread of Shame” and “A Thousand Faces” follow this up with two more toned-down songs, each acting like a step down in intensity. This wasn’t entirely welcome, but the songs are very good, exhibiting some more interesting song structures (still straightforward, but not the standard Creed template that had become well-trodden by 2001’s Weathered). Thankfully, as became clear over the course of the rest of the album, the histrionics have disappeared, and Stapp seems to have got his ego mostly in check. Good for him. Mark Tremonti’s guitar playing is exceptional throughout, and it seems that he’s been able to bring over some solos from his Alter Bridge days, again making the album stand out from Creed’s previous output.

Overall, this is a welcome return from a band everyone loved to deride and hate. Just like Nickelback, who continue to produce songs that appeal to a broad demographic (aging music fans who came of age during the grunge years, for example), Creed’s place in the music world is assured. If you like your grunge straightforward and competently composed and performed, then Full Circle is an album that should appeal.

For Fans of: Alter Bridge, Nickelback, Pearl Jam, Breaking Benjamin, Cavo, Breaking Point, Big Dismal, Bush (not the presidents), Day of Fire, Red

Dead By Sunrise: “Out Of Ashes” (Warner Bros.)

‘Solo’ album from Linkin Park’s frontman and members of Orgy

Just as Minutes To Midnight wasn’t the Linkin Park album I had hoped for, Out Of Ashes was not the album I hoped it would be. Chester Bennington has one of the most versatile and powerful voices in rock today (perhaps ever?), and on this album and Linkin Park’s recent output it feels like he’s just churning out songs that lack the punch and impact of his earlier material. The power evident on Linkin Park’s 2001 debut, Hybrid Theory, and their sophomore release, Meteora (2003) is completely absent on this album. Yes, Chester’s vocals are still melodic and catchy, but there’s no bite, and little on here that really stands out.

The music, provided by Ryan Schuck and Amir Derakh, formerly (?) of Orgy, is ok, but again nothing special.

This promised to be so much more, but ended up falling a little flat. Well-produced and –performed flatness, but certainly flat nonetheless.

“Picture Perfect”, by Soil

An unexpected, superb album

I must say that I wasn’t as keen on the new incarnation of Soil after Ryan McCoombs gave up vocal duties (though, Drowning Pool didn’t improve a whole deal when they hired him, either).

Picture Perfect, then, was a wholly unexpected, brilliant hard rock album. True Self was disappointing, because it seemed that the band were trying really hard to carve themselves a whole new identity – which, in itself, is fair enough, because of the importance of frontmen/-women.

With this album, however, the band has found a happy middle-ground. Bringing back the more grungy elements of the Scars (2002) Redefine (2004) era, enhancing the gruff melodicism with new singer, AJ Cavalier’s different range.

“Tear It Down”, “Picture Perfect”, “Every Moment”, “Falter”, and “Lesser Man” are perfect exemplars of the band’s new sound, and it’s one that doesn’t change much throughout the album. Once again they sound unique, and the album is all the better for it. There are some more diverse elements and influences at play, which makes the album interesting throughout and ensures the listener doesn’t just think they’ve listened to one long song.

Overall, this is an excellent, grungy hard rock album. If anyone lost interest after Redefine, then Picture Perfect should hook you right back into the band’s orbit.

Excellent, and highly recommended.

“Amanethes”, by Tiamat (Century Media)

The latest gothic metal masterpiece from Sweden

Just a quick review of this, as it’s been out for a while. Tiamat write and produce some of the best heavy, gothic music available today. On Amanethes, their long-awaited ninth album, they blend together their earlier, gruffer sound with that of their previous two albums, Judas Christ (2002) and Prey (2003). From the moment “The Temple of the Crescent Moon” kicks off, you know you’re in for something special.

The mix of heavy, dark and melodic elements proves to be excellent, offering songs for most tastes in gothic and metal. Certain songs (e.g. “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again”) nod more towards their later work, while others (e.g. “Raining Dead Angels”) have more in common with their earlier, heavier work. Johan Edlund’s vocals are more varied on Amanethes, re-introducing the harsher style of the band’s earlier work, alongside his superb ‘clean’ vocals.

The pace of the music is pretty varied, though predominantly unhurried. “Will They Come?”, for example, has a slow, funereal melody, reminiscent of much of the Judas Christ album.

I find myself preferring Judas Christ and Prey, though I admit this might have more to do with familiarity, rather than Amanethes being of lower quality. After five years, those two albums have become very familiar. No doubt, given time, I will come to like Amanethes as much.

Overall, this is a very welcome return for Tiamat, one of the most underrated metal bands working today. Anyone with a taste for dark, gothic, gruffly melodic music should own (at least) Tiamat’s three latest albums.

Discography: Sumerian Cry (1990), The Astral Sleep (1991), Clouds (1992), Wildhoney (1994), A Deeper Kind of Slumber (1997), Skeleton Skeletron (1999), Judas Christ (2002) and Prey (2003)

For Fans of: Moonspell, Sentenced, Fall of the Leafe, Poisonblack, Samael, My Dying Bride, Type O Negative

“No Regrets”, by Dope (Koch)

Latest album from Edsel and friends moves forward by looking backward

A new Dope album is a truly wonderful event in the music world. Despite the seemingly endless revolving-door of band members, Edsel Dope’s rock-steady leadership has seen the band stick to what it’s very good at – i.e. releasing heavy, gruffly-melodic hard rock-metal albums with a rather punk attitude.

The 16 tracks on this album are all brilliant, with the first 13 being simply amazing (the final three tracks on the album are bonus oddities; “Die, Bom, Bang, Burn, Fuck”, for example, is an amalgamation of a number of past songs in a live mash-up style). If you are familiar with Dope’s previous output, then you’ll be pretty sure of what you’re going to get on No Regrets.

Edsel’s gravelly-yet-melodic singing style remains as strong as ever, with Virus’s guitar playing going up a notch – the power-chords are still there, but you’ll also find some interesting harmonics and solos throughout the album. The punky, snotty, anti-establishment attitude is still strong and it makes for a fast-paced album. If the music doesn’t get your blood pumping, then you might just be dead.

The music is a blend of what has come before. There are the more melodic moments that featured prominently on Life (2001), but equally the harsher, heavier and angrier elements of their debut, Felons & Revolutionaries (1999). The band has always mixed these elements, it’s true, but it’s possible that they’ve finally found the perfect mix, which coupled with their realization that sometimes shorter songs work better, makes No Regrets an exceptionally gratifying listen. I have no doubt that my neighbours both upstairs and on the same floor are already annoyed with my singing along to “My Funeral”, “Rebel Yell” and especially “Addiction” (which is ready-made for mosh-pits the world over).

Simply superb, and just what we needed in this depressing, serious time. Very highly recommended.

Best cuts (if I have to choose some): “No Regrets”, “My Funeral”, “Rebel Yell”, “Addiction”, “Violence”

Discography: Felons & Revolutionaries (1999), Life (2001), Group Therapy (2003), American Apathy (2005), No Regrets (2009)

For Fans of: Makeshift Romeo, Static-X, Five Finger Death Punch, Twisted Method, Motograter, Engel, Drowning Pool, Egypt Central, Burn Halo, HellYeah, Rev Theory

“Burn Halo”, by Burn Halo (Rawkhead Records)

Former Eighteen Visions’ singer releases one of the best rock albums of the decade

For anyone familiar with Eighteen Visions’ final, eponymous album, Burn Halo’s sound will come as a pleasant surprise. This is a straight-up rock album, with none of the emo or hardcore posing of Eighteen Visions. Songs like “Too Late To Tell You Now” and “Dead End Roads & Lost Highways” easily fit alongside songs by such bands as Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry, Foo Fighters and other more commercial rock acts. “So Addicted” has a snotty, punk-rock snarl throughout, reminiscent of Buckcherry or Papa Roach, and maybe Dope at their more commercial. This is not to say that Burn Halo are carbon-copies of the above bands; far from it. The band clearly have their own sound, and while James Hart’s vocals are still reminiscent of his previous work (though leagues ahead in terms of quality and variation), overall the music has more in common with Guns ‘N’ Roses, recent Avenged Sevenfold, and perhaps even Aerosmith than his previous cohorts in the emo/hardcore scenes. For this reason, this is one of the best albums recent in quite some time.

If you’re put off by the reference-heavy nature of this review, don’t be. Burn Halo are their own band, and their sound is their own, but the varied-yet-consistent quality of the songs allows them to mix with a broad spectrum of other contemporary rock acts, and should give them a massive appeal to the wider community of rock fans the world over.

In four words: Superb, addictive, original, essential.

A must for fans of: Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Avenged Sevenfold (post-City of Evil), Guns ‘N’ Roses

www.myspace.com/burnhalo

“Dark Horse”, by Nickelback (Roadrunner)

Chad Kroeger’s band of merry men release the best albums of their career

Nickelback has always been a band in a strange position. Lambasted and ridiculed almost constantly by the British music press, they consistently have bestselling albums. What’s the deal?

While you’re thinking about that, it must be said that Nickelback’s latest offering, Dark Horse, is simply superb. The more grunge elements have now been combined with a healthy dose of “rawk”, with the band writing and playing songs that are more tongue-in-cheek and also more fun.

“Something In Your Mouth” kicks the album off with a bang, and things don’t let up until the CD stops playing. Almost every song on here works on its own, and also as a whole album. Personally, I liked Silver Side Up (their break-out album), but Dark Horse is the first Nickelback album that I just stick on repeat, listening to it for most (if not all) of the day. The songs “S.E.X.”, “Burn It To The Ground”, “Next Go Round” and “Just To Get High”, in particular, hit all the right rock buttons: huge guitars and choruses, catchy hooks and an almost addictive quality that will get you singing along. Best of all, the songs have a clear continuity, but in no instance do you feel like you’re listening to something you’ve heard before – either on this album, or from any of their back catalogue.

Easily the band’s best album, and very likely one of the best album of the past decade (at least). This is fresh, rocking, addictive, but also nicely familiar, like an old friend who’s been away for a while, but is now back in the fold.

A pleasant surprise. Very highly recommended.

Best tracks: “Burn It To The Ground”, “S.E.X.” and “Next Go Round”

www.myspace.com/nickelback

“Save Me From Myself” – Head (DrivenMusic)

Korn’s former seven-stringer steps out on his own, with some interesting results

This album poses a bit of a quandry. On the one hand, there is a great deal to be happy and impressed by, but on the other hand, there are a couple of things that really irritate, thereby ruining one’s listening experience.

First off, let’s start with the good. Brian “Head” Welch is an excellent song-writer. The opening pair of songs, “L.O.V.E.” and “Flush” (heavier), are superb, as is “Home”, balancing the darker moments of Korn’s later catalogue with Head’s distinctive, husky, anguished  vocals – “dark, heavy, melodic, industrial menace” one might say. The choruses are great, and in many ways Head’s songs have the feel of how some Korn songs should have sounded, if they’d had a more conventional vocalist. Head’s distinctive guitar-tone rumbles throughout, showing considerable growth and that he continues to try new and interesting things, while still sticking with what he’s really very good at. There are even hints of older Coal Chamber on this disc (only better constructed and execute). There are equally a lot of interesting constructions (from choirs to synthesizers) and plenty of experimental instrumentation throughout the album, which creates a varied and surprising listen.

I don’t use the references to Korn lazily – Head was a major songwriter for that band, so there are understandable overlaps in style and substance. Given Head’s newfound Christianity, I was expecting an album that was nowhere near as dark and menacing as this one. In a way, this is a plus, as it allows him to explore a wider range of material and subjects (I am not one of those people who are automatically turned off a band because of their religious beliefs – I still hold Demon Hunter and Skillet among my favourite bands).

Now for the “bad”. I’m not sure if Head was aiming for a metal, latter-day Dark Side of the Moon, but Save Me From Myself is peppered with interludes and song-segues that pretty much ruin the flow of the album and irritate beyond compare. This, sadly, is the case between “L.O.V.E.” and “Flush”, where the sound of Head gagging is unnecessary, and the creepy-baby-crying at the beginning of “Loyalty”… well, it was just creepy, and annoying when it reemerges later in the track. This is a real shame, as the songs themselves are brilliant. Without these odd interludes, I would have rated this album much higher than I do.

An interesting new direction, with plenty of brilliance on display, but unless Head can reign himself in when it comes to “artistic flourishes”, then I can’t imagine many people will enjoy sitting through a whole album. Unless they are somewhat disturbed. Let me stress, though, that taken as individual songs, this is a great collection of songs.