Author: Bill Clark

Red: Until We Have Faces

February 1, 2011 /


RIYL: Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace

Twice-nominated for Grammys and one of mainstream rock’s most successful acts, Red are back with their third studio release, Until We Have Faces. Revolving around the theme of seeking one’s identity (and at least partially-inspired by the C.S. Lewis book, “Till We Have Faces”), this new offering may be the record that Red’s detractors have been foaming at the mouth for. It’s a pretty safe, mainstream offering that sees the band doing what they do best, and not much more. Guess what? It still rocks.

Kicking off with its heaviest track, “Feed the Machine,” Red attack the sound system with a simply epic sound. Featuring heavily down-tuned guitars punctuated with string arrangements and soaring choruses Red’s music personifies “brutal but beautiful.” The single, “Faceless,” is one of the stronger tracks and a very safe radio play. “Let it Burn” and “Not Alone,” in the same vein as previous tracks “Let Go” and “Start Again,” display the band’s penchant for ballads and layered melodies. The closing track, the piano-driven “Hymn for the Missing,” takes on a mythic beauty that holds long after the album is finished.

Red is anchored by vocalist Michael Barnes, whose emotional delivery and at-times wicked scream continues to lift what would otherwise be standard issue rock songs. He’s the perfect fit for what are mainly hopeful, positive lyrics (Red is, after all, a Christian band). The rest of the band is tight, and guitarist Anthony Armstrong carries a one-man army of a tone. Producer Rob Graves, who also produced Red’s previous efforts, knows these guys have a good thing going.

Red are really one of the last truly mainstream rock acts around. They’re heavy enough to bring in fans of more aggressive music, but friendly and catchy enough to cross over to contemporary rock fans. The sensational vocals of Barnes and the beautiful orchestral arrangements really help them separate from the competition. Those expecting progression from a technical standpoint will be disappointed, but savvy veterans content with Red’s place in the musical landscape are going to find a whole new batch of songs to love. (Red Ink/Sony 2011)

Red MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Christian, Rock

Disturbed: Asylum

September 1, 2010 /


RIYL: Godsmack, Staind, Nonpoint

Of all the nu-metallers of a decade ago, Disturbed would have been towards the bottom of most lists of those who would survive the short era. 2000’s The Sickness was perfect for that time: heavy and loaded down with chugging guitars and vocalist David Draiman’s choppy, pseudo-rap styling. Over the years the band has become a rock behemoth, consistently delivering the kind of radio-friendly heaviness that doesn’t send mom to the guidance counselor looking for answers. While hardly the musical takeoff that 2008’s Indestructible was, Asylum delivers some of the band’s best songs yet and confirms that these guys are still angry and motivated.

Disturbed_09

Asylum shows the band settling into the groove established by Indestructible. Disturbed took its biggest leap forward from a technical and production standpoint with that record, and Asylum proves to be a compulsively listenable experience. Guitarist Dan Donegan has transformed before our eyes from a down-tuned shredder to the driving force of the band. He’s simply a one-man wrecking crew. The title track is Donegan Exhibit A, offering a haunting, wah-driven lead with a fist-pumping chorus. He, along with bassist John Moyer and drummer Mike Wengren, may be one of the tightest rhythm sections in the genre today. Lyrically, it’s nothing groundbreaking. Draiman continues his ongoing assault on backstabbing politicians, bad relationships, ecological destruction (“Another Way to Die”) and Holocaust deniers (“Never Again”).

Metal fans are always looking for a band’s progression. While Disturbed have progressed plenty over the past decade, Asylum is not much more than a companion piece to Indestructible – and that’s not a bad thing. Like its predecessor, it’s a solid record, top to bottom. If you liked Disturbed before, you’re not about to stop with this release. The Limited Edition release features live versions of “Down With the Sickness” and “Stricken,” “Decade of Disturbed” documentary, and nine instructional videos for learning Disturbed songs. (Reprise 2010)

Disturbed MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Metal, Rock

Bullet for My Valentine: Fever

April 27, 2010 /


RIYL: Killswitch Engage, Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu

Look no further than the first 80 seconds of Bullet for My Valentine’s third studio album, Fever, to see what these guys are capable of. Those seconds, filled with thumping drums and building guitars, are undoubtedly mosh-worthy, but they aren’t completely indicative of what’s in store with this record. While the band remains as polished as ever technically, the songwriting leaves a lot to be desired and singer Matt Tuck’s vocals go off the glam deep end too often.

The aforementioned opening track, “Your Betrayal,” is one of the album’s better tracks and is a great showcase of Valentine’s love for dynamic guitar solos and layered rhythms. The choruses are catchy enough to not scare the parents and Fever is, without question, the band’s most accessible release to date. “A Place Where You Belong” is an infectious power ballad, as is “Bittersweet Memories.” The first single, “The Last Fight,” has a fist-pumping chorus and energy is not in short supply.

Peppered throughout the record, however, are some seriously groan-inducing moments. Tuck has a great voice, but his persistent whisper becomes obnoxious, as do lyrics like those found in the title track. Try this on for size:

Come here you naughty girl you’re such a tease
You look so beautiful down on your knees
Keep on those high heel shoes rip off all your clothes
You smell so fucking good it makes me lose control!

Even Def Leppard in their heyday would laugh at that. Despite the moments of cheese, Fever is an above-average thrash/melodic metal record that offers great guitar licks and effectively melodic choruses. Bullet for My Valentine will crack an expanded fan base with this offering, but it does come at the expense of some quality in comparison to their previous releases. (Zomba/RED)

Bullet for My Valentine MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Metal, Rock

Sevendust: Cold Day Memory

April 19, 2010 /


RIYL: Disturbed, Staind, melodic hard rock

If there’s a more consistent hard rock band out there than Sevendust, I sure haven’t found them. These guys, even after losing a founding member in Clint Lowery (who makes his studio return here), for five years, continue to produce stellar material, and Cold Day Memory should please their ever-growing fan base. Though not quite as solid as 2001’s Animosity (their masterpiece, in my opinion) or the much-angrier Home, this release deserves to be in the upper echelon of the Sevendust catalog.

Faithful fans know these cats always start an album off with a bang, and “Splinter” is no exception. Clint Lowery, returning after five years off to work with Dark New Day and Korn, makes his presence immediately felt with superb background vocals and his signature guitar riffs. “Forever,” the first song from the album officially released online, is a beast unto itself. Lowery, along with guitarist John Connolly, bassist Vinnie Hornsby, and drummer Morgan Rose, are as tight rhythmically as I’ve ever heard them. It’s as if Lowery never left.  The signature melodic choruses really kick into gear on songs such as “Unraveling” (the first single), “Last Breath,” “Confessions,” and “Here and Now.”

Sevendust_06

The true separator for Sevendust over the years has been singer Lajon Witherspoon. He’s had the most soulful and diverse voice in the genre since the band burst onto the scene in the late ’90s, and he hasn’t lost a step on Cold Day Memory. He’s what makes the band’s sudden changes between brutal and beautiful possible – and successful.

Fans as well as the uninitiated will find little to complain about with this release. A part of me was really hoping for something a little more experimental – what they did with “Burn” on Alpha was truly transcendent for them, and I’d love to see them build upon it at some point – but nevertheless we still have another dozen solid Sevendust songs. That alone is superior to a lot of the other stuff out there. (7Bros. Records/ILG)

Sevendust MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Metal, Rock

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