Live Review - Swarm Tour

Artists:  Twelve Foot Ninja, Jericco, Circles (All Melbourne, Australia)

Date/s:  24 March & 30 March, 2012 – Evelyn Hotel & Ferntree Gully Hotel

The Swarm Tour brought together three of Melbourne’s leading upstart bands.  If you’re familiar with the alternative metal scene in Melbourne, you’re probably familiar, in some way, with all three artists on this bill.  Each one has been forging their own path around the country, slowly gathering their own loyal following and infecting the ears of anyone willing to listen.  Circles have been gathering fans abroad, Jericco are becoming one of the most recognisable names in Melbourne’s live scene and Twelve Foot Ninja continue to build upon their reputation of being Australia’s answer to Faith No More.  So why not join together, tour the country and leave a path of ringing ears and the after-effects of silly metal nerd antics in their wake?  I happened to see two of these shows, so what follows is sort of a mashed together review of both nights.

Circles:  Let’s start with the babies of the tour.  Even though, Circles have been around for quite a few years, things have really picked up in the last eighteen months for the Melbourne quintet, giving the impression that they have emerged out of nowhere.  While the sound at The Evelyn show wasn’t the best, the band seemed to have one of, if not the largest crowd of the night.  Each time I go to a Circles show, I notice a few more Circles t-shirts, which of course, is an excellent sign that things are catching on here at home as well as overseas.  The band didn’t play any of their newer tunes, preferring to save them for later in the year when, hopefully, their debut album is complete (and from the demos I’ve heard, it’s going to be killer!).  I’ve written about their live show before and not much has changed.  They still hit hard, they still engage, they’re still winning fans.  Go check them out.  A strange thing happened at the Ferntree Gully Hotel show of this tour though (and I’ve heard from various sources, that it was the norm for the other shows, despite not being the case at The Evelyn).  Circles played first and were followed by a local band before Jericco and Twelve Foot Ninja closed the night.  Now, this is odd because the shows were advertised as a three-band tour.  Twelve Foot Ninja, Jericco and Circles were all on the poster.  It was billed as a three-headed metal beast.  Any supports should have played before Circles, not after.  As a punter, you’d expect to see the three bands on the bill playing the three last sets.  As a punter, knowing that this is normally the case, you might decide to turn up late to the show because you know some local band you’re not interested in will be playing first.  As a punter, you’d be extremely disappointed if you turned up late, assuming that the support band would play first only to find that one of the bands you were really excited to see (Circles) had already played and now you have to sit through a set by the very band you were trying to avoid.  This is not a rant against the support band, whoever they were at the Ferntree Gully Hotel.  It’s just to point out the organisational stupidity of whoever was in charge of making that boneheaded decision.

Jericco:  Jericco are an interesting prospect for me.  For several different reasons, I’ve missed them at every gig they’ve played at, whether it is a festival or their supporting another band.  It has never been done on purpose.  How can I deliberately avoid a band I know very little about?  So now, at The Evelyn I finally managed to see them and all they have to offer.  Personally, they’re not really my style.  There’s no doubt that they are a very good band.  They put on an engaging show and the crowd showed their love for the band.  It’s just that there is a glut of these kinds of bands in Australia at the moment.  After the initial popularity of The Butterfly Effect, Cog and Karnivool, it seems as though every musician in Australia is imitating this style to varying degrees of success.  Jericco are a good band.  I could just as easily listen to Karnivool though who do this style better.  At The Ferntree Gully Hotel show I, again, missed Jericco’s set (due to a strange mission involving driving up a mountain, walking for ten minutes in pitch black bush and two thirty litre barrels of water), so I can’t comment on it.

Twelve Foot Ninja:  What can I say?  This band is killing it right now!  They’ve never been tighter, they’ve never sounded bigger and they’ve never delivered a set with this much punch (apart from, maybe, their supporting set at the Tesseract/Periphery show).  Everything about Twelve Foot Ninja on these two nights pointed to something very exciting around the corner.  That thing, of course, is their debut album to be released at some stage later this year (recording has finished and they’re in the middle of mixing).  Twelve Foot Ninja are on fire and you should definitely check them out if you’re a fan of alternative metal in any way.  The band played some of the new tracks and they seem to be getting heavier.  While the band does incorporate many different styles into their music, there is no doubt that, with each batch of new songs, the emphasis of skull crushing riffs and rhythms is growing which only indicates excellent things for the album.  Their new guitar player also seems to be quite an asset to the band, providing some great fretwork and backing vocals that blended perfectly with Kin’s powerful voice.  Go see them and buy their album!

Live Review - Soundwave Festival

2 March, 2012 – Melbourne Showgrounds

The annual metal/punk/hardcore festival known as Soundwave marched into Melbourne in early March to devastate the young and terrify the old.  It came to intimidate the cool, give the finger to the mainstream and piss on the trends…but wait?  Heavy music seems to be cool at the moment, be a part of the mainstream and is one of the latest trends for teenagers.  Hmmmm, things are very different than they used to be in my angry, teenage heyday.  Dudes with long hair and tattoos are everywhere, not just at gigs.  Band t-shirts are everywhere.  There are even girls at the shows!  That never happened!  It is certainly a conundrum indeed, but this is the position that heavy music is in at the moment.  The aggression and occasional silliness is now listened to, and participated in, by many and has spewed out into mainstream culture.  How else can you explain this festival selling out in minutes when Big Day Out didn’t sell out after four months of tickets being on sale?  This year proved to be one of the better Soundwaves too, with a line-up that was a little more for those who enjoyed heavy music the last time it was in the mainstream (around the mid-late 1990s).  Unlike BDO, the Soundwave organisers did an outstanding job of providing adequate shelter for patrons and the food was actually ok (not as much variety as BDO, but it was alright).  So, without further a due, here’s how my day panned out.

Times of Grace (USA):  Three fifths of Killswitch Engage (Jesse Leech, Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel) played what sounded a lot like Killswitch b-sides.  Given that Leech recently rejoined Killswitch as vocalist, this project now seems a little redundant.  Were they good?  They were ok.  Leech was good, but seemed a little grateful for being there rather than being in command of the stage (unlike former KsE vocalist Howard Jones who was hilarious and powerful live).  Adam D., was reduced to hobbling around the stage in a leg-brace for unknown reasons and the crowd seemed to be rather sluggish.  It was as if the crowd was there just to check things out and see how this project performed, rather than being genuinely interested.

Steel Panther (USA):  Absolutely hilarious!  This band lived up to all the hype and expectations.  I had been wary of them because, while it’s obvious they can play and write catchy songs, it’s hard to get any real legs out of a concept that is, essentially, parody music.  Having said that, they were very good live.  Their stage show is hilarious and every bit as ridiculous as they make it out to be in their music.  They were very fun, but I can’t see them lasting very long (what parody act has lasted apart from “Weird Al” Yankovic)?

Lostprophets (Wales):  This was one of those, “I loved that album” kind of bands.  A little after high school, I really dug Lostprophets Start Something (2004).  It was one of those albums I got right into, but then never pursued any of their music before or since and let them fade into memory.  The band started out well here and ripped through a few Start Something tracks before playing stuff that I didn’t know.  When I knew the songs, I got right into it and they were great.  When I didn’t know the songs, they were boring.

Hellyeah (USA):  It was great to see the legend, Vinnie Paul (Pantera, but do I really need to point that out?!), doing his thing behind the kit.  Hellyeah, though, are essentially an average band.  They’re a bit of a Frankenstein band being made up of two parts Mudvayne, two parts Damageplan, one part Nothingface, and one part Pantera, playing the kind of southern flavoured metal that Pantera pioneered.  But it lacks the aggression, originality and good tunes that made Pantera the incredible, game changing band that they were.  They also appear a bit sloppy live.  Vinnie’s solid as a rock, but the rest of the band, particularly vocalist, Chad Gray (Mudvayne), seems more concerned with playing the part of an alcohol swilling southerner (despite being from Illinois, a very northern state) than he does the part of a good, engaging, energetic vocalist.

Meshuggah (Sweden):  The band seemed to be much more energetic than they were the previous Wednesday…possibly because they didn’t play Lethargica.  The band are legends and always will be.  The crowd, interestingly enough, seemed to be more into this set too, than the crowd at The Forum two nights earlier.  All in all, it added up to a much more engaging Meshuggah show.

Coal Chamber (USA):  The reformed late ‘90s nu-metal also-rans, Coal Chamber, played their first shows since their 2003 break-up at this festival (interestingly, they haven’t played or announced any further shows as Coal Chamber since).  They were good.  I never really got into them, but their show certainly made me want to listen to their albums and watch Halloween (1978, the band used the film’s theme as intro music).  I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a once off though, particularly as it is so far removed from the extreme metal that vocalist, Dez Fafara, spends his time making now with DevilDriver.

In Flames (Sweden):  In Flames are always surprisingly good live.  They are energetic, they have an amazing sound and always seem genuinely fond of the crowd in front of them.  Personally, I’m more a fan of a certain era (2002’s Reroute To Remain: Fourteen Songs of Conscious Insanity through to 2006’s Come Clarity) of the band and so, when they played the stuff I liked, I loved it, when they played other stuff, I didn’t love it as much.  They were still great, but the majority of their set consisted of newer material, which is fair enough, they are promoting a new album after all.

Bad Religion (USA):  The punk legends had their set cut twenty-five minutes short due to a stage malfunction, which left a large steel rod balancing precariously above the audience.  No one was injured and festival organisers should be applauded for how quickly they dealt with the issue.  Huge Bad Religion fans were obviously disappointed, but the band couldn’t really do much.  Had they continued playing and the situation became worse, they’d be all over the papers for the wrong reasons.

Limp Bizkit (USA):  This was one of the acts I was looking forward to.  It was the much derided, hate inspiring Limp Bizkit’s first Melbourne show ever.  The last time the band were in Australia, their stay was cut short due to an incident during their set at Sydney’s 2001 Big Day Out which left one fan, sixteen year old Jessica Michalik, dead.  Limp Bizkit’s set on this tour had, therefore, become a tribute to Jessica Michalik and her family.  Front man, Fred Durst gave a moving speech about the loss of a fan and how there is no way they can ever change what happened as much as they would like to.  During this speech, the band’s backdrop was changed from a cartoon sketch of the band members, to a large pink sheet with the name, “Jessica” printed on it in large white letters decorated with love hearts and butterflies.  This banner remained for the rest of their set.  The actual performance was surprisingly good.  Having never been here before, the band only played one track from their latest album, Gold Cobra (2011), opting for a greatest hits setlist instead.  The crowd loved it as the band grooved through each number with the energy and tenacity that they were known for in their late 1990s heyday.  Hate them as much as you like, but Limp Bizkit groove like no other.

Dillinger Escape Plan (USA): This was, by far, the highlight of the day.  I don’t know why, but every time Dillinger Escape Plan come out, I’m always hesitant.  I always go, but there’s a part of me, for one reason or another, holding back.  Then I watch them play and almost always declare them the greatest live band on the planet right now.  First, let me say that their sound was terrible in the shed.  All bands always sound horrible in the shed.  I don’t know why they continue to make bands play in there.  But with Dillinger Escape Plan, it doesn’t matter.  You can never, ever underestimate the band’s ability to squeeze every single once of energy out of themselves.  Their live show is every bit as manic and insane as their music.  Let me give you a few examples.  As the band began to play, vocalist Greg Puciato, walked out onto the stage, straight down the middle, jumped straight down onto the crowd barrier and began the opening song Farewell, Mona Lisa in the crowd, passing the mic around and screaming in the faces of the die-hards who were right there, screaming along with him.  At another point, guitarist, Ben Weinman walked out onto the crowd while playing his guitar.  When I say walked out, he was stepping on people’s shoulders and the people were holding him up.  He did this for a little while before launching himself, guitar and all, down into the audience to crowd surf back to the stage…all while continuing to play.  Ladies and gentlemen, add Dillinger Escape Plan to your “Bands I Must See Before I Die” list now!

Slipknot (USA):  Slipknot are always great live and this was no different.  How can you not be great live when your band consists of nine lunatics dressed in demented monster masks and boiler suits while pyro is going off everywhere around you?  What was interesting was that the band appeared to play with their new/fill in bass player off stage.  I could be wrong, I didn’t have the best view, but it appeared that the band’s way of making a transition to an era without recently departed bassist, Paul Gray, was to have their new bass player (and former guitarist), Donnie Steele, play off stage.  It was an interesting move, but a totally understandable one given Gray’s untimely death last year.

The Devin Townsend Project (Canada):  The king of all nerds performed a set consisting mostly of his ‘Project’ material.  While this material isn’t his best work, he’s still an amazing performer.  The Ziltoid animations were hilarious and Townsend’s strange command of a crowd was as strong as ever.  He has one of the best voices in metal and continues to be metal’s mad genius.  Set closer, Bad Devil, from his 1998 album, Infinity, was a particular highlight.

Angels & Airwaves:  I chose to see these guys play because my other choices were System Of A Down, who I’ve seen before and am not really a fan of, and Machine Head, who are incredible live, but I’ve seen them a lot.  So, I opted to try something new.  I’m not really familiar with A&A’s music but they were fairly good live.  Had I known their music, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more.  To the untuned ear, the songs all seemed to sound very similar and for the entirety of the performance, the band was backlit so you could not see their faces.  This may have been because of the “the message is bigger than us” mentality that the band seemed to have.  Having said that, I’d much rather listen to A&A than front man, Tom DeLonge’s other, better known band, Blink-182.

Album Review - Koloss

Artist: Meshuggah (Sweden)

Release Date: 30^th March, 2012

I mentioned in my review of their supporting slot for The Devin Townsend Project that Meshuggah are true innovators.  They are the creators of a metal sub-genre that they stood alone in until recently.  Still, it has taken most of these new bands fifteen years to catch up with Meshuggah’s technicality and how to use that technicality to create excellent songs (there are plenty out there who have amazing technical abilities but can’t write a decent song).  So, now that the rest of the metal world is catching up to the almighty Meshuggah, their new album, Koloss, arrives with a certain amount of expectation.  Whether it meets the expectations of listeners, I think, will hinge on two important questions; how will they respond now that they suddenly have contemporaries, and, will they still be the kings of technical metal?

            For me, the answers to those questions are, “Ok” and “mmmm, maybe…yeah, probably”.  Koloss is, by no means, a bad album.  It’s just a very average Meshuggah album.  Now, I should stress again, that this is merely my opinion (before you decide to burn me at the stake, please read my first ever post here).  I’ve spoken to a few metal fans that are really enjoying what Koloss has to offer.  For me, its’ just not doing much at the moment.

            The main problem is the relentless nature of the album.  Where their pre-Catch Thirty-Three releases demonstrated an amazing ability to build tension and then release a brutal storm of metal excellence, Koloss seems to be stuck in the one gear.  There are very few ups and downs in terms of the album’s dynamics.  It’s mostly, “everything turned up to eleven”.  Many people will enjoy that, but I like my albums to have some give and take, to give you some moments where you are anticipating the impending mayhem.  I think it helps albums to flow and take the listener on a journey.

            Many of the riffs are also fairly Meshuggah-by-numbers.  There seems to be a lack of inspiration in the band with a lot of riffs being surprisingly simple and/or not up to Mushuggah’s usual lofty standards.  For the first time ever, the vocals are also grating on me.  Again, there is very little variation in them.  There are hardly any changes in pitch or intensity, which means that the lacklustre riffs are exposed more than they otherwise would be.

            Being the legends they are, Meshuggah do still pull out a few jaw dropping moments such as in the face melting The Hurt That Finds You First.  Just before the two-minute mark, what has been a single stringed, palm-muted thrash riff, suddenly becomes a chugged, multi-stringed sludge fest that presents Meshuggah in a dirtier way than they ever have been before.  Likewise, the closing riff of Marrow and the opening riff of Swarm are classic Meshuggah; technical and groove laden in a way that only they can be.  On top of this, Don’t Look Down probably wouldn’t be out of place on their excellent 2002 effort, Nothing.  Unfortunately, much of their good work is ruined by fourth track, Behind The Sun.  It’s such a slow, boring piece of music that it makes Lethargica from their last album, ObZen, seem like a dance party.  It’s position in the first half of the album also makes it difficult for the listener to want to continue on and get into what follows.  Or, at least, that’s how it works for me.

            It’s pretty clear that I’m disappointed with this release.  Like I have said, I know plenty of people who are really digging this.  Maybe it’s just not a Meshuggah time for me right now.  It may take a few months and then suddenly I’ll throw it on and everything will just click and I’ll love it, and if that happens I’ll be back on here recanting every statement that I’ve made (although, my opinion on Behind The Sun, I think, is fairly unshakeable).  But, to me, Meshuggah seem to be suffering from being compared to their past glories.  Having created the masterpiece that is Chaosphere, Meshuggah have the unfortunate problem of having everything they do compared to that milestone.  Meshuggah might still be the front-runners of modern metal, but there are signs that the rest of the pack is catching up.

Live Review - Meshuggah/Thursday

29 February, 2012 – The Forum Theatre/Billboards, Melbourne

This particular evening was an interesting one.  With Soundwave festival only two days away, the night was filled with sideshows.  Just about every venue in Melbourne had been booked by a band playing the festival.  While this was great for live music in the city, it also meant that you had a hell of a lot of trouble trying to pick which show to go to because they were all on the same night.  Personally, I chose to go to two shows.  I decided I would begin my night at The Forum Theatre and watch Swedish metallers, Meshuggah, supporting Devin Townsend, then leave before Devin Townsend started playing and make my way a few blocks to Billboards to watch post-hardcore veterans, Thursday, perform their last headlining show ever.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive Devin fan.  I love his music and he is truly awesome live.  If you have the chance to see him, do so.  You won’t regret it.  However, for me, seeing Thursday perform for the last time was a little more important than seeing Devin play for the third time.  Devin will be back and I will be there, but Thursday would be gone forever after this evening (unless of course they take the standard ten year break and then come back at Coachella which seems to be the trend lately).

            Meshuggah truly are one of the innovators of modern metal music.  Their style has since been imitated by a thousand other bands and has recently given rise to the relatively new “djent” movement.  Just to give you an idea as to how influential Meshuggah have been, their first release to gain international attention was 1995’s Destroy Erase Improve.  After that, they released their groundbreaking masterpiece, Chaosphere, in 1998 before 2002’s Nothing helped them land an audience in the U.S.  The band has been so far ahead of the curve that it is only now that other bands have begun successfully incorporating Meshuggah’s sound into their own music.  So, it is with some anticipation that one attends a Meshuggah show, knowing that you are about to witness a true original.

            Having said all this, it was my fifth time seeing Meshuggah play.  Every time they’ve played Melbourne, I’ve been there.  Their first tour here was in 2008 to promote the relatively new ObZen album and they have toured here two more times without any new material being released.  The first time I saw them, they were absolutely breathtaking; one of the best live bands I had ever seen up to that point.  The next time they played here, some of the shine had worn off.  Without any new music to play, they played a fairly predictable setlist and lacked the energy they had shown last time.  Thomas Haake’s back surgery may have had some contribution, but he still showed enough skill to prove that, even in his “not quite 100%” state, he could still out-drum nearly anyone on the planet.  Now, seeing them again, the band played much better than they had played last time, but there was a definite lack of energy.

            The problem with seeing Meshuggah at the moment is that their set draws heavily on two albums (ObZen and Nothing) and while there is nothing wrong with those two albums, it means they neglect the two albums that many people consider to be their finest (Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere).  While the band plays each song with perfection, songs like Lethargica could easily be replaced by something like Neurotica, Future Breed Machine, Suffer In Truth or Humiliative from their older albums.  Australian fans have seen them play ObZen and Nothing material and there seemed to be a feeling of disappointment when the only older track they played was the incredible New Millennium Cyanide Christ.  Even new song, Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion, while it had much more power than its released version, failed to spark much of an interest in me as it plods along and sounds, to me, like Meshuggah on autopilot.  It is a bit of a shame to write these things about a band that I respect so much, but I am still very much looking forward to hearing Koloss at the end of this month.  Live though, Meshuggah need to vary their setlist as playing virtually the same thing for five years is starting to get a little old.

            It was then on to see Thursday at Billboards.  Thursday had made it known prior to this show that it would be the last headlining show they would ever perform (their last actual set would be at Perth’s Soundwave).  Needless to say, it was an emotional evening, not only for the band, but also for the fans.  It was both parties’ chance to say good-bye and thank you to one another for more than a decade of great music, excellent shows and good times had together.  To celebrate the occasion, Thursday had also announced that they would play their breakthrough album, 2001’s Full Collapse, in its entirety.  Personally, I am more of a casual fan.  I loved their 2003 album War All The Time, but hadn’t really followed much of their work before or since.  Every time they’ve come out to play a festival, I’ve always checked their set out and been impressed by their energy and commitment to their audience.  But I had never been to one of the band’s own headlining shows, and so I felt the need to finally see one, their last one, before they were gone for good.

            For the entire night the crowd was in full voice, determined to send the band off with as much love as possible.  They sang along to every line and even took over from vocalist, Geoff Rickly, on many occasions.  In turn, Rickly thanked the crowd over and over again for their support and spoke about how grateful the band was for the career that they have had.  When it came to offering a reason for the band’s demise, Rickly simply stated that sometimes things just end.  He was careful to point out that there was no hostility between the band members, that each member counted the other as a brother and that they simply felt it was time to explore other things, that the band had run its course.  The audience appeared to be truly appreciative of this and gave huge roars of support with every statement Rickly made on the band’s behalf.

            My personal highlights of their set were, of course, their War All The Time material.  These songs just explode live and the crowd seemed to be injected with more energy when they launched into it after their Full Collapse set had finished.  Fans of the band’s long career may have been a touch disappointed by the set though.  Apart from Full Collapse they played four tracks from War All The Time, one track from their last album, No Devolución, and perennial set closer, Jet Black New Year from their 2002 EP, Five Stories Falling.  This meant that it was hardly a night that explored the full extent of their career to date, but generally the fans didn’t seem to mind as the show came to a close and the band took one last band photo in front of a screaming and adoring crowd.

            Before I sign off on this review I do want to state a few things about what a shame it is that Thursday are leaving the musical landscape.  Having been at the forefront of the post-hardcore movement in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Thursday have carried on where many of their contemporaries have broken up or faded into obscurity.  Although Thursday were a lot more popular ten years ago, they have maintained a loyal international fan base.  They have persisted with their music and continued to push their own personal boundaries.  And so it is with even greater sadness that Thursday are leaving us when some of their contemporaries are returning, most notably, At The Drive-In and Refused.  Think on this for a moment; Refused, At The Drive-In and Thursday were all groundbreaking bands during their heyday.  At The Drive-In and Refused broke up and now, ten years later, are reforming to huge expectations, renewed interest in their music and, no doubt, large appearance fees.  Thursday, on the other hand, didn’t break up.  The continued and rode the waves of popularity and fading out of mainstream view and are now finishing up without much of a mention in mainstream music media.  Had Thursday gone the way of At The Drive-In and Refused, they’d probably be seeing similar financial rewards for reforming about now.  To me, it doesn’t seem fair that the band that continued and pushed on, won’t see the rewards they deserve, but that seems to be the way things go today.  Band’s break up when they’re at their most popular, they take a ten year break, then they reform to huge fanfare and large appearance fees.  While no one’s disputing the impact of At The Drive-In or Refused’s music, or how good it is for them to be back, but bands like Thursday deserve more than what they are getting.

Album Review - Resolution

Artist: Lamb of God (USA)

Release Date: 20^th January, 2012

Lamb of God find themselves in a difficult position with their seventh album (their sixth under their current band name).  Having pushed the boundaries of aggression until they became one of the most revered bands in extreme metal, they find themselves at a point that many popular, innovative bands find themselves in.  Their 2006 album, Sacrament, stands as a creative peak for the band.  It is, by far, the most varied and experimental record they have released, particularly with regards to Randy Blythe’s guttural vocals.  Of course, it also happens to be their commercial peak as well which meant that many “hardcore” fans were beginning to throw labels around like “sell-outs” and “gone soft”.  Bare in mind that this was in response to an album that still consisted entirely of screamed vocals, it was just the variation in those screams that had changed.  So, in response, Lamb of God released Wrath in 2009 claiming that it was a return to their heavier As The Palaces Burn (2003)/Ashes Of The Wake (2004) days.  The album did explode out of the gates with the first few tracks comparable to watching a drunken maniac charging with his fists poised to strike and his mouth foaming with rage.  While the initial blows it landed did some damage, it quickly ran out of steam, falling to its knees while swinging hopelessly through the air at a target that had long since left the building.  And the aimless swinging continues with the first half of Resolution.

Wait, I’m being way too harsh.  There is absolutely no doubt that Lamb of God is one of the best, most innovative metal bands of the last decade.  So, when I make the kind of statements I have already made, it’s because I am comparing them to their own lofty standards, not the standards held for other, run of the mill metal bands.  If Resolution were released by any other band, it would be an incredible achievement.  When I say that the first half of this album swings at its target aimlessly, it’s because the first half of the album is pretty much Lamb of God by numbers.  These are the kinds of songs they could write in their sleep and if you’ve loved everything Lamb of God have ever done, there’s no reason you won’t love what you hear here.  For me though, there are only so many variations of the same theme that someone can do before it all starts sounding the same.  Lamb of God seem to have regressed after the creative leaps they took with Ashes of the Wake and Sacrament and now seem content to keep treading over the same territory.  If you get to the point where the listener can pick exactly where each drum fill and breakdown will be, then it might be time to change things up.

This slightly stale feeling is felt most on the closing tracks of the album’s first half.  Before the acoustic intermission of Barbarosa we have The Undertow and The Number Six.  The Undertow sounds a lot like an Ashes of the Wake outtake and while that album is punishing in all the right ways, The Undertow sounds like the band is trying to recapture that sound rather than writing it and playing it because that’s how they feel now.  Likewise, The Number Six sounds like it didn’t quite make Wrath and with Wrath being their weakest album to date, that’s not saying much.  However, the band seems to recognise the redundant nature of these two songs by placing Barbarosa after these two misfires.  It’s as though, having been confused by the ineffectiveness of the old tricks, that drunken, swinging maniac has been put back into his cage to try and figure out new ways to attack its target.  Barbarosa is the sound of Lamb of God regrouping and figuring out exactly where they should go from here, and Resolution certainly is an album of two halves.

The first track of the second half, Invictus, shows our drunken maniac wobbling out of the cage a little bit, but it makes its intentions known.  Here we have our first signs that Lamb of God is trying something new.  Despite beginning with the familiar, the pre-chorus riffs are much more open that the Lamb of God chugging that we’re used to and it creates a much harsher, aggressive sound than we’ve been given so far.  This is followed up by Cheated, a two and a half minute blast of Lamb of God style hardcore.  They haven’t fully explored this side of themselves before and it’s a welcome addition to this album, furthering the idea that the second half of the album is where Lamb of God are trying out their new ideas and, for me, this is what I want to hear the band doing.  But nothing could prepare us for the opening vocals on Insurrection.  Ladies and gentlemen, here we have D. Randall Blythe singing for the first time on a Lamb of God album.  Let me write that one more time just so you know you read it correctly; Randy Blythe sings…clean, with notes and melody and everything.  Of course, it sounds evil as hell, but you wouldn’t want it any other way.  Insurrection weaves its way around creating a truly haunting experience and is, by far, the album’s highlight.  From here on out, the band continues experimenting with their sound to great effect, particularly with the closing track, King Me, which is six and a half minutes of symphonic Lamb of God who sound as though they’re ushering in the apocalypse.

So, you’re enjoyment of this album will depend entirely on the kind of Lamb of God fan that you are.  If you wanted them to keep bashing you over the head with a two by four, you’ll love the first half.  If you’re wondering where the progression in sound went after Sacrament, you’ll love the second half.  Either way, there’s something for every Lamb of God fan here.  Unfortunately, this means that the album is an inconsistent listen no matter who you are.  This is why I stated at the beginning that Lamb of God are at a very interesting point in their career.  Here they need to choose between doing what they know works, and pushing their boundaries.  If they keep trying to recapture their early aggression, they may turn out like Metallica who now sound like pale imitations of their former glorious selves.  However, Metallica have millions of fans who will follow them wherever they go.  Lamb of God don’t quite have that same luxury and may find themselves slowly falling into obscurity if they keep playing the same song.  On the other hand, if they keep pushing their boundaries, they might continue to be one of the best heavy bands in the world and continue to influence countless younger bands by encouraging them to explore the outskirts of their sound and influences.  Either way, their next album will be very interesting indeed, but in the meantime, if you’re a Lamb of God fan, go grab yourself a copy of Resolution and enjoy whichever side of Lamb of God it is that you like best.

Live Review - Circles

January 14, 2012 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne

Melbourne metal quintet, Circles, kicked off their first official east coast tour at The Corner last night, playing the launch party for Australia’s newest metal music publication, Heavy.  On paper it seems like a perfect fit, a metal band playing for a metal magazine.  But we all know that life is never quite that simple.  Last night presented a challenge for the band, known for their unique sound (they’ve been compared to bands as diverse as Faith No More, Incubus, Meshuggah, Textures and Periphery) they were playing to a crowd who generally don’t like their heavy music to stray too far from the early Metallica/Pantera sound.  But, having won over a considerable fan base in Europe without ever touring there, Circles have spent a considerable amount of time plugging away at the local scene in order to ensure that they are just as loved here, as they are overseas. And win over new fans they did.

Opening with the pummelling dubstep infused Frontline, Circles began displaying the kind of power they are capable of and, very quickly, heads and bodies in the crowd began moving.  Vocalist Perry Kakridas was pitch perfect throughout the performance, displaying a new found harshness in his voice.  So far, Circles releases have displayed Kakridis’ ultra smooth vocals, capable of soaring highs without descending into the super clean whine that has become commonplace in some heavy music sub-genres.  But Kakridis has begun to blur the lines between his singing and screaming tones adding more power and aggression to Circles’ sound and I’m sure it will be a feature that is explored further on their debut album scheduled for release some time in 2012.  On top of this, Kakridis conversed with the audience between songs avoiding the usual metal front man posturing.  When he talks to the audience, he talks to them as though they are his friends, thankful that they have come to see the band play and thankful that the crowd is enjoying it.

The band also made the best of being relegated to the smaller Corner Hotel stage.  Despite having to play almost shoulder to shoulder, it didn’t stop guitarist Ted Furuhashi who seemed to be determined to break his own neck by the end of the set.  Bassist Drew Patton’s usual stage antics were curbed slightly after a few close calls with Kakridis, but when Patton’s on stage, few are safe as he throws his body around, kicking nearly everything in sight.  Even between songs Patton flicked bottle tops, laughing at whichever band mate felt the brunt.  The stage set up pushed guitarist Matty Clarke into a corner (who can blame him, he generally has to perform right next to Patton), but he did give the crowd some choice facial expressions while rocking his head back and forth giving the impression that he could take out just about anyone with a quick head butt.  Drummer, David Hunter, was solid as always, providing the backbone to the band with a brand new kit (which took up much of the stage space) making the band sound bigger and heavier than they have at previous shows, which is a feat in itself.

The highlight of the set would have to have been The Design taken from the band’s 2011 EP, The Compass.  Live, this song becomes a totally different beast compared with its recorded version.  It takes on a menacing quality, winding from section to section like a snake determined to make its prey (the audience) feel as uncomfortable as possible before moving in for the kill.  And when the audience felt as though they couldn’t take any more, the band closed with their most well known song, Clouds Are Gathering, ensuring that the audience got everything they wanted out of the performance with its massive middle section, again, forcing heads to move back and forth.

After the performance, it was quite clear that new fans had indeed been made with a line forming at the merch stand immediately after their set.  On top of this, the members of the band circulated through the crowd afterwards, always making themselves available to anyone who wants to talk to them about music or just to congratulate them on a great set.  Overall, Circles couldn’t have asked for a better opening to their east coast Eye Embedded tour, ensuring that they are pumped and primed for tonight’s show in Geelong and dates in Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Ballarat that will see them through until mid-February before another home town show for Moshphere Festival in mid-March.  Do yourself a favour and check them out!

Top Albums of 2011 - No. 4

4.  Safer Than Reality – Aliases

As with anything that has been over-hyped, the “djent” genre had its fair share of failures and disappointments this year.  The metal sub-genre seems to have already created its own backlash with many bands trying to distance themselves from the dreaded “D word”.  However, there were also a few shining lights that justified the hype, none of them shining brighter than the debut release from British band (with a French vocalist), Aliases.  Having been born out of the ashes of the revered SiKth, Aliases let loose the most interesting and exciting metal release of 2011.  I should say though that, for me, Aliases only real connection with the djent movement is their association with UK label Basick Records.  Their sound is something much more akin to the spazzed out take on math metal produced by The Dillinger Escape Plan.  While their music is, without a doubt, highly technical, it does not descend into the boring drone that some djent bands finds themselves trapped in.  Aliases deliver songs that are hard, aggressive, in your face and not once, do you feel as though they are just going through the motions.  Much of the credit should go to the spectacular riffage of main man PIN (of SiKth fame) and his partner in fret board freak outs, Leah Woodward.  The unexpected twists and turns that each song takes leave you wondering how, exactly, they remember which section comes after each one that came before.  The true highlight of this album though, is Jay Berast’s vocals.  Where many djent vocalists switch between guttural growling/screaming and super clean vocals, Berast uses his full range and blurs the lines between the two, which means that he avoids the monotony of constant barking and the inevitable “whine” that comes with vocals that are too clean.  Overall, this is an extremely exciting release that can only be a strong indication of things to come.  Let’s just hope the band doesn’t go the way SiKth did and fall apart just before conquering the metal world.