Portishead: Sadness Never Sounded so Sweet

Album: Dummy
Artist: Portishead
Genre: Trip-Hop/Noir Jazz
Year: 1994
Label: Go! Discs/London

Since there’s a new Portishead album (their first in ten years,) I ought to review their first album, Dummy, to give you a bit of history. Portishead was formed in Bristol in 1991, a trio comprised of Beth Gibbons (Vocals), Geoff Barrow (Production/Music) and Adrian Utley (Production/Music/Guitars.) They are one of the greatest Trip-Hop groups of all time. Why? Gibbons voice is the sound of an angel trapped on earth longing for heaven and Barrow and Utley create some of the most haunting and beautiful sound sculptures for her to sing over.

Dummy is an album without a weak track, from start to finish every piece is a siren song from the void, recounting tales of woe; unrequited love and lust so mournfully you feel yourself just sink into them. This is not to say the album is over saturating or smothering. It can be downright slick at times, the down-tempo soundtrack to an unmade film noir, complete with femme fatales and smoky nightclubs. It’s actually very sparse sounding at times, and yet it colors everything a very, VERY deep blue. Strings, chimes, keys and trumpets are all sampled and repurposed expertly, with Gibbons voice soaring, sliding and flowing out over everything. Make no mistake, without her, Portishead would be nothing. Massive Attack may have been the geniuses behind tracks like “Teardrop” and “Protection” but I bet even Del Naja and Grant Marshal gritted their teeth with jealousy upon hearing tracks like “Strangers” and “Wandering Star”. Gibbons voice is imperfect, but fits whatever music is created for her in an unsettlingly perfect fashion. Going back to “Wandering Star,” the song is exquisitely beautiful in its sadness, the perfect accompaniment to your grief.

I want to stress to you, when I talk about sadness, grief, sorrow and general unhappiness in music, I am not talking about Emo. This music is not Emo; this is what every Emo band wishes they had. The angst projected by so many musical acts today is so thickly disingenuous that you can cut it with a knife. Portishead on the other hand exudes emotion, real emotion, and the kicker is they don’t over do it; everything is a perfectly measured injection of misery and longing, rather than the "spray and pray" tactics of Emo bands. Of course, Portishead isn’t a rock band in any sense, and in the realm of Trip-Hop are equaled only by Massive Attack in terms of their sheer musical skill.

After a long hiatus, Portishead has returned with a new album that will be good, probably excellent, in fact. But will it equal Dummy? No, it won’t. But that’s okay; they made Dummy once, they don’t need to do it again. Go get this album. You will be a better person for it.

“He’ll Fertilize the Rice in China with the Cinders of his Remains” – Steve Albini

Album: 1000 Hurts
Artist: Shellac (of North America)
Year: 2000
Genre: Minimalist Rock/Math Rock
Label: Touch & Go

In 1983, Sting wrote a song about stalking his ex-girlfriend in order to get back at her. In 2000, Steve Albini wrote a song about asking God to kill both his ex and her new boy for him. He was very specific; his ex was to die quietly and painlessly, while her new man was to die painfully and pathetically, like a dog or a fish (my words not his.) Why he couldn’t have done it himself is obvious if you know anything about the man. Acclaimed producer, musician, critic and all-around sarcastic asshole, Steve Albini is just too important to modern music to go to jail. I’m not joking either. Looking at his track record, Albini has lead some extremely influential and confrontational groups over the years. Way back in the 80’s he was the man behind Big Black, a noise rock band that wrote songs about things like getting a “Colombian Necktie” (which is where your throat is cut from ear to ear and your tongue hangs out, pleasant huh?) At some point or another in the late 80’s, Albini also started producing records for other bands and has been doing so ever since. After Big Black disbanded, he formed Rapeman (I think that’s all that needs be said.) Following that band’s dissolution, he formed Shellac.

Shellac is a trio consisting of Albini (Guitar,) Bob Weston (Bass) and Todd Trainer (Drums.) On this album, 1000 Hurts, Albini proves that years of successful independent music work, from producing bands like the Pixies to Nirvana, has not improved his mood any since the 80’s. Songs like “Prayer to God” and “Watch Song” reveal that rather then choosing to simply horrify people with horrifying things (something anyone can do,) Albini would rather vent his rage and aggression in a very frank, if sarcastic, manner. It’s probably good that he wrote songs about these things (murder, assault, battery,) rather than actually committing them. Now, I’m all for random violence (I say sarcastically,) but attacking someone because your watch is beeping like mad is excessive. Anyway, between those songs lie the rest of the album, each track powerful and metallic, and I don’t mean in a heavy metal sense. Rather, it seems like everything is made out of metal (which it may well be, Albini plays a guitar made out of aluminum.)

It’s also interesting to note that, Albini isn’t the only one who sings on this album. Trainer, their drummer also sings as well. Weston even wrote at least one song on the album, “Shoe Song” which, if I’m not mistaken is the least threatening song on the album. The whole affair is very enjoyable piece of pure Albini production and execution, with “Canaveral” being my favorite and Weston’s “Song against Itself” also being a fun one. If you’re looking for the raw noise blast of Big Black, it’s not here. This is more intricate; rather than a pavement saw, it’s a fine drill bit. Still, be careful with it, or it’ll cut you somewhere.

Dälek: Sounds from the Deadverse

Album: Abandoned Language
Artist: Dälek
Genre: Hip-Hop/Glitch-Hop
Year: 2007
Label: Ipecac

I don’t know how to review Hip-Hop. There I said it. It’s something I haven’t done before. I’m not sure what to say about Hip-Hop. I know what I like about it, but the mechanics don’t come as easily to me as they do for, say, Avant-Chamber Metal. Do I talk about the beats? The prose? The overall effect? I don’t know. That being said, I really, really, really love this album. MC Dälek and Oktopus are geniuses. The album is a ride through a void so dark and surreal that even David Lynch (who is name checked, if only in title) would be proud. This is Dälek’s (pronounced Dialect) third album and my first and it has become one of my favorite Hip-Hop albums.

I’m not a fan of mainstream Hip-Hop, most of it seems like aggravated party music to me. Dälek is an excellent antidote. How do I describe the sound? Oktopus is a producer from another world, crafting the beats and soundscapes like a dark wizard spinning magic, creating walls of dark, flowing noise, not unlike if Lustmord was a little more dynamic and went Hip-Hop. Initially, I found the individual tracks very difficult to tell apart, but over time the subtler textures start to emerge. MC Dälek’s voice, flows like a river, steady, strong and powerful. The darkness this man speaks of isn’t fantastical or fictional; it’s a very real human darkness. Poverty, Politics, Corruption, Community’s Falling Apart, all of these get equal time to be examined.

Yet, in some moments, glimpses of hope shine through the darkness. On “Stagnant Waters” When MC Dälek says “I Need My People” they respond “We’re Right Here!” Dälek is quite poetic, blurring the lines between Spoken Word and Rapping (if there is one) with ease. Of course, MC Dälek’s words sound best supported by Oktopus’s production. The samples used are perfectly placed, from the alto sax burst on “Starved for Truth” To Kronos Quartet Esq. strings which the instrumental “Lynch” is built on. There is an overall theme to the album; Text, Script and Language are all commonly brought up. They are all given the most time on the opener and title track “Abandoned Language.” At ten minutes long, it’s a trip, but a good one. This album is a work of art, pure hip-hop art and I feel privileged to have found it. If you’re looking for an album that’s unique not just in the world of Hip-Hop, but in the world of music itself, pick this up. You won’t regret it.

“Worlds are Colliding and I’m Writing Reviews out of a Tub”

Album: Worlds Collide
Artist: Apocalyptica
Year: 2007
Genre: Classical Metal
Label: Jive Records/Zomba Label Group/Sony BMG

Apocalyptica is something of a musical phenomenon. They started out as four cello players with a taste for heavy metal, specifically Metallica, which is how their first album Plays Metallica By Four Cellos came about in the mid 90’s. Many, many years onwards, the band has lost one of their cellos, gained a drummer, started writing their own compositions and incorporating guest vocalists and instruments. Their most recent album, Worlds Collide, is a fantastic outing into their “classical metal” leanings. By the time of this album, the band has found a permanent drummer in Mikko Sirén and their cohesion can be felt throughout the album. Any naysayers on the idea of “Cello Metal” should be silenced by the first and title track on the album. Alternating between metal churnings and graceful cello solos, the band is at their peak. This album has some quirks, however, most of those being the tacks with vocals. Starting on their album Reflections, the band began having guests come and sing over their songs. Some of these are very successful. For example, on Reflections, the band and Nina Hagen performed a powerful cover of Rammstein's Seeman (Sailor.) But with this album, the vocal tracks can be hit or miss. When they miss, they sometimes miss badly. In this case, I’m talking about the track “I’m Not Jesus” which features Corey Taylor of Slipknot… yeah, I don’t know what they where thinking either. The song’s subject matter isn’t something I’d like to discuss in print and Taylor’s vocals, while fine for his own band(s), make Apocalyptica sound like Slipknot, which isn’t something I’d like to hear, ever.

The English language doesn’t seem to fit Apocalyptica very well. Another vocal track, “I Don’t Care,” which features Adam Gontier of godknowswhatband, is probably the worst track on the album and sounds like a bad emo-metal hybrid. I also wasn’t thrilled with “S.O.S. (Anything but Love)” on which Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil sang. This one wasn’t as weak as the previously mentioned tracks, but it doesn’t sound like Apocalyptica, it sounds like Nightwish or something ridiculously pretentious like that. I’d have to say that the only strong vocal track on the album is “Helden” on which Till Lindman of Rammstein and Apocalyptica finally get a chance to work together. The song is a German version of the David Bowie classic “Heroes” and if that sounds iffy, it’s not, it’s brilliant (and did I mention German?) The rest of the album is polished (tarnished?) Metal that everyone (every Metal aficionado) should appreciate. An especially strong track is “Last Hope,” on which Dave Lombardo (drummer of Slayer, who guested on their two previous albums) makes a return appearance. The track is speedy and powerful and showcases some of the man's finest drumming and some of Apocalyptica’s heaviest… dare I call them “riffs?” Overall, Worlds Collide is a mixed bag, but it is a bag worth reaching into if only for the instrumental tracks and “Helden.” It’s a very good album but if you’ve never heard Apocalyptica before, this probably isn’t the best place to start. For that I suggest Inquisition Symphony or Reflections. But those of you who are more familiar, pick this up, it’ll be worth it.

Show Review: "Ahh, My Nose! Ahh, My Face!"

Main Act: The Dillinger Escape Plan
Opening Acts: Barefoot Barnacle, Heavy Heavy Low Low, The Bled
Venue: El Corazon

El Corazon’s opening acts suck. When I saw Team Sleep in December the opening acts sucked and once again, I’ve suffered through two hours and fifteen minutes of varying crap to get to a (blackened) coin of silver. But it was worth it. Barefoot Barnacle are a local Instrumental Grindcore band and Instrumental was the best part of that equation. I didn’t hear them play so much as I felt it, like being kicked in the face by a horse again and again. Definitely not an experience I’m eager to repeat. Again, the best part was the lack of a vocalist’s screaming in my ear. The bass player was funny, though I don’t think he intended to be, leaping about like the bald-headed spasmodic that he was. They didn’t play long and they were easily not the worst band to play that night. Heavy Heavy Low Low won that disgraceful title. They are the worst band I have ever seen live and I’ve seen Strata live so that’s saying something. I cannot stress this enough. Worst. Band. Ever. Dear god they suck. That night was the night of bands who wished they were the Dillinger Escape Plan opening for the Dillinger Escape Plan, which allows for great contrast. Fuck that, if I could have skipped H.H.L.L. I would have. Poor musicianship, disdain for the crowd, and the worst, most slobberingly drunk frontman in the world come together in the ugliest manner possible. I forgot to applaud when they left the stage, and I should have because that was the best part of their performance. After their set, I moved to a higher vantage point from which I could view everything happening on stage, which is how I like it, away from the crazy moshing nutters. The Bled trooped onstage and tried to rock us with “We’re not the DEP, but we’re trying” and to be fair, they did not suck as much as H.H.L.L. What saved them from being a total waste was their frontman, because he was funny. He made jokes, thumb wrestled crowd members and was generally a nice guy; he respected the crowd. Still, when they got off stage, I was relived, and excited. Dillinger would be on soon.

When the DEP hit the stage they hit it like a comet and suddenly, the hours of dehydration, wannabe bands and exhaustion were worth it. They didn’t say a word, just launched into “Panasonic Youth.” For the next fifty five or so minutes I was wowed again and again as the bands caterwauling intensity consumed the room. I came to this show looking for some kind of a Black Flag experience and with Greg Puciato and Ben Weinman acting like modern day Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn on Math Metal, I think I got one. Puciato would throw himself across the stage, into the crowd, onto his band mates, wherever. And all this he did with a broken wrist he had duct taped. Duct taped. That kind of badass you don’t buy in a store. The rest of the band was equally mad, leaping every which way without missing a note. Weinman actually scaled a stack of amps and then played from up there for a little while, before shimmying across an I-beam and leaping into the crowd. Overall, it was one of the best shows I’ve been to in a while. The energy was great and while there were screaming lunatics, they weren’t screaming in my ear for once… or maybe they were and I was screaming to loud to hear them. What makes the DEP such an impressive live act is their ability to replicate their recorded sound in a live setting as well as they do. A few personal highlights include the following: “Panasonic Youth” - after all the anticipation and waiting and hoping that they would play this song first and then they come on stage and do was the greatest release you could ask for at that show. “Milk Lizard” - while being one of their more straightforward rockers, the song is still awesome and sounded even better live. “Baby’s First Coffin” - was the first DEP song I ever heard and it was cool to hear it live. “43% Burnt” - I’d never heard it before, but the energy the in room shot up like a rocket when they played it, and it was good, really good. It was great show, and I won’t forget it anytime soon.

-Setlist (not in order)-

-43% Burnt
-Sugar Coated Sour
-Fix Your Face
-Lurch
-Black Bubblegum
-When Acting as a Particle
-Nong Eye Gong
-82588 (I think)
-Milk Lizard
-Panasonic Youth
-Sunshine the Werewolf
-Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants
-Baby’s First Coffin
-When Good Dogs Do Bad Things

“Dillinger Escape Plan Wannabes beware. I have a keyboard!”

Album: Sampler I received after Dillinger Escape Plan Show
Artist: Hunab Ku
Year: 2007
Genre: Mathcore…ish

Dear Hunab Ku,

This is the most press you guys are ever going to get, so… You clearly like the Dillinger Escape Plan…and Metalcore…and…no, that’s about it. Your music is incredibly derivative of the DEP and I really hope that works for you, because it doesn’t for me. If I had to pick, I would choose them every time, because they’ve been doing what you’re doing now better and for a lot longer. So continue screaming in my ear, I have a volume control I can turn you down. I have suffered through approximately three bands who all really wish they were the DEP and aren’t, I really don’t need another. That’s all.

Give my regards to your Myspace buddies,

-Andwoo

“Ire? I have plenty of Ire. Here, have some more…”

Album: Ire Works
Artist: The Dillinger Escape Plan
Year: 2007
Genre: Mathcore
Label: Relapse

The fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan (DEP for short) are split. On one side you have the older fans who think that Dimitri Minakakis –the original vocalist- is better than Greg Puciato –the current vocalist- and that they should be doing more (Hard)core and less Math. On the other side are newer fans who appreciate both Puciato’s vocals and the experimentation being brought to the band’s most recent works. I myself stand with the newer fans, having just become one late last year. One of the reasons for my stance is this: Hardcore, while being a great genre, has a tendency to repeat itself…. a lot. The DEP have neatly avoided that pot hole and that’s precisely what pisses the older fans off, that they don’t repeat Calculating Infinity with every release. I haven’t actually heard Calculating, but I’m sure it’s good and I’ve heard everything else (Including Under the Running Board.) But this isn’t about Calculating. This is about Ire Works.

Having heard Miss Machine, I can say that Ire Works, while following in the same path, does not repeat the exact same formula as Miss. One of the reasons for this is the numerous personal changes the DEP have gone through between albums. Since Miss Machine, their second guitarist Brian Benoit suffered nerve damage to his left hand and opted to leave the band. Their drummer, Chris Pennie, also left to join Coheed and Cambria and was summarily replaced by Gil Sharone of Stolen Babies. The only original member left, Ben Weinman is and has been the main creative force behind the band since its inception and that, in my mind, should be good enough for the older fans, especially considering the power of Ire Works. The Album, like its predecessors, is an exercise in pushing hardcore to new extremes of speed and precision. The musicians handling that task are more than up to it, with Puciato roaring his way through 11 of the 13 tracks with even more ferocity than demonstrated on Miss Machine. Wienman and bass player Liam Wilson are also tight as a cap, but a real surprise is Sharone’s drumming. With Stolen Babies his drumming is excellent, but doesn’t even begin to hint at the speed and energy which this man is capable of. The opener “Fix Your Face” (Which Minakakis sings backing vocals, incidentally) proves he can keep up with the rest of the band perfectly. It’s like he’s always been their true drummer and they just figured that out recently.

The album also features highly experimental (and instrumental) tracks like “When Acting as a Particle” and “When Acting as a Wave” which sandwich more traditional piece “Nong Eye Gong.” The Album succeeds in continuing the band’s claim to the Mathcore title (that of being both Hardcore and extremely proficient.) Even the more accessible tracks like “Black Bubblegum” and “Milk Lizard” are ferocious and skillfully executed. “Milk Lizard” is a particular favorite of mine actually. The Album ends with a two more experimental tracks sandwiching a more traditional one. “Dead as History” starts out as a dark ambient soundscape reminiscent of Lustmord, but it builds into a haunting piano tune and then into the brutal sonic assault that the DEP are known for. But it’s “Mouth of Ghosts,” that stands out the most as an oddity. Another haunting piano piece, but this time, instead of building into a ball lightning strike like the rest of the album, stays slower and less furious. It still ends with teeth, but the teeth aren’t ripping into your ears… that’s a lie, they still rip, just not as much.

All in all, the album is fantastic and should be taken in as a whole, rather than as individual tracks. Otherwise, some of the more experimental takes don’t come off as well. Aside from that minor, minor issue, this album is a perfect document of the brutality and genius of Mathcore and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

“Hey Buckethead! What’s In the Bucket Man?” – Bootsy Collins

Praxis is proof that Bill Laswell is a genius. A revolving door project featuring the finest musicians this side of the solar system, it branches into numerous genres and worlds of music. Metal, Funk, Hip-Hop, Drum n’ Bass, Grindcore, Dub, anything is game. The idea behind it is this: bring the musicians together and see what happens. Improv projects can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing, but with players like Buckethead, Bootsy Collins and Brian “Brain” Mantia involved, the cocktail of chaos becomes a thing of power and creative wonder. Having heard three albums, I’m convinced that this stuff is brilliant. But how do I convince you?

Album: Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)
Year: 1992
Genre: Metal, Funk, Hip-Hop, Dub, anything on down the list
Label: Axiom

The first album is a piece of awesome with perhaps the best line-up Laswell has ever conceived of: Buckethead (Guitar,) Brain (Drums,) Bernie Worrel (Keyboards and Synthesizers,) AF Next Man Flip (Lord of the Paradox) (Turn-Tables and Mixing) and, of course, Bootsy Collins (Space Bass, Baby!). With this powerhouse quintet, anything was possible and everything happened. Jumping from Space Bass powered funk to Buckethead guitar virtuosity one second, bringing in the Woo of Bernie’s keyboards the next, devolving a track into an Avant-Garde Hip-Hop wonder and then building it back up, like I said, they did it all.

The first few tracks are two short pieces brought together into one. The opener, “Blast/War Machine Dub,” starts out with Buckethead’s heavy metal sensibilities shining through. But then abruptly, it’s a Dub sound system party, with Bootsy’s bass weighing things down considerably. Others, like “Animal Behavior” show off the P-Funk at its best, while “Dead Man Walking” falls somewhere between heavy metal and avant-hip-hop. It was with this album that Praxis began, Bill Laswell having assembled the players, organized and produced the music. It was here that his genius is truly revealed to the world, and he doesn’t even play on it. This album is so good, that the only thing I can say now is “Go get it and listen. Now.” It doesn’t sound like anything else, not even the next album. On Sacrifist, things got a little more than heavy.

Album: Sacrifist
Year: 1994
Genre: Grindcore, Dub, Hip-Hop, Death/Thrash Metal
Label: Subharmonic

For the second Praxis album, Laswell decided to shake things up. The line-up completely changed, giving the album a less cohesive “band” feel and a more revolving door music project motif. The line-up this time was extensive and powerful; Buckethead (Guitar,) Bill Laswell (Bass,) Mick Harris (Drums,) the band Blind Idiot God, Yamataka Eye (Vocals) and John Zorn (Saxophone.) Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrel even stop in to say hello and contribute one track each. Bootsy lets his Space Bass wash over everything on the lengthy “Deathstar” and Bernie’s distortion organ spreads out to the furthest corners of known space on “Crossing.” But aside from those two P-funk moments, the album’s sound is steeped in the heaviest thrash metal and grindcore. Which makes perfect sense considering that four of the album’s players (those being Zorn, Laswell, Harris and Eye) are also the members of John Zorn’s grindcore band, Painkiller.

What makes this not just another Painkiller album is the presence of Buckethead and Blind Idiot God –who stop in for the track, Iron Dub (I think) - among the ranks. Most of the tracks are based around the most powerful riffs Buckethead has ever churned out, and rather than being at the forefront of the music like they are with Painkiller, Zorn and Eye aren’t constantly playing, each one coming in to deliver a saxophone screech or a strangled scream once in awhile.

However, the track “Nine Secrets” is almost entirely given over to Zorn and Eye, and they make the screeching best of it. The album is a hard pill to swallow and certainly isn’t the place to start if you’re new to Praxis. But if you enjoy Painkiller, Grindcore, Death or Thrash Metal, this album is certainly for you. Standout tracks include “Stronghold” the opener, which gives you a very, Very, VERY clear idea of what you’re in store for and “Rivet,” which is probably the heaviest track on the album and features Mick Harris pounding a hard iron drum beat into your head like a hammer pounding a nail. Over this continuous and repetitive beat comes Buckethead's guitars and Eye’s “help me I’m caught on fire” style screams.

Bill Laswell proved here that he’s capable of anything, that no musical venture is too insane for him to accomplish, and he actually plays (quite well) on this album. Overall, if you’re prepared in advance for it, a very enjoyable album, but not for everyone.