This is not a tribute. Rather, the work done by Corea, Gomez, and Motian in invigorating Bill Evans’ work should be seen as a completely new album. Fans of Evans will appreciate the sheer amount of work the trio have done on singles like Hot House and Off The Cuff. This is because they have fully deconstructed each of Evans efforts down to the constituent elements; the rebuilding that they…
Tim McGraw has had all the fame that one could conceivably want in country music. While it seems almost as if older performers can coast on the successes that they have achieved, McGraw’s work on Emotional Traffic shows a performer that still give it eir all. The album starts out with Halo, a longer track that sets up the overall feel of Emotional Traffic, along with the styles and sounds…
When is retirement not really retirement? When you’re in band, of course. Just look at Cher’s farewell tour which stretched out for years ; the same can be said for the group Kiss, and let’s be honest as long as Gene Simmons thinks he can squeeze out one more penny from the band they will never go away. So when The Scorpions, by far Germany’s most successful musical export since…
PILGRIM is a Three piece Doom metal band from Rhode Island. The band formed in early 2010 The members are. ” Krolg, the Slayer of Man” (drums), “Count Elric the Soothsayer” (bass) and “The Wizard” (guitars and vocals) Their new Cd titled “Misery Wizard” Is coming out at the end of January. Pilgrim has Signed with (poison Tongue records). Distribution being handled by (Metal Blade records). If you are a…
The story of RivetHead is one best told through the tracks on Doomsday for Optimism. This veteran band has refined their sound over the course of the last few years, and comes to the opening strains of Super Zero with tremendous momentum. The band is able to insert tremendously catchy hooks deep in the psyche of anyone listening in. While each of the album’s fourteen cuts showcase a slightly different…
I believe that the theme behind Mordred, the Quarter Known is something momentous for the alt-rock domain. Where there would be a more metal bent (typically) to a title that focuses on the King Arthur legacy, Ryan David Orr provides a complex, darkly emotional type of alt-rock to his listeners. April, I’m Sure the Stars Understand is one of those tracks that captures the different twists and turns of Orr’s…
“Vendetta” The thrash metal band from Germany has just finished work on their fourth album titled “Feed The Extermination”. Which is set to be relaesed on Janruary 31st through Massacre Records. Members are Mario Vogel (vocals), Frank Schölch (guitars), Klaus Ullrich (guitars & bass) and Thomas Krämer (drums). Founded way back in 1987, they are one one of the most well known and beloved contemporary thrash bands In Germany. “Vendetta”…
Nightqueen has unveiled their upcoming debut LP “For Queen And Metal.” Their debut is set for release On February 24, 2011 through Massacre Records. Band members are comprised of Keely Larreina – Lead vocals Daniel Kells – Keyboards Rex Zeco – Guitar Alan Rawson – Guitar Steven Steele – Bass William Blodyn – Drums Artwork was created by Jan Yrlund. Nightqueen is a female fronted power metal/symphonic metal band from…
Hailing from Detroit “Imminent Sonic Destruction” members are Tony Piccoli (Vocals and guitar) Pat DeLeon ( Drums) Pete Hopersberger (Keyboards) Bryan Paxton (Bass) and Scott Thompson (Main Vocals and Guitar). With producer Roy Z (Halford, Bruce Dickinson) have recorded their debut album “Recurring Themes.” Tony Piccoli, the founder and driving force of this band has put together some of Detroit’s best musicians. Pat Delon has toured with “Dream Theater” Paxton…
Rising is a sludge band from Denmark. Members are Jacob Johansen (drums), Henrik W. Hald(vocals/bass) ,Jacob Krogholt(guitars), formed in 2008. Previously releasing a self titled ep in 2009. And a 7″ vinyl “Legacy of Wolves” in 2010. They have also recorded a full length CD “To Solemn Ash” with Exile on Mainstream and has a much sought after US release. Exile on Mainstream usually signs bands that are somewhat off…
Skin Like Iron and Nails have released “Split” a 7”. Getting together to make this self-released EP. Hailing from San Francisco, the members of Skin Like Iron are Alex Capasso (Guitar & Vocals), Ryan Mattos (Bass), Joseph Raygoza (Drums) and Clark Todd (Guitar). Two tracks provided by Skin Like Iron are, “Disappear”, and “The Parade”. The two songs dish up hardcore mixed with thrash. They play fast and right up…
Riotgod was formed in 2007 by Bob Pantella and Jim Baglino. Both having previously been with Monster Magnet. There somphomore CD “Invisible Empire” has been released via Metalville Records and is the follow up release to the their self titled album “Riotgod”. Invisible Empire is solid from beginning to end, with a heavy and mature rock sound. The band definitely has something unique going for it, some would put them…
Catman Cohen has taken his fair share of journeys over the course of his career. Confessions of a Shadow is his latest album, and each of the album’s 15 tracks add considerably to the performer’s mythos. While Cohen’s name is listed as the name on the disc, the sheer amount of individuals working to make this a reality is astounding. The bookending “The Final Confessions” tracks further establish the epic…
Nineties alt rock heroes Smashing Pumpkins managed to come apparently out of nowhere, toss out two amazing records, create one of the biggest assholes in rock (and that is not a small feat), turn in a couple of weaker, though successful follow up records and implode (though still limp along creating lesser albums with fewer and fewer original members) all in the span of a decade. EMI has just released…
Funny that you have to go to Brooklyn to find one of the best Americana bands playing today. The New York band The Habit, with several singers brings to mind everyone from Gram Parsons and The Jayhawks to Whiskeytown and The Cowboy Junkies, on their fantastic debut Lincoln Has Won. Excelling at dirty rock (“Ballad Of,” “Don’t Grow Old Young Man”), beautiful indie rock (“Not Brooklyn”) and dusty Americana (“Blood…
While Shortie’s information constantly throws the fact at potential reviewers that Shortie has played with umpteen popular rock bands, the same people who claim that are also claiming that Shortie is striving for their own sound. Shortie does not really have their own sound, per se but do mesh together some of the more quality aspects of a number of bands that have invaded mainstream rock radio in the last…
A Shoreline Dream is just that; the opening few minutes of their “Avoiding The Consequences” builds up slowly, with the band creating a very dreamy and tenuous musical approach that finally get into something more substantive about three minutes into the disc. The guitar and drum dynamic of a track like “Laying This One Down Now” is similar to that of “Disintegration”-era The Cure; the band does not need much…
Starting out with a honky-tonk meets the Talking Heads-type of sound, Shortstack push alt-country to the side for a more old-school style of popular country. The wide-open guitars of “Jealous Man” break out of the compressed mastering that the disc finds itself. The first exciting happening in the CD occurs during the walking bass line of the second track, “Plenty Time For Sleepin’”. Comparable to the highest plateaus of Uncle…
Shock Nagasaki play a very classic brand of punk rock that will have individuals singing along even when they have only heard the disc once or twice. “1968” starts the disc out, and the band only plays for about seventy seconds on the song before moving into the equally catchy and longer “I Get High on Low Society”. The style of music that Shock Nagasaki play is similar to that…
The line between new and traditional brands of emo is usually distinct enough to allow for rapid consolidation of bands into one style or another. This is not the case with Shinky, who really comes through with a brand of music that simultaneously recalls a list of bands as diverse as they comes, from Jane’s Addiction to Appleseed Cast and even towards newer acts like The Black Maria. The only…