Death - Symbolic (90's Era)

Death Symbolic 1995

Death is a band I have had this distant curiosity of. Many of the early records really didn't gel with my palate. I wasn't entirely ready to intake all the raw grapple. I think because of Chuck Schuldiner's vocals which I think is still an acquired taste.

Chuck's vocals eventually leveled out somewhat during the early 90's with Spiritual Healing, Human, Individual Thought Patterns, and Symbolic. Each release (of the 90's) bore witness to Chuck's ongoing evolution of his guitarwork, lending more to the side of progressive than the ellipsoid of the 80's Death version.

His vocals on Symbolic are bitter, like a sour pomegranate. But with its tart taste, I felt it was very philosophical in tone, as I feel he is searching, and questioning. There is a great deal of perfection in the ambiance, and textural construction to the songs. Both the music and lyrics were constructed with deft knowledge, and a permanence that has more relevance now than when the songs he composed during that period.

It's somewhat nostalgic in terms of our current era we've been moving into since the 90's. Many of the songs have hidden allegories, that I'm still uncovering bits and pieces to the narrative going on underneath.

With regards to the artwork, its a dreamlike state, always aware, trying to look forward, while dealing with humanities trivialities. As the the lyrics contend, I feel the artwork portends seclusion, and isolation in trying to find reason when there is none to be had.

Of the four records, and I say this comfortably, I often come back to Symbolic because of the deeper introspection that it is eliciting. It may not be as widely listened to in this day, but I still feel its reason was clearly motivated to be uncovered later on rather than right away. Give this a spin if your curious. Thanks for reading.

B.

King's X - Dogman (90's Era)

King's X Dogman 1994

I'm fond of having to track down where and when changes band's employ. The case with King's X gone was the wall of ambient textures of the prior late 80's era material, and in lieu of that was this meatier gruff sound, but still had the same ambiance their known for. The heavier tone introduced in Dogman has continued (somewhat) with each release thereafter.

I think it works as it modernized King's X for the 90's sound/production, but it also cemented a functional construction and live recreation to the studio productions. Dogman drives long distances, with Doug Pinnicks vocals, Ty Tabor's beefier guitar tone, and Jerry Gaskill's drum groove. I think Dogman melds together a defined album of our inner personal truths, while examining what we get out of life, the friends and family we have, and our place in the time we are living in.

Dogman has tons of heft, while having a thick bluesy motif. Dogman at the time didn't really take the world by storm, but it has done very remarkable job of conveying its capable intention. Though they were still themselves, people just weren't ready for this new sounding record. Most of the 90's music that lay off the beaten path, I've found more interesting (like this record) than what was popularized. I've kept an open mind about this band, and I still think they kick serious butt at what they do. Thanks for reading.

B.

Faith No More - King For A Day, Fool For Lifetime (90's Era)

Faith No More King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime 1995

Of all the Faith No More records this one I come back to over and over. Its a mix of different sounds, textures, and constructions. It walks a tight road of familiarity of Angel Dust, but has this cadence of feeling weathered, tattered, and exposed.

King For A Day is boastful, thematic, emotive, and caustic. Something that most of their majority of their work straddled in a status of eclectic, whereas this cements more accessible but with a twinge of fuck you for good measure. Gone is Jim Martin the founding guitarist, and in his place was Trey Spruance. I think he does a fine job making this is his own without copying Jim Martin's style.

Though their next and last release Album Of The Year was mellower, tamer, and conservative, this one belts the listener in the face with all of the different styles. For some this would evoke some irritation, for me I love all the changes this record has. Punk, funk, thrash, easy listening, metal, its spastic for the reasons of being competent without being unnerving.

By the end of the record it starts to wind down, and Mike Patton's voice is evoking the crooner, which throws off the listener a little because of how much it hits the heart. I think its genuine, in the fact there is a level of truth spoken in a manner that isn't polished, its rough, ugly, and somehow Mike elicits this without a sweat. Through his other bands: Tomahawk, Fantomas, and his solo Mondo Cane record, I keep coming back to this because it soothes. Faith No More's finest offering in my opinion. Thanks for reading.

B.

D.R.I. - Full Speed Ahead (90's Era)

D.R.I. Full Speed Ahead 1995

One of more curious crossover bands of the 80's ends what I believe is the 'Thrash' style. Most of the bands whom started the style had moved on into more alternative pastures, or popularized metal in lieu of sticking to the mantle like D.R.I. or even Slayer.

D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) embodiment to the scene is without question important, even from my distant vantage point. What I will say is that D.R.I. believe in causes, and wear this apparent and proudly. The one caveat here is that no one sounds like this band, and that I think is pretty cool.

Full Speed Ahead marks a decided end to the style, and as stated above, and I've thought that D.R.I. did a fine job of highlighting the best components of this style without sacrificing anything to it's core substance. Though D.R.I. haven't been active in the recording front in a long time, they tour when they can, I would suggest if your a fan of the 'Thrash' or 'Punk' style, this is the go to band to check out.

Otherwise, the production is crisp, musicianship is superb, guitar tone is fierce, crunchy, and ballsy. Vocally its forthright and razor thin as to get under the skin enough to piss off the average person. Full Speed Ahead was found via a small college radio station, as most contemporary stations had already given up on the style (which is undeserved) but as I've been seeing the music industry often has the attention span of a gnat fart. Thanks for reading.

B.

Under Midnight - Void (90's Era)

Under Midnight Void 1994

An interesting mix of computer programming and industrial compositions gave Void  a unique flair to the mid 90's. I chose this album for a couple reasons, because of its concept, and the woven construction of those themes.

What is mans faith in the role of tomorrows technology? What are those guises to which encourage or hinder personal reflection or discretion? Part of the underlying meme with Void I think challenges the status quo a little bit, by exposing the potential frailties, and undermines a devoted religious experience to technology.

What has stuck with me is in its simplistic approach, but it weaves a very complex narrative to human interaction and upcoming (then) dependency upon technology. I think drives the message very clear, and wraps the mind around all kinds of scenarios to yet unfold.

Its terse, its conflicted, but it burrows under the surface of internalized expectation. It has all the elements of ambient textures going, various programmed beats, and even the guitar gives a concise edge I found curious. Another record that I feel shares similarities is Billy Idol's Cyberpunk, though that album was hated, I enjoyed having these two different albums to a congruent piece of the same puzzle. Void is a record of choices, it clearly spells this out in each of the tracks.

If you can find this out there, give it a listen. Thanks for reading.

B.

Scatterbrain - Here Comes Trouble (90's Era)

Scatterbrain Here Comes Trouble - 1990


Here Comes Trouble does a fine job of showcasing a lot of guitar fretwork, funk style bass, capable clock work drum precision, where as the vocals (sing/talk style) accentuates just enough before falling apart. Though the production hugs the arena rock stratus, yet what Scatterbrain shows the listener is in its currency of the moment. I'd equate it to taking notice of how important a situation is, but often is undone by a gag, or joke at the expense of the recipient.

The songs have a wide area of coverage they're taking the listener into. The construction is adept, experimental, and spastic. Most of the work straddles on the competent side, but often goes into these bizarre enclaves. The improvised shtick used definitely garners a few chuckles, but plateaus after a few repeated listens.

Overall Here Comes Trouble sits in a frame of isolation, and I think that carries over into the grandiosity it was expressing but never could get passed that novelty aspect. If your a fan of Faith No More, Gargamel!, Infectious Grooves, GWAR, and BigDumbFace or anything that has a slight twinge of humor then seek this out. Thanks for reading.

B.

Life Sex Death - The Silent Majority (90's Era)

Life Sex Death(L.S.D.)  The Silent Majority - 1992

The Silent Majority is an album which melds both bizarre, and macabre in a right way. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it does have an internal honesty that most contemporaries today would marvel at. Released in 1992, The Silent Majority embodies a type of construction to the human narrative, along with its not so subtle reality it is asking the listener to traipse along.

Rhythmically, its groovy in a off kilter way, guitar tone is heavy, but its execution lay more in it's tempered musing, rather than going full tilt. I think Alex Kane(guitarist) really put in his own expression into this record. I like that Alex really made his guitar skill seem subdued just enough to not over power the technique, but also show a very complex deconstruction to the mantle already out at that time.

Vocally, Chris Stann(Stanley) rubs you under the surface with his interpretation of the Chicago blues style. He spins it in a curt and obtuse construction that channels a metal variation of Tom Waits. The overall appeal for me was both Alex and Stanley's distinction to a flooded period of similar sounding records.

The mood of The Silent Majority envelops around distortion, acerbic moments of survival, and though the groove does settle in well, there is an aura of unsureness that rips into the album midway through. Through the bluesy numbers, and carefully placed humor, underneath it grates just enough to peel back a little more of the internal perception. I thought it's truth lay more in the emotion, rather than vulgarity, and chip bluntness. For me it was an album of focused dichotomies, which works in a very strange way.

What saddens me about Life Sex Death is there wasn't a second album. One song I found while researching had me checking out this: My Name Stanley.  I think its an interesting concept that L.S.D. were going, and I would have liked to have heard what they were progressing into from the demo's they were recording. Unfortunately, the small dedicated fan base were robbed of a followup, and I give my thanks to the dedicated legion of fans for keeping Life Sex Death alive with Youtube, and Myspace. Thanks for reading.

B.

Enslaved - Riitiir - Review

Enslaved - RIITIIR - (September 28th, 2012)


I like that Enslaved have woven their organic construction with a emotive ambiance as a focalized element. I also like that Enslaved rework the diagram differently with each album. But, I think I'm in the minority when it comes to giving accolades to anything after ISA, RUUN, and Vertebrae. With their last record Axioma Ethica Odini, and their Scion EP The Sleeping Gods didn't have that inspiration, as it was tired, whilst trying out new avenues of tones to play with. With RIITIIR they do a great job reigning in the unfocused compositions from Odini, but it falls for me because RIITIIR is straddling two different approaches, unsure of where it wants to go, and why.

Yes, RIITIIR is a more involved listening experience. There is familiarity with notes, and two vocal approach, yet underneath after repeated listens, through the layers a shift is taking place. I truly believe Enslaved could be going the route of what Opeth did with progressive, into something completely different. Because lets face it, Enslaved are taking calculated risks with each release for a decidedly more palatable format.

For all that RIITIIR offers, I think it comes up intangibly short. The best descriptor I can give is its wading in a cold stew deciding on where it wants to go. I believe RIITIIR  is tonally similar as Axioma Ethica Odini, because there is that consistent glossy disposition.

Sure RIITIIR is a welcomed return to familiar (sortof), and rejuvenated, it's fragmented compositions (which are familiar) from their prior catalog. RIITIIR is more mellower, while showcasing a softer perception, but feels constrained by holding itself inwards in that perspective. The record tries to evolve a little, but I ultimately think in its cadence, the inflection straddles on knowing how much of a impact it is making, whilst being extremely snobbish about its place in the grand scheme. Thanks for reading.

B.