Tag: rock

  • LUNA KILLS – SUGAR RUSH

    I was listening to the Fresh Blood playlist on Apple Music as I often do when I am working. Somehow people screaming at me helps me concentrate. The first some I came across was this song by Finnish band Luna Kills. It really got my attention. The song combines a nu-metal sensibility with a delightful pop edge. I love pop songs that go grrr and this one for sure does.

    Lead vocalist Lotta Ruutiainen has a delightful pop/jazz tinge to her voice but there is also some screaming for the fry fans. The band explains, 

    sugar rush” captures the drive to pursue happiness in the face of persistent self-doubt. Centered around the struggle to find happiness despite a constant sense of never measuring up, the song delves into the pressures of a world that demands overachievement and monetization of everything, ultimately draining the joy from passions that once gave life meaning.”

    Their debut album DEATHMATCH, set for a worldwide release on April 4, 2025, via SharpTone Records.

    Check the song out in the embed video above or in the Fresh Blood playlist below.

  • THE INVISIBLE : RISPAH

    THE INVISIBLE : RISPAH

    Most other reviews of Rispah mention the death of Dave Okumu’s mother as the album’s defining feature. Of course, Rispah was written and recorded in the immediate aftermath of this event, so it would be difficult to ignore the impact: Indeed, Okumu has described the album as a “love letter to grief.” However, there is a risk that all of that (and I really don’t mean to belittle such a sad event) is getting in the way of objective opinions of the record. Rispah has so much more to offer.

    THE INVISIBLE

    RISPAH

    Ninja Tune

    2012-06-12

    The Invisible comprises of Dave Okumu (vocals and guitar), Tom Herbert (bass and synthesizer) and Leo Taylor (drums). They have been working together as The Invisible since 2006 and in 2009 released a self-titled, Mercury Music Prize nominated debut album. Okumu and Co’s debut The Invisible bounced along at a furious rate of knots with dance and jazzy rhythms mixing seamlessly with rock sensibilities all pulled together with smooth production values and Okumu’s breathy vocal technique. It was pretty good but kind of fluffy in places which left this particular critic wondering a little what all of the fuss was about.

    Rispah is different from that eponymous debut in the respect that the spring has been removed from the band’s step and, with it, some of the fluff that was attached. The album retains that special smooth production style with former UNKLE Richard File sitting behind the mixing desk. The jazz influence is still apparent, but with this outing, there is more fearless experimentation and more dance beats (probably File’s influence). The record is more pleasingly minimalist with shadows of Philip Glass and Eno-like treatments, which makes the record so listenable. On every listen, you are exposed to something that you may have missed the last time. It a nuanced and emotional collection of songs.

    This album is also a haunted house of a collection. Not necessarily due to any subject matter of the songs (although this has an impact) but because each tune has a eerie quality that puts the listener in a strange place. So far, on every listen, Rispah manages to send chills down the spine. This quality was evident on the debut, but here it is front and centre, from the instrumental introduction “A Particle of Love”, with its swathes of swirling synths mixed with Kenyan spiritual singing (this meme resurfaces throughout the whole piece) to the seven-and-a-half minute finale, “Protection”.

    Rispah never loses its way. It is a coherent group of songs that fit together in such a way that one could wonder if any of the songs were taken out of context the impact might be lost. In that respect, it should be viewed almost as an art installation. The songs flow in and out of each other often to the point where they could easily be one song. This is not because all of the songs sound identical (They don’t) but because they so strongly sit together like variations on a theme. Apparently, that theme is grief, but I find the whole thing quite uplifting. Particular highlights of the movement are “Surrender” and “Protection”, although it is hard to single any one piece out for praise.

    Rispah is therefore an evolution of The Invisible’s body of work with less spring and more experiment. This cohesive collection is an eerie and nuanced collection that will reward the listener with multiple listens.

    This review originally appeared on Popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/160491-the-invisible-rispah-2495836078.html
  • FIREWATER: THE GOLDEN HOUR

    FIREWATER: THE GOLDEN HOUR

    FIREWATER

    THE GOLDEN HOUR

    Bloodshot

    2008-05-06

    The Golden Hour stands tall as a flawed but remarkably good experiment in mixing up influences from all over the globe. Firewater’s main man Tod A. went to the source of his musical influences to create this collection of catchy melodies that, for the most part, grab your attention instantly. It teeters on the line between punk and world music and thankfully does not sit well in either camp. It does show that pop music is universal.

    Firewater is an interesting beast. It is not quite a rock band and not really a solo project. This loose conglomeration of artists is pretty hard to place in a neat little generic box. If you were forced, you might file it under a very broad “World Music” heading. However, this, as with any label, does not tell anything like the whole story. Firewater is the brainchild of former Cop Shoot Cop bassist Tod A. When he “formed” Firewater, he wanted to combine Eastern European melodies with punk rock. In 2005, he was so disillusioned with the state of the political landscape of the United States of America that he packed his laptop, some lunch, and set off to travel through the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and South East Asia. The result of this epic three-year journey is The Golden Hour. If this album is anything to go by, what a journey it must have been.

    Tod A.’s weblog from this period is a really entertaining document of a man on the run from his national identity, on a desperate voyage of self-discovery. The record’s press release speaks a great deal about how the journey challenged him creatively and shaped the resulting record. I don’t wish to be mean-spirited, but of course it did. Any action that we undertake as human beings helps us to grow and influences our behavior. So travellng broadens the mind eh? Who’d of thunk it?

    Cheap cutting jibes aside, The Golden Hour takes its influence from the musical landscape that Tod A. crossed and is all the richer for it. The album weaves his trademark acerbic storytelling through rich cross-cultural beats and rhythms, resulting in a noteworthy attempt at interdisciplinarity. This sounds too haughty and academic; the album really rocks. It defies, nay challenges, you not to tap your feet or, heaven forbid, dance.

    There are strong undertones of the Clash’s early experiments with reggae and a heavy dose of latter day Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Imagine these influences first marinated in a light sprinkling of klezmer, bhangra, drum loops, and samples and served with high-quality production values. This is a very modern world music record. It is hard to conceive that it was recorded in five countries over a two-year period; the quality sparkles.

    Real highlights of The Golden Hour are the opening track, “Borneo”, which would easily find a home on a Nick Cave album, or “Paradise”, which effortlessly (and probably unintentionally) echoes Tom Waits. Oh, really it is unfair to pick favorites from this record, but what the hell. I’d say that the first three tracks (“Borneo”, “This is My Life”, and “Some Kind of Kindness”) are difficult to match in any arena. Alright … alright, track two is my favorite, but only with a gun to my head. There are no stinkers on this collection; it is more that sometimes the formula works better than others. I fully expect the less immediate songs to grow on me in time. That has to be a sign of a good pop album.

    Tod A. says that he would rather “blow up the laboratory” experimenting with music than reinvent the wheel. This, to me, is a damn fine idea if it produces such a delightful record. The punk prodigal is coming home, picking you up by the scruff of your neck, and showing you that pop music exists outside of Pop (bleeding) Idols.

    This review originally graced popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/firewater-the-golden-hour-2496159648.html
  • THE AMAZING WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN: THE VOICE OF LOVE

    THE AMAZING WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN: THE VOICE OF LOVE

    What can be said about Arthur Brown that hasn’t been said a million times already? He is the archetype of the one-hit wonder. He is the rocker with wild onstage antics that have almost got him and others maimed and ultimately had him kicked off a tour with Jimi Hendrix. For the last 40 years he has been known as the man that screamed at the top of his voice, “I am the god of hellfire”, at the beginning of the only song he is known for.

    THE AMAZING WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN

    THE VOICE OF LOVE

    Zoho

    2008-06-10

    He has been residing in the “where are they now” file for many years. Apparently he has filled his time working as a painter and decorator in Austin, Texas or training to be a counselor. He has also turned out the occasional record, although none of these recordings really made any dent in the common consciousness. In contrast this album might just capture the imagination of quite a few.

    Despite his vocal performance on “Fire” being spotless, Brown may not be so well known for the sheer vocal range and volume that he has in those pipes. On The Voice of Love he belts out the 11 tracks with such power that I was in fear of losing all the glassware in my house. Sometimes putting so much force into his singing, he overshadows the acoustic backing track. On these occasions it has the unfortunate effect of making him sound like he is singing in the bath to an instrumental version of the song on a radio in another room. Those moments notwithstanding, The Voice of Love is still a robust collection of songs.

    There are few pop tunes here with a catchy chorus that stick in your brain. Of the original songs is the short, cute, and familiar-sounding “Shining Bright”. This song’s refrain “I need nobody now / I need no one and nothing / I need nobody now / seeing me shining bright” is an ode to Brown shying away from public adoration. It is almost as if he is explaining why he has not topped the rock world for the last 40 years. He is unapologetically saying that the music is what it is all about for him and not the trappings that come with it. He has been there, now he just wants to make music because it is what he enjoys.

    This collection includes original songs and a few covers. The most prominent of these is Brown’s take on another one-hit wonder’s song “Kites”, originally by Simon Dupree and the Big Sound. He turns this piece of psychedelia into a quirky love song. It takes a while, you are not sure whether you have heard it before, but then it comes to you that it is indeed a cover. Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” also gets the Brown treatment, slowed down and with a slightly lower-key vocal in the outset, but not for long. Towards the end of the song Brown lets rip completely, performing vocal acrobatics showing off the full range that this 66-year old can muster. This fella has got a lot in him and it makes you wonder why he has been sidelined for such a long time.

    The sleeve notes make much of the recording methodology. Brown recorded this album on two-inch master tape using live performances throughout and the original vocal take wherever possible. Despite the protestations to the contrary, this is anything but a low-fi recording. It is crystal-clear, if a bit wobbly in the vocal department on occasion. Yet you can really forgive the odd misfire, due to the audacity of screeching a Glen Hughes-style, metal-god wail over a ukulele. It almost works and is very entertaining.

    To say that this is the best album that Brown has done since 1968’s Fire is meaningless. The potential that was shown back then has been realized in this release. The Voice of Love has been 40 years in the making. Despite a few idiosyncrasies, it has been worth the wait.

    This review originally appeared on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/the-amazing-world-of-arthur-brown-the-voice-of-love-2496119347.html
  • APOCALYPTICA: WORLDS COLLIDE

    APOCALYPTICA: WORLDS COLLIDE

    When Apocalyptica appeared on the music scene in 1996 with Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, they were busting the lid off a new can. Their unique blend of heavy metal and cellos was something really remarkable and daring. What was hard to fathom was their target audience. Those that liked classical music would have shunned the recording as sacrilege, and fans of Metallica were a little bemused. Their debut highlighted all of the similarities between classical music and the brand of metal made popular by Metallica. The idea was simple, unconventional, and brilliant. Just take four cellos and some classical arrangements of Metallica tunes, record them, and release to the general public.

    APOCALYPTICA

    WORDS COLLIDE

    Jive

    2008-04-15

    Worlds Collide is a different sort of record. It uses a somewhat more conventional approach, and is not really the better for it. Where before the band played it straight with acoustic instruments and no percussion, this album — with its drums and distorted cellos (sounding like guitars) — comes at you more like a rock band. Although this isn’t Apocalyptica’s first release to include drums (they have had a permanent drummer since 2005), one cannot help but feel that they’d be lost without them now. The addition of drums and distortion makes them a different band altogether. Rather than being (as they used to say) chamber musicians who happened to like metal, they have evolved into a metal band that happens to play cellos.

    On first listen, the instrumentals on Worlds Collide are overshadowed by the tracks with vocals on them. It can be quite a struggle to keep your hands from the skip button as the tracks with vocal accompaniment sound so much more accomplished. This is where the transition between chamber metal musicians and metal band becomes problematic, as the instrumentals were really what the band used to be about. It would be a horrible shame if the vocal-free songs were avoided in favour of the somewhat (dare I say it) gimmicky tracks with guest stars on them.

    Till Lindemann (Rammstein), Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), and Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) all offered their musical services to this recording. Tomoyasu Hotei comes and goes almost unnoticed, while Lombardo could frankly be any drummer to the untrained ear, and Scabbia does a passable Evanescence impression. Only Lindemann offers anything that one might call different with his rendition of David Bowie’s “Heroes” in German (the song is credited as “Helden” on the album). On another day, this cover version could so easily have been cheesy, but not today — though I can’t help but smirk every time I hear the initial, earnest, and very guttural “Du”. That’s not to say that the guest spots are without value. Despite my earlier dismissive remarks, they do come over well. Flagship track “I’m Not Jesus”, featuring Corey Taylor, tackles the thorny subject of child abuse by priests, but it has a really catchy chorus to prevent it from burning in hell for all eternity. Re-recorded for the American release of the album, “I Don’t Care” with Adam Gontier (Three Days Grace) on vocal duties is equally memorable, even if it sounds like it’s been lifted from the next Spiderman soundtrack (that is to say, it sounds a bit like Nickelback). However, as commercial as these tracks are, the shift from the unusual to a regular rock band is palpable. Now that Apocalyptica have integrated aspects from “regular” rock music into their sound, what really sets them apart from every other metal band out there?

    In the grand scheme of things, there is probably only so much one can do with heavy metal music (I’ll burn for that one). Apocalyptica began their career by marching to the beat of their own drum, but somehow the introduction of percussion has brought them into the mainstream. What they produce is still high-quality material, although ultimately not as groundbreaking as they were 12 years ago, and this is a shame. However, the introduction of mainstream elements and the use of guests from more established acts are likely to bring them new fans. Rather than converting their target audience, Apocalyptica have capitulated and headed for the mainstream.

    This review originally appeared on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/apocalyptica-worlds-collide-2496131664.html
  • WHITESNAKE: GOOD TO BE BAD

    WHITESNAKE: GOOD TO BE BAD

    “It’s very butch. Very muscular…” says David Coverdale about the first Whitesnake album in 11 years. Pause for a while and take that in.

    WHITESNAKE

    GOOD TO BE BAD

    SPV

    2008-04-22

    The endless 25th anniversary reunion of the masters of hairspray metal is into its sixth year and has spawned Good To Be Bad. Coverdale & Co. are not known for releasing groundbreaking material so one might be forgiven for expecting no surprises on first listen. One would be wrong. The biggest surprise is that it is not a bad record. Sure, it is full of double entendre-fueled cock rock, but as far that oeuvre goes this is a pretty respectable example.

    This is a summer blockbuster of a record. It is akin to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the CGI Gopher in so far as it does exactly what it says on the tin. People will enjoy both because they provide an opportunity to relive past youth (and hair) without taxing the brain in any way, shape, or form. Granted, Harrison Ford will be banking more cash as a result of his endeavor, but that is what you get if you keep retiring and then coming back, Dave.

    This album ticks all of the boxes for devotees of the band. It drives down the familiar lane of Led Zeppelin riffs, big choruses, and is overflowing with “sexy” lyrics. While unlikely to win over any new fans, it will give the band something to sell at gigs. So, take her top down, ease the seat back, slide it in, and ride her at full pelt with this blasting from her speakers at full volume. Sometimes it’s Good To Be Bad.

    This review originally appeared on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/whitesnake-good-to-be-bad-2496129880.html
  • ASIA: PHOENIX

    ASIA: PHOENIX

    It is 25 years since Asia released the follow up to their successful eponymous debut album. Their sophomore effort Alpha didn’t especially set cash registers singing and was largely considered to be a disappointment. Soon after that release, original guitarist Steve Howe (of Yes fame) left and the band went through twenty-something years of line-up changes and lukewarm receptions to increasingly similar sounding (and similar titled) albums.

    ASIA

    PHOENIX

    Frontiers

    2008-04-11

    2008 sees all four of the founding fathers of progressive rock reunite with Phoenix. This album is in fact that “difficult” third album. It fits perfectly alongside the first two, slotting so seamlessly into their catalogue that you could easily forget that there have been eight studio albums in the intervening 25 years. Ultimately Phoenix would have you believe that those years never happened and that these godfathers of pompous AOR are picking up the threads where they left them all those years ago.

    “1982 feels like only yesterday,” comments keyboardist Geoff Downes. That would account for why he and his cohorts have produced this tiresome 1980s hand-me-down of a collection that cheerfully ignores the fact that the previous album these four musicians made together under this moniker was last century. Fans of the originals have most likely moved on, and so should Asia. The one saving grace is that while Asia are sidetracked by touring to promote this album they are preventing Yes, E.L.P., and The Buggles from re-forming.

    This review originally appeared on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/asia-phoenix-2496131406.html
  • LISA CERBONE: WE WERE ALL TOGETHER

    LISA CERBONE: WE WERE ALL TOGETHER

    Lisa Cerbone has a gentle, childlike voice and with We Were All Together she has created an album that is somewhat evocative of Tanya Donelly or Kristin Hersh.

    LISA CERBONE

    WE WERE ALL TOGETHER

    Ocean Music

    2008-04-08

    Every aspect of this package — from the case with its lyric adorned fine art photo cards to the crystal clear production — is finely crafted and exudes quality. One wonders why this lady is not more well known as this is her fourth release in the last eight years. We Were All Together is a collection of ten melancholy vignettes held against backdrop of stark hush. Cerbone tingles the spine of the listener with this intimate and quite beautiful recording. This quality is most evident in tunes such as “Change the Ending” and the opening track “Humming”. This record is of course not for everyone. It tends to be a little over-serious at times and leaves you feeling quite bereft once it is over. This last point also one of the positive aspects of this CD. After all if art does not engage you then what is the use of it?

    This miniature review was originally published on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/lisa-cerbone-we-were-all-together-2496144008.html
  • MUD: YEARBOOK

    MUD: YEARBOOK

    MUD

    YEARBOOK

    Talking House

    2008-04-15

    It is a sad day when you have to consider the possibility that you are old and no longer understand young people’s music. To this reviewer Mud’s Yearbook contains 13 songs that, with one exception, all sound identical. The album appears like it was created by the corpses of Real Big Fish with the ska influences ripped forcibly from their cold dead hands fronted by Avril Lavigne. It is Californian punk by checklist; repetitive riff… check, amusing self deprecating lyrics… check, brass section… check. I could go on.

    One song stands out because it dares to be different. “Psycho” could easily be from a film soundtrack (I’ll leave the cynics among you to say that it is deliberately targeting such a market). With a lush orchestra arrangement it comes over like a Bond theme, only with less subtlety. It really is quite bombastic and audacious, even if it doesn’t really appear to have a chorus. However, after the chorus overload of the rest of the album it comes as a welcome reprieve. This song is worth the price of a single-track download but the rest of the album doesn’t really do anything remarkable. Or maybe I just don’t get “young people’s music” anymore.

    This review was originally posted to popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/mud-yearbook-2496144076.html