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Blackwater James
Blues/Rock/Southern Rock
Blacklist
Posted 9:34PM EST
A reviewer from another publication was quoted as saying "... they don't add anything new" to their genre
of rock. While technically true it can also be said, and damn well meant, that Blackwater James is giving a much needed shot
in the arm to American hard rock!
Blackwater James takes the best elements of AC/DC, The Black Crowes, Free, Buckcherry, early Guns N Roses
(before they became a bloated Axl and a shitty backing band), amongst other greats and them roaring into the 21st century.
Heart-felt power ballad or party rock anthem, Blackwater James is a solid band of musicians, as stated they take what defined
some of the best hard rock has to offer and made it their's.
In that, they have forged their own path and identity using
the guidelines laid down by the best, with the potential to be ranked up there right beside them.
If you want to remember what real rock with a southern flavor is in a time of emo and rap/metal fusion deluge,
then this reviewer highly recommends you check out Blackwater James.
Track list:
"All Fired Up"
"Midnight Train"
"Scandalize"
"Roses & Rain"
"Taste"
"Stand Up"
"Stone Cold"
"Sick Generation"
"Wake Me"
"Rock Steady"
"8 Letters Gone"
Choice cuts are "All Fired Up", "Midnight Train", "Stone Cold", and "Wake Me".
Blackwater James gets a rock solid 4 out of 5 for their self titled album!
Blackwater James is Chris James (vocals, guitar), Deanna Passarella (guitar), Josh Burns (bass), and Todd
Schlosser (drums). Check Blackwater James out at www.myspace.com/blackwaterjames.
- Michael Meade
Walter Prez - Midsummer Lady
Rock/Acoustic/Folk
Rabbit Fever
Posted: 8:53PM EST
Midsummer Lady is Walter Prez's second full album, originally released in 2006. Walter
the complete one-man band here, pulls all writing duties as well as vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, keyboards,
and percussion! As usual Prez does it all with his signature style and never misses a beat.
Midsummer Lady while not as strong as a whole as Witchman and Good Energy
(Prez's latest release with his band The Awesome), it is still a solid album worth every second of listening.
Lighter in disposition overall then Witchman, Midsummer Lady does sport a few bluesier
songs like "Poor Leroy" (though humorous, there is a clear blues inspiration in this song) and "Cemetary Street".
There are also the historically rooted "Tom Quick The Indian Killer" and "Bridgiet Bishop Will Have Her Revenge on Salem Mass",
and humor in "Cockpit" and "Dirtbag".
Again Prez's sound is a combination of rock and folk with elements of blues evident throughout
most of his compositions.
Track list:
"Jimmy Page"
"Burning Highways" (instrumental)
"Witching Hour"
"Poor Leroy"
"Cemetery Street"
"Midsummer Lady"
"Cockpit"
"Comet"
"Tom Quick The Indian Killer"
"Dirtbag"
"Bridget Bishop Will Have Her Revenge on Salem Mass"
"Military Playset"
"Nightsky"
Choice cuts are "Jimmy Page", the title track, "Dirtbag", and "Bridget Bishop Will Have Her
Revenge on Salem Mass".
Walter Prez gets a 3 out of 5 for Midsummer Lady.
- Michael Meade
eENIK - Oddomatic
Rock/Progressive/Experimental
Unsigned
Posted 3/2/10 9:30PM EST
eENIK is attempting to bring the avant garde back to rock music, but unlike the many that have failed in
that aim eENIK is going about it the right way. Their experimentation with blending and cross-pollinating genres and styles
is great! Rarely are rock/metal centered bands able to pull off fusions as seamlessly tight as found on Oddomatic; jazz,
soul, Latin, rock, metal, powerpop, and even some punk influences and melodic styles can be picked out from the incredible
mix.
eENIK is all their own in terms of identity, but at times they are reminiscent of The Mars Volta, Live,
and Tool, amongst other greats, in their sounds and vocalization. But definitely in an influencial way as opposed to a copycat
fashion, and that is always a plus when seeking and finding originality like eENIK's.
Pacing runs the gauntlet from groove driven to hardhitting to, as the band says of their "melodica", schizophrenic.
Track list:
"Animals At Play"
"Just For Men"
"My Kudge Axin"
"Passive Attack"
"Lazerblasts and Lace"
"Raging Waters"
"FM For Spearmint Children"
"Perfek Contak"
"Fat Bees"
"It's Panama, Y'all"
Choice cuts are "Animals At Play", "Just For Men", Passive Attack", and "Lazerblasts and Lace".
eENIK gets a solid 4 out of 5 for Oddomatic.
eENIK is Craig Laubach (vocals, synth, sampler), Blas (bass, vocals, synth), Luke Thomas (guitar, vocals),
and Jon Rizk (drums). For more from eENIK check out www.eenik.com and www.myspace.com/eenik.
- Michael Meade
Walter Prez - Witchman
Rock/Acoustic/Folk
Rabbit Fever
Posted 2/21/10 1:54PM EST
As is obvious from the album title, Witchman has a heavy presence of Wicca scattered
through the songs. That said, this is an acoustic rock and bluesy folk album first and foremost, but still definitely worthy
of being called Witch Rock!
A few songs carry within their lyrics the bitter truth of being scorned for walking a path still
largely misunderstood, and poorly represennted by most media, even now in the 21st century.
Prez hits a few more social hot buttons (race relations, Big Brother mentality in the government,
abuse of social aid, obesity in America), some sure to cost him a few fans, but this reviewer applauds his honesty and self
expression.
Lyrically and musically sound, Prez released Witchman in 2005, and five years later
it's still relevant and tight; if a little extreme in the case of "Take Back the Planet".
Track list:
"Just Be"
"I'm Your Witchman"
"Matriarchy Now"
"Basically Evil"
"Don't Pray for Me"
"King of Eternity"
"Mary's Hand"
"Different Round Here"
"Fat Americans"
"Through the Darkest Night"
"Take Back the Planet"
"Evolve"
"It is Your World Too"
Choice cuts are "Just Be", "I'm Your Witchman", "Through the Darkest Night", and "Evolve".
Walter Prez gets a solid 4 out of 5 for Witchman.
-Michael Meade
Toby Knapp - The Campaign
Progressive/Black Metal/Rock
Shredguy Records
Posted 2/18/10 8:31PM EST
The Campaign is an instant Knapp classic! This album truly is Toby in top form, it feels consistent
while the songs jump between shred style metal, progressive, black metal, and mixing in some thrash for good measure; all
maintaining Knapp's signature balls to the wall fret work.
Guest vocalists Attila Csihar, Dean Sternberg, Tom Cline, and
Jeff Gruslin (look them each up if you don't know their names as soon as you finish reading this review!) all blaze in equal
glory Knapp's instrumentation and composition.
Album wide pacing is kinetic and keep sthe listener engaged, but refrains from letting said kinesis turn
into a chaotic thunder that loses the emotion/mood of the music.
Pagan, occult, and mythological themes and references
come through loud and clear on "Reanimation", all this reviewer has to say to Knapp and Csihar is good work gentlemen.
Track
list:
"The Campaign"
"Conspire"
"Towards Power Unimagined"
"We Are Legions"
"Telekinesis"
"Wicked"
"Reanimation"
"Plutonium Race"
"Lack Of Inspiration"
Choice cuts are the title track, "Telekinesis", "Wicked", and "Reanimation".
The Campaign gets a 5 out of 5!
-Michael Meade
Virtual Humans - Transcend
Pop/Rock
Unsigned
Posted 1:52AM EST 2/10/10
Transcendence truly is the theme of Virtual Humans' Transcend, each song focusing on
escaping our increasingly virtual existence of social networking and e-lives. Lyrics challenge each listener to reevaluate
their perceptions of the growing hopelessness of our current "consensus reality", while trying to help unblock the rabbit
hole of our imaginations.
The Brazilian band's sound sticks primarily to an indie/pop acoustic rock blend, carried out
with more than able musicianship by the whole outfit.
Pacing and vocals keep the indie singer/songwriter flavor for the duration. Vocals are kept
tightly spot on throughout Transcend.
Track list:
"Trajectory"
"Transcend (Part Three)"
"Impossible Mission"
"Transcend (Part Two)"
"Transcend (Part One)"
"Extreme"
Choice cuts are "Tracjectory", "Impossible Mission", and "Transcend (Part One)".
Virtual Humans get a 3.5 out 5 for Transcend.
- Michael Meade
Ben Kuzay - Perpetual Reign
Classical/Metal/Ambient
Unsigned
Posted 1/18/2010 7:00PM
Shred style bass as the lead and focal point of an album is both a refreshing spin in a genre of metal that
has it's main focus on guitar, and a pleasure for any bass fan! Kuzay uses shred and progressive style speed on lead bass,
keeping the the structure of each song tightly focused on the bass at all times.
Drums are strong, as they should be in shred or speed metal, but they never overpower and bury Kuzay's bass;
as basslines often are by the power blasts of drumfire common in this type of metal.
Guitars are used to punctuate and enhance the bass in a very well done role reversal, and as with the drums
do not steal the spotlight from the bass, while still shredding as hard as if they were functioning in the lead.
Pacing is as fast and furious as any other speed metal out there! Structure is intricately woven yet in
your face enough to be appreciated by hardcore headbangers.
Track list:
"Vortex"
"On Top Of The World"
"Perpetual Reign"
"Fantasy Girl"
"Ascension"
"Where Dead Villains Lurk"
"Homage To Hated Heroes" featuring David Harbour
"Murdering Angels (Just For Fun)"
Choice cuts are "Ascension", "Homage To Hated Heroes", and "Murdering Angels (Just For Fun)".
Perpetual Reign gets a solid 4 out of 5!
- Michael Meade
The Billy Krystals - Cult of Death
Rock/Metal/Punk
Unsigned
Posted 1/11/2010 7:20PM EST
The Billy Krystals combine punk pacing with rock guitars and drums, played with metal aggression
and hardcore punk style vocals. Lyrics are angry and aggressive, also tapping into hardcore punk with instruments speeding
up to thrash metal tempos for emphasis where fitting.
There is no doubt that The Billy Krystals want you full attention, every note and every line,
even if they have to crank enough decibels into your head to not only pop your eardrums, but shatter the three tiny bones
that relay sound vibrations to the nerves of the auditory centers of the brain!
The Billy Krystals keep their 3-piece outfit tight, through their style combinations and shifts,
without missing a beat. Vocals stay frosty and on mark, something many hardcore and screamo vocalists have a hard time with.
Breath pauses can throw a vocalist off time on a slower tempo song if they're on their game, think about thrash level speed
mixed with lung emptying hardcore and screamo vocalizing. Be impressed while you're thinking about it.
Track list:
"Burn Victim"
"Dead Breed"
"In The Creek"
"Cyanide"
Choice cuts are "In The Creek" and "Cyanide".
The Billy Krystals get a 3.5 out of 5 for their Cult of Death EP.
The Billy Krystals are Mike Sliger (bass,vocals), Adam Dragomanovich (guitars), and Rob Bennett
(drums).
- Michael Meade
VÖRGUS - Hellfueled Satanic Action
Thrash/Metal
Inferno Records
Posted 1/5/10 12:17AM EST
Swedish metal outfit VÖRGUS delivers an onslaught of raw metal force into your skull! The sonic beatdown begins right from the first note
and hardly lets up for the duration.
Instrumentation calls Slayer to mind on a few occasions, but overall VÖRGUS
has perfected their "Satanic Metal" description and really made it their own. Vocals are consistently strong on each song,
Nenne Vörgus packs a lot of power into every line. Cementing that power is is his constant change from sinisterly raspy vocals
to death grunts and death screams without missing a beat.
Pacing tend to be the expected norm for this style of metal, produced
from combining tight, thrash-based drums with equally tight shred guitar, and heavy goth inspired basslines.
Track list:
"Hellfueled Satanic Action"
"Chilling/Killing"
"In Metal We Trust"
"Down In Flames"
"Hell Hell Satanas"
"Headhunter"
"Slave"
"Kill To Live To Kill"
"My Beloved"
Choice cuts are the title track, "In Metal We Trust", and "Slave".
VÖRGUS gets a 3.5 out of 5 for Hellfueled
Satanic Action.
VÖRGUS is
Nenne Vörgus (bass, lead vocals), Straight G (guitar, additional vocals), and Mikke Killalot (drums, additional vocals). Check
VÖRGUS out at www.myspace.com/vorgus.
- Michael Meade
Shredding Across The World Volume 3
Metal
Shredguy Records
Multiple band/artist compilations are never easy to review, when they're good, and Shredding
Across The World Volume 3 is no exception. The gang at Shredguy Records assembled some of the best shredheads out there
to put together a Kong-sized seventeen track monster!
Each virtuoso (including Rob Johnson, Steve Bello, and Adrian English) is undoubtedly a master.
The skill displayed on guitar in each song is well worth the price of admission, even if you're not a shred metal fan!
With seventeen different artists it would take far too long and become incredibly redundant
to go over the technical aspects (song pacing, fret speed and accuracy, composition) of each musician's playing, afterall
how many ways can one say a performance is awesome?
Track list:
"Kikakata" - Andrew Danso
"Relay Torque" - Rob Johnson
"Ignorant Bliss" - Kendall Bechtel
"Finger Fuzz 2009" - Tracy G Group
"Electric Brew" - Richard Tull
"The Pants Party" - Gary Schutt
"Don't Stop" - Dannyjoe Carter
"M-18" - Chris Lasegue
"Sidedoor Charlie" - Sean Baker Orchestra
"Golden Sun" - Jonas Tamas
"Wingsuit" - Claudio Cruz
"About To Explode" - Steve Bello
"G-Theory" - Adrian English
"Song For Chelo" - Lino
"Thoughts Of Time" - Matthew Mills
"Ascension" - Chris Sheridan
Bonus Track: "Anthem (instrumental demo version)" - Chris Storey
Choice cuts and scoring can't be applied to a collection of artists like this, it would be an
insult to all involved. However, in this reviewer's opinion, Shredding Across The World Volume 3 is the best metal
compilation of 2009!
For more on Shredguys Records and these artists check out their links:
- Michael Meade
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