Reviews
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CD Reviews by Alexander Dorian IceArc - Sea of Lies (self produced) 7/10
The album starts up with Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner and ties into the first song, "On the Wings of the Gods", which seems to prod at a somewhat awkward tempo that seems a tad too slow. That is overall my complaint about this album - a little speed, maybe another 10 beats per minute would've brought more excitement to the arrangements. The band crafts many catchy titles, such as the midtempo rocker "She Waits", the ballad "Fallen Angel", the powerhouse "Nordic Crossing". My favorite song has to be "Where Are You Now" - a brooding doom opening paired with an uptempo attack. The closing "Sea of Lies" could comfortably fit as a B side on any earlier Maiden album. To sum it up, IceArc have created an interesting if somewhat nostalgic release in the traditional/power metal genre. If you want to hear the lost art of metal song arrangement, double tracked solos, harmonies and powerful male vocals from a new band - they are your ticket. Reviewed by A. Dorian Ed Maly - "Guitar Jock" (Hot Texas
Tunes) 7.5/10
 This is the third album that I
review from Houston-based blues/rock guitarist and vocalist Ed Maly. If
you want gritty, down to earth Texas workin' man's music - Ed Maly is your
man. Like other Ed Maly albums - there is an open jam policy at Ed's
studio and only talented folks are invited, and by talented I mean
sizzling hot. A variety of guest musicians could also result in some
production discrepancies. Not a big deal but it was somewhat noticeable
mostly on drum sounds. The lyrical content on the tunes could get somewhat
repetitive - there were 4 songs with the "guitar" in the title, but yet
again they somehow seem to work. After all this is a blues record - if you
want thinking man's music you might be more akin to something along the
lines of Porcupine Tree. My favorite song on this CD is "If You Were A
Guitar" - basically a description of a man's obsession with his guitar and
the resulting jealousy from his woman. As a guitar player I can definitely
relate...and so does my old lady. Guilty as charged - my Strat gets more
pampering than the missus. As a final test to Ed Maly's magic - I snuck in
some of the tunes at a recent bbq party and people were really digging it
and asking where to get it.
The answer: ww.hottexastunes.com
The Hectic, self produced
8/10
 Upon opening Hectic's self-titled
release, I was greeted by the label: "Warning: This product contains a
brutal dose of Texas Industrial Alt. Metal". Now is that the genre where
one should expect brutality? Brutal as in Creed or P.O.D.? Now, if it were
say Watain (black metal) or Vital Remains (death metal) or the latest
release from Napalm Death - I can see that, but with this band I sincerely
hope it was considered as a joke. Inside the disc there is a "Certificate
of Authenticity". Now, if this were a major label band that is concerned
with music piracy in say a 3rd world country, I'd understand the
reasoning, but again this seems corny as is the personally autographed and
numbered section (woohoo, I got 567/1000, hope it is worth something!).
Again, great move if you're Black Label Society, not so great if you're a
local band. I've been wrong before, but the whole thing smacks of a bit of
self-indulgence.
Looking at the band lineup I am
also thinking that it is possible that these guys suffer from a musical
personality crisis. They have 2 members dressed in masks as in Slipknot
(Kevin Reed - guitars, DJ Hard Core - turntables & Samples), a cellist
(Marilyn Tovy) that could fit in a symphony, a guitarist wearing
corpse-paint (Chris Owen) and 3 regular looking guys (Ken Pride - drums,
Danny Acker - bass, Ronnie Tinsley - vocals) that look alt. metal. From
their website: (the band is) "a collection of accomplished musicians with
diverse styles and influences whose musical alchemy has been characterized
as Nine Inch Nails meets Pantera...The band writes what they feel at the
moment, there are no imposed boundaries on the music. The Hectic
unapologetically sprawls across musical genres like the city they’re from
sprawls across Southeast Texas." So is a personality crisis a good or a
bad thing?
Well, I personally find alt. metal
to be quite a limiting genre, with all the bands sounding the same - same
production and stage personas, just listen to the radio and you would know
what I mean. So with that in mind - Hectic have managed to spice things up
and keep it interesting. Overall I find the production good with some
flaws with some levels and guitar and drum sounds not always staying
constant from song to song. That is understandable since the CD features
13 tracks and clocks at close to 60 minutes.
So with the varied band members
and no holes barred when it comes to song writing, how does the band
integrate all these varied personalities? I for one am not a huge fan of
the DJ effects. For example, the scratching and goofy effects ruined
"Circa Now" and "Automatic Freedom" for me. The cellist also got a solo
track "Kjot Bolti" (#10) which stood out as an oddball decision and
sounded not up to par. On other tracks as "No Regret" and "December" which
to me were the best showcasing the band's full talent, the cello worked
wonderfully as a support instrument. Ronnie Tinsley (vocals) and Ken Pride
consistently deliver the goods on this album as does Danny Acker (bass).
The guitar section of the band delivers varied results, for the most part
good. They achieve great layered sounds as in the songs "No Regret" and
"December", the Sepultura-reminiscent thrasher "Cut Out", and the
inspiring layered delay lines on "Another Foot in the Grave" that really
propel the track. "24/7" is also another track that really drives home
with a molten rhythm track. The leads are so-so, and don't really deliver
as far as I am concerned. As seems to be the trend today, bands that
release albums tend to want to put in as much music as the CD will hold,
which while commendable, has its setbacks as well as you can't inevitably
write 70 minutes worth of hits. I feel that there are songs that should
have not made the cut, including the atrocious cello solo that seemed
pasted in there for no reason.
Overall I feel that "The Hectic"
is a diverse and interesting album, with mostly good tunes and a few
overindulgent moments that probably could've been trimmed from the
release.
Reviewed by A.
Dorian
CROSSING TOGO "Of Love, Scorn
& Insecurity" 7/10
 CROSSING TOGO is a writing
partnership between Scott Spencer (guitarist and songwriter), Ko Nakamura
(vocalist and lyricist). They enlisted the help of producer and
multi-instrumentalist Eric Jarvis, with the writing partnership resulting
in the CD "Of Love, Scorn & Insecurity". The album was recorded at
Eric's Houston studio, crushpad productions. The project utilizes a wide
pool of talent, including drummer Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, Rufus
Wainwright, Martha Wainwright), percussionist Brendan Buckley (Shakira),
Ben Peeler (Shakira, The Wallflowers) on lap steel, oud and saz, Kevin
Lovejoy (Spoon, Kat Edmonson, John Mayer, Fastball) on piano, organ and
keyboards, Max Dyer (Houston Ballet Orchestra, Moons of Jupiter) on cello,
and Houston producer Dan Workman (owner of SugarHill Studios) on SK-1
keyboard.
So with all these names involved
in the making of the album, one would expect a world class production and
in that aspect the CD is truly flawless. The style overall could be
described as folky-eclectic, with occasional touches of other genres such
as pop, latin, rock . The overall impression of the work is that the title
fits well with the mood that the album creates. For the most part the
tempos are slow and moody with some occasional upbeat song splattered
throughout. The musicianship is there and so are the vocals but my main
issue with the CD is that a lot of the songs seem to blend into each
other. It suits a lazy Sunday afternoon perfectly as you can really sit
down and relax with a homemade cigarette to this one. It would make you
think about the state of affair or elicit memories of lost love or
opportunities. It could also make you fall asleep.
There really isn't anything there
to make you move in any other way but in sombre melancholy fashion. Maybe
track #6 "Walk" stands out as the best piece as it moves in a more
non-linear fashion and elicits more of a different feel than the rest of
the album. It is also the most rocking track on the
CD.
I personally would've liked to
hear more variety, maybe a few more rockers, a classical ballad, or maybe
more vocal variety which maybe is the biggest problem. Ko is definitely a
very capable singer but he seems to stay in a comfortable zone that he
never leaves. I don't hear him straining a nerve anywhere on this CD and
so does the rest of the crew - it seems overall that they are just phoning
it in. Which brings me to my next point - that maybe a raw local pub
production approach with warts and mistakes might've added another
dimension to this album. Or maybe the fact is that I am not really suited
to melancholy music since I am writing this on a Friday
afternoon.
Reviewed by A.
Dorian
Maria Williams "Hybrid" (9/10)
Maria Williams has been on the scene as a band leader and lead vocalist over 20 years and it shows. Her performance is stellar, she could literally do any style, her voice is present, emotive and heartfelt. She can conjure the spell of music and so can her band. "Hybrid" is what the title suggests - a walk through Maria and her band's varied repertoire. There are several styles covered on the CD - jazz, latin, pop, some country. I personally find Maria and her band to be at their best in the latin (bossa nova, Samba, etc.) and jazz genres. The performance of these songs is really moving - the grooves are perfect and the vocals are soaring. Songs that really stand out are "No Me Queda Mas" (#2), "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" (#3), "Mais Que Nada" (#4), "Color of Rain" (#7), and the bonus track "Corvocado" which is a duet with Alan Lett. Overall the CD is impressive but I felt that I would've preferred to hear a more streamlined effort in the latin of jazz genre where I feel Maria and her band shine the most. Overall this is a very tastefully done album, great musicianship all around with some especially outstanding percussion, lead guitar and brass work. The production is also world class. Reviewed by A. Dorian Darwin's God "Shoes For Fish" 8/10 (self produced)
The CD consists of 10 songs and Darwin's God is not afraid to print the lyrics. I am simply captivated with the lyric writing on this CD, with an exception of "The River", which has so many cuss-words that it might even make a sailor blush. Apparently the band is aware that not everyone would enjoy hearing it and they reworked it in the form of a radio friendly version that is included at the end of the CD. The lyrics have a folksy, almost old school country reality that grabs the listener and doesn't let go. As far as the performances go - this is probably as good as it gets. Everything is flawless, but I am not really sold on the vocals as they seemed a touch raspy for this genre and better suited for slightly harsher material, say the likes of AC/DC. There is also the issue of the acoustic guitar on almost every song - there were places where it felt like it was killing the edge of the tune, which might not be a desirable element. As far as songs go I was really into "Worn Out Tapes" - a tune about days gone by. Another favorite was the radio edit of "The River (Radio Edit)". Darwin's God is definitely a great sounding band that is trying to carve a niche for itself in a densely populated alt. rock market but with song-writing this good they should be able to pull it off! www.darwinsgod.com Orents Stirner "Sweet Happy Sadness" 7/10 (self produced)
http://www.myspace.com/orentsstirner Stephanie Briggs "Spark" 6/10 (self produced)
To me this CD appears to fall in the category of typical chick songwriter fare. There really isn't anything to grab me and keep me into a song for very long, even though Stephanie has a very capable voice and the musicianship and production are decent. The music on this CD seems to be more a vehicle for Stephanie's voice than anything that can stand on its own, with the exception of Daniel Rhodes' bass lines who seems the only musician on this CD capable of doing anything more than punching in the clock. Stephanie covers the usual topics of a girl living in the city - love found, lost, he likes me, he likes me not, dolls and pretty much every female songwriter cliche. Her voice is somewhat reminiscent of Alanis Morisette but with a bit more of a folky feel and she commands it well. I think I would've liked this better if it had more of an early 20th Century cabaret band backing her up with some sax, jazz brushes, stand up bass as her voice has a bit of a retro appeal to it. I think my main beef with "Spark" is the fact that the song-writing is too common to make anything stand out. This is by no means an unpleasant CD to listen to - I am just not really blown away by anything that I've heard here and am not really sure that Stephanie can live up to her own press kit descriptions....well, maybe if paired with the right producer. www.stephaniebriggs.com
Cafe Khytaro - "Distancia" - Score: 10/10
www.cafekhytaro.com
Slivered - "Thought You Could Soar" (self-produced) Score: 8/10
Slivered provides an interesting mix of eclectic psychedelic and alternative rock, in times reminiscent of Porcupine Tree, Voivod circa "Angel Rat" and the british masters Pink Floyd. Their latest CD consists of 12 songs which might be just too taxing to the listener. There are variations and changes but the mood is "eclectic" and at times simply dour. I had a really hard time taking this album in a full listening session, as first the material seems too much (12 songs) and the sound starts to blend in after the third song. Things get more interesting towards the middle of the album as the overall energy picks up a bit on later songs as on "Dead by Mourning" (#10). The band has been around since 2003 so they definitely play well and interact together - lots of interesting stuff happening on all instruments. I was particularly impressed by the rhythm section of Corrigan Luckey (bass) and Viet Doan (drums) kept things well grounded while Justin box (guitar) and Robin Moore (guitars and lead vocals) kept interweaving chord structures and Lynsey Moore (keys, synth, vocals) added an extra dimension with her performance. I was a bit let down on the vocals as I felt that the band could use a bit more variety in that area. Robin is a fine vocalist but there were times that called for more range or more drama to a vocal and I kinda felt that it wasn't there, maybe the band felt this as well as some of the vocals were mixed in a bit edgier with some fuzz to them. Overall the production is very well done, especially the guitars have a very lush and organic 70s sound. The 70s feel to it is great considering that everything nowadays sounds so digital. This CD actually sounds big and warm and fluid. The drum sounds felt a bit campy in my opinion, but not a huge deal breaker. It is hard for me to pinpoint favorite songs, but overall I enjoyed the guitar and keyboard interaction as it was particularly well done, especially on song such as "Devotion Undone" where Robin plays probably what is my favorite guitar solo from the CD. "Dead by Mourning" was another song that I particularly enjoyed as the band picks up the tempo on that one. The CD closer, "Goes on Forever" also was another tune that really clicked with me as I feel that it provided the overall picture of what the band is about. I think that a shorter CD tune selection would have been better here, as this CD really felt as two albums worth of material. Definitely a worthy release, especially if you want to hear something different coming out of the Houston scene. ~ A. Dorian Ed Maly - "Best Kept Secrets" (Hot Texas Tunes) - Score: 7/10
After reviewing Ed's previous effort, "Walking Shoes Blues" I can say that the man has done it again! I have in my hands Ed Maly's 2008 release, "Best Kept Secrets". The CD opens with an organic sounding cover of "C.C.Rider", which although being a very convincing performance suffers from a buzzy steel string guitar sound that dominates the mix. The song features some great trade off licks between Ed Maly on lead guitar and Darren Ross on keyboards. Up at number two is "Matilda", a cover of Cookie and the Cupcakes'. Ed and the band lock up really well on this one and deliver a bit of a raw jam feel than gives this one an added kick. Again - some great performances by all. "Barefootin'" is yet another cover that the guys do well. The performance captures an old school feel that brings one back in the days of analog recordings and bands playing live, very well done! After opening with 3 quick covers, Ed & band jump into the originals. First up is Ed's collaboration with Craig Davis - "Bungalow 9". The song is a classic slow blues, somewhat reminiscent of Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues". The song features some sublime understated guitar licks and a totally killer piano track. Next up is "Mr. Ed" which is somewhat a comical tune about people confusing Ed with the horse in the 50's TV show. I can't say that I am ecstatic about the lyrical idea on this one, but it groves just as well. At number 6 is the song that steals the show - "Give Me Back My Rib", a somewhat comical take on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve and Adam's first wife, Lilith, that he rejected because she always wanted to be on top. The lyrics definitely brought in some chuckles, and Ed really hits gold with the relationship advice: "...in this world man has a choice, Fight with the woman or save his voice, Let her win; give in". Very well crafted lyrics and a great performance, definitely my favorite on the record. Next up is a Sonny Williamson cover, "Don't Start Me Talking" that Ed & band do very well. "Tear a Honky Tonk Apart" is a country tune where Ed & band show that they are well versed in that genre as well. "Best Kept Secret", the album title track at number 9 is somewhat a hit and miss for me. I felt that the backup vocals didn't quite stand up to par with the rest of the production, a good tune but it could've used more polish. "Hound Dog Cat" is a well done southern rocker, with some wonderful piano and harmonica performances. "Howling", the CD closer picks up the pace. On this song I felt that Ed was out of his element and the vocals didn't quite seem to sit well with the song. Overall - I can say that Ed has done it yet again! This album will definitely have you grooving and enjoying yourself. It has a wonderful assortment of tunes with some sizzling performances by some very talented Texas musicians. Compared to his previous effort I felt that this CD could've used a few more hours of studio time, as the change of rhythm sections was reflected in the production, thus affecting the overall flow of the album. ~ A. Dorian Truck - "Redline" (self produced) - Score: 6/10
Upon first impression Truck's music can be easily described as radio-friendly alternative mixed in with some traditional hard rock. This CD brings similarities to Tool, Creed and even Houston band Hollister Fracus. The band is Adam (vocals & guitars), Kyle (bass), Mike (drums), Tank (guitar). Out of the CD there are some interesting moments - the song "Trust" is probably the one that I liked the best, with some good riffing on other songs such as "A Home Among Us" and "Indecent". Overall unfortunately I have to say that I am not very impressed. The vocals are pitchy in places, the music is good but nothing stands out as a stellar performance or a hook or chorus that you'd be singing later on. On the other hand this would be the perfect band that I can listen to while being out on the town with friends - not very engaging but good background listen, perfect for Sherlock's. ~A. Dorian Three Fantastic - "Three Fantastic" (dotpointperiod) - Score: 10/10
Again, lately I just can't express the sheer joy of receiving such great production quality recordings from unsigned and indie label bands. Three Fantastic are one of these bands - great warm sounding record and exceptional performance captured on CD! I was putting off the review for a while looking at the cover that had me thinking that I just won't enjoy this band, must 've been the orange or the retro-styled picture of some asian kids holding tableclothes and a bird (or kites?) and on the back some dudes (the band) sitting at a table with leftovers. Looking at this I was just thinking badly recorded pop punk, but boy, was I surprised! The band's sound is hard to describe - I hear some post punk and emo influences, some classic rock influences and even a bit of dance. The song "20,000 Worlds Away" combines these for a great effect. There are moments that sound like Annie Lennox mixed in with moments along the lines of Primus. Definitely an interesting sound! The performances are all aces, Charles Peters' vocals work great with the arrangements, reminding me of a mix between Elvis and Glenn Danzig (also known as "Evil" Elvis), so in that case it'd be a mix of good and evil Elvis. The rhytm section consisting of Evan Groeshel's (bass) and David Tashery (drums) is definitely slamming, while the guitars, synths and pianos performed by Kelly Doyle and Charles Peters weave interesting sounding patters. Wonderful band and my first 10 out of 10 score! All I can say is - GET THIS CD! ~ A. Dorian Ed Maly - "Walking Shoes Blues" (Hot Texas Tunes) - Score: 9/10
From the opening riff of this CD I was taken aback by the wonderful production - this is how a blues/rock album should sound! This is especially a great feat since we're talking about a self release. Ed Maly breathes the blues, the band is hot and the performance is definitely there. Ed is on vocals and guitar, Keith Cannon is on lead guitar, Don Irby - bass and vocals, Mike Snelling - drums and vocals. As expected coming from Texas, Ed has to be influenced by SRV and I think he really captures that influence well on the song "Telepathic Love", which is also my favorite. There really isn't a bad song on this release, if I have to complain my only gripe would be that the lyrics get a little trite in places, but after all it is blues rock which is supposed to be down to earth so this works well. The tribute to Jimi Hendrix "While His Guitar" was a miss as far as I am concerned, Ed should've done "Along the Watchtower" and call it that instead of doing such a blatant copy of the tune. Overall this is a great blues record from a sizzling hot band, captured well and definitely worth getting if you're a fan of Texas rock and blues. ~ A. Dorian Organ Failure - "All Over" - Score: 7/10
Organ Failure is a quirky humor based performance band in the spirit of Frank Zappa, Weird Al and the list goes on...The band definitely has an interesting sound and a different approach to production which is quite interesting. The bandmember names were downright funny to straight outrageous: Brian "Flakey" Arthur (bass & vocals), Steve "Dr. Compostulous" Grubbs (vocals and tenor sax), Olivia "Poopy" Dvorak (guitars and vocals), Erik "Leif" Moore (drums and vocals), Michael "Mad Mike" Wiley on organ and vocals. The music performance is good, especially with some interesting percussion and drums. The guitars are off or badly tuned in places - either on purpose or not this works great with the idea behind the band. There are some covers - the Johhny Cash parody "Cookie Prison Blues" as well as "Rock the Casbah", which are well...definitely not true to the originals. "Cookie Prison Blues" is sang in a cookie monster voice, which I thought was especially stupid...so in this case - successful. Vocals - well if you're looking for funny, goofy and straight outrageous - these guys deliver well. If you're looking for Mariah Carey, Bono or in another words a performance worth listening to - well, it isn't there. The female vocals of Olivia "Poopy" Dvorak were well...quite "poopy", reminding me of russian singer Alla Pugacheva, in other words screechy and outright annoying. Overall, this band is worth listening after you've thrown in a few whiskies or have smoked some herb and you want to get a few laughs. I wouldn't rate these guys along the talent of Weird Al or Zappa, this is definitely more garage talent, but for sure a band that will be fun for your dorm party. ~ A. Dorian Primary - Crashing Into Nothing (mini CD, Produced by Barett Jones) Score: 9/10
The first phrases off the CD opener "I'm sorry for everything..." caught me by surprise. Jason Allen's voice sounded like a perfect but more tuneful version of Curt Cobain. Seeing that the CD was recorded in Seattle I guess that comes as no big surprise. Mentioning the recording - the production is FAT. The guitar textures on this CD are incredible. The music itself probably would be classified as emo or some type of alt. rock. My favorite song out of this CD would be #2 "Ghost" due to the varying feels and the interaction between guitar and vocals. I wish there were more songs on this CD since it seems to end rather quick but 3 song format seems the right choice for industry representation, so we wish the boys luck at getting signed. Primary yet again provides for an interesting listen and stands out with an excellent production. ~ A. Dorian Meyvn (Austin, TX) - Splintered Skies, self produced - Score: 8/10
After reviewing Meyvn's last demo, a lot of things have happened in the Meyvn camp. First it is worth noting that this CD has landed them a record deal with Killzone records which is currently remixing some of the songs on the CD. So this is officially the last indie CD for the band at this time. Congratulations are definitely in order! Overall Meyvn continues in the progressive metal path. The most notable improvement between this CD and the previous release is that Liao's bass parts seem to work better with the arrangements. He takes some chances and plays out of pocket which pays off. Drums (Brad Olson) sound much better on this CD as well due to a more polished production. Rick Clark (vocals) is as always in top form and the guitar duo of Drew Creel and Jon Simpson slays.The keyboard work is a bit of a hit and miss for me and the arrangements sometimes seem a bit forced but on the overall I feel that this CD follows a natural progression toward better things for the Austin band. Songs that really struck home due to the catchy vocal hooks are #1
"Answer Me" and #3 "Arise". The problem with the prog. metal genre is that
there is quite a lot of instrumentation and on a full lenght CD it seems
to get a bit repetitive, i.e. I can take small doses of guitar virtuosity
before it all starts to blend in and become the same. On the overall Meyvn
has managed to keep it interesting enough for uninitiated prog. metallers
to enjoy while they provide instrument mastery for the die hard fans of
this genre. ~ A. Dorian Letters of Warning (Austin, TX) - Dreams of Darkening Spain (produced by Freddy Hinojosa) - Score: 9/10
~ A. Dorian The Black (Austin, TX) - Tanglewood (self produced) - Score: 8/10
~ A. Dorian Funky Mustard - Traiga la Paz / Bring the Peace - Moosepie Records - Score: 6/10
Listening to this CD I am reminded of the many run-of-the-mill bluesy funk rock bands that one might see at downtown food festival or an event like "Holiday in the Park." What I mean is that you can easily eat your food or walk around vendor tents listening to the music as a pleasant background. You won't drop your fork, or become overly excited either. The production is good, especially considering it is a live recording. The musicianship is adequate as well, but the compositions and lyrics don't seem to be quite there. If anything there were some interesting harmonica solos by Robert. ~ A. Dorian Irene - Constructing Art in the Age of Mechanical
Reproduction (self produced) - Score: 9/10 After being very impressed by Irene's 2003 demo (see previous review) I was anxiously awaiting their first full length album. The music clocks in at about 45 minutes, which combined with Irene's intensive style makes for a marathon listening session. Most of the time it was hard to go beyond song #8, not because the songs are bad, but it was quite an effort to listen for it for that long. I actually liked the production on their 2003 demo better but this one is adequate, with some vocal clipping present on a few songs. The performance is amazing - great moving bass parts (HECTOR OVIEDO), mellow cooing vocals switching to monster screams and aggression in no time, the drums (OSCAR T. OVIEDO) are either jamming or slamming, the guitar never quits dishing out the grooves. The guitar parts are very interesting and diverse - on the 2003 my only complaint was the lack of guitar solos and on this one Dan Oviedo (who is also the vocalist, talking about having the toughest job in the band, huh?) really obliges. Amazing guitar performances, especially on "Jazz in the Ass". The songs that really stood out for me were "The Principle" (#3) because of its catchy chorus, "Protest Song" (#11) - great political commentary with very musical funky slow groove, reminiscent of the Chili Peppers. "Side to Side" is a great opener - great jam that grabs you right away. A hard to describe band stylistically, always changing it on
you when you started to get comfortable. Irene is kinda like your
favorite cover band doing all original tunes and sticking most of
their influences well blended and well crafted in one song. As far
as I am concerned this is probably the most original band I've heard
from Houston, ever. ~ A. Dorian The Black Math Experiment - What We Do... Is Secret E.P. - self produced - Score: 7/10
~ A. Dorian Meyvn (Austin, TX) - Last Rites, self produced - Score: 8/10
The songwriting on this CD is exceptional, especially on
songs like the opening “Cadence” and the fifth song off the CD - “Last
Rites”. ~ A. Dorian All Is Black - self-released demo - Score: 9/10
Every once in a while a new band enters the Houston scene and every once in a while they turn out to be exceptionally good. Well, All Is Black is definitely one of those bands. They have an interesting style and a good grasp on their music. As far as sound this band reminds me of some of the more straightforward early 80's NWOBHM bands. What sets them apart is the fact that their singer is actually a girl. She does quite a good job on this recording – interesting vocal lines with plenty of variety. All the songs off their 4 song demo are very well written. Especially notable is the great arrangements and interplay between guitar and bass. Very fluent guitar riffs and great pumping bass lines. As far as the production goes – it sounds like a plug and play live recording, which is not necessarily bad because it captures the band's energy quite well. What ruins the feel is the ridiculously heavy amount of reverb on the lead singer's voice. This makes the vocals sound sketchy at times and I think takes away from the timbre of the vocalist. The drums could've been captured much better. Quite an interesting release from an up and coming Houston band. Hopefully a proper studio CD is in the works because I'd definitely like to hear more from All Is Black. ~ A. Dorian Sevenfold - Anthropogenesis - CD, self-released - Score: 8/10 First off, I'd like to commend Sevenfold on a very professional (if not a bit too long) press package. I can't stress enough to young bands the importance of a good promo pack! My impression of the band is that Sevenfold are into what is called “screamo” - melodically sung verses with belted out aggressive choruses. This generally seems to work well for them, even though I believe that a few changes in arrangements can go a long way towards better songwriting. As far as the performance is concerned, I felt that the vocals could use some fine-tuning, especially on the first song, “Stepping Away”. The musicianship is definitely commendable, especially the guitar and bass parts work very well together. My favorite song turned to be “Let Go” - a Tool-like number with a heavy, yet melodic chorus that works really well with the slower verse passages. As far as the production, while definitely not shabby, I felt that it could improve a bit. The guitars could've been sharper in the mix, the drums sounded also a bit tiny. Looking at the overall picture the performance makes up for some of the misses of the mix. My impression is that this band is definitely headed in the right direction and with a few improvements in vocals and more variety in the song structure they can go a long way. ~ A. Dorian Azrael's Bane - Wings of Innocence - CD, produced by Gregg Gill and Azrael's Bane - Score: 7.5/10
Hearing the first chords of AB's CD I was virtually transported back in the mid 80s, straight between Yngwie's "Rising Force"and Queensryche's "Rage for Order." This CD reminds me of the days when it was cool to shred and a solo consisted more than just a pentatonic wah run. The musicianship on this CD is exemplary, especially the vocals of Trey Gadler and guitar work of Jeff Clifton and Chuck McFadden. I wish I can say the same about the songwriting, which delivers the same melodic metal theme over and over. The production of this CD, marked by highly reverberated vocals, delayed guitar leads and bright bass tones, is also very eighties. Overall it seems that Azrael's Bane are a very good nostalgic traditional metal act but after all, times have moved on, and so should they. If you are into traditional metal and like to hear some serious guitar shredding and melodic vocals - this CD is a must. If you think the 80s are rightfully gone and should be forgotten, you should look elsewhere. ~ A. Dorian Les Lewellyn - Bare Bones - CD - Score: 8/10
What I hear on this CD is a mixture of rock elements - from the classic sound of the Who to more modern grunge and gothic elements. There are songs on this CD that simply groove. The production is definitely amateurish, especially falls short on the drum tracks, but the sounds somehow work together to create a very vibrant landscape, over which Les' amazing voice adds another dimension. There is definitely good and even great songwriting at play, especially songs like the U2-esque ballad "Aspirations," the Cream-inspired rocker "My, my friends" and the Cure-sounding "Cold Spirit Rising." The complaints - the CD is 13 tracks so it seems to be a bit lengthy to divulge at one listening session. Also, as mentioned above, the production is a bit rough, especially on some songs the drums seem very repetitive. Keeping that in mind, this album has a very good groove and some truly great songs and Les Lewellyn's performance is amazing, especially considering that he plays most instruments! ~ A. Dorian .belville - .belville - CD, self produced - Score: 3/10
Hearing this band reminds me why I was grateful when Kurt Cobain passed - it put an end to such music, or at least so I thought? In .belville I hear the rebirth of Nirvana - whiny emo lyrics, badly tuned guitars, and a horrific singing voice, reminiscent to the braying of a donkey. The vocals remind me of Cobain's worst moments, so does the guitar work. On top of that, if you count in the bad production, the only thing that is left is a good looking CD cover and a decent drummer. Simon from American Idol would love to have these guys audition. ~ A. Dorian Primary - Revenant - EP, self produced - Score: 7/10
Primary's 6 song CD Revenant comes as a well produced and well performed effort. The songs are pop rock, yet with quite a heavy tinge of sorrow that lends itself more in the emo category. The overlaying melancholy feel made the whole album hard to divulge in one breath, so usually I had to go with 2 songs at a time without it getting repetitive. With that in mind, each song is actually quite pleasant to listen to on its own but the format of the release feels like Primary has little variety, which might or might not be the case. As far as musicianship is concerned - Jason Allen's voice cuts masterfully over the well performed drum grooves of Andy Zuniga. The guitars (Noel Perez) and bass (Victor Rivera) stand their ground, but definitely can use some more texture. This CD I feel should've been a 2 song promo EP, while the other material should've been saved away to include on a more diverse full lenght album. Garcia y Reyna - Baile del Sol - CD, self produced - Score: 8.5/10
For years now I have wondered why Houston doesn't have its Paco de Lucia? After all, we have a very diverse Spanish speaking community and there are bound to be some flamenco guitar players out there...Well, recently I was surprised to hear that Houston has not one but two Paco de Lucias - the guitarists Jeremy Garcia and Rosendo Reyna. These guys are not just flamenco guitarists, but also degreed musicians and instructors at a local college. Right away I was amazed at the technique of all the musicians. Both guitarists shine with great speed, accuracy and cleanness of delivery. The tunes are classical flamenco style with some variations added by African djembe (Jim Bedinghaus) and saxophone (Richard Saldivar). I personally have not heard saxophone in flamenco and was quite amazed by its possibilities. Jim Bedinghaus (the groups' percussionist) also stole the show with his infectious grooves. All this was further enhanced by a flawless production. If I had to pick favorites, I'd probably go with "Baile del Sol" - masterfully executed guitar work and a relentless Spanish rhythm. Another favorite of mine became "Seasons Change" - wonderful lyrical composition with intricate tradeoff solos between the guitars and sax. The only flaws I found were the shortness of saxophone solos - some seemed to be thrown in as afterthought. Piece #2 - "La Luna" also sounded a bit derivative of Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjues:Adagio". The addition of a flamenco singer to the band could also make things more interesting. In true sense, these are minor setbacks to a truly great release. For the flamenco aficionados and guitar players regardless of style this is a CD definitely worth picking up. www.garciayreyna.com Leaf - Just Jake - EP, self produced - Score: 8/10
From the first glimpse into their music it was apparent that Leaf mixes several styles of heavy rock rather well. Their sound reminded me in places of modern Voivod with a touch of nu-metal and alternative added in. Leaf is a band that is hard to classify due to fact that hey keep on changing it on the listener. The EP opens up with the more straightforward "Against the Grain" and it closes with an eclectic acoustic/synth instrumental "Sunsets in Paradise". To me, a perfect example of their unique style would be what turned to be my favorite - "Gypsy Day". This tune has several tempo changes and a superb melodic mid-section. Overall I am very impressed with the band, just the vocals can use a slight improvement. As far as I am concerned, Leaf has definitely carved a niche for itself in todays' heavy rock world. ModernDayJohn - Emanate - EP - Score: 8/10
This EP provided for an interesting listen. One thing that really stands out is the spotless production, which in this case it could be said that acts in the band's detriment because it makes it very close to many of the overplayed alternative bands out there. The performance is tight and from hearing the songs I could tell that these guys have spent many rehearsals together. Moderndayjohn reminds me of a mix between Tool and the likes of Creed, maybe with a slight touch of Rage Against the Machine. As far as I am concerned I am definitely thankful for the Tool and Rage Against the Machine influences. My favorite song on this CD is "Emanate", which is also the title track. To me it sounded the most original and it was their most diverse song. My second favorite would have to be "Sigh & Breathe" due to its rhytmic changes and jazz feels intermixed with metal and alternative moments. The opening track, "Disdain" had some interesting vocal harmonies and guitar echo effects that worked well with the song, but its overall tempo and feel had it dragging too much for my taste. I have to say the same for the other two tracks - "Incomplete" and "Autumn" are just too run-of-the mill. If I didn't know I was listening to Moderndayjohn I could have possibly guessed that these songs were off of any Creed or Nickelback album. Reviewed by: A. Dorian Drop Zero - Soar - CD - Score: 6/10
An interesting side note is that this CD came with the CD label stuck on the bottom part of the CD - so in case you need to remove a sticker to play it: WD40 and soaking it in hot water works great!!!!! Now on to the music... My overall impression of this album is that it is straight ahead alternative - a genre that has already been played to death. With that in mind I can say that the band sounds solid and that this album can find some play on radio stations like The Buzz. As far as I am concerned - it provided for an uneventful background while I was catching up on my chatroom postings... Reviewed: A.Dorian Smokin' Joe Denson - Texas Pride - CD - Score: 5/10
What I got out of this CD is that Joe Denson is a guitar player. He is definitely not a drummer, singer, bassist or a keyboard player. The backing tracks need some serious work to spice them up and take them beyond just barely holding the foundation to something exciting. Don't get me wrong – Joe can definitely play the guitar and has skilled chops to make you want him on your next album as a guest musician ripping one solo a-la Slash on “November Rain”. As far as an all-around solo performer I think he can use some help, especially on vocals, drums (or drum programming) and mixing. Tracks 1 to 4 are quite uneventful straight-forward blues which we've heard time and time again and would be quite surprising to excite someone this late in the genre's development. From there the album picks up the pace with a more Satriani/Beck feel, which was quite unexpected considering the first four tracks. Joe can definitely perform a nice solo, but after a while the whole thing gets repetitive. The mixing had me going cross-eyed due to some of the strangest panning choices. It felt that when the music was getting trite there was an effort to take the listener's attention away from it by constantly panning from left to right. If it was in a single song I could call it an artistic choice of effects, but this was going on on almost every track and it was just unpleasant. I definitely liked Joe's guitar skills on track 5 “G man” and track 7 “Fly Away” -- very tasteful and well executed solos, but again these songs were running just a little bit long and there were no new melodies or variations introduced to keep the listener's attention. I think that with the right direction, the proper band and a good producer Joe Denson can go a long way, but judging by what I've heard I'd suggest that you spend your money elsewhere. 1-800-BUYMYCD The Delayed - Losing My Mind - CD - Score: 7.5/10
The Delayed, according to their well designed web site, are a straight forward rock band, hitting Texas with “a storm of guitars with raised fists washed down with a glass of 151.” I am not quite sure if I'd give it that description, because while their music is definitely not a snoozer, the demo didn't quite have that “oomph” to make me hit for the bottle like for example a Motorhead or an AC/DC album would. My overall impression of the band is that they play well executed hard rock mixed in with little emo and melodic punk. The things that stood out to me were the tasteful leads and good melodic vocals. It is actually a rarity to hear a local band in this genre have such good, in-tune lead vocals! The production and performance are adequate, although I feel they are a little tame for the type of vibe the Delayed are trying to achieve. The songs are definitely rocking, but for me it just needed a little extra touch of aggression. Another complaint I have about this EP -- while quite tasteful and pleasant to listen to, there was no clear hit song or hooks that would make me sing one of the songs during the rest of the day. If I have to pick a favorite it would be “The One” -- great guitar solo! For the listener that is looking for a pleasant rock night out, The Delayed might be just the ticket! ~ A.Dorian Irene - Demo 2003 - EP, self produced - Score: 9/10
Going just by the name I was expecting to hear a band with a female vocalist but was actually surprised to find out that there is no woman in the band and it is actually 3 guys! Strange name on the side, I was pleasantly surprised by the music. Right away I was hit by an interesting groove and guitar work that reminded me of mid-career Voivod. That soon changed to a high energy nu-metal, mixed in with some jazz and pop influences. I don’t quite know how to describe their sound, the words that come to mind are energetic, original, and complex. All 3 songs kept me grooving with the band and I don’t think they lost me as a listener for a single second. I usually do not judge unsigned bands on production, but in this case Irene really did a good job – all the instruments and vocals stood out clearly and were mixed well. Great songs and wonderful performance. As far as improvement – I would have liked to hear more layers in the arrangement and maybe the occasional lead or an instrumental melody bit. Also, the screamo nu metal vocals were a little too much for my taste. The demo was also rather short - only 3 songs. I can see any jazz, rock or metal fan getting into Irene and if they keep up the good work I don’t see why they shouldn’t be signed anytime soon. ~ A. Dorian Dereistic - Dereistic - CD, self produced - Score: 8/10
Hollister Fracus - Scar - EP, self produced - Score: 9/10
Right into the first song of the EP I am impressed with the organic blend of styles that Hollister Fracus present to the listener. There is old school metal, arena rock, and nu-metal blended well into a style that they make uniquely their own. The songs that really stood out to me were “Systematic” and “Scar,” the title track of their EP. The other songs were also quite good, but they just didn’t grab me off the seat of my pants like these two. I was blown away by the production – probably the best production I’ve heard out of a Houston band so far. The sound is just amazing! I was particularly impressed by the groove between the drums (Aaron Lakner) and bass (Jerry Lanza), they were locking in as the seasoned pros that they are. On this tight foundation Mike Pruneda’s guitar riffs floated effortlessly and Jim Finley’s vocals provided the extra energy to make the songs instantly memorable. To spice things up the band also blended in very tastefully samples and live violin, which achieved a very organic and multidimensional quality to Scar. Email Alexander Dorian to find out where to send your CD's for review! |
