Monthly Archives: October 2011
Evile – Five Serpent’s Teeth
Evile – Five Serpent’s Teeth (2011, Earache Records)
1. “Five Serpent’s Teeth” … 5:34
2. “In Dreams of Terror” … 5:07
3. “Cult” … 4:50
4. “Eternal Empire” … 5:35
5. “Xaraya” … 6:02
6. “Origin of Oblivion” … 4:55
7. “Centurion” … 5:44
8. “In Memoriam” … 5:47
9. “Descent into Madness” … 4:25
10. “Long Live New Flesh” … 5:16
Band:
Matt Drake – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Ol Drake – Lead Guitar
Joel Graham – Bass
Ben Carter – Drums
Producer: Russ Russell
Though I liked their last album, Infected Nations, I think Five Serpent’s Teeth is a much stronger album. Better riffs, better solos, better use of melody, better vocals. Despite these accomplishments it’s all a bit bitter sweet as this is the band’s first album without original bassist Mike Alexander who passed away in 2009. “In Memoriam” pays tribute to Alexander by using a bass riff he would play during sound checks.
On this third album, Evile is still bringing thrash to the masses in the same style of the classic composers such as Metallica, Megadeth, Testament and Overkill. This is not a bad thing. You could do a lot worse than get compared favorably to Metallica — and I mean good mid-late ’80s Metallica, not St. Anger/Lulu Metallica.
At the same time, while at the forefront of the “new wave of thrash” (a scene that has banked a lot on nostalgia), there is an extra quality to Evile that gives them a modern edge that even the tormented, brooding teenage souls of today would enjoy even if they think Megadeth and Metallica are a bunch of old fogies.
Whether the rest of the new thrash metal bands will continue stand once the novelty wears off, time will tell. As for Evile, they are already starting to separate themselves from the pack and I look forward to seeing what else they can come up with in the years to come.
Five Serpent’s Teeth is definitely a standout album for 2011 and not to be missed by fans of the Big Four.
Highlights: “Cult”, “Eternal Empire”, “Xaraya”, “Origin of Oblivion”, “In Memoriam”
Black Veil Brides – Set The World On Fire
Black Veil Brides – Set The World On Fire (2011, Universal Republic Records/Lava Records)
1. “New Religion” … 3:50
2. “Set the World on Fire” … 3:39
3. “Fallen Angels” … 3:45
4. “Love Isn’t Always Fair” … 4:13
5. “God Bless You” … 3:18
6. “Rebel Love Song” … 3:57
7. “Saviour” … 4:23
8. “The Legacy” … 4:40
9. “Die for You” … 3:43
10. “Ritual” … 3:30
11. “Youth & Whisky” … 3:30
Band:
Andy Biersack – Vocals
Jake Pitts – Guitar
Jinxx – Guitar, Violin
Ashley Purdy – Bass
Christian Coma – Drums
Producer: Josh Abraham & Christopher Walken
Hollywood, CA’s Black Veil Brides are among the current crop of Hot Topic darlings and while there are a few screamo moments on this disc, the band has much more in common with ’80s metal than some might realize. The cool thing is the band doesn’t try to hide their influences. They cite Motley Crue & KISS as big influences (which is obvious based on image alone) but have also stated Def Leppard’s Hysteria was the inspiration for the recording & production process of this album.
Surprisingly, BVB is made up of some good talent. Pitts & Jinxx are a very good guitar duo and have no problem playing fast & furious while firing off solos. Vocalist Andy Biersack can growl and scream with the best (worst) of the current trendy metal crowd but the guy can actually sing too and that’s when this album is at its best. Thankfully, the screaming is kept to a minimum on Set The World On Fire and the band doesn’t come across as the cliched angry, disenfranchised or depressed youths like so many other bands from the metalcore movement.
With elements of glam metal, speed metal, power metal & metalcore, the Brides bring what I would call extreme glam metal to the masses. Their look and sound is heavy and unique enough to interest the wrist-cutters but there’s enough of an ’80s metal influence (featuring catchy choruses and slick production values and even a power ballad thrown in) to grab the ear of those that are fans of the Age of Aqua Net.
By the way, my copy of the album came with a mini fold-out poster of Jake Pitts. How cute.
Highlights: ”Set the World on Fire”, “Love Isn’t Always Fair”, “God Bless You”, “Saviour”, “The Legacy”, “Ritual”
http://www.bvbarmy.com
http://www.facebook.com/Blackveilbrides
Chickenfoot – III
Chickenfoot – III [Classic Rock Fan Pack Exclusive Limited Edition] (2011, earMUSIC)
1. “Last Temptation” … 4:02
2. “Alright Alright” … 4:39
3. “Different Devil” … 4:24
4. “Up Next” … 4:33
5. “Lighten Up” … 5:12
6. “Come Closer” … 4:08
7. “Three and a Half Letters” … 4:07
8. “Big Foot” … 3:49
9. “Dubai Blues” … 5:02
10. “Something Going Wrong” … 5:16
Bonus Tracks
11. “Down the Drain” (Live in Phoenix) … 9:13
12. “Oh Yeah” (Live in Phoenix) … 6:23
Band:
Sammy Hagar – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Joe Satriani – Guitar
Michael Anthony – Bass, Backing Vocals
Chad Smith – Drums, Percussion
Producer: Chickenfoot & Mike Fraser
This super group’s debut was decent but nothing particularly thrilling. It sounded like a bunch of guys having fun but it didn’t really translate when it came to the songs in my opinion. Well, on Chickenfoot III (they skipped the second album) this very much feels more like a band that has written real songs and not bunch of guys jamming.
Because of how underwhelmed the debut left me, I wasn’t sure if I was going to pick this album up. I saw Classic Rock magazine was doing yet another “Fan Pack” release and figured if I ever was going to buy the album that I might as get the album that comes with a magazine. It’s a bit more bare bones than the Alice Cooper release (or even Whitesnake): 132-page 3-D magazine, a pack of 5 Chickenfoot guitar picks and a pair of 3-D glasses. The artwork inside and out of the album packaging are in 3-D as is the CD label itself but all of that I believe is standard with the first pressed copy of the album (just like the “heat sensitive” version of the debut).
Onto the music, what can you say as far as the playing goes? Sammy’s vocals sound just as good as ever, no one’s going to say Satriani can’t play guitar and Chad Smith is the perfect drummer for this type of band. Then you have Michael Anthony who in addition to bass is adding his usual fantastic backing vocals to help enhance things (the VH boys have some real balls letting him go based on backing vocals alone).
Like I said earlier, this very much feels like more of band now. Hagar says the first album came together very quickly while III was a much more laborious project. Well, if that means gelling better and Joe & Sammy writing better songs together… that’s fine by me! In fact, the only that I think fall a bit flat are “Dubai Blues” and “Lighten Up”. The rest of the album are just great rockers, good ballads (“Different Devil” sounds like something Van Hagar would’ve done), something socially relevant (“Three and a Half Letters”) and the albums ends with something a bit experimental that uses acoustic guitars and a banjo — the excellent “Something Going Wrong”.
Bonus live tracks are always kind of a throwaway to me. They are exclusive to this Fan Pack edition. “Down the Drain” and “Oh Yeah” may be two of the better songs from the debut but all they do is really highlight how mediocre that debut was and how much better this album is.
Chickenfoot’s III had revived my interest in this band after milquetoast debut, is one of the year’s best releases and I hope we get to see a third album (IV?) from these guy down the line.
Highlights: ”Last Temptation”, “Alright Alright”, “Different Devil”, “Up Next”, “Come Closer”, “Three and a Half Letters”, “Big Foot”, “Something Going Wrong”
http://www.facebook.com/chickenfoot
http://www.chickenfoot.us/
