I can't believe I'm about to write about football, but here goes.
OK, OK, I like the start of football season. Why? 'Cause it means that hockey season is only a month away. That and we get to see coaches bust arteries in their heads when things don't go right.
So how bad is it to be a sports fan in Western New York right now? If you saw the absolute "Why don't you just kick me in the balls while you're at it?!" way that the Bills lost to the Broncos yesterday, you would know. By the way: 15-14?! Come on! Score some points, dammit! I know some people might disagree with me, but I don't care about defense! More points, please. Or cause more turnovers. Those are fun...
But speaking as a Western New Yorker forced to follow the Bills...hockey season can't come fast enough. GO SABRES!
So, did anybody else find it strange that the entertaining games were Detroit-Oakland and Giants-Cowboys? Especially the latter?
I have to admit, I kinda started to hate myself while watching Chicago-San Diego. That game would've been more entertaining if it was Cubs at Padres instead of Bears at Chargers.
The new Minus The Bear album "Planet of Ice" is pretty awesome. Probably not the album to start with if you're getting into the band - their previous album ("Menos el Oso") is your best bet there - but pick up the new one after that. One bear claw up
DOOMED!
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Now THAT Was A Weekend...
Happy Almost August, peoples. This past weekend was home to a festival called BoulderFest here in Rochester. Naturally, since you're dealing with me here, I was one of many musicians pulling at least double duty during the course of the fest.
It all started Friday afternoon. I played drums for Journey of Jasmine late that afternoon (JoJ was the second band to play BoulderFest this year. Not a bad time slot, either). I stuck around to see The Isotopes that night - those guys were awesome. It takes a lot of guts to cover Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" at all, let alone play it almost note for note perfectly.
Saturday, however, was The Day Of Madness. At around noontime, I took the stage playing percussion for my friend Dan Ball Jr. About three hours later, SMOCK finally took the stage and rocked the crap out of the place. I should know 'cause I definitely had sweat in my eyes a few times during the course of our set. But wait! - it doesn't end there. That night, I was invited to sit in on piano for the band CHEA! for their show (they got the band back together!) outside of the festival. So I did, and beat the crap out of a piano for about an hour and a half or so. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, my hands hurt, my legs were tired, and I probably smelled funny. Such a good day...
It doesn't end there. About 12:30 Sunday afternoon, I got a call from a friend of mine asking me to fill in for his band's percussionist. So, uh...I did. I scrambled down to his place for a quick rehearsal, went to BoulderFest again, and then found out their percussionist was actually going to make the show. But since they still wanted me to play and realized he and I played different hand drums, The Kitchen Sinks took the stage with two percussionists.
So there you have it. Five shows in three days. All in all, the shows went well - Journey of Jasmine especially so - and this weekend was completely amazing. Same time next year?
It all started Friday afternoon. I played drums for Journey of Jasmine late that afternoon (JoJ was the second band to play BoulderFest this year. Not a bad time slot, either). I stuck around to see The Isotopes that night - those guys were awesome. It takes a lot of guts to cover Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" at all, let alone play it almost note for note perfectly.
Saturday, however, was The Day Of Madness. At around noontime, I took the stage playing percussion for my friend Dan Ball Jr. About three hours later, SMOCK finally took the stage and rocked the crap out of the place. I should know 'cause I definitely had sweat in my eyes a few times during the course of our set. But wait! - it doesn't end there. That night, I was invited to sit in on piano for the band CHEA! for their show (they got the band back together!) outside of the festival. So I did, and beat the crap out of a piano for about an hour and a half or so. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, my hands hurt, my legs were tired, and I probably smelled funny. Such a good day...
It doesn't end there. About 12:30 Sunday afternoon, I got a call from a friend of mine asking me to fill in for his band's percussionist. So, uh...I did. I scrambled down to his place for a quick rehearsal, went to BoulderFest again, and then found out their percussionist was actually going to make the show. But since they still wanted me to play and realized he and I played different hand drums, The Kitchen Sinks took the stage with two percussionists.
So there you have it. Five shows in three days. All in all, the shows went well - Journey of Jasmine especially so - and this weekend was completely amazing. Same time next year?
Saturday, June 23, 2007
A Young Person's Guide To All Things METAL!!!
Have you ever been completely confused by the many subgenres in the world of heavy metal? Do you need help deciphering what is and what isn't metal? Well, fear not, grasshopper, 'cause I'm here to help. With this handy dandy little guide, you should be able to understand what goes where in the world of metal and what is most definitely not metal. So, turn up your computer speakers as loud as you can and let's rock.
First off, let's talk Hard Rock. What's the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? Well, that's simple. Heavy Metal is metal, while Hard Rock isn't. For example, take AC/DC and Wolfmother. Both are Hard Rock bands. Almost metal, but not quite. I think it has something to do with actual melodies and the distortion pedals not set on full gain. A band like Clutch fits into this category as well.
Now, let's get into METAL!!!. The first stop is the straight-up Traditional Metal.
Traditional Metal - This is a good place to start on your journey into all things heavy. To get into Traditional metal, look for early Metallica (of course, it wouldn't be metal of me to say anything nice about more recent Metallica. Too bad we all know damn well every late-period Metallica basher still owns Reload and St. Anger...), Megadeth, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Testament, Pantera (one of my personal favorites) and - for a more modern example - Avenged Sevenfold. They definitely picked up the Traditional Metal flag in recent years, despite (due to?) the overt cheesiness of their lyrical content. I should probably mention Godsmack here, but I won't because Godsmack sucks.
Thrash/Speed Metal - This is the genre for people who wish NOFX was heavy and Pantera played faster. Sadly for the latter, their only serious foray into speed metal was the awesome "Fucking Hostile". But let's talk bands. Once again, early Metallica comes into play here (specifically, the first two albums). But besides them, look into bands like Slayer, Sepultura, Suicidal Tendencies, and Overkill, with Strapping Young Lad leading the modern charge.
Alternative Metal - This is generally what happened to metal when the 1980's ended. Practitioners Of The Metal started trying new ideas and generally started to slow tempos down, favoring power and groove over raw speed. I'm lumping nu-metal and rap metal in here 'cause I don't wanna talk about them by themselves. Anyway, here is where you look for bands like System of a Down, Snot (who both have their own speed metal tendencies), Rage Against The Machine, Sevendust, Slipknot, Mudvayne, and so on. But not Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy is not metal.
Industrial Metal - This is for people who wish their metal sounded more electronic-y and colder than most metal does. Classic examples: Fear Factory and White Zombie. Some people think Strapping Young Lad is Industrial metal, but I'm not buying that one.
Progressive Metal - metal for math geeks (speaking of which, I'm lumping math metal into this one). This is metal for people who can stand some cheese and live for time changes and extended suites. Or, in the case of the most excellent "hardcore meets prog metal" Dillinger Escape Plan, time changes and a purveying sense of confusion. The band long considered the cream of the progressive metal crop is Dream Theater. Judging by the Dream Theater rip-off acts that have sent me friend requests on Myspace, That consideration still holds true. But besides them, look for bands like Symphony X, Evergrey, Mudvayne (math metal), and definitely Opeth (if you don't mind a touch of death in your prog metal). If you also want Progressive metal but you don't want those pesky lyrics and singers getting in the way, then look no further than Liquid Tension Experiment and Planet X.
Hair Metal - I'm just acknowledging its existence. It exists. Now, if you want REAL metal cheese, look no further than...
Power Metal - Demons and Dragons and Swords and the NIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! Referred to by a few of my friends as "Viking Metal", power metal is just that. Power. And cheese, holy CRAP is there cheese to be found. It's like a metal cheese wheel rolling down a steep cliff (or, uh, hill). Frankly, you wind up asking yourself if they're really being serious with this stuff as you listen to it. The most obvious example is Manowar. But, also check out bands like Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica (power metal with a progressive edge - see Symphony X), Dragonforce (waaay over the top - you can tell they don't take themselves too seriously), and Mastodon (a band that found a way to make power metal cool).
Death Metal - And here is where you find the "cookie monster" style vocals. This is for metal heads who don't appreciate all that "melody" nonsense. But in reality, you'll find some musicians who know what the hell they're doing in here as well. Your death metal purveyor is, well, Death. But, you'll also find bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Obituary, and Morbid Angel here. And, of course...Dethklok, anyone?
Black metal - Now, I've always thought that this was stretching a little. However, you'll find differences between Black and Death metal if you look hard enough. Black metal is kinda like Death metal's goth-y little brother. And yes, Black metal practitioners tend to wear makeup onstage and in press photos (but no colors outside of black and white. They call it "corpsepaint"). Here, you'll find bands like Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Immortal, Mayhem, and Old Man's Child. I probably should talk about Cradle of Filth here, but I'm not going to because nobody listens to Cradle of Filth on their own volition.
Doom/Sludge metal - DOOM! DOOOOOOM! Here is a subgenre that really sacrifices speed for vibe and power. This is also probably the only type of metal that doesn't make for good driving music. The Patient Man's Metal, Doom/Sludge metal works slowly and takes its time, but still knows where it's going. The clearest example is Type O Negative here (though some call them Goth Metal, which is Black Metal with a sense of melody), but also check out bands like Eyehategod, Isis, Corrosion of Conformity, and Cathedral.
Metalcore - Possibly the dumbest name of all the metal subgenres. This is a genre that combines the music of Traditional and Thrash metal with vocals straight out of hardcore. This is probably the logical evolution from a band like Biohazard. If you want Metalcore, you'll be looking for bands like Hatebreed, Chimaira, Diecast (if you want some singing to go with your blood-curdling screams), Evergreen Terrace, and Lamb of God to a lesser extent.
Grindcore - The Metal of Confusion. Noisy, hard to understand, surprisingly nimble, and over before you know what hit you, let alone figure out what the hell is going on. But most of the time, when you dig below the surface, you discover that they don't take themselves as seriously as you might think. Believe me, that can be fun in its own right. Your premier grindcore band is The Locust (I saw them live once. It was confusing but still fun), but also look for bands like A.C. and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza.
This leaves me with the current crop of metal permeating airwaves as we speak. It has some of the same ideals as Metalcore but with some more Traditional and Thrash elements. That and most of them feature frontmen that can seriously sing as well as scream their brains out. I don't know what to call it, so I won't bother. I'll just enjoy it. For this, check out Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, God Forbid, Unearth, and Mastodon (if you want some power metal to go with that).
Welp, there you have it. I've probably left some subgenres off of this list, but meh...whatever. To wrap this up, here are my 10 favorite metal bands in no particular order except perhaps for number 1:
1. Pantera
2. Opeth
3. System of a Down
4. Strapping Young Lad
5. Mudvayne
6. Deftones
7. Dillinger Escape Plan
8. Mastodon
9. Metallica
10. Black Sabbath (the legends)
Happy Metaling.
First off, let's talk Hard Rock. What's the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? Well, that's simple. Heavy Metal is metal, while Hard Rock isn't. For example, take AC/DC and Wolfmother. Both are Hard Rock bands. Almost metal, but not quite. I think it has something to do with actual melodies and the distortion pedals not set on full gain. A band like Clutch fits into this category as well.
Now, let's get into METAL!!!. The first stop is the straight-up Traditional Metal.
Traditional Metal - This is a good place to start on your journey into all things heavy. To get into Traditional metal, look for early Metallica (of course, it wouldn't be metal of me to say anything nice about more recent Metallica. Too bad we all know damn well every late-period Metallica basher still owns Reload and St. Anger...), Megadeth, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Testament, Pantera (one of my personal favorites) and - for a more modern example - Avenged Sevenfold. They definitely picked up the Traditional Metal flag in recent years, despite (due to?) the overt cheesiness of their lyrical content. I should probably mention Godsmack here, but I won't because Godsmack sucks.
Thrash/Speed Metal - This is the genre for people who wish NOFX was heavy and Pantera played faster. Sadly for the latter, their only serious foray into speed metal was the awesome "Fucking Hostile". But let's talk bands. Once again, early Metallica comes into play here (specifically, the first two albums). But besides them, look into bands like Slayer, Sepultura, Suicidal Tendencies, and Overkill, with Strapping Young Lad leading the modern charge.
Alternative Metal - This is generally what happened to metal when the 1980's ended. Practitioners Of The Metal started trying new ideas and generally started to slow tempos down, favoring power and groove over raw speed. I'm lumping nu-metal and rap metal in here 'cause I don't wanna talk about them by themselves. Anyway, here is where you look for bands like System of a Down, Snot (who both have their own speed metal tendencies), Rage Against The Machine, Sevendust, Slipknot, Mudvayne, and so on. But not Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy is not metal.
Industrial Metal - This is for people who wish their metal sounded more electronic-y and colder than most metal does. Classic examples: Fear Factory and White Zombie. Some people think Strapping Young Lad is Industrial metal, but I'm not buying that one.
Progressive Metal - metal for math geeks (speaking of which, I'm lumping math metal into this one). This is metal for people who can stand some cheese and live for time changes and extended suites. Or, in the case of the most excellent "hardcore meets prog metal" Dillinger Escape Plan, time changes and a purveying sense of confusion. The band long considered the cream of the progressive metal crop is Dream Theater. Judging by the Dream Theater rip-off acts that have sent me friend requests on Myspace, That consideration still holds true. But besides them, look for bands like Symphony X, Evergrey, Mudvayne (math metal), and definitely Opeth (if you don't mind a touch of death in your prog metal). If you also want Progressive metal but you don't want those pesky lyrics and singers getting in the way, then look no further than Liquid Tension Experiment and Planet X.
Hair Metal - I'm just acknowledging its existence. It exists. Now, if you want REAL metal cheese, look no further than...
Power Metal - Demons and Dragons and Swords and the NIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! Referred to by a few of my friends as "Viking Metal", power metal is just that. Power. And cheese, holy CRAP is there cheese to be found. It's like a metal cheese wheel rolling down a steep cliff (or, uh, hill). Frankly, you wind up asking yourself if they're really being serious with this stuff as you listen to it. The most obvious example is Manowar. But, also check out bands like Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica (power metal with a progressive edge - see Symphony X), Dragonforce (waaay over the top - you can tell they don't take themselves too seriously), and Mastodon (a band that found a way to make power metal cool).
Death Metal - And here is where you find the "cookie monster" style vocals. This is for metal heads who don't appreciate all that "melody" nonsense. But in reality, you'll find some musicians who know what the hell they're doing in here as well. Your death metal purveyor is, well, Death. But, you'll also find bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Obituary, and Morbid Angel here. And, of course...Dethklok, anyone?
Black metal - Now, I've always thought that this was stretching a little. However, you'll find differences between Black and Death metal if you look hard enough. Black metal is kinda like Death metal's goth-y little brother. And yes, Black metal practitioners tend to wear makeup onstage and in press photos (but no colors outside of black and white. They call it "corpsepaint"). Here, you'll find bands like Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Immortal, Mayhem, and Old Man's Child. I probably should talk about Cradle of Filth here, but I'm not going to because nobody listens to Cradle of Filth on their own volition.
Doom/Sludge metal - DOOM! DOOOOOOM! Here is a subgenre that really sacrifices speed for vibe and power. This is also probably the only type of metal that doesn't make for good driving music. The Patient Man's Metal, Doom/Sludge metal works slowly and takes its time, but still knows where it's going. The clearest example is Type O Negative here (though some call them Goth Metal, which is Black Metal with a sense of melody), but also check out bands like Eyehategod, Isis, Corrosion of Conformity, and Cathedral.
Metalcore - Possibly the dumbest name of all the metal subgenres. This is a genre that combines the music of Traditional and Thrash metal with vocals straight out of hardcore. This is probably the logical evolution from a band like Biohazard. If you want Metalcore, you'll be looking for bands like Hatebreed, Chimaira, Diecast (if you want some singing to go with your blood-curdling screams), Evergreen Terrace, and Lamb of God to a lesser extent.
Grindcore - The Metal of Confusion. Noisy, hard to understand, surprisingly nimble, and over before you know what hit you, let alone figure out what the hell is going on. But most of the time, when you dig below the surface, you discover that they don't take themselves as seriously as you might think. Believe me, that can be fun in its own right. Your premier grindcore band is The Locust (I saw them live once. It was confusing but still fun), but also look for bands like A.C. and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza.
This leaves me with the current crop of metal permeating airwaves as we speak. It has some of the same ideals as Metalcore but with some more Traditional and Thrash elements. That and most of them feature frontmen that can seriously sing as well as scream their brains out. I don't know what to call it, so I won't bother. I'll just enjoy it. For this, check out Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, God Forbid, Unearth, and Mastodon (if you want some power metal to go with that).
Welp, there you have it. I've probably left some subgenres off of this list, but meh...whatever. To wrap this up, here are my 10 favorite metal bands in no particular order except perhaps for number 1:
1. Pantera
2. Opeth
3. System of a Down
4. Strapping Young Lad
5. Mudvayne
6. Deftones
7. Dillinger Escape Plan
8. Mastodon
9. Metallica
10. Black Sabbath (the legends)
Happy Metaling.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
BergerReview: The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
Come on - just look at the band name! That was enough to get me interested. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is, by far, one of the most amazingly ridiculous band names I've ever seen (in a very good way, I must add). Couple that with a fondness for metal and an ear recently turned on to Dillinger Escape Plan, and I simply had to check these guys out. Sure, the band name can be easily seen as a gimmick, but if that's what draws people to this startlingly good band, then by it's a damn good gimmick. These guys are fantastic.
Clocking in at 10 tracks and a whopping 28:39, TTDTE drives their message home quite clearly in their self-titled album's short time frame. It's confusing, it's aggressive, it's pretty silly in places (come on - could a band with a name like this REALLY take themselves seriously?!), and it's far more in control than one might think. Throughout the album, the guitar work is nimble, vicious, and most importantly, extremely tight. Complimenting that is drummer Mason Crooks, who plays with so much ferocity and speed that I wonder if his hair was on fire during the recording process. The whole band is clearly on the same page, sharply working their way through a ton of time changes, left turns, and sudden starts and stops like it's nothing more than old habit. And oh yeah - the song titles are incredible, too.
In short, a VERY solid album from a new entry into the hardcore/grindcore world. Naturally, this type of music isn't for everybody - Hell, I can tell you at least two of my other band members would flat out hate this - But you can't go wrong with TTDTE if you're into hardcore and metal in the first place. A fine entry into what I call "Music Guaranteed To Piss Off Your Parents", aka "What Is This Crap?!" music (which I think should be a separate section in CD stores just to help metalheads and other kids out - you don't wanna be looking through Toto or Tower of Power just to find The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, do you?).
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza (Corrosive Recordings, 2005)
Highlights: "My Bowling Ball's Frozen In A Footlocker In Chicago", "God Ain't Got No Use For No 180 Lb. Bag Of Sugar", "Cliff Burton Surprise"
Berger Rating: Two Angry Parents Up
Upcoming Reviews: Umphrey's McGee, Devin Townsend (whenever I can get my hands on his new album)
Smock is playing a show tonight. It's gonna be fun. But that's all I'm gonna say 'cause I don't wanna use the "Shamless self promotion..." label. Just follow that link there to get some details if ya wanna go, k?
Detroit Tigers 8, New York Mets 3 in the top of the seventh. That's the game I watched as I wrote this. One must wonder if the Tigers are starting to really find their offense here...
Clocking in at 10 tracks and a whopping 28:39, TTDTE drives their message home quite clearly in their self-titled album's short time frame. It's confusing, it's aggressive, it's pretty silly in places (come on - could a band with a name like this REALLY take themselves seriously?!), and it's far more in control than one might think. Throughout the album, the guitar work is nimble, vicious, and most importantly, extremely tight. Complimenting that is drummer Mason Crooks, who plays with so much ferocity and speed that I wonder if his hair was on fire during the recording process. The whole band is clearly on the same page, sharply working their way through a ton of time changes, left turns, and sudden starts and stops like it's nothing more than old habit. And oh yeah - the song titles are incredible, too.
In short, a VERY solid album from a new entry into the hardcore/grindcore world. Naturally, this type of music isn't for everybody - Hell, I can tell you at least two of my other band members would flat out hate this - But you can't go wrong with TTDTE if you're into hardcore and metal in the first place. A fine entry into what I call "Music Guaranteed To Piss Off Your Parents", aka "What Is This Crap?!" music (which I think should be a separate section in CD stores just to help metalheads and other kids out - you don't wanna be looking through Toto or Tower of Power just to find The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, do you?).
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza (Corrosive Recordings, 2005)
Highlights: "My Bowling Ball's Frozen In A Footlocker In Chicago", "God Ain't Got No Use For No 180 Lb. Bag Of Sugar", "Cliff Burton Surprise"
Berger Rating: Two Angry Parents Up
Upcoming Reviews: Umphrey's McGee, Devin Townsend (whenever I can get my hands on his new album)
Smock is playing a show tonight. It's gonna be fun. But that's all I'm gonna say 'cause I don't wanna use the "Shamless self promotion..." label. Just follow that link there to get some details if ya wanna go, k?
Detroit Tigers 8, New York Mets 3 in the top of the seventh. That's the game I watched as I wrote this. One must wonder if the Tigers are starting to really find their offense here...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Home, Home Again... I Like To Be Here When I Can...
Hey all. I JUST got back from a long weekend in Boston, and since the Red Sox were out of town, I didn't have to deal with any of THAT craziness. But the trip was awesome, and I saw Porcupine Tree this past Friday night. I gotta tell ya, if you get the chance to see them play live... take it. There isn't anything really truly fancy about their shows, but they just smoke their material on the stage. During their set, they played every song off the new album, Fear of a Blank Planet (Just as I hoped, the middle section to "Anesthetize" RULED in the live setting), but they also touched on older material in between the new songs, such as "Blackest Eyes" and "Trains" from In Absentia and "Mellotron Scratch", "Open Car", and "Halo" (the last song of the night including encores) off of Deadwing. All in all, an extremely well played show from a band that kicks ass live even the second time around.
Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight. GO DUCKS!
Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight. GO DUCKS!
Friday, May 18, 2007
What?! You've Got To Be Kidding Me!
I can't believe it. There's no NHL hockey tonight! There's an AHL game going on (Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Chicago Wolves), but good luck finding it outside of those two cities. So, we're probably stuck watching baseball. Talk about a serious threat of hockey withdrawl! If my band didn't have a show tonight, I wouldn't know what to do with myself...
It's a Smock show.
We're playing here.
Best. Beer Commercial. EVER.
It's a Smock show.
We're playing here.
Best. Beer Commercial. EVER.
BergerReview: Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
As McNally would know, I've been a fan of British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree for a few years now. My acquaintance with the band started with In Absentia, their American major label debut. That was an album I kinda dug at first, then turned into one of my Top 20 Favorite Albums after it grew on me. Deadwing followed in 2005, another grower album. Though it didn't vault into my favorite albums list, I still thoroughly enjoyed the disc. Great songs ("Blackest Eyes", "Trains", and "Gravity Eyelids" from In Absentia, The first four tracks and "Open Car" from Deadwing), fantastic production values, and solid playing (Drummer Gavin Harrison, in particular, has made his way into my Top 10 Drummers list through these recordings) are found on both albums. Still, the odd thing to me was the fact that neither of them hit me immediately and made me think "This is awesome!" on first listen.
Earlier this year, Porcupine Tree released a brand new album, Fear of a Blank Planet. With this album, that odd thing has been remedied. Ironically enough, Porcupine Tree succeeded at making an album with a more immediate impact while writing a somewhat veiled (you'll only notice this by reading the lyrics) concept record and reducing the track count to a mere 6 this time around. The centerpiece of this dichotomy is "Anesthetize", a sprawling epic broken up into 3 sections and clocking in at nearly 18 minutes in length. For those without the patience to sit through the full near-18 minutes on first listen, I encourage you to skim to the 11:00 mark of the track. At this point, you'll find a "Holy shit!" moment - an absolute musical freakout guaranteed to send your jaw to the floor the first time you hear it. Elsewhere, the title track (and opening cut) is a solid rock tune that summarizes the band quite well and is good enough to use as a single to boot (A music video for it does indeed exist). "Sleep Together" and "Way Out of Here" flat-out rock as well. The other two tracks are more atmospheric, but fit in with the rest of the album very smoothly.
Overall, the album's mood is incredibly dark (The lyrics are focused on unnamed teenagers over-prescribed on antidepressants and completely indifferent to the world around them) with atmospheric elements/samples providing a nice backdrop until the band starts to play at full volume. The musicianship is superb, the vocals are brilliant (I must admit I really like bandleader Steven Wilson's voice), and the production is nothing short of fantastic. Fear of a Blank Planet is, simply put, an incredible effort which exceeded my expectations from an already amazing band. Awesome, awesome stuff.
Pocupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (Atlantic, 2007)
Highlights: "Fear of a Blank Planet", "Anesthetize" (especially the middle part), "Way Out of Here"
Berger Rating: Two iPods up
The fun part for me? I'm gonna see Porcupine Tree live in Boston next Friday. I'll review the show as well.
Earlier this year, Porcupine Tree released a brand new album, Fear of a Blank Planet. With this album, that odd thing has been remedied. Ironically enough, Porcupine Tree succeeded at making an album with a more immediate impact while writing a somewhat veiled (you'll only notice this by reading the lyrics) concept record and reducing the track count to a mere 6 this time around. The centerpiece of this dichotomy is "Anesthetize", a sprawling epic broken up into 3 sections and clocking in at nearly 18 minutes in length. For those without the patience to sit through the full near-18 minutes on first listen, I encourage you to skim to the 11:00 mark of the track. At this point, you'll find a "Holy shit!" moment - an absolute musical freakout guaranteed to send your jaw to the floor the first time you hear it. Elsewhere, the title track (and opening cut) is a solid rock tune that summarizes the band quite well and is good enough to use as a single to boot (A music video for it does indeed exist). "Sleep Together" and "Way Out of Here" flat-out rock as well. The other two tracks are more atmospheric, but fit in with the rest of the album very smoothly.
Overall, the album's mood is incredibly dark (The lyrics are focused on unnamed teenagers over-prescribed on antidepressants and completely indifferent to the world around them) with atmospheric elements/samples providing a nice backdrop until the band starts to play at full volume. The musicianship is superb, the vocals are brilliant (I must admit I really like bandleader Steven Wilson's voice), and the production is nothing short of fantastic. Fear of a Blank Planet is, simply put, an incredible effort which exceeded my expectations from an already amazing band. Awesome, awesome stuff.
Pocupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (Atlantic, 2007)
Highlights: "Fear of a Blank Planet", "Anesthetize" (especially the middle part), "Way Out of Here"
Berger Rating: Two iPods up
The fun part for me? I'm gonna see Porcupine Tree live in Boston next Friday. I'll review the show as well.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Aaarrrrgh... and Explaining Berger's Rating System
So, uh... last night's game. Ryan Miller was friggin' awesome, only coughing up one fluky-ass goal in the second period. Sabres, as a whole, were also much better killing penalties. But other than that, the better team clearly won. When a team only fires 15, 16 shots on goal for an entire game, they kinda deserve to lose it...
I'd never thought I'd hear (see?) myself say (type?) this, but the Senators have been playing fantastic defense this series. When Dany Heatley backchecks, you know they really mean business on the defensive end. So now the Sabres must do the near-impossible to snag the Prince of Wales Trophy that nobody even touches anymore out of superstition and reach the Stanley Cup Final. If they don't, well...it's been a fun season. When this Sabres team was on its game, they made for some real good television.
On a completely different subject: Berger's Rating System! I'm a hopeless music nerd (some of the links I've posted will attest to that) who owns way too many CDs for his own good. So, while I'm here, I'll review albums and shows. Let's face it - music and movie reviews aren't definitive - they're just opinions. So, why not stage dive into the Music Critic Mosh Pit myself?
So here's how Berger's Rating System works: It's based on the Siskel/Ebert/Roeper thumb system, but the "thumbs" will be replaced with a different thing that I feel is appropriate for whatever music / band I'm reviewing (i.e. "metal horns" for the Strapping Young Lad album in my last post). Here's the scale:
Two (thumbs) up - AwesomeOne (thumb) up - Solid
One (thumb) down - Okay
Two (thumbs) down - Coaster
Happy listening!
My cousin in all his stop motion glory
I'd never thought I'd hear (see?) myself say (type?) this, but the Senators have been playing fantastic defense this series. When Dany Heatley backchecks, you know they really mean business on the defensive end. So now the Sabres must do the near-impossible to snag the Prince of Wales Trophy that nobody even touches anymore out of superstition and reach the Stanley Cup Final. If they don't, well...it's been a fun season. When this Sabres team was on its game, they made for some real good television.
On a completely different subject: Berger's Rating System! I'm a hopeless music nerd (some of the links I've posted will attest to that) who owns way too many CDs for his own good. So, while I'm here, I'll review albums and shows. Let's face it - music and movie reviews aren't definitive - they're just opinions. So, why not stage dive into the Music Critic Mosh Pit myself?
So here's how Berger's Rating System works: It's based on the Siskel/Ebert/Roeper thumb system, but the "thumbs" will be replaced with a different thing that I feel is appropriate for whatever music / band I'm reviewing (i.e. "metal horns" for the Strapping Young Lad album in my last post). Here's the scale:
Two (thumbs) up - AwesomeOne (thumb) up - Solid
One (thumb) down - Okay
Two (thumbs) down - Coaster
Happy listening!
My cousin in all his stop motion glory
Monday, May 14, 2007
Friggin' Metal
When I got home from work, I immediately turned on the TV to check on the Sabres game... and saw a glut of commercials. Must be intermission... which is sad, 'cause I was friggin' PUMPED when I got back here. But then again, I was also listening to Strapping Young Lad in the car. If you can't get pumped up on adrenaline after listening to an over-the-top Canadian speed metal band, then I don't know what to tell you.
Strapping Young Lad - "The New Black" (Century Media, 2006)
Highlights: "You Suck", "Monument", "Wrong Side"
Berger Rating: Two metal horns up
Go Sabres! Time to get that power play clicking again...
Strapping Young Lad - "The New Black" (Century Media, 2006)
Highlights: "You Suck", "Monument", "Wrong Side"
Berger Rating: Two metal horns up
Go Sabres! Time to get that power play clicking again...
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