Skeletonwitch
Breathing the Fire
purchase here
Whenever a curious customer requests something new and exciting from the world of thrash/death/black metal, I always head straight for Skeletonwitch. Each and every time, these individuals are satisfied and join the growing masses who are singing this band's praises and spreading their music like wildfire. Hailing from Athens, Ohio, they are undoubtedly one of the strongest heavy outfits on the market, with a sound that transfers flawlessly from the recorded material to the live setting, creating one of the most outstanding musical experiences that one can find these days. In fact, for romantic weekend getaways, my wife and I opt away from the spa retreats and cozy mountain inns in order to travel to see the mighty Skeletonwitch anywhere and everywhere we can. Trust me, they are just that good.
With their new album, Breathing the Fire, Skeletonwitch brings forth a sound that expands their already massive brutality, at the same time remaining in the same stride that all fans have come to love. Their sound IS brutal, but not too overwhelming. Like the first album, Breathing the Fire is loaded with epic heavy metal that will satisfy fans ranging from Iron Maiden to Venom, to even Gorgoroth. With this record, Skeletonwitch aren't quite thrash, nor are they straight ahead, meat-head death metal or corpse paint-wearing, unholy black metal. They are simply a great, great heavy metal band. Vocalist Chance Garnette delivers both the growls and the throaty rasp that serves as your master of ceremonies during this musical journey. It is grand to hear a vocalist today who can do both well, giving the low rumble without the mind-numbing, Cookie Monster vocals entirely and the higher, faster register without losing all that he is saying. Trust me, the lyrics are meant to be heard on this one. Guitar wise, both Nate "N8 Feet Under" Garnette and Scott "Scunt" Hedrick pull off the double lead lines smoothly and lay tons of meaty, tasteful licks into the mix, keeping those long-haired heads bobbing. Both N8 and Scunt have a great ear for original hooks and appropriate placement, thus this guitar work and harmonies will have you humming these songs for days. The rhythm section brings the horsepower throughout the entire record and is the driving force behind these new songs. Drummer Derrick "Mullet Chad" Nau is a beast, whose double kick drum work ventures far beyond 32nd and 64th notes blast beats, giving a great sense of groove to the low end with tons of half and double times shifts, triplets, and straight 4/4 count single grooves. His tom fills and snare attacks set up the different tempos perfectly and can turn the mood of a song on a dime. Bass wise, Evan "Loosh" Linger reminds me a great deal of a player much like Steve Harris who can and does hold his own with the shredding guitars, while keeping things filled in down below. For me, highlights on this record include the uber epic, "Stand Fight and Die" and dark sounding "Released from the Catacombs" and "Gorge Upon My Soul."
Breathing the Fire is the total package, complete with great and synergistic artwork, lyrics, music, and attitude . From front to back, beginning to end, it is a strong album and another beacon added to the fog of heavy music in the future. Skeletonwitch is just getting started and the world should beware!-Andrew Bryant
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Left Lane Cruiser All You Can Eat
Left Lane Cruiser
All You Can Eat
purchase album here
Left Lane Cruiser is the real deal. They are blues at its best, filth at its finest, with just two men who are evoking enough inner demons to populate an entire circle of hell. Raising a ruckus, punching throats, and blackening eyes all the way from Ft. Wayne Indiana, Left Lane Cruiser makes a bigger and louder racket than most five-man operations, never once sacrificing songwriting or musicianship for the sake of bombasity.
Their third album, All You Can Eat, released on mighty Alive Records, is a great reality check for 2009; a raw, unabashed boogie and boot-stomp feel where everything sounds better when turned up loud, with a glass full of elixir. Deemed as "punk blues" by many, LLC lays it all out on the table from the word go with this release, with some of the most intense, in-your-face, and aggressive music out there today. With guns ablaze, guitarist/vocalist Frederick "Joe" Evans IV and drummer/noise-maker Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck roll out of the gate with "Crackalacka" featuring squealing, overdriven slide guitar lines and a stuttered, "train" drum beat. Sending it straight to the bayou, "Ol' Fashioned" finds Evans falling back to his trusty old International resonator guitar with the perfect soundtrack for a hot and sticky, front-porch sittin', sweet tea-drinkin' southern Mississippi evening. Another highlight is "Black Lung" which takes a song that is somewhat reminiscent of the early Black Keys work, adds two tons of smoke, grit, and dirt to the mix, and brings forth a sound that is much thicker and heavier than any material that the Keys ever could imagine.
It's always great to see bands like this still releasing great music in a time such as this when laptops and ironic, hipster haircuts are flooding the mainstream of American music. Make no mistake of it, I doubt that you will ever see these boys in girl jeans and pastels, collaborating with Danger Mouse or Justin Timberlake. I suspect that they will keep getting meaner and nastier every time we see them. Thank God for that! -Andrew Bryant
All You Can Eat
purchase album here
Left Lane Cruiser is the real deal. They are blues at its best, filth at its finest, with just two men who are evoking enough inner demons to populate an entire circle of hell. Raising a ruckus, punching throats, and blackening eyes all the way from Ft. Wayne Indiana, Left Lane Cruiser makes a bigger and louder racket than most five-man operations, never once sacrificing songwriting or musicianship for the sake of bombasity.
Their third album, All You Can Eat, released on mighty Alive Records, is a great reality check for 2009; a raw, unabashed boogie and boot-stomp feel where everything sounds better when turned up loud, with a glass full of elixir. Deemed as "punk blues" by many, LLC lays it all out on the table from the word go with this release, with some of the most intense, in-your-face, and aggressive music out there today. With guns ablaze, guitarist/vocalist Frederick "Joe" Evans IV and drummer/noise-maker Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck roll out of the gate with "Crackalacka" featuring squealing, overdriven slide guitar lines and a stuttered, "train" drum beat. Sending it straight to the bayou, "Ol' Fashioned" finds Evans falling back to his trusty old International resonator guitar with the perfect soundtrack for a hot and sticky, front-porch sittin', sweet tea-drinkin' southern Mississippi evening. Another highlight is "Black Lung" which takes a song that is somewhat reminiscent of the early Black Keys work, adds two tons of smoke, grit, and dirt to the mix, and brings forth a sound that is much thicker and heavier than any material that the Keys ever could imagine.
It's always great to see bands like this still releasing great music in a time such as this when laptops and ironic, hipster haircuts are flooding the mainstream of American music. Make no mistake of it, I doubt that you will ever see these boys in girl jeans and pastels, collaborating with Danger Mouse or Justin Timberlake. I suspect that they will keep getting meaner and nastier every time we see them. Thank God for that! -Andrew Bryant
Monday, September 21, 2009
Nathaniel Mayer Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?
Nathaniel Mayer
Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?
purchase album
If I was a bettin' man, I could make a wager that most lovers of R&B music haven't the slightest notion as to who Nathaniel Mayer is. A cult icon and legend in the garage and soul communities around his home in Detroit, Mayer's biggest break came in 1962 at the age of 18 with "Village of Love." With a gritty,gravel throated voice and a raucous stage presence, his name remained in the underground rock and soul scenes throughout the country, only occasionally releasing an album on small, obscure record labels. As he reached his sixties, Mayer began to make more music and tour more frequently, eventually signing a record deal with Alive Records, a perfect fit for his eclectic sound and appeal. Before his death in 2008, Mayer and many of the Alive alumni, including members of Outrageous Cherry, The Black Keys, and the Dirtbombs, booked two sessions that would indeed be has last. Alive released the first of these installments, Why Don't You Give it To Me?, in 2007 and now has given us the second.
Like the first session, Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is not crisp, clean, or polished. This session captured exactly what Nathaniel Mayer was all about: the moment and the emotion. The production for Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is extremely lo-fi with rough edges, giving this album a laid back, improvisational sound. The contributing musicians match the grit and sass that literally drenches every syllable that emits from Nathaniel Mayer's mouth, making this album a statement in raw emotion where what you hear is what you get. When his voice wains and stretches to finish a line or hit a certain note, it strikes a chord deep within and you know exactly what is on his mind and in his heart at that particular moment. Musically, things are sparse and never overpower Mayer's vocal delivery. The right touches are added in just the right places whether it be simplistic percussive rhythms or an almost out-of-tune upright piano, exhibiting the strength and quality of musicians on hand. On a more somber note, knowing that this will be the last we will hear from Nathaniel Mayer makes this album even more of an emotional blast than it already is. -Andrew Bryant
Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?
purchase album
If I was a bettin' man, I could make a wager that most lovers of R&B music haven't the slightest notion as to who Nathaniel Mayer is. A cult icon and legend in the garage and soul communities around his home in Detroit, Mayer's biggest break came in 1962 at the age of 18 with "Village of Love." With a gritty,gravel throated voice and a raucous stage presence, his name remained in the underground rock and soul scenes throughout the country, only occasionally releasing an album on small, obscure record labels. As he reached his sixties, Mayer began to make more music and tour more frequently, eventually signing a record deal with Alive Records, a perfect fit for his eclectic sound and appeal. Before his death in 2008, Mayer and many of the Alive alumni, including members of Outrageous Cherry, The Black Keys, and the Dirtbombs, booked two sessions that would indeed be has last. Alive released the first of these installments, Why Don't You Give it To Me?, in 2007 and now has given us the second.
Like the first session, Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is not crisp, clean, or polished. This session captured exactly what Nathaniel Mayer was all about: the moment and the emotion. The production for Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is extremely lo-fi with rough edges, giving this album a laid back, improvisational sound. The contributing musicians match the grit and sass that literally drenches every syllable that emits from Nathaniel Mayer's mouth, making this album a statement in raw emotion where what you hear is what you get. When his voice wains and stretches to finish a line or hit a certain note, it strikes a chord deep within and you know exactly what is on his mind and in his heart at that particular moment. Musically, things are sparse and never overpower Mayer's vocal delivery. The right touches are added in just the right places whether it be simplistic percussive rhythms or an almost out-of-tune upright piano, exhibiting the strength and quality of musicians on hand. On a more somber note, knowing that this will be the last we will hear from Nathaniel Mayer makes this album even more of an emotional blast than it already is. -Andrew Bryant
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
come see Copeland for free
Saturday July 25th at 3 pm Copeland will be playing a live acoustic set in the store!
Come on down and meet the band
Come on down and meet the band
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Astra The Weirding
Astra
The Weirding
purchase album here
Every year there is a record that comes out of nowhere that absolutely floors me. Several years ago it was Witchcraft with their self-titled monster, resurrecting the classic Black Sabbath and early Pentagram sound and last year it was fellow Swedes, Graveyard doing nearly the same thing with even longer hair and an artillery of Orange amplifiers. With artists such as these, I was almost sure that anything I was going to go mad for in the future would indeed be from Europe, where musicians seem to do things the way they did when rock and roll was at the top of its game in the late 60's and early 70's. However, this year you can raise the flags, blare the trumpets, and bang a gong because 2009's discovery is actually from the good ol' United States of America. Hailing from the west coast of course (San Diego to be exact), Astra with their debut, The Weirding on Rise Above Records has taken listeners by storm and sent everyone into a frenzy to get their hands on a copy of this album. In fact, if you are at all curious at the end of this review, you should call and reserve your copy, because as soon as a shipment comes in, they are long gone by the end of the day.
Labeling Asta's sound as vintage would indeed be an understatement. Unlike a great deal of the bands out there that exhibit a retro vibe, Astra makes their own distinct music and doesn't borrow too heavily from any of their diverse range of influences, which include Meddle-era Pink Floyd, early Genesis, and King Crimson, all cloaked in the darkness of the Black, both Sabbath and Widow. Recorded and produced by the band themselves in their own Black Widow Studios in the Autumn of 2008, this album is arranged absolutely beautifully and evokes the rich instumental tone and song craft that only could have been captured by Astra in their own element. With five members all of the same mindset, Astra brings forth a sound that ventures far beyond the typical effect-laiden guitars, bombastic drums, and organ swells, complete with Moog electronics, Arp Odyssey synthesizers, mellotron, flute. and echeplex. The opening track, "The Rising of the Black Sun" serves as more of an intro of sorts and sets the tone of the album with windchimes, cymbal screams and scrapes, flute trills, and various guitar drones that build and expand into a creshendo that results in a driving tempo complete with a frantic rhythm section underneath soaring guitar harmonies and thick layers of synthesizer. Following is the title track to the album, which clocks in at over fifteeen minutes and is arguably the strongest song on the record. Both Richard Vaughan and Conor Riley's vocals harmonize perfectly overtop of the big, but never overpowering wall of instruments and sound eerily close to the tambor of David Gilmore and Rick Wright on Pink Floyd's epic, "Echoes", mixed at times with just a smidgen of Ozzy Osbourne's vocals circa Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Other highlights include "The River Under" which sounds as though it could have been plucked from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and the seventeen minute instrumental beast "Ouroboros", also known as the bastard child of King Crimson, Goblin, and Zombi.
What is most impressive with this paticular album is the strong attention that was paid to the detail and dynamics of the songs themselves, never getting too out control and leaving the space in between the cracks in order to keep the instrumentation from getting too busy. At the same time, Astra does an incredible job at keeping things fresh and avoiding redundantcy which is of immense importance on this album that falls just short of the eighty, yes 80, minute mark. Though a long record, it flows together perfectly and can hold the listener's attention through its entirety. The Weirding is without a doubt one of the strongest records for 2009 and a great introduction to Astra, a band that is no doubt just getting started. -Andrew Bryant
The Weirding
purchase album here
Every year there is a record that comes out of nowhere that absolutely floors me. Several years ago it was Witchcraft with their self-titled monster, resurrecting the classic Black Sabbath and early Pentagram sound and last year it was fellow Swedes, Graveyard doing nearly the same thing with even longer hair and an artillery of Orange amplifiers. With artists such as these, I was almost sure that anything I was going to go mad for in the future would indeed be from Europe, where musicians seem to do things the way they did when rock and roll was at the top of its game in the late 60's and early 70's. However, this year you can raise the flags, blare the trumpets, and bang a gong because 2009's discovery is actually from the good ol' United States of America. Hailing from the west coast of course (San Diego to be exact), Astra with their debut, The Weirding on Rise Above Records has taken listeners by storm and sent everyone into a frenzy to get their hands on a copy of this album. In fact, if you are at all curious at the end of this review, you should call and reserve your copy, because as soon as a shipment comes in, they are long gone by the end of the day.
Labeling Asta's sound as vintage would indeed be an understatement. Unlike a great deal of the bands out there that exhibit a retro vibe, Astra makes their own distinct music and doesn't borrow too heavily from any of their diverse range of influences, which include Meddle-era Pink Floyd, early Genesis, and King Crimson, all cloaked in the darkness of the Black, both Sabbath and Widow. Recorded and produced by the band themselves in their own Black Widow Studios in the Autumn of 2008, this album is arranged absolutely beautifully and evokes the rich instumental tone and song craft that only could have been captured by Astra in their own element. With five members all of the same mindset, Astra brings forth a sound that ventures far beyond the typical effect-laiden guitars, bombastic drums, and organ swells, complete with Moog electronics, Arp Odyssey synthesizers, mellotron, flute. and echeplex. The opening track, "The Rising of the Black Sun" serves as more of an intro of sorts and sets the tone of the album with windchimes, cymbal screams and scrapes, flute trills, and various guitar drones that build and expand into a creshendo that results in a driving tempo complete with a frantic rhythm section underneath soaring guitar harmonies and thick layers of synthesizer. Following is the title track to the album, which clocks in at over fifteeen minutes and is arguably the strongest song on the record. Both Richard Vaughan and Conor Riley's vocals harmonize perfectly overtop of the big, but never overpowering wall of instruments and sound eerily close to the tambor of David Gilmore and Rick Wright on Pink Floyd's epic, "Echoes", mixed at times with just a smidgen of Ozzy Osbourne's vocals circa Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Other highlights include "The River Under" which sounds as though it could have been plucked from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and the seventeen minute instrumental beast "Ouroboros", also known as the bastard child of King Crimson, Goblin, and Zombi.
What is most impressive with this paticular album is the strong attention that was paid to the detail and dynamics of the songs themselves, never getting too out control and leaving the space in between the cracks in order to keep the instrumentation from getting too busy. At the same time, Astra does an incredible job at keeping things fresh and avoiding redundantcy which is of immense importance on this album that falls just short of the eighty, yes 80, minute mark. Though a long record, it flows together perfectly and can hold the listener's attention through its entirety. The Weirding is without a doubt one of the strongest records for 2009 and a great introduction to Astra, a band that is no doubt just getting started. -Andrew Bryant
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