R3hab - Gullible's Travels

Let me start by saying I actually like this band. They sound like Uncle Kracker to some extent but have such an infectious sound and the song "Waho By The Hoti" is one of those instantly lovable tunes by the band. They follow up that super cool tune with another poppy groove that makes me want to dance in my seat while I'm driving my car down the highway. These guys continue to grow my love for them with more and more catchy songs like "Evidence", "Scared Of Change" and "Eat Sleep".

If you like them you'll like this if you don't you won't it's really that easy. I think I even like it more than their last album but I need to listen to it a little more.

Read More

Lee DeWyze - What Once Was

Won American Idol and didn't get the Idol treatment from the machine's promotion division. He was probably one of the most boring acts to win but he wasn't the worst one for sure. The season he was on was pretty pathetic overall and him winning was better than the shrieking cow who he was up against. The Idol album he released was full of dull uninspired sing-songwriter fluff. There was nothing to like about him or the music he was given to sing.

So now he's been dumped completely from the shows label deal and here we have his fourth album overall but second since winning. This album starts off with a decent pop ditty called "Snaps" then a terrible rockier song comes next followed by another pop ditty that wouldn't be out of place on a Jack Johnson or John Mayer album. The trouble is that Lee doesn't have enough charisma to pull it all together and make it work like say Jason Mraz could.

Fast forward further into the record and nothing improves, in all actuality it gets worse. This guy just doesn't have it and proves that American Idol was right to throw him away and ignore him on last season finale. The best thing about this album is that it's only nine tracks long and the worst thing about it is that it's nine tracks long. Lee DeWyze is the most boring American Idol winner of all-time and he's got nothing to turn him around unless he is served up some seriously great material and produced properly. I'm not sure even that can save him enough to have a successful career. Coffee shops will always need boring artists to fill up the silence so he has that to look forward to I guess.

Read More

4 Arm - Submission For Liberty

Now another heavy metal album and this one grabbed me and held my attention. The drum sound on this record is killer to start. I love the kick drum sound so much I'd listen to this just to hear it. The lead vocalist is pulverant but his ability to stay clearly understandable is what makes Danny Tomb a huge reason I like this album.

There are a whack of headbanging tunes on this record which will be mosh-pit madness at live shows but each cut is of high quality and has some sort of hook. The assault of "Taken Down" is only to be heard cranked to near maximum volume. It's very reminiscent of Slayer only with a better vocalist who has some ability to layout a melody.

There are some major influences which are worn on their sleeves like Slayer who I mentioned Black Sabbath, Megadeth in some of the phrasing of the vocals. This is nu-metal for sure but has tons of melodic structure never being too complicated, sometimes it does get a little repetitive but with that said I probably won't be dragging this one out for a complete listen front to back. It will be mixed up on random on my metal playlist in my I-Pod. The closing number "Blood Of Martyrs" has a nice intro that builds to a climax with some serious drama then explodes with a pretty hot guitar solo. Again those monstrous kicks of Michael Vafiotis just make me smile. All in all this is a very enjoyable album that I had no expectations for going in for the first listen.

Read More

Biohazard - Reborn in Defiance

It has been a long time since this band was anything close to current and since its original inception music specifically metal has really changed. The music today is very abrasiveness with a lot of dirty grit. Turns out that this is just what Biohazard love to deliver. So Reborn In Defiance is a more slick album than those that preceded it. But that's kinda where it all goes wrong for the band.

The simplistic guitar riffs and the obvious lead vocal shrieks, shouts and yells are about as impressive as a silent fart that doesn't have an odor. If you want to hear a total piece of shit song listen to the ballad "Vows Of Redemption" this is a complete joke. Then they get all mean and tough again on "Waste Away" but it is so obvious and pedestrian that I actually hit the skip button not even half-way through.

The album continues to be a short sighted dirgy metal album that really does try to come alive but the band just doesn't cut the mustard any longer with band like Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed,  Halestorm and such who do the metal genre with more dynamics and personality. This band needs to move on and work in other bands where they can ignite the creative with new people.

Read More

Check Out: Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound

Read More

Adaline - Modern Romantics

I'm a huge fan of Robyn's electronica sounds of her recent releases and Adaline has encompassed a similar style on her current album Modern Romantics. The first single and opening cut is "That's What You Do Best" a seriously sexy and delicious song that draws me in deeply to her voice. She has an effervescence that takes you on a journey as the album unfolds that is almost mystical.

 As her pseudo singer-songwriter style breathes it makes you just want to hear more and more with every track to hear how she can blend both genre's together with ease. There are so many great moments on the album but one of my standouts is the new wave synth drive of "Rebels Of Love". I love the Gary Numan nods but used with warmth never coming off as cold and disconnected. Another of the highlight songs is "Cost Is Too High (Not To Love)" which Adaline shows off her incredible voice delivering an Adele like performance as she captures each word like a butterfly flying through a field of flowers.

The album picks up the pace on "Sparks" that incorporates some of the best that new wave ever had to offer while never sound old or passe. Kate Bush meets the Bangles for some reason is what I hear while this song plays. I really like the classic sixties go-go  groove hidden within the melody of "Stereo" harkening back to an era in music long since past that is being re-discovered by many artists today. Overall this is a great record and one can only hope she breaks over here in North America because she has earned the chance by being so cool and interesting unlike many of today's pop diva's.

This album is absolutely not for everybody but those who like this style will be very impressed with the quality contained on Modern Romantics.

Read More

C.O.C - Corrosion Of Conformity

This is a hard album to review because they've been gone from the minds eye for so long as their previous stuff didn't stick in my listening rotation as it expired nearly immediately back in their short heyday. The kick off track sounds like it is many years old and also a demo not album quality in the compression era for sure. By the time I was three tracks deep into the album I was already bored with the terrible production and the buried vocals which are thin and shouty leaving much to be desired.

The band drops a couple of Sabbath influenced doom tracks which fail to catch fire and have nothing to like about them at all. The album continues long after necessary to thirteen tracks where it finally concludes. There wasn't one song on this album that I would recommend for a listen. This is such a waste of studio time and the labels money or their money because nobody will want to purchase this shit and really this band has expired a long time ago back when music in the rock world was at an all-time low. I think that might be the only reason that C.O.C. was ever popular, everything around them was shite and this was just a little bit less shite than the other stuff. Their self-titled 2012 album is awful and supporting this sort of garbage will only make music worse. Please stay away and save your ears.

Read More