Foo Fighters interview

This guy I met one drunken night in Barcelona – he works for the Dutch FHM Magazine – wants something to remember his evening with the Foos by. Too bad for him no camera’s or mobile phones were allowed in the Odeon in Amsterdam. Fear of Internet-leakage, right? But the drunken Dutchie (note: he wasn’t drunk then, but I remember him drunk from Barcelona) seems to be a creative one. He taps drummer Taylor Hawkins on the shoulder and gives him pencil and paper. He then jerks Dave Grohl away from his conversation, assumes a posing position and gives Hawkins the order to start drawing. And to my utmost surprise, Hawkins starts grinning and sketches the twosome. Not that Hawkins has any artistic talent at that. But it sure is a unique souvenir.
And you know, the grin with which Hawkins made the drawing and Grohl did the posing, illustrate the idea of the Foo Fighters perfectly: world’s friendliest rock band.

Of course we would’ve loved to sit down with Grohl earlier that day. He is, after all, none other than the dude from Scream and Nirvana, and occasional session drummer for Queens of the Stone Age, Killing Joke, Juliette and the Licks and a hundred other bands. But the record label didn’t let us choose. We had to settle with Taylor Hawkins and bass player Nate Mendel.
But hey, we weren’t gonna complaini about that either. Hawkins used to play for Alanis Morissete and recently drummed in the new Coheed & Cambria-record. And we can add that he’s one of the most straight forward, honest tell-alls we ever met. Then there’s Nate Mendel, the soft spoken former bass player of Sunny Day Real Estate. Indierock-gods, they were.
During our 25-minute chat (we managed to stay five minutes longer than the other journo’s… hardy-har-har!) we came to the conclusion that all the Foo Fighters are just as friendly as frontman Grohl.
“And that’s hard work”, laughs Mendel. Hawkins interrupts immediately, something that will happen a lot more during the conversation: “Really hard work. We got a bunch of image consultants to keep that up”. Hilarious, Hawkins, hilarious. “No, seriously, you don’t buy the bullshit”, continues the drummer in a more serious manner, “If you see a band like Velvet Revolver, you wonder how they can still be around. There seems to be so much bullshit in that band!”

PRT: Guys, you have a new album out, what would you like to share about it?
MENDEL: “Yes, let us share.” (laughs)
HAWKINS: “Hey man, it’s your job to ask questions.”

PRT: Well, what’s your overall thoughts about it?
MENDEL: “We’re really proud of it?”
HAWKINS: (laughs)
MENDEL: “It’s true though. We were sitting talking to each other. You like the record? ‘Yeah’. Do you like it?’. Yeah! It’s actually pretty good. On the last record, we split things up, and this one incorporates some of the elements of that last one, other musicians, quieter songs. Older quieter songs that we did were kind gimmicky or a novelty or silly. Now we were able to have quiet songs that still are meaningful. It’s on a big scale.”
HAWKINS: “Yeah, everything is kind of extension of old ideas but on a new level. “Come Alive” is an extension of an idea like “Aurora”. What we started with on “Aurora”, ended up in “Come Alive”. It’s a sort of colourful, cinematic type of song in dynamics. It’s not holding back. We didn’t hold back on anything. Dave followed his muses and ideas. He’s always been economical in his approach to music. He’s letting that go a little bit more.”

PRT: I was surprised by “Erase/Replace”, a huge rocksong which will do very well on a big stage or festival.
HAWKINS: “Yeah. I love that song. Our manager hates it though.”
MENDEL: (laughs) “He almost booted it off the album.”
HAWKINS: “It’s got the little middle section that almost turns into Jerry Rafferty/Baker Street-thing with harmonies, smooth, seventies, laid back middle section, in between this almost military rock song or something. (imitates the drum) And that’s an extension of “Low”. It goes along with what I was saying earlier, where a lot of these ideas are built upon older ones, but taken further out.”

PRT: Dave said about “In Your Honor” that it is the ultimate Foo Fighters album. How do you go from that to making a new one?
HAWKINS: “It’s the ultimate ultimate album. It’s the double ultimate. I don’t know, you tend to think every time you make a record it’s the best goddamn fucking thing you ever done. But I didn’t think the last one was the best record ever. I thought it was good, it had some great songs. I didn’t think “One by One” was our greatest record. I thought they had good songs in between okay songs. I don’t know, this album has a whole higher quality, and as a whole it’s less black and white, not a heavy song, light song. Like Nate said, the mellow songs aren’t novelty, they’re real songs.”

PRT: It’s a lot less straightforward as well.
HAWKINS: “Yes, Dave lets things happen that wouldn’t have happened before.”
MENDEL: “Part of it is also thanks to Gil. We worked with him on the second record too. He has some different ideas and is willing to assert himself and free the band to do some things. You have someone there that you can kind of… You don’t have to worry because he’ll tell you when you’re going off too far in the wrong direction.”
HAWKINS: “And he was very into making the music dramatic. Which I remember, when we were in preproduction, working very hard on these songs, I remember that the two common themes of describing things were ‘build’, all the songs sort of build. And ‘drama’.”
MENDEL: “It’s got to remain interesting.”

PRT: What I thought was interesting is, that there are quite a lot of classic rock elements. The soft intro to “The Pretender” for example, reminded me of “Stairway to Heaven”.
HAWKINS: “Sure. I can see that. I was thinking “Eleanor Rigby”, The Beatles. (starts singing).
MENDEL: “I think it’s part of who our band is at the moment. That classic rock thing, the seventies-melancholy vibe, melodic DNA.”
HAWKINS: “And it’s what we grew up on. When the first record came out, I wasn’t even in the band. Me and my brother, that was our album of the year. It’s what we’d listen to when we’d go out and get fucked up. We just thought it sounded like Steve miller on steroids and speed.”
MENDEL: “Which is alright!” (laughs)
HAWKINS: “It is. And the way Dave doubled his vocals, he sounds like Steve Miller. We all grew up on that kind of thing. And you can do what you want, put a different haircut or a different production value on anything. But if it’s rock music or hard rock, it’s never going to stray far from Black Sabbath. If it’s melodic pop rock, it’s never gonna stray far from the Beatles. If it’s country tinged, it’s never gonna stray far from…”
MENDEL: “Nickelback.”
HAWKINS: (laughs) “Why did you have to fucking say that? Say Creedence, The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash.”

PRT: The album is also mellower. There’s just a few hard rock songs.
HAWKINS: “If there’s any album it reminds me of, it’s “Nothing left To Lose”. And it’s better than that. I like that. I’ll tell you one thing that definitely affected a couple of songs on the album: Dave got a piano. There are two songs on the record that are a direct influence of someone putting a piano in Dave’s house. Those songs would never have happened had Have not a piano. It’s simple as that. Give him a new instrument, he tinkers around, learns some things and tries to find chords.”
MENDEL: “Just don’t send him anything weird like bagpipes or something.”
HAWKINS: (laughs) “It just opened new door for Dave. And I guarantee you: if we keep making records – which I think we will, since we have a 3 million dollar studio that we have to pay for – you will see more and more of that side. Which is great. Any change for me is great, to a certain degree.”

PRT: It keeps it exciting.
HAWKINS: “Yeah. I don’t think there’ll ever be an electronic influence on our record. I don’t think you’ll ever hear…”

PRT: Timbaland?
HAWKINS: “Timbaland will never come in and produce a track for us. The Game or Jay-Z won’t be rapping on one of our songs. Strike me down if that happens. Kill me if that happens.”

PRT: You’ve been in the Foo Fighters for ten years…
HAWKINS: “Nate’s the original original. I’m just riding his coattails.”
MENDEL: “It’s only a couple of years now, and it seems so long.”
PRT: What were your best and worst moments?
MENDEL: “For once I will be honest, instead of answering Reading, what I always say… Which was great.
HAWKINS: “I’ll tell you what: two days ago was one of our finest moments, Live Earth. Because we are part of something that’s important to us and to the world. Dave was out there in front of the world, and showed that he’s the frontman in the world right now, as far as I’m concerned. He can’t dance like JT, he’s not the greatest singer of all time. But neither was John Lennon.”

PRT: He’s good with crowds.
HAWKINS: “People love him. And he loves people. (laughs) He’s got it, the gift of being himself and being larger than life at the same time. There’s people that are affected.”

PRT: Do you guys feel you’re working in the shadow of Dave?
HAWKINS: “No! We’re quite comfortably holding up his ass.
MENDEL: (nods)
HAWKINS: “That’s our job. Our job at Live earth, of me, Nate and Chris, was to make sure that Dave sounded good. And that’s what a band should be. If there’s a singer, there’s a focal point. That’s what people are mainly going to look at. Of course they also love to see a drummer go off, and see the rest bouncing around. But our job, our little trio, is to make sure that Dave sounds great and that he feels comfortable and can bring it to the people.
So no, if you mean it in a musical sense? No, because we all do things on the side. There are moments in the studio that I’d like to do what I wanna fucking do, and not be told what to do. Let’s try this instead of what your first idea was. But I think it’s that way with anybody who’s the main singer and song writer, you have to kind of follow where he’s going with the song. And Dave happens to be good at all the instruments, so he can sit down and tell you exactly how to do something. That can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but at the same time, he’s usually right. They’re his songs.
MENDEL: “Yeah. Six months after the record’s done, we listened to it whole, and we go: ‘why did we want to change that?’ We lived through that experience a few times.”
HAWKINS: “I’ll tell you one thing. One of the biggest differences, among the things we already covered, is that Nate really got to play bass in a big way on this record. The last couple of records, I felt I wasn’t stoked about the fact that a lot Nate’s style was more suppressed. Dave was going for more a riff-oriented thing where the bass had to follow the guitar. Nate is a busy melodic bass player. With having Gil producing it, also a bass player who’s interested in having interesting parts, him and Nate did the bass by themselves. Then Dave came in, and at first he was slightly taken aback, and then lived with it for a while, and eventually realised it made the music better, and that it’s making him happier and making him enjoying to be in the band even more. It’s all good.”

PRT: What was your worst moment in the Foo Fighters-history?
HAWKINS: “We had some shitty ones.”
MENDEL: “There’s the “One by One”-thing. It was rough, we made a record and it wasn’t right. And it was a turning point. Is this what we wanna do? Will we try to salvage this? It was a scary, disappointing time.”
HAWKINS: “Our heads weren’t in the right place. Dave didn’t really want to be there. He wanted to go play with Queens of the Stone Age. And we were having a hard time making that record. The producer Adam Casper, is a great engineer but no producer. It has one of our best drum sounds ever. But he’s not a producer. Dave was in charge of something and he didn’t even want to be there. We all felt that vibe a little bit, and we tried to do it in a different way. It was a dark time for the band. But in the end, it was one of the most triumphant times. We made it out of that, and then the album came out with two fo our best songs ever, “All My Life” and “Times Like These”, and that’s when we – especially in Europe and Australia – starting to see our growth. In audience acceptance, we made a huge progress.”

PRT: What makes you such a huge band? John Paul Jones, Norah Jones, Josh Homme are coming out to help you out.
HAWKINS: “The biggest collaborator, or guest, on that last record, was Norah Jones. She did the most. Josh and John Paul just played a little guitar part.”

PRT: But you don’t see them on Green Day or U2 albums.
HAWKINS: “I’m sure they would be on a U2 album too.”
MENDEL: “We just asked them.”
HAWKINS: “It’s not because we’re the Foo Fighters. John paul Jones probably didn’t’ even know who the fuck we were.” (laughs)
MENDEL: “That’s one of those question that can make you sound like an asshole. Like, why aren’t people tired of you yet, why do they like you?”
HAWKINS: “I know why. Because we always come up with a couple songs that people like and they’re on the radio. And we always deliver live. We have our own standard of what a good live show for us is, that varies for us. But Dave is always great, and we’ve gotten better. Being a rock band and being a good live band is essential. If you’re not a good live band, you’re fucked.”

Stonerider – Three Legs Of Trouble

After having released a terrible album under the name Fight Paris and after losing a singer, the rest of the band decided to rethink what they wanted to do. Out of that soulsearching came Stonerider and a new singer was found in the form of Matt Tanner.

With “Three Legs Of Trouble” they have released every A&R manager’s wet dream… Led Zep is hot again in case you didn’t notice. AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd are a couple of other acts these guys are heavily influenced by. You guessed it… Stonerider likes to play riff-heavy Southern rock and they do a pretty banging job with nine songs of their own and a solid version of Nazareth’s “Hair Of The Dog”. They need to work a little more on their hooks to make the songs more memorable but brute force already works wonders for these guys.

The Black Crowes might be aiming for a comeback but they’ve got some competition now in the from Stonerider.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.trustkill.com
http://www.stonerider.net

Trip Fontaine – Dinosaurs In Rocketships

Trip Fontaine is a German act that I think named itself after one of the characters in the movie “Virgin Suicides”. And while a song like “Failures Of Repute” wouldn’t have looked too out of place on the movie’s soundtrack with its repetitive guitar line and an overall sense of moody mellowness, the band’s mix of post-hardcore, post-punk and emo is not always equally appealing.

“Shine On You Lazy Liaison” is dance punk the way it should be played, which makes it one of the best songs on here along with “Moon Balloon”, another mellowed out track. But then in come songs like “Astronaut” or “Vicemagazinegestalt” who are just plain annoying with the spazzy guitars and hysterical vocals.

One thing that is sure though is that you’ll never know what Trip Fontaine is gonna hit you with next. I’ll just leave it in the middle whether that’s a good thing or not.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.redfield-records.de
http://www.tripfontaine.de

Too Pure To Die – Confidence And Consequence

Next to endless corn fields and the freak show known as Slipknot, Iowa is also home to metalcore outfit Too Pure To Die. And where most bands only have one shot at releasing a debut album, Too Pure To Die does it twice. First on their own and now again on Trustkill. The only difference is that for the new version they re-recorded the vocals with new singer Paul Zurlo.

These guys play metalcore that taps from the same vein as Throwdown… so picture groovy songs with plenty of nods to Pantera and the occasional breakdown. It’s hardly original and after a while the songs start to blend together. Thing is these guys play with enough conviction to pull it off nonetheless. You won’t find this album in any end of the year lists come December but give these guys another year on the road, let them return to the studio and I’m reasonably sure the result will show more of a face all their own.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.trustkill.com
http://www.toopuretodie.net

The Black Halos – We Are Not Alone

Canada’s The Black Halos are a bunch of punk n rollers who have been going at it for a couple of years already. “We Are Not Alone” is album number four for these guys and on it they do what they probably do best… play bratty punky rock n roll which is divided neatly over twelve songs by producer Jack Endino. It’s melodic, it’s upbeat, it’s rockin… it’s all good and you can tell these guys have been playing together for a while now! But unfortunately I can’t stand the singer’s snotty, unintelligible vocals which kinda ruins things for me!
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.peoplelikeyou.de
http://www.myspace.com/blackhalos

Zimmers Hole – When You Were Shouting At The Devil, We Were In League With Satan

Technically Zimmers Hole is not a Strapping Young Lad project since the band already existed before Strapping Young Lad made an impact on the metal scene. But with SYL members and a vocalist called The Heathen in the line-up, it could easily be mistaken for one.

“When You Were Shouting At The Devil, We Were In League With Satan” is the name of album number three for this Canadian outfir and as you can tell, it’s not wise to take these guys too seriously. It’s all about paying tribute to metal and having fun doing it. And they do this in a great way by writing kickass speed/thrash songs with a lot of poop jokes in ‘em. Guess you could say that what Tenacious D does for classic and hard rock, Zimmers Hole does for metal.

To properly prepare yourself for this album, I’ll leave you with The Hole’s Commandments:
1. Should They Plunder, Thou Shalt Suffer an Eternity of Humiliation in Song for Thy Ignorance and Stupidity.
2. Thou Shalt Embrace the Flame. For It is The Creator, and The Destroyer, and The Cooker of Weeners.
3. Thou Shalt Wear Dark Clothing. Especially, Big Tall, Leather Boots.
4. Thou Shalt Break the Crust that Imprisons the Rectally Retentive.
5. Beware the Changeling Glo-God for It is the True Weakness of Will.
6. Thou Shalt Ignite That Which Burns.
7. Thou Shalt Suck It. Suck It Up. Suck It The Fuck Up. You Fuck.
8. Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Bob Barker. The True Shirtless Aerosol Cheesus Crust, in vain.
9. Thou Shalt Stand and Accept It.
10. Thou Shalt Swill Ale From A Bullet Proof Cup.
11. Thou Shalt Revel in the Flesh and Consume the Feast That is Life, Before the Great Flash - Dot of Armageddon.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.legionofflames.com

Chuck Prophet – Soap And Water

Chuck Prophet… never heard of the guy before but with a name like that you’ve got my interest. It’s like a mix of Chuck Norris and Jesus rolled into one. Big names to throw around, right? Absolutely, except that they have nothing to do with the music which makes them absolutely pointless in this review. Which is something that can probably be said about the rest of my reviews as well. But here goes…

“Soap And Water” is Chuck Prophet’s eight solo-album and before that he already had a career with Green On Red. Quite the discography if all put together yet somehow I have missed out on all of those releases. Listening to “Soap And Water”, I think I can live with it though because while Prophet knows how to write some pretty good songs, it’s not very memorable. This mix of singer-songwriter, country, rock and a little bit of electronica is actually something I’ve heard being done before by The Ike Reilly Assassination and honestly, I liked it better then because Reilly had witty lyrics along with everything else.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com
http://www.chuckprophet.com

Los Campesinos – Hold On Now, Youngster

A couple of students start playing music together because studying all the time tends to get a little bit boring. How many bands do you think started this way? All of them? The difference with Los Campesinos is that they didn’t stay as local as they thought they would have once their songs hit the internet. Quickly Los Campesinos were one of the most hyped bands on the world wide web, signed a deal with Wichita and now present us with their first full-length, “Hold On Now, Youngster”.

That album title is something we could philosophise about quite a bit but since the band itself doesn’t live by those words, why the hell would I? Right from the start these seven youngsters race out the door in “Death To Los Campesinos” and then stumble all over each other in their enthousiasm in “Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats”. Think Pixies meets Pavement as played by a bunch of kids with ADD.

Did I already mention that this is an enthousiastic band? Frontman Tom Campesino sounds a little sloppy at times but then again so does the girl who helps out with the vocals and by extention the entire band. So he kinda gets away with it. The absolute highlight of the album comes in the form of the catchy “You! Me! Dancing!” where the band seems to have even more energy than a couple of rabbits going at it. So energetic even that forming a more literate title becomes a challenge of phenomenal proportions.

This definitely is a fun indierock album for people who loved all the 90s alternative rock bands like Dinosaur Jr, Magnapop and the abovementioned Pixies and Pavement. Probably and preferably to be witnessed on a couple of festivals near you this summer!
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.wichita-recordings.com
http://www.loscampesinos.com

Hayseed Dixie - No Covers

From the fictional Deer Lick Holler deep in the Appalachians, the hicks that make up Hayseed Dixie have been cranking out bluegrass covers of AC/DC (AC/DC, Hayseed Dixie... get it?), Kiss and a multitude of other rock acts whenever they were able to drag themselves away from their moonshine or making helpless tourists squeal like a pig. "No Covers" however is the band's first album with - the clue is in the title - their own material. Still true though to their brand of rockgrass (a mix of rock and bluegrass), Haysee Dixie cranks out 14 songs about drinking, cheating, killing and other activities that'll see you burning in hell.

With a fiddle that sounds like it's been set on fire and a lightning-fast banjo thrown in with electric guitars and great hooks, "No Covers" is a fun album that proves these guys have a helluva lot more to show for than they've been given credit for in the past.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com

http://www.hayseed-dixie.com

Buzzcocks – 30

2007 marked the 30-year anniversary for the Buzzcocks because exactly three decades have passed since the band released the “Spiral Scratch” EP. While so many of their peers have already called it a day or even a life a long time ago, these guys are still kicking ass and taking names. And to prove that they released a live album called “30” with 28 songs on it… now that’s what I call fucking punkrock :-)

Anyway, the sound is good, the songs are still great and it’s still obvious why this band influenced so many others. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of bands out there today that could learn a thing or two from these oldtimers about punk!
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com
http://www.buzzcocks.com

Paint It Black – New Lexicon

What Dan Yemin and the rest of Paint It Black (including new drummer Jared Shavelson) do on “New Lexicon” is impressive to put it mildly. They claw their way through fifteen songs in just over half an hour with a sense of urgency and anger that you just don’t hear often enough. We did of course already hear it on the band’s two previous albums but for “New Lexicon” Yemin had some ideas on how to pimp the 80ies hardcore punk sound he has perfected over the years.
J Robbins did a wonderful job producing the album. Especially by bringing the bass way up front which makes my living room floor rumble and has me running for the table while yelling ‘earthquake!’ every single time. When the album was done, it was sent over to co-producer Oktopus of the indie hip hop group Dälek who worked his magic by transforming feedback and cymbal crashes into haunting sonic nightmares.

The result is a an album that is as melodic as it is brutal and it does not bore for a single second. Extra kudos to the photographer who did a great job with the pics in the booklet!
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.reflectionsrecords.com
http://www.paintitblack.org

Ill Nino – Enigma

Originally the new Ill Nino album was to come out in June 2007 but got pushed back several times for whatever reason. Just when I thought it wouldn’t get released at all, “Enigma” ends up on my doorstep. Not that I was necessarily looking forward to this album because the band’s last release was sub par to say the least.

Apparently the band realised that as well and decided step up to the challenge. And I have to say that “Enigma is their best release since their debut “Revolution Revolución”. This means more Latin influences than ever, more metal and heavy and mellow songs walking hand in hand. All this alongside Dave Chavarri’s typical drumming and Cristian’s powerful voice makes for a pretty diverse album. Hell, with “Me Gusta La Soledad” there’s even room for an acoustic song sung entirely in Spanish in between the more crushing songs. Listening to opening track “Alibi Of Tyrants” and “Finger-Painting (With The Enemy)” I finally remember why I ever liked Ill Nino in the first place and I’m willing to bet someone at Roadrunner is right now kicking his ass for ever letting these guys go. Welcome back Ill Nino, como esta?
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.cementshoesrecords.com
http://www.illnino.com

Mercenary – Architect Of Lies

Ever had an album that was so wrong yet was so much fun to listen to? If not, please pick up Mercenary’s “Architect Of Lies”. This Danish outfit started out as a death/thrash act but with the admittance of vocalist Mikkel Sandager and his brother, keyboard player Morten they have evolved into something much, much more melodic. Bombastic is a word I could’ve used there just as well.

The high-pitched clean vocals, the highly melodic guitars and the abundance of keyboards are completely over the top and often make the band come off like a powermetal act. Luckily the powerful drums and shredding riffs are there to add some balls to the whole. Basically this means you end up with an album that is a guilty pleasure. And so if asked, I will deny liking Mercenary with all my might while banging my head to “Embrace The Nothing” in the privacy of my home.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.mercenary.dk

Ray Davies – Working Mans Café

Ray Davies was something of a wild cat back when he was with The Kinks but the Ray Davies that you get to hear on “Working Man’s Café” 44 years after “You Really Got Me” is a bit of a whiner. Like Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon in Grumpy Old Men but without the oneliners. Like when he’s singing about the working man’s bars that have to make way for internet cafés… you already know this sorta behaviour from your grandparents. Everything was better in the old days. Even Ray Davies’ music.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.v2music.com

Cloak / Dagger interview

Put members of Count Me Out, American Nightmare, Striking Distance among others together in a band and things sure to get loud and nasty. And that's exactly what Cloak / Dagger sounds like. Their album kicks ass and so does their live performance. Do yourself a favor and check out their debut full-length "We Are". It won't change your life but it is a nonstop rollercoaster ride and that's all the reasons we needed to ask vocalist Jason some questions.

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Jason: I am Jason Mazzola. I sing for the Dagger, I love coffee and shopping at thrift stores and need to get a new record player.

PRT: Who else is in the band and why would they make a great secret agent?
Jason: Collin Barth is on guitar and he would be the best at playing poker or being a secret agent because you never know what he's thinking but he's a smart cookie. Adam Juresko are bass player would be a runner up since he has no cell phone, no i.d. he could create a new identity in no time. Colin on drums would be good at debugging bombs since he's good with cars. I would be the worst.

PRT: Why did you go for the name Cloak / Dagger. What's so secret about the band or are you avid comic book readers?
Jason: There's no real meaning behind the name. Colin said we are doing a punk band called Cloak/Dagger and you're going to sing. No relation to the movie or comic.

PRT: I read that Cloak / Dagger started as a temporary project but now you've got a full-length out and are doing a complete tour in Europe. So how serious were you about the band before and what turned it into the project it is today?
Jason: We weren't serious at all when we first started. We just wanted to play a few shows here and there but things really took off after we started playing out. We just finished a full U.S. tour and then did the European tour two weeks after. After a while we all decided to do this full time and just do as much as we could with the time we have. Two months straight is a long time to be homeless.

PRT: The full-length is called "We Are". The best you came up with during an uninspired brainstorm or do you want people to know that the album is the perfect representation of what the band sounds like?
Jason: It's just a more clever way to make it a self titled record and a lyric from one of our old songs. We are daggers.

PRT: For people that haven't heard the album yet, if Cloak / Dagger was the lovechild of two other bands, which bands would've had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Jason: I've heard and can agree with the Black Flag meets Hot Snakes comparison. I think that it would be the mutual respect and admiration of both bands in the missonary position.

PRT: Speaking of other bands, you have all been involved in other bands like Count Me Out, American Nightmare, Striking Distance. Do you think that works for or against you? Because people will probably have certain expectations before even having heard a single note.
Jason: We made it a point not to advertise or expect anything due to the ex-members clause. I think that things are just the same as they have always been and we had to work just as hard as any of those bands we were in to get to where we are today. Sometimes it works for us and sometimes not, after the first year of us being a band people knew what to expect.

PRT: Three of you were also involved in Renee Heartfelt. I absolutely love those releases so please tell me that the band is still active and that a new album is in the making!
Jason: Pete who is the singer song writer of Renee is doing a band called Memorial and is in dental school so there won't be a new release any time soon for RH but it was a good band who didn't get the respect they deserved when they were around and active.

PRT: On the one hand there are still bands like yours which play hardcore the way it started out and on the other hand there's a zillion bands that like to be categorized under a zillion subgenres. What do you make of this evolution? And do you think that traditional hardcore is coming back as a reaction to that evolution?
Jason: I think that it's just a matter of bands playing a niche in between of punk or hardcore and not aiming to sound like anything. I think that in the 80's you couldn't really call Bad Brains or Black Flag punk or hardcore or call Fugazi a punk or hardcore band they were just good bands. I think that people are tired of music that fits a certain formula so yeah I think it is a reaction to that. Collin likes to refer to us as a fast rock and roll band.

PRT: In the movie High Fidelity the guys that work in the record store constantly come up with these top 5 lists of songs for any occasion. If you would have to make such a list, which occasion would it be for and which songs would make your top 5?
Jason: Breaking up with your girl or boyfriend mix.
1. R. Kelly- Real Talk
2. Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. My Bloody Valentine- Only Shallow
4. Marked Men- Right Here With You
5. Iron And Wine- On Your Wings

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Jason: Thanks for reading, go to gravemistakerecords.com and check out what Alex has to offer he doesn't put out anything bad. Come see us next time!

KillWhitneyDead – Nothing Less, Nothing More / Hell To Pay

North Carolina’s KillWhitneyDead are back with a new disc called “Nothing Less, Nothing More”. The nothing less part is absolutely true but I’m not agreeing with the nothing more because on their fourth studio album, the dudes in KillWhitneyDead upped the ante and became even more destroying than they already were.

Sick blastbeats, death metal grunts, brutal breakdowns, Kerry King solos and of course, tons and tons of samples from the coolest movies and TV shows around. That’s KillWhitneyDead right there for ya. Throw in some artwork with chicks kissing each other and I’m completely won over!

Seeing as they had written more songs than fit on one album, KillWhitneyDead also released “Hell To Pay”, an album filled with all the ‘leftovers’. This release can only be bought online or at the band’s shows but I recommend you pick it up as well seeing as it’s every bit as intense as “Nothing Less, Nothing More”.

What started out as a studio project and what some might call a gimmick band, has now truly become a metal act to look out for.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.tribunalrecords.net
http://www.killwhitneydead.com

Norther – N

Ah, Finland. Home of loud, bombastic and – more often than not - crappy metal. Just think of Children Of Bodom, Him and Lordi. And sure enough, Norther plays a mix of death, black and thrash and they make sure they throw in plenty of melodic keyboard passages. But I wouldn’t call these guys crappy. You could call ‘em bombastic if you wanted to. And while at times the guys in Norther are at risk of sounding a little over the top, they never really go too far. Loud. Yes that they are without question. And they do all this with a very modern sound making “N” well-crafted headbanging material.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.norther.net

Michael Dean Damron & Thee Loyal Bastards – Bad Days Ahead

Michael Dean Damron likes rock, country and blues. So what’s a guy to do? Throw all of those influences together of course and see where you end up. During the first half of “Bad Days Ahead”, that’s definitely on the blues-rock side of things and Damron came back with a couple of scorching tracks like opener “I Love The Rain”. Gritty, honest and raw are three words that come to mind.

The second half is a more mellow affair. Hell, there’s even room for some vocal harmonies on “Hallelujah” which Damron sings with Heidi Hellbender that do wonders for the song. And I’ll be damned if “Baseball Season Ends Early” wouldn’t have fitted right in on any Drive-By Truckers album.

He’s not quite up there yet along with the other big guys but his debut with Thee Loyal Bastards is an impressive calling card nonetheless.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.rosarecords.nl
http://www.michaeldeandamron.com

Farewell – Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?

According to the sticker on the album ‘these power pop newcomers are determined to put the fun back into rock’. And with lyrics like ‘and I hate every second of this shit’ or ‘if you keep running your mouth, I’m gonna cut you a new smile’, they sure sound like a fun bunch!
Luckily the music is more happy and upbeat making it a powerpop/poppunk affair that sounds like HelloGoodbye and Fall Out Boy. Plus it comes with keyboards just like Motion City Soundtrack! I know I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of one more band that sounded like the abovementioned and Farewell plays the part.

All kidding aside though, they come with enough power to keep me somewhat interested and have enough hooks to not get me annoyed after the first three songs. And I guess that makes “Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?” an okay album in a saturated market.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.epitaph.com
http://www.myspace.com/farewell

The Audition – Champion

The Audition’s debut “Controversy Loves Company” was a fun album that got away with being as poppy as it was because the band sounded powerful and ballsy at the same time. On “Champion” they’ve abandoned that path and end up sounding a little too much like all the other Fall Out Boy’s out there. Giving up your identity to gain mainstream success is something I can partially relate to but if you end up sounding like Maroon 5 - like these guys do on “Warm Me Up” and the gooey ballad “Can You, Will You?” - is going a bit too far. The occasional guitar solo flashes are pretty cool though as are some of the songs (“Edinboro”) but because of bland choruses and the abovementioned problems, this album is far from being a champion in anything.
Score: 5.5 out of 10
http://www.victoryrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/theaudition

Byzantine – Oblivion Beckons

The beeping in the intro of opener “Absolute Horizon” may sound similar to the bleeps Thrice opened “Vheissu” with, but that’s about as far as that comparison will go. Byzantine has always been somewhere on the outskirts of extreme metal yet with “Oblivio Beckons” they’ve got a good chance of graduating to the big leagues where they will be welcomed by the likes of Lamb Of God, Mastodon and Between The Buried And Me.

Nicely layered, atmospheric parts with a great flair melody are traded in for rifftastic monsters where vocalist OJ has to grunt, growl or sing his way through in one second flat. If you’re adventurous enough, you might want to explore Byzantine’s world. It’s a trip!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.prostheticrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/byzantine

Thieves & Liars – When Dreams Become Reality

San Diego’s Thieves & Liars have the honor of releasing the first ever album on the brand new Facedown imprint Dreamt Music. “When Dreams Become Reality” is a concept album about the story of Joseph with plenty of seventies rock serving as a backdrop. Kinda like Jesus Christ Superstar if you will.

The band starts the proceedings with the 7-minute long “The Dream” which goes into this Tool-like atmosphere before a boys’ choir starts singing. Kinda bombastic and the twists and turns the song takes feel awkward. Next up are a couple of Led Zepand AC/DC lite songs that couldn’t charm me too much either. These guys definitely have some good ideas floating around but unforunately, they lack the power needed to pound those ideas into my thick skull.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.dreamtmusic.com
http://www.thievesandliars.com

Dark Fortress – Eidolon

I’ve always heard that eating a lot of carrots works wonders for your complexion while hot milk with a little honey in it soothes every scratchy throat. The dudes that make up German black metal act Dark Fortress obviously never heard that. They were too busy writing an album called “Eidolon” which is about the initiation, dehumanization and unearthly rebirth of a transcending soul by mirror magic and astral projection. Wait, it gets even better. An “Eidolon” is a Greek concept of an astral double of a living being or a “mirror”. The concept describes a magic mirror ritual as while a person is in a trance, the surface of the mirror is used as a gate to enter a new dimension.

Musically speaking, these guys are far from entering any new dimensions. Instead they settled for sounding like a third-rate Dimmu Borgir who don’t reach the level of say, “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” anywhere on “Eidolon”. After what seemed like an hour, I was already three songs into the album and everything just blurred together by then. I tried to get my astral double to finish the job but hell, even he couldn’t be bothered with it.
Score: 5 out of 10
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.thetruedarkfortress.com

Warbringer – War Without End

Warbringer is an LA-based outfit consisting of a bunch of dudes aged 17-22 who like to play thrash metal. Like Metallica before they got old. Yes, the kind they used to play back in the 80s. The guys in Warcatcher even go as far as not only to recreate those bands’ music but also their look. But that’s okay, Wargogetter can’t know how ridiculous the leather jackets, bullet belts, tight jeans and white hi-tops looked because some of them weren’t even born yet.

So I’ll forgive them for their look and for their album which basically consists of pieces of old Metallica, Slayer and Testament taped together. Innovation is definitely wasted on Barslinger. And I’ll even forgive Century Media for signing these guys because acts like Trivium are doing well and they want in on a piece of the action. Understandable. But fact remains that “War Without End” is as ridiculous as its artwork.

Other names Christophe came up with for the band:
Warloser?
Wargiver?
War-I-had-it-someday-but-forgot-it-on-the-bus-er?
Warfinger?
Warthinger?
Barbinger?
Beerbinger?
Fartbringer?
Wardimmer?
Warlinger?
Warsinger?
Warthrower?
Warreceiver?
Score: 4 out of 10
http://www.centurymedia.com

http://www.myspace.com/warbringer

Drive-By Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark

A lot of people gave up on the Drive-By Truckers after the slightly disappointing “A Blessing And A Curse” and fans lost all hope when Jason Isbell left the band. And it seemed the band itself lost their courage as well somewhere along the way. Being on the road constantly and not receiving the recognition you deserve will do that to you I guess. But now there’s “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” and it’s ready to bring the house down.

With a whoppin’ 19 songs, the sheer length of the album is already impressive. But it becomes even better when you let the tracks get under your skin and realize that all of them are amazing. Mike Cooley wrote seven of ‘em including the nineties-inspired “Self Destructive Zones” and “Bob”, a laidback country song about a guy I’d like to meet. Shonna Tucker, the band’s charming bassist steps up to the plate as well this time around. For the first time she’s not only providing backup vocals, she also wrote three songs that she delivers in the most convincing of ways. Check out “Home Field Advantage” where she does her thing with Will Johnson and you’ll know what I’m talking about. More help comes from Spooner Oldham by the way whose help shines throughout the entire album in the form of keyboards and good advice.

But my favorite Trucker still has to be Patterson Hood (the gap between the others is narrowing though). “The Man I Shot” and “The Righteous Path” are two great songs Neil Young never wrote and as he slows things down for “Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife”, I’m left with shivers going down my spine. And hey, that’s just the opening track!
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.newwestrecords.com
http://www.drivebytruckers.com

Protest The Hero – Fortress

Unlike their debut album “Kezia”, Protest The Hero’s “Fortress” is not a concept album. Instead these young Cannucks wrote about the refeminization of deities. In their own words: ‘it has to do with Goddess Worship, and how there has been this degendering of the Lord and Savior, and the suppressed feminine’. Or as we like to call it: completely bonkers!

Yes, these guys are extremely technically skilled but they have a serious problem with writing songs. And if you don’t have songs, you’ve got… well, basically nothing. Okay, you can find some extremely cool parts in their crazy mix of prog, death metal and pop. But they are completely overshadowed by everything else that quite frankly annoys the fuck out of me.
Score: 5.5 out of 10
http://www.vagrant.com

http://www.protestthehero.com

Jet Lag Gemini – Fire The Cannons

These guys were first called the Temporary Disruption of Bodily Rhythms Caused By High-Speed Travel Twins but then decided that Jet Lag Gemini was a slightly catchier title. I have no idea what is up with the band name but I can tell you that these New Jersey youngsters know how to write a catchy song.

“Fire The Cannons” is just one big hook-laden album with more treats than your grandma when you go to visit her. If you don’t, please do. It’s a small effort and you’ll make her the happiest person in the world. Remember, any day can be her last! Anyway, this album is poppy yet has a hard rockin’ edge and cool solos which keep it from becoming too cheesy. Think of a more ballsy All-American Rejects, then pick up on the “November Rain” vibe in “Stepping Stone” only to then fall in love with the album. I’m pretty positive we’ll be hearing a lot more from these guys in 2008!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.doghouserecords.com

http://www.jetlaggemini.com

Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Revisited

I wouldn’t want to be in the Cowboy Junkies’ shoes… releasing the album you will be remembered for early in your career, I think it’s more of a curse than a blessing. Not that their other albums aren’t worth listening to but “The Trinity Session” will always be that much better if you ask around. We’re 20 years later now and so it was time for “The Trinity Session” to be bestowed with a great honor. That of the re-release.

But instead of slapping a couple of bonus tracks on there and remastering the whole thing (which would be a shame because a great part of the album’s charm comes from the recording the band made with just one mic), the band opted to return to Toronto’s Trinity Church and re-record the whole album with a little help from Ryan Adams, Vic Chessnut, Natalie Merchant and Jeff Bird. The magic is still there and as if the CD alone isn’t enough proof yet, “Trinity Revisited” comes with a DVD by Pierre en François Lamoureux who caught the entire proceedings on tape.

And so while it might be 20 years later, the collection of covers, traditionals and own material still sounds as impressive as it did back then and makes it once again a must-have for every folkrock/country/American lover out there!
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com
http://www.cowboyjunkies.com

Chip Hanna and the Berlin Three – The Old South Jamboree

Hey, lookie here… Chippy and his Berlin Three are back already after their self-titled debut. This time around they’re heading for “The Old South Jamboree” and while their mixture of rockabilly, country and a whole lot of Southern twang is fun to listen to, none of it actually sticks. Except for the occasional song (“The Chosen One”), there seems to be a lack of memorable hooks and riffs which is a shame because I feel Chip Hanna can do a lot better than this.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.peoplelikeyou.de
http://www.chiphanna.com

Total Chaos – Avoid All Sides

Hailing from Pomona Valley, CA, Total Chaos started playing together in 1989 and haven’t changed one bit since. They’re still sporting mohawks while playing Exploited-like punk songs in which they tell the fascists, the CHP and the KKK to go fuck themselves.

I doubt anyone is still waiting for this… I mean if you have one of their albums, you can perfectly imagine having them all. If however there are any Total Chaos fans reading this… you can pick up “Avoid All Sides” in Europe through People Like You Records and through Punkcore in the States.
Score: 5.5 out of 10
http://www.peoplelikeyou.de
http://www.totalchaospunx.com

The Donnas – Bitchin’

Expect a major Joan Jett flashback to hit when looking at the cover of The Donnas’ new album. Now I don’t know which one of these cute-looking ladies hoisted her hiny in those leather pants but I swear I’ll find out. Only in the name of rock journalism of course!

But it’s actually a good album cover because the leather pants, the belt and the Def Leppard-styled logo, all show what the Donnas are still about after 14 years and that is putting 80ies hardrock in a poppunk jacket. No, it’s hardly original but that doesn’t mean it’s less fun, now does it?
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com

http://www.thedonnas.com

Memphis May Fire – S/T EP

Memphis May Fire out of Dallas, TX has been making a name for themselves for a while already. In the end it was Trustkill who gave these guys a chance with this first 5-song EP as a result. On it you’ll hear a lot of screamo not unlike From Autumn To Ashes with clean vocals and screams aplenty. The catch is though that Memphis May Fire remember their roots and chose to inject a couple of their songs with Southern rock riffs. It does give the band a little extra and I’m pretty sure we’ll see them getting a lot bigger once their full-length hits stores. Personally I’d like to see things switched around with a lot more Southern rock and just a twist of screamo… kinda like what Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster does. Not too shabby for a first attempt though!
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.trustkill.com
http://www.memphismayfire.com

Paramore – Riot!

Let me just come out and say it… Paramore’s second album “Riot!” is a fun poppunk album. I didn’t care much for their debut, but two years of playing shows in between albums helped them tweak their sound. The result is full of catchy choruses and melodic hooks, just check out opener “For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”.

On top of that it’s danceable, vocalist Hayley looks cute (I can say that now, she turned 19 a while ago) and sounds even cuter. The lyrics could probably be better but the same can be said for a ton of other bands out there. And anyway, I doubt anyone’s looking for real depth in an album like this.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.fueledbyramen.com
http://www.paramore.net

Simple Plan – S/T

Simple Plan is essentially a boyband disguised as a poppunk act. And never before were they so blatantly obvious about it as on their new self-titled album. Just check out “Your Love Is A Lie” which could’ve just easily been a Backstreet Boys song. But since it’s for a Simple Plan album they decided to throw in some guitars. Or how about “Generation”? Half hip hop, half guitars and probably one of the next singles. I think that last one is courtesy of producer Danja (Timbaland), one of the three producers that worked on this album along with Dave Fortman (Evanescense) and Max Martin (Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson).

This has absolutely nothing to do with punk but if you’re into pop music a la Good Charlotte or Avril Lavigne, you would probably want to pick this up even though the album is kinda heavy on the cheesy ballads. Songs like opener “When I’m Gone” or “Generation” are catchy enough though so I guess that evens things out.
Score: 5.5 out of 10
http://www.atlanticrecords.com
http://www.simpleplan.com

The Black Keys – Attack & Release

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney aka The Black Keys mostly just record their albums themselves in a lo-fi kinda way. Hell, they recorded most of “Thickfreakness” in half a day! So it’s a bit strange to see these guys teaming up with a hip producer such as Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz). But I have to say that “Attack & Release”, the duo’s latest album is another amazing addition to the everexpanding Black Keys catalog.

ith guitarist Marc Ribot and Patrick’s uncle Ralph Carney – both of whom played with Tom Waits - helping out, they’ve created a fuller sound that some will probably regret but I’m loving every second of it! Whether it’s a blues stomper such as “I Got Mine” or the more haunting downtempo “Psychotic Girl”, The Black Keys pull it off every single time up until the last notes of the country ballad “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be” have rung out. Excellent job!
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.v2records.com
http://www.theblackkeys.com

Les Savy Fav – Inches

Even before their debut album came out, Les Savy Fav was working on a project which eventually led to them releasing nine 7” on as many different labels. In 2004 they were all thrown together and released in the US under the moniker “Inches”. It took until now for the album to get a proper release everywhere else in the world.

What to expect? 18 Songs of Les Savy Fav’s eccentric guitar eruptions and Tim Harrington’s equally eccentric lyrics. The album starts off with their then most recent single “Meet Me In The Dollar Bin” and then works its way back all the way to Les Savy Fav’s starting days. Logically, things get worse the further back you go, ending with the sounds of a band still desperately trying to find a sound of their own. Something they obviously did as you will quickly find out while listening to the first part of “Inches” with “The Sweat Descends” as my personal favorite!
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.wichita-recordings.com
http://www.lessavyfav.com

Backfire – In Harm’s Way

After five years these Dutchies are back with a new album called “In Harm’s Way”. It’s fast, it’s brutal, it’s rude… in other words, it’s Backfire! And with Tue Madsen mastering the whole thing, it sounds amazing.

“Pushing My Failures Away” starts things off in high gear, after that they never look back and just keep on forging ahead during the other songs before ending with a cover of Integrity’s “Systems Overload”. Vocalist Pat sounds like he’s only got one hour to live. Luckily he has Stephen from the French hardcore act Kickback helping out on “How Do You Like Me Now?” and from The Setup’s Dries (“Screaming For Silence”).

If groovy metallic hardcore a la Madball or Sick Of It All is your thing, make sure to check out “In Harm’s Way”. It doesn’t offer a lot of variety or surprises but if you’re looking to vent some frustrations, I’m sure “In Harm’s Way” will do the trick.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.gsrmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/backfiremusic

Foxy Shazam - Introducing...

Damn, what is this about? Foxy Shazam is a Cincinatti-based fivepiece who like to party and write songs in which anything goes. Think of a hardcore band with a weird fascination for Freddy Mercury and Andrew WK. The lead roles are for pianist Schuyler Vaughn White and the slightly over the top vocalist Eric Sean Nally who sounds soulful at times yet starts to sound equally obnoxious after several songs. And where normally everyone in the band is restrained by a tight rhythm section, here those dudes happily join the merry crew in writing songs that are all over the place.

Sometimes it works though. "The Rocketeer" is hardcore before sounding like something that is best suited for the dancefloor with piano chords . But two songs later there's "The Science Of Love" which starts off like an 80s Stevie Wonder ballad before turning into something Faith No More would've written on a less than inspired day."A Black Man's Breakfast" is an enjoyable gospel/soul song but next up is "It's Hair Smelled Like Bonfire" which wants to go out with a bang but ends up sounding like My Chemical Romance on acid and speed.

There are some interesting ideas here but "Introducing..." is simply too inconsistent and chaotic to keep me interested. Fans of HelloGoodbye or Mr. Bungle might want to take a chance but Foxy Shazam might prove too loud for the fans of the former and too mellow for the fans of the latter.
Score: 5 out of 10
http://www.newweathermanrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/foxyshazam

Sons & Daughters - This Gift

My mom raised a polit boy and so I always say thank you when someone offers me something. So thanks you Sons & Daughters for "This Gift". It's already this UK outfit's third album and they still sound as fresh as on 2002's "Love The Cup".

Adele Bethel still sounds sexy and distant at the same time and her voice is wrapped nicely around Scott Patterson's jagged riffs throughout all of the songs. I think their biggest strength lies in the fact that they always manage to combine the sounds from the 60s ("Chains") with a modern sound. And whether it's garage rock ("Rebel With The Ghost") or the straightforward ones like "Split Lips", these Sons & Daughters deliver time and time again.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.dominorecordco.com
http://www.sonsanddaughtersloveyou.com

Cass McCombs - Dropping The Writ

After two full-lengths on 4AD, Cass McCombs has found a new willing home to release his material. McCombs is a singer/songwriter but not the traditional kind that comes to mind when you mention a singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar and a batch of songs about girls he once knew. Well, he does that too on songs like "Pregnant Pause". But opener "Lionkiller" in which he keeps building up tension with a rhythm that could very well be an ADD patient's rhythm to life, is something else.

McCombs' earlier albums were a lot more eccentric than "Dropping The Writ" though. Dare we say the man is settling down on one sound? Not that that is a bad thing because I'd love to hear more songs that sound like the Elliott Smith-like "Full Moon Or Infinity". So let's just say that "Dropping The Writ" is definitely a step forward for Cass McCombs but he isn't quite there yet.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.dominorecordco.com

http://www.cassmccombs.com

The Fleshtones - Take A Good Look

Christ, supposedly these guys are the only New York City new wave/punk band from the 70s that are still around without ever having had an inactive year. Thank you Wikipedia for that piece of information!

Garage rock has been back in full effect since a couple of years and guess what, so are The Fleshtones. "Take A Good Look" is already the band's third album since 2003 and it's once again a treat. "Shiney Hiney", "This Time Josephine" or "Jet Set Fleshtones"... you name it, all of the songs on here shine with irresistible hooks, catchy choruses and great guitar licks. "Going Back To School" is a little unlikely though unless of course it's for a PTA meeting but other than that I have absolutely no complaints with "Take A Good Look". They're not quite the Zimmers yet agewise but The Fleshtones definitely outrock them!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.yeproc.com

http://www.fleshtones.org

Tech-9 – Nine Lives

25 Years. That’s how long Tech-9 has been around already and yet no one seems to be getting tired of their mix of hardcore, punk and oi! Wonder why? Just have a listen to their new album “Nine Lives” on which these Dutchies show yet again just why they still deserve to be round. Opener “To Live Is To Die” kicks things off at high speed and they keep it up throughout most of the twelve new songs, the re-recording of 1982’s “Survival” and six covers (Blondie, The Saints, Dead Boys, Generation X, Sex Pistols and a Ramones medley).

It might be easy to dismiss “Nine Lives” as just another solid Tech-9 album but you gotta hand it to these guys. They did an excellent job whereas other bands that have been around as long are mostly running on autopilot. It’s still obvious they still love playing their music!

Now let’s just hope they’ll play some shows without anyone breaking a hip onstage and then we’ll have to wait for album number six. Unless Alzheimer strikes of course!
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.iscreamrecords.com

http://www.myspace.com/techneuf

Inhuman – Last Rites

It has been kinda quiet around Inhuman for a while but I wouldn’t be too motivated either if the last two labels I worked with either went out of business or didn’t do much with their releases. Vocalist Michael Scondotto took a break and opened a comic book store with his brother but new songs started writing themselves and Scondotto soon found himself in the studio once more with Agnostic Front’s Steve Gallo and Joseph James, bassist Hank Hell and producer Dean Baltulonis (Sick Of It All, Madball,…).

The result is a dark album on which the band mixes punk, hardcore and metal like they have always done. Whether it’s straight-ahead punkrock (“What You Want”), thrashy old school (“Fash-Ist”) or the organ-enhanced creepy closer that is “The Lost”, Inhuman likes to mix things up and have released yet another solid album. Hopefully their teaming up with I Scream will finally get them the recognition they deserve!
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.iscreamrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/inhuman

Cavalera Conspiracy – Inflikted

12 Years after Iggor and Max Cavalera played their last Sepultura show together, you can find the two of them reunited. Not only on the stage but also on the Cavalera Conspiracy’s debut album “Inflikted”.

You know what happens when you put the two of them together? It’s like a suicide bomber at a crowded market place… the whole thing just goes boom! It’s pure sonic fucking mayhem.
As soon as opener “Inflikted” bursts out of the gates, you are hit in the face by an all-out assault of scorching riffage and Max’ trademark growls while Iggor is beating his drums like the damn thing still owes him money. Take everything you loved about Sepultura’s albums before they had every native tribe from here to the South Pole contributing to their releases… that’s exactly what you get on CavCon’s debut.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com
http://www.cavaleraconspiracy.com