Cleveland’s
favorite prolific, pun-loving Christian conspiracy theorist/guitar virtuoso Rick
Ray has finally released a new solo album after three releases in a row from his
group project The Rick Ray Band. That sits just fine with me, as I’m not a huge
fan of the other folks who contribute vocalizations for Rick’s band material.
There’s not much here that’s going to be surprising if you’re familiar with
Rick’s work: ‘Chainsaw Manicure’ is full of great guitar work and melodic
vocals delivered in a prog rock/jazz fusion style. About the only thing I can
say on the downside is some of the riffs and melodies feel a bit familiar. I
liked most of this, but the one track that really stood out was the instrumental
“Just Wanted to Thank You”. Overall this isn’t quite up to the standards of
Rick’s last solo outing, ‘The Guitarsonist’, but it’s still pretty darn good.
It would be interesting to hear Rick incorporate some new sounds into whatever
he does next, but if you’re a fan, you should dig this. I know I did, despite
the familiarity. (Bob Ignzio)
Just when I was
discouraged over the fact that I haven't heard a CD that had made me want to go
into a room and make music, I am hit with this. This record came out in October
of '04, and I have not stumbled on to it until January 2005. I was missing a
lot. Ulrich Schnauss is brilliant. A record this beautiful, this genius, and
this stunning doesn't come along every day. It's such an atmospheric record. It
can take you to a different place, something that records should do, but rarely
accomplish. The lush vocals, the amazing strings, and the lo-fi abstract, yet
still moveable beats....this record has it all. Ulrich Schnauss, I love you. I
usually name songs I like and tell you about them, but this is a record to just
put on, sit back, and enjoy. The best piece of work of 2004, and maybe in many
years. Watch for anything that comes from this man, if this is any indication,
he'll be here for a while. (Eddie Fleisher)
Grand,
majestic, mythic, and sweeping...these words and more describe the sound of
‘Cast Away’, the newest album for Austrian rockers Visions of Atlantis.
Featuring the dual vocals of Nicole Bogner and Mario Plank, this band is no mere
Lacuna Coil cop. While both bands feature dual male/female vocalists, the
comparisons end there. VoA's sound is far more symphonic, and their lyrics more
fantasy-based. In fact, listening to ‘Cast Away’ is like being told a great
fantasy story, conjuring images of lost continents and mythical beings from long
ago. This is progressive metal that borders on art-rock, and I mean that in
every positive way. More than mere party-rock, this is an album to be listened
to, and is great for those times one needs to "get away" from the pressures of
everyday life. The production is crisp and clean, allowing the listener to get
the full breadth of VoA's expansive sound. Stand out tracks include the
haunting "Winternight", the rocking "Lemuria" and the impressive first single
"Lost". The disc also includes a nice bonus video clip for "Lost". The Heathen
Hippy gives it four unicorns. (Taliesin Govannon)
I
hate giving bad reviews in general, and I especially hate giving one to a
release from one of my favorite labels. Unfortunately, that’s what I’m forced
to do here. No, The Yuppie Pricks aren’t awful. Believe me, I’ve heard plenty
worse. They’re just a marginally entertaining loud rock band getting by on a
gimmick that’s funny for about five minutes before it gets tiresome. The band’s
image and all the songs are geared towards the concept that this is a group made
up of yuppies singing about their shallow lifestyle. It gets boring and
gimmicky real quick. In order to make being this one dimensional work, you’ve
got to have some really amazing songs. That’s why the Misfits were able to get
away with their monster movie schtick. But “Coke Party” just isn’t the yuppie
rock equivalent of “20 Eyes”, folks. This is good for a few laughs, but I have
a feeling most listeners will find few rewards in repeat listens. It doesn’t
help that vocalist Trevor Middleton’s delivery is kind of stilted as he tries
his best to force the lyrics to fit the music. If these guys dropped the
schtick (at least some of the time) and wrote lyrics to fit the vocal
melody instead of just shoehorning them in there, they might have something. As
it stands, though, ‘Broker’s Banquet’ isn’t much of a feast. (Bob Ignizio)
Cleveland’s
favorite prolific, pun-loving Christian conspiracy theorist/guitar virtuoso Rick
Ray has finally released a new solo album after three releases in a row from his
group project The Rick Ray Band. That sits just fine with me, as I’m not a huge
fan of the other folks who contribute vocalizations for Rick’s band material.
There’s not much here that’s going to be surprising if you’re familiar with
Rick’s work: ‘Chainsaw Manicure’ is full of great guitar work and melodic
vocals delivered in a prog rock/jazz fusion style. About the only thing I can
say on the downside is some of the riffs and melodies feel a bit familiar. I
liked most of this, but the one track that really stood out was the instrumental
“Just Wanted to Thank You”. Overall this isn’t quite up to the standards of
Rick’s last solo outing, ‘The Guitarsonist’, but it’s still pretty darn good.
It would be interesting to hear Rick incorporate some new sounds into whatever
he does next, but if you’re a fan, you should dig this. I know I did, despite
the familiarity. (Bob Ignzio)
Just when I was
discouraged over the fact that I haven't heard a CD that had made me want to go
into a room and make music, I am hit with this. This record came out in October
of '04, and I have not stumbled on to it until January 2005. I was missing a
lot. Ulrich Schnauss is brilliant. A record this beautiful, this genius, and
this stunning doesn't come along every day. It's such an atmospheric record. It
can take you to a different place, something that records should do, but rarely
accomplish. The lush vocals, the amazing strings, and the lo-fi abstract, yet
still moveable beats....this record has it all. Ulrich Schnauss, I love you. I
usually name songs I like and tell you about them, but this is a record to just
put on, sit back, and enjoy. The best piece of work of 2004, and maybe in many
years. Watch for anything that comes from this man, if this is any indication,
he'll be here for a while. (Eddie Fleisher)
Grand,
majestic, mythic, and sweeping...these words and more describe the sound of
‘Cast Away’, the newest album for Austrian rockers Visions of Atlantis.
Featuring the dual vocals of Nicole Bogner and Mario Plank, this band is no mere
Lacuna Coil cop. While both bands feature dual male/female vocalists, the
comparisons end there. VoA's sound is far more symphonic, and their lyrics more
fantasy-based. In fact, listening to ‘Cast Away’ is like being told a great
fantasy story, conjuring images of lost continents and mythical beings from long
ago. This is progressive metal that borders on art-rock, and I mean that in
every positive way. More than mere party-rock, this is an album to be listened
to, and is great for those times one needs to "get away" from the pressures of
everyday life. The production is crisp and clean, allowing the listener to get
the full breadth of VoA's expansive sound. Stand out tracks include the
haunting "Winternight", the rocking "Lemuria" and the impressive first single
"Lost". The disc also includes a nice bonus video clip for "Lost". The Heathen
Hippy gives it four unicorns. (Taliesin Govannon)
I
hate giving bad reviews in general, and I especially hate giving one to a
release from one of my favorite labels. Unfortunately, that’s what I’m forced
to do here. No, The Yuppie Pricks aren’t awful. Believe me, I’ve heard plenty
worse. They’re just a marginally entertaining loud rock band getting by on a
gimmick that’s funny for about five minutes before it gets tiresome. The band’s
image and all the songs are geared towards the concept that this is a group made
up of yuppies singing about their shallow lifestyle. It gets boring and
gimmicky real quick. In order to make being this one dimensional work, you’ve
got to have some really amazing songs. That’s why the Misfits were able to get
away with their monster movie schtick. But “Coke Party” just isn’t the yuppie
rock equivalent of “20 Eyes”, folks. This is good for a few laughs, but I have
a feeling most listeners will find few rewards in repeat listens. It doesn’t
help that vocalist Trevor Middleton’s delivery is kind of stilted as he tries
his best to force the lyrics to fit the music. If these guys dropped the
schtick (at least some of the time) and wrote lyrics to fit the vocal
melody instead of just shoehorning them in there, they might have something. As
it stands, though, ‘Broker’s Banquet’ isn’t much of a feast. (Bob Ignizio) 