King
Dapper Combo is horror rock, but not even remotely in the “let’s rip-off the
Misfits” vein that typifies most of the genre. Their sound is more like late
fifties/early sixties novelty rock No gore drenched lyrics here; as befits a
band that plays Cedar Point’s “Halloweekends” event every year, this is family
friendly fare. These guys may not be “edgy”, but they are infectiously fun and
catchy. And with so much of even mainstream “commercial” rock music these days
wallowing in darkness to the point that it’s become a cliché, it’s kind of
refreshing to listen to a band just having a spooky good time. This CD combines
KDC’s ‘Graveyard Rock’ EP (from 2000 I think) with a live performance recorded
at Kent’s Robin Hood. Only two songs are repeated. Highlights include “Castle
Blood Theme” and “Save it For the Vampires”, as well as a cover of “Rat Fink”.
No, not the spelling lesson song that the Misfits cover, but the theme song to
the schlock classic film 'Rat Fink A Boo Boo'. The production on the
studio material is simple but effective. The live stuff sounds like a direct
soundboard recording with no post production mixing. The keyboards tend to
overpower a bit on these tracks, but it’s certainly listenable. (Bob Ignizio)
Return with us
now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, circa 1985-1988 to be exact. There’s
not a shred of originality to be found on this album, but fuck it, I don’t
care. I grew up loving bands like D.R.I., Nuclear Assault, The Cro-Mags,
Suicidal Tendencies, The Crumbsuckers, S.O.D., and Ludichrist, and damned if
Municipal Waste haven’t replicated the sound of those bands to a tee. Hell,
they even have an album cover by artist Edward Repka (the guy who did all those
Combat Records album covers) and the mandatory photo collage center spread in
the middle of the CD booklet. As I often say, my test for grading bands who
pilfer the past is whether or not they can meet or exceed the level of quality
set by their influences. While I can’t say ‘Hazardous Mutation’ is better than
D.R.I.’s ‘Crossover’ or Nuclear Assault’s ‘Game Over’, it’s about as good.
Nothing deep, just a thrashing good time. (Bob Ignizio)
In a year
that's been the best year for music in a decade, I really thought I had all of
the great albums sorted out. After all, I had but weeks to go in the year, and I
had a hard time believing that someone could put out something to top what I had
already heard. Then I get a copy of ‘Out Loud’ by Naio Ssaion in the mail, and
all of my ideas get turned on their head. This is (possibly) the best album of
the year, one that leaves one wondering just where the hell this band has been
hiding! They have it all - great songs, spectacular musicianship, a dynamic
vocalist - and they wrap it up in an avant-garde metal package that will appeal
to headbangers and melodic music fans alike. Violinist Rok accents without
overwhelming, and lead vocalist Barbara is one of the most listenable singers
I've heard since Liv Kristine of Leaves' Eyes. What really sets this band apart
is the songs. They avoid metal bombast and have melodies that will stick in
your head for days. Naio Ssaion has gone from relative obscurity in the US to
being one of the breakout acts of 2005. This is simply a stunning achievement!
If you like melodic hard rock, then you'll like ‘Out Loud’. Hell, if you like
MUSIC, you'll love Naio Ssaion! The Heathen Hippy gives it five thumbs up!
(Taliesin A. Govannon)
Yawn.
More screamo/metalcore blandness. You know the drill. Angsty shouting
alternates with whiny “clean” vocals while generic metal/hardcore riffs get
pounded out. Sounds like every other band on ‘Headbanger’s Ball’ these days.
Absolutely nothing stands out about this. There’s a term coined by rock critics
in the seventies to describe faceless, interchangeable bands – corporate rock.
Note: in the interest of efficiency I’ve used this exact same review for Dear
Forever. Hey, if these bands are all so intent on sounding generic, then they
deserve a generic review. (Bob Ignizio)
King
Dapper Combo is horror rock, but not even remotely in the “let’s rip-off the
Misfits” vein that typifies most of the genre. Their sound is more like late
fifties/early sixties novelty rock No gore drenched lyrics here; as befits a
band that plays Cedar Point’s “Halloweekends” event every year, this is family
friendly fare. These guys may not be “edgy”, but they are infectiously fun and
catchy. And with so much of even mainstream “commercial” rock music these days
wallowing in darkness to the point that it’s become a cliché, it’s kind of
refreshing to listen to a band just having a spooky good time. This CD combines
KDC’s ‘Graveyard Rock’ EP (from 2000 I think) with a live performance recorded
at Kent’s Robin Hood. Only two songs are repeated. Highlights include “Castle
Blood Theme” and “Save it For the Vampires”, as well as a cover of “Rat Fink”.
No, not the spelling lesson song that the Misfits cover, but the theme song to
the schlock classic film 'Rat Fink A Boo Boo'. The production on the
studio material is simple but effective. The live stuff sounds like a direct
soundboard recording with no post production mixing. The keyboards tend to
overpower a bit on these tracks, but it’s certainly listenable. (Bob Ignizio)
Return with us
now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, circa 1985-1988 to be exact. There’s
not a shred of originality to be found on this album, but fuck it, I don’t
care. I grew up loving bands like D.R.I., Nuclear Assault, The Cro-Mags,
Suicidal Tendencies, The Crumbsuckers, S.O.D., and Ludichrist, and damned if
Municipal Waste haven’t replicated the sound of those bands to a tee. Hell,
they even have an album cover by artist Edward Repka (the guy who did all those
Combat Records album covers) and the mandatory photo collage center spread in
the middle of the CD booklet. As I often say, my test for grading bands who
pilfer the past is whether or not they can meet or exceed the level of quality
set by their influences. While I can’t say ‘Hazardous Mutation’ is better than
D.R.I.’s ‘Crossover’ or Nuclear Assault’s ‘Game Over’, it’s about as good.
Nothing deep, just a thrashing good time. (Bob Ignizio)
In a year
that's been the best year for music in a decade, I really thought I had all of
the great albums sorted out. After all, I had but weeks to go in the year, and I
had a hard time believing that someone could put out something to top what I had
already heard. Then I get a copy of ‘Out Loud’ by Naio Ssaion in the mail, and
all of my ideas get turned on their head. This is (possibly) the best album of
the year, one that leaves one wondering just where the hell this band has been
hiding! They have it all - great songs, spectacular musicianship, a dynamic
vocalist - and they wrap it up in an avant-garde metal package that will appeal
to headbangers and melodic music fans alike. Violinist Rok accents without
overwhelming, and lead vocalist Barbara is one of the most listenable singers
I've heard since Liv Kristine of Leaves' Eyes. What really sets this band apart
is the songs. They avoid metal bombast and have melodies that will stick in
your head for days. Naio Ssaion has gone from relative obscurity in the US to
being one of the breakout acts of 2005. This is simply a stunning achievement!
If you like melodic hard rock, then you'll like ‘Out Loud’. Hell, if you like
MUSIC, you'll love Naio Ssaion! The Heathen Hippy gives it five thumbs up!
(Taliesin A. Govannon)
Yawn.
More screamo/metalcore blandness. You know the drill. Angsty shouting
alternates with whiny “clean” vocals while generic metal/hardcore riffs get
pounded out. Sounds like every other band on ‘Headbanger’s Ball’ these days.
Absolutely nothing stands out about this. There’s a term coined by rock critics
in the seventies to describe faceless, interchangeable bands – corporate rock.
Note: in the interest of efficiency I’ve used this exact same review for Dear
Forever. Hey, if these bands are all so intent on sounding generic, then they
deserve a generic review. (Bob Ignizio)