Robbie Quine and
friends are back with another collection of psychedelic garage glam, and if
you’ve enjoyed what this band has done in the past you’ll most likely dig ‘Coldsore’,
too. The album starts off well with the uptempo title track, and the sitar
inflected “Acid Test” is a pretty cool tune. The Zappa influenced “I Had Sex
With a C.H.U.D.” is definitely cool, too. Heck, none of this stuff is bad. But
for the most part, the songs blur together for me. I had the same problem with
the band’s last release. Quine has a good Bowie-esque voice and he writes some
good hooks, but the songs just don’t live up to their potential. Too many of
the tracks have a sameness about them, and more damaging, there’s not much
energy to the performances. I can’t really recommend this, but if you like the
idea of early Bowie/T. Rex mixed with psychedelia you might want to check this
out. To hear some tracks for yourself and maybe buy a copy, go to
http://cdbaby.com/cd/barbarellatones4. (Bob Ignizio)
These
guys put out a killer EP in 2004 (‘Converted by Decapitation’), and while fans
of true thrash metal eagerly await the full length follow-up they can get a
taste of the new stuff with this 2 song single. “Obscured Inquisitor” draws its
lyrical inspiration from John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, while “Nosferatu” delves
into Cradle of Filth territory with a tale of a vampire seeking intimate
relations with a living female (the dead ones just aren’t as much fun,
apparently). Musically, if you heard ‘Converted by Decapitation’ you have a
good idea what to expect. This is eighties/early nineties style Euro thrash in
the vein of Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, etc. The songs on here seem a bit
faster and more technical, but nothing that should cause purists any concern.
Can’t wait for the full album. For more info or to buy this go to
http://www.unitedheadbanger.com.
This
is kind of like prog rock for people who hate prog rock. The Devin Townsend
band avoids all the deep, ponderous lyrical themes and emphasis on musicianship
at the expense of melody that often infects bands in this genre. A quirky sense
of humor and fun permeates both the music and lyrics. Layered melodic vocals
and honest to goodness hooks ensure things stay accessible, no matter how
complex the music. There’s even a metalized polka song (“Vampolka”), for crying
out loud. It’s all wrapped up in a super slick production sheen that somehow
manages to avoid sounding sterile. I haven’t been won over completely by this
album yet, but each listen chips away at my resistance a little more.
Definitely worth checking out. (Bob Ignizio)
I
have to say I’m a little surprised by this disc. King Dapper Combo has always
been a fun band, and that doesn’t change here. But the band’s sound seems
edgier and more straight up rock on ‘Monsterific’ than on anything I’ve heard
from them in the past. It’s actually got a little attitude to it, and I think
that’s a good thing. The album proper consists of the first 12 tracks. The
tunes are mostly obscure public domain cover songs with horror themes. There’s
also a handful of originals in the same vein, including my personal favorite
“Rondo”. Any song that uses the word “acromegaly” as a refrain is cool in my
book. Most of these tunes have appeared in one form or another on past releases
from the Combo. Regardless, even if you have everything these guys ever
released I think you’ll still want this disc. In my opinion, the versions on
here are the definitive ones. This is really the first album KDC have released
where I think of them as a rock band first and a novelty act second. In
addition to the dozen newly recorded tracks, there are 5 bonus tunes that have
appeared on various compilation releases over the years. (Bob Ignizio)
Robbie Quine and
friends are back with another collection of psychedelic garage glam, and if
you’ve enjoyed what this band has done in the past you’ll most likely dig ‘Coldsore’,
too. The album starts off well with the uptempo title track, and the sitar
inflected “Acid Test” is a pretty cool tune. The Zappa influenced “I Had Sex
With a C.H.U.D.” is definitely cool, too. Heck, none of this stuff is bad. But
for the most part, the songs blur together for me. I had the same problem with
the band’s last release. Quine has a good Bowie-esque voice and he writes some
good hooks, but the songs just don’t live up to their potential. Too many of
the tracks have a sameness about them, and more damaging, there’s not much
energy to the performances. I can’t really recommend this, but if you like the
idea of early Bowie/T. Rex mixed with psychedelia you might want to check this
out. To hear some tracks for yourself and maybe buy a copy, go to
These
guys put out a killer EP in 2004 (‘Converted by Decapitation’), and while fans
of true thrash metal eagerly await the full length follow-up they can get a
taste of the new stuff with this 2 song single. “Obscured Inquisitor” draws its
lyrical inspiration from John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, while “Nosferatu” delves
into Cradle of Filth territory with a tale of a vampire seeking intimate
relations with a living female (the dead ones just aren’t as much fun,
apparently). Musically, if you heard ‘Converted by Decapitation’ you have a
good idea what to expect. This is eighties/early nineties style Euro thrash in
the vein of Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, etc. The songs on here seem a bit
faster and more technical, but nothing that should cause purists any concern.
Can’t wait for the full album. For more info or to buy this go to
This
is kind of like prog rock for people who hate prog rock. The Devin Townsend
band avoids all the deep, ponderous lyrical themes and emphasis on musicianship
at the expense of melody that often infects bands in this genre. A quirky sense
of humor and fun permeates both the music and lyrics. Layered melodic vocals
and honest to goodness hooks ensure things stay accessible, no matter how
complex the music. There’s even a metalized polka song (“Vampolka”), for crying
out loud. It’s all wrapped up in a super slick production sheen that somehow
manages to avoid sounding sterile. I haven’t been won over completely by this
album yet, but each listen chips away at my resistance a little more.
Definitely worth checking out. (Bob Ignizio)
I
have to say I’m a little surprised by this disc. King Dapper Combo has always
been a fun band, and that doesn’t change here. But the band’s sound seems
edgier and more straight up rock on ‘Monsterific’ than on anything I’ve heard
from them in the past. It’s actually got a little attitude to it, and I think
that’s a good thing. The album proper consists of the first 12 tracks. The
tunes are mostly obscure public domain cover songs with horror themes. There’s
also a handful of originals in the same vein, including my personal favorite
“Rondo”. Any song that uses the word “acromegaly” as a refrain is cool in my
book. Most of these tunes have appeared in one form or another on past releases
from the Combo. Regardless, even if you have everything these guys ever
released I think you’ll still want this disc. In my opinion, the versions on
here are the definitive ones. This is really the first album KDC have released
where I think of them as a rock band first and a novelty act second. In
addition to the dozen newly recorded tracks, there are 5 bonus tunes that have
appeared on various compilation releases over the years. (Bob Ignizio) 