The Deadly Snakes will
probably never make it big in the United States. They don’t have a color scheme
and their dad’s don’t own a modeling agency. In fact it seems like the Deadly
Snakes could give fuck all about fashion. They just put down some of the best
R&B inspired, working class rock and roll out there today. ‘Ode to Joy’ is the
third slab of vinyl from these Canucks since their formation six years ago. The
first album ‘Love Undone’ was a perfect modern day approximation of the Sonics.
However, I was a bit let down by the follow-up, ‘I’m Not Your Soldier Anymore’,
on which the band’s wildness seemed tempered. ‘Ode to Joy’ presents a perfect
balance of all the Snakes are capable of. There are the classic Northwest
stompers, the gritty southern soul numbers and some fantastic 60’s rock and roll
homage. “Everybody Seems to Think (You’ve got Some Kind of Hold on Me)” is most
indicative of the latter sound, with it’s Dylanesque vocals over an ‘Aftermath’
era Stones foundation. The horns that were a major part of the Snakes sound are
not as prevalent on this record, popping up to greatest effect on the slow
burner, “There Goes Your Corpse Again.” The two songwriters and singers in the
group, Andre Ethier and Age of (formerly Max) Danger, put the emphasis on the
guitars and keys and the stripped down approach pays off. Last time the Deadly
Snakes played Cleveland, there was one guy standing up front with me on the
floor of the Beachland Tavern. A scattered few were at the bar, mostly
talking. One particularly drunk and stupid guy wearing a baseball cap was
heckling the band. That’s Cleveland for you. Next time these Torontonians are
in town I’d recommend you not miss it because they put on a hell of a show. I
don’t want to hear any excuses about that SARS stuff either. (Dave Ignizio)
It would be easy to dismiss this as a Mr. Bungle rip-off,
and not without some justification. Mike Patton’s genre hopping band is clearly
a big influence, but not the only one. For starters, DFD are a little more
firmly rooted in traditional metal than Mr. Bungle. Opening track “Love Song
for a Witch” features some riffs that wouldn’t have been out of place on a mid
eighties Slayer album. Clutch, Ministry, and Acid Bath also seem to be
influences. What saves this from being just a collection of borrowed ideas is
the group’s ability to mix everything together in an appealing if not altogether
original way. Good hooks and cleverly twisted lyrics on songs like “Dr.
Piranha” and “Plastic Surgeon” overcame my own initial resistance. This band
has already established a strong cult following and ‘Committed to a Bright
Future’ will likely help expand on that. (Bob Ignizio)
For a while there Japan
seemed poised to rule the garage rock world. Bands like the Mad 3, the
Registrators, the 5,6,7,8’s , Supersnazz, and Teengenerate put rock and roll
through the cultural blender and proved once again that Japan is every bit our
equal when it comes to creating pop culture schlock. Guitar Wolf is one of the
few (if not only) bands still standing from the 90’s Japanese invasion. They’re
no longer on Matador, so this one may be a little harder to find but well worth
seeking for fans of these dregs of humanity. ‘UFO Romantics’ features the most
professional production on any album from the Wolf. Previous efforts sounded
like loud as hell late night boom box recordings. While there was a certain
charm in that, it’s good to hear a slightly cleaner sound. Of course the lyrics
are still mostly unintelligible. On most of the songs I can’t really say if
Seiji is singing in English or Japanese. The song “Taxi Driver” may or may not
be about Travis Bickle. I really don’t know. No tracks really stand out above
the others on ‘UFO Romantics’, but it’s a typically solid effort. Guitar Wolf‘s
chances of ruling the world are slim. However if you‘re just looking for some
anthems to get you all set for a night of cow tipping and juvenile delinquency
then songs like “After School Thunder,” “Jett Beer,” and “Alcohol Ace” are all
guaranteed. (Dave Ignizio)
I always thought Dokken was one of the better “hair metal”
bands to come out of the eighties. Sure, they had the melodic hooks and the
pretty boy looks but there was always a dark side to the band as well. Dokken
also had good musicianship and a knack for writing catchy rock songs. Now two
former members of that band show they still have something to offer today’s
audiences with ‘Wicked Underground’. George Lynch (guitar) and Jeff Pilson
(bass, vocals) were every bit as important to Dokken’s best albums as the
group’s lead vocalist Don Dokken. They prove that here with songs like “Beast
in the Box” and “The Evil that You Are” displaying the same sort of songcraft
that produced such Dokken hits as “In My Dreams” and “Alone Again”. That’s not
to say Lynch and Pilson haven’t progressed at all. “Zero the End”, “Awaken” and
“Breath and Scream” show the duo incorporating some modern influences into their
sound without coming across as desperate to stay relevant. While still
primarily a melodic hard rock album, there are elements of jazz fusion,
progressive rock, and R & B thrown into the mix. Jeff Pilson also shows himself
to be quite an able vocalist. Don who? I can’t say I liked everything on here
(the instrumental “Cromanic” in particular didn’t do much for me) but this is
way better than I expected. (Bob Ignizio)
The Deadly Snakes will
probably never make it big in the United States. They don’t have a color scheme
and their dad’s don’t own a modeling agency. In fact it seems like the Deadly
Snakes could give fuck all about fashion. They just put down some of the best
R&B inspired, working class rock and roll out there today. ‘Ode to Joy’ is the
third slab of vinyl from these Canucks since their formation six years ago. The
first album ‘Love Undone’ was a perfect modern day approximation of the Sonics.
However, I was a bit let down by the follow-up, ‘I’m Not Your Soldier Anymore’,
on which the band’s wildness seemed tempered. ‘Ode to Joy’ presents a perfect
balance of all the Snakes are capable of. There are the classic Northwest
stompers, the gritty southern soul numbers and some fantastic 60’s rock and roll
homage. “Everybody Seems to Think (You’ve got Some Kind of Hold on Me)” is most
indicative of the latter sound, with it’s Dylanesque vocals over an ‘Aftermath’
era Stones foundation. The horns that were a major part of the Snakes sound are
not as prevalent on this record, popping up to greatest effect on the slow
burner, “There Goes Your Corpse Again.” The two songwriters and singers in the
group, Andre Ethier and Age of (formerly Max) Danger, put the emphasis on the
guitars and keys and the stripped down approach pays off. Last time the Deadly
Snakes played Cleveland, there was one guy standing up front with me on the
floor of the Beachland Tavern. A scattered few were at the bar, mostly
talking. One particularly drunk and stupid guy wearing a baseball cap was
heckling the band. That’s Cleveland for you. Next time these Torontonians are
in town I’d recommend you not miss it because they put on a hell of a show. I
don’t want to hear any excuses about that SARS stuff either. (Dave Ignizio)
It would be easy to dismiss this as a Mr. Bungle rip-off,
and not without some justification. Mike Patton’s genre hopping band is clearly
a big influence, but not the only one. For starters, DFD are a little more
firmly rooted in traditional metal than Mr. Bungle. Opening track “Love Song
for a Witch” features some riffs that wouldn’t have been out of place on a mid
eighties Slayer album. Clutch, Ministry, and Acid Bath also seem to be
influences. What saves this from being just a collection of borrowed ideas is
the group’s ability to mix everything together in an appealing if not altogether
original way. Good hooks and cleverly twisted lyrics on songs like “Dr.
Piranha” and “Plastic Surgeon” overcame my own initial resistance. This band
has already established a strong cult following and ‘Committed to a Bright
Future’ will likely help expand on that. (Bob Ignizio)
For a while there Japan
seemed poised to rule the garage rock world. Bands like the Mad 3, the
Registrators, the 5,6,7,8’s , Supersnazz, and Teengenerate put rock and roll
through the cultural blender and proved once again that Japan is every bit our
equal when it comes to creating pop culture schlock. Guitar Wolf is one of the
few (if not only) bands still standing from the 90’s Japanese invasion. They’re
no longer on Matador, so this one may be a little harder to find but well worth
seeking for fans of these dregs of humanity. ‘UFO Romantics’ features the most
professional production on any album from the Wolf. Previous efforts sounded
like loud as hell late night boom box recordings. While there was a certain
charm in that, it’s good to hear a slightly cleaner sound. Of course the lyrics
are still mostly unintelligible. On most of the songs I can’t really say if
Seiji is singing in English or Japanese. The song “Taxi Driver” may or may not
be about Travis Bickle. I really don’t know. No tracks really stand out above
the others on ‘UFO Romantics’, but it’s a typically solid effort. Guitar Wolf‘s
chances of ruling the world are slim. However if you‘re just looking for some
anthems to get you all set for a night of cow tipping and juvenile delinquency
then songs like “After School Thunder,” “Jett Beer,” and “Alcohol Ace” are all
guaranteed. (Dave Ignizio)
I always thought Dokken was one of the better “hair metal”
bands to come out of the eighties. Sure, they had the melodic hooks and the
pretty boy looks but there was always a dark side to the band as well. Dokken
also had good musicianship and a knack for writing catchy rock songs. Now two
former members of that band show they still have something to offer today’s
audiences with ‘Wicked Underground’. George Lynch (guitar) and Jeff Pilson
(bass, vocals) were every bit as important to Dokken’s best albums as the
group’s lead vocalist Don Dokken. They prove that here with songs like “Beast
in the Box” and “The Evil that You Are” displaying the same sort of songcraft
that produced such Dokken hits as “In My Dreams” and “Alone Again”. That’s not
to say Lynch and Pilson haven’t progressed at all. “Zero the End”, “Awaken” and
“Breath and Scream” show the duo incorporating some modern influences into their
sound without coming across as desperate to stay relevant. While still
primarily a melodic hard rock album, there are elements of jazz fusion,
progressive rock, and R & B thrown into the mix. Jeff Pilson also shows himself
to be quite an able vocalist. Don who? I can’t say I liked everything on here
(the instrumental “Cromanic” in particular didn’t do much for me) but this is
way better than I expected. (Bob Ignizio) 