The
band that influenced a good majority of the carbon copy nu-metal bands is back
with a new album. However, this record is actually Page Hamilton, founding
singer and guitarist, and some new people he put together. So how does it fare?
First off, it's refreshing to have a Helmet record out, when all that dominates
is emo right now. Helmet's abrasive songs are a nice kick in the head. Songs
like "Crashing Foreign Cars" still carry that heavy Helmet sound, but add a
little more sonically than in the past. "Everybody Loves You" is a riff heavy
track that showcase Hamilton's vocals. Compared to earlier records, like
"Betty", this album has a lot better vocals. They close the record with
probably the heaviest song on it, called "Last Breath". It's a good way to close
the album, with its guitar solos and cymbal heavy drum work. So welcome back
Helmet, it's about time. (Eddie Fleisher)
Jimmy Eat World have
been around so for some time. In the past few years, they've gained big success
with "The Middle", which can be heard on every top 40 station everywhere. But
they were making emotional music far before all the new-schoolers were slapping
the tag "EMO" on their music. "Say hello to good times", goes the line in the
title track for this record. And if that song alone is any indication, good
times are in store for the band. The vocals are still perfect, with harmonies
and sing-alongs in tow. The lyrics aren't complex, but are still heartfelt. "I
got a story that's almost finished/all I need is someone to tell it to/maybe
it's you", singer James Adkins confesses in "The World You Love", a rocking
number that sounds a lot like stuff on their last record, ‘Bleed American’. But
old school fans, don't fret. There is some of the classic Jimmy Eats World
sound on this record, too. These traces shine through in tracks like "Nothing
Wrong" and the poppy punk beat of "Jen". The album's closer "23" is a sure
highlight on this album. Its guitars are soft, and the string section is a nice
touch. For a band that started as basically a punk rock band, they have grown
into such an amazing group with great writing abilities that mixes punk with pop
rock and harmonies. (Eddie Fleisher)
Killradio – ‘Raised on Whipped
Cream’ (Columbia Records)
This
politically charged punk band gets their word out through their music and makes
sure everyone knows just how they feel. Although I enjoyed the upbeat tempos of
the album, I couldn't really find myself getting into the disc. I definitely
give them props for their message and their beats, but I wasn't really into the
vocals. I did, however, come across the fifth track, "Entertained ", which was
my favorite on the album: a good mix of screams and crowd-friendly chanting over
catchy beats. “Burning the Water Brown “also caught my attention as I gave the
disc another listen. Killradio's music seems like the type that would make for
an amazing live performance, and I wouldn't mind checking out a show. They have
incredible energy and their personalities come through their music. Overall, I
think Killradio is worth checking out if you're into punk music. After a few
takes on the album, I was definitely more into them than I was the first time.
Give them a chance and check out
www.killradiorevolution.com . (Melani Alleshouse)
This
is a pretty good CD, but it suffers from a split personality. “It’s Over”
features melodic minor key female vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, and lush
synths, almost sounding like Air covering a Beatles song. “(The Way We Don’t
See) Ourselves” makes me think of Lush if they were a goth band. The vocals
alternate between Nightingale’s dreamy tones and a more atonal, Brit-accented
approach courtesy of Holly Masterson. “Torment” and “I Dance With the Dead” are
more standard goth rock numbers, somewhat in the vein of My Life With the Thrill
Kill Cult, and feature the vocals of Mark Ireland. “Softly, Slowly Away” is a
duet between Ireland and Nightingale, and reminds me of eighties Brit pop, right
down to the sax solo. So far, despite the difference in styles, everything is
quite good. “Taxman”, another Ireland sung number, unfortunately spoils that
run. Just a mediocre, one riff throwaway in my book. Ireland also sings “Luv
in the Boneyard”, sort of a humorous/racy number. Good music, but lines like “I
was harder than a tombstone” make me want to groan. Holly Masterson once again
handles the lead vocals on album closer “Muffy’s on Prozac”, which reminds me of
an Angelo Badalamenti composition. Not as strong as the first two tracks, but
still a decent way to end the album. All in all, the good definitely outweighs
the bad and mediocre. Production and musicianship are very good, the female
vocalists are excellent, and the songwriting is above average. For more
info, visit
http://www.members.aol.com/kirkendahl/page1.html. (Bob Ignizio)
The
band that influenced a good majority of the carbon copy nu-metal bands is back
with a new album. However, this record is actually Page Hamilton, founding
singer and guitarist, and some new people he put together. So how does it fare?
First off, it's refreshing to have a Helmet record out, when all that dominates
is emo right now. Helmet's abrasive songs are a nice kick in the head. Songs
like "Crashing Foreign Cars" still carry that heavy Helmet sound, but add a
little more sonically than in the past. "Everybody Loves You" is a riff heavy
track that showcase Hamilton's vocals. Compared to earlier records, like
"Betty", this album has a lot better vocals. They close the record with
probably the heaviest song on it, called "Last Breath". It's a good way to close
the album, with its guitar solos and cymbal heavy drum work. So welcome back
Helmet, it's about time. (Eddie Fleisher)
Jimmy Eat World have
been around so for some time. In the past few years, they've gained big success
with "The Middle", which can be heard on every top 40 station everywhere. But
they were making emotional music far before all the new-schoolers were slapping
the tag "EMO" on their music. "Say hello to good times", goes the line in the
title track for this record. And if that song alone is any indication, good
times are in store for the band. The vocals are still perfect, with harmonies
and sing-alongs in tow. The lyrics aren't complex, but are still heartfelt. "I
got a story that's almost finished/all I need is someone to tell it to/maybe
it's you", singer James Adkins confesses in "The World You Love", a rocking
number that sounds a lot like stuff on their last record, ‘Bleed American’. But
old school fans, don't fret. There is some of the classic Jimmy Eats World
sound on this record, too. These traces shine through in tracks like "Nothing
Wrong" and the poppy punk beat of "Jen". The album's closer "23" is a sure
highlight on this album. Its guitars are soft, and the string section is a nice
touch. For a band that started as basically a punk rock band, they have grown
into such an amazing group with great writing abilities that mixes punk with pop
rock and harmonies. (Eddie Fleisher)
This
politically charged punk band gets their word out through their music and makes
sure everyone knows just how they feel. Although I enjoyed the upbeat tempos of
the album, I couldn't really find myself getting into the disc. I definitely
give them props for their message and their beats, but I wasn't really into the
vocals. I did, however, come across the fifth track, "Entertained ", which was
my favorite on the album: a good mix of screams and crowd-friendly chanting over
catchy beats. “Burning the Water Brown “also caught my attention as I gave the
disc another listen. Killradio's music seems like the type that would make for
an amazing live performance, and I wouldn't mind checking out a show. They have
incredible energy and their personalities come through their music. Overall, I
think Killradio is worth checking out if you're into punk music. After a few
takes on the album, I was definitely more into them than I was the first time.
Give them a chance and check out
This
is a pretty good CD, but it suffers from a split personality. “It’s Over”
features melodic minor key female vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, and lush
synths, almost sounding like Air covering a Beatles song. “(The Way We Don’t
See) Ourselves” makes me think of Lush if they were a goth band. The vocals
alternate between Nightingale’s dreamy tones and a more atonal, Brit-accented
approach courtesy of Holly Masterson. “Torment” and “I Dance With the Dead” are
more standard goth rock numbers, somewhat in the vein of My Life With the Thrill
Kill Cult, and feature the vocals of Mark Ireland. “Softly, Slowly Away” is a
duet between Ireland and Nightingale, and reminds me of eighties Brit pop, right
down to the sax solo. So far, despite the difference in styles, everything is
quite good. “Taxman”, another Ireland sung number, unfortunately spoils that
run. Just a mediocre, one riff throwaway in my book. Ireland also sings “Luv
in the Boneyard”, sort of a humorous/racy number. Good music, but lines like “I
was harder than a tombstone” make me want to groan. Holly Masterson once again
handles the lead vocals on album closer “Muffy’s on Prozac”, which reminds me of
an Angelo Badalamenti composition. Not as strong as the first two tracks, but
still a decent way to end the album. All in all, the good definitely outweighs
the bad and mediocre. Production and musicianship are very good, the female
vocalists are excellent, and the songwriting is above average. For more
info, visit 