Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

ALICE COOPER – Welcome 2 My Nightmare

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Over the years, Alice Cooper has made us all think of the darker things in life; those things in life the world doesn’t need: spousal abuse (‘Only Women Bleed’), mental illness (‘Former Lee Warmer’), medication misuse (‘Dead Babies’), necrophilia (‘Cold Ethyl’, ‘I Love The Dead’) and a whole host of other wrongdoings. What else could he offer us? His 2011 release ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ doesn’t bring much that’s new thematically speaking, but then, It doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve heard it all before from Alice. More often than not, he’s able to serve up his schtick with a fair amount of style. Revisiting an expanding on an old concept, however, relies on more than familiarity to make it work effectively… However, with ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’, there are various key features in place which make the listener hope that – being the professional he is – Cooper may just pull a decent sequel out of the bag.

Firstly, guitarist Steve Hunter is back in the capacity of guitarist and song writer, while Dick Wagner has co-written some of the album’s material. This pairing had a huge impact on Cooper’s original ‘Nightmare’ (and a few of his other 1970s works), so it seems only right they should have a hand in this sequel somehow. Perhaps most importantly, though, is the presence Bob Ezrin, the original ‘Nightmare’ producer. Factor in a few guest spots from original Alice Cooper band members Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith and ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ seems, at least in theory, to have a lot in its favour.

‘I Am Made of You’ opens with the piano motif from ‘Steven’ – providing some obvious continuity – but then it falls on its face. Once Alice starts to sing, there’s something very, very wrong. His voice has been auto-tuned to absolute extremes. Not through any fixing which needed doing, but autotuned in a very stylized way, as if Alice wanted to somehow prove he was up on musical trends from 2010/11. His familiar sneer is coated in an unnatural shine and pitch altering – one which can be heard on any number of r ‘n’ b records; it’s a bloody awful stylistic move, one for which Cher still ought to be blamed. Such a pity, since the musical elements have a fantastic amount of promise, particularly the piano, occasionally militaristic drumming and classy guitar solo (courtesy of AOR legend Tommy Denander). But, sadly, all the great arranging in the world just won’t make up for the presence of autotune where it doesn’t belong. Also, this number has a brooding tone which would have been ideal for bringing act one to a close –it’s great at what it does, but it doesn’t quite sit right as opening gambit. ‘Last Man on Earth’ is far more fun, with a Dixieland jazz arrangement (and a hint of ‘Some Folks’), which works exceptionally well against Cooper’s overly theatrical vocal (which appears in its natural state here, thankfully). The combination of a searing violin, live sounding drums, tuba and banjo and raspy rock vocal makes great listening, and although it’s provides more tongue in cheek theatrics than hard rock thrills…it’s so, so distinctly Alice.

‘Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever’ takes Alice’s tongue-in-cheek humour and pushes it one step too far, as he “raps” badly over a keyboard driven, semi-danceable arrangement which sounds like someone taking the piss. A choir of vocals which sound like the undead are vaguely amusing, but Christ, once you’ve played it once, the joke’s well and truly over. The closing section dispenses with the frivolity and goes for maximum octane rock, where Rob Zombie’s guitarist John 5 mangles his fretboard. Although the album is supposed to be a continuation of Steven’s horror-filled, childhood nightmares, this isn’t so much a nightmare as throwaway junk. The following track isn’t that much better…‘Ghouls Gone Wild’ resembles ‘Summertime Blues’ crossed with a dose of 70s glam, and tests listener goodwill. Sure, Alice is having fun singing about ghouls with a choir of backing voices – but it’s too far in the direction of disposable. There’s no way this stands alongside anything from the original nightmare. Rather than a piece of music from an Alice Cooper album, it sounds rather more like it belongs in one of the full-length Scooby Doo cartoons. In fact, ‘Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever’ and ‘Ghouls Gone Wild’ are so awful, let’s pretend they don’t exist.

‘A Runaway Train’ is a stomper, reuniting members of the original Alice Cooper band. Neal Smith’s powers the number with an uptempo drum line which fittingly resembles a locomotive. Dennis Dunaway’s bass is unwavering, while Michael Bruce’s lead guitars are shrill and cutting. It’s doesn’t reach heights of the glam-fuelled proto-metal of this band’s past, but it’s a powerful number nonetheless. The album’s lead single ‘I’ll Bite Your Face Off’ is also enjoyable in a self-parody kind of way, showcasing Cooper, Dunaway, Smith and Bruce on an arrangement which borrows heavily from late 60s Rolling Stones. With a tight musical backdrop and reasonable chorus, it’s not quite the anthem it could have been, but it’s entertaining enough. It has a feel-good nature, once which is sure to work even better in a live setting. It’s great to hear these guys playing together once more – and such a pity Glen Buxton wasn’t around to be a part of it all.

By the time you feel things are getting too safe, Alice serves up ‘When Hell Comes Home’ – an ode to domestic abuse. Centring around a piano’s bass notes and a slightly down-tuned guitar, this number has one of the album’s best arrangements, helping to create a slightly perilous atmosphere. Likewise, ‘Something To Remember Me By’ deserves attention (and maybe repeated listens to get rid of ‘Disco Bloodbath’s bad vibes). Sure, some may find this number a little cheesy, but hearing Alice in full-on power ballad mode (a la ‘How You Gonna See Me Now’) raises the bar considerably. His vocal is mature, strong and still as good as it ever was, but it’s the musical arrangement which is the crowning glory. Chock full of Bob Ezrin’s beloved strings and Steve Hunter’s classy, yet subtle guitar leads, this carries more of the spirit of Cooper’s 1975-78 work than any of the other featured material. Fantastic stuff, indeed.

‘What Baby Wants’ – a duet with Ke$ha – is a pop/rock number which makes good use of programmed and live drumming and a solid guitar riff. Cooper and Ke$ha sound great together, surprisingly, and their combined voices make the most of a catchy chorus. The autotune makes a return, but here it sounds more appropriate (although not better). It’s a great example of Cooper’s desire to always look to new avenues and never settle on the Alice Cooper sound. Similarly, who could have predicted that this time around, Cooper would choose to lend his rock chops to a number which contains elements of new country/country rock? That’s what he’s done on ‘I Gotta Get Out of Here’ – a reasonably enjoyable number with pleasing vocal arrangements and an equally pleasing, twangy guitar lead courtesy of Vince Gill. Both these tracks have great commercial potential, even if neither quite attains “classic Cooper” standard.

Closing this nightmare is one of the album’s other essential listens. ‘The Underture’ takes the original musical themes from 1975’s ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ and presents them as a heavily orchestrated instrumental medley. The guitar leads are masterful, but no match for a full orchestra under the watchful eye of Bob Ezrin. Although ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ has its share of enjoyable numbers, almost everything gets put to shame by this piece of music (sorry Alice, mate, but all you’ve achieved by sticking this on the end is remind everyone how much better the original ‘Nightmare’ was!). Once it’s finished, you have to ask, would it have been more interesting if Cooper and Ezrin released a reworking of the original album for rock band and orchestra, as opposed to constructing a sequel? Possibly.

Alice Cooper’s 1975 masterpiece ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ is somewhat of a career defining album, so any sequel was always going to have a lot riding on it – and ultimately risk being inferior. Since this album mixes a few new ideas with hints of seventies nightmares past, while also drawing from the sounds of Alice’s MTV years and beyond, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Like Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell II’ and Queensryche’s ‘Operation:Mindcrime II’, ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ has some decent moments, but it’s never going to match that original release which inspired it’s creation. It’s most obvious weakness, though, isn’t necessarily the fault of too many bad songs (there are only two definite duds, after all); the potential weakness comes from the cut ‘n’ paste nature of the complete picture. There are different musicians appearing on different tracks, recorded at different times in different studios; the album just doesn’t flow, and as a result, doesn’t feel like a coherent concept album. Stylistically, with its similar construction and overall sound, 1976’s ‘Alice Cooper Goes To Hell’ always felt like a natural successor to ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ – and even though we now have Alice Cooper’s vision of a genuine sequel, nothing changes that notion…

September 2011

KURT SHANKS – Seven Flights Up EP

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Kurt Shanks is a singer-songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand.  He was previously the bassist with the band Stellar*.   His debut solo EP ‘Seven Flights Up’ isn’t a release that’s easy to pigeonhole since its five numbers cross different musical boundaries, but the core of his sound is most often rooted in alternative rock.  If you’ve been looking for someone with a bit of edge, look no further, since Kurt’s debut EP has moments of sheer brilliance.

The EP’s title cut isn’t far short of being absolutely immense. The drum sound is big, which alone grabs the attention.  The drums collide with muted guitar strings played in a seventies cop show style and then – BANG! – the bass kicks in…and its rolling nature has the potential to crush everything in its path.  Occasionally the guitars break into shimmering chords and a little organ fills out the sound, but most of the presence comes from the dominant rhythm section.  Shanks’s vocal is a little breathy, but somehow he maintains a presence within the barrage of sounds.  These elements would have made a great arrangement alone, but Shanks tops everything off with a semi-aggressive guitar solo full of wah-wah and blues rock tendencies.  In just under four minutes, ‘Seven Flights Up’ rewrites the book on how to make an impression.

Unsurprisingly, a couple of the following numbers veer rather more towards the ordinary, but are still good in their own way.  ‘We Shall Have Another Day’ is musically much safer, but on the plus side, comes with a bigger hook.  It’s a decent piece of jangly pop/rock, where Shanks blends tuneful electric guitar work with mandolin, with the end result sounding very radio friendly.  ‘Where Would You Go’ has a more 80s feel with its use of synths and muted chords, while Shanks’s softer vocal has a hint of Karl Wallinger and World Party.  While a world away from the opening track of this EP, it’s still very strong.   These two numbers are the ones which showcase “Kurt Shanks the songwriter” as opposed to “Kurt Shanks the musician and arranger”, and since they demonstrate a different side of his talent, they still have a very welcome place here.

‘Shoot To Kill’ is a little unexpected, casting Shanks in the role of a trashy rocker.  Here, he spouts anti-religious lyrics against a rousing arrangement which pulls together the best elements of The Replacements, Coyote Shivers and a pinch of glam (in a Beat Angels/Ryan Roxie style).  His band is tight, with a heavy focus on the guitars, pulling together a hefty twang and crashy chords.  Disposable it may be, but it’s hugely enjoyable, especially with Lani Purkis’s shouty backing vocal.  For trashy rock, this scores very highly indeed.  The EP finishes of with a short acoustic tune which mixes acoustic guitars and mandolin, over which Shanks’s voice is deep and soft.  It’s a number which sells itself a little short, since it ends just as you think it’s going for a chorus or climax of some sort.  It’s the EP’s filler, but it winds things up nicely.

In approximately fifteen minutes, Shanks demonstrates a variety of styles, and while it’s his more aggressive tones which prove to be the most thrilling, he pulls off each style with relative ease.  While a bit of a mixed bag stylistically, everything on this EP is well played and really well produced, making ‘Seven Flights Up’ a fantastic release overall.

August 2011

POWERMAN 5000 – Copies, Clones & Replicants

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There must have been something in the water during the summer of 2011.  Both Puddle of Mudd and Scott Weiland released covers albums during the same week, and then a third one dropped from nu-metal’s often unsung heroes Powerman 5000.  Obviously covers albums are easy to knock out since bands don’t need to endure a laborious writing process, but aside from that, is there any real point?  They’re rarely releases which bring huge amounts of credibility.

Puddle of Mudd’s covers album saw Wes Scantlin and his foolhardy chums bravely tackle tunes which more sensible musicians would have never dared attempt covering.  Naturally, for the most part, they failed…but they went down fighting.  Luckily, using a bit of savvy, on ‘Copies, Clones & Replicants’, Spider One and his band of cohorts (now a completely different band to that of their ‘Tonight The Stars Revolt!’ heyday) have chosen songs which (mostly) don’t sound too contrived when melded into their own image.

It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to realise that with a small amount of tweaking and some metallic guitar work, Devo’s ‘Whip It’ is almost an ideal choice of cover for Powerman. Those chuggy guitars which run through the core of the version featured here are superb, especially when pitched against some retro synths.  In terms of direct comparison to the Devo cut, it’s a little faster.  More importantly, the added guitars give an extra sense of urgency, without losing any of the spikiness of Mark Mothersbaugh’s original vision.  Despite how much it still resembles Devo’s well known hit, it’s a safe bet to say that Devo’s over-protective fans would not especially be happy with the end result.  Still, that’s probably nothing compared to how Van Halen fans are likely to respond to a cover of ‘Jump’, which here, gets a complete dressing down and reimagining.  There are synths throughout, but they’re of the bleepy kind and make no attempt at reproducing VH’s original keyboard line, at least to begin with.  The main riff becomes a bouncy, danceable, slab of metal which is essentially classic Powerman.  Spider One’s gruff vocal does its usual sneering thing and it’s surprising how well the whole package works.  There’s a fine line between sacrilege and genius, it seems.  Even better is a slightly aggressive version of INXS’s ‘Devil Inside’, which retains most of the original tune structure.  The keyboard sounds can be slightly intrusive, but the great riff makes up for that.   There’s little else to add, except to say this always was a superb number and this slightly more metallic rendition is really no exception.  It’s surprising that it’s not been covered more often.

M’s 80’s hit ‘Pop Musik’ gets a reasonable rendition, which is greatly improved without the cheesy female backing.  The required amount of handclaps and analogue synths (clearly on lend from Grandmaster Flash) really capture the spirit of a bygone musical age.  Against those sounds, choppy rhythm guitars are on hand to remind those listening that Powerman 5000 is a full band and not just Rob Zombie’s little bro and some synths, as it often sounds on this particular track.  Since the guitars are still a little underused, those approaching this number expecting a metalfest are going to be sorely disappointed.  Thinking about it, maybe Spider should have called on his big brother to shout his trademark ‘Yeah, yeah, motherfucker!’ a few times – it could have added to the fun, and it definitely would have given things a new slant.   The Cars‘ ‘Candy O’ is somewhat ordinary in translation, with only a few guitars added for extra chunkiness.  Even though it’s not this collection’s most inspiring cover, it’s clearly important to Spider; after all, it’s not the first time a Cars song has made its way onto a Powerman 5000 disc.

T Rex’s ‘20th Century Boy’ has it’s guts torn out and played at twice its normal speed in what is possibly the most typically “classic” sounding Powerman 5000 performance here.  Oddly, it kind of suits being trashed up in this fashion, especially when it allows Velkro and Evan 9 chance to really cut loose on their guitars (thus balancing out a few of the other synth heavy tunes).  ‘Electric Avenue’ by Eddy Grant is tailor made for the darkwave/synth metal treatment and the band hit a great groove throughout.  It’s a great track, but despite best efforts, it doesn’t match the brilliance of Skindred’s cover from their ‘Sharkbites and Dogfights’ LP.

The award for “almost unrecognisable” goes to a treatment of The Clash’s ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’, which strips the anger and replaces the well known guitar riff with dreary darkwave synths and a somewhat maudlin pace.  It shouldn’t work, yet somehow it’s very cool in its own right – like the cover tune Marilyn Manson never got around to recording.  The Church’s ‘Under The Milky Way’ is less fortunate, at least in part, as the band take a once dreamy tune and reduce it to a mechanical mess.  It’s only when semi-acoustic guitars and some tuneful keyboards appear during the chorus section that it gains any kind of redemption.

Naturally, not everything here works completely (The Church number is a bit scrappy and a take on David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ is hugely uninspired), but Spider One and his gang sound like they had a good time recording these tunes.  Likewise, they’re often fun to listen to.  Covers albums are rarely “must have” items, but ‘Covers, Clones & Replicants’ comes pretty damn close.  Through some good musical tastes and a bit of good fortune, Spider and his crew survive the covers album “experience” with more dignity than most.

September 2011

SLAM – The Rust EP

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Although Slam is hardly an original name for a band, it kind of suits this South Carolina five-piece’s approach.  Combining the twin guitar attack of Paul Glover and Ryan Kellett, the growling voice of Anthony Trapani and a hard hitting rhythm section in Aaron Patterson and Bob Dunaway (bass and drums, respectively), this EP has a professional sound – and fantastic production values – for a self-released recording.

The title cut chugs along like a musical juggernaut under the weight and drive of Patterson’s down-tuned bass.  When combined with the dual guitars, Slam’s fairly unrelenting delivery can be heard in good form.  The vocals are of a standard hardcore metal variety, but Trapani favours a clean and fairly clear delivery, allowing the lyrics to be heard – something which stands very much in Slam’s favour.  While the sound is decent, though, the song itself doesn’t have the huge hook it really requires.  The stab at a chorus is not great especially, but still manages to be okay; in order to properly stand out, it really could’ve done with something extra.  ‘Misery Machine’ is faster and slightly heavier – the rumble and chug of the opener being taken to a new level.   A more memorable chorus also shows Slam in a more accomplished light than before.  The overriding sound highlights influences from early Machine Head (in the heaviness) and Prong (in the shouty vocal delivery) alongside other late eighties/early nineties hardcore metal bands.  While, once again, Slam haven’t done much to make that sound their own, their end performance is more than commendable – particularly Dunaway’s bass drum work and the couple of riffs giving the nod to classic eighties Bay Area thrash.

‘Seasoned’ combines more heavy riffs and shouting vocals, but on this track, Slam really hit their stride.  The fast parts of this number allow Bob Dunaway to show off his skills once again, his double bass drum work recalling lots of classic thrash/hardcore metal from the late 80s.  This is the track which shows Slam at their most well-rounded: the slow parts show are more melodic than previous tracks, while the fast parts show an almost faultless level of tightness on part of the rhythm section.   Slowing things down again, the closing number, ‘Knife’ employs a chugging riff which although powerful, doesn’t build much upon its initial promise.  Vocally, Trepani gets an opportunity to stretch out from his usual hardcore approach, but when slotted in as a countermelody with the slow riff midway, his more melodic “oohs” have the air of an afterthought.

On the basis of this EP, Slam’s sound is about as original as their choice of moniker, but even so, they’re tight enough – and more than heavy enough – to make this style work for them.  With regards to showing their influences so obviously, at least they’ve clearly learnt from some of the best.  ‘The Rust EP’ showcases the work of a good, solid metal band.  If they can throw a little more of their own style into the mix and bring more focus to their song writing, they have the potential to take things to the next level.

January 2011

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM – Seeds We Sow

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Following 1992’s ‘Out of The Cradle’, Lindsey Buckingham continued to write new material, but largely stayed out of the spotlight. In the early 00’s he had almost completed a solo album, provisionally entitled ‘Gift Of Screws’, when destiny called and he rejoined Fleetwood Mac. A few songs scheduled for ‘Gift of Screws’ were reworked with Fleetwood Mac and eventually surfaced on their 2003 release ‘Say You Will’.

After touring for that record, Buckingham resumed his solo career and released the intimate acoustic record ‘Under The Skin’ in 2006, followed by a finished, partially different ‘Gift of Screws’ in 2008. As 2011’s ‘Seeds We Sow’ is Buckingham’s third solo release in five years, it marks his most prolific period in some time. It’s a very home-spun recording, with a lot of programmed mechanical elements, but that’s certainly not to say it sounds hurried or remotely slapdash compared to works on which he spent three times longer.

Despite the drum loops, ‘Gone Too Far’ has a pop purity, which with a little tweak would be worthy of inclusion on a Fleetwood Mac disc, with pleading lead vocals and a plethora of backing voices. Musically, it’s much simpler than some of Buckingham’s works, but it stands up well. The vocals alone would carry most of the number, but a few plays in, the unobtrusive guitar solo stands out as being particularly noteworthy, capturing a very clean and distinctive sound. ‘In Our Time’ is a superb off-kilter pop number which Buckingham very much makes his own. Not just with a plethora of finger plucked moments, but the addition of staccato keyboard strings for emphasis hints at the anger of a couple of his ‘Tusk’ performances. Almost a complete opposite ‘When She Comes Down’ is rich with harmony vocals. The music is relatively simple, but Buckingham is acutely aware that a strong hook and stronger vocal will win out. It’s enough to make you wonder how this would have sounded with the embellishment of Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie… [‘Seeds We Sow’ may be rather mechanical on the whole, but even after a few plays, it’s so obvious that most of these songs are vastly superior to those which filled Mac’s ‘Say You Will’, which was let down in part by Christine McVie’s absence].

‘That’s The Way That Love Goes’ is credited as featuring other musicians (everything else is arranged and recorded by Buckingham alone), but even so, it doesn’t sound much more natural than the other cuts. The drums come with a clipped march, the bass only slightly warmer than on other numbers and the keyboards add little interest overall. As expected with a Lindsey Buckingham recording, however, this track is still very much “The Lindsey Buckingham Show” – and frankly, his contributions are almost beyond criticism. His vocal retains exactly the same presence as it has always had -as if barely any time has passed since those drug-fuelled ‘Tusk’ sessions and days of excess – while the music contains a few slightly more angular moments. ‘One Take’ is the album’s most urgent cut, both musically and lyrically. The bass notes rumble as Buckingham settles for a far less showy guitar style. Clanging rhythm chords provide most of the focus, but the two instrumental breaks are where it’s at; each one brimming with fury – a sharp reminder of the man who played the screaming solo at the end of ‘The Chain’. Combined with Lindsey spitting lyrics like “I have no reputation and I’m not on any list / That’s because I got a publicist who covers up the avarice and where I put my fist”, it’s certainly the closest ‘Seeds We Sow’ comes to presenting anything resembling an angry rocker. Placed alongside some of the more refined numbers – particularly those with a strong bias towards finger-picked guitar – stylistically, this feels a little shoe-horned in. On the other hand, it comes loaded with a chorus that’ll stay with you after three or four plays, so it’s still a really great track.

It’s with the solo number ‘Rock Away Blind’ ‘Seeds We Sow’ unleashes what is unquestionably it’s most amazing piece. Buckingham’s voice has a pop musician’s purity, and as such is extremely admirable, but looking beyond that, his guitar work is just astounding. His voice compliments a furiously plucked acoustic guitar which is subjected to an appropriate studio shine (and possibly some kind of delay). The blanket of notes is mesmerizing – this is every reason Buckingham is revered as a musician as well as song writer. With this track, he captures the essence and brilliance of that performance of Fleetwood’s ‘Big Love’ (the one featured on ‘The Dance’) on a studio recording. It’s a track which can be played on a loop and never lose any of its sparkle. Similarly, the cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘She Smiled Sweetly’ – which wraps things up – proves a fantastic showcase for Buckingham’s sounds of wood and strings pitched against breathy vocals. A track so subtle, yet brimming with professional brilliance, this provides a most appropriate ending.

Although this album stretches Buckingham’s work into a couple of new places stylistically and isn’t always as polished as some of his previous outings, his voice retains a heart-warming familiarity which will keep most listeners coming back time and again. And while some musicians would sound cheap surrounded by drum machines and programmed elements, throughout ‘Seeds We Sow’, Buckingham’s song writing runs rings around most and that – combined with his superb voice – is enough to make ‘Seeds We Sow’ a fantastic listening experience.

September 2011