Black Friday "Record Store Day" Exclusives

So, apparently the Record Store Day held back in the Spring was a success, because whomever organized it decided to do another one for Black Friday. And with releases from Hydra Head and Relapse, i knew it would be a metal head's dream of a doomy, sludgy Black Friday. Although i avoid retail stores like a virus on Black Friday (and did again this year), i managed to pick up a few left-overs from the record store to go along with my tofurkey. When i went to the Soundgarden in Syracuse, NY the other week, i snagged copies of the "A Horse Called Golgotha" 7" by Baroness, Slayer's "World Painted Blood/Atrocity Vendor" 7", and the "First Supper" single by Daughters, and one of the guys there (sorry, i don't know your name yet!) even threw in a free Slayer slipmat. Sweet!

The "A Horse Called Golgotha" 7" has been available from Relapse for quite some time, and i was finally able to pick one up. This version came on black vinyl, which may have been only for Black Friday. The a-side is the titular "A Horse Called Golgotha" which first appeared on the "Blue Album" by Baroness; of course it's good. The b-side is a cover of "Bikeage" by the Descendents. Although i have not heard the original, it seemed a strange choice for a cover by Baroness, but the band pulled it off, infusing both the punk-style the Descendents played as well as Baroness's own signature style of southern sludge metal. Definitely a 7" worth picking up, even if you already have the Blue Album.
The next release was purchased not for myself, but to try to sell on the vinylcollective.com message board. No, not to flip, idiot, but to sell at cost, since i had read this was only available to the first 200 people who pre-ordered Daughters' self-titled album and i remember many people wanting this release. Well, it seems whomever wanted it got it, because i am now the proud owner of the "First Supper" 7" by Daughters, which i probably won't listen to. The a-side and title track is fine, with weird Elvis impersonator vocals and zany guitar action, but the b-side, albeit short, is near-unlistenable. Admittedly, i don't really enjoy Dillinger-style chaotic matchcore, and this is exactly what this song is. Anyways, it's an okay release, but i doubt i'd seek out any other releases by Daughters.
Finally, we have Slayer. SSSLLLLAAAAAAYYYYYEEEERRRR!!! This single is from their latest release, the overall pretty great "World Painted Blood," and the a-side is that album's title track. It sounds like Slayer. The only complaint i have, as with the album, is that the guitars don't really sound thick enough, leaving sort of a tinny sound; still heavy, but not as heavy as Slayer needs to be. The b-side, "Atrocity Vendor" again sounds like Slayer and deals with humanity and its associated evils. Both tracks are good, better than "GOD Hates Us All", at least.  
Overall, i'm satisfied with 2/3 of my Record Store Day purchases, which is more than i've been satisfied with most other things in life. Thus, as expected, the theorem is proved that records are more satisfying than the things that real life, the world, and humanity in general have to offer. Yup.

Judging a Book by its Cover and its Contents

This is a post that i wrote for Suds on Bleeker that i felt was appropriate for my blog, as well.

Now, I know that nobody buys music anymore, but if one were to make such an unusual decision, there is much more to buying an album that just receiving a circular piece of plastic with the music “just there” to listen to; many times, there are sheets of paper which contain lyrics, photos, and other pieces of miscellanea which enhance the experience of listening to the songs contained on the album in question. Wow! Sometimes, an album even goes above and beyond these simple industry standards and functions as a piece of art; below are several of my favorite album packages, those which fit the album’s theme or concept and create a memorable and as creative an experience as the music itself.

Jethro Tull-Thick as a Brick: This album is unique in many ways: the entire CD/LP plays out as one long song about the trials and tribulations of life, especially that of a young adolescent, the band features a flautist and is still pretty awesome, and the liner notes consist of a number of fictitious news items, photos, crosswords, and a dot-to-dot of a nude woman (which I see my dad has completed in his copy). The LP version is especially marvelous, as the paper folds out to the same size as that of a real newspaper. At times, I’d rather read this than the “real” news. Oh, the album rules, too.

The scoop on the rumpus

Torche-Meanderthal: This is one of the most epic things I’ve seen. A fold-out cave scene filled with little Earth creatures meandering around in it. As shown below, the vinyl version came in many different color mixtures; a sight to behold and to hear. Take that, bands which just put pictures of the members on the covers with no lyrics inside!

Nice couch

Tool-Lateralus: This album came packaged in a translucent black slipcase which covered the CD jewel case. In place of where the lyrics/credits booklet usually lays, however, is a series of seemingly-accurate drawings of the human body in its different layers of systems and parts (muscles, nerves, bones, etc.) which, when the booklet is viewed closed, forms a complete skinless body. Also of note is the band’s 10,000 Days album with built-in goggles and gadgets.

Try and read between the lines (and beneath the cover)

Slayer-Seasons in the Abyss 7” Single: This limited edition of the ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ 7” vinyl single came packaged in a clear plastic bag filled with fake (we hope) blood and skulls to float in it. If this isn’t Slayer, i don’t what is. So awesome that you can’t even buy it anywhere anymore!

SSSSLLLLAAAAYYYEEEERRR!!!!!

The Prize Fighter Inferno-My Brother’s Blood Machine: The side project of Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez, the Prize Fighter Inferno has released one album thus far. The cover of the CD is a textured dark brown book-like surface. Inside the case, in lieu of a standard (boring) booklet, however, are a series of tarot-like cards which have drawings of different characters, as well as the lyrics and the credits to the album. Somewhat simple when compared to the other albums I’ve mentioned, but still an interesting and unique concept.

See inside for fate

Bright Eyes-Cassadaga: Even though I’m not a big Bright Eyes fan, I seem to mention Connor quite a bit these days. When it comes to packaging his albums, Mr. Oberst does quite well. On Lifted, everything was put together like a book; on Wide Awake, an elaborate knit scene featuring a city, trees, and birds was photographed and spread across the album and booklet. For Cassadaga, a spooky and dark album, we have a seemingly plain gray-all-over cover with a black disc and booklet. But wait! There is a cool little decoder included with the album which, when traced across the covers and insides of the package, reveals drawings, notes, and other bits of art ripe for the viewing.

There's Waldo!

Thrice-the Alchemy Index (4x10” vinyl version): For Thrice’s epic Alchemy Index release, a few pieces of black vinyl shoved into a cardboard sleeve would be insufficient. No, instead, we get four different colors of vinyl (red for Fire, blue for Water, clear for Air, and brown for Earth) packaged inside a hardcover book with both lyrics and notes from the band on what each song means, how it was created, etc.; an epic package for an ambitious set of albums.

These actually have music on them

The Dead Weather-Blue Blood Blues (12”/7” Single): A few months ago when this single was released, the internet vinyl community was in a collective tizzy over Jack White’s creation of the so-called “triple-decker” record, which was a 7” single packaged inside of a standard 12” LP. One could only get to the inner single by cutting into the outer record. Fear not though, for the external record snaps back together again for repeated enjoyment. Another case of a rare, out-of-print, can’t afford it if you ain’t Jack White himself record, but it’s nice to know someone out there has one of these and isn’t flipping it on eBay for $500.

Too much for one slab of vinyl to handle

What other albums are amazing pieces of music, artwork, and packaging? Comment below!

Iron Maiden

The Number of the Beast- i always felt funny telling people that i listened to supposedly "evil" bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath or Slayer. i mean, it's hard to tell someone "i love GOD and i'm not a satanist!" while singing along to lyrics like "666/ the number of the beast" or "Jesus knows your soul cannot be saved/Hell awaits!" There comes a time, though, when one needs to realize that it's entertainment, showmanship, etc. i mean, Tom from Slayer is a Catholic, Alice Cooper is a born-again Christian, and Iron Maiden uses Bible verses on the sleeves of some of their records. It took me awhile to be mature enough to realize that just because a band sang about satan does not mean that the band or artist in question is endorsing satan or occult practices. To me, it is the same as a straight-edge person listening to a band like the Rolling Stones; one does not need to agree with a band or artist's beliefs in order to appreciate his or her art.
With all that said, Iron Maiden is awesome. The Number of the Beast is the first Maiden purchase i made on vinyl, and i would say it is my favorite. Some people might say that this is their most mainstream album, but i say that if that is so, it is for good reason. Songs like "the Prisoner," "the Number of the Beast," "Run to the Hills," "Gangland," and "Hallowed be Thy Name" are all standout tracks which help to cement this album's legendary status. If you are not into Maiden, from a fellow newbie, i'd suggest starting here first.

Piece of Mind- The second piece of Maiden wax i bought, and a pretty good follow-up to "Number of the Beast" in my Maiden voyage (lol). My favorites include "Where Eagles Dare," the legendary "The Trooper" and "Flight of Icarus." To me, the second half of the album is not as memorable, but perhaps i need more time with the songs.

Powerslave- i'll readily admit that i expected this album to be bad due to the strange album artwork (it's not black?! "Iron Maiden" isn't in red?!), but thank GOD it failed to meet those expectations. i dig "2 Minutes to Midnight." "Aces High" is alright, although i'll admit that i don't particularly care for the lyrics. My favorite song on the album is closer, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," based on the epic poem. An awesome song and probably one of my favorite metal songs of all time.


The vinyl itself is all black, fitting for the band and the time period. i go back and forth on the issue of colored vinyl, but i think for the album art, black is a good match. And it all sounds the same when you're singing along anyways.   

Thrice-the Illusion of Safety

Thrice are a band i've known about for quite a long time, but have never really gotten into until now. i am an idiot; this band rules. "The Illusion of Safety" is the first album i purchased from this band, and it's a good place to start. At this point, the band was still "post-hardcore" or whatever genre they were. Basically, they were heavy, but not, ya know, Slayer or Converge. Heavy with melodic and catchy elements.

This album starts out with the incredible "Kill Me Quickly," which exemplifies the band's mix of heaviness and melody, their technicality, and their songwriting ability.  Other highlights for me include "Deadbolt," "Where Idols Once Stood," "Trust," and "The Beltsville Crucible." 

i ordered this album from a seller on Amazon and wound up with black vinyl, which i'm assuming is the most common variant. i believe the album is also available on gold vinyl, and perhaps other colors, as well. This album, along with "Identity Crisis" and "Beggars," are Thrice's most common, and thus, a good place to start your vinyl collection. "Vheissu," "the Artist in the Ambulance," and "The Alchemy Index" are out of print, so keep your eyes peeled for deals on these albums.

Soundtrack to 2010

This is not a Best-Of. This is a list of albums i discovered/re-discovered/enjoyed over the course of the past year. Feel free to post your soundtrack to the year, either songs or albums, in the “Comments” area.

Converge – Axe to Fall:  i've been a fan of Converge since Jane Doe and this album continues the lineage of excellent albums released by Converge. This band is worthy of the hype and the praise they receive. They sound unlike any other band in the bloated metalcore/hardcore/whatever the heck genre they want to be.

Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come: i have to confess that i had not heard this album until early this year, and boy was i dumb to sleep on this. A legendary album in the punk/hardcore genres, and for good reason. Refused bring in jazzy and electronic  influences and meld them with punk beats and hardcore attitude to create a masterpiece that influenced your favorite band.

Between the Buried and Me – Colors/the Great Misdirect: i can’t pick between these two albums; both are incredible examples of progressive metal/every-damn-genre of music melded together to create an excellent piece of art. Colors plays as one long, complex piece of music, and the Great Misdirect just slays.

Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown: Although not the band’s best album, it is still much better than most other contemporary pop/rock bands. Just a fun, emotional American rock and roll album.


Harvey Milk - A Small Turn of Human Kindness: Worlds apart from the party rock of Kings of Leon, we have a funeral rock album here. One long, slow, sludgy song with depressing lyrics and dirty guitars, start-stop drumming, and straight-from-the-gut moan vocals. A must hear.

Jimmy Eat World – Clarity: The pinnacle in independent guitar rock albums, this collection still holds up after all these years. Hear it if you haven’t yet.

mewithoutYou – Catch for Us the Foxes: Thanks to Gilead Media’s vinyl re-press of this album, i was finally able to listen to my favorite album by my favorite band on wax. Brimming with songs of spiritual and emotional turmoil, longing for GOD and love, and more literary allusions than your college literature class, this album is another example of a must-hear, if only because it doesn’t sound like anything else.

Thrice – Illusion of Safety: My friend once called Thrice “the most talented band,” and this album tends to back up his claims. This is post-hardcore/punk/whatever the kids call it done very well. The band mixes heaviness with catchiness and technicality better than most. Thoughtful lyrics and themes only add to the beauty and power of this album.

Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde: My favorite album from Dylan; legendary for a reason.

the Smiths – the Queen is Dead: You could really put any Smiths/Morrissey album here, as i love everything they’ve done. Another example of incredible lyrics and songcraft. Emotional, humorous, depressing, beautiful.

Other bands i'm digging lately:
Between the Buried and Me
the Number Twelve Looks Like You
Fear Before the March of Flames
the Chariot
Copeland
Thrice

Baroness-First/Second Re-press

Baroness is a band that is unique in the heavy music scene. They are sludgy, metallic, and have obscure lyrics, but i can't really say that they fit into any sort of genre very easily. They have the sludge elements, but aren't as heavy as Harvey Milk, Salome, or Electric Wizard. They have speedy, technical parts, but don't sound like Atheist, Cynic, or BTBAM. They have a singer who does all the artwork, but so does Converge. They're from Georgia but they don't sound like Mastodon, Norma Jean, or Kylesa (well, maybe Kylesa and Baroness sound a bit similar). Anyways, i dig this band, despite the inability of their music to be easily categorized. And whose idea was it to use words to describe music in the first place? We have adjectives and adverbs and an abundance of both, but at the end of the day, one still has to listen to the album or band in question in order to know how he or she feels about the style and substance of a band or artist.

So, after all that verbage, we have Baroness, a band whose name serves to exemplify the large, heavy, and expansive style of music that they play (see, here i go with those words again). To my trained ear, these albums sound heavier and fuller than their later "Red" and "Blue" records. John's vocals are more guttural and raw than the restrained screaming (?) he does on the band's later albums. And the songs are all heavy. There are no acoustic interludes as there are on the full-lengths. Perhaps this is due to the fact that these were originally two EPs which were combined on this Hyperrealist re-press. Of the two individual EPs, i think i slightly prefer "Second," but again, both are worth repeated listens. i think that my favorite track of the compilation is the opener to the second side, "Red Sky."
 
The vinyl and packaging are beautiful. John Baizley's art is sehr gut, and the gatefold looks top notch. The release was (is?) available in either olive green or red vinyl. i went with the green, which looks incredible. Marble accents in the vinyl finish off an astounding layout design for this release. If you didn't listen to this album at all, it'd still be a nice piece of art to own.

Of course, records are for music, dummy, and the music here is astounding. It's Baroness, numbskull; of course it's good! Pick this up now through Hyperrealist or kick yourself later.

the Chariot-Long Live

If i were tasked with reviewing each album by the Chariot in the number of words contained within the album's title, an attempt might run as follows:

Everything is Alive, Everything is Breathing, Nothing is Dead, Nothing is Bleeding: Feedback; double-bass drumming; chaotic metalcore; killer debut album; better than most.

Unsung EP: Pretty OK

The Fiancee: Weird; excellent.

Wars and Rumors of Wars: Songwriting is better; heavier; grand.

Long Live: Their best.

i have not been tasked with this job, though. Instead, i could ramble on about Long Live. Brevity, however, has been a hallmark of this band from their beginning. Heck, their entire discography  would clock in under 3 hours for four albums and an EP. Still, after this album, i hope the Chariot stays around for a long time.

i like to think that this album, Long Live, contains the best elements of their previous work, refines them, and produces a messy, beautiful, weird, emotional, and heavy album which is a unique listen to say the least. We have the feedback and chaos of Everything, the weird instrumental/interlude parts which were featured heavily on Fiancee, and the songwriting of Wars. Still, Long Live is its own beauty and beast.

Some of my favorite tracks include "The City," "Andy Sundwall,"  "David De la Hoz," "The Heavens," and "Robert Rios." Of course, each track is incredible in its own right. To my ear, Josh has really improved his lyrics, the band have improved as musicians, and the random snippets of sounds serve to elevate the songs, not just to be weird for the sake of it.

Overall, i cannot claim to be unbiased; i have been a fan of the Chariot since the debut album. Many people will simply write the band off as unorganized noise. When one looks beyond the initially grating and perhaps unpleasant (to some) style of music this band plays, however, one can find great art.

Long Live is to be released on November 23, 2010. Unfortunately, no vinyl release is planned at this time. However, the band has mentioned that they are working on songs for a 7", so hopefully we can get them on wax at some point in the near future.