John 5 - The Art of Malice

(To be printed in PowerPlay Magazine Issue 122)

From the blistering opening of 'The Nightmare Unravels' alone, it is clear that John 5 is a phenomenal guitarist - few others can match the sheer velocity of his playing. However, John 5 is more than just a one-trick pony, quickly turning his hand from Van Halen-esque shredding on tracks like 'Ya Dig?' (featuring fellow David Lee Roth Band alumni Billy Sheehan) to rapid banjo twanging on 'J.W.'. This country and western aspect to John 5’s playing is prevalent throughout the album. For instance, the guitar noodling of the title track shows off John 5’s chicken-picking chops whereas 'Steel Guitar Rag' is an exercise in country-blues stomping. Of course, it’s not all country bops. With John 5 probably most associated with industrial acts Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, there’s a fair share of metal on this platter. One of the more conventionally structured cuts, 'Wayne County Killer', opens with danger siren leads before moving on to apocalyptically fast guitar parts that would make even the likes of Alex Skolnick cower. Also of particular note is closer 'The Last Page Turned', which progresses charmingly from thumped acoustic chords to masterfully intricate interludes, creating a stunning end to the album.

The Art of Malice is a strong record that greatly displays John 5’s versatility as a musician, but will probably only truly entertain guitar enthusiasts. The technical feats achieved by John 5 will certainly wow and amuse music nerds, but the casual listener will find The Art of Malice quickly developing in to an indiscriminate mess of super-fast notes.

Belligerence - Remember Who Put You There

(To be printed in PowerPlay Magazine Issue 122)

Belligerence’s Remember Who Put You There is a groove-laden offering of metal from the get-go, boasting ball-bustingly heavy riffs with the southern drawl that’s characteristic of bands like Clutch or Crowbar. Opener proper, 'A Breaking Dawn', is almost like a half-way point between Pantera and Down, with singer Tim Brock certainly having something of a Phil Anselmo quality to his voice. Throughout the E.P., the instrumentation remains strong; the guitars drive the music and the rhythm section makes sure there’s a constant thump to support the musical vehicle. The title track is by far the heaviest on the E.P., boasting painfully palm-muted riffs and a great wah-ed solo before leading into a neck-snappingly heavy breakdown.

Remember Who Put You There is gutsy display of sludgy riffs that is sure to please those who enjoy their metal with a booze-slugging punch behind it. If Belligerence can pull out an album as consistently strong as this E.P., they’ll be on to great things.

Peter Frampton - Thank You Mr Churchill

(To be printed in PowerPlay Magazine Issue 122)

Thank You Mr Churchill is a collection of serene songs augmented by the classic guitar stylings and soft, Colin Hay-esque croon of Peter Frampton. Indeed, the guitar playing on the album is fantastic. Tuneful, well thought out and tasteful – exactly what the world has come to expect from Peter Frampton. But what’s more, it’s clear that Frampton hasn’t lost his knack for song-writing as there are some absolute stunners on this album. 'Road to the Sun' includes Frampton’s son, Julian on vocals and throws the listener a hugely memorable chorus whereas 'I’m Due A You' is a beautifully melodic soft-rocker that evokes a somewhat Santana-esque vibe. Subtly present throughout is Frampton’s Motown influence, one that makes itself most apparent on 'Invisible Man' through its bouncing guitars and effectively placed soul backing vocals.

The album as a whole seems to be calm and unassuming, moving along steadily and offering slightly laid-back tunes that are involving without being intrusive. Even when things get slightly heavier, such as on the Jimmy Page styled riffery of 'I Want It Back' or the classic metal chops of 'Asleep At The Wheel', the dynamic of the music somehow remains cool and collected. Whilst perhaps not quite the power rock of Frampton’s glory days, Thank You Mr Churchill offers a sublimely contemplative collection of matured songs that are sure to entertain both fans and newcomers alike.

Andrew W. K. - Mother of Mankind

In 2006, Andrew W.K. released his third full-length album – a surprisingly diverse platter of rock amusingly titled Close Calls With Brick Walls – but due to never quite explained contractual reasons, it only appeared in parts of Asia. Finally getting a global release, it has been packaged with a rather unique collection of rare and unreleased material.

The curiously titled Mother of Mankind contains a wealth of tracks from 1999 to 2010, displaying the very different sides to W.K.’s creative capacity. Some tracks beg the question as to why they’ve been hidden until now, others make it obvious why they haven’t seen the light of day and the rest are somewhere between nonsensically bizarre and genius. However, it is clear throughout that Mother of Mankind is only meant for the hardcore Andrew W.K. fan. Simply put, moments like the electro-ballad demotivational speech ‘Kill Yourself’ or the bass-laden reggae-rock boogie of ‘We Got A Groove’ don’t quite fit the tone of most of Andrew’s discography. But it is this variety that piques interest; AWKGOJ styled tracks like ‘I’ve Got No Fear’ and ‘Coming Bad’ show W.K.’s penchant for the grandiose whereas ‘Big Party’ shows off some of his more electronic-disco tastes. Other songs such as the peculiar ambient noise of ‘Young Lord’ or the pseudo-rap of ‘Kicks And Bricks’ show his willingness to experiment musically, even if the result is dubious at best.

As a bonus to the long overdue release of Close Calls, Mother is a fun collection of primarily ridiculous songs. It’s just a shame some of its best tracks hadn’t been refined and made in to a new album.

An Evening With Anathema - O2 Academy Islington - 21/5/10

(To be printed in PowerPlay Magazine Issue 121)

(^ Appalling quality photo of Vincent Cavanaugh courtesy of my camera phone)

Watching their An Evening With concert, you’d be hard pressed to tell that Anathema were suffering from a wealth of technical problems as every note remained perfectly delivered and not a single beat missed. Having quietly taken the stage with new cut, 'Thin Air', it didn’t take long for Anathema to start providing some much-appreciated fan-service. The audience showed their love throughout - the reaction to 'One Last Goodbye' was stunning, with the crowd drowning out the band by the end of it. The aforementioned technical hitches even led to one of the evening’s best moments with guitarist Danny Cavanaugh’s impromptu acoustic performance of 'Are You There?' demanding only awe. Having such a varied discography, their set saw them drawing on frantically energetic cuts like 'Empty' to balance out the more subdued performances such as 'Flying'. The encore even saw Anathema really looking back, delivering the roaming bass and crunching riffs of 'Sleepless' to the clear joy of many. Juxtaposed with further new material such as the beautifully melodic 'Universal', the variety of songs gelled surprisingly well, their seamless integration effectively acting as a testament as to how consistently well Anathema have progressed from their days of doom metal to their modern prog-rock melancholy.

Most bands live, as good as they may be, are entertainment. Anathema live, however, are truly an experience, performing entirely on a level of their own. Few bands have managed to send shivers down my spine like Anathema have and the rest of those attending were clearly just as enamoured.

L.A. Guns - Shrinking Violet (Deluxe Reissue)

(To be printed in PowerPlay Magazine Issue 121)

With the name L.A. Guns now referring to two syncretistic bands, the arguably more authentic Tracii Guns led band have reissued their 1999 album Shrinking Violet to remind listeners how a Jizzy Pearl fronted L.A. Guns sounds. Whilst lacking the signature voice of Phil Lewis, Shrinking Violet is a surprisingly strong album throughout. Present as ever are the well delivered guitars and hooks; moments like the title cut’s winding riffs and slithering leads show that Tracii still has a knack for good guitar lines - Pearl even makes a good job of filling his predecessor’s boots, although his signature whine has an awful tendency to sleep to a very uncomfortable screech. Amongst the album’s strongest moments are the slightly more mature tracks, however. For instance, desperado-ballad 'Barbed Wire' sees the band stretching out, moving discreetly from subdued rhythms into a haunting and grandiose guitar-dominated climax, before finishing with a rather tasteful acoustic solo. Indeed, Shrinking Violet shows a lot of variety throughout, from the grungy, bass-heavy skulk of 'I’ll Be There' to the glam-tinged blues of 'Bad Whiskey' – and yet, remarkably, nothing sounds out of place.

The reissue sees the addition of some live tracks of the newest incarnation of the Tracii Guns-led L.A. Guns tackling some of the band’s classics more than capably. Whilst cuts like 'Rip N Tear' don’t sound quite right without Lewis behind the mic, the band shows they’re still able to pull of classics like 'Never Enough'. All in all, the live tracks prove a nice bonus for fans new and old alike.

Fen - Trails Out Of Gloom

(To be printed in PowerPlay Magazine Issue 121)

Trails Out of Gloom is a hidden gem amongst the sometimes nonsensical world of progressive music that sees a collection of Porcupine Tree-esque melodies wrapped in meticulous sound-scapes of peaceful instrumentation. From the beautifully serene vocal harmonies of the title track, it is clear that Fen are something special - the drivingly melodic voice of singer Doug Harrison, with its occasionally strained delivery, perfectly accompanies the subdued guitars that comprise the album. Fen seem to have honed their rather softly delivered and ethereal sound to a tee, with the clunking pianos and fuzzy drums of 'The World Is Young' exemplifying the overall rather taken aback nature of the music. Fen are clearly masters at the complementary meshing of instruments - the soothing acoustics of 'Miracle' are brilliantly accentuated by the lightly placed bongo beats before the most miniscule of distorted guitars is allowed to enter the frame. It is this ability for subtlety that pervades the entire album and truly shows Fen’s strongest ability, only occasionally slipping into a heavier model (such as on the frantic 'End of the Dream') before returning to their instrumental restraint. Trails Out of Gloom is a brilliantly composed album that sounds half way between the cleaner moments of Opeth and Anathema, whilst also retaining its own unique identity. Fen provide a delightful presentation of mellow and erudite prog.