Sundried Truth, Underdog (2010): Album Review

I don’t know much about the band Sundried Truth except for 2 things: they hail from Madison, Wisconsin, and I am not their biggest fan. Their debut album, Underdog, feels so full of promise during the first title track. It’s both energetic and catchy, wails with raspy rock vocals, and the guitar work is especially impressive. But then…the second song begins. Entitled “My America,” it sounds like your loud, quintessential rock song. But then Pete Gargano starts singing, and the lyrics are truly forgettable and quite frankly, lousy. “Topless bars with those f***ing fast cars/that’s my America”—believe me, nothing wrong with either of those things, but how long did it take to write those lyrics? All of 5 minutes? Doesn’t fare much better with the next tune, “Walk Away,” either, where I started counting how many times they said “oh yeah” but simply lost count out of boredom. The worst offender? “House arrest just might be the best” on their tune entitled “House Arrest.” Shocking, right? The sad thing is, their music is really upbeat and enjoyable to listen to on a whole. It’s quite a thunderous, solid effort on the guitar and drums, with that underground rock vibe you could just chill and listen to while enjoying a beer with some friends. I might even be inspired to buy their music, if they either A) hired a new lyricist or B) had no vocals whatsoever. I don’t mean to be a complete DJ Downer, though, and the album isn’t entirely bad. “She’s Not Right” is a very catchy song, reminiscent of “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates infused with some heavy guitars and drums. And although it falters midway through when it becomes a little too loud for its own good, “Tonight” is a slower tune where --- seems to channel Jon Rhys Meyers in the film August Rush. I know this is only their first album, so Sundried Truth certainly has a long and promising career ahead of them. Their rock n roll formula is pitch-perfect, but they would be very wise to direct some focus at the lyrics if they wish to grow as artists.

Painkiller Hotel, Afterglow (2010): Album Review

Painkiller Hotel is a pretty little known band—I mean, they don’t even have a Wikipedia page for crying out loud. They’re a bit more prominent than one might think, though. Their songs have been featured on such television shows as MTV’s The Hills and Real World. They’ve been compared to such bands as Live and Tonic, and played over 200 shows while touring the Midwest last year. Starting out in the underground music scene of Chicago, this rocking quartet broke out with their album Black Roses last October. Less than a year later, they’ve released their sophomore effort Afterglow. Although a bit uneven, Painkiller Hotel delivers an enjoyable, if not generic, listening experience.

“I Understand” gives the record a very energetic beginning. The first thing I could think of when I heard them was the band Cavo or Lifehouse. While not a very unique voice these days with the whole Daughtry-style music that’s being cranked out these days, Prez is obviously a very powerful vocalist with a bit of a country vibe. Although he starts well, his voice loses its luster midway through—as if he’s just ready to get the song over with. “Afterglow” sounds very much like a Rob Thomas-esque backwoods tune. Although I don’t particularly enjoy country, this one is quite nice. It’s a slow-tempo yet very pleasant ditty with creative lyrics, the main one being “You were like the sunset/and I’m the afterglow.” Some may call that cliché, but I found it quite nice. And while not quite as eerie or depressing, “Take My Hand” has that same distant quality that I love so much about “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden. Except, you know, with some funky country mixed in. “Can’t Have It All” has a haunting melody, but the lyrics are a bit on the typical love song territory. “You’re terrified/from all these lies/I’m feeding you/to hide the truth.” Yeah, not my favorite song on the album, but still not terrible. The band departs from the usual country for a more alternative sound—with light, skippy guitar and fast-paced drums. “Crave” is a raunchy yet slow-paced tune where he lets his vocals really shine, working the scales like a master. “If I Only Knew” reminds me of American Idol alum Kris Allen, maybe just because of the whole happy, upbeat song talking about death (Allen’s way over-played “Like Like You’re Dying”). Although his voice sounds good, I just don’t find the lyrics appropriate with the heavy metal and funky rock qualities of the song. By this point, I’ve come to realize that Painkiller Hotel has abandoned their old country tunes from the beginning of the album, and are moving into Daughtry territory where all the songs sound the same. “Already Dead” is the perfect example of this—Skillet, Nickelback, Shinedown, so many artists could have sang this song and I’d never know the difference. Not to mention his vocals sound weaker than usual here. Just as I was losing hope, “Life’s Gonna Bring You Down” came on—and while still rock-heavy, the lyrics exude misery, and the song has a nice balance of rock and simple lyric-driven guitar melodies. The final song “Wait For Me” is a bit of a letdown—it channels Daughtry’s “September,” minus the commanding vocals which allow the song to soar. It is simply one-note, and while nice, does not transport the listener whatsoever.

As surprised I am to say this, I think the band is strongest when they dig into their country roots. I’m not a big fan of the genre on a whole, but Painkiller Hotel delivers in that medium. When they go into the ballads dripping with sappy inspiration is when they are at their weakest, and don’t reach their full potential. I’ve gained a lot of respect for Painkiller Hotel by listening to Afterglow, and hope they don’t sink into the generic pit of pop singles like so many before them have.

The Vampire Diaries: Original Television Soundtrack (2010): Album Review

The Vampire Diaries. That’s the title of the latest in the slew of vampire-related media flooding our society today. While I’ve never seen the show (and quite honestly, never intend on watching it either) I’ve still reveled in my own share of the latest craze. Yes, I have seen the Twilight movies (with large groups of friends, if that helps redeem myself). And yes, I am an avid fan of True Blood on Showtime (despite the less-than-stellar third season). The most exposure I’ve had to Vampire Diaries, though, is the album lying on my desk at this precise moment, which frankly isn’t half bad.

It starts out with a haunting tune entitled “Stephan’s Theme”—written by Michael Suby—which is the typical broody music you’d expect from a teen vampire flick. The next song, by British alternative band Placebo, is a quite slow but enjoyable listen. It has some interesting electronics and piano chords throughout, and lead singer Brian Malko has a unique voice, which suits the song well. Silversun Pickups suits their name well by speeding it up ever so slightly with “Currency of Love,” featuring intense guitars contrasted well by the mellow vocals. “Hammock” is a bit of a funky tune that echoes of “Eye of the Tiger” in some parts, and of Southern gospel in others. Smashing Pumpkins make an appearance on the CD with “The Fellowship,” that has the anarchistic cries of Green Day with the mixed electronica of Ratatat. And while Bat for Lashes has a distinctive voice, her shrieking out the chorus of “Sleep Alone” made me switch the song before it even finished. The remix of “Bloodstream” by Stateless is a beautiful song. It features some very depressing lyrics about love and loneliness, with bits like “And the silence surrounds you/and hunts you/I think I might’ve inhaled you.” As weird as it sounds, it is definitely at the top of my list for songs to listen to next time I’m in a bad mood. “We Radiate” by Goldfrapp reminds me of a version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” sung by Little Boots. It radiates that same 70’s discothèque vibe but with a more alternative sound. “Obsession” sounds the most radio-ready song on the entire album, as if it was written with Katy Perry in mind. It’s not a terrible song, but definitely throws off the mellow, alternative vibe the whole record has going on. Digital Daggers put us back in the mood with the gloomy “Head Over Heels,” which could be a bit boring had it not been for Andrea Wasse’s bubble-gum vocals. “Down” is an awesome song, although I feel like it was ripped off the A Walk To Remember album. It has a really catchy chorus despite the slow nature of the song, and Jason Walker’s voice meshes perfectly with the airy lightness of the female singer (that Google didn’t help me find the name of). Mads Langer sings my favorite song of the album, “Beauty of the Dark.” Again, another broody melody, but with an almost uplifting chorus that I think perfectly captures the essence of the CD as a whole. “Cut” was kind of a stupid song, but Plumb’s voice is out of the ballpark on this one. The lyrics leave quite a bit to be desired, and I was ready to switch the song, but then Plumb’s voice soared and my jaw dropped. Definitely worth a listen just to hear her, she has one set of pipes. “All You Wanted” is a good song, but brings to mind the Academy Award-winning song “Falling Slowly” except way too amped up with guitars. It would’ve served the vocalists and lyrics much better if the band didn’t drown out their pleasant voices with drums and hokey back-up vocals. Finally, Gorillaz concludes the CD with the fairly catchy but all together forgettable “On Melancholy Hill—starts out well, but gets pretty tiring for the ears after about the first 2 minutes.

Overall, I thought this was a solid album. Kind of like the previous Twilight albums, it has a few standout songs (“Supermassive Black Hole” on the first one, or “Chop and Change” on the third one). On the most part, though, the songs generally sound the same, which I think serves such a record just fine. It’s all kind of moody alternative rock for the frustrated, hipster teen-set, but at least it’s quality. Although this won’t be the next Lazerbeak album where I play it over and over, it’s a great album to mellow out with and chill.

Jimmy Eat World, Invented (2010): Album Review

One of the better-known bands to come out of the area is the alternative rock band, Jimmy Eat World. Hailing from Mesa, Arizona, these former preschool friends came together in 1993 and have since then recorded 7 albums, including their latest entitled Invented. Their music was first classified along the lines of the punk rock and “emo” genres, but has slowly transitioned to a folksier, more alternative sound. The band didn’t really reach any commercial success until their 2001 album Bleed American, which was soon certified platinum and contained 4 singles featured on the Hot Modern Rock Top 20. As they head out on a European tour next month, Jimmy Eat World hopes Invented will bring them continued success with new legions of fans. While I can’t guarantee the success aspect, they have certainly garnered a respectful fan right here.

The album kicks off with “Heart Is Hard To Find,” which has an almost country-feel to it, featuring bare strings and a steady beat. Lead singer Jim Adkins really lets his vocals do most of the work, which brim with earnest yearning and lyrics full of searching and remorse. It’s an interesting but satisfying choice to use as the first song of a record, considering it’s much less upbeat than the rest of the batch. The next tune “My Best Theory” plays like a less-whiny Panic at the Disco! with some dark but incredibly catchy undertones. “Evidence,” has very soft-spoken vocals and interludes of heavy metal-- all of which conjoin perfectly within the last minute or so. “Movielike” returns to the mellow feel of the first song, but is much more upbeat despite the woeful lyrics of how love will never get any better. “Coffee and Cigarettes,” although it doesn’t have the smartest lyrics, is certainly my favorite song on the record. It’s very loud, very catchy, and contains a wonderful cameo by bass guitarist Rachel Haden. Although the song expresses the joy of the simple things in life, I love how Jimmy Eat World pulls out all the stops for this song and does it big. The next two songs, “Stop” and “Littlething” both have impressive instrumentals, particularly in the guitar/bass arena, but can oftentimes sound like the whiny alternative bands I detest so greatly. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with whining about a girl—don’t we all? —but one’s voice doesn’t need to go all shrill and on-the-verge-of-crying when doing so. The next tune, “Cut,” is pretty much the perfect rainy day, sad song. It relies primarily on Adkins’ vocals along with the drums, and quite frankly, has a very epic, gloomy vibe about it. “Action Needs An Audience”…certainly the worst song on the album. Maybe this is what their old punk rock sound was like, but it brings to mind some sad rip-off of Fall Out Boy and Green Day—trying to appear rebellious and angsty, but just…failing. The title track, “Invented,” is a whopping 7 minutes long, and would serve as a great song to fall asleep to (in the nicest way possible.) It has an especially distant, world-weary feel, and is quite nice until the climax when they briefly break out the loud instrumentals. And “Mixtape” is an awesome song to end the record with, playing out almost like a wave—starting out very slow and soft, crescendoing in the middle with soaring vocals, and ending gently just as it started.

So, all in all, I’d say I have mixed feelings about Invented. As with any album—there are songs I really liked, and some I wasn’t really feeling. I definitely admire the band though, and feel they are much better than most alternative rock bands out there. Coming into reviewing this album, I was highly cynical and expecting the usual, whiny excuse for rock produced by all those boy bands at Warped Tour these days. While some of that is still apparent here, Jimmy Eats World exceeded my expectations, producing a solid album that can appeal to a multitude of audiences.

Diet Kong, Beautiful Blackout (2010): EP Review

Not a whole lot can be said about Diet Kong. According to their MySpace page (yes, people still do use that these days), they come from Brooklyn and the Catskill Mountains in New York. They’ve been members of the site since February of 2006, so they’re not exactly newbies to the music business. And their genre? Alternative, indie, and live electronics. There are three members, and list their major influences as Modest Mouse, Depeche Mode, LCD Soundsystem, among many other obscure bands. I really like their style—the brightly colored artwork plastering their page, and the simple quote, “I want to live and I want to love. I want to catch something that I might be ashamed of” which prances across their status box. They debuted with their album Coma Motor Inn back in 2008, and have recently released their sophomore effort entitled Beautiful Blackout. And I must say, this 5-song record is definitely a welcome addition to my iTunes library.

“Shoot The Freak” kicks off the album to a pulsating start. The bass thumps as if the listener is in some posh, big-city nightclub, but soon introduces the guitar and drums—giving us a reminder that this is alternative music at its very best and most thrilling. “A Forest” is quite psychedelic—featuring screeching guitar chords and hazy vocals echoing the woes of losing control of one’s head. The next tune, “Skin Color Crayon,” brings to mind a classic Beatles song, but reincarnated with the raspy vocals unique to groups like Kings of Leon. The trio slows it down a bit with “Open”—pulling out all the excess electronica, and replacing it with the classic kind of rock one might’ve found the Grateful Dead or Janis Joplin crooning out to during a concert. To top it off, “Beautiful Blackout” returns to the pounding beats of the first tune, but not with near as much energy. They possess the same distant, out-there voices, but both the weak lyrics and vocals could’ve used a kick from some extra electronic tones. Not to fret though, every album has its weak spot.

Overall, this was a great surprise of an album, and I honestly wish there were more than just a mere 5 songs on it. I can’t see the group ever going mainstream or making an appearance at the Grammys, but I don’t think that’s their intention. They serve as the perfect soundtrack for the hipster crowd that’s looking to go out and have some fun—and I could only imagine how surreal it would be to see them in concert. Although Modest Mouse, Depeche Mode, and LCD Soundsystem may influence them, I personally like them better. Diet Kong is a funky, hip, and adrenaline rush of a band to listen to, which their album Beautiful Blackout perfectly exemplifies.

Tricky, Mixed Race (2010): Album Review

Mixed Race is the 9^th studio album from English musician Adrian Thaws, better known as Tricky. After releasing his first CD over 15 years ago now, Tricky has had some modest success on the UK radio singles chart, and has collaborated with everybody from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Yoko Ono. He is most known for his dark, spoken-song lyrics, as well as his mixture of both rock and hip-hop. Well, I’m not sure if Mixed Race is supposed to be going in a new direction or something, but it’s a lot closer to folksy dreck.

The very first song, “Every Day,” is the perfect example of this. Quite honestly, I feel like my ears are slowly bleeding and losing my sanity when I listen to it. It’s like some tone-deaf Southerners in rocking chairs somehow made their way onto the album (no offense to Southerners, I’m from South Carolina myself.) Next up, we have “UK Jamaican.” You know that song “Technologic” by Daft Punk? The little robot voice chanting, “buy it, use it, break it, fix it” over and over again? Yeah. Imagine a really poor rip-off of that and you’ll have “UK Jamaican.” Another song called “Early Bird” just sounds like an extremely sloppy jazz song, if it even qualifies as jazz. It’s just a big jumble of horns and piano and drums with creepy, gravely whispers throughout. And while the strings do sound pretty cool in the tune “Ghetto Stars,” the boring and uninspired vocals really bring down the entire song. “Hakim” has a very exotic feel with some interesting tribal-like chants intertwined, but it’s not the kind of song you open your iTunes to play—it’s the kind of song you hear in an elevator and most likely wouldn’t even acknowledge. The next song, “Come to Me,” resonates some slight hip-hop in some parts, but most of the time is just chill electronic guitar that we’ve heard before from the far superior Ratatat. “Murder Weapon” has a catchy beat and simple chorus that mostly consists of repeating the title, but other than that the lyrics leave much to be desired. And if “Time To Dance” is exclaiming how the listener should get up to dance, why is the song so slow and boring? In “Really Real,” Tricky channels both Mike Posner and Muse, which sounds like an odd combination…and it is. The main difference is that he lacks both the lyrical prose Posner possesses, and the commanding force behind Muse’s instrumentals. To conclude the CD, Tricky actually decides to incorporate some real hip-hop into the mix, and I’ll admit, I like it very much. It’s that kind of streetwise rap you hear from the likes of K’naan, spitting fast rhymes with funky sounds to boot.

My one question is why did he wait till his very last song to show off his rap skills? That was honestly the only song on the entire album I could ever see myself listening to again, and I would be interested to investigate his earlier work to see if he has more similar tunes like that. Overall, I would say it was a terrible album—I understand the whole effort of trying to be diverse and unique with one’s music, but I feel like it wasn’t even one cohesive album, it was just a big mess of music genres that was on a whole painful for the ears. I’m sure this one album isn’t going to make or break his career—but I would certainly consider Mixed Race a far step back for Tricky, and recommend that he return to form if he wants to produce better music in the future.

Lazerbeak, Legend Recognize Legend (2010): Album Review

Legend Recognize Legend is the first full-length album by Lazerbeak, otherwise known as Aaron Mader. A prominent member of the Doomtree crew—essentially, the Young Money crew of Minneapolis—the now 28 year-old recording artist has been making music since his early days of high school as a member of the band The Plastic Constellations. After joining and touring with Doomtree the past few years, Beak began working on his own record—doing everything from writing to singing to playing his own instruments. That is how Legend Recognize Legend came to be, and a mighty fine debut it is.

The album begins with a simple piano tune entitled “Dream Team,” which sounds like the lovechild of Passion Pit and Kid Cudi in a sense. And just in case you can’t tell, that is an enormous compliment. Many of the songs have that feel to them, really. “Land’s End” is eerily similar to Cudder’s new track, “Mr. Rager,” but with an even darker melody that is amplified by a melancholy string section and some electronica. “Let It Go” features a vast array of sounds—the almost-military beat of a drum, harmonic whistling, and the grand crash of cymbals at regular intervals. There are so many elements of the song, you really need to listen to it multiple times to get the full effect of it. “Bound” is a very somber tune that employs both the piano and strings to make an otherwise depressing, potentially-boring song. The genius of Lazerbeak, though, decides to add a perfect electronic dance beat to the mix that simply enhances all the other elements of the song and creates something whimsical. For “Wild Life,” Beak brings a brief flavor of Africa with some basic chanting that is, of course, enfused with rousing electronic beats. “Salt and Sea,” while not the best of the tunes, is some lighter fare—very much in the style of Matt & Kim, and brings to mind something you might hear while perusing the shelves of stores like American Eagle or Urban Outfitters. Beak shows off some raspy vocals in “Pearly Gates,” where the airy beats and deep horns give the song a floating sensation, all the while offering some thought-provoking life poetry. And who doesn’t want some quality life lessons during a song? “Cannon Falls” has an especially funky beat and a very simple hook backed by a chorus of voices repeating the words “round and round” repeatedly. As grating as it can get on the ears, it is indisputably catchy and is fun to groove to. Beak returns to his darker tones on “Tempest,” with a heavy emphasis on drums and other-worldly vocals—again, ones that would make Cudder proud. And for the final song, “Foothills,” he resorts to a simple, acoustic guitar in the beginning—building up to a soft electronic and bass-kit beat. This might be the best track on the album—although it’s a slower song, it combines all of Beak’s best elements, with not-too-shabby lyrics to boot.

Not to take a ginormous stretch here, but I wouldn’t be hesitant to call Legend Recognize Legend a near-perfect album. While I don’t know exactly what Beak was going for while creating it, he has created a very mellow, enthused record up there with the likes of Ratatat, while still adding his own unique and very trippy spin, might I add. This album is a real find, and I honestly can’t wait to hear more music from him in the future.

Maroon 5, Hands All Over (2010): Album Review

Maroon 5. We’ve all crooned to their hits “She Will Be Loved” and “Won’t Go Home Without You” on the radio with the windows down and stereo up. Originally known as Kara’s Flowers, this group of Los Angeles high schoolers struggled to find success throughout the mid-1990’s. It wasn’t until 2002 when they changed their name to Maroon 5 and released their debut album, Songs About Jane, that the band exploded—dominating the Billboard charts and winning the Grammy for “Best New Artist.” Their sophomore album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, brought the group even more acclaim—shattering iTunes sales records, and transforming them into international superstars. Now, we anxiously wait to see where the new album entitled Hands All Over will take the group. Recorded in Switzerland in 2009 with the help of Robert Lange—producer for such bands as AC/DC and Nickelback—frontman Adam Levine has described the album as a “hybrid” of their last two; highlighting the best elements of each, while branching out into some rock and even country territory.

The album begins with “Misery”—the funky single released earlier this summer, bringing to mind the feel-good thumping of their early hit “This Love,” with a bit more of a disco-esque flair. “Stutter” brings a taste of twangy rock to the album, while still maintaining that breezy, light-hearted feel that Maroon 5 is so well loved for. Another tune, “Don’t Know Nothing,” almost has a 50’s jukebox feel to it; although a solid effort, I could only imagine how it’d sound if the likes of Amy Winehouse got a chance to tackle it. “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” is the quintessential morning-after ballad with sweet and simple lyrics, which are highlighted even moreso in the acoustic version featured on the Deluxe Edition of the disk. The title track, “Hands All Over,” features a bit of an angry rock edge very similar to that of “Wake Up Call” on their previous album. The best track on a whole, in my opinion, is definitely “How.” The group lays off the heavy guitar riffs and drums to showcase the piano some more, bringing Levine’s impressive falsetto and the catchy earnestness of the chorus to the forefront. And I guess entitling your song “Runaway” automatically makes it good—first Kanye with his new tune at the VMA’s, and now Maroon 5 with their upbeat song of the same name which showcases some gospel influences. The band slows it down with some easy bongo drum beats for their surprisingly good country collaboration with hot new artist, Lady Antebellum—perfectly meshing together Levine and Hilary Scott’s stellar vocals. The bonus tracks included on the Deluxe Edition are also all very worth the extra 5 dollars paid for the album. “Last Chance” plays like a dark tango ballad, while “No Curtain Call” is yet some more gloomy fare about the crumbling of a relationship with a lively, catchy chorus. The acoustic version of “Misery” is also definitely worth a listen and helps wrap up the album on a mellow, soulful note. Like any album, Hands All Over is not without its weak links. Their second single“Give A Little More” seems more suited for the 70’s discothèques of the ABBA generation, and “Get Back In My Life” just has a very strange vibe with no definite chorus or song structure in general.

So, do I think this is an album worth buying? Absolutely, and I’ve already listened to it nearly all the way through 4 times since I’ve purchased it. There are no real “standout” songs, which serves good for the album on a whole, but doesn’t bode so well for its future on the radio waves. Levine has also stated his plan to make 1 more album with the band before dismembering. Already 3 for 3 in my book, let’s hope for a solid finish to the irresistible and catchy era of Maroon 5.

WTF?

OK Go is one of those bands I find myself listening to, but never truly feeling any emotion or connection with their music. True, “Get Over It” forms part of my guilty pleasures playlist for strange reasons I can’t even express, but nevertheless, OK Go is a band that always makes me wonder what their musical identity is.

Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is the band’s third studio album produced by Dave Fridmann, the man behind great albums like MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, The Flaming Lips’s The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The album is a conceptual interpretation of General A.J Pleasonton’s The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Colour of the Ski, a compilation of numerous passages written by different authors that gives facts and research on topics varying from physics and general health. Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is the bands greatest work to date, by a landslide. The album has a connecting thread that guides its listeners from song to song without leaving anyone dazed or confused like much of their earlier work. The album is musically interesting; it delves into this new electronic age we’ve been in for awhile now, but it begins and ends there. Of the Blue Colour of the Sky doesn’t feel original, but nowadays originality in the mainstream world is not as important as it used be.

The lead single, “WTF?” is full of static and layers that hide Damian Kulash’s vocals making it fun for awhile, but ultimately it just is; no rhyme, no reason. The album continues onto “This Too Shall Pass,” which I see as a perfect song for a car commercial or one of those drink commercials where people finally liberate themselves from their boring offices jobs into the streets, dancing. “All Is Not Lost” is just a continuation of the last song while “Skyscrapers” does a complete one-eighty into a cool jazz tangent, which coincidentally does not feature much of Kulash’s voice. The song transitions into “White Knuckles,” a continuation of a happier sounding “Skyscrapers.” Again, we are thrown into the OK Go “Blender of the Unknown” where out comes a futuristic, auto-tuned song “Before the Earth Was Round,” a song about the sadness of loosing humanity. “Last Leaf” was a nice departure from all the computerized instrumentation into Kulash’s raspy vocals and guitar. The album is closed with “In the Glass,” the album’s best song. The song has a very dark tone that is enhanced by the electric piano. Also, the lyrics were compelling because each of us look in the mirror everyday to asses “what have we done?”

It was difficult to judge the album by itself without populating my thoughts with their earlier work, but as a band that has recorded three albums I found it necessary. The album is not an impressive piece, but it entertains the ears for awhile.

Between the Buried and Me/Cynic/Devin Townsend Project/Scale the Summit @ The Clubhouse 1/15/2009

Scale the Summit opened the show but despite the fact that I showed up before doors, I was unprepared for the monstrosity of a line that filled the entire mini-mall where the venue is located. As such, I made it in for approximately the last minute of the set. But it sounded good, I wish I'd been able to get inside faster.

Devin Townsend is one of the men in metal who I just seem not to get. His stage presence is decidedly crazy and evil feeling (not in a bad way) and his vocals are absolutely fantastic, of the level where they're worth listening to no matter how the rest of the music sounds. Unfortunately, I just tend not to dig any of the music he writes or performs. Like Mike Patton, he's great to listen to just for the sheer talent, and live he's a real treat to watch; he puts a ton of character into his performance. But unlike Mike, I find I don't ever sit down and think "I want to listen to a Devin Townsend album." That being said, I would love to see him live again some time.

Cynic was the band I was most excited to see, without question. Though they've been touring since the release of Traced in Air on and off, in general it's not too far askew to suggest this is the first opportunity I've had to see this band in about 15 years. Couple that fact with the fact that I rank Traced in Air as the best metal release of 2008, and you have a general idea how excited I was to see this band. The technicality comes out well live and the execution is solid (essential for a band like Cynic), and though I was disappointed they did not play Traced in Air straight through, as it seemed they might do when opening the set with the first couple tracks, as a whole I found the set list to be excellent. The spoken word/poetry openings to several tracks were interesting, but didn't really add anything as a live introduction; it would have been nice to see other attempts to change up the songs live than just those introductions.

Between the Buried and Me is a band which I love to listen to on CD, and in particular I will sit down and listen to Colors straight through on a semi-regular basis still (it was my pick for 2007's metal album of the year). The associated musical journey has never let me down, and as such I never understood the criticisms I read from time to time about the unnecessary length of many of their tracks until I saw them live. As much as I love the same tracks on CD, live I found some a bit tedious and lengthy. As a fan of live Jazz and Progressive music, I cannot explain the disconnect there, but I certainly found it to exist for this band. The set list was a nice mix of old and new songs (though perhaps short on old songs for those fans who hated the shift in sound found on Colors). I was a little bit thrown by a few song choices, but with a band that writes albums with odd track transitions, I suppose choosing tracks to play live is a non-trivial task and they seemed to manage it alright. Like most progressive bands, the focus was on the music more than the live show, but it was well executed and I didn't find anyone complaining about it in the audience.