I’m not good at writing these things, because I so hate the dishonesty of sentimentality that I end up giving dead people a hard time rather than a break. However, I did read two fitting tributes to the colorful Quiet Riot singer. Metal Mark‘s tribute takes an honest look at DuBrow’s public self and Ray‘s is a little more personal…. Read more »
Taotechuck is the winner of the Queensryche – Take Cover giveaway with this definition for Queensryche: queens • rÿche (kwēnz rīk) v.1. To act in a cold and emotionless manner. The girl finally mustered the nerve to speak to the odd-looking man in the Gold’s Gym t-shirt, but she was devastated when he queensrÿched her.2. To place unnecessary umlauts in… Read more »
Label: Metal Blade Records Released: October 2, 2007 When I saw that Lizzy Borden had a new album coming out, I had mixed expectations. While I liked several of their early albums despite the silly theatrics, I began to lose interest in the late 80s and didn’t even pay attention to their thin output over the last 17 or so… Read more »
Label: Holden Records Released: 2007 There is no real question that mash-ups are a novelty. Unlike a song that merely contains samples, a mash-up relies strictly on the strength of the songs that are colliding. True, there is some talent to hearing that two songs will work together and then mixing them into one. However, the result is never greater… Read more »
Gainesville, Florida’s Towers of Hanoi recently unleashed their third release upon us and Paranoia for the New Year is a shining example of what post-hardcore can be even while being brought down to earth by simple hard rock influences. It’s the kind of album that makes you wonder, “Whoa, how did they do that?” In an effort to find out,… Read more »
Leagues is a two-man show featuring Prize Country‘s Aaron Blanchard on guitar and bass and Andrew Gormley on drums. Leagues takes a more fluid and layered approach than Prize Country, but are by no means lighter. They express an interest in scoring films and that seems like a logical goal as their music is made up of anything but encapsulated… Read more »
Label: Kinger Recordings Released: September 11, 2007 Considering the album cover, a not-so-clever Pink Floyd parody, I had relatively low expectations for Cheater Pint. It didn’t take long for the music to change that though. Cheater Pint play raw tunes that at times conjure up images of X, the Replacements, the Ramones, Cheap Trick and late-Angry Samoans even. The common… Read more »
Label: Rhino Released: November 13, 2007 A cover here and there isn’t a bad thing and often playing covers helps a band know itself. But there’s a big difference between the occasional cover that pops up on an album or a live set and releasing a whole album of someone else’s songs. This trend, similar to the current trend of… Read more »
Listening to Take Cover reminds me that the word “good” cannot be made from the letters in “Queensrÿche,” but the word “cheesÿ” can.
Label: Small Stone Records Released: June 11. 2007 Despite all of its tackiness, the 70s seem to have provided quite a well to which bands seem to return again and again, some for a small drink before moving on and others for their very sustenance. Sweden’s Greenleaf is among the latter group. Stoner bands and their 70s hard rock influence… Read more »