Best Tour…Ever?

To let the uninformed in on this awesome news, Between the Buried and Me will be touring with Cynic, Devin Townsend, and Scale the Summit this winter. To have four artists known for pushing the boundaries and delivering amazing albums touring together is almost inconceivable. But it’s happening folks, so get your tickets while you can – this is a once in a lifetime kind of thing that I doubt will happen again. I personally will either be going to the 1/29 or 1/30 show, not sure which one yet.

Assuming I do make it to one of those, the next three months are going to be crazy in terms of concerts. I’ll be seeing Phish at the end of November, Dillinger Escape Plan in December, and the aforementioned BTBAM/Cynic/Devin Townsend/Scale the Summit in January. Can’t ask for a much better three shows than tat.

I also plan to start recording some Static Light material before long. I’ve been very happy lately (pretty much everything in my life is working out the way I want it to), which also means that I haven’t felt as motivated to write music as I normally am. Nevertheless, I do have some good ideas bouncing around that I’m eager to work on.

That’s all for now!

Review: “The Great Misdirect” (Between the Buried and Me)

I didn’t know how to go into this album. Colors is my all time favorite album, and to expect Between the Buried and Me to create another masterpiece of equal quality would simply be too much to expect. I tried to keep my expectations low, though while listening to the album I realized I didn’t really need to. The Great Misdirect is not in any way a rehash of Colors and is instead a completely different beast. Is it better? Ultimately, no. But that point is almost irrelevant, as Between the Buried and Me yet again has written a wonderful album that fuses many different unique sounds into a cohesive whole.

That album opens up slowly with “Mirrors”, a very jazzy intro. It’s a nice little piece that sets the stage but at only three minutes it’s hard to look at it anything more than just that. “Obfuscation” brings the more standard BTBAM sound back into the fold, and is a solid piece that for the most part doesn’t cover any new territory but is enjoyable, nevertheless. The guitar solo/bass groove from around 5:00 – 6:30 is the highlight of the song for me, which definitely reflects an old-school prog influence. Overall the album has a decent start, and it only gets better.

“Disease, Injury, Madness”, the third track of the album, is without a doubt the best song of the album that ranks among some of the band’s best work. The song really showcases how much BTBAM’s writing has evolved over the years, and is some of their most mature work to date. They experiment with very atmospheric interludes, soft rock verses, bluesy sections, classical sounding guitar work, and of course their typical hardcore-influenced brand of metal.”Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain” is also a great song that feeds off of the momentum from the previous track. The band once again flips through a bunch of different sounds before landing on a very relaxing, melodic section at around 9 minutes that builds up to a very satisfying conclusion.

“Desert Song” is a very cool folky sounding song that came a bit out of left field but I found myself enjoying quite a bit. At this point it’s quite obvious that this album is a lot less heavier than any of there other releases, with Tommy’s clean voice being used perhaps even more frequently than the shouts/growls. It’s essentially a straight up progressive rock song, but it’s one of my favorite sections of the album.

“Swim to the Moon” acts as the ‘epic closer’ and is BTBAM’s longest track to date at over 17 minutes long. It starts off in excellent fashion with some wonderful guitar work and interesting synth work. Unfortunately the song loses steam and goes through a number of sections that simply fail to excite. It does pick up again though around the 10 minute mark and ends strongly.

Perhaps the biggest flaw of the album, in my opinion, is a loss of focus. At times, the longer tracks feel like they’re not building up or progressing towards anything, and instead are just flowing along. The result is the songs feel less memorable than they probably should. The album’s biggest strength, on the other hand, is that it really takes the band to places they haven’t been before and shows them exploring with a lot of new ideas. It’s not a rehash of Colors, which is good, because I don’t think they could have pulled that off.

So there you have it. I’m sure opinions of this will be across the board. Some will probably find it to be as amazing if not more so than Colors while others will come away greatly disappointed by the changes in direction. And of course, the haters will still be hatin’. For me personally, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed. However, I also recognize that this is partly due to comparing it to the masterpiece Colors, because when examining The Great Misdirect on its own merits, it’s certainly a great album that all fans should enjoy.

Rating: 4/5

1. Mirrors   [3:37]
2. Obfuscation   [9:15]
3. Disease, Injury, Madness   [11:02]
4. Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain   [12:10]
5. Desert of Song    [5:33]
6. Swim to the Moon   [17:53]

Review: “Frances the Mute” (The Mars Volta)

The Mars Volta are less a band and more a force of nature, and nowhere is it more apparent than on their sprawling magnum opus, Frances the Mute. This is an incredibly busy record – every second of the album feels like it has a dozen different things going on at once all competing for your attention. To think that the (relatively) same group of musicians released Relationship of Command (by At the Drive-In) just five years before Frances is staggering. To this day, this album stands as the pinnacle of The Mars Volta discography and a masterpiece of modern progressive rock.

The album gives you about 50 seconds to prepare by starting with an acoustic guitar accompanied by Cedric’s swooning. The calm doesn’t last long, however, and before long your ears will be subject to a complete aural assault of dissonant guitars, latin rhythms, horns, and lyrics that switch on a dime between Spanish and English. Before long, Omar graces the audience with his always-breathtaking guitar skills by treating the listener to a lovely guitar solo that lasts for almost the entire mid-section of the song. Before long, the full band comes roaring back in before fading into an ambient/noise conclusion. All of this happens in less than 15 minutes, making the opener “Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus” an amazing song that’s filled with more ideas than many bands come up with their entire career.

The album continues in this schizophrenic fashion for the rest of the record. “The Widow” (the only sub-10 minute piece on the album) is a slow, soft number while “L’Via L’Viaquez” takes the latin tendencies of the band to its extreme. “Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore” is the most atmospheric piece of the album, acting as one, unbroken, tantalizing buildup to a very satisfying climax until at last fading into the final act of the album and the undeniable highlight.

“Cassandra Gemini” is essentially the best song The Mars Volta have ever released. Not because it’s absurdly long (which it is at over 30 minute), but because every second on the song is used to its greatest potential. The band manages to cover an enormous amount of ground throughout its course and touch on essentially all aspects of their sound. “Cassandra Gemini” is both the climax of Frances the Mute and arguably of their whole career. The only way to understand it is to experience it. The song ends with a reprise of the first 50 seconds of the album, giving the whole almost 80 minute album a real sense of continuity and a definite end.

All the musicians are really in top form here. Being progressive rock, there’s a lot of flashy songwriting and technique throughout, but it’s always done in a very fresh and interesting way without ever resorting to over-used cliches of the genre. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals) are the two that stand out the most (which is true for all TMV records). Cedric’s lyrics are particularly fascinating. Don’t even attempt to understand what he’s singing about because it makes absolutely no sense, but the vivid imagery and unique word choices make them a joy to listen to.

In short, Frances the Mute is an incredible record that any progressive rock fan (or anyone interested in more “out-there” music) absolutely needs to listen to. While The Mars Volta have not reached the quality of this album since, they managed to craft a perfect snapshot of their interesting and unique sound within the confines of this album. Leave your pre-conceptions at the door, because this album will blow them away. And please, whatever you do, don’t read Pitchfork’s piece of shit review. It’s just not “trendy” enough for them.

Rating: 4.5/5

1. Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus   [13:02]
2. The Widow   [5:50]
3. L’Via L’Viaquez   [12:21]
4. Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore   [13:09]
5. Cassandra Gemini I   [4:45]
6. Cassandra Gemini II   [6:40]
7. Cassandra Gemini III   [2:55]
8. Cassandra Gemini IV   [7:41]
9. Cassandra Gemini V   [4:59]
10. Cassandra Gemini VI    [3:48]
11. Cassandra Gemini VII   [0:46]
12. Cassandra Gemini VIII   [0:53]

Updates

Well, unfortunately, this is probably the longest Lifting Shadows has gone without a drummer. It’s a shame too, because I feel that I’m writing our best material yet. I just finished a song titled “The Looking Glass” which I’m very proud of. It has a very cool structure and some very headbang-able stoner metal riffs. I’ve also started gathering some ideas for new Static Light material. I have nothing recorded or written yet, but I have a good idea of the sound that I’m going to shoot for. It’s going to be much more electronic-based than it has been. Working on some ambient techno material sounds very appealing to me, though since I have no experience with the genre it will be a challenge.

School is being a bitch though, like I predicted it would. It’s basically like being in a state of constant overload. Always a project or test to worry about and the everlasting sensation that I’m falling behind (even though my grades for the most part have been good). My personal life is in a state of flux as well, I’ve had an absolutely amazing week but I’m afraid that the euphoria will come to an abrupt end before long. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, and there’s always the slim chance that what I’m hoping for will work out.

Oh and I finally got the new Phish album. I think it’s a great album, but then again I’m a huge fan so your mileage may vary. It’s definitely the happiest album I’ve ever listened to – almost comically at times (“We want you to be…HAPPY!”).

Phish in November?

As phans probably already know, Phish announced the dates of Fall Tour 2009 on their website and newsletter. Luckily for us New Englanders, almost all of the dates are in the Northeast, (with a whopping 6 shows in New York). I’ve requested tickets to both the 11/27 and 11/28 shows in Albany. If I get the tickets to one I’ll have a blast, if I get them for both I’ll be ecstatic and have the best weekend of my life, and if I don’t get any I’ll have to try to get the tickets during the general release.

The first time I saw Phish was arguably one of the best nights of my life. I’ve been a huge fan for a while, but nothing compares to seeing them live!

So yeah, kind of a pointless post but whatever. I’m going to be in a state of anxiety until next Tuesday when it’s announced who got the pre-sale tickets. And for anyone who wants to go to the shows but hasn’t requested tickets yet, you have until Friday to do so.

In unrelated news, I haven’t been posting reviews of many new releases lately but there’s been some pretty good stuff worth mentioning. The new Skeletonwitch album is great thrash metal, the new Marillion acoustic release is fun and relaxing, Insomnium released a solid melodic death metal album, and the Muse album is interesting to say the least. If there’s been one disappointment of the fall season it’s the new Porcupine Tree album. They’re a great band but The Incident is probably their worst release.

Still plenty of stuff coming out before the end of the year. I plan to do a Top 50 of 2009 list which will countdown to my favorite album of the year post on January 1st.

Review: “Blue Lambency Downward” (Kayo Dot)

Toby Driver is perhaps best known for his work in the seminal avant-garde metal band maudlin of the Well, but he has been prolific with his other project Kayo Dot as well. His recordings with Kayo Dot lose much of the metal overtones that permeates his maudlin of the Well work, and this record is more of an experimental rock album than anything else. Regardless of its classification, Blue Lambency Downward is a vague, unfriendly album that reveals its secrets slowly. That said, after a few listens, it reveals itself to be just as accomplished as Driver’s other recordings.

The album’s structure bookends the album with long pieces, the first of these being the title track. The piece never climaxes and instead is content to drift along for its entire 10 minute run time, which is comprised of frantic drumming, dreary guitar lines, and Driver’s droning voice. The result is an atmospheric piece that will certainly be oft-putting to those expecting a resolution or climax, for its appeal is in its laid-back, relaxed, and open-ended nature.

Next, the album speeds through 5 shorter pieces. “Clelia Walking” might be as close as the album gets to metal, while experimenting with orchestral instruments and chamber music at the same time. “Right Hand is the One I Want” is a jazzier number with more eerie violin parts. Together,  ”The Sow Submits” and “The Awkward Wind Wheel” form the highlight of the album. The former is an in-your-face and abrasive piece that segues beautifully into the latter, which adds vocals to the mix to create an even crazier mood. “The Useless Ladder” is the shortest known Kayo Dot piece, and exists purely to create tension without release.

“Symmetrical Arizona”, the concluding track, ends the album in a way similar to how it started with a very relaxed and drifting feel to it. It contains interesting and heartfelt guitar work by Driver that morphs into a louder, almost triumphant section halfway through the song to end the album on a high note.

The worst thing you can do going into this album is to have the expectation that this will sound like anything else Driver has done, because Blue Lambency Downward is an entirely different beast that is content to both drift in a seemingly aimless manner and create abrasive, tension filled pieces that never resolve. However, these two qualities are weaved together in such a masterful way that upon close and repeated listening the album truly opens up and becomes an incredible album to listen to when in the right mood. Overall, while it may not be the masterpiece that some may have hoped for, Blue Lambency Downward is a great album that shows us a different side of Toby Driver’s music.

Rating: 4/5

1. Blue Lambency Downward   [10:00]
2. Clelia Walking   [5:29]
3. Right Hand is the One I Want   [6:54]
4. The Sow Submits   [4:02]
5. The Awkward Wind Wheel   [3:29]
6. The Useless Ladder   [2:40]
7. Symmetrical Arizona   [10:50]

The Definition of Music

I would like to ask you a simple question. What is the definition of music? It’s a question that has been floating around my head for quite some time. Does it need to have melody? No, countless artists have shown that. Rhythm? Many people have experimented with arhythmic music. Does it need sound? John Cage succeeded in showing that us silence itself can be music. All of a sudden my “simple question” seems a lot more complicated. Could it be that everything, silence or sound, is music? I find that hard to believe.

The answer I’ve developed personally is that it depends on context. If I’m walking through the house and I hear the air conditioner on, to me that is just noise. Yet if I put on a record that begins with a recording of an air conditioner (or even if the whole recording consists of just that), it then becomes music to me. Therefore, I believe it could be said that music is “the artistic arrangement of sound or silence over a period of time”. In other words, when does the sound of a car alarm or microwave become music? According to my definition, it’s when someone decides that it is.

Ultimately though, I’m sure many would disagree with me. Therefore I would also suggest that music means something different to everyone. That is, everyone has a unique definition of what music means to them. What’s yours?

Review: “Phase 3: Thrones and Dominions” (Earth)

Earth is generally regarded as one of the pioneers of drone metal. Dylan Carson takes metal and slows it down as much as humanely possible to create massive and immensly powerful compositions. The name of the group is apt, for one can feel the vibrations of these songs flow right through them when played loud enough. It’s not a stretch to believe that the music is literally earth shattering. Obviously, anyone listening to Earth needs to have at least a small appreciation for minimalist music, for nothing changes fast in an Earth song (if it changes at all). This is an album for those who appreciate the more atmospheric side of music.

The album begins with 5 shorter songs before progressing to its centerpieces. “Harvey” starts off the album with a very addictive stoner-metal tune. For a piece that only utilizes three different power chords in its entire runtime, the song is undeniably infectious and one of the highlights of the album. “Lullaby (Take 2: How Dry I Am)” and “Song 4″ are compositionally similar, using very simple chord progressions to create fun and interesting pieces.

“Tibetan Quaaludes” and “Site Specific Carnivorous Occurrence” both move away from the stoner-metal sound and are more akin to drone. The two pieces are very atmospheric, but at the same time move along at a steady pace and incorporate many different sounds. The real drone begins with “Phase 3: Agni Detonating Over the Thar Desert…”, the first of the two long form pieces of the album and the most minimalistic of the album. The entire length of the song is comprised of what sounds like a nuclear explosion in an empty desert. While it will certainly turn off many listeners due to its highly repetitive nature, I find it a very relaxing listen that surprisingly manages to hold my attention throughout. Call me weird, but I find it to be an important part of the album.

The real highlight, however, is the 14 minute “Thrones and Dominions” which is arguably one of the best tracks in the Earth catalogue. The song is structured as a long buildup. It starts with low droning sounds and gradually builds up in intensity. By the end, many guitars have been layered to create a beautiful wall of sound. It’s a drone metal classic and alone makes the album worth listening to. After “Thrones and Dominions” is the concluding piece “Song 6 (Chime), which mirrors “Harvey” as a stoner-metal based bookend to the album.

Ultimately, Phase 3 is a transitional album bridging the ground-breaking (no pun intended) drone metal of Earth 2 with the stoner-metal of Pentastar. But the album is not in any way a bastardized mash-up of the two sounds, instead the album manages to combine the best of both world to create an incredible (but unfortunately underrated) experience. I recommend the album to any drone metal fan (or anyone interested in the genre) without any hesitation. And remember…as with all drone metal, the album’s effectiveness is directly proportional to the volume it’s played at.

Track list:

1. Harvey   [2:54]
2. Tibetan Quaaludes   [7:43]
3. Lullaby (Take 2: How Dry I Am)   [3:15]
4. Song 4   [2:50]
5. Site Specific Carnivorous Occurrence   [8:41]
6. Phase 3: Agni Detonating Over the Thar Desert…   [12:28]
7. Thrones and Dominions   [14:22]
8. Song 6 (Chime)   [2:48]