Brocarde : "GOOD ATTENDANCE AT SUNDAY SCHOOL"

 

The first song leads you to believe this is going to be a concept album about her life, starting from birth in the opening track. This is a very theatrical presentation, and while it holds similar sonic elements to the gothier side of nu-metal, what she is doing is surprisingly original. She shrieks and squeaks, along with uttering a convincing, harsher scream. Perhaps if Raptuina were a black metal band that gave up their cellos for guitars, the result might be similar. "Feed My Soul" features Korn drummer Ray Luzier, who bangs on the kit in a manner true to who he is. This song follows closer to the nu-metal playbook.

While I get where she is going lyrically, the phrashing at times in "Last Supper" feels a little forced when it comes to the vocals smoothly blending with the riffs. With a title like "Haunted' you would think the song would feel more haunting, but instead it follows a variation of the formula that unravelled in the previous song, and we continue to encounter awkward vocal phrashing like she is trying to cram too many lyrics into the verses. "Pandora's Box' is color-by-numbers nu-metal. "Seven Sins" flows better than the bulk of the album despite the temper tantrum going into the chorus. It does show the potential that is here, and how she is capable of getting the vocals dialed in. 

The chorus to "FEMINIST" is ok, but the riffs are straight out of the late 90s radio rock slush pile. It is, however, better than the last song, 'Blank Pages, ' which sounds like it's out of a Disney musical. Sure, it builds up likea power ballad at the end, but the power chords are not a huge improvement. She does prove she can actually sing, but writing a song is hit or miss here, though the concept and vision are better than msot so I will give this a 7. 

pst343

VOWWS : "i'll Fill Your House With an Army"

 

This band has gained a bit of a buzz as they ride a 90s-inspired sound that, at one point, leaned into darkwave and post-punk. However, this time around, they have gained more of an edge, feeling closer to the nu-metal revival. Munky from Korn showing up on the album only gives more evidence in this regard. The album does grow on you. Songs that I had some doubts about the first time I listened to this album do a better job of convincing me that their formula works on the second pass through this album. The album was co-produced by Billy Howerdel of A Perfect Circle. His contributions draw a fair comparison of where this album is heading sonically.

The first three songs circle similar shades of the same mood, with "Silhouettes" being a little more upbeat; things then take a turn towards a more New Order-like pop on "Hurt You". Then move into an even more streamlined turn to the alternative radio sound of the 90s with the Elastica vibe of "The Animator". They get darker for "Casualty" but a couple of songs with darker undertones and creepy moments is not enough to call them a goth band. In fact, it has more in common with Korn when it builds up. 

"Harder to Pretend" is a little more depressive, but a little less focused than the album's strongest moments. This could also describe "I Never Left," which feels like a mash-up of Garbage and Depeche Mode. When things are stripped of the effect and given a more organic feel heading into "One Short," you can hear the grunge undercoating. The pieces fall together better on this one. The album ends with a more trip-hop urgency. Overall, what they are doing here works well and should catapult them to a more prominent place on larger stages I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. 

pst531

Who Not to Miss At Welcome to Rockville 2025 (a curated guide)

 

Lots of bands are playing throughout the weekend at Welcome to Rockville this year, with festival set times compressed, you need to make the most of your time, while still giving yourself time to rest, so you make it to Sunday. Here is a guide to getting the most from your money, with the bands that are going to give you your money's worth. Let's face it, tickets for the entire weekend are expensive, even on the payment plan. from. I am not suggesting the most popular bands, so if you want to avoid the crowded stages, this list is for you. Given the fact that I hate most radio rock, we are going to be avoiding that and picking the most interesting artist who delivers consistently live. You can argue these picks all you want, but can the 2 million that read this blog be wrong? So let's jump into it...

Thurs

Inferno Stage 

Frozen Soul

 1 to 1:25 

Saw these guys open for Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse, they are crushing. 

Garage Stage

Candy

2:10 to 2:35 

This band is kicking off our campout at the Garage Stage, which is always a solid plan to find a spot and get comfy. High energy, hard-core that is willing to experiment, they are filling the void left by Code Orange, who just went on indefinite hiatus.  

Harm's Way

3:05 to 3:30

This band's burly metallic stomp blends hardcore fury with industrial weight; they are incredible. 

Full of Hell

4:00 to 4:30

Last conert I went to saw these guys blowing Better Lovers of the stage with their spastic blend of blackened grindcore drenched in bizarre sounds. 

Converge

5 to 5:30

Have seen this band multiple times, they always bring it, the godfathers of metalcore. 

HEALTH

6 to 6;35

The perfect blend of detached androgynous vocals muses over the end of the world, while bringing the beats to bring said apocalypse. 

Quicksand

7:05 to 7:45

Ok, no Deftones. You are getting one of their ex-bass players and a band that influenced them. 

Apex Stage 

The Pretty Reckless 

8:00 to 9:00

Thankfully replacing 3Doors Down, the sultry Taylor Momsen and friends have impressed me with their last couple of albums, and by this point, you will want to switch things up a bit, and they promise to be a fun live band. 

Octane 

Rob Zombie 

9:05 to 10:15

Sure, he now makes big, dumb music for people who drink domestic beer and like goth girls, but he is also a total pro who puts on a great show

Friday

Vortex Stage

Left to Suffer

12:35 to 1 

Their take on metal-core is fresh, but legit, worth waltzing through the gates at noon for. Then you have most of the day to relax and just take in the sights as this is the weakest lineup of the weekend. 

Octane Stage

Bush 

5:15- 6:00

One of the last great bands from the grunge era was not even from Seattle; these guys continue to put out great stuff that is better than what most of their peers who are still alive from this period are doing.

Inferno Stage

Jinjer

6:45- 7:25

At this point, does this band need an introduction? They are great at what they do, and bring live harder than other bands playing at this time slot.  

Aliee in Chains was supposed to play the 7:50 -8:50 slot, but cancelled, so I suppose as a default, if you have to check a band out, go see Killswitch Engage, but I felt like the last Killswitch album was so mediocre it bored me, so I can't stand my recommending a band I personally would not stand through, so take a break and position your self to be near the Vortex Stage for my next recommendation.  

Vortex Stage

Knocked Loose

9:10 - 10:00

If you have a friend who would pick Good Charlotte over these guys, you need to get new friends. Ending their set at 10 gives you time to get out while the idiots at the main stage are watching Billie Joe try to pass off 90s pop music as punk

Saturday 

Vortex Stage

Havok

2:30 - 2:55

Hope you enjoyed sleeping in, eating breakfast, and hitting the gym before your casual stroll in to get really woken up by these thrashers. You also get to camp out at this stage for the bulk of the day. 

Nails

3:35 -4:05

The second heaviest band of the weekend

Obituary 

6:05 - 6:40

Florida legends always deliver

Acid Bath

7:30- 8:10

These guys were the main reason I wanted to go, but they booked a show in St. Pete! Any metal band out after 1991 owes them a debt of gratitude. Dax Riggs is the most underrated metal singer ever. 

Octane Stage

Pierce the Veil 

9:05 - 10:15

You're are not gonna want to see another heavy band after Acid Bath, and these guys might be a pop band, but they are a lot of fun, and write cute lil tunes to smoke one to. 

Sunday

Vortex Stage 

Sanguissugabogg

1:35 to 2 

The heaviest band of the weekend

Gatecreeper

2:35- 3:05

Keeping the death metal day going, these guys are sure to be headbanging fun. 

Garage Stage 

200 Stab Wounds 

4:00- 4:30

Their last album was killer, and they are the future of death metal. 

Deafheaven 

7:05- 7:45

It was hard to consider Deftones heavy after seeing Deafheaven play before them a few years ago. 

Powertrip 

8:15 - 9;05

Never saw them with their original vocalist, but can't imagine his more hardcore-leaning delivery would be hard to replicate. 

Apex Stage 

Korn 

10:20- 11:50

Haven't seen these guys since "Life is Peachy," and while their output has been a mixed bag in recent years, they should still be fun. 

pst212

The Top 10 Metal Albums of 1994

Forty years later,  it's time to take a look and honestly assess what were the ten greatest metal albums from 1984. This is not being weighed on album sales, as some of these did not fare that well upon their release but gained ground over time. All of these have stood the test of time, but some are better than others, which is why the number one album is where it sits, and number ten is where it is. The ranking is based on two main factors I was listening to them back when they were released, the impact they had when I heard them, and how well they have stood the test of time for the past forty years. Unlike lists I make today where it;s based more on how much I listened to them over the year, the results here are more cumulative, though the album I listened to the most in 1984 is on here. 

10-The  Melvins - "Stoner Witch" 

Notorious for being a band that does not like being defined. If there was an album that was going to define them it would be their 1994 classic.  It is drenched and experimental in its weighty lumber, but, still has almost Kiss-like grooves giving the song ample swagger.

   

9-Machine Head- "Burn My Eyes"

They took thrash and gave it the 90s grooves it needed to survive the grunge era. Pummelling and catchy, in how they make freedom ring with a shotgun blast. The drumming is off the charts. Some songs are more bangers than others but this album held up over the years. 

   

8-Emperor- "In the Nightside Eclipse" 

This album introduced me to the second wave of black metal from the 90s. There was more orchestrated melody, than the more punk-sounding lo-fi blast fest that Darkthrone was dishing out at the time, and even in Europe bands like this were relegated to the backs of metal magazines. Not the band's best album but it sets the stage for what is to come while doing something more convincingly Satanic than what death metal bands were doing.

   

7-Tiamat- "Wildhoney

No longer just a death metal band this album is influenced by both Pink Floyd and Feilds of the Nephilim. It was ahead of its time. Listening back to it, you can hear where some of the production holds it back though this has aged well and gives the album charm.

   

6-Testament -"Low"

An underrated album by an underrated band. James Murphy had big shoes to fill when he stepped in and he brought a heavier sensibility to things, as well as Tempesta's playing dialing it in. Chuck Billy's voice sounds great and they managed to stay relevant past the 90s which is better than most of their peers were doing at this time. 

5-Pantera - "Far Beyond Driven" 

When this album came out I did not like it as much as "Cowboys" or "Vulgar", it's not as melodic and Phil's vocal delivery is more one-dimensional in comparison. It's heavy as all hell sure. The guitar playing is what grew on me over the years to hear how well-written this album is. This album is all Vinne and Dimebag.With Phil only shining on songs like "Becoming'. It holds up over time.

   

4- Korn -"s/t"

This album changed the game. It's taking the number 4 spot as it did not age as well as the top three albums. They brought groove up from the underground scene, when this album came out they were touching with Sick of It All in small punk clubs. They were onto something different. However this album just sounds like 1994 where the top 3 are more timeless, but this is still a great album, regardless of what this band turned into.

 

3-Kyuss-  Welcome to Sky Valley

The top 3 albums are all great in their own right. This is almost just grooving fuzzed-out rock,  it does not feel like metal until it's turned up loud enough. But by 1994's standards and underlying tension of the bass lines it qualifies and went on to influence the entire stoner metal genre.

   

2-Cannibal Corpse- "The Bleeding"

The best death metal album from one of the genre's best bands, perhaps the most defining of the current sound of death metal. The only reason it is not number one, is because the album in the number one spot might not be as heavy, but they are more dynamic, and melodic, and wrote two of the best metal albums of all time, so it's a close call be here we are, that does not take away from how great this album. The number one death metal album of 1994 for sure.

   

1-Acid Bath - "When the Kite String Pops" 

Swampy sludge metal would be an oversimplification as so many other elements are in play. dark and ominous, songs like "Dope Feind" have real menace as they are coming from a genuine place. The interplay of harsh to-sung vocals is great and there is not a band that ever did that sort of thing better. The songs have stood the test of time better than any other album on this list. Sure they can get some semblance of the band back together thirty years later ,, but it will never be what happened here in 1994.

pst666

The Top 40 Nu-Metal Albums - 10 -1

 

We have reached the top 10 of  our  Top 40 Nu-Metal albums,  harder choices were made as the sense of nostalgia carried for certain albums from this era was shed. These are the forty albums from the genre that have best stood the test of time. We have not leaned too  heavily on  any one band, These are not the album with singles that got the most plays from Carson Daily or sold the most units back in the day when bands sold albums, but the ones with the best songs. Popularity means nothing, as sheep will just follow the leader. I am also not just limiting it to the mid to late 90s. There are plenty of nu-metal albums released recently that got right what bands before them did not catch onto, as well as a few that preceded the label of nu-metal. 

 Don’t be quick to break out the cardboard just yet, as album that relied solely on rapping are in the minority, as they all ended up sounding like what the Beastie Boys did on “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun”, and if your entire career can not exceed the dynamic range of a single Beastie Boys album, then chances are you are not the best of any genre. I also am standing fast by the metal part, this meant excluding a few great albums by bands who were more post-hardcore or even just intense rock albums that were not metal. Don’t expect to see the Beastie Boys on here either, if you can’t understand they don’t belong on a metal list, then it’s time to drown yourself in the next convenient body of water you can find. With that let’s dig into our Top 40 nu-metal albums.

10--Mudvayne- "LD 50" 

These mutants took everything that worked with nu-metal and infused it with actual metal, then dropped a bunch of acid and the result was this. The first time I heard this band was right when this album came out and they were opening up for Kittie. They blew Kittie off the stage, total annihilation so rather than put Kittie on this list it makes more sense to put the band who destroyed them.

   

9-Glassjaw- "Everything You Wanted to Know About Silence"  2000

This band fell closer to post -hardcore and had enough hooky emotional catharsis to cross over into nu-metal. The often spastic songs are sharpened by witty lyrics that might have gotten the band cancelled if they came out even five or six years ago. 

8- Slipknot -"All Hope is Gone" 2008 

You might be surprised these guys are not higher on the list, as well as surprised that it is not the album from this band that made it here, we can safely assume you thought it was going to be one of the first two albums here. I coming to my conclusion which album it should be I went back and reviewed all their earlier albums, and by clicking around you can find those reviews that will tell you why this is the album that belongs here, and it comes down to best songwriting.

   

7- Code Orange- "Underneath" 

 These guys did not come out and say they wanted to bring nu-metal back when they wrote this album. Instead they took industrial influence and wrote dark grooving heavy music which belongs in the same sonic zip-code as nu-metal but without any preconceived notions aside from catharsis which is what makes the album so great as well as belonging on this list.

   

6-Static X- "Wisconsin Death Trip" 1999

This album was original ranked lower on this list in earlier drafts, but when taking a hard look at what albums I find myself returning to consistently over the years this is one of them thanks to songs like "I'm With Stupid" and "Love Dump". It is just infectious writing which is why they are still dragging the remains of this band about on the road long after Wayne Static's death, because the music lives on. 

 

 5-Marilyn Manson - "the Golden Age of Grotesque" 2003

You might wonder why "Anti-Christ Superstar" is not the album on this list. To tell the truth it really did not do much for me, if felt like he leaned to heavily on Trent Reznor. This one has more explosive dynamics and thicker grooves, with lyrics that feel like the show who he is as a person rather than a role he is playing, I can respect that as I want my rock stars to be like post - apocalyptic pirates with nothing but pain and hedonism to give. 

 

4-System of a Down-"Toxicity" 2001

Yeah, I know "Sugar" is not on this album. Moving on, One of the few bands who transcended the confines of the genre to become something more lasting than trend involving big pants and eye liner. This album set that in motion, with grooves that stand shoulder to shoulder with any other metal album, no matter the sub-genre. 

   

3-Korn- "S/T"  1994

The album that set most of this in motion. They took the angst of grunge and gave it Freudian issues. When this album came out the low tuned thump of the guitar felt like if Primus was as angry as a hard core band, but with severe depression that was causing them to lash out like this. At the end of the day when you listen to the songs they hold up, and take me back to when this album came out which was a darker place as well. 

 

 2- deftones - "Around the Fur"1997

 This is the album where Chino really found his voice, that would go on to propel the rest of their career. "Adrenaline" played it closer to what Korn did and this album abandons the hip-hop influence, so that factors in when it comes to making it stand the test of time and sound less dated than their debut.

   

1- Faith No More -"Angel Dust" 1992  

If you posed the question of what is the best nu-metal album to any of the bands on this list, after the finished explaining that they were not nu-metal they would tell you it was "Angel Dust" , though this album came out before the label of nu-metal was a thing. It very clear where bands like Deftones , Slipknot, System of a Down and Korn all pulled inspiration from this if it is not clear by the second song "Caffeine" then you don't want to hear it .

Korn : "Requiem"

Korn has been all over the place over the course of their career. While the chorus to the opener is fairly mainstream in it's from 90s radio hooks, I can at least give them props for keeping up the down tuned bounce that is their signature though my main complaint which can be said of most radio friendly rock music is that is is not dark enough. I would say the first three Korn albums are dark enough for me even when they became freaks on leashes. "Let the Dark Do the Rest" feels like a continuation of the previous song. Meaning things are being under a formula that makes the songs sound the same. The strong groove that drives the bulk of "Start the Healing" makes it a more compelling listen than the first two songs. A wise move to make it the album's lead single. 

While the band claims the pandemic gave them more time than they had in the past to work on this album and how recording to tape again helped the sound, the only real difference I hear is the layers of backing vocals that are more textured. The overall sound is not as bass heavy, and the guitars are not as heavy. "Lost in the Grandeur" is the first song where his voice drops into a growl. It is just a passing refrain and not a major element. "Disconnect" feels more like Davis whining over a Deftones track. Iti s pretty middle of the road with nothing really standing out. The bright chorus of "Hopeless and Beaten" seems bent on trying to undermine the potential for heaviness the song teases. Though it does grow on me and it one of the album's better moments.  

There is a familiar pulse to "Penance to Sorrow". I like the mood, though it sounds like Metallica trying to be nu metal in places, not the most groundbreaking and really doesn't touch on any elements we have not already heard here. "My Confession" makes an attempt to get heavier and work off more of a groove. Davis finds a better cadence to allow his vocals to dance over the beat. The chorus even works better. The undercurrent of the last song works better than the previous one.  They are skilled at what they do and now 14 albums under their belt this band is a fine oiled machine, but they do not have the anger of the past infusing the music, but they are still great musicians so I will give this one an 8.5. My main complaint is it is not dark enough.      

the Top 10 Hard Rock Albums of 2019

It's that time of year again, to sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, then use them, to compile the top 10 albums of the year. Later in the month I am making  the top 10 lists for the decade, though to be blunt  this is the decade's weakest year for music.  Especially when it comes to new artists,  there is only one new band on this list . We are once again defining hard rock as having more edge than rock, but not being metal, as how metal is defined by people who know music outside of the trailer park.  As in  past years I am  giving a brief explanation as to why these albums stand over their peers in lower positions on the list. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more.

After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However  I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No,  I do not care what you think about it.   I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list  and  have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 hard rock  albums of 2019 .

10- Cold - "the Things We Can't Stop"

 This is more of an honorable mention. I am more invested in their first few albums . It brings back those memories though is more of a watered down reflection, but that is better than most of the bands they share streaming radio space with.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/cold-things-we-cant-stop.html

9- Korn-"the Nothing"

 There first album is metal. This album has more of an edge than some of the more questionable choices they have made since "Issues". Their sense of groove has always been their strong point and this go around it feels like they actually give a shit again instead of just punching a clock and throwing dub step at thigs to see what sticks. That is enough to earn them the
 number 9 spot.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/korn-nothing.html

8-Steel Panther- "Heavy Metal Rules "

 Perhaps the joke here is they are not a metal band, or are they that self aware. Even in the title track are not metal, Dokken , Van Halen and Kiss. The lyrics are still clever, perhaps not as on point as the previous album, but even when these guys punch the clock it's entertaining as they do not make music like this any more.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/steel-panther-heavy-metal-rules.html

7-Slipknot - "We Are Not Your Kind"


 Sure they have been raging against the label of nu-metal for years. While there is a fine line between mainstream metal and hard rock, I think all of the bandsw on the mainstream metal list who were just not heavy enough to make it on death metal or black metal lists are still heavier than what these guys are doing now. Heaviness aside they are writing some catch poppy rock dittys with an edge. This song writing is superior to that of Steel Panther.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/08/slipknot-we-are-not-your-kind.html

6-He is Legend - "White Bat"


6 albums in you pretty much know what you are going to get from these guys. Though there might be a more spastic energy to this album than what I have heard from them in the past. If Corrosion of Conformity smokes a bunch of meth, the results might be the same. It is most interesting at it's most melodic. I think fans of this band will have little issue embracing this album. More real than Slipknot, they do not need gimmicks.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/06/he-is-legend-white-bat.html

5-LA Guns -'The Devil You Know"


The band survived the 90s so they are not going to be giving up any time soon. I think the fact that they had more of a metal edge than their peers all along helps with this. Phil doesn't sound like he had aged. These guys are holding up better...musically than the bulk of their peers from these time. Yeah some of the guys in Skid Row or Motley Crue might look better, but these guys might have made their heaviest album yet, which is more than you can say for those bands. Easier listen than He is Legend as it's not as spastic.



https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/03/la-guns-devil-you-know.html

 4- A Pale Horse Called Death- "When the World Becomes Undone" 

 Of the two bands who have former members of Type O Negative in them, this one comes closer to upholding that legacy. The other is more psychedelic where these guys have more heft in their guitar playing. Heavy but not really metal due to some of it's more ambitious melodic leanings . The focus of the song writing puts them over their other peers on this list.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-pale-horse-named-death-when-world.html

3-Emil Bull - "Mix Tape"

 This German band came out wit ha covers album that grew on me this year. The highlights of being their cover of the Killer's "Mr. Brightside " which they nailed and the Billie Ellish song "Crown" which is way better than the original because this guy puts some power to the chorus it lacked before.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/05/emil-bulls-mixtape.html

2- Brume- "Rabbits "

This female fronted band was not what I expected when I first heard them. They are melancholy in a manner that is close to doom with out packing that kind of punch. Instead it just works off sublime vocals . It's heavy without committing to being metal. The vocals tip the scale and give them the edge over most of their competition.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-brume-rabbits.html

1- New Years Day- "Unbreakable"


 For mainstream rock bands in the post -nu metal world, I typically liked what this band does. Ash Costello's vocals seem to get better with every album. Slick arena sounding production helps the overall sound, but it is the hooks to their choruses that sell it. These are strong songs and pretty fucking catchy one s at that. and the grooves do tend to stick with you. To most who read this blog this is going to feel more like pop than metal, but genre be damned they are good at what they do. This year what they do is better than every one else in the same sonic zip code.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-years-day-unbreakable.html

Korn : " The Nothing"

If you assume that I hate Korn, then you think wrong. There first album changed the face of music. I like the first three, but they got cheese laden and bogged down by the nu metal conventions they created. So I go into this with low expectations.  This album borders being metal at all. It opens with bag pipes which is a good sign. When the bass comes in I had to go to their Wiki to see if Feildy is still in the band. He is . In fact it is almost the original line up except for the drummer. "Cold" is a little weird. They kind of go in a more djenty Meshuggah like direction. The chorus is more melodic. The production on this album is odd. The guitars do not feel as dense and the bass needs to be up further in the mix with more balls to them. "You'll Never Find Me" sound more like the band I know them to be. They go a shade darker with "The Darkness is Revealing". Johnathan Davis gets a gold star next to his name , because his voice sounds better than it has in years. He bobs and weaves his melodies with fresh energy around the more typical guitar parts. The only exception to this is some of the growled vocals are iffy.

The vocals once again come to the rescue on "Finally Free" .  It is interesting song writing and unlike Tool they are not afraid to deviate from the tried and true formula and play around with it. This album is not that heavy , but it is well written.  "Can You Hear Me" sounds like it could have been on the "Queen of the Damned" sound track.  It might be the more radio friendly song as well. Though Korn could not neatly fit on today's radio though this song comes the closest.  "The Ring Master" has one of the albums's better grooves. Lyrically he mentions darkness more than I really hear it. This might be the album's best song though. Deeper into the album they default to some of their more common place post- "Follow The Leader " tropes. Sometimes these work better than others. The sense of familiarity is best couple with groove. This is the strength they need to play  to.

"This Loss" has many sounds you are used to hearing from them, but a weird almost gospel section in the middle. I wonder how much Head played in this. Davis' singing voice continues to expand the places it goes here. "Surrender to Failure" is almost more of a ballad his vocal tone softens .Much like the bulk of this album there is a great deal more atmosphere than I am used to hearing from them. This would have served as a better follow up to "Issues" than the direction they went in. This is way better than I expected. I will give it a 9, which is higher than I would expect to give any album released in the past two decades by these guys.

the Weekly Playlist Vol 5 : Nu-Metal edition

Breaking away from the trend of artist specific playlists I had going there for a couple of weeks to switch gears into a sub-genre specific playlist. I was going to stick to the artist theme and then make this a top ten list, but this makes more sense since we have a bunch of top ten lists as it as and the end of the year will be here before we know it. While I was no longer teenager when the nu-metal subgenre exploded in the late 90s, I appreciated the first wave of albums that came from it. Once certain artists got too much radio play it began to become watered down. Even after the first wave a few bands included here slipped by to make decent music.

This afternoon I played DJ for the female of most significance in my life and cued up music of this era to invoke a time when life was simpler. The unbridled joy of catharsis this music could still bring was very touching, So here some deeper cuts from some of those same artists and others from that time period. This music carried an undeniable groove and proved easy to get caught up in as the angst it often boiled gave voice to pain otherwise left to feel unheard. I often reach back in time for music that spoke to me at certain place so listen to the voice of my younger days. I time when idealism was the language of dreams and the weight of the adult world was a burden not fully realized.

Music is a time machine. It reminds me when I was not as calloused by beatings life had given me and I could throw caution to the wind and free fall into feelings with abandon. Older and wiser I try to have a more balanced approach, but music helps keep the vibrations balanced until my mind can catch up to my heart. So maybe dear reader, you to might share such a place in time with these songs, perhaps you might discover a song that went under the radar at the time . Either way life is too short to not have a soundtrack to remind us when we lived and loved at 80 mph. Perhaps we now know, more sustainable speed at which to engage this journey, and every journey needs a soundtrack.  

Disturbed - "Believe"

 

 Static X- "Love Dump"


 

 Korn - "Swallow"


 


Orgy- "Fetisha"

 


 System of a Down - "Spiders"


 


 Slipknot- "Vermilion"

 

 Flaw- "What Do I have to Do"

 

 Mudvayne - "Nothing to Gein"



Deftones-"Mx'


 

Korn : " the Serenity of Suffering"

While I have not listened to them in over a decade, I like the first three Korn albums. Now that we have that awkward moment out of the way we can talk about the matter at hand. Much like Meshuggah they know they have to have the obligatory down tuned stomping bounce to their sound. The first thing I notice and this has been the bane of many Korn albums since 1999 is the weird production. It sounds like this is Jonathan Davis doing karaoke over an album playing in his bathroom. "Rotting in Vain" doesn't go into dub-step, so it sounds more like them some of their previous albums. There is even a scat growl section. But it just doesn't feel heavy. They are still haunted by the pop ghosts of when they were freaks on a leash. I can almost respect them more when they go for the big radio pop hooks on "Black is the Soul", but I think it would be pushing it to call this metal. Even when they are growling for you to give them back their life.

"the Hating" is an improvement, but calling it a good song might be an exaggeration, it is more tolerable than many of the moments on the first three songs, the melody is stronger. "A Different World" is an duet with Corey Taylor, and while it will please legions of glue sniffers with Corey Taylor as their profile pictures on Youtube think this is the year's best album, the pairing is not needed. In fact "Take Me " is a better song even with it's hip hop influenced nu-metal silliness. "Everything Falls Apart" the first song that on the first listen I'll say is pretty solid. I don't mind the Disturbed influenced cadence of "Die Yet Another Night". Though the chorus strikes me as kinda cheesy.

You can hear they still have their songwriting chops on the verses, though I 'm not sure about the anthem like  choruses on songs like "When You're not There" , but at this point I am surprised these songs are not as offensive to my ears as I went in expecting. We are back to foolishness on "Next In Line" . Then as far as this kind of suburban radio pop goes, 'Please Come For me" is pretty good. Who ever produced this album needs to be shot as the guitars are dialed away too far back in the mix. So they escaped being on the years worst list, I'll give this album a 6 and use it as the measuring rod of what you have to at least be as good as to not get thrown on that ill fated list. If you love Korn after all these years then you one step away from being a juggaloo anyways, however if you want to hear what heavy should sound like in 2016 I'll refer you to either Nails, Fistula or Oathbreaker.