Various Artists : Helmet's "Meantime"(redux)

When the source material is this solid it's hard to wrong. Vocally most of these band's are going a harder route. It's not until Ken Mode bellies up to "Turned Out" that I recognize a band. Iron Weed goes with the more melodic vocal for "Give It" and makes them a band that I would like to take further note of. The first two bands I Become Death and Earthship, could basically be the same band they just happen to be covering really good songs. Sunflo'er takes on the song that would put them under the most scrutiny. They try to give more of their own touch, and fail big with the iconic chorus.This is a poor choice all the way around even in the face of their most creative efforts. I normally like these sort of things as it gives me a familiar forum to experience new bands, but in this case it also shows me bands to avoid.

Ken Mode doesn't really do anything special with "Turned Out". I would say the first three bands to a better job with their songs. Kings Destroy does a better with their take on "He Feels Bad". Meek is Murder's "Better" is easily tuned out and becomes background noise. The bare bones vocal of Iron Weed's "You Borrowed" is a bold move and instills more urgency to figure out what those guys are about.The Glorious Rebellion Plays it much safer on "FBLA II". Fuck the Fact doesn't really do much with "Role Model" .

Then come Helmet tributes from other albums. Fashion Week does a pretty good job with "I Know' to offer some redemption from the earlier mishaps. The best thing I have heard fro Rosetta might be their version of "Like I Care". Livver's version of "Sinatra" is ok, I don't feel much of a sense of who they are as a band. Heads are pretty true to "Blacktop" while altering the guitar tone it make it their own sluggish dirge. This version might even be more interesting than the original. Blackwolfgoat does a fine job with "Bad Mood". Brief Lives  uses a gruffer vocal tone for their shot at "Milquetoast" which I think after "Unsung" is going to be the song under the most scrutiny. Overall if you are a Helmet fan this is worth your time. Iron Weed seems to be the best band on here. I'll give this a 7.5.

Meek is Murder : 'Was"

The Brooklyn trio returns and the first song is about a minute making it almost as grinding as it is hardcore. Almost like a more spastic and less powerful version of what Nails does . The next minute and a half of "FlagShips sounds like these two were part of a longer song that got chopped in half to make two songs. Even though the winding dissonance of "Hands Down" can be more appealing, the fact it's only a minute never allows it to establish into an actual song. There is a catchier punk jangle to " the Same Mistakes" that make this song work where the others have fallen short. While these guys are not as dark as Converge, you can hear their influence on "We're Only Ghosts". The guitar player proves himself to be pretty decent on this one. There is a little more groove to "Crows by the Bay" and the guitar tone on this song is pretty awesome. This is what separates this album from your average grind core band, the album is actually well produced and not filled with haphazard feed back.
There is more of a frenetic energy to "Worth" and it runs of this more than songwriting until the cool riff comes in at the minute mark to challenge the rule of "cool riffs alone do not make a good song". They take a more metal approach to " a Prison, a Life Raft". "Save Your Voice" almost goes by too quick to be a song. When the band commits to writing a real song, they are pretty good at it, this is proven on "Full Hearts , Empty Rooms". The title track sounds like it is an extension of the previous as it attack you more effectively with a slow chug. They take things into a more spastic direction for the raging chaos of "Victims and Builder". The vocals become more emotive on this one. I'll give this one an 8.5, these guys are pretty impressive when they commit to the results.