Live Review : Skinny Puppy @ Jannus Live

Having now caught Skinny Puppy at three different landmarks in their career, I have a new perspective on their legacy.  The first was on their 92 “Last Rights” tour. The second on the “Greater Wrong of the Right” and now on what has been billed as their final tour. If this is their final tour and if anyone was going to stick to their word in this regard I would trust them more than say Cher or Motley Crue who have also made such claims in the past and opted for bigger paychecks instead. After all, given the sporadic nature of the project’s touring do we really want to see them in their 70s, or is a graceful goodbye that upholding their legacy with dignity preferred? I want the latter. 

 This most recent show at Jannus in St Pete, an outdoor venue, is basically a boxed courtyard that is surrounded by residential buildings. The crowd was large enough that the merch line wound back toward the stage while the openers Lead in Gold droned on into the dusk. Paul Barker of Ministry fronts the band , using his bass the way guitar typically holds down a post-punk band. This duo is very capable, but they have focused their sound in a murky place that many bands of this kind occupy, making them less than urgent in their approach. Skinny Puppy would finally take the stage in typical theatrical flair that found Ogre singing as a shadow puppet behind a white screen . They opened with “VX Gas Attack” from the 1988 “VIVIsectVI” album. Their messages about the horrors of chemical war even more timely now give the state of the world today. When Ogre came out from behind the white curtain, he wore a black shroud that gave him the appearance of the Elephant Man. During “Tormentor” the theme began to emerge with the interplay between Ogre and an actor clad in a militant cyborg costume, who represented an oppressing energy. “Love in Vein” was a highlight for me since “Last Rights’ is my favorite Skinny Puppy album. 

The shroud came off on “Human Disease” to reveal an alien mask with glowing eyes. From this point until the encore, the acting on stage felt like the show was a torture porn musical rendition of “the Man Who Fell to Earth”. “Hardset Head” from ”the Process” was another musical treat, as perhaps due to the nostalgia I have for it , but “the Process” is my second favorite Skinny Puppy album. It also gave guitarist Matt Setzer from London After Midnight time to shine. The set list paid homage to the totality of their career . Not really a band with a greatest hits to adhere to , the omission of “Tin Omen” felt odd, and the same could be said for “Pro-test”, but having seen them play both those songs before , it did not really phase me.

 When they did include some of the more recent material that leans in more of an EBM direction than industrial, they used the darker songs that blended nicely against their more classic darker work. While “Candle” is one of my favorite Skinny Puppy songs, it felt like a weird way to give their final goodbye, while the more anthemic “Assimilate” felt like the last rallying cry for their vision. Though Skinny Puppy has never been a band to play by any rock n roll rules, or paint any sonic picture that is not of their own vision for in that sense it was the most sensible night for them to ride off into.

LA Guns : "Black Diamonds"

 As long as both Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns are on board then I am fine with LA Guns. This album finds them  continuing to kick ass while their arena-packing peers are fat floundering fools. If these guys can still do it with dignity then we should be expecting the same from the Motley Crues of the world. They open this album with a more Zeppelin like groove. At 66 Phil Lewis sounds incredible. They stay true to the era they are from, while not sounding dated . There is a more Cult-like feel to the guitar of "Diamonds".  The song itself is more of a ballad. It builds up in classic power ballad fashion. They pull this off more organically rather than sounding like the were trying to replicate their 80s glory days. 

The one thing I miss from their 80s sound is the more metal-based guitar sound. This album finds them landing in a more rock n roll direction that finds Alice Cooper and the Rolling Stones both sharing the most common sonic ground with songs like "Babylon". Some cool guitar harmonies are kicked up around the boozy swagger they dance with. They return to the more blues-based feel that recalls Zeppelin again on " Shame". Lewis proves he can still get up there. He was never a operatic belter, but the sleazy slither of his voice, is gritty and piercing. He might not scream with the same abandon but can capture the same effect. There is more of a metal feel to "Shattered Glass" which is also very melodic and written in a manner that balances out all the dynamics of the band. 

"Gonna Lose" has a "Ramble On" like dynamic in place. Lewis's voice sounds great on it. Guns is very restrained and not ripping a ton of solos on this album. "Got it Wrong" finds a more upbeat boogie going down. Their drummer is pretty impressive as he bangs the skins around the more garage rock flavor of the guitars. "Lowlife" finds them embracing an early punk energy that recalls  AC/DC. It does not pack the same punch as "Rip & Tear" but works for what it is. It also gives Tracii the chance to let loose. "Crying" has an almost Beatles-like feel to its riff. Not as intense energy-wise as what you might expect from these guys. But the trippy elements manage to work. It is also some of Guns' most innovative playing. "Like a Drug" once again finds the band able to blend all the elements fans might want from them into one song. I will give this album a 9.5, it's a shame they are not being given more recognition for being the one "hair metal" era band that is still proving themselves to be as vital and capable as anyone in the game today.

Jesus Piece : "...So Unknown"

This Philly Metal core band has collected a huge amount of hype for a band who has clawed their way up from the underground. The opener is pretty typical for what modern metal core bands do these days. Nothing that really stands out from the pack. Things do get both darker and more polished on the second song. Hard Core - which is the core of metal core, has punk roots which can almost be heard at times amid the heavy chugging. Vocalist Aaron Heard sometimes goes down into lower more death metal like growls. But that isn't exactly going above and the beyond, The darker touches of atmosphere are really the only thing that sets these guys apart. Bands like Code Orange have certainly done this all before and better. That is not to say these guys are not good at what they do, when it leans more into grooves. "Tunnel Vision" almost has more of a Slipknot feel. I appreciate these more grooving moments more than what their peers do when they try to go in a more technical death metal direction. 

"FTBS" just kind of chugs it's way into being background noise, despite the tight syncopation of the riffing. This album is really well mixed and produced, so it sounds great in terms of the presentation of the tones, but it feels like they have run out ideas by the time we get to "Silver Lining' as the stock metal core riffs are being pulled out. Yes, there is a pretty cool sounding dissonance to the riffs. They are also adept at using enough restraint so they do not just hammer you with punk speed, but punish you with a series of stomping head bobbing riffs. There are going to be a great deal of hipster journalists who normally would not give this kind of metal core a second glance , praising this album because of the singers race, and their desire for metal to be more inclusive. I doubt these are the merits which Heard wants to be judged by. I imagine he wants success based off his abilities that take those things out of the equation. 

The songs slowly begin to take on a more uniform feel. The limited vocal colors used play into this. Sometimes they try to place his voice in different places in the mix to compensate for the bland dynamics, but once we are at "Profane" those tricks have stopped working. The guitars manage to balance things out with their knack for shifting riffs. All of the songs are under four minutes, so their writing style is very compact. Not matter how punchy the riffs are  I have lost the ability to tell these songs apart even when the riffs drop down to the bass line of "An Offering to the Night". The riff leading into "Stolen Life" is more tense, as the drops simplify things down to a grove before they explode back out at you. The drummer is the most talented member of this band for sure. 

They close the album with the more powerful crashing slam of  "the Bond". This proves to be another song that show cases their drummer. Riff wise the wheel is not being reinvented here. The atmosphere feels like it's an after thought. They check off all the boxes of what a fan of metal core might want, as long as those do not include any actual singing or memorable melodies and barely anything except grooves to provide hooks. For that reason I will round this down to an 8. Is it well made and heavy ? Yes, perhaps more so than most metal core albums of their ilk, but when it comes to songwriting lacking, so they 8 is keeping people who are into metal core in mind, if you just listen to music for the quality of song writing and heaviness does not sway your judgement in that regard then round it down further to a 7.5

Overkill : "Scorched"

Just reviewed the new Metallica, so legacy thrash bands it is. These guys should have no problem cranking out a heavier album than "72 Seasons". They have always been heavier than Metallica. Bobby Ellsworth's voice is still intact at 63, so that is half the equation for success . He and D.D Verni are the remaining founder members of the band, but D.D is writing the bulk of the songs, their sound is pretty much intact. The new-ish guitarists provide enough fret board pyrotechnics to satisfy the average thrash fan. The opening track delivers even if some of the grit from the earlier days has been smoothed out. The rumbling bass tone that has driven their songs is there.

Drummer Jason Bittner continues to get the job done. The second song I had to give another listen to before forming a formal opinion about. It just chugged by me. I think he vocals seal the deal on it. "the Surgeon" shows they still care about songs , as there is an almost bluesy feel to the mosh parts. It stays true to who they are as a band. "Twist of the Wick" might not b e the album's strongest song in terms of how tightly it is written or hooky the riffs are, but Bobby proves his voice can still get up there. The dramatic elements midway in the song , at least help switch things up a bit. Things slow down to a more deliberate crunch on "Wicked Place' and the chug owes a little more to Sabbath. "Won't  Be Comin Back" is the first song that strikes me as filler, it does have a more traditional metal and perhaps not as aggressive. 

The mood shifts going into "Fever" that allows Bobby to open up and sing more. This is highly effective and makes when they kick back into things feel even heavier with the dynamic shift. "Harder They Fall" just kind of rocks past your ears, nothing about it kicked my ears enough to demand my attention no matter how many times I went back to give it another listen. The vocals to "Know Her Name" connects with the riffs more, which is why that song works better.  The last song is an odd choice for a closer given the epic nature of songs they have used in the past. It just kind of is and feels more like filler with a rock tinge, Overall I am pleased with this album, and the risks they do take pays off though they mainly deliver what you want from them with well aged grace, I will give this one a 9, putting it on par with the new Metallica which was also better than expected,

Live Review : Goatwhore & EYEHATEGOD @ The Brass Mug

 Seeing Iron Maiden is more than just a metal show, it’s an arena sized spectacle that reels in a broader rock n roll crowd. . Given this, the last actual metal show I had been to was pre-covid, when I saw Morbid Angel and Watain. This was not only the first metal show since the pandemic but the first since moving to Florida. Tampa once had a legendary metal scene that spawned most death metal, but in my two years here I had not found a ton of metal heads. The Goatwhore / Eyehategod show would give me a better glimpse into the scene. The local openers were a mixed bag for various reasons. Dirt Witch had an excellent singer , but sound issues that plagued the band seemed to be the fault of the bass player and guitar who needed to have their tone dialed in. The Kate Bush cover, should have been rethought as well. They were followed by Tunnels of Set,a  blackened thrash band with an affinity for Kreator and fetish for occult poppycock lyrics that drop plenty of legit names and concepts in a fantasy soup of non-sense, though the vocals were articulate enough to make this out and they care about writing songs. 

The main support came from Tampa locals Tickle , who were old enough to know how to dial their tones in. They also played a very deliberate style of hard-core influenced doom crunch. They were tight and professional on stage, with a playful attitude and grind core humor to their songs. I was surprised to find out that for as good as they were at what they did, these guys had not done more in terms of releasing music, or even having a website. Then came Goatwhore who I have seen at least twice before this. While they are also impressive live, their aggression was infectious. The crowd exchanged this energy with the band and Ben formed a genuine connection with the audience, in a manner few front men of extreme metal do. There is rocking at you, then rocking with you. 

Goatwhore’s set let leaned heavily into the new album “Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven”, but this was fine with everyone since the album kicks ass and goes to show how well those songs seamlessly stand with the rest of their discography as there was never a moment where the energy ebbed due to the fact they were playing new stuff. The “Blood For the Master '' and “Constricting Rage of the Merciless” albums were also pulled from more heavily to flesh out the 12 song set listl, but every album was represented. If you are a fan of this band, they had something for you. Even if you are just a fan of heavy, they displayed their ability to win you over. Given the nature of what EYEHATEGOD does their was a crusty punk element in attendance that made up perhaps forty percent of the crowd and they too were won over by the energy that Goatwhore brought with their cranked up fury . 

EYEHATEGOD casually took the stage. It took a song and a half for them to get warmed up and dialed into the kind of performance you expect from these guys. Even front man Mike Williams joked about this fact saying that they were not as professional as Goatwhore. The swampy New Orleans signature to their sound was firmly in place with the crusty riffs grinding out a Sabbath like lumber that prevailed more than the punk shifts into more up-tempo thrashing . The crowd was there for it and the pit, while not as fierce as what exploded during Goatwhore’s set , kept it moving and people were drinking more and having fun. Mike Williams middle finger attitude exemplifies punk, and even though they are more of a metal band, even to the extent they are commonly thought as the creators of sludge. His don’t give a fuck attitude that finds him joking about what are today thought of sensitive issues like suicide , is what today’s climate in heavy music needs more of. This carried over into the overall energy of their performance to show how they have held such a long lasting place in music, as they bridge genres in more ways than one.

Metallica : "72 Seasons"

 

As someone who bought "Master of Puppets" on cassette when it came out 38 years ago, you might think my expectations are high for their 11th album. The truth is I am pretty indifferent. It would be nice if they put out an album that kicked ass, but I am not about to get my hopes up for that as I have had to endure 5 albums that were disappointments. This puts them at 5 to 5 in terms of albums that rocked vs albums that range from Luke-warm to outright sucked so this is a tiebreaker. The opening track seemed like they were trying to dial their sound back in so I gave it another listen with headphones, and this is the best they have sounded in some time. To you average Joe who listens to rock radio, Metallica seems like metal, after all they have metal in their name. To an avid metalhead, not so much, the last album I reviewed was Cattle Decapitation if you need a point of reference. The title track that opens the album is metal. It has aggression to it even if it lacks the fire it had in 1986, is at least going at it as hard as they did on the "Black Album". In fact, consciously try harder to remember who they were, which I can respect. 

By the punches leading into the second song, I am beginning to think this will be an album that pleases the average Metallica fan. If they are a hard-core fan of the band who likes all ten of their last album's that is also going to be a very low bar. They emulate their past pretty hard, but it still works. "Screaming Suicide" feels more like up-tempo rock than metal to my ears but is a decent enough song. They remember who they were to the point of recycling as "Sleepwalk My Life Away" feels almost too much like "Enter Sandman" . Lyrically they are even similar. The chorus to the song pretty much saves it from being a carbon copy. The more deliberate stomp to "You Must Burn!" works well even if the lyrics feel dialed in. "Lux Aeturna" did not wow me when it first came out and I am not any more impressed with it now. It feels more like Motley Crue riff wise. "Crown of Barbed Wire' is pound for pound a better song, even though it is not the band at their most inspired. 

"Chasing Light' works for me and feels like a good balance of what I want from the band in 2023. The guitar solos on this album are not game changing or going to blow anyone's mind, but they work. "If Darkness Had a Son" is about the most Metallica sounding thing they have done since "the Black Album" but it is also very "Sad But True" . "Too Far Gone" is not the first time it has felt weird for these guys to crank out a riff that sounds like Megadeth, it might have been the last album where I heard it and it was weird then too. I think they feel this sounds more like "Kill'em All". What would sound more like old Metallica is if the bass was more present in the mix. "Room of Mirrors" feels both too rock n roll and in terms of tempo rushed. Trying to thrash , rather than it being the natural flow of the song. If that is the worst offense, the we have heard these guys do plenty worse. 

The last song is a sprawling 11 minutes. It moves at a slower more powerful pace. Not as dark as "the Thing That Should Not Be", but a mood I can relate to more than some of these jock jams. James' voice has come a long way and at almost 60 has held up pretty well. Getting sober helped, I am sure. Five minutes in things get jammy. They get props for skipping the power ballads, so, understandably, things get more melodic in a Tool-like breakdown. Though at 11 minutes they do not go into any Iron Maiden-like prog aside from a few guitar harmonies here and there.  Overall this is better than I expected going into it, but I gotta round it down to a 9, as some recycling and clock are punching, to keep it from being perfect, if you are a Metallica fan and wish the "Black Album' was more metal and power ballad free then this album is for you. 

Cattle Decapitation : "Terrasite"

I have covered a lot of death metal albums, and normally I would be reluctant to jump into another one, but these guys are such kings at what they do , when they decide to drop their 10th album , I am more than willing to give a listen as it is not going to be the same old same old. They have in many ways picked up where they left off on "Death Atlas" . However the band believes they have taken a 180 turn. The main difference I can hear is the guitars have a more deliberate thrashing to their grooves. Things are not as blinding fast , but the riffs retain the razor-sharp aggression , but also well constructed and hooky. The more sung vocals also come into play to give the songs more melodic depth than your average band engaging in this brand of heaviness is able to conjure on snarls alone. They do not lean into speed and brutality until "Scourge of the Offspring". Even then it is balanced with varied dynamic elements in play. 

The drummer continues to pound with unbridled insanity on this album, and is one of the best metal drummers in the game. There is more of a traditional death metal sound in play on "the Insignificants". I like the varied vocal colors on this song. It winds up in a more melodic place than expected. 'the Storm Upstairs" starts with a pretty powerful groove, then things go more In Flames with it. It winds around this garden of grinding riffage that finds them in hard core like breakdowns. "...And the World Will Continue to Go On Without You" is an excellent song title that sums up a great deal of the thematic mood to this album. I can appreciate this. The song itself is more ingrained in death metal. The sung refrain of the chorus is a very effective use of cleaner vocals. 

They take their mission of groove more seriously on "A Photic Doom" . Only two minutes into the song and they win me over. They have just gone above and beyond with the execution and arrangements on this album. They do not compromise on aggression yet the songs feel a little accessible to a wider metal audience here. "Solastalgia" is the first song where they really pour on the speed and use it as their weapon of choice. They back off from this in places and use atmosphere to bring more mood, but the emphasis is placed on heavy more often than not. The last song is more sprawling in it's ten minutes. Sonically impressive in terms of where they do, the song writing does not feel like it finds the same level of focus found on the rest of the album until midway in. Despite this I will give this album a 9.5 , as it edges out their previous song, proving these guys can take it to the next level in terms of songwriting. It drops May 12th on Metal Blade.