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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2018 14:23:47 GMT -5
Trenchmouth – Vs. the Light of the Sun (1994, East West) No full-album streaming online – songs linked where available. Who They Were: A quartet formed in Chicago in 1988 that would put out two early-‘90s albums in on the small but influential Skene! punk label (distributor of albums by Green Day, Jawbreaker, and Lifter Puller). Artistically restless, the band would gain a reputation for flitting wildly between genres including hardcore, post-punk, reggae, and funk. How They Got on a Major Label: Likely the presence of producer Brad Wood, who had also recorded Trenchmouth’s second album. Wood was increasing in renown at the time among the music industry, particularly from his production work on Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville and Veruca Salt’s American Thighs. 1. Washington! Washington! Drummer Fred Armisen (yes, that Armisen from TV comedy) leads a rousing post-punk fight song with singer Damon Locks doing an unfortunate imitation of the “nah-nah-nah” section of “Welcome to the Jungle”. 2. A Prescription Written in a Different LanguagePere Ubu vocals over a queasy bed of oscillating bass and spiky guitar. Somewhat recalls what Fugazi were doing around this time. 3. Here Come The Automata Locks’ purple singing and lyrics work better here on a hardcore track featuring impressive, propulsive bass and drum fills. 4. How I Became InvincibleMore Gang of Four-style guitar splatter. Strangely, the singer’s speaking voice, which he employs here, is far more tonally charismatic and interesting from a musical perspective. 5. Set The Oven at 400Clever percussion, including maracas, and complex bass work once again partially redeem a tuneless post-punk retread. 6. Saw a Ghost A scrambled, misconceived track on which the production on the guitar is annoyingly thin. Mercifully ends before the two-minute mark. 7. The Effects of Radiation8. Doing The FlammabilityStodgy, meandering scribbles from the band; even a notably dexterous combination of snare and cowbell can’t save the latter. 9. A Man Without LungsDubby quasi-ballad that attempts a memorable melody for the first time on the album. Musically dynamic enough to justify the six minute length. 10. Bricks Should Have Wings Painfully self-indulgent vocals mar a decent if low-energy closer. Final Thoughts: An inspired rhythm section in search of a band, Trenchmouth severely front-loaded this record—there’s really not much that’s worth the listen after the first three tracks. Armisen and bassist Wayne Montana do their best to hold the contraption together but they can’t do much to quell one-dimensional guitar work and not-as-clever-as-he-thinks vocals. For noise-rock diehards only. So, How “Weird” Is It?: The band came about ten years too early, as they likely would have found purchase in the post-punk-influenced scene of the mid-2000s (think Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party). However, the dearth of hooks and standout melodies probably would have limited this album to cult status in any era. Best Track: "A Man Without Lungs" Worst Track: "Saw a Ghost" What Was Next For This Band: The band would release one more album for Skene!, 1996’s dub exercise The Broadcasting System, before breaking up. Armisen would go on to fame from TV shows including SNL and Portlandia; during a 2014 Q&A session, he reflected on the band’s dissolution, noting that “as weirder and weirder bands started passing Trenchmouth by, we started to see the writing on the wall.” Up Next: A late-period offering from Cali punks Flipper on American Grafishy
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 14:43:56 GMT -5
Flipper - American Grafishy (1993, Def American) Full album playlistWho They Were: A punk four-piece formed in San Francisco in 1979, featuring two bass players (possibly the first group to employ that frequent trope of bands on this list). Differing from their American hardcore contemporaries by being sonically, rather than thematically, antagonistic, the band played a uniquely sludgy, repetitive version of punk across three albums for the small Subterranean label. In 1987, bassist/co-vocalist Will Shatter died of a drug overdose, leaving band member Bruce Lose to handle vocal duties from then on. How They Got on a Major Label: In the early ‘90s, producer and Flipper fan Rick Rubin decided to reissue the group’s ‘80s output on the label that he co-owned with Henry Rollins, Infinite Zero. As part of the deal, Rubin offered Flipper’s then-lineup a chance to cut a new record on his Def American imprint, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Though a longtime admirer of the band’s ‘80s output, I’ve never heard the group’s post-Will Shatter material, so let’s rectify that. If nothing else, this prompted me to revisit Album: Generic Flipper (still great). 1. Someday Lethargically paced three-chord sludge-punk, slightly redeemed by Bruce Lose’s vocals. The guitar work is disappointingly straightforward and atavistically played as compared to the freakouts of the previous decade. Not an auspicious opener. 2. Flipper Twist As the title suggests, a cheeky attempt at a novelty dance tune. Seriously, the chorus is “Oh-oh-oh/The Flipper Twist is in my soul”. Nonetheless, a better effort than the lead-off tune, with capable singing (despite some beyond-lazy rhymes) and the guitar retains some of the old ‘80s fire. 3. May The Truth Be Known Underproduced (except for the bass, strangely) with flattened guitar and poorly mic’ed drums. 4. We’re Not Crazy And now the bass is badly mixed; the erratic recording is bizarre coming from this band, which spun gold from lo-fi means on their self-produced ‘80s albums. Forgettable chants and unearned vamping at the end make for a sadly underwhelming stab at a hardcore anthem. 5. Fucked Up Once Again Roughly the same arrangement as “Someday”. A painfully circuitous track that goes nowhere over the course of five and a half minutes. 6. Exist or Else Anemic attempt at a mosh-pit destroyer that shamelessly plunders the legacy of deceased band member Will Shatter—the song is a virtual carbon copy of his composition “Life” from the band’s debut. Another punishing listen at over five minutes. 7. Distant Illusion Plodding, completely unmemorable. You can almost hear the band running out of gas in real time, particularly Bruce Lose on vocals who, despite some early promise, is dragged down to his bandmates’ level by this point on the album. 8. Telephone Nauseatingly insipid lyrics literally about talking on the phone over barely-there, three-chord vapidity that’s indistinguishable from at least three preceding tracks. 9. It Pays To Know Awkward time waster. If the group devoted more than two or three takes in laying this drivel to tape, they sadly missed the point of this cash-grab effort. 10. Full Speed Ahead Miserably poor lyrics (“Full speed ahead/that’s all he wan-TED”) on a thoroughly deflated-sounding rocker. An appropriate end to a 42-minute record that’s at least 20 minutes too long. Final Thoughts: A textbook example of a band that should have hung it up years prior, cashing in on its early cred with a major label all too eager to participate in the travesty. Little about this album is inspired or even sounds energized, save new blood John Dougherty’s bass parts. Probably the most dispiriting listen so far on this feature (yes, even worse than Butt Trumpet). So, How “Weird” Is It?: As a frequently cited influence on the grunge scene with their early hardcore-metal stew (as well as being punks-among-the-punks), Flipper—unlike many signings on this list by the adventurous American Recordings label—actually had a reputation to squander in the ‘90s. So, it might’ve seemed like a good bet on paper to sign these lauded antagonists to attract curious alterna-kids. But, presumably, most of them eventually passed on this hollow shell of the once-great band. Best Track: “Flipper Twist” Worst Track: “Telephone” What Was Next For This Band: Dougherty, Will Shatter’s replacement, would himself succumb to an overdose not long after the release of American Grafishy. A late ‘90s court case put the availability of Flipper’s discography in legal limbo, with Rubin retaining the rights to the music while the Subterranean label was afforded the ability to reissue the ‘80s material. During this time, the band would go into hibernation. In 2006, the band recruited Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic on bass and cut a new album with him, 2009’s self-released Love. For two San Francisco reunion shows in 2015, David Yow of fellow listees Jesus Lizard joined on vocals, replacing Bruce Lose who had retired due to health problems. Up Next: Stag, the third and final album of Melvins’ tenure with the majors
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 13:29:00 GMT -5
Melvins – Stag (1996, Atlantic) Full albumWho They Were: A trio formed in 1983 in Montesano, WA by Buzz Osbourne (vocals/guitar) and two of his high school friends, including Matt Lukin who would go on to found Mudhoney. After moving to Aberdeen, WA, the original drummer was replaced by Dale Crover. While in Aberdeen, Osbourne introduced Kurt Cobain (who had roadied for the band) and Krist Novoselic to Dave Grohl. Osbourne and Crover would then move to San Francisco and go through a series of bass players while releasing four full-lengths on Bay Area independent labels. In 1992, the band signed a three-album contract with Atlantic Records, where they delivered the albums Houdini and Stoner Witch. How They Got on a Major Label: Kurt Cobain’s manager, Danny Goldberg, was also the president of Atlantic. After Nirvana blew up commercially, Cobain pressured Goldberg to sign Melvins with a contract containing then-unheard of creative freedom: no label staff would have oversight over the band’s recording sessions and the label had to distribute whatever the group turned in or, failing that, release the band from their contractual obligations. Probably the strangest and most diverse record of Melvins’ sprawling discography. This is going to be a fun one to revisit. 1. The Bit Slinks out of the gate with a sitar that morphs into guitar chords, all before settling into one of the band’s best obsidian riff-ravagers. 2. Hide Short, palette-cleansing instrumental, a clear signal for listeners to expect the band in experimental mode this go-around. 3. Bar-X-The Rocking M Amazingly, this was released as the album’s single despite its abrasive, freeform horn part. Nonetheless, I could listen to this bizarre amalgamation of metal guitar, trombone, piano, turntablist scratches, and studio phasing on repeat. 4. Yacobs Lab Dark ambient passage presaging the band’s work with electronic musician Lustmord. 5. The Bloat Bassist Mark Deutrom takes up the slide guitar on this blues-metal exercise. Deutrom, who founded the group’s early label Alchemy, is a talented multi-instrumentalist who had co-writing credits on many songs on this record. He left Melvins in 1998 to pursue other opportunities, including playing with Sunn O))). 6. Tipping the Lion 7. Black Bock Rockers who came to the party with the previous Atlantic albums must have been totally baffled by this point in the record, but these detours are both winners. On the first track, Osbourne alternates between atypically winsome vocals and his usual bellows on a killer tune, featuring processed keys and bass. The second is a lilting jangle-pop number that almost could have come from a Go-Betweens record. 8. Goggles Returning to the sludgy doom marathons on which they made their name, with effectively ominous chanted vocals. Produced by Alex Newport of previous entry Fudge Tunnel. 9. Soup For real rockers, man, like “Elliot J” who dictates in the Youtube comments, “Hey, idiots who dislike this, I don’t go over to your Nana Mouskouri videos and dislike them!”. 10. Buck Owens Unclear what it has to do with the Bakersfield Sound legend, but an expertly deployed bit of slashing stoner metal. 11. Sterilized 12. Lacrimosa A descent-into-hell two-parter; its atmospheric scorched-earth sonics are hair-raising. 13. Skin Horse The band flexes an effortless melodic prowess, pulling the rug out from under a power-chord rocker halfway through in favor of a chipmunk-voiced lullaby. More interesting ideas in five minutes than most of their contemporaries achieved in a full album. 14. Captain Pungent 15. Berthas Kaleidoscopically-produced riff monsters. 16. Cottonmouth The album finishes off with a slightly too on-the-nose hobo-blues scribble, but it's fun nonetheless. Final Thoughts: In the waning days of the grunge sound, Melvins decisively announced that they would not be relegated to a calcified “godfathers” role with this wildly diverse release, kicking off the rewardingly strange second half of the band’s career. Highly recommended for those who admire the narrative of dirty rock boys taking advantage of a major label’s studio largesse to pin down every funny sound rattling around in their heads. So, How “Weird” Is It?: No marketable single, that’s for sure. Nonetheless, the album’s post-rockish deconstructive spirit has aged very well and I’m betting it was a steady seller over the years in Atlantic’s back catalog. Best Track: “Sterilized”/”Lacrimosa” Worst Track: “Cottonmouth” What Was Next For This Band: The band and Atlantic parted ways in 1997 (Osbourne asked to be dropped by the label in an answering machine message to their office). Continuing to rotate through bassists, the group recorded for a series of independent labels, including Ipecac (founded by Mike Patton of Mr. Bungle). In 2006, the band combined with rock duo Big Business to become a quartet. Currently, the group plays with Jeff Pinkus of fellow listee Butthole Surfers. In 2016, Jack White’s Third Man Records bought the rights to and rereleased the band’s three major label albums. Up Next: Avant-garde supergroup God with Possession
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repulsionist
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Post by repulsionist on Jan 8, 2019 15:47:23 GMT -5
Great reviews for Flipper and Melvins. The Melvins' review reflects your appreciation for the varieties of sludge, all evident on this record - which I hadn't listened to until now. As a mostly classicist I prefer Bullhead. The diversity of sounds makes like some forerunner to Fantomas. As for your next list item, I owned that record when it came out. It was an important adjunct to Godflesh and John Zorn that me and my pals at University of Florida grasped for as the most "out there".
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2019 14:33:59 GMT -5
God – Possession (1992, Virgin) Full albumWho They Were: Producer/tenor saxophonist Kevin Martin and guitarist Shaun Rogan were contacted in 1987 by Fall frontman Mark E. Smith asking for a submission to a compilation he was curating. Needing a name for their duo, they settled on God. Martin’s day job at the time was running London’s Mule Club, where he came to know a frequent performer, guitarist Justin Broadrick (formerly of listee Napalm Death and then playing in the grindcore group Godflesh). Broadrick and others joined God’s roster with the lineup eventually ballooning to nine, featuring multiple horn players, two bassists, and two drummers. God cut two releases, an EP and a live album, before signing with Virgin in 1992. How They Got on a Major Label: Hard to say, but Virgin possibly took a chance on the group attracting notice since it contained members of virtually every British avant-rock band of the ‘70s and ‘80s (AMM, Henry Cow, A.R. Kane, Skullflower, etc.). The Youtube upload for this album features the promising genre description “Brutal Prog”—let’s hope its confrontation comes more in the form of Starless and Bible Black than Tales of Topographic Oceans .
1. Pretty 2. Fucked 3. Return to Hell 4. Soul Fire 5. Hate Meditation 6. Lord, I’m On My Way 7. Love 8. Black Jesus Final Thoughts: Could be considered next-level post-punk in its crushingly heavy mélange of industrial, free jazz, and dub. Nonetheless, the cocktail goes down well enough, depending on your tolerance for horn and woodwind skronk and Whitehouse-style shouted single words. A bleak guitar grind underpins everything, but, despite the apocalyptic nature of the music, the nine-piece’s enjoyment at playing together shines through. Highlights: the twin bass outro to “Fucked”, the amusing dance-rock beats and rap-singing of “Hate Meditation”. So, How “Weird” Is It?: Almost comedic in its anti-commerciality for 1992. Beyond the minimalist vocals and uncompromising musicianship, the icy, desaturated production from Kevin Martin is miles away from Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Best Track: “Fucked” Worst Track: “Love” What Was Next For This Band: The following two years saw more releases from God, a live album (1993’s Consumed) and a studio full-length (1994’s The Anatomy of Addiction). After the release of that studio album, the band split up. Martin and Broadrick continued to work together as the Techno Animal project. Each one has stayed busy to date, with Broadrick continuing Godflesh as well as founding the Jesu project, while Martin is an in-demand producer and releases music through groups The Bug and King Midas Sound. Drummer Lou Ciccotelli would go on to join the trip-hop group Laika. Up Next: Noisy Seattle scenesters Tad with Infrared Riding Hood
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2019 17:45:20 GMT -5
Tad - Infrared Riding Hood (1995, East West/Elektra) Full albumWho They Were: Formed in 1988 by singer/guitarist Tad Doyle, who enlisted friends to create a quartet. The band quickly landed a deal with Sub Pop and worked with a who’s-who of rock producers for their first three releases: Steve Albini, Butch Vig, and Jack Endino. In 1992, the group was offered their first major-label contract with Giant Records, a Warner Brothers affiliate, and the group cut its third album, Inhaler, produced by J. Mascis. However, the band was dropped from the label owing to a trumped-up controversy of a concert poster depicting a cartoon Bill Clinton smoking a joint. The band then moved to another Warners subgroup, East West. How They Got on a Major Label: The group had lingering notoriety as veterans of the Seattle scene, including their stint opening for Soundgarden on its 1994 tour. 1. Ictus “You couldn’t sell me out,” throws down Tad Doyle on the chorus, the one sweetened element of an otherwise pummeling mix of sandpaper guitars and ostentatious drum fills—the lyrics are clever and sadly portentous (see “What Was Next”) on the dual meaning of “sell out” on this harsher-end-of-grunge opener. 2. Bullhorn On this record, Doyle’s vocals are earnest but don’t much stand out among his alt-rock contemporaries. Nonetheless, this is a compelling track with another soaring chorus over a basic, if effective, stoner metal workout. 3. Thistle Suit Though not a household name like Albini and Vig, album producer Jack Endino was key to the Seattle sound, having recorded the debuts of Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Screaming Trees. This track is a good example of his style: clean, immediate sound with a minimum of effects. 4. Emotional Cockroach Melvins-nicking sludge that sounds unfortunately pedestrian in the year Buzzo & Co. were greatly expanding their palette with Stoner Witch. 5. Red Eye Angel A pathetically slight, ham-fisted pop-rocker, mercifully running out at just over 2 minutes. 6. Bludge Things pick up a little from the last two disasters with slashing guitars, unexpectedly nimble bass work, and capable harmonizing. A solid track. 7. Dementia Bounces along with sparkling guitars, fleet drumming, and sweet verses, yet it would have stalled out on the radio charts for the simple lack of anything at all distinctive for 1995. Aptly represents the unconvincing balance, comprising so much of this album, between pop licks and underground grime. 8. Weakling A welcome bit of sonic diversity on this suite of riff slabs with a backwoods swamp-rock (by way of Washington) feel on the vocals. 9. Halcyon Nights Smoothie grunge that’s the radio hit—easily digestible fuzz and a yearning chorus that would be nowhere more appropriate-sounding than oozing out of factory speakers on the way to the pool one summer afternoon. 10. Particle Accelerator The scuzziest and most overtly Sub Pop-esque track, harking back to when the band opened for Nirvana on the Bleach tour. Would scratch the itch of true grunge classicists, I assume. 11. Tool Marks Another sludge exercise in which the band compares poorly to its stylistic peers—Tad really have nothing to add to the conversation. Also, the production comes off too bright and lacking in requisite crud here. 12. Mystery Copter The band engages in some theatrics, alternating between slacker alt-rock and metal riffs/screaming before descending into cacophony and then a haunting studio noise suite. A bit of playfulness from a largely by-the-numbers group. Final Thoughts: Largely solid, thoroughly unremarkable. No track works 100% but none (save the horrid “Red Eye Angel”) is an out-and-out failure. Too often, though, a sense of formula sticks out like a sore thumb, with a forced-sounding pop chorus tacked on to uneager-to-please punk-metal, giving the songs an awkward wobble. Overall, there’s a timidity that strips the music of power and aggression. So, How “Weird” Is It?: Only weird as an example of a major label shaking loose the last pennies from the Seattle explosion, in this case with a band of survivors who couldn’t be less equipped to write a chartbuster. Best Track: “Particle Accelerator” Worst Track: “Red Eye Angel” What Was Next For This Band: According to Wikipedia, sales of Infrared Riding Hood were disappointing, with East West/Elektra making a poor showing of promotion and distribution. Then, just a month after the release of the album, East West fired the band’s A&R rep, automatically causing Tad and several other bands to be released from their contracts. Understandably discouraged from their two star-crossed experiences with the majors, Tad would release only one more single before breaking up in 1999. The group has reformed only once since for a show commemorating Sub Pop’s 25th anniversary in 2013. Up Next: Death metal first-comers Morbid Angel with Domination
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repulsionist
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Post by repulsionist on Feb 24, 2019 19:09:25 GMT -5
pantsgoblin, excellent assessment of GOD. That Possession album served up some dark moments for me ca. Northern hemisphere summer of 1992. Looking back and listening now I'm glad I don't seek this type of listening experience out anymore. Some Masada, occasionally. Definitely Tzadik. A bit of Godflesh for ol' times' sake. Why yes, I do recall I ran through the NWW List (starting 5 years ago and ending nearly 3 years ago), but that was for the "likes". Uh, I may have to rethink my relationship to this dopamine machine of ever-loving grace when things I'm interested in retrieve so little of its purpose. Anyway...great, thorough reviews. Tad Doyle, you might be interested to know given your accurate synthesis of Endino, now runs a studio of his own. I bet I walked past that guy and didn't even recognise him between 2004 and 2010, when I went to shows in Seattle. I loved 8-Way Santa for about a week after I bought it in 1991. I got it for the cover. Little did I know that the bonus Peter Bagge drawing would set the stage for my appreciating Hate some many years later when I got around to reading it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2019 11:26:31 GMT -5
Morbid Angel – Domination (1995, Warner Brothers) Full albumWho They Were: Formed in Tampa in 1983 by guitarist Trey Azagthoth. The group’s first full-length, 1989’s Altars of Madness, is considered by some to be the original death metal album. Morbid Angel would tour extensively for the next two years, gaining a following, and then release their sophomore album in 1991. The following year, they would become the first death metal act to sign with a major label by entering a contract with Giant (a subgroup of Warner Brothers) for one album with the option of five more. Giant’s gamble paid off when the band's major-label debut, 1993’s Covenant, became the highest-selling extreme metal record to date, selling over 150,000 copies. Guitarist Erik Rutan joined the band before the recording of Domination. How They Got on a Major Label: Powerful music executive Irving Azoff saw something in them and pressured Warner Brothers to take the band on. For my last extreme metal entry in this feature, I’m listening to a band that was reportedly vaunted for its ability to combine complex musicianship and notable brutality. The metal entries have been the some of the most eye-opening for me, as I don’t listen to much of the genre, so let’s hope we finish strong with Domination .
Trivia: Originally, this album was to be sold along with a “slime pack” to commemorate the single “Where the Slime Live.” That plan was aborted when some of the packs leaked in a warehouse and the substance was determined to be toxic. 1. Dominate High-end, saturated production for a genre I usually associate with grotty tapes. However, there’s an odd stylistic choice, production-wise, with the isolated-sounding recording on the double kick-drums, and it won’t be the first time it’s encountered on this record. It sounds uncannily like the churning of a helicopter’s blades and is quite distracting on an otherwise on-point metal rager. Was this something common to death metal or indicative of a producer who didn’t quite know how to record it? 2. Where the Slime Live As noted above, the single from this record—the video for it indicates that the single release was edited down to four minutes from the original length. Kind of a sludgy, low-energy song to pick as the promotional track and the gurgly effects on David Vincent’s vocals are gilding the lily for a performer who can already deliver the death metal bile perfectly well. 3. Eyes to See…Ears to Hear Fun twin guitar attack, almost bluesy at times and with the most substantial soloing on the record. 4. Melting Ominous interlude. A sound engineer named Bill Kennedy is listed as co-producer on this record and, while I can’t say I understand all of his stylistic choices, he does nice work with some of the atmospherics. Kennedy, who died in 2012, worked with a slew of notable performers but in obits was most often recognized for his efforts with Nine Inch Nails. 5. Nothing to Fear More of the distracting helicopter kick-drums on the first half of the song, but then the band switches up the arrangement to something that almost swings rather than grinds. Also, the only mention of Satan and his enterprises on the record that I can tell. 6. Dawn of the Angry Aw, woke up angry? A toasted onion bagel will fix that. Despite the stilted lyrics, this is my favorite deathgrind workout found on the album, a nimble suite of breakdowns and elementally simple metal guitar. 7. This Means War More cleanly laid to tape death metal histrionics, which lends the sense of a guitar band playing along to a paint can shaker in a hardware store. I’ll more clearly elaborate why this is not a good thing in the “Final Thoughts” section. 8. Caesar’s Palace OK, was not expecting the synth-chimes opening this one, interspersed with clean power-metal guitar lines and studio effects. The second half of this album gives the impression of a band pressing out against the confines of 1995-era death metal in search of more sonic and lyrical pursuits, and no track more so than this one. 9. Dreaming Cheap-sounding synths on an instrumental interlude that would be vaunted nowadays had it been released on a console game in 1995 and not a major label album. 10. Inquisition (Burn with Me) Someone here, probably repulsionist, talked about the band’s home state Florida as a wellspring of this sort of metal as a reaction to billboard Christianity endemic to the area. This one, as with much of the album, tiptoes in that direction without making any overt statement, which I assume was due to major-label oversight in the sanctimonious mid-90s. 11. Hatework Dumb faux-symphonic time-waster. Final Thoughts: Pretty much confirms that a death metal act should not have been afforded major label production in the high-end, go-go ‘90s. Music like this needs shitty recording to affirm its underdog status; otherwise, you get this: an intermittently impressive effort but too often a band spun in circles with studio possibility. It’s admirable that the band tried to use its unique opportunity in the majors as a proving ground for new metal directions, but ultimately little of the end products work here. So, How “Weird” Is It?: I can’t fathom how anyone thought there were commercial prospects for a sonically unwieldy album with a weak single and a hideously bright cover, but it happened anyway. Maybe commenters more knowledgeable about the ‘90s metal economy can fill in some blanks for me. Best Track: “Dawn of the Angry” Worst Track: “Dreaming” What Was Next For This Band: Despite Domination selling around 100,000 copies, Giant dropped Morbid Angel from its lineup in 1995 (they were always an odd fit for the label, which focused more on Top 40 and R&B). Bassist/vocalist David Vincent departed the group in 1996; like his replacement, Steve Tucker, he would have on-again, off-again relationship with the band in ensuing years. In 1997, Erik Rutan formed sister death metal act Hate Eternal. Morbid Angel has continued to record for independent labels, with their latest release from 2017. Up Next: Deaner and Gener’s pitch-shifted carnival moves to the majors with Ween’s Pure Guava
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repulsionist
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Post by repulsionist on Mar 3, 2019 22:00:36 GMT -5
pantsgoblin , yeah, it was me talking about billboards in Florida and how they skew to Fundamentalist Christian propaganda or ambulance chasing. I never owned this record. I only saw venues days after this band was there in Florida (ca. early 90s). I've driven by Mirrorsound Studios rubbernecking to see who might be around skulking in their cargo shorts and metal shirts. I caught up with this band during my plunder of metal starting in 2000 and ending 2010. I purposely bought Covenant and Altars of Madness. I like those records. This I remember seeing in stores with its slime sleeve. I remember its presence in used record stores having a higher price because its 10-year-old slime had not been violated. Will you have a summary at the end of this to reflect on what you've learned? EDIT: I listened to a few tracks of Domination. My hot take would be: Oh, the hair metal production of a leathery death metal band! Interesting...
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Post by Rainbow Rosa on Mar 4, 2019 15:31:49 GMT -5
Pure! Guava! Pure! Guava!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2019 17:51:08 GMT -5
Will you have a summary at the end of this to reflect on what you've learned? Yeah, probably.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2019 18:03:56 GMT -5
Ween – Pure Guava (1992, Elektra) Full album playlistWho They Were: Childhood friends Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo formed Ween as a high school band in 1984 in New Hope, PA. Adopting the stage names Gene and Dean Ween, the duo found early success opening for touring acts in the tri-state area including Henry Rollins Band, They Might Be Giants, and fellow listees Butthole Surfers. In 1990, the band signed with indie label Twin/Tone Records and cut two albums, 1990’s GodWeenSatan: The Oneness and 1991’s The Pod. How They Got on a Major Label: Somehow catching the ear of higher-ups at Elektra via the dumbfoundingly lo-fi The Pod. Memorably described by our own Rainbow Rosa as “the one Ween album even I have no defense for,” Pure Guava kept Ween’s absurdist four-track spirit alive even at a major label. That said, I haven’t pulled out Guava in years—time to see if it holds up. 1. Little Birdy The band delivers one of its best stoner laments while setting the table with maddeningly out-of-tune guitars, cartoony pitched-shifted vocals, and total disregard for playing in time. 2. Tender Situation Politely notifies listeners that it’s time to jump ship if they’re not on board for a nearly 4-minute, difficult-shit-themed lo-fi funk workout. 3. The Stallion Pt. 3 Along with “Don’t Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy),” the obligatory (for a Ween record) fey prog goof. Not bad, but among the “Stallion” pentalogy, this one isn’t is wonderfully over-the-top as Parts 1 and 2, nor as musically accomplished as Part 4. 4. Big Jilm Apparently based on a sales rep at Dean’s father’s dealership. 5. Push Th’ Little Daisies Probably the only reason why Elektra stood by this band for subsequent albums, as this one got in frequent rotation on MTV’s 120 Minutes and even cracked the Top 20 in Australia. Pricelessly adenoidal vocals on a pathetic love tune, one of Gene’s most lasting compositions. 6. The Goin’ Gets Tough from the Getgo 7. Reggaejunkiejew The humor starts to curdle on the pair of tracks that kick off the rough middle section of the album. The first features the duo chanting their vocals (including vocal affectations that could generously be considered “funny” and not “gay stereotype”) over a bed of bass and drum machine. The latter is a beyond-chintzy approximation of dub reggae highlighting Dean’s anti-Trustafarian rants. 8. I Play It Off Legit Throwback to the narcotized, spoken-word minimalism of The Pod. 9. Pumpin’ 4 the Man Those not predisposed to the Ween métier will run away screaming from this, a cringe-worthy combination of some of the band’s worst impulses including irritating cutesiness, a cartoonish vision of the working class, and homophobia. 10. Sarah The band pulls this trick on almost every one of their albums, following up the most abrasive track with the sweetest ballad. 11. Springtheme Somewhat forgettable, chipmunk-voiced sex jam. 12. Flies on My Dick A member of band side project, The Moistboyz, joins the duo on a track that’s minimalist and ramshackle even by the standards of this album. 13. I Saw Gener Cryin’ in His Sleep 14. Touch My Tooter Lively Tin Pan Alley singalong and then a sloppy, “Beast of Burden”-quoting blues raver. For whatever reason, Dean doesn’t highlight his guitar skills much on this record, instead generally letting the drum machines carry the tunes, so these tracks are a welcome bit of instrumental frippery. 15. Mourning Glory In which the band hides a lilting melody in a five-minute power-electronics track where Gene rambles about smoking pumpkins or something. 16. Loving U thru It All Palate-cleanser ballad. 17. Hey Fat Boy (Asshole) Two minutes of shouting in a semi-offensive accent at someone who wronged them over a bed of rubbery bass and farting drum machines. A Ween track. 18. Don’t Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy) Kind of an uncharacteristically lifeless prog parody, something the band usually nails. 19. Poop Ship Destroyer A song that’s now famous among the Ween faithful for the 26-minute version found on their first live compilation. It was recorded at the Blue Note in Columbia, MO, a club I used to frequent—the story I heard from the regulars was that the absurd length was out of spite for the owner asking them to wrap up the show before they wanted to. Toward the end, he was screaming at the band that they’d never play Columbia again. Final Thoughts: Not the best Ween effort even in their 4-track period (that they’d wisely abandon by their next album), lacking the deceptive polymath-ism of GodWeenSatan and the netherworld surrealism of The Pod. Pure Guava simply suffers from a dearth of tunefulness as compared with the band’s finest albums, which casts some of the more off-color humor in unappealing light. Nonetheless, it’s notable that the band turned in a 19-track effort with no two songs alike at a time when the major labels were attempting to commodify alt-rock groups’ idiosyncrasies. The band retained its stylistic restlessness, setting the stage for their rewarding tenure with Elektra in the ‘90s. So, How “Weird” Is It?: Plenty weird but also one of the band’s cutest albums, a smart ingratiation by the group with the burgeoning alt-rock audience. Best Track: “Mourning Glory” Worst Track: “Pumpin’ 4 the Man” What Was Next For This Band: Ween began to explore higher-budget studio recording with follow-up Chocolate and Cheese. Elektra released their albums through 2000’s White Pepper, after which the band returned to the indie circuit. In 2012, after one of the worst onstage, drug-fueled meltdowns in rock history (the infamous Vancouver concert), Aaron Freeman broke up the band in order to focus on his newfound sobriety. While the duo has played a number of reunion shows in recent years, they’ve made no announcements of the new studio material. Up Next: Jesus Lizard has a brief stopover in the majors with live album Show
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2019 17:45:30 GMT -5
The Jesus Lizard - Show (1994, Warner Brothers) Full albumWho They Were: Founded in Chicago in 1987 by vocalist David Yow and bassist David Sims, formerly of the Austin-based hardcore group Scratch Acid (Sims had also put in time with the outfit Rapeman led by Steve Albini, who would go on to produce all of Jesus Lizard’s studio albums for label Touch and Go). Also including guitarist Duane Denison and drummer Mac McNeilly, the band quickly gained a reputation in the early ‘90s for its raucous albums and live performances. When the major labels came sniffing around, the group reportedly told them they would only sign a million-dollar, one-album contract. How They Got on a Major Label: By accident. According to Allmusic, a Warners Brothers-distributed boutique label was taping a two-week festival put on by CBGB to commemorate the club's 20th anniversary, with the intent to release a live compilation album of the featured acts. The compilation album plan fell through but, owing to reflected glow from the commercial success of Nirvana and vocal fan Kurt Cobain (with whom The Jesus Lizard cut a split 7” in 1992), Warner Brothers offered to release the live recording of JL’s set as a standalone album. With no further commitments outlined in the contract, the band signed off on the plan. 1. Glamorous 2. Deaf as a Bat 3. Seasick 4. Bloody Mary 5. Mistletoe 6. Nub 7. Elegy 8. Killer McHann 9. Dancing Naked Ladies 10. Fly on the Wall 11. Boilermaker 12. Puss 13. Gladiator 14. Wheelchair Epidemic 15. Monkey Trick Final Thoughts: Just as sweaty and hairy as the man gut pictured on the cover but, more importantly, a document of a surgically precise performance by one of the key bands of the era. Though just 45 minutes long owing to the slot on a festival bill, the recording lurches mercilessly from one highly effective splatter-punk assault to another. The recording is uniformly quality as well, making this one of the few overall worthwhile live rock albums of the ‘90s. Highlights: a kinetic mosh-pit rager on “Deaf as a Bat,” the slide guitar-led frenzy of “Nub,” David Yow’s presumably sincere tribute to his parents in attendance on “Elegy.” So, How “Weird” Is It?: While the group was known as a formidable live act, the logic of signing a band for just a live album during the “integrity is everything” early-‘90s is likely the most commercially absurd madness of any contract covered in this feature. But the label’s cluelessness is our gain. Best Track: “Nub” Worst Track: “Boilermaker” What Was Next For This Band: In 1995, with the aura of alt-rock wearing off, the band signed a much more conventional major-label deal with Capitol Records, where they would record their next three releases with famed producers including John Cale, Jim O’Rourke, and Andy Gill of Gang of Four. Nonetheless, Capitol ended up dropping the band mid-contract in 1999, at which point they broke up. Starting in 2008, the group has embarked on multiple reunion tours, but with no plans to record new material. Up Next: Columbus punks Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments with Bait and Switch
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repulsionist
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Post by repulsionist on Mar 11, 2019 16:46:14 GMT -5
The Jesus Lizard put on an incredible live act during the period when this document recorded. I saw them in 1994 (Chapel Hill) and again in 1996 (London). This record is good. I don't own it. I had Head and "Pure" when they released. Many of my friends had Goat. Nice review.
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repulsionist
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Post by repulsionist on Mar 19, 2019 17:48:05 GMT -5
Here's some fun reaffirmation of your research re. Domination. Thanks to you, pantsgoblin, for spurring my YouTube recommendations to unearth this series.
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Post by Albert Fish Taco on Jan 30, 2021 10:59:26 GMT -5
Foetus – Gash (1995, Columbia) No full album streaming – songs linked where available Who They Were: Melbourne-raised, London-based industrial artist J.G. Thirlwell has a discography stretching back to 1981. Thirlwell shifted band names around the word “foetus” with releases from 1981 to 1995 (You’ve Got Foetus on Your Breath, Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel, Foetus Interruptus), at which point he stuck with just that word as his endeavor’s name. Highly prolific, the Foetus project is considered a major influence on the industrial scene of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Thirlwell also collaborated on a pair of albums with punk stalwart Lydia Lunch. How They Got on a Major Label: The multi-platinum success of Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral in 1994 presumably convinced major labels of the market for industrial music, so they went to a guy from whom Trent Reznor borrowed heavily. It turns out Claw Hammer’s Thank The Holder Uppers isn’t available on any streaming site, so as with Trenchmouth, I’ll have to save it for when finances are more accommodating to buying used CDs. The only album I’ve heard of Thirlwell’s output is Nail by Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel. I recall liking its complex industrial clattering and pissed-off worldview. For this, the record sleeve showcases and revels in Sony’s Times Square ad for the album. Is this a sign that Thirlwell got blinded by opulence and went soft on his major-label debut?
1. MortgageAs the title suggests, it’s an adult malaise anthem—it’s pretty funny to hear a guy sneer-singing “I’ve been paying rent too long and the market is gone” over industrial beats where contemporaries were screeching about girls who spurned them. Punishing and quite lengthy for an opener, but ably displays the big-budget production afforded by the majors. 2. Mighty Whity…But you can only take out the DIY-artist so much, what with the cheesy synth-string stings plus needle-in-the-red metal guitars and vocals. 3. Friend or Foe [Unavailable] 4. Hammer FallsPhotosensitivity warning on the linked video. Not bad, but the cultural appropriation levels here are off the charts with the Middle Eastern strings interspersed by what would be considered nu-metal years later. Somewhat redeemed, though, with clever occasional arrangements of horns. 5. DownfallAs with much of the album, too reminiscent to these ears of Gary Numan’s ill-advised forays into industrial-metal. Still, Thirwell screams his heart out. As with “Slung,” features Vinnie Signorelli on drums (of fellow listees Unsane and who would later join Swans). 6. Take It Outside, GodboyCool opening orchestral suite over an apparent preacher-type speaking. Then, Thirlwell lays down the law on proselytizers on a metal platter. Quality if you’re the type that cares about defying churchy-types. 7. VerklemmtJudging by the video, this appears to be the label-approved single from the album (video reportedly directed by Alex Winter of Bill & Ted and Freaked fame). It’s fittingly the most guitar-heavy and rock-oriented of the bunch. And I could easily see the label mandating that misspelling of the German title to help some enthusiastic MTV watchers ask for it at the record store. 8. They Are Not So TrueAh, thanks, back to some cold industrial aesthetics. Everything (organ, strings, synth bells & choir) sounds off-tune but that’s OK because it’s not another proto-nu metal rager. 9. SlungAn 11-minute jazz swing track that I can only imagine was envisioned as a giant “fuck you” to the label. Which is perfectly ironic what with the looming threat of the major label-championed swing revival that would come a couple years later. According to a ‘ zine review of Gash, one of Duke Ellington’s trombonists plays on this song; if that’s true, the only trombone player of Ellington’s band that lived long enough to play here is Britt Woodman. 10. Steal Your Life AwaySome neat dub bass redeems this silly grinder. 11. MutapumpA pileup of sounds (studio-era Biblical movie soundtracks augmented with synth-strings, predominantly) that add up to… 12. See Ya Later [Unavailable] Final Thoughts: So, I listened to 10 of 12 tracks, so I’ll claim that as justification for judging the whole album. It’s obviously the work of an artist who won’t let the boundaries of fashionableness (the cheese of the synth parts) or good taste (saying “n*****” on “Mighty Whity”) prevent him. I really can’t fault this guy for taking his major label contract for all it’s worth, with the swing number and other eccentricities put to tape. So, How “Weird” Is It?: It definitely feels in places like a late ‘90s/early 2000s nu-metal record, just a few years too early. Thirlwell unquestionably would’ve had greater commercial success in that milieu, but I doubt he cares that much. Best Track: “Take It Outside, Godboy” Worst Track: “Steal Your Life Away” What Was Next For This Band: After this album, Thirlwell went back to releasing on indie labels. His last released Foetus album is 2013’s Soak, though he has also branched out into television scoring for the popular animated shows The Venture Bros. and Archer. Up Next: Noted scuzz-rock duo Royal Trux with Sweet Sixteen This was a goody I bought off of hearing on WSOU (the Seaton Hall University radio station). The audio on Take It Outside Godboy in the beginning comes from an interview with Daniel Rakowitz, the East Village Cannibal taking about the time he and his father pulled guns on each other. I think I heard the title was something Homer says to Flanders in some Simpsons ep (I'm sure a good 70% of you could confirm the chapter and verse of which ep, if true).
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Post by pantsgoblin on Jan 30, 2021 13:42:04 GMT -5
This was a goody I bought off of hearing on WSOU (the Seaton Hall University radio station). The audio on Take It Outside Godboy in the beginning comes from an interview with Daniel Rakowitz, the East Village Cannibal taking about the time he and his father pulled guns on each other. I think I heard the title was something Homer says to Flanders in some Simpsons ep (I'm sure a good 70% of you could confirm the chapter and verse of which ep, if true). Thanks for reading and the trivia. It was Chalmers to Flanders in the episode where Ned's Springfield Elementary Principal after Skinner gets fired.
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