Testament

Anthrax and Testament, House Of Blues – Anaheim, January 23, 2012

There was a very compelling reason to make the trek to Downtown Disney this wet Monday night in January. Three, actually and their names were Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel.  While buddy Dave and I got in to see the last song of the opener’s set, the venue was already packed and sweaty and plenty of hair was flying.  Tonight was co-headliners Testament’s turn to take the middle set and as the lights lowered the anticipation rose.  Chuck Billy is as generous as he is imposing and he was all smiles and air guitars throughout the band’s massively powerful set.  One of the architects of the thrash/speed metal genres, Testament laid down charging beats, chugging dual guitars and fast-chanted raspy vocals for opener The Preacher.  Lights flashed along with Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson’s amazing fretwork.  While the safest place to be at the venue was in the upstairs bar, the best place was the front of the crowd pressed up against the photo pit barrier as bodies flew over and fists were raised to yell, scream and sing along to the metal masterpieces.  Billy’s glowing microphone stand was part light saber, part motorcycle handlebar and part muffler pipe, the singer swinging it upside down to play air guitar on it.  Testament’s style of metal is dark and dangerous, yet still focused on dynamics, tempo changes and mind-altering guitar solos.

Yes, Testament played Practice What You Preach and D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), two iconic metal songs that belong in the Bible of Thrash.  Into the Pit was a highlight of the night, the band a whirlwind of energy spinning the audience into a frenzy of flying hair and thrown up metal signs.  Electric Crown is the Testament crossover song, proving that Billy can sing tunefully and the band can do melody along with their brutality.  Testament wrapped up their set with the intense  Disciples of the Watch.  Billy alternated between fast spit vocals and throaty growls, inciting fans to most to the insane beat and red-hot solos.

Anthrax

I’ve seen Anthrax many times throughout their career, and never have they been anything less than amazing.  Their most famous songs invite audience interaction, especially in call and response songs Caught In A Mosh and Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) and I just learned after all these years that Antisocial is from a French band named Trust. Anthrax presented many songs from their new Worship Music disc, featuring the long awaited return of Joey Belladonna, who was in fine voice on this, the second night of their tour with Testament.  They opened with Earth is on Hell and Fight ‘Em ‘Till You Can’t, proving that the band, celebrating their 30th year, still have plenty of fire in them and plenty to prove to the world.  Charlie Benante created a militant beat as well as dropping percussive bombs throughout the venue as the set began.  Caught in a Mosh got the not so young punks on the floor to swinging their knees and elbows.  We chanted along with Belladonna “I ain’t gonna live my life this way/ Cold sweat, my fists are clenching/ Stomp, stomp, stomp, the idiot convention.” Anthrax made Antisocial one of their signature songs decades ago, a call to arms and a theme for acceptance in an intolerable world.  The Devil You Know is one of the catchiest songs on Worship Music, again incited fans to move and yell along, the song full of melodic changes and hackle-rising moments. The band was just warming up as they introduced Indians, still so vital years on, one of the band’s more socially conscious songs.  The pit opened up, heads banged and the crowd roared along with Belladonna “Love the land and fellow man/ Peace is what we strive to have” and “…A flag of many colors is/ What this land is all about.” In the End, the closer on the new album came next.  A dark number as close to mid-tempo as Anthrax get, the song was emotional and epic, with ominous drums and swirling and uplifting guitars. It shows Anthrax are just getting better in the song-writing department and was a glory to experience in a live setting, with the vibrations washing over us.

Exhibiting their humor, Frank Bello’s vibrant bass riff introduced Joe Jackson’s Got The Time, it was a fun two minutes, taking me back to he 1990′s, seeing them on the Persistence of Time tour with Public Enemy and Primus, yet tonight I was shoulder to shoulder, smiling along with fellow fans.  They dusted off Medusa from 1985′s Spreading the Disease, a song owing more to Iron Maiden than anything the band did afterwards, a welcome blast from their youthful past.  More dust was kicked off Metal Thrashing Mad from debut album Fistful of Metal when some of the band were barely out of their teens and Thrash wasn’t yet known.  Belladonna wailed on the high notes (“Whoooooaaaaoooooooyeah” Meeeeeeeeeeeetaaal!”) and the song wouldn’t sound much out of place on the Sunset Strip with Motley Crue and the local hair metal bands of the day.  You don’t have to be a comic book fan to appreciate I Am the Law, but the song is inspired by the future cop anti-hero from the 80′s that is getting a movie remake starring Karl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, RED).  Benante and Bello layed out a swinging rhythm, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano tore through some killer solos, the fans fell on the sweat-soaked pit and vocal chords were ruined chanting the song title. But just when we thought the band was done, Benante slung out a hip-hop beat and Ian chugged into the Hava Nagila riff for a bit of  I Am the Man.  Bello sneered into his microphone the poorly rhymed lyrics, Ian commenting that even after 30 years together, Benante still had to “Watch the Beat”!  Anthrax finished off the night returning to I Am The Law, leaving us tired, sweaty, hoarse, sore and happy to have the chance to experience the might band in such intimate confines. The guys stayed on stage bowing and clapping, taking pictures, throwing out guitar picks and drum sticks in appreciation of the fans that have kept them going for three decades.

(Review and Photos by Bret Miller)

Reimagined EP by Jamie’s Elsewhere (Self-released)

Jamie’s Elsewhere from Sacramento is a band in transition. After their recent departure from Victory Records, one could only assume the worst. However, it appears that the band has been on the verge of a creative renaissance – especially if the six songs heard on Reimagined are indicative of things to come. Musical trends certainly come and go, yet good songwriting stands the test of time.

With Reimagined, four songs from their final Victory release They Said A Storm Was Coming are given a whirlwind of reinterpretation, and the results are pretty impressive. Two new compositions are also included, showing a deeply introspective side to the band’s creativity. This collection is sure to surprise longtime fans as well as endear them to newer converts – and perhaps even another record label.

First off on Reimagined EP is I’ll Make My Peace, And Sink, a dark yet inspiring reinvention of The Mapmaker that really makes the listener stand up and take notice. Let’s Pretend That We’re Giants aka Giants Among Common Men is epic and swirling, with its grand wall of sound and wonderfully expressive vocals.

One Foot In The Present Day is a haunting rendition of One Foot In The Grave, and works wonders in this format. Fan favorite Prodigal Son is renamed The Prodigal, and is tremendously effective as an ominous testament to exploration and perseverance,

The last two tracks are stark and emotional, showing just how potent Aaron Pauley’s vocals are. Heavy Eyelids, Heavy Hearts and Out Of Love feature deeply personal lyrically, and definitely leave a lingering impression.

So what’s up next for Jamie’s Elsewhere? Will they pursue the musical direction explored on Reimagined or put the pedal to the metal as in their past releases? Whatever this collective decides to do in future days, there is little doubt that Jamie’s Elsewhere will continue on their compelling journey of musical rediscovery.

At present, the Jamie’s Elsewhere lineup consists of Aaron Pauley on vocals, Matt Scarpelli on guitar, Mike Spearman on keys and Chance Medeiros on bass. The voyage continues on – it will be exciting to see what new musical shores the band commences upon.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Jamie’s Elsewhere on Facebook

What Once Was by Lee DeWyze (WuLi Records)

Prior to appearing on and winning Season 9 of American Idol, aspiring singer / songwriter Lee DeWyze recorded a wealth of material for independent label WuLi Records. Featuring production work by WuLi co-owners Ryan McGuire and Louis Svitek (famed guitarist for Ministry and M.O.D.), What Once Was serves as the final release in a trilogy of early DeWyze recordings the label has released.

The most versatile and unpredictable of the three albums, What Once Was showcases a variety of musical genres, and features songs from the DeWyze repertoire ranging from 2006 – 2010. Not nearly as polished and refined as his major label debut Live It Up, DeWyze fans are nevertheless in for a real treat when encountering the timeless musical gems to be found on What Once Was.

The disc opens up with the sweetly wistful sounds of Snaps, a carefree, sentimental track that should really enrapture the DeWyze fan base. Never There is up next, featuring a classic DeWyze vocal performance filled with passion and conviction. Maybe I Might is playful and infectious, another unearthed treasure that has hit single potential.

Fallen is an effective acoustic track with dazzling vocals and a swirling chorus that is wonderfully heartfelt. DeWyze then rocks it out with Princess Reprise, featuring powerful vocals and heavier than usual guitars at work. When She Dances is exotic with a cunning sense of adventure and intrigue.

Green With Me is a glorious anthem showing yet another side of DeWyze’s singing and songwriting talents – sounding a lot like a 60’s revival tune come to ultra vivid life. Worth Waiting presents a perfect combination of vocals and instruments meshing together to create a genuine, organic work of artistry. And then Bridge Burns closes the album sending the listener into a state of bliss with its clever storytelling and sweeping Americana musical soundscapes.

At present, DeWyze is without a record label, due to being released from his RCA recording contract and the WuLi arangement being just for the pre-Idol material. In this day and age, an artist can pretty much thrive and prosper on their own with the Internet and fans at their fingertips, so it will be exciting to see what the future has in store for the supremely talented and resourceful Lee DeWyze. In the meantime, check into What Once Was as well as the other releases from the WuLi vaults (So I’m Told and Slumberland) and discover the grand and humble beginnings of a truly impassioned artist.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Lee DeWyze on Facebook
WuLi Records Official Home Page

Neverworld’s End by Xandria (Napalm Records)

It’s been a few years since we’ve heard from the likes of the mighty Xandria, and the band now returns in a grand and glorious way with an album destined to become a symphonic metal classic. Now on the Napalm Records roster of talent, Xandria is sure to enchant fans of such noted entities as Nightwish and Epica.

Neverworld’s End is Xandria’s fifth full-length album to date, and the first to features the wondrous operatic vocal talents of Manuela Kraller. Twelve songs in all are featured, absolutely epic in scope, performed with imagination and passion by all parties involved.

The masterwork commences with the stunning A Prophecy Of Worlds To Fall, a sweeping and dramatic magnum opus that is exhilarating to behold. Ms. Kraller vividly demonstrates a supreme vocal talent on par with the great ex-Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen. A grand slam beginning that will instantly bewitch the listener.

Valentine is up next, majestic with its epic metal soundscapes and impassioned vocals. Forevermore is the definitive power ballad, which packs an emotional charge that is nothing short of devastating. The aptly titled Euphoria is sure to provoke collective fists of triumph waving high and proud in the air within a live setting.

Blood On My Hands is dark and brooding storytelling at its finest followed by the engrossing Soulcrusher. The Dream Is Still Alive is evocative and inspiring, with beautifully lush vocals and wistful melodies. Then the pedal is set the metal with The Lost Elysion. A touch of folk music is featured within the dynamic Call Of The Wind and the solemn A Thousand Letters.

Cursed has a memorable refrain that will make the listener want to stand up and salute. Closing out Neverworld’s End is the nine-plus minute grand finale entitled The Nomad’s Crown, a shimmering composition that is a breathtakingly sonic extravaganza.

Neverworld’s End is an auditory odyssey destined to place Xandria on the metal map for the ages to come. The musicianship is thoroughly first rate, featuring the superb talents of Philip Restemeier on guitars, Marco Heubaum on guitars, Nils Middelhauve on bass, Gerit Lamm on drums, and the aforementioned Manuela Kraller on vocals. An unforgettable symphonic journey that music aficionados will want to relive time and again. Expect this one to ignite Top Ten Lists the world over when 2012 spins to its dizzying conclusion.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Xandria on Facebook

The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy by Nada Surf (Barsuk Records)

Pop alternative is something this band does well. Catchy melodies linked to flowing landscapes and colorful backdrops. All of this is expressed by developed harmonies and fun energy almost like bubble gum. This isn’t a garage sounding pop but more produced and nicely arranges with great guitar riffs and streaming bass lines that keep you in line with the beat tracks. It’s okay to hum along too or sing out loud if ya can carry the notes too.

Nada Surf has a few really great gems on here that you’ll want to hear more than once. Opener title song of Clear Eye Clouded Mind helps you to process the title of the album and clearly sets up the mood for this 10-song extravaganza. The disc is full of fun trinkets of songs that will catch your ears and get you to hum along.

One of those songs is The Moon Is Calling. The chorus is calling you to get up and go up as if the moon wants you to get there. This song would make for a cool video. So who wants to go to the moon anyways – well at least I wouldn’t mind how about you?

Other great songs on here are: Waiting For Something (which we all are right now), Looking Through, Jules And Jim, The Future and No Snow On The Mountain. There are a couple slower tunes on here too but they wont put you to sleep. One of the newer sounds the band uses a horn in one of the songs too.

If you like Fountains Of Wayne you’ll appreciate this new Nada Surf CD. With the release of The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy, the band has an added a limited EP to some, which contains five of the songs from this album done acoustic. This is more pop than alternative but there are a few moments that get a little fast with beat and electric guitars.

(Review by Jonathan Wright)

To Create A Cure by My Ticket Home (Rise Records)

After being signed to Rise Records, My Ticket Home from Columbus, Ohio recorded a promising EP prophetically titled The Opportunity To Be. Produced by Caleb Shomo of Attack Attack!, their Rise debut garnered a good deal of attention and admiration for the band, as well as an anticipation for even greater glories. And now To Create A Cure has been unleashed, a full-length effort that is sure to cement the bands fortunes as a sheer force to be reckoned with.

Once again produced by Shomo, To Create A Cure by My Ticket Home is a stunning collection of tunes showing a band that has developed into something truly exciting to behold. Even more diverse and ambitious that their previous EP, the 11 tracks found within are vibrant and awe inspiring.

A New Breed kicks off the disc on a thunderous note, exuding a mighty amount of passion and conviction right out of the gate. Who Is 67? starts off a real head banging thrasher before segue-waying into a memorable chorus. Atlas is big and bold, with spiraling vocals and intensive musicianship reigning supreme.

The Truth Changes If We Both Lie is a definitive highlight, showcasing some tremendously heartfelt clean vocals. This one would sound great on hard rock radio – if the airwaves were actually playing impassioned tunes this good! The pedal is placed back to the metal with a vengeance when Beyond is heard, followed by an intensive call to arms entitled Motion Sickness.

Photo Credit: Matt Day

A Thief Of One, A Thief Of Many has the sing along choruses and heavier than hell metallic breakdowns to make this one a required staple in their live set. Awake: Create is a slamming burst of energy with an exhilarating chorus.

Another tremendously effective song contained on To Create A Cure is The Dream Code, showing just how remarkably gifted and ambitious My Ticket Home is. Presenting a haunting classic rock approach to a song, the results are nothing short of epic and mesmerizing.

Dark Days is a sonic burst of heaviness, and closing cut Fear Complex (with its introduction of sheer torment) slams at the listener like an unexpected kick in the head.

The resourceful My Ticket Home lineup consists of Nick Giumenti on vocals, Luke Fletcher on bass, Derek Blevins on guitar and vocals, Marshal Giumenti on drums, and Matt Gallucci on guitar. Former member Sean Mackowski (now in Attack Attack!) was also involved in the recording process.

The year has just begun, and My Ticket Home has started it all off it with an enormous blast to the senses. To Create A Cure is nothing short of a triumph and will surely become their first class ticket into the big leagues!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

My Ticket Home on Facebook

The Ascent by Secrets (Velocity/Rise Records)

The year 2012 kicks into sonic overdrive with the release of The Ascent by Secrets. Another exciting signing from the Velocity/Rise Records partnership, Secrets has unveiled a thrilling debut that should gain them a good deal of attention. 11 tracks in all, clearly demonstrating an impassioned band ready and willing to take on the big leagues.

Easily meshing together metalcore with melodic rock inflections, many of the tracks are instantly memorable and destined to become sing along favorites when performed live.

The Ascent kicks off with the explosive sounds of Genesis, where the screamed call to arms of  “I am the enemy” instantly grabs the listener’s attention followed by the mesmerizing slamming dynamics of The Oath.

Somewhere Is Hiding possesses a pop rock edge and wonderfully effective clean vocals  imploring “Please come back from the place that you hide” before catapulting into some fairly intensive breakdowns. The Heartless Part was the first single, and remains a fine example of the versatility the band possesses.

40 Below would be like detonating a bomb in the middle of an already fevered mosh pit, with Secrets at their absolute tightest as a unit. A standout track on The Ascent is definitely Melodies, a super infectious track with a chorus that will remain in your head for ages!

The Best You Can’t Be is a highly emotional track about a dysfunctional father-son relationship that really tugs at the heartstrings – definitely one of the most potent selections on the album. Some wounds never seem to heal.  “You must be scared of your reflection in the mirror,” the lyrics convey on Blindside – another grand slam song that packs a wallop.

A big highlight on The Ascent is The Hardest Part, a gigantic profession of love and hope with soaring clean vocals and the potential for a million dedications for the young couples of today. You Look Good In Plastic is aggressive and ominous; with the sweeping title track The Ascent closing out the disc on a thunderous note.

The screamed and clean vocals on The Ascent are potent and first rate, with Xander Bourgeois and Richard Rogers delivering the lyrics with a fierce sense of conviction. The searing dual guitar work is supplied by the aforementioned Rogers and Michael Sherman. Marc Koch on bass and Joe English on drums drive it home with an all out vengeance, their rhythm section a sheer force to be reckoned with.

With The Ascent, San Diego’s own Secrets will not remain enigmatic for long. The year is indeed young, but there is little doubt that The Ascent will have a lasting impact on listeners as the month’s progress. Expect grand and glorious happenings for Secrets if The Ascent is any indication of things to come. Superbly produced by Tom Denney (formerly of A Day To Remember)!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Secrets on Facebook

What Matters Most by Ever After (Self-released EP)

Based out of the Raleigh, North Carolina area, Ever After is a dynamic post hardcore band who is beginning to garner attention above and beyond their hometown.  And now with their second EP entitled What Matters Most, there is no doubt that newer fans all across the country and recording contracts will come a calling once they hear just what this exhilarating collective has to offer. The five songs found within possess a driving amount of striking melodies and staggering breakdowns.

After an introduction of uneasy breathing, Ever After slams into high gear with the rousing sounds of Regression. Exploding through your system complete with standout choruses, Regression is the perfect opener that should instantly reel the listener in. City Of Oaks is slamming and up-tempo, exuding an all-out  intensity that should set mosh pits into a frenzy when performed live. Nothing Is Over delivers some tripped out guitar leads and a fantastic wall of sound, as well wildly devastating breakdowns.

The aptly titled Hammerhead is an assault to the senses, with heavy grooves and super impassioned vocals. And then closing out the EP is the stunning title track What Matters Most, with its gigantic melodies and grand sense of urgency rendering this one an effective closing knockout of a song.

The guitar work as unleashed by Brandon Garrison and Tyler Davis present a shimmering wall of sound that is wondrous to behold. Tony Wilkinson exudes a great deal of passion and conviction on vocals, conveying the thoughtful lyrics with a profound sense of urgency. The rhythm section drives it all home with a fiery precision, courtesy of Diego Rivera on bass and Sean Hennessey on drums. A tight unit with charisma to spare and the tunes to back it up, Ever After is destined to find happiness and slamming success in future days. In the meantime, check out What Matter Most by Ever After and catch up with an ascending star on the horizon. Rise or Victory Records would be wise to investigate through the sonic pages of Ever After as well.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Ever After on Facebook

The Patience EP by Plug In Stereo (Atlantic Records)

Of all the singer/songwriters gracing the music scene today, Plug In Stereo’s Trevor Dahl definitely has the talent and personality to follow acts such as John Mayer and Jason Mraz on the road to fame and fortune. Dahl’s presentation is quirky yet heartfelt, and many a music fan will be able to relate with the infectious compositions Plug In Stereo has to offer. Now on Atlantic Records, Plug In Stereo’s major label debut is entitled The Patience EP, featuring 5 terrific tunes that should win over even the toughest of  music critic.

First up on The Patience EP is the wistful and wonderful Oh Darling, featuring Cady Groves on co-vocals. Also featured on Dahl’s Triple Crown debut Nothing To Something, the song is a perfect introduction for the newbies as well as a nice reminder of a thoroughly successful musical collaboration for those already following Dahl’s progress.

The new songs kick off next, with the sweet and dazzling sounds of You’re On My Mind, clearly demonstrating Dahl’s knack for writing a timeless pop tune. Plug In Stereo then rocks it out with the rambunctiously dynamic sounds of I Blame You, a lively confection about relationship unease that is absolute ear candy.

Frozen Heart is magical and soars into flight with its dazzling melodies and inviting vocals rendering this one another highpoint.  And then closing out the EP on an introspective note is the acoustic based title track Patience, with a grand chorus that is sweeping to behold.

On The Patience EP, Trevor Dahl has clearly established that Plug In Stereo is here for the long haul, with compositions pop music fans will treasure for the years to come. A magnificent commencement into this brand new year – one that should finally bring Plug In Stereo a good deal of recognition!

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

Plug In Stereo Official Home Page
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Un4seen by Un4seen (Hi Wheel Entertainment)

Out of South Gate, in the heart of Los Angeles comes a composer  who masters the piano with talent and grace. His orchestration is full of depth and insight to all natural emotions and deep relationship feelings. He put these all to music and then paints schemes with the music for them to shine through our ears and into our own relationships meanings. This songwriter and pianist performer is Mario Garcia and goes by the band moniker Un4seen.  Also contained within Un4seen are the wondrous  vocal talents of Dani Gorre.

Mario has released a four song EP/CD. It songs are strong and show off Mario’s writing abilities and great orchestration work. On the song Needing You, you might find it to be a great song for a TV movie or might want to request it on Love Songs On The Coast. It’s a beautiful song letting someone you love know that you need them. This particular song has female vocals on it. It’s the one song that shows the ability to be a pop ballad standard into the decades. In the other songs on this EP, Imprints and Shattered Glass, show a darker edge to Mario’s writing. There is a little bit of a dark rock appeal in the brides of both of the songs. These two songs show stronger lyrics. Mario also helped in the recording of this EP by also being the producer and doing some of the engineering as well. This is a very nice debut release. Curious to what a whole album might bring from the artist if given the chance.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

Un4seen Official Home Page