Well, we’re starting the year off easy. You may not be aware, but the holidays are a really lean time for music releases. Only a handful this week and next, then it starts kicking it up much harder into February.
Iron Lamb – The Original Sin
Don’t ask me why this band has chosen to release a follow up to their 2011 album under the same title, with the same cover, and containing the same songs, for who am I to judge?
Much more punk rock than metal, The Original Sin still nods a bit to thrash on some tracks like the title track, and “Our Demise”. They’re honestly kind of a slowed collision of Corrosion of Conformity and Anthrax that slid to a stop in front of a Megadeth concert. Sometimes moving along the lines of classic Priest and even Suicidal Tendencies, the album features a solid, guitar driven anthems with the vocals plenty hot in the mix, making them easy to understand and fun to sing along with.
Verdict? Check it out if you like good sing-along punk and classic metal.
Archer Black – Forgiveness is a Weapon
Interestingly, this album was supposed to be released today, but, according to Amazon now, it’s delayed until February 7th. Nevertheless, I’m leaving it here today.
This band from Los Angeles is part of a less overcrowded genre than many, and is somehow boring, yet interesting at the same time. The album is sort of a blend of occasional random bursts of timing and misc instrumentation over the top of a vocalist that's generically balanced between Thom Yorke and Rufus Wainwright. The songs are catchy enough to keep you entertained memorable enough, at least, to be familiar the second time through. Typical moody (some say whiny), big, open, ambient sounds.
Verdict? People what really dig Rufus will probably enjoy it quite a bit. It’s also decent for people what just want some music on in the background to be a bit calming after a long day. Don’t buy it unless you’re the former.
Yes, people what.
Morbus Chron – Sleepers in the Rift
Nine vile tracks. Okay, maybe not vile, but i felt like saying that anyway. Mildly entertaining would be more correct. Not what i expected from the Swedish metal super producer that handled this album. Very Henry Rollins-does-metal vocals that sometimes border on the typical Cookie Monster voice of these genres. For those thinking I have something against Metal, probably eight of my top twenty bands are metal - from Judas Priest to GWAR. I feel qualified to judge. What makes this album more interesting than expected is how it is so curiously NOT in-your-face because the entire album was processed through some kind of digital reverb on some kind of artificial hall setting and left there. The guitar licks are the same ones we’ve heard for years, but with a hint of endearingly comical character to them. I’d say it sounds a lot like Green Jello meets Kyuss.
Verdict? Download a single from iTunes. You will have then experienced the album.
Ce'cile – Jamaicanization
This album was released world-wide last August as a download-only format, so I’m not going to do a review. A little Reggae feel (considered to BE Reggae) with a vocal that shouldn’t, but does remind me of “Genie in A Bottle” era Aguilera (although with a bit of a Cuban flair).
Verdict? Buy if you’re a fan of her already somehow. Otherwise, don’t turn it off if it comes on your favorite radio station, but don’t buy it.
Prince Royce – Prince Royce
Sounds to me like heavy use of auto-tune to keep him “on point” vocal-wise, with definite artificial correction used to fix what are probably bad performances. The rest is your typical, generic, soft, not unpleasant easy listening, but marketed as Bachata. Instrumentation is pretty solid, although somewhat canned. Based on his previous album sales and glowing reviews, this is not what I expected.
Verdict? Avoid.
See you next Tuesday.
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