Posts Tagged ‘a-year-after’

Author & Punisher – Women & Children

Author & Punisher Women & Children 01. Women & Children 02. In Remorse 03. Melee 04. Tame As A Lion 05. Fearce 06. Miles From Home 07. Pain Myself [06/11/13] [Seventh Rule] The marriage of metal and electronic music is not a new concept, and often ends up with shoddy or campy results. Industrial metal is one such genre born from this union and even still, results may vary; Bands like Godflesh and Jesu are regarded quite favorably as innovators whereas the likes of Marilyn Manson and Static-X get mixed reception. Recent developments within the genre have lead to wild avant-garde experimentation, where Norway’s SHINING and Californian one-man band Author & Punisher are met with repeated acclaim for their furtherance of industrial music in their own right. The latter act, Author & Punisher, is a relatively little-known project from mechanical engineer and sculptor Tristan Shone that broke out last year in some ways with his sophomore album Ursus Americanus, which ended up on many critics’ year-end lists of favorites because of its unusual exhibition; Shone makes all of his instruments himself and rigs them in a way that allows him to perform his complex doom and drone inspired compositions entirely by himself. This makes for some highly unique music and performance art that is currently unrivaled in the genre. Only a year after Ursus Americanus wowed privileged listeners, Shone’s third record Women & Children explores Author & Punisher’s dark and twisted sound further and adds some much needed heart into this band of machines. Despite the short wait between releases, Women & Children is the next logical step in the Author & Punisher evolution. The sonic palette established by Shone is still omnipresent; after a soundscape of crickets and buzzing flies, the opening title track kicks in with downtempo grooving drum machines passed down from Godflesh and massive droning synths churn together in a hypnotic fashion while Shone chants distorted syllables through the track’s dynamic rise and fall. Shone is no stranger to writing heavy and oppressive music, and shows with immediacy that he still loves the feeling of overdriven bass. However, what makes Women & Children so different from his previous records is its moodiness and diversity. When compared to Ursus Americanus , Women & Children seemingly dials back the machines and instead focuses more on Shone’s range of emotion. For instance, on the album’s second track In Remorse, we hear glimpses of Shone’s clean singing voice, which was previously a bit of a rarity. Later, ‘Tame as a Lion’ almost catches listeners off guard, as we hear Shone at his most vulnerable as he sings quite melodically along to piano in verse-chorus structure, though his voice with his is distant and somewhat shrouded in distortion. The piano and Shone’s singing voice even make a reprisal in the album’s chilling closer ‘Pain Myself.’ While no mere piano ballads, these seemingly out of character tracks show a whole new breadth of character and marks a new direction for Author & Punisher to explore. Following this trend, Women & Children is much more stripped down in terms of electronics, and the album is largely more atmospheric and pensive than the in-your-face aggression of Ursus Americanus . Previously, it was more often than not that distorted synths would drone longer and louder as well as rhythmically attack in a dubstep sort of fashion as the main event, as in the new track ‘ Fearce ‘. Now, Shone is seemingly more mindful of his songwriting on Women & Children, with tracks like ‘ Melee ‘ and ‘ Miles From Home’ taking time between spastic vitriol for moments of sober atmosphere and dynamic ebb and flow. As such, Women & Children feels more real and human on some level, as if the tyrannical machines of past had suddenly became sentient and empathetic. This isn’t to say that his previous work was somehow immature or lacking of emotion, but Shone has transcended what was once thought possible for Author & Punisher’s sound and created a brilliant album with some newfound variance and depth. It’s good to see Author & Punisher material pushing forward into newly emotive territory, even if it does make for more accessible songwriting. Despite this appreciation for atmosphere and melody, Women & Children is still a remarkably bleak and sinister record that explores the depressive and psychedelic in entirely new ways. Author & Punisher – Women & Children gets… 4/5 – JR

Papa Roach vs. Chevelle – Cage Match

Photos: Facebook: Papa Roach / In De Goot Entertainment Papa Roach gained another win in the Cage Match with ‘Where Did the Angels Go’ with a victory over Flyleaf, but can they do it again versus a new powerhouse opponent? Rock trio Chevelle take the matchup by storm with their new track ‘Fizgig’ off of their recently released best-of disc, ‘Stray Arrows: A Collection of Favorites.’ The collection comes a year after the band’s sixth studio album, ‘Hats Off to the Bull.’ So will Chevelle gain the upper hand with ‘Fizgig’ or will ‘Angels’ be on the side of Papa Roach once again? Get in on the action and vote for your favorite track in the poll below! (This Cage Match will run until Friday, Dec. 21, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Papa Roach, ‘Where Did The Angels Go’ Chevelle, ‘Fizgig’ Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. Email Me When Cage Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the daily winner of the Cage Match, as well as our top stories of the day. Email Rules of Cage Match: Fans can vote once per hour for their favorite song. If a song remains the reigning champ for five straight cage matches, it is retired to the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame. With so many great songs out there, we have to give other bands a chance!

Chevelle to Release Greatest Hits Compilation Album ‘Stray Arrows’ in December

Epic Records Almost exactly a year after the release of their sixth studio album ‘Hats Off to the Bull,’  Chevelle will be unleashing a greatest hits collection. ‘Stray Arrows: A Collection of Favorites’ is slated for a Dec. 4 release via Epic Records. In addition to eleven songs that all cracked the top 10 on the rock singles charts, a new song called ‘Fizgiz’ is also included. Since their formation in the mid ’90s, the Chicago trio has released a string of successful albums and singles. Four of their songs have reached the No. 1 spot on the mainstream rock chart (‘Send the Pain Below,’ ‘Vitamin R,’ ‘Face to the Floor’ and ‘Hats Off to the Bull’), and all are included in this collection. Many bands would be ecstatic to have even one song land in the top 15, but Chevelle have had so many hits that a song like ‘Closure’ (from 2002′s ‘Wonder What’s Next), which peaked at No. 11, didn’t make the cut for ‘Stray Arrows.’ Among the tracks that did make the cut is ‘The Red,’ which recently made Loudwire list of the  Top 50 Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century . Chevelle – ‘Stray Arrows: A Collection of Favorites’ Track Listing 1. ‘Jars’ 2. ‘Same Old Trip’ 3. ‘Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)’ 4. ‘The Red’ 5. ‘I Get It’ 6. ‘Face to the Floor’ 7. ‘Send the Pain Below’ 8. ‘Sleep Apnea’ 9. ‘The Clincher’ 10. ‘Hats Off to the Bull’ 11. ‘The Meddler’ 12. ‘Fizgig’

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Shares Concerns Over Vocal Damage + Cursing

Kevin Winter, Getty Images Megadeth ‘s Dave Mustaine had his share of health problems over the years, but the recent discovery of vocal damage had him a little concerned. The frontman headed online to his Facebook page to update fans on how he’s holding up. Mustaine has also been working toward a new record and figured it was time to share all things Megadeth, including his health status as well as revealing another recently discovered truth. The leader says that after hearing some of his interviews and watching footage of shows, he realizes his cursing has gotten a little out of hand, and while he may not scale it back completely, he’s definitely more conscious about how much he’s doing it. In his message, he stated: Droogies, I wanted to check in with you as I get ready to start tracking my 14 Megadeth record. For some of you that are new fans; the word ‘Droogie’ may seem a strange way to start a letter, but it means ‘friend’ supposedly in Russian slang. I got the idea to call you that from watching Alex from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ call his two co-conspirators that. So, now you know I ain’t calling you “druggies.” Onward to the update. Last Thursday I went to see an ENT (ear, nose, and throat Doctor), to find out the status of the damage to my vocal chords that they discovered prior to my surgery, and my neck from after the surgery. I was told during the first MRIs that I had a cyst or something on my vocal chords, and I didn’t give it anymore thought, because the fusion was way more important. I still find it laughable that someone I know said I was a p—y while lying in an ER awaiting spinal surgery for contemplating cancelling the BIG 4 show in NYC. I guess the old saying, ‘You spot it — you got it!’ applies here, except I don’t want to offend our female fans by comparing this excrement to a body part of theirs. I walked away from the surgery, which was done after the concert (who’s the p—y now?) and was a complete success, thinking I had nodes or polyps or something, and I wanted to wait until a year after the surgery to go get checked, because I just didn’t want to go under the knife again that soon, if of course I had too. Thank God I don’t. Fortunately, if you can say that, my problem with my vocal chords is treatable, and it is just a matter of exercise, diet, and eating habits. I started drinking Aloe Juice, taking a tablet for my stomach, and I have to cut out some things I like. Coffee is one of things, but since I am not a cheerleader for overpriced — overrated Starbucks, like Thor and Junior, I am not taking this too hard. I am bummed about no chocolate (I love chocolate!), and tomatoes (no spaghetti or pizza), but I am loving this ‘Countdown’ 20th Anniversary tour, and with the new record starting next week, singing is more important to me than ever. Thanks for all of your support through this whole ordeal, and I really, really look forward to seeing you at some point before the end of the year. Check out our support band Kyng and lemme know what you think. I like ‘em and I hope you will too. One last thing, I don’t generally watch video of myself, unless we are mixing or editing something, and over the last few months I had to; for one reason or another. I am really embarrassed by how much I swear or swore on stage and in interviews. I’m not a prude, but I am sorry for my language and some of the offensive words I chose to say. We all have said stuff we regret, and while I don’t ‘regret it’ I do feel that you deserve better from me. Here’s to a great fu– erm, a great flipping new record and tour! Dave Mustaine The singer recently revealed that he’ll be working with acclaimed producer Johnny K. , who has produced hit records for Disturbed , Staind , and 3 Doors Down among others. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-megadeth-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Megadeth Songs” align=”center”]

Bret Michaels Dedicates Music Room at Arizona Hospital That Saved His Life

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Two years after he underwent an emergency procedure there to repair bleeding around his brain — and a year after he returned for heart surgery — Poison frontman Bret Michaels dedicated a new hospitality and music room at St. Joseph’s Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. Michaels was on hand for the ceremony on Tuesday (Oct. 9), along with Patty White, the hospital’s president and CEO, who told him, “We want to welcome you back this time for a celebration.” After thanking the neurosurgeon who saved his life, Michaels unveiled the Bret Michaels Hospitality and Music Room, “whose sole purpose is to provide comfort, serenity and peace to families that are going through a very trying time in their lives.” The singer was instrumental in the room’s design, right down to the decor — which includes photos and magazine covers of Michaels and his family, televisions playing Michaels concert footage, and Michaels quotes such as, “Raise your hands, rejoice and rock as if there is no tomorrow” and “Respect the past, dream the future, live in the moment.” “I think Bret has really inspired so many people with his recent medical illnesses and his remarkable recovery,” said Joseph Zabramski, the doctor who operated on Michaels’ brain. “And he will continue to inspire, particularly patients and their families who come here to Barrow and use this room to find peace and comfort during their stay with us.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/bret-michaels-get-your-rock-on-video/” title=”Next: Watch Bret Michaels’ ‘Get Your Rock On’ Video” align=”center”]