Reviews

#1196: When the Lightning Strikes

RECORD STORE TALES #1196: When the Lightning Strikes

Friday night, and we were off to the races.  I live for the weekend, and so Friday June 27 was set to be another one for the history books.  Fridays are a shorter day at work.  We get to go home at 4:00 PM instead of 4:30 which can make a significant difference when it comes to traffic.  Jen had bought a couple decent steaks at a cheap price, so that was the planned dinner.  Steak is always something to look forward to, even when cooked at home in a cast iron frying pan.  (The grill at the cottage is always preferred.)  On top of this, I had the night “off” from doing shows.  The evening’s episode of Grab A Stack of Rock was a fun re-run featuring my good pal Aaron along with Harrison Kopp and Jex Russell.  All I had to do was watch and comment along.  A low pressure evening.

In more ways than one…

A minor seizure derailed Jen, but only for an hour and a half.  She recovered after a quick nap.  We’d have to do dinner after the show, instead of before.  No big deal.  The electricity in her synapses doesn’t always play nice, but she’s definitely doing much better than she was doing only two or three years ago.  New medications have made a difference.

The skies were darker than usual for a summer night in June.  According to the radar, a storm was rolling in.  It had already hit the shores of Lake Huron a couple hours earlier, as my dad told me.

“The power went out a couple times,” he told me.  “The neighbours came over for a visit and they had to stay and wait out the storm, they couldn’t go home.”

Me personally, I never let a little rain get in the way of me leaving a social engagement early, but that’s just me.

“It’ll be coming your way soon,” warned my dad.  I love a good rainstorm.  The harder the better.  A low pressure zone was churning up some thunder and lightning.  It should be a good one.  The rumble of distant thunder could be heard.

Jen made a couple pretty good steaks with enough left over for breakfast the next day.  We settled in for an evening.  I was watching classic Doctor Who on Tubi.  I chose the high-strung Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, because I like his Scottish sidekick Jamie.  I usually watch Doctor Who on my laptop with my headphones, while Jen watches sports on TV.  The lights flickered as a power surge hit, followed by a roar of thunder outside.

“Here it comes,” I enthused.  The power went out twice total, knocking out the cable, but not Doctor Who.  The episode was ending and I removed my headphones.

“Wow is that the rain?” I asked, as I heard the pounding on the windows.  “Good storm!”

But there was another sound.  I thought I heard loud dripping, inside.  I went to check around the front windows, which were soaking wet and dripping all over.

“Holy shit, there’s water coming in through the windows!” I yelled.  I could see it dripping in through the top of the window sill.  This is actually not as big a deal as it sounds, as the windows are all being replaced in a few weeks.  The building itself it currently stripped of its outer siding, as it is being re-finished with a new exterior this summer.  It’s no surprise that a storm of that power could drive water right through the walls with no siding.  Any leaks will be gone along with the old windows soon.  So I was not concerned.  I just wanted to stop the water from coming in and dripping all over my stuff.

“Do you want a couple towels?” asked Jen.

“Yeah!  Great idea!” I said as I moved stuff away from the wall, out of the drip.  There was a lot of water on the window sill, but a couple towels would stop the drip.

I carefully placed the towels along the entire length of the window sill.  They thirstily soaked up water, very quickly, indicating the amount of liquid that we were dealing with.  My fingers were wet as I pushed the towels into the corners of the window sill.

BANG!

Just like that – like a loud fireworks exploding in my face – lightning struck just outside.

Shocked, I jumped and yelled “WOAH!  WHAT WAS THAT?”  It was a completely different kind of sound from lightning that I’m used it.  More a loud pop; like an explosion.  Less a bright flash of light, but more a dark flash of black!  And my fingers were deep in the water when it hit.  They tingled afterwards for hours; almost a day.  My head burst with a headache right at the pointy top of my skull.  I have no doubt that I received a mild electrical shock.

I’m going to tell people that I was hit by lightning.  Why not?  That’s where the electricity came from.  It conducted through the water in the ground into my fingers.  We live in a basement apartment and the window is at ground level.  That’s how I got shocked.  It was mild, yes – but I’m going to use it as a boast anyway.

I felt really crappy all night.  I didn’t sleep well.  I did, however, test something myself.

Lying in bed, I stretched my arms up towards the ceiling fan.  Stretching out my fingers, and using only the power of my mind, I made an effort to move the fan with my new electricity-based superpowers.  Failing that, I tried to make the lightbulbs explode.  That didn’t work either, so in a last ditch effort, I attempted to levitate myself out of bed.

Nothing.

I sighed and slumped back into a restless night, dreaming of flying over the landscape using my new superpowers, and zapping people I don’t like with lightning.  But no superpowers manifested.  I was ripped off!

The rain pattered on and off through the night, but no more water leaked in.  Soon there will be new windows through which no water shall leak.  Lightning seldom strikes the same place twice, and very few people are hit more than once, so I hope my dance with Lady Electric is over.  One of my fingers still tingles a bit.  My chance at being a superhero has passed me by, but I’m still here to write the tale.

 

REVIEW: Ruko U11MINI 4K Drone

Buy yours on Amazon!

Ruko U11MINI 4K Drone

Are you ready to level up in your photography or drone flying game?  The brand new Ruko U11MINI 4K is the drone for you.  Best of all, it weighs under 249 grams, which means you don’t need a license to fly it.  Just open the package, read the manual, charge the batteries and launch.

Opening the box, I was delighted to find not one, but two paper manuals!  The full User Manual, and a Quick Guide.  This is a huge step up from having to read a pdf file on your screen.  The inclusion of a paper manual will make all the difference to some users.  Also included are two batteries (roughly 32 minutes flight time each) and all the USB cables needed to charge and fly, no matter what kind of phone you use.  The controller is sleek and features two comfortable and detachable control sticks.  It comes in a handsome and sturdy carrying case for storage and transport.  It also has a plastic camera cover to protect the 4K camera (EIS with gimbal, like a 3-axis brushless gimbal with EIS).  You will be able to capture 8K pictures and 4K@30fps video.  All you need to provide yourself is a smartphone and a micro SD card to record all that lovely video you’re going to get.  And don’t forget to download the appropriate app to your device!

An important step is to make sure your phone is set for USB file transfer mode.  Google the steps for your phone to do this.  Your phone mounts sturdily to the controller, and connects via the included USB-C cable.  You can transfer photos and videos straight to your phone.  When powering on and pairing, be sure to calibrate the GPS and gyroscope.  Give it time for the GPS to lock on.

With this powerful camera at hand, you can record hi-definition video or photos at the touch of a button.  Thanks to the camera’s clever gimbal, it will always take level photos no matter the wind conditions.  No need to straighten and crop videos or photos with this drone.  It can even record audio!

For what I have been used to, this drone is far more powerful, and I am not talking about the camera.  The motors are faster and can go way further:  394 feet altitude, which is double what I’ve flown before.  Without obstructions, it can transmit a signal up to 20,000 feet distance.  I will be able to fly further, and see clearer, than ever before!  There is even a 5x digital zoom available.  It is far faster than my old drone, so be careful with your velocity!

With the app on your phone, you will unlock a multitude of features for this drone.  GPS follow, and path planning are two such features.  Auto return and setting your own custom maximum altitude and distance will help keep your drone safe as you learn.  You can also have it return to a safe home point when the battery is low.  You can even program a path with up to 16 checkpoints.  Feeling uncertain about landings?  This drone has an AI takeoff and landing system (using GPS, barometric altitude hold, optical flow, and TOF positioning) for smooth takeoffs and landings.  Like all drones, one must be careful in heavy wind.  Due to unseasonable bad weather here in Canada, I have not had many great days to fly safely in the spring of 2025.  As I fly the drone and experiment with its abilities, I will add more videos to this space.  Bookmark it and check back for more videos.

Some tips:

1. Keep the drone in sight when flying to avoid getting lost.

2. Don’t fly too close to the surface, to water, or to trees.

3. Use a large open area to fly in, with good GPS reception.

People are loving my drone footage from the Ruko U11MINI 4K!  From Owen:

“You’ve really got me considering purchasing this drone, Mike. I love your footage in both videos, it’s under 249g. Beautiful shots, Mr. Ladano.”

Take it from me, you’re going to love the Ruko U11MINI 4K drone.

Get one today on Amazon!

5/5 stars

Check back for more videos to be added this summer.

RE-REVIEW: Geddy Lee – My Favourite Headache (2000, 2024 reissue with bonus tracks)

GEDDY LEE – My Favourite Headache (2000 Atlantic, 2024 Anthem reissue)

As a Rush fan, Geddy Lee’s solo album My Favourite Headache never quite clicked.  The lyrics seemed inferior and the music immemorable.  In 2024, Geddy reissued the album with two bonus demo tracks.  This is a perfect time to revisit the album and see if time has been kinder than I was in my original review.  It has been a number of years since last listen; perhaps even a decade.

The phrase “my favourite headache” means making music to Geddy Lee.  The art of crafting songs is a headache, but he would not trade it for the world.  That is what the title means.  For historical context, this album was made when Rush were on a serious hiatus.  Neil Peart was dealing with tragic loss and nobody knew if the band would ever reunite, including Neil.  From that soil grew My Favourite Headache, which Geddy recorded with drummers Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace (on one song).  Geddy plays the lion’s share of instruments with Ben Mink and other guests also contributing.

As it should, “My Favourite Headache” opens with some heavy bass, Geddy’s fingers flying.  Then, it degenerates into a dissonant and hard guitar riff with throws the listener for a loop:  it’s not at all like Rush.  It might be the bass player and singer from Rush, but this does not sound like Rush.  Which is good; which is the point.  It takes a moment to adjust.  “My Favourite Headache” slows to a lush section with piano, violins and violas by Mink.  The lyrics are fascinating.  “I watch TV, what do you want from me?”  There is a lot to unpack here now that Geddy is able to express himself verbally in his music.

More Rush-like is “The Present Tense”, a song about living in the now.  It bounces from heavy choruses to softer acoustic verses, which is perhaps a different approach from a Rush one.  Perhaps by doing something more streamlined, Geddy wrote a catchier song here.  His bass sings full, but not over-dominant.  Cameron is an apt companion on drums; while not attempting to play like Peart, he is more than capable of navigating the tricky changes and fills.

“Window to the World” has a more exotic feel in its light chords, and Geddy uses his bass to deliver some delightful trills and hooks.  It has some of those jarring dissonant guitars from the title track, but not as prominent.  This song is melodic, largely easy to digest, and it delightfully careens from soft to hard, with interesting keyboard textures.

Heavier is “Working on Perfekt”.  This might be the most enticing of all Geddy’s songs.  Tense verses are broken by a sparser chorus.  Electronic sounds aside, this is a very Rush-like song.  You can almost image what Alex and Neil would do with it, but as Geddy’s song, it is rich in tones and deep, tense hooks.

“Runaway Train” is one of the brightest, most upbeat songs.  Mink’s keys and violins add a light, airy feel above Geddy’s hammering bass.  His playing is always eloquent and entertaining, if you choose to focus on the bass.  Between the electronics and Mink’s rich contributions, there is a lot you can listen to.  Or just enjoy the song.  It’s a good one.  Perhaps I misjudged this album before.

The first mistep might be “The Angels’ Share”, which some may love, but fails to launch for me.  It’s a lighter song, but Geddy’s bass ensures it’s like lead.  Ben Mink provides some really interesting soloing and backing, but the song itself never quite takes off.  In hindsight it sounds like Clockwork Angels-era Rush.  While we are in this perceived rut, Geddy throws his worst lyric out in the next song:  “Say goodbye to suburbia, you don’t have to cut the lawn.”  That’s from “Moving to Bohemia”, which is actually a pretty catchy song.  It’s pretty upbeat for this album, and Geddy’s bass playing is at its most thumping.

Geddy turns up the funk on the magnificently weird “Home on the Strange” (with Taggart on drums).  What the hell is this?  It’s crazy, it’s like Geddy pulled out all funkiest records in his collection and combined them.  The lyrics here are also quite fun:  “He’s a Canadian icon, he sleeps with his clothes on.”  Is it autobiographical?  “And he don’t like change, you may think he’s deranged, but he’d rather be home, home on the strange.”  Once you get used to its groove, this song won’t let go.

Back to the light, with “Slipping”, which relies on acoustics and piano for a gliding kind of feeling.  This is followed by “Still”, which is unusually sparse and simple.  An acoustic ballad, with an upbeat tempo, it’s a beautiful song.  It certainly sounds autobiographical.  “Still halfway up that hill, my fingers may bleed but I’ve got to get there still.”  This song strikes me as the best, musically and lyrically, on the album.  Strange that it never jumped out at me before.

Closer “Grace to Grace” remains an exceptional song, and one that really ends the album on familiar territory.  A burning guitar and driving bass are the focus, as if to say “Hey guys, I’m always going to rock.  Thanks for joining me on this trip.  Here’s a song I think you’ll like.”

Of course, on this new reissue, Geddy treats us to two previously unreleased demo versions.  If you haven’t bought the album before, you may as well go for this edition.  True, I usually criticize albums for being a bit on the long side, and My Favourite Headache is a bit long, but demo bonus tracks are added value that you don’t have to include if you just want to listen to the “album” for the experience.  There doesn’t seem to be any recording information about these two demos, “My Favourite Headache” and “Home on the Strange”.  These are full realized arrangements, though without all the vocals.  “My Favourite Headache” might surpass the album track for its live sounding rawness.  Maybe it should have been an instrumental with only a chorus?  The demo is great.  Same with “Home on the Strange”.  These tracks are worth the listen, and the re-buy.

Ultimately, My Favourite Headache requires the listener to set aside any thoughts of Rush, no matter how much Geddy and his bass will always sound like Rush.  It’s a challenge, but once you get there, it is easier to appreciate the songs and the experiment.  It takes time to absorb, as it is actually a very dense production, even for Geddy.  Ben Mink’s contributions are priceless textures that help transport yourself away from a Rush mindset.  Listen to those; focus on Mink and appreciation will come.

3.5/5 stars

Check out my autographed copy of My Favourite Headache by clicking the thumbnail.

Check out Grant Arthur and Davey Cretin as they get this album all wrong on the Warehaus tonight.  8 PM EST June 23 2025

REVIEW: Bubbles and the Sh*trockers – Longhauler – The Best Of (2024)

BUBBLES and the SHITROCKERS – Longhauler – The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers (2024 Swearnet)

It’s right there in the lyrics to “Home Is Where Your Shed Is” – kitties, liquor and dope.  That about sums up the major singing interests of the Bubbles character from Trailer Park Boys.  The album Longhauler – The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers accompanies the new movie, Standing on the Shoulder of Kitties.  As implied by the the title, many of these songs are familiar from the TV show or online episodes.

The question is, can you sustain the jokes for an entire album?  A TV series or a movie is an altogether different comedic vehicle.

Fortunately, Mike Smith (Bubbles) is a worldclass musician from the Halifax band sandbox.   This album will probably land in more ears than his conceptual indi rock band ever did, and for that reason, it is produced and engineered by none other than Eddie Kramer.  It also features Billy Bob Thornton and Ronnie Wood in the credits on backing vocals, not that you’ll notice.

The direction is, with the exception of two tracks, country & western.  Musically, this album is legit.  Mike Smith plays most instruments, including guitar, mandolin, piano, mellotron and more.  His backing band provides pedal steel, dobro, hammond, stand-up bass and all the trimmings.  Smith is a seasoned musician and songwriter, and he knows his stuff.  There’s nothing jokey about the music; just the lyrics.

Perhaps the part that wears out soonest is the Bubbles character himself.  Singing like that, and the limited subject matter of the lyrics, over the course of a full album is a challenge to take in.

Songs you’ll recognize:

  • “Who’s Got Yer Belly?” featuring Mike’s pal Alex Lifeson from Rush
  • “Kitties Are So Nice”
  • “Liquor and Whores”

It is also great to have a copy of Bubbles’ pirate shanty, “The Kittyman”.  This is one of the songs that doesn’t fit the country direction, and is a highlight for that reason.  Plus it’s also just great fun.

Even songs that seem “clean” and safe to share with your cat-loving friends, such as “Kitties Are So Nice”, may not be safe to share after all.  “Every kitty I ever met likes to fuck with string,” sings Bubbles in an earnest voice.

The album closes with the movie theme, “Standing on the Shoulder of Kitties”.  Immediately with the mellotron, and the backing vocals later on, it’s more Beatles than country.  It might be overreaching.  The lyrics about how awesome kitties are will keep most people from caring.  If you want to hear somebody do music like this, there are probably Oasis songs you haven’t heard yet.  That’s the impression anyway.  It’s more Oasis than Beatles, and more Beatles than country.  “A kitty’s love is all it takes, la la la la la.”  Not hiding the influences at all, Bubbles even sings that “all you need is love.”

This is a novelty album.  However, if you have a cat lover in your circle, who doesn’t mind a little beer and liquor, then consider Longhauler as a thoughtful gift.

3/5 stars

 

Album of the year? REVIEW: Harem Scarem – Chasing Euphoria (2025 2 CD/DVD)

HAREM SCAREM – Chasing Euphoria (2025 Frontiers 2 CD/DVD)

In 2025 we have seen spectacular new releases from The Darkness and Ghost, but have Harem Scarem topped them all?  Chasing Euphoria could be the album of the year.

Harry Hess (vocals), Pete Lesperance (guitar/bass), Darren Smith (backing & lead vocals), and Creighton Doane (drums) have created a magnificent hard rock masterpiece in Chasing Euphoria, an album that sounds like a brother record to Mood Swings.  A record we’ve been waiting for, for a long time.  The logo and cover art match the Mood Swings era.

While it is a disappointment that Darren doesn’t play any drums on the album, you can’t really tell.  (Bassist Mike Vassos is pictured in the booklet but does not appear on the album, while drummer Creighton Doane plays drums on every song but isn’t depicted inside.)  Joining the band are ex-Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Ray Coburn, and Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran (on “Better Than the Devil You Know”).  The ten new songs here are among the best written by this band.  The Japanese release includes four bonus acoustic renderings, plus a DVD with two music videos and an exclusive “Making Of” video.  The album was, as usual, self produced by Harry and Pete.

One of Harem Scarem’s trademark sounds is the blend of Harry Hess’ vocals, layered in with Darren and the band.  The opening title track is thick with that sound on the impactful chorus.  Like classic Harem, this one boasts dark but still uplifting melodies with powerful hard rock.  Importantly, Pete’s guitar tone is right in the pocket of what we loved about him back in 1993.  His solo here could have fit on Mood Swings without a blink.

The upbeat “Better Than the Devil You Know” is a brighter song, with softer verses and a regal chorus.  It brings warm feelings and nostalgia of happy days.  Pete’s solo on this song is lyrical and dexterous.  “Better the devil you know, than you angel you see,” advises Harry Hess.

Chunkier riffing characterizes the speedy “Slow Down”, but what I really like about it is the way Pete goes from rhythm guitar to tricky fills, seamlessly.  This rocker is an album highlight, on a record filled with nothing but.  The chorus is surprising when it hits, and catchy as the flu.  Pete’s solo is an album highlight.

Darren Smith makes his only lead vocal on “Gotta Keep Your Head Up”, a mid-tempo groove with impact.  Darren’s voice is a bit raspier than Harry’s, but they blend so well on the choruses.  This is one of those inspirational rock songs about not giving up or backing down.  The subtle backing keyboards really add texture.  Another winner.

The first ballad of the album is “World On Fire”, which would be the side one closer in a vinyl world.  This is a sentimental song very much like early Harem Scarem, possibly fitting best into the Voice of Reason era (1995).  In a near-perfect album, this song ranks near the bottom, which isn’t really a bad thing on an album like this.  The layers of backing vocals plus Pete’s solo adds some meat to the bones.

“In A Bad Way” returns the chunky Pete rhythm guitar to the forefront.  The roaring chorus of “I’m in need of your love in a bad way,” is the song highlight.  Pete’s solo is a little different, and a lot cool.

Softer is “Reliving History”, but it’s not a ballad.  Even when Harem Scarem write a song that is a little more laid back, they manage to inject it with power.  This is a Leppard-like song circa Adrenalize.

The heaviest song is “A Falling Knife”, a fast rocker with Harry giving it all vocally, sometimes breaking into a hoarse rasp, but without ever losing control.  This is probably the only song that has a late-90s Harem Scarem vibe.  It could fit on albums like Karma Cleansing or Big Bang Theory as well as this one.  The lush backing vocals are a Harem Scarem trademark and the backing organ thickens the soup.

“Understand It All” dials the heaviness back a tad, and compensates with great verses and an absolutely killer chorus, dense with those Harem Scarem vocals.  Pete’s guitars balance the rhythm parts with catchy fills in a tasty way, and his solo is killer as ever.

It’s all over before you know it.  “Wasted Years” is the highspeed closer, an album highlight and an absolute smoker.  It has the tension and the melodic power that classic Harem Scarem has always embodied.  One of the best tracks, in an album with nothing but “best tracks”.

It’s all over before you know it, but Harem Scarem always give the Japanese releases a little extra.  This release comes with four stripped back acoustic versions:  “Better Than the Devil You Know”, “Slow Burn”, “In A Bad Way” and “Reliving History”.  It has been said that if you want to know if you wrote a good song, play it acoustically and see.  All these songs pass the acoustic test, though the album versions will remain the mainstays.  These acoustic tracks are a nice coda.  They give you a little extra, without compromising quality by including filler songs.  It’s like a comedown after a wild ride, though Pete’s acoustic solos sure have spark.

The Japanese album also includes a brief DVD with videos for “Chasing Euphoria” and “Better The Devil You Know”.  In an interesting twist, Darren Smith mimes the drums in these videos, even though Creighton Doane played them.  Mike Vassos does appear on bass in these videos.  There is also a “Making Of” feature that you will probably watch once.  It’s nice to get these bonuses, but how often will you pop in this DVD?  Rarely, because you need a multi-region player to see it.

Harem Scarem have made a lot of great albums over the years, that have been forgotten and swept under the carpet.  This one deserves a better fate than that.

5/5 stars.  Best album by Harem Scarem in a long time.

VIDEO: Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 664: Kiss Off the Soundboard (San Antonio 12/3/85 review)

Check out this brand new episode of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions featuring yours truly in the guest seat!

Kiss have released a brand-new Off the Soundboard album, the very first live release from the 1985 Asylum tour.  The lineup this time featured Stanley, Simmons, Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr.  The setlist also features the first ever live version of “Uh! All Night” to be released officially!

The crappy thing is, the album was only available on vinyl, and is currently only sold with a crappy T-shirt bundle.  Japan, however, took matters in their own hands and released a CD.

Tim and I take a deep dive into the set, the solos, the stage raps and much more.  Check out the show!

 

 

 

Rock Daydream Nation: Why I Prefer 80s Rush – Signals & Hold Your Fire

Join Peter Kerr and myself, two self-confessed fans of 80s Rush, as we discuss Signals and Hold Your Fire.  This fun and insightful episode of Rock Daydream Nation shines an admiring light upon two albums that bookend an era of keyboard-oriented Rush records.

This era of Rush has sometimes been criticized for highlighting synth and keyboards over riffs.  While there is always some truth to this, does that mean a decline in quality?  Not necessarily.  It might just mean bands are becoming interested in different kinds of rock music.

Peter and I pick a number of songs to highlight, and play music clips to illustrate our examples.  Check out the show!

VIDEO: @darcyska Album Review: AFI – Sing the Sorrow (2003)

On the weekend I had the pleasure of doing a show with D’Arcy Briggs from the YouTube channel @darcyska.  The topic was the recently reviewed Sing the Sorrow by A.F.I., which D’Arcy recently picked up thrifting as well.  With this happy coincidence, we sat down and reviewed the album.  It turns out we mostly agreed when we split it down track by track.

Check out this fun review, and a lot of praise for an album you should get!

REVIEW: A.F.I. – Sing the Sorrow (2003)

A.F.I. – Sing the Sorrow (2003 BMG)

I don’t pretend to know about bands with whom I have only scratched the surface, so here are some basics on A.F.I.  I always considered them to be a punk emo band.  A.F.I. (A Fire Inside) are fronted by Davey Havok and have been around for almost 35 years now.  In 2003, they were new to me.  Working at the record store, some of the younger cooler employees put on A.F.I.’s new album Sing the Sorrow, and I immediately liked it.  It had a lot of metal riffing, and I dug Davey’s vocals.  I was an instant fan of the disc, and I played it regularly while it was charting in 2003.  I still spin it today, and though I’m not a pierced up record store guy with eyeliner anymore, I still dig A.F.I.

Sing the Sorrow was the band’s first big mainstream album after several punk/horror oriented releases.  One look at the back cover, and you know it’s going to sound amazing:  Produced by Butch Vig and Jerry Finn.  The front cover is striking, minimalist and classy.  All told, Sing the Sorrow is dark, but with spotlights of bright illumination.  Let’s give it a listen.

One thing immediately obvious is that A.F.I. like their grandiose song titles, and so the opening piece is called “Miseria Cantare- The Beginning”.  Very Ghost today, no?  This keyboard and industrial inflected piece begins with percussion and shouting:  “Love your hate, your faith lost, you are now one of us.”  And then comes Davey Havok, with soothing melodic and smooth vocals, delivering the melancholy hooks.  It’s hard to call this a full song as it’s more an intro, but it’s Davey that reels you comfortably in.

“The Leaving Song, Part II” (again with the pompous song titles that I love so much) is the first real song.  Based on a cool bunch of guitar notes and a couple catchy riffs, A.F.I. open not with a blitzkrieg but with a slow and determined dirge.  The choruses are gang vocal heaven.  This song acted a second single for the album, hitting #16 in the US.  Only Davey Havok could make these words sound positive:  “Break down, and cease all feeling, burn now, what once was breathing.”  Somehow his voice gives hope.

Paces accelerate with one of the best tunes on the album: “Bleed Black”.  This one should have been a single.  In my ears, this album has nothing but singles, and “Bleed Black” is chief among them.  “If you listen, listen, listen…listen close, beat by beat, you can hear when the heart stops, I saved the pieces when it broke, and ground them all to dust.”  Yet it sounds like a celebration of defiance, not a dirge of defeat!   The chorus is layered with alternative band/Davey vocals, and it’s like crowdsurfing on a cloud.  Then, A.F.I. take out the acoustics and go full dirge, but back to the chorus again before it’s too late.

“Silver and Cold” was the third single, a dark and slow tune with industrial effects and subtle, quieter sections and bigger bombastic choruses.  Mournful, but powerful too.  Tempos bounce back on “Dancing Through Sunday”, fast through and through, with incredible hooks from Davey and the band singing backing vocals.  Some cool and prominent bass work, some hammer-ons with the guitar, and we’re not far from familiar territory, but hold on – is that a guitar solo?  Yes it is, a full metal guitar solo by Jade Puget, with tapping and fancy fretwork, in the middle of this punky album!  And it’s the only solo too, one and done.  Talk about using that space effectively!

“Girl’s Not Grey” was the big first single, and it’s all tension and hooks.  “What follows has led me to this place, where I belong will all be erased.”  Is doesn’t sound like a hook, but that’s the magic of Davey Havok.  The guy turns a sentence like that into an anthem, because this song has anthemic qualities.  It’s all good, and the drumming is exceptional during the quiet section in the middle.  These guys just learned to cross genres in the best way, taking the things that work and using them sparingly and effectively.  And man, can Davey deliver hooks.

Dark lonely bass opens “Death of Seasons”.  Then, enter Davey, screaming as if in pain.  The song then shoots off into a punk rock sprint, but still with a chorus that delivers melody and more hooks.  The track ends with Davey declaring that “all of this hatred is fucking real,” before falling screaming into the background while mournful violins sing the last notes.  Really haunting stuff.

Guitars fade into “The Great Disappointment”, layered and ringing a haunted chord.  The bass indicates that there are still hooks ahead, so stick with it.  This could be considered the first ballad on the album.  A power ballad – power combined with pain.  It’s bleak.

“Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)” is another notably dramatic title, with a punky blast of a song behind it.  This track allows you to climb back into the light.  With Davey combining his shouting voice with the clean singing in the same lines, it’s a great fun track to headbang to for a while and forget the misery.  Pay attention to the drums and percussion, as it’s not all simple bashing.  This band, with Hunter Burgan on bass and Adam Carson on drums, can play!

One of the biggest songs in terms of memorable melody is “This Celluloid Dream”, which is a great deep cut and easily could have been a single.  The tempo’s not too fast and Davey continues to deliver the goods vocally and melodically.  Same with all the backing vocalists:  they deliver.  Everything sums together like mathematics.  1+2+3=hooks.  Among the best songs on the album, and one that deserves some serious listens.

Remember way back when the album began, and we heard Part II of “The Leaving Song”?  Now we finally get to Part I, as second last “track” on the CD.  This quiet dirge begins with just some bare guitars and Davey singing mournfully.  “Leaving” seems to be a recurring things on the album, as “This Celluloid Dream” also uses the word.  Though sad, it’s a beautiful song.  I suppose you could consider the outro guitars here to be a “solo”, but that would be pushing it.

The album really goes out in a dramatic fashion.  The final track on the CD is a 15 minute bulk consisting of three actual pieces of music, two of them “hidden”.  “…But Home is Nowhere” is something of a return to form, with the tense guitars hammering out a stuttering riff while Davey delivers the mournful hooks.  “This is my life, this is eternal!” goes part of the anthemic chorus.

“The Spoken Word” is untitled in the CD booklet, but its lyrics are included.  After a silent pause we are greeted by piano and a creepy child’s voice.  This goes on a while, like an Alice Cooper interlude.  Then we get to the final real song, “The Time Imperfect” which is bare guitar and vocals, much like “The Leaving Song” at first.  Then the drums and bass come in to complete what we’ll call a ballad.  There’s one final blast of heavy as we drift along towards the end, followed by creepy, atmospheric reversed guitars, into the dusk.

Sing the Sorrow could not have been more accurately titled.  This album is an expression of pain, solitude, loss and also victory.  The victory is in the survival of it, and turning it into art.  Each chorus allows you to release pain.  Beyond that, it is clear that A.F.I. created a sonic painting here.  It is an album that takes one on a journey, and features no boundaries to its creative expression.  Special credit must go to guitarist Jade Puget who refuses to play it simple, safe, or uninteresting, but never puts the hooks second.

A masterpiece.

5/5 stars