The brightest always burn out the quickest. Audioslave lasted a mere five years but unleashed three albums in the same time most bands can only crank out one or two. It was a collaboration that bore sweet fruit. Ronnie James Dio used to say that when it came to collaborations, the first album was usually the best. That’s true of Audioslave.
Their first, self-titled album checks all the boxes: monster grooves, soaring vocals and wonky solos. Since it’s produced by Rick Rubin you know it’s gonna be loud. You can also count on a clear, big drum sound which Rubin achieves. At 14 tracks, the album is swollen, but despite its long runtime there is nary a dud.
There are some who, at the time at least, felt that Rage Against The Machine’s style of abnormally funky rap-metal could not be adapted to hard rock. They felt the fit between Chris Cornell and the Rage guys was forced and resulted in something that would only appeal to Soundgarden’s fans while alienating those of Rage. While there is a smidgen of truth to that assertion, Rage have proven time and again that they can pretty much do anything. No boundaries.
No tracks to skip, either, but some you may want to focus extra attention on. “Cochise” about the revered Indian warrior, has a groove that can crack concrete. Same with “Show Me How to Live” and “Gasoline”, heavier than the proverbial lead balloon, but infested with melodic vocals. Audioslave could even pull off slower material, though you’d be hesitant to call them “ballads”. “Like A Stone” is essential: precision, smoky rock crooning. The spare arrangement allows Chris’ vocals to make the impact, though the bass is certainly earth-moving. As if that wasn’t enough, Tom Morello’s solo combines his trademark noisy note-work with epic composition.
Despite the quality tracks before and after, the best may be the angry “Set It Off”. It slams. It’s closest to Rage’s anarchist tendencies. It’s just pissed off.
He was standing at the rock, Gathering the flock, And getting there with no directions, And underneath the arch, It turned into a march, And there he found the spark to set this fucker off.
A 14 track album this good could earn a 2000 word analysis, but we’ll save that for an inevitable deluxe edition. There are lots of B-sides and bonus tracks from this album that need to be properly collected into a set, like the download-only “Give”, a rhythmic little extra. Suffice to say, Audioslave is an essential album for anybody who ever liked rock music. There is a purity to it. As the liner notes say, “all sounds made by guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.” Even the weird squonky shit, so be ready for your mind and soul to be blown. Sit back and absorb it a while, because there’s a lot here to assimilate into your blood.
“That was even more unsettling than I remember,” said Holen after viewing Eraserhead for the first time in many moons. You see, I hadn’t planned to review this surrealist masterpiece for my Halloween reviews, but then a funny thing happened. Criterion Collection had a 50% off sale, so I decided to order the Blu-ray of Eraserhead, finally adding one of the few missing pieces to my David Lynch collection, and securing one of my favorite films of all time in the process. I’m in pretty good company calling it a favorite, as it’s beloved by talents as diverse as Mel Brooks, Crispin Glover, and Stanley Kubrick. As a matter of fact, Kubrick screened this film on the set of The Shining in an attempt to express the mood he was trying to capture with his own film.
If you’ve never seen it and you believe that the following tidbit is giving you a solid idea of what to expect, you’d be pretty wrong. Eraserhead and The Shining may share similar abilities to cause tension, but that’s about it. Eraserhead honestly has more in common with 2001. It’s an overwhelming barrage of images and ideas, rather than concrete dialogue or relatable characters. Filmed in hazy black and white, the movie can best be summed up as a dream. Not dreamlike, but a dream. There’s very little in this film that we can connect back to our own world, and even the things that we recognize act in ways that we’ve never seen before. That process of making the common seem alien births fear. Like the chickens that come alive on their plates as you try to cut them.
But this fear is anchored in a sense of wide-eyed wonder. We’re unable to turn away, and much like a dream, we’re helpless to resist the unsettling events we’re seeing on the screen. The plot is simple. A man on vacation from his printing job in an industrial town learns he’s impregnated his girlfriend. She gives birth to a premature baby that doesn’t look humanoid at all. She doesn’t have the endurance to take care of the child, so he’s left to deal with it on his own. We see our “hero” Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) struggle with the realities of being a new father, and all the fear and repressed emotions that accompany this time. The film takes an unflinching look at the ID surrounding fatherhood. Henry fears being usurped by his own son, and worries that his status as a father will make women turn away from him in fear. He struggles with whether he should kill his “child”, being egged on by a woman that lives in his radiator with swollen cheeks
None of this is dealt with in a traditional way, and none of it is expressed through dialogue. It’s a visual film that manages to deal with the harsh realities of these subliminal primal feelings by masking their brutal nature in the ambiguous whimsical wrap of dream logic. It would be impossible to feel any empathy towards Henry in a traditional film, but this movie gives us a disturbing look into the inner psyche of a man pushed far outside of his comfort zone, outside of his sanity. None of Henry’s actions until the end of the film could be considered sinister at all, as his worries are almost entirely projected out through the world around him.
At first, Henry seems to be quite caring to his child in every way. He’s there when the mother is not, is concerned when the baby is sick, and generally seems to be a polite mild-mannered man. Like many David Lynch films, Eraserhead searches past the shiny surface into the dark underbelly of reality, however unpleasant it may be. He did the same thing with small town American suburbs in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, and Hollywood in Mulholland Dr.
For my money though, he never created another picture as personal and as inimitable as Eraserhead. It achieves what it sets out to do with no fat, no moment wasted in its brief 89 minute run-time. I don’t understand everything in Eraserhead, but to me that’s part of the charm. It’s a riveting picture more disturbing than most horror, it forces you to be an active viewer by constantly engaging your brain, and it explores aspects of fatherhood most of us would rather deny existed. The 4K restoration done by Criterion looks and sounds wonderful, as the soundtrack is as much a part of this movie as the visuals are. I didn’t know that industrial noise could be so involving and manipulative, but the oppressive sounds reinforce the images on screen with masterful synchronization. The minutes on end of heavy bass make your entire body clench up until it suddenly ceases and you sit wondering what the hell just happened to you. It’s truly a masterpiece of cinema, and an extraordinary debut film. If you can stomach the supreme tension, seek one out today!
Review #2 in Holen’s Halloween Extravaganza for 2019!
JACK’S BACK (1988 Palisades)
Jack’s Back is the little thriller that couldn’t. It never had a chance with the shoddy distribution that it received. This is the feature film debut of Rowdy Herrington, who was also responsible for a film called Road House. Unfortunately, his debut didn’t receive a fraction of the recognition that Road House did. It got two thumbs up from Siskel & Ebert, and that’s about all the attention that it garnered in its original theatrical run. Nowadays, its status has hardly risen, but I believe that this has the quality to rise to cult status. As a matter of fact, I believe it’s quite a bit better than most thriller/horror films that have gained such distinction, and much more intelligent as well.
Despite sounding like an exploitation film, being shot on a shoestring budget, and a shitty trailer, Jack’s Back succeeds as an intelligent crime caper with enough twists and turns to keep the audience from ever completely solving the mystery or losing interest. The most invaluable asset to this movie may be leading man James Spader, one of America’s best, brightest, and eccentric actors. The man is so well-spoken that you find yourself clinging on to every single word, a true silver-tongued devil. It makes sense that one of his most memorable turns (as Alan Shore on the fantastic Boston Legal opposite William Shatner) was as a lawyer. Here, he has a dual role as twin brothers, and he turns in an impressive performance in each instance. Even more impressive is how the two are so different. The first is a sensitive, caring, hospital worker. He’s a goody two shoes social activist, too good for this world it seems. The second is a tense, rebellious rapscallion, not afraid to break the rules, or get his hands dirty to get the job done. He’s not particularly selfless, and he doesn’t particularly give a shit.
The premise of this film is that it is one hundred years after the original Jack the Ripper murders, something fucky is going on. A copycat killer is recreating these killings, down to every minute detail. The gentle and measured brother (John Wesford) is suspected of being the killer posthumously. The cops are determined to pin it on somebody to calm public fears, so they jump the gun in declaring the culprit. They suspect John because he has the medical know-how to recreate the killings, and because of that fact that he mysteriously ends up hanged at his place of employment one night. They assume the guilt was too much to bear, and he took his own life. The only person that doesn’t believe John is Jack Jr. is his twin brother Ricky. Ricky saw his brother’s death in a clairvoyant dream, and it was not suicide at all in that vision. John was murdered. Ricky races to the scene of the crime minutes after it happens and finds his dead brother, leading the cops to view Ricky with suspicion. They believe that he may have killed his brother. Ricky then has to clear his name, and the name of his deceased brother. He knows that his brother’s killer will surely be the real Jack copycat. Or will he? Who knows? I do, I’ve seen the movie. You probably don’t, because you probably haven’t. Hardly anyone has.
What ensues is a wildly engrossing mystery that keeps you on your toes until the very end. There are moments of cheese of course, this film was released in 1988, but not once does this movie feel like the novelty that its title and tagline would suggest. For its modest budget, Jack’s Back hardly ever feels cheap, tacky, or undercooked. It’s suspenseful, charming, occasionally funny, and unlike many films today, it breathes. There’s life in this picture, and it’s clear that the participants are having a blast making it. Due to the modest budget and its incredibly fast shooting schedule, there was no time to mess around with this picture. That brisk controlled chaos contributes to the manic energy of the film, underscoring the tension of the second act. As of right now I believe it’s free to watch on Amazon Prime, so if you wanted to venture out to something spooky you haven’t seen this year, I’d highly recommend this one. Also the whole thing is on YouTube in HD.
But if you’re a physical media guy like me, and you have a Region A player, you can pick this one up to hold in your hands. The first time this film made it to disc in North America was a Blu-ray/DVD combo release a few years back done by Scream Factory. Surprisingly, I have nothing but praise for this disc. The special features are a little bare, but that’s to be expected for such a minor entry (commercially) in the careers of all involved. The video was meticulously restored in HD from the original negatives in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and the picture looks better than anyone had any right to expect. It’s a low budget film from 1988, so temper your expectations, but I don’t see any evidence of print damage, excessive DNR, or shitty compression artifacts. I said surprisingly given that Shout! Factory has been very spotty in my opinion with regards to video quality. I appreciate everything that they do to bring us films that wouldn’t see a release by any other means, but some of their discs have been rather disappointing when it comes to their HD sources (here’s looking at you Wild at Heart, desperately in need of an updated 4K restoration).
Fortunately Jack’s Back had no HD transfer prior to this, so they had no choice but to do it with modern tech, and it’s clear that Pinewood (the dudes that restored this) handled this task with care and attention. The audio track is the film’s original mono mix rendered as a DTS-HD 2.0 track, and it’s as good as you’re gonna get out of such an old low budget film. It’s presented here accurately without any dropouts, pops, or clicks, and that’s all you could really ask for. Overall, I give major props to Scream Factory for this one, it’s a great disc, and well worth the $14.99 they’re asking for it.
4/5 Clairvoyant Spader Visions
And if you don’t trust me, take their word on it. They’re professionals, eh?
Welcome to Holen’s Halloween Extravaganza year two. This month I’ll being reviewing some spooky stuff leading up to the big day. What day? It’s Halloween! That’s why it’s called Holen’s Halloween Extravaganza. Do try to keep up!!! Today I’ve got an album full of dead men, parties, and a combination of the two. I’m already pissing my pants in fear just typing about it. Oh God, that’s warm.
Hey, I bet you’ve heard a Danny Elfman score. Maybe even a plethora of scores that fit that descriptor. But did you know this dude was the lead singer of rock band Oingo Boingo? You did? Well I’m so sorry that I tried to teach you something new Mr. Smartypants! Or is that Mrs. Smartypants, or Ms. Smartypants? This is an inclusive review. Anyway, in 1985 the Elf Man and company released Dead Man’s Party, their most commercially successful album, and one of their most eclectic. As Chris Farley would say, this is some kickass shit.
For such a commercial album, it sure is stylistically diverse, and incredibly strange. One of the highest compliments you could pay this group is to say that every song sounds like them, but no two songs sound alike. This is a group with many first-rate musicians, including a brass section. How many rock bands have a brass section? What we have on this album is a strange blend of many influences that makes a surprisingly delicious smoothie. Imagine rock, pop, dance music, soul, ‘60s surfer music, circus music, musical theater, and film score sprinkles all seamless blended in a digestible package. You’ve got Dead Man’s Party. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘Gee whiz! These folks sound a lot like Mr. Bungle.’ And you’d be right, as I’m convinced that Mr. Bungle’s entire career is based on the Oingo Boingo song here entitled “No One Lives Forever”.
I mean come on, Patton. Did you really think no one would notice just because you made it more demented and less commercial? Silly Patton. Go sing your Nestles songs. While Mike is off singing about chocolate, allow me to tell you about the topic at hand. This whole album is incredibly consistent, from the paranoid theatrical rock romp “Just Another Day” (a personal favorite), to the get down on the dance floor spooky staple from Back to School “Dead Man’s Party”, to the cowboy ‘80s pop love song “Stay”. This is an album where every song is crammed full of as many ideas as possible, while somehow sticking to a traditional pop format with great melodies from the golden voiced, red headed front-man. I’ve found that listening to normal music directly after this album is incredibly hard, just because normal stuff seems so simplistic in nature after the “everything and the kitchen sink” bombast of Oingo Boingo. Another favorite is “Help Me”, which sounds like U2 fucked The Police and was raised by Motown music from the ‘60s, with just a pinch of church gospel.
None of these contrasting influences are jarring. Elfman has a knack for working them in with a grace and subtlety that throws a veil over his nihilistic dark humor. These songs sound great on the radio, but there’s something off about them, something strange going on underneath the surface, a tension, exuberance. You can hear traces of his future days as a composer here, and they make his ability to compact that talent into a catchy three minute rock song even more impressive. Filler is nowhere to be found, every song is clearly crafted with an incredible amount of care and attention. While not every song is completely to my tastes, I’d say 8.5/9 are winners that make me want to move and groove, cry, sweat, and cower. This is music that plays great in the background, but is so much more rewarding upon attempting to dissect every nuance, every nook and cranny in this jam packed record.
If you’ve ever seen them in concert, or a concert video, you’ll know they throw one hell of a party. So why not make your next party a dead man’s party? Sleep with this CD nestled tight in your arms this holiday season. Happy October all you people. Holen’s back.
I’m not reviewing this movie. I’m off to change clothes. I’ve still got piss in my pants.
“Oh God! What did I just listen to?”– J from Resurrection Songs
EUROPE – “The Final Countdown 2000” (1999 Sony single)
As we edge closer to the start of a new decade, it’s the perfect time to look back at the turn of the millennium, 20 whole years ago. Sony decided that Europe’s “The Final Countdown” would make the ideal anthem for the millennium, and so had it remixed by the guy (Brian Rawling) who did Cher’s “Believe” a year earlier. Joey Tempest was not amused, and tried to find another mixer without success. Drummer Ian Haughland called the finished remix a “disaster”.
The full length remix is the antithesis to rock music. Sped up, with bouncy synth bass and drums, it was obviously calculated for dancing. There are keyboards, weird sounds, and samples that have nothing to do with the song. Of the original recording, Joey’s vocals remain, but the rest sounds completely digital. It goes on, and on. The edit is tolerably shorter, but barely. “The Final Countdown 2000” is an affront to rock music and everything its fans enjoy. It is pure pandering to people who would never have bought a Europe album in the first place. Is that what Sony felt they had to do in order to make it a hit a second time? Imagine if Europe recorded a new version with both guitarists instead. The song was already pop enough to be a hit again on the wave of 80s nostalgia. It didn’t need to be mutilated to fit into a dance remix. It surely would have done better than this (#6 in Sweden, #36 in the UK).
As a consolation prize, this CD single includes a single edit of the original song. All it’s missing is the countdown opening. After hearing the dance version twice, it sounds strangely sluggish (even though it’s not). It’s like taking an offramp from the highway into normal traffic.
TWISTED SISTER – Big Hits and Nasty Cuts (1992 Atlantic – Canadian CD)
When Twisted Sister split at the end of 1987, they went rather quietly into that goodnight. No big magazine articles, no solo projects incoming, not until 1992 when Dee Snider finally re-emerged with his new band Widowmaker. It was a quiet five years, broken only by the low key release of Twisted Sister’s first “greatest hits” compilation in March of that year.
Big Hits and Nasty Cuts was a compilation that both fans and band deserved. No careless cash grabs here. In 1992 it’s doubtful that Atlantic thought they’d be making much money off “I Wanna Rock”, one of the biggest cheerleaders of the obsolete generation. While Kurt Cobain cashed his biggest royalty cheque yet, J.J. French was writing the liner notes for this CD. (Mark “The Animal” Mendoza did the remastering with Ted Jensen.)
For the era, Big Hits and Nasty Cuts was one of the most fan-friendly, value-intensive CDs on the market. Even better for American fans, this time they got the bonus track! The album was split into two sides — the hits and the “nasty cuts”, all rare B-sides recorded at the Marquee club in England. Fortunately the entire show has since been issued by Rhino, but in 1992, very few fans had the original 12″ singles these songs were sourced from. Another rarity included was Twisted’s first single, “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!” These were first releases for the CD format! Good thing too, because “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!” is indelible as any of the hits.
The hits portion of the album isn’t quite predictable. Would you have expected the heavy metal uppercut “Under the Blade”? Or the raw “Shoot ‘Em Down”? Here they are, and thanks to the liner notes, you can find out why. (Oh fine, we’ll spoil one. “Under the Blade” was included because it’s been played at every Twisted show since it was written.) The three biggest hits are present and accounted for. “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” would be the two hits that everyone knows, and “The Price” is runner-up.
Also present: “I Am, I’m Me” and “The Kids Are Back” demonstrate Dee’s early knack for melodic songwriting, very punk-like in its simplicity especially when coupled with Twisted’s 4/4 rock. “You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll” also had to be here. Perhaps it’s Twisted’s best metal anthem. Finally “Be Chrool to Your Scuel” featuring Alice Cooper ends the hits side with the last one chronologically. (“Bad Boys of Rock and Roll” on the US version.) There’s no “Leader of the Pack” and no “Hot Love”. All hail the classic lineup: Dee Snider – lead vocals. J.J. French – guitar. Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda – guitar. Mark “The Animal” Mendoza – bass. The late, underappreciated A.J. Pero – drums. The lineup that set MTV on fire relied on catchy videos, yes, but the songs have survived equally well.
The nasty cuts may just be too heavy for the average listener. Recorded to 2-track tape, there’s no fixing the mixes here. The lengthy start to “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)” includes Lemmy’s intro and plenty of noise. There is no overlap with any other songs on the CD. “Destroyer” grinds so hard it’s almost a parody of itself. “Tear It Loose” is out-of-control fast, blowing away the album version. The US got “Run For Your Life” right after “Tear It Loose”, another fast rendition once it kicks in. (In Canada, “Run For Your Life” was only on cassette.) The cover tunes “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll” and “Let the Good Times Roll/Feel So Fine” include plenty of crowd interplay. Just the thing to turn off Joe Average Listener, but amazing to hear the energy of the band and audience that night.
The live cuts really highlight, with 20/20 hindsight anyway, the power of A.J. Pero. The guy could really kill a drum kit, and his timekeeping is the cornerstone of what made Twisted Sister heavy.
Don’t buy this CD if you’re looking for a party CD. Buy it because you’re intrigued and want to learn more about a band who doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the world’s most dangerous. Buy it to check out the rarities and get a taste of what those in the know had in their collections back in 1983. Buy it because you’re going to get liner notes and photos of band members you never even heard of before. Buy it because this is a great compilation, done with loving care and value.
Dedicated to my pal Jason who is about to see Rancid open for the Misfits at Madison Square Gardens.
RANCID – …And Out Come the Wolves (1995 Epitaph)
Some albums earn automatic 5/5 star ratings. This is one of those albums. How’s that for a punk rock length review?
5/5 stars
Oh, alright, you wanted to read a little more with your coffee and slippers and battered & torn old jean jacket this morning? Fine. …And Out Come the Wolves is a landmark, spiritually plucked from an earlier time, as if it came out alongside Never Mind the Bollocks and The Ramones instead of Dookie and Smash. It’s uncompromising, timeless, and relentless. Best of all, there isn’t a weak track amongst the 19 included.
Rancid are punk rock for music fans. Check out Matt Freeman’s absolutely nutso bass solo on opening track “Maxwell Murder” (1:25 long). There’s another on “Lock, Step & Gone”. The album is sharp but not overproduced; there are plenty of rough edges to scratch your itches on. The dual vocals of Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen are individual; albeit both are adequately snotty and gravelly.
…And Out Come the Wolves is notable for its ska influence on a number of tracks. It’s even alluded to in the lyrics: “Give ’em the boot, the roots, the reggae on my stereo.” Or, “Echoes of reggae, comin’ through my bedroom wall.” But even the tunes without the ska boast an abnormally astute sense of melody. Six tonnes of integrity and a sneer.
Memories:
T-Rev’s favourite song was “Roots Radicals”; he got me into the band. Via the Record Store, I had a four song sampler cassette that included “Roots Radicals”, “Ruby Soho”, “Junkie Man” and “Time Bomb”.
Jason’s favourite tunes are the fucking awesome “Disorder & Disarray” and “Journey to the End of the East Bay”.
I had a very significant life event associated with “Time Bomb” that I won’t be telling you about.
My grunge buddy Aaron strongly hated Rancid and I never understood why.
50 minutes of punk perfection, by four guys who absolutely know their shit. Each song is different; there is something here for everyone. Nobody can go wrong, you can only open your world up to something bright and colourful. …And Out Come the Wolves will blast your adrenal glands up wide open and stimulate your sense of skank. Do not live your life without it.
WOLFSBANE – Live Fast, Die Fast (1989 Def American cassette)
Blaze Bayley did not emerge from out of nowhere when he joined Iron Maiden. Six years before The X Factor, Bayley released his debut album with Wolfsbane, produced by Rick frickin’ Rubin of all people. Presumably this means Rick laid on a couch and didn’t wear shoes. Let’s have a listen, then.
“Man Hunt” is Van Halen meets Iron Maiden; as bizarre as that concoction may sound is half as much as it is good! It’s EVH and DLR, “Back in the Village”, hunting for painted ladies. Blaze shows off some impressive pipes, but guitarist Jase Edwards showcases all the good things you can do with a speedily-played six-string. Dirty Blaze must have hooked up with a bird according to “Shakin'”, which takes the sound back into the pocket. A Dokken/Halen hybrid with a touch of sleaze, and certainly harder edged than what most American bands were doing in 1989. “Killing Machine” sounds a bit like a lost Van Halen demo from 1977 but with a 1980s heavy metal drummer instead of Big Al. There’s no break between it and “Fell Out of Heaven”, acting like one big multi-parted song. Blaze is on the make again, sounding like a big dirty Ian Astbury. Add in the absolutely blitz of “Money to Burn” and you have a definitive “lust” trilogy.
Side two opens with a punchy tune called “Greasy”, possessing an unholy scream that you wish they would have utilized in Maiden. “I Like It Hot” is the funny summer cruisin’ tune, one the most commercial song on the album that is decidedly not commercial. You can sing along to the terrific chorus on “All Or Nothing” but the blitzkrieg speed makes it clearly radio unfriendly. The only power ballad “Tears From a Fool” is harder edged with a long solo, uncompromised and remote. And with not even a breath’s break, “Pretty Baby” concludes this album-length treatise on picking up chicks in an accelerated manor.
The sonics of this Rick Rubin production are typically dry and crisp, but with an annoying snare drum sound that makes you question his hearing. He arranged some cool gang vocals with both melody and rawness, but Live Fast, Die Fast doesn’t have any special sonic qualities that scream “Rubin”.
Wolfsbane happened an interesting niche here. They blended the best aspects of American hard rock, tossed it with some heavy fucking metal, and a singer who didn’t sound like everyone else (with a dirty mind). It was dangerous and it was different.
Was it good? Yeah! To quote the Heavy Metal Overlord, even Rick Rubin couldn’t fuck it up.
The most surprising new release of 2019, to this listener anyway, has been the new Tom Keifer album. It’s been a long time since I’ve given the Cinderella frontman any eartime, and I didn’t know what to expect from him in 2019. What I got was “Holy Shitballs, this fucking rocks!” Rise is earthy, bluesy but also with the rock side of Cinderella bursting at the seams. It almost sounds like a direct continuation of the final Cinderella album Still Climbing.
Wicked slide guitar opens “Touching the Divine”, one of the songs that will directly appeal to fans of Keifer’s old band. Backed by soulful backing singers, Keifer still reaches for the screamin’ vocals for a good mix of new and old. Words like “greasy”, “rootsy”, and “heavy” all come to mind. Even the softer songs have a weight and gravitas that old Cinderella didn’t always have. Take “Waiting on the Demons” for example. It’s soft, southern and Band-like. But it is its own kind of heavy.
The album doesn’t need to be dissected track by track here, but some songs need to be addressed. The title track “RISE” (all caps!) is stunningly soulful and epic, and many fans have really connected with the slower, marauding “Untitled”. Whatever songs grab your fancy, you’ll hear something that you like. Whether it’s a Crowes-like blues, rockers akin to Cinderella, or something new, Tom Keifer’s got a variety of great tunes here. Not good, but great. Nothing to skip. Just 11 songs that will grow on you and then fade as others steal their sunshine. And the guitar playing? Keifer and Tony Higbee lay down some serious, grinding six-string hooks. It’s guitar nirvana for fans of this kind of rock. Acoustic, electric, slide — doesn’t matter. It’s all good.
My personal favourite? “All Amped Up”, the riffiest song of the batch.
Keifer has assembled a stunning band here, a seven-piece including his wife Savannah on vocals and piano. He took a left turn away from the 80s and into something more real. It paid off. This is a contender for the annual Top 5 list, easily.
AUDIOSLAVE – Audioslave (2002 Sony)
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