STACK #167 Sept 2018

MUSIC

REVIEWS

Good Charlotte Generation RX Generation RX thumps harder and moves faster than you might suspect, with the Maddens + co. sounding (positively) stuck in time, or maybe just appealing to eternal concerns: death, addiction, misery. Something else to note: there’s plenty of Linkin Park’s DNA in these songs. Whether that’s a point of reference or just common influences, there’s no doubt Generation RX is inspired by the number of memorials and tributes the band have been around since 2016’s comeback. It’s a heavy record from a band taking stock of life. (BMG/Warner) Jake Cleland

Deicide Overtures Of Blasphemy It's easy to forget the impact Deicide made with their self-titled debut in 1990 and the controversy they stirred up on its release. Time may have lessened their ability to shock, but whenever a new album drops, the death metal scene always listens. On an initial spin, Overtures Of Blasphemy could be viewed as just another album in a long line of Deicide albums, but on further inspection there is a lot more on offer. It's been a while since the band sounded so powerful and played with such intent. Also of interest is the amount of melodic guitar shred on display, which adds scope to their brutal sound. Deicide aren't reinventing the wheel here, but the tweaks they have made do make a difference. (EMI/Century Media) Simon Lukic

Dee Snider For The Love Of Metal Dee Snider of Twisted Sister

Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators Living The Dream Guns N’ Roses guitarist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer (and too many other credentials to list) Slash dulls none of his juicy riffage on his fourth solo album, and his third with his bandmates Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators. Vocalist Kennedy takes an energetic approach to the beds of rock and roses Slash has laid for him: his voice can flip with callisthenic vigour, his harmonies are super saucy, and his range is powerful – see Lost Inside The Girl 's deeply purring verses next to the aerial pitch of the final chorus. My Antidote describes music as a motivation, but also a “salvation”; this assemblage know their strengths inside and out, and are absolutely delighted to flex. (Snakepit/Sony) Zoë Radas

fame is a legend, and while he's remembered by most for the song We're Not Gonna Take It , he has has struggled as a solo artist. A meeting with Hatebreed vocalist Jamey Jasta reignited Snider's interest in another album after Jasta suggested that he and his buddies from Lamb Of God, Toxic Holocaust and Kingdom Of Sorrow write the record for him. All Snider had to do was front up and sing. As the title suggests, this is a metal album though and through. Sure, it's modern in places due to the musicians involved, but for the most part it hits the spot musically. Snider's vocals haven't aged a bit; at 63 years old he is the star here, and what could have been a train wreck of influences turns out better than expected. (Napalm/Rocket) Simon Lukic

ALBUM OUT NOW

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