STACK Magazine December Issue 122

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DECEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi
20
The Bennies Heavy Disco
No one sounds like The Bennies. The Melbourne four-piece care so
little for their reputation, their status, and what’s hip or acceptable, that
they’ve become one of the most exciting entities on the local punk rock
circuit. There’s an undeniable charisma that comes from expression
without censorship and The Bennies are proof that it can lend you a fervent fanbase, too.
The real winner on Heavy Disco is bonus track Green-Mix City, which combines unrelenting
dub samples, joyous horns and hilarious lyrics to form the party anthem of your summer.
Poison City Records
Vices We’ll Make It Through This
It’s a notable occasion indeed when one of Australia’s most reputable
Australian punk rock labels, responsible for the rise and rise of Parkway Drive,
signs a new local talent. There is no shortage of bands that sound like these
East Coast riff lords, but it’s apparent that Vices learned something on the
road after an extensive US tour late last year. It’s perhaps that perspective that has lent them the
maturity to handle the responsibility that comes with backing from the big boys. It’s certainly lent
this effort a calm confidence that eclipses their peers. Resist/Cooking Vinyl/Universal
Cannibal Corpse A Skeletal Domain
After 26 years most would assume that Cannibal Corpse – arguably the world’s most
successful death metal band – has taken their music as far as it can possible go. They’ve
pushed the lyrical envelope, and their use of blast beats, guttural vocals and atonal
riffing has inspired countless clones around the world. Therefore, it would easy to excuse
a veteran act for going through the motions and dialling in a new set of tunes to appease
contractual obligations. This cannot be said of A Skeletal Domain. The artwork and song
titles don’t give much away: visually it’s what we’ve come to expect from the band, but
the major difference lies in the music. Guitarist Pat O’Brien, who wrote the lion’s share
of the material, leads the charge. His songs mix a fresh dose of thrash metal influences
with the bands patented death metal stylings to give the album an energy reminiscent of
their debut Eaten Back To Life. A Skeletal Domain is quite the album and should be at the
top of every extreme metal fan’s wish list. Metal Blade/Rocket
Anthrax Chile On Hell
Of the bands comprising the so-called ‘Big Four’, Anthrax has always
been the most entertaining live. Metallica has the hits, Slayer the
intensity, and Megadeth the technicality, but Anthrax is the massive ball
of energy that explodes on stage. This is true of their latest live DVD,
Chile On Hell. Shot in front of a dedicated crowd, it’s hard to not get
caught up in the show, despite some five covers being included in the
set list. The Raining Blood tribute to late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman aside, it’s about
time that Antisocial and Got the Time were sent into retirement.
Nuclear Blast/Caroline/Universal
At the Gates At War with Reality
Yet another band reunites to release new material. Sweden’s At the
Gates reunited – for the second time – in 2010, hitting the world
stages to great acclaim, even making it to Australia in 2012. Hailed
as one of the most influential melodic death metal bands, they struck
gold with their swan song effort Slaughter of the Soul back in 1995. At War with
Reality (the Venom reference shouldn’t be lost on anyone) is burdened with great
expectation. Fortunately it delivers: the album succeeds in touching on the many
aspects of their sound, without betraying their past. Century Media/EMI/Universal
Devin Townsend Z2
Anything involving the talent of Devin Townsend is never straightforward.
Here he presents a two-CD set, one titled Blue Sky and the other Dark
Matters – the follow-up to popular 2007 concept Ziltoid the Omniscient.
Blue Sky is a continuation of the lush pop melodies he explored on Epicloud,
and in a word it’s exquisite – and essential for latter day Townsend devotees. Dark Matters,
however, leaves me flat. Other than the lyrics and vocals, it covers the same sonic ground as
Blue Sky, lacking the aggression of the first Ziltoid. Considering Townsend’s past, it’s a surprise
Z² isn’t as varied. EMI/Century Media/Universal
Ozzy Osbourne Memoirs of a Madman
With talk of another new Black Sabbath album, Ozzy Osbourne’s solo
career has taken an understandable backseat. It’s been four years since
Scream, so the green light was given for another compilation. The audio
component ofMemoirs of a Madman is solid, but offers nothing new. The
accompanying two-disc DVD, however, will interest fans. One features all of Osbourne’s
video clips, bar one – Shot in the Dark is absent because of copyright, and the other
features live footage. The live component is grainy in parts, but it’s unreleased material that
Osbourne devotes will need to see. Sony Music
Emily Kelly is not generally as angry as the music she listens to.
Smashing Pumpkins
Monuments to an Elegy
Billy Corgan finds himself in an odd place these days – his peak musical
prowess now somewhat eclipsed by his own personal limelight. He’s
in the simultaneously glorious and nightmarish position of having
the music world’s undivided attention for the remainder of his career; the question just
remains of how he’s going to wield it. Lead single Being Beige threatened to be a blatant
metaphor for this, the band’s tenth LP, but thankfully Corgan is nothing if not supremely
talented and ambitious, and thus worthy of your time. Cooking Vinyl/Universal
Punk Goes Pop – Volume 6
Punk Goes Pop used to be an opportunity for the biggest hardcore bands
to unashamedly flaunt their most sickly sweet pop influences via clever
covers. As the concept has evolved, it’s undeniably taken advantage of its
legacy of intrigue and utilised it to introduce smaller bands to ravenous
punk rock audiences. The biggest drawcard on volume six is August Burns Red, who devour
Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball with gusto, but there are few more exciting inclusions than
this. Just reminders that perhaps metalcore kids should stick to what they know best.
Fearless /Unified/Warner
Swingin Utters Fistful of Hollow
Swingin Utters continue their quest to be the most perpetually underrated punk
rock band this side of the millennium, with new LP Fistful of Hollow. You’d be
hard pressed to find nonchalant variety like this in just about any other punk
album this year. They’re not trying to be diverse in their approach, the creative
inclination just spews from their every pore; immediately apparent in every
opening bar and satisfying to the final note. Fistful of Hollow disproves the
age-old adage about old dogs and new tricks. Almost 30 years into their career,
the Utters are still delivering. It’s just such a shame this has been relegated to
the depths of a B-grade Fat Wreck rush release. Let’s hope Tell Them I Told You
So is not just their strongest track but also their swan song, as they progress to
greener pastures. Fat Wreck Chords /Shock
Simon Lukic’s belief in heavy metal is utterly unassailable.
Like your metal with a sense of humour? Check out Anthrax radio on JB Hi-Fi Now to delve deep into their mad world!
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