STACK Feb Issue 124

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FEBRUARY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
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Retox Beneath California
Combine The Locust, Dillinger Escape Plan and Tomahawk, and you’ll
get a whiff of what Epitaph’s Retox bring to the rather baron sonic
landscape of modern post-punk. The band themselves have referred to
their music as ‘annoying’, and they’re not just being facetious. All uneven
time signatures and unapologetic lyrics, there’s something jarring about Beneath California,
but it’s this unruliness that is so powerful. Retox feel gloriously unconventional, and you
can’t help but feel this may be the sleeper hit of the summer. Epitaph/Warner
Feed Her to the Sharks Fortitude
Sometimes it feels like metalcore is on its last legs, toes gripping
desperately to the edge of the cliff as relevance threatens to push it into
nu-metal territory. It feels thoroughly explored, particularly the melodic/heavy
vocal duality that’s become a non-negotiable fixture in the past decade.
Melbourne’s Feed Her to the Sharks scored a Victory Records deal for their new LP and there
is no doubt it’s an international quality release, it just rarely delivers anything new. Victory
promises ‘unwavering energy, merciless drumming, and dizzying solos’ but in the immortal words
of Peggy Lee, ‘is that all there is’? VIctory/Rocket
Dream Theater Breaking the Fourth Wall (DVD)
Dream Theater’s latest DVD, Breaking the Fourth Wall, is the perfect way for fans to relive the
recent Australian tour. Featuring an identical setlist to recent Melbourne and Sydney shows,
Breaking the Fourth Wall sounds great and looks impressive. Recorded live at the Boston Opera
House in March 2014, this show is unique because the Berklee College of Music World Strings
and Concert Choir accompanied the band. It doesn’t get better musically, and the band – despite
vocalist James La Brie’s continued struggles in the live setting – is hard to fault. Much like the
show I caught in Melbourne, I’m left feeling a little hollow due to the calculated nature of the
performance. A live show should be a little dangerous – even when accompanied by an orchestra –
and Dream Theater is playing it safe these days. The reason for this is the absence of Mike Portnoy.
Drummer Mike Mangini does a sterling job, but Portnoy was the one that kept the band on their
toes. As it stands now, Breaking the Fourth Wall is a perfect snapshot of the band as it exists in the
present – a well-oiled machine, clearly content with what they’ve achieved. Metal Blade/Rocket
Devilment The Great and Secret Show
Cradle of Filth vocalist Dani Filth has decided to spread his blackened
wings by taking part in a side project christened Devilment. With
The Great and Secret Show, Filth takes the esoteric influences of
his main band into new realms by opting for a more traditional rock/
metal sound in both delivery and structure. The tempos aren’t particularly fast, and
blast beats take a backseat, giving Filth the opportunity to experiment with his vocals.
Devilment is an entertaining, almost enjoyable excuse for Filth to let off some steam
until Cradle’s next outing. Nuclear Blast/Caroline/Universal
Angelus Apatrida Hidden Evolution
Angelus Apatrida are an interesting band. Hailing from Spain,
they have an interesting take on thrash, one that is smoother in
comparison to the raw approach of German and South American
bands. So Angelus Apatrida will remind you of Annihilator and
Heathen, rather than Sodom or Vulcano. A band’s third album was once considered a
‘make or break’. Things have changed over the years and I now consider it’s a band’s
fifth. Angelus Apatrida prove this true and Hidden Evolution is evidence that they are
in it for the long haul. Nuclear Blast/Caroline/Universal
Aversions Crown Tyrant
Deathcore often gets a bad rap from certain corners of the scene.
The reliance on hardcore/metalcore breakdowns doesn’t sit well with
traditional fans, but like all forms of ‘extreme’ music, it’s not for everyone.
This can certainly be said of Queensland’s Aversions Crown and their
second album, Tyrant. The use of three guitarists adds an epic, almost cinematic quality,
one that intensifies when the lyrical themes of alien invasion kick in. Like Thy Art Is Murder,
Whitechapel, and All Shall Perish before them, Aversions Crown are part of a new breed of
metal, and Tyrant proves an intriguing listen. Nuclear Blast/Caroline/Universal
The Crown Death Is Not Real
The Crown made their first steps in the underground back in 1990. Known
originally as Crown of Thorns, a dispute with a glam rock band resulted
in a name change. Thus, the raging death thrash unit metal fans know
well grew in stature. A five-year break and the return of vocalist Jonas
Lindstrand, after reactivating the band in 2009, finds them back in the driving seat with their
eighth studio album Death Is Not Real. As expected, The Crown takes no prisoners here and
fans both old, new and in between are in for a treat. Nuclear Blast/Caroline/Universal
Emily Kelly is not generally as angry as the music she listens to.
All that Remains The Order of Things
You’d be forgiven for thinking that All That Remains had absolutely
nothing to prove with their seventh studio album, but this is a
fierce retaliation again passivity from the Massachusetts metallers.
Recently, singer Phil Labonte unexpectedly declared that previous
album A War You Cannot Win “sucked”, and you can smell the band’s defiance on every
well-considered riff. The album closes with a track titled Criticism and Self Realisation,
confirming that even if you’re one of the biggest rock bands in the world, a little
introspection can go a long, long way. Razor and Tie/Cooking Vinyl/Universal
Clowns Bad Blood
Many bands take some time to find their feet. They mature with age;
like a fine whiskey... or Bob Mould. The best thing about Melbourne punk
band Clowns, however, is their youth. Bad Blood doesn’t sound like a
particularly well considered album, and that’s what makes it so good –
and that’s why Clowns are finding a broad audience in Australia. Some music wasn’t made
to be mused over. Bad Blood flies by the seat of its well-worn denim pants and dances like
nobody is even remotely in its vicinity. Tasty.
Fall Out Boy American Psycho/American Beauty
Huge arena-rattling anthems, spectacular pop vocals, powerful electronic beats,
well considered samples looped to great effect (hello Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner,
it’s been a while!) and just enough quirk to retain artistic integrity? Sounds like
Katy Perry, but it’s the latest from everyone’s favourite pop/punk crossover Fall
Out Boy. The title track confirms that Fall Out Boy are confidently stepping into the
colourful world of pop (with a chorus as infuriatingly catchy yet painfully simple as
any mainstream chart topper) – it gets increasingly hard to locate any residual punk
rock sensibilities. But don’t be fooled: they’re there, if only in the band’s unshakable
confidence and complete lack of f**ks given. Sugary sweet, but delightful in
delicate doses. Universal
Simon Lukic’s belief in heavy metal is utterly unassailable.
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