Lunch of Champions

Blacky Lotus

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The forthcoming Blacky Lotus release should prove to be the most groundbreaking work of the year, if it ever gets released… The group, which features former Piper the Goon frontwoman, LaLa, has stunned small gatherings in the Los Angeles metro area with their hip brand of circus jazz. While it is unclear what tracks will be on the upcoming release, which is slated for this winter/spring, it is likely the songs will all be of the calibre of LaLa’s Five Brothers and Tempted.

While the group has slowly been building a solid following amongst scenesters and record company execs on the West Coast, midwesterners like myself have been forced into an impatient meditation waiting for the release.

Vita.mn Kick-Off Party

Heiruspecs and The Alarmists live at the Vita.mn kick-off party

On Thursday night, I went to the Vita.mn kick-off party at the Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis. I showed up in time to see Heiruspecs totally kick ass. They’ve got a beat box guy,Muad’dib, who does some amazing stuff, which you can hear on 5ves. They were tight as hell, and totally whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

Up next came recent Minneapolis poster boys, The Alarmists, who played a fun set full of energy and jumping. You can check out my photos of their set here! The show was great, but they really kicked it up a notch when they played Some Things Never Stop.

Suffocation – self-titled review

Suffocation’s self-titled album came out in September, and that is my first beef right there.  Self-titled?  How many death metal bands can you recall have put out a self-titled album?  Reading a title that creates an image in your head of death, gore or horror has a lot to do with the appeal of the genre.  Butchered at Birth.  Altars of Madness.  My Arms, Your Hearse.  Releasing a self-titled album feels like they aren’t trying. 

But hey, I can get past that so long as the music is killer.  Well, it really isn’t in my opinion.  Most metalheads want a whole album of great songs that you want to hear from start to finish each time you play it, but this one makes me start skipping tracks half way through.  Maybe if the production would have been different, it could have covered up some of the short comings.  My main problem with it is the rythmn guitar tone.  It’s weak and too low in the mix.  The drums seem to take center stage, which is good since Mike Smith is one of the best drummers out there, but when a blast beat kicks in, what’s the point of playing a crushing riff if you can’t hear it!   Even when there is a break in the song and you only have the one guitar playing, I have to perk up my ears just to hear it. 

My other problem is that some of the lyrics read like an emo kid’s spiral note book.  “Why am I here?  What did you say?  Stop talking to me”  are the opening lyrics to “Translucent Patterns of Delirium.”  That doesn’t sound like death metal to me.  I read a review that hyped this album up immensely before I heard it, and maybe that is the reason I’m disappointed, because I bought into one person’s hype and my expectations were very high.  Sorry to say this album doesn’t stand on equal ground to their albums from the 1990s.

Eyedea and Abilities

DJ Abilities | Now | Glass

Recently I stumbled upon Rhymesayers artist, DJ Abilities, who is releasing some compelling singles with label mate, Eyedea. With lyrics, melodies, and beats that are more urgent and equally as compelling as Rhymesayers anchor, Atmosphere, DJ Abilities is slowly carving his niche on the label that brings you the down-low from artists such as MF Doom, P.O.S., and Soul Position.

While “Now” and “Glass” feature some amazing lyrical beat downs that feature Eyedea’s vocal talents, the best track is the one I couldn’t download off of mySpace entitled, “Two Men and a Lady”. There’s nothing better than a song that begins with a sample from the movie, Election, where Mark Harelik’s character says, “Her pussy gets so wet you can’t believe it.” Awesome.

Pretty Bomb | Pink Fireworks

Pretty Bomb

With hypnotizing rhythms and emotional guitar lines, Pretty Bomb’s “Pink Fireworks” is a mix of Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged album and an acoustic version of local rock band, Aneuretical sans drums and bass guitar.

The album is carefully crafted and the vocals are a delicate brand of emo. For example, on the album’s fifth track, “Foodwatershelter,” the lyrics ask, “Who is going to halt his scamper? Oh please stop breaking the walls… Have you heard of breaking your neck? You are clearly out of your mind.”

And on the album’s final track, “Health Assuredness,” the lyrics state, “This is an option for your apathy. If you could lift it in the morning like the paper from the pavement I think you would be alright. But you just leave it on the doorstep.”

While I appreciate the aesthetic of the album sound, my personal preference would have been for a fuller sound. I found the album’s lack of a bottom end and percussive elements to be detrimental to my enjoyment of the album as a whole.

That being said, the sincerity and passion found on this album could not be appreciated more. The lyrics and melodies, while emotionally sad and demanding, really cast a deep light on regret and loss, especially on the album’s best track, “A Backwards Resurrection,” and “Who Got Who First In a Place Where It Hurts?”