'Asylum' by Disturbed

Asylum
Disturbed
31st August 2010 | Reprise
**
American four piece cause further disturbance to the metal scene...

Disturbed are an American heavy metal band orgininating from Chicago. They have worldwide album sales figures of over 11 million, with three consecutive albums debuting at peak position on the famous Billboard 200. Their fifth effort in a decade, 'Asylum' is intended to take a fresh direction in the band's music career, while simultaneously remaining consistent with the band's previous releases. 

This album is lyrically their darkest yet and is based on the Draiman's feelings of his recent life as well as global conditions, therefore providing an aggressive, angry and hard-hitting album, which in my opinion, are the typical attributes of every Disturbed album. The frontman described the album as 'still identifiably Disturbed, but showing more maturation. We feel this is one of the strongest bodies of work we've ever put together. It definitely goes in the familiar areas, but with new levels of precision and skill'. He added that lyrically 'the themes range from very personal and introspective, to the political and provocative.' I was intrigued to hear the results of five months of self-production in the studio.

Instrumental opener 'Remnants' begins the album in a rather subdued fashion and pays homage in places to some of their senior rock inspirations. This was orginally intended to be the intro to 'Asylum' to create an epic track of over 7 minutes, but was separated to set the mood for the rest of the album. Title track 'Asylum' ensues and by contrast kicks off the natural mayhem of the album with a gritty bassline and quick distorted guitar work. Lyrically, it concerns life in an asylum and the desire to escape. Although slightly one-dimensional, it is a relentless anthem with all the classic hooks. 'The Infection' has an electro-tinged opening reminiscent of 'Inside The Fire' from 2008's 'Indestructible'. Some funky guitar-shredding add texture to a pounding song. 'Warrior' is another fast-paced track which makes an attempt at reviving some of the nu-metal magic from a decade ago, most significantly on the vocals. Planted at fifth in the track listing is 'Another Way To Die', the first single to be taken from the album. It commences in a slow manner before exploding into a classic Disturbed guitar attack, as the vocals reach full throttle. Lyrically,this rather straightforward song, concentrates on global warming and is similiar in sound to their hit '10,000 fists'. The subject matter in 'Never Again' is the struggle the Jews faced in World War II with the dreadful Holocaust, offering some of the most inspired lyrical work on the album. It has a rapid guitar heavy intro, perfect for any pulsating mosh-pit. By contrast, 'The Animal' is a slower-burning song, which, lyrically, rather weak. 'Crucified' and 'Serpentine' follow the same slow-burning style and vague lyrical themes as the previous track. 'My Child' begins with a sample of a child crying before exploding into a vicious intrumental assualt. Lyrically, the song is about Draiman impregnating a past girlfriend and her subsequent miscarriage. It is perhaps the darkest track on an already dark album, but is filled with essence and is psychologically evocative. This song, I feel indicates the end of the slower-moving tracks in the middle of the album. 'Sacrifice' carries the best guitar solo of the album, clocking around 30 seconds, but it is disappointing that we had to wait until the eleventh track for it to arrive. Closing song 'Innocence' has thrusting beats and haunting vocals singing about corruption.

Disturbed are currently headlining the 'Uproar Festival' in America, a touring event which features acts such as Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour, amongst others. They then cross the atlantic to Europe where the tour continues until mid-December. Disturbed have undoubtably been debuting new material from 'Asylum' fitting perfectly into a setlist along with their back catalogue. This brings me onto the most prominent downside of the album. The songs sound very similiar to eachother and to previous releases, showcasing scarcely any change in sound as promised by Draiman pre-release. The classic harsh, dark sound of Disturbed is prevalent across the album as no new ground is covered on the record. I had the same problem with this month's other major metal release, Iron Maiden's 'The Final Frontier'. On the other hand, it is a solid follow up to 'Indestructible', maintaining that signature forceful and distorted Disturbed sound while introducing some relevant lyrical themes, which will definitely keep Disturbed fans across the globe satisfied, but will fail to expand their devoted fanbase profoundly. But as this record is nothing of real significance in the current music scene, it might be best played within asylums across the globe.

Track Listing

1. Remnants
2. Asylum
3. The Infection
4. Warrior
5. Another Way To Die
6. Never Again
7. The Animal
8. Crucified
9. Serpentine
10. My Child
11. Sacrifice
12. Innocence

'Surfing The Void' by Klaxons

Surfing The Void
Klaxons
23rd August 2010 | Polydor
***
Klaxons trash glow sticks for guitars as they blare out a long-awaited return...

I only recently discovered the inner genuis of indie rave band Klaxons. I had heard the name before but had never managed to find time to listen to them until now, and I realised it was a noble decision. Klaxons are a London-based band and they released their groundbreaking debut album 'Myths Of The Near Future' in 2007. This offering was met with decent critical acclaim and gained them five awards, most notably the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and NME Best Album. Perhaps the most distinguished song on the album is the melodic 'Golden Skans', demonstrating their proficiency in song structure. Klaxons also include a catchy and vivacious cover version of 'It's Not Over Yet', which deserves a mention too.

It is difficult to classify the genre of Klaxons. They have been categorised as indie rock, dance-punk, alternative dance,  alternative rock and electronic rock in the past. NME once bizarrely described their music as 'acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk', while their MySpace refers them as psychedelic/progressive/pop. But most prominently, they are one of the isolated acts being categorised as 'new rave', a term invented by their first record company. Despite their sound possessing a distinct rock grounding, they have been influenced by the rave culture which emerged in the 1990's. However, they are far from an electronic dance band such as the Prodigy. They are consistently hailed as the pioneers and the defining act of the 'new rave movement'. It is an intriguing discussion but personally, I have settled with the 'indie rave' genre.

It has taken the quartet three years to finally deliver their highly anticipated sophomore album, and there are a few reasons behind this delay. As Klaxons entered the studio to commence work on the follow-up to 'Myths Of The Near Future', they initally decided on cooperating with Tony Visconti (Bowie) and Focus (Dr Dre), but these sessions were unproductive and were subsequently abandoned. They moved on to work with James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco but this too was discarded because their record label 'Polydor' considered the results as 'too experimental'. The final resort was appointing Ross Robinson as producer, which from the surface seems a peculiar choice as he is known as the godfather of nu-metal and is associated with bands such as Slipknot and Korn. During these three years of trial and error with making the second album, Klaxons hinted they had considered stepping away from music altogether with the quote 'we thought we'd never be able to make an album again'. Keyboard player/vocalist told NME 'for a while we were nowhere near the headspace to make a record. The more we discussed what we wanted to become, the more tangled we got. It felt so forced. The opposite of what we were about'. He later added 'If I'm honest there was a brief point where I thought, 'Was it all just a moment in time that we can't recreate? Will we ever be able to do it again?''. They were definitely suffering the 'difficult second album syndrome' after such a promising debut. It was troubled and challenging times for the Klaxons but they have finally emerged in mid 2010 with a complete ten track LP.

Album opener and first single 'Echoes' is an expansive guitar and piano attack which certainly sets the pace for the album. It has a catchy melody and a similiar structure their cover of 'It's Not Over Yet'. It is also a clear-cut and self-assured indication that Klaxons have shifted towards a more guitar-driven sound. It was the obvious choice for a first single (which was released a week before the album), providing a general impression of the imminent album. I think it could be one of the best songs released this year. The lyrics in 'The Same Space' revolve around Jamie Reynold's break-up with his girlfriend and seem to describe a sexual encounter: 'When we're together we come alive...collective arrival/We share the same space/We feel the same impact on arrival and embrace'. New drummer Steffan Halperin leads the way with a marching army style drumbeat while a high pitched guitar and a stomping bassline add texture. Next up is the title track which is a true rave riot and is written in the same vein as 'Atlantis To Interzone'. The song is characterised with high pitched vocals and is bursting with energy. 'Valley Of The Calm Trees' sounds like a science fiction fantasy which has diamond dust clouds, multiple suns and crumbling mountains as lyrical subject matter. They are verging on Muse space rock as far as lyrics are concerned. It is another densely produced song with prominent keyboard, providing it with a trippy dimension. This was the only track which survived from the original studio sessions, and it has a perceptible distinction in sound from the rest of the album. 'Venusia' begins in an eerie fashion, but once the vocals and marshall drums kick in, the song has an attractive flow to it. An effective touch is the blasts of the synthesiser. The pace picks up again in 'Extra Astromical', a heavy hitting anthem with a menacing dual note riff. Perhaps the heaviest track on the album, along with 'Surfing The Void' and 'Flashover', proof of Robinson's contribution shining through the 'diamond dust clouds'. It is remisicent of 'Four Horsemen Of 2012' from their debut album. 'Twin Flames' by contrast, is a slow-burning track and Klaxons once again introduce deluded, high pitched sounds in the background. 'Flashover', a song which was unveiled online a few months ago to provide listeners with a solid sample of what was forthcoming, had mixed responses. It begins with another sinister two note riff before shifting into a heavy section, drawing strong comparisons with 'Extra Astromical'. 'Future Memories' is a relative downbeat and subdued song for this album and possibly the most beautiful and well-crafted. From this point you think the album will end in a subtle manner, but you are caught off guard with the album closer 'Cypherspeed'. Pummeling drums and a bizarre organ characterise a dark disco song sounding like a rave track from outer space. Then the album draws to close, and in under forty minutes, Klaxons have essentially taken us to another galaxy.

Moving away from the new rave genre they once pioneered to a more guitar-driven indie/alternative sound is an unpredicted decision by Klaxons. I perceive their current genre to be a fusion between rave and indie/alternative, meaning Klaxons will appeal to a wider audience and truly stand out from the bland group of indie bands in the mainstream at the moment. Despite this, I still favour 'Myths Of The Near Future' to this second effort because I feel it has a distinct lack of highlight songs. In my opinion, 'Myths Of The Near Future' had around eight distinguished tracks, whereas on this album, 'Echoes', 'Flashover' and 'Cypherspeed' are the only songs which rival material from the previous LP. However, I feel the crossover Klaxons have made between rave and indie/alternative for this record was an effective decision, much like Pendulum's idea of creating a crossover between electronic/drum n bass and rock/metal. Whether music fans will agree with me is unknown at this stage, but perhaps a reasonable way of analysing the response to this album is by watching the sales figures or the crowd response at their headlining slot on the BBC Radio 1/NME Stage at the renowned Reading And Leeds Festivals this year. Putting in perspective the long list of well-documented problems Klaxons were forced to overcome in the build up, they have delivered a densely layered, unconventional and well-balanced album. The question is: will Klaxons surf or plunge into a void of difficulty when creating their third album?

Track Listing

1. Echoes
2. The Same Space
3. Surfing The Void
4. Valley Of The Calm Trees
5. Venusia
6. Extra Astronomical
7. Twin Flames
8. Flashover
9. Future Memories
10. Cypherspeed

'The Final Frontier' by Iron Maiden

The Final Frontier

Iron Maiden

16th August 2010 | EMI

**

English metal heavyweights strike for the fifthteenth time...

Iron Maiden are an incredibly successful and iconic English heavy metal band formed in East London. They are perhaps most renowned as pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and achieved prosperity in the early 1980's, progressing to release several platinum albums and to date have sold over 100 million records worldwide with little radio/television support. 'The Final Frontier' is their fifthteenth album in thirty years and the vital question looming is: have they run out of steam yet?

It is certainly an album of epic proportions. It clocks 76 minutes and 34 seconds, despite having only ten tracks, making it the band's longest album to date and with an average song length of 7:59, it is Iron Maiden's longest album by song length yet. Also, 'The Final Frontier' is the first release by Iron Maiden since 2006's 'A Matter Of Life And Death', marking the longest gap between two consecutive studio albums. But then again, this is no surprise for Iron Maiden as they have entered marathon territory before, most significantly with 'The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner' which was a musical rendition of the 1798 poem by Coleridge (direct quotes were duplicated from it) and that lasted 13 minutes and 34 seconds.

The album opens with 'Satellite 15...The Final Frontier', and as the title suggests with its two unrelated parts, it sounds like Iron Maiden decided to connect two separate songs together, a decision which I believe is quite effective. The first segment is space rock style (as the title also suggests) build up music which is characterised by Nicko McBrain's ominous, machine gun style drumming merged with waves of disorientating, distorted powerchords and ghostly vocals. Then at around halfway through, it shifts into a vigorous power rocker, puntuated by a duo of killer, typical Iron Maiden guitar solos. 'El Dorado' begins in a way they would probably finish a concert encore before moving into a bass intro which has undeniable parallels with the intro to Heart's 'Barracuda'. When the entire band kicks into the song, the listener will realise it is a rather catchy tune, highlighted by a memorable chorus (where Bruce Dickinson's voice rises above a baritone into his trademark tenor) and a high octane Dave Murray guitar solo, brought alive with smooth legato stretches and aggresive vibrato bends. 'Mother Of Mercy' has an unperturbed opening where the frontman sings passionately about the atrocities of war. The intro deceives the listener, as after the first verse the song marches forth along a dark and sinister path as the rest of the band make their contributions. The song features an attention holding rhythm and two more rapid guitar solos. I never thought I would write 'Iron Maiden' and 'ballad' in the same sentence, but in 'Coming Home', Iron Maiden enter the realms of balladry. Arpeggiated guitar glides us into a power chord peppered verse and chorus, and later on comes a languid guitar solo. The core lyrical theme in the song is descending from the sky and returning home. And it is not until the fifth song on the album, 'The Alchemist', before we hear some vintage Iron Maiden, proven by a dual-harmony guitar riff within the opening seconds, with a guitar sound reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold. The shortest song on the album features more rhythm guitars and a classic unrestrained drum fill incorporating most of the kit as well as another turbulent guitar solo. 'Isle Of Avalon' indicates the start of the slightly longer, more trippier songs on the album. A 32nd-note hit-hat pattern operates underneath an unnerving bassline and strange guitar riff. After an unsettling interlude, the band embarks on free-form prog rock passages. A lead guitar break is vaguely similiar in both tone and attack to Megadeth's 'Hanger 18'. A grandiloquent final chorus is interjected by bursts of guitar and ended by an absolute battering of the floor toms.  'Starblind' is a rollercoaster of a song with fluctuating time signatures and melodies without giving listeners a moment to think. The guitars progressively build in intensity up to a shattering instrumental explosion towards the end. 'The Talisman' is another song which begins in a subdued manner with hushed vocals and acoustic guitar before it is steamrolled by the band's pulverizing force. I feel the bassline is particularly prominent in this song. 'The Man Who Would Be King' is reminiscent of Metallica's 'One' with its acoustic and electric guitar opening before an explosive riff assault. There are more high-pitched guitar solos before there is a dramatic instrumental crescendo in the closing section of the song. The final track of 'The Final Frontier', 'When The Wild Wind Blows' is an eleven minute epic written solely by Steve Harris (bassist/keyboard player). Lyrically, it focuses on some type of forthcoming apocalypse: 'There will be a catastrophe the like we've never seen/there will be something that will light the sky/that the world as we know it, it will never be the same/did you know, did you know?'. Towards the end, the band wind down and a swirling wind howls in the distance, signalling the conclusion to a colossal album.

Iron Maiden have already toured North America's famous arenas and amphitheatres and part of  Europe this year, playing a string of headlining festival dates and individual concerts and have been showcasing their new material, which slots perfectly into a setlist of old material. This brings me onto the point that many of the songs on 'The Final Frontier' sound similiar to eachother and to previous releases. Iron Maiden, although they have made a concept album here, have not changed their style or sound profoundly enough to blend into the 21st century, in my opinion. Perhaps this dated sound of their instruments is down to the fact they have reverted to recording in Compass Point Studios which they used in the 1980's and the ghosts of their glorious past have returned to haunt their new material. I believe another problem is the sheer length of it all. I acknowledge it is Iron Maiden, a band constantly trying to augment their grandeur with each album, but there is a limit how far you can go and the six piece have simply exceeded it by producing excessive aural waste in places. From my perspective this is an unwise move in the current musical climate, but many will disagree and be delighted by Iron Maiden delving into marathon realms. Despite this, I admire the level of effort from a band which has long since outlived their expiration date. The group display no signs of serious ageing as they still sound as slick and energetic as they were three decades ago and have definitely portrayed most of their musical intelligence in this record. This album will not disappoint Iron Maiden fans across the globe as it a densely-layered, lyrically interesting record bursting with many classic metal hooks. And despite some of the issues I have with this fifthteenth LP, if Iron Maiden ceased to exist now, there would be a massive, irreplaceable void in the middle of the metal scene, as we cannot forget, they are musical legends. The crucial question remaining: have Iron Maiden reached the final frontier?

Track Listing

1. Satellite 15...The Final Frontier
2. El Dorado
3. Mother Of Mercy
4. Coming Home
5. The Alchemist
6. Isle Of Avalon
7. Starblind
8. The Talisman
9. The Man Who Would Be King
10. When The Wild Wind Blows

'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire

The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
2nd August 2010 | Mercury
****
Septet fire up third effort in hope of further success...

I am obliged to admit that I was unaware of Arcade Fire's existence before I discovered they were headlining this year's renowned Reading And Leeds Festivals. I was attracted by this and decided to listen to some of their music. Initally, I regarded their tunes as well-executed but nothing special. It was only after a few repeated listens where it somehow clicked and I realised this Canadian seven-piece had fallen into the 'grower' category. I was in a similiar situation when I first listened to Radiohead. I concluded that hits such as 'Wake Up','Rebellion (Lies)' and 'Intervention' were well crafted anthems delivered straight from the soul.

This brings me onto their albums. 2004's debut offering was negatively entitled 'Funeral', but the feedback was anything but that. It was featured high up in many end of year/decade lists compiled by various mainstream music aficionadoes. 'Funeral''s success essentially allowed Arcade Fire to hit the ground running. The difficult sophomore album, arrived in 2007 and was entitled 'Neon Bible'. Generally, when an artist has such a promising breakthrough album, they struggle to maintain momentum on the follow-up, a prime example is Arctic Monkey's 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'. However, 'Neon Bible' was met with parallel critical acclaim as its predecessor and this was proven statistically, with the album ranking high in the charts. This continued success and rise in popularity was conveyed in the sudden upgrade in their slots on festival bills and concert capacities, with the Canadians playing some of Europe's largest venues, most notably England's 21,000 capacity Manchester Evening News Arena.

Then comes the highly anticipated third album, released in 2010, adhering to the three year timespan between each of the their albums. Tentatively titled ''The Suburbs', it was inspired by frontman Win Butler's own suburban upbringing in Texas and the album is about 'wanting to re-connect with that feeling and that time'. It was co-produced with Markus Dravs (Bjork and Coldplay), and this has assisted it in becoming Arcade Fire's most mainstream offering yet. One of the first aspects you notice is the sheer bulk of the sixteen tracks crammed onto it. Usually, when an artist releases an epic album, such as this, they fail to maintain consistency throughout. This was apparent when Green Day released the eighteen track '21st Century Breakdown' in 2009, where it was obvious that it would have been more effective had a few fringe songs been excluded. However, this is not the case with 'The Suburbs'.  In my opinion, it is well delivered from start to finish.

It opens with the title track, an appealing, jazz piano ballad, with flashes of MGMT vocals included, which sets the standard for the rest of the album. 'Ready To Start' is reminiscent in parts of previous hit 'Keep The Car Running'. Subdued guitar characterises a lyrically personal 'Modern Man'. Fitting strings are added for the first time on the album in 'Rococo', providing it with an extra dimension. 'Empty Room' is a punchy guitar driven song, giving the album a vivacious twist. 'City With No Children' combines a catchy melody with Bono-esque vocals. Next up is 'Half Light I' and 'Half Light II (No Celebration)', the first part is a soft ballad with prominent strings, with the second part emulating but accompanied by an electro tinge. 'Suburban War' is a touching, slow-burning tune about wandering old neighbourhoods and seeing the ghosts of old friends, and which incorporates a classic Metallica/Led Zepellin arpeggiated guitar part. 'Month Of May' is a shapeless but appealing driving song which reminded me to a degree of Kasabian's 'Reason Is Treason'. This song is one example of how Arcade Fire have implemented bizarre instrumentation into this album for orgininality, as it features the sound of the wind outside their home in Montreal, and in my opinion is a potential single. More soft vocals and strings on 'Wasted Hours' make it another poignant song on the album. 'Deep Blue' is another slow and soulful ballad which follows the passive path the album takes in the final third. 'We Used To Wait' sounds like a downbeat version of Elbow's 'Leaders Of The Free World'. The penultimate song is another split track follows on, called 'Sprawl I (Flatland)' and 'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)', the first part is another emotional, progressive ballad and the second part has a definite electro backing much like 'Half Light II (No Celebration)', allowing Arcade Fire to edge towards glimpses of the rave territory. The final track entitled 'The Suburbs (Continued)', which rounds off this epic album, is a reprise to the opener but in a more restrained manner.

'The Suburbs' is an album you would listen to when driving long distances at the dead of night through desolate towns and along relentless, empty motorways. It certainly has a distinct feeling of loneliness.

This third effort has a few downsides though, firstly, despite Arcade Fire broadening their musical spectrum in places, it is not incredibly diverse as many songs sound rather similiar in rhythm and style. Also, although this album is a musical development from their previous albums, there are still parallels, and whether this is a good decision by Arcade Fire, only time will tell. I think, although they already have a relatively large fanbase, this album will not expand their audience drastically, but will expose new music to people who otherwise might not have experienced the power of Arcade Fire. But overall, 'The Suburbs' is a lyrically focussed, beautifully sculpted and complete album. No wonder they have been considered by some as the new Radiohead...

Track Listing

1. The Suburbs
2. Ready To Start
3. Modern Man
4. Rococo
5. Empty Room
6. City With No Children
7. Half Light I
8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
9. Suburban War
10. Month Of May
11. Wasted Hours
12. Deep Blue
13. We Used To Wait
14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. The Suburbs (Continued)