Lake Trout "Another One Lost" Rx/Palm
**
Lake Trout's third LP showcases a promising blend of traditional and nontraditional sounds but ends up as a frustrating mess of power pop and bad drum fills.
The album features a lot of interesting textures and counterpoints, such as "Say Something," where a synthesized trumpet wavers over differing guitar and bass ostentations to create a wide range of textures. This is also the album's strongest vocal track because the singer's voice happens to sound a lot like a synth trumpet, thus creating a nice blend.
On other songs, his Robert Plant, Thom Yorke and Chris Cornell impersonations are strikingly embarrassing. One example is "Bliss," an unintentional nu-metal rendition of Kashmir. Overall, the trip hop and textured songs are the strongest parts of the record, while the band tends to get into trouble as soon as the drum programmer or singer grab the reigns.
- ALEX CHASICK
Eve 6 "It's All in Your Head" RCA, 2003
*** 1/2
At the end of "It's All in Your Head," the first album from Eve 6 in three years, you know you've listened to a good album - but you have no idea why. Eve 6 still cranks out the snap-quick rhymes that made them famous, but the edges are smoother.
The songs flow together despite the varied pace and style of each track, yet each one comes at the right moment. The fast pseudo-punk of "Still Here Waiting" alternates with slower songs like "Hey Montana" and the catchy single "Think Twice."
Eve 6 is still quirky as well. "Good Lives" opens with the line "There's a plastic dwarf warlord in the cereal box." The band has also thrown in a live video and interview on the album to add to its impressive package, but ultimately the rich rhymes and hum-able tunes will convince fans that the high quality of this album is not just in their heads.
- COREY PARKER
Satanicide "Heather" Enabler Records
**
Out of New Jersey comes "Heather," the debut album from Satanicide, a run of the mill hair-metal parody band.
From the vocal screeches of singer Devlin Mayhem on opener "'69 Chevy" to the mindless solos on the album closer, an ode to New Jersey: "Jer-Z Nites," "Heather" pokes fun at generic 80's hair-metal by merely replicating the blandest of the genre. The exception, however, is the amusing cover of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic)" that Satanicide transforms into an epic power ballad. Still, all you can think is, "didn't that movie come out six years ago?" While the lyrics are sometimes funny, such as the Dungeons and Dragons inspired "20-Sided Die," the rest of the album is too generic for its own good.
Where other "fake" rock bands like Spinal Tap and, more recently, Tenacious D have succeeded, Satanicide fall short.
- DAN LONGINO
Sick Of It All "Life On The Ropes" Fat Wreck Chords
****
From the first sludgy chugga-chugga on "Relentless," Sick Of It All makes it known that "Life on the Ropes," the band's ninth full-length, is a caterwauling fire ball, reminiscent of the bands legendary albums like "Blood, Sweat and No Tears" and "Scratch the Surface."
Lou Kohler's corrosive vocal chords have never sounded so smoke shattered than on tracks like "Silence" and "Butting Heads." At the same time, the instrumental track "Shit Sandwich" shows an effort at testing the limits of long-time fans' creative veil. On the whole, the biggest accomplishment that Sick of It All has made on this disc is in distancing itself from the previous two, pop-core ridden Fat Wreck Chord efforts.
"Life on the Ropes" truly harkens back to the days of yore. If you're tired of kung-fu core and need your fill of pickin-up-change and two-steppin' then head to the store tomorrow because it's time to bring Sick of It All back into your life.
- ALEX KARGHER
Smash Mouth "Get the Picture?" Interscope Records
* 1/2
The All Star "party pop rock" kings are back with a new effort "Get The Picture?" The album features upbeat songs that are peppered with cheerful keyboards and quirky sound effects typical of previous Smash Mouth material.
Smash Mouth dabbles in reggae for a few tracks including, "You Are My Number One" (written by Neil Diamond), which features Ranking Rodger of English Beat fame. Smash Mouth also includes an odd 9-11 tribute song, "Hang On," that urges listeners to start living their lives again.
Overall, it's hard to decide whether to be mildly annoyed or mildly amused by "Get The Picture?" If you are into new No Doubt and Sugar Ray, you'll probably enjoy Smash Mouth and "Get the Picture?" To hear some songs from the album, head on over to www.smashmouth.com and get your listen on.
- JORGE DEL PINAL
The Polyphonic Spree "The Beginning Stages of ..." Good Records, 2003
**
Noel Webster would assume the Polyphonic Spree to be a contrapuntal spell of somewhat disorderly or noisy enjoyment. He'd be right on.
The composition of the Spree is as follows: '90s alternative rock favorites Tripping Daisy, minus dead guitarist, plus twenty assorted sound freaks in robes. Maybe you can imagine the live show being exciting and even a little bizarre? Well, the record isn't quite so enthralling.
Divided into 10 sections which all seem to be about the sun, "The Beginning Stages ..." clocks in at a painful hour and eight minutes. It's a neat record, though, sounding like an elementary school church musical written by Wayne Coyne. Despite orchestration involving a choir, flute, Moog synth, harp, French horn, Theremin, and lots of other sounds, it lacks the bit of edge that could help to fill the (gasp!) empty space.
Rather than buying a copy, go borrow one.
- KELLY REIDY
The Revolution Smile "Above the Noise" Flawless Records
**
Few people are able to talk about The Revolution Smile without mentioning one of these two facts: they played Ozzfest 2003 and are pupils of rap-metal maestro Fred Durst. But ultimately, "Above the Noise" is a mediocre take on mediocre genres with a mediocre sense of direction.
Though the band seems to have a fair degree of playing ability, this album feels like a wasted attempt to cash in on any and all "hip" musical trends. "Gun" sounds like the Stone Temple Pilots' song "Wet My Bed" contorted into a ballad. "Future of an End" could pass as a Filter song, complete with imitation Richard Patrick vocals. While "Indiana Feeling" sounds like Queens of the Stone Age, the band would probably have trouble explaining why "Looking Down the Barrel" sounds like a Blink 182 song on a "metal" album.
-GEORGE MELISSINOS
Hot Cross "Cryonics" Level Plane Records
*** 1/2
Hovering on the brink of brilliance, Hot Cross's "Cryonics" is a progressive mix of At The Drive-In, the Blood Brothers and Thursday. Combining the fervor of metal with a post-hardcore attitude enables Hot Cross listeners to be lifted through time changes, breakdowns, choruses and verses without ever feeling rushed or forced.
The opening track "Fortune Teller" combines impassioned lyrics, staccato guitar riffs and caustic vocals. Dillinger Escape Plan-esque rhythms can be felt throughout the record, however at the same time there is a sense of Drive Like Jehu's control in the face of chaos. Other standout tracks include the clean-channel "A Tale for the Ages," the up tempo rocker "In Memory of Morvern," which staggers around like a Pg. 99 song, and the amazing "Figure Eight."
With "Cryonics," Hot Cross has crafted a milestone of a hardcore record, and has truly expanded its sound from an EP that sauntered in the shadows of predecessors, to one that morphs influences and defies genres.
- A.K.
