Rush Single Review

Rush – Caravan/BU2B Single

Anthem/Atlantic, 2010

8/10

While progressive rock gods Rush released this single as a way to escape from the studio, it also reflects the growing trend of bands releasing singles and EPs on a more frequent basis than full-length albums. This is a welcome shift in the music world, and it’s heartening to see a band of Rush’s stature willing to experiment with musical formats. Although only two songs are present here, they signal a shift towards a harder-edged, more uptempo sound reminiscent of 1993’s Counterparts. “Caravan” is the better of the two tracks, and it features a memorable chorus and some cool bass work from Geddy Lee that should be finding its way onto rock radio. The second track, “BU2B”, has a slow, heavy riff upon which the verses are built around before the chorus picks up the pace. Both tracks are excellent, and they hold great promise for the next album. Rush fans should definitely download these tracks – even longtime fans will be pleased with the slight change in direction. Those longing for a return to Rush’s classic sound from the 70’s may not be convinced, but there’s a lot to look forward to if you enjoy Counterparts or Test For Echo.

Rush will be performing at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in St. Paul on Friday, August 27.

Initial Slayer, Megadeth, And Testament Thoughts

I just got back from tonight's Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament concert at Roy Wilkins in St. Paul and thought I'd offer some of my initial reaction from the show. Testament started a few minutes early but was on fire. They ran through 40 minutes of material, and the most surprising selection was "Dog-Faced Gods". It was really cool that the other bands showed some respect for Testament. Forty minutes for the first band on a three band bill was quite generous, and they were given half of the massive stage and allowed to use a huge drum riser with stairs. Megadeth opened with "Holy Wars" and launched right into playing Rust In Peace in its entirety, followed by a greatest hits selection. For all of the breathless news on other sites about Vic Rattlehead now appearing in Megadeth's set you would think this is a ten foot high mechanical robot. It's really just one of their roadies walking out on stage with a costume mask. Slayer played a couple new songs prior to all of Seasons In The Abyss. The obligatory standards followed. It was a good night, although the sound for all three bands was terrible at best. I've got some footage of all the bands so you can hear it for yourself, and Dave Mustaine's microphone couldn't even be heard when he started singing "Holy Wars". Isn't that what soundcheck is for? This wasn't the best show from any of these bands that I've seen, but keep in mind I've seen each of them around ten times apiece. I'll have a full review posted in the next day or two.

More Disturbed Documentary Screening Details

Ray from Cinema Purgatorio, an independent film distribution company handling the Disturbed documentary Decade Of Disturbed, sent me a kind note yesterday about the recent post regarding the Disturbed movie screening taking place at the St. Anthony Main Theatre on Friday, August 27 in Minneapolis at 9:30 pm. He provided complete ticket details for this event that are worth passing along. The event is free and no tickets are required, although seating will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Promotions for confirmed seats will be done by 93X radio, Minnesota Film Arts, and others. If you do not have a confirmed seat through one of the promotions, arrive at the theatre early for the best chance to gain admission.
Cinema Purgatorio does a lot of cool things, so if you're interested in independent films and film/DVD distribution head on over to their website to learn more.
During the next week I'll post some live photos and pictures from a photoshoot done with Disturbed soon after they released their debut album, The Sickness.

Hypocrisy, Scar Symmetry, And Hate Concert Review

Hypocrisy, Scar Symmetry, Hate

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Station 4, St. Paul, MN

This is long overdue, but here's my accounting of this monster death metal show that rolled through St. Paul recently. Swashbuckle and Blackguard started the evening, but much too early for me to be able get there in time. Poland’s long-running black metal blasphemers Hate were, unfortunately, already well into their set by the time I made to Station 4. Having caught only the last two songs, I can’t comment on their entire set but from what I saw they were fierce and relentless in their delivery. This North American run was their last before beginning work on their next album, so hopefully they will be back before too long.

 Click picture for more photos of Hate (15). 

Scar Symmetry was greeted with a huge roar of approval as they took the stage to the strains of “The Iconoclast”. It had been a few years since they last played at Station 4, and this was the first with new vocalists Robert Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist. As their set progressed, my annoyance was turned to disappointment as their new Dark Matter Dimensions and 2008’s Holographic Universe albums were virtually ignored to focus on 2006’s Pitch Black Progress effort. This was surprising to me since no North America touring was done to support Holographic Universe. Sure, “Artificial Sun Projection” and “Ascension Chamber” were thrown in, but it was shocking how many amazing songs were left out to make room for five songs from Pitch Black Progress. The new vocalists fit in great, and the band was in fine form and full of energy. I just question the wisdom of the band in focusing on an old album at the expense of two recent, fantastic records that hadn’t been played live in America before. “Chaosweaver” from Symmetric In Design sounded great, but “Pitch Black Progress”, “Mind Machine”, “Retaliator”, “The Illusionist”, and “The Path Of Least Resistance” dominated the set. For a band that I was so much looking forward to seeing for the first time, I felt disappointed at thinking about what could have been.

 Click picture for more photos of Scar Symmetry (22).

 

Click to watch Scar Symmetry play “The Iconoclast”.

The stage was cleared and one of Sweden’s premier death metal outfits, Hypocrisy, exploded out of the gate with “Valley Of The Damned” from the excellent A Taste Of Extreme Divinity. This had the be the most impressive light set I’ve seen brought into Station 4, and the effect was almost blinding at times in the small club. After “Hang Him High”, Hypocrisy took the crowd on a career-spanning journey that touched upon nearly every album of their long career. No more than three songs from any one album were played, so their set ranged from more recent material such as “Let The Knife Do The Talking” and “Eraser” all the back to the early days with a medley of “Pleasure Of Molestation”, “Osculum Obscenum”, and “Penetralia”. In addition to the blinding stage lights, the sound was deafeningly loud. The band members largely stayed in place while playing amidst plumes of fog. Peter Tägtgren wasted no time between songs, and his solos were blasted out with mechanical precision. The overall effect was both impressive and overwhelming. The crowd wasn’t as large as it should have been, but it seemed to matter little to the band as those that were there were highly appreciative. Although Hypocrisy’s style has changed throughout the years, their live show has a way of bringing new appreciation to all phases of their career. It’s hard not to walk away impressed by both the style and delivery of Hypocrisy, so you missed out if you didn’t catch one of death metal’s most revered Swedish exports.

 Click picture for more photos of Hypocrisy (29).

 

Click to watch Hypocrisy play “Valley Of The Damned”.

 

Click to watch Hypocrisy play “Adjusting The Sun”.

Dave Mustaine Book Signing In Roseville

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine will be signing copies of his New York Times bestselling autobiography, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir, at Borders in Roseville, Minnesota (866 Rosedale Center) this Saturday, August 21 from noon to 2:00. Be aware that the bookstore has rules about this event. I spoke with a staff member at Roseville Borders this afternoon, and although he had not seen the final rules, he indicated the following:
• Only copies of the book will be signed, no CDs, records, merchandise, etc. Mustaine has commented previously that the bookstores set this rule and it is to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to have their book signed.
• You do not need to purchase the book from Borders or at the time of the event. Copies purchased elsewhere can be signed.
• Wristbands will be handed out beginning at 9:00 am on Saturday when the store opens. You must have a wristband to obtain an autograph.
Since it sounds like the rules for this event aren't completely finalized yet, check with Borders (651-633-1344) to inquiry about other rules. I'll update this post with additional information as I learn it.
Megadeth performs with Slayer and Testament at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul this Saturday, August 21.

Free Disturbed Documentary Screening

Chicago's Disturbed have announced a pre-release screening of a 75 minute documentary feature film Decade Of Disturbed on Friday, August 27 at the St. Anthony Main Theatre in Minneapolis. The director, Rafa Alcantara, has released a statement about the film that can be viewed at Cinema Purgatorio. Decade Of Disturbed will also be included with each copy of the band's new album, Asylum, which will be released on Tuesday, August 31. 93X and Sound Unseen are sponsors of this screening, and no information is yet available as to whether advance tickets are required for this free event. The official trailer can be viewed below.

Alation Demo Review

Alation - Demo

Self-released, 2010

9/10

Having been blown away upon seeing young Minneapolis upstarts Alation recently (read the show review here), I was somewhat anxious to hear if the recorded output of this four-song demo would confirm my positive thoughts on this exciting band. I’m happy to report that the demo lives up to the power of their live show. Alation offers an original take on modern-sounding female-fronted thrash metal here. Musically, the band melds technical guitar riffs and solos with a predominantly mid-tempo crunch. Comparisons are inevitable, and to me the guitar style of Testament, Iron Maiden, and In Flames shine through at times, but influences are cleverly incorporated in a way that allows Alation to sound familiar yet unique. Vocalist Angel, though, steals the show with a performance that reminds me of the late Dawn Crosby from Fear Of God: emotional, brutal, and full of conviction. You can only appreciate this if you’ve heard the vastly overlooked Within The Veil album from Fear Of God. Angel’s harsh voice is heavy enough to stand up to the music, but it’s her alternating use of this with clear singing and personal lyrics that makes things interesting. Following some tortured-sounding wails from Angel, the first verse of the opening track, “Redemption”, kicks off with a upbeat stomp that brings Testament’s “Souls Of Black” to mind. The thrashier sound of “Bed Of Nails” picks things up a bit, while “Forsaken” features some venomous lines spat out between technical guitar runs and a refreshing, melodic chorus. Closing track “Scarred” is probably the weakest song here, but it holds up well and doesn’t detract from the others in the least. The overall song writing is incredibly strong, and I’m impressed with how quickly Alation has developed an original sound that puts much label-released material to shame. Combine this with the talented guitar work of Stu and Sawyer and the charismatic, bold vocal style of Angel, and Alation is unstoppable. I expect that Alation will be able to quickly build a fanbase, and some choice opening slots for touring acts are certainly deserved. Any metal label scouting for hot, fresh talent need not look any further. You can listen to and purchase these songs plus the awesome track “Aflame” (live video of this song below) directly from Alation’s Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/alationmetal.

Alation will be playing alongside Mushroomhead plus more bands to be announced at Crypticon 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington on Friday, November 5. NOTE: Mushroomhead’s website lists November 6 as their performance date at Crypticon.

Watch Alation perform "Aflame" in Minneapolis on May 21, 2010.

Click photo to see more pictures of Alation (23).

St. Louis Park Outlines Rules For House Concerts

An article published yesterday in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (aka the Strib locally) about house concerts caught my interest and I thought it'd be interesting to highlight. A St. Louis Park (a Minneapolis suburb) couple, Al Boyce and Beth Williams, have been hosting folk music concerts at their house for over ten years without incident until this year. Since they had been advertising the shows with flyers in their neighborhood and charging admission, the city ruled that this "constituted illegal commercial activity in a residential neighborhood." Boyce met with city officials and they said that they could continue to host concerts as long as they are not advertised and no admission is charged. "We will invite our friends and ask for donations to the artist," said Boyce. Read the full story here.

I have no idea what ordinances in other cities in the metro area say about house shows or noise restrictions that would more likely apply to metal or punk shows rather than folk music, but it's great to see that at least one local government is willing to let house concerts take place. Although I haven't been to one in a long time, house parties are important underground outlets for young bands.

This news comes on the heels of an article in the Strib last month about house concerts around the Twin Cities and St. Cloud. This article features Pat DiNizio, singer and guitarist for The Smithereens, and describes his experiences playing private house parties, including a recent one in St. Cloud. What I found most surprising is that there are nationally-known acts that are willing to do this; DiNizio will play 70-80 house parties this year alone.

Remember that it's important to check your city's ordinances and regulations on noise, promotion, and alcohol in advance of any planned house concert.

Closing Of The Rock Nightclub (1995-2010)

The Twin Cities metal scene took a hard hit nearly two weeks ago when long-standing nightclub The Rock in Maplewood closed its doors. The news was abrupt as it came just a day or two before the Soilwork and Death Angel show on July 24. Many of the upcoming shows (including Soilwork) have been moved to Robert's in Mounds View. The Rock, although a bit out of the way, was a fantastic place for shows with a big stage, excellent lights, and a large bar. I've seen many great shows there and it will be sorely missed.

Reasons for the closure were financial. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a brief news item about it here, including a couple quotes from the owner, Brian Bauman. Sources have told me that The Rock either recently faced or was about to be hit with stiff increases in their liability insurance. While liability insurance may have been a contributing factor, the bottom line is that people are spending less money when they go out.

This now leaves Station 4 (St. Paul) and the Triple Rock (Minneapolis) as the only bars that regularly book metal and hard rock bands every month. It would be nice if First Avenue would start booking metal shows again, but their recent opening of a full service restaurant indicates that they are trying to diversify their sources of money. I also wonder about the effect that construction of the light rail train line in St. Paul is having on business at Station 4. Tanpopo Noodle Shop, located a couple blocks from Station 4 (amazing food by the way!), recently stopped serving lunch due to decreased business due to the construction. If you've been to Station 4 recently you know that parking in Lowertown is usually difficult due to less street parking because of the construction. Don't let this dissuade you from getting out to Station 4! Hopefully one of the many excellent concert venue bars will step up and help bring metal bands to town.

It's my hope that the closing of The Rock will remind everyone how important it is to support bars that host shows by buying drinks. Money is tight for everyone these days, but venues count on their bar money to make a profit from a show. Many (probably most) times the ticket revenue does not even cover the contracted guarantee money for the bands. If you're underage, buy a soda or two from the bar. Keep in mind that many bars are still trying to recover from the state-wide indoor smoking ban, and your support is essential for venues to continue to operate.

Soilwork And Death Angel Concert Feedback, From The Vault

Who went to the Soilwork and Death Angel show on Saturday, July 24? Post your comments if you went or caught this tour in a different city! Of course, the show was moved to Robert's in Mounds View due to the closing of The Rock (more on this later). I had family in town and was unable to attend this show, which also featured Augury, Mutiny Within, Swashbuckle, and The Crinn. Evidently Robert's didn't know what to expect with a metal crowd since from what I heard the bar was wiped clean of all their beer at this show!

Death Angel was the band I really wanted to see that night and I was really bummed to have missed them on their first Twin Cities appearance since they reformed. The only time I've seen Death Angel was in 1990 in support of the groundbreaking Act III album. I've posted the ticket stub below, and this show took place at Medusa's in Chicago.

 This was a true thrash feast as Forbidden and Realm opened the show, supporting their Twisted Into Form and Suiciety albums, respectively. I was a big fan of all three bands, and I was eager to hear new Realm material since this show took place a month or so before Suiciety was released. Imagine how mad I was when Realm was forced to start their set as the doors opened. I believe Medusa's was sold out that night, so it took a while to get through the door and I only caught the last couple of songs by Realm. Incidentally, Realm bassist Steve Post used to play in St. Paul's instrumental masters of heaviosity, Zebulon Pike. Forbidden was simply amazing as they blazed through most of Twisted Into Form, closing their set with "Chalice Of Blood". The place went absolutely berserk when Death Angel took the stage with "Seemingly Endless Time". They rolled through a large chunk of Act III including the two acoustic numbers "A Room With A View" and "Veil Of Deception". I'm not a fan of Frolic Through The Park so thankfully little was played from that album, although "Bored" started a massive mosh pit. The Ultra-Violence was given due attention with classics like "Voracious Souls", "Thrashers", and "Mistress Of Pain". This was a legendary show, indeed.

Here's a flyer for a Death Angel show in Baltimore from The Ultra-Violence tour in 1987. I picked this up while on a family vacation, but wasn't able to attend.

Lastly, I'll get to posting some live photos of Swarm, a post-Death Angel band, from San Diego around 2000-2001.