What Are You Listening To Now - The Gateway Edition
Soundgarden - "Badmotorfinger" (1991)
A huge record for me back in the early 90's. The highlight tracks are the best of the entire grunge movement in my opinion although I probably rate Alice In Chains' "Dirt" slightly ahead of it overall.
4.5/5
Korn - "Korn" (1994)
I'm surprised by just how much I like this record given my generally strong aversion to nu metal. This is a solid metal record made more impressive by the fact that it was the first release of its type.
4/5
Rage Against The Machine - "Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium" (2003)
The kings of rap metal. Presumably the last live show RATM ever played & despite a production job that doesn't really highlight the heaviness of the band, you can't really go wrong with this tracklisting if you're a fan of their studio albums.
3.5/5
I haven't had a listen to this in years. I usually go for Betty when I feel like this type of dropped D goodness (mainly for the variety present on that record). This still has some great stuff on it, and was pretty influential for it's time - I remember everyone being hugely into Helmet for a moment then they just kind of drifted off.
Soundgarden - Louder Than Love (1989)
For some reason I never bothered much with this record back in the 90's. It's great though, playing like a really alternative version of Led Zeppelin. In hindsight probably better than Badmotorfinger and most of Superunknown which were my go to albums throughout the period. 4/5
Yeah I've always thought "Louder Than Love" was awesome. It's highlights ("Hands All Over", "Loud Love", "Gun", etc.) are sensationally bad-ass & heavy as fuck. It's definitely got some of Soundgarden's best material. I don't think the overall album is as as consistent as the two albums that followed it though, particularly "Badmotorfinger" which is my personal favourite.
Yeah I've always thought "Louder Than Love" was awesome. It's highlights ("Hands All Over", "Loud Love", "Gun", etc.) are sensationally bad-ass & heavy as fuck. It's definitely got some of Soundgarden's best material. I don't think the overall album is as as consistent as the two albums that followed it though, particularly "Badmotorfinger" which is my personal favourite.
Interestingly I am the other way. I find both later albums inconsistent and flawed despite their being obvious "hits" on them.
Poppy - "EAT (NXT (Soundtrack)" E.P. (2021)
So, in the interest of increasing the validity of next month's 2021 The Gateway & The Revolution Release of the Year results, I thought I'd give this short fourteen minute alternative metalcore TV wrestling soundtrack E.P. a few spins to see why it's so highly regarded & I've come out of the experience with a confused smile on my face more than anything else. You see, of the five tracks included the first two seem to be the ones that have become fan favourites but I found them both to be pretty flat personally. In fact, after those two songs I was feeling like this release may not be for me however the remaining three tracks are all quite fun with the shortest cut on the E.P. "Breeders" having some pretty amazing hooks it has to be said.
Poppy's sound is certainly pretty unique & draws influence from some unusual places. It's edgy & fresh & in your face but never fails to remind you that it's essentially a pop release. Does it really warrant the metalcore tag though? I would go with a resounding no in that regard. There's only really one track that goes down a route that's pretty much deathcore from an instrumental perspective (i.e. "Say Cheese") but the rest of this release is far poppy for a metalcore primary (see what I did there?) & there really isn't all that much genuine hardcore influence anyway. The alternative metal tag is sufficient to cover this release in my opinion. The long & short of it is that while I'd suggest that "EAT" is definitely worth a quick spin it's unlikely to make too many dedicated metal fans AOTY lists.
3.5/5
Chevelle - "Niratias" (2021)
Listening to the Chevelle featured record this month got me curious as to whether anything else holds interest with me in their discography. Been playing this for a couple of days as a result of my exploration. Too early for a rating even let alone a rare Gateway clan review from me, but certainly enjoying more than the featured album.
Manes - "Vilosophe" (2003)
Ben recommended me this wonderful sophomore release from a Norwegian band that began life playing black metal & features The 3rd & The Mortal drummer Rune Hoemsnes. Four years later they returned with this beautifully composed, produced & executed record that simply oozes of professionalism. "Vilosophe" is currently tagged as Non-Metal as it's often referred to as Alternative Rock but I'd suggest that there's actually more Alternative Metal than there is Alternative Rock on offer here. That's not all though because you'll find Manes also dabbling in a whole array of different subgenres from progressive/art rock to trip hop to drum 'n' bass to dark ambient & they do them all justice within a very consistent tracklisting. Front man Asgeir Hatlen possesses a whiny yet deeply compelling voice that reminds me a fair bit of The Mars Volta & Wolfmother. He fills a very important role within the band as he often carries Manes through their less effective undertakings, particularly during the more traditional alternative rock tracks & the more hectic drum 'n' bass accompanied sections. The strongest moments are when Manes get a little deeper & more progressive though as they seem to have a knack for creating some uniquely imposing atmospheres. The programming could have been a touch better as the album starts with the weakest song & then proceeds into the lengthy highlight track which should so obviously have closed the album out as far as I'm concerned but I can't deny how genuinely captivating "Vilosophe" is. In fact, I think I may just have found a new Top Ten Alternative Metal release right here.
4.5/5
So happy that you enjoy it as much as I do. It was a risky recommendation as I'm sure it's not for everyone. A unique and special album for me!
Soundgarden - "Louder Than Love" (1989)
I found this CD lying around in a big box of old CDs in the back of the cupboard & felt like revisiting it this week. "Louder Than Love" was my introduction to Soundgarden (& probably the grunge scene) back in the day through the video clips to "Hands All Over" & "Loud Love" which used to be played on a music show called "Rage" on late-night Australian TV. It was through these songs that I fell in love with Chris Cornell's voice & he'd go on to become my all-time favourite singer. "Louder Than Love" covers a lot of different musical territory with grunge, stoner rock & stoner metal being the most prominent in my opinion. There are a few genuinely doomy & sludgy moments & even a hint at southern rock but overall I think this record is best served by a dual Metal Academy tag of Alternative Metal & Stoner Metal so I'll be putting a Hall of Judgement nomination through to get stoner metal added shortly.
Soundgarden have always been at their best when they're at their Black Sabbath-inspired heaviest & that's definitely the case here. A lot of that has to do with Cornell having his leash taken off so that he can truly soar with those soul-piercing shrieks but the way the band build tension & use tinges of psychedelia is also pretty amazing. There are some truly sublime tracks on this record, some of Soundgarden's finest ever in fact. Both sides open with two utterly killer monsters & it's not hard to see why the grunge movement blew up off the back of that stuff. Unfortunately both sides take a downward trajectory after that with the B side sadly descending a little too far over the last couple of songs which leaves the album finishing on a poor note. If you can look past those filler tracks though, there is some wonderful material included from a band that was packed with stars & featuring one of the greatest rock/metal front men of all time in his absolute prime. Cornell would continue to ride that peak into 1991's all-conquering & career-defining "Badmotorfinger" record & "Louder Than Love" has tended to be overlooked ever since but I can assure you that it's worth exploring if you're into rock/metal music in general (which you obviously are if you're at the Academy).
4/5
Klone - Meanwhile
I've really been enjoying this new album from this French based alternative, progressive metal band. Klone are making some very refreshing music that ticks all of my compositional boxes. It's very concise and catchy, while still pushing outside of the box without sounding to bogged town by technical wankery. Daniel and Xephyr might enjoy this, especially if you enjoy more recent Katatonia releases.
FFO: Katatonia, Soen, Nightingale
4/5
Deftones - Around the Fur
I just got a new coworker today, and I overheard that she likes k-pop and Deftones. Obviously I decided to recount the latter. I'm mostly gonna focus on Around the Fur and White Pony, though. As far as nu metal goes, my favorite is Korn's Issues. I gave this a 93 the first time I heard it. Let's see if it holds up.
I love Deftones to be honest. Well... post-"Adrenaline" Deftones anyway. "Around The Fur" was really solid but I prefer later releases like "Koi no Yokan" & "Ohms". "White Pony" is definitely their pièce de résistance though.
The brand-new compilation album from the lost heroes of modern rock Linkin Park has only the rap rock and alternative rock primary genre tags, but I still thinking putting this small review of it in this Gateway thread is appropriate since almost half of the tracklisting covers the band's nu metal era. Anyway, so we have all heard the tragic suicide of lead vocalist Chester Bennington in July 2017, just two months after the release of his final album with the band, One More Light, a departure from the band's earlier nu metal/alt-rock for an electropop sound. Since then, there has never been any freshly recorded music from Linkin Park, though they have re-released Hybrid Theory and Meteora with never before heard demos and outtakes. We don't know if this compilation Papercuts will be the last we hear from Linkin Park, but it's certainly a decent tour through the band's different eras, an interesting tribute to the past...
Papercuts has some solid highlights from their career, along with a few duds. You can check out my reviews for the albums that are in the site for what I think of the songs from there, but let's talk about the new ones. "One More Light" is the title track of the aforementioned poppy final LP album with Chester. Being the final release single from that album and having all its soft emotional melancholy, it's enough to make even the toughest music listener shed tears. I miss him so much... An early demo from the band's Underground series, "Qwerty" is a strong standout that I would recommend for fans of the band's heavier work. It sounds like this should've been in The Hunting Party, the only album to not have a song in this compilation.
"New Divide" is known as the theme song for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. With its anthemic vibe and that killer mechanical breakdown in the bridge, the streak of Linkin Park Transformers highlights stands unbroken! From the Meteora re-release Meteora20, "Lost" is an unreleased track from that album's recording sessions. To be honest though, if I heard that song before knowing where it came from, I would've thought it was part of the electronic-infused Living Things. "Friendly Fire" is the final track here and an unused track from One More Light. It's actually a true highlight for this compilation and Chester's vocals give me a pleasant feeling of both sorrow and bliss.
And now for me to point out the major problems this album has... As I've said before, none of the songs in their metal throwback album The Hunting Party are in this album. I would like more if they added a couple highlights from there like "Guilty All the Same" and "Rebellion" to use up most of the remaining CD space. I also think some underrated highlights like "Pushing Me Away" and "From the Inside" should've replaced a couple tracks like the weak "Bleed It Out" and the enjoyable yet redundant "Numb/Encore".
Despite those issues and the tracklisting order being a bit random, the amount of solid tracks here is what prevent Papercuts from being a total failure of a compilation. All in all, a decent best-of album more suitable for true Linkin Park fans rather than heavier metalheads like myself. Not the best, but I still approve. RIP Chester Bennington.....
Favorites (one per album): "Numb/Encore", "Waiting for the End", "One More Light", "Burn It Down", "What I've Done", "Qwerty", "One Step Closer", "New Divide", "Numb", "Friendly Fire"
3/5
"From Zero, like, from...nothing?... Oh wait, your first band name was Xero!" Linkin Park's new vocalist Emily Armstrong has almost reminded all of us in the intro of the new album From Zero that the band started off as Xero. Today I decided to check out the band's earliest demo with their original name. Back then, 5 of the 6 members of the well-known lineup had first gotten together and recorded in a studio set up in Mike Shinoda's home bedroom in 1997. They had a different lead vocalist, Mark Wakefield. Quality is sh*tty but understandable considering it's a lo-fi demo. Wakefield's vocals are OK but sound too close to Korn and Limp Bizkit for me. The late great Chester Bennington could do it all better. Side A contains two tracks; "Rhinestone" (an early demo of "Forgotten") and "Reading My Eyes", both sounding far too tame and lame. Side B contains two tracks; "Fuse" and "Stick N' Move" (an early demo of "Runaway") that are better and my two favorite tracks of the demo. All in all, a decent demo, but not one to return to....
Favorites: "Fuse", "Stick N' Move"
3/5