An Explanation. And Review: The Grumpy - The Throes of Contemplation

Before I start I should probably explain myself, to anyone who has followed my blog in the past few months, it's been forever since I've done any reviews. That's not without reason, but I do feel like I've been slacking. Since about March, I've been involved in opening a guitar shop, which pretty much meant no time for writing for way too long. But now, for a while, I've started again, and without further ado, I'd like to introduce to you, the reader, a little three piece out of Sacramento: The Grumpy.

Citing influences from Rush, to Tool, to Death, to even Miles Davis, My Chemical Romance, and Mr. Bungle, I had no idea what to expect, as my introduction to the band was literally The Throes of Contemplation EP. Which I might add is the band's fifth release to date. Anything this band could create would be likely to surprise me, and that's exactly what they managed to do.

It starts out with "Change", a very riffy, stylistically aggressive track. I won't lie, initially I was a little afraid in the opening seconds, due to the slightly rough sounding distortion tone, but that was completely turned around when the song really started going. I ended up being rather impressed, mostly due to the perfection of the instrumental work for the sound trying to be created. The vocals also fit for the style, although I will admit, the vocal rhythm very occasionally catches the listener by surprise.

The second track, "Tastic", takes a completely different turn. The intro, with only vocals and percussion, creates this kind of intensity. Unfortunately what it is met with is fairly anticlimactic. What a listener will notice, however is the very Rush-styled influence that is noticeable after the intro. Again, my favorite aspect is the instrumental work, with is pretty much flawless. In this track, the vocals are far less suiting, unfortunately, as it seems to come across as a second-rate Rob Halford at first listen.

Now I'll only touch upon one more track on The Throes of Contemplation because, as a 6 track EP, I feel the need to leave something to the imagination. The last one I'll look at is my favorite from the release, "Fuzz." The amount of contrasting influence in this track is actually quite astounding, starting out like a typical slower Pearl Jam track, spot on even down to the vocals. Very 90s, nice throwback sound. Then suddenly there's a break into the chorus that musically bridges a gap between 90s alternative in the vocals and.... thrash metal riffs? Yeah, that's exactly what it is, and as odd as it may sound, but it works perfectly.

I'm torn about this release. Some of it is excellent, and those tracks really stood out. Some, on the other hand just fall short, coming across as average or in some cases, slightly less so. The instrumentation was consistently on point, which is a plus -- there's no mistaking the talent in this band. The vocals... anywhere from "eh, not too bad" to near perfection. Overall, this band is full of surprises. In my opinion, it's occasionally to a fault, but I'll let the listener ultimately decide that for themselves.

Review: Feisty Piranhas - Live in SoCal

Since their sophomore, and best known, album Shocked in 2005, Feisty Piranhas have been making a splash (forgive me for the pun) in their local Southern California music scene. The band has earned their share of awards, and have opened for acts such as Blue Oyster Cult and The Misfits, it’s a wonder that they’re not getting nearly s much recognition as deserved. It would seem that, for most bands this early in the game, that a live release would be a bit unusual. But for these guys, Live in SoCal is just an example of the amount of talent present on stage, and not just in studio.

Upon first listen to Live in SoCal, other than some crowd noise that was present in the intro track and in transitions, I could barely tell it was live. “Blind,” which makes it’s debut on The End, contains just as much, if not more energy as the studio release.

For me, this was an interesting way to be introduced to a band. In the same breath, I can admit that it’s probably the best way to be introduced to the band. It features selections from the last few releases, giving a new listener a well rounded taste of what Feisty Piranha’s are about. I mean, you get a touch of the band’s hip-hop side in “24,” which has a rapped verse over a nicely dirty, although dark, guitar backing, with a much more punk chorus and second chorus. You also get a touch of the band’s softer side in tracks like “A Better Day” and “Alone,” although the latter features a touch of what might sound to some like a little bit of ska punk.

The first song that literally blew me away was “Do You Know.” From the opening chords, to the later solo work (which, even I’ll admit, is incredible), to the overall style of the song, I could’ve sworn it could’ve been by the likes of the Bad Religion. Which is by all means a compliment.

If there’s one thing I’ve got to point out on the album, it’s gotta be the punk-reggae cover of “3 Little Birds” originally by Bob Marley. I absolutely loved this inclusion in the set. Not only does it fit into the set musically, but the song’s message is already perfect with the vibe Feisty Piranhas seem to give off.

The longest song in the set is “The End,” clocking in at over eleven minutes. And at first I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I heard was more or less NOFX’s The Decline meets a certain Floyd-like psychedelia. The song is literally a musical journey of sorts. It makes a number of changes that me writing about it can’t describe exactly, and that it’s something listeners would have to hear for themselves. It also impresses me that this was also performed live, which for a song of that length, is commendable.

With Live in SoCal comes the live DVD The End, not to be confused with the studio effort of the same name. Which is best suited for those who just simply can’t get enough of this band’s excellent live chemistry throughout, so much so that you really have to see it as well as hear it. Obviously you can’t replace being at a gig, but this is the next best thing.

The Feisty Piranhas are, without a doubt, deserving of every award they’ve received. From the ability to sound as good live as in studio, to the commendable amount of chemistry this band has, not least of which is because of the father-son involvement. In any case, this is an excellent release for anyone who appreciates this type of music. Perfect for anyone who wants to experience this band in any way. Really good stuff here.

Review: Arise - The Reckoning

At the end of 2005, and three albums in, Swedish thrash/death band Arise were forced to make a lineup changed due to musical differences within the band. With The Reckoning, Arise makes their return to the scene, debuting Patrik Johansson on vocals, Sternberg on guitar and Kaj on bass. One can only imagine that with such major changes, comes a change in sound. To a certain degree, this is true.

 

The Reckoning begins with what might initially fool someone to be a simple filler intro. Give it time, though, “Adrenaline Rush”, although short, is anything but. A quiet intro, for dramatic effect, leads into a heavy, machine-gun-esque riff. It’s incredibly aggressive throughout, and includes a well-executed harmonized guitar solo. Pretty standard sounding for the genre, but nevertheless a good way to start the album. 

Read more here.

Review: Neverwonder - Let It Out

I’ve made it a point to familiarize myself with a lot of female fronted rock acts. I have a tendency to take an interest in these bands, only to find that, no matter the subgenre, many of them are defined entirely by the “chick vocalist.” Then I heard Los Angeles band Neverwonder’s most recent release, Let it Out. Not only do they break out of the stereotype, they manage to create their own unique sound, blending rock, pop, soul, and R&B, defined not only vocally, but instrumentally, as it should.

Opening with the riff heavy “Help Me,” Neverwonder don’t hold back. What’s immediately interesting about this track, and subsequently several others, is the use of both electric and acoustic instrumentation. I will say, however, this is a characteristic, even more prevalent in later track “Superior.” And if these excellent vocals sound familiar, you may have heard them before. I refer back to Season 5 of American Idol, where Neverwonder’s Megan Bobo first got her start, making it to the top 25. But if I’m being honest, her work in Neverwonder is by far the best display of her full potential. An entirely acoustic version of “Help Me” is also featured on this album, which is equally as good.

The next track, “Wild Out” is much more driving in style, while still remaining very listener friendly. There’s a rapped interlude from Blow Staxx could pass for a reggae or ska-influenced backing, defined by the guitar tone and playing style. Some fans that might have more of a rock preference might be put off by the direction the song seems to take, but it’s easily overlooked, as it suits the song perfectly.

As I mentioned earlier, the track “Superior” features some interesting acoustic instrumentation, from the apparent addition of the cello, to the acoustic guitar, to the non-kit percussion in addition to the typical rock setup. But one thing that deserves mentioning is the lyrical progression. At first, it comes off as surprising self-praising and indulgence. But by the end of it, a close listener will come to appreciate that this is blatantly tongue-in-cheek, taking a cynical approach to the so called superiority of celebrities.

From “Superior” to the end of the album, there are some reworkings of songs already heard, like two new versions of “Help Me”, a remix of “Wild Out” and a nice lounge version of Spinning. It closes with some consistently great tracks, but for length reasons, I’d like to finally mention the very last track, which doesn’t actually feature music. Instead, it’s a direct, light hearted thank you from the band to the fans. This seems like an unusual thing to look at in a music review, I realize, but you really get an idea of the band’s appreciation for those that support them, which I feel is necessary for a band’s credibility, and as such is a nice inclusion and closer.

Let It Out is a long album, with 17 total tracks. I could continue going on about each track individually, but I’d rather just finish up with some overall points. First off, I’ve got to say that this was an impressive release. Megan Bobo is consistently at the top of her game, and the rest of the band are equally as qualified. It’s a great mix of different genres, although I wouldn’t mind seeing this band lean towards some harder rock. I only say this because I believe they have tons of potential in that kind of field. But what they’re doing is great, and can’t wait to hear more of their work in the future.