Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring [EP]

Artist – Porcupine Tree

Album – Nil Recurring

Released – September 17 2007

Genre – Progressive Rock

Reviewed By – Nigga J

This September, Porcupine Tree released an EP of tracks that were recorded during the Fear of a Blank Planet sessions titled Nil Recurring. These songs weren’t included in the album because they were inferior, but because they had no relation whatsoever with the concept of FOABT. Besides, Steven Wilson did make a good decision as FOABP would have been a very heavy listen with the inclusion of these because the length of the actual album is about an hour long and it is short and sweet at its current length and can easily be heard in one sitting.

I just got my hands on the EP and after about a few listens, I must say it is very good as some of the songs are in fact better than those of FOABP. It is difficult to describe the sound of the EP as whole but I can safely say that this will be entertaining for fans of all eras of Porcupine Tree.

The EP starts of with Nil Recurring. A terribly complex yet beautiful instrumental featuring multiple layers and it may make one’s head spin trying to keep up with and figure out what’s happening with all the various instruments. Drummer Gavin Harrison shines on this one. It also features one of my favorite guitarists, Robert Fripp from King Crimson on leads. His presence and influence can be felt on the song and he does a really good job on it.

Following the title track is Normal. It features some really cool acoustic guitar parts and typical Porcupine Tree style overlapping vocals. It has sort of a East influenced theme like that of Sleep Together on FOABP and a few heavy distorted guitar interludes. It features an alternate chorus to Sentiment on FOABP again and it features a few samples from the song. Overall it’s a damn fine track but it could have been more original.

Cheating The Polygraph comes next. It debuted on the Arriving Somewhere But Not Here tour and was considered to be a part of FOABP but later it was cancelled as both concertgoers and the band decided that it doesn’t fit in so well. The track has some exceptional vocals and an overall a very cool feel to it as the song is constantly moves from being fast to slow. CTP also features some very good instrumental work and awesome catchy songwriting make CTP shine.

The final track on the album is What Happens Now? This can be called an instrumental as it is the longest track on the album clocking to 8:23 and features approximately only 3 minutes of vocals. This song is also wonderful and is my favorite song on the album.

Overall, there’s a good half hour of new content and I highly recommend you get this even if you remotely like Porcupine Tree. These four songs are one of their best and you’ll surely not be disappointed. It’s a short and sweet listen and it sure is awesome.

Rating: 3.5/5

Tracklisting –

1. "Nil Recurring" 6:08
2. "Normal" 7:09
3. "Cheating the Polygraph" 7:10
4. "What Happens Now?" 8:23

Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected?

Artist – Sum 41
Album – Does This Look Infected?
Released – November 26 2002
Genre –Punk Rock/Punk Pop
Reviewed By – Nigga J

Sum 41’s third album is pretty similar to the first two. This sounds like a bunch of teens that are only in for the good times. It is basically your typical unoriginal pop punk album like a million others filled with three chorders and is aimed at spiked haired fifteen year old skateboard kids.

Its quiet a relief that they left the self pity as lyrically the album is about how the world should change etc. The album is pretty energetic with quiet a few catchy riffs but there’s nothing very original here as this is one of those albums you should strictly listen to only when you’re bored.

The album starts off with Hell Song. It’s an insanely catchy song with a very cool riff and tune. It’s really energetic and I almost was jumping to it. A average punk solo has been added here, but still, you can’t escape the feeling that this has been done somewhere by someone before. It’s followed by Better off Dead (Over My Head). The case is similar here as it’s a nice song, equally catchy and energetic and one you should listen to when you’re bored but you are bombarded by the same feeling.

Then comes My Direction. Quiet frankly, this song is pretty annoying and though it is energetic, it isn’t as catchy as the first two. One can tolerate the vocals on the first two songs, but on this one, they are very irritating. The tune is pretty bland and the song is full of unoriginality unlike the first two where it was very slight. Hopefully, the song is only two minutes long but I found myself skipping this on my second run.

Following My Direction comes the star of the album. This song stopped me from pressing Shift + Delete after My Direction. Still Waiting is THE most catchiest and energetic song on the album and it has a memorable tune. At one part of the song, the vocals are something like that of the previous song but for some reason I didn’t find them annoying here. This song shines!

Other good songs on the album include No Brains which has a nice intro and Thanks for Nothing, which is kind of a rebel anthem and is nearly as catchy as Still Waiting.

The rest of the album is filled with average and unmemorable songs which are good to hear when your tired of complex music and for a change, the band, though highly unoriginal, feels good. There are catchy tunes here and some really cool energy there, the album has its moments but nothing special.

Rating – 1.5/5

Tracklisting -

1. The Hell Song – 3:18
2. Over My Head (Better Off Dead) – 2:29
3. My Direction – 2:02
4. Still Waiting - 2:38
5. A.N.I.C. – 0:37
6. No Brains – 2:46
7. All Messed Up – 2:44
8. Mr. Amsterdam – 2:56
9. Thanks For Nothing – 3:04
10. Hyper-Insomnia-Para-Condrioid – 2:32
11. Billy Spleen – 2:32
12. Hooch – 3:28
13. Reign In Pain (Heavy Metal Jamboree) – 2:55
14. WWVII Parts 1 & 2 – 5:10

Van Halen - Balance

Artist - Van Halen
Album - Balance
Released - January 24, 1995
Genre - Hard Rock
Reviewed By - The Starchild

Van Halen's last album with Sammy Hagar since he was canned and later on replaced by Gary Cherone of Extreme for the follow up Van Halen III. This album is a mixed bag as it offers good as well as some really bland..disappointing cuts. Album opens up with steady hard rocking "The Seventh Seal" and follows up with a fantastic "Can't Stop Loving You" but the problems start with next song "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) as it can be seen that despite of Eddie's fantastic playing, rest of the band isn't taking much efforts to help him out. Rhythm section sounds pretty much same on some songs (While showing flashes of brilliance in certain moments.) and Hagar is inconsistent on record, and is just downright annoying on tracks like "Big Fat Money". Songs like "Aftershock" aren't exactly memorable either.

Though this album might sound like a train wreck, as mentioned above, it has some awe-fucking-some pieces scattered in it. An interesting song is "Strung Out" a piece Eddie recorded in 1983 while wrecking a grand piano with several things like knives and forks and who knows what else which led to this "Fun" exercise being as costly as $15,000. The highlights of album lie in instrumentals which allow ever innovative Eddie to roam around freely and do some great stuff, especially on "Baluchitherium" (Named after a large extinct land mammal by Eddie's wife, and people call writers on this blog weird.) one can see the power of Eddie Van Halen and why people rate him so highly.

The band closes up the album with great song "Feelin" with great performance by Sammy Hagar, killer way to close the album. Though there may be a predictable pair of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony helping the band here, and no matter how inconsistant Sammy Hagar is here, this album proves one thing yet again, that Eddie Van Halen is a genius who can't be overshadowed and is clearly the winner and an album saver here. If you are a Van Halen fan, it's a must check for how Eddie has grown. Casual fans are better off getting VH I or VH II and 5150. Overall, an average hard rock album, which would have been much better if it had shown some consistency from rest of the band.

By the way, that boy on the cover, I suspect if anyone would have thought that after 12 years, he would be seen playing bass for Van Halen.

Rating - 2.5/5

Tracklisting -

1. The Seventh Seal – 5:18
2. Can't Stop Lovin' You – 4:07
3. Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) – 5:56
4. Amsterdam – 4:45
5. Big Fat Money – 3:57
6. Strung Out [Instrumental] – 1:29
7. Not Enough – 5:13
8. Aftershock – 5:29
9. Doin' Time [Instrumental] – 1:41
10. Baluchitherium [Instrumental] – 4:05
11. Take Me Back (Deja Vu) – 4:43
12. Feelin' – 6:36
13. Crossing Over (Japanese bonus track) – 4:49

Metallica - Ride the Lightning

Album: Ride the Lightning
Artist: Metallica
Released: July 30, 1984
Reviewed By: Siddique Humayun

Armageddon, the first song of this Thrash Metal classic - "Fight Fire With Fire", deals with the topic of the end of the world because of a nuclear war. "Blow the universe into nothingness Nuclear warfare shall lay us to rest". The songs intro is played on a 12-string acoustic, which soon takes off into the fast thrash sound of what early Metallica was all about. One of the finest most melodic guitar solo is played by lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett on the song. Powerful riffs, and the first of the Lars Ulrich's double bass can also be heard on this track. Next comes the title track, the first of the two songs on the album which credits Dave Mustaine (ex-Metallica / Megadeth) on the lead. "Ride the Lightning" has powerful vocals along with lyrics that deal with the misery and corruption of the law, the song has one of the finest bass work, done by the, late-great bassist, Cliff Burton.

Talking about Cliff Burton, the third song, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" which has now become a fan-favorite starts off with a "bass-lead" which was written by Burton before joining Metallica. For Whom the Bell Tolls features heavy drumming and bass work along with a guitar-work which is often over-shadowed by the bass. And then comes one of the most famous Metallica songs, "Fade to Black", the first power-ballad by Metallica. With the use of acoustic guitars in the song, Metallica was labelled as "sell-outs" by some of their fans, who later on realized and now, the track is a fan-favorite. It deals with the topic of suicide and depression. And was written when all of the band's equipement was stolen before a gig, in Boston. Fade to Black features a lengthy solo which has been rated 24 in the "100 best solos ever Reader's Choice". The solo and the drumming in the end is usually improvised in live versions, which makes it nothing but better.

Keeping with Fade to Black's depression, "Trapped Under Ice" deals with the death of a person due to drowning under ice. This song has one of the finest and powerful riffs along with vocals that defined the genre, we know as, Thrash Metal. From the relatively slow vocals in Fade to Black, to fast screams, James Hetfield proves to be a versatile vocalist. And yet again, for those who question Kirk Hammett's ability, Trapped Under Ice features a small, but amazing guitar-solo.

Next comes, "Escape", which is nonetheless a great song, but falls pale when taken in view with all the other great songs on the album, such as the fan-favorite, "Creeping Death". Creeping Death features thunderous drumming, and lyrics inspired by the movie, "The Ten Commandments". The song has an amazing guitar solo, along with a nice bass line. It's a fixture in Metallica's live shows and the chorus of "Die by my hand" is usually sung by the crowd which gives the song a majestic feeling. [Monsters of Rock, Russia, anyone?] Melody, which has been a part of almost every song, is seen in the ending of Creeping Death. The track ends with a mesmerizing lead.

Finally, the album ends with a almost 9-minute long 'instrumental'. "The Call of Ktulu". The song is credited to Dave Mustaine along with other members of the band, and is one of the best of the four instrumentals done by Metallica. Ktulu (Cthulu) is a beast whose name brings death to mortals. And the Instrumental gives this evil feel to it right from the start. Ktulu has been taken from H.P Lovecraft's book, which was introduced to the band by their bassist, Cliff Burton. The song's demo version was named, "When Hell Freezes Over" and probably features more work of Dave Mustaine.

Responsible for defining the sound of "Thrash Metal", Ride the Lightning is a landmark, and one of the finest albums to be produced by Metallica. The album laid the foundations for the masterpiece which was to come next, "Master of Puppets" and shows the influence of Cliff Burton on every other song. The melody along with the fast thrashy riffs are combined in a way, which couldn't have been done any better. For any thrash metal fan, Ride the Lightning is a 'must' hear.

Rating - 4.5/5

Tracklisting -

1. "Fight Fire with Fire" (Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) - 4:44
2. "Ride the Lightning" (Mustaine, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) - 6:36
3. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) - 5:09
4. "Fade to Black" (Hammett, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) - 6:57
5. "Trapped Under Ice" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4:03
6. "Escape" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4:23
7. "Creeping Death" (Hammett, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) - 6:35
8. "The Call of Ktulu" [Instrumental] (Mustaine, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) - 8:53

Zero - Procrastination

Album - Procrastination
Artist - Zero
Released - 2005
Reviewed by - Mr. Rastafarian

This album came out in 2005, and it has to be a major milestone in Indian Rock. Zero is an Indian band comprising (now) of Rajeev Talwar on vocals, Bobby Talwar on bass, Nirandar Dhar on guitars and Sid Coutto on Drums. Their past members include Warren Mendonsa who moved to New Zealand (why, we shall never really know). So this album is the third by Zero and features Warren (first being Albummed and second being the seminal Hook). It was recorded in a studio with live drums, which many Indian bands do not do because maybe because of the lack of funding.

The album starts off with the ever popular "PSP 12"". It's a funny story how the song got it's name. Warren, sings the background vocals for it and apparently, he has a big paunch. So while singing this, his paunch shakes, this Paunch Shaking Paunch 12" (a 36 would have been more appropriate :D). The familiar cries of "standingbystandingbystandingbystandingby" make you wanna stand up and jump and sing along. This has to be the best Zero track which is also a staple at live shows. It also showcases the guitar playing ability of Warren's with 2 solos. One in the middle of the song and one near the outro. It then moves onto "Cry", a true blues track. Starts of with a drum start and moves onto a blues riff with soft vocals with Rajeev. It then moves onto an aggressive riff with the chorus. One of the better songs on the album with mature song writing. Then comes "Old Man Sitting on the Back Porch". Another track that makes you wanna jump along with the riff. A very upbeat riff with fast singing by Rajeev makes it a bomb of a track. Then comes "I Ain't Satisfied", with a VERY thick funky basslines, showing the capability of Bobby Talwar on the bass guitar. Then comes "Ayaya", a ballad. Slow tempo and again mature song writing make it good a breakdown. Then comes Mariachi. A very good solo keep it apart from other songs. One of the better songs by Warren.

On the B side comes "The Everyday Love Song" another ballad. Keeps a slow pace throughout and ends with a full jam by the band. Then comes "Hate in E minor". A guitar riff with slight simmering of the cymbals. Good intro. Seems like a true "breakup" song, in which the singer is talking about how he hates. Ends with "Lullabye", a very fast chaotic song, unlike it's name. A very Slash inspired solo. Loads of riffing and a very strong bassline.

All in all, a very good album. Starts very well, ends very well. Has mature song writing. Shows how the band has come of age with their mature song writing and solid song construction. priced at a mere Rs.200, this album sold out at this years I-Rock, which shows it's popularity. Has to be one of my favorites in Indian Rock Band albums and a favorite among other international bands.

Rating = 5/5

->PSP 12"
->Cry
->Old Man Sitting On the Back Porch
->I Ain't Satisfied
->Ayaya
->Mariachi
->The Everyday Love Song
->Hate in E Minor
->Her
->Stop
->Lullabye
->No More Mistook

Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark

Album - Fear Of The Dark
Artist - Iron Maiden
Released - 12th May, 1992
Reviewed by - Vaibhav Jain

Fear Of The Dark is British band Iron Maiden's 9th studio album and was released on 12th May, 1992. This album features some experimentation in the form of Speed Metal and a power ballad. It was after this album that lead singer Bruce Dickinson decide to pursue a solo carreer and he was succeeded by Blaze Bayley.This album was the first Maiden album which did not feature cover artwork by Derek Riggs. It was in this album that for the very first time Janick Gers, the guitarist also wrote lyrics for some songs. The album has a running time of 58.31 minutes.

The opening track on the album is"Be Quick Or Be Dead" which is about the various political scandals going around at that time. This track was an experimentation and sounded more like Speed Metal.

This is followed by "From here To Eternity". The song is the fourth and most recent song in the ongoing saga of "Charlotte the Harlot" (other songs include "Charlotte the Harlot," "22 Acacia Avenue," and "Hooks in You"). The songs tells the tale of Charlotte going on a fateful motorcycle ride with the Devil.

Then comes "Afraid To Shoot Strangers". This song has a slow opening but after some minutues explodes into what Maiden really is. It is about soldiers on war and is a fan favourite. The song is played live regularly by Maiden in their concerts.

This is followed by songs "Fear Is The Key" and "Childhood's End" which is about how life becomes tougher as one becomes older and has to face the cruel world on his own. This song too has an amazingly hypnotic opening and great guitar work by the Maiden Trio.

Then comes a very un-Maiden like song. A powerballad by the name of "Wasting Love". This is only the first power ballad of the 2 maiden has made. The song has a good opening with an amazing solo in the song. The single cover is the third Iron Maiden single not to feature the band's iconic mascot Eddie on the front cover (the previous examples being "Running Free (live)" and "From Here to Eternity").

Furthermore come the songs, "Chains Of Misery" and "The Apparition" the latter of which too is very un-Maiden like with no guitar intro whatsoever which is a rarity when it comes to Iron Maiden. The song also features lyrics which show a persons fear of something unnatural present with him in the same room as he is BUT the song is said with the veiwpoint of the "apparition" himself.

Then comes another fan favourite, "Judas Be My Guide". This song is a popular song well know for its great solo and amazing vocals. Then comes "Weekend Warrior" and then finally comes the title track itself.

"Fear Of The Dark" is the final track on the album and it can safely be said that Maiden certainly did save the best for last. The song is probably Iron Maiden's most popular song and is considerd a Metal anthem. It is about Harris'[The band's Bassist] childhood fear of the dark. The lyrics are amzingly descriptive and the chorus says it all ,"Fear of the dark, fear of the dark / I have a constant fear that someones always near / Fear of the dark, fear of the dark / I have a phobia that someones allways there". This being the most popular Iron Maiden song from the 1990s onward it has been played in every major live performance of the band since the album's release.

For every Maiden or NWOBHM fan this is a dream come true for you. Get it!

Rating - 4/5

Track listing:-

1. "Be Quick or Be Dead" (Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers) - 3:24
2. "From Here to Eternity" (Steve Harris) - 3:38
3. "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" (Harris) - 6:56
4. "Fear Is the Key" (Dickinson, Gers) - 5:35
5. "Childhood's End" (Harris) - 4:40
6. "Wasting Love" (Dickinson, Gers) - 5:50
7. "The Fugitive" (Harris) - 4:54
8. "Chains of Misery" (Dave Murray, Dickinson) - 3:37
9. "The Apparition" (Harris, Gers) - 3:54
10. "Judas Be My Guide" (Dickinson, Murray) - 3:08
11. "Weekend Warrior" (Harris, Gers) - 5:39
12. "Fear of the Dark" (Harris) - 7:18

KoRn - KoRn

Artist – KoRn
Album – KoRn
Released – October 11, 1994
Genre – Nu Metal/Alternative Metal
Reviewed By – Nigga J

A band hated by many, but loved by many more, KoRn are the band who started the nu metal phenomenon with their self titled debut which went platinum even though it received very little airplay on radio and MTV. Even though the band hates the “Metal” label, one cannot deny they are among one of the most influential band in metal history famous/notorious for popularizing a trend which combines hip hop music with the heaviness and angst of metal.Borrowing heavily from the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Pantera, Helmet, Public Enemy, Faith No More, KoRn developed a testosterone fueled angst heavy and ultra aggressive metal rap combination that actually builds on the funk metal sound built in the 80s and 90s rather than just copying it.

The album starts of with one of THE most memorable song not just on the whole album but in KoRn’s whole history, Blind. It has one of the most amazing opening and the whole song is very catchy and you just can feel the raw energy behind the whole thing. It almost makes you jump in excitement when Jonathan Davis shouts “ARE YOU READY!” and the instrumentalists kick in with a riff that just plain sticks in your mind and refuses to get out. Davis showcases his grunt rap style here and it is prominent in every song on the record. This is KoRn in a nutshell!

Blind is followed by Ball Tongue. This song introduces the listener to Davis’s own twisted scat singing style which may confuse many, but it is funny in a twisted way and it adds up to the experience. The album is just plain innovative and one will begin appreciating it more on repeated plays. The songs are both complex and simple, as they seem to be pretty straightforward at first but are pretty deep. Their sound is darkly heavy and they do use several eerie samples in the music. Other highlights of the album include Clown, a song with magnificent bass and a laughable video, Shoots and Ladders, a very dark and heavy song which has bagpipes in the intro and Daddy, a song about a particularly dark incident in Davis’s childhood, where he got molested by a close family friend. KoRn’s lyrics are disturbing and to some ears, often offensive. They are, dark and even violent at times. Tales of abuse and alienation run rampant throughout the record. Fortunately, there is enough good music here to make up for the vulgarity of the lyrics and they can also be funny at times. According to many people, their major drawback is lead vocalist Jonathan Davis, but his crappy vocals actually add to the experience. Think of them like a Chuck Norris B-movie. It is very shitty, and yet you like it for the shittyness. He manages to sound really fake on several songs, but that does add to the feel.

Love them or hate them, KoRn is a very good band and this is arguably the band’s best work till date. The roaring downtuned guitar attack of Munkey and Head, the thundering drum work of Silvera, the over the top hip hop influenced bass lines of Fieldy, the delightfully crappy vocals of Davis and the overall dark feel in the songs make KoRn a really cool band. If you like metal or hip hop and are not a narrow minded elitist and enjoy metal + rap collaborations, I suggest you get yourself a copy of this album. You’ll love it!

Rating - 4/5

Tracklisting -

•"Blind" – 4:19
•"Ball Tongue" – 4:29
•"Need To" – 4:01
•"Clown" – 4:37
•"Divine" – 2:51
•"Faget" – 5:49
•"Shoots and Ladders" – 5:22
•"Predictable" – 4:32
•"Fake" – 4:51
•"Lies" – 3:22
•"Helmet in the Bush" – 4:02
•"Daddy" – 17:31