Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Blind Worms Pious Swine

Normally I start off album reviews by saying this is the 1st or 2nd album by so and so. With Omar Rodriguez - Lopez I am actually in disbelief the amount of records he has released as a solo artist. Never mind what he has done with his various other bands - Mars Volta, At the drive-in etc. "Blind Worms Pious Swine" is the 29th ALBUM by Omar! This was released in 2016 and he has released 20 more albums since then!  Although its clear he is a very busy man, some of these albums were stock piled as they were recorded between 2008 and 2013. But even still he is a total machine.

I did keep on top of his releases in the early days but found myself going off him a bit. And then when he announced in 2016 he was releasing 11 albums which were to be released every fortnight I just could not keep up. I thought this was just too much and wanted to listen to more than just one artist.  But what made me come back now?  Well I was listening to Mars Volta on Spotify, then after the album finishes it goes into similar tracks which they think you'll like. A track called "Lights" off of "Blind Worms Pious Swine" came on and I absolutely loved it.  Interestingly this is a cover of the Ellie Goulding song and is the only cover of a song ever to feature on an Omar album.

As you would imagine with a solo album, Omar takes control of most things, such as guitars, synth, bass and some of the vocals. But also featuring on this album is Deantoni Parks on drums. And also Teri Gender Bender on main vocals from Les Butcherettes.  The first 7 tracks on this album do have do vary from song to song and it is just really nice melodic alternative music. But it has this extra edge to it due to Omar's musicianship. These songs would sound good in basic form but Omar always adds these extra effects or guitar wizardry just to take the tracks to the next level.

The thing is the first 7 tracks feel like the first half of the album.  If you are listening from track 8 onwards for the first time it is a bit of a surprise in a way. But if you have heard Omar at all in the past its probably not really surprising at all! And this is a very good thing. The vocals disappear on the last 4 tracks and it just sounds like a full on jam session. It is marvellous.

Although I never really stopped listening to At the Drive-in and the Mars Volta. This album has really made me want to get into more of Omar's solo stuff again. This album shows that even if you didn't like some of the album. You do need to listen to it all the way through as you just don't know what is around the corner.

Shinedown - Sound of Madness

"Sound of Madness" is the 3rd album by American hard rockers Shinedown. It came out in 2008 meaning this year (2018) marks a very special 10 year anniversary. It doesn't look like they are doing anything to celebrate it, like special tours etc. But the music press have been keen to point out that this is the 10th anniversary for the album. And when they do that it tends to mean the album was a memorable one and still relevant 10 years down the line. I only came across Shinedown this year and I have been slowly getting through their back catalogue. In fact I have pretty much getting into the albums in reverse order to when they came out meaning I've only heard the hit singles from the first two albums.

But let's focus on "Sound of Madness".  This album saw quite a change for the band as 2 members - Jasin Todd and Brad Stewart were fired from the band. They were replaced with Zach Myers and Eric Bass. For a four person band where your lead guitarist and bassist get replaced this is pretty big and you would think their musical output would change. But from what I've heard of the first 2 albums "Sound of Madness" does seem like a continuation of their sound. I think because vocalist Brent Smith is still their means that it still sounds like Shinedown. You can replicate guitars and bass to an extent depending on talent, but vocals are a lot more difficult.

The one thing that really grabs me about this album is that their are so many anthems on this record.  I mean there are songs on hear which only really deserve being played in stadiums and headlining festival slots. By the looks of things they did get big in America but didn't quite have the same impact in the UK. But what I'm trying to emphasise is that these are great big sounding songs. I would say 2 singles which stand out in particular are  "The Crow and the Butterfly" and "Second Chance".  This album is hard rock at its best.  There are also some lighter moments on the album with songs like "What a shame" and "If only you knew".

I don't normally review deluxe versions of albums. But I did buy the deluxe version of this album and I have to say it is well worth it.  The DVD has about 6 live tracks and all the music videos belonging to the album. While the album also contains a few bonus tracks which just need to be heard!  "Energy", "I owe you" and "Son of Sam" are all excellent. Sometimes I think you need to listen to the album they put in front of you and it should be a whole. But these bonus tracks actually add to the listening pleasure and would stand proud alongside their more well known songs if they were to play them live today.

I have reviewed the 3 latest albums by Shinedown and gave them all 5 stars. I still stand by that. And this album I can't give anything less than 5 stars. It is fantastic. The deluxe version just takes it to another dimension. I sure don't envy them for the job of choosing a set list.

Ghost - Prequelle

"Prequelle" is the 4th album by Swedish rock/metal band Ghost.  It's hard to say exactly what genre these guys fit into as their music is so varied they are quite a hard band to pigeon hole. But for someone who likes variation on albums and bands pushing themselves in new ways this is a very good thing for me. Although Ghost formed back in 2006. I only heard of them last week (July 2018). Showing I have well and truely missed the boat on this one. But after a recommendation from a friend I found myself listening to the top tracks by them and most of them seemed to be off this album which came out at the start of June 2018. So let's get into it....

It's a bit of a none start really, as first track "Ashes" takes a while till you can actually hear it, then when it does you get a sampler from kids tune "Ring around the roses". Which is a bit random but the guitar kicks in about half way through and it's only 1 minute and 21 seconds long and to say the best is yet to come is a huge understatement as next track "Rats" testifies. There are many good things about "Rats".  The soothing, gliding vocals by lead singer is something which makes Ghost a truely great band along with the excellent musianship. As Cardianal Copia sings the actual chorus where he emphasises the word "rats" is quite a moment and one you are glad to hear again and again throughout the song. There is also a fine guitar solo in this song which is just one quiver in their bow.  This is quite a heavy song musically but as I say the vocals are what seperate Ghost and make them hugely listenable.

"Faith" has Copia's trademark vocals but also mixes it up with more appropriate ghostly dark vocals. Kind of Mwhahahhahahhaha style feeling about it and also has a nice organ style outro.  "See the Light" takes things down a notch and the singing just gets even better.  To me it sounds more classic rock with some progressive elements.  Next track "Misasma" throws a bit of a curve ball. And I didn't really expect it. This track is purely instrumental. Personally I think it shows a lot about the talent of a band who can make a good instrumental track. As often bands can hide not very good tracks with excellent vocals/lyrics. As often that can be the main focus of the track. Without the vocals for a whole song. It has to be good. And "Misasma" is very good!!  At just over 5 minutes it takes you on a journey letting different instruments coming to the forefront of the song. For instance the keyboards, then guitar, then a truely amazing saxaphone solo which is my highlight of the entire album. It has such a good tempo the song and could go on for 7-10 minutes and I wouldn't get bored of it.

When you think that can't be topped, the next track does really try and its not far off. "Dance Macabre".  This track is back to the classic rock feel again with gliding vocals and soaring choruses. You can imagine these songs would be great singalongs in a live arena.  "Pro Memoria" has a more gental introduction with some nice violins and piano. This song does make me laugh a bit as I sarastically think about how positive the lyrics are to the song with things like "Don't you forget about dying", "Don't you forget that you will die".  The song is good though and has quite a theatrical feel to it and is more piano driven than the other tracks.

"Witch Image" kicks things back up a gear with yet another rocking, singalong chorus.  Then another turn in the album sees another instrumental - "Helvetesfonster" slow things right back down again, at least to begin with. It almost sounds like some sort of woodwind instrument being played here as the track slowly builds up after 2 minutes of interesting "weaving". Then things start to get dramatic as the twists and turns become more substantial. While being totally different to "Misasma" this track is just as good in its own way.  Then final track "Life eternal" goes out on a trimphant note.  It just has that epic feel to it. One of those songs that can create moments played live that you would never forget.  It builds and builds throughout the song coming to a great climax with opera style vocals towards the end of the track.

Overall this really is an exceptional album and you really do not know what way they are going to turn next. It's one of those that they just keep you guessing. But its never the same path as they are always mixing it up and keeping it very interesting for the listener. I have mentioned that probably the best tracks on the album are the two instrumentals as I feel these tracks show off the best of the talent the band has to offer. But that does not take anything away from the vocal performance of Cardinal Copia. As without his vocals this album would not be half as good as it is. I will certainly be listening to a lot more of Ghost this year as I delve further into their back catalogue.

Asylums - Alien Human Emotions

Indie rockers Asylums are back with their second album "Alien Human Emotions". I have been into Asylums right back before their debut album "Killer Brain waves" came out, round about the time the fantastic single "Missing Persons" was released. Although that and "Joy in a small wage" were absolute anthems. "Killer Brain Waves" wasn't an album I found myself going back to that much. I liked it initially but I did feel like they were in one gear which was edgy punk/indie songs.   But from that album it was clear the talent was there and I was excited to hear what they would come up with next.

Well first up from this new album they released "When we wake up" which really is a total belter. Picking up from the best bits of the last album and really sending out a statement of intent. But that changed slightly in the second single "Milenials" which threw a bit of curveball as we see Asylums starting to try and mix things up a bit. This is a bit more of a laid back track and finds Asylums really getting into a groove.

And getting into a groove is really what Asylums have done with this album. It is a far more diverse album than "Killer Brain Waves" and this is a very good thing.   The songs feel like a band who are progressing and making better songs. The album kicks off with "Day release to the moon". A track which is such a good way to start an album.  "Bottle Bank" and "Alien Human emotions" are some more indie rock goodness. "Napalm Bubblegum" would not be out of place on their first record as its a more edgy, punky track. But it still fits in here and adds to the diversity. "Sexual Automation" takes you on a bit of ride. Starts off with some nice acoustic guitar with Luke's fine vocals. It then picks up and is a really nice track to listen to.  Album closer "Company you can keep" is an even slower track and fine way to end the album.

I've probably mentioned about half the tracks on this album but one thing I haven't mentioned is the weaknesses. And to be honest there is a reason for that. Beacuse there isn't any weaknesses on this album. This is a very well put together album which shows a band who have taken things to the next level.  It has a certain feel good factor about it and that is something the band should be feeling right now as they certainly have delivered the goods.

The Vines - In Miracle Land

The Vines return with their 7th studio album "In Miracle Land" in what seems like the most low key way possible. They released the first single off the album back in 2016 and it seemed an album was imminent as they tweeted "new album coming soon". Fast forward 2 years and it's finally here. Since 2016 there has been a serious lack of activity by the Vines on social media and really I had to be proactive to find out an album was still going to be released. They haven't released any videos or other songs in the run up to the album coming out and only a few posts saying that album is going to/and is released.  But that's not all, currently you can only stream the album on Amazon and the actual CD is not out till next week unless you buy it direct from the Vines webstore. The CD is currently priced on Amazon at a ridiculous £18.

I'm not sure what is going on in the world of the Vines at the moment but you would have thought they would put a bit of effort in to actually promoting this album. I'm not sure if its down to the label or the band. It could be that the band just don't like social media or that they feel that they have the fanbase and that will be enough to sell records.  Which I think for a band like The Vines is vital since their live presence outwith Australia is non existent since their early days. Now their lack of live presence is not a critism as this is down to lead singer Craig Nicolases condition as to why they don't tour outwith Australia. While many bands nowadays make their money from touring. You would have thought that since the Vines can't they would make more effort to promote the album.

Anyway enough about the current mysteries surrounding the release. Let's get into this album. Miracle Land is the follow up to 2014s double album "Wicked Nature". While The Vines are well known for their care free rock n roll. "Wicked Nature" took this a bit to the extreme. It felt a bit rushed and a more all over the place. But I loved it. Everytime a song from it came on shuffle from that album, I would be drawn into listening to that album again. "Miracle Land" does seem like they have taken a bit more time to polish off the songs.

I think what The Vines do best is their all out rock songs and this album has some right crackers on it. "Slide away" in particular and at the moment that is my favourite track off the album.  Other all out rock stompers include "Leave me alone" and "I wanna go down". They also have these really nice kick back tracks such as "Broken Heart" which particulary deserves a mention due to the fine guitar work on display. Title track "Miracle Land" will bring back some memories from fans who grew up in the 90s playing the Sega Master system like I did as this song is about the video game Alex the kid in miracle land. It's nice that Craig delves into something different lyrically to the norm.

This album does come with some weaker tracks in the shape of "Willow" and "Emerald Ivy". "Willow" has a bit of annoying guitar riff which just goes round and round.  "Emerald Ivy" just feels like it never gets going. There is no real hook to reel you in and ends up passing you by.  These come back to back, but then you have the wonderful "Sky Gazer". What I love about this track is the way it changes pace throughout the song. It's also the longest track on the album sitting at 4 minutes.

Overall, although "Miracle Land" does have its weaker points; this is a very solid album. It's very well balanced and is well produced. And although this is not quite at the level of "Highly Evolved" which in my opinion is still their best work, this does fit into their back catologue very nicely. With songs like "Slide away", "In Miracle land" and "I wanna go down" I can see fitting into their live set for the forseeable future. I just hope for their sakes they promote it a bit more so it gets the attention it deserves.