Zach Tabori - A Pandemic Performance

"A Pandemic Performance" is the 3rd EP/Album by LA rocker Zach Tabori.  At this point in time Zach seems very underground in the music scene and like anyone in his position is trying to make a name for himself.  His fans may not use Spotify and choose other mediums to listen to his music but currently in his top 5 most popular songs on Spotify only one has more than 1,000 streams.  His first single "28" came out in 2018 and his first album came in 2020 called "Pandemic Ballads", followed by "Soft Boiled" in early 2022.  Then "A Pandemic Performance" came out in May 2022.  

It's quite difficult these days to differentiate between what's an EP and what constitutes as a full-length album. I always used to think it had to be at least 30 minutes and minimum 10 songs. But of course, progressive rock albums throw that theory out the door and an example of this is "A Pandemic Performance" itself sitting at 8 tracks and just over the 30-minute mark.  I know I have mentioned the low Spotify streams, but you really have to take into account that Zach has released all his albums during the pandemic and wouldn't have been able to promote and tour these albums like up-and-coming artists so badly need to do to get their name out there.  

"A Pandemic Performance" is a studio album, but it is delivered in live like way.  For example, second track "20th Century fox Fanfare" is an adaption of the film company 20th century fox theme music. Followed by Zach saying, "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends 1,2 3, 4..." leading into 3rd track "Someone" which of course is taken from Emerson, Lake and Palmer.  Then at the start of track 4 "Until the Next one comes around" he says "And now for something completely different."  Then in the last track at the end he is saying "We'll see you next time".  All this combined gives the feeling of a live performance even though it's a studio album.  Something you don't really get a lot.  Although this really did work well with this album, maybe it would be good in future if he used his own gimmicks to make it more original.

In terms of the music though, it's clear he has influences, but it is also clear he has the talent to make songs and good ones at that. This is really a progressive rock album and is a lot of fun.  In the year 2022 every artist has the difficult task at coming up with anything original and setting themselves up to be set apart from the rest.  Which is made even more difficult when more and more music is made.  So, I'm not going to say here that what Zach is doing has never been done before or is ground-breaking.  But it does draw influences from several different decades.  And that in turns means the diversity of the album is very refreshing.  "11:13" for example sounds like a cross between Royal Blood and The Mars Volta.  Most of the album is guitar centric but on "Piss Tape" the saxophone takes centre stage making it a standout track.  

The way Zach changes the pace of tracks within songs and from song to song really does a fine job of keeping the listener engaged.  "Breakdown" for example is so high tempo.  "Someone" and "Whipping Post" are very much the cornerstone of the album sitting around 7 minutes each and thus nearly half the album.  These tracks have great build ups and solos in them and really show off Zach's talent the best both as a songwriter and his technical ability.

Overall, this is a fantastic 30-minute listening experience.  I hope Zach gets more exposure as he really does deserve it. He clearly has a lot of influences and it's like he has put them all in a washing machine and then when he took the washing out it has morphed into something which has made him that wee bit different.  

 

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Bring me the Horizon - That's the Spirit

 

"That's the Spirit" is the 5th studio album by UK metalers Bring me the Horizon and was released in 2015.  I first heard Bring me when they released "Follow You" off this album and regularly watched the dramatic video on You tube.  Basically, it had lots of things blowing up hence dramatic.  But I listened to their other work at the time, and nothing really stuck with me. It felt different at the time, and I wasn't really into to it.  That's until they released "Mantra" off "amo" in 2018 and then I started to get into the band proper as "amo" is an excellent album.  They then released "Post Human: Survival Horror" which saw them start to collaborate with many artists in 2020.  And since then, they have collaborated with many more artists such as Ed Sheeran, Sigrid and Machine Gun Kelly.  And at the same time seeing their trajectory in terms of popularity increase more and more by the day.

Now I am starting to go back through the older albums again and to be honest, their earlier albums don't really do it for me.  It's very much metalcore meaning growling vocals which don't make for the best listening experience in my opinion.  4th album "Sempiternal" saw them start something a bit different but still sticking to the metalcore roots.  "Can you feel my heart?" for example is a terrific song off that album.  But "That's the Spirit" in my view was the catalyst for a complete transformation for the band and altered the bands course forever.

The album features Oli Sykes on vocals, Lee Malia on guitars, Jordan Fish on keyboards and programming, Matt Kean on bass and Matt Nicholls on drums.  Although not part of the core band there were also additional musicians which featured on many of the tracks on the album through, Will Harvey on violins, Maddie Cutter on cellos and Emma Fisher on backing vocals.  Combining all these instruments turned this album into not your typical metal album.  The keyboards brought in some electronic elements which shine through brighter than the sun on "Throne" which is an absolute tune.  And it's the keyboard intro which really sells it from the outset.  I would go as far as saying this is one of my favourite intros to a song end of, it's just that good.  Sometimes I wish they would have put in elements of that keyboard in for the rest of the song, but the song still is top tier.

"Happy Song" is another classic.  The key to this song is the extra female vocals provided that go "S.P.I.R.I.T, THAT'S THE SPRIRIT" delivered in this fun chant kind of way.  Moments like this really set Bring me apart from their peers in the scene.  I know I mention the vocals here without mentioning lead singer Oli Sykes vocals.  All I can say about his vocals on this album is that he is on total top form.  Like on "Follow You" for example is one of those songs which he stretches his vocal range more, than particularly compared to previous albums.  "Follow you" is one of those ones that builds nicely and has explosive moments at the right times.

Closing track "Oh no" has a dance feel about it, bringing back those vibes from "Throne" through the electronics.  It has a nice vibe to finish the album on.  Other worthy tracks worth a mention are "Drown", "Avalanche" and "True Friends".  All brilliant.  But this really is one of those albums I wouldn't skip a track.

Overall, this is for me, a classic album.  Although I wasn't into them when this came out, I can appreciate now that this was a brave move for the band changing their sound so dramatically which may have lost their loyal metalcore fans.  But the risk worked and now they are filling arenas and are teetering on being mainstay festival headliners if they haven't already cemented themselves that position already.

Shinedown - Planet Zero

 

"Planet Zero" is the 7th album by Floridian 4-piece Shinedown.  I discovered Shinedown prior to their 6th album "Attention, Attention" coming out, which was released back in 2018.  I enjoyed most of their albums.  The first two albums I would describe as being good in patches.  But from a sales point of view those 2 albums did launch them pretty quickly into being a pretty successful band.  But to me it is clear that the change in line up which occurred prior to their 3rd album "Sound of Madness" coming out, really made them reach that next level.  That line-up has seen them now through another 5 albums including "Planet Zero" in the form of Brent Smith on vocals, Zach Myers on guitar, Eric Bass on bass and Barry Kerch on drums.

I think the thing which struck me the most when this album was released was to find it was a 20-track album.  This is not completely unusual in the industry at the moment.  Kula Shaker, The Coral and The 1975 have all released albums in the last couple of years which are round about 20 tracks, and they are all good albums.  But when I hear of albums having this many tracks, I do wonder how digestible the album will be in a sitting.  Thing is though that although Shinedown haven't released a 20-track core album before.  They have often released deluxe editions of albums which can have at least 20 tracks on them.  

This time however, the reason for "Planet Zero" being 20 tracks is quite different as 7 of the tracks are more interludes.  It's as if these tracks are from some 1980's sci-fi movie with a robotic female voiceover sending out powerful messages on the state of the planet, social media usage and mental health, to a synth driven backing track.  This is something Shinedown have never done before and shows great creativity on their part.

So, this means it is in effect a 13 track album and what an absolute roller-coaster this rock outfit take you on. There are plenty of all out rockers on this, that will keep fans bouncing and singing along at their much-loved live shows.  "Planet Zero" was the first single taken from the album and it is the epitome of this. The next single "The Saints of Violence and Innuendo" has my favourite riff of the album.  It just feels so different and fresh.  "Clueless and Dramatic", "No sleep tonight" and "Army of the Undepreciated" are some more absolute bangers.  The drumming in "No sleep tonight" should be highlighted in particularly as it is so ferocious and lifts the song up so much.

There is one song on here which the band say, "is the most important song they have ever done" and that song is the 3rd single "Daylight".  I remember the hype when Coldplay released "Fix you" and it is still one of Coldplay's biggest songs even though it was released in 2005.  I can see similarities in the songs, both piano driven, both have a deep meaning that everyone can relate to.  They both really strike a chord and are sung so powerfully.  To me "Daylight" is in the same league of greatness as "Fix You". That is how good it is. Coldplay were three albums deep into their career when they wrote that. Shinedown are 7 and they are clearly a band who are still ascending in terms of quality they are producing even though they have been creating great albums for over 20 years now.

There is a lot of lyrics that hit home in "Daylight". But I think the main one is the chorus as Brent sings "It's amazing what the hard times can reveal, like who shows up, who walks away and who’s for real".  Everyone goes through hard times, and I don't think there is a single person who can't relate to that line.  But I think this song as well just sums up Shinedown.  They are much more than just your average band.  They have a purpose.  A lot of people call music their therapy.  But if you go to a Shinedown show it's like the best counselling you will ever get.  The positivity and words of wisdom Brent speaks mixed with top notch tunes is something which makes them a truly unique and great band.  And now this is really summed up through "Daylight" what they are all about.

Overall, like any album there are songs which stand out and float to the top as it were.  But there are no bad songs on this album, and each have their rightful place.  People talk about streaks artists go on in making good albums.  For me this makes 5 for Shinedown.  The only band I can think of that's done better than this is Alter Bridge with 7.  This is how good Shinedown are and how good "Planet Zero" is.  

Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation

 

"Closure/Continuation" is the 11th album by UK prog rock gods Porcupine Tree.  This is the album many thoughts would never happen due to the band going their separate ways in 2010 following the release of their 10th album "The Incident" in 2009.    Steven Wilson has seen his solo career take off, to the point where some thought he would never go back to Porcupine Tree.  He has also been involved with his other bands; Blackfield and No Man while remastering many albums by some big-name artists.  The two other members of the band to appear on this album were drummer Gavin Harrison, who has a writing credit on most of the tracks and Richard Barbieri on keyboards and synths who also gets writing credits on a few tracks.  The bassist Colin Edwin does not appear on this album as Steven Wilson lost contact with him, so Wilson plays bass on the album too as well as vocals, guitar and piano.

Porcupine Tree ended the 2000s as perhaps one of the biggest modern day prog bands on the planet, alongside American prog rock band The Mars Volta.  It's interesting they have both reformed in 2022, with Porcupine Tree releasing this album; and at time of writing The Mars Volta have just released a new single and are going on tour, and it's looking like a new album to follow.  You do wonder if this will be the catalyst for a resurgence in progressive rock music which feels like it has faded away a bit, despite Wilson holding the flag with some of his solo stuff. As he moved in other directions it has felt like there has been a bit of a void left.

But what about this album "Closure/Continuation", was it worth the wait? as the album title suggests did, they pick up where they left off?  When I first heard the first single "Harridan" I was quite excited. I mean it’s 8 minutes long. Exactly what you want from a prog band - a nice long song.  But when I heard it, I felt like I needed to adjust to Porcupine Tree again as I haven't really listened to them for such a long time.  I have been following Steven Wilson's solo career though and album by album, he seems to be pushing and evolving his sound even more. And with his latest solo album which was released last year "The Future Bites" it feels quite far removed from a Porcupine Tree album. And I loved it.  So, moving back to Porcupine Tree has taken a bit of adjustment and once I managed this, I now really appreciate this new album for what it is.  And that is Porcupine Tree doing what they do best.  It's not trying to be anything else than a PT album and the band are very much staying true to their sound.

That's the thing with their sound though, within the band's universe there is a varied musical landscape to behold.  There’re dark heavy moments through the likes of "Harridan" and "Rats Return", then you have "Walk the plank" which is a much lighter track which is quite a unique song as it doesn't actually feature any guitars, instead having synths and effects.  "Of the New day" is also soft ballad till about halfway through where the song builds with some amazing guitar work.  It seems Wilson has focused quite a bit on how songs finish, making them unique and emphatic.  "Herd Calling" is another one like this. The twist with this one is that there is a false finish then everyone really goes for it to end the song on a total high.  

When I went to see Porcupine Tree for the first time, back in 1999, having never heard their music before.  The thing I will always remember from that night is their ability to go between quiet and loud moments in the blink of an eye.  Obviously not all Porcupine Tree tracks do this, but there are a fair few and they create such dramatic and memorable moments when played live.  This album also creates these moments and they have created these moments in different ways, so the songs are still fresh and unique.  "Herd Calling" is perhaps the best example of this but there are various other songs on this album which create that quiet/loud magic.

There are a lot of bands out there who known for having an epic track on an album.  One which stands out because of its length and the way the song is so good and memorable maybe because of a winding guitar solo and how the song builds to a climax.  I'm thinking of Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway to Heaven", Alter Bridge's "Blackbird" or Guns N Roses "November Rain" and there are many more.  Now I know these bands will have more songs of plus 7 minutes but often these are there are only one or two tracks off an album of that length.  On "Closure" you have 4 tracks out of 7 of songs between 7 and 9 minutes of length.  This is the sign of a prog album in its truest sense.  And I think it's the reason this album has done so well. In a world where song length seems to be decreasing in rock.  Even look at The Mars Volta.  The latest track they released is an 11-minute song. But they have only released the 3-minute version on Spotify as far.  It just shows how bands are thinking about the changing music market. Porcupine Tree seem like they are trying to stay true to themselves though and it seems to have worked.

But out of these 4 longer tracks is there a standout?  I would say yes, but at the same time having 4 longer tracks means I wouldn't tag it epic as having 4 tracks of this length on the album. It feels like they have normalised having long songs on the album and something they have done throughout their career.  But the song I like the most on this album is track 4 "Dignity".  This song is absolutely breath-taking.  I reviewed a little-known band called The Fallen State earlier this year and complimented the singer on the variations of singing throughout the song "Mirror".  And I must say Wilson's singing hear, totally trumps it.  The changes in tempo, the control he has over his voice is mesmerising.  The song has such a lush melody and a nice and simple guitar solo which is so wonderful. At the moment it's a contender for song of the year for me.

Overall. "Closure/Continuation" is a total triumph.  Not only for the band but for prog music generally.  Many bands would take a minute off a song in this album and loop it to make a full song. Such is the creativity in this band, the songs move in all kinds of directions while being so easily accessible for the listener.  So yeah, they really have continued where they left off.