(SpinART)
Quantity over quality seems to be Frank Black's new motto, as he has given his fans the gift of not only one, but rather two simultaneously released mediocre albums. Much like Frank Black's once trademark scream and most of his hair, the energy that made the his former band the Pixies so exciting is long gone by now.
He seems so content with his mediocrity, however, that these two releases actually do manage to provide some enjoyable moments. Both albums were recorded around the same time, although each one explores a different theme. The 11-tracked Devil's Workshop, for instance, features mainly an upbeat rock 'n' roll sound. It showcases some of Black's strongest tracks (\Out of State"" and ""Bartholomew"" in particular rank among his best) and is more immediately satisfying of the two albums. Although it sports as many stand-out tracks as Devil's Workshop, at twice the length, Black Letter Days is substantially less consistent than its sister album.?? Employing more acoustic and steel-pedal guitars, it is notable for being surprisingly introspective for a man we once knew nothing about.??
Both albums were recorded live directly to two-track and lack the innovative, layered production that made Frank Black's self-titled solo debut and it's follow up Teenager of the Year, so acclaimed. A few of the sparse, haunting ballads on Black Letter Days, such as ""How You Went So Far"" or ""I Will Run After You"" actually do benefit from this primitive recording technique. For the most part, however, the flat sound seems content on sabotaging an otherwise strong set of songs that clearly deserves better.
It's hard to hate Frank Black for being too stubborn to use a real studio, however, because hearing him sing, wail, moan and even whimper his way through these songs still provides an undeniable satisfaction. Love him or hate him, nobody makes mediocrity as enjoyable, and as frustratingly lo-fi, as Frank Black does.
(Roadrunner Records)
Many people will look at the members of Stone Sour and label it a Slipknot spin-off, but the opposite is true. Corey Taylor and Jim Root, both in Slipknot, actually were a part of Stone Sour first, beginning nearly 10 years ago. At some point in 1997, Stone Sour's future appeared somewhat limited, leading to the exodus of Taylor and Root to form Slipknot. Over five years later, the band is back together to release their debut record, the self-titled Stone Sour.
Most Slipknot fans will be disappointed, as Stone Sour eschews the angry screaming and heavy metal for melodies and a typical post-grunge vocal sound from Taylor. Naturally, the track that sounds most like Slipknot is the lead-off ""Get Inside,"" an average death-metal piece that will likely leave Stone Sour in Slipknot's shadow. However, that sound is briskly dropped for a rich, melodic grunge-rock sound that only occasionally breaks down into screams. When he is showcasing his voice, Taylor surprises everyone'after all those years of Slipknot's screaming garbage, it's amazing that he's got any voice at all. But he does, and once the disc hits the acoustic ""Bother,"" it's evident that Root and Taylor's little old-school side-project affords them an artistic and emotional range that Slipknot's cultish fame does not.
The songs range from average fare to the amazing, and roughly in that order. After ""Inhale"" and ""Bother"" send the disc to its climax in the middle, the last four songs merely carry the emotions over into harder, driving rock tracks like ""Idle Hands."" Taylor's vocals soar when given the chance. Root, joined by Josh Rand on guitar, showcases a number of solos that most bands would be incapable of as well as several distortions and power chords.
Perhaps the oddest track is the final one, ""Omega."" An odd mix of political tirade and rhythmic poetry, ""Omega"" hits the listener with lines like, ""We all have a little sin that needs venting/Virtues for the rending and laws and systems and stems are ripped from the branches of office/Do you know where your post entails?/Do you serve a purpose, or purposely serve?"" While moving and certainly quotable, ""Omega"" never really leads us down any of the roads it's pointing at, instead breaking down into a series of ambiguous catchphrases. Despite some pandering to Slipknot fanatics with ""Get Inside"" and ""Omega's"" meandering, Stone Sour succeeds best when it serves itself. If they focus on developing their post-grunge sound, they could produce some music far more meaningful than anything Taylor and Root will have at their disposal in Slipknot.
(Kung Fu Records)
Are you already a fan of punk rock? Have you always wanted to be a fan? Were you a fan in a past life? Are you generally against the idea of listening to punk rock, but are mildly curious? Do you like CDs with orange covers? Read on.
Kung Fu Records has come out with a new CD lamely titled, Punk Rock Is Your Friend. Upon first seeing the title, it may seem sophomoric, but it deserves the benefit of the doubt.
The CD contains some of the more classic punk bands, as well as the less familiar. The majority of the songs are unreleased or live, or both. Its style is a bit looser than the typical hardcore punk, so those who don't usually listen to punk could very well relish the album as well.
The bands involved are: Audio Karate, Ozma, Tsunami Bomb, the Vandals, Antifreeze, Useless I.D., Mi6, No Use For A Name and the Ataris. Ozma takes on a striking resemblance to Weezer, with the vocalist sounding convincingly like Rivers Cuomo on the unreleased track ""The Business of Getting Down."" The illustrious and addictive voice of Agent M, the female lead of Tsunami Bomb, reels the listener in on the best song of the album, ""No One's Looking."" And the Vandals deliver a witty tune called ""My First Christmas (As A Woman),"" with the lyrics ""A doctor reconstructed my genitals/And now I'm waiting underneath the mistletoe/For a guy who could love a girl like me.""
Overall, it's a fine album. It's uplifting. It's cheerful. It's punk rock. And it's your friend.
