Friday, April 2, 2010

Transient songs - Cave Syndrome



(Indian Casino Records)


Transient Songs is the odd name of John Frum's project and "Cave Syndrome" is the album's title. The songs on the album are very reminiscent of The Church. This comparison is mainly because Frum's vocals are hauntingly close to those of Steve Kilbey. A number of the songs reminded me of Kilbey's singing when teamed up with Grant Mclennan on their Jack Frost side-project. The guitar sound adds a dreamy alternative pop feel that will cause underwear dampening to fans of The Church and The Go-Betweens. The whistling on "Greenwood Backyards", which features Frum playing all the instruments, takes the listener by surprise whilst adding to the song. " There's cat-like screaming in the otherwise sparse "Wide Open Skies" before the cello gently slides the song along for a peacefully slow ride allowing the passenger the time to take the entire view in. The thick laidback guitar lend an ambient Pink Floyd eerieness to "Lungs and Livers". Background vocals and guitar are appropriately buried although guitar feedback pops its head out to survey the surroundings in "The Burrow Patch". While originality doesn't really shine through here as The Church similarities scream out to me louder than they really should, "Cave Syndrome" is an enjoyable album and one that fans of any of the previously mentioned bands should give a listen to. 3/5

http://www.myspace.com/transientsongs

Thursday, April 1, 2010

HLAH - SFBH, Wellington March 19, 2010

Another ridiculous local show with too many bands. Three support bands is too much when people are really only paying to see the headliner.

I caught the last song of Beastwars because I'd paid about an hour after the doors opened so took off and watched the rugby league game to the end. The song I heard sounded like it was lifted from the heavier spectrum of the 90's Seattle sound.

A band started playing in the corner opposite the stage. They were called Rackets and soundwise fell somewhere between Green Day, Fugazi and The Buzzcocks. The three piece swapped instruments a few time and threw a lot of T-shirts into the crowd.

Due to Rackets not playing on the stage, Gaywyre were able to start soon after the previous band had finished playing. The band played an energertic set of old school 80's metal with a NWOBM feel but really from what I saw of Beastwars and the audience reaction they would have been the better to have before the headliners.

Head Like a Hole came on at midnight and went down a treat. The last time I remember seeing them was, soon after I left home in the early nineties, during their playing naked period. Their early industrial was represented through tracks like "Nevermind Today", "Fish Across Face", "Spanish Goat Dancer" and newer hard rock material with tracks like "Corndog", "Wet Rubber" and "Comfortably Shagged". Booga dedicated their version of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire" to the ladies. I turned round and looked at the barstaff and saw them all singing along. One song featured a young horn section who came on and played well for one song then left. The encore included "Hootnanny". Nakendness was not delivered and the band are reputed to have given up narcotics however the noise was still there.

Personal live favourite, "Nevermind Today" was the first song HLAH ever wrote. Here's the video.



The Devil Makes Work for Idle Hands

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Human Sacrifice


Vengeance were the first death metal band to be chock full of turn or burn Christian lyrics. The band became Vengeance Rising due to a Dutch band using the same name and potential consequential lawsuits. I remember reading reviews in a couple of fanzines when the album was brand spanking new. One declared "these guys are God, in more ways than one" and the other stated, "I can't help smiling whenever Roger Martinez opens his mouth because Pastor Bob Beeman has no idea what he is supporting". That may have been a big call back in 89 when the album was released in 1988 as all members of the band at the time were church pastors but vocalist Roger Martinez eventually became an outspoken atheist and the band wound up. Although there were rumours of Martinez recording an album full of blasphemous lyrics using the Vengeance Rising name. Personally I didn't care for their second album at all and never really followed the band. This album smokes though due to the thrashy speed, classy bluesy guitar and the S.O.D. influenced tracks. My copy was a cassette tape bought by mail order from a wholesaler with the original band name. I've since learned there were only 1000 of these worldwide and I sold my copy a year or two after buying it. Oh well.

Holy!

Rust - Thursday March 12, 2010

Turned up to Bar Medusa, , which has had a couple of changes of ownerships since being known as Valve. There has a been a few namechanges in a fairly short time too I caught the band Black Lick, who I'd been hoping to catch again for quite some time. They played first and played high energy rock and punk with a Motorhead influence and the frontman was often moving amongst the audience rather than staying on stage.

Napier punk band Vicious Rumour were on next. These guys always put on a good show and get a crowd moving towards the front. Their music veers towards catchy chorus-oriented street punk. The band seemed to finish abruptly and started packing up with one of them announcing, "that's it".

Hamilton band The Bludgers also play street punk. For some reason I just couldn't get into them all that much. Maybe it was the time of day. It was heading towards 12.30 and I had stuff to do in the morning so left without seeing the visiting band from Australia.

Beastwars - IV

After over a year off for various reasons, we have returned solely because we wanted to review the new Beastwars album. I really w...