Cover... Version?!?!

The subject of cover vs. version was first brought to my attention while listening to the Radioactive Metal podcast with Roch and Snowy. Until the subject had been broached, I had never put much thought into what separates the two different categories. This particular subject caught my attention because I love cover songs, and I have found several new bands and artists that grabbed my attention through their covers of another artists song. Sometimes the discovery was a song that I was familiar with already, and a new band caught my attention with their particular rendition of that song. Other times it was a band that I was already a fan of doing a cover of an as-yet-unknown-to-me artist that got me prowling for new music. There have been a few times when I have been listening to a particular song by an artist and thinking that something in the song was not quite right and needed to be changed, be it the general attitude of the song, the lyrical delivery, the guitar solo's or tones or just brought up to date with better production. Whether the version was recorded as an homage to a previous artist, a mock-documentary, or recorded just for fun, different covers of songs are generally fun to listen to but a well done cover is few and far between.

A version of a song usually happens when one of the original artists or writer of the song is involved in the recording process. These songs are usually found on B-side singles, remixes, tribute albums and so on. For instance, the version of N.I.B. by Black Sabbath that was recorded by Primus with Ozzy on vocals was different than the original and definitely better. The music was changed slightly but the song kept it's own identity. Then there is the case of Paul DiAnno, former lead singer for Iron Maiden who continues to tour and plays songs that he sung with them live and re-records them over and over again. In the case of Dallas, TX punk band, One Bad Pig, they recorded a punk version of Petra's Judas Kiss with Bob Hartman doing the guitar work. OBP also entered the studio with the legendary Johnny Cash and recorded a duet with him in the form of Man In Black. While all these are examples of a version of a song, no two are alike and each version reflects the band as a whole.

 A different way to look at a version is Christmas music, hymns and traditional songs. Most people already know the lyrics and melody by heart and can identify these songs in a matter of seconds. I personally have 2 different versions of Amazing Grace as recorded by Flatfoot 56 and the Dropkick Murphys. Both of these versions are celtic punk with bagpipes carrying the melody, but both versions are far different. The Dropkick Murphys are also known for their punked-up covers of traditional Irish music and they have gained the respect of fans both young and old for giving new life to these classic songs. Be it punk, metal, pop, easy listening, rock, country, R&B, or another style, what the songs have in common is their easily identifiable melody and lyrics, as well as the appeal to the masses.

What separates good covers from the lifeless and mundane covers is the amount of originality that the recording artist puts in to the song, the style chosen and the originality that the covering artist maintains. Some covers, however, should never have been recorded in the first place. No Quarter by Led Zeppelin was covered by Tool. This cover was absolutely horrendous and unlistenable. There was nothing of the original song left intact. Had it been recorded with a different name, it might have been passed over all together. The banner-waving, flag-flying godfathers of metal, Judas Priest recorded a cover of Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode that is so bad it qualifies as a must-listen for the humor factor alone. The lyrics and the intro riff are left intact, but the original attitude and rock n' roll swagger has been produced and played right out of the song. Judas Priest have absolutely nailed covers in the past, most notably with Joan Baez's Diamonds & Rust. Judas Priest made this song uniquely their own and yet it is still respectful to the original artist and maintains the attitude and emotion of the original version. This song has become a Priest standard and few people even realize that is a cover.  Then there are the covers that are so bad they must be mentioned individually. These include Poison's cover of the Kiss anthem, Rock n' Roll All Nite, Winger's cover of Purple Haze, Alice Cooper's cover of Fire by Hendrix, and the Bronx Casket Co's cover of Free Bird. Unfortunately, the list goes on and on.

A great cover keeps the original song intact, thereby paying respect to the original artist, but the covering band must maintain their identity as well. It is a fine line to walk and a balancing act to be sure for the covering band to make the song their own without trashing the original artist or song. When Blackie Lawless recorded his cover of Chuck Berry's Promised Land, he gave song an injection of testosterone with a punk flavor but still kept the attitude and melody intact while creating a song that is pure W.A.S.P.. The Dropkick Murphys recorded a cover of CCR's Fortunate Son and created what is in my opinion, cover perfection. While I love CCR and I love the song Fortunate Son, I thought that it lacked some of that brashness and cocky strut that it could have had. You distort the guitars a little more for that raw buzzsaw sound, speed up the tempo, and add some gang vocals for effect. When I heard DKM's cover of this song, my jaw hit the floor, they had nailed exactly what I had wanted to hear that song become.

When Social Distortion covered Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire they changed the song to fit the band, rather than changing the band for the song. This key is crucial to a good cover. Mike Ness, Social Distortion's frontman and main songwriter, also recorded an album of old country tunes but he changed the songs just enough to fit his vocal style, added some other guitar elements and changed tempo's to fit the attitude of the album and achieved one of the greatest  cover albums ever recorded. New Mexico thrashers Ultimatum also recorded an album of cover tunes. Their cover of Metallica's Creeping Death was changed and recorded in such a way as to make it familiar to fans of the original and yet it is still completely an Ultimatum song. Knowing when and what to change in a cover so that neither the original artist nor the covering band are compromised in their artistry and originality is crucial to the success of a song as a whole. Changing the song in just the right ways can allow for the song to take on a whole new life of it's own but changing it too much or not enough can doom the song to be compared to the hordes of impotent, lifeless covers that have gone on before. 

the point of all this ranting and raving is this, not every band or artist can cover every song. and most songs can maintain the stamp of originality while being covered in another genre, but not all. Whether a song is an original, a cover or a version, the song must reflect the bands individuality, and the band cannot sacrifice their individuality for a single song or you end up with generic garbage that has no lasting effect.

Blasphemy or Heresy?

1

In 6 months, Megadeth will be celebrating the 20 year Anniversary of Countdown to Extinction. Love it or hate it, this album was a huge turning point for the band. July 14, 1992 saw the release of this masterpiece. Countdown to Extinction debuted at #2 on the billboard music charts and went double platinum in the US and triple platinum in Canada.
 
Something had changed in the band between So Far, So Good... So What and Rust in Peace. With Rust, Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson had hired guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza to fill in for members recently departed. With these new members, and his new found sobriety, Dave Mustaine recorded the seminal and critically acclaimed Rust in Peace. By the time that this album was recorded, the manic thrash and speed that Megadeth were known for was almost gone. With that departure went a lot of the attitude and controversy that Dave Mustaine created. In the place of pure speed was the use of more complex timing signatures and progressive elements to maintain the attitude of the individual song, highlighted by the precision playing of the artists. While the snotty attitude of the past was disappearing, it was being replaced by a more mature and angry take on life.

A year of touring and playing together had cemented the chemistry between the members of the band, as had the experiences of recording sober. In January 1992, the guys entered the studio to begin the recording of Countdown to Extinction.They chose Max Norman to co-produce the album, and he began to help Megadeth reinvent themselves as artists. Why did the band listen to Max Norman, who co-produced the album, and pushed them to write shorter, simpler more radio friendly songs, is anyone's guess, but there is no denying the fact that 20 years later, Symphony of Destruction is still on the setlist.

Musically, there was more variety in the songs recorded. Songs like Foreclosure of a Dream and Countdown to Extinction had more of a traditional metal sound, while others like High Speed Dirt and Skin O' My Teeth were closer to speed metal. Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman did not skimp on the riffs and solo's either, rather the songs are decked out in tasty leads and neck snapping riffs. Nick Menza and David Ellefson were also present to lay down the rhythmic foundation that holds this album together. Countdown to Extinction is not a watered down version of Rust in Peace, rather it stands on the strength of the musicianship and song writing of the band as a whole, unlike the previous outings when Dave Mustaine wrote everything himself.

Listen to any podcast dedicated to heavy music, or read an article about heavy metal and this album will come up in the conversation. This album has divided the Megadeth fans in to two separate camps. Fans of Rust in Peace and previous albums, claim that this album was a "sellout" and that Dave & Co. were only trying to make a few dollars. It did indeed sell out, 2x platinum in the US alone, and still selling. Fans of the later records, tend to prefer the cleaner production, the heavier riffs and the more traditional metal sound. With both camps of fans, you cannot have one era of Megadeth without the other. There is no "new" Megadeth without the history, and the older fans seem to forget that they are still able to attend the concerts on the strength of the new albums, not some pathetic reunion tour. Megadeth will never recapture the attitude of youth, or the hunger and drive for success that adolescence afforded them. Megadeth continue to buck the trends, write and play what they like, and keep the banner flying for heavy metal in a way that no other metal band has been able to accomplish.

2011 Top Ten Albums

As 2011 winds down to a close, it gives one pause to take stock in the past year. In this case, reminiscing about some great tunes, bands, and albums, some that were not so great and others that just plain stunk. 2011, was a great year for music. This year saw new releases from Stryper, Dropkick Murphys, and other big name bands. This year was a huge milestone for me in that I finally got to see Stryper live. I have been waiting to see them since I was 13, when my buddy Josh let me borrow his copy of To Hell With the Devil, way back in junior high. I took my son Nathan and my brother Isaac with me to see them live. This was Nathans very first live concert, and very first metal show. What an honor this year has been.

Whether the bands claimed the genre of punk, metal or another style that doesn't matter, these are the bands and albums that affected me, grabbed me, or were just plain good music and fun to listen to. Narrowing it down to a Top-Ten list was difficult to be sure, and there are some honorable mentions to be included also. Another side note, not all of these albums were released this year, rather I discovered the bands or finally got the albums in my grubby little paws.

Forevermore is the newest album from Whitesnake and came out in March, 2011. Throughout the bands career, the only constant member has been singer David Coverdale. The new album is fantastic, it is a heavy bluesy rocker, that is not like anything that they have done before. The album features Doug Aldrich (Dio) and Reb Beach (Winger) on guitars, Brian Tichy (Billy Idol, Vinnie Moore) on drums and Michael Devin on bass. Finally gone are the sappy radio ballads, and in their place are groove heavy rock n' roll songs. There are a couple of acoustic guitar driven ballads, but they fit very well with the overall flow of the album. Whitesnake show that they have plenty of life left in the band and I am waiting for more of these fantastic releases. In my humble opinion, this is the greatest album they have done yet. I don't expect them to dominate the charts like they did in the 80's, but no big deal, this album is better than anything they have done before. The album is available on iTunes and almost everywhere albums are sold.

Album 9 is a 6-track EP from the band Factor-150 called Happy End. Factor-150 are a relatively young band from the Ukraine with only their previously released debut, Stronger Than Hate, under their belts. Factor-150 play a style of music that is a mishmash of brutal metalcore and dance-style techno. These guys are true metalcore, there are no solo's, just neck snapping riffs and pummeling breakdowns and blastbeats mixed with high energy dance interludes. Lyrically the album is pure praise and worship. I do not normally go for the cookie-monster-on-crack style vocals, but this is perfectly understandable, and very well done. I picked this album up through untombed.com as a free licensed download. I am waiting expectantly for new music from this brilliant band.

Souljourners are next with their debut album, Mind-Control. I discovered this album on the Heaven's Metal podcast, put out by the magazine of the same name. This is a must-have album for fans of prog-metal. While most mentions of prog-metal bring to mind the technical wankery of Dream Theater, these guys have a sound that is strictly their own. The band is a 4 piece with lead singer Michael Couts handling the vocals and guitar work. While the album features some fantastic keyboard interludes, brilliant bass lines, technical drumming and tasty guitar solo's, it is the hooks and multi-layered melodies that keep the listener coming back for more listens. Lyrically, the album is socially conscious, and tackles issues like speculating about the near future, and the dangers in the over-use of anti-depressant medications. The album is not a concept album per-SE, but the lyrics are generally centered around a basic theme, and are very intelligently written. I got my copy as a free licensed download that the band offered for a 3 day period.

Album 7 is the band Thieves and Liars. Thieves and Liars hail from San Diego, and this trio only released 2 albums before calling it quits. The music scene will most definitely suffer for the loss. Thieves and Liars play a blues based hard rock that has huge 70's roots back to bands like Bon-Scott era AC/DC, early Aerosmith, Grand Funk, and even a little Deep Purple. While the band does not copy any of these bands directly, the vibe and influence is unmistakable. These guys play a fist-in-the-air shout along style of hard rock that has all of its lyrics taking their inspiration from the Bible and unpacking biblical concepts. These guys have fantastic hooks, sweet solo's and fantastic drumming. the tempo's run the gamut from the fast to slow and heavy. Nowhere on this album will you find a sappy ballad, rather each tune is a solid wall of distortion, pounding drums, smoking solo's. These guy know what rock n' roll is all about. I picked up my album from iTunes where it is still available, and you can get the cd on sites like Amazon and cdbaby.

Place of Skulls is a project put together by Victor Griffin shortly after he got saved and left the masters of doom-metal, Pentagram. The music is pure Sabbath worship, slow, sludgy, drop tuned heavy distortion, gravelly vocals and simple drum beats. The overall effect is an album that is very well done, musically and lyrically. The lyrics are pure honesty, and worship of the Creator. The lyrics examine human shortfalls and frailty as well as the holiness of God and the Christian life in the context of a fallen sinful human. The lyrics are uplifting and heartfelt, and every time that I listen to this album I get a chill down my spine. If you stripped the songs down to just a bare acoustic guitar, many songs would be right at home in a communion service at church. The music features drums that have a simple back-beat with a bass that has fantastic lines and fills. The production of the album gives each instrument equal footing, but the guitars are out front because of the tone achieved. Victor sings in a haunting lower register style, that is perfectly tailored for the style of music and nature of the lyrics.This album was released in 2010, but I did not get my copy until earlier this year from iTunes.

The Moshketeers are in the middle at number 5. Their one and only album, The Downward Spiral, was originally released independently by the band back in 1991. The band had a small following in the Christian metal scene, especially in areas like L.A. and their hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shortly after the albums original release, lead singer and guitarist, Paul Scozzafava left to pursue a calling in ministry, and is currently the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Santa Fe. Drummer Alan Tuma, went on to fill the vacant drum chair in the thrash band Ultimatum. Take some New York hardcore, add a slab of speed metal, some Bay-Area thrash, and you get the Moshketeers. Lyrically, these guys are more of the turn-or-burn variety and pull no punches. They also tackle issues in the church head-on like hypocrisy, and the farce that tele-evangelists had become. Musically, these guys are very proficient on their individual instruments, and the sound that is achieved by this trio, has that "live" vibe that I think would be very close to what you would have heard in a concert. In 2010, Roxx Productions dug up the original master tapes, and remastered and reproduced the album for an official release. This album was released in small production runs, but it is still available through iTunes or roxxrecords.com.

Number 4, is The Covering by Stryper. This album created a ton of controversy because Stryper recorded covers of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Whatever, the guys are showing respect to the bands that influenced them in their youth, and the songs that they chose each have a pretty positive message on their own. Overall the album is very well produced, the licks and chops are perfect, and the drums and bass are in perfect sync with each other. The album art is kind of cheesy, but the track listing, including the one original song God, is fantastic. This is the first album of Stryper's that I was able to buy as a new release pre-order, and the wait was more than worth it. All of the tracks are very well done and Stryper does not compromise their sound at all, but still pay their respects to the god-fathers of metal. The one track that I would consider as odd for the band is Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. I was more than a little surprised to find that there was no Saxon covered as there is no denying the influence in the bands sound. Overall, this album is a solid release from the yellow and black attack, and a hint at the great things that are to come.

Number 3, is a bass guitar driven blues album by Greg Chaisson. Greg got his start playing with the band Badlands and Die Happy. Both of the former bands were early 90's metal bands that were heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin and Ian Gillen fronted Deep Purple. I have long respected Greg's abilities as a player so I was ecstatic to hear that he had done a solo album. As soon as I pressed play, the tones and sounds that I had come to love filled my headphones. The album is what I have heard called heavy blues, whatever that means. To me this is an album for the mellower moods and the lyrics are all over the place. With songs like My Dark Ride and Too Late to Pray, that are about his testimony, and his disgust of politics with songs like It ain't Me (The Politician). There is even a love song that he wrote for his wife to thank her for standing beside him throughout his career. Mostly the songs deal with Christianity in the context of his relationship with Jesus, but there are others that speak of life experience. The music is nothing short of brilliant. The guitar and bass guitar tones are heavy but not heavily distorted or drop-tuned for effect. One song even features former Badlands vocalist Ray Gillen, that was recorded before he passed away. This song is a little different from the rest of the album in terms of attitude but is a solid slab of blues heavy rock n' roll. This album was originally released in 1994 on Intense Records, shortly before they went under. I am now desperately searching for a physical copy of this album, as the version that I have was purchased on iTunes. 

Grave Robber occupies spot number 2 with their debut album, Be Afraid. This album came out on Retro-Active Records in 2008, but they were a discovery for me earlier this summer. Grave Robber hail from the mid-west, and play a style of punk that is similar to early Misfits with a healthy dose Orange County punk attitude. They have hooks that could catch a whale with vocals that are crystal clear and sung in the lower registers. They play a style of fast technical punk, with sing-along choruses, and even smattering of guitar solo's thrown in for good measure. Lyrically, with the exception of the lone cover song, Nazarath's Love Hurts, every song deals with spiritual issues, and Biblical themes. The song lyrics are not the cookie-cutter variety of CCM pop drivel, but rather are blunt statements of grace, salvation and humanity. The lyrics also cover supernatural phenomenon from a biblical perspective and the use of sarcasm and humor is in full effect. Grave Robber is a very talented young band who do not take themselves too seriously, but are deadly serious in their lyrical approach and ministry. The liner notes feature pictures of the band in masks with nicknames and slang terms for the instruments like Wretched (Vokills), Dr. Cadaver (Doom Tubes, Vokills), Nameless (Guitar, Vokills) and Maggott (Bass, Vokills). In short this band is just plain fun, but are on a very serious mission to take the gospel to the lost areas where most CCM artists would not dare to tread. I picked up my copy of this album off of iTunes and to my knowledge it is the only place where you can get the bonus track of Love Hurts.

Coveted spot #1, belongs to Athens, GA metallers, Theocracy. Theocracy released Mirror of Souls in December 2008. Since I heard the album in early 2009, it has literally dominated my listening implements nonstop. I have this album memorized from start to finish, and the new album, As the World Bleeds, decimates all previous outings by this band. Musically and lyrically, this band has more talent in their little fingers than most people have in their whole band. This band hedges no bets, but go for broke and hide nothing. Their faith and desire to reach a lost world is evident and up-front, as is the desire to worship. These guys are not afraid to challenge fellow believers, call out the excuses and bring their collective guns to bear on hypocrites and the self-righteous. Lyrically they also challenge popular opinion, but not to embarrass, rather they question misrepresented ideas with honesty and logic, using unassailable examples from everyday life. Musically, this album runs the gamut from blistering speed to mid-tempo traditional metal to symphonic progressive passages that will stir your innermost soul with it's beauty. All the while Matt Smith's soaring vocals float over the top like so much icing on a cake. There is not a weak song on this album. The execution of the guitar solo's are smooth and profoundly technical, but not fast just to be fast, rather they accent each song's mood and complexity. The drummer and bassist are in perfect harmony, and balance the 2 guitarists in the ferocity of the musical attack, while rooting each song individually. The songs on this album are not all long technical wankery fests, nor are they all short radio oriented blasts, but rather the songs each hold their own unique place on the album, without displacing or overpowering the others. The variety of styles achieved is also worth mentioning, there are progressive, symphonic, power metal, speed metal and even some classical elements sprinkled tastefully throughout. This album was worth the wait and does not disappoint in any of it's hour long moments. I got my copy of the CD on pre-order, but Theocracy have an Amazon store as well as being available on itunes where you can purchase the album.

Of all the bands on this list, spots number 1, and 2 were easy to fill. The rest were a challenge to say the least. There are some other bands and albums that came within a hair of making the list so I thought that I would put a short addendum of these albums that deserve some respect and love. The following list is in no-way numbered or ordered, just albums that I happen to like a lot, that were discovered by me during this past year.

Airbourne - Runnin Wild (AC/DC inspired band from Australia, 2007)
The Call - Let the Day Begin (had it in highschool, just rediscovered this gem, 1989)
Disaffection - Begin the Revolution (Brilliant thrash metal from Brazil, 2010)
Gary Hoey - Monster Surf (Guitar god instrumentalist covers 60's surf hits, 2005)
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (British prog-rock at it's finest, 2002) 
Final Axe - Beyond Hells Gate (brilliant slab of traditional American Metal from 1989, re-issued, remastered, re-released in 2010)
Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style (Celtic punk rock concept album, 2011)
Immortal Souls - IV: Requiem for the Art of Death (Finnish technical death metal, with positive, lyrics about the Christian life, 2011)
NewWorldSon - Salvation Station (Funk/Soul, heavily influenced by 50's Motown, brilliant musicians from Canada, 2008)
the Sacrificed - 2012 (Brilliant traditional metal from Florida in the vein of Queensryche and Judas Priest, 2010)
Thresher - Here I Am (Technical thrash band out of the LA thrash scene, this album reminds me a lot of Metallica's ...And Justice For All, with more mature lyrics, originally released in 1989, remastered, rereleased in 2009)
UnderCover - Branded (Controversial Christian punk band from LA, this is the 25th anniversary of this seminal masterpiece, originally released in 1986, remastered and re-released in 2011 as a limited edition anniversary package)

... As the World Bleeds

Where do you find a metal album that has soaring vocals, pounding drums, chunky riffs, smoking guitar solo's and hooks that will catch a whale. Add symphonic passages that will stir your spirit, complex time signatures, classical and choral arrangements, and lyrics that are challenging, socially aware, comforting, and honest. All this on one disc and yet it does not come off as weak or disjointed, but bold and with enough aggression to sonically flatten eardrums. Theocracy have written, recorded, produced, and released an album that is brilliant.

Hailing from Athens, GA, Matt Smith recorded Theocracy's first album, writing and recording all the instruments himself with programmed drums. On their second album, Mirror of Souls, Matt recruited Guitarist Jon Hinds and drummer Shawn Benson. Between Mirror of Souls  in 2008, and As the World Bleeds in 2011, Theocracy added Jared Oldham on bass, and Val Allen Wood on lead guitar. One listen thru, and the results speak for themselves, pure aural excellence. After living with this album for awhile now, I must proclaim that it is without a doubt, the best album of 2011. That claim does not even begin do this album justice.


Lyrically, this album is a balance of dark and light emotions and everything in between. It jumps between desperation, and praise, the ugliness of humanity and the purity of Jesus. The title track is brutal in its statements that the United States has become "...a land of filth and money, no longer a land of milk and honey", and the people responsible are the ones whom have let their lights hide in shadows or simply go out. The song ends with chorus singing "please forgive us, we are only drowning in the mess we've made." Hide in the Fairytale tackles delusion and destroys the idea that people are basically good with logic and examples from everyday life. Altar to the Unknown God removes the blindness that the God people mock is the same one that they cry out to for deliverance in the midst of crisis. The basis for this idea is that in the book of Acts, Paul visits Athens, and in the temple is an altar that is labeled "To the Unknown God."

I AM opens the album, and explores the numerous different character traits of God from the basis of the statement that Jesus made, saying simply "I AM." This song is pure worship of the deity of God, and all that he is. The Master Storyteller is another song about crisis and that no matter what, God is in control of all that will or has happened and all we have to do is look around to see the evidence of God's hand in this world. The touch of God is everywhere. This song also shows how the gospel and biblical prophecy has unfolded throughout time. Nailed is from the perspective of a man who has finally found freedom and peace through salvation after years of following different religions and trying to work his way to heaven. Drown is a screaming plea of desperation from a man facing his own humanity and doubt and asking for salvation.The lyrics are written by a man that has been given the gift of poetic creativity along with wisdom, spiritual clarity, and an uncompromising burning desire to light his world for Jesus, and bring salvation to the lost, yet the album does not come off as preachy or  the in-your-face, with the turn-or-burn variety of lyrics.

Matt Smith has said on The Anvil and the Hammer Podcast that he does not have any formal musical training, yet one listen and you would have no idea that this is the case. Each and every song is unique and has its own mood, attitude, tone, delivery and execution. He mixes multilayered choruses, symphonic breaks, breakdowns, blastbeats, and choral passages that are nothing short of brilliant. Matt uses the range of his voice much more effectively than on previous albums, and the outcome is fantastic. Jon and Val absolutely shred. They are the riff masters, and while Val is credited with most of the solo's and lead breaks, Jon has some credited to him as well and is no slouch. Val's solo's tend towards the fast, technical tapping and finger-picking style, while Jon's solo's are slower and more melodic and mood oriented. There are several different passages throughout the album where both guys are soloing in tandem, in different octaves, and they pull it off flawlessly. Jon is also credited with some keyboard work showing that his talent is absolutely beneficial to the sound that this band has achieved. The timing, as well as timing and tempo changes are held down by the cornerstone of the band, Shawn Benson. This man is blessed with talent! The pace that he sets behind the kit, the different beats, and fills, are a testament to his skill, and mastery of his craft. Jared Oldham, is one very talented bassist as well. The rhythm communication that Shawn and Jared have pulled off perfectly, is jaw dropping! Jared has several runs and fills, that I did not catch the first few listens through, and they are tastefully sprinkled throughout the album. There are a ton of prog style elements throughout the album, and none are stale, or repetitive, rather they keep the listener coming back for more, because of how well executed and layered this album is.

Matt Smith said in a podcast after the release of Mirror of Souls that his desire is to make 5 albums that are spiritually, musically and socially relevant. So far he is 3 out of 5. I cannot wait to hear whats next. I cannot say "Thanks" enough to Matt, Jon, Val, Jared, and Shawn, for your ministry, passion, and sharing your gift. I pray that you are blessed for your efforts and continue on. Final Thoughts... BUY-OR-DIE!

Muddy Puddles

First and foremost I am a sucker for cover albums, of which there are many, especially good ones, of which there are few. I really like the different takes on older songs (classic rock). What makes a good cover album is the diversity of songs picked, the talent of the band, and how close to original recordings the band stays, and whether or not the song chosen works for the band's style. It has been my experience that most bands "respect" the originals and stick them almost note for note, where other bands totally destroy the song making it unrecognizable. There is a happy medium to be achieved, a balance in which the band is instantly recognizable to the listener, while keeping the melody and basic parts of the song intact. Tesla achieved this on their Reel to Real Vol I-II, Stryper nailed it on The Covering, and Status Quo tore it up on Riffs as well as Famous in the Last Century, and finally Brian Setzer's phenomenal tribute to Sun Records artists with Rockabilly Riot.


These guys have matured musically far beyond their first major label release. My first thought when I actually saw this album was, at first, surprise that they were still recording as a band. My second thought was "how good can this be, these are the guys that had a hit with She F***ing Hates Me". That song is the epitome of a one-hit-wonder. The debut album was not much better than the song, except for the spark of genius that is Drift & Die. The follow-up album, Life on Display, was just as forgettable as the debut, Come Clean. Imagine my surprise when, out of sheer morbid curiosity, I listened to RE:(Disc)overed and realized that Puddle of Mudd tore the cover off the ball and knocked it out of the park.

What The... These guys have talent? This is actually a very good album, and the song selection reads like a top 40 classic rock radio playlist. Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, kicks things off. The song originally was a pretty mellow tune, but these guys give it some balls and swagger. Next up is Old Man by Neil Young. I have heard this song on the radio, but it never really caught my attention, however, with the modern production and distorted guitars backing up Wes Scantlin's voice, it takes on a whole new life. I know that this tune is a cover, but the band makes it wholly theirs in this rendition. T.N.T. by the Young brothers is an ok version of the song. I have heard worse, but this song still seems to stick out a bit on the album. They try to pump it up and I can imagine it going over really well with a crowd in the live setting, but here it seems a little too produced, and is the albums weak link. Stop Dragging My Heart Around was done originally by Tom Petty as a duet with Stevie Nicks, and the PoM guys do a pretty good job of bringing this song into the 21st century. While I am not a fan of Tom Petty, I may revisit this track as it is handled competently, Wes Scantlin also performs the song as a duet with an artist named BC Jean. Steve Miller is most famous for his song The Joker, and Puddle of Mudd stole it, recorded and made it theirs. The boys give this song a bit of a southern rock vibe that really brings it to life in a way the Steve was never able to accomplish. What follows is probably the oddest song on the list, and Wes Scantlin gives the song his whiskey soaked course bluesy vocal style and nails it. Everybody Wants You was recorded by Billy Squier, in the early 80's and Puddle of Mudd make it modern in 2011. They add riffs, swagger, dirty distortion, and the attitude that Mr. Squier never seemed to quite pull off. Rocket Man by Sir Elton John and Funk #49 by the James Gang are both well done covers, but not the strongest tracks on the album.

Ah, here we go, the tracks that the repeat button was designed for. Now we get to the Paul Rogers duo of tracks, and some Zeppelin. First up is All Right Now, as made famous by Free, and Shooting Star by Bad Co, and both sung originally by Mr. Paul Rogers. The band sticks to the originals pretty close musically, just bringing them up to speed with production and clarity and an attitude that is almost impossible to capture in the studio. I really like both original songs, and I love Paul Rogers voice, but it is Wes Scantlin's course almost nasal style of singing that really gives these songs a life that is not just relegated to the "classic rock" tag. Wes has a sound that is uniquely his, and it is not hard to see these guys tearing up a smoky bar stage, beer in hand, and playing with a feeling that is strictly for the love of rock n' roll. Guitarist Paul Phillips plays the solo in Shooting Star with a level of emotion and competence that is so often missing in most cover songs, like he tapped into the souls of the original players and stole their vibe. The band shreds on this song. Finally, the last cover is D'yer Mak'er by the mighty Zeppelin. Here again the band just tears the song up. PoM's cover is fantastic, played with such emotion, and feeling that you gotta wonder if they were in the studio with Zep when it was originally recorded.

These guys pull off a fantastic cover album, and while not one of their songs is a carbon copy of the original, each song still retains its own unique vibe and feeling among all the rest of the songs. These are the songs that have influenced many a pubescent boy to pick up the guitar  in the hopes of becoming a real rocker. Puddle of Mudd pay homage to the masters, and give a clear picture of their rock n' roll roots without the sarcasm and mockery that many artists in the post-grunge wave are known for. I am adding Puddle of Mudd to the cover-masters' list. I will have to go back and visit some of their previous catalog because somewhere between Come Clean and Re:(Disc)overed these guys grew up, focused their talent, and found their musical souls. 

...Off to Never-Never Land

August 12, 1991 was to see the release of the seminal self-titled album by Metallica. During the first week of this album's release it saw sales of 650,000 units (cd's and cassettes). To date this album has sold 22 million physical copies, and that does not include the digital downloads from places like iTunes and Amazon.com. Occasionally, VERY occasionally, the mainstream media gets behind a good album, and it resonates with the general populace, but I digress...

The first time that I heard this album was in 8th grade. I was sitting in the back of the school bus with my buddy Zak(RIP) and a couple of the high-school kids, when one of the older guys breaks out some contraband. Keep in mind that at that time I was going to a Christian school about 45 minutes away from where I lived and we rode the bus from Redmond to Bend through all the stops that were in between. So, back to the contraband. This guy pulls out of his back-pack a (!gasp!) walk-man (miniature cassette player that ran on batteries and used headphones for the sound),and on said walk-man was Metallica's brand new, just released, Black Album. Now, this was contraband because it was A: a walk-man, B: Heavy Metal (adults called it Devil music) C: not a Christian band. Up to this point all I had heard was just how evil Metallica was, and my metal experience had been limited to top-40 hair metal, and the almighty black and yellow brothers, courtesy of my uncle.

That day my world changed. Those of us that were in the back of the bus got to hear parts of the new album as he passed around the headphones. I was blown away by the heavy, heavy distortion, the neck snapping riffs, the pounding drums, and the lower registers of James Hetfield's voice. The songs were simple and stripped down, not the spastic thrash that I would soon discover by going back through Metallica's catalog. I was totally drawn in, and completely hooked. I received a major rush that day, in part from the music and in part for that moment shared between a bunch of adolescents of differing ages. The moment that "play" was pressed, age, socioeconomic backgrounds, familial backgrounds and everything else that separates people stopped mattering. We were brothers.

It was not until 2 years later that I actually heard the entire album from beginning to end at my friend Willie's house. Once again, we were two social outcasts brought together by our love of all things heavy. I was privileged to hear Metallica's Black Album, Master of Puppets, and Ride the Lightening, as well as AC/DC's Back in Black but it was the Black Album that stuck out. Throughout high-school I wore out 4 cassette copies of that album, during my paper routes and trips to school, work, or whenever and wherever I could listen. It takes a ton of plays to wear out a tape, but I did... 4 times. Then I bought the disc. I never have understood the whole "evil" trip but I think that the adults, my parents included, just did not understand the love of heavy music and associated Metallica with other metal bands like Mercyful Fate, Slayer and Venom whom had not matured past the "look how evil we are" stage.

20 years later, and many things have changed for the band, and for me. I do not listen to the album nearly as often now, but every time that I do, I am taken back to those days. In the late 90's I did lose track of Metallica when they released the Load and Re-Load albums, and totally wrote them off after the garbage that was St. Anger. I was not interested in their symphonic S&M album, although I did buy Garage Inc. as a new release. I jumped on the "Metallica Sucks" bandwagon for awhile, but once again, it was "Nothing Else Matters" playing on the radio that brought me back. I do not think that that if it was any other band under any different circumstances that I would have been affected in such a way. Metallica is not my favorite band, nor do I think that they the most talented, but none of that matters because at the end of the day, Metallica was my door the the metal world. I love this album now as much as I did back then, and I sincerely wish that I could be there in England at Download Fest 2012 when they play the entire album from start to finish.  

100% Guaranteed Mortality Rate

The boys of barely controlled horror, mayhem and chaos are back with album number 4. The costumes, masks, and horror movie themes are ever present as is the brilliantly executed musicianship. Grave Robber prove once again they are at the top of the punk-rawk heap. 

From the opening ambiance of Flatliners to the closing notes of Werewolves, the hooks and lyrics on You're All Gonna Die grab you by the throat and don’t let go.  The tones achieved on this album demand to be played at full volume. The “Whoa-oh-whoa-oh” sing along choruses are in plentiful supply. The guitar tones themselves are reminiscent of a time when Jackson's and Mesa-Boogie ruled the heavy music scene and achieve a fuller sound than on the previous 3 albums. The first few times through the album the controlled chaos behind the kit with the snare drops and fills makes me wonder if the new drummer got his start playing along with the greats like Mitch Mitchell and Keith Moon in his bedroom. This album is unapologetically punk rock but there are moments throughout the album that have a definite metal influence, from the riffage to solo’s that leave the fretboard smoking. Songs like Fill This Place with Blood and Something Wicked This Way Comes will melt your face and reaffirm the talent that this band possesses. There is even a hint of 70’s boogie rock in songs like Haunted House ala Foghat or CCR sped up, that give the songs that cocky R'nR swagger that the aforementioned bands are famous for. 

  

The lyrical themes that are present on this album continue to challenge spiritual atrophy and social ambivalence. Songs like Invisible Man and Last Man on Earth are refreshingly blunt statements about Grave Robber’s stand for the gospel, and a challenge to live it, not just read it. Invisible Man deals with the problem of homelessness not from the perspective of a social injustice but deals specifically with poor and homeless people, and calls out a church community that basically ignores these people, with the warning that if we ignore them, we are ignoring Jesus. This song highlights the command in the gospels to minister to the poor and homeless (John 21:15-19). The lyrics on Paranormal Activity tackle spiritual issues of paranormal activity and give an explanation for their existence from a biblical perspective. Something Wicked This Way Comes makes no bones about the fact that we live in a fallen world and we are surrounded by sin. Incredible Shrinking Woman tackles the issue of domestic violence. The song begins with lead singer Wretched making a plea for those trapped in abusive relationships to seek the healing power of the Re-Animator (Jesus) and get out. The intro also calls for those that are being abused to get help rather than the usual mentality of finger-pointing and blaming. Also back around for another visit is the blatant sarcasm. In the past songs like I, Zombie tackled the "If you partake in communion you are a zombie - Hahahahaha" mentality and reveled in it, this time its the church being filled with the Holy Spirit. The song Haunted House breaks down some of the christian lingo and overused phrases that attempt to explain this phenomenon. This song also recognizes the importance of the church as a building, a community, a place of worship and healing.
 

The energy on this album hearkens back to the Offsprings Smash, Rancid's ... And Out Come the Wolves, or the Dropkick Murphy's Sing Loud, Sing Proud. This level of energy has been missing in the current crop of made-for-radio "pop-"punk" and formulaic whiny emo bands. Grave Robber bring the energy back, and bring energy up. these guys know that punk rock is not just a sound but rather a unifying battle-cry to challenge the complacency in the status quo. In this case, Grave Robber brings the call to the church of America but rather than condemning or pointing fingers, they cry out  and plead for change before it is too late. The final thought on this album... BUY-OR-DIE.