EP Shakedown: Trash Titan - Trash Titan

Trash Titan seems like a very accurate name for this group. The music they make is some rough and trashy stoner rock with a huge sound. The songs off of their self-titled EP move between being blues/retro rock and grooving southern rock, with the occasional thrash feeling within the breakdowns.

"Medicine" does a good job of setting the scene; with the southern-tinged rock coming in thick. The second track, "Sunny Day," is where the album begins to take off, where the mix of stoner genres is more apparent. Elements of southern, rock n' roll and thrash all make their play here. This leads to the more subdued but far superior, "Whiskey Love," the high point of the release. This one is straight-forward southern jam-stoner, with a moving rhythm and a entertaining story.

So Mike Mangini Is Dream Theater's New Drummer

I don't do a lot of current events and news here, with my feeling that I'll never have enough time to maintain anything long term, and honestly you can all that from either Shy Guy Assassin or Metal Insider (among others) if you truly want... like I do. But because I love Dream Theater and have already commented on the whole Dream Theater minus Mike Portnoy thing, I feel inclined to comment on this latest development.

After attempting to tie people in with a documentary, showing the drum-offs if you will, the fellas of Dream Theater have officially announced (finally) that their new drummer/percussionist will be Mike Mangini. Now, I didn't follow the documentary at all, and I only kept in the loop sparingly, but this bit of news grabs my attention. Mr. Mangini has worked with several acts previously; Steve Vai, Extreme, Annihilator, and James LaBrie's solo effort, among others, so you know he has the basic ability (Annihilator's Set The World On Fire is one of my favorite albums by the group). On top of that he was, at one time, the holder of five of the World's Fastest Drummer records, including Fastest Matched Grip, Fastest Barehands, Fastest Traditional Grip, and Fastest Single Stroke Foot (2 different records), so you know the man has speed.

Weekly Dose of Prog: VYGR - Hypersleep

VYGR is a new band that has been getting a lot of press of late; and while I discovered that they are a bit light on the progressive aspect, several other reviewers hailed their style of music as very much progressive in nature. This is what led to the group being this week's 'Weekly Dose of Prog,' but whichever way you look at it, I'm glad I got a chance to hear Hypersleep.

You see, while VYGR (pronounced Voyager) have progressive tendencies, they really fall more into the post-metal aspect of the genre. The songs have a tendency of being long and drawn-out (not a complaint), mixing in sludge and doom for good measure. This is the style of sludge I like by the way, the vocals are growly but semi-understandable and go with the music very well. It's not like the growing trend of pointless screaming and incomprehensible growls that have become so popular nowadays. It reminds me of Baroness, only less prog and much more doom-oriented.

Play It Again: Sucking The 70s - Volume I & II

I discovered these pair of awesome throw-back to the 70s releases about a year ago, and have since been thoroughly enjoying these modernized classics. Small Stone Records collected the best of of the bands under their label and gave them some of the best songs of the 70s to put their heart and soul into. The best thing about this idea is most of these acts are qualified as 'retro-rock' bands, and so most of these covers don't sound out of place at all. Blues-stoner acts jamming out blues rock songs sound perfectly at home, no chance of a waver or misstep.

These albums are carried by two points, the original song quality, and the skill of the band covering them. Songs that you know and love from the 70s get proper justice here, and the few lesser known songs (I had never heard of Leaf Hound or Big Star before) that get an overhaul are of equal footing. Not every song within Sucking The 70s is truly amazing, but enough of it is to wow any audience.

To keep things simple, I'm just going to list all of the songs on the albums, with the ones I love in bold, and the very few I can't stand in italics, everything else is just ok. The list is organized by: Covering Band - "Song Title" (Original Band), to keep it simple to understand.

Sucking The 70s
I discovered this album first, a few days before the other and found it amazing. A few of these songs I had already, either on the respective act's releases or in some other special edition collection, but that didn't dim my excitement at having so many classic songs in one release. Personal favorites (above and beyond the bolded collection) are; "Cross Eyed Mary," "I Don't Have To Hide," and "Workin Man."

Favorite Albums: Elf - Trying To Burn The Sun

Trying To Burn The Sun is the last Elf album, and similarly the last Elf album to be included in my Favorite Albums list (aha a stupid joke). Check out my articles on their other two albums, Elf and Carolina Country Ball, for more Elfy goodness.

It seems that the band seemed to know this was to be their final release, as Trying To Burn The Sun pulls out all the stops. The album includes some of their best songs, most varied compositions, and almost every track of the record has a centralized story - something I love within my music. This album, on a song by song basis, is the greatest of the Elf albums. It contains their best tracks, all collected very nicely in one place.

Awesome Artwork: Alestorm

I was working on my last Alestorm article, under the 'Bands I Love' headline, and I realized that this group has some amazing artwork out there. To celebrate this fact I'm going to showcase all that Alestorm has to offer. Expect some big, decent-definition pics with brief descriptions.

Captain Morgan's Revenge - 2008
This is what begins us off, out first hit of what Alestorm has to their name. I like the artwork for Captain Morgan's Revenge because it is simple in the background, and then has a very visual foreground. I could easily imagine this (minus the skull-face) being a part of an actual time piece from the 17th century about piracy - if only a smaller piece of a bigger portrait. It begins the story of the band smashingly.

Awesome Songs: Elf - "Streetwalker"

As I was working on my 'Favorite Albums' article for the last album by Elf, Trying To Burn The Sun, I began writing about the amazing song "Streetwalker" which appears on the album. After giving a bare-bones version of the song, I still ended up writing half a page on the subject. So I either had to slim it down, or start a new article... Guess what I chose.

As I said in my previous Elf article, "Carolina Country Ball" is my favorite song by the band, but the finale of Trying To Burn The Sun, "Streetwalker" takes a close second place. It is an amazingly well put together piece of rock and roll. Strong is form, melody and narration, I can't help to belt out the lyrics each and every time I hear it - especially the ending of the track.

== Check out the track on YouTube (better this way then the old) ==

A Helping Hand...

Don't worry, I'm not asking you for money or anything, calm yourself.

I have a couple friends in a band and there is a contest going on right now by FedEx for a record deal. It's sort of like a battle of the bands except by votes only (and that much more lame). Regardless, it would be sweet if my friends won, and as so I am asking all of you out there on the interwebs to head HERE and vote for The Jonnie Morgan Band (they are the 13th one down). All you have to do is go to the site, wait for it to load (it's kind of a poorly put together one, it takes forever to load) and click on the plus sign (+) above 'Be A Fan.'

That's it, it'll take 30 seconds and you'll be benefiting some amazing musicians from Central Florida.

Thanks a ton in advance.
-K-

Video: Alestorm - Keelhauled

I've already spouted my love for Alestorm (more to come as well), and "Keelhauled" is one of their more interesting songs. I love the jig-style of the track, and the story-telling aspect as well; all about a traitor who must pay for his crimes. I've seen the group live so I already know all about the keytar the lead singer plays, but that is a sight I don't think I'll ever get used too...

EP Shakedown: Syd Arthur - Moving World

I had know idea who or what Syd Arthur was, but what I heard was not what I was expecting by any means. Moving World was another 'gift sent' to me by Ripple Music, and I really don't know what to make of it. It melds styles I previously thought un-meldable. Truly a conundrum of sound and style. I only label this as progressive rock because I don't know what else to classify it as, it is that much of an interesting mashup of style.

I'm going to assume Syd Arthur is either a nickname or the band name, like Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull or Franz Ferdinand, a name that sounds like a person's, but is in fact the group's name (in my searches I discovered a theory that the band gets it's name from Syd Barret (original singer for Pink Floyd) and from The Kinks' album, Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire), so that's kind of interesting). I say this because the singer has a very peculiar voice; At times making me think it is a female singing, and at others just a really odd male (the first draft of this paragraph was all about a female vocalist, then I did some actual research and learned the truth). It is really odd, I can tell that he's British, but other then that I am at a loss.

Weekly Dose of Prog: 3 Headed Monster - 3 Headed Monster

Work's been pretty brutal of late, and as such I'm putting together this week's 'Weekly Dose of Prog' very last minute. This week's isn't going to be a big one, and I'm working hard on getting something of substance out on time (my first draft was very short). As it stands, this will be short and sweet. I'll try to get back on my feet for next week, as I do enjoy writing these.

3 Headed Monster was an instrumental progressive metal band that I discovered randomly several years ago. I don't really remember how I found them, or why I would give them a listen above so many other bands (it probably had something to do with the band name and the album artwork). Whatever the case I discovered the act and I am glad I did.

With the many previous instrumental acts I've heard and reviewed here the constant remark I make is whether or not the band in question can pull off being entertaining for the long hall. Some acts can handle this, with consistently evolving melodic progressions and an equally impressive guitar/drum relationship, while others fade out into nothingness, with repetitive riffs and the like. 3 Headed Monster plays on both sides of the fence, with some tracks being very entertaining and memorable, while others simply are not.

Play It Again: Abramis Brama - Nothing Changes

Because of my recent acquisition of a new computer and the musical fiasco that decision brought with it, I basically have to re-listen to my entire collection (or at least those albums I know I love) to get back on the same page. Seeing as I have to do this, I'm going to go for the silver lining and figure that it gives me a chance to write a bit about some of my favorite bands and records. In the past I've only written about full discographies or new bands/albums that I have heard. This gives me the chance to tell you about those diamonds in the rough.

Although I am not planning on doing this alphabetically, Abramis Brama is damn close to the beginning of my collection (currently number five. but honestly I haven't listened to the artists that come before yet). The group is Swedish, and Nothing Changes is their sole album in English. I'd love to hear more from the group, but as I've said before, I can't handle non-English music for an entire album. I need some sort of vocals that I can sort of understand (which is also my problem with a lot of instrumental music out there). If you can speak Swedish, or don't mind hearing gibberish, I am jealous and encourage you to check out the rest of their albums and get back to me.

Anyway, Abramis Brama plays a real bluesy and groove-oriented rock, with a strong sonic styling of Soundgarden, especially within the correlation of the guitars to the vocals. While it's not a complete comparison, when Ulf Torkelsson (awesome name) holds out a long note in the higher end of his register, I can't help but think of Chris Cornell (from Soundgarden). The rest of the group is pretty mellow, with down-tuned and lightly-strummed guitars, and chill drumming. It all weaves back and forth, bringing up the amplitude when needed, but never oppressing the lyrics in any regard. The mixing for this album is superb to say the least.

Taste of Thrash: Municipal Waste - Waste 'Em All

This is the album that, for some reason, I have really wanted to listen to again, recently. One of their songs ("Death Prank") popped up on a random mix CD I made some years ago, and sense that encounter, I've wanted more from Municipal Waste.

While Carnivore was an in-your-face style of thrash (see 'Taste of Thrash' from last week for more), Municipal Waste's particular style - at least for Waste 'Em All, I haven't listened to much more of their albums - is ten times that. They call this their first full-length, but at fifteen minutes long I'm not sure if that description qualifies. Also of note, there are fifteen tracks. Yes, that means that the average track length is one minute long, the longest being 1:52 and the shortest only coming in at eleven seconds (the aforementioned "Death Prank"), which makes this album a roller coaster ride of a listening experience.

Favorite Albums: Elf - Carolina Country Ball

Continuing on with last week's edition of Favorite Albums, dedicated to Elf's debut album, I thought it prudent to work on the second disc in their discography; Carolina Country Ball. This is the album where the group begins to pick up steam, having toured with Deep Purple for over a year, working on their composition and sound. It begins a direction more into the rock aspect of blues rock, joining in with the rock 'n roll era, and is a real step up in the story-telling aspects.

First thing, the name; you see, while the album if officially titled Carolina Country Ball, it was released in parts of the world (most notably the USA and Japan) as L.A. 59. No reason for this switch has ever been offered, and while it really doesn't change anything - there aren't two different track lists out there - it does strike me as a bit odd. Personally I much more enjoy the song "Carolina Country Ball" over "L.A. 59," so I prefer the original title, and will continue to address it as such.

Current Events

Just a short little FYI: I got a new computer this week, which while awesome, does screw up my music collection somewhat. All of my songs/albums/artists made the crossover (I think anyway), but the organization that I had with them did not. So all of my rankings, notes, playlists, collections, etc have gone the way of the buffalo. With all of this I have to pretty much start from scratch.

My monthly 'Albums Listened To' lists will be a bit screwy, mostly because I can't be 100% which albums I have heard before or not. Also if you are a band/label and have sent me an album to review I have lost my order and the groups that I had put on my system to keep track of everything. I have it all saved in my email, but it will take me some time to get through all of the emails and whatnot to get back on track.

That being said, because of the fairly clean full-restart, I'm going to be editing some things. First off: I've created a new Last.fm for The Klepto's Guide, so if you have an account (which I strongly suggest) shoot me a friend request. I'm going to try to be more active on that website, with groups and whatnot so expect some of that.

I have enough article pre-written, or at least 75% done, for the next week or two, so I'll keep up to date for now. Hopefully by that point I'll be back on track with everything. I'm finding it hard to get moving, with basically the past three years of this hobby/addiction brought back to naught. It's a very sobering thought, looking through 65,000+ songs and really not knowing what to do with it all.

Bands I Love: Alestorm

I am going to do a much fuller article on Alestorm here in the near future, but for the time being I just want to show my appreciation for the group. I absolutely love their first two albums, and I am actively working on a 'Favorite Albums' article for each. With the release of their third album, early in June, my excitement level is reaching biblical proportions and I feel the need to shout my adoration from the rooftops! Thus this edition of 'Bands I Love'.

I'm going to keep this article short and sweet - with more articles on the way, I really don't have to go too far into detail now - just highlighting one aspect of Alestorm's releases that I love and find really fascinating: their penchant to include covers on all of their releases. In itself nothing too special, many acts cover bands and artists that influenced them or something along those lines. Alestorm is special in the regard that all the songs they cover: A) Have something to do with pirates, theft, booze, etc. And B) Are mostly from non-metal acts and/or are something way-way off in left field.

The first example of interesting covers is probably the least adventurous of the group; it is "Flower of Scotland" off of their debut, Captain Morgan's Revenge, originally penned by the folk rock group The Corries way back in 1967. Sense that time the song has become de facto national anthem of Scotland - even though the country itself doesn't have a set anthem - so I could see why the Scottish band Alestorm would be interested in recording such a cover. As I said, not too out there, but not something you would normally expect to hear on a heavy metal release.

Video: Type O Negative - "Black No.1" & "Everything Dies"

This week was the first anniversary of Peter Steele's untimely death. As I'm sure most of you know, Steele was the lead singer and bassist for the gothic/doom band Type O Negative, as well as the thrash band Carnivore. I paid my dedication to Carnivore earlier in the week, and now do the same for Type O Negative.

Because of the mournful tone of this article, and because I love the works of Peter Steele, and Type O puts on one hell of a live show, this week's music videos is going to be a twofer. Two songs by Type O Negative, the first being their big hit of the 90s: "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" followed by a somewhat fitting "Everything Dies," the group's most depressing song I ever heard.

EP Shakedown: The Dandelion Club - One More Margarita

Down and dirty garage rock, this is what The Dandelion Club is selling. Their EP, One More Margarita (follow the link for a free download from the group's BandCamp), is a three-song, rough production release that captures the band's live element really well. Now, I haven't ever seen them live or anything, but judging from the energy they put out on this disc, it's not a far leap to make. By the half-way point on the first two songs it sounds like the singer is out of breath and exhausted, having worked so hard to put all he had into the track, this is why I would expect great things from band live.

Their style seems a mix of the garage rock of the 90s, the DIY style of punk (as well as some punky vocals) and the fuzz of stoner, giving it an almost punk folk sound. I know my first thought when the vocals came in on the title track was one of a Celtic punk band like The Pogues of Flogging Molly, although The Dandelion Club really don't have any true folk influences. It's just in the vocals and the loose production values I guess.

Weekly Dose of Prog: The Devin Townsend Project - Ki/Addicted

My knowledge and experience with Devin Townsend and his various 'projects' is limited at best. I've only heard a couple of his albums, all from his progressive side, and the only one I actually remember listening to with a 100% assuredly is Ziltoid The Omniscient, and that is ...well, a special case to say the least. So the should-have-been double album of Ki and Addicted will be my return to this crazy individual's bi-polar induced mind. Fare me well.

As a man who has released numerous albums all over the genre spectrum, you never really know what you're getting from Devin Townsend on any of his albums. He's released extreme music as Strapping Young Lad, and various styles of progressive music (including ambient records) under different makes of his name: originally as Devin Townsend, followed by a short reprieve as The Devin Townsend Band, and now currently The Devin Townsend Project. Each name takes on a slightly different style and skill of album released, but my own experience is admittingly limited, something that I hope to rectify over the coming weeks.

5 Quick Album Reviews

I've recently joined the family over at Ripple Music. They've been nice enough to send me some music for review (as well as connect me with the JPT Scare Band, who sent me a shirt and their entire discography, way to go there guys!), and a new outlet to gain some readers. If you haven't had a chance to check them out, I strongly suggest you do so, they review pretty much anything, from old to new, and any range of rock/metal. It's a lot more varied then The Guide is, so if you have eclectic tastes like me, there is bound to be something interesting there for you to enjoy.

Thinning The Herd - Oceans Rise
As a group that describes themselves as a "soulful brew of grunge-fueled, blues-driven, stoner-infused rock," their self-description hits the nail on the head pretty solidly. The songs off of Thinning The Herd initially strike me as a mix of early-era Clutch and the alternative/post-grunge of Alice In Chains. Even though Oceans Rise drift away from that original analysis, it is this thought that continuously pops up throughout the album. Overall the album is tuned-down, making it all sound very dark and oppressive, probably more so then the lyrics would normally have come across as, but I have to think that this is the purpose. Songs that do pop-up ahead of the group, do so because of their more melodic tendencies. An underlying theme to the music (at least to me) is a semi-garage and/or noise rock fuzz and overexposure of the instruments and vocals. Songs like the title track, "Defiler," "Binge," and "My Wake," all have more in the whole 'musical' department, a little more groove, a little more tune. If you find yourself forlorn at the end of the 90s grunge/alt-metal era then definitely check out Thinning The Herd, you will not be disappointed.