Shinedown: Somewhere in the Stratosphere 2CD/2DVD

Shinedown
Somewhere in the Stratosphere 2CD/2DVD
Reviewed by Lisa Selvaggio

           
As a big Shinedown fan, I have seen them live more times than I can count, so when I heard that a live DVD of not only their Carnival of Madness show but also their Anything and Everything acoustic set would be released, I was stoked. The 2 CDs in the package are the audio from the shows, and it goes without saying that the band sounds incredible live.

Carnival of Madness DVD: The footage of this concert is far too "produced." When I watch a concert DVD, I don't want to feel like I'm watching a music video, with everything from choppy, rapidly changing scenes to super-imposed backgrounds and lights behind the musicians, and slow-motion stop-and-go. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed by the way this video was put together. You can see that the audio sometimes doesn't match the performers' motions, and you even begin to wonder if backgrounds weren't the only things that were superimposed. Also, one of the best things about Shinedown shows is the inspiring messages Brent has for his audience, which weren't included here.

Anything and Everything DVD: This video was a lot more organic, and therefore a lot more to my liking. It was great to hear Brent explain all of the songs in the set. The bonus backstage footage was a pleasant surprise as well. And this is probably the highest-energy acoustic show you'll ever see.

Being that the band's been touring since the release of Sound of Madness in 2008, it's great to get some of it forever stored on video, and now we just have to wait for their next release.


Rating: 4 out of 5

Monica Richards: The Strange Familiar

Monica Richards
The Strange Familiar (EP)

Reviewed by Lisa Selvaggio

Monica Richards has released an EP entitled The Strange Familiar in anticipation of a new solo album coming this summer. These are five songs that show her at her best. Four tracks are brand new and the fifth is a remix of the beloved “A Good Thing” off the album titled InfraWarrior. Monica is ever evolving with a keen sense for poetic expression, and these songs reach to the depths of despair and to the heights of resurrection. Listen to the lyrics and you can actually feel the emotions that Monica puts into her songs.

As any true artist can, she’s created an eclectic mix of songs, from music that you can dance to, to a spoken word track that tells a tale that is personal yet relatable (“The Mighty”). “Armistice” is reminiscent of classic Goth, an upbeat song with pounding bass leading the way. “The Strange Familiar,” a personal favorite, sticks in your head long after it has ended. And “Oreiades” is haunting violin and Monica’s voice alone, “recorded in the caves of Castle Cottenau in Upper Franconia.” I cannot say enough that this is true artistry, true uniqueness. But it’s just a teaser for something even better to come. For a longtime fan, it’s great to see Monica get better and better. But we must patiently wait for more.


Rating: 5 out of 5

The Haunted: Unseen

The Haunted
Unseen
Reviewed by Rob Acocella


The Haunted are back with their highly anticipated new album Unseen. I'm going to come right out and say up front that I've never been much of a fan. I didn't hate the band, I just never got into them. I'm very happy to say that I went into this with no expectations at all, and came out really liking the album.

I'm not in love with the band yet, but I do like what I'm hearing on Unseen. I'm not sure what changed or what was done differently, but I'm actually catching onto some of the hooks and grooves on this album. There are some really great heavy moments that make me want to swing my fists around, and then there are  songs like the title track that are just so damn toe-tapping groovy that you can't get them out of your head.

Some of my favorite tracks would have to be "Unseen," "Catch 22," and "Them."

As a side note, I think that in the past The Haunted were almost too heavy for their own good, and not in a good way. I think their songwriting and production was always pushed a tad too hard, creating something that worked for a niche group of fans. Unseen has a more broad feel to it, closer to really Hard Rock rather than the brand of Metal that they are known for. Personally, I like that about this album, but I can see how some long-time fans might be a bit disappointed. But hey, everyone takes a turn that pisses off some fans from time to time. Anybody remember St. Anger?


Rating 3/5

TesseracT: One

TesseracT

One

Reviewed by Rob Acocella

One is the debut album by TesseracT, released on Century Media records. This album has a great vibe to it, and it combines melody and rage almost seamlessly into one tight little package. The songs have the feel of real music craftsmanship and each one takes you deeper into the groove of the album than the last. Listening closely to the instrumentation you can tell that this wasn't one of those albums that was rushed and put out just for the sake of putting something out. What you have here are carefully plotted rhythms with patterns that seem both simple and intricate all at once. The entire album has its own ambiance and it holds to it even when switching gears from melodic to heavy. That's a refreshing quality in a music scene where artists tend to blow their own albums apart at times by choosing the wrong combo of songs, or the wrong track list sequence, resulting in an interrupted listening experience.

In all honesty, I've been quite bored with the Prog scene for a very long time, but this kind of Prog Metal is exactly what has been lacking for years. TesseracT is a breath of fresh air in a musical atmosphere that was getting very stale recently.

TesseracT is currently on tour promoting One, and I'm going to be honest, if you miss out on their performances, it's your own loss. I have a feeling these guys are going to be making a much bigger name for themselves in the near future, so keep your eyes out for when they come to your town and be sure to get out and see them, and pick up the album.

Rating: 5/5

Alter Bridge "AB III"

Alter Bridge
AB III
Reviewed by Lisa Selvaggio

      Alter Bridge is one of my favorite bands, one of the few out there right now that are genuine in every respect.  Lyrically, the band has always been able to profoundly express an entire gamut of emotions, from hopeful to hopeless, inspired to indifferent.  They're one of the few modern bands who can write songs that mean something, that go above and beyond, to make you feel, whether it's the nostalgia that comes with "Ghost of Days Gone By," the sinking feeling of defeat with "All Hope Is Gone," or the perseverence found with "I Know It Hurts."  To say that musically they are a powerhouse of talent would be to state the obvious.  On the disc as well as in concert, these new songs are energetic and alive, pure Rock with a pinch of Prog.  It's all in their words and in their music, and on AB III, the group shines true and their energy is abundant throughout.  The listener is left wanting more yet satisfied with this final product all the same, as the band has put out yet another artful collection of songs that are flawlessly performed.

Rating: 5/5
     

Deicide "To Hell With God"

Deicide
To Hell With God
Reviewed by Rob Acocella



Deicide is back with their 10th studio album, To Hell With God. What is there to say about Deicide that most of their fans don't already know? For one, it's another chapter of what I call "Hollywood Satanist" lyrics wrapped up around a big package of blast beats and furious guitar solos.

I've never been the biggest fan of Deicide, but I do have a couple of their albums from the old days. The technical ability that they display is key to appreciating the music. Death Metal often suffers from everything winding up garbled into one continuous tone, with limited chances to pick up on actual melodies aside from in the solos and song intros. Deicide is no exception here, and it's not like you're going to be making out much of the actual words here, which, as a side note, is kind of backwards since Benton obviously has a message to get across.

My own musical tastes aside, this album is great if you take it for what it is. It's a no-frills continuation of what Deicide does best. They may have strayed once or twice along their career, but their core fans got exactly what they knew they wanted from To Hell With God. As I mentioned earlier, the solos really do rip, and give the listener a much needed break from the audio onslaught of each track. Holding it up to older Deicide albums I'd say the quality of writing and playing is right up there with Legion and Once Upon The Cross.

Overall, for me personally, I give it a 3/5 but in this particular case, don't let me hold you back from checking it out if you are already a fan of Deicide's "tried and true" approach to their music.

Helloween "Unarmed: Best of 25th Anniversary"

Helloween
Unarmed: Best of 25th Anniversary
Reviewed by Rob Acocella

Helloween did something very cool for their 25th Anniversary album: They put out a best-of compilation that isn't exactly a compilation in the traditional sense. What they did was take all the songs they considered to be the best from the last 2.5 decades and rearranged them with the help of a orchestra, a choir, and various other collaborators. What you have are brand new, more epic versions of all your favorite songs.

In theory, this is absolutely awesome, and when the album started up with "Dr. Stein" I was really into it. A few songs later I was still digging it, and then I hit the medley tune called "The Keeper's Trilogy" which combines "Helloween," "Keeper of the Seven Keys," and "The King For 1,000 Years." By the time this 17-minute monster was done, so was I. I really liked this new approach to their music at first, but after a while it got tired, and I think cramming those tunes into one track is what did me in. Everything after that sounded the same. Perhaps I need to be a more hardcore Helloween fan to really appreciate this kind of thing, but I really did like it at first, I promise you I did.

My guess is that even the long-time die-hard fans are going to either absolutely love this, or absolutely hate this. Let's face it, you either LOVE when your favorite band does something different with their songs, or you HATE when they do something different. I do give them a lot of credit for doing this and I can't say that it's lacking in musicianship, I just think the vision is lost on me. What I do like about it though, is that they didn't do what everyone else does and release the EXACT SAME SONGS you already own, just on one disc. People can make their own mixtapes, we don't need the artists to do that for us, so bravo for doing something out of the norm.

Rating: 2/5