Author: johnny

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Rule – Rule (2012)


Rule
Rule
2012

The hardest thing when writing about Rule is trying not to use the band’s name to describe their music – no matter how appropriate it may be.* It’s a cheap trick and I won’t sink that low, not even if it means missing out on the most fitting way to describe them. Settle in. This could get messy.

It becomes apparent that Rule’s debut EP draws its inspiration from old-school metal as soon as the intro solo to “Sucker” kicks in. What happens? More like what doesn’t happen. No rhythm guitar part. Awesome. These guys are a classic power-trio-plus-wailing-singer type of band. After an epic intro, this vampire-themed tune kicks in with a modern take on the Blizzard Of Ozz sound. “Das Brute” follows with another ominous opening sequence before unleashing the band’s Anthrax influence in full fury. Check out a blistering live take on the tune right here to see that these guys can bring the noise live.**

I’ve gushed over “Bloodletter” in the past, so let’s skip to the next cut. Since I’ve already fallen into the trap of comparing Rule to the forefathers of heavy darkness, I might as well go all out. “Fire My Angel” would make Halford and company proud. No turning back now. Did I miss anyone? Oh, yeah. How about a Motörhead meets Maiden scorcher to wrap things up? Sounds good. “Pain On Pain” it is.

Well, there you have it – one impossibly clumsy write-up of a great metal EP. I’ve managed to avoid using the band’s name as a verb while unfairly comparing them to metal gods. Damnit. One of these days I’ll figure out an adequate way to describe their updated take on classic metal. One that shows how they’ve lived and breathed these well-forged sounds. One that that expresses how they have come up with a refreshingly irony-free take on the genre. It’ll probably involve the “R”-word.

Where to get it:

* Something I’ve managed to avoid for the most part, with one minor misstep here. It’s OK, though. I compared them to my cat in the same piece.

** Oof. That was bad. That’s not even a real Anthrax tune. Rule sound nothing like that. This is getting ugly.

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Earthquake Party! – vs. Pizza (2011)


Earthquake Party!
vs. Pizza
2011

Are you looking for three short bursts of super-saturated, hook-laden noise pop? Do you want to top it all off with perfectly paired boy/girl vocals? Earthquake Party! has just the thing for you!

vs. Pizza is 5:01 of fuzzed out bliss. “Pretty Little Hand” is a straight-up power pop tune riding a gorgeous wave of distortion. The guitar and synth blend perfectly. Earthquake Party! then proceeds to blast through “Nails&Hammers” in a mere 49 seconds. Songs that clock in under a minute and still feel complete have a special place in my heart. This one has a guitar line that will be stuck in my head for days. “Brains” closes things out; its vintage vibe meshes perfectly with the band’s noise aesthetic. I love this.

Where to get it:

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Aloud @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 7.27.2012

If Parlour Bells got things steamy, Aloud got things sweaty! Talk about a band that leaves it all on stage. The music flows from every pore of their body. Aloud put on a powerhouse performance to cap off an amazing night of music at TT’s.

A huge thanks to Aloud, Sidewalk Driver, Dirty Wings (who came up from NY), Parlour Bells, Boston Band Crush and Daykamp Creative for a wonderful evening. We were so happy to be a part of it.

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Sidewalk Driver @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 7.27.2012

A couple of weeks ago, we presented a show at TT’s with our good friends over at Boston Band Crush. Sidewalk Driver was on the bill. I may have posted some pictures of these guys before. I kinda sorta like ’em a little bit. They’ve got these songs. Really cool songs. Songs about magnets and Tad’s face. And they play the hell out of ’em. They do all that while blowing confetti all over the friggin’ place.

One of my favorite things about a Sidewalk Driver show is telling my boys about it the next morning. As I was describing this particular show, Big Little One suspected I may be embellishing the tale a bit.

“You’re teasing.”

I assured him I wasn’t, although I understood his skepticism. It all sounded to fantastic to be true. It was too much for his six-year-old brain to process. I paused a minute to let him take it all in.

Then I told him about the parachute…

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Parlour Bells @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 7.27.2012

We here at Daykamp Music recently got to present our first show. We did so with the fine folks at Boston Band Crush. How spoiled are we? Quite. The very first band to play at one of our shows was Parlour Bells. That’s just crazy. The ‘Bells got things steamy right from the start. These debonair popsters have a dark spark that lights up whatever stage they grace. Their passionate set was a sign of good things to come.

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We’re All Gonna Die – Kiss The Ground, Curse The Sky (2008)


We’re All Gonna Die
Kiss The Ground, Curse The Sky
2008

We’re All Gonna Die brought the thunder on Kiss The Ground Curse The Sky. The album opens with “Brown Rabbit.” The instrumental serves as a fitting intro to the dark, heavy rock on the rest of the album. “Bled Out” is in the number two spot. It has a sludgetastically catchy hook that most metal bands would kill for. Damn near perfect. The bulk of the record flows from the same vein. Heavy riffs, gritty solos and powerful grooves are the rule here. “Elevator Down” has Kiss The Ground Curse The Sky‘s most devastating guitars and a swaggering vocal. “Burn” and “Shank” are as a brutal as their names imply. It’s not heavy for heavy’s sake, though. These are bona fide songs. Good ones at that.

Jim Healey and company also knew when to pull back a little. “Nothing To Say” has a Jimmy Page-esque guitar part. The dark ballad “Dusk And Done” uses female vocals to nice effect. The melody of “On The Sea” lingers long after the record ends. These are not power ballads; think Alice In Chains in EP mode. These are melodic songs with lots of tension.

We’re All Gonna Die was a powerhouse band. Kiss The Ground, Curse The Sky is a testament to that.

Where to get it:

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Velah – Black Olympia (2012)


Velah
Black Olympia
2012

When I caught Velah at TT’s last month, I was impressed with how well-formed the young band’s sound was. I knew their lineage. I appreciate the work the band’s members did in Static Of The Gods and The Acre. I had high hopes. I also know a band’s early work can be a bit disjointed as they find their legs. Black Olympia flies that notion out the window on a breeze of shimmering guitars.

“Wanderlust” opens this EP with an elevated level of urgency. The immediacy of the song defies the shoegaze tag that is often placed on the band. We’re introduced to the vocal interplay, intertwining guitar parts and clockwork drumming that will define these recordings. Each song steps out from there. The chorus to “Calm Down” is pure pop. The EP’s title track is majestic. “Glass Heart” threatens to drown in its own delay-soaked layers before breaking the surface in a triumphant crescendo. It all works. Let’s see where Velah goes next.

Where to get it:

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Viva Viva @ Great Scott 7.23.2012

Viva Viva capped off the first night of the Boston Accents Funeral Party. Michael Marotta put together one hell of a night* to celebrate one hell of a run on his WFNX radio show. He’s a huge asset to this town. I look forward to seeing what he does next. As for Viva Viva’s set, it rolled as much as it rocked. It burned itself to the ground. It brought the night to an uproarious end – just like the radio show it celebrated.

* Word on the street** is that the other two nights were pretty great, too.

** Internet, obviously.

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Ribs @ Great Scott 7.23.2012

Ribs put on quite the show during Night #1 of the Boston Accents Funeral Party. Not only did they have a a ton of music and electronic gear hooked up, but they brought their own light show. There were so many cords and cables on the stage you’d think they had the Ark Of The Covenant up there.* They opened with Placebo’s “Pure Morning,” a sign of the indielectro rock that would mark their powerful set.

* That’s my second Raiders Of The Lost Ark reference in a week. Time to watch that movie again.