Anthrax - Anthems

Anthrax – Anthems
2013, Megaforce Records

Anthrax might just be the most storied metal band to ever come out of New York City.  Contemporaries of Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica, Anthrax have been a heavy metal force over the past 30+ years.  With ten albums and numerous world tours under their belt, entire generations of metal musicians owe at least part of their musical lineage to Anthrax.  The events of the past few years have been surprising, not the least of which is the return of long time front man Joey Belladonna to the fold.  Anthrax is currently preparing for their eleventh album, to be released later in 2013.  For now the band has released an eight song EP entitled Anthems, comprised of six classic rock covers and one original song in two versions.

The idea of a cover project seems anathema to a band like Anthrax, but in the end it turns out to be a rather pleasant surprise.  The EP kicks off with a vibrant cover of “Anthem” (Rush).  Anthrax treats the song with reverence, kicking it out with energy, power and a distinctive precision that does the original proud.  “T.N.T. (AC/DC)” is a rollicking good time.  Things get a bit surreal with the cover of “Smokin’” (Boston), with Anthrax quite possibly bettering the original.  And while they don’t quite surpass the originators of “Keep On Runnin’” (Journey), they certainly give the current formulation of that band a run for their money.  Cheap Trick’s “Big Eyes” gets a wonderfully dark reading, and “Jailbreak” (Thin Lizzy) is full of all the mischief of the original.  Anthrax winds up with the original tune “Crawl” in its original form as well as in the “Orc Remix”.  The song is well-crafted and much more pop oriented than previous work by Anthrax, but positions them well for a potentially huge comeback in 2013.

Anthrax is surprisingly supple and graceful in covering some major hits of 1970’s and early 1980’s rock and roll.  Anthems is a cover project, but Anthrax manages to show off some very subtle yet distinctive changes in musical personality.  Anthems is thoroughly enjoyable, and Joey Belladonna’s voice is amazing.  Hard core fans of the band might be a bit taken aback by the sound of Anthems, but there is no doubt that this metal for the masses.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.anthrax.com.

Kevin Wilson - Self Portrait

Kevin Wilson - Self Portrait
2008, Kevin Wilson

Kevin Wilson has been an integral part of the Florida heavy metal scene for more than a decade, writing and playing guitar for Liar, Astaroth and Lucian Blaque, which was nominated by both the Tampa Bay Music Awards and Tampa Bay Metal Awards as Metal Band of the year two and three times, respectively. Wilson himself was nominated once for Metal Guitarist of the year. As most things do, Lucian Blaque ran its course, and Wilson found himself in a period of re-assessing his goals. The result of that contemplation is Wilson' debut solo album, Self Portrait. Comprised of fifteen original songs, Self Portrait features Wilson's softer, singer-songwriter side on nine tracks, but also shows his hard edge on the six tracks on the second disc.

Self Portrait opens with "On The Lake", a solid slice of melodic rock with great lead and harmony vocals. "On The Lake" has great energy but doesn't bowl this listener over with it. It's a song of reverence for time and place, with hope, peace and comfort wrapped in one focal point. "Winter In Paradise" shows off some guitar muscle in the middle of a fairly gentle rocker. Wilson has great feel on the guitar, culling musical streams out of the arrangement as if peeling back layers to show you what is beneath. "Scars" is a mellow acoustic rocker that sounds a bit like a power ballad but never explodes into full sound like many power ballads do. The vocal harmonies here are tremendous; Wilson takes his cue from some of the big triad harmonies popular among arena-rock bands like Styx, Journey, Asia and Kansas in a song about salvation and moving on.

"Self Portrait" is actually rather bland for a title track, lacking any real energy and suffering from a vocal line that has a whiney quality to it. Wilson's guitar work is a highlight here, however. "What If" explores existential angst about the future in contemplative fashion, using a mellow arrangement that hides country music threads in the musical seams. Wilson seeks rebirth and renewal on "September Comes"; a song about moving beyond the restrictions and fears we trap ourselves in. "September Comes" features a light airy melody that is almost an ironic foil to the heavy emotional makeup of the song. This irony is enhanced as Wilson seeks rebirth in a season known for the beginning of decay. "Pictures" is lush but not dramatically so, again going for the big vocal harmonies but this time in an Asia-meets-Alan Parsons vibe that's surprisingly good.

Disc two features material that will feel more at home of Wilson's fans from his heavy rock and metal days. Wilson starts out with blues based rock n roll on "Whiskey", an entertaining monologue decrying the spirit's effect on him. It's a solid tune that's likely to be a favorite live. "16 Days" sticks with the blues/rock sound; a somewhat darker with real movement and energy that's an enjoyable listen. "Hellhole" finds Wilson digging into a heavier sound. Lyrically and melodically the song is fairly average, but Wilson's guitar work is very much worth checking out. "Who I Am" and "Angry Now" continue the barrage with darker tones and heavier guitar work, culminating in "A Tale Of Woe". "A Tale Of Woe" wants to be a heavy metal anthem, and has all the needed elements. Wilson has stripped the song down a bit, perhaps to avoid overwhelming the folks who enjoyed with more mainstream rock on disc one. The true metal heads out there will appreciate "A Tale Of Woe", but you'll be wishing for a louder and heavier take; the sort that will likely happen naturally live.

You might expect going in that Kevin Wilson's heavier material would be more prolific than the lighter fare, but Self Portrait defies expectations. Wilson shows himself to have a keen ear for melody and harmony while stripping away the metal accoutrements he generally creates with. Wilson calls on the influences of his youth, blending a mellow mien with the sounds of 1980's rock scions and a bit of guitar muscle to create a sound that's not exactly new, but novel enough and well-crafted enough to catch your ear. The heavier material on Self Portrait is surprisingly mundane; Wilson seems to abandon his more melodic tendencies here but also strips the sound down, robbing the songs of their more vociferous and angry natures. Self Portrait is likely to gain Wilson a number of new fans, but may alienate some of his established fans in the process.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Kevin Wilson at www.myspace.com/kevinwilsongs.  Self-Portrait is available from Amazon.com on CD or digitally.  The digital album is broken up into two parts, allowing you to purchase the full release or simply Disc One or Disc Two, as you wish.

Review: Cavo - Bright Nights Dark Days

Cavo - Bright Nights Dark Days
2009, Reprise Records

Cavo had been knocking around the St. Louis music scene since their inception in 2001, but a lineup change in 2006 catalyzed the band and their sound in ways they'd only imagined previously. What had been a fun and necessary pursuit for front man Casey Walker, guitarist Chris Hobbs and drummer Chad La Roy turned into a vibrant project with a feeling of destiny about with the addition of bass player Brian Smith. The first break came in 2007 when St. Louis radio station The Point put their song Champagne in rotation. Step two occurred at a showcase in New York City when the band was approached by producer David Bendeth (Breaking Benjamin, Paramore, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus). Bendeth wanted to work with the band regardless of whether they were with a major label. Ultimately, Cavo ended up signed with Reprise Records with Bendeth at the helm for their major label debut, Bright Nights Dark Days.

Cavo's sound is drawn together by vocalist Walker, who seems to have two distinct voices. His lower register is pleasant and nearly soothing, but in his higher register he's a classic Rock N Roll front man; a cross between Scott Stapp and Steve Perry. Cavo opens up with Champagne, the song that started this odyssey from them. It's a disciplined, guitar-oriented rocker with a lot of energy. Cavo holds in the reins on the verses and goes full-throttle on the chorus for a song certain to garner attention from major radio. Crash is a great rock tune with big hooks, an infectious chorus and a positive message, of sorts. Let It Go isn't my favorite song on the disc, but the chorus is all you could ask for in a pop/rock song.

Ghost is a potential hit. It's a gentle rocker about trying to move on after a relationship but constantly tripping over memories. Even getting rid of the artifacts doesn't work. The chorus here will inspire you to sing along and you won't be able to get it out of your head. Blame is a bit weaker on the songwriting, but the tableaux of sound they build here more than makes up for any weakness. My Little Secret is all about the ambivalence of adultery; the narrator professes his desire to be with his new love, but takes no steps to leave his old one. He knows its going to fall apart and sits there waiting for the end. Beautiful and We All Fall Down Again are decent but don't carry the same energy found on much of the album. Cavo recovers nicely on Over Again, a radio-ready Rock tune with real licensing potential. Cavo closes out with Useless; not the best choice for a closer and probably the weakest track on the disc.

Cavo has that It-factor that bands search for. Vocalist Casey Walker has a sound that's instantly recognizable, and the band displays a special kind of chemistry on Bright Nights Dark Days. If this isn't a breakout album, it will establish enough of a base for Cavo to break out on the next one. Very well done.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cavo at http://www.cavomusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/cavomusic. You can purchase Bright Nights Dark Days as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Telling On Trixie - Ugly, Broke & Sober

Telling On Trixie - Ugly, Broke & Sober
2009, Nicoletto Small Music

New York City rockers Telling On Trixie bring the anthemic power-pop on their sophomore album, Ugly, Broke & Sober. After being voted Logo's #1 band of 2007 for their self-tited debut album, it would be easy to understand a bit of a sophomore slump. Telling On Trixie never heard of such a thing. Rather than standing pat with the formula that worked the first time, the band stretches their boundaries on Ugly, Broke & Sober without abandoning the melodic spirit that got them where they are.

Ugly, Broke & Sober opens with Shooting in 60, an anthem for today's celebrity-obsessed culture. Crash Me Up is an interesting experiment. Telling On Trixie asked their fans to submit words or phrases to be turned into song lyrics. Crash Me Up is the resulting word jumble. The exercise, and song, works, sounding like a cryptic but mostly cogent lyrical construct. The strong pop/rock arrangement and harmonic dressing doesn't hurt either. The most pleasant surprise of the album is the very dark interpretation of Belinda Carlisle's Mad About You. The tenor and tone of this version implies perhaps a different aspect of madness than the original, but the song is none the worse for this treatment. Lead vocalist Derek Nicoletto sounds a bit like Adam Pascal, or a poor man's Steve Perry, with much of the same vocal quality but not quite the same range.

The Deepest Dive is a prolific song of love for and faith in another person. This is a potential hit, with Nicoletto going for a more pure vocal sound. Ugly, Broke & Sober sounds like it could have been alternate song from the show Rent, both in style and content. Telling On Trixie breaks out their heavy boots on Your Silence, the heaviest rocker on the album (but still quite pop in sensibility). The album closes out with the spooky Steps To The Throne, which almost works but has some rough edges to it yet.

Telling On Trixie continues to take chances on Ugly, Broke & Sober. Most of them work, and even the instances where they fell short are intriguing. I'd much rather see a band take chances and miss once in a while than stand pat and calcify stylistically. Ugly, Broke & Sober is a strong sophomore effort that exceeds their debut in some ways. You can hear the artistic development that has occurred from album to album, and it makes one wonder if they'll keep on this path. If so, the future promises big things from Telling On Trixie. For now, Ugly, Broke & Sober is more than enough.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Telling On Trixie at www.myspace.com/tellingontrixie or http://www.tellingontrixie.com/. You can purchase a copy of Ugly, Broke & Sober at www.cdbaby.com/cd/tellingontrixie3.