Devin Townsend - Empath

This is the tenth studio album by prog-metal artist Devin Townsend. It was released in 2019, five years after Z²: Dark Matters.

I tried. I really did... perhaps too hard, actually. But as an album of about 60 complex and interlinked songs (don't be fooled by a track list that only says 15!), it's just too far outside my comfort zone. There's passages when I'm really getting into it, but the overall feeling for me is that of whiplash. My personal highlights (below) are just the dumbed-down parts, which is at odds with the overall purpose of the album.

The opener Castaway brilliantly vivid soundscape of a peaceful morning at the beach. I think the choir is wonderful, and it blends into the following song nicely.

Spirits Will Collide is such dumb headbanging stadium power-ballad, and I love it. (Please check out the video clip... elephants playing timpani drums!) Like Millencolin at their best, it's uplifting motivational-poster rock, for example the lyric "don't you forget that you are loved". I'm writing this on the day that Meat Loaf's death was announced, and Mr Loaf would surely approve of such uplifting and overblown ridiculousness 

Genesis, Evermore, Sprite, Borderlands, There be Monsters and Here Comes the Sun have moments that I enjoy, but often the roller-coaster is just too intense for me. Why has a much smoother flow and although I don't have a clue what's going on, it sure sounds grandiose. The powerful finale is a particular highlight.

Lastly, Adrift gets a gold star for being wonderfully simple... and gentle.

Audio quality rant

Like everything about this album, there's lots going on with how it sounds.  The character is quite synthesised and the high-pitched sounds can be harsh, but there's no doubting that the instruments have great clarity and separation, while also being layered brilliantly.

Favourite songs

Castaway, Spirits Will Collide, Why, Adrift

Bad Religion - Christmas Songs

This is punk-rock band Bad Religion's 17th(!!) album. It was released in 2013, three years after The Dissent of Man. 

As a punk-rock band named "Bad Religion" doing an album of Christmas carols, we best not take things too seriously. So here's a quick rundown of my favourites.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: Gotta love the pompous choir intro, for maximum contrast when the rock band kicks in. Hearing "hail the incarnate deity" being belted out during a punk-rock song has absurd appeal.

O Come All Ye Faithful: The roughness of the gravelly vocals is a highlight. Also I really enjoy how it step it up another gear after the first chorus, thanks to the swirling guitars and backing vocals.

White Christmas: Lighthearted Ramones-esque pop-punk works a treat here.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: An excellent punk-rock song, even without the novelty of the lyrics. Like O Come All Ye Faithful, the extra size added after the first chorus is wonderful.

Angels We Have Heard on High: Wonderful chorus.

American Jesus: What a brilliant punk-rock song (embarrassingly, I thought it was from the musical Jesus Chris Superstar...). The build-up of the bridge is utterly inspiring.

Audio quality rant

It is both very enjoyable yet also nothing particularly special. It is simply a case of a clean sound (aside from the occasional clipping of the floor-tom), punchy drums, a bass guitar laying solid foundations, spacious guitars, intelligible lead vocals and occasionally expanding the sound with background vocals. But by just getting all these basic correct, the result is a very enjoyable experience.

 

I diggit?

This album was probably created as a piss-take... but I really enjoy it as an alternate expression of traditional carols.

The Superjesus - Sumo

This is rock band The Superjesus's debut album. It was released in 1998, two years before Jet Age.

However I believe that Jet Age is somehow a glorious outlier in the band's canon, and a more relevant comparison would be with the third album Rock Music.

Regarding the recording quality, I don't often say this but damn there's a lot of bass! So much so that I was quickly reaching for the tone controls to calm it down. Also, I find the guitars have a hollow cheese-cutter sounds and the instruments are somehow smeared together. (In case it matters, it's the remastered "20th Anniversary Edition" that I'm listening to.)

Down Again kicks things off with a post-grunge wall of noise style. This genre doesn't really appeal to me, so it's usually only songs with a catchy chorus that I can get into. And, as picky as this sounds, I wish the drums had stuck with the ride cymbal throughout the chorus, to create a more consistent groove. Sorry.

Then it's one step forwards and one step backwards for Saturation. I like that it's faster and more melody-based than Down Again, but somehow the verse > pre-chorus > chorus transitions don't flow nicely. The chorus itself is quite enjoyable but nothing particularly memorable.

Now & Then goes into more approachable territory by being a ballad, complete with lashings of violins etc. Somehow it reminds me of Safer Emergency. Initially, I was a bit on the fence about this one, but it comes together nicely for the bridge and the song thereafter.

Returning to post-grunge land for Ashes, unfortunately I find that the verses are indistinct, perhaps because the vocals get lost in the mix. But two characteristics elevate Ashes to greatness: the solid guitar riff and outstanding chorus. Sadly, this isn't the case for I'm Stained and Honeyriver, which feel aimless to me since the genre really isn't my cup of tea.

Shut My Eyes has a wonderful snappy feel to it, and special mention to the chorus for inciting a special kind of angry inspiration. The bridge is a bit of a downer, but the climax of the outtro more than makes up for it.

And we're done here. To save me whingeing any more, I'll wrap things up now.

...Except, the 20th Anniversary Edition contains a cover of Kylie Minogue's Confide in Me, which is an extremely left-field inclusion. I appreciate it very much. The verses establish and wonderfully sparse industrial feel of the verses. And the chorus? "Con-fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiideeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin meeeeeeeeeeeeeee"... hell yeah!

 

Favourite songs

Now & Then, Ashes, Shut My Eyes, Confide in Me

I diggit?

Sumo has its moments, but I think that it's (sort of) successor Rock Music is a better polished version of much the same thing.

The Living End - Wunderbar

This is the eighth album from pub-rock band The Living End. It was released in 2018, two years after Shift.

<rant mode engaged> And the weight of seven previous albums as the benchmark is quite a handicap for a new one to try to stand out against. I realise that art shouldn't be judged like this, but unfortunately I can't help thinking "I already have X, so what does this bring to the table that's better" instead of just enjoying it in isolation.

Anyway, the opener Don't Lose It fulfils the purpose of introducing the style of the album, although I was shocked to learn that someone thought it was special enough to make it the first single for the album! The song doesn't have many musical ideas, so IMHO it wears out its welcome after about two minutes.

Otherside's lyrics don't resonate with me at all, feeling somehow generic. And the situation isn't helped by the distortion effect on the vocals (sorry I'll be moaning about this quite a bit). To me it feels like the song heavily revolves around the chorus, which just isn't special enough to carry it off. Also the ending is weirdly abrupt.

Harking back to the band's first couple of albums, Death of the American Dream is a wonderful injection of energy, thanks to the thrashy chorus. And the ballad-style ending is fantastic in a completely different way, featuring a beautifully sense of honesty and rawness.

Proton Pill also brings the intensity and faster tempo... but it's a mess of bland lyrics and disjointed sections. Also in the naughty corner is Amsterdam, which is bland in a slower U2-esque style. Then Rat in a Trap disappoints with awful lyrics, which is a shame since I really dig the instrumentals for sounding similar to The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating.

Drop the Needle's musical style reminds me of Billy Idol's White Wedding. Again the lyrics feel quite generic, but just ignore them and enjoy the instrumentals of polished pop-rock goodness.

There's nothing quite like a catchy singalong chorus, and Wake up the Vampires hits the nail on the head. I also enjoy the industrial feel to the song, perhaps thanks to the drums.

To end on a high, Not Like the Other Boys verses like The Police, wonderful contrast to wall-of-noise chorus, nice subtle use of violins, great storytelling, powerful and goosebumps chorus. It is by far my favourite song on the album. Love Won't Wait uses a similar jangly and is also highly enjoyable.

Favourite songs

Not Like the Other Boys, (followed by daylight, then...) Death of the American Dream, Drop the Needle, Love Won't Wait, Wake up the Vampires

I diggit?

Like the previous album Shift, there are some shortcomings throughout this album. But it features jangly Police-esque guitars... and I do really like jangly Police-esque guitars!

 

The Bombay Royale - Run Kitty Run

This is the third album from Bollywood-pop-fusion band The Bombay Royale. It was released in 2017, three years after The Island of Dr Electro.

... but we must forget about this if we are to properly appreciate Run Kitty Run. There is no Wild Stallion Mountain, there is no The River. Initially I fell into the trap of judging it by the standards of its predecessor (much like Jackson Jackson's The Fire is on the Bird vs Tools for Survival), but the album deserves to be considered free from such baggage.

Ballygunge lands like a heavy trance-like funk slap in the face, to cleanse these thoughts. Brilliant.

Then we take an abrupt turn to light-hearted pop with I Love You Love You. It is wonderfully catchy and the cute chorus of "Please make a note that I love you love you" is a highlight. Similarly, Run Kitty Run brings the feelgood times with some go-go dancing style of pop. Then later in the album, Nucky Day Nucky Dah Nucky Doo gives us a spacey pop-funk interlude, although I'm not a fan of the deliberately distorted sound. Bhediya brings more double hand-clap pop goodness, but the distorted female vocals can be a bit harsh.

Back into serious-land, The Raan of Kutch has strong prog-rock influences. Slower than Ballygange, but it takes us on a wonderful trance-state odyssey. The prog-rock feel (mixed with Bollywood, which somehow makes a brilliant combination) is also present for Zhooti Naina, which has a wonderfully sparse style. The build-up and epic ending makes Zhooti Naina a fantastic musical journey.

Mauja turns up the funk, complete with a very solid groove. Unfortunately funk isn't usually my cup of tea, so in my book it's lacking a catchy chorus to tie it together.

Robobeez. What a riff! This instantly makes the song a classic. In other news, the female vocals are beautiful and everything else perfectly plays a supporting role to deliver four minutes of pure joy.

Out of left-field as a spaghetti-western ballad comes Gunslingher's Lullaby, and I'm a massive fan. The song has vivid imagery and I really appreciate how the arrangement gently shifts the energy levels while perfectly maintaining the flow.

Finally, Tumi Ami is something like chillout remix of Ballygunge. I think it's a nice way to be gently brought back to reality at the end of the album.

Audio quality rant

Too much bass! I realise it's a funk styling tradition, but the bass guitar is overbearing for me. Also, the horns and other cameo instruments can seem like second-class citizens, getting buried under the vocals and being vaguely positioned. On the plus side, the vast array of sounds is a delight to experience and the recording has a great sense of envelopment.

Favourite songs

Ballygunge, I Love You Love You, The Raan of Kutch, Zhooti Naina, (Mera Naam Hai) Lucky, Robobeez, Gunslinger's Lullaby

I diggit?

It took a while, but I got there in the end. Where The Island of Dr Electro has a wonderful disco influence, Run Kitty Run uses a wonderful prog-rock influence instead. (If this were an album from another band, I would probably have been singing its praises right from the start)

Court Jester's Crew - Too High For Low

This is the second album from ska/reggae band Court Jester's Crew. It was released in 2000, three years after Umbe. The album feels more like a cross-genre compilation than a typical album, so strap yourselves in folks for this musical mystery flight...

Double Engine kicks things off with a manic, barely-controlled instrumental style, up there with the best of Secret Agent 8 or NY Ska-Jazz Ensemble.

Things then settle into a phat groove for the up-tempo rocksteady style of Danger. The lyrics are quite vague on why this man is particularly dangerous, but it's easy to tune them out and gently bounce along to the groove. This approach is also recommended for the feelgood ska song that is Remember. Its strange narrative is something about being too stoned to remember a date with his girlfriend, but true love prevails. Hmmm... strange. Anyways, best not pay attention to the words and just enjoy the nice horn line and groove. (As an aside, somehow the opening reminds me of Reel Big Fish's She Has a Girlfriend Now).

 

Shake a Leg takes us into a wonderfully solid dub/reggae grove. As another strange musical quote, the chord progression always makes me think of Ring of Fire, especially when the horns take the melody. Bomber is very similar, but somehow fails to resonate with me. Later on, Bikini Revolution has a similar feel to Bomber but with a slightly faster tempo. It tells the tale of horny German Rastafarians... what a strange combination! I've no idea what the contention of the lyrics is, but it's a catchy song and I'm a big fan.

 

Every single aspect of Have You Seen My Girl is brilliant IMHO. This modern style of rocksteady features an infectious groove, great lyrics and nice sharp breaks. There are lots of abrupt changes, but the song never feels disjointed (aside from a slight grumble about the unnecessary ending). And the sprinklings of hammond organ are the icing on the cake.

The frantic high-energy Latin style of Big Boss is an oddball classic. It defies description for me, but I like it ummm... heaps.

Elevator Offbeat nice understated reggae-dub. Yes, it is 'elevator music', but I'd be happy to listen to this song any time I'm in an elevator!

Take I by the Hand starts off with a wonderfully understated style and a Hammond organ just oozing class. The way it gently builds up to a high-energy ska song is fantastic. The lyrics end up being quite bleak in an English fashion (ala The Specials) but the ska instrumentals makes this easy to overlook and just enjoy the music.

A Skatelites style is being channelled in Feel the Spirit. While not being a standout, it's enjoyable and provides some nice contrast to the album.

Spy's World speaking of standout, this is an absolute cracker. Wonderful horn line and energy. I also really enjoy the twists and turns of the storytelling. This song is the reason I bought the album but the song actually took me surprise when I dusted off the CD and started playing it. On a personal note, I could have sworn the song was by another band, someone like Secret Agent 8. Anyway, the bottom line is that it's one of my all-time favourite ska songs.

 

The two remaining songs (Dirks Lied and Good 'n' Morgan Horn) aren't worth writing home about, so let's leave things here.

Favourite songs

Double Engine, Danger, Shake a Leg, Have You Seen My Girl, Big Boss, Bikini Revolution, Elevator Offbeat, Take I by the Hand, Spy's World

I diggit?

Very much. This is a wonderful sampler of the various sub-genres of ska, with a few other styles thrown in at times for good measures.

The Interrupters - Self-titled

This self-titled debut album was released by ska band The Interrupters in 2014.

The recording style is quite gritty, often prioritising snarling attitude (i.e. the vocals and guitar) over a smooth and enjoyable sound. On some songs, the bass guitar doesn't really cut through, but mostly it's all well balanced. A highlight is the dub-style echo effects during the occasional voice-solo breakdowns. That's enough chin-scratching though, let's get into the songs...

Take Back the Power kicks things off with a nicely infectious pop-punk ditty. I really enjoy the anti-authoritarian lyrics and the singalong chorus. There aren't a lot of musical ideas present, so it slightly wears out its welcome by 3 minutes. Liberty is similarly raucus pop-punk, with a wonderful chorus, especially the 2nd half.

White Noise (not The Living End song!), A Friend Like Me and Last Call all execute a Buck-O-Nine style of ska to great effect. The first two also have wonderful lyrics, while Last Call's are a bit prosaic, letting the song down.

Judge Not mixes things up with a wonderfully bouncy two-tone cover of the Bob Marley song. I really dig the contrast between the biting lyrics and the carefree musical style, and the dub-style vocals in the bridge is another highlight.

Does anyone remember Goldfinger's song "Answers"? Because This is the New Sound also drops a menacing rocksteady bassline with the tempo ratcheted up. The venomous lyrics are the icing on the cake, particularly the refrain of "Work 'till you're old / bottled and sold" for the bridge.

Family is an amusing ska ditty, complete with uplifting chorus. Arrangement-wise, its a bit disjointed between sections, but let's not take things too seriously here. Special mention goes to the fast-paced percussion (cowbell perhaps?) added for the repeated final chorus.

<rant mode engaged...> I posit that Easy on You is a modern callback to The Specials' classic Hey Little Rich Girl. In comparing both songs as products of their times, The Specials' songs has a bit of a judgemental vibe to it, whereas The Interrupters' lyrics treat our lead character (regardless of socio-economic status) with compassion and sympathy. Nonetheless, both are incredible songs. My favourite elements are the catchy opening guitar riff, the vivid storytelling, the energetic ska groove, the suspenseful pre-chorus, the infectious chorus... is there anything I've missed? In summary, it's fantastic from start to finish.

Haven't Seen the Last of Me is similar to Family but with a bit more spice added to the lyrics. So of course, it's great. Highlights for me are the bridge and the lyric "They wanna dress me up, like the rest of them. But I'm a wolf, and they're just sheep."

 

Favourite songs

Take Back the Power, Liberty, White Noise, Judge Not, Family, Easy on You, A Friend Like Me, Haven't Seen the Last of Me

I diggit?

Any third-wave ska band appearing since 2010 is arguably cause for celebration, just for existing in these baron times. Beyond this, it's a truly special album.