Reviews for August 14th, 2012
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- Published on Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:42
- Written by George Washburn
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Fozzy – Sin and Bones
I never thought I could like a band fronted by a pro wrestler. As if the wrestling thing was not bad enough, their name brings to mind a Muppet bear. While I initially found it hard to take them seriously, the fact that Rich Ward was part of the project always made me wonder if I might be making a mistake in writing them off. Rich Ward of course is an incredible guitar player known for his work in Stuck Mojo. Singer Chris Jericho is known for…well…wearing tight pants and getting sweaty with other half naked guys lol.
This is the part where I prostate myself before Chris Jericho and beg forgiveness. I have never been a fan of pro wrestling, so I labeled Fozzy as a joke thinking it was nothing more than a vanity project. My opinion began to sway when I saw Chris speak in various interviews. Then I saw him on That Metal Show and heard him sound very knowledgeable about metal, and I knew I was guilty of prejudging him and ignoring his music based on his other career. Sorry about that Chris.
You know what? When I finally took the time to give a listen to the music on “Sin and Bones” I was pretty impressed. No one has to sell me on Rich Ward; I have always been a big fan of his thick and chunky guitar tone and style. Who knew Jericho could sing? Yes, Chris Jericho is one of those people that make me jealous because they are really good at more than one thing. I would be deliriously happy if I could just be really good at one thing, but two, man that is just showing off lol.
“Sin and Bones” is Fozzy’s fifth album (looks like I have some listening to catch up on) and they play metal that ranges from fairly melodic and commercial to stuff that would start a circle pit churning. How many times can I say I love the guitar work of Rich Ward? Well, at least one more time. The vocals on the album are mostly clean but they get a little gruff occasionally. The first single off the album is “Sandpaper” which also features M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold.
Learn from my mistakes. Fozzy is a band that everyone should take seriously, and any fan of metal should hear. Check out the first single, “Sandpaper.”
The Foreshadowing – Second World
The Foreshadowing are a doom-tinged gothic metal band from Italy, and “Second World” is their third album. I recall listening to their first album, “Days of Nothing” and thinking they were pretty good.
I would stop short of calling “Second World” a doom album. The music is certainly somber, but it is actually a little more hopeful sounding than what I would classify doom. The gothic label is mostly due to the atmosphere of the album, but again, I do not think there is quite enough angst here to warrant true goth. This is not to say they have a shiny, happy people vibe going on, far from it; but the music just does not convey the despair I expect from these styles.
The music tends to be mid-tempo with occasional forays into slower territory. The guitars form an ethereal mist of distortion, while keyboards add to and thicken the soupy sound. The vocals are all clean and could easily be used over non-metal music for a completely different feel. The album sort of reminds me of a more laid-back sounding Moonspell.
The production quality of the album is good. I cannot think of anything I would change about it. On the whole I enjoy the album, but I would probably like it even more if the music had a slightly harder edge to it. I would like the vocals to have a little more bite to them as well. The vocals often bring to mind the yearning melancholy of various 80s British pop singers. This harshes my metals buzz a little. The vocals are certainly appropriate as they are, but it is hard for me to block out the 80s vibe.
Dante – The Rorschach Manifesto
Next up we have the Colombian band Dante and their debut album, “The Rorschach Manifesto.” Dante has combined rock, punk and metal to produce an album full of songs that has very much peaked my interest.
The biggest thing that interests me about these songs is that they do not particularly remind me of anyone else. With all the bands out there in the world creating music, it is pretty rare to come across something that does not already sound at least a little familiar. I think the blending of these various rock styles combined with the bare bones, crisp production really make this a great listen. The base composition of these songs is hard rock, but the occasional metal riffing and punk rock gang choruses make this an album that can appeal to listeners across several genre lines.
“The Rorschach Manifesto” is one of the more interesting albums I have heard lately. Part of this is due to the music not being typical metal like I am used to listening to on a daily basis, and part is the fact that these are just good, solid songs.
Dante is currently unsigned. I hope this is something that gets remedied very soon. Check these guys out and spread the good word. Here is the video for “Liquid Cocaine.”