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RSSShotgun CD Reviews II
This is the second half of my last CD run back in mid August. I just made another CD buy, so I need to get these down on paper so I can move on.
Puffy Amiyumi - Nice (pop): I took a chance on this CD. PA is a female Japanese duo who sing very Japanese styled pop songs. I loved the 1st song on the album for it’s cutesy japana-pop feel, but it that cuteness wears very thin through the rest of the album. If I were writing a romantic comedy about twenty-somethings, I would definitely use one of these songs. Otherwise, the album gets pretty annoying. C
Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer (??): I have never heard anything like Pig Destroyer. It’s what I think insanity would sound like. When I listen to it, I find myself barely breathing amidst the aural turmoil that this CD produces. The cacophony is so complete, that I can’t distinguish songs, and I really lose track of it. I can only liken the feeling to the first time I heard jazz: I didn’t like it, but I really wanted to figure out what was going on. Pig Destroyer is the Sun Ra of metal. That said, this album is a mess. I wouldn’t recommend it to even insane metal fans, because it’s more of a mental exercise than something to enjoy. B+ for style. D for enjoyment.
Rise Against - The Unraveling (neo-punk): I like Rise against. They’re political in a “Rage Against the Machine Lite” sort of way, and are punk crossover in a Face to Face kind of way. I blow through this album without even knowing what happened. I listen to it on days where I need metal, but not so much evil. B+
Face to Face - Reactionary (punk?): Face to Face was one of the first punk crossover bands (think Blink 182), and I like their sound a lot. Unfortunately, this disc was at the end of the face to face ride, and feels that way. Everything blends together and nothing stands out. But it’s Face to Face, so they get a couple of bonus points. C+
Funeral for a Friend - Seven Ways to Scream Your Name (Emo?): The instruments are pure metal, but the vocals clean and whiny enough to appeal to teenage girls who want to get into metal but need a teen idol to dream about. It’s slick, it’s a little too radio friendly, but I can’t deny that it’s catchy. B
Dimitre from Paris - SacreBleau (DJ): Man, this CD is total crap. I picked it up because it was cheap and I recognized it. Unfortunately, I think I recognized it because the hipsters picked up on it a few years back despite its utter crapitosity. It was a lottery ticket that came up a big, fat loser. I can’t stand it. It’s the first CD in a long time that I’ve thought about selling back used. F