REVIEWS
www.System of a Down.com
Billy Talent SELF TITLED
I couldn't get enough of the single "try Honesty" when it frst came out, and oddly enough I still dig it. I don't understand how it gets so much play on Much Music, they just don't seem like a mainstream friendly band. That's probably why i like them so much. The Singer Benjamin Kowalewicz has a fine screachy voice, that of the respected leagues of Davy Havoc from AFI. It's a voice that stands out clear and demands attention. Ian D'sa has a very predicatable twang to his guiatr playing but he does have passion in what he does and his bart simpson hair cut makes all downfalls acceptable. Fav cut on the album "Living in the Shadows" and "Voices of Violence". If an album has at least two tracks that surpass the singles, then they doing at least alot better then most bands of today.
DISTILERS CORAL FANG
Well Brody and her boys are back, she's droped her last name armstrong and her Rancid related past. Now Brodie Dalle she attacks us with a more lively album then before. There are tracks on Coral fang that are more happy and positive about the world then the last album, but at the same time there are songs WAY more dark and depressing. The whiplash between tracks fundamentals are excellent. Granted DISTILLERS do and will most likely sounds like Nirvana and Hole but that is not always a bad thing. All the tracks are interesting with good lyrics and heart pounding tempo, other then the fact that sometimes I wanna shout Granma take me home, it's great. The art work is a interestingly disturbing, I am under the understanding that they are more then one cover,one with a naked woman on a cross(which I have) and one with fuffy animals on it. My fav cuts "The Gallon is God" and the single "Drian the Blood" and I was refrershed by the track "The hunger" where Brodie actaully sings..dum dum duh!
Danko Jones We sweat blood
Not a huge amount of talk about this album. Actually maybe I was just not paying attention. Danko does sound a bit milked on this album but I like anyways. You really can't go wrong with Danko, he personafies bad ass mofo. Even that alot of the tracks lack the growl he does so well. Danko played in town recently and alot of club goers in my town are lame pop fans so aot of people didn't "get him", but I asure you Danko I didn't Cocamo out on yah. The single "I want you" is super catchy as always but nothing new. Cudos on getting on the Foolproof soundtrack with that song. Canadian music in Canaidan movies working together. My fav cut on the album is "Living in a City" with the pink floydesque kids voices backing Danko up. And "Home to hell" which is full of piss and vinager. Something just wasn't dirty sex enough for what Danko should be but still, Danko is the only guy who wants to steal my girlfriend and which that would ok with me.
TOP 5 albums acording to RIOT
1:Alice Coopers "Welcome to my Nightmare"
2:NIN "Downward Spiral"
3:Rage Against the MAchine "Self Titled"
4:Red Hot Chilli Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex magic"
5:Bon Jovi: "Slippery When Wet"
Beastie Boy Ill comunication is so close, so it get's an honorary mention.
Some titles make more sense then others. This does not mean they are my favorites, they are just the best mondern rock albums. They are "Best" albums as in that as a FULL album they have had such a great effect on the modern rock scene. Many single worthy songs or the whole albums tells a story and the musical style set a standard yadda yadda yadda. You have to be able to listen through fron first song to last and like just as much everytime. I could explain more why I think this but... no I don't wanna. You see favorites can come and go with the wind, but the best stay close to the same, unless surpassed.
RIOT's 5 favorite albums
1:System of a Down "Self titled"
2: AFI "Sing the Sorrow"
3:Mindless Self Indugence "Frankenstien Girls seem..."
4:Reef"Glow"
5:The Black Halos "The Violent Years"
Definatly check these bands out.
P.S. Ben Folds 5 "Whatever and Ever ahmen" and Prince "New Power Generation" are runners up in both the catagories.
Don't gimme that Prince is gay crap.. it's called sexually mature, so there..wah!
LIAM LYNCH CD and DVD EXTRAVAGANZA.
Ok maybe I'm a sucker but man I loved it. It's crap yes but I loved it. LIam Lynch "Fake SOngs". Liam Lynch is that wierd punk Bill Gates that does that song United States of whatever.... you've seen the video, they are playing it everywhere now... "I was at the beach and I saw kiki , she was like "eh" and I was like WHATEVER!." Yeah that one! Anyways his album blew my mind. I couldn't get the whatever song out of my head so I wasted my money on the album. It's SO BAD.. so bad it's good... I say with googely eyes. It's 21 tracks of funny songs in every style. Every third song or so is a mock of a certian band with songs only called "Fake Bjork song" and "Fake Talking Heads Song" and "Fake David Bowie song." All pretty bad but at the same time pretty on the money on how that musican writes. Ringo Star plays drums on some tracks and Jack Black lends guest vocals on "Rock and Roll Whore" , which songs like a Wesly Willis song title. Plus a DVD..yes a DVD of tons of shorts including puppet shows and cartoons that Liam Lynch stared in and created. Even more fun then the album. I guess he was a comercial producer, he has a studio in his basement which you see in the DVD. But let me tell you Satan eating Oatmeal was great.... oh yeah you gotta see it first... go on then.. on yer bike.. go see it...NOW! I swear this album was made for Mp3.com and then I swas like...WHATEVER!
HORROR movies and MUSIC.
Not too different if ya think about it. Rock Stars wanna be actors. Kiss and Alice Cooper are early horror movie type rockers, as well as the Misfits. But in my mind no one beats ...
GWAR!
Enter GWAR.NET
You may know them as the band that offered to kill a brownee eating, halucinating, stoner in the movie Empire Records. They wear crazy costumes that out do Slipknot, Mushroomhead and Kiss combined. they also had more exploding babies on stage. Hense why Jerry Springer couldn't help but call upon thier contraversy on his show a few times. They have lately tried to be more serious metal heads, but the days of "Meatsandwhich", "Saddam A Go go" and "Fuckin an Animal" were the best. Best album in my mind was Ragnarok. They also made a couple of films that you can buy about the characters they portray on stage. All this and they are Canadian.
In the Hip Hop world there is Insane CLown Posse and Twistid. They are wanan be wrestlers one day and rapping clowns the next. They have had huge success,alot to do with the fued with Eminem. They suually sing or rap about being Serial Killers and smaking a ho, that kinda stuff. Not my thing per say. Musically I think they have alot to be desired. Oddly the alter Ego Twiztd had more music skills yet no where the fame the ICP have. They have had there fair share of contraversy. But they did say it well on "Dirt ball" the song they all did for the HEAVY METAL 2000 soundtrack "Everybody loves horror movies but ya can't be scary ona CD, that's why they pick on this one band called ICP.". Ahh teue true.. The Censors and Special interest groups are the true cults and satanists. But then again Heavy Metal 2000 was nothing compared to the first movie. So you decied. Also with thier indie wrestler past (actually they were ECW and WCW and even WWF at one point) They also made a movie called BIG MONEY HUSTLAS. Guest starts included Dolemite and Mick Foley.
The Insane Clwon Posse
The third genre in Horror music is Black Metal. One of the more popular black metal bands is CRADLE OF FILTH. Many true black metal fans don't take this band seriously for thier skills but the show is out of this world. In general black metal is Thrash,SPeed,Hardcore Clasical Gothic metal. Yeah is that general enough? Cradle of Filth how ever (who is on Ozzfest this year) are true performers. The lead man DAni Filth has gotten his hands into a bristish freak film called CRADLE OF FEAR (wow wonder where that name came from?).
Dani plays teh killer known only as "The man" looking oddly like the crow. The film has stayed oddly quiet but is popping up for sale in stores now. I'm dieing to check it out.
Cradle of Filth
I will never forget driving by an Iron Maiden and Cradle of Filth COncert in Toronto and seeing these two big guys decked out in goth out fits. Chains, spikes, piercings the works and thier Estel Gettie looking grandmother came by in the voltswagon and said "Hey kids how the concert?". The two said "Shut up granny" as they got in the car. Ahh how funny can ya get? So remember kids never take horror serious, even when it's music.
I just got back with my copy of the WHITES STRIPES new one ELEPHANT. I popped it in my discman one the way out of the mall and listened to it all the way home. Incredible! 
People may be upset to find it doesn't all sound like 7 nation army (the new single). But I like that in an album. 7 Nation Army is amazing but a good album needs diversity to stand the test of time. I try not to fall into the new easy rock scene or as the media calls in garage rock, but I can't help it. Hives are amazing, International Noise Conspiracy are incredible and the White Stripes are raw talent. I don't know how they would play these new slow songs live, with just the two of them, but I suposse they can aford a back up band now. They touch on many great britsh classic sounds. Track 4 has Meg White singing lead in a lavish vamp like lounge singer style, very sexy. "Ball and a Biscuit" is as ballsy blues that would make Clapton proud. "Little Acorns" has this guitar sound I havn't heard since Toni Iommi. And on top of that there are many Paul Mcartny worth while type vocals and Queen like structures. See where I'm going with this? Anyways this classic songs in todays rants are comfortable and refreshing at the same time. Do you know where I'm going with this? Cause I don't. Bottom line is ELEPHANT is tons of fun.. wow that was lame of me. (mumble mumble) tonns of fun.. how cheesy am I? All that and Burt Bacarach song!
THE WHITE STRIPES ELEPHANT 5*
My life has been changed by this band. AFI (A Fire Inside).I first heard of them a few years ago with thier last album and it was pretty good but the new one WOW. It's ruined me I spend every aching hour of the day singing it or listening to it , or both, and I don't really know why. "Sing the Sorrow" by AFI is thier first major lable release even that they are probably one of the biggest indie rock bands ever. They steal the show at Warped tour an will return again this year. Fans loved them when they were mainly punk but they become cult icons as they progressed in to a goth rock era. They say they are not goth but thier fans are goth loveing anyways. They are not some blackmetal band like Cradle of Filth or Emperor with giant bald biker fans, but they are for goth girls and artist vampire like guys who just wanna do goth chicks, like me. I'm the guy, I'm not a girl BTW. Anyways.. They are Tool meets Bad Religion meets the Misfits illegitamet baby. They cover Misfits songs often. They are not bitching about the record industry like everyone else and how hard it is to be a star. But they sing "upbeat sad" songs. "Upbeat Sad songs?" you question. They are songs that make you get up and move but make you think about everyday emotions and problems. Punkish fans were worried about a major label release but Dreamworks set up a prime deal 10 bucks a CD. That's a steal for 13 songs. 12 tracks and a hidden song that is almost better then all the other songs. My choice tracks are "Silver and Cold" and "Death of Seasons." Every song is pretty good to me though, tireless with the band musically tight on track and Davey (the singer)has unlimited range and texture to his voice. I don't know if it's for ever one but give them a chance, I think you'll understand.
Check out thier web site too, the people on the message board are real die hard and welcoming fans. Afireinside.net
MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE LIVE Alienating the audience. 
System of a Down .com
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