Poetry for the Poisoned

For tonight's album, I thought hard about bands that I think should be more popular in America. One quickly came to mind that I've barely touched on: Kamelot! They're a fantastic, interesting, brilliant, and beautiful metal band, and unlike most such bands, they're American! (Well, their vocalist is a Norwegian opera singer, but so much the better for them) I can't decide which of their last three albums is my favorite so I'm just going to cover Poetry for the Poisoned, their latest release. But it's pretty much all fantastic (at least, all their albums since they got Khan).

Poetry for the Poisoned is somewhat darker than Kamelot's other albums, lyrically and musically. Not a menacing or evil kind of darkness, but the whole album has a melancholy genius to it that draws you in and rewards multiple listens. Guitarist and co-songwriter Thomas Youngblood explores the genre of metal from just about every conceivable angle, producing an extremely varied set of memorable, beautiful songs.

Except for the bizarre atmospheric track "Dear Editor", every song on the album is excellent and enjoyable for the ears and the head. "If Tomorrow Came" starts off with an eccentric guitar riff and double-bass drumming, but slows down considerably for the verses and showcases Khan's vocal flexibility. (The auto-tune is used purely for artistic effect) And the chorus is hard not to headbang along with. Songs like "My Train of Thoughts", "Necropolis", and "Poetry for the Poisoned Pt. 1: Incubus" exemplify how the album combines symphonic keyboards with relatively slow guitars to create music that is at least as atmospheric as it is visceral. The latter is the first of the four-part title suite, which is pretty much the epitome of the album's style. "Once Upon a Time" is possibly the most lighthearted track of the album, a fast-paced throwback to Kamelot's more carefree days that brings the album to a satisfying conclusion as "Serenade" did for The Black Halo. Unless you have the redundantly titled bonus track "Thespian Drama", which is best described as a classical composition for guitar and is basically the band proving they don't need Khan's voice to be awesome.

But I've been neglecting the incredible amount of guest talent put into Poetry. Opening track "The Great Pandemonium" has Björn "Speed" Strid contributing death grunts quite a bit more powerful than anything I've been hearing from Soilwork lately. "Hunter's Season" has Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G. contribute a solo beyond the band's usual scope, and "House on a Hill" and two parts of the title suite benefit from Simone Simons' soprano vocals. Jon Oliva's sheer brilliance "The Zodiac" has to be heard to be believed. Why is he so good at playing crazy people? None of these songs rely on their guest stars to be good, but they benefit considerably from the outside talent.

Kamelot has made it their business combining the depth and beauty of classical music with the power and bombast of metal, and Poetry for the Poisoned is possibly their biggest success yet. Less epic than their last two albums, but moodier and more nuanced. No matter the day of the week, this is real music. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.

That Super-Special Day of the Week

I think today is an appropriate day to tackle a piece of popular culture that has been taking America by storm the past few weeks. Quick quiz: what day is it? That's right, it's Fraiday! Now how did you know that? Because Rebecca Black reminded you. Exactly.

I've been astounded by all the hate Ms. Black has been getting ever since her video went up. If you are one of the many haters of her hit single, it's probably because you aren't in its target audience. In fact, if you're using a computer and reading blogs, you probably aren't in its target audience.

Let's take a look at the lyrics. "Yesterday was Thursday, Thurday/Today is Fraiday, Fraiday...Tomorrow is Saturday/And Sunday comes afterwards". Yes, these lyrics are painfully simple and obvious to you and me. But not to four-year-olds! (Well, aside from child prodigies, but they'll always have their Mozart) This same criticism could be leveled at just about any children's song. Why all the hate for "Fraiday"? Ms. Black was simply trying to do a public service by creating an incredibly addicting song guaranteed to teach the children the days of the week! I expect soon she'll release "Saturday", "Sunday", and so on until she has a concept album with a song for each day. You know how you sometimes forget what day of the week it is? She's trying to end that problem forever! The generation raised on it will always remember what day comes after Thursday! And she could even cap it off with a cover of "Eight Days a Week" in case they add an eighth day to the week someday! Along with the self-guiding cars that can be operated by 13-year-olds, Rebecca Black is looking to the future!

So next time you see some small children, play "Fraiday" for them to show them what real, educational, entertaining music is all about. They'll thank you when they're older.

And I mean, besides the helpful lyrics that can pack weeks of kindergarten into three minutes, it's just an all-around great song. Why else would it have gotten millions of YouTube hits in days and generated such an internet buzz? The beginning has such a nice, steady beat, beautiful melodies, and is constructed in such a way  that you can dance to it literally however floats your boat. Simply genius. So not only is it teaching children days of the week, it also teaches them music theory!

The rap section later on provides some great variety, though rap is personally not my thing. The guitar solo, on the other hand--wow. Just wow. I haven't been able to figure out who is responsible, but I'm pretty sure the ARK Music Factory flew in Gus G. or something. Amazing. And then that ambient keyboard interlude just provides the perfect counterpart to all the Fraiday-partying intensity. And then in the outro with Fabio Lione. Simply incredible duet. This is art. This is genius. THIS. IS. FRAIDAY!!! Why all the hate?

So until next time, be sure to get down on Fraiday!

Note: I have only heard the first minute of this song.

Classics

What is it about classic rock songs that seems to put them on an altogether different level than modern music? Sure, there's no shortage of great music from the last decade if you know where to look (i.e. this blog), but it doesn't seem to grip you like "Born to Run", "Come Sail Away", or "Who Are You." (For more examples, see my previous post on how to win at Pandora) Is it just because we've had more time to process classic rock and separate the gems from the forgettable? Because their increased dynamic range makes them more gripping and enjoyable to listen to? In the case of those who were actually old enough to enjoy them when they were new, is it because we tend to grow attached to music of our childhood? Or because the recognized "classic" artists were genre trailblazers who started trends rather than following them?

I don't really have an answer. Or I think it's a combinations of all of the above (except the third reason for me). Please comment and discuss your views on what makes "classic" music (not necessarily rock, that's just my favorite kind) so. I should probably repost this on Facebook so people read it.

Random Album #2

Well, it was good to rediscover Anarchy Club yesterday and write about them. So good, in fact, that it's time for another random album review! So, I'll hit play and get...

...Somewhere Out In Space, by Gamma Ray. Power metal time!

The album starts off with a triple-bass (bass guitar and double bass pedal) intro on "Beyond the Black Hole" This is my favorite song from the album with its fast pace, high, energy, and hilariously absurd lyrics about a wanderer of the stars who has nothing to live for in this galaxy and decides to seek another through the eponymous black hole. Only a power metal band could make such a lighthearted, heroic song about suicide. Fantastic, energetic solo and an extremely catchy chorus make this song a power metal classic.

"Men, Martians, and Machines" starts with a tune that will be instantly familiar for anyone who has seen a certain alien film classic...hey, wait a minute, it has the same riff as Electric Eye! What the heck!? My opinion of Gamma Ray just dropped slightly. Oh well, the album is still young. "No Stranger (Another Day In Life)" doesn't seem to remarkable at first, but it has a pretty intense solo. With my new headphones (which I didn't have the first time), the 'muddy'-sounding mixing of Gamma Ray's songs is more clear, but the it does complement the reverb of their guitars nicely.

The title track is definitely more thrashy and gets right to business with the double guitars and double-bass drumming. Excellent, significantly more varied vocals make this a surprise hit, almost as good as "Beyond the Black Hole". It also displays excellent songwriting, with more sections than many a prog metal song. Epic. "Pray" is the obligatory slower-paced ballad, nothing spectacular. "The Winged Horse" is progressive in length, but less so in structure than "Somewhere Out in Space", and is more like an extended version of their other songs with a lengthy instrumental section.

"Lost in the Future" blends heavy, pounding guitars with an "Oh! Susanna" solo (believe it). That was awesome. "Shine on" blends the length of "Winged Horse" with the progginess of the title track, and the result is fairly majestic. It seems a more appropriate album send-off than the final track, "Return to Fantasy." Overall, Somewhere Out In Space is a great listen, but Gamma Ray isn't exactly my favorite power metal band, and I'd more highly recommend their next album Power Plant, their 2005 release Majestic, or Land of the Free II.

Random Album #1

Well, I haven't been listening to much music lately between all my other responsibilities--research, leadership positions, classes, applying for internships, etc. There is so much good music in my library, but how do I pick something to talk about? Answer: I won't. iTunes will. I'll just go to my "Full Albums" playlist and engage the shuffle to get (I haven't cheated; I have no idea!)...

...A Single Drop of Red, by Anarchy Club. Excellent, I was worried I'd get my ABBA compilation or something. (Don't ask)

I learned of Anarchy Club, like so many other bands, from Guitar Hero; they had songs featured on the first two games. They play a peculiar, modern blend of hard rock and electronic music. Sort of an industrial feel with plodding, electronic beats mixed with heavy guitars and some interesting sounds. I haven't listened to this album in a while. Let's go!

The first track, "Graveyard Stickshift", is a pretty fantastic driving song. And considering its electronic influences, it's even better for car-bound dance parties! "Collide" is the band's contribution to Guitar Hero II and is more straight-up metal. Excellent riffing, which I remember being fun to play on plastic guitar. Pretty laid-back vocals and they don't do anything terribly interesting with the rhythm, but an enjoyable listen. Pretty cool bridge section/solo too.

And "Blood Doll" is their Rock Band song. These guys are like the darlings of the rhythm game genre! (No, actually, Foo Fighters are, but unlike them Anarchy Club has probably gotten most of their exposure from music games) Anyway, it's pretty short and sweet. Deep, chugging guitars that you can headbang to, as usual.

And the electronic influences come roaring (or humming/clicking) back for the title track. It has surprisingly sparse instrumentation, but all the instruments (synth, guitar, drums, bass) come together for a song that practically massages your ears on the verses and is excellent, juicy rock in the choruses. Cool instrumental bridge in lieu of a solo. (Anarchy Club is so laid-back that a solo would almost seem out of place, though they  can certainly do them well)

After, of all things, a Sweet cover in "No You Don't" (which I consider an improvement), the rest of the album is remixes of songs from their first album. "Shaolin (Wudang Style)" mixes heavy guitars with delicate Chinese strings and turns into an anthem you might expect to hear at a football game and/or karate tournament. "Behind the Mask (Qigong Mix)" is a remix of the band's Guitar Hero I song, but it goes a bit far with the electronic weirdness and I much prefer the original. The second remix is much closer to the original, but with a more electronic beat and some sweeping synths laid over the top. The ending is actually quite beautiful.

On the metal-electronic spectrum, Anarchy Club falls more on the metal side. Highly recommend for lovers of metal or modern/alt rock, or electronica. I only have this album from them, so I don't know if their first or third is even better, though.

Do This

I'm sure you all know of pandora.com, the internet radio site that lets you create playlists of music similar to your favorite songs or artists. But what you don't know (until a few seconds from now) is how to win at Pandora. Go to Pandora and make a station based on Queen (just the artist). Then sit back and listen to classic rock hits until your head explodes for sheer joy. I'm pretty sure that the insane awesomeness of Queen Radio is an easter egg or something. Evidently I should look into Queen...

Moar Video Game Metal

I know I've referred to DragonForce and The Black Mages as "video game metal". Well, they aren't anymore, because I've found a band that takes the video game cake: Powerglove! (Possibly named after an obscure and failed NES accessory) They do ridiculous, extreme power metal covers of video game hits like the Super Mario Bros. Theme, Zelda soundtracks, Final Fantasy (I'm not sure if I like this or the Black Mages' cover more), and even Duck Hunt (which apparently has no soundtrack). Their latest album explores the TV shows and movies of the band's youth, including The Simpsons, The Flintstones, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Winnie the Pooh, and best of all, the Pokemon theme song featuring Tony Kakko. Simply glorious. It's a blast to listen to covers of songs I'm familiar with, and even the ones I'm not are still great. These guys can play!