Friday, November 19, 2010

Concert Review: Clutch (and Black Label Society) at Comerica Theatre

Okay, so maybe that headline is a little deceiving. Black Label Society were the headliners at Comerica Theatre last night, but the main reason I was there was to see veteran Maryland rockers Clutch. Surprisingly, based on the crowd reaction and a few conversations I had with other concertgoers, I was not alone in that regard.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Jesu - Heart Ache & Dethroned (Album Review)


Jesu - Heart Ache & Dethroned
Release date: November 16, 2010 (Hydra Head Records)

Justin K. Broadrick is more than capable of releasing a masterpiece. Godflesh's Streetcleaner and Jesu's Conqueror spring to mind immediately, to say nothing of the former band's criminally underrated swan song, Hymns, a near-perfect transitional album that closed the Godflesh chapter of Broadrick's career and set the tone for the future with the aptly named closing track, "Jesu." Despite these lofty achievements, what really makes Broadrick such an amazing artist is that, even when he makes an album that is not up to his usual standards of excellence (like, say, Us and Them), there are still those moments of brilliance (like, say, "Witchhunt") that keep you coming back for more.

Friday, November 5, 2010

BrokeNCYDE - Will Never Die (Album Review)


BrokeNCYDE - Will Never Die
Release date: November 9, 2010 (BreakSilence Recordings/Suburban Noize Records)

Every once in a great while, a work of art is produced that is so unique, so forward-thinking, so ahead of its time and so groundbreaking that it forces you to reevaluate everything you thought you knew about a particular medium. In the world of film, for example, that game-changing work of art is Tommy Wiseau's cinematic masterpiece, The Room. When it comes to music, it might very well be the latest album from BrokeNCYDE, Will Never Die.