Review - Black Ice

Artist: AC/DC
Album: Black Ice
Record Label: Epic
Producer(s): Brendan O'Brien
Release date: 10/20/2008
Genre: Hard Rock
Strong points: Straight out, no bull, Rock N' Roll. Has excellent guitar work by the Young brothers, and emphatic singing by Brian Johnson.
Weak Points: AC/DC still doesn't know how to write lyrics that make any sense. Some songs are a bit on the lame side.
Technical score: A-
Artistic score: B-
Final score (Not an average):B+
Moral warnings: In typical AC/DC fashion, innuendo plays a big part of the lyrics, with the majority of the songs hinting at sex in some way or shape. “Smash and Grab” hints at theft, while “Black Ice” has the line "Gouge your eyes out."

AC/DC was formed in 1973, with a line-up of Angus Young on lead guitar, Malcom Young on rhythm guitar, Larry Von Kreidt on bass, Colin Burgess on drums, with Dave Evans as the singer. They never made any recording with this line-up, electing to change the line-up in subsequent years. After going through several bassists and drummers, they settled on Mark Evans on bass, and Phil Rudd on drums. In late-1974, Dave Evans was fired, and Ronald “Bon” Scott was hired. This line-up of Young, Young, Evans, Rudd, and Scott recorded several albums together, including High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and Let There Be Rock. In '78, Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans as bassist, debuting on the album Powerage. In '79, they recorded Highway to Hell, which is sometimes considered the greatest AC/DC album ever. However, Bon Scott only got to see some of the fame of AC/DC, and he died of “misadventure” (read: alcohol poisoning) in February, 1980.

In mid-1980, AC/DC hired Brian Johnson as their new singer, and the line-up that exists today was formed. In 1983, Phil Rudd left due to “disputes” with fellow band mates; Chris Slade replaced him until 1987, when Phil decided he wanted back in. In 1990, the band released The Razor's Edge and become the top band once again. The last album they recorded before going on a hiatus was Stiff Upper Lip, in 2000.

Now, in 2008, AC/DC has released Black Ice upon the world.

Black Ice sets it off with the first single from the album that the group released, “Rock N Roll Train,” a hard rocking anthem about....well, something. AC/DC's weakest point is lyricism, and it shows through when you read the lyrics. “Big Jack” has a catchy riff that you might find going through your head. “War Machine,” the band's second single, starts with an impending drum beat that gradually leads into the guitar. The song “Spoilin' for a Fight” has an absolutely flooring intro and main riff that will leave you stunned. “Stormy May Day” is quite possibly the best song on the album, with ominous lyrics and a smooth slide guitar.

This album is not, however, without its flaws. Songs such as “Wheels,” “Decibel,” “Rock N Roll Dream,” and “Anything Goes” seem more like filler than enjoyable rock songs. With uninspired riffing and just plain wacky lyrics, these songs are reason enough to use the “next” button on your music player, as you will likely be bored to no end with them. In a bit of a disappointment, the title track “Black Ice” is one of the weaker songs on the record.

There are some tracks that aren't bad per se, but they aren't great either. “Skies on Fire”, while a good song, just didn't seem to evoke the same emotions the other tracks did. The same is also true of “Smash N Grab,” “She Likes Rock N Roll,” “Money Made” and “Rocking all the Way.”

Is Black Ice a worthy contribution to the AC/DC library? Will it allow you to “rock again,” as the Wal-Mart ads say? Yes and yes. While this isn't the strongest AC/DC disc, it is one of the better albums they have released. If you don't mind some innuendo and some very poor lyricism, then you should consider Black Ice to your library.

Album highlights:
“Rock N Roll Train”
“Big Jack”
“Spoilin' for a Flight”
“Stormy May Day”

-Travis Martin
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Review - Era Vulgaris

Artist: Queens of the Stone Age
Album: Era Vulgaris
Record Label: Interscope, Rekords Rekords
Producer(s): The Fififf Teeners (Josh Homme and Chris Gosse)
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Genre: Hard Rock
Strong Points: A variety of sounds and styles that feature excellent songwriting; strong production values; different from anything but a Queens album
Weak Points: Occasionally wears its influences on its sleeve
Technical Score: A
Artistic Score: B+
Final Score (not an average): A
Moral Warnings: Casual mention of taboo sexuality (including masochism and masturbation), mention of homosexuality in a satirical fashion, inferred violence on at least two songs (Sick, Sick, Sick and Suture Up Your Future), the Lord’s Name used in vain in one song (Misfit Love), “s—t” and “a—“ used in a mocking, sarcastic tone (in 3’s & 7’s).

Queens of the Stone Age, formed from the ashes of stoner-rock band Kyuss in the Palm Desert, CA-music scene, has been making quite the splash in the field of guitar rock since their inception some ten years ago. With the album Rated R, the band exploded onto the music scene with a hard hitting one-two punch of melody-driven rock songs and comedy-fueled metal. At this point, Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri were the group’s two frontmen, and they continued the formula in 2001’s phenomenal Songs for the Deaf, featuring ex-Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighter Dave Grohl on drums.

In 2004, however, Oliveri left the band, taking with him the hard, biting metal and humor of the past couple of albums. Homme was left to make the band as he saw fit: what came from that was Lullabies to Paralyze, and in good time, Era Vulgaris.

Paralyze was very much a concept oriented album, and in some ways, Era Vulgaris is too. Where Paralyze found much of its inspiration in the dark, looming nature of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Vulgaris finds its source material in the style of 1970s grindhouse and slasher films. It holds a gritty feel and attempts to be creepy and shocking at every turn, while, at the same time, being intensely satirical of the society from which it comes. This is not entirely unsuccessful, but Vulgaris doesn’t excel there. Where Vulgaris succeeds is in the strength of the songwriting, the musicianship of those involved (including guest spots by Queens regular Mark Lanegan, formerly of semi-obscure grunge rock band Screaming Trees, and Julian Casablancas, of The Strokes, as well as a bonus track with enigmatic Nine Inch Nails-frontman Trent Reznor, and backing vocals from Australian punk rocker Brody Dalle-Homme, of the now-defunct The Distillers) and the production values. In addition, the adept playing of the band allows for a switching of styles not heard in many other bands or albums. Songs go from bass-heavy rock, to industrial rock, to blues rock, hopping from styles from track to track. It’s done so well that, sonically, the album is near perfect.

Vulgaris kicks off with “Turning on the Screw,” an eerie sounding rocker that immediately quotes The Silence of the Lambs: “You got a question?/Please don’t ask/It puts the lotion in the basket”; appropriate for an album themed as this. Next up is “Sick, Sick, Sick,” a hard, nasty song that goes from suggestions of masochism to implications of monster movie madness. It’s a B-movie song, catchy and true to its name.

“I’m Designer” quickly comes to the forefront as one of the album’s highlights. Despite its content being somewhat questionable, the song comes off as a satire with both brains and bite. “Misfit Love” kicks off sounding like a Nine Inch Nails-style rocker with liberal use of the guitar. This is a very good thing, and a relatively new direction for a Queens song, though Homme’s cocky sneer of “If you bet on me/You’ve won” at the end of the song heads into familiar territory for the band.

Both “Into the Hollow” and “Batttery Acid,” though well written songs in their own right, sound a bit too much like typical Queens—slow, seeping-under-the-door, bass drenched guitar rock--seemingly detracting from the rest of the album. This isn’t a bad thing at all, but after the exploration heard on “Misfit Love,” it is a bit of a disappointment. After “Battery Acid,” however, there’s a bit of a shock: the blues-tinged song “Make It Wit Chu.”

Starting off with a pulsating drum and bass line, and continuing with a driving, flowing guitar lead, there’s no doubt that “Make It Wit Chu” is one of the better compositions from the Palm Desert rockers. Lead singer Homme is in fine form here, singing, “If I told you that I knew about the sun and the moon, I’d be untrue/ The only thing I know for sure/ Is what I won’t do” in a sultry, smoky voice that is both entirely fitting for the song and entirely out of character from the man who gave us “No One Knows.” It further cements the versatility of both Homme and the Queens of the Stone Age.

Immediately following “Make It Wit Chu” is a song that contains one of the most memorable guitar riffs in years. “3’s & 7’s” is easily the catchiest song on the album. This song appeared in video games Rock Band (alongside “Sick, Sick, Sick”) and Guitar Hero 3 for a reason. The riff is killer, and the time signature change mid-song adds a certain plodding something to an otherwise fast paced song.

The main problem, as I see it, with Era Vulgaris is not the occasional similar sound that you might hear. Simply put, the main problem is lyrical content. Each song might be a perversely funny satire of American culture, but for those that offend easily, QotSA’s latest outing is one that might be hard to swallow.

Album Highlights:
"I'm Designer"
"Misfit Love"
"Make It Wit Chu"
"Suture Up Your Future"

--Drew Regensburger (drew@revolve21.com)
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Review - One-X

Artist: Three Days Grace
Album: One-X
Record Label: Jive
Producer(s): Howard Benson
Release Date: June 13th, 2006
Genre: Hard Rock
Strong Points: Every song is catchy and memorable
Weak Points: Overall sound, though solid, tends to lack inspiration
Technical Score: A-
Artistic Score: B
Final Score (not an average): B+
Moral Warnings: The lyrics are generally depressing in subject matter and can come across as hopeless; at face value, there are some allusions to alcohol, drugs, masochism, suicide, and acting in anger; f-word used once on two different tracks, "p---ed" is used once on one track


From a small town in Canada, Three Days Grace has hailed forth as a popular name in the nu-metal and modern hard rock circles since its self-titled release in 2003. With a driven sound and angst-filled lyrics, the band has held its own in the genre and has toured with other genre favorites including Breaking Benjamin.

From the platinum selling One-X album are four singles: "Animal I Have Become," "Pain," "Never Too Late," and "Riot" Each of these songs have gotten a bit of play time on mainstream radio, and each of these songs give listeners a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the album.

One-X has a very consistent and focused nu-metal/modern hard rock sound. There is a heavy emphasis on heavy guitars. In spite of most songs being predictable, there is enough diversity in the album to keep things from feeling repetitive. One-X is a very no-frills album. Though polished and well produced, the core songwriting is not buried beneath layers of post-production synthesizers and effects.

The lack of excess producing is to the album's credit. Indeed, every track on the album has memorable vocal lines and guitar riffs. The no-frills approach leaves the emphasis exactly where it should be; the focus stays on the band's solid songwriting. Regardless of where on the spectrum a song lands (be it a ballad or one of the album's hardest songs), Three Days Grace shows a clear understanding of what makes a song great.

Unfortunately, the songwriting rarely comes across as mind-blowing or overwhelmingly original. The songs are rock solid, but many of the tracks come off as formulaic to a discerning ear. This doesn't make the album weak, but there is room for the band to stretch out and try new things.

Just as the songwriting can come off as a bit paint-by-numbers, the overall tone of the band is solid, but not exactly unique. Frontman Adam Gontier's vocals are very fitting for the album, but will not stand out as in a crowd of nu-metal/hard rock artists. The instrumentation is similar in this regards. The instruments are all clear and easy to distinguish, but they don't stand out as exceptional.

Following this trend, the lyrics follow a similar path. The angst-driven nature of the lyrics varies in quality from uninspired to interesting. For example, "Pain" is too blunt and destructive to enjoy on a lyrical front ("Pain, without love/Pain, I can't get enough/Pain, I like it rough/'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all"). In contrast, "Animal I Have Become" is an interesting take on needing help to overcome destructive lifestyle patterns ("Help me believe it's not the real me/Somebody help me tame this animal I have become"). The rest of the lyrics tend to fall somewhere in between these ends of the spectrum with many questions and glimmers of hope.

In regards to the moral qualities of the album, interpretation definitely affects the meaning of the lyrics. At face value, there are a few profanities on the album (two uses of the f-word and one use of "p---ed"). The subject matter is usually dark, dealing often with pain and damaged relationships. "Riot" encourages acting on anger. There are a couple of songs that refer to drinking; one song refers to needles. Many songs seem to show hopelessness. Conversely, other songs show hope in hard times.

In short, One-X is a very solid release in the nu-metal/modern hard rock genre. The songs are memorable and well written. There's room for more originality, but the end result is still enjoyable. At face value, many of the lyrics will be a turn off for some listeners, but the majority of them can be approached from a satirical viewpoint. Your mileage may vary with One-X; fans of the genre that don't mind the lyrics will likely love it, but those that are not fans of the genre already will probably not find reason to change their minds. On the whole, One-X is a solid and enjoyable (even if a bit uninspired) effort by Three Days Grace.

Album highlights:
"Animal I Have Become"
"Never Too Late"
"Riot"
"Time of Dying"

-Kenny Yeager (kenny@revolve21.com)
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