CD Review: Puscifer "Conditions of My Parole"

Happy 2012 everyone!

Well...yet another new year arrives without the world coming to a catastrophic end. Maybe I'm calling it too early on this one, but I think we'll all be just fine :)

I thought I'd start things off with an album that came out at the end of 2011. Ya, it's not appropriate to review "old" material, but Puscifer is completely new to me. A lot of buzz has been surrounding Maynard James Keenan and his Puscifer band mates, so I thought I'd give their latest effort CONDITIONS OF MY PAROLE a spin. After giving the album three solid listens I have to say that I'm impressed, but not totally captivated. I prefer the power and weight of a TOOL record or even the esoteric mystery of A PERFECT CIRCLE but Puscifer definitely serves up creativity.

The synth heavy music twists and turns in every direction, so the listener really doesn't know what to expect. I think this is the point, but it also means that CONDITIONS OF MY PAROLE comes off sounding a little disjointed and poorly executed. To compare PUSCIFER TO TOOL is unfair and one should definitely judge the band in its own right. As such, PUSCIFER prefers ambience over shear brutality, but is still capable of throwing down a heavy groove as "Telling Ghosts" indicates. "Horizons" serves up a gentle beauty that remains captivating once the album has faded to black...

This record reminds of the brilliance of RADIOHEAD'S KID A at times, but lacks the same depth of character that made that record a classic.

3.5 Stars out of 5.0

CD Review: Jane's Addication's "The Great Escape Artist"

Recent years have marked the return of many 90's heroes including Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains - all of whom delivered exceptional comeback tours or albums. Following a successful series of "comeback" shows, tt comes as no surprise that JANE'S ADDICTION are back with a new record.

THE GREAT ESACPE ARTIST showcases a band that hasn't skipped a beat since their 2003 STRAYS album. In fact, THE GREAT ESCAPE ARTIST represents a quantum leap forward or backward (depending on your perspective), with many fans calling this a return to the band's pre-STRAYS form. Whatever your take on the JANE'S ADDICATION catalouge, this is a great record from start to finish.

PERRY FARRELL comes off on the whimsical side without losing his edge on my favorite tracks "Underground" and "End to the Lies". "Underground" presents an interesting view-point as FARRELL speaks of a return to his roots in the underground. Whether this is a literal reference to the state of rock 'n roll in today's music industry or some other divination of FARRELL's is not entirely clear, but the song strikes a major chord. There's a sense of tradition on this record, but instead of coming off like wanton nostalgia, the lyrical content seeks to break free of tradition by reflecting on the past and moving forward with renewed vigor.

Moving forward with vigor is exactly what JANE'S ADDICTION have managed to do. Right down to the heavy, yet often danceable grooves set by the rhythm section this album propels JANE'S ADDICTION into the present and hopefully into the beyond as well.

Overall Impression: 4.0 out of 5.0

It's Been A While

Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay in getting this site going again. As Lennon once said "Life is what happens when we have other plans"...Unfortunately, I ran into a bout with life but stay tuned for album reviews and a couple concert reviews.

CD REVIEW: Opeth's Heritage - a break from tradition

OPETH continue a tradition of excellence with HERITAGE. Gone are the satanic growls that characterized Mikael Akerfeldt's earlier vocal stylings, which will likely generate a lot of criticism from long term fans. HERITAGE features the band at its prog-rock, schizophrenic best. The album opens on a meloncholic note, with an eerie piano piece before breaking into the frenetic "The Devil's Orchard", which finds the band in more familiar territory.

While the album represents a lighter than typical OPETH effort (with the exception of Deliverence), HERITAGE stands as one of the band's best works to date. Drawing heavily on the sounds of 70's prog-rock, HERITAGE is a treat for tone geeks. "Slither" marks another departure for OPETH who manage to muster the break-neck energy of MOTOR HEAD or early METALLICA.


More whimsical than dark, HERITAGE continues OPETH'S tradition for delivering unexpected twists and turns. Long term fans may scoff at the lighter air of the album, but HERITAGE is the sound of a band that continues to deepen its musical cannon.

Overall Impression: 4.5 out of 5.0

Calling All Indie Bands!

If you're an independent band, please be sure to drop us a line with a link to your EPK. We love reviewing new artists as well as established ones! Rawk on!

Radiohead or Radiodead?

This is not so much a review of RADIOHEADs latest outing as it is a comment on their horrendous lack of consistency since KID A. KID A was a brilliant piece of work. It was an about face from RADIOHEAD'S previous guitar driven efforts but its textured layers were 100% Radiohead.

The KING OF LIMBS lacks the melancholic beauty of KID A and the songwriting cohesiveness as well. This is not say that the album is bad. After what appeared to be a glorious return to form with IN RAINBOWS, RADIOHEAD again attempt to turn things around, but this time it comes across as being contrived. We know that RADIOHEAD doesn't like to repeat itself but I doubt long term fans would mind if the band chose to revisit THE BENDS or OK COMPUTER era songcraft.

Buy the new album if you're a long term fan, but if you're new to Radiohead's electronic ambitions, check out KID A first. Despite a lack lustre turn out this time around, the Musical Maelstrom team looks forward to their next effort :)

Overall Impression: 2.5 out of 5.0

STAY tuned for a full album review of Opeth's Heritage album, due out tomorrow, September 20, 2011.

CD Review: Radically Poetic by DREAMS OF REASON

Canadian artists seem to be the focus of a lot of attention these days but most bands still fall into the unsung hero category. Take Canadian bands like the new reunited TEA PARTY or BIG SUGAR. Both are icons in their home nation. Both have fanatical followings at home yet neither has captured major State-side acclaim. Pop-rockers, NICKELBACK have been able to break the Canadian curse with multi-platinum record sales in the US, but the majority of Canadian artists toil in obscurity.

Enter Calgary, Alberta’s DREAMS OF REASON. Uh, ya, who right? The band is a smash hit within its own enclave. Its shows manage to attract drunken hooligans, aloof college students and white haired senior citizens to a spectacle that gets larger every time the band plays.

RADICALLY POETIC'S 12 tracks feature world class musicianship and high production values, courtesy of Greg Hampton (Alice Cooper / Lita Ford). What really stands out on Radically Poetic is the song-writing. Unlike much of today’s “rock music”, DREAMS OF REASON truly are a rock band that manages to sound new while sticking to tradition. Favouring simple arrangements and very few vocal harmonies, the band throws it all down on the line, delivering a believable performance that is beautiful even during its most crushing moments. The arrangements are as close to perfect as things get, while the choruses are generally memorable but could feature a little more pay-off.

Like their major influences, the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Dreams of Reason are hard to classify. Songs like “Hunting” and “New Low” serve up classic METALLICA style metal with tribal and world music undertones. The power ballad “Surrender” rocks out like early psychedelic era VERVE on steroids. Throw in the eccentric rhythm and middle eastern modalities of “Show You Need” with the reggae tinged “Everything Ordinary” and you’ve got a pretty strange brew that somehow manages to sound like one band. It’s as if Dreams of Reason managed to harness the song-writing consciousness of bands like the BEATLES or NIRVANA, melding it with instrumental virtuosity.

Radically Poetic is the sound a young band getting its feet wet. There are moments where the performances could convey a deeper sense of passion, but this a minor flaw on a great debut. Although not radically inventive, Dreams of Reason could breathe life into a rock genre that seems content to repeat itself. I'd really like to see the band unleash its virtuosity and go for it on their next outing.

Overall Impression: 4.0 out of 5.0