JANUARY 14, 2004 Killing Joke: Killing Joke >> Columbia 2003 Kkkk I was quite worried when I saw the cover of this album; it looked like the paper had just given me some low bud- get Insane Clown Posse rip off. Luckily, this was not the case. Killing Joke’s self titled album turned out to be a very unique and entertaining mix of English rock music unlike anything else I’ve ever listened to. There are ele- ments of so many ‘different styles of music in this group that it boggles my brain wondering how it is that they don’t sound like crap. Killing Joke sounds like some bizarre new age Motorhead with traces of industrial sound mixed with the occasional death metal lyric. They’ve got speedy rhythms in their songs along with catchy drum beats that gives them an almost danceable quality. As for the singing, it varies from modern Motorhead-esque to Cradle of Filth with a cold. You know that sound you make when you try to conjure up a big wad of spit? Apparently that’s a song lyric. But that’s not in all of their songs either, the music from track to track varies so much that it’s hard to believe- that the album contains only one group. This leads me to believe that Killing Joke is still in its developmental stages as a band and is trying to find both its style and genre. There seems to be an underlinirig theme to most of their songs about social commentary and rebellion against the government. Overall this is a ‘pretty decent album, it’s not really the type that I usually seek out for myself but its worth hearing if you’ve got an open mind for something a little different. - Russell Matthew Good: Avalanche >> Universal 2003 kkk IK Based on some pretty strong evidence (like his disjoint- ed interview.on MuchMusic’s “Going Coastal,” and that hilarious “Stockwell Gay” slip-up), I had already deter- mined that Matt Good is an asshole. His verbal douchebaggery is well known to most people by now. Since this played a role in breaking up his band, I pic- tured him using that as a new direction in this album. I feared that, for once, Matthew Good might not be able to increase his stake in my CD wallet collection. My fear subsided the instant I hit the play button.” Pulling together an actual band, including old pal Richard Priske (MGB), Good has created yet another album I can’t get enough of. His lyrics, while odd (noth- ing new there), still offer that deeper meaning that Matt Good is...err...Good at. Musically, like every album » ‘before, he retains that sound of his while trying to expand his horizons. Gradual musical evolution is all_sexy, and here it is in its full splendour. From beginning to end (though I admit the single “In a World Called Catastrophe” worried me a little at first), I . Just couldn’t stop listening to this album. If you liked the Matthew Good Band, you won’t be disappointed with Avalanche. Unless you hate neat-looking liner notes, that is. 1a ild NightWish: Century C >> Century . _ kok Tt seems to me that nearly all of the good heavy metal music worth listening to comes from Finland these days. There’s Sentenced, Children of Bodom, The 69 Eyes, HIM, and the newest to my list: Nightwish. All of these bands break the mold when it comes to conventional metal music. Nightwish'which is not to be confused with Nightrage, is no exception either, their: heavy rhythms, angelic vocals, and intense melodic sound set them in a league of their very own. Century Child is probably the most developed and bal- anced release thus far from this arguably Goth rock group. Each track is beautifully composed with a very ear pleas- ing blend of harmony and sadness. Yet there is a certain ‘intense energy within each song that fills my soul to the point where I want to reach in and rip myself apart. Overall this is one of the best albums I've lis- tened to this year; I even went so far as to check out some of their past releases for myself. My favourite track, Bless the Child is a song about leaving the blissful innocénts of childhood for the nagging torments of the real world. Other songs on the CD are similar to this one in both their sound and content with some exceptions like the cover of the classic musical Phantom of the Opera. Also, the sixth ‘track sounded just a little too much like Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and consequently almost ruined what would otherwise be a perfect album. - Russell The Postal Service: Give Up >> Sub Pop Records 2003 tok kkk The Postal Service is the latest brainchild of Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Dntel’s Jimmy Tamborello. The two have been collaborating together since working on “The Dream of Evan and Chan”, a track that appeared on Dntel’s 2001 release, “Life If Full of Possibilities”, The track worked out so well that it natural- ly lead to the decision to work together on a full-length album. The result was released two years later in the form of “Give Up”, the debut album of the Postal Sérvice. “Give Up” is a smooth composition with excellent beats, thought-provoking lyrics, and beautiful vocals. There is a pervasive eighties synth-pop feeling throughout the album, but there is nothing retro about it. The Postal Service is the logical result that the synthesizer driven music produced in that era should have led to. From the silly. shut-in ‘theme of “We Become Silhouettes”, to the more serious breakup duet in “Nothing Better”, the Postal Service exhibits an ability to write intelligent songs that stand out above the crowd of electronic knock-offs that are flooding the market. It is possible to discover a new favorite song cach time onc listens to this album, because new aspects of the lyrical content, or of the music itself, are forever becoming apparent. -Dana Muse: Absolutior >> Tastemedia 2003 4 sete ae % dof Muse? I bet you haven't, and you're missing out. Why? Human language lacks the ability to express how wikkid awesome this album is. Wikkid awesome comes close, but it’s not enough. Muse, for the uninitiat- cd, are a British 3 piece that are often compared to Radiohead by the clini- cally insane, but are channeling the ghost of Queen. They are grandiose pop-prog phenoms, with all the great piano, and much less pretension than your regular prog outfit. And they just put out the best album of 2003. Absolution, their third album takes the typical rock-pop conventions of the genre and expands them, turns them on their head and slaps them around a little. While their previous efforts have been more in-the “rockin” category, Absolution comes under the “experimentally bloody brilliant and yet still catchy” area. There is something to suit every mood and taste on Absolution: Tracks like “Time is Running Out’, ‘The Small Print’ and “Thoughts of a Dying Atheist’ are fun, well written songs that simply get your booty moving. There are the more grandiose tracks like ‘Butterflies and Hurricanes’, ‘Hysteria’ and ‘Apocalypse Please’ that appeal to the school of songwriting that follews the idiom, “the bigger, the more piano, the better” (thanks Queen!). There is the foray into catchy Euro-poep ballads in ‘Endlessly’. Even though each track is a different creature that flirts with different genres, there really isn’t a bad track on this album. Why? The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Matt Bellamy, Muse’s leader singer - he’s fucking brilliant, Even on musically lackluster tracks, the sheer power and intensity of his voice carries the song, The track ‘Sing for Absolution’ makes me want to cry. Bellamy’s voice is so powerfully pained, so earnest and upset that you believe every word he’s singing, and the impact on the album is incredible. To sum up: Muse rock. Europe knows they rock, In Europe, Muse are big- ger than bands like Coldplay, yet we never hear of them over in this uncivi- lized wilderness. To get your grubby hands on this.album, you need to order an import, but if you value your life and you even like music a little bit, you will do it. Absolution is a gem of modern music, a classic for our times,-and quite simply, it’s wikkid awesome. ; - Kathleen