October 7 2002 sound like Lifehouse. The two elements just do not mesh together well. At various times during the CD, you would swear that you are listening to Our Lady Peace; at others, you would swear that you are listening to Creed, and for a brief period of time, the music sounds almost Nickleback- esqe. Stanley Climbfall just does not carry the same rockin’ sound as Lifehouseis first release, No Name Face. | think they need to walk it off. In the meantime, I'll review the liner notes. The use of puedo- origami is good. It would have been very cool if the notes folded themselves into a crane as soon as you opened the booklet, but the folds are mild- ly entertaining. The picture in the centre is all pixel-ed out and artsy, so bonus points and a big gold star for the art designer. (Incidentally, the name Stanley Climbfall is a fusion of the words stand, climb, and fall. This album def- initely fell.) ---Stephsal Various Artists Pure Club Volume. 1 Nettwerk 2002 * Every now and then a really good dance compilation $e is pt aes album is released. This was most definitely not one of these occasions. This album essentially takes fourteen lacklustre tracks and makes unimaginative remixes of them. DJ Tiesto is featured on two of the tracks. He has to be one of the worst DJs ever to have laid hands on a turntable. His mixes feature nothing but repetitive trance sounds without any hint of enthusiasm or interest. The remix of Harder Better, Faster, Stronger by Pete Heller, in the third track, is also a little unnecessary because the original song was already very danceable. Indeed, the old version had a hard driving beat and here it is reduced to a monotonous trancey night- mare. Think | can stop bash- ing this album at its musical content? NO! Not only is the music on this album terrible, the accompanying artwork is horrendous. Two thumbs down! ---Philip SIOLIIEN MENBE MONSTERS’) IN THE CLOSET Swollen Members Monsters in the Closet Battleaxe Records kkk KK Monsters in the Closet, the third major release from Swollen Members, is a collec- tion of new singles, B-sides, and unreleased siedine a remixes. While it is intended to be an album between albums, it is an album that promises to please old fans and make new ones. Swollen Members has been a driving force in the under- ground hip hop scene since the mid nineties. In that time, they have been creating a wide range of material, while collaborating with MCs, Dus, and other performing artists like Kemo, and the members of the Rock Steady Crew. iMonsters in the Closeti fea- tures a wide range of musical and lyrical content, covering topics like relationships, life on the road, and _ revolution. Combine that with the vocal contributions of Nelly Furtado and Sarah McLachlin, and you have a highly varied, intelli- gent album that tests your lis- tening ‘abilities, as well as entertaining your ears. Mad Child and Prevail have a talent for making innovative rhymes that anyone can relate to. If you have never taken the time to listen to these boys before, Monsters in the Closet is the perfect opportunity to do so. Over The Edge CD Rating Guide * This CD made me more extra dumb. *&* A fair effort, but no bananas. *** Average, but wort k*k&k*& Very good, marshmallows inside. KKKKK Endorsed by (insert deity here) Peter Gabriel Up Universal 2002 kkk At first glance, this album seems like nothing special and does not seem to live up to Peter Gabriel's reputation. However, upon further reflec- tion, this album is really quite good. | realized that this was the kind of album in which one must immerse one’s self. This release is Gabriel's first album in 9 years, and it is quite different from his past work. Usually, | expect from Gabriel a more openly rhyth- mic and an extensive vocal range. This album is subdued and subtle. His vocal work in this effort is mostly unusual for him as it is mostly restrained and only belted out when nec- WorkRights.ca know your rights! if ecking ¢ out. Over The Edge Page 9 essary. This album draws from 9 years and 130 song ideas so the album quite diverse in some areas. It also features some guest appearances by such artists as the late Nusrat Fetah Ali Khan, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Daniel Lanois, Peter Green, and some back- ing vocals by Peter Gabriel’s daughter Melanie. This album has a broad can- vas of music and lyrical con- tent, from the fearful childhood memories of “Darkness,” to the uplifting faith of “More Than This,” to the dark satire of “The Barry Williams Show,’ which examines trash televi- sion. Taken together, the album is a thematic ride of the issues that Peter has had to deal with in the past 9 years. If you do not mind a bit of exper- imentation on Gabriel’s part then you should check this out. -Destrudo CHECK OUT PAGE 11 FOR A WICKED TREBLE CHARGER CONTEST!