Levant – Beneath Rubble, Run Rivers Red | Album Review

At some point every creative has the same dream: take all of your closest friends, rent out a studio, and seclude yourselves from society while creating purely-communal art. There’s something eternally-appealing about being able to create whatever you want, whenever you want, and however you want. The concept of living off your own creativity is the end game for pretty much every artist, even if it means you’re just scraping by. 

Much like communism, the “purest” form of these collaborative projects are rarely ever achieved, and even less often do they produce anything that sees the light of day. There are rare outliers like The Desert Sessions, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy that have become success stories, but more often than not, this style of creative incubation is a process that thrives in theory but fails in practice. Even with all of the ways that collaborative albums can fall apart, UK-based metal collective Levant has managed to craft an album that’s worthy not only of being added to this impressive list, but proof that this model can work.

Levant began in 2014 as less of a band and more of a code name for a studio project created by Nick Hutson. Levant’s “debut album” initially started life as an anti-war record, but soon became a highly-collaborative piece that brought in multiple artists all working together to create one release under Hutson’s direction. Now four years in the making Beneath Rubble, Run Rivers Red is almost here, and the hard work has paid off into something wholly unique, constantly-varied, and incredibly-well-polished.

From the first seconds of the album, Beneath Rubble captures the listener’s attention with a George W. Bush pull-quote from a 2005 address:

“The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else.”

With this sample (and its modern context) fresh in the listener's mind, a distorted guitar immediately juts into the mix, punctuating the end of this sentence and making way for pounding cannon drums. This instrumental onslaught is accompanied by a new sample, not from politics, but pop culture in the form of Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. 

“Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people! Now let us fight! Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!”

While this Chaplin quote lies relatively quietly underneath the propulsive instrumentation, it provides an immediate juxtaposition to the album’s opening moments, casting a stark political contrast over the remainder of the album.

After these scene-setting samples, singer JJ Jackson (of The Bastard Sons) takes over vocal duties, barreling into the track headfirst with the album’s first throat-shredding lyrics. Alternating between low growls and piercing screams with each line, Jackson jumps between two vastly-different vocal styles at a whiplash pace. It’s an absolutely breathtaking feat to witness, and a hell of an introduction to the album. 

Second track “Carry Me Home” also serves as the album’s lead single, a hard-drinking song with a southern metal bent and vocals helmed by Johnny Mennell of The Family Ruin. Vastly different from the first song in tone, style, and delivery, “Carry Me Home” lets the listener know early on that they won’t be hearing the same thing twice on this album.

Once the third track begins, it’s clear how well the collaborative gambit paid off for Levant on Beneath Rubble. Songs jump back and forth between different vocalists, styles, and subgenres, all while still feeling cut from the same cloth. There are soaring vocals, bombastic drumming, machine gun guitarwork, and sharp bass lines, all wrapped up in clean production and immaculate melodies. Song topics range from political to interpersonal, but it all adds up to a record that feels ever-changing yet singular thanks to Hutson’s vision.

While metalcore fans will feel right at home within the first track, Beneath Rubble also pulls off an unexpectedly-wonderful feat of softening over time. Despite beginning with such a searing and acidic political song, the album gradually eases the listener into a vast array of different styles that get softer as the album goes on. This becomes most apparent on the fifth song “A Perfect Picture” which is a borderline pop-punk ballad that sees Johnny Mennell sharing vocal duties with Christine Schneider for a heartfelt duet.

There are dozens of compelling moments scattered all throughout Beneath Rubble that are worthy of their own breakdown. From rumbling southern guitar metal on “Say Whatever You Like” to crashing cymbals on “The Darkness in Me,” every instrument and collaborator gets a moment to shine somewhere on the album. There’s a monstrous riff throughout “Silenced” that lead up to a volcanic scream, and a crushing chorus on “Draw The Line” that’s still stuck in my head, but these are just a few moments that felt particularly affirming throughout my multiple listens.

This all leads up to album closer “Time To Shine” which provides some roundabout bookending as pieces of Carl Segan’s “Pale Blue Dot” monologue is sprinkled throughout a glittering, distant, and ornate piano line. Reminiscent of the now-famous Great Dictator x Inception mashup that went viral nearly one decade ago, “Time To Shine” makes the listener feel at once infinitesimal and triumphant. A goosebump-inducing reminder of humanity’s scope in the grand scheme of things. 

The album ends on a holistic note of hope. A reminder that we’re all more similar than we give each other credit for. That the shared experience of existence bonds us, and that’s something to celebrate. That universality is a reason to love and be loved, not tear each other apart. And that’s a message we need in 2018 more than ever. 

Every band is a collaborative effort, but Beneath Rubble, Run Rivers Red is a testament to the spirit of collaboration. It’s 11 tracks and 39 minutes of concrete proof that sometimes working toward a shared vision pays off in spades. 

Beneath Rubble, Run Rivers Red is set for pre-release on 6th August and will be officially released across all major streaming platforms from 3rd September.

Dirk Schwenk & The Truth – Along the Road | EP Review

The cover of Dirk Schwenk’s Along The Road depicts a single pickup truck driving down a solitary stretch desert road at sunset. The sun is burning out over the mountains in the distance, turning the sky a mixture of pink and orange. It’s a pretty sight, but once the listener clicks play on Along The Road, they’re soon going to realize how perfectly that image captures the experience of listening to the album. 

Opening track “Table Set For Two” sets the mood for the rest of the record, depicting a slowly-mounting tale of infidelity. The narrative songwriting is powerful, walking the listener through the discovery, but stopping just short of Mark Kozelek before erupting into a soulful Eagles-esque guitar solo.  

Follow-up track “The River” is a picturesque flash of natural beauty, featuring a twangy banjo, delicate female vocals, and lush earthy imagery. It’s the musical equivalent of a vacation; kicking back at a warm, relaxing spot that seems to be made just for you. 

From there, the album’s back-half hits the listener with a trio of affectionate and earnest songs that range from groovy love ballads to patriotic celebration. 

While Along the Road is only comprised of five tracks stretched across 20 minutes, the release is short, sweet, and leaves the listener wanting more, which is always a good position to be in. Overall, the album is a fun country outing with the transportive ability to carry the listener to that beautiful desert at sunset, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. 

The Mezcaltones – The Mezcaltones Second | Album Review

You’ve just crossed the border into Mexico. You’ve been driving for hours without a break. You’re tired, thirsty, and sick of cacti. As the sun sets, you pull off into a roadside truckstop that looks like they pour a stiff drink. You make your way to the bar, order a drink, and settle in just as the house band begins to take the stage. That band is The Mezcaltones.

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, The Mezcaltones are a six-piece rock group creating hard-drinkin’ southern music fit for a spaghetti western film. Inspired by the style of Tarantino and Robert Rodrigues, the band’s sophomore record The Mezcaltones Second would sound right at home in a southern bar populated by vampires and criminals on the run. 

Album opener “For a Few Dollar More / Good The Bad and The Ugly (The Spaghetti Medley)” interpolates the iconic Sergio Leone score for a spellbinding introduction that eases the listener into the album with a sense of familiarity. As images of cowboy ponchos and tumbleweeds float through the air, things kick into high gear on “I Know My Rider” where frontman Don Too takes center stage for an intoxicating love song.

Other standout tracks include the rumbling “Short Change Hero” and “Na Na Na” which sports a catchy and fast-moving female chorus. Album closer “Let Love Reign” is a solo-laden rock track with shredding guitar, passionate vocals, and a long, celebratory outro. 

The Mezcaltones Second is an album of pure southern adoration, made for drinking tequila and speeding down deserted highways. 

Arise Roots Concert Review

Much like the blues, there’s beauty to be found in the simplicity of reggae. While the two genres share many structural and cultural similarities, reggae, unlike blues, is music often borne of both pleasure and pain. Song topics within the genre can range from personal strife to political revolution, but the lion's share of reggae songs center around an almost borderline-hedonistic approach of happiness above all else. 

I’m not one to discuss the history of the genre, it’s origins, or even the people that play it, but what I can speak to is my experience on June 28th at my first ever reggae concert. 

Occurring on a muggy Thursday evening in Portland, Oregon at the newly-renamed Sirens (fka Analog Cafe), headliner Arise Roots commandeered stage of the venue’s lower bar shortly after 10 pm to an audience ready to vibe out.

Opening with a whir of electronic bloops and a single lightly-strummed guitar, we soon heard two cymbal taps followed by a bass that entered with a monumental riff. Smoke filled the air as the other instruments joined one by one, all falling in-synch with the established rhythm. Soon frontman Karim Israel made his way to the mic and crooned “What’s the fighting for?” over the arid soundscape of spaced-out instrumentals. Shortly after this refrain the drums suddenly kicked into a full-speed gallop, and the group fell into an uptempo groove that instantly got everyone moving.  

The next song in the setlist sped things up even faster, engaging the audience with a call-and-response chorus as Rodolfo Covarrubias’ bass bopped and Karim danced emphatically behind the mic. 

Within minutes I found myself hypnotized by the slow, swinging, steady rhythm of Arise Roots. As I stood witnessing the breadth of music on display, another genre-comparison I couldn’t help but make was between reggae music and stoner rock. Both weed-loving genres that worship, love, and chase the groove above all else.

Arise Roots played as a single well-oiled machine, hitting all the right corners of the beat while also allowing enough room for members to wander off and improvise a solo with enough time to return to their original position. Ron Montoya’s tight drumming held the groove down, Chris Brennan and Todd Johnson shared backup vocal duties while also handling rhythm guitar and keys respectively, and the enigmatic frontman Karim Israel performed his heart out.

Late-set “Nice and Slow” is the band’s latest single, a slow-moving love jam that went over well with the crowd and also happens to be one of the band’s most polished and varied tracks to date.

Other highlights of the night included multiple groovy guitar solos courtesy of lead guitarist Robert Sotelo Jr., warm beachy imagery on “Lost In Your Ocean,” and of course the token weed song “So High.”

Overall, the evening cast a genuinely hypnotic spell; Arise Roots are a transportive musical force with the ability to carry you from where you’re standing into the distant reaches of your mind, all without you even realizing it. A force of nature, love, and positive energy.

Suits and Daggers – Frozen Planet | Album Review

Frozen Planet begins with a gentle piano melody and a flash of female vocals that entwine to lull the listener into a false sense of security. Just as soon as these pieces begin to settle in, a heart-dropping scream disrupts the serenity, followed by a catchy guitar riff carves its way into the mix. Accompanied by thunderous drums, a wall of rhythm guitar and bass along with some crowd-pleasing group chants, all these elements combine to make a particularly potent introductory track. 

Frozen Planet is the newest record from Michigan-based progressive metal outfit Suits and Daggers. In a scene that’s fraught with minuscule subgenre distinctions, Suits and Daggers were able to avoid all that discussion by creating a genre of their own: Victory Metal. While this self-ascribed label preemptively dismantles many of the needless genre-based debates that occur between metal elitists, it also serves a more important job by offering a glimpse at how Suits and Daggers approaches their music.  

“Built on the pillars of hard work, dedication, team work and integrity” Suits and Daggers offers a unique spin on the progressive metal sound that revels in a positive outlook on life. Taking queues from some of the genre’s greats like Parkway Drive and Erra, the band’s debut is a life-affirming, confidence-boosting, and powerfully-strong addition to the metal scene. 

Given this uniquely-upbeat approach to a typically-dour genre, the band spends the lion’s share of Frozen Planet’s 45 minutes chasing their dreams and encouraging listeners to do the same. It’s a transitive joy that rubs off on the listener before the first song is over.

While the Suits and Daggers is obviously influenced by the some of the genre’s biggest names, Frozen Planet also bears an quaint charm of lesser-known acts like Skies of December and Settle the Sky. Interspersed piano adds an orchestral flair a-la In Fear and Faith, and an unabashed love for group chants hints at the style of Burden of a Day. All in all good company to be in, especially for a band this young. 

Influences aside, there are also dozens of brilliant and unique moments scattered throughout Frozen Planet. Interjections of piano throughout “Defender,” unrelenting spitfire vocals on “Velvet Glove,” and a towering riff on “Empathy” are just a few of the album’s many highlights. 

Late-album cut “Tranquility” allows the listener a moment of breathing room before immediately launching into another barrage of brutal screams and punchy riffs. As cymbals crash and guitar shreds back and forth, the track swiftly transitions to the titular “Frozen Planet” which bears the album’s most aggressive instrumentals and hard-hitting lyrics. Centered around a crushing breakdown and Andy Martin’s heartfelt songwriting, the album’s penultimate song speaks for itself as to why it is worthy of the album’s namesake.

Overall Frozen Planet is a fun, heartfelt, and inspirational metal album. For long-time fans of the genre who are searching for an exciting new act, look no further than Suits and Daggers.