USA:n länsirannikolla muodostettu STP julkaisi debyyttinsä grunge-aallon syntymisen jälkeen, ja Core-levy on hiljattain yhteen palanneen sakin maineikkain plätty. Core tarjoaa laulaja Scott Weilandin likaisen ja mieleenpainuvan äänen lisäksi suoraa mättöä, mutta sekaan mahtuu myös pessimismiä ja ajottain myös pelokkaita, hämmentäviäkin osia.
Vaikka levyn yleiseksi kuvaukseksi on helppo mieltää sana "synkkyys", välittyy siitä myös itsevarmoja ja loistokkaita tunnetiloja. Hämmennystä aiheuttaa tiettyjen sanoitusten lisäksi myös kappaleiden No Memory ja Wet My Bed eriskummalliset melodiat.
Kuten muissakin ysärin grunge-bändeissä, myös STP:n musiikissa basso on erittäin läsnä, ja tekee musiikin tunnetiloista ainutlaatuisia. Robert DeLeon basistin rooli Stone Temple Pilotsissa on tärkeä, ja tätä tärkeyttä havainnollistaa kappaleet kuten Piece of Pie, Plush ja Crackerman. Kitaristi Dean DeLeo jää kenties hieman pikkuveljensä varjoon, vaikkei hänenkään soitosta moitittavaa löydy.
Hattua täytyy nostaa yhtyeelle siinä, kuinka toimivan kokonaisuuden se on saanut kasaan; levyä voi helposti kuunnella alusta loppuun, eikä missään vaiheessa tee mieli skipata kappaletta. Esikoisella on aivan selkeä päämäärä ja soundit sekä melodia ovat miellyttävän tuoreita.
Jos on jo ehtinyt nauttia muiden grunge-edustajien loistojulkaisuista, tätä ei kannata jättää kokematta.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Amplifier (Music For Nations, 2004) - Amplifier (arvostelu toistaiseksi englanniksi - review in english)
Amplifier's best release to this point, in my opinion.
Why?
The album "Amplifier" offers a wide category of elements which co-operate in a great manner. These include heavy sounds, (very) atmospheric softness, pure prog ingenuity (well steered by the drummer, Matt Brobin) and an impressive number of other elements taken from other dynasties of music. For example, Led Zeppelin's psychedelic features can be considered as something Amplifier tried to borrow for their first album.
In many of the songs, the feeling is unique and obviously composed with a lot of thought on the whole entity of the album. The three-member band has done a great job of collaborating with the instruments, building up the "correct" image for most of the songs. All the members stand out quite equally. The parts played by the bass player Neil Mahony are an essential part of the emotions captured in the songs. However the guitarist-vocalist Sel Balamir can easily be placed in the middle of the trio as the leader of the group, with a well-ripened voice and dominating, ingenious guitar riffs.
The album starts with an aggressive but catchy song named "Motorhead". However, the song isn't as monotonous as it may initially sound: the flowing softness of the album is placed in the heaviest songs as well. Motorhead builds up a good base for the following songs. "Airborne" is listed as no. 2 and it couldn't be any better, as it slowly sets all things ready for the mind-blowing climax near the end. After I listened the first two songs, I immediately understood the message of the album -- or at least what I thought to be the intended message...
Unfortunately, the 13-track album loses it's solid structure after the middle part. It may not be as bad as it sounds, but I have to say that the first six songs gave me an idea that the image for the disc would be "Heavy, Straight & Fearless". Departing from my fantasies, Amplifier sort of starts to lose it's toughness.
The last two songs "UFOs" and "One Great Summer" are basically good, but they're not intact with the rest of the album. This appears as transpired optimism, as the initial cruel aggressiveness of the album turns into something else at the end. It might have worked out better if they had placed those two songs somewhere else than in the ending. Hard to say. The point is that you can't allow the listener to figure the album to be something, and then at the very end you destroy the somewhat stable conception.
All in all it's hard to find any bad stuff on the album; it even tolerates a great number of repeats in plays.
I suggest Amplifier (the album) for everyone, who like some serious rocking with a lot of depth. It’s also a good album for those who wish to be in the center of music, literally. That's just how excellently the illusion of room is made.
Why?
The album "Amplifier" offers a wide category of elements which co-operate in a great manner. These include heavy sounds, (very) atmospheric softness, pure prog ingenuity (well steered by the drummer, Matt Brobin) and an impressive number of other elements taken from other dynasties of music. For example, Led Zeppelin's psychedelic features can be considered as something Amplifier tried to borrow for their first album.
In many of the songs, the feeling is unique and obviously composed with a lot of thought on the whole entity of the album. The three-member band has done a great job of collaborating with the instruments, building up the "correct" image for most of the songs. All the members stand out quite equally. The parts played by the bass player Neil Mahony are an essential part of the emotions captured in the songs. However the guitarist-vocalist Sel Balamir can easily be placed in the middle of the trio as the leader of the group, with a well-ripened voice and dominating, ingenious guitar riffs.
The album starts with an aggressive but catchy song named "Motorhead". However, the song isn't as monotonous as it may initially sound: the flowing softness of the album is placed in the heaviest songs as well. Motorhead builds up a good base for the following songs. "Airborne" is listed as no. 2 and it couldn't be any better, as it slowly sets all things ready for the mind-blowing climax near the end. After I listened the first two songs, I immediately understood the message of the album -- or at least what I thought to be the intended message...
Unfortunately, the 13-track album loses it's solid structure after the middle part. It may not be as bad as it sounds, but I have to say that the first six songs gave me an idea that the image for the disc would be "Heavy, Straight & Fearless". Departing from my fantasies, Amplifier sort of starts to lose it's toughness.
The last two songs "UFOs" and "One Great Summer" are basically good, but they're not intact with the rest of the album. This appears as transpired optimism, as the initial cruel aggressiveness of the album turns into something else at the end. It might have worked out better if they had placed those two songs somewhere else than in the ending. Hard to say. The point is that you can't allow the listener to figure the album to be something, and then at the very end you destroy the somewhat stable conception.
All in all it's hard to find any bad stuff on the album; it even tolerates a great number of repeats in plays.
I suggest Amplifier (the album) for everyone, who like some serious rocking with a lot of depth. It’s also a good album for those who wish to be in the center of music, literally. That's just how excellently the illusion of room is made.
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