Custom Reviews Inc.

3 years have passed since Lupe Fiasco gave hip-hop a flat-out classic album. For those who don't remember, it was The Cool. While dark and at times slow in progressing, it showcased why Fiasco was the future of the game. Now, 3 years afterwards... Lupe returns with Lasers. Question is, was the struggle of getting it out worth it?

Linkin Park has always polarized people. Nu-metal fans thought they were too basic, some thought they were just right. Rap fans like Mike, rockers like Chester. Some say Reanimation was their best release, some say Meteora, some say Hybrid Theory, some say Collision Course, some say Minutes to Midnight.

So here's LP at their 4th true album, and after dividing the fans with MTM...they come with an album that is going to polarize. So is it their "Kid A" or their "Electric Circus"?

I'm struggling to get the words out of my mouth. I'm not sure what to make of this...Eminem is back, and he's on fire, both commercially and critically. A new album, completely sober, and a change in producers gives way to a new Eminem, but is this the new Eminem, or the same old Slim Shady we met in '99?

• Nas- Distant Relatives
• Eminem- Recovery
• Kidneythieves - typeofrantic
• Candiria- Kiss The Lie
• A few more. Maybe A7X and Disturbed
• Runaway Love Remix
• Umm....anything I can type a good review about?

All starting next Monday. Stay tuned.

Hectic Tuesday.... so here's the schedule for this week.

• Wenesday: Distant Relatives Review
• Thursday: Thrifty Thursday - Infinite
• Friday: Eminem - Not Afraid

Peace.

As a huge/loyal NIN fan since 2005, I’ve been a tad torn. Trent retired the live band last fall in grand fashion, and now, without the prospect of a live NIN tour anytime soon, what do NIN fans do? Watch the mind-blowing fan-made concert films? Watch the DVDs over and over again? Play the discography daily?

Well, we have an answer. How to Destroy Angels. Trent Reznor+ Mariqueen Maandig. Last week, they dropped their 1st single, A Drowning.

At 7:03 long, this project is not playing to make dollars, it’s artwork. Very elaborate artwork. It sounds so much like NIN, but there’s one change…no Trent vocals.

Not to panic, Mariqueen does vocals exceptionally well. It’s a dark song, that is a bold mix of NIN, Portishead, and…geez, I don’t know.

All I know is that this song has me intrigued for the EP coming this summer. Just don’t make 7 minute songs all the time…please.

RATING: ***3/4 stars of 5

kidneythieves

• From: Los Angeles, CA
• Genre: Industrial Rock
• Members: Free Dominguez, Bruce Sommers
• Established: 1998

Quick question: Have you listened to Queen of the Damned's soundtrack? Did you ever watch Bride of Chucky? And did you ever play Deus Ex: Invisible War?

If so...then you know about kidneythieves. Providing tracks for two notable film soundtracks (Before I'm Dead - Queen of the Damned, Crazy - Bride of Chucky) and playing an in-game band (NG Resistance), the band has kept a high profile that is also, relatively low.

However, this band is relatively intriguing, if you give them a chance. While the instrumentation is a fair mix of NIN, D'n'B drumming, and Otep (somewhat), the vocalist, Free, is what brings the whole thing together. She makes it work, with her passionate, intense and harmonic singing.

I would go so far to say that she’s a mix of Christina from Lacuna Coil, Otep from Otep, and Trent Reznor from NIN. Imagine that…the poetic lyrics meets harmonic singing and artistic sensibility. And a fair dose of restrained sexuality to boot.

THE ALBUM YOU NEED TO HEAR:

zerospace [2002]

Yes, they did have prior releases to this. However, I think this album is in all respects, the one worth listening to, if you want to get into them.

1. Before I’m Dead : A quietly building synth pad brings up the DnB drum loops, humming synth bassline and crushing guitar riffs.  Free’s voice is smooth as silk and within the duration of this song, you get a feel for what kidneythieves is all about.
2. Zerospace The lead single from this album is INTENSE. Watch the music video. Ok…now for the actual review. More crushing guitars and an overly vicious Dominguez lead this song along, and you will wonder “Wow…so this band is intense at times.” Yep, they sure are.
3. Arsenal : A calm, brooding song that tells a story. Nice cool down from Zerospace.
4. Molten : Instrumental break. Nothing to see here, move along…but wait, it’s a segue to…
5. Black Bullet : Just like that, the heaviness comes back. I can hear the Filter/NIN/Otep influences here. Free makes comparisons to here being a bullet, and it’s well done.
6. Dyskrasia: The heavy songs continue onwards, and the formula of hard verses with soft choruses slowly begins to start to wear thin. However, it’s more familiarity and getting into a groove, enough so that the instrumentals can get interesting and make a case for themselves.
7. Spank : Sensual song by Free, about a romance gone south. Enjoyable song, one of my favorites off the album.
8. Glitter Girl:  The “shame-on-vanity” track of the album, and you can tell that it’s written about the insecure and vain. I love the “skies that don’t rain down on you” line.
9. Serene Dream: A nice change of pace from the pounding industrial rock, Free lets her voice lead in a beautiful acoustic ballad. You’ll be feeling calm and maybe too relaxed.
10. Amnzero: Simple intermission. Nothing to see here.
11. Crazy: Willie Nelson’s classic has a fresh coat of industrial rock paint applied to it, and Free does wonders with it, putting the kidneythieves stamp all over it. Enjoyable, but it won’t replace Willie’s version.
12. Placebo : The longest song on the album, Placebo has time to build itself up, but chooses not to. Instead, it’s a standard song that just has more time and a slower tempo to close out the album.
13. Take A Train (Awakening) : The true last song is more experimental than anything on the rest of the album, it’s just Free looping her voice and using multiple tracks for an a cappella humming session. Interesting ending.

So what do I think about this album? It’s awesome vocally, but instrumentally, it’s run-of-the-mill industrial rock for most of it (Serene Dream is the exclusion). I’ll be frank, if you enjoy NIN and Filter, this will be a fun listen.

RATING: ***3/4 OF 5

Now, the bummer is that the band hasn’t released anything after this. Everyone’s off doing side-projects, Free went acoustic (reviewed next month as part of the side-project week theme), but they came back.

And then, the bombshell got dropped. A new album is finished, and coming very very soon, according to the Twitter account. So when this comes out, expect a review.