Custom Reviews Inc.

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.

Background: November 2008: Chi Cheng, bassist for the Deftones, is seriously injured in a car accident and falls into a coma.


While the events mentioned above are extremely catastrophic and would lead to many bands disbanding, the Deftones, who have been together for 20 years (since '88), held strong. Postponing the release of their finished album Eros, the band re-grouped, added Sergio Vega (ex-Quicksand bassist) to the line-up, and went back into the studio to make another album.


The end result: Diamond Eyes.

Track-By-Track Breakdown:

1. Diamond Eyes: The title track and opener, is heavy. My Own Summer-heavy. Chino Moreno, who has been up and down vocally since White Pony, comes out swinging on this one, with calm verses and choruses, and screeching breaks. Of course, the rest of the band is on point as well. Stephen Carpenter comes with a very heavy guitar riff that pushes the song along, and Vega goes in with his bassline. Gripping opener.
2. Royal: The heavy dynamic continues. Chino channels his Bad Brains influences, and again, layers it with smooth crooning, reminiscent of Around The Fur and White Pony. Chino's scream at the end is icing on an already appealing cake.
3. CMND/CTRL: The drums drive this track along with guitar riffs punching in every 2 bars, and then the song doesn't subscribe to standard rhythms at all...it stutters and goes back to the previous riff. Hits hard, with screaming vocals and harmonic choruses.
4. You've Seen The Butcher: The intro grabs you, with the Mesuggah-lite riff intro, and then everyone else comes in and Chino croons smoothly, a nice change of pace from the past 2 songs. A sign of future things to come...
5. Beauty School: I'm really feeling this track, because it's very reminiscent of Mascara, one of my personal favorite tracks by the band...but enough gushing. A nice, mellow guitar sound, with awesome drumming to start it off, and then...Chino delivers with the killer opening line "I like it when you take off your face, put away your teeth, and take a swing at me." Imagine how awesome that sounds. I feel this could be the 3rd single from this album, unless....
6. Prince: This song becomes the 3rd single, and it would seem likely. It just has the "radio single" feel to it, which isn't a bad thing. It's a great thing. Back to the song: the bassline grooves and draws you in, as Chino once again rises to the top, with his smooth vocal whisper-singing and screaming.
7. Rocket Skates: The 1st single. Addictive, heavy, grooves hard, and Chino channels his inner H.R. at times, hitting hard as they ever hit. Let’s be honest, how can you resist not screaming along “GUNS…RAZORS…KNIVES!”
8. Sextape: And now, we calm it down, with a love song, that just may be the other single from this album, because it just has that “Radio friendly” vibe to it. But for what’s it worth, this is a calm, moody, love song in the vein of Change (In The House of Flies). Slow drums, a quiet yet powerful guitar riff and an awesome humming bassline give Chino a platform to croon on and take you away with a song that would sound very much in place on a Cure album.
9. Risk: Just like that, the mood is back to brooding, and heavy again, with this track. I’m not too sure what to say, it’s standard Deftones fare… but there is a major highlight, when Chino sings “I will save your life”. Just fills you with hope…
10. 976-EVIL: Dreamy! Very dreamy song, it could put you to sleep if you let it… and it’s a good enough song to stay awake to. You can surrender yourself to it, or dig deep and find a new level of appreciation for it. A strong set-up track for…
11. This Place Is Death: The last song on an incredible album…and to be honest, while this song is the calm after the storm…it just doesn’t feel like the be-all, end-all of Diamond Eyes. However, it does work in the context of the album and ends it on a positive note.

The Verdict

This album stands out in the glut of today’s modern rock scene. No “trying to be great” with solos, intense double-bass pedals, or over-done screaming…it’s simple, and rewarding from multiple listens. The band stated in recent interviews that working with Nick Raskulinecz for this album was positive, as they stepped away from the old-faithful method of Pro Tools album creation (guy 1 records, guy 2 records, guy 3 records, etc…) and went back to the old method of practicing the songs as a band and doing it live in the studio. You just feel the energy, and it’s good…great even. While I am a bit bummed that the cool experimental songs (i.e. Teenager, Lucky You…) are missing, it was for the best.

RATING: ****1/2 of 5

If you are a loyal Deftones fan, buy this album! Cliché to say, but it’s the best work since White Pony.