FIRST THIRD ROUND UP: ROCK
Mystery Jets – Curve of the Earth
Not hard at all hipster rock. Track two is kinda good, but the rest just sounds like recycled MGMT. There is enough echoey reverb on “1985” to keep a bus full of shoegazers fed for days. Track 6 sounds like it’s going to be the best Penguin Cafe Orchestra rock song ever, but falls into annihilation. Overall the entire album lacks content, but the audio isn’t terrible. Best album cover art of this five.
3/5
Savages – Adore Life
High energy building borderline-noise rock. There are some good effects throughout and plenty of variety, at least on the first half. Mixing is really mashed together, but in a good way. Good atmosphere on several tracks including “Adore,” which unfortunately piddles into nothingness after the climax. The second half has a lot of similarities among the tracks. This can be a good thing for parties, but makes for boring listening. The atmosphere comes back on the final track for a soundtrack feel, which might be the best track. Worst album cover art of this five.
3/5
Lord Vicar – Gates of Flesh
Crumby butt-metal. Sounds like Alice in Chains got wasted and lost all their money gambling in a shack down in the delta and now plays to black tourists who want a taste of the white south, or Turku, whatever. It’s only salvation is the semi-decent singing. Should be the best cover album of this five.
2/5
The Warrior Kings – The Warrior Kings Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (Deluxe edition)
It is hard to figure out exactly when this and Vol 2 was released. Honestly, it’s just a bunch of good ol’ fashioned blues rock. The singer is the drummer, but still manages to hit the snare on two. If you are in the mood for a less aggressive blues rock, since every other band is intent on murdering the genre with speed and teenage angst, then give both discs, at least Vol 1, a listen. Pretty good album cover art. Might be for some specific version of disc one…
4/5 if you like blues rock.
Bubba James – Fearful Leaders
Atmospheric Blues Rock? Yes. No vocals, just guitars shredding and chugging the entire time? Yes. Does it sound good? Yes. Would this be boring live? Probably. Thirteen supercharged overdriven motively and harmonically developed guitar counterpoints. Shares a lot in common with math rock without sounding stupid. Good video game music. Dumb looking album cover art.
4/5