All Out War "Assassins in the House of God" (Victory) Sounds Like: A fistfight between the psychotic thrash of Slayer and the street-level stomp of classic New York hardcore. Also known as metalcore without the fancy haircuts, girl-pants and eyeliner. Grade: B
Sometimes all a band needs in order to deliver its mission statement is a really accurate name, like All Out War. Since its formation in 1993, the band has dished out albums rife with lyrical vitriol and musical slaughter.
Always more of a part-time project than a full-time band, "Assassins in the House of God" is the band's first album since 2003's "Condemned to Suffer." Since then, there has been an absurd increase and interest in bands that meld the riffs of metal bands, from Pantera to In Flames, with the hardcore leanings of bands like Hatebreed. Add to that a formula of screaming/growling the verses while singing for the chorus, "metalcore" has become an overcrowded mess in which finding true talent is difficult. Kudos are due to All Out War for putting out an album that truly bridges the gap between metal and hardcore while still refusing to bow to the trend.
At times, guitarists Jim Antonelli and Jim Bremmer declare war with machine-gun-fire riffs, napalm solos like the legendary tandem of Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King of Slayer, but will churn out breakdowns and grooves reminiscent of classic Cro-Mags. Drummer Lou Iuzzini and bassist Erik Carillo provide a solid rhythm section that veers from knuckle dragging floor-punchers to full-on double bass rampages. All this while vocalist Mike Score screams his head off about how religion is a failed justification for murder and injustice.
The album borders on overwhelming, but the relatively short length of the CD remedies this. The assault on the ears never lets up and never gets boring and arduous unlike most metalcore albums. Then again, All Out War is not most metalcore bands. More metal than hardcore, the band evokes classic Slayer in the most positive of ways.
While this is not going to be considered a classic of the genre, like Converge's "Petitioning the Empty Sky" or Hatebreed's "Satisfaction is the Death of Desire," "Assassins in the House of God" is infinitely better than anything the fashion-obsessed bands currently crowding the scene continue to dish out. Metal and hardcore fans could learn a lot from this crew of masters. Very good, but nothing spectacular.
-ANDREW YONKI
Black Sabbath "The Dio Years" (Rhino/Wea) Sounds Like: Dio in all his glory. Grade: A
At long last, a compilation has been released that successfully captures one of the most controversial eras of one of the greatest bands of all time. In 1980, Black Sabbath was finished with Ozzy Osbourne but not finished as a band, so it brought in another legend - Ronnie James Dio.
With a new front man came a new sound. The band was already moving away from the toned down, distorted guitars and heavy bass of its early days and progressing to a more polished and faster sound, perfectly in synced with Dio's vocals. Lyrically, the band's subject matter continued to grow and became about more than drugs, the occult and the horrors of war. The band began to write songs that amounted to mini epics influenced by "Lord of the Rings," in addition to all the good stuff rock stars sing about.
Finally, there is the new ingredient: Dio. Musically, Dio is superior to Ozzy. He switches tones and octaves rapidly, unlike Ozzy, whose voice remained relatively the same. As a front man, admittedly, most people will think Ozzy was better, but that's not what this is about. "The Dio Years" does not cheapen or attempt to surpass the Black Sabbath we all know and love with Ozzy. Instead, it highlights a great era of a great band that is often overlooked.
-TODD MATHY
"Do You Trust Your Friends?" Stars (and various artists) (Arts & Crafts) Sounds like: Discordant takes on otherwise saccharine indie pop Grade: B-
A few years ago, a concert for the Canadian band Stars was met with a pointed reaction from Pitchforkmedia critic Nicholas Sylvester: "pop music for assholes."
The Broken Social Scene brethren from Arts & Crafts Records make use of tender lyrics and hushed vocals that typically come off as little more than cute, fluffy pop songs. Stars don't exactly beget much depth, but their music is solid fare.
"Do You Trust Your Friends?" is an album of remixes of those fluffy pop songs, taken from Stars' 2004 album, "Set Yourself on Fire." Like the recent collection of Feist remixes released last year, "Do You Trust Your Friends?" contains huge departures from the originals to the point where songs are practically unrecognizable.
"Reunion," a catchy jingle from the original album, is given an upbeat edge with a little bit more soul by labelmate and Broken Social Scene alum Jason Collett. "Ageless Beauty," another sticky-sweet song featuring singer Amy Millan's near-whisper, is infused with banjo twang by The Most Serene Republic. Both remixes are instant gratifications, actually making two decent songs even better.
Metric's remix of "He Lied About Death" is pretty so-so, lacing the original with more chirps and beeps but not exactly improving on an old formula. "Celebration Guns" is redone by Camouflage Nights, a dense and somewhat bizarre revamping of Stars' original. The first "Celebration Guns" is notable for its simplicity, and much of its stark beauty is lost in translation.
Easily the best remix on "Do You Trust Your Friends?" is Final Fantasy's take on "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead." Millan's voice is distanced from the melody and a haunting violin line hovers overhead. The original song is somewhat morose, its meaning lost in its soaring pop qualities. The remix is somber but really quite beautiful, proving that sometimes all it takes to transcend the "pop music for assholes" benchmark is a helping hand.
-JEN TURNER
