Here’s a quick round-up of news items I saw today. I may have more later . . .
SOILWORK
That’s a really good promo shot up there, don’t you think? It was taken by Hannah Verbeuren. Could there be a relationship to the band’s fabulous drummer Dirk Verbeuren?
In addition to seeing that great photo, I also saw the news that Soilwork’s new album, The Living Infinite, is going to be a double-album. According to the band’s front dude Björn “Speed” Strid , it will be: “A REAL double album, in the true sense of the word, which means no fillers and no left-overs.”
Oh, let’s hope that will prove to be true! And let’s further hope that with all that extra room it will include the kind of harder-edged, melodeath marauders like “Needlefeast”, “Follow the Hollow”, “Like the Average Stalker”, and “The Chainheart Machine” that Soilwork once enjoyed delivering, in addition to the catchy, poppier, cleanly sung stuff that dominated The Panic Broadcast (2010). I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy that last album, because I did, but I kept waiting for something with real teeth in it . . . and waited in vain. Now I’ll start waiting again . . . .
On the other hand, I don’t think lack of teeth will be the problem with this next band’s new album.
PIG DESTROYER
Pid Destroyer’s next album, Book Burner, is due for release by Relapse on October 22. I’m beyond stoked for it. Until today, all I’d heard was a snippet of a song called “Underground Man”, but my head started smoking after just a few seconds; the clip’s not long enough to cause spontaneous combustion. You can listen to the clip here.
But today, Relapse started streaming a teaser clip that includes more music, and it was enough to cause me to run for a bucket of water to douse my fuckin’ head. It’s just below. Also, in more welcome news, Book Burner became available for pre-order today HERE.
THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA
I also saw today the announcement by Black Market Activities that on October 23 it will be releasing Danza IIII: The Alpha – The Omega, the fourth and final album by The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza. This release will be a bit different, it appears, due to a slimmed-down line-up in which Josh Travis plays all the instruments, with Jessie Freeland handling the vocals. Here’s a quote from Josh Travis that peaked my interest, though I would have been interested in this album anyway:
“For this album, Jessie and I were looking to create more of a visceral vibe than a completely technical vibe. There’s parts that do still get a bit chaotic of course, but not nearly as much as the avid listener is used to. Everything about this record is way more to the point, with much more heart put into it rather than just seeing how many notes could be thrown into a part or seeking to create ‘the heaviest shit ever’ or any of that nonsense. The record being titled The Alpha – The Omega, to us symbolized the beginning and the end of Danza. Jessie and I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it for you all.”
The artwork for the album, which I like, was created by Michael J. Windsor.
Also, the album is now up for pre-order HERE.
And last but certainly not least, today we have the first track to debut from the album. It’s called “You Won’t”, and it proves the truth of that Josh Travis quote up there. It’s visceral, as in it kicks you right in the viscera, and then takes a hammer to your kidneys for good measure, while drilling into your skull with some whirring, needle-sharp guitar leads and then scrambling the gray matter with a centrifuge of a solo. Fuckin’ raw, freaked-out, turbocharged bludgeoning. Check it:
19 Responses to “SEEN AND HEARD: SOILWORK, PIG DESTROYER, AND THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The Panic Broadcast sucked, and it wasn’t because it was full of poppy songs. It was because the clean singing in it was just lifeless. The whole band seemed to be going through the motions. I say this as someone who firmly believes Stabbing the Drama and Sworn to a Great Divide are the band’s best works. I’m really apprehensive about the new one, and will probably pass it up unless I get hooked up to a promo.
Pig Destroyer: looking forward to it.
TTDTE: I will never listen to this band, for the same reason I’ll never listen to Weekend Nachos. If you’re not going to take yourself seriously, then at least go tongue-in-cheek.
Soilwork: I may have come off more elitist than I intended. I loved those albums, too. I hear the first notes of “Exile”, “Black Star Deceiver”, and “Stabbing the Drama”, and can’t help but break out a big smile.
TTDTE: Not sure I’m following you. They do have a humorous side for sure, but how does that detract from the music?
Exile is a catchy number… but it’s one of the most boring song’s they’ve ever written. It’s just an excuse for the vocal melody. There’s nothing else to the song.
You make me smile, too.
Just their name. We’ve discussed band names before, and I just forgot about that one. It’s probably the worst one ever. (I’m open to being proven wrong.)
I don’t get it. How is that name not anymore serious than some of the more ‘serious’ bands out there? Flawed logic there pal.
I… don’t udnerstand this comment?
Are you actually asking how someone could consider “The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza” a silly name?
Cue vomitus for a message board slag-off/Expert opinin time. Ugh.
Ah, I see. You’re having a conversation with yourself.
Well, don’t let me interrupt.
The Panic Broadcast was awesome. Loved the clean singing and it didn’t take away from the power of the songs otherwise. Great songwriting and some killer riffs. Definitely recalled what made A Predator’s Portrait the best of the best of the best. And definitely a step up from the half killer, half filler of StD, and the generally uninspired and insipid Sworn To A Great Divide, which was more Godsmack than Soilwork in places.
Apprehensive, but hopeful about the new record.
Being apprehensive about the new one is the only thing we agree on.
I’ve never really paid that much attention to Tapdance. I’ve heard one of their songs before and it was good, but it wasn’t compelling enough for me to check out the rest of their stuff. This song is great though, so I’m totally going to look out for more music by these guys.
You forgot Early Graves! The new song is great, you can catch it over at Pitchfork: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/14133-red-horse/.
The drum beat reminds me of something Coffins would play.
Ah, thanks for the reminder about what a moron I’ve been for forgetting to check out that Early Graves track. Doing that now . . .
Oh man . . . that track is pure radioactive punk head explosion. So glad this band has survived Makh Daniels’ death. Interesting coincidence that over on another post you and I were just talking about Discharge.
Hehe, yeah. I’m kinda in the same position with Early Graves as I am TDTDE… although prior to this song I wnted to get into EG, but I found what I heard by them back then to be too noisy for my tastes. Now that I’m experienced with noisy music I think I can decipher what’s going on much more easily.
Can we have more from The Funeral Pyre instead? Such a good band.
I’ve only heard a little by them I think, and that was probably more than a year ago.
Releasing song teasers is like being in the middle of jerking it when the doorbell rings and you realize your grandma has come for a surprise visit.
Unless your grandfather has a super young, sexy bride, then I guess it would be the opposite of that….
Or your grandma is a super old sexy bride….