Pageant's

Album: Opal Hill Drive
Artist: Opal Hill Drive
Label: Independant, 2008
Reviewer: Shauna Brock

Track List:
1. Opal Hill Drive
2. Damage Done
3. The Past
4. Something’s Wrong
5. I Don’t Wanna die
6. Table for Two
7. Taking Its Toll
8. What Age Brings
9. Lil Miss Do No Wrong
10. Listening
11. Baby Blue
12. Everything

Just when you start to feel like there will never be as fantastic a time in music again as when Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles were ruling the airwaves, a small band out of Utah comes along to change everything.

Opal Hill Drive, a seven piece band consisting of Miles Crocket on piano, Doug Tolman on bass, Jason Dowdle on lead guitar, Joe Woodward on rhythm guitar, the father/daughter team of Dru Gilbert on drums and Maddy Gilbert on lead vocals, and Jeddie Duffey on lead vocals and rhythm guitar has emerged with a bang from Salt Lake City. Billing themselves as good, classic rock, it’s easy to think that they’re trying to simply capitalize on the sound so many of us cut our baby teeth on. But, take one listen at a show or to their self-titled debut CD and all of those ideas fly right out the window. Owning a sound that is obviously inspired from the classic country and rock bands of the seventies, they bring their own twist on the genre and creates a sound that is Western but hardly Country. The group brings an instant sense of the Western mentality that is shaped by high mountains, homey valleys, sweeping plains, salt deserts, and the blue collar attitude that is a part of every day life in the world West of the Rockies. Songs such as “Opal Hill Drive” and “I Don’t Want to Die” speak of daily sacrifice, hard work, and an understanding that life keeps moving even while, at times, we seem to stand completely still.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the group is the achingly haunting voice of lead vocalist Maddy Gilbert. Her smooth, clear vocals bounce beautifully off the scratchy voice of co-lead Jeddie Duffey. Maddy’s voice is daring and confident and she takes control of the songs with the same ability as her predecessors Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie. She shines through on each song and despite how easy it is to get lost in a band as large as Opal Hill Drive, she carries the group with confidence on her small shoulders. And, as time goes on, it is clear her vocal skills will get even stronger.

While each song on the album is a treat for the ears, highlights definitely include “What Age Brings,” “Baby Blue,” and the heartbreaking “Table for Two.”

Over the course of the album, Opal Hill Drive proves they are as capable of beautiful guitar solos on songs such as “Damage Done” as much as they are hard rockin’ vocals on pieces like “Taking Its Toll.” And while it is easy to dismiss “local” bands, there is no question as to their passion to create quality music. The album is beautifully mastered and it is hard to believe that it is a small, independent production; it leaves questions as to the professionalism of this small, “local” band.

If this is just the beginning, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Album: American Soldier
Artist: Queensryche / www.myspace.com/queensryche
Label: Rhino, 2009
Reviewer: Shauna Brock

Track List:
1. Silver
2. Unafraid
3. Hundred Mile Stare
4. At 30,000 Feet
5. A Dead Man’s Stare
6. The Killer
7. Middle of Hell
8. If I Were King
9. Man Down
10. Remember Me
11. Home Again
12. The Voice

It was with nervous trepidation that I took the extra time on March 31st to pick up the new Queensryche album, American Soldier. On the drive to GrayWhale CD Exchange, I, a long time fan of the band crowned “the thinking man’s metal group” found myself wondering what to expect from the veteran rockers who seemed to have lost their way over the past few years.

It can be argued that Queensryche never truly recovered from the departure of founding guitarist Chris DeGarmo in the late-90’s. To fans who follow the prog-rockers every move, it was clear that DeGarmo’s genius influence on music and lyrics made the band what it was – a harmonious blend of metal and lyrical presence that demanded more from its listeners than any Heavy Metal band had ever, and arguably would ever, demand. Geoff Tate’s lyrical ability is almost as strong as DeGarmo’s but albums have been lacking since his departure and many have felt that part of the band’s soul is missing. The past ten years have produced interesting and underrated albums, all of them good (if not great), but all of them feeling almost-complete and unsure about the tone and direction. Gone were the power house riffs from classics such as Operation: Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land. Even celebrated albums such as Tribe and Operation: Mindcrime II brought Queensryche onto much more classic prog-rock footing, despite guitarist Michael Wilton’s ability to make just about any chord sound metal.

When I made it home after my trip to the local CD exchange, I popped open the liner notes and scanned the lyrics. Instantly, my stomach dropped. Despite having already heard “If I Were King” before purchasing the CD, I found myself confused by the fact that the majority of the songs were not complete Queensryche efforts but instead written by Tate and album producers Kelly Gray and Jason Slater (long time Queensryche collaborators.) Only two of the songs included writing credits for band members other than Tate. Okay, I thought to myself. I’ll see what they give me.

I haven’t stopped listening to the album. Since purchasing it, the only CD that has been in my player more has been the soundtrack to season three of Battlestar Galactica. But anyone who isn’t completely sucked in by Bear McCreary’s arrangement of “All Along the Watchtower” hasn’t been paying attention to music. (But that’s another story.)

As for Queensryche, something clicked with the band this time around.

American Soldier is territory familiar to Queensryche and their fans – a concept album. But this time, instead of a fight against the drug and corporate overlords that truly rule America, it is an honoring of the soldiers who have fought and died for America. Whether you are a pacifist or a hard-line supporter of the United States’ military efforts, there is no mistaking the human element of what war does to a person and to his or her family. Full of personal stories from veterans and soldiers currently serving, American Soldier brings us a different side of war. This time, we view it through the eyes of the vulnerable but brave men and women who volunteer for their service while those of us who stay home pray we will never have to be drafted again. And it is clear that Tate, a son of a military family, has a very personal stake in this recording.

The twelve song collection is the hardest Queensryche has been in a long time and the familiar bass lines and guitar riffs make it clear that Michael Wilton and Eddie Jackson had more influence with the record than the liner notes would indicate. Yet, even with the rougher edge, American Soldier solidifies the mellower, jazzier sound that has been in development since 1997’s Hear in the Now Frontier was released. Now perfected, it is a sound that works for them. Their talent and ability to blend metal and prog together keeps them distinct amid the mess of monotony that is the rock world at the moment. Despite age having caught up with Geoff Tate, the band has crafted a sound that fits his still impressive range and vocal style.

It is impossible to isolate just a few highlights in this collection, although “The Killer”, “If I Were King”, and “Man Down!” count among the most powerful on the CD. With lyrics that do not apologize for acts made during combat, that plead for the resurrection of fallen soldiers, and that face certain death, each track on the album leaves you shivering. The opening track, “Sliver” drop-kicks the listener into boot camp while “Home Again” is a touching ballad that features Tate’s daughter Emily on guest vocals, as a child who sings about her wishes for her father to come home. The band is also not afraid to bring the topic of God into the conversation – after all there are no atheists in fox holes or in the current political fight that has killed over 4,000 American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. But most powerful of all are the words of the soldiers, read before, during, and after the tracks. They are harsh, honest words that give us a glimmer of the truth of what are soldiers have lived and are living through.

As with most Queensryche albums, the lyrics drive the music. The songs, inspired by conversations with current and veteran soldiers, force us as a nation to face the questions we often refuse to ask ourselves about the realities of war. It gives us faces for the names on the Vietnam Memorial. It adds a musical note to our grandfather’s World War II stories. It makes us go back and read that email from our friends who are stationed in Iraq. And it reminds us that each man and woman who makes the choice to salute is making a choice to leave behind an entire world that we in this country often take for granted.

Until March 31, 2009, Queensryche had been depending on the cult hit, Operation: Mindcrime to gather its fan base. Finally giving into the fans three years ago, the group released the sequel to the classic story, giving the masses what they wanted – information about what happened to Nikki and Mary. While one of the strongest of the last few efforts, Operation: Mindcrime II suffered from the same problems as previous releases and without the other half of the Mindcrime storytelling team, much of the soul was lost. 2007’s Take Cover was a valiant and experimental effort of cover songs with everything from Jesus Christ Superstar to Italian opera being covered in the mix, but it too felt incomplete and wanting. Perhaps, many Ryche fans were thinking, it was time to let it go. Perhaps our heroes needed a rest. Perhaps it was time for them to turn to new projects and wait for the lyrics that had always been ahead of their time to be discovered by the next generation.

And then, March 31st, 2009 happened.

For Queensryche, it goes to show that they are at the top of their game when creating characters for their operatic lead singer. Considered one of the best bands at creating a concept album, Queensryche is at its best when an album tackles a specific idea or thread and then brings it to the American public. And American Soldier is quite simply their best effort in over a decade. While not as subversive as Operation: Mindcrime, as polished as Empire, or as internally soul searching as Promised Land, it is gut-wrenchingly honest in its message and is equally as thought provoking. Once again, Queensryche is at the top of the heap when it comes to “thinking man’s metal.” Perhaps it’s finally time we named that genre after them.

Album: Nostradamus
Artist: Judas Priest /www.myspace.com/judaspriest
Label: Sony/Epic, 2008
Reviewer: Shauna Brock

Track List:

Act 1
Dawn of Creation
Prophecy
Awakening
Revelations
The Four Horsemen
War
Sands of Time
Pestilence and Plague
Death
Peace
Conquest
Lost Love
Persecution

Act 2
Solitude
Exiled
Alone
Shadows in the Flame
Visions
Hope
New Beginnings
Calm Before the Storm
Nostradamus
Future of Mankind

If Judas Priest was hoping to bring back the punch of the all-powerful metal concept album with their recent release, Nostradamus, they failed. The solid effort is peppered with everything from fantastic lyrical quality to operatic harmony, and yet there is something that falls flat when the album is taken as a whole. And, when you’re listening to a concept piece, it’s that sense of completion that matters.

Paling in comparison to great concepts such as The Who’s Tommy and Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime, it can safely be said that Nostradamus falls into the same category as the second in the Mindcrime saga – a good listen, but one that needs to grow on the listener and tries far too hard for what it offers. While stronger than Operation Mindcrime: II, Nostradamus lacks the punch of the stories of characters like Nikki and Dr. X. This is a hard disconnect to reconcile given the material Judas Priest was working with and the power of the legends of Nostradamus. Despite that, I was easily able to imagine how the concert would look live as an intriguing rock opera production. But, Priest was trying too hard to make it into an opera and therefore the album side of it fell short. As a result, it’s more about musical masturbation than high quality performance.

At times, the storyline was confusing and it was hard to tell exactly whose perspective Rob Halford was singing from. And, far be it from me to complain about a group growing and changing, but the classic-style Priest pieces really were the most comfortable stuff on the album – it’s as if they themselves weren’t ready to expand on their own style of music.

This isn’t to say that Nostradamus isn’t worth your time or attention. The album is full of so much more than typical metal riffs and screaming – although there are more than a few songs that remind us of why it is that Halford holds the metal throne above even those pioneers such as Tate, Osborne, and Dio. Pieces such as “Nostradamus,” “Pestilence and Plague,” “Death,” and “The Four Horsemen” kicked ass, took names, and did it while driving the plot of the story along. All of them are hard rocking moments in time where Halford’s voice just lets loose and the twin guitars battle it out for domination of heaven and hell. The ethereal moments in “Dawn of Creation,” “Persecution,” and Act II’s introduction, “Solitude,” are haunting and thought provoking and the shining examples of the different roads Priest succeed in traveling down with this album. The intricate guitars of “Peace” combined with simple but meaningful lyrics to remind us that sometimes, the best way to deliver a message is not with a bang, but a whisper.

In the end, Nostradamus proves that a concept album can try too hard. Individually, each song is well crafted and conveys a message with the music as well as the lyrics. But in the efforts made to tell this fascinating story, Priest is often verbose and disconnected from itself. It’s worth the money, and definitely worth multiple turns in your CD player, but I don’t think it’s going to end up in the concept album hall of fame.

Title: Fast Times At Barrington High
Artist: The Academy Is…
Record Label: Fueled By Ramen 2008
Reviewer: Vicki Kinnaird

1. About A Girl
2. Summer Hair = Forever Young
3. His Girl Friday
4. The Test
5. Rumored Nights
6. Automatic Eyes
7. Crowded Room
8. Coppertone
9. After The Last Midtown Show
10. Beware Cougar
11. Paper Chase
12. One More Weekend

It must be hard being The Academy Is…. In the three-and-a-half years since the release of their debut album <i>Almost Here<i/>, they’ve been completely overshadowed by their more famous friends Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco, and Gym Class Heroes. However, they’ve been churning out new material steadily in that time and have just released their third full-length studio album, <i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/>.

The album’s title is a play on the name of the 1982 coming-of-age movie <i>Fast Times At Ridgemont High<i/>, with the name of the school being swapped for the name of the Chicago high school which The Academy Is… front man and main lyricist William Beckett and bassist Adam Siska attended. The album itself seems to be preoccupied with the high school experience – a little odd considering the fact that Beckett graduated from Barrington High half a decade ago.

Dubious lyrical content plagues the vast majority of the album – constant references to hallways, sleeping in classes, tests, and the tangled love lives of high school students are littered carelessly throughout the tracks, and they wear thin very quickly. After a few songs, the high school talk seems like nothing more than a desperate attempt to appeal to the younger part of the TAI fan base. In fact, it’s fair to claim that some of Beckett’s lyrics are even cringe-worthy. “Beware Cougar” offers the almost embarrassing lyric: “Do you want to tie me up?/ Do you want to tie me down?” Hard to believe this is the same William Beckett who snarled, “Take a long walk off the shortest pier you can find,” on the band’s debut just three years ago.

There’s no disputing that the lyrics of <i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/> are a step in a different direction for The Academy Is…. Lyrics from the band’s previous album, <i>Santi<i/> – which was released less than 18 months ago – were mostly scathing, and a lot more mature.

The band has also ditched the darker sounds of <i>Santi<i/> for a squeaky-clean production, and a dollop of audio UV rays so bright they’re enough to make you squint. Almost every song is infused with the sunshine and warmth of a long summer, and, although it’s nice to frolic in the sun for a bit, it gets very old, very fast. At times, the tracks seem to blur together like a sticky, summery mess, so that the album sounds like one long song that wouldn’t be out of place on a generic soundtrack to a show like <i>Laguna Beach<i/>.

Unfortunately, the shiny, pop-inspired production on <i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/> is where it stumbles most. It’s so slick you could quite easily slip right off it into boredom and even apathy. It’s almost tailor-made for Beckett’s voice, allowing him to excel, and when he hits his stride, his vocals are outstanding. However, the production seems to gloss over the guitars and bass in the body of the songs, meaning only the guitar-led intros and solos stand out. Even then, they all start to sound similar, and the solos seem listless and almost lazy. On the other hand, the band’s drummer, Andy “The Butcher” Mrotek, is given a chance to shine, and his pounding drums stick out by a mile, providing beats perfect for dancing.

While none of the songs on the new album come close to matching the wit and biting sarcasm of TAI’s debut, there are a few standout tracks that cut through the seemingly endless nonsense to remind you that TAI is a band with incredible potential. The opening track, “About A Girl,” has a chorus that you’ll remember long after the rest of the album has been forgotten. The lyrics are clever and endearing, mixing a dose of denial with Beckett’s soaring vocals.

The longest song on the album, “After The Last Midtown Show,” features Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate’s front man Andrew McMahon on piano. The result is a dreamy track about teen romance that is easily one of the best songs on the album. The lyrics show Beckett’s maturity, and this song shows how good The Academy Is… could be, if the majority of their latest offering weren’t so mediocre.

“Automatic Eyes” is another song which stands out on the CD, again due to the fact that the high school lyrics are swapped for something a little more grown up. Once more, the chorus is insanely catchy, hinting at what this album could have been.

Decaydance kingpin and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz claimed that the demos for <i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/> were “mind blowing” and that The Academy Is… “were miles away from where they were.” It’s just a shame that they’ve traveled miles backwards.

<i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/> may be TAI’s third album, but it cannot compete with the third albums of their peers. It’s strange to think that this is the best The Academy Is… could come up with, when <i>The Black Parade<i/> was My Chemical Romance’s third album, and Linkin Park’s third studio effort (remix and mash up albums aside) was the stunning <i>Minutes To Midnight<i/>. TAI’s friends and label-mates Fall Out Boy produced an instant classic and unparalleled success with their third album <i>From Under The Cork Tree<i/>, and <i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/> seems almost pathetic in comparison. The Academy Is… have rushed through their career so far, releasing three albums in just four years, and while their debut release, <i>Almost Here<i/> had swagger, attitude and originality, their new release is sorely lacking. To put it harshly, the majority of the album is boring and even on the first listen the tracks blur together into a very disappointing effort. It’s maddening to know that The Academy Is… can do better. That being said, <i>Fast Times At Barrington High<i/> does have some brilliant moments – they just happen to be few and far between.

For more information in The Academy Is…, visit: http://www.theacademyis.com/
or go to their MySpace, at: www.myspace.com/theacademyis

Album: Indestructible
Artist: Disturbed (www.myspace.com/disturbed)
Record Label: Reprise, 2008
Reviewer: Shauna Brock

Track Listing
01 – Indestructible
02 – Inside the Fire
03 – Deceiver
04 – The Night
05 – Perfect Insanity
06 – Haunted
07 – Enough
08 – The Curse
09 – Torn
10 – Criminal
11 – Divide
12 – Façade

My introduction to the latest release from Disturbed came months ago, when, while listening to 94.9 here in Salt Lake City, I heard the unmistakable vocal of David Draiman and the thudding bass of John Moyer. Disturbed was back, and they were back with a frighteningly evil vengeance. Through the pitiful speakers of my car radio, a conversation between a man and the devil came to life. I remember thinking then that if the rest of the album was as gripping as “Inside the Fire” then the three years since 10,000 Fists would well be worth the wait.

The real question of course is does the rest of the album live up to the superiority of the first radio single? To answer the question – in my opinion, Indestructible may well be the best metal album to date in 2008. From the title track, “Indestructible,” all the way through to the finale of “Façade,” each song builds on the next, creating a cyclonic energy with each of the twelve tracks. It’s Dorothy’s tornado you’ve been dragged into and the world you visit is an alternative Oz where the wicked witch holds power and the wizard you must face is your own inner devil.

Building on the growth of their politically adept 10,000 Fists, Disturbed shows new rage in their range – keeping the sound clearly “disturbing” while exploring the pain of suicide, war, and loss of innocence that have always been the dark draw for the Heavy Metal crowd.

“Inside the Fire” is as catchy as Disturbed gets, but the radio-worthy effort does not compromise lyrics or theme. The video is so graphic that video channels and streaming websites have the freedom to edit as needed and it comes with a disclaimer from Draiman about the back story of the song – his own struggles with the loss of a loved one to suicide.

The album, of course, holds clear elements of the songwriting style of Disturbed – not the least of which is the demonic sound of Draiman’s voice. His dark tone adds power to the album’s conversation with our inner devils.

As with much of Disturbed’s work, the songs have a tendency to run together, which can act against the band. While the choices made do not bother me, and in fact, as I have stated, show clear growth in the band, it does have the risk of turning off potential listeners. I believe, however, that the choices and theme fit Disturbed well and the growth, especially in the lyrical quality of Indestructible, is clear.

Over and over, I hear lamentations about the state of music and how there is so much shit out there that to find the buried gems just isn’t worth it. This gem, born of fire and flame, is easily the best album this year. Indestructible pulls no punches and like every good metal album forces the listener deep into their own psyche. There is no forgiveness and your soul is your own to barter with the devil.