Live show review: Destruction of Modern Man

The Lynnwood Azteca was shaken to pieces on Oct. 25th.

...Okay, that's not true. But it definitely shook. I felt it.

Seattle-based rock band Destruction of Modern Man performed at Azteca in Lynnwood, WA in a show with a rather odd combination of genres. There was a folk singer/guitarist, two R&B singers, and a Mexican hard rock band.

And then there was DOMM.

Destruction provides a sound that isn't typical and hard to compare. They take the modern sound of indie music, which has become so popular in recent years, and combine it with an aggressive edge, reminiscent of post-grunge bands like Tonic and Foo Fighters. They sound wild, yet organized, similar to how a timed building demolition looks like a dance.

Despite a rather impromptu sound set-up, the guys sounded great. Everything was crisp and clean, and every note by everyone was heard crystal clear. This being my first time seeing them play (disregarding the travesty at the Balagan Theatre), I was very impressed with the professionalism in which the music was executed.

Stage presence was decent, all 4 of them put a fair amount of effort in driving the music home with their body movement. In the future I would like to see a little more dancing around from the guys, but according to the bassist, Taylor, the Azteca crowd was their biggest crowd to-date. So a certain conservative tendency was completely understandable.

Being that it was 6 days before Halloween, the guys took the season to heart and dressed up a little. Carlos was complete with a black eye (which I personally gave him), Joe and Franklin looked like bank robbers from an 80's movie wearing clear plastic masks, and Taylor looked fresh from a homicide scene, covered almost head-to-toe in blood (which I also helped with).

Keeping in with their destructive nature, DOMM played their final notes while destroying their set-up. Joe kicked his amp over while Carlos took it a step further and speared his. Franklin, pushed his drum set over and kicked it across the floor. And arguably the biggest spectacle of the night, Taylor, normally very loving and careful with his equipment, decided to drop his bass on the floor, snapping the head clean off. After noticing this, he decided to finish the job and slammed the busted bass guitar on the floor until the body splintered and shattered, dropping the electronics out the back of it, which made me think of someone being disemboweled.

Overall it was a powerful and energetic night and I encourage all of you readers to see Destruction of Modern Man, coming to a venue near you.

http://www.destructionofmodernman.com/

CD review: "Through the Bloody Channels, We Raise Our Sails" by Kane Hodder

Kane Hodder got their popularity by straying away from the norm. They don't stick to scales, they play dissonant chords, and it's not uncommon for a crazy lead guitar hook to be played underneath the vocals.

When I first listened to their new internet-only EP, "Through the Bloody Channels, We Raise Our Sails," it seemed as if Kane Hodder had become a victim of their own formula. It was if they had taken the dissonant chords, the crazy guitar leads and blown them out of proportion.

Then I remembered that this was the same way I felt when I first heard their previous release, "The Pleasure to Remain So Heartless." Maybe it's because it's been three years since then that I was having a case of deja vu.

I've since listened to "Bloody Channels" several more times and it's grown on me like a bad tumor. The second song, "The Use of a Tourniquet is Not Advised," starts out with a frantic back and forth guitar riff from guitarist Eric Christianson that, when I first heard it, sounded out of place. Now this is probably my favorite song on the CD. "The Dermatologist Has Been Eaten; Cursed By His own Hubris" opens with a great bassline from Aaron Yost and then kicks into gear with vocalist Andrew Moore's signature voice. It then leads into a gang vocal of "ba ba ba ba"s and a short clap-a-long. Now that's catchy. Moore's signature singing into falsetto into growling scream is as apparent on this song as it's ever been. There is even a short chant of "Be contagious! Be-be contagious!" Name another band that can incorporate a high school cheer into their music and still be brutal. You can't do it. Maybe this is my favorite track...

The album's final track has my favorite title, "Head For High Ground, The River Is Pissed!" This song also starts with a fantastic bassline and seems to be Hodder's most "musical" song to date, in that it doesn't follow the typical Hodder formula, but more of a generic musical formula. Not to say it's a mainstream radio track, it's still Hodder, it just isn't as frantic as most of their other work. It's just a very tight, very smooth flowing song and could possibly be my favorite track on the album.

I'm happy to see Kane Hodder come out of thier hiatus and put out this EP. Although I was unsure about it when I listened to it for the first time, my only complaint about "Bloody Channels" at this point is that it's just too damn short. Here's hoping for a new Hodder full length in the not too distant future.

http://www.hodderrock.com/

CD review: "Bleed the King" by Death First

Buckley band Death First knows how to bring the heavy. They also know how to bring the melody.

Upon first listen, you would most likely compare Death First to Queens of the Stone Age. And you wouldn't be the first. That comparison runs rampant, and the song "Lobotomy on Speed" sounds like it could have come straight off Era Vulgaris.

"Bleed the King" starts off with a bang. The song "Clicking Tongues" is catchy, heavy and just all-around kick-ass. The second track, "Have You Found My Head Yet?," gets even heavier. James Resch's soft and smooth vocals combine with the brutal screaming of guitarist Doug Wohlfeil to create raw power and beauty.

The title track is my personal favorite, starting off with a driving beat courtesy of drummer Dane Hubber and keeps the feeling going with the guitars kicking in hard and heavy, with Wohlfeil's providing his own brand of backup vocals in the form of a gravelly scream. The song never lets up, kicking your ass for two minutes and twelve seconds.

"I Wanna Touch Yourself" brings things back down to reality, with what sounds like a lawnmower in the opening. The song itself is mellower than the previous track, with a groove of a verse which then slams into the chorus, with Resch repeating the sensuous "I want to touch yourself" until the song comes to a fantastic climax. Inuendo intended.

The album takes a drastic turn, right in the middle of the song "Nothing But Shadows." I find this a little disheartening, because this song starts off heavier than any other, with a near metal sound and the turn is unexpected and kind of kills the mood of the song in my opinion. However, it is a good segue towards the final song, "Eyes Lie," which can only be described as an electric ballad.

Overall, this is a great CD by a great band and they truly deserve more credit than they are getting. Apparently there are good things coming out of Buckley. Who knew?

http://www.myspace.com/death1st

CD review: "Preaches the New Wilderness" by Destruction Island

Destruction Island redefines genre-bending.

"Preaches the New Wilderness" is the band's first release since becoming a quartet, with original members Kye Hillig and David Bilbrey adding Daniel Disparte and the man known simply as Yos-Wa to the eclectic mix. The band itself isn't the eclectic part, nor are it's individual members. The mix comes through in the music, with tracks ranging in sound from fast and heavy rock ("Casually Finding a Torso on a Sunday Morning") to danceable indie ("Good Reincarnations") to even country ("The End is Near!").

As well as seemingly redefining every genre with each individual song, the instrumentation also changes. On top of the typical guitar, bass and drums, there are signs of synth, piano, violin and cello. The song "Would It Kill You?" even features all of the above in a smooth melody. The final track on the album, "Holy Waters," is very synth heavy and in honesty, kind of reminds me of a track you would have heard on the old Sonic the Hedgehog games for Sega Genesis. Truly Destruction Island is not your typical indie band, they play what they want and hope you enjoy the ride.

Destruction Island's vocal stylings aren't typical, either. Hillig's voice is still the same one that made Pistol for a Paycheck fans stand up and take notice, only now it's coupled with gravelly screams and falsetto whispers. It's three sounds that in theory don't go together, but in practice make a harmony worth hearing. Fans of Hillig's left-of-center lyrics won't be disappointed with lines such as "I hope you brought a rubber, baby, I ain't fixed and I'm beginning to think you're trying to stick it to me" ("Sex With Strangers: Being Young and Stupid") and "car crash teeth fully aligned, your orthodontist must have had sex on his mind" ("France!").

If you were a fan of the power shown by Pistol for a Paycheck, then Destruction Island may not be for you. The band was first formed because Hillig was writing songs that didn't match the raw adrenaline of PFP. Definitely these songs are not ones you would have heard on any Pistol record. Hillig's songwriting abilities are in no way stifled, however, and any fan should be able to appreciate the stories that are woven throughout "Preaches the New Wilderness."

http://www.myspace.com/destructionisland

CD review: "Pressure in the SODO" by Boss Martians

Vegas money says you've probably heard Boss Martians, even if you don't know it. Their song "Don't Wanna See You Again" is set to be on THQ's new racing game, "Project Baja" and "Hey Hey Yeah Yeah" on Don King's Prizefighter. Not a gamer? Well, you may have also heard "Hey Hey Yeah Yeah" on the newest commercial for E-Trade. No? Well, they don't call it gambling for nothing.

If you haven't heard Boss Martians, you should definitely pick up "Pressure in the SODO." It's catchy synth-rock tunes are enough to get your toe tapping, if not get you straight up out of your seat and moving your tush. Each track has a feeling of "hey, I think I know this song, but for the life of me I can't place it." Well, either you've seen one too many E-Trade commercials, or Boss Martians are just that catchy. My vote goes to the latter.

Guitarist/vocalist Evan Foster's voice fits perfectly into these days' dance rock genre, while standing out on his own making Boss Martians easy to pick out of a crowd. But wait, on track two, "Mars is for Martians," that's not Foster singing... that voice sounds familiar. That's because it's the original Stooge himself, IGGY POP. Well hell, if Mr. Mecklenberg endorses Boss Martians, I'm sold.

From the first note of "Power of Doubt" to the very end of "Elsie," this CD is nothing short of catchy, driven rock. Boss Martians' sound is a classic example of fitting perfectly into their genre while standing out on their own. They should be at the forefront of the synth-rock genre, and I predict they soon will be. I found myself comparing them to bands from Cheap Trick ("And She's Gone") to Cobra Starship ("If You Only Knew") to Oingo Boingo ("No One to No One"), with each and every song containing the winning formula of catchy hooks, singable lyrics and a downright fun rhythm.

I think the biggest compliment I can give Boss Martians is that "Pressure in the SODO" is one of very few CDs that my wife and I can listen to together and both enjoy. Well done, boys. Well done.

http://www.bossmartians.com/

CD review: "Love & Sabotage" by The Oswald Effect

Seattle band The Oswald Effect blasts into the scene with their second release, "Love & Sabotage." The quartet plans on making sure you know and remember their name, and their music, with this extremely powerful CD.

Lead singer Heath Bauer's voice seems to be caught in a torrid love triangle between his regular singing voice, powerful screaming and harmonious falsettos. He could remind some of U2's Bono or fellow Seattleite Zach Davidson, formerly of Vendetta Red and now of Sirens Sister. Bauer sings mostly in a regular tune, with a voice that is completely original without being over the top, occasionally flirting with the power that only a good razor sharp scream can create. This back and forth is most prominent in the song "Roxy Fly" where Bauer will go from screaming straight into a Bono-esque melody.

The flirting comes to a boil in "KGB" when Bauer just gets down right nasty, belting out powerful screaming vocals all through out the chorus. The screams are poetic and strong, not just growling cookie monster grunts. Bauer is a very strong vocalist and the band behind him are no slouches either. Joshua Shepard's guitar lines on this album are both original and refined, creating twists and turns that take you on a trip through the song, not over it. The guitar stands on it's own, but also weaves beautifully with the rest of the music. Casey Brookbush's drums and Jon Carey's bass both ring out confidently, creating a rhythm that long precedes the band's history.

The song "The Most Beautiful Spacesuit" sounds like if you took U2 and had them take music lessons from Motley Crue. Heavy yet melodic, artistic yet danceable. Bauer's other love interest, the falsetto, is never more prevalent than in this song.

The album concludes with the song "Simple Salvation," a track that sounds like a combination of Billy Idol and Bullets & Octane. The rock in this one is pure and thick and sweaty, just the way it should be.

I almost forgot to mention the best part about this CD; IT'S FREE! The band is giving it away for free download over at their website, or you can purchase the actual thing for $8. The Oswald Effect's music is genuine, unique and fun and is definitely worth a listen. Hell... I even probably would have paid.

http://www.theoswaldeffect.com/

Welcome to the new PSN

Welcome to the new home of Puget Sound Noise. We are working on moving the posts over to this new site, making this page pretty and manageable, and writing up some new stuff. Enjoy!