Buy here: Travellers
Buy here mp3: Travellers
Buy here: Andromeda Waiting
Queen’s 40th anniversary is now upon us, and the band plans to pull out all the stops to celebrate this historic occasion. “2011 is an important year for Queen,” said Brian May “and there will be a lot of activity.” Adds Roger Taylor, I can’t believe it’s been that long and that we are still around in such a big way. I’m amazed and grateful!” This yearlong event will be marked by a series of releases, re-releases, special limited-edition items and events around the world.
As the centerpiece in the 40th anniversary celebration, Queen’s entire 15-album studio catalog is being reissued in a series of deluxe editions. Every note is being tweaked, every piece of artwork is being cleaned, freshened up and resourced, wherever necessary, with the legendary Bob Ludwig doing the remastering, working from the original source material. The albums will be released in three waves, staggered over the next year, with the first wave—comprising the first five LPs—coming this spring.
Each studio album will be released in a new two-CD edition, the first containing the updated, remastered original LP, the second disc packed with rarities—and we don’t use the term lightly. Some of these gems have never before seen the light of day, even in crappy bootleg form. To cite a particularly fascinating example, five first-album demos recorded at London’s De Lane Lea Studios in December 1971 were pulled from the only existing copy on the planet—an acetate from May’s personal archives. Not even his bandmates had a copy.
In other anniversary activity, the gallery exhibition “Storm Troopers in Stilettos” opens in London on Feb. 25, with plans in place to tour the exhibit around the world. According to May, this unprecedented event “will highlight in some innovative ways the growth of the ‘Early Queen.’” On April 12, Hollywood will reissue Queen’s debut single, “Keep Yourself Alive” b/w “Son and Daughter,” on seven-inch vinyl in a limited edition coinciding with Record Store Day. And on April 19, the label will issue the band’s Greatest Hits II for the first time in North America. This classic collection includes the rock standards “Under Pressure” and “Radio Ga Ga,” plus many other classics from the second half of Queen’s run, including the worldwide smashes “I Want It All” & “Innuendo.” Additionally, the “Queen on Vinyl” reissue program will be completed this year with the release of the final five studio albums.
Bonus Tracks on the First Five Studio Albums:
QUEEN (1973)
1. Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
2. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
3. Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
4. Liar (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
5. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
6. Mad The Swine (June 1972)
QUEEN II (1974)
1. White Queen (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
2. See What A Fool I’ve Been (BBC Session, July 1973 – 2011 Remix)
3. Seven Seas Of Rhye (Instrumental)
4. See What A Fool I’ve Been (B-side Version, February 1974)
5. Nevermore (BBC Session, April 1974)
SHEER HEART ATTACK (1974)
1. Now I’m Here (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
2. Flick Of The Wrist (BBC Session, October 1974)
3. Tenement Funster (BBC Session, October 1974)
4. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (A Cappella Plus)
5. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 1986)
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1975)
1. Keep Yourself Alive (Long-Lost Retake, June 1975)
2. Bohemian Rhapsody (Operatic Section A Cappella)
3. I’m In Love With My Car (Guitar & Vocal Version)
4. You’re My Best Friend (Backing Track)
5. ‘39 (Live at Earl’s Court, June 1977) TBC
6. Love Of My Life (Live Single Version, June 1979)
A DAY AT THE RACES (1976)
1. Tie Your Mother Down (Backing Track)
2. Somebody To Love (Live at Milton Keynes, June 1982)
3. You Take My Breath Away (Live in Hyde Park, September 1976)
4. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Top Of The Pops, July 1977)
5. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) (HD mix)
Havok are bay area thrash throwbacks/ revivers, i.e., youngsters playing the old stuff: Helstar are old-school power/thrash metal: their new album’s out now.
Both Havok’s Time Is Up and Helstar’s Glory of Chaos have wonderful production: clear, powerful without clipping…. Both have great overall musicianship; speaking as a 25-year guitarist weaned on bay-area thrash metal, thrash can be very difficult shit to play, especially as a group. Both bands do well here, and seemingly easily.
First up: the newbies from Denver, Havok, and their second LP (after 2009’s Burn), produced by James Murphy: Time Is Up drops March 29.
Havok have (the requisite?) generic song titles: for example, “Prepare For Attack,” It doesn’t matter, though: generic or not, it launches out of the gate with a chorus riff difficult to forget, something like “Motorbreath.” It’s furious, articulate shit.
“Fatal intervention” (see with the titles?) parades some nice double kicks, further showcasing the obviously-athletic musicianship.
“No Amnesty” has a cool Djent riff and is a furious song overall, much like “Scumbag in Disguise” (which also has a nice pre-solo break around 2:00), sounding like Forbidden’s “Chalice Of Blood.” I’ve listened to it over and over– it causes air drums every time. You know what I’m talking about.
“D.O.A.”(with its Tom Araya scream at 2:45) has a chorus sounds like something off Vio-lence’s Eternal Nightmare, and “The Cleric” has an “Am I Evil?”-ish flatted fifth intro. “Scumbag in Disguise” is simply great: furious, technical, groovy– everything you could ask for in thrash metal. They’re experts at near-homage: they’re clearly heavily influenced by bay-area thrash (specifically second generation, like Testament or Forbidden), who were heavily influenced by the NWOBHM.
Downside: they’ve got the fairly typical thrash singer: raspy intense talking rather than singing. Think Sean Killian.
Highlights: “The Cleric” (which is somewhat unique musically) and “No Amnesty” (which is totally generic but rocks as hard as anything Testament or Forbidden ever did).
(Also: album cover is perfectly Ed Repka-ish and utterly Metal.)
Next up: Helstar.
For those not in the know, they formed in Texas in 1982. They featured at one time Mike Howe, who went on to front Metal Church, and in return briefly had David Wayne as frontman (who came from Metal Church).
Point: they’ve been around forever, and were at the beginnings of 80s metal. They’re old.
Greatest part: there is no way you could goddamn tell that they’re old: Glory of Chaos rocks like it was 1987. More importantly, Helstar have that something, that uuuh!that Havok don’t.
Havok rock (and they do rock) like they’re great students of the Thrash Metal Experience.
Helstar, however, are the Thrash Metal Experience.
“Alma Negra” (black soul) is fucking awesome, and worth getting if you ignore everything else I’ve written here. A 10 out of 10 power/ thrash metal song. If you’re still interested get “Summer of Hate” and “Monarch of Bloodshed” too.
Metallica: THIS is how you age well. Goddamn.
Singer James Rivery sounds uncannily like Sanctuary/ Nevermore’s Warrel Dane but with more aggression. It’s Rivera that truly makes the album: he can really, completely sing, in all senses of the word, and his articulate voice highlights and accentuates the riffs on Glory of Chaos– when he’s screaming on “Alma Negra” it sounds almost upsetting, like he’s so angry he’s shredding his talented voice to make a point.
Either way, with either album, you’re Golden.
–Horn
Buy here: Time Is Up
Buy here: Glory of Chaos
Buy here mp3: Glory Of Chaos
Tonight in the loft we’re welcoming THE HECTORS & SEASONS to celebrate the release of a split 7″ by both bands. This is the first vinyl release by these highly active local bands. The party gets under way at 7pm!
The Hectors play epic indie rock…the kind meant for arenas. Reminds of Lush meets Pixies.
Seasons play moody indie rock with a smidge o’ brit pop thrown in for good measure.
Local and newly renamed garage rockin’ 3-piece Dirty Smiles come to rock the loft and play some tunes off their recently released (under the old Cab 20 moniker) LP!
You can check out more info HERE
Joining the band are the blues rockin’ LA band, Wake Up Lucid. You can check out a little teaser of the EP they just digitally release below!
Track List:
01. Angelique Kidjo / Summertime 04:21
02. Catherine Ringer and The Renegade Brass Band / Les Joyeux Bouchers 03:03
03. China / Lover man 04:47
04. Dee Dee Bridgewater / Watermelon man 03:04
05. Francoise Hardy and Iggy Pop / I’ll be seeing you 04:07
06. The Jazz Passengers with Deborah Harry / Il n’y a plus d’apres 05:28
07. Jacky Terrasson / La javanaise 03:33
08. Patricia Kaas / Black coffee 03:25
09. Princess Erika / God bless the child 04:02
10. Les Nubians / Autor de minuit 03:07
11. Jane Birkin with Jimmy Rowles / These foolish things 06:39
12. Brigitte Fontaine / La caravane 03:25
13. Elli Medeiros / Sophisticated lady 03:55
14. Boris Vian / J’suis snob 00:56
DL:
http://bulletfile.co.cc/?SmF6el9BX1NhaW50X0dlcm1haW5fMTk5Nw==
