The Rundown: Ill Nino, Anberlin, Issues, Aaron Lewis, Hotel Diablo
The latest edition of the Rundown takes looks at new releases from Ill Nino, Anberlin, Issues, Aaron Lewis, and Hotel Diablo.
File Under: Latin Metal?
Ill Nino – Epidemia
(Victory): On Epidemia, Ill Nino’s
sixth studio release, the Jersey-born band brings the heavy, and not just any
heavy – this is flat out heavy. Case in point is “La Epidemia” featuring Emmure
frontman Frankie Palmeri, a track that really speaks to Epidemia on the whole – it’s heavy just for heavy’s sake.
Continuing a trend that really came to light on 2010’s Dead New World, the Latin rhythms that once fueled Ill Nino’s core
sonic aesthetic (and made them a standout metal act) have not only taken a
backseat, they’ve been pushed to the brink of obscurity, replaced with an industrial
pulse prevalent mostly on pulsating stompers like “the Depression” and “Eva,”
though this band proves they can still spin straw into gold with the closing
track “Invisible People,” a track that caps off Epidemia in rather striking fashion. Judging by Epidemia it seems Ill Nino’s best days
may be behind them, though they’re a band prone to an impressive outburst here
and there.
Grade: C+
Go Download: “Invisible People”
File Under: Polished Hard Rock
Anberlin – Vital (Universal
Republic): On Vital, Anberlin’s sixth
studio album, gone is the emotive pop that fueled its predecessor Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place, since
replaced by a noticeable heaviness replete with electronic flourishes.
Regardless of any aural changes Anberlin has endured over the past few years, Vital is still a record centered around
the captivating vocal display put on by frontman Stephen Christian, who, when
reunited with producer Aaron Sprinkle (who produced the band’s Blueprints for the Black Market, Never Take
Friendship Personal, and Cities records),
has the band sounding as if they are ready to take the next step. Vital, while melodic in nature, sounds more
like an arena-ready hard rock album, driven by angular, anthemic cuts (“Little
Tyrants,” “Someone Anyone”). But Vital
is a bit more complex than that, as evidenced by brooding, electronic
underpinnings (“Innocent,” “Other Side”), which makes for one hell of a
challenging record, one that will continue to reward with each listen.
Grade: B+
Go Download: “Other Side”
File Under: Rock
Hotel Diablo – The
Return to Psycho, California (Scarlet): A potent cocktail of badassery and
debauchery, garnished with just the right amount of raunch is one hell of an
apt description of the Return to Psycho,
California, the latest from Hollywood’s favorite sons Hotel Diablo. Mix in
production from the vaunted Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit) and
you have a rock record that sounds as much a throwback to mid-80’s Sunset Strip
hard rock as it does today’s modern rock scene. If for some reason you only
catch one of the venomous riffs off the
Return to Psycho, California, make sure its “Set It Off,” by far one of the
coolest rock tunes you’ll hear this year. And so goes the Return to Psycho, California, a record emblazoned with malicious,
towering guitar work that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up
(“Taken,” “Wicked Lines”) and hell, the Tinseltown foursome even toss in an
admirable, honest cover of Oasis’ classic “Wonderwall” for good measure. Though
there’s morethan a few nods to their hard rock predecessors of yesteryear,
Hotel Diablo’s the Return to Psycho,
California sounds ultimately fresh, which is NEVER a bad thing.
Grade: B+
Go Download: “Wicked Lines”
File Under: Spruced Up Metalcore
Issues – Black Diamonds
(Velocity/Rise): Black Diamond, the
debut EP from Issues, aka Woe, Is Me V.2, featuring former WIE frontmen Tyler
Carter and Michael Bohn, is an interesting animal. On one hand you have the
title cut, which features a dubstep beat and auto-tuned vocals that utter the
line “we keep the cash on deck,” while on the other hand, there’s the
blistering “King of Amarillo,” a track that should whip throngs of dance pits
worldwide into a swirling frenzy of moving limbs. And it’s that diversity that defines
Black Diamonds on the whole – in
order to fully enjoy what Issues can offer sonically, you have to take the good
with the bad. And to be completely honest, there really isn’t all that much bad
to wade through on Black Diamonds,
aside from the occasional bout of electronica and the like. “The Worst of Them”
is a wade through the shallow waters of emotionality (perhaps the lightest
track Black Diamonds has to offer),
“Love Sex Riot” (featuring Fronz) is a straight up, stone cold killer fueled by
soaring guitars designed to shatter (Ok, decimate) ear drums, and “Princeton
Ave” is somehow somewhere in the middle of the both the latter and the former.
As was previously said, Black Diamonds
is a different breed of animal, one that will surprise you, hell, blow you away,
if you give it the chance.
Grade: B
Go Download: “Love Sex Riot” (featuring Fronz)
File Under: Country, Seriously
Aaron Lewis – The
Road (R&J/Blaster): While it might be jarring to hear Aaron Lewis, the
lead throated Staind frontman, waxing country on his debut long player the Road, this album shows that the hard
rock troubadour has the chops to succeed in the country game. The Road stumbles out of the gates with
the entirely too long “75,” a listless track that prattles on for nearly six
minutes, though the album gets better as it progresses. The high-end twang of
the subsequent title track has a vague Hank Williams vibe, while “Endless
Summer” registers as a surefire hit single. The
Road’s song structures aren’t anything new, and it’s evident Lewis isn’t
trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to songwriting as he makes sure to
touch on all of the country music staples – Patriotic love (“Red, White and
Blue”), family (“Lessons Learned”) and broken relationships (“Forever”). Though
this album isn’t perfect, it comes off honest and above all else you have to
give Lewis credit for stepping outside the box and trying something new,
regardless of the results.
Grade: C+
Go Download: “Endless Summer”
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