Karnivool - Asymmetry (2013)

"Break the mold
Let's shake the ground
Wreak havoc"

I saw these guys live on their recent European tour and as the hours led up to it, I became more and more excited. Perhaps because I've liked Karnivool for a number of years, and since they are from Australia, thought it unlikely that I'd see them. I don't even remember how I got into them, possibly something to do with Cog (which I've reviewed previously). They also seemed to be in the exact opposite place that I was when they came to tour North America and Europe, but we finally ended up in the same city! They fucking killed it, tons of energy and the crowd (to my great surprise) was going crazy singing and dancing. I was pretty shocked to hear most of the club sing along to a song from their first full length album: 2005's Themata. Karnivool is five guys from Perth, Australia, which consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Though touring somewhat relentlessly in their home country, it took a few years for them to crack out of that and into the rest of the world. All of a sudden I was hearing about a US tour and a special release date for their 2009 album Sound Awake. This, of course was great news to me since I had liked them before that. It seems that Karnivool is making a name for themselves on the other side of the world. And with this year's Asymmetry out for the masses to consume, they continue their push forward.

 Upon first listen I definitely liked this album, but it actually took several for me to really fall in love with it, and when I did I fell hard. It is more challenging than the band's previous releases, but that only makes it more rewarding. Where Sound Awake had long songs, I felt a couple of them went on too long with not much gain, Asymmetry keeps them concise, even 7-8 minute tracks are fully worthwhile. Karnivool seems to have grown and come into their own with this album, at least it shows immensely on it.

The album begins with a somewhat ambient track 'Aum', which slowly brings your ears to the surface before beginning with the first proper track. As 'Nachash' opens, the music swells and crests, and though it doesn't tear into you, it easily sets the tone for the rest of the record. 'We Are', the album's single, is indeed a standout track. It has a chorus that sticks in your head and won't leave. But just because it's catchy doesn't mean it leaves behind its complexity. After 'We Are' comes to a quieter close, now is where Karnivool unexpectedly rip into you with 'The Refusal'. Here Kenny is practically screaming at you, we hear the almost fed up anger in his voice. Part like he's given up, and part like he is still hopeful for a future. The song changes between roaring vocals and softer, almost speak-singing lyrics. The album continues along the same lines we hear at the beginning, not to say it sounds the same, but the mood is relatively constant. I see this as an asset however, giving Asymmetry cohesion (perhaps an oxymoron here). Every song is quite strong in my opinion. Including the last full track 'Alpha Omega', though clocking in at almost 8 minutes there isn't a moment wasted to get the idea and message across. Though the mood is quieter, it makes the lyrics more powerful for the listener. When Kenny, with all his conviction, tells you repeatedly: "This ain't no ordinary life" - you believe him.And though his lyrics don't always shine with incredible beauty, they ring true, something that should also be praised.

Though classified as progressive metal, Karnivool has an extra kick in their step that you don't hear from some other bands in the genre. They form together well, and though Kenny's voice is the leader in the dance, the members ebb and flow perfectly with their instruments. Strong songs make for a great album, and that is what Asymmetry is. It shows no weakness at any point and takes the listener on a worthwhile journey.You can feel the singing and instruments playing around you as you listen, this album has depth to it. An excellent third full-length by this Australian band. I'm almost too engrossed in this to even wonder what's next for Karnivool.

Paramore - Paramore (2013)

 

"Lost the battle, win the war
I'm bringing my sinking ship back to the shore
We're starting over, we'll head back in
There's a time and a place to die but this ain't it"

Oh, Paramore. I can admit that I think you are awesome. Your songs are catchy, pop-rocky, a little bit angry sometimes, a little bit sad others, and just in general really fucking enjoyable. I first heard 'Misery Business' from 2007's Riot! on Guitar Hero. Yep. This song was my gateway drug in to your music. The addiction came to a new level when I heard 'crushcrushcrush' off the aforementioned album. From Riot! I explored All We Know Is Falling (2005). I fell hard for Hayley Williams' vocals and lyrics with guitar (formerly Josh Farro/now Taylor York), bass (Jeremy Davis) and drums (formerly Zac Farro) backing it up. Though maybe only minimal growth between these two albums, I still think these songs are great and listen to them occasionally. They were able to keep my attention, until, in 2009 Paramore released Brand New Eyes. This showed a real progression for the band in general, and particularly for Hayley as a vocalist/lyricist. There was no longer only one volume on the record, but a more vast dynamic range all around. This was actually no longer just a catchy band, but an interesting band that could hold their own. Clearly they were writing good music that served as radio hits but also had something more to it. I had Brand New Eyes on repeat and still take it out frequently. Cut to approximately a year later where the Farro brothers leave the band in a rather dramatic fashion - making a blog post about their struggles to have more say in the music and painting Williams as the sole controller and focus of the band. Whether there is truth to it or not is irrelevant to me. Now only 3: Williams, Davis and York, forged ahead anyway as the new incarnation of Paramore. I wasn't too worried since, as per usual, what I liked most about Paramore was the vocals of Hayley, but of course I was curious to where they were going to go next and how they were going to follow up Brand New Eyes. In summer 2011 they released a new single: 'Monster'. Practically a 'fuck you' to anyone who should question their commitment to the band and making music, and a promise to fans that they would continue to be Paramore. A phenomenal song (which I have probably overplayed but am not tired of somehow), with lyrics "I'll stop the whole world from turning in to a monster and eating us alive". They continued in the fall to release 3 additional songs for their 'Singles Club'. Another 3 amazing tracks that I also couldn't get enough of. Needless to say I was entirely psyched for the new album, expecting it to sound along these lines. A small step up from Brand New Eyes and with a new found defiance and energy to them, I was satisfied. It was not until April 2013 however, that the 3 members of Paramore (with additional drummer Ilan Rubin, also of Nine Inch Nails) released their self-titled album. I was looking forward to it of course, but it was nothing like I expected. In fact, it was infinitely better.

If Brand New Eyes was a large step up from Riot!, this album is on another planet entirely. Still distinctly Paramore but with so much more. They tried out many different styles here, and it worked. In an interview Williams describes trying everything once and seeing how far they can take things on the album. This is certainly true. Each song is a gem in its own special way, and each song is very special. Consisting of 17 songs and running at about an hour, this is already a pretty intense album for Paramore. Though 3 of these songs are interludes, they can still stand on their own pretty well. Here we hear more dynamic range, more interesting music, and Williams maturing as a vocalist. You don't feel like she's screaming out any more. The lyrics even focus on this fact, song 'Grow Up' for example: "Some of us have to grow up sometimes And so, if I have to I'm gonna leave you behind". Interludes 'Moving On' and 'I'm Not Angry Anymore' say this in no uncertain terms as well, and 'Ain't It Fun' tells of living on your own and taking care of yourself. No more high school drama for Williams, she's living her adult life now. There is some focus on their new incarnation as a band, as is to be expected. But it's a nice thing to hear they are moving on with their passion for music.

Though the tracks may sound like they take on a more serious air, there is still plenty of fun mixed in. In fact 'Ain't It Fun' is a real foot tapper, with some Motown channeling at the end. The love song 'Still Into You' (and the album's second single after 'Now') has an upbeat vibe to it that makes you want to sing along and rock that air guitar, it's a fun, feel good song by the band. Opening track 'Fast In My Car' catches your attention with its quicker beat and 'Now' is another energetic track focused on looking ahead to the future.

Though all the tracks stand out for various reasons, one of the most interesting songs for me (though not necessarily favourite on the album) is the closer 'Future', clocking in at almost 8 minutes. Which is insanely long for a Paramore song, with most being around or under 4 minutes. The track ambles about a bit, hitting different styles and finishes the last two minutes in what I would describe as a post rock style. The first time I heard it I thought my music player had switched to a different band entirely (This Will Destroy You was my guess at the time), but nope it was still Paramore!

In general the band's new self-titled is polished, mature, interesting and actually continues to offer a lot with each listen. It is less one-dimensional than their previous efforts, while remaining true to the sound of Paramore. This time around they bring a lot more styles and sounds and it seems they've really grown as a band. Normally I wouldn't say that a Paramore album should be so respected but what they've done here is beyond what you would come to expect from these 3. Awesome album and kudos to them! Seems it's already getting a lot of praise, as it should. I have a feeling it's going to be the pop-rock album of the year for me (not that I listen to too much of that stuff but you know).

Deftones - Koi No Yokan (2012)

"We're alive somewhere else Still asleep someplace new"

This album has been out for a few months now, and I finally feel that I have something to say about it. I don't quite remember how I got in to the Deftones... Possibly it started with White Pony's (2000) song 'Passenger', which features Maynard James Keenan on vocals with lead vocalist Chino Moreno. This is still one of my favourite Deftones songs, possibly one of my favourite songs ever actually. I think these guys are one of the bands that I listen to that have shown a very clear progression. Not just changing it up between albums but progressing to a new space while building on the previous sound. They also do not need too much of an introduction in my opinion. Formed in the late 80s and with 7 albums currently out, Deftones consists of the aforementioned Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter on lead guitar, Abe Cunningham on drums, Frank Delgado on keyboards, Chi Cheng on bass (though sadly, he remains in a coma and is currently not with the band - good vibes to him and hope that he recovers!!), therefore Sergio Vega is the current bassist. This is a band that is still made up of its original members, quite impressive and rather rare I'd say. Perhaps this solidarity is what contributes to their perseverance, dedication and well, being awesome at music. Though typically the genre thrown around with the Deftones is some form of 'metal', for example 'alternative metal', it's still hard to pigeon hole them in to a singular spot. And with influences/favourite artists that range from Duran Duran to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Helmet and all that is in between, it's easy to see why they may not fit in to a particular sound. From crushing metal to soft rock, their sound can vary between moments in the songs themselves. This makes them an exciting band to listen to, you are often never sure what to expect on the first listen. Of course, their back catalogue is worth listening to, each is a strong album in my opinion. Though I prefer their recent stuff, it seems a bit more polished while still maintaining the raw intensity that the band is great at translating to an album. White Pony (maybe not so recent since it is now 12+ years old..) is frankly an incredible piece of work, pretty much the quintessential Deftones album.

Koi No Yokan translates to 'Love's Premonition', hardly a title you'd expect from an arguably "dark" band. But perhaps if you take it in context of the fact that it is the follow-up to 2010's Diamond Eyes, you can see why. After Cheng's accident in late 2008, fans maybe expected an angry, rough album from the Deftones as they continued on in the meantime. However, what came out was a powerful, almost triumphant full length. It was as if they were saying, "yes we're still here and life isn't over yet, so we'll pull through for our brother", they showed their true colours through their music and they didn't give up because they knew that's what their bandmate would want. (This is of course just the feeling that I get from listening to the album, to each their own, and Diamond Eyes isn't an ode to Chi, at least not overtly, it's still just a killer album). This was all after temporarily (hopefully) putting away the recorded album Eros, and recording a whole new album instead. But more than 2 years later the band continues on with Vega on bass while Cheng recovers, and releases Koi No Yokan. I read a few reviews of this album just before the release date and saw that it was being compared to White Pony, thus getting my excitement up even more. With this album, it's almost as if they continued on the powerful path of Diamond Eyes but had the cohesiveness and focus of White Pony.

Like Diamond Eyes, Moreno's voice ranges from confident and loud to soft and reflecting. To me the lyrics aren't so important from this band, and Moreno has stated that he makes them deliberately ambiguous. He has a special talent for conveying emotion without the weight of important words behind them. You probably don't know what he's feeling but you can take a lot out of it nonetheless. What he's saying isn't so important but how he says it gives meaning to how it makes you feel. With Chino at the microphone an innocuous phrase can become a powerful statement. And though I don't necessarily get the feeling of joy on this album, it carries with it a certain feeling of strong will.

A Deftones album is hard to describe, because it's just the Deftones doing what they do best. And this is no exception. Of course any fan will be pleased with Koi No Yokan. For me this is a continuation on the Deftones progression, the next step after Diamond Eyes. They perform with vigour, integrity, emotion, and power. It's the Deftones of 2012, and it's pretty fucking great.