Soundgarden is without a doubt one of the leaders of the grunge movement that began from Seattle's alternative rock scene. They are arguably the most successful bands of the genre (selling over 22 million albums worldwide) and one of the most popular. They also have more crossover appeal and a wider influence than most grunge bands, including Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains.
I first remember hearing about them in 1991 when "Jesus Christ Pose," the first single from Badmotorfinger came out and soon after the video was banned by MTV because of controversial religious imagery. Subsequent singles "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" established that this band was not going to be a flash in the pan. In fact, they still stand up as two of their best songs to date. From 1991-1992 Soundgarden opened for Guns 'N Roses on the Use Your Illusion tour, Skid Row on the Slave to the Grind Tour, and played Lollapalooza with Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers gaining fans along the way.
It wasn't until 1994's Superunknown that I really fell in love with the band, cemented by the song Black Hole Sun. For some reason it was an earworm of a song and I remember playing it over and over in my mind on the ski slopes that year. The song wasn't their heaviest. It was slower than I usually like. The video was freaky. The song just touched a nerve and had a great hook and great resonance. Spoonman, The Day I Tried to Live, and Fell on Black Days are also phenomenal.
Recent Releases (May 12-19)
Linkin Park - One More Light
I knew Linkin Park before their major label debut, Hybrid Theory, hit the stores. I fell in love with them when I saw them tour for that album and I got to shake hands with the guys after the concert. In my opinion, they perfected the rap-rock-metal hybrid with that first album. I knew they would be multi-platinum. Sadly, they have been veering further from the sound that made them famous in recent years. This latest album sounds nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like any of their previous albums. It is straight up pop-rock. I can't even make it through one song, let alone a chunk of the album. Chester's voice still sounds good, but this is nothing that I can bear to listen to. Given Chester's recent comments I won't be supporting them again anytime soon; not until they get back to their roots and what made millions love them in the beginning.
Paramore - After Laughter
Basically I have the same criticism as for Linkin Park except that Paramore were never hard rock or metal. They were punk though. This album sounds like 80s pop. I hate most 80s music. With the exception of some pop artists, like Cyndi Lauper, you can take this music and shove it.
Seether - Poison the Parish
Seether just released their 6th major full length album. If you like their previous work, you should like this. If you're unsure, but you think a South African hybrid of Nirvana and Shinedown sounds intriguing, you should definitely give it a listen. This isn't their heaviest nor poppiest album. There's a good mix of sounds and influences here with a few more screams than on a typical Seether album. This is the first disc to be fully produced by the band which lets them be a little more unbridled. Standout tracks to me include Stoke the Fire, Against the Wall, Saviours, and Nothing Left. Stoke the Fire is heavy with medium tempo and thick distortion. To me it exemplifies the evolution of Seether's music with elements of grunge and metal, what some have dubbed nu-grunge. This track has a screaming breakdown and outro which I would like to hear more of from Shaun in the future. Betray and Degrade is reminiscent of Country Song in the verses, but with more rock distortion in the choruses. Varied guitar sounds from chugging power chords, to simple strumming can be found on this disc.
Papa Roach - Crooked Teeth
By now you should know who these guys are and you either love them or hate them. I have been a fan since Last Resort and I've seen them 9 times and met the guys from the band who were very cool in person. "Break the Fall" starts the album off uncharacteristically with only strings which are soon disrupted by Jacoby's rapping verses followed by singing choruses. Papa Roach seem to be keeping with their patented mix of vocal stylings on most subsequent tracks. "Born for Greatness" is a little more hip-hop influenced, with some dup-step beats and a big sing along refrain, complete with some echo effects and synthesizer sounds. Their are contributions from rapper Machine Gun Kelly and singer/songwriter Skylar Grey who has worked with Fort Minor and co-wrote "Love the Way You Lie" with Eminem. The Roach boys come with another anti-suicide anthem called "Help" that is all the social commentary of Last Resort, but lacking any of the angsty grit. I'd say this album is a more radio-friendly version of the Papa Roach than I prefer, but it will tide me over and it is worth checking out if you are a fan of theirs. The deluxe version of the album comes with three additional studio tracks and a bunch of live recordings as well.
