Editor’s note: Sorry about the lack of posts as of late… garage sales are a pain in the ass to prepare for.

Mark’s Review:

Could Brendan O’Brien be the kryptonite for once-great, American metal bands? After Mastodon announced that the famous hard-rock producer would be working on their album Crack the Skye, I was worried. It was an ominous sign that Mastodon wanted to take their sound to a more “approachable” level, and they needed someone to hone this vision into an acceptable package for new fans and mainstream media. I can’t say I blame them. In a few short years, they had arguably become the best American metal band, secured a major label deal and garnered loads positive press. It was time for them to choose whether to take their careers to the next level, or keep pushing the metal scene they were now leading. Crack the Skye was released, and although it’s filled with quality songs, I felt it really lacked the intensity and memorable moments of their previous works. I keep trying to get into it, but in the end I feel that the album blends together with forgettable riffs, passages and vocals.   Editor’s note: Bullshit.

Killswitch Engage is at a similar crossroads. Once an underground band, the addition of Howard Jones turned them into American metalcore darlings, and for good reason. The End of the Heartache is a classic album filled with all the extreme riffage, guttural screams and soaring vocals that make metal great. I felt their next album, As Daylight Dies, was a quality effort, but with their increased popularity and exposure, the band was quickly becoming a soundtrack for MMA events and Hot Topic. When I heard a “nicer”, mainstream radio version of the song My Curse with all the screaming cut out, the line between “credibility” and “credit cards” had been crossed. Well, now enter O’Brien, and their latest release: the self-titled Killswitch Engage.

Amazingly similar to Skye, the album starts off with a group of punishing songs that show what makes Killswitch great. Never Again, Starting Over and Reckoning feature Jones’s incredible voice and the serpentine riffs of (co-producer and lead guitar) Adam Dutkiewicz. Unfortunately after these opening gems, things turn repetitive. The album quickly becomes a mundane “paint-by-numbers” release with the tracks using the same metalcore songwriting formula (opening riff-scream verse fast-sing chorus slow-breakdown-repeat). The vocals steer more toward singing than screaming and we lose that intense dynamic Jones is able to create. Every riff continues along the same path, with the heavy chugging always followed by a sweeping arpeggio tail. The end result is something that’s good, but not great; tolerable, but not memorable; solid, but safe. Much like I felt with Mastodon, it seems like the steam has been let out of Killswitch Engage, and in order to “ensure” that this album is easily digestible for the new metalcore fan, something has been produced that is very sound but not very ground-breaking. I’m sure with this release, Killswitch has found a place in the hearts of “Affliction”-wearing jocks and mall-metal followers everywhere, but in the end, it’s a very “common” record and its formulaic construction pales in comparison to their older, more-spirited releases.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “The “Brendan O’Brien Album Formula” needs more falsetto and more evil… with that, you can’t go wrong.”

Justin’s Review:

I’ve been following Killswitch Engage’s career for nearly a decade now (anyone remember their album Killswitch Engage? Anyone? Anyone?) and much like a number of their East-Coast brethren, it’s been exciting to watch the band seemingly pave the way for modern (American) metal. As I said, it’s been nearly 10 years, and despite their complete over-saturation, and what many describe as “turning metal gay”, KsE still dominate the airwaves and continue to turn a plethora of teenage girls on to metal. And what headbanger in their right mind would argue with that?

Well, it’s 2009 and KsE is back in the spotlight with their brand new album… Killswitch Engage.

Wait… What? Killswitch Engage? Yep… you heard me right. Killswitch Engage.

If there’s ever been a sign that a band has run out of fresh ideas, it’s naming an album after themselves. For the second time. (Or a third… :cough::cough:). I’m guessing you can probably figure where I’m headed with this.

Well, as Mark points out, Killswitch Engage (henceforth to be referred to as KsE09) starts of with everything that makes KsE great… solid riffs, great hooks, awesome solos and a healthy dose of Blood Has Been Shed (literally… Never Again lifts the verse riff directly from Greetings from the Gallows). Anyways, a few good tracks follow, but after about 10 minutes, and throughout the rest of the album, it’s nappy-nap time. Not to shit on the album entirely, but for the most part it’s everything you heard last time around (though I will admit… slightly more memorable than As the Daylight Dies… which isn’t saying a whole hell of a lot).

As Mark so eloquently discusses above, Brendan O’Brien was brought in to produce this one, which I found to be a strange and interesting decision. As most of you already know, guitarist/backup singer/attention whore Adam D has produced all of the band’s previous efforts (as well as 98% of metalcore records in general), so I’m not really sure what the motivation was to bring O’Brien onboard here. Is it just the trendy thing to do, or was Killswitch actually looking to the album’s production to push them in a much-needed new direction? Honestly, I have no idea… but what I AM certain of is that Roadrunner pissed away tens of thousands of dollars for the completely unnecessarily addition of O’Brien (good thing they’ve got Nickleback around to keep the cash flow in check). I’ve listened through this thing 4 times now, and I’ll be damned if the album sounds different or new in any way whatsoever. KsE09 features the same slick production that all of a sudden has become synonymous with “boring as hell”.

I’d hate to dissuade anyone who is an avid follower of the band, because KsE09 certainly does not suck, but unless they change it up and knock my socks off next time around, I think I’ll be limiting my diet strictly to BHBS.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “With Killswitch Engage, it’s pretty obvious that fresh ideas belong to ‘THEM’.”

Have A Listen:

Killswitch Engage – Starting Over:

Editor’s note: So… I’ve stalled wrapping up the editing on this for the last month and a half, but our first Videoblog is finally complete. With the (highly) anticipated announcement of video recording/editing capabilities on the new iPhone at tomorrow’s WWDC, this is the first of hopefully many more to come.

Mark’s Review:

It’s Friday night, and I’m sitting in the Music Box Theatre on Southport Ave. with giddy anticipation. I’m waiting to see Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a film critics have called the “next great rock documentary”, and to top it all off, the stars of the film will be in attendance to answer questions afterward. Over the past few weeks, I had definitely fallen victim to the whirlwind of critical acclaim given to the flick, and despite never being a fan of the band itself, I figured the heart-felt combination of characters, music and story would be a proven winner. I was right, Anvil! The Story of Anvil is worth the hype, it is a great movie that really shows the power of music and how people live when they won’t give up their dreams.

Having missed Iron Maiden: Flight 666 earlier in the week due to the laws of supply and demand, I was determined to see this heavy metal epic. We arrived at around 7:30pm… for a 9:40pm show. This turned out to be a little too early, as I secured tickets easily and had lots of time to kill. The Music Box Theatre is a fantastic place, filled with history and charm, and the crowd is filled with a nice mix of hipsters, film buffs and hard-core Anvil fans. With a box of Swedish Fish and a large Diet Coke in hand, I was ready to rock.

The movie begins rapidly, introducing us to the founding members of Anvil, their brief history at the top, and their pedestrian lives now. We soon realize that drummer Robb Reiner and singer/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow are not the heavy metal megastars they should have been, but aging rockers combining a numb existence with a drive for success that seems fruitless and ridiculous. We learn about the guys from the people close to them, their family, friends and devoted fans that have supported them through the thick and the very, very thin. From there we follow the band through a depressing gauntlet as they refuse to give up their dream of rock-stardom. There’s a European tour filled with empty bars and empty promises, an album recording session that tries their patience and bank accounts, and finally an offer from Japan at a final shot at redemption. All the while hearing the doubts from others, and ultimately themselves. It’s all very Spinal Tap-ish, and if it wasn’t real, you’d think they scripted the whole thing.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil is amazing and it deserves the credit it has received. I did feel the pace of the movie was a bit too fast, and that it hindered our need to understand Robb and Lips’ lifetime of frustration and failure. I really wanted to know more about where they have been, and more information on the blown and missed opportunities to make it big. You feel sympathetic toward Reiner and Lips, but since we do not know some of the struggles they’ve gone through, their characters at times border on parody. That being said, it is still a fantastic story and even if you’re not into metal, you can’t help but root for Anvil to succeed.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Unlike Anvil, my dreams are filled with foreboding visits from Grandma.”

Justin’s Review:

As an avid film fan and novice critic, I’m of the mindset that a solid docu/rocku/mocku should delve deep into the subject at hand, and present a well-rounded story or observation. While the story of Anvil appears to be a fascinating and invigorating Tragicomedy, the filmmakers of Anvil! The Story of Anvil have opted to present us with a “slice of the lives” of founding members Robb Reiner & Steve “Lips” Kudlow, rather than delving into the band’s (seemingly) rich 30-year history (which is thusly portrayed through 3 minutes of concert footage and a couple of half-assed interviews with Slash & Lars). Considering the film only clocks in at 90 minutes, I think there’s a whole lot more story to tell and room to tell it.

While it may sound like I’m being a little too particular, you have to realize that Anvil! The Story of Anvil is being touted as “A Masterpiece” and compared to the likes of “This is Spinal Tap“. I figure it’s my duty to give the film a little bit of shit that it probably deserves.

But for the most part, Anvil! The Story of Anvil largely succeeds in portraying the classic “band down on their luck” motif, inviting us into the compelling lives of two very charismatic individuals and their road to self-redemption. Pretty much everything Mark says above is spot on, and to rehash it any further would be wasting both of our time. Instead, I think I’ll head over to Best Buy, set up the tent and wait for the Flight 666 to hit the shelves (as well as put in my pre-order for Anvil! The Story of Anvil).

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “I know another band that influenced Metallica… and they too have a dvd in the works.”

“Anvil! The Story of Anvil” Official Trailer: