Drowning in Benzene

It's just been one of those productive days, and I present you with discovery #3, Benzene. Out of Melbourne, Australia, Benzene deliver a sucker-punch to your left temple, bringing down the house with harsh vocals, pulse-pounding drums, and sick guitar riffing. Benzene completed their debut EP, In the Red, in 2003, and although the EP had such amazing tracks as "Magical" and "Jumpstart" (really, "Magical" just has one of those great choruses tied in perfectly with a face-melting guitar solo and drums that would make you shiver), they lost some momentum due to line-up changes at the end of the tour in support for the EP. But now their back with a brand new line-up, a new album, and a fury that's ready for the world.

Comprising founding members Michael Bonanzinga (lead vocals and guitar) and Ben Ferrara (drums), and new members Paul Hillier (guitars) and Jason Armstrong (bass), Benzene proves they are a force to be reckoned with from the first track off their new album, the title track "Electric DNA." Riding in on Hillier's and Bonanzinga's incredible guitar riffing, the song takes off on the back of Armstrong's tight fretwork, and Ferrara's apocalyptic drumming. The only thing that makes the song any better, besides the signature guitar riff that pervades the song is Bonanzinga's hardcore vocals that make me think of GNR pumped up with grunge-heavy guitars. 

Hillier and Bonanzinga then launch into the next number, "I Got Bored" and as Armstrong and Ferrara join in, the song quickly joins AC/DC on the highway to Hell. The guitar in this song is only further enhanced and shown up by the sick solo half-way through that lets the rest of the world know that the guitarists in Benzene are to be taken seriously. But Armstrong isn't far behind, his bass notes like blunt blows to the head as Ferrara Keith Moon's the hell out of his drumkit. If I had to pick a second song from this album as my favorite, this would be the one. It's loud, it's thrashing, it's fantastic. 

The last couple songs I listen to from Electric DNA are "City Bug," fast, guitar-driven song which showcases Ferrara's drumming abilities especially well alongside Hillier's solo riffing, and "The Gig Is Up," a fiery track which starts on Hillier's grunged-out guitar notes, and continues all the way to the top with Bonanzinga's coarse vocals and Armstrong's rhythmic bass lines. Why these guys aren't as huge as Seether, Hinder, or Theory of a Deadman is beyond me, cuz I think their fucking incredible. One thing's for sure: if I had my own record label, I'd sign these guys in a heartbeat. 

Sounds Like: AC/DC, Hinder, Vains of Jenna, Airbourne

Key Tracks from Electric DNA: "Electric DNA," "I Got Bored," "City Bug," "The Gig Is Up"

Check out Benzene more at: http://www.myspace.com/wwwmyspacecombenzene and http://www.unsigned.com/benzene   

        

Everything's Brittle

I was debating whether or not to review another group today, but as I was surfing the web, I found these guys, and I high-tailed it over to my site to write an entry. I don't know what to say about this group other than that their sound calls upon traditional indie-rock, but shoots it up with enough adrenaline to completely reinvent the sound.
Comprising Benjamine Whiting (lead vocals and guitar), Benny O'Dwyre (guitar and vocals), Billy Donaldson (bass and vocals), and Geoff Slingsby (drums and vocals), Brittle rise from the waters of Brown Bay, Australia to shock your sense with ultra-catchy indie-pop rock.
I listen to a number of songs off their myspace, and every one sounds different, and I couldn't fast-forward if I wanted to. First up is "Chinese Whispers," a seminal pop-rock song that leads off with a great guitar riff which falls into a solid drumbeat. The real jewels of this song, though, are its ultra-catchy chorus and lyrics, carried by Whiting's slick vocals, and pulled home with Donaldson's tight bass playing. I've listened to this song three times already, and it's just got one of those tunes that's so catchy, it sticks in your head until the only way to get it out would be to take a powerdrill to your left eardrum.
Though "Hurricane" and "Valerie" have those incredible tunes that just make you feel like you're walking on sunshine (and thanks to Katrina and the Waves for such a great phrase), I personally think "Dr. Ray" just has that sheen that makes me think of Boys Like Girls vocals over Red Jumpsuit's catchy melodies. It's just got that "dunna, dunna, dun, dunna, dunna, dunna, dun, dun" guitar riff that you wouldn't wanna stop humming anytime soon.
Though their demo of a new song, "Give Me Some Air," is also catchy and upbeat, the last song in the playlist is the perfect way to finish up their set. "Over the Fence" is an acoustically-driven song, with clear and lucid vocals. It's crisp, like autumn leaves under your feet. Just think a nice sonic crunch for your ears. On this one, ODwyre's guitar perfectly compliments Whiting's vocals, and Donaldson's bass tones in the background match perfectly with Slingsby's easy drumbeat. The fantastic background vocals towards the end of the track don't hurt one bit either.
Australia's version of Boys Like Girls have made their appearance. Watch for them. Know them. It's only a matter of time.

Sounds Like: Boys Like Girls, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Mayday Parade, Cartel

Key Tracks: "Chinese Whispers," "Valerie," "Over the Fence," "Hurricane," "Dr. Ray"

Check out Brittle more at: http://www.myspace.com/brittlerock and http://www.unsigned.com/brittle

What's in the Confession Box?

Everyone knows the gothic rock sound, even if they don't know they do. Everyone knows the alternative/gothic-rock sound pioneered by groups like The Cure and Husker Du, and the alternative-metal/gothic-rock sound that made Evanescence a household name. Some might even associate Marilyn Manson with gothic rock, though personally I think he's just an amazing alternative-metal musician who's shock-rock tactics are brilliant.

But all those people who thought that gothic-rock was ridden out, stretched as far as it could go, and finished by 2006 are in for a shock, and a treat. What's that treat? Confession Box, a hard-rock duo out of Sydney, Australia. Gothic rock has been married to many things in the past, but these are the first people I've ever heard of to really marry the gothic/hard-rock sound to techno and synth.

Composed simply of Alexis Logan (lead vocals and acoustic guitar) and Stephen Harris (guitars, bass, and sampling), Confession Box has that hard rock guitar screech of Evanescence coupled with the cold feel of Gary Numan's synth style.

Confession Box has just recently released their debut album, Tangled Web We Weave, and I gotta say, I've listened to just three tracks from this album, and I gotta hear the rest. Recorded on Harris's home recorder, I'm struck by the first track, "Trust No One." The track is slow in the first few seconds, but picks up immediately with a hard-edged guitar riff, and then Harris goes to town, layering guitar upon guitar, and creating a complex background for Logan's chilling, almost machine-esque vocals. Her voice, though, meshes so well with the guitar and sampling it sounds as natural as if they were all one; a well-oiled machine of melody and grit. The keyboards particularly, provided by Harris, remind of of such tracks as The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" and Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This);" chilling, yet incredibly melodic. And then, as I'm riding out the synth and guitar progressions the way I do with a Doors song, it's over, and all I know is I want more.

And that's what I get, right from the crash of the crash, Con Box launches into "Foolish Games" a sick, rendition of the modern alternative/synth-goth song. I especially love Logan's double-tracked vocals here: they give the track a much-enjoyed haunting tone that reminds me vaguely of the way Layne Staley's and Jerry Cantrell's vocals mingle in Alice in Chains. Harris, here too, is on his mark with his guitars and bass, providing a strong, pulse-pounding beat while at the same time belting out a riff that would make the Scorpions salivate. 

Riding out the last bits of the reverb, I'm pulled into the last track I listen to, "Who the Hell Are You." This one is slightly more techno than the other two so if you like anything Sounds or Shiny Toy Guns, this track will make you go "HELL YES." It's cold, it's creepy, it's catchy, it's brilliant. Logan and Harris really pull it together on this one, barking up the techno-tree while at the same time dragging you through a valley of synthed-out guitar riffs and melodic vocals. A must-hear song on a must-hear album. If their other songs are anything like these, then Confession Box has nothing to worry about, and can look forward to a long and prosperous career in the alternative/goth-rock community. 

Sounds Like: Shiny Toy Guns, Evanescence, The Sounds, The Cure, Savage Garden

Key Tracks from Tangled Web We Weave: "Trust No One," "Foolish Games," "Who the Hell Are You"

Check out Confession Box more at: http://www.myspace.com/confessionboxmusic and http://www.unsigned.com/confessionbox    

Looking Through Diamond Eyes

This one's for all you metalheads out there who've been salivating for a new truly metal band to latch on to. Now I love the greats as much as anyone; Motley Crue, Metallica, AC/DC, Motorhead, they all rock. But I also want my own metal band, one from my generation that can compare to Quiet Riot or Maiden. Now I'm not saying these guys are Maiden. Not yet. But they do have that spark that just resonates with you.

Out of Perth, Australia, I give you Diamond Eye, a Motorhead drenched, AC/DC-influenced, metal band that drips Motley sleaze, with walls of guitars that would make Metallica proud. Comprising Will Kelly (lead vocals and guitar), Greg Fawcett (lead guitar and vocals), Chase Cameron (bass and vocals), and Danny Torre (drums), D-Eye can definitely hold their own in the metal stadium. I listen to every song off their demo CD, and I gotta be frank, they all fucking rock! There really is no other way to put it. Starting with the song "Fuck," I am just bombarded by shrill guitars, and killer bass and vocals that makes me feel like I'm sweating blood. "Fuck," though subtly named, starts with a fucking killer (ironic, no?) guitar riff that seems ripped right from the Motorhead playbook. It just drills at your ears until you're red in the head, and your ears are happily bleeding for the metal cause. The bass is solid, the drumbeat is fast-paced, and the vocals are just so different. Seriously, I don't know if I love them or hate them, and that's what I love about them. It's like Bon Scott and Gene Simmons got together and had one messed-up vocal baby. I think my favorite part of this song though is the slick, Scorpions-like solo at the end. Fawcett does a sick job on this, as Kelly and Cameron keep the rhythm. In fact it almost reminds me of The Eagles' "Hotel California," the way to solo trails all the way to the end. And then it just stops, leaving you barely breathing for more. Brilliant.

Next is "Holding On," clearly the power-ballad among the tracks. Most power-ballads are a cheesy mess of corporate crap, (for example Warrant's "Heaven") but this one just works. It's got the catchy, slow, melodic guitar riff, the soul-bareing vocals, the slow tempo drumbeat, and between you and me, a fucking sick pick slide around 3:00. This one just works. I hope it's not left in the "Forgotten Ballads" pile next to Babylon A.D.'s "So Savage the Heart," or W.A.S.P.'s "Forever Free." That would be such a waste of a great song.

"Machine" is a faster-paced song, seeming to fit more in the Metallica or Megadeth vain, though not as thrash as the aforementioned. The thick, crisp guitar riff, however, is a special point in the song, and Kelly's Axl Rose-like wail, coupled with Fawcett's guitar fretting around 3:00 make this a four-star (at least) track on the demo.    

Lastly there is "Waiting for Me," a sick track that just screams AC/DC with its opening riff and drumming style. I swear, I ready myself to hear Brian Johnson on here, and I'm almost a little surprised when I don't hear his voice. But that's ok, because Kelly keeps the Johnson standard up, while Torre goes to town on the drumkit in a Keith Moon style. Cameron's bass screams Cliff Burton, and Fawcett's fretwork is eerily reminiscent of Rudolph Shenker's. "Waiting for Me" is a solid track on a demo of solid tracks, and brings the CD to a great close. If you like anything hard-rock, or heavy metal, anything AC/DC, Motorhead, Scorpions, Motley Crue, Metallica, Megadeth, or KISS, I highly suggest looking at these guys. Only a matter of time before they're signed and massively popular, so don't you want to be the one to tell your friends, "I told you so?" 

Sounds Like: AC/DC, Motorhead, KISS, Metallica

Key Tracks from Demo CD: "Waiting for Me," "Fuck," "Holding On," "Machine"

Check out Diamond Eye more at: http://www.myspace.com/diamondeyeperth and http://www.unsigned.com/diamondeye  

Just a Note

I'm just gonna take a short post here to ask everyone out there a favor. I'm so psyched that you guys are reading my stuff, and I promise a new band for you all in the next day or two, but the one thing I do ask, if it's not too much trouble in your busy schedules, is if you like one of my posts or something, definitely post a comment or two. Your comments and emails will help me to write better articles, and to also try and find more bands that you all like. I'll check your comments every day, and if you want to email me, my email is listed under my profile summary. Thanks a bunch guys. I'll have a new band for you soon. Peace   -Adam

Alex Pummill: Beyond Any Shadow of a Doubt

Blues-rock legends have in their corner Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and ZZ Top. But now I introduce to you here, a leader in the new crop of blues-rock musicians. I came across Alex Pummill when I listened to his Michigan-based band Chicago Drive, which delivered a cool, yet already very popular style of pop-punk rock. But then he moved down to Nashville, Tennessee, and started writing stuff which just blew his earlier stuff away (that's what he told me when we talked, and I gotta say, this new stuff greatly outshines his already impressive earlier work).
The first song I listened to on his Myspace page is "Doubt," a slick, bluesy, guitar-driven song that just drips out of the speakers and oozes into your ears. From the first lick of this song, I'm fucking hooked. And already have my head going up and down before the first verse even, and all I keep saying is "Yeah!," because I've discovered the first of the new guard of rock. And if the guitar wasn't enough, then god his voice surely puts it over the top. Smooth, lucid vocals, on top of acid-influenced, blues-inspired guitar; simple ecstasy for your ears. And by the way, the clever lyrics don't hurt either. If you listen to any new song in the next couple hours, make it this one. There's just no more to say about it than that simple fact.
Then on comes "The Horizon," a slick, harder tune, that sounds like it was ripped from Motley Crue's setlist, injected with some GNR, and mixed with Cream-inspired vocals. I mean, SHIT, this song has a freaking killer guitar riff. But if that wasn't enough, with a catchy chorus, then Pummill tears it up during the solo. Swear to God, my fingers actually hurt a little bit listening to him shred the shit out of that guitar. When I talked to him about his new material, Alex said that "Doubt" was by far the best thing he's written up until now, and while I love "Doubt" and had it playing non-stop in my room for two weeks when I discovered it, "The Horizon" would definitely be another song I'd go to a show to hear.
Then Alex slows down a little bit with "The Jam," a song that's exactly that: a jam. Just some simple cymbals in the background, an easy bass-line, and Alex tearing away at the guitar like there's no tomorrow. Simple, short, sweet, perfect.
The last song, however, is one of my favorites, particularly because it's so different from what you hear today. "Old Man" is a Neil Young cover, but Alex is on guitar, and the lead vocals are taken by a friend of his with an amazing voice, Molly Jones. Now I don't know if she's a sister, cousin, or just a girlfriend, maybe I'll ask, but I do know she's got the perfect voice for this kind of song. Slow, rhythmic, folkey, bluesy; just brilliant. The dual vocals during the choruses showcase Pummill's smooth vocal attributes, and the sweet, acoustic guitar he plays in the background is so deep, you can sink your teeth into it.
This guy is getting started, and believe me, he's not gonna stop. Alex Pummill. Learn the name. Remember it. And keep your eyes peeled for it everywhere.

Sounds Like: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Cream, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top

Key Tracks: "Doubt," "The Horizon," "The Jam," "Old Man"

Check out Alex Pummill more at: http://www.myspace.com/alexpummill

A Beautiful View of Homebrewe

It's early Monday morning, I'm trying to get over a cold, and my ears are bleeding with happiness from the new group I've discovered. Like seeing the Red Sea part would, listening to this group is giving me chills up my spine because they just can't, and won't, be contained.

Out of Perth, Australia comes Homebrewe, an alternative-rock band that is so versatile, I don't know whether to call them metal, alternative, punk, or just rock. Comprising Kohen Grogan (lead vocals and guitar), Casey Grogan (lead guitar and vocals), Dylan Grogan (bass), and Rory Keys (drums), Homebrewe just take rock music as a whole and make an example of it.

The first two tracks are from their new album, My Own Nemesis, and just fucking rock. "DEP" hits you like a load of bricks upside the head. Riding on a sick, Motorhead-like guitar riff, the song just hits the mark it's aiming for. The guitar and drums would really have been enough to make this a great song, frankly, but Kohen Grogan's banshee-like wails are too much to ignore. They just rip this song off the ground and fling it in the air with such force, it's gone in seconds. And along with Casey Grogan's slick guitar riffing during the solo, you can hear Dylan Grogan keeping time rhythmically on his bass.

But the band switch attack strategies on the next song, "Miss You," opting for a softer side with a hard edge to make their album shine with variety. In fact, the opening guitar notes remind me of Creed's "Higher," but frankly, I like the vocals on the chorus more than I do on "Higher," and that's saying something, because I'm a huge fan of that Creed album, Human Clay. This song is just a must-hear. One of those that's so ridiculously incredible, I could see it being used in a movie, apart from the numerous, Degrassi-like TV series that would pick up on it. Seriously, if you're looking for a song to play in the background of a movie-turning on-screen kiss, here it is.

The comes "Beautiful View," off their last EP, You Will See..., and it just fucking rocks! The double-timed, marching drum beat Keys lays down just has your head going up and down of its own volition. The bass, too, just is a powerful punch to the gut, like the first time I heard The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Here, Kohen Grogan adopts a darker, creepier vocal style, almost like Mudhoney, but what really shines is his transformation in the high-pitched, Chris Cornell-type banshee which just screams Soundgarden to me.

So there you have it. From Motorhead to Creed to Soundgarden, and that's in just three songs out of these guys' setlist. They clearly have the talent to be as big as Soundgarden, and as marketable as Creed, so why aren't they as big as I know they can be? Anyone?

Sounds Like: Creed, Soundgarden, Motorhead, Mad Season

Key Tracks from My Own Nemesis, and You Will See... (respectively): "DEP," "Miss You," "Best Thing," "Beautiful View"

Check out Homebrewe more at: http://www.myspace.com/homebrewe and http://www.unsigned.com/homebrewe