Mezmerize - System of a Down

Here's a band that always kicks you in the face: System of a a Down. This week, I'll be talking about my favorite album by them, Mezmerize. Between the blasting metal riffs and awesome lyrics, it is definitely my favorite album I've listened to all week.
First off, you get an intro that is a hint to the second part of the double album, "Soldier Side". It's just serves to deceive you, though, as it's followed by the crushingly awesome "B.Y.O.B". The song is a war-protest effort, but unlike many politically-driven songs, it's amazing. The song has a few different riffs and sections, all of which are absolute gold. When the lyrics kick in, you get a taste of Serj's emotional and diverse vocals backed by a tasty 6/8 part in the guitar and drums. Then, this gives way to a bit more of a groove as it lays back with a simple 4/4 section (with a very well punctuated guitar part). For the third section, you get a blazingly fast scream section. I go to so much trouble describing these sections to illustrate what I love about SOAD. The music is very well written, even if it doesn't always get the credit it deserves from the public.
After that, you get "Revenga", which has some more great alternating fast and slower riffs. It also is the first song to feature the vocal harmonies that I enjoy so much. SOAD has a great way of choosing specific intervals in the vocals to highlight the background. The other wonderful example of this is later in the album on "Sad Statue".
However, the next track on the album is my favorite by far. "Cigaro" is solid through and through. With amazingly rough metal hooks in the guitar and vocals, it's one you'll want to listen to over and over. Whenever people mention this song, though, the main focus of their discussion has to be the lyrics. I won't be too inappropriate on this blog, but the opening line has to do with how much bigger Serj's... erm... body parts... are than yours. Take a listen... you'll understand. This song also uses that triplet bass drum feel that we saw in B.Y.O.B. It's a great effect to feature the second strain of a repeated phrase. You might remember I mentioned how much I love it when I talked about "A Nightmare to Remember" on Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
The rest of the album continues in the same vein, with great instrumentals, and even better vocals. It's no "Question!" that the band deserves more respect than they get. Their music has some of the best writing I've heard in the genre. The variety and quality of Serj's voice makes this album a grand treat. Definitely check it out if you want some crushing guitar action all up in your face. Happy Listening!

Free link to the album on Napster:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12005200

Also, if you want to see what I meant about the lyrics to "Cigaro", here they are in their full explicit glory:
http://www.lyricstop.com/c/cigaro-systemofadown.html

What Happened To Television? - The Greyboy Allstars

Hi there, folks! I'm back from my vacation in the west, with a very fresh sounding jazz group called The Greyboy Allstars. You may not have heard of them, but one listen and you'll want to make sure that everyone you know has heard this sound.

Now, there are a lot of jazz groups out there. What makes these guys so special? Nothing specific. What I really get into when I listen to this album is the way it all comes together. In general, they take an approach to jazz that I really admire. Specifically, well-written melodies, short-but-sweet solos, really groovin' backgrounds (without losing focus), etc. I don't want to do the traditional track run-down on this one, but I do want to point out some things that I really love on a few of the tracks.
"V Neck Sweater" opens with a funky organ, sax and drum riff, which only gets better when you add those fuzzy-filter vocals that I love so very, very much, you get a head-bobbin' good time. The solos only stretch about 24 bars or so, but that's how I like them, it keeps the song moving. Jazz songs have a tendancy of getting long when soloists really go at it, and that's perfectly fine, but for the style that the Allstars lay down, the short solos are very welcome. In fact, most of the songs on the album are under 4 minutes!
Definitely check out the second track (the title track) as its gospel-influenced organ parts and jazzy guitar parts make it one of my favorites. Also, "Still Waiting" is a great James Brown-esque jam that really finds its way to your toes and gets them tapping.
As the album winds on, you get a lot of different influences: Some jazz flute that sounds very much like Jethro Tull, some Medeski, Martin & Wood-style turn-tables, some poppy female vocals, some R&B grooves, and more!
This is a bit of a short review, I know, but I feel like going into more detail really wouldn't do the album any more than my quick overview of it. Definitely check this one out. It's some great music for almost any occasion (except maybe funerals...). I know you'll be groovin' just as much as I was. Happy listening!

Free link to the album on Napster:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12473141

Also, a big shout-out to Michelle and Kevin for finding this one for me!

Black Clouds & Silver Linings [follow-up] - Dream Theater

In an attempt to keep true to the blog's intent, I'm going to review the album I've been most into this week. To tell the truth, this is the only album I've listened to since last Tuesday! What I want to do with this week's entry is give the album another look, either reinforcing my first reactions or rescinding them.

"A Nightmare to Remember"
This song is amazing. It's definitely my favorite overall song on the album. The band really lets it all out on this song, musically. It rocks just as hard as their heaviest tracks from the past. Now that I'm more familiar with the roadmap of the song, I really love the transitions. For example, the switch between first verse and refrain is phenomenal. It's pounding along, fast and furious, when it broadens out into a slow 3/4. Then, in the middle of the refrain, the bass drum switches from a duple to a triple, which creates a great effect. The flow through the slow section continues to keep my interest. I've grown a bit fonder of Mike Portnoy's spoken section, but I still feel like it's a bit out of place. Also, there's a perfect place for the song to end around 14:16 in, but instead, it just repeates some themes with different drum beats. I don't know if this was necessary, but I'm getting too specific now... This song is wonderful and I embrace it as one of my favorites by the band.

"A Rite of Passage"
This song grows on me with every listen. The refrain is still a bit poppy, but it's catchy, and I like that. My favorite part is the lead-in right before the refrain. It's got a real gothic sound to it, and I can't get enough. I also really dig the transition into the solo section. As soon as you get that faster guitar riff, you know what's coming: some shredding from JP and Jordan... and you know it will be great.

"Wither"
I didn't have much to say about this the first time, but I have an opinion, now. Although this song is a fine filler, I don't feel like the album needs it. It's a good song, and a decent ballad, but I don't think it would have been missed by many people.

"The Shattered Fortress"
I've really developed a fondness for this song. It's a great closer to the suite, and in a way I wasn't expecting. I absolutely LOVE the way they take passages and riffs from the older songs, but play them in a different way (faster, slower, different time signature, etc.). Additionally, the original section at the end (called Responsible) is a wonderful glue to seal up the fragments of the other songs. This song's got a lot more to offer than it first appears.

"The Best of Times"
I don't really have anything new to say about this song. It's still a great song, and a wonderful tribute. However, last time I mentioned that it sounds a lot like "Spirit of the Radio". As I was listening closely today, I noticed that the lyrics use the words "spirit" and "radio" at different parts. I found this clever.

"The Count of Tuscany"
I said some negative things about this song last time. I still hold that the lyrics are not great. I won't call them awful like I did last time. They've grown on me a bit. However, I still don't feel that the narrator's reaction is justified given the scene we're presented with. Aside from the lyrics, though, this song is pure gold. As I become more and more familiar with it, and start to recognize foreshadowing and themes I really start to get into it. The flow is still broken a bit by the slow section, but Jordan's gorgeous solo makes up for it. It doesn't build like "Octavarium" and it doesn't have the flow of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence", but it's still a great epic by the band, and a very nice closer to the album that's grown nearer and dearer to my heart.

All of this considered, I also want to take back part of my afterthought from the last review. There is, indeed, something different about this album, but can't that be said about every DT album? Wouldn't I have said that if I had just picked up Train of Thought? With time and attention, this album is becoming better and better. Because I like lists so much, I'd like to present you with my Dream Theater album list. In order, from best to worst, I would list DT's studio albums as such:

Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Octavarium
Train of Thought
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Images and Words
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Systematic Chaos
Awake
When Dream and Day Unite
Falling Into Infinity

Disagree? Let me know with a comment! Thanks for reading my 2-part review! I'll be back next week with whatever catches my ear! Happy listening!