Album Reviews

GOD FORBID
Determination
(Century Media)
God Forbid march out hairpin guitar parts, fluttering double bass drums and screaming, ripped-from-the-bowels vocals, bludgeoning eardrums from their home in New Jersey. Byron Davis is the man whose pipes capably match the sonic assault on Determination, God Forbid's second CD. Whereas the music might be classified, for those who care, as progressive metal, Davis' approach is pure primal scream therapy. Lyrically, it's hard to evaluate what's here. Picking out the words is a challenge, all things considered, and the band's website is woefully outdated. With titles like "Divide My Destiny," "God's Last Gift" and "Dawn of the Millennia," it's clear this ain't the Archies. God Forbid assault the ears with the sort of nonstop, clean, precise metalcore that's intended for a selective crowd, the type of folks who think Metallica should be playing retirement homes and Tool lost it after their debut EP. BLAAAARGH! Brian Briscoe [buy it]

For fans of: Napalm Death, Brujeria, Solitude Eternus

PORCUPINE TREE
Recordings
(K Scope)
It could be argued that a mark of a great band is that a collection of B-sides and outtakes is as good as any of the primary albums. If so, then Porcupine Tree wear that mark proudly. The band, led by singer/guitarist Steven Wilson, has plied its unclassifiable trade (a unique mixture of pop, psychedelia, progressive rock, space rock and ambient electronica) for seven albums and Thoth knows how many singles now, consistently improving and making the release of a new record an undeniable event. Recordings is no exception. Most of these songs appeared as B-sides to recent CD singles, though there are a handful of previously unreleased tracks. Remarkably, they're all as good as anything on the band's brilliant recent albums like Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun. The album is fairly evenly divided between the group's spacey epics and its more concise pop songs, with the improvised "Untitled" and "Buying New Soul" (one of Wilson's increasingly frequent commentaries on the music business) representing the best of the former and "Disappear" and "Access Denied" nicely exemplifying the latter. The Tree's quieter side whispers in your ear with the tone poem "Cure For Optimism" and the lovely ballads "Oceans Have No Memory" and "In Formaldehyde." They also reunite the two halves one of their best songs, the now-titanic, multi-faceted "Even Less," originally divided between Stupid Dream and a single. There's not a piece here that's less than interesting, and most of them are simply stellar. More than just a snack to tide fans over between LPs, Recordings is another strong entry in the encyclopedia of Porcupine Tree. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: 7% Solution, Pink Floyd, Adrian Shaw

THE SCOOTERS
Peepshow
(Aeronaut)
Like most power pop bands these days, Cardiff, Wales quintet don't go in for that originality thing. Unlike most p.p. acts, though, it doesn't really matter. The Scooters know a) exactly how to write a smart, tuneful pop song and b) exactly what to do with it afterwards. They accent the hooks without sidelining the rhythms, and add stunning harmonies that don't soften the grit. They jingle, jangle, crunch and pop with deceptive ease and obvious joy, balancing craft and emotion as well as anybody you'd care to name. "RPM Adrenalin," "Dwti" and the title tune rock in a most lovely fashion, and they're merely the first three songs. Don't miss the unlisted bonus tracks, one of which is a marvelous take on the Beatles' "Rocky Raccoon." There's not a single clunker on this short record—the Scooters know a thing or two about efficiency and nothing at all about bloat. Michael Toland

For fans of: the La's, Super Deluxe, Evelyn Forever

SHAVER
The Earth Rolls On
(New West)
As we all know by now, the latest album by father-and-son duo Shaver turns out to be the last, as guitarist Eddy died of a heroin overdose just before its release. It's a tragedy, to be sure, made harder as The Earth Rolls On features the strongest collection of songs his daddy Billy Joe's penned since Tramp On Your Street, the first album under the Shaver name. The legendary Billy Joe is simply one of the finest tunesmiths to ever come out of Texas, and he's in excellent form here. He shakes a finger at a friend ("Hard Headed Heart"), looks deep inside his own darkness ("I Don't Seem to Fit Anywhere"), sings the praises of romantic redemption ("Love is So Sweet") and pays tribute to his son ("Star in My Heart"), not knowing this last would be posthumous. Musically, the duo moves through ominous folk rock ("Evergreen Falls"), tough blues ("Sail of My Soul") and classic C&W balladry ("Heart's a Bustin'") with equal facility, even conquering the extended-coda rock anthem with the title track. Billy Joe squeezes soulful poetry out of his seemingly simple messages, his craggy voice leaving no room for false sentimentality. Eddy's lyrical six-string works its magic in all the right places, flashy but never ostentatious. He always knows exactly when to call attention to himself and when to stay out of the way. Their collaboration culminates on "Blood is Thicker Than Water," in which father and son take each other to task for their sins while celebrating the blood that binds them.

The only problem is that producer Ray Kennedy keeps Eddy a bit lower in the mix than he deserves, giving credence to Billy Joe's claims in interviews that he and the record company had differing ideas about what this record should have been, a "classic" Billy Joe Shaver album (New West) or a rockin' Shaver album (Billy Joe). That's ultimately a minor complaint, however, as Eddy still gets plenty of room to do his thing. The Earth Rolls On stands not only a fine epitaph for Eddy but also as a career highlight for both Shavers. Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Joe Ely, Ray Wylie Hubbard, ESteve Earle

OTIS TAYLOR
White African
(Northern Blues)
Where did this guy come from and how come we've never heard him before? Born in Chicago but raised in that well-known blues Mecca of Denver, Otis Taylor attempted a musical career back in the 60s and 70s but retired in frustration late in the latter decade. Fortunately, bassist/producer Kenny Passarelli talked him out of his self-imposed exile and back onto the stage, where he can share his distinctive country blues talent. White African is his third album since reactivation, and it's a gem. Taylor possesses a gruff moan that sounds engineered by God to sing the blues, and his aggressive picking and strumming on guitar and banjo drives the tunes the way caffeine and sugar drives computer programmers. Passarelli and electric guitarist Eddie Turner, who uses a spacey, otherworldly tone that is strangely appropriate to the arrangements, provide support. Taylor turns an unflinching eye toward the injustices visited upon African-Americans over the last century, singing about homelessness ("Hungry People"), false conviction ("My Soul's in Louisiana") and lynching ("Saint Martha Blues")—a crime perpetrated on his own great grandfather. He also examines the various permutations of bad romance ("Round and Round," "Rain So Hard"), the death of family ("Momma Don't Do It," "3 Days and 3 Nights") and even American Indian alcoholism ("Lost My Horse"). While he never spares any details, he doesn't revel in the bleakness of it all, either. His tone is a mix of compassion and defiance, with suffering alleviated by the power of music. Isn't that what the blues is all about? Michael Toland [buy it]

For fans of: Junior Kimbrough, Richie Havens, Lightnin' Hopkins