Mothers Finest - Goody 2 Shoes & The Filthy Beasts

I always think its really cool to get records from bands who got their start back in the 70s. I feel as I've been honored to join something greater than myself. Mothers Finest speak to a much more powerful reality that many of us born after the 70s never really got to experience. These guys are from a different time, and their dedication to funky rock and roll madness is the kind of thing that captures the imagination and makes guys like me tick. A refreshing blast from the past, Goody 2 Shoes & The Filthy Beasts proves that these guys still have a lot to say.

There is something truly inspiring about these tracks. They have a strong sense of groove and the way they get your body shaking is something that most music lost years ago. Yet, Mothers Finest are not afraid to pay tribute to their own roots. The album closer, an extremely tasty live medley of Illusion, Satisfaction and Born to Be Wild brings the entire thing to an exciting conclusion. As the bands dynamic frontwoman Joyce "Babyjean" Kennedy roars you get a sense for the primal power of this group. Here are some incredibly gifted musicians who helped forge a genre and now, five decades into their career, they still kick ass. 

Ultimately, I don't have much more to say, other than that Mothers Finest have instantly won my respect and make me want to dig into their discography. If a band is able to stick around for this long then obviously they are doing something right! Fun and high energy music to fuel any sort of social shindig, Goody 2 Shoes & The Filthy Beasts is far too much fun to listen too and its fusion of 70s rock with funk and touches of pop from other eras is incredibly exciting. Let the music wash over you and dive in, this is true rock 'n' roll.

Find the bands on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mothers-Finest-Fanatics/688657087812130

Killed A Fox

Nifty Croatian rock with groove, Killed A Fox are a pretty cool new band who bring in a healthy mix of influences to get at something special. Their sonic attack is fairly distinct and shows the capability of the band to come forth with a bit of everything and deliver what can only be called a startling and refreshing burst of rock 'n' roll madness. While yes, there are a lot of standard modern rock influences in the vocals, you can also find touches of Primus and other slightly 'out there' acts accentuating the ringing guitar parts and gyrating bass lines. These songs are exciting and oftentimes tumultuous, twisting and turning like there's no tomorrow. When they end in moments of triumphant and glorious rock and roll redemption you have to close your eyes and smile, this is what the lords of rock would have wanted for us. Killed A Fox have a distinct sound and know what they want to do, it's just a matter of clicking 'play'.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/killedafox

Deep Kick-Human Buzz

Time fore another record that might not be standard Two Guys Metal Reviews fare. This time I'm bringing you Human Buzz a new release from Swiss rockers Deep Kick. This new record is powerful and oftentimes enchanting. With stellar production and a great songwriting sensibility, Human Buzz is the kind of thing that you latch on too and have difficulty forgetting. This is a band who have been honing their craft for five years and now seem to be at the top of their game, ready to take over the world.

The funk rock rhythms that seem to define so many of the songs on this record are nicely complimented by wide soundscapes. The guitar tone is fairly thin and jangly, but surprisingly that's not a bad thing, in fact it gives the music a very lighthearted almost visceral quality. The vocal melodies are really well done and give you something special to latch on to. They slot in nicely over the chord progressions and help to keep things engaging. The occasional moments of sampling provide a welcome relief though, a nice little pause before diving back down the rabbit whole of funk rock which is at time simply cosmic. 

As you dive into this record, it's easy to find the glory of a record that kind of gets to the core of funk rock. Above all else, Human Buzz is not only fun to listen too, it is also intelligent and eye opening. Sure, this isn't usually my type of music, but Deep Kick have been able to transcend the common boundaries of the genre to create something exciting and more powerful. As I find myself more and more deeply invested in my record I find myself tempted to check out other bands of their ilk. With flashy solos and fun rhythms, Human Buzz is definitely worth checking out!

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deep-Kick/160463348931

Beyond Chronicles, Sins, Thanatic Eyes, Unscarred and Furykane at La Chinois

Last night I made my way out to a new venue for me, La Chinois for what promised to be a night of thrash metal madness. Five bands came to play, and lets just say, it made for some interesting times. The idea of having girls in all of the bands was really cool and added a bit of flavor to the whole affair. Unfortunately the beginning of the night was marred by sound problems that messed up the first three bands. More than that, someone decided it would be a good idea to play Black Veil Brides between sets, that definitely didn't engender a positive attitude. Yet despite all of this something magical went down last night, the underground showed it was strong, and will never die.

The first band to take the stage was Beyond Chronicles. Now these guys were fairly tight for such a new group. However there were some grave problems with the mix. It meant that we couldn't hear the vocals at all for most of the set. Their general inexperience showed through too, the general performance was occasionally lacking. Yet, I think their was some good potential shown here and I think with a little work, and some better mixing, Beyond Chronicles might be able to put on a worthy stage show. As is, they started to get a nice vibe going for a night of metal magic.

SINS came on next, I saw these guys a while back when they were still Living Strength. Their music is a powerful sort of traditional heavy metal fused with thrash. They too had a few significant sound issues, but the band did a good job of holding it together and keeping strong. These guys know how to really connect and I think there is a certain magic to the SINS sound that suggests they will keep it coming for years on end. Suffice to say, SINS get how to put on a show, sure they're still a little amateurish at times, but I think with a few more shows as experience they could really get somewhere cool!

Thanatic Eyes came up next and here we started to see a more powerful vibe as sound issues got worked out (Although occasionally the voice dropped out) and a more professional stage show was brought out. The singer from Bleed fronts this band and proved that they are among the greatest in the Parisian scene. Vicious and powerful, Thanatic Eyes bring an unholy energy to the stage and leave a pint of blood on the ground. Here the pit really started up and we even had a small wall of death. I'd really like to see these guys again with a better mix and perhaps more volume.

Up next was Unscarred who were, as usual, a highlight. There is something about this band live that is just utterly perfect. Be it in the top notch guitar playing and tight drum performance or Nelly (The frontwoman) and her charismatic performance Unscarred are regularly my favorite band to see live. So, yes I've seen them four times, but every time it's still incredible and fun. Stage diving and crowd surfing galore took over the evening here, this is thrash metal at its finest. I may just be a romantic, but I think that 20 years from now these Unscarred shows will be just as legendary as some of the gigs that happened in the Bay Area thrash scene in the early 80s.

The final band of the night was Furykane, who you may recall I saw last year at Batofar. I was a little surprised to discover that the band had changed their overall style from top notch 5th generation nu-metal to something a little more rock and funk inspired. Their new material is still great though, just very different from what I had come to expect from this band. Nevertheless I enjoyed their set, tired out as I was after a very long day. After talking to a few friends who heard advance copies of their new album I'm intrigued to discover what they have been up to. A wonderful live band, and now musically renewed the future seems bright for Furykane.

In closing, last night was triumphant and beautiful. Five bands came and all sorts of good times and headbanging fun ensued. All of the bands had some great stuff to show us and I think that even the groups who weren't absolutely stellar have the potential to do much more. Let's just say, the organizers did a pretty good job of putting this show together for us. So, this morning I sit here in bed covered in bruises and with a terrible stiff neck and I think to myself, I live for this.

Find the bands on Facebook!
Beyond Chronicles: https://www.facebook.com/chroniclesband92

SINS: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SINS/415188011934399

Thanatic Eyes: https://www.facebook.com/ThanaticEyes

Unscarred: https://www.facebook.com/Unscarred.Thrash.Music

Furykane: https://www.facebook.com/furykane

The Phlowers

The Phlowers are a hard hitting funk band who have a groovy sound that fuses the Melvins with Rage Against the Machine, Metallica with Weezer, Faith No More with Slayer and by Odin is it awesome! The unique delivery of the band helps the listener to easily latch on and showcases the incredible power that the band has. They have a unique sound, but it is not 'out there' instead they create something which is the logical predecessor to their musical ancestors. With tempo changes galore these guys provide a wild and crazy listen and it's a lot fun to hear them play. While the mix could be a bit better at times (I would like to hear the vocals come out a bit more) The Phlowers are still an addictive listen. The way they blast forward in space while looking down on you is fun and exciting. Not a lot of bands have the distinct, yet relatable artistic direction that The Phlowers so wholeheartedly embrace. If you want thrash inflected funk metal then you have definitely come to the right place!

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/thephlowers

Caligula-Greastest Hits

Originally I wasn't expecting much from a band whose second album seemed to be a typo prone Greatest Hits collection, I mean, the idea of the album being titled Greastest Hits raises at least a few red flags with any listener. And then I actually listened to the music and was thoroughly impressed by Caligula's fascinating mix of jazz, metal and everything in between for an end result that is rather unique and keeps the listener occupied for hours on end. Their Faith no More inspired tunes have me constantly trying to identify new layers hidden within Caligula's trademark fusion sound.

I love the way the songs flow on this record, they are all simply so unique and just plain different. It reminds me a lot of Mr. Bungle. The strange melodies that dominate the tracks helps to give the music a bit of a theatrical air, adding a touch of the whimsical to an intense musical attack. This furthers the unique appeal of Caligula, their sound is a bit of hodgepodge but it works, because you expect it to be a hodgepodge. Eventually you wind up with a record you can both mosh too and swing dance too, occasionally within the span of the same song, something few bands can claim to do. While some of the songs could be tightened up a bit as a whole the music works very well.

So, if you're looking for a unique breed of metal that will give you a fresh start to your day then Caligula is the band for you. Different from anything I've ever heard before and still very good I'm excited to see where this band brings their sound in the future. Suffice to say Greastest Hits has overcome my initial prejudice against it. Heavy and fun, fast and furious, jazzy and melodic this is a truly bizarre record that shows a potential filled band who seem ready to take their music to a global stage. Signed to my friends on Dooweet these guys can go far. Here's to hoping that 2013 becomes the year Caligula breaks through!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/caligulabelgium

Pink Tatami

A bass heavy hard rock band Pink Tatami is an explosive group who alternate between later and more ambient passages with more aggressive explosions of mosh friendly metal. These guys are clearly talented songwriters and tracks like Chapter & Verse showcase how this band can seamlessly transition between these extremes. Take care to realize though that the vast majority of this groups music is on the lighter side (relatively speaking), but they are not afraid to get heavy. There is also a tasty hip hop influence here that adds a lot of flavor to the sound. Be it in the semi-rapped sections or in the techno infused intro of The Employee there is quite a bit of depth to this groups music. Add in some atmospheric guitar riffs and you've got yourself an incredibly varied band who somehow manage to make their music flow as one elegant whole. In conclusion, if you're on the search for a crunchy band who use concepts of light and dark to fuse metal rock and funk with more modern influences then Pink Tatami is the band for you!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pink-Tatami/114789355244865?id=114789355244865&sk=app_2405167945

Kopernik-Juste Moi

Kopernik is a French pop-punk band who I have talked about before. They recently put out a new single title Juste Moi on iTunes. Its a solid slab of pop-punk that should appeal very much to fans of Green Day or Nevermind-era Nirvana. Its well produced and shows a true dedication to the genre. With its funk aspects it manages to push the bands sound to new and interesting directions. I really hope that they push forward down that path in the future The guitar work is typical of the genre with solid power chords and a touch of funk. The bands bassist provides a thudding heart, as well as high pitched and accessible vocals for the band. Finally, the drumming provides a kick of energy to the bottom end. Juste Moi is a very solid effort from a promising band with some strong musicians who can push themselves further and bring their music to the next level, as is, this is a tight release that a lot of pop punk fans will enjoy, check it out!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/juste-moi/id593673049?i=593673114&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQOCBOJKVGk

Kopernik-Juste Moi

Kopernik is a new up and coming pop-punk band who incorporate a host of other elements in their music to transcend the genre and take it to a new level. Their new single (Teaser video HERE) shows a young band who are ready to take the scene by storm. With a squeaky clean and very accessible sound this is a band that could easily get huge. Yet I very much appreciate the funkier and more complex sounds they include in their songs. I feel that that is one of the things keeping this band from becoming just mainstream trash like Green Day. If Kopernik can preserve their soul and continue evolving their music, fusing pop punk and funk this is a band that could change the genre. As is, Kopernik is definitely a band worth checking out if you're into pop-punk music. While most of my metalhead readers might be a bit put off, I feel like any and all modern rockers would really dig this band!

https://www.facebook.com/koperniktheband

Peruvia

Peruvia is a rather cool modern rock act that uses a lot of funky rhythms to help create some interesting and fun sounding music that seems to be ready to break through into the mainstream any day now. One of the cool things about this band is that they are adept at combining the old and new. For example the harmonica solo on Underclass is not the kind of thing that you would hear in most modern rock of this vein. I think it helps the band stand apart and show off who they really are. Otherwise the musicianship is pretty solid and features some interesting funk rhythms that creates an interesting overall sound that you won't soon forget. Meanwhile, the lyrics are pretty cool and definitely reach out to the average bloke. All in all, Peruvia is a band any modern rock fan would enjoy, go check them out!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peruvia/180461298674682

Antic

Antic is a cool funk rock band with a pretty big garage influence. Their music is fun and rather lighthearted but really cool to listen too. I really like the arrangements and I feel like their is a variety of styles that the band can play well. The guitar parts feature a lot of cool riffs that show off some decent chops. They often have a major funk feel to them and bring a load of Red Hot Chili Peppers into the music. The bass parts feature a lot of really cool fills. It adds a lot of flavor to the music and even makes it occasionally feel like a jam band. This helps to add to the overall garage feel of the music. Meanwhile the drums feature some pretty decent licks that add something nice to the rhythm. The build ups and the overall implementation is also rather good and very enjoyable. Finally the vocals feature some really nice cleans and the occasional death growl. They fit nicely into the music and really get you jamming. In conclusion Antic is a really fun band that you should really check out! You won't regret it!
https://www.facebook.com/AnticBand/app_178091127385

Interview with Bryan Beller of the Aristocrats!

So I recently had the HUGE honor of Bryan Beller answering some questions for me. Some of you might remember his band the Aristocrats from the Review I wrote back in February. Aside from that, you might now Bryan as the bassist in Dethklok.

In this interview Bryan talks about the band and more. In particular he talks about some pretty cool upcoming stuff and we find out a lot about him. So check it out!

Can you introduce the Aristocrats?

The Aristocrats are a rock/fusion power trio consisting of Guthrie Govan on guitar, Marco Minnemann and drums, and myself on bass. We're all songwriters and we all contribute equally to the material we play. We do play a lot of notes but we really appreciatesongs, and we have a lot of fun playing together, especially live.

Who are the big influences on the Aristocrats, and also on your personally?
We all have so many different influences it's hard to summarize them. I love everything from John Scofield to Pink Floyd to Rage Against The Machine. Marco digs The Police, Frank Zappa, and a lot of '80s pop, actually. Guthrie has studied a lot of amazing guitarists, but also has some really obscure influences I'm not sure I even know. We all dig Frank Zappa a lot, which helps the humor aspect of what we do, as well as the improvisational aspect as well.

How do you feel about your first tour?
Our first tour was actually in Japan and Korea, last summer. We discovered right away that we travel easily together as well as play easily together. That matters a lot when you travel as much as we do! We're fortunate that we have the right chemistry for these things.

How do you feel about the upcoming one?
We're all really looking forward to playing as a group for the first time in a variety of European countries. We are a multinational band, with Guthrie from the UK, Marco from Germany, and me from the USA, and we've all traveled a lot, so it's a great experience for us to go to these new places together.

Looking back how do you feel about the debut album?
It's kind of a miracle, really. We're all very proud of it, of course, and the reaction was great and we're grateful for that, bt when we were doing it we didn't know what to expect, especially from each other! We just wrote these songs and exchanged demos via e-mail, and then the next thing you know we're in the studio in Chicago making an album. It was the first time we'd been together since our very first gig, at NAMM in 2011. It could have all gone horribly wrong! I'm glad it didn't. :-)

Can we expect new Aristocrats material in the future? My friends at Petrucci Forum thought that a live album would be awesome!
We are indeed working on a live CD/DVD right now! The shows are already taped and I think they sound and look great. We hope to have it out this December. Meanwhile we are all writing material for a second Aristocrats studio album for 2013. Marco is a songwriting machine and has 3 songs written already. I have one that I just finished.

How do you feel about the future of the band?
Good! We're all much closer friends now than we were when this started, and we've been through a lot together in just 18 months. I think we'll make a lot more good music together in the future.

What is it that made you want to be in a band like the Aristocrats?
Honestly, it wasn't something I'd thought about until after the very first gig we played, which went incredibly well considering we had only one rehearsal. The response from the crowd was so overwhelming that I knew we had to do something. It wasn't like I was thinking about starting an instrumental power trio or anything. So this is just one of life's pleasant surprises. :-)

What do you love so much about music?
I like how it can move people in lots of different ways, depending on the particular listener. If you write a great piece of music, lots of people will see something in it they like, even if it's not the same thing. There is a great Walter Pater quote that says "All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music." I think that's both accurate and profound. 

The Hangman Militia

The Hangman Militia is a funky rock band that combines a variety of get a great and flavorful sound with tons of great songs. The band essentially has blues roots but there is a whole glam rock feel to the music that makes everything unique. The guitar riffs are really cool because the main riffs usually have a heavy blues feel yet the fills are more glam. This creates for some uniquely interesting and tasty guitar work. The bass parts are pretty heavy too and this gives the music a much more solid feel. The drums are very well done, I am particularly fond of the powerful drum riffs in Rock n Roll anthem. They really bring the music alive. The vocals in The Hangman Militia are fairly good but they seem kind of distant. The vocals help to bring out a lot more of the glam side of the band with their slightly whiny quality. Overal The Hangman Militia is a very solid act with a fun and distinctly listenable sound.
OVERALL 9/10
  http://www.reverbnation.com/thehangmanmilitia

Freaky Styley-Red Hot Chili Peppers

Now I know I might get a lot of crap for reviewing this because its not a metal album, but I felt like it and a lot of people like these guys so maybe I will boost popularity. It starts out with a cool bass riff that really brings you into the album. The lyrics then come in and you're pulled into a psychedelic and funk rock explosion. The music has a funky feeling but it is oddly appealing. It kind of makes me smile and sway a little. It does not have blow your ears off volume or insanely powerful power chord explosions it is just solid musicianship. The solo off the first track right away shows off some technical skill and it gets better. The music makes you want to sing a long. While on many tracks when the name gets repeated too much the song becomes dull, here it is actually kind of appealing, which is really cool.

There are quite a few cool guitar riffs. Basically on this album there is a lead riff that kind of goes under the lyrics and drives the songs as much as the drums do. Sometimes this lead riff is on bass and other times it is guitar, and other times they both have a riff, sometimes the same and sometimes different ones. While no incredible technical skill is show there is definitely some serious skill with the guitarist and bassist. The musicians combine together very nicely to form a nice whole which has parts for all of the musicians and sounds really good. There is not a lot of distortion on this album but seeing how this is not the goal of the album it is okay. It shows off some really good riff writing skills on the part of the band.

I can see why this band appeals to many. It gives all sorts of parts for all sorts of musicians to play. Unlike many other bands these guys have all parts equally heard, it is not the traditional bass lead guitar combo, here everybody shares roles and the bass can have the melody part in some tracks. There seems to not be the traditional synergy between the lead singer and guitarist, instead all the musicians have synergy with each other. It forms for a nice combination that is rather appealing and better than many bands which regularly dump off their bassists and drummers while keeping the guitarist and lead singer. This album has a lot of creative and really cool and creative tracks that feature some very funky lyrics.

This is not a metal album but it is still very good. It has a lot of cool riffs and funky lyrics with sing-a-long choruses. There are some average solos and overall the technical chops are above average and speak to the listener. There is a notable balance between the parts so I like this album. If simply for how it spreads parts among the musicians. This is definitely worth a listen even if you are into metal and hard rock.

OVERALL 9/10