Not for the faint of heart

Many DREAM THEATER side projects have surfaced in the past few years but arguably LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT may well be one of the most interesting of the lot. Featuring nothing but complete virtuosos of their own instruments, this first venture (of two) is an highly experimental album made not only of full band compositions but also of duets and jams, showing all the musicianship of these four guys. And these are none other than Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess (nowadays comprising more than half of DREAM THEATER) aswell as bass demigod Tony Levin (of KING CRIMSON and PETER GABRIEL fame).

LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT is the result of one insane week back in the summer of 1997, when Magna Carta decided it'd be a good thing to form a supergroup and that Mike Portnoy would be the right guy to bring it to life. Originally meant to have Jens Johansson (of STRATOVARIUS) on keyboards instead of Rudess and Billy Sheehan (DAVID LEE ROTH, MR.BIG) instead of Levin, that lineup turned out to be a no-go. Fans of DREAM THEATER probably thank the heavens for that considering the realization of this project was probably one of the main reasons why Jordan Rudess turned out to become a full-time member of DREAM THEATER.

As I said before, this is an album of experimentation, the perfect instrumental showcase for the virtuostic element among these four musicians, with whom a simple jam or the discovery of a cool "groove" or bass line can spark an entire song. Except for a few very sparse vocal overdubs in one track, this is entirely an instrumental record. Some cuts on here are full band compositions while others are simply live jamming and improvisations which eventually got developed into fully fledged songs.

So, LTE can range from very technical, fast and assaulting ("Paradigm Shift", "Universal Mind"), to soothing ("Osmosis", "The Stretch"), to rocking ("Kindred Spirits"), to highly improvised and experimental of which "Three Minute Warning", an over 28-minute piece broken down into five parts is clearly the ultimate example. The fact that the band jammed for so long on this one that the master tape ran out and the last minute and twenty seconds were only captured on a 2-track DAT thankfully running in parallel is a testament to how insane these sessions really were. The difference in sound quality is actually very noticeable towards the end of the track and it shows how spontaneous this project was meant to be.

If you're a big fan of DREAM THEATER, not enjoying this album is kind of an impossibility given all the surrounding and inner factors. If you simply enjoy exploring new musical directions, different sounds and great musicianship, then this album is also for you. If however, the uncoventional makes you pull your hair, then be sure to stay well away from this. Of course you'd be missing quite an experience, though.

[This entry is written in Portuguese]

Poucos dias depois de um amigo me ter introduzido aos portugueses Unified Theory tive imediatamente a oportunidade de os apanhar ao vivo (relativamente) perto, nas Festas de Corroios, e logo a fazer a primeira parte dos grandes Xutos & Pontapés.

Primeiro que nada há que louvar os Xutos e juntar mais uns pontos à já enorme consideração que tenho por eles não só por fazerem os possíveis e impossíveis para manterem o espírito ROCK vivo neste país durante os últimos 26 anos mas igualmente por ajudarem a dar alguma "boa imprensa" a bandas Portuguesas como é o caso dos Unified Theory. É que há tão pouca gente a fazer pelo Rock em Portugal que isto vem como uma enorme lufada de ar fresco e que fala bem alto ao coração de nós que fazemos N kilómetros (é melhor não dizer o N que já fiz este ano senão chamam-me maluco) por esta música.

Unified Theory

Os Unified Theory tomaram então o palco de assalto por volta das dez horas da noite com uma intro tape misteriosa que explica um pouco do nome da banda para logo se lançarem na única faixa que eu já conhecia bem, "Change". Como é evidente, a produção de palco não era muito... produzida mas a verdade é que o quinteto da margem sul preencheu muito bem o seu espaço e animou (provavelmente de surpresa) a esmagadora maioria das pessoas que ali estavam para ver Xutos. O momento alto do set surgiu naturalmente com uma brilhante cover de Survivor, "Eye of the Tiger", som que se tornou mítico por fazer parte da banda sonora do Rocky, mas que os Unified Theory se encarregaram de refrescar (e muito!) com um arranjo completamente diferente e estendido ao vivo.

Daí para a frente tocaram mais três ou quatro originais, todos eles bastante progressivos, algo técnicos (sobretudo nos solos de guitarra) e pouco usuais no panorama musical deste país (takes balls to play this!). No final, a conclusão é que valeu bem a pena fazer os mais de 100 Km para os ver e esperar que tenham a sorte e o empenho necessário para continuar e ganhar mais visibilidade. O talento parece-me bem que está lá.

"Os Xutos são sempre os Xutos"
A atracção principal da noite e razão pela qual 99% das pessoas estavam no anfiteatro natural das Festas de Corroios era naturalmente os Xutos & Pontapés. Depois de atingirem a bonita marca de 25 anos de carreira em 2004, os Xutos continuam a editar discos e estão agora em tour pelo país a apresentar o mais recente trabalho, "Três Desejos".

A verdade é que às canções mais recentes que preencheram cerca de dois terços do set de Xutos falta garra, sentimento e chama. Isso notou-se ontem à noite em Corroios e é inegável. A questão com esta banda é que os clássicos suplantam claramente esse aspecto e canções como "Gritos Mudos", "Hás-de Ver", "Dia de S. Receber" e "À Minha Maneira" foram momentos altos da noite e serão sempre imagens de marca dos grandes Xutos e que me fizeram berrar as letras sem parar.

Outro dos momentos interessantes da noite foi um pequeno interregno no espectáculo que serviu para o Zé Pedro trocar de roupa e vestir uma t-shirt hilariante em tudo igual ao fato amarelo e negro de Beatrix Kiddo (em homenagem a Bruce Lee) mas que dizia Kill Bush em vez de Kill Bill. Foi talvez o pretexto para se lançar num discurso de revolta contra os políticos "regionais, nacionais e mundiais" e alertando para todos tomarmos as nossas opções. No caso dos Xutos a opção já foi tomada e "preferimos a liberdade à submissão" o que foi o mote perfeito para se lançar de imediato na espectacular e velhinha "Submissão", por ele próprio cantada. E que, diga-se, é provavelmente uma das minhas canções preferidas, simbolizando bem o que os Xutos significam e sempre hão-de signifcar.

Uma noite boa passada em Corroios, com mais gente a assistir do que seria de prever, com uns Unified Theory a mostrarem que o progressivo em Portugal nao pode nem deve ser tabu e os Xutos a continuarem a dizer "Presente".

Sheer emotion from Poland

Those who know me well acknowledge the fact that I'm a bit compulsive about the things I like. I have to admit I am that way to some extent. Some things I can't just casually enjoy, I get almost fanatical about them. Fortunately, that's only the case with a few selects things. Another thing that's part of my character, is a strong inclination towards the unconventional, that which hadn't been done yet or that which is extremely original and heartfelt. Right now, I can tell you of at least one band that fits all these bills: RIVERSIDE.

"Out of Myself", RIVERSIDE's debut album, is a concept album about one finding inner peace, understanding of himself and the surrounding world. According to the band's vocalist and bassist, Mariusz Duda, this is the first part of a trilogy dealing with the aforementioned subjects and, let me tell you, if the next two pieces are on par with this one, then I can't wait for them and this trilogy will become a huge classic.

I wouldn't say RIVERSIDE are strictly a progressive band but they surely approach it in a very strong manner. So much so that this album can clearly appeal to 70's progressive rock lovers. The closest they come to being really progressive is right on the first track, "The Same River", an ambitious 12 minute piece which goes through different moods and emotions, always showing a band that's unbelievably tight for a debut, aswell as instrumentally superior. Take for instance, right after the first section of the song, how ethereal the guitar that enters the scene at 04:40 really is. Piotr Kozieradzki's drum work is always precise yet rather complex and Michal Lapaj's keyboards provide a sweet backdrop to the song (and the rest of the album too).

Throughout the record, the idea I got is that RIVERSIDE are the perfect cross between PORCUPINE TREE (in the sense of ever present surprises and unexpected turns in their songs) and OPETH (especially with their "Damnation" album). In fact, Duda's vocals reminded me more than once of Mikael Akerfeldt's clean vocals. Also thrown in for good measure are some PINK FLOYD influences.

Speaking of Duda's vocals, rarely I listened to someone sing with such warmth and feeling. Take for example "I Believe", "Loose Heart" and especially "In Two Minds" which starts with a telephone-like sort of whispered and echoed voice (another PORCUPINE TREE trademark and possible influence) and then becomes crystal clear. This song's arrangement blew me away. This is top notch composition, as far as I'm concerned and Duda's vocals always give me goosebumps. Piotr Grudzinski's guitar work is also amazing and perfectly balanced.

"The Curtain Falls" is a more experimental tune, yet rather good, and "Ok" basically gives Duda singing softly over a sort of trip hop-ish backdrop. Interspersed within the album, are also two moody pieces "Reality Dream I" and "Reality Dream II" which serve the concept purpose of the album making use of interesting samples - the sound of a phone call producing a dial error, an alarm clock going off, a clock ticking. Both are probably the heaviest numbers on the album showing the metal side of the band. I suggest you check the section in "Reality Dream I" from 03:58 to 04:51 for the ultimate demonstration of what this band is instrumentally capable of, in particular the odd time signatures produced by Kozieradzki and of course Grudzinski's guitar work. The whole of "In Two Minds" show just how good Duda is as a singer.

The production is top notch and that's a relief because it would be a shame if such a truly beautiful piece of work got ruined by it. The worldwide release of "Out of Myself" features cover art designed by Travis Smith (of OPETH and ANATHEMA fame) which pretty much suits the underlying concept.

My compulsiveness towards the things I like may sometimes be a problem, but bear with me on this one. Usually when a band debuts with such a great album it either disbands immediately (CYNIC comes to mind) or is destined to great things. I sense RIVERSIDE are on the latter group. I just hope they get that little bit of luck everyone needs to succeed, because the talent, the emotion, the technique, the ability... well, it's all there. Saint-Exupery once said that "perfection is not achieved when there's nothing more to add but rather when there's nothing more to take away". While I don't claim "Out of Myself" to be perfect (despite the hands-down 5 star rating) it certainly comes very close to fitting that phrase.

You want to have this album. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The Mega-system has NOT failed

From the outset, I must admit I'm not entirely familiar with MEGADETH's body of work as I only know some of their "hit" songs (mostly from "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" and "Rest in Peace") plus the whole of 1994's "Youthanasia" and of course the album I'm reviewing right now. This basically means I'll be reviewing this one based on its own merits. Isn't that the way it should always be?

That said, the idea I get after repeatedly listening to 2004's comeback, "The System Has Failed", is that even though the world system may be indeed failing, MEGADETH really isn't despite Mustaine's ever changing mood and band lineup. This one sounds like going back all the way to the roots with very thrashy, speedy and hard rocking songs, along with Mustaine's trademark vocals sounding as good as ever. He may not be the nicest guy walking the earth but he delivers the goods and "The System Has Failed" is an example of this. In the end of the day however this is more of a Dave Mustaine solo album than anything else for many reasons, one being label pressure to put out one last album under the MEGADETH moniker and another the constant line-up changes - no one who recorded this album, except Mustaine himself, has been touring to support it. All music and lyrics are also entirely his responsibility, so you get the picture.

The tone used is at the same time poignant and angry, feelings which Mustaine's vocals so perfectly fit. The subject matter is divided between criticism against the underlying system(s) be it the American government policy for the Middle East with the fast-paced opener "Blackmail The Universe", justice and law enforcement with the killer cut "Kick The Chair" (for me the highlight of this album, so in-your-face, speedy and rocking it is) or the music scene with "Back in the Day". Mustaine also gets more personal with tracks like "Die Dead Enough" and "Something I'm Not" again using his greedy and angry tone to great effect. "The Scorpion" and "Truth Be Told" both start slow but quickly become great somewhat poppy rockers with amazing choruses. The last three tracks don't really live up to the rest of the record, in my opinion, and sound a bit like filler to me, except for Mustaine's solo in the second half of "Shadow of Deth". That felt really good. The others don't ruin the album but don't really add anything to it either.

"The System Has Failed" sounds really good when it does sound good and it has some remarkable tunes. The majority of MEGADETH fans should be pleased with this comeback. For someone like me who always heard of MEGADETH but never really got turned into them, it was a very good surprise and a very welcome record. It was also the spark I needed to dig deeper in their back catalogue (it's just a shame the re-issues have that silly copy protection scheme. Why can't I play a CD I *bought* in my computer? That's a real turn off...)

Nevermore does it (yet) again

NEVERMORE is one of the hottest bands on the metal scene but I can't help this feeling that the sheer heaviness of their sound keeps them from enjoying a more widespread acceptance. The thing with this band is that they seem to have a natural ability to top themselves with every release and that's definitely a trademark of a great band. "This Godless Endeavor" is no exception and from the outset I have little trouble saying that this may just be the finest moment in this band's history.

For the record, what I have in my hands is the limited digipak edition and the packaging is awesome. With this, Hugh Syme is responsible for one of the best artworks in metal history (bold claim, I know, but I stand by it) depicting a bleak present come future, a dystopia of our own society. It perfectly fits the message and the whole idea behind this album and that's why I find it so good.

I'd be surprised if "This Godless Endeavor", NEVERMORE's sixth studio album, disappointed any fans of the band and I'm sure it can reach out to many new ones. Fans of heavy but melodic music will be at home and there's a good amount of shredding going on thanks to guitar demigod Jeff Loomis (who sounds great, thanks to the crystaline production by Andy Sneap) and the new guy on the block, Steve Smyth. Smyth is actually quite a good addition to the band, so far, as it enables some variety in the solos, while still fitting perfectly within the band's blueprint. Jim Sheppard also does a good job but his bass is sometimes a bit lost in the mix.

For me however, as much as I enjoy Loomis and Smyth in this album, it's Van Williams' drums that really stand out and help turn this album into a true masterpiece of metal. Odd time signatures, furious double bass kick attack and a very heavy yet crystal clear sound, make this one of the most enjoyable albums in terms of drum work for me. Finally, vocalist Warell Dane is really at the top of his form, after his decision to come clean and lead a more healthy lifestyle. His vocals are awesome throughout the record and as much as I liked his voice on previous albums, he never sounded better.

The album starts off with "Born", featuring a very Slayer-like fast and furious bass drum attack which comes as a surprise. But if you think the band has gone down the black metal avenue for good, think again. NEVERMORE is melodic as ever and the way this song turns into a beautiful melody at 01:34 is a good example of this (notice how original and fresh the guitar work is in this section). These two moods come and go and it all adds up to a great opener to the album. I was hooked from the start.

"Final Product" comes up next and it doesn't let go. Dane fills this song with anger, hints of sadness and contempt for the demise of the world. Yes, bleak. But this is what "This Godless Endeavor" is all about. "My Acid Words" starts very mellow yet very heavy aswell and launches into the standard NEVERMORE blueprint from previous works, much in the vein of "Dead Heart in a Dead World". "Bittersweet Feast" is perhaps one of the least remarkable songs but still it features an infecting chorus displaying Dane's great vocal attributes and how much of a top notch singer he is these days. Loomis and Smyth also trade licks for yet another guitar solo spot, something which is featured in pretty much every song of this album.

"Sentient 6" is definitely one of the very highlights of "This Godless Endeavor". It starts ominously with a deep piano sound and tells the story of a robot who becomes aware of the human race and jealous of the human condition ("It's unattainable, please teach me how to dream"/"I long to be more than a machine"). Unable to endure such thoughts, this robot seeks revenge and proceeds to wipe the human race out of existence ("I will spread switft justice on their land" and "I am the bringer of the end of time for man"). The real beauty of this song is two fold: the way it evolves and goes from calmness to madness and Loomis' solo depicting the robot's realization. A great piece. "Medicated Nation" gets back on the heavy track and "The Holocaust of Thought" is a nice interlude written by Sheppard which serves as an introduction for what's yet to come.

And what's to come is, if I may say so, even better. "Sell My Heart For Stones" is another highlight, kind of a quiet song with a slow but heavy chorus and Dane delivering the goods again. He can be really persuasive and it shows here. "The Psalm of Lydia" has the best intro on the whole album, one of those guitar riffs that strike as instant classics and turns into a badass solo by Loomis. In terms of guitar work this may well be the best song on the entire album. "A Future Uncertain" starts acoustic but soon launches into yet another very good heavy song.

Which gets us to the title track, the last song on the album. This sees, perhaps surprisingly, the band taking a more progressive direction with a less conventional song which goes through different stages and moods. This is where all the virtues (for lack of defects) of the previous songs find a rendez-vous. Lyrically this is also the strongest song on the album. Suffice to say that this song encapsulates everything which makes this band so great. Brilliant.

In the end, "This Godless Endeavor" is hands down one of the best (if not *the* best) metal album out this year. It's unusual to listen to such a strong album from start to finish but NEVERMORE pulls it off with apparent ease. Usually when a record is surrounded by a lot of hype, the sensible thing to do is to grow suspicious of it. In this case, my advice is to believe the hype and buy this record immediately. I can't recommend it enough.

Trapped Inside This Octavarium

After a full blown metal album in 2003, DREAM THEATER are back to their more progressive roots, with a vendetta. While "Train of Thought" didn't do much with the latter of the "heavy, melodic and progressive" triplet on which the band takes pride to be associated with, "Octavarium" is again a big melting pot, much like most of the band's previous efforts. The interesting twist is that even though the influence of classical progressive outfits is ever present, this time we see many traits of much more recent and, some would say, surprising bands. You don't need to pay a lot of attention to the music within this record to instantly recognize, of all bands, a big MUSE influence. The truth is that if you have been following this band lately, it turns out not be that much of a surprise. The more creative members seem to be attracted to Muse lately and, if you ask me, it could be much worse. It's actually a good thing, and being influenced by a contemporary and active band shouldn't be a problem.

"Octavarium" is also another Dream Theater's stab at creating a concept piece, even if this one is a little unusual in that and not in the same sense as their own "Scenes From a Memory" or other classic concept albums like PINK FLOYD's "The Wall" or QUEENSRYCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime". This time, the concept is not in terms of storyline but in everything that surrounds the album, all the way down to the artwork and the booklet. I don't want to spoil anything for whoever is reading this and is yet to get their copy, but it shouldn't take much to actually get it when you have the thing in your hands and the disc in your player. And while we're talking about the artwork, this album would honestly warrant 5 stars, if only for it. Hugh Syme (who has worked with MEGADETH, RUSH, QUEENSRYCHE in the past and more recently did NEVERMORE's "This Godless Endeavor") has done an outstanding job working under Mike Portnoy's concept and the booklet is nothing short of remarkable, yet simple and soothing.

And on to the music...

The album opens with the continuation of the on-going alcoholism saga which is being written by Portnoy, one piece per album, since 2002's "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence". "The Root of All Evil" starts ominously, with interesting samples which have been used to this effect for the first time in the band's work. And immediately die-hard fans will notice the back references to the previous songs in this series, namely to "This Dying Soul" which are in fact sprinkled throughout the song. It soon shifts into high gear and for all we know, this could be a continuation of "Train of Thought". The lyrics are very heartfelt and go straight to the point ("Never could have just a part of it"/"I always need more to get by" and "Lazy enough to sleep all day"/"And let my life just waste away"). This is a very hard rocker with instant hooks and it's definitely a great way to kickstart the album. It sure will be interesting to follow this saga onto its conclusion over the next couple of albums and to the expected live rendition in its entirety.

After the storm comes the calmness and so "The Root of All Evil" sweetly segues into the beautiful "The Answer Lies Within" which strongly nods to "Anna Lee" back in the "Falling Into Infinity" album. James LaBrie is quietly stunning in this track and, dare I say it, this is where he shines the most. His work with Arjen Lucassen on the latest AYREON album is proof of that. The mood keeps going back and forth and "These Walls" is another heavy tune and arguably one of the best tracks and that's because every member of the band really is at his best. Take the section from 04:38 to 05:08 where Petrucci does a really nice, simple and moody solo aswell as Portnoy's remarkable drum work which then goes into the buildup to the chorus from 05:08 to 05:23. This is where Rudess shines, albeit not on a technical point of view, and the same is true for the song's outro which leads to the next track, "I Walk Beside You". This song actually puzzles me because DREAM THEATER has never been a band seeking much mainstream exposure but this track reeks of that. Apart from a strong nod to U2 (imagine that!) and interesting drum work during the intro, this song doesn't really have much to recommend it and clearly doesn't fit the whole. While it's not a bad song per se, it really is the album's weakest link.

The second part of the album opens with a shredding badass bass solo by John Myung, which instantly makes you think of similar stuff in "Metropolis Pt.1" and "The Dance of Eternity". The song is powerful and it deals with... well you guessed it, panic attacks. It's interesting to see how all of the panic attack symptoms are illustrated in this song, lyrically and musically. While this could certainly be a part of "Train of Thought" aswell, the middle section features some nice soloing and instrumental show-off which is used very sparingly in this latest offering, unlike the previous work by the band. It's also where the MUSE influence is more clear especially in the way LaBrie sings the chorus. "Never Enough" is another one of the album's best tracks and again Portnoy gets pretty much to the point with his lyrics, dealing with those fans who don't know how to appreciate his hard work for the band and simply can't get enough. The lyrics can even be tough to follow, so crude, graphical and agressive (yet beautiful) they are ("Cut myself open wide"/"Reach inside"/"Help yourself to all I have to give" or "Sacrifice my life"/"Neglect my kids and wife"/"All for you to be happy"). "Sacrificed Sons" brings the 9/11 subject back to light and displays LaBrie's contribution to the lyrics department (along with part of the last song). This is what could be called a "half-epic" and features one of the best instrumental sections of the whole album. Highly recommended.

Finally, there's the epic title track which clocks in at a whooping 24:00. And the truth is that it doesn't fall short of "A Change of Seasons" or "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence". It is indeed one of the best things the band has ever done, even if the lyrics are very obscure and confusing at times which was not really the case of the previous epics. I must confess that during the first few minutes I was confused and not sure if my copy had PINK FLOYD's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" as the last song instead, but that was just for a couple of seconds there. Jordan Rudess introduces the use of the steel lap guitar (one of a few technical innovations for the band on this record) to great effect which helps on this song sounding like one giant tribute to a lot of the classic progressive bands like YES and ELP. I prefer not to go into much detail on this song because this is something to be experienced and discovered and I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is yet to do so. Suffice to say it is very very good and on par with the best output of the band.

Overall, "Octavarium" is a strong album but as always with this band it is very difficult to compare it with the rest of the catalogue. Despite some really heavy tunes, fans of DT's more progressive side will be happier than those on the metal camp, to whom "Train of Thought" was probably the best offering. It may be the best effort since "Scenes From a Memory" but then again it's not as cohesive and coherent as most of the other albums. For that and for the radio-friendly nods, I don't give it five stars but it really is a 4,5 rating. It will be interesting to see where DREAM THEATER goes from here. It really will be.