The Inclined Review

Blogger problems

2014-04-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

So I got a new template for Blogger off the net, which is way cooler than the standard ones that Blogger offers (just Google, there are tons of sites offering real sublime views). However, I'm fairly disabled when it comes to coding, especially HTML

What's happening is that the first blog post can never be opened directly from my home page - The image never links, and the "Read More" option that's supposed to come up when you hover the mouse over a post, is also giving issues (You'll notice that this working fine for all the other posts except the first).

So yeah. Help!

The best Indian metal bands live

2014-04-22T04:13:00.000-07:00

There are many similar posts out there on the internet. Honestly, I wasn't the most pleased with many of the lists, so I decided to make this small little compilation myself.

To sum up, I've used the below criteria to evaluate the top 10 bands from India who absolutely kill it live.

1) The Song, of course
2) Tightness on stage
3) Audio quality
4) Video quality
5) Currently active
6) Other smaller factors, like stage antics, technical skills etc

I might be missing out on a few bands since I'm considering only those videos on Youtube, and of reasonably good quality. Why? Because as awesome as a band might be, a shitty recording always destroys the video and thus your opinion to a great extent.

Here goes, in no particular order. Random info and gossip about the best bands in India. And of course, a bit of their music

Bhayanak Maut (BM)- Meaning Terrible Death, in Hindi. One of the oldest metal bands from India. Their songs don't appeal a whole lot to me, but I just go wild in their live shows. Their stage presence with 2 vocalists is simply phenomenal! Rightly titled - the black metal Raghu Dixit Project, with them donning Sabarimala costumes (Indian temple attire) as shown in the video below! Taking part in their moshpit is almost like facing a pack of wolves in your underwear. So in the gig shown below, I remember them challenging us to take down 'the fat guy in the Arsenal shirt', with them promising to buy us beers if we do. And after that gig, I personally feel BM has got to keep ambulances on the side with their engines running during their gigs. Sounds crazy? Just watch the video and you'll see

Demonic Resurrection (DR)- I think they were literally one of the first few metal bands to become popular in India. I remember Millennium being one of the first, then there were probably a few in between, and then came along DR. These guys are still very strong, especially within the Mumbai circuit, which has now triumphed over Bangalore to take the throne of the Metal city of India. Their frontman Sahil Makhija also runs a local show called Headbanger's Kitchen, modeled somewhat over the famous Hell's kitchen. Who wouldn't want to see insane food recipes coupled with deep interviews with Indian domestic and International Bands (namely Lamb of God, Karnivool, Gojira, George Kolias etc)?! Their gig at Bloodstock in 2012 was probably one of their best shows, and is also probably one of their best videos online

Kryptos - The first metal band be signed by an international record label! Also my first Indian metal CD purchase! Right timing I'd say, I was able to save enough pocket money and shell out Rs 500 to grab their disk (which was no joke to a teenager 8 years ago). I've watched them live a lot since they're from my home city, Bangalore. What I love about them is their old school melodic metal style infused with some classic thrash. If you want to stalk them, they are regulars at the good ol' India Coffee House on Church Street, Bangalore (I read about this somewhere, stop getting ideas of me watching their every move). If you haven't already, listen to their track 'Descension', their first track (i think), which is literally their Hotel California. But for now, the below video of their gig at Ragnarock Open air in Germany will slay enough

Scribe - One of the most unequaled and talented band from India! They are a 5 piece hardcore act from Mumbai, with sharp influences of Korn, Textures etc. Any person attending their gig will never forget this band, even if he/she hates the music - cause of their stupid jokes and their funky costumes! I'm drawn to melodies like a bee to honey, so my evaluation of this band is probably a lot lower than what they actually are. But here's how splendid they are - they are probably the only band to have caused an all girl moshpit (at NH7 weekender Pune while covering 'What Comes Around', by Justin Timberlake). I'm also a big fan of their guitarist Prashant Shah and his older death metal band, Exhumation.

Bevar Sea - A South Indian would rightly guess that these guys are from Bangalore. And yes, the name does mean Bastard in Kannada! Now they are truly a treat because they are so unlike the others. The best stoner/doom metal from India, hands down. Their riffs have Black Sabbath, Sleep, Electric Wizard etc oozing out of them. I overheard someone mentioning that these guys sold more than double the merch of what many reputed Indian bands had sold since their inception, within 3 months of production! And they reward us with free beers at every gig (me being shameless enough to have tried to grab one at every show haha). Their band line is very catchy - "We are BEVAR SEA, and so are YOU!". I've been to almost every gig of theirs, and to see the whole crowd chant their title track Abhishtu in unison, every single time, is something which many popular international bands still struggle to do

Eccentric Pendulum (EP)- First Indian band to play at Wacken Open Air. Rolling Stones India Metal Awards Best Album 2012. Best Drummer. Best Bassist. Probably the band with the best resume in India! These guys, like Bevar Sea, are fairly new (4-5 years old i think), are known for their oddities in time signatures and influences from the newer progressive metal (and a bit of math metal) bands. They were on a great band trajectory, but seem to have lost their charm offlate. But nevertheless, this video of them at Rolling stone metal awards is so TIGHT. What an intro, especially the one liner of Nikhil saying "Good evening Bombay. We are Eccentric Pendulum from Bangalore." kicking into the song.

(Click the below youtube link for the song)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKFuFpGHxL8

Inner Sanctum (Nobody calls them IS!) - What surprises me about Inner Sanctum is that they are a fairly old band, but not many have actually heard of them. What I don't like about Inner Sanctum is that they've released very few songs in their bandspan of 8 years or more. What I do like about them is their HEAVY, HEAVY music. These guys again are absolute veterans. The vocalist Gaurav Basu is so horny that he has to mention atleast one of tits, pussies, penises or jerking off during every gig (haha I hope by the time Gaurav reads this I'm far far away from Bangalore)! Gaurav also creates artwork in his free time, mostly for other bands (check ACID TOAD). Great riffs and great guitar solos - I remember back in the day when these guys covered Arch Enemy, only wish we had better cameras back then. The crowd from BITS Goa is surprisingly a lot better than people at other college fest gigs, in the below video. And of course, the drum solo + Agent of Chaos is sick as hell.

Devoid - Angry. Aggresive. Fierce. Thrash. Death. Metal. From. Mumbai. Third band from India, after Eccentric Pendulum and Zygnema to play at Wacken. My initial impression of these guys was that they just like to smoke and drink a lot and play metal. But they are really funny! Their episode on Headbanger's Kitchen is pretty hilarious, especially of their drunken escapades at Wacken, really making the India camp stand out! Vocalist Arun Iyer was so smitten with the openness of the women at Wacken (go wild with your imagination here). Their album titled 'A God's Lie' is really making waves across the metal scene in India

1833 AD - Black metal from India! Don't expect anything fancy here. These guys are straight up, no fancy frills/costumes/corpse paint. Just pure unadulterated black metal. Not too different from the usual, but hey, I haven't seen any black metal band that is radically different from the famous ones. What stands out is the vocals for these guys - somewhere in between DarkThrone and Gorgoroth - Scares you, especially when the gig is in a dingy pub. I saw them at Bangalore open air, and that was in the evening, so the impact was a lot lesser there. And believe you me, Nishant actualls pulls it off perfectly live. I don't have much other info about these guys, so hope the song by itself will do.

(This isn't a live video, but their live show at BOA isn't embedding, so this should do for now)

Zygnema - Zygnema, again from Mumbai (Phew, how many bands from Mumbai), are a thrash band heavily, and I mean HEAVILY, influenced by Pantera. The second band from India to play at Wacken (after EP and before Devoid). The vocalist Jimmy sounds a lot like Phil Anselmo, but of course, has a long way to go to be as cool as Phil on stage. Their guitarist Sidharth is always calm as a kite, but is a war machine on stage! He is also very musically erudite, and is the head of faculty at a music school in Mumbai. These guys are really chill. So the usual culture in India is to drink up at a local bar prior to a gig because drinks at the venues are really overpriced. So we were tanking up at this shady bar before the Slayer gig in Bangalore, and when I say shady, compare it to an abandoned warehouse from the movie Saw. There was no other bar close to the venue, and we were the ONLY ones there. I was wondering if we were gonna get assmolested by some locals, and right then a few familiar faces walked in. I didn't recognize at first, but then realised that it was the guys from Zygnema! Went over and said hi (like a lame fan lol). Long story short, these guys are really chill and their music kills.

There are few other bands that missed out here because of lack of good quality videos

Undying Inc (New Delhi)

Artillerie (Not sure if these guys are still active) (New Delhi)

Providence (Mumbai)
Skyharbor - I've spoken enough about them in my earlier blog posts :)

The best of Bulb, Misha Mansoor

2014-04-03T11:43:00.001-07:00

Before I begin, let me give you a better introduction of our subject in this blog piece

Name : Bulb
Aborigine : 38.9847° N, 77.1131° W, sort of...
Employment : A T shirt store called Periphery which also apparently makes music
Endorsement : Medium sized planks of wood with the word 'Jackson' scribbled on them, and some electromagnet called Juggernaut

Believe me, all that researched (cough) crap I just wrote above will give you enough details to the person I'm referring here.

So Misha's been writing a ton of his own music apart from what Periphery produces. And if you're a fan of his solo work, you'd be surprised to know that a fair chunk of Periphery fans don't actually know that Misha composes solo (Most musicians write their own stuff on the side, but you know what I mean), and a big chunk out of the remaining haven't really heard more than 2 of his solo songs.

Me being a part of the latter until recently, came across some really good samples on Youtube. And let me enlighten you folks on some real awesomesauce tunes that in fact really deserve to be made extra popular

One song I absolutely loved was Breeze. Intro riff reminded me in a way of Karnivool - Cote. There's a brilliant solo in there as well

Logical would be my second. You'll know why once you listen

Next up would be Not Enough Mana. Good ol' Periphery flavored music

Now that you know how much wattage the Bulb has got, you'd be surprised to see the questions fans asked him when he did his first Reddit AMA.

1) Who is the hottest member of Periphery and why is it Nolly?

Comments to the above question
Actually I'd say it's Matt because holy shit have you seen that man sweat?

Scientific projections are saying that he will soon be wearing cardigans, the deepest V-neck there is.

2) Misha, I've been wondering, is there some connection between Matt's drumming and his V necks? Are they the source of his power?

3) Hey Misha, big fan here. I was just wondering, is Half-Life 3 ever coming out?
Misha : The release of Clear confirmed HL3
Fan : Clear has 5 letters
Periphery have released two albums
5-2=3
HL3 confirmed

Hope I gave you your entertainment for the day. Keep them feedback coming. Cheerio!

Really cool not-so-famous prog metal tracks

2014-03-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

To start off, most of these are of the newer era (to say, djent and progressive), so be warned - to all you djent haters/people who hate people who hate people who hate using the word djent

Came across some really cool tracks while browsing through YouTube. Here are some tracks of bands/artists that you probably haven't heard

1) Hydrodjent - Celestial
Hydrodjent was the bedroom project of Keshav Dhar, who made and mixed all tracks himself, then got hold of Dan, Anup, Nikhil and Devesh to form Skyharbor.
Hydrodjent = Raw{Skyharbor - Effects - Vocals} + (Headbang x 1.5).

2) Ryan Siew
Australian kid, starting posting guitar covers at the age of 13. His videos usually get a 100k views or more! What's even cooler is that this kid (now 16) is now endorsed by Mayones guitars, Bare Knuckle pickups, and Gruv Gear. High quality equipment, crystal clear recordings, and brilliant videography are the hallmarks of his videos. Periphery usually re-shares his covers (here's the cover of Scarlet). There's also an own composition of his I really liked, with some spectacular riffs.

3) Matt Harnett
Another progressive metal guitarist, slightly older than Ryan Siew however. Hails from TN, USA. He recently released a 6 song EP, written, mixed and mastered in his bedroom, which is truly phenomenal! Not the most unique of song types, but I liked many of the ideas that he brought about in this EP

4) Skyharbor with Joint Family
Now this was truly stumbling on a gold mine (Well not a mine, more like a bar). I never knew that once upon a time long long ago Keshav Dhar of Skyharbor randomly jammed with Joint Family (Indian band, hardcore) and this song was recorded and posted on Youtube! It is one hell of a track, and you can see Keshav's signature guitar styles oozing out of this one. It's a pity that this has only ~850 views

I have no idea why but Blogger isn't allowing me to load the video onto this portal. So let me beat Blogger's ass by linking this image to the video (Click image below to the song)

5) Days of confusion - Grace
I came across this riff which I found very catchy, tracked it back to a Romanian band initially called Aria, and now changed to Days of confusion. Not many would like their songs as they borderline new age rock/alternative, but they somehow have some real cool riffs within these tracks

6) Fellsilent - Immerse
Believe it or not, Fellsilent, the experimental band from UK, had the founding members of TesseracT and Monuments! (Acle Kahney and John Browne). Too bad that they fell apart, but all for the greater good, else half my blog posts would've gone missing. Their flagship album was launched by Basick, which can be found in it's entirety here. One of their most popular tracks is Immerse - listen closely to the start - That's 100% pure Acle Kahney from Tesseract's Concealing Fate : Acceptance. And many of the riffs have John Browne's DNA. Brilliant track, not-so-impressive vocals

I'll be back with more in the part 2 compilation of this series. Stay tuned!

Kawaii metal

2014-02-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

Japan has just invented the greatest type of music ever!

For those of you who've seen Global Metal, Marty Friedman of Megadeth gives a sneak peek into the Japanese metal domain, which apparently has no restrictions, no inhibitions, and can combine any riff any tune any video and come up with something that is really cool by Japanese standards.

Now I don't know what Marty Friedman smoked to create something like this, but this is a long flight of atleast a 1000 steps below what he made earlier in Megadeth.

Babymetal is a new Japanese metal vocal and dance group, consisting of 3 girls, initially formed as a subunit of the female idol group Sakura Gakuin under the concept of a "fusion of metal and idol [music]". They've already become quite a sensation in Japan, and their new release isn't going to slow them anytime soon!

Think Melodic Metal-meets-cute japanese schoolgirls-meets-Gorgoroth/Slipknot styled dressing-meets-Bollywood dance numbers-meets-scenes from The Grudge.
That wouldn't come to my mind even if I wanted it to.

Well, worry not, since it's very much real right now.

I honestly can't tell if I'm shaking from the little headbanging I did, or from getting so fucked-in-the-head after watching this video. But one thing I can tell you is - That is one catchy tune. Open up a bit, listen to it, and then you'll see. Kudos, Japan!

Intervals - A Voice Within album Pre-Review

2014-02-28T10:36:00.003-08:00

First time I'm doing this, but here's a predicted review of Intervals' upcoming album, A Voice Within. Intervals have released about 5 songs and I should say, that's about enough for me to go ahead and publish a review.

A few weeks back, I'd written an article commending Intervals for their splendid music, yet at the same time having a feeling that the new album might disappoint. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Intervals have released 5 out of their 9 songs, and honestly, even if the remaining 4 suck, this album is a win. I have a theory - For an album to be a success (Either by popularity or critically), atleast 40% of the album must appeal to any individual listening to it. That's 4 out of 10 songs on an average. Lesser than that, those couple of awesome individual songs would seem to have more value than the album as a whole. Intervals have already cleared this criteria.

Most songs have 1 thing in common - Aaron Marshall's notable infusion of melody within all the brilliant riffs and technicality. That pleased me beyond what I could hope for, as I'm a sucker for melodies.. You can be very technically proficient, and play the craziest of solos, but at the end of the day the song has to be catchy and leave a nice ring in your ears.
What impressed me even more is the fact that Intervals have not toned down their song making style much after the inclusion of Mike Semesky, their new vocalist who they poached off from The Haarp Machine.
And to add chocolate sauce on the ice cream, Mike Semesky actually delivers a simple yet very satisfying set of sounds from his larynx, and I LOVE it.

Here's the song 'The Self Surrendered'. More tunes on the music player at the bottom

At 8 in the evening with a beer - Siren Sound, Ephemeral, Automation
At 9 in the morning while getting dressed - The Escape

Rating : 9/10

Ronald Jenkees

2014-02-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

For a metal fan, writing a blog post on Electronic/Dubstep music is not only a peculiar affair, some would also say that it is outright blasphemous. However, good music is good music, be it in Metal, Electronica, or Justin Bieber speaking like Tupac and saying "Yo man I ain't got no drugs on me!" to the cops who arrested him in Florida (The last one being the best form of catharsis the soul can receive). And this blog post is dedicated to Ronald Jenkees, who I recently discovered, makes very exquisite sublime tracks, ALL of which are extremely catchy.

Me : That's me, a heavy metal fan

Everyone else : You don't look all that heavy.

So I came to know about Ronald Jenkees as I was browsing through this wonderful little site called bcradio.in, which was started by some music lovers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. It is an online radio portal dedicated to promote Indian acts, although, you may need to be wary of the much trashy music included in there as well. Surprised that RJ was included in there as he's American, but a good catch indeed.

Googled, Youtubed, Wiki-ed, Soundcloud-ed and found a ton more on Mr Jenkees. He seems to be quite a Youtube sensation, with his piano covers usually surmounting ~1 mil views or more. A lot of his soundcloud samples sound like they could be used in movies/advertisements. Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with his bio any longer, but I will be boring you with some of his tracks. And if you like them, leave a comment or two below, and reshare this blog post. And if you like my jokes, you can always subscribe to this blog piece (Hmm, there are only 3 subscribers to my blog, something is amiss).

This is a live video of RJ playing to his song called Throwing Fire. Just look at the precision

PS : I've updated my blog to include a music player at the bottom, so that you can listen to the music on the blog without having to play the videos (Slower internet speeds, third world problems). To view all the songs present, click the 'Toggle Playlist' button on the extreme right of the player

Have you listened to Intervals yet?

2014-02-18T05:48:00.002-08:00

Instead of making this like other regular blog posts, let me break this down and tell you why you should be listening to Intervals -

1) Their music is great! - Well duh. What a unique point.

2) They have Anup Sastry on drums - Okay, well, erm.. Is that an Indian name?? "Indians are out to rule the world baby."

3) They have Aaron Marshall and Lukas Guyader on guitars - Wow, tell me more names I haven't heard of..

4) They're Canadian - Finally! A point that makes sense..

Intervals are a progressive, instrumental powerhouse, hailing from Toronto, Ontario , Canada. With roots firmly planted in metal, and inspiration ranging from fusion to electronic, the four-piece wields a gripping sonic aesthetic. Energetic riffs, coupled with memorable melody take the listener through a myriad of moods and soundscapes.

That was copied from their Facebook page, just to give you a basic highlight

So, before diving in, let's give a good listen to their earlier EP 'In Time' released in 2012. Keep a lookout for the tracks Alchemy, Mata Hari, Tapestry, Momento and Epiphany. Oh well, you guessed it, those are all the tracks present in the EP.

Don't like it? Already listened to this? Yeah, whoever wrote this blog piece is an idiot. Absolutely no fascination for good music.

On the other hand, if you did like it, then you may also be thrilled to know that Intervals have a new addition to their already spectacular portfolio, Mike Semesky, the new/first vocalist. I wouldn't call the vocals spectacular, but it'll do (good). Now there may be the hardcore fans who object to this addition as they're so used to Intervals as an instrumental outfit, but I think this is a great way for them to explore their song making areas.

The only problem with getting a vocalist on board is that going back to making instrumentals will be hard. So lets see if Intervals release any more instrumental tunes.. Meanwhile, they've released 2 songs of their new EP 'A Voice Within' which is slated to be released later this year.

On a serious note, these 2 songs give me mixed signals. On one hand, I loved Ephemeral. The riffs, the solo all were simply very catchy. The Escape, on the other hand, has got all the good riffs, tunes, breaks etc, but somehow don't add up together.

Hoping the other songs of the EP really deliver.

White Moth Black Butterfly - One Thousand Wings album review

2013-11-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

For those of you who think this is a review of an 8th grade biology textbook, I really wouldn't blame you. Because I was fairly gobsmacked/flabbergasted/popeyed when my 2 of my favourite 5 members of Skyharbor announced the release of the new sounds of their side project - White Moth Black Butterfly (WMBB).
In this new era of how different genres are progressing towards a generic central sound (metal imbibing transcendal effects, electronica getting heavier, and pop, well, just being 'pop'ular but getting its share of better and retarded songs everyday), WMBB is exactly what I would want to listen to after a couple of metal songs (See other posts for my taste). Why? Because generally after a dose of metal, I prefer something soothing. Because it is a sound I thought TesseracT lovers (me included) would've been fans of in the year 2050. Because it combines a bunch of different ideas - beauty, ambience, which come together like a mix of different cultures, races, religions in a perfect world we'd all like to live in someday. Well I may be drifting off here..

I've been listening to their latest album One Thousand Wings for the last couple of weeks. The most obvious comparisons to WMBB would be Massive Attack, Sigur Ros, Enigma and also Faithless at their most minimalist. It is also clearly a very personal affair, with Dan pouring his heart and soul into the lyrics and melodies.
Despite the involvement of Skyharbor's Keshav Dhar and TesseracT's Acle Kahney (The latter only on the song Ties of Grace), guitars have been used very sparingly, and there's no part of any song which can be technically classified as a 'riff'. The keyboards stand out in almost every song, and the gentle atmospheric sounds of the guitar seem more like a backing to the keys and vocals. In the last 2 songs, the band is joined by female vocalist Jordan Bethany, whose fragile, ethereal voice pairs perfectly well with Dan.

I'm not going to go through all the tracks, but some of the ones that stand out are -
Ties of Grace - The song that WMBB have marketed the most, and I can see why. It has Dan at his best, and sounds like something you'd hear in a movie when the action hero loses his girl (specifically, Action hero)
Rose - The entire band takes a step back here, leaving Dan's soulful voice to be backed by a piano track, giving us a unique type of a ballad.
The World won't sleep - This sounds like an Evanescence song where the guitars are replaced with synths, the drums are toned down, and if Amy Lee were a male.
Paradise - This one is for the light hearted pop-liking-but-not-loving folks
Tired Eyes/Faith - the 2 songs of Jordan Bethany in this album, the latter of which sees Dan and Jordan trading lines and sharing harmonies in a truly sublime fashion
Midnight Rivers - How would you like a spoonful of country with this ambient electronica?

All in all, WMBB offers something that I'm not really used to, so I'm very impressed, and I'd really like to see how they'd pull this off live. And please ignore my usage of uncommon words in this review, I'm starting off my preparation for GMAT and hence the excitement, so my next review 3 months down the line should be a lot more punctilious (I really hope so, now).

Rating : 8/10

You can find more of them at -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/whitemothblackbutterfly
Bandcamp - http://whitemothblackbutterfly.bandcamp.com/
And as always, please do support independent music. I'm from India and I managed to shell out around $17 in spite of me being cheap, so so can you.

Oriental meets Occidental

2013-06-06T08:20:00.001-07:00

The land of rasagullas (an Indian sweet) and masala chai (spicy flavoured tea) was in for a big surprise (And yes, I'm talking about Calcutta here) as guitar shredaholic Andy James of Sacred Mother Tongue came over to India a couple of weeks back for a guitar clinic in association with Laney Amps, only to collaborate with Indian carnatic-inspired guitar maestro Baiju Dharmajan, also of Motherjane fame. Look this video up to see how Indian classical-inspired tunes blend with fast soloing and heavy metal background riffs!

Progressive metal updates of 2013

2013-04-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been quite low key in the progressive world, atleast for me. I follow only a few of the decently known bands, and most of them have been either touring or writing new stuff, so I was stuck listening to some older tunes, and waiting impatiently for the new releases.

I must admit, I love the way modern metal seems to be imbibing new ideas to sound different. It's not all about the heaviest riffs, deepest growls or the fastest solos anymore. People are accepting more ambient influences, soothing high range vocals, and odd time signatures but with simple grooves. And the new in-thing - Jazz additions!

Tesseract have just released the 3rd trailer for their latest album - Altered State. The 3 trailers released have quite a bit to say. Trailer 1 sounds a bit like their earlier release, Nocturne. With the slow riffs and multi layered vocals (which might be hard to pull off live). The second trailer wasn't too much to my liking, it sounded more like they were just extending their old music with Ashe bringing out more emotion than he needed to. But the 3rd trailer blew me away! Tesseract riffs + multi layered mixing + Sax? Complete credits to Chris Barretto (former Periphery, The Haarp Machine) for that beatiful jazz touch to modern metal. Of course, there's also the much awaited Altered State live session similar to that of Concealing Fate to make this more appealing than it already is.

Another important release of 2013 - Ghost, by the quickly rising Anup Sastry, or Anus Pastry, as his beloved fans call him. Here I was thinking that Anup is just one of the most technically sane drummers of today's prog era, having played for Skyharbor, Jeff Loomis and Intervals. But this album shows Anup in his Beast form, with tight grooves as usual, and also some razor sharp riffs and quality mixing. And to make this twice as appealing, Anup Sastry is offering this album in its entirety for a "Name your own price" download on Bandcamp! And yes, free counts as a price, but it wouldn't hurt to spare some cash if you can, especially since Jeff Loomis and crew were robbed recently of all their musical gear and belongings.

My last band for this update - Skyharbor. Skyharbor have also recently put up, well not a trailer as it's too soon, but a recording of one of their jamming/writing sessions. It's quite amazing to see how their music has been evolving too, so keep some of that hard earned money aside for this release next year. Find more updates at their Facebook page.

2013 looks to be promising, as we also have Dream Theater almost wrapping up their recordings in the studio for their upcoming album. So watch this space for more updates, critique and emotion as some of the best artists of the prog world are on the verge of making 2013 one of the more important years in the progressive history.

Heretic - Words to Epilogues album review

2012-12-28T00:48:00.002-08:00

To start off, Heretic is an alternative metal band from Cochin/Bangalore formed in 2005, and named after the fearless Greek who was burnt alive for voicing out his opinion. The name actually goes well with their music since there are a lot of alternative rock/metal haters out there. To be honest, I didn’t know much about them till recently, when a random friend shared their music video. And that’s when I dug a little deeper to find this wonderful album!

To find out a little more about their past, I searched for other videos of Heretic on Youtube. Heretic, like most bands in India (and abroad, I guess), have come up following a common route, starting off with the usual Metallica covers, taking part in local gigs with bad sounds etc and then rising to fame. But that doesn't matter now, does it? Heretic are popular, have an album to their name, and qualify the one point that actually matters - they make good music.

The band also launched a 3 song EP titled 'Reprised' back in 2008, consisting the tracks Reprise, Bleed to Heal, and Slaves and the System, all 3 of which are present on their debut album as well.

Dec 2012 made a mark on their band calendar with the release of their debut album - Words to Epilogues. Here's what I liked and didn't like about the album

What I liked -

The Sound - Fantastic mix! The guitars have a crunching sound, the drums sound so crisp it feels like they have Remo Emperor skins on, and its an equal win with the vocals/bass as well. Not too surprised when I learnt that Keshav Dhar from Skyharbor produced this..
The Vocals - Every band has one (or two) things that make them stand out, and I feel it's the vocals with Heretic. The mix of soothing melodic singing and a Trivium/Killswitch Engage style growls while bringing in some classical elements similar to Suraj Mani of Motherjane is simply phenomenal, and I sure as hell want to see how well he can pull this off live. Love the emotion through the singing, especially the end of the song 'Ring of Colours', where the word pain is sung with 2 syllables.
The Genre - I'm trying to compare their music to any other famous band, and I'm still having a hard time placing them. They have the guitar melodies of an alternative act like Creed/Alter Bridge, a lot of core-riffs like As I lay Dying, some new metal influences similar to Killswitch Engage, and finally some odd time signatures and melodic vocals like A Perfect Circle.
The Video - For the song 'Thoughts'. This is so professional, even the biggies can actually take a lesson or two here! Credits to Munz Photography, Clint Soman Photography and Sunny Sawrav for making this.

What I didn't like -

The Scale - I'm a sucker to melodies, but many of their songs are on the standard minor-scales, which tends to get repetitive/predictable after a while. However, there are many scale changes, intermediate notes/chords that make up for this.
The Riffs - I think this came out wrong. I love most of the riffs, but almost every song has a core-riff, which is something of the sort (guitarists can understand me better here)

E -------------------------------------------

B -------------------------------------------

G -------------------------------------------

D -------------------------------------------

A ------5---7-------8---10---8-7-3-5

D -0-0---0---0-0-0---0----0-----------

Not that this is a bad thing, but it propels the listener into looking at the songs from a core/new age perspective, and I'd prefer not having that opinion.

This is definitely one band to look out for, and if they are able to replicate their songs into equally appreciable live performances, I'd bet my money on them making it big without thinking twice.

The album is available at http://www.oklisten.com/album/words_to_epilogues, and if you liked anything that I mentioned above, I'd recommend you download a copy! And if you still have doubts, give a listen to the song 'Ring of Colours' below, that should change your mind

https://soundcloud.com/hereticindia/09-heretic-ring-of-colours

Rating : 8.5/10

Where Kamasutra meets melody

2012-12-20T05:33:00.002-08:00

I usually make it a point to use a deodorant almost everyday. And today, like any other, I was about to spray my Kamasutra deo (it actually smells real good) when I noticed the website given at the back. I had a little of my morning horniness remaining, and decided to check it out. Very appealing site, and what went even better with it was the music! I noticed how subtle it was, no vocals, just a plain melodic electronica groove with a laidback lounge feel that didn't sound too much like the commercial ones. It was slow (and fast at times), perfect for sex (obviously, since Kamasutra picked this out themselves), but also perfect for an evening leisure, or during work, or music for a slightly lesser known bar. Well after this thorough analysis of all the different places this music can be played, I did go and check out the various positions Kamasutra recommends :)

The artist is Dan Gautreau. He may be popular, but this is the first time I'm hearing of him, and I recommend this to anyone of all ages any colour any sexuality high on whatever substance and with whatever problems in life. Go ahead, give it a listen, and don't forget to try out the different positions. Just kidding (or not!).

These are the songs on the Kamasutra site that I could find on Youtube

1) Evolving Mood

2) Put the needle on it

Some more good tunes from Dan Gatreau

3) Come save me

4) Signs

Hope this music gave you the inner peace that you were looking for, and I will be back with more. Till then, blast away, and feel free to give in more recommendations!

A platter of Coke Studio

2012-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Time to explore your classical roots. And there's no better place to start than by listening to Coke Studio.

Coke Studio is a music television series which features live studio recorded performances by various artists. It is a confluence of diverse number of music genres, both vocal & instrumental, from traditional eastern to modern western and from regional to folk.

Here are some of the songs that I would recommend -

· Rock

1. Garaj Baras – Rock fans, a must listen! Added distortion, fast lead solos, and Ali Azmat looking like Raghu from the Indian reality show Roadies,and trying to bring in the voice of James Hetfield makes this much heavier (and better) than the Bollywood version, from the movie Paap. That’s on the left. On the right is a wonder - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. His 2 minute vocal solo can send every classical singer back to music school. Very surprising that this song has only 290k views.

2. Kuch Ajab Khail – Rock Minor Scale + Raagas + the power of Shafqat Amanat Ali's voice is what this is. Another masterpiece. How are Pakistani's so talented?

· Soul

1. Nindiya re – What I liked about this song apart from its beauty, is its level of perfection. Be it the occasional backing effects by the 2 beautiful ladies, or the very short but mesmerizing 5 second violin solo, or the guitarist who doesn’t miss the harmonics even once (for those who don’t understand, the 2 high pitched notes at the end of every bar). Amazing what just a guitar and vocals can do.

2. Ik Aarzu – I’d give most of the credits to the Coke Studio members for giving this song such a complete, surround feel, but the basic applause goes to the famous Paki band Jal (Yes, they are the same one's that sang the popular tracks Woh Lamhe and Aadat). Singer Farhan Saeed lets out his emotions to the fullest. But the Punjabi-wedding-like-mast-kalandar ending – what was that?

· Depth

1. Saari Raat – Beautiful song, but certain deviations in between spoilt it for me. But that’s the deepest I’ve heard anyone sing. Noori takes it from the lows that to the highs of a singer like Shankar Mahadevan. The best part of this song would be the transition from the classical solo to the blues-pop style at 5:48

2. Aankhon Kay Sagar – A richer version of the original by Shafqat Amanat Ali’s older band, Fuzon. The first song on Coke Studio that I listened to, it’s etched in my memory and I’m not complaining one bit. This is the song that brings out the tsunami of emotions within you

· Folk

1. Jugni – Jugni, the song from the Pakistani movie Jugni, which also stars the singer Arif Lohar himself, is also known in India popularly through Saif Ali Khan’s movie Cocktail. Essentially a Punjabi-Rajasthani Folk song, but a live version with guitars, bass and drums spices things up. Not in my favourites, but hell I couldn't just ignore the Coke Studio song with the highest views - @ 11 mill!

· Pop/RnB

1. Down – The same name as Jay Sean’s hit RnB single, right? Well, believe it or not, it IS the same song! With just a keyboard and beatboxing background, Jay Sean, unlike other pop artists actually has a sense of scale and pitch which he displays beautifully. I wouldn’t rate the song too high, but you wouldn’t see something like this in your everyday affair. This is Coke Studio Arabia, presenting you - Down

2. Peekaboo – Even though I’m an Indian, I do have to agree that Coke studio Pakistan is miles ahead of Coke studio India. But, India too has its ups – here, thanks to the genius Mr. Karsh Kale. Classical + Rap + Rnb, what a fusion!

I agree that the contemporary forms of music and art may be more attractive, but let us the-younger-generation try to reignite the feeling of culture and heritage within ourselves by atleast making an attempt to listen to songs like these, for this is what made us who we are. And you never know, you just might end up liking it.

Music that sounds like other music (The newer progressive era)

2012-10-20T00:49:00.001-07:00

Now I haven’t included a lot of bands that you’d like to hear, but these are some of the bands that I like, and am currently (or always) into

1) Porcupine Tree - Soothing progressive rock with psychedalic elements

a. Steven Wilson/Blackfield – This is probably the closest you can get, seeing that these are Steven Wilson’s own side projects. The only problem here being – Steven has failed to bring in a change, hence his songs sound like a more mellow version of PT’s. Blackfield are nothing but PT songs made sorrowful

b. Opeth – Opeth are more on the heavier side, but these 2 bands do have a lot of similar ingredients

c. Katatonia – The nostalgia and melancholia gave me a sense of direction when I was in complete depression

2) Dream Theater – I know I’m a little late, but DT being my all time favourite, I just had to put this one out

a. Liquid Tension Experiment – They are exactly DT without James Labrie (and John Myung of course, but Tony Levin’s Chapman Stick bass makes up for all lost, and more!). It would’ve been better if things had gone according to Portnoy’s initial plan of getting Dimebag Darrell, but they are fantastic nevertheless

b. Pain of Salvation – POS sounds like a raw version of DT, kinda like their times during the early 90’s. Like the DT song ‘Lie’.

c. Symphony X – Keyboard solos (check). Songs longer than 10 minutes (check). Scale changes (check). What’s missing?

d. Special mention of the band Corelia, who are in my current list of favourites. Not too much similarity to DT, but they fall under progressive metal nevertheless

3) Tool – One of the most unique bands out there. You can forget finding songs similar to Lateralus, but bits of Stinkfist, Vicarious, the Pot can be found in other bands, such as

a. A Perfect Circle – This is the closest band to Tool that I could find, seeing that it was formed by Tool's vocalist Maynard James Keenan himself

b. Rishloo - One of the comments I read of this band on Youtube was - "When I think of Rishloo, I feel like Tool had sex with The Mars Volta, creating the most beautiful baby in the world"

c. Karnivool – I would put them under PT, but they fall right in between PT and Tool, and I needed one more for Tool anyway

4) Tesseract – One of the best progressive/ambient/djent bands with high ranged vocals.

a. Skyharbor – Pure Indian power. Through the brilliance of Keshav Dhar, and the added vocals of Ex-Tesseract vocalist Dan Tompkins, Skyharbor delivers the layers that can be found in many Tesseract songs

b. Voices from the fuselage – The original band of Ashe O’Hare, who currently sings for Tesseract. A little younger in the music years, but close nevertheless

c. Monuments – I love the riffs of many Momuments’ songs. They use original djent bare knuckle slapping techniques, and have good range vocals which makes them one of my favourites. This video below shows John Browne of Monuments play their instrumental song 'The Uncollective'

5) Pink Floyd - Now who wouldn't want to listen to evergreen bands like Pink Floyd? Im including some of the more recent artists, and not the older ones (like David Gilmour/Syd Barrett/King Crimson)

a. RPWL – German Floyd cover band morphs into a new Floyd. Must Must listen!

b. Mostly Autumn – Progressive-melodic retro-folk-rock with female vocals

c. Archive – Primarily the album ‘You All Look The Same To Me’. The subsequent albums aren't as good IMO

More coming up, soon!

Tesseract - Nocturne (Single Review)

2012-10-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

What a surprise! For one did not expect the news of TesseracT's new frontman unveiling until the single released, but Century Media and the band have let the cat out of the bag and announced that the new vocalist is Ashe O'Hara, frontman of Voices of the Fuselage. Incidentally, Voices of the Fuselage sounds a hell lot like Tesseract, and with Ashe also looking quite similar to the older vocalist Daniel Tompkins, it wouldn't be too hard for fans to accept the change.

The teaser of their latest song 'Nocturne', with Ashe O'Hara was released on 25th September, and it surely sounds promising. Ashe's voice fits in with ease, and sounds somewhere between Dan Tompkins and Eliot Coleman. The band mentioned that the full song will be launched on October 12th.

However, we have an early bird's treat here. A radio rip of the song has leaked on Youtube on 1st October, and I have one word for it - WOW! The drums are exeptional, the riffs are simple, apt and complement the drums, the background fills give a surround feel, and Ashe's voice just drives the song to perfection. There are no growls as what Dan had brought in, but for this song, I'd say Ashe just nailed it.

Absolutely amazing harmonies, and in the world of progressive/djent, Tesseract have just extended the boundaries. Nocturne is cold hard proof that TesseracT have grown and risen to the next level.

Final Word : If Nocturne is any indication of what we can expect from TesseracT in the future, then the progressive world will be scrambling to keep up. After all the hype and drama surrounding the band over the past year, this song blew away all of my expectations, and then some more.

Rating : 9/10

Gig review - Groove Chutney live at Legends of Rock, Bangalore

2012-08-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Alright, so here goes. My first review on a live local performance.

Just to give you a heads up, Groove Chutney are a fairly new band, consisting of Nitin Kumar on drums, Abhishek Prakash on guitars, and Mrinal Mantravadi on bass/vocals. Having met at their college Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, and with the added frustration of only Bollywood music all around them, the guys met up once to jam in their college, and their grooves almost immediately fell into place.

When I heard about this band initially, I was honestly a little taken aback to see 3 people with such varied interests come together. From the little I know, Abhishek is a complete blues freak and geek, and Nitin's older band Nevermind has a mix of classical/thrash influences on varied scales, such as Phrygian/Byzantine etc (Bear with me if I'm wrong here!). Mrinal and I go way back, and we used to also be part of a brutal death band Macabre Intent (shameless self promotion). But, their love for music got them to arrive at a common genre - Classic/Blues rock, with a bit extra chutney! - as they would like to call it.

The band was just getting their gear up as I entered, and started with a short soundcheck soon after. Nice to see that they had set up the levels much before the show, and not keep us waiting.
They dived into their setlist with an OC - Unhinged, starting off with a bluesy 4 by 7 (I think) beat riff. The song was a nice, groovy track, till Abhishek took over the leads. You'd think it went bad by the way I said it, but the song just went 3 notches up. Near to flawless, with exact placement of the intermediate notes, and the stage antics that reminded me a lot of Jimmy Page, it was purely a treat to watch Abhishek play there.

Next up was an OC again, called Blue Magic. I honestly don't recall too much about this song, but being a guitarist myself, I tend to remember the good guitar sections. Good music, good food, and all was jolly when we were hit by a freak psychedelic sound that sounded an awful lot like the one in the Comfortably Numb solo. The band did a great job by incorporating such a solo sound into this song, and ending it with a neat drum piece as well.

Sin Seller Woman was next, another OC which was written by their drummer, Nitin.
A whole bunch of covers followed - Muddy Water's Hoochie Coochie Man simply took me back to the 70's. Their next was a truly today's cover of Outside Woman Blues, by Cream. The modifications in the drums, the additional guitar notes, and the added grunge to the vocals gave the song a wholesome feeling.
Fortunate Son, by Creedence Clearwater Revival, was fairly straightforward, and a nice listen.

The Groove Lives On! was their last track, with their grooves flying all over the bar. Catchy riff, and the first time I'm hearing harmonics between the bass and guitars, which gave it a unique feel. Nice use of the ride as well.

And here's maybe the slight criticism coming your way -
1) Drums - The drums were tight every song, no doubt that. Really awesome that the songs continued on, in spite of the sticks breaking twice! Very good bursts of double bass on the single bass pedal. But a couple of ghost notes in between would really help a lot - for eg, the start riff of the song The Groove Lives On!. Also, more usage of the toms/floor tom would've helped during the drum solo in Blue Magic.
2) Bass/Vocals - Ok, I'm not gonna be harsh here cause it IS hard to play bass and sing. But a small essense of the song is lost when either are not fully satisfied. Really good and tight as hell, especially for a guy who used to play guitar initially and has only a short experience in bass playing, but more slaps/pops and varied bass tones would add the additional kick. The vocals were really good in the covers, but could've been a little stronger in some of the OCs.
3) Guitars - This was the highlight of Sunday's show. The screams that went out the entire floor during the solos - 'nuff said! Great tones, great effects, great finger techniques - amongst these were probably a couple of tips that some veterans could also use. Additional open harmonics in the riffs - thats something I would probably look forward to as a variation in your next songs. Backing vocals would too give a nice complete finish.

These guys are good no doubt. Hats off to their composing skills. With a bit more tweaking (that always comes with time), I'd really like to see what more they're capable of.

To catch more of Groove Chutney, you can find them at
www.reverbnation.com/groovechutney
For more Facebook updates, find them and like them at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Groove-Chutney/138049682933092
And here are a couple of Youtube videos as well

Note : All photos taken from WhatstheSceneIndia's page on Facebook.

5 Best Instrumental songs to have over a Beer

2012-06-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

There’s always a time when you would love to have that subtle music playing in the background, without any lyrics, during your evening conversations over a beer, or any relaxing moment. They’re like fillers, to fill in the gaps of silences, and yet at the same time, going under when someone speaks. Now, you party lovers might just think of some Trance music, but trust me, you’re not going to have that meaningful conversation with Armin Van Buuren playing in the background.

You would be amazed as to how much difference that song in the background can make to your evening, even if its just back at home. Here are some of the top songs you should have on your playlist, in no particular order –

For the guitar freak

Buckethead – Soothsayer/Whitewash (Live version)
Steve Vai – For the love of god
Paul Gilbert – Eudaimonia Overture
Van Halen – Eruption
John Petrucci – Glasgow Kiss

For the classics lover

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Texas Flood/Pride and Joy/Little Wing
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
Pink Floyd – On the run
Ted Nugent – Stranglehold
The Allman Brothers – Jessica

For the metal fanatic

In Flames – The Jester’s Dance/Man Made God
Metallica – The Call of Ktulu/Orion
Liquid Tension Experiment – Universal Mind
Paul Gilbert – Technical difficulties
Dream Theater – Overture 1928/Erotomania

For the peaceful one

Sysyphe – Sinking
God is an Astronaut – Parallel Highway
Ott – The Queen of Everything
Ryan Farish – Pacific Wind/Chasing the Sun
Kaminanda – Gateways of Consciousness (album)

For the comtemporary romantic

Coldplay – Life in Technicolor
The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)
John Mayer – Why Georgia (Instrumental)
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars (Instrumental)
John Butler Trio - Ocean

Hope this compilation was useful, and please feel free to add any more tracks you like! So, which one are you?

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn Of Events Album Review

2012-05-25T03:41:00.003-07:00

The exit of Mike Portnoy did infact causes a furore amongst DT fans across the world. I even heard a couple of my friends who were hardcore fans of DT saying – “What a loss, no one’s gonna listen to DT now. WTF is DT without Portnoy?!” . But all DT fans can rest easy. There is no shortage of the trademark Dream Theater sound, and if anything, it sounds like guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess took it up a notch. As for new drummer Mike Mangini, as the YouTube videos proved, Mike Mangini is more than capable of reproducing Mike Portnoy’s parts in a live situation, but it still left us wondering what he could do on his own handily controls the ever-changing time signatures, which come across just as complex as ever.

When I first heard the name, I thought DT were trying to gain sympathy from their fans as well, after the departure of Mike Portnoy. From what I heard, the reason Portnoy quit, was because he wanted to transition into something heavier, as well as have his own solo project on the side. All I can say is – I’m glad DT didn’t follow.

The album kicks off with the song On the Backs of Angels, starts off with the slow, dark intro, coupled with keys on the side, followed by the standard kick off. The fillers in between each of the bars are just as exceptional, with John Myung and Jordan Rudess showing their capabilities. What’s so amazing about this song is that the riffs are very easy to understand, and the few complications that occur every once in a while are like icing on the cake, they just make it better. It feels like this whole song is driven by John Petrucci, and could just be the second Pull Me Under of the group.

Build Me Up, Break Me Down sounds more like a technical alternative song. There seems to be a lot of disconnect between the primary riff with which the songs starts, and the verse/chorus. I read somewhere, that the effects on James Labrie’s voice during the post chorus is somewhere between a pig grunting and an ogre taking a dump, and I couldn’t agree more.

If you’re looking for the jaw-dropping technical prowess (not that any of the tracks lack this quality), take a listen to Lost Not Forgotten and Outcry. The latter at times is almost a frantic overload of riffage from Petrucci, but if you’re a guitarist who appreciates skill, you’ll eat it all up. Lost Not Forgotten, I assure you, will impress you beyond belief. The true DT is revealed here, and you can just drown in their ocean of sounds listening to this song. Ah, but it doesn’t stop there. There are instances where there are jazz sections and some fantastic guitar harmonies orchestrated by Petrucci.

The album also shows their sentimental side, as it is with their other albums as well. Far From Heaven, and Beneath The Surface are like restrained, solemn ballads that are so beautiful through and through. Both songs show James Labrie at his best, along with Jordan Rudess providing an aromatic feel that gives you a rush of your senses.

A Dramatic Turn of Events shows DT return to a more diverse prog sound with a strong songwriting focus, while retaining the heavier elements in smaller doses. And even though the drums have been mixed a little lower through this album, Mike Mangini still proves he can capably fill Portnoy’s shoes as the band’s new drummer, and it’s just a matter of time before he steps it up a notch. All in all, this is one of the most melodic albums of their career, and surely where one would like DT to progress. And I think I’ve just found my album of the year.

RATING : 8.8/10

Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m with you (review) – An album for your drive maybe, but not here to stay

2012-05-20T22:22:00.002-07:00

I'm with you - RHCP

It has been quite a wait – The last albums RHCP released were Stadium Arcadium, way back in 2006, and By the Way (BTW) in 2002. Also, with John Frusciante leaving the band to make way for Josh Klinghoffer in 2009, will the new lineup make justice to retaining their sound?

First thing I noticed was that the album has 14 songs. As compared to Stadium Arcadium which had 28 songs (an album I loved, but took me an immense amount of patience to remember the previous songs after going through the album), I was thankful this was more on the lines of BTW and Californication, 2 albums I dearly loved as well.

The problem with an album having a lot of songs is that many of the songs are overshadowed. For instance, in Stadium Arcadium, there are a lot of good songs that didn’t get the popularity they should’ve got. Dani California and Snow being the highlights of the album took most of the limelight away. I personally think they should’ve saved some of the songs and released another album midway before Frusciante left the band.

The album draws from a variety of genres, from pscychedelia (“Monarchy Of Roses”), to a laid-back acoustic feel (“Brendan's Death”) to a slight Beatles’ nod (“Even You, Brutus?”). That’s not to say they are wildly out there, as the 14 tracks always tend to feel like they could be played on pretty much any rock-driven radio station. It truly is Klinghoffer’s innovative additions that take the songs to the next level. He doesn’t shy away from the funkiness, but he often adds in odd little touches that come out nowhere. Is the CD is worth a buy? The below read might help -

Monarchy of Roses – Funny start actually. Im reminded of a march past that’s taking place in the 80’s. The sudden entry into the verse is a very nice one, reminds me of the pleasant tunes of the old RHCP. This is where grinding, reverb-laced guitars and tribal drumming share space with driving funk-rock on regal-themed album opener.
Factory of Faith – Starts with a promising but not a strong, gripping baseline like what Flea usually comes up with. It goes directly into the verse without any guitars, which makes the song a bit dragging. The chorus has a nice tune to it, but the last chord doesn’t go very well with the line of the chorus, giving it a bad finish. Plain bridge, and back to the chorus and the bassline, though the guitar effects at the end is a finisher. All in all, a one time listen.
Brendan’s Death song – I read somewhere that this song was written for a very good friend of theirs’, Brendan Mullen, who passed away in 2009 somewhere around when Josh Klinghoffer joined the band. Starts with a beautiful acoustic tune, entering a similar chorus. Although by about the 4^th minute, it starts to get a little repitative, which is when Anthony Kiedis goes into the high pitched ‘Yeaahhhh Yeayeaahhhhh!’, giving an additional touch.
Ethiopia – Another nice bass start, followed by very faint yet apt guitars. The chorus by now is boring, as it just reminds me of the other songs with the same complete chord background. The bridge has some very nice chords giving it a different yet the same sound. Finishes with the same bass progression, and mild guitars on the side, but the ending chords – what was Josh thinking?
Look around – One of the most fun song-starts I’ve heard in a very long time, especially when Anthony Kiedis goes ‘Wooo!’. The riff is just mindblowing, and it feels like Frusciante’s playing. The verse reminds me of a fast version of RHCP’s Purple Stain, the way Anthony Kiedis says out the paused words with absolutely no tune/emotion but yet so apt! The chorus is the intro riff, and what's the bet this song would be on their next socks on cocks tour?!

Isn't the sock a lil' too huge?

Much like Bono - who donned his old black leather suit from the early ’90s on U2’s latest tour—Kiedis and Flea have a vested financial interest in playing roles they’ve long outgrown. But as the forgettable I’m With You shows, there’s a difference between surviving and thriving. All four members have referred to I’m With You as a creative rebirth. That might be a stretch. But judging by the flashes of promise, one might be waiting just around the corner.

Overall Rating : 7.2/10