Me? Didn't know anyone had noticed!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ws5EfkDfmY...o/s1600/pj.jpg
Album: Hope for Men
Artist: Pissed Jeans
Genre: Noise Rock
Suggested by: Tristan Geoff
Familiarity: None, though I enjoyed Tristan's other punk pick quite a bit.

1. People Person - Lots of feedback and squealing at the intro here. The fast-paced nature of this, and the shouted vocals remind me of the hardcore of the 80s in a big way. Just bass and drums keep the rhythm, and the guitars are used rather than to keep the tempo high, but instead to create tension on the sidelines, with heavily distorted, very noisy bits on the outskirts of the main action. As is traditional with hardcore punk, the vocals are nearly indiscernable. I really can't pick anything out here. And it doesn't really matter anyways. This is a repetitive, but overall really tough track. And I absolutely love it.

2. Secret Admirer - This track shows off the Grunge/Post-Hardcore side of the band, with a much slower tempo, and a hypnotic guitar riff. The crazy guitar also makes an appearance here, making an impromptu solo in the middle of the song. Not quite as great, but still good.

3. A Bad Wind - Another good riff, and some audible vocals. Solid guitars, and awesome fills on the kit. Not getting that magic anymore though.

4. Scrapbooking - With a laid back bass line, and drums that come in and out, the vocals are easily heard here. A piano (strangely enough) comes in alternating with the verses, whose lyrics have to do with, well, scrapbooking. The noise is very evident on this one, as there are a lot of tinkly sounds on the track. It's dark, maybe a bit out of key even, but atmospheric as hell. I really like it, everything adds up to a very beautiful track.

5. I've Still Got You (Ice Cream) - This is a very poppy track, almost alternative rather than punk. Good drums, good guitars, again pretty repetitive. Reminds me of a Smashing Pumpkins song. But these guys really aren't designed for this kind of music. There's a lot of shaky songwriting, and not everything clicks like the other songs. It's not terrible at all, I just feel like it's not their forte.

6. Fantasy World - Back to the post-hardcore madness which is so good, but on this song as well, I feel like the band has changed a bit. For one, the guitar is basically just playing the bass line, which in some cases can be good, but in this case is a step down from the sophistication of the earlier tracks. The drums are also pretty heavy and hard, but also consistent with the rest of the album. And the vocals are always shouted and raw with emotion. Just a few observations. Good track though.

7. I'm Turning Now - Crazy guitars, epic fills, and fast tempo are all back, which can only mean good things. A lot of the guitar bits feel improvised, which fits with the rest of the chaotic atmosphere. Very nice.

8. Caught Licking Leather - Back to feedback juxtaposed against rhythmic bass and drums. Very simple song, but definitely a highlight for its attitude. A good song to just bob along with. Takes a sharp turn towards the middle, definitely good to mix it up here. Got some power chords, and a bit of noisy guitar in the vein of heavier Sonic Youth. More great percussion on this track.

9. The Jogger - What do you get when you combine drone, spoken word and spooky atmospheric noises? A damn fine noise track. This is like the good side of Merzbow. Bravo.

10. My Bed - 7 minutes? Who warranted this, and why? We shall see. I think I can confidently divide this track into two parts. The first is a doom-influenced guitar/bass line accompanied with cymbal crashes, until it abruptly cuts out. Then the next part cuts back in on the same note, entering a fast-paced section that reminds me of the payoff of Starless (see King Crimson). It is significantly jazz fusion influenced, containing bass lines that are essentially broken power chords, as well as drum skills on the level of Buddy Rich. It also features an awesome guitar solo, which is relatively short, but still remaining significant and blues-y. The genre blending on this track is seamless and effective, and upon hearing the booming ending, you've already been blown fully out of your seat. Absolutely spectacular.

I can confidently say this was a positive experience. There are definitely some better pieces of this album, and some worse. But they're all at least decent. If you in any way have enjoyed either hardcore punk or noise rock in the past, you'll easily fall in love. The musicianship on this is spot-on, and while the vocalist is a bit grating to begin with, you can quickly acclimate to his style. The best parts of this album are the songs that aren't afraid to break the mold on traditional elements of hardcore and even noise itself. And thankfully, those are aplenty. Now I'm gonna go relisten to Starless.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10

Have you really got no recs from me?


Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death

http://www.metal-archives.com/images...19722.jpg?1530

:yeah: Pissed Jeans are great. Kinda sad that Ice Cream was your least favorite track on there though. It's all around a great album anyways. Definitely my favorite of theirs.

Come to think of it, it's been a very long time since I listened to this band, I think I'll be doing some revisiting soon.

Are you drunk again?

Good on you! Yeah, I just feel that Ice Cream was too "mainstream" for them. I mean, I love a lot of more poppy music, but I feel like it really wasn't the right sound for this band.

I don't see how that's relevant.

Don't cop my style.

Okay, so you're drunk.

Wait.. you assume he sometimes isn't?

Hey, I'm totally sober ATM.