Bullet Train to Moscow - Self-titled

From S.L.A.M. / Issue 18 / Vol 2  -  December 2005

Review By Carl Jenkins

“Where the hell are you from? Krypton? Phoenix,
actually.”  That if the first line thing you hear when you
put in the self-titled debut by local punks Bullet Train
to Moscow.  This is a punk record: fast, loud, and fun.
It’s not your typical three chord punk though. There is
a keyboard intro to the CD and there are times when it
almost seems like there may be a little metal influence
coming through, such as the solo during “Par is For
Party,” or the bouncy intro to “Rope”

Bullet Train to Moscow’s CD is reminiscent of the fun old punk albums by bands like The Vandals, or even a little bit of Screeching Weasel. Everything is upbeat and energetic, as the lyrics to “Not a Damn Bro” state “Now we’re having fun.”  Bullet Train seems to be doing just that with their new album. Writing songs that range in topics from life to aliens all seems fitting for this group. They even put their own twist on “Paint it Black” from the Rolling Stones. Unlike most punk bands that stick to the short song format, Bullet Train to Moscow’s songs are all over the three minute mark.

The CD was recorded at both Villain Recording and The Salt mine, but the mastering and engineering of the disc is done so well you can’t tell what was recorded at which studio. All the instruments on the album stand on their own and never overpower each other or the vocals, but still has that little bit of grittiness that a good punk album should have.

Visit their website for more information. They even have a few songs you can listen to. www.bullettraintomoscow.com

CD Reviews / Winter 2005 - 2006
CD REVIEWS:
CD REVIEWS:
Playing God - Taking for Granted

From S.L.A.M. / Issue 18 / Vol 2  -  December 2005

Review By Carl Jenkins

Since the release of Taking for Granted, the guitar
player has unfortunately left the band. Hopefully this
will not keep the boys of Playing God down for too long.
  I have seen them a couple times live and liked their
music and stage presence, so when I picked up their
new CD I wondered how it would transfer.

There is a definite energy in the songs on Taking
for Granted, but it doesn’t live up to the live energy (so few CD’s really do though). Playing God is a metal band, plan and simple,. Taking a cue from some newer bands such as Disturbed or Godsmack. The music is laced with crunching guitars that go into catchy riffs and stick in your head, and pounding drums. All the musicians in Playing God seem to be very good at their selected craft. All the songs are constructed well and played with a feeling to them that makes you want to sing along to the choruses.

The quality of Taking for Granted is good, but seems to leave a little to be desired. On some songs the vocals seem a little to low in the mix or the cymbals just a little too high, making Mike Dryden a little hard to hear. On other songs the drumming of Sean Gates seems to drown out the guitars too much, which are the talents of Rob Hutchison, Jeromy Scott, and bassist Todd Carlson.

Overall, Taking for Granted by Playing God is a good CD. It’s not quite the one you’ll put in to mosh around the house, but it is defiantly an album worth throwing in to keep you going during a party or when you have friends over.

Half Visconte  - Was it Fear

From S.L.A.M. / Issue 18 / Vol 2  -  December 2005

Review By Hayden Blades

Was it fear? An apt question from a broken band that
foresaw and planned their inevitable separation months
in advance. Half Visconte was partly based in Phoenix,
due to lead singer/guitarist Scott Tenant, who at one
time ran The Modified and often played solo sets in
their empty slots. The underrated band was a unique
addition to the shortage of truly alternative sounds in
the industry in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Was it
Fear, in 2002, was their swansong. They created at one point, a cacophony of Punk splattered on a canvas, with hints of Progressive and sometimes even Americana. At another point, they drew a visceral likeness to bands such as Godspeed you Black Emperor!, who expertly melt the serene with exponential builds of crescendos and powerful musical mantras.

One unique facet Half Visconte offered was the warm hues of Americana, which showed in their track “His Song,” which begins like an Ennio Morricone soundtrack on an old western train that ends up derailing in discordant guitars. It is obvious at some points they were inspired by the vast Sonora. Another unique aspect was the languid vocals from Tenant, which so effortlessly slipped into these unique song structures. It is something bands like Mogwai, GYBE! and Explosions in the Sky still haven’t conjured to such perfection. Even the vocals contributed by Aidan Moffat in Mogwai’s classic album, Young Team, don’t quite reach the same level as Tenant’s lazy croon.

The vocals in “Name,” a 13-minute epic, accentuate Tenant’s capabilities not as a nuanced vocalist, but a clever songwriter. He carries a mantra through the quarter hour cut: “I’m ready till you say / till you say so long / so long / and I heard her call my name / was it fear? / was it fear?” in a loose, lazy, unaffected delivery. “Name” starts as a whimpering, pulsating one-note tone with overlapping organ/electronic embellishments, and increasingly metamorphoses into sweeping electric guitar, which is bloodied by feedback and titan clashes of percussion. The vocal emotion is in the minute details of his quiet, where quivering voice that is more or less overwhelmed by the powerful repeating melody throughout the song, and then is singled out as the only instrument by the end.

Their secret weapon though, lies within drummer Dan Sylvester, hailing from Chicago, the home of many seminal post-rock acts such as Tortoise, Gastr Del Sol, and The Sea and Cake. Sylvester borrows from his surroundings and sounds like a veteran jazz drummer exploring rock and roll, liberally utilizing the double kick and well placed flams and triplets when needed. In the gentle pieces such as “A Walking Tour of Trinidad” and “CO,” he seems just as at home complimenting the melody with sparse percussion. But as in the wonderful, “Money Shot,” a profound highlight off the album, he seems most comfortable. Its success can easily be attributed to his cleverly hooked beat, and the tasty little organ progression.

Music brews inside an artist like emotions swirling around, somewhere inside the mind, if you could hear them it would exploit one’s insecurities and vulnerabilities, self doubts and struggles with identity, all while feebly attempting to be cool on the outside. Is this the fear they question? The cool unaffected vocals contrasted against the backdrop of dramatic overwhelming music? Perhaps, or perhaps it’s the separation into the singularity of the individual artists, who continue on alone. In any case it’s a clever title, and a beautiful album.