Album Review: Antariksh- Khoj

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The music you're hearing (hopefully) is from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

   The album up for review is 'Khoj' by New Delhi based band Antariksh. I must admit that listening to their album for the first time got me real excited about the possibilities of Hindi rock with a keener edge, and hopefully they can reach the level of success where their music is heard and adored by massive numbers. Certainly, the musical potential is there, it's just a question of whether all the pieces to the jigsaw are there or not.

 

You can buy 'Khoj' here. 

The first song in the album is 'Parichay' and it stands to true to it's name. It's an introduction, no words, just setting the tone for a lot of innovative guitar melodies, and there is a lot of innovation in the production of this track too which scores a lot of points in the cool meter too. The aggression is pumped up in the latter half of the song, till it breaks down to an orchestral section, which is misleading since the band doesn't have a keyboard player, or a string section. A small disconnect though, they outline one of their signature tunes in the final measures. 

                                                                                                                                                                    

'Parichay' immediately morphs into the opening riff of  'Dheere Dheere' without any breaks, and what a riff it is too. Super funky, and the brown note in there too, and that's a rarity in a riff, let alone a Hindi rock riff. Cool points boys. The vocals don't score high points for 2 major reasons. The first time I heard this band, I didn't know anything about them, except that a friend of mine serves as their manager. So I heard the album with a blank slate, and when I heard the first vocals I thought, wow, they have Usha Uthup as their singer. When I found out that it was a guy singing, it was just a major WTF moment. Secondly, with all bands that know that their arrangements are stronger than their vocals, here too, the vocals are kinda behind in the mix, and don't make it easy to be understood. Like seriously, this is the 4th time I'm rewinding to listen to the words, and the music is just taking me on a trip each time, and I can't focus on the words. So while uber cool points for the music, the vocals are just going to have to sit this one out. Very neat breakdown, and the bridge later on is pretty good. The band have definitely taken their time in making sure that the soundscape is an interesting one. Cool points for a cool guitar solo with a killer two-handed tapping section. 

'Aisa Hi Hota Hai' has a riff that defines swag. It starts out one way, but ends up another way and is cool both ways. Now that's swag. I've tried to focus on the lyrics, and it speaks of instances in life when everything might seem against you and you're in the doldrums, that those moments shall pass and there'll be a new tomorrow. The verse riff is reggae, and the chorus is hard rock, while the breakdown is jazz followed by power metal. 

 

'Naa Jaane Kyun' starts off with a fun little acoustic guitar riff. The same syndrome of listening 4 times for getting the words hit this song too, but I fared better. The song speaks of the uncertainty of the ways of the heart, and how it can take one away from what the sensible roads are, and how it takes us back to what we love. The verse is far better suited for the feel than the chorus which has a more syncoptated feel to it, and the bridge back to the final chorus felt a bit choppy, but a good song nonetheless. 

'Nishabd' starts off with a really edge riff and almost a Dave Matthews style drum groove at the back. The high level of music is to be expected, given that band members of Antariksh have paid their dues being in pretty tight metal bands in the past, and have a understanding of each other's styles from that time period. Another possible reason for the high-flown music is that they're from studious backgrounds, and these riffs have that prog quality that studious folk tend to play ( Is that discrimination of sorts? Don't shoot me, I belong to that group too). Didn't quite catch the words to the chorus, so there goes that. The music is spot on though. The end of the guitar solo into the breakdown and the bridge is just prog chocolate cake, with a whole lot of yum, and a gallop at the end to boot. 

'Aashayein' is next, and it starts off with the sound of a motorcycle engine, before moving into a quite lovely acoustic guitar riff. The first lines speak of the futility of starting an adventure based on the destination alone, and ignoring the journey entirely. The lyrics are understandable, and are following a generic pattern that their music has successfull avoided thus far. This is the most laid back song in the album so far. When I'd first gotten the album, I'd played it to a lot of my friends and seen if they shared my enthusiasm about the album, and none of them did. One of the reasons I got was, if they're going to sing in Hindi, atleast let it sound like Hindi, it sounds like an English speaking guy singing in Hindi. And that was from a guy who lives on Clapton, Buddy Guy and Joe Bonamassa, so that did get me thinking. I just tripped on how cool the music was, and I'm part of a really small demographic of people who listen closely to music (and write reviews, for instance), whereas most people who listen to this want to be able to sing along, for which the vocals are the most important bit, not the music. So I feel that'll be the major disconnect between this band and the next level of success. 

'Tum' starts off with a massive orchestral string section. This song is more of a vocal showcase and it doesn't work out well, and the pronunciation and the tone just doesn't work. The music works, as it does with all songs in the album, and there are a couple of subtle mode changes that pain a prettier picture. The sudden appearance of a carnatic guitar solo drew my attention to the fact that Baiju Dharmajan does a cameo in the song. Major arrangement, mix, feel and tone mismatch on his sections. 

'Shoonya' starts off with what could be a techno version of the start of 'Another Brick In The Wall' by Pink Floyd. That morphs into a nice guitar bit that has two Steve Vai sweep licks followed a Steve Vai alternate picking lick, running into a fairly generic rock riff. The Joe Sat whammy bar lick makes it's way into the song (twice), and some DT influences shine through in the breakdown. A whole lot of Porcupine Tree follows and then the song is over. The musical innovation that scores so highly elsewhere in the album scores a shoonya here. 

'Aur' starts off with an uptempo version of the chorus refrain from 'Dheere Dheere' and then settles into a nice pocket riff. A nice shift to the 4th minor lends a cool dynamic shift to the verse. The pre-chorus riff is just pure prog gold. The chorus delves into almost metalcore territory, and the vocal melody has some nice notes in it, but all the the previous factors prevent it from scoring way higher. The vocal harmonies here are a welcome addition though. The guitar solo is followed by the intro section again, and is followed by a whole lot of alternate picking. The words speak of the human tendency to keep wanting more. 

'Khoj' is a one and a half minute vocal showcase, that I'm sure is a link between songs here, but the vocals just aren't pulling their weight. 

'Intezaar' is the last song, which starts off with a melodic acoustic guitar riff, almost DTish. Ok, that's a female vocal for sure. The lyrics speak of the wrong in waiting for a love which hurts each time. The second verse features the male vocal, and it needs harmonies, and a lot of them to try and meet the power of the female vocal. It doesn't quite. The girl has more volume singing an octave lower, and it's a real lesson to me in how bands often overlook what might be the most important bridge between their music and their audience. The vocal melodies throughout most of the song are interesting, and in the hands of a better vocalist would have made a major difference. That key change for the solo has always been one of my favourite ones, so cool points for pulling that out of the hat. 

That finishes the review. I stand by the musical quality of the album, in that it is top notch, but what lets it down are the vocals. This is Hindi prog rock, which is a rarity, and as a fan of prog rock, and as a person who desperately wants new sounds to emerge in Hindi, this is definitely a very good start. Just a few more pieces to fall into the puzzle and Antariksh might be a major force to reckon with. Good luck 

Abum Review: Raghu Dixit- Jag Changa

Hi,
    My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' and you can buy them here.

   The album up for review is 'Jag Changa' by Raghu Dixit. This is the second offering by the multi-lingual folk rock outfit. The name has been shortened from 'The Raghu Dixit Project' to Raghu Dixit, which of course is the frontman's name. He's the man with the loud voice and the calm demeanor, and has a most interesting life story that people should definitely learn about. I had the pleasure of meeting the man once more than 5 years ago, when they were just beginning to gain traction after their first album, and he was kind to me when he didn't even have to talk to me. I was in a band that was his opening act that day. Let's dive into this.

You can buy 'Jag Changa' here

 

'Parasiva' starts off the album with music that wouldn't be out of place in the background for a King's entrance in a Bollywood movie. This song is in Kannada, so I had to look up a translation for the words. The song is almost a spiritual, and it speaks of the convictions of the faithful in the benevolence of Shiva, or more precisely, Parasiva, the invisible form of Shiva. The musical soundscape is vast, with massive Indian drums, horns and percussion sitting at ease with distorted guitars and his massive voice. The mix is spot on and it's a rarity to hear this strain of music in commercial music, but Jag Changa has been the highest selling independent album in India for the last 2 years, so Raghu clearly knows what he is doing. 

 

'Rain Song' starts off with a lilting acoustic guitar arpeggio, and Raghu scatting along after a couple of bars. I don't know why, but this song reminds me of another Indipop/Bollywood song from back in the day, but I can't remember which one. This song is in Hindi so I was able to follow along just fine. He has beautiful vibrato in the slower songs. The pakhwaj, an Indian drum, is the percussive instrument in the song, and it sounds wonderful with the sarod, a string instrument. The words speak of love and has a wonderful ebb and flow in the music. Raghu's voice fits the scheme like a glove. 

The title track 'Jag Changa' is next with one the most intriguing acoustic guitar riffs followed by some fun scatting. The mood set up from the get go is one of enjoyment. The words speak of the degradation of human existence and makes some astute observations on the condition of our society, and how we've dirtied the beautiful world given to us as a result of our covetous nature. The song flows really well, the arrangement is spot on, and it's difficult to put such a heavy message through such a fun tune. Oh, this song is in Hindi too. 

'Yaadon Ki Kyari' starts off with a ukulele riff, now that's just a whole lot of cool points man. Then is followed by a melodica theme, wow, just take all the cool points boss. Then as it turns out, a mandolin is playing over the vocal line, which is in Hindi btw. I'll keep stressing on the language of each track, because they do sing in 3 languages per album, so that effort and creativity should not be overlooked. The song is essentially a nostalgic look back to his childhood, and the memories are beautifully expressed in words. The arrangement is brilliant, it's muted because of the lack of massive percussion, but that doesn't take away from the immense musicality in the song. 

'Amma' is the Tamil song in the album, and Raghu's first song in Tamil. I've scrambled to the translation so as to keep up, although the word in itself means mom. The song starts off with a beautiful acoustic guitar riff on which a lilting violin melody is played. The words are an ode to Raghu's mother, and could be an ode to any one's mother. Once the percussion and bass kicks in, it pulls in a lot of cool points on the groove quotient. The words are fantastic, just fantastic. As a songwriter, I related majorly to a couple of lines in particular, man that hit the spot hard. Big ups to Madan Karky for the words. 

'Lokada Kalaji' starts off with an electric guitar riff that was somehow reminiscent of the James Bond theme in the picking style, but it descended into almost Bela Fleck country madness with a banjo playing in the background. That's Abigail Washburn on the banjo, and what do you know, she has played with Bela Fleck before. My musical radar is spot on. Btw, I'm listening as I'm writing so I'll have to go back to the words, because they're in Kannada, and I'm just swaying with the groove man. This album has some grooves that'll make your body move boss, and I can tell you, and so can my friends, I'm not a body move kinda guy, so cool points all around. Ok, so the words basically deal with a 'don't worry, be happy' theme. Which is super appropo, because I ain't worried about anything listening to this song. Mad energy in the trumpet solo. Ok, cool points to Bryden too for his guitar solo. 

'Sajana' starts off with a really melancholic Sarangi melody. They've left no stone unturned in employing as many instruments as possible for their creation, that's for sure. This song is in Hindi. the song speaks of the agony of a lover who's separated from her partner, with some very eloquent metaphors used to convey the message. Ok, they're a married couple, one line specifies that. The line about her eyes turning to stone while waiting is just top notch in my book. There is a string section in the song, performed by the 'Bangalore Strings'. Very little programming in the album, and the organic feel is one of the standout features through all the songs. 

'Kodagana Koli Nungita' closes out the album. It's in Kannada. Starts off with an middle-eastern guitar riff, and horns on it too. Cool points. The translation of the song left me scratching my head till I realized that was the message of the song. 'The hen has swallowed the monkey, the goat swallowed the elephant, the wall swallowed the whitewash, the drum swallowed the actor playing it.' A supremely involved instrumental break before the 2nd verse. Frantic energy there. It's a song basically talking about the possibility of the impossible and how we should always keep our spirit tuned to that possibility. Another really franctic instrumental break before it a really sweet violin solo. Raghu shows off his considerable vocal power and range in the bridge, and the song finishes with a bang too. 

The album is full of musical diversity, and they've taken a lot of chances, and I must say that it has paid off. They are very confident as a musical entity, and they just really explore within the style. A very creative album, and the wonderful thing is, the lyrics don't fall behind the music, and for that I must give kudos to the team of lyricists used for the album. That takes a lot of humility, to really seek out the best pieces to the jigsaw puzzle which'll be your album, so that nothing looks out of place. An album to be proud of, and it deserves all the success it has had and frankly deserves a lot more. 

Album Review: Metallica: The Black Album

Hi,
    My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The music you're hearing (hopefully) is from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' and you can buy it here.

    The album up for review today is The Black Album by Metallica. In reality, the album has no name, and it could be a self-titled album, but the cover just has Metallica written on a black background with a snake hissing at the name, so I guess there's that. Also, The Beatles had The White Album, with the same concept, and opposite colour, so there's precedent too. The album is one of the most outstanding and versatile metal albums ever created, appealing to both the casual listener and the hardcore metalhead. Let's check it out.

'Enter Sandman' starts off the album, with one of the most iconic riffs in rock history. Bob Rock brings his production mastery into view with just how huge the drums sound in those opening bars. Straight off, you know that this is going to be different from all of Metallica's offerings so far. It's not hectic in tempo and frantic in execution. The tempo is really steady and just the right click. The words are of course some sort of horror nighttime story. Cool points for the wah-heavy solo. The words had caught my fancy as a teenager, for it was just so nasty. The slower tempo really helps in fine-tuning the aggression that the song wants to convey. 

'Sad But True', another shining example of really slow, really aggressive and real scary in terms of the riff. The snare just cracks you know, like a gun shot. The lyrics have many layers to them, and could be moving in any number of directions. There are a lot of cool guitar layers in the chorus that I wouldn't have noticed had I not checked out the Classic Albums video on youtube. The music is really like a hammer blow, and James' voice fits it like a glove. He sings like he is about to rip his vocal chords out. The guitar solo is one of Kirk's better ones. 

'Holier Than Thou' was supposed to be the first track, and the first single on the album, till the lyrics were written. The intro riff is really involved, and has a talk box moment too. Again, the tempo is spot on for the headbanging convenience. While it's a solid song, I can't imagine this replacing Sandman as the first offering from the album. This is far more choppy in feel, and almost frantic in execution. The drums are mixed up way loud in the track. The song is about hypocrites.

'The Unforgiven' is of course a mammoth ballad, with the chorus being clean and the verse being run with the overdriven guitars. The intro is almost country-westernesque in nature. The guitars on the verse are supremely distorted. The song's lyrics have to do with the death grip that society has on the minds and actions of the people within the society. Very well-structured, and the solo is appropriate in it's energy too. Just another damn good song in this entire album of heavy hitters. 

'Wherever I May Roam' starts off with an almost Indian melody, before Lars' gunshot snare comes in to head it into the sleazy riff that it winds up being. The words start with the beat being played in halftime, but it picks up during the chorus, and it's an interesting bit of arrangement. The words of course talk about life on the road, which had become a habit for the band by that time. The guitar solo sounds like it's played by a student of Joe Satriani. Super cool. 

'Don't Tread On Me' starts off with something which could almost be an inspirational anthem for an army, and then veers into the main riff. The tempos chosen for the songs are so appropriate, and are a definite departure from the previous albums where it sounded like they're going as fast as they wanted to. This slowing down to make the aggression more apparent was definitely followed by a lot of the heavier bands of the 90s like Pantera, and RATM and so forth. The chorus riff is almost groovy. The words speak of USA's military might. The words 'Don't Tread On Me' are of course from the early Marines, and Tea Party movements. 

'Through The Never' starts off with an almost relentlessly driving riff. Super headbang. The riffs are extremely tight, with a wall of guitar stacked up in the front. Cool guitar solo, and a couple of key changes just to keep in interesting. Words speak of the vastness of the universe, and the human role in it. Interesting bridge, and I must say this, that it's going to be difficult to sit through the album at one go if you're not used to metal, because it is just too overpowering. 

'Nothing Else Matters' of course is the guitar riff that any fool can learn, and that's just a great testament to the musicality and simplicity of the song. It's of course James Hetfield's love song, which is a strange sentence to write, yet the song is iconic in all senses. The orchestral parts by Michael Kamen do add a lot of colour to the mix, and could have been turned a tad louder. The guitar solos, clean and distorted, are wonderful. The buildup to the final choruses is anthemic and powerful. True ballad. 

   

'Of Wolf And Man' starts off with more gunshot snares, and a relentless driving rhythm. The words of course describe a wolf's life, but there runs the parallel with humans too. Pretty smart songwriting, damn shame that the mix and the vocal style doesn't really do the words any favours. The kick drum sound is quite stunning throughout the album, and is so here too, which can be heard throughout the bridge, also the many effects that the guitars are trying to depict. Creative. 

'The God That Failed'. Talk about strong song titles, and this has one the strongest heavy riffs in the album too. Ok, the lyrics are super heavy too. Just read to amaze at the courage of James to write these lines. Eddie Van Halen's spirit is channeled for the guitar solo, so cool points there. That riff is truly monstrous. A lot of Randy Rhoads too in the guitar solo. 

'My Friend Of Misery' was one of the songs that had caught my fancy when I first heard the album due to the riff of the chorus, which just slithered in a manner that just attracted. The first song to start with a bass line, and that of course is another major departure from previous Metallica efforts, you can actually hear the bass guitar in this album. Oh, maybe it's just the cowbell in the chorus of a Metallica song that's so appealing. Of course they had to get the most dull sounding heavy cowbell ever. The words are quite well-crafted. The words could apply to quite a few scenarios, which of course gives it that universal appeal that Metallica shot for with this album. Cool instrumental break. The wah solo on the chorus is just a face melter. 

'The Struggle Within' closes the album, with a marching band intro and a twin guitar part that'd be more at home with Judas Priest. This is a throwback song to the kind of thrash that got Metallica on the map in the first place. Except that the chorus is super dynamic and completely opposite to thrash. The words don't make much of an impact this time around, but that's alright, not every song is supposed to hit with the same intensity.

So that's the album. It's incredible, a landmark album for metal, and it's continued popularity and sales prove that to be a universal opinion. 

Album Review: Def Leppard- Hysteria

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The music you're hearing (hopefully) is from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

   The album for review today will be Def Leppard's 'Hysteria'. It is sort of depressing to review an album which was released in the year of your birth, and to acknowledge, that they had more musical innovation in their sound then than I have now. Nevertheless, the album was the first after drummer Rick Allen's horrific car accident which cost him his left arm. It was also the last album with Steve Clark before his death. The album is the highest selling Def Leppard album of all time with sales of more than 20 million.

'Women' starts off the album, with searing guitar and swirling keyboard sounds. The next thing that pops to mind is the drum sound, that'd characterize Rick's sound in all the years to come. Big synthesized snare drum sound. The lyrics are extremely provocative and sensible all-in-one. I can't imagine the conditions of recording this, because it has a perfection that'd be hard to achieve without digital trickery. The pre-chorus is incredible, both in terms of setting up the chorus, and also the words are off the hook. Bucketload of cool points. Oh damn, I nearly forgot, supremely cool guitar solos. 

'Rocket' starts with a rocket taking off (what else). Once that's done, it settles into one of the more innovative guitar riffs in rock. The contrast of the notes in the riff with the vocal melody and the chords make it an interesting picture. A whole lot of song references to start off the words. And of course, Def Leppard's stellar 5 part vocal harmony starts flexing it's muscles. More cool words in the chorus, really well structured. How many songs have a rocket launch countdown sequence in the bridge? A whole lot of reverse tape effects, to make it sound more alien. Cool points galore

'Animal' has words that to me, suggest the life of a top rock band on the road, or alternatively, a conquering army. The blood lust described in the song, is quite as amplified in only those two cases. The production on the album then would put most albums to shame even now. That vocal harmony might as well be an army. Joe Elliot really knows what he's doing. 

'Love Bites' starts off with the sci-fi, and then a really beautiful guitar arpeggio. Joe's vocals have a real quality to them, not rough, not soft, not throaty at all. The pre-chorus is hot, and then the chorus is lava. It's just too damn strong, the vocals really push it up several notches. The lyrics are quite strong too, exposing doubts that exist in certain kinds of relationships. Pretty creative wordplay on one or two lines there, which isn't something that I've thought of to associate with Def Leppard so far, so more cool points. 

A thousand cool points for the song title. 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'. One thing which is a trait of their music is that all their uptempo stuff has a lot of music packed in it, and a lot of excitement too. That's a rare trait to have so consistently. Ok, so as the song title suggests, it's a very suggestive song. The song is exactly what you think it's about, and then some. There's a reason why Def Leppard were able to enforce a topless-women-only-backstage policy. Because they could. Oh, and super cool drums and music. 

'Armageddon It' earns cool points for the title, and really has me thinking about the time invested into completing this album. It took some 3-4 years to finish this album if memory serves me right, and the amount of thought that's gone into the execution and planning of every aspect of the album is rather evident. Cool riff to start out the song. A lot of punny lyrics in this song, as a matter of fact the whole song is filled with entendres. Full fun. 

'Gods Of War' sounds heavy, and starts off heavy too. A lot of sounds of war, and then a key change for Rick Savage's bass to take us into the guitar riff. These guys write pre-choruses and pre-bridges it seems, and take their time getting to the monster choruses with the full blast of the harmonized vocals. The lyrics talk about the atmosphere, and the futility of war. The song ends with a lot of intrigue and mystery in the arpeggios and vocal harmonies. 

'Don't Shoot Shotgun' might be the only song which starts off with the vocal blast. Once the riff kicks in, you know one thing for sure, this band has the formula for stadium rock in their back pockets for this album. The pre-chorus is killer, with it's set-up to the chorus. Lyrics about a girl who can kill with what's she's been given. Standard that way, but the music is anything but standard. 

'Run Riot' starts at riotous pace, with a cool and frantic riff. The lyrics too seem to be encouraging breaking out just for a few moments and to explore the boundaries of one's physical and moral capacities. A whole album of infinitely singable choruses. Frantic pace, just frantic pace set throughout the song. 

'Hysteria' is the title track, and has the most steady, almost boring rock tempo, along with one of the most melodic guitar arpeggios. And a whole lot of innuendo in the words. It's a love song, but not a pretty please one. It's more like, you know I'm the bad boy you want to love type of love song. Of course, it's the title track of the album, and one of Def Leppard's most recognizable tunes, and with good reason. The music is very memorable. 

'Excitable' starts off with what could be some sort of Viagra commercial, and then the pounding drums start off. The riff is just lava on the hot meter. There can only be movement associated with this song, headbobs, dance moves and so on. It's just too cool to not move to. And yes, it's about a knockout girl again. I'm bobbing my head. 

'Love And Affection' finishes out the album, with a pretty cool riff. They do have a certain tendency as far as the note choice on the single note passages. The words are to do with the act of making love again, and they've toned down the suggestiveness a bit, for a more straightforward sincere narrative, and they're good at that too. The vocals again pull out all the stops. The level doesn't really drop throughout the album. It's not a greatest hits album, but it might as well be. 

Is it an album worth listening to? You damn right it is. Does it deserve all that it has gotten so far? Absolutely. A gem it was and a gem it remains. 

Album Review: Fossils- Fossils 1

Hi,
   My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned', which you can buy here.


   The album up for review today is one of the most landmark albums in Bangla music. Fossils 1 was a massive statement at the time, and cemented the reputation of Fossils as a major player for the new millenium. Rock in Bangla music had never been so mainstream before, and the audience lapped it up with quite the thirst. Should be a very interesting listen.

 

'Aaro Ekbaar' opens out the album with an almost Floydish soundscape, ala 'Coming Back To Life'. While it's customary to hear the vocal front-and-centre, this is pre-autotune, so there are slight mistakes in the lines, but that's only to my ears, and overall, his voice and the presentation had me smiling big. The pace is just perfect to sway your arms to at a rock concert, and the feeling is strong. Sure, some of the music sounds derived, but the vocals are strong enough to take away from that. Long guitar solo at the end, lot of cool points for the straightforward face-melt. 

'Ekla Ghor' starts off with quite a long musical intro before settling into the vocal line. The chorus has a really good mix of chords and vocal melody to create a real intriguing feeling. The programmed drums, and the basic mix quality takes away from the product for sure, but again, the vocals more than overshadow all these shortcomings. The words do tell a specific story of loss and efforts at recovering one's poise. Good stuff. 

'Nemesis' starts off with almost game show music, and then something which closely resembles the drum sample of Savage Garden's 'Animal'. The words are about some sort of addict I'd say, and a very interesting take on it too. The writing is more about the change that occurs in a person due to addiction. The musical interlude is poorly executed, with the guitars not sounding tough enough, and the keys not spooky enough, and the programmed drums really taking away from the output. Also, the word nemesis is pronounced with a thick accent, which is a slight disconnect, but not the biggest problem. Cool guitar solo at the end, almost Deep Purple like cadenza to finish. 

'Hasnuhana' might be the most epic song in the album, and the most epic love song for a whole decade of Bengali college goers. Large melodies to start, a really wrenching vocal line, wonderful metaphorical language and the big reverb, all of which add to make the song the monster it is. It is one of the songs where you don't even have to focus to connect, the vibe is strong enough to grab your heartstrings. Listen and enjoy. 

'Dekho Manashi' starts off with a riff that sounds familiar but I can't quite place it. The buildup to the chorus is well-structured, and the burst of energy into the chorus is quite gripping and it really lifts the energy a few notches. The words are some of the most compulsive lyrics about loss in love. There is a certain thirst and desperation in Rupam Islam's voice as he goes about making his plea for love. Very well created. 

'Bishakto Manush' is one of the most uptempo songs in the album with some vicious lyrics. The title of the song means venomous person, and Rupam does lay deep into it, talking about how he loves a venomous person, who has spun a web around him and he can't break free. Lot of aggression in the music here, but again, the programmed drums and the mix do take away some of the edge. Damn good though, I am beginning to see why this album was such a breakthrough. 

'Nishkraman' starts off with more hair-metal ballad style arpeggios. The story continues the theme of lost love through the album, and some of the edgier bits in the music definitely bring the boom, which was lacking earlier on in the album. The language is throwing me for a toss since my Bangla is awful, so google translate is helping me get the meanings of the words, and I must say good job in writing fearlessly. 

'Millenium' finishes off the album with one the better choruses. These guys are an in-demand live act, and singable choruses like this explains why. Continues the trend of using a strong vocal line and big words to get the point across. The words have a strong message about the new millenium (the album was released at that time), and it tackles it from a personal to a wordly point of view. 

Listening to it, and paying attention to it, there's no denying that it's a pathbreaking album. The lack of production values is understandable, as it was rare for Bangla rock bands to exist at that time, but the passage of time has led to greater production values, but the songs lack the fire that this album does. 

Album Review: The Winery Dogs- The Winery Dogs

Hi,
    My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

   The album up for review is the self-titled album of 'The Winery Dogs'. The Dogs are a supergroup with Mike Portnoy (ex- DreamTheater), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth Band, Steve Vai) and Richie Kotzen (ex Poison, ex Mr. Big) filling out the slots for drums, bass and guitars respectively. Richie sings lead vocals and everyone else backs him up.

   The first thing that comes to mind is that Billy and Richie have already played together in Mr. Big, and I wanted to see how much of that quick riff style comes into play here.

'Elevate' starts off the album with a really uptempo riff, and it's really loud, and by the end of the line my Mr. Big question is answered. There's going to be a whole lot of unnecessary pyro in the riffs, but it's going to be a treat for guys who love pyro riffs. Oh, and a most commercial chorus kicks in, which makes me believe this might be the blueprint for what's to come. Nothing spectacular in the words, the mix of the song definitely helps. Big drum fill to end. 

'Desire' starts off with a cool riff. The vocal melody has a lot of influences, with different sections sounding like different styles of RnB and pop. The way the music dominates makes it very tough to focus on the words, and that definitely takes away from the message if it is a good one. Never quite understood why a band would do that, in case they happened to write a good lyric, Also, a lot of pyro in the instrumental break. 

'We Are One' starts off with a pretty cool riff and a vocal melody that could have been from Alice In Chains. Being a 3-piece, they make use of a whole lot of guitar and bass effects to cover the soundscape, which is an effective tool. Singable chorus, but again, the words are so cookie-cutter, it's just flat. And of course, the mix will always favour the instruments, never is the vocal treated as the lead instrument. Blitzkrieg solo, and that's how the vocal should be treated to cut through the mix too. 

'I'm No Angel' has a super cool guitar riff to start off, which morphs into quite a slinky verse. The need for a commercial chorus hurts this song, since the verse outshines the chorus with a lot of X-factor. 

'The Other Side' starts with MP on hyperdrive, and Billy joins him there. The riff follows the vocal melody, and the last line of the chorus has any element of cool in it. Have to wait till the bridge and the guitar solo for a cool melody in the song. Why isn't the same effort put into the vocal melody as is clearly put into the instrumental breaks? Long jam at the end, that had more value than all the lines of lyrics written for the song, really says something. 

'You Saved Me' starts off with Billy Sheehan tapping away on his bass. Almost could have been a Baba O'Reilly there, but not quite that involved. The vocal melody is just a rehash of so many ballads from so many bands. The message of the song is clouded in the conflicting lyrics of the verse and chorus. 

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'Not Hopeless' starts off with such a rush, that I thought it was going to be 'Addicted To That Rush' or 'Colorado Bulldog' from Mr. Big. The chorus delves into a half-time groove, I guess there was no other move to make to keep up the tempo of the song. Why have they written this album? I'm sure they're not going to list this as their best creation. Maybe because it's 'Not Hopeless', but man it sure runs it close. Supergroup with a super dud of an album. 

'One More Time' is the next song in the album. The chorus melody movement is a lift from somewhere, but I can't remember where. I'm really not enjoying listening to any of this closely. 

'Damaged' is a slower track, and like with almost the previous songs, has Richie singing in a higher register which is just slightly out of his comfort zone and it results in a pitchy effort. The lyrics are the best they've been in the album so far, with a cohesive storyline and strong words used to communicate strong emotions. 

'Six Feet Deeper' has a lot of Mr. Big in it, which is a sad statement in and off it itself. The lyrics go back to being disjointed and without any cohesiveness. 

'Time Machine' starts off with a pretty cool riff. I think the people who're already fans of the three guys will be positive to these songs, and of course, those who like chop fests in their songs. 

'The Dying' starts off with an almost Hendrix-type clean riff. The words make a few attempts at metaphors and intricacies, but just don't finish off properly, but it's still a better attempt at the words than most of the album. There is one story being told, and it doesn't confuse too much. 

'Regret' finishes off the album with a piano riff, ala Elton John. Nothing special jumps out here, except that, I can't honestly believe that 40 plus folks are going to write the love songs that 20 plus folks write. There is a lack of honesty that comes across rather blatantly. 

I wouldn't hear the album again. I don't know why people would make this album, other than just that, let's get together and bang out an album. There is a lack of thought with regards to almost everything in the album, other than the cheesy chorus lines and the instrumental breaks. Just a sad state of affairs when you consider the personnel involved in the process. 

Album Review: The Derek Trucks Band- Already Free

Hi all,
     My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The music you're hearing (hopefully) is from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

    The album up for review is 'Already Free' by The Derek Trucks Band. Ever since I've discovered Derek Trucks through the Crossroads Guitar Festival he has always featured really high on my list of favourite guitar players. I haven't yet really heard The Derek Trucks band yet, having heard more of The Tedeschi Trucks Band, so, this has all the potential to be a good time.

   

'Maybe This Time' starts off the album with a easy-going feel-good vibe. The vocal melody feels a little flat to me, and a lot of the words are generic. There seems to be a distinct old school RnB flavour in the track, without the X-factor and flash that's the USP of that style of music. A trademark Trucks solo to finish it out. 

'Our Love' starts off with an acoustic riff that has come Led Zep hidden in the tall grass, well disguised by the straight bass drum pattern. Both songs so far have Doyle Bramhall Jr co-writing, and somehow I can feel some of his vocal choices making their way through to the songs, and that's never been my taste. Certain albums have a penchant for being incredibly creative, without necessarily being melodic in the sense of flow, and somehow this is falling in that category to me. The songs have a lot of musical parts flying around, but not enough cohesiveness to really pull me in. 

'Something To Make You Happy' starts off with a really involved riff, uptempo and staccato. The words are fairly generic, but the chorus definitely is catchy. Trademark Derek Trucks brilliance on all songs so far with the solos. 

'Get What You Deserve' has Doyle Bramhall's signature hurried feel and guitar style over it, and again, not to my taste. The mix is such that the vocals get hidden in the vast guitar jungle, and then the words are mostly generic, which results in a major disconnect for me with the song. 

'Sweet Inspiration' has a major gospel vibe to it, with a more precise riff than anything else so far, with the lack of overdub guitars serving to make the picture clearer. The fact that the drum pattern has head-bob written all over it definitely helps the cause. 

'Down In The Flood' starts off with an acoustic guitar riff, that has some Led Zep 3 qualities, with the 12 string and what not. When the drums kick in, the concoction has reached a really heady point and really kicks it on from there. The words in the song, do tell a story, and I'm a big fan of that. Actually the lyrics have a similar story with Led Zep's 'When The Levee Breaks' with an additional twist in the tale. Cool points. 

'I Know' has some of Derek's Hindustani Classical influences showing through, with the tanpura strains and the particular choice of slide work he does. That quickly morphs into a really involved 6/8 riff. The rest of the song carries through in the same flow. The words don't have much of an impact. 

'Down Don't Bother Me' has an intro that got me thinking about the overall harsh tonality that the album has. It's definitely not a polished sound, and it's almost throwback to the old RnB sound, and an old country sound, and they're mixed in equal measure, and therefore the sound definitely takes getting used to. Plus the lead instrument is a slide guitar, which definitely doesn't hold pride of place like it used to back in the day. Like I said, creative but not compelling. 

'Day Is Almost Gone' starts off with the most easy-going riff so far. But the vocal melody doesn't grab the attention, partly to do with the melody itself, and partly to do with the mixes being so instrument heavy. The words in themselves aren't compelling enough to make up for the lack of melody and mix. Although, all of this is subjective, and just because it doesn't suit my tastes, doesn't mean it will be bad for everyone. 

'Don't Miss Me' has the most sleazy riff so far, and shows early promise. A small key change and the doubling up of the tempo does offer a creative change, and the music is strong enough to carry the vocals. I'm not talking about the singer being ordinary, because the singer is great, just that the material he's singing isn't. This whole non-reverb sound is just taking the edge off of the songs, whereas it should be the other way around. 

'Back Where I Started' sounds like Susan Tedeschi on vocals, and she cuts through the mix just fine. The minimal nature of the song is really lending itself to some good definition. Just the improved vocal makes it easier to listen and analyze the words being said and being patient in trying to get it's meaning. 

'Already Free' closes out the album, and has the same minimal arrangement as the previous song. The vocal effect used on the song is bizarre, and the words don't really tell a story, so nothing there. 

I wouldn't listen to the album in it's entirety again, maybe choose one or two songs to listen to again. The poor writing wasn't salvaged by Derek Truck's slide brilliance, and again, it's a subjective thing, it isn't to my taste, I know they're a big enough band to be appealing to quite a few people. The whole situation where blues influenced music has to have really generic words just baffles me, it's almost lazy. Nevertheless, maybe some of their other albums might strike me better.