About Moosejuice

+Mark Boyd is an avid indie and underground music historian trying to bring attention to unknown and forgotten bands through The Sonic Abyss and Abysmal Radio. He also sings and plays music, is an independentSEO and Internet marketing consultant and enjoys time with his children :D

Thin Lizzy – Renegade

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Moosejuice

1981 Warner Bros

Thin Lizzy will forever be most remembered for “The Boys Are Back In Town,” a song revered by every rockhead from stuffed shirts to rednecks. As good as that song is, and as good of an album as ‘Jailbreak’ was, ‘Renegade’ and “Thunder and Lightning’ are the cream of the Thin Lizzy crop and by all means brought their career to an end on a creative high note.

I was first introduced to this album in high school by my friend Mac Haik, who was the first to tell me that it was the best Thin Lizzy album ever. When I first listened to it, I didn’t agree, as all I knew of Thin Lizzy was “The Boys are Back in Town” and “Jailbreak.” I was expecting more of the same and while there’s plenty on this disc that rocks, it’s the emotional texture and dynamics that make it stand out and ultimately brought me to agree that it’s an amazing album.

The only real complaint I have is that Chris Tsangarides’ production smooths out the edges a bit too much. However, on some songs like the chilling “Renegade” that smoothness is just what the doctor ordered. Opener “Angel of Death” rocks intense while “No One Told Him,” “Fats” and “Mexican Blood” form a trifecta that just bursts with emotional honesty and personality.

While some of his lyrics are dodgy (the rhymes on “No One Told Him” are almost painful) band leader Phil Lynott (RIP) is still an amazing storyteller and “Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)” stands to this day as my favorite Thin Lizzy track ever.

Much in the same way that UFO’s 2 best albums came after the departure of Michael Schenker (some will argue that I’m out of my mind saying that), Thin Lizzy’s 2 best albums came after their universally recognized “classic” era of the mid-to-late 70’s…’Thunder and Lightning’ and this one, which is perhaps their masterpiece.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY RENEGADE AND OTHER THIN LIZZY MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

The Tea Party – The Edges of Twilight

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Moosejuice

1995 EMI/Chrysalis

Anyone who knows me knows how absolutely nuts I am about The Tea Party, one of my favorite bands ever. On ‘The Edges of Twilight’ Jeff Martin, Stuart Chatwood and Jeff Burrows accomplish the unthinkable. Take the middle-eastern vibe and diversity of classic Led Zeppelin, throw in husky vocals from the darker side of Jim Morrison and that will give you a good idea of the kind of sound you can expect.

This would be a sound deserving of a pronounced rolling of the eyes if not for the stellar songwriting, musicianship and conviction of all three members of the band. Rather than sounding derivitave, the music is an inspired and original sounding natural progression of the aforementioned influences.

From the first notes of grandiose and downright classic opener “Fire in the Head” (a live concert staple), everything about the sound is huge on this disc. Even acoustic-laden tracks like “Shadows on the Mountainside” wrap themselves around you in a dark and seductive embrace with their hugeness of sound.

Track after track just has ‘classic’ written all over it. “The Bazaar,” “Silence,” “Inanna,” “Coming Home” and the showstopping “Sister Awake” all provide nice peaks on an album that proudly wears its rock, classical and world music influences for all to see, paying immense tribute to them through inspired performances and songwriting.

I still maintain to this day that the best performance I’ve ever seen by any rock band (and unfortunately the only time I ever got to see The Tea Party live) was when The Tea Party opened for Ian Moore at the Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on November 29, 1995. I still have the ticket stub, and I have to crack a smile every time I look at it. And I still hope for an eventual reunion.

Rating: 5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE EDGES OF TWILIGHT AND OTHER TEA PARTY MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Badlees – Up There Down Here

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Moosejuice

1999 Ark 21

I was first introduced to this when my ex-wife listened to it endlessly while she was pregnant with our second child. At one point, I think I had the whole thing memorized from start to finish. To say this is one of the most criminally overlooked albums of all time is an understatement, and its inclusion in the 10 Best of the Abyss is a no-brainer.

Stylistically, the closest comparisons I can really draw are Counting Crows and Train, though this album (and Badlees albums in general) shows more diversity than either. The songs have more conviction than both of the aforementioned bands, as Bret Alexander’s songwriting is all heart and Pete Palladino’s vocals are powerful while also being intimate and vulnerable without the whininess of singers like Adam Duritz.

The album kicks off with the melodic but upbeat melancholy of “Don’t Let Me Hide” and takes you on an emotional ride that is riveting in its intimacy. Favorite tracks here are “Which One of You,” “Running Up That Hill,” “Thinking in Ways,” “The Second Coming of Chris” and the stunning “Middle of the Busiest Road,” which is one of my 5 favorite songs ever and on any given day could be my favorite song ever.

The mix of electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, dobro and lap steel guitar definitely put this in the “roots rock” category, if we must categorize. That being said, ‘Up There Down Here’ stands among the best of the genre, in my opinion burying the best offerings from Train, Counting Crows and Pennsylvania’s own Hooters (all bands which I like). It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Celtic Frost – Into The Pandemonium

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Moosejuice

1987 Noise Records (reissued 1999 Noise Records)

This album deserves to be heard by everyone simply for the fact that it stands alone in its own universe. There’s never been anything like it before or since. It was so far ahead of its time that the band’s own label (and indeed many of CF’s original fans) didn’t quite understand it at the time. It is now known as an underground classic that has influenced an unreal number of artists from Obituary to, yes, Nirvana (Dave Grohl is a fan – check out the Probot album – and Kurt Cobain cited CF as an influence during the writing for the ‘In Utero’ album).

I hardly know where to start, so let’s start with the opening track, a totally metallic reworking of Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio.” This proves to be an acurate indication of the weirdness to follow. “Mesmerized” does exactly that with a combination of heavy and clean guitar sounds and a tortured, moaning vocal that may have you laughing if you’re not on board with the concept.

These guys were always trying to sound different and bring new dimensions to the death metal blueprint they helped create. In fact, their first three albums – ‘Morbid Tales,’ ‘To Mega Therion’ and ‘Into the Pandemonium’ – totally encapsulate the death/dark metal genre. Anything progressive that is being done today can be traced back to this Celtic Frost trifecta.

They were the first metal band to incorporate female operatic vocals (‘To Mega Therion’) and ‘Into the Pandemonium’ is a disc loaded with firsts.

They were the first metal band to incorporate an orchestra (“Tristesses de la Lune,” “Rex Irae,” and “Oriental Masquerade”). They were the first to experiment with dance beats and programming (“One in their Pride”). They were the first to incorporate softer (melodic?) vocal textures to complement the death grunt that they helped pioneer (numerous tracks on the album). They were even the first to exhibit a sense of humour about things, as evidenced on album opener “Mexican Radio” and CD bonus track “In the Chapel, In the Moonlight” – which is an old Dean Martin song.

Listen with an open mind, as this album covers so much ground and is so ‘all over the place’ that this diversity is what makes it work as a cohesive whole. There’s also a charming innocence here as the band members’ individual skills (save for drummer Reed St. Mark) weren’t quite up to par with their ambitious musical vision, a fact the band themselves readily admit. The conviction is undeniably there as the album works through sheer ambition, will and strength of song. Thankfully, the new guard at their old label (Noise) remastered and repackaged their entire catalogue in 1999, allowing the band to finally present ‘Into the Pandemonium’ with the artwork and layout they had wanted back in 1987…once again proving how far ahead of their time they were.

Thankfully, the remastering brings an additional power boost to the sound that was missing on the original release, simply magnifying the fact that this disc sounds every bit as fresh and original as it did back in 1987. In fact this disc stands as one of the most original sounding works in the history of rock, period.

Rating: 5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY Into the Pandemonium AND OTHER CELTIC FROST MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Lizzy Borden – Love You To Pieces

Posted on April 27, 2008 by Moosejuice

1985 Metal Blade

I dunno…I’ve read some scathing reviews of this album, but I’ll never understand it. Lizzy Borden is one of those bands I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for; because while their back catalogue is loaded with good but uneven albums, to me ‘Love You To Pieces’ stands as a classic of mid-80’s metal.

With a stage show that was VERY influenced by Alice Cooper, Lizzy Borden gained some notoriety for their shock-rock image in the late 80’s but never quite made it into the big leagues. No fault of the music here, as ‘Love You To Pieces’ kicks off with an intense, almost speed-metal riff and Lizzy’s incomparable soaring vocals on “Council For the Cauldron.” The guy really is a great singer, and the most overlooked and underrated of the 80’s lot in my opinion.

“Save Me” was a song that, with better exposure, should have been a hit for them. Really, the only duff tracks on here are “Red Rum” and “American Metal,” the latter of which was actually a favorite of some of my friends back in the day. I always thought it to be a bit campy for my liking. Oh, well. The rest of the tracks positively kick with melody and power.

If you’re not a metalhead already, this disc probably won’t convert you. It’s a squarely metallic album that will have you laughing if you’re not on board. For me, I’m on board and I ain’t moving.

The most fond memory I have of this album is listening to it for the first time and being blown away by the production values. By today’s standards, they’re a tad dated, as today most independent releases have pro-sounding production. Back in 1985, though, indie releases were a crap shoot and there certainly was a lot of crap. I felt screwed more than once by dropping my cash on independent releases, as many of them had abysmal and almost unlistenable production…especially on the band’s label Metal Blade (Pandemonium’s 1983 release ‘Heavy Metal Soldiers is an example of this). ‘Love You To Pieces’ stood out through solid production, solid songs and conviction. Can’t fault any band for that.

Rating: 4 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY LOVE YOU TO PIECES AND OTHER LIZZY BORDEN MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

10 Most Truly Abysmal CD’s

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Moosejuice

Of all the albums in the Sonic Abyss, these rank as my 10 favorite unsung classics, each for it’s own unique reasons stretching beyond the mere strengths of the hooks. They’re listed in no particular order, as on any given day any one of them is my favorite of all time.

1. Tricky Woo -Sometimes I Cry

2. The Cult – Electric

3. The Tea Party – The Edges of Twilight

4. That Petrol Emotion – Chemicrazy

5. Celtic Frost – Into the Pandemonium

6. Amorphis – Skyforger

7. Badlees – Up There Down Here

8. Clutch – Blast Tyrant

9. Entombed – Wolverine Blues

10. Swell – Too Many Days Without Thinking

11. Siouxsie & the Banshees – Tinderbox (I know this is supposed to be only a list of 10. These go to 11.)

Some honorable mentions: Amorphis – Tales From the Thousand Lakes, Amorphis – Silent Water, Armored Saint – Delirious Nomad, Savatage – Sirens, Clutch – Pure Rock Fury, Clutch – Robot Hive/Exodus, Swell – …Well?, The Tea Party – The Interzone Mantras, Toadies – Hell Below/Stars Above,

That Petrol Emotion – Chemicrazy

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Moosejuice

1990 Caroline Recordings

Simply put, this is one of the most criminally overlooked guitar pop albums ever recorded. That Petrol Emotion received a lot of criticism for this and its predecessor “End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues” because the band’s diversity had them adding a lot of elements to the indie guitar mix that confounded a lot of critics, mainly the ones who loved them in the beginning. Truth of the matter is that “End of the Millennium…” was overall a subpar album, but “Chemicrazy” is just wonderful.

This disc has everything that’s GOOD about guitar pop. The hooks are everywhere, from the sweetness of opener ‘Hey Venus’ to the intensity of ‘Blue to Black’ to the dreamy pop of ‘Mess of Words’ to the swing of ‘Tingle.’

Steve Mack’s voice is very 80’s pop and a great melodic counterpart to the guitar interplay of John O’Neill and Raymond Gorman. Their guitar work impresses even more listening to this disc on headphones, often sounding like a seemless conversation between the two instruments. So strong is their chemistry that their guitars provide a lyric-free chorus to the aforementioned ‘Blue to Black’ and provide the backbone to the chorus of ‘Another Day.’

There’s really not much more to say. This disc just makes me feel like I’m on vacation at the beach. And I don’t wanna go home.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY CHEMICRAZY AND OTHER THAT PETROL EMOTION MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Clutch – Robot Hive-Exodus

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Moosejuice

2005 DRT

This was the first of the modern Clutch albums that didn’t blow me away when I first listened to it, simply because after ‘Pure Rock Fury’ and ‘Blast Tyrant’ it had become obvious that Clutch really doesn’t know how to do anything but deliver the goods. And deliver, they do.

‘The Incomparable Mr. Flannery’ kicks things off with the indelible imprint of a great riff and an opening line that pretty much epitomizes the surreal psyche of lead vocalist and incomprable lyricist Neil Fallon: “First we get some surgery, lose the kids, then our identities…” Yep, at this point, Clutch has become a world unto themselves, with plenty of room for anyone who wants to join them.

‘Burning Beard’ keeps things rockin’ while ‘Mice and Gods,’ ‘10001110101,’ ‘Circus Maximus,’ and ‘10,000 Witnesses,’ provide some cool highlights on a disc that, once again, is simply one highlight after another. Take ‘Robot Hive’ and ‘Blast Tyrant,’ put them both on your media player or iPod and hit shuffle play. It’s as if they’ve hit a creative mother lode. To have even one album of this quality in your repertoire is an acheivement any band would be proud of. To have more than that (with no end in sight) is deserving of awe.

Clutch is one of those rare bands where you can just buy their new disc when it comes out and not even worry about whether or not you’re going to like it. They know what they do best and this is the third of an ongoing streak of four albums jam packed with relentless grooves, memorable riffs and an intelligence that puts these guys in a class by themselves.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Clutch – Blast Tyrant

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Moosejuice

2004 DRT

And the greatest American rock band of the 21st century returns with an album that amazingly tops the incredible Pure Rock Fury. Blast Tyrant is widely regarded as Clutch’s best album and you’ll get no argument from me, this CD and the follow-up Robot Hive-Exodus combining for an unstoppable one-two punch that constantly finds its way onto my media player in repeat shuffle play.

Once again, from the kick-ass opener ‘Mercury’ to the closer ‘WYSIWYG,’ Clutch just piledrives through their strongest batch of songs to date. If I have to pick personal highlights from an album of nothing but highlights, I’d have to say my faves are stompin’ classic “The Mob Goes Wild,” “Spleen Merchant,” “Cypress Grove,” “La Curandera,” “(In the Wake of) The Swollen Goat,” and “Subtle Hustle.”

I’ve liked Clutch ever since the Transnational Speedway League album and Neil Fallon is the ultimate king wordsmith in the history of rock, but damn if it doesn’t seem like a major light switch was flipped on with the Pure Rock Fury album. It’s like the 90’s chronicled the gifted 4 in the search for their own unique muse and with the coming of the millennium they’ve found said muse. This is a band on fire with an album that truly is an embarrassment of riches.

There’s not a wasted moment on here, as Clutch creates a masterpiece of groove-heavy rock steeped in the best of classic rock sensibilities and given the woofer-chomping punch of modern production. A classic and an absolute must for any rockhead.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Clutch – Pure Rock Fury

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Moosejuice

2001 Atlantic Records

Even though Clutch has been quite a fine band since their inception in the early 90’s, it was with 2001’s Pure Rock Fury that they really hit their stride and found their own unique voice.

I remember the first time I listened to this disc and how thoroughly blown away I was…and still am. From the opening jam of American Sleep to the live closer Supergrass, the band has you in their…um…clutches and they just don’t let go. The production is crisp and powerful as Neil Fallon and company serve up riff after riff, hook after hook and lick after lick mixed perfectly with razor sharp, butt-shaking grooves and a liberal dose Fallon’s own unique, intelligent and humorous wordplay. Throw in some hot southern fried chicken grease and you’ve got yourself a meal.

Quite frankly, if I were an alien from another planet just arriving on earth and someone played me this CD (or ANY Clutch CD really), I’d say “I want more of THAT!”

If you’ve never heard this disc and you like groovin’, classic, heavy and melodic jam, prepare to become a Clutch fan. For as great as this CD is, unbelievably it only gets better after this with Blast Tyrant, Robot Hive/Exodus, and From Beale Street To Oblivion, establishing Clutch as, in my humble opinion, the greatest American rock band of the 21st century so far. Never before have I heard a band combine everything I’ve always loved about heavy rock with an undeniable intelligence that is sadly missing with a lot of bands. Never, that is, until now.

Turn it up loud and get lost in the sound!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5