Dirt

Alice in Chains - [1992] Dirt

The band should really need no introduction. Along with Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees etc. Alice in Chains dominated the 'grunge' scene.

Now, this is an album that for me, does absolutely nothing wrong. The album kicks off full-bore, with one of the heaviest tracks on the album "Them Bones". Layne Staley's voice is so sharp and powerful it seems to tear through the music with ease, and the harmonies produced by Layne and Jerry are almost hypnotic, and this is true for the entire album.

Did I mention Layne's voice? I know everyone focuses on him when they talk about the band, but it's truly hard not to when your frontman sounds like Jesus on crack.

As for songwriting, Jerry does most of the work on this album. Track 3, "Rain When I Die" features possibly my favourite use of the Wah pedal in existence, and the sound produced truly represents the album title (in a good way). The riffage is dirty, and the vocals sickly. Compared to track 4, "Down in a Hole" (my favourite from the album, possibly from their discography), which is a much more of a soulful ballad, it introduces some great dynamics to the album as a whole.

The themes on this album largely revolve around Staley's heroin use and depression, which is a much darker approach than their previous LP "Facelift" (also brilliant).

I can't recommend this album enough. There's really no song on this that I don't love. Writing this review is taking me ages because I keep getting sidetracked singing along.

GET IT.

Down in a Hole - Live for MTV's Unplugged. Quite possibly the greatest live video in existence.

Official: http://aliceinchains.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/aliceinchains

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aliceinchains

Trivia:

"Sickman" was written when Layne asked Jerry to write the most evil sounding song he could imagine.

"Rooster" was written about Jerry's father, who was a soldier in the Vietnam war, nicknamed Rooster.

If you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years, Layne Staley died in 2002 of a drug overdose. The band reformed in 2005 with singer William DuVall and released "Black Gives Way to Blue" in 2008.

Jersey Shores

Akimbo - [2008] Jersey Shores

On this release, Seattle band Akimbo have slightly deviated from the sound they further established on 2006's "Forging Steel and Laying Stone" and now the sludge elements are beginning to take over the hardcore. I can't stress enough just how epic this album feels. Track 3, "Lester Stillwell" is definitely my favourite, a song with moments of the most serene calm, and others the most heartfelt anguish, all rolled into a 12 minute package of auditory satisfaction.

The songwriting on this record is both original and impressive, with many memorable guitar licks and rhythms, which is complimented by the overall warm tone.

I honestly struggle to define this album. While it's possible to pick elements from the music and identify them, to define the album as a whole is no easy task. The best I can come up with is "Experimental, sludge infused hardcore with elements of shark."

Direct this to your ear holes.

They have a blog http://livetocrush.blogspot.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/akimbo

Icon

Lento - [2011] Icon

Lento are an instrumental 5 piece band from Italy (3 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drummer). This release incorporates elements of sludge, doom, hardcore and post-rock to deliver something truly powerful. The aggressive hardcore edge is obvious in many of the heavier tracks, lavished with thunderous riffage and earth-shattering drumming, which is definitely reinforced by the extra guitarist, creating a punishing tidal wave of sludge. The production on this album is fantastic, offering enough bass to massage your insides (as of this very moment, every cupboard in the room is rattling from the bass in the title track "Icon").

I wonder where you can download this...

Stream/download the album for free here: http://denovali.com/lento/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lento