The Ferret in Preston is a venue very close to my heart, as I’ve played there a few times in various bands over the years. However, I hadn’t been to Preston for quite some time and obviously didn’t know what The Ferret was actually like since the last time I had been there (about a decade ago). When I walked in, the place was exactly how I had remembered it being, only now the vibes were even better. The stage had been moved to the opposite end of the room, with a really eye-catching neon “The Ferret” sign adorning the back wall of the stage, as well as some moody red lighting which receded the room’s dominating darkness.
The first act of the night was Fuck Money – a band I knew by name but hadn’t actually had chance to check them out before seeing the show. Four guys walked onto the stage, with the band’s frontman – a towering, intimidating figure (he’s actually a really nice guy) sporting a striking mouth grill, suited out in a black boiler suit with their logo and some black face paint. Immediately, the band grabbed the audience with their ferocious blend of hardcore, punk, and noise rock. The musicianship was excellent, with bassist Jeremy Humphries in particular really catching my eye with his blistering down stroke technique, but as a whole the band were supremely tight and the songs were concise and engaging to listen to and watch. TaSzlin kept the energy up…
Chad Kroeger – lead vocals, lead guitar (1995–present)
Ryan Peake – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1995–present)
Mike Kroeger – bass (1995–present)
Daniel Adair – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2005–present)
Former members:
Brandon Kroeger – drums (1995–1997)
Mitch Guindon – drums (1997–1998)
Ryan Vikedal – drums, percussion (1998–2005)
Studio albums: 10
Active: Yes
Are Nickelback the Kings of buttrock?
For this edition of the Doctor’s Diagnosis series, I thought I’d give things a little shake up and throw myself out of the comfort zone. Thus far, the artists I’ve covered are both well-respected in their respective fields, and they only have a couple of blunders at worst in their back pocket. With that in mind, I felt it was time to tackle a genre I’m not particularly thrilled about and double down still on a band I have relative ambivalence for. Why? Well Nickelback are a curious case, gaining momentum with their third album Silver Side Up and peaking mainstream success with All the Right Reasons, albeit quickly garnering an ire so intense it became a cultural movement. Was the hatred warranted? That’s what the Doctor is here to find out – so, Nickelback, it’s time to spread ‘em…
Has there ever been a more distinct guitar tone? Welcome, denizens of Sputnik, to the ninth edition of the Doctor’s ‘Diagnosis Series’, where I go through a band or artist’s catalogue of music and analysis the core strengths and weaknesses found within their recorded works. Shellac recently announced their first new album in ten bloody years, so I felt it was an auspicious time to run through the trio’s work, which sprawls over three decades. So, sit in the waiting room for a minute and grab a coffee while I get my coat, stereoscope and gloves to run through this bitch.
At Action Park (1994)
The Doctor’s rating: 4/5
Analysis: Named after the infamous theme park in Vernon, New Jersey, where at least six people were known to have died as a result of the park’s negligence and failure to follow health and safety regulations, Shellac’s 1994 debut sets the groundwork for their illustrious future. Being that this band is one third Steve Albini, you can only imagine the abrasive…
Good day denizens of Sputnik and welcome to today’s edition of the Doctor’s diagnosis series, where I take on a band or artist’s studio recordings and formulate a comprehensive diagnosis by looking at the artist in question’s simmering highs and disappointing lows. On this eighth instalment, I will be putting on my latex gloves and analysing the mighty Riff Lord Wes Borland and his seminal project, Black Light Burns – a scintillating artistic affirmation that has only spawned three records and a compilation album hitherto, but has left a lasting resonance. So, join me while I grab my stethoscope and go over the Black Light Burns catalogue.
Good day denizens of Sputnik, and welcome to the seventh instalment of my diagnosis series. After covering a mixture of rock and metal bands, I thought I’d tap into some hip-hop, and more specifically, highlight an underrated MC in the game: Ren. For my money, Ren is a great rapper – his baritone voice has the same kind of well-rounded warmth and weight to it his peers Ice Cube and Dre have, and his feral attitude and cold-killer bars make his discography a very engaging one. Yet, he’s not really talked about a great deal. Why? Well, being in, arguably, the most important hip-hop act in music history won’t have made his situation any easier, giving that N.W.A was comprised of pedigree talents Ice Cube, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, all of whom went off to shatter and re-define the genre with their own solo careers. As such, while MC Ren didn’t grapple the zeitgeist as aggressively as Ice Cube say, his music still deserves every hip-hop fan’s attention.
Shock of the Hour (1993)
The Doctor’s rating: 4/5
Analysis: After the success of his debut EP Kizz My Black Azz in 1992, with the aid of Eazy-E, Ren set to work on a…
Hello music enthusiast, and welcome to another instalment of Dr.Gonzo’s ‘Diagnosis Series’– where I go through a band or artist’s studio recordings and find their strengths and weaknesses. Today’s edition is on Japanese legends Dir En Grey, so join me while I try and wade through their sprawling and epic work.
Band/Artist: Dir En Grey
Origins: Osaka, Japan
Founded: 1997
Members:
Kyo – vocals
Kaoru – lead guitar
Die – rhythm guitar
Toshiya – bass
Shinya – drums
Studio albums: 11
Active: Yes
Gauze (1999)
The Doctor’s rating: 4/5
Analysis: As far as debut albums go, Gauze is an excellent entry point for fans looking to listen to some great J-rock music. Tracks like “Yurameki”, “Akuro No Oka”, “Cage” and “Yokan” reveal the raw talent within the band, with a deluge of infectious melodies, fantastic vocal performances and solid playing from every member. “Cage” in particular is a song I hold close to my heart, as I spent A LOT of time trying to play it when I first started playing the bass (the solo is still one of Toshiya’s career highlights). In hindsight though, Gauze’s strongest attribute is setting the stage for the rest of Dir En Grey’s career. The album gives every member the opportunity to shine and show their…
Simply put; Echo Planet is a rip-roaring walk down memory lane for me. It’s a hard-hitting hardcore punk album that manages to capture the zeitgeist of the mid-noughties’ punk scene, procuring all of its greatest attributes along the way. If you’re a fan of bands like The Bronx, Fucked Up, or Paint it Black, this will satisfy your needs in every conceivable way. A ferocious banger in every sense of the word, and it wastes absolutely none of your time while doing it.
Orsartag – Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum
Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum is a novel idea, but one that works really well. Taking various numbers from across Burzum’s broad body of work, this album sets out to give you a fresh perspective on these (mostly) beloved tracks. Admittedly, the album is at its strongest when it is reinterpreting Burzum’s heavier side – namely the golden age of the band – than the synth sound adorning later works, but nevertheless, the album is packed with excellent renditions and is sure to win you over if you’re a fan of the band.
Paramore – This is Why
As far as albums go, This is Why ticks all of the right boxes for me. For any long-standing band, it can be hard keeping things fresh, but This is Why’s post-punk leanings and relatively lean run time make it a worthwhile entry for the band. Paramore ensures their…
“The General” is, in every conceivable way, a disaster of epic proportions. Yet, if there’s one thing this relic is exceptional at, it’s brazenly highlighting everything wrong with Guns N’ Roses in 2023. For those who forgot, didn’t know, or are simply caught up in the moment while the years pass them by, Slash and Duff rejoined Guns N’ Roses way back in 2016. At the time, for any long-serving Guns N’ Roses fan, I can imagine the reunion being a joyous occasion for them – having daydreams of the band writing new music together and playing solid shows with a formidable greatest hits setlist – but in the seven years gone by, the band have only managed to produce a “reworked” version of “Shadow of Your Love” (a B-side from 1987, made into a single to promote the 2018 Appetite for Destruction boxset), and four Chinese Democracy-era archive tracks, all of which feel as though they hit the cutting room floor for a reason. On top of the poor creative output – or lack thereof – the band’s live shows have suffered immeasurably in recent years, with a gasping, overweight Axl Rose now sounding like Mickey Mouse on his death bed. Nevertheless, to drive the point home, by going back to the meagre amount of recorded slop served thus far from this current line-up, while “Hard Skool” and “Absurd” retain subtle aspects of the classic GNR sound – albeit not enough to make the tracks any…
Coming off the back of SowingSeason’s excellent ‘Let’s Get Physical’ series, I thought I’d commandeer it for a little bit and add a few additions of my own to the Sput collection – largely because collecting physical media is something I’m very passionate about, but also because I want to highlight to people who aren’t all that familiar with CDs, vinyl and other forms of great merchandise, just how creative and interesting they can be. I come from an ancient era where you had to walk around to your local retailer and pay £10-£20 for the album you desired most. As you can imagine, after meeting the archaic prerequisites, you’re compelled to wear the hell out of the CD you just bought, simply because of the effort and funds that went into attaining the record. As Sowing has touched upon in previous segments; consumption of music in 2023 is done so with relative indifference, as music enthusiasts are afforded the luxury of gorging on dozens of new albums a week for free, or for a small fee a month. And while I am as guilty as the next person for doing this, I make a concerted effort to support the artists I like by buying a CD, record, T-shirt or whatever it may be – partly because it helps the artist/band out, but also because there is no greater feeling than owning the physical release. Holding the artwork and putting on the album is a wonderful experience in itself, but…
For me, Thurnin’s new record, Utiseta, is easily one of the best albums of the year. Coming as a recommendation, Thurnin’s sophomore album blindsided me with its incredibly astute songwriting, rich instrumentation, and resonant Pagan aesthetics. Given my obsession with this LP since its release in September, it seemed only logical I get some discourse going with Jurre Timmer – the project’s mastermind – to discuss the thought processes behind the project, his sudden success with Thurnin’s debut LP Menhir back in 2021, and how he approached moving forward with a successor.
Give us a bit of background on yourself.
Jurre: I started doing mostly metal back in 2015, which was when I was really getting into songwriting. I released two albums under a previous project [Algos], but I drifted away from that because it’s a really expensive and difficult genre to produce in if you’re doing everything solo. So after that I shifted my attention and made a doom album under the moniker I, Forlorn, but then all my equipment broke, so I decided to go back to what I had originally started doing, which was acoustic music. I wrote this demo which ended up being “A Lament for the End” – which was the only song on Menhir that was completely improvised – and showed it around to some friends, who encouraged me to go down this path and make more of it. So I set out to make this really chill album without any stress or…
Who doesn’t like a good documentary? Me personally, I’m a stickler for watching anything so long as the production values are there and the editing and pacing is done well. For me, I know of Justin Pearson and his label Three One G, as well as some of his most recent projects (the excellent Deaf Club and Satanic Planet being a couple of them), but I’d only ever heard of The Locust in passing. The point I’m making here is that, Don’t Fall in Love with Yourself is one of those excellently put together documentaries where you don’t have to be a fan to enjoy the movie. For any The Locust fan or Justin Pearson follower out there however, you’re in for a real treat. Don’t Fall in Love with Yourself is a 90-minute documentary that follows Justin’s life and career – from his turbulent upbringing, right through to his bands and how he came to establish the record label Three One G. The film delves into the social landscape during his formative years in San Diego, and where he saw potential in an under-utilised music scene; the impetus for The Locust and how they came to be, following the band through Europe, Japan and the UK on their crazy shows; and all the surprising bits in between, like voice acting for cartoons and acting in movies. There’s extensive archive footage that follows all of this, but the meat of the film follows The Locust on their tours and the crazy stuff that happened…
Good day denizens of Sputnik, and welcome to the fifth instalment of Dr. Gonzo’s “Diagnosis Series”. Today’s issue will be on L.A. trio HEALTH; looking through their mainline LPs, with a couple of recommended supplements for you to check out, just because they’re too good to pass up. So let me put on my gloves and let’s check out what this band is all about.
Band/Artist: HEALTH
Origins: Los Angeles, California U.S.
Founded: 2005
Current Members: Jake Duzsik: (vocals, guitar)
John Famiglietti: (bass, pedals, electronics)
BJ Miller: (drums)
Previous members:
Jupiter Keyes (guitar, synths)
Studio albums: 4
Active: Yes
Health (2007)
The Doctor’s rating: 4/5
Analysis: HEALTH’s 2007 debut is in stark contrast to what the band is producing these days, but in spite of the stylistic differences, the band’s first album is still incredibly enjoyable and displays their promising potential for the future. Since the band’s genesis was founded in the underbelly of the L.A. noise rock scene, their sound here is vastly experimental, albeit, never to the point of being obtuse. The album largely lends its sonic influences from bands like Ex Models’ Zoo Psychology or a mid-noughties Liars album, like They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, but the distinction between these examples and this is that Health…
Good day denizens of Sputnik and welcome to the fourth instalment of Dr. Gonzo’s “Diagnosis Series”. Today I will be looking at Paramore, the Franklin, Tennessee outfit that captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation back in the mid-noughties, with their own brand of pop-punk. So, get out of the waiting room chair and observe the doctor, as I go through all six of their studio albums and conclude if they’re worth half a damn or not.
Band/Artist: Paramore
Origins: Franklin, Tennessee, U.S.
Founded: 2004
Current Members: Hayley Williams: (vocals, keyboards)
Zac Farro: (drums, keyboards)
Taylor York: (guitar, keyboards)
Previous members:
Josh Farro (guitar)
Jeremy Davis: (bass)
Jason Bynum: (guitar)
John Hembree: (bass)
Hunter Lamb: (guitar)
Studio albums: 6
Active: Yes
All We Know is Falling (2005)
The Doctor’s rating: 3/5
Analysis: For me,All We Know is Falling is fine. It’s a decent first album that lays down the groundwork for future records. Hayley delivers some great performances on the likes of “Pressure”, “Emergency” and “Conspiracy”, and the music does a decent job of toeing the pop-punk line with some energetic drum work and infectious guitar melodies. Other than that, there’s not much else to say here.…
Hello music enthusiasts and welcome to the third instalment of Dr.Gonzo’s ‘Diagnosis Series’, where I go through a band or artist’s studio recordings and find their strengths and weaknesses, recommending a few things along the way. Today we’ll be looking at San Francisco’s venerable legends Faith No More to unpack their capricious career, which ultimately led to a sublime streak of near-perfect albums, as well as the iffy ones. So grab Bjork’s fish and prepare to gasp in excitement or terror.
Band/Artist: Faith No More
Origins: San Francisco, California, U.S.
Founded: 1979
Current Members: Mike Bordin (drums)
Billy Gould (bass)
Roddy Bottum (keyboards, rhythm guitar)
Mike Patton (vocals)
Jon Hudson (lead guitar)
Previous members:
Mike Morris (guitar, vocals)
Wade Worthington (keyboards)
Courtney Love (vocals)
Mark Bowen (guitar)
Chuck Mosley (vocals)
Jim Martin (guitar)
Trey Spruance (guitar)
Dean Menta (guitar)
Studio albums: 7
Active: Hiatus(?)
We Care a Lot (1985)
The Doctor’s rating: 2/5
Analysis: I feel like Faith No More’s trajectory was very similar to how Iron Maiden started out their career. Like Iron Maiden, FNM started out with a very different sounding vocalist for their first two albums, and although Di’Anno and Mosley both bring…
Hello music enthusiast, and welcome to the second edition of Dr.Gonzo’s ‘Diagnosis Series’ – where I go through a band or artist’s studio recordings and find their strengths and weaknesses. Today we’ll be looking at the eccentric El Sobrante trio, Primus, delving into their weird and wonderful world filled with renditions of old children’s stories, big brown beavers, race car drivers, and fishermen. So grab a cold one and prepare to sail the sea of cheese.
Band/Artist: Primus
Origins: El Sobrante, California, U.S.
Founded: 1984
Current Members: Les Claypool (vocals, bass)
Larry “Ler” LaLonde (guitars)
Tim “Herb” Alexander (drums)
Previous members:
Todd Huth (guitars)
Vince “Perm” Parker (drums)
Peter Libby (drums)
Robbie Bean (drums)
Tim “Curveball” Wright (drums)
Jay Lane (drums)
Brain (drums)
Buckethead (guitars)
Danny Carey (drums)
DJ Disk (turntables)
Studio albums: 9
Active: Yes
Frizzle Fry (1990)
The Doctor’s rating: 5/5
Analysis: Primus are one of those rare cases where an act will walk right out of the gates with their sound, ready and willing to discharge it onto the placid masses. Unlike Paradise Lost who spent decades honing their craft, Primus busted out Frizzle Fry and unleashed a sound so idiosyncratic, it’s eccentricities would blindside an entire…
