Album Review: King Diamond's The Graveyard

Sometimes horror comes from the real world fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

As our decreasingly little blue rock of a planet called Earth gets worse & worse, we’re shown terror from reality that dwarfs anything you can find in a novel or a movie. Happens in anime & manga, and even the world of Heavy Metal is no stranger to this (Just listen to 90% of Thrash Metal). In fact, the famous King Diamond at least once decided to throw more real world issues into his supernatural tales of the macabre, and this resulted in perhaps one of his most genuinely terrifying tales he’s ever done. A tale that just over 30 years later still gets under your skin.....and manages to churn your stomach. So, make sure you haven’t eaten anything in a bit, have a stuffed animal near you, and get ready for my look at King’s 1996 release, The Graveyard. Let’s begin.

Background
After the release of The Spider’s Lullaby in 1995, King Diamond & the rest of the band were at a crossroads. Heavy Metal, while still a well known sub-genre, wasn’t in the spotlight as much as it was in the 80s. Bands by this point were doing one of two things: either adjusting their musical style to match with the times for the right or wrong reasons, or completely see out & lose their soul. King Diamond hadn’t gone far down that route, but he most definitely was dipping his toes in the water if you know what I mean. A year prior to his next release, he found out that him & band would be the opening act for Metallica.....no, I am not joking. Metallica weren’t all the way in sellout land yet, but they were most definitely moving in that direction. Whether it was because of that experience or because of other factors in the mid 90s, it would be a more approachable album that everyone would create, and on the 30th of September in 1996, The Graveyard was released.

Ironically, this approach would make The Graveyard the most successful King Diamond album to date at the time. It would peak at #23 in the Finnish Charts and remain for two weeks in the Top 40 chart. However, it would sadly be the last time that Darrin Anthony would be on the drums, as after the album’s release he would leave the band due to a car accident. His replacement would come in the form of former Chastain drummer John Luke Hebert, and without saying anything else.....he was a good replacement.

As for the album’s story, we find that King Diamond is playing a new character. A mayoral aide to the morally inept Mayor McKenzie, to be specific. Working late one night, he stumbles onto the mayor’s office, where he sees the horrific sight of the political figure fondling his own daughter! A child by the name of Lucy no less, and while it’s never said HOW old she was, it is implied that she is most definitely young. Not staying quiet about the scandal, McKenzie sends King to Black Hill Sanitarium in an effort to shut him up. Some time has passed, and King has become maddened by the experience, desiring nothing but revenge against the pedophilic mayor, and decides to strange his nurse & escape the sanitarium. Running from the cops, he happens to stumble upon an old graveyard as shelter, and it’s during him hiding that he learns of a myth about the place. Apparently, if someone dies within this graveyard & loses their head, their souls is trapped within it forever. After slaying a few victims to see if there’s truth to the story, King finds out that it’s most definitely real, and that gets the wheels turning in his head for vengeance against the mayor. After kidnapping Lucy, King calls the mayor to the graveyard, and the perfect sees a disturbing sight: 7 graves, each with an identical headstone that says “Lucy Forever”. King puts a blindfold on McKenzie, and says that the mayor has 3 guesses as to which grave holds his daughter. If he guesses right, him & his daughter go free, but if he gets all 3 wrong King will kill him. Can the mayor find his daughter before his former aid rightfully slaughters him.....what do you think?

Basic Description
When the Supernatural meets the Real World.

Let’s get this straight: The Graveyard at no point doesn’t let up on the supernatural horror that King Diamond made a career on. Whenever it appears, it is incredibly obvious & enjoyable, and maybe even some of the best he’s ever done. It’s only when the real world subject matter of child molestation kicks in that it takes on a far more sinister vibe, and makes the whole record feel more realistic than anything that King & the band has ever done. It’s done perhaps a little too realistically (More on that a little later), but maybe it’s done by design. Even so, this record marks the first & only time that King Diamond ever went into the real world when it comes to his music, and that’s what makes it unique.

Best Track
Like I said in part 2 of my overview from 2019, Digging Graves was my favorite track off of The Graveyard, and still remains so to this day. While there is a sliver of hokiness here & there, the story of the album picks up quite a bit here. At this point, King’s character has successfully kidnaped the mayor’s daughter, and is already setting up his plan to get revenge against the one that wronged him. This is reflective in the creepy & doom-like instrumentation, which almost borders on being a Black Sabbath song with the atmosphere it’s producing. Again, there’s a sliver of goofiness at certain points when a cello kicks in, but even then it still manages to create a creepy atmosphere that’s just right, and I can’t take that away from the song.

Digging Graves

Worst Track
While there are no bad songs on this album, I’d be lying if I said that it actually left me rather uncomfortable when it ended. Hell, if anything it was uncomfortable WHILE I was listening to the Graveyard. Child molestation is a subject matter that’s exceptionally stomach churning, and King Diamond really leans into that a lot of the time. That’s not to say he doesn’t discard his patented supernatural horror he’s famous for, because that also kicks in pretty hard as well. It just that due to the more realistic nature of the subject matter King drills into the music & the listener, you’ll have a somewhat nasty feeling linger about for a little bit.

Apart from the thematic elements, The Graveyard’s only fault lies with the blatant attempt to conform to musical norms of the times. Thankfully King Diamond never well all the way in that regard, but he & the rest of the band went far enough that you can tell where it comes up. More modern styles of playing, trying to match up to what other bands were doing at the time, chasing trends, etc. Again, it’s never done at 100%, but it’s very obvious if you know what to listen for.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

The Graveyard

Overall Impression & Rating
The Graveyard is definitely not for the faint hearted. If the supernatural aspects weren’t around, I would avoid this record like the plague. Thankfully, that aspect is still very much accounted for, and oddly makes the experience of this album a little easier to go through. As for King’s attempt to stay connected with the times, they’re not done so much as to ruin the album, but like I said a little earlier it is most definitely noticeable if you know what to listen for. This release is not for everyone on account of it’s subject matter, and I get that. However, if you’re able to stomach some of the imagery on here, then you’ll find The Graveyard to be surprisingly fun. Maybe not one of his most essential album’s, but more certainly one to listen to if you’re curious!

The Graveyard gets an 8 out of 10.

And that was my review of The Graveyard. Definitely an album that’s leave you feeling a little sick when you’re done, but the musical craftsmanship is still great despite some shifting in style.  Again, because of what King decided to cover in this release it is not for everyone, but for anyone that can stomach the subject matter they’ll find a hidden gem for sure. So, I do have one last album review for this month on Halloween Day, but before that I have that treat I promised you all at the beginning of the month. See you all next week!


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My opinions on this album have definitely change since I first looked at this album almost 6 years ago. Click on the link below to see what I originally thought about it:

Metal Overview: King Diamond (Part 2)

5 Greatest Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness) No. 10 (Special Edition)

Time to look at some of the greatest chests fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

As you all know, the month of October is dedicated not just to sweets & spooks, but it is also the time of Breast Cancer Awareness. A disease that has scarred numerous women (& some men) at best, or at worst...well, you know. This year though, I’m doing something different. In 2027, it will be a solid decade since I started doing this annual series, but before that I want to show off all of the number 1's from every prior year, and add in a little treat at the end. I won’t spoil anymore, so here’s a special edition of the top 5 greatest anime chests for Breast Cancer Awareness. Let’s begin!

1) Tio - Monster Musume (Video)

One of the most iconic monster girl manga has one of the most iconic casts of girls ever been put to paper. There’s practically just about any kind of girl, both mentally & species. Case in point: the ogre girl Tio. Originally, I selected her as the no. 1 on my very first list of this series because I wanted to throw a curveball & not have one of the more recognizable girls (Ironic, considering who’s coming later), and I still stand by that decision. That being said, Tio is a bit stereotypical: blonde, buxom, curvy, and not the sharpest tool in the shed. She makes up for this by having the strength of a tank, and is a genuine sweetheart that wouldn’t hurt a fly. Sounds good to me! 

And speaking of Monster Musume.....

2) Cathyl - Monster Musume

Perhaps the biggest irony of this character, is that she doesn’t really bring attention to herself. Rather, she doesn’t bring attention to her chest (Despite the overalls & bikini-top she wears). This lovely minotaur is one of the hardest working girls on the farm she, her host, and the other farm girls calls home. She looks gorgeous, yet she never uses her looks. For Cathyl, working hard is the right way to go, and I can always respect that.

3) Miharu Sena Kanaka - Girls Bravo (Video)

Looking at it in hindsight, picking the main girl from a rather guilty pleasure anime was a bit too easy. While I absolutely find Girls Bravo to be a guilty please like I said a second ago, even I can’t deny that the fan service most of the time is a bit overwhelming & excessive. Hell, when we first meet Miharu we see her in the tub, and while I’m an absolute sucker for fan-service, something about see a girl like that right away oddly spoils it for me. As for the main girl herself, she’s a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, she’s not the brightest bulb. She’s not an idiot by any means, but she’s definitely not familiar with how Earth works. On the other hand, she is incredibly sweet & caring, and is a genuinely nice piece of eye candy. Girls Bravo is definitely not for everyone, and Miharu CERTAINLY isn’t for everybody.

4) Miia - Monster Musume (Video)

At this point, any of you should know that this top snek is my number one waifu. Yes, she’s possessive. Yes, she gets jealous, and yes she’s rather short-sighted at times. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that in other times, she’s genuinely caring & really does appreciate the other girls of Kimihito’s monster family, even stepping up to the plate on a couple of occasions to risk her own life to make sure someone else is okay. The first girl to enter her host’s life, Miia has become the poster child for one of the most influential monster girl manga to have been release, and while you could argue it’s time in the spotlight was a while ago, you can’t argue why it never deserved it. 

5) Silvervale (Video)

2026 marked something of an incredibly personal tragedy for our beloved sakura wolf girl. In May, her irl & vtuber brother tragically took his own life. The experience shook her pretty hard, and since earlier this year has taken a giant break from vtubing, with only a few views talking about the various conventions she’s gone to both here & abroad. Thankfully in just a few short days, she is returning with a memorial stream for her brother, and a 24-hour birthday stream celebration to mark her return. All I can say.....welcome back.

6) Miilkywayz (Video)

This might sound surprising to a lot of you who know me personally, but I’ve actually dropped off from watching our beloved space cow. Now because she’s awful, because she’s not! Much like Silvervale above & a treat at the end, Miilky is one of the sweetest vtubers I’ve seen. Every stream she does is designed to make you feel warm & fuzzy, and her personality matches it. She’s got a wonderful laugh and an addicting smile, but the only reason I stopped watching her is because I’ve come across so many vtubers that I had to cut one out of the loop, and sadly she was that cut. Even so, I still look up clips of her from time to time to see what Miilky is up to, and it still gets me to smile.

7 & 8 & 9) Vexoria (Video)

3 years. 3 years I devoted the no. 1 spot to the great grape snake mommy. 3 years I devoted to one of the most badass survivors of Breast Cancer, and is an amazing woman in her own right. A mother to 2 wonderful children, a wife to an incredibly loving husband, one of the biggest vtubers in the community that has done some incredible work, and is also one of the best adult entertainers on Onlyfans with her IRL, ASMR, and vtuber material. In recent memory she has gone through absolute hell, and it’s pretty painful to see her suffer as badly as she has. So, shout out to you Vexoria the Sun Eater! You deserve all the love you get!

Honorable Mention) Chonkylotus (Video)

I obviously didn’t have one of my normal lists this year, and thus I didn’t have a proper number one for 2026. Yet, I didn’t want to leave you all hanging, and I wanted to do something different this year.....so I’ll be honoring the Trans community this year.

A couple years ago, I had this cute dragon cat on one of my lists. For a few years now, I’ve been watching Chonkylotus be an absolute beacon of comfiness, coziness, and warmth not just among her Cis fans, but her Trans fans that see her as something to inspire to. Last month marked 6 months since she began her estrogen, and they have been blossoming into the woman that they always were. I haven’t really been political this year on account of fixing up my posts, but with the Trans community being underfire from nimrods & fake religious people, it seemed right to show where I stand on this. 

And that was the special edition of my 5 greatest anime chests for Breast Cancer Awareness. As I’ve stated in prior lists in this series I don’t expect grand things to happen, but if it nudges someone in the right direction & see if they or a friend are having issues, I can say that I did something right. Breast Cancer is no laughing matter, and we should do all that we can to make sure people don’t suffer because of it. So see you all next week, when we’ll be celebrating the 3 decade anniversary of the darkest album in King Diamond’s library. Until then, be sure to check yourself!

Album Review: Type-O Negative's October Rust (30 Years Later)

Happy 30th anniversary October Rust!

That’s right fellow Otaku & Metalheads, as of this past August on the 19th one of THE most essential albums of the month of spooks turns 3 decades old. It’s no secrets that I’ve shown nothing but love to the Drab Four from Brooklyn for a long time here. Even with the one long bad record to their name (That wasn’t their fault), Pete Steele & the gang gained a fanbase that still loves them long after the Green Man passed away, and it’s due to releases like October Rust that keeps them in his gothic aura. I reviewed this album all the way back in October of 2014, but for more of you this might be the first time you’ve seen me cover this album. So, to welcome in the spookiest time of the year, here’s my review & birthday celebration for Type-O Negative’s seminal classic, October Rust. Let’s begin! 

Background
Taken from my original review: 

“Coming off of their success of Bloody Kisses, the band toured Europe & the United States to promote their (At the time) new album. During the touring, the band started work on what would later become October Rust, and in doing so introduced some radical changes in the process. First, the album took a departure from the punk vibes that previous album had within them, and decided to go in a more ballad direction. Secondly, the band decided to add a little bit of humor to the album: The opening track Bad Ground is just 38 seconds of low-level buzzing (Which was made to trick the listener into thinking that the speakers weren’t plugged in properly), and the 2nd & 15th tracks were that of the band members themselves.

On the more technical side of October Rust, Type-O Negative employed two interesting techniques. For some of the songs on the album, the band implement very abrupt endings and segues, which created a kind of whiplash for the listener. Perhaps more curious was the drumming on this album: this marked the first time that drummer John Kelly was credited with his role. However, the actual drumming used on this album was done with a drum machine. Listeners didn’t know about this for a long time, until an interview in 2007 with dreadcentral.com, where he stated that the drumming wasn’t necessarily his. Ironically, it would be their final album, Dead Again, where he would be actually playing the drums (The last he did was with Bloody Kisses, and that was back in 1993).”

Basic Description
The embodiment of October.

October Rust truly fits this month perfectly. Despite being released around the end of the summer, every single song (With one notable exception) encapsulates this time of year. The leaves falling, the sensuality, the cool breeze, pumpkins with glowing faces, mulled cider, etc. Pete Steele & the rest of the Drab Four by 1996 had solidified their sonic identity & theme, and it shows: solid instrumentation, crisp & deep vocals, recording and production that’s perfect, and thematic elements that would identify the band until the Green Man took his final bow. Bloody Kiss from 3 years prior was impressive no questions asked, but it’s October Rust that really shook things up.

Best Track
My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend is not only the best song off of October Rust, but it was the song that hooked me to the band PERIOD. It was sometime between the late summer of 2006 to some point in the fall of that year, when I was randomly flipping through channels, and I happened to land on MTV of all things. Seemingly as I stopped on the channel in question, the music video for this song just so happened to start playing, and my eyes stayed glued to the TV screen. Even if I didn’t see the music video, the 60s sound coupled with the band’s patented gothic sensuality seems odd at first, until you realize it’s actually quite clever. Pete Steele had always stated that the Beatles were one of Type-O Negative’s biggest influences, and the song itself comes across like a lost song of the band in question.....just a little more spicy.

My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend

Worst Track
Like I stated in my original review, Red Water (Christmas Mourning) is the lone bad track. It’s not because of the instrumental or vocal work, because it’s top notch across this entire release. It is more to do with the atmosphere. A year prior to October Rust releasing, Pete’s father had passed away, and a few people in his family would do so as well overtime. To play Devil’s Advocate, Red Water’s creation & placement on this album is understandable given how the Green Man was feeling, yet it doesn’t match up with the vibe that the rest of the music was going for. If anything, it almost feels like a lost track from the release after.....but that’ll be a story in 2029 I’ll cover.....if I’m still doing this blog by then.

Red Water (Christmas Mourning)

Other ***
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

October Rust

Overall Impression & Rating
October Rust just brings a smile to my face whenever I listen to it. Every October, I make sure I listen through the whole album at least once or twice because it’s just perfect to hear when the leaves are falling off the tree. It’s a testament to it’s legacy that a little over 30 years since it was first release that it still has legions of fans, and they’ve all been loyal ever since. If you are looking for a soundtrack that encapsulates this ENTIRE month, there is nothing else finer than this. 

October Rust gets a 10 out of 10. Even with my own biases aside, the band produced gothic gold with this release.

And that was my 2nd review of October Rust. Being the first album of there’s I ever listened to, it’s a testament to it’s legacy that I still have it in my musical rotation. Especially during this month, it’s a reminder that over a decade & a half since his passing, that Pete Steele still looks at us from beyond the falling leaves. So with the first review for Halloween out of the way, it’s time for an annual tradition of mine, and this year it’ll be special. See you all next week!

 

***
Note: the version of Love You To Death is the video edited edition. 

Checking In!

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads! 

Nothing too big with today's post. Just wanted to check in with everybody, and let you all know some things that have been going on. First, I am currently at August of 2016 when it comes to fixing up my various reviews & such. I admit I've been dragging my feet somewhat throughout this year, and should have been a bit further than I currently am (Was hoping to be at either 2018 or 2019), but I will still continue to fix things as the rest of this year goes by. 

Secondly, it's October in a few weeks! I've got my standard top 10 anime chests for Breast Cancer Awareness list, but I'm shaking things up somewhat. At least 3 weeks in next month, I'll have 3 reviews dedicated to albums that are just perfect for the Fall. On top of that, I might sneak in something special just to surprise you all. It depends of how far I get when it comes to the fixes, but a surprise might definitely show up. 

And with that, my little checkup is complete. See you all in a few weeks! 

Album Review: Nickelback's Curb

So....I am about to lose some credibility with this one fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

The subject of today’s review has been the target of ridicule for ages. Considered by the massive majority of music fans to be repetitive, highly commercial, vapid, and giant sellouts, it may surprise a lot of you at one point that the band in question actually had potential for future greatness. A band that, at least in their earliest material, came across like they actually producing good music for people to listen to, and it holds up shockingly well to this day. What band & what album is an example of this, you may ask? Well, sit back, relax, and let’s take a look at my review of Curb.....from Nickelback.

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Curb is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback. Recorded at Turtle Recording Studios in Richmond, British Columbia, with producer Larry Anschell, it was originally released exclusively in Canada by FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) on May 15, 1996. The album was reissued locally later in the year by Shoreline Records. After Nickelback signed with Roadrunner Records in 1999, Curb was remastered and released internationally on June 25, 2002. However, the remastered edition is controversial for its audio quality compared to the original issue as its dynamic range was significantly reduced and introduced severe clipping problems throughout.

After releasing their debut EP Hesher earlier in the year, Nickelback recorded their debut full-length album in 1996. Much of the material dates back as far as 1993, and was written primarily by the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Chad Kroeger, although all four band members are credited equally. Two songs from Hesher, "Where?" and "Left", were re-recorded for the album, while the original versions of "Fly" and "Window Shopper" were only remixed and remastered. Chad Kroeger, in an interview in 2000, described Curb as "raw" with "a lot of good songs".

In 2000, according to Nickelback's website, Curb sold more than 10,000 units. Upon its international re-release in 2002, Curb registered at number 182 on the US Billboard 200 and number 185 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was certified gold by Music Canada in 2010 and silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2015. "Fly" was issued as the only single and music video from Curb.”

Basic Description
There’s something here.

Like I alluded to earlier, there was potential for Nickelback in their first 3 albums. The band seemed far more about jamming, rocking out, and putting out good music for people to listen to, and it’s felt on Curb. Maybe not fully (More on that later), but it’s evident from a majority of the songs on this record that everybody definitely put in a lot of effort. The instrumentation is on game, Chad Kroeger’s vocal work doesn’t sound phoned-in for the most part, and the recording & production on Curb is great (But there is a catch). It’s surprising at how good I thought this was the 1st time I listened to this album a few days ago, and while I will probably never seek it out again, I won’t necessarily ask someone to switch albums if they’re playing it.

Best Track
Sea Groove for whatever reason just works for me. Though the first part of the song’s name is just confusing to me, it easily embodies the 2nd part very much so: this tune is very much in the Groove Metal realm: the guitars & bass bring the groove, the drumming brings the groove, and even Chad Kroeger’s vocal work seems more groovy on this song that the others. While you could easily compare this to other similar songs of it’s time, there just something about Sea Groove that got it’s hooks it me almost immediately, and it hasn’t loosened even a few days after listening to it for the first time.

Sea Groove

Worst Track
While I said that the band showed potential on their first 3 albums, and I still stand by that, there are some unfortunately obvious hints as to what they would become after their 3rd record. There’s some repetition with the instrumentation, the beats & rhythms are a little in the commercial realm, and some of the lyrics are vapid adjacent. They’re not all the way in that space on Curb, but little blemishes are certainly seen. 

Also, there’s the matter of the releases. Like practically every album I listen to for these kind of reviews, I use Youtube. The version that I had listened to was the 2002 reissue version of Curb (Along with it’s album cover), and that had some issues back in the day. Mainly, the 2002 edition’s audio had it’s dynamic range significantly reduced and introduced severe clipping problems throughout the record. I did not notice this when listening to it on Youtube, but that’s more than likely due to how it was edited. 

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below: 

Curb

Overall Impression & Rating
Curb definitely deserves criticism, that’s for sure. However, it doesn’t deserve every bit of that criticism. Nickelback definitely come across like they’re trying to be genuine musicians on this album, as a giant majority of the music really feels good. Yes, what the band would be eventually criticized for has some noticeable spots, but they don’t overwhelm the otherwise good parts of the record. As I said above, I’m certainly not going to go out of my way to listen to Curb, but I’m not exactly going to complain if someone else does.    

Curb gets a 7.5 out of 10.

And that was my review on Curb. Certainly surprising to anyone that’s only even known about Nickelback’s most modern material, it definitely catches any first-time listener off guard with how good it can be at times. Definitely not great, but certainly good. Well, the Summer Of Grunge has now concluded, so see you all sometime in September. Until then, take care.

Album Review: Foo Fighter's Foo Fighters

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I don’t think I said it in my last post, but I want to apologize for dragging my butt. Normally, I’ve been on point with my schedule, but I’ve been oddly slow for this month. If I’m being honest about this year, I’ve been slow with fixing older posts (Though I am about halfway through 2016). Fortunately, I’m just about done with my look back at Grunge, so when I’m complete I should be going through them some more at a faster rate. In the meantime, here’s a band I spoke about a few days back, and one that even casual music listeners are familiar with! Since 1995, Dave Grohl and the spiritual successor to Nirvana have continued to carry the torch of Grunge throughout the rest of the 1990s & even into 2026, yet they always changed things up here & there to make things different. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at the inaugural record from the Foo Fighters. Let’s begin!  

Background
Taken from Wikipedia: 

“Foo Fighters is the debut studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on June 26, 1995, through Roswell and Capitol Records in the United Kingdom and on July 4, 1995 in the United States. Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl wrote the entire album. He recorded it himself in six days with the assistance of producer Barrett Jones at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, Washington, in 1994.

Grohl said that he recorded the album just for fun, describing it as a cathartic experience to recover from the suicide of Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain in 1994. The album, featuring more traditional rock stylings than what was typical in grunge, is considered to have established the post-grunge genre.

After Grohl completed the recordings, he passed cassette copies of the sessions to personal friends, using the name "Foo Fighters" to conceal his involvement. When the tapes attracted record label interest, Grohl signed with Capitol and formed a backing band to perform the songs live. The album was promoted through extensive tours and four singles, two of which were accompanied by music videos.

Upon its release, Foo Fighters earned critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its songwriting and performances, and was also a commercial success, becoming the band's second-best-selling album in the United States. It also peaked within the top five of charts of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.”

Basic Description
Nirvana In Spirit.

Dave Grohl will always carry the vibe & energy of his closest friend with him until the day he dies. Without Kurt Cobain in his life, he may very well not have had the amazing career he currently still has. That’s essentially what Foo Fighters is: Nirvana, but more so of the spirit of that band rather than the letter. The soul of the self-titled album is very much in the realm of Grunge when it is, but everything else is different. Yeah there’s times where a song or two sounds like something Nirvana would do, but more often than not Dave Grohl is trying new things to keep the noise fresh. It’s ironic that the record sounds as upbeat as it does, when Foo Fighters was formed as a way to keep the depression at bay from losing such a close friend. 

Best Track
Big Me is a silly little song I can’t help but love. Coming in at just 2 minutes & 12 seconds, it’s the shortest song I’ve ever placed in a “Best Track” song in a review, but I just can’t help but smile when I listen to it! The repetitive but well-played instrumentation just feels cozy, and Dave Grohl’s vocal work feels warm & friendly. Again, it’s run time is it’s biggest fault, but outside of that I have a pleasant experience listening to this.

Big Me

Worst Track
Exhausted is the only track on the band’s debut album I’d say is bad. The drumming is good, as well as the vocals, but for whatever reason I can’t stand the effects that were put onto the guitars (I’m assuming it was put on the Bass as well). It comes across as incredibly scratchy, and it’s so bad in places that for some reason it made me feel weird. If this song was closer towards the beginning or middle, I might not judge it so harshly. Instead, it’s the last tune on this release, and that’s just frustrating!

Exhausted

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below: 

Foo Fighters

Overall Impression & Rating
Foo Fighters’s first release definitely hits the ball past center field. Final track not withstanding, it’s obvious that Dave Grohl still believed in what Kurt Cobain was all about, and missed him dearly. Still very much in the realm of Grunge, none the less the band was beginning to move away from the style in ways that helped things evolve. People that hated Grunge might actually like this, and for anyone else interested, it’s worth your time & money.

Foo Fighters gets a 9 out of 10. Take out the final track, and I might make it a 9.5 out of 10. Maybe a full 10 out of 10 if I’m feeling nice about things.

And that was my review for the first Foo Fighters album. Again, if it wasn’t for the last song, I would say it genuinely perfect. As Grunge’s end was coming 2 years after this record’s release, it seemed only right to move away yet stay artistically inclined. So, join me at the end of the month for another Post-Grunge review. Until then, take care! 

3 Grunge Albums You Should Own

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome to part 3 of the Summer of Grunge!

A week ago, I looked at Nirvana’s final album, In Utero. Their most raw & personal album, it managed to be quite the commercial success while still being original and unique. However, like I said in that review, it would ultimately be their last, as a year later Kurt Cobain took his own life. Just a few short years after that, Grunge would no longer be in the spotlight, which was probably a reason to celebrate for elitest metalheads that made the genre out to be the Anti-Christ. Yet, many still look at the music fondly, and I certainly have this summer. So before I look at some Post-Grunge music, I though it was appropriate to make a list briefly talking about some Grunge albums that belong in your collection. This will be a little shorter than some, since I want 1 album from each month. One pre-Grunge, one Nirvana album, and one post-Grunge. Each choice here was deliberate, and perfectly shows off the power of what the genre could do. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at 3 Grunge Albums You Should Own. Let’s begin!

1) Green River - Rehab Doll (Song)

Gluey Porch Treatments from the Melvis crawled & walked, just for Green River’s only album to run like hell. Rehab Doll took everything from the previously mention record, and refined every single aspect that might not have been perfect. The end result became the record I talked about back in June: a refined yet still in your face release that showed off what the burgeoning style was inspired by. It might come across as dated almost 40 years since it’s release, but it’s obvious to even casual music fans that there was definitely something special with Rehab Doll.

2) Nirvana - Nevermind (Song)

On a list of Grunge albums you should own, it would be insane to not have Nirvana’s second release here. Like I stated last month in my review, nobody was prepared for the cultural earthquake & it’s aftershocks when Nevermind was released. Bleach might have been their inaugural debut, but it was Nevermind that truly showed off what the band was about: a musical genre that wasn’t about generating a fantasy, and instead decided to sing about real things that mattered to more people than the haters are willing to admit. Nearly 35 years after it’s release, Nevermind continues to be a pinnacle of Grunge music, and nearly 35 years later, people remember why Kurt Cobain was such a legend.

3) Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (Song)

So, this is a bit of an interesting release. Put out a year after Kurt’s suicide, it seems a little too soon to call this album Post-Grunge. With the genre still popular (Though not for much longer), it comes across a quickly trying to brush things under the rug. Yet, the inaugural album from the Foo Fighters is exactly that: a move away from Grunge, yet still has one foot planted within the past. There’s still a Grunge attitude & vibe, but different sources of inspiration were being brought in to diversify the music, and the sound seems more refined than before thanks to improved production. In short, a great album that spearheaded an off-shoot of a musical movement, but the start of a remarkable career in it’s own right.

And those were 3 Grunge albums that should be in your collection. All of them are wonderful, and all of them are worth your time. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Grunge, or you’ve always been curious about it, try at least one of these. So, with that out of the way, I’ll see you all around in a few days, when I’ll look again at Foo Fighters’s debut album. Until then, take care! 

Album Review: Nirvana's In Utero

Welcome to the final look at Nirvana fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

At the beginning of this month, we looked at Bleach. Jumbled in places, but a nice start. Then on the 15th, we took a gander at Nevermind. An absolute musical colossus, it cemented itself as the pinnacle & face of Grunge. Now, on the last day of July, we look at what would ultimately & tragically be their final album. A record that might very well be the most personal out of all of Nirvana’s releases, and one that might leave a scar on some listeners. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at my review for In Utero. Let’s begin.

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Nirvana broke into the mainstream with their second album, Nevermind, in 1991. Despite modest sales estimates, Nevermind was a major commercial success, popularizing the grunge movement and alternative rock. Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the sound of the album, citing its production as too polished. Early in 1992, the singer, Kurt Cobain, told Rolling Stone that the next album would showcase "both of the extremes" of their sound, saying: "It'll be more raw with some songs and more candy pop on some of the others. It won't be as one-dimensional." The producer of Nevermind, Butch Vig, said later that Cobain had needed to work with a different producer to "reclaim his punk ethics or cred".

Cobain wanted to start work in mid-1992, but his bandmates lived in different cities, and Cobain and his wife, Courtney Love, were expecting the birth of their daughter, Frances Bean. Nirvana's record label, DGC Records, had hoped to release a new Nirvana album for the 1992 holiday season; instead, they released the compilation album Incesticide.

In a Melody Maker interview published in July 1992, Cobain said he was interested in recording with Jack Endino, who had produced Nirvana's 1989 debut album Bleach, and Steve Albini, the former frontman of the noise rock band Big Black, who had produced various independent releases.[16] In Seattle in October 1992, Nirvana recorded several demos with Endino, mainly as instrumentals, including songs later rerecorded for In Utero. Endino recalled that they did not ask him to produce their next record, and that they constantly debated working with Albini. 

Nirvana recorded another set of demos while on tour in Brazil in January 1993. "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip" was recorded by Craig Montgomery at BMG Ariola Ltda in Rio de Janeiro, during the three-day demo session. It was originally titled "I'll Take You Down to the Pavement", a reference to an argument between Cobain and the Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. 

Nirvana chose Albini to record their third album. Cobain said he chose Albini because he had produced two of his favorite records, Surfer Rosa by the Pixies and Pod by the Breeders. Cobain wanted to use Albini's technique of capturing the natural ambience of a room via the placement of several microphones, something previous Nirvana producers had been averse to trying. 

Albini was known in the American independent music scene for his criticism of the mainstream music industry and had a strict preference for analog recording rather than digital. He sent a disclaimer to the British music press denying rumors of his involvement with Nirvana, only to receive a call from Nirvana's management a few days later. Albini dismissed Nirvana as "R.E.M. with a fuzzbox" and "an unremarkable version of the Seattle sound". However, he accepted the job because he felt sorry for them, perceiving them as "the same sort of people as all the small-fry bands I deal with," at the mercy of their record company.

Before recording began, Nirvana sent Albini a tape of the demos they had made in Brazil. In return, Albini sent Cobain a copy of the then-unreleased PJ Harvey album Rid of Me to give him an idea of the acoustics at the studio where they would record. Albini said that Cobain was impressed with the sound of Harvey's vocals on the album, "He really liked the way her singing came across. He was a fan."

In Utero was a major critical and commercial success. Critics praised its lyrics and raw, unconventional sound. It reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart; "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies" reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album is certified 6× platinum in the US for 6 million sales and has sold 15 million copies worldwide.”

Basic Description
Unfiltered, Raw, & Personal.

More than any of Nirvana’s other albums, In Utero is the record that’s the most illuminating. Nevermind gave us a small peak inside Kurt’s mind, but this release throws the doors wide up for all of us to see. This is not a pretty record: it is uncomfortable, it is not very pretty for the most part, and there is nothing that’s left up in the air when it comes to what kind of emotions that are going to assail you when you listen to this release. At times maybe we’re given too much of a glimpse into what Kurt was feeling (More on that a little later), but regardless, the end result is Nirvana’s equivalent of World Coming Down, and that’s a plus if you ask me.

Best Track
I’m kind of a sucker for Heart-Shaped Box. The Nirvana equivalent of Alice In Chains’s classic Man In The Box from 3 years prior, it’s a potent song that feels like something you’d listen to with the lights down. It’s gently raining outside, you’re sitting in your living room, you’ve been going through a lot recently in the emotion department, and you have a glass of bourbon or scotch on the coffee table comforting you. This is another song from the band that fluctuates between soft & hard instrumentation and vocals, yet at no point does the train fly off the tracks. Even before I listened to In Utero for the first time, I was always able to recognize this song when it played on the radio. I just never knew the name.

Heart-Shaped Box

Worst Track
Big of a tie between two time-wasters. Very Ape & Tourette’s both play for just under 2 minutes (1:56 & 1:37 respectfully), and while not necessarily lacking in intensity, these tracks feel like they were put on the album just to fill for time. Tourette’s is a little worse in this regard, as it’s the 2nd to last song of the album, and feels like a small slap to the face.

Very Ape

Tourette’s 

Aside from that, In Utero’s only other fault lies with how personal it gets. Bleach got the ball rolling, and Nevermind gave us a small glimpse into Kurt’s psyche, but this record gives us perhaps a little too much of what was he was feeling. He went on record saying that In Utero was the most personal of the albums, and it certainly shows, but even then he may have taken one step too far, and the end result is an album that’s definitely great quality wise, but delves into the black a little too much.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

In Utero

Overall Impression & Rating
In Utero was an emotional titan upon it’s release, and still remains one today. Sure, we might have been given too much of a glimpse into the mind of Kurt Cobain, but it was a darkly illuminating glimpse none the less. Everything we felt as we listened to the album all came from the most damaged parts of Kurt’s psyche, and even over 30 years later there’s leftover energy floating in the ether. If this was Kurt crying out for help, then he truly must not have been doing well mentally at the time. So if you’re someone who likes more emotional music, then In Utero is for you.

In Utero gets an 8.5 out of 10.

And that was In Utero. I liked it less than Nevermind, but certainly more than Bleach. It’s certainly an album not to avoid, but it’s intensity might be a little too much for some. Like I said above, if you’re able to handle more emotional music, then you’re going to love this album. Sadly, tragedy would ultimately strike the face of the Grunge movement, as on the 8th of April in 1994, he was found dead in the Greenhouse of his home in Seattle at just 27 years old due to a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head (The police concluded that he did the deed 3 days prior). His passing sent shockwaves among his fans, who treasured his music as something that helped them get through their lives, and many in the music world were affected by his death as well. Yet, even with his presence no longer on this Earth, and with Grunge fading away by the late 90s, it would still somehow exist in a sense. See you all in a day or two, when I’ll begin the final leg of this journey covering some Post-Grunge bands. Be back soon!

Convention Review: Connecticon 2026

Connecticon 2026 is in the books fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

This year’s con was.....conflicting for me. On the one hand, I had a great time like always. This convention holds a special place in my heart, as I’ve been going for nearly 20 years now. It always provide me warmth & comfort, and I never have to travel far from my home to go. However, there was a wrench thrown into my little vacation. A fairly good sized wrench, if I’m being honest. Enough to the point where it ruined things for me a little. How much you might ask? Well, sit back, relax, and look at my review for Connecticon 2026. Let’s begin.

Good Points
The Dealer’s Room & Artist Alley remains a giant fixture of Connecticon, and while I do have some negative things to say, it’s still a massive maze of commerce. Just about anything you can think of that’s associated with con merch, it’s here. The once-a-day merchants also returned, and for the first time this year, I snagged a little bit of merchandise from one of the booths. It is a shame that they don’t set up shop in the main area, because many of they definitely rivals a few of the established booths with how good their stuff is. 

I will always champion the Food Trucks that setup show just outside the convention center. They’ve been an absolute blessing since I started going to them in recent years: They’re not too far away, and are relatively inexpensive when compared to some of the local restaurants. The variety is also fantastic: poutine, pizza, chicken tenders & fries, and plenty of food from other cultures. Not only that, but there are still plenty of vegan options I mentioned about last year, and pricing still continues to be reasonable (Highest priced item I saw was $21.50), so they’re right there if you need them!

Cosplay Championship Wresting’s is a focal point for me when I come to Connecticon. This year is especially important for them, as 2026 marks half a decade since they’ve been coming to Hartford. Every single wrestler that performs for us is phenomenal for a smaller federation, and they also manage to embody the character they play that’s just delightful. They were doing shows the whole weekend (Save for Thursday for obvious reasons), and at no point did it look like they were tired, or if they were they didn’t show it.

Finally, the panels hosted this year were on game as always. As usual I didn’t have time to go to a horde of them, though this year I went to a few more than I normally do. The annual chicken eating contest was hilarious, the AMVs were wonderful, Jon St John’s Sexy Late Night Party is always a must, and the Cosplay Deathmatch provides a bloody good time. This year, I happened to go to a lot of drag queen events that were hosted. Drag Queen D&D, a Cabaret show, and Drag Queen Bingo. I did not know that they’ve been at the con since 2015, and I’m kicking myself for not going for so long!

Btw, this is the only year (so far) that I have not stayed at the Mariott for the convention. As to why.....just look a little further down.

Okay Points
This seems to been a pattern for the past 2 or 3 years (which is something I’ve talked about in the past 2 years I believe), but Connecticon’s dealers room didn’t have as much of an anime & manga selection. Otaku Joe’s was there, and they were fantastic like always, and there was the one normal manga seller & 18+ seller, but it has been odd seeing less of this kind of stuff to purchase. Even the size of the dealer’s room seems to have shrunken a little bit this year, but to play devil’s advocate, the artist’s alley was folded in, and because of that the space still feels pretty big, even if it doesn’t always have what someone is looking for.

Bad Points
This is one of the few times you’ll ever see my blood boil. Connecticon has always been phenomenal in my eyes despite the rating I might give. However, 2026 marks the first time that, to a certain extent, I gotta take a pound of flesh out, so here I go.....

2026 marks the first time that I did not stay in the Marriot. As usual once the rooms were available, everybody swarmed in like Ghengis Khan’s Mongolian Horde, and swiped out all the rooms. My buddy instead got a hotel about 10 minutes away (The name escapes me as I type this), which wasn’t that far away, so I had no issue. This past Wednesday or Thursday, quite frankly at the VERY last minute, they tell my buddy that due to a busted pipe, the room wasn’t available anymore. In a flash, my buddy managed to find one that was 18 minutes away, and required some bus travel. I confessed I huffed for a moment, but still thanked him profusely. However, that all kinda changed once we got there. 

My buddy found the Capital hotel, and by god we all hated it by the end! For starters, it has no-where near as many amenities when compared to the Marriot. The room is smaller, the beds & pillows aren’t as comfortable, and the bathroom was more claustrophobic. This resulted in me having the worst f!@#ing sleep I’ve ever had since my first con in 2009, as I got only a little over 2 hours from Thursday going into Friday. It didn’t help the fact that a guy accidentally opened our room with his key a few hours prior, but thankfully that situation was fixed especially fast, and from Friday into Saturday & Saturday into Sunday, I had considerably better sleep (Probably because I had some liquor on both days). Even the free breakfast, as tasty as it was, did not compare to what the Mariott had. Fortunately, the staff at the Capital were wonderful, and at the very least didn’t make me want to scream. Hopefully when the rooms open up for 2027 at the Marriot, my buddy catches a lucky break.

Final Thoughts & Rating
Connecticon 2026 is one of the rare times I’ve been going for nearly 20 years where I didn’t have a completely great time. Make no mistake: while I was at the convention itself, I was having a great time! It was a blast to see everyone, it was a blast to participate as many events as I did, and it was a blast to escape the horrors of the world. However, what impacted this so much was the damn hotel. My time there was horrible for the most part, and if anyone sees this, then I beg you don’t go to the Capital hotel. Again, there’s good workers there, but even good workers can’t exactly save a busted ship. Still, more often than not, I was smiling the whole time, so I can’t complain too much.

Connecticon 2026 gets a 7.5 out of 10 because of the hotel. Taking the hotel out of the equation? Give it an 8.5 out of 10.

And that was my review for Connecticon 2026. More conflicted that most of the other times I came to Hartford, I still enjoyed the positive energy once I got to the convention center. I can only hope that 2027 & beyond will be fantastic. So with that done, I got 1 last look at Nirvana at the end of the month. See you all on the 31st!




***
If you’d like to see what I thought of last year’s con, click on the link below:

Convention Review: Connecticon 2025

Album Review: Nirvana's Nevermind

Part 2 of my look at Nirvana is here fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

At the beginning of July, I examined the band’s first release, Bleach. While it wasn’t perfect by any means, it was obvious that Kurt & the gang had talent, and overtime it did gain a genuinely following. Now, it’s 2 years after, and the trio crafted something nobody was prepared for in 1991. An album that was a nuclear warhead of an emerging genre of music, and would leave an impact so massive it is still being felt almost 3 & a half decades later. So, put on another one of your flannel shirts, let out a sigh, and enjoy my review for Nirvana’s essential album, Nevermind. Let’s begin.

Background
Taken from Wikipedia: 

“In early 1990, Nirvana began planning their second album for their record company Sub Pop, tentatively titled Sheep. At the suggestion of Sub Pop head Bruce Pavitt, Nirvana selected Butch Vig as producer. The band particularly liked Vig's work with Killdozer. They traveled to Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, and recorded from April 2 to 6, 1990.  Most of the basic arrangements were complete, but songwriter Kurt Cobain was still working on lyrics and the band was unsure of which songs to record. Ultimately, eight were recorded, some of which were later rerecorded for Nevermind: "Imodium" (later renamed "Breed"), "Dive" (later released as the B-side to "Sliver"), "In Bloom", "Pay to Play" (later renamed "Stay Away"), "Sappy", "Lithium", "Here She Comes Now" (released on Heaven & Hell: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground), and "Polly".

On April 6, Nirvana played a local show in Madison with the Seattle band Tad. Vig began to mix the recordings while the band gave an interview to Madison's community radio station WORT on April 7. Cobain strained his voice, forcing Nirvana to end the recording. On April 8, they traveled to Milwaukee to begin an extensive Midwest and East Coast tour of 24 shows in 39 days.

The drummer Chad Channing left after the tour, putting additional recording on hold. During a show by the hardcore punk band Scream, Cobain and the bassist Krist Novoselic were impressed by their drummer Dave Grohl. When Scream unexpectedly disbanded, Grohl contacted Novoselic, traveled to Seattle, and was invited to join the band. Novoselic said in retrospect that, with Grohl, everything "fell into place".

By the 1990s, Sub Pop was having financial problems. With rumors that they would become a subsidiary of a major record label, Nirvana decided to "cut out the middleman" and look for a major record label. Nirvana used the recordings as a demo tape to shop for a new label. Within a few months, the tape was circulating among major labels. A number of labels courted them; Nirvana signed with Geffen Records imprint DGC Records based on recommendations from Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and their management company. 

After Nirvana signed to DGC, a number of producers were suggested, including Scott Litt, David Briggs, Don Dixon, and Bob Mould. Novoselic said the band had been nervous about recording under a major label, and the producers suggested by DGC wanted percentage points. Instead, the band held out for Vig, with whom they felt comfortable collaborating.

With a budget of $65,000, Nirvana recorded Nevermind at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, in May and June 1991. To earn gas money to get to Los Angeles, they played a show at Seattle's OK Hotel on April 17, 1991 where they performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time. The band sent Vig rehearsal tapes prior to the sessions that featured songs recorded previously at Smart Studios, plus new songs including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come as You Are".

Nirvana arrived in California and spent a few days rehearsing and working on arrangements. The only recording carried over from the Smart Studios sessions was "Polly", including Channing's cymbal crashes. Once recording commenced, the band worked eight to ten hours a day.

Despite receiving a $287,000 advance upon signing with Geffen, Cobain retained a preference for inexpensive equipment—particularly Japanese-made Fender guitars, due to their skinny necks and wider availability in lefthanded orientation. These included several Stratocasters fitted with humbucker pickups in the bridge positions, as well as a 1965 Jaguar with DiMarzio pickups and a 1969 Mustang, the latter of which Cobain cited as his favorite due to its design flaws. For the album, Cobain bought a rackmount system featuring a Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp, a Crown power amp, and Marshall cabinets. He also used a Vox AC30 and a Fender Bassman. Vig preferred not to use pedals, but he allowed Cobain to use a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal, which Cobain considered a key part of his sound, as well as an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff fuzz pedal and a Small Clone chorus.

Novoselic and Grohl finished their tracks in days, while Cobain worked longer on guitar overdubs, vocals, and lyrics. He sometimes finished lyrics minutes before recording. Vig recalled that Cobain was often reluctant to record overdubs, but he was persuaded to double-track his vocals when Vig told him that John Lennon did it. Though the sessions generally went well, Vig said Cobain would become difficult at times: "He'd be great for an hour, and then he'd sit in a corner and say nothing for an hour."

Vig and the band were unhappy with Vig's initial mixes and decided to bring in someone else to oversee the mixing. DGC supplied a list of options, including Scott Litt, known for his work with R.E.M., and Ed Stasium, known for his work with Ramones and the Smithereens. Cobain was concerned about bringing in well known producers, and instead chose Andy Wallace, who had co-produced Slayer's 1990 album Seasons in the Abyss. Novoselic recalled, "We said, 'Right on,' because those Slayer records were so heavy." 

Wallace's mixes most notably altered the drum and guitar sounds, helping bring a slicker edge to the record. Wallace used kick and snare samples to drive reverb sounds, as opposed to replacing the original sounds. According to Wallace and Vig, the band loved the results. However, they criticized it after the album was released. Steve Albini, who engineered Nirvana's next album, In Utero (1993), said Vig's initial mix "sounded maybe 200 times more ass-kicking" than the final version of Nevermind and that Nirvana referred to it while working on In Utero. He said that Vig was an excellent engineer who "had a good, sympathetic relationship with all the noisy bands he recorded in the 80s", which was why Nirvana had hired him. 

Nevermind was mastered by Howie Weinberg on the afternoon of August 2 at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California. Weinberg started working alone when no one else arrived at the appointed time in the studio; by the time Nirvana, Andy Wallace, and Gary Gersh arrived, he had almost finished. A hidden track, "Endless, Nameless", intended to appear at the end of "Something in the Way", was accidentally left off initial pressings of the album. Weinberg recalled, "In the beginning, it was kind of a verbal thing to put that track at the end [...] Maybe I didn't write it down when Nirvana or the record company said to do it. So, when they pressed the first twenty thousand or so CDs, albums, and cassettes, it wasn't on there." Cobain called Weinberg and demanded he rectify the mistake. 

At the time of writing Nevermind, Cobain was listening to bands such as Melvins, R.E.M., the Smithereens, and Pixies, and was writing songs that were more melodic. A key development was the single "Sliver", released on Sub Pop in 1990 before Grohl joined, which Cobain said "was like a statement in a way. I had to write a pop song and release it on a single to prepare people for the next record. I wanted to write more songs like that." Grohl said that the band at that point likened their music to children's music, in that they tried to make their songs as simple as possible. 

Cobain fashioned chord sequences using primarily power chords and wrote songs that combined pop hooks with dissonant guitar riffs. His aim for Nevermind's material was to sound like "the Knack and the Bay City Rollers getting molested by Black Flag and Black Sabbath". Many songs feature shifts in dynamics, whereby the band changes from quiet verses to loud choruses. Grohl said this approach originated during a four-month period prior to the recording of the album, when the band would experiment with extreme dynamics during regular jam sessions.

Guitar World wrote, "Kurt Cobain's guitar sound on Nirvana's Nevermind set the tone for Nineties rock music." Cobain played a 1960s Fender Mustang, a Fender Jaguar with DiMarzio pickups, and a few Fender Stratocasters with humbucker bridge pickups. He used distortion and chorus pedals as his main effects, the latter used to generate a "watery" sound on "Come as You Are" and the pre-choruses of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Though the album is considered a cornerstone of the grunge genre, it is noted for its musical diversity, which includes acoustic ballads ("Polly" and "Something in the Way") and punk-influenced hard rock ("Territorial Pissings" and "Stay Away"). 

After the release of Nevermind, members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the production for its perceived commercial sound. Cobain said, "I'm embarrassed by it now. It's closer to a Mötley Crüe record than it is a punk rock record." In 2011, Vig said that Nirvana had "loved" Nevermind when they finished it. He said Cobain had criticized it in the press "because you can't really go, 'Hey, I love our record and I'm glad it sold 10 million copies.' That's just not cool to do. And I think he felt like he wanted to do something more primal."”

Basic Description
Focused yet raw.

Bleach wasn’t a bad album by any means, but it was obvious that Nirvana were definitely learning as they were going. Nevermind meanwhile, was a considerably more polished & focused record. It’s far more on the train-tracks than their first release, staying more solid in terms of it’s consistency. Everybody in the band seems to be more confident when it comes to their instrumentation, and even Kurt’s vocals appears to have improved somewhat. That being said, Nevermind didn’t lose any of the rawness that Bleach introduced 2 years prior. If anything, it seems like the band picked up a little more in that regard, but didn’t lose any improvement in the process.

Best Track
I think it wouldn’t be right not to say Smells Like Teen Spirit is the best song of the album. Sure, the lyrics are absolute nonsense, and sure it’s actually hard to understand what’s being sung most of the time, but Kurt Cobain’s vocal range goes from soft talk-like singing similar to Jonathon Davis, to semi-wailing that’s highly reminiscent of old-school punk. Instrumentation is damn good too, as it seemingly goes between the same mediums as the vocal work. Kurt’s guitarwork is subperb, Krist’s bass playing is fantastic, and Dave Grohl drumming is raw but skillful. If the album was a spear that pierces the musical landscape of the early 90s, then Smells Like Teen Spirit was the tip of that spear.

Smell Like Teen Spirit

However, my favorite track would have to go to Come As You Are. A more laid back song when compared to Smell Like Teen Spirit, it was actually the 2nd single off of Nevermind, and yet I actually consider it rather underrated (More on that in a bit). Again, it’s more laid back when compared to the album’s opener: sure things can absolutely be intense, but Kurt’s vocal work is much more calm here, and both Krist & Grohl back that up with instrumentation that’s pretty similar. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I swear there’s a thin Blues influence in Come As You Are. Very thin, but it’s there if you know exactly what to listen for. Never skip this song for any reason.

Come As You Are

Worst Track
As much as Smells Like Teen Spirit deserves rightfully deserves it’s praise, I’d be lying if I said I don’t find it at least somewhat overrated. It was EVERYWHERE when it got put out on radio & TV back in 1991, and it was overplayed quite a bit. Even the 3 other singles of the album (Come As You Are, Lithium, In Bloom) didn’t seem to get as much playtime as the record’s opener, but I’ll chalk that up to being over 4 years old at the time, and not really remembering much from then. Even so, because of it being played so much, Smells Like Teen Spirit overshadowed most of the music on Nevermind in my view. It’s a shame, since practically every track here is wonderful.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Nevermind

Overall Impression & Rating
Nevermind truly was a musical colossal in 1991. Metalheads at the time (and some today tragically) placed the blame of the so-called “Death” of classic metal right at this album’s feet. Truth be told, the musical landscape was changing at the dawn of the last decade that made sense, and this release was an unfortunately easy scapegoat. If they even remotely tried to get past their biases, they’d find that Nevermind is one of the most musicallly inventive albums of the 1990s. Maybe it could be considered overrated in some aspects, but all of the musical influences of the genre are on this record in force, and it all stays with you long after you’re done listening to it. In short, Nevermind rules.

Through sheer cultural impact, Nevermind is easily a well-deserved 10 out of 10. Practically? Screw it, just to piss off the anti-grunge people again it also deserves a 10 out of 10!

And that was my review of Nevermind. An icon of the era of Grunge, it has stood the test of time for nearly 3 & a half decades, and continues to be a great album & a wonder record to represent the 1990s. Well, I’ll be away for the rest of this week for Connecticon tomorrow, so see you all in a few days for that, and see you all at the end of the month for Nirvana’s final release. Until then, take care!

Album Review: Nirvana's Bleach

It wouldn’t be right to NOT talk about Nirvana during the Summer Of Grunge fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

That’s right, Nirvana. The band that became one of the biggest faces of Grunge, if not THE face of the genre, Nirvana has been praised by fans, and villainized by elitists who claim that the band helped “kill” classic heavy metal. Truth be told, Nirvana & by extent Grunge were more metallic than their detractors will ever admit during their lifetime, and that’s just laughable if you ask me! Regardless, the band would become pretty significant quick, but before that their start would stumble a little. So, get on your best flannel shirt, find the right pair of ripped jeans, and take a look at my review for Nirvana’s first ever album, Bleach. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from Wikipedia: 

“Singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic met while attending Aberdeen High School in Washington state. The pair became friends while frequenting the practice space of the Melvins. Cobain wanted to form a band with Novoselic, but Novoselic did not respond for a long period. Cobain gave him a demo tape of his project Fecal Matter. Three years after the two first met, Novoselic notified Cobain that he had finally listened to the Fecal Matter demo and suggested they start a group. Their first band, the Sellouts, was a Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band. The project featured Novoselic on guitar and vocals, Cobain on drums, and Steve Newman on bass but only lasted a short time. Another project, this time featuring originals, was also attempted in late 1986. Bob McFadden was enlisted to play drums, but after a month this project also fell through. In early 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard. They practiced material from Cobain's Fecal Matter tape but started writing new material soon after forming.

During its initial months, the band went through a series of names, including Skid Row, Pen Cap Chew, Bliss, and Ted Ed Fred. The band played under the name Nirvana for the first time on March 19, 1988, at Community World Theater, Tacoma, Washington, together with the bands Lush and Vampire Lezbos. This concert's flyer, designed by Kurt Cobain, also mentioned all of the previous band names: "Nirvana (also known as... Skid Row, Ted Ed Fred, Pen Cap Chew, Bliss)". The group settled on Nirvana because, according to Cobain, "I wanted a name that was kind of beautiful or nice and pretty instead of a mean, raunchy punk name like the Angry Samoans." The band were initially sued by the British band Nirvana over the usage of the name, reaching an out-of-court settlement. Novoselic moved to Tacoma and Cobain to Olympia, Washington. They temporarily lost contact with Burckhard, and instead practiced with Dale Crover of the Melvins, with whom Nirvana recorded its first demos in January 1988.

In early 1988, Crover moved to San Francisco but recommended Dave Foster as his replacement on drums. Foster's tenure with Nirvana was a rocky one; during a stint in jail, he was replaced by Burckhard, who again departed after telling Cobain he was too hungover to practice one day. Foster would rejoin the band, but after Cobain and Novoselic were introduced to drummer Chad Channing, the band would permanently dismiss him (although not before Foster witnessed the group play live without him). Channing continued to jam with Cobain and Novoselic; however, by Channing's account, "They never actually said 'okay, you're in.'" Channing played his first show with Nirvana in late May 1988. 

Nirvana released its first single, a cover of Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz", in November 1988 on the Seattle independent record label Sub Pop. They did their first interview with John Robb in Sounds, which made their release its single of the week. The following month, the band began recording its debut album, Bleach, with local producer Jack Endino. Bleach was influenced by the heavy dirge-rock of the Melvins, the 1980s punk rock of Mudhoney, and the 1970s heavy metal of Black Sabbath. The money for the recording sessions for Bleach, listed as $606.17 on the album sleeve, was supplied by Jason Everman, who was subsequently brought into the band as the second guitarist. Though Everman did not play on the album, he received a credit on Bleach because, according to Novoselic, they "wanted to make him feel more at home in the band". Prior to the album's release, Nirvana became the first band to sign an extended contract with Sub Pop. 

Bleach was released in June 1989, and became a favorite of college radio stations. Nirvana embarked on its first national tour,  but canceled the last few dates and returned to Washington state due to increasing differences with Everman. No one told Everman he was fired; Everman later said he had quit. Although Sub Pop did not promote Bleach as much as other releases, it was a steady seller, and had initial sales of 40,000 copies. However, Cobain was upset by the label's lack of promotion and distribution. In late 1989, Nirvana recorded the Blew EP with producer Steve Fisk. In an interview with Robb, Cobain said the band's music was changing: "The early songs were really angry... But as time goes on the songs are getting poppier and poppier as I get happier and happier. The songs are now about conflicts in relationships, emotional things with other human beings."”

Basic Description
Rough & Tumble.

Nirvana’s first release is certainly a messy affair, but that’s not to say it’s bad either. Kurt Cobain’s harsh vocals match with the atmosphere & his guitar work equally so, Krist Novoselic kills it on bass, and Chad Channing takes it to the drums like no tomorrow (Also plays the tambourine on the best track of the album). Jason Everman was pictured on the album’s cover & credited in the liner, but didn’t play on the album proper. The rough & tumble nature of Bleach comes from the punk attitude and atmosphere, and while it potentially harms the identity of the album (More on that a little later), it also is a statement from the band as well. 

Best Track
Long before I ever listened to this album, there was always one track I definitely remember listening to on the radio, but I had never remembered the name of it.....until now. About A Girl is about as grungy as one could get, yet there’s a little bit of refinement here as well. You got the raw instrumentation, and you have Kurt’s patented vocals, but the recording & production gives the song a little bit of clarity. The end result is a dirty little tune, that none the less is mildly crystal clear. Definitely a great tune!

About A Girl

Worst Track
While an absolutely awesome album from top to bottom quality-wise, it doesn’t have a solid identity in a sense. Now, this could be due to the intense punk atmosphere, and in which case I’ll let it slide. However, I was oddly reminded of Motorhead’s 1998 release Snake Bite Love as I listened to this: malleable when it comes to identity, but rock solid with everything else.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below: 

Bleach

Overall Impression & Rating
Bleach is definitely a rough start, but it’s not a bad start either. Again, it’s identity is all over the place, but Kurt Cobain & the rest of the band show they’ve got the instrumental & vocal talent to make things work. It may not have been a giant upon initial release, but over time has become quite beloved by many people and is considered a Grunge classic. It might not be the most essential Nirvana album to listen to, but it’s certainly not horrible either.

Bleach gets a 7.5 out of 10.

And that was my look at Bleach. It stumbles here & there because of it’s identity, but when it manages to get some solid footing it’s delightful. Like I said above, it’s not the record you absolutely have to listen to from Nirvana, but it’s certainly not a bad one to listen to either. However, come around 1991, and not only would they release their most important album in the band’s entire career, but the album that would become the face of Grunge itself. See you all around the middle of the month!

Album Review: Green River's Rehab Doll

Man, this month has flown by fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

In the middle of this month, I began examining the pre-grunge era of the genre, starting off with the first release of the Melvins. Today takes us just 2 years after Gluey Porch Treatments’s release, and the band I’m covering today is a little more advanced than that. Not by a massive amount, as the grungy vibes are perhaps a little more potent here, but it’s still as dirty as it should be. So, get just the right kind of psychedelic substances, find the most comfortable spot in your house/apartment to imbibe said substance, and take a look at my review for Green River’s first release, Rehab Doll. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“In its first practice sessions in early 1984, Green River's members were vocalist Mark Arm, guitarist Steve Turner, drummer Alex Vincent (also known as Alex Shumway) and bassist Jeff Ament. Prior to joining Green River, they had played for a variety of rock, punk, and hardcore groups, often with overlapping lineups. Arm and Turner had played together in Mr. Epp and the Calculations and the Limp Richerds. Determined to start a new band together, they first recruited Vincent, whom Turner had briefly played with in Spluii Numa, as drummer, and then set about convincing Ament to join. He and Turner worked at the same Seattle coffeeshop, and Arm had befriended him after a DJ set by Ament at Metropolis, a local club. Ament had a low opinion of Mr. Epp, but agreed to join the new band due to Turner's persistence and Ament's frustration with Deranged Diction, his band at the time. The first Green River rehearsal was at the Turner home on Mercer Island. Stone Gossard, a high school friend of Turner and Vincent, joined as a second guitarist shortly thereafter. 

The idea for the name "Green River" came to both Arm and Turner independently. Arm has cited several possible inspirations — a local community college, the 1969 Creedence Clearwater song — but the most resonant association was with the Green River Killer, an infamous Washington state serial killer who was prominent in headlines at the time. To Alice Wheeler, a band photographer, the name reflected undercurrents of depression and danger that would come to characterize grunge: Turner later came to see it as "a dumb joke."

On June 23, 1984, Green River recorded their first demos at Reciprocal Recording. They were released on vinyl in 2016. By late 1984, the band was playing shows in and around Seattle. The band began production in December 1984 on its first record, Come on Down.

By the time the band finished the record in mid-1985, Steve Turner had left the group. Turner has attributed this to his increased interest in 1960s garage rock, Billy Childish, and the Replacements, and dislike of the band's new more hard rock and heavy metal material. He was replaced by former Deranged Diction guitarist Bruce Fairweather.

In late 1985, the band embarked on its first nationwide tour to promote Come on Down. Release of the record was delayed, however, thus negating the purpose of the tour. From all accounts the experience was less than positive, though it helped cement alliances with other emerging American indie rock bands. Among them was Sonic Youth, who later quoted the song "Come on Down" on its own composition "Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)". After the tour, Come on Down was finally released by the New York-based Homestead Records. The record was released to little fanfare, and did not sell well. However it is often considered the first record to be released by a "grunge" band, as it predated both the Melvins debut EP and the Deep Six compilation album.

In 1986, the band continued to play in and around the Pacific Northwest to steadily larger crowds (especially in the band's hometown of Seattle). Early in the year, the now legendary Deep Six compilation album was released on the local C/Z Records label. Alongside two Green River songs, the compilation features the music of fellow Washington bands Malfunkshun, Melvins, Skin Yard, Soundgarden, and The U-Men. Kathleen C. Fennessy of AllMusic stated that the compilation "documents a formative period in Northwest rock history".

In June 1986, the band began production on its second EP, Dry as a Bone, with local producer Jack Endino. Green River chose to record Dry as a Bone for Bruce Pavitt's new label, Sub Pop. However, Pavitt couldn't afford to release it until the following year, and, as had happened with Come on Down, the record was delayed. In the meantime the band issued the one-off "Together We'll Never" single on the local Tasque Force Records label. Dry as a Bone was finally released through Sub Pop in July 1987, a full year after it was recorded. It was the new label's first non-compilation release. Dry as a Bone was promoted by Sub Pop as "ultra-loose GRUNGE that destroyed the morals of a generation". Steve Huey of AllMusic called it Green River's "strongest individual release...perfecting their sleazy, raucous fusion of '70s hard rock and post-hardcore punk".

Almost immediately following the release of Dry as a Bone, the group re-entered the studio to begin production on its first full-length album, Rehab Doll. Band in-fighting, though, took center stage over the music. A stylistic division developed between Ament and Gossard on one side, and Arm on the other. Ament and Gossard wanted to pursue a major-label deal, while Arm wanted to remain independent, viewing the duo as being too careerist. The in-fighting came to a head following an October 1987 show in Los Angeles, California. Apparently, without informing the group, Ament had filled the show's guest list with major label representatives, instead of the band's friends; nonetheless only two of the representatives appeared. On October 31, 1987, Ament, Gossard and Fairweather stated their desire to quit the band. Although the band members agreed to complete production of Rehab Doll during the next three months, Green River had by late October 1987 ceased as a band. Rehab Doll was released in June 1988. Ned Raggett of AllMusic called it "a record that sounded caught somewhere between grunge mania and metal/corp rock folly".”

Basic Description
Grungy Buffet.

You definitely hear more of the influences that gave birth to the genre on Rehab Doll than you do with Gluey Porch Treatments before it. Not that the Melvis didn’t help deliver the baby, because they certainly did. However, Green River showed the variety of music styles that Grunge built it’s foundation on. You can hear Hard Rock, Punk, Indie Rock, Garage Rock, and even some Heavy Metal all throughout this record’s run time. Because of that, there’s something for just about everybody to listen to on Rehab Doll. Not only that, but despite the fact there aren’t as many song on this album, all of the songs are longer in length, and stay with you longer because of that.

Best Track
The opening track Forever Means hooked me immediately upon listening to it for the first time. You can definitely hear & feel the Punk attitude on here front & center, yet the other styles you can come across on Rehab Doll sharpens the Punk to a fine edge. The lo-fi like sound just adds to the rawness of it all, and the vocals are somewhat hoarse yet can still be heard without trouble. As dirty as the whole runtime is, you can hear the diamond in the rough easy, and that’s a win in my book!

Forever Means

Worst Track
Honestly, I can’t think of a single bad song on Rehab Doll. Compared to my last review, it’s a more meaty affair (Like I said above), and as such it takes longer to listen to, which in turn means it sticks with you for a greater period of time. Really the only thing I could complain about with be there’s a few moments of “whininess” in some of the songs (Not sure if I should actually use that word), but they’re not frequent. Still, they are noticeable, and those moments might turn some people off.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below

Rehab Doll (w Re-Release Tracks) 

Overall Impression & Rating
Rehab Doll was definitely an evolution from prior Pre-Grunge bands. More of the influences of the style were front and center, yet it was still it’s own thing at the same time. Perhaps whiny in some spots, the album none the less has power behind it as well, and lays the groundwork upon which future Grunge bands would build on. Definitely worth your time!

Rehab Doll gets a 9 out of 10.

And that was my review for Rehab Doll. Further building upon the emerging Grunge style, and it’s only hampered by just a few “Whiny” moments. A couple songs shorter than Gluey Porch Treatments for sure, but the songs we get on here are considerably more meaty affairs. Well, tomorrow is July, and as such the 2nd leg of my Grunge journey begins, and it’s on the band that practically embodies the genre. See you then!