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So this EP crossed my path recently and I ended up getting a CD copy as well as purchasing a digital download from the group on Bandcamp. This is a 3 song EP by Pennsylvania rockers, Hoser. Initially, I thought it would be typical garage rock. The kind you hear all over America played in a teenager's bedroom as they cut their musical teeth and start to hone their songwriting skills.
But I was wrong! Dead wrong!
The opening track 'NoseBleeder' starts off with a haunting riff that is both promising and somewhat deceptive. I got excited because I was hoping they'd fall sound wise in the White Zombie spooky rock category, but that intro quickly turns into some speed metal thrashing before settling into the main song. Hoser's singer, Will, delivers a varied and frantic vocal that fits the track perfectly. I can still hear that hint of Rob Zombie, but I'm also hearing some complex changes similar to the sort Billy Corgan would drop inexplicably into a Smashing Pumpkins track here and there. My only complaint is the song ends too quickly. There's definitely room for another verse or two.
'Perico' is the next track and once again, the band delivers a tight rock experience with some excellent chord changes and a natural build in the progression throughout the track. As good as 'Perico' is, my favorite cut on the record has to be 'Kensington And Somerset'. There's a pop sensibility that really shines through on this track and under the right circumstances, it could easily be the type of crossover single that could open new revenue streams. To put it in a more simple way... If Hoser were Maynard James Keenan, 'NoseBleeder' and 'Perico' would be Tool and 'Kensington And Somerset' would be A Perfect Circle. More commercial and more accessible.
I gotta be honest here, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this band as much as I have so far. I trolled their Bandcamp page and found out they'd also released a limited edition cassette that's already sold out. That was slightly upsetting. I would've purchased one. But, that's cool. This group, for all their musicianship and talent, haven't crossed over to mainstream commercial production yet. In many ways, that's to their advantage. It gives them a more raw sound that fits the type of music they're producing. My copy of the CD featured a lot of hand drawn credits and song details. There's a great deal of attention paid to the artwork. I'm completely excited about that and thrilled to have discovered them so early on. I've definitely got a collector's item on my hands.
With a proper studio, engineers and producers helping them during the recording process, I suspect Hoser will blow up quickly. But just remember, you heard them here first!
On a side note, as I've listened to the disc and the tunes, I think the first full length album by Hoser should be called, "The Fat Kid's A Bleeder". I used to kick that around as a possible band name, but I think it would totally fit this group. Especially with a strong track like 'NoseBleeder' on the record.
If you're interested in hearing some new innovative rock music by an up and coming group, make sure you visit Hoser at bandcamp.com. You can follow this link to get there:
https://hosertheband.bandcamp.com/
Pick up their EP and sign up to follow their progress. Experience it all for yourself and I'm sure you'll enjoy what you hear! My final words: AN EXCITING NEW SOUND FROM AN EMERGING BLEND OF SPOOKY ROCK!
HOSER - NOSEBLEEDER
01. NoseBleeder
02. Perico
03. Kensington And Somerset
Bring Your Own Weapon are an Arizona Punk Rock outfit recommended to me by the guys from Broloaf. Based in Phoenix, this group has had a bit of success on a local level. At least that's the impression I have after reading some articles and information about the band online. And I think that's fantastic!
As I listened to this album, my enthusiasm for the band slacked off quit a bit. They are a straightforward Hardcore Punk outfit and although they know all the tricks when it comes to writing and performing this genre of music, there's not a lot of hope this group will cross over and have a lot of success.
Punk, Hardcore and other extreme metal genres are music built around developing a certain feeling and feeding that energy. When I was younger, I would hang out with some of these kids and I enjoyed going to these types of shows as much I as I enjoyed seeing more mainstream groups. I figured out these bands aren't selling you "music" as much as they're selling a feeling. One they develop and nurture in their audience. Almost like a cause. And those feelings are highly charged, intense and can sometimes lead to impaired thinking. I simply don't have that in me anymore. There's no way I could handle the energy of this band's live performance, much less feel all the anger they seem to want you to to feel with the righteous fist of indignation pumping the air high above your head as you rock out with them. I just can't muster the strength.
Unlike other hardcore groups, Bring Your Own Weapon do have some musical moments that make you think there's more to them than just the high energy punk metal they play, but you don't see them branch out on this record. They do have one track, the last one... number 14... 'Bobbing For Babies' is a fairly straight forward call to arms about bad parenting and irresponsible behavior around children. I can absolutely get on board with that.
As the band develops, perhaps they'll find a way to embrace melody and other traditional aspects of popular metal and music culture they tend to avoid. I think if they did this you'd see a transformation similar to Rob Zombie's. He started out a fairly blistering punk rocker himself back in the White Zombie days. But I'm talking way back. You have to go back to the time before they were signed to a label and track down some of that super rare local releases the band did. They were hard!!!!! And now look at him... The King of Horror Rock! Sure there are fans who will say they've sold out and there are fans who might embrace a new sound, but one thing is certain, they'll never get famous playing music people only react to. It just doesn't sell as well. There are better ways to engage a fan base and develop a career than just raging. But ultimately, the members of Bring Your Own Weapon must do what feels artistically right to them. Their integrity as artits is on the line. And if they choose to remain the stalwart metal prophet shouting out the evils of the world every bias they possess will want center stage. And that could create a very jumbled unclear message. Sometimes you have to give up the war in favor of the art.
Anywho, back to basics... Rocking band, but much harder than I would normally buy. I like a couple of songs, especially 'Bobbing For Babies'. But again, this is a group that writes music to cause a feeling. Everything is in the intensity and rigor of those power chords. That adrenaline piston blood pounding your brain is the lead guitarist and the soul crushing boot stomps are the drummer calling you into action.
I still detect a thougtful soul behind the lyrics and it would really be interesting to see what would happen if that guy put his words before the music. The very gist of what he's trying to say would be better suited to a more expressive lyrical form of composition than the protest aggression of what you hear on this album.
Whatever they choose, I'll have to choose whether or not to give them another try. I'm hopeful they'll consider some new musical directions, but that's my opinion and it is not better or worse if they don't. We'll see what happens.
My final words....: THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF SMASHING WALNUTS BETWEEN YOUR BARE HANDS JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN! STILL BETTER THAN MOST HARDCORE BANDS I'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
BRING YOUR OWN WEAPON - B.Y.O.W.
01. Three Strikes
02. Locked Inside
03. Overtime
04. Punk Rock For Sale
05. Booze Pig
06. Tampons And Beans
07. Political Bullshit
08. Drunk And Broke
09. Ritalin
10. DTS/DTO
11. Gridlock
12. Fuck The Middle East
13. Wrecking Ball
14. Bobbing For Babies
I'm a little uncertain as to what qualifies one to be a 20th century master in the millennium collection. But whatever it is, Rob Zombie has the chops. He's already released a greatest hits collection, so this assemblage comes across more like a rehashing than a brand spanking new release. The most interesting aspect of this disc is the fact the tracks play in sequential order from date of release. The collection also includes songs from White Zombie.
The first song is 'Thunder Kiss '65'. It's a pretty good White Zombie song, but not one of my favorite. It's one of those early songs showing you how cool the group was going to be once they busted out. It's followed by 'Black Sunshine', another track from the White Zombie disc, "La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1". White Zombie started out as a thrash metal hardcore punk band. The music on this disc shows a transition of sorts. The group is moving toward a more mainstream sound and away from the white noise of it's earlier stuff. But as yet, the band still hasn't created a completely original sound.
The next two songs come from White Zombie's next album, "Astro-Creep: 2000" and it's a more solid record. 'More Human Than Human' starts off the set and demonstrates the sound you would associate with the Zombie brand. It's followed by 'Super-Charger Heaven' which also falls into the Zombie sound. These two tracks feature heavy guitar chords and a deeply sinister, almost spooky sound. Combined with Zombie's fascination and incorporation of classic horror into his visual image, it's a highly effective and unique combination. It's a blend that sets him apart and creates a niche market for him.
Shortly after this period, White Zombie disbanded and Rob Zombie started releasing on his own. His first solo record was "Hellbilly Deluxe" and the next 3 songs are from that disc. 'Dragula', 'Superbeast', and 'Living Dead Girl' are all excellent examples of the Rob Zombie sound and I'm a huge fan of them all. This album is amazing! It's one of the best he's ever done! I'll discuss them all in greater detail when I do that album.
The next 3 are from his follow-up album, "The Sinister Urge". 'Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)', 'House Of 1,000 Corpses', and 'Feel So Numb'. More excellent tracks and ones I'll go into more detail on their own albums.
'The Devil's Rejects' and 'The Lords Of Salem' are both from "Educated Horses" and I've already discussed them so I won't bother here.
Ultimately, this is a great collection, though hardly worthy of purchase unless you haven't invested in any his previous material. There's nothing new and nothing special about this disc other than it includes a strong sampling of his work.
My final word...: SKIP IT UNLESS YOU JUST WANT THE HITS!
ROB ZOMBIE - THE BEST OF 20TH CENTURY MASTERS THE MILLENNIUM COLLECTION
01. Thunder Kiss '65
02. Black Sunshine
03. More Human Than Human
04. Super-Charger Heaven
05. Dragula
06. Superbeast
07. Living Dead Girl
08. Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)
09. House Of 1,000 Corpses
10. Feel So Numb
11. The Devil's Rejects
12. The Lords Of Salem
