Lovewar - "Soak Your Brain"

Lovewar - Soak Your Brain
1993, Pakaderm

1. Soak Your Brain
2. Golden Rule
3. Take Me
4. Welling Up
5. Space and Time
6. You Win
7. Keep Your Hands Off My Stuff
8. In the Sea
9. Just the Same
10. You Are Not Alone

After hearing Rex Carroll & The Bleed I found out that Lovewar featured none other than Tim Bushong. I really enjoyed Take Back a Life so I picked up Lovewar's one and only album. Soak Your Brain is one of those albums that, had it come out just two or three years earlier, would have really taken off. It's sort of a combination of Fear Not and King's X. Tim Bushong must really be a fan of King's X because it's all over the music here - harmonies galore. It's also got a lot of groove too. In my review for the Bleed I think I gave most of the credit for the music to Rex Carroll. That was definitely a mistake because, as this album proves, Tim Bushong is plenty talented himself. Definitely worth picking up. It's dirt cheap now too. I can't believe I didn't get this the first time around. How in the world did I miss it?

Useless Fact: This album was produced by John and Dino Elephante. Though the production isn't quite as shiny and clean as it usually is. That's a good thing for this album, though.

Carman - "Addicted to Jesus"

Carman - Addicted to Jesus
1991, Benson

1. Our Turn Now
2. Holy Ghost Hop
3. Satan, Bite the Dust
4. 1955
5. Hunger For Holiness
6. Come Into this House
7. Addicted to Jesus
8. Jesus is the Way
9. The Third Heaven

Addicted to Jesus was sort of the apex of Carman's career. Everyone knew who he was and most everyone I knew liked him. However, he was starting to attract some controversy regarding his act. Some people thought he was skirting the edges of heresy. Some were put off by his relationship with Rev. Carlton Peterson. Some people took issue with the whole "Addicted to Jesus" thing - specifically that it made light of addiction as a disease. Honestly, I think that Carman was just an easy target. As for the album itself, Addicted to Jesus isn't as good as Revival in the Land, but I still love some of the songs on here. I like both "Holy Ghost Hop" and "Come Into this House." I also like the title track, which has DC Talk as guest stars. Carman's raging hard on for the Fifties rears its head too. We've got "Our Turn Now" (guest starring Petra), a rock song about how everything went to pot after they took prayer out of schools. Then there's "1955" - I actually really like this song. It's more genuine nostalgia and not a diatribe, also very catchy. The story songs ("Satan, Bite the Dust" and "The Third Heaven") have not aged well. Addicted to Jesus is kind of a hit-and-miss for me.

One more thing about Carman...

He once said in an interview that his mission was "to unite the denominations and the generations." And you know what? For a few years there in the late eighties/early nineties he totally did it. I liked Carman, my friends liked Carman, my mom liked Carman. It was hard to find a person that didn't like him. His concerts were filled with people of all ages from all different kinds of churches. So yeah... kudos to Carman.

Useless Fact: Much like Revival a VHS video was produced with videos for "Our Turn Now," "Addicted to Jesus" and others. This one was not a concert like the previous.

Yankovic, "Weird Al" - "Mandatory Fun"

Yankovic, "Weird Al" - Mandatory Fun
2014, RCA

1. Handy
2. Lame Claim to Fame
3. Foil
4. Sports Song
5. Word Crimes
6. My Own Eyes
7. NOW That's What I Call Polka!
8. Mission Statement
9. Inactive
10. First World Problems
11. Tacky
12. Jackson Park Express

I am pleased to say that "Weird Al's" latest (and probably last tradition) album entered the Billboard charts at number one! It's about time! I think part of that was due to the media blitz surrounding the album. Al released eight music videos in eight days to promote the album. It worked perfectly. Honestly, I'd be surprised if Al gave up doing traditional albums, especially after this. Mandatory Fun is pretty fun as per usual for a "Weird Al" disc, but overall I don't think it's as strong as Alpocalypse. For instance, while "Sports Song" and "Mission Statement" are amusing they do wear out their welcome. I mean, "Sports Song" is a march - which isn't a style that people just listen to. "Mission Statement" is a great sounding song (in the Crosby, Still, and Nash vein), but the lyrics, filled with corporate double speak - aren't really funny in the long run. Also, the parody of Imagine Dragons "Radioactive," here titled "Inactive" is just as inert as the title suggests. Thankfully, there are some seriously awesome parodies here. "Handy," "Word Crimes," and "Tacky" are all top shelf Yankovic. I also really like the original song "First World Problems." It's a decent album but I don't think it's as consistently funny as the last one was. I will say that I hope Al doesn't give up on traditional albums... y'know... for us old folks.

Useless Fact: Mandatory Fun is the last album in "Weird Al's" record contract. He's admitted that the album title might have something to do with that.

Epica - "The Quantum Enigma"

Epica - The Quantum Enigma
2014, Nuclear Blast

DISC ONE
1. Originem
2. The Second Stone
3. The Essence of Silence
4. Victims of Contingency
5. Sense Without Sanity - The Impervious Code -
6. Unchain Utopia
7. The Fifth Guardian - Interlude -
8. Chemical Insomnia
9. Reverence - Living in the Heart -
10. Omen - The Ghoulish Malady
11. Canvas of Life
12. Natural Corruption
13. The Quantum Enigma - Kingdom of Heaven Part II -
Bonus Track
14. In All Conscience

DISC TWO
1. Canvas of Life (acoustic)
2. In All Conscience (acoustic)
3. Dreamscape (acoustic)
4. Natural Corruption (acoustic)

Epica is another symphonic metal band I had the pleasure of discovering while on vacation. While Within Temptation's focus is on more commercial appeal (at least on Hydra) and Xandria has the operatic/Celtic flavor, Epica is a lot more gothic and metal. Sure, there's the big choirs and strings and such - but there's also a lot of growling in the vocals, blast beats, and crushing riffs. It's all suitably... well... epic. I must praise the bonus track "In All Conscience" for a minute. It is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Just the chorus melody itself gets me every time. Simone Simmons could be singing about waiting in line at the DMV and I would still be close to tears. It's stunning. The second disc has some acoustic remixes and is well worth the time. I'm happy to have found Epica. The Quantum Enigma is a great album!

Useless Fact: Oh, look. Simone Simmons also sang on Ayreon's 01 album.

Theocracy - "As the World Bleeds"

Theocracy - As the World Bleeds
2011, Ulterium

1. I AM
2. The Master Storyteller
3. Nailed
4. Hide in the Fairytale
5. The Gift of Music
6. 30 Pieces of Silver
7. Drown
8. Altar To the Unknown God
9. Light of the World
10. As the World Bleeds

Theocracy has been around for awhile but for some reason I never really investigated them. That is, until recently, of course. They're and American power metal/progressive metal band that sounds a bit like a combination of Dream Theater and early Stryper. They've got a lot of epic songs. Take the very first track, "I AM," which is an eleven minute opus about the characteristics of God. However, they've also got a lot of strong hooks as well. It is kind of nice to hear something new but at the same time rather familiar. I get a little bit nostalgic for the glory days of Christian metal when I listen to this. I imagine if this came out then they would have been THE band. It's also nice to hear such good quality, well put together metal with some good old fashioned Jesus lyrics. Not the "turn or burn" variety, mind you. They're a bit more worshipful - sometimes they deal with the human condition. Either way, it's nice to hear.

Useless Fact: I'm told the boys in Theocracy are Catholic. "Nailed" is a song about Martin Luther. Not against him either. So... yeah... I wonder what's going on there. Not that I mind - it's a great song!