CD reviews: Bow down once more to Maiden

Iron Maiden
Flight 666
EMI
4.5/5 Stars

Metal-heads Unite!!  If you lived through the ’80s and witnessed the genesis of the speed metal genre, then this collection is made for you.  What better way to relive the ass-kicking, rockin’ metal mania of Iron Maiden.
The CD release precedes the release of the Flight 666 movie reliving the Iron Maiden World Tour. As the comments and tribute to the band in the jacket states, “We’ve always been a band that are about the live shows.”  With any luck, the upcoming movie will illustrate that in spades. This album sure does.
Think about it, the band came up with and performed these anthems 20 to 30 years ago and they still have the musical agility and stamina to put together some of the best riffs and speed beats ever made.
It was incredible how fast the songs and words came back to me with just the first listen of this two-disc compilation.  “The Trooper”; wicked.  “The Number of the Beast”; classic.  “Run to the Hills”; epic.
The best audience participation goes to “Fear of the Dark,” recorded in Argentina, but the best tribute to the fans was saved for us Canucks in Toronto on “Hallowed be Thy Name.”
This tribute set and the movie will be the last time we see or hear many of these thrashing tunes played by the band … so soak it up.  You won’t be disappointed.

— Clint Lovell

To hear a sample click here.

 Alexisonfire
Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Vagrant Records
2/5 stars

Maybe they should have broken up.
After being surrounded by rumours that the group was disbanding after releasing 2006’s Crisis, Alexisonfire is back. Anticipation for melodic-hardcore fans was high for this album, unfortunately it fails to live up to its predecessors.

Photo courtesy Jamie Vendres, Alexisonfire. Dallas Green gets lost in the shuffle on Alexisonfire’s latest disc Old Crows/Young Cardinals.

Crisis was an awesome album — one of the most complete releases in 2006 — unfortuantely Old Crows/Young Cardinals will not likely repeat its success.
The difference is the two is evident from the very beginning.
Crisis opened with the overpowering, yet awesome track “Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints,” this time around the group opens with the two titles that make up the album name and are supposedly symbolic of the group’s rise to maturity. “Old Crows” is extremely annoying and has little hook that has become a staple in nearly all of Alexis’s successful tracks. “Young Cardinals” is slightly better but as the first single off the album it should — and could — be much much stronger. One of the song’s repeated verses is “we are not the kids we used to be.” Then why does this work sound more juvenile than all the rest?
Thankfully the album’s arrangement stops you from shutting it off right away as “Sons of Privilege” is the third offering and actually is reminiscent of the group’s actual potential, however, it is short-lived. Alexisonfire has always been based on once simple tactic: juxtaposing George Pettit’s screamo lyrics with Dallas Green’s melodic choruses. “Sons of Privilege,” unfortunately, is the only song that really masters this. Throughout the rest of the album, Pettit seems tentative where he once was bold and Green fades where he once was prominent. Alexisonfire is due to visit Calgary on August 12, headlining this year’s Vans Warped Tour. After listening to this it may be best to stay home, buy the one track of iTunes and call it a day.

— Jeremy Nolais

To hear a sample click here.

The Mars Volta
Octahedron
Warner Bros., Mercury Records
4/5 stars

The Mars Volta is back with a new, softer side that excels on many levels and falters on few. The first single in North America “Since We’ve Been Gone” can be summed up as simply haunting, as vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s lyrics ring out and create an almost euphoric experience. Although this is an “acoustic album,” as producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez described in back in January, it deserves to be played loud and proud.

Those who are not accustomed to Volta or simply cannot stand the band’s distorted take on the alternative-rock genre will likely not be converted by Octahedron, but dedicated followers will be simply left in awe at a number of points during nearly 50 minutes of a ride into bliss.
This acoustic compilation — the group’s fifth — succeeds where many other acoustic transitions have failed for similar groups simply because the band stays true to their strengths and nothing feels forced. This move took balls, as some tracks almost serve better as nursery rhymes than the blistering blasts that have been put out by the group for so long. Only “Teflon” rocks with anything close to previous Volta pace.
Octahedron also whets the appetite for future potential for the group. Imagine an album that featured more contrast between the “fast Volta” and the “harmonic Volta,” that could possibly serve as best album of all.
The Mars Volta prides themselves on the unknown and surprise factor they offer audiences. Needless to say, Octahedron will surprise, however, it will definitely not disappoint.

— Jeremy Nolais

To hear a sample click here.

Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo
Domino Records
3/5 stars

Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo is a CD/DVD set that was filmed live at, you guessed it, The Apollo.
Now, stay with me here, while the DVD is live at the Apollo the CD is music taped live at Stubbs Bar B-Que in Austin, Texas, not the first place you’d imagine a British Punk group doing a live album but from the reaction of the crowd, the band made it work.
The Arctic Monkey’s have an upbeat, funky sound and lead singer Alex Turner has a great set of pipes. The only problem is live CD’s can be difficult to listen to with all the noise of the crowd. Arctic Monkey’s would be a great band to see live but putting the show on a CD didn’t really do it for me. The DVD is alright but you’d have to be a diehard “Monkey-lover” to hold onto it for long.
Signature sound and great lyrics especially in the cases of tracks “Dancing Shoes” and “I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor” make Live at the Apollo a great CD to play while getting ready for a night of rowdiness and a great DVD to use as a coaster.

— Kelsey Hipkin

To hear a sample click here.

Sights & Sounds
Monolith
Smallman Records
4.5/5 stars

Sights & Sounds has chose to put aside their crappy knockoff sound — largely taken from Jimmy Eat World, Gob and other carbon-copy punk bands — and look to the heavier potential of their talents on this sophomore disc.
Needless to say, the listener is left to reap the rewards.
Led by Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld on vocals, who also enlists the services of his brother Joel on drums, Sights & Sounds lives up well to its name. Each song is best described as journey into a sensual rhythm that is carefully juxtaposed with wrenching vocals.
This band doesn’t hold back, risking it all on each and every track with the poise of true veterans. The listener gets the sense that great deal of time has been put into this body of work and becomes more and more invested in the meaning behind the lyrics as the album progresses.
Sure, the finishing touch is still lacking on a few of the songs as the Canadian foursome acquaints itself with its bold progression, but it is the multiple memorable singles that gives Monolith its lasting shelf life.
A true standout would have to be “The Clutter.” The underlying harmony created by a sweet guitar riff helps carry this simple, serene tune. This is the type of compilation that can provide someone down in the dumps with a sense of uplifting.
Neufeld comes across as a tormented soul throughout Monolith, especially on “Untitled.” The first two minutes of this track are barely audible — a bold choice for any new band attempting to hook a following — and then it slowly builds into a dramatic conclusion. This one is perfect for anyone who constantly bottles their emotions inside, yearning to one day scream everything they feel out loud, but knowing they likely never will. Powerful stuff indeed.
With Monolith, be patient as the majority of the group’s best work is in the latter half of the album. The elaborate drum solos, the creative chords, Neufeld’s intoxicating vocals, it all works in unison and seems to only get better with time. If you are looking for mainstream punk-rock regurgitation then check out that new disc from Green Day or something, if you are looking for a different sound to attach emotions to you won’t be sorry with this one.

— Jeremy Nolais

To hear a sample click here.