Greenslade s/t
Greenslade - Bedside Manners are Extra
It’s almost disconcerting to think of Mr. Greenslade jumping from the bluesy/jazzy Colosseum to what is definitely classical and/or symphonic progressive rock. It may have helped to bring a second keyboards player along, although it was unfortunate that it had to be Dave Lawson, whose vocals, if they aren’t an acquired taste are more like nails on a chalkboard. I guess most vocalists who sound like they’re forcing their sound through a very tight aperture don’t appeal to me too much. Even putting Lawson aside, there’s not a heck of a lot all that appealing about the music, which compared to anything else from 1972-3, seems somewhat backwards and uninteresting. By this point Yes had created their finest opus, Genesis were about to do Selling England and in comparison the first Greenslade seems uncommonly weak, there’s barely a line here that doesn’t remind you of something much better (for some reason I kept thinking Gracious of all things). Fortunately it gets better as the band moves to the second album, there seem to be longer instrumental spaces and a little less Lawson in the vocals department (although he apparently wrote much of the music). At times I found myself liking some of the sequences even to the point where I was doubting the need to get rid of it, and I’d have never looked back cutting loose the first one. I’m not in that much of a hurry to pick up the next one, although I might have in the days when I liked Roger Dean’s artwork better.
Suffocation s/t
I think this is the latest Suffocation, which came out a few months ago on the tail of a couple of live albums I must have missed, but ought to go back for. Suffocation are one of the premiere death metal groups as far back as albums like Effigy of the Forgotten and Pierced from Within, they had a bit of a break up and seem to have reformed strong than ever if Souls to Deny and this album are evidence. I also seem to remember seeing them in some TV promo for some show, but I’m not entirely sure I didn’t dream that. Anyway the thing I notice the most about the new Suffocation is just how rich and complex their music is, even beyond the type of staggering and changing rhythms, the guitars seem to layer melodies and harmonies almost like classical music. When they combine their sheer tight unison playing with these long, almost symphonic parts they’re a tough band to beat. This is a perfect example of just how advanced some metal is, if only the modern progressive rock groups could take a cue from this sort of thing just in terms of the notes rather than style, most of us wouldn’t feel like we’re still standing in a mortuary.