Die Trying's New Writeups

Land of the Free? (thing)

2001-08-17T01:44:15Z

Seventh studio album by the band Pennywise, released in 2001 on Epitah Records. The cover/booklet artwork is cool- it shows photographs of ranks of Riot Police wearing sinister-looking gas masks and holding shields and batons and things and generally looking nasty. The inside back page of the booklet has photos of the instruments the bandmembers play with each of their names beside the appropriate gear.

Tracklist:

This album kicks ass. I haven't really heard any Pennywise other than this, so I can't say much about how it relates to their other work, but I have heard a lot of good things said about them in the press and by people I know. This CD…

Short Bus (thing)

2001-07-27T18:04:42Z

Debut full-length album by Chicago-based rock/industrial/nu-metal band Filter. Recorded while the band were in Richard Patrick's hometowm of Cleveland (Thanks!), and released in 1995 through Warner Bros.

Tracks:

This CD isn't bad- which is to say it isn't great either. If you take Nine Inch Nails, remove the intelligence and awe-inspiring creativity, add a Ministry-esque level of guitar thrash and industrial pounding, and top it off with a lyrical and vocal style more suited to a fratboy-fronted college rock band, you've pretty much got Filter.

Okay, so what's good about it? Well,…

Chuck Palahniuk (person)

2001-07-18T22:09:52Z

"Hero" isn't the right word, but its the first word that comes to mind.

I'm late- There's a problem with the train tickets so I have to get the bus to Glasgow, which takes forever. Eventually I find Borders Bookshop and walk in- it's eerily quiet. Where's Chuck Palahniuk, I ask. "Down the stairs" says the assistant and points. Thanks, I say.

Downstairs the place is packed. Chuck is somewhere in the distance beyond all the heads, giving a reading from Choke. I don't recognise the part of the book he's reading from. Wait, now I do- this is the infamous Simulated Rape scene I've heard so much about. As I listen to Chuck's voice, to the main character fumbling his way through it all, I can't help laughing out loud, and neither can the rest of the audience.

That Chuck knows how to make simulated rape funny.

After the reading the floor is opened for questions. During this, Chuck takes two opportunities to mention just how much he loves Nine Inch Nails.…

Deviant (thing)

2001-06-20T22:26:42Z

Fifth full-length studio album by British techno-metal band Pitchshifter, released in 2000 on MCA Records. Produced and mixed by Dave Jerden.

This is a fantastic album. Its the only Pitchshifer CD I own, but I would call myself a fan on the basis of this one disc. One word for this CD: tight. Whether its the playing or the production, everything on this CD is exacly where it should be. The music is basically metal, but with strong techno/electronica influences, plus a good helping of drum'n'bass. As an album, it feels more like a collection of songs than an entity in its own right, although there are many common themes and threads. Its maybe a bit on the short side for my liking (45 minutes), but Pitchshifter grew up listening to punk rock, so that's understandable.

The cover art is an extremely freaky picture of a person who is the left half of the Queen stuck to the right half of the Pope. This got the authorities in Poland all pissy and…

Endless, Nameless (thing)

2001-06-15T23:40:53Z

Album by now-reforming British rock band The Wildhearts. Released in 1997 on Mushroom Records.

This is actually the only Wildhearts album I have heard, and I'm told it's not their best, or for that matter much like their other work. But I love it. It's a great rock CD, with a good upbeat feel to it, but there is a shitload of distortion and general industrial noise, especially in the vocals, which I think is probably what puts some people off. Still, it's definitely worth having as it was their last proper studio album before their 1999 split.

Tracklist:

Perversion (thing)

2001-05-21T18:36:37Z

Second full-length album by industrial techno-metal outfit Gravity Kills, Released in 1998 on TVT Records. This is altogether a pretty good album. The style is generally intense, pounding industrial dance music with pretty straightforward delivery and song structure. There a couple of slower, more contemplative tracks; Crashing is kinda funky, Wanted is full of airy singing over mad drumming, and album closer Belief (To Rust) is a big fat slice of ambient effects and whispering giving way to massive powerchords and anthemic vocals.

Some criticisms. There isn't all that much variety on the album. Aside from the aforementioned tracks, most of it sounds pretty similar; sometimes too much so. Also, its not a terribly original work. I'm sure pretty much everything on here has already been thought of before. Also, the lyrics pretty much suck. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the singing, Jeff has a reasonably good voice, its just that…