A Shower Of Leaves – January 28th, 2002
by Bing Futch
[[128bingpray]] It’s beautiful. Almost as if fall has returned to central Florida, just outside the office window. The sun is retreating westward, tinting the foliage in varying golden textures and a slight wind has shaken a hundred or so leaves out of the boughs of a not-too-haggard evergreen. It was all happening just a minute ago, a whirling, twirling cascade of brownbeigecinnamon, little helicopters descending, deciduous paratroopers. It is calm outside now, save for the occasional lone jumper. As the shadows grow longer and the barking squirrels begin to wind down their upper-story frolicking, I take a last lingering glimpse at a marbled blue and white sky blocked by the now-blackening limbs. I slip in a CD and crank the sonofabitch up to the maximum setting.
NUTRAJET
Protection EP
Twenty Stone Blatt
(Five out of five stars)
There’s nothing dynamic about this Orlando duo, they have only one setting: loud and pissed-off. This is their first recorded offering since drum “specialist” Pamela Suzanne Dozier left the employ of “guitar hero” and frontman Greg Reinel, but he has found a hardy replacement in the form of “bad guy” Jeff Wood, who pounds skins with the same sensible-yet-on-the-fucking-edge verve as his predecessor. These six tracks are classic Nutrajet – an amalgam of 80’s new wave gloss, snotty UK punk snarl and 60’s spy flick dramatics all wrapped in a louder-than-thou hard candy shell. For those not familiar with this act, Reinel takes care of both the bass and guitar parts simultaneously by way of a complicated amplifier rigging, though he’s dusted the recording with tasty lead lines and killer filler riffs. This keeps the action tight throughout as the two-man team dishes up ear-bombing punk-pop that tickles as much as it stings. Reinel takes aim at a public in love with the internet on the first track, “Deleted” as he sings/screams “and if you ever wake up to reality/shut it off go back to sleep/sweet American dreams.” The aforementioned spy capers surface in the insistently brutal slow-mosh of “Vicious Intent”, which paints a vivid picture of a female killer who has “more curves than a runaway bus.” The entertainment biz sees the business end of Nutrajet’s loaded gun in the newly reworked “Celebrity Fist” (“if you’re not fucking someone/they’re most likely fucking you”), which shows just how diverse Wood’s percussive attack can be while the new tune “Don’t Hold Your Breath” is seemingly directed at those who would have written off the band after their disappearance from the local scene. Reinel’s promise that “I’m not dead yet” anchors a frightfully funny tune that revels in the art of being unrepentant. Partially recorded at Kingsnake Studio with master engineer Rick Bailey at the helm and produced by Nutrajet with Bill Mason at Hitmakers, the “Protection EP” is a sonic brawl. It sports angry, monster guitar walls and stick-splitting drum antics, proving that punk never dies – it just gets older and repackages itself. Nice package. www.nutrajet.com
SEASONS OF THE WOLF
Nocturnal Revelation
Earth Mother Music
(Four out of five stars)
Bradenton-based quintet Seasons Of The Wolf follow-up their powerful “Lost In Hell” CD with a disc that finds them dabbling in a variety of hard-edged styles while keeping one foot firmly in their self-described arena of “new-age metal.” Along with keyboard-heavy gothic rockers, there’s a taste of speed metal (“Transmission”), balladry (“NR3”) and one tune that could be described as groove-metal (“Starstruck.”) All the while, lead singer Wes Edward Waddell invokes the kind of thin, been-gargling-with-razor-blades shriek that made Brian Johnson famous, though with a touch of honey. Brother Barry Waddell single-handedly supplies the chunky guitar onslaught, alternately providing spooky attacks and dexterous solo fretwork. He also shines on two instrumentals; waxing spacious and clean, then ferocious and screaming on “Dark and Lonely Depths; but the “Dance Of A Thousand Veils” ventures into more folky territory, layering gypsy-like acoustic musings over hand percussion and throbbing bass provided by Chris Whitford. This is a particularly nice tune, both in execution and arrangement and it serves as a nice eye of the storm. Some of the Dungeons and Dragons imagery is tried and true, but the band rises above the clichés with a couple of tunes based on Stephen King books. The creepy intro to “Dead Zone” quickly gives way to a manic double-time attack fueled by drummer Wayne Hoefle as lead singer Waddell sings “I can see the future/where have I been thrown?/a place where deadly visions twist/and turn inside my brain.” During the somewhat subdued “Storm Of The Century”, shards of double-strummed distortion and feedback serve as grace-notes to lyrics that proclaim “secrets that you kept so well brought hell to your door.” The most ubiquitous presence on the album is keyboardist Dennis Ristow, who can be relied on to layer evil-sounding pads under everything, but this approach works against many of the tunes – perhaps its his choice of patches. It’s when he breaks out the leads, as in the Pink Floyd-ish “Quilex”, that he serves to elevate the material. Production was accomplished at the band’s own Level-D Green recording studios and for the most part, they’ve got it right. Guitarist Waddell’s furious neck-throttling seems curiously low in the mix and could stand to be brought forward where it can threaten everyone equally. His brother’s vocals carry the weight when necessary but sometimes seem too thin when called upon to bring the dynamics down, which this band does very well. Not your average 80’s dark-death angel band, SOTW continues to evolve and carries a fine torch for pure theatrical heavy metal. Bang your head to this, mate. www.sotwmetal.com>
Can you do the twelve-step?
I’m off to a meeting, but I managed to knock off the first two reviews of many to follow. Coming up next: Red Shift Mantra with their new debut release and a brash, in-your-face assault by the band known as Wrong called “Bring It On” Be sure to tune in this coming Sunday night between 6-10 pm ET when The World Wide Radio Renaissance program goes up against the Superbowl to present these and other selections of independent Florida music. More news and tidbits to follow – but until next week, be well, be wise and be wary.
“bfsig”
