Lost/Forgotten Album #194

[Jon]

None of the following is from Wikipedia.

A few years ago I cam across a movie called "Suck". No, it's not what you think. I would never EVER watch a movie like that. Instead, this was a vampire comedy and sometimes I like me some comedy in my horror movies. I also like vampire movies where the creatures don't sparkle in the sunlight because that's just stupid and anyone that thinks that's neat is stupid as well.

What made it even better was it was a movie about a rock band AND vampires. It also featured cameos from Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and a must-see segment with Alex Lifeson.

The music was pretty good and after doing some non-Wikipedia research, I found out why one of the characters looked really familiar. He was the lead singer of this week's pick, the 2004 release from Burning Brides, "Leave No Ashes". I had seen him somewhere but it just didn't click until I checked deeper (again, without use of Wikipedia). That's how things work out. 

Let's grab the allmusic.com review:

"Burning Brides really made it happen with Fall of the Plastic Empire. The Philly trio toured the album hard, as hard as their thick, rabid guitar music hit. And don't forget about that bass -- Melanie Campbell's fingers didn't seem large enough to create the Entwistle-ian thunder of the Brides' bottom end. Well, in 2004 Campbell and six-string shouter cohort Dimitri Coats are back, powered by drummer Jason Kourkounis and dropping an anvil called Leave No Ashes on the world's glass slipper. The approach hasn't changed -- Coats still screams with Mark Arm abandon, and tracks like "Alternative Teenage Suicide" and the title cut renew the Burning Brides trademark of meaty, overdriven riffs smashing full speed into unforgiving rhythm sections. "To Kill a Swan"'s leaden thud is stoner rock-worthy, while Coats' full-bore scream of "I want you gone!" on "King of the Demimonde" is the rallying cry of a thousand fed-up boyfriends. But Leave No Ashes also stokes the Brides' flame with a new sense of cool gooey dynamics, shifts that transform sludge into flashes of heavy metal guitar-hero wizardry or corrosive punk ethos in the twist of an amp knob. And the keyboards! Well, not in the sophomore-curse sense. "Dance With the Devil"'s codependency -- "Everyone only wants to f*ck you...but I know I must hate to love you" -- is tinged with bizarre carnival keys that make it sound like a grease-monkey version of Quasi. "Last Man Standing" is even more of a departure, drifting into lazy dazes of chiming and harmony-laden psychedelia. Still, Leave No Ashes' main reason for being is the crazed hard rock that shapes itself into melody at just the right time. It's a strong solid effort, and is covered in some of the coolest collagist cover art you'll ever see. Oh, for the days of gatefold LPs!"

Now you have an album to listen to and a movie to watch. A double dose of goodness!

Leave No Ashes

1. Heart Full Of Black
2. Come Alive
3. Alternative Teenage Suicide
4. King of The Demimonde
5. Century Song
6. Dance With The Devil
7. Leave No Ashes
8. To Kill a Swan
9. Pleasure In The Pain
10. From You
11. Last Man Standing
12. Vampire Waltz

Availability: Appears to be OOP, but a new copy can be had for less than $5.

[Scott]

How can we trust your content if none of it is from Wikipedia? The answer is that we probably can't. ...

[Jon]

[Scott]

Heart Full of Black has clear moments where your here Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters stylings.  I think this is your way of saying you really like the Foo Fighters.  I like this first track too, because of the aforementioned influence...

SO now I know why you didn't use Wiki - this band toured with Queens of the Stone Age, and that's the direct line to Grohl!!  HAHAHAHA!  Your a closet Foo Fighter fan!!  I FRIGGIN' KNEW IT!

First slip up is Alternative Teeanage Suicide, not very good IMO.  And while King of he Demimonde (whatever that is) didn't really improve it much, it did improve it. I did get a little bit of Soundgarden listening to it.  Now onto WIki to see what the heck a Demimonde is ...

Demi-monde refers to a group of people who live hedonistic lifestyles, usually in a flagrant and conspicuous manner. The term was commonly used in Europe from the late 18th to the early 20th century, and modern use often refers to that period.^{[citation needed]} Its connotations of pleasure-seeking often contrasted with wealth and ruling class behavior.

The term was often used as one of disapprobation, the behavior of a person in the demimonde being contrary to more traditional or bourgeois values. Such behaviors often included drinking or drug use, gambling, high spending (particularly in pursuit of fashion, as through clothing as well as servants and houses), and sexual promiscuity. The term demimondaine referred to a woman who embodied these qualities; later it became a euphemism for a courtesan or prostitute.

The term 'demi-monde' is French for "half-world". It derives from a comedy by Alexandre Dumas fils published in 1855 called Le Demi-Monde.^[1]

Amazing what can be learned from reliable sources and what others try to hide....   hmmm....

Century Song, eh...

Dance with the Devil, Demimonde's, Black Hearts Swan Killing, and Teenage Suicide, these guys are evil!  Why kill swans?  I mean seriously, what has a swan ever done to them?  Some kind of childhood trauma related to the Ugly Duckling or something, or, acid... one of the two I'm sure...

Pleasure in the Pain isn't terrible.  I'll give them credit for being an alternative band that does geetar solos. 

There is one redeeming quality that I really about this album.  And it that I get to use it as part of the May Challenge!

oh, and one more thing I liked ... it exposed your Foo Fandom!!!

[Jon]

[Scott]

[RJhog (Admin)]

This isn't too bad.  Not great or anything like that, but not bad.

The first two tracks are pretty good, but track 4 is not.  Again, track 5 picks back up, but then it's a bit forgettable after that point until Vampire Waltz closes it out.  I like that track, especially the 60's feel with the keyboards.

There is also some decent guitar work, with bits of it reminding me of Ace Frehley.  

I don't think this will end up on my Top 5 LFAOTW list for 2014, but it's a decent little listen.