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Critiques from our Archives |
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Halford
Crucible
Bobby Jarzombek
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 9
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Rob Halford and great drummers go hand in hand. This was certainly apparent when the singer fronted metal legends Judas Priest and his post-Priest group Fight. Halford?s third solo album is a stunning slab of metal, and BOBBY JARZOMBEK?s drumming is a prime reason. On propulsive scorchers like "Betrayal" (which begins with a dazzling mini-solo), "Heretic," and "Handing Out Bullets," the drummer shows astonishing power and precision while Halford?s soaring vocals launch into a new realm. The Metal God knows how to pick ?em. |
Halford
Live Insurrection
Bobby Jarzombek (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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This hot new double live release is kind of a Rob Halford anthology, including several strong renditions of classic JP tunes, a few songs from his short-lived project Fight, energized versions of Halford?s Resurrection material, and three new studio tracks. Drummer Bobby Jarzombek does justice to every phase of Halford?s metal music, displaying solid chops with few frills. Bobby?s thick and heavy drum sound is exactly what Halford needs for his authentic metal meltdown. Jarzombek stays in the pocket at all times, never allowing the music to turn to a jam-fest. (www.RobHalford.com) |
Hanuman
Pedalhorse
Jarrod Kaplan
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Hanuman fuses jazz and a variety of other genres into its own brand of global improv roots music. As the band lays down a kind of European-Americana gypsy vibe in "Pushkar," displaying a high level of musical interplay, drummer Jarrod Kaplan pops off melodic and churning beats on his African djembe. He slinks his way through the funk-jazz numbers "Carrot Soup" and "Tige?s Funk" and counters the biting clarity of acoustic guitar and mandolin in the title track with an authoritative yet understated groove. Kaplan is not showy, but he is very capable. |
Haunted, The
One Kill Wonde
Per Moeller-Jensen
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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When Swedish band At The Gates called it quits in the mid-?90s, a few of its members formed The Haunted. Whereas ATG relied on sprawling death-metal, The Haunted churns out tight, vicious, Slayer-inspired thrash/hardcore. Perhaps too many Swedes have adopted this approach in recent years, yet few do it as expertly as The Haunted. And the band?s third album packs quite a wallop, as the precise, dual-guitar mayhem and roaring vocals of "Godpuppet" and "Everlasting" demonstrate. Yet the record also shows a grittier, looser, and ultimately more creative feel than previous outings, allowing drummer PER MOELLER-JENSEN to really stretch out. His booming rhythm and cool intricacies benefit an eerie classic-metal arrangement on the instrumental "Demon Eyes," and he truly manhandles his kit on the tumultuous "Urban Predator," the Pantera-like "Bloodletting," and the hardcore rant "Shithead." Yikes! |
Herring, Lavitz, Hayward, Gradney
Endangered Species
Richie Hayward (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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Mining the same greasy New Orleans funk grooves of his main band, Little Feat, Richie Hayward sounds as solid as ever on this cool blend of The Dixie Dregs and the Feat. A perfect counterpoint to the heavy rock fusion chops of the rest of this band, Hayward plays with a loose, dirty style with little polish but lots of grit. (Tone Center) |
Hilary Jones
Soaring
Hilary Jones (dr, vcl)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Drummers unfamiliar with Hilary Jones? work with Lee Ritenour, Scott Henderson, Eric Marienthal, and Robben Ford should check out her debut solo recording. Hilary shifts through different styles and moods, showcasing her versatility. "Alive Again" showcases Hilary laying down a feel-good New Orleans shuffle before climaxing with short fusion fills to end the tune. On the title track, she?s blazing right from the start with a nice displacement of accents. (Constitution) |
Hint Hint
Young Days
Jason Lajeunesse
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 6
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Fusing elements of The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, and Hot Hot Heat, Hint Hint?s Young Days is anything but immature?particularly the established drumming of JASON LAJEUNESSE. The roomy ambience of the recording is pristine, accentuating the numerous, well-placed tom patterns and warm, sustained crashes. Lajeunesse is especially resourceful on ?Senator Blues,? as he gracefully transforms the track from a bashing rocker, to a pulsating funk track, to a minor dance jingle. Elsewhere, ?Long Branch, New Jersey? explores the busy cross-stick/snare-off option with success. Young Days is a disc that bodes well both with the ears and the brain. |
Hip Bones
Threedom
Robin Tolleson
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 6
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Hip Bones lie somewhere between jam band and jazz, playing funky music with an open sax/bass/drums format. ROBIN TOLLESON lays down laid-back grooves throughout, and takes advantage of the opportunities to play around the bass in this sparse trio format. Check out the remake of Cream?s "Sunshine Of Your Love" for an example. (cdbaby.com/hipbones) |
Hiromi
Another Mind
Dave Dicenso
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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Keyboardist Hiromi proves that the Yamaha Music School turns out more than just classical players. Here the twenty-three-year-old sounds like a cross between Chick Corea, Michel Camilo, and Keith Emerson. (Yes, she?s that good.) Drummer DAVE DICENSO delivers the goods on this high-energy instrumental material. Opening track "XYZ" unleashes DiCenso in a chops-filled solo inside an odd-metered frenzy, reminiscent of Dave Weckl?s work with Camilo. (Former Camilo bassist Anthony Jackson is also featured on this release.) In fact, Dave displays impressive swing, funk, blues, Latin, and rock chops throughout this recording, which is sure to draw attention his way. |
Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
Italbua
Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 10
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Horacio ?El Negro? Hernandez introduced American drummers to the revolutionary left-foot clave technique several years ago. Now, on his first release as bandleader, the drummer takes his advanced ?one-man percussion section? to new heights, performing complex Latin/jazz/fusion material with a blazing all-Cuban quartet featuring bass, keyboards, and trumpet. Negro?s fusion of traditional Latin styles with high-energy modern techniques sounds virtually impossible for a single player to execute. Once again raising the bar in modern drumming techniques, with this recording Hernandez solidifies his place as one of today?s most innovative drumming masters. (www.pimientarecords.com) |
Hossam Ramzy
Sabla Tolo 2
Hossam Ramzy
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 8
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Known for his work with Page & Plant, Peter Gabriel, Joan Armatrading, and Chick Corea, HOSSAM RAMZY is Egypt?s ?ambassador of rhythm,? earning his title with a catalog?s worth of CDs and DVDs that contain a wealth of Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Moroccan drumming. As described on the cover of his latest CD, ?The art of Oriental dance is to visually hear the music.? And Sabla Tolo 2 certainly brings many images to mind. No need to ?squint? to hear these multi-layered tracks?just check out the percussion tracks, which move forward with the momentum of a dancing drum army. With stops and starts, speeding up and slowing down, the rhythms carry you away. This is one huge drum lesson. (www.Arcmusic.co.uk/) |
Hot Potty
One Step Closer To Broadway
Brooks Wackerman
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Leave it to a bunch of drummers to make an album so rhythmically deranged. Led by Bad Religion/Vandals/Suicidal Tendencies drummer BROOKS WACKERMAN and featuring guest spots by JOSH FREESE, STEVEN PERKINS, and JOHN WACKERMAN, Hot Potty is all over the map. Switching from metal to punk to blues to soft rock, often in the same song, Hot Potty?s manic diversity and sophomoric lyrics mesh to create great ADD rock. Standing out amid the crazy joyride of "One Step Closer To Broadway" is the album?s highlight, the sax-driven "Mr. Bojangles." On it, the interplay between Brooks? drumkit and Perkins? timbales is thrilling. (www.hotpotty.net). |
Hot Water Music
A Flight And A Crash
George Rebelo (dr)
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Hands down, Hot Water Music wins the award for Most Obscure and Cryptic Lyrics. And that?s not a bad thing in the genre of straight-ahead rock. Nor are tightly edited songs and loud guitars that drop in when necessary, then disappear. What makes it feel as if the project is barely hanging on is George Rebelo?s drumming. Sometimes he goes for a fill, and something?s not quite right. Perfect! Lord knows, if he wanted to clean up the occasional glitch he could have done so with today?s technology. Instead he obviously hits hard off the floor and goes for it each pass around the kit. (Epitaph) |
Hotwire
The Routine
Brian Borg
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Media Type: CD
RATING: 7
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Although Hotwire have been lumped into the n?-metal circuit, are touring on this year?s OzzFest, and have shared stages with (hed)pe and Spineshank, it?d be a crime to typecast the LA-based act into such a defined, often myopic genre. On their RCA debut, drummer BRIAN BORG and bandmates explore much more terrain than that of your typical drop-tuned guitar outfit. See the Rye Coalition-on-steroids of "Magazine" or the swingin? bashed crash of "Nice Profile" for prime examples of Borg?s out-of-the-box maneuvers. You?ll find the rest The Routine as impervious to pigeon-holing. |
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