In Search of Metal pt 6: Available at a Used CD Bin Near You
You are summoned forthwith to pay homage to the one true king
I've become a bit obsessed with the concept of "butt rock", in recent times, defining its terms, testing its limits. What makes something butt rock? Is it any "bad" rock music? Any bad rock music with Pearl Jam vocals? Any hard rock? What was the first butt rock band? Candlebox? Mötley Crüe? KISS? (the answer is Grand Funk Railroad btw). Of course you might say it's all relative; to a sufficiently DIY punker, any band with audibly commercial ambitions might be considered butt rock, just look how some people talk about Smashing Pumpkins and Oasis. To a punk, Led Zeppelin is butt rock. But I'm interested in the objective, not the subjective, and my objective definition of butt rock is any meatheaded rock music that has evident commercial ambitions but few to no musical ones, and a deficit of personality. Anyway, this installment is not about butt rock. Or rather, I don't consider a lot of this butt rock. But I reckon you might. So I'm grouping it all together, all the abject millennial detritus and hoary boomerisms, the nu-metal, the industrial, the hard rock, the stuff listened to religiously by the kid in middle school who wore the same shirt every day, all the stuff which I understood, based entirely on vibes, was NOT cool, as a teen. See, my music taste has actually degraded over time. I really wanted to be cool as a youth, yknow. I hopped on Joy Division before the shirt was a meme. But alas....one day I heard Pantera. And you can't go back from that. One day it's just a lil groove metal. Next, say, some nu-metal, the real gnarly kind, won't hurt. Before you know it you're flying down the interstate to Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry", don't remember how you got here, don't particularly care. Let's explore the music (correctly) beloved by the dumbest guys you've ever met. And also plenty of other people nu-metal's gotten the Michael Bay reclamation treatment dontcha know, may as well embrace it.
And a note: I will not cover albums which I am 99% certain will qualify for the tournament, and this is the first installment for which this is the case. Ergo, no Linkin Park, Deftones, QOTSA, Rage Against the Machine.
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) by Marilyn Manson: I can't escape the suspicion I may be being unfair to this album. I've also heard Antichrist Superstar and that's pretty rippin'. But man, this feels like the longest album ever recorded, and it's so much more restrained than Antichrist Superstar, so much more ponderous, so much more overtly a Serious album. And...there are a lot of things I'm willing to forgive/ignore in an artist, but it's pretty damn tough to swallow a bitter 80-minute long pity party sung by a guy who is almost-certainly a serial rapist, and worse than that if half of what his accusers say about him is true. It's hard to wanna get onboard with this "I'm punished for being Transgressive in a Conservative Society" schtick when the guy's a monster. Maybe I'm being (musically) unfair, but I'll be damned if I sit through another 80 minutes to find out unless I have to.
My score: ☆½
Awake by Godsmack: Pound for pound, Godsmack might be the least talented band to ever achieve multiplatinum success. And this is an easy insult to throw at any album you don't like but this literally sounds like they wrote it in as much time as it takes to play. It sounds like you played Godsmack's first album for session musicians and then a month later asked them to perform it from memory. This album may deserve a world-record for LP recorded using the fewest riffs.
My score: ☆☆
Conspiracy of One by the Offspring: This isn't technically as overproduced as, say, Enema of the State, but the contrast with how spunky amd rebellious the band is supposed to be makes the result immeasurably worse. Sounds like an album you would win in a giveaway from Burger King
My score: ☆☆
Violence by Nothingface: This is one of the more highly-rated nu-metal albums on RateYourMusic, I assume because it's too boring and po-faced to be cringe. Yawn
My score: ☆☆½
No Name Face by Lifehouse: I'm not sure why I bothered to listen to this one. Did I expect to be surprised?
My score: ☆☆½
Stiff Upper Lip by AC/DC: I'm not sure why I bothered to listen to this one. Did I expect to be surprised?
My score: ☆☆½
13 Ways to Bleed on Stage by Cold: Struggling to remember anything about this....
My score: ☆☆☆
arc'tan'gent by earthtone9: Some people accuse Tool of being incapable of writing songs, and I invite them to listen to this soundalike record and stack it up next to anything Tool has ever made. That said, it'll do on a rainy day.
My score: ☆☆☆
Something Like Human by Fuel: This one has some bangers, just runs outta juice
My score: ☆☆☆
The State by Nickelback: This originally released in 1998, but it was not available anywhere but Canada until 2000, and we gotta throw a bone to all the loyal Chadheads the world over! The State is interesting because of how different Nickelback is. Are they particularly GOOD? No. But they are audibly rooted in a more contemplative, lyrically-impressionistic 90s alternative sound, a far cry from the bluntly-literal thud-rock they'd ride to the sky. The difference between this and Silver Side Up is like hearing Alternative Nation die in real time.
My score: ☆☆☆
Covenant by UFO: UFO are legit contenders for best hard rock artist of the 70s, but of course, this isn't the 70s. This is solid, has expectedly great leads from Michael Schenker, but the songs are uninspired and it has some of the worst drumming I've ever heard, from Aynsley Dunbar no less! Not sure what happened there
My score: ☆☆☆
The Better Life by 3 Doors Down: The exact midpoint between the Matchbox 20/Train school of "adult alternative" and post-grunge butt rock, I'm surprised more bands didn't attempt to ride this very milquetoast sound to demographic domination. Got some tunes though, can't resist "Loser"
My score: ☆☆☆
The Height of Callousness by Spineshank: Industrial nu-metal of the Static-X variety. S'alright
My score: ☆☆☆½
Grand Fury by the BellRays: This is a little out of place in this selection but it's a throwback boomer hard rock thing so what the hell. Black woman lead singer, bit of soul, bit of punk, sounds like it could have been recorded in the 70s give or take a few anachronisms. Good stuff
My score: ☆☆☆½
Broke by (həd) Planet Earth: This one's a fun time. Real goofball rap metal, has the furious spark that Limp Bizkit has let go of in their Imperial phase
My score: ☆☆☆½
The Sickness by Disturbed: Disturbed aren't quite as....er, compositionally-challenged as Godsmack, but they don't distinguish themselves here either. David Draiman reaches for the same handful of tricks over and over again. I guess it's dogged consistency like that that's given them the most successful long-term career of this year's nu-metal class. It does have its standouts. "Droppin' Plates" is hilarious.
My score: ☆☆☆½
Spit by Kittie: Pretty damn gnarly, and a contender for one of the heaviest albums to receive an RIAA certification, but also fairly simplistic and one note
My score: ☆☆☆½
Strait Up by Snot: Snot were one of the most promising up-and-comers in nu-metal, infusing the sound with a hardcore grit that eluded most of the bigger names. Unfortunately their frontman (and his dog, featured on their only completed album's cover) was killed in a car crash during the recording of their second full-length, so all the brightest stars in the nu-metal sky came together to help the band complete it. Heartwarming or horrifying? That's for the listener to decide. Definitely sounds more like a tribute than an artwork but it's enjoyable provided, of course, you like nu-metal.
My score: ☆☆☆½
MACHINA/The Machines of God by Smashing Pumpkins: I gather this isn't a well-regarded album, and it's easy enough to understand why: pulls from shoegaze, industrial and alt-metal without really committing fully to any and comes across like a muted version of each. Still, it's a unique combo and Billy Corgan can still write a compelling tune.
My score: ☆☆☆½
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water by Limp Bizkit: This album ends on a lengthy outro wherein Ben Stiller expounds upon his semi-ironic appreciation for Limp Bizkit, and laughs a great deal at their tryhard tough guy image. By this time Limp Bizkit were clearly aware they were becoming the butts of jokes, and it seems that they didn't much like it, because Chocolate Starfish cuts down on the in-your-face aggro aspects of Limp Bizkit in favor of a lot more lengthy contemplative tracks and lower-key rapping. This is Limp Bizkit attempting to make a case for themselves as rock stars with longevity, versatility, rather than an instantly-dated novelty.
Well, they tried. Being that their most recent album is called Limp Bizkit Still Sucks, I'm glad they've come to terms with their place in culture. I have a big place in my heart for the Bizkit, I just wish they'd focused in on what they're good at (if you claim not to enjoy "Rollin" I straight-up don't believe you) or worked harder to flesh out the blander material. They seem afraid of sounding ridiculous and they don't mitigate this with more interesting compositions and beats. And they still sound ridiculous. I like most everything on here, but listening to it all together.....boy does it sag. In any case I think this is a MUST HAVE for the bracket, all the more so because Significant Other SHAMEFULLY did not qualify for one!!!!
My score: ☆☆☆½
If_Then_Else by The Gathering: I'm not sure if this is "alternative metal"' strictly speaking, but it's certainly metal-adjacent. The Gathering have softened but their sound is still a melange of gothic and alternative and progressive flavors of heavy, with trip hop elements thrown in to boot. Creative and ethereal.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
We Have Come for Your Parents by Amen: This is one of the more "legit"alt metal releases this year, very angry and rooted in punk. Personally, I prefer a few more dashes of cringe, but this is a good one.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Don't Give Me Names by Guano Apes: This feels a little ahead of its time in that it's boilerplate in a way that would be more common later. It's straight-down-the-line alt-metal, largely (but not entirely) devoid of nu-metal's more dated tendencies, the sort of sound Disturbed would pivot to in order to stay relevant, that bands like Halestorm would capitalize on. Er, guess I'm not selling it. It's real good! Has kind of a gothic metal edge, lady singer, goes hard.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Brutal Planet by Alice Cooper: Many old-guard rockers tried to find a place in the alternative age to no avail, but Alice Cooper's attempt has gotta be one of the more respectable. Real strong (if slightly corny) songs, rough-sounding production that gives it an edge, very cynical about what decadent hateful slobs Americans are, an industrial thump borrowed from Rob Zombie. Better than Manson's turd.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Infest by Papa Roach: As Limp Bizkit became more self-concerned, Papa Roach kept their ear to the ground and ensured angry white boys would have their fill of indignant but righteous rap metal. Hear! As Jacoby Shaddix (lol) shares his thoughts about depression, capitalism, and substance abuse to punk-infused nu-metal riffs. And that's about all there is to it. Goes hard, though.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Gift by Taproot: There's an alternate universe where Tool "sold out" after Ænima and this is what it sounded like and metalheads talk about it the same way they do Slayer's Diabolus in Musica or Megadeth's Risk
My score: ☆☆☆☆
L.D. 50 by Mudvayne: Mudvayne get lumped in with the turn of the century's pile of butt rock behemoths but they don't sound anything like, yknow, Staind. I could have stuck them in progressive metal but decided against it. Their sound is a mix of KoRn, Tool, and Primus. Irresistible, amiright? On a serious note it goes staggeringly hard and is outright dangerous to drive to. At 70 minutes it's on the baggy side but the fact it holds the attention as much as it does is a testament to the chops and the ears for memorable spurts of music on these guys.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Mer De Noms by A Perfect Circle: The year 2000 offers a plethora of options for those jonesing for a Tool album, and this is the artier, more melodic one. This is Tool you can take home to mom.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Primitive by Soulfly: Primitive is right; the music on here is so simple and repetitious it comes across like Max Cavalera is daring metalheads to bitch about it. The fact that you know, if you're familiar with Sepultura, that he could play much more complicated music if he chose, gives this a real power, you can feel defiance in the restraint. And it works! Real rhythmic heft and hypnotic power to this. Cavalera's music has a vaguely-Rage Against the Machine-ish slant, tends to rail against colonialism and its attendant horrors. This or the Taproot album are probably the best examples of "pure" nu metal, and I do think this bracket ought have such if it wants to credibly represent the year 2000.
My score: ☆☆☆☆
Messiah by Godflesh: This is only an EP, but MAN these guy are so cool. Industrial hell.
My score: ☆☆☆☆½
But if you only listen to one...
Sons of the Pioneers by The Workhorse Movement: I swear I'm not going out of my way to spotlight the most obscure album, it's just worked out that way a few times now. This would never have ended up on my radar if these guys hadn't been hot in Britain for a minute and landed on several year-end lists, and I'm so glad I checked it out because it is a blast. It's composed like alt/nu metal, but it has the aesthetics of stoner metal: the blown out riffs, rumbling vocals you'd normally expect from a High on Fire type band. It's got a tasteful amount of credible white boy rapping, and a creavity that nearest competitors Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit can't touch, as well as a sense of fun that very little alternative metal has. These guys sound like party animals, and not in a cheesy way, they just sound like they are digging the hell out of playing. This is an example of alternative metal that I genuinely don't think you'll have to hold your nose for or keep at an ironic distance.
My score: ☆☆☆☆½
Dismissed