Rhyme
The Seed and the Sewage
(Bakerteam Records)
3/5
Italy’s Rhyme are described as a ’90s metal band by their record label, and that definitely sums up The Seed and the Sewage. There’s a distinct nź-metal vibe on this, the band’s second album, especially on tracks like “Blind Dog” and “Brand New Jesus,” and a grunge flavour that comes through in the vocals.
Towards the second half of the album, Rhyme shift over to a more traditional heavy metal style, though they never quite leave the ’90s behind. “Nevermore” still features some very nź-metal interludes and it’s not until the very last track of the album that they ditch the sound entirely.
There are a few pretty good songs on this album, but The Seed and the Sewage doesn’t really offer up anything we haven’t heard before. If you miss Godsmack and want to tell people you listen to Italian metal, this may be the band for you.
-Juliana Cooper
Thrice
Anthology
(Universal)
4/5
Thrice is a heavy rock band hailing from California. Their newest, and last, album Anthology is exactly what its name implies: a collection of their work recorded live for the CD.
Being a collection of songs, there’s no real theme to this album aside from being all live performances. While I’m usually not a big fan of live versions of songs, the fact that the CD was recorded live doesn’t stand out too much, other than the odd cheers from the crowd.
It’s too bad Thrice has already had their farewell tour and released their final album because I like their style. They have a good mix of fast-paced and slower songs and keep things mixed up instead of religiously following a set format for their songs.
While Anthology won’t bring anything new to the table for longtime fans, it’s still a great collection of some of Thrice’s best songs.
-Patrick Hallihan
The Tom Fun Orchestra
Earthworm Heart
(Company House Records)
3.5/5
This Nova Scotia band plays a rather interesting mix of rock and folk music, as evidenced on this, their sophomore album.
The band keeps the tunes diverse with a mix of acoustic and electric sounds; I think at one point there was even a banjo. While some songs take it fairly slow, others are very fast paced and almost remind me of swing music.
The best part of the band’s sound, however, is the singer, who very much has the voice for folk music.
While I don’t think it breaks any new ground in the music industry, it does a great job at mixing up the pace. Admittedly, as I wrote this review, I found myself wiggling around in my chair as I typed, most notably to track nine, “Animal Mask,” a great song. Earthworm Heart is a fun album worth checking out.
-Patrick Hallihan