By
Chad Taylor
soundcheck@dmcityview.com
 The
Twelve Canons
“Volume Four: Sacrifice”
Independent
Sample
Tracks
At the end of the day, the thing that makes
the local music scene great is the diversity.
Some of it’s beautiful, some is joyous and some
is just plain weird. And holy SHIT, you guys,
the Twelve Cannons are weird. The note that
accompanied the album said that it was recorded
in a mental institution, failing to elaborate
on whether that was a choice or state-mandated
necessity. The vocals are kind of like what
you’d get if Tom Waits and Isaac Brock had a
love child. Tracks like “Sacrifice” and “Hi
Ho” are full of strange ambient sounds and haunting
lyrics. It’s not, in short, dinner music. And
yet, if you don’t need all your music to be
radio-ready, you probably owe it to yourself
to give these guys a listen. They might grow
on you. Maybe “infect” is a better word. CV
 Attack
Attack!
“This Means War”
Rise Records
Sample
Tracks
If Metalcore had a Nickleback, Attack Attack!
would be that band. Despite almost universal
critical distain, their self-titled release
was wildly successful, hitting No. 26 on the
Billboard 200, and No. 1 on the U.S. Indie charts.
That success — much like Nickleback’s — seems
good enough for the band, as they’re apparently
willing to ride those laurels and are back this
winter with more of the same. “This Means War”
has its strengths: Caleb Shomo is a beast on
the mic, for example. But even these come with
flaws: Shomo’s unclean vocals have always been
his strength, but his new clean vocal sound
comes off as jarringly out of place. If you’re
a fan of the band, you’ll like “This Means War”
because you probably already own it twice now.
But any hope for growth or evolution by the
band is lost under the avalanche of tired, drop-G
riffs and macho posturing.CV
(Attack Attack! performs at People’s Court on
Tuesday, Jan. 31. 7 p.m., all ages. $17 advance/$20
at the door)
Want your new CD reviewed? Email us a link
at soundcheck@dmcityview.com
or mail a physical copy to: Cityview, 414 61st
Street, Des Moines, IA 50312.
|
