Swollen Members' Top 10

Top 10 Mondays are still lurking around, aside from last week's incidental Top 10 Tuesday.  But we're back into some sort of routine now, despite the lack of any routine in my life.  Exams; they'll getcha.  But writing about MadChild's solo work the other day got me reminiscing about a near decade-long affair with Swollen Members.  To think it all started with Monsters In The Closet.  Even in the periods of my musical liking where I was strictly alternative or strictly metal, I still held onto an admiration for the sometimes-duo-sometimes-trio-sometimes-tetrad from Vancouver.  It's another example of a musical act that makes me proud to be Canadian.  I have yet to hear an American rapper who can hold his own to MadChild or Prevail.  Enjoy!

Linkin Park - In Pieces

Linkin Park?  Ehh.  I'll still give them Minutes to Midnight, but everything that came after that was a little too much of the same thing.  They get credit for experimenting on A Thousands Suns, but don't get credit for much else.  Sorry, Chester!  Minutes to Midnight had its moments of greatness, and even almost five years later, I still enjoy a handful of the tracks.  What is the best of the best album from one of the most mediocre bands ever?  "In Pieces," of course.

"In Pieces" is different from a lot of what Linkin Park has done before, the closest thing maybe being its predecessor "In Between," which is also a stellar listen.  It's not in-your-face alternative, and it's nothing too manly to turn off all female listeners, ever (ahem... Nickleback... ahem... Three Days Grace... ahem).  How about I use my favourite word to describe music to describe "In Pieces?"  Subdued.  Chester knows what he's doing here.  I can hear it in his words.  Now this is how you end an album the right way.

There's truth in your lies
Doubt in your faith
All I've got is what you didn't take

MadChild - Dungeon Dragon

MadChild!  He's back!  And ready to rap your face off while he's at it.  "Dungeon Dragon" is the first single from his King of Pain EP.  You might wonder dungeon dragon?  Didn't Nicki Minaj recently take that line for a spin and end it for a while?  The answer is: no.  While Nicki did her thing in 2010, MadChild is doing his own thing now.  This isn't aggressive chick rap.  This is exactly what Vancouver's best does best.  Think Swollen Members with Prevail on a sick day.  Well, that's kind of exactly how to describe "Dungeon Dragon."

"Dungeon Dragon" is Madchild's announcement to the world that he's back, and he's serious.  I'm a fan of the interesting background tunes, as always.  I can't like a good rap song without them.  He also throws in Swollen Members, that's a name to remember.  Can't argue with that.  And the chorus?  MadChild steers clear of the the in-your-face bit and instead chops his words up a bit and does that lovely subdued route.  "Dungeon Dragon" is lovely rap, after all.  You can think of it as a prologue too, of greatness to come.

Eluveitie - Luxtos

I'm feeling particularly metal lately.  Call it the mistress that keeps me from truly committing to any other genre.  If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty, I'm feeling rather symphonic metal, though will always have that special place for the folk and pagan side of the genre.  Which group is more folk metal than Eluveitie anyways?  Their latest Helvetios is a fantastic work of art, already producing "A Rose For Epona" ...some of the best metal I've heard so far this year.  But it's not an album with one hit and the rest filler.  Everything is good, especially today's feature: "Luxtos."

"Luxtos" is half English, half Gaulish, all good.  It's a case of why fix it if it isn't broken?  The verses are done in wonderful growling, and the chorus comes off as a powerful chant of sorts.  Well, I figure that it is, based on the translation of the lyrics.  Eluveitie has putting power and emotion into their music down pat.  "Luxtos" might just be the way metal should be.  Sure, you can go ahead and headbang to it, but there's more to the song than that too.  They better stick around for a while; I'm already anxious for the next album.

Cam'Ron, Vado and McKenzie Eddy - In This Thing

I remember Cam'Ron from back in the day.  I don't remember any songs, specifically speaking, but I remember his name.  Now I have a reason to remember him and compatriot Vado for a longer time to come: the free five-track EP Blu Tops that does one better than stellar and is nothing less than brilliant.  The wonderful McKenzie Eddy helps out on a few tracks too, including the utterly beautiful "In This Thing."

And I don't really care what the people say
Don't understand the things we're in anyway
Inhaling breaths they're forced to take
In this thing here, there's no mistake

I'm a sucker for rap songs set over anything remotely orchestral, and "In This Thing" is just that.  It's also got Ms. Eddy on chorus duty with her dreamy vocals?  Case closed.  Cam'Ron and Vado also inject power into their verses, a reminder that hey, this EP might have been free, but they know you'll be back for more.  "In This Thing" clocks in at less than three minutes, but what a glorious less-than-three-minutes it is.  More, please!

Die Mannequin - Upside Down Cross

I used to be a big fan of Toronto alt quartet Die Mannequin...well, I still am very much a fan, but have been yearning for more material since 2009's Fino + Bleed.  Lead singer Care Failure is a modern-day Courtney Love (if that makes sense, part of me thinks it doesn't) meets Debbie Harry (that one makes sense).  She's a role model for female rockers everywhere, evident on their first full-length album Unicorn Steak, a combination of two previously released EPs and some new material.  Among the old EP material is the subdued "Upside Down Cross," which is a favourite for reasons related to its subdued nature.

Beginning with a quiet guitar and Care's who's there coming up slowly, starting to grow on me, perfect and lonely, "Upside Down Cross" immediately comes across as the sleeper track of the album; one that doesn't get you at first listen but lingers longer than the rest.  A minute in the level of rocking grows and Care's vocals stay consistent over some impressive guitars.  Music like this makes me proud to be Canadian, and it'll do the same for you if you're from this great land.  And if you're not, you'll wish you were.  Holla.

Protest The Hero's Top 10

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday, but to stay on schedule I'm still doing a Top 10 feature.  My internet at home has been marginal at best, though everything seems to be as right as reign now (is that the right "reign" to use?).  So let's get back to it and entertain ourselves with some lovely music courtesy of the best prog metal band to come out of Canada, and quite possibly the world.  It's Protest The Hero, of course.  I'm still dreaming of the day when they return to Windsor and I can finally tell Rody Walker my true feelings, but until then, I've got three albums and an EP to listen the shit out of.  Enjoy!