The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 12, 1999 - 9 'SOUNDSYSTEM' STAYS TRUE TO 311 TRADEMARK "Funk slap bass mixed with the dancehall and/hip-hop beats and punk guitar x and/deadly on the mic is the one SA. The name is 311 and you know it ain't easy." Nick Hexum of311 sings in "Come Original" a cocky list of what ittakes to stand out from the crowd of cookie cutter rock acts. 311 's new album, "Soundsystem," certainly does contain all of these elements staying true to the band's trademark ' sound - a volatile mixture of rap, reggae, and funk.s In the past, 311 has developed a trademark sound full of repetitive, grinding guitar riffs, loose freestyle rhyme schemes, and effects that make listeners feel like_ they're floating through outer space. The tried and tested reggae-esque quality of its music is definitely present on "Soundsystem," but the interstellar elements are *snt. Slow, mellow lyrics, quick, sharp raps and flowing vocals combine with e ying reggae, rap, and techno beats and and fill the black hole created by the absence of familiar planetary sound effects. The smooth vocals of Hexum and hard, tight rhymes of SA are mixed in vari- ous ways on tracks such as the pounding, taunting "You Can't Fade Me." The two combine in a boastful back and forth battle of musical power. "Like what's up now/you Y can't fade me/still in that same old trade of positivity." 311 Hexum and SA, in a new arrogant tone, combine their ay unique balance of vocals throughout the album, bouncing O off one anotherusing their respective strengths to give each Capricorn Records verse a particular mood and style._ Reviewed by "Can't nobody do it like 311," they claim. Many times Dan senatore they brag about the ways they tear up the competition, O O For the Daily "cause there really is none." In songs like the opening- "Freeze Time," alternating choruses and verses keep the song fresh and the varying beats underscore each change in tone perfectly. fl 1 Showing through is a message of optimism of living at the end of the twentieth century, and a basic joy of life's precious moments. Through songs like the pleas- ant, profound "Large in the Margin" 311 conveys a theme of taking control of life to relax and enjoy life is also not the way to go. for the better and never giving up the fight for what you believe. "The voices in In "Soundsystem," 311 delivers their characteristic blend of styles but seem to the night/every night/keep coming back to remind you/for etemity of when you take it further, developing each song with a new sort of attention not present on ,ve up the fight." The smooth "Life's Not a Race" delicately displays an oppos- previous releases. A wider range of guitar sounds is evident, along with consis- , but connected theme. "Let you mind unwind/like you ought to. Feel the earth tently tight rhymes. The album is unmistakably 311, but it seems as though the turn 'round when your heart rate slows" Taking issues so seriously that you forget group has taken its sound to the outer limits. LlnrC acl 'ights 'Distance' passionate, but nothing unique After a mixed reception to their third album, "Secret Samadhi," legions of fans have anxiously await- ed Live's fourth release. Heralding from York, PA, the foursome's new CD leads off with the single, "When the Dolphins Cry." Although it's a strong, likeable song, the rest of the album doesn't follow suit. Most songs have powerful high- lights, but some trail off into a mem- ory of unimpressive music. Many songs begin softly with light guitar strumming, building into a crescendo ending in screaming and loud distortion for the chorus. Three or four Live songs are of bet- ter quality, and The Distance the rest should've been Radioactive Records tossed into the Reviewed by B-sides pile. Gautam Baksi The album's For the Daily lyrics are filled with passionate, vivid themes: Mother Earth, brother- hood, war/peace, and love. Songwriter and vocalist Ed Kowalczyk's words are refreshingly different from radio-ready hits, and chock-full of insightful wisdom: "We spend all of our lives goin' out of our minds / Looking back to our birth, forward to our demise". Kowalczyk turns to religion, phi- losophy and poetry for inspiration, and this is obvious in each track. For a bald, hairy man who never made it to college, he has perfected his art of strange and eloquent, but persuasive words. However, Kowalczyk seems to stretch his vocal chords beyond their range, hitting Bono-ish falsetto notes at least opportune moments in "The Distance." His voice still reiain dark, eerie and powerful, reminis- cent to his earlier, "Throwing Copper" days. The rest of band, especially gui- tarist Chad Taylor, doesn't seem to keep up with the singer's talents. Taylor keeps things simple with power chords and elementary solos, but doesn't find the right niche with a six-string quite yet. A guest gui- tarist fills in for slide guitar work on the very nice, mellow final track, "Dance With You. For Live, success began at an early age. The band was hardly in their twenties before "Lightening Crashes" was constantly striking across the country. Lyrically, Live is still very impres- sive. Musically, however, their latest effort is best described as less than thrilling. In 1986, the band Slayer released "Reign In Blood." was an album of amazing dexterity, intensity and iginality that raised the ante for creativity in heavy at the time and still remains a classic. "Reign In went to influence an entire generation and pro- vided a blue print for heavy music that has been repeatedly * reproduced but never equaled. Until now that is. Dilflnger An album that has earned the .scape Plan right to be mentioned under the alctlating inity same breath as "Reign In Blood," Relapse Resards "Calculating Infinity" has Reviewed by earned this honor not because it y ts iter succeeded in replicating "Reign Adilts Ross In Blood," but instead because is has succeeded in replicating the el of originality and inventiveness the classic Slayer xm managed to attain. The group's lyrics are much more abstract and go by sometimes amusing song titles such as "Variations On A Cocktail Dress" and "4th Grade Dropout." What the songs are trying to convey is vague, but when the group's singer screams how you should "take your medicine like a champ, while that sting can last a million years," the angst in the ambiguous lyrics cut so effectively that your hair stands in the back of your neck. This is a band that can make singing about gardening sound disturbing! The songs are no laughing matter, however. Sick and furious riffs are put together in tight complex structures. One leg of the group seems firmly placed in the hard- core music scene, the other one is just lost in insanity. The group's heavy riffs are oddly melodic but disso- nant. Dillinger Escape Plan's best quality is the group's sense of space with the heavy music. The group rests its attack in many places throughout the album via instru- mental interludes and clean guitar parts to keep the album from becoming monotonous. Breaking Records Star System ummirscape rin snave apparcnuy manageu mo find the right formula to "Calculating Infinity" This album will certainly not replace "Reign In Blood" as an important milestone in heavy music, but for its ability to come into the same creative sphere as the Slayer album the group has made the impossible happen. ***** ~k- Classic - Excellent - Good ** - Fair * - Poor No stars - Don't Bother - If you missed a Week of Breaking Records, check out the Daily's archives online at http://www. michigandaily.com Stupid things to say at a cool party .#1 "THAT'S NICE THAT YOUR CUTE FRIEND * WANTS TO MEET ME BUT I'M GOING BACIR TO MY ROOM _ TO CHECK MY EMAIL:' TM m F yTal k.coMi Listen and respond to your email over any phone. FREE. S up today at . m kc r . cJrJ.a dIVI"J V LJ.i IF vaI r4 Wednesday, October 13 Pick Up FREE Passes UAC Office / 4th Floor 9:00 PM Michigan Union Lorch Auditorium Presented By M-Flicks www.1800COLLECT.com www.PREVIEWTHEATER.com 4 Earn extra cash as an on-campus myTalk rep. Contact our campus recruiter at campusreps@myTalk.com for details.