Today is Bandcamp Friday (when they wave their fee for 24 hours) and why not showcase some great bands and their albums/singles that are out now! Check out these bands and show them some support! If I missed your band, let me know and I’ll add it to the list!
There are certain bands/artists that over the years I’ve become rather enthralled by. One of which is Greg Puciato. I still remember the first time I heard Greg in The Dillinger Escape Plan and thinking that this voice and presence is something to really pay attention to. And that I did. Through the years, Greg has become one of my favorite lyricists, vocalists and performers. When it was announced that Greg was going to be putting out a solo release, needless to say I was excited. What we got in the course of two years are three releases has taken the best of what Greg does and melded it into one project. Child Soldier: Creator Of God, Fuck Content and Mirrorcell have been some of the best releases in the past years and I can only imagine what the next release will be. The live show debut that I attended was something else. It was everything I wanted and then some.
Taking the stage a few minutes after 11pm, the crowd roar was getting louder and then the oddest intro song started it all, Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and then things got started as “In this Hell You Find Yourself” went right into “Reality Spiral” with a go straight for the throat approach. From there it only kept cutting deep with “No More Lives To Go.” The first song Greg released as a solo artist “Fire For Water” was next and the crowd response from that song was overtaking you basically didn’t even get caught in the mini technical mishap. The recovery from that was impeccable and made the song go ever harder than it was. After that it was just an onslaught of songs that not only are stand outs on the albums but truly some of my favorite songs that are a part of these releases. Songs like “Deep Set,” “Do You Need Me To Remind You,” “Absence As A Presence,” and “Down When I’m Not” were just banger after banger, and Greg and the band were on fire at this point. Then the moment that brought it all together was when the next two songs were played. “Lowered” the first single off of Mirrorcell was performed with the additional vocals of Reba Meyers. What a performace. The way Greg’s and Reba’s voices match and play off each other is sublime. It was one of those moments that had everyone in the audience completely drawn into. My favorite song of the set was next and it hit me more than I thought it would. That song would be “Never Wanted That.” This song just hits me in a way that I can’t (and won’t get into at the moment) put into words at the moment. After that going into “All Waves To Nothing” really hit me in another way that gave me chills in a such a great way. Followed by a short “encore break,” the fun continued as “Creator Of God” was the perfect way to come back out. From there a surprise cover of the Carpenter Brut song “Imaginary Fire” was performed (Greg provides the vocals on this track). Then it went into another couple favorites of mine “A Pair Of Questions” and the ever awesome and explosive “Evacuation.” Ending the set and the night was the great “September City.” It was quite the perfect way to end this debut show.
Opening the night was Trace Amount. His mix of industrial and noise gave the night a bit of a nervous yet frenzied energy as to what was to come later on. It was interesting to see this live and see how physical the performance was. After Trace Amount was a band that I’ve been curious about live too, Gost. Gost brought in a more Industrial sound mixed with a bit of EDM that really got the crowd pumped up. Looking around the room and seeing people dance was quite fun to see. Both bands gave energetic performances and prepared the crowd with just enough of an excitement that when Greg and his band hit the stage, it all exploded into something spectacular.
For a debut show, despite the few technical issues, it was absolutely superb. Even the odd choice of venue added to the charm of the night. It’s really quite awesome to see someone that has inspired and influenced you putting it all out there under their own name and delivering material that is this damn good and then being able to put on a show that not only will stand out but left a lasting impression on those of us that have been so drawn into the work of the artist. The band that Greg put together for this show was outstanding. I will say that having Chris Hornbrook on drums is kind of a cheat code as he is just so damn good. And the way he plays fits Greg’s style so well, that it’s a perfect combination. Guitarists Nick Rowe and James Hammontree were great together and then holding down that low end was Jeff Geisser. I can’t wait for the next show! I left this show on such a high it took forever to come down from it. Even the long ass drive home I was still pumped from this night. Thank you Greg and company for a night that I won’t forget and for the songs that I have yet to stop listening to since they came out! I’m sure there is more that I could ramble on about but, I’d much rather leave it at this and say, when the time comes and Greg’s solo show rolls through your city, don’t hesitate to go see it. What a show!
Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy
SET LIST:
01) In This Hell You Find Yourself 02) Reality Spiral 03) No More Lives To Go 04) Fire For Water 05) Deep Set 06) Do You Need Me To Remind You 07) Absence As A Presence 08) Down When I’m Not 09) Lowered (with Reba Meyers) 10) Never Wanted That 11) All Waves To Nothing
ENCORE:
12) Creator Of God 13) Imaginary Fire (Carpenter Brut Cover) 14) A Pair Of Questions 15) Evacuation 16) September City (with “One Of Us Is The Killer tease”)
Today is Bandcamp Friday (when they wave their fee for 24 hours) and why not showcase some great bands and their albums/singles that are out now! Check out these bands and show them some support!
There are certain times in life when you hear a record that not only takes the artist to a whole other level it, resonates in a way that you begin to get swept away by the absolute force of its being. The evolution of Greg Puciato as a songwriter and artist has been quite the journey to hear and see. From The Dillinger Escape Plan to The Black Queen, Killer Be Killed and now as a solo artist as well, what a significant aspect and contribution to be proud of. On this new solo outing, Mirrorcell, not only is this the a natural follow up to his debut Child Soldier: Creator Of God but, it seems that there is a level of inspiration that took this one further.
“In This Hell You Find Yourself” kicks off this album and creates a tension that sets up an uneasiness and then it grabs you and never lets go as “Reality Spiral” starts to sink its claws in. As you listen, you start to hear where this album is coming from and the influence and inspiration that guided these songs. “No More Lives To Give” steps up the heaviness a bit and takes you on an introspective journey lyrically while musically you are hit with hard hitting riffs and melody that sticks with you. “Never Wanted That” (my favorite song on the album as of this writing) is the “Evacuation” of the record. The way this song hits you is astonishing. The bass driven opening again creates a tension that when the chorus of the song comes in, the crushing emotional weight hits you like a ton of bricks. The vulnerability on this song is absolutely powerful. “Lowered” is one of the tracks on the album that again, takes things to another level. The combination of Greg and guest vocalist Reba Meyers from Code Orange is a revelation. These two voices together make magic and when you hear them together, the chills you get from it, I’ll just leave it there. “We” is a track that has a bit of a Black Queen tinge to it but explores more of the new wave elements that are prevalent in their songs. “I, Eclipse” is another of my favorite songs on the album. The intensity of this song and where it’s placed really guides the last part of the album. There is something else about this song I can’t put into words quite yet that, when this song is played live, I’ll be able to explain further. “Rainbows Underground” is one hell of a stellar song and another one that shows the growth of Greg as a songwriter. Finishing off the album with “All Waves To Nothing” leave you not only wanting more but you are then compelled to start the album over. This track has moments that hark back to Greg’s time with The Dillinger Escape Plan but, in a way that feels natural and a bit different.
Throughout this album you are get to hear a whole other side of Greg Puciato. It’s a more cohesive album than his debut and this one seems to hit on a bit of a more personal streak. One of the revelatory aspects of the record is how talented of a guitarist Greg is. His riffs, solos, and playing is a story all on its own. Perhaps too, his time spent with Jerry Cantrell has rubbed off a bit, as there are plenty of ode’s to Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and other 90’s bands that have inspired Greg throughout the years. Another aspect of this album that deserves a ton of credit are the drums and playing by Chris Hornbrook. His ability to create memorable driving hits and rhythms helps propel these songs to that other level I was mentioning. Seriously, when you hear it all put together, you can hear why Chris and Greg as a duo are perfect for one another. Mirrorcell is not only one of those albums that you will be stuck on for a long time, you actually find yourself immersed in the album as a whole, just like it should. This album is a definite candidate for album of the year. Truly, each time I listen to this album I find something else to love about it. Greg put out one hell of an album with Mirrorcell and should be damn proud of it. I can’t wait to hear these songs live along with the ones from Child Soldier. I have a feeling the live show for this is going to be something special all on its own.
Greg Puciato’s debut solo album Child Soldier: Creator of God was one hell of a tremendous album. It was my favorite album of 2020 and I still gravitate towards the record on a consistent basis. A few months back word began to spread that Greg was back in the studio working on the follow up. Well now the wait is over and the details have been released. Mirrorcell will be released June 17 via Federal Prisoner. The first song released “Lowered” features Reba Meyers of Code Orange as a guest vocalist. On this album, Puciato once again recorded all vocals, guitars and bass for the collection, and continued his long-running relationship Producer Steve Evetts (The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Cure, Snapcase)along with Chris Hornbrook (Dhani Harrison, Big Black Delta) who played drums on the nine-song album.
I have hope that 2022 will be a good year. Not that 2021 was all that bad, at least it wasn’t 2020 all over again. We did after all get some amazing new albums in 2021. Now that we are in 2022, there are a ton of new albums that I’m sure will make the end of the year lists vert difficult to put in order. Here’s a list of the bands with the most anticipated albums of 2022 (I’m sure I missed some. So If I did, let me know)!!!
Centershift- A Different Shade Of… NVision- Black Map- Melodoria Cave In The Cure Coheed and Cambria Crosses Dead Cross Ghost Greg Puciatio- Mirrorcell H09909 (Horror) Korn- Requiem Loathe Megadeth- The Sick. The Dying. The Dead Rammstein Author & Punisher Once Human Machine Head Jimmy Eat World The Smashing Pumpkins Chelsea Wolfe In Parallel Nine Inch Nails If It Kills You Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals Be Well Anthrax Baroness Cult Leader The Cult Darkest Hour Deadsy? Filter Jane’s Addiction? Placebo Red Hot Chili Peppers Rollin Coffin Deaf Club Kiss The Scientist Duhkha
I’ve been contemplating on what to do with certain things as of late in regards to Audioeclectica. I have a giant list of things I want to do and bunch of new topics on the way. The radio show will be making a return soon. I finally found the right person to do the show with. It’s going to be awesome and the playlist for the show is superb. In the meantime before all that happens, I thought it would be quite fun to start putting out playlists for you all to enjoy! So, what you have below is a link to the first Audioeclectica Playlist. On it you’ll find new music by artists/bands you know of and some you might not. If you’ve been keeping up with the articles on Audioeclectica, you will probably recognize a good amount of the bands. So, without anymore delay, here it is!!!
The legendary Jerry Cantrell returns with the release of his first single “Atone” out today, from Cantrell’s new solo album, Brighten. It’s been 19 years since Jerry has released a solo album. This first single “Atone” features Duff McKagan on bass, Greg Puciato on backing vocals and guitar and Gil Sharone on drums. This album was produced by Tyler Bates and longtime engineer Paul Fig. The album was mixed by Joe Barresi. Other notable guests on the record include, Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. The record is a 9 song journey and concludes with a cover of Elton John’s “Goodbye.” Speaking on the song Jerry has said “Madman Across The Water is one of my favorite records of all time,” he exclaims. Out of respect to Elton, I wouldn’t include it unless he said it was okay. He’d played piano on ‘Black Gives Way To Blue,’ which I wrote for Layne,so I reached out to Elton, he listened to it, and told me “You should absolutely use it.” I got the signoff by the man himself. I couldn’t think of a better way to close the record!” I personally can’t wait for this album. I love Alice In Chains and Jerry’s solo albums are stellar, so you know the heart and soul is strong with this one!
Next up on Audioeclectica.com’s 2020 End Of The Year Lists, the Top 10 Vocalists The stipulation is that, an album/EP had to have been released this year.
Vote for your favorite in the comments section. At the end of the month, I will release the results of the readers poll.
This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!
01) Greg Puciato- Greg Puciato/Killer Be Killed 02) Billy Corgan- The Smashing Pumpkins 03) Lance Black- In Parallel 04) Philip H. Anselmo- En Minor 05) EL-P & Killer Mike- Run The Jewels 06) Kadeem France & Erik Bickerstaffe- Loathe 07) Jacob Bannon- Umbra Vitae 08) Gavin Rossdale- Bush 09) Chelsea Wolfe- Mrs. Piss 10) Anthony Paganelli, Lance Jackman, Jess Gowrie & Lennon Hudson- Horseneck
Next up on Audioeclectica.com’s 2020 End Of The Year Lists, the Top 10 Guitarists. The stipulation is that, an album/EP had to have been released this year.
Vote for your favorite in the comments section. At the end of the month, I will release the results of the readers poll.
This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!
01) Greg Puciato- Greg Puciato 02) Stephen Carpenter- Deftones 03) Chris Traynor- Bush 04) Shooter Jennings- Marilyn Manson 05) Ken Andrews- Ken Andrews 06) Clint Lowery- Clint Lowery 07) Mark Morton- Mark Morton 08) Aaron Turner- Sumac 09) Stephen Taylor- En Minor 10) Andrew Watt- Ozzy Osbourne
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