Collective Soul, A Day To Remember And More
We spin two new reissues from Craft Recordings that will be released on Record Store Day (April 12, 2025) as well as hot wax from Days Between Stations and Thy Catafalque.
Collective Soul - Blender (25th Anniversary Limited Edition) - Translucent Cobalt Vinyl
Wow! This beloved album from Collective Soul has been rocking for a quarter of a century already! The first line of opening cut "Skin" is "I'm starting to feel loopy" and many fans will feel the same way as they sing along to the buzzy song's irresistible hook. Love/hate song "Vent" is also very hooky and filled with offbeat guitar riffs; hit "Why Pt. 2" is another Side 1 highlight. Side 2 begins with the frenetic "You Speak My Language" which leads into the sublime pop of "Perfect Day," the band's collaboration with Elton John who sings lead and background vocals and plays piano on the cut. The album ends on another frenetic note with "Happiness," a hopeful look at maintaining a love relationship.
Blender definitely has staying power 25 years on and fans will love this pressing on colored vinyl.
A Day to Remember - Attack of the Killer B-Sides (15th Anniversary Edition) - 10" 45-RPM Pressing on Neon Orange Vinyl
This awesome collectible is an EP featuring four odds-and-sods cuts with the speedy melodic punk rocker "Right Where You Want Me to Be" kicking off the collection; the guys turn Kelly Clarkson's pop hit "Since U Been Gone" into a full-on rocker to finish off the A Side. Side B begins with an acoustic take on "Another Song About the Weekend" which is a great showcase for the vocals of Jeremy McKinnon, with another cover, a take on the Fray's "Over My Head (Cable Car)" finishing off the compilation. This really fun set will see lots of spins from fans who were around 15 years ago as well as those new to the group.
Days Between Stations - Perpetual Motion Machines (Music for a Film) - Transparent Blue Splatter Vinyl
Days Between Stations is the duo of Oscar Fuentes Bills on keyboards and
Sepand Samzadeh on guitar and their past works have included music composed for movies, including for the Mexican short film "Y Recibir Tu Aliento." This album, as the subtitle indicates, is also for a movie, although that movie only plays in the minds of the composers and their listeners. Entirely instrumental except for one cut, the effort begins appropriately enough with "Seeds," a sublime theme composed on the keys by Bills; if you're imagining what their (your) movie might be about, the song is something to get you started. Prog fans will find subsequent cuts "Stone Faces" appealing with its Alan Parsons-recalling groove, and "Ascend" sounds not unlike something that Renaissance might have done. "UnEarth" is not otherworldly but again, as an instrumental, the listener can easily go to any world they choose while enjoying the relaxing, piano-based theme. Side A ends with a brief cut called "Intermission 4;" it momentarily gurgles along with a seeming nod to Stevie Nick's "Edge of Seventeen." "Waltz for the Dead" opens Side B; despite the title it is quite lively, joyous even, while follow-up "Proof of Life" is a dreamy resurrection of sorts with a good beat, maybe representing a healthy heartbeat. The cleverly-titled "Paradigm Lost" is a vibrant synth-based groove that leads up to big finish "Being," a vocal number featuring the fabulous Durga McBroom, famed for her work with Pink Floyd. Musically the cut does fit into the Floyd oeuvre and vocally McBroom sings in whispers and a normal voice, bringing your movie to a fine climax.
Thy Catafalque - XII: A Gyonyoru Almok Ezutan Jonnek
Thy Catafalque is an avant-garde, or progressive metal band from Hungary. All the songs here are sung in Hungarian and the lyrics printed inside the gatefold jacket are in Hungarian too, so most listeners won't know what the songs are about. That is of little consequence as every listener can dig the universal language of music laid out here, full of buoyant prog melodies with ripping guitar and flavorings provided by oud, cello, bouzouki, French horn, clarinet, flugelhorn, trumpet, sax, trombone and other instruments. Group leader Tamas Katai sings lead vocals throughout but a host of other vocalists, both male and female, combine to create the overall vocal sound. Drums pound and rat-a-tat and at times Katai sounds militant; conversely there are quieter understated passages as well. And he goes absolutely nuts with his guitar on occasion. Thy Catafalque has been around for over 25 years and Katai is a master of prog metal and
XII is an intriguing adventure for fans old and new.
