WET ANIMAL
ESCAPI MUSIC
Wet Animal is the brainchild of former Trouble guitarist/songwriter Rick Wartell, one of the pioneering artists of the stoner/doom-metal genre that became a huge trend in the late '90s. Wartell is joined by former Trouble band mates Ron Holzner (bass) and Jeff Olson (drums), along with vocalist/guitarist Shane Pasqualla. Traces of early Trouble are evident throughout with vocalist Pasqualla showing obvious influences from Lane Staley. Much like Slave To The System (also reviewed in this section), Wet Animal rely on post-Seattle grunge overtones combined with a classic '70s hard rock styling which seems to work well for this band. But like STTS, the production is lacking, sounding very muddy and mundane at times. Wartell churns out some killer riffs throughout, still displaying that classic Iommi style as he has throughout the nearly last 3 decades, and Pasqualla proves to be an incredibly soulful vocalist (showing less emphasis on Alice In Chains as the CD progresses.) The songs are well-written and quite memorable, standout tracks include the opener "Soul Alone," "Outside A Hole," and the closer "Relentless" which shows traces of early Savatage. Although I prefer (the other former Trouble guitarist) Bruce Franklin's side project with King X's Doug Pinnick titled Supershine, nonetheless Wet Animal prove to be a great contender in today's metal music and are not afraid to front their classic hard-rock/metal influence combining it with a soulful modern hard rock feel. Definitely a CD worth checking out.
3
WAKE PIG
METAL BLADE
Another interesting new CD comes courtesy of Metal Blade, 3's third release Wake Pig (their first two CDs released on the small indie Planet Noise Records) is already receiving rave reviews, and for good reason, this band has created a unique sound that should appease fans of both alternative rock music and hard rock. The CD starts out strong with the opening track "Alien Angel" with dark overtones and bright melodies sounding like a cross between A Perfect Circle and Remy Zero. Unfortunately the songs that follow aren't quite as strong, or as heavy, leaning more toward the alternative pop market than metal. This band is unquestionably very talented, blending poly-rhythms fused with interesting acoustic guitar speed-rhythm riffs. At times the band displays impressive Beatles-type vocal harmonies with hints of '70s progressive rock icons Yes and Genesis. Not really my cup of tea and definitely a CD you have to be in a certain mood for, but one can't deny this bands creative talent. Other notable tracks include "Dregs," the title track, the brilliant acoustic instrumental ditty "Bramfatura," the carnival-esque "Where's Max" and the 16 minute closing epic "Amaze Disgrace."
Shockwaves CD REVIEWS ISSUE 13 Page 10