THE ILLUMINATI
LIQUOR AND POKER
This 6-song CD from the Toronto based The Illuminati displays an interesting blend of alternative rock in the Foo Fighter vein combined with early '70s hard-driving boogie-rock ala Status Quo with a strong sense of that ever-so-popular vintage late '60s garage rock (MC5, Velvet Underground, The Stooges...) made ridiculously trendy by today's over-hyped garage barrage The Strokes, The Vines and The Hives. Even the production The Illuminati favor on this release sounds straight from the garage--raw, dirty, muddy...shitty. And like so many other of these '70s throw-backs and stoner-rock bands, The Illuminati lack severely in the talent department. Take a hint lads, playing "retro" style rock takes more than buying a cheap Vox amplifier, distorting your guitar and resorting to cheesy production. Their attempt at Thin Lizzy-style guitar harmonies on tracks like "Wingspan" is laughable. Seeing that this disc contains only 6 songs totaling a little over 16-minutes certainly doesn't make for an attractive package but for those retro-stoner rock fans out there, this may be your E-ticket ride. But I'll stick to the real deal.
THE HELLACOPTERS
ROCK & ROLL IS DEAD
LIQUOR & POKER
Rock & Roll Is Dead is the 6th release from these Swedish retro-rockers (their 3rd release for the US Liquor & Poker label) and really doesn't offer the listener anything new or exciting. The band is huge in their native Sweden, receiving numerous Grammy awards and Gold records in their country as well as allowing them opening slots for the likes of Kiss and The Rolling Stones, yet they still haven't achieved near the success in the US as less talented Swedish bands like The Hives. This CD was actually released last summer in Europe but just got released here in the States and the buzz is certainly building. Rock & Roll Is Dead is far less exciting than Hellacopters previous releases, the band seem to be stuck in this sea of monotony - which is generally the case with these such bands that either lack the musical talent or creativity to progress. Some of the better tracks include "Murder on My Mind" and "Put Out The Fire" which bring the listener back to an early '80s Joe Jackson vibe but for the most part, as the title to one of the songs implies, this CD offers "Nothing Terribly New." Better luck next time lads.
Shockwaves CD REVIEWS ISSUE 13 Page 11