MP3: “Hate the Sun” by Lusk

This track has apparently been floating around for years, but it just recently came to our attention. Lusk’s Free Mars is one of our favorite, but tragically unknown, records from an equally unknown project. I remember severely overpaying for a copy of the album on eBay years ago and later realizing how worth it that purchase was. Lusk is a supergroup from the mid-90s comprised of Paul D’Amour (ex-Tool), Chris Pittman (Guns n’ Roses, SexTapes), Greg Edwards (ex-Failure, Autolux), and Brad Laner. Free Mars’ 1997 release was a commercial failure but was nominated for a Grammy for Best Recording Package in 1998 and featured several guest performances, including Danny Carey of Tool. “Hate the Sun” is a song from a four-track EP the band never released. It’s difficult to imagine why, as the track is as good as anything on the brilliant Free Mars. Download “Hate the Sun” by Lusk here or stream it below:

New Autolux Song; Album Delayed (Again)

Good news! Autolux posted a new song on their MySpace page. Bad news! Apparently, the new track will not appear on their anticipated new album, Transit Transit, which has now been delayed until after the new year. The new album, which Autolux is co-producing, is set to show off more vocals from ex-Failure/Lusk guitarist, Greg Edwards, and drummer, Carla Azar. Some tracks may even feature vocal harmonizing from all three members (including lead singer and bassist, Eugene Goreshter).

If Greg Edwards wasn’t my favorite guitarist on the planet, I’d probably have given up hope of another album release by the amazing Autolux. This is no surprise for Autolux, however, whose first album, Future Perfect, was severely delayed as well. Apparent battles wtith record labels seem to be the culprit this time around. The new record was supposed to be out over a year ago. A new MySpace post has explained that “Autolux is dealing with getting the business end of the music squared away” and promises a new web site as well. Haven’t we heard this before? In the meantime, the new instrumental track is called “Fat Kid” and explores the electronica genre. Autolux swears that the tuba/tympani sound is from Greg’s guitar. OK, I’ll wait a few more months … but that’s it!

You can stream the track on Autolux’s MySpace page here.

Chinese Democracy RELEASED!

UPDATE: Just minutes ago, Chinese Democracy was actually released. The most anticipated album of all time was delayed for countless reasons for well over a decade. The album is now available exclusively at Best Buy. Read Fishpork’s Chinese Democracy review for more details.

November 20, 2008

UPDATE: If you happen to take a stroll over to MySpace today, you will notice that Guns N’ Roses (aka Axl Rose) has decided to stream the highly anticipated Chinese Democracy album three days before its official release date (in its entirety). Album reviews are already in, and they’ve been mostly positive. Fishpork’s review is coming soon, and it may shock you to hear what we have to say about the album. Stay tuned!

October 23, 2008

In what has shaped up to be the most delayed, most expensive and most anticipated album of all-time, Guns N’ Roses (aka Axl Rose and his new band) will release Chinese Democracy to all physical and digital outlets on November 24 of this year. Best Buy stores will be selling the album a day earlier. The formats will include CD, vinyl and digital download. The album marks the first by the hugely successful band in over 17 years.

The album has been in the works since 1994, even before the departure of guitarist Slash and other members. Recording began with Rose’s new band, which included Robin Finck on guitars and Josh Freese on drum. Both are currently on tour with Nine Inch Nails. Axl and company toured new materials from the album sporadically between 2001 and 2007. With numerous rumors of release dates and countless battles with production budgets have surfaced over the last ten years. The New York Times reports that the budget for Chinese Democracy has surpassed $13 million.

Several of the album’s tracks have been leaked to radio stations and the Internet since 2003. These tracks were all unfinished demo versions of songs that were heard live over the years. In 2007, the studio version of Magagascar was leaked, as well as mixed versions of three additional tracks. The tracks were first streamed on music blog web site, Antiquiet.com. The owner of the blog site has since been arrested by FBI agents and awaits prosecution. Later in the year, demos of nine additional tracks were leaked.Only three titles on the current tracklisting have not been heard in one form or another (“Scraped,” “Sorry,” and “Prostitute”).

The published tracklisitng includes most of the tracks cited, leaked and played live over the years. However, several tracks have been left off the final listing, including Silkworms, a track collaborated on with former Lusk frontman, Chris Pittman. Here is the official tracklisting on Chinese Democracy that will actually see the light of day in one month:

1. Chinese Democracy
2. Shackler’s Revenge
3. Better
4. Street Of Dreams
5. If The World
6. There Was A Time
7. Catcher N’ The Rye
8. Scraped
9. Riad N’ The Bedouins
10. Sorry
11. I.R.S.
12. Madagascar
13. This I Love
14. Prostitute

http://www.myspace.com/gunsnroses

SexTapes: Free Mars Pt. 2?

Chris Pitman, who recently finished co-writing and co-producing Chinese Democracy, has finally released his first new music since Lusk’s Free Mars, a 1997 collaboration with current Autolux mastermind Greg Edwards and ex-Tool bassist Paul D’Amour. Pitman also played synth guitars on Tool’s Aenima. Fans of Lusk, hoping for Pitman to revisit the futuristic pop sounds of Free Mars, may be a bit disappointed. Although SexTapes does contain several tracks that have a similar sound to that record, most similarities begin and end with Pitman’s vocals.

Although Pitman has added texture to the song arrangements, creating a more layered sound that was present in Lusk, lead guitarist Kelly Wheeler and bassist Marko Fox have composed most of the music. Wheeler is noted for playing bass in pre-Jane’s Addiction bands with Perry Ferrell in the 80s, while Fox supplied the vocals for Tool’s “Die Eier Von Satan.” While most of the new music is an acceptable alternative to what you find on today’s rock radio, there are too many bland guitar riffs that scream 80s hair band. It’s there that SexTapes lost me a bit, as I couldn’t help but reach for my out-of-print Free Mars disc.

The album is not a complete waste of time. The opening track, “Medicine Man,” does contain one of the coolest guitar riffs of recent memory. And Pitman’s vocals sound as good as ever. He just has one of those voices that sends chills down your spine. “Trainwreck” contains some heavy bass lines, reminiscence of Tool, and the guitar play is equally interesting. The chorus on “Worklords” is the closest the album gets to Lusk. It all just sounds like it was done before. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy “Paranoid Freak.” Although the guitars are rather bland on the track, the vocals are pretty entertaining, as Pitman rips some poor schmuck a new one:

MAN.. YOUR.. JUST A..
JUST A PARANOID FREAK
NO ONES OUT TO GET YOU MAN
NO ONE FUCKING CARES

I MEAN…. YOU AIN’T GOT SHIT DUDE
YOUR JUST AN IDIOT.. AND YOU SMELL LIKE SHIT
YOU DRINK YOURSELF INTO OBLIVION
AND YOUR A FUCKING DUNCE

I have to call out the band on the track “Crawlspace,” which sounds too similar to Tool during the first minute and does so each time the chorus ends, which wanders off into some kind of Twisted Sister rant. There is no surprise these guys hang out with Tool on regular basis. Although it’s nice to see Pitman deliver his best impersonation of Mayard, I never get the sense that the band has found its own identity. Overall, I was disappointed with what was a highly anticipated release for me. However, I don’t intend to stop listening to the record’s first two tracks anytime soon. Earth to Greg Edwards: release the new Autolux album before I lose my mind!