Daily Staff Writer

Artist: The Ataris

Album: “Welcome the Night”

Release: Feb. 20

Label: Sanctuary

Availability: CD and iTunes

Mixed emotions have plagued the latest album from The Ataris since its release a week ago. Although some claim it to be the best album to ever be released by the band, others claim the band has switched tracks from what they once were and Kris Roe has lost the edge that made him so great as a singer and songwriter in the shadows of the music industry. However, neither one could be further from the truth. The album, although straying from the past path, is an intertwining of the past and future of the band, keeping to the light, airy vocal melodies and the driving guitar rhythms. “Welcome the Night” brings together a number of sounds reminiscent of bands such as Switchfoot- minus the religious undertones in the lyrics – and even as far HIM, with hints of Ville Valo’s darker and deeply passionate vocal style. A track worth a definite listen for just that reason is “Secret Handshakes.” The song’s eerie guitar, best described as howling winds in the background, and Roe’s lyrics and vocals, are complementary in the most poetic sense.

Check out The Ataris’ MySpace

By Bill Cleary

Daily Staff Writer

Artist: Skinny Puppy

Album: “Mythmaker”

Release: Jan. 30

Label: Synthetic Symphony

Availability: CD and iTunes

Industrial legends Skinny Puppy return for the band’s first outing since “The Greater Wrong of the Right,” which this reviewer missed out on. This album represents a far different musical direction than the band’s earlier, more notable works. The spastic rhythms, grating synths and samples, all banners of industrial music, are gone here. What we get instead is a more mainstream electronic dance album, based on the concept of creating false personalities. The result is a record that tries to be more lyrical than Skinny Puppy’s preceding works, but just doesn’t have the heart to back it up. It’s not really a bad album, just a mediocre one – there’s really nothing special or compelling about it. After waiting and looking forward to this release, I was disappointed.

Note: This review is of the vinyl version, which just arrived last week and contains a second disc with three remixes.

Check out Skinny Puppy’s MySpace.