Daily Staff Writer

Welcome

Outhouse

Outhouse’s debut release, Welcome, combines elements of grunge, heavy metal and punk to create a vibrant sound that is unlike anything else. Bill Latas (lead singer, guitar), Brad Gaddy (bass) and Shawn Poores (drums) deliver a very powerful, full sound, considering they are only a three-piece group.

Songs like “Undressed,” “Sleepwalking,” and “Strange Eyes” are rather catchy with their fully developed choruses and guitar riffs. Even if they are some of the least impressive songs on the CD, they are far above average and would make any other band proud.

But Outhouse doesn’t seem to want to settle for being above average. They are quite capable of delivering the goods, as evidenced by “Genius Boy” and “Savior.” The former has a definite rock ‘n’ roll feel, complete with squealing guitars and soulful singing.

The latter demonstrates Latas’ impressive singing ability, although the vocals do sound somewhat hollow in places. The guitar and bass riffs on this song are absolutely crushing.

“Get On” has great lyrics powered by an irresistible chorus and more music that is capable of rattling the windows and pissing off the neighbors.

“Bleed” has a heavy, distorted feel that is reminiscent of Alice In Chains and Helmet. The song also has a bass riff that is rather quirky and interesting.

The best song on the disc is “Lie,” which showcases the bass prowess of Gaddy. Initially it moves at a slower tempo than the rest of the disc; however, it quickly moves into an epic sound that switches back and forth from power metal to punk rather rapidly.

Based on Welcome, I’d say that Outhouse has a bright future ahead of it. It is evident after listening to the CD that Outhouse is a rather innovative band. I’d highly suggest picking this CD up and giving it a thorough listen.

4 stars

— Ben Jones

Hear In The Now Frontier

Queensryche

I have to admit that I am one of the biggest Queensryche fans to ever walk the face of the earth, so when “Ice” Moss asked me to review the band’s new release, Hear In The Now Frontier, I jumped at the opportunity.

But to say I was impressed with the record would be far from the truth. Queensryche, a band known for its technical ability and such incredible concept albums as Operation Mindcrime and Empire And Promised Land, falters on its latest release.

Although from Seattle, the band leaves its own Seattle sound behind and opts on many tracks for an Alice in Chains-esque sound.

The opening track, “Sign of the Times,” is more evident of that change than any other tune.

The other problem would be the simplicity of the material. Known for its dedication to creating Pink Floyd-like production on past releases, Hear In The Now Frontier shows little similarity to the band’s past approaches.

Although depressing, the album does have some bright spots, such as “Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Saved” and “The Voice Inside.” Ironically enough, all bare a shocking resemblance to music from Operation Mindcrime, but do not seem to flow well with the band’s apparent new direction.

Ultimately there are more negatives than positives, guitarist Chris DeGarmo’s attempt at singing and playing the piano a definite subtraction. The tune “All I Want” is the equivalent of a really bad Elton John song.

It would take an ultimate fan to swallow this one.

2 1/2 stars

— Chad “The Man” Calek

Greatest Kiss

Kiss

Greatest Kiss, the group’s 29th release, is a compilation of digitally remastered greatest hits.

The CD, however, doesn’t have much to entice fans of the group. The majority of these songs (such as “Detroit Rock City,” “Beth,” “Strutter,” “Do You Love Me,” and “Rock And Roll All Nite”) are available on every greatest hits or live album that they have ever put out.

Sure, these songs still rock, but why should fans continue to keep buying them over and over again?

The only innovation on this CD is a “new video version” of “Shout It Out Loud.” Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I never did listen to this song a great deal because it was never one of my favorite Kiss songs.

So maybe I’m missing the difference between the original version and this one. But I don’t find much of a difference other than tiny subtleties. There surely isn’t enough to warrant spending the money to buy this CD.

Considering that Kiss just released a greatest hits CD last year (You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best), Greatest Kiss seems like a bit of overkill.

But the real overkill is set to begin this summer when Mercury Records re-releases the entire Casablanca catalog with digitally remastered songs and original artwork.

All this is enough to make me extremely nauseous. However, rest assured that a new studio album and Alive IV are on the way.

2 1/2 stars

— Ben Jones

Comic Book Whore

Jane Jensen

Whoever labeled Sister Soleil “Gwen Stefani meets Trent Reznor” has not heard Jane Jensen’s debut release Comic Book Whore. Probably because she’s just now making a name for herself, with her video debuting on “120 Minutes” last Sunday.

Jensen and Soleil singer Stella Katsoudas have a lot in common. Both dwell from the Windy City and have recorded with members of the pioneering industrial band Die Warzau.

For Jensen, it was a project called Oxygiene 23, her first exploration into the world of intense sampling and riveting use of synthesizers.

Now Jensen has the music down to a science and like Katsoudas, is blending ethereal pop vocals into the mix.

Comic Book Whore couldn’t be introduced better than with “More Than I Can,” Jensen’s first radio single. A pounding rhythm reminiscent to Gravity Kill’s “Down” opens the tune as Jensen takes over with powerful vocals and a catchy chorus.

While nothing on the record can compare to the masterful composition of “More Than I Can,” there are plenty of quality tunes on the disc. “Highway 90” rips through some super cool vocals, while “Blank Sugar” takes advantage of reverb and echo.

“Clumsy” is the most Reznor-like track, bouncing back in forth from light vocals to massive guitar fills. Even “Luv Song,” one of those talk-over-funky-music tracks, has something likeable about it.

Oh, and did I mention Jensen’s striking resemblance to Stefani, complete with retro garb and bleach-blonde locks?

4 stars

— Corey Moss

All ratings are based on a scale of zero to five stars, with five being Veishea weekend nights and zero being Veishea hangovers.