Daily Staff Writer

Aftertaste

Helmet

Helmet has always been known for its signature sound of gloomy metal riffs mixed with strong drum beats that serve as every song’s backbone. Helmet’s new CD, Aftertaste, doesn’t stray much from this successful formula, with one noteworthy exception.

The band has added a new guitarist, Chris Traynor, who provides some excellent licks to bolster the crunching sound.

Aftertaste is an excellent recording from start to finish. Songs such as “Pure,” “Renovation” and “Driving Nowhere” showcase the group’s new guitarist, who has obviously learned how to play from listening to Eddie Van Halen.

“Exactly What You Wanted” is a perfect choice for massive radio rotation with its heavy bass lines and prophetic lyrics (“Now you can’t be disappointed/I thought I gave you just exactly what you wanted”).

Indeed, the group definitely delivered what fans craved.

“Like I Care” features the addition of a cellist, a new innovation of the group, but unfortunately the instrument is almost inaudible over the thick tempest of the music.

“Broadcast Emotion” also features a new innovation for the band, the use of a cymbal beat that serves to accentuate the pulsing drums.

The two better songs on the disc are “It’s Easy To Get Bored” and “Harmless.” The former has a great guitar melody and a blistering beat while the latter has lead singer Page Hamilton growling at a somewhat slower pace.

This slower pace makes the song extremely menacing and intimidating.

Aftertaste is a great glimpse into the bright future of this band. With the addition of a great guitarist and some much needed innovation, the band is perched to finally get the widespread acclaim it deserves.

4 stars

— Ben Jones

Loose Caboose

DJ Dan

In the world of rave music, it is often difficult to find standout compilations that feature only the best offerings. But Loose Caboose manages to do just that.

DJ Dan, a producer and DJ who specializes in the funky house sound, is the legendary pioneer of the Funky Tekno Tribe (which is famous nationwide as the best underground rave attraction).

With Loose Caboose, he has mixed a CD that is the perfect introduction to rave music and the different sounds that lie therein.

Peace Feast delivers “No Hassle From The Man,” which is based on a mixture of clapping, ambient samples, crazy guitar riffs and keyboards.

The song repeats in cycles with something added each time (such as flutes). The style is close to an offshoot of trance hip-hop and sounds like what might happen if Santana collaborated with KLF.

Kelly Llorena’s “Brighter Day” is an eccentric mixture of classic “jungle” samples and extremely funky breaks. It dissolves into borderline trance complete with lyrics which overlap themselves in a sonic frenzy.

The two better songs on Loose Caboose are Thursday Club’s “A Place Called Acid” and Earcandy’s “Free To Be Me.”

The former is easily the best house song ever recorded. It is a strange combination of keyboard frequencies, ambient breaks and heavy bass.

It sets a tempestuous rhythm that quickly becomes addictive and trance inducing, especially with its slowed down hip-hop samples and funky breaks.

The latter is an acid-trip mix that features soaring keyboards and thundering bass. It breaks into a definite trance/hip-hop beat that is complete with crystal clear vocal samples.

What DJ Dan adds to the disc is irreplaceable. He has an uncanny knack for melding songs together seamlessly. It is this aspect that makes Loose Caboose so entertaining and fun to listen to. Loose Caboose is definitely rave music at its best.

4 stars

— Ben Jones

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All ratings are based on a scale of zero to five stars, with five being The English Patient and zero being Striptease.