Soundgarden: Superunknown
Some believe that grunge died along with Kurt Cobain. Others think it died when Soundgarden disbanded. Personally I never liked the ‘grunge’ label that was pinned to so many bands in the 90s but Soundgarden helped define the ‘Seattle sound’, and Superunknown is probably the finest example of what this band gave to the music world.
The album opens with Let me Drown, a powerful slab of alt-rock angst that perfectly demonstrates everything that makes Soundgarden so special: Kim Thayil’s Black Sabbath-esque guitar riffs, Ben Shepherd’s solid bass lines, the inventive jazz-style drumming from Matt Cameron and of course the raw brilliance of Chris Cornell’s unique vocals. My Wave is a little more upbeat but the whole album has the bleak and heavy vibe of their Seattle contemporaries. The difference is, Soundgarden did it better than most of them.
Charlie Mackenzie (Mike Myers) is a lovesick coffee house poet with eccentric parents and a string of failed relationships. When he meets butcher’s shopkeeper Harriet Michaels (Nancy Travis) all this seems to change: even to his paranoid mind she is cute, fun and intelligent. In fact, it appears that she is the woman he has been looking for. As Harriet and Charlie approach their wedding day however Charlie has suspicions that his bride-to-be is hiding a terrible secret…
After Zwan decided to call it a day after only one album, it was a foregone conclusion that Billy Corgan would continue to write and record songs regardless, and this, his first proper solo effort, is the result. It has to be said that his distinctly nasal vocals and sometimes cryptic approach to lyrics are an acquired taste, but here is proof that it is a taste worth acquiring.
The question “are we sleepwalking through reality or wakewalking through our dreams?” might seem like a weak premise for a film, but Waking Life approaches it with such originality and flair you can’t help but be drawn into the surreal world that Dazed and Confused director Richard Linklater has created. The film follows the travels of Wiley Wiggins, an average kind of guy who embarks on a journey of discovery to find out if the world he is living in really is a dream. During his strange journey he encounters a variety of characters - some famous, some not while others are downright strange - who each give their own views on life, dreams and reality.
Considering the fact that they are huge in their native Japan with more than nine albums in their back catalogue and have a deranged, upbeat sound that quite frankly has to be heard to believed, the Mad Capsule Markets have so far not managed to break into the UK music industry. So what exactly does their latest LP sound like? Good question. Imagine the electronic bleeps and squeals of recent Primal Scream, Prodigy dance beats and the unashamedly joyous riot of the likes of Less Than Jake backed up by a solid wall of distorted guitars and samples and you’re halfway there. In short, the Mad Capsule Markets combine punk, metal, funk and electronica in an utterly unique way.
Based on the 
Before the Dandy Warhols received mainstream popularity with one of their singles from Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia being used in a UK television ad campaign, they had two albums under their belt and were in ‘almost popular’ territory. A result of record company pressure to produce a follow-up to their debut The Dandy Warhols Rule OK, The Dandy Warhols Come Down has a more atmospheric and experimental sound than the more recent material. Recorded at a frantic pace following a false start (the recordings for the ‘Black Album’ being very hard to find), it combines ambient harmonies, radio-friendly hooks and sharp, quirky lyrics.
Based on the Stephen King bestseller, Dreamcatcher tells the story of four childhood friends who are stranded in a forest while on a hunting trip. However, it soon becomes clear that there is a sinister presence lurking in the woods, and only they and the telepathic gifts they acquired in their youth can save the human race from destruction.
After years of bitter warfare with the European Union, the Asian Federation has united Eurasia but at a terrible cost. A scientist named Doctor Azuma has a potential solution to the injuries inflicted on the millions involved in the conflict in the form of ‘neo cells’, that can regenerate any body tissue that is required (stem cells in other words). Unfortunately the laboratory is struck by a bolt of lightening and a Frankenstein-like situation ensues in which a race of beings is spawned and following an attempt to destroy them they give themselves the name of ‘Neoroids’ and vow to eradicate the human race. The only one who can stop them is Dr Azuma’s son, killed in the war but re-born thanks to his father’s research.
With Trent Reznor’s reputation and only live and remix albums filling the gap since NIN’s last album, the expectations that the new record has to meet are inevitably very high. So, has the wait for Halo 19 been worth it?