Current Video Reviews
Atreyu - "Her Portrait In Black"
Artist: Totalisti
Video: "Sick of it All"
Totalisti (pronounced “To-tal-is-TIE”) have been rocking the Pacific northwest for some time now, but the new album Slave To None, produced by Scott Rockenfield of Queensryche, represents their boldest bid yet for a national breakout. The video clip, “Sick Of It All”, displays the unusual but fruitful collaboration between front man Mark Stockwell and drummer Tom Tatiano to good effect. Tatiano’s drum parts are, to a greater extent than is typical in hard rock, melodic as well as rhythmic. He’s not Neal Peart, but you get the idea.
Visually, “Sick...” is shot in old-time sepia and is the sort of straight performance video that is meant to let the song speak for itself. It has shoestring production values, which isn’t a bad thing in and of itself. A more eye grabbing video, though, might do more to communicate the band’s gritty musical originality. I have to score this one a near miss. – Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-12692640-videos--Totalisti
Artist: Sevendust
Video: "Ugly"
Director: P.R. Brown
Atlanta’s Sevendust marks their tenth anniversary with the album Next, and the lead single clip “Ugly”. Paradoxically, it isn’t. It’s not “pretty”, of course, but it’s about as elegantly crafted as metal gets. Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose are relentless but tightly controlled. Frontman Lajon Witherspoon is also in absolute command. He’s loud, but he’s most assuredly singing as opposed to shrieking.
The video, directed by P. R. Brown (Matisyahu “King Without A Crown”, Billy Corgan “Walking Shade”), is done almost entirely in shades of grey. While primarily a performance piece, the unusual angles and often jarring camera moves rescue “Ugly” from that all too common pigeon hole. The B-Roll is downright disturbing, with a blindfolded child and shots of the band members in what appears to be excruciating pain. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you can take it, this one’s a winner. – Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-271224-videos--Sevendust
Artist: Atreyu
Video: "Her Portrait In Black"
Director: Sean Stiegmier
Atreyu burst on to the scene with a roar in 2002, demolishing borders within the hard rock style. They incorporated elements of rap metal and hardcore punk as well as straight ahead hard rock and quickly gathered a legion of fans and a hefty scrapbook of rave reviews. Three years and three more albums later, they continue to expand their own musical and creative horizons. The new video is “Her Portrait In Black”, from the album Underground Evolution.
Incorporating the manic pace of hardcore in the choruses, but mixing in sophisticated production techniques and precise, expert musicianship throughout, the song is a superbly crafted piece of energetic yet artistically complex hard rock. Visually, the theme is chthonic, not to say diabolical. Around the performance sequences, two vaguely demonic figures, one male and one female, move through surreal sets; building to a climax in a blood red sunrise. If you haven’t yet seen or heard these hard rock innovators, this is a fine introduction. – Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-292674-videos--Atreyu
Artist: 10 Years
Video: "Wasteland"
Director: Chris Simms
Knoxville, TN natives 10 Years take a new angle in approaching the hard rock genre. Relying less on riff driven structure than many of their contemporaries, they create structured songs that are designed to provoke thought without sacrificing energy. “Wasteland”, the lead single from their album The Autumn Effect, is a good example. It’s laden with pain and pathos – but despair ultimately gives was to a glimmer of hope.
Opening on a cracked pavement floor, director Scott W. Lee (The Chemistry “About You”, Jagstar “Save Me”) establishes right from the first shot the skin crawling agony of withdrawal that is the song’s primary theme. He frames singer Jesse Hasek’s face in alternate bands of light and shadow, suggesting the cage he’s struggling to escape. Artful focus pulls and adroit editing, particularly in the bridge, mark Lee as an up and coming director to keep an eye on. – Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-19218282-videos--10-Years