Just who are Statues, and what are they trying to accomplish in the music scene? These Aussie heavyweights are swinging for the fences with their debut album, Together We’re Alone. Sounding like the lovechild of The Bled, Every Time I Die, Fear Before, Converge, and a myriad of other bands, Statues are taking wildly chaotic metalcore to the next level. It won’t be long until everyone knows their name.
Guitarist Scott Kay stopped by to discuss 5 albums that have had a huge impact on his life. I was honestly expecting bands like The Bled and ETID to show up on the list, but alas, it was not to be. That said, his choices are still phenomenal, and you should give them a read after the jump.
Five Monumental Albums – Scott Kay
1. Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire
This record made me want to play rock music. It doesn’t get more influential than that. Hearing Timmy C’s unbelievable bass sound on this album inspired me to pick up the instrument and start learning myself. I was jamming with a few friends very soon after I picked it up, and we were playing Rage Against the Machine covers a lot. It reached the point where we could almost play the entire Evil Empire album top to bottom.
The album is just filled to the brim with table-flipping riffs, and in my opinion, shows the most diverse collection of songs from any of RATM’s albums. I don’t think they released one bad song in their entire career though.
2. Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution
In my mid-teen years, I was looking for music of a very specific feel; something that was heavy and crushing, but with beautiful atmosphere. Fear Factory were the first band I heard that were kind of making records like that, but then I remember coming home from school one day, and my older brother was listening to Devin Townsend in the lounge. ‘…What the hell is this?!’ – I asked excitedly, as I went to grab the CD case. What I was hearing was the exact definition of what I was looking for in music (Deadhead was playing at the time).
The mixture of big choruses, huge sounding guitars, some of the best vocal performances in Devin’s career (IMO), and all that incredible ambience and pads, makes for one absolutely killer album.
3. Strapping Young Lad – City
I still remember buying The Butterfly Effect’s first album the same day I bought City. Only having just started getting into heavier stuff from discovering Devin Townsend not too much earlier on, I decided to give City a whirl. I remember listening to TBE’s album first (great record too), and then I put City on straight after. I had no idea what I was in for. What ensued was the soundtrack to losing your mind. City, to me, is still the heaviest album ever recorded. The opening track, Velvet Kevorkian is so amping, it’s hard not to want to punch holes in walls screaming ‘Fuck sleep, FUCK ALL OF YOU!’ The bridge to ‘Oh My Fucking God’ is just absurd too. But what makes this album really unique, is the fact that it is also surprisingly melodic at times. You don’t know what the word ‘heavy’ really means until you let this album destroy your ears.
4. The Dear Hunter – Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading
The Dear Hunter are a band I could go on about forever. I think Casey is one of the best song-writers alive today. While I think the mix on Act II is lack lustre, the songs on it are just so damn good, that production is really an afterthought. It is progressive, innovative, catchy, thematic, beautiful; the arrangements are incredibly well thought out, from bass lines right through to horn and string sections. At somewhere around the 70 minute mark, it’s a long record, but to me, this is a blessing. You can stay in the wonderful world it creates for longer (there’s a whole story to all of the Acts as well); travelling past lakes and rivers, taking a train ride with some unsavoury types, a sleazy waltz through a burlesque house, falling in love, being deceived, and then leaving on a bitter note to the sea. All that wank aside, listen to this record and this band; they are and have been my favourite band for a long time.
5. Me’Shell Ndegeocello – Comfort Woman
Feeling unloved? Listen to this record. While it has a dark undertone to it, the lyrics for most of the album make it feel like Me’Shell is looking after you and saying that she appreciates you. It’s like a nice warm hug in musical form. But on top of that, the vocal performance is sublime, and the groove is just next level. Me’Shell on bass and Chris Dave on drums is an insane rhythm section. I love the relaxed feel this record sits in for it’s duration; the atmosphere makes you feel like you’re floating in space. To me, this is what all dub records should sound and feel like. This is a fantastic album to jam on bass to, and it’s perfect to put on to unwind.
