New Albums - Page 159

Prog-metal outfit Between the Buried and Me has followed up last year’s Parallax EP with the release of Parallax II: Future Sequence. The full-length album continues the concept of its predecessor with two main characters how take a journey through space and time to cure the flaws of humanity. “While the EP served mostly as an introduction to the characters,...

Get out your axe and face paint: KISS is back with their 20th studio album, entitled Monster. Anchored by the outspoken Gene Simmons, the effort is their second with the lineup of singer Paul Stanley, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. The band kept things old school by recording to tape and keeping things simple. Likening the new...

Pianist Hiromi Uehara has released a new live concert performance of her Trio Project, Live at Marciac. Backed by bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips, the DVD captures the trio’s live performance in Marciac, France in July, 2011. Six of Hiromi’s own compositions are featured during the performance, as well as her version of “Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8,...

Meshell Ndegeocello is following up her 2011 release, Weather, with the release of her tenth studio album, Pour une âme souveraine (“For a sovereign soul”). The album is a dedication to Nina Simone, who Ndegeocello says was a “powerful influence both musically and politically”. “She wanted success, was pressured to make hits, but her own sound was still irrepressible,” said...

Alberto Rigoni has released his third solo effort, entitled Three Wise Monkeys. Further refining the style presented in 2011’s Rebirth, the new album is made up of half instrumental and half vocal songs that revolve around the Japanese folk legend of the “Three Wise Monkeys,” which embodies the proverbial principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” Rigoni’s...

Bassist and composer Aaron Gibson has gained the attention of No Treble readers over several months, thanks to his unique videos – cover tunes and originals – to our New School interview. Aaron has released his solo debut album, Becoming Unravelled, featuring his own compositions, and expanding his music with the support of other musicians. The result is an eclectic...

English alternative rock trio Muse have returned with their sixth studio album entitled The 2nd Law. With its title referring to the second law of thermodynamics, the new effort shows the band stretching their sound with obvious influences from Queen, Stevie Wonder and even some dubstep from Skrillex. It’s also the first to feature bassist Chris Wolstenholme as lead singer...

Bassist/composer Iris Ornig has followed up her 2009 debut with the release of her second album, No Restrictions. The album, performed by Ornig’s own quintet, features eight straight-ahead, contemporary jazz originals and two covers, exploring “Brazilian music mixed with the more straightforward American-European jazz traditions”. Ornig is a veteran of the New York music scene now, having arrived there in...

Bass legend Larry Graham has released Raise Up, his latest effort with Graham Central Station, following a 13 year recording hiatus. The iconic bassist of Sly and the Family Stone and his own group enlisted the help of Prince – a long time collaborator of Graham’s, as well as songwriter/guitarist/producer Rafael Saadiq. And while it has been 13 years since...

The Bad Plus have released their eighth studio album, Made Possible, on the Entertainment One Music label. The effort may mark a new era for the band as they chose to include electronic percussion and synthesizers, which is a first for their traditionally acoustic sonic palette. The new layer was brought in mostly by bassist Reid Anderson, who played synthesizer...

Tom Tom Club has returned with their first new material in 12 years, entitled Downtown Rockers. Founded by the husband-wife team of bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz, the Talking Heads shoot-off group’s latest offering stays true to their quirky, danceable style while paying homage to the music scene of downtown New York in the ’70s. “The reason why...

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris has stepped out on his own with the release of British Lion, his solo debut. As we reported back in July, the 10-track album is the result of the music Harris has written and recorded in secret in between recording and touring with Iron Maiden over the past few years. “It’s taken years for this...