Stone Temple Pilots - Core

It's been just over a year since former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland died. It was a sad way to herald in the end of the year, but that loss spawned a newfound respect. 2015 was not a great year for Weiland, all things considered. Lots of bad publicity surrounded him throughout the year as Stone Temple Pilots toured with Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington and Weiland delivered some pretty nightmarish performances with his own band.

There are times where you need to look beyond someone's faults, though. Yes, Weiland was cursed with drug abuse amongst other things, but that did not lessen his artistry or his message. He was a key voice in the grunge generation, and continued to make something of his signature voice right until the very end. Taking a look at where it all began, Stone Temple Pilots' 1992 debut Core, is just what you need to remind you of what Weiland truly stood for.

The album kicks off with the lo-fi intro of Weiland's raspy voice in 'Dead & Bloated,' one of the band's signature tracks. The groovy, chunky riffs usher you into a true grunge experience, with Weiland's voice melodically yet angrily singing with true rock flair. This album came about at the peak of the grunge scene, and this record really puts the rawest elements of the genre forward. 'Naked Sunday' is much the same, its funky riff electrified by its rebellious nature, particularly a result of Weiland's great vocal performance on the track. Another track that's truly grunge to the core is 'Wicked Garden.'

The band's debut single 'Sex Type Thing' is what truly set their mark, though. The song's blistering riff and pure grunge antics really set a fire in the genre. There's something intrinsically badass about this song, and it comes in many different forms. It could be the thick guitars. It could also be Weiland's spectacular vocals, too. Whatever it is, this song really set the bar for grunge of this caliber. The song did spawn some controversy, though; the second verse chants "I am a man, a man / I'll give ya something that ya won't forget / I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress," which many took as an advocation of rape. The song is largely the opposite: it's an anti-rape track about a girl Weiland dated in high school who was raped by members of the football team. Weiland explained the song as being "about control, violence and abuse of power."

You can't have a rock record in general without a slower track or two. This record comes with two, both of which became singles. The first of them is 'Creep' - not a cover of the Radiohead track from the same era, but a different type of slow mover. 'Creep' is a song about being on the edge of suicide amidst drug abuse (ironically), the somber chords creating a moody background behind Weiland as her defeatedly sings about his own self-destruction. The lines "Take time with a wounded hand / Cause it likes to heal / Take time with a wounded hand / 'Cause I like to steal... I'm half the man I used to be (This I feel as the dawn / It fades to gray)" really sets the tone of the track and it's distant but hopeful nature.

The second slower track is the slightly more upbeat 'Plush.' The song is electric and has more drive, but at it's core it's still a pretty sad song. The song's loosely based around finding the body of a dead little girl, as proposed by the lines "When the dogs begin to smell her / Will she smell alone?" The song battles with internal conflict, Weiland singing about feelings of loneliness and a fear of no one caring about him if he were to die. The song resolves in a strange way, the haunting words gaining more strength and confidence, as if he becomes more accepting of the fact. "Life's a wasted go," as the first verse claims, and there's no point pondering over what'll happen after it ends.

Core has some weirder tracks that aren't all about the rock n' roll vibe, but each track still maintains those elements. 'Sin' has a big intro, the song resolving into a sweet bridge that builds up into an electrifying guitar solo to bring the song to its climax. 'Piece Of Pie' adds some groove to its huge grunge tonality, Weiland's soaring vocals full of delay in the backing vocals of the verses and in the choruses. There's a weird ending to 'Crackerman' that leads it into the rolling ending song 'Where The River Goes,' which builds up with drive to form a solid, grungy ending.

Core was Scott Weiland's first mark in the world, and it's a timeless effort. Stone Temple Pilots' debut was a key record in the world of grunge. To this day, the power of Scott Weiland's voice still resonates as something unique and powerful. His life was tumultuous, but his music helped craft the very direction of rock music and, furthermore, stood the test of time to be by each fan's side. No matter what he did in his life, he gave back to the world through the avenue he knew how to, and that's all you could ask of him.

Favorite Tracks: Sex Type Thing, Plush, Creep, Dead & Bloated

Least Favorite Tracks: Wet My Bed, No Memory

Rating: 82 / 100

Imagine Dragons - Night Visions

Imagine Dragons are inching closer and closer to getting new material from their upcoming third record out, but it has quite the discography to live up to. The band's second record Smoke & Mirrors was largely a success, combining heavier elements - as well as poppier ones - to the band's foundations. You can't move forward without keeping what's behind you in mind, though. Imagine Dragons' 2012 studio debut Night Visions set the pace for this band.

Regardless of how you look at it, Night Visions was, and still is a massive record. It's built upon very pure emotions and a pretty clear mission statement. It has a strong conviction and, on top of that, loads of pop appeal. The album is probably best known for some of its singles: the sweet, uplifting anthem 'It's Time' was played nearly nonstop in its prime, it's dinky intro leading into a powerful track with a strong drive. There's also the classic 'Demons,' perhaps one of the weaker of the singles. It's weird kick drum sound and less upfront sound doesn't live up to the hype of other singles on the record, but that didn't stop it from being a big single.

Of course, no one can forget 'Radioactive.' Even if you tried you couldn't forget it - chances are you heard it so many times in 2012 and 2013 that you got sick of it. The ad nauseam radioplay may have gotten to you, but while listening to it with purpose, you remember how massive of a song this is. 'Radioactive' earned its right as one of the biggest pop songs of the decade for good reason - the massive, glitching synths paired with the immense percussion really redefined and owned the anthemic vibe of music. What's even more massive than 'Radioactive' is the live version of the song - if you want a whole new beast to deal with, check that out.

Night Visions has a very strong grasp on how pop rock works. The rock n' roll vibes are part of the record - "cute" songs like 'On Top Of The World' are present, providing for a genuinely fun listen, while other songs like 'Tiptoe' have a darker sound to them but still maintain a big drive. Even the bonus track 'Rocks' has some fun vibes to it! There's a lot of great variation on this record, and it's all under the umbrella of rock and pop. Imagine Dragons weren't afraid to take a few risks, either - 'Bleeding Out' is a very different song on the record, featuring loops and a more retrospective melody. It's dark like 'Tiptoe' but also carries a different vibe to it that no other songs really have. The album's true closing track 'Nothing More To Say' is somewhat of a risk, too; the six-minute song builds it up to be a powerful and sweet ending - exactly what the record deserved.

As much praise as it deserves, Night Visions isn't perfect. Imagine Dragons created a bunch of very solid tracks, but they made one mistake: made some songs reach mental heights, while others just roll along without much flair to them. It's not like every song should be a new, towering epic, but track after track, you're waiting for that new high to be reached, and it's going to sometimes take awhile before that comes. There really aren't many bad tracks at all - 'Hear Me' is some solid pop rock, and ID channels Coldplay in 'Every Night' to give the middle of the record some nice ear candy. The only subpar song is 'Underdog,' it's over-the-top synths really dragging it down and making it stand out awkwardly.

Imagine Dragons have come a long way since Night Visions. Their third album is on the way, and when it drops, it'll really decide the fate of the band. We weren't too impressed with the new song 'Levitate,' and that's because it really just lacked what makes Imagine Dragons so great and memorable. They're defined by their anthemic vibe and their strong vibes. The best Imagine Dragons songs are the ones that truly mean something to the listener and the band. That's the core of Night Visions. They had everything they needed from the start - the question now is whether or not that is where they peaked.

Favorite Songs: Radioactive, It's Time, Bleeding Out

Least Favorite Song: Underdog

Rating: 84 / 100

Fall Out Boy - 'Thnks Fr The Mmrs'

It's Thanksgiving, a holiday where we Americans sit around a table, feast on delicious food, and talk about what we're all thankful for. Thanksgiving doesn't have quite the musical mood surrounding it like other holidays, but there's still a lot of music out there that likes to give thanks.

Fall Out Boy's 2007 classic 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' really isn't one of those songs. If anything, it's pretty much the exact opposite of a thank you. Regardless, it's musical sweetness is something to remain thankful for even if the song's meaning itself is about a failing relationship.

'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' helped Fall Out Boy launch further into their pop rock takeover after 'Dance, Dance' rocketed them into stardom. 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' showed the best of Fall Out Boy's alternative side. The song is brought in by dramatic orchestration with lots of dynamic and tension. Patrick Stump's soulful voice rings with a rockstar tinge, especially in the choruses, loads of harmonies piling on top of the thick rhythm guitar.

As mentioned before, there isn't much about being legitimately thankful in this song. The song's really about a relationship where no more love exists, but they continue to be together just for sex. The chorus chants: "One night and one more time / Thanks for the memories / Even though they weren't so great / He tastes like you only sweeter," referring to the lack of romance in these casual affairs. The line "He tastes like you, only sweeter" comes straight from the play Closer in a particularly funny scene; the song has a couple of cheeky references like that, including the bridge lyric "Collecting Page Six lovers," referring to bassist Pete Wentz' romantic links to Page Six model Lindsay Lohan. There's even reference to his signature eyeliner - "I'm a liner away / From getting you into the mood."

The lyrics are a pretty interesting internal battle. There's a plot and there's an overall meaning, both of which aren't necessarily related. The narrative follows the story of a crazy night. The character is amidst an argument with his partner, saying she better hope she's being watched over ("I'm going to make you bend and break (It sent you to me without wings) / Say a prayer, but let the good times roll / In case God doesn't show") before things go down. As things go on, he begins to lose sight of that relationship, the memories of the past remaining clear but the future for them looking uncertain: "I'm looking forward to the future / But my eyesight is going bad / And this crystal ball / It's always cloudy except for, except for when you look into the past." The bridge sees him losing his morals and getting with other girls (Pete Wentz lost Kim Kardashian to a monkey in the music video, so that's really as low as he can get). The song then bursts into one final chorus, a big festive hurrah (or a fuck you) to love and fun.

'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' probably isn't the song you want to be citing this Thanksgiving weekend, but there song itself is something to be thankful for. It's one of prime examples of alternative rock and of the band, and really stood the test of time. It came out in the prime of scene in 2007, and ever since it's been a classic. If you're finding trouble being thankful this weekend, too, you can always come to this song for some sweet revenge.

Rating: 97 / 100

Happy Thanksgiving from Immortal Reviews!

Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love and Hate

The world lost another legend this year. The master of poetic folk Leonard Cohen has died, leaving behind an almost unfathomable legacy. A fourteen album career that lasted almost over five decades has left a powerful mark on music and the world as we know it. From his poetic beginnings to his final effort (2016's You Want It Darker), Leonard Cohen created a cult following rivaled by few and changed millions of lives through his art.

One of his most powerful works was his third record Songs Of Love and Hate. Released in 1971, it quickly became a cult classic. It's not too diverse of a record, especially when compared to his previous efforts, but it solidified his niche as the dark folk artist and the emotional focus on the record proved to make it powerful. Many critics claim it is one of the darkest records you may ever hear, and that may very well be true.

The emotion of the album isn't plainly obvious, but it's impossible to not feel it. The album gets off to a paranoid start with 'Avalanche,' frantic, plucked acoustic guitar opening the record with aesthetic strings following it closely behind. The song is based off of his previously released poem 'I Stepped Into An Avalanche,' drawing lyrics directly from the poem. The song is almost disturbing in a cinematic way, Cohen's defeated and cold voice calmly attacking the subject. It's a damning view on humanity, a verse angrily chanting "The cripple here that you clothe and feed / Is neither starved nor cold / He does not ask for your company / Not at the center of the world," bashing those who help the poor for the sake of attention. The song's chorus is perhaps even more haunting: "You who wish to conquer pain / You must learn what makes me kind / The crumbs of love that you offer me / They're the crumbs I've left behind / Your pain is no credential here / It's just the shadow of my wound," revealing the unwillingness he has to open his heart, which has experienced pain like no other before.

The darkness of this track isn't fully emulated in the same way throughout the record, but there are places where the violence of the words is just as great. 'Love Calls You By Your Name' channels the frantic acoustic, but it overall sounds more positive than 'Avalanche.' Looks, however, can be deceiving. 'Love Calls You By Your Name' is full of hatred in its lyrics, angry at love and what it has caused. The orchestras add the drama to the track just as they did 'Avalanche,' yet the optimism of them contrasts the track's meaning. The track is more like an unpleasant memory of a past love, the dreaminess of the memories tarnished by their negativity.

Some songs use his signature poetic diction to get the message across. 'Last Year's Man' is a song about an obsessive love that Cohen experienced from afar. It's gentle and retrospective, almost in a reprimanding way. The song feels longing, as if it still seeks this unrequited love it never received. There's a brilliant allusion to the Old Testament and New Testament in the track, amazing symbolism for a man's love affair. 'Sing Another Song, Boys' also uses poetry to amplify it's meaning, with Cohen sounding almost tortured above the powerful track with an uncharacteristic sing-a-long at the end.

There's a reason this album was dubbed the album to cut your wrists to. It becomes most evident in 'Dress Rehearsal Rag,' perhaps the most tortured song on the record. It's self-destructive, angry, and full of self-loathing. The song has a powerfully strummed acoustic guitar paired with cinematic orchestras, but those all take a supporting role to the meaning. The narrator seems to be battling with addiction and suicide, the first verse already full of hatred: "Now if you can manage to get / Your trembling fingers to behave / Why don't you try unwrapping / A stainless steel razor blade?" Full of powerful imagery and dark, raw emotion, this is a song that doesn't escape you.

There are sweeter songs, but none are devoid of some form of anger or deceit. The popular 'Famous Blue Raincoat' is a letter exchange between a love triangle - a tragically difficult situation. The song is pretty and retrospective, a woman's crooning in the background giving the love triangle scenario some imagery. It's a song of betrayal and tragedy, caught between the heartbreaking threads of "Your famous blue raincoat [that] was torn at the shoulder." The album ends on the quieter track 'Joan Of Arc,' a continuation of 'Last Year's Man' and 'Famous Blue Raincoat,' but more of an acceptance. The song gives up hope and recalls what he wanted so badly for all this time, but he realizes that this thrill could only have lasted so long. The love is still there, but the hope that she would share his feelings are gone. This album's tragedy comes to an end, but that doesn't stop it from haunting you whenever it strikes you.

Leonard Cohen's folk beginnings were the roots of his career. His dark poetry came out in its purest form on these first folk records, and Songs Of Love and Hate truly channel some of the most tragic emotions. Cohen left behind a legacy for millions to appreciate and cling to for centuries to come, while the impact of his music affecting everyone who hears them in the same way as when they first heard them. Cohen is a timeless act, and while he may no longer be with us, he will continue to burn bright in our hearts.

Favorite Tracks: Avalanche, Dress Rehearsal Rag, Famous Blue Raincoat

Least Favorite Track: Diamonds In The Mine

Rating: 90 / 100

Rest in peace, Leonard Cohen.