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VERBÖTEN Verböten ( Inside Outside )
Arguably the busiest guy in alternative rock , Jason Narducy finally revisits his origin story with the release of the self-titled debut album by Verböten . Before he was slinging bass lines for Bob Mould or bringing the jangle with Michael Shannon , Jason Narducy and Friends ’ R . E . M . tribute ( currently on tour playing Fables Of The Reconstruction ), Jason was a childhood punk rock ' prodigy ,' performing with his band Verböten at the tender age of 10 . Once , while visiting his family friend , singer Tracey Bradford , a young Dave Grohl happened upon a Verböten practice , permanently changing his rock and roll trajectory . Sure , the band was a little green , but they had grit and an attitude that belied their young ages . As the times would change , so would Jason ’ s sound , eventually flirting with the orchestral folk-pop of Jason & Alison in the 90s and even major label alt-rock circa Y2K with his band Verbow . His emotive tenor and sharp songwriting skills were always paramount , and his sound often revisited the heady days of noise-pop bands like Husker Du , so it was a perfect fit when Jason and Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster joined Bob Mould to help bring his solo career alive
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on stage . When you ’ ve achieved what I ’ m sure was the dream , it makes sense to want to go back to the beginning . While Verböten certainly made a mark on the local live scene during their brief tenure , they had other obligations ( like going to school ), so this new selftitled Verböten album marks their debut 40 years in the making . The album takes no prisoners ; in under 30 minutes , Verböten finds the band ( rounded out by drummer John Carroll and bassist Chris Kean ) blasting through a set of new originals with all the nuance of a farm thresher . Tracey and Jason ’ s voices push and pull with an intensity that recalls the chemistry of John Doe and Exene Cervenka of the band X . West coast punk seems to be the most significant influence here with the sound of The Germs , T . S . O . L ., Circle Jerks . Black Flag all provides some sonic inspiration . While there is particular caustic anger present in tracks like “ No More Indecision ,” “ Machine ,” and “ Bodily Autonomy ,” no doubt inspired by the recent political zeitgeist , it ’ s never a downer , and you can still feel that this is music made by friends having a blast . Side two finds the band stretching things out and slowing down with the four-on-the-floor Gang of Four funk of “ Better Days .” Recorded at the late Steve Albini ’ s legendary Electrical Audio , they nailed the drum sound |
here , and there would be no place better suited to capture Verböten ’ s volcanic throwback punk rock . As a rock and roll lifer , the road can be a tedious mental challenge where all you want to do is go back home , and in many ways , Verböten ’ s self-titled album feels like going back home .
- Andy Derer 8
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DREAM THEATER Parasomnia
( Inside Out Music / Sony Music )
Progressive metal titans Dream Theater first came to prominence with its 1992 breakthrough second full-length album – and their first with powerhouse Canadian singer James LaBrie - Images and Words , featuring the game-changing hit track “ Pull Me Under .”
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