16 illinoisentertainer . com september 2022
OCT . 13th
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U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers . At this point , a collaboration with rapper Black Thought of The Roots is hardly a top priority , yet the crude psychedelic boom-bap of Cheat Codes feels like a fun escape . The Roots spent two decades building a large underground fanbase and stuck out from the pack being the rare ' 90s rap group with a full live band complete with a killer drummer ( Ahmir “ Questlove ” Thompson ), eventually culminating into a nightly dream gig as Jimmy Fallon ’ s live band on The Tonight Show . Cheat Codes is a love letter to the golden age of hip hop where an MC , a DJ , and a crate full of dusty soul samples could power an amazing album . Beautifully out of tune with the current era of shallow mumble rap , it ’ s no wonder they began recording this album back in 2005 and just finished it during the pandemic . The record flies by in 36 minutes and never outstays its welcome . Full of loud , hard-hitting drums , cleverly placed samples , and with guest spots from Michael Kiwanuka , Conway The Machine , Run The Jewels , and the late great MF Doom , this album should be ambrosia to any fan of Gen-X hip hop .
– Andy Derer
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THE DEARLY DELETED Gonna Survive
( Self )
Local pop-rockers The Dearly Deleted have a celebrated musical history in the city that goes back four decades . Vocalist Butch Zeppo and guitarist Perry Schober played in Euphoria in the ’ 80s , while drummer Steve Chiappe hailed from the popular Rail City Five . A chance encounter years later led to the trio forming The Dearly Deleted . The band is completed by bassist John Shilkus . On its long-awaited debut album , Gonna Survive , its 10 tracks are loaded with energetic , poppy , feel-good rhythms , memorable melodies , and catchy choruses of various styles and influences ranging from everything from The Stranglers to Billy Idol to The Replacements to Lou Reed and even R . E . M . The snotty , Kinks-esque riffing of opener “ Be Here Tonight ” kicks off the album in an upbeat fashion . “ BOO HOO ” grooves with a pop / new wave flavor reminiscent of Honeymoon Suite , Greg Kihn , Donnie Iris , and the like , while a similar punky / new wave-ish vibe permeates “ Girls ,” which culls a wide range of influences from bands including The Replacements , Husker Dü and Weezer with a ’ 60s rock vibe and a modern pop sheen , while the ’ 70s rock twang of “ Got To Get It ” recalls veterans of the era such as Alice Cooper , Lou Reed , and The Tubes . The main driving force of this album is that every track has an infectious melodic hook and a catchy chorus . The album took almost a year to complete , with engineering , mixing , and mastering performed by Frank Pappalardo from WTTW ’ s Soundstage fame . The crisp , angular sonority of the mix , the fantastic-looking album cover , and the infectious instrumentation makes Gonna Survive a great overall package . The Dearly Deleted has ascended on the music scene with a fantastic album that captures the diverse spirit of the ’ 80s power pop / new wave genres .
— Kelley Simms
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WITCHSLAYER Witchslayer
( Self )
Long defunct Chicago heavy / thrash and doom metal band , Witchslayer , has resurfaced after almost 40 years with its debut self-titled full-length album . The band ’ s 1983 demo is a cult classic within the underground metal circles and most veteran metalheads may remember Witchslayer ’ s blazing track “ I Don ' t Want to Die ” appearing on Metal Blade Records ’ infamous compilation album series Metal Massacre . Bassist Sean McAllister went on to play for our city ’ s beloved doom metal gods Trouble , while the rest of the band led a life of relative obscurity in the music business . Vocalist Jeff Allen remains the only original member from the band ’ s early ’ 80s days . However , he has assembled a cast of local musicians from other ’ 80s Chicago cult metal bands that successfully captures the Witchslayer ’ s early-era aesthetics ; Gabriel Anthony ( Tyrant ’ s Reign ) on drums , Ken Mandat ( Damien Thorne ) on guitars , and Mike Lucid ( Damien Thorne ) on bass . The album ’ s 11 tracks contain six originals and a complete re-recording of their debut demo . Witchslayer is a musical gem that sounds like it came from the ’ 80s — which it basically did because the songs were written between 1981 and 1984 , completed by a raw and visceral production . The band ’ s hybrid mix of thrashy speed metal with traditional metal — and their love of British heavy metal — gives Witchslayer its oldschool charm . Tracks such as the Angel Witch-esque titular opener and the aforementioned “ I Don ' t Want to Die ” are timeless pieces of ’ 80s heavy metal , bursting with a classic sound and ripping riffs , while “ Deceiver ” is decorated with more of the band ’ s doom metal influences . The new tracks boast an authentic sound and familiarity , proving that the band hasn ’ t lost its touch after all these years . It ’ s nice to have Witchslayer back .
— Kelley Simms
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