CD REVIEWS BY LOCAL WRITERS
Fernanda Abreu, Raio X , 1997, EMI. By Andrea Medrado
The perfect fusion of styles in “x-ray” challenges listeners in each song, and the challenge
pays back. The second track, “Aquarela Brasileira,” starts off with Fernanda’s raspy voice. Then
comes a subtle succession of instruments: the rattle, the cuíca, an old school samba guitar solo
— by the time the tambourines and drums mixed with electronic beats take over, it’s too late.
You’ve already surrendered to this catchy combo of the primitive and technological. And this is
exactly what Fernanda intended.
She pals up with rocker Chico Science (he duets on one track), as well as Lenine and
Carlinhos Brown, who are known in Brazil for experimenting with various rhythms. The album is
an anthem to the diversity of Rio de Janeiro (where Fernanda is from) and its cultural tolerance,
embracing with open arms all kinds of musical influences.
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Minus The Bear, They Make Beer Commercials Like This , 2004, THE ARENA ROCK
By Mike Stopp
The imminent beauty of Minus The Bear’s six-song EP, They Make Beer Commercials Like
This, goes above and beyond the norm of a worthy listen. The emotions evoked through this
technical, melodic Seattle based band will make
you grab a partner to dance with and kiss.
The combination of guitar finger-tapping,
synthesizers and talented vocals far exceed any
in its class. Rarely does a band create a new
sound such as this. With ex-members of Sharks
Keep Moving, Kill Sadie and Botch, it’s hard to
imagine something these boys create being any-
thing less than flawless. The production quality
is superb, just like previous albums.
Minus the Bear can set the mood for a night
of lounging, or be the start of a memorable time
of dancing. Though consisting of only six songs
of welcoming intrigue, They Make Beer
Commercials Like This is easily enough to keep
your head nodding until the full length release,
which should be out sometime in the near
future.
RECORDING CO.
Iced Earth, The Glorious Burden , 2004, STEAMHAMMER RECORDS By Matt Stone
Terms such as “theatre metal” and “opera metal” could be used to define the sound of King
Diamond’s monumental 1987 metal opus, Abigail. And now, with the release of Iced Earth’s new
album, The Glorious Burden, I feel those terms can once again be used.
Burden isn’t your usual Goth-and-brimstone-tinted Iced Earth album, as guitarist and song-
writer Jon Schaffer has used this particular release as an outlet for his lifelong passion: military
history.
Songs such as “Valley Forge” and “Declaration Day” offer a soundtrack-perspective to the
founding of our nation. “When the Eagle Cries” displays Schaffer’s somber, yet vengeful, take on
9/11. Even the brutal nature of humanity on foreign soil
is expressed in tracks such as “Greenface,” “Waterloo,”
and “Attila,” which feature an archaic and tribal quali-
ty through drums and vocals. However, “The
Reckoning” does return to the hell-hath-much-fury
riffing of yore.
The centerpiece of the album is Schaffer’s half-
hour composition, “Gettysburg (1863),” on disc two.
This evocative three-part song ranges from anger to
victory, remorse to sorrow.
Overall, a very emotional, thought-provoking and
striking album. The song “Hollow Man” raises the ques-
tions, “What is freedom?” and “Can one be free from
themselves ... ?”
The answers are not easy to find.
Woodland, Twilight , 2003, IMAGINOSIS RECORDS By Scotty Perey
Our wealth of local music is greatly blessed by the recent arrival of a wonderfully magical
ensemble from Arizona, the Celtic-inspired and Faerieworld-themed group Woodland.
Their most recent release, Twilight, is a fantastic mosaic of musical offerings that caresses
our ears and ancient souls with imagery of nature and Old World mystery, in a mode both relax-
ing and rhythmic.
Its splendor dances finely within a texture of soothing meditation and solid songwriting. The
lion’s share of the songs are spun by guitarist/vocalist Emilio Miller-Lopez, with one notable
track, “Into The Twilight,” manifested as a W.B. Yeats poem of the same name set to music by
harpist/vocalist Kelly Miller-Lopez. Kelly’s enchanting voice shines in a rich mix of sonorities.
Enticing young and old, Twilight makes both a great gift and a smart choice to lull the
munchkins to dreamland. Every
song on this album is thoroughly
enjoyable; my easy favorites,
interestingly, are the first “I
Remember,” and the last
“Midnight Ring,” with honorable
mention going to “Mermaid.”
The artwork of the CD evokes
perfectly the feeling of Twilight,
with all paintings on the cover
and in the liner-notes created by
Brian Froud, well-known for
designing the characters and
worlds of the movies, The Dark
Crystal and Labyrinth.
Both will be featured guests at
Woodland’s own magnificent pro-
duction, the Fairieworlds Festival,
July 31 and Aug. 1 at Horning’s
Hideout just outside of Portland,
a truly magical venue in its own
right.
22 JULY 29, 2004