S - Ribviews

Whether they’re straight out of the kitchen or have been sitting under a heat lamp for a minute, here is a sample of releases Ribbers decided to taste. Like other zines, we have rated them, but with our own complicated culinary system – from one rib (lowest) to five ribs (bestest).

St. Vitus Live (Southern Lord). 2 ribs- Barely edible.
Saint Vitus is spouted by their record label, Southern Lord Recordings, as being “thee (sic) premiere American doom metal act of the 80’s.” The press release continues to hail the band as music-writing pioneers who enjoy “an undeniable influence in metal.”
In the band’s latest live release, creatively titled Live, St. Vitus fails to live up to the hype. There is nothing offensively horrible about the material or the performance. There is also nothing to be found that is particularly original, exciting, outstanding, or even well above average. Everything about this recording is mediocre, and I left the listening experience feeling as though I had just escaped a surly roadside dive populated with cheesy biker gangs and pot-bellied whores. The vocals, amateur and completely lacking in any sort of musicality, heavily detract from some of the more enjoyable moments.
There are some decent riffs to be found, but nothing that would separate St. Vitus from a good local college band, let alone establish them as “pioneers of true-Doom Metal.” Everyone knows that “Doom Metal” began with Sabbath, practically an entire decade before the arrival of St. Vitus.
Bottom line: I’d borrow it before I’d buy it. I’d let it play in the background if I were hurting for better choices. Shane Newsome

Semaphore Make (Laughing Shadow). 3 ½ ribs-lots of different tastes.
Produced, composed and mastered by Kirby Clements’ (Semaphore) release Make is an adventure of the senses. Utilizing 24bit recording, a Macintosh and various digital devices, Clements was able to create a nostalgia-evoking soundtrack with unassuming, toe-tapping rhythms. The elements combined somehow mesh to create an experience somewhere between a planetarium and a dance club. Will Jordan

Skapel Konfusion (Ninja Tune). 4 ½ ribs-perfectly prepared polish sausage.
Slicing through the annals of traditional Polish jazz sounds, Skapel are on a mission to reinvent that rich sound. The duo, comprised of Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudio hail from Wroclaw, Poland and together chop, edit and pound the music with a modern beat. Each jazztastik track, from opening “Shivers” to coda “Seaweed” is a perfect soundtrack for murky, underground European piano bars. As described by label Ninja Tune, Konfusion is “ very much one for jazzers, beat heads and strong cigarette smokers.” Will Jordan

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