Year : 2012
Style : Hard Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 119 mb
Bio:
Warrior Soul is an American hard rock band formed by lead singer and producer Kory Clarke. Clarke started the band on a bet from a promoter at New York City's Pyramid Club, after a solo performance art show called "Kory Clarke/Warrior Soul". Clarke was determined he would have the best band in the city within six months. Nine months later he signed to Geffen Records, with a multi album deal.Kory Clarke originally started in the music scene as a drummer for a number of bands, including Detroit punks L-Seven (not to be confused with the all female Los Angeles band, L7) and Pennsylvania Southern rockers Raging Slab. After realizing his calling was as a singer and front man, Kory Clarke promoted himself to stage front and founded Warrior Soul.The band began to play in New York City in 1987, and soon came to the attention of Geffen, who signed the band. Geffen directed Clarke to shed his hired band and get new players. Clarke insisted on keeping Pete McClanahan as his bass player, and recruited guitarist John Ricco and former Killing Joke drummer Paul Ferguson.In 1990, Warrior Soul released their first album, Last Decade Dead Century. The 11-track studio album received critical acclaim, especially in the U.K., where listeners readily embraced the band's political invective and insurrectionist rantings as the next big thing.1991 saw Ferguson replaced on drums by Mark Evans,and the band's second album Drugs, God and the New Republic release, which took their anarchist leanings even further. A nationwide support tour with Queensrÿche (with whom they shared management from the Q Prime agency) followed.The following year saw the release of the band's third album, 1992's Salutations from the Ghetto Nation, and Clarke's relationship with Geffen sour. Clarke's interviews became increasingly bitter, often focusing on the band's record label, whom he accused of ignoring the group's potential.Eventually, Clarke resorted to an all-out war, telling all who would listen that the band's fourth release, 1993's Chill Pill had been botched on purpose in order to fulfill the band's contract. The ploy seemed to work, and by early 1994 Warrior Soul were dropped by Geffen.A number of lineup changes ensued. Longtime guitarist John Ricco was ousted, replaced by two guitarists: Alexander Arundel (aka X-Factor) and Chris Moffet (former Cycle Sluts from Hell lead guitarist). Not long after, Mark Evans and Chris Moffet departed. At that time former Nuclear Assault/Cities/Cycle Sluts from Hell drummer Scott Duboys joined the band. The line-up now consisted of Clarke, Arundel, McClanahan and Duboys. Clarke sought to reinvent Warrior Soul as self-appointed cyberpunks for their fifth album, 1995's The Space Age Playboys, released on the independent Futurist label. While touring in support of the album, Warrior Soul headlined the 1995 Kerrang! U.K. tour, as well as performing at the 1995 Dynamo Open Air festival, and also at the 1995 Donnington Monsters of Rock concert.After the performance of their last live show in September 1995, Arundel, Duboys, and longtime bassist McClanahan quit the band, leading in short order to Clarke's decision to retire the band later that year.In 1996, Odds & Ends was released as a collection of demos recorded on an eight-track with Arundel, and leftover material that was originally intended for release on Elektra Records.The "classic" lineup of Clarke, Ricco, McClanahan, and Evans would later reunite in the studio to re-record twelve of the bands' songs, released on Spitfire records as Classics in 2001. All Warrior Soul albums were remastered and re-released on CD and MP3 in 2006 and 2009, including with bonus material (mostly live songs originally released as b-sides). The first three albums were also re-released on vinyl in 2009.Clarke says many of their songs are politically based, such as "Blown Away", "Superpower Dreamland", "In Conclusion", and "Children of the Winter." Clarke describes the band's sound as "acid punk", particularly their The Space Age Playboys album.Drummer Mark Evans was murdered in London, UK in 2005.
Album:
With WARRIOR SOUL comes another beloved all-time favorite band in 2012 that causes discomfort with its new record release.On the first sight Stiff Middle Finger turns out to be an amazing old school WARRIOR SOUL album with a rude and dirty garage production, breathing a huge fuck you attitude out of every pore. It feels good, genuine and conjures memories of the good old times. Again charismatic but pissed off frontman Kory Clarke rants with his fucked up voice about injustice, corruption, abuse of big groups and companies and governments as well as Nazi shit. Stiff Middle Finger is pure energy and takes its title literally and flips the world off. Stiff Middle Finger is a record to listen to at maximum volume and to rock down and destroy everything.On the second sight however, Kory Clarke noticeable digs in his back catalogue box and lets flow in everything WARRIOR SOUL stood for in the past and made them iconic. He not only poaches at old WARRIOR SOUL stuff but also at the Space Age Playboys and Mob Research.The first four tracks of Stiff Middle Finger are a real burner and kick hellish ass, every song’s crushing. A Drink To All My Friends has a charming but pushy riff and is per se a great party song on and for fans but here I already miss some power. Right after follows an Industrial-tinged song called 2012. I like this style but this song does not fit at all into the album concept, stands totally out. I think I take it as homage to Mob Research and Paul Raven. There are generally new aspects to find on Stiff Middle Finger. There are unfamiliar keyboards in A Drink To All My Friends and an experimental drone sound in the semi acoustic Light Your Bonfires. This one is intensive. And I like it.Second half of the album sounds different, as if the songs come from a completely different session. Besides, the backing vocals in Sparkle Baby and especially in Rubicon are totally off-key and disharmonious.There are many up and downturns regarding the record level. Guitars are often too dominant, bass and singing go under. It is said that songs have been recorded at different places but Stiff Middle Finger sounds as if the final mix was missing. It all gives me the feeling of an overhasty demo production.So, here I stand now, torn. I wish I nonchalantly could wipe away all inadequateness and just rock, but can’t help myself. One can downright hear that Stiff Middle Finger could have been greater.
Line-Up:
Kory Clarke – vocals, drums - see also: The Bones of Children, Mob Research
John Hodgson - guitar
Rille Lundell, Xevi Strings – lead guitars
Daniel "Danny" Engström, Sue Gere – bass
Freddie Cocker, Kory Clarke – drums
Production:
Recorded At – Producciones Macarras
Mixed At – Producciones Macarras
Recorded At – DNA Stockholm
Made By – Key Production
Composed By – Kory Clarke, Michael Hodges
Executive-Producer – January Begent
Guest, Guitar – John Ricco, Mark Gemini Thwaite, Xevi Strings
Layout – Jason Austin
Mixed By – Sue Gere
Producer – Kory Clarke, Sue Gere
Recorded By, Engineer – Daniel "Danny" Engström, Sue Gere
Vocals, Lyrics By, Drums, Producer – Kory Clarke
Tracklist:
01. Occupy (04:50)
02. Planetary Revolution (04:12)
03. Wall Street (03:28)
04. Junky Stripper (04:08)
05. A Drink To All My Friends (04:21)
06. 2012 (04:47)
07. Tear (05:05)
08. Sparkle Baby (04:11)
09. Rubicon (06:16)
10. Light Your Bonfires (07:31)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
