Slayer
The Bloody Reign of Slayer (book)
by Joel McIver/Omnibus Press
5 out of 5 stars
This in-depth biography about Slayer’s career not only does a great job of tracking the band’s rise to the top but does an excellent job of defending music that some view as obscene. The only complaint here is the author’s sometimes rigid musical outlook makes him too hard on the band’s flirtations with experimentation.
Whitewater Ramble
All Night Drive
Independent
3.5 out of 5 stars
Fort Collins-based quintet Whitewater Ramble works instrumentation like they’ve been studying music from the womb. The instruments are clearly WWR’s forte; it sounds like vocals were the last thing they worked on. There are no slow-tempo songs on All Night Drive; it would be nice to hear how these guys work a ballad. However, the interwoven genres on the album will please any fan from bluegrass to country, to classic rock to soul. And that’s all in one song.
Jesse McReynolds & Friends
Songs of the Grateful Dead
Woodstock Records
5 out of 5 stars
This is exactly what it should be. A country treasure, taking on classic Dead tunes with some friends of Jerry’s, like David Nelson, to help it along. “The Wheel” alone is worth the listen.
