Painstakingly detailing the apathy that maligns the NYC heavy rock scene in its press release, the compilation FUMES FROM A DEAD SCENE justifiably gives props to the unsung acts who truly encompass the spirit of the underground who persistently slug it out in the network of dank basements of NYC clubs. While their presence for the most part goes virtually unnoticed (have you heard of Whiskey Life or 12 Eyes before?), a good portion of the beauty this 17-track collection exudes comes through its introducing you to a slew of veteran killer bands which hail from the Metro NYC area that you've probably never would have heard of otherwise. Doing a sufficient job in bringing bands such as John Wilkes Booth and Maegashira to the forefront for a round of well-deserved accolades, this disc merely toots its own to be heard over the din of faceless music everywhere. Unafraid to follow their hearts rather than trends, each one of the seven bands picked for this comp display the balls and guts to present their rock wares unfettered, unfiltered, and uncensored, truly giving the listener an album laden with the gritty hearth, convincing commitment, and hard-nosed heaviness you can't get from Clear Channel, MTV, or the mall.
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It’s been awhile since I’ve heard a comprehensive, compilation disc of varying bands that kicks ass. “Fumes from a Dead Scene” remedies that problem by giving me seven bands to wrap my ears around. While it isn’t a flawless release, the good far outweighs the bad making this a top purchase for those looking for a killer mix disc. We get a great sampling of some of the top heavyweights from the New York/New Jersey area and it’s nice to see a few exclusive gems included for those that might be worried that this is material that is already available elsewhere. 

Maegashira earn top honors here by having the best track included on the album, “Baggage Claim/Skin Slip”. I’ve been obsessed with this band based on the strength of their two demos. This previously unreleased jam is up there with the best of their material. JJ and the gang take you on a wild ride that spans a little bit over nine minutes. The earlier part of the track sees battering, High on Fire metal trading blows with sludge-y grooves in an impressive example of speed verses crumbling doom weight. JJ’s vocals deftly shift between his varying styles in a manner that adds a whole extra layer to the band’s deadly musical chops. Highlighting this tune is a mid-section southern groove that flattens everything in its path. I’m frankly shocked at how much ammunition this band has. With the power of this track and the material on the two demos, I’m both excited and bewildered as to what Maegashira are going to do next. The upcoming full-length has the potential to be one of the best records this year in the sludge/doom department. 

Wormsmeat has the difficult task of following up Maegashira. I’ve heard a few songs off their last disc but never managed to obtain a copy. This is one of two bands on this compilation to feature my pal O.D. Lallo (ex-Negative Reaction) on bass. Honestly, I don’t let friendship get in the way of a proper review, so the truth here is that Wormsmeat is pretty damn good. They are a really weird unit; splicing together metallic guitar solos, progressive song structure, spaced out textures and some moments of groovy doom. The vocals are a bit on the strange side but get stuck in your head after a few listens. Vocalist Kerry sounds as if he’s joking around a bit in a Green Jelly kind of sense without the falsetto. Oftentimes it’s as if he’s rambling out the lyrics after downing a pint of Wild Turkey for inspiration. Of their material; “Missionary Man” is chockfull of metal lead guitar with a good deal of doom tinged grooves, “High Art” is the standout that pummels through a trudging first half then injects a galloping dose of guitar gusto near the end and finally “Neptune” has more than its share of Motorhead laced punk/metal underneath the hood. Nice to have some Wormsmeat debauchery finally on disc and I’ll be on the lookout for more of their recordings in the near future. They certainly handle their metal with a tongue-in-cheek approach but keep things serious enough to have true listening merit. The guitar solos are nothing short of badass and the whole band is tight; good stuff. 

John Wilkes Booth keeps the quality level high with two new tracks. Glad to finally get a chance to review their material because they are a band I consistently strike out with. I missed them in Pittsburgh. Strike one. I have their previous demo and never got around to reviewing it. Strike two. Now, I could go down swinging and somehow forget to review their tracks but that’s not going to happen. These guys sound like they’re getting a lot tighter. The demo was solid but you could tell that there was a decent margin for growth. “The Inner Workings” is my favorite track of the two. The offbeat intro makes strong use of dissonant chords that create an eerie mood before the no bullshit rock comes in swinging like a surprise left hook. Musically, they are a beer swilling form of biker rock that draws largely from punk and stoner rock with just a small smattering of metal. 

Even at this point in the split we’ve got a good distance left to cover. Whiskey Life kicks off the second round of bands. They struggle a little bit on their first contribution “Faulter”. Their sound reminds me of Earthride, Zakk Wylde, Down and Pantera in a back alley blitzkrieg. A heavy, southern stomp permeates their material but they like to take shifts into traditional metal pounding too. The vocalist has got a scraping, gravelly tone like Dave Sherman but doesn’t quite sound as rough overall. The track has groove in the first section but nothing really jumps out at me. They are tight players but its just not hitting the spot. They turn things around with a big riff near the end that is much better than anything that happens in the previous areas of the song. “Wasted Youth” starts out with double bass kicks and a thrash inspired riff signaling what may be a much more energetic performance. Sneaky southern-fried melody seeps into the chorus to great effect making for a much more polished feel than their other tune. Good track overall and much better than the first outing, allowing Whiskey Life to show that they have some promise for future endeavors. 

12 Eyes appears next and their guitarist Ryan is the mastermind behind this entire comp. I reviewed their demo a few months back. Ruthless, cutthroat sludge is the game that they play and they do it well. You get dueling psychotic vocals, rabid groove riffs, some off color melody and a bit of metal in the final product. They’ve got their style down tight. Exclusive song, “Galactus” is probably their best one yet. It switches tempos and riffs with plenty of vigor, giving them a varied edge to their madness. “Zeus” was on the demo and it is great to hear it again because it shows that 12 Eyes are capable of stringing their material with strange tones and melodic shifts that aren’t common by any stretch of the imagination. I’m not sure what these guys are up to now but I hope that there are plans for a large scale release sometime in the future. 

Now, the stage is set for the instrumentalists LOMF, the only other band on the disc that has one track. O.D. plays bass for these dudes too and it is some of the weirdest music I’ve heard in recent times. If Frank Zappa wrote all the music for a stoner/drone band they might sound something like LOMF. Thick bass groove oozes underneath a wall of acid guitar playing that nails some wicked 70’s licks and megaton doom riffs from time to time. A maelstrom of insane drum beats (that rarely keep time) and a barrage of computer noise completely envelopes any of the elements of this band that could be considered normal. LOMF surely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I dig what their doing. Plenty of groove and a whole hell of a lot of freak out equates to a unique sound that I haven’t heard anyone else out there doing. 

Things end on a not so grand note with the spaceman grind of The Cutest Babyhead Ever. I’m not sure whether to take them seriously or not. On one hand there are some vicious riffs (‘Sack Lunch”), cool clean textures (“Shit”) but then you’ve got joke tracks like “Batman” and “Hey” which are silly beyond belief. Even when something they do does catch my ear, they’ll muck it up with ridiculous vocals that don’t really amuse me. Hell, I can dig some of the humorous grind out there but usually I need some badass music to back it up. Volatile or Gronibard this is not. I think these guys are kidding around a bit but you can never tell these days. Sometimes it’s fun and even decent but the other 70% of the time it can grate on the nerves. 

Overall this is a damn good comp CD. The last band isn’t so hot and Whiskey Life gets off to a rough start but everything else is awesome. If you are too lazy to make a mix album, then this is the perfect deal for you. Especially if you are a fan of doom, sludge, stoner rock and just plain mayhem. There’s a lot of variety here and most of it is well worth diving into. Maegashira steals the show with 12 Eyes a close second but Wormsmeat, John Wilkes Booth and LOMF all throw down in style. Even that second Whiskey Life track is a winner in my book. If you’ve been missing out on the NY/NJ underground scene then this will get you educated right quick like.
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" "Fumes from a Dead Scene" is the most Hard Rockinest,Sockinest CD I've had in a while!I like the fact that when I blast it from my ride,the neighbors get the hell out of the way! Haa haa!
"The Inner Workings" sounds Killer!"
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a collection of some of the greatest underground talent out there today, not to be missed, buy it!
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