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Despite only being an active trio for a little over a year now, Philadephia's Thee Nosebleeds have taken little time in developing a sound and putting it to record, on their self-titled debut. That sound is a diverse mix of the history of rock'n'roll condensed into an alcohol-soaked, drug-fueled attitude, driven straightforward like a kick to the sack. The truly dazzling thing about the album is, despite the bare-boned nature of most of the songs, there is an underlying level of technical flair and apt songwriting that allows the tracks to not only hit you with force, but leave a lasting mark.
As an introduction, "Whiskey and Cocaine" lacks all subtlety and immediately brings to mind the glory days of Motorhead. One of the key aspects of this speed rock sound is the drumming (which may be the most important part, as the tempo revolves around the back end) and Zach the Knife is more than adequate at bringing the noise at high speeds, and mellows out and fills space nicely when things slow down around him. "As Fast As You Can" seems to be a centerpiece for the band, a song with major single potential with a catchy bridge and central riff that brings to mind early Rush to this reviewer. A surprising little acoustic break is a nice addition. Vocalist/Guitarist Kermit Hell Lyman is as charasmatic and competant frontman you could find for this brand of rock, and he diversifies his sound appropriately without ever losing his alpha-male status at the forefront of the sound. Now, we're all aware that rock was originally a branch-off of jazz and blues, and the band certainly captures that on the barnburning "Pigfoot's Revenge", a real highlight."Flight of the Bucket" is centered around the groovy vibes of bassist Rev. Kevin J. Cooper, whose presense is undoubtably felt all across the record. The band delves into some catchy hardcore punk material on "Thirteen Days", another nod to their myriad of influences and another demonstration of their ability to transcend genre. The one track that really satisfied me above all others is the out-of-left-field 10-minute closer, "Goner", a twisting, edgy track dedicated to paranoia. It shifts tempos and moods brillianty, and around 5:30 in slows down into a jam that mixes Zeppelin and Floyd in a way that made me smile ear-to-ear. Sublime, truly.
Front to back, there's nothing but good things to say for Thee Nosebleeds and their masterful debut. These three musicians have quite honestly found a chemistry amongst themselves that in my opinion is the rare ingredient missing from most rock bands. Almost totally devoid of studio flair, a stripped-bare exhibit of the true nature of rock'n'roll, and done in a manner that simultaneously pays tribute to the innovators while adding their own stamp on things; the only negative I can find is that, not including the last track, the album is less than 30 minutes long. I am left wanting more, more, more...
Kevin Sellers, musicemissions.com
Philadelphia's Thee Nosebleeds - Photo Courtesy of Thee Nosebleeds
This CD review of Thee Nosebleed's self-titled debut reveals Philadelphia still churns out exceptional rock music.
Immediately into the 24-second opening riff and announcement of Thee Nosebleed's self-titled CD, it is clear this band is ready to have a good time. Along the same attitude as Dropkick Murphys and the Sex Pistols, Thee Nosebleed's 'tude is street smarts and clever lyrics, mashed with tight orchestration. Philadelphia proves it still churns out exceptionally driven musicians in the 13-track Thee Nosebleeds.
Tight Orchestration and Clever Lyrics
With songs like "Whiskey and Cocaine," a piece likened to a speed demon of punk raunchy drum explosions, what else to follow-up with than a song titled "South Street Shooting Spree." The pace and tone is funny, but at the same time, all rock. What is worse than listening to a bunch of self-loathing musicians angry at life? Thee Nosebleed's may be angry and agitated, but at least they give the proverbial finger to the world and past relationships through tight musicianship.
Angry Mob Sound
In "As Fast As You Can" draws the listener in with its story. The background orchestration and guitar riffs marries nicely with the crunching lyrics and vocals. This song takes an abrupt turn at the bridge - even featuring a quick acoustic lick or two. But, the piece finishes strong with an aggressive and angry mob sound.
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Even more powerful than this killer track, is that Thee Nosebleed's is actually only a three-piece band.
Kermit Hell Lyman helms vocals and guitar; Rev. Kevin J. Cooper is at bass, and Zach The Knife at drums. Clever names back up the ensemble of music they've clustered. Thee Nosebleeds, besides imagining a gory depiction of music spewing and the final product coagulating in an explosive rock-punk blend, have hellish fury and moxie. This CD is a total blast.
Music Muscles Stretched
Besides the mob mentality and "oy oy oy' refrains, Thee Nosebleeds stretch its music muscles a bit with the bluesy piece "Pigfoot's Revenge." What's not to like about the lyric "When I woke up this morning it was 3:45 in the afternoon"? The chemistry is astounding.
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This warts-and-all valentine to 70s rock scene was produced by the band's driven creator Joan Jett, which gives the film some gritty indie credibility.
While all the tracks on the CD are rock, the other key songs are "Motormouth" and "Goner." The last track, "Goner," is an extended song (over 10 minutes), but the way the song drapes alongside the sheering riffs and thundering drums is incredible. Lyman's vocals and tryanical disposition never bores, or feels too repetitive throughout the CD. He has this amazing quality in that the listener would be completely freaked out by him and run, at the same time it's a trainwreck that one cannnot look away. It is stellar. This CD gets an A+.
Fans of the Dropkick Murphys, Thin Lizzy, The Clash, Motorhead, the movie Fight Club, Sex Pistols, Queens of the Stone Age, and slight speed metal will want to check out Thee Nosebleeds. Pay special attention to "As Fast As You Can," "Motormouth" and the entertaining "Kill Kill Rock n Roll / Miss West Philly USA." These songs kill it.
Melissa Kucirek, suite101.com
“Whiskey & Cocaine” is the first track that listeners will sink their teeth into when they get their copy of Thee Nosebleeds’ self-titled release. This is an absolutely balls to the wall type of track that comes forth from the early eighties heavy rock / metal style of Iron Maiden, onward through the thrash-laden riffs of speed bands like Anthrax, and even comes forth to the current brutality preferred by listeners of XM’s Liquid Metal. Not one to rest on their laurels, Thee Nosebleeds kick up a further dust-storm with “South Street Shooting Spree”.
The track keeps up the sizzling guitars and splashing drums of “Whiskey & Cocaine”, but firmly places their lot in with bands like Motorhead and Glenn Danzig-fronted Misfits. “As Fast As You Can” continues with the sub-three minute assaults. However, the band shows their skill in the creation of a weaved-in narrative, full of harmony even as the band continues to slaughter the album. Where many bands in the metal genre look to be the most pigeonholed and compartmentalized act that thney could conceivably be, Thee Nosebleeds rejoice in placing odes to every metal genre that has came forth in the forty or so years since acts like Black Sabbath and Accept first released albums. The frenetic energy of the band continues through the different pieces of this self-titled release.
The anger and bile of the lead vocals stand front and center during “Motormouth”, while “Thirteen Days” is a sing-along anthem that dances close to the catchy works of acts like early Rise Against (or even the late-eighties DIschord scene). Listeners are not given much time to think during “Thee Nosebleeds”, meaning that a number of listens are virtually required for listeners to fully understand what is going on here. The band may strive to make the hardest-rocking and most intense album that they can possibly make, but the technical virtuosity and vocal ability of the band is nothing to sneeze at. The band may have a pretty close grouping to the tracks here, but the thirteen songs of the album show that the act is masters of their domain.
Neufutur.com
One short year after playing their first show in early 2009, Philadelphia based rock power trio Thee Nosebleeds were at Noisy Little Critter Studios with engineer Mike Bardzik throwing their high octane, “first take” all into an electrifying 13-song self titled debut on Human Inhhuman Records that brilliantly mirrors their intense live experience.
Philly rock fans looking for a schedule of gigs at the typical hipster hangouts will have to check elsewhere. True to their DIY, against the grain musical spirit, the band—Kermit Hell Lyman (lead vocals, guitar), Rev. Kevin J. Cooper (bass) and Zach The Knife (drums)—has been taking the low road to success, building a following playing seedy dive bars, barbecues and house parties. Likewise, to get this organic vibe across on disc, Thee Nosebleeds indulged in very few studio excesses (no vocal harmonies or heavy effects) to create a straightforward rock record.
Although the band itself is only a year and a half old, each member has a long resume of playing and touring in other bands and Kermit and Kevin have been playing in various ensembles together over the past 15 years. Kevin and Zach, who still currently play with the group Mikingmihrab, heard Kermit performing a live acoustic showcase featuring songs that would ultimately become the core of Thee Nosebleeds’ debut: “South Street Shooting Spree,” “As Fast As You Can,” “California” and “13 Days.” “As Fast As You Can” was written by Kermit and Kevin when the two were on tour with The Rusty Nails.
Kevin and Zach liked the tunes and thought it might be fun to start building them into full on rockers. Soon they started writing new songs together and playing live; as the chemistry developed and the creative side took on a life of its own, the three musicians’ quickly developed the distinctive Thee Nosebleeds sound. Depending on people’s perspectives, some have called that “punk,” some “metal,” but the guys see themselves as a rock band. Primary influences include Mule, ZZ Top and Motorhead. Borrowing a well known phrase, Kermit says, “We play both kinds of music. Rock and roll.”
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