The Lost Thing

Snake Skin is the musical project that the genius mind behind the gothic metal/rock opera of Lacrimosa, Tilo Wolff, formed when he felt the need to express himself in a different way. The orchestral moments are present and, of course, they couldn't be missing from the music of Snake Skin, but there is no way someone can say that they remind of Lacrimosa, only a bit in some moments…

British band Paradise Lost has a knack for producing dark and moody, yet very accessible metal. And that's exactly what they do on Believe in Nothing, serving up a bunch of tracks that could appeal to a wide range of music fans. Tight and melodic, "Mouth" is an excellent example of how to write a chart-topping rock song. In fact, almost exactly the same thing could be said about "Fader" and "Illumination." "Look at Me Now" is also a noteworthy tune, but probably a little too easy on the ear and thus lacking staying power. The suitably sullen "Never Again," on the other hand, gets better with each spin. In the end, Believe in Nothing doesn't quite scale the same heights as a couple of the band's previous releases, such as Shades of God and One Second…

Composer and pianist Carla Bley has been very consistent, if not exactly prolific, for most of her 40 years in jazz. When she and bassist/life partner Steve Swallow hired British saxophonist Andy Sheppard – then one of his country's young lions as both a composer and as a reedman – in 1989, they hired him on and he's been with the group ever since. The recorded evidence was heard on Sheppard's first appearance with Bley on the utterly beguiling Fleur Carnivore, and later on the fine trio recording Songs with Legs in 1995. Drummer Billy Drummond joined the unit as a permanent member in the early part of this century, and on 2004's Lost Chords debut, locked in with a unit that seemed to be evenly weighted all around.