With their debut album, Finding Beauty in Chaos, an acclaimed release last year, Beauty In Chaos has returned to its contagious adventure for their second full-length, Beauty Re-Envisioned. Revisiting those earlier tracks though does not mean that the new release is simply an easy echo of songs which have already enticed keen attention, indeed what we found was a whole fresh exploration based around a mix of dramatic remixes, bold new visions and alternative versions of those original encounters.
Beauty in Chaos is a LA-based collective led/curated by guitarist Michael Ciravolo (Human Drama/ Michael Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel) featuring a host of renowned luminaries and unsurprisingly Beauty Re-Envisioned is littered with them. For the album Ciravolo admitted “I basically handed the keys to the car over to an amazingly talented cast of producers, engineers, re-mixers, DJs and artists… giving them near total autonomy to throw the puzzle of ‘Finding Beauty in Chaos’ on the floor and reassemble it as they hear it.” What has emerged is a proposition in its own right aside of that first offering, one bringing new bold characters and potency to songs which over past months had already become good friends.
Beauty Re-Envisioned opens with a snarling MGT Remix of the Beauty In Chaos take on the T-Rex classic, 20th Century Boy. With Al Jourgensen’s rapacious tones enticingly scowling across its infectious electronic bounce and harmonica scorched canter, the track reveals itself as virulent as it is feral and proving an immediate impossible to refuse invitation into the album which swiftly further rewards with the glorious embrace of Man of Faith. The Preacher Man Mix again has the ever potent tones of the Mission’s Wayne Hussey, one of our all-time favourite vocalists, and The Cure bassist Simon Gallup at its heart, the track a quickly addictive slice of shadow wrapped melodic rock as seductive as it is voraciously rousing.
Canadian duo Ummagma add their creative touch to Look Up next, the band’s instinctive atmospheric craft and radiance soaking the inescapably absorbing song around the temptation of vocalist Tish Ciravolo while the Collide Mix of Un-Natural Disaster springs even stronger alternative /industrial metal ferocity and intensity into the dUg Pinnick, Zakk Wylde and Ice-T embracing track. Both songs had us fully and greedily hooked as too the acoustic version of Storm with Ashton Nyte at its vocal helm. Written by The Awakening frontman and Michael Ciravolo, the song finds a new earthier intimacy and emotive depth without losing a sense of the catchy virulence in the original’s veins.
The alluring beauty of I Will Follow You featuring Evi Vine and the mutually fascinating draw of the Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) and Michael Anthony (Van Halen) contained Drifting Away in their respective Cotton Socks and High Water mixes only entangled pleasure and imagination, each making a less striking impact initially but only more hungrily consumed by the listen while the Kitty Lectro Mix of Man of Faith offered up a more eighties post punk/electro pop energy and enterprise to the already devoured encounter with similar force of appetite involved.
The enjoyment of Mr Hussey’s voice did not stop there as immediately his tones infused power and emotion to The Long Goodbye (Au Revoir), the track not exactly stripped back to its core but certainly exposing its melancholic heart with greater clarity as emotive piano, evocative strings, and sonic intimation wrapped intense vocals.
I Will Follow You returns with its IVaD Mix as in turn does Storm via the Vampyre Mix, again offerings which left pleasure full before another slice of 20th Century Boy sees Rolan Bolan and Wayne Hussey united in a great southern kissed, glam nurtured funk ‘n’ roll arousing which just had us bouncing.
Beauty Re-Envisioned is completed by the crepuscular Eclipse Mix of I Will Follow You and the compelling Fall & Sway Mix of the Ashton Nyte featuring Finding Beauty in Chaos, another two tracks which had little difficulty entrapping ears and enjoyment.
We will admit we are not naturally drawn to remixes and especially releases based on such collections but such the quality of the songwriting behind the tracks here and the rich imagination in their evolutions Beauty In Chaos have again simply enslaved.
Beauty Re-Envisioned is available now @ https://beautyinchaos.bandcamp.com/album/beauty-re-envisioned
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/beautyinchaosmusic/ https://twitter.com/MichaelCiravolo
Pete RingMaster 20/09/2019
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Inspired by the styles and sounds of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, and Jason Becker, Speakeasy immediately reveals its voice and Marshall’s magnetic prowess through opener Butler’s Revenge. From start to finish, his strings vibrate like suggestive vocal chords in ears and imagination. Alongside Dredo is no lightweight either, the pulsating resonance of his bass equally captivating and appetite ensnaring as Gualdi provides a manipulative frame for the pair to conjure upon.
Through the melodic calm and blossoming rapture of Ancient Sunrise and the animated slightly portentous grandeur of The Mouth of God which emerges from it, ears and imagination were simply roused before The Destroyer deceptively saunters into view with a mellow if sonically volatile air. The melancholic scythes and beauty of the strings are a resignation to an impending result, enticing melodies and harmonies a holding of the hand as the track’s protagonist looms. A well of contrasts and emotions, the track simply enthralled as it made its way towards the jazz smoky atmosphere and darkly lit depths of The Void.
New Day is an instant temptation in ears, its opening melody a beckoning finger into the waiting alternative rock meets grunge like stroll. The guitars of Jonas Edvardsson and Blomqvist entangle the imagination in melodic tendrils and encouraging riffs whilst the swinging beats of PerOlof Tellegård rousingly align with the alluring groan of Kevin Valberg’s bass. Embraced by Brännlund’s strong and emotive tones, it is a superbly infectious proposal with muscle in its movement and seduction in its voice with the veining of nagging melodies and sharp hooks only adding to that attraction and success.
Uh Uh instantly bounds in, its initial lively melody carrying an appealing tang as boisterous rhythms flirt and entice. That countrified scent swiftly lines the infectious proposal, its body stirring up an appetite for fifties rockabilly and sixties power pop while entangling it in modern imagination and boldness. Flirtatious and mischievous in energy and sound, the song is web like in its lure, vocalist Astrid Dante charm and enticement before the similarly infectious lure and imagination of her and Disaster Silva’s guitars.
Produced by the band’s Allan Bravo, who also created the EP’s excellent artwork, Who Shaves The Barber? opens with The Sideline Effect, a track which quickly winds toxically sultry tendrils of guitar around ears as intimidatingly heavy rhythms prowl. It is not an over imposing or surprising first moment with the band but a setting down of the antagonistic terms the track offers before upping the ante in hostility and intensity. Once in position, raw throated vocals carry deep seated rancor in every syllable they share whilst the bass backs up that menace with its own cantankerous presence. Things become increasingly more enthralling with every passing minute, the track emerging a potent slab of death irritability and craft, making up for it’s sometimes less than surprising exploits with some mouth-watering hooks and slithers of spiky grooving.
Doomsday Babies opens on a bait of drum persuasion which alone awakes ears with a licking of lips, the brief and singular but potent lure soon joined by sonic caresses and a moody bassline, all courted by an instinctively suggestive hook. It is a masterfully magnetic start which discovers new fiery energy and a melodic haze as again thoroughly impressive and enjoyable vocals come in. Vocally the band is as energetic and resourceful in igniting ears and imagination as anything but within the just as rousing sounds they seem to gain extra angst and zeal. The layers of the song, as its predecessor, reveal twists of garage rock, punk, pop, and numerous more spicy flavours, all woven and honed into something distinct and individual to A Billion Lions, though at times there is a feel of My Red Cell to the track; a positive in anyone’s book we would suggest.
Opener Polite Fiction immediately has ears and attention sparked with its initial psychobilly coated groove, and gripped with the quickly joining blend of vocals and spicy guitar enterprise. The tones of Lazos are a rich enticing and attention grabber, even as the song becomes a perpetual awakening of new sounds and textures sparking ears with embraces of fiery sax and brooding basslines amongst many things. An unbridled captivation with a predatory stride, the song blossoms into a sultry, jazz kissed seduction of Bernaccia and Tom Waits like essences courting the warped swagger of Eighties B-Line Train Disaster and the raw croon of Nick Cave. It is a delicious web of temptation, ears and thoughts embroiled in the swinging lures and smouldering drama cast by the openly inventive and descriptive craft of the band.