Originally written by Ian Chainey
I know, I know, sometimes the simplest explanation for something is the right explanation for something. I get that. My caucasian Earnest Rutherford, who used to drop some serious knowledge bombs back in the day, said something similar:
“A theory that you can’t explain to a bartender is probably no damn good.”
And, to an extent, I understand what Lord Rutherford is saying. Sometimes, I don’t know, a chair is just a chair. Sometimes, an elephant riding a bike is just an elephant riding a bike. Sometimes, three triple-kissing pygmies rollin’ on E are just…weird as hell and signals that I should probably stop taking Nyquil before I hit the sack. Point is, there are a lot of times when you just need to pull back, stop thinking about something so hard, and just accept it for what it is on the surface. So, with that logic in mind, I guess sometimes a fun Led Zeppelin cover album is just that, a fun Led Zeppelin cover album. You know, a way for a band to let their hair down, relax, have a good time, and give their fans a nice little novelty. And maybe that’s all that Coalesce wanted when they originally cut There Is Nothing New Under The Sun way back in the dark ages of Nineteen Ninety-Nine. They needed a break from their serious gig, so they revamped some classic rock, er, classics by dressin’ ‘em up in their unique style; that mix of older metalcore with a tech lean and a nod to noise. That’s the simplest explanation, right? Fun. Fun, fun, fun. That’s all it is. Right.
But–and you know I had a but brewing (and I believe Jeffery Dahmer also said that once)–on nights like these, nights when I’ve had way too much coffee (Seriously, I’ve had more joe in me than the poor kid that passes out at a public bathhouse), it’s a goddamn gas to speculate. And, if you’d indulge me, that’s what we’re going to do.
Let’s start here: What if the title, There Is Nothing New Under The Sun, was the band’s way of saying, “Hey contemporaries, you think we’re pushing the limits of extremity and technical excellence? Nuh uh. Led Zep was essentially doing the same damn thing.”? Need further evidence? Check out their take on “Heartbreaker” and, especially, the mini-breakdown they fit in there. It’s a variation of the main riff, that groovy goodness that’s pure Page, just with some palm-muted chugga and harmonics thrown in. And, honestly, it doesn’t sound too far removed from the kind of stuff that Coalesce had been doing their entire career and is especially reminiscent of the stuff that would pop up on 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening. (Need even more evidence? Just go back to the source. Pull out III, jump four spaces, land on “Out on the Tiles” and listen to its atypical rhythm/syncopation. Why, could that be an early example of tech metal? You make the call, sports fans). So, by subtly baring their influences, is Coalesce letting the extreme world know that no matter how alien they might sound comparatively, the song remains the same? That the simple math equation of “Led Zeppelin + Coalesce‘s trademarks” results in covers that sit very very closely to Coalesce‘s own distinct sound? (Well, their name is Coalesce. I’m just saying).
Or, how about this: Two years removed from appearing on Hydra Head’s Black Sabbath tribute, maybe Coalesce was considering giving up their legendary core status so they could try and hack it as a full-time cover band. And, really, for the most part, that’s all that There Is Nothing New Under The Sun sounds like; a muscular bar band doing a lot of sorta straight-reads with a couple of liberties tossed in (mostly slight riff variations, a few more breakdowns like the one on “Heartbreaker” snuck in as outros, etc.)…just, uh, with Sean “Hungry Bear” Ingram roaring out the well-worn lines.
Speaking of Ingram, hearing him tear his vocal chords to shreds on “Black Dog” is a truly bizarre experience. Where Plant eased into his falsetto range and oozed sex, Ingram sounds like a liquored-up sexual predator following ladies out to a dark parking lot. Seriously, the furious roar he lets loose under the singing on the chorus of “Out on the Tiles” is surreal. “All I need from you is all your love/ All you got to give to me is all your love” is transformed from a kind of dopey come-on to a night-stalker’s mantra. Then, there’s “Whole Lotta Love” where the line “Way down/ I’m going to give you every inch” is less about giving them, uh, every inch of your love (I’m blushing) and more in line with straight hate fucking. Or, at least, that’s how it sounds to me. I can say that the screaming does completely change the atmosphere of these joints and helps Coalesce put their own mark on the material without having to do a complete re-imagining of the songs’ basic elements and how they fit together. (And, if you buy into the bull I spewed a couple paragraphs ago, they wouldn‘t need to, since they‘re doing practically the same thing anyway).
As a not-so-quick aside, I’d also like to say this: It’s worth noting that the basic elements are what Coalesce is all about here. Every song is stripped down to the essentials making it that much easier to translate these songs into more “aggressive” takes. For being such a loud beast of a band, they show a lot of restraint (which is something they’ve always exhibited over their careers, but it’s still weird to say), especially considering they’re covering one of rock’s acknowledged purveyors of overindulgent tuneage. Granted, they don’t take on many of Zep’s over-the-top numbers and stick to fairly safe material, such as the proto-metal of “Immigrant Song,” etc., but even the over-the-top parts that are present are played down. “Whole Lotta Love”’s psychedelic rave-up is shortened and only included because I think the band thought it needed to be there. The point I’m trying to make is that it isn’t wanky even though it certainly could’ve been, as Coalesce almost treat it as a formality; a kind of aimless bridge breaking up a good song and something that adds some tension before the solo, nothing more. Odd? Yeah, but knowing that they weren’t comfortable with the section adds to charm of the album. I mean, it is rather charming that they’re okay presenting this stuff with conflicting personal views and flaws left intact, right? (Say yes. God, please say yes).
And flawed is what most will think of the two acoustic numbers, “That’s the Way” and “Thank You.” But, with a hand on over my heart, I promise that they’re not awful; at least, not in the way they could’ve been. Both could’ve been emo-tinged disasters, but the songs are rather pleasant in their naked forms. “That’s the Way” in particular sounds like a bedroom practice run-through with tired vocals and strums that savor the beautiful chords. It’s almost embarrassing to listen to, because you get the sense that you’re invading a moment that’s so private. You get this weird voyeuristic feeling that you’re eavesdropping on a guy working out his favorite song. It’s not something I’d call great, but it kind of makes you hear the song you’ve heard a million times in a totally different way (For me, it was realizing how wonderful those chords are). And, on the whole, that’s something I could say about this entire set of covers. I mean, all in all, the performances are steady, but don’t really amaze (I gotta admit, it’s tough hearing these songs without Bonham, but that’s me being an unfair dick) and the reads can be fun, but don’t call out for repeated listens, but, oddly, it sorta helps you to understand the original material a little better when you take a deep look and begin to compare and contrast. For instance, I never really considered “Out on the Tiles” to be that technical until I heard it here and made the connection. So, really, I suppose it’s the kind of album that’s more interesting to think about than to actually listen to, which, in a way, makes it more of a success than most cover albums…
But, that would just be me thinking about all of this way too much. You know, me missing the simple explanation, the simple reason that this exists: It’s Coalesce doing Led Zeppelin. It’s fun. There you go.
(This reissue includes some material only previously available on splits, with the highlights being their covers of The Get Up Kids and Boysetsfire. In addition, two new versions of “That’s the Way” and “Thank You” with rerecorded vocals are tacked on as well. The tracks sound better from a technical point of view, but I kind of prefer the old ones (Rawer. Naked…er. That’s a word). So, if you’re a Coalesce fan and have some gaps in your discography, let these worthy add-ons sway your decision.)
