### Mad Season: Above

#### 14/01/10 || InquisitorGeneralis

Hey sports fans, have you ever had the urge to end this charade known as life? Lord knows I have and if I needed a soundtrack to do it to “Above” would be a top contender. This is a great release and I love it like my favorite syringe but goddamn “Above” is some depressing shit.

I don’t know what made the 90’s so fucken depressing for people…at least here in the states. Clinton was president and even though he was a pussy-chasing, limpwristed disgrace who achieved next to nothing in office people still worship the ground he walks on…so presidential leadership can not be the cause!

Pop music maybe? No dice, Pop has always sucked: be it the mop-topped Beatlefucks in 1964 or Brittany Spearmewithablackcock in 2004! Was it metal? Nope, some of the best fucken metal ever was being shit out during the 90’s! (I’m thinking Death and Grave here) Was it the economy? Nope, the 90’s saw unprecedented economic growth, not because of Slick Willie though…remember that douche signed NAFTA and signed off on Fannie May and Freddie Mac

Bam, I got it! Heroin. But heroin has been icing motherfuckers since the 50s right? Well, in the 90s it was cool to die while riding the horse and musicians, actors, and artists alike couldn’t wait to saddle up. River Phoenix? See ya! Brad Renfo? Adios! Jerry Garcia? See you in hell you fat hippie fuck! Chris Farley? A two-ton speedball ruined Tommy Boy’s day. While the shooter did Kurt Cobain in I am sure the smack did not make him feel any better about himself.

Sorry, heroin is no laughing matter but this is Global Domination.

Most importantly to me though, Teh H dropped Layne Staley: the troubled but fantastic lead singer of hit grunge/metal band Alice in Chains… and the lesser known Mad Season. Depression and drug-addiction oozes through “Above”. Right from the get-go “Wake up” feels like waking up after a night of chuggin’ the Tussin’. This is slow, sludge grunge done perfectly. It is sooo good you even forgot that there are some members of Pearl Jam on here. “Wake up” is the perfect haunting, somber opener.

“River of deceit” still gets a few spins on the ole’ radio here in the States and was a decent hit when it was released. While not a pop song by any stretch of the imagination it is a tad more accessible than some of the seriously smacked-up stuff on here. Going to sound über gay here but Mad Season really did know how to put a soft touch on 90’s grunge rock. While being the radio release “River of deceit is still, a great fucken tune.

“I’m above” is a bit more rocking and sounds much more like Alicia in Chainz, although it is clear this is no copycat band. Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam infamy) does do some decent guitar work and the heavier riff on “I’m above” meshes well with Layne’s grainy vocals. “Artificial red” and “Long gone day” round out the top tracks on “Above”. Honestly, no song on here disappoints and the only negative aspect to the album is the almost overwhelming dreariness of the material: but if you are riding the horse or just plain unhappy with existence you will not mind one fucken bit.

Not to skip ahead to the end here but I have mention the total eeriness of “All alone”, the album’s closer. Considering Layne Staley died all alone in his Hollywood home (his body was only discovered due to the smell) it is a haunting prediction of sad events to come. When I feel like absolute shit (which is 99% of the time these days) I turn to “All alone” and tell myself “- hey big guy, it’s not that bad. You could be overdosing on heroin right now… and that would suck”.

The cover was drawn by Staley himself and is one of the best album covers ever in any genre period. If you disagree with this I implore you to buy a plane ticket to Baltimore, find the house that smells like hair, cheese, and grilled meat (a.k.a my crib) and I will gladly correct your mental mistake with a rusty lead pipe.

“Above” is a great record and showcases the creative best…and drugged out depressing worst… of the 90’s grunge scene. As obvious, Layne Staley was not bullshitting about his demons and addictions and that genuineness makes “Above” such a heavy hitter. And even though (flow?) I only enjoy “Ten” by Pearl Necklace Jam I can not say Mike McCready sucks on “Above”, his guitar playing fits the songs perfectly. The rest of the band is competent and the production is excellent.

Here’s my advice fellow extreme metal lovers: take a break from gravity blast beats and lady Ghaal Ghaal and grab a copy of “Above” if you can find it. Just, lay of the smack while you listen, ok?

- Information
- Released: 1995
- Label: Columbia
- Website: Mad Season Online
- Band
- Layne Staley: vocals
- Mike McCready: guitars
- John Saunfders: bass
- Barrett Martin: drums, percussion

- Tracklist
- 01. Wake Up
- 02. X-Ray Mind
- 03. River of Deceit
- 04. I’m Above
- 05. Artificial Red
- 06. Lifeless Dead
- 07. I Don’t Know Anything
- 08. Long Gone Day
- 09. November Hotel
- 10. All Alone