Nick Oliveri – Death Acoustic

Nick Oliveri is a name you may not recognize but chances are you’ve heard him before. Over the years he’s been in countless bands, ranging from Queens of the Stone Age to The Dwarves while his main project has always been Mondo Generator. He’s played guitar, bass and has sung depending on the project and on Death Acoustic he has decided to finally go solo and release a fully acoustic album under his own name.

The record features ten tracks, all of which are covers. He tackles some old songs that he originally wrote, like Queens of the Stone Age‘s I’m Gonna Leave You or Kyuss‘ Love Has Passed Me By, but also tackles some classics like The Dwarves‘ Dairy Queen or The Misfits‘ Hybrid Moments. Oliveristrips down each song to its basic foundation: an acoustic guitar along with his rough, punk rock vocals. He keeps it bare bones and never throws in added instruments like so many acoustic acts do; the only addition he ever adds is some heavy distortion on his vocals (U Blow and Unless I Can Kill) and an additional guitar (Outlaw Scumfuc). However, as I listen to it over and over again, I can’t help but think “I don’t get this.”

I really don’t. There’s really nothing here to keep me coming back for more. His rough and worn out vocals don’t fit well over an acoustic guitar and a lot of the songs don’t work all that well stripped down. When he throws in the extra distortion to his voice, like he does on Unless I Can Kill, the song falls back yet another notch. There’s no melody, no hook and nothing remotely compelling about the album and it passes by in the background without ever leaving a mark on the listener; and I really just don’t get it.

The only song on the entire album that was even deemed worthy enough to make it onto my ipod was the closing GG Allin cover of Outlaw Scumfuc. At five and a half minutes, it is the longest track on the album but instead of dragging on, Oliveri finally puts something into the song to keep the listener’s attention. The vocals are spot on, a more distant Yesterday’s Ring style, played over an acoustic riff that actually has a hook in it for once. With venomous lyrics that only GG Allin can deliver, the song finally works and shows what Death Acoustic could’ve been.

It’s just too bad that the other nine tracks on the album are bland and forgettable covers with coarse vocals that just don’t work over an acoustic guitar for the most part. Then again, maybe I just don’t get it…