THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND - The Beast Must Die (2007)
THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND - Blood For The Bloodking (2008)
When I first saw this band I thought their name was dumb and assumed they were another Witchcraft clone so I avoided. I finally checked out some tracks and was pleasantly surprised. They play Traditional Doom Metal most likely heavily influenced by Electric Wizard. What I like most about this band is the vocals. Its kind of a warbley shout and reminds me a little of the vocalist from Sir Lord Baltimore, his vocal patters almost sound a step faster than the rest of the music, which gives the band a unique sound. The riffs are about as you'd expect from a Doom Metal band, sometimes they end up pounding away at a juicy riff over and over and over again while the singer bellows over top of it...which I really like.
I'll attempt to give a rating here, (as I do with movies, 5 is middle of the road average)
their second album is a little better than the first, its got a louder mix and the songs are stronger ...
The Beast Must Die 6/10
Blood For The Bloodking 7/10
...maybe?
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Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:06 am
DANTESCO - De La Mano De La Muerte (2005) 6.5/10
DANTESCO - Pagano (2008) 7.5/10
Another Doom Metal band I recently got into. Heavily Candlemass influenced Trad Doom from Puerto Rico sung in Spanish. The thing that stands out right away with this band is the over the top operatic vocals. If you thought Messiah Marcolin's dramatic bellow was too much, this guy is even more so...he's got a hell of a set of pipes there but I don't think this is for everyone. Probably be a big ol' Velveeta cheese sandwich for most of you all, but you know I love this shit...you can never be too dramatic IMO! The rest of the music is all very competent, the musicians seem to be a well balanced talent. There's also an apparent Mercyful Fate influence here, and while its Doom Metal its not all slow tempo shit; like Candlemass, Dantesco has plenty of quicker paced songs/sections as well.
Edit: I'll also add this reminds me somewhat of Memento Mori's style of Doom Metal
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Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:32 pm
MAGMA - Studio Zünd 12CD boxset 10/10
For someone like me that already has all the Magma studio albums (and beyond) this isn't a necessary purchase, the only thing new and exclusive to this release is the Archiw Vol I & II 2CD. So I basically spent about $100 for a 2CD and bunch of booklets with awesome bios. The bookslets ARE great though, each of the 10 has tons of pics and a nice extensive bio (in both French and English) done by Mr Vander himself, detailing all the events surrounding the recording of each album. One thing I will say, you don't get all the essential Magma with this boxset, as you don't get their massive epics such as "Theusz Hamtaahk" and "Retrovision" and some other tracks. Some of Magma's truly best albums are live albums such as Theusz Hamtaahk - Trilogie, BBC 1974 - Londres, Retrospektïw I-II-III, etc...
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Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:20 am
Eternal Darkness (Swe) - Total Darkness Discography CD 1990-1993 - 7/10
Not a new release but a discography from a under-appreciated Doom/Death band from the early 90s. I was listening to this CD a lot this weekend. Nothing but pure bottom heavy slow Doomy Death Metal here. No bells and whistles or anything particularly original about this band other than they were one of the first early bands to play this style of crude, ugly and basic Doom/Death Metal. For me though, I worship this kind of stuff and feast on it with gusto! So some of you newbies might not appreciate it as much as I but its a fine CD to throw on when you're in sort of a mild and brooding mood and want to revel in the nostalgia of the 90s Underground Death Metal, when bands like these were actually breaking new grounds with their Heavy and Dark sounds. Discography CDs like this are perfect for lesser known bands like Eternal Darkness who only had a few demos and an EP and to have it all fit nicely on one disc.
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Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:32 pm
Progeria - Time Flies 5/10
Debut album from these guys + girl. Its been years in the making. I saw them live once and I thought they destroyed! Pretty much your basic Grindcore here with some scathing female vocals contrasted by deep male voxing gurgles. I'm not all that crazy about the production on this one. Everything sounds kind of boxed in, and the vocals especially the lows sound "over-top" the music and not mixed within very well...if that makes any sense? Their older stuff, sounded fuller and heavier, with more of an earth shattering sound. I don't know, I'm a little disappointed with this, I'm sure they're still great live, but I was hoping this to be on the level of the recent and fabulous Insect Warfare LP but sad to say it isn't.
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:20 pm
Asylum - The Earth Is the Insane Asylum of the Universe 1985/2008
This is a reissue of Asylum's 2nd demo on Shadow Kingdom Records. Asylum is a Doom Metal band that existed throughout the 80s with a slew of demos and rehearsals under their belt. They later changed their name to Unorthodox and put out a couple of albums out on Hellhound Records in the 90s. The first thing I notice about the songs is they are very riffy with plenty of strong melodies. The vocals remind me somewhat of Paul Chain, and the music itself reminds me of the old obscure Doom Metal band Nigro Mantia...which was also a bit Thrashy at times reminiscent of Trouble. The quality if pretty raw but not too muddy...everything is discernible. I probably wouldn't recommend this to your casual Doom Metal fan. Pretty much for diehards only. Supposedly they're going to reissue more of their back catalog as they have shitloads more material...hopefully this will all come to pass. One of those old bands I'd been wanting to hear for years, glad someone finally got on the ball with this old kvlt band.
Rating: 6/10
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Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:48 pm
Hooded Menace - Fulfill The Curse 2008
Damn, this is like an ode to all the great Doomy Death Metal bands from the early 90s. I liked what I heard from their myspace enough, that I bought this CD. But after listening to it a few times already I must say this actually surpassed my expectations! I obviously have an affinity towards Doom of all flavors and while Hooded Menace isn't breaking any new grounds it sure bolsters confidence for tradition. All the instruments have a nice full sound, and the snare is wide and boisterous. They also make good use of a second guitar track to add some nice counter-melody to enhance the creepy atmosphere of the music. The vocals are also a touch louder in the mix than they ought to be, but I actually like that and consider it a plus! Another thing I notice is they vibe a bit like Cathedral at times (Forest of Equilibrium era of course), - those with an experienced ear for Doom will hear this influence shinning through on many occasions throughout the entire disc. Lyrically and imagewise this fits perfectly on the current Razorback roster and the visuals of the cover art and inserts are a tribute to Tombs of the Blind Dead - I'd definitely like to at least take a gander and the 2LP version of this as I'm sure it has plenty more kooky art work to check out!
8/10
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Sat Feb 14, 2009 2:33 am
Coffins - Buried Death 2008
Holy Celtic Frost Batman! Previous Coffins albums only had a few moments where they let those blatant CF influences shine through. But this album is full of it! This album almost plays out like a tribute of original songs dedicated to the first few CF records. The tempos used on this album are more varied than their previous work; all ranging from the super slow paced funeral dirge to a very liberal use of those galloping CF like beats (a lot of times within the same song..."Cadaver of Blood" comes to mind.) There's quite a few songs here that are pretty memorable too, despite the lack of any real stand out melody. If there is one word I can used to describe this album it would be "bludgeoning"!! If you dig plodding style of CF influenced Death Metal like Divine Eve, Cianide, Rottrevore, Lord of Putrefaction, etc, then definitely check this one out...!
7/10
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Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:22 am
TEITANBLOOD - Black Putrescence Of Evil 2009
This basically features all the Teitanblood material to date. Which includes their demo and the split EP tracks (w/ Necros Christos & Proclamation). Teitanblood plays a super crude style of Bestial/Blasphemy Black/Death Metal. Vocals are way up front in a whisper/dog-growl style, the guitars exist only as a rumble in the background, and the drums are played like a retard hopped up on steroids. I love this type of Satanic noise although I do think the production (if you can call it that) can use a few tweaks. For example the vocals need to be mixed a little more properly within the rest of the savage noise so they don't sound so isolated. I'm hoping their debut album will offer up the same barbaric style with twice the volume... If produced just a bit more "appropriately" without loosing the raw harsh quality it should be a hammer of a release!!! Anyhow this CD is a little something to hold us over for a while till the debut comes out. I'm disappointed that the print on inserts are so bad, as in you can't see a damned thing!...just a mash-up of red and black ink. Oh well, what can I expect?
5.5/10
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Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:41 pm
NUNSLAUGHTER - DemoSlaughter (DOUBLE CD) 2009
All 6 Nunslaughter demos fit perfectly on disc number one. The second disc is full of rehearsal stuff (some without vocals) and also a demo from the pre-Nunslaughter band called Death Sentence. Really this second disc wasn't all that necessary and something I probably wont be needing to listen to ever again. What I do like is that it comes in one of those fat 2CD double panel cases. And the booklet is packed full of pics/art, and great detailed commentary from Don on each demo present. Of course the first and main CD with the 6 demos is excellent and nice that they all fit perfectly on one CD. If you're a big fan of Nunslaughter you've probably already heard most of this stuff already, since most of these classic tracks appear in various forms on many of their other releases. But once again its nice to listen to all of these demos in chronological order in their most primordial form!
7/10
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Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:37 pm
RUNEMAGICK - Voyage To Desolation / Dawn Of The End (2007)
I've been getting into this band pretty hard lately. I listened to them a few times before, but they never hit me until recently. They started off as a regular Death Metal band and supposedly been getting Doomier each release. I'll want to check out all their albums soon. But for now this is their latest album and it impressed the hell out of me. It's Doom/Death Metal with an obvious influence of Celtic Frost's slowest songs...Procreation of the Wicked comes to mind. They also display a wide use of riffs, which keeps each song interesting. With addition to you're standardized Doom/Gloom riffage they also use some Black Metal-ish, and even what sounds like stretched out Voivod-ish style of riffing now and then. The vocals are somewhat in the deep grunting TG Warrior tradition, but the use of vocals are actually restrained and aren't used as frequently as you'd expect. They build you up to the lyrical part of the song instead of grunting right off the bat. This tactic seems to work perfectly for the band IMO, as the songs progress and unfold there's a lot of emphasis on the riffs and atmosphere. There's also a slight and distant use of keyboards once in a while to enhance the cosmic/occult vibe that lurches out of the speakers. For this type of music I think the songwriting is A+ quality. Never a boring moment, always a heavy and flavorful journey throughout each song.
8.5/10
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Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:59 am
The Austrasian Goat - The Austrasian Goat 2007
Here's a one man Black/Doom band from France. Easiest way to describe this band is a combo between Nortt/Xasthur...and that pretty much nails it. So The Austrasian Goat doesn't really bring anything new to the table but if you're a fan of both compared bands than I think you'd enjoy this. One of the reasons I've always loved Metal so much is its versatility and ability to have come so far from its Electrified RnB roots to so many different varieties of Metal nowadays, many of which hardly resemble anything from Metal's beginnings. Something I've always had a soft spot for is a bands ability to create something cinematic. My nerd side always loves hearing a song that manages to unveil a realm of dark fantasy from some faux-TSR-novel that exists only inside my head. For me this harkens back to the days of tracks like "Enter The Eternal Fire" by Bathory. I believe The Austrasian Goat captures some of those same moods within this S/Ted album. As I listen to this album I get the feeling of being trapped in some dark dungeon, blindly feeling my way around in the blackness, hearing strange movements and being stalked by some unseen multi-tentacled monster. Kind of like that part in R.E. Howard's "The Scarlet Citadel" when Conan was imprisoned in the Korshemish Dungeon. I think the strength in this album is that the songs are actually a decent length, nice little slices of Blackened Doom hymns that don't drone on for too long. There's a few simple ambient tracks thrown in to break up the flow and give the actual Metal songs some distinction, and there is also a Grief cover "I Hate The Human Race" which is a pretty goddamned good and unique rendition and maybe even the highlight of the album. This album hit the spot for me, he has a handful of other releases I'll be down for checking out.
7/10
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Sat Feb 28, 2009 1:51 am
It's been ridiculous how into this band I've been lately. It's awesome when you discover a band and they hit you in just the right place at the right time. Here's a quick lowdown on some of their other albums.
RUNEMAGICK - Dark Dead Earth (1998-2000)
This is actually a 2CD containing their first 3 albums. Very much in the Swedish Death Metal tradition. Thrashy with an old school vibe, a lot of midpaced breaks, a touch melodic at times (a la Dismember) and few Doomish moments. The band is prolific from the start but it would seem like they're trying to find their footing for the direction of their future sound. Not bad, but its in their later material when they crawled into the lands of Doom when they really start to shine.
6/10
RUNEMAGICK - Darkness Death Doom (2003)
This one is definitely their crossover album. A lot of experimenting with varying tempos and riffs on this one but this is their first album I believe when you can easily call them a Doom/Death Metal band. You still get a handful of faster breaks and thrashy riffs adjusted to fit more of a Doom Metal song structure...sometimes reminding me of both Dream Death and Asphyx at times. They really come into their own on this album making the songs more distinct and memorable.
7/10
RUNEMAGICK - On Funeral Wings (2004)
This one is unique amongst their catalog as I believe they make a wide use of more Traditional Doom Metal melodies. Many of the riffs used wouldn't be out of place on a Vitus, Mass or Trouble album. Not as super slow at their later albums, but still slow...as I said, think Traditional Doom.
9/10
RUNEMAGICK - Evenom (2005)
This album is the first to capture the sound I think they became comfortable with that has carried on throughout the rest of their work thus far. Super slow Doom/Death, mad use of excellent riffs, great ceremonial and mystical vibe. 5 perfect Ritual Doom hymns making it my favorite album of theirs.
9/10
RUNEMAGICK - Invocation Of Magick (2006)
Probably the most instrumental of their albums, similar to the album before and the one that proceeds it, just without as many vocal parts. Some songs are like 10mins with only 4 lines of lyrics. Nothing wrong with that though cause the riffs and mood are just so incredibly strong, you hardly notice the slim use of vocals.
8.5/10
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Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:35 am
Mournful Congregation - The June Frost 2009
I'll start by saying there's really only 4 songs here that matter, and another 4 that are filler. The 4 long compositions (songs # 2, 3, 5, and 7) are fantastic and prove that Mournful Congregation is indeed one of the top "Funeral Doom" bands today. Each one of these 4 songs shows an advanced sophistication and a perfect sense of phrasing that demonstrate these guys are very capable musicians and talented song writers. As slow as the music is, its very well layered and filled in with thick harmonic dimension. Also plenty lethargic yet colorful changes within each song that keep the compositions moving forward while providing each track with true identity. There's also a splattering of awesome and skillful lead guitar work; hell...there's even a few well placed, emotional solos are practically unheard of in the Funeral subgenre of Doom.
A little disappointed with some of the filler though. What I liked about their previous album is that it contained 4 solid tracks w/o the need for any horsing around or linking them together with intro/outro bullshit. Really this other new album, could have been the 4 main songs and I would've been happy with that. I'm a little perplexed with the title track "The June Frost." Which sounds very out of place and more like a Joe Satriani number. It's an okay song I guess, but a little out of place. Almost seems like it was put there for the purpose of being wanky and flashy. I don't know, I just feel they could have taken the effort in making these filler tracks and put it into creating another brilliant long player of Doom.
I'll go with, 8.5 based on the 4 strong tracks I love, it could have been a 10 if it wasn't for the extras...!
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Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:35 am
The Puritan - Lithium Gates 2008
Another project by Albert Witchfinder. This CD is comprised of 2 previously released 12"s. This is a mixed bag of sorts. Some of these songs sound like they could easily be lost Reverend Bizarre tracks. Others are purely instrumental Doom numbers - many o' times washed out with noise and reverb and other pyschedelic sounds. They use some samples now and then (sounds like they're taken from old Satanic Panic! movies) sometimes looping them throughout an entire song. Wouldn't say this is an essential CD even if you're a Reverend Bizarre fan. It's not bad though, and some of the songs are really good. But I'd prefer more lyrical content yet I don't think that was the purpose of this particular project. And once again I should emphasize the word "Project" because that's definitely how this all comes off...not a full time ordeal and therefor it seems to lack the heart that someone would put into a full time band. Thats just my opinion though.
6/10
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Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:36 pm
Thou - Tyrant 8/10
Thou - The Retaliation of the Immutable Force of Nature 7/10
Thou - Peasant 7/10
Here is a band I recently got into and really been digging on their sound. Great scathing Sludge Doom, with some unusual Post Rockish riffs weaved within. The thing I like about them, is nothing sounds contrived or novel. Its not like they're noticeably stepping out of sequence to force a segment that sounds out of place. The songs are well crafted and natural sounding....and of course super heavy. First and foremost Thou is still very much a Doom band while tactfully letting some of their other influences bleed through.
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Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:56 pm
SFN - Demos Tour CD (7" + 2 demos) 8/10
SFN - Live In WSUM CD 7/10
I saw these guys last night, and bought these 2 tour CDs they had to help fund gas, food and beer money. Fantastic no bullshit Power Violence from Wisconsin. One of the best PV bands going now IMO. It heartens me to see young folks keeping traditions alive, especially when done so well. This 3-piece put on a vicious live show of duel vocal Crossed Out worship, with a lot of great slow and doomy moments. The CDs are as is - slip case semi-pro CDRs....I'm assuming they are only available from the band. The first CD has the EP on 625 and a couple of demos. The first demo (which is only 2 songs) has a huge Autopsy vibe, the riffs sound like they were taken straight from Mental Funeral - I sort of wish they would have went more in that Autopsy meets Crossed Out direction, and hopefully in the future they'll write some more tracks with more of that same slow-mo gloom goodness.
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Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:48 pm
Cough - Sigillum Luciferi
Kind of an out of nowhere evil Sludge Doom band here. The obvious influence right off the bat is Electric Wizard (with maybe a little Burning Witch.) Good thick resonating guitar tones, nothing out of the ordinary riff/melody wise for a band of this nature, and the vocals range from sandpaper like screams to more clean pissy drull like singing (once again think EW.) Every now and then they get a bit jammy, but thankfully it never lasts too long. I'd say each song only has about 2 maybe 3 riffs max, but they're good riffs and they pound them out firmly. No surprises here but I'm pretty easy to pleased when it comes to this kind of stuff, if you're looking for more hateful Sludge bands to add to your collection then seriously consider picking up this Cough CD, you wont be disappointed.
7/10
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Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:47 pm
Aldebaran - Dwellers In Twilight 2007
Blackened Sludge band here....
Great heavy sound: check
Great tuning and mix of instruments: check
Awesome snare tone: check
Excellent Vocals: check
Neato lyrical content and imagery: check
Good songs....? debatable
I like a lot about this band, but the 3 long songs brought forth on this album have little to no variety. Nor anything that gives the band its own special identity. While I'm fairly easy to please when it comes to Doom, this also goes to show why these bands can't just get away with nailing a great sound and aesthetic yet coming up short in the riff and song structure department. My favorite part of the album is probably the first half of the second song "Pilars Of Geph": they thump out a simple yet quiet 2-note riff, over the backdrop of slight drumming gradually building volume and intensity all the while the vocalist is growling out some kind of faux-occult ritual (black candles not included.) Anyhow they also have another album out there that compiles all their previous split and EP tracks, so I'm naturally curious to how those shorter songs sound in comparison to these super long songs on the album in question.
6/10
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Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:04 am
Ufomammut - Idolum 2008
I declare this a good band. Seen this band around for years and finally buckled down and gave them a shot. This is really the only album of theirs I've heard so far and I think its fantastic! It's got such a full, heavy and continuous sound. The entire album must be listened to as a whole instead of individual songs. While there are vocals they seem to offer more as an additional layer of swirling sound instead of anything really lyrical. This is the perfect working album. Something that can serve as good background music that doesn't require your undivided attention, all the while enveloping you in a massive and propulsive sound as you move along with your work. Supposedly their earlier albums are even better so I'll be looking forward to checking them all out in due time.
8/10
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:02 pm
YOB - Elaborations of Carbon
While the bandwagon already came and went with this band, I finally decided to give em a spirited chase along that old trail and see what I missed out on. Sometimes it's best to get into a band after they're long over and done with IMO. I decided to start with their first...what better way I guess? First impressions: pretty good Stoner Doom disguised with the Heavy armor of a Sludge band. The production is beefy and it's slow enough with plenty of shifts into some groove moments <- my only complaint with this is the riffs can be a bit typical and therefor taking away some of the potential strength of the song. Some songs drag way too long "Revolution" fx. I really like these vocals though, they have a bratty warble to them that I really enjoy. They manage to project a good contrast and cut through the wall of brick heavy riffery. There's also some deep Coalesce like shouting peppered throughout each song as well. I hear that the following albums are even better and they really come into their own on those releases. I'm eager to hear them, so I'm going to aim a bit low with my rating on this one in hopes the other albums will impress the hell out of me...
6/10
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Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:07 pm
Angel Witch - Sinister History 1978-81
Not a new release but something I'd like to say a few words about... Whenever someone brings up Angel Witch, I can't help but tell them that they're haven't really heard Angel Witch until they've heard Sinister History....which is an album of demo and live tracks circa 78-81. A long time ago I talked to an old timer from the NWOBHM scene. He once told me...."Iron Maiden were undoubtedly the leaders of The Soundhouse scene back then...they were super active and an incredible live band...we all knew they were going places. Iron Maiden had the talent, the songs, the image...they had it all! Now if we're talkin the heaviest band at that time well that title would have to go to Angel Witch. Back in the late 70s Angel Witch had to have been the heaviest band in the world. Seeing them live a bunch of times as a teenager left a mark on me, I'll never forget how heavy they sounded back then." Now personally hearing this tale and then listening to their S/T album, they didn't quite strike me as being all that heavy...but I figured it was one of those 'you had to be there' moments. Well, it wasn't until I heard Sinister History that I finally understood where the man was coming from. While their S/T album is good slab of Heavy Metal, I still always thought it was kind of light-weight. Sinister History on the other hand totally blew me away from the first note, top to bottom! It has a much heavier and much fuller sound than the S/T. Also much more rugged sounding. Now the bass guitar on this is easily the champion of the album. Not to mislead but there's not much distortion on it, and it's tuned to the standard E... But for some reason it has such a round organic sound all the while reverberating just below the levels of hearing comprehension. I would advise listening to this on a good stereo to get the full effect from the warm purr of these bass tones. You don't even have to turn the bass levels up all the way on the EQ, as the instrument levels are mixed perfectly. Its just one of those recordings that might not have a full effect on crappy computer speakers...but use a car stereo, home stereo, good head phones....just something that allows you to really feel that rumble. I can't praise this album enough. I loved it so much that I first bought it on vinyl, only later find out that the CD version has more songs! So I bought the CD version as well since I'm so fanatically devoted to this early era of Angel Witch.
10/10
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Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:45 pm
Samothrace - Life's Trade 2008
A potent debut from this depressive Sludge/Doom band from the heartland. These Doom neophytes offer up 4 long of emotionally draining tracks with this album. The first thing I noticed is how distinctly "American" this band sounds. The sad twin guitar melodies thrust visions of starving families making their way across a famine raped landscape concerned only where their next meal will come from. It's almost like someone told this band to make a Doom interpretation of The Grapes of Wrath. At least that be the general impression I get. Unless they have it in their minds the prescient ability to create compositions that will be a true audial accompaniment for the coming global dystopia... Whatever the case, this album is damned good! Great sound, fantastic use of two lead guitars (sometimes even an effective little solo is thrown in); the songs average about 12 mins, and indeed the tempo is as slow as a behemoth in a tar pit but they know just the right time to change gears and take a song in a slightly different direction, always keeping it interesting and flavorful. Hopefully this young band doesn't fall apart too soon, I'd like to see them around for at least 5 years or more with a handful of other releases under their belt.
8.5/10
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:37 pm
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Incommunicado 2001 6/10
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Cicadidae 2003 7/10
A recent discovery; this band really hit the spot for me. Kammerflimmer Kollektief play a split down the middle style of jazz and eletronica. Very chill music, and ambient in its own way. And as relaxing as their tunes might be what lies beneath the surface is a very restless and dense form of mood invoking music. Incommunicado, is much more acoustic than the other, and also has moments of pure freejazz fury in addition to some low key scratchy improvisation. Cicadidae, on the other hand adds more electronics thus creating a trance inducing noir flavor. Not even sure what category of music this belongs in. It has similarities to what's called "nu Jazz" but that style usually leans more electronic/DJ oriented, while Kammerflimmer Kollektief uses live drums and is still very much a "band" at its core. They seem to inhabit the same planet (but not necessarily the same continent) with the likes of The Necks, Triosk, Supersilent, Bohren & der Club of Gore. I really dig this little niche of contemporary, jazz, ambient, trance, minimalist, whatever kind of music this is...I'd definitely like to find more stuff like this. If you have any suggestions, please rocket them my way!
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Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:54 pm
65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math 2004 - 7/10
65daysofstatic - One Time For All Time 2006 - 8/10
Some tantalizing Post-Rock by these young lads from the UK. Can't help but love their style. The songs on both albums here are short and to the point - averaging about 4 mins a track. While the build-to-crescendo formula is pretty indicative of the genre, these blaze forth to the climax fast, without hesitation. Usually the songs are pretty active from the start, with a catchy series of well layered passages that rise, explode and fall multiple times throughout each track . They work with both live drums and drum programing. The drummer himself is amazing, he hits hard and is a complete whirlwind of percussion on his own. But I actually like the battling beats between live and programed drums. Undoubtedly thats a big part of which gives this band its identity. But when they ascend into those fiery summits within each song, and both the flesh and mechanical sides of the percussion are hammering away synchronously, the experience is nothing short of a rattling shot of ecstasy! These moments of fervent bliss are sustained too...they hook you in and don't let up. As I listen I think: "this must be the audial equivalent to a female orgasm." Lovely stuff indeed! Sometimes I wonder though with a band like 65daysofstatic if they have any lasting nutritional value. Their songs are like candy, sweet and satisfying for the moment, but not sure how long their appeal will last. Either way I'm a sucker for this type of stuff and for now 65daysofstatic really hit the spot.
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Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:53 pm
okay, a quick lowdown on the other Ufomammut albums since I've been familiarizing myself and listening to this band a lot lately.....
Ufomammut - Godlike Snake 2000
Strong debut. Their sound and style is already solidified and firmly pointing forward to how this band will carry on ever after. Super heavy Psychedelic Doom pieces, fully equipped with droning guitar feedback effects, layers of swirly synth, soft spacey segues, and shouty echoing vocals that serve more as part of the tapestry of sound than anything lyrical. No complaints at all about this intergalactic ogre of an album. The final track is a nice 20 min Krautish piece that starts out pummeling and then drifts off into some light cosmic ambiance - somewhat like early Tangerine Dream - then is ends with a funky blown-out finale that's reminds me of something like Brainticket.
8/10
Ufomammut - Snailking 2004
Okay, this one is definitely the zenith of their output so far. Sadly it's currently OOP and their hardest to find. Thank goodness for DLs! Similar in style to the debut except just about every good aspect you can think of from their fantastic debut album has been improved upon even more so. Better more memorable riffs, a more dense layering of sound, wider use of effects and odd sound accoutrement, and the production is simply massive! It's an album like this that really help me appreciate the beauty of thick, round guitar and bass tones. This album is a masterpiece of deep, hypnotic Heavy Metal. This album has multiple uses for me. I can listen to it while I fall asleep; drift off to dream land. Listen to it while I work; providing a nice mechanical and propulsive backdrop for production. And of course listen to it for the pure enjoyment and allow myself to be crushed by the heavy rhythms all the while floating off beyond the stratosphere....
9.5/10
Ufomammut - Lucifer Songs 2007
This one is a step down from their previous. A bit disappointing actually. First of all it's quite a short album in comparison to their previous two. Only a little over 30 minutes. Second of all only 3 of the 6 songs are guitar oriented; the other 3 being electronic and ambient pieces. The last song, clocks in at 42 mins, but only 10 Mins of it is music, the rest is silence....(yep, one of those kind of tracks, annoying.) I will say that this is part of a CD+DVD release. So I'm sure a big part of this project was providing a visual side to Ufomammut's art. (I haven't seen the DVD yet so I can't comment on that, although I'm sure its quite a treat.) So there are 2 halves to this release and I'm sure for it to be fully appreciated it should be treated as such. As far as the album itself though, I feel it qualifies to be cast more like a Mini-album and not a full-length. It's also not strong and complete as their previous works; nor as good as the later 'Idolum' album (which I've already reviewed.)
5/10 (CD part only)
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Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:28 pm
Murkrat - MurkRat 2008
All female 2-piece playing some mournful yet menacing Doom Metal here on their debut. And what a excellent album this is! The music is very slow and bleak Gothic inspired (no NOT goth) Traditional Doom Metal. It reminds me quite a bit of Bloody Panda with a bit more Traditional elements and Blackened vibes thrown in for good measure. I want to say I detect a touch of Mordor here as well, but that's probably just me though. I absolute love the production; it reminds me of some of the more well produced demos from the early 90s. Therefor its not slick sounding in the least, but caustic and live, while still retaining a sense of clarity. It's a very well layered album, w/guitar/bass and they make a very liberal use of organ like keyboards. They synths add such a sinister mantle of sound to their style, yet they don't dominate either, the riffs are still very much the muscle to the operation. They also make a wide use of moaning vocal harmonies, which bring forth a very haunting atmosphere of their own. These 2 fems makes some excellent F'ing Doom. And this band shouldn't be approached as "hey, females playing Doom, let's check it out!"....because they are far from just being a novelty act. Judged on their own merits with this album they put forth some powerful well composed Doom that I firmly believe can hang with some of the greats of the genre. The only sad thing is I'm not sure about the current status of this band, as there's hardly any evidence to their existence. No official web or myspace page and Aesthetic Death Recs doesn't seem to have an active site anymore either. Man I sure hope this band doesn't disappear.
8.5/10
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Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:40 pm
Darkspace - Dark Space III 2008
This band has been getting a bit of a buzz lately, and they sounded like something that I might be in mood for so I checked out their latest album. First impression; they remind me of Limbonic Art with side of Xasthur, ...although not quite as interesting as either of those bands IMO. They're billed as ambient/BM, but one might be surprised to learn that its pretty much Black METAL all the way through. But I do understand where they get the ambient side as this album is indeed more about mood and texture than riffs and songwriting. It's all drum machine driven to begin with - mostly hyperblasting - yet the drum programing acts more like a shimmering pulse then anything really percussive or beat oriented. So the guitars/drum machine/vocals, all phase together into a sizzling blur while the only thing that really shines through with any melody are the keyboards. It's very repetitive and atmospheric, while sharply delivering on those cosmic alien vibes. Once again I can't help but think of the first few Limbonic Art albums. I mention the songwriting before, which isn't anything remarkable, but if you like some fuzzy BM w/dominating keyboards that can provide a good backdrop of an audial projection of Cold Dark Matter, well this is the album for you. I would probably have given this album a slightly higher rating if there was more distinction between songs, but of course thats probably not the vision of the album's creators.
6/10
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Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:11 pm
Persistence in Mourning - The Undead Shall Rise LP 2009
This is a one man band that plays a raunchy style of Black/Funeral Doom. The album is a zombie-apocalypse concept album; sure, not an original idea but I think this one captures the atmosphere of B-to-Z grade zombie horror splendidly. I'll first mention the LP comes with a blood stained hand written letter that our would-be narrator scribbles out before he is assaulted by zombies in his cabin. I thought it was a neat little addition! I'll specify the first song is kind of a basic Funeral Doom dirge, but the songs that follow on the rest of the album are far more interesting. They're heavily layered with primitive keys and synthesized organ that bring to mind the works of Goblin and Fabio Frizzi soundtracks. There's also a fine incorporation of scratchy electronic noise and multi track vocal lines that undoubtedly drives forth the impression of moaning/growling/screaming zombies! The entire affair is both creepy and cheesy all at once. A pretty fun album actually, and for a Doom album believe it or not this only clocks in at about 33 mins long. I don't think it needed to be any longer than that though, as it's a nice quick listen for some slow and eerie organ feasting, zombie flick worshiping Doom.
7/10
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Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:14 pm
TEITANBLOOD - Seven Chalices 2009
Last time I reviewed their other CD, I made mention that they would greatly benefit with a clearer production while still retaining their crude side. Well it would seem like they took my advise, as the production here is a lot more cohesive. When I first listened to this on my computer speakers the vocals seemed to be mixed in strangely. Yet when I listened to it again on a regular stereo everything seemed balanced just right. The vocals sound great though; the layers of out of control bestial shouts and muffled grunts, w/ a touch of pitch-shifting now and then lead to a perfect impact of Black/Death vocal hell! The drum mix is my favorite part of the album, so loud, deeply pitched and boisterous...perfect warhammers for this style of Bestial Black/Death Metal. I like the cool little interludes between songs too. They're laced with ominous vocal choirs, strange loopy effects and eerie little samples. My favorite songs off the album are the last 2 (which are the 2 longest songs present.) Especially the tune "The Abomination of Desolation"...which is a well paced anthem with naturally accelerating Doomy parts that build into hellish speeds! Overall this album gets better with each listen, still don't think Teitanblood are as great as their brother band Proclamation though (you gotta get up pretty early in the morning top ol' Procs!)
7/10
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Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:38 pm
Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind 2009
Now this is what I'd like to call; some good hurtin' music. The kind of weepy stuff that hits you right in the gut and puts a lump in your throat. This, for my money, is Mono's best album yet! About as perfect of an album you can get with this style. 7 painfully beautiful segments that congeal into a majestic concept album about two young star-crossed lovers. While the album is entirely instrumental, the booklet narrates the entire heart wrenching story about this tragic fairy tale romance. Ahh, I love this kind of sappy stuff...especially when it hits so close to home. Mono has already flirted with using string arrangements in the past, and with this album they go all out and use a full blown 30+ piece orchestra. This was a risk and very well could have ending up being a wrong move, but they managed to capture an immaculate auditorium sound with this recording. I give Steve Albini a big round of applause for the masterful production he complimented this album with. Everything sounds fantastic and richly layered, where every minuscule detail can be heard, even with my small dinky computer speakers. The guitar is always the first and foremost instrument (as it should be) but everything else has a dense quality that encompasses the main melodies of each song which climb and explode into grand crescendos of high volume! If one is a big fan of tympani then it should please to know that there is a liberal use of pounding tympani throughout the album. Probably my favorite album of 09 so far, although its still early. I almost want to just give this album a 10, but for now I'll hold it as a 9, and if I'm still enjoying this as much by the end of the year as I am now, I'll bump it up to that magic number.
9/10
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Fri May 01, 2009 7:08 pm
Dolcim - Guillotine Ride 2009 LP
New band formed from the ashes of Cease Upon the Capital. I was sad to learn that CUtC were no more, as they’re one of the most original and awe inspiring TrueScreamo bands of the past 5 years or so. But this Dolcim band indefinitely has filled the void that was left empty by the departure of CUtC. And while Dolcim retains many of the unique characteristics which made CUtC great, Dolcim has taken the necessary steps in order to become a independent force all their own. Those fantastic soaring epic riffs are still very much at the core of their sound. But I’ll say the songs lean a touch more Hardcore in structure and beat, then CUtC. Although you still get plenty skittery rhythms with huge walls of chaotic Emo Violence within the 11 mini-epic numbers which grace this album . And like the final CUtC album, they make hardy use of a nice blanket of shoegaze like echo and fuzz. The entire experience is both Epic and Celestial and yet all together Warm and Touching. Anyone who needs a point of comparison on how this (or CUtC) sounds, basically imagine the band Rosetta as a TrueScreamo/Emo Violence band and you basically got Dolcim. This is the kind of stuff I live for these days, and this album will undoubtedly be one of my top albums at the end of the year.
9/10
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Fri May 01, 2009 7:08 pm
Khanate - Clean Hands Go Foul 2009
One thing I’ll say about Khanate is they indeed make ardent attempts to push each new release further than the previous. This latest album is without a doubt is the most experimental Khanate album of their carrier. It would be easy way out to say they’ve gone pure drone, but that’s definitely not the case here. Wouldn’t really call this a Doom album either. It’s more of an album of slow moving improvised noise rock/Metal numbers. O’Malley screeches away with psychedelic guitar torture while Plotkin supplements with his own measured penetrations of bass grumblings. The album is over all “beatless” and arrhythmic but there is indeed drumming which keeps the tunes moving forward at a gradual pace with a steady ambience of rolling percussion. Alan Dubin’s seething vocals are always a great treat to hear and I’m happy his screams continue to dominate and shine through. Overall though, this is definitely not as good as their first album nor the mighty “Things Viral” (my personal fav.) So while I appreciate their undulating ways, I don’t see myself listening to this album as often as the first two. The final song on the album is pretty ridiculous. A 33 minute song that makes wide use of silence throughout, with a very gradual build of quite tones, slight noises and distant vocal cries…until the final haphazard inclination of cacophony and execration. I think they were trying to win the John Cage award for Doom Metal with that number. I’m sure the people at the Wire mag will eat this up. But as a Doom album, this tilts on the edge of either being a true test of artistic patience and endurance, or just plain annoying flowed by a big ol’ yawn. I like it, but once again I’m not really all that pumped about it either.
6/10
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Wed May 06, 2009 5:33 pm
Gospel - The Moon Is A Dead World 2006
One and only album from the band Gospel who play a unique style of TrueScreamo which draws a heavy influence from 70s Prog. The first thing I notice is how well syncopated the phrasing is. These guys have a fantastic rhythm section (especially the bass player) which is the cornerstone of any great Prog grounp IMO. They also make a very liberal use of synth/organs, which bringing to mind Keith Emerson at times; although not quite on that level of virtuosity. They fly off into some fiery instrumental sections that are both complex and melodic...sometimes reminding me a bit of Dream Theater at their best. Although Gospel usually keep these instrumental sections much shorter. Which is actually kind of a shame cause I wish they would expand more in that department cause they obviously prove on this album what they are capable of. That's why I think its a pity that they only got this one full length (they also have a split 10" w/The Kodan Armada), as I think given time for their song writing skills to sharpen and develop a 2nd album I believe would have been a masterpiece! That said my favorite song on the album is the longest track (9mins) "Golden Dawn." Which reminds me a lot of early Genesis in melody, structure, flow, and the hooks. Seriously, w/o the screamy vocals it sounds like it could have been a throw away track from "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" sessions. Amazing!
7.5/10
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Sat May 09, 2009 2:11 pm
Sonic Violence - Jagd 1990
Here's a bit of an underrated oldie here. On this album Sonic Violence play a monolithic style of Crusty Industrial Metal, not unlike early Godflesh and Fall of Because (or even early Swans for that matter.) What sets Sonic Violence apart is 1) their use of a real drummer and 2) their use of 2 downtuned bass guitars to maximize heavy efficiency. This album is indeed a massive pile of brimming density. The vocals are also similar to Justin Broadrick's in their most despondent form; basically that groaning, drull shout style prevalent on the early Godflesh albums. When I think of the word "industrial" this is the ideal sound that comes to mind. Visions of pounding robotic arms obliterating the remains of an already nuked out city to pulpy material dust. It's got good rhythm too, but nothing dancey in the least bit either. Just a pummeling piece of work all around; this would actually be the perfect album to lift weights to, as its in perfect rhythm for doing heavy duty reps. I would almost say I even prefer this to early Godflesh in that it's a much more organic approach to this style, w/o the use of any electronics or sampling what so ever. Just 4 guys in the studio hammering out a handful of colossal apocalyptic anthems. It's a damned shame though cause on their next album "Transfixion" they do a total 180° turn, and go almost completely electronic/synth based Industrial, thus loosing any originality they once had. How sad. Oh well, at least we got this album (and their Sacrifice to Strength EP) out of them before they went south. *(all but one song from the Sacrifice to Strength EP is included on the CD version of Jagd.) Everyone into heavy bass guitar driven music should have this little gem in their collection, or at the least get a good DL of it.
8.5/10
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Sat May 16, 2009 1:13 pm
At the Drive-In - Vaya 1999
Considered an EP or MCD, Vaya packs more punch within this classic than most bands do in their entire career! This is a fine example of a young band who matured into a well oiled music making machine. Even within the opening bars of the first song shows evidence how tight and classy they’ve become as musicians as their sense of phrasing is phenomenal. Each of the 7 songs on Vaya are immediately complex yet cohesive and super catchy pieces of audial perfection. They also seemed to take a chapter out of Fugazi’s book of song writing by incorporating huge stadium sized hooks to punctuate each song, adding to their memorability factor. Cedric’s distinct vocal skills are a lightning rod of power here. His piercing vocal chords travel between singing and shouting seamlessly, while remaining somewhat in a shout/sing style most of the time. And while Cedric Bixler-Zavala would hone his style of vocals even further with The Mars Volta, I really seem to prefer the performance he nailed on Vaya. While I believe Vaya is the pentacle of ATDI’s career, I only think its better than Relationship of Command by a a hair, cause that monster is almost as perfect of an album as you can get. In conclusion Vaya is a perfect culmination of so much great music that came before it, from Prog, to Hardcore to Pop, this is probably the most perfectly delicious MCD ever recorded!
10/10
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Sun May 17, 2009 2:14 pm
On the Might of Princes - Discography
Here’s a great Emo/Screamo band I recently got into that really hit the spot for me. Nothing entirely original here other than the knack for riding out great melodies and playing with heart and youthful exuberance. Over the course of their short lifespan they became tighter musicians with the desire to explore more complex and mature song structures. Although I think their personal best is their 2nd/middle album which contains the unhinged and naïve vigor of their beginnings while further exploring the paths of both risk and discipline.
On the Might of Princes - The Making of a Conversation 1999
I’ve probably listened to this album the most so far, only because it filled the need I had to hear some simple yet hooky and explosive traditional Emo. You immediately get the impression of Cap’n Jazz listening to this album. Maybe with a touch of Mineral for the enhanced twinkley side, and some Indian Summer thrown in there for moments of high volume and combustibility. But really, just imagine Cap’n Jazz with more soaring and dynamic moments and you got a pretty good idea of how this album sounds like. Great wimpy-boy vocals accompanied by another vocal line for harmony, and every now and then the shaky signing starts bordering on screams but never quite full tilt. They have less screaming/aggressive vocals on this than any of their other albums, but I think this album is their most immediate and unstable out the three. Feels like the band barely started playing their instruments 2 months previous to recording this album, and they can barely hold it together and are about to fall apart at any given moment, I love it!
7/10
On the Might of Princes - Where You Are and Where You Want to Be 2002
This is their strongest album IMO. They made a conscious effort to make their songs more sophisticated and intricate. Emotionally, on one side they’ve gone soft and have some incredibly gentle passages. And on the other side they pumped up the aggression from their previous album and have many explosive songs packed with full tilt screaming and fast dueling Metallic guitar chaos. This album is bombastic ride of ups and downs with plenty of painful “feel good” emotion. As in it’s a very somber and agonizing piece of work, but there is also a sense of catharsis when listened to. The thing I like about this album the most is while they travelled into a more mature realm of songwriting they still carry over much of that youthful spontaneity from their previous work.
8/10
On the Might of Princes - Sirens 2003
Easily the tightest and most technically proficient out of the 3. Still plenty of good tunes, but it kind of plays out like a more refined “Part 2” of their Second album. They seem to play it a bit safe here not doing anything new and they top off this conservative album with a glossy production as well. I guess I can see why they ended it after this album, as I don’t see how they could've covered any more ground that they hadn't covered on their first 2 albums. Who knows? This might actually be one of those albums that takes some deep listening beneath the surface before you discover the brilliance, but as it stands now it’s not nearly as impressive as their first 2.
6/10
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Sat May 23, 2009 12:35 pm
Xasthur - All Reflections Drained 2LP 2009
I'll always like Xasthur. When I first heard Xasthur it was like hearing something I've been waiting for my whole life. So much of what I like in Black Metal stems from Under The Sign of the Black Mark. And when I listen to Xasthur I hear that distance progression of hypnotic and dreamy soundscapes rooted in such songs as "Enter the Eternal Fire." With persuasive use of raw production, eerie synths and dirge like rhythms, this is a formula that time and time again will easily impress me when done right. And Xasthur IMO has done it right from the beginning while adding his own touch of originality. It's a shame that this band/he gets so much crap while other bands who've obviously come around afterward and bite on Xasthur's style of "burzumic hissing/buzzing BM" and get highly praised. (Not to say that Xasthur doesn't have their own apparent influences.) But for me instead of buying all these watered down versions of Xasthur, I'll just buy the new Xasthur and remain satisfied as I pretty much know what I am in for. With this album, he takes the most cinematic approach yet; it's like background music for a fictional documentary on the history of all the unforgiving horrors of the universe! Minimal guitar melody with a heavy use of evocative synths, and the use of real drums this time gives everything a more musty and organic flow. There is also very little vocals howls on this one (which are sorely missed) but the nature of this album doesn't necessarily call for them either. People probably already have their minds made up about this band before they even hear the album, so what I say doesn't matter much, thus my reviews are first and foremost for my own personal documentation then anything else.
7/10
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Sat May 23, 2009 12:56 pm
Punch - S/T LP 2009
Debut LP from this fast and tight female fronted Thrashcore from SanFran, CA featuring members of the godly Emo Violence band, Loma Prieta. The strongest part of this album is undoubtedly the vocals. Incredibly fierce and piercing vocal delivery from Meghan. There's also a slight difference from their debut EP "Eyeless." in that there isn't as much high speed blasting. And the blasts they do have sound a little more measured and not as blistering. Not that big of a deal, but I do miss the super tight method of abrupt, No Comment, like time changes from that EP. While this album is still very fast, there's a lot more breaks, and floor punching moments, which would indicate they brought more of a Youth Crew influence into this album. Really no major complaints though as this is my type of fast break Hardcore. Once again I can't compliment enough on how the fantastic vocals and how incredibly tight this band is.
6.5/10
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Sat May 23, 2009 1:43 pm
Deiphago - Satanik Eon 2006
Absolutely barbarous Bestial styled Black Metal from the Philippines. So what makes this band unique from the countless others who play this style? Quite a few things actually. Lets first talk about the drumming; which is a tight/sloppy style that provides a collapsing foundation which barely keeps these tunes together as they always sound like they are on the verge of completely falling apart! When they go into blastsbeats, and start timing hard on the ride cymbal, it almost sounds like an old rusty crank style gatling-gun! Now the vocals, which are completely over the top. I'm not sure if its how they are mixed but they tear through and explode with a strange timbre that sounds thick in the middle and sharp around the edges. Not quite sure of any other way to describe them but give a listen and you'll understand what I mean. Bestial, horrific, unique and out of control...are these vocals in a nutshell! Also FYI they also make good use of some pitchshifted overdubs and some insertions of strange high pitched whispers as well. Once again with this style, the riffs usually take a backseat in the formula, as long as they provide raunchy bed of noise for the drums and vocals to fall back on they have done their job IMO. When bands do this it always bring to mind Xysma's classic "Swarming of the Maggots" demo. Riffs??.....eh, who cares!...it's all about the pounding drums and caveman vocal assault! These guys have a handful of demos and splits also, but its with this full-length in which they truly shine! I hope they will put out another album in the near future...bands like this will always keep me dropping good change to into this genre of out of control Bestial Black/Death Metal!
8/10
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Sat May 23, 2009 1:40 pm
Gnaw Their Tongues - Die Mutter Wahlt Die Todtenkleidchen 2009
Actually a reissue of a couple of previous EPs plus some brand new tracks as well. The entire album flows together perfectly, it doesn't give the impression that this is culled from various recordings. As I've mentioned before Gnaw Their Tongues is a band that I've been waiting all my life for. Ever since they have entered my life they have satisfied a large part of my musical hunger, as they encompass so much of what I like and look for in music. Listening to something like GTT is a constant reminder of how far the Metal genre has come since the beginnings in electrified RnB. GTT is Abruptum in brilliant modification and refinement. An ingenious blend of Black/Doom and uncontrolled (or sometimes controlled) chaos. And even though I mention the word "Doom"...what sets this release apart from their others is that, it probably contains their fastest, blast ridden tracks they've/he's ever recorded. And as blindingly fast and harsh as the music is, one with an ear for this type of music can easily distinguish the epic melodies that lie beneath. Fully accompanied by booming synthesized brass sections as well as blood freezing string mimicry for enhanced dramaticism...which easily gives the impression of apocalyptic wars and cataclysm which would mark the end of the world. A perfect soundtrack for the end days! I just can't help how much this music giving me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Truly superior and epic creations!
9/10
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Sat May 23, 2009 2:03 pm
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom 2009
Wow, this is an incredible album! While I enjoyed their past couple of albums, I find this one far and above both of those. It would seem like they hunkered down and put 100% effort into writing some distinct and memorable SONGS. The most noticeable element is how they pick up the tempo with many of these tunes, as well as incorporating more changes and rhythmic shifts within each song. Which brings to mind some of their earliest NWOBHM influenced Epic Doom Metal. And Rob Lowe's vocals fit this side of Candlemass perfectly. And I'm a huge Messiah Marcolin fanboy, but I don't think with his style he would have added the kind of much needed and unique flavor that Lowe brings with his performance. I suppose I can go on talking about the great riffs and structures and so forth but I think I wrapped that up pretty well with the 3rd sentence of this review. All I can say is Candlemass, still going strong after 25 years of existence. (Even though they had some shaky times during the 90s.) Also proving that they are still as vital as ever a force in the world of Doom!
8.5/10
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Sat May 23, 2009 2:27 pm
Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
Didn't even know this was out until a few days ago and I quickly nabbed it up. Well its Akron/Family as you'd expect always venturing a little further into the realms of Prog, as well as using an even wider use of percussion and polyrhythmic structures. And you can also expect, as with previous A/F albums, a good balance between their softer folkier anthems and their more energetic, loud and bouncy musical excursions. Now I REALY liked their last album, "Love Is Simple," so I can't help but want a part 2 of that album. Which this isn't. As it doesn't quite have the same flow; to where "Love Is Simple" seemed to be more of a continuous journey, this new one is more of an album of separate songs. Nothing wrong with that though, I just have to put a little more effort into recognizing the craft put into each tune. Thus far my favorite couple of tracks off this album are "Gravelly Mountains of the Moon" and "They Will Appear." Which are numbers that are immediately hooky and contain that fiery, cathartic element which I've grown to look forward to in Akron/Family's lengthier opus'. I like the album no doubt, as I love the band, who also put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen. But I haven't been much in a Akron/Family or Psych/Folk mood lately, so its hard for me to really put a honest judgment on this album as of yet. I'll say this has the possibility of getting a higher rating once I'm in the mood and give it more of a thorough listen.
7.5/10
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Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:51 pm
Forsaken - After the Fall 2009
Forsaken is one of those bands that I have been aware of for years, and even heard a bit from them but never took it a step further in getting into them. This band has been around for nearly 2 decades now playing their dedicated brand of Traditional/Epic Doom Metal. And upon listening to this release I almost feel ashamed for not getting into them sooner. I actually bought this on a whim too; just threw it in with an order from Hellride along with some other CDs. And it turned out to be the best of the lot! This album totally blew me away! Many bands that lean in the Epic Doom Metal category tend to be a little light on the Doom, and end up sounding more like slow Epic Heavy Metal. Nothing wrong with that but it can be a bit of false advertising when you're expecting some heavy gloomy riffing. Well not the case with Forsaken (at least not on this album, I have yet to really hear the others.) Forsaken seamlessly weave an abundance of heavy Doom riffing within an melodic and Epic Heavy Metal song structure. The end result is absolute song craft mastery! While you can hear a lot of different bands of influence in Forsaken, I think they definitely deserve to be considered an original Doom Metal force of their own design. I would dare say if Solitude Aeturnus concentrated more on the Heavy, and less on the "light and melodic" aspect of their sound they might have sounded like Forsaken. One ought to also take note of the fantastic steel rattling guitar tone on this album. Obviously heavy, and dirty as well...reminds me more of what a Sludge band would work towards with production. Great dual and lead guitar work adding good depth to the harmonic side of the music. They also go out of their way to insert a solo within each song, which at first I was a bit unsure of but after a while they began to grow on me and I even look forward to hearing them now. Very tasteful solos that are not overblown...just a quick melodic passage that adds a sash of color to the mix of each song. The vocals are powerful and well lunged and fit perfectly with the majestic and ancient tales being told within each song. I can't praise this album enough, and feel like a fool for not getting into this band sooner. I'm going to be pretty generous with my rating on this album, cause I'm in a fantastic mood, but I do think this band/album totally deserves it.
9/10
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Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:17 pm
i would set myself on fire for you - believes in patters 2006
One of the more original and widely creative bands from the Real Screamo scene of the past few years IMO. With their previous mediocre work they were pretty much building towards the humble masterpiece we have here...at least that's what I'd like to believe. Their demo and first album, suffered greatly from bad production and a piss poor mix of the vocals...sounding almost like they were screaming from the next room over. Surprisingly they not only got a fine production on this album, but also progressed far beyond what one would expect upon hearing their previous work. The most noticeable aspect of this progression is the wide use of "non-guitar" instruments; like cello, violin, saxophone, keys, xylophone, etc. I'd even say the strings share just as big of a part in the riffing as the guitars do. This album displays a mature direction the band took in writing meticulous multi-instrumental music with rich textural harmonies. The end result is TrueScreamo album which successfully mixes progressive song structures with a distinctly Americana aesthetic. But I'd also say they never once sacrifice a remarkable melody for over the top complexity, even though the instrumentation on this album remains phenomenal. I'd even say, weighing the instrumental side with the lyrical side, there's probably more time clocked in on this album with the former. Don't let that mislead you though, as this album is chalked full of lyrics and an assortment of both sung and screamed vocals. Most songs build up to waves of crashing vocal harmonies, ranging from multiple screams from both male and female vocalist as well as some finely sung vocal passages...once again, both male and female. Probably the softest and most harmonious track "So this is our home", is probably the most memorable and song with easy to remember sing along lyrics. When I listen to IWSMSOFFY, I can't help but think of Prog bands of yore like, Renaissance, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator, Gryphon, etc...who would blend a world of influence into their music ranging from rock, blues, jazz, classical, avant-garde and dozens of ethno/cultural-musics to create their monumental, and now classic albums. Accept of course coming at it with more of a contemporary and TrueScreamo rooted angle. The only big shame is that this band disbanded shortly after the making of this album, which seems par for the course with a lot of these bands of the Real Screamo subgenre. Oh well, at least they left us with one masterpiece to remember them by.
9/10
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Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:57 pm
PROCESSION - The Cult Of Disease 2009
New Traditional Doom Metal band hailing from Chile, who already sound like old veterans from the scene. Not only in their music but also in the in your face no compromising attitude they put forth. Their proclamation is: We play Pure and Orthodox Doom Metal, No Stoner, No Funeral, No Goth, No Drone! Something tells me these guys are probably younger than me, but then again most members of new bards are these days!...hehe. ;-) Either way, I'd like to say these guys seem to have their heart in the right place, even though the close-minded attitude might turn some people off. Whatever... at least these guys put their money where their mouth is, and present to the world a whopper of a debut! Absolutely no bells and whistles Traditional Doom Metal here, all played with heart and conviction. So once again, if you're looking for something new, this isn't the place to find it. The strength of this album IMO, is that their brand of Doom Metal, is directly influenced by the 80s Doom, Epic and Heavy Metal stylings. Therefor you don't get any Stoner, Sabbathy, or Proto-Doom at all here, which is fine by me cause I get tired of that crap anyway. Just 6 dark, epic. and ancient sounding anthems about death, sorrow and doom! Imagine the slowest songs off of "Ancient Dreams" and you pretty much got the blue print for this album. Technically this is a debut EP, so if you got the vinyl version all you got is the first 3 songs (weird, and kind of lame.) Luckily I got the CD version and it contains the 3 songs from the 12" and the 3 song demo. And the awesome thing is the demo is as just as high quality as the EP! So aside from slight difference in production between both sets of 3 songs, it pretty much all plays out a like a full length, clocking in at 46 mins of pure Doom! If it was only the EP I'd probably give it a lesser rating, but once again, the CD version truly is a fulfilling piece of work, and thus deserves an extra point for the added tracks.
7.5/10
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Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:42 pm
LORD VICAR - Fear No Pain 2008
New Traditional Doom Metal band features veterans from older Doom Metal bands. namely Peter Vicar/Inverted from Reverend Bizarre and Christian Lindersson former vocalist of Count Raven. The resulting debut is a solid offering of Doom that wont disappoint fans of either of the bands the members were previously a part of. The songs mostly travel between long and slow Doomy passages and slightly up tempo Sabbathy grooves. If you are familiar with Count Raven then the vocals, as you can expect, have a distinct Ozzy flavoring. Not so much a rip off though, just nod towards the influence. To simplify the review you can pretty much say that Lord Vicar is a good even cross between Reverend Bizarre and Count Raven. Only small problem I have with this album is they tend to ride out a riff just a bit too long. This is a trademark for some bands and it works well in some cases, but I think just a touch more variety within each song would go a long way with Lord Vicar. The songs are still very memorable though and have plenty of warm hooks that give each song some distinction. The final song "The Funeral Pyre", it probably my favorite song off the album. It starts out slightly folksy and keeps that earthy vibe throughout the entire 14min song. The vocals for some reason sound different on this tracks for some reason, not so much Ozzy as before...might be trying for a different direction? Hmm, who knows...but I'd like to hear more songs come from Lord Vicar like this in the future. One last thing, I'd just like to give mention to the awesome infernal art which graces the album cover. I think a fair rating would be 7/10, good album, should hit the spot for any Trad Doom fan, just needs a little extra to make the band special and more than just a "project band" from members of Doom bands of the past.
7/10
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Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:40 pm
Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs 2009
After an EP and a split, this is (as far as I know) going to be the one and only release from Amesoeurs. Mostly know for featuring Neige, formerly of Pest Noire and Alcest. And its hard not to avoid hearing the similarities between this band and Alcest. I will say Amesoeurs showcases more of a kaleidoscope of style and sound than Alcest. Quite a diverse set of songs presented here, ranging from the Darkwave/Shoegaze tracks to some more pure Black Metal numbers. Some might not like the diversity but I rather like when a band can successfully explore a variety of paths within the same album. The female vocals are quite nice, but I seem to prefer the melodicism of Alcest to Amesoerus. Ironically Alcest seems to have more of effeminate, lushful vibe to these ears. The first time I listened to this album, I was blown away, but for some reason upon subsequent listens I wasn't as impressed. And to be honest I tend to prefer the more Black Metal (harsh vocal) tunes more, than the lighter more relaxed numbers. Since this band is no more, I guess there really isn't any constructive criticism I can offer, so I'll just keep an ear to the ground for what Neige does with Alcest in the future, which (if you can't already tell) I prefer more than Amesouers.
6.5/10
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Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:34 pm
Coalesce - Give Them Rope 1998
This can easily be one of the top contenders for heaviest album of all time! Strange, my affection for Coalesce has actually grown throughout the years. While the appeal of bands like DEP and Converge has wanned for me, Coalesce has gradually become probably my favorite band from the original Metalcore brigade of the 90s (next to Kiss It Goodbye, that is!). Note* that there is some noticeable differences in the mastering and mix of the original and reissued version of this album. The original is a bit muddier, while the reissue is much clearer sounding, and louder. I actually prefer the remastered version of this album, in that it gives it an extra dose of volume and the remix adds a cohesiveness to the rhythm section that wasn't quite as dominant in the original. I will say that each song doesn't exactly jump out at you with a distinct personality. After a handful of songs, it sort of comes off as a bit samey after a while, but IMO...this actually is the strength to the album. They write a fair share of complex grooves and break downs with odd time signatures, but they don't really go out of their way to make any hooks or sticky melodies. But as stated before the power of this album lies within the complete experience of battery and punishment. If you have a about 40 mins to spare and want to be leveled by a barrage of heavy metallic grooves, throw this album on by all means! If I can sum up this entire album by just one word, to put it simply: "bludgeoning!" is the most appropriate word that comes to mind.
8.5/10
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Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:09 pm
Piebald - If It Weren't for Venetian Blinds It Would Be Curtains for Us All 1999
This is probably one of my favorite Emo-Pop/Indie Rock, (whatever) albums of all time. It's one of those albums I tend to forget about for a while, but every now and then I'll pull it out and fall in love with these super catchy tunes all over again. When this happens repeated listens are mandatory! You might compare Piebald to Weezer in sound and innocent/adolescent subject matter, but I prefer Piebald about a hundred times more as their song structures are a bit more involved and more imaginative IMO. Just about every song contains melodies that will stick long after the album is done. Pair that with a sharp and youthful vocal delivery from lead singer, Travis Shettel as well as clever lyrics that are instantly memorable, and you have an album that will sound fresh upon every listen! I have a hard time choosing one song as an absolute favorite, as I love them all to a high degree! "Mess With the Bulls" is a song that pumps me up every time I hear it and can't help but shout along to the brilliant chorus..."It's not funny like haha! its funny like I told you so..." And "Still We Let It Choke Us" is a short but epic little ditty, with some of the finest soaring riffs on this side of the Emo-Pop genre. To be honest, I haven't heard (aside from their earlier material) any of their other albums beyond this one. I'm sort of afraid to give them a chance cause I just don't see how this one can be topped! Don't want to tarnish the perfect image I have of this band by being disappointed. Meh, I'm sure I'll listen to them sooner or later... Either way, this is one album I can pull out at any time and never grow tired of.
9.5/10
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:40 pm
Coalesce - Ox 2009
Ah, I love Coalesce what can I say? I don't listen to much of the Metalcore "ilk" but when the mood strikes for some crunchy challenging grooves I turn to Coalesce. I'm also a fan of Sean Ingrams unrelenting vocal delivery, I'd even go as far and say that's always been the bands hidden strength. Without the insistent vocals that rarely let up during each song, they just wouldn't be same. Another thing I like about Coalesce is their songs have always been pretty short and to the point. Never one to cram too many ideas into one song, nor linger on listlessly forcing a song to out stay its welcome. This album = 14 songs of intricate grooves, with Proggy time shifts and Voivod-ish chord structures. They've always been a band with a huge emphasis on the heavy, and this album is no exception... thank goodness for that! I was a bit worried upon hearing the second song as they make use of some "clean" vocals, but thankfully thats the only song in which they do that. They thrust out a few "weird" parts now and then, which are kind of useless and never enhance any of the songs really. Not that big of a deal, I get to those parts and think, "okay :shrugs:....lets get back to the grooves!" Only other small complaint is the drums seem a bit flat, they don't really make their muscular presence known as they did in most of their previous recordings. Whatever,... again no biggie I guess. Anyhow, with this supposed "comeback" album - is it a comeback album correct? - they rocket themselves right back to the top of the heap of their breed of Hardcore. Solid album IMO.
7/10
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:40 pm
The Paper Chase - God Bless Your Black Heart 2004
The Paper Chase is a band I discovered around the start of the decade and have been following them ever since. During my Prog/Experimental Rock phase - also the time I was hosting the "Indie Rock" show on KUNM - this band came out of nowhere and hit me in all the right G-spots. Now that we have reached the end of this decade, The Paper Chase with 5 strong full-lengths and handful of other split and EP material, I can safely say (for my money) that The Paper Chase has been one the greatest Indie bands of the past 10 years. But are they "just" an Indie band? It'd be more appropriate to call them a Progressive Rock band really. As they contain all the trademarks of a textbook Prog band: with the ornamental riffing of the most obtuse Post-Hardcore bands, as well as a fancy for tape loops, sampling, studio tomfoolery, in addition to a liberal use of Non-Rock instruments like Piano and Strings, for an enhanced layer cerebral confusion. All their albums for the most part seem to be dramatic concept albums as well. So to call them just an "Indie" band would be an injustice IMO. Prog or Experimental Rock is much more appropriate IMO. But I digress...
This album here, "God Bless Your Black Heart", is my personal favorite of theirs thus far. (Which is not to say that their other albums aren't equally fantastic!) Upon listening to this album in full, one with an ear for music will most likely recognize how thematically "together" this album turned out to be. As in certain key melodies and chord progressions repeat themselves throughout the entire album, giving the over all group of songs a sense of continuity and relation. Oh you get your fair share of the jagged angular riffing The Paper Chase in infamously known for, but each bar of music (no matter how abrasive) remains tuneful and distinguished. Not only do they create an albums worth of memorable individual songs, but also a set of unified mini-epics that are all part of the greater whole. I'm also very impressed by John Congleton distinct vocal style. As manic and warbly as he my sound, he always seems to stay on key with his nervous and unique style of vocal crooning. All their other trademark sounds are displayed here in top form also; the queasy piano tinkering , the weaving of samples and loops into the texture of each song; and they also make effective use of a dragging high school orchestra during the one song "The Sinking Ship, the Grand Applause", punctuating the end with a unique melodramatic force that I've rarely ever heard before or since. Sometimes I wonder why this band isn't more popular as they seem like they could have a wider appeal outside their usual group of weirdo fans. Its strange cause just about everyone I've shown this band to fall in love with them within a just a few songs. Anyhow, 5 years after its initial release this album continues to impress the hell out of me. One of those that each time I listen to I'm constantly finding something new to praise about the album.
10/10
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:40 pm
Graveland - The Celtic Winter demo/MCD/CD 1994
This will always be one of the most perfect Black Metal albums ever made IMO. Although, originally it was a demo...than a 3 song MCD (very first No Colours release) than finally released it its full version of 7 tracks (5 main songs, 2 synthy intro/interlude tracks.) Rob Darken's vocals are in top form on this masterpiece. A touch of echo help give his demonic snarl the sound of a lashing chain whipping bare flesh in the deeps of some forgotten dungeon of torture! I've always been a bit peeved at the direction Darken took his vocals with "1000 Swords" and ever after. Since then he always sounded like a lazy croaking frog to me. Never again did he give the kind of violent energy he gave his vocals during the early Graveland recordings. The first 2 songs (after the intro) burst out of the gates with barrage of thrashy leather-whipped riffs that never leave your memory once heard! "Hordes of Empire" will always be one of my all time favorite BM war anthems! After the unrelenting assault of the first two songs...the rest of the tracks on the album take slower approach, using the trademarked BM "striding-across-the-forest" beat. These tracks are slow paced, hypnotic and mystical, once again leading back to the oh so godly and influential Bathory track "Enter the Eternal Fire." If all Black Metal bands pretty much created scores of albums that are nothing more than a variation of that one track, the world of BM would be a much better place these days! Each song on this album, make effective use of spooky organ like synths. Very minimal and appropriately placed synth lines enrich the diabolical atmosphere of each song. Capricornus' precocious drumming is about as inept as they come. But really, it just adds to the insistent nature of the album - these you lads had something to say, and by any-means-necessary (talent or no talent) they were going to make their Satanic voices heard through their missanthorpic art!...and the end result is this masterpiece: "The Celtic Winter!" The pre-Nazi era of Graveland is some of the best BM ever created IMO. And while I still like their later albums as well ("Following the Voice of Blood" is a stunning album for sure!) Darken will never be able to top "The Celtic Winter" and that's a fact jack!
10/10
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Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:40 pm
Diocletian - Doom Cult 2009
First one to call this "War Metal" gets shot in the face! Kill that tag please! This is Black Metal, as pure as it comes. Not so much of the Northern variety, but harkening back to the times during the 80s when Black and Death Metal were still somewhat hazy in their definitions. When you could just as easily call, Bathory, Possessed, Sarcofago or Morbid Angel, Black and/or Death Metal. Diocletian plays, what I like to call, Bestial Black Metal, which just sounds more appropriate to me than the stupid "War Metal" genre that was invented by kids of the internet generation. Bands like Blasphemy, Beherit and Bestial Warlust mastered mastered this style of barbarous Black/Death Metal during the early 90s yet it's a style that has always seemed to take a bit of a backseat to the BM superstars of Norway and their countless worldwide clones throughout the rest of the 90s. Now I'm not sure if its just me, or the way my moods swing as of late...but there seems to have been a bit of a resurgence of newer bands taking up arms and blasting out the combined harsh sounds of ritual and war once again! If Diocletian weren't one of the forerunners of this New Wave of Black Bestial Metal before, then with this whirlwind holocaust of an album they produced here they've definitely moved themselves up into the top echelons now! One listen to this unrelenting circle of hate is proof of that. First, one might notice is that the guitar melodies (if one can indeed call them melodies) are actually easily distinguishable within the recording. Oh there's still a harsh rumble of bass and low growling guitar lines, but I just point out that the riffs not only can be deciphered but also written out theoretically if one so chose to do so. There is a very strong mixture of Death Metal as well as some down tuned Thrash riffs used on this album. Which once again brings to mind the mid/late 80s underground of Death/Black/Thrash Metal. I can't help but think of the old days when bands like the ones mentioned above as well as Venom, Sodom, Necrovore, Celtic Frost and even Slayer really did sound "EVIL" and would give you a that thrill that you are listening to something utterly forbidden; something that "normal" people would fear and call "kill your mother, kill your father" music... haha! :-D Anyhow, the vocals are are also a nonstop bombardment or hostility. I don't think there's a 30 second gap in the album where there isn't an all out barrage of multi-layered demonic vocal vibrations going on. I think the most impressive aspect of this album though is the over the top drumming. Not only are they tuned perfectly for this style of BM but the man behind the kit can't possibly be human! He manages to transition out of the blasts and pull off some of the most inhumanly fast drum fills I've ever heard! He definitely provides a series of kicks-to-the-head as you're being bludgeoned to death by the shear force of his barbaric drumming on this CD. Must be said that all of Diocletian's material is top notch...from their demo to this new album; simply superb. So I'd recommend buying (or DLing) all they have out there, and sitting down one lazy Sunday and have yourself a marathon of bullet riddled audio blasphemy! As stated before there seems to be a strong circle of quality bands playing the Bestial style of B/DM these days and Diocletian is easily amongst the very best of them!
8/10
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Sun Jul 26, 2009 7:50 pm
Kiss Kiss - The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left 2009
A recent indie rock band hailing from NY with huge Prog tendencies. Upon listening to Kiss Kiss for the first time, you can pick out a lot of similarities between them and other bands that they are probably influenced by. At times they remind me of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Mew, Uz Jsme Doma and Mr Bungle...and all in the same song most of the time! But I think, first and foremost they remind me of a more Prog oriented Cursive...(which I'd be safe to bet they are one of their biggest influences.) Aside from that though, they bring themselves to the table with some original ideas, a distinct vocal style, and a huge helping of talent from each of its members that gives Kiss Kiss a good head start on the fast track to becoming one of the better bands of both the Prog Rock and Indie Rock worlds in recent memory. They also have a knack for catchy melodies and perfect pop song structures therefor it's only natural that they'd attract a lot of listeners within the circles of hipsterdom with such wide appeal. So far they have a MCD, and 2 full lengths under their belt. I have them all, but I believe the most recent offering (which this review brings focus to) is their best and most complex work to date. The band includes guitars, keys and electric violin expertly played by a one miss Rebecca Schlappich. Not only does the swirling violin work bring personality to the band but so does Joshua Benash's unique vocal talents as well. On the first couple of releases he makes effect use of sparse screaming, only to accent certain moments of the song with emotional flavorings of panic and desperation. But on this latest release, his true singing voice is put to superior use. As, not only does he have a fine set of pipes but he makes excellent use of his range, with plenty of soft falsettos to accentuate his perfect sense of melodic assembly. Rebecca Schlappich, with her amazing violin skills, brings forth another tremendous characteristic of Kiss Kiss. The band just wouldn't be the same without her chromatic string contributions. The fiery carnival instrumental blocks of complexity these guys(and girl) showcase ought to make the most snobbish of Prog and Tech heads take notice. I'm surprised these guys haven't been admitted to the Prog-archives yet, as not only are they truly a modern day Progressive Rock band, but they are far more Progressive than many of the bands that get admitted there on a weekly basis. The only small peeve I would have with this band is that I wish they would take to writing in epic long form more frequently. In fact most of their tunes clock in at an average of 3/4 mins a piece. My favorite song off this album (entitled: "virus") is the only tune in which they break the barrier and make one long 15 minute track - which also turns out to be a perfect closer to the album as well, as it's more of a subdued piece that brings you out of the album in a swirly psychedelic yet sombre manner. I love finding little bands like this out of the blue. In fact I'm not the one who found them, but it was my girl Ash who found them one night when she was just sampling though some bands on lastfm. They caught my ear, and I was like, "what is that? this sounds great!" Thank you Ashy my love!
8/10
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Sun Jul 26, 2009 7:22 pm
HAVOHEJ - Kembatinan Premaster 2009
Not sure why I even bought this, it was brand new on the Hellsheadbangers site and I just threw it in with an order. I've always liked Paul Lendey's vocals anyway, so when I listened to the samples of murky Blackened noise accompanied by Paul Lendey's fierce and familiar vocals I figured I'd give it a shot....how bad could it be, eh? Supposedly the "2nd" Havohej full-length but I've always just considered "Dethrone the Son of God" a Profanatica album. I'll fight anyone who says any different! Anyhow, this album....its okay...nothing mind blowing in the least though. The simplistic approach he takes with this album is actually quite annoying and almost lazy. Take some sizzling blackened ambiance with little variation between each song, basic martial drum programing, Paul's profane vocal chants, and you pretty much have a good idea what this sounds like. Some might find this "genius!" or a superior form of wretched BM art, but to me it's a little thin. And that's saying something considering the kind of incompetent trash I tolerate sometimes. Since I actually own a copy I supposed I'll spin it a few more times but I really wouldn't recommend this to anyone into Black Metal or even the more absurd and/or experimental forms of BM as there are much better bands out there to explore.
3/10
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Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:27 pm
Limbonic Art - (1995-1996) CD 2009
This is a reissue of the 2 promo/demos previous to their debut: "The Moon in Scorpio." One might ask, didn't they already do this with "Epitome of Illusions"? Ah, but that one was a CD with re-recorded tracks from these demos. This contains the original demos in their pure untainted primitive form. Its funny cause the reason why they re-recorded those old demo tracks was due to "bad production" ...at least that's what the band said. Now to these ears, listening to these tracks this is perfect production for BM...even within the symphonic style of BM, LA is known for. I've always had a soft spot for LA, and during the 90s when the symphonic style of BM ruled my world and rubbed me in all the right ways, LA was at the top of the heap! Now LA has always been well known for their use of drum programming and I usually prefer real flesh 'n' blood drumming, but in LA's case the robo-drums always seemed to make sense and fit that "space-opera" atmosphere they always captured oh-so well. On this CD, they actually have a real drummer! Its nice to hear, but its not like he's doing anything spectacular either other than keeping time. Keyboards have always been a dominant component to LA's music, but on this CD they actually take a backseat to the buzzing sound of the guitars. The keys and the guitars actually seem to compliment one another w/o either blatantly dominating the other. The riffs are barely audible and the synths provide a backdrop of melody that manages to shine through the static just loud enough to enhance the atmosphere. The entire experience of this CD is far more mystical and terrestrial than their subsequent releases. It might be just me but it seems to lack vocals in a lot of parts that I would normally expect their to be some. Not that I have a problem with that and in fact it gives the impression of a gritty soundtrack to a non-existent movie. I'm really happy for this release as it gives me a whole new appreciation and level of enjoyment for an old band I've always liked, but haven't listened to in quite some time.
8/10
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Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:49 pm
The Axis of Perdition - Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital 2005
I've boldly stated before that I believe Abruptum is the most important BM band of the 90s, (maybe even the most important Metal band of the 90s as well.) Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say The Axis of Perdition, when all is said and done, will be the most important BM band of the 00's! Why might you ask? I've never quite heard the coupling of BM and Industrial/Dark Ambient done so well (aside from maybe Gnaw Their Tongues) and with such horrifying results. Has it been attempted before? Yeah, a butt load during the 90s... but most of the time the merging of these 2 styles ended up, at least IMO, being more of a joke and a parody and a little too close for my comfort to Raver/Bondage/SnM club music. Or sometimes bands tagged as Industrial BM, were basically just BM with a drum machine with maybe one or two "weird" parts included for good measure. The Axis of Perdition on the other hand is the first band that combines these styles, and who also seem to have the knowledge and ear for music to know how to do it correctly, in order to create truly twisted (and I even dare say Progressive) pieces of music. Riff-wise and structure-wise I will say you can draw a lot of comparisons to Blut Aus Nord's nowadays style. But I don't think tAoP ripped them off cause they're sound was firmly in tact before BUN released their monumental album "Work Which Transforms God." Another cool thing about tAoP is they are a full 4 member band. Which is unique in that most bands of this nature are just one dude these days. And of course they make full use of all their members, creating a dense and complex amalgamation of riffs, sound, samples, ambiance, rhythms, beats, and other blasphemies they weave into their dark yet colorful textures. They use a combination of live and programmed drums which is quite interesting. Sometimes it's hard to tell which is which, and sometimes it seems like the kicks are mechanical while the rest of the kit is flesh n blood. Or perhaps its triggers...I don't know for sure. Be neat to see them live though. Each song is carefully structured as to always have "something" ear catching throughout every moment of the album. I couldn't see how anyone would think this is a boring album unless your ears suck and just aren't able to comprehend all that's going on here. And there is plenty! I've listened to this album like 20 times already and always catch more fresh goodness upon each new listen. TAoP are of those bands that have something for everyone. Technical riffing, Progressive song configurations, hissing and raw guitar tones, an assortment of natural and electronically tampered vocals, and of course chalked full of dreadful and spooky electronic atmosphere. I will say their earlier material is slightly more of a buzzing quality, and this one (and the others that will follow, haven't heard the newest one yet) has an improved and clearer (and slightly heavier) production. I completely adore this band, they fired up my interest in other bands that are are doing similar things with BM and Industrial/Ambient/Electronic music.
This album = 8.5/10
(but I might even like their first full-length and MCD even better, just need to listen to those more)
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Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:42 am
Nihill - Krach 2007
One of the biggest downfalls of BM during the 90s was the incorporation of Industrial (and especially Industrial/Dance) elements into the music. Ironically, one of the more interesting trends in BM lately, has been the incorporation of Industrial (and especially of the Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Whitehouse, early Current 93 variety) elements into the music. Bands like The Axis of Perdition came around and started doing it right. Instead of making Industrial BM into a parody dance party, they actually created music that was both mechanical and truly horrifying. Nihill is a recent BM band that makes use of electronic enhancements and soundscapes to great effect. This can also be considered some sort of hybrid of Black/Doom as they're is plently of slow and expansive segments augmented by the wash of thick noisy soundscapes. Think later day Khanate, except more mechanical. They do have a few chaotic blasting parts, but those don't last long and usual drop seamlessly into a pit of swarthy, lurching ambiance. And thats another thing; this album has a lot of transitions from Metal parts to the more electronic parts, but usual both sides contain an element of the other therefor always sounding natural and never forced nor abrupt as you take this journey of ominous weaving vibrations. My only complaint, and what prevents this from getting a higher rating from me, is the final track; which is just one long song of rumbling dark ambient. Kind of a lazy way to finish the album, should have been more like the other crossbred tracks. This is a fantastic album none the less, and I really look forward to more from this band. This album probably isn't for all,so if you don't like your peanut butter and chocolate to mix, than this is probably not for you! But I'd definitely recommended this if you like The Axis of Perdition and Gnaw Their Tongues - although not quite a great as either of those epic bands, still a worthy addition to your collection if you like that style.
7.5/10
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Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:05 am
ColdWorld - Melancholie² 2008
Here's a nice and relaxing newish, one-man BM band from Germany. It's funny cause on his myspace he says something to the effect of leaving "traditional BM behind", which after listening to this album I thought that was a rather odd statement, being as I think this is pretty much spot on Epic BM in the vein of "Filosofem." I don't think its all that experimental or progressive, but that's not a bad thing at all. To me its just a fine effort of densely layered, hypnotic BM. The passages, while blanketed in a wash of liquid guitar static, are very consonant and therefor pleasing to the ear. The entire album gives off a very icy yet warm atmosphere throughout the harmonic journey. It's all very soft and not an aggressive album in the least - perhaps taking a page out of the book of Forgotten Woods patented brand of BM. If there is anything unorthodox about this release its that some of the melodies used, aren't typical at all of BM. There's this one part, specifically during the tune "Hymn to the Eternal Frost," that hits about twice in the song also finishing out the tune...sort of a chorus melody; it sounds more akin to something like Envy or Jesu or maybe even Sigur Ros. Might I say that some of the passages are quite "pretty" which I guess would be anathema to some BM babies. As I listen to this album it would seem like the perfect soundtrack to watching icicles melting in the warmth of the sun. If there is any unique quality to this album, it's that warm/cool contrast that leaves one with a satisfying and refreshed feeling once the album is done.
8/10
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Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:54 pm
Happy Days - Happiness Stops Here 2009
The first thing that caught my attention about this band is the wacky band name. "Sunday, Monday, Happy Days! Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days!" Well obviously they're not playing 50s Rock'A'Billy, although I'm sure when they decided on this name they knew full well most people would automatically associate it with the TV show. "Suicidal BM" is another nowadays term that I hate about as much as "War Metal." Can't we just call this Black/Doom or just plain slow BM? Anyhow they play BM in the more hypnotic and melancholic style. Forgotten Tomb might be a good reference point, but Happy Days have a much more organic sound and also use a live drummer. Some of the delicate guitar melodies brings to mind Katatonia during the high point of their earliest days. The vocals, while decent, could have been so much better...and have the potential to be as well. They're very agonizing on the outset, but after while they get to be a bit samey. The vocals IMO, are at their best during the few times he splices them up with some moaning and allows his real voice to blend in with the screams in an almost emo broken wailing fashion. The sorrowful nature of the music and the subject matter really demands more of this vocal style I speaketh of. On the plus side you can easily decipher just about every word he is saying, and I really like the heart searing, weepy subject matter...but then again I am an Emo kid at heart. ;-) I really do like the sound of this recording. It's very natural, their isn't much forced reverb and fuzz (which there's nothing wrong with that either!). It sounds almost like a well performed rehearsal as opposed to an actual studio recording. Nothing more to be said really, nothing mind blowing, and if it wasn't for the name I probably would have passed em up and considered them average. Not bad though for once in a while.
7/10
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Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:57 am
Malvery - Mortal Entrenchment In Requiem 1999
Here's a cool discovery and sort of a lost gem from BM's past. A twisted Black Metal band from Quebec, that has a touch of "controversy" surrounding it being the vocalist (Amer LeChâtier) committed suicide shortly after the recording of this album. Sounds kind of gimmicky after a while, but that's indeed what happened. I can only assume Bethlehem was their number one influence in sound and demeanour, cause not only do they sound similar but of course they both follow suit in having a pair of dead singers! The greatest strength of this band is without a doubt, the vocals. This guy could have easily fronted any of the first 3 Bethlehem albums (as I hold those albums in the highest regard, both aurally and vocally)...would even give Mr Rainer Landfermann a run for his money IMO. If this guy truly had a problem with the gift of life, then his discontent was gallantly on display with the masterful vocal performance he showcased on this album. You have to listen to this album it's entirety to get the full impact of Mr. LeChâtier brand of pissed off misery. As the longer you listen to more you realize how completely over the top he sounds. My best comparison would be; his vocals remind me a lot of Lori Bravo's brilliant performance on "All Creatures..." You get your fair share of blood curdling screams, and yelps, and moans, agonizing shouts, and just so much more wacky fun and vocal torture! The music is hard to make a comparison yet I have who these riffs sound like, at the edge of my mind but can't quite recall, Von maybe? Bestial Summoning? a LLN band? argh! I can't figure it out yet!. Anyhow, the riffs and melodies don't exactly follow a 4/4 pattern yet none of it is of odd time signatures either. Almost sounds amature at first but after a while it becomes surprisingly cogent. The tempo ranges from midpaced to abrupt bursts of hyperblasting speeds. Mr. LeChâtier doesn't seem to really follow any set pattern with his lyrical rage either. Almost seems like he's coming up with everything on the spot. So you get to deal with an A-Rhythmical vocal pattern that goes beyond the usual conventions of verse structure. To me that makes this all that much more powerful, it's immediate, and honest, and completely uncompromising! The production is raw, and somewhat Thrashy, but don't expect too much buzzing and hiss in this album. It's got more of a live quality without much distortion pedal reverb added to the guitar. The bass is also very audible too, nothing too bottom heavy, just the nice sinister sound of a cheap set of thick strings. Aside from this album, they had a promo/demo before, and I believe adding these 2 together would be absolutely perfect and mandatory for a reissue. This is definitely a piece of left field BM that needs to be preserved and brought into the foreground once again. Someone contact AQ!
9/10
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Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:59
Every now and then I'm compelled to take in an entire bands discography and give their body of work as a whole a consicive review. I sort of already done that Ruinmagick, Ufomammut and On the Might of Princes previously, and now I'm about to do the same with this unique band of weirdo/outsider noise/folk/rock known as; Old Time Relijun. I first caught wind of these guys around the early 2000s, when I was doing my indie radio show, Music To Soothe the Savage Beast. I was also deep into the whole New Weird America/Free Folk movement that was causing some waves at the time, While Old Time Relijun doesn't exactly fall into that category of NWA, they immediately caught my attention and pretty much had all the elements in their music that I was fiending for at that time: jangly reverbless guitar playing, spacious and loosely played strange/folky anthems, and something that's rhythmically challenging w/o falling into a lazy stupor of jamming listlessly. They're a mainstay of the mighty K Records, but for some reason (at least I've never noticed any) they never quite got the attention that some of their more popular bands like Beat Happening, Mecca Normal and Built to Spill have... on the same token OTR aren't exactly an easy pill to swallow, even for some of the more adventurous listeners, so that might have something to do with it. They've also been a band that's incredibly hard to categorize. They fall somewhere between Noise Rock, Post Punk and Psych Folk. This band commits the act of the complete deconstruction of American Roots music, and builds it back from the ground up in a more horrifying and yet almost cockamamie manner, that leaves behind the deep impression of one of the most frenetic and unpredictable bands to ever exist. Best to explain their music by visualizing this obscene family tree: imagine Captian Beefheart and James Chance having a child, then imagine the Minutemen and The Birthday Party having another. Then imagine the offspring of those 2 couplings having a bastard child of their own, and the end result would be Old Time Relijun! At the core they are a band of minimal inclination (thus they fit the K-Records roster perfectly): most of their songs evolve around the basic triplite structure of - a jagged drum kit and stand-up bass rhythm section / scratchy guitar lines / wild Beefheartian vocal chants. They use other instruments to throw some spice in a song now and then like, a squalling Ayler like Sax, eerie old fashion gospel type ograns, steel guitar, mouth-harp, bells, abrasive fiddle and other string ornamentation, etc. Each of their albums have about the same recoding quality: sounds like they placed a microphone in the center of a room and began playing their tunes. With this you pretty much get that 'empty hall' sound during the quieter moments and/or between songs. As unique the band is as a whole, the vocals of Arrington de Dionyso stands out as the most unique aspect of the band. Don Van Vliet is the obvious number one influence here, sounding very similar to his gruff and strained bluesy shouts, but mr Arrington takes it a few steps further. He seems to draw from other non-western abrasive vocal styles as well as the mad high pitched squalling of Diamanda Galas. Quite the talent he is as in many-o songs he displays his vocal talents in squeezing out those deep multi-tone harmonics of Tuvan throat singing also. Sometimes I've in awe of that this dude can do with that diaphragm of his. Of course the band wouldn't be the same if not for the contributions from the other members. They've worked with a revolving door of drummers since their inception, but each one have all managed to be sufficient for OTR's herky-jerky style of snakeling rhythms. Aaron Hartman plays a stand-up bass, and comes up with some of the most infectious bass lines I've ever heard. If there is anything thats the most tuneful aspect of OTR, it's their bass lines. Every now and then they'll start off a song with a bass line that almost sounds familiar, sometimes I wonder it its a cover, but it never is. In fact I don't think they've ever once done a cover in their entire career. It's really hard to rate each of these albums individually as they all seemed to be chronologically linked in a way. As if their entire recorded output is meant to be one long album, as each album pretty much continues where the last left off. If there is any difference to be had from their very first album to their last, I would say they've calmed and gotten a tad less hyper over the years...but only a tad! "Catharsis in Clay" is probably their most relaxed album to date, but thats not saying much in consideration of OTR! And yet another awesome aspect of this band is their mysterious visual aesthetic and the overall uniformity to their album covers. Each depicting bizarre black pen drawings of Demons, Devils, Animals, Witches, Monsters, Angels, Hybrid Humans, etc. Sometimes with touch of water color paint, sometimes not. And this art work not only graces the covers but there is always more of these peculiar drawings within the CDs. Plenty of cool stuff to look it in an OTR CD. It really gives the impression that you are entering a forgotten world of Americana history, where mongrel religions and bizarre rites brought from all over the world with the immigrants and slaves were practiced in great secret behind closed doors. As I listen to the vivid music in association to these haunting pictures I get visions of old timey images in my mind where these strange hybridized rituals were practiced with much more frequency. Snake Handling, Speaking in Tongues, Exorcisms, Voodoo, Shamanism, Santería, etc. Everything about this band, from the music, the vocals, to the lyrics, to the bare bones production, to the creepy art work, all fit together perfectly into one unique entity known as Old Time Relijun. Simply one of the greatest Rock bands for the past 10 years and they speak to me so much more than I can explain in this dopey review I give here.
Rating as a band = 10/10
Album rating on average = bout 8/10 or 8.5//0
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Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:37 pm
THE MAUSOLEUMS - Blackened Fawns Cleanse The Earth With Fire 2008 7/10
THE MAUSOLEUMS - I Am The Mausoleum 2007 4/10
I figure I better hash out a review real quick here before Noah finds out about this band and claims credit for them! Actually I found out about this band from a mr Jonathan_K (aka storm shadow.) First and foremost this pushes Psychedelic Black Metal to its it limits in both swirling noise and improvised experimentation. With that said; could this really be considered Black Metal? I think for the most part yes, the influences are vast but there is just enough actual Metal riffage to be found within the jangly murk to be loosely considered some kind of fringe Metal. At the same time though you can easilly equate this with bands such as The Dead C, Mouthus, Gravitar, etc. Therefor, The Mausoleums can also be considered a super lo-fi noise rock/psych band that uses 'some' Black Metal elements. Anyhow, enough of how to tag this cause it is very difficult, just give em a listen and see for yourself. And upon listening to this band one can hear literally dozens of other bands, fx: Nuggets bands, 13th Floor Elevators, The Dead C, Bardo Pond, Bestial Summoning, Furze, Abruptum, The Axis of Perdition, Flying Saucer Attack,Trad Gras Och Stenar/Parson Sound, Beat Happening, Brainticket, Fushitsusha and a host of other Noise, Psych, and BM bands. Now as awesome as all that sounds on the outset - combining all those influences..., the question now would be: so is it good? Now I do like the wild experimentation and outsider approach to their style of BM, but sometimes when I listen to The Mausoleums I wonder if they're good enough to be considered a unique entity in the world of BM all their own, or just a band that is guilty of trying to cram all their influences into one band? I will say the 2nd CD is better than the 1st. The songs seem to be a little more together and organic. While on the first disc, there is way too many tinkery instrumental pieces with dinky synthetic drums; some aren't bad but many are way too lame and seem to just take up space. The second disc also has a its fair share of psychy instrumental pieces but they seem to work a little better in being the glue that holds the individual cacaphonious BM ditties together throughout the album. I'm assuming this is just one dude, but I'm not sure. The beats are all programmed but the drums themselves, while still sounding mechanical, tend to have a rough echo sound. He's definitely striving for a natural garage aesthetic with his drum tunings. Well, I do like this band, although not many of the songs are very memorable. More constancy is the key! Either way this is a BM band that is an AQ darling so take that for whatever its worth. And with that said, these 2 discs are at least worth a DL, ....check it!
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Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:56 pm
Nightbringer - Death and the Black Work 2008
Amazing! An actual "good" Black Metal band to come out of the Southwest! Too bad they aren't that local to me, but Colorado will do. Not sure what it is about the SW but rarely have there been many good bands to come out of this area in the United States. Its almost like they lack identity and originality and end up aping other trends and therefor never really ranking above average. Anyhow, this band Nightbringer, totally blew me away! These young Rocky Mountain warriors are heavily reliant on riffs and the riffs are at the very center of what gives this band their true spirit. The production is of good raw BM quality, but not so ridiculously raw to the point where they utilize crude production as a source of atmosphere. They kind of harken back to the days of Emperor and Abigor, with an abundance of riffs, a fair share of passages that utilize fast and slow tempo shifts, as well as plenty of structural alterations to each song in completion of great epic pieces of prodigious music. My first impression with the first song on the album was they were on the verge of playing too fast for too long, therefor they were in danger of me eventually loosing interest. I hastily assumed it was going to be just another boring blastfest BM album. And boy was I wrong! Oh, they have plenty of blasting parts throughout no doubt, but they don't lack the discipline of knowing when to slow things down and ride out a good long segment with a lurching beat and fat flavorful riff. The melodies themselves have a tendency to be of a soaring tremolo variety. But they tend to stretch them out of time with the bed rhythm thats being played beneath. Kind of hard to explain, but Disembowelment was the first to do this: play a slow doomy riff over a blastbeat. Well, Nightbringer indulges in similar tactics accept more in a BM fashion...make sense? Anyhow, if I were to use one word to describe this album it would easily be: Soaring! I envision vampires taking flight from their aeries atop monstrously high castles balancing on cliffs above great dark chasms. Yes, very cinematic stuff. And thats why I've always loved BM and thats why I now love he kings of Rocky Mountain BM, Nightbringer!
9/10
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Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:33 pm
Njiqahdda - Nji. Njiijn. Njiiijn 2008
Okay...I'm going to be oh so bold and say this is easily the best Black Metal band going today. But is this BM?...one could argue against it. The beauty of the subgenre of BM is that it's expended so far beyond its Heavy Metal roots, that many nowadays bands which choose to skirt around the periphery of BM have little connection to Metal at all anymore. Yet still these outsider BM bands are still very much BM in origin. Really what else could they be? Well this is indeed one of those bands that make things difficult for the compartmentalizing culture of MetalEds who like their Metal nice and neat and easy to tag. And frankly, I have no idea what else you would call Njiqahdda anyhow? Therefor BM fits them perfectly, be they on the utter lunatic fringe of the genre. Now as far as all the orthodoxy and True Metal Manowar posturing, you can leave that conformist mentality at the door, piss off... Supposedly there are 2 members in this band, Njiqahdda and Njiijn, one being the Black Metal side, the other being the noise/ambient/percussive side. That peanut-butter-in-my-chocolate thing again. The music itself is combination cascading waves of fuzzy yet lush guitar melodies, hypnotic Black Metal rhythms, all thickly layered with echo effects and studio enhancements, lyric-less vocal manipulations that act more as another layer of sound than anything central, drapes merzbowian noise/ambiance that somehow remain melodic and gorgeous, and electronic percussion that twinkles over the top of the dense clouds of beautiful yet frictional harmonious sounds. The songs on the outset seem very loose and meandering but after experiencing one of their tracks in full, you realize that not only is there an underlying melody that holds everything together as well as making the song memorable, but there is also a sense of a structural momentum that floats up and down and usually ascending in a climax (or many mini-climaxes) of crashing waves of emotion wrapped in swaths of thick blaring sound! While most of this music is indeed heavily electronically manipulated, Njiqahdda has a VERY organic flow, and easily gives the aural impressions of the warm and or/cool environments that grace their distinct album covers. They take both the electric and acoustic aspects of their music and seamlessly bond them together into one harmonious theory of biotic sound. If there ever was to be a band that could make soundtracks to accompany documentaries of lifeless glacial tundras and/or fields of vast lively greenery, Njiqahdda would be the band perfect to hire on for the job! A couple more things I'll mention. One, is the sensible use of the drum programming. They don't just have it there to keep a simple back beat. The beats actually tend to shimmer and splash atop the rest of the music, with a very liberal use of crashes, splashes and other variations pretty cymbal sensations. Kind of like a mosquito dancing and skimming across the surface of a pond. They also have a quaint little image going on for themselves. Aside from the mystery and philosophy behind the band members, they also have a unique contrivance of language going on here. Supposedly an amalgamation of Nordic, Germanic, Greek, Arabic and English. Wouldn't be the first band that has invented their own phonetic language. (Cough, Magma!) I tend to like bands that come up with their own artistic regalia which indeed helps give them distinction amongst the masses. Even though Njiqahdda doesn't necessarily need it, being their music speaks for itself, as it's such a refreshing new band to grace my world of BM, and become part of my family of great music in general. And yes, they're one of those bands who've only been around for a short while and already have an abundance of releases, from CDs, CD-Rs, DVDs, EPs, splits,...of course most are limited upon release. This one I list above here is probably their most available release and also as fine of place to start with this band as any.
9.5/10
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Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:46 pm
Moloch - Misanthropie ist der einzige Weg zur Reinheit 2008
This is a fairly recent one man BM band from the Ukraine I've been getting into lately. What caught my ear first about this band, and what's also probably Moloch's number one asset, are the tortured agonizing screams this guy (Pr. Sergiy) spews forth. Moloch is pretty much inept BM at its most pretentious, and like most bands of this nature he literally has dozens and dozens of releases only having been in existence for a few short years. I can't knock the guy though because for one, he's got an artistic itch that needs scratching and he's taking care of it by any means necessary. While Pr. Sergiy may be amongst the most amature of BM musicians I can't help but see a little of myself in him. Someone like me, being a lazy non-musician type, I can't help but live vicariously though the likes of a band like Moloch. After all if I were to make BM it would probably end up sounding a little like this (with perhaps some forced Magma influence for good measure!) Anyhow, Moloch's music varies from short sharp shock tunes with rapid punkish beats a la Ildjarn, to slow/midpaced tunes (which is the stuff I like the best) to simple and naive ambient pieces. Drum machine is obviously the skins of choice here and the funny thing is there are times when it seems like he can't even keep time with the with those dinky electronic beats! ...as some of the rustic guitar playing sounds like its dragging behind and way off time! Part of the charm though, I say! Sometimes I wonder if some of these songs weren't just come up with on the spot. The spotty vocal parts and the meandering, precarious guitar melodies seem to have an almost improvised quality to them. Nothing wrong with that in my book though. Bands have been known to plan out and write an album to death, and it still turns out like crap. Dunderheaded spontaneity can go long way IMO. This album here is probably my favorite I've heard so far. The songs tend to have a roaming quality to them. There are some of his longest tunes present on here and as you listen to the song progress (or regress) you never know exactly where they are going to end up. He wanders between portions of scathing BM and melancholic, dungeon loving ambiance, and then back to the BM once again. No two pieces of these fragmented songs seem to repeat themselves although I would hardly call this sophisticated song writing either. But the contrast between the 2 main forces of minimal ambient passages followed by gusts noisy BM is actually quite effective. It makes those rough sounding Metal parts sound all that much more brash and caustic. There's also plenty of howls and screaming during those non-Metal parts too, never quite letting up with the those painful utterances from below! All in all, a neat little album, probably his most "ambitious" to date. The naiveté coupled with the blatancy of one overstepping ones bounds makes this an amusing little album to say the least.
7.5/10
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Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:45 pm
Mutyumu - Ilya 2008
Every now then I run across a new band that embodies pretty much everything I like about music. Mutyumu is one of them. Outstanding syncopated rhythms, hyper melodic tunes that stick in your head, sensational drumming that dazzles the senses, both minimal and complex song writing, songs that are equally epic, cerebral and beautiful all at once! The core of this band is a soft female vocalist, minimalist Philip Glass like piano, and frantic powerful drums. They also make a generous use of screams, Metalized guitars, thrashy rapid drum beats, strings sections, synths and other cute and decorative sounds. The band is somewhere between modern Progressive Rock and Post-Rock. If you had to put one of those gaudy "For Fans of..." stickers on one of their albums like Relapse does, then it would read something like: For Fans of, KoenjiHyakkei, Mars Volta, Mogwai, and Olivier Messiaen!...or something like that... The entire album is driving, never once letting you gasp for air. It almost feels like you are drowning in a waterfall of loveliness. A thick, physical loveliness thats constantly falling on your face, and falling hard, and while you have that instinctual need to breath, after a while it doesn't seem necessary as this compulsive waterfall of Mutyumu's music slowly becomes the only thing that matters and if you die while being suffocated by this heavenly music, so be it! Tis like a brush with divinity I say! One of those bands that I can't see anyone NOT liking, but I guess it takes all kinds.... Anyhow, first person to find a place I can order their CDs stateside gets $100!
9/10
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Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:52 pm
Cobalt - Gin 2009
Pretty good stuff actually. I avoided this band for a while cause it was another one of those "a BM band for non-BM people." Although I shouldn't be so quickly dismissive,... as often times (as in the case with Weakling) I eventually do come around....but I prefer to do it on my own time instead of riding on the hype. On first impression I think Cobalt is kind of like the BM baby of Neurosis. And while I do hear plenty Neurosis' styled tribal workouts, some of this reminds me even more of Tool, ....when Danny Carey takes off and makes love to his drum kit with hypnotically deep rhythms propelling the band forward into some of the most spellbinding passages ever created in popular music. Well, Colbalt aren't exactly Tool, nor is the drummer on the level of Danny Carey, but he's actually not bad either. He seems to have progressed his drum skills and become more daring from their last full length (Eater of Birds) to this new one (Gin). They also seem to have a bit of a fetish for Thrashy BM, which seems to rear is ugly head throughout the album. On the surface there seems to be a lot going on within this album - and at the core structures are all done with the fundamentals of drums, voice and guitar (which I totally respect!) It's one of those albums that seem rather complex on the first listen, but after a few more maybe not so much. But effort is there, and pretty obvious that they are trying to do a lot within their music. As listen to Cobalt though, sometimes I wonder if I'm just waiting for the juicy Tribal/Neurosis-y parts?....while the rest of the song is of little consequence? I want to give the music, as a whole, my full respect, but for some reason I haven't quite gotten to that level with Cobalt. I mean, they seem to become a bit formulaic after a while thus each song - made with the essentially same components just shuffled around a bit - is in danger of loosing some of their initial impact upon repeated listens. There really are some parts that shine high with individuality though, and ironically those are some of the least BM sounding moments on the album. At the same time I think I would like this band even more if they had more reverb and hiss with their production (thus alienating a good portion of their potential audience if they did so - but this wouldn't be a bad thing, it is BM after all...a little more effort to have more of a BM aesthetic wouldn't hurt.) I keep going back and forth on this band. It seems like every few minutes within each song I have a change of mind...I guess depending on which "part" of the song they are in. At once I'm thinking, "eh, maybe this isn't all that great" and then a few minutes later my thoughts are like "wow, this is damn fabulous!" It's like each song is made of 3 parts good, and 2 parts meh. I still need to listen to more of this, but I wanted to write something on this band, perhaps to get my thoughts straight. But I do keep playing this band for some reason, so there's got to be something there that I really like, right? It's kind of like eating those junky Gas Station Burritos...they're pretty darn good, even though you know they are junky, yet for some reason you keep coming back for more.
8/10 maybe...? could be less could be more! still haven't figured it out
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Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:00 pm
Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu 2009
I love when two genres marry perfectly together in such velvety harmony; as is the case with Oranssi Pazuzu. These guys manage to create truly Progressive and Psychedelic Black Metal, without once ever seeming forced. There's been many bands in the past who've tried to do similar things but they always seem to be lacking a certain spirit...but these guys have it, oh yes they do! They seem to be in touch with that liberating heart and soul of the late 60s/early 70s. It's one thing to have a bubbly looking 70s logo and retro looking clothing and playing the same tired Sabbath riffs over and over again and claiming to be invoking the spirit of those times (inevitably becoming just another retro act), but none of that gives that true revolutionary spirit of those times when bands really were creating some new and uninhibited conscious heightening music . So forget the retro tags, and while Oranssi Pazuzu definitely has a foot in both the past and the present, they are aiming for the future with the musical knowledge that they posses. One of the best things about this band is, while they seem to draw from a lot of influences, I can't quite nail down anything specific they're aping. They sound like a lot of familiar Prog/Psych bands from the past, but nothing specific which is part of their great strength as a band. Another brilliant quality is they never have a single moment on the disc that sounds like plain ol' Black Metal. Every minute they are weaving a tapestry rich with sound, texture and color. It's quite a cerebral album, the listener definitely has to work a bit in order to fully absorb this highly complex piece of work (as was the case in many Prog/Psych albums of the past.) It 's no wonder that these guys come from Finland. A country that not only is home to some of the most unique bands in Black, Death and Doom Metal, but also has an abundant heritage of Psychedelic and Experimental music in general. OP pretty much came out of nowhere and accomplished in one album, what most bands never succeed in doing throughout their entire careers! Brilliant! I do hope to hear more from this band, but if we don't ...at least they left us with this (destined to be classic) mind blowing piece of psychedelic art.
9/10
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Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:11 pm
Fall of Efrafa - Ilil 2007
I was turned on to this band by Mr ZenoMarx. I told him one evening that I was in the mood for something new and Epic and he recommended this band. We'll they definitely satisfied my thirst for Epic music! I guess their distinct sound can be summed up as Epic/Crust/Doom/Post-Metal, blah blah, ....whatever with the tags, but really that pretty much nails it. 3 huge songs here, and each of the 3 is a unique entity all its own! And I believe thats greatest asset of this band is that they seem to take great strides in making these songs both varied and memorable. For songs ranging 20 minutes in length you'd think at first they took the easy way out and just made long drawn out pieces of music focused on1 or 2 main riffs, but thats not the case at all with Fall of Efrafra. Each song is meticulously pieced together with great melodies, explosive moments of passion, and painted with many peaks and troughs of clever euphony. And it's not "all" slow paced Doomy music either, (although the majority is) ...as they have some galloping crusty moments which bring to mind His Hero Is Gone. Now normally I would have been a little put off by this, but these songs are so perfectly arranged that just about every moment on this momentous album makes complete sense. This album here is quite an emotionally draining piece of work too. Nothing to listen to when you are in a good mood thats for sure. Kick you party types in the balls and go drink it up with some Kegcharge or some stupid crap like that. Nothing "fun" about this album whatsoever....its like one big cold flash of reality. I honestly don't think I've heard an album this sad since Warming's "watching from a distance." Yes "Illi" is that damned good! I thought I read somewhere that they were calling it quits after the 3rd part of the trilogy, but it would seem they are still very active and touring, can anyone give me 411 on their status? Anyhow, fantastic, griping, heart wrenching, just super Epic stuff here.
9/10
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Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:20 pm
Circle of Ouroborus - Tree Of Knowledge 2009
I've been a dedicated fanboy of CoO's ever since I first heard the album "Shores." And I was just totally in love with the album "Streams"...probably my most listened to album of that year. Well its been a while since Streams, and they've had a handful of inbetween album releases, (EPs, tapes, splits). If you follow this band religiously as I do, then you know they tend to go off in different directions with these other releases, creating Apocalyptic Folk, or just plain weird ambient stuff as they did with the Maailma Kohoaa tape and Golden Blood split. And while I appreciate that stuff, I still very much prefer their unique brand of shoegazey BM. We'll I wasn't exactly sure what to anticipate with their first proper full-length they've had in two years, but upon the first few seconds of this album I knew they were back on track, and it brought a huge smile to my face. From Shores, to Streams, to this new one (where the heck is Islands?) they have refined their sound, and ever so slightly "lightened up" on the heavy. They use an ever so delicate white wash of fuzz that manages to sound more dreamy and soft upon each new album. And thats oh-so fine with me!...as IMO they've administered a perfect cloud of production to rest nicely upon the 8 elegant songs that adorn this album. The vocals are of the same moaning quality but once again, as with the slight cultivation in production, the vocals have been refined a bit too, in order to have more of a tuneful, singsongy quality. And if that scares away the majority of the boneheaded BM crowd than good! Every now and then they utilize what I like to refer to as the vocals chantings of their "stunted demonic companion." Which was a device they used on The Knives Beneath EP. Where every now and then it seems like a little goatish dwarf enters the room and croaks a few lines in the mic order to reinforce the fiendish aspect of the music, keeping it grounded in BM. And as I've stated before, beyond the odd vocal approach and the washed out sound, CoO still manage to create some fantastic riffs, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that CoO if far more than just a peculiar novelty act in the realms of BM. As CoO continue the process of polishing their sound, I begin to hear minor flourishes of other bands. Now as far as if they are directly influenced by these bands I can not say for sure. Joy Division, I guess would be a give in. But I also hear a bit of latter day Sol Invictus. And, while it might seem strange, as I listen to CoO I'm sometimes reminded of the band Seals and Croft and their hit song "Summer Breeze." Tell me I'm wrong!?? CoO have also integrated a bit of soft piano, organ and even trumpet (probably synthesized) in some of their songs. Good direction, nothing overblown just testing the waters with these new elements. The way these 8 songs flow, one right after the other, is absolutely wonderful and it becomes oh so apparent on the last 3 tracks: 6 = an instrumental, 7 = a creepy mostly acoustic number, and 8 = a thrilling climactic opus that starts slow, eventually erupts into a crescendo of lovely, and gradually tumbles down into a sea of silky harmony....leaving me the listener 100% satisfied! This may be album of the year for me unless something else even better comes along.
10/10
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Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:27 pm
Ash Pool - World Turns on its Hinge 2007
It's funny when you hear about a band and how everyone describes how the band sounds, and when you finally get around to hearing them and you think, "those people have no idea what they are talking about." That's the case with Ash Pool. I've heard this band described as everything from "Skater Black Metal" to "Garage Black Metal" and so forth ...god I hate you people just shut the fuck up already!! Black Metal this is...of the rawer persuasion for sure, but over all this band is still very much a basic BLACK METAL band. Oh, there might be touch of Punk/Hardcore and even once or twice they remind me of early Grindcore of the late 80s variety. But in riff and melody these guys are practitioners of Metal's past, invoking sounds of Speed Metal, Thrash, Traditional and Epic Metal, some Doom, some Death, and plenty of Black Metal ranging from Venom to stuff that evenreminds me of Mortuary Drape and early Grand Belial's Key. And there's no way you can accuse these guys of being flippant with their riff selection either. Some of these melodies and how they are incorporated into a song are incredibly well thought out. I take for example the track "Under Zycklon Blue." Which is exactly the type of songs I look for when it comes to Black Metal. Slow paced ceremonial anthems with riffs that paint pictures of ritual, magick and blood sacrifice to ancient gods! Good songs that would accompany scenes from Satanic Panic! movies quite well. That song "Under Zycklon Blue" reminds of of classic tracks such as GBK's "Shemhamforash" or even Bathory's "Necromansy." Aside from the great riffs, another monster asset this band has going for them (and what put them over the edge with me) is the outlandish vocals. If I had a BM band the vocals would be almost exactly like this! I heard their demos+EPs, loved them all, and now I'm really looking to hearing more from this band.
8/10
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Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:18 am
Proclamation - Execration of Cruel Bestiality 2009
Proclamation back again, doing the exact same thing they did before, and we love them for it!
7/10
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Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:16 am
Longings Past - An Angel's Tale (1994)
So why haven't I heard of this band before? Well for one I don't keep up much with the Epic Metal world, but when bands play this style of music to my liking it can be some of the most magical sounds in the world (ie Manilla Road.) Anyhow I just happened upon this band, bored one night looking through the Shadow Kingdom distro. The name stuck out as sort of odd and I gave em a shot. And oh my, was I totally blown away! My first impression was "Mark of the Beast" era, Manilla Road. Each song has extensive acoustic passages accompanied by light drumming which builds and descends into the heavier moments throughout each opus. There are some great and surprising twists through each piece which gives you a true sense of going on a journey....it takes you a few listens before you absorb it all and finally start to memorize the paths of these musical adventures! What really put me over the edge with this band was their sound. It has a sound of an earlier time reminding one of the Ralph Bakshi era of animated fantasy films. Supposedly their 2 albums (this one here being their second) were recorded during the early 90s. If I did not have that tidbit of info I would assume this band existed in the very early 80s, or perhaps very late 70s, coexisting (but somehow lost in the shuffle) with bands like Manilla Road, Heavy Load, Cirith Ungol, etc.) The entire effort sounds more like an in-studio rehearsal than an actual finished and polished product for an album - (which is fine with me, tis what I prefer!!) One band that Longings Past also reminded me of in both sound and mood is the single album band Legend (US - from the fjords.) They have that similar quality of not being so balls-out-Metal, and having a more of tender and sophisticated side to song writing probably bringing in some influences such as Rush, Thin Lizzy, Zeppelin and Wishbone Ash. But in reality I think it would be safe to say that, Longing's Past number one influence would be Manilla Road (although I've heard they are also influenced by early Fates Warning as well.) And like Manilla Road, it would seem they have vocals that might be an acquired taste for some. See, I've always been sort of picky about some of the more Traditional Metal and Epic/Power Metal bands that I like because I will always prefer a singer that's a little rough around the edges as opposed to the typical Heavy Metal whaler. Well, the singer here in LP (plus guitar player - James L. Shellberg) isn't exactly that typical "powerful" vocalist and has a unique way of phrasing his lyrics. He may not be the most talented guy on the vox (can't deny his guitar playing skills though!) but the reduction in pomp in the vocal department, goes a long way with this band IMO (even though I think he really is trying his heart out to sing , I totally appreciate the effort and his limits.) I should also mention this band is a 3-piece and are recorded as such. For the most part there isn't many multi tracked guitar lines, giving plenty of space for the single guitar and bass to create some cooperative vibrant passages. And when they sink into their more acoustical moments the finely detailed guitar and bass cadences show some tendencies of dipping into some Prog territory. Once more I will mention the sound again. Its weird cause the entire experience of this album comes off quite delicate and tempered. While they have some fiery and heavier guitar parts, they don't sound as crunchy as they could have been if they had a fuller recording. But once again, thats not a negative for me, just more of what I like about this album. Less "loud" allows for so much more IMO. There's just a lot of breathing room on this album, in both production and the lengthy composition. This is the kind of stuff I like to listen to while taking long walks in the deep mountainous forests, pretending to be a Hobbit on a quest to Rivendell!
9/10
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Sun Jan 31, 2010 9:09 pm
Wolfbane - Wolfbane (2009/1981-82)
Shadow Kingdom does it again by unearthing this little known NWOBHM gem. This album consists of 6 remastered songs taken from demo recordings circa 81-82. The first thing I noticed when putting this in was the rotund, loose bass tone encircling some of the heaviest riffs on this side of the nwobhm movement. I've raved about how Heavy and raw those Angel Witch demos were - well IMO this Wolfbane is rivals Angel Witch for being some of the Heaviest Metal of the time period. The vocals are also a high point for me as they have a gruffy, youthful pitch to them and tend to loose control and crack and scream at times. This is a disc of 6 perfect tracks, that flow into one another brilliantly, each complimenting one another, each showcasing a distinct personality all their own. All have a sinister side to some degree ranging from the Doomier tracks (Wolfbane, See You In Hell) to some rocking yet Downer anthems like (Leave Me, Midnight Lady.) With that said, I think these guys carry along a strong influence from the Bluesy side of Heavy Metal's past, perhaps detecting some strong influence from the likes of Sir Lord Baltimore, Buffalo, Toad, Mountain, Cactus, etc. And its really hard to make a comparison to any of their contemporaries of the NWOBHM movement, as nwobhm isn't really a genre type. I would say if you like some of the darker Doomier bands of nwobhm (and others of the same time period) such as Witchfinder General, Angel Witch, Pagan Altar, Death SS, early Pentagram, etc. you should have no problem appreciating the graveyard hymns of Wolfbane as they all crawled out of the same stinking crypt from HM's past. Also fans of such retroist bands like Witchcraft and the like should be eating Wolfbane up with a spoon!...as not only are they obviously more authentic but just as good if not better IMO. This is one of those bands that acts as a missing link, or provides that perfect bridge between the Heavy Rock/Metal of the 70s and the "New Wave of ALL Metal" of the 80s as it morphed and grew ever further throughout the decade. The outlandish album cover, to me, fits perfectly to the music within. As I listen to the music of Wolfbane I think it fits perfectly with 70s trash culture and schlocky grindhouse cinema. It seems like it would make a great soundtrack to some obscure B-movie about werewolves hoped up on cocaine riding around on motorcycles raping and pillaging all across the English countryside! Although there are only 6 songs on this disc it plays out like a full-length album (30+ mins) plus each tune is quality, no filler whatsoever here. I mention once more that these are demo recordings, and are a bit rough and lowfi in nature (even a noticeable tape drop), but for those who know me well, knows that not only does it add to the quality of this already brilliant release but also solidifies the authenticity of this smokey, basement generated, finely aged recording. This thing is just so addicting man, probably my most listened to release of 2009, and I'm still listening to it constantly going into 2010!
10/10
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:54 pm
Iron Man - I Have Returned (2009)
I've been aware of, and periodically listened to Iron Man ever since the old Hellhound Records days, but they never quite clicked with me until recently. I always liked some of their riffs but I think every time I gave them a chance I was in the mood for something slower and darker, as Iron Man plays more of midpaced style of Doom Metal a la Trouble. Well, I can happily say I'm finally a convert of Iron Man, and they've hitting me in a big way lately. For some reason they just really hit the spot now! Their latest album here, is quite an underestimated little gem of an album. Each song, heavy and distinct and overflowing with magnificent riffage. With that said, one well earned praise I'll give Iron Man is they really seem to take great strides in creating riffs - that are not only heavier than bulldozers - but that are truly catchy and manage to stick with you long after listening to the album... and thats what its all about after all, right.....songs that leave an impression....? So Iron Man is proof that good Doom doesn't always have to submit to the trappings of fashioning all passages at the pacing of a snails ass. Ever since I got this I listen to handful of songs from this disc every day in my ipod shuffle; and hearing each song isolated on its own outside of the flow of the album, allows each song to shine and boast of character all on its own. These guys have been going at it for over 20 years now, and the benefit of being seasoned veterans isn't lost on Iron Man. For for one it shows how tightly written and well refined the songs are but also what amazing musicians these guys are as well. The bass playing is absolutely phenomenal on this album. It's heavy yet bouncy and plays more of a melodically counterbalancing role to the guitar than in most other Doom Metal bands. To finish off, I have to mention the pitch perfect production on this album as well....icing on the cake as the cliché goes. Great tones all around. The guitar is like melting brass injected into your ear canal, the bass is suffocating and the drums sound as if someone is pounding the ass of Rasputia from that movie Norbit with a steel baseball bat! If you are into Traditional Doom and still haven't given Iron Man a proper chance I highly advise you to do so. Take some time and clean out your ear drums cause you WILL become a fan, just like me. They personally don't reach that level of emotional catharsis as Warning does, nor nail a unique of sound as Revelation, but Iron Man does make some fantastic, heavy groove infused Doom anthems with molten riffs that will attach themselves to your brain long after that album is finished!!!
8/10
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Thurs Apr 01, 2010 7:50 pm
Boys Life - Departures and Landfalls 1996
Wow, I wasn't expecting such an advanced piece of work when I first checked this out. I got into Boys Life being a fan of Christie Front Drive. I liked the BL tracks on the split they share with CFD and decided to just go ahead and buy this album off half.com based on the 3 good tracks. Well this album took me a bit by surprise cause this album soars far and above the 3 tracks from the split. Ever come across one of those albums that not only manages to perfect its given genre but also expand it at the same time? Well this album is indeed one of those! This album breathes life! And what I mean by that is that the way each of these songs expands and retracts almost seems to mimic the rhythmic flow of a living animal. Or beyond that, their is an ebb and flow pattern to the tense build ups and release structures to be found within each song. And it goes beyond the typical build to a crescendo trademarks found within the Post-Rock genre (and no this isn't a Post-Rock album.) Although I think people who are fans of both Mineral and Slint would find great pleasure within this album that not only fuses those two styles perfectly together, but (IMO) takes it further in exploring the amplitude of sound within the basic guitar/drums/bass format. The way a song like "Radio Towers" ever so slowly builds on tension is proof of their genius. Never really "exploding" into climax yet almost teasing you along the entire time, taking it back seconds before an assumed orgasmic moment - and not really in a disappointing way, but the thrill itself is taking it to the edge and then falling back. The entire album follows that similar playful manner of the erection of dual guitar + bass passages that lead to both false and real climaxes ("Sleeping of Summer" is a song of true climax.) The only drawback with this album is that I can only listen to if for the first time once....which was is an adventure unto itself not really knowing what direction each song is going to go. But with subsequent listens, it allows me to really absorb more of the finer details on this album; like the lovely sounding "band in a little room" production as well as all the great misty textures created by this fantastic 4-piece. I can't really praise this album enough, its truly one of a kind. I mean there are similar things out there, but not quite done in the unique fashion that these guys managed to pull off with their second and final album. Boys Life RIP
10/10
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Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:05 pm
Garden of Worm - Garden of Worm 2010
Yet another great and unique Tradition Doom Metal band gets added to the Shadow Kingdom roster. If a comparison can be made it would be to Revelation in they both share in the desire for some unorthodox riffs used within the Traditional Doom canon. Very Voivod-ish minor key chord progressions juxtaposed with Heavy Doom Metal power melodies. Very Proggy at times and you're never quite sure what riff they are going to pull out of their hat next. One thing's for certain though is that whatever melody they DO pull out of their hat, will be juicy as hell! Despite the constant shifts and changes within each song it's all very memorable and sticks with you long after the albums end. Solid Release for those who love unique and angular riffs as well as good ol' Heavy Traditional Doom.
8/10
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Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:05 pm
Red Sparowes - Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer 2010
IMO thematically this is their most together sounding album. Seems like its been something they've been trying to accomplish with each album and finally nailed it with this one. Not that I don't adore their other album as well, but each on their other two albums are more individual while with this new one each song undoubtedly flows perfectly with one another and is a greater extension of all others. Like a spider each if each song is seen as a leg that caries the album across your mind working together in perfect harmony. Out of all the cookie-cutter Post-Rock/Metal bands out there I firmly believe Red Sparowes has always soared above the most of them carving out their own path, leading and not following.
9/10
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Sat May 1, 2010 7:10 pm
This Time We Will Not Promise And Forgive - 歌詞を読まない世代へ継ぐ 2009
Impressive Post-Hardcore band from Japan. Taking their P's and Q's from Fugazi and other DC/Dischord bands, they tend to be more upbeat than some of their other Screamo counterparts. While there are plenty of screams to be had, there is more actual sung parts as well as some songs that are w/o the screams and clean vocals only. The bass lines are what make this album for me, very catchy and so familiar I can't quite place my finger on who they might be ripping off. And the bass tone itself is ample and enveloping. My only problem with this CD is that out of the 13 songs at least 5 of them are these little spoken-word Japanese cuts, that tend to get in the way of an other wise nicely flowing album. So judging the CD as a whole, I would have otherwise given it at least a good 8/10 but due to the spoken word breaks, it'll have to be ....
7/10
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Tue May 11, 2010 7:50 pm
Brazil - Philosophy Of Velocity 2006
First of all the band isn't from Brazil, but Indiana. A short lived Progressive/Indie Rock band who on first listen seem to be strongly influenced by The Mars Volta. And it's pretty apparent on their first EP and first album. This album here, being their second, and sadly last album, they seem to have come into their own developing a unique and perfected sound. Not insanely complex nor wanky, but incredibly well textured as they make good use of all six members of the band. Intertwining guitar and basslines complimented and elevated by cutting synth and piano counter-melodies. The vocals are also a highlight as they are of the upper range soaring type which I'm a sucker for. Sometimes I can almost detect some epic sized hooks that the Cardiacs have used many-o times in the past. Nothing but a compliment though to even be marginally influenced by the mighty Cardiacs. They also seem to take direct influence from some 70s Glam giants like Bowie and The Sweet. In fact there's plenty of vocal harmonizing that will instantly bring to mind some of The Sweets hits of yesteryear. And not to mention some of the theatrical side of Bowie shines through on some of their more sombre tunes as well. This band is right up my ally, Progressive, super melodic, and so epic each song is a grand adventure all its own!
7.5/10
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Tue May 11, 2010 7:50 pm
Amplifier - Insider 2009
Fantastic 3-piece Progressive/Alt Rock hailing from the UK. Not only do these guys belt out some rhythmically complex tunes but they make good use of some really Heavy riffs. Sometimes these guys bring to mind the likes of Tool as well as Rush's more recent stripped down approach. Listening to Amplifier I can't help but feel reminded of other bands. Failure, for one, with their more Alternative Rock meets spacey Prog flavorings. But once again I have to mention The Cardiacs; it almost seems blatant (or homage) as Amplifier use some of those epic lullaby style motifs that the Cardiacs are so known for. Yes! This band is both catchy enough the meet an accessible standard for radio play as well as challenging enough to please the more snobbish Prog crowds....can't wait for the new album.
8.5/10
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Sat May 22, 2010 12:21 am
Japandroids - No Singles 2010 (2006/2008)
This is one of those bands that remind you of so many things you've heard before, yet you can't really pinpoint a definitive influence. They are a unique mule of a band, who play a form or rock that lies somewhere between, Noise Rock, Indie, Shoegaze, Emo, and Garage. And like I said, there are traces of a plethora of bands to be found here, from Dinosaur Jr, Capn Jazz, Ride, PiL, and so many other bands I can name drop, yet never really able to draw a straight comparison. "A two piece band that sounds like they are a five piece," is how they've been described. Makes sense... as the melodic barrage of guitar and percussion that envelopes you with every song makes you feel like you're being showered by a ton of soft metal shavings! This release is actually a comp of their first 2 EPS. The Japandroids first album, "Post-Nothing", which was introduced to me and caught be by surprise last year, is absolutely essential! Each song this band records is worth it's weight in gold, I swear not a boring moment to be had...
8/10
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Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:03 pm
The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters 2007
What a delightful band we have here! In brief The Twilight Sad is a unique blend of Post-Rock/Shoegaze with pop sensibilities. The vocals are thickly Scottish accented and choking with emotion. This also gives the band a bit of a "folkish" feel to some of their songs. Sometimes it gives me the impression of Pub songs swathed in a wash of pink and blue feedback. The production is fitting as well, making it seem like it was all recorded in one sitting within the local pub. They certainly deliver the goods as each number is a melodic and melancholic hail of goodness, filled with a few well distributed climactic hooks within each song . I still have yet to hear their latest album, (as well as their many EP/single releases.) I hope to remedy this soon though.
8/10
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Sat Jun 26, 2010 2:32 pm
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit 2010
This s pretty much my fav album of the year so far (year is still young though.)
I should kick myself for not getting into this band sooner considering I've been hearing about them for a while now. When I used to be a regular reader of Wire mag they were mentioned all the time, but stupidly I just glanced them over. Anyhow, they are a nice mix of so many things I look for in music these days all in one fabulous band. A brief description would be Zappa's Grand Wazoo/Waka Jawaka meets Tortoise's Standards, + draws from much other Prog as well as a Steve Reich style rhythmic density. Such a great amalgamation of melody and complex rhythm structures that'll get you moving as well as challenge yer brain!......
9/10
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Thu Jul 01, 2010 8:24 pm
Algernon Cadwallader – Some Kind Of Cadwallader 2008
So here we have the heir's of Cap'n Jazz. And while they sound A LOT like Cap'n Jazz I think they perfected the CJ sound while still making something all their own.... perhaps in the process beating Cap'n Jazz at their own game. It's just an opinion, but in all my years of listening to CJ, they always seemed just a little lost in the process, and in turn loosing my attention about midway through listening to one of the CDs in the Analphabetapolothology collection. Anyhow, enough about the Cap'n. Algernon Cadwallader is some of the most infectious twinkly Emo I've heard in a long time. First thing one will notice a few songs in, is they have no distortion on their guitars. This further completes their fragile yet highly involved guitar melodies, leaving the music bare, stripped down and undisguised. The vocals are of the peevish little boy variety that go from out of tune crooning to scratchy shouts and everything in between. The dude actually has some interesting control over his abrasive vocal style. They music is twinkly yet complex and driving. Each song is instantly memorable as the circular intertwining guitar/bass melodies suck you in. This band really has their shit together, everything they do just seems to make sense. If yer into it you'll know exactly what I mean, if not, well...go listen to the latest Portal CD, but I'll stay here in the frail little camp of Algernon Cadwallader.
9/10
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Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:37 am
Magma - MDK - 2010 remaster
So I bought the remastered version of MDK for $27 cause I'm beyond fanatical. I've stated that most of Magma's studio albums from the 70s weren't recorded as well as they should have been, their sound was way too big and multifaceted to have been recorded properly back then. Therefor I think many of their live and reh albums sound so much better. Well...a remaster isn't a rerecording but it sure sounds a lot louder, a lot of the minor details like tiny guitar noises and squiggly keyboard accents are brought to the foreground. The bass is fuller and rumbles through yer speakers which is nice and all the separate vocal parts sound more distinguished and spaced out. Unfortunately Vander's drums are still kind of scratchy and "backgroundish." I don't think a remix would have done much difference either, just a symptom of the time and circumstance it was originally recorded. I would also recommend for devotees...also checking out the "Mekanik Kommandoh" album; which is a clumsier more primitive version of MDK. From what I recall it was the first recording of MDK but they decided to scrap the album and record what we all know today as MDK. It's more evil and primal sounding and in some ways better than MDK. Anyhow, rating MDK as an album obviously 10/10...but this is about the remaster itself, which I'll give it about an 8/10.
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Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:59 pm
Mike Dillon's Go Go Jungle - Rock Star Bench Press 2009
I discovered this while I was in Denver. They were playing it at Twist n Shout and I thought it sounded awesome so I bought it. Mike Dillon is basically a percussionist who's played with Les Claypool, Ani Difranco, Critters Buggin' (anyone remember that band?) and others. This solo album is basically a genre hopping, vibraphone drenched festival of fun! They blend the likes of Jazz, Metal, Punk, Funk, Lounge, Post-Rock, etc, into some cohesive and catchy songs, that might exist somewhere in the world of Mr Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3, although definitely not a rip off by any means. There are times they delve into smokey lounge sections that remind me of Tom Waits, while in other parts of the album they latch onto a single beat and travel forward with some cerebral motorik jams that wouldn't sound out of place on a Neu! album. First and foremost though this is an album that's all about the vibra and xylophones. Which is pretty much the main instrument on the album. And also the main reason why I fell for this so quickly as I absolutely adore all the mallet instruments of the xylophone family. My philosophy is "anything sounds better with Vibraphones!" Anyhow this is a pretty fun album, I'm so glad I bought ....it and they even do a Minutemen cover!
7.5/10
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Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:59 pm
The Dehumanizers - First Five Years (of Drug Use) Anthology (86-91) 2008 2CD
The Dehumanizers have always been an odd little band, and their End of Time album turned out to be one of the most listened to albums of my youth. I remember when I first got the tape (once again ordered through the Metal Disc catalog) I was a bit puzzled by the whole affair. First of all, the album cover itself (no not the pic above, go look it up) is kind of awkward for a Punk/Metal album (at least during the 80s) and looks like it wouldn't be out of place for Prog/Psych band during the 70s. It starts off with a fake live audience and announcement leading into some back porch blues - which not only threw me off when I very first heard this album but also made me fast forward a bit to make sure that I didn't make a mistake in buying the sucker! For the most part the music is yer run of the mill Crossover Punk, with some quick paced numbers, balanced by an equal amount of more midpaced Thrashers. Their song writing skills are about average at best, but for some reason they managed to create some basic yet catchy Thrash tunes with lyrics that stuck and made each song a little nugget of fun all its own. From the blistering song "Shu Da Vua" to the drug anthem "Grandma Im a Drug fiend", each song definitely has its memorable place amongst all the other tracks on the album. Even the fuck around tracks like "Infra Back Porch Blues" (which I've already mentioned) to the stupid monkeying around of "Half Pipe" to the even stupider "DehumaRap"....well its all pretty ridiculous but the album wouldn't be the same without them. They obviously didn't take anything seriously, and at times might have even made some retarded decisions with this album (I still don't get why the fake audience is all over the album), but for what its worth it seemed to gel perfectly for a slacker like me who's always appreciated little Tongue n Cheek humor in his Hardcore. Well, Frank Zappa they are not but at the end of the day when all this silliness is was thrown together it made for a unique little album that always had a mysterious charm that I've never quite been able to put my finger on, yet I still enjoy the damn thing to this very day! My biased rating for this album: 8.5/10
So this release here. Came out maybe 2 years ago or less? Contains the entire End of Time album (complete and unchanged), as well as a retrospective CD containing songs from their 3 other albums and 7". Personally I feel that End of Time is by far their best. Here's to You (their 2nd album), is actually a little more direct Thrash, with most of the songs culled off End of Time and the 7", just rerecorded, cleaned up, and made to sound more a bit more Metal. And their 3rd super hard to find album, Go Hollywood is pretty lame. It came out in like 91 and therefor swims in that awkward place in time for this type Punk trying to find themselves amongst the waves of a changing musical climate. They experimented around with their style and aimed for a more "alternative" direction but I think its just a big messy fop, and I believe the band did to and that's why they packed it up shortly after it's release. I do think it'd be cool if they would have tacked on their 2 demos to this releases; I have one DLed and its really good! The best part of the retrospective CD part of this 2 disc is, that the songs from End of Time on that CD, are different versions then the ones off the album - they are either rehearsals or rerecorded. So its nice that its not the same ol' recordings twice but different versions on each disc making it well worth the money for these 2 CDs. Only wished it contained the demos, and I would have given it maybe even a 10, but for this 2CD as it stands: 8/10
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Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:59 pm
Niagara - Niagara/S.U.B./Afire 3 x CDs (70-73) 2010
Here we have the discography a lesser known Krautrock band, which be the brain child of a one drumming extraordinaire Klaus Weiss. More of a 'project' than a band really, as I believe it was all a studio endeavor. I use the term "Krautrock" loosely though, as they aren't in any way electronic nor bare any resemblance to the cosmic jam of say Guru Guru and Ash Ra Tempel. They are mentioned in Crack in the Cosmic Egg though and therefor Krautrock is the only genre I can place them - more for the time and place than the style really - as Niagara play an all percussive style of jazzy composition, which include congas, tympani, wookdblocks, etc in addition to an assortment of trap sets. The first self titled album is basically 2 (20 min) side long pieces of African influenced drum anthems. I wouldn't call them jams, nor improvisations as there seems to be definite structure amongst the hail of beats. No solos here either, just a dense ruckus of organized drumming that not only will have you bobbing yer head to the beats but will also challenge your brain. This is a HipHop DJs wet dream as there are an infinite number of breaks and beats that could be easily sampled here. Their second album, SUB, they expand their personal and add some wind and guitar instruments. I actually think it was step down for them, as the music became kind of yer average funky jazz rock that was so common at that time; be it saturated with percussion. There are a few really good redeeming tracks on the album though but I think where they really shine is on their third and final album: Afire. In which they hearken back to the all percussive approach of their first album. Except this time around they perform 11 smaller pieces, which allows them to explore more ground with a fresh new song instead of trying to morph variety within a Side long opus. I've been wanting to check this band out for ages, and was temped to buy their CDs individually but I'm glad I held off and was able to get this nice fairly priced 3 CD set. The booklet could have been a little better with more pics and a longer story, but then again maybe there really wasn't much to be said for this short lived Kraut/Jazz/Drum outfit?
7/10
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Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:25
Miriodor - Avanti! 2009
This band has been around for literally 30 years!...I believe this is their crowning achievement. I have just about all their albums on CD-R somewhere...although I all but paid half attention to them as its a bit overwhelming. (perhaps I should remedy this someday.) From what I can tell though, Avant! seems to be much more focused than any of their previous releases. Challenging instrumental music that goes down smoothly. This gives Jaga Jazzist a run for their money. For one Miriodor are just as densely melodic in their approach, and possibly even more complex with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the entire album interesting, through out! This is everything an instrumental Prog album should be: a polyrhythmic feast, constantly forward moving, a place for musical solidarity not to be lambasted with an unwelcome amount of blatant solos, musical tapestry so rich in detail every time you come back to it you're constantly hearing something new... This gets the highest possible rating from me.
10/10
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Thu Aug 19, 2010 8:15 pm
Zolar X - Timeless (1976-1980) 2004
This has got to be the best Glitter/Glam Rock band I have ever come across(...excluding the Sparks of course.) I like bands like Slade and Sweet, and adore many of their stand alone tunes, but their albums on a whole, always leave me wanting more and I just end up skipping around to select tracks. This album, to my surprise, is an absolute winner from start to finish. First I'd like to say, that this is a collection of demos essentially, and the production on each track is not only superb but consistent never varying in quality. You never get the impression that this is anything but a full studio album. Okay, now about the band and their music. Everything about this band including the image, their music, lyrics, etc, fits together perfectly. The image: they look like the pink gay children of Spock and My Favorite Martian, brilliant! The music and lyrics: many-o band that rely on a gimmicky image fall short of actually delivering a matching musical accompaniment to the get-up Not these guys...upon looking at their picture and listening to the Spacey and Quirky tunes coming from the speakers you know that it just couldn't be coming from any other band. The music is a driving and melodic blast of proto-punk goodness, (mixed with a touch of Prog and Spacey Hardrock) that should appeal to fans of the Sparks, Devo and Hawkwind. The vocals are sung in a high end nasal fashion that resonates like a little green man! Lyrically they obviously have a fetish for the more stereotypical schlocky SciFi from the 50s/60s. By now you might be thinking, Rocky Horror!...but trust me, they are far from that and basically an eccentric entity all their own. Besides they were writing/recording long before that movie came out. Aside from the novelty and fun, there really is a lot of depth to this entire CD. Their songs range from short Punky 90 second blasts to a16 minute space opus that closes out the disc. Every song is instantly memorable and very well structured never once falling off the path of strong melody. I remember when this came out, and I had it on the back burner of bands to check out ever since. I'm glad I finally stumbled upon Zolar X again looking through youtube clips of 70s Glam Rock bands, after which I immediately bought the CD from half.com for few $. Mork's favorite band, and maybe one of my new favs as well!
9.5/10
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Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:34 pm
Chumbawamba - Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records (1986)
Chumbawamba - Never Mind the Ballots (1987)
Scoff at Tubthumping all you want, cause 1) you know you liked that song when it came out so don't even try to deny it. 2) The first couple of Chumbawamba albums are fantastic punk albums in their own right and shouldn't be missed due to preconceived notions. Unlike their anarcho counterparts Chumbawamba choose to deliver their message in the least venomous way possible. As they appear to have strove to make their music super catchy and as accessible as possible from the get go...some tunes having an almost dance like quality to them. Don't let that fool you, as you can hear traces of rootsy Crass like punk blended together with Post Punk experimentation and melodic male and female vocal lines (with a few shouty parts for good measure.) They also make good use of horns, synths and an extra percussion. They actually seem to be having loads of fun making these albums, conveying their political rantings in an oft time sarcastic manner. Even more apparent on their second album, which the 2 lead vocalists are acting out characters in concept album about two candidates running for office vying for your vote. I'd say I prefer the second album just a bit more as it feels more charged and immediate and the songs flow together nicely in a somewhat story format. They definitely have a much more sophisticated style of song writing than your average Peace Punk band of that era...I'd almost be curious to see what else they have to offer, but for the time being I'm content with swimming in the goodness of these first couple of albums. Much respect!
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Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:29 pm
The Flesh Eaters - No Questions Asked (1980) 9/10
Feederz - Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss? (1983) 10/10
I maintain that the second most vital period in popular music was that late 70s early 80s transition (first being late 60s/early 70s for sure!) Reading the Touch & Go fanzine tome uncovered so many bands I've missed out on. During my Punk coming of age I naturally gravitated towards the Hardcore end of the spectrum, seeking out the fastest bands I could find. Later during my music adventures as I went fishing in the ponds of Post Punk. I hoarded in a massive collection of the more experimental side of that era, Wire, PiL, Swell Maps, Pere Ubu, The Pop Group, and so forth. I've even delved into a lot what one would consider Proto-Punk as well. But what about the actual Punk Rock circa 76 - early 80s? I seem to be lacking. Granted I found that a lot of Punk during this era lacks certain edge of intensity that I look for. One might think that I'm being provocative or even blasphemous in saying such things but I suspect its one of those 'you had to have been there' sort of things. In retrospect looking back and experiencing all that has come since, and exploring much that came before, there's no way I can be convinced that The Sex Pistols and the Ramones provide a more profound listening experience than say Genesis and Yes...at least not in this brain my friend. Also why I found the more 'Progressive' side of Punk (ie Post Punk) to be more intriguing than the traditional Punk of the 70s. Digging a little deeper though I find stuff like The Screamers, The Urinals, The Wasps etc, taps more into my psyche than yer average, Pistols, Clash, Damned material. And thats the area I'd like to penetrate into more.
1979 thru 1982 must have been an interesting time period to have experienced first hand. Witnessing that transition of the harder side of Punk morphing into Hardcore Punk. Now as far as The Flesh Eaters and Feederz are concerned they fall somewhere along that edge. Both bands started in 77 I believe and didn't start kicking out albums till the early 80s. The Flesh Eaters, being a little more Punk and Feederz being a touch more Hardcore. Either way there is no denying that both bands play some of the nastiest, demented ass Punk that I've ever heard. I really need to kick myself for not getting into these two bands sooner. I've seen the names around for years but never bothered I guess...stupid me! I recently got these CDs at the same time and have been listening to them both pretty hard, thus the grouping of both into one review. First thing about these albums that I love so much is that thin almost no-distortion guitar tone. It allows the twisted vocals and propulsive raw drum beats to really pierce through to your senses. The vocals on both bands have A LOT of character too, giving the each band a distinction and personality all their own. Throughout my musical history that's one of the prime factors that won me over to any band: great and unique vocals! And that's one thing that I think is sorely missing in today's Metal and Hardcore...are those great astounding front men (or women!) with original and distinguished vocals! Bands these days seem to throw the pipes in the backseat and assume if you have a regular ol' monotone growl or scream, then you're good. Frank Discussion (Feederz) is a master of schizophrenic vocals. He shouts and croons and even sings melodically at times only to occasionally erupt into some of the most vile throat tearing vomits ever to be laid to tape! Chris Desjardins (The Flesh Eaters) sounds like how I would imagine Clint Howard would if he were to front a Punk band sounding sort of goofy yet freakish at the same time. He resembles Clint Howard in some weird way too, freaky stuff. Lyrically - once again my sentiment is similar to what I said above in concern to vocals in modern music - Lyrics: what ever happened to memorable lyrics? ....just another essential musical component that seems to have fallen by the wayside. Lyrically Feederz are on the attack with a great sense of irreverent humor, while The Flesh Eaters are more cerebral and almost 'spooky' in their approach. Each album displays an incredible variety of discernible song writing that leaves me completely satisfied at the end of each listen. Both bands seem to make the task of writing an albums worth of brilliant Punk songs so effortless. I already ordered the 2nd albums from both bands as well, I believe both bands go in different directions on their second albums, but what I heard of those so far sound great, as they still keep it raunchy while honing their songwriting skills further!...can't wait to hear em!
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Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:54 pm
Contravene - A call to action 2002
I really like these kinds of Crust bands. The ones that blend the melodic sensibilities of Peace Punk with the Metallic fury of Crust. I also never tire of the dual sex nature of attack, incorporating both Male and Female vocals. And I'm not quit sure why there is a higher ratio of the male/female dynamic within Anarcho/Peace Punk and Screamo scenes than any other styles of Hardcore? Say what you will but I enjoy some estrogen added to the recipe of my testosterone boiled sonic stew. Visual aesthetics aside Contravene is a very Metal band and also very Thrashy, and I'd say they lean more Metal than Punk as far as their music is concerned,...which works to their benefit IMO. Any other band I don't believe would have handled it as well as these individuals. For me, what really sets this album apart, are the riffs...which were written with such craft and awareness. Each song is skillfully pieced together with finesse, never hammering on the same group of notes for very long; never allowing an astute listener's attention to drift. I especially love how they transition from their Thrashy side to their more melodic and anthemic side with such ease; nothing forced, nothing seeming like its out of place. Everything is so tightly played with a touch of complexity that adds a nice little finishing glean to an already well put together album. These songs are so inspiring I would have loved another 20 albums from Contravene! Next to 1905's one and only album this one hails as one of the top male/female Hardcore records of the past decade.
8.5/10
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Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:40 pm
Profanatica - Disgusting Blasphemies Against God 2010
So they dumped the drum machine and finally put out a proper full length. One that I think many of us old school Profanatica fans have been waiting for. "Raping of Angels" was the running title for their ill fated debut that was supposed to have come out in 1993 on Osmose. Lot of rumors were floated about how and why it never happened, but thats WAY in the past and lets just leave it at that. Turns out for this new LP they used the same basic band logo cover that was supposed to have been used for Raping of Angels...so in essence I kind of feel like Im finally getting the much anticipated album that I was duped out of over 15 years ago! The music is pretty much the same vile simplistic early 90s style Black Metal that they produced on their early demos. Yeah, its kind of the same ol' shtick just 2 decades later, and it obviously doesn't feel like the fist in the face 'of'... as it once did, and it really wouldn't make any difference if the vitriol is aimed towards jehovah or zeus, cause at the end of the day its all just a big ol' black vomit fantasy party. Although I question if the band themselves realize that by now? I don't think there are as many legionaries holding up the Profanatica lyric as some battle cry as there once was.. if so, I think that'd be kind of funny...but then again I was one of those people back in the early 90s so who am I to say!!? Its old fashioned BS and a pretty decent slab of it at that. Upon my first listen it felt like 93 all over again! I sure do miss those days, including the blissful ignorance that went along with it. That's the albums biggest strength though is in it's nostalgia, cause they're definitely NOT breaking any new grounds here. I wouldn't expect any progression from these molested ex-catholic quire boys though. After the first few songs, that old perverse, semen stained atmosphere really starts to set in. They have a limited palate of song structures and ideas but manage to inject a dark, fetid odor into their music that is unmistakably "Profanatica!" The standout instrument on the album is the bass without a doubt. Not necessarily basslines (tho they be good) but the tone has a vile throbbing sound that provides a much welcomed low end rumble to the mix. Once again bringing to mind early 90s US Black Metal bands, that still retained a smidge of Death Metal. This wont be the greatest album of the year, yet its kind of odd that its the first Black Metal album that I've purchased so far in 2010. I go through phases with BM, but nothing BM has really been hitting me as of late. At this juncture I sort of feel like I did during the late 90s in concern to BM, which I pretty much all but abandoned the scene for a while. During that time I still carried on with old favs like Profanatica as they still give me that feeling of 92/93 when that 2nd wave of BM was so fresh and inspiring! Anyhow, I'm off on a tangent. This album is good, probably wont get as many plays from me as the classic Profanatica stuffs, but its still nice to finally have a new LP that doesn't disappoint and can sit proudly amongst my other Profanatica records on the shelf.
6.5/10
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Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:42 pm
Morpheus Descends - Ritual of Infinity 1992
Sometimes I wonder why this damned thing is still in my collection after all these years. It's been on the chopping block a few times only to be pulled back and given another chance. I can't help but still like the basic meat and potatoes flavoring of this album. Not too fast, not too slow good ol' American Death Metal. Lot of chugga chugga mosh parts, whipped together with faster Thrashy beats and full monotone growl. Cliched DM like fuck, but its cliches like this that made the music oh so catchy and well worth the cash when you took it home upon a blind purchase and put it on and got exactly what you'd hope for in a DM album at that time. I'm surprised how well the actual recordings hold up. Very natural sounding w/o anything sounding artificial at all (my ears also detect that not all these songs were from one single recording session either.) I remember all those JL American bands like Organic Infest, Deteriorate, Nokturnal and so forth, Morpheus Descends was the only one I really kept around cause I have a strange attachment to this CD. Reason being they had a big Brian Lumley influence and I was really into those damned Necroscope novels at the time. Those Lumley novels haven't really aged well, while Morpheus Descends stands up pretty good as an old 3rd rate fav after all this time. So many bands these days are hopping on the trend of trying to sound early 90s DM but why bother when all cliches are presented so well in this classic (or not so classic) early 90s gem (or turd.)
6/10
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Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:21 pm
Part 2, of sorts involving my exploration of these two peculiar Punk bands.
Feederz - Teachers In Space 1986
Second album sees this band, toning down the aggression a few notches, refining the hooks, yet never loosing the raunchiness from their first album. The jangly guitar tone is still present, and I literally cheered when I heard the guitars retained that same rank tone as their first. Frank Discussion's vocals are more in a sung style which was explored on their first, but becomes much more a part of their sound on the second album. As stated before, lyrics, message. and the story told in each individual song, is key to this bands deviant music, so its only natural to enable each song to have 'sing-along' quality to them. The only thing about this album that's a bit of a let down is there are only 9 real songs on a CD of 13 tracks. The first and last songs are sampled monologues from movies. And the Second, and Second to last songs, are these female spoken word pieces over music. The meat of this album is all sandwiched in between. Great songs as they are, I only wished there were more! They only have one other album (which came out in the early 2000s) beyond the two I reviewed here. So I guess everything they record, has a savoring quality to it. So I am indeed thankful for the what little this band recorded. I'm not sure if I want to pick up that last album though, but we'll see.
7/10
The Flesh Eaters - A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die 1981
Second album sees this band trotting down the same trashy path initiated on their first, yet this one seems a lot more focused. For one there are only 8 songs present on this album, but really that's enough. Cause each one is a simple yet compelling piece of art that delivers the goods like a fan favorite exploitation flick that's lasts the test of time. A classic flick that is constantly discovered by new generation of fans who fall in love with the hidden genius that so many generations before discovered on their own. That's kind of how I feel about this band here. I wouldn't go as far as calling them geniuses, but they sure do know how to crack an ugly Punk Rock anthem. The subject matter reminds me of such trash cinema of the 60s and 70s. And I'm pretty sure thats what they aimed for as well. Oh yeah, the first thing that jumped out was the expanded instrumentation; my heart leaped when I heard the suave, cerebral sounds of marimbas in the mix! Yes! My philosophy is that evrything sounds better with Vibs (or marimbas, xylophones, etc) and this album is no exception. You got a squaling sax thrown in there as well that wrestles with the guitar in the mix for dominance. The addition of these two instruments really punctuates the drecky mood, bringing forth visions of all those acid drenched trailers I used to see for Something Weird Video. I'm not quite sure how to rate this album, I think if someone got into this during its heyday it would be held upon a pedistole. For me though, its just a good album that I can vicariously absorb the trash culture it represents from the safety of my own home, and then a year from now when someone is asking about The Flesh Eaters on a message board, I can come at them as if I've been into The Flesh Eaters for years. ;-)
8/10
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Tue Sep 21, 2010 7:15 pm
GNAW THEIR TONGUES - L'arrivée de la Terne Mort Triomphante 2010
Well, here we are at the end of Summer of 2010 and we have our annual Gnaw Their Tongues CD hot off the press. It seems like GTT have been kicking out an album a year and it always seems to drop around this time. I can't really keep up with all the other little odds & ends he constantly spews forth but as long as he keeps putting out readily available long players I'll keep buying them. So is there anything new here on this CD? Not really... The mood might be a little more mournful that before, and he makes wide use of layered synthetic soprano lines, a possible Gyorgy Ligeti influence might be drawn, that's about all I can detect so far. None of this is a bad thing for me though. Being a fanboy of GTT, I know I can trust that each new release isn't going divert too far from the trademark formula...which is exactly what I want! As I've mentioned before when I first encountered GTT I knew I finally found a music I'd been looking for, for a long long time. GTT is in perfect balance of so many elements I'd throw in a pot to create the ultimate Black Metal band. With that said, why continue to search when I've found what I wished would have existed years prior, but didn't till now? I'm pretty loyal to my bands when they hit me the way GTT did initially and they continue to put out material that never disappoints. In the age of the Internets though, bands are like the flavor of the week for some people, and they're always on the hunt for the next big thrill. They suck em up and spit em out like sticks of chewing gum, never really allowing the flavor of anything to really set in. I'm thankful for growing up and having the experience of the Underground long before the internet. Things tended to resonate longer, and trends weren't so fast moving as they are now. I guess I say all this cause I know to some GTT are already old hat and have already moved forward through many other BM trends of the month. This is funny to me cause GTT is a pentacle...a climax of all the Black Metal that came before, and I have yet to hear a BM band that does so much for me and brings the sickening darkness the way they do. So no need for me to look further, my Dark Prince is here! (Nuit Nuire is another pentacle band, but in an opposite way.) So anyhow, not much of a review, but you know what to expect here. If your like me and still enjoy riding the great space coaster which is GTT, then you'll never want to get off.
7.5/10
Update: I didn't listen to this album good enough when I first made this review. Now I believe this might be the most comprehensive GTT album to date. As stated before, its nothing radically new for GTT but this is the most 'musical' I've ever heard the band. It's not as noisy and claustrophobic as most other GTT releases (although there's still a healthy share of it present) but the music on this album sores high and seems to have more of a focus on composition than the almost improvised pure hell that he has invoked in the past. Each one of the five tracks is part of the grand apocalyptic theme of the album. For if there ever was a soundtrack appropriate for the end of the world, this would be it!
Updated rating: 9/10
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Fri Oct 01, 2010 11:45 pm
Sleeping Peonies - Rose curl, Sea swirl CD 2010
I'm going to use this review for one of my little diatribes about Black Metal. I know I tend to complain a lot when it comes to Black Metal, and have some pretty strong opinions on the subject. Reason why is I probably have the biggest emotional attachment to this genre than any other. BM is like a mistress to me, who comes in and out of my life at various times...sometimes there to soothe my soul, sometimes to cause great agitation. I tend to talk about the days of yore quite a bit and I make more than enough references to the early 90s years of BM. It's golden era. Some might think because I hold this time period up as a standard that I somehow wish everything stayed the same. Bu it's quite the opposite really. I desperately WANT bands to progress and push the boundaries. What made BM so great in 92/93 was that each band in existence at the time that was heralded as BM, was unique and had a sound all their own. Abruptum pretty much set the standard for a BM music without rules or structure. On the get go they set the bar pretty darned high. Then you had other bands from across the globe like Blasphemy, Barathrum, Burzum, Master's Hammer, Necromantia, Profanatica,etc....each one BM, and each one having a distinct sound all their own. Really this was all before, BM was defined as the Northern/Norwegian style of BM. The controversies obviously turned all eyes towards Norway and therefor everyone started to ape their style. But even early on there was still quite a bit of variety and distinction between the early Norwegian bands. One could successfully argue that there's even more variety in BM now, then there was during the early/mid 90s! True, but there were fewer bands then and there was much more room for distinction and exploring new musical paths that had yet to be explored. Nowadays, any slightly creative trend that may come along, you have about 2000 bands all of a sudden trying to capitalize on it within a month....especially if its something relatively simple, (raw BM, post-BM, et al) Age of the Internets and DLs I guess. It's no secret though that I think some of the best BM music ever created was recorded post 9/11. Gnaw Their Tongues, Nuit Noire, Circle of Ouroboros, The Axis of Perdition, Njiqahdda...to name a few. And the funny thing is, some people might not even consider those 'real' BM bands!...haha! But once again who's to say BM should have boundaries? To me those bands are clearly BM in the spirit of 93 and even more so than shitty nowadays bands "who try to keep it true"...who are pretty much playing the same shit I heard Marduk do back in 94. The Retro Thrash brigade is even worse! Even Euronymous never set the goal for his label to release dozens of bands that all sound the same. Just look at the few DSP albums he did release and those he had future plans for. Yes, I don't look backwards when it comes to BM...despite me sounding like a crotchety old man at times. And it doesn't always have to be super original either, but if a band has distinction, or just plays a certain style well, I'll definitely give them some props. I'm not on the Deathspell Omega train like everyone else seems to be, but I acknowledge they've carved out a little space on the BM totem pole that they can claim as their own. I believe there is still plenty of room for expansion and distinction within the realms of BM. It would be nice though if more bands would follow their own path and not just jump on the coat-tails other bands. I've always found it funny that BM as a whole during its heyday who claimed to be so anti-trend, mega-stupid-trends ended up becoming the face of the genre. I guess the same could be said for Punk too though...it all codifies so quickly...true originals are a rare breed. I guess one can say BM was an original concept maybe a smidge during the 80s, and for maybe about a 2 month period during 1992...and if there ever was any sense of rebellion in BM, thats long dead; and any romanticism that it once had has evaporated in a whirlpool of irony. While wiping the BM slate clean of its previous conceptions might have actually been a good thing, lets face it...all were left with now is just a bunch of guys playing music.
Now on to the actual review:
So what do we have here?...a band named Sleeping Peonies. One man band I believe, the dude is even active here on lastfm. Doesn't even seem like a chap that's been into BM long (I could be wrong) and he decided to cut his teeth on the genre. While it's obvious that I have a burn out factor with a lot of nowadays BM and the turds continue to drop a dime a dozen these days, Sleeping Peonies is one that floats to the surface of that toilet bowl and to me they sound pretty darned neat. Nice soft structures overlaid with strong sticky sweet melodies and emotional crackling vocals that wouldn't be out of place in a band like Raein or Portraits of Past. Some call what's being done here "Black-gaze" or "Shoegaze BM"...:yawn: ...these subsubgenre tags get worse by the day, but whatever, best just to learn to live with these silly subgenre beasts that take on a life of their own...cause once they are birthed they never die! There is a unique catchy-ness here that makes me curious what influences this fellow (musical or otherwise) to create these ambrosian flavored passages. There's nothing profound or anything new going on here, its just a BM newbie kid making music... but it sounds almost professional and like the dude has a sound ear for production. He manages to capture an excellent sound that enhances that hazy pink sandstorm atmosphere of each song. There are a lot outsiders taking their shot at BM these days, many with less than stellar results. But I think what we have here with Sleeping Peonies is a small success story. I'll be very curious in the coming days what the Sleeping Peonies will have to offer next. This release here though has been very satisfying.
8/10
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Sat Oct 02, 2010 11:45 am
Virgin Steele - Invictus CD 1998
I was introduced to this album last year some time and I still haven't quite gotten it out of my system. Virgin Steele have been putting out albums since the early 80s and if you've been into Metal for a lengthy time span you've probably at least heard of this band at sometime or another. Those early albums are pretty inconstant and display mingled batch of genuinely good Epic Metal anthems along side super corny party rock songs. It's like they weren't quite sure what kind of band they wanted to be for a while there, Manowar or Whitesnake? Sometime during the 90s they seemed to have finally consolidated under one banner and took a hard turn towards the Epic style of Metal. It's like Virgin Steele is the bizzaro Manowar; they got less corny and improved with age. This album here, "Invictus" (obviously a Metal Opera) is sandwiched between a pair of 2 sets of double concept albums in their discography. Those albums are good too, but this album really stands out for me in it's steadfast quality. This is a 16 song album clocking in at 75 minutes..it's a long one but it's one that easily holds my attention all the way to the end. The songs are made up of 10 main songs, and six smaller intro pieces that help shape the album into sprawling extended whole. For each one of the main songs falls back on that age old tradition in popular music evolving each piece around a fabulous chorus. And they indeed excel at creating some monstrously infectious hooks! The formula doesn't run dry though, cause each song is well crafted and stands on it's own. I often find myself listening to the album out of sequence and just skipping around to various songs, which ever one tickles my fancy pants at the time. The musicianship is, as you'd expect out of Metal veterans, punctual...nothing amateur here. With some of the Virgin Steele albums I found the production to be lacking in certain areas, but the production caliber here is of fine quality, suits the music perfectly. Now to best part: the vocals! David DeFeis has an amazing and unique vocal style that boosts the emotional impact of the music remarkably. He blends about three distinct styles (and everything in between) into one beast of a narrative performance. A melodious whisper style that gets the blood flowing in anticipation. A spitting, snarling, screaming style that gets you reaching for your sword and thrusting it in air! And he also displays an androgynous soprano that's all together melodious and an effective contrast to the rest of the testosterone driven Metalized music. The dude is awesome man, and like I've always said, the vocals bring true character to a band, and Virgin Steele has themselves a frontman that places them at the top of the Epic styled Heavy Metal heap. There might be a bit of an Eric Adams flavor to his vocals, but I think David DeFeis outclasses him at ever turn. Plus he doesn't indulge that obnoxious overly long wailing that Eric Adams is so known for. Yeah, this is pretty much what I've always wanted in an Epic, Metal Opera type album. If you are (unashamedly) into Manowar and other Epic Metal like I am, you should definitely check out these latter-day Virgin Steele albums then, cause I think they pretty much pick up where Manowar left off in the early 90s.
9.5/10
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Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:45 pm
And So I Watch You From Afar - s/t 2009
It's always great to come across new bands that explode right out of the gate, full of enthusiasm and vitality... I saw these guys open up for Envy the other night, not knowing a thing about them before hand, and they won me over by their 3rd or 4th song! They were indeed the surprise of the evening and probably had more of an energetic live show than any of the other bands present. They are an instrumental 4-piece from Ireland who play a Post/Progressive Rock hybrid that's as heavy as Pelican, rocks as vigorously as 65daysofstatic (w/o the electronic side), and has the mathy sensibilities of Don Caballero and King Crimson. This CD has a great live and loud sound, so what you get when you witness their dynamic live performance reflects quite nicely within their recordings. Each song is chalked full of exhausting intricate harmonies, sweeping epic hooks, and admirably disciplined song structures that are all together propulsive, memorable and challenging. This is one of those CDs that I can already tell I wont ever grow tired of. Each time I listen I discover more luscious goodness within each moment of the album. Never a dull second with this band, I kid you not!
9/10
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Tue Nov 16, 2010 7:01 pm
Still Life - From Angry Heads with Skyward Eyes 2LP 1996
This might be one of the few (possibly only) Emo double albums to have come out during the 90s. Somewhat ambitious considering most Emo at the time was just coming out on 7" EPs, comps, and splits and full albums were a rare occuracnce since many/most of the Emo brigadge of the early/mid 90s broke up leaving behind only a few short scattered recordings to their name. One the opposite end of that Still Life was actually one of the most prolific Emo bands as well, and to be honest I've only heard a fracton of their material at the moment of typing this (...but I do plan to remedy this soon enough.) Well, this album here is definitely a long one, and the emotional impact it leaves behind is immense. Many of these tracks are also played at a snails pace drawing on a mournful side that almost brings to mind Doom Metal. I'd describe Still Life's sound as Current on valium as each song sucks the energy out of the room and leaves you feelign down and tired. As I've listened to this album over the last few years I can't help but think that I've heard some of these riffs before. The fact is I probably have as some of the passages they create sound strikingly similiar to Doom songs I've heard in the past. Lets just say if you took songs like "A Song About Love" and "Tomorrow Brings" and made them with growled vocals and a heavy crunch to the guitar you'd basically have a couple sorrowful Doom/Death songs on your hands. The only song that shows signs of any happiness is "Sunrise Sunset" but its more a song about trying to force happiness on yourself while still feeling like complete shit....bittersweat melonchoholy. I think some might approach this album with impatience as it's not one of those albums whose intention is to draw you in so you can shake your rump. Seriously though, its a very personal experience and I don't find myself drawing any adrenalin from this album at all....which is odd cause with other Emo records I still get pumped up for the hooks and crecendos or get that burst of energy that commands me to fall on the floor and cry my eyes out! But this one is weird, its like an Emo album that plays out like a Doom record. The production is fitting for the time, the drums and bass sound good and the guitars are slightly flat. The vocals are mostly of the agonizing broken/shouty style, sometimes with a bit of actual singing, and others with a fit of screaming. This album fits the definition of a "grower" to me. I liked it the first time I heard it as I'm an easy sell when it comes to 90s Emo, but I took a while for me to realize what a complete agonizing piece of art this really is. It's a little drawn out thats for sure, but it's not a boring listen by any means and when you've listened to it enough times to know whats coming with each song than it not only becomes food for the ears but also food for the heart as well. Weept...
8/10
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Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:37 pm
Cradle of Filth - Vempire Or Dark Fairytales In Phallustein CD 1996
Yep, a review on the band everyone used to love but now they hate! Although this isn't really a review, more like a 2010 revisit of an album that I used to revere dearly. You'd be hard pressed finding anyone who was following the Black Metal trends during the time of Cradle's quick rise and heyday (circa 95-98ish) and didn't like Cradle for at least a minute. And if they do tell you "no" they are probably lying. Cradle of Filth are probably one of the most 'backlashed' bands in the history of Metal. Any band who rose as quickly as Cradle will always have people jumping ship before the full anti-band campaign begins. They also had a knack for hooks and an accessibility factor that would attract a wider audience lacking in most of their BM contemporaries (...and not to mention also the first BM band to draw big on the female crowd....oh no girls like one of my BM bands, how could this be?!!!) Take all that pair it up with great distribution, a (then) unique Gothic/CGI-imagery/art that becomes synonymous with the band and have T-shirt/merchandising juggernaut that spreads all over the western hemisphere and you basically have a new band that rivals the commercialism of Iron Maiden during the 80s, now in the 90s. At the time Cradle was a pentacle band for me and they pretty much ruled my BM world for at least a year or two. I enjoyed their first album "Principles..." enough, but it was just a little too Death Metal for me. But when I first heard Vemprie, I was completely amazed and it basically became the MDK of it's time. But as I stated many-O times before I grew really tired of BM as a whole and by the late 90s, I'd pretty much turned my back on the whole scene for a while...Cradle not withstanding. I don't think I ever denied Cradles impact on me but there might have been at time when I might have felt a little embarrassed at being such a huge Cradle fanboy during that time(...not any more though, no shame in anything I've ever enjoyed musically!) After a bit of Cradle nostalgia (and possibly wanting to rejuvenate myself and lash out at some of the net babies who have no clue and truer than thou BM people) I pulled out my old Cradle CDs and gave them a good listen. Vempire obviously doesn't have the same emotional effect on me now as it did then, but I still understand why I enjoyed it so much, as my core tastes in music that brings the 'Epic' has always been... and Cradle indeed brought the 'Epic' hard back in the 90s! Even though Vempire is considered an EP, to me its their Second album, and a full blown concept album to boot...as the entire experience plays out like some erotic-vampire-war-against-the-heavens, styled opera. The production for one is a huge step forward from Principles, might have been the slickest BM recorded to date. Though still retains a bit of BM rawness the recording is loud and the mix of each track is clear as hell, the drumming is tighter and more dynamic (triggered as fuck though), a greater and more professional use of synthesizers, and the vocal delivery is way more stirring, layered and diverse, (both male and female.) Each moment on the album is developed with an expertise skill that usually only hits a band once in a life time (and with Cradle, it did.) The passages are catchy and memorable all the while bridging themselves brilliantly into the next highly anticipated segment of music. The song "Queen Of Winter, Throned" works in a verse/chorus structure with absolutely stunning results. It's funny, as I listened to this song again I was surprised that I still knew all the lyrics by heart, even down to the minute vocal inflictions of each word delivered. And that's another thing, even after all these years Dani's lyrics still manage to flow as eloquently as ever. His Gothic style of lyric-craft is still some of the most graceful I've ever seen written for a Metal album. With an album like this you can expect a lot of "goosebump moments" but the one that bought that feeling the most is during the song, "The Rape And Ruin Of Angels" approx: 3:50 - 6:23. That song segment to me (even after all music I have heard before and since) is still one of the most triumphant pieces of music ever recorded. And yes still brings the goosebumps and two fists in the air! This trip down memory lane has indeed been a positive one. Although 10+ years later Vempire has indeed fallen way down the slop of my large pyramid of favorite albums. But it still has a little niche on the uper side there somewhere. The only bad thing I can say about this album now is the offensive use of triggers. At the time I didn't pay much attention to stuff like that and even considered Nick Barker to be one of my favorite drummers. Now, with a much more experience ear for music and production, that stiff-ass triggered drumming stands out like a sore dick. Nick is pretty taut drummer and no where near what I look for in drumming these days. He's good at what he does though and pulls off some pretty decent fills, but has no sense of swing what-so-ever. But for the style this BM album demands, I guess you couldn't have found a better drummer. He does a great job adding plenty of nice flourishes and explosive dynamics that enhance the dense musical storm this album brings forth. The thing is after this review, I'll probably listen to it once more tomorrow then take it off my ipod, and probably wont bother with it again for another 10 years. I think I probably burnt myself out on it back in the 90s though..and while it was fun to revisit this album, making it part of my regular listening diet,...I don't think it will make the cut. Although there are plenty of albums that I've been listening to even far longer than Vempire that I probably still listen to on a semi-regular basis. Hmm....what weird musical webs we humans weave with our moods....
9.5/10
(was a 10 back in the 90s, but now...those triggers I tell ya, lessen the score)
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Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:11 pm
Sadomator - Goatblood Panspermia LP 2010
The most goatish band on the planet returns!!! Actually this is the first Sadomator LP I actually bought. Having been only moderately familiar with their previous works, I'd say this is their strongest release to date. Which probably isn't saying anything other than it's nothing much different than previous releases other than the recording a little bit louder and more spacious than before,...and maybe slightly more aggressive. Creating memorable songs seems to be a forgein notion with a lot of these Bestial Black/Death Metal bands these days. Corning a disntict barbaric and inhuman sound, by use of noise and vocal harmonizing is pretty much the only way to gain individuality. Nothing wrong with that though, there are still many combinations to be had by using these minimal amount of tools at your desposal. On the downside of this though, it's regretable that none of these bands are creating truly classic hynms like "Godess of Perversity" or "Gate of Nanna", that will be remembered and revered for the decades to come. Well what we have here in Sadomator is purely a fun listen. The many and somewhat odd intro/intuerludes they use throughout the album helps break up the monotinay (and I don't use 'monotany' in a dergatory fashion when I talk about this album...you know what your getting with a band like Sadomator ...and thats pretty much a nonstop barage of goatish noise and vomit.) But Sadomators sonic wall of blasphemy is instantly fufilling and pretty much hit the spot for me being I haven't bought an album in the Bestial vein in a while. There are a few spots where they slow things down a bit, but for the most part its played at the usual ruthless and stumbling speeds you've come to expect. The best part of the album, for me at least is the artsitic (if you can call it that) layering of vocals and tactful use of pitchshifting, all done with the right amount of emphasis. And really the vocal "art" on these type of albums trumphs the riffs as far as what the more important aspect of music should be. With that said, there's probably a contraditon to be found somewhere in this review, but who cares...btw one of the samples they use is from a trailer of a movie that isn't even out yet, care to guess which movie??
7.5/10
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Wed Nov 24, 2010 5:55 pm
(Swe) Ghost - Opus Eponymous CD 2010
Let me start by saying that I wish this band would have chosen a different name, as their is already the well established and far more accomplished band named Ghost from Japan who has been putting out an exquisite array of Psychedelic Rock albums for over 2 decades now. So the Swedish Ghost will forever be known as The False Ghost...
So this album sure has been causing a lot of controversy in the Metal community as of late. I'm guess any new band who has a huge spike in polularity with always fall in the love'em/hate'em catagory. Especially if its a band who can manage accessibility to fans beyond their given genre. Ghost are like a new Heavy Metal version Cradle of Filth, they bring back those cartoony visions of Chris Lee and Cobwebs all over again! ...and like Cradle they seem to be just as polarzing. So I finally got my copy in yesterday and ended up listening to it 5 times in a row today. It's good, plain and simple as that...it's not breaking any new grounds nor do I think it will go down as some great achievement in Metal for years to come, but it's a fun listen leaves a smile on my face after its done. Obviously Mercyful Fate comes to mind when you first hear this band, but Ghost are actually like a softer, saccharine version of MF...a Pop version of MF if you will. Their choruses are sugary sweet and they build their songs around the hooks very much in a Pop music fashion. And like any good Pop music, it's infectious. Their riffs aren't anywhere near as creative as MF, nor is the vocalist as powerful as the King, but like I said it's a watered down version of an original with a lots of artificial sweetner. The entire album blows by rather fast, leaving you wanting just a little more; there really only 7 main songs here and an intro and outro intrumetnal song (which is neat litle ditty.) The band is obvisouly a huge gimmick, with their "mysterious" image and all, and I find it kind of funny how cartoonishly these guys (as well as some of their other contemporaries) portray the whole Satanic subject matter these days. It's like 60s/70s Satanic Panic! movies meets Scooby-Doo! In conclusion I think this album out to go down easy for anyone into syrapy hooks and MF, and to all the haters, either ignore it and move on or get over your hang-ups and enjoy the album...you can even lie about it to your Tr00 Metal brethrean and listening to it in secret if you want...I promise I wont tell anyone.
8/10
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