darker shades of metal, hymns of goth and post-punk ...all for the worship of darkness
Friday, May 17, 2024
Combichrist : "CMBCRST"
Astari Nite : "Resolution of Happiness"
These guys were bound to evolve. I am glad they are. They have expanded their sonic palette, now drawing from dark emotive genres aside from death rock. The album opens with an almost Gary Numan-like take on New Wave. The post-punk jangle of the angular groove that possesses"Necessity Meal" is even more compelling. Lyrically great imagery is thrown at you in a collage of sentiments. There is little of the Christian Death worship that marked their earlier work. More synths drape the songs, it will be interesting to see how this is pulled off live. There is a more organic post-peek approach for "Tongue Tied Galore' that requires less imagination to envision its performance.
"Bowie in Daydreams" was already released as a single, so it is not a surprise that it was included on this album, as it bridges where the band was with where the band is now. "the Inevitable Crocodile" is more decorated with more synths and carries a hazy swirl, even with it's more 80s leaning groove. The chorus has a hook that gives all the weirdness around it purpose. What I admire about this song is how original it is while borrowing from the era the whole post-punk revival pays homage to. 'Ashtray Ballet" is haunted by a dense, hazy atmosphere, yet sonically heavy in its mood. Another example of how the band is carving its own niche.
Things move in a more disco direction on "Cut Here For Dialogue". It is hard not to bob your head to it but is such an odd shift from what has been going on up til this point. The ambiance gets more reverb-drenched as they dance into "What a Rainbow Feels Like". For there they waltz with a little more whimsy into 'All Else is a Curse". Thankfully things in on a darker note with "We Are Still Siamese", which is closer to what is expected from what we call goth music. I am glad they show a wider range of what they can do on this album, as it shows them growing into their own here. I will give this album a 9.5, for now, I wait to see how some of the more unexpected moments grow on me. If this is your introduction to the band it serves as a fine welcome into their majestic melancholy that is given more freedom here.
Gatecreeper : "Dark Superstition"
Right out the gate, they are creeping with harder-hitting riffs, that carry a more hardcore influence punch to them. This is the band's third album and it sounds like not only are they coming into their own, but stepping into the spotlight to earn a larger metal audience. There is more of an Entombed like grit to "Oblivion". This works but it's not as finely tuned as the opening track. It certainly earns headbanging. "the Black Curtain" does not compromise the death metal nature of the band, but is hookier. The vocals feel like they have more purpose than what I can recall from their previous albums.
They continue to dig into meatier grooves with "Masterpiece of Chaos". It's not chaotic, but the verses to find them pouring on more speed than the opening riff. Matt's drumming really steps it up on this album to help push the band over into greatness. With this comes a sense of groove that something leans more in a rock direction on the title track. There are hints of a more hardcore stomp, but it all works together pretty seamlessly. " A Chilling Aura" feels like a little more restraint could be used, there are some cool riffs at the beginning that are not really fleshed out as they step on the gas. Not a bad song, but I think they could have employed elements more effectively. Blasting just was not the answer.
The more thrash accents to the powerful chug of "Caught in the Treads" however works really well and shows they do know what their most effective path is. It's big in an Amon Amarth manner but without the silly Viking appropriation. The bass line that kicks off "Flesh Habit" works really well, and sets up the song for some excellent grooving. There is a slight "Wolverine Blues' era Entombed sense of boogie to it. Can also hear traces of late '90s death metal as well. "Mistaken for Dead" hammers away in more of an Entombed-like direction. The last song opens with a more death-doom feel and keeps things in a very purposeful pace that works well. I will give this album a 9.5, it is the band's most impressive display of songwriting yet.
OMSORG : "Echoes"
There are hundreds of promos sitting in my inbox, so rather than waste my time clicking around the inner web, better use of my time might be checking some of these out and reviewing the best of them. Northern European hardcore is always something worth checking out.. Denmark is a country that has brought me a great deal of cool hardcore so this band is worth a listen. They are angry, but not venting this in the kind of burly metallic manner most hardcore bands Some of this is in their more organic guitar tone. They can pound the point home without having to chug it like Slayer;. While I like metallic hardcore if you are not a band like Terminal Nation, then I would rather you try a different approach as it gets too close to the kind of metalcore I don't like.
Most hardcore wants to look back at this place in the mid-90s when hardcore gained a more emotional and reflective tone which is something I can appreciate if it is done well and it is really excelled at on "Modern Misery". Sung vocals are included as well as sparse gang vocals for those who feel that sort of thing is a must in hardcore music. Much like blast beats in black metal a little goes a long way and thankfully these guys know that. Everything here is done in a very well-balanced manner. They might not be the most intense or tough-sounding hardcore band you are going to hear, but they are great songwriters;
We get more from the conventions of hardcore in the last song. It is angular in a unique way that does not pack the punches where you would expect them to. It is still more straightforward in many respects particularly when they really gain momentum, though this is balanced out by some melodic sonic touches of guitar. I have not paid any attention to the bass playing on this album, which is odd as the album is otherwise well produced, though midway into the last song my ears find the rumble of bass. This is not screamo, but they do share some of the sonic touchstones screamo makes use of. The vocals are more purposeful and serve the songs rather than just being an expulsion of anger. I will give this album a 9.5, I really enjoyed it a great deal and you will as well if you want some melodic hardcore not unlike what came out in the late 90s
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Kerry King : "From Hell I Rise"
If you were wondering how much of Slayer was Kerry King, the question is about to be answered. The band had been plugging along without Jeff. Jeff played a role in their writing process, so it depends on what side of the band you hope to hear. Mark from Death Angel is handling the vocals, 'Diablo" is more of an intro, making "Where I Reign" the opening track. It sounds like the song could have been off "God Hates Us All". It is fast and has the kind of aggression that Slayer were perfectors of. King's solos are more melodic and less chaotic in the first song. "Residue" is more deliberate. I am not sure what side of the story the narrative of the lyrics sits on. Mark gives his most gutsy performance yet. It also reminds me a little of "Diabolis in Musica". Once again 90s Slayer is being mentioned and not their classic 80s sound.
"Idle Hands" carries a pretty powerful chug. Once again "God Hates Us All" comes to mind. Paul Bostaph certainly helps things sound like Slayer. The sense of groove on "Trophies of the Tyrant" is the song's strength. There is melodic nuance they flesh it out in the best way possible. When they pour on the speed for 'Crucifixation" the results are not as impressive. There is a cool riff that comes in midway into the song, but the rule here is "cool riffs alone do not good song make". The throb the builds on "Tension" lives up to the song's name. "Everything I Hate About You" runs more of a full-throttle hard-core thrashing. In contrast, the riff that drives "Toxic" sounds like a classic Slayer riff. "Two Fists' has a more undisputed attitude to it. I always thought King was more the Judas Priest guy and Jeff was the punk side, but I guess we are hearing otherwise.
"Rage" leans into a more speed-laced fury. It's hyper-thrashing, which lends itself more to songwriting rather than if these were just blast beats. The more deliberate palm-muted chug of "Shrapnel" feels like things are at their most effective. Bostaph helps sell the last song. It finds them returning to that more "God Hates Us All" "-like place. Thow his album shows how large of a role King played in Slayer it might not have had any of the serial killer love songs, which were my favorite moments from the band but it does carry a great deal about what made the band great so I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me.
pst232
Oh Hiroshima : "All Things Shining"
Was a big fan of the Swedish band's 2022 album "Myriad". The band continues to perfect their brand of post-rock-influenced grooves. The album opens with even hookier vocals this time around. The drumming is highly dynamic, guiding the ebb and flow of the song, to create a backdrop for the sing-song vocals to reach out from. They lean into a more shoe-gazing take on indie rock for the second song. The build is more gradual and droning. I can appreciate the meandering jam even if it does not work off the momentum established by the first song.
They ramble on with a more casual strum into dreamy waters for "Swans in a Field ". There is something effective in the layering of guitars that creates more sonic breadth. There is more movement to "Secret Youth" The brooding bassline makes it a little darker than the previous songs. I would not say they are heavy but capable of diving into more intense soaring. This creates a more cinematic peak. "Rite of Passage" starts off more introspective with a wandering post-rock feel. The vocals belt it out a little more to steer the dynamic build of the song which is pretty effective.
"Deluge" sounds like it could have been from Opeth's "Damnation album, which works for me. The sense of seething shadows possesses it. "Leave Us Behind' feels like they finally commit to journeying into prog rock. It has been an undercurrent this album has hinted at but this song and the previous one are more deliberate steps into it. The last song wanders out into a more introspective place even with the bass line's burly tone trying to anchor it. It touches on the wanderlust of shoe-gaze with a thick shimmer. This album sounds great and finds the band experimenting more with songwriting. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me if you like prog rock or shoegaze they have something for you here. Drops June 28th on Pelagic Records.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Kittie : "Fire"
Kittie is back, which should be no surprise given how nu-metal is making a comeback. The album opens with less of the staccato grooves that lumped the band in with the likes of Coal Chamber back in the day and this is a more straight-up metal affair. The sweet and spicy dynamic of the harsher vocals being answered by the sung vocals is still intact. Morgan's snarl is more venomous with age. "I Still Wear This Crown" finds them in more of a Slipknot-like mood. I think "Falter" is a more well-written song, with a groove that flows better to my ears.
This album is really well produced, considering how long they have been around as a band, we should not expect less. They were after all one of the first female bands rocking out this hard which made them more of a novelty at the time., They have a formula in place on this album as four songs in there is a uniformity to the head banging, with a few variations of this in place. Most of the songs hang in the balance around where her vocal hooks will fall. There are other strong moments like the taunt syncopation of "We Are Shadows' though her sung vocal, pretty much sounds like every other female metal singer out doing this sort of thing, even if Morgan originally broke ground doing it first.
This album is less nu-metal than you might expect, though what nu-metal turned into could be argued,as Disturbed often bordered classic metal and thrash, so when "Wound" reminds me of a Disturbed riff, then maybe this is just the next logical place for nu-metal to go. Some of it just sounds like generic mainstream metal. Judging from that sludge band Morgan was in a few years back she has better taste than this, but perhaps this is the expectation of what a Kittie album sounds like in 2024. "One Foot in the Grave' conforms to what all other female-fronted metal bands do today.
Perhaps nu-metal is not such a bad thing, as it was typically dark and angsty, which can be said for "Are You Entertained, " one of the album's better songs. As one of the lead singles from this album I am surprised how heavily "Eyes Wide Open" leans into the screamed vocals, Lander has spoken about the influence Pantera has had on her and you can hear it on this song. I will give this album an 8.5, it has some strong moments but the more generic mainstream metal moments, might target their audience, but do not do anything for me, but the songs that hit it hard balance this out to some extent.This album drops June 21st on Sumerian Records.
Monday, May 13, 2024
Ten Ton Slug : "Colossal Oppressor"
This band from Ireland grind out a very deliberate brand of death metal that carries a crushing chug. There are some sludge tendencies in how they turn the riffs around, but aggression is the theme for the day here. The first song makes it hard to deny that this is really well done, and the guitars sound great. The chugged-out riffs do what Death Metal should do perfectly. For this to be their debut album they are really killing it. The riffs are not only heavy and demand your head banging, but they are pretty catchy for what they are doing. The vocals trade off between a commanding roar, to a higher snarl.. The fact they are not giving into the need for speed most death metal bands serve is one of their assets.
The bass steps up and gives "Ancient Ways" more of a backbone. This is the first song where I begin to hear a little of the sludge influence. It reminds me of early Mastodon in a few places, but back then they were pretty close to death metal as well. Karl from Bolt Thrower joins them on "Brutus" while he lends his growl to the song, it is not really noticeable enough as it is still in the band's wheelhouse. "Mindless and Blind" rolls off of a tense palm-muted groove. The growl of the vocals works well enough but is pretty much what we have heard from them. The vocals are articulated enough to make out more lyrics than you might typically discern from death metal. They thrash things out a little more on what might be the chorus.
The 90s sludge groove that grew out of when metal bands intersected with grunge, really possesses the last song. It even leads to actual singing. It might be the album's most accessible song. I think mainstream metal audiences that are only able to digest the more mainstream strains of death metal will find lots to love with these guys, and they are still legit enough for death metal hipsters. I will give this album a 9, very solid death metal.
STATIQBLOOM : "Kain"
Arab Strap : " I'm totally fine with it 👍 don't give a fuck anymore 👍"
Experimental post-punkers Arab Strap are back with a more biting commentary on the world around them. It might be marginally more brooding, and the tension within the grooves is sometimes driven by a more electronic pulse that can be heard on "Bliss". When the album starts off there is a fresh feel to their more original take on a style of music not far removed from what Depeche Mode did. The difference is that they lack a crooner like Dave Gahan who can breathe new emotion into each song with his voice. Instead what they have is a more spoken narrative. This can cast a more uniform feel to the songs.
The drum pattern to "Sociometer Blues" creates a unique rhythmic backdrop for them to experiment. Even though the drum programming slows things down for "Hide Your Fires", the spoken vocals get a little tiresome. They are not sonically removed from the National in some ways, but Matt Berninger is a better singer. "Summer Season" is mellower in its reflection, but the vocals have now crossed over into tedium despite his efforts to sing more. Lyrically I can appreciate what they going for, but I need more dynamics vocally.
"Molehills" works better for his voice. Musically it's darker and more introspective which is what his style of singing needs. There is a droney simmer that is more sonically effective. The comparison to the National might be perhaps the most warranted on "Strawberry Moon". The song's best thing is offering some dynamic contrast between the verses and the chorus. "You're Not There" tries to work more of a mood, that leans into more of a sound than making something that feels more like a song that goes somewhere meaningful. "Haven't You Hear" is also another song that borders being another the National tribute, but is less hooky and focused.
"Safe and Well" is more of a folk ballad. It focuses on his hushed vocal approach but highlights his weaknesses as a singer. Halfway into the song, it is still meandering around pondering its existence. "Drag Queen" makes a little more of an effort in terms of dynamics, but the spoken word verses feel like they have already gone to that well too many times. The closing ballad works better than most of the songs on this album as it climaxes into a more post-rock crescendo which this album needs more of. I will give this album an 8, I like the mood they are going for the vocals are often not my thing.
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Take Offense : "T.O.tality"
This band is kicking up 80s-era skate punk. This means "Join the Army " era Suicidal Tendencies. There are a few more foot-on-the-monitor guitar heroics, so other late 80s cross-over hardcore could be referenced. The most important thing is they are not just trying to dial in the sound, but they are focused on writing hooky songs, even if they took notes from their heroes on how to do so. They kick things into thrashing speed for "S.W.O". At first glance, you might think these guys are trying to jump on the Power Trip bandwagon, but they are not as foreboding in their aggression, and seem to be more about having fun than being doomsayers of a world in demise.
The title track is more about grooving with the bass line driving things in a manner that reminds me more of Prong than say Infectious Grooves. I would have loved this in high school. "If I am Damned So Be It" has rock n roll in it's veins. It is pretty obvious hearing these guys that they are from California, as this sound could not come from anywhere else. I often reference the more metaphysical concept of a place's energy or its egregore holding a certain, and this album makes a powerful case for that concept. "Assassination" is more thrashing it also does not feel as hooky, though there are some effective riffs in motion. The breakdown groove is at the top of the list for the album's best riffs.
I like the syncopation to "Uncivilized Animals". This takes me back to when metalcore was called cross-over, and bands like DRI were more celebrated. There is a taste of 80s metal lingering in the riffs of "Now or Never". It does not make it any less hardcore as both Discharge and TSOL flirted with that sort of thing. The more deliberate metal grooving continues on "Deep Inside". You can open up the pit to "Stolen Land". It carries more thrash to it without having to pour on the speed. "Until Then" brings more big 80's in an almost Dokken-like manner. The more gritty vocal offsets this. You can hear Van Halen influence in the riffs to "Beyond Flesh & Bone". " Give'm Chaos" works more of a discordance that lives up to its name. Sure this album is slick like a Turnstile record, and one of the guitarists did tour with Turnstile, but it leans more heavily toward taking influence from Suicidal Tendencies with almost worshipful devotion, nevertheless I will give this album a 9.5, as Suicidal Tendencies haven't made any albums good since "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, it's a lot of fun and thrashes the way I used to like.
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Knocked Loose : "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To"
Fawning : "All Around Me"
This dream pop duo unfolds very 90s worshipping sounds. There is more dream than pop going into this album, as the hooks are not really grabbing me, they are almost intangible. The poppiest thing about them is the child-like quality of their singer's voice. This album is well produced as the sounds all sit where they need to, and are layered. They appreciate the deliberate playing of the single-note guitar solos that cut through the background. This is what provides a more Cure-like quality.
The title track is more of a breezy strummed ballad than expected from this band. "Speak" that follows this one works better, almost having an early Cranberries feel, which is like Cocteau Twins run through a more mainstream 90s pop filter. The "lead" guitar kicking in for the last minute is pretty effective. "Laid Away" is more like an ambient interlude than a song that goes somewhere. The delay on the drums leading into "In Memory" works well as it's the first song that feels dark enough to fall into the goth label. The guitar is often mixed into the distance. I guess it works for what they are doing here.
"Feelings" finds the haze of the ambiance even thicker. It floats within the obscured clouds of its own making, burying the vocals in the mix, so they are reduced to a muffled coo. The ethereal strum of guitar guiding "Time Enough at Last" offers little guidance for which the vocals might glide within. The last song brings the kind of black light sunshine you expect from this sort of thing, but works well enough in the context of what they do. I will give this album an 8.5, which is better than most pop and indie rock coming out given its nature,. but when you start inching over in the zip code of the Cocteau Twins that raises the bar, since if you are in the mood to listen to Cocteau Twins you listen to them. Thus it is hard to predict how much air time this will get from me, but if you like 90s sounding future pop then this is worth your time.
pst224
Witherfall : "Sounds of the Forgotten"
These guys are one of the few bands doing this sort of thing that gets it right. I think it is because they are not skimping on the thrash side of the genre, which gives them a darker, more aggressive sound. Joesph Micheal took the mantle from Wurrel Dane on the last Sanctuary tour I caught, so this makes sense. Though on the other side of the coin, they also like their power ballads, so that brings them back toward the power metal status quo. To their credit despite the more Bon Jovie moments of the song they do build it up to a heavy enough place for my liking. With the first two songs, drummer Chris Tsaganeas proves himself capable of sitting alongside any metal drummer doing it today.
Things get darker to the point of almost sonically neighboring King Diamond on "Insidious". The neo-classical touches to the guitar playing aid in this. It is well-written and balances flash with head-banging grit. "Ceremony of Fire " is a more rapid-fire affair that could spark Sanctuary comparisons. Though it also has a more anthemic Judas Priest feel. Another factor that plays to their fact is that Micheal's voice carries a piercing menace rather than sounding like Boston or Journey. Which is too mainstream radio for me. That kind of music is too feel-good. I can't relate to that I want to feel bad about music. So far they have not crossed the line into feel-good music.
The title track works well enough as the previous one, I appreciate where they are going into the chorus as it has a big anthemic quality, but not too feel-good. There are these minute-and-a-half interludes on this album that are more like theatrical bridges rather than songs, so I am not counting them when it comes to this review. "When It All Falls Away" starts off more like a ballad. It is very 80s, as it could have been any band from LA in the late 80s. that was labeled as metal. His singing is impressive but I wish they had come in kicking ass with it. Great guitar playing, but the song is less driven and focused.
"Opulent" is more of a guitar showcase. It confirms they can play flamenco guitar in case you were wondering. They close the album with the ten-minute "What Have You Done". If it had been a ten-minute power-ballad that would have been a deal breaker. The vocals do have a more melodic and flowing pattern to the verses. The chorus is as soaring as you might expect a band like this to go for. Almost operatic in the manner this is approached. They do get their feet under the song and get into the chugs and gallops as needed. Around the 7-minute mark when things drop all the way down, it works well enough, they could have had more of a jammy feel coming out of it., though they do capture this as the song comes to its climax. I will give this album a 9 and see how it sits with me.
RIP - Steve Albini
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Blushing : " Sugarcoat"
The intro is cool, but the first actual song finds the band living up to the album's title;e and draping sugary sweet pop over the shoegazing ambiance. Dream pop is the first handy label to throw on this Texas-based band, but they do seem more serious about rocking out than most dream pop bands. They at times remind me of a shoegazing version of Veruca Salt, with how the vocals harmonize and entwined. Things swirl around you so it can be hard to tell who is doing what. "Slyce" has more of a 90s drive more in line with what Curve did, but with a more optimistic point of view less bound by sex and drugs.
"Silverteeth" finds the guitars denser, yet no less woozy from the effects slathered over them. The guitars touch on an almost Smashing Pumpkins sound, that is without the harder rocking aspirations. One of the album's most impressive moments is the bass line that anchors the title track in a darker place. This gives a sweet atmosphere the vocals float in more of a dynamic contrast. The slither of the bass adds a sonic depth that more bands need to tap into when attempting to capture this kind of sound. "Fizz" has a little more of an indie rock drive to its jangle as the more My Bloody Valentine sounds drip from the periphery. It works for this song but also finds the band in the zip code of the other shoe gaze revivalists.
They continue to take you on the tour of their influences as somewhat Cocteau Twins-like sounds dance past your ears in a lighter more carefree manner. It sounds good, but the song itself is not as focused as what we heard in the first half of the album. "Pull You In Two" has more pop in its heartbeat. However, it still drifts a bit with the wanderlust that empowers their overall sound. The hushed feel of the verses of "Charms" provides a better shift of dynamics when it comes to the chorus. They last song might not be the catchiest but the thick ambiance is balanced with enough melody to make this work and get the more melancholy mood across which I prefer to their more playful moments. I will give this album a 9.5 , and see how it grows on me, if you want dream pop that takes notes from the best, while still doing it's own thing this band is for you.
\
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Kontravoid : "Detachment"
To be a clique for non-conformists, it takes a great deal of conformity to break big as an artist in the goth scene. This is coming from someone who has been called one of the gatekeepers of the scene. I don't see such a label as negative. Though I think this artist already had all the elements in play that were needed to be admitted, this album feels like it is an almost overcompensating step forward, and too mindful of what DJs at Goth clubs would want to play. I do not think the point of goth should be what is good to dance so, just a "goth nite" can be little more than a fashion show where the music adheres too slavishly to the same two dozen bands and the bands who want to sound like them.
This conclusion comes after weighing the direction of this album against what this project has previously done. This finds some of the industrial elements sacrificed to make things more dancey. Nuovo Testemento singer Chelsey Crowley lends her voice to the song "Losing Game" and it works really well, even if they worship the 80s heavily here, with a more new wave feel. The songs are pretty good so in some respects it is hard to complain, but it makes me wonder why have things not always sounded like this and listen for the more familiar elements. It is driving and bound to cause booty shaking which are the lowest common denominator elements firing off most effectively.
Synth wave, EBM, and dark wave are all genre labels depending on what song you are hearing, and what part of the said song you are hearing. "Death Shot" highlights the fact his vocals are the weak spot for this project. By the time we get to "Sin Walker" the songs are beginning to follow more of a formula that begins to make them sound the same. "How It Ends" might be propelled by a more rapid-fire bpm, but sonically is not too far removed from the previous songs. This is a trend that does not change. So with that in mind, I will give this album an 8, if you are looking for something synth-driven and dancey for your weekend cocaine excursions then this is the album for you. Out on Artoffact Records.
pst220
Wretched Blessing : "S/T"
Monday, May 6, 2024
Crawl : " Altar of Disgust"
Sweden is fixated on worshipping Entombed. Crawl are high priests at this altar. They infuse it with a modern sense of brutality that makes it perhaps even more raw and pounding than Entombed. Sometimes they are too relentlessly hammering for their own good with the second song, as a good example of these excesses. They somewhat redeem themselves with the head-banging "Knieves' which manages to find a marginal balance of extremes. There is certainly a more deliberate riff that challenges the rule which states "cool riffs alone does not a good song make". Feedback squeals, and makes it clear that while their previous albums had more of a crust punk influence, this time around they are more driven by grindcore.
The more deliberate stomp to " Ethereal Depths" is more effective and makes it the album's best song so far. The vocals are just as guttural as what we have already heard on this album, but they have more purpose here. They experiment and find themselves in a more Neurosis-like place on "Where No Light Escapes" These are the kinds of sounds I think might have worked well incorporated into their other songs. Instead, they hammer at you with more of a grindcore intensity. "Visions of Burning Apparitions" has dense guitars but their crunch is still something that makes it evident they were writing a song. This is not as true for "Until They Crawl". A large part of this is because the vocals are buried.
There are some moments where they embrace a little more of a black metal feel and this hits like Nails jamming with Goatwhore. I had to listen to the last time a second time before I realized it was not just an angry passage to the previous song. Thus hinting many of these songs sound the same when just driven by their brutal nature. I will give this album an 8, as there are strong songs, and this is one of the heavier albums you are going to hear so far this year. Was released on Transcending Obscurity Records.
pst218
Strung Out : "Dead Rebellion"
I understand that once punks learn to play their instruments they become metal bands. Even with this understanding, there was a jarring change in Strung Out over the years I was unprepared. It had been some time since I listened to them so I had to go back and give their 19994 debut "Another Day in Paradise " a spin to refresh my memory. I am not crazy they were more of a Bad Religion-like take on pop-punk It's a bigger production for sure. Jason Cruz has improved as a singer, and there is less owed to Bad Religion. The opening track almost feels like Poppa Roach. Much like earlier AFI some moments feel like they are influenced by LA Guns. This band is from Los Angeles so that is not surprising. I some ways this is only the logical sound I should have expected from punk coming from the City of Angels in this day and age.
"New Gods" makes more sense and sound a little more punk. Lyrically it seems like he is just quoting cliches. "White Owls" works better, and one weird thing is the album has a different sound after the first two songs, which is more raw and live sounding and works better for what they do. Cruz's vocals also get more melodic and dynamically nuanced as things progressed. He has always been one of the better punk singers. Not all of these moments are as inspired as "Cages" feels more like filler trying to find its place in 2024. "Empire Down' sounds like Duran Duran making pop punk.
"Resistance" works well for what they do as it feels like who they are now meeting their earlier punk work. There is a little bit of that 80s hair rock feel in a few places. I don't mind their more melodic side in fact it is more interesting than if this was just a one, two, three, go... punk album. Most of this album's success of mistakes lies in how the two are integrated. The drummer to 'Ceremony" feels off in this regard. "Vanessa's Song" works really well at finding the best balance of sounds. "Dystopian Party Bus" marries punk with a more 80s radio rock feel. "Plastic Skeletons" ends the album with a little more middle-of-the-road rock feel. I will give this album an 8.5, it is better than most bands from the 90s are doing, for as long as they have been at it things were bound to change and they just became the kind of rockers their surroundings turned them into.The most punk part of it might be that Fat Wrek Chords is releasing it.
Friday, May 3, 2024
Dool : "The Shape Of Fluidity"
Thursday, May 2, 2024
CUTTERRED FLESH : "Love At First Bite"
This is their sixth album so they clearly know what they are doing. They attack your ears with renewed feral zeal for "Code of Zuurith" though this is where the album begins to get mired down in a blur of riffing that does not clear up until "Descent into Torment of Abyssal Whispers". The guitars give the vocals room to create a more purposeful narrative. Up until this point like most music of this kind, the vocals are more of an afterthought. The riffing is also more memorable on this song making it one of the album's best moments. The production of the guitar tones becomes more noticeably conforming to the current trend of modern metal to have a very processed machine-like feel. "Sarkam's Wrath Unleashed' also displays this more nuanced take on their songwriting.
St Vincent : "All Born Screaming"
SETH : "La France des Maudits"
This band is not what comes to mind when I typically think of French Black Metal, which tends to be left of center from the more traditional storm of fury that marks Scandinavian Black metal. The first four bands that come to mind when I think of French Black Metal are Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Alcest, and Peste Noire, granted four of my favorites. They all have their own odd touch. Why is this an issue you ask? Well it's not, but it does mean that I am going to this album listening for what these guys do to set themselves apart, so scowled vocals and blast beats are not going to do it.
The market is plenty saturated with black metal at this point so we have to have standards. In this case regional standards. It is a well-produced album with a big guitar sound. They are also not just trying to blast their way through the songs. By the third song, it is beginning to all run together for me as they continue to sound like they are from Sweden. By the fourth song things begin to take a somewhat darker turn, the question then becomes can they use the restraint to maintain this? "Marianne" is an instrumental interlude and while I appreciate the melodic nature I think it is something that would have been better intermingled in their other songs to give them more depth.
It was not until "Insurrection" that I checked back into the album and paid attention, but what I heard was just another band getting caught up in a storm of blast beats. The last song is a cohesive continuation of what they have been doing for the entirety of the album, so depending on how impressed you are with that will determine how you feel about this song. These guys excel at the execution and decent arrangements, but in terms of bringing something new to the table, this church has already been burnt I will give this album a 7.It drops July 14th on Season of Mist
< br />
pst213Ten Artists Who Should Play Sick New World in 2025
The week has barely passed and fans are making their wish lists regarding who they think should play next year's Sick New World Fest. The main problem with these lists is that they are either acts who have already played or just boring radio rock fodder that plays Welcome to Rockville or Rockahoma and would turn Sick New World into just another rock fest, by diluting the theme that made the first year so appealing a marriage of traditional goth acts, nu-metal and darker metal / industrial bands. So the list complied here leans more in the direction of the first year. These are not bands who have played the previous fests but Fresh Blood fitting for 2025...that is if the world does not end before next May.
10-Astari Nite
This Miami-based death rock band is great live and has a good middle-of-the-road vibe for the fest
9-Godflesh
Perhaps less popular in the States, this crushing project from England influenced most of the industrial and metal bands you're listening to today.
8-Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum
The reunited cult of prog-rock weirdos brings a Victorian steampunk wonderment to their sonically angular anti-rock attack.
7-Chelsea Wolfe
Wolfe has toured with Ministry before, and her hypnotic songs are heavy in their own way. Live her sludged-out shoegazing is powerful.
6-Final Gasp
This punk band from Boston casts plenty of shadows with their sound while still being aggressive enough to fit in no matter what act they have to follow.
5-Mindless Self Indulgence
Jimmy Urine and Friends might have been out of action for a minute but would be the perfect blend of nu-metal swagger and dark wave angst.
4-Grave Pleasures
This band from Finland used to be Beastmilk, their brooding brand of post-punk is anthemic enough to win over festival audiences
3-My Dying Bride
There is no bringing back Peter Steele, so these guys are the next best replacement for Type O Negative with their brand of gothy doom.
2-the Misfits
They have already been booked on festivals since reuniting, the only real hurdle would be seeing how this is System of a Down's fest, so would Danzig and the boys be ok with not headlining? Aside from that they would be perfect
.
1-Marilyn Manson
Already booking shows after emerging from his legal troubles, this only makes sense.