St Vincent : "All Born Screaming"

You never know what to expect from here. The single "Broken Man" made sense as it was angular and quirky much like a great deal of her previous work. Then the next thing I saw was a clip of her playing around with a Moog, Yet the album opens in a manner that makes you think she is going in a more Tori Amons-like direction until midway into the second song when she breaks from the minimalist emoting for an almost industrial beat. Clark who produced this album herself calls it post-plague pop. That makes more sense than not. \

 There is a more electronic vibe that bleeds into the hushed groove of "Flea". This album is odd but well-produced. It is hard to tell if it is all synth or if guitar is present in the mix. There is more of a Bjork-like groove to "Big Time Nothing'. It almost feels like Bowie's "Fame" in some respects. But if you are getting compared to Bowie and Bjork, you are obviously doing something right. 'Violent Times' sounds like it should be a James Bond theme. You can not deny the fact that over the years she has matured into quite the singer. 

"The Powers Out" finds her crooning through a Kate Bush-influenced ballad that carries all the atmosphere and melodrama that comes with such a comparison.  "Sweetest Fruit" is like some kind of weird 90s indie pop, which must be what she is talking about when she calls this post-plague pop. The Dvinyls come to mind in this regard, but there are also lots of Talking Heads vibes. She was obviously smoking lots of pot when she wrote the reggae-influenced "So Many Planets". There is a similar 70s New York New Wave feel to the title track that closes the album. Not her hookiest album, but it does have something to say and covers a great deal of stylistic ground while staying true to a theme. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. 

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  

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Ten 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.

 

April's Top 10 Albums

Already time for March's top 10 albums. Staying abreast on the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed, and give this the option to check these artists out. I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This will help me organize my lists for the end of the year, by listing the genre of music the album falls under. This does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most, I have albums in my in-box that are not coming out til July, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month there is a wide variety from Shoe-gaze to pop to hard-core, so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for April 2024.

10-Darkthrone-"It Beckons Us All" 

Metal

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/darkthrone-it-beckons-us-all.html

9- Ride - "Interplay" 

Indie rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/ride-interplay.html

8-Terminal Nation - "Echoes of the Devil's Den

Hard Core

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/terminal-nation-echoes-of-devils-den.html

7-Pallbearer-"Mind  Burns Alive" 

Doom -gaze

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/pallbearer-mind-burns-alive.html

6- Pearl Jam - "Dark Matter" 

Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/pearl-jam-dark-matter.html

5-Whores- "War" 

Noise Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/whores-war.html

4-Snow Strippers -"Night Killaz Vol 2" 

 Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/snow-strippers-night-killaz-vol-2.html

3 METZ- "Up On Gravity Hill" 

Post-punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/metz-up-on-gravity-hill.html

2-Glassing- "From the Other Side of the Mirror" 

 

Post-metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/glassing-from-other-side-of-mirror.html

1- Taylor Swift -"THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT" 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department.html

Unleash the Archers : "Phantoma"

 Not a lot of power metal gets reviewed here as it is generally all too happy for me. However, given my penchant for twenty-sided dice, I am up to giving it a shot from time to time. I front was willing to give this band a shot thanks to frontwoman Brittney Slayes.  She does bring something to the table that her male counterparts do not, but can it keep my attention for an entire album? We shall see. The opening track reminds me more of Dokken than what I think of as power metal. Thought maybe Canadians just do the genre differently. 

They get into the sound I am not a fan of on the second song. The busy synth and guitar harmonies racing around sounds like an anime soundtrack. Not aggressive enough to feel like metal to me. "Buried in Code' continues this celebratory galloping, which works better than the previous one as her vocal melody is more nuanced. By the time we get to "The Collective," the hurry up and solo pace of the songs are all beginning to sound the same. It is also too happy again. It is a well-produced album, as all the instruments sit where you want them and cut through crisply. In terms of the arrangements, things are pretty straightforward with little surprises. 

"Gods in Decay" shows me what works most effectively is to pursue this more 80s-tinged arena metal style that has more in common with Dokken or the Scorpions it works better for them. It is what makes this one of the album's best songs. I appreciate the conceptual nature of the lyrics. They tap into the 80s thing again this time it feels more like Ann Wilson fronting Def Leppard. It works really well that is for sure. "Ghosts in the Mists" does not cash in on the 80s feel and feels like it came out during the days of Myspace, but works better than the album's happier moments. "Seeking Vengence" is kinda bland and does not grab my attention. They do a better job of that with the heavier "Blood Empress" that closes the album. It mixes a heavier modern sound with the whole 80s thing. I will give this album an 8.5 , it might not be on the level of say Nightwish or Kamelot, but is better than most when they lock into the sound that works best for them. Drops on Napalm Records May 10th. 

Who Not to Miss At Welcome to Rockville 2024 ( a curated guide)

Lots of bands playing throughout the weekend at Welcome to Rockville this year, with festivals set times are compressed, so how can you make the most of your time, while still giving yourself time to rest so you make it to Sunday. Here is a guide to getting the most from your money, with the bands that are going to give you your money's worth. Let's face it tickets for the entire weekend are expensive even on the payment plan. from. I am not suggesting the most popular bands, so if you want to avoid the crowded stages this list is for you, but most of these suggestions are due to the fact I hate most radio rock, so we are going to be avoiding that and picking the most interesting artist who deliver consistently live. 

Thursday 

Fuming Mouth 12:30 Vortex Stage

One of the best new death metal bands with enough hard-core influence to make them interesting. 

Cold 2:00 pm -Apex Stage

One of the most underrated bands of the late 90s who bridged the gap between grunge and nu-metal. 

Amigo the Devil 3:10 Apex Stage

You can stick around the Apex Stage. It's not Danny's first dance at Rockville, but having to pick him over New Year's Day as his new album is better than theirs. 

Fleshwater -4:10 - Garage Stage 

Emo doesn't have to be a bad ward, as these dudes are in their feelings and still rock. 

Anthrax- 6:00- Apex Stage

Since reuniting with Joey Belladonna these thrash masters have been consistent and deliver live. 

Biohazard -7:30- Vortex Stage 

Not sure why these guys have a later slot than Anthrax but they ruled in the 90s with their brand of cross-over hardcore that influenced what we think of as nu-metal. 

Kerry King - 9:10 Vortex Stage

Stick around the Vortex stage for the dude who is going to prove he is Slayer. 

Friday 

Harms Way - 3:00 -Garage Stage 

You can sleep in for Friday, but make sure you get to the Garage stage for the bad who had the best hard-core album last year, they are certainly Friday's heaviest band and perhaps the weekend. 

Mushroomhead - 4:10 -Inferno Stage

Not just a Slipknot ripoff, they have a more industrial sound that has matured over the years. 

Kittie - 5: 20 -Inferno Stage

Might as well stick around for these gals who have a lot to prove with their comeback, Saw them back in the day and they got blown away by Mudvayne who was opening for them, but maybe they are better now. 

Nitzer Ebb- 6:00 -Vortex Stage 

Industrial legends. Nuff said. 

Slaughter to Prevail - 6:45 -  Inferno Stage

This band has a lot of buzz around them as their career keeps gaining momentum, with a new album coming out soon they have to bring it big time. 

Falling in Reverse - 8:10- Apex Stage

I like Tech N9ne, but rap tends to suck live as it comes across like karaoke, so these guys will bring it better live. 

Mr. Bungle- 9:10 Vortex Stage 

The best band playing this weekend, half the nu-metal or wacky metalcore bands would not exist if not for what these guys started 

Saturday 

Crobot- 1:50 - Inferno Stage

Smoke a joint and check these guys out as they are just fun straight-up hard rock n roll. 

Red Fang  4: 10- Inferno Stage 

Stick around the Inferno Stage to check out these guys, who are hard-hitting stoner rock with punk smarts.

All Them Witches -5:20 - Inferno  stage

The Inderno Stage seems to be the best bet to camp out at today, as these guys are some of the more interesting rockers for those with THC in their veins. 

Baroness -6;45-Inferno stage

Higher energy live than their albums might lead you to believe, a great live band. 

Code Orange - 8;15 

It's a hard choice between these guys and Clutch, have seen Clutch before, but have not seen these guys, and I prefer their sound to Clutch's as it's darker and industrial... have also seen Queens of the Stoneage before, so missing them would not be that big of a deal either. 

Sunday 

The weakest day of the weekend, but if have been out in the Florida sun all weekend you are going to need a less active day. 

GEL - 1:25 - Vortex  Stage

Best punk band of the weekend, not that there's much actual punk, if you think bands like Sum 41 are punk should see this band to get educated. 

Miltarie Gun - 2;30-Vortex Stage

Well, there aren't Turnstile,  but they would like to be. 

Enter Shakari - 5:25  Inferno Stage

Of all the Myspace-era rock this weekend these guys are the best of that crop

Slipknot- 10:15 Apex

If you attend this fest regularly chances are you have already seen these guys, but they have a new drummer, and worth checking out.

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TORTURERS' LOBBY :" Deadened Nerves"

This Tampa band takes thrash to a more aggressive place, not unlike early Sepultura, but with more of a lurking hard-core influence. They have some hooky riffs, and the harsh bark of the vocals has more purpose than most bands of their ilk these days. I can hear how this might appeal to fans of Power Trip. There is a little more of a straightforward chug being hammered into place by a torrent of double bass on the second song. The riffs are not as hooky as those on the opening track, and the faster tempo makes the vocals feel rushed at times. Even then things work more often than not. The challenge they face is one many bands of their kind do when the temptation to throw caution to the wind and play faster sets it. They have to find the most prudent manner to do this which serves the song. 

This album has a production value that reminds me of "Beneath the Remains" as the reverb creates a cavernous backdrop. "Captured Pieces" is even faster so shows less restraint than the previous song, at under two minutes in length. As a young band, they are eager to throw down. I like the darker punk riff that opens "Reaper's Impunity" to give a crustier feel to things. But once again the focus is on the building momentum of the song rather than where they could have gone with that melodic theme. "Hypnotic Seeds Sown' finds a more blackened element creep in with the blasting. It works well enough but has the same hurried approach most music of this sort finds itself getting lost in. 

The haunting throb of "Humanity's Husk" is more stirring. The dark deliberate nature is largely cultivated. It taps into a place where all is not metallic rage, but a sonic heaviness. This makes it one of the album's best songs. "Re-education " is propelled by a thrashing punk energy. The instrumental "Enduring Spirit" shows the guitars have pretty formidable chops, and this is likely his band. The last song meets at that crossroads between death metal and thrash. The burly bass tone gives it a backbone. These guys are good at what they are doing, it really depends on if you are in the mood for what they do., I will give this album a 9. The album drops June 7th on Caligari Records.  

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