DEAFHEAVEN : "AT WORK IN THE FIELDS OF THE BOMB"

 

This three-song EP just dropped. It leads off with the single "Hunter". This song carries a much bigger, more mainstream black metal sound. By bigger, it's slightly more fierce than Dimmu but bombastic like more recent Mayhem. George's more Cradle of Filth-like shriek leads the way and helps set them apart from sounding like everyone else, as they step away from the shoegazing to firmly plant themselves in the middle of black metal. 

Are the other two songs going to be this in-your-face? Well, I guess we'll find out. The drumming on the first song is pretty bombastic, so that sets the bar high. The second track, "Three Princes," is just under three minutes. It is just an atmospheric interlude, so these guys are not as prolific as you might think, or perhaps they should have split up the last song into two songs since it is almost 13 minutes long. 

It takes a minute for it to gather the sonic storm and shoot off into furious blasting. Granted, we know they can not keep this up for another twelve minutes, nor would we want them to. The snarl of the vocals sits further back into the guitars. The song has a hazier production qualities and is not as metal of a sound despite htey way they are hammering at you. They do more than their fair share of blasting on this one. Seven minutes in it simmers down into the atmosphere of a strummed guitar. When it kicks back in he hits a lower death metal growl. It builds into noisy ambient chaos. Overall, they are more serious about their metal side this time around; it works despite not being the first time we have heard this from them will give this an 8.5Out on Roadrunner Records.

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Gothtober- AYRIA : "13 Stitches

 

• This Canadian artist is on the more upbeat EDM side of darkwave now, but there is still enough darkness lurking in the sheen to stay true to where she came from. The opening track carries a cyberpunk tempo. A moodier drama begins to creep into "Turn of the Tide".  If you are A goth who goes to Dragon Con, chances are that is where you were introduced to her. I know I was.  Perhaps she is just older and wiser, but the overall vibe is less sexual than what I remember her bringing to the table. There is a little of this on "Not My First Time," which is also a little darker. This chorus is the hookiest part of the first three songs for sure. 
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• There is more of a Euro groove to " Long Gone" that has perhaps more in common with Depeche Mode. I like Depeche Mode, but I am not sure I wnat her to sound like them. I prefer her darker, hyper-sexual previous work. There is almost an industrial element to "Vicous World"; she purrs into the song more. This version of her works for me. Then things feel more like new wave on "Manic "; this is almost too happy for me. There is more of the feeling I want from the beat of "Antihero", though the vocals feel like Madonna to me. Though she has always been a bit of a darkwave Madonna.

"Trickle Truth " has more grit in its beat and better lyrics. This groove also works better for her. It feels more like Nine Inch Nails to some extent. There is more of a techno beat to "Don't Ever Touch Me Again" . Despite the lyrics, sonically it feels more upbeat. It should be angrier. There is a subtle synthwave vibe to "Overturn". While not as dark as what I would prefer, it sounds cool and sets the stage for a more sultry vocal from her that balances this out. Not the hookiest chorus of the album. It does grow on me a little. 

Ironically, there is more of an 80s sound to "We're Not Relevant." There is a darker throb to "Mr Morals". The vocals have a more Reznor-influenced cadence. The album closes with "Turn into Gold," which finds her back in a more 80s new wave mode. It has a little more drive than most new wave and is not obsessed with capturing the sound of yesteryear. Overall, with the mature direction shifting in what she does, it works for where she is at in life now, so I will give this album a  9.  Its out on Artoffact Records. 

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'Gothtober - Exhuming the Tunes with Christian Death's"American Inquistion"

 

The 13th album that was released in 2007, is what I think of as the modern era of the band, though this one is still more industrial-leaning; they turn toward goth more on the two albums after this, which I have already reviewed for this blog, so this review is going to be the last installment of this series. There is a great deal of a build on thiss first song. They have also turned more towards politics here. "Stop Bleeding On Me"  is more metal, and this album was released on Season of Mist, so maybe they felt this direction was needed. Valor's croon sounds great, so it works for me. His melodies might not be as smooth as his early work with the band, but it works for the more rock direction here. The political things is not constant, as by the second he is back pondering about the devil. 

"Narcissus..." is equal parts driving and brooding on the verses, and the chorus fits but doesn't blow me away, but it's not a deal breaker either. "Victim x" works more off  an electronic-based industrial throb. It doesn't, but there is a cool riff that comes in to break things up. "To Disappear" benefits from a cool bass line that makes things creepier. This is contrasted by the more metallic burst of a chorus. Thematically, the theme shifts to drugs, and things get more melodic and less metal, which works too. "Seduction thy Destruction" is mainly focused on his loungy croon, not the strongest song, as they are much more interested in the exotic Middle Eastern feel of " Worship Along the Nile". It's like a moderately more metal version of Lords of Acid meets Dead Can Dance. 

"See You in Hell" is not a cover of Grim Reaper. It is gothier than the bulk of the album so far. Surprisingly less metal given the title. They even use restraint on a song called "Surviving Armageddon," which sounds like it would be metal as well, but it is the most death rock thing so far. They do bring back some more metallic guitars for "The Last Thing". It has more of an Alice in Chains grunge feel than what I have heard from them before. The last track is Alex Jones ranting over a collage of noise they woven together.I will round this one up to a 10 the modern era is under rated.  

109

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Jane Remover : "status update music"

This album is listed under their pseudonym leroy, but I am referring to it as Jane Remover since that is what this project is; it's not dramatically different it should be acknowledged as such. Funny enough, the first track is called "If You think I'm a Bitch You should meet Jane Remover". It is still a glitched-out take of hyperpop that is rough around its dubstep-crunchy sound. They sample Miley Cyrus early in the song. "XO Tour Life" leans more on an early-2010 sound. The vocals have a more pop-punk sound. ome of the songs blended here are pretty clever. I can see why this is free, as it curtails the royalty issues. 

"I Did This For Us" samples Britney Spears, and mashes it up with Deftones. As with any electronic artist, when the focus is on hooks and melodic elements, it works well, but just throwing beats and belching robots at your ears is less effective. Even when it's more aggressive, like on "Crowdkilling 101". "Nothing Last Forever" feels more like something Snow Stripper might do.  A little more structure finds form here.  I get that chaos is this artist's thing, but I have heard it work to keep the hooks. Though this is less poppy than the average Jane Remover album. There are twists and turns with the dynamics. 

"Chase This Feeling" could almsot be a Charli XCX song, as the more dubstep-like elements are toned down. However, they need the samples to occupy the place vocals should sit. There are more video game sounds on this album. They build it up a bit like techno. "#BOYLETMEKNOW" is back into bleeping, churning beat friction. They try to get their milkshakes to bring some boys to the year on "The Summer I Turned Pretty". Things stay similarly glitched out for "Right Nowww". It's more experimental, but that does not stick when it comes to just making a dance floor banger.  The BPMs get carried away here. "Love Angel Music Baby"  has Miley Cyrus on some drugs asking the crowd to make out with one another. The dubstep spasms carry it away a bit. 

"I Belong to Nobody"  has lasers shooting over the blend of pop music being shaken into this mix. The melodies from these songs being sampled are often hidden under a layer of noise. Here it works pretty well , but at other points of the labum they could have stood to be less obscured. The more abrasive throb of "Get Ugly" is at least still able to groove. What they do gets funkier for "In Every Lifetime". "Summer Fling" lets the pop shine through the noise. I will give this one a 9, it's certainly intersting and catches a groove more often than not. 

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Gothtober- Spike Hellis : "Successor"

 

This is an experimental industrial artist from Los Angeles. This project is more about making music for cool kids on drugs than for Halloween, but that can be said about a great deal of industrial music. Not far removed sonically from Street Sects, combined with a bit of "Pretty Hate Machine"- era  Nine Inch Nails. It is dark enough to be worked into a mix between Reznor and Thrill Kill Kult.  It has the funkiness or early 90s industrial, for sure. The vocals have a bit of creepy undertones to their otherwise chaotic exclamations. 

"Temptation" has a bit more of a body-rocking bounce to it. I am impressed by how they have nailed this early 90s sound that finds some of the more experimental elements of 80s new wave bleeding into it. The female vocals that have been a layer backing the main vocal step into the spotlight for this song. They have a sultry attitude to them that helps give the song its own identity. Not that there has been a shortage of female fronted hyper sexed electronic acts in the past couple of years, but these guys are finding their own niche. 

"Unwound' has a more 80s retro sound to it. There is an interesting trade-off with the vocals. Not as hooky as the previous songs, though. "Enemy Lines" gets marginally darker. There are still retro synth sounds, but also more deliberate lyrics. This creates an almost Gary Numan "No Bite" vibe; it's more of a quirky new-wave type vibe. It's dancey but not that dark. "Pillow Talk" follows a similar breakdancing-like drone; there is a lingering hint of Tom Tom Club meets Grand Master Flash going on. The vocals are kind of boring. As the record progresses, the vocals seem less important in the grand scheme of things. The last song, "Entirely Mine," is a little more intersting as there are more melodic lements in play. The vocals have a little more going on, which plays a large role in what makes this song work. Overall, this album might sound like the breakdance remixes of Pretty Hate Machine, but it retains a unique sense of self. I'll give this one a 9.

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'Gothtober - Exhuming the Tunes with Christian Death's"Born Again Anti CHristian"

Even though this album was released 26 years ago, it still feels like the modern era of the band for me. When this album came out, I think I was really into hardcore, so it went under my radar. I really appreciate the dark drama of the opening track that sets the stage for this album. For there we go into a song about a serial killer, so they are totally winning so far. This one is really creepy. I think they have settled into their legacy here and understand the assignment more clearly than on other albums where the more metallic were being introduced. The drummer is bringing it on this one.

They get heavier on " In Your Eyes," whcih is not a Peter Gabriel cover, but Valor takes on a ballsy Coal Chamber-like roar on the chorus. I am half goth, half metalhead, so I like the metal moments that were introduced into these later albums but understand why someone might not be into it. Particularly when this comes up as more like nu-metal here. The bass certainly delivers that bounce. Both "the Knife" and "Peek a Boo" carry on their game blend to take death rock and give it a set of bigger metallic balls. The production value has increased here, so it is translated better. There are also mroe serial killer references. 

There is an almsot Tool-like bass to "Fear and Superstition," then they lost this groove by speeding things up with double bass. There is a rowdier punk undertone to the verses. The drumming is good; it just doesn't fit the song. There is a more deliberate groove that I can get behind on "Dead Sorry." Valor uses a more creeping, whispered vocal on the verses.  The more aggressive vocals on the chorus might take some time getting used to for some fans. "Malevolent Shrew" finds the bass line from the previous song carrying over, but with a more Ministry - like vocal. I might like this even better than the first use of this bassline but feel weird about them recycling it. The drummer does not like to hold back. 

"Blood Dance" comes closer to just bringing death-rock back from the dead. At least they are not trying to sound like Marilyn Manson, who in 2000 was what most people thought of when it came to goth. There is a taste of Halloween in this song's ambiance, so I am not going to complain. "Fucking in Slow Motion" brings in some of the trippy, more experimental sounds they have played with in the past but frames them in a more song-oriented perspective. More intense folk dynamics come into play to give some ebb and flow. There is a much heavier sludge-oriented bass line holding "the Painted Aura" down. The way the gutiar contrasts this is pretty cool. It's the first wink in a Type O Negative direction, who, to their credit, might have reached their commercial peak but were still in motion. 

"Kill Me" closes the album, yet there is a Cradle of Filth version of "Peek a Boo" but I am not one to really include remixes in my reviews unless that is relevant to the album. "Kill Me" is more like the more experimental sounds they used earlier in the band's career, so it makes sense as an outro. I will round this one up to a 10, as they are still trying to find their place in the world here, and pretty much do this with more grace than shown  on previous albums from this era. 

10.9

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Gurriers Nobodys Coming to Save You

 

This Irih band was showing up on a bunch of post-punk lists, but they are really just a punk band. There is none of the melancholy of post-punk; instead, it is projected as anger. They are not bleak and bring more swagger to "Party Lines".  There is a well-produced guitar sound to "Shades." In some ways, it touches on a Gang of Four-like sound in the angular riffing. The emphasis is placed on the explosive dynamic."Pins" is more in the vein of Fontaines DC as it carries a moody groove and big hooks, but only flirts with punk. 

They are sonically rowdier on "Today is Not Enough," but the song feels more focused on the weird guitar sound than the dynamics; compared to other songs on this album, "Drones" takes a minute to become an actual song. When it gets there, it works out of a moodier throb; with that said, it might be the closest they have gotten to post-punk so far, which here is likea depressive version of Stone Roses. When they erupt from this, it is a clanging, garage version of punk excitement. I appreciate the dynamics. 

"Nothing Happens Twice" finds them carrying the jagged, raw attitude to punk into Britpop. The chorus pops off with a similar chaotic energy to where they took you in the previous song, but more controlled. There are interesting guitar textures, and this album sounds great with a very organic feel despite some of the noisy experimentation at the fringes. 'Waiting For Fisher' is a more restrained version of punk but still frantic enough. I prefer this over unhinged noise. They ebb down to melody for "I Wish I Was". The vocals are more sung than spoken. It floats off into an atmospheric haze with a rumble inside. The last song, "Crybaby" finds the rowdiness also dialed way back. Interestingly, the album's final act finds them going off in a show-gazing direction; it is, however, also the best vocal performance on the album. I will give this album a 9.5, it is not perfect but pretty great and good to hear some punk with a sense of sonci adventure and not just banging out chords. 

7.9

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