Integrity - "Howling, For The Nightmare Shall Consume"

I remember this wave of Victory records hard core bands that brought a much more metallic sound to hardcore. Bloodlet and Snapcase were my favorites, but Integrity was after Bloodlet the next darkest of those bands. There is an almost black metal blasting to the first song when it it's not in a more punk rock beat. When it slows down into more of a break down like accent they sound their most powerful. Guitar solos come blazing out of the cracks more than I remember happening back in the day. There are Slayer like diving bombing guitar squealing everywhere with the more mean spirited thrash of "Hymn For the Children of the Black Flame".  The drumming is also very Slayer, but Slayer hasn't sounded like Slayer in some time so I am o.k. with this . But will the band's longtime fan-base ? "I am the Spell" blasts past me, but the more Motorhead thrash of "Die With Your Boots on " catches my ear. The guitar solos are staring to get a little excessive by this point in the album.

The intro to "Serpent of the Crossroads" sounds more like a Kiss song. The vocals are still really gritty in their raps but sound like there is more of an attempt at singing here. They get creepy with the organ leading into "Unholy Salvation of Sabbatai Zevi" . Not the best song on the album, but still pretty solid without getting lost in its momentum. While I am not a fan of the spoken word vocals on the verse of "7 Reece Mews" I think the varying guitar tones and all the sonic pieces that they assemble hear make for a unique sound that stands out on this album and shows their songwriting prowess to a much fuller extent. "Burning Beneath the Devils Cross" reminds me a little of the earlier more Punk days of Bathory or even Venom.

There is a more rock n roll feel to "String Up My Teeth" . It has a mid paced Judas Priest like groove. The more Motorhead like sound returns on the title track to close out the album. It reminds me of "Orgasmatron" era Motorhead with am ore dense and oppressive sound. I think these is a more metal album than it is hard core, but these guys are good at what they do and this is a resounding success so I'll grant this one a 8.5.

Algiers : " The Underside of Power"

When people got all excited about the Zeal & Ardor album, I was underwhelmed as I had already heard Algiers who may not dive into the metal trapping but does what Zeal and Ardor does better in terms to the feeling they evoke. They are still dark and angry on their album, with what feels like a hip hop beat to the opening "Walk Like A Panther" . The vocals are all over the place in the tradition of gospel.There is a rough distorted filter over them. It doesn't strike me as having the same polished sense of songwriting. The programmed drums don't have as commanding of a pound as I remember these guys having. I remember my ex-wife telling me she didn't like these guys because they reminded her too much of hip-hop and while I didn't hear that then I can hear it now.

They rein the songwriting in on the title track. The chorus has more of a hook, though the mood is lighter and it feels more like 60's garage pop. So far "Death March " is the most interesting song on the album as the guitars sound like something from Twin Peaks and the vocals work with the groove rather than rage against it. "A Murmur, a Sign" is not as compelling and meanders without committing. The song after is is not any better. It's not until "Cleveland' that the album reconnects for me. I think this song finds all the elements that work for them in good working order.  "Animals" has almost a punk energy to it's ranting vocals. "Plague Years"  drones on to set a mood , but is more of an interlude than an actual song.

The piano driven "Hymn for an Average Man" is another study in droned texture, but benefits from the crooned vocals. There is a similar interlude of atmosphere after this song and before the closing song that has more energy . The tempo is brisk and every thing should be clicking for m, but it isn't this might be because it's not as dark. There is much less tension over all and I would not call it post-punk, but indie rock. I'll round this down to a 7.5 as I don't think it comes close to what they did on the previous album and the strong songs are not as numerous. It's not a bad album I am just disappointed because I know they have done better.



7.8

Top 10 Rock Albums of 2017 ...so far

It's that time again as the year continues to fly by, for us to look at what they top ten rock albums of the year so far are. These are a wide jumble of varied genres that have one thing in common...they aren't metal. We have hard rock, indie rock, math rock, cock rock etc...they are ranked according to what Last FM said I listened to the most. So here you go.. If you wanna hear more just click onto the link to the full review of the album.

10 - Cherry Glazer- "Apocalypstick"

 Here is a wacky indie rock band that works best off best clever, though they can build into a more punk infused punch on the opener "Told You I'd Be With the Guys". The lyrics are just as smart as the arrangements especially on "Trash People". This album is sonic and compelling indie rock that's familiar in some ways , but they are very much their own person.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/cherry-glazerr-apocalipstick.html

 

  9-Elder - "Reflections of a Floating World"

 The Boston stoner rock band is back. This is their third album. The guitar heroics really take the spot light three and half minutes in. The layered production is very lush and it's clear these guys are not far removed from progressive rock. Six minutes in and you are getting more surreal passages no quite Pink Floyd like in their trippy endeavors , but a slight hint they are wanting to steer the ship in that direction. They punch back in strong and you can already tell this album is going to be filled with interesting guitar tones.As a whole this album might no be 100 percent my thing , but I can appreciate where they are going here and can hear how talented they are.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/elder-reflections-of-floating-world.html

8-The Cloud Nothings- Life Without sound

It’s comforting to know that one of the scenes biggest indie rock band’s actually knows how to rock. They open the album with a more reflective tone that cruises  on smooth melodies, but by the second song they remind you that indie rock has punk roots. There is enough of a jangle to take you back to the days band's like the Replacements held a place on college radio. If you are too young and missed the boat on the first two Weezer albums or Jimmy Eat World’s early work, then these guys have got you covered. This is indie rock that knows where it came from and adds it’s own flavors.">




7-Steel Panther- "Lower the Bar" 

 Hair metal ...cock rock or whatever you want to call the metal from the 80's that held a glam tinge and packed arenas, is what Steel Panther is. These guys are more of a parody, but in the process make some good music by mistake.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/steel-panther-lower-bar.html

6-King Woman - "Created in the Image of Suffering"

The dream like haze cast over the doom-gaze of the band's debut full length has grown thicker than what  we found on their previous ep. This album hits a sweet spot for me,  once again proving you don't have to adhere to the typical trappings of metal in order to be heavy. Blues bubbles under the simmering cauldron of hypnotic riffs. Overall this album starts off with a dreamier coating and wakes into a more grounded powerhouse..Kristina's vocals pull the songwriting together and making it an album you’ll dig deeper into with repeat listens

. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/02/king-woman-image-of-suffering.html

5-Crystal Fairy - s/t Holy shit! I had le Butcherettes confused with the Ravonettes going into this because this chick can fucking belt it out with rock god size balls, I know she is from Bosnian Rainbows but it didn't all click now.At times it feels like Rasputina as a punk band, but overall it rocks pretty solidly and this reminds me I need to give it more listens. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/02/crystal-fairy-st.html

4- Mastodon - "Emperor of Sand" Living in Atlanta it's hard to gauge just how big of a deal a new album from Mastodon is outside of the microcosm here. It feels like more of a fully realized vision that the past two albums.Overall this might be the band's best album since "Crack the Skye" so it made the much envied trip over to my iPod and then I will see how it stands the test of time. Some of the songs that didn't hook me in as strongly as the groovier poppier numbers still have room to grow on me. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/mastodon-emperor-of-sand.html

3- Gold- "Optimist"

 The Dutch band is back with more introspection to the gloom. The singer has really stepped up her game on this collection of more refined rock songs that succeeds in being sonically heavy without being metal.This one is still growing on me , but has gotten a generous share of repeat listens.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/gold-optimist.html

2-Royal Thunder- "Wick"

There are metal influences under the surface but this is not a metal album. By the album's third act it becomes obvious they have remembered who they are and what they should be doing. The album comes to a close with 'We Never Fell Asleep". There is a dagger like quality to how the lyrics are spit out on this one and they gain some punch as the song progresses.   Overall this one shows the band growing away from who they where and that takes some adjustment if you are invested in their old sound,but is worth the trip.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/royal-thunder-wick.html

 1- Minus the Bear - Voids

ts been awhile since I have caught up with Minus the Bear around 2004 they were one of my favorite bands. The last album I owned by the was 2007's "Planet of Ice" so it's been a decade since they were really on my radar. In that time frame they have releases a few more albums, I felt with "Planet of Ice" that the song writing was not as focused as the first album. Things have changed and there is a better balance. Overall the dream like qualties to these songs is very thoughtful and makes this album carry a lot of depth as well as being a fun ride for casual iPod listening and makes me want to go back and see what I might have missed out on from these guys. This marks a return to the band I want them to be. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/minus-bear-voids.html

Top 10 Metal Albums of 2017... so Far

Where has 2017 gone? It seems like the year has passed us by in a cloud of internet hatred and bickering. So with that comes the need for heavy music. Black Metal, Doom, Death Metal and Thrash are all represented to some extent. The number one slot was determined by what Last Fm said I listened to the most. If you want to check out more on any of the following bands just use the link to the review. At the end of the day we shall see how these albums hold up over the next six months. So far only the top five still maintain their spots in my Ipod, though that is not to say I won't go back and give the others another listen.

10- Ever Circling Wolves -"Of Woe, or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gloom"

This band from Finland is certainly worth championing due to their originality. This doesn't mean they have forsaken key components for metal and twisted them into something no recognizable to the average metal head in a Morbid Angel t-shirt. After a three minute introductory instrumental that throw some melodic death metal at you that is mid to doom paced. The organic guitar tones allow the riffs to breathe and the notes to remain distinguishable. This album's production certainly lends it self to supporting their adventurous style of songwriting.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/ever-circling-wolves-of-woe-or-how-i.html

9-Emptiness-"For Music"

Wow! these guys are so different from anything out there the newness is easy to get immersed in. To the point the first song just sounded awesome because it didn't sound like anything in recent memory so it won me over without me ever stopping to ask is this song good. There is more groove to "It Might Be". Twiggy Ramirez produced this and I am not sure why Marilyn Manson hasn't been letting him handled everything .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/emptiness-for-music.html

8- Ragana -You Take Nothing"

This two piece out of Oakland has returned with a moodier yet more feral vision of black metal mixed with crust. "To Leave" places more emphasis on atmosphere and ringing guitar melodies than the more deliberate opener. They do blast off towards the end of the second song. One thing they have going for them is their songs are very concise and streamlined never feeling like bloated drones. The two longest songs are six and a half minutes.These gals prove they are capable of hitting you with varied colors and tempos.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/04/ragana-you-take-nothing.html


7-Volur -"Ancestors"

The Canadian doom project features the Bass player from Blood Ceremony. Germanic chants coast over very melodic bass playing  drivings the song. It takes a minute to realize that the Guitar is not sitting back it's actual the violin occupying the space a guitar would sit order to create the atmosphere. They have a very unique sound that drones ,but is so pleasing to the ears that it doesn't bore you.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/volur-ancestors.html

6- Samsara - "When the Soul Leaves the Body"



Slovakian metal is gaining ground now when it comes to doom. The proof lies in this band Samsara who has a big majestic sound, when they pick up the pace into a chug the results are without a doubt powerful. This is poised to be be one of the best doom albums of the year.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/samsara-when-soul-leaves-body.html

5-Bathsheba- "Servus"

Here is the doom I have been looking for. These are the thoughts inspired by the weighty riffs that opens the new album from this Belgian band. The fact the clean vocals are so dominate works for me  she can pull out some more snarled harsher vocals , which are effectively used. The pace picks up out of the realms of doom into something more blast beaten  when it slows down into a more deliberate and powerful drive it should make you  believer.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/bathsheba-servus.html

4-Pallbearer -"Heartless".

So things continue to change The vocals are even more upfront in the mix on this one. As they should be as the vocals are really killing it, though the guitar is taking a back seat that makes me think this album might be heavier if they were pushed forward or maybe I am not listening to it loud enough yet. "Thorns' is a logical step from where they were on "Foundations of Burden". There are plenty of those angular riffs snaking themselves around the songs .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/pallbearer-heartless.html

 

3-Loss- Horizonless

So here is everything you liked about “Despond” , but made heavier by fuller production. The guttural gurgle of vocals remains, but over the course of the album more vocal colors have been added. There is a  more scathing higher pitched black metal like snarl that explodes out of " the Joy of All Who Sorrow". They even give me the creepy  lower  baritone that I grew up loving as a poor goth child. This album is a triumph by the band and everything I can want out of this brand of doom.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/loss-horizonless.html

 

 2 - Tombs -"The Grand Annihilation"

 I think it's obvious that this is the soundtrack the world needs right now. The album is almost split into two parts on the front end If you thought the more post-punk elements were diluting the more metallic properties then make most mistake this part of the  album is up in you as metal as it gets. Then if your tastes fall more on the dark side as mine do than you have to hang on and your get that too.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/tombs-grand-annihilation.html

1- Goatwhore-"Vengeful Ascension"

 They continue to kill it on their 7th album.>Sure there is not a wild deviation from their sound, but the song writing is more focused and highlights the band's strength and energy. This might also be one of the band's most melodic albums. It seems like they have more readily embraced their death metal side. So in the swirl of hybrid sub-genres that make this band up death metal is the predominant ingredient this go around. The second song "Under the Flesh, Into the Soul" finds more of the blackened thrash like sound that has colored the past two albums. There are some pretty hooky riffs, and it would make you think that my rule of "cool riffs alone , don't make a good song" would hit a band like this hard. This is not the case as a key component to their song writing is having every thing is the perfect place.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/goatwhore-vengeful-ascension.html

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the Melvins : " a Walk with Love & Death"

If Mike Patton gives these guys a huge thumbs up it's hard to argue, though he is also a fan of a special needs choir, so tastes in music might be subject to change. In the here and now is what we are going to focus because despite their legacy the reality is you are only as good as your last album. For the purpose of this review I am splitting this double album up as the first part "Death" is a rock album and the second part "Love" is a film score which I have lower expectations for. They deliver on the opening track it has the creeping groove and Buzz actually trying to sing is what I want from this band. They continue on a more melodic path with more guitar heroics thrown at almost a classic rock level with "Soberdellic" "Euthanasia" has a more doom like feel and is the first really heavy song. The first song that really goes sideways with the album's momentum in a more garage way is " What's Wrong With You" which doesn't really connect with me as solidly as the other songs thus far. There is a really tight Ted Nugent "Strangle Hold like groove on "Edgar the Elephant". The backing vocals are very Beatles, so they are back on track with what has worked so far on this album.

They are back on more of a classic rock tip for "Flaming Creature" with squealing guitars coming out of the corners. You can here how their influence extends even into bands like Queens of the Stoneage. There is a darker undercoating to this song, despite it's stoner rock fuzz. They relax into a bong laden groove that reminds me more of Clutch on "Christ Hammer" . I like the effects on Buzz's vocals. The chorus is more freedom rock than you would expect from them. The guitar work pretty much compensates for this .  "Cactus Party" continues the more Kiss like party boogie and away from the more sludge like past. This is just straight rock n roll. "Cardboa Negro" returns to the brand of tension that I expect from these guys at this juncture in time. Thus concludes the first half of this review.  I'll give this album a 9 as there is only one song that doesn't really work for me.

So when it comes to reviewing the film score part of this album. Well it's really a waste of time. I sat listening for an actual song to appear and there was only one burst of garage rock that was nothing to write home about . So it is pretty negligible , just a bunch of noise and atmosphere. Melvins fans will not be missing out on anything if they skip the score altogether, as I know I am going to pretend it doesn't exist.

The Birthday Massacre : "Under Your Spell"

The first time I heard this project was via an ex-girlfriend when their first album came out many moons ago. I was turned off by the fact that it was way too happy from the image projected by how they marketed themselves and it reminded me of  something from an anime soundtrack. So giving them another shot years later I am happy to say that is toned way down in favor for a darker more melancholy tone. I guess when it comes to poppy darkwave bands like Chrvches have taken it way into the mainstream, so having taken note of where music has gone since their inception the needed changes were made. I am on the defensive expecting Asian girls with pom poms to come dancing out with cyber dreads at any time. But now we are avoiding major keys and they keep things with a shadow around the silver lining even going into the third song which hint at dub-step tones bubbling under the surface. The production value having of course evolved with the times to make this a smooth slick machine.

There is a lighter note to the more sugar laced melodies of "Without You" that benefits from smart pop song writing sensibilities. There is more drive to "Counterpane" that give the singer's voice the feeling that she is more of a rock singer than she actually is. So here is there secret. These guys are well versed in what their limitations are and know how to turn them into strengths. This seems to have come from experience. The thick electro beat of "Unkind" gives the song enough heft to counter balance the more anime sounding key board melodies. The chorus does lack the punch to compliment this beat and is not as hooky as the previous songs, even when the guitar comes in a the refrain. There is a more of an early 00's pulse to "Games" . If you are thinking Evanescence you are pretty close. The vocals are poppier , but devoid of any nu-metal so I'll take that.

"Hex" is one of the album's strongest songs. It finds the beat and the vocals working well together to find them playing to their strengths.  There is more guitar leading into what turns into a more tender "No Tomorrow". The song builds back into a more brooding chorus rather than going big as expected. They go into more of a dream pop feel with "the Lowest Low". Which is a ballad I suppose. "Endless" picks up into what would be a more typical dance floor filler. Not the album's most inspired song, but typical for what they do. I like this album, it's entertaining. I'll give it a 8.5 for now and see how it grows on me.

Tired Minds : " Loom"

It would be an exaggeration to say hardcore isn't my thing. I used to really be into and then the days of Myspace came and ruined the bulk of it. This Australian brings a varied form of it that owes more to newer screamo bands like La Dispute. Their drummer helps bring a varied maze of tempos to the party and tends to steer clear of too many punk beats which I appreciate. I like how on "Worm of the Earth" the tempo can be so jarring. On the more moody and melodic "Roots" the vocal get mixed into the background. The vocals are this bands weak spot as the stay in an emotive yell but its pretty monotone. Even when they vary their phrasing to mimic singing. "Mona" is interesting as the run a sample of a lady talking and build it into a gang vocal chorus.

They lower the bar for themselves by going into more run of the mill hard core for "War on Film". There is a lower growled vocal under the yelled vocal on the title track which has more emotion behind it. There is also the darker current that I was reading this band had. Which the bar for dark is high for me. Some of these songs are so short it's easy to loose track of where you are .I went from "Midnight Man" to the last song without knowing what point in the album I was at. It has a cohesive feel, sometimes there is a more Fugazi sing song quality to the backing vocals. The main vocals are pretty redundant at this point. There is a mathy riff that comes in towards the end of the song.

They use similar melodic riffs to lead into things as Converge at times. This gives "Good By You" and edge over some of the other songs. They end the album with "Dead in the Living Room" This last song didn't really do a lot for me to engage my ears , but it's not bad. I will give this album an 8.5. With more varied vocals it might have scored higher. If you like more modern screamo I guesss that shouldn't bother you and you can round it up.

Hundredth : "Rare"

While I like these guys, I think before you are quick to throw the post-punk label on them and start comparing them to The Smiths or Joy Division, know that they have much more in common with Silversun Pickups. The cooed androgynous yawn of the vocals begin to start sounding the same come the second song. This also reminds me of many of the post Pumpkins bands that came out of Britain in the late 90s - early 00s. They some times pack a little more of a metallic punch. Word on the street is these guys used to be a hard core band. They stay in the middle of the road shoe-gaze inspired flavor of alternative rock . There is a little bit of a more Stone Roses like feel to "Hole". The vocals don't change, but tempo wise things are more driving. Lyrically it's also a little more interesting.

By the time we get to "Suffer" it's starting to feel like they are slightly a one trick pony.  They have more of a punk thing going with the attack of "Disarray" . The vocals keep on the same track they have for the entire album. They bring it back down for "Down". The guitars and vocals are equally smooth as they coast along with the mid tempo beat. Yelled background vocals coast in during the songs final moments. They album is well produced and they get some awesome guitar tones. It's also very monochrome when it comes to the emotional notes they hit. "Shy Vein" has some darker notes to it before building up into a guitar part that would not sound out of place on a Cult album. I am sure they want to be compared to the Cure, but for a former punk band they seem to have forgotten where they came from. Some weird effects creep in to change the colors in a few spots.

There are a few spots where it sounds like the bass could use more balls and if the tone growled a little more it might make this sonically heavier. The vocals finally take on a little more of a croon on "Chandelier" this makes it one of the album's more solid songs as I don't need lots of change just a little more shading in terms of dynamics. On 'Youth " the vocals have an almost Morrissey like croon and they stay in a lower register, though smooth higher end of baritone for the last song as well. That is what this album needed as those songs before this where becoming a blur. Their guitar tone can compensate for a lot otherwise. The invisible bass player never really surfaces like they need to , but the guitars are well layered. I'll give this album an 8.5 , they do a good job for what it is , you just need to adjust your expectations realistically when defining what that is.

Cavernlight : " As We Cup Our Hands and Drink From the Stream of Our Ache"

The fact I found these guys on Noisey could play for or against them depending on how much hipster they get in their metal. This is dark and dense. Not limited to doom tempos though the kind of depressing places doom goes is in this band from Wisconsin's zip code. Not venturing over the 8 minute mark  they are not trying to drone you into submission. The vocals sound like a mountain lion that is being tortured. There is a greater sense of melody in the guitar that opens up the second song.   like Eyehategod on different drugs than the guys in Eyehategod actually do. Where Eyehategod are hateful these guys are too depressed to get in touch with their hate on that animal level despite the vocals. The vocals actual sit back further in the ix on this one.

"Wander part 2' is more of an interlude than an actual song as it lingers in minimal post -rock like atmosphere. Then there is an almost shoe gaze like hypnosis that set in with "To Wallow in the Filth that Dwells Where Despair is Born".  I like this melody and it's shame the melodic possibilities are left to wander in the filth.The songs potential is abandoned around the four minute mark. Female vocals come in a lend a more Ragana like feel to the song though this is the touch of dynamics that the album needed. They go into a more black metal climax, so these guys only flirt with doom, but like many bands of this day and age they dip into a few genres.

I'll give this album an 8.5 . Any one who tries to claim it's their album of the year is just being a hipster, but this is pretty good when it embrace the more melodic side. I would like to hear more from these guys as their is potential. If you want dark dreamy post-rock tinged sludge then this is worth your time.

White Suns : "Psychic Drift"

The sound of falling asleep on your synth so that it presses all the keys at once and sounds like a traffic jam is cool to hipsters. To me it's a red flag that these guys might be out to waste my time with some art school bull-shit. 7 minutes in and they have yet to cross over into something you could consider music.This could have condensed into 3 minutes of horrid noise rather than fourteen as it's not like they go anywhere with it any way. Some idiot who supported this one their Bandcamp page said the vocal performances are stellar as well. This is just spoken word how can that be a stellar vocal performance unless you fucking sing. Two minutes into the second buzz of noise they are trying to call a song and I being to wonder why did Flenser ever bother wasting their time with this.

On a "Year Without Summer" they practice plugging their instruments in to see if they can make static feedback sound. The so called stellar vocal performance does not turn into singing just yelling that you can hear from any drunk at a train station. So far this so called album has yet to produce any music. I think to be a band you have to make music. Which requires notes of some kind that hopefully form a melody, a song is a series of patterns that for melodies. So at the very basic core of what music is this is bull shit. Maybe performance, but go do it in an art gallery somewhere and don't bother with recording this shit. So this band and the term band is used rather loosely here, has the honor of scoring a 0 which is the first band to ever do that in the five or so years I have been doing this blog. If you like this I would for you to kill yourself as the world could used less idiots who think it's funny to have bad taste in music. Far beyond terrible, hopefully who ever made this gets AIDS and dies and that is the best thing I could wish for them, in fact AIDS is to noble a death extreme anal prolapse might be what best serves them.

Spare Spells : " the Narrows"

This band from Portland makes a slinky indie rock that is too cool for you. The vocals are breathy like Love & Rockets. They have surf rock guitar grooving behind them and the bass buried somewhere in the mix beneath the clunky drums. Female vocals float in from time to time. If this came out of LA it would probably be death rock so it's an interesting exercise in nature vs nurture as these guys are products of their environment. They jangle into the second with a lo-fi charm. Some of the guitar tones are better than others. This makes me wonder. So if you get it right on one track does that mean you just didn't give a shit about the other one? The vocals have more hipster indifference to them than melancholy. I am not sure at this point if I would even call these guys post-punk. Mainly because it's so relaxed and drugged out there is no tension which is a key ingredient. The second song is too drugged out to even keep it up.

Things improve on "Neither / Neither" as there is more darkness to it's slink. The chick in the background seems to have a better voice so I am not sure why the whispering guy gets to hog the mic all the time. "Black Tom" reminds me a little of pre-"Daydream Nation" Sonic Youth. The vocal trade off is very similar and I am going to go ahead and guess that is one of their major influences. This song ambles with noise coming from different places than Sonic Youth Normally goes but the feel is still similar. The guitar lines have a little more hook to them which helps as well. The album is littered with some quirky noise interludes. The females vocal get more time on the mic as the album progresses. The bass really needs to come up in the mix as it would give the groove some backbone. I think that is the main problem with this album. No bottom end equal no balls.

Sure the wheel is not being re-invented here but these guys are at least not just ripping off Joy Division, which at this point I appreciate. "Dead?" is more noise, it's not until "the Final Girl " that they lock into something more solid. The keyboards actually help form a slithering groove. The drums are just getting the job done by the skin of their teeth and one of this band's weaker spots. The more surreal swirl the drift into is more of their strong suit. "Hexorcism" drifts aimless in a cloud of pot smoke. I think if I was doing drugs I would like this in the same way I used to like Psychic Tv's more surreal moments , but Psychic Tv are just better songwriters. I'' be generous enough and score them on creativity and keep this at a 8 as I have enough of a beard to realize these guys are not going for chops.

Tombs - "the Grand Annihilation"

Any questions regarding Tombs legitimacy as black metal is cleared the fuck up right from the first few notes. The guitar tone peels your face off and leaves a bloody stain on the wall behind you.  Mike Hill's growl has a Neurosis-like rasp to it when the song slows down as the lyrics are articulated. The songs are all respectable lengths rarely venturing over the seven-minute mark. There is more of a deliberate gallop to "Cold". Drummer Charlie Schmid really pulls his weight when it comes to the double bass on this song. The only thing I have noticed and this is two songs in is this feels more like a metallic effort than "All Empires Fall". The chords sometimes dip into the shadows, but darkness is not as pervading. The only reason I think Fade Kainer might still be involved is the way the vocals are layered on "the tear away the Veil" . If there are synths on this they are mixed way the hell down. By the time we get to "Old Wounds" I begin to miss the more goth touches of previous albums, this is solved by a more death rock vocal thrown in for two phrases.  They are certainly good at giving you straight-up metal, but I need the more atmospheric touches to balance it out.

This shadow side of the band begins to make itself known again going into "November Wolves" I am not asking for a lot here, just little touches like how a sung vocal doubles up the harsh declarations. The song has a bulldozing groove to its chug. The vocal refrain in the last two minutes is pretty awesome and well-sung. I also like that this song reminds me a little of Dissection. The darkness becomes the main focus with the sung vocals that take the mic on "Underneath" which seems to be perfectly tailored to my personal music tastes. So thanks guys for that. When you think of goth metal it's normally so frilly and Vampire of the Masquerade that it takes all the balls from it. As much as I love them I will admit that this even took the edge from Type O Negative at times. But they prove you can have the best of both worlds.

They hit you with a more frontal assault on the scathing blast of "Way of the Storm". I think Hill's commentary on the world around him is veiled is post-apocalyptic imagery with stars falling from the sky.  When they slow into a more Celtic Frost-like chug the results are stunning. They stay in a similar grinding tempo on "Shadows At the End of the World". The lyrical theme of the world being broken and burning with killing fields being reaped continues. I like this as I think it sucks that all the metalheads are on my Facebook crying about how Trump is the anti-Christ and wanting peace. What a bunch of posers, if you are going to be into black metal or death metal then this is the end you should have been wanting, destruction and chaos if you like to toy with them vicariously through songs, but are afraid if what it looks like in real life then the diapers are on aisle 9. Then again I am a depressed nihilist so I hope we all get nuked by North Korea, it will have me another suicide attempt.

Sorry for the rant but it is relevant here as it reflects the sort of world painted by the lyrics of this album."Temple of Mars" doesn't paint a happier picture either. The vocals are somewhere between spoken and sung, with bass dragging them down into the cosmic ocean. "Walk Me into Nightmares" is almost more rock in the throb the guitar goes into. The vocals are similar to those in the previous song. This might be my favorite song on the album, even though it's not the heaviest by far, but if you know my tastes by now you will understand this. There is still even greater rock styling to the perhaps more dreary "Saturnalian" . The black metal tremolo picking surfaces and the harsher vocal return. The bass and the drums are locked in like a machine. At the three-minute mark things slow back down and get darker and more chaotic. I think it's obvious that this is the soundtrack the world needs right now it without question gets a 10. The album is almost split into two parts on the front end If you thought the more post-punk elements were diluting the more metallic properties then make most mistake this part of the album is up in you as metal as it gets. Then if your tastes fall more on the dark side as mine do then you have to hang on and you get that too.

Dying Fetus : " Wrong One to Fuck With"

There is more technical prowess exposed in the first song than I planned on. It is their 8th album so they have been at it long enough to do what ever needs to be done. The drumming is as bad ass as expected. But if you are in a death metal band , your drummer has to be the shit. The first song resonates with me more than the second which feels more like they just threw a bunch of riffs at the wall to see what would stick. They go into a more bone headed approach to lowest common denominator death metal on their more straight forward attempts . Lots of jack hammer fucking , which lets be honest when it comes to sex is vanilla as fuck so why different with metal. It's when they slow things down on "Reveling in the Abyss" that things get better . They are not able to restrain themselves for long. There is more of a straight up metal bent to the riff leading into "Seething With Disdain" which is propelled by a powerful that makes this the first song that really connects with me.

The vocal are low and guttural , everything you could want out of death metal. They sound really good with stacked with overdubs. The shredding sections might be good to masturbate to, but take away from a little of the brutality so go thing the rest of the song has that in spades. Some of the more shred tinged riffs work better when just thrown in for effect and don't phase the momentum. The need for speed it met while not sacrificing the song on the tightly chugged "Ideological Subjugation" . It's hard not to head bang to. "Weaken the Structure" just kinda blasts by me. "Fallacy" is a similar fast form of death metal that threatens to do the same as the aggression alone is not enough to hook me in.

From this point on the brutal nature what they do has numbed me out and it all begins to sound like a blur. Some riffs carry more hook in their bite. The rule around here is cool riffs alone do not make a good song. This leaves the often atonal grunt of the growled vocals to focus more on placement and they have to make songs that are more than a place holder for a guitar solo. The title track proves they can be brutal and write a good song . So whats  the excuse for all the filler ? Ok at least two songs could have been trimmed to get rid of the bloat so that means this album gets an 8.

M.O.D- " Busted, Broke & American"

The lines between Storm Troopers of Death and Billy Milano's solo project that made a more light hearted attempt at carrying on where he left off , were once clearly defined. On the first song from the band's new album it sounds like they are wanting to be more like S.0.D . This is not always the case as they remember who they are on " You're a Fucking Dick". Milano's voice as more grit to it these days. The heaviness almost steam rolls the more laughable lyrical themes. He spits out the lyrics with more anger. At times the approach reminds me of Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies. The title track eludes to Black Flag influences that were bubbling under the surface. The vocals are more sung going into the solo and work better than I expected. They cram a tone of song into three minutes.

"Fight" sees the reverse in motion. They take a concept that feels like it doesn't have as much gas in it and turn it into a three minute. The guitars attack with a tight metallic chug. I finally hear the bass wrestle it's way into the mix. There is a more of an old school mosh feel to "Hooligan". It feels like one of the album's stronger songs, despite the elephant in the room on this album seems to be M.O.D, was always a metal band, S.O.D was a metal band. Sure they came to the thrash crossover and had more punk influence. In fact S.o.d was the one metal band that punks listened, that till didn't change what they did. They trade off punk riffs and metal riffs. There was not a clear line and if there is then it breezed pat me as we were more than half  way into "Billy Be Damned" before I realized it was a new song and that's right before the mosh break. They race through the song at a punk pace. Their song about hard core punk, seems a little forced.

 The bass tone to "They" might not be as bad ass as the bass tone Dan used in S.O.D, but it works for this album. There are interesting little vocal overdubs in places here and there. The drummer proves himself to be pretty solid on this song as well. 'All Out of Bubblegum" is really just an instrumental interlude. They stay on the very straight ahead punk bent aside from the sung vocals on the chorus of "Go Go Revolution". This song is better than most. Overall this is not the best M.O.D album I think the mid life personality crisis Milano is having here waters this down with run of the mill punk and takes away the potential it could have had. Even with that said there are solid moments, and these guys re old pros so they are able to pull off an 8 even half assing it. Still this should have been a 10.

Carach Angren :"Dance And Laugh Amongst the Rotten"

I know being creepy is their thing. This album takes them more into the melodramatic style of metal that King Diamond has mastered and at this point they are less black metal than even Cradle of Filth. The songs have less bells and whistles. They are sharp and more focused. Though at times the narrative can make them lyrically unweildly. It's less of a concept album than the last one.There are just scary themes based of folk lore like Bloody Mary.Some of the symphonic elements are still in place, but over all I think this album has a more stripped down feel and seems like something I could more easily hear them playing live.  Some of the theatrics don't feel as natural as what King Diamond , does and even with the ole King, he has sometimes lost me on an album like" the Puppet aster" where the creepy narrative voice didn't sit we with me, On some songs it's more balanced out , actually their batting average in this regard is pretty good

Their drummer goes above and beyond to get job done. The songs might not have as many twist and turn this time, but they do get heavier in the way the songs modulate at times almost more like breakdowns. News flash on "Pitch Black Box" they prove you can still write metal songs that are only three minutes long and still have time to dress it up with theatrics. The bouncy groove the song would almost appeal to nu-metal hold outs though it doesn't bounce with any hip-hop aspirations,after all these guys are from the Netherlands. You might continue to sing the drummer's praises if you are a fan of double bass when you hear what he does "the Possession Process". On the past where he snarls "raped by evil" the jerky riff fits better than when they try to employ this sort of thing earlier in the album.

"Three times Thunder Strikes" has a more Dimmu feel. The riffing even uses the kind of tight chug they employ. It's almost to straightforward for these guys. Then the album closes with the orchestral version of "Charles Francis Coghlan" which for the purpose of this review and really most people who are not at a school like Berklee redundant. Overall I was a little more impressed with the previous album, I'll give this more streamlined version of the band an 8.5 as it is still quality and focused. If you want very middle of the road "black metal" that's easy to swallow then this might be a good entry way, but this album is more symphonic metal than black metal anyway.

Elder : "Reflections of a Floating World"

The Boston stoner rock band is back. This is their third album. The guitar heroics really take the spot light three and half minutes in. The layered production is very lush and it's clear these guys are not far removed from progressive rock.

Volur : "Ancestors"

It is moments of discovery like this one that makes what I do so enjoyable, because I have to sort through tones of albums before I find one that is this unique.

Report to the Dance Floor : Katy Perry's "Witness"

I don't think I have been closeted about my love of pop music. Ms. Perry is mainstream, but so is Depeche Mode. She fits in the electronic music I cover here. The album opens with a pop take on house music. I am sure a remix of this will be huge in the gay clubs, the song doesn't have the kick I want from her. Her voice sounds very mature and she has grown into an almost more r&b rooted pop sound holding her own against her peers here vocally. I am not going to claim she is the greatest singer.Nor am I going to say that I don't like looking at her more than Taylor Swift whose music I respect more. I am going to need to give this album another listen through head phones as there is not enough bass to "Hey Hey Hey" . The vocal melodies don't do wonders for me and I expect a lot from her when it comes to pop music because she has busted at songs like "Dark Horse".

In many ways it remind me of my initial listen to "Prism" that had at  the singles grow on me.
least. "Roulette" works more for me. There is almost a new wave like slickness to the synth lines and the vocal lines are stronger. 'Swish Swish" feels like typical gay house even with the rap interlude and doesn't wow me. "Deja Vu" feels like Euro house and the lyrics are a little awkward, but it's better than "Swish Swish" despite leaning more towards filler. "Power" is more soulful pop like something you would expect on a Beyonce album. I was hoping "Mind Maze" would make more sense on my second listen. The track is a little minimalist, though layers do get added. The ballad "Miss You More" is much more fully formed, hell, It's a good fucking song.

I think I was already sold on "Chained to the Rhythm" . The vocals on the verses pretty much seal the deal, I could do without the Marley spawn on the track. "Tsunami" is a pretty chill track, Which is also a nice way of saying there is not a helluva lot to it. "Bon Appetit" is one of the album's stronger songs, it reminds me a little of the second Dee-Lite album. The track even with head phones is dependent on the plastic beats , but her vocals do most of the heavy lifting with the phrasing. "Bigger Than Me" is produced like a Future track. I would not be surprised if I found Metro Boomin did the beats for this album. The chorus kicks in a little more than some of the other songs, but I am I not really blown away by it. She plays it safe not just with this song but most. The beginning of "Save as Draft" could be a Sigur Rios song. This song has the dynamics I have wanted out of most the songs that have kinds breezed by me. I can hear where Bjork was an influence on her.

Then "Pendulum"  reminds me a little of Peter Gabriel's poppier moments. The synths build like "Abacab" Genesis. The album closes with "Into Me You See" which is piano ballad that I should have seen coming. She floats up into her head register. I think "Miss You More" is a better ballad. It doesn't  build the way I want it to and flats a little flat.  I'll give this an 8 and see how it grows on me. I think "Teenage Dream" is looking like her high point as this one is decent , but we know she can write as good of a pop song as anyone when she really tries , but it feels like she might be into being a celebrity more than a singer, which is why I tend to not cover these sort of things, guess my lesson is learned til Tayor Swift puts out a new one, but I won't subject you to Chris Stapleton . This is better than what I have heard thus far from Miley Cyrus .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/eighteen-visions-xviii.html

Necrot : "Blood Offerings"

Well when these guys have their PR people claim they sound like classic death metal they are not lying.

Eighteen Visions : "XVIII"

Checking this album out as there is a bunch of hype about it since they apparently haven't released one in some time. I know they hail from the Myspace era so I many of their fans grew up to listen to real metal. The first song pretty standard hardcore with bigger production and a more metallic guitar sound, not bad but not the second coming either. By the second song I know they will not be able to restrain themselves from going into their more cock rock side that I remember. The screaming is decent and the first verse makes you think they are still pretty serious about being heavy.Then it happens on the chorus and the begin using the same hair spray that Avenged Sevenfold uses. However they are still more firmly planted in hard core than Avenged Sevenfold since their first album.They lead into "Underneath my Gun" with a sample from Ghostbusters. The clean vocals to waste as much time showing their true colors. Very similar in it's intention as the second song though the song writing is not as on point.

They bring clean guitar tones to the table for a second going into "Live Again" and the double bass work is decent. The song has more dynamic flow and I like the fact it's darker. I guess if I had to listen to metal core this would be the way to do it. I am always willing to sacrifice overt heaviness for better song writing. "Laid to Waste In the Shit of Man" will surely get a good pit going. even with the cock rock vocals that slide in. "the Oath" is very precise in it's hammering and proves they are good at what they do I just don't know if I have grown out of what they do. "Spit" has a pretty decent chorus, and I think I like the lyrics even though they are written with a tone of over blown teen angst. There is a very Guns n Roses like melodic break down that almost makes these guys seem like an angry Steel Panther.  "Picture Perfect" doesn't do anything new and makes it clear the formula is place.

"Fake Leather Jacket" uses a sample from "Wild at Heart" and has a big hair metal chorus. It's well done , but almost sounds too much like Avenged Sevenfold. I don't think Avenged Sevenfold even sounds that much like themselves anymore.There seems to be a lot of feeling in " For This I Sacrifice". For what it is it's a good song it really depends on how high your threshold for what this is might be . I think this is the face of modern metal for the mainstream kids in the suburbs who seem reluctant to change, it's heavy enough without presenting any real danger. At the end of the day it's well done and pretty well written for the most part ,my only problem with the album is it's likeness to Avenged Sevenfold ,so I will give it an 8.5, I am sure their fans are going to be oblivious to the issue I have with it as that's their thing.

OBELYSKKH : "the Providence"

Germany is doing it again. Fuzzed out sludge ridden doom seems to fit my mood this afternoon. Right off the bat with the title track that opens the album, I like the really hollow baritone vocals that almost have more of a post-punk feel. This builds into harsher roared vocal and then switches back on the following verse. There are familiar sounds, but it's clear by their fourth album these guys have found a sound that works for them. I am not sure why this song is not two songs as it seems like we could have had a clean break around the five and a half minute mark. The riff gets more sinewy. There is more of a "Children of the Grave" feel to "the Raving Ones" which doesn't feel as fresh as the opener. I can hear where they are more evenly matched with peers like Electric Wizard. I am more than half way through "Northern Lights" when I realize it's not the previous song. So the big lumbering guitar tone can give things a very uniform feel at times.

The next sprawling epic is "Nyx". The varied vocals styles lean more towards a mean sneer. The riff is powerful, but not re-inventing the wheel.  I am about five minutes in before I look up and check where I am at in this song, so that is a good sign. Though I have not been focused on it 100 percent and at times it begins to drift into background music. I check back in for the creepier passage around the seven minute mark. When the song begins to fade out into feedback and a linger snare beat I wonder why they are keeping it going. This is never answered. They employ a clean guitar tone at the beginning of "Aeons of Iconoclasm" , it stays with in the range of Neurosis zip code and closer to sludge than doom. There is more of a creepy atmosphere to the sonic swell of "Marzanna" I had to listen to this song a few times before it sank in. I like the dark throb of the verse riff and how it steers them away from your typical over blown doom. The effected vocals are layered to create a more trippy delivery than just being roared at you. Not that they don't roar as it builds.

While the first song really took me by storm, getting me excited enough to want this on my iPod , once it settles into the meat of the album we begin to hear somethings are more familiar than they are not. For what this is I think this album is well done and hits the mark where they wanted it. I'll give it an 8.5 as certainly puts them solidly on my radar and apart of the masses.

Rope Sect : "Personae Ingratae"

When the low baritone croon comes in the first thing I think about is Beastmilk. Lyrically there seems to be a fair share of bleak death worship. For a trio they kick up a pretty big sound. Much like early Beastmilk there is a rock n roll sound . More so on the second song,where the drums have more of a Nirvana like pound. "Pretty Life' finds a dark more western flavored guitar sound ringing out like the desert at night. I am more impressed when I find out these guys are from Germany, as that is not the landscape I see when I hear this. There promo pack which is always deceptive , references them as being death rock. I don't hear that I do hear them being solidly post-punk. The vocals are too dead pan in their croon to strike me as death rock. I see death rock as being more indulgent in it's emotional excesses no matter how many drugs they are on.

There is a more straight forward indie rock feel to "King of the Night". The drums once again a more explosive drive to the song. "Recess" has a more exotic quality to it's chord progression that makes me think of Wovenhand. There is a darker harder rock feel to the ominous "Ochlesis" . The drummer continue to really bang away at their kick to give an explosive propulsion to these songs. The more melodic break down is one of the album's best moments vocally. Though his croon never really gets belted out it has a more velvety touch here.They are back to rocking harder with "Death is Your Lover" . The vocals sit back into the mix a little more here. Overall this song is a little straight forward. "Rattenkonig" has the first touch of metal coming out of the verse. The verses are more subtle and remind me of 60's psychedelic. In someways they are like a male counterpart to Purson, though less prog and more grunge.

Overall this album was a real surprise for me and has been already awarded with heavy rotation, So I'll give it a 10 and see how it grows on me . While it's not full on goth. It is darker and moody. If I am digging it like I am then it means something as I am pretty jaded when it comes to this sort of thing and I could have easily gotten defense for it to come to close to the place I hold as a sacred memory in my heart for Beastmilk.