Black Metal History Month Kvelertak : "Splid"

These guys are being featured for Black Metal History Month as they have a blackened history. This is even more distant history as things have gotten weird on the 3rd album from these  Norwegian punks. It is less metal this time around, so much so my first  thought was .. this sounds like the Refused. This is their first album with new vocalist Ivar Nickolaisen .  The guitar harmonies are really clean in the vein of  Thin Lizzy. None of these elements are out of left field they are just dialed in with less aggression. There is a more rock n roll sound to the strummed guitar on "Crack of Doom" . This song is s sung in English and features Troy Sanders . This song also high lights where Ivar's vocals are different than his predecessors. They seem higher and more of a punk sneer than the more hostile and throaty growl of the past.

By the third song "Necrosoft" I have reigned myself to the fact this is not necessarily the same band. This allows me to just listen on a song by song basis to how this effort stacks up. Sonically there is more going on but with less density and intensity.  "Discord" is a more punk paced rocker. "Bratebrann" does the rock n roll thing better with a sharper edge to the guitar tone. All of the guitars sound great on this album and are masterfully executed. The multi tracked chorus  reminds me of Styx more than Queen which is what I think they were going for. Midway into the song they have already covered a great deal of ground, so their song writing has stepped up dynamically. In this way they have a made a logical progression from the first album which threw itself at you in a drunken howl. This album feels like it's being played by people who are stoned , not drunk.

From this point they begin to lean in more of  brisk jangling garage rock flavored style of punk. More polished than raw or rough edged. Not the first punk band to be influenced by Thin Lizzy. We begin to get variation of this theme with the dials turned more to rock . Not to say it is devoid of all metal moments just not how metal has really be defined since the mid 80s. Thss  is still a fun album and while it might not be a firmly planted in the wheel house of  what today's metal head listens to there are enough moments of thrashing to tempt you into giving this album multiple spins. The more new wave side of the 80s haunted the guitar tone of " Tevling" . I love this , but I can hear where their more metal minded fans might not embrace this despite the more explosive chorus. There are without a doubt more atmospheric layers going on with this album, yet it has a party vibe to it. I am not disappointed. There are some post -punk moments like "Delirium Tremens" which drives the point hom that I am the right demographic for these changes.   hough even this song builds into some of the album's more metal moments. There are few touches of black metal on the last song, but it pretty much aligns with what you expect from this band . I will give this one a 9 and see how it sits with me . comes out on Rise Records Feb 14th .

Wolf Parade : "Thin Mind"

This album might be more interesting lyrically than it is musically. Lyrically it's a frank take at the tech ruled lives of the younger generation. This makes it more biting. Musically it's like if you mixed the Strokes with the Cars. It has the smoothed out 80s pop feel that balances out the garage rock jangle that I might not like as much otherwise. "Julia Take Your Man Home" finds the roles almost reversed as the melodies, grooves and hooks are great. The lyrics are quirk and humorous , but not as much of a bullseye as the previous song. Though the line 'to say he loves you, would be unfair to you" .  "Forest Green" find them just kinda falling back into whatever one else in their genre does.
The melodies are giving more room to use finesse on "Out of Control" . This also allows his voice the apce to open up and sing more.

"the Static Age" has what sounds like political undertones, it's done in a pretty tasteful way. The guitar helps guide  this one's pop sensibilities . This is rock for the Coachella kids for sure , but it is really well done.  "As Kind as You Can" continues down the political road, it proves there is a way to to it that works. The surreal music flowing under it begins to shift the comparison to Xiu Xiu jamming with Arcade Fire. There is a more jazzy groove to " Fall Into the Future" ironically at this point in the album I became distracted by looking for things on the internet. More electronic elements are in play here to create atmosphere.  "Wandering Son" is less interesting than the previous song and plays off what I have heard other band already do .

"Against the Day" has a hookier groove to it. "Town Square" is more straight ahead Talking Heads inspired rock n roll. Because at the end of the all the bands I referenced as influences are all influenced by the Talking Heads.  I will give this album a 9 as it is very pleasing to my ears and making it into my iPod as it has a message worth hearing .

'Thy Catafalque : " Naiv"

The 9th album from this Hungarian metal project. The guitars touch on black metal , the rest of the sounds swirling around it are more like very proggy folk metal. If you are on the fence about the black metal part they remind you with some blast beats here and there. A harsher snarled vocal comes in at the half way point of this song. Thew second song finds the bass playing really shining. This sets the stage for horns to accent the groove. I know cool riffs alone does not a good song make, but this is done so right that it works. On the 3rd song the more folk elements of the Hungarian roots are brought out, though they still manage to retain metal qualities.

They dip into what sounds like jamming with a chamber orchestra at times . The extoci serpentine nature of the grooves prevails not matter what slant is being applied here. In trying to decide if I should use this for Black Metal History month  it seems like aside from the occasional riff here and there is is more of a progressive metal album. They test this from time to time with mean spirited harsher vocals.The production on this album is just as stunning as the performances. It blends organic sounds like flutes with more electronic elements and captures the more hefty metal sounds well. There are a great deal of instrumental sections on this album. They do not adhere to conventional song structures thus aiding in the more jammy structure. Sometimes of of these sounds in the same song.

When they go into a more straight forward folk metal approach the results are less impressive though highly executed.  The last act of the album finds the band more eager to reclaim their metal status. There is more of a prog slant to balance out the metal leaning with Middle Eastern Scales woven in. Some of the chord progressions remind me of Baroness. The last song is in a more metal gallop, owing more to power metal. There are keyboard solos all over it to add flare as well as a melodic break down. I will give this one a 9.5. A step up for the band , not sure how urgently I am going to feel compelled to listen to this album, but can commend what they have done here.

Psalm Zero : "Sparta"

The bass player and drummer from Kayo Dot are onboard this time around. In the past this project has reminded me of a poor's man's Katatonia. There is a New York hipster buzz to the band as evident with pairing up with Kayo Dot main main Charlie Lookers travels in those circles, yet it sounds very European, like something that would have come out in the early 2000s. His vocal is more dead pan than Jonas. Huis pitch is not as dead on either , the notes come across as a little flat in places. All of that aside it still makes for interesting listening as they do deviate from the typical gloomy hard rock formula. There ia an angular quality to it and I would say it is more experimental than what I have heard from past releases. There is a weird ambiance to the title track. The oddness is subtle, not something I can readily point a finger at which says something,. The vocals work more for me on this one, though the song it self doesn't wow me as much as the opener.

Keyboards begin to have more of a presence on "the Last Faith"> The song is mainly driven by metal riffs. The lyrics are more interesting on "No Victim" . They sound like a metal version of Devo. When I go into this in more of that mindset, my expectations are more in line with reality. The guitar breaks down into a more muted tension on the verses. It also reminds me a little of Ghost on this one, which is odd because I hate Ghost, but like this song. This is a much more straight forward effort than the first few songs. There is a more minimal arrangement to "Return to Stone" .Kristin Hayter guests on this one and her vocals are more dominate. She does not annoy me like she does on her solo work. "Animal Outside" is another melodic hard rock song

There is an instrumental interlude then the album closes on a darker note with "  a Pill" . It makes me think back to the rest of the album which can be atmospheric in shades of gray, but is not a dark album. The vocals are improved , but can be a sticking point for my overall enjoyment. I will give this album an 8.5, so the songs them self compensate for the vocals, if y ou are a fan of this band then this should not phase you.



This album comes out February 24th .

Sonsombre :" One Thousand Graves"

This will be the one Sisters of Mercy worshipping act I will review til Gothtober. I have a tenuous relationship with Eldritch and company since Sisters of Mercy is the second worst concert I have ever witnessed, the first being the last time I saw Marilyn Manson. The bass playing is the best thing about the first song. It plays off all the goth tropes. More dark wave than death rock, despite the fact real instruments rather than button pushing sounds to be the order of the day. Tedium begins to set in as early as the second song. I foresee this getting worse with each song that sets in if this is the level of original ideas that are being brought to the table. Funny enough this album is begin released by Cleopatra Records who first house the 90s second wave of goth.

"Like Rats" works better than "Until the Sun Goes". None of this sucks, but it does seem all too familiar. It's not all a total SIsters rip off as the intro to "Darker Skies" reminds me of "the Forest" before Lucretia starts being my reflection. The simplistic drum patterns begin to hold some of the songs back by the time we get to "Lights Out". Despite the stellar bass playing that would would better if it had more to lay the foundation with. The apce shifts to a slower more dismal mood on " Slumber" . It is back to the same old same old with "Highgate", this makes it feel like all the songs are beginning to sounds the same. The title track is a little more dancey.

 I do like how "This Procession" sounds like " One Hundred Years" sped up. A good example of how you can take something and give it enough of a spin to make it your own. They do not do this one the last and fall into more lukewarm Sisters tributes. Where they win is capturing the tried and true sounds of goth. Since I love goth, I am going to find these sounds pleasing enough for redundancy not to bug me enouygh to detour me. This album has enough moments for me to give it an 8. I like the sources they are pulling from I just wish that I could hear more of who they actually are. I already own all the Sisters albums. Is being released on Cleopatra Records.




 

Deathmaze : " Eau Rouge"

Here is an interesting band from Belgium. I will go ahead and tell you that Belgium has a pretty flourishing punk scene. If you miss the old days of Night Sins before they became so polished and poppy then this might be the album you are looking for. It is less cold wave and more post punk than Night Sins. His voice is more like King Dude than Andrew Eldritch.Their sound which does have some song writing to it works really well the first two songs. It is when we get three songs into it that  I begin to hear that They learned one Joy Division riff and decide to make the most of it. Sometimes his vocals take on a husky bark more like Lemmy, not as guttural as death metal.

They get more aggressive on "Half a Sun" but it's basically the same riff they have been using for the first four songs. There is a slight variation on "Flames Eternal" that gives it more ofa Cure like sound than Joy Division. The throaty vocals also give it more of a Killing Joke spin. As you can see there ware influences to please "goth" fans from every direction. The drum programming is also a little flat so it's a mixed bag here in terms of their over all sound. I bet it is fun live though with this blaring at you.  I do like how the guitar modulates and brings more of a sonic heaviness to the end. They need to do this more instead of holding static tension so often.

They break away from the tense static guitar parts for a more nuance and strummed guitar part for "Cybercrime". It is weird how the more coarse vocal off sets the lighter more melodic music. The sung vocals come in and for ma weird pattern . Almost a poly- rhythmic chant Overall this is a pretty solid effort despite some of the uniformity in sounds. I will give this an 8.5, I like it because despite it's faults it is not just a Joy Division tribute or too far into the punk side of the equation yet has some anger to it. .  Being released on Throat Ruiner Records."

Godthrymm : "Reflections"

More straight doom than I assumed it would be as going into this I suspected it might be more along the lines of death metal. Granted this does feature former members of My Dying Bride, Solstice and Anathema. The vocals really come through as the saving grace, they are aggressive yet still sung. The music is more in line with funeral doom. The second song works , but doesn't feel as inspired as the opener. There is more atmosphere on " the Sea as My Grave". There is a touch of My Dying Brides more theatrical moments on this one. The vocals provide more of a narration than a melody.  They lock back onto the more melodic direction that works best for them on " We Are the Dead".  "Light of Day" does pick up into the kind of cool Entombed like part that breaks things up well/.

They get into more of an epic Candlemass style of  doom on "the Grand Reclamation". His voice sounds great here. He once again uses grit gracefully. In the last two minutes the pace picks up yet again which seems to be their formula. They do a good job capturing dark and melancholy sounds , but still giving the guys who just showed up to head band something to sink their teeth into. "Cursed Are the Many" feels like more of a grinding direge than the haunting tone of the previous songs. In some ways all of these are dirges, this band just knows how to bring different kinds of dirges to the table. This one is more in the Crowbar vein.  At just over nine minutes these guys are still using restraint when it comes to song writing.

The album closes with "Chasmic Sorrows" which is a five minute instrumental. It is pleasing to the ears , but considering how important the vocals are to what they do it sounds like a cool idea more than a actual song. In some ways this album falls in line with what you might expect from British doom, aside from owing little to Sabbath, in other's it has a sludgey American sound,.It's an excellent album I will give it a 9. For all tyour heartbreak to come this albums comes out on Valetines and is being released by Profound Lore.

What I Want in 2020

This public service announcement is becoming a tradition. It bears repeating .  I listen to hundreds of albums of the course of a month. Not all get reviewed. I do all the reviews personally for this site, it's a huge investment of time. In order to not waste my 2020 it is pointless for me to listen to a death metal band that just sounds like every other death metal band.  I  have to work smart not hard and make use of the limited time I have to invest in this blog wisely.This s brings us to you dear band, p/r firm, or record label. Here is what I want from you in 2020..it's not vastly different from what I wanted last year, but a few tweaks have been made.

 I want black metal... but not just a blast fest or something that sounds like a Darkthrone album I heard ten years ago. I prefer you to be depressive, this trend of ripping off Dissection, is no longer going to fly now that I already have Watain and Tribulation under my belt. Don't sound like you were recorded in your grand ma's basement, but don't sound like Nightwish either.Some of my favorite black metal bands are Shining, Tombs, Urfaust, Totalselfhatred, Lifelover, Mayhem, Burzum & Watain if you need a point of reference in the sonic neighborhood.


 I want doom... I want the darkness and sonic depth of funereal doom without every song being dragged out over ten minutes. No excessive Sabbath worship, more doom than retro rock. Here is a rule for death doom since that applies to the current trend. If you are death doom, you need to do more than just play slow death metal, I need melancholy from you. My favorite doom bands are Pallbearer, Mournful Congregation, Evoken, Loss, Solitude Aeturnus, Ahab, Esoteric...don't rip these guys off, but you know the sonic zip code I am moving in.

 I want death metal...deep dark and atmospheric, yet not a total Incantation or Morbid Angel rip off, nothing derivative of Cannibal Corpse. See the above rules about death doom as well.My favorite death metal bands are ...Necros Christos, Obituary, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Goatwhore..stuff in those realms works.

 I want thrash...once again dark, think Voivod, Dark Angel and Testament, but don't be a carbon copy of those bands, melody and catchy riffs at must.

 I want punk and hardcore...don't preach, be able to play your instruments and write a song, if you don't know how to do this refer to the Misfits or Minor Threat. Dark is good just ask old Iceage. Fast won't make you better, loud might. My favorite punks bands aside from the ones mentioned here are ...New Model Army, TSOL, The Stooges, the Dead Boys, Black Flag, Poison Idea, Discharge...you get the picture

 I am not opposed to power-metal and folk metal...don't get too happy or sound like Helloween. Be dark and angry, think Kamelot or Tyr. Give me something that makes me want to play D&D without cheesing me out. No LARPing.


 I want death rock...but sonically intense, sleazy, drugged out, surreal, be able to sing and not just a punk band playing dress up. I want industrial...do drugs and make me believe it, this world is about to end I need you to set the mood, bring guitars. have your drums crush me... favorite death rock bands include Christian Death, Alaric, Atriarch, Cemetery, 45 Grave, Specimen, Alien Sex Fiend


 I want indie rock...be dark be melodic, be angular, use cool guitar tones don't just jangle, have some balls, experiment, shoe gaze is fine , just write songs don't drone.Some of my favorite indie rock bands include, Pinback, Minus the Bear, the Smiths, the Dears , the Twilight Sad, Glasvegas

 I want sludge...don't just sound like Neurosis, check out Bloodlet, dark as fuck is a must, atmosphere a plus, dynamics just as important other examples include Acid Bath, Fistula, Ilsa, Fister, Amen Ra


 I want goth...good beats and vocals are a must. Work old and new into something your own. Elegance is a must. Siouxsie rip offs no thanks. A dash of dark wave helps. goth covers a lot of ground so here are some of the places I go Cocteau Twins, Type O Negative, Bauhaus, Strvngers

 I want rock...here it can be tricky, some kind of shadow side or melancholy is a must, Black Foxxes did an excellent job of doing this a couple of years ago as did most of the grunge bands from the 90s. Have some balls, I don't expect you to be metal.

 I want prog rock...there is a hug gap left by Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum, at the same time I love 70s prog like Gabriel era Genesis and King Crimson, so dark not too happy or flowery, be able to shred when needed, but not just acrobatics, most important don't sound like Dream Theater.

I am also fine with other kinds of music Country, Pop, folk, hip hop...be dark be different. If you are Taylor Swift and an abosolute songwriting savant then the dark thing has wiggle room. But there is only one Tay Tay. ...other bands I am into are Amigo the Devil, the Dead South, Chrvches, King Dude, Ween, Modest Mouse, Death Cab For Cutie, Pale Waves, Rasputina, or go hunt down my Last Fm... Wilcifer


 IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THESE RULES I WILL DELETE YOU IN 30 SECONDS. By all means be original, if you can break these rules but deliver whats in the bounds of my tastes in a way that will compete with the shit I normally listen to do it, I want new music. Obviously anything along the lines of The Smiths, David Bowie, the Cure , Kate Bush, the Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance works for me, it's the fine line between new and familiar

what I do not have any use for is , singles and splits, full albums only, mp3 zip files preferred. I need to have it in my iPod and listening to it for a bit to really fully digest it and just stream only limits my process. as always email it to wcifer@gmail.com

Live Review : Morbid Angel, Watain & Incantation @ the Buckhead Theater

This was a concert I had been looking forward to since it was announced. Three of my favorite metal bands on one bill. Let me go into this by saying the Buckhead Theater is not the best venue for a metal show. Yes, it is a nice venue, but this is the second time I have seen a rock show there where it was not loud enough .Their sound crystal clear. But with death metal you need volume to provide the density. This is was effected my first impression of Incantation who had taken the stage by the time I got there.This was my first time ever seeing them live, I have seen both Morbid Angel and Watain several times live. It is hard to say which I have seen more.   Incantation are great at what they do , however just coming out and playing with all the lights on made them feel like just another death metal band. I good one, but there was little to set them aside in the live setting. The atmosphere and the darkness churned up from their music needs to be replicated with dimmer lighting. Incantation did not need to go the lengths that Watain did. But anything would have enhanced the experience beyond what felt mediocre to me, thus really killing my desire to listen to them the next day.

Watain had their backs to the wall. They came into this tour under the hardship of having guitarist Pelle denied entry into the country by customs. This forced The bass player to play guitar and Erik to play bass . They handled this shift well and I think it added to their performance., Erik had played bass previously for Dissection so was certainly capable. Truth be told Watain pretty much stole the show. It was not just the stage show, that had their typical fire and lights in the ritual setting, but they were the one band who it felt did not have their sound comprised and they were not only louder than Incantation, but came across as louder and more intense than Morbid Angel. They stuck to a set of their more in your face fast and furious songs, which worked well. Where death metal can be the image of evil it is the sound of black metal that actually emanates darkness and I think this was proved here .


.

This was my second time seeing Morbid Angel without David Vincent. I think "Kingdoms of Disdained" is the first album of their's that really picks up where they left off after "Domination".   They were much more intense when I saw them with Tucker open up for Pantera back in the day. The problems I previously stated with the venue that plagued Incantation were the same ones that befell Morbid Angel. They came on with little fanfare and the lights on. Trey walked onto the stage and mumbled something to the crow, making me think he was really high Where Morbid Angel came out on top of Incantation is the fact that despite the problems with volume, which might have made them marginally louder than Incantation, when they played old stuff the songs powered through. The new stuff not as much , even the songs off of "Kingdoms Disdained". The evil felt more obligatory than when I have seen them in the past.  I still bought a Morbid Angel shirt, partially because I already have two Watain shirts, but they did not make me feel bad about their performance it was jsut not what I have seen them to be capable of in the past.

Eminem : "Music to Be Murdered By "

Three types of music should be offensive...metal, punk and rap. Marshall Mathers has been offending people since the 90s. His sound has changed by his verses are still sharp. The only problem is unless he is in the middle of one everything else sounds like everyone else.In particular his beats and the guest rappers sharing verses with him. Lyrically "You Gon' Learn" is tedious and the lyrical equivalent of a  CNN opinion piece. He gets his flare back and finds a sound that works best for him on " Those Kinds Nights".  Ed Sheeran really helps add a melodic dimension and Mathers falls back into a more familiar delivery. Some of the choruses he goes a little too r&b and takes his edge off. The chorus of "In Too Deep" sounds like it would be more at home on a Snoop Dogg album. He really shows his skills and precision as he builds speed on :"Godzilla". The late Juice Wrld's contribution is not as impressive.

With 11 years sober at 47 years old , there is a level of maturity you might expect from. You hear some of that on "Darkness" . Which eludes to the Vegas shooter and reflection on his past drinking. Production wise this album could use more Dr. Dre.  His prowess at spitting lyrics is what keeps even the more mediocre backing tracks in motion.  "Yah Yah" sounds like something Ole Dirty Bastard would have been about it. It is rough around the edges , but musically is one of the album's strongest moments so far. It is the only track at this point in the album where the guest rapper sharing verses with him are really worth a shit.. "Step Dad" proves to be a song that finds a balance between being true to his more classic sound and taking steps into new sounds. Though rapping about the 2nd grade when you are 47 is a little odd.

Sometimes it feels like he trying to hard on songs like " Never Love Again". It's not a bad song , it just feels like he throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks. This point is further exaggerated when followed by tracks that really find him at the top of his game. The chorus to "Little Engine" shows how he should do what he does best. I have heard Anderson Paak in other guest spots he has done for artists like Snoop. His voice works well on "Lock it Up" . Mathers works best when attitude and anger is the forefront. This is what makes "Farewell" click<. While I do not think from a song writing stand point this album is as inspired as his 2017 album "Revival" it is a pretty solid by him that finds Mathers blending his classic sound while still being relevant with the current climate of hip hop. />
13.6

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead ;" the Godless Void and Other Stories"

After a dramatic instrumental intro piece the band goes into the kind of adventurous indie rock they have been pumping out since the 90s. It might not be as sonically intense as their earlier work and almost Brit pop with the melodic sensibilities . There are dreamy qualities to how the melodies float in. Much like many of their peers from this era, the vocals are planitive and get the job done without a great flexing of their vocal chords. This slacker sound sometimes falls into a mumble but is still emotive. They are bringing a lot to the table as song writers and it recalls the days when songs felt something and went someone. "Into the Godless" has a little more and the vocal have a more snarled belt to them. Not metal or punk, yet carrying a punchy aggressiveness. Sacrificing some of the surreal melody that glazed the first two songs.

There is a lighter tone to " Don't Look Down" that carries a jangle owing more to early 80s R.E.M. The vocal keep my attention more than the previous song and it flows really well even if it is more accessible of a sound. It makes it clear that he can actually sing when he tries. "Gone" works off of a hushed tension that never really explodes the right way to pay off .  A more relaxed trum opens "Children of the Sky". It does build into a dynamic more consistent with what these guys do.  The more intense sonic return for "Who Haunts the Haunter". The guitar tales on a woozy shoe gaze like sound as the bass creates the droning groove. The vocals fall neatly into the cracks to provide the needed melodic touch.

"Gravity" shimmers with less ambition and could have been any radio friendly indie rock band from the mid 90s. Which is actually in the plus column for them . There is more atmosphere and groove to "Blade of Wind" , this finds them back at the Stone Roses like Brit place .  They are both melodic and hooky so this is fine with me as well. It ends with a psychedelic ditty that is in their sonic sweet spot. Overall another solid post- 90s album from them I will give it a 9.

Haunt : " Mind Freeze "

They continue to pick up where they leave off. Each time polishing their sound and sharpening their hooks. The chorus to the opener is pretty sharp. If you are not into the more retro side of metal then chances are this is not going to be for you. There is a more of a thrashing speed applied to " Hearts on Fire " . This doesn't do as much for me as the first song. The tempo rushes where there could have been more nuance added. Synths play a larger role in creating the retro metal sound. Things are slicker and more polished all the way around. It might take a edge off , but I would not call it selling out. It reminds me of solo Ozzy on the title track. The vocals are higher than what he did in Beastamker, though he never goes into the operatic yodel . Knowing his limitation this  keeps things simple to serve the song . The guitar solo are more honed and begin to elevate them into guitar hero status.

When they do get more aggressive it is due to stepping  on the gas and picking up the speed. On "Divide and Conqueror" this does not mean the sound gets more balls. The keyboards have a very synth wave sound. I do however appreciate the more melodic touches.  The synths come even more to the forefront on " Savior of Man". They must have really been into this season of Stranger Things. The hooks of the song however work well. It is kind of like when Uriah Heap tried to be radio rock in the 80s. They go back into the faster riffs with "Fight or Flight". I guess that is what happens when they use two verbs in their song titles.  The album's best song that ties together what this band is now about can best be heard on " Have No Fear" which is the best song on the album.

The opening riff to "On the Stage" reminds me of Rush. Perhaps the stage is lighted. It speeds up and I am beginning to see this is not the band's strong point and their song writing plays to their strengths more on the deliberate moments of the album. They get it together in this regard to some extent on "Voyager' to close out the album, but feels a little like the are holding steadfast to the color by number heavy metal tropes when there have been moments on this album when they took this sound and did something more original. Due to the less inspired faster songs I will round this down to an 8, which is still better than most doing this sort of thing. . 

Torres : " Silver Tongue"

By the fourth album of this indie rock singer songwriter there can be no mistake she has her songwriting finely tuned. The odd angular and often obtuse nature of her songs is still in play. This quirk is part of her personality. The main difference I am hearing on this album in comparison to the first three, Is it is a little more ambient. The arrangements are even more minimalist. While it is an easy album to listen to, I had to give most of these songs repeat listens in order to latch onto what is going on here. The hooks to the melodies are very subtle. Lyrically the vague metaphors ponder her complicated love life. If Zola Jesus was a folk singer I think the results would be similar. There is a very ambiguous tone to these songs. This reflects the androgynous nature of her persona.

The chorus to the second song works more than the verses , but it breezes past with no dissonance. More instruments surface to create a more organic feel to " Dressing America". The line " I tend to sleep with my boots on" is really strong and this highlights the maturity her songwriting has found. She also uses her voice as more of an instrument this time around.At times her melodies feel like Irish folk songs. "Two of Everything " is more atmospheric than the previous songs relying on her vocals to keep it in motion until the weird electronic groove that bubbles up. Lyrically this is more melancholy and less hopeful than some of the previous songs. The guitar to " Good Grief" gives it more of a rock feel. This drive is the dynamic shift the album needed as if it had gone in the minimalist atmospheric direction is would have gotten stale.

"A Few Blue Flowers' finds her experimental style can fall short at times of really gripping as it needs to be, though just on the previous song she shows she has to potential to deliver as she has in the psst. There is a more delicate folk feel to "Gracious Day" .  She recaptures some of her magic with the title track that closes the album. It's moodier which gives it better energy than some of the other more detached sounds she has brought to the table this time around. I will give this one an 8.5, it's not her best work ,but it is still a really solid showing that will appeal to fans who already know what they want from her.

Ether Coven : " Everything is Temporary Except Suffering"

The band has their sound dialed in for sure. This is their 3rd album so they know what they are going for . This seems to be a brand of sludge that is more infused with hard core than any of the other sub genres that touch upon these songs. Four minutes into the 11 minute opener they touch upon a darker more melodic sound, that employs sung vocals that remind me of Woods of Ypres in their haunting yet booming baritone. The vocal style employed by these guys is the more forceful hardcore grunt. That finds their throats shredding with anger.  On "Flower Crown" they employ a powerful chug and it conjures comparisons to a less black metal version of Tombs. They do not give up on their punchy hardcore tendencies. More of the atmosphere and melodic mood returns for the third song. There is moody post rock set against the kind of dark hard core tinged sludge that they have been dishing out the first two songs , so nothing new.

They lean into more of the hard core side, but with a darker more dismal slant on " Of Bitterness & Shame" . There is a more post rock like middle section to this one. They roar back with a more blackened touch of blastiness. This is pretty brief so do not be quick to call them black anything. They break away from metal with the more acoustic feel of "House of Strangers" . It is still more Woods of Ypres than Swans. More atmospheric elements begin to work their way into the songs.  "the Burden of Loss" is more of an instrumental interlude than a song that stands on it's own two legs. There is a massive chug that opens up the 13 minute " Enjoy Life". The heavy does not last long as a more melodic strum takes over the song along with the sung vocals . When the heavy does return it has more of a hard core kick to the sludge factor.   

The Last song "Unravel" does a good job of wrapping together all the varied sounds of the band and making one cohesive song with them all,. It has melody and atmosphere along with the sludge driven punch they like to throw at you. Aside from the Woods of Ypres vocal that is hard to shake, I think this album really does a great job of bringing darkwer atmosphere with hard core sludge. I will give this one a 9 and see how it sits with me over the course of the year. 

the Top 10 Metal Albums of the Decade

Pulling from all the other  best of decade lists this is the over all best of metal albums list for the decade. The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre.  Black metal certainly left it's mark on the decade , while only one actual black metal band is on this list there are 3 others with touches and influence of black metal or used to be black metal bands that grew into something else. This is not going to be  the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most. Any ways here are the Top 10 Metal   albums of the decade.


10-Goatwhore - "Blood For the Master " 2012













9-Morbid Angel - "Kingdoms Disdained" 2017 










7-Evoken- "Atra Mors" 2012











7- Agalloch - "Marrow of the Spirit" 2010 




 





6-Anthrax- "For All Kings"-












5-Iron Maiden- "the Final Frontier" 2010 











4- Shining- "Fodd Forlorare"  2011







3- Fistula- "Longing for Infection" 2016




 







2- Pallbearer -- "Foundations of Burden" 2014












1- Watain - "Lawless Darkness " 2010




 

the Top 10 Albums of the Decade"

Pulling from all the other  best of decade lists to create this list of the top 10 over all albums of the  decade. The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre.The decade found some gems by a broad range of artists from Country to Pop to Black metal and Doom.This might not be the most  hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most. Any ways here are the Top 10 Albums of the decade .






10-Chris Stapleton- 'the Traveller" 2015 










9-Clutch- Psychic Warfare 2015 













8-Health- "Death Magic"-  2015





 





7-Royal Thunder- "Crooked Doors" 2015



 





6-Pallbearer- "Foundations of Burden" 2014




 





5-Chelsea Wolfe - "Pain is Beauty"  2013 












4- Morrissey - "World Peace is None of Your Business" 2014 












3- David Bowie- 'the Next Day" 2013





 







2- Taylor Swift- '1989" 2014





 






1-Watain- 'the Lawless Darkness" 2010





 

the Top 10 Power Metal Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. This is a sub-genre that split off from my mainstream metal lists. Typically power metal is too happy for me, so with my list it should be no surprise that you are getting the darker and sometimes more aggressive side of it. Considering the genre this is not going to be  the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most. Any ways here are the Top 10 Power  metal  albums of the decade.




10- Witherfall - " a Prelude to Sorrow"







9- Symphony X - "Iconoclast" 2011 








8- Nevermore- "the Obsidian Conspiracy"&nbsp ;







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7- Judas Priest-"Redeemer of Souls" 2014




 



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 5- Primordial- "Redemption at the Puritans Hand " 2011




 





4- Ghost Ship Octavius-'Delirium" 2018




 




3- In solitude - " the World , the Flesh, The Devil" 2011




 






2- Kamelot- "Poetry For the Poisoned "2010



 





1- Iron Maiden - the Final Frontier" 2010



 

the Top `10 Thrash Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Hard rock was created by splitting mainstream metal and rock off into more specialized categories. Thrash started at where the cross cross of the New Wave of British Heavy metal metal Hard core punk. Some of these bands lean more heavily on either side of that equation.  This might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most Any ways here are the Top 10 Thrash metal   albums of the decade.



10- Huntress -"Spell Eater" -2012










9-Toxic Holocaust - "Conjure and Command" 2011




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8-Spirit Adrift-- "Divided By Darkness" 2019




 







7-Destroyer 666 -"Wildfire" 2016




 






6- Istapp - "Blekinge"- 2010 




 





5-Death Angel -- "Humanicide" 2019












4-Exhorder- Mourn the Southern Skies" 2019











3- Gwar-- "the Blood of Gods" 2017



 





2- Goatwhore -"Blood for the Master "  2012 










1- Anthrax- " For All Kings" 2016 



 

the Top 10 Hard Rock Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Hard rock was created by splitting mainstream metal and rock off into more specialized categories. So these bands rock harder than rock n roll, but not hard enough to be metal This might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most .&Any ways here are the Top 10 Hard Rock  albums of the decade.




10- O'Brother-- "Garden Window" 2011




 






9-Junius- "Days of the Fallen Sun" 2014 




 






8-LA Guns-" the Missing Peace" 2017










7-New Years Day- "Unbreakable"  2019 













6-Tomahawk- "Oddfellows" 2013






 




5-Kvelertak -"Meir"- 2013




 






4- Alice In Chains - "Rainer Fog 2018 "












3- Hopesfall - "Arbiter" 2018




 







2-Mindless Self Indulgence- How I Learned to Shut Up " 2012




 






1-Royal Thunder- 'Crooked Doors "- 2015 




 

the Top 10 Progressive Metal Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Progressive does not mean this is going to be a wank fest. While I do like a good guitar solo, if you are just here for pretentious shredding, you have come to the wrong place.  For stuff more along those lines I have separated out a seperate power metal list,. This might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most .&Any ways here are the Top 10 Progressive metal l albums of the decade.







10- Bask- "III"



 






9-Liturgy -- "the Ark Work" 2015





 





8-Baroness- "Gold & Grey" 2019





 





7-Cynic- "Kindly Bent to Free Us " 2014





 






6-Voices- " Frightened" 2018




 





5-Mastodon- "Emperor of Sand "




 






4- Igorrr - 'Savage Sinusoid - 2017












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  3- Sigh- "Scenes From Hell" 2010




 






2- Voivod- " Target Earth" 2013







 







 1- Pain of Salvation- "Road Salt One" 2010

Poppy : " I Disagree"

I am not sure people are ok with Ghost and Baby Metal , but have a problem with Poppy, the first song owes more to the Beach Boys than Meshuggah. The metal it does pull from seems to be the more tech djent like. Though the producer who is the real star real nailed the Queen guitar sound. Acts like Issues and In this Moment come to mind when it comes to the title track. This album also makrs her final working with Titanic Sinclair a inter net music personality. The two had a falling out. " Blood Money" has elements of dub step and hip hop mixed into the industrial strength nu metal . It is more abrasive than pop.  My 9 year old daughter says "It's like angel sometimes and sometimes it's the devil" . 

She has more in common with St. Vincent than the kind of  pop that is on the radio. Sometimes she gets preoccupied with a sound more than the song. Other times she shine some song writing chops  like on  "Fill the Crown"  which also has a lower male vocal that sounds like Marilyn Manson.There are no other credits for it so it must be Sinclair.   The breezy ballad "Nothing I Need" finds her pretty much on cruise control.  Her more electronic elements are fine with me. I would not say they are dancey, and there are more interesting sounds than some of the rock ones she uses where the layering of guitar is weird. Vocally she seems to be more versatile than Billie Ellish, though her songs are not centered around the kind of hooks that gives Ellish her appeal.  She does employ a jarring almost Mr. Bungle like shift from styles .

Of the prettier more straight forward sounds she conjures I think I like what goes down on " Sick of the Sun" best. It has some shoe gaze qualities.The album closes with another more straight forward ballad that starts off not as solid as the previous song. It does eventual build up and works in a more rock dynamic.  I will give this album an 8.5, uneven from a song writing perspective , but I appreciate what she is doing here.

the Top 10 Rush Songs

Any kind of Rush fan knows by now that Neil Peart died at age 67 today. Rush was one of my favorite bands in high school and I have always returned to their albums. Perhaps not as fervently, but with a profound respect for what they do . Let's face it any prog anything of any genre that cropped up after 1980 owes it's existence to Rush.

It was my sophomore year of highschool and a older friend of mine decide to leave school with me after lunch to get high. Up until this point I was only familiar with their radio songs, so when he asked me "Do you like Rush ? " My response was ..."They are ok". Then he put on the tape of "Caress of Steel" . It was mind blown, had to go buy the tape the next day. This is turn lead me to "2112" and those tow albums stayed with me. I was always more into their metallic earlier work, but grew to .love the odd synth tinged " Grace Under Pressure " album as well. Granted every album, has it's golden moment. These are the ones that have shone the most for me

 . I hope Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have the decency to not go on with out Peart, He was not their first drummer, but he did define their sound. In making this list there is very little of the radio stuff that made me think they were just o.k and songs that prove this is a band that if you judged them by their radio songs, you would not have a very fair picture of who they are .


  10- "Fly By Night"



 



9 "Natural Science"




 




 8- "Dreamline"




 





7-" Twilight Zone"



 




6- "Something For Nothing "




 




 5-"Vital Signs"



 




 4- "Passage to Bangkok"




 





 3-"Temples of Syrinx"



 




 2-"Distant Early Warning"




 






 1- "the Necromancer"




 

the Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Mainstream means straight up metal, now that I have separated out other sub-genres like power metal and thrash. More easily digested by the masses in most cases, in others they were a black metal band who streamlined their sound into something more straight forward . This might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters   is the fact  these are the albums I listened to the most .  Any ways here are the Top 10  Mainstream metal albums of the decade.


10- Deafheaven - "New Bermuda" 









9- karyn crisis' Gospel of Witches - "Salem's Wounds"  2015











8- Dimmu Borgir - "Eonian" 2018 











7- Judas Priest - " Firepower" 2018













6  Rob Zombie - " Electric Warlock and Acid Witch" 2016 











5- Enslaved- "Aixoma Ethica Odini" 2010









4- Mastodon- "the Hunter" 2011 











3- Life of Agony- "The Sound of  Scars" 2019






2- 2- 





2- Katatonia- " Dead End Kings" 2012 













1- Shining - "Fodd forlorare" 2011

the Top 10 Electronic Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. This Electronic lsit broke off from the pop and goth lists , most of these are not dark enough to be dark wave ,nor are the dance music . While they might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters  is the fact  these are the albums I listened to the most .  Any ways here are the Top 10  electronic albums of the decade.





Fever Ray- "the Plunge" 2017


 




9-Xiu Xiu-"Dear God I Hate Myself" 2010




 




8- the Faint - "Egowerk" 2019




 




7-Cold Cave"Cherish the Light Years" 2011




 




6-Dirty Projectors- " s/t" 2017










5- Lydia Ainsworth- "Darling of the Afterglow" 2017




 





4- Gotye-- "Making Mirrors" 2011



 






3-Nine Inch Nails- Hesitation Marks 2013




 




2- Bon Iver- "i,i" 2019





 







1- Health- "Death Magic" 2015