Death is June - Sadistik Forest : " Obscure Old Remains"

This is one of the bigger names in the Finnish death metal scene that seems to be gaining a great deal of momentum. The first song finds them faster and perhaps more thrash influenced than the other Finish death metal bands I have been checking out this week. The scowl of the vocals is perhaps not as guttural  and reminds me more of Carcass or Death in the tortured way the lyrics are spewed. When compared to Ghastly and Revulsion these guys are clearly the most tightly coiled machine. The emphasis of where the riff punches is really the only major shift from the first song to "Barbarian". The guitars are pretty dizzying and the drums race to keep up. 

"Nihil" begins to show how their strength can also be their weakness as a band. Yes the are the most tightly oiled machine of this crop from Finland but they are also the most likely to burn out from keeping their boots to the gas. This fact might be harder to hear since this is just an EP. It is much easier to digest 4 songs of this than it might be ten if they planned on attacking your ears with the fury they approach the first three songs with. It is the fourth song "Waters Black" that they shift to a slower speed and steer away from just hitting you like a speeding juggernaut of sound. They create something that would not have sounded out of place on Morbid Angel's "Domination"  album , so darker and more deliberate. 

Since this is only an EP and I  was wisely not given the chance to burn out on they relentless onslaught then I can give this album a 9. If this had been an entire ten songs would this have scored as high if they kept doing what they were doing here? No, they have a refined sound, and still care about songs, but in a future full length I would want to hear a little more of a dynamic range from these guys, but there is no denying that Finland is coming into their own in terms of Death metal.  

Death is June

Once again it is time to devote an entire month to death metal. As a teenager death metal used to be one of my favorite metal genres, but then again there were not as many options as there are now. It was the only thing going when it came to bringing the evil . Bands like Morbid Angel, Deicide and Obituary being some of my favorite. This explains why I am less than impressed with bands who just try to recycle what was done before. I heard that back when it was done better then first time. Death metal is known for being hyper aggressive, almost to a fault. The roots are so close to thrash that it still offers moments for stellar song writing. This is what I am looking for, brutality alone does not a good song make. 

I am going to pull from albums I have not heard yet this year and click around the inner webs to find what I might have missed. It seems like there is a great deal of death metal coming out of Finland these days. I am going to try to go light on the death doom though it seems that trend is almost over. There are bands whose albums I have had my eyes on like Grave Miasma, and hopefully gathering my thoughts on the new one from Ghastly. If you are a regular reader here then you know I am not going to settle for a bunch of bands who all sound the same. If you go back and dig into your last black metal month , you can see for yourself this is not the case. If you click back into the past even further you can find the death metal months of years past to confirm as well. 

Right not I am listening to the new Revulsion as I type this .   So you are getting 29 more reviews of death metal, past and present, though the emphasis tends to be on what is current when I do these. This should go to show , death metal is one of my favorites sub genres, like doom and black metal since I am giving it it's own month something that can not be said about thrash, punk, hard core, sludge or power metal. It is even more fitting this year since I am living in Tampa the birth place of death metal as we know it today. Though I have so far seen very few actual metal heads here, even in Ybor City.  

Death is June - Ghastly : " Mercurial Passages"

Finland has always been know more for their black metal than death metal. Before you start commenting with the names of all the death metal bands in Finland, I know there are a few it is just not what comes to mind. The first song had a great deal more atmosphere and a more doomy feel, where the second song, kind of plays more along the standard death metal lines. The  vocals are at low growl, which lean things more into the death metal side of the fence. In fact the way they throw themselves into the chug of  "Sea of Light" the more certain I am that they are at least on the  Incantation side of death metal. In fact they might be doing Incantation better than Incantation is these days. 

It is when the albums gets to "Perdition" that the heavy handed element which normally burden the genre begin to settle in. The stiff straight head snare pattern that I normally dislike in death metal comes into play. This bleeds over into "Parasites" . They are skilled at death metal. The problem is what they were doing on the first three songs was better and less common place. The fact they had a fair amount of atmosphere on the front end of the album balanced out the hyper aggression that can make death metal more one dimensional than other sub genres. They make this right when the throb of darkness returns to their sound on "Dawnless Dreams" . There is still enough like the ripple of tremolo picked guitar to keep this rooted in death metal, but it is done in a way that retains a sense of dynamics and makes for compelling songwriting. 

They kind of split the difference between the expected aggression of death metal and the dark creepy atmosphere they have proven themselves capable of summoning during the albums most engaging moments when it comes to the last song. I do not feel they do this as well as they did on "Dawnless Dreams" but as far as death metal goes it is something I will listen to again. I will round this down to an 8.5, this still places them above the masses in terms of death metal coming out these days , though I think they are at their best when devoting their sound to the darkness , rather than trying to get overly aggressive.  

     

Death is June - Revulsion : " s/t"

This month gives me time to get way caught up on all the death metal I might have missed out on along the way. This band out of Finland released their self titled album back in February when I was focused on black metal. They put enough, groove in their riffs to keep me engaged , but are brutal enough to please fans of the genre. The opener has more breathing room for groove making it a stronger song than when they get too locked into a frontal assaults' and forget some of the finer points of songwriting they displayed there , as when it is just pounding they sound like every other death metal band. I do like being able to hear their bass tone on "Walls". The vocals almost take on a lower sung moan, that is more like Morbid Angel. These are the moments I want more of as they give them a clearer sense of personality rather than just sounding like every other death metal band. 

On their fourth song they get darker and more sonic . This helps give me more of what I want from them . All too often death metal bands just write songs in the key of blood red and we do not hear the other textures . The growl is often in such a low gurgle it reminds me more of funeral doom, though you can still understand the lyrics . The vocals have a purpose here and are not just an after thought. Another strong point of this band is they keep things very focused and under the six minute mark. The rule cool riffs alone does not a good song make , can be tough on a song like "the Wastelands' as the cool riffs is what breaks up some of the otherwise boorish battery to your ears they bring about. "Unravel" finds them pulling it together more and making something memorable. Now is it Morbid Angel level memorable? No. and to be fair it is not even their best song ,but is at least moving in that direction .  

"Silence " hammers it home like old school 80s death metal. Bringing Deicide to mind without all the demon voices . Not the album's most original song ,but it works.  "Pawns" hammers the point home more intensly. They really kill on the last song which has a really awesome riff, so glad they take us out on their best foot.  I will round this up to a 9 as I am still fresh into death metal month so not burned out on it. But I think what counts the most is how they took familiar sound and  assembled them in a way that made them fresh and memorable, if you like classic death metal this is a must. 

Sumo Cyco : "Initation"

This band from Canada is driven by the charismatic and quirky vocalist Skye Sweetnam. They play something that is a poppy take on nu-metal. New Years Day and In This Moment are in the same zip code as what goes down here. To Skye's credit what she does is catchy. Sometimes almost too hooky for it's own good. Sometimes here voice holds a Gwen Stefani pout . She is capable of a snarl. The first few songs a entertaining blend of pop and metal, often a little on the happy side for me, or at least overtly bouncing, not unlike Sweetnam's boobs that are relevant in that sex is not something they are afraid to sell here though lyrically it is not overt.

 

The first song where it sounds like they are going for more of a metal sound is also the first song that feels a little more like filler. The pop dna of their song writing needs to be in play. Sweetnam has an excellent sense of  using the weaving patterns of pop melody that hip hop has influenced . She never raps but rides t he beat like a Niki Minaj might. "Cyclone" is almost too happy in places which offsets the more aggressive guitar punches. They do not have the same weight in the guitar production as say Issues does. Instead the guitars often blend with synth sounds making it hard to tell what is what.  The No Doubt influence I heard was not a mistake as it is more overt on "Run With the Giants" . It is unique in that they take the sound places that might have more in common with IWRESTLEDABEARONCE. The strength of their song writing can be felt again on " Overdrive". Her voice drips with a little more sex in places here.

They get grittier in the groove with |"Power and Control" . She does have a decent voice that works well with what they are doing and she pretty much sound like her own entity. There is a little more chaos on 'This Dance is Doomed"  The grit she add to her voice as the tempo picks up is pretty believable. Overall this album is a great deal of fun, sure there is a tinge of sexy pop in the pot but that is not the only thing being stirred. I feel as a singer Sweetnam is capable and a legit front woman.  I will give this album a 9.

Vola : " Witness"

 This band out of Denmark plays a very melodic and accessible brand of progressive metal. The vocals being so melodic it almost is not metal. The throw lots of djent like grooves at you. The vocals ride the guitars. They are a plaintive tenor that sometimes runs through auto tuned filters of effects to create a more modern sound. They pack a harder punch with the crunch of the second song. I like the way the effects are used on the vocals here. It reminds me a little of  newer Cynic. For the sake of soaring dynamics the chorus is brighter than I might prefer. I was waiting for the third song before I started to predict the overall tone to brace for with this album. Is the drumming great? Yes. But that is not going to make this album any darker. The pop inflected vocals are part of the problem here. Though I like pop music and even combined with metal it can work. It is not to say it is not working here, it is more of an issue regarding is this the kind of music I like .  

The kicker is this is often more obtuse than it needs to be. If you are going to have vocals leaning in a more pop direction then commit to the hooks. They are effective at providing a contrast to the some time crushing riffs like the ones that open "These Black Claws". Katatonia uses a similar dynamic but it works better for them due to the fact they are darker and you can feel the depression dripping from Jonas' voice. "Freak" is more of a ballad. Almost like Pain of Salvation's more mellow moments.  "Napalm" has more movement. With the groove the vocals have more to latch onto thus a much better song. By the time we get to "Future Bird" they have begun to make me think of Dredg. But not as catchy as Dredg. 

The first song that strikes me as heavy amid all their grogginess is " Stone Leader Falling Down". The vocals are lower which adds menace even though they are not aggressive. The same can not be said for "Inside Your Fur" , looking back from the title could be about sex. It has some groove to it but is not what I would call metal. I will give this album an 8.5, they are skilled at their instruments, the know how to write a song even if they do not always capture the preferred vibe on my end, but this album does what they set out to accomplish and if you are into melodic proggy hard rock you will like this .

 

Gwar : " Disc With No Name"

When reviewing Gwar there is always the temptation to talk about them in terms of their fictional characters and make this seem like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign , but instead I will stick to just the music as the personas of artists do not matter when it comes to the music. This rule also applies to Alice Cooper and King Diamond, so it fits here as well. An ep of acoustic versions of their songs is clearly the band stalling for time. Mike Bishop who was the original Beefcake the Mighty took over on vocals for their last full length "the Blood of Gods" . This worked for me at the time. I really liked that album as it did their legacy justice and Bishop had been part of the bands vision from the get go. This shed a different light on that.     

What plays in their favor at first is sticking to songs from the last band. The stripped down version, lays bare the vocals . On "Fuck This Place" I can hear the Blackie Lawless influence I thought I heard on the last studio effort. This song ends up working well . "Gonna Kill You" is given an more folk arrangement that asks more from Bishop vocally than we have heard from him. He pulls it off by the skin of his teeth. The offer up a more blues soaked take on " I'll Be Your Monster". Which was not one of that album's strongest songs. This one also works when push comes to shove.  

  In theory you would think "the Road Behind " would have translated well to an acoustic format. Mike played on the original version. I think this highlights how Oderus is a better singer of the two. He had a better chest voice to croon from. Bishop hits the notes, but it doesn't sound like he feels them.  I will give this one an 8.5, far from the best thing this band has put out, it almost feels like this whole thing is all Bishop, as it's just guitar so not a lot fof the other guys to do, we know he plays bass so he could have pulled this off all by himself.    

Atreyu : " Baptized"

 The album I paid attention to buy these guys was "the Curse".  Since then things have gotten slicker and more streamlined. The owe perhaps more to nu-metal than metal core. They still write catchy songs, though the title track that opens this album does not sound as dark as what I remember coming from these guys. The good cop bad cop vocals trade off is still at thing, though they lean much more in the direction of being melodic than not. The vocals in places get a little rap metal in their cadence. The hyper commercial nature of what they do begins to wear on me by the third song. "Broken Again" owes more to classic 80s metal, despite it's 2000s arena rock break downs .

They pay more attention to the songwriting when it comes to "Weed". It is not about the kind you smoke. A shame as I think their songwriting would benefit from that kind. The fact this is not dark enough for my normal listening also begins to eat at me midway into the album. The sung vocals have improved since that Bon Jovi cover. The clean guitar and ballad feel of "Dead Weight" is actually welcomed despite it's Avenged Sevenfold likeness. There is less Guns N Roses and more 90s rock.  "Catastrophe" is way too happy for me.  I would like "Fucked Up" but the chorus is kinda lame, though they do some interesting things here and there in the song itself. The pop punk moments on here are surprising , sometimes they are also a product of clever hooky pop songwriting, like on "Sabotage Me". Though once again the chorus is too happy. I do like the verses though. 

I find myself coming to a place with this album where I have resigned myself to the fact they are now making music that is not for me, so I am having to review this album on the merits of are they doing a good job in the bigger picture of making music on a whole?  "Untouchable" might as well be Panic At the Disco, it just happens to have screaming in the corners. "No Matter What" is even bigger and more strongly leaning in the direction of pop rock with a touch of 80s metal to it. "Oblivion" has a heavier tone , by heavier they are not turning into Converge just more kick than what we have been getting, still a weird 80s metal/ nu-metal hybrid with the metal core thing a ghost of the past. I am not sure what to think of "Stay". My wife said it sounds like Coldplay. This is not untrue. There is more punch in the chorus. It is brighter than it is happier, there are worse songs on this album and overall it is not that bad of a song. This song is clearest indication of how the vocals have improved. The closing ...um anthem "Warrior" makes me think of Blue October. This album is well done in terms of sound and production, they are doing what they set out to do so based on that I will give it an 8.  

  

11.2

Perturbator : "Lustful Sacraments"

Things have changed for this French synth wave project. It has been a logical progression from album to album. But this marks the first time I have thought now this is a cool song. Much like a great deal of the current crop of synth wave the largely instrumental sub genre tended to focus on capturing synth sounds of yester year and melding them into something not unlike the " Blade Runner" soundtrack . This time around we are getting something much more song focused. The vocals on the title track , were low and largely another sonic layer as the murmur was under other layers of sound. The beats hit more like industrial and have pretty much solidified this project becoming goth. No surprise as they were headed there this is just more of a commitment to the darkness. 

Guest vocalists litter the album. The third track "Excess' is more upbeat and features the voice of Maniac 2121. True Body makes "Secret Devotion" something much more likely to pack the dance floor on goth night. Production wise there is a great balance of murky bat cave ambiance and the synth wave pulse. When synth wave is done right it hits you with an unrelenting groove. This is what is delivered on "Death of the Soul". There is also a similar vibe to "the Other Place" though the guitar on this song makes it feel a little more about the song and less about the sound. The ambiance levels up on "Dethroned Under a Funeral Haze". Maniac 2121 returns to contribute vocals. This leading it to sounding like a more dismal take of Depeche Mode.  I support a more dismal Depeche Mode 100 percent. 

"Messalina, Messalina" tries to decide if it wants you to dance at goth night , or wallow in the guitar tones summoned. It settles on dancing at goth night. The lingering moments of darkness here are pretty cool. The last song was what I was looking forward to as Hangman's Chair puts in an appearance. It makes sense as they are both from France. The vocals com in very soft and sitting back into layers of synth. It is not to far removed from what Hangman's Chair normally does. The vocals do not cut through the mix as much as I would like them to. I8f it was not for the last two minutes where he voice cuts through and it comes across more like the kind of emotional outpouring that I know to expect from them to I feel vindicated. I will go ahead and round this album up to a 10 as I feel it pretty much delivers in a big way and marries synth wave with goth for good . 

      

  

Fiddlehead : " Between the Richness"

 Here is the second album from this post- hardcore band that stirred up a buzz with the modest release of their debut that gained a cult following rather quickly. Falling some where between the jangle of 90s indie rock and the guts of hard core , they certainly care about the songs even when the more punk recklessness takes over. Though when that is kept in check with restraint and melody I think the band is best served .The songs are very short rarely breaking the 3 minute mark. The album's momentum sometimes carrying one right into the other is a way that makes it seem like the same song when explosiveness is allowed to be the leading dynamic. It is when they slow down into the more reflective sections of the song that I find the shine the most. 

I like the bass line that leads into "Loverman". The more melodic sense about the song does owe a great deal to the emo of the mid 90s and that is fine by me , as it is also the golden years of the genre.  When they hit the more rough edged flavor of punk that Hotwatermusic is known for it is less inspired , because well I already heard this from Hotwatermusic back in the day., But with two minute songs , if I do not like something as much it does not matter because it will be over soon enough anyways. They carry this over to some extent on "Get My Mind Right" but that song is catchier. I prefer the slightly darker and much more angular riff of " Life Notice".  Half the song is the intro, the rest is in your face hard core. 

The last two songs find their more indie rock side winning out. This works for me as it is the one I prefer , though I like when they give it more back bone . It is a delicate balance that they invest more in on the last song. They couple more of a punk drive with a more sonic lushness. Overall I will give this one a 9, it's a solid effort and draws from a time period in music that felt very urgent and alive, the last time punk as a whole felt like it was ready to grow somewhere. 

Wristmeetrazor : " Replica of a Strange Love"

I really liked their first album so the bar is high for this one. It opens with the kind of wailing and gnashing of teeth bands like Converge started. At this band's heart they are a hard core band. A very emotional one. Even if their vision of hard core just goes back to the days of Myspace, I do not think they are faking the darkness here. The opener is a little more metallic and straight forward , but it works . The second song is more heavy handed and tends to fall more in like with your typical metal core. I need more than just break downs alone. The vocals are at this point in the album more of a snarl that not, though they do employ creepier forms of emoting, In places it reminds me of Marilyn Manson. 

It is when things get really dark for "Love's Labors Lost", that they really grab my attention. Yes it does pull them from the spastic hard core thrashing . That is a good thing. They lash back out with an angrier tone on "Anemic" . Some of the guitar parts are hookier here.  IN some of these moments you can hear where a 90s nu-metal influence is lurking in the shadow. Things get more feral and aggressive with " Eyes of Sulfide". "Dies Irae" is still thrashingly heavy but has more groove and purpose. It is however no as interesting to me as the more industrial tendencies of  the song after it.. There is a more punk vibe to "a Dovetail Romance" . By punk I am talking about Myspace punk.  I like how they balance the hard core break down like riffs with more sonic and melodic sections . 

"This Summer Sorrow" benefits from having more melodic vocals which opens the song up and lets it breathe. That does not mean there is not screaming. There is is it is just used as a more dynamic color rather than solely relied upon.  "All the Way Alive" is a good example of how to make an outro that can still work as a song. I am going to give this one a 9. It falls a little short of what the first album gave in terms of songwriting and dynamics. It is heavier and darker , but in a different way. If you are a fan of the first album you will like this one, perhaps it needs to grow on me a little. Still a 9 is almost perfect and certainly better than any other metal core band I have heard this year. 

St. Vincent : " Daddy's Home"

 Well this is a drastic change for her. The angular Bowie like guitar is missing and has been replaced for a more soulful Prince like vibe. It takes multiple listens for this to fully sink in for me. If you think about it I guess this might be her Young Americans album.  This organic 70s vibe even invokes Joni Mitchells more jazz influenced work on " Down and Out Downtown" . There is a folkier strum to the title track that also has blues based slink to it. With trippy atmospherics continuing to drips from the corners of every sound. While she has created quite an elaborate sound for herself here , she has not let it take precedence over the song writing. "Live in the Dream" pushes the narcotic hypnosis of the psychedelic overtones even further . The vocals drift more like Pink Floyd.

"the Melting of the Sun" mixes all the elements I just mentioned into something perhaps both catchier and more surreal .  'the Laughing Man" is much mellower. This makes me wonder who smokes more pot St. Vincent or Lana Del Rey. I think Lana because she is too stoned to really want to layer her songs like this and sticks to much simpler pop fare so she can take naps in the studio.  There is more of a funky groove to  "Down" when it gains speed. It carries an oddness to it that reminds me more of her earlier work.  It is not as catchy, though so well done this is largely forgivable. She makes up for this on "Somebody Like Me" that returns more to the Joni Mitchell like folk some of her melodies have flirt with . There is even some country inflected guitar. The melodies get further sharpening on "    My Baby Wants a Baby". 

She backs way off and get perhaps to the albums most organic point on " aa At the Holiday" .It is pop music if we are talking the adult contemporary pop music from the 70s. She closes the album with a smoky ballad with tripped out lounge guitar. This less of an odd ball glammed out pop album and a very mature effort that was made with drugs somehow in the mix. I will give this a 9.5, as I have already gotten several listens and played it for my wife who is not familiar with her work and it won her over ,she also agrees with the Pink Floyd comparison. 

Gary Numan : "Intruder"

 At 63  who would have guessed Numan would be making some of the best music of his career at this late in the game. I really liked his last album "Savage" it was less future pop and more industrial. The same can be said of this one , but the mood is darker and compositions more lushly colored.  His voice sounds great, granted he using a more nuanced and softer approach. Though he never really flexed his pipes a ton on his more classic stuff. The mood shifts into something more like a power ballad on |"I am Screaming". I prefer the groove to the title track.  The over all slant to his songwriting is less quirky and angular than what made "Down in the Park". This can be felt most in the way his vocal melodies fall. I do like the guitar playing a much bigger role for him these days . 

As for what he is doing on this album "Is This World Not Enough" kind of picks up where the title track left off. Since it left off in such a great place it bodes well for this song.  " A Black Sun" is more of a emotional ballad, with a Smashing Pumpkins feel. There is a crunchy metallic stomp to "the Chosen". It is surprisingly heavy for him. His vocals smooth it out. I appreciate the fact he is not just banking on the nostalgia of his classic sound and continues to evolve. While not a power ballad, there is the loud of soft rock formula made popular in the 90s at work on "And it Break Me Again". It continues to work for what he is doing here.  'Saints and Liars" has more of 90s groove to it, though the way the chorus soars is similar in tone to other songs here. 

"Now and Forever" builds off of moods he has already at the very least flirted with earlier in the album. His voice falls in all the right places of the grooves on this one. "the End of Dragons" is another ballad like work of atmosphere and introspection, he takes a few more chances with the vocal arrangement,  There is a more industrial groove to "When you Fall" , thought the chorus kind of falls along the lines of what he has been doing.   I think it is pretty clear what I like about this album. There are no bad songs, but I am given it a 9.5 as some work off a similar formula in the album's second act, he was striking forward so boldly on the first few songs it is almost nitpicking to bring this up, but the bar is held high for him since he continues to raise it for his peers from his era. 

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Impure Wilhelmina : "Antidote"

A friend of mine told me I might like this and I can see why he said that. I finally managed to listen down and give this one a listen after it had been in my in-box for a minute.  After a fairly kinetic wall of sonics the vocals come in. This is where I had to go back into my email and read the band's bio because I thought perhaps this was the singer from Dredg in a new band. Nope, these guys have been at this for 25 years. Needless to say they know what they are doing. I am sure their sound has evolved over the years as I can hear traces of their hard core roots. This sometimes hits a spot that brings Thursday to mind. The second song has a more aggressive and metallic attack with the guitar but it is not until the more explosive dynamics of "Dismantling" that it gets heavy . They go into harsh vocals here.  The more depressive melody of  "Gravel" is my favorite song so far. 

Piano takes center stage for the dreary ballad "Jasmines" . I can hear where some new wave comparison might be made here. It build into more of emotional rock drive as the piano fades. The song flows well.  It is clear this is a guitar band by the time we get to " Vicious" as the guitar does way more of the work than the vocals. Sonically what I want from them is the moodier tones that pour out of "Torrent". They do not mess around with "Unpredicted Sky" as it comes out of the gate with harsh vocals . T o be honest ,and regular readers here will not be surprised by this statement , but I think the darker moodier songs feel heavier than when these guys go for a more overt metal sound. To their credit the song does have some dynamic range to it.  The melodic vocals on the chorus might follow a formula when it comes to modern metal, but they do pull things together well. 

The title track is an instrumental. It has some great guitar work, but would have been better served as a part of another song.  They are back to the darker sound that serves them better on the last song which is a good way to end this album. These guys are really good at what they do , I will give this album a 9 despite the fact I am unsure how much time outside of reviewing this album I am going to give it . I already have a lot of stuff like this, but they certainly succeeded in what they set out to do here/  . 

Red Fang : "Arrows"

 These guys are a band that has been on my periphery as I have friend who are really into them , but I never gave more than a few listens here and there .  This is the stoner metal band's 5th album so they know what they are doing. The first actual song finds them grinding into a very weighty riff with gruff vocals on the verse and smoothing out into a more melodic chorus. Pretty typical modern metal formula. It borders of being sludge thanks to the raw rough guitar tone. The title track finds them tightening thing up into a hookier sound that is more like if the Foo Fighters were a metal band. The vocal melody is streaming radio ready for sure. "My Disaster" is more up-tempo in it's rumble. The drums were recorded in an empty pool, which places into some of the condensed boom to the stripped down yet tinged with noise sound of this album. 

"Two High" has enough rock boogie in it's groove to make it catchy. This shows that yes you can play heavy music and still be catchy .  There is a darker Melvins like feel to "Anodyne" . The melody to the song is not as memorable but the song itself works well. There is more of a sludge stomp to "Fonzi Scheme" which might be the album's best song title. As for the song itself. The vocals feel more like something Baroness would do. You are comparing this to too many bands , you the fan of the band screams . If you are under the misguided assumption that these guys are the most original thing going , then you are already a lost cause and you can stop reading. In fact stop reading this blog all together , since my mission statement is to give the brutal honest listen stripped of fan trappings, even when it is a band I like.  I prefer when things get darker and more depressive on the song " Day's Collide" .  I think when this mood is created , the throb of it gives everything more room to breathe .It also provides a contrast to when they give your ears a burly beatdown when it builds back up.  

"Rabbits In Hives" is basically a punk song that proves, punk is not what they are best at. There is a more grunge tinged feel to the melody of "Why", when it builds up at the chorus it is more par for course metal if we are talking the 90s . So kids who did not live through that might be amazed. They come back to pounding you with the angular blitz that is "Dr. Owl" . As a song it does not do a helluva lot for me, great bass tone though, I was also always ifffy on AMP Rep bands. If noise rock is your thing then you might like moments like these more than I. The vocals just kind of descend into reckless bellowing. "Funeral Coach" shows that this can be like Burger King and I can have it my way, both really heavy and very melodic. In all genre's of heavy music vocals are one of the more disposable elements , second to bass. The great bands have  great bass players and vocalists which sets them apart. I would say these guys are a very solid band. Great might be a strong adjective though this album is their strongest to date so I will give it a 9.  

Black Waves of Adrenochrome – The Sisters of Mercy Tribute

A metal tribute album to Sisters of Mercy is a pretty safe bet. Sisters were already half way there and they have certainty influenced most of the darker metal bands. The trick is capturing Andrew Eldritch's vocals . This can be the sticking point when many of these bands growl more than sing. In some cases this is the first foray into singing I have heard . Another odd thing about this album is it is not the bands that you think have this in bag that shine here. Case in point being the fact that Atrocity's cover of "More" smokes Paradise Lost's  take on "Walk Away". You would think Sisters of Mercy would be their bread and butter. Part of the problem being Atrocity just picked a better song/ 

Cradle of Filth is known for really butchering most covers they try to tackle. Dani Filth does does than I expected here. "No Time to Cry" is not my favorite Sisters of Mercy song by far,  "Deadlock" has better female vocals that help out with some of the backing parts , but she also sings some of Andrew's parts up the octave. I think they at least captured the spirit of the song. Nevergreen does an even better cover of "More" than Atrocity. Seems an odd song for multiple bands to cover on the same album. I have never heard of Maryslim, but they got to cover" This Corrosion". They do it justice so I guess there is not much room to complain about it.  Daeonia is another new band for me , they fare pretty well with "Alice".  Kreator is an odd choice for this album. They make "Lucretia My Reflection" work, but the odds were in their favor since it is likely the best song.  However Dan Swano steals it away from them with his cover which might be the album's best. 

Dreadful Shadows who closes the album wit ha pretty solid take on "1959" makes me feel like they were already a goth band and not a metal band covering goth. Crematory offers a heavier take on "Temple of Love" than the earlier version . Columbia Obstruction Box just does not seem like they are on the same level ass even the least known of these other bands. Their "Marian" is passable , but the vocals felt pitchy and strained.  I will give this an 8.5, since not all of these songs are new , the Kreator version was sitting around a few years . They assembled some lesser known covers from bigger bands to help bolster the lesser known bands, not a bad business model. 

Ancient Wisdom : "A Celebration In Honor Of Death

 I see the words blackened doom on everything except when the band is actually playing a doom black metal hybrid like this project from Sweden is. Much like Burzum, this one man band is helmed by Vargher from Naglfar The keyboards and atmosphere work really well here and this is a great example of you can have both a sound dialed in and still; care about writing a song. Yes this kind of carries a drone to it and is more akin to a soundtrack track than pop hit , but that is ok. By the time we get half way into the second song it is clear this guy has a flair for richly orchestrated arrangements. To be honest I have not really been blown away bu much black metal lately so hearing something like this is really hitting the spot for me. The vocals are harsh but you can make out the lyrics and they almost remind me more of old Bathory. 

By the time we get to "Architect of Death" it starts to sound like lots of other symphonic black metal. To Vargher's credit he does not resort to taking the easy way out by overloading on blast beats.  "the Coronation" is more doomy in the deliberate nature of the pound it opens with. When it builds from this it falls some where closer to Dimmu Borgir, but with the passion of Watain. It sounds great and is well done , but leans more on the black metal side of the equation and not the album's most original moment. \"Those Who do Not Exist" throbs along the same vibe , which is more doom like. It is almost like an idea of a song they just jam on but still works pretty well.  "And God Saw" is a pretty well blended mix of the black metal and doom influences. It moves with a mournful majesty.  Sure the symphonic elements are in their but they work towards making it more of a dirge like requiem. There are sung vocals mixed as a chorus back into the wall of sound. 

Bell ring and creepy chords cry out , with this being an album with a great deal of doomy darkness to it,  they do a good job dialing that up more. It breaks down on the verse in a very Dimmu manner with spoken snarls and keyboards. It builds into  a more epic black metal undulation. No not the most original moment on the album, but I like the vibe being laid down that makes this more forgivable. I will round this down to a 9. It seems they settle into some of the more common place black metal themes sonically though do avoid going into blast beats. The song vs sound struggle wins out on the side of song , this is a very strong effort and one of the year's best black metal moments.  

Svarts- ' Geography"

The hook of the first song is a product of great songwriting prowess that gets my hopes up for what is the come. The sugary vocals that glaze the otherwise down trodden haze of this rainy take of dream pop, give you a focal point. The song finds her meds beginning to wear off and with it come the keen focus on hooky song writing, n0ot that this it abandoned from this point on as 'Little Death" makes more of an effort in this regard despite the retro synths that might leave you feeling the sound overtakes the songs. There is more drive to "Lovely". Mood wise it reminds me of Meg Myers , It is just what this album needed to break it from the lethargy settling over it it. The melody is also more infectious, all round just the potential of this projects songwriting skills being fully realized. 

I like the atmospheric tension to gift and how the vocal melody works with it. This breaks their sound from the more uniform elements while being consistent with what they do.  'Asylum" lays the atmosphere on perhaps to thick and feels more like an interlude than a song. She sings out more on "Empty Room" and gives the song a dynamic shift  that is very compelling. This also prove she have powerful pipes when she want to put the air behind them. She is also given room to showcase her voice on "Devoid". This song is more function than fashion, so has a more conventional rock sound. They strike another balance between ambiance and songwriting with "Dead". This also allows you to focus in on the lyrics, which are better than average in terms of theme.

"Present Past" which closes the album is more organic. The strum of acoustic guitar is a nice change of pace. They still manage to keep an intensity up, though melody wise I would not say this is the album's most infectious song. It does grow on me though as will much of this album.  I will give this album a 9 for now and see how it grows on me. The more interlude like song , was the only filler , I think they just raised the bar so high on the first song I had this under a heightened sense of scrutiny 

Dinosaur Jr : "Sweep It into Space"

 These guys are back and upholding their sonic legacy well. The second song "I Met the Stones" has an almost metallic chug to it. It is about planets not Mick Jagger. I first listened to this album at a more moderate volume , and I think cranking through head phones might do the mix more justice. Unless they are going for a more raw almost Neil Young like sound. This mix does not do some songs as well, "To be Waiting" is an example of this. Though it does still feel like the 90s so , perhaps that was all they were aiming for. The vocal melody makes up for a lot and is pretty much what sells me on it.  While not the same kind of hyper hooky alt rock that made it on the radio in the 90s , "I Ran Away" has a bouncy enthusiasm that almost captures it.  Lou Barlow takes over on vocals for " Garden". He as a more melodic style so it provides a nice dynamic shift. 

"Hide Another Round" has more of the upbeat jangling bounce to it.  If you were to ask me to play you a song that encapsulates what I think Dinosaur Jr should sound like, I would play you " And Me" . It has all of those qualities. " I Expect it Always" has more energy and a rowdy reckless rock n roll swagger to it, but I do not think it is as good of a song, thought not bad by any means. "Take It Back" is melodic in an odd manner I might not expect from these guys. Keyboards play a larger role than they normally do for these guys, which is ok every now and then. It is also upbeat but in a manner that is a few steps left of center for these guys .

"N Say" is upbeat without being too happy. This makes for what I want to here from this band when they begin to press on the gas a little. Overall this album goes to show these  guys keep getting better when many of their peers from this era just dial it in. With all the fanfare Weezer has gained over the years, I think if you compared the output of these two bands Dinosaur Jr would be more deserving of praise when it comes to being consistent song writers.. I will give this one a 9.5. 

THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR : " Eventide"

 This is straight up metal with black metal vocals . The guitar sound is a great deal warmer than what you expect from black metal. More melodic as well.  It is clear from the playing on the first song these guys are talented players. The second song finds them more in the bounds of traditional black metal. I do not need them to be black metal, but I am always keeping an ear out for cool black metal bands. This is their 7th album so they are very confident in what they do. I like when things slow to a slower more melodic throb on "Thaw". The vocals stay very caustic. It gives this a cold sound that black metal, needs which is why I tend to listen to it more in fall and winter.

There is a a great deal of very nuanced playing on this album. Some of the guitar work really goes above and beyond. Some black metal tends to take on an almost punk feel in the way the guitar is handled, so they are really bringing playing that stands up against any metal band to the table .. The vocals keep things hateful, thought lyrically I am not really picking up the message.  "Bath the Stone in Blood' highlights this. There is a more dynamic melancholy to "Harvest" that sticks enough to the metal  to remind you they are in fact playing black metal. There is a hint of Western feel to it that recalls bands like Wayfarer, as well as a trance like gaze of Jesu. 

While it sticks closer to what we expect from black metal with the sweeping atmosphere, they still avoid sounding like every one else by taking the easy way out with blast beats. They let the guitar song of misery rather than just pounding you. I will give this album a 9.5, it is not perfect, but comes really close to being and might just prove itself to be one of the years best black metal albums as time tells how it grows on me. If you are looking for fresh new black metal with the ghost of the old haunting it , this album is a wonderful listen ./

Living Dead Girl : "Exorcism"

 If you came here for the hot girl factor, make sure you stay for the music. While many bands of this sort use the sex to sell it, here that is not needed, and the eroticism is down played. I am not sure what I was expecting when I pressed play. Perhaps it was a more gothed out New Years Day".  In some ways I was not totally off base, though it is heavier, more along the line of older In This Moment, when there was more of commercial metal core element to their Myspace fueled sound.  Vocalist Molly Rennick, has more edge than sultry to her voice. She blends the contrasting vocal colors well. i prefer the darker groove on "Give Up"  over the more kinetic in your face attitude of the first two songs. That metallic energy is used as more of a dynamic than the fuel in the song's tank. The title track has some more sugar filled moments woven in that reminds me more of Poppy, in the way they contrast the heavy and get heavy like something from an anime theme song.

In This Moment is a more fitting comparison on " Dirty Liar" as their is an indsutrial strength anthem vibe to it. "Politergiest" finds them giving her more room to breath on the verses and employ a more melodic vocal color to increase the dynamic range of the album. The stacatto attack of the vocals on " Villian" gives it an almost rapped nu metal feel before the chorus comes in with a pop punk cheer, that might be too happy for my tastebuds. I had to listen to the album a second time before "Escape" really connected with me. It has a more buncing groove to it. The way the vocals soar out of this pretty much falls in with more bands that get airplai via satitllie stations .

"worship Me" well doesn't connect with me lyrically since I never take a submissive role, The song it self pounds you with the smae intensity they have already hit you with. I am more impressed with the more atmospheric and melodic direction they close the album with. I will round this up to an 8.5. While everything is executed perfectly, it is not the most original thing I have heard , though not deriivitive of one particular artist, it was a fun listen kinda like cotton candy, eat it at the circus but can not make it a part of my diet. if you are into more mainstream metal then it will be up your alley,  

Fucked Up : " Year of the Horse"

Living up to their name, what was once a punk band is now making 20 minute songs. "Dose Your Dreams" worked well for pushing the envelope, this time they might have gone too far. It took two minutes for them to get into the first song. When they get there I like what is going on though the proggy nature of this makes it feel more metal. I have a feeling this is either going to turn into fine ideas that would have made good songs if not crammed together or songs that are in dire need of editing .  Things do take a turn with female spoken word and folk music. Then things get really metal , like Mastodon covering Bathory before they go off on some Norah Jones jams. If they cut out the folk parts it would be solid.

They open the second song with another 2 minute intro before a more Clutch like boogie goes down. They stick to the Clutch thing for about 2 minutes then go off into a ballet. The jam with Billie Ellish for a little while when not making Western soundtracks of Candian coffee house pop. . i mean this is a 26 minute song. For me to even absorb all the places they go here is asking alot. There is a great deal of prog metal going on in the second half . These moods do not flow as smoothly as they did in the first song. There are some cool parts , but all the cool parts could have been woven into a more compact song and been more effective. They are smoking a ton of really good weed that is something coming through loud and clear.  22 Minutes in they become a Ween tribute band. Until 2 minutes later when they really wanna be prog. 

Mastodon is not the only sludge band that became a progressive band. Neurosis to some extent set the path for them as they journeyed into more Pink Floyd like places. The third song also fits this mold of sounding like a sludge band that went prog . It is the most cohesive song on the album. If you took out the symphonic parts it is 18 minutes of solid progressive sludge. There are barely any punk moments. The closest we get to them , is going into the thrashing of the last song.  It is   a 26 minute song , so they go just as many places as they did on the second song and it is about as cohesive, though there are some smooth grooves here and there along the way. Yes they do touch on some epic Thin Lizzy shit, but is is not consistent and looses the momentum. I am sure there are some people who are going to try to convince you this is the album of the year, impressive but not even close thanks to song writing too ambitious for it's own good.  I will give this an 8.5 . 

SEVEN DAY BICUIT Countdown Special - the David Bowie Edition Day 1

Over the course of our relationship I have posted on Facebook a song everyday I am 400 miles away from here to countdown the time until I see her again. Yo Now as our lives further merge to a place where the only moment is not when but now. While this is for my wife, thank you gentle reader for coming along and watching our journey together. Since we became more than friends of 20 years , I began making mixes as a way of saying this is who I am , here are the gaps of my life you were not in and now I want you to be in them. Music is our love language. It is a collections of vibrations we share , beats of heart. Now in the last countdown it is only fitting I share my top 7 artists who actually write love songs, so some of my favorites who are more into bleakness or Satan are not present , there will always be time for that but I am never getting this moment again to celebrate where we came from and where we are going. This one should be no surprise since he is my favorite, and of course it would only make sense that in creating the perfect partner for me he would also be one of her favorties .

Domkraft : "Seeds"

 Sludgey doom with a great deal of movement to it. The vocals are forceful in their desperate desperation. What they are doi.ng depends on riffs. That is the nature of their song writing. It works better on the opener than it does on the second song, where this becomes more of a sound than a song focused thing. The vocals do not feel like they have as much form and function. The big lumbering guitar parts, might trample your ears, but what is happening that is their unique expression. The vocals are the most expressive part of their sound, thought secondary in the focus of their presentation. 

The importance of the vocals is hear on "Into Orbit" which finds them forming more of a melody rather than just howling.  The riff flows on with them feels almost as emotive. The tension to "Dawn of Man" creates a more dynamic feel. This also allows when they pound the chords all out to have a more powerful feel. The album begins to take a turn from this point , showing that the bluster of the second song might have just been their only partial lapse in creative spark. There is more of a pulse to "Tremors" which carries an almost steamy grunge like feel that reminds me of a lot of metal that came out in the 90s. 

 The last song "Audiodome" is more jamming than a focused song. Would it be fun live? Yes. Is it the compelling use of songwriting ? No though there is a darker dynamic shift going into the end. I give these guys credit, most bands try to sound like they are from Sweden, these guys are from Sweden and do not sound like, they might as well be tripping in a van in the desert. They do an excellent job I will round it down to a 9, as the vocals for what I listen to music for could have been more melodic here and there but otherwise these guys continue to do a great job with this and fans of the band will love it.

SEVEN DAY BICUIT Countdown Special - the Morrissey Edition Day 2

 

Over the course of our relationship I have posted on Facebook a song everyday I am 400 miles away from here to countdown the time until I see her again. Yo Now as our lives further merge to a place where the only moment is not when but now. While this is for my wife, thank you gentle reader for coming along and watching our journey together. Since we became more than friends of 20 years , I began making mixes as a way of saying this is who I am , here are the gaps of my life you were not in and now I want you to be in them. Music is our love language. It is a collections of vibrations we share , beats of heart. Now in the last countdown it is only fitting I share my top 7 artists who actually write love songs, so some of my favorites who are more into bleakness or Satan are not present , there will always be time for that but I am never getting this moment again to celebrate where we came from and where we are going Lyrically Morrissey is the most me, with that comes more than one side to the romanatic experience, not all of them are smooth some have filters of a troubled past and imbalances that have to be worked through , which has also been part of our journey in functioning together

 

Bruit : " The Machine is burning and now everyone knows it could happen again

Post rock is the version of prog for coffee swilling hipsters. This band from France, veers from the normal sounds and expectations of what this sub genre can be. Lots of band's could learn from what goes down here. Yes there is plenty of atmosphere but it has an excellent beat so the song has a sense of movement, so it is ok to listen to after your first cup of coffee rather than just drone you to sleep  They also had an excellent grasp of dynamics here as well. The build on this song works really well. Now with all that said this song also really gets your hopes up for the rest of the album when in truth it is the best song on here., Not to say the rest of the album is shabby , it is just hard for them to live up to the promise this one seems to make. Though the second song does come pretty close to it 

  Things change to a great extent with the more folk like tone of the second songs that finds itself evolving into more of an atmospheric classical piece. It is songs like this that make you realize that post-rock really means prog for indie rock kids. When the drums comes in this song finds it's stride once again when the drums kick in and , they continue to show a great grasp of flow in their dynamics. "Amazing Old Tree " is the only song that feels like filler. Calling it a song is generous. as it is minimal in form, the melodies are almost not there and provide a backdrop to a sample that serves as the narrative. The narrative is about a tree. There is more atmosphere than form or function. The bulk of this piece drones on in one place. 

The title track that closes the album is more along the line of what you might expect from a post rock band once you get pat the very cinematic lead in. It also shows how a great deal of post-rock really owes a debt to Pink Floyd. The languid beat has that smoky drain addled lethargy to it. The strong continue to add depth which is another mile stone of their sound. This has all the dynamic ebbs and flow this sort of thing should, it does not have the kind of movement you might want from it if you fell in love with the first two songs like I did, this album does however prove it can be one left on and allowed to play so I will give it a 9 for that .   

SEVEN DAY BICUIT Countdown Special - the Cure Edition Day 3

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Over the course of our relationship I have posted on Facebook a song everyday I am 400 miles away from here to countdown the time until I see her again. Yo Now as our lives further merge to a place where the only moment is not when but now.While this is for my wife, thank you gentle reader for coming along and watching our journey together. Since we became more than friends of 20 years , I began making mixes as a way of saying this is who I am , here are the gaps of my life you were not in and now I want you to be in them. Music is our love language. It is a collections of vibrations we share , beats of heart. Now in the last countdown it is only fitting I share my top 7 artists who actually write love songs, so some of my favorites who are more into bleakness or Satan are not present , there will always be time for that but I am never getting this moment again to celebrate where we came from and where we are going .Another darker selection , but we connect with each other's darkness so it is fitting even if it is not the most romantic of this series

SEVEN DAY BICUIT Countdown Special - Chelsea Wolfe Edition Day 4

Over the course of our relationship I have posted on Facebook a song everyday I am 400 miles away from here to countdown the time until I see her again. Yo Now as our lives further merge to a place where the only moment is not when but now.While this is for my wife, thank you gentle reader for coming along and watching our journey together. Since we became more than friends of 20 years , I began making mixes as a way of saying this is who I am , here are the gaps of my life you were not in and now I want you to be in them. Music is our love language. It is a collections of vibrations we share , beats of heart. Now in the last countdown it is only fitting I share my top 7 artists who actually write love songs, so some of my favorites who are more into bleakness or Satan are not present , there will always be time for that but I am never getting this moment again to celebrate where we came from and where we are going .This is the darkness of the 7, but we connect with each other's darkness so it is fitting even if it is not the most romantic of this series

 

SEVEN DAY BICUIT Countdown Special - Alice Cooper Edition Day 5

Over the course of our relationship I have posted on Facebook a song everyday I am 400 miles away from here to countdown the time until I see her again. Yo Now as our lives further merge to a place where the only moment is not when but now.While this is for my wife, thank you gentle reader for coming along and watching our journey together. Since we became more than friends of 20 years , I began making mixes as a way of saying this is who I am , here are the gaps of my life you were not in and now I want you to be in them. Music is our love language. It is a collections of vibrations we share , beats of heart. Now in the last countdown it is only fitting I share my top 7 artists who actually write love songs, so some of my favorites who are more into bleakness or Satan are not present , there will always be time for that but I am never getting this moment again to celebrate where we came from and where we are going . This one is less of our romantice side and more of our dirty one, though even Alice softens up here and there.