Gothtober - Hours of Worship - "Fading Away to an Empty Nothingness"

 The cool thing about this month is it gives me a chance to catch up on some of the darker releases I might have missed earlier in the year. This album came out back in  April. It was recommended by my fam over at Cvlt Nation, who sometimes shares my taste and others leans in a more punk direction so things like shitty production do not phase them like it would me. This is the case with this album. I get what people might like about it , but right out of the gate the vocals which are flat more often than not if not right out of key, so not just pitchy, grate on me. The are a low monotone, which how hard can just a Ian Curtis impersonation be. If you told me the singer was tone deaf I would say it makes perfect sense. I mean what kind of picky asshole can I be expecting people to be able to sing in key. 

The first song might be the best as the other songs ride on a minimalist drone . The second song "|Life Requires Nothing ' was cooler as it moved into a darker direction, but the vocal imperfections were more glaring there. The keyboards do sound organic and this is not just a band clicking synth patches on a lap top. The drum programming is very crude, something that might be more over looked if the rest of the sounds measured up .Sometimes the vocals are wisely buried in the background. I think more effects on them , like a big echoing reverb, might give a cool vibe, but it has been committed the album so too late for that. 

The trust fund kids in New York would really dig themes like "Quit the World" as they hid during the past year and wallowed in their inner turmoil. The vocals gain a little more resonance here that is an improvement, though musically there is not a great deal going on. I think one crucial thing is lacks to be effective as post punk, darkwave or whatever they are going for is a driving bass line. Instead we get directionless sounds that go no where,   More nowhere is what we get on the last song, it has a cool atmosphere but is like black cotton candy, nothing to it.  

Welcome to Another Gothtober

Yet another Gothtober is upon us. Halloween might not be so cancelled this year. Yet things like haunted houses lose their effect when half the world is scared of everything anyway. Have not heard of any goths ready to embrace death, but mainly whine about how they are afraid of it. Instead we now have Kardashians calling themselves goth. Perhaps some gate keeping is in order here as fuckers are to stupid to form a single file line and realize goth is more than just adhering to the dress code it is about music.  

"Who are you to gate keep what goth is ? " you ask ? "Why is your opinion more important than mine? Who cares what you have to say ? " 

I am glad you asked with this blog alone I have 400000 readers who obvious feel my opinion on the subject matter is worth readings, and we can multiple those numbers by 10 if we include my work on the subject for blogs like Cvlt Nation , Treble Zine and Gothic Beauty. No to mention I bought my first Jesus and the Mary Chain tape in 1987 when it came out. Which opened the door to the Cure, Christian Death etc... though I had already been listening to Bowie and Iggy Pop before that who are to of the icons the genre descended from. 

 We are going to explore what goth is as we celebrate it. When this discussion comes up I normally reference what Rozz Williams said about death rock, "its for punks who like Halloween" . It is more than that as death rock as beloved a sub genre as it maybe is only one aspect. I will touch on post -punk, but unless it is exceedingly dark I want to focus more on the sounds that go bump in the night. Because after all Halloween is the reason  for the season. We will go back and pay homage to the classics once or twice, but my focus will be on new stuff. That is not to say I will not slide a metal review in here or there, but they will not be labelled Gothtober. thus not counting towards our goal of 31 goth posts. Goth does span out to include artists like the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance, so perhaps dark shoe gaze or folk might appear if it is spooky enough. 

Long time readers know the drill in October. New readers , well there is not much you have to figure out, if you like we can do most of the thinking for you here. When the world says they are going to cancel Halloween, we give them the middle finger, despite the fact that Halloween is not different for me than the other 365 days of the year., The rest of the world just gets on the same page with me, even if it is just to fetishsize it. The children of the night and they music they make is what matters when the sun goes down. Goth might be a trending topic , but here is where it is eternal 

The Best of Metallica's Blacklist

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would havebeen a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each. so I broke it down into installments. There was more fat that meat on the bones of it ,so here is the best version of each song. Sometimes on some of the deeper cuts it was the best of two choices or with the last song the only version. Still if it had been narrowed down to the best as heard here it would have been better than what we got while still embracing a range of different styles. You can find the full reviews as they are for the tracks , if you need my thoughts on them, which just takes a few clicks .

 

"Enter Sandman" - Weezer "Sad But True" - White Reaper "Holier Than Thou " -Biffy Clyro "The Unforgiven" - Vishal Dadlani "Whereever I May Roam" - Jon Pardi "Don't Tread On Me" - Volbeat "Through the Never" - Tomi Owo "Nothing Else Matters"- Miley Ray Cyrus "Of Wolf and Man" - Goodnight Texas The God that Failed - Imelda May "My Friend of Misery"- Izia "Struggle Within " - Rodrigo y Gambriela `

Le Chant Noir : " La Société Satanique Des Poètes Morts"

This bands name might fool you into thinking they are French , when they are in fact from Brazil. I commonly refer to the egregore of a region , since music is about vibrations , black metal should be even more sensitive to this fact since it tends to fall along a more ritualistic occult nature. Brazil is most noted for being metal fans but let us not forget spawned to huge metal bands Sepultura and Angra. One is death metal that turned thrash the other power metal. So not the darkest. Though Sepultura was darker than many of their peers. This project also enlisted musicians from other more black metal radiating regions in order to make the black metal theatrics here work better than if they were left to their own devices 

One thing about this a. Lots of dramatic keyboards. To their credit they do not rely on blast beats. The more mid paced third song is one of the album's strongest moments for sure. They remind me most of Cradle of Filth if I had to pick one band in the spectrum of black metal bands, looking back Cradle of Filth would have been the least black metal of the bands that spawned from the 90s .  The first song is very deliberate and kinda makes me think of Twisted Sister's "Burn In Hell".  

There is a great deal of raspy snarls and croaks regarding Satan. I believe none of them . The mix of this album does not do it any favors as the keyboards are too high and the guitar needs to sit up higher in the mix. On the fourth song the vocals drop down to a lower death metal growl and that works better for their over all sound than the higher pitched snarls. Some of the guitar melodies are pretty decent and in many ways this band is good at what they do. What they do also happens to not be the most original . "Le Baron Sanglant" finds them picking up the speed into a more familiar blasting. Not that they are not also capable of creating a more dynamic and making heavy metal haunted house music. 

There are several songs about vampires. These seem to require spoken word narratives that make the Cradle of Filth comparison more glaring. Yeah I do like my black metal to be melodic , some of the more flowery symphonic songs like " Le Danse Macabre" does not resonate with me like the more dissonant and atmospheric actual black metal that does.  The song after this has a more carnival like tone which works better until they feel the need to pour on the speed,. There is a more sung vocal that is a almost gothy baritone, you might think this is something that it up my alley but the execution is a little off. Still to some extent this song works better than many of the others. Overall it is an interesting listen, they have promise as a band and  I appreciate what they were trying to do as the overall sound is still pretty dark so I will give this one an 8. Not proving that Brazil could be the next hot bed for black metal as this is not a black metal album per se But I can hear how it might be confused for one. 

Abysmal Grief : " Funeral Cult of Personality"

 This Italian band gets called doom more often than not on the inner webs and by the end of the first tune from their new album I am not sure if this is the most effective description they should be filed under. It is mid temp early metal style that has more in common with Mercyful Fate than Candlemass.
The vocals are a spoken Tom Warrior like snarl and I am not going to call Celtic Frost doom either.  Sure even in the face of the big epic guitars "the Mysteries Below" work off of, there is a darkness to what is going on here that has more in common with black metal in it's earliest forms than the moody melancholy of doom. These guys have more in common with Watain sonically than Pallbearer. 

They do come closer to doom on the darker This Graveyard is Mine".  Though overall I would say this is best described as going in a more sinister direction than being actually doom. The keyboards work in conjunction with the guitars to give it a haunted house harmony. This does feel more theatrical like a Hammer Horror movie rather than anything Satanic going. The trappings of the dark side without being fledged to it.  The instrumental "Reign of Silence" works of a marching riff, but has creepy layers of synths so it holds my attention better than most bands would if they attempted similar.

By the time we get to " Idolatry of the Bones "  it dawns on me one of the reasons this band falls on the black metal side of the fence and not the doom one is the snarl of the vocals is more hateful than not. The doomiest part of the new album is the last song . The keyboards and the guitar play the riff in synch. The vocals sound more like old Mayhem than not. I will not even say this is blackened doom. There is not a blast beat to be found on this album. But one song leaning in a doom direction does not make it a doom album, nor does it make these guys a doom band. They are just dynamic. What they do is engaging , but fairly simplistic, though I do wish there were a few more songs, though it is better to be left wanting more. I am going to give this album a 9, a good one to go in Halloween season. This album will be realeased November 2nd on Sun & Moon records.    

Creeping Death : "the Edge of Existence"

 

The first three songs on this album are new and the final three "Sacraments of Death" , "Doused in Flames" and "Skinned Alive" are new versions of the songs. On the new songs it is clear what worked for the in the past is working here. There is a great deal of hook and groove to the riff that powers the mean title track that opens the album. There are a few bursts of speed but the focus still remains on this being a song rather than just an assault on your ears . The riff to "Relics From the Past " focuses on the type of tightly coiled picking that empowers a great deal of death metal . They do it better than most , but I am not sure this is their strongest suit in terms to the over all scope of what they do, as I prefer what went down in the first song more. 

"Humanity Transcends" finds a more deliberate paced riff with a great deal more power before they blast off. The need to blast off , sends them back into the pack of what every one else does. Though I do like the growl of the vocals captured here. Is this their most memorable song ? No . Midway in it is course corrected with a pretty cool riff leading into the solo. I can say that after listening to this there is a seamless transition from the new songs to the older reworked ones , which for fans of their old stuff is a positive note. On "Sacraments of Death" the newly refined guitar tone gives the ripping riff that opens the song new aggression. The thrashy nature of the riffs, make them hard not to head bang to. 

There is a Morbid Angel vibe to "Doused in Flames " without it being a total homage. It is more "Altars " era . The crunch of this version feels more straight ahead. Perhaps this is in the drumming.   The solo to "Skinned Alive" is the first thing that feels retooled . Some parts feel faster and over all the song has a heavier vibe to it . It is not rushed like most death metal aside from returning to a brisk attack here and there. I will give this a 9, wish it was an entire album of new stuff, but taking what I can get from these guys . 

 

Sleep Token : "This Place Will Become Your Tomb"

 I was expecting something more metal when I first pressed play instead I got something more like Cold Play. This is the second album from this masked anonymous project out of England . The press release asks if we as journalists will need help due to the mysterious nature of the band. My answer is no thanks I am just goin to focus on music.  What I am hearing right now is a nu-metal power ballad. I like clean singing but the vocal melody here seems to be languishing to much in introspection. "Hypnosis" answers the question what if Jeff Buckley did not die but became the singer for the Deftones. I appreciate this guy's voice, though unsure if it is beings put to the best use all the time.  Singing is just as much about where you put your voice than hitting the notes. They have a murkier and moodier sound than most modern hard rock bands. I am not sure they are metal . They have not yet shown me their heavy side. Almost after I type that they go into some Sliknotty kind of break down.

They delve further into pop soul ballardy with alt metal production value to the atmosphere on "Mine" . Like Issues with more obtuse mix.  There are moments when they do dig into to the more rock side of what they do and the results seem less focused.one of example of this being "Like That"   They are not too far removed from the likes of Imagine Dragons on "the Love You Want" .  It is catchy and well done so I am not going to argue with it , despite the fact it is not what I normally listen to,  The auto tuned and ultra harmonized vocals of  "Fall For Me"  which reminds me of Bon Iver.  There is a more metal, by way of 90s prog rock, on "Alkaline" , which works better than when we are back to the wimpy more Coldplay like sound of "Distractions". Sometimes their experimental side works out better like "Descending" proves. It puts them back in that Bon Iver place. The emphasis returns to the sleep portion of their name with another ballad after this song.  Though there is a pretty stellar guitar sol on the song , that is not going to make a song interesting in and of it self as even John Mayer musters up those.    

"High Water" they kept the metal drummer to bring along for the cinematic pop ballad.  Toward the end of the song the guitars join in with a more metal dynamic, but Poppy's last album as a whole is more metal than what goes down here. The last song they start off with more of a pop folk feel. While they pull off these sort of moments is it not something already congesting the airwaves? They do more interesting thing on their own with out reverting to this. Overall there are some strong moments I will give this album an 8.5, when they are in their sweet spot, I like it , but there is too much balladry for my personal tastes.  

Rivers of Nihil- "the Work"

I listened to this album a few times through before I sat down to write about it. This is different for me as it is normally me typing as I listen to it for the first time. First off, it is really well done. Secondly though it is not all that original, in terms of the bigger picture of what they are doing here. It is their more commercial work yet. If there was an album that was going to break them through to a larger audience this is going to be it. Is it a sell out ? Hmmm, well maybe in some ways. There is more clean singing, but it works for the songs. The are really nibbling on Meshuggah"s nuts in terms of the drill sergeant like bark that rides the angular grooves here. The second song finds the band showing most of the tricks they have up their sleeve after this they are variations on a theme, perhaps more sax or clean vocals, but it circles the same pit. 

On my first listen the way they handled clean vocals on this album reminded me of Opeth, but the more crooning oddness is the trickle down effect of Mike Patton's influence, so it would be more Dillinger Escape Plan in that regard. "Wait" is basically a power ballad. To their credit the more accessible side of the coin, means that while in many ways this is a progressive metal album they are still focused on the in the sounds are perfect , now as the assembled into prefect songs, well every now and then they are :Focus" being one of those moments. The album's most beautifully dark song is "Clean" which is a cautionary tale about drugs and romancing the smoking stones. It is at this point midway into the album that they hit their stride. There is a more industrial element present that I am a fan of. Then there are moments where the more progressive elements find them not as focused like on "the Void From Which songs rather than the razzle dazzle of it all, though they are not afraid to let out a ripping guitar solo as needed. This album is perhaps most impressive in terms of how well it is produced. It sounds prefect, as No Sound Escapes".  To contrast this the show with "MORE?"  they are capable of being more compact and in your face, thought the bits of atmosphere do not work as well.    

"Tower2" is more of an interlude than a song, so it won't count for the purpose of this review. They delve into a darker moodier side for "Episode". The clean vocals are not only more plentiful on this album , but they have greatly improved as have the lyrics . The way they question God on this song is cool. I love the line ... 'I fucked up all the good things / I believed in ". "Maybe One Day" is the kind of prorggy strummed ballad that would feel more at home on a Porcupine Tree album. However it is also really well written and preformed so hard to argue against it. The 11 minute title track is pretty epic and finally makes the most of the sax that has been hiding in various corners of the mix  on this album.It overall as a song is a lot to digest / Given t he scope of this album and how well some of these songs are written , I will give this album a 9 and see how it sits with me.  

8.4

Succumb : "XXI"

Yes, this San Francisco death metal is heavy, but can they write a song ? This is the first question I asked, when I left the hype at home and settled in to give this one a listen. It opened with such a neck throttling blast of heaviness that the answers to this questio9n was uncertain going into the second song. The very fact they are on the Flenser, as label with a reputation for forward thinking artists means they are not going to simply be recycling Incantation riffs. There is a fair amount of chaos . Yes grind core and especially Napalm Death is an influence. The second song, does offer more mood and breathing room, than the attack of the opener. They revert back to that more primitive state of brutality on "Okeanos". The vocals begin to have equal punk snarl as they do growl by the time we get to this song and they are better for it . This also aids in the songwriting process.  They do this but do not relent in hammering you with the aggression. 

With "Smoke" it is interesting how the open chords ringing out in the guitar that opens the song seems to pick up where they left off with the previous song, but then they lock into a heavier chugged riff and go in a different direction.  Still very dense and heavy with little interest in melody , what they are doing some how works just fine for me here. They close "Graal" with a really strong riff, so the song goes some where, there is just a mire of more uniform sounds leading the way to get there.  They do have the fact that they are dark, emotive and organic going for them which leads to sonic heaviness.  Cheri does succeed and finding enough heft to her voice that she becomes gender neutral in her delivery. At least for the most part. The quick two minutes burst of song that can be found on "Aither" not only high lights their grind core leanings , but works as they might burn you out with too much of this kind of ear beating.   

At first "Some" sounds like it might get hindered by adhering to closely to the confines of their established sounds , which do lay well within the bounds of death metal. They give into lapses of speed driven obsession , doing their signature ringing of the riff  to give things room to breath and go back to business as usual. They are good at what they do , it isa very well groomed one trick pony.  I think by the last song it is evident that I was grown comfortable with what they do, and every song then does not have to be their best. Some of this is just the compromise that seems to be made given the bulldozing nature of their sound. The angular parts might not be whatever death metal band does but they are hitting the notes the have perfected on their sophomore album, even if no new ground is broken in this sonic grave yard.   I will give this one an 8.5, due to the one trick pony aspect. 

Spiritbox : " Eternal Blue"

 Formed from the ashes of IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, these kids have had a buzz about them. This is their first full length. It is more refined that what I have heard in the past from them, it also plays it a little safer and much safer than their former band.  The second song is heavier. At all times they keep their songwriting in check and have their eye on the prize much better than their peers in Jinjer. They have much sharper hooks , granted "Hurt You" is one of the lead singles from the album so it needs to drawn you in like this. "Yellowjacket" is more of a djent tinged effort with Sam Carter from Architects throwing in a more aggressive nu-metal post hard core shout. This album is really well produced , it tones down some of the more metal core elements that I would not normally like. 

I like the more pop  tinged cadence to her voice on the verses of "the Summit" . Is it more accessible ? Yes but it is also just a really well written song. They are often in the same sonic zip code that Issues was. With Issues most likely being cancelled these days I will take this. "Secret Garden" uses a bass line that reminds  you these guys are a progressive band. The chorus is poppy , perhaps a little more on the bright side than I would have asked for, but it works in context of the song. The technical aspects of the song does not encumber it too much. They get back into the heavy with "Silk in the Strings" . She uses her harsher vocals going into the song. Musically there are other more melodic elements at the fringes of the second to balance this out to some degree. Heavy is a good dynamic for them, but it is not their strength enough for them to write and entire song running of this one current. 

"Holy Roller" shows that sometimes they can be heavy and lock into a convincing enough groove to make you think they can. The title track still uses heavier angular djenty guitars , with her vocals off setting this to create a more dynamic effort.  There is not much difference in the verses of "We Live in a Strange World" and Taylor Swift's 'Reputation" era pop. If you know my tastes then I am all for this . I am also not going to try to convince anyone this band is heavy either. There is more of a rock dynamic that it builds into. They crunch back in with more angular guitars going into "Halcyon" before going back to pop. This take on pop is melodic but not as catchy as the previous song. 'Circle With Me" is a better song and returns to heavy riff with a thicker groove against airy popish singing. kinda like 90s alternative.  The album closes with "Constance". This is another beauty and the beast of a song, more dreamy than the kind of thing say Nightwish does.  Also more geared toward current radio pop.  I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it sits with me. Was a fun listen and I prefer it over the bulk of newer mainstream  

The Metallica Blacklist pt 7

 

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would be a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each.   So I broke this down by song,  So you are getting an installment of this review for each song.  Though when we get to some of the deeper cuts there are only a couple versions and in this installment we are covering those.  This is  the final break down of the songs, the last part 8 I will compile the best of each songs to present what would have been a better tribute album, but for now here we are with  "Of Wolf and Man". The one shot it gets is taken by a folk country project called Goodnight Texas,  I would have preferred a darker rock take on this Katatonia would have been a good choice.  Instead we are getting their truck stop hippie version, which is nice, but it is a song about where wolves and does not need nice, Murder By Death would have been better. 

Idles who are not normally a bad band, though a punk band which means they can be sloppy try some kind of version of "the God That Failed" and it sucks pretty bad.  Irish singer Imelda May, does a much better with her bluesy poppy groove , it comes closer to being at least a rock song. 

"My Friend of Misery" is first take on by Cherry Glazerr, who is a band I normally appreciate , but their cover is a a little disjointed , the chorus is about all that is there the verses are a wreck. Slothrust would at least have been able to rock it out when needed. French singer Izia's more pop take on it is closer in terms of having a more driving beat and a melody that captures the song. The jazz version by Kamasi Washington, makes less since than what Cherry Glazerr did . 

It is a  shame the "Struggle Within" did not get a heavier version though  Rodrigo y Gabriela are god at their style of Spanish guitar.  They have a grasp of metal without playing it, but there are many bands that could have done better. 

the Metallica Blacklist- pt 6- "Nothing else Matters"

 There are 12 covers of this song, that is ridiculous. That is an entire album of people covering this. There are four really strong versions, the other eight are pointless. The first solid one is from Phoebe Bridgers. If you are regular reader of this blog then you know I am a fan, there are a couple people who also cover this that I am a bigger fan of, but she is one of the four best on here, even if it is not the most powerful vocal version. The version that follows is going to be the most recognized and get the most airplay it is also one of the best. It is from Miley Cyrus. Sure she shows her ass a lot, it is a nice enough ass, so i appreciate that but she can sing her fucking pantiles off, so should not be judged by how she carries herself in the public eye. She almost has an unfair advantage as Miley has been doing this song live for over a year. Se I told you , don't judge her. This might be the best version though one other version is neck to neck with her, we will get to it soon enough. 

I love Depeche Mode, but Dave Gahan's version of the song sucks. There is no emotion or shit to it. Mickey Guyton, who is a big deal because she is a black country singer, offers up something that is like a sound track for a CW show or at least the dramatic conclusion, she doesn't come close to Mliey as is very generic.  Speaking of generic Dermot Kennedy , goes through the motions in what might have worked on a show like the Voice, as he sings the right notes , perhaps too right with little balls. Chilean singer proves she is better at getting naked to shock people  than covering Metallica.  What works for Miley only works when you do it right. Russian pianist Igor Levit, is talented and does a good job with what does which is a solo piano version , but did we need another ? 

My Morning Jacket's version works as they retain a firm hold on what they do, but you can tell what song this is , other artists tried to give their spin on these songs and it just did not work as well, they are also better song writers than those artists too, so there is that. Until the wimpy male vocals come in PG Roxettes version almost works. Darius Rucker's version is well Darius Rucker, who has been pumping out stale from the box radio trash since the 90s, so he has that in common with Metallica I guess. 

Chris Stapleton is the only artist who rivals Miley's version, in both passion and vocal power. I wish he put this kinda feel into his more recent material. He simply kills this , this is only the second time I have felt it has been a tie. Oh yeah some lame bastard called Tresor sucks a dick while trying to do the song.    

the Metallica Blacklist pt 5

 

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would be a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each.   So I broke this down by song,  So you are getting an installment of this review for each song.  Though when we get to some of the deeper cuts there are only a couple versions and in this installment we are covering those. 

First up is "Whereever I May Roam" . J Balvin has proved himself as garbage for just using the opening riff and rapping over it. Why is this even on here?  What makes things worse is this exact form of utter bullshit takes place on the track right after thanks to " Chase & Status, who are an equally shitty hip hop project. Then the Neptunes just do a dance remix of it which is easier to digest and I can actually listen to. Country artist Jon Pardi, saves the day and does a pretty impressive job, by picking up real instruments and learning how to play the god damn song. When I wonder why country music is so popular now, this experience is answering that question. 

Next- "Don't Tread on Me" , first there is a bullshit mash up of 'Don't Tread and nothing else matters". Skipping over that to Portugal the Man who finds their balls in every way but the vocals. When they do try to give the vocals more heft on the chorus it is multiple voices in a chant. . Really with Volbeat after then there is no real reason for them to show up as they dominate this. I think we could have had one really great tribute album if we took the best cover of each song and stripped the rest of the fat. Volbeat is not a band I am into as they are too radio friendly, but I normally like what I need to cut them some slack. 

Through the Never"- Ok here is the thing, the Hu are a lot of hype and work of the novelty of what they do, they are not legit metal. I think this cover shines light on that fact.It is weak. But when the only other person covering this song is a female pop singer, then I guess it makes more sense, if that is the best they can do, though I can name 20 metal bands I would rather here cover this song... Machine Head, Life of Agony, Watain, Megadeth, Flotsam 7Jetsam, Down, I can keep going all day 

 

Full of Hell : "the Garden of Burning Apparition"

 

The album opens with a one minute blast that is almost hard to call music it is so abrasive. They are better at using this many than most of their peers. They main the speed , but are less blasting and more pounding on the second ditty. This song is just under two minutes which is brief , but manages for them to get the point across, perhaps better than the minute temper tantrum. |Murmuring Foul Spring"  sounds more like blackened hard core which in truth is what this band has not become, but been if you boil them down to their simplest form. When they do break the three minute mark on "Derelict Satellite" they waste a great deal of time churning in distorted noise. They have taken things here to an abrasive new level.  Which I can normally appreciate there is just nothing redeemable about that song.

They at least have a riff on the title track. They get more song oriented in the way that finds them playing to their strengths with " Eroding Shell" . There is a little death metal to the hyper aggression of "All Bells Ringing" .  Sometimes their hurtling spastics of gnashing and lashing, just sounds like every one else doing this ultra violently heavy thing. I used to get these guys confused with Trap Them and the lines are more fully drawn here. Sometimes it is clear they are out just to torture your ear drums and not really about songs. On "Industrial Messiah Complex" they do lock into a death metal groove and the vocals take on more purpose.   

There is pretty decent and almost straight forward metal guitar playing the rest of the band conforms to on "Reeking Tunnels" the angular riff that crops up reminds me a little of Converge. The second to last song is a burst of noise with a title , it only lasts for one wasted minute. The last song is spastic hard core death metal which is something that works . I will round this down to a 7, I heave heard them do better, they sacrificed that for the sake of being heavy and I have heard other bands this year do that better. This is unleashed by Relapse Records October 1st.    

Marissa Nadler : 'the Path of the Clouds"

Returning more to her dream country sounds, this album drifts away in all the ways you want it to. She was aided by Lightning Bolt producer Seth Manchester who added the distorted guitars that sit back in the atmosphere. You might read some reviews that lead you to believe she is becoming Chelsea Wolfe and this is more of a rock record which is not the case. He supports her tone in a more conventional way to emerge from the ghostly haze her vocals normally sit in , the first time this is noted is on the song "Couldn't have Done the Killing" . Many these song s are true crime ballads more than murder ballads as the killing is not always the point. In fact she sings 'leave your weapons at the door' on this one , so many are more metaphoric. It also should be noted sooner than later than Cocteau Twins bassist Simon  In addition to pianist Jesse Chandler from the Mercury Rev, this creates a more organic band like feel. While many use the word intimate to describe this album, I would say it is more of a group effort in how it feels. This does not take away from the introspective nature of her performance. 

Amber Webber from Black Mountain lends her voice to "Elegy" . It is an even more fragile ballad that the first  four songs. More focused on the cloud like atmosphere. "Well Sometimes You Just Can't Stay" has a thick haze of woozy sonics over it's country gaze  that split the difference somewhere between the Cowboy Junkies and a David Lynch soundtrack. While an amazing sound, she still pouts an effort into the song writing rather than letting the hypnosis do all the work. She doe not always give the songs this kind of back bone as things are allowed to blow in the evening breeze more on the even more relaxed "From Vapor to Stardust".  Not a dark album , but the mood is captured in the reverb thick guitars that counter balance the strummed acoustics. Without this gray sky of the rainy day, it would come across like a country album at times. The twang buried in the effects 

"Turned into Air" is so intangible that the guitar solos Emma Ruth Rundle comes into add does not really ground it. This is why some kind of percussion is important not only on this album but this style of music as there needed to be some kind of back bone to anchor it into the physical plane. "And I Dream of Running" does this and in so doing almost reminds me more of Pink Floyd, "Lemon Queen' is another country song that keeps it's cool by hiding this in atmosphere.  I will give this album a 9.5, the songwriting is where it is at and good to hear her add more sonic colors.  

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Alien Weaponry : "Tangaroa"

 

This metal band from New Zealand. They tend to get labelled a thrash band, but have more in common with djent. Another way to say it is they are New Zealand's answer Gojira. Granted their heritage somehow also brings with it a touch of Sepultura. Their native tongue doesn't not lend itself well to metal singing. The vocals are sometimes sung in a group chant. They are shouted more than growled. There are some riffs that remind me more of Pantera.  Toward the end of the second song they dig up riffs that have enough groove to really head bang to. Much like folk metal can get mired down with trying to fly the flags of their ancestors, the same can happen with these guys, but it doesn't sound as cool as pretending to be a Viking.   

They gang vocals at time make this sound like 2021's answer to Biohazard. Things get darker on the third song, which is a better direction for them as I was beginning to worry what they were doing was going to get old by this song if they did not switch it up some. The title track displays more nu-metal tendencies than thrash. I like the English sung verses. Coming out of the chorus there is a riff that sounds like a direct rip off of Acid Bath, who are one of my favorite bands so impressed they know who they are in order to rip them off. "Unforgiving" is the most accessible song so far a more almost emo like ballad, there are some groovier proggy riffs that are still pretty melodic in it. While it does show some of the singers limitations, the song as a whole works and makes those less glaring.  "Blinded" finds them delving into even more radio ready hard rock. It is hooky and reminds me of a great deal of metal from the 90s so it works for me. "Kai Whatu" is one of the album's heavier songs , and these guys version of heavy tends to lead them down more of a 'Roots' era Sepultura direction. 

When these guys blend hooks and melody their songwriting compensates for some of their 90s metal leanings that would sound like some ones was trying to warm up the ghosts of an old era . "Buried Undergound" is one of those rare moments where they do not do this in the freshest manner. They go into regressive angst but still manage to fare pretty well on "Dad" .The nu-metal thing makes more sense considering their daddy issues. They have a faire understanding of how to barrow from the hard core break downs of the 90s. they manage to make it work with their more tribal moments on "ihenga".  "Down the Rabbit Hole" is hands down the album's best song and one of the year's best metal songs period. I will give this a 9.5, did not expect to like this one as much as I did , since this is more mainstream than where my tastes typically fall, but it is solid song writing.  

The Metallica Blacklist-pt 4 "the Unforgiven"

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would be a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each.   So I broke this down by song,  So you are getting an installment of this review for each song.  Though when we get to some of the deeper cuts there are only a couple versions so we will double up when we get to that point in the album. 

I know not to expect anything from Cage the Elephant as they are the kind of band I automatically want to turn the dial on when I hear them on the radio. They live up to this expectation, though moodier than just being frat boy drinking music.  I appreciate what Vishal Dadlani does with his voice he goes from a lower Nick Cave croon, to more of a pop belt with a great deal of soul. I am not sure the arrangement does the song justice , but he can sing.  

So far Diet Cig does the best job, even though they are a very alt poppy 90s homage  They are more of a indie rock band with sugary female vocals so stylistically at odds , but head and  shoulders over the terrible track by Flatbush Zombies, where they sample they song then go off in another direction that has nothing to do with the original and is just another hip hop track, which really has not place here. I first thought Latin pop duo Ha Ash, was a country singer. They work off the ballad side with little in the way of power to it, though more power than the whiney ass singers that come after them. 

The singer from the Mexican band Panda tries to whine his way through the song and the results are lacking at best. The eunuch Moses Sumney warbles into the song with suck little support to his voice it is pathetic. Not sure what the instruments he is singing over are even doing. He whispers as much as he sings and sounds like Prince without balls. So given how badly things go I guess Diet Cig or Vishal is a good as it gets. 

      

Carcass : "Torn Arteries"

I was not too thrilled by their 2013 comeback album "Surgical Steel" it just sounded like another death metal band. When you are a legend like these guys are you have to do better than that. In the realm of reasonable expectations, we know they are never going to be a grind core band again like they were on "Reek of ...", nor do I need them to be. "Necroticism" is my favorite album by them. I know it is no longer 1991 so when the title track blasts into my ears to kick their new album off, I am ok with it. It's more impressive when they bring riffs that have a little more groove to them, though the more rock n roll feel of "Dance of Ixtab" is a little more along the lines of "Swansong" which I am more onboard for. It is songs like "Eleanor Rigor Mortis" that make me happy for them to be back in a more consistent place. 

"Under the Scalpel Blade" finds the band thematically where we want them , though the riffs might not been a keenly sharp as the previous song. They go way out of their thematic base on "the Devil Rides Out" . It might seem weird for me to raise an eyebrow to a song about the devil since that is the sort of lyrics I normally am drawn to , but that is not who this band is. Surgery and the decline of the western civilization are all topics that is who they are, there are plenty of death metal bands snarling about the devil so why start this late in your career?   Musically the song is great though. They also dig up some pretty mean yet musical riffs for " Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment"  which is one of the album's better songs.  Aborted drummer Daniel Wilding makes him self more imprinted on their sound with "Kellys Meat Emporium". He also played on the last album. Yes they have gotten more technical over the years riff wise, each album this is more of a thing , but more well blended into their sound this time around. 

Their smart hooky songwriting that became more apparent on 'Swansong' is out in full force on " In God We Trust".  This album should have come out after 'Swansong"  I would be fine with forgetting the previous one and leaving them with a more flawless discography. Not to say this album is perfect. It is closer to being perfect for who they are as a band. If this is their last album I would be fine with that. The last song is consistent but perhaps not as inspired though I can hear where it would be a crowd pleaser given their base audience. The opening riff has more to it than the thrashing they dish out the rest of the song. I will give this album a 9.5 as it is the kind of return to form I want from them and the songs that did not resonate with me on the first couple listens will grow on me,

  

 

8.6

The Metallica Blacklist pt 3- "Holier Than Thou"

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would be a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each.   So I broke this down by song,  So you are getting an installment of this review for each song.  Though when we get to some of the deeper cuts there are only a couple versions so we will double up when we get to that point in the album. 

The bar starts off being raised pretty high by Biffy Clyro, who might not have taken the most obvious path with the song, but do what they do with it so well that it makes up for it and impresses me. The raw snotty punk of the Chats is too straight forward to really capture the mood of this song effectively and really like a great deal of earlier punk the emphasis is on attitude than musical ability so they can barely play. When it comes to punk it should not be a surprise that OFF!  does a better job, despite relying more on speed , though neither band comes close to what Biffy Clyro started off with. 

If you were going to ask out of the options given who was going to deliver the most metal version of this song it would be hard to bet against Corey Taylor. He stays pretty true to the song with out getting to Slipknot with it. As he has gotten older and thanks to his success with Stone Sour, he as grown away from the more overt nu metal trappings. Though his version might be the second best I prefer Biffy Clyro's take on the song.  

The Metallica Blacklist Review pt - 2 "Sad But True"

 

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would be a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each.   So I broke this down by song,  So you are getting an installment of this review for each song. 

Sam Fender makes it clear he has heard plenty of Jeff Buckley but not really sure what Metallica is about. Sure he has a decent voice, even if the over all sound is less than original, he would have been better off with 'the Unforgiven" . I am more surprised by the fact Jason Isobell sounds more like legit country than . His version bears next to nothing to do with the original , but is better than what Fender does. This is also better than what the Mexican Institute of Sound does, which is just sample the original song and mix it against the sounds of their home country.   

Going into this Royal Blood would have been my pick for who was going to do the best just job of this one. The vocals kind of fall into the Weezer trap of not having enough balls and rely on the music to carry the weight of the song, though what they do going into the chorus works pretty well. I had the highest hopes for St. Vincent, as I know she likes metal, she instead gives it more of a Nine Inch Nails treatment with the slinky beat. She pretty much does what she always does and it just happens to be a Metallica, in fact I think I have heard her use a beefier guitar tone on her own songs. 

Kentucky's White Reaper would have been my second guess for who would do the best job as far as staying closer to what they original., In some ways they might have done this better than Royal Blood, I think they would be more suited for "Seek and Destroy" , but I will give what they did a thumbs up. YB Korean band also tries a similar approach, but try to hard while taking to many liberties and just do not have the balls White Reaper had . So I think White Reaper won this round.    

The Metallica Blacklist Review pt - 1 "Enter Sandman"

The new tribute to the Black Album called the Metallica Blacklist, is a collection of artists each covering a song from the band's biggest selling work. To review this as a whole would be a daunting task since there are 5 to 6 artists covering each.   So I broke this down by song,  So you are getting an installment of this review for each song. 

Alessia Cara a Canadian pop singer is first to take a swipe at the song. It reminds me of the trailers you hear a pop singer doing a minor key cover of a classic rock song for Millennials who never heard the song in the first place. The riff of the original does occur so there are some rock elements to this one.

Then we have slacker singer songwriter Mac DeMarco taking a more accurate stab at the song. His impersonation of James is pretty decent when it comes to the phrasing , then solo is also spot on, so while I do not have any complaints , I am not sure this is the best introduction to who he is.

For Ghost to show up and act like a bunch of pussies by turning it into a piano ballad for the first verse is suited. They do stomp onto the distortion pedals, but then make the chorus way too happy,  Which given how terrible they are is a given. Journey covering this song might have been a better option. 

Ghost's version is not the worst that dishonor belongs to Columbian singer Juanes whose version is unlistenable. Rina Swayama is soulful in her take, the beat is more dancey, it reminds me of if Wicked Wisdom had given this a try.   

If I had to place my bets on who was going to do the best version of this song given the choices at hand my money would have been on Weezer. While River's does not offer the most aggressive vocal approach which might do to DeMarco, the overall sound is punchy like a band of actual musicians who had been slugging it out on the road for years much like Metallica themselves .  So Weezer wins their round for "Enter Sandman"    

 

Portrait : "At One With None"

It's no secret I do not cover a great deal of power metal here. This might seem odd, considering that Iron Maiden is one of my favorite bands. King Diamond is a well, which is why I originally checked this band out. Though they feel much more like Iced Earth to me than Mercyful Fate. I guess I went into this hoping for something more like In Solitude. Sure he uses a falsetto yodel, but does not blend it in the same manner King Diamond does and seems more influenced by Rob Halford  or the singers who followed in Rob's boot prints. The vocals are just fitting over the guitar rather than forming melodies that are memorable as anything King or Rob would do. You can hit the notes , but at the end of the day , what makes you want to listen to the song again? This is big and epic with a gallop that has balls to it, but it will not hold my attention for more than two songs on that as it's only merit. 

The guitar sound is dialed in as good as you can ask for from this sort of metal, making it better than most power metal on those sonics alone.  He pays more attention to his melodies on "Phantom Fathomer" which makes sense as it is one of the album's singles. The 80s metal vibes are alive and well,. but work in context of the power thrash going down here. There is some of the higher falsetto but the shrillness of it still reminds me more of Iced Earth than Mercyful Fate or King Diamonds solo work, perhaps this is because it lacks the mournful midrange, and has a less ghostly sound. This is not to say midway into "He Who Stands' they do not make a more obvious stab in this direction, it just doesn't stick. While it might not measure up to the King that doesn't mean it is not an improvement over the previous songs.   "Ashen" taps into the more theatric King Diamond like sound. His vocals however are much more straight forward and do no go into characters. He is more of a an old school Geoff Tate disciple.  

By the time we get to "A Murder of  Crows" , I have begun to get bored as they are getting mired into the kind of thrash hybrid that bands like Sanctuary and Helstar have already done better decades ago. There just are not any hooks to make this memorable.  If I thought I was bored on that song little did I know how tedious the song after would be as it is more of the same.   They thrash the remainder of the album leaving a few darker chords to ring out on the last song. Musically it is well done, though I think they are uncertain of who they are when you strip the influences away, but overall I will give this album an 8, which means it is in the upper tier of power metal so far this year.      

A Pale Horse Named Death : 'Infernum In Terra"

 I really liked their last album they released two years ago. Obviously I am also a big fan of Type O  Negative , as well as Life Of Agony, so kept an ear open when it came to what Sal was doing. Up to this point I have appreciated it but did not really give enough of a listen to become a fan until the last one. There is less of the doom vibe that pervaded the last album and more of a Alice In Chains flavored grunge vibe. Less rock n roll, and more intentionally darker metal. There are flirtations with Hot Topic styled goth on songs like "Cast Out From the Sky". In the 90s there was a great deal of darker grunge that had one ear open to what was going on in Los Angeles. Not the more elegant Sisters of Mercy style goth Type O Negative flirted with , but more post- Reznor Marilyn Manson vibes.

There is a more relaxed rambling sense of melody to the more rock tinged "Shards of Glass' which would have been radio friendly in the 90s. Not a ballad but the guitar is not as thickly distorted and more strummed.  The way the vocals are doubled on "Lucifer's Sun" bring it back to more of a grunged tone, even as the guitars get heavier and more  droning.  "Two Headed Snake" finds them paying more homage to Sabbath, who was a hug influence on Type O Negative so this is old news, but done in a way where you hear them dressing this up with some of their own sounds. "Slave to the Master" features vocals that are not as inspired and feel like they are just color by number, to the narcotic pulse of the song that could have been better.

There is a little more of an interesting groove to "Devil's Deed" which seems to be about drugs. The vocals work better on this one, an element that on this album feels more hit or miss than on the last album. It falls somewhere in the sonic spectrum between Godsmack and Marilyn Manson. "Reflections of the Dead" is the last actual song, the track after it is just a piano outro. It was a cool song to end it on and perhaps the most Type O of the bunch as it has a depressive drone to it, not doom, but darker grunge. I will give this album a 9, very solid song writing, if you are a fan of the band this might be a more grunge / hard rock direction and less metal but the songs are well done. This album drops September 24th 

The Dead Deads- "Tell Your Girls It's Alright"

 This rock trio is pretty fun as they remembered to use melodies that infect their big riffs, rather than just rocking at you for not other purpose. It reminds me of bands like Veruca Salt that had their feet as firmly planted on the 90s air waves as they were on the monitors. This is done more gracefully in some song than in others. The second song might have to grow on me , as it is not as tightly focused as the opener. There is a more sun drenched atmosphere soaking it. While the big production is impressive I think when they have a more stripped down sound like on "First Tooth" the results are better. I can do with out the horns that crop up but it is pretty forgivable. "Hey Girlfriend' finds them back in the drivers seats cruising smoothly through the best sounds of the 90s. 

When they drop down to the acoustic ballad side of what they do on "Dead Inside" , they do a capable job of it, but I think sacrifice some of their strength in so doing. Corey Taylor lends his voice to "Murder Ballad 2" . It works , though I am not sure how much he is needed. I think I might have have preferred just hearing her sing. "Wait and See" I had to listen to 3 times before I was able to pay attention . There is more of a grungey blues to it's slink, I appreciate the the palm muted tension in the verses. I like the big swagger "Deal With Me " has. "Out of the Sky" has a heavier dynamic shift from the melodic musing, though not out of place given the context of this album's influences.  

We fall back into toward balladry going into "Cure For Life" which ambles along well enough, though not what I would say is numbered among the album's strongest songs, though not filler either. "Wounded Without Words" is more fragile and not as focused .Once again when you strip away the power chords, we lose what is their strength. The moodier chords of "What it is " build into something more suited for their strong points. There is some hard rock infused into the guitar of "Golden Showers" "Hearsay" is like a more upbeat L7 with out the angst.  I will give this album a 9, not sure how many more listens I will get out of it , but have enjoyed the spins I have given it so far. If you are a fan of the girl rock from the 90s this is for you.  

Halsey : "If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power"

This collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is supposed to be a concept album about motherhood. This is not a fact that is in your face as the lyrical content does not tell a story as much as present a unified theme.  What it is , is not her common form of pop music which she has shown an adventurous streak with in the past.  Imogen Heap emerges as an influence when it comes to her vocal style. Of the first three songs  the second is my favorite. Her melody weaves around the static tension of the synth pulse. Reznor's hand in the third song is more noted ,as it has more of a frantic rock feel. She is back to her old tricks on "Lilith" which has more of a hip hop under current, though as a song it still works in more of a pop direction 

"Girls is a Gun" is less focused. The vocals want to go in one direction and the more techno ish flow of the music in another. The melody provides some what of an anchor but it is the first song that feels like filler compared to the strength of the songs before it. There is a similar juxtaposition with "You asked for this" . Though the more organic rock tone, gives it a better drive, the odd thing is how the mix is so uneven here.  This makes it feel kind of like karaoke . Once we reach "Darling" the album begins to slow thanks to a series of ballads. "1121" being emotionally more dynamic of them . Things come back to life with " Honey" which sounds like alt girl pop from the 90s. This is a better direction than the pop of today is in. "Whispers" is another less focused moment where it shows how this collaboration sometimes is uncertain. 

Despite the stupid premise of the lyrics seen in the song title " I am not a woman, I am a god' , the correct term for a female god is a goddess , so this makes her look like an idiot, but the music compensates for this oversight. The most Nine Inch Nails song on the album is "the Lighthouse" , though this is not the album's best song it is pretty solid.  It would have been a better closer than song they chose which is another moment where they seem less certain what they are trying to do .  I  will round this one down to a 9 as it sometimes is uncertain of where it wnats to go though most of those moments are still pleasing to the ears.

Peste Noire : " Le retour des pastoureaux"

This gang of French maniacs continues to spit in the face of expectations . along with what it means to be black metal . They abandoned black metal to be more progressive, but in a very crude and confrontational manner. Now they have more of a punk thing going on when they are returning to being a metal band. It is not a straight line for them to reach this place. This is a more organic album as it has many acoustic guitars being strummed , in fact the first song is pretty much just that. It is such an odd introduction I am not counting it as anything more than a  twisted intro. The fugal horns leading into the first actual song are a continuation of the mood the album opens with before they throw themselves into something closer to black metal. Some of the progression have more in common with more traditional metal. They do find a blast beat or two along the way. 

Not the best production , but they have a rawer savagery to themselves over all here to it works with what is going on. This is combined with often angular and discordant passages to offset the more straight forward metal chugs. As a whole what they are doing works. It has their finger prints all over it while not being limited by that. "Cacatov" finds the band showing how capable of conforming to the more traditional metal sound when the want to. The give this notion the middle finger midway into the song throw themselves into a more straight forward punk flavored black metal before dancing into a more acoustic theatrical cabaret of sound.  They branch out into something more folk based , perhaps they are planning on turning into Death In June, I am sure they are fans . Not that his vocals veer from what he normally does , perhaps marginally more nuanced. The guitar brings more rock flavor to things. 

Too things get weird at any point , would be to miss the point of what these guys do. As far what you might normally expect from them, this is a more stream lined and melodic effort. He sings better than I have him sing before on "Haut Les Schlass" .  'Blues Arverne' is a power ballad in definition though not paying as much homage to 80s metal as a band like Shining has in the past. It is dynamic and melodic. With a calm before the storm, but the metal they bring to the table is more raw and chaotic, though not black metal, at least on this song. They continue the acoustic theme with the last song.  Not really into the spoken word thing in the first three minutes, but what they do in the second half of the song is pretty interesting. I will give this album a 9.5 , even though I do not like the first half of the last song, I think this is their more accessible album by far, and even then they spit in the eye of convention. They took a chance got weird and it once again works.  

Dust Mountain - "Hymns For Wilderness"

 From Svart Records who is always worth checking out when ever they drop me something. This is darker psychedelic rock with a 60s vibe. The understated female vocals work really well. This is a side project of  Toni from Oranssi Pazuzu. I like the very trippy vibe to the first song that sucks you into the kind of hypnotic sonics not unlike places Swans used to tap into . It is heavy but not metal. The vocals are being handled by his sister and even the drummer from Hex Vessel is behind the kit for this project.  So hypnotic that while left to play the songs glide by rather easy on your ears, but require me going back several time to get a firmer handle on what is going on. At times there is a loose jammy feel, thought the vocals tend to pull the focus together. The second song , in some ways reminds me of the Cocteau Twins as things are allowed to dance around with an intangible atmosphere. Spellbinding in the sense it whisks you way to this surreal place. 

While the fourth song digs into a more driving rock like dynamic as it unfolds, the more moody "Margaret" gets lost as it sits between the second and fourth song. The harmonies are tighter and darker. It is a very interesting excursion . It is psychedelia but more like the Doors than some of the other places they took you on the first two songs. The fact we have female vocals here kind of diminishes the Doors feel. But it simmers in a similar way . It drifts and soars as well. If you do drugs this would be the time to do them. Funny enough the first lyrics I key in on are during this song and about dancing with the devil. The guitar tone changes to something with in common with post rock on "Village on Fire". The jammy under current still abounds. The dynamic shifts of this song are perhaps more noted. With lyrics touching on contemplating what you left behind , this is after the village has been burning awhile.

There is a much more ghostly mood to "Holy Equinox" This is contrasted by "Apollo" which has a heavy bass line leading in then the songs fades into a more folky part, though it is all very fluid. They end the album with the more folky and jammy "Bird Hymns" . This brings back some of the more 60s feel the first song had .Sax wanders around the corners of the song, and there is more of a classic prog feel. I will round this up to a 10, as it defies genres, while wistfully creating it's own sonic wonderland that s familar enough to moody souls in the shadowy places.  

Iron Maiden : "Senjutsu"

Here is the band's 17th album. They have a more consistent track record than any other metal band. With any Maiden album my first concern is What shape is Bruce's voice going to be in ? At 63 this is a fair question to ask, since for me it is a defining part of their sound. Bruce belts it out well on the title track that opens the album. The guitar has more teeth than what we have heard from the band in more recent albums.  The chorus is big and epic it's easy to hear how these guys are the god fathers of power metal. Though they have a great deal more balls than your average modern day power metal band. It is impressive here considering the fact Producer Kevin Shirley has also produced  Journey, Rush and Dream Theater. However Steve Harris co-produced it so I am sure he was actually running the show here.  The lost art of the guitar solo is well honed here. The guitar solos all tastefully serve a purpose in the melodic theme of the song.

One thing that does strike me as different is even on the Steve Harris written "Death of  the Celts" the bass is not hammering you with it's gallop. The folkish metal  that haunts the song takes you back to "Piece of Mind" era prog musings as well as reminds you Maiden was a huge influence on folk metal. This song embraces their classic song in a way we have not heard for a few albums.  Even in the more frolicking passages they still keep you very engaged. The gallop is back with "Stratego" which is everything I could want for in Iron Maiden. Are these Bruce's highest notes?  No, but he gets up higher than I expected from him at this stage in the game. 

Things get much more proggy with "the Parchment" . At twelve minutes and thirty nine seconds it is still shorter than "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" . The chugged riff at the two minute is hard not to head bang to. This might be the first song since Gers joined in 1990 that I have noticed all three guitarists playing distinct parts at the same time. Some I have always paid more attention to live. This song is a testament to the playing of all three guitarists as each of them shine.  When I first heard the lead single  "Writing on the Wall"  the bluesy tone struck me as more rock n roll than metal. My thoughts might not have changed on that part , but has grown on me more .

 There is a more trippy intro  to the more introspective beginning of "Hell on Earth". It is just the calm before the more triumphant gallop they are known kicks in. The guitar harmonies are still present they just do not feel the need to return to the 80s formula popular from songs like "The Trooper" . It is also not as hooky or anthemic in nature, but has their signature to it in a manner than does not feel recycled. If I had to pinpoint an era it has the most in common with I would say "7th Son.." There has never been a shortage of dynamics when it comes to these guys and this up holds that standard. "Lost in a Lost World" also ups the irons in a manner that could have come from 1988, but is not these guys punching the clock and coloring by the numbers. Midway in is another mandatory head banging riff sure to pump up arenas. "the Time Machine' has a certain brightness to is going to grow on me though there is a really killer riff leading into the solo section. 

If you do not know if you like Iron Maiden or not , then you must be 12 years old and are not reading this. If you clicked on this , then you know what you want from these guys and this album is going to give you that in a fresh way that does not feel like a band trying to recapture the glory days because they never left. There is never a moment that doesn't not click or gel with who they are. There is no real filler on this album, the first single is the weakest song on the album and that is a relative term as it is still better than anything another band trying to be them could do, and a solid song in it's own right even if it is not just what I showed up for,  so I will give this album a 10 any way as everything balances out in that regard.  If this is their last album it is a fine summary of their legacy.