Film Review: "Elvis"

 

Back when I first saw this trailer for this it seemed odd timing for a new Elvis movie to be released in 2022. Granted he is one of the most influential artists of all time, just ask the Beatles and they will tell you all of them just wanted to be Elvis. However, seeing is believing and Australian director Baz Luhmann whose resume as includes "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge", makes sense, given the visual spectacle of those films. There is a great deal he gets right about Elvis, and it comes from an angle we have not seen before in terms of the narrative.  Tom Hank who plays the Colonel Tom Parker, is a bigger name than Austin Butler. Thus, the movie is told from Parker's perspective. It goes from Elvis as a child to Parker's discovery of him and then well... we know how it is going to end. 

It was this digging into the dynamic between Parker and Elvis that I found to be the movie's strength, as well as the moments when Elvis took the reins of his career and turned what would have been a Christmas Special into his black leather suited come back that put the King back on top. Where we see it tailored to 2022, is the slanted narrative that Elvis JUST stole everything from black musicians of the time and sold it to white people, which is only have the equation and why they left out a chunk of his early career. In truth rock n roll was blues, gospel and soul of the time combined with country music. This is how rockabilly came about and the twang that can be heard in his sound comes from. The movie does show how he topped the country charts but paints a deceptive picture of what really happened, even when Elvis is shown as the opening act for country tours and hayrides,  

Not 100 percent sold on Butler's performance, but everything else balances him out and compensates for it, which is a great deal for heavy lifting for directing and supporting cast to do, but in the end they made it happen. As a huge Elvis fan... I have an Elvis tattoo, I held this under a microscope, so if you go into the movie knowing nothing about him then it might be an easier time for you to go with the flow. I put it on par with Rocket Man visually, better paced and more rooted in the music, there are moments when they show the ghetto and rap music plays even though it is 1957, because they like to be racist by trying to hard to be inclusive. Those damn Australians. My Favorite Elvis is still Val Kilmer in "True Romance" but this movie is for Elvis fans and just film and music lovers in general.    

Haunt : " Windows of your Heart"

Been a fan of Trevor Church since the Beastmaker days, and of all the bands doing the retro middle of the road NWOBHM thing, these guys have been doing it best. The opening track is marginally moodier and darker enough to make me happy as some of the previous albums under this moniker flirted with heading in too happy and upbeat a direction. The whole major chord thing never resonated with me, even when Judas Priest does it. "Running Hard" finds him adding a little grit to his voice in the punches, but the chorus is brighter than the previous song, so it does not catch me in the same way.  "Barricade" might not pack the same punch, and something is weird in the overall production of this album, but it works better than "Running Hard".

While I like "Father Time" it felt like an extension of the previous, so there is a uniformity of sonic going on that is causing things to bleed together a bit, so could stand to hear more dynamics. Instead, things begin to take on more of a Van Halen feel with the title track. I suppose this could also be compared to Thin Lizzy , but there is some Vah Halen nuance to the guitars even with the guitar harmonies in the mix. There is more of the Van Halen feel but set against more Diamond Head like metal, that brings things together in a more effective manner for what they are best at. Guitars are more thrashing on the faster "No Control".  "Dream on It' is hookier and reminds me more of the first few albums he released as Haunt.

"Frozen in Time" works within the wheelhouse of what they do and while I will not go as far to call it filler, I am not sure if it catches me as inspired as when these guys are on their A-game. There is more of a foot on the monitor 80s feel to "Defender" that closes out the album. Overall, this album works really for what it is, I will round it down to a 9 as it could use a wider range of sonic colors to provide a more dynamic range. But even these guys on cruise control are better than most bands can to at their peak.    

 

Vatican : " Ultra"

Not the sounds you expect from Savannah, Georgia. This is a hard-core band, metallic enough to be metal core, but not big on the break downs. Not to say there are none, they are just not the bread and butter. There is more groove on the second song. Not enough to put it in league with the bands that owe more to Pantera, but more than tough guy hard core typically has. This groove is a key selling point as it makes songs like "Reverence" have more relevance. There are also clean vocals which in this day and age, I should have expected amid the twists and turns of the song so far. "Where Heavens Collide" is a stab mainstream metal and sheds all hard-core aspirations having more in common with the Deftones. Well done just the least original moment so far. 

By the time we get to "ultragold" things are blending together in a blur of hyper aggressive chugging that begins to wear its own uniform. There is also a great bass tone driving this song, and the album is really well produced for sure. Even at its most neanderthal you are still bobbing your head. They do delve into a fair amount of organized chaos on "Decemeta". They are effective at doing this. "Uncreated Waste" creates the illusion of reckless abandon but sounds pretty close to a hundred bands I have already heard; however, they do this sound well.  "Damage" is a similar display of vulgar anger with the metal emphasized over the core.  The higher vocals being more spastic than the lower hard-core bark. A pretty common trick at this juncture in time. 

Clean vocals lead off the more accessible emo stylings of "By You Love" which finds the days of Myspace coming full circle/. "Mircale of the Moon" is angrier than the previous song for certain, though not a great deal heavier than the other times they have indulged themselves in this sort of thing. There is a cool riff to "Mirror Dream" but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. The other pounding and screaming sounds like the rest of the pounding and screaming we have heard so nothing new is brought to the table.  "Numb" brings some new sounds to the table , female vocals and a ripping proggy guitar solo. Female vocals lead off the last song. Until the heavy build at the end it's atmospheric pop. I will give this album an 8.5, it's impressive even if at times conforming to the safe space of the modern metal core genre.      

Black Magnet: " Body Prophecy"

    

 This project gets right what many of the industrial revivalists downplay at best, altogether ignore more often than not, which is the influence metal had in brining industrial music to the masses. There is far too little guitar in most. Here there is not only more guitar, but more aggressive vocals that pack a heavier punch with their anger. All of the iconic elements come together in perfect apocalyptic unison on " Floating in Nothing". There is darkness, there is abrasion, there is a militant machine-like sound that bull dozes you. Things go down a spiral on "Incubate" with bigger beats that carry an unsettling tension. Normally when bands dig into this sort of thing these days they are bringing with it more nu metal vibes, which this is thankfully devoid of. 

The denser crunch of angry robots that bands like Godflesh are known for emerges on "Hermetix" . The vocals are at a whisper as the chant formed slithers of the hammering. The song writing here is worth noting as things ebb and flow rather than drone off one relentless stomp, The overzealous attack of "Wolverine Dreams" is effective, but perhaps not as effective as the previous songs on the album. The groove of "Body World " sounds like it could have writhed out from under the 90s. It packs an impressive punch while being equally focused on being as song rather than collection of authentic sounds of the era. I think the album's only missed opportunity is not making "Sold Me Sad" and "Last Curse" into one song , as it feels like the more brooding first part needs the kind of dynamic shift that the aggression of " Last Curse" could have provided if they had been arranged together in that manner . There is a very Nine Inch Nails feel to where it goes. 

The album ends with the ambient noise of the track "Dowsing" then there is a remix by Justin of Godflesh. While this is cool, I am not counting either for the purpose of this review. This is an excellent album that delivers what you missed out on in the 90s. I can only guess this might be because the brainchild of this project. James Hammontree, is doing the same drugs, or was at least around to see the birth of this sound the first time around,. Sanford Parker, produces this album and puts all the sounds right where they needed to go. I will give this album a 9.5, it comes out July 29th.    

Death Bells: "Between Here and Everywhere"

It makes sense that the band's move to Los Angeles finds their sound becoming more streamlined and palatable to the masses. The punk in the post-punk side of the equation is dialed back to the point of putting them in the same sonic zip code as the more mainstream post-punk revivalists of the early 2000s like Interpol and the Rapture, who were slightly to the left of their big arena ready counterparts the Killers. Here the more accessible leanings work in the bands favor as they have stepped up their songwriting game, resulting in some of their most memorable songs yet, On the lead single these results in sounds providing a counterpoint against one another as the upbeat vibe of the song proves a backdrop for dead pan vocals and glum lyrics. 

The first hint of downtrodden mood haunting the underbelly of a song is on "Lifespring". There is the obligatory nod to the 80s in many of the sounds assembled, without trying to pay tribute to any one band, Sure if you listen close enough you can hear traces of Inxs, U2 and the Cure, but it is DNA of their own identity.  "Intruder" works off of a stark drone, with the chanted vocals providing a grim narrative. It is the first song where their drummer really stands out, which in a genre known for drummers just trying to keep time like a drum machine this is noteworthy. It should also come as little surprise how that I am a huge fan of how things get darker on "A Better Resolution". The guitar carries more of a western twang. 

There is a breezier indie rock shuffle to "Last Days" which carries a more subtle atmosphere amid the more casual rock stylings. It comes closer to the Smiths than any other song thus far. The relaxed croon of the vocals over the jangle of guitar.  "Space Without a Name" is in a similar sonic space as the previous song though more intentional in it's groove and how the drums move the song forward. Where most post-punk leans into minimalism and reverb, these guys have a warm and organic sound here.  The chorus to "Eternity Street" builds nicely, but the bulk of the songs works off a lingering minimalism at cruise control. The last song is almost more of a psychedelic ballad that swells when they are joined by Argentinian Soprano Laura Delogu. Though it is going to be one of the album's songs that have to grow on me. I think they went above and beyond this time around , so I will give this album a 9.5. 

Porcupine Tree : " Closure/Continuation"

When I think back, I remember when "the Incident" came out. It was quality as everything Wilson does, but "Fear of a Blank Planet" was the last album I remember listening to on a regular basis. The opening track has a heavier groove than what I expected from them. It moves really well and plays to the strengths of what they do. There is almost a Primus like bounce. The drumming is stellar. "Of the New Day" reminds me of the opening track off the new Tears For Fears album. Though it is less folk and more Pink Floyd. The groove at weaves around "Rats Return" is another solid return to form for these guys. There is an organic ambiance to the space given by the arrangement. The vocals glides around the drums. The tiff retract  back around the space the melody is not occupying.  Wilson's voice sounds really strong on this one. The tension from when the riff breaks down is really cool.  This is the sound of prog being done right. 

"Dignity" is a very folky and very British song that falls on the straight forward side of what can be considered psychedelic. Perhaps there is more mod influence , run through the filter of the Moody Blues. You can almost call it Brit pop, though it is heavy on the Brit not so much on the pop. The very smooth guitar solo is a very tasteful touch. It is progressive as the overall sound of the song does not end in the same manner it began. Which is progress. Thus progressive. The first super rocking riff that comes from Wilson hanging out with metal bands is on the song "Culling the Herd" which has a subtle sneaky groove it works off of. I also appreciate him still being able to go up into his falsetto at 54. 

"Walk the Plank" is more of a Peter Gaberiel like weirdness. On an album where groove has been the hero something more abstract like this feels like an even greater shift, but I appreciate the dynamic range this gives the album as a whole. Wilson's voice also sounds great on it.  Speaking of Peter Gaberiel, the last song has a more introspective feel that brings older Genesis to mind.  It builds into something more Tool like with falsetto vocals accenting it. Overall I will give this album a 9.5. While it might not be "In Absentina" it sets the bar pretty high for any prog coming out for the remainder of the year.     

Night Sins : "Violet Age"

Two years in the making, the growth on this album is very tangible. In some ways you might say their sound has changed, but it has been sharpened and refined as all the elements you want from them are there. It reminds me a great deal of Death of Lovers, and since Kyle Kimball is in both bands that makes sense. The groove is tighter, and the chorus of the opening track "Fantasy 21" has more heft in. With the exception of the second song, the more driving "Kill Like I Do, there is less of the Sisters of Mercy vibe that first brought them into prominence.  The 80s thing is there but in more of a Depeche Mode new wave fashion on songs like the title track. The vocals are often breathy and smooth on the verses, and he belts it more on the chorus. 

The title track has a Cure like guitar that comes in over the more synth wave sounds. It's Dancey cold wave that gets warmed up with this organic touch. The softer whispered vocals, are nothing like Andrew Eldritch , and when he goes into a croon there is more feeling to it this time around. The 80s drum machine stylings are dialed in pretty hard.  "Turn to Cold" works on most levels there is just nothing in it that moves me more than the first three songs and works off a retro throb. The sounds shift and create a different dynamic on "Corium" that works better. The vocals are a little higher than where he normally sings giving it a more Trent Reznor feel. The drums are stronger on "Sea Sick" This and the industrial touches carry the song as the vocals sit back in the mix. 

"Moonlit Tsar" is another song powered by a solid groove though the vocals here contribute more than the previous. The synth riff is also catchier. More of a piano sound is used on the last song. The vocal also has more of a Nine Inch Nails feel, making this almost an homage to the ballads of "Pretty Hate Machine". Hey no one else is doing it so I am on board. I like how the song progresses dynamically when the other synth sound comes in. I will give this album a 9,5, it is a wonderful step forward in songs writing that shows maturation and has earned frequent listens thus far. 

 

Death is June- Reeking Aura : "Blood and Bonemeal"

 

This band is comprised of long-time vets of the New York death metal scene, from bands like Artificial Brain and Buckshot Facelift. Normally I prefer the more deliberate pacing when it comes to metal rather than being lost in a blur of distortion, but the pace of the opening track works better than where they go on the second song. However, it seems as if they are trying to find the middle ground as they take things to more of an extreme speed wise on "See the Size of a Spider's Eye" as it seems a little rushed in its fury. 

There is never a hard and fast rule of what is going to work with these guys as when they lay back and lets thing groove more with "Harvesting the Hatchet" it works just fine. I do not think they have bad sound; they just need to rein it in to what is the most effective. It is weird how they are being marketed as more of a death doom band when gore grind and grind core are elements that I hear more of from them. The vocals are a low Cannibal Corpse gurgle that makes the lyrics impossible to make out. This approach also causes a more uniform sound across the board.  There is a cool riff they wind up on with "A Vegetative Mush..." but the rule around here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. 

"Pyramid Shaped Plow" typically goes for brutality more often than not. but finds them in some grimy groove here and there balancing out the sonic range of the song. The second part of the song which must be "the Caretaker" half works off clean guitars. A guitar solo is pretty much the center piece, and it might have been more interesting if this was what they broke into at the middle of the song rather than just being tagged on at the end. They are cool sounds to create, but how much good is it if it is an idea, you cannot organically work into the song? The last song "Grublust" finds the passing between the two dynamics, fast and slower grind. It is ok, but nothing new. I will give this album an 8, as they are doing it well for what they are going for. Sure, some fine tuning in the song writing department, but if you want just heavy fucking death metal that is brutal, this is done with more interesting dynamics in place than what most bands do these days.   It drops July 28th on Profound Lore. 

Death is June - Enchantment : "Cold Soul Embrace"

 

I mentioned the Peaville three in another review, and this band was around for that emergence, but they did not play their cards as well as that band so now over 25 years later they are releasing their second. More self-aware of what they could have done makes them try harder at what they did not do and adds pretense to the proceeding, which serves as both a blessing and a curse. They second song sounds like it is closer to where they would have picked up from back in the day. The almost proggy guitar passages set themselves apart from their peers at the time. The guitar melody is a little brighter on "Painting Amongst the Feathers". It does not flow as well nor is it as heavy as the previous. Though owes more to the more conventional forms of metal when they first started the band in the 90s. The most interesting riff is during the break for the guitar solo. 

The symphonic elements that come to the forefront on "Of Glorious Vistas Forgot" are more like old school Nightwish, the growled vocals are what retains much of the sonic heft. It is not very catchy and for all the dead flower arrangements adorning it not as dark either/ Hopefully soke word narration has run it's course as it has gotten old by the second song I hear it in. "In the Wake of the Hollering Tide" is just an instrumental that I am not going to count for the purpose of this review.  "In a Cello Felt Glare" is more straight forward, with the barrage of double bass that drives it. The syncopated riffs also work really nicely. It is melodic melody death metal that does not follow the path that had already been laid out by this time in the 90s. 

The drummer's double bass skills are pretty killer, however even a death metal band should not live and die by the double bass alone. "the Beauty of Liars" is more straightforward death metal with less flowers. "One Jump of the Sun" is more melodic and a step in a more effective direction when it comes to sounding like themselves.  Overall I will give this an 8.5, as there are some really strong songs on here, this is not to say some of the elements in play are not formulated, but overall things works more often than not and when they do not it is a little more flowery than what I want from this kind of death metal, which is some of the melodrama dialed back a bit and darker.  

Death is June- Mantar :" Pain is Forever and this is the End"

This German duo settled to label themselves or at least allow their record label to label them extreme metal, which normally death metal.  The first song proves this theory, though there are hints of punk that at times lean it in amore death n roll direction. The second song finds darker more melodic chord progressions taking this in a more sonic direction, though the songwriting is not as tight and hooky as the opening track. The rawer and rowdier "Grim Reaping" has a dose of rock n roll to the song's swagger/. song. Of the first four songs, "Orbital Pus" is the most ripping. The snarled vocals serve a more focused purpose. The lyrics are better, and the riff have power and hook to make you head bang.  

"Piss Ritual" feels like a less focused more rock n roll extension of the previous song. There is a punk recklessness to the energy it exudes. The vocals feel like the kind of ranting that could have come from Nirvana's "Bleach" album but growled with more anger. There is more of a thundering death metal sound that owes more to bands like Entombed on the song "Of Frost and Decay". It rumbles ahead with a mid-paced stomp. "Walking Corpse' is the least interesting song title of this album. The deliberate riff are more anthemic, but the vocals are more feral in their snarl. Almost like a rock n roll version of Obituary. 

The song writing steps it back up a notch on "New Age Pagan" . It is more firmly rock, though enough of the metallic power lingers behind. The vocals are raspy but not growled. Not far removed from when Motorhead slowed things down a little in the late 80s. "Horde" they just bash out with more anger . The riff is more of a battering ram than groove inducing. He tries to sing more on the last song. This carries a anguished rasp to the angst of the vocals. It is a pretty powerful effect and give this song more dynamics , which only helps this album. I will give this album a 9. They continue to grow as song writers and marks a new sonic chapter for the band.  Hard to say it it is heavier but it is more metallic. Which is fitting since Metal Blade Records is releasing this one on JUly 15th.  

Death is June - Hissing : " Hypervirulence Architecture"

Seattle based Hissing churns out a violent brand of dissonant death metal but manage to throw in a few head banging riffs amid the chaos. They are so heavy when the first song hits you that you are unsure how their skills as actual songwriters are. The first song ends with noisy rough edges of feedback squealing out to add to the sonic abrasion. The second song starts with a murky barrage of blasting. If you told me these guys all also played in punk bands, I would not be surprised. The vocals are a low growl and mixed behind the guitars which is one aspect of their sound that works. Some of the faster sections feel rushed. The guitars are more of a static distortion than hearing any note with clarity in the grit. When I was younger, I would have dug this more, but really did not know better. 

"Operant Extinction" is more of the same. Fast drumming and growls that seem more obligatory than providing any kind of narrative. Even the riffs seem more sidetracked by being a force of intensity than a song. At over ten minutes it is hard to hear at the four-minute mark where they plan on taking this spastic outburst for another six minutes. normally these guys keep thing compact around the four-minute mark, some of this due to the speed they attack things with. They shift gears into a more sonic pounding but return to variation of what they have already done up to this point. The is a more of a sonic heaviness in place than just the slamming of guitar into your ears. this is also a little more angular and less of a straightforward assault. They kind of drone on this until going into more of a mathy chaos. The last minute is also more sonic which helps.

After the ten-minute sparling epic there is an industrial tinged interlude before getting back into the actual songs. "Intrusion" is at least as brutal in the beating it gives you as previous songs. They way the song breaks down in the final two minutes might be the most interesting part of the song as things have more room to breathe. From the onset of it's explosion "Identical to Hunger" has a plan of attack similar to the other songs on this album. In some ways it sounds like it could be even more feral if not for the very deliberate punches it drops into. This does sound less rushed and more intentional which is a step in the right direction. When the y step onto the speed it feels like a step backwards. "Meltdown" is more of the same. A very similar expand and contract as the previous song. Three minutes into the song and things break down to the crusty sludged out bass line. They way the song fades out into noise sums up where it stand in being more about sounds or a song. I will give this one a 7.5, it is comings out on Profound Lore/.  

 

Crotbot : "Feel This"

 Four albums and a few lineup changes later this band from Pennsylvania is putting out the best album Skid Row new made. I have heard their name thrown around when it comes to stoner rock bands but hear fairly mainstream 90s hard rock. "Dizzy" has more stomp to it, and a Soundgarden like slither to the riffs. The vocals are more Sebastian Bach in their attitude than Chris Cornell. He always belts and never croons. By the time we get to "Set You Free" the anthemic radio rock jams are set to stun at 11. It is big and hooky and also not normally what I am into. After this song the album as a whole tends to ride a much finer line between cock rock and grunge.   

"Better Times" is a clear-cut example of what is rock music not metal. It is pretty energetic, and the vocal are in your face.  They are back to a post-grunge groove on "Golden" which could have come out in the late 90s. Props to them for being able to tap into that sound. The chorus is very post-sell out Soundgarden. While it a more metallic take on a grunge like power ballad "Without Wings" is pretty solid and gain a great deal of momentum fast. They are back to a more rock n roll feel on "Livin on the Streets". The highly refined grunge groove of "Into the Fire" come closer to metal, but are pretty effective . It is one of the album's best songs. 

"Dance with the Dead" is not as effective as the previous and comes across as a little cheesey.  The best blend of grunge and hair metal is on "Holy Ghost" which might be the album's best song. Everything flows well and there are some metallic shifts of dynamics. There isa quirky Devo like bounce to " Never Break Me". It is an unexpected turn considering what they have been doing thus far on this album. There is a solid groove to "Staring Straight Into the Sun" it however feels like they have already gone to this well one too many times. Over all this album is very fine tuned and slick, these guys are hooky songwriters even if this is within the confines of a tried and true formula, I will give this a 9. 

Death is June - Assumption : "Hadean Tides"

 

This band formed back in 2011. Not the first death metal I have heard from Italy, however they might be the heaviest. The opening track finds them crushing it is every way. There is a cavernous and dense sound, which is a winning formula for this sort of thing as it feels organic. Before I put this album on, I was reviewing the new one by their labelmates Void Witch and it is clear they should have taken notes from these guys when it comes to recording death metal, not only does this sound great , but they are not trying to murder your ears with the same bag of hammers twice. "Submerged by Hadean Tides" opens with a clean creepy guitar and when it grinds to life there is a more deliberate feel though the distortion is still oppressive. The varied sounds give the song the dynamics needed to elevate it over the opener. The main concern with extreme metal bands is the opening track is normally so heavy you forget to listen for the finger points of song writing till the second song. I never had to ask if they could write a song with this one. 

"Daughters of the Lotus" digs down into the despairing grime of death doom. The tempo is little more than a faint pulse. The low gurgle of the vocals what is keeping the song going in the early stages,. The fourth tracks is just an interlude of ambient noise. This leaves "Liquescent Hours" to pick up the pieces and return the album's momentum. It hammers down with a heavier stomp for sure. On the second song they really set the bar for themselves, and while this one plays it safer and seek more the traditional death metal brutality just in a more slower syncopated manner most of the time, it takes less risks . We get four minutes into "Triptych" before it shifts from a minimalist spoken word piece into metal than erupts. In some ways it reminds me of Neurosis in this regard. 

They kind of pick up where they left off on the previous song rather than spoken word it's throat singing, and there is more of a death gaze feel in how this song floats along. I think when this album is not floating away on atmosphere it is doing best and at best it's pretty fucking good as they hit that sweet spot where they have masted a very effective heavy sound but do not sound like they are paying tribute to any one band. That might seem likea low bar for success when it comes to death metal but I have been listening to it all month and can tell you bands like this are an exception to the rule. I will give this album a 9. 

3.7

Death is June - Void Witch :" "s/t"

It is important to hear what doesn't work as much as it is to hear what does. What does not work I just give one listen to and power through it. What does work I listen to repeatedly. This brings us to this Austin based band. Most of their problem lies in the mix. If the vocals sat back against the guitars rather than being so up front. The vocals themselves are the kind of gurgling low growl that sounds like it belongs on a gore grind album. Then there are all the varied metal elements like the Swedish thrash riff that just sound like the songwriting consisted of throwing riffs at a wall and seeing what would stick. I think if it had been allowed to have rougher dirty production sound this might have been more convincing. It also might sound like Entombed if it was produced in that manner so a damned if they did sort of thing,

This month I have already reviewed over 20- death metal albums that have many of these qualities, but things worked better for a variety of reasons. The second song reminds me of many of them. The songwriter is darker and denser, more aggressive. Metal is like funk; you cannot fake it. I am hearing many of the required death metal sounds. I am however not feeling them. In the first Avenger's movie when Bruce Banner was his secret to being able to change into the Hulk at will, he said the secret was he stayed angry. I think the same applies to death metal. You must not be just a nice guy; you need to harbor some kind of disdain for the world as a whole or organized religion or anything just as long as you can tap into that hatred and translate it into how you play your instrument. I am not feeling that from these guys. 

  To their credit, they are not playing the tried-and-true death doom. There are none of the European bands who started this kind of thing flowing in their veins. They get better at guitar solos by the time we get to the last song. There is also a more tangible Morbid Angel influence present which is a key selling point. They prove themselves more capable on the last song than they did on the first two. They are not a bad band but are they ready to hang shoulder to shoulder with the likes of the other bands covered this month, not likely. I will give this album a 7.5, as what works has already been pointed out no need to repeat myself. This album is being released on Everlasting Spew.      

Death is June- The Sombre : "Monuments of Grief"

One man band Maurice of Gnaw their Tongues, Cloak of Altering and a score of other more obscure dark and droning projects is not paying homage to the Peaceville three with his newest project. It is almost closer to funeral doom in how the first song drags and the mournful layers of guitar weeping melodies upon the otherwise sparse production and minimalist accompaniment in terms of drums and bass. It is not an unpleasing collection of sound, he just seemed to miss the emphasis those three bands had in terms of songwriting which really set them apart and brought to life the death doom genre. The drums are rather minimal, and I often find in these one-man band scenarios that they are either a drummer playing guitar or a guitar player playing drums, the latter seems to be the case here, though there is more of a conventional songwriting approach to the second song rather than just laying back in the gloom.  

The big difference between what is happening here and the bands it is paying tribute to, is the vocals are not as purposeful. He gets credit for being more song focused more than the normal experimental ambiance he overindulges in. "The Mourning Gloom" flows but it pretty much just sounds like every funeral doom band under the sun. The guitars have a more flowing sound on the title track but the vocals remains at a obligatory gurgle. By the time we get to "When Death Comes I Will Be Beside You" gets mired into the formula that is being milked to earth while he is beside us. These kin of guitar melodies are cool , but there is only so much they can do on their own. 

The last song does not stray far from what he has been doing over the course of the album. he just happens to do it more effectively on this song. Not an album I will listen to outside of this review process, but it is the best thing he has done from the sense of songwriting, and creating something melodic. I will give this one an 8 which is fair considering the space it occupies, fans of death doom and funeral doom will enjoy this if they want to keep it simple. 

Black Country , New Road : "Ants From Up There "

This came out back in February and I am not sure why I have not checked it out now until four months later. Typically, why this happens is the album is not easily down loadable in my first searches for it or the label doesn't reach other.  The previous album was one of the best post-punk albums of the year. Where their last album road the line between the early days of post-punk and a jammy weirdness, this album leans in a more prog direction with the dead pan vocals the only thing that holds traces of the starker postpunk tension. It is hard to fault them for this when the end result is a great deal of fun almost like Gogol Bordello without their obnoxious singer. Things break into an easier going mood with the more languid "Concorde" when the vocals take on a more wavering croon that is delicate in a manner not unlike Bright Eyes, who also serves as a fair sonic point of reference. This album sits more solidly as being indie rock, but I am also only three tracks into it so it could get darker. 

Another band that comes to mind when I hear "Bread Song" is Arcade Fire. If you miss when that band did things in a more organic fashion, then this album might appeal to you. It is a slow build that lingers on the folk ballad feel resisting the buildup. "Good Will Hunting" has more movement and works better as a song thought there are passages where they simmer n ambiance. I think on the last album their sometimes-angular nature when set again the quirky narrative of the vocals reminded me of King Missile which is also a comparison that can be made here. "Haldren" does some interesting things sonically. The subtle pound to your ears almost breezes past you.

The next ballad that emerges to offer a dynamic shift will slowing the album's momentum is 'the Place Where He Inserted the Blade", things pick up into a skip through the park two and a half minutes into the song.  This type of sweeping emotion showing improvement with his singing but is also a noted stylistic change from the first album that might take some getting used to. They take a turn back more toward a sprawling progginess on the last two songs though "Snow Globes" works more of a post-rock drone for the bulk of the song even after the vocals comes in. I like the lyrics to this one. The drone continues from another angle on the closing song "Basketball Shoes" which is over twelve minutes. At the midway point they wander their way into a sonically more intense build. I will round this one up to a 9.5 due to the fact that some of this is just going to take time to grow on me as they shift in direction might not be drastic but it does take some time to digest this fully and let it sink in.      

Death is June- Haunter : " Discarnate Ails"

 

The third album by this band from Texas came out in early May but I held off on reviewing it until this month. consists of three sprawling songs. The shortest of them is just under seven minutes and is bookended by songs over the ten-minute mark. If this was a doom band that would seem pretty typical these days, but for death metal they play at speed that normally get them there much faster. These guys often invoke a very surreal sprawl of sound. The vocals are at a low growl while the dissonant guitars clang and churn around it. This is an album where the cover is an apt description of what the music sounds like within. 

The second song "Spiritual Illness" is more focused. At just under seven minutes, it is not like they stopped indulging in their full sonic sprawl. It is less of a labyrinth and more of an in-your-face attack, while still basking in the atmosphere of the shadows it reverberates within. There is still a great deal of chaos in the tempest of sound. The drums could be more present in the mix on this one. The vocals also sound like random growling rather than having any roots in the actual song. They break out with some taunt galloping here and there. Though the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. The guitarists are highly skilled and turning these riffs around to jump from the turbulence the song builds. 

Sometimes the growls rise up in a layer scream. The shifting time signature on the last song, keeps the hypnotic swirl flowing. The tense chugs offer a marginal dynamic shift from their normal trippy attack. I like how this album is produced things sound like they are coming at you from other dimensions. Three minutes into the song we get a wandering guitar solo that explores a more jazz like realm of shred. Not what you think when progressive death metal is mentioned though, I think the label applies to what is going on here. When they hammer into the blast beats the results are not a great deal different than any other form of death metal. I will give this album an 8. I appreciate the dark and murky mood summoned by the atmosphere I just wish a measure of it was restrained enough to focus more on song writing. It was released on Profound Lore

Death is June - Come to Grief : "When the World Dies"

 Despite being around since 2014 this is the band's first full length album. They have released a few splits and eps prior to this.  However, it is the fact they used to be the band Grief that really built their fan base  who has been anticipating this release. The first song is an example where labels a band sits upon might be more for a persona, they have created than what they actually sound like. That is if the first actual song is any indication, then these guys are a death metal band more than sludge or doom. Are there some death doom moments, sure the third track   "Scum Like You" has a doomier tinge to the riff, but the emotional currency these guys deal in is anger. When the vocals snarl in at the two-minute mark it is clear they are angry. Sure, there are hints of the kind of punkish dirt that stains genres like sludge and crust, which are really just off shoots of death metal being played by former squatting punks from the rail roads    

There is a pretty powerful stomp leading into "Devastation of Souls" before the turn it around with a very Sabbath influenced riff with more swing to it than you might expect from these guys. "When the World Dies" has a more harrowing feel to the guitars, as the vocals carry more spiteful anguish.  In terms or dynamics and arrangement, it seems like the punishment of heaviness is all they are bestowing upon your ears here. It is on "Bludgeon the Soul / Returning to the Void" that the creative momentum seems to come to a slower grind. This song felt more like a transition from the previous song rather than a clear change into a new song. Granted the vocals take more of a pounding roar as the lock in with the drums in a battering manner than recalls hard core a little more. But at the two-and-a-half-minute mark it seems like we have heard the full extent of where this is going, and it does not sound a great deal different than the previous song. 

"Death Can't Come Soon Enough" is a more deliberate pounding. While I would not put it on the scale of catchy in terms of conventional songwriting it does sound like aside from the screams of the vocals, they were more conscious of where they wanted to go, and the vocals are just falling on the place that makes the most sense. They almost hit a groove, but they think about evolving the verse riff so that is cool. The only drawback is the song works off the same pounding for the duration sometimes that pounded is just grooved more than others, I will give this album an 8.5, I am not sure if lives up to the anticipation unless at this point you just take whatever you are given, but I do appreciate what is going down here. Listened to it a few times and not opposed to listening to it a few more, however not in a rush to get it on my iPod.  

Death is June - Weregoat - "the Devil's Lust"

 This album almost sounds like Deicide's Amon demos. There is that kind of raw ferocity to it. Not what I expected out of Portland. This is being labelled as bestial death metal, but there is still a great deal of song to this. If I was 15 I would have freaked the fuck out over this as I was into this sort of thing for sure, though I would have hoped they were serious Satanists which I doubt with the kind of over the top almost ironic imagery. It is one thing to have raw production, but it is another when things like vocals are getting lost in the mix, which is what happens by the second song. Maybe if they had gone for the Combat records mix rather than the Tampa basement tapes that would have worked better.

Once I got to the third song "Festering Wound of Uncreation" things got blurry. The speed is broken up by an impressive thrashing chug, but the problem is cool riffs alone does not a good song make. They do employ some atmosphere that goes with the horror Satan narrative. It took three listens to the title track before it began to connect. It is not until a sample where some woman says that she kisses the evil's cock that the song actually kicks in and then it is pretty rough. The bass sounds like a fart and the drums are on the thin side. 

Even with the sampled interludes leading into the songs it is hard to tell where one begins and the other ends, due to the many uniform sounds they craft their songs  with. By the time we get to " Goar Perversion" it does not matter how much monkey fucking is playing in the back ground things sound the same. The more deliberate "Burn Deep the Signs of Hell" , It reminds me a little of " Captain Howdy " in it's groove. I will give this one an 8 due to the shitty production that sometimes impairs the songs, but I like what these guys are going for and it is a fun listen. this album does not come out until August 12th and drops on Iron Bonehead. 

Iron BoneHead Productions · Weregoat - Merciless Execution

Candy : "Heaven is Here"

When it comes to extreme music most of it came from some early crossroads where death metal met hard core. The bands Relapse Records debut finds the noise ridden grind core being refined into a dense and perhaps even more punishing monster while fully aware that they have a job to write songs. The vocals are the most hard-core thing about this band. They are less spastic than Napalm Death. When they lock into a grinding chug the results are very powerful. They have more explosive bursts of anger erupt on the minute and a half "Mutilation" which has a crusty layer of crunch over it. In the 80s this sort of thing was thought of as cross over. Now kids will label it a hundred different forms of "core". The churning fury of the title track has more in common with death metal in the hyper aggression of it. 

The overall formula to these songs is they are bursts of feral aggression that are under the three-minute mark more often than not. Price of "Utopia" serves this up in more of a raw punk manner. The riffing cruder. Though the vocals feel more like early thrash. "Transcend to Wet" is a glitched out apocalyptic for of industrial snarling.  The rough around the edge's abrasion creates something more sadistic than what most bands have been dishing out these days. There is more metal to the guitars of "Hysteric Bliss". The race at a blistering pace and cram a great deal of riffage into just under three minutes. A guitar solo actually shows up. "World of Shit" is another out the gate in your face explosion that is somewhat monochromatic in it's dynamics/. " Fantasy/ Greed' finds them crushing down with a more metal intention.  These are the moments  I feel are the strongest. 

I am also in favor of the all out industrial that possesses "Kinethesia". The last song "Perverse" is ten minutes of noise that sound like Negativeland being eaten by a robot dinosaur. Not an actual song, but I acknowledge those sounds exist and it is what it is. I will round this down to a 9 despite enjoying it a great deal as it could have been a little more song focused but I still appreciate what they were doing here.. It is fucking intense for sure.         

the Top 10 Albums of 2022 ... So Far

 

This year has half slipped away from us. More comprehensive of what has been released than you might expect, considering that I am already getting promos for August releases in my in-box. There is a fair cross-section of genres represented as I already did my metal list so while there are some hard rock artists, this is the top 10 non-metal albums that have been released this year so far.  Pop, goth, indie rock, post -punk and progressive rock are all represented here in varied shades. All of these albums a solid shot for the number one spot at the end of the year, depending on how they grow on me.  I make the overall top ten for the year and at this rate December will be here before we know it. What makes them the best is how much I actually listen to them. I guess we will see how these albums hold up over the course of the year.  I am posting links to the reviews if you want to check these albums out.

10-Dead Register - "Alive" 

This album picks up where they left off, but in a more refined manner. The grooves are smoothly syncopated with an industrial stomp, but with none of the gear grinding abrasion. There is more of a 90s grunge influence in the drumming this time around. The blend of brooding shadows in the verses is streamlined as the song writing is more noticeably matured

Abysmal Hymns: Dead Register : "Alive"

9-Marissa Nadler- the Wrath of Clouds" 

This EP consists of three unreleased songs and two covers. The originals she had forgotten about during the "Path of Clouds sessions", She went back into the studio and emerged with this. It splits the difference between the more atmospheric tone of her early work and where she is currently at with a more layered sound.

Abysmal Hymns: Marissa Nadler : "Wrath of Clouds"

 

 8-Rumours - 'the Lower We Sink the Less We Care" 

This Swedish band are skilled weavers of sonic gloom, it's laced with a punchy hint of 70s rock. The instrumentation is warmly recorded in analog. The retro thing is not the band trying too hard to capture a bygone era. With a sound that is very much their own, at time they occupy a sonic space similar to Rope Sect . The vocals are more dynamics as the singer belts it out with a great deal of convincing power.

Abysmal Hymns: RUMOURS : "the Lower We Sink, the Less We Care"

  7-Placebo- "Never Let Me Go" 

2006's "Meds" was the last album I want into by this British glam band.  I think the key to Brian's success as a songwriter lies in his ability convey the struggle of his anger, darkness, metal health and addiction. It is in that struggle where their music has found its fire. Moloko succeeds in recapturing that moodiness on their new album. I think it is important that Stefan is still working with Brian as that duo is clearly Placebo and not just Brian Moloko solo album. There is none of the kinetic punk tension that colored their early work. It works off smooth grooves and melodies, with sonic layers of guitar embellish the dynamics

Abysmal Hymns: Placebo : "Never Let Me Go"

6-Christain Death- "Evil Becomes Rule" 

The band's 15th album, I like the Valor albums and I like the Rozz albums I think Valor has carried the spirit of what the band was doing over the years. They continue to move in a less punk more metallic and darker direction, though it wonderfully melodic and there is an excellent choice in sonic colors they paint the sounds of this entire album.  

'Abysmal Hymns: Christian Death : "Evil Becomes Rule"

 5- Midlake-" For the Sake of Bethel Woods" 

When I press play on their new album, I cannot for the life of me have good reason as to why I have not listened to them until this point. They are moody and melodic in all the way I like for this kind of music to be. Their drummer is really on it. There is a folk thing, but they are also very melancholy and thoughtful. 

Abysmal Hymns: Midlake : " For the Sake of Bethel Woods"

 

4-Zola Jesus -"Arkhon" 

One of my favorite singers of the past decade, I breathed a sigh of relief when I pressed play and found this album is another step into the darkness as she could have taken a poppier turn. This time rather than taking everything on herself she worked with producer Randall Dunn, and former David Bowie drummer Matt Chamberlin The former's influence can be felt the most. The second song moves with a more organic fluidity to its groove. Are some of her vocal passages more accessible here? Yes, but I am not sure I would call this pop music as it is more complex in both arrangement and laying

Abysmal Hymns: Zola Jesus : " Arkhon"

 3- Charli XCX- "Crash" 

Quirky British pop singer Charli XCX is back. This time she is showing us that she makes an album with a half dozen less songwriters and producers than the likes of the Weeknd or Lil Nas X . She does continue a slick 80s retro path and I am not sure any of the songs strike me as bumping as hard as she did on; "How I'm feeling now" . She has a knack of riding the beats with odd chanted vocal lines, which she works off of coming out of the gate. The best Pop album of the year so far. 

Abysmal Hymns: Charli XCX : " Crash"

  2- Hangman's Chair- " A Loner" 

The French band's 2018 album "Banlieue Triste" took the top spot as Doom album of the year. This time around things are dialed back in the metal department. They straddle the fence sonically in a zip code closer to post-nu metal Deftones and Katatonia. They know there is more than one way to be heavy  the album as a whole is more about capturing a mood, which they have. I respect that they did not try to recreate the previous album and made steps forward,

Abysmal Hymns: Hangman's Chair : "A Loner"

1-Tears for fears - "the Tipping Point" 

After 18 year silence , the dup found themselves bucking record label pressure in 2013, until they found who they were in today's world free of the radio trappings that could have been imposed upon them. This makes for a great deal of surprises as the album spans genres from the folky opener to the controls being set to sizzle as they reflect the new wave 80s vibe while working in modern electronics.

Abysmal Hymns: Tears For Fears - " the Tipping Point"

Death is June- Ataraxy : 'the Last Mirror"

 

This Spanish band plays a grimly harrowing version of death doom that sometimes feels more like Obituary. The first track in more of an intro than a song unto itself and feels like it should have just been written for the intro to "the Bell That Constantly sounds". Three and a half minutes in the eerie atmosphere leans them more in the doom direction until they pick up the pace with a heavier more blasting riff. Thios sounds cool, but where it goes and how it gets there is a murkier story. By the end of the song, it lingers in its languid lumber. "Decline" is more of a pummeling death metal speed. The growled vocals feel more like old Sepultura. There are some cool moments of reflection when the chord are allowed to ring out, but overall the song is very typical death metal. 

"Visions of Abscene' stars off with depressive guitar line that builds into the kind of doomy lament that colors a great deal of this album. This song has a dark throb, but it is easy to get lost in it as the composition itself drifts with little more than double bass with which to hook you in on a casual listen. There are faint melodies with the chord progressions though they tend to color things with very similar crayons. There are some chug that grab your attention more than others. In hind sight it is more interesting than the more typical death metal churned out on "Under the Cypress Shadow" The cadence of the vocals is very uniform.  There is more of a journey as the song progresses , but how it hooks you in is with the eeriness of its atmosphere more than the power of its riffs.

These elements come together more effectively with a driving power behind them on "Silence" . The working pieces lock in better. They also manage to summon up a higher level of  song writing for the last song. Keeping things more deliberately paced certainly helps with this. A common problem for death metal bands is pouring on the speed for the sake of doing so ,  it loses all dynamic power. The fact they are using restraint , plays to their favor.  I will give this album an 8.5, very impressive in terms of the mood and darkness created. 

 

4.2

Tears For Fears @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater

Like most concerts over the past year it has been my first time at the venue. It was a weird mix or the fair and a your normal Live Nation run shed. We sat in the covered seating to the left of the sound board. It was still daylight when Garbage came on. They were a mixed bag. Shirley Manson is aging better than some. Many of the big hits they tried lounge versions of at first to paced themselves and then busted into something closer to the real thing by the second chorus. The best thing about their live show was the more organic nature of it and how you could hear they were basically a post-punk band in the 90s who was fortunate enough to have a producer in the band that was able to give it a radio sheen of aural candy to fit onto 90s pop radio. Some of their newer deeper cuts on the set, might not hold up their classic work. 

Tears For Fears took the stage in a fairly understated fashion that I am not sure the crowd knew how to react to. Roland Orzabal came on strumming an acoustic guitar playing the western tinged folk of "No Small Thing" the opening track from their new album "the Tipping Point". It gave Curt  Smith time to warm up his voice with backing vocals. Though when it came to his first solo vocal in "Everybody Body Wants to Rule the World" something was off.  It seemed he had trouble falling into the phrasing. I t could have been a problem with his in ear monitors, though his voice was straining, there is always a tendency as a singer to not project if you cannot hear yourself since that is a good way to damage your vocal chords. You could age at age 60 it is just the normal decline, but Roland sounded better than ever. When the two were singing together Kurt hit all the note , and later in the set on songs like "Pake Shelter" he hit some higher notes, it sounded more like problem with shifting from his chest voice to head register as fluidly in the weird middle space like on the phrase "you don't give me love" though the falsetto phrasing was fine it was odd and since I have Googled to see if he is dealing with hearing loss and found nothing. 

They were unapologetic in promoting the new album and playing 7 songs from it, which was fine with me since it is a great album that sits well within the context of their body of work. The crowd was a little perplexed by this and really only took to their feet for the big radio hits, obviously they left "Shout" for the last song. But it was perhaps the less radio dominating classics like "Sowing the Seeds of Love" that might have been the best moment. I hoped for "Raul and the Kings of Spain" and would have gladly traded "Woman in Chains" for it.  I do admire Tears For Fears for not just relying on the nostalgia of greatest hits. The new songs worked well live with "My Demons" serving as one of the best songs of the night.  "Secret World" off "Everyone Loves a Happy Ending" was also one of the sets better moments. When it came to crowd pleasing classics "Pale Shelter" worked better than 'Mad World". Anytime Roland belted it out of the park with his big soulful voice to was also a shining moment. One of my favorite new waveish bands from the 80s, and one of the few hold outs that i had not seen yet,  not a flawless performance but a pretty great one.  

  

Live Review : Chrvches @ Jannus Live

 When a friend who was bartending at the venue asked me what Chrvches are like I described them as being a cross between Taylor Swift and the Cure. They did not prove me wrong. The venue which an outdoor stage wedged into the large courtyard of downtown St Pete apartments, has a 2000-person capacity. Chrvches came within 200 people of selling it out. 1800 people fit pretty comfortably in it. What it was not ideal for was rain. It started pouring a few songs into the opener  fanclubwallet, who is a female fronted indie rock band that on their album has more of a folk feel to it, but on stage carries more of an androgynous 90s alt swagger.

Between the openers set and when Chvrches took the stage an entire storm washed over the crowd, but half the Floridians seemed to be into it, the other half not so much. I was somewhat on the dry side as I made it to the barrier. Chvrches took the stage at 940. Online I have read that this delay was due to the rain. This is not true the doors were slated for 7 and those were delayed before rain ever headed that way. However, all surrounding situations were forgotten once Chvrches took the stage, even the rain.  They opened with "He Said She Said" from their new album.  

Their newest album also lent itself to a more rock show interpretation. They two keyboardists, switched off playing guitar and bass. This created a more intense sonic feel as the entire performance was more in your face than you would expect from a pop show. I think live they would defy the label pop and almost have more in common with a post-punk band that leans in a new wave direction. Mayberry shows she is more capable than the albums suggest, hitting higher notes and adding to the melodies with embellishments, they even jammed out the ending of some songs, which was another unexpected moment that exceeded the expectations

Her quaint humble demeanor that was not selling sex as most pop singers, but very down to earth with her in-between song banter though she threw her body into the performance with a natural theatrical flair sometimes accenting certain lyrical phrases with a gesture, that was not over doing it and not choreographed. It was more about natural response to music rather than dancing. This is the line that separates pop singers out as entertainers rather than musicians. UIs their more focus placed on dancing than music?  Michael Jackson pretty much laid that blueprint out.  If you asked was this more like watching Siouxsie and Banshees or Michael Jackson, the answer would not be Jackson. There was an intensity rather than a tension, never really a dark moment even when she came back on stage drenched in blood, but there was a great deal of intention. I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with their performance, the crowd was captivated and so into it even in the rain. They are one of the best live shows going from a newer band these days for sure.