What is fucked up is how they have decided to just go ahead and become a metal band. These guys have always been weird, so while it is a strange progression from the burlier angular noise rock they were making, this is an absurd leap into the unexpected. I am more surprised by how they are doing it; this sounds like the second coming of Cathedral. With the vocals serving as the main culprit, yes there is also a good dose of Celtic Frost mixed in with other weirdness like synth sounding effects. They could have had this sound, but if the vocal had kept just their angry scowling it might not have been as noticeable, but the lyrics are not about elves and angels, it is the crazy way they are delivered vocally and the crazy way the lyrics paint these pictures that put it in league with Cathedral.
The funnier thing about all of this is not only do I not mind, but I think this might be better. They might be better at doing Cathedral than Cathedral was at doing themselves. Gone are any degrees of Black Flag that might have been flowing in their veins. It is however still traced back to their hard core past to make this more sludge than it is doom, though the lyrics are very doom. The album itself is a tribute to " A Midsummer Night's Dream" , which lyrics connected to classical literature is a much more metal thing than punk. The second songs throbs with a groove that snakes under the drums. More layers of synth atmosphere than what you might normally think of sludge being possessed by.
"Mashhit " more aggressive with a angular riff that seems as propelled by the synth as it does the bass and the way this is mixed it is hard to tell them apart. There is also a weird under current of electronic pulse beneath this song when it is stampeding you. They close the album with an odd cover of "Saint- Saens " the Aquarium" this is the least impressive of the songs though they get credit for being ambitious enough to attempt it. I will give this album a 95, catchy for what they are doing which is pretty unique even in the face of its influences.
There continues to be a lot to love about Norway's Kampfar who allow their sound to get bigger and more melodic. The band's 9th album finds them still playing black metal, but not allowing themselves to be limited into the narrow confines of what the genre could be compressed down to if more homogenized. It stands to note thattheyhave been making music since they mid 90s they are legit true Norwegian black metal as much so as bands more commonly thought of in the role like Mayhem. metal the chorus to the opening track is sun, but the throb of the song is not hampered in any way by this. There are blast beats on this album these guys just do not live and die by them.
They use many woeful folk elements without an ounce of frolic to them. The mood to a song like "Fandens Trall"is a balance of aggression and a more adventurous Viking streak. The chanting is a low and eerie when it creeps into the song. They are kind of occupying the space Dimmu Borgir once held, though not a grandiose or symphonic, rooted still in the pagan culture and less invested in satanic theater. Like Dimmu their singer plays drums. He still fills the role in the studio where Dimmu has been through a few drummers at this point/. "Flammen Fra Nord" is more of a scathing blast fest, thus conforming with the expectations of black metals more hateful side. They only hit it that hard for the first two minutes before more melodic and sung sections evolve. it breaks all the way down to a bass line.
"Rekviem" thunder down a similar sonic path. It stars off at a more rapid pace that they gradually gain control of as the song unfolds. It ends up in that big epic march much of their music in recent years as thrived in. The sonics shift and darken for the last song which manages to stand uniquely apart from the previous song as it bears different sonic colors that open new doors for the band. Even dabbling in things as small as vocal effects makes a difference. I will give this album a 9.5, as it finds the long running band still offering fresh takes on familiar sounds, we have heard from them before.
This is the Italian band's 4th album; comes after a six year wait. They chug out a style of death metal that is acidic in its hatred. This was very effective in getting my attention and giving this album a chance, but faces the problem most bands who are this heavy do, after the pummel my ears and the initial sting wears off, I find myself asking, "Ok, you are heavy, but can you write a song?" The vocals area scowled growl, more mid-range than gutturally low. More aggressive and less emotive than say black metal vocals. They slow down some for "Devil Incarnate", very heavy and hateful there is a great deal of conviction that makes me feel like they could be down with darkness in earnest. Metal bands love to play around with this kind of imagery and subject matter, but if I am getting vibes of darkness after hitting a vape pin from you then there might be something there.
This does not carry over when they give in to their lower urges and just bash out death metal. They are good at this kind of raw edged fury, but does not carry a great deal of identity, they could have formed this more before the need for sped overcame them. By the time your ears have crashed into the wall of sound that is "Crypt of Existence" it is riding the line to becoming just an attack of white noise. A few guitar parts shine out of this, just enough to make it music. The barrage that is "In Chaos , In Death" sounds like the drums are being attacked by cyborg wolves. Not much in terms of song writing, but they have a sound. "Abysmal Annihilation" is closer to a song, but very one dimensional in terms of dynamics and no melody whatsoever.
This album becomes a case of a band being so into their heavy sound that once that is dialed in the do not care so much about the song as they do assault you with speed and volume. You can hear the notes in the riffs if you listen for them. The best heavy band have riffs that you can still sing, rather than just blunt instruments to torture the ears of the masses, The titles track is another blitzed out barrage of ringing cymbals and scowling growls. The guitar kinda buzzing into the murk of the background. Part of the problem in the intentional, the production intentionally blew everything out with gain to get this sound, no noise gate. I think a 7 is a fair enough score, they have potential and are aggressive as hell, but to the downfall of the songs. Yet if you are into this thing, they are good at what they do, but still nothing new thus a 7, which is being masters of a sound that is feral death metal.Being released on Season of Mist
Not the first album we have reviewed by this progressive project from England whose ever-shifting line up has featured members of both Hawkwind and Mogwai. Twelve albums deep into their career they have conjured a more thematic feel. The theme being the witch as the outsider. This lends itself to a darker, more stoner ride, 60's Coven like pulse. The them often carries itself sonically as the pulse of a few songs feels like they are picking up where the previous song left of which is where "Ghostland" finds itself. It has a heavier thump when the beat comes down on the one. The chanted chorus of vocals that began their invocation continue with their intentions here.
When their new male singer Joel Segerstedt takes the mic, the result is in a more rock direction. It is dark and most punky, but also very organic and not working off tension alone, so takes on a New Model Army like sound. The titles track finds the two singer's voice intertwined well with each as they coast with a big sonic sound that is flowing in its melancholy. There is more of a post-rock shimmer to the grandiose "Rose of Jericho" , six minutes into the song it takes a shift back into the darker New Model Army direction. It almost sounds like two different songs but still works. Of course, I am not going to complain about a band moving in a darker direction. I like the refrain that "Blackout 77" builds into the rest of the song flows of a pulse. There is a more delicate folk feel to "Down the Rabbit Hole that builds into something with more of a impending storm hovering over it. Given the scope of what they do some of these sprawling ten-minute pulse epochs seem to make the most of their time. It goes into a more soaring post-rock feel without the minimalist feel of that genre.
There is a smokier shadowy vibe haunting "Everything is Beautiful But " it falls somewhere between the Cure and Chelsea Wolfe in the balance of guitar and vocal melody. The next song is one of those moments where the mood carries over from the previous song with the guitar taking on more of a drone. The vocal melodies are not as hooky as previous songs, and more of the flow of atmosphere. "I'm Ok Not Just Alright" at this point the album has now strayed from the witch theme and is focusing on various depressed moods which is fine for me. As fa as the song does, I like the dynamic twists and turns it takes. "the Scene is a False Prophet" indulges more in atmosphere, it coasts along in a dream and breezes past. I like the more gothy place it builds into. The album ends with a metal song, that is almost out of place due to the harsh vocals and everything but done in such an organic manner it makes sense,. Overall I enjoyed this album a great deal to do the darker direction and will give it a 9.5.
I prefer when they were letting freedom ring with a shotgun blast and not really into their forays into nu-metal that followed. They began integrating actual metal, which you can hear on this album though diluted with aspirations to get the airplay of modern rock bands. The ten-minute opener has some cool melodic moments before roaring into what they have been doing now for decades. Flynn is the sole original member; he is still joined by Jared of Sanctity and Waclaw of Decapitated. In terms of heaviness there is no way this album comes close to the new Decapitated, they do go full steam thrash on the second song, but I think I prefer the more thoughtful opener as even more all the aggression of the second song, it feels more contrived.
"Become the Firestorm" proves it pays off to have guys who use to play in death metal bands in your band as it makes you capable of being able to step the gas as needed. They summon a powerful that is more in line with what Flynn normally does here as well. Iam ignoring all the Operation Mindcrime like interludes, they just do not add anything to the album. "My Hands are Empty" works pretty well with its melodic shift in the dynamic hooks of the chorus. It is clear Flynn is a great songwriter, as he has kept his career going on it after all these years. That does not mean he manages to avoid of the pitfalls o when harder music hit the radio in the 90s as there is a Slipknotty feel to "Un hallowed". I like melodramatic music, but not the kind that gets endorsed by energy drinks.
"Kill Thy Enemies" is pretty convincing with its mean guitar, the lyrics sound like Flynn has been on social media for too long. The find a decent balance of heaviness and melody on "No Gods No Masters" though the chorus is a little overboard. "Bloodshot" is the first song that feels like filler to me. Sounds like microwaveable Pantera. The drumming on it is impressive, but when you are a metal drummer that is expected. "Rotten" does something similar better. If you need that kind of mosh inspiring metal, there it is.
"Arrows in Words from the Sky' is one of those radio power ballads that has the blazing guitar solo and, in their case, heavy enough to be metal, but lacks the needed, the vocals are pretty great, and this album has good vocal production almost across the board, there moments in the mix some of the secondary vocals could come up. They included an acoustic version on this album to, but that seems redundant. The last song seems like it sets out to be a summary of all their metal tricks. Considering how the vocals have been this album's strength, I do not think solos alone warrant the need for an instrumental. I will round this down to a 8.5, in the struggle for relevance they do not always play to what best suits them as band, but overall, the song writing of Flynn redeems the album.
This is not the first time Gira has released what amounts to demos for an upcoming album in order to fund said album. We heard this with the demos for "Leaving Meaning" which was titled "What is This?". Almost identical in its approach his vocals sit at the fore front with Gira also playing guitar. Lyrically the first two songs are about learning how to do life on the most basic level. I prefer the more baritone resonance of the second song. The mood is stark and consistent with the mood you want from this band. Syre in a stripped-down manner such as presented here there is almost a folk like manner if by folk, we are using Death in June as the definition.
"Parasite" finds Gira take a more dynamic shift in the sonic progression of mood and melody. Things start darker and then come to a more relaxed and brighter place by the end of the song. Lyrically it seems to deal with some personal problems he was dealing with a few years ago when cancel culture in hipster New York found itself creating an environment where he could be attacked. At 68 he has still figured out how to make the most of his voice, with his emotive croon still sounding pretty strong. Some of these songs work better in their skeletal for than others. I can hear how "Los Angeles City of Death" might sound with a full band, which works better than the current form, which I appreciate lyrically. The stripped-down strum of "Ebbing" needs more fat to it in order to fully realize this idea of a song. With "Why Can't I have What I Want Anytime I Want" works off a droning strum that will become more interesting once this is fleshed out but in its current form, this commentary on today's society it pretty cutting even as is an almost heavy in this form as well.
There is more of a dreamy Psychic Tv like drone to" the Memorious", that possesses more melodic depth than the stripped-down drone to "Michael is Done". The minimalism that abounds on the album is due to the nature of what Gira is going here, you can hear more form and function on the songs where his vocal melodies are more capable of carrying the weight of the song. Even a melody that is a bleakly simple as the one found on "Unforming". The last song is too straightforward, and not really what defines Swans, perhaps more of an Angles of Light thing. As things stand here, I will give this album of demos a 9, it is very relaxing and captures a more stripped downside to the drone,
Muse was once one of my favorite bands. Since then, they have sold out in terms of the producers they work with and the big stadium sound they are going for that on the new album draws more from Queen, though the hook to the chorus sounds like a rip off of " the Beautiful People" . Does this band continue to have bigger yet more homogenized sound. The 80s tinged synths that opens "Compliance" sounds more like Muse than the first song that pulls from too many places "Liberation " finds them once again overindulging in grandiose Queen like trappings. They nail the layered harmony vocals, but in doing so feel less like themselves. There is more heft to the guitar for "Won't Stand Down" until it breaks down into almost a rapped verse. It works the best of the first four songs.
At only 44 Matt's voice is holding up as he is at his peak now. They have always used liberal amounts of piano for their arena sized power ballads. If only there was more power to "Ghosts" . He sings with a great deal of conviction for sure. "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween" is an instant classic any song about Halloween, they just did it right. This is the first time I have notice that their drummer might be their weak link. He gets the job done for sure, but not as bombastic as he could be . "Kill or Be Killed" has more aggressive guitar and barrage of synths. I would not say this is Muse's metal album though there are of those factors, they are counter balanced.
The dramatic vocals that venture up into his lush head register are present and accounted for on "Verona"/ It drones on the one theme. "Euphoria" is very much a Muse song, so much so that it feels like they are cycling ideas a little here. It is almost too upbeat. They course correct this with "We Are Fucking Fucked" which has a more ominous tension to it. I will give this album a 9 . It seems they are trying to figure out where they fit in the musical climate of today. They knock most of this album out of the park in terms of pulling it off, most of the things that keep me from viewing this as aq perfect album are creative choices.
Heavier and less progressive than their past few albums, they also offer up more blast beats in the first two songs than I have heard from these guys in the past decade. Not that they are back to being just a black metal band. In fact, this is also the most accessible to other metals that I have heard from these guys with dumbed down grooves and less manic jerking into other styles, they do cross a broad range of musical colors, but it is done in a more flowing organic fashion. There is a little jazz in the first song and the cadence of the vocal phrasing reminds me of a Run the Jewels song even though there is no rapping.
The very deliberate riffing continues in a straight-ahead assault on "Shikabane" which is almost punk until the very adventurous drumming and guitar solo kick in. This has a fun jammy live feel, when they go into a more spaced-out middle section. Things continue to lash out with this renewed aggression they have found on this album. They are not taking the easy way out and just defaulting to the tropes of black metal. I really like the Middle Eastern chord progressions to "Satsui" and appreciate the dark and moody direction the song eventually wanders off into. Though there are some almost hip-hop inspired elements there which makes this the second song I have sense this under current.
"Fuyu Ga Kuru" leads me to believe that they had a moment of clarity. The band was writing songs and saw the writing on the wall that they will never be accepted as a prog rock band due to their heavy metal past and instead they need to make a classic metal album the likes Dimmu Borgir might try. There are riffs that remind me of the title track from Seasons of the Abyss as well as King Diamond. Along with Pink Floyd space excursions that are shorter than the galloping that takes place. The guitar solos are very rock godlike. I have been saying people have been sleeping on this guy's shred powers for some time.
Things do get a little more proggy in the mood to "Mayonaka". The more snarled vocals are sung kind of crazily on this one. /There are plenty of keyboard solos and guitar solos to keep the prog crowd entertained here, though unlikely they are going to embrace this album as a whole unless they are into metal. I will round this up to a 9.5, as these guys are teaching a masterclass in metal and the prog smarts are there without getting carried away.
Is this going to be a band people just go see live or are they going to continue to make albums that are worth listening to when you take away the gimmick of what they do ? For what these guys do, they employ a decent set of dynamic on the opening song, going from a guttural chant to a more sweeping melody with their female vocalist. The second song "Anoana" is a step away from the darker war like incantations they normally invoke with their music and is a lighter spirited celebration of nature. It is much more like Northern European folk music of the era they are drawing inspiration from. "Tenet" is almost like a summary of all the sounds they have worked with up until this point. It is also a sprawling 13-minute song that covers almost too much ground, after they have shown us, they are capable of writing memorable songs and not just playing with ancient sounds on the first two tracks.
Though sprawling grandiose gardens of sounds are more than we get on "Urbani" that is just stomping and chanting. Iti very primitive and the least musical expression I have heard from them. Then there is the spoken word narrative that feels more like a dramatic book on tape that is "Keltentrauer", After two minutes of ambient sounds "Nesso" gets into a more ethereal melody, driven by female vocals. It soars off nicely. After this song, they flip back to more throaty chanting with minimal percussion for "Buslas Bann".
They prove themselves more capable on the intricate harmonies of " Nikkal" . The instrumentation is very minimal, which for them is not surprising, things are not as layered in the studio on this album. They have been touring more these days, so I am sure they learned things are easier to perform live in this manner. The close the album with a song called "Marduk". When you name a song after such a dark Sumerian god, you expect the music to follow suit. It consists of bells and whispered invocations. Midway into the song the tension builds a little more. This however does not go anywhere, and the song fades out rather than progresses. I will round this down to a 7.5, sure there are a hand ful of good, songs which is why it scored as high as it did along with the fact, they prove themselves very consistent to doing what they do, but that is part of the problem making this predictable and sometimes riding a one trick pony into the ground when the moments they excel prove themselves capable of doing better.,
The 7th album from the dark industrial projects, continues down a similar path though the focus this time around leans more toward gritty electronic beats and the darker vocals seething from the shadows rather than the almost black metal screeching we have heard from them on some of their past releases. The opening track is more of an intro and things get darker and sonically heavier after it. "the Poison Will Deaden the Pain" is a harrowing bleak sound, but not as focused of a song. The beat that sets the stage for "Off With Their Heads" lends itself to the groove of song writing, even if said groove is a sultry march into the underworld. The now we do what they told us, kind of plays off the Rage Against the Machine theme, but with a more shadow drenched sneer skeptical of what any opposition does, yet the spirt of it is a vengeful undercurrent.
Where their previous albums leaned more in the direction of scathing anthems, things here feel much more personal and held closer to the chest rather than waved like the flag of a rebellion, when things get bigger and more in your face on a song like "X's On Her Eyes". The sung vocals work really well here, not the best singing that will make Trent Reznor question his status, but a needed shift to add a different color to their sound. It has the punch of old Marilyn Manson. It is interesting how things are more introspective, when you consider how these guys have always sounded like they were screaming out the soundtrack to the end of the world and now that the symptoms of the apocalypse are closer in the reality of that has settled into the lyrics here. This makes a song like "Catastrophic" hold more weight even when they are holding back, with a less confrontational and more speculative mood.
There is an ambient synthwave like piece that precedes the last song, making it two instrumentals that are not being counted for the purpose of grading the album. It should have just been the first few bars of the last song, but you cannot fault a band for testing the waters and trying something different. "Blood Out" is the last song and mood wise it picks up where the piece before it left off. The vocals are more whispered and there is that industrial ballad feel to it. It's not like the power ballads of rock bands as it is a creepy cinematic piano vibe. The lyric " I do not want to know / why you never believed in me" is more sung than most of the vocal's efforts invested in this album. Instead of giving you the big riff ending, they let it just disappear into a fade. I like this album but will give it a 9 as it is not as aggressive as what I normally want from these guys and becoming more melodic did not go as I would have planned if, but if you are a fan, it is hard not to love what they did here instead.
The 5th album by this British band, carries all the thundering thump that you might expect, though when compared to their earlier work resonates with more sonic heaviness. It opens with a ten-minute pounder. The vocals howl with more conviction. Things are not always at a doomy plod, in facT they are pretty aggressive tempo wise when it comes to "Levitation Hoax". They are more sludge than doom, when considering the apocalyptic darkness that is carried in their sound. They even delve into more traditional almost modern metal grooves with "the Ritual of Anonymity", It solidifies calling them sludge in the manner that it moves.
"Equilibrium of Mankind" has a heavier weight to its throb. The tempo is less aggressive than the previous song. The production of this album has levelled up when it comes to giving the guitars a dense fuzzed out yet warm wall of crunch. I think when it comes to being able to distinguish doom from sludge, people are often too quick to call something doom. Granted it did evolve from punk rockers trying to play doom. Being deliberate in the pounding does not equate the funeral procession tone of the more emotional doom. They are never so absorbed in the sound that they forget to turn things into a song. "Righteous Alliance" grooves with its lumber. The shouted vocals are sometimes double with a more crazed higher vocal over a lower throaty bark. Never really sung but phrased in a manner to accent the riffs. They shift the dynamic and back off from being as in your face in the last two minutes.
Synth sounds add to the atmosphere as they begin the last song with more of a drone. While it has a solid sound if you just want some to provide a background to hitting the bong, it is also not really bringing a tone to the song as a whole. I mean I am never going to say, "Damn I need to hear that six-minute drone they did on that one song". Though melodies and riffs are things that might ger stuck in my head and make me look forward to hearing a song again. When I say six-minute drone, it extends well beyond that, but the drums switch things up accent wise making it feel like it is going somewhere when it is not. The keyboards being doing something ten minutes in to this 12-minute song. I will give this album a 9 as the last song is the only one that does work for me, overall, it proves you can still be heavy and write songs worth listening to.
This is not the first pop album we have reviewed here and perhaps this one is even more deserving since she is trying to make a rock record. She has dabbled in rock before and seems to be putting more of an effort here. The question is when it comes to a pop artist crossing over, can she live up to what Miley Cyrus did with "Plastic Hearts" ? Seem a fair measuring stick. The first song is a mess. Yungblud contributes to it and brings nothing to the table. She does a much better job with "Skin of My Teeth". This was the lead single and what first sparked my interest. It's Paramore flavored pop punk but works for what she does. "Substance" is more pop than rock, and not as compelling in its hooks.
There is a more of a Taylor Swift feel to the cadence of "Eat Me" . Musically that experiment with electronics in much the same way Poppy does. Royal and the Serpent contributes to it, but while better than what Yungblud, nothing mind blowing. The title track is pretty decent, some of the phrasing is not as airtight as you might expect from a major label pop release. So far is not close to Miley's level but we are only 5 songs in, so perhaps it is too soon to say, and the rest of the album is going to be slappers. "29" the chorus of this song works well the verses are not as polished at the could be. The lyrics are trying to hard, and it makes sense she would come out as gender whatever, to keep her name in the press and drive an album like this.
"Happy Ending " works better as a stripped-down ballad. This feels more like who she is than the other songs where she is generally trying too hard. 8 albums into her career at 30 you would think she would have a better sense of identity at this point in the game. The ode to masturbation titled "Heaven" has a playful Marilyn Manson like swagger to it that works for her. The more upbeat pop punk of "City of Angels" is not as effective, but rocks more than most pop you are going to find on the radio in 2022. "Bones" flows better vocally, though the mix is too clean, and the album need more bass to have any kind of heavy feel. The chorus works better in this regard than the verse, but she is working with pros at the top of the industry so it should be flawless in this regard.
"Wasted" really bring out the fact that the status quo for this album is to rock about as hard as Pink. Which is not really at all. More than your Ariana Grandes? Yes, but what does that really say? Unlike Miley I do not think Demi has the musical vocabulary to go about this with the same legitimacy. Miley had Billy Idol and Joan Jett, she has Yuingblud, that speaks louder than anything else we could really say about this. The nail the U2 guitar sound on "Come Together" but it is generally Dollar Store Taylor Swift. She can belt it out with perhaps a little more power, but the higher notes are auto tuned. Singing about dead friends, really seems like cashing in when it is over upbeat watered down pop punk, Dead Sara, does better than the album's other collaborators. JT Daly of Paper Route helps out with the writing on "Feed". It is a piano centered ballad with typical pop beats that go over this sort of thing. It's kinda bland and lacks any sense of danger that makes rocks music what it is. Getting sober has not earned her the kind of street cred she is milking for. The album does have its moments, but I will round it down to a 7.5, for not having the balls to rock or sell me on the fact that she can as Miley did.
This German band blends a range of interesting sonic colors and sounds into their songs. The first track is just a minute intro leading to the heavier "Lost" that works off a mighty chug contrasted by their very organic personal sound. They rumble around the shadow side of sludge in a manner similar to mid-period Kylesa. Female vocals adding a tender touch to the ominous rumble, whose mood is just not dark or despairing enough to be doom. They can kick up dense earth-shaking riffs, but balance this out with somber melodies that oddly carry a brightness to them.
Feels of heaviness and darkness are like the funk you cannot fake them. Drug Addicts and the mentally ill tend to vent this most effectively not matter where they are at in their struggles. These kids are pretty well adjusted. There is a skip in their step when it gets to the metallic infused garage rock flirted with on "Circles". Where normally I would want this to be darker, the way the blend colors and feeling not often explored in this sort of music makes it something new to your ears. Sonic Youth almost comes to mind in how the song flows. They are diverted into more dramatic folk like that vocally sounds closer to Rasputina and then later shift more into a more typical folk feel. Ana Muhi proves she has a pretty decent voice here.
There is a straightforward Melvins like rumble to the heavier chug empowering "How Sad a Fate". "Shrine" does start from a buzzing black metal like pummeling and go into something more punk. The male vocals are what gives their sound the Sonic Youth quality. The dynamics shift a great deal in this song, and flow back into the more feral buzz of guitar. "Lucky Me" is kinda crusty and ends up going to some interesting places before thrashing out. The harsher vocals are more dominant here so if you are the kind of person who prefers harsher vocals maybe start with this song and work your way back/."Dear Life" is another slow piano song with a more Diamanda Galas like vocal this time around. If asked what would be a song that best showcases the band's sound this would not be it. "Holy Wars" it's more like a post-hardcore ditty, really well written and makes an argument for the male side of this band to take over the mic a little more for the more rocking tunes. I will round this down to a 9 as the piano songs at times diminish the album's momentum. Overall, it is an excellent listen that blends genres in a very organic manner that makes sense and works well.
We do not have to question if these guys are good musicians. 8 albums into their career, they are a safe bet. Where they have to prove themselves with me is when it comes to being able to keep me engaged as an instrumental band, since vocals are where my ear goes. We have reviewed at least half their album here already and they have a decent track record of being able to do this can they keep it up? The opener is dark and dynamic with a brooding tension hovering over it like a storm. There is less post rock wandering and they have pretty much just become an instrumental sludge band. The chugged tension on the second song, is not the sound of them re-inventing the wheel, but they are locked into what they do really well. It is heavy, but can they continue to engage my attention for another five songs? Live they are loud and energetic, so it is easier.
The title track sees atmosphere creep in as they let their feet off the gas. The manage to occupy the space where vocals would be once the groove kicks in. The album's problems do not come to the surface until you get to "Vlastimil" as the songs begin to run together and sound the same. It starts off in a more doomy mode and lumbers it's way into pretty predictable places from there. Yes, they dabble in black metal, but I am not feeling the darkness only hearing the sonic notes they hit to get the sound. Part of the problem in how things run together is that the fifth track that wanders into an interlude of post-rock minimal guitar is under two minutes so not a real song and feels just like a break down that "Betrayal" that follows explodes out of. It picks up with the kind of blasting that the fourth song left off on.
The album closes with "Bloom" which is Explosionsinthesky style post rock, that is flowing, but pretty mellow. Sure, there are pleasing sounds but is it any different from other bands we have heard this same kind of thing from already. I will around this album down to an 8.5, they are masters at their instruments and work with what they are doing well when it comes to song writing but by now how could they not. If you are a fan then this is going to give you what you want from, them and pleasing to the ears to just leave on and let play. Not really something I am personally going to listen to a great deal more but can hear it for what it is which is a band well into their stride, who accomplished what they set out to do.
This is an experimental electronic project that touches on industrial in a manner no unlike how the Prodigy once did. There are not "Firestarters" here in terms of songwriting making this a more abstract expression. By the time we get to "Pigeon Kick" I am hearing more Aphex Twin and Lords of Acid, though it sounds like an actual drum set could be in play. There is a great deal of bubbling glitch sounds. It sounds like a sludge band going through a robot blender. "Raijin" is more of an atmospheric interlude before "Lysergic Aura"which features underground rappers, Lord Goat and Truck Jewels. They are conventional than say Death Grips, but it is not far removed from what Death Grips does when you couple them with an artist like Petbrick.
The darker more esoteric throb of "Damballa" works really well. On the flip side the barrage of electronic drums that makes up "Ayan" could really be anyone. This is the problem I normally have with electronic music is it is so faceless, without a personal identity, due to the fact that without dynamics and melody all sounds the same, just different bpms. In this case it is pretty much just a drum solo. At least "Moby Dick" goes somewhere. Then the guest stars begin to really arrive as Jake Bannon from Converge lends his feral throat to "Grind You Dull" which is frantic and almost grind core in its wild attack before drifting off into darker more ambient sections that give it a sense of self. Is it the best use of Bannon's talent? No. But I get the effect they are going for here. They blend a similar pounding and ambiance on "Chemical Returns"
Paula Rebellato lends her voice to the murkiness that is "Distorted Peace". Steven Von Till shows up on the last song. It turned out to be pretty anti-climactic and something Till could have just done on his own. Overall however for as noisy as this was I found this album a lot better listen than anticipated. I will give it an 8.5, there were enough organic elements to make this rise above the typical laptop clicking electronic music.
Another chapter in their "heavy rocks" series. It opens with an explosive Stooges like barrages that gets more chaotic as it progresses, while still holding it together like it is a rock song. This band has been around for 30 years so know what they are doing, though they have covered a great deal of ground over the course of their career. "Cramper" in some why has a screamo tinge to the more emotive vocal, but it is one of the oddest production jobs in terms of where the instruments sit. More raw and punk flavored than what the Melvins do, but on the less metal side of where the Melvins sit sonically. Boris has dabbled in metal before, that is just not what is happening here. The focus is on high energy and up-tempo songs. The arrangements are pretty straight forward, bordering on punk more often than not.
I prefer the darker more Nirvana like sound that pumps "Blah Blah Blah" to brooding life. "Question 1" finds the vocals take on a Mastodon like drone, as the restless wave of guitars bucks beneath it. A darker sludge-tinged atmosphere darkens "Nosferatou" which if you are going to have a song about vampires darker is the only direction to go in. I appreciate the mood, but there seems to be little direction aside from droning in terms of songwriting. Not that it should be surprising considering how that has factored in to who these guys are. On "Ruins" they take on a more thrashing aggression as the speed picks up though it is rooted in punk.
They keep their feet on the gas, for the more raging but less fleshed out structure of " Ghostly Imagination" . "Chained" is the first time the weirdness works in the best way possible to create something that is a cross between grind core and shoegaze. Then things get weirder with the piano and electronics of the closing song. The vocals form an abstract droning melody. It is less of a song and more like an atmospheric outro Nine Inch Nails might use. I will give this album a 9, it's a pretty solid entry into their history of heavy rocking. This album is being released on Relapse Records. c
Doom bands suckling from the teat of Sabbath is a long running tradition going back all the way to 1982. The thing about it back then is bands also brought other influences to the table as can be heard on this band's debut. The squeals and squeaks trying to be metal yodels are kind of funny, but over all this band seems very earnest in what they are doing. At times the melodies churn more like Blue Oyster Cult. "Free Country" moves at a faster pace, with a pounding chug, as their singer proclaims let's trip on LSD. This is a very rough and raw mix, that works perfect for what is going down here.
The title track works for what they were doing, and I appreciate there is less boogie and more of a darker undercurrent. Aside from that there is dynamically not a great deal of new dimensions being explored here. "No Strayer" is more like if Diamond Head had been listened to southern rock and wanted to throw in some guitar solos to jam on. The song "Witchfinder General" is pretty heavy, I general likes when a band names a song after themselves. I like the chorus, as the vocals go in a different direction for a section as he sings more from his chest voice, where the vocals have been fairly basic throughout the album.
"Burning a Sinner" is more mid paced and punchy. There is another vocal shift on the chorus, which helps as dynamically the vocals have not been the album's strong point though to their credit his voice has a honesty to it. He sounds like himself rather than trying to sound like Ozzy. The guitar solo is balls to the wall. The cowbell of "R.I.P" closes the album. The vocals get a more nasal cock rock sneer to them, this makes this feel more like hard rock than metal. I will around this down to a 9, as the rawness of it finds it not a fined tuned as it could have been , but for what this is it works.
If the Foo Fighters had a meatier back bone and fuller sound that carried more sonic fury they might have more in common with this band from Denver, Colorado. The guitar push things forward with power and energy to their throb that sometimes drones and sometimes leaves room for hooks. They fall most neatly into the zip code of pot-hard-core bands from the 90s. Heavy but not metal. Too textured and atmospheric to be punk. This atmosphere can be so dense at times that in the case of "Better Living" it pushes them in the direction of shoe gaze. The guitarists should be commended for creating a dynamic sound that still gives the songs room to breathe more often than not. For it's in this space that the vocals are allowed to form memorable melodies.
The hammering tribal drums of "In the Clouds" at first stir up a tension similar to Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose" before relaxing back into a more languid soaring. These unexpected dynamics are what makes them more unique in their sound. Even when the vocal melodies just kind of float around the storm beneath them. That is not to say sometimes they do not just go for more meat and potatoes rock basics, though even that directions it is garnished with sneaky tricks. They are clever songwriter when they want to be, it is a balance of wielding such a big sound. Do they serve the sound or the song, and how does one do both, is the crossroads they maneuver.
After the breezy shoe gaze of "Body Pillow" things begin to take on a uniform drive. The momentum of "Leather Jacket" once it builds up steam creates locomotion that rocking a blur of grunged out jangling guitar until we get to the more nuanced and dynamic songwriting that is displayed in tile track. . The vocals are sung in a higher more powerful register. The pace picks up for the more metallic chug of the last song. Overall this album works really well and blends familiar sounds in a new way., I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me.
Self-awareness might be the most important quality a band has in terms of growth. When the singer of this band tries to employ a more aggressive, he sounds like Jonathan Davis. Maybe these guys love Korn. Perhaps the "Issues " era Korn. One the second song, when he sings more melodically it works better. The electronic elements they introduce on "Blood" struggle a bit, as does his lower goth voice. It sounds more Marilyn Manson than My Dying Bride. I like Marilyn Manson, but when Mr. Manson himself is doing it no matter how hard they are trying to cancel him. When this guy goes up into his higher register it works much better.
It would be weird to hear me say goth metal is not really my thing, when it is exactly my thing, but it has to be done in a convincing manner .... Type O Negative, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost... all do it right to name the big ones, the nu metal elements kinda spoils this and makes me wonder if they are trying to sound like Slipknot. They however continue to push things further in this direction. Which I would not mind if they were self-aware enough to suit up in Addias, and just be nu-metal and not try to market themselves as goth, it would have saved me some time. That is the self-awareness I was referring to at the start of this review. Lollipop List Kill is a good example of a band who does this better. "Close" shows they can write a decent song when they tap into what works best for them, if this was their first album I would assume they are just looking for that but it is not the case.
The producer does them right and gets them a bigger more modern sound more in line with 30 Seconds to Mars, on "Hope". Then the backslide into their Korny ways after this. He leans into his more introspective side and delivers a more effective performance on "No Candles For the Ride". "Let Me Be the One" wades in similar waters, the hook is just marginally less compelling. They dig into even more overt Korn sonics on "Right Now" , making me think all the Paradise Lost talk was a cop to avoid saying maybe nu-metal will make a comeback here is one band that hopes it does. They are self-aware enough to cover "Running Up That Hill" it is more Placebo like than Kate Bush, but the timing is obvious after this summer and Stranger Things.Self awareness is key, but they still mange a few good songs out of this . I will give the album a 7.
In 1982 there was a more relaxed definition of metal. While the guitar has more edge to it some of the gallops on the verse of the first song. "Don't Cry' is more energetic, but not as tightly hewn of the song. While for these guys the synth heavy syncopation to the chorus of "Truth Drug" is heading in a more mainstream direction in terms of where music was going at this time. It still manages to be a pretty worthwhile song, even if in some way it seeks to cash in on the success of bands like Priest and the Scorpions. But they were never really a band for the radio. Yet what they are doing here could have earned that spot for them. Another band perhaps missing windows of opportunity.
When it comes to "Young Girl" you can hear where perhaps they were trying to follow the lead of Styx. Perhaps the record company did not have faith in them to do their own thing. The vocals are crisp. Even in their more radio grabbing moments they have interesting punches. You can here where Metallica was inspired to write their own power ballads, atter hearing a song like "Flower in the Attic". The chord progression and feel is very similar to "Fade to Black". It builds into a riff that might have you wondering just how original Metallica really is.
You can also see where they might have wanted to find their place alongside bands like Rush with "N.O.R.A.D". The drumming is more progressive in its groove. This song along proves how underrated drummer Steve Willaims is. The keyboards get pretty out of control here. "Give Me Truth" falls into the status quo of arena rocking at the time. The very commercial ballad "Allison" seems too Beatles like for what these guys do. While still a slick sheen, " Finger on the Button" is less middle of the road and more aggressive. This carries over in the last song to find the album ending strong. I will round this album down to a 9 as the commercial aspirations hold it back at times, but there are enough of those metal moments that shaped the genre as we know it today to be found here.
My not so guilty pleasure band who pretty much falls in line with Chrvches frame of my listening habits. Even though this is more of a teenage angst ridden pop punk album it still holds plenty of common ground with their previous albums. There is more guitar driving the bigger hooks this time around. She does a really good job of harmonizing her vocals on the emo power ballad "the Hard Way" though I am not sure how that would translate live. It's been less than a year since their last album, so they really busted in out when it comes to song writing unless these are leftovers.
There is more rock grit to the anthemic "Jealousy". Here vocals are produced in a way that gives it a more pop sheen, though it feels a lot like Paramore here. Almost intentionally so. "Alone" sounds a little more like what they do except for the big explosive chorus, they are done with any darker goth trappings no matter how they dress. There seems to be a little too much formula in play on "Clean" which does feel like it could have been on the previous album. "Without You" is another power ballad, it works better than the previous song as the more melodic elements leading into are more interesting and emotionally complex. "Only Problem" leans in a more of a pop punk direction but is a better song. "You're So Vain" is not a cover of the Carly Simon song, but a very guitar centered song.
"Reasons to Live" is a middle ground between the pop punk and what this band used to do. Lyrically it comes from a very co-dependent perspective. Heather's voice might be at her strongest on the high notes she hits on "Numb". Some of the upbeat rock anthems have a similar feel to when Kelly Clarkston tried her hand at rock music. I think they retained enough of who they are to avoid this album being a sell out since they had begun progressing in this direction on the last album. I kinda of hear it not as I hear the Kiss albums after they took the make-up off and blended in more with the hair metal of the day in the 80s . The last album might have been more 'Animalize" while this is "Crazy Nights" I will round it down to a 9, which still puts it a head above most pop music these days.
This German band was ahead of their time and clearly and influence on creating thrash as a genre as they are already halfway there with "Fast as a Shark". The band's fourth album and they had clearly honed their sound. This is a band I gain more respect for as the years go by. The gallop of the title track is pretty powerful, it is amazing how heavy this is for its time. When this album came out, I was really only into bands that wore make up like the Crue or Alice Cooper, which is a shame as the head banging is dialed up further for " Ahead of the Pack". Sure, I have always felt there was some homo erotic leanings with this band, but musically they are solid as hell.
They continue to press forward with heavier sound than they are remembered for with "Shake Your Heads". Udo's gritty voice sounds great on this album I like when he goes into his lower grumble to give some contrast. His limitations he works around when things get more demanding like the increasing melodrama of "Neon Nights". This shows the band is capable of more than just having their balls to the wall. At six minutes for the 80s it was a long sprawling epic. The guitar solo on this one is pretty fucking cool. "Get Ready" is a straightforward rocker. It is the first song that feels more like filler when you consider how heavy the first half of the album was. They get back to the heavier side of things with "Demon's Night".
They have always shared a common ground with both AC/DC and Judas Priest, this can be heard perhaps best on "Flash Rockin Man" though the Germans are heavier than both of these bands, of course excluding the "Painkiller" album. "Don't Go Stealing My Soul Away" is typical of the 80s arena anthems that rely on major chords which I am not the biggest fan of.
Originally used as part of an art installation , the rule here is we are just listening to how the song stand on their own, when you strip away any pretenses that are attached to them. The theme is the inspiration taken from images of gargoyles that were left battered from World War I, given how things do not change and the locations of this kind of destruction simply relocate then it is a fitting theme for 2022. One thing that struck me is how minimal these arrangements are for someone who takes their voice to bombastic extremes. She can almost be thought of as the goth Yoko Ono in this regard. One thing that you can say is consistent with her work is that it is dark, satanic wolf howls as it progresses. There is a more tormented sound to the second piece. It dips now into a more whispered wonder land of whistling noises.
Her vocal experimentation is perhaps disturbing if you have never heard her before, but fans or those familiar with what she does have heard similar within the context of songs or performances that were more structured. There are different forms of sound manipulation and feedback than we have heard from her, if you are fan of Mike Patton's more stripped down and noisy vocal stylings this sort of thing might not feel as aliens to you. Are these the souls of Goblins being roasted by the shelling I under as there is a thundering noise in the background that could just be breathy on the microphone with the EQ or effects applied to it, as the more robotic voice filter used in the first piece makes another appearance toward the end of the second piece.
I am a fan of Galas, but this is a trip to a museum that turned out to be an abstract haunted house. You might feel compelled to listen to this for an experience, but these are not songs that you will want to listen to more than once and even then, I had to break them up in ten-minute intervals to avoid the tedium, so based off songs and measuring this album against the standards we have for songs I will give it a 2.5. I find the darkness conveyed her to the really only point of redemption.
This trio comes from Chicago by way of Atlanta. It opens with a moody reflective ditty where they vocals sounds like Radiohead's more stripped-down musings. Balla projects his voice more on the single "Bad Love". It feels like if Tom Petty was more emotionally fragile and not trying to be Bob Dylan. Emily begins to take over the mic more with the bouncing pop of "Bop", which is a very fitting title for the song. Then both singers split the duties on the ambling Brit pop tinged "Clear". The guitar rings and jangles nicely the bas could stand to be pushed forward in the mix as the simplistic drums do not form enough of a backbone on their own.
Most of their songs fall under three minutes, yet they manage to cover a great deal of ground in that time frame. Their drummer sings on "Hold". His lower voice does add another vocal color, but he is not as compelling of a singer as the other two. "Memories" is the first song that feels it has a shadow or more sullen emotional depth. It takes another step towards almost 1950s pop when the timber shifts. "Window" strolls along nicely even if it is not the most compelling song on the album, though the distortion pedal being dusted off is a nice touch. Some songs begin to drift and not capture my attention as well as previous ones. Waterfall" is like a dreamy take on the Pixies.
Emly and Balla blend their voices well on "Dream On". I appreciate the mood captured here."Empty in My Mind" marries new wave from the 80s to early 2000s indie rock. The single note guitar solo makes you feel every not is being earned so shredding is not what is going here. The new wave feel returns on "Stars". "No Difference ' does not really resonate and feels like typical modern indie rock, but the very fact instruments are being played buts them ahead of their pop peers. I will give this an 8.5, due to the simplistic nature and minimal chops, though the emphasis is on song writing. I know they had a producer who worked with the Rolling Stones , but it must have been after Bill Wyman left the band as the bass is nowhere to be found in the mix and I think with more thump it would have resonated more with me.
Kennedy Ashlyn's former project Them Are Us Too were one of those bands whose influences they were paying tribute to was so apparent, in their case the Cocteau Twins, that if you are a fan of the said band then you welcome them. In the case of the Cocteau Twins they are not making any new music so I would welcome e a band that was filling that void for me. There is a hint of that influence still lingers, but she has come into her own artist under the SRSQ moniker. Even more so with this album. She is no longer basking in ethereal darkness and stepping into an 80's themed neon. The opening track shining even more brightly in the sonic colors being employed. It is a bright cloud of ambiance, but the second song "Saved For Summer" is more airtight in terms of the kind of hooky song writing that colored 8os new wave.
The title track is almost like a k-pop power ballad, but somehow it manages to work. She finds a better balance on "Used to Love". And it falls more solidly in the bonds of catchy dream pop. The percussion has more of a retro sound, yet the emphasis is on the vocal melody. A great deal of credit for this album's sound goes to producer Chris Coady who has also worked with Zola Jesus, Beach House and Slow Dive, helped pep him to tackle this task. The title track flows really well and finds a way to blend the cinematic grandeur with the atmospheric pulse of her earlier work. With a song like "Fear" you can really hear how the clarity of her singing has grown. How her voice sits center stage and less obscured in the mix, helps to shed light on this.
The overdriven bass groove to "Winter, Slowly" sets up the groove for the song, the melodies then draped over it provide a sugary dynamic contrast. The more languid atmospherics of "Abyss" floats in a dreamy David Lynch like haze with reverbed out ring of guitar echoing throughout the song. It is however not as focused on the melodies that have made this album work so well up to this point. "Elan Vital" is back on a more shoegazing pop path that makes for a pretty solid songs in terms of the backdrop for her melodies to sprawl out over. The drums to the last song give it more movement and break away from the dream soaked the bulk of the album is cloaked in with the vocals breaking through to embrace and newfound love of sunshine. The brighter tone of the album still works and finds this to be a monument of growth for Ashlyn I will give this album a 9.5.
>This year is the 40th anniversary for Motorhead's 8th album, which would be the end of the three amigos line up as Eddie Clarke left during the tour that followed it. The title track whicThey maintain a similar guitar attack on "Heart of Stone" but I do not think the song measures up to the bar set by the opener. The band has a few songs about playing Dr. "I'm the Doctor" is one of their more effective stabs at the topic with more of a straight-ahead rock n roll vibe to the song.
When you really listen to what they are doing Motorhead is more of a rock band than a metal band, though this song is one of the exceptions and "Go to Hell" a song that is actually metal. These guys are always very straight forwards rock, which they sell pretty well, "Loser" is just a song that doesn't connect with me as much. "Sex and Outrage" is another one that is more punk paced. This is more punk than it is metal, but it is a fun song. The groove of "America" makes it another one of the album's best songs. Lemmy also comes pretty close to really singing. The up-tempo " Shut it Down" is pretty much color by numbers Motorhead.
"Speed Freak" has a catchy riff wedged into the chorus and great guitar playing all around but as a song, kind of runs together with all their up-tempo rockers. The drumming has always been top notch, but I really like what Taylor does on "Don't Let Them Grind Ya Down". This is another song that is more metal than rock n roll. The best bass tone opens up "Don't Need Religion" which is also a pretty solid song, as it is more deliberate in its stomp. "Bang to Rights" closes the album with a straight up rock beat that moves at more of a punk pace with its reckless abandon. I will give this one a 9, it's a solid outing, and great by anyone's standards, but this is Motorhead we are talking about so the bar is high, making this not perfect but fun.
This is the debut album by a band who would go onto bring this early metal to the mainstream, but on their own terms. This album opener with a song that is darker and more tension that the band you might only think of as not going to take it. I am listening to the Rhino remaster of the album, but this is really well produced. They have Pete Way of the band UFO to thank for this as he produced the album. "Bad Boys of Rock N Roll" is more of a party anthem that owes equal portions to 1950s rock and Alice Cooper. By the time they got to their big hit "Stay Hungry" they had perfected this sort of thing. They get back to a darker more dynamic sound on "Run for Life". It goes from a slower brooding to an almost Judas Priest like riff.
The Priest comparisons do not end there as they also have a song called "Sin After Sin". There is a more AC/DC feel to "Shoot Em Down". When it comes to these kinds of rock anthems, this works better than most. Even when they are in a more mainstream rock mode, they are more aggressive than the bulk of the bands in the hair/ glam scene they typically are lumped into. This shows they are more deserving to best filed alongside bands like the Scorpions and Judas Priest. They continue to cement themselves in metal history with "Destroyer" and the title track. "Destroyer" being the heavier of the two with a more deliberate grind. The drumming is perhaps more Iron Maiden like on "Tear it Loose" . Fast Eddie Clarke from Motorhead plays a solo on this song.
"I'll Never Grow Up Now" was not on the original pressing over the album but when Atlantic Records re-released it in 1985, after "Stay Hungry " broke big this was on it, and that is when I bought the album. It echoes more of the music at the time, like Quiet Riot. They return to a more AC/DC feel with "Day of the Rocker". If you ever wondered if Dee Snider can actually sing this answers that question. I will round this one up to a 10 it's pretty classic.
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