Monday, October 31, 2022

Gothtober-the Top 10 Goth Albums of 2022






It's that time of year again; It might seem early to start these now, but record labels have already sent me sent me most of what this year has to offer. By the time I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will use them to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2022 was perhaps marginally better than the previous year, though given the current climate of the world we are progressing on a downward spiral, making dark music more important as a soundtrack for this. As far as 2022 goes for goth, the music is increasing important to prove it is not a hash tag to throw around on Instagram just because you are wearing black. 

The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 goth albums of 2022


10-Gentle Ropes- "Control"  

This Ukrainian post-punk project gets so atmospheric that they cross the line into goth. This slab of depressive goodness is narrated by vocals that are detached in a similar manner to what shoe gaze bands do. The guitars anchor things with a great deal of drive, and the writing carries enough dynamic tweaking to keep the songs from sounding the same.  







9-Vandal Moon - "Queen of the Night" 


This band writes songs melodramatic enough to land them solidly on dark wave. Sung with an overly emotive baritone croon, the vocals coast over the cascade of synth wave likes sounds, which this year the trend in dark wave seems to be to use those, these guys just do it better than the other bands not on this list. 


Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Vandal Moon :" Queen of the Night"







8-Sunrise Patriot Motion- "Black Fellflower Stream" 

At times aggressive as Killing Joke.  The guitars are creepy and atmospheric more often than not. The vocals have a throaty rasp to them, sometimes yelled.  There plenty of Halloween like keyboards to offset this, though the vocals are very commanding from the ghostly cavern they echo out from


Abysmal Hymns: Sunrise Patriot Motion : "Black Fellflower Stream"



7-Dead Lights- "Doom Doom Trash"  

When it comes to the cities, you might expect the best of the darkest music to come from London would be at the top of the lis; This ep came out in March, and has some of the best constructed songs, in terms of both the beats, and the thought given to the lyrics, that I have heard from Darkwave in sometime.  It is driving enough to keep things moving on the dance floor but carries the menace of Halloween


Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Dead Lights : "Doom Doom Trash"

 




6-NHIL NHIL NHIL- "Things Fall Apart as They Shall" 


The first ep from this German duo blends a gloom encrusted aggression and heaviness with the kind of stark tension we expect from post-punk, but with a more emotive shadow side.   There is almost a doomy heaviness to what they do.



Abysmal Hymns: NIHIL NHIL NIHIL : "Things Fall Apart As They Shall"



 





5- Night Sins -"Violet Age" 

These guys have not worshipped at the altar of Sisters of Mercy alter for some time. But this flirts with new wave less than the previous album and turns back toward a darker direction. Two years in the making, the growth on this album is very tangible. What they do has been sharpened and refined as all the elements you want from them. The grooves are tighter, and the choruses carry more heft. 

Abysmal Hymns: Night Sins : "Violet Age"






4-Black Cross Hotel- "Hex" 

This horror themed industrial leaning band features members of Minsk, Stabbing Westward and the Atlas Moth. They are not content recycling sounds from the 80s in an attempt to revisit the Bat Cave. The 80s sounds they do employ is the atmosphere of synth wave and vomit it up against abrasive industrial punk.    

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Black Cross Hotel :"Hex"









 3-Crippled Black Pheonix - "Banefrye" 


. 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. This album gets darker as it progresses and finds the band not only dark enough to claim their place here, but this is onle of the darkest albums to be released this year. 


Abysmal Hymns: Crippled Black Phoenix : "Banefyre"


 




2-Kill Shelter- "Asylum"

While a newcomer, even a jaded gatekeeper is proud to swing open the doors to the haunted halls a announce this guy is legit. One important element in place is richly nuanced vocals. It belongs on Metropolis as this feels like a fitting passing of the torch to leave it in the hands of Pete Burns who should change his name to Peter Shelter in under to uphold his responsibility


Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Kill Shelter : "Asylum"








1-Christian Death- "Evil Becomes Rule" 

Here is a big middle finger to anyone who thinks, there can only be Rozz Willaims. I love Rozz, but Valor is alive and still carrying on the legacy not only well, but keeps refining their sound, bringing in a bigger ballsy almost metal sound, and still writing great song that do this legendary band's legacy, none of the younger acts came close to touching this one.  


Gothtober- Black Cross Hotel :"Hex"

 





This horror themed industrial leaning band features members of Minsk, Stabbing Westward and the Atlas Moth, reminds me a little of Marilyn Manson's "Portrait of an American Family" album in how it keeps an organic almost punk core that is dressed up in darker more unsettling sonics. The opening track is about Michael Myers, making it less of a angry catharsis against society than what Manson did. "Daggers" is driving but feels more rock than electronic in its attack.  There are a great deal of John Carpenter inspired synths leading into songs. "Siren" has a more death rock feel in its swagger before roaring back at you.

By the time we get to 'Siren" they have their foot up on the monitor and are rocking out more often than not. This sounds like a long-lost goth metal album from the late 90s. Lyrically the song is an homage to the mental the kids in Nightmare on Elm Street 3 were in. The Thing is the subject of "Windows". Though it stands to be said they the references in the song itself is blatant and draped in metaphor. It is a reflection on the feelings invokes by these films, rather than a theme song to them. The title track does similar with the Argento film "Demons". It has more groove than the brooding previous song. The vocals are bellowed most frequently in a gruff baritone, though sometimes sun in a more introspective croon. At times these guys remind me of a cross between Evil Mothers and the Skatenigs. 

"Fugitive" is a more upbeat punk driven anthem. They continue down a more punk inspired path with the hammering cover of  "138" . They are going by Randy Blythe, whose voice kind of blends in with the overdubs and it is hard to distinguish from the rest. They remain riff driven though less punk in their intentions with the "the Hitchhiker" to round out the album. By the end of the song, they have blended this with a Halloween-tinged synth wave that is pretty unique mix of sounds. They perfectly balance creating a sound while writing songs making this album a near perfect success so I will round this up to a 10 an see how it grows on me. 


 

Friday, October 28, 2022

Live Review : Iron Maiden @ Amalie Arena

 





Having seen the band in their 80s prime the bar is high. They are always great live, but Bruce is 64 and Niko is 70 with the rest of the band falling in-between, the question of do they still have it looms. They are not the Rolling Stones. Not to knock Mick Jagger, but his voice works off personality and attitude, where Bruce's vocal parts are closer to opera than metal. Musical they are more complex and faster songs that require higher dexterity and constitution scores than the warmed over 60s rock hits of the Stones. I am certain of not wanting to see Maiden ten years from now. This arena tour is a higher and more lavish production. This show marked the end of this half of the tour, but rather than the band seeming burned out from the rigors of the road, it seemed like the 57 shows they played before this one was what they needed to warm up. 

Despite the crowd not sure how to react, it was a smart move to play the three new songs first. Tears For Fears, took a similar approach. It makes sense as Bruce was able to warm his voice up with songs most recently recorded so he could warm his pipes up, back when I saw them open up with "Aces High", it was too much, and he went into the show winded and struggling to hit the high notes. When they closed with it , he had a better time with it. Did he nail every high not? No, but he got the job done by tackling it to the best of his current abilities. For six old Brits they ran and jumped across the stage better than most bands in their 20s. For this arena tour the stage show was dialed up. Multiple set changes, it started out as a Japanese temple and shifted to a cathedral to a hellish landscape as the band took you on a journey. 

All of the big crowd pleasers were saved for the second half of the show. This gradually found the momentum build until they get to "Aces High" which is the bands highest energy song. Not the loudest show I am been to, but they used enough volume to get the job done, after all they are Iron Maiden who are next to Black Sabbath are the most important band in metal. They proved they are still worthy of that title and showed you how they earned it. The fifteen songs, moved quickly, there we no looking at your watch moments, considering how as a society our attention spans have atrophied this is magic in and of itself. If you like metal, and even if you are not the biggest Maiden fan it is a must to see them within the next fan years, they do not disappoint and the changes in the set list made them even better than the past two times I have seen them.     

  

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Darkthrone : "Astral Fortress"






 On their 19th album it's good to hear these guys get back in the direction of black metal. Their last album felt like a tribute to Celtic Frost.  The opening track to their newest effort moves at a very deliberate pulse into a darker and more depressing place. They do pick up to a proto thrash speed, so the love of the classic still flows freely in their veins.  They head in a more Venoim direction on the second song. It is pretty straight forward, mood wise, not as interesting as the opening track as it's kind of color by numbers post-2010 Darkthrone. It does not suck either it is just not all that memorable. 

These guys are at their most impressive when they bring chilling atmosphere and eerie guitar melodies. Synths are more dominant on "Stalagmite Necklace". The synths might be a point of contention for some, but I welcome anything that adds sonic dimensions and keeps these guys from becoming the new AC/DC of black metal. "The Sea Beneath the Seas of the Sea" is doomier. It rings out with darker intentions. Nothing close to a blast beat when the chug gets more deliberate. Sure, there is a touch of Celtic Frost to this, but it is done in a more effective manner than the last album. This is much more inspiring to head bang to. 

There is more of a nasty black metal feel to mid paced grind of "Kevorkian Times". I would not say this is a doom album, though those elements run through this album, yet are more focused on darkness and brooding than any mournful or sorrowful feeling. I appreciate the bleakness present at times here. The riffs on this album are more thoughtful than anything we have heard from them in the past couple albums. They are in a more experimental mood, as there is a weird interlude before the last song. The harmonized guitar lines leading into "Eon2" is pretty killer. While the album opens up with a rawer sound, it evolves into a greater production quality as it progresses.  I will round this up to a 10 which I have not gotten to do with these guys in a minute, so that brings me a smile. If you are a Darkthrone fan you can know you are going to like this, keyboards and all.    


Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Gothtober- the Top 10 Post-Punk Albums of 2022









 It's that time of year again.  It might seem early to start these now, but record labels have pretty much sent me most of what this year has to offer already, by the time I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will use them to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2022 was perhaps marginally better than the previous year, though given the current climate of the world we are progressing on a downward spiral, making dark music more important as a soundtrack for this.   As far as 2022 goes for post- punk, musically I think these albums are better than last year.   The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 post-punk albums of 2022


10-Crime of Passing - "s/t" 


This band out of Ohio released this album back in April and it is time for it to coast under your radar no more. This band is also pretty self-aware. You can hear it in the mix. The vocals are actually better than most bands of their ilk but are mixed back against the guitars. Rather than sounding like punk rock Karaoke, it packs a punch




 







9-Black Math Horseman- 's/t"


Sera Timms of Ides of Gemini is back with this project that features Chelsea Wolfe's live guitarist Bryan Tulao. Marginally less goth than Ides, they occupy a more metallic space that succeeds in brewing up tension that is dark enough to feel heavy. They occupy a shadowy sonic space that blends elements of many genres. They waste little time building the tension, like clouds gathering over the ocean. Her voice cries out in a melancholy moan.









8-Killing joke- "Lord of Chaos" 

The world needs Killing Joke more than ever.  The band is currently working on a full length to that the two new songs on this ep are setting the tone for. Hopefully we will see a new album from them before the world ends, but if we do not then this will have to serve as their last will and testament, as it is the first new music in 7 years. They have gotten even heavier over the years with their brand of industrial strength post-punk.










7-A Place to Bury Strangers - "See Through You" 

Before the current wave of post punk revivalists were a thing this band was at it. They continue to be more experimental and put together a rather bleak tapestry of sound. It gets darker as it progresses.








6-Deeper Graves-'the Colossal Sleep" 


The second album from this project, finds the band growing in the songwriting department and perfecting their sonic balance to weight darker almost industrial sounds against dense atmosphere, while focusing on writing songs not just making cool sounds. 
















5-Nyx Division -"Dark Star" 

 Another goth leaning post-punk band, which given my taste is no surprise, this band from Portland bucks many of the hipster genre expectations, though are certainly in more of a punk mode than really laying the Halloween on thick. Siouxsie-tinged vocals that weave outstanding melodies that earned their place here.






 






4-False Figure-"Castigations" 

Wonderfully written post punk from a band that once leaned in a rawer death rock direction. Some of those Halloween decorations are still left up in their sound though this works off an urgent tension that feels like the Oakland underbelly they crawled from. 







3- Dead Register- "Alive" 


 This album picks up where they left off, but in a more refined manner. They groove with smooth syncopation into industrial stomps devoid of gear grinding abrasion. There is more of a 90s grunge influence in the drumming this time around. The blend of brooding shadows is streamlined as the song writing is more noticeably matured














2-Lesser Care -"Underneath, Beside Me"


This Texas band has their shit sounding great. All too often bands in this post-punk genre are so dead set in trying to get a retro sound rather than caring about how the album as a whole sound. Here the drumming and bass playing are more nuanced so that factors into their need for clarity to keep these performances crisp and popping. This barely got edged out of the number one spot. 











1-Vision Video- "Haunted Hours"

This one was a tough call that went in favor of the Athens based band due to the fact that the catchy and melodic nature of what they do drew me in for more repeat listens. They remind me of the Twilight Sad, so I am fine with that. They are also huge fans of the 80s and pay homage while crafting wonderfully infectious songs. 



Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Gothtober- the Top 10 Industrial Albums of 2022







Industrial music is the much-needed herald for the looming apocalypse, the news networks conveniently seem to ignore. This year industrial is getting its own list. In the past it was lumped into goth or electronic.  Much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 industrial albums of 2022







10- Suicide Commando-"Goddestrucktor" 

The 10th album from Belgium's dark industrial aggrotech. With lyrics like " kill all humanity" opening the album I am onboard for the message they are spreading this time around.  I appreciate the use of samples on this album, it reminds me of Electric Hellfire Club. The darkness is reignited for this album. 

Abysmal Hymns: Suicide Commando : ""Goddestruktor"


9-Celldweller-" Satellites" 


Klayton is back with the fifth album from this project that's he has kept in motion since the 2003 debut. Almost 20 years of smartly written industrial strength electronic based hard rock. Sometimes cross over more into nu-metal in the early days but written with more finesse than bands who are household names now. This time there is a touch of metal in his mind, He barks out some of the vocals and sings other in a manner that is more familiar.  He is great at creating almost robotic vocal harmonies he can flip into a hook. A talent he has continued to refine on this album. 


Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Celldweller : "Satellites"











8-Rabbit Junk-"Apocalypse for Beginners" 

These guys are on the fun trailer park nu-metal side of industrial. The emphasis on fun. Very groove and hook oriented. Growled vocals collide with almost dub-step sounds. Industrial music should be equal parts apocalypse and catchy melodies contrasting the militant crunch.













7-Luminous Vault -"Animate the Emptiness" 

This is not merely just another sludged out metal band working in industrial, nor is it industrial revivalist fare, which tends to be less ballsy than what goes down here. The death metal rasp tends to give things a more metallic feel. They quickly prove the drum machines were not going to be weak, and they would not just be playing against the monochrome dynamics of a preset drum pattern.






6-Psyclon Nine-"Less to Heaven" 


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.



 







5-Rammstein-"Zeit" 

The band's 8th album came about as a result of their touring being cancelled due to the pandemic. The 9bum opens with synths overpowering guitars in the mix. I can appreciate that they are not just rehashing the classics
 











4-KMFDM- "Hyena"

22 albums later and KMFDM is doing it again. This might be the band's most rock n roll album. Yes, there are electronic elements in place. The guitars do not bring the synchronized crunch that once had them labelled as an industrial band. Sonically it has more in common with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, as it is more fun loving and less aggressive militant guitars













3-HEALTH -"Disc4 Part 2"



HEALTH is back with another collaborative album, the first part of this somehow flew under the radar here or I figured it to be a remix album so did not give it much thought. The choice of collaborators normally draws from the right of center names in heavy adjacent hipster electro you might expect. These kids are cool so they are not going to have guys like Slipknot or Motionless in White on their shit.









2-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








1-Author & Punisher-"KRÜLLER"

This is a more organic and atmospheric feeling album than any of Shore's previous releases. The more experimental touches that detract from the song writing are balanced out by the songs where he really goes above and beyond by striving to push himself as a singer and a song writer rather than just being the guy who makes music with machines


Gothtober- False Figures : "Castigations"

 





What is the difference between post-punk and death rock? This question even the Oakland based band tries to sort through while growing as songwriters. A student of music can tell you post-punk is the tense depressive sonic cousin of punk, while death rock is according to Rozz Williams for punks who love Halloween. Post-punk uses stark vocals that ride the taunt guitars, while death rock is more woefully emoted. Both have the kind of driving bass that empowers the opening song. The moderately monotone vocals that narrate the song lean in the direction of post punk. The easy question being do they owe more to Ian Curtis or Rozz? The vocals are not the most defining thing about this album. That falls upon the guitars. They are increasingly nuanced and melodic. 

They come closer to death rock on "Sadist Lament".  The vocals are punchy yet still sit back in the reverb., "Death Pact' finds things becoming darker as the album progresses as well. They do have a great growling bass tone with a ton of balls to it here. They have some goth slink to the bass line for 'Asunder" though the more indie rock like jangle to the guitar pull them in the more post-punk direction. More inspired that your average post-punk revivalists, these guys have been killing it in the underground for a while, as this album is their path to a larger audience. The herking jerk of "Possession" takes a deeper step into angular darkness. More anxiety driven in its feel, not as catchy as the previous songs. The unconventional guitar pattern is to thank for this.  By the time we get to the song "Bare" it begins to feel like their formula is beginning to recycle sounds we have already heard. 

"Faim" dances with the shadows in the best ways possible and embraces more of their goth side. The drumming is more abstract, and they never catch a groove on "the Absence". This is course corrected in the wonderfully written post-punk of "Tyrant Heart".  I will give this album a 9.5, as the overall collection of songs rises above the occasion, though if you are a goth leaning band, never release an album after October 31st. This one drops on November 1t which is close enough, 


Sunday, October 23, 2022

Interpol : "the Other Side of Make Believe"

 




I can get over the fact Interpol is no longer as dark as they once were. Gone is the stark tension of post-punk. Now we have rather breezy indie rock that does what Arcade Fire did in a less orchestrated and more organic fashion. The Beatles are more of an influence than Joy Division with songs like "Fables". Despite this gradual stylistic shift that has brought them to this place over the years, they are still great songwriters. The first song that sonically remembers who they once were is "Into the Night". The vocal musing is more delicate. The interplay of angular guitar is really well done. 


The guitar is the focal point for most of the album as the vocals are mix slightly behind it. Piano plays a larger role than guitar in "Something Changed".  It works, though not what sounds like the most effective choice to define who the band is.  This is balanced out by the more familiar sounds of "Renegade Hearts". "Passenger" flows like a ride on a lazy river, made up of sparkling guitar sounds. "Greenwich" has a melody that is catchy even when it drones off the melodic theme. Lyrically the hint of desperation, puts it mood wise in a place that is more fitting for the band's legacy. The syncopation of the guitar driving "Gran Hotel" puts this back in focus with the band's original sonic mission statement. 

Never a great vocalist, it's the cadence the vocals dance in that makes "Big Shot City " work. The guitar tones are really great, and the overall production of this album works well. When the vocals are used more like an atmospheric layer than despondent narrative, the results are less sure. I will however this album a 9.5, as the songwriting and mood, while different still retains who they are and works as it is easy on the ears. I find myself just leaving it on to play. I am sure it will grow on me.   


Orville Peck: "Bronco"

 




Peck has grown his sound since "Pony". His voice has filled out into a more confident baritone croon that owes in equal amounts to Johnny Cash and Elvis. He does include is his love for Elvis in the lyrics for "Outta Time". His yodel in the chorus of "the Curse of the Blackened Eye" feels more fluid than when he did this on his earlier work. He also hit pretty solid notes from his chest register. There is a more organic feel when it comes to how the interplay of the music backing him. The guitar tones reverberate with pristine lushness than accent the Western in country western. "Outta Time" is straight forward in the strum it opens with. The full band joining in as the song progresses. 

There is more melancholy in the guitar than his vocals this time around. Even on "C'mon Boby Cry" there is a Neil Diamond like hopefulness to the mood the song. The 60s vibe is a thematic element of the album's overall emotional currency.  He experiments more with the arrangements on this album. At many points in this album Chris Isaak is brought to mind. There are equal moments of folk influence on this album. Sometimes this is colored by a smoky rambling campfire story telling. This is done with varying levels of hooks depending on the story being told. Sometimes this intent seems to place more focus on atmosphere. 

The title track has more of a rock feel to it. He simmers and reflects on "Trample Out the Days" which reminds me a little of 80s Elvis. "Blush" shows him marrying the best of his story telling with his growing knack for catchy songwriting, that can sometimes co-exist effectively.  He pulls this off again on "Hexxie Mountain".  "Let Me Drown" is more like Vegas Elvis. He steps on the gas back into rock n roll on "Any Turn" which doesn't always play to his strengths as a songwriter, but I appreciate his enthusiasm going for it. "City of Gold" is a more reflective folk. He closes the album with a more traditional country feel. I will give this album a 9.5, he tries some new things, and they generally work, empowering a newfound strength to his voice. 



Friday, October 21, 2022

Hammers of Misfortune : "Overtaker"

 


This is a different sound from band which has now become more of a collaborating collective since the leader and guitarist moved out of the Bay area.  Former Vektor members contribute to this endeavor. While the band cites King Crimson as an inspiration it sounds more like King Diamond to me. Due to the thrashing yet progressive manner the songs are woven together, along with the female vocals that hover over the chaos. Not as dark or operatic as King Diamond, the first couple songs have a darker feel than I remember this band digging into previously. 

Heavy on the prog pomp and circumstance due to the liberal use of synths, it is also not as theatrical as King Diamond. The song "Don't Follow the Lights" carries a more punk aggression in places as the guitars furiously chug. If you like racing guitars dazzling, you this album has that. Unlike many prog bands the songs are not just bookends for guitar solos or masturbatory excesses. They do layer some odd time signatures, to create sonic chaos that requires a bit of mental untangling.  "Ghost Hearts" juggling guitar dazzle with a haunting mood. The melodic clean chord progression at the beginning of "Outside our Minds" furthers my King Diamon claims. At least when it comes to complex yet, melodic compositions. The palm mutted chugging remains taunt on this one, furthers the more aggressive tendencies. There is some outstanding guitar playing on this album so if you are a metal guitarist this is an album you need to make note of.   

The lines between power metal and progressive metal were once blurry, and the song "the Raven's Bell" takes you back to that crossroads. They throw around some syncopated acrobatics, to buck the metal conventions. If we were going to compare them to any classic prog band I would suggest Yes, rather than King Crimson, due to how the synths are handled. "Orbweaver" captures some interesting sounds as the drumming hammers relentlessly without heed to the rest of the band. Jamie Myers deserves recognition for her performance which is spirited and finds her jumping around the songs as she throws her voice all over the place. Mike Scalzi from Slough Feg, also lends his voice in places.

"Overthrower" finds them racing at a breakneck pace. It's up to the guitars to hold everything together on this chaotic thrash explosion. "Aggressive Perfection" holds a steady beat and is almost doomy. This is ironic as it is an obvious wink at Slayer who has a song called "Aggressive Perfector".  It might not be Slayer, but the song is very solid, perhaps even the album's best.  I will give this album a 9, it's  an excellent slab of progressive metal that is one of the year's best stabs at this sort of thing and should not be missed.  This is released on December 2nd. 


Overtaker by Hammers Of Misfortune

Gothtober- Rabbit Junk : "Apocalypse for Beginners"






 These guys are on the fun trailer park nu-metal side of industrial. The emphasis on fun. Very groove and hook oriented. Growled vocals at time collide with almost dub-step sounds. They are joined by Amelia Arsenic on "Stone Cold", which reminds me a little of Mindless Self Indulgence, particularly when his singing gets more melodic. Industrial music should be equal parts apocalypse and catchy melodies contrasting the militant crunch. "Nostromo" brings back the more aggressive nu-metal vocal, though it does not feel quite as effective there. 

The more melodic future pop sound of the band as heard on "Love is Hell" is more of a winner for me. It is met with various metallic punches, which work better in this context. This would have been huge back in the days of Myspace. "the Grind" sounds like Cartman starts rapping over it. It is on the poppier side, but the guitars try to keep it anchored. "Bodies" starts off with surf rock guitar before building into more of a nu-metal thing. It's more up tempo, than the bulk of what they have done until it breaks down for the verses. 

"Praetorian Aureol" is the first song that strike me as filler. It does shift into their more nu-metal harsh vocal dynamic. The melodies and grooves just do not feel as hooky to me. "Rabbit Out of Hiding" is more dynamic in the shift from gothy ballad to the new wave bounce it takes on. The driving guitars thrusting it into the fight. The dub step attack returns on the last song and is set against the more future pop like melodies.  I will give this album a 9, as it is a lot of fun, and they accomplished what they set out to do with it, even with the nu-metal tendencies.   


Thursday, October 20, 2022

Taylor Swift: "Midnights"

 




Imagine a pop album not overrun by an assembly line of producers and outside songwriters. Taylor has got you covered with that. Having started off as a musician and song writer before fully wading into the pop waters, she has an advantage over her peers with whom she shares the radio waves.  She opens the album with slick and smooth pop with more substance than the rest of the shit kids are dancing to on Tik Tok these days. More introspective and less booty shaking than "Reputation", there is something familiar about "Maroon" yet new enough that it doesn't feel like she is recycling her songs. She has perfected melodies that move around grooves and sings in odd timing just right.  "Anti-Hero" might be the most beat driven banger of them. However, it's her penchant for clever lyrics that makes this one great. 

I first heard a version of "Snow on the Beach" where Lana Del Rey had taken over the entirety of the song. Their voices work together well. Taylor proves she can do more with her voice rather than Lana who sticks to the one sound the bulk of the time. "You're On Your Own Kid" is the first song that feels like it could have been on "Red".  The guitar keeps a simple tension with little hint of her previous life as a country singer. More organic than most pop music today. "Midnight Rain 'has a catchy beat to juxtapose the moodiness. Her vocals bob in and out of the atmosphere that coasts along with the song. "Question?"  continues this more mature path she has been on since "Folklore". It seems the world has jaded her just like everyone else. She however seems pretty willing to look at the part she plays, rather than point fingers the whole time. 

"Vigilante Shit" is another clever lyrical jab, that leans the closest to what she did on "Reputation".  She gives herself more room to open and sing on this one. She continued making sultry slappers with "Bejeweled" which seems to reflect on the social scene in Hollywood these days. "Labyrinth" finds her voice floating over an understated beat.  This almost sounds like a middle finger to anyone who has tried to claim she sings in the same register as her drifts up into her head voice for half the song.  "Karma" is another pop song that glides with the high hat. Vocally the melodies are not unlike what she began doing back on "1989". The melody to "Sweet Nothing" is more hopeful than the bulk of this album. Her melodies stick and move as the dodge where most beats would fall, like she is taking a note from Joni Mitchell. The last song might need a few more listens to grow on me, but I will give this album a 10 as she continues to excel while making music in a genre that normally vomits up disposable jingles for audiences who fall for anything sold to them, so imagine pop music with some thought behind it, what a concept.    


9


Gothtober : Ayria : 'This is My Battle Cry"







 The opener thump is pretty on point for what this artist does. She fuses future pop with dark wave, it has been a minute since I have given any of her work a listen as despite the goth trappings, she is pretty sugary sweet. "Stranger Danger" owes more to Madonna than other dark wave artists. There is a marginally darker pulse to "Why Aren't You Dead Yet" where she ponders what things might be like if she could get away with murder. The 89s runs deep in the synth riffs. The darker steaminess simmers to maximum effectiveness for her, on "Irreplaceable". The melody works much better to slither around the synth grooves. 

"Erase Me from You" is the first song that feels like filler. More formula than feeling, despite the personal lyrics.  "We Can't Love Here Anymore" works where the previous song did not. Alot of the weight falls on Jennifer Pankin and what she decides to do with her voice. I am fine with this sounding more like Lords of Acid on " No One Asked You" . It's got some pretty dope strip club booty bass in it. The Tik Tok kids should be twerking to this in no time. It's stupid fun, but well done and might be the album's best song. The vocals are more refined on "the Next Time" but the synths backing her are less inspired. 

There is a more of a new wave feel to "Too Much Noise". The sounds are better than previous song, but the vocals do not fit as airtight with the hooks. The verses are almost rapped.  The retro 89s beat to the last song works really well, though it becomes another sound vs song battle, the hook does not feel as sharp as what she has shown us she is capable of earlier on this album. I will give this one a 9, despite owing a huge debt to the 80s I think it works better than most of what is on the radio these days,   


Gothtober - Then Comes Silence: " Hunger"

 






This Swedish band bring an industrial strength rock to the table with enough gothic pageantry to satisfy most. There are less aspirations to stalk the Sunset Strip than their Finnish counterparts 69 Eyes. Synths play a much larger roles in the driving crunch of their sound.  Sonically they share a great deal of common ground in the vocal department, with the Alex Svenson, sounding like a cross between Billy Idol and Iggy Pop. Two songs in and he has yet to power out the kind belted growl that Idol is capable of. We pretty much just get his baritone croon. Their formula seems to work of milking the chorus for every bit of hook they can muster from it. 

There is a melodic catchiness to the more dialed back rock of "Cold from Inside".  "Worm" falls into more of an Iggy Pop like take on post-punk. The pulse of "Chain" is more compelling, but the vocals fail to prove they are more than a one trick pony.  They go for another more punk tinged guitar focused number with "Weird Gets Strange". I like how the female vocals double up the lead vocals, but with the lead vocals had more range or power.  They are beginning to give the songs to uniform of a feel. I like the lyrics to "Days and Years", which has a new wave feel, but the vocals continue to stagnate these songs. Not to the point of it being a deal breaker, but I can feel the tedium setting it. 

They get closer to 69 Eyes neighborhood with "Blood Runs Cold".  The guitars to "Pretty Creatures" are more dynamic, but this one picks up where the previous song left off. They have catchy song and are working off of sounds I like, which are typical in goth music, so I am their target audience. At just under six minutes "Close Shot" is the album's longest song. The last song sounds like Dollar Store Fields of the Nephilim. I will give this album an 8, it works for what it is, if you have a high tolerance for less than dynamic vocals, this might work better for you but even in its current state if you like middle of the road goth rock, then you will dig this.    

link to band camp below...

 

Hunger by THEN COMES SILENCE

Karin Park: " Private Collection"

 





I have been a fan of Park's earlier pop album and kept an open ear toward the work she has done since. I do not normally review collections, but these are songs she has re-envisioned and decided to record again with new arrangements that lay her vocals bear with only a piano or organ accompanying her.  She has a great deal of integrity as an artist to embark upon making an album like this when given today's current pop landscape we have artists when two dozen producers and another dozen songwriters helping them create product for Tik Tok, with not true artistry. 

The dramatically stripped-down minimalist approach does high light here voice. For the first two songs this formula works really well and showcases a richness to her voice I had now notice before and propels the tracks on raw talent.  "Bending Albert's Law' begins to remind me a little of Kate Bush. Which is a compliment in and of itself, though the song itself is not as compelling to me as the first two. "Tokyo by Night" has Kjetil from Arabrot landing his voice. The adds a darker tension to things. The synth pulse also creates a more dynamic range of sound. If Fever Ray made a folk album, I think it would hold a similar urgency. There is a sultrier torch song swagger to "Blue Roses". I would expect this more for Nora Jones, but Park does it well. 

The smoky lounge balladry continues with "Shine". This is the first track where I still hear the skeleton of the original. 'Give" shows off her pipes which goes a long way with me, but the arrangement is not as compelling as some of the others we have heard. The more stripped-down feel works more like a remix of the pop song "Look What You've Done". The last song sets her up as Norway's answers to Sinead O Conner. I will give this album a 9. Not what I would listen to as much as one of her pop albums, but it is a bold artistic statement that asserts herself as a singer on her own terms.  


Gothtober- Black Math Horseman : "s/t"

 





Sera Timms of Ides of Gemini is back with this project that features Chelsea Wolfe's live guitarist Bryan Tulao. Marginally less goth than Ides, they occupy a more metallic space that succeeds in brewing up tension that is dark enough to feel heavy. They occupy a shadowy sonic space that blends elements of many genres. They waste little time building the tension, like clouds gathering over the ocean. Her voice cries out in a melancholy moan. The guitars carry a buzz that is not metal enough to be black metal but is more aggressive than post-rock. In many ways the often-droning tension reminds me of the Swans in how they attack your ears with the pounding they bring. 

I enjoy the mood wrought from their tortured instruments, though they tend to use similar colors to paint these songs with. "Boar Domane" lingers a little more in post-rockish atmosphere, before the attack. Her vocals are allowed more space to simmer in. Like Siouxsie her coo provides a juxtaposition to the darkness when at it's less urgent plead. It took a couple listens for this song to full grow on me an distinguish itself from the previous song. They do not attack your ears with the more explosive shift of dynamics until well within the four-minute mark of the song, so more than halfway into it. Then they do not smack you with the guitars like they do on the first song. It is what post-punk sounds like with a metal drummer. 

There is a gloomier more plodding feel to "the Bough".  A song that does not work off the same tension of the first two songs and makes it apparent her singing style on this album is less focused on melody and works off of a series of atmospheric chants that accent where the music is hitting. Compared to the other 7-minute songs on this album the three minute closer, feels more like an outro. It is dreamy, though works off similar dynamics just less amplified.  This album works for what it sets out to do, I will give it a 9.  


Alvvays : "Blue Rev"






 With a sound that is from a woozy corner of the 90s, this band from Canada manages to fuse quaint pop ditties with a swirl of ambiance. What is going to be key for them going forward is how well they blend to the sides of what they do. There are melodies that emerge which at times can be happier than what I normally listen to . However, when tempered to the more surreal drug drip of effects for the disenfranchised lyrics to ponder over things work out for the best as heard on "Easy on Your Own". The jangle of Smiths like guitars on "After the Earthquake" keeps the song coasting in a more organic indie rock direction. This works better than when they just default to the most likely sounds of the 90s. Thought even on default mode there ingrained sense of melodies keeps them from falling into mediocrity. 

They begin to lean more in an indie rock direction with "Pressed". The jangle of the guitar flowing like a lazy wine on a fall afternoon. Sometimes this feels more dialed in than others. The thoughtful guitars of "Many Mirrors" ambles hopefully on, though the colors the use are beginning to sound more uniform halfway into the album.  I appreciate the new wave quirk to "Very Online Guy".  They knock it out of the park when going for the bigger pop melodies on "Velveteen". This shows all the hipster edges aside, when it comes down to it, they can write songs. They are also pretty versatile mood wise when it comes to pop as heard on "Tile by Tile". The more poppy garage rock on "Pomeranian Spinster" is not my thing. They split the different on "Belinda Says " that marries youthful optimism with mature songwriting. 

All of their songs are three-minute ditties so when they do not vibe with me as much, it is pretty harmless in regard to time invested in listening to them. With 14 songs there is a bigger margin for error. It feels like some of the steam in waning by the time we get to the languid "Bored in Bristol". The first ballad that eases into a more folk sound is "Lottery Noises" they amble out of this with an almost country feel, the last song sounds like a demo Lana Del Rey might have made if she was really stoned. I will give this album that was five years in the making a 9, could have been trimmed a couple of it's songs, but there are some excellent pop moments that are hazy enough to appeal to bong smokers more than Taylor Swift fans.   


Brutus : "Unison Life"






 Thankfully this Belgian band is back. I was a big fan of their last album. This time around they are leaning more into the atmosphere and when they do decide to kick into things on "Brave" there is a bigger more rock like sound. A Bjork like quality still lingers in her voice. They pick up momentum, blending melody with the ringing echo of the guitar. It is hard to define what they are doing here genre wise which speaks to the unique nature of their sound. It is almost more shoe gazing. Not really as much hard-core punch. There song writing has matured as heard on "Victoria". The pulse of the song is more urgent, but almost hooky. They jangle along with more of a indie rock feel at times. 

"What Have We Done" might be the album's best song as it is so emotionally explosive. In a way that feels real. You can tell when they are not faking this sort of thing. "Dust" is a more punk like charge forward with a great deal of drive and kinetic energy. The atmospheric tension of the guitars is not unlike something Deafheaven might have done at one time. "Liar" is also pretty driven, though more melodic than the previous song. This balance is also felt in her vocal delivery which carries at little growl around the delicate edges. The interplay of the drums and bass is pretty impressive.  "Chainlife" was a song I had to give another listen to in order to fully digest. It first sounded like it could have been a break down coming off the previous song. It is more deliberate in its pacing and thicker in the ambiance. These arrangements and their dynamic pay offs make a lot of sense when you consider the singer is also the drummer. 

If AC/DC had been an indie rock band in the earliy 2000s, then the riff to "Hell's Bells" might sound more like the guitar to "Storm". This song finds her drumming has really stepped up. The drums to " Dreamlife" are punk manic, while the rest of the band is soaring off into the atmospheric collage of sound they have woven.  Perhaps gaze-core, is the sub-genre that best suits them these days, as this album goes off into its own star filled place in the sky.  They get frantically blasty building up the last song, though the guitar makes things interesting along the way to balance out when she gets too caught up in the moment. I will give this album a 9.5, as it's an improvement over how much the previously impressed me with the previous album and cements them as a creative force to stand shoulder to shoulder with any band in this scope of sonic heaviness.