The Discussion : "All the Pretty Flowers"

 Not sure how this slipped under my radar, as it's Laura from Kylesa making a post-punk album. It is very moody with a hazy atmosphere over the tense bass lines that prowl the shadowy landscapes she has created here. There is a 1950s pop feel to how these songs move at times, but this is also set against electronic noise on " Fade Away". Then, to further push the bounds of dynamics, she goes off into a dancey song that would not be out of place if a DJ were spinning it at a goth night. 

"In the Mirror " has more of a new-wave thump to the bass, and Pleasants' vocals have a more Debbie Harry feel to them. "Without You" is more reflective; there is an 80s dream pop touch to it, though this is colored by a deep sense of loss, as the guitars convey this lurking gloom.  At some point in this album, I suspected there was a drum machine being used, but on "In Death and Life," there is no mistaking the pound of a real kit, giving the song more of a heavier rock drive. This also makes it one of the album's best songs so far. 

The brisk tempo of " Over the Edge' keeps things moving in a manner that hooks you into the momentum this album establishes. While her voice sits back in the mix, the lyrics that do cut through seem to deal with the mental health aspects of losing someone you care about and the pondering of mortality. "Desire' finds an interesting collision of sound in motion, all of them connected to the 80s. I think we are back to using a drum machine here, but it gets the job done. "She Said" has a very slinky goth bass line that coasts over the beat. The dynamic shift for the chorus gives it some punch and is a cool touch. There are great guitar tones on this album, and some very nuanced playing closes out the album on "Let it Go". It also features some of her best singing on this album as she continues to find her voice away from Kylesa. I will give this album a 10; it's great songwriting and covers a wide breadth of the shadows.  

pst354

Slower : "S/t"

 This supergroup features Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Monolord, Kyuss, Year of the Cobra, and Lowrider members. They are not just a Slayer tribute band reimagining the songs at more Black Sabbath-like speeds, With a song like "War Ensemble" this really reconstructs things in such a way that it feels like they have written a new song, as there are only sections that remind you of the original version. Female vocals harmonize to feel more like a chant on the now lumber version of 'The Antichrist". It does gain a new groove that feels darker than the original which is fitting given the subject matter. When the guitar solos are slowed down that also brings a creepier element into play sonically. 

Obviously, this tempo change almost doubles the length of most of these songs. By "Blood Red' the approach to the vocals feels like it needs to be switched up a bit, and on the chorus, it is to a marginal extent, not that they need to try to Tom Araya it but. enough variation to wink in the direction of the songs which all have their own vocal flow. They do pick up the pace enough to sound like a doomed-out version of the original. They do sing lower to try to respect the darker mood of "Dead Skin Mask". Which in some ways finds them able to come closer to the original than perhaps on the more aggressive songs they have tackled up to this point. 

"South of Heaven" much like "Dead Skin Mask" has already met them halfway. The vocals are once again, working like a one-trick pony, doom metal is a genre with a wide range of vocal stylings, but the singers are capable of doing more and adding more vocal colors, but this is what we get. It works but feels like the same color was used to death here. The elements that have been working continue to work, perhaps with even more ease considering the song. This was a fun album and I will give it a 9, because despite the monochrome vocal dynamics it is well executed. Slayer is one of my favorite bands, so for me to like this says how well done it is. 

pst41

the Top 40 Female Artists of All Time : 30 to 21

In 2020 we are making a bigger deal out of how wet the nether regions are rather than the quaity of music being made. Granted the people doing this must have never heard of Lil Kim. This also gives me the chance to take  break from the lists of androgynous guys and  makes this one.The top 40 hottest female artists, might come one day  I am bored at some point but right now we are just focusing on the music. After all if you are writing good songs that stick in my head I do not care what you look like. You are not going to see artists here that I feel are covered by those who do what they do better or are such originators in their genre why listen to imitators. Not only does this list give commonly under rated artists their proper place, but I dig into as expected from me both harder and darker artists not mentioned in the same breath as pop artists. Speaking of that is covered by a handful of ladies as more would be redundant. There is one big one here in particular that takes care of everything . Only one rapper, and they are unique , and this is about their impact on music as a whole so iconoclasts not strippers with prodiucers or entertainers alone. Since this the Abysmal Hymns list there will of course be a darker slant and singer's with any gospel leanings that are blasphemous are obviously disqualified. So here we go...





30- Beth Cameron - Forget Cassettes

A wonderful lyricist, great guitar player and possessing a very dynamically emotive voice that is as vulberable as it angry. While the band only has three albums. Two of those are phenominal .





29-Toni Halliday -Curve


Her purring alto is sex set to music. But she is not limited to that . She can go into a more sing song rap like voice when her band takes a turn toward the more industrial side of 90s alt rock.



 




28-Emile Wandelmer Gold



Not just a sweet voice. She is a capable guitar who channels powerful sonic layers. Vocally she has a melancholy sense to her melodies . Stotic rather than being overly emotive.







27- Lauren Mayberry - Chrvches



She is not only the singer but the drummer of her band. Her voice is sugary pop like while cating a gray shade of melancholy over her smart lyrics. She has a tremndous sense of melody. Much smarter pop than Billie Ellish.





 


26- Fever Ray

Like a darker version of Bjork she is not content with making pop music though very capable of it. Most noted for writing would would later be the "Vikings" theme song. She bends world music and electronica through her own filter of weird.


 




 25- Imogen Heap


She was way ahead of her time when it comes to quirky pop. The new Charli xcx album certainly draws heavy influence from her. Her sense of harmony is unrea and melodies are uncanny.


 




24 Laura Pleasants -Kylesa


She has a powerfu roar that mellowed into a more surreal post punk delivery, though her strength lies in her guitar playing . From a crushing chug to more intricate space rock , she has a range as a guitarist.

 







23- Marissa Nadler


Her ethereal take on dark country inflected folk , doesn't just work off a sound she has created but her ability to write even more haunting, he also has a somewhat secret metal past.





 



22-Melora Creager -Rasptutina



She has the market cornered on victorian chamber music. Sure Black Tape For a Blue Girl uses cellos, Melora, just does it with more bals when needed and has a knack for writing more hooky songs with a touch of 90s angst.


 



21- Lana Del Rey


She took a retro pop sound and married to modern songs with more grace than Amy Winehouse. She has proved her self to be a more consisten song writer than Winehouse who devolved into a one hit wonder

.

the Top 10 Sludge Albums of the Decade

Since the decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. This means two things. The first being this might not be the list of the heaviest sludge bands who cling to the crust punk roots of the past . The second thing is since  this is not something I can just thumb back through reviews for , I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Any ways here are the Top 10 sludge albums of the  decade.


10- the Melvins - "A Walk With Love & Death"- 2017  







9-the Atlas Moth- "An Ache For the Distance" 2011







8-Fister- "No Spirit Within" 2018









6-King Woman- "Created in the Image of Suffering"2017








5-Tombs -"Path of Totality" 2011








4-Ilsa -"Corpse Fortress"2018






3- Amenra-"Mass VI" 2017 








2-Fistula- "Longing For Infection"2016








1- Kylesa - "Spiral Shadow"- 2012

Wrong : "Feel Great"

Making the kinda rumble once popular with hispters in the 90s which flourished on Amp Rep, these self professed Helmet worshipers are back with their sophomore full length on Relapse Records. They stomp through the first two songs in a rather uniform fashion. The vocal's are a shouted drill Sargent style that looses it's effectiveness the more you use it and only has command to it when used as another vocal color. The vocals finally switch up into something more melodic which also kinda goes for a more Page Hamilton vibe on "Nice Job". The drummer is obviously talented as the riffs shift in their staccato jerk.

These guys do have more guitar solos than Helmet. They slow down there herking and jerking on the title track. It kinda sound like a somewhat slower version of the first three songs with 'Nice Job" still the big winner here. All because the barked vocals are now boring. The singing comes back on "Upgrade". It's more of a slacker tone than being as Page Hamilton as the last time he sang, but heading in that direction. The little harmony run the guitarists do suggests that they are more into metal than Helmet, they used to be a punk band. Though Helmet has been known to cover Black Sabbath so that one might be too close to call. They get more punk on "Crawl Instead". It slows back down int oa more angular groove and speed back up.

They do get more melodic on "Come Apart Mend". Playing octave chords and such, kinda like late 90s post- hardcore. They get back to the tough muscular riffs with "Zero Cool". This song sounds better since a more melodic song came before it to give a little more dynamic contrast, which is what this album needs more of. They are back to actual singing on "Gape" . It has more of a Hum feel here, though you also says it's more "Betty" than "In the Meantime". The last song feels like more of the same stomping about in feed back with burly bass and frantic drums. I'll give this one a 7.5, it works more than I was afraid it would not despite rehashing what we have heard before.

Top 10 Metal Albums of 2015

This is speaks for it's self the top ten metal albums of the year from every genre.This is what you should have been banging your head to this year.


10-Nevoa -"The Absence of Void"

 Portugal has been pumping out the metal this year. This album is surprising due to it's clean production.The guitar tones are very crisp and the mix leaves room to actually hear the bass , which is rare for black metal. One thing that is impressive with these guys is even when they fly into the blast beats everything retains a clarity and doesn't turn into a bunch of pots and pans are falling out of a closet. They are atmospheric without losing all form and function. They touch on a chilling drone that doesn't just become white noise and numb you out. Due to the Scandinavian roots of black metal bands they tend to get referred to as having a coldness, despite the geographical difference there is a similar starkness to the riffs that are more emotionally cold than musical translation of the physical nature of the cold lifestyle that haunts other black metal. More than likely the best black metal album you didn't hear this year. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/nevoa-absence-of-void.html

9- Dodsferd : "Wastes of Life" This album is the kind of thing you might want to blare at some one you hate if you have them tied up in a dark room. Full of stellar guitar work that seldom graces black metal, come on admit it when was the last time you thought about shredders in black metal. When the actual metal kicks in they don't jump to a blast beat and churn on something that has more of a old Shining feel...the Swedish band not the spastic band from Norway. Speaking of location, location, location this Greek band has not aspirations to be Rotting Christ. They drone on with this one milking the mood for every drop of it's dark blood.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/dodsferd-wastes-of-life.html

8 Tidemouth :"Velvet And Stone"

The trend in the maturation of hard core kids seems to be pulling out Nick Cave and Echo and the Bunnymen albums. This could be due to the interest in vinyl these kids took a few years back which might have caused them to stumble over these old 80s albums. I am fine with this as long as they do no become to slavish in their devotion only to Joy Division. I love Joy Division , but I do think dark music begins or ends with the. in the they do not abandon their hard core side. It is put through a darker filter. An incredible album that gives me just what I needed , they blend the "gothy" elements in a very fluid and natural manner similar to how Atriarch does this with metal. Each listen the more hard core emoish parts grew on me. It's one of those albums that becomes more enriched the further you dig into its grave. Worth your time for sure if you like dark and heavy music, these guys got the balance right without trying to hard.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/tidemouth-velvet-and-stone.html




7- Shape of Despair :"Monotony Fields"

 this Finnish band has taken the past fifteen years to perfect their very melodic and atmospheric brand of doom . The vocals range from are a low gurgle, to female oohs and aahs stacked like Type O Negative in the background. The stay on a depressing path through out. The oppressive feeling is almost tangible. The band is aware they have been notorious for putting long spans of time between releases, so everything is right where it should be with every nuance dialed in, so it was not time wasted. It might not dig as deep and dark of a grave as other funeral doom bands , but the songs are masterfully varied and dynamic to create an awesome album.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/11/shape-of-despair-monotony-fields.html

6-Nechochwen : " Heart of Akamon"

 West Virginia is an unlikely breeding ground for this kind of music. Roughly black metal in some sense, it is highly progressive in the same manner as old Agalloch. The clean vocals are stronger and they layer clean sounds and the more metallic grim ones through a different lens than the Portland band. In some ways these sounds are blended much like their label mate Panopticon. The clean tones are very organic and often allowed to stand along. The blast pretty furiously into "Lost on the Trail of the Setting Sun". The drums are masterful insanity in motion. The footwork pretty breathtaking even in a genre where it is expected. The vocals are well layered and punchy. While they work in many twists and turns over the course of a song they do not exceed the seven minute mark. They are also good at not placing the clean vocals in the obvious Killswitch places to make it the good cop/ bad cop dynamic.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/nechochwen-heart-of-akamon.html

5 -Strangeweather: "S/T"

 Another album that forsakes metallic overdrive and instead employs a more organic yet dark hearted Neo-folk with an Appalachian breeze blowing through it. The members switch off vocals resulting in a wide range of moodiness to the dirge like mourning allowing each instrument and voice embraces while adding another swathe of gray to the sonic tapestry. hey have really created something unique here. The lyrics carry the indignant unease of post- punk, while they set upon a soundtrack with the elegance that is the x-factor many a wanna-be goth bands just doesn't get . This brings the emotional weight making it heavy in feeling rather than metal.When I played this for my wife just dismissed it as more of the droning drug music I like, so you have to listen to this as a whole work to really get the full effect or have to have been involved with heavy narcotic use for a period of more than five years. Do not play while operating heavy machinery.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/strangeweather-st.html

4- Iron Maiden- "the Book of Souls"

 Right behind Black Sabbath when it comes being one of  the most revered classic metal bands  of all  time. This is for good reason as they have they have maintained tons of integrity over the years even if they did break down and use keyboards and made the poor choice of trying to replace Bruce with Blaze. This album upholds their legacy and I would not be surprised if it was their last as it feels they want to try everything they have yet to do and make the most of every solo. It would not be out of place if I decided to make a top ten power metal albums of the year or a top ten prog albums of the year... the latter being more likely as I doubt I listened to ten power metal albums this year, however they transcend both of those genres. Have done better and it might not be on the level of the albums that came before "Fear of the Dark", which is a bar held incredibly high, But they never outright miss the mark and even if this was just dialed in it would still be better than everything else. But that is the beauty of this they are still committed to putting their all into what they do and there is a lot of heart put into this, they are just older and wiser with that wisdom compensating for the fire that was in their music when they were a younger band, this is still an album made by one of the greatest bands ever.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/iron-maiden-book-of-souls.html
-

3- Eye of NIX : "Moros"

 This is more experimental than prog, though it is progressive in the sense the songs go somewhere. That is more can be said for many so called prog bands that remain stagnant in favor of wanking on the fret board. The album starts off as a more post-rock version of Dead Can Dance. Lead singer Joy Von Spain lets it all out in an operatic soprano as things get blasty beneath her. Male growls add a grit to their shifts into crustier paces. While Mykur gave us similar dynamics earlier this year, each end of the dynamic range here is pushed a little further. Joy is dynamic range extends into the not afraid to shred her vocals chords a little with some screams. Sometimes they play by the more typical metal rules and the veer off into slow-core. They sometimes build into the type of chaos that can be found in some of Swans' freak out moments but with a more metallic command.They incorporate every element of music that love into this one album in a cohesive fashion.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/eye-of-nix-moros.html

2- Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire"

 These Savannah rockers continue to evolve, in someways that makes them progressive , since they are not where I first found them when I picked up a copy of "To Walk a Middle Course" ten years ago. There sludge roots are still intact but they have enough dark psychedelics is place to appeal to the hesher sect. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals which have continues to grow sometimes take on a more Siouxsie like croon to them. There are plenty of balls this times around injected to these heavy grooves. After a dazed and glazed cover of the Sabbath classic "Paranoid" the path of the band is best in explained in the lyrics of the closing song where Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. Even when they wander off into a more heady direction the bass line holds down the fort, until they bring the smack down the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. Another moment of triumph for this band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/kylesa-exhausting-fire.html

1- Tribulation - the Children of the Night

 Was a little torn as to if this album even belonged here, until I went back and listened to the album and "Music From the Other " sealed the deal. While I liked the band's last album, but found them much more fascinating of a creature on stage when I saw them open for Watain, so I am hoping some of those more progressive and wandering qualities have carried over from the road and right from the first few chords of the opener it seems like they have. There is an almost Opeth like lushness to the sound. They don't use the traditional metal crunch, instead just going for an organic tone that they are playing loudly. The vocals are more intelligible than the previous album. When they dive deeper into the darkness answering the question what would it have sounded like if DeepPurple had written the soundtrack to the Exorcist. This is another step forward for the band that continues to grow with every album, they blend the more classic metal elements in with their more ethereal colors with ease, as they are not afraid to push the bounds of what death metal can be.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/tribulation-children-of-night.html

the Top 15 Albums of 2015

OK, this pretty much speaks for itself as this is overall, no genre left behind and ranked by how much I actually listened to it though out the course of the year, which is an impressive feat for an album to stay in rotation as I sometimes listen to an upwards of ten albums a day and that just to review, not counting in the car, walking to the gym etc. So here are the Top 15 Albums of 2015.

15- Tidemouth :"Velvet And Stone"

 If there had not been a hardcore/ punk list this year, this album would have been on the goth list. The trend in the maturation of hard core kids seems to be pulling out Nick Cave and Echo and the Bunnymen albums. This could be due to the interest in vinyl these kids took a few years back which might have caused them to stumble over these old 80s albums. I am fine with this as long as they do no become to slavish in their devotion only to Joy Division. I love Joy Division , but I do think dark music begins or ends with the. in the they do not abandon their hard core side. It is put through a darker filter. An incredible album that gives me just what I needed , they blend the "gothy" elements in a very fluid and natural manner similar to how Atriarch does this with metal. Each listen the more hard core emoish parts grew on me. It's one of those albums that becomes more enriched the further you dig into its grave. Worth your time for sure if you like dark and heavy music, these guys got the balance right without trying to hard.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/tidemouth-velvet-and-stone.html






14- Shape of Despair :"Monotony Fields"

 this Finnish band has taken the past fifteen years to perfect their very melodic and atmospheric brand of doom . The vocals range from are a low gurgle, to female oohs and aahs stacked like Type O Negative in the background. The stay on a depressing path through out. The oppressive feeling is almost tangible. The band is aware they have been notorious for putting long spans of time between releases, so everything is right where it should be with every nuance dialed in, so it was not time wasted. It might not dig as deep and dark of a grave as other funeral doom bands , but the songs are masterfully varied and dynamic to create an awesome album.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/11/shape-of-despair-monotony-fields.html

13-Nechochwen : " Heart of Akamon"

 West Virginia is an unlikely breeding ground for this kind of music. Roughly black metal in some sense, it is highly progressive in the same manner as old Agalloch. The clean vocals are stronger and they layer clean sounds and the more metallic grim ones through a different lens than the Portland band. In some ways these sounds are blended much like their label mate Panopticon. The clean tones are very organic and often allowed to stand along. The blast pretty furiously into "Lost on the Trail of the Setting Sun". The drums are masterful insanity in motion. The footwork pretty breathtaking even in a genre where it is expected. The vocals are well layered and punchy. While they work in many twists and turns over the course of a song they do not exceed the seven minute mark. They are also good at not placing the clean vocals in the obvious Killswitch places to make it the good cop/ bad cop dynamic.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/nechochwen-heart-of-akamon.html
div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

 12- Them are Us Too: "Remain"

 Right from the first song Kennedy Ashlyn Wenning's voice makes you take notice, before "The Problem With Red Heads" allows her to shed some of the Elizabeth Fraser worship when the duo drifts into an alluringly dreamy rock. Sure this would not have been out of place on  4AD, in the 80s and the band encourages these comparisons. This also reminds of the Gatherings post- metal moments. Her choice of melodies shows she cares abut crafting something that is not just a tribute. I can almost hear more Cure than Cocteau Twins until Cash Askew's guitar comes to prove he has discovered the lost secrets to Robin Guthrie's sound.Their influences might be worn on their sleeves ,but lets face it the Cocteau Twins are never going to make another album or tour again.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/them-are-us-too-remain.html

11 -Strangeweather: "S/T"

 Another album that forsakes metallic overdrive and instead employs a more organic yet dark hearted Neo-folk with an Appalachian breeze blowing through it. The members switch off vocals resulting in a wide range of moodiness to the dirge like mourning allowing each instrument and voice embraces while adding another swathe of gray to the sonic tapestry. hey have really created something unique here. The lyrics carry the indignant unease of post- punk, while they set upon a soundtrack with the elegance that is the x-factor many a wanna-be goth bands just doesn't get . This brings the emotional weight making it heavy in feeling rather than metal.When I played this for my wife just dismissed it as more of the droning drug music I like, so you have to listen to this as a whole work to really get the full effect or have to have been involved with heavy narcotic use for a period of more than five years. Do not play while operating heavy machinery.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/strangeweather-st.html />

10- Iron Maiden- "the Book of Souls"

 Right behind Black Sabbath when it comes being one of  the most revered classic metal bands  of all  time. This is for good reason as they have they have maintained tons of integrity over the years even if they did break down and use keyboards and made the poor choice of trying to replace Bruce with Blaze. This album upholds their legacy and I would not be surprised if it was their last as it feels they want to try everything they have yet to do and make the most of every solo. It would not be out of place if I decided to make a top ten power metal albums of the year or a top ten prog albums of the year... the latter being more likely as I doubt I listened to ten power metal albums this year, however they transcend both of those genres. Have done better and it might not be on the level of the albums that came before "Fear of the Dark", which is a bar held incredibly high, But they never outright miss the mark and even if this was just dialed in it would still be better than everything else. But that is the beauty of this they are still committed to putting their all into what they do and there is a lot of heart put into this, they are just older and wiser with that wisdom compensating for the fire that was in their music when they were a younger band, this is still an album made by one of the greatest bands ever.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/iron-maiden-book-of-souls.html

9- Eye of NIX : "Moros"

 This is more experimental than prog, though it is progressive in the sense the songs go somewhere. That is more can be said for many so called prog bands that remain stagnant in favor of wanking on the fret board. The album starts off as a more post-rock version of Dead Can Dance. Lead singer Joy Von Spain lets it all out in an operatic soprano as things get blasty beneath her. Male growls add a grit to their shifts into crustier paces. While Mykur gave us similar dynamics earlier this year, each end of the dynamic range here is pushed a little further. Joy is dynamic range extends into the not afraid to shred her vocals chords a little with some screams. Sometimes they play by the more typical metal rules and the veer off into slow-core. They sometimes build into the type of chaos that can be found in some of Swans' freak out moments but with a more metallic command.They incorporate every element of music that love into this one album in a cohesive fashion.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/eye-of-nix-moros.html

8- Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire"

 These Savannah rockers continue to evolve, in someways that makes them progressive , since they are not where I first found them when I picked up a copy of "To Walk a Middle Course" ten years ago. There sludge roots are still intact but they have enough dark psychedelics is place to appeal to the hesher sect. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals which have continues to grow sometimes take on a more Siouxsie like croon to them. There are plenty of balls this times around injected to these heavy grooves. After a dazed and glazed cover of the Sabbath classic "Paranoid" the path of the band is best in explained in the lyrics of the closing song where Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. Even when they wander off into a more heady direction the bass line holds down the fort, until they bring the smack down the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. Another moment of triumph for this band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/kylesa-exhausting-fire.html

7- Health :"Death Magic"

 I first questioned some of the reviews where this project referred to as industrial, they seemed more like edm with a dark and dirty slant to it and a kick , but Industrial ? Well it took many listens to convince me of this. This is their sixth album and it's been five years in the making, so no wonder  they  have become masters at layering some clever vocal melodies over yearning grooves to create some hooks that sink into your brain and pull you along for the ride. The first hint it might just be industrial came in the tribal pound of  drums that open " Men Today" that has some noise to it , while the sounds assembled are cool , for an album with such emphasis place on sex and drugs it feels sometimes like foreplay with no climax.Until the subtle hooks are latched into your brain. There's an old 80s dance feel to "Flesh World" the androgynous are very fey in the same manner of Sliversun Pick ups or Savage Garden. There are some glitch ridden sounds thrown into the sonic jumble. I have always wondered if the remixes are going to sound better than the originals , then why not just make the original songs sound like that in  the first place? Well the solve that by making "Flesh World" sound like it has already been re-mixed. This album made me want to go back and dig up their earlier stuff, which I was unable to do since I was so hooked on this one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/health-death-magic.html

6- Ryan Adams : "1989"

 This album served as the methadone for my Taylor Swift addiction. My wife doesn't like Taylor Swift, she is banned from being played in the car, but this album is totally acceptable. Ryan Adams who also must be a pretty big fan as well as a metal head...just look up his cover of "Holy Diver", made a bold move in covering Swift's "1989" in its entirety and the results are pretty great.He really makes these songs his own which is an impressive feat and colors them with more of a Bruce Springsteen feel.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/ryan-adams



5-the Weeknd : "Beauty Behind the Madness"

 Abel Makkonen Tesfaye goes about things in a manner darker than your average r&b singer  and has been known to sample both Siouxsie and the Cocteau Twins, his drug use might explain for this taste in music .He gives many winks to another addict...Michael Jackson. Lyrically the album has bi-polar moments, either he's a pimped out playa or hopeless romantic in the tug of war his pimp side is lyrically more interesting. He is a master of hook and they keep me returning to this album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/report-to-dance-floor-weeknds-beauty.html

4- Tribulation - the Children of the Night

 Was a little torn as to if this album even belonged here, until I went back and listened to the album and "Music From the Other " sealed the deal. While I liked the band's last album, but found them much more fascinating of a creature on stage when I saw them open for Watain, so I am hoping some of those more progressive and wandering qualities have carried over from the road and right from the first few chords of the opener it seems like they have. There is an almost Opeth like lushness to the sound. They don't use the traditional metal crunch, instead just going for an organic tone that they are playing loudly. The vocals are more intelligible than the previous album. When they dive deeper into the darkness answering the question what would it have sounded like if DeepPurple had written the soundtrack to the Exorcist. This is another step forward for the band that continues to grow with every album, they blend the more classic metal elements in with their more ethereal colors with ease, as they are not afraid to push the bounds of what death metal can be.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/tribulation-children-of-night.html

 

3-Twin Shadow: "Eclipse" This album caught me by surprise I'll tell you right off the bat it's a strong contender for album of the year. From the first song he shows you how to make a chorus carry the most emotional impact possible.Who said pop music has to be a bad thing? More common with the 80s he sings in an urgent baritone, think Corey Hart but with a larger dose of soul injected in the phrasing. It's a crime not to check out this piece of greatness. Every vocal oozes like a hook in it's own right, one of the most perfect vocal performances.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/report-to-dance-floor-twin-shadows.html

 2-Royal Thunder: " Crooked Doors"

 This band continues to evolve from the blues soaked stoner rock, they have put the Black Sabbath albums away and now have become more of an indie rock band that takes on a rough edged hard rock dynamic. On the opener "Time Machine" which the band premiered on Npr,  Parsonz puts some angry husk to her voice when the band begins to climax toward the end of the song. The band was never fully committed to being a metal band even they they had a fetish for playing with metal bands , but they have taken another step away from metal with this album. This is not a bad thing as the new direction lends it's self to a compelling array of sounds and emotive glimpses into who this band is.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/royal-thunder-crooked-doors.html

1- Chelsea Wolfe -Abyss

 This might not have been the metal album every one hope it would be but it all works together perfectly. She might balk at being on this list because she denied begin goth when I interviewed her, though she said she like Nick Cave and the Cocteau Twins so she is in denial. This album might not be metal but it does have some pounding beauty. She stays true to her ethereal vocal style which works well over the hammering beats. Though "Iron Moon" seemed surprisingly heavy when the song was first released in the context of the album she is giving you are breather. Even more experimental than "Pain is Beauty" the fuzzed out bass to "Dragged Out" rumbles over her ghostly plea that sits back into the dark background. The chorus builds into a more industrial din as the song expands and contracts.he has not disappointed, in fact exceeded expectations  and the bar was raised really high. I didn't think she could beat "Pain is Beauty" , but that is what has happened.


http://www.cvltnation.com/cvlt-nation-interviews-chelsea-wolfe/

The Top 10 Stoner / Sludge Metal Albums of 2015

As the title of this list suggests some of these albums are stoner metal, some are sludge, but even within the confines of those two sub-genres these bands often push the bounds. Some also add elements of post-rock, doom, black metal and straight up rock n roll. While Sludge is heavier and grittier than stoner metal, we are not accepting just straight up Sabbath worship so there is more common ground than just sharing the bong, though that can not hurt to help ingest these albums to there full potential, though I can attest to the fact that they can be just as potent in an unaltered state. To get a taste click on the review link.

 10-He Whose Ox is Gored: "the Camel the Lion the Child"

 This Seattle band has been called progressive doom gaze, but progressive sludge is more apt to describe their sound. They often go from Isis like bellowing to a monotone chant that indie minded metal bands like Jesu use , but these are harmonized making them thicker. They have a great guitar tone and the album is really well produced with their drummer really knowing how to get the groove and play around it.They eventually come to a place of slinky atmospherics with higher androgynous vocals that bring to mind Circa Survive . At times this band comes across as a more mature and thoughtful version of the prog-minded emo bands that came out in the last days of Myspace. This albums takes a few listens to finally sink in, but when it does you will find it work the wait.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/he-whose-ox-is-gored-camel-lion-child.html

9- Sans Soleil: "A Holy Land Beneath a Godless Sky"

  Beautifully mournful in it's melancholy, my first impression of this band was that they bordered on funereal doom. This Texas band carries you off into a four song excursion  that flows like an  ocean of tranquil despair.The narrative voice of the album is a viola that drips off  of the riffs.If you were  digest this album as if it were  a strictly a metal affair, you might notice that the void left by the absent vocals. The  arrangements keep this missing component well hidden. If this was funereal doom band the guttural gravel of phlegm drenched vocal chords would actually be another layer to the bottom end. The viola instead of trying to replace the vocals occupies that space the lead guitar melody would sit in. The spacious sound could edge this towards being post-rock, as an instrumental project they ravish a similar sonic sphere as Godspeedyoublackemperor. As the aural journey progresses  their trip takes a  darker turn. The bass player drifts  into a stoned jam of his own wandering around under the guitar solo, that rips like 70's freedom rock.They lack the mournful tone of doom , but trippy and aggressive enough to belong here, though metal heads will need to have broadened horizons to embrace this album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/sans-soleila-holy-land-beneath-godless.html

8- Serial Hawk -"Searching For Light"

 With the heavy legacy of grunge haunting their homestead, this Seattle takes an approach more akin to the Melvins and Tad than any of their flannel clad forefathers. The vocals are forced out in a throaty shout, with the guitars being the focus of more melody. The bass and drums work together as a punishing unit with machine like precision. They are oppressive like sludge rather than invoking the morbid sense of loss of doom. The pace lumbers with the liberate stomp of a juggernaut. They are heavy, but not weighed down with the typical trappings of metal.I think these guys captured what they do best in the studio and look forward to hearing where they go from here. These guys are just as good as anything else along these lines I have heard from bands backed by records labels so someone is really losing out on a ton of potential until these guys are picked up, I guess for what ever a record label is worth these days if anything.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/serial-hawk-searching-for-light.html

7- Vaee Solis:" Adversarial Light "

 This band from Portugal takes some of the most hateful vocals to touch a microphone and throws them against some depraved riffs to make for music that brings an uneasy feeling when you are listening to it alone .  The production that makes this possible is impeccable and milks the most anguish out of their performance as possible. The initial slap of this band is powerful, but how well can they you in this mental state for the duration of the album or do we just go back to color by numbers metal?  Equal parts sludge and doom. The have the disdain for melody that a band like Eyehategod possess , but less of the punk aesthetic and a heavier  emotional presence . They use some of  tricks from the ultimate book of  doom metal, but molest them with their malicious intentions. Though some of the songs seem to drag at times this is the only one that goes past the nine minute mark. I have gotten tired of some of the twelve plus minute epics so many bands to so these guys keep that normally reigned in, but if you are going to write a long song you have to have the dynamics to make it pay off. They beat the dead horse in manner that can be pleasing to morbid ears.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/vaee-solis-adversarial-light.html

- Wand: "Golem"

 I have been over the so called "occult rock" bandwagon for some time now,  which was also known as vest metal, the Devil's Blood influenced the sound of many of those bands, the formula was retro fuzzed guitar and a female singer. It was stoner rock of a different color and dressed up in pentagram etched bell-bottoms. So this California band, who might not fit neatly into that scene , though carries a similar sound, gets credit for grabbing my ear. Wand released  this album on an imprint of Ty Segall's Drag City label. The feature an ex-member of Pangea, if that matters to you. They get called garage rock and while there is that sort of sound to the drums, they are more entrenched in psychedelia with an almost metal thump to the bass lines. The real question you might want to ask yourself as how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go. It might not be your thing if you have never done drugs before, I recommend starting with pot and working work way up, but you don't have to plunge your self into a Fear and Loathing lifestyle to enjoy "Golem", but it would be a whole lot cooler if you did.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/wand-golem.html

5-Clutch: "Psychic Warfare"

 These guys have been at it for a while now and have developed more of straight up rock fee and less of the bouncing , chanting stoner version of nu-metal they came out with in the 90s. They know how to write a catchy chorus and doesn't take long to hear how these guys have made the name for themselves. Singer Neil Fallon throws his voice around with tons of personality.They knowingly wink at their influences ZZ- Top and If I still smoked pot I am sure they album would sound all the better , but even as is it grew on me as these guys really crafted this well.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/clutch-psychic-warfare.html

4- Windhand : "Grief's Eternal Flower"

 This is the third full length from a band who has been the darlings of the metal blog-o-sphere since hitting the scene. On this album they have begun to move out from behind the altar of  Black Sabbath not the fuzzed out but carrying a hypnotic quality to the rumbling drone they kick up . The melodies seem more secure in their languid state and provide the needed sheen over the blown out distortion coming from the amps. The powerful vibrations the first song hits you with causes a similar reach most extreme metal also solicits in that you are wowed by the power so it doesn't matter how good the actual song is if the sound that hits you is solid.They begin sounding less like doom and more like grunge , namely Screaming Trees. It actually benefits this band that level of Black Sabbath worship has decreased and singer Dorthia Cottrell is really coming into her own as a singer and finding her identity, I suppose the solo album helped get her to this place. While some might consider this band to be doom, I am so used to listening to darker drearier funeral doom, until it feel more like sludged out stoner rock. They impressed me this time around and I looked forward to hearing here they go from here.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/windhand-greifs-infernal-flower.html

3- Irreversible- S/T

 Even though these are guys are from my current city of residence I am not going any easier on them than I would any other band.The Atlanta sludge band has been around for  a decade now so they have time to hone their sound. Like most Atlanta metal bands they started off with more punk roots and later morphed into something more metallic until now they share a similar landscape to their sound as Isis. After a wash of atmospheric sounds the almost math rock of "Undertow" lurches into motion. This album is very well produced for an independent release. The first vocals to surface are some monotone Jesu like cleans.The drummer is not a slouch either.Some of the more chuggy moments, barrow from the pillars of the genre all the bands like Isis that engaged in Neurosis worship in the early 2000s. Some times the tightness even creates a Tool like feel.This is one of the few local bands that makes me want to leave the couch with this album and go check them out, fans of sludge and post-rock should not miss this one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/irreversible-st.html

2- Ragana :"Wash Away"

 There is a slight touch of black metal to these gals , but it's when they lock into the crusty bong loaded grooves that this album soar. Sometimes tribal in it's lumber they coast into hypnotic riffs with the vocals screaming over it. The folkish vibe of the earlier work now gives way to more of an indie rock feel. There is a vast growth in their songwriting as it's both delicate and dynamic. At times it might remind you of Kylesa's more atmospheric wanderings, flowing back and forth from the slow to soft dynamic very smoothly despite the jarring nature.They pull very emotionally raw and organic tones out of their guitars in almost a grunge like manner , though this is mixed with almost early post hardcore while lingering around a melancholy throb of guitar. If you have not heard this band do yourself a favor and click on the link below, they will go down as the years most under rated band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/ragana-wash-away.html

1- Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire" These Savannah rockers continue to evolve, in someways that makes them progressive , since they are not where I first found them when I picked up a copy of "To Walk a Middle Course" ten years ago. There sludge roots are still intact but they have enough dark psychedelics is place to appeal to the hesher sect. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals which have continues to grow sometimes take on a more Siouxsie like croon to them. There are plenty of balls this times around injected to these heavy grooves. After a dazed and glazed cover of the Sabbath classic "Paranoid" the path of the band is best in explained in the lyrics of the closing song where Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. Even when they wander off into a more heady direction the bass line holds down the fort, until they bring the smack down the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. Another moment of triumph for this band. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/kylesa-exhausting-fire.html

Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire"

Just when Deafheaven thought they were not going to have any competition this week the new Kylesa drops. The beginning of "Blood Moon" makes you think they are picking right back up at the same dark place they left off at, but then it launches into metal, that they are singing over rather than barking. Three minutes in a they drop back into the dark Doors like place. The opening riff to "Crusher" lives up to its name. Laura voice continues to evolve, the singing overall is stepping into a more confident direction. They drift back into the dark spaced out place and build back up into a some what sludged out riff. At this point it's clear they are neck and neck with Mastodon and have surpassed Baroness.

"Falling" the psychedelics prevail here. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals have a more Siouxsie like croon to them. They find trippy groove that is more surreal than it jam band like. The solo slides in underneath the brief rumble. "Growing Roots" has an angular swagger to it, builds into more Hum like space rock. It eventually winds up into a more rock groove that some how manages to feel more like Kylesa . The more muscularly rumbling "Inward Debate", feels more like a Clutch riff and is a little on the busy side. So it's good they back off into what on first listen struck me as one of the better songs, because it has all the elements they excel at firing at full power. There is a really mean metal riff that lashes out from the more subdued vocal Laura exudes.

Next up is the fuzz out sonic "Moving Day" that reminds me a little of a Pixies song. The vocals have a more post-punk apathy on "Night Drive". The bass tone gets really weird. Laura's vocal become plaintive to the point they would not sound out of place on an indie rock album. There is more of a stoner metal chug to "Out of My Mind" that drifts in a cloud of bong smoke out into space. They continue to  converge back into the more metal chug after their spacey explorations threaten to drift out of orbit. The bass player goes into Geezer Butler mode on a midway into the song."Paranoid" is a drugged out cover of the Sabbath classic that finds the band bringing their own touch to it. It works for me at this tempo.

They close the album with the heavier yet very Sabbath like "Shaping the Southern Sky" . Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. It does wander off into a more heady direction with the bass line holding down the fort. They bring the smack down when they lock back in for the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. This one is easily rounded up to a ten as it

10.7

Various Artists : "Whatever Nevermind"

I like Nirvana. I don't put them on the same throne most do. I would throw away any magazine that use to have Kurt Cobain in their top whatever guitarists. He is nothing special in that department, a decent singer when he wanted to be which not consistent and a better song writer than actual musician. So don't hold "Nevermind" in some hallowed hall when it comes to a bunch of normally pretty cool bands covering it.

Young Widows starts off the album with the weight of the album's biggest song on their shoulder's and make it sound like they are covering Sonic Youth, a band judging by the cover they would have been more suited to handle. Torche would have been more capable with "Teen Spirit" since they hit a home run with their version of "In Bloom" . This should come as no surprise because some of their original material reminds me of the Foo-fighters. In fairness this song should have been given to Young Widows instead. Kylesa tackles "Come as You Are" Laura's vocal work really well. "Breed " is handled by post- hardcore vets Cave-in who do what they do well on this one.

Boris gets weird on "Lithium" before dooming it out. The doom parts work well, but the weirdness sacrifices the integrity of the verses. I was unsure about La Dispute getting one of the albums more melodic songs, but they handle it much better than expected. It was my first time hearing White Reaper who ripped into "Territorial Pissings" with over driven garage punk anger that was needed for the song. Surprisingly Circa Survive grew some balls and was able to not sound like gay Rush when they went after "Drain You".  Touche Amore shows that emo owes something to Nirvana. They also do a damn good job on "Lounge Act".

Another first for me was Wrong who proves themselves to me with their handling of  "Stay Away". They have a very Helmet vibe about them and their bass tone is awesome. It was also my first go around with Pygmy Lush who put their somewhat Brand New-ish sound to "On a Plain". I don't dislike these guys , but this could use some more balls, if Brand New had covered it the song would have had more balls. I know for a fact Nothing has some Nirvana influence so  this was the song I was looking forward to the most.It makes sense Thou would handle the heavier songs "Even in His Youth" and "Endless Nameless" , the first one is better than the second , but I think that is the same with the source material .  Overall it hits more than it misses. I 'll give it a 7.5

Dispossesd an Interview with Artist Emily Harris

Atlanta artist Emily Harris is about to launch her Dispossed exhibit, that is a thesis study of the Atlanta metal culture, I caught up with her to discuss this and metal in general.

What inspired using metal heads as the focus of your visual medium?

I have been a metalhead since I was about 14. When I started grad school I was
in my early 30s and I guess you could call it sort of a mid life crisis. I was hungry to revisit my youth a bit and recall that feeling that metal music, hanging with my friends and going to shows was like back when I was a teenager. I didn’t know many metal heads in town and I found that making the local metal community my thesis focus, I was able to find friendship and also relate to people based on our bond to metal.

What kind of metal did you grow up on ? Hows does that differ from what you
listen to today? What are your guilty pleasures?

Well the first music I got into really was punk, with bands like Fugazi, Bad
Religion and the sort. I knew of metal but didn’t know much about it, then I
got Metallica’s Master of Puppets on cd and my life was changed forever. It
was the 90s so you had a lot of bands like Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the
Machine, Stuck Mojo, Sevendust, Metallica, and Megadeth. I would say those
were some of the big ones for me then. I still listen to some of that stuff, but as
metal has progressed, so has my collection. As I got older I got into the more
extreme stuff like black metal. As far as my guilty pleasure, I like old school
80s hair metal. It’s super cheesy but man is it fun to sing along with!

What do you think separates the Atlanta scene from that of cities like New
York, Tampa, San Francisco or Chicago?

I can’t speak for the other cities because I am not as connected to their scenes,
but I do know that certain cities have fostered certain movements in metal, like
the Bay area Thrash scene of the 80s, or Tampa’s 90s death metal scene. My
goal is to help push the Atlanta scene and hopefully bring some recognition to
some of the great bands we have here! I think Atlanta has a strong sense of
community although it is a big town and very spread out.

Any subculture carries a certain conformity in their non-conformity what does
the Atlanta metal scene tend to conform to ?

Certainly, you are right, and I touch upon that a bit in my thesis paper. You
know that is hard to say completely because everyone I know in Atlanta’s
scene is all so vastly different. The one thing I enjoy is the southern
hospitality. Not everyone is friendly, but the ones that are really radiate that
southern friendliness.

What stereotypes do you think are most prevalent in regards to metal today?

I am working against the stereotypes, but I think overall the stoner would be the
most common. I am glad to see that the groupie is no longer a dominant
stereotype for women; at the very least we are working against it. Also,
possibly the alpha male meathead types linger around a little too.

What's a bigger issue in the Atlanta metal scene gender or race ? Is it
Homophobic ?

For me it would be the gender issue, but only because I am woman. I have
been accepted and respected for the most part which is awesome, but I do think
it is harder for a woman to be taken seriously when you are approaching a
group of guys. Atlanta’s scene is predominantly white, but we do have quite a
few other races mixed in and everyone is friendly; there is no racism here, at
least not that I have seen. I haven’t seen anything homophobic, but I also don’t
know many gay metal heads.

How prevalent are drugs in the Atlanta metal scene ?

Atlanta is a big town, so drugs are going to be prevalent no matter what scene
you are in. Mostly I see a lot of drinking, but as for the others, I choose to
plead the 5th.

Seems every decade Atlanta had it's one or two mainstream bands that broke
big and various bandwagons reared around them ranging from the 80's with Hallows Eve to Stuck Mojo and Sevendust to now Mastodon, where do you
think this cycle sits today in terms of the Atlanta scene?

You are right, yes every decade seems to foster a new hit band. Mastodon still
dominates but there are other bands coming up from our underground scene
that are becoming big like Lazer/Wulf. I think a lot of that southern
sludge/doom mixed with rock elements seems to be popular down here with
bands from Savannah too like Kylesa and Baroness. So we will have to see
where it goes!

Do make any note of the divide of Atlanta bands where the bulk of the
"metal" bands intown seem to have all come from a punk rock back ground,
where the suburban metal bands just play metal and take more influence from
90's Pantera era?

Ha ha, I just got into some discussions about this recently. I think the Atlanta
scene has a big crossover with the punk scene, something that is unique to
Atlanta. I think a lot of people that are into punk originally get into metal later
in life because it is more musically challenging and sometimes has more to
offer them mentally. As far as the city versus the suburbs, it’s hard to say
because a lot of the bands that live in the burbs play in the city all the time. I
guess it just has to do with their influences.

Why do you think thrash and death metal are more popular in Atlanta than
black metal, when that might not be the case in other cities like New York?

Yeah we don’t have a huge number of black metal bands here. I think thrash
and death metal are the most popular styles of metal and people gravitate to the
bands they grew up on and are influenced by. Maybe because we are in the
South and it’s warmer and sunnier than New York where people are more
distant and disconnected, but that might be a silly answer.

What approach are you taking with the art show Dispossessed and how is it
connected to the documentary?

For me the thesis was both challenging and exciting. The show itself I wanted
to be engaging and not in a typical quiet gallery setting, because the work is about metal music, and therefore I really wanted to have some of our local metal bands play. The photography portion highlights my love for the people in this scene, because this project is about our connection to metal music and consequently to each other. There will also be artifacts documented by myself
of objects from people in the local community. My film Atlanta Metal , which will also be premiering gives some focus on different aspects and struggles within our community and the metal community as a whole. Really the whole project and the upcoming show is a 3 yearlong journey