Marching Church : "This World Is Not Enough"

 Elias Bender Ronnenfelt the lead singer of Iceage has launched a solo project which I having been juggling equal amounts of excitement and apprehension as I wondered if considering his singing style ,would a solo project it be able to find it's own identity? The answer is yes. This is due to the wild shift away from punk rock this album takes.  Elias' emotive slur his still present. He moans and mumbles beyond the range of expression he uses in Iceage. The band features members of Lower(drummer/ bassist), Puce Mary(keyboards), Hand of Dust, Sexdrome(guitar) and Choir of Young Believers(Cello).

"Young Americans" feel to "King of Song". The steamy simmer of "Hungry For Love" has a dark jazz inflection lurking in the pulse of the music his disoriented ranting exudes over. These songs are allowed much more time to build and not the one, two, three punk-rock Iceage used to throw themselves into before"Plowing into the Field of Love". This album throbs , drones and hypnotizes more than the last Iceage album. The range of this albums touches on a scope of music that "Plowing the Fields of Love" did not even in it's more rock n roll direction. "Your Father's Eyes" brushes against Otis Redding styled soul in its final minutes.

The approach to songs writing with the project differs from his other band. At times it sounds like Elias was allowed to stumble into the vocal booth and just sing what ever came off the top on his head and the band came in and played around it. The more free form wandering is highlighted on songs like "Calling Out A Name".  With "Every Child" they hit on a jazzy blues ridden groove that would not be out of place on a Tom Waits album.

There is a more Nick Cave like brooding to the slow western slither of "Up  a Hill"The last song is more like an outro for me it never gains momentum and fades out on a rainy New Orleans jazz vibe. The last two songs ease the album out on a graceful note that puts the breaks on some of the momentum built up. This will more than likely continue to grow on me as I went this not expecting what happened. I'll round this one up to a 9 and leave it with room to grow on me. You can't call this post-punk, but saying it's indie -rock seems like a gross understatement as well, they have crafted some smoldering post-jazz blues punk I suppose.

Top 15 Albums of 2014

In looking at the list 2014 was an odd year. Some of the greats didn't release what I would consider their best work, but even when the likes of Morrissey dials it in, the result is still better than what most do. Some younger bands stepped up their game and grew in ways that shifted them from one genre to the next. All of these albums either scored a ten or grew on me and proved their perfection down the road.

15- Kall -s/t

Lifelover is back, but not as black.This has a more droning black n roll feel. It just falls shy of being black metal, but an excellent melancholy affair .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/kall-st.html



14-Emptiness -"Nothing But the Whole"

A stunningly desperate soundtrack. This album oozes both atmosphere and emotion defying sub genres.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/11/catching-up-with-2014-emptiness-nothing.html

13- Mayhem-"Esoteric Warfare"

If Mayhem had tried to make another "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" it would have bored the bullet belt right off me. Instead they release an album with pristine production, that takes chances and takes no prisoners. Attila has never sounded better and Hellhammer makes his case for being the best drummer in black metal. As Spinal Tap once asked "How much blacker can you get ? the answer was none then and it is none now.

12-Youth Code- A Place to Stand

One of the best industrial bands I have heard in some time. This duo is dark, mean and confrontational, even if their singer is a little blond girl.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/youth-code-place-to-stand.html

11- Atriarch- " An Unending Pathway"

They graduated from the metal chart to goth, as the death rock vibe is stronger. The metal elements are now more of a sonic Neurosis thing and they have left doom and black metal at home.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/atriarch-unending-pathway.html

10-Swans - To Be Kind

My favorite band this side of the Smiths takes the number ten, because "To Be Kind" is more like a  series of live jams they translated to the studio, but even when Gira is just playing around he is still better than most.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/swans-to-be-kind.html

9- Ice Age -"Plowing into the Field of Love"

These guys have grown in leaps and bounds, so much so the rock swagger injected on this album now makes them much more qualified for this list than being called post-punk.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/iceage-plowing-fields-of-love.html

8- Nasheim - "Solens Vemod"

The Swedish act is another one man show. The master mind behind this is Erik Grahn. Grahn  came out  of the gate on his first full length and killed it. This album sweeps you away. Combining the lush romanticism of Emperor, atmosphere and incredible arrangements, my only regret it not finding this masterpiece when it came out under the radar back in February.