Neurosis : "An Undying Love For a Burning World"

 

With the official start of World War 3 underway today, how could Neurosis not reconvene to drop a new album? Aaron Turner is replacing Scott Kelly. It's pretty seamless considering this. There is a hint of rock n' roll, but both Isis and Sumac are heavily influenced by Neurosis, so it seems like a natural fit and flows very organically. It's back to the dissonant sludge heaviness with an angular crunch moving the riffs. "First Red Rays" is very dark and ominous; at times, it feels as if they are looking back toward "Souls at Zero."  A low growl prevades, leading you into the desolate sonic space. 

They come on strong and don't simmer in a great deal of atmosphere until "Blind", this one moves with the kind of bong-laden apocalyptic sludge groove you expect from them, with and empahsis on the bong more than the aggression of when they were once crust punks. It veers off into more surreal places dynamically. Exeuted differently here to some extent, it is familiar enough to sit firmly in their wheelhouse.  Some what post-rock by definition, and certainly bearing some influence of Swans, yet firmly their own sound. 

There is more of a post-punk feel stirring from inside the density of "Seething and Scattered". There is a great deal of vocal trade-off that Turner blends well. They expand and recoil as a Neurosis song should. "Untethered" is sonically expansive without being overtly heavy. There is an organic, jammy feel to this. "In the Waiting Hours" is alot to take in but delivers what you want form a Neurosis song as it is pummelling when it needs to be but still takes you on a journey."The last song finds the arrangement sprawling out until it dissolves into ambiance. It winds its way around into dark folk sitting against a noisy undercoating. Things get trippy ten minutes into this. They wander off into a more tribal drone. I will give this one a 10 as I think it opens a new chapter that holds up well against their legacy, even in the absence of Kelly. 

past110

Old Man Gloom : "Seminar IX Darkness of Being"

A super group with members if Isis, Converge and Cave - In, these guys have a very sonic driven sludge sound having the most in common with Isis. Aaron Turner is the main aman behind this band so that makes sense. The first song droes of one riff. I am not playing this album very loud on my first listen. I am sure it would sound better if I was. There is feed back squealing out and they churn out a Neurosis style rumble.  These guys all have producers credits through out their career so we know they are capable of making things sound good. They have all also played on good songs, so are they going to write good songs when away from their respective bands is a bigger question.

"Heel to Toe" is more upbeat than what you typically think of sludge beings, perhaps it's more on the sludge n roll side of the equation. WEven with the throaty vocals it's a better song than the opener. In the final minute thye lock into a groove that very much reminds me of Isis. There is more of a Cave-in feel to the opening riff of "the Bleeding Sun"  and very little that brings Converge to mind. The vocals are a lower growl on this one similar to what they did on the final minute of the opening track, After three minutes of noise the finally begin to kick into the real song on "Canto De Santos". This one has more sonic pound to it.  The first Converge like moment is when things build up to more of a punk speed.

"Death Rhymes" is obviously more Cave- In with it's acoustic strum.  It's an ok song, not a great one. "In Your Name" has a heavier punch to it and a darker kick . There are some rock n roll riffs hidden in the corners of the mighty chug. "Love is Bravery" closes the album. Thanks to a creepy bass line it's a darker song and when it kicks in does so with more feeling to it's heft.It is likely the album's song. I will give this album an 8.5 and see how it grows on me.

Sumac : "What One Becomes"

This is a super group of sorts, consisting of Aaron Turner whose former band Isis would get flagged by the FBI if they every re-united. Along with Turner are Nick from Baptists and Brian Cook from Russian Circles. With their powers combined they make the kind of too cool for you metal you might imagine. It's sludge with post-rock nuances and math rock twists to the chugs to keep it from being more metal. The vocals have a lower more death metal grunt. They come on pounding at you then mid way into the second song the going gets weird and the atmospherics was the song way in swells of feed back. The bass tone is pretty serious and this has the potential to really bring the smack down, when not getting caught up with trying to through the math at you like they have something to prove. The drumming is technical, but still has plenty of balls.

The elven minute "Clutch of Oblivion" awakes with a slow pulse ringing out. The guitar work is very sonic , but refined. It has a western wander over it that reminds me of Kyuss' more introspective moments. The ghosts of both Isis and Russian Circles can be felt here. When the coarse roar of the vocals converges back into the song there is more of your typical sludge thing going on. Things build into a more mathematical groove midway into the song. "Blackout" takes great thought into where to place it's meticulously timed poundings. This creates a math rock meets sludge dynamic. It's hard to argue against the execution of this, but it's more of an exercise in instrumentation than a songs that really pulls me in for repeat listens. At seventeen minutes it makes this a very over indulgent exercise almost to the point of being masturbatory. At around the nine minute mark they begin to make me watch the clock. It eventually builds into something with a burlier rock groove that goes off on a Fugazi like jam.

The last song is plenty angular and plenty heavy, even building up into blast beat of sorts, but it kind falls flat on me. This is metal for people who are normally listening to Shellac. I am sure fans of These Arms are Snakes and Russian Circle are really going to dig. It has more of a pumped up noise rock vibe, than hitting you hard on the sludge tip. I'll give it a 7.5, but I know plenty of kids who are too hung up on being hip, slick and cool will be listening to this like it's a badge of courage.

Mamiffer : " the World Unseen"

It's been a strange mix of reviews the past couple days so I am going to keep the weird going. Aaron Turner is more than likely glad he is not in a band called Isis these days. That name alone is click bait. This project is much different focusing on atmosphere with Faith Coloccia handling the vocals. Synth and piano takes center stage away from the guitar, which is often just left to ring out from the corners. It is pleasing to the ears though the ethereal nature of what they do requires a little more glue in the song writing department, just ask Sigur Rios or the Cocteau Twins. Thus making this an album that is more of  pleasant back ground music as it pulses in waves rather than giving you anything to sink you teeth in. So if you are waiting for a riff or a groove then you will be waiting for some time as they are not coming.

One question you might want to ask your when approaching this album is how many drugs do you do? Or do you like to listen to music before you go to bed. Both options are helpful. The middle section of the album might make you space out and forget this is playing while you float around the room. There are really only three movements of this album that feel like real songs. When I say this I get emails from the bands all the time complaining about how they were using real instruments so that makes it a song. Once you get more spaced out than Tangerine Dream, then you are dealing more in wavelengths than you are music. There are some nice fey dreamy moments on this album, when they decide to make them more like a song I really like it, not something I need on my iPod, but it works for what it is. The fact the album cover looks like space is very fitting.

"Domestication of the Ewe" is the next song that finds the vocals helping to congeal the space into something like a song. This is broken up into three parts so I think it was the second part that pulled me back in.  I normally rate albums using a formula of dividing the albums good songs by the total number of songs, this album defies that form of measurement, so I am going to go off of what percent of this album was I interested in it or did it catch my attention so based off that scale I think I can give it a 6. The beginning was strong and then when the vocals came back in toward the album's 3rd act my ears perked back up. If you are checking this out because you are a fan of Turners other work then refer to the second paragraph of this review as it's nothing like Isis , Sumac or Old Man Gloom.
Mamiffer "Parthenogenesis" from Daniel Menche on Vimeo.

Palms: S/t

This new side project of Chino, in some ways helps get him away from the time warp the Deftones seems to be in that keeps them dancing around the fur, but it is not too far removed from his old band either. I read a lot of comparisons to the Cure in this team up with former members of Isis and they are pretty much unfounded as most of it sounds like the more drifting ballads the Deftones began to dabble in by White Pony.

The opener "Future Warrior" does have a very post- rock Mogwai guitar riff, where if you think every guitar with delay on it sounds like the Cure then you will draw the same conclusion here, but being a huge fan of the Cure, I'll say it shows the Cure's influence on bands that came out in the 90's who didn't want to be grunge, but that where the comparison ends . The chorus has the quiet to loud dynamic that both the Deftone and mogwai have had...and Isis has mimicked. It is not as explosive as the Deftones and shows more restraint than they have used, bringing to mind A Perfect Circle, but Chino doesn't have the same smooth control over his voice that Keenan has so there is a more emotive angst to it. This album sounds great even though the drums are a little thin at times. It is also the first recording I have heard where I though Chino's voice sounded somewhat strained reaching for higher notes.

"Patagonia" is very Cocteau Twins, which is a compliment to the guitar sounds they created here, as I think Robin Guthrie has the best guitar sound in alternative rock. The vocal melodies don't sound as focused as they were on the previous song, letting the guitars do all the heavy lifting. This is a very Chino thing to do , but works better for the Cocteau Twins as Elizabeth Frasier floats around the guitar but maintains melody. they let the guitars create the melodies here and Chino wails around as if lost in his own world. The dynamic build the instrumentation creates is pretty powerful. It ebbs and flows very smoothly, the builds are more Sigur Ros , than Cocteau Twins as they have a more modern umph.

There is a very slow almost trip hop beginning to "Mission Sunset". The fact it doesn't build at the chorus tries to keep it from sounding like down tempo Deftones, but Chino's vocals are more White Pony here than perhaps any other moment on the album. He could almost stand to be further back in the mix here as the guitars are really the shine to spotlight. The build is awkward but the guitars redeem themselves , it took this  one more time to grow on me as it wanders a bit.

The albums most powerful song might be "Shortwave" that builds up from a Cocteau Twins rolling drone, into an almost metal climax. Chino launches into his trademark squeal, but in short restrained bursts, I think its one of the rare cases where not going metal works out for the best. He does find his feet on establishing the melody here , which is surprising that it hasn't been the focal point of the album so far.

They relish in the shoe gaze on "Tropics" . The guitar rings out in a very lush manner, but Moreno's vocals strike me as a little lazy similar to the lulling patterns that Billy Corgan tends to use. The dudes from Isis are holding back as well, but they could have gotten burned out on the whole proggy direction their old band had headed and opted for less is more. The sounds are immaculate in their delicacy.

The closing number " Antartic Handshake" has more of a Cocteau Twin shimmer, but is more ambiant than the rest of the album at the onset. The vocals use this space effectively to float along with the cloud rather than against it. The drone here is an acquired taste it eventual begins to feel like its dragging and not going any where after if lingers for what seems to long as the guitar takes it time to come back in and even then it takes the album out on a fizzle. . I will give this one an 8.5 as it is better than any thing the Deftones have done in recent memory.