Yarrow : "a Mild Circus"

First heard these guys on  Cvlt Nation's Tribute album to Black Sabbath's "Vol 4". These guys are not really doom here. They are an angular grunge with a thick dose of punk . Like a darker more chaotic version of Mudhoney is one way to think of it. I can also hear traces of Fugazi. "Tambourine" keeps the spot light on their angular nature. There is still a darker tone. It is more grunge than not  with the punk side still leaning in the Fugazi direction. ;Thee song writing is cumbersome with dissonance, but it still works they are just not hitting you with the conventional groove and melodies you expect from indie rock.


 They give the vocals more breathing room on "Shyless". This also opens the door for the drums to establish more of a groove. That is not to say they are not going to explode back out of it.One thing about this band I like is they have no regard for using any type of formula.  The songs are very compactly written. The title track is more aggressive like the Melvins though leaning less towards metal. If you ever wondered what it might have sounded like if Nirvana had jammed with Fugazi, that question is answered on the album's last song "Sorrow". It is marginally more moody while having the uptempo momentum propelling the bulk of these songs

. I think the fact it takes a D/C post hardcore and marries it to grunge angst, is what sells me on this albums as it reminds me a of a slew of bands I used to listen to in high school in the 90s. I guess doom gaze is the most ironic hash tag to use these days as there is nothing doom about this album. If that is what you are looking for look else where. I will however give this a 9 as the sounds captured here fit like puzzle pieces to create a familiar yet unique sound.

Dark Blue : "Start of the World"

This is not our first rodeo with this band from Phillywho plays a dark version of indie rock that comes close enough to convince modern fans of post-punk that they are the real thing. The casual croon of the vocal is rather pleasing to my ears, it reminds me of a less rocking version of Billy Idol. "Be Gone Everyone" is more like the Crash Test Dummies playing sluggish punk rock. This is a little less compelling than the opening track but not half bad. Things move into a more Social Distortion direction tempo wise on " I Never Wanted to Hurt You" which has a more mainstream rock hook to it's chorus.

Then there is the piano ballad "Paralyzed By Fear" which proves that despite the pleasantry of  Sharkey's baritone he is pretty much a one trick pony. "You Know Who" rocks a little harder and the guitar expands it's sound into more sonic dimensions and gets props for pulling out an impressive solo. The thicker bass tone leading into "Bombs on the Beach" seeks to create more of a 50's sound and I think the best part of this is that it gives a slight wink to Morrissey. "Tired of the Poor" is another mid paced song, but the formula begins to get a little stale and it strikes me more as filler

There is a more slacker shuffle to the indie rock of "Western Front Academy". This is more in line with some of the alternative rock on the radio from the early 2000's when band's like the Killers and Interpol were having their hey day.I'll give this album an 8. It works more often than not and is an entertaining listen, not sure how many repeat listens I'll get personally, but fans of this more middle of the road approach will find the songs infectious I am sure. The vocals are improved though the overall feel is a little less urgent and they are more relaxed here.

Nothing : " Tired of Tomorrow"

It's important to listen to the band's second album in sequential context rather than on a shuffle for a few songs when you first hear it. Failing to do so will give you spoilers in regards to the changes in their sound you might not want. Though by not hearing the opener "Fever Queen" there is a little more truth in advertising in regards to what you are actually going to get. "Fever Queen" has more of a pound to it's drone than the bulk of these day dream lullabies are going to muster. "The Dead Are Dumb" is very well put together and unlike the opener, the vocals are sedate, but not as sugar smitten with out the extra layer of harmonies. The more grunge tinged sound eluded to on the first album returns on the first single they released earlier in the year, the more uptempo "Vertigo Flowers". The drummer is well showcased on this song. It almost sounds like a more care free version of Hum. The production is a little over the top in terms of how clean all the tones are. It does pay off to give them an almost Pink Floyd like tone in the solo like section of the previous here, but when it comes to getting heavier sonically, the lushness twinkling more than it sweeps you away.

 The first moment that really rocks and connects with me is "ACD". There is almost a emo feel to the vocal melody, not Sunny Day emo more like Appleseed Cast or Mineral's more post-rock moments, if they were coiled into a more solid grunge groove.The shift in slicker production does benefit the drum sound that opens "Nineteen Ninety Heaven". They come back with a more solid drive behind "Curse of the Sun". Though this puts them in the neighborhood of Sliversun Pickups and Smashing Pumpkins, with the turn around on one riff almost sounding like Collective Soul.This album is without a doubt more accessible then "Guilty Of Everything". Some of the more shoe gazey and experimental guitar tones surface on this song, so it's a well balanced compromise. I remember when "Eaten By Worms" came out weeks ago, but wanted to hear the album as a whole so didn't check it out and I normally avoid pre-release singles. I want to hear the album or ironically nothing. This one is straight ahead alternative rock, that sounds like if Elliot Smith was covering "Creep" with the Catherine Wheel. They do add some noise around the edges when the song builds up to give it more sonic punch.
 It's time to dive back into to clouds of cotton candy on "Everyone is Happy" even super sweet textures here are more easily digested after a couple of listens. There is an increased presence of piano.This gives it a more post-rock pop texture. The guitars are perfectly recorded so that evens the score a great deal to make up for some of the changes.The winning drum sound once again leads the way into "Our Plague". There is a more pop sense to the song writing employed in this song but bathed in such stoned apathy that you almost don't notice. They step back onto the distortion in the final two minutes. The album's most questionable moment comes on the last song which is piano and vocals that are up close on the mic yet barely there, it reminds me of all the things I don't like about Smashing Pumpkins. It's the only song that won't make it cover onto the iPod, so I'll round this up to an 8.5, which puts it behind their first album. There is some growth in how they capture the sounds and this is a more subtle album. It might still grow on me over the course of the summer .

Dark Blue : " Red White"

The members of this Philly trio has played in the who's who of hip modern punk, with members contributing in such bands as Ceremony, Clockcleaner, Puerto Rican Flowers, Paint It Black, Purling Hiss, and Strands Of Oaks.This is a collection of their old singles, but it pretty much feels like an album to me as the production is very consistent throughout. Off the bat I like the fact these guys are dark, and balance out the noise dusted edges. The singer's plaintive baritone carries more of a resonance on "Delco Runts" that reminds me of the guy from Crash Test Dummies. Side note if you think Peter Steele is the singer for Crash Test Dummies go ahead and give a gun a bloody kiss of your own. While I like the vocals on the second song compared to the first it seems like the guitars are dialing it in. The dirty over drive of the bass line to "...Just Another Night With the Boys", give the song more heft to off set the casual croon of the vocals.There is more of punk tinged rock n roll feel to the more straight forward "Hungry For Love". This song serves as proof that the singer's voice can't turn every thing to gold without some cooperation.

 "Subterranean Man" has more of an Iggy Pop feel to it. Think his post- Stooges more mid-tempo "Idiot" days. The vocals hint that they want to get a little wackier than they are. "Dear Iris" is more melodic and a few shades slower and more introspective. It does allow John Sharkey the chance to flex his pipes a little more. This causes him to be a little more emotive, but it's premature to label that as death-rock. "Skinhead Wedding in Canberra" is a little more upbeat in it's post-rock swagger. The song does cruise through some of the conventions of 50's rock. I suppose they could have been hoping for more of a Morrissey vibe on the acoustic "Chaos" that closes the album, but it further exaggerates the comparison to Crash Test Dummies I noted earlier. Maybe "God Shuffled His Feet" is going to become the new template for "Post-punk" to come. Another song where skin heads are the subject so these guys must be ex skin heads? here is a Merchandise feel to many of the songs,as this is the sound of punk kids growing up to become sad young men. I'll give this one a 9 and anticipate it making the move over to the ole iPod. If you are looking for some post-punk heavy on the punk but with some smarts to it ,then here's an album for you. 7.2

Horrendous : " Anareta"

I know it's Black Friday so I should be catching up on black metal , but I just keep finding death metal or from the opener to this band's new one, death thrash. There is more melody in the guitars than brutality and I can understand why it ranked so high on a few of the best of lists I discovered it on. They pay attention to detail, and are more technical than you might suspect. The vocals are a very dry rasp almost like a throaty blackened hardcore in how it is punched out. This is also contrasted by some whispered parts. They succeed in impressing me with the feral heaviness and manic energy they attack the song with thus leaving me to ask the question...what else can you do ? or are they a one trick pony. They slow things down at the onset of the second song, with the defining factor the wave the twin guitar attack weaves around each other. There is some melody in the riffing, so they do not rely on brutality like you might expect from most death metal bands. They are said to be apart of a new wave of old school death metal and I don't hear this unless you are referring to the thrash influence staining the riffs. If old school means actually writing songs and using interesting melody then why is that old school and not just how music is made? There is a brief exclamation from distant clean voices calling out ,before rather hooky classic metal riff comes in.

It needs to be said that the bass player is really killing it on this album and if you are metal bass player this album is a wet dream despite the bass being mixed back behind the drums. A thrash like vein of melodic guitar playing dominates "Siderea" . This reminds me of another song from the new Hate Eternal album I just reviewed where they instrumental portion is more interesting than what is done when they are using vocals. This album it is not as much of a point of contention as it proved to be with Hate Eternal. "Polaris' finds the vocals returning to scrape pain from the more progressive riff they scream out over. Death could be a frame of reference here. They do not place as great of an emphasis on shred, but are no slackers on their chops. Much rougher than say even earlier Opeth, the songs still wind around a more open path than Morbid Angel. "Acolytes" crawls from a darker place before gaining momentum into a more acrobatic thrashing chug.Maybe a more dexterous version of Possessed would be a better way to wrap your head around this excursion. This become more thrashing than death metal no matter the age of the school you might pull from. It eventually finds itself in a bridge that has more in common with "Tom Sawyer".

They really hit their stride on "Sum of All Failures" going from the acoustic intro into a well harmonized groove. "Stillborn Gods" find the vocals getting more aggressive and leaning the song more towards the death metal side, though there are still plenty of moments with a classic metal sound that bring this closer to thrash or maybe Death's more accessible moments. They close the album out with a slower death metal groove. Then eventually punch into something with a more deliberate groove. This might not be the album of the year, but it's way fucking better than I imagined it would be and hits some pretty awesome moments when it comes to its command to head bang. I'll give this a 9.


7.4

Hivelords : " Tapered Limbs of a Human Star"

One of the first things I thought about this Philly based band is that they have a slight Atriarch thing going on as the vocals start off sung in a more moaning tone than screamed. They are very dark, and would be black metal more often than not, so they doom side Atriarch has is not present, They vocals which are the most interesting part go back and forth between the more typical screams and the sung parts. The drummer is a mean machine for sure. The guitar has a chilly dissonance to them. Not being too familiar with their past work, I know last year they did add one of the guitarists from Tombs so I assume this might play a part in that.  So these guys have several things going in their favor. They favor a more angular black metal sound as they blast into "Vessel" . They hang on the faster drone until slowing down midway into things and the clean moaning vocal returns interject sparse lamentations. It begins to slow into something darker and cavernous, not sure if it is doomy despite the plodding tempo it goes into, it seems their objective is not to mourn but to echo out into oblivion.

The guitar takes a much different tone on"Begotten Grimoire" . The drums keep up a frantic blast and the vocal go for more of a typical higher black metal shriek. At the three minute marks it slows into more of a gallop into a more shining transcendence. The  clean singing is more distant here. The guitar forms an angular melody of the din. The fourth and final song is "I Climbed the Highest Dahkma to Find It" . This one is also the longest at over eleven minutes. The first song is ten so despite being only four songs a lot of music is packed in. They go for a more rapid dizzying pace that forms a sonic tornado around you. The sung vocals are more quickly interchanged with the screams. They transition out of the blasting to give the song more of a punch in the heavier accents that follow. Its not until the almost eight minute mark that the songs breaks down and shifts into a more doomy pound. It's been a minute since a American black metal band has impressed me this year. I'll give this album a 9, and see how it sits with me. More open minded and adventurous fans of black metal should waste no time checking this one out.

Rosetta : " Quintessential Ephemera"

This is the 5th full length and first as a 5 piece from this Philly based band who describes their music as being" music for astronauts". The first song "After the Funeral" is an instrumental with some very spacey guitar tones so you can see how this description might apply right from the get go. The they go int a series of untitled songs, on the first  when the vocals come in the coarse nature sounds like it could have come from any sludge meet post rock hybrid. I liked the way they step back and can space things out to allow the song breathing room. The clean vocals are smooth and not forced , sure they have an element of old Myspace emo to them, but they work, sometimes better than the bands efforts to get heavy which can feel like they are trying to hard and it is not being done organically. The vocals go higher they begin to remind me of the Used.


The second untitled songs starts the same way the next ended so on a cd this will be a smoother transition , but also might lead to you wondering which song you are on.Until the syncopated part and this effected guitar melody line that soars out of the song it stays to a similar bag of tricks. The fourth song is more of the same change some accents here and there, the bass line that emerges from the break is cool and they begin to take on a drugged out night on the beach  Janes Addiction like feel. The transition into heavier tones is the first that really works well for me and this is the first song where every thing seems to be clicking to my ears.The guitar melodies soar above the fury and have well placed purpose.

 The fifth untitled song is really more of an interlude as it's a twinkling little instrumental that never builds into any kind of solid beat to become a song.The sixth untitled song is pleasing to my ears as it gets darker, the vocals melody makes me think of the Deftones more melodic moments. When it gets heavier I can hear some Thursday influence as well. They build of the heavier dynamic going into the song that follows. They drop down into some post- Myspace girl friend metal, that keeps the heaviness off set by the sugar soaked melodies. The last real song of the album before the two remixes which I am not going to bother with is "Nothing in the Guise of Something". Its a dreamy post rock with a shoe gaze glaze to it that coasts along on the clouds.While there are some cool sounds captures they are not doing anything new.  That can generally be said for most songs on this album, however I'll round it up to an 8 since their song writing tends to distract you from that fact. https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Ego Likeness : "When the Wolves Return"

My primary experience with Ego Likeness has been from Dragon-con and some of the State of the Goth Scene panels, their music taps into a very dramatic and romantic vein of darkwave. One thing that gives them the edge is the use of of guitar to give the pulse of the songs more drive. "Darkness" pumps and seems like it would be a fun song live with its more industrial drive, the vocal line is a little on the repetitive side. Things tak a harder kick from the guitar with each passing song. There is almost a KMFDM feel to "En Rogue", the singers more Siouxsie side is delved into , but not exploited.   I like the Marilyn Manson like groove to "New Legion" , the lyrics to the chorus really sell this to me. Things get almost as epic as Night Wish on "Oracle".  They sultry syrup of her voice drips off the banging synths.

For some reason the more spoken vocals of  "Mercy" reminds me of "Vogue".  These guys sow you how big and adventurous dark wave can be when you don't limit you self to simple 80s casio beats. There is an ebb and flow to the dynamics of songs like " I Let You" which lets the beat bubble with cautious restraint, before unleashing a big chorus. Donna's alto is more smooth than it is powerful, but she chooses some interesting phrasing. The 90s slink to " Crossed" really works for me as it is pretty dark. "Treacherous Thing" would fit on the dance floor of any goth night, with it's trembling pulse. It builds up in an almost nu-metal fashion, that adds to the dynamics.Their is slicker Knight Rider like groove to the verses of " Persona Non Grata"which has one of the harder hooks to its chorus and you will remember them. The final couple of song balance out their more rock side with the driving form of dark wave that will be a breath of fresh air to any goths missing what made the 90s such a great era for the genre."Someday" doesn't do as much for me as some of the previous songs, but like all the other tunes here they are well produced and thoughtfully written. The title track is a brooding ballad that floats on an intangible cloud of ambiance.It feels more like a dramatic outro to me rather than a song that stands on it's own two feet. If you are into dark wave their is more to like than not on this album, I give them big props for not just ripping off Faith and the Muse or Siouxsie , but still acknowledging those influences. I'll give it a 9, if you are fan it might be their perfect album.

9

Fight Amp : "Constantly Off "

These guys have been around for a minute, this is their fourth album. By your fourth album you know what you are doing and doing it with perfected intention. What they are doing is Holy, Quicksand Rollins this album really brings it back to the 90s. The opener is much more Quicksand, I know some people get a little butt hurt when I compare them to other bands, but the solution is simple don't lean so heavily on your influences. "That's just what comes out..." is bullshit, sure things sneak into your subconscious. The grunge is every where it's colliding with Amp Rep bands.  There is some "Bleach" era Nirvana clunking in angst on "Leveling in a Dream". They pick up the pace for some more rowdy nastiness on " You Don't Wanna Live Forever", which is snarling violent punkish rock that finds a slacker melody to emote over the pummeling. This is a unique trick, but I don't think its my favorite one in their arsenal.  The heavier punches at the end of the song is that one's best moment.

The dirty metallic bass leads into the first guitar part that perks my ears up on " I Perceive Reptoids" . The angular nature of what they are doing here darkens things and the vocals benefit from the quivering effects they submerse them into. This is the first song I have been sold on from the get go. The vocals take on a Kurt Cobain yell before the song gives its last kick. This songs are short most under four minutes. "Happy Joyful Life" has a pretty powerful stomp to that hearkens back to Helmet, but with a more a dissonant shadow to the song.This album is really hit or miss. I think its a 7, but even then this is a little flat and drab for my taste.

Haldol : "S/t"

O.k giving the revival another chance this time it's a band from Nashville, that understood there sound would work better in Philly. The guitar is kinda death rock and the drummer has a thing for the disco beat. It is the vocals that are stuck in punk. These guys have more ball them than your average punk crossover in death rock.So they more than likely have some back ground in hardcore. The creep factor increasing by a few degrees and the singer comes closer to singing on "Insomnia in Dream City". The bass tone is burly. It growls out from under the guitars. Then it proves to be two steps forward one step back on "Law of Indifference" which despite its very Black Sabbath bass line finds the band falling back into their old punk ways.

They always seem to have a ton of drive to them " Time is Not on Our Side" brings attention to this fact. The drummer sticks to toms and the band gets heavier sonically around them. The punk chorus is the disappointment here. The guitarist knows how to get noisy in a good way. They do not really  give the darkness that should come with this sort of thing it's due until they slow down for the closing song "Beyond the Pleasure Principle". There is not much to it. The song just throbs and pulses until a little over the half way mark when the drums speed things up and give the song more form. You can hear the influence of early Cure here.

There is some potential here. This album sounds good. With a little more melody these guys will be there. This album I am going to round up to a 7.5 as the sounds are dead on, it's the imatturity of defaulting back to punk that holds these songs back  that can mar the album. If you are a punk fan it might be an 8 for you.

3.

Theurgist: "All of them Lowly Creatures"

Just when I thought I was done with all the Siouxsie impersonators. Zola Jesus has grown beyond that and  the last album Arctic Flowers released was disappointing  and then  I stumble across this band from Philly. They are creepier and less punk rock than Arctic Flowers , I suppose closer to the zip code Savages lives in. Though with the lead singers name being Amaris Mortis, which sounds like a black metal band, the are heading into the darkness with full intentions.

It's when the band drops down to a slower pace on "Verdugo" that they find their own identity . This also allows Mortis to flex her pipes, though in a more Switch Blade Symphony direction. It picks up again for "Lizzie Boredom" but the tempo varies during the song even though the bulk of the song is the more upbeat punk like vibe. The punk vibe often causes the songs to fly by in a boring blur, "Ill Heaven" falls prey to this where as the slower paced and more deliberate "Love Lies Bleeding" finds ways to be more unique in the vocal melody and the guitar hook.

The album's main weakness is not the punk vibes, but the poor production. The bass is also to low in the mix, it should be one of the driving factors in death rock. This does one hand prevent them from sounding like other death rock bands, but the album doesn't feel as dark and lacks those low end balls. Even with this going against them they are still darker than Arctic Flowers.

"Endor Voice" takes more of a Cure vibe , if you are thinking "Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me"  era with a slight "Silent Hedges " touch to the guitar. The bass comes out of hiding on this one. Overall this song is the most impressive on the album as it creates a sound that is justly dark , but original even when their influences are riding their black sleeves.

These guys and ghouls have a lot of potential and I want to hear more from them in the future. I'll around this one up to an 8.5, would like to hear what they could do with the type of production and time that was put into Beastmilk's last album. If you are a fan of horror punk, goth or post-rock..whatever name you want to put on the stuff coming out of the bat cave these days then this is worth a listen.

Check out their Bandcamp page, they are letting you name your price on their new one.
http://theurgist.bandcamp.com/

Night Sins : To London or the Lake

The newest album by the Philly goths has a more dancey Sisters of Mercy like energy, that was merely alluded to on their last album here it is more fully realized along with a lusher guitar sound. Lyrically there is more of a bdsm them, as tongue and cheek as it might be on " Bound Around the World" and " Dear Marquis".  Sometimes the vocal tone reminds me of Bella Morte, the twinkling guitar helps to hide this. The synths are at time more minimal than you would expect from this sort of dark wave, but overall there is a greater scope of sounds being employed here. The vocal production is also stepped up, with delay and reverb adding trippy nuances .

When they get mired in over wrought clichés, the guitar rescues the songs with it's web of melodies. The album at times begins to lean more heavily into cold wave and finds itself closer to VNV Nation  and steps away from the post- punk years of it finds it self in murkier waters. I don't think this is their strength as a band but it does reassure me that these aren't just hipster jumping on an ironic Joy Division band wagon, and this album is a rather deliberate step away from the Joy Division sound.

They journey deeper into the more cold wave direction on "Heaven In Snow" but this feels like it is more  balanced in blending this with their more familiar sound. The driving bass of death rock returns on " Neon Light Intoxicants" . The guitar and bass do must of the work as the vocals here tend to wander around. The line " All the young lovers are cold and dead" is the only one that really grabs me on this one.

The vocals on the verses of the title track display the new depth of emotion being utilized here, this album makes what you have heard from them previously seem one dimensional and they have done it with out sacrificing any of the bat cave darkness. This would keep the dance floor in motion as well as any of the 80's great they are deriving their inspiration from. This is still  to some degree derivative of their influences,  but is overlooked when you let the songs take you.

I'll go ahead and rate this one a 9.5  as it grows on me with each listen, the shift towards a more cold wave sounds at times is going to take a few more listens for me to adjust to and reminds me to much of what I see as the more mediocre era of goth where the emphasis was more on the dance floor fashion show than the instruments being played on stage.