Doused in Mud, Soaked in Bleach : A Tribute to Nirvana

It's Record Store Day, since I haven't bought a physical album in 5 years, I'll at least review one that the few thousand of so of you who do might be thinking about purchasing. This is third and final Nirvana tribute from Robotic Empire takes on the debut album "Bleach" which was Nirvana's heaviest and darkest. Thou takes a blackened stab at "Floyd the Barber" which was the first Nirvana song I ever heard. The vocals are really the only change here as it's hard to make this one any heavier than it already was. Grind-coring it out would have not been a wise choice as it would have ruined the song's initial intentions. Philly rockers Beach Slang, do "About a Girl" justice, but it sounds like the Foo-Fighters covering it do to the singer's vocal range/inflections.

Boston's Basement rocks out a convincing version of  "School", one thing about album's like these I like is it gives you the chance to check out some bands that you might not have heard otherwise. One of the more mainstream band's on here is Circa Survive who cover "Love Buzz" . My band in high school also covered this song so it has a soft spot in my black heart. I think at 16 I prolly sang it in a similar tenor. Musically they ape this one almost too close for me to hear them as a band, though their emo Yes thing is toned down here and haven't listened to this band in about a decade. This Will Destroy You are not really an underground band any more, though the are closer to being than than post- My Space Circa Survive. They wised up an didn't try to make this just an instrumental or get too post- rock with it. The vocal sound like they weren't mic'ed but picked up on one of the drum mics as they recorded it. They come too close to being too hip for their own good here, but it all manages to work out at the end of the seven minutes.

Young Widows , who I have confused with True Widow more than once throw their instruments into "Negative Creep" and come across like Sonic Youth making some kind of drunken joke. The fun and games doesn't end their as Mean Jeans goes a smirking rendition of "Scoff". I suppose the irony in them scoffing at the song should not be lost.  Rob Crow from Pinback of course kills "Swap Meet".  Last year Crow said that he was quitting music so I guess not and can begin this is the gateway drug to another Pinback record. One band I'll gladly sacrifice in order to retain Rob Crow is Fall of Troy who covers "Mr Moustache". They have the right energy for this, but don't really bring much personality to the table. Speaking of energy there is a deficit of that in Big Hush's take on "Sifting" . Daughters come back and redeem this album with their on point version of "Big Cheese", which hits the right balance between being true to themselves and capturing the song. The Saddest Landscapes is more of themselves and less like Nirvana on "Downer'. Overall this album hits more than it misses, though some of these flubs I wouldn't want to listen to more than once, But I'll give this an 8.5 .


10.8
 

Hawkwind :" the Machine Stops"

Here's a rule... if you are going to throw around a band's name when it comes to influencing other artists you like , then you must review their albums when they are released or you are very simply a poseur. You don't have to like it. As not all band's can keep up the kind of streak that the likes of Bowie and Zappa had. Things have changed since their days Lemmy was in the band. The sci-fi element was not toned down, instead it was allowed to run wild. If you do drugs and are not doing them when you listen to this album, that needs to change. This concept album is based on the Em Forster book of the same name .The first actual space rock goes down on the second song "the Machine". At it's core the band's sound has retained it's roots and there is not threat of them isolating the cult following they have garnered over the years.

Of course Dave Brock is setting the controls for the heart of the sun on "King of the World" , the only other original member along for this rocket ride is Tim Blake, who also played in Gong. From the Nik Turner camp Dead Fred is aboard with violin in tow. "In My Room" is not a Beach Boys cover , but a song that starts off as whirling psyche rock before turning into rain sound effects. One of the more bizarre turns I have ever heard a song take. The song that it wanted to be certainly sounded pretty cool. "Thursday" wants to have a harder rocking to it's siren drone. If you think your indie rock band is "psyche" then you need to check your self and listen to this album because these drug sniffing dogs still have it. I can tell midway into this album it's blowing the last Pink Floyd out of the water even with half the production value. The brighter more upbeat vibe the beginning of "Synchronized Blue" goes for is not my favorite sound from them, but they do make an attempt to rock it a little harder, to the point of touching upon metal. They even get proggy and go off on a meandering keyboard solo.

Space rock might be the crown they wear, but it doesn't stop them from dipping into almost trip hop like beats on the more subdued"Hexagone" that finds the vocals tip toeing around a 60's mod melody that would go well with a cup of tea. Cosmic synths set the stage for "Living on Earth" that has one of the album's more interesting vocal melodies". The keyboards wander around over this song , but some how they jammy quality that it floats on makes it work. Jamming is what goes down particularly after the break at the four minute mark. They glide around the bubbly yet exotic path of the Milky Way on " the Harmonic Hall". This finds the band stepping even deeper into electronica. This song is more of an instrumental, with the breathy chanted vocals sounding more like another sampled layer.

They return to more straight up rock on "A Solitary Man". This song brings the band back down to earth, and perhaps too much so. It's not a bad song, it doesn't seem to play to the band's strengths. They do however shine on like the crazy diamonds they are with the up tempo dream bath of "Tube". This opus comes to a close with "Lost in Science" . It sounds like droids are robbing a bank before the band goes into their legendary brand of space punk. I'm not sure how much air play this will get from me since I no longer drop acid ...or do any drugs, but if I am going to relapse on the more mind expansive drugs then this would be on tap. I really like how they maintained their sense of identity while dabbling in newer sounds. I'll give this one a 10.

the Small Hours Society : Hunting Season

When I think of Greece this is not the kind of music that comes to mind. Granted Rotting Christ was the first band I thought of when it comes to music being exported from there. But they do have other music aside from metal, This band for one who sounds like if the Verve were desperate drug addled depraved cretins then they might be able to make something that sounds like this band. These guys might be upstanding citizens, but that would smash my rock n roll fantasies that needs might rock stars on the brink of death and the edge of a dirty needle. "Black to the Core" is punchy rock with punk leanings, it doesn't have the same heart of darkness the first song had but isn't bad. The vocals shift in 'the Captive" carries a more taunting monotone with a shade of post- punk to it.The guitars pick up the slack and are willing to slam on some sonic dissonance in a second. There is more of a slinky Morphine like groove to "bossa".

"no relapse" rang it's drone below my radar on the first listen and had to be revisited. Like most of their songs finds a release for the tension, here is a building jangle. The vocals don't demand to become the focal point and work more like some of the more punk influence moments of 90s alternative. There is the kind of  hypnotic pull to "river" that I am always hunting for in music. it lulls you in but still has ample balls to it. If Sonic Youth and Wovenhand somehow managed to get the guys in Fugzai high and convince them to star playing again the results might be similar to 'second hunting" , so in other words pretty fucking awesome. I think fans of the Afghan Wigs will also find common ground with this band. There is more of a brooding indie rock vibe to the anger underlying "the Dare". Some of the iconic sounds from the early 90's noise punk can also be found here, though noise takes a back seat to groove in this urgent narrative.

There is more of a rock energy to the more upbeat "sour water". This doesn't mean they forsake their tendency to drone. It's explosive with the shadows of their demons haunting it. I would not at any point reference these guys as being shoe-gaze, nor would I say they are grunge , but the influence of the two genres touches on some of the attitudes found in the music they are making. I would not call "control" a ballad, but it has a less aggressive strum to it than the bulk of the album, yet has a folk punk drive. Overall genres be damned this album is a lot of fun and might make you remember what was so fun about the explosion of alternative music in the 90s without insulting your intelligence. I'll round it up to a 9.5.

Private Pact : " Purity"

Mass Media just released this band from Copenhagen's album "Purity". On their Bandcamp there was something suggesting this had been around since 2014, but the record label was just now putting it out of vinyl, but for the sake of this blog we will consider it released this year instead of wasting any more of my afternoon trying to track down those stats about this obscure band. on the more neo-folk side of post-punk, but there are swathes of many dark sub-genres at work here. The baritone vocals are hesitant and delivered like the singer isn't too sure of himself. There is more of an industrial stomp under the heavily effected vocals which work better than the vocals on the first song. More minimalist than Ministry and not as abrasive as Skinny Puppy, I think of the two songs I have heard thus far from the band this is their strongest side. The title track finds the industrial taking a more dark wave turn as the singer does his best Riff Raff impersonation. This one drones on the same groove the whole time.  "God's Secret Army" finds the vocals more spoken than sung as this song marches on.

"The Wall" find the band dying back in June, there is a somewhat militant march to the weird parade through this dark forest. The vocals continue to be more spoken than not here."Bound By Blood" brings back the synths and a stiff dark wave beat. The tentative vocals go back to a melodramatic goth croon. He just needs to commit to belting it out. When he does go a little more Bela Lugosi with it his voice sounds stronger. The drums build in with more of a tribal dance while the guitars feel more western on "Natural Father".  The elegant ambiance that is needed to earn the title goth floats in on "Everything".   It drops down to a more minimal pulse when the vocals come in. Some impressive guitar textures are layered over this. the vocals even attempt to become more engaging without forsaking their cold detachment. There is a Current 93 feel to "Creature". It has an industrial clanging , but a heavy Brit narrative.

 There is more melodic engagement on the closing "Violence" when the vocals are layered they work really well. The odd punches on the chorus are a nice touch too.I'll give this a 7.5. It has a ton of potential. I think if the singer steps up his game they will be there, because the arrangements don't really allow for the vocal to not handle all the heavy lifting when it comes to the story telling. I suppose if the instrumentation rocked it out more it might put them closer to say Cult of Youth, but where they are at current is a good start and another name in my data base of projects to keep an ear open for.
 

Alaric : "End of Mirrors"

I've been a fan of this band since the whole death rock revival came into my consciousness. Now five years later, my fears that they might have broken up are put to rest making this a very welcome return. All the things that have made them work in the past are in place here. Like a doomed out version of Killing Joke the band plows into the post- apocalyptic wasteland their music conjures. There are varied levels of gloom ridden melody thanks to their bassist. The opener drones on a little from the onset but it all pays off when the song kicks in. While it has a brooding under current the tribal drumming gets a little more upbeat on "Wreckage". It doesn't grab me with the same urgency as the first song, but grows on me with repeat listens. It took three listens before I really wrapped my head around it's hypnotizing groove.

"Mirrors" has more of a cool goth slink to it. Shane Baker's vocal commit more fully to the desperate croon than we have heard from him in their previous releases. The guitar melody is hooky and the bass player continues to to kill it. "Adore" begins with a more balladic brooding and slowly swells with layers of despairing pleading. It eventually picks up into more of plodding punk drone before the noise crazed wave of atmosphere over takes it. "the Shrinking World" continues to drift down the dreamy desolation of a paranoid urban landscaped described in the lyrics. This is dark story telling along the lines of Tom Waits or Nick Cave.

The title stomps back into motion. Heavy and driving as metal, by most definitions derived after 1988 this is not metal, unless Hawkwind falls within your bounds of metal.  It is as heavy sonically as it is aggressive. This line of though taps into a key component of their sound this aggression, even in the albums more passive moments it's still bubbling under the surface like a serial killer staring at themselves in the mirror. While this band might have come into my consciousness along when the death rock revival rolled into the inner webs, I think a song like "Angel" makes it clear that to dismiss this band as death rock is dramatically over simplifying it even at the most morose. The ghostly quality to this song doesn't make you feel like you are sharing needles in West Hollywood on Halloween night. It is more expansive in the way it haunts you. It's going to take a few more listens before this slow working drug is fully in my system, but it lives up to the legacy they began so I'll around it up to a 10.

Haxen : "s/t"

O.k here is some straight up black metal. What's going on in Rhode Island because shit is getting grim up there. It sounds like it was written in a shack out the in woods. Raw, but not to the point that it sounds like a bunch of metal trash cans are being tossed out into a storm. There is atmosphere to this and yes...it is pretty much a blast fest. These guys are from Rhode Island, but they don't like most American project and are more convincing in their blackness. That is the good news and the bad news as it also means they are sticking to the same worn out formula so many black metal bands who have come before them have trodden. The vocals sometimes drop into a lower death metal gurgle which gives as slight shade of their own to things. They almost lose me on the senseless blasting of the third song before slowing down to capture a more sinister mood.

They don't indulge in long drawn out blasting drones and keep things pretty too the point as that is very much how these songs are written to it would be blast beating a dead horse to do much more. Sure "Cryptic Fire" is brutal and if that is all you need from black metal then this might be your new favorite band. It begins to bore me and begins to become background music rather than capturing my attention. By the following song it doesn't matter if they are slowing down or speeding up tonally it's all beginning to sounds the same. The more black n roll drum beat does offer a little hope and the guitar finds a dreary melody to layer things with. The vocals even taken on a cleaner moan before the bast beats blitz any cool creative thoughts that were developing out of the water.

It takes the dark and dismal riff of the depressive "Abismo" to get my attention and I find myself asking why haven't they been doing this the whole time.The guitars are capable of playing actual melodies.There is a more bestial roar to "Kvnnt". While powerful it doesn't offer much in the way for song writing aside offering a more death metal shade to what this project does. There is more thought to the songwriting of "Apparitions". It may not be as dense as the previous song, but this allows something closer to a real song to form.Not the album's most dynamic moment, but in light of the song that came before it there's improvement, yet not what the band showed they are capable of delivering earlier. When the bass stops to rumble by itself, it's too little too late as I am not sure what they point of that was. The atmosphere and melancholy sense of melody that I want from this project returns on "Ceremonial Wounds, though this is not nurtured as they explode into a more wrathful temper tantrum. The last song kind falls flat for me to as it rushes by with little in the way of texture.I'll give this one a 7 it has some cool moments just loses some consistency in the second act.

Bog of the Infidel: "Asleep in the Arms of Suicide"

The little intro ditty from this Rhode Island bands offers the hope that this  album might have more thought put into it and suggests more of Dissection direction than the rawer blast fest that follows. I am willing to keep listening and give these guys a shot as there is more of tease toward traditional metal on "Congregation of Judas". It's evident that 1349 is an influence on these guys and they have given their Iron Maiden records a spin. The guitars are the stars of the show here.The drummer keeps up, but perhaps it's the production it feels like he is really having to hustle to keep up. Tonally the drums sometimes sound like trash can being beaten on. The vocals have a dry rasp and sit behind the guitars and sound like muffled growls. Why is it the interludes sound better than the actual songs? Why don't they take that more nuanced sound and combine it with what they do ?

The fact they eventually slow into more of  gallop improves "Coils of the Noose" and the chanting under the less restrained return to acceleration helps stop some of the bleeding. But this artery bursts  soon enough and finds the song reduced to a blur of riffs haunted by the ghost of good ideas. More Maiden influence surfaces this time filtered through the burn of crystal metal in the drumming as we enter "Unravelling the Bracelets of Fortune". Another speed fest that could be any other black metal if they tortured their lead screamer enough. The lead work continues to impress, though the rule around here is "cool riffs alone don't make a good song" this goes double for solos. The bass cuts through on " Eden", but the song remains the same in many ways even with the sped up flourishes of "Phantom of the Opera". The chanted cadence in the background returns, but it's buried deeply in the fuzz.If you get impressed by guitar solos and guitar harmonies then you might want to good ahead and check this album out before I am even done reviewing it.

The closing song "Black Awakening" is 11 minutes long and finds me beginning to tune it out as I am so numbed out to their blasting at this point in time. That two minutes in I find my self being very thankful for the more galloped riff even when they have to bog this infidelity down in color by numbers NWOBHM interplay that is just pumped up and high on speed. The drummer finds himself pulling off some of his best moments of the album on this one, but it's still the guitar players show.I'll round this one down to a 7 because the last song begins to feel very tedious to me. The color by numbers metal is well executed and this album touches upon some fine moments, carrying the torch for traditional metal , but giving it the teeth of black metal.