Tuesday 3 October 2017

Satyricon "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" (2017)


Satyricon may not be the first band to come to mind when discussing Norwegian Black Metal but they have their place in its history. Around since the dawn of the 90s as a Death Metal outfit the group quickly switched to the new rebellious sound, releasing a couple of demo's before the scene blew up in the wake of scandalous church burning and murder. After a handful of records some consider classics, the duo Frost and Satyr strayed from the scenes roots leading into the millennium and developed their slower, discordant, somewhat atmospheric take on the music which has never received much critical acclaim but has grown them an niche audience.

Their last release, the self titled, was said to be a real stinker and so I gave it a pass, thus arriving at this new release with pretty low expectations. "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" is a murmuring stroll of a record that wanders through its various arrangements of ideas at a leisurely pace. With little urgency and barely any gusto the duo muster together riffs in a dull and dark setting. The tone is drab, linear and aesthetically rather flat despite a crisp distortion tone. The music is all guitar led and the only apparent chemistry is between the weaving riffs and Frost who throws down uninspired beats in varying degrees of intensity as Satyr wails thin and grisly half screams on queue with the songs tempo.

Monochromatic is the word that comes to mind, this record is narrow and lifeless. In an odd way there is a charm about its one dimensional vision. Something I think a different listener might find get a kick from but for me it was mostly dull bar an occasional moment to perk the ears. Everything here is driven by one guitar track, interlining sliding guitar leads and plucked notes between low end power chords. On occasional its technically impressive, almost always leaning into the unusual and unexpected spectrum of composition but lacking the inspiration to whisk these ideas into proper songs.

In a scattering of moments other sounds enter the music like half baked ideas. Satanic, worrisome operatic chants wobble in the distance with a guest vocal on the title track. The opening of "Dissonant" includes avant-garde trumpet playing buried under the guitars and wherever another dimension of sound opens up its always half committed, taking the wind out of its sails. Disappointing, this record could have been better as it does encroach on a unique flavor and moments of interest but with mainly weak and forgettable tracks it plays like a grey wash of blandness.

Favorite Tracks: Deep Calleth Upon Deep, Burial Rite
Rating: 3/10

Monday 2 October 2017

Enter Shikari "The Spark" (2017)


I felt an immense disappointment after the first play through of "The Spark", for it was as if the spark itself had gone from Enter Shikari, a band who Ive followed from my local schools to headlining festivals over the past decade. On reflection "The Mindsweep" is an immense record from a band who can sweep you up with their passion and persona without having to write subjectively brilliant music. That record was the moment where their identity found a new level, a musical brilliance that could possibly see it as their magnum opus, it was also my favorite record of 2015.

With repeated listens I found my way into the record and have my finger on the pulse of my initial reaction. The bar had been raised, expectation were high but Shikari make an artistic shift in direction that rubbed me the wrong way. The links to Metal and Hardcore have been severed, distortion guitars, breakdowns and explosions of energy are no more and these were often my favorite moments in their songs. The rest of what we know remains intact but we also hear a fervent shift to a more vulnerable emotive form of Rock that reminds me distinctly of Radiohead. This is especially so on a handful of songs where Rou opens up his voice for an honest softness to resonate over light instrumentation.

You can hear this new direction best on "Airfield" which leads straight into the contrasting "Rabble Rouser", a song that depicts the old Shikari perfectly. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a song left over from their previous direction. Its an electronic party club track with some light, overdriven chopping guitar licks in the build to a where you'd expect to find an explosive break down of sorts. Instead the track never finds climax despite being a solid track. I can't help but feel there is a conscious decision at work to not go down that avenue, even if the direction can still be felt in the music they write.

Change is always welcome, can't expect an artist to spin the same tricks forever but with a step to the side we also take a step back. "The Spark" is a fine record with a plentiful offering of emotionally warm music. Shikari tone down the aggression and flesh out the themes and lyrics of their songs with rich, colorful instrumentation, interweaving many electronic tones with light guitars in an uplifting spirit. "Undercover Agents" may brush up along side the currently popular "woah-oah-oah" chants but where they get excessively catchy and accessible it still seems very authentic and genuine. Given the current state of affairs, Rou's lyrics tackle the events of recent years that have shook many people with poetic turns of phrase that make for captivating hooks and choruses.

As a collection of songs its a fine affair but the flow of the record is somewhat choppy as the tone, mood and intensity fluctuates between and within the tracks. It really does feel like a transitional record for the band however this doesn't hinders the brilliance of these musicians from charming us with another swell of great musical ideas again. It has a fantastic production, a lot more creativity in the percussive department and with less reliance on the guitars they can still muster the sing along spirit that will have you bopping along at the live show! I hope they will grow well into this turn of pace.

Favorite Songs: The Sights, Live Outside, Take My Country Back, The Revolt Of The Atoms
Rating: 7/10

Sunday 1 October 2017

Biohazard "State Of The World Address" (1994)


It must of been around ten years ago that I picked up a couple records from the legendary Biohazard of NYC. I didn't get that far into their music and given their city it should be no surprise to hear they pulled elements of Metal and Hardcore together with a wealthy influence of Hip Hop, something you'd guess I'm dead into. Their thuggish street attitude and hardcore raps lined the Crossover sound with what was to be commonly know as Rap Metal before Nu Metal had yet to happen. Watching Noisy's piece on Post-Malone a segment with the rapper miming the words to "Tales From The Hardstyle" had me gripped, after learning it was Biohazard I have been binging on this record!

This record has a ton of energy, hurtling towards you through the lively guitars ripping Hardcore and Metal grooves on bruising distortion tones. Lined with a crisp and cutting drum kit the stage is set for vocalists Seinfeld and Graziadei to raise the stakes with shouted lyrics and raps, often blurring the lines between the two. Their best flows often cruise over the grooviest sections of riffage in the songs and plenty of gang shouts help bolster the street mentality that can be heard throughout the record.

A couple of tracks really blaze the trail but despite the lively setting and arising attitude a lot of the songs falls back on mediocre riffs that get a little dull after many listens. A couple of odd ideas crop up in the track listing. "Failed Territory" sounds entirely from a different band, an enchanting Spanish guitar leads us into an dark, haunting orchestral interlude that would be more fitting on a Cradle Of Filth record with its dark and illustrious keys clattering echos of Chopin's Funeral Macrbe. The intro to "Love Denied" also stars with dramatic, melancholy keys that might think you were being led into a heartache ballad if it wasn't for a an obtuse guitar solo grounding the theme in its Metal setting.

Both those moments felt out of place but otherwise its a really fun record with a fair weight of heavy topics between empowering strength and mentality focused Hardcore messages. Its been a great re-introduction to them but reading up on the band their prior release "Urban Discipline" seems to be their crowning moment so that's what ill be checking out next!

Favorite Tracks: Down For Life, Tales From The Darkside, Five Blocks To The Subway, Lack There Of
Rating: 6/10

Thursday 28 September 2017

Wiley "Godfather" (2017)


 Grime continues to grow bigger and I'm short of excuses, its about time I dived into another artist besides Dizzee Rascal and what a place to start! Its veteran Grime MC Wiley's eleventh album since his debut back in 2004 and Godfather is clearly the product of a master at work. At thirty eight years old Wiley brings a heavyweight of experience and craft to his rhymes, elevating the style beyond the street swagger and dialectic eccentricity Grime MC's rely on to a place of true substance. There's barely a word wasted across fifty four minutes of filthy banging beats and beefed up energetic raps with plenty to say.

Wiley's voice dominates the record with the sharpest flow and wit but he also brings over a dozen friends to feature on the tracks creating a wealth of variety as they handle some of the hooks and choruses too. Everyone brings their best and the same can be said of the instrumental production, lively, loud obnoxious beats with groove and attitude command your attention. The album vibes on dark and grizzly atmospheres with violent, menacing beats echoing the sound of London's streets. Slick mafioso strings rub up against dirty buzzing baselines and gunshots litter the gaps between sturdy, crisp, hard hitting kits that lay down tight patterns to anchor the rhymes and instruments together on the same wavelength.

Its one banging track after the next, the foot is never let of the gas and Wiley's sharp, concise flows make it easy to follow his train of thought as he slides in plenty of technically gifted trickery, sliding in bursts of double tempo words. Between the boisterous status affirming stances loaded with smart word play a couple of remarkable messages emerge, the story of the come up plays on "Speakerbox" stating the struggle origin artists like Wiley went through to make Grime happen and set the stage for future generations who can now do this without help from record labels. "Laptop" tells a more personal story of the hard work and grind centered around the love of making music on his MacBook.

Godfather scratched itches that modern Hip Hop hasn't come close to in recent memory bar Kendrick Lamar. Although the album is strictly Grime, "U Were Always Great" has a fantastic instrumental reminiscent of Jazz Hop summer time chill outs. Its all positives although a fairly predictable streak of materialism runs through on tracks like "Name Brand" given the fashion culture around the scene. The track "Bang" plays with fire as guest MC Ghetts goes spitting with an overtly aggressive tone that avoids being to much to bare. The strong instrumental holds it together and I'm left walking away from this one itching for more. The question is what Grime record should I pickup next?

Rating: 8/10
Favorite Tracks: Bring Them All, Joe Bloggs, Bang, U Were Always Part 2,

Wednesday 27 September 2017

The Contortionist "Clairvoyant" (2017)


Shaking all remnants of their "uber brootal", technical indulgences of past, the Indiana Metal outfit The Contortionist mark their first decade as a band with this new full length that feels like a sophomore release given the dramatic shift in sound that 2014s "Language" brought about. Three years later "Clairvoyant" follows up by shaking the echos of old with barely no screamed vocals and the toning down of distortions to let the musical compositions shine brightly as an aesthetic treat of delicious instruments forming in a union of sound, poised to illuminate expressions and dazzle with melodics.

Being so familiar with its successor, "Clairvoyant" was an instant success, picking up exactly where they left off, it has been an indulging fifty four minutes that continues to deliver even as I listen and write now. After ten or so spins I feel as if I'm just stirring the surface water, the depth of an ocean below unknown. Despite being familiar with the songs, they continue to ooze with aesthetic charm and swells of inspiration as the density of compositions relays the same ideas through all its dimensions of instruments that are gracefully in sync with one another on this rich journey.

The music has a fantastic sense of pace, its progression dynamic and fluent with the contractions its riffs and leads bring about as every twist and return comes with space to breath and reflect. The keyboards play a huge role on this record as the glue that holds the music together, interweaving themselves in the density that lurks behind the guitar led sections and as they break, the keys rise to the fold, moving the atmosphere along between the highs and lows the dense music explores and quite often coming to the forefront with typically Progressive Rock like leads.

Singer Lessard gives a very self indulgent performance, swooning in his own voice he reaches for the subtle, soft and harmonies qualities in his voice and gently pushes them out to the waters. A lyrical dimension is obviously prevalent as the power of some words resonates greatly over top of the instrumentals. Its icing on the cake of a wonderfully atmospheric and indulgent set of songs that take their time to fully experience the magic of their melody without packing it into conventional means. They rather to explore those moments in their illustrious production which is a marvel of sound, getting an utterly sweet and supple aesthetic in a dense environment of energetic instruments that gel together with power and thickness. Its a massive step forward for the group, shedding the now irrelevant screams and metallic guitar moments its predecessor had stitched in. These songs will be fantastic to catch live, which I hope to do so soon!

Rating: 8/10

Friday 22 September 2017

Souls Of Mischief "93 Til Infinity" (1993)


Five or so years ago I would of adored an album like this. Its clearly got those classic 90s Hip Hop vibes, soulful and jazzy with funky fresh flows. Back then I just couldn't get enough of the scene, Ive listened to so much of it now I'm actually surprised this one managed to get past me. The Souls Of Mischief are four MC's from the West Coast who are part of the Hieroglyphics collective led by Del The Funky Homosapien, who unsurprisingly produces a couple of tracks and features a verse on another track. Despite being from the West Coast, Souls don't rock the G-Funk vibes, in fact their sound more so resembles the East Coast but their streak of uniqueness is both in the technical yet inspired raps and the instrumentals which combine elements of the smoother Jazz Hop with the hype and energy of Boom Bap.

93 Til Infinity is their debut and said to be the groups best, such a common occurrence in Hip Hop. With an abundance of youthful energy and desire to make themselves heard, Souls put together a rich journey of impressions told through the lens of their lively, rugged rhyme styles which stand apart from the crowd. With a majority of smooth sounds drawing samples from Jazz and Funk, the MCs bring contrasting flows that duck and weave with the lyrical dexterity for trading blows between intricate mid sentence rhyme play, flow chopping and train of thought consciousness raps. Its all impressive and at times the flows can get quite technical but one of the group, Opio, has a nasal tone and on a couple of songs the fidelity of the mics used gives it a thin and rasp sound, a slight gripe I have but the point should be the contrast. All four have tones and flows that stick out from the often smooth backing which is its charm, on occasions it can dip a touch to far.

There's no doubt you'll find plenty of favorite lines scattered across the fourteen tracks. At fifty five minutes it does draw on but the group have a lot more to say than the average record. Apart from one or two boisterous tracks and flows it seems as if there is always a point to be made, an observation to be told and it comes through plenty of tricksy flows to show off the groups creativity. The production is somewhat varied to my ears, there's quite a clutter of sampling at work and through the layers a strong vibe emerges however there are a handful of songs where the clutter is a bit much the song gets muddy and some of the samples rub up against each other. The drums however are always sturdy, providing a solid bombastic groove for the flows to align with.

I didn't get deep into this record but a few years back this would of been my addiction. The vibes are on point and the lyrics are continually charming with creativity and originality and I think you could really get into some of the more technical flows that demonstrate multi syllable rhyming ans all sorts of techniques to sink your teeth into as a listener. Its been a fun listening experience, I can totally dig why people say 93 Til Infinity is a classic!

Favorite Tracks: Live And Let Live, A Name I Call Myself, Anything Can Happen
Rating: 7/10

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Milk Teeth "Be Nice" (2017)


Here on the music blog I have covered all the previous releases from this promising young band."Vile Child" and "Sad Sack" were both equally impressive records that captured the spirit of 90s Grunge yet spun it with their own taste and character that spared them from being seen as a nostalgia act. This limited four track release unfortunately looses the spark of uniqueness as their noisy and textually adventurous aspects of the guitar work are stripped back for a crisper, cleaner recording.

"Be Nice" still has the foundation for the energetic grungy attitude however the climatic moments here are not working. The big howling Post-Rock leads that usual swoon away in these songs can be heard shimmering into the fold but lack a striking melody or aesthetic magic to elevate the song like they have done so before. The ideas are certainly present but going back to old songs like "Burger Drop" or "Trampoline" the gulf of emotional impact is massive. So much magic emerges in those old tracks which are far more inventive than these four which seem to be hedged in by the cleanliness.

 Not to dwell on negatives, the drumming is fantastic here, a ton of energy sprawling out across the kit with fantastic fills, rolls and driving beats that really pulled along the riffs, which again felt a little sterile given the clean production. The lyrical themes are decent, musing on relationships and commitment with life on the road. Its really not a bad record at all but I expected so much more from this group and thus disappointment. I hope an album is on the way but if they are gunning for a cleaner sound with less of that big and noisy guitar work I'm probably not going to be keen.

Rating: 3/10

Monday 18 September 2017

KMFDM "Hell Yeah" (2017)


I almost passed on this new release from the German Industrial legends "Kein Mehrheit Fur Die Mitleid" and having given "Hell Yeah" a few plays through that would of been wise. Why? Its exactly what I expected, 2014's "Our Time Will Come" was interesting given it had been a while since I last checked in them. Its clear KMFDM have got their sound down to a science, a formula they repeat every few years and so the music was predictable. This is their twentieth full length and its actually the second longest gap between records which is kinda remarkable considering they have been consistently at it for over thirty years since 1986.

And so we have another fifty minutes of fist pounding Industrial Rock loaded with harsh EBM beats and electro synths that don't offer a lot of depth in terms of replay value and subtly. Its all upfront, in your face with all of the instruments compressed, loud and very audible. The compositions interweave electronic melodies and samples backed by hard ripping distortion guitars and the incessant steady thudding of club kick beats. Its reasonable but no surprising or memorable moments arise from a sturdy set of instrumentals mostly arranged in verse chorus.

The most interesting aspect is the typically anarchistic social-politically minded lyrics which take current topics and stir them into statement ridden lyrics, making it very clear where on the left they stand. They do provide a few catchy hooks or lines with insight to ponder on, IE the "Fake News" bringing up an idea of "news addiction" which I found to be an insightful statement. The albums cover further enforces the current topical nature of the music but its not much to save this from being the same sound spun again. Not even the production seems to have progressed and so we have a predictable record. Although I like the bands style and sound, this record offered nothing new bar one or two intriguing lyrics.

Favorite Tracks: Freak Flag, Fake News
Rating: 4/10

Saturday 16 September 2017

Nine Inch Nails "Add Violence" (2017)


Its been four years since the last full length NIN record and fans are still crying out for more! At the end of 2016 we got the short EP "Not The Actual Events" and seven months later another short experience comes our way with rumors of a third in the works to make up a trilogy. In my mind this record sets itself up for disappointment with a huge contrast between the remarkable opening track "Less Than" and its ambient, atmosphere driven tracks that follow. "Not Anymore" musters aggression again in a noisy whirl of gritty bassline distortion and ambiguous, eerie synths that culminate with an explosive emergence of industrious groove and textural ecstasy from its crying sirens. It though, doesn't par with the vibes of its opener.

Its to short of a record to bridge the gaps between the different avenues of Trent's genius. It kicks of with retro jiving synths pulsating over muddy dissonant bass noise, the words and rhymes sung with a 90s edge that kicks into a sublime chorus so fitting of that era. In a strange way Trent's "So what are you waiting for?" hook reminds me of Oasis, if anything its a sign of where the musics coming from. A simple power chord arrangement flying high in a dense wall of sound the breaks out from the verses. Its one of the best songs Ive heard from him but that's not saying much given my lack of time with the NIN discography.

The energy, intensity and momentum is switched off instantly as the next two songs roll into the quiet and calm of downtempo electronic ambience. "The Lovers" has a fantastic backbone beat and murmuring melody that plays like the beating of a heart or ticking by of time, ceasing a sense of passing time as Trent calls through the fog of a chilling and lonely soundscape. The following number is similar with Ethereal vibes creeping into its dense and rich layers of sound that subtly moan and groan with what sounds like an effeminate voice buried between layers of sleepy sounds.

The record drones out with an experiment in noise manipulation as the final loop of music at the four minute mark is repeated over and over for a further seven minutes with increasing distortion, eventually devolving into a tonal mess with no resemblance to where it started. It stretches the run time with little avail. Its been an interesting listen but the stellar songs really deserved a slot in a full length project, on this EP they might go by unnoticed by some fans.

Favorite Tracks: Less Than, This Isn't The Place
Rating: 5/10

Wednesday 13 September 2017

Soley "We Sink" (2011)


Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Soley has created a rather beautiful piece of memorable melancholy with her debut "We Sink". The albums theme has been stirring deep in my mind these past few months, its cutesy childlike innocence takes a dreamy, wandering stroll towards harm as playful curiosity leads to a dark haunting with a handful of the albums songs. It alone is not the only charm, where danger is not near a stream of soothing delicate emotion ripples from her sweet and graceful voice, singing humble, personal tales over folksy acoustic guitars and warm, golden piano notes. With gentle instruments and guileless percussion, aesthetics take a powerful roll in setting the tone as natural ambiences, fidelity and microphone choices characterize the instruments meaning in the music.

"Bad Dream" is the albums first turn to shadows, the microphone and its use of reverberation gives the song an early recording nostalgia that heavily emphasis the aesthetic subtlety found steering key instruments in several songs throughout. "Kill That Clown" echos an innocence passing through black flames as a sublime solo piano orchestrates a dark, harrowing presence for Soley's voice to wander by, unaware of whats lurking in the shadows. Another dark track "About Your Funeral" has a fantastic example of the childish innocence infecting the rhythm with playful beat boxed rhythm. This can also be heard on the opener "I'll drown" with its percussion made of knocks and taps like the smashing of toys for instinctive, primal sounds.

These elements come together for entrancing songs that captivate attention with their emotional connections to wondrous and personal places that flirt with darkness in moments. The lyrics constantly teeter on pain and the contrast between its inviting nature and apparently darker meanings create an air of mystery that illuminates an ambiguity lurking in every moment of this record. Its without a weak point, every song goes somewhere and a couple really do strike a nerve in their element. This is a stunning debut that will only entice me for more now.

Favorite Tracks: I'll Drown, Blue Leaves, Kill That Clown, About Your Funeral, Theater Island
Rating: 8/10