Sadly Missed: The 90 Minute Mixtape

Those who have been folllowing / reading this blog for a while will be aware that I do, on occassion, use it to get random thoughts and ideas off my chest (and out of my brain) as well as for reviewing and sharing new music. Well, dear friends, this is one of those posts. A random collection of thoughts, musings if you will.

Without meaning to sound like an old git - I remember my own reaction as a teenager when someone went on about vinyl being better than these new fangled CD thingumajigs - I feel sorry for the kids of today. Not only due to the fact that they will (probably) never experience the life-affirming, coming of age joy of trawling through the racks of a proper independent record shop and picking a handful of albums based on cover alone (this is a subject I have already covered), but because they won't be familiar with the concept of making or receving a 90minute cassette (the TDK D90, above, was my weapon of choice) filled to the very last second with music - let's face it, doing this properly was an art form. Choosing the songs, not only for quality, but by length to ensure that you could fit the maximum number of songs on each 45 minute side.

The running order was all important too. You wanted the recipient to enjoy the compilation, of course you did, but more than that, you wanted to impress them with your musical knowledge and diversity, while all the time not coming across as a pretentious twat - it was an imperceptibly fine line, which I probably crossed frequently. You couldn't just throw together an eclectic collection of music that  had no flow. No, these songs had to work together, the ending of one song almost seguing into the beginning of the next.

Now, I have been thinking (careful now) and ignoring the dubious legality of it all, I want to try to revive this lost art. Who's with me? All it would involve is making a compilation, in two 45 minute parts naturally, uploading it to Dropbox or suchlike and then posting the link here.

New Music Round-Up: 15th Feb 2015

Heidevolk

Dutch folkies, Heidevolk first came to my attention in 2007 with the "Wodan Heerst" EP and I was immediately impressed with their unique sound and especially with the chanted, baritone vocal delivery. With all of the lyrics in their native tongue and their catchier than herpes melodies, I had never heard anthing like them before (ok, so the violin is more than a little Skyclad influenced). They may have introduced some heavier, growling vocals, but the core sound has stayed distinctly Heidevolk and in the modern, over-saturated Folk Metal scene, Heidevolk still stand out as a band which sounds like no other and true originality in 2015 is a rare thing indeed.

Svartsot

This is the most exciting release of the year for me as it signals the long overdue return of the best Folk Metal band on the planet right now. When I first heard the band's debut album "Ravnene's Saga" back in 2007 (a good year for Folk Metal, apparently), I was totally blown away. I hadn't heard anything like this band before (or since). They combined the Folk melodies of (early) Thyrfing or Skyclad (my favourite band, incidentally) with the Death Metal crunch of Amon Amarth, but didn't sound like any of these bands. In fact, Svartsot are a completely unique prospect and I have waited four long years for this, the follow-up to 2011's admittedly patchy "Maledictus Eris". Bands like Svartsot don't get much attention from the music press and I suspect many of you won't be familiar with them, so if you like what you hear, please support the band. You can pre-order the album here: http://www.svartsot.dk/

Moonspell 

 
Portugal's biggest (possibly only) Gothic Metal export are back with their 11th full length "Extinct" and judging from the two tracks I've heard, while they seem to have taken yet another step towards a more mellow Gothic Rock sound, it might also be a career best. Even a cursory listen to "Extinct" and "The Last Of Us" brings to mind the mainstream-bothering likes of The Cult and Sisters Of Mercy as much as it does the dark melody of Paradise Lost and Type O Negative and this is definitely not a bad thing.

Schnee

Germany's, Schnee opt for a sound that will be very familiar to fans of Finnish Atmopheric Black Metal / Nature Folk acts such as Nest, October Falls and Tenhi amd to a lesser extent, Norwegian Ambient Black Metal pioneers, Burzum. What this demo lacks in originality and recording quality, it more than makes up for with its haunting Black Metal atmospherics and achingly beautiful soundscapes. Definitely a(n amusing) name to watch out for, Schnee means snow in German in case you were wondering. Click the link to hear the demo.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMYA4K-ZKlk

 
Keep Of Kalessin

Where to start with the brilliant and painfully under-rated Keep Of Kalessin? Well the Norwegian veterans started out as a more traditional Black Metal band akin to (early) Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, et al, but over the years have, along with their more visionary peers, cultivated a much more Avant-Garde sound akin to Arcturus and Ulver. If you have yet to discover this gem of a band, I suggest you pick up a copy of new album, "Epistomology" right away.

New Music Round-Up: 8th Feb 2015

Cripper

Despite the horrible name (taken from an old working song title, apparently), German Modern Thrashers, Cripper are actually a bloody good band. Everyone knows that Germany has a long and rich Thrash Metal history and it's good to see bands like Cripper picking up the torch and running with it. OK, so purists will no doubt moan that it isn't "true" Thrash, but it also isn't 1985. Times change and music evolves. I think even the most jaded old school Thrasher will find something to get excited about on new album, "Hyëna".'

Dawnbringer

Dawnbringer have, over the span of  the last 20 years, perfected their unique style - which is an odd hyvrid  of Trad Metal, Doom, Black and Gothic Metal. The overall sound of Dawnbringer is hard to describe, but one obvious point of reference would be fellow Trad Metal oddballs (The Lord Wierd) Slough Feg. There is atmosphere aplenty on new album, "Night Of The Hammer" and along with some Maiden-esque leads and a decent vocal delivery from the ever-improving Chris Black. Overall, "Night..." is a rewarding and irresistable listening experience and one that gets better with repeat listens.

Diablo Blvd.

 
 Despite them having been around for a decade now, I haven't happened across Diablo Blvd. until now and I don't know what the older albums sound like, but "Follow The Deadlights" is even harder to sum up than Dawnbringer. The overall sound is undeniably "Southern Metal", but there are elements of Gothic Metal, Groove Metal, Grunge and even New Romantic to be found here. I have only heard the album once through so far, but I picked out parts that reminded me of a wide range of bands including 5FDP, Paradise Lost, Volbeat, Poisonblack, Wildhearts, Type O Negative, Danzig, Soil and Demon Hunter. Despite all of this there is something interesting and fresh about Diablo Blvd. and I am looking forward to hearing more from them in the future as well as searching out their back catalogue.

Enslaved

 
Incomparable Norwegian Prog Black Metal heroes, Enslaved are back...and judging on the basis of the single "Thurisaz Dreaming", the new album, "In Times", is almost guaranteed to be yet another Epic Masterpiece in the genre. All the hallmarks of the Enslaved sound are present and correct...The music is sprawling and experimental and the voals veer between otherwordly clean singing to harsh Black Metal rasps. This is the band's heaviest song in many a year, yet retains their recent ear for a Post Rock melody. Essential!

Nightwish

A lot has happened in the Nightwish camp in the 4 years since the release of the amazing "Imaginaerum" album (my album of the year for 2011, fact fans) and I have to admit to having mixed feelings about another new singer. Now, I don't doubt the vocal abilities of Ms. Jansen, but Anette Olzon made such an impact during her time with the band that she is going to be a very hard act to follow. Judging by the only song I have heard so far, "Elan", my fears seem to well founded. There are flashes of inspiration, but I can't shake the feeling that I have heard the song before...and better. It comes across as a Nightwish-lite meets Evanescance...such is the overwhelming sense of self-parody that I got from this song. In fairness, it may well be that the (admittedly leaked) version of the song that I have heard may not be the final version and that it may sound better within the context of the album. We will have to wait and see.

New Music Round-up: 2nd February 2015

Venom

After almost single-handedly inventing Extreme Metal as we know it on their debut album, Welcome To Hell, way back in 1981, Venom have been a band of mixed fortunes and haven't released a good album since 2000's Resurrection. It was a very pleasant surpise then, to hear that the new album is classic Venom - Thrashing Metal meets fast and furious Punk - and it is truly heart warming to have the mad. tongue-in-cheek Geordie bastards back!

Decimatus

Strangely enough, I was having a conversation a few days ago about (the lack of) internationally recognised Australian Metal bands and although I could name a few, the continent is still lagging a long way behind. This brings me on to Decimatus. The band's, admittedly formulaic, take on Groove Metal is unlikely to win them any originality awards, but when the band boast monster riffs and stomping grooves like this, maybe originality is over-rated. Falling somewhere between The Duskfall and Pantera with a hint of The Resistance, "Catalyst For Rage" might just be what you need to tide you over while you are waiting for the new Pissing Razors album to drop.

Finsterforst

While they are unlikely to be accredited with breaking mew ground, Germany's Finsterforst have, over the course of 9 years and 4 albums, honed their Pagan Black Metal sound to a razor sharp assault - think Moonsorrow or latter-day Thyrfing with a Teutonic edge. This is an enjoyable, if slightly derivative, take on the sound pioneered by the aforementioned Scandinavians and should definitely appeal to fans of the genre.

Thulcandra

 Another German Black Metal act, but unlike the epic, sprawling soundscapes of Finstreforst, Thulcandra deliver a colder yet melodic take on the genre and provide a perfect soundrack to the long, dark days of winter. Where they differ from the common-or-garden Black Metal legions, though, is with their distinctly Maiden-esque melodies which display some very talented musicianship throughout this otherwise ferocious album. All in all, if you are a fan of the genre, this is well worth a listen and if you're not, well this won't change your mind. 

New Music Round-up: 24th January 2015

Faithful Darkness

If your band is going to walk a well-trodden musical path, you'd better make sure that you have the songs to pull it off...and that's where Sweden's Faithful Darkness come in. Although the musical style and song structures will sound a little over-familiar, the band has attempted to put their own stamp on the sub-genre with some interesting guitar and keyboard melodies. MeloDeath has been around the block a couple of hundred times, but that doesn't mean it can't be done well, and Faithful Darkness have succeeded in releasing an respectable, if unchallenging, album. If I'm honest, it's doubtful that this album will get many repeat plays, but if you're a fan of the genre, I'd recommend at least giving it a listen.

Napalm Death

With a career spanning more than 30 years you might well expect Napalm Death to be starting to mellow...even just a little. Not a chance! New album "Apex Predator" is as intense, angry and in your face as anything the band has ever put out. On saying that, never content with being complacent, they continue to push the boundaries of musical experimentation (listen to album opener "Apex Predator" or "Dear Slum Landlord") while never forgetting who they are or losing track of the brutality which makes them so special in the first place ("Cesspits"). The studio polished sound of previous album, 2012's "Ulititarian", has been stripped back to a more raw, "live" sound and the songs actually benefit from this more basic "punk" approach. Seemingly incapable of releasing a bad album, once again this is classic Napalm Death. You can listen to a new song at the band's Soundcloud page (click the like below).

Cesspits

Bog Oak

This Californian trio have come out of nowhere to make a claim for the Sludge / Doom crown. There is no shortage of monstrous riffery on this debut EP -  the fuzzed out Sludge riffs go head to head with a glacial Blackened Doom groove and vocalist Julie Seymour has a unique delivery - a blend of bellowing roars, throaty rasps and etheral clean vocals - that helps the band stand almost effortlessly out from their peers.

The Outside

German Thrashers, The Outside, unleash their sophomore album and to be frank, it isn't going to change anybody's world. What you get is a decent, but pretty bog-standard German Thrash Metal release, so if you are looking for musical experimentation move along. If you are a fan of bands such as Kreator and Destruction, then this should definitely be worth half an hour of your time. The only real gripe I have (musical banality aside) is that production is a bit sub-standard, but who ever said that music should be perfect? 

Shadowbane

Another German band, this time in the shape of Shadowbane, whose debut album borrows heavily from the Trad / Power Metal stylings of bands such as Iced Earth, Nevermore and Agent Steel. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this. I mean, pretty much every Metal band out started off by playing covers of their favourite bands at rehersals and it often takes a few years of gigging and maybe even a few line-up changes for a band to find their own style, if they even want to. Maybe Shadowbane are happy to be "just another" Metal band, but I think we could be in for a pleasant surprise when (if) they drop their second album.

New Music Round-Up: 18th January 2015

Sylosis

This Reading, England based band has been threatening to drop a classic for years now, but have always fallen ever so slightly short of the mark. Don't get me wrong, they have always been good, but they have never been great. With "Dormant Heart", they are set to silence any doubters and hopefully to make their mark and take on their European and North American peers on the world stage. The vocals are roaring and ferocious, the solos are wailing and widdly and the riffs are punishing. Nice!

Marduk

Sweden's Marduk are one of those bands that have always been adored by the music press, but failed to get my interest...until now. The new album, "Frontschwein" is a icy, groove-laden stomper, reminiscent of Satyricon and the very under-rated Khold.

Unearth The Kings

Next up is another promising British band, featuring members of Earthtone9 (Owen Packard) and Pitchshifter (Jason Bowld). With the sludgy, Southern Metal groove of bands like Red Fang and Kylesa, but with the memorable hooks and massive choruses of ET9, Unearth The Kings are promising newcomers to the British Metal scene. It might not be anything really original to your delicate ears, but as the three track EP is available for free (yes, free!) at the band's Bandcamp page (Here) you, quite literally, have nothing to lose.

http://unearththekings.bandcamp.com/track/rocks-boulders-mountains

Marilyn Manson

In case you haven't heard yet, the double M is back and when I say back, I don't just mean he has released another (mediocre) album. No, I mean he is back with a vengeance. He hasn't sounded this vital or energetic for well over a decade and long-term fans will find plenty here to rejoice about. He might not be as angry now and he certainly has no need to court controversy or to wind up the "mainstream", but I don't know if he has ever sounded so menacing. This is an all new, but equally sinister take on the classic Manson style.

Wednesday 13

Well, Mr 13 certainly has no intention of reinventing the wheel. This will be instantly familiar to anyone who has heard Wednesday 13 and his Horror Punk / Glam Rock / Metal hybrid before. It's not original, but it's fun...for a few songs at least. After that, the lack of variation can become a little grating.

Top 30 Albums Of 2014 - Part 2: 20 - 11

20. Mantar - Death By Burning

The debut album from Germany's Mantar comes as a welcome breath of fresh (putrid?) air. With a sound based in the Stoner and Doom Metal camp but which is led by a furious vocal reminiscent of Erlend Hjelvik (Kvelertak) and then complemented with the kind of grooves that Mastodon would kill for. Mantar might not be doing anything really original, but they are certainly interesting and know how to write a memorable tune. What more do you want?

19. At The Gates - At War With Reality

A band whose career seems to have run in some kind of strange parallel with British Grind / Death Metal legends Carcass, Gothenburg's At The Gates continue with this trajectory by releasing their first new album in 19 years (Carcass released their first album in 17 years last year). But, where Carcass pushed themselves creatively, while still retaining that special Carcass sound, At The Gates have instead opted to release a record that sounds almost exactly the same as they did in 1995. I know they say that if it isn't broken....and all that, but even if it isn't broken, it can be worn out. All in all though, this is a strong record that won't disappoint long-time fans, but it could and should have been so much better.

18. Arch Enemy - War Eternal

While already popular in their native Sweden and Japan, it wasn't until Arch Enemy replaced vocalist Johan Liiva with Angela Gossow in 2000, that their career really took off internationally. Sadly, as the years went by the band's albums started to sound stale, tired and forced, so when Angela announced that she was stepping down as vocalist, but was staying on to act as the band's manager and had helped to choose her own replacement, Arch Anemy got my attention for the first time in years. That she chose The Agonist vocalist, Alissa White-Gluz really piqued my interest and I now had high expectations of War Eternal. On hearing the opening seconds of the album's first single, As The Pages Burn, I was sold. A solid, powerful return to form from one of the leading lights in Swedish Metal.

17. Deathstars – The Perfect Cult

If you are already familiar with Deathstars then nothing here will come as a suprise to you. It's business as usual with the Rammstein meets Die Krupps Goth-tinged Industrial Metal that that band has made their own. They have their niche and they know how to pen a catchy tune and even though it isn't breaking any new ground, this is a cracking collection of potential floor-fillers. 

 







16. Kampfar – Djevelmakt

The vicious Black Metal rasp of the opening word, "Helvete" (Hell) on the first track, Mylder pretty much sets the tone for this record and what the album lacks in variation is more than made up for with the well-constructed songs and atmospherics. With its groove-laden, mid-paced, folk-tinged riffs, punishing drums and ferocious vocals, Djevelmakt is Kampfar's best album since Kvass (released in 2006) and if Norwegian Black Metal or even Pagan Metal is your thing, it definitely won't disappoint.

15. Cavalera Conspiracy - Pandemonium

Maybe I had set my expectations too high, but I personally found the previous two Cavalera Conspiracy albums to be a bit lacking. On Pandemonium, however, the brothers Cavalera make up for lost time and return not only to their heavier roots, but also take in their entire careers along the way. Pandemonium comes tearing out of the blocks and into your ears with opener Babylonian Pandemonium going straight in for the kill and it doesn't let up fpr a moment. It is a joy to hear what these once long-estranged siblings can do when they are properly on the same page. Pandemonium is ferocious, thrashy and exactly what long-time fans have been waiting for for years.

14. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum 

While not nearly as good as 2012's Vanitas, this is still head and shoulders above the majority of the Extreme Metal albums out there. Anaal Nathrakh may have started out as a raw Black Metal band, but they have gradually mutated into a more mature beast, bringing clean vocals, orchestral elements and even the occasonal electronic keyboard into the mix. Don't think for a moment that this means that the band has mellowed with age as Desideratum is still a vicious, nasty album that goes straight for the jugular...it just does so surreptitiously. 

13. Machine Head – Bloodstone And Diamonds 

Machine Head have been a mainstay on the Metal scene for two decades now but it has to be said, have been anything but consistent musically. Stylistically, the band has been through some rough patches over the years (Supercharger, Through The Ashes....anyone?), but have also released some genuine Metal masterpieces (Burn My Eyes, The Blackening), so I have a tendency to be a little cautious when it comes to a new Machine Head album. One positive is that in recent years the band's songs have become longer and less punchy which has allowed mainman, Robb  Flynn to flex his prog muscles and has often resulted in a more rewarding experience for the band's fans. I am pleased to say that Bloodstone And Diamonds is up their with the band's best and while it might not set the world alight, it should please existing fans and may even earn them a few new ones.

12. Cruachan – Blood For The Blood God

Cruachan always had tremendous potential, but in the past were hampered by the weak and reedy lead vocals of Karen Gilligan. So, when the band announced that they were parting ways with Karen in 2008 and that mainman Keith Fay would now be taking over the lead vocal role, I had high hopes that they would finally realise the potential they had previously squandered. That said, even I could never have expected just how much of a difference it was actually going to make. Blood On The Black Robe was the sound of a rejuvinated band - heavier, angrier and more aggressive but without losing their distinctively Irish Folk-influenced sound. Fast forward three years and follow-up, Blood For The Blood God has continued along this path, even managing to be darker and heavier than BOTBR. The one neagtive is the poor production job, but even that can't stop BFTBG from being a genre classic.

11. Eluveitie – Origins 

Eluveite have long since established themselves as a major name in the Folk Metal scene and Origins, the band's sixth full-length release finds the band in familiar territory. Their distinctive and instantly recognisable take on Celtic Folk Metal is still as potent as it ever was and although Origins doesn't scale the heights of its predecessor, the brilliant Helvetios, it still packs enough of a punch to ensure that Eluveitie are in no danger of becoming lost in the shuffle.