Judas Priest "Point Of Entry" (1981)

 

From the hardening rock of British Steel, to a throttling attitude Screaming For Vengeance unleashed, Point Of Entry seems to be a misstep along the way, rather than a missing link. Resting on their laurels, Judas Priest soften their current blueprint for an accessible cut of Heavy Metal. Settling on summery vibes and breezy warm temperaments, the trends of 70s arena rock and radio friendly topicality dominates the ten songs, which in turn recycles its "Rock N Roll on the road" persona one to many times. Never does Halford unleash a wild piercing falsetto. Tipton and Downing tone down the solos, keeping them brief, concise and caged. The rhythm section too plods along with the steely foundations that aided its predecessor greatly.

Although it may seem a smear to highlight the detour from a trajectory they will soon excel in. This light hearted, measured approach is spun rather well. The bands experience in song writing works through simple structures with its components all neatly aligned for a pleasurable listen. With nothing to ambitious concurring, its collection of riffs carries the theme well. Where the record fails is when its road cruising, carefree venture runs tired. Halford's lyrics are knee deep. Simple verses and expectant catch lines wear out quickly on this listener and thus once the point is made, its lack of diversity and variety has all the songs seeming the same.

If Point Of Entry has the right highway cruising vibes for you, then it may just be one to adore. For me it pulls me along for four or so songs and then becomes a repetitive blur. Perhaps its best cuts are upfront? It seems so but the reality is those songs make their point known and then the record has little more to offer. Not being particularly into its character, Point Of Entry is one to skip over when picking my favorite Priest songs, despite it not being terrible in anyway.

Rating: 5/10

Ozzy Osbourne "Diary Of A Madman" (1981)

Rolling back the years on this Heavy Metal journey, we arrive near the decades start with a noticeably shabby rawness gracing the production tone. The music feels a little unhinged with this rugged aesthetic and its stark irruptions of jarring synth. The bold instruments collide occasionally and the baseline rides high in the mix. Yet it all serves the attitude and Metal spirit, what was back then possibly considered extreme music. I'd love to learn more of its historical context when it comes to advancement.

Rough around the edges, Diary Of A Madman is mostly a spirited venture into the Rock n Roll rebellion. Its opening track Over The Mountain is quite the hard hitter, kicking things off with its fast chugging guitar riffs and dangerous melodies, it sets a strong tone where the following songs open up to warmer moods. Randy Rhoads quickly marvels alongside Ozzy's singing as his roaring guitar solos and lead licks illuminate parts of the songs over and over. They unpack that hard hitting start and delve into more musicality with many anthemic vibes fit for the big stage.

The duo are well suited but to be frank they compete with one another on a handful of songs, pulling with different intensities. As the album grows its songs wavier, the ballad Tonight sounding decent but so out of place. Ozzy has a remarkable charm that suits the song style but the change of pace from roaring guitars to emotive piano surges seems to stiffen the flow. The symphonic closer and title track is a great example of experimentation that comes together. Randy and Ozzy elevate the climatic journey with their contributions as the song blossoms with choral voices that turn to gripping chants. Its a powerful ending to a mixed record with many ideas circulating.

 

Rating: 7/10

Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982)

 

I've always adored Priest ever since discovering British Steel in my youth. Going on vacation gave me the perfect moment to pause on this record. Racing down the slopes with the hooks of Bloodstone, Devil's Child & Freewheel Burning stuck in my head, it all clicked. I'd never given their other records much of a chance to stick. Songs like Painkiller, Rapid Fire and Come And Get It grab you by the throat and scream in your face. In fairness, it seems that much of their catalog does to. Now with a maturer mind to really give any music a proper go, I've realized what Ive loved about Judas Priest has been lying in wait, abundant among their extensive discography, were I had not ventured far enough before in my ignorance.

 You've Got Another Thing Coming is the one song I knew well from this record. As a mid tempo track with a tempered chugging grove on the rhythm guitar and Halford's attitude drenched lyrics, it plays like a British Steel cut. Lying in wait however are fiery tracks. Cranking up the gears, throttling the pace and amping up the Priest persona, you can hear the group excelling on themselves. Heavy Metal's eternal pursuit of pushing extremes has led it to ridiculous places but before the birth of Thrash Metal you can hear Priest raising the stakes step by step, writing amazing songs along the way, never detouring to the trend, keeping the flame lit.

And thus Screaming For Vengeance is another spirited, fist pumping romp of blazing Metal! Priest churn out the riffs, rife with steely rattles of melody wedged between shiny grooves. Halford's falsetto wails youthfully with that leather cladded attitude, worming his hooks into you as his soaring voice sails off the back of electrified guitars. When they burst into solos the atmosphere is magnetic, their instruments at the mercy of Downing and Tipton's impressive roar off howling pinch harmonics, dizzying sweep picking and relentless hammering on. All happening in the blink of an eye.

Where the album excels is in its pacing. Tracks like Pain And Pleasure, Take These Chains & Fever brake up the motorway blazing pace with a touch of moody reflective blues wrapped into anthems. Every spin brings joy after joy as the high spirited onslaught takes a few turns and twists along the way. Some of these songs also sound rather foundational to shifts of temperament found on the later records. This certainly feels like a high point for the band. I'm not sure where In the discography I want to jump to next, maybe go right to the very start and hear the evolution? Eighties Priest is certainly something to marvel but just how did they get here?

Rating: 9/10

Killing Joke "Lord Of Chaos" (2022)

Its been seven years since the mighty Pylon. Now forty plus years deep into their career, Killing Joke deliver two new songs on a four track EP boosted by a couple of disposable remixes. Although enjoyable for a fan, there is little new hear to be heard. Title track Lord Of Chaos is the grittier of the two Its rumbling textural base guitar throws back to the aesthetics of their early days. Its a typical exchange of meaty groove and dystopian atmosphere they have done over and over at this point.

The second track Total also stems from their 80s output. This one is moodier, with its nightly unease tone drawing from eerie synths when the guitars drop out. When they come back in its with an almighty roaring momentum. Jaz's singing reminds me of their Night Time album. Point being, its good but all has been head before.

The Big Buzz remix brings 90s electronic club music vibes to the Pylon song. Its reasonable but the bass kick thud is rather incessant. Delete In Dub pushes a Drumstep beat through a loose fitting of sound experiments and disjointed noises. It amounts to very little with Jaz's occasional voice the only thing tying it to the band. Ultimately, these two add a little fluff to new music that lacks any originality.

Rating: 2/10

Judas Priest "Defenders Of The Faith" (1984)

 

Understanding Judas Priest's legacy through the impact of their extensive discography can be a tricky one. Expressed through classics like Breaking The Law, Painkiller, Turbo Lover & You've Got Another Thing Coming, their brilliance is all to evident. As a point of entry, excuse the pun, British Steel may be a Magnus Opus that says it all but much is to be left unearthed in their now eighteen records. For all my youthful adoration I barely scratched the surface of what Priest had to offer. With Defenders Of The Faith I find Priest in their prime, with an unassuming stance.

Just about every song creeps up on you. The flash and flair of Tiptop & Downing waits in lurking. The edge and thrill of their sharp, metallic Hard Rock riffs and razor blade guitar solos is a treasure rewarded after the steady build of well paced song writing. Such does Halford follow suit, baking in fantastic chorus and hooks fit for a Heavy Metal fans identity deeper into the track. No song bursts out the gate with the bluster of rock and roar. Most sound subdued as they get going, yet all find their stride.

This is Defenders Of The Faith's charm. Its rampant cries of "Rock Hard, Rock Free", "All Fear The Sentinel" and "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" are Metal anthems without seeming directly intended to be so. They bloom from stable foundations, giving the band an undeniable stature as they chew through sturdy riffs, tuneful licks, piercing falsettos and electrified lead guitars. As Turbo would pivot into the cheese of these tropes, Priest command them with an integrity and intent to endure on this one.

 Its eleven songs march at their own pace. Variety offers up shifts in tempo and tone with Love Bites and Heavy Duty offering up these burly dense guitars alongside the slow crash of reverb soaked snares. Priest have so much swagger and braggadocio in these moments. Their metallic musical beast lurches on with a grin. The latter pivots into the title track, carrying on the slow bass snare groove as Halford is accompanied by a choir of voices gleaming as together they cry the albums name in utter glory.

It honestly feels like a missed moment to build into an unfathomable rock out of epic proportions but alas the ninety seconds of wonder gives way to a harmonious outro. Foiling us with gentle harmonics and lush dreamy leads before shifting into one last blaze of Hard Rock Heavy Metal glory. For all the subtly remarked on, it has to be said Freewheel Burning kicks off with a real blaze of attitude. The opening riff very reminiscent of British Steel however quickly does the record move into a matured and progressed priest, one I never enjoyed in my youth. With two records wedged between this and that, I know exactly where to head next!

Rating: 8/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Time 'N' Place" (2018)

 Going forth with a bold stylistic shift, Kero Kero Bonito introduce a rather gristly over driven guitar tone into the mix! Not only do they dial back the childish quirk and charm established prior, the keys too recoil from punchy unabashed aesthetics. Time 'N' Place has the trio trying on new shoes. When sticking to their guns, they find a glossy, serine temperament stepping into classic Pop vibes with a modern edge. On the other front, hints of Grunge, Indie Pop and Shoegazing push them towards the uncanny valley as creative ideas clash with a touch of imposter syndrome lurking nearby.

Alongside the strives into guitar driven territory, the group take failing inspiration from the abrasive scenes of Glitch and Noise music. Three tracks in and Only Acting grates away with intentional CD skips leading into a ear aching assault of sharp fuzz on the listening. It seems so pointless, a barrage of disorientation that doesn't resolve to anything of interest. Fortunately these grating oddities are few and far between.

It doesn't look good among a series of misses. Opening with Outside, the Shoegazing kicks off on an odd note, not quite gelling with the sparkling synths found glittering around its chord progressions. From their most the songs land on odd footings, just not landing a charm as they low through a string of simple themes and old timely vibes. Late in the track listing, Sometimes is another stride beyond means. Aiming for a youthful, folksy pub sing along, the brash acoustic guitar strumming clashes with unrehearsed singing. The VGM 8bit synth jam that takes place alongside sours too.

Most the songs are inoffensive but oddly mediocre in the shadow of their other works. It makes for a dull, lukewarm listen that often drags. Bit of a shame considering how interesting I've found this group up to this point. In fact what comes after with Civilization II is remarkable, a major difference from whats to be heard here. Time 'N' Space feels like the new ideas they brought to the mix didn't have the chemistry.

Rating: 4/10

Ozzy Osbourne "Bark At The Moon" (1983)

A stark realization has dawned upon me, I've completely neglected thee Metal legend's solo career. My youthful exuberance for extremity had me turn a nose up at many of the older acts. Despite loving his timeless voice, I'd only fumbled my way into The Ultimate Sin. Now dawns an opportunity! Bark At The Moon has lured me in and blown me away! I've got Heavy Metal fever and the Ozzy journey shall now begin.

Working with the same lineup as The Ultimate Sin, the blemishes of its older recording swiftly diminish as that same fantastic song writing emerges. Don Airey's keys have a stronger relevance, rising up to give each song a couple moments of glossy sparkle as they resonate alongside power chords. Ozzy's voice is timely and mighty, right in the prime. He has a knack of flowing with the music, the two bouncing of one another.

One track sticks out like a thorn. With golden strings and gentle pianos, So Tired embarks on a ballad of sorts. It has a strong sixties soul accent. Ozzy just doesn't seem a fit for the instrumental that embarks on a warm emotive stride. It would of been more fitting for Dusty Springfield than Ozzy, who's voice suits something more loose, less classic. The guitar solo too feels at odds with the songs soft temperament.

The other nine songs are all cut of the Heavy Metal cloth with blazing guitar solos and all. Mostly fun, upbeat tracks with pace, good vibes and a little groove. It never runs short on energy and gusto, up to the end do they bang out hits, each song hinging on a memorable chorus that Ozzy nails every time. I particularly like how Spiders lets the bass guitar lead the song to embellish its creepy mood with its brooding prowl.

Giving an analytical ear to the record there is a sense of trying to embellish the music with a somewhat, horror, Halloween or cheesy evil tone. It comes from its retro synths which jive in quite often for a few bars. They just sound dated and "of the time" to me now but perhaps were heard differently then. Either way it just works, the great songwriting beats out any dated tropes which it has a few of in its composition.

 

Rating: 8/10

Judas Priest "Turbo" (1986)

 

Feeling nostalgic and adventurous for more Heavy Metal, I thought id check out the controversial record released a couple years before Ram It Down. I barely listened to Turbo in my youth as it was often cited as their worst album. Interestingly it made for a commercial peak at the time. Title track Turbo Lover is also a cracking classic they still play live to this day. The critique I remember used to focus on the inclusion of synths, something they had not done so bold before. Having given it a good go, the electronics are barely a fraction of whats wrong with Judas Priest's tenth, Turbo.

 Softening the edges of their metallic might and looking for anthemic vibes in all the wrong places, Priest essentially miscalculate their strengths. Pivoting to themes more fitting of partying, excess and love. The records overall tone seems have one foot in the Glam Metal trend of the time. Every song brings a bigger than life attitude looking for the sing along stride of the time, which on paper it achieves but the you can sense the crowd pleasing lyrics falling flat. Oddly, this isn't too far from their kettle of fish but Halford's lyrics just don't strike a nerve. He doesn't feel authentic or real, often awkward or uncomfortable. its as if he is on auto pilot at someone else's show.

Its all so odd, song after song checks all the boxes yet it plays through a musical uncanny valley. The big riffs rock hard and wild guitar solo's blaze over top with that classic Downing & Tipton shred but it never escapes the gravity of its own softened tone. The old school analog synths don't flip the scale in either direction. On a couple of songs they are more prevalent but its mostly a soft aesthetic dressing. It is the Glam persona they attempt to take on that's mostly to blame. Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days is probably the best example. Halford crams all the lyrical cliches in but despite his phenomenal presence as a timeless front man, It doesn't suit them.

Turbo is a strange experience. On one hand I do kind of love the overt cheesiness, more so the delivery than words. On the other, it all plays with an awkward misfire that fails to land emotionally. The album does deliver another cracking tune tho. Locked In just about beats the Turing test. Its big crooning guitar notes and warm bass drive is a gorgeous moment. The synth break before the solos is fun too. Its no secret as to why this one is so contentious but that's nothing to do with the electronics. Its the song writing and lyrics to be blamed. I'm glad I checked Turbo out but I wont be returning.

Rating: 4/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Bonito Generation" (2016)

Following their debut mixtape Intro Bonito, the London trio known as Kero Kero Bonito polish their sound for a sophomore effort that rides the curtails of their quirky warm persona. Bonito Generation doesn't stylistically evolve as much as its aesthetics are refined with a touch more welcoming tone. Stagnation seems prevalent, conjuring similar moods and feelings from their smiley place of simple thoughts and life's innocence. It doesn't pack quite the punch with surprise no longer being a factor.

That's not to say its a bad record but both the instrumentation and lyrical themes roll off lukewarm as the tracks are packaged into simpler song structures. Slower melodies, gentler percussion and a sense of safeness permeate. Bonito Generation is less adventurous, lacking creativity and sparkle. Thus Sarah's easy expressions of her college life tend to lull into a mediocrity. At its most off track, the band infuse casual communications and Japanese lyrics but its not the saving grace the music needs.

Trampoline is the records best track as the simplistic language and metaphor finds a space to feel a tad absurd when it revolves around the jumping mat. The song has a little more of a club vibe with its colorful synths and tight percussion, something one or two other tracks do but its not enough to give the record edge. This one really hides in the shadow of its predecessor, somewhat of an autopilot experience. Its competent, enjoyable but lacks the dazzle of Intro Bonito.

Rating: 5/10

Judas Priest "Ram It Down" (1988)

To compliment yesterdays The Ultimate Sin, a dive into classic Heavy Metal, I thought I'd pick out another personal favorite. Again it comes with a streak of irony. After receiving backlash from fans with the experimental Turbo, Judas Priest decided to give them exactly what they wanted, a run of the mill metallic showdown. Ram It Down is a bastion of fist pumping, head banging Metal anthems navigating a lack of depth as its peaks and valleys do come with some contrast when the album wains in its mid section. When throttling forth with vitality and enthusiasm, it rocks with an infectious spirit. When tempos slow and atmosphere leads, the grooves get somewhat stiff.

Ram It Down's aesthetic rides its rigid and hard hitting backbone as the group chose to deploy an aged drum machine to handle percussion on this outing. The drum sequencing has both charm and limitations as a lot of arrangements are limited to big bass snare groves, which pound away wonderfully. The finesse of drum fills and more intense beats are drastically limited and it shows as any organic dexterity is a rarity. Massive tom drums chime in with large feedback reverbs, a big feature of the 80s sound. I am quite keen on how its utilized, it suits Priest well!

Around the drums hinge bright and brimming overdrive guitars. Loud bold and ambitious, the duo bring a lot of audible clarity to the tight rhythmic chops of classic palm mute chugging and power chord shredding. Behind them the bass guitar pounds away with strength, pulsing hard with power and punch in the rhythm section. Upfront, Rob Halford is a gem as always, gleaming with his ear piercing falsetto, having his finger on the pulse for turning these fine instrumentals into arena Metal anthems.

The music roars out the gate with a string of its best songs. The themes and concepts simply a self realization of their rock star personas as a band. I'm A Rocker and Heavy Metal hit hard on anthemic, sing along feelings fit to steal a live show. Come And Get It speeds on in a similar tone with a cheeky, raunchy spirit metaphorically adjacent to the music. In its best moment the music rips hard. The cover of Johnny B Goode another goosebumps track to flip a Rock n Roll classic into a Heavy Metal riot.

In my mind this could of been a finest hour among others for Priest but sadly the album stalls going into Blood Red Skies and never quite recovers. That's not to say its a bad song but the pivot to focus on atmosphere driven by its repetitive drums and subtle bass synths doesn't match the faster paced material. Monsters Of Rock best showcases this as the group try to flip the anthemic narrative into a lunging beast of slow moving weight. Its a half to Ram It Down's concept that doesn't quite land but for what they get right I simply adore this record. It gets the adrenaline going fast!

Rating: 8/10

Ozzy Osbourne "The Ultimate Sin" (1986)

 

When it comes to legends of Heavy Metal, can there be anyone more legendary than Ozzy? I'm more familiar with his days in Black Sabbath, having never gone to deep into his solo career. Ironically the one album that did it for me is his least favorite, The Ultimate Sin. Upon release it became a commercial peak for the singer, charting well in the states where he flourished as a lone name. Siting reasons of artistic repetition and staleness, again ironically may also signal the very thing I adore about it most.

 To my mind, the album captures the essence of big theatrical arena filling Heavy Metal the 80s. The big hair, garish outfits stage antics and oldschool lighting rigs fill my imagination. Perhaps I've watched too many classic Ozzy concerts on youtube for my own good. I adore how the record hinges on Osbournes distinct voice, he gives the music a sincere emotional edge over its hard hitting, guitar rocking riot of big power chord riffs and lighting guitar solos, all so nostalgically typical of the times.

Jack E Lee is a phenomenal talent, a prolific guitarist, not just technically with his flashy showmanship and dazzling fretwork but with song structures that respond to Ozzy's direction. Swiftly does the music transition out of head banging mode into emotional surges, with key shifts and deliciously plucked acoustic guitars chords. Its fits so snugly together, a band in unison. Soussan and Castillo are equally competent in the rhythm section, providing a powerful footing for Ozzy and Lee to shine.

This "autopilot" Ozzy describes is probably why track after track is so well written. Rather than look for a new artistic direction they churn out the hits as they know how to make them and boy do they make them well. A few songs get a little cheesy with cliched rock and roll lyrics but a lot of the themes are far more moving and meaningful, including the anti-war song Killer Of Giants, one of my favorites on the record. Its lush opening guitars are simply wonderful. Dark, sleek, steely and covered in reverb.

When it comes to critique, the nostalgic lens tends to distort my perception as I adore the dated production and tropes of the 80s Heavy Metal. That's why I tune in, when wanting to capture the spirit and feeling of that era. This one has it in droves! Writing now reminds me of my Dio exploration. I really have no excuse not to throw a few Ozzy albums into rotation like I never did in the past. I just stuck with this one!

Rating: 8/10

Napalm Death "Resentment is Always Seismic" (2022)

As the uncompromising titans of extreme music, now spanning five decades of music, news of a Napalm Death will always have me excitable. One can rely on them for quality, their fervor and tenacity an enduring quality continuing to yield fantastic releases to this day. Somewhat alike Apex Predator, I came off this thirty minute EP a fraction lukewarm. If its a maelstrom of ferocious aggression or uneasy atmospheres of burden and disgust, Napalm deliver swiftly. Navigating around a couple of cover tracks the following songs don't quite deliver the edge of its opening numbers.

Kicking off with Narcissus we steadily drift, steamrolling without breaks, a runaway train accelerating steadily and perpetuating the madness of its dizzying speeds. Riotous power chord riff machinations and pummeling blast beats flex of the groovy interchanges, culminating in a stomping conclusion. The pace evaporates immediately as Resentment Always Simmers takes a brooding stroll into the darkness with its stripped down percussion and tremolo guitar lick churning away at the dissatisfaction.

The following original songs lurk in the shadows of the ideas explored here. The choppy assault of Harris's frenetic power chord splaying, Barney's "osculating larynx" and the powerhouse rhythm section never quite scale these peaks again. People Pie is an interesting cover, mostly its lyrical proposition of animals eating humans provides food for thought in a disturbing atmosphere led by massive rumbling basslines of might and gristly texture. Don't Need It stands out for its blitz Thrash Metal guitar chops, wild unruly Slayer akin guitar solo and screechy vocals.

The closing title track too, a Burial Dirge of haunting vocals, unwelcome synths and heavy gloom makes its mark too. The key take away for me was how the covers stood out as the other songs circled similar ideas to that of the opening. With a lot of albums circling the thirty minute mark these days I can see why this is actually labeled an EP, perhaps in the bands mind not reaching the threshold of quality reserved for full lengths. Either way, its always fantastic to tune in with Napalm and hear what they are up to! Resentment is Always Seismic offers up interesting ideas worth your attention.

Rating: 6/10

Dark Sky "Othona" (2017)

 

My resistance to the algorithm was foolish! Once again I've been served up a fantastic electronic artist delving into the Ambient, Ethereal, Downtempo vibes that I just adore! Othona is a soothing record of deceptive simplicity and meditation, a series of soft synth resonances exploring unraveling energies. Gently gathering its gusto, these surges of groove and melody flourish out of the soothing states, morphing into animated flashes of color, sometimes in passive friction with its slight dissonance.

These tones and aesthetics achieved through configuration of saw waves and synth osculations, seem to always carry a slight unease. Its as if something is always marginally out of tune yet also fostered by the other instruments, at a distance. The vision and inspiration at play is clear and thus births a sweet magic from this careful curation of the subtle dissonance. Its brilliantly handled, steered to a warm place.

Othona's array of buzzing synths aren't the soul focus! Across this record, the pace holding percussion often morphs into classic House and Dance beats with deep pumping bass and tight shuffling grooves. Its always a gentle process, as much of the music incrementally grows through the motions, so do the percussive lines. It allows these songs to be in a consistent state of evolution, moving us from calming serine meditative soundscapes into easy crooning Downtempo drives of flow.

I'm impressed at how this record comes together. Song after song holds my attention with a soothing nature. I could drawn attention to some similarities in style with other artists but I really think Dark Sky holds their own for the most part. Just one song, Angels, could hold a candle to Brian Eno's legendary An Ending (Ascent), as quite the comparable vibes emanate. This one is worth checking out if you're even mildly curious from my words. The mood it educes is worth it alone. Great Stuff!

Rating: 7/10

Pop Will Eat Itself "The Looks Or The Lifestyle" (1993)

 

I think I've developed a mildly amusing "love hate relationship" with Pop Will Eat Itself! I'm undoubtedly leaning on the love side however their "of the era" occasionally sours. It often depends on the mood. This Is The Day struck the perfect stride of nostalgia, a wild crossover that nailed early Hip Hop and the shape of Metal at the time. Since then, they have not stuck in one place stylistically. Its been hit and miss, The Looks Or The Lifestyle seems like a response to the emergence of Grunge as an update in band chemistry has prominent distortion guitars on almost every track of the album.

Continuing on with the 90s Dance and Electronic scene sounds, the group find a more consistent fusion with grungy guitars, lively percussive breaks and an injection of electronic instruments reflecting the era. Its bold and unabashedly 90s, often a little cringe in its early shout raps, the British accents sung strong. The record rolls out with a strong string of tracks, pumping drums charge forth, a wall of samples and synths thrive between dynamic guitars and powerful baselines. It leads into their most popular charting song, known as Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies!

Performed by stabbing melodic drum synths hits, its main melody is a turn off in an otherwise decent track. I think its theme that births it success, essentially riffing on tropes from the perspectives of a movie character. The album starts to diversify after. Guitar tones get shaken up. The sampling and synths reach into new territory, arriving at Urban Futuristic. Its a hard hitting mash up of early Drum n Bass, Thrash Metal and bizarre cheesy synth tones. What it lacks for in classic it makes up for in ambition!

Its this string of gutsy tracks, fun experimentation and bold crossovers that get the thumbs up from me. After them, the final four cuts stagnate in quality, drifting into the tired and dated. It feels intentional that the best material is front loaded. Left a little soured, they exaggerate the cheese its great songwriting diverted early on. With just one record left before their split in 1996, it will be a sound place to conclude the journey having been fed to full on this reflective nostalgia exploration.

Rating: 6/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Intro Bonito" (2013)

Dazzled by the dense musical exuberance of Civilization II, I now venture back to Kero's origins. This debut mixtape, Kero Bonito, was quite the surprise! A warm, happy and pleasant record finding its inspirations in the mundane and putting a quirky spin on its simple themes. This take shapes on two fronts. Singer Sarah Perry, often interchanging Japanese and English, sings slightly spoken accounts of many passages of daily life, distilling simple thoughts and concepts into plain language. Its charming, carrying no burdens or hardship, an innocent, carefree and fun little journey.

Instrumentally this spirit is captivated wonderfully by its embrace of often bold and cheesy synths from decades past. Drums punch and kick away in lean environments with a handful of chirpy synths chiming in, often punctuated by timely pauses for brief silences. Sprinkled with cultural and stock samples between its shuffling grooves, the themes draw from a variety of nostalgia and foreign places. Housed in great compositions, its brash boldness is truly endearing. Even the use of old 8-bit cat and dog synthesized effects bashed obnoxiously come across as good spirited fun.

 

Its an oddball record, a mad house of silliness landing on a genuine warmth. Not purely quirky though, flushes of creativity and dexterous keyboard playing inject bursts of magic on occasion. Its also quite colorful, bright and uplifting, a record to steer your mind firmly away from anything troubling. My favorite track has to be Babies Are So Strange. Everything about this song is silly yet in a great spirit, landing with a slight sense of tongue in cheek deepness on the "Child producing machine, that's what nature has designed me to be" line. This record has been a breath of fresh air, so fun and easy going!

Rating: 7/10

Koreless "Agor" (2021)

 

Now at the mercy of Spotify's algorithms, I find myself immersed in the unknown, the platform feeding me new names one after another from its playlist system. I have to be picky with where to go. On occasion, one artist will captivate my intrigue more so than the others. Because of the songs Black Rainbow and White Picket Fence, I had to go deeper into this curious musician who's take on electronic music was off the beat and track from what I am used to. Glitched out and mysterious, its popular songs morph closer to normal conventions. Getting deeper into Agor reveals a few typical fundamentals have been torn up and thrown out.

These buzzy saw wave symphonies simmer and fizzle in both texture and tone. Metamorphic and fluid, its oscillations sway and groove in ever changing directions. Somewhere in the mix, something holds center, either the variety of plucked instruments or bursts of rhythm and tempo that come and go. Even then, notes curiously slide up and down in pitch. Percussion is illusive, often forming out of burgeoning instrumentation, feeling occasionally poly-rhythmic as its shuffling glitches and choped up vocal samples make for mirages and illusions.

The result is unique, an identity unlike much I've heard before it. Yesterdays Oneohtrix Point Never has a similar experimental quality but Koreless homes in on something particular, with varying success to my taste. Again it is convention that aids aesthetic into form as many of these songs go on ciphered tangents. Melody rubs shoulders with frequency and sequence. Rhythm seems to had no steady footing and the Nordic singing sampled is rearranged in the most curious manor. The take away is similar, another curious experiment in sound design with a few moments of convention one can fall into, otherwise attention is jilted by all the quirks of its inspiration.

Rating: 6/10

FKA Twigs "Caprisongs" (2022)

 

I'm unsure of where to start, my thoughts on Caprisongs are mostly negative. Coming of the back of the remarkable Magdalene, these seventeen songs feel like a departure from concept, a pivot to the casual that get by with its most memorable contributions coming from other artists. I always want to hear artists try new things, not living in the shadow of what they have mastered but that is never a guarantee of success.

Of course, all of this is highly subjective. My impression of Caprisongs is a socially oriented album, a collection of personal moments. The records pacing is sprinkled with interludes, snippets of conversations with friends and no sense of urgency as many of the numbers take meandering avenues with sparse percussion to move it along with ease. The instrumentals are breezy unions of dreamy synths and snappy, creative drum grooves. Occasionally a little disjointed and experimental they mostly steer towards the safer, trendy modern sounds that are easy to get along with.

In the past I remember much of Twiggs's singing going to traverse interesting places, both individually and with the utility of studio manipulation. On this record however, much of that is void. Her tone and temperament is still charming. The high pitched singing is gorgeous but mostly its tame in comparison. Tame is a word I'd associate with many of this tracks. There isn't a lot of momentum or structure that doesn't dissipate the energy as its often dreamy nature has the music dropping out of moods its barely begun on. Perhaps my expectation are blinding whats on offer.

Either way, I've given it a fair try, after plenty of spins It just doesn't leave an impression. The two moments I most enjoyed most was the collaboration with The Weeknd. The two bounce of eachother well and the song has direction with its kick snare groove guiding us through. The other interesting moment was a recycling of classic 90s lyrics by Olive, "you're not alone, I'll wait till the end of time" on Darjeeling. That sent me down a Ministry Of Sound rabbit hole of memories, which was fun!

Rating: 4/10

God "Possession" (1992)

With a wealth of music just a few clicks away, my reading tangents of band connections, genre exploration and general curiosity is no longer manifesting an obscure list of music I'll never actually get around too. My recent unearthing of Techno Animal's Re-Entry led me to find out what its other half, Kevin Martin, was up to with God! What a band name, I wonder how it had not been scooped up early, perhaps held by some iconic artists. Its competition in the shadow of the church and religion is no cause for a lack of prevalence here, the music rather obscure and unwelcoming.

Labeled as Avant-Guard Industrial Rock and Metal, I thought there is a fair chance of finding some appeal. Sadly these length tangents of manically droning exhaust whats decent and smother it an onslaught of tonal assault that forever meanders on its repetitive structure less form. From its shortest four minutes into the lengthy stints topping out at seventeen minutes, every song hinges on a baseline and drum pattern backbone. It works away, iterating itself at the same tempo incessantly! Then a fog of samples, random noises, distant voices and a zany Jazz Saxophone slowly wash in. Each song finds its flavor, a distinction but they all grind on endlessly.

The Sax performance is rather impressive with some vibrancy and illumination often steered into a maniac frenzy of squirrely notes bordering on mental illness. Its other instrumentation, sometimes pianos, other percussive sounds and shrill sounds, often feel intentionally out of step with the core musical loop. Its result just doesn't spark a magic for me. A couple of songs may have a strong drum groove or meaty distortion guitar lick going for it but when that crops up, its repeated to death.

Don't get me wrong, I had a fair bit of fun with this. The first listen was the strongest with walls of maddening sound a treat to pick apart. The texture and intensity is wild on first glance but once a songs played twice its all to apparent how lacking the depth the project is. The songs have no direction other than to drone and all its ebbs and flows of accompanying madness just seem random and without much intent. Reversing those trends could of yielded but sadly the whole record is a bore.

Rating: 3/10

Pop Will Eat Itself "Cure For Sanity" (1990)

 

 Despite the disappointment of a "Grebbo Rock" record with Box Frenzy, I will continue my exploration of English genre mashers Pop Will Eat Itself. Spotify has alleviated the friction of research and investment into albums. Now any curiosity is just a few clicks away! With that I've also felt less of a need to go deep on records, the result feeling wonderful. The burden of expensive MP3s has been lifted and my ears are free to explore. Does that factor into why I enjoyed this hour of early 90s vibes so much? Probably, its nice to not have a thought gnawing at the back of ones mind about frequently sinking money into your listening choices when they turn sour.

Cure for Sanity opens up with fantastic sampled dialog of the shape of music in the fabric of society and outdated notions of how this should be controlled. Its sets a high bar for topicality that I never felt returned in the next nineteen tracks. Admittedly the cheesy 80s rap flows in British accents made for a lack of investment in the lyrics. Its following Dance Of The Mad Bastards feels like a send off to the Rock Rap crossover that made This Is The Day so magical, reusing distortion guitars and other samples that gave it identity. These snippets run alongside new sounds and a percussive drum loop fit for the coming Electronic scene of England in the early 90s.

From here the record strolls through a fair bit of mediocrity, leaving its metallic tone in the dust and stitching together newer moods and tones of the times in a heavy wash of sampling that will have you clambering to remember from what artists you first heard that sample or sound before. Again it includes many cultural snippets too, like the famous commentary and crowd sounds from England's 1966 world cup victory.

Going back to the remark on the yet to blossom Electronic scene, the better songs here seem to bolster House and Dance pianos that would be a staple style before long. Its other cutting edge is in percussion, many drum loops a precursor to Big Beat and the likes can be heard and all at the start of the decade. It would be so fascinating to see a deep dive on the samples and their place in the timeline. It seems so apt for whats about to arrive and undoubtedly wouldn't be possible without legal freedom for sampling at the time that what be drastically changed in years to come. Cure for Sanity is a fair bit of fun with a lot of mediocrity as many songs feel like a collection of sampling ideas. Luckily there is a couple of solid songs in here too.

Rating: 5/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Civilisation I" (2021)

 

 

 I've been diving into a few Kero Kero Bonito records and loving whats to be discovered! Initially, I didn't vibe as strongly with this other half to Civilisation II until I had the further context of their back catalog. As a quirkier, bold and colorful trio of songs, it seemed offbeat from the marvels of its successor. Released two years earlier, these three songs perhaps signify maturity over the period, however being new to the London based outfit, my passing thoughts are of little value currently.

 

The opening track Battle Lines bursts to life with a barrage of punchy instruments, a disorienting layering of cheesy 80s synth sounds reworked to produce a carefree, wonderus mood. Its zany synths jive unabashedly, jolting into life with sequences of notes that play like guitar solos, often seeming out of key initially and swiftly find their orientation with the music. Ironically its was the most jarring track but now the one I love most. The wildly animated nature of its busy instrumentals is remarkable!

When The Fire Comes drifts into a calmer, soothing temperament, letting Sarah Perry take a little more light with her keen singing voice. The steady percussion gives rise to layerings of gorgeous, vibrant keys. So easy to enjoy! The River follows up extending that warm, easy tone with its breezy synths making a mockery of its jittering percussion and sporadic bursts of odd synthesized noise effects. Its somehow dreamy, yet that drum pattern is so shaken and agitated! The chemistries these three conjure are simply wonderful. They are now the subject of my next musical journey!

Rating: 4/10