The Cool Kids "The Bake Sale" (2008)

The Cool Kids are a Hip Hop duo who both rap and produce all of the music. Hailing from Chicago, the duo gained some acclaim and recognition for their debut mixtape "Totally Flossed Out" and this EP which they dropped in 2008. After hearing good things about the pair, I decided to check this EP out which starts with an attentive track that sets the tone for the listener with a touch of class. The beat is constructed of vocal samples pronouncing the instruments name that have been pitch shifted and stretched to emulate the tone of said instrument. It gives the record its premise and a touch of humor that lets you know there is not much to be taken too seriously.

The two create a sound that is heavily influenced by the golden era of Hip Hop, recreating it with a modern twist that gives them a fresh and unique sound. Production wise the beats are crisp and audible, emulating the style and grove of those classic beats with a nice set of modern kits that give it some flavor and character as opposed to strait recreation. Across the 10 tracks they unload all the tricks, revisiting many different styles reminiscent of the era, including the classic big sound hits.

Vocally I didn't find the pair too exciting, they both have good tone and flows but a lack of energy and enthusiasm leaves the laid back style a little lackluster for my taste. Theres a few good lines here and there but most of the lyrical content failed to engage me, the raps are rarely serious or deep, and that lack of substance left me feeling like something was missing, however thats really not what this music is about, and in the right mood their fun and oldskool style can be enjoyable. The approach and execution of this retro themed EP was decent and served a fun listening experience but fell short of giving me something to return too.

Favorite Songs: 88, Basement Party

Rating: 3/10

The Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" (1993)

"Who wants, honey? As long as theres some money!" The Smashing Pumpkins sophomore album starts of with a bang! Cherub Rock is possibly their greatest song, it really encapsulates some of the groups best qualities. Siamese Dream starts where their debut "Gish" left off, this album saw the group break into the mainstream with the album penetrating several top 10s around the globe, it has since gone 4 times platinum in the USA, and deservingly so, this record is an experience. Building on Gish, the group fine tune their sound and deliver a gorgeous record rich with moving instrumentals, emotional lyrics and a resounding consistency that engages me as these 13 songs travel through many passages of their unique sound. 

The sound of this record is absorbing, the guitar tone is dense and inviting, with a warm buzz about it thats engaging and exciting as the pair bang out countless alluring riffs and fiery leads. The clean tones are somber, calm, with a lot of colour and personality about them. The drumming on this record is solid but isn't as adventurous as on the previous record, theres not many moments where they make a big impact on the song. The bass is steady, warm and colorful, giving their sound depth and consistency. The cohesion of the instruments is great, this is a sturdy sounding record that brings out the best of them. On the track "Disarm" the inclusion of strings works effortlessly to narrate another classic song 

The guitars and Corgan's voice give this album its character, the bass and drums guide them along their course, as broad, inventive riffs spark emotions that Corgan explores with his voice and words. Utilizing their unique guitar tone, this album cruises through many riffing styles and moments inter spliced with some grabbing emotional calmer moments where clean guitars gleam. Corgan's introspective presences is moving and deep, bringing his honesty and bearing all with an emotional performance delivered with some memorable creativity on occasions. This is a fine album, one with much mood and character and a depth of songs that come with just a hint of nostalgia. Classic!

Favorite Songs: All?

Rating: 9/10

Marilyn Manson "Mechanical Animals" (1998)

Having highly enjoyed Manson's breakthrough album "Antichrist Superstar" I was initially skeptical about their other releases which fell far behind the commercial success of Antichrist. I was quickly reminded that sales are no indication of the content as this album quickly grabbed my attention and took me on a ride, before i knew it i was hooked. My preconceptions were shattered and what initially struck me about this album has become very clear after several spins.

On this record the band as a whole move in a much more focused and expressive direction with Manson stepping up his game vocally, his presence is stronger and lyrically his poetry hits home hard with some deep messages and ideas. A couple of moments stuck in my mind, on the track "Coma White" he expresses a sorrowful message about self destructive personalities through an unforgeable chorus "A pill to make you numb, a pill to make you dumb...." its a dark realization delivered in a sing along format that ends the album on a emotional deep. On the track "Mechanical Animals" Manson chimes in beautifully with the soaring guitar riff in a heart in mouth moment. Across these songs his artistic expression is deep and meaningful, delivered with more sensibility.

Instrumentally the band are right behind him, moving the direction away from the metallic Industrial sound, more towards an Alternative Metal / Rock sound with the Industrial element paining intricate sounds and details along side the core instruments. At times the songwriting is pure class, forging charactered songs that compliment Manson well. For example "The Dope Show" has a brooding base line that builds a shady atmosphere with some unusual synthetic sounds, painting a vivid picture in the listeners mind. Theres a lot to talk about as many of these songs have great creativity in the instrumentals. Production wise everything sounds fantastic, in general i was blown away by this album and looking forward to Holy Wood.

Favorite Songs: The Dope Show, Mechanical Animals, Disassociative, User Friendly, Coma White

Rating: 7/10

Jotun "Learning To Live" (2014)

As if coincidence had a meaning, on the day i decided to review one of my favorite albums "Jotun" the next day Crow dropped a new release! After 18 months of silence Jotun is back with "Learn To Live" which pickups up where "Night" left off. The forth record "Surreal" brought a change to Jotun's sound, retaining the detailed notation and melodic values of the project, and moving in a Trance like direction with sawtooth synth leads and heavily oscillation becoming the focus, which is common place in Trance, House etc... electronic music.

On "Learning To Live" we are bombarded by a loud and abrasive sound as massive walls of textural synthetic leads drip over each other and paint vivid and energetic songs that are driven by a powerful, crushing drum kick and snappy snare. As always lively and free flowing melodic leads build the character of these songs. One of the first details i noticed on this record was the change in the drum kit. Much louder and more involved, this new kit really compliments the Trance direction, building a much welcomed danceable intensity underneath the surface. At time they even become a highlight in these songs. Across the album there is much variety and some great repetitive leads in moments which are not too far from feeling like hooks.

The downside to this great record is the mixing, although the songs benefit from the loud and intense nature of the instruments, they are also drowning one another as they compete for volume, for example the end of "Futile" there is a moment where two leads cross over in what would be a climactic moment of the song, but one overpowers the other in a muddy wave of noise. Another chaotic moment occurs in "The Chase" where the bass kick picks up speed and sound erratic underneath a smothering lead. Despite the negatives, its listen-able record and the musical content is solid, the main highlight for me was hearing Crow find some more trance oriented riffs to fuse with his style as the direction he has taken is maturing. Looking forward to more!

Favorite Songs: Gazing At The Sky, Introspection, Futile

Rating: 6/10

Love Spirals Downwards "Flux" (1998)

Love Spirals Downwards are an America duo from California who produce Ethereal Dream Pop. On this their forth album the duo incorporated Drum N Bass into their sound. What may have seemed an unusual move turned out to be a fruitful endeavor, a work that could be respected and enjoyed by fans of both geners. After writing about LTJ Bukem's "Logical Progression Level 1" I was reminded of this unique record I found a few years back and decided to give it another spin.

What may seem like an experimental fusion of styles turns out to be a dynamic and effortless relationship. Down tempo break loops and bold sub base lines bring an energy to liven up dreamy, Ethereal sound scapes painted by sweeping, jittery synthesizers and reverb soak guitars that compliment and work with Perry's dreamy voice. Her sister even appears on the track "Psyche" which for me was a highlight vocally. Warm synthesizers drift gently through these energetic break loops as slowly strum chords echo out in reverb soaked glory. The track "Sunset Bell" features a great vocal hook with an inaudible snippet of a word being sampled and pitch shifted in a jittery nature, a memorable moment for me.

Neither of the two styles are compromised on this record which has a sizable amount of variety. Each track utilizes different break loops, with the classic Amen Loop finding room for an appearance on "By Your Side" which is a bit out of step with the bass line and pace of the song. Production wise, its warm and charactered. A great balance is achieved as the sound finds its place for both styles to do their thing. The break loops are crisp and bass lines very bold and audible, the Ethereal synths and guitar leads have great cohesion as the reverb soaked instruments melt together under the warm voice of Perry. It just crossed my mind that on first listen this never felt like two styles were being fused together and that itself is testament to this record and a great note to end on.

Favorite Songs: City Moon, Nova, Sunset Bell

Rating: 7/10

LTJ Bukem "Logical Progression Level 1" (1996)

The world of Drum N Bass is one I am not too familiar with, however I am always keen to listen and explore this genre which is an important part of England's musical Heritage. DnB emerged in the early 90s alongside Trip Hop, Jungle & Breakbeat music from the southern parts of the UK where the Rave scene had hit and Electronic music was flourishing. The principle of DnB is in the name, high tempo break beat loops and loud baselines at the forefront of the music, this leaves a lot of room for diversity in style and mood. Following a recommendation from a friend I picked up this lengthy double album which I revisited today.

 This record explores the moodier, ambient side of what is possible. High tempo break loops contrast dreamy, melodic instrumentals, creating a unique energy where the intensity of fast, pulsating loops is fused into loungey, gentle instrumentals that have an almost Jazz Hop feel to them in moments. This transference of energy and bipolar nature is charming and very characteristic of this record which i do believe LTJ Bukem acts as a DJ mixing together his own tracks with others. Even though there is an array of musicians involved the album flows seamlessly from start to end.

The production is class, crisp clean drum loops have room to breath on top of deep moving baselines that groove gently in their own world underneath this bipolar relation between samples and loops. The calming nature of these songs and the high intensity of the break beats give this record room to fit for many moods and overall it feels like a classic record, however my ears are not as experienced in this line of music. On a note, the song "Pharaoh" is "Rings Around Saturn" from Photeks "Form & Function" released 2 years later. Bit of a mystery to me, but DnB is a place where the album is not the primary release format. Great album, loved all 2 hours of it.

Favorite Tracks: Links, Bringing Me Down, Horizons, Pharaoh

Rating: 7/10

Saor "Aura" (2014)

Saor is a one-man-band project inspired by the landscapes and cultural heritage of the Scottish highlands. This record immediately revealed itself upon my first listen, the rich atmosphere sets an immersible tone for the Celtic folk influences to shine through. Its not to often an album can be instantly appealing, but its always a pleasant surprise. Since my first listen everything that became apparent about this sound has been true of the record and i have thoroughly enjoyed "Aura" the bands second full length. 

The five songs that make up "Aura" are lengthy, passionate epics that don't progress as much as they immerse in theme and inspiration, often keeping your attention locked in. There is variety in pace, instrumentation and composition that keeps a steady mood with great maturity. The reoccurring flute leads are delightful and the instrumental writing is detailed, lots of care has been put into the drums which were a highlight for me, they are never boring, always finding fills and cymbals to color the demanding blast beat nature of Black Metal songs. Alongside the usual arsenal are strings, flutes, bagpipes & violins bringing home the Celtic heart of these songs, there presence in these songs is a work of art and beauty.

The production feels flawless, the mix finds the balance for each instrument to shine without anything feeling overpowered. The strings are both subtle and powerful, chiming in just under the guitars they have a powerful effect on these songs and sit in a place where they can be in or out of focus depending on what your listening to. They help guide the emotional narrative of these songs, where the guitars and drums build the atmosphere alongside them. The unity of all the instruments on this record is stunning, guttural growls and screams add the human element and on "The Awakening" distant cultural chants climax the song in awe. Altogether we have a very complete and defined record that creates a beautiful listening experience every time.

Favorite Songs: Aura, Farewell

Rating: 7/10

Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" (1996)

In my youth Manson was a popular and controversial figure who's music I never really gave a go. I'm unsure as to why his genius never appealed to me then, but having recently watched some documentaries about his music I've learned hes a very intelligent and articulate person. Understanding a little more about the person behind the peculiar self imagery has really opened the door for me and i decided to start with the album that transformed him into a sensation. This being the bands second full length rocketed into the charts upon its release and has remained as their best selling album by far.

The album as a whole has is an artistic and creative expression packaged into a metalic, rockable sound layered with an Industrial aesthetic that give this one a unique and instantly identifiable sound. Manson's presences in these songs is poetic, through his somewhat unexceptional voice hes engages my attention with many thought provoking lines delivered with emotion and intent. Manson is almost self prophetic, with many lyrics retaining to being a controversial figure of hate that he became on the albums release. These lyrical statements often reflect whats wrong with societal values and they are delivered with a cunning artistic expression. One of the more comical lines has stuck in my mind "I wasn't born with enough middle fingers", we have all had days like that. Theres a lot to relate to on this record if you have an alternative perspective of humanity and society.

Manson's poetic presence maybe stealing the show but the instrumentals are worthy of merit too, across the record theres a lot of variety in instrumentation and flavor as the songs drift from rock head bangers to moody movers. The instrumentals keep a strong feeling together despite offering some decent variety with electronic leads shifting focus with the crunchy guitar tones. Theres lots of detailed sounds and noises adding depth to all these tracks and the rhythm section is refreshing, offering some more inventive and unexpected patterns utilizing a large pallet of sounds from an industrial themed drum machine. It all comes together so well, this album is devoid of filler with most the tracks bringing memorable beats, riffs, melodies and lyrics. I now see what the fuss is about and I'm excited to listen to more!

Favorite Songs: Torniquiet, Little Horn, Deformography, Angel With The Scabbed Wings, The Reflecting God

Rating: 8/10

Killing Joke "Extremities, Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions" (1990)

I have been enjoying my recent foray into Industrial music, and Killing Joke was a group not so appealing at first, but i am glad i stuck with it as this album has grown on me tremendously. Killing Joke are a Post-Punk group from Noting Hill who through the 80's released many albums that incorporated some Gothic and New Wave elements to their sound. Extremities is the groups ninth album and one i chose to listen to for the cited Industrial influences the band had brought to their sound. With little experience of there previous works i got to listen to this record from a neutral perspective.

Extremities is drenched in nostalgia through guitars that bring forth a big sound, distortion characterized by flanged overtones mold a big presence in these tracks. The riffs, either simple or complex are given a big boost by this sound which remains a strong point for this record from start to end. Killing Joke utilize a variety of riffs across this one, often lending to progression and atmosphere but at times breaking out some rock sensibility and memorable riffage that stands out from the hazy flanged noise the guitars ooze. There presence feels paramount but there is more on offer.

The drumming is solid, nothing that stands out but it doesn't do any harm, its always in tune with the music. The bass is solid, its presence is strong on most tracks but occasionally gets a little lost under the big guitars, on occasions bringing a lovely overdriven tone I wish would have featured more often. The vocals being very British were a little stark on first listen and felt slightly contrasting, however with familiarity comes acceptance. Alongside these elements there is definitely some electronic presences with the occasion tracks brining in some subtle scratching sounds at extra details if you listen carefully. And some synth leads are there t0o, mixed to bleed with the guitars. Overall a great listen. Lots of good songs but I especially liked the mix, it has a lot of character and lets the instruments work together to build some noisy atmospheres.

Favorite Tracks: Money Is Not Our God, The Beautiful Dead, Solitude, North Of The Border

Rating: 5/10

Slipknot - ".5: The Gray Chapter" (2014)

Legendary 9-piece group Slipknot from Iowa broke into the mainstream in the early 00s in unorthodox fashion, wearing abominable masks and playing loud rampant, aggressive music they quickly built a large cult following of die hard fans as well as causing a lot of controversy, which of course only helped promote them. Over the years Slipknot have slowed down there creative output and gone through some understandable changes. They no longer write the wild anger-driven chaotic breed of metal from their first two major releases. They have retained their identity but the Slipknot sound has undergone much change.

On this album more so than ever Slipknot sound more like a typical metal outfit, there once unpredictable guitar style is almost non existent, with most of the riffs lacking that spontaneous emotion driven aggression they used to have. The drumming is vastly different from Joey Jordison's style and his absence was instantly noticeable, the drums felt predictable and not quite up to scratch with Joeys style. Despite this negativity, Slipknot do still hold their unique and indisputable sound and put together an enjoyable collection of songs. On "All Hope Is Good" Sid's input felt almost non existent and nice change on this record is his inclusion of scratching and unusual samples in many of the songs.

An issue for me listening to this record is the constant thoughts comparing it to their early works, but after a few listens through the songs started to show their charm. There's some great energy in these tracks, especially in those moments where the percussion pounds in primal repetition along with the money riffs. As for variety this album has plenty, the moods, tempos and themes explored have a balance as the songs bring some melodic overtones and atmosphere to the table, alongside the more aggressive moments. The production is pitch perfect, crystal clear and honestly a bore. Some bands benefit from muddier, lower fidelity, charactered recordings and Slipknot is one of them. They can't be frozen on ice, and there progression as a group is a positive one, but after everyone listen all i want to do is play Surfacing at full volume... you probably know what i mean.

Favorite Songs: The Devil In I, Skeptic, The Negative One

Rating: 5/10

Jotun "Jotun" (2012)

Having previously written about Crow's Lord Lovidicus album "Kyndill Og Steinn" it felt fitting to talk about another project of his, Jotun. I've had a unique experience of having another artists work attached my videos, "Sailing Clouds Of Night" being the intro to my Hermitcraft series it is a testament to Crow's musical genius when viewers cry out for the intro music when i have forgotten to include it. It has also been the soundtrack to many time lapses. Its fantastic music that fits well into the Minecraft universe, but it holds it own, this music is a pleasure to enjoy whatever the environment is.

From its inception Jotun has been complete package, a music concept that fully understands itself. It blurs the lines of definition, but a fair comparison would be to 8-bit FM synthesis from old consoles like the NES with chirpy synth sounds and a focus on the melodic content. With a modernized, crisp and tuneful sound set, Crow brings his musical ideas to life through a pallet of electronic oscillators, pianos and other simulated sounds layered together with substance to make lasting and meaningful songs. Through the nine tracks many musical ideas and themes are explored, on later albums Crow continues the exploration of themes, but from this first record the concept is perfect.

From start to end this record delivers fluent compositions with each song having several melodic leads that pull in and out of focus and on many songs layering on top of one another. This is one of Joton's biggest strengths, to build several memorable tunes and find the cohesion to bring them together in the same instance. The notation is varied and progressive and not shy of turning up the pace with some charging solo leads that grab your attention and leave you in we. Underneath the leads that steal the show there is a matured rhythmic presence with a lite pallet of drums adding a subtle element of groove to tracks. The bass and lower end synths are structured and hold the songs together well behind the leading presence in these songs. Everything this record offers is on point and fantastic. Theres not a dull moment, the only downside is maybe the album length, at just under 30 minutes it always leaves me wanting more, but that in itself maybe the charm.

Favorite Songs: A Quest, Sailing Clouds Of Night

Rating 8/10