Napalm Death "The Code Is Red...Long Live The Code" (2005)

It not the first time we've talked the legendary Napalm Death and it wont be the last! Hoping around through their discography we arrive at the bands eleventh full length and the first of three successive records that have received significant critical praise. Somehow the band continuously reinvent their frenetic, invigorating sound over and over and without loosing the intensity or excitement these octane riff fests bring. "The Code" is a moment where their sound comes full circle, feeling closer to their original Grindcore chaos without the tropes of Groove and Death Metal becoming a stylistic determinant in the wake of guitar led violence.

Riff eccentric and structured as such the album rolls through the motions in a constant state of alert as riff after riff perpetuates a dizzying unleashing of ferocious anger directed at the path of the listener. Its on a war path and your standing in the way, the drums bearing down around the rhythm guitar with a consistent battering on the snare and blast beats thunder between high tempo grooves. There is little break from this formula, a very occasional tempo slowing and winding down of the thrashing lets you come to the surface for the occasional gasp of air.

Vocalist Barney is right on the mark with the voice of fury and frustration, leading the charge with savage barks, shouts and growls. On the records opener he utilizes a memorable bellowing ewww scream that gets me every time, wish he'd pulled that card a few more time as it has a true distinction to it. A couple of guest vocals add some spice, Jello Biaffra of Dead Kennedys and Lard makes a decorative feature but its Barney who takes the work load.

The records mix and tone is fantastic, getting an apatite amount of clarity from each of the instruments, finding the right spaces for them to collide, keeping the overwhelming wall of sound in just the right measure for it to retain its edge. Like most Napalm records it comes down to another riff fest of sliding power chords and evil tremolo picking. In this case all the stars align for perhaps their most consistent if not a personal favorite. The closer "Morale" showcases the bands musical talent with a slower, atmospheric track and Barney's archaic chanting leaves one wondering why they don't do more of this, they can certainly pull of more than the deathgrind they have become masters of.

Favorite Tracks: Silence Is Deafening, The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code, The Great And The Good, Pledge Yourself To You, Losers, Morale

Rating: 8/10

Austra "Future Politics" (2017)

Perfect timing! Right as I'm catching up with Austra's first two records, "Feel It Break" and "Olympia" the Canadian trio release their third full length after a four year gap. Not much about the bands sound has developed, even singer Stelmanis gives a routine performance of powerful vibratos between strong yet soft and moving vocal lines. If only wrapped in a touch more reverb, her voice will still win me over every time. "Future Politics" has its charm but only in doses. The bass and percussion has the most notable progression, deeper textural sub synths and thumping bass kicks are frequently occurring as a stylistic backbone, reminiscent of House and Dance, driving an interesting tone that works well. Moving away from the organic approach of "Olympia" the sequenced drum kits find there moment on the prominently House tracks, but feel a bit lifeless on the quieter songs.

The track listing feels split, in one instance they find an easy chemistry with these Dance numbers, steady beats with a thudding drive for easy synth sounds to glide over. The dominant theme of simplicity charms in this setting but the lack of depth in the melodies leaves the record feeling sparse on its other half, a set of quieter tunes breaking up the flow. Most the songs are comprised of short, repetitive melodies and short sounds arranged to a consistently 4/4 beat. Its often Stelmanis who comes to the rescue, making a great hook on the title track and captivating with pillow soft whisper like vocals on the dreamy "Beyond A Mortal". Ultimately she masks some of the underwhelming instrumentals, a pleasant but not riveting album from a band who I believe can to far more interesting places than this.

Favorite Tracks: Future Politics, Utopia, Beyond A Mortal

Rating: 5/10

Birocratic "Beets 4" (2017)

Hes back! Our New York based Jazz Hop producer is back with a tailored set of beats, hence the beets. Its the first release from Biro this year and the fourth installment of the Beets series and the longest of any release yet. At forty four minutes it feels like a full length record, something Ive been hoping on for a while and we certainly get those vibrations as we indulge into a smooth, chilled out selection of cuts with no surprises. "Beets 4" makes no strides into new territory but selects the best styles, techniques and tropes in whats been done so far, executing them with inspiration for a solid listen.

This will probably be short and sweet, Ive said much of whats to be said before about Biro's production techniques and moods reached with his breed of elegant, jazzy Hip Hop instrumentals. This fourth installment tones down the organic, sleek and charming chemistry of "Replaced" for more traditional cuts with obviously spliced samples and sturdy, rocking drum loops that form a classic stitched together vibe. Occasionally on songs like "Matlack" does Biro bring in the gorgeous, funky grooving synths that illuminate over the top of rigid sampling. Equally in other moments he reverts to the classic vocal splicing, using who I believe is the same singer, her effeminate voice is given time for us to decipher a few words on one song.

Consistently decent is how id summarize this release. No tracks I can think of stand out and in the same measure there are no weak spots. A few spices of culture cropped up here and there, some oriental sounds, others Latino. Simply some nuances that could of been more prominent. Its a simple record to enjoy, well crafted beats that one can chill out to, easy going and great for its entire run time.

Favorite Track: Tony's Beleated breakfast

Rating: 6/10

Havok "Conformicide" (2017)

Looking through the lineup of Download Festival last year I spotted a young and thirsty Thrash Metal band known as Havok! With the time free to see them I hastily made my way to the blue tent, the fourth stage, where I blown away by the energetic show these guys put on! They are no revival act, Thrash may of been huge in the 80s but Havok shred with passion. Heavy, hard and fast they have a relevance sounding as good as any Thrash band has done before them. I've only checked out their "Time Is Up" record going into this one and I will mention it every time I speak of Havok, their sped up version of Slayer's Raining Blood is simply brilliant! Do check it out if your a Slayer fan.

"Conformicide" Is charged with upfront, in your face political and social messages that spare everyone's feelings. Initially I felt as if the topics could of been handled with more thought and consideration. The opening track "FPC", fuck political correctness, a one sided argument, lacked thought for reflection but what should I of expected? Blood pumping angry music like this is about venting the anger and frustration. Take aim and fire, leave no prisoners is the Metal attitude and what anthems these fist pumping, head banging tunes become in the spirit of Sanchez's explosive lyrics, which gets its moment to unsurprisingly take aim at Trump.

Its lyrical theme falls perfectly into place as the tip of the spear lunging towards you in a brutal metallic assault of rapid, nimble guitar thrashing and precision drumming that makes a technical feet of all typical Thrash tropes. From the start you'll hear Thrash's best ideas rehearsed and re-imagined in a crisp clear and vibrant guitar tone alongside equally impressive drums. The tone, mix and chemistry is gorgeous, easy to adjust, intense and full on it brings an energetic and creative set of riffs to life, with quite a few songs building to a moment of riffing dynamism as well as some grooving baselines taking center on the odd occasion.

In its opening half Havok really set themselves up for a modern classic with great, memorable lyrics and riveting instrumentals to match but a handful of tracks in the record starts to rest on its laurels with both the riffs and words seemingly drifting towards mediocrity. Its political commentaries repeat themselves and large parts of the songs seem to fill out with a similar intensity of low string shredding and drum pummeling that doesn't muster up the same excitement. The guitar solos are sterling from start to end, illuminating some tracks and throwing much needed spice into the songs that have started to tame however they don't blow the lid off, simply capturing that Thrash style to perfection.

After its conclusion a little gem of a bonus track awaits, Pantera's "Slaughtered", a blinding cover with a very blunt scream style from Sanchez that always reminds me of how his shrill voice was far more tolerable than expected during this record. If the steam had kept on pumping Id be screaming its praise but it seems the band front loaded their best numbers and ran out of juice for the records second half. Both brilliant and disappointing, we are definitely going to get a cracking live show with these new songs.

Favorite Tracks: FPC, Hang Em High, Dogmaniacal, Intention To Deceive

Rating: 7/10

Deathspell Omega "Paracletus" (2010)

French Black Metal outfit Deathspell Omega had not grasped my attention in the past but based on a personal recommendation I decided to give, what has been acclaimed as their best record, "Paracletus" a try. Of the many moons that have passed I have not found myself growing any fonder of the experience these forty two minutes hold but have certainly come to appreciate and understand its apparent brilliance. Its the fifth full length from the deeply satanic and anonymously mysterious band. They made a shift from primitive and raw Black Metal with their third and embarked on an experimental journey which has led them to this abomination of evil, the final installment of a malignant trilogy.

This record assaults us with an ensemble of dissonance, discords and rebellious anti-music as melodies and riffs are deformed to a repulsive form. Ive often heard discords and broken melodies in effect with grooves and rhythms, a careful counterbalance that props up the dissonance on other enjoyable musical values, however for a large portion of this record the musicians look to flail and torment us with desynchronized drum patterns, ugly, churning guitar chords, masticated, mangled guitar leads all whirling through a discernible frenzy of notes that inspire an unforgiving, unsettling darkness, hellbent on intensity over captivation.

In the moments it musically tones the onslaught down, passageways of atmosphere and scale come to fruition. Where its less chaotic and menacing it finds a middle ground where one can take in the disenchanting melodies and have pause for the imagination to muster. Otherwise its a truly menacing experience when the blast beats bear down with intentional disorganization, not giving one much room to process. It plays out like a constant unraveling beast, no formulaic song structures and some numbers simply bleed into the next.

It is only ever with focus and intent that I can really experience much from this record, as something for the background is fails to captivate me. With my attention it has sparks and moments but my taste is a little too conventional for whats at work here however I have a great appreciation of its artistic intention and execution, If anything Id wish to like it more but the chemistry isn't quite right. Very interesting listening experience.

Favorite Song: Phosphene

Rating: 5/10

Wartime "Fast Food For Thought" (1990)

This obscure "side project" EP is the brainchild of bassist Andrew Weiss, who invites his fellow band mate Henry Rollins to lay down the vocals in his typical style. The duo are both from the Rollins Band however Wartime is a different beast, Rollins' unshakable style remains grounded over Weiss' instrumentals that take an Industrial, Funk laden, bass driven approach. Some of the core grooves can be heard in similarity to the pairs main ambition however "Fast Food For Thought" comes off as an unapologetic, noisy hash of idea's with a backbone of grooving funk.

Its aesthetic is of the age, dainty factory setting percussive tracks lined with bongo hits set the tempo for Weiss' monstrous distorted bass tones, dripping in texture with warping gurgles and snarling oscillations. It makes a racket, multiple baselines, some popped and slapped, a sprinkling of acoustic guitar licks and the occasional synth, samples make an overwhelming roaring backdrop for the man with the big mouth to direction your attention to the themes that inspired the food for thought.

Two years before "The End Of Silence" we hear Rollins defining his loud mouthed shouted vocal style at its inception. His tone, delivery and intense presence is a great match for the noisy instrumentals. The lyrical themes and words themselves are a little soft and obvious in terms of craft of rhyme. The topics and points made are certainly worth your time but the poetry is stitched together with obvious, simplistic links that have Rollins sounding like a 90s parody rapper in some respects, despite the words having a measure of weight to them.

The whole thing plays like a singular track with no break in tone, consistency or texture. Its very upfront, immediate and riddled with "dated" sounds but that's part of the charm of digging out this forgotten relic from one of my favorite bands. In a way it feels like some great ideas were born here, with Rollins' vocal style evolving and Weiss' burgeoning riffs amping the duo for their greatest collaboration when returning to Rollins Band in 92. Well worth your time if your a fan.

Favorite Tracks: Right To Life, The Whole Truth
Rating: 6/10

Puppy "Vol II" (2016)

If a dose of 90s Alternative revival is your cup of tea then English rockers Puppy and there "Vol II" EP may just be for you, however to label them as a revival band would be a disservice. Puppy's style, sound, aesthetic and tone is uncannily alike to many acts of that era but theirs is a fresh and faithful artistic expression that nestles neatly between many names while still feeling like its own master. It kicks off with the most out of turn track "Entombed". Its slow and steady textural two note groove has echos of Groove Metal but its soft, welcoming distortion tone and singing style makes it very comparable to one of Metals brightest bands, Ghost.

The rest of the record embarks on a less metallic voyage, taking an emotional narrative that in many moments resonates like The Smashing Pumpkins. These are steady, easy going songs with simplicity in mind, a tight arrangement of riffs that flex between expansive chords and simple rock steady grooves. Acoustics intersect and with a lighter distortion the band effortlessly transition between subtle intensities, making for great craft as the songs flow soothingly. Its the singer who pulls much of the tone together, with a weaker, soft and gentle voice he comes with a meekness that exudes honesty in the emotions conveyed, making the instrumentals feeling complete.

Ending with a number devoid of percussion, a sombre acoustic guitar is intersected by soft harmonizing distortion guitar leads. It occurs to me that the short record, twenty minutes, starts in one place, ending in another. Kicking off with groovy metallic energy and transforming to quite a calm and soothing affair. Its all terrific, not much to flaw other than its short run time. The production is solid and everything feels cohesive on this five track release. This band has a promising future it would seem.

Favorite Songs: Entombed, Warm

Rating: 6/10

C418 "Dief" (2017)

German electronic producer Daniel Rosenfield, AKA C418, composer of the Minecraft "Alpha" & "Beta" soundtracks, brings us a comparatively short thirty two minute EP under the name of "Dief". Unsurprisingly its a far more coherent listen in comparison to last years "2 Years Of Failure". Mustering his inspiration a collection of calm, soothing and spacious songs emerge with a deeper layer of ambience than expected, based on his distinct identifiable style of modern electronic fused with lush pianos and strings.

"Work Life Imbalance" might be the records most lively track, feeling as if it could fit into many of his previous works with typically sweet and luscious pianos chiming over the driving, shuffling percussive track. From this point, every other track can be seen heard in a Downtempo setting. Gentle yet strident drums keep otherwise lucid melodic notations in motion as lead instruments drift into the layers of ambient synths with a typical dose of lush reverb.

"Blank Cubicle" steers from the path with more prominent, textural saw synths chirping melodies as Daniel brings his voice into the backdrop in an opaque manor as he straddles the line of attention, sinking behind other instruments with quietness. The opening track is my favorite, classic string sections build up a cinematic atmosphere the blossoms into a rich, dense experience as deep, underwater synths slowly engulf the opening strings. The final track revisits a moment of this wonder to tie the seven tracks together, but between them nothing too remarkable occurs beyond establishing a placid and calming tone to indulge with.

Favorite Track: Texture Prayers

Rating: 5/10

Tim Shiel "Induction" (2017)

Back with another set of soothing, calm electronic ambience songs, Australian producer Tim Shiel brings us a short, simplistic and gentle journey through eight tracks that clock in at just under thirty minutes. Opening with the records theme we encounter one of two moments where shuffling, indifferent percussion shakes itself along a path with a glitched out persona, very much like his previous works "Duet". Sound design oddities and ambiguous noises intersect the slow and steady lead melodies to give off a strangely comforting dystopian vibe. In "Undone 2" the beat comes back with a stronger presence, a steady kick clap arrangement creates a more straight forward song with a rich and deep ambience almost ready to engulf the beat.

Aside this duo, six tracks of gleaming cloud like ambience radiate with organic contractions of dense synths that slowly coming in and out of focus as they surround each other in a state of serene tranquil. These seemingly minimal and short compositions provide depth with tiny micro details buried under the wall of soothing sound, lone notes and abstract voice can be heard with great attention. On "Gernika" these ambiguous noises rise to the surface for an indulging cross roads between the style displayed on the percussive tracks and the deep resonating ambience.

On some songs Tim steers these the compositions towards greatness, the mood shifts and something emerges from one setting that can transform the music. Due to the short nature of these songs that level of progression never amounts to a second phase. With exception the essentially two part nature of "Undone 1" and "Undone 2" makes a rewarding experience of this transformation as the song climaxes in its journey through a darkening mood. With no short comings or failings "Induction" feels like an inspired, thought out project that meets its intention. I could of only asked for more, twenty eight minutes leaves me wishing it had gone further!

Favorite Tracks: Undone 1, Undone 2, Third

Rating 7/10

Austra "Olympia" (2013)

Following up on the Canadian trio's darker leaning debut "Feel It Break", we arrive two years later at "Olympia", a measured refinement of style that steers the ship to a slightly brighter, broader appeal, while still retaining the core of their identity. Its a fitting follow up, no leaps, tricks or wild cards in store, just another collection of short songs where the synths lighten up in tone and dazzle with chirpier, friendly melodies.

Even though the instrumentals are rich with layers of complimenting melodies and a memorable tunes, it is singer Stelmanis who once again becomes the focal point of the emotional narrative, crowning the songs with her infectious hooks that hit with magnitude as a sublime energy and character resonates through her empowering vibrato. She carries on where the last record left off and bar a few sharper ideas its a predictable performance, one that's unsurprisingly indulgent as the melodies flow around her swooning vocal lines.

The biggest progression felt is the instrumentals, tuned for a brighter ear the record feels a little looser and organic in reflection of "Feel It Break". The drums especially, including bongo arrangements and less electronic kits. With a lighter pallet of sounds the band often resonate short Neoclassical melodies over pulsating dance baselines. Soft strings, flutes and plucked strings illuminate these cohesive moments of indifferent styles that otherwise sound odd on paper. Its very much a more obvious extension of what came before it.

"Olympia" is a strong record, however the bands approach to songwriting limits what feels like an obvious potential for them to do much grander music. Short, verse, chorus song structures and a lack of theatrical progression leave the songs contained within the walls of repetition that doesn't expand on the magic of Stelmanis' voice. The last album had a stand out track "The Beast" where convention gave way to inspiration and that is what I was hoping for more of. Even where potential feels disappointing this record is fantastic and very enjoyable, one I'll return to often.

Favorite Tracks: Painful Likes, Home, Reconcile

Rating; 7/10