The Smashing Pumpkins "Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun" (2018)

Long since their glory days of Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie, my excitement for a new Pumpkins project has been mixed with worry. The possibility of a resemblance to Billy's solo album Ogilala and an over bloated, insignificant album title overshadows the return of James Iha. I doubt he has little to do with the writing of the music but he performs on the wax and I was hopeful his presence would have an influence. The record makes its distinction as a band far from there hay day while rather fondly resurrecting the semantics of their glory years. Its opening two tracks sound like a time warp to the nineties as Corgan unites his emotional, melodic Alt Rock guitar flexing with his niche style of sung hook to captivate in the choruses.

Like a looking glass peering into the past, the rosy tint of nostalgia lays out a path that each song walks with familiarity to their back catalog. I don't think a single track felt new or unique but rather clever re-hashes of old ideas and occasionally slipping off the edge of tolerance with cries of "she stabs the anti clock" and Travels "its where I belong" sounding somewhat hollow. It is otherwise a cracking record with beautiful, glossy and scenic music composed of humble instruments playing to one anothers strengths. The voice of Corgan sits snugly in the middle singing his heart led lullabies and its forms with keen melody and a bit of guitar grit driving songs forward in various phases.

For all it does well something doesn't stick with this record. Its got a gorgeous production, everything sounding alive and of its moment, the string sections and keys add a serine warmth when they rise but despite all this Its strongest moments feel shades from former classics and its more "original" songs sound flat in comparison. Its been a tough one to put into words and Ive found what songs ill be returning to here again so I'll leave it alone on that ambiguous note.

Rating: 6/10
Favorite Tracks: Knights Of Malta, Silvery Sometimes, With Sympathy

Anaal Nathrakh "A New Kind Of Horror" (2018)

I first heard of this band through the ripples of the UK Metal scene as a contender for the Scandinavian Black Metal outfits who blossomed the genre, while us islanders had little to offer. Ive never paid close attention since their early records but felt an itch to see what they are up to. They have evolved, as has the times and with some truly extreme ideas. Its a Black Metal record at its core, dressed up in disgust and depravity as the Birmingham duo push their musical vision downwards with harsh menacing aesthetics to raise the stakes in this conjuring of decadent, violent filth.

Its a tried and true Black Metal record with flavors of the American scene but it grabs attention for the vile extremities that first confront the listener in a cacophony of blast beats and grinding guitars accompanied sinister string sections and other various assaults of dissonance. As it builds its presence I can't help but notice how distinct the vocal style is. It plays this way throughout the record, roaring screams, blunt and raw yet somehow decipherable. They constantly peak the volume for effect and quite often spiral out of control into literal primal screams of anger and hatred. It can grow a little tiresome given the unrelenting viscous force the music exhausts.

As the record gains momentum the aesthetic experiments play like torture. Maniacal sounds and shrill possessed singing akin to Mercyful Fate soar with ferocity. When we arrive at Forward! the sounds of Glitch, Dubstep and Djent collide in an obnoxious pummeling of groove aligned to the firing of machine gun fire and shotgun blasts. Its a riot and from that point everything feels a fraction behind this peak of insanity. The record then brings in some symphony and melody to soften the blow as some drilling tremolo picking leads, power chord arrangements and chugging Djent grooves take spotlight as the aesthetic overdrive becomes far more expectant.

A New Kind Of Horror is a real race of the cliff. Vile and malicious it pushes hard at the hardened listeners with its overwhelming flood of evil noise out to punish everyone in its way. It lacks moments of respite and without truly captivating melodies or riffs it circles its own waters, each song failing to reach some sort of peak or rise to wedge in the mind but that is preference and overall I think its a fair effort. Reminds me of Cavalera Conspiracy in ways as there are ideas here that also push things forward in an obvious way. Its a dense record, lots on offer, great if it clicks with you.

Rating: 6/10

Strapping Young Lad "SYL" (2003)

Needing an outlet to vent his post-911 emotions and anger, the Canadian musician reunited the band after a four year hiatus. The resulting SYL, effectively self titled, is the most notably akin to Devin Townend's solo records. Its heavy on the electronics in a layered sense as many guitar riffs are backed by beams of bright synth erupting through the wall of sound. With a lack of Industrial grit and maniacal energy, bar an explosive dose on Rape Song, it occasionally looses the unique Strapping vibe as some guitar sections feel interchangeable with other extreme bands. That's not put the record down, its solid from start to end and a delightful exercise in heavy heavy's sake. The problem is its extremities are not up to par with the likes of City and Alien.

It does however rattle off a timeless classic with Aftermath, a song that strips back groove to its simplest form and hammers it out in repeating cycles of amplified intensity. Its pounding, tribal, primitive and when breaking away from its obnoxious guitar chugging, goes full throttle on blast beats and wall of sound ecstasy. The following Devour is another riot of feverish excess that boasts its own obnoxious one note "breakdown" riff in its mid section. It starts out steady, misleading us as with its temperament before being unleashed. A lot of the record doesn't quite reach thees fiery peaks but it is certainty a wild ride and full of foaming anger.

Across its duration Dev explores a pallet of ideas, ranging from big, dense walls of chorals both blinding and uplifting. His vocals often come of a bit raspy as his delivery shifts. When the guitar is most naked is when the record feels a little to regular for this band and there are a couple of riffs that perk my ears, sounding akin to some techniques and riffing styles heard years later in the Deathcore scene. Its probably just a resemblance Ive picked up on but it makes me wonder about SYLs impact on future musicians as this was their first "commercial success" breaking into billboard record sales charts... only barely. With so much to say about their classic records this one lives in the shadows a little, not managing to match up all of the time.

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Dire, Aftermath, Devour, Force Fed

Tyler The Creator "Music Inspired By Illumination & Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" (2018)

Lets cut to the chase, this musical project is fantastic! Coming off the back of last years critically acclaimed Scum Fuck Flower Boy, a similar instrumental pallet is put to use on this Christmas EP that lasts only ten minutes. Every second however is lean and slender, a genuine Xmas record that balances the festive theme with its classy persona wonderfully. Quite often it is just the suggestion alone that makes you notice the season. It seems Tyler was genuinely inspired to make music for the new Grinch movie, of which two additional songs appear on its soundtrack.

With bright shiny synthesizers, punchy warm baselines and stuttering goofy Hip Hop percussion, Tyler composes cheerful music without forcing the mood or overtly wording a holiday theme. Instead he lets his guest vocalists Ryan Beatty and Santigold set the tone with endearing Pop & R&B vibes before dropping in with gentle wholesome raps about returning home to a loved one and pouring hot chocolate with cinnamon on top. Santigold lays down the hooks and Ryan soars with ascending notes reminiscent of Micheal Jackson when hes adding in a backdrop layer of vocals.

The tone is sublime and on closer inspection festive pianos, wintry bells and cascading strings deploy some more expectant holiday melodies but all tuned in with one another. There is a smooth, joyous cohesion, the chemistry and quality of the compositions outpaces any of the drag that comes from seasonal cheers and lets this project occupy a classy, soothing spaces that's indulgent, relaxing and really wholesome. I'm truly impressed, would love for more. Ten minutes is not enough!

Rating: 7/10

Old Tower "The Book Of Ages" (2015)

 Now we arrive at the roots, a debut release for Dutch wizard Old Tower. Fourteen minutes of creaky, fumbling Dungeon Synth. Amateur and hazardous in nature, its futile attempts to conjure atmosphere and mystique fall flat on the back of inexperience and lack of vision. Its a typical entry level record similar to many who have stepped into the genre with the likes of Mortiis and Burzum on the mind. With spurious shifts between often singular, low fidelity synth tones the music drifts from one to the next with little beyond its imitations to grasp at. Its cuts to deep foreboding voices, far to ambiguous for comprehension signal a narrative that alludes me.

It does in one or two moments match a key tone to its spooky aesthetic for moments of intrigue. Its attempt to cast a soundscape of medieval battle with the sounds of burning fires and swords clashing reminded me of my own folly into similar ideas with the end of Eternal Myst from my Forgotten Conquest album. It puts to mind my own personal experience adventuring into Dungeon Synth and how my own passion may not be conveyed in amateurish enthusiasm. As harsh as Ive been there is no doubt passion was put into this project and its second half does shape up better but overall its forgettable and I'm glad I didn't start here as great things were to come.

Rating: 2/10

Strapping Young Lad "No Sleep Till Bedtime" (1998)

I thought I might pass this record by as I often do with live albums but seeing the the additional two tracks left over from Heavy As A Really Thing, I figured why not? Pretty swiftly was I reminded of how brilliant live recordings can be. It kicks off on a sweet note as Devin sings us into the madness with a choral arrangement to lead into the opening two from City. Its as vibrant and vivid as the studio records. The guitars, drums, bass and vocals have an exuberant energy, making a ferocious racket! Their performance is swell and behind them a dense layer of synths and industrial aesthetics seem firmly intact, probably the same tracks lifted from the studio. Its hard to imagine that level of nuance and required cohesion working in the live setting.

Our god Devin Townsend's singing is phenomenal. Now a lone voice without production magic at his aid, his fierce screams, leaping roars, soaring cries and immaculate clean singing feels both immediate and necessary as the performance drags you into the heart of the emotional experience he draws from. As the show progresses Devin never tires and between songs when talking to the crowd his comedic nature and ridicule of the spectacle shows fondly with humorous lines and jokes for the crowd. Its most so on Far Beyond Metal, a track from The New Black I forgot used to be a live only track. It is the least Lad sounding of all but clearly more suited for them than his solo material and a vessel for his cheese.

After a riveting seven songs it ends with that song as the tape runs out. A fade out without talk of goodbyes and audience cheers is a bummer but it would been more of a shame to of ruled out the release of this excellent live set. To fill the void Japan and Centipede revere their heads as songs clearly a peg lower on the frenetic, chaotic scale that Dev rammed to the max with the first SYL record. Both are sprawling atmospheric types that subvert their bombastic riffs and sustain a sense of heightened atmosphere. Centipede is the chunkier of the two with a bigger guitar presence and moments of elevated intensity but they both suffer from poor quality as static and peak clipping plagues the crowded moments. Its not too much of a bother, so overall its a really great listen for any SYL fan! Shame the live show was cut short.

Rating: 7/10

Vince Staples "FM!" (2018)

Ive been keenly awaiting the next Vince Staples project. As a rapper he is a fair talent but on the instrumental front he is rocking a fresh sound that draws in some strong House and Dance music influences to Hip Hop. This newest record FM! has some interludes and snippets of a radio show that gloss a theme on top of stellar songs. At a mere twenty two minutes most the tracks are short and given the repetitive nature of lopped instrumentals this swift record whizzes by. It always ends too soon, leaving you wanting another immediate spin as its infectious beats linger in the mind.

At the surface, the beats took most my attention. Vince puts engaging hooks over the top and his rhymes are tight, often delivered with a slightly slurred swagger. It gives his flows a liquidity as his sentences ooze and the words sway to form an shapely cadence. His inflections are slightly nasal and the nature of his flow lets his lyrics gel with these keen beats. When he exaggerates the words they often morph into memorable hooks. Relay's "scanner and hammer" as "skinner and himmer" just works despite being skewed. Its all chemistry but digging deeper into his words theirs a lot of vivid lyricism skimmed down to a point. At times it can be a dark ride along.

These instrumentals by Kenny Beats pop! Tight snaps, claps and snares bounce and groove off sub bass kicks doubling as low end melodies, shifting through multiple pitches. Between them textured hi hats rattle in fast shuffles, spaced generously on stereo. The space often occupied by samples are a treat of quirky, synthetic spaced out melodies, often minimal, taking advantage of minimalism and the textures available. Its got the grit of the streets, yet can drift to the estranged and exotic. Of course these moods find their way to banging hooks too as Vince cries out to each of the sides "who bout that life" as the calls drift to death and darkness swiftly.

I adore this project. Its all about quality over quantity however its glossed over radio theme feels a distance to the meat of Vince's lyrics. Its interlude tracks are inconsequential and mediocre at best. They fluff up an extra couple of minutes and the Earl Sweatshirt hype track is an underwhelming twenty seconds. With Kanye, Pusha T and quite a few other artists releasing short projects this year it seems like a positive trend. I'm really glad Vince took this approach and the final track is a peach with Kehlani Parrish bringing powerful effeminate singing to the fold. Great record!

Favorite Tracks: Relay, Run The Bands, No Bleedin, Tweakin

Rating: 7/10

Turnstile "Pressure To Succeed" (2011)

My praise and adoration for this band is growing fast. Listening backwards from the heights of Space & Time I expected a decline but the reality is their evolution as a somewhat eclectic band started in a strong place. Without their expanded pallet of styles we land on the origin point of pure energetic Hardcore aggression fondly reminiscent of Biohazard and Dog Eat Dog. This is their debut release, a short EP of six songs spanning fifteen minutes. Its all killer no filler, the formula is straight forward and to the point. Stomping rhythm guitars patrol, slamming drums reinforce the dynamic shifts between fast and mid tempos to give the beat downs a grooving edge. Brendan Yates stands out front with higher pitched yells and shouts to rile up the adrenaline as his words often queue in the shifts from one temperament to the next.

With very little beyond the scope of expectation it boils down to the quality of guitar riffs that lead the way and boy do they have the eminence to thrown down hard. The whole music can't be about punch line riffs and break downs. Their verse and build up riffs, all the bits in between, keeping the energy flowing with a disposition for excellence. Sometimes it seeps out with some prominent baselines and discordant guitar sections too. Best of all two songs embolden the tone with a very particular flavor of guitar lead I can't quite pin down, it reminds me fondly of Swedish Metal and stands out over the rest of the music, adding a new moody dimension of expression. That and the utterly riveting slam sections for the dance floor are buzzing on this record. Pressure To Succeed makes a feast out of its short duration. Great debut!

Favorite Track: New Rules, Pressure To Succeed
Rating: 7/10

Fief "IV" (2018)

A joyous smile swept across my face upon receiving news of this forth chapter by Medieval Fantasy musician Fief. Despite being a predictable set of instrumental songs, the knowledge of new music to command the imagination and transform ones surroundings was precisely what I was in the mood for. Seven songs, twenty eight minutes and illustrious harp-like instruments dancing in display, this newest installment leaves me with little to say I haven't already.

Once again we have uplifting melodies played on a variety of gleaming string instruments. Several layers of these form acute and splendid music that frolics through an innocence lost to time. Always keen of spirit and festive, Fief brings about visions of enchanted gardens, natural beauty and adventure without consequence. The wholesome melodies conjure our romanticism towards the best of kingdoms and landscapes lost to the perils of time.

Clearly composed with VSTs and a dose of soft reverbs, the crisp production lets the color of the instruments fill the spaces. A simple and pleasing construct for melodies one could imagine being played for kings and queens of forgotten monarchs. It is as keenly focused on one vision as its predecessors. No surprises. However the closing tracks guitars, playing in tandem, sparks a strong emotional reaction, perhaps it is a tad more exceptional than the rest.

Favorite Track: The Waiting Hearth

Rating: 6/10

Old Tower "Keepers Of The Ancient Flame" (2015)

Mistakenly I thought this was Old Tower's first release that I had selected to enjoy next. I learn now this is actually the second. It has the expectant inklings of an early form, music yet to mature to its distinction and baring the more common tropes of the genre. As one eighteen minute track uniting five individual songs it has some charm however its production is yet to allure to those deep and foggy reverberations that bring about meditative states. Its final song does make use of the organ we often hear this paired with but at this stage the music usually focuses around a single, isolated instrument, forming dull and lonesome atmospheres of degradation and decay.

In its opening tracks a forlorn world is envisioned. Sounds of ambiguous destitute create eerie rumblings as winds of secluded whispering voices dance around a solitary instrument. The atmosphere is decrepit and ruined, only echos remain of the horrors once held. The arrival of bright synths turn the tone away from ambiguity only to be interrupted by the growing presence of bothersome rumblings and a crashing strike of lightning unleashes a spooky horn like voice, murmuring, communicating from the depths under the soft pattering of rain. 

From that point we don't return, the punchy, colorful synths glisten us through a simplistic fantasy realm of gleaming horns echoing softly into themselves. Its cloudy and scenic but quite the departure from the gloom and mystique before it. After that the organ signs the record off on a lull after some owl hoots and creepy sound design but its doesn't flow. For a listener a handful of different ideas are put together with not much cohesion however they are all of similar realms which the song names hint at. Its a fair record and I did enjoy my listening.

Rating: 4/10