Grouper "A I A: Alien Observer" (2011)

This record has safely made its way into my record collection thanks to its appraised placement in top Ambient record lists. Grouper is the name and behind it a lone musician, Liz Harris, who utilizes her delicate voice like an instrument. She adds an eerie sad loneliness with her solitary tone hazing the soundscape like a spirit drifting across the voids of space between stars. As the name suggests and possibly plants the seed, the atmosphere conjured feels distant, astral, unusual and alien. Yet its pleasant, spiritual and most importantly relaxing. This is a very warm and welcoming sound that flirts with ambiguity with innocence and safety in mind.

Unfortunately this music has not sucked me in all the way. Minimalism and ambience can often pay a price for its simplicity that leads to similarity. In the case of Alien Observer it doesn't feel all that unique. Liz has crafted a beautiful aesthetic of dreamy, weary instruments glazed in a mysterious low fidelity charm but the melodies that play through it are meandering and without intent even if childlike for the most part. Of course that can be a strength too in pursuing a vision but each track does little to stand apart as the experience seems to linger in the same spot.

All the songs feel the same. However Mary, On The Wall starts off with a music box melody. Its eerie background noise and slow pace creates a unique moment that vanishes as the notation concludes and rides us into the familiar wash of warm cloudy sounds. Liz's voice is magnificent, drifting through the cloudy ambience like a lost soul. Its endearing and in a couple of moments where she rises above the music with audible words it becomes illuminating but the instrumentals lack conclusion. Much of the record reminds me fondly of Julie Cruise. As a result the place we visit doesn't feel all to new and so it was an enjoyable record but didn't forge much to remember.

Rating: 5/10

40 Watt Sun "The Inside Room" (2011)

With exposure to just one song it only took a single listen to understand this project. Now that Ive gotten through the full record my initial reaction was practically complete. It happens every now and then, the music just makes sense of itself immediately. The five songs that are The Inside Room also stick rigidly to the formula heard at almost any moment of any given song. Its a one dimensional experience but that dimension is its own. 40 Watt Sun are an England based Doom Metal band born from two members of the disbanded Warning of the same genre. This record is their debut.

Slow and dark, brooding, corroding and groaning in pace, it has all the hallmarks of the genre but so often in music the aesthetics dialed to different degrees delineate its destination. Firstly the guitars gristle and wallow in a dirty, sludge of washing distortion guitar tone that plays drawn out power chords at a begrudging pace. The drummers symbols add to this haze as they constantly rattle and bleed into the noise, slicing in without a crash but echoing in the crevasse of the thick guitar tone. The bass provides a warm and steady footing to ground the experience with a deep softness.

Its not a particularly extreme sound. Despite being tonally gritty and sharp, its crawling pace makes an easy to follow setting as the music barely gets more ambitions than simple strings of steadily paced power chords. Where it all comes to life is with singer Patrick Walker who I will describe in the keenest of ways as being akin to Michael Stripe of REM. His voice has the same timber and holds a earnest vulnerability. His performance turns the darkness of Doom Metal into a personal, humanist struggle and strips it of all fantasy with his intimate, introspective and relational lyrics of hurt.

The music is simple, the whole record reveals itself swiftly with little in the way of surprises. It serves to put all the attention on the chemistry with their singer and has yet to wain in the several hours of enjoyment I have gotten from it. Id expect that to change at some point given the simplicity but I do wonder if that is its strength. It sets a tone and mood for the light to fall on Walker who puts on a captivating and emotional performance that makes the record glow. A worthy listen if you are curious.

Rating: 7/10

At The Gates "The Red In The Sky Is Ours" (1992)

My recent enjoyment of their latest effort, To Drink From The Night Itself, prompted me to finally get around to checking out a band held in high regards among the Metal elite. The Sweedish outfit have a near perfect score for this record over on the Encyclopedia Metallum. Its an ugly, gritty old school Death Metal record that does little conventional to charm and much experimentation to conjure a dark, broody wallowing atmosphere that would undoubtedly been more impressive in the context of 1992. Even if I Cast my mind back to the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Decide, Death, Hypocrisy and fellow Swedes Entombed, I couldn't specifically say why this record stands apart but I do have some hunches that become obvious on inspection.

Firstly the limited production ability of those times doesn't overwhelm us with thick, overtly loud and punishing guitar tones. Instead the instruments feel rather separated and sparse in comparison to what would of been common at the time. The result of which is music that's far less nauseating to follow and lets its melodic streak flourish in a limited sense of the word. It would be another two records before they would be associated with the emergence of Melodic Death Metal pioneered by Carcass. Here on The Red In The Sky Is Ours there is clearly an inclination to melody in its darker form over blunt force tonality and primitive rhythms.

After just a couple of listens it becomes very clear At The Gates are not trying to dazzle you with simple brutality, crushing grooves or bombastic syncopation. Many of the riffs feel non-circular and linear with some drawn out grinding leads and tremolo picking sequenced in shorter arrangements that cycle swiftly. The result is a spectacle of perceived oddity. With repetition it grows in vision yet the music always falls mercy to strange moments of unconventional riffs that stop the music in its tracks with drop outs between its notes. It is also characterized by the inclusion of folkish violins that both chime in and play linking interludes between songs. As stated before they don't immediately feel natural but end up making sense and leaving a memorable mark.

The unusual and strange runs deeper than its observations. The mood and tone of the record has vibrations unlike typical Death Metal. It leans towards atmosphere when its brooding tracks can culminate in layered guitar leads and violins that feel more visionary than primitive. But what is its vision? I am still unsure but I know it is dark and dimensional. In other times it drifts to the Avant-garde as its baselines plod to the forefront with a murmurous dance. The drumming arrangements seem to flop over from the battery of pounding atypical grooves into experimental sporadic shuffles of madness mostly helped on by a sloppy outdated recording aesthetic.

 Its clear the group attempted to write music that's complex, challenging and subverting norms within a subversive genre that has quickly established some boundaries. It has also produced results in doing so. A mysterious atmosphere brews through its endless string of experimental riffing that is continuously shifting, evolving, unwinding, providing delight and a unique mood to indulge with. Each listen uncovers another secret as one slowly dissects the arsenal of experiments crammed in behind the red haze of its ambiguous, red sky cover art.

Favorite Tracks: Within, Claws Of Laughter Dead, Night Comes Blood Black

Rating: 8/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "Eocene" (2018)

The consistency continues! Autumn's Grey Solace are one of my favorite groups from this "youtube era" of my musical addiction, maintaining a steady output of records through the years. After the disappointing Monajjfyllen I have been left thinking that the duo have essentially run out of ideas with little of their music feeling new or fresh. I also ponder if the powers of mood and timing play a roll in enjoying their unique Ethereal sound I adore so much. This new release Eocene embodies all that I feared in terms of originality yet it has been an absolute delight to indulge in.

Not a fraction of this record attempts anything unexpected. I know each of their other ten albums inside out and listen to this new shapter as if it were a greatest hits record. Singer Erin Welton once again blesses us with her lush and serine voice, indulging in lavish reverbs with the usual timings, demeanor and lack of lyrics. On most the songs she just cruises notes with her chords but on occasions her words are lost to a wall of reverb that quite often fills a small frequency range into a soft white noise keen ears will pick up on. Scott Ferrell again shimmers and glistens away on his effects soaked guitars. His production technique brings it altogether in an ooze of dreamy Ethereal sweetness, succulent in its helping of serine colorful melodies fit for the night.

For one reason or another the songs do indeed resonate with the best of what Ive heard them do before. Not every track tho, Untamed Flora for example sounds a little thin and short on composition. Its lack of depth lets its lead melodies stray into lulls. Most the songs transcend their parts and hit the emotions, which has been a problem for me when I understand the construct of their unchanging sound so well. Each song becomes a break down of previous drum patterns, vocal arrangements and exotic guitar sounds reassembled. This time it worked making for many indulgent listens.

Favorite Tracks: Gazing Across An Endless Sea, Echoland, Extinction

Rating: 7/10

Cypress Hill "Elephants On Acid" (2018)

I've been eagerly awaiting this record. The legendary Latin American Hip Hop group Cypress Hill have returned with their ninth album after an eight year absence. They were my first "favorite" group, as a young teen I became rather indulged and obsessed with their music. Binge listening and making copies of their records borrowed from the local library, I quickly came to know all their music very well and hold them in the highest regard. To this day I frequently return to their best records, Temples Of Boom being my favorite as the dark, spooky, mysterious Gangster Rap record with killer lyricism and timeless hooks. Going into this new record I had little in the way of expectations. It has been some time and anything can happen.

Elephants On Acid is a reasonable effort that does a fantastic job of establishing a distinct vibe and maintaining it. Cypress always had an exotic twist about them, using Latin lingo and inflections in the vocal department. At times their choice in sampling naturally leaned to Southern American and Eastern cultures, a niche characteristic. This record homes in on the latter with its sleepy esoteric atmospheres born of slower drum grooves, deep muddy baselines and the sprinkling of Eastern instruments to affirm an air of mysticism. In its second half the instrumentals start to brood in darker places. Locos, Insane OG, Warlord and Blood On My Hands Again unapologetically explore the creepier avenues of a dangerous vindictive world.

It is B Real who gives this record its merit. After eight years off the wax I had feared he may of aged but much like his live performances, he seems youthful and fully capable with a tight grip on the mic and his craft. Hes rocking the same nasal style, delivering lean raps with a weight of rhyme and wit that reminds me again how criminally over looked he is in the Hip Hop community. We may not hear his best here but he capably drops in plenty of steady flows, smart rhymes and one cracking line referencing Silence Of The Lambs. At his side Sen Dog seems unfortunately absent for many of the tracks, he is one to elevates the music with his unique chiming in. Even with a just small and simple roll he seems missed.

As discussed this record achieves a vision but unfortunately its a rather tame one even if distinct. The pacing is sluggish. Half baked instrumentals serve as brief interludes making up a quarter of the tracks. The main beats themselves are often indulged, brooding on atmosphere and the drum grooves rarely land with much intensity. Its obvious Cypress were going for this tone but the records best song, by no stretch of imagination, is Locos. The beat lands, its banging, the atmosphere serves it well and B Real is backed up by a mean sounding Sen Dog who throws in his aggressive call outs that land like threats. It the traditional formula and it works better.

It doesn't feel like there is much more to be said beyond going into specifics. Deep into the record hides Crazy, a song clearly trying to recapture the Insane In The Brain spark. To be fair its a fun track but once again the drum break just doesn't land with any intensity or groove. As much as Ive enjoyed these songs I really don't see myself coming back to the project to often. I commend Cypress for attempting to do something outside the scope of what you expect from a Hip Hop record. Its certainly nice to hear consistency and vision but if it doesn't bang its got to get something else right and I'm not sure what that's supposed to be on Elephants On Acid.

Favorite Track: Locos

Rating: 5/10

Revocation "The Outer Ones" (2018)

I have a strong connection to the Boston based Revocation. I caught their debut album Empire Of Obscene literately moments after it reached the blogspot scene. It was an instant connection and I regarded them as one of Metal's finest new acts, expecting them to rise to the top but it wasn't to be so. I still think they are criminally underrated but as the years stroll by and the excitement of "traditional" Metal wains I found myself becoming disinterested in them. This new chapter is a big step up from Great Is Our Sin, which in turn was a also a step up from the disappointing Deathless.

The group continue to firmly stick by their core identity of style and with that run the risk of repeating themselves. They call it diminishing returns, the first exposure always has the most impact but in the case of The Outer Ones they push the boundaries far, holding onto that distinguished character while creating a new and vividly animated universe of beastly Extreme Metal in the Revocation name. It holds up well to the ambitions conveyed by its spacial, maddening and slightly creepy album art.

The core tenants of brutality and Thrash hold true as forays into the antics of Technical Death and Progressive Metal bring about a detailed and dizzying web of indulgent music, punishing in tone but aesthetically gorgeous in delivery. Its production squeezes in the instruments with clarity and precision. As a result the bass guitar gets room to maneuver into focus with a luminous gritty texture in its select moments. David Davidson also stretches his voice down a peg with a significant amount of low, growling guttural vocals that land with a streak of menace, something he has clearly worked hard on. It gives the music many hair raising moments.

The music itself is a never ending sprawl of clever riff design and song structuring that creates a very specific atmosphere. I feel like a lot of the record gets caught up in the brutal aspect of their sound. Its the songs that offer the most respite from the slaughter that bring about the best moments, that and the guitar leads. These erupting solos evolve the songs, played with true intent and vision they time and time again mask the shifts of music and make the whole experience organic. That's frequently a tricky task for tricky music that is dexterous but often mechanical and without feeling.

This record has brought the utmost enjoyment, yet as I touched on, it is the subversion of the core tenants that bring about the magic. If Revocation where to explore directions that stray from the roots I am confident they would find gold. In a few brief instances I am reminded fondly of Opeth, a band that utilize clean vocals exceptionally well. At many times I felt the music was yearning for that but most likely that is my own taste exerting itself on a punishing and brutal record that for over half of its duration is dancing in the swamps of mean and ugly guitar playing brought to the mercy of groove and sensibilities. Its a cracking listen for any Extreme Metal fan.

Rating: 8/10

Favorite Tracks: Blood Atonement, Vanitas, Ex Nihilo, A Starless Darkness

Brockhampton "Iridescence" (2018)

The Southern American, self proclaimed boy band is back! Brockhampton are riding the hype wave after a successful 2017, releasing their trilogy Saturation I, II & III within eight months, to much critical acclaim. I liked their music in patches but this new release Iridescence brings about much needed cohesion as the album experience takes a firmer grasp on its fusion of Pop and Hip Hop. Its typically eccentric and wild but between its quirky off beat attitude, pop melodies on pianos, more singing and catchier choruses anchor down an important sense of direction for the listener.

In some senses its style is all over the place. Obnoxious Hip Hop oriented lyrical themes slam up side against soothing melodies and wooing vocal lines that seem to sway back and forth from one another. That is the charm though and it plays out both thematically and aesthetically too. Crunking dirty beats with gritty samples quickly disintegrate as harmonious sing and chorals take charge, often with luscious strings and pianos behind them too. A few tracks straddle the middle ground like the second half of Weight and Tape as Jazz Hop vibes emerge with soft boom bap grooves.

One strength this record has that didn't feel quite so on previous albums is the amount of voices. With over ten members there is quite the range of tones to be found in the music. It plays to each of their strengths, as you might expect. Those who sing find their moment in the lush instrumentals, the energetic, obnoxious hyped up raping lines over the oddball, boisterous beats. Its the ground between that excels. When transitioning, a lot of creativity and cohesion in the directional shifts comes through from the human voice and the individual quirks they posses in bulk.

Not much of the lyrical content peaked my interest. Words sometimes do that with me, I think the instrumentals overpower my focus as their is quite the stretch of style and attitude at play here and its in a constant state of flux, routinely moving back and forth yet feeling natural and fluid. Its a very creative project that I have much appraisal for but on a personal level it doesn't connect as strongly as I know it will for others. I think this group have much potential and on Iridescence its certainly coming to life.

Favorite Tracks: Where The Cash At, Weight, Tape, J'ouvert, San Marcos

Rating: 7/10

Avenged Sevenfold "Black Reign" (2018)

 

Its that time of year, the shopping season is upon us, perhaps explaining why we see an increase in bands dropping EPs in the months leading up to Christmas. Avenged have scraped the barrel for a B-Side in the instrumental Jade Helm track. Its a strange track of build ups and grooves that have these awful pauses, lasting too long to keep time of the beat and anticipate its return. Maybe vocal rhythms would of tied this space over but without them the song sounds like a bunch of sub par riffs stitched together with shuffling, over involved drum patterns, things left out from other songs.

Before it three songs play that fans may be familiar with. Turns out Avenged have been collaborating with the Call Of Duty franchise for a few years and these songs are from the successive soundtracks of the Black Ops games. The first track Mad Hatter being the most recent stands out as a firm favorite. Its their only new material since the magnificent The Stage, can barely believe its been two years already! The singing style, composition and quality of riffs really reflects the maturity of that record and so we receive a well written track with a luminous mid-tempo break in the middle. It cruises from acoustic guitars into an epic guitar solo, shredding heights and erupting back into the song main riff, riding it like a wave.

I can't speak too highly of the other two tracks, they are from further back in time when Avenged where less appealing to me. A couple of moments appease but what I like of their sound is only present in fractions. If anything the one song is a good sign that they are keeping on track and capable of continuing to write on form. As for the record itself, its simply a stitching of extra songs to promote the new single.

Favorite Track: Mad Hatter

Rating: 4/10

Dizzee Rascal "Don't Gas Me" (2018)

I really enjoyed Raskit released last year. It signaled a return to form from the UK veteran and this five track digital EP may even top it. Don't Gas Me gives off carefree vibes, artists having fun with the craft and enjoying the moment. If there was curation involved or not, these five songs are tight and precise, giving nothing but the goods. Firm instrumentals and keen rhymes let each tracks theme emerge with ease as Dizzee brings on some excellent features for the last three of five songs.

An almost cliche 90s Dance beat opens up the record with the title track. Its pumping energy, slapping claps give way to night time sirens and a dirty obnoxious synthetic base that grooves to its own accord. When Dizzee gets into his rhymes its all fun and games built on a firm flow, throwing in fun, silly rhymes about appletizer and getting his car clamped. Deeper into the track he reinforces the playful nature with goofy high pitched rhymes on the end of a string of words. Its greatly amusing while showing off his talent and ability to make great music.

Quality makes for a great follow up track as the instrumental pulls on summery 90s sounds and Dizzee gets more serious with introspective lyrics that drops into bursts of rapid rhymes. He sounds fantastic, on form. The features start with Skepta who I last heard on More Life. The two exchange verses but I think its the younger generation, P Money and especially C Cane who impress. Their youthful energy and opertunity to reach new ears plays up some fantastic flows and rhymes from the both of them.

The closing track swings things back to where it began with another 90s Dance beat and punchy synthetic base lines. Some subtle Dub vibes are brought to light as Afronaut Zu lights up the track with Reggae inflicted singing in the chorus. All in all its a fantastic but brief encounter that has a carefree Dizzee orchestrating some easily enjoyed tracks to keep fans happy until the next full length project. Wwith more songs attached this could of easily been that. These are no b-sides here.

Favorite Track: Spin Ya

Rating: 6/10

Logic "Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever" (2013)

The Logic journey continues with this mixtape and I might just hold off from his recently YSIV until Ive made it back to the starting line, another four releases. The new record is actually continuing where this left of since Logic didn't touch the Young Sinatra name between this and that. The new record also has a track called Wu-Tang Forever with the entire Wu-Tang Clan... that is something I absolutely need to hear!

To jump straight to the point Welcome To Forever is fantastic but flawed collection of songs. This is a very "of the moment", raw, youthful and energetic record full of life. Its also rather bloated at seventy three minutes with tracks that frequently drift from the core tone, both lyrically and instrumentally. Its beats play from the 90s to the Kanye era and into the origins of auto tune and Trap style production that was coming into its own five years ago. Kicking of with snippets of KRS-One the album is loaded with bold sampling from the likes of Ice Cube, Drake, Pusha T, Kendrick Lamar, paying a firm tribute to the Hip Hop universe. Unsurprisingly Frank Sanatra turns up and so do Parliament of the samples I caught. He also uncannily mimics the Down To Erf rhyme, flow and cadence on his A Tribe Called Quest tribute, its got to be a reference!

Logic puts himself on the stage for judgement by rapping over the classic Ms Jackson beat by Outkast. Its a firm statement but becomes across with a keenness and passion for the craft, a young artists with it all to give. Its endearing and when his lyrics go into that "prove yourself" zone the music is illuminated. This record also includes many features and talks about his Rat-pack collective, a lot more than Ive heard before. His lyrics bring us into this moment where is hard work is paying off and its time to shine with his friends. I'm not sure who's who but Dizzy Wright lights up the incredible Young Jedi instrumental as the record strides into its strong final phase.

Many of the modern instrumentals are paired with the less engaging topics. It just so happens to be my favorite instrumentals that have Logic flexing his vocal prowess with impressive rhymes and flows. He paints the picture of this moment, walking us through his struggles, the deal with Def Jam and doing what he loves, working hard and putting out this mixtape with the debut album in the works too. In those tracks this is golden, its ties to Hip Hop through samples and references feel so genuine and passionate, unfortunate its patchy, caught in a haze of varied instrumentals. Trimmed down to its best there is a solid forty minute experience here.

Favorite Tracks: 925, The Come Up, Nasty, Young Jedi, Common Logic, Just A Man, Man Of The Year

Rating: 7/10

First Aid Kit "Tender Offerings" (2018)

This four track EP has me thinking I must of missed something from Ruins released earlier this year. Perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind? Stay Gold is such a beautiful record, one of my all time greats, maybe it set my sights to high for the follow up. Before writing this blog I was convinced Id learn at least one of these four songs are covers because they are so striking and have a classic vibe about them. Turns out they are all B-Sides from the aforementioned Ruins and bar one or two tracks from that record Id say these songs a better than most of what I remember of it.

Firstly, I've Wanted You takes a minimal approach with its soft acoustic patterns and a nearly non existent baseline. It pulls all focus to the beautiful serine singing that I believe is Klara of the Soderberg sisters. Her chorus lyrics are sung with such striking emotion and sincerity of word that I was convinced it was a cover. The yawning distant organ and gentle piano keys chime in to keep the spell rolling as the duo start to harmonize and elevate and conclude what is a bare, naked and exposed song, its direction plays so true to the words of the song and its raw emotion.

 The title track works a denser instrumental build up. Its stronger organ presence leads to country tang guitar licks that play up its rooted vibes. Ugly has a similar performance to I've Wanted You, however the instruments gradually grow and its soft guitars and buried organ give into colorful eruptions of almost psychedelic stretches as its guitars give into that fray and spacial synths sparkle like stars in a clustered climax. Its quite the natural yet experimental edge to a song I did not expect but thoroughly enjoyed. More of this could lead somewhere interesting.

All That We Get may fall victim to being the least interesting, its a nice song, calm, soothing and soulful with a charming message of warmth and introspection yet it lacks a defining moment and the vocals don't reach previous plateaus. These are four very welcome songs. I especially liked the slight, almost missable use of electronics and the opening song is an instant classic. I will continue to follow this wonderful act.

Favorite Tracks: I've Wanted You, Ugly

Rating: 5/10

Front Line Assembly "Warmech" (2018)

Fun fact, on my way to a Plini gig I arrived at the wrong venue. These Canadian Industrial veterans were playing there, I wouldn't of minded watching them too. Its been many years since I last checked in with FLA. I remember them as having the classic synthetic, Electronic, Gothic leaning Industrial sound which I grew to love through the likes of Frank Klepacki. In the 90s they flirted with Industrial Metal after Ministry laid the path, just before its commercial peak with Antichrist Superstar in 96.

Being out of the loop, I was unaware that Warmech was the soundtrack to an RTS game called AirMech Wastelands on Steam. That might explain why this record wasn't what I expected. The Industrial sounds I anticipated linger beyond a solid core of modern Electronic and EDM styles that aim to build atmospheres with music that's not in your face yet rich with synthetic instruments coercing an environmental approach that draws in the meditative vibe VGM requires to let the player drift in and out of focus from the soundtrack. At seventy three minutes its a long listening stretch clearly, better suited to its intended purpose of semi-distracted gaming sessions.

Considering these are old, experienced minds at work I did not expect to hear the sub wobbles and drops of Dubstep working angles on the music. Their seasoned selves showed as the drops refrain from being overly bombastic and obnoxious, resulting in a crafty execution of trendy techniques. With hard thudding kick and snare grooves the songs often cruise into EDM territory with some faster percussive loops leaning towards Drumstep. Like with Metal, Electronic music can so easily blur many lines and show influences. Whatever may be on display its composition holds onto that craft for detailed arrangements of instruments and industrial sounds that give the atmosphere conjured a depth of field. Better yet this detail extends into the musics progression as the songs make shifts and breaks with animated sequences of sound that often play like machines firing up their gears and getting into transitional motion.

Across its seventy plus minutes a healthy amount of variety unfolds however it does suffer a little when exclusively in focus, slow tempos and drawn out melodies show a desire to not be intrusive. The best way to enjoy these songs is when focused on a task, then it becomes meditative and helps one focus while creating vivid soundscapes. As a result of that tone its most ambitious melodies and epic synth chords get pushed back in the musics attention as that and a lack of vocals never try to steal the show from the game it was made for. If not for the soundtrack some adjustments and vocals could of made this a great traditional record too.

Rating: 6/10

Machine Gun Kelly "Binge" (2018)

Its been a while since we've had some entertaining Rap beef. I don't take it all that seriously but if it leads to good songs and gets people listening then its usually good for those involved. In the case of MGK Eminem has handed him a golden opertunity on Kamikaze where he took shots at a lot of rappers, especially the new generation. Being the first to respond, Rap Devil gave Midwest rapper Kelly over 100 million views and a lot of exposure, an opertunity to find new fans which has surely been squandered on this flimsy, hastily assembled extended play. Its trashy. Its a stinker.

The bulk of these beats are mediocre at best. Lacking their own style they come off as Trap mimics, deploying all the tropes of shuffling hi hats and sub base kicks in a variety of arrangements that lack intention beyond doing whats currently in. Its chasing the Mumble Rap sound and Kelly's voice just isn't suited to it. Unfortunately the couple of instrumentals that do have some traction and excitement in them seem to be stacked up against the worst of MGK's troubling lyrics.

And that's the hardest thing to endure on these songs. Kelly is all attitude and no substance. Its braggadocios, angry and aimless. He boasts and raves about his careless attitude and drug abuse without a measure of meaning to be extracted. The hooks are weak, the rhymes subpar and occasionally a few unintentionally hilarious lines slip in past the "quality" filter. I wonder if anyone advised him not to release these songs. There is also an awful feature on Signs, an auto-tune abusing vocal hook that sounds so lifted and uninspired, a total rip.

Rap Devil is the only song worth your time. Upon release it was obvious Eminem was a sitting duck for a diss. So much of the subject matter was born from Em's jaded, angry attitude but it brought the best out of Kelly, forced him to focus on a subject and find strings of coherent rhymes on the same track. There is none of that focus and craft to be found here, the songs barely make three minutes and the two that do, bar Rap Devil, have extra beats stitched on the end of them. Not sure what Kelly was thinking here, cash grab? Maybe he wasn't thinking at all.

Favorite Track: Rap Devil

Rating: 2/10

Jinjer "Cloud Factory" (2018)

You know how it goes, once something new roots itself in the mind you often start to see it everywhere, as if it were somehow invisible beforehand. Since Ive heard of this four piece act from Ukrane Ive spotted quite a few of their shirts worn at gigs. Their views on Youtube would also suggest they are gaining rapid popularity in the Metal community. Naturally I wanted to check them out and see what the fuss was about.

Fronted by singer Tatiana Shmailyuk, a duality is forthright as she swings from strong, powerful effeminate singing to brutal, blunt screaming. She mixes in some native Ukrainian tongue too. Behind her the band put together some very likable songs for Metal fans to gravitate towards. Strong grooving guitars play a range of classic guitar techniques from over the years that hail back to Death and Thrash at times. Its mostly situated around Groove and Metalcore while showing some flashes of Djent and Nu Metal. Its neatly structured into a healthy riff fest of revolving grooves and energetic low end shredding that packs each of its songs with a fair helping of head nodding.

Their music is well executed, its mostly rather accommodating Metal thats loaded with familiar riffs. They do little to define themselves and stand out in my mind however every other song or so seems to find a moment to leap away from the page and throw in a crushing riff, brutal scream, or in the case of Who Is Gonna Be The One, both in a memorable breakdown. I might sound somewhat harsh but this record makes me feel a bit like a "Metal Veteran". There isn't a single riff here that's unexpected or unusual. All the techniques, styles, sounds and grooves Ive heard many a time before.

They pull from Metals best and rework ideas in to their own vision, even throwing in short sections of acoustics and brief non-Metal sounds. In the case of Jinjer they straddle that region well above mediocrity but below greatness. If you're new to Metal they will probably sound rather varied, exciting and invigorating. There is a great range of influence on their sound at work but Ive heard it all before. They are clearly talent musicians though and a band worth keeping an eye on.

Favorite Tracks: A Plus Or A Minus, Who Is Gonna Be The One, Желаю Значит Получу

Rating: 6/10

Bullet For My Valentine "Gravity" (2018)

They were once a young and promising act but these days Bullet For My Valentine are drifting towards obscurity. They have never interested me that much, last time I checked them out was a decade ago with Scream Aim Fire which I remember being at least half decent. These days I am far more open to Pop Metal and these lush, clean sounds. Gravity is on one hand is an easily enjoyable record, bright, pristine aesthetics, easily digestible with warm, harmonious singing and a sprinkle of bombastic riffs between its fluffy lighter appeal.


On the other hand its lyrically atrocious, full of angsty lyrics trying to tie heightened emotional words of pain and struggle to rather hollow and shallow themes of social relationships expressed through plain and simple language. It conveys little complexity or depth and reminds me of the lyrics my teenage self would of latched onto. Packaged into simple song structures it feels all to formulaic. After a play through it dawned on me that the whole project is very much treading in the shadows of Thats The Spirit, a record that reinvigorated much of the Hybrid Theory formula, in a really positive way. Bullet deploy all the tropes Bring Me The Horizon's recent sound. The song Under Again sounds like a pure unflattering imitation.

The synth tones, gang shouts have little original going for them and once it had crossed my mind I couldn't get away from how much the vocals emulate Chester Bennington. The delivery, the notes, the inflections, Ive heard it all before.  This record sounds like its doing very little to stand on its own. Trend following and niceness daunt its ability to create any original moments. In all fairness is pretty easily enjoyed if you tune out the lyrics. Its well produced and well written Pop music but its facade is thin and a lack of authenticity will have you scrutinizing on closer inspection.

Rating: 3/10