Lena Raine "Oneknowing" (2019)

 

Having only gotten to know her music through the Minecraft & Celeste soundtracks, Ive set out to hear Lena Raine's voice through her own lens on this debut album release after the remarkable music of Celeste. Its a high bar of comparison but as a solo artists expressing her own vision, Oneknowing is a comparatively ephemeral experience. Distorting time with its dreamy pace, the soft Ethereal tone has much of the gentle music drifting through lofty ambiences of thick, lush, airy synths. Its the framework for a small variety of ideas in rotation that make up the track listing.

The excitement croons when Lena brings in her remarkable percussive grooves. They rock and rattle with subdued momentum on the back of rather harsh and sharp drum and glitched sounds. The mix is magical and births many of my favorite moments as one is snapped out of the inertia and into the power of her beats. A subtle alternative element at play is the inclusion of strings, in more classical leaning tones which tend to build up with a Post-Rock like growth. A stead swelling which ends up at unexpected intensities in comparison to the songs humble beginnings.

The third of three elements that caught my ear is her voice, something I'm not sure she used on Celeste. I've got to be blunt and say it caught me off guard. She sings with a quite timid and fray tenderness, hinging on either a foreign language or vocal inflections that make he presence wordless and rather shy emotionally. Its an odd performance, possibly all to flat in tone and power as she meagerly drifts into a songs with lots of reverb and effects to carry it through. I like the end result but get a feeling she might be making up for lost ground in some capacity.

Blown away by her other contributions, this solo experience has a mix of that exceptionalism and a more typical Ambient experience which mirrors many sounds Ive heard in recent years. When her music breaks the mold of that softness, like on Insomnia and Momodani, it feels very unique. Along with that I get the distinct feeling the music is packaged through the lens of a story, as if shifting from scene to scene in a computer game. Oneknowing is a strong album but time will tell just how much.

Rating: 7/10

Pop Will Eat Itself "Box Frenzy" (1987)

 

On occasions, the rush of excitement that always comes from record browsing can get the better of me. The rule I am not learning is to give something a listen before parting with your hard earned cash! Given that PWEI blew me away with their sophomore record, This Is The Day, I was happy to jump straight in! That album was a time capsule of nostalgic innocence, reflecting the cultures of the day. It spoke directly to musical scenes before my time that Ive always been fascinated with. Looking to follow up, the acclaim mentioned in breath of their debut Box Frenzy had me pick it. Sadly the horrors I've found have me wanting to give up. I can firmly say its quite awful.

I'll be blunt with my words but a handful of listens has improved my tolerance. In a nutshell, everything "edgy" of the time retroactively sounds stale, dated and damn right corny! Fueled on by the Run DMC Rap sound, these youthful twenty-somethings hinged all of their songwriting on aesthetics that have died off. Box Frenzy is forty three minutes of unabashed punchy tone abuse, taking synthesized 80s sounds and running them through the mills on old school drum machines and retro keyboards. These arrangements are stark with spacious drum grooves droning away, accompanied by obnoxious "sound effects" and Walk This Way inspired guitar stabs.

The lyrical content is often cheap and cheesy, atypical 80s rapping flows with a lack of underpinning substance. The spirit of these songs reminding me of "dated" party songs, the sort of unbearable 80s tunes encouraging kids to do a variety of then trendy dance moves and routines, hinged on gimmick and novelty. That in your face cheese is tiring but also entirely the point. For 1987 I can see how this would have been on the edge and pulled in praise but having little nostalgia for this particularly disposable and dated sound, Its no surprise it turned me off.

I've been cruel so far and I must say the foundations of what made This Is The Day is firmly heard on this record. A few tracks have something good to offer in the way of groove and energy but the aesthetics tend to be a bit to grating. There is also the term Grebo mentioned here. Labelled as "Grebo Rock" its a curious disconnect from how the term was used in my youth to label the alternative crowd I then Identified with. Seems the term has roots that extend back to the 80s, and a sound I wouldn't associate with the Nu Metal and Gothic music of my youth. This introduction won't have me looking much further though!

Rating: 3/10

Nas "Magic" (2021)

 

Released Christmas Eve, seeing Magic in my inbox was quite the surprise. With King's Disease III now confirmed for 2022, I expected that this shorter album, clocking in just under 30 minutes across nine tracks, would be a collection of outtakes from his fruitful collaborations with Hit-Boy. But alas it is not so! If anything, Magic speaks volumes to the stride Nas is on as his lyrical content feels interchangeable with that of King Disease II. Thinking of these songs as sub-par in anyway is erroneous. It simply seems as if he is oozing with creativity right now and enjoying sharing it with us all. Unsurprisingly though, the tone of these songs are in the same lane. Nas is offering up his unique personal perspective within the Hip Hop scene and addressing his audience with wisdom and a little introspection in doses, much as he has been doing.

Wu Is For The Children is the one underwhelming cut. A reference to the Wu-Tang Clan setting high exceptions for a dreary percussion-less track. The following Wave Gods brings on DJ Premier to drop his iconic drum break style and scratches of classic Hip hop snippets whilst resurrecting Gang Starr themes. The opening Speechless kicks off with a remarkable verse, referencing fallen musical icons of the twenty seven club and the grittiness of his neighborhood. Its a wonderfully articulate flow that extends into Meet Joe Black as Nas touches on successes built, mistakes made and criticisms keeping him energized as he words it. Interestingly it ends with a snippet of individuals mocking his Hip Hop I Dead record statement from back in 2006. I didn't feel like his words provided much of an answer to that though.

Ugly is a wonderfully aesthetic track as its wobbling distorted sampling creates a foggy drone for Nas to paint a gloomy scene with his words in the opening verse. The following couple of tracks are much livelier in contrast and his rhymes are tight and slickly delivered as you could expect. All in all its a sweet selection of tracks to salivate on in anticipation of part three. Not much beyond that though. Hit-Boy's approach get one in the mood but I didn't feel like these beats were exceptional. There wasn't anything here that "leapt off the page". I'm satisfied, left with high hopes for KD3!

Rating: 7/10

Cocteau Twins "Heaven Or Las Vegas" (1990)

After a discovery hiatus and with a new year ushered in, I felt it was time to return to the Cocteau Twins. This next destination being the one other record of theirs I knew alongside Treasure. Heaven Or Las Vegas is the trio's commercial peak and a record of notoriety among "albums to hear before you die" lists and whatnot. Rearranging the various aspects of their sound, the group hit a stride and roll with it through ten fantastic songs that revel in the Dream Pop realm they helped to pioneer.

Opening with Cherry-Coloured Funk, the temperament and pace is swiftly set as each song moves with this steady shuffling drive, as lavish, pedal effect drenched guitars drone in a wash of color and delays. Its the defining aesthetic of each track which hinges on simple, straightforward song structures. Each one plays out presenting its main idea and upfront with a few variations woven in. With Guthrie on a stride its a fine curation of ideas, resonating well with his fellow musicians who put icing on top.

Fraser pivots from her wordless performance style to sung lyrics which arrive with a magical cadence and distorting accent to throw one of the scent on occasions. The way she lays emphasis and elongates notes is charming yet often out of step with expectations, giving her words a cryptic dimension. Behind them, on every song, Simon Raymonde pumps away simple yet warm and cushioning bass lines, with an occasional tough of groove but mostly very simplistic and straightforward playing.

 

Brief moments of electronic synths can be heard too, often woven into the drum machine arrangements. They can sound bare and stiff on some tracks, bearing its mechanical nature with claps and snaps. Counter too that, it sounds completely organic on a handful of songs too. All in all its a beautiful aesthetic arrangement of Ethereal colors dazzling in the wash of dreamy guitars and singing that finds its charm swiftly and keeps you with them for the duration of the record without a blemish, bar a couple of drearier songs, however they bring their own rainy day magic too.

Rating: 8/10

Killing Joke "Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell" (2006)

 

With a new year comes a ritualistic return to the extensive discography of Killing Joke, a band I've been exploring since this earliest days of this music blog. These English Post-Punk emergents have had a massive influence on the shape of Industrial Rock and Metal to come, Ministry being a keen sample of their ideas propagating to new frontiers. Once finding myself burned out, its now quite a pleasure to return to their particular sound with a new set of songs periodically. This one might be a new favorite in the collection. Released in 2006, it reminds me of my Download Festival poster from that year. They headlined the third stage and given all the cracking shows I've seen over the years in the top spot of the smaller stage. I often wonder what the was like? Sadly I didn't investigate their music until many years later, that's when I noticed they played on that legendary year, my first and unforgettable outing at Donnington!

 Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell is possibly the bands most engulfing feet yet. Riding on a backbone of pounding repetition and dense aggression, the aesthetic crushing of its gristly guitar distortions, beefy percussive strikes and Coleman's aged throaty shouts, caries the music into a hypnotic dimension. With a cold mechanical drive these songs drone with an unshakable pace on lengthy escapades that chew through its crammed assembly of instruments. Often with gusto in its step, the drums pound simple grooves as the guitars roar with uncompromising attitude, chopping up tight chugs and aesthetic marvels of discordant noise and pedal effects. Jaz tends to draw his vocals out, giving a little relief to the unfaltering march each instrumental sets out on. Its a strange chemistry to have two aggressive forces, playing one as relief.

Its fortunate that one can zone out a little with this record. The songs do churn a handful of ideas over and over in the meat grinder. Its atmospheric. Killing Joke have brought a curated collusion of their finest ideas to revel in the moment. If you have got the time, its a pleasure to go through. Every song comes with its own little spice. Invocation stands out for a superb integration of menacing Classical symphonics vaguely reminiscent of Kashmir. Majestic has a riff that gives me chills. The tone and progression almost sounds like a sample from a T.S.O.L. song. Walking With Gods unearths an obnoxious angular guitar noise to ride alongside the massive bass guitar, somehow finding a melodic crescendo to peak the synthetic oddities that arise.

I could go on. The point being each song has a strong intention and musical idea the band hammer out with this intense drive festering in the palm of their hands. The production aids it greatly. 2006 was a time where the loudness wars and wall of sound production still hadn't settled. Records from this era vary in quality and I feel like this was a looser, jostled production that actually aided the final result. A little low fidelity can often suit an agressive direction. Ive read that album is considered a creative peak for the band. If the next two records are not up to scratch, that is fine. Im happy to have found this one. If forced to make a list, Id put it somewhere near the top.

Rating: 8/10

My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2021

 As mentioned in yesterdays Top 10 Albums Of 2021 post, I've been in a rut! There is however a rather nice list of artists here, even if the short list was just as small. Three of these are a regular features on my Twitch streams too! So on that front I'd say its a success. I have decided however to be far more fussy when it comes to listening to the same bands still pedaling out the same old music. Its time to give a little more focus on whats fresh and new! I say this often but this time I have a plan of action that starts with reduction.


(10) Secret Stairways

The exploration of Dungeon Synth continues to be an interesting one. Its roots before the online explosion of Bandcamp records a decade ago seems to have fans unearthing lost relics. These newly surfaced cassettes have us enjoying a deceased musicians work from a time before there was much of an audience to enjoy it. An interesting sentiment but the music is good too!

(9) Tetrarch

Initially I wrote this band off for its formulaic creation of era inspired Nu-Metal. A lack of originality doesn't necessarily mean bad music. It can be a tough thing to look past but with time passing from my initial assessment, I've found myself really enjoying this record and getting those nostalgic youthful chills too!

(8) Chevelle

Very much of the Tool inspired camp, the reference point has helped me find a way in! Its a new breed of metal for me and with little else of familiarity, I've really enjoyed this bands take on the Progressive and Alternative Metal sound. Originality is not a strength but the whole approach is fun and exciting for me right now.

(7) Arcanist

Another Dungeon Synth record but this one is way more inline with what I'd like to hear. A new taken on the genre that infuses "Berlin School" synth ideals and paints an exciting soundscape with its progressive songs that move together on a journey. It was a short but sweet journey and is now very much one to look out for future releases.


(6) Cocteau Twins

Not a new discovery but an intentional deep dive into an artist I knew of two records already. Sadly, the plunge into both an extensive amount of EPs and albums went a bit sideways as fatigue quickly set in. I will pick up the journey again at some point. It was however a really nice experience to get a bigger picture of a band with timely influences felt in the decades that followed them. Treasure is still an all time favorite of mine but now I got to add a few more songs to the list.


(5) Pop Will Eat Itself

As a huge fan of Metal and Hip Hop it is practically an embarrassment to have never stumbled on this British act before. There 80s crossover of the two opposed sounds is just wonderful! A true moment in time capturing the energy, spirit and culture of that era like a musical time capsule. Its dated in the very best of ways!


(4) Gelure

Having had permissions to stream this artist, my love of the music really settled in as its relaxing ambience and warmness creates a wonderful relaxed state that comes along with waffling about whatever is on your chest for hours on end. It suited the experience so well my worry now is that I might listen too it too much. A good problem to have!

(3) Jim Kirkwood

Another from the streaming list, Jim has been on a "Dungeon Synth origins" list of mine for years. Finally pulling that trigger, I have now discovered wondrous world building music that has an ancient nostalgic charm, built on those classic keyboard tones without the steering into darkness that is all to common now. The Tolkien themes and general vibes of the music is very Dungeons and Dragons and that stream of imagination is my cup of tea!

(2) Lena Raine

To extend the simply enigmatic music of C418 and his Minecraft soundtracks would of once sounded like an impossible task yet Lena has stepped into that space wonderfully well. Reflecting many of the old ideals and injecting some of her own personality, it seemed likely her genius would extend beyond contributions to the soundtrack. That has certainly turned out to be true and I am now deadly excited to check out her debut album!

(1) The Alan Parsons Project

For all the Progressive Rock I was raised with, The Alan Parsons Project was not a part of that picture. It is however a perfect fit for that era and thus I've had the odd nostalgic experience of discovering new songs that remind me so fondly of my childhood music. Its as if I knew these songs already. A novel and rare experience that I've treasured working my way through the three records considered to be his best. I think I'll has a couple more to the playlist at some point next year!

My Top 10 Albums Of 2021

 
On reflection Its felt like a somewhat uneventful year musically. Now into the second year of this pandemic, the isolation and lack of normality has had me listening to less music and more podcasts. With seventy one records to pick from, it didn't take long for me to sus this list out with only thirteen or so making an impact. Thus the list reflects my taste with only two new artists of which one was more out of my comfort zone than the other. Its always my ambition to find new music each year but given the current circumstances I feel like I'm in a music rut of sorts, listening to to similar sounds.


(10) Hypocrisy "Worship" link

Speaking of similar sounds, its been far too long since I've had a dose of the Hypocrisy sound. Their return was a welcome one, delivering a class set of songs that riffed hard and recycled the vibes they are known for. I can't fault it, I've enjoyed Worship plenty of times since. I can only think of a missed opportunity for the paranoia themes to have more of a potency in our age of misinformation however It is more likely myself that has a different viewpoint from that of my youth when I found them.


(9) Malcom Horne "Infinity Volume II" link

Malcom's music was an instantaneous click for me. The first Infinity volume felt rather varied in focus and quality but had its mesmerizing moments too. This second installment has a focus, music for streamers! Now a regular feature on my own streams, the consistency of this larger basket of songs holds up well and continues to provide chilled classy vibes to relax with.


(8) Little Simz "Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" link

As a big, bold and ambitious record, Introvert has a few bumps in the journey that maybe held it back a little in terms of my personal taste. The good news is that I've enjoyed this one plenty since, which is the recurring point of this blog. The new and novel can often fade from ones conscious with time but this one held up! The rapid narratives and expressive excursions of thought she drives on with the opening songs is still a marvel!


(7) Billie Eilish "Happier Than Ever" link

A strong return for one of musics biggest starts. Happier Than Ever isn't quite as remarkable as When We Fall Asleep, however Billies strength of character and maturity is! Some of the lyrical themes here are so refreshing where Pop music it can often be fraught. I also think the stride for a little more musical diversity may have been a bit and miss but better to stride in new directions than stay in a comfort zone. Looking forward to more in the years to come!


(6) Turnstile "Glow On" link

I've been tempted to put their EP Turnstile Love Connection in this list. Its essentially the best cuts from Glow On, which in its strides to infuse Hardcore with some other influences, wobbled its way over the victory line. Its often the more Hardcore leaning cuts I enjoy as the vibrant energy they exude fades a little on the experimental cuts. One thing is for sure they are still swinging hard and one to keep a watch on.


(5) Spellling "The Turning Wheel" link

Spellling was quite the enthralling experience! A chemistry sounds reaching far in different directions and reassembling the influences like a breeze. On one had you can relax with the music and enjoy the wonderful songwriting. On the other you can get analytical and dissect, where a trove of interesting ideas is to be found both aesthetically and in the writing. Great record, sadly I didn't feel the same of Mazy Fly.


(4) Deafheaven "Infinite Granite" link

Of all the records on this list I must confess that Infinite Granite is one I have not returned to but its impression was a remarkable one. The reception was a bit mixed among fans but I was personally blown away as this engulfing musical experience unraveled. The cleaner vocals and 80s influences were a niche touch delivering an organic record with some intriguing extremes.


(3) Nas "King's Disease II" link

As one of Hip Hop's greatest, Nas has been exceedingly consistent in a genre often victim to high starts that trail off. With Illmatic he has a debut that could never be peaked but that hasn't stopped him from delivering quality and his inspirations has been stoked again thanks to fruitful collaborations with producer Hit-Boy. This second installment was a remarkable into some of his best rhymes in decades. Fantastic narratives and insightful expressions give it an endearing impression. I'd be keen to put this in his top three records and with a third installment on the way there will be more to enjoy but this chapter will be hard to top!


(2) Ministry "Moral Hygiene" link

Ministry have been a favorite "later discovery" of mine for some time now. The sort of band that would have fit perfectly into my youthful tastes. AmeriKKant was a welcome return at the time, now a little worn out, this new installment Moral Hygiene tackled the current social political climate again. This time around the mood and tone was class. Musically, it is more varied and interesting, wrapping with a stunning spectacle of an ending as the death toll keeps rising! I was blown away and am still this one!


(1) Lil Nas X "Montero" link

Never had picking my favorite record for a year been so easy. I was simply blown away by this record. Lil Nas X is an interesting artist, with much to say while captivating a mainstream audience in the process. Its not a place I'd expect to find so much musical maturity, yet here it is! A diverse record that balances popular light weight trap beats with a country tang primed to detour into experimental places that blossomed stunning songs. Its a remarkable record, setting a high bar for him, however the quality of songwriting here suggests this is no fluke. A follow up could be just as good!

Cranes "Self-Non-Self" (1989)

 

It would appear that once again I've been roped into another musical journey, spurred on by a spontaneous shuffle discovery. These always seem to be the best ways in. A captured curiosity is better than a forced one and turning back to this debuting, self released mini album, the intrigue has certainly grown. When reading up on this band, to my surprise the Industrial genre is rarely mentioned... How odd?

Perhaps it is my frame of reference at play here but the drive of jolted mechanical percussive rhythms and the cold pounding baseline noise give me strong Industrial feels. At this point Cranes also seem closer to Post-Punk, a pivotal musical period that would act as an umbrella term for many musical directions that sprung from it. Much like Wings Of Joy, Self-Non-Self toys with darkened atmospheres, journeyed by Shaw's innocent voice which on this occasion feels a little more mischievous.

 The songs are baron and bare. Its opening instrumental One From The Slum has a more upbeat pace with cheeky trumpet strikes chiming in. Swiftly tho the music crawls to the bleak with Beach Mover painting a hellish setting with mechanical whip cracks and deep metallic strikes of noise. Its a despairing soundscape from which the following music livens up in comparison. Cranes have their own niche of despair.

The darkness they explore is almost Gothic at times yet their approach currently reels them into their own space. The live recording of Reach is a highlight as the inclusion of shrill tremolo picked guitar leads over a lunging two power chord shift adds a mesmerizing quality to the atmosphere. Without it, the music would probably fit in a little more with the earlier tracks. So far I have enjoyed these songs but I am not sure it has much staying power in this form. I am however very curious to see where it all goes with that Dream Pop label hanging curiously overhead.

Rating: 5/10

Devin Townsend "The Puzzle" (2021)

 

Having heard the story of The Puzzle unfold through The Devin Townsend Podcast, this album is an expected disappointment. That's not to say the music here isn't to be enjoyed but It seems the activity at play hasn't produced anything special other than a meandering ambient detour. It groans and croaks with oddities between its often smoothed out exterior. It felt like this would be the case. Hit by last years lock-down woes, Devin set out to collaborate with his colleagues online, given the situation.

Stumbling into his own musical puzzle, Dev found himself intrigued by the task of assembling together all the pieces his fellow musicians sent him. As suspected, the curiosity of such an interesting and difficult task mostly remains with him alone. For this listener, the outlines of each piece are blurry and its final composition seems more like wedged pieces lining up to be stretched and twisted into shape than a picture.

The Ambient framework is a crutch that has an array of bold musical ideas punching through its pale tranquility. From whirls of machinery electronics, to guttural shouts and spoken word. Pan flute adventures, whispering vocals and choirs in unison. Dramatic pianos, animated drum fills and frenetic Saxophone leads. These wild variety of contributions never quite escape themselves, however which such a deep web of sounds, its hard to know where his contemporaries parts start and end.

With that though comes a fair helping of obvious offerings that get wedged in, feeling indifferent and out of step with the vibe and pace, mostly because it meanders and uses foggy washes of sound to transition and move in any direction. It all just feels a little meaningless and where Dev leans on his traditional stylings, they too emerge from the haze rather than setting structure and form which would off aided this greatly. As said, this was a expected disappointment. A difficult task for any musician. I didn't expect much other than a couple of curious listens and that is all I got.

Rating: 4/10

Arkhtinn "二度目の災害" (2021)

 

Translated as Second Disaster, this latest Arkhtinn installment was a typical blasting of exhilarated, ferocious Black Metal from the cosmic void. To break format with its often Dark Ambient counterpart, both halves, two meaty twenty plus minute songs, are comprised extreme music led in by the beeping of Morse Code. The second track always strikes me as the better of the pair. Its resounding thumps of chunky groove and slick pedal kicks haunted by ghastly screams brings about a rhythmic distinction to an otherwise endless romp of blast beats and deathly guitar shredding.

Before it reaches that all too common intensity, the song embellishes a little Burzum alike discordance, something I would liked to of heard more of. Instead the howling choirs of fallen angels aligns with its perpetual plunges into darkness, competing with itself in a race to the bottom. The song structure and writing feels more apparent. Perhaps this is the first occasion I feel as if its low fidelity aesthetic holds things back. I'm reminded a little of Dimmu Borgir's PEM record as its fantastical darkly synths paint quite the wondrous madness within its hellish onslaught of crushing sound. After a while, the theme and search of new peaks to scale does get a bit tiresome as its main ideas circle back on themselves for a conclusion.

The first track explores a similar dimension with plenty of whirling astral synths buried between instruments. It comes through with some strong Industrial rhythmic chops and plenty of breaks in the flow with ambient interludes and build ups that loose sight of the bigger structure in its lengthy stay. Again its residing in furious intensities can be a bit grinding and the shifts can feel a little sudden in execution, rather than natural and flowing. All in all, the music follows the path laid out and given this Darkspace inspired sound is still interesting to me, its was a fun experience, however as always, new ideas and progression for the sound would be most welcome.

Rating: 6/10

Cranes "Wings Of Joy" (1991)

 

For the past ten days or so I've stewed over this one with repetitious intent. Songs like Thursday, Sixth Of May & Adoration anchor its slumped, dreary atmosphere in a deceptively subdued yet morbid setting. They sway in a mesh of mesmerizing tracks as musical frictions arise. Surges of jolting, broody piano chords, stabbed with solemn pains. Gritty frazzled guitars deliver drives of dissonance. Patrolling, devious base lines stalk with a shivering intent. In the degrees its various components meld at, all are driven by a cold mechanical tempo, dragging the music forth like a death march.

My curiosity in this drab journey was fueled by a lack of perception. As a band dropped into my collection for discovery later on, I initially found them on Shoegazing and Dream Pop lists. Too my ears there is little of that here. Wings Of Joy is far more akin to the burdensome biblical sins of Children Of God in its darker alleys. That's only partial because there is uplift in sight as Alison Shaw sings with a childish innocence of soft tonality and fragile wordless inflections. Her tone reminds me of Grimes yet feels so very different in the pale darkly context. She is much like an innocent lost soul endlessly drifting, trapped in a world of horrors and demons they are blind too.

The production is also of merit too. Its spacious design keep the often stiff and repetitious instruments an eerie space to brood within. The guitars often swell up from underneath, leaving the dull marches festering with texture. It seems to be the common trick. Its initial simplicity seems cold and lifeless yet as the songs drone on, this curious enchanting atmosphere arises to engross the listener. And that's what it achieves from start to end without a weak spot. Wings Of Joy has something distinct to offer and revels in the space crafted for it, by the English band who are named after the visibility of many cranes present in the dockyards of London, their home.

Rating: 7/10

Devin Townsend "Snuggles" (2021)

Having followed along with the Devin Townsend Podcasts during the pandemic, the unfolding story of this particular record has loosened in my mind after several release delays. I remember its counterpart, The Puzzle, as a project revolving around distant creative collaborations in which Devin has to figure out how the pieces fit together. This additional, shorter companion piece, locks in thirty eight minutes of ambient indulgences which feel like a refractive lens cast over the last twelve years.

It starts with a shift in tone that began with The Devin Townsend Project. The various inflections of ambience and a gentler still side of his craft emerging, this endowed some of those albums with soft flushes and swells of a calmer, serine energy. Much of that is explored here again as echos of acoustic guitars, pan flutes and electronic leads are engulfed in a wash of dense reverberations that play to his thick wall of sound production style. Even in such a mellow, soothing setting does Devin conjure a dense mist of cloudy ambiguous sound for us, the listeners, to fall into. Its a welcoming wash of warm colors and dazzling sparkles, continuously moving without intent. A gushing of easy tonality with no hint of anything remotely negative. 

It serves mostly as a background experience with all its moments seemingly falling in and out of each other, structure and direction left a miss. Its purpose too feels somewhat vague too as its aesthetic crown seems more like a veil of sound design than song writing with a point. As a result the whole thing drifts by like a care-free dream. A pleasant experience but one thats a little shapeless and without a proper focus on closer inspection. The one recurring theme I picked up on were the words "Its thee ocean" which seem to drift in and out of consciousness on occasion as Snuggles drones its way through its definitely snugly and fuzzy atmosphere.

Rating: 5/10

Gelure "Into The Chesfern Wood" (2020)

Originally I passed over this debut album. The Candlelight Tomes was an interesting record, one with a promise of uniqueness that found me in my hearing recovery. Reaching out for usage permission on whim, Gelure has now become a regular rotation in my streaming diet of music. Into The Chesfern Wood has perhaps become the preferred of the two, its tone and mood more consistent with its charming meld of Dungeon Synth mood and Medieval Fantasy melodies feeling more whole together.

Its pallet of luscious plucked stringss and broody atmospheric synths has quite a dexterity only explored deeper in two of its tracks. With strikes of deep drums, Entrance To The Nekkethian Dwarves musters quite a force with its powering synths pushing towards abrasion. The track then pivots to an Electronic lead one might associate with Berlin School. A slightly Psychedelic moment to see out one of its more forceful songs. The following Tower Of The Wailing Moons sets sail softly with airy keys to cool the spirits. It eventually pivots to fear and wonder with nightly astral synths hinting at a forbidden darkness lurking nearby, a tone the album doesn't revisit.

From their its consistency returns with scenic castles and flushes natural beauty all wrapped in its typically nostalgic guise. The production is interesting, although likely to be all virtual instruments, the ambiguity that blurs edges has a slight sense of wobble in the pitch that could just be my imagination. A possible production technique that really aids the low-fidelity charm, as here it doesn't feel obvious yet the mood and atmosphere of the album embellishes the spirit of memories lost to time and decay.

Rating: 6/10

Cradle Of Filth "Existence Is Futile" (2021)

 

 

Stuck in a familiarity fatigue, my soft spot for Cradle Of Filth still yearned. Their recent revival of form through Hammer Of The Witches and Cryptoriana had me tuning me again. Despite all its competence and theatrics, sadly this latest length installment of their Gothic Extreme Metal didn't spark the thrills I was hoping for. All the cardinal sins are intact, Dani's shrill animal howls and deep burly voices narrate the vampiric and Lovecraft themes. Blast beats and lively percussion houses flexible distortion guitars and an array of timely gothic synthetic keyboard tones to orchestrate the night.

 

His current guitarists expand a little with a few less restrictive guitar chops and leads that have a mellower edge but its only a handful of moments among a meaty arsenal of tracks. For the most part they stick strictly to the classic CoF formulae. Its opening track Existential Terror, however, tackles pandemic parallels with tales of plague thrust through a very orchestral Abrahadabra tone. Its big symphonic strikes of melody and archaic choir singing hailing back to that particular Dimmu Borgir sound.

Its a niche that doesn't stick and swiftly do the band land on familiar footing, leading to a record that shows no noticeable blemishes yet failed to really get my blood pumping. There are instances of choppy thrash riffs that get a little tiring but some fiery spurts of aggression too. Aesthetically it gorgeous and full of lively instrumentation. A lack of originality is probably a fault at times. All arrangements rehash old ideas, the closing Unleash The Hellion very distinctly reminiscent of their Vempire era. I couldn't pick out a favorite track, I think I've just found myself in a spot of tiredness without a cure. I'll probably swing back to this one whenever I snap out of it, if ever I do!

Rating: 6/10

Hypocrisy "Worship" (2021)

 

Of all the familiarity fatigue I've endured of late, I was actually itching for an unchanged dose of Hypocrisy's alien paranoia breed of mid-tempo Atmospheric Death Metal. Led by a key figure in the Scandinavian Metal scene, producer Peter Tägtgren resurrects his passion project after an eight year absence to show the formula is still fun. Thematically, the conspiratorial inspirations are oddly relevant again,  finding some adaptations to fraught social topics of our pandemic age. Where they are less relevant is in the Metal scene itself. Despite Peter's many accolades, Hypocrisy have always been an underdog in my eyes. Spotting a shirt or jacket patch at a Metal festival can be a perils task despite their relative consistency over decades.

Worship is business as usual. The dynamic melding of its thrashing, pummeling rhythm guitars and the soaring gleam shining from tangled melodic leads tinged in astral inflections are the riveting experience I adored this band for. The pallet sways between its heavier riff led intensities and thematic melodic gloss that embellishes its perpetual sense of other worldly matters. Over top roars Peter with his earthly guttural shouts. They are dense growls but the slower cadence lets the words decipher and emanate a brutal forcefulness to intact his conspiratorial words. The percussion reinforces everything with timely patterns and grooves, playing a subtle roll as blast beats and even double pedals are a little less infrequent than one might expect for Death Metal but of course Hypocrisy's angle has always been an emphasis on atmosphere and scenic imagination. The drum grooves emphasis that sense of scale.

These tracks don't have much in the way of variety between them. With straight forward song structures the album rolls on with not a lot of flash in the pan. The songs mostly rely on trixy dazzling guitar licks and stomping grooves with the occasional intensity change ups leaving the guitars out for a baseline to rumble. They recycle their identity for the most part with We're The Walking Dead feeling like a rehash of many previous takes of slow brooding mood and atmosphere. In fact much of the record dives into compositions that feels very akin to previous songs you could cherry pick from their extensive discography. They Will Arrive does spring a surprise with its gritty low chord chugging groove setting off an alarming horn of some sort. It was something different of which Worship doesn't have much, however I turned up to hear Hypocrisy do what they do best. All of these songs are class without a weak link.

 

On the lyrical front its conspiratorial topicality and confrontation with our modern ills of disinformation and institutional distrust seems like a headache avoided. There is on claim of injecting two million people with HIV but otherwise its mostly the classic tinfoil hat tales of Illuminati and shadowy cabals of conspiring between alien demigods and corrupt elites. Essentially the traditional themes are tainted by modern polarization. However the third track Chemical Whore strikes right on the nerve of the still ongoing epidemic of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs peddled for profits by a increasingly dubious medical industry. To my ears its all a fair game of perspective and expression with nothing nefarious within. Worship is a solid delivery on exactly what I was in the mood for. A great band to check out if your a Metalhead who's not crossed them before. Their self titled album is my favorite, one I'm tempted to write up on soon.

Rating: 7/10