Applefish "Pale Blue Dot" (2023)

Another champion of Spotify's algorithm, Applefish's astronautical perspective immediately captivated my attention. One for my Temporal Focus playlist, these reflective droning ambiences contrast shimmering Ethereal tones with earthly sounds. From footsteps dragged across a beach, to trickling water or the chirping of birds, most these songs pair natural scenic impressions within suspended swells of lofty ambiguous synths that cast a memorizing calmness from even its tense outings.

 

The aura is impeccable, soft bass rumbles and airy voices drift through its drifting formless presence. Melody is absent, notes arise, groan and sink, yawning on temporal stretches. From dramatic to soothing, these captivating swells all conjure emotions fit for the overview effect its title suggests. Only its final track Return To The Tribute induces a cycling electronic melodic tune, which beaks the magical balance as it sees the record out. Pale Blue Dot has a powerful introspective spell to fall under.

Rating: 7/10

Darkspace "-II" (2024)

 

Surprise evaporates into disappointment. After a decade long hiatus, Darkspace mysteriously re-emerge from the void armed with negative two, a singular forty seven minute epic that adds little to their repitour. With a particular breed of cosmic Black Metal, this trio forge dense, unforgiving walls of bleak sound. A droning masquerade of astral oddities channeled through unsettling grimace. Condensed guitars thrum and whir in discontent, bleed with subtle stellar synths to brood an aesthetic mesmerizing an eerie embrace of the vast measureless void. From endless shadows, beastly groans and guttural howls malign themselves with steely tremolo plucked melodies, descending with a sinister stance. Powered on by shuddering, thudding sub kicks, the music groans, burdened by its union with the abandon of an infinite nothing.

The track is suited to ambient appreciations of its darkly flavor, maneuvering between mellowed lurches and impending brevity in bleak lengthy passages. The album feels like three distinct sections with intentional retreats from its darkest plunges. Despite this, the crawling pace didn't birth a sense of reaching anything climatic or conclusive. It simply arises, then sinks back into the black. Not to suggest the ride was sluggish, more of a suspended astonishment that never arrives. I recall being enthralled by their prior effort III I. After ten years hoping a return might one day occur, this record felt as if no time had passed at all, a very familiar sound reignited without a sniff of evolution.

Rating: 6/10

Little Simz "Drop 7" (2024)

 

Simz' output is already steeped in creativity. This EP series serve as a niche place to drop any variety of flavor and this seventh installment arrives in shapely form. Working with producer Jakwob, the pair unleash a hypnotic current of cultural instrumentation, conjuring suggestions of Spanish, Mexican and Latino music with selective percussion sounds. Arrangements flow with sharp rhythm and lean bass thudding, fitting for club vibes. Atmospherically sparse, the music feels open and minimal yet the drums shuffle and snap on dense arrangement of complimenting chromatic textures. Its simply slick.

Fever reinforces this cultured embrace, rapping a verse in Portuguese. Mood Swings affirms the club beat as the songs motif drifts through an exploration of escaping into night life. Other lyrics also hint on a therapeutic angle, the music being a means to vent life's frustrations and difficulties, although I didn't dive to deep into them. Drop 7 represents a lean fifteen minutes, one of fruitful creativity that may be a stepping stone to a fresh chemistry. Sim'z masters this new dynamic tone just wonderfully.

Rating: 5/10

Mnemic "Sons Of The System" (2010)

 

Having established that Passenger carried on with Mnemic's glorious throws to youthful nostalgia, Sons Of The System swiftly verifies itself as a gradual departure. The pillars of Industrial tinged Djent chugs remain, yet become part of the scenery, a rhythmic current to transition into roars of sketchy heathen "clean" vocals. Singer Bideau sheds skin, establishing his own vocal style, often stretched over mid tempo breaks lined with softly dystopian ambiguous synths. The rhythmic chops divide the flow as aggressive riffs frequently exchange with these disenfranchised breaks.

This artistic direction subdues the bands original charm, scaling back complexity and trying to elevate its atmospheric angle. The result blemishes their uniqueness, giving Sons Of The System a generic leaning sound for the European Metal scene of the era. Despite this step back, they still reside with strong footing. The record has its helping of banging riffs, mostly obnoxious shuffles of low end fret work. Its moody vocal led counterparts aren't terrible either, just a tone I am accustom too.

The record lumps its hardest hitters at the front doors. As it progresses, the tempos steady, its aggression tempers and more atmospheric passages open up, reminiscent of Prog Metal in moments. Songs shuffle through the motions with little in the ways of peaks or valleys, just a consistent tone. The inclusion of bonus tracks that didn't make the cut was a nice addition, the grinding Claus Larsen remix a missed opportunity.

Rating: 6/10

Wargasm "Explicit: The Mixxxtape" (2022)

 

Despite grinding out familiar roars of disgruntled anger, this rebellious, antagonistic duo known as Wargasm, might be one of the fresher breaths of air circulating in a stale Metal community. Underneath its chaotic veneer, the fundamentals may have more in common with the likes of The Prodigy and Aggro-Tech. A constant barrage of unsettled, gritty noise pummels through lively drum machines, sharp distortion guitars, rabid screams and screeching electronics. A fun jumble of unabashed offerings.

 The opening explanation of an all too obvious pun the name is feels redundant. The following five tracks never let up on its ceaseless energy. Gristly lulls and melodic breaks feel like soft dressing for the next moment of madness. Fiery outbreaks of crammed aesthetic erupt on every track, gratifying ensembles of noisy oddities and groovy riffs to latch upon. Tinged with hints of Rap and Nu Metal, its my cup of tea.

The pair do all production themselves. Either an individuals vision or fruits of bouncing ideas of one another, the chaotic webs of wrangled aesthetics they weave are wonderfully unhinged, yet latch onto something that clicks most of the time.

Matlock provides the consistent barrage of angered shouts. Way is a touch understated as an effeminate yet mischievous counterpart. Her presence is similar to Poppy and when in a melodic passage, offers an under explored dimension of their partnership. Wargasm are exciting, this short release is a decent appetizer.

Rating: 5/10

Mnemic "Passenger" (2007)

 
Laying the ground work for this post, yesterday I wrote of The Audio Injected Soul, a now timeless record from the latter of my formative years. Their follow up, Passenger, was passed up upon release. All I recall was a dismissal based on the departure of Michael Bøgballe. Now a maturer listener, I venture back with an open mind.

My first observation was one of confusion. Bøgballe's replacement, Guillaume Bideau, has such similar tone and demeanor that he could be mistaken for the same guy. Singing with mirrored intensities, rhythmic cadences, dropping in snarls and quirky shouts akin to the record prior, he lands a seamless transition for the band.

Passenger can never compete with the immortality of youth. My growing familiarity with this record yields the same emotive stimulus though. At this stage, the iron is still hot for Mnemic, forging another array of chaotic fusions. Chugging jolted grooves collide with passionate dystopian melody across a post-industrial wasteland.

Playing with a touch more sludgy rhythm and distorted dissonance in the low end, the albums production admittedly sounds aesthetically like a minor step back. The prior tightness is lacking, its mostly the drums that feel looser. Guitars lean more towards aggression with a notable tilt in sharp edged riffs and slabs of shunting power chord noise. It aids an overall flavor that doesn't steer far from their established identity.

I'm going to continue chewing through these songs but so far a couple of favorites have emerged, usually where flushes of color and lead guitar compliment a song. Carcass's Jeff Walker drops brief but fantastic demented snarls onto Psykorgasm. Passenger doesn't pull any big surprises but competently builds on what they were known for. I'm gutted we passed this one up, these songs could have easily stuck too.

Rating: 7/10

Mnemic "The Audio Injected Soul" (2004)

 
Here lies an ecstatic throw back to the days of youth. Discovered through Nuclear Blast Records magazine, this Danish outfit captivated our attentions with rhythmic grooves adjacent to Meshuggah's records of the time. Residing in the infancy before Djent took on its current sanitized form, Menmic's gritty Industrial polish and flashes of electronic textures morphed them into a memorable metallic beast.

Born in the hangover of Groove and Nu Metal, roaring shunted riffs collide against subtly dystopian melodic leads in search of new ground. I recall this particular scene once being referred to as "Future Fusion Metal" but despite the endless iterations of sub-genre, this name never took hold. One can hear echos of Melodic Death Metal and Industrial Metal but its most notable distinction are the elasticated "poly-rhythmic" guitar arrangements that make for frequent headbangers break outs. Chunky assaults on the fretboard that frequently flirt with a choppy, charactered ferocity.

The band don't overstate any component but weave together its most aggressive assignments and tuneful tangents. These arrangements emerge chopped and changed, not through complexity but variety. The pace at which an average track cycles through its sections is refreshing. It gives them character, as its swings and sways feel unpredictable, even after the album has been etched into ones memory.

Its offering can't be overstated, a fantastic range of soaring melodies to rhythmic slabs of low end force, melding through a creativity that never felt forced or intentional. The bellowing roars of front man Bøgballe often illuminates the energetic trajectory the instrumentals traverse. It could be passion of youth but I think this record is a lost gem, a cracking collection of momentous songs that any fan of Metal could find a favorite among its ten lean cuts. Still a favorite after all these years...

Rating: 9/10

Fred Again.. "Actual Life 3" (2022)

 
Actual Life 3 plays like an emotive snapshot of life passing by. Plainly titled in full with assumed start and ending dates, the candid selfie cover continues a trend in this series. Its an unambiguous touch to illuminates its personal nature. A social intimacy flows, human voices woven into these compassionate expressions, channeled through a dreamy endless night, intoxicated on the club floor. Slick Downtempo, danceable, rhythmic drives power us through warm Ethereal melodies and uplifting nightly energy. Snippets of casual conversation and private exchanges flicker between tender voices singing on relationship struggles with positive resolve. This all feels like a harmonious reflection of Fred's life, illuminating the human connections.

With a steady and gradual building of instrumental intensity, he steers these songs on an organic flow, never static, always inching towards the next subtle shift. Most songs find a swooning swell to amp up the rhythm to a predictable lively climax, yet always gratifying. Its gravitas is one of escape, a seriousness lingers in its mellow passing demeanor. Tensions unwind, providing release and resolve, lingering on a social maturity. Its forty minutes pass an effortless breeze. Fred never overplays his hand and keeps both mood and groove consistent, leaving all its varying degrees of intensity in anticipation of what flows next. Actual Life is one heck of a breezy listen...

Rating: 7/10

Ziggurath "True North" (2024)

 
With a swift and sudden departure from their prior Jungle Synth effort, Ziggurath pivots again. Now venturing on a chilly expedition, True North tentatively explores desolate atmosphere from a sullen, lone perspective. Glacial pace sets tone as broody bass synths, howling winds and distant gulls guide lonesome melodies on its journey. Pace is sparse, its ninety minutes frequently linger, drawing out its main sound design. The album sleeve feels fitting, a ghostly ship on a lost voyage, the lingering presence of icy death incarnate through a menacing skulls gaze.

Aptly named Hearthfire Inn, fire-crackles and lutes warm the bones, a refuge from the relentless frost that awaits. From here on, only glimmers of cultural instrumentation echo in the distant fog. Howling dogs, swirling winds and rehashes of its brooding atmosphere drag on. Through Halls Of Ruined Splendour offers shimmering sounds of wonder over the backdrop of crashing waves and the creaks of aged floor boards.

From here, iterations on the established sound design intensify, shying away from anything vivid, only offering glimpses of music to latch onto. Then Someone Dies offers a passing funeral dirge, a glum, drained march of sadness. The final track, True North, goes all in, attempting to offer a gratifying conclusion but coming up short. A surge of melodies underpinned by choral synths and soft organ hum doesn't quite land as intended, given the lack of build up to this final concluding moment.

Its obvious to see the intention here, to really lean into this chilling abandon. When giving True North little attention, its somewhat achieves this. Its sparse moments of melody and scenic sounds perk the ears but its sluggish pace and lack of animation doesn't carry much gravitas in the forefront of ones attention. Curation and more musicality could of elevated its presence. Otherwise, this is a soft miss to my ears.

Rating: 4/10

Kid Cudi "Insano" (2024)

  
Keeping steady pace, Kid Cudi returns from Entergalactic with a loose concept. Taking twenty one shots, these shorter cuts seemingly throw out ideas to see what sticks. Linked together by recurring buzzy sub-base lines, the referenced insanity is heard instrumentally as the aesthetic experience explores an unusual spectrum of melodic presentation. Repetitive tunes often run through mild manipulations, playing into an artsy atmosphere. Trap beats bustle harder than usual. Kicks, claps, snares and hit-hats from all directions chime in, amping up the sequenced rhythmic energy. Its these base oriented tracks that mustered my attention as between them, Cudi leaned into his established style, smoothing out the records exit with a string of colorful songs.

Running commentary from a boisterous DJ Drama and lack of lyrical focus gave me little else to latch onto. Insano feels like a round up of studio time spent without direction. Vocally, Cudi spun his style with the records best hooks feeling almost recycled from previous records. Nothing offensive, the record just lacked anything with shock and awe. Electrowavebaby perked an ear for its redesign of Ace Of Base's All That She Wants. That's the second record of 2024 to include this memorable 90s hit. Its a fun track, flush with zany zapping sounds and some endearing singing. The second track Keep Bouncin' is a banger, the baseline melding with crisp pianos is a classy conclusion to its dark, speedy energy. Other than that, its a mediocre record with flashes of distinction that fade among its extensive tracks. Good for a mood tho.

Rating: 6/10

Trevor Something "Archetypes" (2024)

 
My introduction to one man band Trevor Something was through a handful of delightful re-imaginations of 80s Synthpop and Alternative classics. I wasn't pulled into his original music, so this new record of twelve cover songs suited me well.

Trevor's built a unique sound, treading a line adjacent to Ethereal, Synthwave and Electro-Industrial. Like a dream inducing sedative, subdued and sluggish, his soft, distant voice steers us through hazy atmospheres. Layered arrangements of textural synths dance, often with chunky bass wobbles. The usual culprit of echo and reverb masks an otherwise sharp set of steady melodies into a concussive daze.

In this reshaping of originals, a unique soothing, slightly dystopian crooning is birthed. You want to stick around and indulge. Not knowing a track wasn't a barrier to entry either, the warmly dystopian aesthetics, lingering tempo and Cyber-Goth vibes maintain across its duration. Closer and No Ordinary Love where my favorites.

All That She Want's is a surprising throwback but record ends with Change (In The House Of Flies), which I thought would be a lay up. On this occasion, a sterile overindulgence approach lost the original spark. Its smokey, cumbersome stride swiftly dulls. Strange ending to an otherwise unique and enjoyable record.

Rating: 6/10

The Tiberian Sons "Satan's Office Supplies" (2022)

 
Here's a release I overlooked, The Tiberian Sons' first album re-imagining video game music within the Prog Metal format. Anthems Of Liberation was such a blinder, I had to give this a go. Sadly, little joy has arisen from its Paper Mario origins. Once again, I've not heard the originals but one can attest to their thrilling aesthetics and colorful liveliness. Satan's Office Supplies is given a lavish treatment, layered music with punch clarity. Subtle symphonies and jiving synths bustle between the upfront grooves of chomping, snappy drums and Djent rhythm guitar chops. Often stealing the lime light, the lead guitar wails with excitement, delivering key melodies and running away with dazzling solos, vivacious and vibrant, often serving as a voice of expression.

Why this didn't click with me is somewhat mysterious. Perhaps my Prog Metal clock has been run down for the time being. Maybe its the source material not quite matching the intensity. Although this music works, its jovial melodies run counter to a lot of hard hitting rhythm and stints of nostalgic orchestration that melds with a lack of feeling. Origami Castle is a keen example of its ends not quite sticking together.

 King Olly VS Mega Bowser is a similar composition, flutes and airy chorals coalesce around chomping groove and sinister horns, yet the track rides its devilish atmosphere well. The rest of the songs where somewhere in between, its opening five part set of tracks not feeling particularly special. A lot of the record descended into lively rumblings, were a blaze of passing melodies didn't land as they had done last time.

Rating: 5/10

GGFH "Disease" (1993)

 
Weird, wacky... wonderful? This is a zany descent into dystopian depravity. Cold, sterile, emotionless, Disease plays shrouded by bleak, mechanical aesthetics. Embracing quirky synths, wavy baselines and bustling drum machine abuse, the duo known as Global Genocide Forget Heaven forge unsettled stints of misanthropic commentary. I was turned onto them by Dimmu Borgir's Dead Man Don't Rape and the two bands share little in common besides a grim outlook on humanity and morality.

Much of the records charm stems from passages of rhythm that lock in with its synthetic counterparts. In these strides the grim atmosphere carries some passing joy. Otherwise its an unsettling oddity that rarely feels welcoming, a confrontation slog, forcing one to reflect on the dark subject matter at hand. Snarling, distorted soft shouts bark off through the record with a continual rigorous dissatisfaction.

Its an inescapable grasp, a downwards pull as alien melodies swirl around aimlessly. Vocal snippets from horror movies and the like help paint the music with more strange darkness. The atmosphere is vivid and intentional. Only Plasterchrist detours from its core chemistry. Tense lullaby like bells toy with menace, contrasted over top warm symphonic strings. Its within reach of relief and reprise, yet holds firm to its limbo.

 Overall I am impressed by how clearly theme and intention are executed but on a personal level this examination of humanities worst was lacking the musical jive to pull me in. It could be intentional, to keep the music confrontational and inches from comfort. A fun listen but after a few spins I'm good.

Rating: 5/10

Dream Widow "Dream Widow" (2022)

 
Birthed as a fictional band through the Foo Fighter's Studio 666 movie, mastermind Dave Grohl brings his youthful adorations to the limelight. An exuberant testament to the gods of Metal, Dream Widow plays as a love letter to Thrash and Heavy Metal. Churned out with a soft tongue in cheek attitude, this self awareness plays keen. Backed by a consistent onslaught of sharp grooving riffs, its evil thematic comes across fun and playful. Dressed up with moments of metallic extremities, the record initially feels edgier, clearly oldskool Black Metal on March Of The Insane before settling into its cruising altitude of mid-tempo Mastodon crooning Metal.

Dave is pretty fantastic at steering his unique musical voice to these comically darker directions. Half the record feels fully committed to sinister theatrics, yet the other melds his Alternative Rock roots in both singing and writing. This is no complaint, the middle ground is entertaining too but after the shock of its full throttle, screaming and stomping opener Encino wears off, its clear this intensity isn't its firm format. When stepping away from the atypical cheese over the top Metal provides, the music sways with delightful inflections of melody, exchanging verse and choruses that compliment through dynamic shifts from rhythm to lead and all expressions between the two. 

Dream Widow is a cracking record stretched between Dave's expectant self and a mischievous, metallic inner child. Ending with seventeen minutes of sludgy hell, Becoming and Lacrimus Dei Ebrius illuminate his genuine understanding of the craft, as cheesy themes give way to sinister mockeries of the light. Ultimately its forty two minutes are a solid listen. Thoroughly entertaining, yet showing these three or so approaches that could of individually been their own beasts.

Rating: 7/10

Hundredth "Rare" (2017)

 

Opening with shiny crimson acoustics, Vertigo croons on contrasting vibes. Its initial Ethereal glaze rubs against a pacey rhythm section. Thunderous baselines rumble, as lively kick snare grooves set a cruising tempo. Swells of overdriven guitar erupt, reveling in their haze of noisy reverberation. Singer songwriter Chadwick Johnson glides in, calming with breezy harmonization, soothing in his softly presence.

Its a chemistry that persists throughout, as this Shoegazing, Alternative Rock hybrid flickers with fondness for a cascade of influences that inspire an inclusive wall of sound production. Forever sounding like a beautiful fever dream, hints of Grunge, Britpop, Post-Punk, New Wave and Dream Pop emerge in subtle suggestions.

Almost all tracks sail with riveting energy. Ebbing and flowing into colorful lulls, dragged by pounding percussion, leaving room to breath and rebound into epic swells of lead melody and momentous guitar riffs. A consistent experience, yielding a monotone expression. Across its forty five minutes its deeply explored yet spinning the same structures in rotation. Fortunately with such blissful energy it rarely tires.

Early on the music feels uplifting and charged with warmth yet as the record reaches its mid point, both lyrics and emotions tilt to darker subjects. Its a subtle shift, a dreary dourness creeps in, the sprint slows. It feels like the same beast yet moodier, as melancholic acoustics drift in and a vulnerability in Johnson's presence grows.

Rare's merits reside on its songwriting and vision. Initially seeming to fit into a familiar umbrella of genres, the record takes on its own memorable character. I do prefer its opening half, the speedy pace a delight that fades into its brooding counterpart. Overall, Rare is a wonderfully engaging set of songs that don't try to rewrite the rulebook but focus on what works and wrap it up into an inspired aesthetic indulgence.

Rating: 7/10