Pop Will Eat Itself "This Is The Day..." (1989)

 

This album may just go down as one of the most intriguing, genre crossover and retroactively curious records to discover at a time where the historical musical tapestry rarely surprises. This Is The Day... is a defining sophomore album by British act Pop Will Eat Itself, a band fueled by a passionate energy for music alternative to the mainstream. Despite being floored by its hallmarks, the now dated era sound of its fainter stints has me less indulged by its waves of nostalgia emanating from a moment in time prior to my favorite 90s sounds. Essentially, this would of been my world had I discovered it earlier in my youth. Hearing it now, its still a marvel to behold and enjoy.

Kicking off with PWEI Is A Four Letter Word, a defining influence is made known with its bold snippets of Chuck D & Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. The sampling culture of then still emerging Hip Hop sound runs rampant as defiant statements are drawn around the concept of "stealing" music in this sampling form. These guys stand on the cutting edge of the times, bringing Rap and Rock together with Heavy Metal and Punk Rock guitars among its weaving web of Electronic, Pop and even Disco in brief bursts. It has the spirit of Anthrax's inclusion on the crossover classic Bring The Noise. Its a wild punchy sound, bold and hard hitting as its elements stack together crudely through the riotous noise blaring from DJ Winston's eclectic sample choices.

Individually the songs tend to feel structured in a Pop format with chirpy hooks and a ton of cultural inclusion from its embracing sampling and referencing lyrics. The experience is like a youthful time machine, references to Terminator, Robo Cop and even Mc Donalds ground itself in the era. Notably, this is where its weak points gleam. Its silly refrain "Gimme Me Big Mack, Gimme Fries To Go" rapped alongside the classic Funky Town melody is both gaudy, geeky yet admittedly fun. Its grown on me, the awkward leaning arrangements do have musical charm at its inspirational core. My other "gripe" were the crass English accents, a little stiff and engineered when rapping but giving it some Merit, its the late eighties style, simple but effective.

Wrapped around its bold affront, the musicianship from Mole, Mansell, Crabb & March is remarkable, a keen negotiation fostering the spaces between its sampling indulgences with timely riffs, melodies and grooves to lay a firm foundation for the madness. Its an organic unraveling textile sound, morphing into songs as samples and programs drums invade the percussion, bass, guitars and beyond. The rhythm section was a personal pleasure, reflecting the tones of Alternative Metal, Industrial and Post-Punk to remind me fondly of the coming shift in sound the 90s would bring.

As said in the opening, its a marvel, full of mentions to perk your ears, Can U Dig It? is a lovable spew of references built around the classic line from The Warriors movie, sampled over and over. I set out to write a more critical review as its gaudy moments and rough edges had been a focus in casual listening, but as it happens on occasion, diving in deep and getting the thoughts out really made me appreciate this one more. Its quite iconic to me how it slips in between a lot of great music I adore with a "here first" affirmation. It will take time to digest deeply. One thing is sure, I am not done with it yet! Ill be spinning This Is The Day... for years to come, I can feel it in my bones!

Rating: 8/10

Covenant "From The Storm Of Shadows" (1994)

 

With SETI, Animatronic & Nexus Polaris behind us, we venture now into the less impressive origin of a remarkable band. In the past I barely bothered with demo tapes, my recent foray with My Angel gave me a nudge to give this one a try. I'm glad I did, although far from impressed with a now cliched sound I know inside out, it was a pleasure to digest these three darkly, menacing tracks of scene cast Black Metal.

 Sadly the symphonic element starts off mostly absent, possibly too enveloped by the smothering bass to stand apart with distinction. Its not until two thirds through the opening track that we hear some lone horns roaring in triumph from behind the grisly guitars. Its presence grows and by the third title track we get some medieval, partly jovial synth lines chiming in to the shadowy aggression with bold melody.

As far as the crass audio quality goes, this is a studio demo, harsh in the upper mid range but doing a great job of making its instruments heard. The key elements of the music get through, those brooding, mid tempo riffs with darkly accents, atypical of the times. It plunders away through blast beats and howling, unattractive scowls that rasp over top from Nagash who handles everything but the guitars here.

Its rather hard for these three songs to make much of a lasting impression given my already extensive exploration of Symphonic Black Metal. I'm fairly sure these songs would of carved some adoration if I'd turned to them in my youth. As it goes I skipped over them but its clear that Nagash of early Dimmu Borgir notoriety was a competent musician adding his own take on the emerging sound with vision and spirit!

Rating: 4/10

Bring Me The Horizon "This Is What The Edge Of Your Seat Was Made For" (2004)

The rattling rustle of loose snare rolls, discordant guitars screeching, a brooding power chord rising and then an eruption of sloppy chugging riffs. It sends this classic record straight into uncomfortable territory as moments later the grip loosens with the hit-hat wafting over the silence between meaty slabs of chunky guitar funk. Enter the raspy scowl of Oli Sykes's divisive and ugly screams and you have the perfect recipe for music to split a crowd, in the context of both mosh pits and musical snobbery. Fortunately I landed on the side able to enjoy this controversial bands gritty sound.

It was at my first Download Festival in 06 that I mistook them for another act on the bill. I was blown away by the novelty of these black emo mop hair cut kids playing the "uber brootal" music. It was also my introduction to hardcore dancing where I quickly learned regular moshing would land you a punch to the face. From then I was hooked and till this day I never felt like anything else Bring Me The Horizon would do matched the unique charm this four track record caries. Its one of those bits of music you get right into every now and then and this latest binge leads me to write!

This Is What The Edge Of Your Seat Was Made For is a youthful riot of angsty rebellion and aimless attitude fit to cut a divide in the Metal scene. Some parts Metalcore, seeking the brutality of Death Metal, this bedroom band puts together a riff montage exploring their own ideas of heavy, hooked on the ugly, odd and obnoxious that you just can't replicate. Its a mindset, a moment in time manifesting into a bizarre riff fest of awkward guitar noise and breakdowns that I simply adore for all its flaws.

Its grey, scrappy aesthetic and trying performance may be sloppy and loose but just hangs in enough to land its ideas and rhythms right on the nose. The grooves land between the barrages of angular guitar noise and Oli's snarling throaty screams sound almost painful at times. It ends up like a charm all too akin to Metal yet constructed from a different ideology. The songwriting however is keenly convenient in this aesthetic as its progressive rollout of guitar riffs, with little repetition, keeps an interesting flow of rough around the edges ideas, landing with enthralling energy.

The last of its four songs ends up on a melodic tangent that derails somewhat from the core concept but within its first three strikes the breakdowns and "brutality" is so much fun. Each song gets its big moment for the crowd to split and go ham. Each song also finds catchy ear-worms to drive home with big shouts around its big breaks. "Nail The Casket One More Time", "I Hate All My Friends", "If You Think You've Alive, Your Better Of Dead". I've never looked deep into these angsty lyrics, written by then teenagers. They do however get riled up with the music in there spite ridden delivery.

Edge Of Your Seat not a record Id be keen to recommend but discovering at such an interesting time, right at the birth of Deathcore's bloom, gave it a personal nostalgic magic I've never been able to shake. It was fun and outrageous then and sixteen years later still has a punch that rarely fails to rustle. Such a peculiar record. No other band I'm aware of, or even BMTH themselves on their debut album managed to capture the spirit to be heard hear. Its an oddity but I absolutely love it!

Rating: 8/10

The Kovenant "Animatronic" (1999)

 

Embarking forth with a new name and shift in identity, Animatronic is their first album as The Kovenant. Nestled between last years Nexus Polaris and the later SETI, it represents the stylistic move towards Industrial Metal and electronica with a little of the former magic lingering. Reflecting on this with a more perceptive mind, it is a bigger change than I once remembered. The transition is held over well in vocal department where snarly shouts and brutish half screams anchor it to their former glory, along with Eileen Kupper's enigmatic operatic singing to usher in powerful melodies on their two best known songs. Mirror's Paradise and New World Order hit things off with an unforgettable union of catchy melodies, rocking riffs and stomping drums, all illuminated by Eileen and the strings that cruise between its Drum N Bass percussive cuts. Its a shake up of sounds, a melting pot of ideas channeled through clever song writing that appeals to popular fundamentals.

With such a strong opening, its a tough trail to follow but the remaining material explores different approaches to tone, pace and experimentation in well defined songs that form the unique feeling the opening two have. Mannequin dives into the downtrodden brooding the following record would dive into on a couple of songs too. Jihad brings an eastern melodic flavor to its crunching Industrial guitars. The Human Abstract ups the tempo with a fast paced thrashing romp lavished in glossy synths, akin to their prior effort with its more aggressive guitar tone and symphonic overdrive. All the songs have this over-represented keyboard presence that sways between club electronica and classic strings. It works wonders, beaming with prominence above the density of woven Industrial noises below it.

Home to two timeless classics, sadly Animatronic looses its footing in the closing as a couple tracks, missing the level of excellence excelled elsewhere. Prophecies Of Fire hails back to the carnival and jovial likeness of Nexus Polaris, almost like a left over reworked for this album. In The Name Of The Future recycles to many previous ideas and The Birth Of Tragedy seems an odd closing note for such a dramatic shift in tone as it explores a dark, paranoid, cyber aesthetic wonderfully. Most notable is the clunky cover of Babylon Zoo's Spaceman. Ironically It sounds like a flip of the original, where the mess between the catchy chorus was rather unappealing. In this instance The Kovenant do everything right except the hook which doesn't spark in the deep burly voice its delivered through. Animatronic is home to a potent, exceptional and inspired sound but as an album tends to decline steadily to a good from greatness. That said, you can't deny the brilliance of its opening two songs, forever personal favorites.

Rating: 8/10

Arcturus "My Angel" (1991)

Finding myself on a Symphonic Black Metal binge of late, I turned my attention to Arcturus, an old favorite. Something then caught my eye, the release date! As far as the Norwegian scene is concerned, anything dated before late 1993 tends to carry a little mystique for the front runners who were involved before the explosion of popularity and exposure. This two song release is also considered to be the first inception of Symphonic Black Metal at a time where the 2nd wave sound was still forming its identity. I don't know how I never gave any attention before. Ive been aware of it since discovering this amazing band.

My Angel is one of those curious records that evokes thought over time and place, a band caught in a moment trying to find their footing with emerging musical ideas. It has soft remnants of Mortem, the Death Metal act these musicians were previously known as and with a strong shift away from that style the name change was certainly apt. The lasting aesthetic identities here are the iconic synth string tones, which feature heavily on their debut. That and a handful of compositions in Mortax give you an idea of where they will go. The drudging guttural grows and gloomy atmosphere will be left behind.

The record stands as a curious transition between music scenes and ideas. With the ideals of extremity and low fidelity yet to become hallmarks of the Black Metal genre, Arcturus pull on the slow pace of Doom Metal and simple power chord arrangements as their tools to sway towards evil and darkness. It takes on a haunting persona with the lead guitar on My Angel wailing like a lost spirit calling across fog swept moors.

The production is crass but capable. Sloppy and dissonant it carries a charm, one for the era you could consider a decent attempt at introducing these thick atmospheric key tones alongside the extremities producers where still figuring how to piece together. The second song, Morax, hit me as a three part song stitched together. While writing this blog I've learned they had a demo tape from the year before, further adding to the mystique. On that cassette Morax was split into three and alongside a synth intro, showed these guys had this sound together a little earlier than I initially thought! All in all a very enjoyable discovery for someone who thought I knew this all inside out!

Rating: 4/10

Earth "The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull" (2008)

With the pandemic slowing the pace of new music by the artists I follow, I've noticed the freed time has had me picking out forgotten treasures. It is much fun to revisit old favorites and after blowing the dust of Hibernaculum we get to revive the one about the bees and the lion! I never got deep into this one upon release and the reason is swiftly apparent - Its all to similar. Earth's slow, drudging pace and methodical unraveling of suspended, elongated chords and melodies brews a warm atmosphere. Once familiar with the niche, it dissipates too a mood, one to be conjured but hardly encapsulated by.

With its axis a little more woven into the softly distorted guitars, texture and aesthetic ooze from the speakers as its melodies clime to unleash brooding chords that ring out in slow motion. In its simplicity, amalgamating layers of ambiguous hazy noise gush forth from its crashing power. Heard best in its opening songs, the charm wears off as future songs pivot more so to the piano as the lead instrument and in this relegates itself to a less imbued form.

Rise To Glory introduces a remarkably hazy guitar solo that ebbs and flows in its shoe-gazing presence, sluggish and reflexive, its grasp on tension and human expression is suddenly cut short as a sudden pivot ushers in the pianos phase. Hung From The Moon goes there again with the piano but its not quite the same. This additional layer, free from the grinding pace yet flowing with a complimenting looseness is wonderful, a stand out element that doesn't get much time to flourish. With this they had something but without, its all to similar and the record tends to drift to the background, where it sets a fine and soothing mood of calmness and ease. A good record but its clear now why it didn't stick with me back then.

Rating: 6/10

Covenant "Nexus Polaris" (1998)

From The Kovenant to Covenant, as we roll the years back you undoubtedly noticed the change in name. This is down to a dispute with an equally named Swedish EDM artist who won the usage rights. Upon their next effort, that transition was made alongside a rebranding in image and presentation. Nexus Polaris, the groups sophomore effort, would then be re-released under the new and handy renaming. Interestingly their debut would receive an peculiar re-recording that attempts to shed the original music of its genre cast tone and rewrite much of the synths to try and capture the genius that first erupted here. Perhaps the magic was in that original record but this is the moment where a unique brilliance emerged from the cast mold of the then young Symphonic Black Metal sound.

As hinted at, the magic lies in a more elaborate sense of what the symphony could be, similar to Arcturus on paper, yet arriving with a different alien personality. The records eight tracks blaze with the roar and bite of ferocious Black Metal, mostly propelled by the rumbling barrage of Hellhammer's legendary percussive style. He debuts with the band here, unleashing his busying three arm style to propel the aggressive side with a dense layering of drum and cymbal strikes. Alongside him the vocals too deliver howling and wretched screams atypical of the genre but most notable is Lex Icon's withdrawing to a snarling throaty growling of his cosmic unworldly lyrics. This toned down temperament aids the balance of extremity and musicality the songs exude.

Snugly fit between the battering drums and gleaming synth work sit these subtle distortion guitars tinged by a Thrash Metal pacing. Arriving with melodic inflections and the occasional blistering guitar solo, they act a keen bridge between forces, the unifying element to give rise to the symphonic theme and anchor the aesthetic in aggression. Rarely are they the main focus but every riff chugs away choppy rhythms and grooves to see the theatrics on there way.

Front and center is the symphonic aspect. Where the genres artists once mirrored the general direction of their darkly music with gloomy and majestic Casio keyboard tones, Covenant strode to bring a cinematic experience. The awe and wonder can be felt in an instant, as The Sulphar Feast warms up with its shimmering acoustic guitars and it plunges into blast beats, Sarah Jezebel Deva, once of Cradle Of Filth, lends her wicked voice with an operatic presence that signifies much of the compositional genius to come. Rather than complimenting tonal aesthetics, the keys take charge as the lead direction of these thematic songs, often tinged with a carnival flavoring.

 Along the journey many keyboard instrument sounds feature, from the expectant choral synth tones to bright pianos and even an accordion on one song. It orchestrates wonderfully with an astral sense of wonder and touch of madness to tie it keenly to its extreme delivery. Its keen writing that packages big themes into simple repetitious melodies rolled off one another to keep that galactic sense of scale. Also featuring a few "electronic" tones in brief stints it does signify where the band may go but in this instant sits with me as a wondrous piece of music its hard to find fault with.

Its been such a long time this record has been with me, blowing the dust off again the magic hasn't weathered a fraction. Appreciating it once again I am particularly fond of Chariots Of Thunder, the first from the album I heard. The song has a leveling of elements as all its instruments feel integral to one another where the rest of the record dove heavily into its wonderfully bizarre and cosmic orchestration. Its a fair temperament to close on and always gives me an emotional stiring that the end of a powerful movie might do. I love it, a true classic!

Rating: 10/10

Wardruna "Kvitravn" (2021)

 

These Norwegian musicians have been reviving their heritage for years now, utilizing historical instruments to ignite the flames of their viking ancestry. The last outing, Skald, was a performance piece of sorts, poetical recitals and minimalist accompaniment that failed to spark excitement with this listener. Kvitravn is a return to norms yielding a similar problem as its now established and familiar aesthetic passes without a gust of anything to break its gloomy droning march. Don't get me wrong, what these musicians achieve is beautiful and visionary but as there persona becomes expectant, groups like Heilung thrill with their claws lurching into the shadows and pulling out blinding horrors of ancient darkness.

Kvitravn plays with the same drudging pace. A weighty gloomy hangs overhead as the cold winds and constant rain batters its human inhabitants. Peering into a re-imagined past, Wardruna captures the spirit of burdensome life, one of hard work and death with a spiritual closeness to mother nature. Its songs tend to find different ways to this same macabre march of dragging heels and achy backs as its thick drone of flawed and aged instruments is led by the reluctant pattering percussion of bearskin drums, pulling the music along. Once established song meanders in its particular arrangement, circling the same rhythm and musical ideas over and over again.

 Its on inspection that its repetitious nature becomes obvious. Trying to gleam out moments or details that sparkle, perhaps only the haunting choral cries of Viseveiding stand out. Without such critical ears it is all to easy to fall into its spell, the dull drones of blunted instruments become the curtaining atmosphere to bring about a subdued meditative state. In its mild gloom many moments feel ephemeral as its range of cultural voices sing Nordic tales, hardships and occasionally dive into the hysteria of softly guttural chants. The human voice is the element that ties the music together but as already expressed it is the puritanical approach that gives it little leverage over their previous output. For now I will put this record down and whenever in need of that nostalgic viking majesty, I may resurrect it for the dusky tone it conjures.

Rating: 6/10

Earth "Hibernaculum" (2007)

 

Here lies a blast from the past, one of my first steps into the worlds of Drone and Doom. Earth are known as pioneers in the field and Hibernaculum comes in the second leg of the duo's carrier after reformation a few years prior. To me this four track EP was a hypnotic exercise in simplicity and repetition that pushed its gradual shifts in tone and texture as the progressive archetype. Its entrancing mood was one I'd enjoy on many long walks home in the dark, I couldn't however convince my friends of its magic but with it passing my mind again recently, I have revived its wonder to my playlist to share with all of you through this music blog.

With the aged ears acquired since, I hear the likes of Noir Jazz as a distant cousin to this breezy, soft and natural record. Steeped in a neutral tone it feels rather adaptable to either the city night or natural beauty in the light of day. Its first three songs deliver gorgeous metallic acoustic guitar melodies. Drawn out at a snails pace its repetitious ideas are underpinned by chilling piano notes and the bellowing dense blanket of bass. Slow and methodical its incremental growth blossoms so slowly its like watching a face age day by day yet in the calming spell of its manor, an intensity manifests with its lurching distortion and subtle organs chiming in on the craft.

Its final song, clocking in at over sixteen minutes takes the temporal to its conclusion. The soft percussion performance of Adrienne Davies is drawn to a crawl as the textures of her cymbal strikes cry out in the void between lingering notes from a darkly guitar. A Plague Of Angels plunges into the chill of night where its counterparts exerted a sense of natural beauty, this one slides into the shadows, devoid of light yet still having this calming persuasion. Being able to hold the listener in its grasps, the gradual rise of blunt over-driven chords takes us into dramatic spaces as it grows bolder. It could be excellence in action, or possibly the countless hours of bonding that made it so vivid to me.

I've written on Earth's more recent Primitive And Deadly, back when I first started this blog. Its a different beast, more metallic and doomly with charming vocals and all. That was one of my personal favorites from 2014. This fun revival of an old gem has made me realize how little of their discography I have uncovered, perhaps one to dive into now! Hibernaculum is a fine record, solemnly neutral with a slight chill in its backbone, the temporal pace and sluggish unraveling is a power of its own! One to always return to from time to time.

Rating: 8/10

Anna Von Hausswolff "The Miraculous" (2015)

 

Searching for gems to talk about on my youtube music channel, reciting my words on the spellbinding Dead Magic was a reminder to continue my exploration of Anna's music. I recall giving The Miraculous a passing listen but now with intent I hear the formation of what was to follow. Two of its longer cuts, the thematic Discovery and sludgy Come Wander With Me, delve into the darkness with sprawling esoteric journeys to be fully embellished on her next outing. Cutting between its lengthy passing, a variety of compositions has the record peering into lengthy crevasse of darkly ideas briefly explored in there powerful temperaments.

It makes for a wonderful experience that doesn't quite feel as a whole but in no way empty. Anna brings her torment and shadowy expression through illustrious instrumentation ever poised by subtly and texture, always brooding its tones and melodic inflections in steadily brewing atmospheres. She is often forthright and powerful with her singing, rising up to swell with the music where it is right but also sitting out the instrumental sections that deserve limelight too. In a couple cuts she lurches back to the shadows, compromised by the darkness of the albums most ambiguous musical passings. Her words always with a distress.

There is much to be adored here, however its final three songs highlight the lack of flow that is overcome by the engulfing nature of these dense songs. Evocation takes another plunge into the monstrous lunges of slow and sludgy Doom Metal bordering on temporal with its snailing pace. The following title track pivots to winding organ piece of dense and heavy airy textures, an experimentation in droning gloom that sticks out as the biggest difference. Anna's voice briefly arises in angelic form as if to pull the music into its apex yet it drifts back into its duller phase without climax.

It all ends with Stranger, a subtle sense of a wild west theme permeates its accent, illuminated by the spangled acoustic guitar chiming in at its peak. This pivoting is what stunts a greater sense of what the record is. Many wonderful concepts are realized while its songs switch from one to the next. I have very much enjoyed the experience but I feel as if there were three or four distinct sounds being jostled, making it feel like a collection of songs over an album. This sort of esoteric and ethereal music brings that preference for a unified vision out of me when listening. Still wonderful though.

Rating: 7/10

The Kovenant "SETI" (2003)

 

Well here is a fascinating band I have sat on for far too long. Becoming a recent obsession again, it is finally time to dive into a peculiar band with an abridging discography spanning their unique transition across the spectrum of Metal. They helped forge a significant portion in the musical landscape of my youth. I discovered them through the CKY movie soundtracks sometime before this albums release. As the forth of four, it is the duo of Lex Icon and Psy Coma's final offering, with the specter of the supposedly fully written, fifth, unreleased record Aria Galactica left in limbo to this day.

For me, this band have never set a foot wrong, with each of the albums living up to its own vision. SETI, however is a notably trendy record, aligning somewhat with the rapidly rising Rammstein sound. Its an Industrial Metal romp rocking strong symphonic and electronic instruments with a mild hangover from their Black Metal days. Its complexity is notably less lavish compared to what came before but in this simplicity a catchy stride is struck.

 

This brings me to my favorite aspect, each of the songs have character and theme that sets them apart from one another. Embroiled in the post Nu-Metal vibes of that era, the duo seem to have an ear for what makes the downtrodden anthems tick, repackaging them in their spacey, synth heavy take on this popular strand. SETI has a handful of songs I wouldn't blink twice if I heard blaring in the intermissions at Metal festivals and clubs. The reality is a sad one though, these legends are very much overlooked and forgotten having barely toured since this final records release.

The record ebbs and flows between slabs of stomping distortion guitar led groove and melodic counterparts of estranged cyberpunk synth, the songs often finding its climax when they fire on all cylinders. Equally from track to track it alternates with slower anthems. Star By Star, Stillborn Universe, The Perfect End open up with moody singalongs that have something wonderful emanating through the walls of sound. This is a dense record, a barrage of Industrial kit sounds give the meaty sound depth as peculiar key tones drive home its potent melodies. They often pull up a classic old school monster flick spooky synth sound that is just delight to indulge with.

In the madness of thick instrumentation the pair are quite adventurous with the vocals, the best comes when brooding melancholy lyrics from a burly voice. Between it all, a variety of intensities often harking back to harsh Black Metal screams gives the whole record bursts of raw aggression that is fantastic. Early on strong operatic female vocals are worked in like resonate symphonies drawing in more expectant vibes to deliver the massively cosmic and astral tone the music encompasses. Neon would be a keen example of diversity as drawing in Eastern sounds adds to the flavor, somehow making them beautifully alien in the process.

This record potentially has one flaw and that is length. Filling a CD up at a bold sixty seven minutes, many of these numbers crossing the 6 minute mark and seem lengthy with the repetition loaded in song structures. Yet it is not so, these songs are so infectious they hold you in. The weaker cuts do find themselves towards the end however they all give you something unique, speaking of which, it ends on a cover of The Memory Remains. Originally by Metallica, its a rocky cover, not quite finding the groove but when the sing along melody hits, the operatic vocal brings it in wonderfully. All things said, this record is etched into my soul somewhat. I've adored this band for so long and think its a massive shame they are not known of more. Diving back into these records and writing about it will be some good therapeutic fun however!

Rating: 9/10

Shade Empire "Zero Nexus" (2008)

 

Released five years before their almighty Arcane Omega, Zero Nexus is another fumbling block on a patchy path of production hell that seems to drop the ball for the same reasons once again. Putting forth its extreme elements in imbalance, it is the snarling snout of Harju that groans its guttural filth loudly with a textured harshness to drown out the quite and underwhelmed synths. The distortion guitars too have subtlety drained as the details of its fretwork get lost under the mechanical rattle of pounding drums.

Its musical ideas are lost in the muddy wash of sound that pivots on a lot of Industrial grooves. Interchanged rhythmic pummeling drives on harshly as the strike of snares and kick drums flood the music with aggression. Attentive ears can pick out the pianos, strings and electronic tones dispersed between, all blemished by a lack of power and presence. Even direct focus doesn't let the chemistry elevate but it does yield a certain curiosity about them. When the music parts from its charging instruments, often with a percussive break beat of sorts, even then does seem tamed.

Its worst element are the vocals which could really do with being toned down behind other sounds. The range of gutturals displayed tend to lack power and potency, instead hinging on a throaty roughness, especially dialing up the cringe on its halfway clean attempts. Its god awful and a constant distraction from interesting song structures and arrangements that take place in the ebb and flows. Of the handful of spins I've given this I just can't get past its awful production, so disappointing.

Rating: 4/10

Drake "Scary Hours 2" (2021)

 

Its been a few years since God's Plan and Scorpion. This new release Scary Hours 2 is a three track EP, warming up some anticipation for the Canadian rapper's sixth full length, set to drop sometime this year. Firstly I'd like to note the covers aesthetic, a gloomy, mysterious shade of blue and the classic Old English font up top. Its a shade of Bathory meets Arkhtinn. My curiosity to the similarity comes unanswered but musically there is no relation to anything esoteric or extreme. Its very much business as usual. On that note there is no mention to the global pandemic, which is a choice for any artist however the glorification of wealth and lifestyle feels especially hollow in its indifference to the pains of our world right now.

What's Next kicks off the record with breezy raps, Drake's easy flow hits a healthy stride spitting on a keen groove, doubling up his rhymes alongside one word emphasis. It works well, the lyrics are structured with plenty of catchy repetition to get stuck in. The mood is energetic and uplifting without bombast, these instrumentals are all tight and snappy, minimal yet effective. It continues on Wants And Needs that steers to a spacey vibe with Lil Baby stepping in to deliver a firm set of rhymes with his wobbly voice. The two exchange narratives around romantic relations interwoven with boisterous behavior. Its got style and swagger, but substance? These songs tend to feel right in the moment but don't leave a lasting impression.

Lemon Pepper Freestyle is the weak link, a more spacious drum arrangement hinges of the soulful vocal sample that cycles on a dizzy looping. For this listener it becomes grinding and dull swiftly. Rick Ross brings an older generation style to the track, even referencing Makaveli and Death Row. Its in partial contrast to the beat and Drake too who probably gives the best verse on the record, an endless train of thoughts spelling out personal grievances and perspectives but ends up trailing off into showman raps and flaunts that occasionally loop back over the same bars. Its a nice flow, sharp, brief sentences with a pause before going in again. Overall though it doesn't yield a bigger sense of self. This EP feels like business as usual for the rapper with a formula that works well but for me isn't all the exciting.

Rating: 3/10

Dysmorphik "Everything Else" (2005)

 

Everything Else is no official release but an amalgamation of experiments, unfinished works and remixes from my personal collection of MP3s, scraped from websites long gone. Dysmorphik has been a personal gem for many years. With my recent covering of ...And To The Republic and Tick, Screech And Halt, I also decided to upload all the music to Bandcamp for others to enjoy. I cannot express how much fun and strange emotional experiences this unique sound has brought me. This post serves as a reminder to check out the aforementioned albums, both in my words and on the Bandcamp page as you can now hear them and this assortment of additional songs.

Kicking off with Nubile, we get the formation of ideas which fail to spark into a bigger picture, it serves well as an intro track being a minute long. Fractures of melody give way to the thumping cascade of obnoxious drum kicks and weakened sirens. The later extended version gives insight to the layering of fuzzy static noise and expansion of the song into a Gabber nightmare of dirty bass pummeling and gritty stacks of mechanical interference. The noise aspect of this sound is expanded on Effects, likely a jam track of experimentation that gives insight into how much of this madness is derived from experimentation. Meat N Static bridges that motif, blossoming with structure and concept as an abrasiveness set of sounds are driven forth with bombastic intensity. The noisescape twists and shifts intermittently, finding sporadic bursts of striking groove between its uncomfortable respites.

The five minute song Penetrate Your Pain comes in two forms with the superior second iteration revealing the craft and care involved. With this electronic music being spat out by the computer, one can hear the identical notes, drum patterns and even spurious noises from the VSTs having their knobs and dials tweaked in pursuit of perfection. Its been a favorite of mine but always felt like a human voice was missing. The remixes have other musicians hands over Dysmorphik's music and consequently doesn't yield much of my interest. If your curious in anyway about this mad, dystopian, alien hybrid of Noise and Industrial then these extras are worth a bit of your time.

Rating: 5/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "XIII" (2021)

 

Autumn's Grey Solace hold a dear place in my heart as my first and favorite introduction to a deeply Ethereal shade of Dream Pop music, a sound started and seasoned by the Cocteau Twins. The first half of this duos discography was a delight to unearth, their luscious dark incarnations of shadowy beauty still resonates fondly to this day. The second stint, starting with Monajjfyllen, began a circling of waters, the continuous re-arrangement of musical ideas established long beforehand and thus each record, despite being enjoyable, comes with a sense of disappointment as the pair stick very strictly to their template, lacking experimentation or direction.

XIII, in-coincidentally their thirteenth, continues this tradition. My keenest remarks emerge from an occasional arrangements of acoustic guitars that shimmer off the warm baselines punctuating beneath. In all fairness this is simply two songs that strike a particular nerve, otherwise the songs drone forth with a similar subdued melancholy, lost and lonely yet in reverence of beauty. Candledim perks the ears with a fuzzy lead guitar lending a few harmonizing notes for the closest thing to a guitar solo we will get. It gives the song a little extra charm the other numbers don't receive yet could do with.

Welton's dreamy voice is a treasure as always, drifting over the washy reverb soaked instrumentation of Ferrell. She brings a lyric oriented performance this outing, a shift from the pure voicing heard on much of their recent output. Sadly it does little to offer any freshness. With my lyrical track record that wouldn't mean much but all in all it is business as usual. I will continue to check this two out no matter what and every time I will wish for a change of pace but sadly this time It was not so!

Rating: 5/10

Jim Kirkwood "Middle-Earth" (1990)

 

The resurfacing formation of Dungeon Synth in the late naughties has been quite the spectacle to watch unfold. With its roots in obscurities linked to Black Metal and Avant-garde music from the nineties, this sound found its name and niche, flourishing with both creativity and a bustle of low effort clones. Doing research into the genre's origins, records like Depressive Silence, Medival Journeys and Midnight Fullmoon crossed my path, all providing fun and curious listening experiences but deeper than them all is Jim Kirkwood's mighty double LP spanning five lengthy musical adventures. Released at the turn of the decade, this sound is untainted by the unleashing of Scandinavian darkness yet to come. The common ancestry that shares a thread here is J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-Earth, a common influence in Black Metal and Dungeon Synth, of which this work is neither.

Kirkwood's music is typically described as fantasy music. Hinged on the electronic scene aesthetics of decades past by, the use of bold visual tones from Casio synths and Morg synthesizers has that timely gratification bestowed by the power of melody. With a little imagination, one can be led by the unsubtle arrangements on fruitful adventures. His style seems obvious at first, curious melodies dance in tandem, exchanging shifts in pace and tone to conjure the sense of spectacle as the scenes unfold. Cheesy might a cruel word to reach for but in his boldness Jim composes with cinematic scale to outpace any of the era sentiments that may arise.

Its mammoth two hours do not drag. The show sways from the beauty and glory of fantasy realms to the darker perils exemplified on Urak Hai, Tolkien's demonic warrior beasts. Between typical song structures he gets creative within aesthetic limitations, mimicking environmental sounds like winds, horses, birds and the thundering echos of deep drums. Percussion is used to steer in some momentum at times and in others acts as an abrasive tool to warn of danger. With that cinematic sense of vision and direction fueling it, these clashes with potential dated ideas retain their charm. Best of all an underpinning of swirling synth arrangements akin to Tangerine Dream constantly push the melodies into lengthy tangents with a psychedelic driving them along. This is a fitting idea that recently sparked my interest with Old Sorcery. So curious to find it at work here over twenty odd years earlier.

There is so much that could be said of the adventure unraveling over these two hours. I do think Jim takes liberty with scale and repetition at times but it mostly adds the the epic Middle-Earth scale it reaches for. Its been a wonderful listening experience with many uses of melody and aesthetic I'd hear resurface in Symphonic Black Metal and other electronic related genres in years to come. I also hear a soft link to Progressive Rock and Jazz Fusion over a few instances of keyboard playing, even a guitar lick dropping in on King Of The Golden Hall. The links go both ways! This one is really worth your time if you have anything invested in Fantasy, Tolkein or Dungeon Synth. This is undoubtedly a hidden gem with little information on it beyond the music, I would love to know more about its creation and inspiration, although the latter is obvious.

Rating: 8/10

Vektor "Transmissions Of Chaos" (2021)

 

It's been some time since I last heard anything from American thrashers Vektor. Their previous effort Terminal Redux was quite the charmer given its dense and technical take on Thrash Metal, a great work of vision and execution. It was also the bands last, I was unaware they had disbanded and this two track warm up is a result of their recent reunion. Sadly though the two tracks didn't carry the sparkle I heard before.

Activate is a fast ripping thrasher of choppy techniques and dizzying melodic entanglement, charging head first into the wall! Its tone and jittery energy is unrelenting, not offering much in the way of a hook or catch. Its pause for an acoustic respite after blazing solos is an interesting moment but the track tends to contain itself as a short, simple drive of aggression, not looking to get expansive as they once did.

Dead By Dawn initially sounds like a cover with its clean vocals springing a different mood forth. Its a progressive path forward, opening up at the three minute mark into beefy lunges of melodic gleam and meaty distortion fretwork. Its sudden pivot to rapid power chord shredding dispels the excitement. It reuses the lunging moment to see the song out and ultimately ends up feeling a bit directionless.

For a band reuniting, this may just be an exercise in getting back into the process. These two numbers show both craft and execution, bringing back their very "plastic" and particular tone with a competent production but disappoint with a lack of dazzle or remark within the routine of galloping Thrash Metal running the routines of its techniques. The second track had the ambition with a bold move vocally but its conclusion was to fall back into the arms of comfort. Transmissions Of Chaos is worth a listen but hopefully they will bring bigger ideas to any full release in the future.

Rating: 2/10

Shade Empire "Intoxicate O.S" (2006)

 

One step forward and two back, Shade Empire's sophomore effort seemingly faces issues both musical and aesthetic. The strange synth loudness production of Sinthetic highlighted a hidden strength but on this effort it is overwhelmed by grating metallic aggression made harsh by its ear grating production. Its opening track Slitwrist Ecstasy sets off alarm bells as the howling rattle of a loose snare overpowers everything around it. Creeks of spectral keys struggle to glimmer between the rumbling rattle of percussion and the snaky guitar tone that sucks up all space beneath it. The balance is poor, the ears do adjust with familiarity and repetition but the albums biggest strength has been cast to the shadows, a reverse of what came before it. The synths are now all to quiet to have the impact they deserve.

With vocalist Harju wrenching out his meaty shouts and counterpart snarling whispers in the front line, the aggressive context dominates as the drums barrage track after track. Its an unsurprising affair of riff arrangements and drum patterns that pale on their lonesome. In some moments where the pace cools off, one can hear the web of synths woven in too forge a powerful sense of atmosphere and direction for the music. The issue is production, they are simply mixed in poorly and the thick slab of unappealing guitar distortion washes its power away. Its truly disappointing as one can hear the intention but is simply unable to indulge. The only occasions they come to the forefront are with the big cheesy synth tones... everything is out of balance.

Every spin has been an endurance test, how quickly will that unending snare drum take to ware my interest out? Well prior to the albums close Ravine, an entirely synth led composition, gets to shine in the wake of a slowed drum groove and lack of guitars in its opening. Even still its a gem in the rough, one can hear the dirty buzzing baseline in its opening, a reminder of how ugly this aesthetic is. Through that the piano melody and soft synths forge a nightly mystique to show that talent is present, if not held mercy to the bad sound design. Intoxicate is a very forgettable record, one I wont wish to return to, however if handled differently in the studio, my opinion and enjoyment could of been entirely different.

Favorite Track: Ravine

Rating: 4/10

Moonspell "Hermitage" (2021)

 

Imagine my excitement, the triumphant roar of Jumalten Aika still gnawing at the back of my mind, a new Moonsorrow record on the horizon, I was buzzing! I jumped at this album when my aggregator informed me of its release. A slight problem however, the service confused the two moons and so I have brought this twelfth release from Portuguese Moonspell. To rub salt in the wound, this same confusion actually transpired a couple years back. I really need to fix my subscription list...

Unlike 1755, Hermitage has been a fumble to engage with. Its bland foray of lightly tinged Doom and Gothic Metal tonality is often steered in a Progressive Rock direction, attempting to revive ideas of the greats and rarely amounting to much in the progress. Singer Ribeiro is often off-key, a constant thorn in the sides, hurtling his rough manly shouts, he rubs against the melodic cohesion off his band mates.

The instrumentals behind him are decent at times but the music tends to meander. Swells of metallic aggression that brood are often weak and loose on arrival, at least within this brittle production which fails in giving oomph and power to its instruments. Songs slowly ponder through many quiet and meager passageways. Its calming and composed but lacking much in the way of excitement. When those big guitars erupt, the momentum is often left hinging on an unappealing distortion aesthetic.

The occasional inclusion of classic psychedelic synth sounds spark some curiosity but tend to add their own appeal as opposed to gelling with the rest of the music. All in all its a hard record to compliment that offers no reason to come back. Besides my gripe with the vocals, nothing is particularly tragic or offensive, just unreasonably mediocre and drab. Anyway I have learned my lesson, removing this band from my list at once!

Rating: 4/10

Slowthai "TYRON" (2021)

 

Following up on his remarkable debut Nothing Great About Britain, the Northampton based Slowthai returns with an album of two halves. Separating the gritty attitude and boisterous swagger from his substantive social commentaries, TYRON splits these fourteen new tracks. Stylized with capital letters, the first seven are slamming bass led club bangers to blow your socks off. The remaining songs, presented with lower case names, drift into an emotional journey with subdued melancholic Jazz Hop vibes as Slowthai gets serious. Play With Fire acts as the transition track between these two dramatically different tones. His last recorded melded these elements wonderfully. Separated, they are simply that, it feels like two short albums.

Its first halve is easy to love. Coming out the box wild and barking, Slowthai sparks off sharp at witty rhymes with a feisty attitude to play of the raging bass which has been rumbling my room sweetly on my new Yamaha monitors. The production is sublime, tight, crisp, snappy percussion leaves a sweet space for the sub bass tones to pump away obnoxiously. It comes into its own when reuniting with Skepta for an instant classic instrumental with Cancelled. Focusing on boisterous raps and fiery flows, Slowthai's creativity runs away with plenty of clever word play and references. Its fun and engaging but far from the emotional journey about to unravel.

As the topicality shifts so do the instrumentals, steering away from bumptious bass and bringing colorful, moody samples to light. A notable inclusion of pitched up voices, prominent on Nhs and the acoustic guitars of Push give me serious Brockhampton vibes. A handful of these tunes tend to reflect a Pop adjacent space some Hip Hop sounds have been exploring as of late. In these songs Slowthai's flows feel at the mercy of his narratives as he slumps into a spoken word pacing, leaving much of the teeth and snark that makes him jump off the track behind. Equally though, the stories, musing and commentaries have their potency with heart felt verses.

Ultimately Ive landed on this feeling that his magic as an artist is in the space between this deliberate separation. When his grin soaked rapping is bouncing off the walls of that gritty attitude, the potency of his emotive remarks and political points have punch. His flow doesn't suite the vulnerable instrumentals that try to lean into that aspect of his lyrics. The first half ends up triumphant here as the less serious side is fun and well executed. Although loaded with a lot of heart felt expressions, its second instance just doesn't have the power to grab and lock in the same way. The approach may have not been the best here but Slowthai is clearly still one to keep a close eye on.

Rating: 7/10

Loathe "The Things They Believe" (2021)

 

The ambition and tenacity of last years I Let It In And Took Everything had me expectant of a return with refinement. Between its angular slabs of angered Djent guitar noise and counteracting melodic tinges of light and color, crept in elements of ambient and soundscape I would not of expected to become a sole focus. Released as the bands third full length effort, with the same distinctive album art, The Things They Believe is an artsy experiment in ambience, noise and texture alike. Perhaps some of which might have snuck in between the durations of metallic aggression they are known for. Instead, without warning, its a full record of this type of music, a bold move for a band building an audience within the Metal scene.

For me, I already adore these sorts of estranged tonal experiments. They lightly distort, sway and pitch shake its lofty rises of airy synths, mixed in with ambiguous sounds and instruments like the Saxaphone which appears on occasion. Everything is dreamy and distant, like fuzzy memories. Without sun or warmth they cultivate a sense of calm with a harmless mystique. Its all temporal, no percussion, just sways and swells of sound that evolve at their own pace. Even melodies feel without form where they arise. A couple brushes with darkness occur, the dreary unease of Don't Get Hurt has a slight anxiety to its hazy persuasion and Black Marble's brooding fuzzed synths build a thematic scene of lurking evil.

Beyond these musing, its really hard to describe the particulars of what makes ambience like this work. Its fundamentals are obvious, yet the music has a power and persuasion these experiments can often fall short on. The whole thirty five minutes passes without a drag but yet no big culminating moments. Its all decent and does not feel as if its metallic elements where stripped out but they could of been created with that in mind. Either way I have enjoy this very much. Not what I thought I was getting for my money but luckily I am a fan of musical ambiguity and day dream vibes!

Rating: 6/10

Gazelle Twin "The Entire City" (2011)

 

Rolling back the clock a decade, here we have an inspired album that has had me assessing parts of the musical landscape I have grown to adore with Its place curiously poised between styles and artists. Debut record of musician Elizabeth Bernholz, who handles all to be heard, The Entire City is a curious record with echos of many threads, most notably the soothing yet esoteric electronic works of Fever Ray who has a not too dissimilar temperament from the obscurities at play here. They too toy with the unusual and spin its oddities into frame, becoming whole songs.

Elizabeth sings from an easy place, led with breath and softness, twisted by layered, pitch shifted vocal manipulations that bring her emotion to the center with an alien inflection. The instrumentals behind her are fantastic yet she dominates the focus with a performance reminiscent of fellow Brit FKA Twigs. Other heritages are present, the percussive arrangements echo tones of Industrial and electronic Glitch music in moments. Most notably in the opening track and recurring surges, a nostalgic sense of Neoclassical akin to Dead Can Dance can be felt driving the records arching theme.

In some ways its a typical Art Pop record, toying with the avant-garde and obscure, pining them on simple principles of enjoyment. Yet throughout, the songs flow from relative comfort to arrangements that pull and stretch at its fundamentals, dabbling in minimalism as the stark and bare of this sound is explored. In its more developed phases, simple percussive drives foster an array of quiet and meager synth tones that shyly dance in tandem with surges of synthetic bass wobbling beneath.

All in all the album has been more pleasurable with every listen. Its odd and alien aesthetic reveals a beating human heart beneath as its strangeness grows kind and familiar. Initially dark and shadowy, a warmth resonates yet most of that feels explored early on as its mid section pulls through some sluggish deconstructions. The shrill rising terror of View Of A Mountain reminds me of Nobuo Uematsu's more sinister songs from the Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack. Followed by the lone voice of Abandon it seems a strange bow out but again catches my ear for links that seem to be all over this record. One thing is for sure, I like it and will enjoy returning here from time to time.

Rating: 7/10

Cocteau Twins "Blue Bell Knoll" (1988)

 

Arriving at our 13th installment in the Cocteau Twins journey, fatigue comes to mind with a full length record that is both pleasant and joyous as it is consistent and routine. The sparkle is either missing from the record or myself. Put simply, Blue Bell Knoll failed to rope me with a lack of surprise within the musical idea portrayed. It is however a spirited pivot away from the Ethereal and dark that often lures me in. The majority of its ten tracks focus on bright, appeasing melodies that twinkle between the cracks in their hazy aesthetics. Simple song design and easily indulged moods make it a rather inviting record despite not feeling much deeper than its surface.

Two of its songs do hint an electronic element but alone with this duo, the experiment is brief. The title and opening track beefs up its bongo led percussive track with a synth tone to give of some subtle difference. It emerges boldly again on A Kissed Out Red Floatboat with an unmistakable likeness to Kraftwerk's The Man Machine main melody. The busying notes of osculating wave synth bustle their way through the song like a happy accident. Not adding anything in particular to the song but just coincidentally matching the musics key and peaking audibility when the other instruments quiet.

I could describe once again the details of these band mates contributions but I would be recycling my words. Its as one would expect from the trio with Fraiser finding her most quiet yet fitting performance. She dances through these songs effortlessly yet her presence doesn't have the punch her tricky annunciations on Treasure would. All in all its a reasonable effort but lacking a spark to distinguish itself in the shadow of their great works of musical art that came before.

Rating: 6/10

Jessie Ware "What's Your Pleasure" (2020)

Nostalgia revival has been a recurring theme across the musical spectrum in recent years. Strangely, the better of it all doesn't feel nostalgic at all. That's what we have here, a plunge into the past that pulls out the finest moments with precision. What's Your Pleasure looks back through the aesthetics, ideas and instrumentation of Disco, Dance, Pop, Soul and Funk's glory years and brings them to life once again with twelve stunningly charismatic songs, all with something unique to offer.

 The record is a classy affair. Kicking off with its catchy dance floor numbers one will be lured in by its attitude, jive and confident energy. A general sense of the eighty and Synth-pop resides here. A pivot in the midsection runs through some modern downtempo driven atmospheric tunes to relax the tempo. These deep moods recur again in its final phase shuffled between more classic vibes culminating in the timeless Remember Where You Are, a song for the ages. Its cinematic theme and swells of warm, sunny smiles are utterly classic and moving every time it closes the album.

 Jessie is the glue. The stylistic pivots and musical diversity are held together by her unassuming voice. With power and emotion she sings without an obvious distinction most singers catch my ear with. She is well composed, strong and sings with confidence through the ranges that stretches to the breathy voice on occasion. Her attitude and posture matches the tone of these numbers on every track and her common presence unifies. Tracks like Ooh La La and In Your Eyes sound miles apart separately but with her guidance its all comes together in the grander experience.

The instrumentals are a delicacy. Aesthetically every sound is lavish and stunning. The tone, and temperament of these instruments are gorgeous. The bass guitar oozes with texture as it prowls along as the musical backbone. Brief ushers of guitar licks shimmer in the breeze and the diverse pallet of percussive sounds get worked in to suit its songs main stylistic focus. The synth work too is sublime, from big and bold to soft and subtle everything is a joy to indulge with and take in.

Musically, many of the ideas lack true originality with its roots in the deeply explored styles of past but in execution the song writing hits the mark with a stunning sense of charisma. The best comes from the overlaps of 70s and 80s era moods with the more modern House and Downtempo beat frameworks. Another stunning aspect is the deployment of these upfront, in your face cheesy synths. Once a retro stain of the 80s, in this context it is wonderfully worked around the attitude of Jessie on a couple of songs, making much fun of a once dated style.

These songs have life, soul and experience to them. Ranging from boisterous fun and flirtatious struts to weepings of heart breaks and pains suffered, Jessie puts her personality into every moment. It all comes with a gleam of uplift. Often fun and playful, even its reflective, melancholic tracks resolve to a positive space.

All in all this is one heck of a production. What's Your Pleasure sets the bar high as it explores some nostalgic ideas, bringing them back in style and with relevancy. Ive delved into this one deep. Its got swooning spells throughout although favorites do emerge as some of the Synth-pop and Funk tracks tire on many repetitions. Its Downtempo and classic old school string section, diva led pop tracks are a delight, occasionally tugging on my heart strings. Its dance-able throughout with plenty of groove and attitude to boost your spirits. This is the sort of record you can recommend to anyone who isn't pegged into a musical corner.

Favorite Tracks: Spotlight, What's Your Pleasure, In Your Eyes, Step Into my Life, Mirage, Remember Where You Are

Rating: 9/10

Shade Empire "Sinthetic" (2004)

 

Having recently recorded my blog post on Arcane Omega for my music channel, I was prompted to explore the Finnish bands back catalog and thus landed here at their debut. Initially I writ it off as being a run of the mill record, however with each spin the melodies and symphonic themes rooted themselves, revealing a slice of fantastic songwriting here at the origin of their adventures. Sinthetic is not without flaws but certainly a stronger set of songs that you would initially suspect in their infancy.

As a Symphonic Extreme Metal album, its texture, tone and temperament exudes much of what Dimmu Borgir unleashed with Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia a couple years beforehand. What Shade Empire bring to the table is an Electronic element tangled between its harsh metallic drive and swoons of symphonic might. The best of the record comes from the gleams of melody its orchestral tones usher in over the industrious workings of synth LFO's bustling away around its metallic template. Its design very much of the electronic scene, working its way in with an Industrial vibe.

Its quite the stark construct, the guitars feel distance with a narrow scratchy, plastic tone. The rapid drums rattle their way around with a lot of intensity. The bass guitar and low end is thinned out, the electronic osculations fire off with distance too. Harju's harsh, flat screams are too without depth, adding to this brittle production style. Its the symphonic keys, choral vocals and pianos that swarm the music with a warmness. Dense in tone and presence, they dominate the music on arrival.

These elements essentially carry the record which unfortunately pivots quite often to the drive of Metal techniques and arrangements that tend to have little dazzle. Its at its best when the keys take over, delivering theme, melody and might that swoons and takes off like a rocket. Its a mix of contrasts that works when smothered with synth and in doing so gives it an edge over what you might expect from this musical niche.

That echo's my opening statement, initially I thought it to be a typical record but in hearing the persuasion of Savolainen's arrangements blossom, it reveals a fractional magic. The reality is whenever the music hinges on its metallic footing its a rather dull affair. Its eight songs have their moments and when they do, its always the swirls of electronic synthesizer or orchestral gleam that births its magic. A peculiar record, one that indicates their symphonic genius was there from day one.

Rating: 6/10

Cocteau Twins "Love's Easy Tears" (1986)

 

And so the Cocteau Twins musical journey continues on with what will be the last of these brief EPs, for a few years at least. Its been a consistent drip feed of mediocrity with the occasional spark of magic and Love's Easy Tears is no exception. Hot off the back of an experimental Victorialand, the band slip back into a groove as a trio again. The ever present drum machine and a persistently muddy bass presences rears the band into a familiar space. The title track and Sigh's Smell Of Farewell hit the similar trend of lacking chemistry between Fraiser and Guthrie, however it should be said the rhythm section brings little beyond bare bones to bolster their performances.

Those Eyes, That Mouth perks the ears with the two finding an esoteric spark to lure us into a mysterious Ethereal tension that never finds a release its yearning for but ventures through its darkly atmosphere finding a rising tide as intensities swell into the closing phase. Orange Appled sounds remarkably different from the other three. Fraiser's singing is in a deeper range and her wordings more pronounced and upfront yet still ambiguous. Its hooky bell melody come on strong but the tune doesn't quite land for my ears. All in all its another collection of B-Sides, fun to dive into but pales in comparison to their album material.

Rating: 4/10

Bolt Thrower "The IVth Crusade" (1992)

I may have said I was done with this journey for now but one curious listen alone had me thinking this was hands down the best Bolt Thrower had to offer. If War Master, their previous effort, was a pivotal moment of evolution for the bands sound, then this is the mastery of that transformation. Dispensing off with the Grindcore hangovers of frantic guitar noise and plunges into manic blast beats, the band shed the scars of their youthful music and lean full tilt into their championed formula of dense low end grooves that croon against frequent rises of catchy leads. Pairing power and might with satisfying swigs of mean melody, the endless sways are endlessly enjoyable.

 

Despite being fully accustomed to this mid-tempo Death-Doom temperament, these songs seemed to hit the hardest of all and with a little more pace than usual. With a crushing resilience, the production brings about a dense, feisty tone that carries the relentless percussive pummeling so well. Track after track hammers away with intense, pounding drums rattling off a heavy framework for the thick, meaty distortion guitars to grind out an arsenal of riffs that carry well. These songs are simpler, to the point and with a refined execution the head banging is ceaseless!

Many of the common tricks are turned here, the timely breaking of intense drum patterns to half times on the ride or hi-hat symbol are in frequent circulation. The guitars offer up balance with the constant swaying on the ranges of the fretboard. Above it all Willets gives another mighty performance with his steady barking of guttural growls as mean and gritty as ever. Despite being a familiar experience, the excitement sustains as the sharpest ideas are delivered stunningly. Within the Death Metal context, the angle of war and the suffering it causes delivers a tempered beast of crushing might and majesty that's somehow unlike anything adjacent to them.

Embers stands out for sharing the same recurring riff as Powder Burns and Cenotaph but taking the biscuit is closer track Through The Ages where the band offered up a little novelty to their sound. Light choral synths back one of their broodiest riffs in the closing phase after a spoken word narrative listing of a long history of wars throughout human history. It ties itself to the thematic concept of the record seen in title, album art and lyrics. Just by stepping aside with an alternate idea they create a truly memorable song as the dates listed reinforce the magnitude of human created suffering by war, only then to be shadowed by this swell of musical might. Its powerful.

 At some point I will probably get around to the missing Bolt Thrower records I am yet to unearth. My entire time with the music I was trying to figure out where they fit into Death Metal's legacy. Thinking of other pivotal records in 92 like Clandestine and, Tomb Of The Mutilated this was certainly not at the forefront of the musics evolution but right at its peak they came through with a matured sound that didn't hinge on gimmicks as subsequently can be appreciated well through a historical lens. If I've not made it clear, this is thee Bolt Thrower album to check out! A brilliant moment in time.

Rating: 8/10

Cocteau Twins "Victorialand" (1986)

 Having recently split a subpar album into two EPs in the previous year, the Cocteau Twins return with a full release that on paper you'd suspect would be more likely to suffer that fate. With bassist Raymonde tied up with other commitments, Victorialand strips out percussion and bass in a bold, experimental move that actually turns up gold. Initially it stands apart for lacking what is seemingly a core part of the groups music and ironically the focus on guitar and vocal alone forge a beautiful chemistry between the two, something their recent string of EPs seemed to lack all too often.

Guthrie refines a sound heard before, often intermittent between his echo delay experimentation with ambiguous guitar texture. With a touch of roomy reverberation his focus lands on lush, bold acoustic guitar chords and plucked strings. Dreamy, bright and glossy they flow lavish and oozy as the melodies vibrate and resonate in soft feedback loops. Although a little hazy and foggy they dance in the Ethereal wash, swaying with a timeless dreaminess the band yield, somehow unlike anything before.

Fraser finds a stride heard many times before with the best of her spirited singing. She leans in on the unusual pronouncing and annunciations that put emphasis and feeling in the unconventional spots. She meanders around the guitars like a wandering spirit, rising and falling, exploring her range and depth of expression. Her pace is drawn out, lingering on scenic notes, voicing with a ghostly intent. The use of pre-echo and other manipulations artfully expand the avenue this duo carved for themselves.

Chemistry is often king and here it reigns supreme as the focus on two instruments have them finding the sublime connections on its best tracks. All sorts of fantastical places of adventure and intrigue are conjured in the imagination when they find a stride. A Saxaphone and Tabla can be heard chiming in on occasion and one or two song use a tiny sway of percussion and sometimes bass. Its so subtle it seems almost necessary yet irrelevant in the shadow of absence the majority of the music carries.

A bonus track, remixed by Massive Attack, serves to show how well the music can stand on its own while being completely open to percussion and bass. Final song, The Thinner The Air, is a tense, winding closer that dissipates at the albums end. The accompaniment of Trip Hop thuds, cracks and piano chords add in a foundation entirely optional. It highlights how much magic is birthed in this chemistry and how the common and expected are sometimes unnecessary to what makes the music tick. Victorialand has its moments and some songs may not click so sweetly but it is a change in pace worthy of attention!

 

Rating: 7/10

Bolt Thrower "War Master" (1991)

This is it! The pivot I was listening out for, a moment of change but one that surprisingly comes as a full on swing. With a touch of Doom Metal restraint, the band find the steady footing for their brutality to march hard at mid tempo, with powerful grooves thrusting its momentum forth with the energy I enjoy. Bolt Thrower still strike me as a band in identity crisis. Yet to land on the appropriate theme of war, their Warhammer inspired image and tacky name seemed at odds with the early Death Metal sound. These are all details that don't really matter if the music is good.

In War Master lies a big step forward in fidelity and song writing. The rhythm guitar finally finds its tempered aggression that defines later records. This aforementioned pivot is massive but not without the blemishes of their previous efforts. It actually adds a little flair as wild plunges into loose blast beats and the hangover of Grindcore guitar noise give it brief tangents to break the tone. Otherwise all the pieces are in place. Big and powerful power chord arrangements routinely switch into tremolo picking as lively drum patterns pick up pace, delivering that heavy sway of grooving aggression.

Best of all, Karl Willets's voice opens way up. This could have been aided by the decent fidelity of this record. His breathy, throaty guttural growls are very audible for this seasoned listener. I found myself catching many of his doom and gloom lyrics, expressing disgust and commanding punishment and persecution for the human race. Its all light heart stuff! He rides the music like that extra layer of noise but the amount of texture and grit is endearing. Its not often a vocal performance catches my ear.

All being said, my excitement is steered heavily by finding this "linking" moment where the band stumbled into their own brilliance. That being said, it sounds like a total switch up to my ears with only the occasional blast beats and eruptions of lead guitar noise having much of a link to what they did on Realm Of Chaos. I'd be curious to learn what the band themselves thought of this evolution. With only two other records to digest, I think I'll put this one on ice again for now.

Rating: 6/10

Cocteau Twins "Echoes In A Shallow Bay" (1985)

 
Echoes In A Shallow Bay is the second half of what could of been a fourth album for the Scottish trio. Tiny Dynamite has the favorable pick of songs, with three of these four tracks offering subdued darkly obscurities that indulge but don't shine. Its a familiar take on their Ethereal sound with the opening Great Spangled Fritillary lingering on dense, elongated guitar noise that shivers through the cold, spacious setting, a tone somewhat adjacent to much of whats heard on Lycia's classic Cold.

The following Melonella and Pale Clouded White usher in stiff chord cycling pianos that get enveloped when swells of guitar noise arise. The moods are gloomy, of dusk and come with a little magic in its build ups. Again, Fraiser just doesn't find the charm, she is subdued but in this reserved performance she gels with the nightly atmosphere.

Eggs And Their Shells has a subtle pivot, a warm uplift arises from its simple melody and the angular insertions that compliment it. Fraiser takes her voice to a delicate, airy height, a carefree delight. Its a slightly disjointed song but its differences create the best out of the subdued sound and that seems to be the key word on this record. If looking for something Ethereal with less immediacy, then this is it.

Rating: 4/10

Bolt Thrower "Realm Of Chaos" (1989)

Sometimes, it can be quite difficult to write about records your simply not sold on. Here my curiosity lies in the bands evolution to the tempered beast of burly grooves and steady brutality they will become on Mercenary. Realm Of Chaos is a distinct move forward from In Battle There Is Now Law, shedding some Grindcore elements and developing a leaner Death Metal sound, for the time. It still shares some tropes, like the collapsing into blast beats and discernible guitar noise. Though for the most part the blasts come structured with percussive drives rattling away, adding tempo to the otherwise mid tempo guitar work.

 

Beneath it the rhythm guitars charge, shredding power chords, playing up "evil" melodies of the era and on occasion erupting with the wild, chaotic lead guitar licks that come across with an aided clarity. To me though, its mostly stale and dull. The fidelity is drab, the distortion tone wades in a muddy fuzz. Only the vocals get a clear line of focus above the instrumentation. As it works its way through the arsenal on riffs little excites. These techniques and ideas live the shadows of the genres development. A few riffs hold some merit and in brief fractions of slow, drawn out power chords you may hear a little of whats to come. At this point though, they are yet to find themselves, just another name in the scene. 

Favorite Track : Lost Souls Domain
Rating: 4/10