Fightstar "Behind The Devil's Back" (2015)

Fronted by Charlie Simpson, English Metal outfit Fightstar have a bit if stigma about them in they eyes of some, mainly Metal elitists. This is due to Simpson's origins in the Pop-Rock boy band Busted, who he supposedly used to gather the resources to pursue his real ambitions. Its never been much of a bother to me but may explain why this band gets overlooked. I picked up "Behind The Devil's Back" based on chatter that they had outdone Deftones at their own game. It has to be said there are sublime moments where dense tonal guitars wage in rhythmical grooves against the offset of Simpsons voice, screamed or sung in a very Moreno style. Its as good as Deftones do it themselves, however the record is diverse and its hardly the main focal point.

That diversity is the records strength as its Alternative Metal persona is steered in contrasting directions, from crunchy, snappy metallic grooves to colorful melodic singing with pop sensibilities. These songs are pulled side to side, often elasticating back and forth between harmonizations and aggressive guitar grooves. It is performed in a way that the contrasting sides compliment each other without compromise and yet sound as if they could be detached and run alone as two very different records. The best moment's come from when their balance is sweetly struck and we get the best of both worlds harmonizing for a very energetic, animated and harmonious sound.

With a selection of gratifying melodies and potent guitar riffs the album comes together under a gorgeous production, lit up by Simpsons voice, who in his clean singing really strikes a nerve and harmony with the surrounding instruments. The distortion guitars are dense, weighty and rounded, a great tone that gets across a heavy feeling without force. The acoustic tones are luminous, the drums sharp and punchy and the use of light synthesizers seems to patch up particular moments with an extra layer of chemistry, if you listen keenly you can often hear it creeping in to quiet corners.

With one song I think the band to pull hard in different directions as "Overdrive" feels a bit stitched together as it shifts drastically from its metallic grooves to poppy melodies. It does however culminate nicely with a brief but substantial dose of synthesizers that lead into an epic pop melody. Otherwise its a really fantastic set of songs that after a good set of listens are still delivering the feels. Its a strong, bold and creative effort that really has no weak points and short comings, overall its rather fantastic and loaded with really a depth of inspiration.

Rating: 8/10

Echo And The Bunnymen "Porcupine" (1983)

Echo & The Bunnymen, based in Liverpool, are fast becoming a favorite of mine. "Porcupine" is the bands third and an infectious record rampant with dense songs from start to end. Their sound has transformed a little since "Heaven Up Here", a strong psychedelic vibe is present, through melodies, guitar effects and the drums which seem a lot busier with additional percussive sounds around the core drum beats. Its a richer experience, every instrument contributes to a constant wash of dense music that is expanded on a couple of tracks where strings, pianos and bells join in effortlessly.

Opening with "The Cutter" the band deliver one of their catchiest tunes yet and the knack for a good chorus really comes to fruition. Singer McCulloch gives another dazzling performance with heavy, emotional inflections into his sung words. Lyrically he seems rather pessimistic, cynical and morose with many negative statements and suggestions on positive attributions. Its most likely metaphorical statements for personal experiences, yet it comes across as a bit hollow, words that don't carry weight. Even so its easy to sing along to given his lively performance and timely delivery of melodic singing.

Behind him a dense instrumentation whirls with thought for all sorts of nuances and details that give it detail and depth, after many listens you'll still be picking out little quirks in the background. There is also a fluid sense of creativity where each song manages to make a break from the norm of its song structure for interludes and breaks that spice up the music, which is already rather rich and spicy given the fast bustling guitars that constantly layer up with other instruments and sounds.

The records production has a lot of weight on the music, much of the vibes and atmospheres these songs yield are felt in the tones and reverbs the instruments are captured with. "Clay" for example has a tinge of darkness about it, its guitars and vocals has far more echo and they bounce of one another for a sense of subtle disconnect. This use of reverb and sound design can be felt on the less thick songs the record has, it also plays a lot into the psychedelic vibe present.

Its a great record, probably best heard than described as its the sort of music that alludes me of the words to express it. That's a compliment though, if easily described perhaps it is more formulaic and predictable. Even though its songs are structured and follow norms it's the rich density of sound this album has that yields its charm. An engrossing listen, looking forward to the next one now.

Favorite Songs: The Cutter, The Back Of Love, Clay

Rating: 8/10

Dead Can Dance "Garden Of The Arcane Delights" (1984)

Released later in the year of their self titled debut record, Australian duo Dead Can Dance make an important distinction of ideas, moving away from their Post-Punk, Gothic Rock roots on two of these four tracks. Its with singer Gerrad that the leap is made to rid themselves of imposed restrictions and follow inspiration. Her voice is primed with character, ethnicity and mysticism as ancient cultural vibes are conjured through her vibrant singing. She leads the way as the percussive instrumentation weaves itself between different instruments, a continual beating of tribal, human drums and plucking of dense melodies.

In the other two songs Perry sings along to numbers that still have echos of the Post-Punk baselines and dreary gothic guitars heard before. More so "The Arcane" sounds like a left over from the debut, very much in the same vein as most of the music on that record. Production is a little clearer but with four tracks there isn't much to marvel, however with the two we hear the important steps towards their greatness first taken, and it should be said they are no primitive inceptions but rather bright, shining embers of spirit and imagination.

Favorite Tracks: Carnival Of Light, Flowers Of The Sea

Rating: 4/10

Ubiquity Is The Answer "Infinite Number of Elements" (2007)

Side project of French musician Cheney from Void Thru Materialism, "Ubiquity Is The Answer" is a similar beast of mathematical Djent Metal with touches of Thrash, Groove and Extreme Metal. It sounds like an outtake record, the guitar tone is almost identical and its only the style and abrasive approach that separates its identity from VTM. "Infinite Number of Elements" is a harsh rhythmic assault that strips back harmonization and melodies in favor of hard crunching metallic grooves which delve into polyrhythms and mathematic time signatures within the context of the overall 4/4.

Its drum machine is especially raw, snare rolls sound like machine gun fire and its volume in the mix is overbearing. That and Cheney's whispered scream style turns a quite fruitful musical experiment into a dizzying onslaught as the magic in the guitars is constantly weighed down by ugly drum kit sounds and over compensating vocals that lack a proper scream. The guitar tone on the other hand is spot on, big bold, tonal and performed to perfection for a range of tricky note fretting.

Behind its ugly facade an unstructured riff fest emerges where elastic grooves, temporal chugging and tribal antics are set free to explore themselves on the open field. Mostly its one to the next as the guitar leads the music in a linear fashion through each idea. The best moments come when the guitars double up because its mostly a singular riff at the fore front, when a lead guitar or alternative rhythm guitar joins in there are sparks of magic. "One To Six" being one of the record harshest songs find a moment of charm smothered by aggressive drums where an alien hammer on lead opens a dimension of sound along side the main guitar.

"Anonmaly Number Five" has a flash of things to come as the song abruptly breaks to a moment of jazzy Metal and follows it up with textural Djent's much in the style of Animals As Leaders. Aside from that their isn't much else that tells a tale of things to come. Cheney is very much focusing on the mathematics and odd time signatures that Meshuggah had brought to prominence. Its very much a record of experiments and outtakes, weighed down by a lack of polish in production and a tech demo vibe that comes across in the riff lead progression. It is however enjoyable but not something to come back to.

Favorite Track: Organic Texture

Rating: 4/10

Dead Can Dance "Dead Can Dance" (1984)

Going back to the roots of Australian duo Dead Can Dance, we find an interesting debut record that makes much sense of their future linage, yet is firmly rooted within a Post-Punk sound. It has come to be one of the most interesting genres for me in recent years, although a broad term it captures the creative freedom and artistic diversity that came after the DIY Punk scene changed the rules for popular music. On the record we hear hints of whats to come, however it is masked by a rather gloomy Gothic Rock overtone and an Ethereal touch that makes it easy to indulge in.

Mood, tone, atmosphere, very much the charisma of this record without being overt or overly ambitious, its mid tempo, calming, indulgent and far from a lull but without any big, memorable moments it can pass you by. The dissonant guitars murmur through tonal riffs, steadily droning in the background with a fuzzy tone that never lets the life it has really jump out or create much of an impact. Often they dial it down to a more acoustic tone but even then it feels so subdued.

These are typical Post-Punk ideas, provided we are talking about the same niche, guitar riffs that focus on tone and mood rather than rhythm and melody. Bouncy baselines rumble underneath and the drumming is simple, repetitive, Industrial in some cases. The drums are the first noticeable instance of their future direction to come. The opening track "The Fatal Impact" and "Frontier" have tribal sounding drum patterns, hinting at Medieval or historical themes.

These ideas are yet to flourish and the two's singing voices are barely dissimilar from future trajectory. Its obviously is a big thinking point for me with this music and maybe being blind to it, something different could of emerged but the reality is its a reasonable record, enjoyable but not riveting. It has one burst of light with "A Passage In Time" however the repetitions in song structure really unwind the power of the music given the rather quiet, meek and passable production that makes for quite a bland sound where the music itself is clearly more deserving.

Rating: 5/10

Run The Jewels "Run The Jewels 3" (2016)

The dynamic duo Killer Mike and El-P are back with their finest dose of RTJ yet! Clocking in at fifty two minutes its significantly longer than the previous two installments, both of which I enjoyed ever so much but as time goes the first "RTJ" has not yielded a lot of replay value for me. That being said I really appreciate what the two are doing together and I feel like this record finds a more appealing balance with its production style as Mike and El-P dropping the playful, fun, creative raps and hooks over carefully constructed beats.

Atmosphere and mood runs thick, a tone is set without obnoxious beats like the fantastic "Oh My" with its dirty rumbling baseline. RTJ3 actually uses a lot deep baselines too, best heard with a sub woofer but its an undercurrent for the wild layers of obscure sampling and odd sounds that reside on top. Dissonant sounds are rhythmically arranged between snippets of voices and the occasional "melody" or tune drops in between the layers which on mostly shuffle between a selection of tricks, making a less repetitive backdrop for the duo's rhymes. The drums are programmed spaciously, lots of fast shuffling hi hats are subtly mixed in with sharp snares punching through and base kicks that loose themselves in the base lines. Far from bombastic it keeps tempo, leaving most of the identity to the sampling, which has the measure to be exciting, interesting and unusual without blowing of hot steam or being "over the top".

Mike and El-P are very entertaining, many a laugh to be had "Doing push ups naked on a cliff" and plenty of jaw dropping flows like "Legend has it" when the bells drops in and Mike goes of on a murderous flow. The two have a witty sense for wordplay which keeps on going track to track with no weak links. Its mostly braggadocios and rhyme skill bravado but the two do it in such good taste. In the last tracks the mood shifts to more meaningful substance and "Thursday In The Danger Room" gets deep in the feels with El-P rapping out the hardship of watching a friend die slowly. Very coherent and moving, a great track that shows the duo can do much more than boast. RTJ3 is the record I wanted, the balance feels just right for my taste and doesn't yet feel like the apex of what the two could accomplish together.

Favorite Tracks: Legends Has It, Panther Like A Panther, Thursday In The Danger Room, Kill Your Masters

Rating: 8/10

Yagya "Stars And Dust" (2016)

Days before the new year arrived the Icelandic producer turned in his sixth full length record much to my excitement as immediately took to bandcamp to get my copy. The second post I wrote on this music blog was "Sleepygirls", which was over two years ago! That and "Rigning" have been my go to records for calm and meditative music with downtempo beats and dub baselines that can sooth and clear the mind. The minimalist album cover, open to interpretation, had me excited in hope for more of this sweet ambience, which is what we got.

Initially I was disappointed, hoping for something deep, dense and dreamy the "lightness" of the record threw me off. However with each listen I realized it was essentially the same style, familiarity with that layer of atmospheric density striped back. The result exposes Yagya's wondrous spacial feel for melodies, both in the form of synth strings drifting to and from focus and the inconsequential notes that cut through the atmosphere with intimidate echos on tracks like "The Observable Universe". The unconventional melody style creates a mesmerizing sense of depth as patterns and tunes allude one in the ever murmuring synths, swirling in the void.

The formula is somewhat unchanged. Deep resonating dub baselines stroll with the easy going downtempo beats and a similar selection of instruments layer colors on top. Mostly electronic synths, a few piano sounds, bells and voices make there way in too. There's a slight swirl of atmospheric noise happening subtly in the background, sometimes dialed up on the occasion track. Its this element, shifted in composition, that has been greatly toned down from previous records.

The change gives light to instruments that feel as equally mysterious and illusive, only providing the calming, soothing tone rather than a direct narrative. However that illumination was not previously absent, the melodies were conveyed within the thick atmosphere. It leaves me wondering if it gained or lost anything in this transition. "Stars And Dust" is more of what Ive come to expect, once again with its own pallet that doesn't do much to progress the sound. A solid record for a mood of calm or focus but nothing more.

Rating: 6/10

My Top 10 Albums Of 2016

So the year has come to a close and its been loaded with impressive releases, many of which were hard to cut from the list. Its surprising how some records seem fantastic at first then tire quickly, and others can sneak up on you over time. There has been variety but certainly no classics. As much as we have been spoiled with great music nothing ground breaking or earth shaking has reached my ears but rather a lot of records that make good on whats already known. If you didn't catch my top ten musical discoveries check it out here.

(10) Metallica "Hardwired To Self-Destruct" Link

It was a hard choice to put Hardwired on the list but I think merit has to be given to Metallica for finding a part of themselves that really works and putting it to record after many years of disappointment. Nothing like the good old days but they have churned out some new classics with this one.

(9) Korn "The Serenity Of Suffering" Link

This one wins worst album cover of the year, that's for sure. There has been no doubt in my mind it would make the list, the band somehow found a return to form after fourteen years of garbage. The Nu-Metal teen within me has been having a riot with this record.

(8) Lord Lovidicus "Book Of Lore Volume II - A Vespera Ad Lucem" Link

An initially uneventful record, its character and inspiration slowly emerges with each listen and before you know it the music is transforming your imagination and taking you to exotic sands far away.

(7) Avenged Sevenfold "The Stage" Link

An unexpected source of excellence, "The Stage" has Avenged searching for new ground and finding it on a record that's before solid and experimental where the band expand their horizons.

(6) Savages "Adore Life" Link

Overall, its probably not as good as their debut but the bar is already high and with their second record they established more sublime, charismatic songs and bolstered there live set with more engaging music

 

(5) Moonsorrow "Jumalten Aika" Link

 

I had barely listened to them before, maybe not at all but their 2016 release blew me away. In its immediacy its nothing special but as the songs progress and unfold they seem to have a magical engrossing quality that sucks you into their realm and hitting you with breakout moments and captivating melodies.

(4) Regina Spektor "Remember Us To Life" Link

Regina has such a charming honesty about her with music and I was unsure what to expect. It had been a while since she last caught my attention but this one has the best of her creativity, mirrored with passion, perspective and emotions that blossomed into gems of songs, each with their own charm.

(3) Plini "Handmade Cities" Link

A bright and colorful record that takes Metal music in a creative, luminous direction. The anticipation was certainly there and boy did it deliver! Ive listened to this countless times and its melodies are still as charming each time.

(2) Devin Townsend "Transcendence" Link

You can always rely on Devin to bring the musical inspiration. Initially I didn't quite feel it but as time went by the energy and wonder that radiates from such songs as "Stormbending" just wouldn't get out of my mind! It makes his recent output feel a step behind the feels this record brings.

(1) Death Grips "Bottomless Pit" Link

With the year passing by its proven to not but a perfect record but a large bulk of this one is exactly what I wanted, that sound they create crafted to the bouncy, mosh friendly side of groove they have. As the year goes on a can't stop myself from coming back to it again and again.

My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2016

Another year rolls by and the musical journey continues in full effect. There could of easily been another ten artists Id like to see on this list but I had dwindle it down. 2016 Has been hectic with moving and full time youtube but Ive managed and caught some great live shows too, seeing the Savages twice, Korn & Deftones twice as well as their Nu Metal buddies Limp Bizkit. Babymetal, Black Sabbath, Periphery, Cypress Hill, Ministry, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon and most of all, finally got to see Death Grips! What a year. If you didn't catch my top ten albums of the year you can see it here.

(10) The Future Sound Of London

Although I'm yet to get deeper into their discography but their "Lifeforms" record was a fantastic experience in lucid music that could take many forms. A truly impressive feet of music I am glad to of discovered.

(9) Deafehaven

Their debut Sunbather didn't do it for me, I'm yet to give it a try again but "New Bermuda" really cracked it open for me, their genius revealed on a remarkable record. It would of made my top 10 had I listened to it last year.

(8) The Contortionist

Recommended by my buddy Rendog as one to listen to over and over till it hurts, I certainly gave it a good try, it was only later in the year when the dust had settled that I really grew to appreciate them and their new direction.

(7) Babymetal

Initially I dismissed them as a gimmick but how wrong I was, now I realize behind the front trio, who have great voices, are a set of great musicians pushing Metal in strange and new directions which are to be celebrated.

(6) Echo And The Bunnymen

Again I'm guilty of not getting further into a band but with just one record they have won me over as a terrific band and every time a song comes on shuffle I am always engaged. Making this list I know I'll have to put another on next years playlist.

(5) Kate Tempest

I'm guilty of passing up the opportunity to see her perform live, something to correct next year. Kate's mix of poetry, rap and spoken word is unique and expressive, both her albums so far have been fantastic and I hope she keeps progressing as an artist. There will be many good things to come.

(4) Kauan

Not as impressed with their back catalog but "Sorni Nai" maybe the closest thing to a modern masterpiece I can think of in recent memory. It wont be for everyone but the atmospheric doom based around the legend of the Dyatlov Pass incident it is truly engrossing.

(3) Dusty Springfield

 A household name to many, seeing Dusty's record praised in top lists all it took was one listen and I was hooked, "Dusty In Memphis" has since become one of my absolute favorites. Her voice has so much love and compassion it is always a joy to hear her sing.

(2) Savages

One of our brightest new bands, Savages really won me over with their sublime live shows and records to match. The Post-Punkers re-imagine a moment in time, bringing it back to life with new ideas, charisma and musical creativity it buckets. There records however cannot do the energy of their performances justice.

(1) Dead Can Dance

Ive always had a soft spot for music that reflects time and culture of the forgotten, ancient and perished. Dead Can Dance bring other worlds to life not only through music but through the voices of the duo who sing as if from different cultures and eras of history. A truly remarkable band who I need to continue with given their large output of records.

Napalm Death "Fear, Emptiness, Despair" (1994)

Birmingham's Grindcore legends Napalm Death have an extensive discography of seventeen full length records and that makes for quite the interesting experience. When cherry picking what too visit next this release caught my attention as the first to incorporate elements of Groove Metal into the bands sound. Consisting of the "classic" lineup established on the previous record, "Fear, Emptiness, Despair" captures the chemistry and elements I like most about the band in its infancy.

The result is a harrowing, dark and gloomy atmosphere where the Death Metal tone still lingers as the grooves are yet to be emphasized and at the forefront of attention. The guitar tones are maroon, dense and thrashy, poised for both bludgeoning and bouncy riffs. Barneys guttural shouts get the best out of this style of screaming, not to rough to distort his words but carrying plenty of weight and menace about them. His performance has a tempered variety as the occasional break from the norm makes great use of echoing reverbs, shrill screams and distorted spoken word to spice up an otherwise limited style.

The records tempo has its flairs on tracks like "Remain Nameless" but mostly its a slower, mid-tempo setup where brutality is conveyed through atmosphere and tone, rather than needless blast beats and fast playing. The drumming has its hand to play with beats to compliment the riffs rather than hammering down hard to create intensity. The song structures are seemingly creative however the consistency of records tone masks a fair bit of its creativity when it comes to such things.

In its darkness, a morbid atmosphere of lifelessness and depravity, the record unfortunately plays down its own brilliance. Its loaded with creativity but much of it feels subdued as the energy of the guitars is set back by its dense tone and many fantastic riffs sound a little muddy when the drum are blasting. Drum patterns too do lots of interesting things rather than conform to simplistic beats. Its mood and tone does give the record a consistency that's enjoyable and that would be the word, enjoyable. Its a great listen but tweaks and changes could of unleashed a more frontal beast.

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Twist The Knife, Hung, State Of Mind, Armageddon X7