Dagoba "Black Nova" (2017)

Celebrating twenty years of existance this French Metal band release their seventh full length after a couple of lineup changes leaving only two original band mates. I only know of the group thanks to their 2006 album "What Hell Is About" gaining some tracking within the burgeoning Deathcore scene, it wasn't one I were particularly keen on. Back then they were a hybrid of Groove and Industrial Metal with a sonic approach. A decade later you'd still describe it the same way, however the overall quality of writing and recording has improved substantially. Far better than what I remember of them.

Dagoba's music crawls forward with dark, mechanical atmospheres born of dense, syncopated grooves from thick distortion guitars and punchy drum tones that wage war with hard strikes and rapid blasts alternating with precision. Its a rather flat and monotone approach that rarely extends beyond low end grooves and the rhythmical muting of chords. They are brought to life by the synth and samples which inflict rapid Trance like leads, mechanical industrial noises to detail the spaces and drawn out atmospheric keys for a tonal richness.

Singer and founding member Shawter runs the show with grizzly shouts and burly short screams that are rather commonplace. He brings the band an edge with his clean vocals that have somewhat of a unique character or distinction, however they are only utilized on four tracks. "Inner Sun", the albums opener past the intro, makes fantastic use of this cleaner voice as they break through the noise of Trance synths busying up the metallic intensity. On "Lost Gravity" they stand more so on there own and the guitars cut in and out, its not as favorable.

The group don't pull a lot of wild cards on this record, its all pretty tame and sustainable for a handful of listens. A few good tracks show they are capable of more but ultimately it boils down to being a rather mediocre record built from decent aesthetics and a rock solid production. They do show signs of being able to writing gripping music but only when they break from the onslaught the of distortion guitars and drums battering away to focus on what little melody they offer. Ive enjoyed it a lot these two weeks but bar the one song its not particularly stuck with me.

Favorite Track: Inner Sun

Rating: 5/10

Crimson Glory "Transcendence" (1988)

I fancied getting a little "old skool" with my Metal music and browsing through some online top lists this 1988 "classic" caught my attention, primarily for being labeled Progressive Metal at i wasn't to familiar with the genres roots bar Dream Theater who would drop their first album a year later. Crimson Glory are a five piece outfit from Florida who are still active despite not releasing any new material in this millennium. Id personally describe them as a traditional Heavy Metal and Power Metal hybrid however the influences of Progressive Rock are unmistakable, there is a clear elevation in song structure with time signatures and intricacies to ponder on throughout. Poised at a time where Thrash and Death Metal were starting to drastically change the identity and sound of the genre, Crimson hold onto the traditions but expand them with musical dexterity.

Transcendence isn't an album Ive dove to deep into but its lyrics portray fantasy themes of mythical beasts, lands of eternal season and dramatized figures of monarchical rule. Singer "Midnight" flexes these lyrics between a traditional range and the ear piercing wails of high pitched power done as good as the greats like Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Kind Diamond. On "Red Sharks" however the tone shifts to paranoid themes of communist threats in the mist! Sticks out like a sore thumb against the rest but doesn't detract from the fun music.

My vocabulary for describing these traditional Heavy Metal style songs is limited but what I can point to is the craft in song writing that guides the prowl and patrol verses into journeys with fantastic breaks for illuminating guitar solos that crescendo outbursts of color as acoustic chords chime with bright lead guitars and the rock solid rhythm guitar. These are the moments that the transcendence occurs, separating them from the likes of Dio and others in that genre. In other moments the band make great use of synths that might sound a little cheesy given the tone and age but they are executed without gimmick at fit snugly into the songs where they crop up. The drums have a big stadium feel, fit for the stage with plenty of gated reverb on the toms, very 80s. The bass guitar is mixed well, you can hear it often mirroring the guitars with little deviations and inflections.

All the components here add up to a terrific record that given its decade is certainly a gem, just not one too my taste. This form of Metal doesn't resonate strongly with me and without an emotional attachment much of its sparkle becomes more appreciative than impacting. It in no way turned me off though, in fact I think with more repetition it could grow on me. For now I will shelve this one for a rainy day, I'm sure the absence will give these songs new meaning when they return.

Favorite Songs: Masque Of The Red Death, In Dark Places, Burning Bridges
Rating: 6/10

IGORRR "Savage Sinusoid" (2017)

Kicking off with a horrid and vile, throaty scream, Igorrr's manic shouts plunge us into a pummeling groove of crunchy extreme metal distortion riffage accommodated by a textural ravishing of glitched out breakbeat manipulations that grow in intensity and complexity. Its obnoxious, absurd and with the second song, a Baroque harpsichord melody sets the tone for the excepted collision of worlds as a manly sung operatic voice groans with passion, steadily twisting into deviated screams of horror. Its a firm opening for an album that delivers the best I could of hoped for.

Its been five years since "Hallelujah" and the wait seems worthwhile as all that felt hazardous, novelty and experimental has been banished from sight. Perhaps its my accustom to his style or a genuine maturity but this release plays like a full album, a solid listening experience that delivers plenty of satisfying songs lavished in all sorts of bizarre oddities. This time around they feel as if with purpose and direction, rather than a slew of experiments trying to out-weird one another. That was the problem with previous records but this ones had me in the grip of its jaws continually returning for more of its notably more metal oriented pandemonium.

As to be expected gnarly breaks and blasts form a tireless spine perpetually stretched, squeezed, twisted and turned patterns manipulated through pitch, pace and repetition. Its distortion is the ecstasy that fails to work alone. "Robert" for example a breakbeat solo of sorts that only finds its groove in its final moments as more sounds flesh out its feel after a stretch of dizzying manipulations. The best of the percussion comes from the dense tracks where extreme guitar tones grind away alongside equally abrasive synths and noisy buzz saws.

The Baroque, Renaissance counterpart, or whatever you wish to call it, has its heart in operatic vocals and soft, luscious compositions on classical instruments, sampled or original the voices always seem to find their way to darkness. The musics roll in the record is much of its own as Igorrr finds a far better cohesion between the contrasting styles, often transitioning between the two sounds rather that forcing them together. As a result the album flows from chaos to beauty with the occasional collisions arising in between that are far better than anything I remember previously. Aesthetically and idealistically not much has changed but it is the composition and song writing that triumph here for a concise record that fills its forty minutes to the brim with some of his best material to date!

Favorite Tracks: Viande, Probléme D'émotion, Spagetti Forever, Apopathodiaphulatophobia, Au Revoir

Rating: 8/10

FKA Twigs "M3LL155X" (2015)

Two years ago there was quite a buzz around this EP. I saw it mentioned and praised in various places and always meant to give it a spin but it got past my attention span at the time. Given a nudge from a reader I made sure to pick up a copy and give it a whirl. The stylized title of capital letters and numbers is simply "Mellissa", a name for Twigs's self descibed "female energy". Released of the back of her debut LP tour, its the third shorter release but my only point of reference at this point in time.

Melissa is undoubtedly pushing into Experimental and Avant-Garde territory as tropes of generalized Electronica and R&B find themselves deconstructed without a semblance of melody, riff or tune in the instrumentals. Convention is pushed aside in favor of soundscape and atmosphere, intricacies of twisting, glitched, manipulated percussive sounds intertwine to dissimulate groove as illusive rumbles and noises groan and drift in and out of focus. "In Time" makes an exception as a soft synth lead churns a simple two part melody through the opening phase of the song cautiously blossoming with expansive, alien metallic synths.

 These spacious, paranoid atmospheres create a unique contradiction to the flavorful soft, dynamic and powerful voice of Twigs who's seemingly a talented yet somewhat typical R&B singer. In this environment her voice flourishes as a the soul emergence of beauty. Set in a vulnerable, exposed position, the harmony, melodies and expression in her voice becomes the illuminating chemistry that contradicts its juxtaposition to the twisted, shadowy instrumentals rich in ambiguity and illusion. Its continually captivating but the sort of singing that might go unnoticed in the easy going, popular, formulaic construct usually associated with the R&B style. I really enjoyed one moment where the auto tune was turned on as she drops into a spoken, casual dialect "You've got a god damned nerve".

I'm glad I delayed writing this blog post. After ten or so listens I didn't dislike Mellissa but It wasn't doing much for me. Ive often said repetition is key and in the last few days the musical connection really opened up. All Ive described was always there, just in a less emotional context. As the familiarity settled in the chemistry started to blossom. I didn't care much for the lyrics on the record but as I heard her voice more as an instrument It really started to click. Now both her voice and the instrumentals are a real gem. I'm going to keep listening to this one, and pick up her debut LP too! This record is well worth your time if you like more noise and atmosphere driven songs.


Rating: 6/10

Dizzee Rascal "Raskit" (2017)

It seems to be a common theme lately that I'm checking in with artists after some absence. Dizzee Rascal's an old favorite from the pool of UK rappers, arguably the biggest to emerge from the Grime scene which exploded well over a decade ago. Its still going strong as ever today but as Dizzee wrestles with in his lyrics, hes no longer the biggest or relevant voice in the scene he once was. Times have changed and after a dip in quality on "The Fifth", "Raskit" is the rascal standing his ground, returning to roots and affirming his relevance after drifting into the mainstream with catchy singles and a weak album. "Maths And English" was my last and I adore a couple of tracks on that release, like the banging "Pussyole", an aggressive, gritty mean diss-track rapped over the classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock. That was ten years ago! Time flies.

"Raskit" Is a fun record with meat to get your teeth into on the more topical tracks. Dizzee affirms himself with technically impressive flows and a plentiful passion as he goes hard on the mic with a flurry of sharp, witty rhymes and bursts of tongue twisting delivery. Sturdy from start to end the rapping is flavorful, varied and impressive but lyrically its a little varied. With a fantastic track like "Bop N Keep It Dippin" we go from an infectious hook and deep reflective rhymes on the Grime come up into "She Knows What She Wants", a cheap flirtatious throwaway with irritating repetition and cheeky rhymes. Dizzee takes us on some impressive journeys through his thoughts but also falls back on some light minded cheap thrill tracks too which break up what I think was an important focus for this album, the reflection and introspection he has at this point in his career.

Behind him an arsenal of fantastic instrumentals whirl away with deep spacious, textural baselines, sharp, snappy drums and a rich synthetic aesthetic. The beats sway between Grime and Hip Hop, on a handful of tracks diving deep into classic G-Funk vibes with audacious base grooves and ghetto whistles. Its a riot, an continual stream of beats that dips into both ends of the spectrum with "Sick A Dis" getting its teeth into classic Gime vibes with dirty, disconnected synths illuminating over a lively snap and kick drum groove. Its a stellar setting with variety that's in a jumble across the fifty seven minutes. I personally feel this album has a touch to much fluff that needs trimming out because between a couple of passable numbers there's a goldmine of talent from an artist getting back on it and striking hard.

Favorite Tracks: Focus, Wot U Gonna Do, Bop And Keep It Dippin, Everything Must Go, Slow Your Roll, Man Of The Hour

Rating: 7/10

Decapitated "Anticult" (2017)

Its been a decade since drummer Witold Kieltyka tragically died at the young age of 23. he formed the Polish band with his brother at only twelve years old! Witold was prodigy to say the least, hammering down fast and brutal drum patterns as a teen. Decapitated stood out as a young band with a promising future however in this day they sound like a shell of their former selves. With only founding member Vogg left on guitar's they have stripped back the brutality and transformed into a rather common sounding Melodic Death Metal outfit, at least rhythmically as there isn't to much of a focus on melody here. That's not to say the musics bad, just that what once set them apart from other bands is a distant memory on this record.

Anticult starts out as a warmer, inviting record with some gleaming guitar leads and progressive riff constructs arranged between the high octane Death guitar grinding. With Thrash overtones and shades of Groove the band put on a more palatable, appealing show in the beginning stages. As the record draws on deafening blast beats leaner riffage start to take hold and on a couple of tracks with the relentless double pedal rattle echos their old identity. It starts out warm and steadily leads us into dark territory as the mid section delivers a few moments of grinding brutality and aesthetic onslaught.

As the record draws on more melodies and mosh friendly riffs emerge, bringing about those festival music vibes, the sort of Metal fit for the open air. Its that kind of appeasing record, it may be full of blast beats and tonally dense instruments but its squeaky clean production eliminates the visceral aspect, making the slick snares and sharp, crisp guitar tones an aesthetic treat. Its all set to make a great record but not many of the songs stuck with me. An enjoyable listen but a lack of meat and spark in the song writing to really turn a technically decent record into anything of merit to my ears.

Rating: 5/10

Drake "More Life" (2017)

Canadian rapper Drake is arguably one of the biggest names in the modern scene and given the old guards distaste for him I never actually listened to the guy until Youtube's autoplay feature spun a few tracks. I like his style, its easy and inviting, with him being from my generation you can hear strong influences from the likes of Kanye West and Eminem in his approach to the craft. This newest release was possibly an odd place to start, the better lyrical themes revolve around a man who's climbed to the top and is now mystified to the pressures and contradictions of those heights, as he says you get praise on the way up and when you reach the summit everyone takes aim.

After four albums "More Life" is classified as a playlist, it even says "A playlist by October Firm" which I find odd given the lack of flow the album has. There are three or so different themes and ideas colliding here on a lengthy release that amasses eighty one minutes without a sense of direction. Between a collection of more "traditional" tracks Drake dives into swooning soulful vibes on tracks like "Passionfruit" as some subtle auto tune singing plays sweetly into a summery, jazzy laid back instrumentals fit for relaxing in the sun. Breaking up the pace, the inclusion of English Grime rappers like Giggs and Skepta sets a contrasting tone for another theme that takes hold, the "badman" raps, acting mean and menacing on the beat, dropping laughable rhymes like "batman! dun-nu-nut neh-neh".

The album opens with Nai Palm of Kaiyote Hiatus singing, a sample lift from their latest record, slightly confusing as it doesn't provide much of a link for the banging "Free Smoke" to roll of from. After a dark badman track with Giggs the album rolls into a groove with a string of indulgent songs boasting some Jazz, Downtempo and Dance influences to blur the Hip Hop lines as Drake flexes with tuneful sung raps. As the flow is broken up we get a track from Travis Scott, who's Rodeo album has massively grown n me. In his typical style we get what feels like a leftover beat, an insentient flute melody loops all the way through as excessive reverbs and auto-tuned vocals drone on. A cringey "skirt skirt" slang cries out in such a cliche way for these sometimes tiresome trap songs. Its a low point in that album that track to track goes all over the place.

"Teenage Fever" was surprising track, moody, slow and introspective vibes are pulled together for a fantastic chorus lifting lyrics from the Jenifer Lopez song "If I Had Your Love". Its a diabolical Pop song from the naughties that I never thought I would enjoy, even in this abstract way. After this point the music slowly winds down with spacious tracks that don't stir much of a reaction. The best of the record comes when it detours from the traditional "Hip Hop" song conventions. Drake's lyrics are also engaging when hes not singing, the perspectives on the turn of success speak loud and his engaging style leads you on a clear path through his thoughts. Its been a reasonable introduction in which the talent is visible but the arrangement of this record and inability to focus in a direction often dispels the mood some tracks muster leaving the impression of an hastily assembled collection of songs.

Favorite Tracks: Free Smoke, Passionfruit, Get It Together, Madiba Riddim, Blem, Sacrifices, Teenage Fever

Rating: 6/10

The Acacia Strain "Gravebloom" (2017)

Way back when in the days of the burgeoning Deathcore scene, Massachusetts outfit "The Acacia Strain" gained waves of popularity with their 2008 release "Continent". They were previously a rather uninteresting Metalcore outfit, their atypical sound slowly evolved into a Djenty Metalcore Deathcore hybrid. At that point longtime vocalist Vincent Bennet found his style, a blunt tonal scream on this record which has become a staple of their sound and now he is the only remaining original member in the band. I haven't heard from them in about seven years despite still actively releasing records and touring.

"Gravebloom" Is immediately identifiable as their sound however listening to the older records retrospectively you realize how far along the fidelity of record production has come in ten years. Their guitar tone is now the apex of what they have always strived for. Big and chunky, bouncy dense blocks of tonal distortion to groove and bludgeon with. It sounds gorgeous, very Djent with the flexibility for discordant palm mute chugging and chord plucking which you get a plentiful variety of across the eleven pummeling tracks that make up the forty eight minutes of churning brutality.

Not all of the run-time is dedicated to the metallic onslaught, the band have a keen ear for atmosphere with occasional foreboding, unsettling atmospheric breaks where more obvious melodies are plucked on the high notes over brutal syncopation that's slowed down to a menacing, avenging crawl. These breaks in pace keep the interest amounting on a crisp and lively sounding record. Vincent is as sharp as ever, his flat, blunt forceful shouts very audible and present and even some of his lyrics have stuck in my mind "Mentally slipping, physically drifting", an oddity given my difficulty with lyrics.

There is little to fault here, its a finely tuned record making the most of modern recording techniques. All the instruments cohesively come together, the drums especially punchy, bold and present with complimenting tones that fit snugly into the wall of sound. The album starts of strong with its faster, mosh friendly numbers and slowly evolves to its more atmospheric side, the last three tracks slowing down their pace significantly. There's no bones to pick here other than a lack of something special. Its a sold, decent record but there is nothing at work here to smash your expectations or suprise.

Rating: 6/10

Hocico "Spider Bites" (2017)

Hocico are a Mexican Aggro-Tech duo who have been at it for almost twenty five years now. It was their fifth album "Memorias Atras" released in 2008 that caught my attention. Its one of those "go to" records when in the mood for dark and moody aggressive electronics. Its fully of catchy melodies and pummeling Industrial EDM grooves. Unfortunately it has served as the summit of their success as the band have somewhat stagnated on the same ideas and aesthetics that peaked with that album. Each release since has been more of the same, my interest in their music dulling significantly. "Spider Bites" might be the last time I check in with the group. Its an EP that weighs in at thirty one minutes, not too short of full length but its track arrangement shows two halves that don't make a whole.

Opening with "No One Gets Out Alive" we are thrusted into grip of the harsh and thudding tempo of a linear snare kick drive that incessantly thumps away as jagged synths and layers of flashing buzz saws conjure a menacing setting for distorted, twisted screams to drive home the theme in the songs name. Its an atypical rigid composition where all the instruments are instant on the attack and fall to silence swiftly as the pair so typically compose with a digital mindset of on or off with no room for subtlety. "I Abomination" is another dark banger that's far more appealing. It has depth and texture in the instrumental, dropping the fast choppy melodies for drawn out textural waves that conjure an atmosphere perfect for the main melody and hook to drop in with a classic Prodigy like vibe. "All Beauty Is Lost" is the third of these straightforward clubbing tracks however its toned down resulting in a lot of atmosphere for piano melodies and slower string like synths to create a more inviting enviroment. At nine minutes its no progressive epic, after playing through its motions the pianos are given center stage to go solo and lead back into the same loop, resulting in a needlessly long song but one that's endurable given its calmer tone and interesting piano compositions.

The other three songs represent the between moments that would break up the intensity of back to back club tracks on a full length. "Conjuro" is a noise driven Industrial atmospheric track in which the distorted, reverb soaked vocals take center stage. It sometimes sounds as if key instruments and drums have been removed from what might of been a fully fledged song. "The Secret Window" is the records best moment, an interlude for the groups softer synth sounds to orchestrate a sense of mystery and wonder within a short space as its lead alluring melody plays over and over, deep echoing kicks and whiffs of synths pass it by as the underlying buzz saw slowly intensifies and guides it through the abyss to find conclusion in a break beat. The last track starts out somewhat similar although it detours as a rumbling Industrial base line go up against a slow expansive drum groove while more mysterious melodies play out.

For me this record isn't cohesive, its a collection of ideas of which some are actually quite impressive individually, together they have little direction or consistency. There is no doubting that Hocico are a talented duo with a unique sound however a lack of theme or vision means each song feels isolated. Just as one pulls you in the next will break the spell and move elsewhere. Its bitter sweet, disappointing but there are at least a couple of tracks worth coming back to from time to time.

Favorite Tracks: I Abomination, The Secret Window

Rating: 4/10

The I.L.Y.S "Bodyguard" (2017)

The I.L.Y.S are back with their third full length release! Two thirds of the legendary Death Grips, this Sacramento duo brings some of the bizarre oddities to a experimental Noise Rock setting. Bodyguard is seemingly more of the same but with more accustomed ears, Psychedelic Rock and other branches in the Rock umbrella become more apparent in a release that's toned down its Industrial and Punk leanings. There's a lot of conventional riffs, tricks, progressions and styles at work here yet its packaged with subtle electronics and interesting production choices that yield a slightly unconventional aesthetic as unusual sounds enter the fold. It has a rather tame tone in comparison to what they did with Ive Always Been Good At True Love.

Unfortunately my reaction to this record is muted. Mediocrity reigns supreme even though there is a lot of interesting and charming chemistry here. The bests moments or "hooks" seem to have a golden gloss to them, always feeling reminiscent of music from eras gone by. These moments of intrigue and curiosity are quite possibly dispelled by the vocals as my interest in the music never solidifies into a emotional response. The lyrical aspect of the record drifts in one ear and out the other, one string of words stuck, "like sperm on a hi-hat" purely for being rather bizarre.

The singing style doesn't resonate, it lacks power and oomph, the acoustic fidelity questionable as the words tend to level out with the other instruments, sucking the life out their contribution. In general its a disappointment that's not apparent. A seemingly reasonable experience that's entirely forgettable once the next record comes on. There are echos of good ideas here but the execution just isn't up to it.

Rating: 3/10