Logic "Bobby Tarantino II" (2018)

Its another case of "I keep hearing that name" and in Logic's case I may deserve a slap for not getting around to the Beverly Hills rapper sooner. At almost ten years into his career Logic has graced every year with an album or mix tape, of which this is the latter, a squeal to his 2016 mix tape of the same name. The intro track alone lets you know he has fans in cultural places, a feature from the fictional characters Rick and Morty play out an amusing narrative of the two debating which Logic project they wish to enjoy together on their intergalactic travels.

To start of with some unapologetic praise, my experience with Bobby Tarantino II leads me to believe that Logic may just be the amalgamation of Hip Hop's past, present and possibly future as the young rapper seems to have a master on the prominent styles and techniques associated with spitting rhymes on the mic. Across the fourteen tracks he displays a mastery of his own ability as words arrive in all manor of deliveries. From relaxed, laid back, half sung and auto tuned lines to rapid technical flows delivering a torrents of rhymes in choppy rhythms, Logic also hits on many mid paced flows too, showing hes got a wealth of style to pull on.

There aren't many moments of pure originality but whatever technique is brought to the mic, he owns it. When in comes to topics a lot of the album lyrics revolves around self relevance, the hard work and hustle to establish himself and defiance at his critics. Its all wrapped in smart and sleek, sturdy rhyme schemes that generally hits a reasonably high bar of quality without too many exceptional moments. As much as I enjoy his rhymes and flow they wern't responsible for the moments that stood out the most to me on this project.

Behind his voice we have a equally high bar of entry for the instrumentals which have a wonderful balance of older sample driven styles and modern trap influenced production that keeps things flowing fresh and fun from start to end. Indica Badu's laid back, summer and sun instrumental peaks the vibes at the records midpoint but its Logic's singing in the chorus and on Boomtrap Protocol that elevates the music. This plays into what I was talking about at the beginning of this article, hes mastered a lot with his voice and its special when he bounces between rhymes to singing the hooks.

 Overall I feel like this was a fantastic introduction to a very talented individual, however I get this impression he can do better. There's little to criticize but a lot of the topics he rhymes about feel a step behind his technique. Id also point out 44 More sounds very similar to Kendrick Lamar's DNA. One thing he has got down is the singing and use of auto tune. The songs with strong choruses really light up from the passion he brings through his voice. Fantastic record! Gonna have to work my way through his back catalog now!

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Boomtrap Protocol, Indica Badu, Warm It Up, Everyday

Turnstile "Space & Time" (2018)

Hailing from Baltimore USA, Hardcore Punk outfit Turnstile are set to make a splash with this fantastic sophomore album released through the reputable Roadrunner Records. Despite playing in a genre that's approaching its forth decade the five piece group bring a healthy dose of youthful vitality to give every thrashing of a power chord and striking of the drum kit a sense of urgency and meaning. From the get go its a grabbing listen set to suck you in and spit you out ready to take on the world! At just twenty five minutes its a short and sweet thrashing that leaves one rejuvenated.

With a crisp, finely cut production, Turnstile's charisma is squeezed out with succulent, appetizing guitar tones, ripping with a bright, blinding distortion the lets every riffs intensity breeze by. The hard thrashing of chords, leaning into Crossover territory at times is a constant driving force but its not where the band charm, or should I say charm the most, these riffs slam hard! With keen compositions they interpolate aesthetics, disrupting and rerouting the intensity that's all to obvious with the straightforward Hardcore approach. Each song finds its moment to steer the ship in smart yet slightly unconventional directions to much avail.

On the heated, angered Generator this direction becomes obvious when the song seems set to erupt yet falls back into a shoegazing calm of aesthetic guitar effects and sampled drum loop that then swiftly jumps out into a chomping guitar riff illuminated by fantastic vocals and a swell guitar solo. For the other songs that dabble in this play with unexpected directions it is often the vocals that play a key role as the fiery shouts and screams seem a distant memory in the wake of smooth, gleaming vocal lines that rise above the instrumental. It has to be said the screams are fantastic tho, and very akin to a young Tom Araya of the legendary Slayer.

In other instances its less obvious, like the frantic piano stabbing that elevates the fast pummeling riffage of High Pressure, adding a real sharp intensity for a brief moment. It always seems like their is a quirk up the sleeve, a slightly unusual idea to give a very structured sound a sense of freedom and exploration as the songs steer themselves into exciting moments with plenty of mini guitar solos to lead you into the fun. It comes from all angles with creative drum grooves and clap sounds dropping in to abstract the norm in opportune moments too.

Space & Time is such a fun, vibrant and youthful record that is simply brimming with excitement as its aesthetic and compositions continually dazzle and erupt with aggressive energies that are steered away from dark places. Thanks to its creativity, the anger is often uplifted as brooding guitar riffs find a touch of bounce and groove, ready to steer things upwards as the songs take their usual shifts into interesting places. One thing to note, the introduction of these more melodic, warm musical voices greatly out shine the songs more routed to the norm. Fantastic record with some clear winners in the track listing!

Favorite Tracks: Generator, I Don't Wanna Be Blind, Can't Get Away, Moon, Time & Space
Rating: 8/10

Cardi B "Invasion Of Privacy" (2018)

American rapper Cardi B's breakout single Bodak Yellow caught my attention, as it did for many people. The hit single has gone five times platinum, launching her career into the limelight of the Hip Hop scene. Her unapologetic attitude, empowered delivery and plain use of language lets her Bronx accent charm on the microphone while she flows at a steady, sturdy pace that's easy to take in. She's got a vivid persona, energy and passion thats all about her rise to fame, a rags to riches tale of working hard to escape her life as a stripper and make in the rap industry, which no one can take away from her now given her record breaking arrival on the scene.

Unfortunately there is little substance beyond her hustle hard story which is told well on the opening track. With the album loading its best tunes into the first five tracks it quickly descends into a mud slinging romp of aggressive hyperbole after she tells her break up story on Be Careful. It starts with Chance The Rapper who features on Best Life, singing with a weak temperament, delivering a forgettable chorus repeating the "skrt skrt" noise over and over. From this point the record losses me entirely, either its the beats, rhymes or singing but something on earth track just rubs me the wrong way.

Money Bag has a banging beat and Cardi's flow is fire but lyrically is all to bitter and spiteful to enjoy, constantly taking hits at her doubters over and over again. When its become the recurrent theme to talk down at the same people it gets stale quickly. Every song focuses on throwing out insults while showing off her wealth and riches with a typically materialistic and braggadocios manor. These are the points where rappers can easily loose me and unfortunately it seems to be all Cardi has to offer beyond her endearing rags to riches story told in the first few songs.

The production is as modern and trendy as it gets. Pretty much all you could expect from the current state of Hip Hop. Some of the songs really go overboard on the "skrt skrt" sounds and goofy noises, the Migos manage hold themselves back somewhat and drop in with breezy verses utilizing a lot of spacious reverb to much effect on Drip. She Bad on the other hand has the laziest hook writing Ive heard in some time, just repeating the same words over and over. Ultimately this record just leaves me disappointed, I hope Cardi can find some real subject matter to get her teeth into on future albums because without substance her flow feels wasted to me.

Favorite Tracks: Get Up 10, Bodak Yellow

Rating: 3/10

Steve Roach "Structures From Silence" (1984)

Every now and then you stumble on the record you have been waiting to hear, years of adoring ambient music has had me desiring for an experience so simple yet deeply majestic and here it is. American composer Steve Roach's third full length is considered a classic within the genre and it takes one listen to know why. The seventies brought in an electronics revolution thanks to the likes of Kraftwerk and Progressive Rock outfits who embraced synthesizers. Brian Eno emerged at the forefront of this musical movement with his Ambient record series, brandishing the term and laying down foundations that would inspire many artists to come.

One of them is Steve Roach, who on this record focuses much of his efforts into the texture of his synthesizers, which at the time were big old clunky machines that had lots of knobs, dials and cables to manage. Working them was a true craft that would of taken Steve much time to achieve the gloriously soft and airy tones heard on this record. That may of made it sound like a novelty of sorts but the power and magic of these finely tuned instruments gives tremendous weight to stirring an enchanting atmosphere that's stood the test of time.

In terms of its composition, many sounds are temporal and devoid of any obvious melody or structure. These three songs, thirteen, seventeen and almost thirty minutes long focus on the arrival, duration and departure of astral synths that find chemistry with one another in their passing encounters. The length of one note bleeds into another an in some instances their unions persuade with the power of a chord but its temporal nature diverts the pace and measure required for melody to emerge, giving enigmatic influences to the instruments ability to memorize with its aesthetic.

The atmosphere and visions it conjures may be rather personal. Its smooth, calming persuasion and gentle pace is undoubtedly relaxing and soothing but the places it takes you may differ from one listener to the next. For me a feeling of immersion in a moment takes place. Time stands still and one can gaze their eyes upon the details that a slice of time has hidden in its arcane mystery. Color and cosmic wonder cross the mind in what to many might be star gazing music, to look up and ponder, to look inwards and reflect. Steve's compositions put the mind at ease and subsequently opens a door to deeper thoughts locked in the crevasses of the mind.

Rating: 9/10

Kool G Rap "4, 5, 6" (1995)

Prior to some research on this record, I would of lumped in Queens rapper Kool G Rap in the Golden Era of Hip Hop, simply for my vague memories enjoying his records with DJ Polo and also as a name I hear a lot of my favorite 90s rapper cite as a big influence. Turns out he is considered an originator of Mafioso Rap for some of his street rhymes with DJ Polo. After three records the two split and this debut as a solo artist comes out right at the peak of Mafioso Rap's emergence. Around the same time Raekwon, AZ, Nas, Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G and Jay-Z dropped classics in the sub-genre. Its what caught my ear when it spun on shuffle. Ive been binging it the last few days and adoring how sweetly it sits into that moment of time, its truly of the era.

My biggest take away from this record is Kool himself, his ability and technical prowess is simply undeniable! He spits fast and concise with a strong tone that makes every word visible as he navigates through tricky flows of rhymes that one might say "he makes sound easy". The reality is obvious that he is rhyming tough and hard, fast technical schemes that pay off with his ability. It makes me think Ive overlooked a great here. If his ability is great the lyrical content may be a step behind, coherent story telling violent word play doesn't have quite the emotional weight to reinforce his impressive ability. Kool navigates us through tough Mafioso rhymes of hardcore street life and criminology rap thats gritty and dark, steeped in violence and gang life however it always feels short of a point or any social context or message.

The production is all you could hope for from a mid nineties Hip Hop album. Caught in that sweet spot between jazzy samples and programmed instrumentation, it plays out with a nice amount variety reflected with the tone of songs like "Take Em To War", dark, menacing and gloomy which over a few songs finds its way to "Fast Life", a sunny summer party track flashing the wealth and lifestyle side of family crime life. On first listen I was literally thinking this song would be perfect for Nas who then steps on the mic and delivers a fantastic verse. Parts of the record felt a little deju-va, as some of the songs feeling somewhat cast from the mold. Echos of Big L's instrumental style can be heard with the same samples and gang shouts parallel to his debut. Of course looking into the producers we have Buckwild who explains the similarity, his "Blowin' Up In The World" has some of the same beats, samples from Big L and the gang shouts have to be by the same guys! Maybe it was a left over from that session that made it here.

If I sound critical, its all praise, the production is wonderful, the instrumentals are what I love with exception to the final track that samples Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man. Its a really fun instrumental but its totally contrasted against the violent, money obsessed lyrics. It just sounds odd as a whole. Overall its a sharp and keen album that's bang on the Mafioso crime family vibes and I feel it falls a little short in terms of lyrical substance however the brilliance of Kool is obvious and I'm left feeling like I need to get better acquainted with his work.

Favorite Tracks: Blownin' Up In The World, Fast Life, Ghetto Knows

Rating: 7/10

Izioq "Late Night Golfing" (2018)

Coming in just shy of sixteen minutes we have a new, short and concise release from Izioq, the French composer of fun, playful music that ties itself closely to video game music and 90s childhood nostalgia. Late Night Golfing is the first album to experiment beyond the traditional style Izioq has established, with clear and obvious Vapourwave vibes which are also echoed in the albums cover. Its saturated colors and 90s computer rendering art being in tune with the genres practices, as well as the music itself.

It doesn't however feel like much of an experimentation, the tone and atmosphere feels settled and established with the Vapourwave aesthetic from the get go, however that doesn't start until the third song. The first two feel like the link between records as lead melodies play out inspiring, innocent tunes over soft, airy, floating synth tones, much like you would expect. With Golf! the record kicks into gear, the melodies dwindle down to simpler forms and the atmosphere of warm and wavy cloud synths take over in a meditative persuasion.

For these five songs a simple set of instruments and light reverberated percussion shift on simple A B structures. The compositions capture that airy, carefree and indulgent mood and they inhabit a sweet spot to drift into as the repetition drones in comfort. The last track has some strong Brian Eno vibes and the whole thing is simply pleasant and easy on the listener, its only downfall is perhaps the lack of time spent in this curious, easy going place. At just sixteen minutes each listen requires a repeat!

Favorite Tracks:

Rating: 4/10

Death Grips "No Love Deep Web" (2013)

Not long of the back of their utterly brilliant Money Store debut, the Sacramento trio Death Grips surround themselves in controversy by releasing this album for free online despite their record label Epic pushing back the release date to clear the sampling rights. It ended up with them being dropped from the label, that and the album cover stirred up a lot of talk around the record. To write the album name across an erect penis is a pretty bizarre antic, the fact they did it and used it is pure art, even if obscene or offensive to some when an idea is brought into the physical world its reactions have meaning, even if mostly comical or amusing and sometimes upsetting.

They are steeped in rebellion, deconstructing any norms with their behavior and antics however it wouldn't be as interesting without the music and in this moment I think we find the group at their most cohesive and uniformed musically. No Love Deep Web is a highly synthetic record, steeped in electronic tones that make for a steady and consistent thirteen tracks that flow together in any order. Whats great is that it doesn't bore or tire in its forty five minute duration however there are clearly high and low points with Black Dice's hooks and melodies not quite landing as hard with a rather tame MC Ride rhyming in a temperate manor.

In comparison the opener Come Up And Get me is an absolute banger, as many songs are from this record, its monstrous engulfing bass noise and stereo panned synths are as dizzying as the paranoid and manic MC Ride who spews out dark and troubling narratives in a frantic manor, playing out the last moments of a paranoid schizophrenic individuals last moments seemingly being hunted for some wrong doing. The tone set on its opener is fitting for whole record where Ride seems to be falling into the darkness of apathy and misanthropy as he deconstructs human behavior to a deeply lonely and suspicious mindset.

His dark and violent persona is oddly contrasted to the instrumentals, they don't align with one another yet the chemistry is just magic. With a high tolerance for experimentation, elasticated grooves and of kilter beats intersect conventional rhythms which sharp, crisp and snappy textures. The electronics play off these tight drums with a keen ear, often complementing the grooves with spacious songs that play of their groove. The electronics and synths are very spacey and "out there". Lots of rich alien textures and quirky melodies that between thirteen tracks have a lot of variety while still sounding very uniform. Pop is the records most spacey song, its charging up synth noises leading into a astral melody exemplifies this quality in the record.

I rate this album highly for how fantastic and interesting it was before I knew it like the back of my hand. With time it feels as if half the tracks have staled somewhat as these songs do lack a certain density to them. The compositions in all fairness are relatively minimalist, the noisy nature of the electronics do mask its simplicity but one half of the record that's never been a problem. Those songs have held up tremendously well and a handful would be contenders for my favorite Death Grips songs.

Favorite Tracks: Come Up And Get Me, Lil Boy, No Love, Hunger Games, Pop, Bass Rattle Stars Out The Sky, Artificial Death In The West

Rating: 9/10

Sarah Longfield "Collapse // Expand" (2017)

Sarah Longfield is one of a fair few rising stars in the "Youtube Musician" world that's been steadily growing over these last few years. Her flashy guitar skills and rainbow paint 8 string guitar stand out in the crowd. A new single and music video had me come check this record out! However I just learned its actually over a year old but who says you can't release singles for old songs? Its definitely one of the best songs of the albums ten tracks which clock in at thirty seven minutes.

Sarah's style falls very snugly into the colorful, guitar revolving post-Djent sound that's seen Meshuggah's violent use of 8-strings guitars somehow evolve into a fruitful musical forum of bright, luminous guitar playing that puts dazzling melodies and blazing lead guitar skills at the forefront of its ambitious sound. It mostly began with Animals As Leaders and Gru who Sarah doesn't distinguish her music from much with this record. The jittery, fluttering electronic percussion and sweeping, looping melodies feature heavily and with tracks like "Concentration Chaos" where she actually steps further into the electronic side of this sound with a very interesting composition that's got an alien, yet harmless, curious atmosphere about it.

The electronics are a huge part of this record and the opening song "A New Discovery" doesn't make a first impression well. Its opening guitar chords and glitched synth noises sound almost lifted from the Animals As Leaders blueprint. However as the album develops its electronic presence becomes integral as sweeping synths, busying melodies and all flavors of rich synth tones wrap themselves around the guitars with a dreamy helping of reverberation. In some moments the lead guitar tones even seem to merge or morph with them as its layers of sounds work in tandem.

The Djent aspect is really downplayed. No big punching tones are accentuated and the moments where the music drops back to rhythm guitar are sparse and well executed with temperate grooves and light yet punchy distortions. The lead guitar playing is phenomenal with luscious two handed tapping sweeping up and down the strings in semi acoustic tones, interchanging with traditional lead playing with a pick, all across bright, colorful and inspired melodies one can follow with adventure. Her vocals too feature at attune moments where her soft and meek voice can find its space to evolve the atmosphere.

These songs are wonderful at breezing their way through a journey. With a lack of traditional song structure they twist and turn, weaving their webs with a sense of journey that has you riding the melody from one moment to the next. Its the density of the additional elements around the lead guitar that really solidify and holds its presence to command a bright, warm, slightly alien atmosphere that's intriguing and charming from start to finish.

Favorite Tracks: Ember, Tydes, Illuminate

Rating: 7/10

Pallbearer "Sorrow And Extinction" (2012)

Sorrow And Extinction is a gloomily fitting title for this sullen, bewildering debut record by the acclaimed American Doom Metal band Pallbearer of Arkansas. Charmed by their newer albums Foundations Of Burden and Heartless I wanted to complete my journey through their catalog, which is rooted in a genre Ive never fully connected with. Their artistic approach to Doom Metal has the deathly slow pace traversed with burly lunges of oozing guitar distortion, making a mark on the genre far more interesting and intricate. Coming back to this origin point one can hear the cracks and creeks in the sound that would be greased out by their sophomore but even its flaws are mostly aesthetic.

Once again Pallbearer have me at the mercy of their sludgy pacing and dense foggy distortion tone. The feeling of imminent gloom and suffering revels in a bleak landscape that seems to find life just above the swampy guitar movements that crawl and lunge forward with a burden weighing it down so. This dark and esoteric sound has a natural and decaying quality where music of this nature so often falls into the realm of of evil and fantasy, something feels root and grounded, deeply earthly about Pallbearers journey through sorrows.

The guitar are poised at the mercy of singer Campbell who swings it in this carnal, earthly direction as his light and cruising voice swiftly sails out from the depths with finely held notes that coarse through the mist with an ambiguous touch of reverb that's both ghostly and living at the same time. The moments where he sings as lead guitars erupt over the brooding guitars are the most fantastic on this record. The leads too inflict much needed respite from the monstrous guitars as they break up the monotony and blossom with color and motion.

The album falls short where it fails to maintain its balance, or keep from letting the gloom become too engulfing. Treating the album as a single experience their are lengthy passageways devoid of that important break and respite that brings the music to life and gives the sprawling guitar sludge a sense of hidden beauty, for when it drags it drags its feet slowly. In the moments the chemistry is ripe its a very captivating listen but lengthy compositions hold these moments at bay. I also found the production to be a little jagged with its handling of the dense guitars which can all to easy dominate in a very interesting musical setting.

Favorite Tracks: Devoid Of Redemption

Rating: 6/10

Childish Gambino "Because The Internet" (2013)

Gambino's final album Awaken, My Love was a real treat of rich, indulgent, soulful music reviving the sounds and emotions from genres mostly originating in the early decades of the last millennium. I very much enjoyed it and going back to his prior releases I was expecting the shift to Rap and Hip Hop but not the freedom and creativity this record endures. At the time I caught wind of the release was only through negative reviews and I'm wondering what on earth they heard that was so bad?

This album is warm, breezy and fun, an exploratory journey with plenty of the Soul, R&B, Psychedelia and Jazz creeping in that would blossom to become the main focus on Awaken. If there is a complaint it may be Glover's rap persona, a rather wild, fun and carefree character who jumps all over the place with topics and a wide variety of eccentric moments to disrupt the norm in his raps which come with a healthy variety of flows. Personally I find it refreshing even if its not a home run each time, Glover is expressing himself with an endearing charm and plenty of mature lyrics between his energetic outbursts.

The album warms up with the aforementioned sounds of previous decades, fusing soulful, jazzy instrumentation and samples with tight, sharp beats. As it grows, modern sounds of Dance, Synthpop and even Rave creep into some tracks for some real banging party numbers in between a flow of rather indulgent, experimental and unstructured music. From the mid to end the album struggles with pacing as many halfway tracks are littered between skits and short quirky tracks. Its mostly good artistic fun but the album suffers from a lack of direction from this point as the music falls into a whirlpool of ideas that keep jumping from one to the next before being fully realized, despite showing lots of musical chemistry and charm.

Because The Internet is a fun free for all of musical ideas and inspired creativity that's fresh, exciting but unstructured, youthful and without focus. Your opinion could swing either way and I find myself in awe of the moments where its chemistry flows and a little frustrated when it dips into the swirling of ideas that don't lead anywhere. For it to be one thing or the other would be great but caught in the middle it becomes a mixed bag of fruits that certainly yields some fantastic songs to come back to over and over again. As a listening experience its drags its feet periodically and that's a little sad as Donald Glover is clearly a very talented man but on this release its perhaps its a lack of experience that hinders it.

Favorite Tracks: Crawl, Worldstar, Shadows, Oakland, 3005, Life Is The Biggest Troll

Rating: 7/10

Suicidal Tendencies "Get Your Fight On!" (2018)

It would seem that Suicidal are in a stride. The legendary Crossover Thrash outfit from Venice beach have graced this decade with dedicated touring and a couple of albums, of which this short EP is warming us up for another album to come later in the year. Their last effort World Gone Mad was a reasonable release but for an old band sticking to their roots there was little too surprise with. If they wanted to wet the appetite with this EP then there isn't much in sight of originality or creativity beyond doing their sound again. Consisting of a Stooges cover, three new songs and two re-recordings from singer Mike Muir's solo project Cyco Miko. The EP is brief and fun for a couple of listens but that's about it.

 With new tracks Get United and iAuthority, the band stir up a warm atmosphere with jiving baselines prowling and acoustic guitar riffs in the main sections. It creates a rather musical and relaxed setting for Mike to get angry with his passionate shouts. The full on guitar distortion comes in with an exotic color in the chorus, flavorful and punchy however on Nothing To Loose and S.E.D. its business as usual with fast chomping Hardcore beats and dizzying thrash guitars with Mike throwing down is usual eccentric vocal inflections. With just a singular moment of interest through Get United this EP offers little other than what you'd expect, if its the same old Suicidal your looking for then you got it right here.

Favorite Track: Get United

Rating: 3/10

Migos "Culture II" (2018)

Prior to picking up this album I watched a video essay about the length of the record. At a trying hour and forty five minutes this follow up to their hit record Culture is a double album loaded with mediocrity. The essay theorized that artists may pursue longer play times in order to inflate stream numbers and increase record sales certifications. Its a reasonable theory that sighted Drake's More Life as a release which is actually labeled as a playlist as opposed to an album or record.

If the Migos where aiming at streaming culture and extended play sessions then they certainly achieved that. Culture II's production has a hypnotic, indulgent and easy vibe one can sink into as the lyrics and words pass you by. The length comes at a price, with exception to a less that a handful of tracks most these songs only hit a reasonable faction of excitement. There are very few gems in a lengthy lull that plays like background music, mood setting but hardly immediate. Even if condensed to a single album It would struggle to peak beyond setting the Migos tone.

The trio give an impression of being self indulged, "in the moment" and living in the moment. In other words, It doesn't feel like much of whats being said is thought through or even revised. Many of the hooks lack depth, wit, weight or anything other than feeling like they are vibeing with the music. On occasions it works but the lack of filter means a lot of repetition and a plethora of goofy, ridiculous lyrics, "pulling up like huggies" a line that makes me chuckle every time, of which there are many.

The Migos vocals and instrumentals have that middle line of trendy noises and vocal quirks like the "skrt skrt" that tie the two aspects together. In this instance they go overboard, to the point I was constantly laughing at the dorky vocal inflections and auto tune manipulations that again come in abundance with very little filter. I think I said it with the last record but a decade or two from now these are going to sound very dated. They are executed with style, image and swagger over artistic intent and articulated expression. It says very little other than "cool" and trendy.

Culture II is a slug of a record on the lyrical front. It has a handful of mediocre, uninspired features. Post Malone sounds under utilized but a surprise came in the way of Cardi B and Niki Minaj who brought two strong verses, vicious and full of attitude they dropped train of thought narratives that rise like a monolith with nothing similar else in sight. It lit up a track the Migos where mumbling their way through until the two of them gave it some substance. Its obvious the Migos are all about mood and tone which no one can do it like they do, unfortunately this record has very little beyond a saturated vibe.

Favorite Tracks: Stir Fry, Motorsport

Rating: 5/10

Judas Priest "Firepower" (2018)

The legendary Judas Priest return once again, delivering a mighty fine record that pays tribute to their catalog of eighteen albums across a career that's soon to hit a whooping fifty years. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't their last but it would certainly be a rock solid chapter to close their discography with. After several hiatuses, farewell tours and reunions it feels like the Priest guys just can't give it up and who could blame them? Now approaching their seventies the live shows have been muted for some time but in the studio they rock as hard as ever.

Firepower is a bright, crisp sounding record brimming with the Priest attitude, the triumphant march of Heavy Metal vitality sound potent and vigorous. At an hour and fourteen tracks it paces through its intensities with a few moments break. It starts with its first pumping anthems, loaded with hasty crunching guitar riffs and blazing guitar solos that soar and scale with an electric charge. After marching through a weight of head banging goodness the album steadily winds down the tempo and its slower, thematic songs take hold in the second half as calm, melodic intros set a tone for the more measured and steady lunge of Metal in their arsenal.

Halford gives one heck of a performance, sounding as keen, youthful and on point as ever. At sixty six years young his falsetto scream is as blisteringly sharp, as ferocious as its always been and when dropping in with his more twisted and layered hooks they hit hard! The theatrical nature of Priest and their songs about fantasy driven tales of evil and necromancers has always been a wonderful fit for Halford but this time around the chemistry is ripe, the music firing on all cylinders and he is the icing on the cake.

Initially I wasn't so keen on Firepower. It was a typical Priest album as I would of expected, their style unfaltering. As the quality of the songs quickly grew on me with each listen It became apparent that no one can do it as good as these guys. Sometimes you want band to evolve and grow, try new things but at this stage in their career their is only one thing these musicians want to do and its really reflected in the music. Approaching fifty years as a band they can still write music that will sound fantastic alongside their classics.

Favorite Tracks: Lightning Strike, Evil Never Dies, Necromancer, Rising From Ruins

Rating: 7/10

Chaos Moon "Eschaton Mémoire" (2017)

While browsing record label Blood Moon's latest releases, the ghoulish, foreboding artwork of this Pennsylvanian duo, Chaos Moon, caught my eye. The music is equally frightening and monstrous as the eerie, ghostly figure on the cover art would inspire. Eschaton Mémoire is an esoteric breed of Black Metal, conjuring engulfing atmospheres of arcane mysticism, witchery and the occult. Far from the barbaric, brutal thrashings of rebellious satanism heard in the genres primitive roots, Chaos Moon craft indulgent journeys through unforgiving realms beyond the grave. Although a grip of aggression is felt through blast beats and the grisly, glaring roars of the singer, the albums charm and wonder comes with passing swells of dreary, haunting melodies that collide into ambiguity, drowning in its own mood as deranged guitar riffs and swamping synths of obscuring fog meet under the light of a full moon.

With many listens the song structures of these three lengthy tracks still feel illusive. Its thick and howling tone is overwhelming and keeps the listener locked into each passing moments gravity. Even when recurring themes and compositions reveal their familiarity the thick, smothering tone and wealth of bulging sound just enriches the ghostly, ambiguous feel. Its fondly reminiscent of I Shalt Become whom I'm yet to talk of on this blog. Their miserable and mystic character is likely to have been an influence but the power of this music sheds no thoughts of other influences. Its atmosphere is massive, harrowing and black yet memorizing and trippy, like a psychedelic journey through the world of the dead. Its looses some charm when dominating screams pound alongside furious blast beats, its chemistry is in atmosphere and when the drums slow down to guide the direction it is truly wonderful if not eerily creepy slightly madening.

Rating: 8/10

D12 "The Underground EP" (1996)

The Dirty Dozen, better know as D12 are a Detroit based rap collective formed in 1996. They are best known for their association with founding member Eminem, who created his Slim Shady persona for the group, each of the six members had alter egos to make up a dozen. My recent foray into some of Marshall's early records and Soul Intent demos led me too this record I completely forgotten about. Its no surprise because its a poor demo release, perhaps hindered by the poor fidelity of some tracks which border inaudible as the bass rumbles and overpowers the rappers.

I was never big on D12, Purple Pills and the like where fun back in the MTV days but only one track, Fight Music, still sounds reasonable today. The rest of their material sounds immature and intentionally shocking upon reflection. Lyrically this EP has more substance in flashes but also some indulgences in intentionally provocative lyrics. Its a high pitched, Beastie Boys alike, Eminem and filthy Bizzare that lead the front on the shock lyrics. Proof on the other hand comes with far better verses than anyone else around him and gives the record a couple of credible track.

The production style dominates my lack of enjoyment. The beats are stripped back and dull. Popping snares groove of light, brief bass kicks and thin hi-hats while melodies are reduced to a minimal amount of notes. The sub bass rumbles with a lack of coherence, just punching in the space around the kick drum adding next to no value. Cock And Squeeze ads some thickness and color to the sound with an indulgent, hypnotic sample but the the choice to cut the volume dead in time with the beat is a firm reminder this style is just not my cup of tea. Its all to stiff and monotone, I can't groove with it. One track, Derelict Theme, manages to overcast this style with some powerful, moody strings that bring a rich and gnarly atmosphere to the track but one reasonable song in a stint of drab duds couldn't save this record.

In their inception there is little other than Proof that stands out and shows promise. You can however hear some obvious influences on Eminem's career, especially when he gets into production in the mid 00s, his hard cut style has some similarities to whats attempted here. The Underground EP is unfortunately a dull record and given the fidelity of Art Of War it could be argued that the quality of this lost, out of print record may play a big hand in its lifeless feel but since this is all we have, it is what it is, somewhat of a stinker.

Rating: 2/10

Ministry "AmeriKKKant" (2018)

Legendary Industrial Metal pioneers Ministry, led by Al Jourgensen, are back with their fourteenth album in a journey spanning over four decades! Their last album was released five years ago, around the time when I was really getting into the bands classic records like The Land Of Rape And Honey and ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ. This is my first record as an invested fan, I eagerly awaited its release but had no real expectations and have found myself in awe of how this record encapsulates all my favorite things about this band. AmeriKKKant is as if group have been thawed out, once frozen on ice during their peak in the 90s, coming back with a vengeful spirit of anger towards the post-truth age we currently inhabit.

Al Jourgensen has a track record of disputes with American presidents. His music took aim at both Bush's and now Trump, as well as the current social-political climate coming under scrutiny in his paranoid, doomsday soundscapes that shine a light on the worst interpretations of current affairs. I can't agree with all his views but I have to commend the simplistically of taking samples like Trump saying "Chop Off Heads", playing them against his dark and worrisome music. AmeriKKant opens with an intro track bolstering eerie strings against jolting Industrial noises and haunted pianos. Slowed down samplings of Trumps most infamous phrases set a rather unusual tone that intersects darkness with a touch of foolishness and calamity.

The next two tracks lavishly unfold these feelings as Ministry deploy the best of their unique composition style. Crunching, thumping guitars and crisp, snappy drums lay down the mechanical backbone at a burly, lunging pace. Dissonant sounds, vinyl scratching and manipulated samples play out, setting the optimum tone for Al's angered shouts to cry out between dystopian melodies. Victims Of A Clown turns the pace with a classic, marching, determined baseline that pumps out a groove endlessly through the dangerous atmosphere, reminds me of the esoteric Golden Dawn revolving around Aleister Crowley. Its followed by a maddening noise piece, bombarding the listener with hateful quotes and a barrage of fast, jolting aggressive gun blasts and extreme manipulated samples, a nauseating treat.

Its as if Al is checking of a list of Ministry's best numbers. We're Tired Of It delivers a fast and thrashy track more akin to the 00s era. Its pummeling aggressive guitar riffs assult with a typical barrage of disorienting samples. Wargasm feels like an intentional tribute, its chorus fondly alike to Killing Joke who were a massive influence on this band. Then we have Antifa, the records best song! I'll make no comment on the group themselves but Jourgensen essentially writes the anthem for unchained anarchy and rebellion lashing out at the system. Its hypnotic lead melody dazzles over the tight mechanical drive of palm-muted chugging distortion guitars, its a real head banger.

They have really hit the mark on this album, the sonic intensity is wonderful. The constant barrage of intricate sounds and overload of samples adds a wealth of depth to the hellish, dystopian atmosphere conjured but best of all the use of unexpected instruments like horns and strings deploys some of the records most striking and memorable melodies. I'm in awe of how this albums has covered all the corners of what they did in the 80s and 90s, admittedly it comes in shades among long and droning songs however that is pretty much what I'm in the mood for right now, I want to be indulged in the slower pace and soak in the atmosphere. Its a decent record that happens to be precisely what I didn't know I wanted to hear.

Favorite Tracks: Twilight Zone, Victims Of Clown, We're Tired Of It, Antifa

Rating: 8/10

Frank Ocean "Blonde" (2016)

A musicians name can only be mentioned so many times before it becomes an obligation to give them your time. This blunt sea I kept hearing of is part of the Odd Future collective led by Tyler The Creator and it seems that his acclaim and success has out run both of them. Frank's silky and soft yet powerful and swooning voice has all the traits of a timeless R&B singer. The ultra indulgent, laid back and careless vibes of the album in its psychedelic setting put the young singer in an unrivaled position of uniqueness, a potent potion has found its audience with those who give it the time.

For me the glorification of hyper-sexual, drug abusing lifestyle can be a a real turn off in the opening stages of the record, Frank technically prostituting a women for drugs with a rather precarious choice of words among other lyrics can be difficult to stomach. Despite some disagreeable perspectives his voice is golden and it resonates with the instrumentals wonderfully as even pitch shifts, vocal effects and a splash of auto tune sound ever so tasteful, creating unique expressions rather than compensating a weak vocalist. He brings you invitingly into his world, the easy going persona and soothing singing is simply infectious.

Dreamy and psychedelic instrumentation with big washes of of reverberations and an arsenal of pianos, strings, violins, cellos, guitars, organs and keyboards bring about an organic expression, a tapestry unraveling in the simplest of forms as many of the songs here have luminous complimentary sounds that build on top of a simple, minimalist song format. Its not particularly dense, just light and airy, breezy as a few instruments build up the atmosphere around Frank's voice which is given its due spotlight on every song, remaining the focal point.

I'm very fond of the Be Yourself interlude, who I assume is Frank's mother giving some sound advice to avoid peer pressures and be comfortable with oneself. It seems almost to be ridiculed by the following tracks lyrical content. Poetry and expressive use of words are not my strong point and so I have a hard time pinpointing who he is on this record as there are many contradicting lyrics to my interpretation, it dispels a little of the indulgence but the vibes of the record are wonderful.

The album has a lot of content, its pacing is slow and steady, the variety of tracks, the avoidance of relying on drum tracks and interesting interludes pack a lot of substance into the experience. Although the opening tracks are the ones I anticipate the most its always fun to see it through as musings like Facebook Story between the more estranged tracks make markers leading to the curious interviews in the "hidden track" at the end. The whole thing feels structure less and lucid, a nice experience. This record is really something, will have to back track on Frank's other two albums!

Favorite Tracks: Nikes, Pink + White, Be Yourself, Skyline To

Rating: 8/10

Watain "Trident Wolf Eclipse" (2018)

My opinion of this band will be forever tainted by their live performance. Severed pigs heads impaled on the stage and the stench of animals blood filling your nostrils was one thing but the moment singer Danielsson decided to put out a burning stick with his hand grasping a fist around the flames just took the biscuit. He huddled wounded on the stage, nursing his hand which has dripping with blood, clearly in a lot of pain. It was all rather pathetic and although I like evil and satanism in the form of art or entertainment, it often becomes utterly ridiculous when in practice. The so called "ritualistic" performance came across as a joke and they were the punchline.

Either way I'm here for the music and Swedish Black Metal outfit Watain have risen to prominence with their fifth album, The Wild Hunt, released five years ago. I have never been massively into them but you can't ignore that they have become one of the genres biggest names in recent years, a time where experimentation and diversification has seemed ripe. Watain have gotten here by sticking to a very traditional approach on the genre, one which makes their music obvious, atypical and unsurprising yet its execution and production value gives it a weight of value in pursuit of dark and evil sounds that have been thoroughly explored before they arrived.

If you're hoping for new Black Metal records like the classics De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas & Pure Holocaust etc... then there is probably a lot to like about this record. Its sharp, fast and vicious, loading in and endless stream of creepy, evil melodies between furious bursts of jagged tremolo picking and punishing blast beats. Its got enough measure to illuminate its own atmosphere with demonic ambiguous vocal passageways, the booming of deep tribal drums and cymbals striking like a gong give it that extra spark of mischief. Plenty of breaks disperse the intense atmosphere with plucked chords breaking up the linear power chord riffs that drive most the record.

All in all its all just a little to expectant for my ears. Despite a terrific production and well written songs, the album could do little to surprise or feel fresh and different from what Ive heard of the genre before. Their success is possibly paramount to appealing to the old guard who resist change within the sound but for me that is boring and so this record sounds as good as my appetite for Black Metal on the given day that I'm listening to it. That being said the closing track Antikrists Mirakel defines itself as different, having the final say it takes a step beyond the norm with a deeply ritualistic atmosphere of ruin and heresy that's simply engulfing. Its slow sluggish pace, illusive chants and gloomy wash of reverb makes for a gem in an all too typical record.

Favorite Track: Antikrists Mirakel

Rating: 5/10

Nina Simone "Pastel Blues" (1965)

It's been years since I first got my hands on this record. As with some of the great, appraised music from past generations it can take some time to get into. Walking home from a Kendrick Lamar gig in an ecstatic mood another song from Pastel Blues came on and I was captivated, engulfed. In an instant it all clicked and since then Ive binged on this fantastic record from Nina Simone. She has a fascinating voice, ranging from softly effeminate to a shade manly with a powerful, navel tone that's drenched in a strange sadness. A strong vibrato resonates when she holds a note, somehow able to squeeze the sound to a point almost inhuman, but not too far gone. Its wonderful and not saturated as she awaits the inspired moments to let it flow.

With jazzy pianos, folksy acoustic guitars and soft percussion the instrumentals play a resounding roll in tipping the mood as the temperate backings swing back and forth, track to track, between bluesy, worrisome sorrows and self-empowered songs of resolution and poetic wisdom. Even in these uplifting numbers something in Nina's voice feels as if it would easily slip into a sadder setting. Even when the words don't quite match there is somehow a lingering sorrow as if she sings to escape something haunting her. Given how little I know beyond the music of this record, her life, or who she is it may simply be the way I hear things but I can't shake the sadness.

The record has all the roots of black music showing themselves, Jazz and Blues dominate the spectrum but shades of Soul, Gospel and R&B creek into the fold and most noticeably the opening tracks "Be My Husband" has the dominating clank of a chain gang song, the singing between often tailing of with soulful vocal afflictions. Its a rather short run of songs bolstered by the ten minute Sinnerman which stands out for its, in comparison, ambitious song structure which grows and broods in a healthy amount of repetition. The best moments for me are the sadder songs, that's when her voice illuminates and becomes truly special.

Favorite Tracks: Be My Husband, End Of The Line, Tell Me More And Then Some, Strange Fruit

Rating: 8/10

Code "Resplendent Grotesque" (2009)

Continuing my foray into a variety of Black Metal records we have another British record, Resplendent Grotesque, which is Surrey based Code's sophomore record. It initially did and still doesn't feel like anything personally special to me, however with repeated listens it becomes apparent just how much vocalist Kvohst's voice dominates the tone, giving the grotesque something unique, a chemistry to call its own. Armed with an arsenal of chord arrangements, guitarist Aort also brings a defined and different sound. With shrill, intense guitar tones he pushes a continually disenchanting smothering of discordance resonating from intricately plucked strings interchanging with chord shredding that is constantly scaling itself.

It mostly seems akin to a Post-Black Metal sound, yet rather then being atmospheric and absorbing, the record feels like a hell ride of discomfort and torment. Kvohst's estranged afflictions mingling within a powerful, burly yet higher ranged clean vocal add a very humanistic and suffering tone to an otherwise demonic and monstrous record. The light never seeps in, just a continual haze of fiery, unforgiving grimace. When some respite is offered, it is unsurprisingly gloomy and downtrodden. Only Kvohst's voice offers any sympathy to the darkness we endure on this adventure. It has been enjoyable, nothing seemed to resonate that much so I am left wondering if some absence will let the shape of this record click into place as one can appreciate what another would find genius about it.

Favorite Tracks: Smother The Crones, Possession Is The Medicine, Jesus Fever

Rating: 6/10

Johnny Cash "American Recordings" (1994)

Knowing the reverence and notoriety of Johnny Cash made approaching this post a little daunting. With a career spanning fifty years across six decades and over ninety albums produced, there is an abundance to be said about his music that critics and enthusiasts alike will be talking about for time to come. Ive only heard The Ring Of Fire and Walk The Line before going into this record. American Recordings intrigued me greatly for two reasons. Firstly It was produced by Rick Rubin who had made a name himself in Metal and Hip Hop, working with the likes of iconic names LL Cool J, Run DMC, Danzig and Slayer. Secondly at this point in time Cash was a broken man, his career in tethers and with Ruben he formed a close friendship that would rekindle his musical fire and restore parts of his life and happiness.

With just a voice and his guitar, Cash can burden you with the depths of his struggle. His deep, baritone voice has the texture of times scars, a weight he holds on his shoulders felt through the catharsis of his expressions. With a deep, soft and alluring voice his hurt soothes with its release as the heavy subjects of life's regrets and struggles are caught in a memorizing bubble that is Cash's heart felt sincerity. Its far from gloomy, as Johnny works through his inner demons, one can feel the redemption as he comes to terms with events transpiring through his poetic lyrics. Its an intense experience that can suck one into the grasp of its simplicity, the acoustic guitar often feeling entirely irrelevant in the shadow of Cash's iconic voice, with exception to a few songs like Thirteen, where the strumming of dingy chords feels like the tone setter.

Going into the record I was expecting some twang and yee-haw! Known as a Country artist, I have to say this is far more personal and Folk like however one track, Tennessee Stud, greatly amuses me for its praise of a regional horse. The real story in the song is overshadowed behind the enthusiastic crowd, cheering all mentions of the horse. This album captures a man coming to terms with many things and turning much of it around, which is parallel to the critical and commercial response, which makes a lot of sense If you think about it. Ruben's minimalist approach to production seems a perfect fit for Cash's needs, however knowledge of their strong friendship makes me think the revival of this man goes far beyond the production we can hear on this fine record.

Favorite Tracks: Delia's Gone, The Beast In Me, Thirteen, Like A Soldier

Rating: 7/10

Pallbearer "Foundations Of Burden" (2014)

Praised as their best work, this sophomore record from the Arkansas Doom Metal outfit Pallbearer has all the measured, weighty wonder of its successor yet strips back most of its prettier, gleaming guitar tones and melodic, Progressive Rock influences. I am talking in reverse however, this record that came before it has scale and craft protruding from its dense and meaty lunge of crunchy, fuzzy guitars accommodated by slow burgeoning drums. They form a stunning atmospheric setting, its mood caught between natural beauty and mortal sorrow.

Foundations Of Burden feels closer to the formula of sluggish, punishing paces and dreary, gloomy atmospheres associated with Doom Metal. Some sections reveal their simple construct with minimal guitar work between the strikes of bass kicks and lonely hi-hats but despite this the tempo shifts and guitar work can erode all sense of structure and repetition that is commonplace as a web of expression unravels itself beyond all tropes. In these moments it feels like the music escapes its own limitations, the layering of guitar leads and stunning vocals has the music blossoming into vivid, indulgent places.

Some of its riffs are aggressive and grooving on paper but the warm fuzzy distortion tone and lack of urgency in performances spins so much of what is "Metal" into feeling like the distortion is almost irrelevant to what it creates. The heart of the music is in the melody and voices of Campbell and Holt, the grizzly belly of drawn out power chords only drives the music when all engines fire, otherwise it drifts into a commonplace setting however this push and pull is essential to the magic that unfolds as these songs progress into wondrous places. Really memorable record!

Favorite Track: The Ghost I Used To Be

Rating: 8/10

Keep Of Kalessin "Armada" (2006)

With an itch requiring scratching I recently picked out a few records by bands Ive yet to hear in a guide to Black Metal list that fortunately didn't focus on the classics I know inside out. It shone its light on overlooked and underrated albums from lesser known bands. Armada keenly caught my attention in comparison with Emperor's classic Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk. Interestingly enough Keep Of Kalessin, who Id never heard of before, were active in Norway during the scenes formation years but due wavering commitments of drummer Larsen, who was touring with Satyricon, it took him a decade to settle down and focus on the project as his main ambition, leading to a string of albums of which this was the first released.

Armada's sharp, angular tone of shrill ripping guitars and rigid hellbent drums blasting at dizzying intensity had me initially finding this one hard to get into. As with this genre more than any other, repetition is key! The old lesson of familiarity, letting the music blossom, however Vengeance Rising will always test my boundaries with its utterly ridiculous and inhuman blast beat that pushes tempos as hard as they can go. The record is full of breezing bursts of pace and eruptions of anger, bearing the hallmarks of blast beats, arriving in common, yet frequently impressive fashion. There is no arguing over Larsens talent, his rapid feet and dexterous arms make for a distinctive flavor.

With his wild rattling barrages of drums at the forefront of much of the music it takes on quite an aggressive attitude, the fast and thrashing guitar work charges at its side with plenty of all out tremolo shredding and technical chugging grooves plucked in between, plunging towards the listener with a racing pace. The antagonizing screams of Isaksen linger in constant menace as burly howls are unleashed with a shrill roughness that's rarely trying to win you over, however the breaks to ancient, cultural, Viking choral chants conjure a lot of atmosphere in comparison, its unfortunately infrequent.

The second track, Crown Of Kings, sets a bar the rest of the record doesn't keep up with. That song has whats missing, progression. Its chaotic opening riffs whirl away through fiery intensity that builds, builds and then importantly gives way. A few minutes in the drum drop to half time and an upbeat baseline ques in a moment to breath as the guitars gleam in a glittery riff. Its the shift in gears that made Emperor's aforementioned effort so fantastic and this record really feels like in needed those breaks, because without them its intensity is unrelenting and that can be burdening. I do think that was the artistic intent here and it is mostly fantastic but a lack of fluid respite in the music made it a little to strong for me.

Favorite Tracks: Crown Of The Kings, Winged Watcher, Deluge, Amada

Rating: 7/10

Krtis Blow "The Best Of Kurtis Blow" (1994)

My adoration of Hip Hop, its fascinating origin story and evolution, has put a lot of names in my mind, some of which Ive yet to get around to. Hearing Kurtis Blow's break out single The Breaks recently from 1980 had me itching to check out the Rapper who's name Id heard a thousand times over. The song itself wasn't particularly defining of Kurits because its essentially a remake of Rappers Delight with an interchangeable instrumental and signature baseline aesthetic and playing. Either way I was impressed by Blow's easy going rhymes and steady old school flow and since his records are like gold dust to find, the best I could get my hands on was a best of compilation CD released six years after his run of eight back to back albums.

All these songs take place before N.W.A and Public Enemy, they are fun, care free and strangely innocent in retrospect. Kurtis picks many surface level topics, stitching light rhymes together that string references and simple expressions about basketball, America, parties and even some festive rapping. Even when Hard Times rolls around Kurtis spins a positive mentality response to struggles he barely scratches the surface of. Its all light and smiley, the rhyme schemes seeming almost comical given the feats rappers would go on to do. Its essentially the blueprint of that old school era.

The music is great, Blow's flow is powerful, pronounced and lively. The instrumentals are of their time, heavily Disco influenced, with a dash of Funk spice and a sprinkling of Synthpop production its all as crisp, punchy and pronounced as Kurtis himself. Some songs topic are a bit drab like the ultra patriotic America and obnoxious AJ Scratch with its awkward chorus singing. I made a fun discovery with If I Ruled The World, a song Nas would rebuild with its chorus and sampling from Tears For Fears on his Stillmatic album. That's one of the reasons I love exploring Hip Hop's history, there is much connectivity to learn and although this isn't something I'll listen to often, it was really great to enjoy another slice of the Hip Hop evolution.

Favorite Songs: The Breaks, Christmas Rappin

Rating: 6/10

Migos "Culture" (2017)

I wasn't moved by their break out hit Versace at all but having heard the Migos mentioned so often recently I figured I would give the American Hip Hop trio a try. I didn't expect much but walk away really surprised with how much I enjoyed this record. Its one half dope beats and another half comedy as these soon-to-be-dated over stylized trendy vocal sounds utterly dorky and ridiculous to the point where I find myself chuckling away at the "skrt skrt" noises and other comical sounds they conjure up, not to mention a rap from Lil Uzi Vert who sounds slightly concussed in his rhymes.

The production here, handled by many hands, is tight, crisp and modern. A spacious approach leaves lots of room for the excessive reverberations to bounces around in the space between instruments. Trap influenced hi-hat grooves rattle away over sub base kicks that snappy snares pop off of. Simplistic short melodies play steadily on pianos and similar synthetic sounds with occasional symphonic strings and the like in the backdrop. The tempo is steady and track after track sounds sharp, slick, laid back and oddly relaxing with a slight air of danger and eeriness on a handful of numbers. Its just the right atmosphere for the Migos to do their thing.

Lyrically... the verses are lacking substance, not a lot of the lines stuck with me beyond acknowledging the excessive braggadocio however I felt these modern and triplet flows were pulled of really well, lots of the vocals resonate in the atmosphere and the use of auto tune and pitch shifting effects felt aesthetically pleasing. Some of the records most memorable lines were essentially borderline gibberish but the delivery kept getting them wedged in my mind however the most fun was with the strange sound effect alike vocals making "pew pew pew" and other strange noises over the shoulder of the rapper on the mic. It amused me greatly.

Rating: 6/10

Favorite Tracks: Bad And Boujee, Deadz

Machine Head "Catharsis" (2018)

 Four years since their last effort Bloodstone & Diamonds the American Groove Metal outfit return with a lengthy seventy four minute record that has divided opinions across the board. I was somewhat unexcited about Catharsis for the aspects that Ive ended up enjoying it for. Machine Head peaked with The Blackening back in 2007, a riot of a record that's worthy of being mentioned alongside the best Metal records ever unleashed upon the world. Since then their output has felt like stagnation, more of the same sound and so I went into this record hoping they would do something new. Whats ironic is there attempts to broaden their horizons are an utter turn off and the predictable Machine Head is here in droves sounding pretty wild and fun!

Stomping, chugging grooves, bendy, bouncy riffs and the razor sharp gleam of stiff guitar leads wail away in their typical uniform. The opening three tracks throw together some cracking riffs held together with lyrics to sing along to. These numbers will fit great into the live show but the next stretch from California Bleeding to Bastards sees singer Robb Flynn attempt to break the mold firstly with his voice, embracing the rougher, grouchy and musky, liquor stained attitude. Plain language, the blunt vulgarity and graphic story telling weighs down the atmosphere with its downtrodden tone. Going into Bastards the instrumental tries to come along with him into uncomfortable territory, reaching beyond their grasp it falls flat.

The soreness of failed experimentation casts quite the shadow over this record as the reasonable portion is great if not atypical of the band who are sinking into a broad range of ideas they have covered before in the past. They do however get their experimentation right on Behind A Mask, echos of Spanish guitars and the gentle build up to soothing, soft vocals, soaring in the moment is wonderful. Given its length and lack of unification in theme, Catharsis is really just a big cluster of songs from a band saying "here you go, have fun". If I were to cut the time in half and fill it with my favorites It would make a killer record, however its bogged down by a lack of filter and purposeful direction they were able to maintain on previous albums.

Favorite Songs: Volatile, Catharsis, Screaming At The Sun, Behind A Mask

Rating: 5/10

Saturnian "Dimensions" (2012)

Plucked straight from the mystic realms of symphonic darkness, the Reading based band Saturnian leave us with just a single record from their short four year lifespan. Fans of Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child and Aeons Confer will rejoice in these Britons classy execution of the sound the Norwegians pioneered and popularized. Sharp, crisp Black Metal fused with the wondrous sounds of astral symphonies give us a rich experience with all the hallmarks, including a helping of clean vocals breaks and keyboard led interludes. There are no surprises here, just quality songs performed and recorded like the best of them do it.

And so the album unfolds with a temperate pacing, a measured consistent intensity. The drums batter away with pacy blast beats and plenty of double pedal rolls as they continually shift between the common beats of this sound. Its involved, always having a hand in steering the direction but never feels to upfront, a good balance for the overall feel. Its the keys and guitars that steal the show. They have a formative chemistry, the guitars shred out tremolo leads and linear grooves while the airy synths enrich the atmosphere, however at any moment either can jump into focus as the driving melody of the music with orchestral symphonies and blazing solos.

The raspy, scowling vocals aren't much to be desired, more of something Ive become accustom too, they taunt at the forefront of the sound with little sinking in. Its the choral chants of burly men and the effeminate clean vocals that are most illuminating for the music as a whole. Its expansive melodic sections leaning into Gothic territory in brief moments very akin to fellow Britons Cradle Of Filth. In summary its simply a great record exploring a well established sound. It brings nothing new to the table but that doesn't stop it from being very enjoyable and engrossing.

Rating: 7/10

Childish Gambino "Awaken, My Love!" (2016)

Upon its release I was immediately drawn to the memorizing, neon yet tribal album cover, It sucked me in, I wanted know more. After hearing just a single track on Youtube I was buzzing with excitement and then some how... its two years later. Only now have I finally gotten around to this record and I have clearly missed out on music that will keep giving for years to come. The multi talented Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino, who got the persona name from an online Wu-Tang name generator, ditches his rapping and follows his gut for a truly inspired wild ride.

"Awaken, My Love!" Is a bold and vivid, psychedelic journey through shades of 70s sounds re-imagined with a bright, colorful intensity that's lively and engrossing. Its a luscious tapestry of sounds, never static, always animated, going through the motions as a wide pallet of instruments get involved between songs. The infectious grooves of Funk, sensibilities of Jazz, soothing vibrations of Soul, the jive of Disco and singing voices of R&B all echo through a trippy, humanistic soundscape. The union of electronic and natural instruments is effortless and a keen ear can hear such a wonderful array of sounds working in tandem, it all sounds gorgeous.

As a record its a fun experience but its not without its flaws. Despite every song having its own flair, a lot of the tracks slip into feeling more like jams than songs built on direction. As a result much of the record feels interchangeable, sometimes grounded and other times loosely themed. Where Donald moves from rapping to singing his presence isn't that powerful and his full singing voice is not far off the mark but it feels like he compensates with artistic inflections and stylized, softer vocals on most tracks. As a result he is rarely the focal point of the music and all to often his backup singers outshine him. When he comes to the front, his quieter approach lulls as the music often outpaces him.

This is a small picking in a big package, this album is loaded with goodness but sometimes these details let you understand whats holding it back from becoming greater. There's a lack of hooks or punchy moments and little of the singing gets stuck in the mind. The music plays like an ooze of flowing awsum that's just to fall where it may. Its needed a bigger helping of direction and focus but despite that its still really wonderful. Shame its the last from Childish Gambino who has retired the project.

Favorite Tracks: Me And Your Mama, Riot, Redbone, Terrified, Baby Boy

Rating: 8/10