Pusha T "Daytona" (2018)

Daytona is the first to be released from the so called "Wyoming sessions", another Kanye produced record with seven songs clocking in at twenty one minutes, adding up to "all killer no filler". This is Virginia Beach rapper Pusha T's third record, who interestingly didn't get into the rap game to his mid thirties. Its the first time Ive checked his work out, not a bad place to start! Daytona will be in contention for the best of the five Wyoming records, Its on par with Ye, miles better than the disappointing Nasir but Kids See Ghosts has to be my favorite so far, that record keeps growing on me with continual listens.

Daytona is a project all about the rapper's presence on the mic. Pusha T has a healthy toned and youthful voice that's well spoken, crisp, delivered on a steady, sturdy flow. There is a distinct lack of loud, obvious wordplay or an attempt to be overtly fancy with the rhymes or flashy. Its all focused on getting the fundamentals down and delivering the narrative which he does with precision. Initially I found his vocal clarity and plain flow to be dull but with repetition the power of his verses shines through with well articulated narratives and thoughts that creep up on you as familiarity sets in. His underplayed presence hides smart analogies, comparisons and clever cultural references that emerge with each listen as the words become better known. One of the more obvious accents to this record are the call outs to Hip Hops history. Pusha T interpolating classic flows and rhymes from the likes of Jay-Z and Tupac into his songs with tasteful timing.

Behind him Kanye throws together a collection of sturdy instrumentals that don't do a lot to dazzle the listener but they do hold down a firm tone and musicality for Pusha to make his presence known. The features help add some flavor and spice up the flow with addition voices and some well timed cultural singing from Mike Dean. My favorite moment on the record is when the two team up on "What Would Meek Do?" for a grittier, dark song where Pusha asks Kanye how he would respond to the hate and Ye drops in with a carefree "whoop... scoop... whoop... whoop-di-whoop". Its so odd but the timing is just right and it lets him roll into his response with a fresh, powerful energy. This record is fantastic, sturdy, bullet proof rapping that leaves you wanting more!
 

Rating: 7/10

Steve Roach "Dreamtime Return" (1988)

American composer Steve Roach's third major release, Dreamtime Return, has been lavished with praise, finding its way onto many essential listening lists, especially within the Ambient community. I share in its appraisal but must also put my trust in the critics who cite the records significance. The ideas on this record are not new to me, its execution however is stunning and to put yourself in the mindset that this is the first emergence of these new approaches to sound creates little more excitement. It barely elevates the already metaphysical experience at hand, which is truly transformational music at heart.

Temporal, meditative and deeply spiritual, the sonic pallet of spacey, exploratory electronic synths advance into the winds of life as the beating heart of mother earth pounds through slow, vast tribal drums and percussive instruments. They form a disconnected experience as their tempos are stretched by the lack of any measurable groove. In sway deep, engrossing sounds, phasing in and out of existence around the illusive anchor to reality. The atmospheres are large and engulfing yet with the percussive backbone they feel earthed by scale, as if primitive man gazes in awe upon the unending lands of earth he can explore eternally.

It is simple to dissect and understand the musics formula yet the power and persuasion it has over a willing listener is the work of a master. Dreamtime Return lasts over two hours and there are some sections that will appeal more than others but its length is testament to the metamorphosis it takes into the roots of our culture-less heritage. In my personal experience I see baking red deserts, vast savannahs and tropical paradises, all beautiful and deadly, the life of an apex predator far from the emancipation of civilizations neutering.

The spiritual side, embraced by the sweeping, windy synths, induces a subtle psychedelic quality that make me think of native Americans on spirit journeys or vision quests, an intrinsically profound experience under the aid of chemicals. There is a strange sense of isolation within the music but it is not loneliness, the hypnotic nature of the record will let one find their symbiosis with mother nature and bask in the awe of insignificance we are as individuals. Where Structures In Silence gazed upon the cosmos, this record gazed internally to the core of our being.

Rating: 9/10

Old Tower "The Rise Of The Specter" (2017)

Our journey through the dark mystical realms of Dungeon Synth continues on and this thirty minute project split into two halves is a peach of a find. Hailing from the Netherlands this Dutch musician has been active in the past couple of years releasing many mini albums comprised of one to two songs usually ten or more minutes in length. Each record comes with its spooky artwork of high contrast, black and white imagery using ambiguity to evoke ancient nostalgia. This one in particular sets an unsettling tone, at first glance one might mistake the hooded figure for a tower next to the brooding castle. On closer inspection the ominous black circle in the sky gives one a sense of night time, as if the image as been inverted and the moon is now black, it sets a spooky atmosphere for the music that awaits.

The darkness of the music is not terrifying, or as mysterious as one might suspect, Old Tower is a uniquely meditative and calming experience as its slow, lethargic approach to melody soaks in its surroundings within a low fidelity, reverberated setting. Bold punchy synth tones loose their cheese in the wake of an aesthetic that's mostly akin to hearing a church organ from within the church itself. The naturalistic echo lets notes bleed into the space of a large hall and when instruments layer up their is an emergence of spiritual sound that becomes difficult to decipher yet heavenly in its presence. It takes on a temporal form so to speak.

The two halves of The Rise Of The Specter have clear progressions which we might normally expect to be split into individual tracks, I believe the split may take homage to tape nostalgia and the turning over of sides. Either way the songs go through obvious shifts and some passages drift from the power when composed with fewer instruments, many listens has worn them a bit thin but the middle phase of the first half is a prime example of the magic at work. Slow scaling synths churn over between distant choral voices and culminate to the menacing rise of a foggy, deep war trumpet, setting an unshakable sense of importance to which a second gleaming synth rises over creating an epic sense of scale.

The records vision is particularly vivid for me, on some occasions I see visions of vast ethereal forest and in overs its cliff side castles battling the walls of fog rolling in from the distance. It is however a truly Dungeon Synth sound and can aid ones imagination in visiting the places associated with it. This particular style however comes with a soothing pace, softness and meditative state perfect for a more relaxing and introspective experience that is rather unique.

Rating: 6/10

Myrkur "Mareridt" (2017)

There's always music to be discovered and this year at Download Festival I decided to wander over to the forth stage while grabbing some food and to my delight caught an unexpected amazing show by the Danish group Myrkur. A combination of furious Black Metal and angelic singing played right to my tune, I knew I would have to pick up a record and my first is their second.

Mareridt, Danish for nightmare, reveals so much more about their sound from the live experience, although it is probably a dimension to their sound your just not going to hear first time around at a show. The record however shows depth and emotion in abundance as the contrast between singer Amalie Bruun and her band goes beyond a simple concept and aesthetic, tapping deep into the folk sound of pagan cultural roots.

The record achieves a meditative, indulgent state just at its surface level alone. Steady, naturalistic songs let the light draw to Bruun's singing as she delves into soft angelic singing with accents of Scandinavian heritage, on De Tre Piker she goes all the way in with what could pass as on old hymn handed down through generations, stunning singing reminiscent of Lisa Gerrard. Behind her the music finds different temperaments with the Black Metal aspect of the music finding many intensities to approach from, occasional bursts of ugly, snarly spats of grimness fuel some darkness but more often than not, it rides on the uplifting gleam of awe inspired lead melodies, similar to the epic grandiose scale of an act like Saor. It mostly serves as an aesthetic for the theme.

As the distortion guitars and drumming compete for their moments they sway up again the persuasion of heathen sounds. Violins, harps, modern synths, organs and pianos grip firmly on the naturalistic experience that will have one smelling the outdoors air, feeling the breeze as it rustles through the leaves of tress. One can really feel the spiritual connection to the forgotten past when man was closer to mother nature. The swaying and competition between two sounds gives the album a healthy flow that finds an interesting middle moment on Funeral as Chelsea Wolfe lends her voice to an abyssal, slow, crushing instrumental that could of easily been on her own record. It highlights some similarities but more so adds to the diverse pallet these songs have with one another.

On first listen I felt the Black Metal aspect to be rather rigid and stiff in its volatile phases. I could hear a lot of 90s abrasiveness at work but with each listen as the overall theme became clearer its chemistry in relation to Bruun's voice and the other cultural sounds gave it a far more organic and Post feel. Perceptions change and I am finding myself loving this record more and more with each listen. Its moods, feelings and vision run deep, the music comes to life with vivid visuals of dark and ancient times filled with pagan mysticism.

There is a very personal and mischievous period in the outro track Bornehjem, a childish Golem alike voice talks to its demons, leaving me to believe there is most likely a much more personal theme running through the lyrics, of which I haven't read, perhaps that is something I should make the effort to do. This band will undoubtedly be one of my favorite new discoveries this year and luckily there is their debut record to get into next.

Favorite Tracks: The Serpent, Elleskudt, De Tre Piker, Funeral, Ulvinde

Rating: 8/10

Kids See Ghosts "Kids See Ghosts" (2018)

This release is another in the so called "Wyoming sessions", its twenty something minutes spread across seven tracks, just like other Kanye produced records Nasir and Ye. This project has West collaborating with Kid Cudi under the Kids See Ghosts moniker and it kicks off with a fiery opener that sets a new president for gun play in Hip Hop music. A violent instrumental of sharp percussive strikes firing like gunshots rallying away, forming a groove as vocalizations of gun sounds take on a new form, they are sung and turned into a melody. Its over the top, theatrical and clever but not quite to my taste however the rest of the music takes on a much calmer vibes that have faint echos of psychedelia.

Kanye's instrumentals are on point, each track forges an atmosphere fit for the tone of his raps and Kid Cudi's halfway talking that's flat and toneless in delivery, sounds good when he softens it down into halfway singing on the self titled track. As per usual most the lyrics pass me by but Kanye drops in with a striking verse on Cudi Montage that has him painting the raw emotional reactions and forming their relevance to his wife's recent work with the president to get a pardon for false imprisonment.

Its really the underlying music that made this short record enjoyable for me. Getting to the core of his beats, they often sound minimal and stripped back, but the sounds they focus on do all the work to make these songs come to life with quite a few tie-ins between the verses to give it a lot of life. The singing and use of voices to spruce up tracks as so often is a treat and a mark of his style. It all comes together well and makes sense of the shorter run time, there are two others to come from this collection of records produced in his Wyoming studio and I'm quite excited to hear them after this one!

Favorite Tracks: Freeee, Kids See Ghosts, Cudi Montage
Rating: 7/10

Nas " Nasir" (2018)

Finally the six year wait is over, the highly anticipated return of legendary Queens rapper Nas is upon us and after rumors of reunion albums with DJ Premier, a song from DJ Khaled titled "Nas album done", it seems neither of things has any relation to this short record. With Kanye West as executive producer it seems this seven song, twenty something listening experience is not only for Ye but anything he touches with side project Kids See Ghosts having the same setup. Is it a big deal? Probably not but then again Nasir is the first Nas record Ive ever felt disappointed by.

Why is it disappointing? Nas's skill and prowess on the mic is firmly intact, sounding as good as ever but lyrically the topics that stand out do so for the wrong reasons. With Kanye producing the beats there is an unsurprising emphasis on voices and downplaying of the percussive presence that leaves Nas's firm and well spoken voice flowing without its backbone, contrasting the tame beats he raps over. Nether the instrumentals or the rapping are unappealing but they only find a fitting chemistry on the soothing grooving "Bonjour" and "Cops shot the kid" where a sampling of Slick Rick's classic crates a numbing repetition for the two to spit hard over.

The track Everything is a bittersweet seven minute tune lined with moving, soulful singing from Kanye, setting the tone over a fragile beat with Nas dropping his most lively rhymes from this record in the verses. Unfortunately his genius seems to fall wayside to some strange tangents. The opening line "When the media slings mud we use it to build huts" is either a comment on the pettiness of public discord and it closing people into camps but more likely a statement of taking controversies to continue building their platform. When the song descends into vaccination paranoia it worries me that Nas is in the same camp as Kanye, saying what you "think" just to see how it feels...

Its a strange record, a mixed bag of fruits that fails to become more than the sum of its parts. It ends up being a precursor for discussion on the topics approached and the ones avoided. When you boil it down to basic's Nas doesn't sound all that great on Kanye's production style which is a shame because both seem to be in their element here, but together the chemistry is patchy. Nas has had one of the best discographies of any rapper alive today, consistent, even with some dips but this short record isn't anything in comparison to his previous works.

Rating: 5/10

Depressive Silence "Depressive Silence" (1996)

My recent return to Dungeon Synth music via Örnatorpet had me on a curiosity binge, another plunge into the depths of Internet search results, aiming to learn more about the genre. I stumbled upon a treasure trove, a list of over three hundred records leading me to discover this classic cassette released by a German duo in the genres infancy. With retroactive ears the influence is obvious and astonishing, however my enjoyment of such a gem may have been tarnished by hearing the trail of successors to this sound beforehand.

Despite the name, Depressive Silence is a rather mellow and peaceful music project that has a distant haunting of darkness beyond the realm of its ethereal, fantasy driven atmospheres. They may have first steered the genre into more adventurous territory than its gloomy, dark, dungeon alike origins. With big and vivid synths and organs the music brings on a hypnotic persuasion as its think back bone of ethereal fog is graced by luscious, serine melodies that echo Medieval ideals similar to Fief.

 The music transpires in a meditative state, undoubtedly helped along by its low fidelity recording that muddies and muffles the clarity of instruments, allowing the reverb and textures to inspire an allusiveness that feels grandiose, heavenly and deeply mysterious. I find myself often envisioning clouds and pearl white sky cities peaking out between the layers of cloud. Its minimal, and powerful, this low-fi approach lets simple compositions of two to four layers come to life in the ambiguity of their chemistry.

This self titled record is a wonderful, calming and hypnotic listening experience, soothing, mystic with a natural vibe. For its time, a very much unique, visionary take on the scarce Dungeon Synth sound. Its first two songs are utterly fantastic however the following tracks tend to blaze the same trail with a little less magic. They may pale in comparison but it is still magic none the less. Really impressive record, no doubt it would of had a bigger impact on me if I didn't know this sound so well already.

Favorite Tracks: Forests Of Eternity, Depths Of The Oceans, Dreams

Rating: 7/10

Ihsahn "Amr" (2018)

Ive tuned in for a handful of Norwegian musician Ihsahn's albums over the years. His records have always managed to allude a vision or completeness within me, despite really enjoying the music at hand. That's why Ive not written about Ihsahn before, other than his work composing most the songs for the legendary Emperor. I believe this is testament to his genius, the ability to write with depth, cultivating the powers of subtlety that's channeled into a slick stream of digestible music, evading understanding as its contained evolution and progressive direction gets the most from simple song structures. On closer inspection the composition of neatly aligned instruments and inspired musicianship reveals a unison creating the magic which swiftly moves forth into the next phase.

I am speaking in general about Ihsahn's music as a solo artist. This record may not be his best work, little of it lingers in the mind but when in motion its a sleek composition of lean guitars and string sections diced between bursts of rampant Metal that's scaled back to a sensible energy where blast beats and shredding gets the point across without excessive force. His voice is charming and he has a wonderful range that occasionally becomes the focal point but not so much when screaming in dissonance.

Amr has an unusual pacing about it, between its swings from frantic metallica riffage to soothing, calm passages of soft instrumentation its songs often suck the tempo away with minimal drums that come between those intense bursts of Metal. It never settles in one places and among a mixed bag of songs we find its two tones both hitting and missing. The opening track Lend Me The Eyes Of Millennia creates an air of impending explosiveness with its jaunting, paranoid synths coming to fruition in a furious explosion of anger. Samr champions the polar opposite with a soothing group of instruments led by a pulsing baseline, finding its climax with an epic, emotional guitar solo and rise of string and pianos to quite the finale.

In other songs it is equally missing the mark on both front's and makes it hard to feel the record come through as a whole. A string of good songs can really set the tone however Amr never quite finds its stride despite displaying something fantastic songwriting in places. Its production is fantastic though, I'm continually impressed by the aggressive and extreme riffs that have been engineered in a way to retain that ferocity yet keep a very crisp and audible sound without being overpowering of other instruments. It alone though can't save the record from being a mixed bag of treats.

Favorite Tracks: Lend Me The Eyes Of Millennia, Samr, Wake

Rating: 6/10

Zeal And Ardor "Stranger Fruit" (2018)

They say things come in threes, so here's to hoping we get another cracking album coming are way soon as just over a week ago we had Ghost's Prequlle and now Stranger Fruit, both of which will be contenders for album of the year. Returning two years after a sensational amount of hype around the Devil Is Fine mini record, Manuel Gangneux recruits a full band of musicians fit for amazing live performances and only drummer Marco Von Allmen appears on the record, performing the drum sections written by the talented Gangneux, who once described his visionary project as the African slaves rising up against their masters, inspired by the devil Satan.

With that in mind the project progresses forward on a stunning stride, opening up a wealth of influence and experimentation to his sound while retaining the Chain Gang backbone and core theme. Gangneux shows his influences with streaks of traditional Black Metal between the hellish onslaught of noisy, textural Post-Black Metal that's truly comfortable experimenting with some Nu Metal and Groove Metal sensibilities at times, even extending into orgasmic riffage, chugging low grooves and fostering offbeat time signatures in an unusual setting. Its riveting, the guitar work is often invited to come to the forefront and steal the show however it is not the lone ingredient in conjuring the infernal beast to rise up against masters.

The vocals and lyrics do fine work setting the tone, building up the atmosphere of hell and dread situated to a unique fictional history. They build up themes and stories with croaks of crooked wisdom in Gospel vocal sections that Gangneux performs along with a range of styles varying from spoken word, reciting poems from Alister Crowley, to venomous screams of hurtling anger and ferocity. As his guitar work scales the walls of creativity and variety, so does the entire vocal package, his word both written and sung with emotion and a burning passion that bringing to life the grimace of forced labor in the unforgiving southern sun leading to devilish places.

Between the fuller tracks, a handful of instrumental interludes aid the records flow as these already dynamic, progressive tracks are given some breathing room. The familiar sounding precarious lullaby vibes return and the music rids itself of the trap beats heard on the Sacrilegium song. In general the synths take a far more accompanying approach with only the piano playing an upfront, cultural role alongside vocals the but it all cohesively fits into a vision where the aesthetic guitar extremities and imposition of theme bring about the climatic moments. It feels as if every song leads to them and are without weak points to discuss. Stranger Fruit is a beautiful record of esoteric darkness ripe in experimentation that works. The execution of outside the box ideas and another avenue of evil make this one of the most exciting projects in Black Metal today.

Favorite Songs: Gravedigger's Chant, Servants, Waste, We Can't Be Fooled, Stranger Fruit

Rating: 9/10

Mazzy Star "Still" (2018)

I have mixed feelings about this record. After a fifteen year gap I was dead excited to get my hands on this new Mazzy Star record, however whats new about it is a little bit fuzzy. Consisting of just four tracks we have an alternate take to the noisy and psychedelic trip So Tonight That I Might See, admittedly the texture and mix of this performance is far more dynamic and engrossing. The first two tracks have been performed live for many years which leaves us with the title track Still, just two minutes of new material that doesn't make much of an impact alongside these other songs. I haven't read up on the status of the group, I am hoping this short EP is just a warm up for a record, getting back into the swing of things and letting fans known things are happening but I'm not hopeful.

Nothing about these four songs is out of the ordinary, the Californian group revive their breezy, soothing sound once again. Channeled through the quiet, soft and beautiful voice of Hope Sandoval the accompanying muted instrumentation plays with a cushioned grace, strumming gentle chords quietly and softly tapping of the keys of a piano, you may not even notice the drummer if it wasn't for the snare which pops in on time cautiously. It gets exciting when the final track rolls in, mustering moments of distortion guitar madness over its thick and foggy organ gloom, Hope whispering murmurs into the background, we have heard it before but it is far more absorbing in this re-recording. Although I love their sound this felt far to similar to just spinning an old record of theirs, hearing whats been heard before.

Rating: 3/10

The Absence "A Gift For The Obsessed" (2018)

Bridging an eight year gap between records, The Absence release their forth effort, a blazing onslaught of Melodic Death Metal that sounds like a day hasn't passed in their absence... please excuse the pun. Although they hail from Tampa Florida, the group have strong influences from the European scene and their sophomore record, Riders Of The Plague, I would consider a classic record within the genre however they have never received much exposure and so remain relatively unknown. If your a fan of Carcass or Arch Enemy then their music will feel very much at home.

A Gift For The Obsessed doesn't alter formula and goes with what works, making for an unsurprising roll of songs that hurtle intricate riffs inflected with melodies and unleash fiery guitar solos that blaze and scale the way forward. Its fast, energetic and thrashy, a high octane beast pummeling its way through its arsenal of techniques. Its put together in a competent production that lets all the instruments gel as lead singer Stewart roars and growls with his meaty guttural screams, crying out over the top of the instrumentals.

The record plays through without a hitch, if their sound is your cup of tea then you can enjoy the blistering, beastly Metal. It would of been nice to hear a little diversity or experimentation but these guys have got it down to a science. There is one surprise however, a cover of Suicidal Tendencies classic You Can't Bring Me Down. The song sounds fantastic with a Death Metal flair and reinvigorates enthusiasm for a song you may have heard to death already. Really nice cover to throw in the mix however it doesn't do much to make this record feel like anything other than a band sticking to their guns.

Rating: 6/10