Sigh "Heir To Despair" (2018)

Many years on from the epic of Imaginary Sonicscape, Japanese band Sigh still can't seem to find a footing and direction that is entirely concrete. This year around they echo some hall marks of their classic record with morphed voices and unusual fusions of cultural roots but the collision of ideas under a Black Metal flag is all to haphazard. The album puts its foot in mouth with the second track, a possible tribute that plays like a blatant Iron Maiden rip off in its intro and outro. Although the track is mostly composed of furious riffing and blazing guitars, its stiff jump to the Ace's High riff just sets an odd tone for a record that lacks focus.

Its a guitar oriented record, the fretwork constantly winding with grooves, pinch harmonics and chugs all with a distinct distortion tone. The musics motion generally pivots on its energy, which Mirai Kawashima electrifies with his shrill, snarly and raspy shouts. Not always a welcoming presences, his narrow range is often stretched, sounding thin and weak. Its aggressive elements play up against native sounds, the Taishogoto, flute, piccolo, other woodwind instruments chime in meekly. Its even got a few unorthodox percussive sounds for a Metal band. They all seem to arrive out of turn, a complimenting addition often overpowered by the drums and guitars. The opening track however finds a balance, giving much light to its unusual side.

Three part track Heresy revives their electronic experimental ideas from the aforementioned Imaginary Sonicscape but not to much avail. It opens with its best and goes off on a tangent of unfinished ideas and noise oddities. The last song, clocking in over ten minutes, has great flow and scale but once again hails back to their classic, resurrecting a section from Requiem Nostalgia that should of just stayed there. Its been enjoyable to hear Sigh's sound again but there is little direction or focus here, just another hash of ideas that relys on their tropes and unique fusion of sounds.

Rating: 4/10

Favorite Tracks: Aletheia, Heir To Despair

Daughters "You Wont Get What You Want" (2018)

This record record requires a patient listener. Its gloomy, gaunt and desolate persona leaves little room between the dread and imminent doom it poses. You Wont Get What You Want is the American Noise Rock bands fourth album. Its a theater of darkness, a journey into fear and paranoia that drags you down with it. With little in the way of melody or uplift, bombast or groove, one may ask what is the appeal? Where other music may use darkness as its gloss, Daughters find their way straight to the core with unforgiving sounds of mental torment that do not use the common cheap tricks.

A logical comparison would be Swans, the godfathers to this repent-less style of atmospheric music. And that is the key word, atmosphere. As the motions become ingrained the overall feeling of this record emerges with a touch of class. Bold bass lines, meaty industrious drum patterns and the desperate cries of singer Marshall over the front act like the musical framework for an array of maddening sound to assault. Its these tense and eerie siren like sounds that play like alarm bells in the mind of a deranged individual that carve the vision of a harrowing within.

Initially I found the music uncomfortable, invasive and daunting but that is precisely its purpose. Many of the cuts have this unsettling spiraling sequence of notes played through peaked and distorted environments that play into the smothering atmosphere. It actually takes about twelve minutes or so for the music to give some respite as a gleaming melody bursts into life on Satan In The Wait. It has a mirage like quality as it dissipates behind these sirens of dread wailing like all in closing in on you. Other parts have varying degrees of intensity but the whole thing plays as one experience.

Its a theatrical trip, that concludes with many of its recurring sounds amassing into a cacophony of madness on its closer Guest House. Initially tricky to find your way in, its the sort of record that requires the right mood but once the door creeks ajar it doesn't take long for it to burst open. I like to get through records and its time for me to move forward but this is another album I'm convinced every listen would make me love it more. Its journey into dark side of the mind is engulfing and savage, unforgiving, a wild ride that's worth your time if your into the power of doom and gloom.

Rating: 7/10

Sons Of Kemet "Your Queen Is A Reptile" (2018)

This past month Ive been enjoying the sounds of British quartet Sons Of Kemet from our capital city London. This record, their third, is a busy Jazz scenario of unsettled landscapes in flow, occasionally smooth but mostly agitated, engulfed by worldly sounds and vibes that surface their identity. Its cover may be a link to a tribal heritage, something I don't quite hear in the music directly. For all its obvious cultural influences most of the music feels like the madness of a city whirling around an individual.

The ceaseless drums shape up every living moment with lively, energetic pacing that constantly bursts with frantic fills and moments of disorientation that always fall back on the rhythm. Armed with a deep, soft and brown restless Tuba tone, it pumps and plods away with binary pacing that leaves gaps for the Clarinet and Saxophone to fill. On tracks like Angela Davis it becomes quite fast, clustered and maddening as the intensities build with little respite. It is always the Sax that seems to find a human narrative in the atmosphere, sounding rooted as its jam rises above.

These songs drive and evolve like jam sessions, starting with a certain intensity and temperament that moves from one degree to another other the five to seven minutes they last. Occasional obvious grooves emerge but mostly its a bustling jive of instruments jabbing their voice into the fray to be heard. On its smoother cuts the toned down nature lets the lead Sax have a flow of melody but otherwise these notes swing rapidly between instruments. The calmer demeanor is always preferable.

The different degrees and flavors between songs will have you plucking favorites but the album makes a flash with two songs. On Marrie Phipps Clark and Doreen Lawrence a London Caribbean accent brings some social political commentary through recited poetry that gives focus to the instruments. These parts strips the music of its sometime monotonous tone and opens up to its other dimension, the song titles, all of which are names of female social-political figures. Ive enjoyed this record quite a lot but a smoother degree of Jazz music is more to my liking.

Rating: 6/10

Dir En Grey "The Insulated World" (2018)

The bizarre, psychedelic album art is a fitting match for Japaneses titans Dir En Grey's latest project. The unconventional elements in their approach to Metal music is captured through the lens of my own interpretation. The human face represents the normality of this distortion soaked, aggressive music. Its soft neon, geometric cycloids insight the layer of exceptional and all unusual that mostly emanates through front man Kyo. In reality its probably related to lyrical themes beyond my western scope.

Kyo's vocal range is distinct with clean pipes and hurtling screams where both get stretched into avant-garde performances as he uses his voice as an inhuman instrument. This of course is helped greatly by the language barrier, leading much of his conventional singing to expose the emotional performance with the Japanese words inciting ambiguity and sounding mysterious. Time and time again he rises through the onslaught, like a dancing beacon, a torrent of urgent expression.

 Although the record opens with pounding drums, thudding guitar riffs and some bludgeoning death howls from Kyo, Its heavy aggressive start steadily gives way to an articulate musical world of artsy songwriting that frequently shifts the norms with expansive guitar playing. Firstly they stir a rattle with discord and spastic timing. Some of the most memorable moments coming from the cohesion of instruments as the mammoth bass guitar patrols the underbelly with its prowling presence.

The groups ability to pull together the unusual and make sense of it is striking. The result is music that feels continuously exciting. Progressing through the songs its better moments are found where the guitars give way. Their constant jolts of frenetic mania dilute into palatable atmospheres akin to Post-Punk and Post-Metal styling with a splash of color as the record grows and in these big climatic swells we find the best of the record. Overall its pretty fantastic yet all the unusual doesn't translate to memorable, its atmospheres are king.

Favorite Tracks: Devote My Life, Aka, Zetsuentai, Ranunculus

Rating: 7/10

Death Grips "Year Of The Snitch" (2018)

One of my most anticipated records this year has now arrived and with it comes that familiar Death Grips experience again. Initially alien, esoteric and bizarre, the music plays like a morbid curiosity, an avant-garde experiment into the estranged and then after some time it suddenly clicks into place, you feel as if you have known these songs forever. After the banging, fan pleasing Bottomless Pit the Sacramento trio return to their more adventurous side with an another unusual musical construct that echos some of their Exmilitary roots former glory.

Year Of The Snitch is primarily an aesthetic experience with its rich and vivid tapestries of synths, samples and unusual sounds that approach from all manor of odd angles as you would expect. The performance drumming of Zach Hill livens up the musics texture as the songs interchange between some tightly sequenced kits and his frenetic drumming, making itself know with fast shuffling grooves and fills in and among the chaos of sound one has to unpackage. Mostly the programmed drums hold down tempos and help along the experience with synthetic, quirky kits as opposed to pumping out grooves and energy like the previous record.

MC Ride is fantastic across this project, his lyrics are typically cryptic, quotable and require some thought as per usual but on this release specifically there is a strong mix of freedom, creativity and energy. All of his vocals feel free from any burden, Ride has and endless stream of ideas for delivery and flow that holds nothing back. The use of reverb, voice modulation, sampling, pitch manipulation and scratching enriches the already individual experience as a tapestry of voices emerge in bursts throughout the record around his main vocal line.

The trio demonstrate their growing chemistry as all the ideas on this record come together so cohesively, Rides vocal performance seems to melt into the detailed, layered instrumentals. As per usual wide range of sounds come together in a mania of variety and oddities and once again they find their own dimension, this may be in part to the striking return of rock guitars that throw back to the debut Exmilitary mixtape. There is also a noticeable sampling and snippets of vocals and sounds from their older songs thrown in the mix, giving it a stronger link.

All in all, Year Of The Snitch masters the side of Death Grips I have not been keen on so far. Ive loved the band when they strike with a touch of groove and those banging percussive beats but projects like Jenny Death that steer away from this backbone have yet to dazzle. In this instance I think the group found a balance that really works and loaded it with a depth of texture that really takes up your attention when focusing on the details in sound. The atmosphere they create and what all that madness adds up to is a wonderfully odd and unusual, a cluster of emotions drifting through the cosmic void.

Favorite Tracks: Death Grips Is Online, Black Paint, The Fear, Disapointed

Rating: 8/10

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

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

Kaitlyn Ayrelia Smith "The Kid" (2017)

Its an involved, vivid experience... zany, eccentric and astral, "The Kid" is wild ride through a tapestry of electronic quirks and swirling synthesizers reminiscent of Tangerine Dream, engulfed in an intelligent, synthetic Art Pop construct. I saw this release in a few lists, noticeably in some "Avant-garde" sections. Its American composer Kaitlyn's sixth full length in as many years with a consistent output that seems to be building steam among critics. Unfortunately I do not share their praise, for all its vivid intensity and use of marveling sounds, I found such sounds mostly novelty with little emotional cohesion between her voice and the accompanying journey through sounds. Some passageways have direction, a sense of rise and full but a large half load in a calamity of colliding sounds that don't visualize anything too obvious.

"An Intention" Is the one song where passion and emotion pervade in the instrumental which scales back its quirkiness and gives focus to Kaitlyn's synthesized voice, always heard through some mix of multi harmonized pitch shifting. The human robotic tone is utterly engrossing as words and sung notes sway between the two ends. Its atmosphere is mysterious, nocturnal and very akin to the Fever Ray self titled record, yet it has as greater freedom in its instrumental to explore as winds whoosh and alien organ synths gleam maddening melodies over the steady, slow murmuring bass kick.

Its the a rare time across all thirteen tracks that balance is achieved, for in most the other tracks her voice plays second fiddle to a swarm of quirky, adventurous, playful sounds exploiting the dimensional space of the listener with mysterious manipulations and smothering them in a dense web of intricate noises which mostly have little melodic value. It could be considered an "experimental" approach but it feels as if the point is missed. A lot of the synthesized noises, often imitating natural, jungle sounds, feel messy and unorganized, the result yielding little spark or pizzazz to get excited about beyond aesthetics. It has certainly been an interesting experience but its hard to enjoy what feels like a deliberate move away from convention when the convention clearly works wonders. There are plenty of fruitful ideas and interesting compositions here, to often do they seem to steer away intentionally.

Favorite Track: An Intention

Rating: 4/10

Fever Ray "Plunge" (2017)

I dreamed but never thought it would be so, eight years on Swedish musician Karin Dreijer releases a follow up to her critically acclaimed self titled Fever Ray. In the three years since my discovery of her debut It has grown to be one of my all time favorite records, the sort you have to always consider when making top tens and playlists. Her sophomore Plunge comes entirely out of the blue, a rouge email in my inbox I thought to good to be true but alas it is so. With only a video single released a week prior, this surprise release is more than just a pleasant one.

First impressions were wild, all I could focus on was all that was different. Plunge felt dissonant, avant-garde and ambiguously adventurous with its entrancing electronics. Working with more ambitious, experimental sounds the textural journey continually weaves webs of intricate noise arrangements flailing from Glitch to Electonica, with hints of Industrial in its noisy, less melody driven passageways. The atmosphere shifts and varies from one track to the next, conjuring obscure, spacial vibes that can delve into gentle unease and unearthly sounds with the measure for calm, soothing relaxation. On its other hand these songs can become animalistic, dark and paranoid in their abrasive persuasions.

All of this often revolves around a sturdy backbone of stripped back club and House beats. Hard thuds detached from the conventional pop of a snare and tempo setting hi-hat let the dense instrumental arrangement absorb the attention a club groove would often dominate. A hand full of songs, maybe four to five of the songs feel straight of the back of the last album, utilizing the same bell and siren-like synths but deploying slow and steady kick and snare grooves in contrast to the more polarizing, experimental tracks. "Red Trails" being one of these songs you could slip onto Fever Ray has to get a shout for Sara Parkman's stunningly, morose, harrowing violin solo that seeps itself into the atmosphere like a parasite, eating the song from the inside out, carving its menace through an otherwise chilled, if not dark track. Stellar moment on the record.

The production being of this modern era is unsurprisingly crisp, no thanks to the state of technology but balancing all that heard is done with a touch of class. The record can feel almost clustered in moments with all the rattling of intricate sounds swirling around, from start to end its all managed and put together in a lean and easy setting. Karin's singing is infectious, her unique, estranged voice is unleashed with the wit to spin her expressions into elevating hooks, radiating the music and lodging themselves into your consciousness. Lyrical themes are entwined in sexuality, charged by identity and eroticism, the sometimes coarse but often poetic lyrics rub up against some obviously political statements, see "This Country" to hear unflattering commentary that's hard to ignore.

Ultimately, Plunge is a superb record, little to fault and plenty to rave about, Its an endearing listen. My main point of questioning would be in its two halves, distinctly alike to its predecessor on half the tracks taking a big leap forward in experimentation on its other half we essentially get the best on two worlds. To repeat yourself or be inconsistent on a record can sometimes be a hindrance but neither of these possible considerations seem to matter in the case of Plunge, which will probably go head to head with Sikth for my favorite release this year!

Rating: 8/10

IGORRR "Savage Sinusoid" (2017)

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 8/10

FKA Twigs "M3LL155X" (2015)

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

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

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

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


Rating: 6/10

Sikth "The Future In Whose Eyes" (2017)

After a seven year hiatus, England's infamous Progressive Metal outfit Sikth reunited with their original line up and unleashed a very promising EP, Opacities. Reunions can be a fickle business, able to swing in any direction. It set the bar high for this full length release but I wasn't anticipating the band to, dare I say it, out do their classic debut The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out... . Its a bold statement to make and it comes over twenty or more listens where learning the ins and outs has only strengthened my adoration of a record that plays through hit after hit. There isn't a weak point to be found, everything is utterly brilliant and the albums moving, emotional poetic breaks performed by Mikee Goodman on "This Ship Has Sailed", "The Moon's Been Gone For Hours" & "When It Rains" perfectly fit the theme while juxtaposing the musical intensity of the Metal tracks persona. Upon writing this Ive learned that Justin Hill left the band before the record, his replacement Joe Rosser barely noticeable, fitting snugly into the Sikth sound with a similar vocal style.

Reflecting on the current social political state of affairs, Sikth's concurrent theme of disconnection from nature seems the ideal stage for their statements littered throughout insightful lyrics. The most potent of which found neatly packaged as punch lines in the illuminated choruses and hooks that spark every song. "Century Of The Narcissist" remarks on the sharing obsessed social media generation and the impact it will have on us. The best of it comes out in the choruses "Money makes the world go round, they weave the web without a sound" breaking from the frantic screech and shouting to glossy melodic, sing along hooks that will make wonderful moments live.

Each song is armed with these hooks and the compositions are thick, dense, rife with ideas. Never does a song get dull, the compositions find plenty of temperament to direct the energy into different direction with passageways of Post-Rock melodic, shimmering acoustic guitars, djenty time signature break outs and all sorts of creative avenues. In its density the band fly out the traps with intrepid riffs, bouncing off one another with lively fret board blazing melodies interwoven between chugging grooves. The drums charge down with an arsenal of tricks to liven the show, in every song you can hear stunning moments of creativity that might pass you by with an inattentive ear. The bass gets in on the action making itself known with jiving high strung slaps to rise from the backbone groove and add some aesthetic dazzle.

I touched on it before but this album is simple loaded with stunning sing along moments as the choruses come with a masterstroke to elevate what are mostly already excellent, absorbing songs. Guest vocalist Spencer Sotelo of Periphery may steal the show with one of the albums best, his powerful, bright, pristine voice is quite possibly becoming my absolute favorite in this generation of Metal. It all comes together through a production that I barely noticed. A total compliment, everything feeling so together and on point that never the texture of the instruments come into question, or do they ever clash. The albums flow is superb, each song a pleasure and rolling from one to the next you'll find yourself at the end drooling for more. If I had any criticism it may be a lack of the experimental flavor tracks like "Emerson" and "Tupelo" brought their debut, however it in no way feels lacking of a need for it. The album stands on its own two and those elements of their sound are left in the past. "The Future In Whose Eyes" is utterly brilliant, a contender for best album this year.

Rating: 9.5/10

Deathspell Omega "Paracletus" (2010)

French Black Metal outfit Deathspell Omega had not grasped my attention in the past but based on a personal recommendation I decided to give, what has been acclaimed as their best record, "Paracletus" a try. Of the many moons that have passed I have not found myself growing any fonder of the experience these forty two minutes hold but have certainly come to appreciate and understand its apparent brilliance. Its the fifth full length from the deeply satanic and anonymously mysterious band. They made a shift from primitive and raw Black Metal with their third and embarked on an experimental journey which has led them to this abomination of evil, the final installment of a malignant trilogy.

This record assaults us with an ensemble of dissonance, discords and rebellious anti-music as melodies and riffs are deformed to a repulsive form. Ive often heard discords and broken melodies in effect with grooves and rhythms, a careful counterbalance that props up the dissonance on other enjoyable musical values, however for a large portion of this record the musicians look to flail and torment us with desynchronized drum patterns, ugly, churning guitar chords, masticated, mangled guitar leads all whirling through a discernible frenzy of notes that inspire an unforgiving, unsettling darkness, hellbent on intensity over captivation.

In the moments it musically tones the onslaught down, passageways of atmosphere and scale come to fruition. Where its less chaotic and menacing it finds a middle ground where one can take in the disenchanting melodies and have pause for the imagination to muster. Otherwise its a truly menacing experience when the blast beats bear down with intentional disorganization, not giving one much room to process. It plays out like a constant unraveling beast, no formulaic song structures and some numbers simply bleed into the next.

It is only ever with focus and intent that I can really experience much from this record, as something for the background is fails to captivate me. With my attention it has sparks and moments but my taste is a little too conventional for whats at work here however I have a great appreciation of its artistic intention and execution, If anything Id wish to like it more but the chemistry isn't quite right. Very interesting listening experience.

Favorite Song: Phosphene

Rating: 5/10

Buckethead "Claymation Courtyard" (2014)

American guitarist Buckethead is both a legend for his phenomenal guitar playing and an obscurity in the world of music. Raised in a chicken coup, Brain Caroll AKA Buckethead has created an air of mystery around himself, always appearing masked with an upside down KFC bucket on his head labeled "Funeral". The mysterious demeanor is second to his ability and unique flair with an electronic guitar. Although metallic and distortion heavy his style is experimental and avant-garde. The last time I properly listened to a record of his was ten years ago, 2006's "Crime Slunk Scene" which was around the early days of his accelerated record releases. Buckethead has released over 250 albums in around 25 years. In the 00s he started pumping out three to four a year and in the 10s he is releasing extraordinary amounts with over 100 in 2015. As you might suspect these albums are more like jams that have been polished up but even so with Buckethead's extraordinary ability a jam is a gem.

Speaking of gems "Disintegration Mirrors" is this albums moment of genius. It was also how I found the record! Tweeted by John Romero, one of the creators of doom, I found myself gobsmacked at the wonderful guitar solo this track dived right into. Then ten minutes or so later I released I'm still captivated. The other songs on the record sound decent alongside it but don't have quite the same spark. If you are familiar with Bucketheads style this is a pretty standard amalgamation of warm, mid tempo distortion riffage and colorful effect heavy guitar leads in non linear arrangements. The drums are programmed by top end VSTs and possibly the bass guitar too. Its solid, workable, nothing to marvel and can get a little rigid if you focus too close on the drumming. I'm left entertained but at the rate he pumps these records out at I find myself far more curious about the creation process behind them.

Favorite Track: Disintegration Mirrors

Rating: 5/10

Arcturus "Arcturian" (2015)

After a ten year silence since "Sideshow Symphonies", the chaotic carnival sideshow Arcturus emerge for the abyss to unleash another full length record upon a niche group of adoring fans. Arcturus has been a group I've held in the highest regard for their unique flavor and artistic evolution across the four records that proceeded this one. Forming under the moniker "Mortem" in 1987, it took the group almost a decade to find their sound and release their debut "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" in 96. It was a raw Black Metal power ride of haunting atmospheres and playful melodics that fused the symphonies with the raw power chord distortion, howling screams and thunderous drumming. Having established a unique identity, the group took a huge stride into unknown territory with the follow up "La Masquerade Infernale". Using electronics, sampling and taking a more theatric approach to their music they created a modern masterpiece unrivaled by anything alike. The two follow up records further experimented and refined their sound and set a high level of expectation before there split in 2006.

With the stakes so high I was both dreading and anticipating this record which took me a fair few listens to warm around to. What hit me on the first play through was how familiar and "right" the music felt, as if the the band had been frozen on ice, put on hold, and returned ready to fire as if not a moment had passed in their absence. It only took a minute for the opener to throw me into a classic Arcturus atmosphere, rattling drums blitzed in the background as discordant guitars ring out with descending synths, throwing us into a symphonic hook led by ICS Vortex's adventurous, and still so charming vocals. Everything about this record as it played through made sense, the opening half having a lot of familiarity with different approaches and styles executed on previous records, the quality good enough to call its own. There were one or two moments that felt a little like carbon copy, the track "Archer" feeling like an outtake from sideshow symphonies, and "Angst" from "Aspera Hiems Symfonia". Ultimately its the shock of getting exactly what you wanted that feels a little surreal and the ten years apart feels almost non existent. "Arcturian" has sheltered itself from the world and let the band continue exploring them selfs, the only noticeable influence being the drum-step beat sampled on "Demon".

With the music doing so much right it manages to mask a big problem this record has. The production. Lets be blunt, its pretty appalling. From the get go its apparent there are issues, instruments fight for volume, bleed into one another and a lot of clarity is lost as the instruments collide in a messy mix that is inconsistent on multiple levels. The drums firstly, they sound different from track to track and often drown themselves in a rattle of noise. The guitars sometimes feel like an incoherent fuzz under over powering symphonies. For all my complaints, I am left with puzzling thoughts. The production doesn't ruin the music, but does it hold it back? Maybe it even adds to it? This isn't a case of low-fi production where the aesthetic is an edge, but the inconsistencies on a track by track basis perhaps suggest intentional manipulation of instrumental clarity, which in a few moments does work. Arcturian was an initially puzzling record, but from the get go its undeniably decent, a fine work which any fan would adore. It will be interesting to gauge the communities reation, and although I hope to hear a remastered release one day, I am undeniably satisfied by "Arcturian".

Rating: 8/10

Death Grips "Jenny Death" (2015)

"Jenny Death" is the second half of double album "The Powers That B" and may just be the last thing Death Grips ever release, but maybe not if you have followed the bands unpredictable behavior over the years. From no-shows to break up announcements via a note scribbled on a napkin, they have made a reputation for themselves, one that will never overshadow the music which speaks in deafening volumes, given the hard hitting and abrasive sound the trio create. Death Grips hail from Sacramento, California. Consisting of MC Ride on vocals, Zach Hill frenetically pounding his drum kit and Andy Morin handling the electronics and production. Their 2012 release "The Money Store" is one I have been meaning to write up on for some time, its served as one of the most impacting and ear opening records I'd ever heard. It deserves its own article but ill be blunt, Death Grips are the most exciting band I can think of these days.

My excitement for Jenny Death was somewhat muted, I found myself disappointed with the first half "Niggas On The Moon" which was a bare and stripped down record I had little connection with. Jenny is quite the opposite, a dense cluster of thick tracks rich with textural noise, felt through additional guest musicians performing guitars and synthesizers and typically unusual approaches to delivering melodies and grooves as Death Grips so often do. For the most part Jenny is reminiscent of the debut "Ex-Military" sound, with Ride's performances having a similar intensity and merciless frenetic quality as his shouts are interwoven with glitched out vocal samples, cuts and effects. The return of featured guitars also strengthens this similar feeling. "Pss Pss" and "The Powers That B" have a "No Love Deep Web" vibe with more electronic eccentrics oriented sound and deep bass. Beside the familiarities, some new and expansive ideas emerge with "Inanimate Sensation" build a song out of an ugly accelerating automobile impersonation, finding a hook in the most un-melodic of pitch shifts. "Why A Bitch Gotta Lie" delivers a massive party riff wrapped in growing layers of distortion and jittery paranoid electronics and Ride's howling screams phasing in and out of the background before busting in with ridiculous robotized effects that amount to an assault of wild exciting noise with Zach smashing on his symbols with unrestrained force.

These songs have textural sounds, dizzying noise abuse, dense electronics and sampling that arrive in a twisted package as track after track questions your rhythmic and melodic sensibilities, creating hooks from off kilt timings and smothering the songs with compressed layers of sound that aren't afraid of colliding and peaking, using distortion to effect, alongside Zachs monstrous drumming that often amplifies the intensity in many of these songs. In front of the instrumentation Ride's performances and lyrics tie in concepts and attitude that without would leave a gaping hole. The track "On Gp" bringing one of his best, and darkest moments. Individually, each song brings forth a lot of character and identity, a concept of its own, something I would identify with almost everything on their first three records. Its a refreshing return to form that sounds lively and exciting, showing the group still have relevant musical ideas and an energy to deliver them authentically.

Favorite Tracks: Inanimate Sensation, Why A Bitch Gotta Lie, Centuries Of Damn, On Gp

Rating: 5/10

Dødheimsgard "A Umbra Omega" (2015)

I was flooded by a wave of excitement when the news of this record's release made its way to me. Its been 16 years since the band dropped "666 International" and with the disappointment of 2007's "Supervillain Outcast" I should of been cautious, but alas the title and album cover sparked my imagination with hopes of a glorious return to form. On arrival this one went straight to the top of my playlist, but quickly I groaned as it became clear this wasn't going to be my cup of tea.

The aesthetic of the record isn't exactly Black Metal, churning blast beats and droning distorted guitars aside, its a muted, muddy and warm production that dampens the aggression and paves the way for its more flamboyant qualities. On paper it sounds like something id love, long passages of unraveling music that transitions from aggression and evolves through dark, eerie compositions, giving way for a variety of lighter instrumental ideas and intensities that across the five lengthy tracks explore many moods. The instrumentals alone are well performed, indulgent numbers that lack a spark or flair to truly define them. But crashing into the fragile like a knife through butter is Aldrahn wailing theatrics, his tone and delivery dispel the atmospherics and cut the tension. His loose, emotional performances scrape and pull on the chords of pain as his screams, shouts and crys punish the listener with their intensity. I appreciate the performance art in tracks like "Architect Of Darkness", where Aldrahns despairing screams paint the pain vividly, but their was something deathly off between the two as his vocals continually dispelled any magic the song was building.

And the music has magic, there is clearly something at work in these instrumentals when they break from the metallic and into the acoustic, ethereal reverb lead passages, there are a range of musical styles contributing to the unnerving and eerie atmospheres, including the use of additional instruments like ghostly pianos and haunting flutes. It could all amount to something beautiful, but often fell flat, undoubtedly helped along by  Aldrahn and Victonik's theatrics. I will continual to listen in the hope of familiarity overcoming the soreness, but initially its been a lacking listen, at least "brightened" in one sense of the word, by its richer acoustic moments.

Rating: 4/10

Foetus "Gash" (1995)

Starting from zero, the opening track "Mortgage" slowly progresses through a grudging beat that pounds as pounds as instruments and abstract sounds pile into the mix one by one. Narrated by musician J.G.Thirlwell the song evolves into a noisy, dissident dystopia of sound colliding together with strange harmony and balance. Its says much of this experimental record which juxtaposes all sort of musical styles with the ever-present noisy Industrial backbone in a chaotic fold of sound. Foetus is the main project of aforementioned Australian Experimental musician  J.G.Thirlwell who has built a large body of unique music over the years, under multiple pseudonyms. As well as developing connections with some prolific artists in the 90s, his own work has never seen much commercial success or critical acclaim but has certainly carved him a niche that sees him active to this day. "Gash" serves to be his biggest record, the only one to ever make a release on a major record label, Sony, who can be seen on the album cover, possibly intentional.

A lot of what is established in the first track is elaborated on throughout the album, noisy, Industrial tracks with a less intensive focus or vibe. Underneath the hard shell the guitars play out some Rock / Metal like riffs with minimal intensity, they often compliment leads and melodies brought in an array of instruments and styles that seem to consistently pull from different sources track to track. After moments of intense noise abuse, and eerie synths the album finds its way to a Swing / Big Band number "Slung", its jiving swing leads and clamorous undertone meld and stroll into a lengthy jam fest that returns to the main theme across eleven minutes. The track that follows couldn't find itself further away, a screeching, dark number. Thirlwell's vocal performance give this snarling shock rock track a Manson vibe. The bizarreness continues as a Classical, theatrical war like composition leads us into a quite genius dramatic piece that utilizes the progression of its noisy oddities with a peaking string number. Its an album of surprises and experimentation that doesn't fail to get your attention.

With the good often comes some bad, and this record would tip the scales in the wrong direction with its production which served to really hurt its potential to be great. This album is also produced by Thirlwell who's worked with big names before, but here on his own record his production style has held back everything great thats at work. I've listened to my fair share of Avant-Guard, genre blending music, and more so than often the unusual ideas presented need to be complimented by decent production. The guitars on this record are muddy, foggy and loose their impact in this messy production which fails to facilitate the needs of each instrument. The drums are thin and flat, the bass is a low fuzzy growl that occasionally gets noticed for something other than a loud rumbling, and for all of the extra instrumentation that comes and goes, none of it comes into the mix without clashing with something. Noise may be an important aesthetic here, but it can come from the layers of strange noises and instruments without clashing. With so much going on in the same space the low fidelity makes it difficult to absorb without focus and effort. Track after track throws down fantastic ideas, riffs and leads that are buried amongst one another and serve to suck the moment dry with lackluster fidelity. Its been a while since I've heard a record so hurt by production, but its a reminder that good musical ideas are not everything.

Rating: 5/10

Favorite Tracks: Mortgage, Mighty Whity, Slung, Steal Your Life Away, Mutapump

Arcturus "Sideshow Symphonies" (2005)

Arcturus are a highly respected outfit from Norway who pioneered their own Avant-Garde niche in the Black Metal scene. Starting out with more traditional elements they quickly evolved into a unique and energetic, chaotic showcase of intelligent and deep musicianship that delivered some classic and unforgettable progressive records that have had a resounding impact on my personal experience with music. Their Avant-Garde fusion of Symphony, Black Metal & Electronic styling has been legendary, however this album has been considered a miss by many fans and critics, and for me it is their finest hour. Where other felt they had "toned it down", for me, it was a sign of artistic maturity and an appreciation of powerful and subtle writing.

Sideshow Symphonies nine songs seamlessly drift through an astral journey with absorbing, atmospheric compositions crafted through the subtle and layered music. At every moment in this album many small and detailed elements paint a bigger picture. Whirling distant synthesizers, bright pianos, crunchy guitars and paramount leads, all gluing together effortlessly, with many moments in the album bringing different instruments to the forefront. The album sounds crisp and lush, with the subtlety of the instrumentals being the key element here. There is no competition between any of the instruments. Hellhammer's drumming is sharp as ever providing a strong, yet creative backbone for these songs to reside in.

With all thats good to be said about the instrumentation, Vortex's vocal leads steal the show. This man has a stunningly melodic and honest Scandinavian voice. On the track Demonpainter he brings a lead on another level thats unforgettable. I've had the pleasure of seeing him sing live a few times and there's no studio tricks, its raw talent, and its utilized well on this album which has been a favorite of mine for years. Every time i listen its all to easy to get warped up and lost in the wonderful Sideshow Symphonies masterpiece!

Favorite Track: Demonpainter

Rating: 9/10