Qendresa "Londra" (2024)

Shifting gears, refining the chemistry, Londra trades in its Vapourwave idiosyncrasies for a dusky flavor. This collection of mellowed out R&B dwellings settle on subdued night light vibes, with a touch of Noir Jazz gloom to it. It becomes more apparent as the record grows, early on moods are brighter. Its opener 2 Much revels in a groovy G-Funk shadow. Its all subtitles tho, as the musics tempo is consistently effortless.

 

 Despite having engaging instrumentals that consistently conjure these slick, dusky spells, its Qendresa herself who breaks the allure as the album progress. Early on her soft singing charms, Sweet Lies reminiscent of Grimes at her best. Toning down the presence of these smooth sung lines, opting in for a casual, spoken word approach to her verses, a social, conflict oriented braggadocio persona steadily emerges.

 

Its this lyrical focus that spoiled the musical magic for me. Status oriented, plain worded ventilations of social dramas and relationship woes cross' paths with seemingly shallow statements of boastful intent, aimed at putting down others. The self indulgence of it all added an unemphatic layer to the music hard to relate with. Otherwise a solid listen but this shift in tone to "harden up" was not to my liking.

 

Rating: 4/10 

Little Simz "Lotus" (2025)

 

Simz is one to deliver a slice of life within her ambitious records, however Lotus is precisely that slice alone. With little beyond delivering ruminations on life's current struggles, one sorely senses the absence of an anthem like Venom or Woman. I suspect Young may have been this intended beat, however its overt British jibe and cheeky tone plays like an echo of Blur's Park Life, lacking that oomph to sell itself.

Free strikes me as the records high point, a mellow spell, uniting Soul and Jazz Hop with periodic flashes of serenading string sections. Simz's expressive yet plain spoken raps make for easy listening through a soothing aesthetic chemistry. This however becomes the records fatal sticky point. So much of Lotus' affable energy fails to surpass itself and muster a meaningful gusto that can break this eternally gentle tone.

Enough comes close, livening up with a firm percussive dance beat. Frolicking hooks and mischievous baselines create a playful tone among its sporadic splurges of zany synth. So to does the records title track strive ambitious and bold with its big instrumentation. Simz' raps a firm source of intrigue and emotive release, yet the jazzy instrumentation feels underwhelming in comparison to the fires set in her lyrics.

Other chapters of Lotus' mellow out into scenic lulls, comparable to spoken poetry. Simz's lyrics feel more like intimate journals or exhaled thoughts than composed verses in a structured song. On one hand, a curious experience, on the other, repetition breeds a dullness as familiarity makes for a mostly uneventful album.

Rating: 6/10

Sikth "Death Of A Dead Day" (2006)

A blast from the past! This record I experienced mostly though my friends. Having devoured The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out, I recall not being particularly impressed with this new venture. We saw Sikth at Download Festival and then they split up. Its left this record buried deep in the memories. Unearthing it again highlights its flaws, an underwhelming sophomore from a group who set the bar high for themselves.

 

Death Of A Dead Day yields its twelve cuts to the metallic kneel, choking their own peculiarities as creativity gets channeled into what feels like convention. Despite being loaded with spurious fret tapping melodies, complex harmonies and the occasional poly rhythm, Sikth under deliver on what made them stand apart. The enigmatic beast is present but the compositional approach leaves ideas underwhelming.

 

With all that said, this is a very enjoyable record, full of musical virtuoso and chaotic melodies you wont hear elsewhere. An entertaining listen where twists and turns come fast and frequent, a restless nature always embarking on the next musical idea. Led by the exchanges of their duo front act, its what you'd expect from Sikth.

 

Having given it a bunch of spins once again, I'd discovered Summer Rain and As The Earth Spins Round to be exception cuts, the latter ending the record with a fantastic outro riff uniting a pacey choppy rhythm guitar with epic melancholic lead melody. These peaks are comparable with their best output but the record plays a clear grade below that fantastic debut album. Approaching twenty years, Its been a nostalgic trip.

Rating: 7/10 

Qendresa "Midnight Request Line" (2020)

Dropping in with a sleek 00s R&B voice, London singer Qendresa distinguishes herself from the crowd with genius instrumental chemistry. Its seemingly obvious in retrospect but I'd yet to hear this combination before. Given that Vapourwave often pitches samples from the umbrella of Soul, Funk and Disco, this is an obvious fit.

 

Taking the foundation of R&B, these instruments play slowed and slurred. Melodies and tempos descend into a dreamy Ethereal realm, as the breezy Vapourwave aesthetic emerges from this approach. Armed with slow G-Funk era baselines, the likes of Ice Cube's You Know How We Do It comes to mind, the music croons.

 

At a short twenty minutes, the craft blooms on tracks Real Luv and Be Mine, whereas the rest of the record descends into a vibe over substance tangent. Midnight Request Line exposes this fantastic chemistry, yet struggles to explore its potential depths, leaving one with a solid apatite for more. However this vibe is undeniably on point.

 

Rating: 6/10

State Azure "80s Ambient Reinventions" (2024)

 

 

Further exploring the "inconsequential" landscape of Psybient and Cosmic Ambience music has led me back to State Azure, an artist with a distinct approach to acute minimalism, crafting ambient tunes that simply captivating one in its moment only. 80s Ambient Reinventions caught my attention for its inspirations. Five big hits from the decade past, re-spun by glossy keyboard synths to linger in a incidental space.

 

The record starts steady, gradually building. Brief echos of motifs and melodies guide the music, borrowed from the original songs. As the album progress track by track, so to does its connection to the original source, deepening that connection. Opening with Save A Prayer, inspired Berlin School arpeggios drone in a melodic trance, propelled by a lean and hard percussive force. So to does With Love Comes Quickly.

 

Running Up That Hill and In The Air Tonight play soother cuts, calming renditions. The latter extracts distinctions like the 80s epic lead guitars and classic gated tom sound, pivoting them into an atmosphere roll. The enigmatic chords of the song linger in the fold, completely reshaping the original. Its a wonderful creation. So too is another 80s classic, Tears For Fears' timeless hit, Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

 

This one feels closest to its origin, the melodies play distinct, with similar aesthetics, yet appear spaced out, slowly merging closer together as the song grows its layers. This measured build up creates tension, an anticipation for some sort of crescendo that never arrives. Its my favorite of the five! Feeling like an endearing echo of the songs spirit, observed across time and space itself. A wonderful little record!

 

Rating: 7/10 

Sleep Token "Even In Arcadia" (2025)

 

 Lingering on the cutting emotive sensations of Vessel, this newest chapter, Even In Arcadia, plays like poetry in motion, a dwell of personal exorcisms originating from a lyrical inception. This impression could simply speak to the frontman's charming R&B leaning vocal inflections. As their key song-writer, this synergy unites voice and instrumental with a deeper, intentional chemistry than most. Its a now familiar formula but on this occasion, Sleep Token nail the album experience from front to back.

Shy of an hour, it breezes by effortlessly. Look To Windward opens, immersing us in artistic heavies as the throws of Djent yield to a grand gravitas carrying its tensions into soaring melody. Emergence and Dangerous lend their swells of momentum to metallic atmospheres as do other songs like the gorgeous Caramel. Concluding with blast beats and shrill howls, its ever curious how they seamlessly bridge such a chasm from their catchy 00s Garage beats with Pop vocals to untethered extremes.

 I'd often considered Sleep Token a stealth vehicle for Pop sensibilities into a genre usually adverse to such musical pleasures. Only its title track passes without a swell of metallic energy, a curiosity given how all my impressions stem from Vessel's delightful voice and the emotive melodies that accompany him. Its a wonderful orchestration of sombre piano that dissolves in tightening airy ambiences as the songs resolves itself in a common swelling. The violin on exit is a fine touch of craft.

 The thematic dance played between beauty, pain and introspection wrapped in sunny melancholy defines this record. Its reflection from words to sound a delight. On reflection, I appreciate its swells of intensity so much more. Their natural progression had me overlooking the dynamic shifts on a casual listen. That can't be said of closer Infinite Baths. Its groovy revelry in filth, a shock and horror to remember, seeing the experience out as if its all been sucked into a black hole. What a cracking album by a band reaching new heights. Along with the Saturday headline slot at Download Festival, this a moment that could ascend their profile even further.

Rating: 8/10

Amebix "Monolith" (1987)

 

I'll conclude my curiosity here, with the bands final original works of this era. Monolith, an overt Motorhead inspired step closer to Heavy Metal territory, fails to inspire as a grander heathen vision meets its Crust Punk roots. If anything, its the gritty, rotten rumble of the later that holds it back. Guitar melodies and song structures strive for a sullen burley might but fall short through this tarnished aesthetic tone. Its a messy record, slopy and loose performances birth dreary dismal moods. Some of its grooves and scaling power chord riffs try to escape this grasp but these creative strides seem to unravel unremarkably into a monotone grind. Its better songs kick off the record with some promise but rather swiftly the unrelenting gray dulls these forgiving ears.

Rating: 3/10

Amebix "Arise!" (1985)

Further exploring suggestions of proto-Black Metal coincidences we arrive at Arise! Amebix's sophomore effort venturing in 80s Heavy Metal. Casting of the shackles noisy Crust Punk tonality, stiff power chord oriented songs march through a metallic demeanor skating into Post-Punk territory for its hooks. Cutting riffs rot under tom pounding drums that lack an articulation fit for metallic aggression. Gruff heathen shouts spew forth, lacking charm, crying over a sea of mediocrity making strides for big theatrics. It falls short as repetitive song writing tends to sell its vision short.

Touches of something medieval, barbaric, even tribal emerge through lyrical suggestions and pounding repetition. Devoid of melody, this idea mostly emanates from front man Rob Miller. His rural presence conjuring similarities to an early Bathory. Songs could swiftly be transformed into grand visions with outbreaks of triumphant lead guitar melody, however they remain confined to the grinding shred and gallop of Heavy Metal rhythm guitar. Although to dated for my taste, it has some curious merits.

Rating: 4/10

Amebix "No Sanctuary" (1983)

 

Having recently entered some conversations on the origins of proto-Black Metal, this British Crust Punk outfit share some peculiar similarities at times with Bathory and to a lesser extent Venom. Given the confrontational nature of this music and expanding exploration of extremity, this seems a case of retroactive co-incidence, given a lack of mention from any originators of second wave Black Metal.

My ears immediately turn to fellow Post-Punk era Killing Joke. With a menacing fuzz of dissonance powered by a repetitive rhythm section, crashing walls of scratchy lead guitar noise wails alongside angered shouts of rage. Its gritty production rolls the instruments into an atonal mess of texture, spewing forth an unsettled mood. Lacking ferocity, these grizzly soundscapes make one feel like an observer, detached from gruesome atrocities the topicality likely depicts, given its harrowing cover art.

Mid-tempo marches revel in grinding repetition. Baselines articulate iterations, dodge a sense of melody whilst adding expression. The music routinely drags itself along with its charm seemingly buried in these strange chromatic rumblings. Barbaric strikes of percussion interrupt without groove, crafting a sense of anti-music inspirations.

Control seems to be the one song connected to Bathory. Its heathen like vocal choir tilts the atmosphere to something satanic and mysterious. The suggestion shapes its shredding guitar riff to a similar tilt. In juxtaposition, at the other end of the record, Sunshine Ward goes in an entirely different direction, sounding like The Cure or possibly a parody of. Interesting listen, curious atmosphere but not a lot to latch onto.

Rating: 5/10

The Brand New Heavies "Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol 1" (1992)

 

 

British act The Brand New Heavies try their hand at collaboration with rap heavy hitters of the era. Adding story driven rhymes to the mix, the Acid Jazz outfit come full circle on their Hip Hop persuasions that mostly shape up percussive loops with repetitious groove. The fit seems perfect, given the shared influences of Soul, Funk, R&B and Disco on both the bands style and young rappers parental music.

Working with a pre-Wu-Tang Clan Master Ace, Kool G Rap, Main Source, Guru of Gangstarr and legendary The Pharcyde, the band scoop up some top talent among other guests, each track receiving a guest act to layer in the vocal element. The band shape their slick Acid Jazz grooves into fruity, flavorful loops - lively, tailored with apt color and melody. Despite its organic nature, the performance stiffens, stripping out the opportunity for tangents, iterations or progressive leaning song structures.

 

Once a beat makes itself known, it sticks firmly, resting a lot of the music on its rappers who meld with the tone to various degrees of success. With such smiley, friendly instrumentals, its curious to hear Kool G Rap excellence on Death Threat. A strutting baseline and shimmering guitar leads add a soft gangster attitude to its tone. Kool takes it the rest of the way with fierce rhymes and aggressive energetic delivery.

Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol 1 is a competent listen, capturing the rap scene at the end of its Golden Era / Jazz Hop sound, right before big shifts in tone over the next couple of years. With quite a few weak performances and a lack of identifiable hooks, its served as a fun listen to plunder a couple of fun tracks from. Sadly wont have me returning for more, despite the disappointment, its a shame more crossovers like this haven't taken place in this era of Hip Hop. There was such potential here.

Rating: 5/10

State Azure "Stellar Descent" (2023)

 

 

This will be my last record for the year, a documentation of discovery. One for the "space music" playlist, State Azure caught my ear with a level of care worthy of attention. At a mammoth one hour forty five minutes, Stellar Descent plays as a astral mood setter. Carefully crafted compositions straddle between shimmering synths yawning in cosmic wonder and a digital counterpart of bustling, whirling synthetic instruments, skirting tuneful melody and conjuring echos of 70s electronica.

No compositions stood apart as distinct or memorable. With everything from its subtle mechanical percussive sways to melting galactic aesthetics serving its atmosphere, these songs drift by in a haze of temporal relaxation. Although structured with transitions and pivots, they flow by calm and understated. These instrumentals never lean into a hook or catchy tune but forge deep tones suited for the star gazing imagination. Excellent background music for focusing on a task of mental demand.

 

My time with Stellar Descent didn't unearth new ground or reach the emotional highs of a Dreamstate Logic. It was a familiar feeling, executed with class and care, finding the meditative balance I enjoy. Subtle by design and intent, I think this is a fair fit for anyone looking to add more to this type of niche listening experience.

Rating: 6/10

Boston Manor "Sundiver" (2024)

  

Exploring the many charms of 90s Alternative Metal, Boston Manor returned armed with exquisite execution over originality. Sundiver is a captivating record led by front-man Henry Cox who's empowered voice swoons in the emotional current. Pivoting from soft streams of emotive vulnerability to roars of clean confidence, he sings unabashed by the overt stylistic imitations of Chino Moreno. So to do his band mates revel in musical arrangements, groovy riffs and aesthetics pioneered by the Deftones. His other flattery emerges in catchy, tuneful deliveries like Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon would do, these two personalities define much of his vocal presence.

 Its all taken in wondrous stride, every track tightly wound, a perfect fit of elements. Broken up by interludes exploring dreamy acoustics, Ethereal Drum n Bass loops and perusing baselines, its main songs are given space to breath in these intriguing lulls. Venturing into Shoegazing guitar aesthetics and mammoth Nu Metal adjacent grooves, Boston Manor navigate their inspirations with class, birthing fiery songs with inviting passion and emotional resonance to engulf. The whole affair is breezy, warm and uplifting as swells of aggression are vented with positivity. Its definitely a contender for best Metal album of the year! I've struggled to put this one down.

Rating: 8/10

Fred Again.. "Ten Days" (2024)

With humble heart and introspective tone, Fred Again.. centers his emotive themes around cherry picked intimate moments. Crafting hypnotic drones, warm and inducing, this Progressive House journey persuades one with its smooth ebb and flow, an organic sway of dreamy intensities. Routinely soothing its way through gentle lulls of calm, the returning blissful swells of energy play to much gratification. Grasping one with the power of rhythm and repetition, a therapeutic experience often emerges.

 

The instrumental architecture is impressive. Steadied by sturdy drum grooves, cliche House pianos and pounding baselines drive the music forward. Subtle, intricate sounds linger between gorgeous reverberations, Ethereal tones and ambiguous voices drift in from the musical backdrop, enriching those words expressed upfront, often lingering on a simple motif, exploring its depth through a songs dynamic arc.

The topicality feels personal, vulnerable, a humanist exploration. Geared around relationships and innate social experiences, a youthful vibrancy emerges from the moments of intimacy explored in its lyrics. Its mostly channeled through his many guests. They voicr nine of these ten songs, with Fred lending his own tender performance for the percussion-less melancholy of I Saw You. It gives each number a unique human aesthetic. Anderson .Paak being a surprise fit I would not of expected.

A variety of flavors and moods lay in wait. Ten Days never repeats itself, playing fresh and vibrant with every spin. The particulars of ones own mood will relate to its differing emotional avenues. For me, the joyous upbeat swells felt in Places To Be and Glow are firm favorites. Peace U Need plays a close contented, often persuading one to its charm with a spiritual union of classic House and Soul tinted by a touch of Gospel.

Despite this apparent excellence and heartfelt sincerity, Ten Days doesn't always engulf. Perhaps its susceptible nature requires room within for the emotions its exudes. Powerful but particular, its shortcoming lies in an ability to transform ones own energy to its frequency. On that ground, there were times I world spin the album and feel distant. On the right days, its beauty would flow effortlessly. This experience however, might simply be my own misgivings. A memorable record none the less.

 

Rating: 7/10

Slowdive "Kisses (Remixes)" (2024)

The highlight of last years Everything Is Alive was undoubtedly Kisses! A warm, dreamy track, serine and blissful in its innocent Shoegazing goodness. This EP stitches on three similar length remixes. Surprisingly, they do a decent job furthering the magic of this song. An opening electronic mix trades in walls of Ethereal noise for classic sine wave pulses, a stripped back rendition adding retro flare to the music.

Daniel Avery's remix drops in a pacey Drumstep loop to energize the temperament with stealthy Liquid Drum & Bass vibes. Additional glazier synths accompany too, replacing vocals for the songs later half. A collaboration with Ambient legends Grouper claims the highlight. Dialing up its rumbling ambiguities and retreating percussion entirely, the music becomes washed up in a haze of reverberating clouds.

Ending with the original composition affirms its excellence. Somehow spinning this over a handful of times doesn't tire such a beautiful song. Totally worth a listen if you vibed with it in any capacity. I would however critique a lack of daring to stride in search of new terrain. These remixes played it safe and straightforward, which works.

Rating: 3/10

Last Wishes "Organized Hate" (2022)

 

 

Conjuring echos vague echos of 80s Crossover Thrash and 90s Alternative Metal, Last Wishes play classic beat-down Hardcore with a familiar flare. I'd avoid baiting nostalgia but all my points of reference reach back to bygone eras. This production packages the music convincingly, feeling as if it would fit snugly into a glorious 90s.

 

Armed with throaty shouts, softened guitar distortions and plenty of percussive groove, the aesthetics achieved greatly compliment the music. Gang shouts, two steps rhythms and routinely dropping into half-time all accompany on this feisty ride of channeled anger. The usual topics of loyalty, self empowering attitude and social frustrations get vented through the unchanging scream of front man Corin.

All these tropes may sound antiquated but Last Wishes execute this vision with an arsenal of competent riffs fit for purpose. Its an endearing record, reaching for a specific inspiration and finding it. No remarkable peaks are summited yet it holds its tone firmly for the twenty six minute stint. I happen to be quite keen on this arrangement, it routinely reminded me fondly of classic records from my youth.

 

Rating: 6/10

Graywave "Dancing In The Dust" (2024)

 

Stepping forth from Rebirth, another six-track EP lands Graywave in their darkest territory yet. Dreary in tone, dismal and bleak, these melancholic songs explore downtrodden sorrows in a stormy, engulfing resonance. Recycling a now familiar formula, each song sways from eerie Shoegazing acoustic melodies into a swell of blissful noise. Euphoric in relief from woe, these eruptions remedy the graven, haunting tunes that proceeded. Both halves play infectious, a gripping concoction.

I've binged lead single Blur Into One beforehand, Its my favorite Graywave song. Jess' spellbinding performance sucks one in along its cathartic descent from dreamy origins. These other tracks fit snugly around it. Cycle's depressive demeanor marks a perilous plunge, a challenging ride as this shadowy beast finds its darkest corner. Dancing In The Dust amps the energy, deploying a rock steady beat to twist tristful tones into a surreal uplift. A derivative on their blueprint that plays luminous and bold.

That experimentation might be a way to move forward. This obvious formula has done wonders so far yet may eventually run its course. Stitched on to the end of Dark Spell plays a distorted, glitching beat. Its reminiscent of New Order's classic Blue Monday. Utterly inconsequential, yet could possibly hint at something afresh to come?

Either way, this works right now and the aesthetic is engrossing. Calmer spells deliver twisted melodies, beautifully intertwined with feedback and shimmering noises. Its heavy halves plunge with devilish bite. Bass rumbling, distortion guitars swelling and possibly some crafty synths amass into lunging sways of delightful yet burdensome bliss. Jess' sorrowed, sailing voice and damaged lyrics tie it all together.

Rating: 7/10

Bring Me The Horizon "Post Human: Nex Gen" (2024)

 

Five years on from the opinion dividing Amo, a diverse yet trendy leaning record, Bring Me The Horizon return again to the cutting edge of catchy, tuneful Metal. We got a whiff of this feisty spirit on preceding EP Survival Horror. The Post Human series continues in aggressive glory as the group nail down a solid set of songs, remaining intense and lively while skirting edges with Pop Rock melodies and Post-Hardcore creativity. Weighty sonic riffs and the mania of glitchy frenzied synths in its extremes, yet gracefully swaying into the arms of Pop sensibilities through Ollie's knack for catchy, ear worm choruses that hook into the vulnerability of your personal emotions.

Lyrically, the theme continuously hinges on negative internal dialogs, spinning the words of self doubt and inner turmoil into anthemic sing-alongs. These songs pair their tuneful inflections with words for strongly palatable emotions we have all experienced. Its cathartic, yet hollow. A spin machine twisting hurtful self talk into spirited release yet little of matured substance lies below the surface of these catchy cadences.

Originality is always a curiosity with Bring Me The Horizon, a line can always be traced elsewhere, some echos, obvious or vague, to other bands and genres. Although a favorite song of mine, Limousine blushes in its naked Diamond Eyes era Deftones demeanor. Even Ollie sings to Chino's tune as the low-end guitars crunch and peruses with the lunging gravitas of Steven Carpenter's definitive style.

Many other influences make themselves known too but ultimately this record boils down to song writing, which they have lock and key. As always, these musicians know how to forge musical ideas into apt structures that revel in their merits. Each song feels fully realized as riffs, melodies and hooks land without fail. Their unconventional side shines bright too, the OST interludes breaking the flow for spicy deviations.

Aesthetically, density is a delight. A tight production bordering on wall of sound, as guitars often get lost in the weave of electronic noises. Glitchy bursts of color and vibrant synths intermingle, deepening the experience as its pivots and transitions invite a flavorful diversity steadily becoming more frequent in modern Metal. For me, this is an unsurprising assemble of many proven ideas wielded to their Pop Metal writing. Its nothing they haven't done before, the true test will be how long these songs will stick around for. I have a feeling this ones got a handful to go the distance.

Rating: 7/10

Horsebeach "Things To Keep Alive" (2024)

 

Befitting of its mellow breezy aesthetic, Things To Keep Alive navigates through soothing, strolling tempos keen on a dissecting introspection of ones present situation. Direct and unambiguous, Kennedy's lyrics warms the heart ache and pains to the positive powers of reflection. Its felt instrumentally first, a steady current sails buoyant, soaked in the glow of effortless sunny skies. The tang of surfing guitar licks over simple drum grooves croons in gentle optimism. Whimsical melodies and softly Ethereal reverberations anchoring a little melancholic sour with the sanguine sweet.

Occasional chirpy synths and stiff 808s add an enjoyable quirky disposition to the dominant temperament, which across these ten tracks treads familiar footings. A couple of songs toy with subtle build ups, calmed climaxes and fuzzy distortions but mostly its an easy breezy affair to mercifully manipulate your mood. Pure Shores stood out, immediately giving me a sense of nostalgia. Convinced it was a cover, I was reminded of the All Saints hit I heard plenty times over in my youth. I liked that one but seems dulled in comparison to the life Horsebeach breathed into it.

Rating: 6/10

Wargasm "Venom" (2023)

 

With refined stylistic focus, Wargasm return, honing in on their own antagonizing identity. With additional ferocity, the spirit of a Nu Metal revival is in the air. With Venom, a consistent streak of Gold Cobra era Wes Borland guitar riffs guides their Electro-Punk mania to gratifying bursts of aggression. The duo strip out the genres tired downtrodden spirit, infusing it with obnoxious club drums, dizzying studio manipulations and generalized chaos. Underpinned by an enthused energy fit for the stage, most these cuts play with visions of them tearing it up in front of a lively crowd.

Fred Durst shows up for a massive, bouncy collaboration, making influences clear and known. Its a fantastic endorsement. These big riff songs tend to be the standouts. A string of early tracks lacked these guitar elements and it didn't land the same. When the unhinged rage and jilted grooves collide, this pair are in their element. Later in the record the metallic side gets explored in varying intensities to great enjoyment. I've enjoyed Venom immensely but I'm keen to see them mature and take these ideas further.

Rating: 7/10

Applefish "Luminous" (2023)

 

This third of three leaves me with less to remark but Applefish has caught my attention and made it onto my coveted Temporal Focus playlist. Luminous is a lighter companion, less suggestive of its theme despite the track titling signaling intent. Lofty ruminations suspend animation and linger within a sparkling display of apt synths and familiar ambiguities. Each song is a flavor of calm, occasionally drifting into serenity.

 A couple of tracks offer some curiosity and mystique but nothing dramatic. The opening Star Trails is my favorite, taking the slow elongated swell of these synth arrangements and gracing them with a looping melody that drags the soundscape reluctantly over a powerful yet subtly delivered chord arrangement. This level of craft seemed lacking elsewhere but each song works with a different energy.

Rating: 5/10