Fractal "Luminate" (2013)

Consisting of just three tracks, this short EP from Baltimore based DJ "Fractal" serves as chilled yet energetic amalgamation of styles that pulls from House, Drum & Bass, Dubstep and Ethereal through a dreamy ambient overtone. The tracks "Breath" and "Same Side" have a fluid, dynamic flow, sharing a comparable pallet of airy vocal leads, bright Ethereal synths and a warm robust bass that glues the Dub like snare and kick into the fold. The two share similar leads and melodies, but "Breath" steals the show with its progression and climax to an almighty moment that conveys a stunning, beautiful lead vocal that conjoins with a surreal wave of oozing Ethereal synth and pounding energy from the bass and drums that leaves one feeling unsure if they want to dance or lay down.

The records production has its instruments tightly packed together and competing for volume in a compression heavy mix that is becoming rather commonplace in post-Dubstep electronic music. Its well executed on this record and has the kicks and leads punching through the dreamy wall of synth effectively. The first track "Luminate" is a great example, a song littered with samples, noises and glittery leads that continually pound through the bass lines backing. Its a tight composition of numbers that ends before it gets going and the disappointment, as often with EPs, is the length, a lack of substance, however that can't fault the songs here which are charactered and immersible.

Favorite Track: Breath

Rating: 3/10

Grover Washington Jr "Feels So Good" (1975)

American saxophonist Grover Washington Jr was born and raised in New York City. From a young age he was taught the sax and for his musical output in the 70s is considered a pioneer in the world of Smooth Jazz. Like Return To Forever's "Romantic Warrior", this is another record from the "Jazz Classics" that quickly defined itself as a calmer, smoother, soulful record that cruises through relaxed, chilled out numbers and grooves that bring a spicy of funk to an obvious Smooth Jazz vibe led by Grover's steady leads on the sax. This record and "Mister Magic" released the same year remain as his commercial peaks on the American billboard charts.

Smooth around the edges, this record actually contains a fair amount of funk and energy between the calmer, atypical styles of Smooth Jazz. The opener, "The Sea Lion" has a powerful narration from the string section which fades in from black to brew the bolder moments, seemingly jumping it at will to emphasize the point. Never as ever present, it drifts to the background for the rest of the record which jives and jams its way through colorful themes of class and style from a now retro past. "Moonstreams" is an exception as the records sleepy number that slowly drifts down the river as a gentle lead guitar plucks a mellow, tender soul.

The last three tracks delve deeper into the Funk and Smooth chemistry as tight chunky baselines strut under soulful saxophone leads that feel their way through the jam. The drums are there throughout, accommodating the flow but feel damp and contained in a mix that gives the aesthetic a lot of clarity for the other instruments. Its a record thats engaging, but far from memorable. It suits a mood but fails to leave a melody or moment in my mind. 

Favorite Tracks: Knucklehead, Hydra

Rating: 5/10

Download Festival 2015 Top 10 Performances

I've been going to donington for nearly a decade now, and although I've missed a couple on recent years I absolutely adore this festival which proves time and time again to be an amazing and truly inspiring event. With the venues history and size its like mecca for metal heads and fans of heavy, alternative music. In recent years the direction has broadened to incorporate more rock and alternative than in previous years and the result is a diverse line up rammed with so many bands you'll never be short of something to watch!

(10) Corrosion Of Conformity

My first time seeing this band and they had one of the best sounds, everything was crisp, guitar tones where niche and the performance tight. Especially enjoyed bassist Mike Dean's groove and energy while playing.

(9) Madball

Having recently enjoyed their debut "Set It Off" I had no reason not to check them out, and they rocked a great set for a smaller crowd who were really into it. Especially liked frontman Freddy Cricien's attitude on stage.

(8) Lamb Of God

Tight, solid performance with decent sound from a band that delivered the aggression and Metal I was in the mood for. Good set, included some new songs which sounded decent.

(7) Slipknot

Disappointed the weather held me back from going down the front where the action is. Even though my hunger for this band is still strong I found myself enjoying it from a distance despite being cold and wet. They still put on a great show.

(6) Dolomite Minor

Visiting the forth stage in between bands is a must! I've discovered many gems doing this and Dolomite is one of them! This duo rocked some serious oldskool Rock / Metal grooves on Sabbath like tones, playing them over and over to great effect.

(5)  Evil Scarecrow

Was blown away by how fun this band were at Bloodstock. There was big anticipation in a rammed tent for these guys who's reputation is growing. The show and music was spot on and very entertaining. It felt like they were ready for a bigger crowd, maybe second stage next year.

(4) Suicidal Tendencies

Absolute legends, I hastily made my way from Shikari to find myself in a wild and energetic crowd that were living up every song in the tent, crowd surfing, moshing and general chaos ensued seeing out the festival in unforgettable style.

(3) Marilyn Manson

At 46 it was obvious that his performance wouldn't be quite the spectacle it once was but given my recent found love for his music this would only be fantastic. His persona was a little strange, he seemed fascinated with Ice-T who was watching but it just added to the mystique and turned out to be one hell of a show.

 (2) Body Count

Never thought id see this band. Seeing them on the bill was like a wet dream and I made sure I was there at the killing floor to watch an absolute legend perform with a band I've been listening to since I found Gangster Rap and Metal. The set was explosive, the band came out looking mean and ready for war. They rocked a hard set of classics, Ice-T hardly looked his age and gave a lot of energy, their bassist shocked me as he bare handed ripped the strings of his bass during their exit from the stage. Amazing.

(1) Enter Shikari

I wasn't anticipating much more than an enjoyable show. Got a spot right behind the barrier center stage and found myself getting totally into their performance. A few songs in I made my way to the pit and moshed the night away to a fantastic set that had me in high spirits. The mud, the weather wouldn't stop us! It was all about the music and reminded me that this is what download festival is all about, and why I will keep going.

Notorious B.I.G "Life After Death" (1997)

I can't recall how or why, but from an early age it got stuck in my mind that Biggie was a rapper I didn't like. About nine years ago a colleague turned me onto "Ready To Die" and I wouldn't denied that I really enjoyed it, despite still being a little skeptical of the New York rapper. Over time my preconceptions subsided and I grew a lot of respect for one of Hip Hops finest rappers. "Life After Death" is the first posthumous from Biggie who's fatality came two weeks before this record release. Upon recently discovering this I had to give it a listen, I had been under the impression all these years that this one was like "Born Again", a collection of outtakes thrown together without his input, but the album was completed before his death. Its almost eerie to see the cover now, the hearse, the title predicting his mortality and behind it all an absolute gem I've missed out on all these years.

Life After Death quickly makes its mark, your eight tracks deep and realizing every track is a classic. The bold formidable attitude of Biggie's raps gravitates with sleek, crisp gangster beats creating fleshed out immersible themes that dive into Mafioso Rap thanks to excellent production from Puff and a wide array of collaborators who brew a consistent, flowing record thats flexes between mob threats, to Biggie rapping over oldskool classics (Schooly D) and jumping into disco party numbers and back again with a natural flow within the diversity. Theres 110 minutes of fine Hip Hop full of beefs, drama and digs, classic verses and anthemic beats that take a leading step into the money and success bling era of Hip Hop. 

Across the record Biggie brings in a fantastic selection of features that bring their own style to his, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony bring their tuneful gangster melodics to "Notorious Thugs", Jay-Z with his champaign sipping "I Love the Dough" produced by Easy Mo Be sounding like a "Reasonable Doubt" outtake. R Kelly crafts a seductive, alpha male, 90s RnB track "Fuck You Tonight" that works despite being the most polarizing track on the record. The Lox join Biggie on "Last Day" for an East Coast gangster track reminiscent of Mobb Deep. It was a refreshing approach to collaborations and really stood out as a strength for this record, keeping the flow varied and oozing with variety as Biggie lends the spotlight to his guests to make some classic collaborations.

The production on this record is the finest Ive heard in a while, you can hear its relavence to bringing the bling era to the mainstream with sleek stylish sampling and drum programming taking a step away from the rawer, bombastic early 90s sound. Its forward thinking in the record their are some dazzling moments. "I Got A Story To Tell" rattles a sleek groove between snare claps over a guitar sample for the entire song, and its repetition is perfect for Biggie to flow a fantastic story over. "Last Day" features a slick emphasis as a rolling bass drum kick grooves under the tracks best lines. Easy Mo Bee also grabbed my attention with some fantastically crafted numbers, including "I'm Going Back To Cali" which plays of the aesthetics of  Dr.Dre's "California Love", including the memorable vocoder effects.

Biggie's raps speak for them-selfs, smooth flow, engaging and his flustered tone is easy on the ears, but trying to analyze a little deeper has always been a little difficult, hes got a charm thats hard to put your finger on, but this record has me believing its the lyrical creativity, obviously, but how its delivered through flows where Biggie drops rhymes to his own grooves thats not strictly in line with the beat. The splitting of words to match his groove is also a finesse touch, and I love his singing voice on "Playa Hater", a crude cover of "The Delfonics". Its unapologetic, humorous and enjoyable. Life After Death is a classic I can't help but love, and will be one I turn to often. My only qualms with this record is Puff throwing himself into the background of a lot of tracks, laughing and being unnecessary, its an annoyance. The second disc also has a couple of track not quite at the level of the first, but they are still great songs. Terrific record, very glad i found my way to it.

Rating: 9/10

Metallica "St. Anger" (2003)

Having caught up with my musings on the records Ive digested recently I thought it would be fun to pick out this confusing record from my youth, listen to it once more and give my thoughts on what is generally considered a catastrophe from the worlds biggest Metal band, Metallica, a band that needs no introduction. Having grown up on the first four albums this was to be my generations Metallica record and the excitement was immense, six years since "Reload", the return of Bob Rock, a few years after the Napster controversy and at the end of the Nu Metal mainstream success this would be the groups last release in the MTV / RIAA controlled industry era which really went all out to give this record hype. On its release it was highly praised, reviews were great and airplay was high, me and my friends loved this record. I can't remember in what time frame it happened, but it seemed like everyone sobered up quickly, re reviews rolled in and the hysteria died down fast and the album received a lot of flak, especially online in a different era of internet communication. Its legacy is that of a flop, a joke, a record hated by fans and songs no longer played live.

Its been over a decade since I gave St. Anger a proper listen and in that time I've grown as a listener, expanded my horizons and have gained a lot of patience for finding the magic in the music so it wasn't much of a surprise to find this record rather enjoyable. What I was surprised by was my memory of the lyrics, not being one for lyrics I could recall a fair amount of Hetfield's words from over a decade ago. The same goes for the rest of the music which I quickly noticed how much of this comes from Hetfield alone, with no solos from Kirk and backing bass from Bob Ross, we are left with the duo that have been together from day one. Lars's drumming is relatively adequate, slightly sloppy, but has that charm to compliment the rhythm guitar well. Of course the "St. Clanger" snare is an earache, not the worst of choices to leave the snare wire loose, but why all the time? Theres moments where the clang brings a lot of energy, but its difficult to stomach it so consistently.

Its quite difficult to think "this is Metallica" with St. Anger. Its hard to separate the monumentally brilliant music they wrote in the 80s from this grizzly, noise aggressor, but if you listen without bias this record has some strong points going for it. The guitars are massive, taking obvious influences from Nu Metal, Hetfield finds a noisy, tonal assault that works well with simplistic grooves accentuated to great effect. Its a little hit and miss in places, much like his vocal input which has some brilliance at times on tracks like "Frantic", "My lifestyle, determines my deathstyle", which quickly sour with the "Fran-Tick-Tick-Tock". The same goes for "Shoot me again, I ain't dead yet" before incessantly shouting "Shoot me again" over and over.

Essentially, its a mixed bag of results. The production has a rough, slightly messy feel to it, but I can't help but feel thats an important part of the concept, if you consider the stripped back approach with simple song structures and lack of solos, "St. Anger" comes across like a band writing songs for the first time and is very much removed from anything the band did together before it. The snare sound is a big snag, especially on  "Dirty Window" which takes the clang to unbearable levels. The album also rocks out a few clean guitar moments in between the riff onslaught which has some serious substance in places. For me this record is all about Hetfield who put a new approach and craft into his guitar that hit the mark with tonal timing oriented grooves for the most part. I'm still undecided on if this was a enjoyable nostalgia trip or a genuine experience of the music, but one things for sure, if you separate the band from the music its not a record you'd get upset about. I remember a quote from the band saying they wanted to become a part of the Metal landscape, rather than its peak. No record will ever change there place at the throne of Metal music.

Favorite Tracks: Frantic, Invisible Kid, Shoot Me Again, Purify, All Within My Hands

Rating: 5/10

IGORRR "Moisissure" (2008)

Continuing my backwards exploration of French multi-instrumentalist Igorrr's discography we come across the second full length, "Moisissure". This record was ultimately what I was expecting to find at some point, a reverse engineering of the unique chemistry that mezmorized on "Nostril" and "Hallelujah". Here the contrast is still rigid, and the experiment obvious, but their is clearly potential and of course we know it was fulfilled.

Thinking in reverse progression makes my opinion somewhat bias knowing the direction Igorrr would move in and its been hard to get away from pointing out where this record falls short of its predecessors. To merit its good points, it has atmosphere, a calmer vibe and great sample selection that allows one to indulge in the Baroque and Renaissance eccentric moments without being overheated by the hammering electronic glitching and break beats. And thats where the fun ends.

The moments where the frenetic glitch blasting and audio oddities come up against the sampling is where the rigidity of the experiment shows itself, the glitching often dispelling the atmosphere rather than creating it. The beats previously had the listener at their mercy, but on Moisissure they tend to rattle alongside without manipulating much of the songs flow. Its easy now to see where Igorrr was going, but at this point its yet to work and "Brutal Swing" would be the best example of this experimentation falling flat as ludicrous blasting goes up against chirpy pianos and swing vocals with no excitement born from their union. Worth the listen, but not something ill be returning too.

Favorite Songs: Putrefiunt, Huile Molle

Rating: 4/10

Animals As Leaders "The Joy Of Motion" (2014)

Animals As Leaders are an American trio of musicians founded by brainchild of the bands aural identity, Toni Abasi. His mastery of the 8 string guitar gave himself and his band a spotlight of attention around the release of their self titled debut back in 2010. Toni's guitar style was memorizing, fast, intricate and thrilling. Not only technically gorgeous he forged a new sound and approach to the 8 string, combining the familiar low end polyrhythmic djents with bright, clean acoustic shredding that blazed sweeping melodics alongside glitchy electronics. It was a sound that influenced the likes of "Sithu Aye" and others in the present Progressive Metal scene.

The Joy Of Motion felt like an instant familiarity, tight bass and drum grooves guided enigmatic colorful leads through a sea of songs that sailed at explored many themes. After a few listens the class of this record started to shine. On the surface the bands sound has barely progressed, but in the subtleties their craft has taken on a maturity that delivered many of their best grooves to date. The polyrhythms come at an ease and technicality that made them much easier on ones sense of rhythm and groove, while still retaining some level of complexity but friendlier overall. Within these grooves a lot of the metal tones had been transitioned to a battered, beating of the guitars for much more tonal and textured noises to chime with the beat, as opposed to chords and leads the band continually made low clunky noises and harmonics. In terms of the melodic side there was a touch of Latin guitar in the acoustics alongside the guitar solos making this record very colorful and bright, as one would expect.

The records production was exactly what they have needed. Compared to the previous two records you can hear a wealth of depth and clarity in all the instruments and their presence together. It gave the record a stage for the charm of this groups sound to shine, and it did so. All the songs were bright, warm and indulging and together it made for another strong record that felt very safe within the means of what this band are capable of. For everything I enjoyed it came as no surprise, I find myself more interested in what their next progression could be, however there is nothing here to be disappointed about.

Favorite Tracks: Another Year, The Future That Awaited Me, Para Mexer, The Woven Web

Rating: 8/10

Sigh "Graveward" (2015)

Japaneses Black Metalers "Sigh" have been around since the scenes earliest of days. Back in 1990 the group released a couple of demos of grim, rough and primitive Black / Thrash Metal on the other side of the globe, even before the scenes flourishing in Norway. It wasn't until 95's "Infidel Art" that the group started to break away from the traditional sound and show sparks of their own flair. The group would further explore avant-guard sounds and ideas that lead them to their 2001 magnum opus "Imaginary Sonicscape". Since then the bands experimentation and shifting of theme and direction has been hit and miss, mainly the later and Gravewards announcement was unexpected, but didn't rouse much excitement.

Its undoubtedly one of Sigh's best sounding records from a technical perspective, having suffered with patchy, inconsistent production in the past, Graveward has a solid mix that energizes the array of non traditional elements that became the most exciting moments alongside the gruff, grizzly guitars and harsh, raspy screams that didn't offer many new ideas, but provided an adequate footing for the albums more extravagant ideas. Alongside the metalic elements, orchestral horns, trumpets, organs, synths and strings blaze in and out of focus, jumping in at any moment to take over the direction of the guitars, and often the moments they become the main focus are the best in the song. These elements themselves have captured a nostalgic, ancient feel too, taking on a historic feel, that once again the orchestral elements home in on, in contrast the Black Metal undertone.

The song "Molesters Of My Soul" is the records most experimental, avant-guard track and for its richer depth of ideas, ranging from Metal solos, to glitched out electronics and all sorts of symphony in between, its a great example of whats not working on this record. All the grander moments are spliced between mediocre metal and harsh screams that cut the atmosphere like a knife. Usually this chemistry is the groups success and the lack of songs stuck in my mind was a clear indication that the songwriting was off the mark on this one.

Favorite Songs: Graveward, The Tombfiller, The Trail By The Dead,

Rating: 5/10

Herbie Hancock "Thrust" (1974)

Herbie Hancock is an American Jazz pianist from Chicago who has played alongside such legends as Miles Davis and Donald Byrd. His career of solo records started in the sixties with "Takin Off" at the age of twenty-one. He has since release over 50 albums across five decades. Along the way hes received critical acclaim for a handful of records. "Thrust" is not one of them, but simply the record that pulled me in and got me listening.

The opening track, "Palm Grease" is a laid back jam fest of perpetual funk bass grooves and spacey, outlandish jives that dance and play around the unfolding groove that moves its way through ten minutes of free flowing improvisational unraveling after a cow bell drum break in the beginning and mid section that I have heard sampled on a fair few older Hip Hop tracks. This opener shows a lot of funk flair, but the next three tracks elevate to a higher dimension as the funk grooves hammering on the bass play second string to the keys that take the helm with layered compositions of airy, organs like keys and layered synths as the drums get heavy on the ride symbol and flow into the Jazz improvisational style. "Butterfly" gets soulful with a strong, moving tenor sax lead from Bennie Maupin that graciously sees us in and out of a calmer number that amplified with Herbie's mid song leads climaxing with oozing synths.

Its an exciting listen for the newer elements I'm being exposed to, but it does often drift into the background a little as some of Herbie's leads worm around themselves without conclusion. Bennie's feature was the most congruent moment on the record, and despite the excitement of being new to the Funk-esq Jazz feel, I felt a lack of focus or direction left some gorgeous sounds, aesthetics and musical ideas drift into unconscious territory. Very enjoyable listening experience that will have me seeking out more Jazz-Funk.

Favorite Tracks: Actual Proof, Butterfly

Rating: 7/10

Periphery "Juggernaut: Omega" (2015)

With an ambitious double release, American Progressive Metal band Periphery drop "Omega", the second serving of two Djent heavy records. The longer of the pair, "Juggernaut: Alpha", proved to be a bountiful record of tight, textured Djent grooves and engrossing melodics that swooned with infectious hooks and memorable acoustics. Omega is no slouch, being slightly shorter it also bares the traits of its forerunner with not a dull moment to be found.

With "The Bad Thing" the record shows its heavy persuasion and focus with crunchy Djent breaks and grooves between spacey polyrythmic riffs layered with clean vocals and colorful guitars before busting into screams and aggressive riffage. "Priestess" shifts gears to an acoustic epic of layered progressions and mood building that climaxes with a memorable "Step out in the rain, and feel the deep sorrow". A shining vocal lead that captivates me with each listen. After this melodic number the focus shifts back to the dark and heavy, more Djent grooving and aggressive riffs. Theres no shortage of the brighter hooks, but tracks like "Hell Below" and moments in the other tracks see the band tamper with pure metallic aggression as guitars sludge and pelt deep elastic grooves with the hammering drum kit guiding the path. 

Although Omega takes on darker sounds and themes, its the same beast and the songs could easily be interchanged between the two. Why the group decided on two records isn't exactly a mystery, there at a creative peak, outputting 80 minutes of exciting, intelligent and forward thinking metal that in my opinion very much warrants the hype around this group. I can see myself continuing to enjoy these two records as time goes by, even now they continue to grow on me with each listen, however I cannot pick a favorite between the two.

Favorite Songs: Priestess, Hell Below, Omega, Stranger Things

Rating: 8/10

Return To Forever "Romantic Warrior" (1976)

Having browsed my way to a collection of "Jazz Classics" with new names and thematic album titles I unknowingly stumbled into the later era of the sound, known as "Jazz Fusion", a more "accessible" style with strong rock influences and funk groove. Of all the new records to discover this one quickly grabbed my attention with its opener "Medieval Overture", jiving keys, adventurous drums and riff based guitar work instantly clicked with a Progressive Rock vibe as the song shifted and swayed through musical ideas in a typically Progressive style. Although listed as a Jazz Fusion record, my familiarity with Prog Rock had me listening from that perspective and at many times simply sounds like a Prog record with Jazz influenced instruments and tones. Either way it captivated my attention, and I'm keen to retrospect on this record as I listen to more Jazz Fusion.

The albums cover art and opening track make no secret of the albums theme, however the music wouldn't distinctly strike one as Medieval. The music is bright, playful and uplifting. It very much romanticizes the era in its own vision, rather than a recreational sound or atmosphere. It also has a slightly alien, unknowing, mysterious sound with some of the keyboard leads used on occasion. The finer details of theme are irrelevant though, the music is captivating and has little to prove.

The records clarity and warm sound are an indulgence, an impressive, balanced production that lends to the freedom of the progressive music that dances and weaves its way through connecting passageways and reoccurring themes that climax with soft atmospheric piano led breaks and blazing Prog Rock solos in the faster paced moments. Its an excitement, a theatric performance of evolving music that all instruments contribute too. The drums shuffle, roll and groove in a free flowing unraveling of complimenting force. The bass rocks a steady mood, occasional grooving into the forefront with some funk and the keys are a delight, bright layered sounds that sparkle and glisten with the synths underneath. The guitars rock subtler grooves with a tone fit for ripping leads and crafted, subtle riffs, theres also some beautiful Spanish guitar tones thrown in the mix aswell.

As I think through the instruments it only occurs to me now the instrumental nature of the record. With so much energetic and colorful music jamming away it barely gave me a second to think about the absence of a vocal presence, which was never needed. The music says so much, it paints a canvas with colorful renditions in the mind. Great record, has to be said the last two tracks hold it back as they dull the mood from the energy of the first four. Either way I loved it and looking forward to more Jazz Fusion on my playlist.

Favorite Songs: Medieval Overture, The Romantic Warrior, Majestic Dance

Rating: 7/10

Periphery "Juggernaut: Alpha" (2015)

Periphery are a Djent heavy, Progressive Metal band from America who were once the brainchild of producer "Bulb" before expanding there lineup over time into a six-piece group, who are ever growing in popularity and critical acclaim. Juggernaut could be a double album, but its two records released on the same day sharing the "Juggernaut" title, and this is one "Alpha" is the longer of the two. Having caught the band live a couple of times they have certainly been entertaining, but this is my first proper listen to one, or two, of their records and It would appear I have been missing out!

Alpha is certainly the lighter, or brighter, of the two records. For a group that plays with the heavys of Djent, they lavish the listener in a foray of infectious melodics and swooning colorful hooks between ambitious grooves and metallic bludgeons. The chemistry is is a fine art as the group masterfully pull us through songs that delight with a fine variety of catchy, heart felt leads, intrepid guitar dynamics and some head banging sensibility. Whatever ideas and inspiration the band have, they are executing them with a touch of genius, each of these tracks feel fully realized and doesn't leave for a moment of filler.

The albums aesthetic is golden, tight, a crisp production by founding member Bulb who delivers a delicious audio fest of clarity and prescison. Every note, tone, kick and sound feels bright and balanced, even the deep end guitars sound fantastic considering Periphery have two djent rhythm guitarists Bulb catches the deep churning and crunchy tones the duo produce. Overall its a classy record thats backed by terrific musicianship providing plenty of intricate, technical guitar delights as well as crafting some real emotion with the catchier, melodic, poppy moments.

Favorite Songs: A Black Minute, Heavy Heart, Alpha, 22 Faces, Four Lights

Rating: 8/10

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

Snoop Doggy Dogg "Doggystyle" (1993)

Known around the world as an icon of Hip Hop culture, Snoop Dogg's story both starts and ends with his debut record "Doggystyle", a Hip Hop classic that broke sales records and helped solidify the west coast's popularity with mainstream audiences. The records success is truly justified by its artistic content as Snoop drilled his persona, slick flow and boisterous G-Funk style home after creating a memorable debut on Dre's "The Chronic". Since the release of this record back in 93 Snoop has never artistically come close to the heights soared with his debut, but has remained ever present with a continual string of mediocre records, guest features and putting himself in the limelight through movies, advertisements and appearances on a frequent basis. He has kept his brand and image going all these years, and its off the back of a classic timeless record that never gets old.

When Snoop first gained exposure through his collaborations with Dre he instantly established his name through a unique style he would be strongly identified for. A slick, steady flow oozing with style and attitude, Snoop's laid back raps were delivered with memorable multisyllabic rhymes, often for the izzle and izzites as Snoop manipulated words with a brand of his own. It wasn't just the flow that was easy going, the straight forward use of language and to the point phrasing had listeners of a broader audience understanding. Snoop also had the light toned "sing raps" in the arsenal alongside a dynamic flow in which he could shift the pace effortless mid verse. The exaggerated gangster persona further solidified his appeal with violent, raunchy lifestyle tales of another culture, glorifying the extremes depicted in his lyrics. On paper it sounds unexpected, but thats what makes it work, glorified gangster lifestyle stories told through charming, slick and softly delivered raps with a mass appeal for counter culture.

As classic as Snoops flow is, the instrumentals on this record are an undeniable staple mark of its success, produced by Dre, Doggystyle represents a finely crafted set of G-Funk numbers that push the style and groove into a universally appealing territory as these layered tracks ease the listener into there charm, a subtler approach from the bombastic, upfront numbers on "The Chronic". Working with tight drum loops, the charm emanates from three instruments, firstly the grooving bass, rocking and swooning under the drums with power and substance. Secondly the anthemic ghetto whistles, blazing swirling melodies and lingering in the mix provide an array of memorable hooks and infectious tunes. Thirdly the pianos, used like a glue to hold the various elements together they rarely take the forefront but reside between the instruments, breathing warm melodics into the grooving sound. Beyond these three theres some fantastic use of electronics and a constant detailed layering of subtitles that can be heard, filling the spaces perfectly.

Its a Hip Hop classic, and a terrific record in general, but on a personal level I've always found this record to have an unusual uplifting vibe even when in the darker, gangster tracks the ghetto whistles, tight bass grooves and Snoops chilled out persona is a warming one. Tracks like "Gin And Juice", "Whats My Name" and "Doggy Dogg World" are all round fun tracks with a party vibe that still feels relevant today. Snoop put his mark on the world with this record, and it will be celebrated for a long time.

Favorite Songs: G Funk Intro, Gin And Juice, Murder Was The Case, Who Am I, Doggy Dogg World, Pump Pump
Rating: 10/10

Billy Woods "Today, I Wrote Nothing" (2015)

As the title may indicate, "Today I wrote nothing" deals with apathetic themes that delve into introspection and musings around the milder moments in life. Billy Woods is a New York rapper on the Alternative, Underground spectrum of the Hip Hop radar. With little info on Billy this record served as my only source of information on a rapper who sounds pretty rooted and down to earth, reflected in the lyrics and persona that avoided the demeaning cliches that glamorize harsher realities.

The record lays in a peculiar balance of unremarkable enjoyment, feeling steady, structured and familiar, yet doing little to spark excitement. The two half's of the formula work well, but the beats take reign as Billy often fades in and out of focus, dropping decent lines here and there, but in the same tame flow that lacks a kick and a punch to perk up the listener. His moderate tone and comfortable style carries the record along giving light to the beats which shine character into the record. The album flows smoothly as shorter tracks shift quickly from beat to beat that have a subtle experimental edge that feels safe, yet on paper would seem a little unorthodox at times. The song "Rpms" standing out as a strong example of an enjoyable oddity, a powerful, moody, thematic sample accompanied by samples of motor violence and Billy's mediocre rap.

The chemistry of this record is unusual, almost is if something almost spectacular is happening on a muted scale. The beats show bright sparks, intelligent ideas against the grain, but are held back by their moodier, artsy nature. The short songs and continual transitioning save them from feeling stale, an interesting point to ponder on, but without Billy delivering anything hitting the record drifts by in a warm haze of mediocrity.

Favorite Songs: Lost Blocks, Flatlands, Woodhull, Carpetbagger, Bicycles, Rpms

Rating: 5/10