Marvin Gaye "What's Going On - The Deroit Mix" (1971)

 

Stepping outside the Motown framework and operating as an individual artist, Marvin's personal expression reflecting the struggles of African-American life during the Vietnam War birthed a beautiful moment in musical history. Often considered one of the greatest records of all time by critics, What's Going On left me enamored by its grace, humanity and sorrows. Since then, its always been an enduring warmth to return too. Marvin's timeless voice a charm tragically lost from this world all too soon.

Hearing of an alternative mix to the record intrigued me greatly. Turns out this "Detroit Mix" is the original mixing before his associate Barry Gordy stepped in, who was against the album's theme long before it materialized. The subsequent changes elevated the symphony elements, the first change I noticed upon listening. It will be forever impossible to truly assess which mix better suits the music. On paper this more roomy, closer mix has an intimate quality, further authenticating Marvin's views.

Its string components are pushed back, the baseline feels neighborly, the saxophone more prominent, pushing forth the Jazz component. With a rawer voice, not overstated by layering and reverbs, this mix is admittedly less grabbing in tone. All nine songs are still beautiful and moving, reaching still through its intimate aesthetic.

With a deeply ingrained memory of the original as I knew it, this mix will always feel inferior despite offering up a cleaner take on the music. The spaciousness unlocked by its later design gives a crooning energy to the string sections. Marvin's overlapping vocal lines are magical, softer and soothing in presence. Although accompanying singers feel distant and a little less personal, pretty much all of the changes were for the best to my ears. Rawness and authenticity are not always the key principle in production. Embellishment and studio magic can bring so much if done right. For me, the original record is still the way to hear it.

Rating: 8/10

Judas Priest "Point Of Entry" (1981)

 

From the hardening rock of British Steel, to a throttling attitude Screaming For Vengeance unleashed, Point Of Entry seems to be a misstep along the way, rather than a missing link. Resting on their laurels, Judas Priest soften their current blueprint for an accessible cut of Heavy Metal. Settling on summery vibes and breezy warm temperaments, the trends of 70s arena rock and radio friendly topicality dominates the ten songs, which in turn recycles its "Rock N Roll on the road" persona one to many times. Never does Halford unleash a wild piercing falsetto. Tipton and Downing tone down the solos, keeping them brief, concise and caged. The rhythm section too plods along with the steely foundations that aided its predecessor greatly.

Although it may seem a smear to highlight the detour from a trajectory they will soon excel in. This light hearted, measured approach is spun rather well. The bands experience in song writing works through simple structures with its components all neatly aligned for a pleasurable listen. With nothing to ambitious concurring, its collection of riffs carries the theme well. Where the record fails is when its road cruising, carefree venture runs tired. Halford's lyrics are knee deep. Simple verses and expectant catch lines wear out quickly on this listener and thus once the point is made, its lack of diversity and variety has all the songs seeming the same.

If Point Of Entry has the right highway cruising vibes for you, then it may just be one to adore. For me it pulls me along for four or so songs and then becomes a repetitive blur. Perhaps its best cuts are upfront? It seems so but the reality is those songs make their point known and then the record has little more to offer. Not being particularly into its character, Point Of Entry is one to skip over when picking my favorite Priest songs, despite it not being terrible in anyway.

Rating: 5/10

Ozzy Osbourne "Diary Of A Madman" (1981)

Rolling back the years on this Heavy Metal journey, we arrive near the decades start with a noticeably shabby rawness gracing the production tone. The music feels a little unhinged with this rugged aesthetic and its stark irruptions of jarring synth. The bold instruments collide occasionally and the baseline rides high in the mix. Yet it all serves the attitude and Metal spirit, what was back then possibly considered extreme music. I'd love to learn more of its historical context when it comes to advancement.

Rough around the edges, Diary Of A Madman is mostly a spirited venture into the Rock n Roll rebellion. Its opening track Over The Mountain is quite the hard hitter, kicking things off with its fast chugging guitar riffs and dangerous melodies, it sets a strong tone where the following songs open up to warmer moods. Randy Rhoads quickly marvels alongside Ozzy's singing as his roaring guitar solos and lead licks illuminate parts of the songs over and over. They unpack that hard hitting start and delve into more musicality with many anthemic vibes fit for the big stage.

The duo are well suited but to be frank they compete with one another on a handful of songs, pulling with different intensities. As the album grows its songs wavier, the ballad Tonight sounding decent but so out of place. Ozzy has a remarkable charm that suits the song style but the change of pace from roaring guitars to emotive piano surges seems to stiffen the flow. The symphonic closer and title track is a great example of experimentation that comes together. Randy and Ozzy elevate the climatic journey with their contributions as the song blossoms with choral voices that turn to gripping chants. Its a powerful ending to a mixed record with many ideas circulating.

 

Rating: 7/10

Animals As Leaders "Parrhesia" (2022)

 

Following up on the three tracks of Gordian Naught, Parrhesia's six other songs follow in a typical vein for this band. Complexing instrumentals of rhythmic uncertainty resolving and instrumental aesthetic exploration yielding both unwieldy chunks of reactionary groove and beautifully scenic melodics. My exposure to the original three has perhaps tainted my experience, in the best way possible. To thees ears, the six new cuts have more gratifying shades of color when they blossom and more often too. This makes the churning of the cold polyrythmic density more bearable. The hard drives through the aggressive terrain of tightly jolting deep end guitar noise often leads to lavish explosions of emotion. The guitar tones and texture open up, brightening the mood and self illuminating in tandem with its melodies and chords.

 

A little infusion of synth key arpeggios along the way is a niche touch. Its blooms and respites between are often the most appealing aspect, as the band foray into Post Rock and Metal territory with textural landscapes breaking out of regular riffing structures. The immense talent of these musicians makes it a marvel to unfold in its best passages. The trio can be heard firing on all cylinders, giving all their instrumentation a density that needs unpacking. Drum patterns woven yet groovy and charming, Even some "lighter", acoustic led refrains have a dexterous depth.

The problem for me is the low end guitar work. Initially a draw, something I'm fond of, Animals As Leaders get a little to into themselves on this outing. With the extremes of technicality, polymeasures and oddities as they present them, the pursuit often feels soulless. Thoughts And Prayers a keen example of the choppy chugging getting lost within itself and going on a meaningless tangent. The band is all about swaying between its two temperaments, finding interesting middle ground along the way. For me, the self serving aggression has sadly lost its attraction.

Rating: 6/10

Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982)

 

I've always adored Priest ever since discovering British Steel in my youth. Going on vacation gave me the perfect moment to pause on this record. Racing down the slopes with the hooks of Bloodstone, Devil's Child & Freewheel Burning stuck in my head, it all clicked. I'd never given their other records much of a chance to stick. Songs like Painkiller, Rapid Fire and Come And Get It grab you by the throat and scream in your face. In fairness, it seems that much of their catalog does to. Now with a maturer mind to really give any music a proper go, I've realized what Ive loved about Judas Priest has been lying in wait, abundant among their extensive discography, were I had not ventured far enough before in my ignorance.

 You've Got Another Thing Coming is the one song I knew well from this record. As a mid tempo track with a tempered chugging grove on the rhythm guitar and Halford's attitude drenched lyrics, it plays like a British Steel cut. Lying in wait however are fiery tracks. Cranking up the gears, throttling the pace and amping up the Priest persona, you can hear the group excelling on themselves. Heavy Metal's eternal pursuit of pushing extremes has led it to ridiculous places but before the birth of Thrash Metal you can hear Priest raising the stakes step by step, writing amazing songs along the way, never detouring to the trend, keeping the flame lit.

And thus Screaming For Vengeance is another spirited, fist pumping romp of blazing Metal! Priest churn out the riffs, rife with steely rattles of melody wedged between shiny grooves. Halford's falsetto wails youthfully with that leather cladded attitude, worming his hooks into you as his soaring voice sails off the back of electrified guitars. When they burst into solos the atmosphere is magnetic, their instruments at the mercy of Downing and Tipton's impressive roar off howling pinch harmonics, dizzying sweep picking and relentless hammering on. All happening in the blink of an eye.

Where the album excels is in its pacing. Tracks like Pain And Pleasure, Take These Chains & Fever brake up the motorway blazing pace with a touch of moody reflective blues wrapped into anthems. Every spin brings joy after joy as the high spirited onslaught takes a few turns and twists along the way. Some of these songs also sound rather foundational to shifts of temperament found on the later records. This certainly feels like a high point for the band. I'm not sure where In the discography I want to jump to next, maybe go right to the very start and hear the evolution? Eighties Priest is certainly something to marvel but just how did they get here?

Rating: 9/10

Erang "A Season Of Leaves" (2022)

 

The final of five, A Season Of Leaves was the least enjoyable for me. With a misdirection of soft bells at its opening, the music crashes in hard with the Summoning's blueprint. Distant hazy distortion guitars bleed over thunderous drum strikes and shrill wretches of screams chime over a counterpart melody played via the bright key tones. With breaks from extremity led by a deep, epic narrative voice, the Tolkein vibes emanate. Admittedly, its a competent piece of music but the lack of originality leaves me with a sour taste.

From here the format is stretched, pushing the ugly Black Metal in sideways directions and fusing with more Erang-like folkish instrumentation. Its a true mishmash that reaches a low on Le Loup, La Chouette Et Le Vent. The sloppy extremity has no candor. The final track actually finds some fascinating chemistry in stints. The racing drums batter along with thees ascending chorals in the backdrop. Its momentous and rallies to an esoteric realm as zany synths wage in. Without cohesion though, it falters.

Ultimately, this was a brave release to put out there as an artist. Making bold decisions and striving for something different, its five seasons offer up a lot of intriguing musical ideas. In places in sparks, in others it falls flat and that might be down to preference, or simply artist fatigue as the traditional tropes lay all to bare for me. Either way I am glad Erang keeps pushing on! This was quite unlike any other listening experience I have had in some time.

Rating: 2/10

Erang "A Season Of Frost" (2022)

 

Home to a song that really turned me off, this quintuple of mini albums hints a rough patch with A Season Of Frost. Les Sentiments Puissants has Erang delve into Black Metal aesthetics with a style I simply can't enjoy. The influence and direction becomes more obvious on the Leaves chapter but here the lone track shows its blemishes boldly. Tape stretched synths and other garish tactics are deployed to descend its decrepit direction into the unruly strangeness of uncomfortable listening. The song is miserable in nature but rather than offering immersion the production slaps one in the face with its stark ugliness.

The other three tacks happen to be the least interesting non Black Metal types. They stand firm to the gloomy early chapters, ones very enjoyable when fresh over ten years ago. All this time later it feels over explored and stagnant. Opening with At The Gates Of Lobrok, its steely build of atmosphere has a little momentum groaning for whats ahead but its dungeon spirit drops off at the arrival of brash howls and a stiff distortion guitar. Sadly, this and the next chapter did not work for me.

Rating: 3/10

Erang "A Season Of Bloom" (2022)

 

Third of Five, A Season Of Bloom was the first of this ninety minute saga to grace my ears. Initially I was unassuming of what was to come. Led by a gorgeous cultural acoustic guitar, I was swiftly reminded of Erang's previous use of this instrument. Where much of the music to follow has an oddball character, led by experimentation and unusual ideas, this felt far more conventional and thus unalike for other reasons. The following three songs continue in this vein for the most cohesive of all five.

Accompanied by curious instruments of luscious dreary timbre, the guitar blooms brightly with a spirit distant from both the Fantasy genre and cultural sounds, yet seemingly they would be its closest companions. Its as if Erang birthed an identity for his realms, expressed through folkish tales that drift between the real and imaginary. Its beautiful and warmth with a subtle sadness, heard deeply on The Day I've Lost My Dog. I do think the shorter, four track focus serves a moment like this one well. A whole hour in this lane may end up loosing some potency along the way.

Rating: 6/10

Erang "A Season Of Magic" (2022)

 

The second of five new Erang release. The french musicians five part collection of seasons finds its most curious moments here. Possibly the most subdued of all flavors, on paper it would seem closest to tradition. Somehow the foggy atmosphere keys, gleaming strings and waveform synths converge on a new mood. Its mysterious, drenched in a lonely nostalgia, an oddity of execution that is somehow without that distinct Erang footprint.

The Absolute End Of Everything Human hints of an abysmal tone. Its opening symphonic brooding and despairing voices create a "fallen from heaven" epic that gives way to limbo. Two of the remaining three tracks very much reside in a curious space, where the dark and light feel deceptive. The Calm Tower balances out with a Fantasy akin stride through the warmth of sunlight with an eerie underbelly always lurking yet when focused on its disjointed percussion dissipates all tension. Its ever so curious, as much of what unfolds on thees five are.

Rating: 5/10

Erang "A Season Of Sand" (2022)

 

As the first of five new Erang releases I will be covering, this quintuple format of themed four trackers amounts to ninety minutes of new music. Each "season" has its flavor and sand is my favorite. The opening Guardian Of The Names emerges from is eerie low fidelity Dungeon Synth intro with breaks of Persian percussion and exotic instruments that conjure visions of sand swept cultures and societies bustling with life to a backdrop of endless dunes. The music that follows has a unique fusion of quirky, disjointed fidelity distortions and a slow soothing melody drifting at dreamy tempos, alluring one into its vast nightly journey.

Oasis Mysterio lumbers into a peculiar Jazz Fusion jam, as a lead jiving colorful keyboard sporadically splurges its notations with a jazzy free form over the dulled minimalist synth backing behind it. Unique, as quite a few things in this project were. Sands Of Innocence peaks my interest however, its unusual chemistry of temporal tones, cloaked in mysterious voice suddenly bursts apart, teeming with life as a 90s dance beat jolts the second half of the song into life. Very memorable.

Rating: 6/10

Sequestered Keep "Sorcerous Steel" (2022)

 

 

Its been five years since The Vale Of Ruined Towers, a Dungeon Synth adjacent release that I remember fondly for its its lush medieval fantasy direction, one similar to Fief. Sorcerous Steel has little in the way of surprise, having now unearthed these fruits from the niche scenes of bandcamp. Without a lick of darkness, the record peruses through the pleasantries of natures charms. Its got melodies to fill the meadows of a warm summers day, set a few hundred years back of course. Splendor gushes forth as each song gently drifts along rivers of cleansed historical imagination.

The five years of its creation don't amount to anything remarkable. Its arsenal of virtual instruments, pan flutes, trumpets, plucked harps and tambourine led percussion are brought forth crisp and clear. They harness the sweetest, most welcoming of melodies. The record is a constant wash of jovial notation and serine warmth forged from a fictional nostalgia of Medieval days that sweeps hardships out of sight.

These songs consistently dance in their own moment. Gradual progressions and structures emerge but the very nature of these joyous, spirited melodies keeps one locked in the present moment. Conjuring similar tones of bright monarchistic wonder, the riches of the day, the albums own progression too is just a series of moments. Each song fades out in a similar state to where it started and thus the whole project feels like background music for a setting, perhaps in a video game. This might sound negative but sometimes its exactly what you want. This is music for the background, something too sooth you with its purposely romanticized nostalgia.

Rating: 5/10

Old Man's Child "In Defiance Of Existence" (2003)

Having now joined the ranks of longtime friends Dimmu Borgir, Galder returns to Old Man's Child with a masterstroke of composure. For all his bold and gallant melodies, the darkly power chord shredding and blushes of symphonic might. On this occasion, his ideas arrive united with a seamless cohesion as the enjoyable yet cheesy and simplistic pleasures fall wayside to musical ideas executed with vision and purpose.

From start to end In Defiance Of Existence drives its devious themes with intent that delivers many remarkable outbursts of color and energy between the foundations of extreme metallic intensity. Pivoting away from pure power chords, Galder unleashes his new found tremolo shredding heard on Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. He also revives the Spanish acoustic guitar to great effect, complimenting the distortion guitars on occasion and gracing us with the stunning interlude In Quest Of Enigmatic Dreams.

So much of the albums pleasures derive from the simplicity of composition. Subtle background synths enrich fiery guitar riffs. Galder's screams are measured, deeper in tone, essentially subdued forms of the raspy howling serpent that came before. The distortion guitar texture is gorgeous, a thick and versatile tone that doesn't overpower. Best of all its drum aesthetics are on point. The snare snaps, the bass kicks pop. Sounding crisp and sharp, its fit for any blast beat or bouncy groove that is demanded.

There is a question to be asked, how much this fine production shapes Galder's music? To my ears, a shift is present in his writing style. He seeks out gratification through a songs trajectory, with frequent luminous, wondrous guitar solos and climactic riffs built up to with craft and care. The keys do drop in with big melodies on occasion but mostly they follow the growing momentum of a track. There is a variety of tones too, sometimes exchanging its roll as the lead instrument. With this approach the nine songs have a lot to offer without a single weak spot.

Its clearly Old Man's Child's finest hour, a nightly ride of fiery, fun and passionate Symphonic Black Metal. Its extreme yet appealing to the warmer sensibilities of melody and rhythm than its evil theatrics suggest, like much of the back catalog. With news of another album in the works, I hope the absence brings Galder the inspiration to reach these peaks again as this record is an affirmation of his musical brilliance.

 

Rating: 9/10

Killing Joke "Lord Of Chaos" (2022)

Its been seven years since the mighty Pylon. Now forty plus years deep into their career, Killing Joke deliver two new songs on a four track EP boosted by a couple of disposable remixes. Although enjoyable for a fan, there is little new hear to be heard. Title track Lord Of Chaos is the grittier of the two Its rumbling textural base guitar throws back to the aesthetics of their early days. Its a typical exchange of meaty groove and dystopian atmosphere they have done over and over at this point.

The second track Total also stems from their 80s output. This one is moodier, with its nightly unease tone drawing from eerie synths when the guitars drop out. When they come back in its with an almighty roaring momentum. Jaz's singing reminds me of their Night Time album. Point being, its good but all has been head before.

The Big Buzz remix brings 90s electronic club music vibes to the Pylon song. Its reasonable but the bass kick thud is rather incessant. Delete In Dub pushes a Drumstep beat through a loose fitting of sound experiments and disjointed noises. It amounts to very little with Jaz's occasional voice the only thing tying it to the band. Ultimately, these two add a little fluff to new music that lacks any originality.

Rating: 2/10

Stellardrone "Between The Rings" (2017)

 

I was somewhat surprised to see I had not written about Stellardrone before. Then again, all their music was released before I started this blog. The exception being this EP which had passed me by, so the opportunity to delve into this unique space was a welcome one. As a self described amateur composer, Edgaras has a distinct emotive sound, competently channeled into a stunning, inspiring experience.

 Its cosmos theme hinted at in title and album art sets a president that's hard not to absorb. Thinking of whats beyond the stars in the great mystery of the universe comes naturally, unless the suggestion aligns perception? These are slow brooding songs that ride the waves and crash into the beaches with big emotional surges once the momentum has built. A mix of soft adorning strings and synths breath in and out as swirling arpeggio melodies pluck away with a computer characteristic to them.

The percussive grooves are held back, lurking in the shadows and slowly fading in to focus, then complimenting the big surges of emotion that arises. Its fine instrumental ambient but on this occasion feels rather bold and ambitious as its humble beginnings become inescapable, the curious endless inspiration of space and time takes over.

Its probably the absence of Stellardrone in rotation that made these five tracks so potent. It was a welcome experience to get back into this sound again. Between them the variety isn't massive, the formula describe plays out with a few aesthetic and compositional differences but its mostly about the meditative mood that can be achieved with their music. And yes, it turns out I had written about this artist before! Seems I made a spelling mistake with the name "Stelladrone", what a derp!

Rating: 6/10

Old Man's Child "Revelation 666 - The Curse Of Damnation" (2000)

 

If Galder's previous effort Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion in anyway informed the direction of Spiritual Black Dimensions, the inverse in beyond obvious with this next installment Revelation 666. Now working alongside Peter Tägtgren of Hypocrisy, who produced SBD, the albums aesthetic blueprint is practically a mirror image of Dimmu's lavish symphonic wonder released the year prior. In my youth I absolutely adored this one without considering its construct under any scrutiny. After all, the record is full of over-the-top extreme metal embellished by walls of glossy synths in pursuit of evil.

It is a massive step up from his previous records, which seem all a touch bare in the wake of this wall of sound. Galder's melodies and knack for groovy riffs gets wrapped up in the moment. Barely taking foot of the gas, its a sonic assault from start to end. With frequent plunges into manic blast beats, everything is amped up on their momentum. Its twists and turns onto synth leads and dazzling piano licks is a riot. Most notable are how much more animated the percussion is. If everything has been amplified, the biggest advance lies in the drums which deliver the blasts unlike before.

Overall, the album toys with vivid darkness, a cheesy sense of evil as instrumental arrangement push big and bold melodies off the back of pacey power chord shredding and chugging palm mute grooves. The melodies often interchange between lead guitar and keys with big stabbing synth punctuating with potent emphasis. Early on, some chord progressions and synth tones emulate SBD quite closely, however as the album grows Galder's identity dominates the direction over its appeasing aesthetic.

With that said, his constant barrages of melody, pivots into big riffs and general song writing approach has its formula, one which I enjoy. Lending a critical ear it could be said these ideas do manifest within a narrow scope. In comparison to Dimmu's SBD, there is a notable lack of variety and progression present. These songs churn through the riffs with little in the way of a bigger picture or sense of direction. The opening Phantoms Of Mortem Tales experiences a little of this with its big opening sequence and guitar solos either side of a tense interlude. More creativity could of served it well.

I must conclude that Revelation 666 is more of a personal pleasure than an objective recommendation. In my youth it was exactly what I was looking for. Me and my friends would binge it endlessly. Looking back now that magic is still there however its flaws are more obvious too. The best is yet to come but for me, this Old Man's Child album is a treasure, a part of that Symphonic Black Metal niche I just simply adore.

Rating: 8/10