What are you listening to now? : Non-metal Edition

March 28, 2022 04:34 PM

Fields of the Nephilim - "Danwrazor" (1987)

Not my usual bag until recently when I oddly discovered them after listening to Killing Joke.  Was not sold on the vocals initially but accept that they are perfect now for this style of music. 

March 28, 2022 07:46 PM

I bought this album when it was released after being knocked out by their Preacher Man single and still have it to this day, along with the Preacher Man 12". It's been a while since I played it, but it's a pretty decent slab of 80's goth rock. Along with The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, New Model Army and The Cult they made some of my favourite 80's rock and were where I turned when I fancied a change from thrashin' (or needed to give my neck a rest)!

March 28, 2022 08:02 PM


I bought this album when it was released after being knocked out by their Preacher Man single and still have it to this day, along with the Preacher Man 12". It's been a while since I played it, but it's a pretty decent slab of 80's goth rock. Along with The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, New Model Army and The Cult they made some of my favourite 80's rock and were where I turned when I fancied a change from thrashin' (or needed to give my neck a rest)!

Quoted Sonny

Sort of only know most of these bands by name as opposed to having heard their music.  Playing The Mission "God's Own Medicine" now as getting a real penchant for this stuff at present.  Heard The Cult before, recall that "Electric" was in the pile of albums my older cousin let me borrow back when I first started to discover metal.  I am sensing the need to listen to less metal increasingly at the moment and so this seems like a convenient (if not relevant) avenue.

March 28, 2022 10:02 PM



I bought this album when it was released after being knocked out by their Preacher Man single and still have it to this day, along with the Preacher Man 12". It's been a while since I played it, but it's a pretty decent slab of 80's goth rock. Along with The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, New Model Army and The Cult they made some of my favourite 80's rock and were where I turned when I fancied a change from thrashin' (or needed to give my neck a rest)!

Quoted Sonny

Sort of only know most of these bands by name as opposed to having heard their music.  Playing The Mission "God's Own Medicine" now as getting a real penchant for this stuff at present.  Heard The Cult before, recall that "Electric" was in the pile of albums my older cousin let me borrow back when I first started to discover metal.  I am sensing the need to listen to less metal increasingly at the moment and so this seems like a convenient (if not relevant) avenue.

Quoted Vinny

I would strongly recommend New Model Army's Ghost of Cain album. One of the most underrated albums of the 1980s for my money, more post-punk than goth though. Sisters of Mercy's Floodland is another brilliant record and definitely goth. Gods Own Medicine is great too, but The Mission put out several 12" eps before ever releasing an album which were even better. If you're interested in The Cult, personally I prefer 1985's Love to Electric. Wow, you've really got me tripping down memory lane now, Vinny!

Killing Joke's 1985 album Night Time is definitely worth hearing too if you haven't already.


April 09, 2022 09:34 AM




I bought this album when it was released after being knocked out by their Preacher Man single and still have it to this day, along with the Preacher Man 12". It's been a while since I played it, but it's a pretty decent slab of 80's goth rock. Along with The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, New Model Army and The Cult they made some of my favourite 80's rock and were where I turned when I fancied a change from thrashin' (or needed to give my neck a rest)!

Quoted Sonny

Sort of only know most of these bands by name as opposed to having heard their music.  Playing The Mission "God's Own Medicine" now as getting a real penchant for this stuff at present.  Heard The Cult before, recall that "Electric" was in the pile of albums my older cousin let me borrow back when I first started to discover metal.  I am sensing the need to listen to less metal increasingly at the moment and so this seems like a convenient (if not relevant) avenue.

Quoted Vinny

I would strongly recommend New Model Army's Ghost of Cain album. One of the most underrated albums of the 1980s for my money, more post-punk than goth though. Sisters of Mercy's Floodland is another brilliant record and definitely goth. Gods Own Medicine is great too, but The Mission put out several 12" eps before ever releasing an album which were even better. If you're interested in The Cult, personally I prefer 1985's Love to Electric. Wow, you've really got me tripping down memory lane now, Vinny!

Killing Joke's 1985 album Night Time is definitely worth hearing too if you haven't already.


Quoted Sonny

I am on Gods Own Medicine next as I slowly pick my way through this gothic rock stuff.  It is more appealing thus far than Fields... in all honesty.  Got some extended version full of shit that is only of interest to uber-fans but still enjoyable enough on a lazy Saturday morning.


April 09, 2022 12:37 PM

Back in the day I was that Mission uber-fan (I've even got a gatefold double LP live bootleg I bought for way too much back then) and I have those bonus tracks on the original vinyl 12 inchers!! I agree that The Mission are better than Fields of the Nephilim. I always considered FotN to be second tier gothic rock to be honest.

The First Chapter comp is worth checking out if you enjoy God's Own Medicine. Bauhaus' In the Flat Field is required listening if you want to sample some of the best of 80s goth rock too.

April 12, 2022 06:21 AM

Prince Of Denmark - "Live at Planet Uterus" (2014)

A spectacular 70 minute mix of ultra-minimal & heavily cerebral dub-infused minimal techno from this German producer. Fucking sensational stuff!

May 02, 2022 07:59 AM

Black Country, New Road - "Ants From Up There" (2022)

I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about with the much celebrated sophomore record from this highly regarded English art/post/indie/chamber rock artist but ended up finding that it's not really my thing. I can appreciate what they're trying to do but can't seem to connect with this release artistically.

May 08, 2022 11:56 AM

Marcel Dettmann - "Berghain 02" (2008)

A German techno DJ mix in honour of the legendary Berlin techno club Berghain. There are some great tracks included which are balanced out by some flat ones & some pretty ordinary mixing at times. It's enjoyable enough overall but I expected a bit better from a DJ of Marcel's stature.

May 08, 2022 11:58 AM

Billy Woods - "Aethiopes" (2022)

Abstract East Coast hip hop from this New York-based producer. It's a bit too artsy for me to tell you the truth & I only find myself really getting into it when he sticks to a more traditional song structure & sound.

May 14, 2022 09:33 AM

Portishead - "Dummy" (1994)

Elite-level trip hop from Bristol, UK. One of my all-time favourite records. Spectacular & life-changing!

5/5

May 15, 2022 04:03 AM

DJ Rolando - "The Aztec Mystic Mix" (1999)

A 72 minute Detroit techno DJ mix that focuses on the Underground Resistance label & associated artists. It's warm & soulful like all good Detroit techno should be. I really enjoyed it.

May 16, 2022 08:38 AM

Gorillaz - "Demon Days" (2005)

Despite numerous attempts, I've quite seen the attraction to this highly regarded sophomore album from London-based art pop/trip hop outfit Gorillaz & that's still the case. I guess it's just a little bit quirky for my taste.

May 16, 2022 11:55 AM

Angelo Badalamenti - "Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Soundtrack" (2017)

The beautifully deep soundtrack to a wonderful David Lynch TV series. It's not all amazing but the highlights are utterly sublime.

May 17, 2022 10:08 AM

John Lee Hooker - "Never Get Out Of The Blues Alive" (1972)

Felt like something different while I bathed the kids & cooked dinner tonight so I opted for the bluesiest blues in Bluestown.

May 17, 2022 12:46 PM

Any time is old blues guys time!

BTW who's your favourite OBG? Howlin' Wolf and Robert Johnson for me. 

May 18, 2022 09:28 PM

BTW who's your favourite OBG? Howlin' Wolf and Robert Johnson for me. 

Quoted Sonny

I wouldn't say I have one to be honest Sonny. Having been raised in the height of 80's shred, I have to admit that I've always struggled a bit with the restrictive & repetitive nature of blues. It generally gives me a feeling of "heard-it-all-before" & I find myself wishing that they'd just cut loose by throwing their blues & pentatonic scales out the window for a while & exploring some more adventurous territory. For that reason I've always favoured the blues of your more modern & highly skilled guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughn or rock gods like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck. There's just something a lot more exciting about their take on it, at least there is for me personally.

May 26, 2022 12:29 PM

Lusine Zakaryan - "Կոմիտասի երգերը և հայկական հինավուրց մեղեդիներ / Песни Комитаса и старинные армянские мелодии" (1969)

I've been really pissing my wife off over the last few days by playing this old Armenian church opera record on repeat. It features the truly divine vocal of Lusine Zakaryan who absolutely soars here. It's certainly located a fair way outside of my usual comfort zone but I find it to have a soothing & relaxing effect on me while I'm winding down from a hard day's work by taking my time to prepare two lots of dinners for my wife & kids. Unfortunately I don't think I'll get away with it for much longer as the missus simply can't tolerate anything a bit different. It's top 40 hits that she's known for decades or nothing at all I'm afraid. Anyway.... this is good stuff for a complete change-up.

May 29, 2022 05:46 AM

The Ricky Gervais Show - "The Podcasts - The Best of & Brand New" 3 x CD Set (2006)

Tore through the entire first season of the Ricky Gervais Show podcast including the Extended Exclusive Episode over the last few days. I'm not much of a fan of Ricky's to tell you the truth but this was hilarious shit, mainly because he's actually not the main focal point. Karl Pilkington does most of the talking while Ricky & Stephen Merchant take the piss out of him for hours on end. Karl is an absolute genius if this is all an act (which it presumably is). His perspective on the world is truly one of a kind. Really glad I gave this stuff a crack.

May 29, 2022 12:49 PM

Perceived wisdom here in the UK is that Karl Pilkington is actually as he appears on the show. Gervais & Merchant have always refuted claims they wrote Karl's words -  "we wouldn't waste such a great character on a poxy radio show".

May 29, 2022 10:16 PM

Blood Ceremony - "Blood Ceremony" (2008)

Despite being aware of their existence for many years now, I hadn’t ever seriously considered checking out anything from Canada’s Blood Ceremony before now but became intrigued after noticing an old Hall of Judgement post & followed up with a read of Sonny’s review which certainly sounded interesting. I decided I’d check out the band’s self-titled debut to see what it was all about I’ve come away feeling like I’ve experienced something that’s primarily centered in the past but somehow seems to sound fresh & invigorating at the same time.

Blood Ceremony’s sound can be difficult to describe using your traditional genre tags as there’s a whole bunch of components being used to make up the final product. Firstly you have the heavy doom metal riffs of Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album only they're played with more of a hard rock tone which keeps the band in stoner rock territory despite the undeniable atmosphere of pure doom at times. Then you have the use of 60’s psychedelia, particularly in the use of organ which reminds me very much of The Doors at times. The incorporation of flute as a primary instrument was unexpected with the influence Jethro Tull, Black Widow & other 70’s flute-friendly progressive rock bands being easily apparent there. There’s even a little bit of folk thrown into the mix every now & then & when you top it all off with a female front woman & a seriously retro production job that could well have come from the early 70’s you’ve got yourself one very interesting mix of sounds.

So how did I enjoy it overall? Weeellll… “Blood Ceremony” certainly has its moments & rarely sees me losing focus despite there being a noticeable lapse in the middle of the tracklisting (see “A Wine Of Wizardry” & “Rare Lord”). I really enjoy the authentic feel & doomy atmosphere however I rarely see myself fully giving in to the band’s charms due to a couple of clear flaws. Front woman Alia O’Brien isn’t the most gifted of singers & can be a little pitchy at times however you kinda forgive her in the interest of atmosphere. Her contribution with the flute becomes greater as the album progresses & I have to admit that my patience wears a little thin after a while. I think they’ve overdone it a touch with the solos in the back end of the record. The lead guitar work is always welcome though & shows a great combination of feel & attitude. Album highlight “Return To Forever” is where the song-writing is clearly the strongest & everything just seems to completely gel at long last. A large portion of the remaining tracks seem pleasant enough but rarely push for higher honors.

At the end of the day I think “Blood Ceremony” serves its purpose pretty well for a very specific audience & offered a refreshing change from my usual listening habits. I would imagine that the late 60’s/early 70’s female-fronted doom rock trend that was growing in popularity at the time would have embraced it with open arms but I have to admit that I don’t find the song-writing to be strong enough to command return visits even though the riffs are certainly there in spades. I’d be interested to know if O’Brien’s vocals improve on subsequent releases though because she’s not bad as such. She just needs to work with some stronger material & reach a little deeper for the x-factor that can take a reasonably enjoyable release into much stronger areas.

For fans of Electric Citizen, Jex Thoth & Witchcraft.

3.5/5

June 01, 2022 11:52 AM

John Prine - "John Prine" (1971)

The classic debut album from this Illinois-based singer/songwriter style country/folk performer who reminds me very much of Bob Dylan at times. My wife loved it but I can't say that I see the attraction personally.

June 04, 2022 02:37 AM

DNA - "Taste This" (1992)

European house, breaks & downtempo featuring the vocals of Suzanne Vega on a few tracks including the now legendary "Tom's Diner". It's certainly got it's moments but does sound a bit dated these days.

June 05, 2022 02:47 AM

db69 - "Fuck Le Pen Mix" (1997)

A slamming 170 bpm rave techno/gabber DJ mix from this English freetekno stalwart. I have to admit that I quite like it for a mindless accompaniment while driving as it's full of energy & doesn't require all that much thought.