Daniel's Forum Threads
Buffalo - "Average Rock 'n' Roller" (1977)
The final studio album from Sydney's Buffalo was released several months after the band had broken up following front man Dave Tice's decision to head to the UK to join London pub rock outfit The Counting Bishops. It also came after bass player Pete Wells (Rose Tattoo) had decided not to continue with Buffalo, although he was involved in the recording of several of the songs for the album. "Average Rock 'n' Roller" sees Buffalo taking another step away from the heavier sound of their first three full-lengths towards a more accessible & fun hard rock sound that proudly showcases diverse influences such as country rock & boogie rock. The tracklisting is highly inconsistent with slightly more losses than wins however the highlights are absolutely dazzling & carry the album to a respectable outcome. Hard rock power ballad "Hotel Ladies" & the epic progressive hard rock closer "Hero Suite" are some of the band's best material & are also comfortably the longest songs on the album which certainly helps too. I think I'd actually take "Average Rock 'n' Roller" over the previous couple of Buffalo records these days to tell you the truth as my love for those highlight tracks burns very deep. If you're not already familiar with Buffalo though, I'd suggest that you stick with their first two albums because those are the only true essentials in their discography.
For fans of Status Quo, Skyhooks & Rose Tattoo.
3.5/5
In Flames - "Subterranean" E.P. (1995)
This five-track E.P. is generally considered to be one of the stronger of the Gothenburg melodic death metal releases to the time but, as you can see from my score, I've never managed to be convinced that it's worthy of all the praise. In Flames' sophisticated brand of melodeath has simply never appealed to me much & it wasn't until 2006's "Come Clarity" that I've found one of their records to offer me much enjoyment. I will admit that I think "Subterranean" is probably the best from the band's classic era but it still fails to scratch my musical itch enough to see me awarding it a respectable score. The production & performances are very good but my issues are more from a stylistic point of view & I would much rather enjoy records like At The Gates' "Slaughter of the Soul" & "Terminal Spirit Disease" or Dark Tranquillity's "The Gallery" from around the same time.
For fans of Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates & Soilwork.
3/5
I watched this 2015 film on Netflix while working out with my ten year old daughter yesterday. It features Lauren Graham from The Gilmour Girls but was decidedly lacklustre. Very much a TV movie.
Black Jack - "Five Pieces of Eight" E.P. (1985)
Melbourne's Black Jack were one of the earlier Australian metal bands which has afforded them a reasonable amount of mystique in the local scene over the years but it wasn't enough to see me going to the effort of exploring any of their music until only the last half-decade or so. This week's revisit to their one & only proper studio release was my first return to "Five Pieces of Eight" since that initial discovery session, this time paying a lot more attention to finer details & nuances of a record that's largely been lost to time, despite holding the questionable honour of being the very first metal record to explore pirate themes.
Black Jack were a four-piece outfit that formed around the brothers John & Rick Giles way back in 1979. There are reports floating around that the two brothers were direct descendants of historical figure Thomas Giles who was reportedly hanged for piracy back in the day so one would guess that this was where they came up with the concept for a pirate-themed heavy metal band. Black Jack's sole E.P. "Five Pieces of Eight" wouldn't be released until 1985 & followed two demo tapes, the first being recorded in their initial year of existence & the second coming four years later in 1983. "Five Pieces of Eight" would be released on legendary Melbourne metal label Metal For Melbourne but wouldn't exactly see Black Jack going on to become global megastars. In fact, they allegedly recorded two full-length albums at some point but neither would ever see the light of day for one reason or another. So, unfortunately, we only have this short E.P. with which to judge the world's very first pirate metal act. (If I'm being completely honest, the front cover is the only obvious pirate reference here anyway as far as I can tell without reading the lyrics.)
"Five Pieces of Eight" was recorded at Saturn Studio with producer George Simak who also worked on Taramis' 1987 "Queen of Thieves" album. The result is a noticeably rough & ready record with a production job that leaves a lot to be desired though. The main concern is that the rhythm guitars are wwwaaaayyyy back in the mix & are dwarfed by the drums & vocals which is a real shame because guitarist John Giles (who also spent some time with the pre-Taipan band Storm) is obviously a very talented shredder. Thankfully, his lead solos are much louder but I don't think it will surprise you to discover that the riffs are significantly impaired by the fact that the guitars sound more like background music than they do the focal point they deserve to be. Rick Giles' soaring vocals have a lot of attitude & charisma about them & they have to be too as he's no technical superstar, occasionally crossing over the borderline into pitchy territory which completely ruins the silly "Hot Rocket".
Apart from the previously mentioned "Hot Rocket", the tracklisting isn't too bad actually. The short introduction piece adds no value whatsoever but opening track "Highwayman's Inn" (my personal favourite) is actually a really solid heavy metal tune that borders on power metal, largely thanks to Rick's operatic (yet mildly chaotic) vocal performance. The drumming of Ion Drive skinsman Mick Burns shows some class & creativity on that track too so a really dig it. "Hot Rocket" is more or less party metal while "Prelude #5" would appear to be an attempt to showcase John Giles' lead guitar prowess in a similar way to Van Halen's "Eruption" & it succeeds in many respects too. "Man of Arms" is a doomy power metal anthem that reminds me a lot of Manowar while closer "The Wiazrd" opts for a NWOBHM heavy metal gallop that was no doubt inspired by the likes of Iron Maiden. The wins clearly outweigh the losses however the production issues certainly limit the heights that "Five Pieces of Eight" has the ability to scale. I can see the potential in it though & subsequently find it hard not to enjoy the naive energy & enthusiasm of it all.
Look, "Five Pieces of Eight" isn't gonna rock your world & you'll do very well to find yourself a copy anyway. But it is an important landmark in the Australian heavy metal story & Black Jack deserve to be mentioned when local metalheads refer to the important players that built their beloved scene. I can't imagine how those two full-length albums never saw the light of day though. I mean, if you'd put that much time & money into your passion project then surely you'd at least want people to hear it. Perhaps the production was even worse than we hear on this one? I dunno but, for now at least, "Five Pieces of Eight" will have to suffice as Black Jack's sole legacy.
For fans of Taipan, Iron Maiden & early Taramis.
3.5/5
A really nice-looking vinyl boxset of all the Bolt Thrower albums from Realm of Chaos onwards (7 albums) is due out in October. Hmm... I may be tempted!
Update: Sold out already, dammit.
Anatomy - "Arrogance Within Humanity" E.P. (1992)
This three-track 7" single originally appeared on the 1992 "For Those Whose Eyes Are Black" demo tape & it sounds like it too. That's not to say that it's a bad listen though as this five-piece Aussie death metal outfit had a good energy about them, even at this early stage, if not the black metal component that would define their signature sound later in the decade. Vocalist Jason Martin sounds very much like an angry Glen Benton & is the main focal point while the instrumentation is made up of some fairly straight-forward death metal riffs that generally tend to get my head nodding, if not necessarily banging. This is an underrated release from the Australian underground extreme metal scene in my opinion & Anatomy would go on to become a reasonably important player. I wouldn't say that this is their best release by any stretch though.
For fans of Deicide, Martire & Abramelin.
3.5/5
Midryasi - Corridors (2009)
Midryasi are an italian doom metal crew from Lombardy and they take their name from a condition which results in excessive dilation of the pupils, ususally from disease or chronic drug use and the music they produce tends to suggest they are referencing the latter cause rather than the former. "Corridors" is their sophomore full-length, although the self-titled debut is often cited as a demo rather than an official debut album. They take Sabbathian traditional doom metal and infuse it with a heavy late-60s / 1970s psychedelic vibe for a very trippy take on doom metal. This is achieved chiefly through a liberal layering of Sixties' Hammond-like keyboards and loose jam-style guitar solos alongside some pretty funky riffs. The band quite often choose to employ layered gang vocals which does feel quite anachronistic in music that is attempting to recreate the atmosphere of the late Sixties. The psychedelia-infused leads and often pretty groovy riffs give "Corridors" more of a positive atmosphere than we would normally expect to hear on a doom metal record and, as such, it may well appeal more to stoners than to dyed-in-the-wool doomheads. That is until the mightily filthy riff of closing track "Another Hell Within (Space Suite Version)" kicks in and causes the ears of those with darker preferences to prick up. There is still a psychedelic edge to the track, but this feels like the dark underbelly of psychedelia summed up by Altamont and Manson, not the Woodstock and Sgt, Pepper of the rest of the album. Its fourteen minutes is a dark, hallucinatory jam through the inner workings of a mind trapped in its own personal hell and, for me, is a clear standout and a great way to end the album and send the listener away with a sobering reality check. "Corridors" isn't a perfect album by any means and the two tracks immediately before the titanic closer feel like filler, but the two longest tracks that bookend the album, the title track and "Another Hell Within" certainly make it worth checking out if you are partial to a bit of drug-induced trippiness in your doom metal.
4/5 [82/100]
Foetus - Nail (1985)
Genres: Industrial Rock, Exp. Rock
Since I'm almost done with shoegaze, I figured I might as well explore some more industrial rock, which I always liked. This decision came from exploring Curve, a shoegaze band with an industrial influence. It was easy to decide to explore more Foetus, especially since I stopped at their third for something else I don't remember, and apparently my top 10 for industrial rock SUCKS. It starts with two Killing Jokes, then two NIN's, Killing Joke, NIN. And there's one more NIN in the top ten. Obviously, I have my work cut out.
There was no guarantee that a Foetus album would break into the top 6, considering all of those are between 9.5-10. But this album made it look EASY once Pigswill came around. The previous eight minutes were all a bunch of fun, but that was the cutoff point from fun to OUT OF WHACK. The switches between fun and dorky songs and dark and creepy cabaret strikes that same fine line Tom Waits had been treading that same year on Rain Dogs. There's no shortage of organized chaos here, carefully molding weird and wild instrumentals with catchy vocal melodies as well. And Thirlwell's vocals as are good as ever, being perfectly bluesy and overactive at the same time. You never know what's gonna happen, even when it gets symphonic and cinematic for whatever light joke they're telling. Hell, the Pigdom Come Overture is basically early dungeon synth, and it's so much better than even some of the best dungeon synth I've heard so far (that's a genre I'm NOT underexplored in). You know, most people prefer The Throne of Agony, but I'd say my favorite is definitely Enter the Exterminator for its darker and more progressive approach from dark industrial to epic orchestral rock.
Nail is a major creative step forward from the already great Hole, which was a big step forward from the first two albums. THe whole is pretty much like an industrial comparison to 80's Tom Waits, and its got all of the spirit and artistry, as well as some obnoxious but controlled self-awareness, to maximize both the band's artistic talent and identity to as far as they could push it without ruining things. No doubt about it, this helped to break the top 6 problem.
97
Taubra - "Therizo" (2023)
Taubra was founded in 2022 by swiss guitarist Berg, who also plies his trade as the multi-instrumentalist behind Aara. Now, Taubra are a new one on me, but I am quite familiar with Aara, particular the earlier releases and I would count myself as a fan. I got to hear the track "Rembrandt of Death" whilst compiling the North playlist (nice nomination Vinny) and I kept sneaking back to it as it stood out to me, so good vibes abounded as I dived in to check out the full album.
The band hit an aggressive and vicious pose with some vibrantly brutal riffing thanks to a death metal style production job that beefs up their sound with a significant amount of bottom end and is perhaps a bit more bludgeoning than usual with the tremolo riffs not quite as dominant and high in the mix as you might normally expect. This pummelling viciousness is counterbalanced, though, by a degree of melodicism that gives it more memorability than an unrelenting blast-fest would and I am getting a decided Mgla vibe from a significant proportion of the material on offer. Vocals are provided by Norway's Ruben Haug who has been around the scene for many years and is a writer for the Heavymetal.no website. He does a damn good job too and has a ragged, barking scream that is aggressive, savage sounding and very much in your face.
We all know how far and wide the black metal umbrellaI spreads nowadays and it seems to widen every year as the genre always seems to be innovating, so I can almost feel a fair few black metal fans rolling their eyes and shrugging their shoulders at Taubra, but I have never hidden the fact that I am perfectly happy to listen to metal that isn't particularly original or groundbreaking as long as it is done well and provides some kind of buzz to my cynical soul and on that level "Therizo" hits the mark for me. It is powerful and aggressive-sounding, yet is still reasonably accessible and passes the test of getting this old dog nodding his head and pummelling imaginary kick drums in an ankle-strain-threatening flurry of flapping feet. What can I say, I love this sort of shit and I love metal that makes me feel alive as much as metal that makes me think, so a big thumbs up from me.
4.5/5 [86/100]
Virginia Astley - "From Gardens Where We Feel Secure" (1983)
The debut album from this English ambient/neoclassical new age artist. It's a bit of a mixed bag for me personally as it can be a little... positive I guess? I'm not usually one to go for music that's this pastoral, pretty & gentle on the ear but there's enough quality here to leave me feeling generally pretty good about the holistic experience, particularly during the deeper & more ambient moments.
For fans of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Mary Lattimore & the Harold Budd & Brian Eno's "The Pearl" collaboration album.
3.5/5
Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - "The Twin Peaks Archive" (2011)
Ok, so you probably haven't noticed that my non-metal posts have dropped off the radar for the last few weeks but there's a very good reason for that. You see, I decided to give myself the ultimate music review challenge by committing to rating this incredibly extensive 588-minute/212-song compilation of unreleased material from the "Twin Peaks" series which I'm a big fan of. You can expect dozens of interesting alternative versions of the main themes as well as a whole bunch of new material of widely varying quality levels. The majority of this stuff takes on either dark jazz or dark ambient styles which suits me very nicely but the real gold is in the amazing alternate versions of familiar tracks like "Laura Palmer's Theme" or "Love Theme". Is it worth the thirty hours of listening I've put into it? Well, while there's certainly enough incredible material included to make for one of the greatest single or double albums ever recorded, the holistic pay-off isn't really enough to justify the investment of time. It certainly makes for lovely background music though &, if pushed, I'd probably take "The Twin Peaks Archive" over 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" or 2007's "Twin Peaks: Season Two Music & More" but I definitely wouldn't place on the same level as the original 1990 "Soundtrack from Twin Peaks" which is still the elite representation of the "Twin Peaks" series in my opinion.
For fans of Bohren & der Club of Gore, The Dale Cooper Quartet & the Dictaphones & The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble.
3.5/5
Hour of 13 - "Hour of 13" (2007)
Formed in 2003 by multi-instrumentalist Chad Davis, Hour of 13 also featured veteran doom metal vocalist Phil Swanson on the first three albums, although he seemed to be in and out of the lineup fairly regularly. This debut full-length sees Davis taking on nearly all the instrumental duties, although the album's recording engineer Corey Leonard contributes leads on a couple of tracks, whilst Swanson handles vocal duties. Musically, Hour of 13 is pretty conservative, its traditional doom metal very much stressing the traditional with fuzzed-up, Sabbathian riffs and Swanson having a fairly high pitch and rough edge to his vocals in the vein of Ozzy with a similar intonation and delivery that suggests Phil very much modelled his vocal style on Birmingham's Prince of Darkness.
The production very much emphasises the riffs with the bass and, in particular, the drums sitting low in the mix and taking a back seat to the guitars and vocals. Obviously guitar and vocals are most often the focus but, especially in doom metal, the rhythm section usually has a deeper and more foundational feel than is present here and it would have been nice to hear a bit more depth and richness of tone in the backing track. There isn't a lot of focus on solos here either with Davis only really letting rip on "Grim Reality" and Leonard handling the solos on "Submissive to Evil" and "Allowance of Sin". I don't know whether Davis' reluctance to take on the leads is down to a lack of confidence on his part or it just being something he was less interested in than riffing his balls off. All that aside, those riffs are generally pretty damn good and although there isn't anything new or challenging, they deliver exactly what you would expect from a fundamentalist trad doom act and should satisfy any adherent of the style looking for a new fix. Phil Swanson's vocals suit the instrumentation exceedingly well and his doom metal credentials would have given the band a leg up in the doom scene that Davis would not have reasonably expected with a less well-known vocalist. Lyrically, once more the duo stick to the well-trodden occult path that is a feature / plague of trad doom lyricists since Ozzy intoned his words of doom on their eponymous opener, oh so many years ago.
Overall, I would have to admit that "Hour of 13" is unlikely to garner much attention outside of hardcore trad doom fanatics, but, despite a couple of reservations, I actually think this is a quite endearing example of the genre that is worthy of your time if trad doom is your bag and you just can't get enough Pentagram, Saint Vitus or Trouble. If you constantly need to be challenged or seek musical innovation, however, you should probably move along as there is nothing for you here.
4/5 [82/100]
Dimmu Borgir - "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" (1997)
I have to admit that I hated the first couple of albums from Norway's Dimmu Borgir when I first encountered them during my mid-90's trade trading days & nothing has changed much in that respect. The experience left me feeling far less than enthused about continuing to follow the band through their creative evolution, however I believe it was Ben that alerted me to the drastic change of musical direction with their third full-length "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" & it tempted me back to see what the fuss was about. I wouldn't say that my initial listens saw my interest doing a swift u-turn as I still found myself struggling to connect with the band's brand-new & significantly more symphonic approach, however I certainly found it to be more palatable than the clumsy, incompetence of records like "For all tid" (1.5/5) or "Stormblåst" (2/5). It's only now though, that I've realised what my main issue with "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" was & started to finally come around to its charms.
Whereas Dimmu Borgir's early releases took an intentionally lo-fi & primitive approach to melodic black metal, "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" is an altogether different beast, this time going for a huge symphonic sound full of gothic romanticism & grandeur. The lineup had changed a little with bassist Brynjard Tristan (Old Man's Child) being replaced by Nagash (The Kovenant/Troll/Carpe Tenebrum/Chrome Division/Covenant) while the other core members who recorded Dimmu Borgir's 1994 "Inn i evighetens mørke" debut E.P. were all still present. The prestigious Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy/Pain/Bloodbath/Lindemann/Lock Up/The Abyss/War) would be charged with engineering & mixing the album & had begun to make a name for himself as a talented producer over the previous 4 or 5 years. This would appear to have been a good decision as he certainly played a role in presenting Dimmu Borgir as a more exciting yet also more accessible option for extreme metal fans.
Upon revisiting "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" for the first time in decades this week, I was immediately challenged in the same way that I was back in the day, only this time I feel that my increased patience allowed me to overcome an obvious failing that had previously tainted my vision of the overall album. You see, "Embrace Darkness Triumphant" begins with the three tracks that contain by far the most challenges for my personal taste & it had previously been hard to overlook them when assessing the holistic package. It's only with several repeat listens that I've come to this realisation & discovered that the remainder of the record is really pretty decent. The use of Stian Aarstad's keyboards in those earlier songs tends to veer into overblown & cheesy spaces while there is a lot more brutality & substance to the other seven songs, particularly the blast-tastic "Relinquishment of Spirit & Flesh" which very quickly drags things back out of the abyss after the disappointment of the opening trio & is easily my pick of the bunch. All of the remaining tracks are worth hearing although none of them quite reach essential status, generally being let down by a weaker section here or there. It's hardly surprising that the general consensus seems to be the complete reverse of my position on the tracklisting as I'm simply not the target audience for a record like this one.
The vocals of front man Shagrath (Chrome Division/Fimbulwinter/Nocturnal Breed/Ov Hell/Ulver) are a highlight along with the more frenzied drums parts of Tjodalv (Abyssic/Susperia/Old Man's Child) while the riffs of rhythm guitarist Erkekjetter Silenoz (Insidious Disease/Nocturnal Breed) often draw upon the influence of symphonic black metal godfathers Emperor during their stronger moments. Those keyboards rarely reach a level where I find them to be more than tolerable however they don't often leap over the borderline into theatrical shenanigans outside of those first few tracks, generally staying within spaces that I can at least deem to be acceptable even if I would prefer that they weren't there at all a lot of the time.
There's no doubt at all that "Embrace Darkness Triumphant" was Dimmu Borgir's best release to the time & took their careers to an entirely new level. For me though, their finest hour would not come until the early 2000's with records like "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" & "Death Cult Armageddon" when they'd toned down the theatrics a bit. It's easy to see how some of your more elitist black metal fans might claim Dimmu Borgir as "gateway" act off the back of a release like this one but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, we all needed an entry point & it doesn't immediately mean that Dimmu Borgir are entirely bad. They're not, They're just not the same animal as your Mayhems or Marduks.
For fans of Old Man's Child, Cradle of Filth & Carach Angren.
3.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Symphonic Black Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Emperor - "In the Nightside Eclipse" (1994)
02. Emperor - "Live Inferno" (2009)
03. Emperor - "Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 - a Night of Emperial Wrath" (2009)
04. Emperor - "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" (1997)
05. Cradle of Filth - "V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein" (1996)
06. Emperor - "Reverence" E.P. (1997)
07. Cradle of Filth - "Dusk... & Her Embrace" (1996)
08. Dimmu Borgir - "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" (2001)
09. Dimmu Borgir - "Death Cult Armageddon" (2003)
10. Samael - "Passage" (1996)
Deadguy - "Fixation on a Coworker" (1995)
I just wrote a full review of this classic metalcore/mathcore debut album, only to accidently close the window after completing it so I'm not gonna rewrite it. Needless to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my first Deadguy experience with the five-piece showing themselves to be a class act & thoroughly worthy of the hype. Much like guitarist Keith Huckins' (Kiss It Goodbye) previous band Rorschach, Deadguy's sound sits somewhere between the classic 90's metalcore one & a more abrasive & chaotic mathcore one so both of my metalcore preferences receive an equal showing. Future Kiss It Goodbye front man Tim Singer is the clear highlight of the album for mine, oozing of hardcore credibility & integrity throughout. The version on Spotify also 1994's three-song "White Meat" E.P. (4/5) which is also very solid & deserving of your time.
For fans of Rorscach, Starkweather & Acme.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Metalcore Releases of All Time list:
01. Converge – “All We Love We Leave Behind” (2012)
02. Unbroken - "Life. Love. Regret." (1994)
03. Converge – “Axe To Fall” (2009)
04. Converge – “You Fail Me” (2004)
05. Loathe – “I Let It In & It Took Everything” (2020)
06. Converge – “When Forever Comes Crashing” (1998)
07. Deadguy - "Fixation on a Coworker" (1995)
08. Between The Buried & Me - “Colors_Live” (2008)
09. Snapcase - "Progression Through Unlearning" (1997)
10. Every Time I Die – “Radical” (2021)
Deadtrees - New World (2026)
I've been loving this new release from the solo Chinese project Deadtrees, haven't heard of them before this but may have to check out their back catalogue a bit. It's an epic blend of sweeping symphonics with a dense but focused drum performance and beautiful atmospheric lead guitar tremolo that almost sounds a bit Black Metal influenced in some tracks, but probably falls under the Post Metal umbrella. It's been addicting work music since it's great to have on in the background, there's a lot going on but it's written in a way that isn't overwhelming. Some of the louder parts where the bass comes into the forefront gets a bit muddy, but it still serves as a nice contrast to the rest of the album that's filled with gorgeous piano and violin vignettes.
4/5
Lone Wanderer - Exequiae (2026)
Despite having formed in 2014, only now have Lone Wanderer attracted my doom-hungry gaze. To date the german four-piece have released an album-length EP and three official full-lengths, with "Exequiae" being their latest and, at 72 minutes, longest. Kicking off with the almost twenty-five minute, "To Rest Eternally", Lone Wanderer set out their stall from the outset. The opener displays a quite clean version of funeral doom metal that, at times, almost feels like it strays into post-metal territiory. It doesn't always possess the sheer crushing immensity of an Esoteric or Ahab, but rather it utilises melodic guitar leads to provide some lightness to contrast with the churning morass of sluggish riffs and plodding percussion in order to present a more emotionally charged atmosphere. This doesn't mean that this is lightweight stuff, by any means, it is still fundamentally funeral doom after all, but it does feel like the band want to tug at your heartstrings whilst they smother and envelop you in their wall of sound. The foundation from which the guitar leads soar is further bolstered by the impressive rumble issuing from the throat of vocalist/guitarist Bruno Schotten who has got the archetypal funeral doom abyssal growl down pat. The songwriting is also of a high standard and, despite its length, "To Rest Eternally", doesn't get stuck in any particular rut and manages to keep itself sounding interesting and engaging with nuanced changes in melody and tempo, even calming to a gentle, spoken word section at one point from which it builds to its apotheosis.
This mighty opener is followed by the albums two shortest tracks, "Existence Nullified" and "Life's Lost Vanity" both of which sound quantifiably heavier and while their leads are still fairrly melodic in nature, they aren't as light or as airy as those on "To Rest Eternally", consequently reinforcing the depth of darkness of both tracks' tone rather than providing contrast to it. "Anhedonie" marks a return to the slightly lighter tone of the opener, but it doesn't quite hold together as well for me and does feel like it gets bogged down a little in the middle. It isn't a bad track by any means, but it doesn't resonate with me as much as the first couple of tracks, Closer "Epistemology of the Passed" is another lengthy affair, clocking in at over 16 minutes and is once more a trade-off between both light and dark musical motifs, the interplay and contrast between the two opposing forces ultimately being the core of the album and the engine which drives it pretty much from start to finish.
Overall I am an enthusiastic convert and whilst I do love me some really heavy and crushingly dark funeral doom, Lone Wanderer have managed to captivate me with their more contrasted style, chiefly because it is written and performed so damn well. I am certainly going to have to have a dig into the band's earlier releases, but for now this is destined to find its way onto my favourite funeral doom metal list and is sure to feature in my year end list too.
4.5/5 [86/100]
Sick of It All - Yours Truly (2000)
R.I.P. Lou Koller
I have been spinning some Sick of It All today after learning of vocalist Lou Koller finally losing his lengthy battle with cancer. They were one of my favourite hardcore bands and Lou one of my favourite punk vocalists. I don't know how well known they are outside of the New York HC scene, but I got into them after catching their video for "District" from this very album on MTV around the time of its release. I must admit I didn't keep up with their new stuff after 2006's "Death to Tyrants", but their early stuff featured some classic NYHC albums. "Scratch the Surface", "Call to Arms" amd this, my particular favourite, "Yours Truly" are all brilliant, and get regular spins, but anything up to 2003's "Life on the Ropes" is great. Check out the video to "Step Down" on YouTube if you haven't heard them before and check out some legit classic NY hardcore.
Miles Davis - "A Tribute to Jack Johnson" soundtrack (1971)
I picked up this soundtrack CD when I was going through an obsessive Miles phase during the late 1990's & it's stayed with me ever since. It's comprised of two lengthy pieces that are both very solid jazz fusion workouts & rarely varies in terms of groove & quality. If pushed, I'd probably take the more stripped back "Yesternow" over opener "Right Off" but there's not much between them. "In A Silent Way" is still my favourite music release of all time from any genre but I'm gonna suggest that "A Tribue to Jack Johnson" might be my third favourite Miles record these days behind "Kind of Blue", although it's not far in front of "Bitches Brew" & "Live-Evil". Miles was a fucking genius & so was guitarist John McLaughlin who I absolutely adore.
For fans of Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra & Soft Machine.
4/5