Daniel's Forum Threads
Has anyone else watched this Netflix film that's doing big viewer numbers at the moment? The concept was great & I really enjoyed it up to a point but it went downhill very fast at the end.
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
Orgy of Pigs - "Where Feelings Die" (1992)
Now, here's one that has been lost in the annuls of Australian extreme metal history for a very long time now & that I wouldn't even expect Ben to have heard of. Orgy of Pigs were an Adelaide-based death metal artist from the early 1990's who produced just the one release in this heavily underrated 1992 full-length album. They'd disappear shortly afterwards without much of a murmur, however not before they'd reached the attention of this particular metalhead whose interest was raised upon hearing an associate's CD copy of their "Where Feelings Die" record at a party some time around 1993. I'd pick up a dubbed cassette copy of the album shortly afterwards & would give it a few spins before moving on but not before firming up my opinion that Orgy of Pigs were a seriously underrated act. Listening back now, I still maintain that position too.
Not a lot is known about Orgy of Pigs & I don't recall ever getting the opportunity to see them play live. In fact, I'm not sure they even came to Sydney. The most noteworthy thing about them though is the presence of Raven Black Night bassist Frank Usmiani & drummer Luke Sordillo, both who featured on the early releases from Adelaide black/death/thrash metallers Martire who I've always enjoyed. Don't let that fact be a guide on what to expect from Orgy of Pigs though as this is an entirely different prospect & likely one that you haven't experienced before. You see, "Where Feelings Die" offers a highly original sound that's a little hard to pin-point or describe. Producer Tony Nesci (who had already produced Bezerker's excellent "Lost: album by this point & would later go on to work with acts like Chalice, Deströyer 666, Elegeion, Fury, Long Voyage Back & Zen Venom) gives the record a decidedly filthy & unanimously underground atmosphere that would become one of its calling cards, drawing upon hardcore punk & sludge metal as points of reference. In fact, those two genres are represented in more than just the aesthetic here because Orgy of Pigs are not your average death metal band. If we're looking for complete accuracy then I'd suggest that the only real death metal included is in the gruff vocals of charismatic front man Tony Waters with the instrumentation being a unique blend of the previously mentioned sludge metal & hardcore punk which has been chucked into the mix with some of the more underground grunge acts & even a bit of up-tempo speed metal. You won't hear much in the way of blast beats or palm-muted tremolo-picked riffs but somehow Orgy of Pigs always seem to be able to maintain a central feel that is most in line with the death metal model, reminding me of some of the groovier Pungent Stench records in that way. Hell, I challenge anyone not to think of L7's "Pretend That We're Dead" during the early stages of opener "Stink" but I can't say that I ever think I'm listening to a grunge record.
The eight-song tracklisting is generally pretty consistent with most of the material being worth listening to. The exception is probably "Oubliette" which comes across as being a little too loose & a touch flat. The other seven tracks are all fairly interesting though with "Impounder" being the clear standout & the song that I immediately think of when Orgy of Pigs come to mind. Waters' vocals are the obvious focal point & I think he does a really good job of engaging with the listener. For this reason, I think Orgy of Pigs would have been an excellent live act so I'm disappointed that I never got the opportunity to prove or disprove that theory. The instrumentation takes a lot of twists & turns but is never afraid of taking a risk with the tempos being quite varied & the style changing up pretty regularly. I particularly enjoy the slower material that sees the band having a little more room to move with the riffs taking on more of a groove & occasionally dipping their toes into doomier territory. I have to commend these five guys for pulling this all off with such confidence given that this was just their debut release & I struggle to understand how other underground metal fans have failed to connect with their music because they simply come across as being so damn likeable to me, perhaps due to the fact that they sound like they're having so much fun & also possess an infectious energy throughout the record.
Ultimately, I'm not gonna suggest that you should all run out & purchase an extremely expensive CD copy of the "Where Feelings Die" CD from Discogs as I don't think it's an essential release for Aussie metal enthusiasts. However, I will say that there is some reward here for those that are willing to take a chance. The crudely drawn cover artwork is not a bad point of reference for what you can expect actually as Orgy of Pigs aren't in any way polished but do possess a dark, filthy underground death metal atmosphere that comes with reasonably portioned side-dish of fun which is quite an attractive juxtaposition in a modern-day extreme metal scene which often takes itself far too seriously.
For fans of Disastrous Murmur, Vomiturition & Pungent Stench.
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]
The River - "Drawing Down the Sun" (2006)
Croydon's The River formed in 1999 and released several demos before this, their debut album, came out in June of 2006. They have since undergone an evolution into an alternative slowcore / post-metal act, but this was unmistakeably, female-fronted doom metal and a pretty good example of it at that. Built upon highly distorted, rumbling riffs that present a huge wall of sound, even back then they had a degree of a shoegaze influence, an example of what would be called doomgaze, albeit with a bit more bite than I usually associate with the term. Deep basslines that follow the riffs and fairly sparse and wholly functional drumming (with guitarist Christian Leitch doubling up behind the kit) underpin the lethargic riffing and provide a deep and formidable foundation. Over this wave of distorted rumbling, singer Vicky Walters' clear, clean, but oh so melancholy, vocals describe heartbreakingly of a life trapped in a cold, abusive relationship and the hopelessness and despair such a life means for the victim. It is well worth the time to read and get to know the lyrics because it really does twist the experience of the album into a whole new dimension and is as affecting and, frankly, upsetting as any doom metal I have ever listened to. It is heavy stuff, but doom metal shouldn't be afraid to face real-world suffering if it is serious about exploring melancholy and loss, not just loss of others, but of self also. You cannot fail to have empathy for someone who has been stripped of any identity of their own and who are left feeling empty and invisible.
As I said at the start, the band eventually went in another direction, with Vicky Walters leaving around 2010, but with this debut they released one of the most profound doom metal albums it has been my privelege to hear and it still stands as one of my favourite female-fronted doom releases.
4.5/5 [90/100]
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)
Vice - "Daddy's Little Girl" E.P. (1985)
Oh dear! What have we here I hear you ask? Well, this Brisbane-based trio were one of the earliest metal bands to come of my adopted home state of Queensland back with 1985's awfully titled four-song "Daddy's Little Girl" E.P. being their first proper release. Vice weren't exactly a household name in this country so I didn't get around to checking this relatively unknown release out until earlier this decade &, even then, it was only out of sheer completism. I would suggest that the cover art alone would have scared off the majority of punters from this century but, you know what, someone's gotta do it so I recently decided to take the plunge by returning for a second helping, purely in the name of the glorious Aussie metal scene that I love so much.
The horribly titled "Daddy's Little Girl" was released on the completely insignificant Sundown Records label right in the middle of the 1980's. One look at that cover will probably tell you that Vice were at least loosely associated with the glam metal movement &, if that was the case, then you'd be correct because a good half of their sound fits that description pretty comfortably. However, they also possessed a much tougher heavy metal edge at times & opening track "Morpheus" will no doubt have you second guessing yourself with its powerful, down-tuned, bottom-string chug riff that's been pulled straight off of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave". It's a great opener actually & I really enjoy it. It also sounds very different to other three tracks on the release. "Morpheus" is immediately followed by a very commercial sounding & misguided cover version of The Supremes "Stop ...in the Name of Love" which is certainly well performed & energetic but doesn't do a lot for me personally. The lengthier "Into the Night" sees things descending further with front man Peter Sharman's vocals struggling to find his feet amidst the glam/heavy metal instrumentation before the more than decent closer "Thriller Between the Sheets" rewards our patience with an up-tempo heavy metal feel that reminds me a lot of the punk-infused electricity of Iron Maiden's debut album. The variation in approaches across the four songs tells the clear story of a young band who were still trying to decide on what musical direction they should take so it can come across as unfocused but it does keep you on your toes nonetheless.
The production job on "Daddy's Little Girl" is more than acceptable for such an underground release of the time as it presents the band's strengths quite well. Peter Sharman would appear to be the main attraction with his big, masculine, powerful tone tending to make up for his occasional pitchiness with sheer charisma. The guitars of Dr Dave Warner (unfortunately not the former Australian opening batsman) are loud & proud while drummer Scott Allard would appear to be influenced just as much by hard rock as he is heavy metal, alternating between the two across the four songs. My enjoyment does tend to vary depending on how successful Sharman is at tackling each track though &, when he's in his element, Vice can be well worth hearing. I do think they were a significantly better heavy metal band than a glam metal one though so I've found myself enjoying the two more metallic inclusions a lot more than the two glammier ones. In fact, Vice don't really sound much like a glam metal act on the two songs that bookend this release which can only be a good thing in my opinion. Unfortunately, the two tracks that make up the middle of the E.P. do exist which has led to me deciding that "Daddy's Little Girl" probably isn't for me so I can't say that I'd recommend it to members who are looking for a hidden Aussie gem.
For fans of Axatak, Twisted Sister & early Kings Cross.
3/5
Critical Mass - "Unholy Wars" (1992)
Sydney five-piece Critical Mass were a name that I saw floating around the live scene in my home city during the early 1990's but never had the opportunity of experiencing in the flesh as far as I can recall. I did, however, get the chance to check out this one-off album which would occasionally find its way onto the CD player of whoever's house the after party happened to be at though. Critical Mass had begun life as a cover band called Foreign Order in the late 1980's before changing their moniker & attempting originals but they didn't really amount to much before calling it quits around 1993/94. I was familiar with vocalist Greg Moore through the 1989 "Into Reality" demo tape from Sydney speed/heavy metallers Enticer (3.5/5) which I quite liked but the rest of the band didn't really come from any level of metal pedigree & it shows on their sole full-length.
The "Unholy Wars" album was released through Vampire Records in 1992 which surprises me really. Label owner Danny Kaleda was a well-known member of the local metal community thanks to his long-standing "Monday Night Metal" radio program on 2RRR (a show that I was a guest on at least once) & Vampire would be responsible for putting out high-quality extreme metal records like Sadistik Exekution's "The Magus" & the first couple of Nazxul releases. It seems a little strange to me that he'd associate himself with such a mild-mannered & fairly easy-listening metal release such as this one but that would appear to be the case. The production isn't anything to write home about either with the rhythm guitars being too far back in the mix & being over-powered by the rhythm section. For this reason, "Unholy Wars" sounds a lot like a self-financed affair.
Critical Mass' musical approach sits somewhere between Metallica's more chuggy, mid-paced thrash metal material & a more accessible heavy metal sound built around power chords & vocal hooks. Unfortunately the thrash riffs are so simple & generic that I can't help but feel that the band would have been better served by concentrating on their less intense side as they're certainly a little better at it with power ballad (& clear album highlight in my opinion) "Road That Never Ends" & the catchy heavy metal singalong "Nineties" being two of the more rewarding numbers. The lead guitar work is quite accomplished for such an inconspicuous release though & is definitely one of the better elements of Critical Mass' game although Moore doesn't possess the vocal chops to see the song-writing maximizing its potential. There are no genuine shockers included here but the peaks are rare & I generally find myself feeling a little underwhelmed rather than disappointed.
It's not hard to see why "Unholy Wars" might have drifted past most of the global metal scene without much fanfare because it's sound is simply a little too simple, generic & lightweight to raise too many alarm bells. I can't in good conscience score it any lower than three stars though as it certainly has its moments (such as thrasher "When..." which I quite like). It just feels a little flat & never really sees my heart-rate increasing which means that it was never going to amount to more than a blip on the radar of my metal journey.
For fans of Metallica, Nothing Sacred & Aggressa.
3/5
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
Sandrayati "INHABIT" (2025)
I have fallen in love with this record (although I oddly found the largely instrumental version from this year first) from this multi-sub-genre embracing artist. This is largely an ambient affair but there is a folk mentality to the songwritng also. I am increasingly a sucker for an ethereal female vocalist and Sandrayati is amazing in this regard. A possible purchase here.
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.
Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Hey Joe" E.P. (1967)
This four-song psychedelic/blues/acid rock E.P. doesn't do much for me to be honest. Sure, the title track is obviously really good & I've always quite liked "Can You See Me ?" but the other two songs ("Stone Free" & "51st Anniversary") have never done much for me to be honest.
For fans of Cream, The Doors & Led Zeppelin.
3/5
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
Nine Inch Nails - "Fixed" E.P. (1992)
I introduced Ben to NIN through their classic 1992 "Broken" E.P. shortly after it hit the shelves & he went kinda mental for Trent Reznor for a while off the back of it. He'd go on to very quickly pick up a CD copy of their 1989 debut album "Pretty Hate Machine" & (I'm not 100% sure but) I think he also purchased this "Broken" remix E.P. because I definitely gave it quite a few spins at the time but definitely didn't buy it myself. It's a massively underrated release in my opinion too, probably due to the whole "this isn't rock/metal so I need to say it's electronic shit" thing that tends to happen. While it may not be as obviously classic as "Broken" was, "Fixed" offers some universally interesting alternative takes on the material from that E.P., produced in collaboration with several highly regarded electronic producers. The intense extended version of "Wish" & the big-room industrial techno version of "Happiness in Slavery" are outstanding & have become long-time favourites of mine while the rest of the material is also worth hearing so I think NIN fans should give this one a chance. It does tail off a bit over the last couple of tracks but they're still of a decent quality.
For fans of Coil, Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel & PAL.
4/5
Paris - "The Devil Made Me Do It" (1990)
This is definitely one of the better early hip hop records I've heard. Paris gets the right balance between political/conscious lyrics & deep, pulsating basslines here with the tracklisting being surprisingly consistent. Highly recommended.
For fans of Public Enemy, Ice Cube & X-Clan.
4/5
sora - "re.sort" (2003)
The highly regarded lone album from this Japanese glitch/folktronica artist. I really enjoy the relaxing, stripped back atmosphere but the compositions are a little too structure-less for me to fully appreciate at times. I can't deny the joy that's in this music though. It reminds me of those childhood summers when you didn't have a care in the world & is similar to artists like Lemon Jelly & The Avalanches in that it's kinda quirky & doesn't possess even the slightest trace of darkness.
For fans of Fennesz, Oval & Nobukazu Takemura.
3.5/5
Éliane Radigue - "Jetsun Mila" (1987)
This French composer's third full-length may just be my new favourite drone release ever! "Jetsun Mila" was originally a single, lengthy piece spread across both sides of a cassette with the A side being absolutely incredible & the B side being very solid too. This isn't for everyone as it's extremely deep & minimal but those that can get into that type of stuff are gonna go completely nuts for this shit. Wonderful stuff!
For fans of Robert Rich, Phill Niblock & Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto.
4.5/5
Carcass - "Surgical Steel" (2013)
My old review of the 2013 comeback album from these Liverpool extreme metal legends still holds up pretty well. "Surgical Steel" wasn't a bad return to the scene but it's not nearly as captivating as their classic releases (see "Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious" & "Heartwork") which is no doubt why I haven't returned to it in thirteen years. A lot of the instrumentation is essentially heavy metal & thrash metal with Jeff Walker's signature raspy vocals commanding the listeners attention. The production job is excellent & Bill Steer's lead guitar work is amongst the most memorable in recent times (ooohhh... that vibrato is to die for) but I'm afaid that the song-writing simply isn't as compelling as it once was. This isn't a bad record but it's far from essential. The fact that the quality drops so significantly over the last couple of tracks doesn't help either.
For fans of At The Gates, Arch Enemy & Intestine Baalism.
3.5/5
Death Yell - "Vengeance from Darkness Demo" (1989)
Death Yell formed in 1987 as Pestilence, changing name in 1988, presumably to avoid confusion with the Dutch masters. Their name may be familar from a 1991 split with Beherit or the 1992 "Triumph of Death" multi-band split that also involved the likes of Carcass, Samael and Beherit once more.
This 1989 demo is a great example of how the south american metal scene was throwing everything into the pot in search of extremity. Thrash, death and even semblances of early black metal, particularly in the rabid, screeching vocals of singer Galleta, are all incorporated in this mish-mash of extremity. When this is coupled with demented songwriting that features long-ish tracks containing multiple and rapid tempo and direction changes it all makes for a really compelling release that should at least pique the interest of the discerning extreme metal fanatic. There are six tracks on the demo, including a short ambient interval, which combine for a runtime of almost 32 minutes and a pretty substantial listening experience. The sound quality is fine for a typical 1980s demo, both muddy and tinny at the same time, lending the album a rawness that may be a little at odds with the overtly technical material on offer, yet which turns out to be surprisingly effective.
Death Yell don't just reach for extremity via playing uber-fast or by trying to sound more evil than anyone else, although they are perfectly capable of doing both at times, but the constant change in tempo and tone, lurching from killer riff to dissonant and manic guitar pyrotechnics all accompanied by a pummelling and punishing barrage from the very capable rhythm section of bassist Alejandro Allende and impressive drummer Patricio 'Pato' Diez alongside Galleta's manic screeches, howls and barks make for a release that feels ahead of the curve for 1989 in terms of extremity in metal. Ultimately, if you are in any way interested in the development of either the South American metal scene or extreme metal more generally then I think you would find this demo to be very interesting indeed.
4/5