6 New Reviews 12/28/2014
And you will know us by the trail of dead- IX- CD/Digital ( Superball Music)
So what I get with this band and I've heard several albums now is a mix of Proggish Indie rock mix with large elements of Post Rock and Art house music. There is a very heavy element to the music at time in the same way bands like Mogwai, Sonic Youth or Foo Fighters can get aggro. It's never in a metallic way its more in that Punk/Hardcore ethos.. I do hear elements of the DC Hardcore scene esp bands like Superchunk, Fugazi and Jawbox. I can see why they were on Merge records for a while but they also have the Touch and go and Sub pop early 90's Alt rock pissed off swagger as well. This album is a full on rock adventure with many subtle layers . The more I listen to it I hear elements of bands like Sugar, Sunny Day Real Estate and Mega city four. There really is an amazing pop harmony at times going on in the full mix of the album. You need to hear it and they will suck you in just like they did with this reviewer.
http://www.superballmusic.com/
Stargazer- A merging to the boundless- CD/ Digital ( Nuclear war now ! Productions)
This is a mix of some of the most complex metal ideals I can honestly imagine . Stargazer like to mix Thrash, Tradional 80's metal. Prog rock, Sci fi element with Death and Post Black metal in to something is more of a musical event then an album and more complex than 5 albums in another bands career. I want to say if Bathory, Celtic Frost, Voivod and Ved Buen Ende were collectively merged into one unit then they would be Stargazer. This band takes it time with releases as this is just the 3rd album ina 20 year career . Stargazer are from the land down under and work on many other projects then just this and I think it's what makes this so special the time they take to the craft of making an album that no one else can really make. We need to give them the time to make amazing epic releases like this .
http://www.nwnprod.com/
King Parrot- Bite your head off- CD/ Digital ( Candlelight Records)
Yell it from the roof tops this band with one of the sillyest names every is a kick ass band over all they mix 3 elements I really enjoy extreme thrash, Grind and hardcore into one furiously massive kill zone of an album they have the love of bands like Nuclear assault, Brutal truth and Impaled all at the same time with some of those Cali bands in slap a ham label esp Spazz and Man is the bastard.. King Parrot is fast, loud, noisy and just wonderful in all its imperfections. This would have been an amazing addition to the Sunday CBGB's hardcore matinees in the 80's and 90's . I really glad bands are making music like this still and making sure the demin vests with patches never truly go away... DRI and Exciter are very happy to have King Parrot live on their sickened dreams...
http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/
Grimoire- L'Aorasie Des Spectres Reveurs- CD/ Digital ( Eisenwald)
So if you mix Folk , Black, Ambient and Symphonic metal into a cold and wintery over tone with a mix of Grim and Operatic male vocals what do you get. Something very occult and for a select listener. Yes that is very true but you also get a bit raw and lo fi epic masterpiece in the making. This reminds me of early Dimmu Borgir, Windir, Ishahn solo material and bands like Thorns and DHG all coming together for those that wants to do the rituals to remember the past. There is a very viking metal in the way of Falkenbach and The Summoning as well. Grimoire is a cold and isolationist journey into the occult side of music and thoughts that never should be forgotten. The piano work while simple just adds such a layer to the songs as whole. I can feel a kinship to the music and way everything is presented and I just want this to never falter. Stellar Release.
Vivus Humare- Einkehr- CD/ Digital ( Eisenwald)
It has come to my conclusion that everything on Eisenwald has a very cold occult them in the doom or black metal genres and without fail we have another one with Vivus Humare. Though with this band we have very music more desolate hallow sorrow filled Blackened Doom journey into the very psychosis that it created in the very first place . There is something off with this band as they mix dark metal elements of bands like Limbonic art, Bethlehem and A Forest of Stars etc to make this are heathen and old world in sound as possible. This is what I want to hear from black metal esp on a cold winters night reflecting on past battles , triumphs and loss. The vocals are tormented to say the least and work so well with the dissident guitars and war like percussion going on, Heathens unite there are not many bands like this to help you with your spiritual journeys.
Voices- London- CD/ Digital ( Candlelight )
A band falls and becomes a new carnation of its former self. This is what Voices are now with this their second full album on Candlelight label former Akercocke and My Dying bride members mix Avant metal, Post Black metal, Grind and Electronica into something all it's own and wonderfully special all in its chaos and splendor . If I had to take a moment and say what I hear its a mix of Ulver, Anaal Nathrakh, And Oceans, Dornenriech and In the woods. This band is beyond amazing to me its theather of the mind, fore ward thinking beyond experimental and going to be very hard to swallow for some and the greatest album ever to some ( like myself) There are elements of bands like Code, Arcturus and Virus as well in the amazement of it all The industrial, grind and full on Death metal assaults just make you want to listen to London over and over again to see and hear all that you missed. Voices are like that scab you can never let heal as the pain and pleasure is to much not to pick at it and see what new can come at it.
http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/
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