New discovery for me.
That's the trouble of liking and dealing with pretty obscure genres, I would've definitely put Hierophant's Great Mother: Holy Monster on my top list of albums from 2013, had I heard about at any point in 2013. But I didn't until now, January 2015.
It's simply an explosion of an album, and much better than the other album I've found from them, 2010's self titled effort. Do check that one out though, the final track is pretty fucking great. Maybe that one will grow on me but so far Great Mother has a definite advantage.
It's one of those bands that has a sound that's bound to appeal to me. It reminds me of Enabler, but a little bit less "metal" than them, if that makes any sense. Pretty similar though, make no mistake. Last.fm lists fellow Italians The Secret as one of the most similar artists and there's definitely some similarity, although the black metal is much less prominent in their sound than in The Secret's. Other similar artists according to last.fm include Masakari, Protestant and Baptists, but I'm tempted to say this sounds more like Enabler than any of these bands, despite the comment I made about it being less "metal".
Anyway, it's a solid album, dark, hard and angry. The sheer malevolence in the music seems on par with the likes of The Secret, Trap Them and so on. I haven't read the lyrics and I don't understand what's being shouted (which is shouted pretty damn well btw), but the feeling is that of pure misanthropy, being fed up with society. Awesome.
cop
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Baptists, Converge
One of the albums I had for some reason quite anticipated in 2014 was Baptists latest effort, Bloodmines. It's one of the biggest hyped bands it seems, out of those following in the footsteps of the likes of Cursed, Trap Them, Converge, etc. That 2000s-2010s-ish type of hardcore that's serious, dark, sometimes brooding but always punishing.
I don't really know why I waited so expectantly for Bloodmines because my experience with Baptists hasn't been that great so far. On paper they're exactly what I tend to go for in a hardcore band, but the result is usually quite bland it seems, and so far on only a few listens, that's what I'd describe Bloodmines as.
Baptists are produced and recorded by Kurt Ballou in GodCity, but are signed to Southern Lord, as opposed to the Converge-connected Deathwish, part of what seems like a new wave of hardcore on the former label. I really find it curious that Kurt would go for them because to me he seems to have a good ear to what works and what doesn't, that stuff that's not quite like everything else out there, like when he recorded Gavin Portland, Trap Them and Code Orange, to name a few. It's not just what I've so far perceived as Baptists' blandness that makes me surprised Kurt records them, it's also the fact that so much of Baptists' material thus far comes out as a rehash or rework of a lot of 2000s era Converge material, you know, Jane Doe and onwards, the stuff that has had so many people by the throats in anticipation whenever there's a new album coming, and has probably been some of the absolutely most influential material in modern day hardcore.
As I say, I find it curious that he'd record what sounds like what Converge might've discarded when recording an album, but then I had a thought, maybe that material is just pretty damn good. Because what does go on to a Converge album post-2000 is usually nothing short of spectacular, save for perhaps their newest LP, All we love we leave behind, which admittedly has its great chapters.
So I really hadn't thought much of Baptists until I had that thought today. And then it also occurred to me that perhaps Baptists best track had soured the rest of their material for me. The first effort I heard from them was Bushcraft. And the opening track on that is absolutely magnificent. Starts off with this phenomenal stand-alone gritty guitar riff, then come the crushing drum hits along with it, before the riff continues along to more d-beat style drumming. Just fantastic stuff, and the rest of the album unfortunately pales in comparison.
Then after thinking this, I decided I'd take another listen to Bushcraft, and as much as the "rehashed Converge" point stands, I actually find the material pretty fucking awesome. It's relentless and punishing, and it makes for a great listen even if they're not quite inventing the wheel.
And now, onto listening to to Bloodmines.
I don't really know why I waited so expectantly for Bloodmines because my experience with Baptists hasn't been that great so far. On paper they're exactly what I tend to go for in a hardcore band, but the result is usually quite bland it seems, and so far on only a few listens, that's what I'd describe Bloodmines as.
Baptists are produced and recorded by Kurt Ballou in GodCity, but are signed to Southern Lord, as opposed to the Converge-connected Deathwish, part of what seems like a new wave of hardcore on the former label. I really find it curious that Kurt would go for them because to me he seems to have a good ear to what works and what doesn't, that stuff that's not quite like everything else out there, like when he recorded Gavin Portland, Trap Them and Code Orange, to name a few. It's not just what I've so far perceived as Baptists' blandness that makes me surprised Kurt records them, it's also the fact that so much of Baptists' material thus far comes out as a rehash or rework of a lot of 2000s era Converge material, you know, Jane Doe and onwards, the stuff that has had so many people by the throats in anticipation whenever there's a new album coming, and has probably been some of the absolutely most influential material in modern day hardcore.
As I say, I find it curious that he'd record what sounds like what Converge might've discarded when recording an album, but then I had a thought, maybe that material is just pretty damn good. Because what does go on to a Converge album post-2000 is usually nothing short of spectacular, save for perhaps their newest LP, All we love we leave behind, which admittedly has its great chapters.
So I really hadn't thought much of Baptists until I had that thought today. And then it also occurred to me that perhaps Baptists best track had soured the rest of their material for me. The first effort I heard from them was Bushcraft. And the opening track on that is absolutely magnificent. Starts off with this phenomenal stand-alone gritty guitar riff, then come the crushing drum hits along with it, before the riff continues along to more d-beat style drumming. Just fantastic stuff, and the rest of the album unfortunately pales in comparison.
Then after thinking this, I decided I'd take another listen to Bushcraft, and as much as the "rehashed Converge" point stands, I actually find the material pretty fucking awesome. It's relentless and punishing, and it makes for a great listen even if they're not quite inventing the wheel.
And now, onto listening to to Bloodmines.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
White Lung KEXP performance
The video please:
Just over a month ago, White Lung performed at KEXP in Seattle. They did four songs, Wrong Star, Snake Jaw and Down It Goes from 2014's LP Deep Fantasy, and Blow It South from 2013's 7" Songs about the South.
After the first two songs there's a semi-awkward interview featuring a host that didn't 100% take care of the fact-checking but honestly as far as these things go, the interview's pretty good. By that I mean, usually interviews like this are fairly terrible, both awkward, ignorant and boring. But this one's alright, despite the host's mistakes. I can forgive that. The interview's not a bland spew of platitudes, so there's that.
The performance itself is pretty good, but the sound in the studio does White Lung no favours. The drums and vocals are alright I guess, but the guitar sounds really far away and powerless. Lacks all punch. The bass also just comes off flat and uninspiring.
All of which comes down on White Lung themselves and their performance. However they seem to be doing their absolute best in a live scenario not as familiar to them as a bar gig for example. You're put in an environment that's not giving you your best chance to give your fullest. If they come off uninspired, which I'm not sure they do, I can't blame them. I haven't seen them live myself but my best guess is that their best performance would be in a packed bar, with as few cat-calling assholes as possible, I'd venture.
But of course they took the gig. That's what you do when something with KEXP's exposure comes knocking, even if you're White Lung, having quite a lot of momentum and publicity off Deep Fantasy.
Overall it's not that great of a performance, but mainly for things that are probably out of White Lung's control. I'm not going t give a rating, it'll suffice to say that it's alright. There are probably other, better live videos of them on youtube.
Just over a month ago, White Lung performed at KEXP in Seattle. They did four songs, Wrong Star, Snake Jaw and Down It Goes from 2014's LP Deep Fantasy, and Blow It South from 2013's 7" Songs about the South.
After the first two songs there's a semi-awkward interview featuring a host that didn't 100% take care of the fact-checking but honestly as far as these things go, the interview's pretty good. By that I mean, usually interviews like this are fairly terrible, both awkward, ignorant and boring. But this one's alright, despite the host's mistakes. I can forgive that. The interview's not a bland spew of platitudes, so there's that.
The performance itself is pretty good, but the sound in the studio does White Lung no favours. The drums and vocals are alright I guess, but the guitar sounds really far away and powerless. Lacks all punch. The bass also just comes off flat and uninspiring.
All of which comes down on White Lung themselves and their performance. However they seem to be doing their absolute best in a live scenario not as familiar to them as a bar gig for example. You're put in an environment that's not giving you your best chance to give your fullest. If they come off uninspired, which I'm not sure they do, I can't blame them. I haven't seen them live myself but my best guess is that their best performance would be in a packed bar, with as few cat-calling assholes as possible, I'd venture.
But of course they took the gig. That's what you do when something with KEXP's exposure comes knocking, even if you're White Lung, having quite a lot of momentum and publicity off Deep Fantasy.
Overall it's not that great of a performance, but mainly for things that are probably out of White Lung's control. I'm not going t give a rating, it'll suffice to say that it's alright. There are probably other, better live videos of them on youtube.
Monday, January 12, 2015
New Swain song, EP in March
Swain, formerly known as This Routine is Hell, have a new EP out in March this year. Last week they uploaded the title song as a preview:
I didn't like it on first listen but it's growing on me. By Swain's standards, the beginning is almost cheerful, melody and riff-wise anyway.
It's the good old sort of "what if "modern day" Ceremony was a bit darker and more hardcore"-direction from these guys, and it's not bad at all. It lacks some of the punch that featured on Howl, but then again that's the only one I've listened to extensively, I have yet to get to know The Verve Crusade and Repent. Repeat. better.
I guess for me, if this is anything like Howl, I'll be a happy camper.
New single from Muck, album out soon
Here's the new video to Muck's My City:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekBe5NEmH-U
It's a link because the youtube search on blogger can't find the video, so I can't embed it.
Anyway, I've been waiting for something to surface for a while, and the new album, Your Joyous Future will be out in February. This new video's alright, but the song rocks.
The main riff is what the band calls in the video's Grapevine premiere a "krautrock/industrial thing". Followed by a riff that's best described as a probably unconscious nod to the song Coroner (the riff I'm talking about in particular kicks in at around 1:50) by now-disbanded fellow post-hardcore kids Celestine, except faster, punkier.
And that's what's great about Muck. They're not run of the mill or standard in any way. They like to deviate, and they combine all sorts of influences to do a thing totally their own. This song with it's infectious Groove (as the song's long been called on the band's setlists) exemplifies that. It's a great song that's been a staple of Muck's live performances for probably two years now, and bodes well for the upcoming album, one that I probably look most forward to this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekBe5NEmH-U
It's a link because the youtube search on blogger can't find the video, so I can't embed it.
Anyway, I've been waiting for something to surface for a while, and the new album, Your Joyous Future will be out in February. This new video's alright, but the song rocks.
The main riff is what the band calls in the video's Grapevine premiere a "krautrock/industrial thing". Followed by a riff that's best described as a probably unconscious nod to the song Coroner (the riff I'm talking about in particular kicks in at around 1:50) by now-disbanded fellow post-hardcore kids Celestine, except faster, punkier.
And that's what's great about Muck. They're not run of the mill or standard in any way. They like to deviate, and they combine all sorts of influences to do a thing totally their own. This song with it's infectious Groove (as the song's long been called on the band's setlists) exemplifies that. It's a great song that's been a staple of Muck's live performances for probably two years now, and bodes well for the upcoming album, one that I probably look most forward to this year.
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