Okay, so i haven't done any music reviews in a while...but this batch should be a doozy...i was of course on vacation and didnt really do a whole lot of anything except stay busy while i was there which is good i guess but now i've got about a TON of albums that i'd like to review/give my opinion on that are either out already, or coming out very soon.
#1. Greymachine - Disconnected
I've been highly anticipating this one for quite a while and once i finally heard it...it was just as might as i expected! I've read a few reviews of it and none have been really favorable...and to those people i say suck it! Aaron Turner and Justin Broadrick have crafted a monumental amount of noise with this album...from the intro to "Wolf At The Door" you can tell this album is going to be insane, and sure enough it just manages to get heavier, noiser, and alot dronier...the intro to "Vultures Descend" is pretty awesome. Honestly, every song on this album is very reminiscent to both Broadrick and Turner's other bands...and that is every bit as awesome as you'd think it would be. The bass on this album hits so hard, i mean seriously, the tone on the bass on this album is so heavy that it is quite reminiscent to what it would sound like if a bass guitar were plugged into a wall of double stacked amps and laid on it's back with strings facing up and then notes were played by dropping monster trucks onto said bass.
I give this album a 8.5/10 because Turner and Broadrick managed to put out an album heavier than a 10 ton bag of rusty nails...which is ironic because when that bag drops the impending emotions are exactly what it feels like when you listen to this album
#2. Assjack - Assjack
Okay, so i had really really high hopes for this album that it would be the absolute bees knees...however i was highly disappointed. I mean, sure this album has some pretty cool parts, the tone is very sludgy and you can tell hank III brought alot of superjoint ritual influence to this album...but at times it just sounds very...i dunno...stupid? It sounds like what drowning pool or somebody would sound like if they were trying to rip off pantera and crowbar or something. The First song on the album "Tennessee Driver" is awesome but from there the album is just a big amalgamation of cool riffs and bad vocal parts. It's like good cop bad cop but more like good riff bad riff, or maybe good riff bad vocal or something?
I'm gonna give this album a 7/10 for effort because the whole southern sludge/punk thing is good...they just didnt quite pull it off as consistently as i had hoped.
#3. The Bronx - El Mariachi Bronx
Okay, so this album is an absolute longshot. I mean, literally, it is a nasty dirty hardcore punk band from new jersey that has a song that goes "slit wrists are the latest fashion, your sheets see the dirtiest action. we're independent lovers. broke kids and loveless gutters. here comes your sh*tty future! one more time your sh*tty future!"...except it's mariachi! Yeah, mariachi, and it's not even done ironically...i mean these guys studied the art and rules of mariachi very closely and have done...a really good job with it! I mean, i have always had a part of me that kind of appreciates spanish music/mariachi but i never really listen to it that much because...well...i don't speak spanish well. Anyways, this album is awesome because you get the nice peaceful rhythms of mariachi music, but done in english by a very very talented punk rock band.
I'm gonna give this album a 9/10 for effort because you can count on 1 finger exactly how many bands have the balls to pull this off and actually do a good job with it. Touche' guys!
#4. Winds Of Plague - The Great Stone War
Okay, before there is a massive chorus of "THAT BAND GAY!" shouted...just keep in mind...and honestly i've thought this for a while since their first album came out...Winds Of Plague...on paper is a great band. I mean you've got really good shredding metal, really nasty deathcorey breakdowns, hardcore vocals, epic keyboards and really really good guitar tone combined with a bit of an asian twist...however in practice, they arent as good as they could be. I mean this album really has alot of potential...but they overdo it...every thing! The breakdowns aren't as nasty as on the last album, and even the super epic ones arent as good as the one on "the impaler" and the shredding metal parts are cool but get boring after awhile and their singers voice gets SO ANNOYING...less annoying than the last album however.
Basically this album really had potential...but instead i'm gonna give it a 5.5/10 because they really could do ALOT better.
#5. Showbread - The Fear Of God
Oh, hey Showbread! what's goin on guys...it's been a really long time since you've guys have had an album out! That last album "No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical" was so aweso...wait what? they've put out 3 albums since then? Haha, actually i kid, i've listened to their last few albums...though they've offered no redeeming value except to remind me of the time i saw them play to 100 people in jackson and how i almost got in 3 wrecks that night...it's good to see them getting away from their whole "we love Nine Inch Nails and Norma Jean!" sound of the last 3 albums...this album is really the best possible follow up to "nihilism" it's got that same kitschy keyboard sound with the nice driving "raw rock" guitars and the vocals are pretty cool. Actually,Showbread did a great job on this album.
I'm gonna give this album a 7.5/10 because the music is good...but they really need to bring the black singer back.
#6. Mutemath - Armistice
Hey, this is that band from the twilight soundtrack right? Haha, it's nice to see a band with buku's of artistic integrity hit it big with a song on one of the highest selling movie soundtracks in years with the song "spotlight" which is actually a really really good song. Actually this album is full of really good catchy songs with alot of creative force so any more i say about it would be a moot point. Although i will say this, everytime i hear Paul Meany's voice all i can hear to myself is "I SEE JESUS RIDING ON A WHITE HORSE, WITH SPARE ROOM FOR YOU AND I....TO FLY! RIDING ONNNNN A WHITTTTTEEEEE HORSEEEEE GONNA FLY GONNA FLY SO HIGH!" hehe
This album gets a 8/10 because it's a typical mutemath album which means it's super creative, super dancey, and super catchy but meaningful
#7. Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
Been waiting for this album for a really long time, and i'm so glad they finally released it. They were amazing live and all the songs from this album were really really good live. "Can You Take Me" sets such a great pace for this album because it's a really good typical catchy driving pop rock riff as they are very much accustomed to. Of course other songs like "Bonfire" and "Why Can't You Be" are also very deserving of their place in 3EB's discography. The end of this album kind of slows down to a crawl before ending with a nice instrumental song...but that doesnt hinder it much because this is a very well written album and i can't wait to hear the b-sides that should be coming out later this year.
This puppy gets a 8.5/10 for it's catchy and rock n' roll nature but i wish the last few songs were a little more upbeat
#8. Shadows Fall - Retribution
Mmmm Shadows Fall...i must say that i am a fanboy and have been a fan since my senior year of high school...the first time i heard "the art of balance" my taste in metal was forever ruined. I'll be honest with you, i didn't have much hopes for this album; I kind of half-expected it to be a generic, boring attempt to reclaim their old sound and reclaim the spot that lamb of god and killswitch stole from them as america's favorite "NWOAMC" band, but i was proven wrong. The album kicks off with a very atypical acoustic interlude but then the album kicks in with a very very heavy riff and though this sound is all too familiar with Shadows Fall fans and fans of the NWOAMC sound...it's still really good because it's got that familiar swing...but with a much punchier sound...the mix/production on this album is top notch...also the solo's and drumming are incredible. Basically...these guys put out yet another pummeling, thrashy, metal album with awesome drums, great solo's and breakdowns, and incredibly tight playing which is all that a true ShadFall fan can ask for anyways.
I'm gonna give this album a 8/10 just because it holds up well amongst their back catalog...and though it won't make you want to throw "the war within" away...it'll definitely make you reconsider "threads of life"'s spot on your shelf.
#9. Gwar - Lust in Space/Chevelle - Sci-Fi Crimes
Okay, so i expected big things from both of these albums...and they both disappointed. Gwar was okay...and i of all people should know not to judge gwar based on lyrics...nor should i judge Chevelle based on a radio single that reminded me alot of their older stuff before everyone with a southern accent and/or access to modern rock radio fell in love with them...but i felt the need to rate both of these albums at the same time...because why waste breath...err..keystrokes right?
Both albums get 5/10 because i sort of like them but hate their new albums
#10. Burnt By The Sun - Heart Of Darkness
So i have to admit...i never really listened to this band back in their hay-day and even when i was all about discovering new bands of their ilk...i never really saw what the big deal was with BBTS however after hearing the new album i can say this...Dave Witte is a MONSTER on drums and their singer has a penchant for very annoying vocals. All in all though i'll say that this album is pretty awesome...i mean, it's got alot of really sweet dirty grind and groove to it...but it never really gets boring. Dave Witte pounds the hell out of his drums on this one though...the riffage is also quite pummeling on this album. Yeah, if i had to sum this album up with one word it would be....Pummeling.
This album gets an 8/10 because it is heavier than an aircraft carrier full of kids from the local fat camp eating chocolate cake on their monthly field trip.
#11. 3 Inches Of Blood - Here Waits Thy Doom
Okay, so i have to admit...aside fro the song that they had on tony hawk a few years ago...i really just cannot stand this band...mostly their singer Cam Pipes. The guy just has an epic voice...but it's SO ANNOYING!!!!! This album has a very thrashy, maideny kind of vibe...but honestly...it's not really for me...plus the whole "bloodshed during battle" schtick has been done by so many bands that sound so much better...this band should have to "answer the call of the hammer" to Amon Amarth and Ensiferum and Amorphis who put 3IOB's weak attempt at battle metal upon a pyre and feast upon it's barbecued corpse
Okay 3IOB, nice try and whatnot with the solo's and catchy thrash parts...but you will get a 6/10 just for annoying me
#12. Ensiferum - From Afar
Just so you know...i....absolutely...LOVE...ENSIFERUM!!!!! Epic as hell battle metal! They are just so musically talented...but also talented at...well...spitting forth many many nasty oden-approved riffs of mightiness that will have you wielding an axe and smoking your enemies out of their cave by lobbing a flaming raccoon into their dwelling in no time. Honestly, i'm just a sucker for catchy pounding, fast, thrashy swedish power metal and this album does not let me down by any means...i still think the new amorphis may be the best power metal album of the year...but this one is close!
Ensiferum gets a 9/10 for this album because it's epic, catchy, thrashy, and really really really good.
#13 Swashbuckle - Back To The Noose
Okay, so to be fair...when i first heard of this band i just assumed they were a poor Alestorm rip off and didn't pay them much attention until i realized that not only were they from America...but they have been around for about as long as Alestorm has...and they are way thrashier. So listen, this album is a really heavy fast thrash album with lyrics about doin pirate stuff except it's not as catchy as Alestorm and more violent and pissed off like a pirate might actually be more akin to sound so to them i say "Touche' me-harties!"
This album is deserving of a 7.5/10 the 7 is because it's not really very power metally like a pirate metal album might sound...and it's also not as pissed and filthy as a thrash album should sound...but it's still a decent mix of the 2 styles...and the .5 is because i am a sucker for bands like this with a gimmick!
#14. Masters Of Reality - Pine/Cross Dover
"They say we're barely alive but we're kicking and beeping" Chris Goss is in fact a genius. Without question and if you disagree...well...we'll fight in a back alley or something! Because listen, Chris Goss has produced almost every album Kyuss did, and he has produced every Queens of the Stone Age album, as well as all the other desert rock bands that you've never heard of...but back to Masters of Reality...their self titled album in 1988 continues to be one of my favorite "desert rock" albums ever...and this album...though it's entirely different from the self titled...any all of his other albums for that matter...it still fits in quite comfortably. It's got a very "electronic" guitar vibe on some songs that one can only contribute to the fact that Goss has been friends with Josh Homme since the late 80's so of course JOHO's incredibly catchy guitar tone shows up on this album...alot of that has to do with Dave Catching (Qotsa) and Brian O' Connor (EODM) but then there's also songs like "Absinthe Jim" that have a very old school Goss type guitar tone which sounds like nothing else on the album until the chorus kicks in with that homme influenced type riffage. Honestly, you have to be a really big fan of Queens Of The Stone Age, or Kyuss, or like myself...the entire Desert Rock Scene, and every band that's come from it to really like this album...but i sincerely desire that you listen to it because it's really really really really good. The last song on this album is an 11 minute jam that was recorded upon the first meeting of goss, catching, o' connor, and the drummer so it's totally improvised and...though it doesnt sound like it is improvised...it's a really really really really really awesome song..
This album deserves nothing less than a 10/10 due to the fact that i'm an avid fan of all things Josh Homme/Chris Goss/Desert Rock
#15. Brand New - Daisy
I fully expected this album to be very very very laid back and almost acoustic in nature due to the fact that jesse lacey did a full on acoustic tour a few years ago...but then after the opening singing sequence on the first song ended all of a sudden my speakers are assaulted by a riff that is very converge/glassjaw in nature which is really really really cool, and from that point this album continued to win me over with every song. I...like alot of people my age...have a soft spot for Brand New and am not afraid to admit it...and this album makes me feel even less guilty about it because it is absolutely killer. Jesse Lacey's voice and lyrics are very touching and wrought with emotion and whatnot, and of course there are also some very heavy parts on this album which is very weird for a band like Brand New...however it fits the new style they are heading towards quite well because it makes them touching and heartfelt...but still able to let out their anger and aggression...but within the right context of course.
I'm gonna give this album a 9/10 for creativity but i really can't wait to buy it when it comes out and digest it alot further!
#16. Dying Fetus - Descend Into Depravity
Okay, so there's only a few ways to say the words "heavy" and "grinding" which are the 2 best words to sum up the new Dying Fetus album...so i'm going to let thesaurus.com do the work. Dying Fetus's new album is very gravid and corpulent and it attenuates at a very zaftig pace. Of course, as is typical with a 'Fetus album...the drums are incredibly beefy and pregnant and the guitars buzzsaw along at a very "Burdensome" pace and also who could forget the "Lead-Footed" vocals that levigate, mill, pestle, pound, powder, and pulverize the listener and leave the listener with a very parturient feeling.
I'll give this album a 7/10 because it is WORLDS better than their last album...this is...all kidding aside, quite a good metal album...if you can stand the grunting vocals of course...
#17. Megadeth - Endgame
First of all...i must admit...i am a big time Dave Mustaine fanboy and even though he's a huge douche at times in the media...musically he can do no wrong in my eyes.
With that being said...this album...this album rules so much! It's funny because you can tell alot of the legendary thrash metal bands are trying to kind of return to their roots nowadays but most of them like slayer and metallica kind of fall short in recreating the sound of their hey-day but still manage to put out great albums...but with this album Dave Mustaine literally went right back into the 80's and yanked all of the great parts of 80's era Megadeth...and mixed it with the massive feverish solo's and lightning fast rhythms and incredibly tight drumming that made the last Megadeth album great. Also, you can tell the songs on this album tell stories like "44 Minutes" which tells a story about a police shootout which is a pretty interesting song...also there's a song called "1,320" which is about driving cars really really fast and includes and awesome sample at the beginning which is cool. Dave Mustaine has most definitely outdid himself with this album....i mean it's got alot of really cool signature Mustaine solo's and shred riffs...but he doesnt overdo it...and the songwriting is good and...it's just a really really really good Megadeth album and i'll be picking it up immediately following school on September 15th because Dave Mustaine deserves every penny i shall spend on this album...it's actually even worth buying the deluxe edition just to watch Mustaine shred.
I'm gonna go ahead and give this album a 10/10 because i'm a huge Megadeth fan and this album completely lives up to my expectations and then some!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Mini Music Reviews (Lots of stuff you've never heard of)
Okay, so there's been way more music dropping on my desk than expected lately and i couldn't be happier...except i don't have the time of day to actually sit down and listen to it fully and write my thoughts on it...so this time i'm going to get lazy and avoid rambling too much by just posting twitter-sized (or at least greatly cut back in length) reviews of new (or newish) albums that have dropped or will drop this year that you should (or shouldn't) listen to, for your enjoyment (not that anyone actually reads this crap anyways).
#1. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!
Incredibly funky, soulful, jazzy and genuine...but also rather playful in nature. You can tell these guys listened to alot of james brown...very fun album.
Rating: I give it a 8/10 because nobody seems to be able to put out this type of music anymore...and if they do it's not near this type of quality...very old school and happy music.
#2. Behemoth - Evangelion
Incredibly heavy, very violent, drumming is incredibly tight. Musicianship on this is as good as death metal gets. This album most definitely lives up to the hype.
Rating: I'm giving it a 9/10 because it delivers on every front...it's not too long or too short..it ends when you are ready for it to...and it absolutely destroys every cell in your brain...which is rare for a band on metal blade these day
#3. ChthoniC - Mirror Of Retribution
Absolutely gorgeous, symphonic black metal with some incredidbly creative riffs and musicianship. The production is great, the riffs are incredible.
Rating: This one gets a 9/10 as well...it delivers the speed and fury that you expect from black metal, as well as lots of beauty and incredible use of foreign instruments to the black metal world. Taiwanese politics never sounded this awesome!
#4. Drudkh - Microcosmos
Now see, this is how atmospheric black metal should sound. Lots of good atmosphere, lots of heavy black metal pummeling. Plus, it sounds like it was recorded in a cabin in the woods which is perfect!
Rating: This album is getting a 8/10 because it's very heavy and dirty but has lots of incredible atmsospher and it doesnt get boring...yes...that's right...an album where the drums sound like they were recorded in a soup kitchen and the singer sounds like he is a regular at said soup kitchen doesnt get boring! God bless atmospheric black metal!
#5. Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars
More sick atmospheric black metal! The drums are fast and heavy, the vocals are abrasive and grinding, the guitars are grinding and churning, but somehow also create an atmosphere built for wielding an axe in public...sans pants of course.
Rating: This album also gets an 8/1o for being really really awesome! Super heavy, with great drum tone...the guitars paint a wonderful atmosphere that mixes a candlelit dinner under the northern lights and guzzling mead and fighting bravely in the field of battle...seriously one guitar is creating a beautiful but unstable atmospher while the other guitarist creates a grinding unsteady buzz that can only mean blood has been shed. Again i say, god bless atmospheric black metal!
#6. Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs
I read about this band in a magazine that made them sound awesome so i had to check them out...and sure i've listened to like 6 other black metal bands today...but this is again...just a little different from the others! The grinding black metal riffs are very very dirty with the signature rapid fire pounding on anything in sight in a cabin in the woods drum style couple with shredding grinding guitars that conjure imagery of a great war where the action is brutal and the atmosphere is unsteady. Think of this band as...Isis...if they listened to nothing but Darkthrone for a year.
Rating: Another black metal album...another 8/10 i think i'm just a sucker for fast lo-fi metal with a bit of atmosphere and alot of buzzing noise and no discernable rhythm...also this album has a bit of melody which gives it a sonic youth vibe at times which is...just creepy. Again i say...god bless atmospheric black metal!
#7. Pissed Jeans - King Of Jeans
So this isn't black metal...but it's equally as noisy and socially awkward. The vocals are very abrasive and the lyrics are equally as odd. Very stoner metal at times...mostly just really weird noise rock with a very heavy melvins type undertone. Also, lots of jesus lizard thrown in for good measure...with just enough of their own unique touch to make this album A: really awesome B: not considered really awesome until you listen to it enough times to finally understand that it has no real genre in mind...just noise and awkward emotions...
Rating: This album takes a long time to grow...it still hasn't fully sunk in with me yet...but i appreciate what their going for so this one gets a 8.5/10 just for trying so hard to be weird.
#8. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
So, honestly when i heard that the singer of the black keys had a side project i kind of wondered what the point was because i assumed it was just be black keys b-sides...however, this album does have it's own unique little touch. I mean, sure...the guy has alot of songs that sound like black keys songs...but the guitar riffs are so bad ass and awesome and bluesy and just...really really really awesome that it doesnt matter. Blues is one thing this album has alot of...another element this album is that dan auerbach is a really creative guitarist that can play the same time of music as his main project and still keep it hid from the black keys sound (seewhatididthere?) Basically this album should have just been a new black keys album...HOWEVER! It is full of some really really awesome songs and lots of blues/country riffs along with alot of dirty distorted guitar riffs and even a few random beats that give this album no particular genre association except that of the "awesome" genre.
Rating: I'll give this album an 8.5/10...mostly because he doesnt have to try hard to stay away from the black keys sound...but in doing so he stays away from no particular sound at all because this album has elements of hip hop, funk, blues, country, folk, and of course rockn'effinroll!
#9: Funeral Mist - Maranatha
So this album intruiged me because it's one of very few albums decibel magazine gave a perfect 10 so i HAD to listen to it. Upon further review i'd like to say this album is heavy as balls! Super super super fast grinding nasty dirty filthy black metal...simply put. Really really heavy black metal with a very black sabbath influence at times. This album is more than just grinding black metal though...some very strange bluesy type riffs at times and then some really big heavy sabbathy type riffs combined with some maniacal almost german sounding rambling vocals. This album is very heavy...and very disturbing/unsettling. Lots of grind and black metal sounds throughout.
Rating: So i can see how decibel gave this album a 10...i'm going to give it a 7/10 because it's a little too abrasive and maniacal and ridiculous even by my standards...i mean if you like crazy retarded reckless black metal that will make you commit a hate-crime this is the album for you...for some reason i can't really grasp my head around it...mostly because the vocals are just too much...the guy rambles in a very rammsteinian german accent. This is recommended for fans of Mayhem for sure.
#10. Hands - Creator
So finally, facedown has found a christian band to rip off isis...but in traditional facedown tradition it's still full of generic hardcore drivel. Really this album isn't that bad...but i just don't understand why there is a need to mix war of ages and isis. Beautiful awesome atmospheric heavy riffs combined with hardcore posturing and generic breakdowns just ruin whatever likeability i held out for this band. Attn: Facedown Records...just because post-rock/metal have pretty big fanbases doesnt mean you have to push that style on your listeners by injecting stupid hardcore screaming and breakdowns into it.
Rating: I'll give this a 5/10 because this is a lame attempt at mixing metalcore and post-metal which is a pretty stupid move and...honestly it could be done pretty well...but these guys just failed massively. I'll say this again...it's not a good idea to try and mix War Of Ages with Isis.
#11. Robin Trower - What Lies Beneath
Okay, so let it be known that my dad once referred to this guy as "the white jimi hendrix" and i agree...for the most part...Bridge of Sighs is a wonderful album. Now, with that being said...he probably should have tried harder to go with the whole "white jimi hendrix thing" because the songs on this album are just...strange..it has a very weird coffee shop vibe and some weird hip hoppy type drum beats. Basically, Robin Trower has released an album with sub-par studio musicians trying to add a little bit of background noise to his guitar playing which paints some pretty cool images actually...very rarely can you actually picture a setting and scenery by just hearing a guitar riff. This album is like a fake-blues album. I mean it's got alot of cool blues licks but it just doesnt have that awesome blues vibe to it...honestly this album has alot of potential but it just kind of gets boring. The guy is a great guitarist...why doesnt he just SHRED!!!?!?!?!
Rating: I give this 6.5/10 because some of the songs are just pointless and boring...but the guitar work is awesome...i'm sure i'd really like this album if i listened to it more...but it's just got a very weird laid back nature to the beats that make it kind of hard to sit through the entire time.
#12. Yob - The Great Cessation
I'm so glad these guys are back after a long and dramatic hiatus...their last album slayed and then they broke up and put out an album as "Middian" which got them all kinds of sued by a guy that didn't even really make music or have a record contract which is hilarious to me. You can tell these guys were chomping at the bit to make some nasty heavy music and that's exactly what they've done. This band is one that you just kind of know what to expect and they live up to the expectations completely...but the thing is...sometimes when you've heard the same kind of doom riffs played over and over and over by every band with access to beer and a detuned guitar...it just kind of gets old after awhile...granted these guys have alot of innovative things going on on this album...actually they really don't it's just really really heavy riffs played really slowly with alot of feedback and noise in the background and some angry screaming
Rating: I'll give it a 7/10 because it's not bad...though it's not original and songs take forever to actually move away from the same riff over and over...it's good for it's genre.
#13. Poison The Well - The Tropic Rot
For being a pissed off florida hardcore/post-hardcore/metalcore/whatevercore band these guys sure are catchy...very very angry and catchy. I didn't really get into these guys until you come before you came out...so naturally hearing an album that's like a much more punk rock and angry version of it makes me very happy. This album is a typical poison the well album but it's not boring and it's very catchy and contains some really really good riffage and whatnot.
Rating: This album is definitely 8/10 because it's easy to listen to multiple times and not get bored or want to change it...it's very punk rock in nature but sounds alot like You Come Before You which to me...is better than hearkening back to their old days which was...in my opinion...clumsy at best. (Y DEW YUR EYEZ PURRALYZE MEH?!?!?!?"
#14. Blitzen Trapper - Back River Killer
This album caught me WAY off guard...i expected it to be boring generic indie (YOU HEAR THAT FLEET FOXES!?) But i was wrong. This album has a very Bob Dylanesque indie/folk/country vibe to it...but with just enough rock n' roll influence to keep my attention. It also contains some incredible storytelling within the songs and their singer's voice is incredible. Also this album contains some very cool riffs...alot of indie folky type songs...but even the generic folk/indie parts are pretty cool. This album can be pretty addictive if you listen to it enough and it's great to sleep to.
Rating: You know what...i'm gonna just give this one a 9/10 because i know once i buy it and listen to it enough i'm really really really gonna like this album alot.
#15. Thrice - Beggars
Okay, so this album leaked really really really really early and i'm still not entirely sure this is a real version of it...although i am...after listening to what can only be Dustin Kensrue songwriting...98% sure it's real...so just go with me on this. Thrice is a band i fell in love with in high school but never really blossomed into anything more than "yeah...the artist in the ambulance is a great album as well as the song deadbolt" but i will say this...this album is pretty awesome so far (i just got confirmation it's real btw). There are some very cool, creative riffs going on here...and i must say after listening to Dustin Kensrue's solo album enough i am very much a fan of their style now...this album actually at times reminds me of the dustin kensrue solo album...but with a full band and less country influence which isn't a bad thing really. This album gets a little old after awhile...but also this could just be a demo and the album isn't even finished yet so i'm going to say that there's a small chance it could sound better. Maybe it's just me...i think i kind of get bored too easily by this kind of stuff. I will say though that based on what i've heard from them...this is a very big change in direction...although not a bad one really.
Rating: I'll give it a 7/10 because i think it has alot of potential...but something about it just doesnt really get me yet...however i'm sure once i listen to it more i'll probably actually enjoy it because there is some pretty creative stuff going on here.
#16. Against Me! - The Original Cowboy
Honestly, this album doesnt really need to be reviewed...i just thought i'd throw it in here because Against Me! rules alot and i felt like talking about them. Okay, so this album is basically the original demo's of all the songs from "as the eternal cowboy" which is cool and whatnot...but there's one glaring problem here...they didn't put sink florida sink on here...that is kind of lame because that's my favorite song of there's so of course...why not just not include one of the best songs on that album on the re-release right? C'mon guys! Either way...all these songs are awesome so i'll let it slip...it's pretty cool hearing the original intent of these songs and then listening to the eternal cowboy and hearing how they ended up.
Rating: Well, i have no choice but to give it a 10...but alas i'm only gonna give it a 9/10 because i'm still pissed they didn't include sink florida sink!
#17. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
So, this is the first album i've ever heard by this band...and the reason is because they had so much hype over their last 2 albums that i felt the need to stay as far away from them as possible...but of course they had to go and get JoHo to produce some of the tracks on it so i had no choice! To make it short i'll just say that this album has a very cool vibe to it and you can tell very easily how much influence Josh Homme put in it because it has some very cool bass lines and the guitar work is pretty creative and awesome.
Rating: I'm giving this one a 9/10 just because Josh Homme produced it...the actual songs themselves aren't bad either...i'm gonna give this one a few more listens because it sounds pretty awesome.
#18. Jesu - Infinity
Justin K. Broadrick rules. Beautiful atmosphere. Heavy awesome riffage. Heavier than most Jesu albums. This album is 1 song that spans 49 minutes of awesomeness
Rating: 9/10 just because JKB is the man.
#1. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!
Incredibly funky, soulful, jazzy and genuine...but also rather playful in nature. You can tell these guys listened to alot of james brown...very fun album.
Rating: I give it a 8/10 because nobody seems to be able to put out this type of music anymore...and if they do it's not near this type of quality...very old school and happy music.
#2. Behemoth - Evangelion
Incredibly heavy, very violent, drumming is incredibly tight. Musicianship on this is as good as death metal gets. This album most definitely lives up to the hype.
Rating: I'm giving it a 9/10 because it delivers on every front...it's not too long or too short..it ends when you are ready for it to...and it absolutely destroys every cell in your brain...which is rare for a band on metal blade these day
#3. ChthoniC - Mirror Of Retribution
Absolutely gorgeous, symphonic black metal with some incredidbly creative riffs and musicianship. The production is great, the riffs are incredible.
Rating: This one gets a 9/10 as well...it delivers the speed and fury that you expect from black metal, as well as lots of beauty and incredible use of foreign instruments to the black metal world. Taiwanese politics never sounded this awesome!
#4. Drudkh - Microcosmos
Now see, this is how atmospheric black metal should sound. Lots of good atmosphere, lots of heavy black metal pummeling. Plus, it sounds like it was recorded in a cabin in the woods which is perfect!
Rating: This album is getting a 8/10 because it's very heavy and dirty but has lots of incredible atmsospher and it doesnt get boring...yes...that's right...an album where the drums sound like they were recorded in a soup kitchen and the singer sounds like he is a regular at said soup kitchen doesnt get boring! God bless atmospheric black metal!
#5. Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars
More sick atmospheric black metal! The drums are fast and heavy, the vocals are abrasive and grinding, the guitars are grinding and churning, but somehow also create an atmosphere built for wielding an axe in public...sans pants of course.
Rating: This album also gets an 8/1o for being really really awesome! Super heavy, with great drum tone...the guitars paint a wonderful atmosphere that mixes a candlelit dinner under the northern lights and guzzling mead and fighting bravely in the field of battle...seriously one guitar is creating a beautiful but unstable atmospher while the other guitarist creates a grinding unsteady buzz that can only mean blood has been shed. Again i say, god bless atmospheric black metal!
#6. Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs
I read about this band in a magazine that made them sound awesome so i had to check them out...and sure i've listened to like 6 other black metal bands today...but this is again...just a little different from the others! The grinding black metal riffs are very very dirty with the signature rapid fire pounding on anything in sight in a cabin in the woods drum style couple with shredding grinding guitars that conjure imagery of a great war where the action is brutal and the atmosphere is unsteady. Think of this band as...Isis...if they listened to nothing but Darkthrone for a year.
Rating: Another black metal album...another 8/10 i think i'm just a sucker for fast lo-fi metal with a bit of atmosphere and alot of buzzing noise and no discernable rhythm...also this album has a bit of melody which gives it a sonic youth vibe at times which is...just creepy. Again i say...god bless atmospheric black metal!
#7. Pissed Jeans - King Of Jeans
So this isn't black metal...but it's equally as noisy and socially awkward. The vocals are very abrasive and the lyrics are equally as odd. Very stoner metal at times...mostly just really weird noise rock with a very heavy melvins type undertone. Also, lots of jesus lizard thrown in for good measure...with just enough of their own unique touch to make this album A: really awesome B: not considered really awesome until you listen to it enough times to finally understand that it has no real genre in mind...just noise and awkward emotions...
Rating: This album takes a long time to grow...it still hasn't fully sunk in with me yet...but i appreciate what their going for so this one gets a 8.5/10 just for trying so hard to be weird.
#8. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
So, honestly when i heard that the singer of the black keys had a side project i kind of wondered what the point was because i assumed it was just be black keys b-sides...however, this album does have it's own unique little touch. I mean, sure...the guy has alot of songs that sound like black keys songs...but the guitar riffs are so bad ass and awesome and bluesy and just...really really really awesome that it doesnt matter. Blues is one thing this album has alot of...another element this album is that dan auerbach is a really creative guitarist that can play the same time of music as his main project and still keep it hid from the black keys sound (seewhatididthere?) Basically this album should have just been a new black keys album...HOWEVER! It is full of some really really awesome songs and lots of blues/country riffs along with alot of dirty distorted guitar riffs and even a few random beats that give this album no particular genre association except that of the "awesome" genre.
Rating: I'll give this album an 8.5/10...mostly because he doesnt have to try hard to stay away from the black keys sound...but in doing so he stays away from no particular sound at all because this album has elements of hip hop, funk, blues, country, folk, and of course rockn'effinroll!
#9: Funeral Mist - Maranatha
So this album intruiged me because it's one of very few albums decibel magazine gave a perfect 10 so i HAD to listen to it. Upon further review i'd like to say this album is heavy as balls! Super super super fast grinding nasty dirty filthy black metal...simply put. Really really heavy black metal with a very black sabbath influence at times. This album is more than just grinding black metal though...some very strange bluesy type riffs at times and then some really big heavy sabbathy type riffs combined with some maniacal almost german sounding rambling vocals. This album is very heavy...and very disturbing/unsettling. Lots of grind and black metal sounds throughout.
Rating: So i can see how decibel gave this album a 10...i'm going to give it a 7/10 because it's a little too abrasive and maniacal and ridiculous even by my standards...i mean if you like crazy retarded reckless black metal that will make you commit a hate-crime this is the album for you...for some reason i can't really grasp my head around it...mostly because the vocals are just too much...the guy rambles in a very rammsteinian german accent. This is recommended for fans of Mayhem for sure.
#10. Hands - Creator
So finally, facedown has found a christian band to rip off isis...but in traditional facedown tradition it's still full of generic hardcore drivel. Really this album isn't that bad...but i just don't understand why there is a need to mix war of ages and isis. Beautiful awesome atmospheric heavy riffs combined with hardcore posturing and generic breakdowns just ruin whatever likeability i held out for this band. Attn: Facedown Records...just because post-rock/metal have pretty big fanbases doesnt mean you have to push that style on your listeners by injecting stupid hardcore screaming and breakdowns into it.
Rating: I'll give this a 5/10 because this is a lame attempt at mixing metalcore and post-metal which is a pretty stupid move and...honestly it could be done pretty well...but these guys just failed massively. I'll say this again...it's not a good idea to try and mix War Of Ages with Isis.
#11. Robin Trower - What Lies Beneath
Okay, so let it be known that my dad once referred to this guy as "the white jimi hendrix" and i agree...for the most part...Bridge of Sighs is a wonderful album. Now, with that being said...he probably should have tried harder to go with the whole "white jimi hendrix thing" because the songs on this album are just...strange..it has a very weird coffee shop vibe and some weird hip hoppy type drum beats. Basically, Robin Trower has released an album with sub-par studio musicians trying to add a little bit of background noise to his guitar playing which paints some pretty cool images actually...very rarely can you actually picture a setting and scenery by just hearing a guitar riff. This album is like a fake-blues album. I mean it's got alot of cool blues licks but it just doesnt have that awesome blues vibe to it...honestly this album has alot of potential but it just kind of gets boring. The guy is a great guitarist...why doesnt he just SHRED!!!?!?!?!
Rating: I give this 6.5/10 because some of the songs are just pointless and boring...but the guitar work is awesome...i'm sure i'd really like this album if i listened to it more...but it's just got a very weird laid back nature to the beats that make it kind of hard to sit through the entire time.
#12. Yob - The Great Cessation
I'm so glad these guys are back after a long and dramatic hiatus...their last album slayed and then they broke up and put out an album as "Middian" which got them all kinds of sued by a guy that didn't even really make music or have a record contract which is hilarious to me. You can tell these guys were chomping at the bit to make some nasty heavy music and that's exactly what they've done. This band is one that you just kind of know what to expect and they live up to the expectations completely...but the thing is...sometimes when you've heard the same kind of doom riffs played over and over and over by every band with access to beer and a detuned guitar...it just kind of gets old after awhile...granted these guys have alot of innovative things going on on this album...actually they really don't it's just really really heavy riffs played really slowly with alot of feedback and noise in the background and some angry screaming
Rating: I'll give it a 7/10 because it's not bad...though it's not original and songs take forever to actually move away from the same riff over and over...it's good for it's genre.
#13. Poison The Well - The Tropic Rot
For being a pissed off florida hardcore/post-hardcore/metalcore/whatevercore band these guys sure are catchy...very very angry and catchy. I didn't really get into these guys until you come before you came out...so naturally hearing an album that's like a much more punk rock and angry version of it makes me very happy. This album is a typical poison the well album but it's not boring and it's very catchy and contains some really really good riffage and whatnot.
Rating: This album is definitely 8/10 because it's easy to listen to multiple times and not get bored or want to change it...it's very punk rock in nature but sounds alot like You Come Before You which to me...is better than hearkening back to their old days which was...in my opinion...clumsy at best. (Y DEW YUR EYEZ PURRALYZE MEH?!?!?!?"
#14. Blitzen Trapper - Back River Killer
This album caught me WAY off guard...i expected it to be boring generic indie (YOU HEAR THAT FLEET FOXES!?) But i was wrong. This album has a very Bob Dylanesque indie/folk/country vibe to it...but with just enough rock n' roll influence to keep my attention. It also contains some incredible storytelling within the songs and their singer's voice is incredible. Also this album contains some very cool riffs...alot of indie folky type songs...but even the generic folk/indie parts are pretty cool. This album can be pretty addictive if you listen to it enough and it's great to sleep to.
Rating: You know what...i'm gonna just give this one a 9/10 because i know once i buy it and listen to it enough i'm really really really gonna like this album alot.
#15. Thrice - Beggars
Okay, so this album leaked really really really really early and i'm still not entirely sure this is a real version of it...although i am...after listening to what can only be Dustin Kensrue songwriting...98% sure it's real...so just go with me on this. Thrice is a band i fell in love with in high school but never really blossomed into anything more than "yeah...the artist in the ambulance is a great album as well as the song deadbolt" but i will say this...this album is pretty awesome so far (i just got confirmation it's real btw). There are some very cool, creative riffs going on here...and i must say after listening to Dustin Kensrue's solo album enough i am very much a fan of their style now...this album actually at times reminds me of the dustin kensrue solo album...but with a full band and less country influence which isn't a bad thing really. This album gets a little old after awhile...but also this could just be a demo and the album isn't even finished yet so i'm going to say that there's a small chance it could sound better. Maybe it's just me...i think i kind of get bored too easily by this kind of stuff. I will say though that based on what i've heard from them...this is a very big change in direction...although not a bad one really.
Rating: I'll give it a 7/10 because i think it has alot of potential...but something about it just doesnt really get me yet...however i'm sure once i listen to it more i'll probably actually enjoy it because there is some pretty creative stuff going on here.
#16. Against Me! - The Original Cowboy
Honestly, this album doesnt really need to be reviewed...i just thought i'd throw it in here because Against Me! rules alot and i felt like talking about them. Okay, so this album is basically the original demo's of all the songs from "as the eternal cowboy" which is cool and whatnot...but there's one glaring problem here...they didn't put sink florida sink on here...that is kind of lame because that's my favorite song of there's so of course...why not just not include one of the best songs on that album on the re-release right? C'mon guys! Either way...all these songs are awesome so i'll let it slip...it's pretty cool hearing the original intent of these songs and then listening to the eternal cowboy and hearing how they ended up.
Rating: Well, i have no choice but to give it a 10...but alas i'm only gonna give it a 9/10 because i'm still pissed they didn't include sink florida sink!
#17. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
So, this is the first album i've ever heard by this band...and the reason is because they had so much hype over their last 2 albums that i felt the need to stay as far away from them as possible...but of course they had to go and get JoHo to produce some of the tracks on it so i had no choice! To make it short i'll just say that this album has a very cool vibe to it and you can tell very easily how much influence Josh Homme put in it because it has some very cool bass lines and the guitar work is pretty creative and awesome.
Rating: I'm giving this one a 9/10 just because Josh Homme produced it...the actual songs themselves aren't bad either...i'm gonna give this one a few more listens because it sounds pretty awesome.
#18. Jesu - Infinity
Justin K. Broadrick rules. Beautiful atmosphere. Heavy awesome riffage. Heavier than most Jesu albums. This album is 1 song that spans 49 minutes of awesomeness
Rating: 9/10 just because JKB is the man.
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