Metal Reviews

Of course! Although you realise I'm now going to try and sneak in some hip-hop that I think you might like, hah. I'll have to think about Shining, that festering shit of an album in 2018 really put me off the good work they'd done prior, my favourite period is definitely the Grindstone/Blackjazz era though, so it'll almost definitely be from there.

I do dig this Crimeny, the instrumental work is terrific. It's like Rush, but reinvented as a grunge band, almost. I hear the prog, jazz, and sludge coming through, and it reminds me of another underrated genre-bending band that I hope I haven't pushed on you before but apologies if I have - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuwkGvF-tmQ

I vaguely remember you mentioning End of Level Boss before but they didn't take hold until now. Really liked the instrumental section and I prefer this singer to most in the vaguely stoner doom genre. Oh, and Pete from Akerocke is the bassist, neat. One of my favorite recs of yours!

Now that I have your ok, I'm gonna start going in different directions here and there but I'll come back to rock/metal frequently too. As much as I like Coltrane/Davis and other saxophonist/trumpets, there is something highly enjoyable in the simplicity of a piano/bass/drums power trio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qidi1h0V734

Chick Corea is not someone whose work I'm too familiar with, I'm afraid (I do tend towards the saxophonist/trumpets) but I enjoyed this - relaxing probably is the wrong word, but that's what I took away from it mainly. The skill of all three musicians is, of course, remarkable.

This dip into jazz is a perfect excuse to try some of the more out-there combinations on you, and I'll start with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDuiaa_QrY

Normally I am more into the 'classics' too, by all means share your favorite 60s jazz piece if you like, just heard this the other day on the radio and since it was actually a new release figured I'd throw it out there. I loved the basswork in the middle and am following Christian McBride's career now for sure.

Onto Imperial Triumphant! Well I knew I was in for it when I saw some of the Youtube comments, and that you termed it a 'troubling album' and referenced Colin Marston in your review.

I was surprised how seamless the orchestrations were in the beginning and end, the Gorguts-Obscura parts were enjoyable enough just like the original album was, and the heavier sections in the 4-5 minute range are fantastic. Also unsurprising that your review says that the drummer steals the show. I like or loved the component parts but I'm not sure how often I'd want to come back to this: maybe just too much at once for my aging ears. I definitely need to hear the whole album though which I will try to get to soon. Thanks for sharing!

Here's one of my favorite and most coherent tracks on a famously troubling but rewarding album from 50 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6mzoso95-Q

Captain B! It has been far too long since I've listened to any of this (I reviewed it for MR over 9 goddamn years ago!) and as ever, this is the oddest music. It is fundamentally insane, the sort of music that is just plain wrong; albeit for 1969 standards instead of now, and somehow that wrongness has endured to the point that listening to this now makes for just as maddening an experience. From there onwards, another band that toyed with insanity, albeit before ascending to truly great heights; this is an early oddity from the tail end of the 60s, when the hippy dream was dying and reality was impending:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRgrE22fW6A

For jazz power trios, no one tops the Evans/Motian/LaFaro trio in my book. But for the ultimate in cool, you can never go wrong with the great Gerry Mulligan. Especially with this one. You can almost hear the patter of the rain between the notes on the piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf02V8AtMag

I didn't post Evans because I was trying to stay away from the biggest names but yes he and his trio are favorite for sure. And thanks for sharing this, Mulligan's playing is as evocative as you described!

I found your Beefheart review through your reviewer listing (also noticed you really like Pearl Jam! and that 97 for Negura Bunget--Om ). From your review: "The best description I’ve heard of this album is actually that it’s unlistenable in the same way as War & Peace is unreadable." Great quote about Trout Mask, and War & Peace!

Talking about madness while posting the Madcap himself, very clever. I actually didn't hear this album in its entirety until about a year or two ago, boy was I missing out, thanks for the reminder to listen again. I think it is quite possible to be a huge fan of the Syd period and also the Pink Floyd era more people are familiar with: never quite understand the two camps mentality some fans seem to have about it.

This track isn't from the 1960s, but it is heavily inspired from that era. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW2yZamiBlg

Husker Du are one of those bands I listened to and didn't get in the past, but listening with fresher ears now I can see what is to like, from the melodic guitars to that infectious vocal hook. Definitely in need of another go!

A band that shares a lot with HD, that I always preferred for some reason (slightly punkier, gnarlier?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3LXkdpHNOQ

Wow, I remember listening to this Fugazi track many, many years ago. Hated the shouty group vocals in the chorus back then but they don't bother me now, and the groove of the bass/guitars in the song is always irresistible. Definitely a heavier/gnarlier sounding band than Husker Du were, agreed, I wonder how much of that is the different production styles of the time periods? Seems like late 80s into the 90s is a lot different from early/mid 80s in terms of that.

Speaking of punkish vocals I reversed course on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp6A0Ufots

This is interesting, it's like Pearl Jam plus The Pixies. I'm sure I've heard this before, the name is very familiar... Hm. Will add to playlist!

These guys have been on my mind lately after the death of a member, always meant to listen to more of their stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp6A0Ufots

You linked me the same track, sorry! Interesting you mentioned Pearl Jam, in 2003 SK opened for them and purposefully released their next album to be more in the vein of arena rock. 10 years later when they had broken up, they reunited at a Pearl Jam concert.

Argh! This is what I meant to link:

https://youtu.be/byCqOvRMOvo

Oh right, I figured you might link them because I heard about Andy Gill dying in passing. I've grown pretty fond of postpunk and this track keeps that streak going: like you, I will have to listen more to this band. Thanks for sharing! And lets stick with this style with one of those very early days music videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amR6-neQBPE

S&TB is one of those bands that I've always been aware of, and liked when I've listened, but never actually explored in depth, something that I'll have to change. Same with these guys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKRJfIPiJGY

Yeah, post punk/goth rock is a great change of pace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BZrkBfkh6w&list=LLZ0AO31Ur3LYR2ISFda1G7A&index=95&t=0s

Love this. You can hear where Emptiness got the ideas explored on Not For Music from!

Speaking of goth, this is a newer band who are quite good at mixing it with doom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N4rS6NHdhc

Not For Music is a great album, one of the best I've heard from the last few years.

So this is another band from Pittsburgh I just heard for the first time, but thankfully Deathwhite is better than Code Orange. I really like the vocals and the audible bass here, would definitely like it if they went more into a goth rock direction in the future: promising stuff regardless though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbXY6xKFJ2c&list=PLm2WOgzPb0Pmtdi-ioM0Hc4TYH6Tdw9dx&index=1

This is interesting; I like the synthwave approach. Had never heard of these guys before, but I'm very much a latecomer to this style...

Reminds me of this, from one of my favourite non-metal albums of last year. Probably a little closer to country than goth, but the synthpop elements bear it over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpSMoBp8awM

Countryish vocals are a tough sell for me, probably because I grew up in the US south but I do like the synthpop elements quite a bit here. Here's something more definitively goth than either of the last two tracks we posted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43rVO8YYxVA