Friday 29 October 2010

Dead Elephant - Lowest Shared Descent (2008)
















Heavy sounds from Italy. Noise rock -
post-hardcore, thick slabs of power
without slipping into the much abused
post-metal tag.

Wickedly thick walls of guitar jostle
with slinky bass lines, hardcore vocals
that suddenly stop then go into an almost
post-rock passage to be overlayed with
a bit of mental saxaphone - one track only
horn haters! - spiraling riffs that explode
out of the speakers.

Pretty hard to describe but I would put
them along side Part Chimp or Kong.
Cannot find a buy option - sorry.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

The Heads - Relaxing With ..... (1995)



















This is being re-released with bonus CD and
other stuff - however, this is my old copy ....
reading the reviews made my play this and
yes, it still sizzles along nicely.

Fuzz freakouts with psychedelic heavy rock
tunes that can melt speakers and brains, come
on. you know you want it - Listen

Thursday 21 October 2010

Roxy Music - Newcastle City Hall (1974)























A blinding set from '74, this previews some tracks
from the still unreleased "Country Life" + classics
including excellent versions of "In Every Dream House,
Is There Something & Re-Make/Re-Model" all which
feature Manzanera nice and loud in the mix.

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Collapsar - s/t (2005)


















Now sadly broken up, Collapsar played an
intricate, instrumental mix of math / tech
metal in a fierce explosion of distorted
guitar lines.

Hard hitting riffs and sonic textured sound-
scapes played with almost King Crimson
precision but with added aggression which
allows all sorts of playing to come out from
the hardcore intensity within the songs.

Dizzying fretwork and an almost mental
jazz drummer may scare of the casual listener
but will reward those who are after some
heavier vibes - Listen

Monday 18 October 2010

Alaskan - The Weak and the Wounded (2010)























Post-metal sludge from Canada. This is huge sounding!

I have started to cut'n'paste post-metal reviews - although
I love the genre, there is only so many different ways
that you can describe crushing riffs, intense vocals,
continent shifting bass etc. If I have reviewed it, I
think it is really good otherwise it would not be here.

If you are into post-metal than you know what to expect,
right?

But this album deserves a special mention, using samples
from the horror film "Session 9", Alaskan have created
something that I feel stands up to anything released by
Mouth of the Architect - for me the benchmark of greatness.

I found this on Ribs Out - one of the best sites for new
heavy bands.

Friday 15 October 2010

Bad Wizard - Free & Easy (2001)














This is a stoner groove classic.

Killer 60's/70's Detroit rock sound
but with added Ramones and AC/DC
energy and attitude.

Over the top fuzz guitar leads and
riffs + a thundering rhythm section
hurtle along into explosive songs that
just don't slow down.

It is only 30 minutes long but before
the end I had grown my hair, put on a
groovy shirt, smoked some "Mary Jane"
and said "Off The Pigs" several times!

Thursday 14 October 2010

Genesis - Live (1973)


















Before Phil Collins embarked on a solo
career that would make me want to hammer
piss-stained nails into his eyes, he was a
fantastic drummer in a prog-rock band.

Singing about the creation of life, slum
landlords, overcrowding, genetics, man-
eating plants and revolution, Genesis had
a much darker feel than Yes.

A live set with tracks from their early
albums, this is the one to listen to if you
ever wanted to dip your toe into their
past history and one of my fave prog albums.

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Black Sea - It's All About Our Silence























Post-metal from Brazil, this has a great raw sound
mixed in with experimental, almost post-rocky
soundscapes.

Heavy guitar and pounding riffs dominate the songs
and excellent drumming combine with the vocals
which are down in the mix, so not to overpower.

I got this from Sinewave - a Brazilian blog that also
doubles as a Net Record label. Check them out for
lots of different releases - all free - they seem to
put something out every week or so - mostly
electronic/post-rock/experimental - the odd
heavy album like Black Sea.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Celan - Halo (2009)




















Celan are an experimental project featuring Chris
Spencer from Unsane - Nico Wenner from Oxbow
- Ari Meyers from Einsturzende Nebauten +
members of flu.ID.

The overall feel is industrial / hardcore, played
as a wall of noise with pretty aggressive vocals
but with some mellow passages creeping in and out
of the songs.

Keyboards and samples weave throughout the
abrasive din but are used to propel the listener
along to a climatic end rather than just another
"quiet bit going into a loud bit".

Monday 11 October 2010

Metal Machine Trio - Live in Sydney (2010)























The Metal Machine Trio is Lou Reed performing live
the infamous Metal Machine Music Album.

This gig is from the Sydney Opera House - I found this
on the wonderful The Occasional Archivist - thank you
gentlemen - give them a visit.

Here is a run down of the highlights:

17 mins - A chord change .... E to E flat!

37 mins - Lou Reed thinks about smiling but
remembers that the last time he smiled, his
face froze for 3 years and instead crushes the
skull of a new born kitten with his boot.

59 mins - Someone shouts out for "Heroin".
His roadies take the person backstage, castrate
and lobotomise him, tattoo "sex slave" on his
head and ship him out to one of the secret hidden
death camps located in the American mid-west.

73 mins - Is that the sound of some drumming?
No ...... just the sound of a microwave door shutting
as Reed kills some puppies.

Actually, not all the above facts are true. I had
imagined that this would be like the album and
after 90 minutes would be numb to all emotions
and just be in a corner crying softly.

This is not the case!

It starts of with drones, some soft gong bangs and
very controlled feedback that produces warm sound
waves that wash over you. Very dark ambient - in
fact very much like early Tangerine Dream. After
about half an hour a saxaphone starts to play - very
mournful - very Jan Garbeck - it never overpowers
but adds tonal qualities not unlike brass instruments
used by Can or Soft Machine.

More listenable than I thought it would be - in fact I
was hoping for more of the noise and chaos of the album
but I suppose impossible to sustain for an hour and a half
without peoples heads exploding.



Friday 8 October 2010

Stinking Lizaveta- Sacrifice & Bliss (2009)


















This power trio really blur the boundaries
of genre pigeon holes.

Their style incorporates doom, stoner, prog,
metal and post-rock with eastern influences
and jazz stylings.

They actually describe themselves as doom-jazz!

Clean, graceful melodic guitar work changes into
Sabbath-y riffs, which wander over into
stoner-groove territory.

Think Zappa guitar playing math-rock in the
style of Miles Davis - Dark Magus era - while
doing Magic Lantern covers numbers!

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Obiat - Eye Tree Pi (2009)















Obiat play a nice noise of doom
and dark ambient with stabs of
modern psychedelic atmospherics.

Lots of clean sounding guitars that
descend into post-metal heaviness
that roar along with a dynamic
bass sound and drums that sound
like jackboots kicking you in the head.

Like other bands of this genre - you
know the usual suspects - it it the little
touches that bring this album its greatness -
slow, haunting guitar with whispered vocals,
intricate interplay between the rest of the
band before crashing into waves of noise
and thick, fat riffs.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Friday 1 October 2010

Velvet Underground - My Collection


















This is just a collection of my fave VU tracks
in a running order that makes me slowly bang
my head.

In 6 months time it could be different but
this is what I will be listening to on the
weekend.

Beginning To see The Light
Chelsea Girls
Foggy Notion
Held Held High
Heroin
I Can't Stand It
I heard Her Call My Name
I'm Set Free
I'm Waiting For The Man
Ocean
Rock & Roll
Sweet Jane
Train Round The Bend
Venus In Furs
What Goes On