LMAO YO WHATS POPPING YOU SENTIENT DISCOGS LISTING OF A COLORED VINYL VARIANT OF A DEAFHEAVEN RECORD? I'M BACK TO FURTHER ERODE THE REPUTATION AND M.O. OF THIS WEBSITE BY MY LONG FORM, JOYCEAN, STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS SHIT-POSTING LMAO AIGHT IMMA TRY TO STAY ON SUBJECT MORE THAN MY PREVIOUS ARTICLES HAVE BEEN (YO LINK THEM HERE OR SOMETHING I'M BAD WITH THIS SHIT THANX BRIAN) SO LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO IT: FOR THIS WEIRD PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN 2004-2010 THE WORLD EXPERIENCED THIS SUDDEN AND EXPONENTIAL SURGE OF WHITE DUDES WITH DELAY PEDALS DOING WORLD MUSIC AND WHISPERING INTO MICROPHONES. IT WAS SUPER DUPER POPPING FOR A WHILE AND LITERALLY EVERY TIME I WENT INTO A RECORD STORE OR OPENED A MUSIC MAGAZINE THERE’D BE SOME GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE HE HAD LICE SITTING ON A WOODEN CHAIR THAT WAS SALVAGED FROM A SHIPWRECK OR SOMETHING AND A PULL QUOTE WHERE HE’D BE LIKE “WE CAN ONLY ACCEPT A FINITE AMOUNT OF UGLINESS IN THE WORLD BEFORE OUR PSYCHE IS FORCED TO MAKE IT CONFORM TO OUR NOTION OF BEAUTY” OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT’S KINDA RIGHT BUT PRETENTIOUS LIKE THAT. LIKE FOR SOME REASON AFTER THE WHOLE POST-9/11 “LET'S BE COOL WIT EACH OTHER FOR A MINUTE” THING DIED DOWN AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE “HEY I'M SO SICK OF HAVING FUN AND WEARING PHAT JNCO JEANS AND LISTENING TO NU-METAL I'M GOING TO START DRESSING LIKE A RAILROAD WORKER OR SOME SHIT” AND THEN THE RECESSION HIT AND E V E R Y B O D Y WAS LIKE “YA HE’S RIGHT I'M FINNA WEAR THESE REDWING BOOTS FOR 5 YEARS AND WEAR JEANS THAT HAVE 6 INCH CUFFS ON THEM AND STOP SHAVING BECAUSE LIKE WHO CAN AFFORD RAZORS OR WHATEVER” AND LIKE, IT FULL ON BECAME A THING WHERE PEOPLE WERE DUMB INTO THE IDEA OF DRESSING LIKE THEY WERE OKIES ESCAPING THE DUSTBOWL OR WHATEVER. LIKE THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE EPIDEMIC OF PEOPLE COSPLAYING AS CHARACTERS FROM JOHN STEINBECK NOVELS SINGING FOLK SONGS WITH THEIR FLAPPER GIRLFRIENDS WHO PLAYED THE DJEMBE OR WHATEVER. IT WAS WORLDWIDE MY GUY. LIKE REAL TALK I HAVE A DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY AND I CAN CONFIRM THIS IS A LEGITIMATELY STUDIED PHENOMENON AND IT’S CALLED “BEING A FUCKING HERB” SO BASICALLY ALL THESE GUYS WERE OUT HERE GETTING EDITORIALS IN PITCHFORK ABOUT THEIR GARDENS AND SHIT BECAUSE THEY MADE KINDA CATCHY BUT STILL REALLY MELLOW INDIE WITH SOME WEIRD INSTRUMENTS AND MAYBE WOULD THROW IN AN ELECTRONIC BEAT OR MAYBE A DISTORTED GUITAR PART I GUESS? TL;DR: THE HOTTEST GENRE OF THE BUSH ERA FOR GUYS WHO WANT TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE A SCAR FROM CROWD SURFING DURING A GREEN JELLO SET WAS BASICALLY JUST BACKGROUND MUSIC FOR THAT WALKING SCENE FROM ICE-AGE LOL AND I'M HERE TO GIVE ALL OF YOU A LESSON ON THAT BECAUSE IDK YALL’RE LIKE 3 YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME SO I JUST AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE 2014 (EDITOR'S NOTE: I THINK THERE'S LIKE 2 WRITERS WHO ARE OLDER OLDER THAN ME IDK LMAO I'M NOT THE EDITOR) [Editor’s note: this is correct.] MAPS & ATLASES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJOJS0ksGpU YO THIS IS THE SONG THAT MADE ME COIN THE TERM ICE-AGE –CORE LMAO. MAPS & ATLASES ARE PRETTY COOL BUT THIS VIDEO ENRAGES ME LIKE WOW WHAT A FUCKING DORK THIS GUY IS LIKE “I'LL GIVE MYSELF A HAIRCUT FOR THE MUSIC VIDEO” LIKE COME ON. THIS IS SOME HEAVY “SONG A GIRL WITH A PBR TATTOO PUTS ON A ‘FEEL GOOD’ PLAYLIST” JAM. I REALLY DIG THE MARAMBA OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED. THE BEEFY XYLOPHONE SHIT LOL YO CAN YOU IMAGINE THE GUY WHO FIRST CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF XYLOPHONES = SKELETONS? LIKE SOME RACIST EUROPEAN GUY IN 1650 WAS LIKE “DAMN HOW AM I FINNA MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THERES SOME SKELETONS DANCING RIGHT NOW?” *PANS TO THE XYLOPHONE HE ORDERED OFF MEDIEVAL REVERB.COM* =^O MAPS & ATLASES SOUND LIKE THE GOOD VAMPIRE WEEKEND SONGS BUT WITHOUT THE ANNOYING “HEYHEYIMHERETOBESAY AOOOOOOWHWHWHAAAA” PARTS OR MAKING A SOLID 3/10 ANIME THAT’S ONLY HIGHLIGHTS WERE DESUS AND MERO. LMAO REMEMBER WHEN VAMPIRE WEEKEND WERE APPEARING AT FESTIVALS WITH THE FREQUENCY THAT RUN THE JEWELS HAVE NOW? NOW RZA KUERING OR WHATEVER IS SITTING COLLECTING BEYONCE CHECKS DRESSED LIKE KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN'S BABY POPS IN 2008 (READ: SWEATER TIED AROUND HIS NECK LIKE A CAPE) BON IVER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE IGHT SO STRAIGHT OUT THE GATE WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT CONSTITUTES ICE-AGE-CORE: NONSENSE BAND-NAME; CHECK, BALDING GUY WITH A BEARD FROM THE MIDWEST; CHECK, “OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHS”; CHECK, LYRICS ABOUT LIKE, IDK FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE SEASON OF WINTER OR SOME SHIT; CHECK. BON IVER IS KINDA LIKE THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT MAKE COFFEE WITH ONE OF THOSE HAND PRESS THINGS BUT HE GOT A COUPLE JAMS AND DID A GUEST SPOT ON THAT KANYE SONG WHERE NICKI MINAJ WROTE A VERSE SO HARD SHE WAS LIKE “SWEET NOW I CAN JUST RIDE OFF THIS FOR THE NEXT DECADE LMAO” ALSO LIKE EVERYONE ELSE KANYE WEST HAS EVER BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BON IVER HAD HIS OWN SHOE AND IT WAS PRETTY TRASH (THESE LOOK LIKE A CASSEROLE DISH YOU’D BUY AT MARSHALL’S AND THEY ACTUALLY SOLD OUT LMAO) IRON & WINE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHw7gdJ14uQ YO I FUCKING LOVE IRON & WINE LOL. WHEN I WAS LIKE 20 AND GOING THROUGH THE PATENTED “WHITE GUY IN COLLEGE HAVING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS” PHASE OF MY LIFE AND MY SOLUTION WAS DYEING MY HAIR BLONDE AND LISTENING TO A SHIT TON OF IRON AND WINE (PSA: DON’T DO THIS). IRON & WINE IS ONE OF THE FEW BANDS THAT I HAD TO INCESSANTLY READ ABOUT IN THE ISSUES OF ROLLING STONE MY ORTHODONTIST WOULD HAVE IN HIS OFFICE THAT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD. LIKE REMEMBER HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES KINGS OF LEON WAS ON THE COVER? LOL WHAT HAPPENED TO KINGS OF LEON I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS LIKE 12, BEFORE I EVER STARTED TO LISTENED TO IRON & WINE, I SAW THIS VIDEO AT A MUSIC STORE IN LONG ISLAND (LOONEY TUNES FOR THOSE CURIOUS. I GOT KICKED OUT OF THERE ONCE BY A GUY WHO DID SECURITY FOR THE HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD BECAUSE I SAID THEY SOUNDED LIKE KID ROCK FOR BREAKDANCERS) AND THE AUDIO WASN’T GOING WITH IT BUT INSTEAD THEY HAD LIKE GODFLESH OR SOMETHING PLAYING OVER IT AND FOR LIKE 4 YEARS I THOUGHT IRON & WINE WAS AN INDUSTRIAL BAND. IRON AND WINE ALSO CONTENDS FOR BEING “TWILIGHT-WAVE” WHICH IS LIKE, SOFT NOSTALGIC SONGS THAT ARE STILL REALLY GOOD DESPITE BEING A LITTLE CORNY (SAPPY BUT SLAPPY) AND DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN USED BY SHITTY COUPLES IN 2010 TO CONCEIVE CHILDREN THEY'D NAME “LILAC” OR “CLEMENTINE” OR SOMETHING WILD BUNS LIKE THAT. SIGUR ROS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZTb8WxEW78 I WAS DEBATING PUTTING SIGUR ROS ON THIS BECAUSE THEY KIND OF ARE TOO AMBIENT TO BE CONSIDERED TRU-ICE-AGE-CORE BUT THEY'RE STILL PRETTY DAMN CLOSE AND MAYBE COULD WORK FOR LIKE A SCENE WHERE THERE'S SOME LIKE GLACIERS OR SOMETHING? SIGUR ROS IS FAMOUS FOR USING LIKE 14 REVERB PEDALS AT THE SAME TIME WHICH IS KINDA COOL BUT LED TO WAAAAAAAAAAAAY TOO MANY BANDS TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING LOL. I WISH I LIKED THIS BAND MORE BUT THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE TOO SPACEY AND ATMOSPHERIC FOR ME AND I FEEL LIKE I NEVER COULD REALLY PUT MYSELF IN THE PROPER MINDSET TO REALLY “GET” THEM (READ: I DON’T DO DRUGS). IDK SIGUR ROS ALWAYS SOUNDED LIKE THEY'RE STUCK IN A JAR LIKE SOME KIND OF DEPRESSED EUROPEAN GENIE. LITERALLY ANY MUSICAL PROJECT THAT CONOR OBERST HAS TAKEN PART IN: DUDE IDK WHAT THIS GUYS PROBLEM IS (IT'S PROBABLY BEING A DRUNK FROM WISCONSIN) BUT I DON’T THINK THIS GUY HAS EVER BEEN HAPPY A DAY IN HIS LIFE. LIKE HAVE YOU EVER HEARD HIS CHRISTMAS ALBUM? I THINK CONOR OBERST MAY BE THE MOST DEPRESSED MUSICIAN ALIVE RIGHT NOW (NOTE THAT I SAID ALIVE) BETWEEN BRIGHT EYES, COOLRANCHDORITOS (YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN), HIS SOLO PROJECT, MONSTERS OF FOLK, AND THE INSTAGRAM FEED OF EVERY DEPRESSED GIRL WITH A GUITAR EVER, CONOR OBERST HAS THE “IM SAD BUT LICENTIOUS” SCENE ON LOCK LMAO. YO I LIKE CONOR OBERST AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY (READ: I THINK HE'S GOOD BUT I'M NOT ABOUT TO DOWNLOAD FOUR THOUSAND RECORDS) BUT THIS GUY NEEDS TO TAKE IT EASY. LIKE COME ON MAN YOU'RE GONNA GO DOWN A ROAD YOU DON’T WANNA BE AT TRUST. LOL BRIGHT EYES MAKES MUSIC FOR THOSE COUPLES THAT DO NOTHING BUT CRY AT EACH OTHER AND THEN HAVE GROSS MAKE UP SEX AND POST THEIR POST-COITAL SELFIES ON PUBLIC PROFILE PICTURES AND HAVE SOME WEIRD GUY IN HIS 50s THAT THEY MET AT A FESTIVAL COMMENT LIKE “I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG HAHA! :) “ ON IT LIKE ITS NOT SOMETHING THAT’S 1.) SUPER WEIRD, AND 2.) INCREDIBLY CREEPY. CONOR OBERST IS ALSO A PART OF THE MOUNT RUSHMORE FOR GUYS THAT FRESHMAN COLLEGE GIRLS NEED TO AVOID AT ALL COST (IT'S HIM, KURT VONNEGUT, DAVID FINCHER, AND CARL SAGAN FYI). DON’T QUESTION MY METHODS BUT ENJOY THE RESULTS WHEN YOU DON’T GET A 3 AM “YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I CAN OPEN UP ABOUT WHO I AM” TEXT FROM A GUY WHO STILL BEATS ILLYZ TO THE NUDES OF HIS EXES YOU'RE WELCOME. I WAS GONNA PUT A LINK TO A SONG BUT IF YOU HAVE SISTER AND SHE EVER HAS BEEN DUMPED YOU’VE DEFINITELY HEARD YOUR FAIR SHARE OF CONOR OBERST’S TRADEMARK WHISPER CRY (NOT ME THOUGH MY SISTER IS 17 YEARS MY SENIOR AND THE ONLY MUSIC I'VE EVER HEARD HER TALK ABOUT IS NO DOUBT AND PENNYWISE, SWEAR TO GOD) MINUS THE BEAR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM_-L4tOQkg MINUS THE BEAR IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GROW UP AND REALIZE THAT MATHCORE DON’T PAY BILLS. LMAO EVERY TIME SOMEONE “GROWS OUT” OF HARDCORE THEY HAVE TO MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO DAVE KNUDSON'S HOUSE AND HE TAKES YOUR MESA-BOOGIE AMPS AND HANDS A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES AND A RESPECTABLE BUTTON UP SHIRT AND YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO PLAY GUITARS THAT ARE PAINTED LIKE CARS FROM THE 50s. I READ SOMEWHERE THAT MINUS THE BEAR HAS GONE THROUGH LIKE TWENTYSOMETHING OF THOSE LINE6 DL4 DELAY PEDALS WHICH IS PROBABLY LIKE 3 TIMES AS MUCH MONEY AS BOTCH EVER MADE LOL. YO I KNOW I'M SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING ABOUT MINUS THE BEAR BUT I REALLY CAN'T HELP TALKING ABOUT BOTCH. THE FACT THAT A GUY IN BOTCH STARTED MINUS THE BEAR IS PROLLY THE MOST WELL KNOWN “LITTLE KNOWN FACTS” EVER, NEXT TO LIKE, TOMATOES BEING FRUIT OR THE BAD GUY FROM THE FIRST FRIDAY THE 13TH IS JASON'S MOM INSTEAD OF JASON. MINUS THE BEAR IS MORE UPBEAT THAN MOST OF THE OTHER BANDS WE'VE DISCUSSED BUT THEY MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR IT WITH TWO NOTE GUITAR LEADS AND ABUSING THE SHIT OUT OF DELAY PEDALS. LOL WHAT IF SOMEONE IN NORMA JEAN MAKES A MINUS THE BEAR CLONE BAND THAT'D BE WILD THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvWstzEUTfU YO DID Y’ALL KNOW THAT THIS MISSISSIPPI MUDSLING SOUNDING SON OF SORGHUM SUCKING BULLFROG IS FROM FUCKING SWEDEN? BUTTER MY BRITCHES AND CALL ME A DRESSED UP BISCUIT I WOULDA NEVER EXPECTED SOMEONE WHO SOUNDS LIKE BOB DYLAN SINGING THROUGH A TIN-CAN ON A STRING TELEPHONE TO BE FROM SOMEWHERE WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. LOW ROAR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E7tz0zRlpE WOW THIS RECORD IS SUPER GOOD BUT MAKES ME WANT TO KILL MYSELF. APPARENTLY THE GUY WHO MADE THIS WAS LIKE “I'M GONNA MOVE TO ICELAND HOW BAD CAN IT BE?” AND THEN IT WAS NIGHT FOR 3 MONTHS AND HE HAD NO FRIENDS AND IT WAS COLDER THAN GOD’S EMBRACE OUTSIDE SO INSTEAD OF JUST OVERDOING ON LYE OR WHATEVER THEY DO IN ICELAND HE JUST MADE THIS RECORD INSTEAD. YO SPEAKING OF DEPRESSING AND COLD THINGS YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY ICE AGE MOVIES THERE ARE? THE LAST ONE I REMEMBERED WAS THE ONE WHERE THEY WERE IN A DINOSAUR WORLD BUT APPARENTLY THAT WAS LIKE 3 FILMS AGO LMAO IDK WHO DENIS LEARY'S AGENT IS BUT HE DESERVES SOME KIND OF RAISE. WAS THE EMO REVIVAL REALLY JUST ICE-AGE-CORE II (THE MELTDOWN™)? AIGHT SO IFIN Y'ALL DON’T REMEMBER THERE WAS THIS REALLY BRIEF BUT PRETTY SICK MOVEMENT FOR A MINUTE WHERE PEOPLE WHO GREW UP LISTENING TO AT THE DRIVE IN OR WHATEVER STOLE THEIR OLDER SISTER’S CASSETTE COLLECTION AND FOUND OUT ABOUT RITES OF SPRING AND TEXAS IS THE REASON OR WHATEVER SO THEN WE GOT A BUNCH OF DUDES WEARING RAYBAN CLUBMASTERS WITH JCREW SHIRTS AND TELECASTERS SINGING ABOUT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLFRIENDS BREAKING UP WITH THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ALL LIKE IN THEIR MID-20s LOL. IDK MAYBE ONE DAY I'LL COME BACK AND WRITE A WHOLE THING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE TBH AFTER THE ONE-TWO PUNCH OF LOSING BOTH GAZA AND THE CHARIOT I JUST KINDA STUCK TO EMO FOR A BIT BUT LIKE, WELL, THAT DIDN’T END WELL EITHER (SPOILER ALERT: THE SAME SHIT WITH GAZA BUT REPLACE SALT LAKE CITY WITH PHILADELPHIA) RETWEET IF U WANT 2 SEE MY EPIC TAKEDOWN OF THE EMO REVIVAL SCENE *NOT CLICKBAIT*!!! A GREAT BIG PILE OF LEAVES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-EIHAY4Mk YO SO THIS BAND WAS MORE OF A SUGGESTION THAN ANYTHING ELSE, LIKE I DON’T MIND THEM BUT MY ONE MEMORY OF AGPOL WAS KIND OF HALF WATCHING THEM PLAY WHILE TRYING TO ACT AS A WINGMAN FOR MY FRIEND WHO WAS TRYING TO BANG THE DRUMMER FROM OLD GRAY (IF THERE'S ONE CONSISTENT THING IN MY LIFE IT’S THAT I'M FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF WOMEN WHO LIKE GUYS WHO OVER-EARNESTLY READ POETRY) LOL THESE GUYS WERE LIKE “WHAT IF WE JUST WERE MINUS THE BEAR A SECOND TIME LOL” BORIS SMILE/THE GREAT ALBATROSS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87u-ngI6c24 TBH EITHER BAND CAN WORK IN THIS EXAMPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH SOLO PROJECTS FROM THE SAME GUY LOL. THE MASTERMIND BEHIND BOTH BANDS IS THIS GUY NAMED WESLEY CHUNG. LOL I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE USE THAT TERM LIKE WES CHUNG IS FINNA BE OUT IN A LAIR PLOTTING A TRAP TO KILL THE GREEN LANTERN OR SOMETHING LOL. I THINK HE LIVES IN SCOTLAND OR SOMETHING WHICH MUST SUCK. DUDE HOW CAN I UNDERSTAND SPANISH BETTER THAN SCOTTISH PEOPLE? SCOTTISH PEOPLE SPEAK KLINGON I THINK THIS SONG IS REALLY GOOD HONESTLY AND CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THOSE SONGS YOU'D HEAR IN A COMMERCIAL FOR A COOKIE OR A TRAILER FOR A MOVIE ABOUT A SUMMER ROMANCE AND THERE'S A SCENE WHERE BOTH CHARACTERS EYES TRANSFORM INTO THE MOON OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WHO READS TOO MUCH W.B. YEATS ALSO PLEASE BE ADVISED MY STRIPPER NAME IS TRILL.I.AM BUTLER YEEKZ AND IF ANY OF YOU TAKE IT WE ARE BEYBLADING FOR THE TITLE AND I GOT A ULTIMATE FORM STEEL DRAGOON SO YOUR ASS IS GRASS BUSTER THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orwgXlNrbTk HONESTLY I COULD PROBABLY WRITE AN ARTICLE IN AND OF ITSELF ABOUT JUST THE WORLD IS BECAUSE I'M A WHITE GUY IN HIS EARLY-MID-20s AND I HAVE A NOSE RING AND A MOTH TATTOO SO NATURALLY I WAS PRETTY INTO THE WHOLE EMO-REVIVAL THING. I'M ALSO FROM CONNECTICUT SO I'VE SEEN THE WORLD IS MORE TIMES THAN I'VE SEEN MOST OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE PAST 6 YEARS. THE WORLD IS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE WHICH SHOULD BE SHOCKING TO ABSOLUTELY NO ONE. LOL I WAS AT THE SHOW WHERE THEY FINALLY PARTED WAYS WITH THEIR ORIGINAL (BETTER) VOCALIST TOM. HE'S THE ONE WHO SANG ON ALL THEIR RELEASES UP TO AND INCLUDING THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, “WHENEVER, IF EVER” WHICH WAS JUST A JOKE ABOUT HOW THEY TOOK 4 YEARS TO DO AN LP AND PEOPLE WERE REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT MEANS LIKE THESE GUYS SOLD FORKS FOR $4.20 THEY AREN'T THAT DEEP. PROTIP: IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHETHER TOM OR DAVID IS SINGING ON ANY TRACK FOLLOW THIS EASY GUIDE: -SINGER SOUNDS IN KEY BUT ISN'T = DAVID -SINGER SOUNDS LIKE HE'S LITERALLY ABOUT TO KILL HIMSELF AT ANY MOMENT = TOM I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT TOM DIAZ SINCE THE LAST TIME HE PUT OUT A SOLO RECORD HE GOES BY SINOFRIO DIAZ, CHECK THEM OUT IF YOU’RE INTO THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH SONGS ABOUT NEW HAVEN BUT ALL JOKING ASIDE I HOPE TOM IS DOING OKAY BECAUSE FROM WHAT I KNEW HE WAS IN A ROUGH PLACE THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE ALSO WERE AN INSTRUMENTAL PART IN MY DETERMINATION OF WHAT KIND OF CT MUSIC SCENE DUDE YOU WERE LOL (TAG URSELF, I’M “THE WORLD IS”)
IN CONCLUSION: TBH IM NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS GENRE OF MUSIC BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THIS OUT HERE YOU KNOW? LIKE HOW ELSE ARE KIDS THAT WERE BORN IN 2005 GONNA LEARN HOW TO DO FINGER PICKED GUITAR LEADS OR SING IN LANGUAGES THEY DON’T SPEAK OR WHATEVER? IDK MAN IM KINDA BAD AT WRITING MAYBE I SHOULD GIVE UP OR JUST STICK TO WRITING NON-SEQUITURS ABOUT CROWBAR OR SOMETHING IDK. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ICE-AGE-CORE BAND? SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS AND REMEMBER TO LIKE, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE CONTENT *SAYS SOMETHING PROBLEMATIC, LOSES YOUTUBE ENDORSEMENT*
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After a subdued couple of months to begin 2018, I’m happy to say that things have started to pick up as we close in on the end of the first quarter of the year. I think this slow beginning heralds yet another year of excellent music after the frenzy of 2017. I’ve discovered plenty of releases since the end-of-the-year rush and reevaluated a lot of albums I glazed over that would have upended my rankings had I know about them or devoted the time sooner, but that’s just the way these things go. So, in an effort to keep better track of all the music that comes my way, I’ve decided to forgo timely reviews and rank stand-out albums by quarter, with exceptions, here and there, for releases that demand a little more (if Necrophagist, Tool, or Vildhjarta dropped a record tomorrow, for instance, you could probably expect something a little sooner than June). So, here’s what’s caught my attention in 2018 (in order of release date): Vile Ones - Teeth Sooner than later, the American Metalcore Project will catch up with Scarlet, whose full-length Cult Classic has lived up to its tongue-in-cheek title in the years since its release (but let’s hope the country hasn’t caught up with its dystopian sci-fi narrative by then, because that would suck). Vile Ones and the 18-minute firebrand of Teeth is exactly what you think it is: Micah Kinard of Oh, Sleeper cutting loose over Scarlet’s spastic, shrapnel-bomb brand of mathcore, with hardly a clean-sung line in earshot leading to downright maniacal fare like “A Drink With ML Crassus,” “Pollack,” and “Mad Man.” There’s an artsiness to the EP that goes beyond the casual name-drops of artists and historical figures in the tracklist and puts a little more meat on Teeth’s bones; at times, it reminds me of the quasi-sophisticated freakishness Fear Before the March of Flames attempted on Art Damage; the scrappiness of The Chariot’s Long Live; or what Jon Spencer’s post-Scarlet band Spitfire did with Cult Classic’s older, broodier sibling Cult Fiction. Hamferð - Tamsins likamThere has been a lot more doom in my musical diet of late, but it’s into Hamferð’s gloomy fog-bank that I’ve found myself disappearing most often. Formed on the Faroe Islands off the coast of Norway, Hamferð (whose name “describes the epiphany of dead/missing seamen”) and Tamsins likam (which means “the body of mist”) are metal that reflects both a rich history of island folklore and the forlornness of living among rock and seaspray, under perpetually overcast skies. Tamsins likam isn’t necessarily any slower or darker than most doom metal I’ve come across, but it’s more refined and enigmatic, at times inching toward the literate prog of Opeth circa Still Life and Blackwater Park and underpinned by a depressing narrative involving a death, a downward spiral, and a suicide. That Hamferð and I don’t share a language doesn’t matter. The music conveys plenty. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t just tug the heartstrings, but stretches them out,making it a difficult album to forget - also thanks, in part, to how it loops back into itself, underscoring the cyclical nature of its narrative and making chain-listens an imperative. I can honestly say I haven’t listened so impulsively to a doom record like this since The Inside Room by 40 Watt Sun; it helps helps that it clocks in at a breezy 43 minutes and that no song crosses over into truly exorbitant lengths. Erdve - VaijtomasVaijtomas is a black stain that doesn’t wipe off, and Erdve commit so wholly to their ideology of oppression that, by the time “Prievarta” oozes in, Erdve doesn’t sound like a band so much as a single organism, one that creeps around in the dark and screams at nothing, torturing itself like a denizen of one of Thomas Ligotti’s dilapidated nightmare universes. The leaden guitar tuning reminds me of The Psyke Project and other, similar sludge bands, sometimes of Celeste or AmenRa. The high-pitched screams juxtaposed against the band’s churning sludge, especially, sound as if they were scooped out of the belly of Misanthrope(s) or Mass III. But it’s easy to lose sight of Erdve’s simplified approach to the same depths these bands plumb, and how efficient they are at conjuring this acidic brand of misery thanks to that simplicity--half of “Apverktis” is just a couple of ringing chords, and they contain all the menace of a thundercloud that could sprout a tornado at any moment. It does. But it’s “Atraja” that steals the show, with an infectious groove that lies somewhere between Plebeian Grandstand and Black Sheep Wall. Its dissonant, repetitive riffing and crashing cymbals are almost upbeat, and this damning hint of optimism is maybe the best-realized manifestation of Erdve’s profound sonic nihilism. Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury ItOur own Alex Brown gave Rolo Tomassi’s new record a pretty thorough shakedown; all I have to add is that, while they don’t fill the Dillinger Escape Plan-shaped hole in my musical universe (though I do have a pretty good feeling about that new The Armed record on the horizon), I’m glad I gave them another shot after the disappointment of Eternal Youth. In retrospect, that wasn’t the best place to start, as I had assumed of its exhaustive three-hour runtime; it doesn’t even hint at the spirit of Time Will Die..., which is dynamic, inventive, and even pushes a few boundaries in its quest for A Better Mathcore in under one hour, which that collection of demos, b-sides, and otherwise unaffiliated music couldn’t even begin to do. Because that’s Rolo Tomassi’s greatest strength: they write albums, making the pretty synthpop of “Towards Dawn” and “Aftermath” not only a novel way to begin a record in this genre, but potentially the greatest subversion of the “deceptively subdued introduction” since Metallica tropified it with “Battery.” The record veers from that to the sweepingly epic (“The Hollow Hour” is just one of the best songs I’ve heard this year) and to the complex and muscular (“Rituals,” “Whispers Among Us”) with a theatrical aplomb that’s never overbearing (although it does inch a bit close to that on “A Flood of Light” - sorry, didn’t change my life!) and always engaging. On “The Hollow Hour” and “Alma Mater,” it’s even kind of astounding. I haven't been able to put this one down. Slugdge - Esoteric MalacologyI never expected to fall so hard for a band that takes the slug for its muse. The alien, planet-conquering kind of slug, but the slug, nonetheless. But what seems like a gimmick melts away with the first monumental strains of “War Squids,” and around the martial stomp of “Salt Thrower,” I can almost understand Slugdge’s affinity for the little dudes. But what about them inspires the duo (!) to write such excellent metal? I suspect the answer to that question is a MacGuffin; after all, strictly speaking, Slugdge aren’t revolutionary. They’re just a couple of skilled musicians with an uncanny knack for songwriting and a love of slugs; a gooey, primary-colored, progressive death metal version of Arsis, in effect, but also the authors of “Slave Goo World” and “Limo Vincit Omnia” (which means something like “the mud wins”). The former song makes the very best use of the band’s secret weapon: deep, lugubrious, and sleazy singing, exactly the sort of voice you’d imagine would emerge from the slimy front-node of a sentient extraterrestrial slug. It’s antithetical to the Mikael Akerfeldts of the genre (although the growls across the record are similar, if a little wetter and meaner-spirited; sometimes it even sounds like Randy Blythe stepped in for a couple of verses!) and all the better for it. Drudkh - They Often See Dreams About the SpringThere are a cartful of jokes to be made about the nature-obsessed, agriculturally-inclined Drudkh getting stuck in a rut with their last few records, A Handful of Stars, The Eternal Turn of the Wheel, and A Furrow Cut Short, and then breaking free of it with the incredible comeback of They Often See Dreams About the Spring, but I’m not the one to make it. Drudkh seem pretty aware of the mess they made with those records, and some hesitancy creeps into this latest effort that both highlights and downplays the significance of this return to form. It’s a bit like Thrice Woven last year in that it’s a Drudkh record through-and-through, restoring all the old hallmarks of their sound that we haven’t since Microcosmos, over a decade ago: folksy melodies rendered in blast-and-tremolo instrumentation. It updates and integrates the tonal experiments they had so much trouble nailing down on Stars and Furrow; as an album, however, it gets in and out in a way that’s unusual for a band that historically prefers to take their time crafting and sustaining a mood. But this problem only arises at the very beginning and the very end. They Often See Dreams About the Spring is a shockingly consistent and elegant record, and the fact that it has a mood at all, and an engaging one at that, makes up for the turgidity of the last three records in an instant and opens a refreshing new chapter for Drudkh. Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My NameIt took me longer to warm up to this record than to The Conscious Seed of Light or Monarchy, but now that I’ve settled in, I appreciate its occasionally forced growth spurts for what they are: necessary. Rivers of Nihil have always played more intelligently than their contemporaries in Fallujah, Black Crown Initiate, etc., even if they’re not as technically astute or possessed of the same production resources; they understand that the song comes first, and that that will carry them, but also that it’s hard to be original in metal. Where Owls Know My Name is a roomier, refined take on the mildly progressive, djent-flavored death metal of their last two records (and despite persistent use of the label by music journalists, there’s nothing tech about it), but what everyone’s talking about is the saxophone. Ever since Ihsahn demonstrated the instrument’s potential on After, I’ve thought it would make a worthy addition to the genre, and it’s great to see Rivers of Nihil picking up what he put down, even if the sax occasionally winds up no more than that: added, not integrated. The band’s not always sure what to do with it, and the arrival of the sax sometimes causes the rest of the band to neuter themselves into simple plucking and whooshy soundscapes. For some, these interruptions translate to pacing.” But you can’t fault them when they succeed, like on the glorious, heartrending “A Home,” “Subtle Change,” and title track. Moments like these makes up for any other deficiencies tenfold. Intercourse - Everything is Pornography When You’ve Got An ImaginationIntercourse are the scummy stuff that grows where Daughters, Coalesce, See You Next Tuesday, and some sweaty, salty sass band from the early ’00’s meet, and Everything Is Pornography… is a spontaneous, freehand blend of grind and hardcore that functions in two-minute spurts of activity with no endgame and a boozy, dogged energy; they couldn’t hide that they’re from New Haven, Connecticut if they tried. But Intercourse consider themselves MUSIC FOR ALIENS MADE BY MUTANTS according to their Bandcamp, and there’s probably no better or more succinct description of what this record sound like than that. This album taught me that I am a beta cuck and I have learned no lesson more valuable in 2018. Nightmarer - Cacophony of TerrorNightmarer was formed by alumni of War From A Harlots Mouth, The Ocean, and Gigan and is recommended for fans of Deathspell Omega, Portal, and Ulsect, so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into until “Stahlwald” enters, and then you know. Cacophony of Terror is as apt a title as Chasm was for their debut EP (one of whose songs, “Ceremony of Control,” slots neatly into this album’s back half): it’s a brutalist skyscraper in the city of avant-garde death metal, an edifice of bolted Stygian riffs and precise, militaristic rhythms that buckles the earth around it and puts everything in shadow. This thing is a monster and there are no seams or zippers to suggest it’s anything but. It just lends itself to that kind of hyperbole; study the cover for a moment and you’ll see it depicts a bunch of skull blown into fragments, splinters of jawbone here and a bit of optic canal there, against a void of light. I doubt we’ll see artwork for any album more representative of the music than this for the rest of 2018. And, because Portal was mentioned, it must be said: Cacophony of Terror absolutely demolishes Ion. Will Haven - Muerte I've had a contentious relationship with Will Haven, finding most of their discography either frustrating or bland, with no median until Open the Mind to Discomfort. It made a promise the band have made good on in a spectacular way with Muerte, which sees them finally accepting what they are: a sludge band with a metalcore vocalist. Muerte moves like crude oil, profoundly bleak and single-minded in its intent to dwarf and then pulverize everything in its path with riffs big and ugly enough to put The Acacia Strain and Kowloon Walled City in the shade. But it’s a guest appearance that clarifies what Will Haven have become. Mike Scheidt of YOB lends his fluey, unsettling voice to “No Escape” in a way that should offer reprieve; he’s singing, not screaming, and yet it feels as if a trapdoor has opened and we’ve fallen into an even deeper cesspool than we imagined, surrounded by the slimy walls of “43” and “Unit K”; ahead, only the pyrotechnics of “El Sol” (which finds Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, long-time friends of Will Haven, in rare form; he crunches through a bevy of Meshuggah-worthy riffs like it’s nothing at all. Blowing off steam from the Gore sessions?). In the American Metalcore Project entry on Starkweather’s Cross Burner, I tossed off the term “Starkweathercore,” but there’s really no better descriptor for Muerte: it’s an album steeped in the virtues of that band’s early discography, and I couldn’t happier that I ignored my inclination to give up on Will Haven. Muerte leads the charge for metalcore in 2018, and if they continue in this vein, well - I want to be there for their Croatoan. -Brian L.
Last Independence Day, in the parking lot of Randy’s Donuts in California, three musicians performed a 12 minute exhibition that was nothing short of exhilarating. These men are Jason Aalon Butler (ex-letlive.,) Stevis Harrison (ex-The Chariot,) and Arin Improta (Night Verses). What they publicly debuted on this day was more than a band: it was a political movement. Since then, the group has dropped three tracks, two of which were performed at Randy’s Donuts. On March 23rd, 2018, out of the blue, they dropped their debut EP, Made An America.
Despite all the starpower and talent, I wasn’t as excited as I’d hoped to be with these singles. The passion and talent is there, with each song presenting some very unique ideas, but they’re all under three minutes, leaving a lot to be desired. However, they make more sense in the context of Made An America. Sonically, The Fever 333 experiments with a few different styles. Tracks like “Made An America” and “Walking in My Shoes” show an alternative rock style that is very reminiscent of Linkin Park with a bit more of a punk-punch. “Made An America” makes an especially great introduction; more than any other, it says The Fever are here to stay. Then you have “We’re Coming In” and “Soul’d Me Out,” which are abrasive, fast hardcore tracks that will get the room moshing in seconds. “Soul’d Me Out” is easily my favorite of the collection of tracks, and definitely the one I recommend if you are a fan of these gentlemen’s other bands. This track is as crazy as this EP gets. “Hunting Season” is a bit more of an industrial rock track that incorporates some hardcore elements; it’s a slowburner, but the chorus is very much worth it. This EP caps off with “P.O.V.,” which is an unusual, industrial hip-hop track that is just as punchy as the hardcore tracks. This is probably the style the group experimented with that I am the most interested in seeing develop on future releases; it’s a unique departure from each of their previous projects. The fact that it works so well here shows that they definitely can do more with the style. On a lyrical level, Jason Butler is here to take a stance. He did this on letlive.’s last LP, If I’m the Devil, and he brings his views to The Fever 333 even more bluntly. Instead of lyrics like “Although my brother is sleeping with our greatest enemy/We still love him like we did when we were kids./But if another of my brothers meets that reaper early,/There will be nothing that can stop revolution,” which are performed with a touch of elegance, Jason sings lyrics like “So let me tell you about/Where all my people from/Where all my people from/We're living hand to mouth/And dying by the gun” with pure and relentless anger. This project reminds me why Jason is both one of my favorite vocalists as well as lyricists. He’s been a lot more upfront about his politics recently, and we see so much of his personality come out in his performances. He writes directly from experience and ties them to an emotional point. Arin’s drumming is just as expressive, switching up between authentic drums and electronic, providing different flavors. I would be lying if I said Stevis didn’t leave a bit to be desired for, though. There are moments on these songs where the guitars just seem to be absent, and it feels like something’s missing over a choice of artistic direction. The worst part of this entire EP is the third track, “(The First Stone) Changes,” which features Yelawolf. The moment I saw he was on this track, I knew it wasn’t going to be very good, and oh boy, was it not. His feature does absolutely nothing, and the song itself sounds like a mediocre, run-of-the-mill rap rock track, or Periphery’s “The Parade of Ashes” off the Clear EP, but that track had precisely the fire that this track lacks, although it pays lip service in the chorus. In fact, every other track on this EP has it; just not this one. Despite my love for the title-track and “Soul’d Me Out,” no track on Made An America feels complete. Even so, I am still interested in what’s to come for The Fever 333. Aside from the third track, each of these songs present solid ideas that Jason, Arin, and Stevis can tinker with to craft some really solid tracks. Made An America, more than anything else, is a teaser. The first sparks of a revolution. Once they tighten up as a band, which I feel they already have after their latest performance on Last Call with Carson Daly, they will be something ferocious. Until then, if you have been a fan of any member’s previous works, go into this with an open mind. You just might get something out of it, like I did. VERDICT: Made An America lets us know there’s a fever coming, and we should embrace what’s to come.
- Alex Brown
2. The Moaning, Blood From Stone (1997)For a bit of background on The Side Gallery, a five-part weekly column about underappreciated melodic death metal, go here - and don't forget to check out last week's entry, "Splenium for Nyktophobia" by Uncanny! Strictly speaking, very little about The Moaning or their 1997 album Blood From Stone is unique. I would consider them part of a class of bands, including Unanimated and A Canorous Quintet that took the death metal part of the Swedish melodeath metal format as far as it could go before the Gothenburg template took over and drove it to extinction. This is to say that, like those bands, The Moaning are clearly a death metal band first and foremost; they just happen to also not shy away from upbeat dual-guitar harmonies, which distinguishes them among their contemporaries, but doesn’t define them. Sonically, it’s a step removed from Uncanny and closer to what we more readily recognize as melodeath today. The Moaning bear more than a passing resemblance to Gothenburg’s great outsider, Dissection, in the way they wed sweepingly epic minor-key shred to galloping rhythms and a lyrical bent toward the morbid; shades of The Somberlain make their way into “Of Darkness I Breed” and into “Dreams In Black,” the album’s longest and most fluid compositions. Unfortunately, the nuances of their music (admittedly few, but there!) can get lost in the the production, which seems to mix the drums and guitars equally. It’s a bizarre move for a genre that depends so much on its riffs, and reminds me of the “necro” sound so many second-wave Norwegian black metal bands were pursuing at this time. It’s sometimes hard to discern what The Moaning’s guitarists are doing over the cymbals, making this a more challenging listen than most other melodeath of the time. But, once you’ve made peace with that flaw, it’s not difficult to see that The Moaning are accomplished musicians who seem to genuinely enjoy the music they play. Despite lyrics about grief, “mental shadowzones,” and escalating levels of pain (Invisible pain? “Still Born.” Unspeakable pain? “Dying Eternal Embers.” Everlasting pain? “Dark Reflections.”), their vision of this then-burgeoning genre was to approach it like rock n’ roll, beating Carcass at the game they played on Swan Songs just the year before: Blood From Stone is all about its high-octane riffs and ghoulish energy, leaving little room for acoustics or clean singing. The vocals may occasionally lapse into spoken-word or even interjections of punkish shouting, but these instances are few and far between; the album is dominated by a shrill gargle that, if sometimes over-the-top, is quintessentially melodeath, and it rarely lets up. Like its cover art, which depicts an offering of skulls at the foot of some demonic statue in a moonlit forest, picking up an album like Blood From Stone can feel like stumbling into a well-kept secret. Discovering an entire cache of excellent melodeath songs heard by few is undeniably exciting; it’s a privilege to be privy to what others have overlooked or forgotten. If for no other reason than that simple little thrill, check out The Moaning’s only full-length, and stay for the diversion from your 3,000th listen to Slaughter of the Soul and Storm of the Light’s Bane. You owe it to yourself. -Brian L.
Empty is a brand new post-hardcore act from South Carolina. Since forming in late 2017, the group has played a series of shows in order to get themselves more recognition in the game, slowly but surely building up a following in South Carolina as well as surrounding areas. In anticipation of their tour with Solid State Records signees Death Therapy, the group put out their debut EP, The Healing Process.
For a group that has virtually just started, some of the instrumentation on this EP is quite awesome. The riffs on tracks like “If I’m Dead, So Are You” and “*” are reminiscent of early Norma Jean, but they’ll jump into more post-rock inspired sections that build beautifully. This EP’s introduction, “For While You’re Weak,” as well as “Spineless,” go right into mosh-mode, showing some influences from acts like Every Time I Die and the like. The harsh vocals are incredibly emotional and pained; there’s a bit of spoken-word on this EP also, which is something I normally hate in hardcore-inspired music (with a few exceptions), but the band know when to use it properly, such as on the final steps to the climax of “For While You’re Weak.” “Dangerous Repetitions” has a super sludgy introduction with eerie atmospheric accents that remind me of what Underoath does on some of their later works. The only flaw on this EP is the clean vocals: like for many bands in the genre, they feel shoehorned in for choruses. “For While You’re Weak” is a strong, beefy track that could’ve been a fine, heavy mosh-fest, but the clean-sung chorus halts the momentum. “Spineless” is structured better, but suffers from the same issue. “If I’m Dead, So Are You” is built on a verse-chorus-verse format, but I feel it could have been branched out. The only track that the cleans work well on is “Vacant Memories,” which is an interlude. For the type of music they are writing, I would prefer their cleans to be punchier and have more variety. Aside from that, this is a very solid first effort from this South Carolina band. If you like any of the artists mentioned above, do yourself a favor and check out The Healing Process. It’s under 15 minutes and packs some really incredible riffs. Hopefully these guys tour more in the future, because I really wanna mosh to these tracks. VERDICT: In under 15 minutes, Empty show that they are worth an ear. They have to work on structuring their songs a bit more, but I am confident these guys have a bright future ahead of them.
- Alex Brown
Between the Buried and Me. North Carolina-based progressive metal legends at this point. Forming in 2000 out of the ashes of metalcore/deathcore act Prayer for Cleansing, the group released their self-titled debut in 2002, which by all accounts was very color-by-numbers deathcore with a few progressive metal elements that kept it interesting. After that, they only seemed to improve, mixing progressive metal with metalcore much better on records like The Silent Circus and Alaska, with the latter album the genesis of the Between the Buried and Me we know today. Two years later came Colors, which I wrote about Colors for its the tenth anniversary here. On a purely objective level, it seriously turned the tables on progressive metal. If you look at any modern progressive metal act, you can see the influence Between the Buried and Me has left on the scene. Hell, ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy even called Colors his favorite LP of 2007. When a man whose art has inspired your own goes to talk big praise like this, you’re doing something right.
Two years later, the group released the proggier The Great Misdirect, showing that BTBAM had more tricks up their sleeves. The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues EP and full-length Parallax II: Future Sequence represent as solid a pair of concept albums as Between the Buried and Me ever wrote; by this point, the group had dropped the metalcore completely, giving way to a prominent extreme metal influence. Regardless, their writing chops were still there, and Parallax is one of my favorite LPs of the decade thus far. The group didn’t come out with new music until 2015 with Coma Ecliptic, which was… quite awkward, to say the least: the group decided to go for a retro 70s progressive rock style in the vein of Yes and Rush, and while the change was admirable, the music was not up to par. I’d go as far as to say every other main release by the band, with the exception of their self-titled, is better. Three years later, the group announced they will be releasing TWO records in 2018 under the title Automata. The first part was released on March 9th, and the second part will arrive sometime in June. Sonically, Automata I sees Between the Buried and Me dialing back the sound of Coma Ecliptic and finding more of a middle-ground between its prog-rock and the progressive-metalcore sound of their previous releases. This was shown on the first song released for the LP, “Condemned to the Gallows,” a six-and-a-half minute song that delves into Between the Buried and Me at their heaviest, with some progressive-rock concepts balancing it out. One of their heaviest and best-placed breakdowns shows up on this track, which will please anyone who's been missing the more metalcore/deathcore-inspired Between the Buried and Me found on Alaska and The Silent Circus. Maybe this is the group compromising with their fans, but I don’t think it’s too much to worry about; it’s obvious that the group put care into crafting the song. The only other track on Automata I that perfectly strikes this balance is the finale, “Blot.” This song exemplifies why Between the Buried and Me are one of the best bands in all of rock music: they take all of their influences, douse it in their unique progressive metal flavor, and churn out ten-and-a-half blissful minutes of music. On Automata I, Between the Buried and Me are strongest when they are going balls-to-the-wall heavy. “House Organ” and “Yellow Eyes,” when they are heavy, showcase how metal music should be written. They borrow heavily from the Between the Buried and Me of Colors and The Great Misdirect through the filter of Coma Ecliptic and with a smattering of other influences, managing to sound fresh yet again. The introduction to “House Organ” feels like Nine Inch Nails, starting noisy and then flourishing into gritty, heavy guitarwork. The epic introduction to “Yellow Eyes” is nothing short of incredible, as Thomas’ harsh vocals reach an all-time high on Automata I. He sounds louder and more versatile than ever, and his screams are continuously improving even after eighteen years. His synth should not go unappreciated either: some of his playing on this LP is just jaw-dropping, lending most tracks a futuristic, electronic sheen. Where the LP falls flat on its face, though, is when it goes soft. “Condemned to the Gallows” and “Blot” are the only two tracks on the LP that make both sides work. Otherwise, the results are a little bleak. “Yellow Eyes,” notably, has one of the cheesiest clean sections I’ve heard in a while, starting off with Thomas repeating the word “yellow” in a nasally voice. I loved his clean singing up until 2012, but he’s becomes very hit-or-miss of late; and more often than, on Automata I, he misses. “House Organ” would be a near-perfect track if the outro wasn’t so grating, either. It’s frustrating knowing that Between the Buried and Me have performed similar sections well in the past, but here, they’re hard to take very seriously. The worst contender, however, is “Millions.” This is the only song on LP that sounds as if it was ripped straight from Coma Ecliptic, and it is just a bad song, retreading all the elements I didn’t like about that LP. It does not belong. The only other flaw I see with this LP is that it feels incomplete, but that’s to be expected give that, like Hypersleep Dialogues, it’s only the first part of a bigger project. For what we have, Automata I is relatively solid release that instantly makes up for the bad taste Coma Ecliptic left in my mouth. Two of these tracks are some of the best the group has ever put out, and that’s such a relief for someone who feared the worst for BTBAM’s future. I’m not going to cover the concept of the LP until we have the full project in June. For now, I suggest checking out Automata I if only to reacquaint yourself with the Between the Buried and Me we haven’t heard since Alaska. VERDICT: Between the Buried and Me nail their venture back into heavier metal, but struggle with the rest. Regardless, Automata I is a solid release from the progressive metal titans. I am excited to hear Automata II this June.
- Alex Brown
Bright Lights, Deep Shadows Melodic death metal is an oversaturated market with what can seem like only a handful of worthwhile acts. These would be your holy Gothenburg trinity of early In Flames, At the Gates, and Dark Tranquillity, along with their European brethren in Insomnium, Dissection, Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, and Soilwork. Stateside, Arsis and The Black Dahlia Murder have held down the fort (and if you want to stretch the parameters of the genre to include Undying and Darkest Hour, well, the American melodeath scene probably wouldn’t argue. It’s bleak out here). These bands have all released excellent records and survived rough patches, with the exception of In Flames, who have fallen off the wagon spectacularly--a wagon they once set in motion--and Amon Amarth, whose borderline-supernatural consistency has eroded any and all conventional metrics of “good” and “bad.” They’ll be playing through Ragnarok if they have their way. Bright lights make deep shadows; beyond the glitz of Gothenburg, melodic death metal has more than its share of excellent, worthwhile bands hidden away in its darkest corners, sometimes within spitting distance of the mighty Sweden. The American melodeath metal scene, like its black metal scene, has struggled with a bad reputation despite a history of forward-thinking acts as interesting and innovative as anything out of Europe. If you read or have checked in on the American Metalcore Project before, you’ve heard similar sentiments out of me, because I naturally side with the underdogs. The Side Gallery is an extension of that same affinity, and while it won’t be as comprehensive as the AMP--I don’t have nearly the same depth of experience with melodeath as I do with metalcore--think of this as a limited-series spin-off, or better yet, a sister channel. Just like the American Metalcore Project, we respect the big names (hey, the title of this venture is a riff on that Dark Tranquillity album), but acknowledge that they sometimes overshadow a record that’s just as good for no concrete reason. Sometimes, it comes down to that old stick of right place and time. For example: 1. Uncanny - Splenium for Nyktophobia (2004)Listen to the record and look at the release year: a full two years prior to The Jester Race and the same year as Lunar Strain, In Flames’s countrymen in Uncanny had the idea to cram the same base of Swedish-style death metal with as much melody as it could hold, birthing Splenium for Nyktophobia into a musical climate that wasn’t quite on its wavelength. Maybe the problem was that Uncanny went the ostensibly safer route, weaving minor-key melodies into the record’s dark, compact thrash rather than foregrounding major-key shred the way In Flames would do so influentially for four-to-five records. Only the album’s collection of guitar solos approach In Flames’ band’s vibrant melodicism, but it’s the exception to the rule, which is to riff as hard as possible at all times. In any case, Uncanny had the lead on melodeath’s most important institution back when In Flames were still fumbling vocalists and smashing folk and metal in the hopes of innovation. I know we just said we’d respect the big names, but the difference in quality between demo-era In Flames and Uncanny is hilarious, and in a roundabout way, illuminates just how miraculously In Flames got it together to become one of the best-known bands in metal. In 1994, Uncanny were professionals with restraint and finesse, writing memorable hooks and densely-calculate rhythms in digestible, three-to-four minute packages that total up to some seriously jammable melodic death metal. They play fast and upbeat in the tradition of Carnage and Dismember and reproduce the threatening grandeur of Terminal Spirit Disease through a grimier lens; there’s simply more death than melo- here, and it’s performed exceptionally, without the burden of trends to hamper the delivery. Thematically, Splenium revolves around fear--when decoded, the ten-dollar words in the album’s title break down to mean something like “the brain-stem of fear,” if not “the root of fear.” Lyrically, most songs take the form of vague horror narratives that are sometimes unintentionally funny (“Elohim” reveals itself as an alien abduction story with this nugget of gold: “My memory went black / I dreamt unholy dreams / once inside the mothership / I woke up and screamed”; there’s also the breathtaking subtitle of “The Final Conflict”--I shit you not, it’s called “The Pornoflute Part II”), but generally, they serve to underscore the album’s tone of menace. Apart from Uncanny’s semi-safe approach, it was probably some confluence of the gathering wave of similarly-minded proto-melodeath bands around them and the record’s compactness that doomed them to obscurity. Its respectable length of thirty-eight minutes, three-to-four minute songs, and consistent tempo makes it a breeze of a listen, and therefore a slightly forgettable one, easy to overlook in favor of those records with longer runtimes and more variety to offer during this formative era. There’s always a place for a record that only wants to kick your ass, a criteria Splenium for Nyktophobia certainly meets, but it is also more nuanced than that. Like another record we’ll encounter, its density hides a progressive streak in the songwriting that could have flourished on future records and garnered the band the attention they deserved. But, that long-ago-missed opportunity being as it is, we’re still left with this excellent record, which comes out to breaking-even when all’s said and done. -Brian L.
Rolo Tomassi is an experimental English mathcore act formed by siblings Eva and James Spence who broke into the world of extreme music in 2005. They have been perfecting a style that manages to be even more forward-thinking than their predecessors like Botch or The Dillinger Escape Plan, and alhough they had a rocky start with their debut LP Hysterics, they have continually improved ever since. 2015’s Grievances has been recognized as one of mathcore’s finest moments, after which the group seemed to take a bit of a step back from the spotlight until 2017, when they announced Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It for early 2018.
The LP starts easy on the ears with the four-minute ambient introduction, “Towards Dawn,” before the beautiful synthpop single, “Aftermath.” These two tracks show how versatile Rolo Tomassi is. While they have experimented with softer tracks, this is the first time the track feels totally fleshed out and reminiscent of groups like CHVRCHES and Purity Ring, but with the dreamier atmosphere of shoegaze bands like Slowdive. James Spence’s somber synth pushes this track forward as Eva lyrically burns bridges. It’s absolutely gorgeous from start to finish, and such a powerful way for Rolo Tomassi to start their LP. That said, they do not want you to forget what they are: a mathcore. After a very eerie intro that builds off the outro of “Aftermath,” “Rituals” is relentlessly heavy. Evans voice full of ache and raw energy, is unforgiving in both tone and lyrics; she even says so at one point. Her voice is full of ache and raw energy, even down to the brief clean vocal part. Three tracks in, and I can tell we are in for a roller coaster. The cymbals lead into the post rock intro of “The Hollow Hour,” which capture the moods of both “Aftermath” and “Rituals” in the context progressive metal and post-rock. A mechanical-sounding synth provides some accents before the song breaks into complete anger and stays that way until a cleanly sung part, returning to the post-rock atmosphere of the intro. There is an insane breakdown toward the end as “It’s so tragic” repeats, and the song goes out with one of the most sublime post-rock outros I’ve heard in a long time. “Balancing the Dark” carries on the strong strong progressive flavors, although it’s definitely one of the LP’s heavier moment, with absolutely no clean vocals and lyrics like “Cursed by what will embody/Lost in the harshness of endless.” It's a very intense listen, dragging the album from melancholic contentment to the darkest pits of our conscious in a matter of songs. This track leads into the chaotic “Alma Mater,” which lets you know from the get-go with its galloping, mathy guitarwork that this is the song you are going to be throwing down to. About halfway through, Rolo Tomassi’s new post-rock persona rears its head before ducking out for another of those bone-crunching breakdowns. If I ever forget what I love about Rolo Tomassi, “A Flood Light” will be there to remind me. It strikes that same balance of beautiful atmosphere and sheer heaviness that they’ve perfected, then tips the scale for an ambient interlude that can only be described as bliss after the dark, brooding aura of the rest of the song. It isn’t necessarily a happy feeling, but a content one, much like the tone found on “Aftermath.” There’s a good mix of clean and harsh vocals complementing the climatic instrumental that only gets better the moment you think it’s peaked. The track concludes and links perfectly into “Whispers Among Us,” which mixes some growls among the screams as it beats the listener over the head. The beautiful thing about this is that it’s never the same sort of heaviness or the same sort of beautiful atmosphere. Sometimes the heaviness will come from a very mathy, chaotic sound, while other times it is bruting, slow, and heavy, much like this song. The beauty can be from ambience, post-rock, synthpop, or in this case, a very post-metal feel, similar to the newer Rosetta material. “Contretemps” comes in subtly, with a synth playing a few sparse notes, before they crank up the noise. Rolo Tomassi have made it clear that they want a specific atmosphere throughout these tracks, and this is probably where it’s strongest. Contretemps means “an unfortunate occurrence,” this track’s lyrical content deals with just that: accepting an unfortunate event as it happens in life. Just when I thought this LP couldn’t get more beautiful, this track comes on, with Eva bidding farewell as she begins to truly move on in their life. After all the rage on display through this LP overshadowing moments of peace, it seems that this track finally sees Eva, or the character she’s playing, understanding herself. The crescendos are absolutely heart-stopping, and Eva’s voice displays so much pain after all she’s been through. This all leads to the end of the track, which can only be described in one word: solace. After all the pain comes comfort in the final track, “Risen.” Time Will Die… could not have concluded better than with this work of art. Paralleling “Towards Dawn,” the addition of vocals and extra noise is a perfect cap to the record’s 53-minute journey. Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It. There is so much said in that title alone. This is music about pain, betrayal, moving forward, and recognizing the better things ahead. Pain and suffering is part of time, and eventually, we will find someone or something that makes it all worth it. With talent, emotion, and ever-evolving musicianship, Rolo Tomassi have made the best LP of their thirteen years together. No matter how hard the times may be, the album says, it’s all worthwhile. There’s always a rainbow after the rain. Dawn always breaks the night. Time will die, and love will bury it. VERDICT: The Dillinger Escape Plan left a vacant throne, and Rolo Tomassi are here to claim it. - Alex Brown
Turnstile - Time and Space
Rating: 9/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBMi-KYUl8c
Major labels can be either a blessing or a curse, especially for bands with origins in the hardcore scene. For some bands, a major label can give them the financial backing to be able to take their vision to that next level (e.g. for better or worse, Code Orange), or it can result in a lame attempt - usually due to the label’s influence - to produce a less-than-stellar record that tries to please both a mainstream audience while still trying to somewhat relate to older fans (No Warning on Suffer Survive). When Turnstile signed to Roadrunner Records in the Spring of 2016, a lot of fans (including myself) asked themselves which of the two categories the band would fall into: would they try and become more accessible than they had already been on 2015’s Nonstop Feeling, or would they use the backing of a heavy music giant like Roadrunner to push the boundaries of their sound? Time and Space fortunately adheres to the latter, and then some.
One thing I usually hear when I’m recommended new hardcore bands is that they sound like a certain band. This is especially true with a lot of the newer and bigger bands rising out of the underground and into a brighter spotlight right now: Knocked Loose sound like Disembodied; Axis sound like Deadguy; literally every band with panic chords is compared to Martyr AD, etc. This has never really been the case when I’ve heard people talking about Turnstile. Sure, there’s some comparisons to be drawn: lead vocalist Brendan Yates’ energetic yells resemble Zach de la Rocha, and the band carries a lot of that classic NYHC-inspired groove, but they certainly don’t sound like a 1:1 replica of any other band. This is especially true on Time and Space; the influences are noticeable, but they are never so pervasive that they take over the band’s identity, while helping the band produce a record that manages to be fresh without sounding derivative. “Real Thing,” “Generator,” and “High Pressure” all take the standard hardcore formula and add post-punk sensibilities, 90’s rock callbacks, and some unusual backing instrumentation (e.g. the piano in “High Pressure” and clapping hands in “Generator”) to mold a sound that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Most importantly, it’s fun. It is impossible to listen to this record and be in a bad mood, which is something that cannot be said for a lot of Turnstile’s contemporaries. This album is made to put a smile on your face and make you dance, be it the hardcore variety or otherwise. The experimentation with different sounds doesn’t just end with the more standard hardcore tracks, either. From Tanikka Charraé’s R&B flavored vocals on “Bomb” to bassist Franz Lyons grabbing the mic on “Moon,” Turnstile show that they aren’t afraid to add influences that aren’t just the usual burst of metallic riffing showcased in a lot of the more popular hardcore coming out these days. Producer Diplo even has a credit on “Right to Be.” It’s all over the place without somehow sounding disjointed or unnatural, something that other bands could definitely take notes from as they attempt to push boundaries. If you’re dissatisfied with the more serious, depressive direction that a lot of modern hardcore has taken in recent years, you owe it to yourself to give Time and Space a listen; even if you aren’t, in a genre currently rife with ultra-serious mosh bands, it’s easy to forget sometimes that the point of music is to escape from the seriousness of life and have fun every now and again. Turnstile are here to make sure you don’t. - Cesar G.
Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, better known as Andrew W.K., is a musician who has been doing his thing since 1996. He didn’t start gathering attention, however, until the 2001 classic I Get Wet dropped. It’s thirty-five minutes of pure energy focused on the idea of partying hard, if it wasn’t obvious from tracks like “Party Hard” and “I Love NYC.” While it was not so accepted at the time of its release, it seems that over time, people have come to see the record for what it was: a goofy, fun time. Andrew W.K. was not breaking ground; he was making music to have a fun time to, and there is nothing wrong with that. His self-awareness is what made I Get Wet. Unfortunately, his material following that record really doesn’t stick out too much. Don’t even get me started on his piano-rock LP 55 Cadillac, or even worse, Gundam Rock. Those were released back in 2009, and up until this point, there was absolutely no word on what Andrew W.K. was doing musically. Sure, he was working on some projects outside of music, like being the host of Cartoon Network’s “Destroy Build Destroy,” and he toured quite often, but we did not know anything about new music. That is, until January 2018, when he announced his first studio LP in nine years, You’re Not Alone, released alongside the single “Music is Worth Living For.” Less than two months later, we now have the LP for our listening pleasure.
The LP starts off with “The Power of Partying,” just to remind us that the King of Partying is back in the music game: a minute and half of dramatic tension, it begins with a voiceover repeating the word “party,” followed by a drum roll and some synth leading into “Music is Worth Living For.” This track is pays an ode to the stadium rock bands of the ’70s and ’80s with modern Andrew W.K. flavor. Lyrically, the song takes us on our first trip through Andrew’s consciousness, exploring self-doubt and the thoughts we’ve all had of being done for. Then the pre-chorus comes in, assuring us that we’re wrong and have kept moving forward, and he then goes to pay homage to one of the forces that helped him the most through his trying times: music. This track is absolutely stellar, and gives us our first taste of the optimism running rampant through this LP. “Ever Again” continues in a stadium-rock style similar to the previous track, and even builds on its themes with a greater focus on changing as a person for the better. Andrew admits to being afraid of the future, but his “trip to the dark side” has been educational, and he’s not going to lose his way, as he repeats “ever again” to conclude this song. The production may be cleaner this time around, but “I Don’t Know Anything” is very much the Andrew W.K. we know and love. Its lyrics are not as certain as they are on the preceding tracks, but Andrew reassures us that it’s okay to not know what the future holds. He’s content, because he knows that whatever is to come will, at the very least, make for an exciting journey. This brings us to the first interlude on the LP, “The Feeling of Being Alive.” Andrew is speaking directly to the listener during these interludes, offering food for thought: it’s okay to feel like that something is “very, very wrong” with life, as it’s what reminds us of our humanity. This encouraging message is unfortunately followed by some of the weakest moments on the LP. Although they pursue the same sense of optimism, they aren’t musically very interesting. “Party Mindset” takes a low energy approach, which I applaud Andrew for trying out, but it sounds lazy. I feel like the song is meant to show how Andrew deals with his issues by keeping his “party mindset.” “The Party Never Dies” is the sort of title you just expect to see on an Andrew W.K. project, and the song tells a story of a child overcoming struggle. While it’s a nice moment, it’s too short to have a lasting effect, especially due to its repetitive formula. Thankfully, “Give Up on You” is easily has one of the strongest messages on the tracklist, reminding the listener with a choir-backed return to the stadium-rock of the first two tracks, that they will not be given up on. Next is “Keep On Going,” an ’80s-style ballad that takes a look into the past whether good or bad, reminding us that we have always moved on no matter what. On “In Your Darkest Moments,” another interlude, Andrew asks us to remember that life has plenty to offer even in its gloomiest, doomiest moments with one of the most inspirational quotes I have ever heard: “Deep down, we don’t want an easy life. We want an amazing life!” A life that’s nothing but easy would be boring; we come out of our dark times even stronger, and ready to pursue something worthwhile. “The Devil’s On Your Side” calls back to the interlude, suggesting that our demons are always going to be with us. That’s what makes working with them important. As Andrew explains in the interlude, your demons can be a positive force in your life if they force you to better yourself. The song itself is constructed really nicely, with a bit of Broadway in it at the beginning and a climactic, arena-filling conclusion. Following that is “Break the Curse,” the longest and most sobering track on the LP. The first half is as gloomy as You’re Not Alone gets, with Andrew addressing emotional toxicity. The instrumental is slow and somber, but it gradually brightens up as Andrew reminding that the listener can break their curse, whatever it may be. The transition is done quite fluently, and it’s good to see Andrew really acknowledge the bad on a album that’s almost entirely focused on the good, just to make sure the listener knows that things aren’t perfect--they’re only as good as we make them. “Total Freedom,” is one of the most triumphant moments of You’re Not Alone. It’s like emerging from a cave and seeing the sun for the first time; it shines brighter than any of the previous tracks with its glowing guitar, synth, and percussion. The song is a reminder that you decide your destiny, and that whatever life throws at you, you are able to handle it and live however you decide to live. After a track like that, “Beyond Oblivion” only serves as a long instrumental coda. It doesn’t differentiate itself from the previous tracks, apart from taking it a little slower, and doesn’t work very well on its own, but it serves its purpose on a full-album listen. The final interlude, “Confusion and Clarity,” brings Andrew’s philosophy to a conclusion. No matter what we go through, we must remember what gives us the energy to get us through life, and we must share our positivity with all the world to make it a better place. On that note, we are led to the grand finale of the LP: the title-track. In its most basic form, the track is a summary to the journey of You’re Not Alone, repeating that message of positivity: we are never alone. Someone is looking out for us. It’s okay to be afraid. We are all always heading into “the great unknown.” Andrew offers his hand to let you know that we are all in this together, and we will find out what’s out there together. The LP ends ambiguously after Andrew repeats himself, which I think is the best way it could have ended. You’re Not Alone ends with us taking that step in the mystery of the future, confident that there is something beautiful waiting for us. Is You’re Not Alone some mind-blowing, game-changing LP in the purest musical sense? No, but that’s its charm. It’s full of ambition, energy, and fun, promoting a grand message that we all desperately need right now, and it over fifty-minute runtime doesn’t feel bloated or unnecessary in the least. Maybe he’s a little too optimistic about the future, but in a world like ours, I believe we need a equal, opposite force of good to combat it. VERDICT: 9 years and 52 minutes later, Andrew W.K.’s optimism remains undiminished, and You’re Not Alone shines brighter than the sun. - Alex Brown |
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