Blackfield

Blackfield is the result of a collaboration between Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Israeli pop singer/songwriter/peace activist Aviv Geffen. Their music is a dreamy sort of pop/rock with some atmospheric as well as prog moments (it is Steve Wilson after all). With this self titled first release (2004) they've created a very accessible and lush sounding album. At times, the duo seem to summon the likes of Pink Floyd as well as John Lennon. That's definitely a compliment.

I had the pleasure of catching these guys during their NYC show in March of '07. There was a ridiculous snow and ice storm that night and the trek to the show was like that time in Voyage of the Mimi when that creepy captain almost died of hypothermia. Did you know Ben Affleck was on that show? Crazy huh? Anyway, trust me, it was cold that night. The show was great, you really screwed up by not being there.

..enjoy..

Bonus Video NYC

Kauan

Finland's Tenhi blend the minimalist atmosphere of neo-folk with a rock foundation, creating an ethereal and moving tribute to all things melancholy and alone. Kauan (1999), their first full length, is a beautiful and stunning creation. Its' sound is stark yet rich, invoking the spirit of nature throughout. The acoustic guitars weave effortless melodies, like ripples on a calm lake's surface. There are occasional pianos as well as violins and even a didgeridoo, aiding to create this masterpiece. This album is everything that neo-folk should be. It takes the listener on a journey through a series of natural landscapes, where gentle sounds and whispered echoes paint a scene of simple beauty. The sparse and haunting vocals are in Finnish, but the song titles are accompanied by English translations so you will at least have a starting point for their meaning. However, it isn't necessary as the album is emotive beyond the barriers of language. Kauan is an experience and it seems fitting that with the start of Spring, it be posted.

..enjoy..

Hermeticum

Like a Voodoo hexed zombie... this blog lives again!

By 1998 the good gentlemen of Portugal's Moonspell had pretty much abandoned any black metal influence they once embraced. To some, their turn towards the more gothic and pop friendly sound was unfortunate. To others it was impressive to watch a versatile group of musicians morph into a new entity from album to album. But for all interested onlookers, it was a shocking twist in the story of Moonspell when they decided to reach deep into their dark past and create a one off side project under the moniker Daemonarch.

Based upon the poetry of lead singer Fernando Ribeiro's teen years, who went under his old pseudonym of Langsuyar for this side project, Hermeticum is primal black metal with a serious occult vibe. Daemonarch, for the brief moment of their existence, consisted of all Moonspell's members at the time, sans drummer Miguel Gaspar. I once asked Miguel about Daemonarch and he informed me that he was not involved in the project. In turns out that all the drumming was programmed on a drum machine. We shared an awkward moment or two and I decided to bring my still infant interviewing career to an end. No one ever accused me of being smooth. Anyway, the stars of Daemonarch are easily the vocals and guitars. Fernando's (Langsuyar) vocals are explosive, vicious and inhuman throughout. The guitar work, while not overly complicated, is dramatic and creates a memorable atmosphere of horror. Even the sprinkling of keyboards serves the album well.

Daemonarch were more in the Mediterranean vein of black metal, think latter day Rotting Christ (with that heavy Septic Flesh influence) ...nothing Scandinavian here. But if you found yourself alienated by Moonspell's early musical shift, you may be pleased with what you find. It's a solid album and I for one am sad that it was just a brief stop for Moonspell. Maybe the future will bring about a second effort... maybe they'll even let Miguel in on the action this time...

..a thousand tongues..

On A Night Like This

Just when the little ticker at the bottom of the blog starts going up.... I'm taking a break. You see, I'm departing for an alcohol fueled week in New Orleans. And alas, I cannot bring you with me. Please don't be sore. Please? But, fret not, I shall return by the end of the week. So until then, feel free to explore past posts as well as this, my fitting send off:




Buckwheat Zydeco pretty much is zydeco music. For fuck's sake, it's his last name! Okay, that's just a stage name, but still he has taken the regional Creole music of Louisiana and accomplished a fair amount of mainstream success. If I'm aware of him, he must have. Because I do not know much about Zydeco at all. But what I do know is that his music is lively and charming. And this album is filled to the brim with accordions and washboards. And, for some reason this makes me happy. If I see Buckwheat in NOLA I'll be sure to tell him you say bonjour.

git some!

Another Great Love Song

My mind is currently being fucking obliterated by Ludicra's brand spanking new effort, The Tenant. Unlucky for you, I do not make a habit of posting new albums on this blog. You should go out and buy it. But, lucky for you, all of Ludicra's albums are of the fucking mind obliterating variety. So behold, their second album, from 2004 anno domini, Another Great Love Song.

Pain, suffering, loss, addiction. Another Great Love Song is drenched in all that turns us away from light, love and all the pretty little things of the world. It is brutal yet mesmerizing. It is one of the ugliest, angriest and most sincere albums I have the pleasure of owning. It is brilliant. It is art. It is what you fear as you lay awake at night. This album serves as a rare and sobering reminder that anger, hate and fury are just expressions of the deepest of sorrows.

Laurie Sue Shanaman's screeching vocals are disturbingly honest, her pain is almost too evident. Listening to her, and frankly seeing her perform live as well, is like watching a poor and wretched soul perform a self inflicted exorcism. The bass of Mr. Ross Sewage (Impaled) is menacing and unrelenting, the drumming of Aesop (Hickey, Agalloch) twists and turns with trailblazing violence. John Cobbett (Hammers of Misfortune) is uniquely brilliant on lead guitar, as anyone who knows his body of work would attest. Christy Cather's voice can be shrill and vicious, but also ghost like at times. With an ethereal grace she is the calm to Laurie's storm. But do not be lulled, like a Siren, she too will draw you to your doom.
You want highlights? How about "Time Wounds All Heels" and "Why Conquer?" And then after those two, the rest of the fucking album.

..enjoy..

NOTE: The aforementioned Aesop,
is also the author of the best blog
the intraweb ever did see: Cosmic Hearse.

rajaportti

Driving melancholic rock is the name of Finnish group Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus' game. Their music flirts with metal but generally stays within the rock arena and their melodies are of the mournful Finn variety. Rajaportti is an easily accessible and catchy album. Now, here's the kicker: it's all in their native tongue. I don't speak a lick of Finnish...okay, maybe like three words, but they aren't helping me much with this album. Still, Timo and the gang are masters at communicating emotion through song, even with a language barrier firmly set between us. There is one line that I know is somewhere on the album, although I'm not sure where because again, I don't speak Finn, but I believe it conveys the sentiment of Rajaportti well, "It is difficult to hang ones self when the ceiling is too low and the rope too thick." Can you argue with that notion? I cannot.

.enjoy.

Wildhoney

Tiamat put the European metal scene on notice with the release of 1994's Wildhoney. Facing their break up, the band decided to just make an album for themselves, never believing it would be a critical or financial success. They could not have been more wrong.

A departure from their much more aggressive and heavy efforts of the past, this album showcased a band coming into their own as musicians and proved that creativity would not be bound by genre limitations. While some elements of their metal past were still evident, Wildhoney showcased progressive and psychedelic song writing unfettered by restraint. Nature and the wonderful hallucinogenic drugs it provides is a theme throughout. It plays out like a trippy drug induced journey through an otherworldly realm. While there you will marvel at all nature has to offer, but you will also stand witness to man's careless destruction of it. Man is such a dick sometimes. Pink Floyd and King Crimson can be heard whispering inspiration behind each track, so make sure you listen carefully. I recommend that you enjoy this album in its' entirety, letting it play from beginning to end. It plays not like a group of songs, but like an experience. And not one you are likely to forget.

If I had my own planetarium, and if life were fair I would, there would be a Friday midnight laser light show for Wildhoney. And all the cool kids would come and we would smoke. Alot.

For every tear, a dream

Live at Vicar Street

Holidays make it an easy go at picking which album to post... Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Christy Moore sings with a natural warmth and sincere passion. He has been a national treasure in Ireland for some 40 years and is the living embodiment of Irish folk music. Here on his fourth live album, Live At Vicar Street (2002), he performs mostly covers and a couple originals. Each of the covers he recreates as his own with his distinct voice and perspective. Moore, in good Irish tradition, is able to wander freely among songs of love and lament, political and revolutionary anthems as well as the more upbeat foot stomping and crowd pleasing tunes. Live At Vicar Street is a beautifully organic album, proving that sometimes a few musicians with just their guitars is all that is needed to provide an enlightening and moving experience. Moore's performance is disarmingly soulful and his banter with his audience makes his charm evident throughout. Enjoy.

Erin Go Bragh

Rebel Extravaganza

Cold, vicious and razor sharp. Satyricon's Rebel Extravaganza (1999) is everything a black metal album should be. Departing from their more grandiose and medieval inspired style of the past, Satyricon ventured forward into the frigid wastelands of misanthropic disdain. The drums of Frost (and guest drummer Fenriz) are viciously precise, the vocals of Satyr are scornful and the music like a discordant anthem of hate. This album represents the vile underbelly of humanity, it is ugly to its' rotten core. S.W. Krupp (Thorns) contributes guest guitar on a few tracks, but his influence, even if not direct, is evident throughout the album. The introduction of industrial elements and the lack of melodies being prime examples. There is nothing redeeming or likable about Rebel Extravaganza, it is an album comprised of pure, blackened, disgusting, anti-human vomit. Well played gentlemen.

no-love machine

The Dark Third

I don't think "progressive" really describes Pure Reason Revolution adequately. Maybe "progressively symphonic psychedelically epic melodic rock," would be more appropriate. The Dark Third, their debut from 2006, is comprised of slowly building melodies and often soaring vocal choruses. It appears, according to information provided by the band, that there are four member of PRR. This is obviously some sort of ruse. I cannot comprehend that only four human beings are responsible for the sonic output of this album. The album plays out like a 70's prog- rock epic, however it's songs are very forward looking, almost futuristic at times. Think maybe Pink Floyd meets Porcupine Tree plus a whole boat load of choruses and harmonizing. Listening to this album while driving down a pitch black highway in the dead of the night is highly recommended.

.enjoy.

Monsters

Weren't we all happier when Anneke van Giersbergen was the lead singer of The Gathering? I was. Not that their latest album isn't good, in fact it's probably better than Giersbergen's solo efforts. It has become apparent however that both sides complimented one another well. Very well, actually. And now they are apart. Ho hum. Anyway, here for your listening pleasure is a remix single for the song "Monsters" from the stunning album Souvenirs. The single is comprised of three different beat-centric mixes as well as a demo mix and radio edit of "Monsters." The latter two are throw aways but the remixes themselves are cool enough.

.enjoy.

Motherfucker

I think I overheard you the other day saying that there is no need for punk/country music. Man, you really have to get your head out of your ass.

Joe Buck Yourself (born James Finkley) has done time with Th' Legendary Shack Shakers as well as a gentleman by the name of Hank III. Motherfucker, his self released solo album, is filled to the brim with piss, blood and whiskey. Buck's muse is a darkness that lurks in every song and around every corner. Violence, hate and excess prevail. But look, I'm going to cut to the chase. This album is fucking sick as all shit. It is badass. It is scary. It is cool. Play this album loud while driving down the road and watch the cars part like the Red Sea. Watch the red lights turn green out of fear and Johnny Law look the other way . Going for a walk? The presence of Motherfucker on your Ipod will have the old women, miscreants and ne'er do wells cross to the other side of the street, just at the sight of you. Now stop fucking around and click the link.

evil motherfucker

Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold

Ever want to set off with your friends on a magical journey... to toss a ring into a volcano? Maybe along the way you meet fairies or elves or whatever else lives in the enchanted wood... Well, have I got the soundtrack for you...
The Hungarian duo of Ágnes and Mihály are the creative force behind The Moon and the Night Spirit. Their music is neo-pagan-folk, drawing inspiration from Hungarian folk lore... or at least that's what they claim. I don't know anything about Hungarian folk-lore, but I do know that If you are the kind of guy who likes walking around the Renaissance Faire with a sword fastened down by plastic zip ties, then this is right up your alley. Gentle traditional melodies and instruments create a realm of fantasy and wonder on their debut album, 2005's Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold. Agnes, whose lovely voice will be your guide on this journey, is also the artist behind the band's impressive album art. For the record, you can safely judge this album by its' cover.

Hazza to the tipper!

Win Us Over

I caught these guys on a whim while spending New Years in North Carolina's Outer Banks with my best gal. We went to a local restaurant in Atlantic Beach for the hush puppies and instead got a fist full of rock. ASG play mostly up tempo rock n roll, with influences from Southern styled stoner metal to pop-punk. Don't let the latter scare you away, it's minimal and adds to the album's enjoyability. They were playing a fundraiser for neighborhood surfers (apparently surfers in OBX don't have to work for a living as people are kind enough to raise money for them) when we had the pleasure of watching these guys rock the shit out of their local fans. "Gallop Song," "Palm Springs" and "Win Us Over" are the best on the album, they could easily be included in one of those Warren Miller ski documentaries where Glen Plake jumps off the sides of mountains, does all kinds of dope tricks, and cruises effortlessly through miles of powder. I think these guys have a solid following with some of the hip skater kids, but please don't hold that against them either. Their sound is youthful and high energy at times, with tons of melody and pretty damn righteous riffs. Plus, their record comes in a very handsome orange vinyl. I tried my hardest not to like this album, but in the end they just wiggled their way into my cold black heart.

Surfs Up!

Postmortem Tales

How would you like your metal tonight, Sir?
Blackened with a retro-thrash fusion, please.
Any sides?
Yes, a side of the fucking apocalypse please.
Very well, it'll be right out.

Some people don't like Swordmaster. Some people don't like this album. Those people are creeps.

back to business!

Sahara

Combining the rich and historic musical elements of the Jewish and Arabic cultures, Israel's Orphaned Land are unique in the world of metal. In pure metal logistics, they would be defined as a death/doom band with serious progressive tendencies, but they have always been more than the sum of their parts. Their songs are spiritually conscious, reflecting on questions of good and evil, light and darkness and draw influence from a variety of ancient spiritual texts and stories. The music and vocals are rooted in traditional Eastern melodies, both Jewish and Arabic. Sahara, their 1994 debut, is the starting point for what has been a prolific career. With each release the band has honed and polished their sound and direction. But it all started here. Where many metal musicians celebrate their spiritual and national heritages with cartoon caricatures of the past, Orphaned Land embrace, expand and recreate the knowledge of their spiritual forefathers. Their music is both keenly aware and respectful of tradition. What is perhaps most impressive though, is their ability to unify what is too often perceived as opposing forces in the modern world: East and West, Judaism and Islam.

אַח

Suspiria

So, the Academy Awards (aka The Gay Superbowl) have descended upon the western world once again. I'm not too excited about this years crop of nominated films so I plan to instead reflect upon a classic. I give you Goblin's soundtrack to Dario Argento's film, Suspiria. Both are masterpieces and will haunt you long after their conclusion. The film and the soundtrack have a fairytale like surrealism. The plot and dialogue are ultimately secondary to the visual and audio stimuli that Argento has masterfully incorporated together. The cinematography and colors of the film work in conjunction with the soundtrack throughout, creating a nightmarish vision of horror. The music, sound effects and overall tone of Goblin's soundtrack is an equal partner to the bizarre and graphically violent imagery of Suspiria.

Suspiria

The Olden Domain

Forerunners to the folk/black metal scene, Borknagar have been one of the most consistent musical forces from Scandinavia. The Olden Domain (1997) is their second album and their first to include English lyrics. Starting with this album pagan spirituality would become the unifying theme of all their efforts. It would also display an expansion of their once raw sound, incorporating progressive melodies and folk elements. While still remaining true to their black metal roots, The Olden Domain is simultaneously inspiring and overwhelming- like the cold Norwegian winter itself, harsh yet exalting. This would be the last album for Fiery G. Maelstrom on vocals duties (also known as: Garm, Trickster G., or just plain Kristoffer Rygg) and he delivers a commanding and dramatic performance. Borknagar began as a Norwegian super group, with original members from Gorgoroth, Ulver, Enslaved and Immortal, but have since forged their own path creating a unique musical identity and style that has thrived for years and remains thought provoking and inspiring. In many ways that journey began with this, their second album.

pagan tongue

Mike Patton Week : Friday - Day 5

Recorded by Mike Patton in various hotel rooms, supposedly during a Faith No More tour in 1995, Adult Themes for Voice is a completely useless, non-musical, yet somehow fascinating, series of recordings. He bends, stretches, howls, woops, coughs, hacks, giggles, screams, oook ooooks, lip smacks, slurps, hums and makes that creepy sound sound in the back of his throat by slowly sucking in air. You know, that sound your older brother used to make to scare the shit out of you after you watched Halloween. Mike Patton is truly a man who lives and creates without any sort of creative boundary what so ever. There is not a single song to be found on any of these 34 tracks. There is plenty of feedback, mechanical manipulation and vocal experimentation. And I just really want you to have it. And not because of any weird "Ring" like curse where I have to give this album to someone else or I will be killed. I swear, it's nothing like that.

for you

And so, good citizens, Mike Patton (work) week has come to an end.

Good night, good luck and good riddance.

Mike Patton Week : Thursday - Day 4

Mike Patton enlisted an impressive and vast range of collaborators for the debut Peeping Tom effort. Word is he exchanged song ideas with the prospective partners via song files online, each side independently altering and adding until the finished product was created. There were no jam sessions or free flowing brainstorming as a traditional band would. Patton took what would normally be viewed as an intimate process of creation and made it cold and impersonal. Replaced was the exchange and communication between creative forces, instead there is only the ultimate and indifferent truth that what was once yours has been morphed and altered into a new creature. "Instead of swapping spit...we were swapping files," Patton appropriately points out on his Ipecac label's website. The result is both surprisingly passionate and not surprisingly diverse from track to track. Artists such as Kool Keith, Odd Nosdam, Dan the Automater, Amon Tobin, Jel, Massive Attack, Bebel Gilberto, Kid Koala, Doesone, Dub Trio and Norah Jones each tweaked and shaped their tracks independent of Patton himself. The album ranges in styles from rock to lounge to funk to alt. hip-hop and to electro, but always there is a general pop friendliness throughout. It is easily the most accessible creation for Patton since his FNM days. This is not meant to be disparaging, there is a serious drought of decent and interesting pop talent these days and Mr. Patton is more than willing to fill yet another musical void. It's an album that is easily enjoyed and is a perfect record to spin, with its' plentiful alt hip-hop beats, at your next party. Unless you want everyone sitting on the couch watching t.v. or standing in the kitchen just staring at each other. Hey man, it's you party... what do I care.

SUCKER

Mike Patton Week : Wednesday - Day 3

BEHOLD! Mr. Bungle's second album, circa 1995 Anno Domini, Disco Volante. You should fear this album, you should love this album and you should force this album on the unsuspecting public whenever the opportunity arises. The most experimental of Mr. Bungle's three albums, that is saying something folks, it explodes with an array of sounds and seemingly random expressions. Rock, disco, scat,circus, jazz, avante-garde,sci-fi, death metal, cartoon, industrial, doo-wop, horror, techno and I can't even remember what else... just fill in the blank with whatever style you want, you'll probably be right. The album twists and turns with violent disregard and while there are some accessible moments, they are just that: moments. Try to hold on to them, but all effort will be for naught. If you are willing to be absorbed by this album, it absorbs you- not the other way around, then you will find yourself on an acid trip voyage through the realm of the absurd, demented and obscene. "Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz" sounds like a declaration of the cartoon apocalypse. You know, when the cartoons rise against us and crawl out of our televisions and murder us all. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Anyway, my words are useless when trying to describe something so foreign, so fanciful and so God damn brilliant.

if you don't like Mr. Bungle
you are an asshole.

BONUS LINK
ha ha ha ha

Mike Patton Week: Tuesday - Day 2

For your consideration... Fantomas' second album The Director's Cut. Comprised of Mike Patton (FNM, Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, etc.), Buzz Osborne (The Melvins), Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Grip Inc.) and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3), Fantomas are a super group of pretty awesome musicians and are somehow douche-bag free. A rarity in the land of so called "super groups." With a firm foundation in metal, Fantomas wanders freely in the more experimental waters of noise and avant-garde. The Director's Cut pays homage to great songs of film via Fantomas' inspired renditions of them. Included, but not limited to, is the theme from "The Godfather", the lost silent classic "Der Golem", "Cape Fear", "Charade", "Rosemary's Baby", "Spider Baby", and (of course) "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me". Why in the world would Fantomas do a cover album of movie themes, you ask? Well, Fantomas can do whatever the fuck they want. But, beyond that truism is the reality that these are not just covers. They are expansions and reinterpretations of classic pieces of cinema music. Each song will seem both familiar and foreign as they travel between the music you know and the realm of Fantomas. "The Godfather" opens the album as familiar as the standard version every red blooded American knows so well. But, it soon becomes apparent that while these are tributes, nothing is too holy that it cannot be dissected and re-envisioned wholly. The Director's Cut is a series of unique visions as singular as the films from which they came. Oh yeah, and it's totally bad ass.

"Fuck The Bears"

Mike Patton Week: Monday - Day 1

Welcome to Mike Patton (work) week. Monday to Friday will feature work by said artist. Why does Mike Patton deserve a week dedicated to his musical efforts you ask? Because Mike Patton is a real American hero, that's why.


Angel Dust was Faith No More's fourth full length, but only their second with Mike Patton at the helm. It was also his first as a contributing song writer. For a major label and so called mainstream release, this album was revolutionary. Scratch that- even if it had been some underground indie label release, Angel Dust was simply breathtaking and proved that this band was not content to rest on any laurels purchased with The Real Thing profits. It pushes boundaries of thrash, funk, punk, hip hop, cheer-leading chants, Native American chants and whatever else they could fit into the studio. Angel Dust combines so many genres and ideas so seamlessly that you will quickly realize how silly and restricting the notions of genres can ultimately be. It takes a uniquely talented group of artists to meld together their disparate individual visions and influences and create something so wholly perfect as this album. It contains experimental aspects, but this album is a fluid and accomplished masterpiece of music. It blew my fucking 8th grade mind when it first came out, and continues to do so today. For Angel Dust not to be on a top 10 albums of the 90's list, completely invalidates the given list. This album has it all.

Without me, you're only you.