“You’re beautiful, so beautiful. You’re mine…till the end of time.” So says the chorus of Brotherhood’s “End of Time,” off of their album, “…Turn the Gold to Chrome…” Lovely sentiment; very romantic. That’s essentially the only lyric in that song, but despite that it’s a wonderful song. Heavy on the synths at first, enough that it hurt my ears the first few seconds, but the synths faded back and was joined by the bass and the drums.
The drums are hand in hand with the synths throughout this song and the rest of “…Turn the Gold to Chrome…”They beep and bop along enough to guarantee good dancing. I really liked the sound of the drumming; it didn’t distract from the song as a whole, but if you pay attention, it comes out as its own significant and vital part to the whole sound. It is very 80’s sounding, but very good nonetheless.
The bass on this album in particular was awesome, reminded me a bit of the Cure. It’s not common for a band to have the bass as a fore-font instrument, but it is in Brotherhood, and it’s very enjoyable. The bass lines come alive in songs such as “Abigail”, “End of Time” it’s the central instrument, even the guitars and synths backing down a bit so the bass line shines all the more. It throbs almost to the core of the listener, while the ghostly vocals spin a sinisterly romantic web around their brain, slipping in unseen and never leaving.
Micke Lönngren somewhat bucks the traditional deep bass vocals; the voice of Brotherhood is still on the deep side, but not as much as other Goth singers. I love Jyrki 69 as much as the next Goth, but I prefer singers such as Brotherhood’s, and another lovely lighter singer, the old vocalist from Lacrimas Profundere, can’t remember the chap’s name…anyway.
There’s a flute part in “Lost” that’s worth mentioning. It sounds as if it’s played on a wooden flute, my favorite sounding material for wind instruments, there’s something tribalistic in it. Delicate and sweet, finishing off the song on a lovely note.
If there was a song I had trouble getting into, it would have to be, “So Many Stars”. It drags a bit in my opinion, everything from the vocals repeating “Nananana, na na na,” to the bass and the guitars creeping along, and not in the creeping way I usually enjoy. But “Sleepwalking” cures that immediately, the beginning of which sounding almost cheerful. A steady drum beat, swirling guitars, and psychedelic sounding synths cymbal tap paired with about as cheerful as the vocals get lamenting “How did I get here? What’s the reason?” But the lyrics are hopeful, saying, “Run away with me, everything is going to be fine...” It’s a beautiful song; I bet it makes even the darkest of us smile.
Brotherhood is from Sweden, and has only two members, though they sound like there must be at least six people in the band. Even more amazing, only one member, Stefan Eriksson, plays every instrument. On stage the duo is extended with guitar player Martin Roos, former guitarist in Sweden’s number one rock band Kent and Johan Mörén, former member of 80’s Swedish postpunk heroes Memento Mori (learned off of the press release).
A lyric from “Sleepwalking” mourns, “At least I tried,” well, with “…Turn the Gold to Chrome…”
Brotherhood succeeded with this try. I really, really liked this album, it’s very romantic and mournful, sleepy and tragic, darkly hopeful, and, just very well written. The bass is to die for, solidifying my belief that a good bass player is the key to a great Goth rock sound. Synths are good, except on some parts they could be touched down and have the guitars come forward more. The drumming chugs along lightly, great backbone for the sound. “…Turn the Gold to Chrome…” has made me want to look out for more Brotherhood tunes, definitely putting them on my Bands To Watch list.
Consistency seems to be a bad word among American metal bands over the years. Few remain true to the sounds their fans came to love. Many change their looks or their sounds with every record exec whim. They simply don’t get the big picture nor do they look to their European brothers and sisters, who remain loyal to bands that remain loyal to them.
Virgin Steele is an American metal act with the guts to stay true to what they are. From over the top grinding power metal vocals to crunchy true metal leads, this band is a powerhouse. They have all the parts of a great metal band.And they stand as an island in the stream against “selling” out and compromising their sound for the sake of a record company. These guys are the real metal deal.
The songs on this release are epic in both soundscape and power. Vocals really grab you and put singable and progressive sounding hooks into your head. Excellent lyric writing. This isn’t quiet riot or Ratt writing pop hits, this my friends is true heavy metal. Plus this disc comes with some cool bonus tracks that I will let you discover for yourself.
“Sex Religion Machine” and “Jet Black” are killer tunes. Bands like House of lords and Crimson Glory come to mind. “Love is Pain”…..one of the best racks on here. Crunchy,catchy,ballad like chorus with a trance-like hook.Other standout songs are : “Never believed in Good”, “Snakeskin Voodoo Man”, “Love’s Gone”. Chock full of choice cuts.
“Last Rose Of Summer” is 4:26 minutes of pure sonic ecstasy. The Gods of Steel were smiling when The boys from Virgin Steele wrote that one.
This is a tremendously produced master class experience in how to create good, solid, lasting heavy metal. Virgin Steele is the real deal when it comes to storming the walls and raising the flag of metal for all to see. Now my friends I will be journeying back to my cd player, sharpening my sword and raising a glass of hearty ale in the hopes that someone will hear these tunes and see my fires. Long live heavy metal! all hail Virgin Steele!
Tell the world how you really feel. Get the new Ripple Music t-shirt at the Ripple store. Very limited press, so get em while supplies last. Ripple Music logo on the back.
So I get this release to review and the note in the email says something to the effect of, “I saw vulva in the title and immediately thought of you.” I wasn’t quite sure how to take that, but a friend pointed out that there are certainly much worse things that I could be associated with than vulvas. Say, for example, you wouldn’t want an email saying, “I saw this fresh, steaming pile of dog shit today and thought of you”. And I am the guy who very publicly professed my love of all things vulval and vaginal in a review a couple months back, so I guess I really can’t, and shouldn’t, complain too loudly.
I do wanna be quite clear about one thing, though. I do live in Washington state, which does make it into the national news from time to time because of the apparently large number of bestiality farms here, but in no way, shape or form have I ever had anything to do with goat vulvas. Even if the Dark Lord himself offered me the opportunity to personally crash Nickelback’s plane and ensure no survivors other than myself would I have anything to do with goat vulvas. Just wanna be clear.
This is the 3rd CD for Bestial Holocaust, who hail from Bolivia. What does it sound like? Probably a lot like what you would expect from a band with a name like this. They have a great combination of thrash, death metal and black metal, in that order of relevance, and they sound really good. There is nothing fancy or ground breaking here, but if you want some straight up metal that will allow you to bang your head for about 35 minutes, you need to get this release. I have never heard of this band before but I will be searching out the rest of their catalog, I liked them that much.
My favorite tracks from the album are “Virgin Lust”, “Tierra De Apariencias”, and “Eterna Transmigracion”. Hey, they’re from Bolivia, they’re allowed to sing and have song titles in Spanish. I wish I knew Spanish so I knew what the titles mean and so that I would have the slightest clue what the lyrics are, but the music is so beautifully brutal that you really don’t have to know. The joy of music is that when it is done properly, you get what the music is about, whether you understand the lyrics or not. And this is definitely metal done right.
Add this band and this release to the list of underground metal that you need to listen to and know about. There’s a lot of crap out there so it is important to latch on to the good stuff when you find it. Which is true about a lot of things in life. I don’t know if these guys ever tour in the US or anywhere outside of Bolivia for that matter but if they ever come through my town I’ll be right in front thrashing like a maniac.
Hardcore institution, Patac Records, are one of my favorite purveyors of scumbag, splatter, hardcore, punk, metal CD's, vinyl and cassettes. They've been uncaging these raging sounds of ultimate distortion since 2008 and have amassed a huge catalog of decrepit, politically-incorrect, gutter punk. Each release is packaged with tender love and care, and a shot of penicillin. Colored vinyl, hand-numbered, die-cut. You name it. Patac loves their music and the packaging reflects this.
Recently, main man, Patac himself, tossed me a folder full of 7"s and CD's. Let's lift the lid off the coffin, then shall we, and take a peek at the decomposing offers hidden inside. Keep your rubber gloves at the ready, cause the contents are sure to be infectious.
Psycho - Vertigo Ep
Holy crap this record scared the hell outta me when I first opened it. Chainsaw die cut vinyl that's sharp enough to draw blood and commit unspeakable crimes. Turns out, that was just the warm up, and playing the 4-song EP by Massachusetts-based hardcore grinders, Psycho, was the real terror. Blistering, scuzz punk crawling out of the gutter and puking on your welcome mat. There's instruments here playing real chords, but that's probably just a mistake. Like the vinyl, these guys take a buzzsaw approach towards their guitars and songwriting with guitars going 100 mph, and drums pounding faster than a jackhammer. Vocals are an idea, rather than an execution, but the thought still comes across loud and clear. There's enough hate in here to firebomb a nation of capitalists.
With a band name like Psycho and member names like Charlie Infection and Cody Molest, you know what you're getting. 4 songs of disgusto-punk and I couldn't be happier about it. Brutal slime-oid stuff.
Slimy Cunt and the Fist Fucks - Bastardz
With a name like that, you may not expect that these disgusto-punk/metallers actually got a handle on song structure and melody. They also got a vial full of some mucoid-sleaze and they're not afraid to use it. Sputum dripping, bodily-fluid soaked spit and roll with some serious guitar chops and a bucket-load of meth in the rhythm section. Killer assault of degenerate punk. 4 songs of desperate outsider wailing, like "I Don't Belong" held together with blood and passion. So dripping with fluids you half expect it to leave skidmarks on your turntable.
Like an aural STD. Just as slimy and just as contagious. On puke-green colored vinyl. Simply perfect.
Rawhide - Branded for Life
Fuck. Wasn't expecting this. After the toned-down, haunted/spoken intro, a real guitar solo breaks out. From where? I don't know, but it's freaking killer and unlike any punk 7" I'd ever heard. It makes the eruption of punk riffing and growling that much more effective when the boys race off into a terrifying punk/metal crossover raging in true Motorhead-inspired fury. Grinding metallic chords played fast and intent, pounding bass as if Lemmy had spawned a mutant son, and drums keeping pace with the methamphetamine raging through the blood stream.
Pure hardcore-metal crossover bliss coming from Sweden. 4-songs at 33 rpm. Think the Hellacopters dressed in leather, ramrodding their Harley's through front doors of a rival biker bar looking for a fight. I'm sold.
Panzer Bastard - Gods, Thugs, & Madmen
Chain links and brass knuckles aren't included with this 10" 5-song EP but are highly recommended. Violence will break out immediately upon playing. Be prepared.
I'd never heard of the Bastards before, but they're on my radar now. Mainly so I stay the hell away when they come war-ravaging into my town before they cause me bodily harm. Forget that, just playing this brutalthrash/crust crossover can do that. These guys lay it down thick and hard with a non-stop hardcore groove. Like their name implies, this is a pummeling, artillery-ready assault from an armored division of pissed-off miscretins. And just about as unrelenting as that panzer division setting sights and laying waste to the world around you.
Motor-crust of the highest order.
Be sure to visit http://www.patacrecords.com to pick these titles and tons of other great punk, hardcore and metal records!
Time really flies, doesn't it? It seems like just yesterday when I was flailing over the brilliance that is "Sorry Sorry", kicking and screaming over the disaster that was "Bonamana", and not talking about "Mr. Simple" until I had to. Here we are again, with another Super Junior album. Their sixth! Now they're just making me feel old.
Like a lot of albums this year, so I've noticed, I had zero expectations for this. I mean at the back of my mind I was expecting the usual SM formula of lead single, token uptempo, and ballads for everything else, but another part of me wanted this album to be good, for reasons even I'm not so sure. Maybe, just maybe, SM would bring out something brilliant, because they are perfectly capable of it. The teaser didn't do anything to those expectations, but I'm afraid this album is a whole different story.
Or rather, a non-existent story. Brace yourselves for another snooze-fest, my friends. Although, in defense, this isn't a snooze-fest because all the songs are lost causes. There are some songs in here that actually have a lot of potential if done right. But ultimately, that's also where the problem is. Super Junior have been around for seven years now -- this is their sixth album, and it's still mediocre. Potential, and "it would be better if..."'s are for groups in their first two or three years, not for senior groups who have almost immeasurable stature in K-Pop.
The execution is another major problem, and it's the part of the album I'm most disappointed in. I expected much, much, better. Their half-baked, bored execution is yet another indication that they most probably know that this album isn't any good. But that's not the way to do it, because a lot of these songs could've been decent with a bit of conviction and fearless execution.
Just last week I was talking about fearless pop, courtesy of Jokwon's brilliant album, and how apt that was, because Super Junior have showed us the exact opposite, in the form of the album's lead single. "Sexy, Free and Single" is an over-all good idea for a song, executed in a scared and confused way. The verses are strong, both vocally and arrangement-wise, with SM's always-strong production sweeping in and tying everything together. It has the right combination of groove and stiff synths, and the melody is gorgeous. The bridges get even better on all levels, leading to what I think is a chorus, still well-executed and with very apt vocal treatment, and then BAM, the build up abruptly disappears into a generic, overused and annoying Super Junior chanting session. It doesn't even dissolve or fizzle -- it just stops in mid-air and goes straight to the disaster. The middle 8 that follows another repetition of that cycle is beautiful, but the hook comes in again and ruins everything. Everything.
What happened, SM? I was this close to calling "Sexy, Free and Single" a good song!
Lack of cohesion aside, the biggest problem is that the part of the song that messes everything up is, in K-Pop, the single most important part. Of anything. K-Pop songs depend of their hooks to get people listening -- the hook is the part that's played on variety shows or when members dance. This is the part that will get the most airtime outside of the song, and it's crap, because they can't see through what they started. Because they're afraid.
Pop should be fearless. End of story.
Actually, I wasn't that let down with the album just yet, because while the lead single was a let-down, it wasn't exactly as big as a disaster as some of Super Junior's other mistakes. That and "From U" is actually a pretty song. At this point I was actually going "now that's how you do it, SuJu" -- because this had the conviction I was looking for, laced with a pretty melody and a quaint instrumental. It's a song that isn't hard to listen to, but then I realized that that's pretty much all it will amount to. Countless listens will wear it out, somewhat like a pair of your most comfortable shoes. They're still comfortable compared to other shoes, but time creates a big gap between how they are now, and how they were when they were new. What you hear outright is what you get with "From U", and for now that will do, but this lacks the dimension needed to sustain this for the long-run.
I spoke too soon though, because the second I heard "Gulliver", I knew that was where this album was going to rapidly fall. Hard. This song was an absolute pain to listen to, partially because the chanting, and everything else, was too low, and as a whole, everyone was trying way too hard. Waaaaaay too hard. This is half the songwriter's fault, half SuJu's. I can't tell whether they're rapping okay or singing badly during the verses, the bridge is a mess with random belting from people like Ryeowook, and then when it gets to the point where the song is supposed to explode and blow everyone away with something like a more packed belting session (if it was like that it would've been okay), the song leads to "Gulliver" being chanted over and over and over again and I just wanted everything to stop. Just when I thought nothing could be worse, out of nowhere it's like someone fiddled with the tempo controls, slowed the chanting down, and just slapped a completely new part in the last thirty seconds, where the song ends. Just like that. And you're left scratching your head going "what the hell did I just hear?"
If you listen really, really, reeeeeeeally hard, "Someday" is actually a pretty song. But it's the kind of song that just sits there, waiting for you to notice it when it's not actually that pretty. It's a song that's neither exceptionally stunning nor pathetically bad, but it's those songs that need to work especially hard, because they're the closest to being amazing, and it's highly possible that they will be. With a little push, which this song doesn't have. Blame it on the fact that it's not just KRY, or on the boring arrangement (that even my beloved strings couldn't save), bottom line is, this song could've been so much more. Scrap that cheesy instrumental before the middle 8, make the vocals a little more interested, and make things explode -- that would've been pretty stunning, if you asked me.
"NOW" is clearly a filler track, there's no other plausible explanation of why this song is on this album when it's so out of place. It's also ridiculously confused. I get that they want to be all melodic, tongue-in-cheek, British pop-rock, and that's actually what the song is, but the problem is that it's so anticlimactic. They shouldn't have chorused the chorus (that makes sense, okay! it does!), because SuJu chorus vocals are thin to start with, and the production on this song was also very light and airy.
"Rockstar" begins what I call the boring electronica and ballad parade of "Sexy, Free and Single", which has replaced the lone sleep-inducing ballad parade, but it's still just as bad.
In fairness to them, "Rockstar" isn't as bad as it was when I first heard it, and I was actually this close to saying it was pretty okay (which has been happening with a lot of the songs on this album, if you've noticed), but then the "Oh. My. God. I'm. So. Hot." line came up and my perpetual face palm for this song returned. I don't really have an exceptionally big problem with songs like this if they're done right, but the Super Junior version sounds half-baked and scared, and that kind of delivery makes songs like this funny. If you're going to do fierce, you have to do it fearlessly.
We have a little break from all the up tempos courtesy of "Bittersweet", and when I say interlude, I actually mean filler track #2. (In comparison to the rest of the album, at least.) It's the type of song that just goes right through you because while it's right in between bad and good, there are no major parts that can be tweaked to make it ever so slightly better, or worse. This is the most this song will be, and it falls short. Everything from the boring melody to the directionless instrumental.
And the same goes for "Butterfly", actually. The instrumental is interesting at the beginning, and the melody is a noble idea, but it's just so boring it hurts. "Bittersweet" is actually slightly better than "Butterfly", because at least it doesn't have the overpowering synths and horrid chanting laced together.
"Daydream" is yet another diamond in the rough. And at this point I'm very frustrated because after seven years of work, I expected sparkly, edgy and stunning diamonds, and now that I'm at the tail end of the display, they're either still graphite, or really rough diamonds. I mean "Daydream" has a pretty melody, but right now I could name over a hundred other songs with pretty melodies. Like everything else on this album, it doesn't demand your attention -- it doesn't sparkle.
"A 'Good' Bye" has a bit more sparkle, thank goodness. What makes me like this song a little more is that it actually tries to be a little more interesting. All the little details here and there, like the guitar line and the string section, plus the gimmicks like the ticking clock -- they try to catch your attention. It's mostly in vain because the song still bores to death, but after everything else, seeing some kind of initiative is obviously better. An okay way to end the album, given the circumstances.
Super Junior are supposed to be one of the "forerunners" of K-Pop, of pop music in Asia. But tell me, how are they supposed to live up to that title if even they are afraid of pop? If even they, after seven years, countless awards and industry influence at their disposal, cannot, for the lives of them, deliver a fearless pop album?
The Best: “From U” The Better: “Sexy, Free and Single” The Worst: "Gulliver" The Rating: 1.5/5
Paper Ghosts is the full-length debut release for this LA indie rock band. Cody Page (lead vocals/guitar), Eddie Core (drums) and Jeremy Gruber (bass/keyboards) make up this trio, and they make it up well, from what I have heard.
When I first hit play, on the free mp3 Badge and Gun, I was immediately struck by how easy the album is to like- it doesn’t throw you any spin-balls, it is indie rock, a basket case, just with some pretty nifty vocals/lyrics (yes, I did just say “nifty.” No. I am not being ironic.)
I then listened to the entire album, because who doesn’t like an easy-to-like album?
I was wrong.
They are not basket-case. Yes, they do have a basket-case moment but they bring a fresh-newness to the genre that saves them from blending in. Why did they release Badge and Gun as the single, when none of their individuality is shown? I have no idea. But if you like Badge and Gun, you will like this album, and if you don’t like Badge and Gun you will like this album.
Young Man is the song that saved the entire album from instant classification as mediocre. With its jazzy and bluesy feeling, it makes you want to sway your hips as the beautiful vocals carry you through the song.
I like how this album took me from “basket case” to “jazz/blues” to “ohmygod” with thee songs- cue Callanwolde. Going from hip-swaying-jazz to a heavier number without a blink, and so smoothly. The listener won’t be grappling for a hold on the music, because it just seems like it is supposed to have this contrast running through it.
Callanwolde is the heaviest sounding on Paper Ghosts, taking a heavier bass line, a higher pitched periodic guitar, and gluggier vocals. It drags you into its depths, and refuses to “let it go, sit back and let it go.”
Up, Out is my favourite of the ten tracks- it takes the stock indie-rock, gives it the jazz-blue vibe with a smooth as bass line, then adds weight. It is like some sexy, decadent dessert that you know you shouldn’t be having, but is just so good...
Armada has done a brilliant job putting together a stand out “rock” album that pulls in so many different influences to make it something individual and so good to listen to. Jazz, blues, folk, rock rolled into one smooth, sexy album. Honey on my ears.
.JPG)
