Music Post for April (and May) (and June)

So much for a monthly music post. Here’s what I’ve listened to most since the last one:

My trip to Manchester to see Kyuss was the prompt to spend a lot of time listening to bootlegs from the tour. Another Manchester trip to see My Dying Bride had a similar effect. And whilst the new Morbid Angel album was the catalyst for their appearance at the top of the chart, it was mainly from listening to the first three albums as ear bleach.

It occurs to me that I increasingly use Clementine to listen to things that are not on my primary hard disk, which is why Coroner do not appear here, and somehow my Megadeth binge on the iPod didn’t get scrobbled either.

And here are some comments on particular albums.

Golgotha – Dangerous Games (1984)

This is my big discovery of the year so far. I have a copy of their Unmaker of Worlds album mouldering away with the rest of my vinyl collection; some prog-metal stuff that I never really got into at the time. But it’s their other records I have recently fallen in love with, thanks to their decision to make them all available on their website. Symphony In Extremis is a spectacular symphonic metal album that I believe was way ahead of its time, but it’s their first EP, Dangerous Games, that has really captured my heart. 4 tracks; the first a nice take on a spot of Bach; the second a top-notch NWOBHM scorcher; the third a fantastic folk/NWOBHM fusion, and the last a wistful folk tune. It’s spectacular.

The Howling Wind – Into The Cryosphere (2010)

Yet another project from the ever-prolific Ryan Lipynsky, this time around it’s bleak, slightly doomy Black Metal. I am instantly reminded of December Wolves’ classic Completely Dehumanized in that you couldn’t mistake this for a Scandinavian release inspired by frostbitten mountain forests—this is unmistakeably gritty, urban music.  Amongst gourmets, terroir is the term describing how the specifics of local environment influence the product, and this album is steeped in Brooklyn terroir.

David Rock Feinstein - Bitten by the Beast

This album is an example of middle-aged musicians trading in the edginess and exuberance that are the trademarks of rebellious youth for the effortless accomplishment that comes with long years of practice. Bitten By The Beast springs no surprises, pushes at no boundaries, and is unlikely to change the world. Without straying from any ageing metalheads’s comfort zone, it’s still worth a listen. It’s a very well-made record. Highlights include the opener Smoke on the Horizon, which is essentially a Judas Priest song and a good one at that. Metal Will Never Die has a pronounced bass-line reminiscent of Heaven And Hell, and sure enough Ronnie James Dio himself pops up to provide a guest vocal – one of his last recordings.

Alcest – Écailles de la Lune (2010); Souvenirs d’un Autre monde (2007)

Alcest must be one of the most hyped bands of recent years, but I think this must be the first time I’ve listened to them. Because I don’t think I’d make the same mistake twice. Ooh, burn. Alcest’s vision is usually described as a combination of shoegaze rock with black metal, but to me it comes across as a sea of sentimental dreck with occasional splashes of superficial black metal aesthetics. It seems and odd decision to interrupt the dreamy shoegaze/postrock soundscapes with bursts of incongruous malice. Whilst Neige has a excellent voice when shrieking, the rest of this is for the most part cloying and obnoxious. Not my thing at all; I’m still looking for the perfect Black Metal Lite.

Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising (2011)

My first reaction to this was “Meh, nothing new on this one,” perhaps in line with some reviews I’d read before listening, but you know what? This is the band’s ninth album. How many bands can say they’re innovating on their ninth album anyway? Where were Iron Maiden on their ninth album? Saxon? Black Sabbath? (Er, OK, that’s a special case…) Metallica? It’s not reasonable to demand innovation from a band of Amon Amarth’s vintage; with notable exceptions, a band at this career stage has an established sound and songwriting patterns, and achieves longevity by trying to hone their songwriting so that each new album keeps up the quality and adds at least a couple of songs to the catalogue that stand a chance of becoming old favourites in years to come. This is achieved here. The energy is high from the beginning, and if some of the songs are overly reminiscent of earlier works, that just means the previous songs were memorable. The cover of Systm of a Down’s Aerials is lamentable; the one of Accept’s Balls To The Wall for the deluxe edition not much better. Maybe death metal bands just shouldn’t bother with covers at all.

Argus – Boldly Stride The Doomed (2011)

After drinking with the guys in Würzburg, I eventially got around to hearing the new album. It’s even better than their first. Heaviy riffing, poignant leads and clever harmonies, and some incredibly powerful vocals from Butch, who at times is reminiscent of Robert Lowe at his best. Classic heavy/doom metal performed as well as is possible.

Morbid Angel – Illud Divinum Insanus

I wrote this track-by-track on livejournal and might as well copypasta here. It seems unfair to give this more space than the good music, but whatever.

Track 1: Omni Potens
Intro.
Track 2: Too Extreme!
OMFG what is this shit? I felt exactly like Hitler in the clip.
Track 3: Existo Vulgoré
This is more like it; a decent if not outstanding Morbid Angel song, marred only by the absurd Hetfieldisms in the vocals-ah.
Track 4: Blades for Baal
CD skipping? No, apparently it’s supposed to sound like that. Lapses into an adequate filler track.
Track 5: I Am Morbid
Starts with stupid crowd chanting, then the first riff sounds like classic Morbid Angel – catchy but twisted in that special way that only they do. The second riff breaks the spell and the song degenerates into one of those brainless fist-pumping anthems that Samael and Rotting Christ can churn out by the dozen when they’re in an unimaginative mood. Decent guitar solo but I do not want Morbid fucking Angel to be writing anthems!
Track 6: 10 More Dead
Similarly dim-witted, simplistic and repetitive; not so anthemic but not much better,
Track 7: Destructo something something
This is some god-awful sub-Rammstein hooey. Utterly abject and there’s more than 7 minutes of it. Nobody can possibly have thought this was a good idea.
Track 8: Nevermore
This is closer to proper Morbid Angel fare. I don’t like this business of just shouting out the title of the song 4 times and calling it a chorus, but I’m possibly just being crabby at this point. The middle eight is strangely limp, with some risible “woah-oh” parts, but the song isn’t completely terrible. It’s kind of what I expected when I hear there was an attempt to have more commercial appeal on this album.
Track 9: Beauty Meets Beast
This one’s OK too. It’s decent-enough Morbid Angel lite at the beginning, lapsing into some kind of super-tuneful melodic almost power-metal sensibilities. The first solo really reminds me of something completely incongruous that I can’t place.
Track 10: Radikult
Sounds like they borrowed Lars Ulrich’s metal folding chair for the drums on this one. This is the one where Hitler hated the “Kill A Cop” lyrics, and sure enough it sounds like Cop Shoot Cop and other dance-floor oriented rock of that era, perhaps mixed with a bit of Marilyn Manson edginess. I guess it’s well executed for what it is, but what’s it doing on a Morbid Angel album? And why is it nearly 8 minutes long? Because it has a stupid chanty outro, for one reason.
Track 11: Profundis -Mea Culpa
Oh god is that a drum machine? Fuck it I don’t care any more.