Friday 13 June 2014

Short Attention Span Record Reviews – June 2014



The Loud Stuff

BOB MOULD – Beauty And Ruin
This is the most Mouldy-sounding Bob Mould record in ages. It’s got all the Husker Du rage and the Sugar melody and lots of big guitars and it’s a must-have. (8)

BODY COUNT – Manslaughter
OMG this is hilarious, Ice-T at his most cartoonishly violent backed by a hardcore/thrash band that’s tighter than a duck’s ass. I love it! (8)

FUCKED UP – Glass Boys
“David Comes To Life” was contemporary hardcore punk’s “Tommy”, so I guess getting contemporary hardcore punk’s “Face Dances” this time around doesn’t quite cut it. (7)

GODFLESH – Decline And Fall
You’re gonna love this EP if you never had a problem with Godflesh’s fucking annoying drum machine sound. This as as apocalyptic as any of the old stuff. (7)

LINKIN PARK – The Hunting Party
I hate all their albums except “A Thousand Suns” which I love and their hardcore fans hate, so I guess their fans are going to hate “The Hunting Party” because I think it’s great. Guest slots by Rakim, Page Hamilton, Tom Morello and Daron Malakian for extra street cred. (8)

MASTODON – Once More 'Round The Sun
Only played this once so far and my mind has already been duly blown. Definitely their most melodic album to date, and quite possibly their best. (9)

MAYHEM – Esoteric Warfare
Back in the day we used to call this “intelligent black metal”, but nowadays it’s getting a bit old and Attila Csihar’s Mongolian Vampire shtick is more funny than intelligent. (6)

OCTOBER FILE – The Application Of Loneliness, Ignorance, Misery, Love And Despair
I’m torn between the fact that this is such a blatant Killing Joke rip-off and that it also kinda rules. (6)

RIVAL SONS – Great Western Valkyrie
I’m torn between the fact that this is such a blatant Led Zep/Yardbirds rip-off and that it also kinda rules. (6)

SEPTICFLESH – Titan
“Symphonic death metal” is The Thing That Should Not Be, but Septicflesh somehow manage to pull this shit off magnificently. Impressed. (8)

SERPENTINE PATH – Emanations
This is not slowed-down-power-metal doom. This is low-frequencies-that-make-you-shit-yourself-while-maggots-are-eating-your-eyeballs-out doom. (7)

TOMBS – Savage Gold
Pitchfork metal©. (7)


The Other Stuff

BLACKBERRY SMOKE – Leave A Scar: Live In North Carolina
Proud sons of Skynyrd and Steve Earle, they own that damn stage and kick your ass six ways to Sunday. Awesome facial hair too. (8)

BRUCE ROBISON & KELLY WILLIS – Our Year
I like my country boys bad and my country girls gritty and this couple is a bit too vanilla for my taste. First-class songwriting though. (7)

DAVE ALVIN & PHIL ALVIN – Common Ground
The Blasters brothers reunited and playing Big Bill Broonzy covers. If you like the blues and juke joint jumpers you’re going to have a blast with this one. (7)

DJANGO DJANGO – Late Night Tales
This compilation sounds like a really cool cocktail party where everyone is smartly dressed and gorgeous and making hip small talk on the veranda, but makes me feel like I’m the weirdo misfit guest in shorts drinking alone. (6)

JACK WHITE – Lazaretto
Dude really knows his blues and his rock and this time he takes an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach with fiddles, rapping and gothic choirs. More fun that the Black Keys album! (8)

LEE FIELDS – Emma Jean
Fields’ old-school funky soul is real, honest, timeless, feel-good music. (7)

MIRANDA LAMBERT – Platinum
Like a (more) redneck version of Taylor Swift, she’ll bake you an apple pie one day and aim her shotgun at you the next. (7)

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