Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Nov 2020 Vol. II

THE LOUDER STUFF

BLOOD FROM THE SOUL – DSM-5
Experimental sci-fi themed metal/hardcore supergroup led by Napalm Death’s Shane Embury and featuring members of Converge, Megadeth and Nasum sounds more like Voivod than any of the aforementioned. (7)

JESU – Terminus
Justin Broadrick (Godflesh) on some great guitar-oriented droning rock. Quite shoegaze-y, rather different from previous Jesu works. (8)

JUCIFER – نظم (Nazm)
…And the WTF Album Of The Month Award goes to this sludge/stoner metal band that just released an album of what sounds like traditional Pakistani trance music. (?)

KATATONIA – Dead Air
They released one of the best metal albums of the year but weren’t able to tour for it so here’s a lockdown live show, featuring 20 fan-chosen songs. (8)

KILLER BE KILLED – Reluctant Hero
Supergroup including members of Soulfly, Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge on second album of heavy metal goodness. Fans of all the aforementioned bands and/or High On Fire will love this. (8)

LITURGY – Origin Of The Alimonies
This band was controversial even before the leader came out as transgender, which I don’t have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is all the pretentious bullshit messing up what would be an otherwise pretty decent experimental album trying to bridge Mayhem with La Monte Young. And I miss Greg Fox’s drumming. (6)

MY DYING BRIDE – Macabre Cabaret
Stuck at home and unable to tour, gothic doom veterans release EP just a few months after their latest full-length and it’s depressing as hell, in a good way I mean. (7)

REFUSED – The Malignant Fire
Influential hardcore band made the List last year, follow up that great album with an equally great EP. (8)

WARRIOR SOUL – Cocaine And Other Good Stuff
An interesting set of covers. Some expected choices (Hendrix, Kiss, Van Halen, Motorhead, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, Judas Priest), some welcome surprises (Cars, JJ Cale, KC & the Sunshine Band), Kory Clarke still sounds like Marianne Faithfull on her deathbed. (7)


THE OTHER STUFF

NICK CAVE – Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace
22 career-spanning classics (including one new track) performed live in an empty concert hall, just Cave and his piano. Hauntingly beautiful. (9)

CHRIS CONNELLY – Graveyard Sex
Industrial God Connelly (The Damage Manual, Die Warzau, Finitribe, KMFDM, Ministry, Murder Inc., Pigface, Revolting Cocks) has a new album and it’s his most Goth work yet, probably a tribute to his fallen comrade Bill Rieflin. (7)

LARKIN POE – Kindred Spirits
Blues rock siblings released a fantastic proper album with a full band earlier this year but have also been known to do great stripped-down covers on their Youtube channel, and this lockdown album is based on that concept: Songs by Lenny Kravitz, Neil Young, Phil Collins, Moody Blues, Allman Brothers, Elton John etc. get the sisters treatment. (8)
 
GWENIFER RAYMOND – Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain
If you thought you knew what an acoustic guitar can do, check out this John Fahey-influenced Welsh player and prepare to have your mind blown. (8)

CHRIS STAPLETON – Starting Over
Another excellent album from Stapleton combining his country, rock, and soul influences into a no-filler set of killer tunes. What a voice! (8)

THE WAR ON DRUGS – Live Drugs
A nice reminder of what we love about a good live show, even for people like me who are not the greatest fans of this particular fashionable band’s “Dire Straits Meet The Waterboys” style. (7)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Nov 2020

THE LOUDER STUFF

AC/DC – Power Up
A solid effort, recognizably AC/DC even with Malcolm gone. (8)

DAVID BOWIE – Metrobolist
Quite probably my favorite album of all time, certainly Bowie’s heaviest by far, remastered and re-released with its original title and alternative album cover. (11)

CARCASS – Despicable
An EP serving as an appetizer for the next full-length album, this is prime quality melodic death metal from the folks who invented this stuff. (8)

FATES WARNING – Long Day Good Night
Writing this after only two spins and as a lifelong fan – a very good prog metal album, but not the instant classic masterpiece that 2016’s “Memories Of Flight” was. That being said this is Fates Warning, so it might still click on a much deeper level and devastate the soul a couple dozen listens down the road. (8)

MELVINS – Hostile Ambient Besides
A very fun set of covers (Mott The Hoople, Gun Club, Alice Cooper, Ramones…), consisting of B-sides from singles originally released in 2002-2003. (8)

MR. BUNGLE – The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo
Mr. Bungle core trio of Mike Patton / Trevor Dunn / Trey Spruance recruit thrash totems Dave Lombardo and Scott Ian to re-record their largely unknown original demo from 1986 and have as much fun as humanly possible while doing it. This record has nothing to do with the weirdness Mr. Bungle is known for, it’s pure old-school thrash/crossover (including nods to S.O.D. and C.O.C.), but IT KICKS SO MUCH ASS! Simply put, this is the best violent moshing fun you’ll have for months to come. (9)

PUSCIFER – Existential Reckoning
Recommended if you can’t wait 13 years for the next Tool album to listen to Keenan. (7)

SOLSTAFIR – Endless Twilight of Codependent Love
If you were quarantined in Iceland, not able to get out of the house during half the year when there are 21 hours of sunlight every day, you’d play depressing music like this too. (8)


THE OTHER STUFF

CORDOVAS – Destiny Hotel
Americana/roots rock sounds reminiscent of the Grateful Dead, but less jammy. (7)

FATBOY SLIM – Back To Mine
The “Back To Mine” series is based on a simple premise: Invite a musician or DJ to create a chill-out mix album based on what they would listen at home after a night out. Vol. 31 features Fatboy Slim’s selections, and I’d rather chill-out with the Faithless and Talvin Singh volumes. (6)

SAM ROBERTS BAND – All Of Us
Arena rock made in Canada, sort of like a cross between Bruce Springsteen and U2. (7)

SKYWAY MAN – The World Only Ends When You Die
A cosmic country rock opera. (7)