Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Oct 24 Vol. II

THE LOUDER STUFF

JERRY CANTRELL – I Want Blood
Backed by top-shelf guys like Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan, Mike Bordin, and Greg Puciato, Cantrell delivers a solo album that’s not that different from post-reunion Alice In Chains albums. (7)

ESCUELA GRIND - Dreams On Algorithms
Kurt Ballou’s production elevates the grindcore quartet to tier-A status. Katerina Economou on vocals is a beast and every song is a blast (pun intended), even the album closer that features clean vocals. (8)

GRAND MAGUS – Sunraven
They’ve basically based their whole existence on Sabbath’s Dio period and Manowar’s “Battle Hymn”, and that’s just one of the things I love about these guys. (8)

MC5 – Heavy Lifting
The last surviving members of the legendary band died earlier this year but this album, two years in the making, is a fitting farewell, nobody makes muscular hard rock like this anymore. Famous guests include Slash, Tom Morello, William DuVall, Vernon Reid etc. (11)

SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET – Seven Hours After Violet
SOAD bassist’s new band is not 100% different from SOAD, but it does have in places a more deathcore-ish approach. (7)

SOUTHMOUNTAIN’S HARD BARGAIN – Southmountain’s Hard Bargain
Horisont leader steps away from hard rock and reveals his love for AOR, power pop, and the sound of 70’s California from Jackson Browne to Eddie Money. (7)


THE OTHER STUFF

JAKE BLOUNT & MALI OBOMSAWIN – symbiont
Building up on 2022’s The New Faith which made The List, Blount (& co.) releases another remarkable retro-futuristic/Afro-futuristic album with a strong message. I don’t know if I should call it Americana, but you must hear this. (8)

ETRAN DE L’AÏR – 100% Sahara Guitar
They’re from Agadez, Niger, and have been playing their desert blues live since the mid-90’s, but this only the first time they’ve ever entered a proper studio and the results are impressive and highly recommended if you’re into the whole Tuareg sound pioneered by Tinariwen. (8)

FANTASTIC NEGRITO – Son Of A Broken Man
Consistently releasing great albums, reinventing the Blues for the 21st century and making The List before, Fantastic Negrito comes up with his most personal and hardest rocking set of songs yet. (8)

GOAT – Goat
Probably the second-best masked rock band from Sweden, still doing their protometal-meets-afrobeat shtick, and it’s a good shtick. (7)

JAPANDROIDS – Fate & Alcohol
These guys along with The Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus and a couple of others might have actually saved rock ‘n’ roll in the early 21st century, but that’s for historians to confirm. For now let’s just say that their fourth (and final album) will get you punching the air, drunkenly singing along, and bear-hugging total strangers standing next to you at open air festivals next summer, in the unlikely scenario they tour this. (8)