Attention Deficit Disorder Record Reviews Part II – May 2014

The Metal:

AGALLOCH – The Serpent & the Sphere

Listening to this makes me want to slit my wrists. Which is a good thing, because listening to almost every other folky doom/black metal band makes me want to slit the band members’ wrists. (7)

CROWBAR – Symmetry In Black

Great riffs as always. Can’t stand the big dude’s vocals as always. (7)

DEAD CONGREGATION – Promulgation Of The Fall

Sort of like getting your face kicked in by a professional football player wearing steel-toe boots. But in a good way. (7)

DOWN – IV Part II

Down raised the bar so impossibly high with the first two (some will say three) albums, that now even a perfectly good Down record is not good enough. (7) 

EYEHATEGOD – Eyehategod

2014: Eyehategod > Crowbar ≥ Down. (8)

KILLER BE KILLED – Killer Be Killed

Given that it’s a supergroup featuring guys from Soulfly, Mastodon, Dillinger etc. and that as a general rule supergroups usually suck donkey cock, this is pretty fucking good. It’s heavy, it’s catchy, it’s fun. (8)

MISERY INDEX – The Killing Gods

Death metal with lots of groove plus a bit of Slayer and a bit of Slipknot thrown in for good measure. Cool. (7)

VALLENFYRE – Splinters

Sounds like Hellhammer if the latter could actually play. (7)

The Rest:

BEN FROST – A U R O R A

You don’t listen to this for enjoyment, you listen to this to be hip and smart. Look at me, I’m hip and smart. (7)

BILLY JOEL – A Matter Of Trust: The Bridge To Russia – The Music

A truly great live album revisiting Joel’s seminal 1987 USSR tour. Quite frankly I’d rather listen to this than to Ben Frost. (10)

JOLIE HOLLAND – Wine Dark Sea

Her voice sounds a bit like Bessie Smith or Billie Holiday, her songs sound a bit like weird Van Morrison or straight Tom Waits. Nice. (7)

KING DUDE – Fear

“American gothic” vibe and a baritone voice singing songs about the Devil over punked-up rockabilly guitars. Looks better in writing than it actually sounds. (6)

SARAH McLACHLAN – Shine On

No masterpiece of “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy”-like proportions, but still a good collection of radio friendly “adult pop” tunes. And Sarah, those “ooh-ooh-ooh” vocals on “Love Beside Me”? I love you for that. (7)

SHARON VAN ETTEN – Are We There

Not bad for a hipster-friendly version of Sarah McLachlan. (7)

STURGILL SIMPSON – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music

You’ll have a hard time finding a better country record to listen to this year. And the occasional trip into psychedelic country rock is pretty amazing. (9)

THE BLACK KEYS – Turn Blue

So these guys are big now. They sound bigger too, basically they’ve moved into classic rock territory. (7)