The Louder Stuff
AUDREY HORNE – Pure Heavy
Lots of “poppier Iron Maiden” moments, less
party rock hooks, some filler. (7)
ELECTRIC WIZARD – Time To Die
Another chaotic, earth-shaking album true to
their Sabbath/Satan/weed fixations. Unfortunately for them, 2014 is probably the
best year ever for psychedelic doom metal and some of the competition rates
higher. (7)
EXODUS – Blood In Blood Out
“Fabulous Disaster” this ain’t, but it still
kicks the ass of all thrash newbies. (7)
FISHBONE – Intrinsically Intertwined
Old-school ska/funk/punk/rock vets party like
it’s 1988 on this EP and tear the roof off the sucker. Plus it seems they’ve
got Rocky George on guitar nowadays. (7)
GODFLESH – World Lit Only By Fire
I’ve always hated that drum machine sound but I
gotta admit, this album is definitely worthy of the Godflesh legacy. If you’re
into industrial cataclysmic heaviness then this is a must-have. (8)
KAYO DOT – Coffins On Io
Goodbye metal, hello jazz. This makes
“Perdition City”-era Ulver sound like Judas Priest. (8)
MELVINS – Hold It In
Replacing two auxiliary members on loan from
Big Business with two members of the Butthole Surfers, the Melvins lose some of
the sludginess but gain extra weirdness. (7)
ORANGE GOBLIN – Back From The Abyss
«Περνάμε καλά και αυτό
περνάει στον κόσμο.» (sorry
Anglophones, I just couldn’t resist the first thing that sprang to mind while
listening to this. It’s a fun cross between Sabbath and Motorhead except when
it sounds like Grand Magus.) (8)
PRIMUS WITH THE FUNGI ENSEMBLE – Primus And The
Chocolate Factory
For 25 years I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to
spot the influences of Primus and suddenly it all becomes clear: Primus sounds exactly like what the movie
“Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory” looks like. The original one with
Gene Wilder, not the stupid Tim Burton remake. (8)
SANCTUARY – The Year The Sun Died
“The Year The Sun Died” sounds much more like
Nevermore than like Sanctuary, but most Nevermore albums are better than this.
Still, if it’s real heavy metal you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right
place. (7)
SLIPKNOT - .5 The Gray Chapter
With #’s 0, 4, 5 and 6 stepping up their game
to compensate for the missing #1 and #2, Slipknot’s return is every bit the
strong, confident metal album their fans were hoping for. (8)
SOLSTAFIR – Otta
Moving completely away from the band’s black
metal/viking roots towards a bleak, dark, moody rock sound that fans of
Katatonia, “Alternative 4”-era Anathema and even Primordial will fall in love
with, “Otta” is simply stunning. (9)
THE DEATHTRIP – Deep Drone Master
Classic
late 90’s-style Norwegian black metal sound in the Satyricon/Dodheimsgard vein,
featuring the lunatic former vocalist of the latter and a much better drum
machine than Godflesh’s. (8)
The Other Stuff
ALICE GERRARD – Follow The Music
80-year old bluegrass legend in top form, a
voice that sends chills down your spine and the most haunting melodies you’re
likely to hear this autumn. (8)
ANAIS MITCHELL – Xoa
Re-worked older songs, some from her previous
albums, some never heard before, this is just Anais and her folky acoustic guitar.
Nice, but it’s time for a proper follow-up to the exquisite “Young Man In
America”. (7)
APHEX TWIN – Syro
Unmistakably Aphex Twin-sounding and
pop-friendly but not really danceable without risking a slipped disk or three
if you’re over 40, “Syro” is probably this year’s best electronic music album.
(8)
C.W. STONEKING – Gon’ Boogaloo
Recorded live with two microphones on 2-track
in just two days and replacing his 30’s-style horn section with 30’s-style girl
backing singers straight out of a vintage Betty Boop cartoon, the crazy Aussie
releases a fun, utterly enjoyable old-fashioned boogie-woogie record.
(8)
GENESIS
– R-Kive
This is a comprehensive triple-CD collection.
In other words it includes both the boring pretentious early Genesis crap and
the fucking annoying later Genesis crap, as well as some solo Phil Collins atrocities,
Mike & The Mechanics monstrosities, Tony Banks flatulence, Steve Hackett onanisms,
and three cool Peter Gabriel tracks. (-)
GERARD WAY – Hesitant Alien
Former My Chemical Romance frontman sounds
nothing like his old band on his britpopglamrockshoegaze solo debut. Kudos for
sticking his neck out, but I’ll still take the “Black Parade” over this any day.
(7)
GRAHAM
PARKER & THE RUMOUR – Don’t Ask Me Questions: The Best Of
Semi-forgotten but influential pub rocker who,
back in the late 70’s, wrote the manual for guys like Elvis Costello and Joe
Jackson. Good collection, definitely worth checking out. (8)
MARIANNE FAITHFULL – Give My Love To London
If you thought that a 67-year old lady can’t
possibly sound threatening and downright dangerous,
well, think again. Probably her best album since “Broken English”. (8)
MARK LANEGAN BAND – Phantom Radio
Gothic pop playing to the strength of THAT
voice, no major departure from “Blues Funeral”. God I miss the Screaming Trees.
(7)
MIKE DOUGHTY – Stellar Motel
Ex-Soul Coughing frontman claims he hates his
alt-whatever old band but the fact remains: Even though Doughty is a fantastic
lyricist and can always come up with a good tune, the missing Soul Coughing
groove was what made the difference. (6)
PERFUME GENIUS – Too Bright
Not bad but apart from the possibility of the
gay community needing a new idol/spokesperson, I fail to see the originality or
the appeal: This basically sounds like a homemade demo of Beirut and Antony
& The Johnsons jamming on My Morning Jacket cover versions. (7)
SAM
AMIDON – Lily-O
Indie
folkie “re-imagines” a bunch of traditional songs. Good arrangements, interesting
voice, but being on an obsessive folk/bluegrass trip myself lately, I must say
I’ve heard more exciting stuff coming from the genre. (7)
THE
ANDREWS SISTERS – Original Hits
The
Andreos sisters were, yes, Greek, and they sold 75 million records in America during
the swing and boogie-woogie eras from 1938 to 1951. Their pre-rock ‘n’ roll close
harmonies still sound fantastic today. (10)
THOM YORKE – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes
The
perfect soundtrack to listen to while you’re listening to something else. (6)
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