Anthile
Steel marks flesh
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- Joined
- Jan 10, 2009
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Yeah, I know what you're thinking: "But Anthile, the year is only halfway through, why would you write about the music of the year so early?"
I just do. Well, the problem is that I would forget about what's on my mind right now and I wanted to write it down anyway - but I see no reason why I shouldn't do that publicly.
Note that nothing of this finite and just a snapshot in time. All of this could change tomorrow.
In no particular order:
1. Shaolin Death Squad - Five Deadly Venoms
What do you get when you throw Faith No More and Pain Of Salvation in a pit and make them reenact wuxia movies? Well, I wouldn't know but I guess it's the best way to describe the sound of this band. Catchy and complex while never wanking or being repetitive, there is not a single wasted second on this album. For everyone who likes crazy awesome music, this record is highly recommended.
I mean, just listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYF-zP51LmA
2. Island - Island
I'm not really sure how to describe this. First, this album is absolutely flawless. This was to be expected, considering that it comes from the small but already legendary Zeitgeister label which is also responsible for such bands as Klabautamann, Valborg, Gruenewald or Woburn House. These people couldn't do bad music if they tried to.
While Island's first album was firmly rooted in the Death Metal genre, this record is their Damnation with a very mellow and atmospheric sound and the obligatory Pink Floyd influence.
Youtube doesn't have a video fo them
But you can listen to some of their songs directly on their homepage: http://www.islandband.de/
3. Svarti Loghin - Drifting Through The Void
While combining Black Metal with Post-Rock or Shoegaze is not exactly new and happens since the early 00s, Svarti Loghin goes beyond that and adds elements from Indie Rock, Country and 60s Psychedelic Rock and engages the interstellar overdrive. What would be an incoherent mess in the hands of bands with less talent than these guys, works out surprisingly well on this album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0dhFvwWpkQ
4. Mike Patton - Mondo Cane
You never know Patton is going to do next but on this album he even surprised me. This album is simply Patton singing Italian pop songs from the 60s together with an orchestra - and it's gorgeous! There isn't really much more to say except that this is a really fun album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaUrzMeS4xg
5. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
It kind of bothers me that I had never heard of this band before Heavy Metal Fruit. Contrary to the album title, there isn't really any Heavy Metal to find here, nor is it particularly fruity. The music of Motorpsycho can be described as throwing everything what was good about 70s Rock into a blender and add Chemical X.
Prog Rock, Hardrock, Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock - everything comes together here. There isn't really a single bad song on this album and even the seemingly weaker tracks, you will just end up whistling its melody in the bathtub and wonder where you heard this. Not to mention the killer songs Starhammer and the epic Gullible's Travails at the beginning and the end of the album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoBNBBo05oA
6. Shining - Blackjazz
What I said about Black Metal incorporating Post-Rock is even more true about Black Metal incorporating Jazz. This is ironic in a lot of ways, not only is Black Metal better than any other genre when it comes up to borrowing elements from other genres, no matter how paradox it may seem but also all the bands who try to be 'trve' and 'kvlt' with lo-fi equipment and backwards-oriented sound. I don't think there is any music scene that is more schizophrene than the Black Metal scene.
Now how unlikely is the combination of Jazz and Black Metal? While to the layman these two genres couldn't be any more contrary, the expert know that in Norway the most important non-mainstream music scene besides BM is, well, Jazz.
So it was only a matter of time until an album like this happened. Now be warned, this is not music for beginners and if you aren't accustomed to avantgarde music, you're most likely not going to like it. Of all the albums listed here, it's going to be the most influential and it will take years until people will be able to figure out what's going on here. It wouldn't even wonder me if the term Blackjazz would become an actual genre, not unlike Venom's 'Black Metal' in the early 80s.
Hell, I don't even know if I actually like this album or if I'm just fascinated by the mindscrew that is Blackjazz.
Youtube won't allow to add a studio song so here is a live evrsion of the easiest song on the album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqn2QMD3ZSE
7. Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
Well, I already talked Norway and Jazz (seriously, check out Xploding Plastix, Bugge Wesseltoft and Nils Petter Molvaer). Jaga Jazzist is most likely the most famous product of the Norwegian Jazz scene with their sound that is a fantastic blend of Jazz, Post-Rock, Ambient and even some Electronica.
Not much to say except that it's awesome.
Did I mention that members from Jaga Jazzist have been active in Motorpsycho (who also happen to be from Norway) and Shining? Gotta love musical incest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN90uEDk3bQ
8. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Instrumental Hip Hop? Experimental Electronica? I honestly don't listen very often to this kind of music so I don't really know how to put this in context or what to compare it to. It's certainly not from Norway and it's not influenced by Pink Floyd.
When I listen to it, there is this certain kind of sound, a vivid, atmospheric soundscape. Kinda weird. Oh, there is also one song that contains Thom Yorke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il78kyjCDkc
9. Alcest - Ecailles de Lune
I said everything about this band in my Blackgaze thread. This is simply the most beautiful album known to man. If you don't like this, you're a bad person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rMO61fcgw0
10. Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
I didn't even know that there was any new Anathema album coming out when I saw this. I was a fan before and I can say that this is their best album. Anathema make basically melancholic Rock music with some Pink Floyd thrown in and the end result is somewhere between Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and The Pineapple Thief (whose latest album came out too, recently, but I haven't lsitened to it yet).
The reason why I like this album so much is not only because it's so good but also because the mood went from depressive to hopeful, which I see as a huge step forward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXXsaymmBEc
Out of competition: Cynic - Re-Traced
First, this just an EP and there is only one new song, which is only a B-side and not even really impressive, the other four songs are remixed tracks from the last Cynic output Traced In Air. Second, remember when I said Alcest is the most beautiful music known to man? Well, I kind of lied because these four remixed songs are ridiculously good! They defy any kind of genre and convention and probably bend some laws of physics on the way to you ears.
This song is without a doubt one of the best songs I know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5NvmF0XrqU
Disappointment: Coheed And Cambria - Year Of The Black Rainbow
Meh.
I just do. Well, the problem is that I would forget about what's on my mind right now and I wanted to write it down anyway - but I see no reason why I shouldn't do that publicly.
Note that nothing of this finite and just a snapshot in time. All of this could change tomorrow.
In no particular order:
1. Shaolin Death Squad - Five Deadly Venoms
What do you get when you throw Faith No More and Pain Of Salvation in a pit and make them reenact wuxia movies? Well, I wouldn't know but I guess it's the best way to describe the sound of this band. Catchy and complex while never wanking or being repetitive, there is not a single wasted second on this album. For everyone who likes crazy awesome music, this record is highly recommended.
I mean, just listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYF-zP51LmA
2. Island - Island
I'm not really sure how to describe this. First, this album is absolutely flawless. This was to be expected, considering that it comes from the small but already legendary Zeitgeister label which is also responsible for such bands as Klabautamann, Valborg, Gruenewald or Woburn House. These people couldn't do bad music if they tried to.
While Island's first album was firmly rooted in the Death Metal genre, this record is their Damnation with a very mellow and atmospheric sound and the obligatory Pink Floyd influence.
Youtube doesn't have a video fo them
But you can listen to some of their songs directly on their homepage: http://www.islandband.de/
3. Svarti Loghin - Drifting Through The Void
While combining Black Metal with Post-Rock or Shoegaze is not exactly new and happens since the early 00s, Svarti Loghin goes beyond that and adds elements from Indie Rock, Country and 60s Psychedelic Rock and engages the interstellar overdrive. What would be an incoherent mess in the hands of bands with less talent than these guys, works out surprisingly well on this album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0dhFvwWpkQ
4. Mike Patton - Mondo Cane
You never know Patton is going to do next but on this album he even surprised me. This album is simply Patton singing Italian pop songs from the 60s together with an orchestra - and it's gorgeous! There isn't really much more to say except that this is a really fun album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaUrzMeS4xg
5. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
It kind of bothers me that I had never heard of this band before Heavy Metal Fruit. Contrary to the album title, there isn't really any Heavy Metal to find here, nor is it particularly fruity. The music of Motorpsycho can be described as throwing everything what was good about 70s Rock into a blender and add Chemical X.
Prog Rock, Hardrock, Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock - everything comes together here. There isn't really a single bad song on this album and even the seemingly weaker tracks, you will just end up whistling its melody in the bathtub and wonder where you heard this. Not to mention the killer songs Starhammer and the epic Gullible's Travails at the beginning and the end of the album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoBNBBo05oA
6. Shining - Blackjazz
What I said about Black Metal incorporating Post-Rock is even more true about Black Metal incorporating Jazz. This is ironic in a lot of ways, not only is Black Metal better than any other genre when it comes up to borrowing elements from other genres, no matter how paradox it may seem but also all the bands who try to be 'trve' and 'kvlt' with lo-fi equipment and backwards-oriented sound. I don't think there is any music scene that is more schizophrene than the Black Metal scene.
Now how unlikely is the combination of Jazz and Black Metal? While to the layman these two genres couldn't be any more contrary, the expert know that in Norway the most important non-mainstream music scene besides BM is, well, Jazz.
So it was only a matter of time until an album like this happened. Now be warned, this is not music for beginners and if you aren't accustomed to avantgarde music, you're most likely not going to like it. Of all the albums listed here, it's going to be the most influential and it will take years until people will be able to figure out what's going on here. It wouldn't even wonder me if the term Blackjazz would become an actual genre, not unlike Venom's 'Black Metal' in the early 80s.
Hell, I don't even know if I actually like this album or if I'm just fascinated by the mindscrew that is Blackjazz.
Youtube won't allow to add a studio song so here is a live evrsion of the easiest song on the album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqn2QMD3ZSE
7. Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
Well, I already talked Norway and Jazz (seriously, check out Xploding Plastix, Bugge Wesseltoft and Nils Petter Molvaer). Jaga Jazzist is most likely the most famous product of the Norwegian Jazz scene with their sound that is a fantastic blend of Jazz, Post-Rock, Ambient and even some Electronica.
Not much to say except that it's awesome.
Did I mention that members from Jaga Jazzist have been active in Motorpsycho (who also happen to be from Norway) and Shining? Gotta love musical incest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN90uEDk3bQ
8. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Instrumental Hip Hop? Experimental Electronica? I honestly don't listen very often to this kind of music so I don't really know how to put this in context or what to compare it to. It's certainly not from Norway and it's not influenced by Pink Floyd.
When I listen to it, there is this certain kind of sound, a vivid, atmospheric soundscape. Kinda weird. Oh, there is also one song that contains Thom Yorke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il78kyjCDkc
9. Alcest - Ecailles de Lune
I said everything about this band in my Blackgaze thread. This is simply the most beautiful album known to man. If you don't like this, you're a bad person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rMO61fcgw0
10. Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
I didn't even know that there was any new Anathema album coming out when I saw this. I was a fan before and I can say that this is their best album. Anathema make basically melancholic Rock music with some Pink Floyd thrown in and the end result is somewhere between Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and The Pineapple Thief (whose latest album came out too, recently, but I haven't lsitened to it yet).
The reason why I like this album so much is not only because it's so good but also because the mood went from depressive to hopeful, which I see as a huge step forward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXXsaymmBEc
Out of competition: Cynic - Re-Traced
First, this just an EP and there is only one new song, which is only a B-side and not even really impressive, the other four songs are remixed tracks from the last Cynic output Traced In Air. Second, remember when I said Alcest is the most beautiful music known to man? Well, I kind of lied because these four remixed songs are ridiculously good! They defy any kind of genre and convention and probably bend some laws of physics on the way to you ears.
This song is without a doubt one of the best songs I know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5NvmF0XrqU
Disappointment: Coheed And Cambria - Year Of The Black Rainbow
Meh.
