Speedwolf : Ride With Death

Posted on 02.17.2012 by

2011 : Hells Headbangers
Format: LP/CD

With only a demo tape and two 7 inches under their bullet belts, these Mile High City desperadoes have succeeded in unleashing one of my top ten albums of last year. Seriously, not a week goes by that either the vinyl or the plastic isn’t getting some rotation. There’s a vibe from my long lost youth that I instantly connected with, not in some cheesy-ass “retro” way, but something that taps into that primal “hell yea” section of my reptillian brain.

Now you probably won’t read a Speedwolf review without a mention of A) Motörhead and B) Midnight. The Motörhead reference is dead to rights as these guys wear that influence on their sleeveless denim jackets. Hell, my money’s on vocalist Reed Bremmer actually being the illegitimate love child of Lemmy Kilmister and Wendy O. Williams. I’d say there’s also a healthy dose of Venom, a nod to classic NWOBHM, maybe some Discharge, Black Flag and a hint of Blues Metal era Danzig…if John Christ was snorting meth from a big-haired groupie’s butt cheek. Throw in some 70s outlaw biker exploitation flicks and few rips through an empty pool on an Alva deck and you get the idea.

While I do love Midnight, those guys are punked-out Thrash while these fellas are pure, full-throttled Speed Metal. The only real connection would be something that we’ve forgotten after years in our frostbitten kingdoms, sometimes Metal should be fun. You can still be dead serious about the music, but maybe not so much so about yourself. Not all of us banging our heads and throwing the horns are inbred glue-sniffers with the IQ of a footstool. A few of us still remember when it was ok to not be standing in the back with our arms crossed.

Musically the band is about as tight as any basic four piece can be, that’s the classic vocals, guitar, bass and dums set-up. Lyrically, a quick browse through the titles lets you know what you’re in for: “Out On Bail”, “Time To Annihilate”, “Death Ripper” and “The Ripper” to name a few. Most tracks clock in at under four minutes, with the exception of the opening Speedwolf anthem. That one features a  groovy “about to rip your sack off and use it as a coin purse” lead in.

To reiterate, I picked this one up late last year, but it quickly became one of my favorites. Speedwolf lets us know we have their permission to be rowdy, that it’s alright to have a few too many, and  remind us that one of the greatest elements of Metal is still Rock and Roll.

Here’s a little “Denver666″ for your listening (and viewing) pleasure:

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Episode No. 17 – Samhain

Posted on 11.06.2011 by
 

Intro (5 Little Pumpkins) : my daughter Isabelle
Yes, I know how cute she is.

 

 

Lustmord : Ash
[Other] CD
One of the godfathers of Dark Ambient. No introduction needed.

 

 

Blood Axis : The Ride
Ultimacy CD
One of my all time favorite tracks from the seminal US Neofolk legends. If you are unfamiliar with the band, this collection is a great place to start. For the fan, it’s critical.

 

Ten Horns Proud : Time I Dig My Grave
Demo 2011
A fantastic track from a (hopefully) upcoming release, a mysterious hybrid of Bluegrass, Americana and dark Folk. This is one I’ll be keeping my eye on.

 

Spear Of Longinus : I Am War
Domni Satnasi CD
Punk fueled Black Metal from the first full-length by the Aussie occult masters. Mandatory.

 

Sabbath Assembly : The Time Of Abaddon
Restored To One CD
Reworkings of the hymns of the Process Church Of The Final Judgment sung by the angelic Jessica Toth, psychedelic and beautiful.

 

Roto Visage : Window Well
Forthcoming
Advance track from this long-running US Dark Ambient project shows the progression to a noisier, more aggressive sound.

 

Art Abscons : Ester Lester
October 31st 7″
Brilliant new EP from one of my absolute favorite new Neofolk projects. Hail to the masked one!

 

Tones On Tail : Movement Of Fear
Pop CD
Mid 80′s side project of Bauhaus guitarist Daniel Ash. This track always puts me in a Halloween mood.

 

Age Of Tarus : Unborn Destroyer
In The Days Of The Taurean Empire demo
Excellent new London Doom Metal!! Think early My Dying Bride, only much heavier and none of the gay.

 

Godflesh : Christbait Rising
Streetcleaner CD
Ye gods, if I have to tell you anything about this band or this album, please…turn off this podcast, click on over to Amazon or whomever you choose and buy it immediately.

 

Saturnalia Temple : Aion Of Drakon
Aion Of Drakon CD
The band describes themselves as Black Magic Metal and that’s pretty apt. Psychedelic Doom influenced by the teachings of Thomas Karlsson and the magical order of Dragon Rouge.

 

The Louvin Brothers : Knoxville Girl
Tragic Songs Of Life CD
More evil than the most Satanic Black Metal, more necro than the heaviest Death, maybe one of the darkest songs ever written. If you think all Bluegrass is toothless hillbillies ranting about salty dogs, think again.

 

Endura : The Left Hand Of The Dead
Black Eden CD
Sadly no more, but both members continue to operate as other projects. Black Eden will always be a masterpiece of Dark Ambient.

 

Mayhem : Pagan Fears
Nordic Metal: A Tribute To Euronymous CD
Norwegian supremacy.

 

 

Christian Death : Deathwish
Only Theatre Of Pain CD
My favorite track from the man who basically invented the Death Rock genre, Rozz Williams. You are gone but not forgotten.

 

Dax Riggs : Didn’t Know Yet What I’d Know When I Was Bleedin’
We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love CD
Former lead singer of the god-like Acid Bath continues to offer twisted tales with his genre blurring solo project. One of the great American songwriters of our time.

 

Chuck Cirino : The Shining (Dies Irae)
The Shining Soundtrack CD
Classic reworking of Mozart’s Requiem “Dies Irae” for one of the greatest horror films of all time.

 

Andrew King : The Three Ravens
Deus Ignotus CD
One of my favorite tracks from the absolutely brilliant new CD from Andrew King. The man is a master of experimental British Folk, each track is a history lesson.

 

Amebix : Axeman
Arise! CD
Another “shame on you if you don’t know them” bands, from the album that basically bridged the gap between Punk and Metal. We’ll forgive them for spawning the Crusties.

 

Vrolok : Ghosts Of Winter Mourning
Soul Amputation CD
One of the most underrated albums by one of the most underrated USBM bands of all time. This track sets the mood for autumn in my book. Yes, it’s been featured before and will be again.

 

Samhain : Horror Biz
Initium CD
My mirrors are black for you…..

 

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Episode No. 16

Posted on 06.10.2011 by
 

Welter In Thy Blood : To Bind With Nine Fold Chain
Through The Fields of Mourning CD
Evil, noisy, blackened DOOM project featuring members of A Taste For Decay, Pro-Death, Slaughtered Lamb & StemCell Research Project. Suicide yourself.

 

Encoffination : Eucharist of Bone And Flame
Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh CD
Crushing Death Doom featuring memebers of Decrepitaph and Father Befouled pull you into the abyss and then blast you runs of pure Punk Thrash. Mandatory.

 

Hell : Tyranno
I LP
Vinyl re-issue on Pesanta of long out of print cassette originally released on the now defunct Woodsmoke label. Soul tearing Cascadian DOOM in a beautiful screened Doré cover.

 

Der Blutharsch & Deutsch Nepal : Untitled
Apöcalyptic Climäx 2 CD
CD re-issue of long gone 10″ originally released in1999. Great set of creepy Industrial Ambient from both of these classic acts.

 

S.P.K. – Israel
Leichenschrei CD
Originally released in 1982, a masterpiece from one of the originators of Industrial music. Everyone should own this album, period.

 

OBJEKT/URIAN : Anneliese M.
Agitation CD
Founded in 1998, this German act blur the lines between Industrial, Noise and Power Electronics preferring the analogue approach, much of the equipment built themselves. Fantastic disc.

 

Avsky : The Beyond
Scorn CD
More hatred from this underrated Swedish act. While not really representative of the Thrashy Black Metal comprising the rest of this, their second effort for Moribund, it proves you don’t have to be aggressive to sound evil.

 

Morbus 666 : Possessed by the Glory of Lucifer
Mortuus Cultus CD
A Houston, TX super-group of sorts, featuring members of Imprecation, Bahimiron, Thornspawn and Adumus, this disc is a tribute to pure old school Nordic Black Metal without coming off as a lame imitation.

 

Necros Christos : Necromantique Nun
Gate II
Doom Of The Occult CD
One of my favorite releases of 2011, so good I had to include 2 tracks. Flawless doom-laden Death Metal with mesmerizing interludes of occultish Middle Eastern Folk. Just an amazing band.

 

Birch Book : Zephyr Through Willows
Vol. II – Fortune & Folly CD
Taking the aggression down a bit with some heartfelt Cascadian Folk from B’eirth, also known for his work as In Gowan Ring as well as sitting in with Blood Axis in Witch-Hunt. All of the Birch Book stuff is great when I’m in a more introspective mood.

 

:novemthree: : Cloister Garden
“From These Ashes..” 7″
Sticking with the Cascadian Folk theme, one of my favorites in the genre has to be Pythagumus Marshall’s music as nature worship. You can almost smell the moss. But despite all of the ooo’s and aaahh’s, there’s something slight ominous about it…just like the deep woods.

Owls : God Is Right
The Night Stays CD
A new project of Tony Wakeford’s with Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari and Eraldo Bernocchi of Sigillum S. Anything with Wakeford reminds me of Sol Invictus, but imagine that crossed with “Fragile” era Nine Inch Nails. Strange, I know, but I’ve been enjoying this one immensely.

 

Neurosis & Jarboe : Within
S/T CD
This one goes back a few years, but I can’t believe people don’t talk about this release more. It’s a total masterpiece.

 

RU-486 : Glasses
Concealed Weaponry 2005-2010 cassette
One of my favorite US Power Electronic acts going. Of course since this collection of out of print material was released on my own label, I’m a bit biased. Still, you can’t deny the strength, aggression and shear violence of his releases. And as good as they are, they don’t touch his live performances.

 

Ke/Hil : Ephedrin
Hellstation LP
If your even a passing fan of Industrial, you will recognize the names of Brigant Moloch and Wilhelm Herich, both are active members of Anenzephalia and Genocide Organ respectively. It’s an amazing journey through old school Industrial, Power Electronics and Dark Ambient textures. Highly recommended.

Luftwaffe : Ere I Perish
Ere I Perish CD
You’re not going to name your band Luftwaffe and not ruffle a few feathers, and this Chicago duo ruffle more feathers than a fox in a hen house. Masterfully merging NeoFolk melodies with Industrial aggression, listening to this disc gives me that dread feeling in the pit of my stomach, kind of like when my mother would yell for me with my first and middle name. You just know you’re in trouble.

Hawkwind : The Watcher
Doremi Fasol Latido CD
From 1972, a classic track from a classic band. You kids today could learn a thing or two from Lemmy…totally evil without even trying.

 

Bain Wolfkind : Pimp Stick
Music For Lovers And Gangsters CD
A now classic disc of laid-back cool from the vocalist of Der Blutharsch. Enough characters reeking of cheap cologne, Kentucky bourbon, cigarette smoke and desperation to make Nick Cave proud.

 

Mourne : Force
Untold Wait CD
Crust laden Doom from featuring members of Disrupt and one of my all time favorites Filth Of Mankind. I have no idea why it took me so long to find out about these guys. There’s a new album from Profound Lore out now.

 

Funerary Call : Equestrian Seals
Dark Waters Stirred CD
This is from last years release on Australia’s excellent Fall Of Nature label. This track of bleak, Dark Ambient features the commanding vocal presence of Troy Southgate, a noted author as well as vocalist for his own projects H.E.R.R. and Seelenlicht. Recommended.

 

ohGr : screwMe
Undeveloped CD
The brand new album from well known Skinny Puppy vocalist Nivek Ogre. I’m still trying to soak this one end, a lot of it seems a bit tame when put into perspective of his work with Skinny Puppy, but this is a solo effort. Still, this track immediately caught my ear.

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Hell : I

Posted on 05.06.2011 by

2010 : Pesanta
Format : LP

For those of you who have never heard this monolithic Cascadian Doom one man Doom project, don’t beat yourself up over it. I hadn’t either. With only two tapes released that were so limited that you basically had to be a friend, family or room mate to get a hold of, sometimes these things are easy to miss.

But fear not, the wonderful Pesanta label has seen fit to re-release the first offering, simple entitled “I” on beautiful black and red semitransparent vinyl. Originally released on the sadly now defunct Woodsmoke label, the LP version has been remastered to suitably melt the skin from your skull.

Skillfully mixing sludgy feedback, pitch black drones, Sabbath grooves and Ninth Circle vocals, this is a serious Doom masterpiece. This thing is so heavy, all the food in my fridge spoiled, so massive I’m pretty sure if you turned it up loud enough it might actually shift the earth’s axis, with the speed of molasses at the arctic circle. Some oppressive and suffocation, it’s the audial equivalent of a sinking ship.

The LP version is limited to 322 copies, features beautiful black on red Gustave Doré cover art, comes with a 36 x 24 inch poster and a digital download card. Although, playing this thing on an mp3 is kind of like taking a BB gun to Afghanistan, you just need to dust off the turntable for this. This one is essential to all fans of DOOM.

 

Order direct from the label here.

HELL @ metal-archives

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The Rumjacks : Gangs Of New Holland

Posted on 04.08.2011 by

2010 : Laughing Outlaw
Format : CD

Here’s another review that might seem slightly out of place here, but I’ve a deep love for the Celtic Folk Punk sound. And as I’ve said before, “Fuck you…it’s my Haus”. Heh, get your own blogspot er something. And if there’s ever a disc that makes me want to throw down a few pints and offer up a few middle fingers, it’s this one. I’ve been about to wear a laser hole in the thing since ordering it from Oz a few months back. Not a week goes by that I don’t listen to it at least once. It’s that good.

These five lads from New South Wales, Australia had a couple of decent EP’s under there belt before this album, but this full-length has them really finding their own sound. Sure, there’s a ton of bands out there throwing in banjo, a tin whistle and a bodran over some half-assed punk rock riffs, but this album is head and shoulders above anything I’ve heard in years. I’m talking a classic in league with “Red Roses For Me”, “Rum, Sodomy and the Lash”, “Sing Loud, Sing Proud” or “Drunken Lullabies”. These are my classics, by the way.

The whole band is fantastic, but vocalist Frankie McLaughlin’s pack-a-day, pint-a-day delivery immediately pulls you in. And a special nod to Adam Kenny on mandolin and banjo. Seriously, I actually toyed with the idea of learning to play the banjo after listening to this disc a few times. The band is more than adapt whether exploring folkier tunes, like “My Time Again”, a track that always puts a lump in my throat recalling memories of my own ancestors and their struggles,  or the ripsaw precision on “Spit In The Street“. The latter would be at home on any Social Distortion album and features some of my favorite lines:

Where the railway cops lay into the drunks, and the people never seem to see.
And all the posh kids roll to the soulless drivel of a pissy little mp3.

Not everything can be about drinking, heh. Regardless if it’s about the fears, the fun or the struggles or strife, and whether it’s from a modern or historical perspective….these are true working class anthems.

Like I stated above, this is a classic. I just wish they had a bit more exposure in North America. I wasn’t able to find a single distro carrying the disc, but you can score a copy directly from the band or via the label. Yea, it’s a bit pricey for us Yanks, but it’s worth every last penny.

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Andrew King : Emblematic Paintings

Posted on 04.04.2011 by

Timeless : 2011
Format : Hardcover

I first became aware of Andrew King as a musician and wasn’t aware that his artistic career had actually began as a painter. It was through an excellent interview in volume 3 of the Tyr journal that I first became aware of the man as a visual artist. Once aware, I was amazed at how many pieces of his art had passed my gaze over the years, as covers done for his own releases as well as those of others in the Neofolk realm. I became an instant fan, and am now lucky enough to have a print Andrew did for the cover of issue 2 of Hex Magazine gracing my wall.

As Michael Moynihan points out in his brilliant forward, King’s paintings and drawings are steeped in the tradition of William Blake, but also remind me of Austin Osman Spare and at times of M. C. Escher. Intricate, dark and beautiful, these are works to be studied again and again, each time a small nuance you missed before reveals itself. And King’s introduction is both amusing and depressing, as this true “man out of time” reveals his struggles with a fickle and stifling British art culture where, as King so aptly puts it, “celebrates in song and image the vernacular of the indigenous people of the British Isles” falls victim to the current climate of “celebrating diversity”.

At 60 pages, the hardbound book includes the above mentioned forward and introduction, as well as over 40 plates with a catalogue of Andrew’s work, as well as a full listing of his exhibitions, publications and a discography. Limited to only 300 copies, it’s well worth every penny. You can order it direct from the publisher and see some samples here, or copies can also be obtained directly from the artist:

Cost: £15
UK: Free postage
Europe: + £3
US & World: + £5
Payment via Paypal to: andrewstewartking@hotmail.co.uk

andrewstewartking.com

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Occvlta : We Command The Wolves

Posted on 03.04.2011 by

SD&MC/Dying Victims : 2010
Format : CD/Cassette

I’ve been a fan of heavy metal for a little over 30 years. I can still remember the day in eight grade my best friend played “Hell Bent For Leather” and I was pretty much hooked from that day forward. Even after discovering Punk a year later, I still held that flame, even if wasn’t particularly cool to like both at that time. As evident from my reviews, I listen to many, many different styles of music, but throughout metal’s sub-genre shifts, splinters and splits, it’s one that’s part of my being.

That said, in 30 years its very easy to get jaded, disgusted and sometimes a little bored. Then some little reminder of why you do and always will love the genre lands in your lap through some late night drunken ‘net surfing, a podcast or a passing recommendation. Occvlta is one of those bands, rising up through the fodder of mediocrity like a U-boat bent on destruction.

This demo was originally self-released by the band, then as a limited to 100 CD from Sex, Death & Metal Club and finally on vber kvlt kassette via Dying Victims Productions. “We Command The Wolves” is six tracks of Punk infused Blackened Thrash honed to a deadly edge like only the Germans can do it. Flawless drumming, guitars like a Hells Angels rally and Hord’s vocals…imagine if Lemmy Kilmister and Udo Dirkschneider reared a child in some bizarre alternative lifestyle relationship and bottle fed him on the milk of a succubus.

This tape reminds me a lot of Spear Of Longinus and the current era of Darkthrone. “Where Is The Winter” could be easily have fit on the last three DT albums, and I don’t mean as mindless copycatting, but pure necro attitude. No experimental elements, no shoe gazing or thought provoking lyrics, like a bullet belt across your face, it is what it fucking is. This one is completely mandatory.

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Primordial : All Empires Fall

Posted on 02.28.2011 by

2010 : Metal Blade Records
Format : 2 x DVD

Primordial are one of those enigma bands that are hard to pigeon hole, blending elements of Black and Death metal, 70′s Hard Rock as well as Celtic folk influences. For me it’s a recipe for one of the most dynamic, and probably underrated Heavy Metal bands of all time. Due to the bands use of Celtic imagery and several songs proclaiming the deeds of their Irish heritage, most of the time the band is labeled as Pagan Metal, and that works as well as any.

The first disc of this double DVD set begins with a January 2009 show in the bands hometown of Dublin and as you can imagine, the crowd is completely focused on the band. The show is shot with several different cameras, some of them from within the crowd itself. It’s chaotic and constantly moving, shifting seamlessly from one angle to the next. Sometimes throwing in slow motion or slightly out of focus bits just to keep it interesting. As cheesy as it may sound, it does give you the feeling of “being there”. You can almost smell the smoke and beer soaked sweat.

The thirteen tracks pretty much run the gambit of the bands career and the sound is spectacular, a testament to a near 20 year span. I don’t think you can find a set of more accomplished musicians in all of metal. And lording over it all is the corpse painted vocalist Alan Averill. For my money, this guy has the best set of pipes going and….he understands showmanship. He pulls you in like some psychotic Shakespearean actor from bygone days.

And isn’t this what it’s really all about? You’ve got to have the chops to play live and do it well, sure, but why do I want to drop my hard earned cash to see some idiot trying to look as eeevil as possible, standing between some third rate Halloween props or worse yet, some Nathan Explosion look alike who only moves to windmill his hair. Give me 50 foot horned skulls, shooting flames from the nostrils and spitting fountains of blood. Ok, maybe that’s extreme, but give me a fucking SHOW…and Alan knows how to deliver.

And while disc one is just a great concert film, hell, my 14 year old top 40 radio daughter walks in and asks, “Is it wrong that I like this?”, disc two is pure fanboy gold. There’s clips from three festival shows in 2008, interviews and a documentary on the band.

Bottom line, most concert DVDs are “fan only” affairs and can be pretty boring. This is extremely well done and anything but. It’s one I’ve already drug back out a few times and know will continue to earn it’s moneys worth.

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Various : Manifest Destiny: A New World Digest

Posted on 01.27.2011 by

2010 : Triskele Recordings
Format : CD

Compilation recordings are always a hit or miss affair, themed comps even more so, but this surprising release from the newly formed Triskele Recordings label definitely falls on the former. The album is collection of thirteen US artists from the Industrial and Neofolk genres.

The disc kicks off with a down right frightening reworking of “The Battle Hymn Of The Republic” from Chicago aggro-Folksters Luftwaffe: classical guitar, bombastic drums and trumpet! Joining B9 Invid and J1 Statik on vocals is Awen’s Erin Powell, who also happens to be the owner/founder of Triskele.

Up next is a track from legendry composer, song writer and dark crooner, David E. Williams. David’s contribution is a stirring number entitled “The Soil Of Langemark”, heart felt vocals over a subtle synth track recalling a German soldiers exploits in Belgium.

Sean Ragon’s excellent project Cult Of Youth delivers the folky, upbeat “Blackbird”. This guy can really do no wrong. I’ve yet to hear of CoY track I didn’t like.

I knew nothing of Valence before hearing “Stolen Wine” on this comp: mournful female vocals with the occasional male duet, medieval drums, guitar and flute. It’s pretty standard fare, but good none the less.

Next up is the fantastic In Ruin. If you don’t have their “A Ghost To Be Forgotten” album, you’re definitely missing out. Here the offer “Reckoning”, haunting vocals, violin and acoustic guitar. Any fan of :Of The Wand & The Moon: will love this.

Above mentioned label head and comp mastermind Erin Powell’s own band Awen delivers up “The Iconoclast” about William Cowper Brown, the vehemently anti-Christian Texas writer/publisher. This is one of my favorite recent tracks from the group. Never one to be taken at face value, writhing through the acoustic guitar, ambient undertones and the beautiful backing vocals of Katrin X, are delicately placed sounds that might seem off-kilter in any other band. How often do you see a credit for “Colt pistol cocking”? Excellent choice, referring to Brann’s deadly duel with Tom Davis that ended the lives of both men.

Next up is the kinder, gentler side project of the gents from Luftwaffe, Gnomonclast. “Without Corruption” has a slight martial edge to it, but marches you through a forest of psychedelic scenery.

Fellow Texan’s Verdandi are next with “Ragnarok”. The band consists of the lads from electro-industrialist Asmodeus X and author of Northern traditions Alice Karlsdóttir on vocals. I can’t say enough good things about this project. For this track the gentlemen lay down atmospheric ambience as the focus definitely lies on Karlsdóttir’s spoken words.

Next is band I knew of, but knew little about, C.O.T.A. (an acronym for Children Of The Apocalypse). “Dream” is minimalist, but extremely catchy, ambient sounds, heavy percussion and an Eastern flair. I liked it a lot.

Eric K is a talented multi-instrumentalist who’s also serves as a member of Awen. This is another great track, heavy on percussion but with nice, melodic elements and the surprising voice of Eric himself. Who knew?

H8! I know nothing about and after a quick search on the net, I know even less. “The Hour Is Hate” is strange track full of analogue synth sounds, hissy background noises and vocals that remind me of a slightly pissed Richard Leviathan.

Next is “Project MK-Ultra” from my all-time favorite US industrial duo Steel Hook Prostheses. The combination of terrorizing darker than dark ambience, rhythmic death industrial sounds and creepy samples will make you turn all the lights on in the house. fantastic.

Closing out the disc is another member of Awen, Per Nilsson’s project. A few of you might recognize the name from Texas based electro-industrial band Replicate as well as a handful of other projects including this incarnation as Deform Uniform. “Imminent Death” invokes an impressive array of aggresive Dark Ambient sounds with a healthy dose of full-on Noise.

So there you have it, the second release from Triskele Recordings. It’s a nice collection of American underground musicians and definitely worth the effort to track down. You can order it directly from the label or at finer distros world wide.

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Hugh Morrison : Robert Burns Rocks

Posted on 01.19.2011 by

Self Released : 2010
Format : CD/Digital

As you’ve probably realized by now, I have more than a passing love of Folk music. Most of what you’ll read about on the pages of this site fall under the “neo” moniker, which I’ve stated on many occasions I’m not particularly fond of. It’s about as vague as “rock”. As I’ve grown older and delve deep into studying my own heritage, I’ve become increasingly addicted to traditional Celtic music, and by that I don’t mean elaborate spectacles like Celtic Woman or any of those dreadful river dancers, but the real deal.

Scotland born and Houston, TX based Hugh Morrison fits the bill. This album features the poems of Robert Burns set to traditional Scottish sounds, though nary a bagpipe in earshot. Instead Morrison focuses on his weapon of choice, the accordion. But before you click “next”, this guy plays the accordion like Charlie Daniels handles a fiddle. I never thought I’d see the day I’d appreciate this instrument, but I blame sleepless nights as Tejano drifted through my bedroom walls for its bad reputation. Check out “Ye Jacobites By Name” and see if doesn’t change your mind.

Equal parts romps and ballads, all delivered with Morrison’s gruff vocals, kind of like a younger, soberer and Scottish Shane MacGowan. “Rocks” tends to be used as an adjective, as these are definitely traditional folk sounds with the accompaniment of two members of Celtic Rockers Murder The Stout, who Hugh also fronts, and Johnny Rioux on guitar of Boston-based punkers The Street Dogs, whom Morrison has also played with. Now you’re starting to get the picture.

So while seeming completely out of character for me, it fits nicely into my weekly rotation, and I have grown that fond of this disc. But there’s plenty of places to sample it for yourself.

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Birth A.D. : Stillbirth Of A Nation

Posted on 01.14.2011 by

Self Released : 2009
Format : CD/10″ EP

I remember being maybe 19 or 20 when I first heard the term “crossover”. Being a punk rock kid that never lost his taste for Heavy Metal, this was a godsend. For me, my introduction to the genre was S.O.D., as opposed to the masses who probably first heard of it through Texas legends DRI.

Low and behold, Texas must be a hotbed (heh) for this melting pot of heavy styles. For bursting onto the “scene” like a mummified fetus from a long dead womb and taking their place among the Texthrash elite along with the above mentioned DRI and The Angry Iranians From Hell (who sadly I only learned of a few months ago). So who cares about some purveyor of ancient stylings you might ask? Well, it never really went away, but morphed into similar styles, or in most cases, just had a new label applied, like Thrash.

And what sets this band apart from the other bazillion metal thrashing madsters out there? Pedigree. A few of you might recognize Jeff Tandy on bass and Mark Perry on drums from Texas Black Metal heavyweights Averse Sefira. Guitarist Brian Morrison also plays in the Death Metal outfit Death Of Millions. But far from being some quirky side project of said bands, this is a finely honed entity in it’s own right, but I do believe they bring the musical prowess and power some other Thrash bands are lacking.

While lyrically the songs are sung with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but you also get the idea of a certain “Fuck You All” philosophy that probably has more than a seed of truth to it: Kill Everybody, Bring Back The Draft, No Man, Parasites Die and (a cover of the above mentioned Angry Iranians) Blow Up The Embassy. As well as political unrest: Equal Opportunity, Failed State as well as just general chaos: Cause Problems, No Jobs (Don’t Work).

For me, this album reminded me why I loved punk rock and metal to begin with and one I find myself throwing on for a repeat listen ever few weeks. Excellent old school zine style collage art cover, this one is definitely worth tracking down.

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T.E.F. : Consequences In Conversation

Posted on 12.17.2010 by

Dada Drumming : 2010
Format : CD

Kevik Novak (aka T.E.F.) was one of the first of a handful of Noise artists that immediately sucked me into the genre. Truly a master at his craft, using sound like William Burroughs used words to deconstruct and reconstruct as something new and sometimes a little frightening. This what I’d imagine fires across the synapses of an artificial intelligence powered android, bits of information flying at the speed of light and beyond human comprehension.

Seven untitled tracks, it’s the soundtrack to the world falling apart. Sometimes the barrage of sound is so intense it’s like being caught in an earthquake at a scrap yard, a swarm of metal insects destroying a skyscraper. There’s a strange symphonic beauty to the cacophony of beeps, squawks, buzzes and rumbles, with Novak pushing buttons and twisting the knobs like some Wagnerian madman hell bent on destruction. I once heard T.E.F. described as “feeling like the floor had fallen out from beneath me”, and that’s a damned apt description…even if it’s not mine.

In an era where any kid with two effects pedals, a contact mic and a beard refers to himself as a “noise artists”, its nice to know there are still a few around that know the meaning of the words. Released in nice digipak packaging with some cool minimalist art by Carlos Pozo on the (thankfully) back in the saddle Dada Drumming label, this one gets two thumbs up if you’re in the mood for some well crafted power cuts.

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Inquisition : Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm

Posted on 12.15.2010 by

No Colours : 2010
Format : CD/LP

Being a music addict isn’t easy. Constantly looking for the next high and rarely finding satisfaction tends to make you jaded. You won’t stop looking. You can’t stop looking. And it’s the need that drives you, but sadly you rarely find that big score. The fix that satisfies like no other. That elusive album that you care to listen to more than once. The one you hit repeat and bask in. If there was one album I’d been looking forward to this past year since hearing of its imminent release, “Ominous Doctrines” was it, and the gods heard my plea.

To begin with, comparing Inquisition to your typical “Satanic Black Metal” band does them a disservice. Not that they claim to be anything else as well as the paths they’ve taken and the doctrines they profess identical to many before them and many to come, the key is in the execution. While the band can still rip through a song at scorching speed, displaying their thrash metal roots without shame, it’s the slower, mid-paced, near Doom tracks that suck me in. The use of sound to induce hypnosis, manipulating melodies and bending chords to pull the listener into a trance state, dissonance as a key to unlock the path to the pathways to the void, all the while driven by machine precision drumming and the Abbath on steroids croak of Dagon.

Songs beginning with breakneck speed and then alternating with slower, mid-paced intervals abound. Inquisition are fond of the juxtaposition of speed and the abrupt descent into those crawling, creeping passages, but with such finesse the flow is never disrupted. It always feels…right. And never content with typical sound structures, the guitar can appear as a mandolin or some Eastern European stringed instrument. But while I can find no fault with any of the tracks, the band shines their brightest in moments like “Desolate Funeral Chant”, one of my favorites on the album. This track is just over seven minutes long, but so spellbinding you will literally lose track of time. All encompassing in its dark beauty, it’s the vortex of the spinning black sun, pulling you down, relentless and cold.

Lyrically it isn’t hard to figure out where their alliances are, but while a lot of Black Metal bands come off cartoonish or clichéd, there’s no doubt Production wise this album is immaculate, capturing the fury of the bands’ sound and bringing out all the subtle nuances they are capable of without sounding polished or “clean”. I loved the last full-length, “Nefarious Dismal Orations”, but at times had a hard time wrapping my head around the sound. This time it’s dead-on perfect. The cover art is another incredible piece by Antichrist Kramer, who has offered his services on the past two full lengths and the “Ancient Cult” reissue. At the time of this writing I’m eagerly awaiting the album’s release on vinyl, just to see it as it should be. The fold-out insert also features lyrics.

Being an unabashed fan of this band for several years now, of course my opinion is biased. At the end of the day all reviews are, bending to the tastes of those doing the writing. But what I can offer is honesty from my humble view point. For years I thought “Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer” was probably the pinnacle of the bands career, and an album I still listen to regularly. That being said, this is without a doubt my favorite metal release of the year and will easily make my top ten of all time. Heavy praise, I know, but one it deserves. Co-released by Icarus in Latin America and Hells Headbangers in the US, this shouldn’t be hard to find. So do it.

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