Goodbye Blogspot!

After a long dry spell on this blog, I've come to the realization that the format of random album reviews has me uninspired to keep on posting. But rather than quit altogether, I decided to start a new music blog on Tumblr where I'll be focusing on new music that I'm really passionate about. There will still be some reviews, although probably shorter and less analytical, the purpose of this new blog will be to share new music with other music lovers, as well as continuing to be an outlet for my own obsession.

Reviewing random albums was a challenge, and it was fun for a little while. But I'm simply too caught up with new music to keep on digging into the archives of my music library and often forcing myself to care. Thanks to anyone who read and/or enjoyed my blog posts on this site, and I hope you follow me into the new year with my new blog at http://headphonereverence.tumblr.com

Something New

This weekend I'll be driving through the Rockies to Canada's mystical rain-drenched land of live music and seafood: Vancouver. It's BeatRoute Magazine's 5 year anniversary, and to celebrate they're throwing a party, a weekend-long festival to be exact. I'm driving all this way to see one band in particular: United Nations. It's not that I'm some snob who is only gonna show up for one band at a festival. Sadly it's a matter of getting time off work and travelling from 10 hours away. But for those in the area, I'm envious. The entire weekend looks packed with amazing artists and live sets.

Regardless, I believe this is gonna be one kick-ass show and as such I'm going to try my first live show review. If this goes well and I have fun writing it, I might try some local write-ups when I get back. Who knows? The world is my oyster. Here's a jaw-dropping track from UN's latest masterpiece, The Next Four Years.

New Jay Rock Track - "Pay for It"

Jay Rock, the oft overlooked member of the Top Dawg Entertainment crew, has just dropped a new track which features fellow TDE label mate Kendrick Lamar as well as singer Chantal. Jay Rock's 2011 album Follow Me Home was one of my favourite TDE debuts, channeling some classic West Coast gangster rap vibes and really showcasing Jay Rock's unapologetic tell-it-like-it-is personality. So of course Jay Rock's next album has been my most anticipated of the new crop of TDE releases this year. After listening to "Pay for It" I feel even more assured that this guy's next album is going to be Epic with a capital E.

Jay Rock is an enterprising artist, and with some incredibly sombre violins and pianos behind this track it seems that he is unafraid of moving into new sonic territory. Not only is the track very different from anything on Follow Me Home, but Jay Rock's gravelly voice seems to fit perfectly overtop a slow moving track like this one. Typically Kendrick seems to be a show stealer when he's featured on a track, but on this one I can't help but give Jay Rock's aggressive verses my full attention. Give it a listen and get stoked for a second studio album, hopefully soon!

Pianos Become The Teeth - New Album Out Soon

Pianos Become The Teeth are a band I was introduced to at the same time as a number of other post-screamo bands. La Dispute, Touche Amore and Ruiner were just a few similar bands that I got really into during this time, and as a result PBTT kind of slipped through the cracks as just another group riding this wave.

However, with a brand new album on the horizon (Keep You is dropping on Oct 28th) things have apparently taken an interesting turn. The song Repine shows a band who've decided to change their sound dramatically by losing the screaming and the hardcore song structure in exchange for some beautiful post-rock guitar builds and fantastic clean vocals. PBTT gained my interest earlier this year when their rhythm section collaborated with United Nations on their amazing new album The Next Four Years. But with this new effort, Pianos have earned my full and undivided attention. Check out Repine above, and stream the entire album over at Pitchfork right now!

42Ghosts // Death Grips - Triple Ex Military (2012)

42Ghosts - Triple Ex Military (2012)

If I were to describe the outlandish hip-hop art project that is Death Grips in one word, especially to someone who may be expecting, well... hip-hop, I'd probably use the term unconventional. Before becoming an overnight internet sensation, blowing up on media sites like Pitchfork and YouTube review channels like The Needle Drop, Death Grips released a groundbreaking album titled Ex Military early on in 2011. The debut featured a lunatic known as MC Ride (Stefan Burnett) spitting some twisted and head-scratching rhymes overtop of some equally dark and twisted beats from the minds of drummer Zach Hill (who's own impressive back catalogue is well-revered by critics) and producer Andy "Flatliner" Morin. But with their latest couple of releases, Death Grips (who recently announced their disbandment) have become a bit predictably unpredictable. Which is why a remix album like 42Ghosts' Triple Ex Military is so exciting to listen to.

There is no shortage of remixed Death Grips material, and much of it attempts to "out-weird" the group themselves. Take the Much Love Deep Web series of mash-ups that paired MC Ride's aggressive rap with the musical stylings of artists like Marvin Gaye or Elton John. But if we're being honest with ourselves, as funny as these artists may sound overtop of one another, mashups like these are pretty difficult to enjoy. This makes Triple Ex Military something remarkable: a Death Grips remix that doesn't suck, isn't ironic, and is something with a completely original sound of its own. Essentially, what 42Ghosts have done with select tracks from the original Ex Military is chop up, splice, speed up and slow down MC Ride's vocals overtop of some fantastic and (surprise!) highly conventional hip-hop beats.

The most important thing that 42Ghosts do in re- configuring Ex Military is that they treat MC Ride's vocals as any other instrument or sound to be sampled on the album. On this remix, Ride is even less intelligible than normal with his voice being sped up and chopped up to match some very groove-oriented beats. The track Blood Creepin takes Ride's wailing "Ohh woah-oo-whoa-oo-whoa!"(and not much else) from the original song, and mixes it over a classic organ piano sample to become one of the catchiest hooks on the album. Other mind-blowing tracks include Klink, a wobbly off-kilter bass line with a creepy vibe that couldn't sound more different from the original track. Takyon is another song that made me do a double take, I had to go back and listen to the original track again and pair it against the remix just to make sure I was hearing the same song. Culture Shock, Spread Eagle Across the Block and I Want It I Need It also get a grimy boom-bap makeover that turns them into entirely new and original songs with value that goes beyond simply being Death Grips remixes.

Triple Ex Military is by far the best Death Grips remix I have heard so far. It's a perfect album for  whenever you're tired out from Death Grips' pure experimental energy and just want to bump to something you can easily nod your head to. 42Ghosts have taken Death Grips' unclassifiable and innovative sound and appropriated it for their own means, which really makes this more of their own project. Much like when I listen to a cover song, I hope for a new and different take on a familiar song. I don't want to hear someone do their most accurate impression of the artist they're covering or I'd go to the nearest karaoke bar. 42Ghosts take ownership of Triple Ex Military, and the result is something fresh.

Mastodon - Blood Mountain (2006)

Mastodon - Blood Mountain (2006)

This review was a bit of a challenge for me. It's been a long time since I've listened to anything from this album, and all I could remember was that I used to consider Blood Mountain to be a standout record amongst Mastodon's discography; but I could not for the life of me remember why that was. Upon listening to it again I've gathered a few thoughts, but my perception has definitely changed a bit in eight years.

First off, the reason I have fond memories of Blood Mountain isn't because I was in love with the album as a whole (something I definitely realized after playing it from start to finish). It's because there are some kick-ass Mastodon tracks on this thing that I almost forgot existed until I heard them blasting through my ears once again. Songs like the opener The Wolf is Loose kick things off with a relentless barrage of rolling drums and metal riffage. Other album highlights include Sleeping Giant which has this incredibly beautiful reverb-soaked guitar hook that I could happily listen to for days. The song remains incredible up until the very end where it seems to be interrupted by an awkwardly chunky guitar riff and some pretty dorky sounding spoken word vocals. Circle of Cysquatch, Hunters of the Sky, and Hand of Stone were also songs that I could instantly jam to even after so many years. All of these songs reminded me why Blood Mountain stood out in my memory as my go-to Mastodon record.

Although I do love a handful of tracks on Blood Mountain, I can't say I really enjoy this thing as a whole. The reason has to do with the fact that Mastodon lean towards the more prog and musically technical side of stoner metal, and much like my least favourite prog-rock acts (aka. Dream Theatre and Rush) they tend to wander into jam-session mode; which to me gives off a look-what-I-can-do kind of vibe whilst leaving the listener bored out of their socks. And while technically Mastodon are very proficient musicians, the end result of this musical masturbation are songs like Bladecatcher and Capillarian Crest, the former of which sounds like it could have been a cutting room floor instrumental track, and the latter of which was so jam-packed with guitar solos that I struggled to listen to it all the way through. These songs just don't hold my attention the way that Mastodon do when they're playing heavy, sludgy hooks or beautiful ear-buggy harmonies.

The only other thought I came up with while listening to Blood Mountain is that Mastodon don't seem to have any agenda behind their music aside from being creative purely for creativity's sake. This is totally cool, their songs are as bright, colourful and detailed as their album covers and are often quite enjoyable. However, this doesn't really inspire any kind of a mood or atmosphere for me the way that similar artists like Baroness have proven capable of with their latest albums. Instead, the only "atmosphere" that comes to mind when I listen to Mastodon is one of being surrounded by long hair, epic beards and denim jackets that smell like weed. And that's totally cool too. But the marker I tend to use when distinguishing good music from great music is the artists ability to put me in a headspace, to build an atmosphere and to offer a real listening experience that stays with me long after the last track has finished.

This has turned into a pretty long-winded review so I'm going to end it here. All in all, Blood Mountain showcases some of my favourite Mastodon songs, but taken as a whole it kind of turns into a snooze fest for me. Regardless, I still think Blood Mountain can serve as a good introduction to anyone who is new to the band or metal music in general.

Pygmy Lush - Old Friends (2011)

Pygmy Lush - Old Friends (2011)

Wow I didn't mean to take this long of a break from reviewing albums, but things come up and people get busy, that's just how shit goes. Anyway it feels good to be writing again, and it feels even better to be reviewing Old Friends, the third studio album by Virginia noisecore act turned folk outfit Pygmy Lush. This album not only sees the band leave their hardcore roots completely in the dust (three of the members used to play for Pg.99) in favour of an all out acoustic indie-folk sound, but it is also their most mature and well-constructed album yet. Old Friends is the album where Pygmy Lush finally seem to discover their sound: warm and beautiful americana-soaked indie folk.

Not only is Old Friends probably the best Pygmy Lush album to date, I also think it happens to be one hell of a Fall season album. Its beautifully mixed acoustic guitar harmonies and slightly bluesy folk music vibe give it enough warmth for summer, while its melancholic lyrics and relatively down-tempo pace make it sound almost cold enough for winter. On Old Friends, Pygmy Lush find this perfect balance between emotions of peaceful bliss and lingering sadness, stick with it throughout the whole album, and in the end they absolutely nail the atmosphere that they seem to have been going for. I dare you to listen to a track like Night at the Johnstown Flood and not feel totally at ease with your life, while at the same time the song's lyrics impart some obscure sense of loss. As reverberating vocals sing "can't stay up all night and I can't see you anymore" it seems unclear what exactly was lost, but the melancholy nature of Old Friends carries through every song, even on its warmest and most upbeat tracks.

As far as standout tracks go, it's difficult to choose with an album as solid and holistic as Old Friends. But a few songs stood out as the most memorable to me on repeat listens. Chance seems to hold its own as a highlight of the album. With an incredibly catchy acoustic hook and some absolutely gorgeous harmonies, Chance is probably my favourite song on the album. It feels all at once beautifully self-assured with a soaring acoustic harmony, and lyrically trepidatious with a chorus that ends with "we don't have a chance to heal ourselves." Other fantastic songs include the aforementioned Night at the Johnstown Flood, Penny On My Deathbed (the most pensively sad song of the album), Admit, and In A Well. But if you like these individual songs, chances are you're going to listen to and love the entire album anyway.

I'm not sure what other praises I can sing to recommend buying and listening to this album as soon as humanly possible. Like always, you can follow the link below the album artwork to sample a song from the record for yourself.

Do like I do, put your headphones on and go for a long walk through the falling leaves on a warm night with Old Friends as your soundtrack. God knows this season doesn't last long in Calgary, so get to it!

Now Streaming: Code Orange - I Am King

The Code Orange Kids are all grown up now, they've changed their band name to simply "Code Orange" and they are releasing a follow up to their Deathwish Inc. debut. I have really been looking forward to this release. Pretty much all of the band's previous material is fantastic, and seeing them live made me realize just how badass Code Orange is. The group is a four piece, everyone shares vocal duties and they absolutely kill the stage while they're at it.

Does I Am King live up to the Deathwish Inc. debut Love Is Love//Return To Dust? The new release is available for streaming in full on Youtube, check it out for yourself.

Gesaffelstein - Aleph (2013)

Gesaffelstein - Aleph (2013)

Another contributor to 2013's most divisive album, Kanye's strange alt-rap experiment Yeezus, was French producer Mike Levy, otherwise known by his stage name, Gesaffelstein. He worked on one of the album's more accessible singles, Black Skinhead, as well as contributing the jarring, high-frequency squeals of Send It Up. Gesaffelstein's contributions to these tracks should be readily apparent after giving his full length, titled Aleph, a proper listen. Levy's sound of choice is incredibly thick, layered, bass-heavy and ominous. Listening to Aleph leaves me with a mental image of some dark, cyberpunk club playing Gesaffelstein's industrial techno at deafening volume while the world outside crumbles apart from the sheer sound of it all.

I was first introduced to this album after stumbling upon the must-see music video for the song Pursuit. It's full of guns, fighter jets, scientists, iron fists, golden statues, and naked butts, all beautifully captured in a series of expanding wide frame shots. It also suits the mood of Gesaffelstein's music very well. The song is a raging club banger, only for a club you'd probably regret going to. Alongside Pursuit, this album offers a number of other songs that fit this category as well. Obsession is a nightmarish, pounding beat that continually grows louder and louder. Hellifornia is a super twisted and sickly version of some trap music hook you'd likely hear in an average club. Duel is simply a relentless techno assault. Hate or Glory is infused with the same kind of darkness that permeated Pursuit. And Trans seems like an appropriate techno banger to end your night at the club from the deepest corner of hell.

In between all these tracks of industrial techno insanity are a number of ethereal "head-space" songs that Gesaffelstein uses to give Aleph a bit of range, and I can only assume to give the listener a break from the heart-pounding pace of this hour-long album. Herein lies the only problem for me, I find that Aleph would have been an easier listen without these soft, spacey tracks littered throughout. Better to go all out and make a shorter, bat-shit-crazy album than one that wanders off on strange and unfamiliar tangents, but that's probably just my opinion (as is this entire blog dontcha know). There are also two fairly strange tracks that feature the same spoken word artist (does anyone know who this is?), the intro Out of Line, and Destinations. These songs are definitely interesting, I think they really add to the creepy, cyberpunk atmosphere of Aleph so I appreciate them as a break from the merciless techno assault that is every other track on this record.

I think that Aleph might have been better as a shorter but more ruthless album, keeping to the raging techno beats that seem to be Gesaffelstein's staple sound rather than venturing off into other territories. But at the end of the day, I find myself coming back to Aleph over and over. It's just one of those highly-addicitive, high-energy albums that I love; but it's also one that involves me skipping over a lot of tracks.

Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork (2013)

Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork (2013)

Queens of the Stone Age are one of those bands that I slept on for far too long. I mean, I was familiar with No One Knows when it became a radio hit and chart success back in 2002-03, but I also had an unhealthy addiction to Slayer at this point and sadly QOTSA just weren't doing it for me. Once my musical horizons broadened a bit, I went back and revisited all of Songs for the Deaf and loved it. But with this latest release from the heavy rock titans, titled ...Like Clockwork, I can confidently say I have a new favourite QOTSA record.

It's not that often I find an album where I love every song. ...Like Clockwork is one of those albums. The band has developed a reputation for crafting some of the best modern rock songs of the 2000s, with a heavy garage rock sound and psychedelic tinges. But in comparison to all of QOTSA's past discography, this album is generally much darker, gloomier and more dramatic, making the record stand out as a whole. And when it comes down to individual tracks, Clockwork holds it's own against even the catchiest and heaviest of QOTSA songs. Tracks like My God Is The Sun, the album's natural apex placed directly in the middle of it all, has had plenty of radio play as the album's lead single. But this song is best heard in the context of the album; it's energetic and climatic build fits perfectly as the centrepiece for the entire record.

Although I love this record as a whole, I still have some favourite tracks that stood out to me upon multiple listens. The slow, sludgy march of Keep Your Eyes Peeled is the best way to open an album like this, like trudging through a swamp of heavy rock and thick, mucky distortion. Kalopsia takes you up into the clouds with gentle, breezy piano and guitar harmony before suddenly allowing you to plummet back down to earth with an amazingly heavy guitar hook. Fairweather Friends sounds like it might betray the dreary atmosphere of this album with a beautiful piano harmony and epic chorus, only to end with a hilariously abrupt "I don't give a shit about them anyhow." And finally, the closing song and title track ...Like Clockwork starts as a heartfelt ballad with the potential to become very corny very quickly, but luckily it feels totally natural by this point with a beautifully melancholic piano/cello harmony. This song ends the album on an appropriately dark note, both lyrically ("one thing that is clear: it's all down hill from here") and musically with one last reverberating cello note.

Apparently, the title of the album reflects QOTSA's dark sense of humour, a fatalistic idiom that reveals the band members' attitudes when faced with difficult situations even after a major victory. But the title is also an indicator that ...Like Clockwork is one of the band's most focused works yet. It's a dark, gloomy and sometimes humorous album in a sick sort of way. And because it engaged me with every single crunchy guitar riff and soaring melody that it has to offer, it stands as my favourite Queens of the Stone Age album yet.

A Word About Rap Music in 2014

As far as hip-hop goes, I was pretty bummed by a number of disappointments this year. Oxymoron was pretty dull, Ab-Soul's newest effort was just bad in my opinion, YG's My Krazy Life was a little bit too dumb, and Shabazz Palaces released an interesting psychedelic electro album, but still far from the hip-hop I was expecting. Even some hyped albums like Stepbrothers' Lord Steppington and Open Mike Eagle's Dark Comedy I couldn't really get into.

Then I recently got to thinking, despite the letdowns there's still been quite a good crop of hip-hop and rap this year that I've enjoyed. Many of these artists I've just discovered. Antwon, clipping. Michael Christmas and Mick Jenkins have had a steady rotation on my iPod this year. And there's still a lot to look forward to later in 2014 (Blanco's first full length, NehruvianDOOM, Jay Rock's debut??) So here's a playlist of some of my favourite hip-hop tracks this year. Just follow the links for the songs.

(Update: I forgot to mention rapper/producer Jonwayne is dropping a fresh new track every friggin' monday. Check 'em out on Soundcloud)

Jazz - Mick Jenkins, from The Water(s)

Y'all Trippin' - Michael Christmas, from Is This Art?

Attak - Danny Brown (produced by Rustie)

Cold Tears - Antwon, from Heavy Hearted in Doldrums

Story 4: Sleeplessly Embracing (Alt-J Remix) - clipping.

Old English - feat. Young Thug, Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg

Shitsville - Freddie Gibbs, from Piñata (produced by Madlib)

Dat Strong - Leather Corduroys

Bow Down (feat. Denzel Curry) - Deniro Farrar, from Rebirth EP

Six Degrees (feat. Danny Brown) - Ghostface Killah (produced by BADBADNOTGOOD)

Canal - Ratking

Wish You Would - Mykki Blanco, from Sprng/Summer 2014 EP

Just Desserts - Cakes Da Killa, from Hunger Pangs

Mind of Asian - Chinmoku No Kiri No Naka (2006)

Mind of Asian - Chinmoku No Kiri No Naka (2006)

I totally forgot about this record until now when it came up on the old music library. Let me start by saying that this album is an absolute blast to listen to. It's a lot of fun, and it never fails to put me in a good mood. The only problem is that I had to play it at least three times just now because the thing is only 11 minutes long.

Chinmoku No Kiri No Naka is one of those interesting cases in which you can't judge an album by its cover art. Mind of Asian are an all female crossover thrash band from Tokyo, Japan. Not something that really screams "pink watercolour art" to me, but to each their own. From its punch-in-the-face introduction to the final hardcore-punk steeped guitar riff, this album absolutely rages. But for all its short and fast intensity there's still quite a bit of variety on this thing as well. Songs switch from being upbeat and punk-ish (like No Rain, No Rainbow) to incredibly pissed-off fastcore (Nights Without A Noise). The latter of these two tracks has this awesome galloping bass lead that makes me want to play the song over and over. This brings me to my next point... all of these songs are memorable despite being an average of one minute in length. That's quite a feat for any band within this scope of music genres.

Unfortunately, as far as lyrics go I am at a total loss. All I know is that Japanese, being a super fast-paced language (especially to someone who doesn't understand it) seems to lend itself to the speed-oriented genres of thrash, fastcore, grind and power violence. M.O.A.'s vocals go hand in hand with their music in making Chinmoku No Kiri No Naka such a bloody fast album. I also love the gang vocals that permeate M.O.A.'s sound, making every track sound like it's being played in some packed and sweaty house show.

This is one of those records that got me interested in genres like fastcore and powerviolence in my post high-school years. Bang your head to Nights Without a Noise in the link above and start a circle pit even if you're alone, I highly recommend it.

Onyx - BACDAFUCUP (1993)

Onyx - BACDAFUCUP (1993)

Since it's release in 1993, Onyx' debut album BACDAFUCUP has become a gangster rap classic. To quote the song Shifftee, the rap group's sound is "low down, gritty and grimy"... not to mention violent, manic and hostile. But the albums sound is also very jazz influenced, thanks to main producers Chyskillz and Jam Master Jay, making Onyx sound like a completely unhinged Wu Tang Clan. Contributing to this sound is the fact that the majority of BACDAFUCUP is literally shouted by Onyx members Fredro Starr, Big DS (R.I.P.), Sonny Seeza, and Sticky Fingaz (by far the loudest of the group). No song on the album brings this deranged feeling as much as the hit single and rap music classic Slam, in which Sticky Fingaz delivers one of the hardest verses I've ever heard. Seriously, the guy sounds like he's going to explode.

Speaking of Slam, this song is one of the main reasons why I still really dig this album. The song is built on one of the most sampled breakbeats in hip-hop, Mohawk's The Champ, but every time I hear this song sampled by any artist I immediately think of Slam. There are some other great songs on this album, like Stik 'n' Muve, Onyx is Here, Throw Ya Gunz, and Shifftee to name a few. But overall, every song on the album flows smoothly into the next thanks mostly to the smooth jazzy production and Onyx' penchant for gang vocals, which seem to tie every song together into a holistic experience.

Although it should be clear by now that I do enjoy listening to BACDAFUCUP, the album wasn't enough to make me an Onyx fan. After listening to the whole album all the way through (which is the best way to listen to BACDAFUCUP) I started to get the feeling that Onyx is a one-trick pony. They have a unique sound which they really nail with this debut... but it's not something that made me want to listen to their other albums. The flow on each song is nearly identical to the next, and by the end of the experience I felt like I've heard everything that Onyx has to offer. The lyrical themes of sex and violence get old pretty fast too, but that's just gangster rap for the most part. On a total side note, I can't help but laugh whenever I hear the closing track (Getdafucout) play, in which Onyx scream at me to "turn that shit the fuck off! Now! Turn it OFF!" keeping with the album's general theme of shouting every single lyric to the very end.

At the end of the day, BACDAFUCUP delivers a unique (see: very loud) sound and some incredible jazzy production that will undoubtedly give you a feeling of hip-hop nostalgia. Despite its violence and hostility, the album is actually a really fun listen. Just watch the video for Slam (in the link above) and you'll see that Onyx deliver a certain energy that a lot of rap groups are lacking. The kind of energy that makes you want to crowd surf at a show and join in with the abundance of gang vocals.  Yet, I'm still strangely content with this being the only Onyx album I've ever listened to in full. Maybe someday I'll venture further into the group's discography, but for now BACDAFUCUP is good enough for me.

Circle Takes The Square - Decompositions: Volume Number One, Chapter I: Rites of Initiation (2011)

Circle Takes The Square - Decompositions: Volume Number One, Chapter I: Rites of Initiation (2011)

A long, long time ago (2004), Circle Takes The Square released one of the best and most influential debuts in terms of the post-hardcore genre, entitled As The Roots Undo. If you're a fan of the newish wave of post-hardcore acts that have been gaining in popularity lately (ie. Touche Amore, La Dispute, Pianos Become the Teeth, etc.), have a quick listen to Circle Takes the Square and you'll no doubt recognize the group as an influencing factor for all of these bands, not only sonically but also lyrically and stylistically.

The band remained super quiet for a few years after their debut, finally announcing the imminent release of their sophomore album in 2011. Instead, what happened was that CTTS put out the first four songs from their new album as a stand-alone EP, entitled Chapter I: Rites of Initiation, with the full album, Decompositions: Volume I, not being released until a year later in 2012. What I'm reviewing then is this short EP released in 2011. It probably goes without saying that I'm a HUGE fan of the band's debut, so I was absolutely stoked to hear about a new album. When the first taste of new CTTS material was finally released in the form of this EP, I was not disappointed, but I was a bit underwhelmed.

Although CTTS proved to be quite a progressive and groundbreaking band with their debut, I've always described them with the blanket term "screamo" for simplicity's sake. They scream (duh), much like other screamo acts like Orchid and Pg. 99, and their lyrics are also quite emotive and poetic, thus screamo. And this was very true with As The Roots Undo. But with this new direction, CTTS moved a bit further into the territory of progressive metal, every song sounds a bit tighter and slower paced, losing some of the chaotic urgency that was present on As The Roots Undo. 

Partly, my feeling of being underwhelmed is my own fault though, as I couldn't help but hold this album up to its fantastic predecessor. But enough about the debut. This EP is not a bad album in any way, shape or form. The band's songwriting is still mind blowing in terms of poetry. And their ability to craft an atmosphere with songs that continually evolve is fantastic, never having to recycle a single riff, even on the 9-minute long Way of Ever-Branching Paths. The variety of both male and female vocal styles that are shared between guitarist Drew Speziale and bassist Kathleen Stubelek are as engaging as ever; and their uncanny ability to weave mystery and poetry into their vocals is absolutely mesmerizing.

The EP is short, only 4 songs and 24 minutes long, but there is enough here to digest that it takes a few listens to really appreciate. I'd recommend this band to anyone who is into post-hardcore or post-punk, or anyone who enjoys a more artistic and experimental take on hardcore music.

Trust - Joyland (2014)

Trust - Joyland (2014)

Guess what! I'm back from an amazing month-long trip to Europe. I met tons of friendly people, many of whom are just as obsessed with music as I am, which inevitably led to many new musical discoveries that I can't wait to talk about. But as the self-imposed format of my blog dictates, I have to review whatever happens to shuffle out of my library. So it's only fitting that my music library chose a Canadian act to welcome me back home.

Trust is a Canadian electronic music project which now consists solely of producer Robert Alfons. Joyland is Trust's second LP. It's very synth-poppy with some coldwave and video game soundtrack influence, quite similar to fellow Canucks, Crystal Castles. The album was also quite a grower for me, I only really enjoyed a few songs from it at first. But I'm now listening to all of Joyland front to back and finding myself liking it more and more. I think the biggest thing that held me back from really digging this record on first listen was Alfons' strangely robotic singing and the odd buzzy effect that is layered over his voice throughout, not to mention the parts where he pitch shifts his voice to a feminine squeak, like on the title track.

The songs that immediately stood out to me were also the darkest sounding (that tends to happen with a lot of albums I listen to, I'm beginning to think this says something about my personality...). Songs like Icabod and Four Gut are reminiscent of Crystal Castles' gloomier and colder sounding works, but with a distinctly energetic, dance feel that sets Trust apart from other coldwave acts. I also have to say that Alfons' weird vocal style grew on me, with the exception of his pitched up, feminine vocals on the track Joyland which takes centre stage. And even though this album has a rather bleak and chilly atmosphere (edit: I've been told Trust's older material is much darker), like all synth pop it is still incredibly danceable. It's not as if the whole thing is dark and gloomy either, Trust proves to be quite dynamic with some songs, like  Peer Pressure, which is a bit more reminiscent of an old Capcom arcade fighter game than the darker songs in the middle of the album.

Digesting Joyland in its entirety has put Trust on my list of bands to watch in the near future. I'd like to see the project delve a bit deeper into the different styles and atmospheres displayed on this album, perhaps an entire record that sounds a bit more like Icabod and Four Gut, or maybe even an album that takes the video-game influence a bit further. In any case, I'm excited to see what Trust has to offer next.

Favourite Full Lengths of 2014 (So Far)

Here's the last of my lists that I'll post before I leave for July. Don't think of this as a kind of half-finished "best of" list for 2014, but more like a list of albums that I loved a lot. These are all contenders that may or may not show up on my year-end list depending on whether anything else blows them out of the water this year.

Follow the links in the album titles if you want to listen. Tell me what 2014 releases you're still stoked for in the comments (or feel free to tear apart my list too).

See you in August!

20.) Machine Girl - WLFGRL
This is a pretty mind-blowing electronic album that covers a huge range of electronic music, including rave, hardcore, dance and jungle. WLFGRL is packed with energy and never lets off of its aural attack

Hiatus // Best EPs of 2014 (So Far)

See ya, suckers. I'm heading on a month-long trip and most likely won't be touching this blog at all in July. So with that being the case, I thought I'd leave you with a couple of midyear lists (I told you I love lists) to mull over / argue over / agree with / not care about.

First up, here's a quick list of the top five EPs that I've been the most impressed with this year. I'm only one person, I can't listen to everything, so give me your favourites in the comments and let me know what I missed out on.

List of full lengths to come soon.

5.) Evian Christ - Waterfall
The electronic artist Evian Christ, first signed to Tri-Angle and now a G.O.O.D. Music producer, gives us his answer to TNGHT's 2012 self-titled EDM colossus. This short EP is full of massive beats, builds and drops that are overwhelming at full volume. Very different from his spacey debut EP Kings and Them

Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike (2005)

Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike (2005)

Considering how much I love this album, and how many times I've played it, I'm actually surprised that it's the only Gogol Bordello album I've heard. I'm not going to pretend that I'm a huge fan of Gogol Bordello, but as far as Gypsy Punks goes, it's a super fun record and it puts me in a good mood every time I hear it. In fact, the reason why I don't have any other albums by this zany New York punk band is probably because I overplayed Gypsy Punks when I first got my hands on it years ago. It must have been all I listened to for a good month or two. If you're unfamiliar with the group, they're a band formed in Manhattan with a hodgepodge of "world music" influences (in quotes because world music is a stupid term to describe music that's not Western World), mostly Gypsy music, but also ranging from Latin rock to punk and Reggae.

Gypsy Punks is bursting with energy, thanks in part to frontman Eugene Hütz's vibrant personality and thick Ukrainian accent. Eugene's lyrics deal primarily with his immigrant experiences and with Gypsy and punk culture, but it's his voice that takes centre stage as he bellows out songs with indomitable enthusiasm. His lyrics are a mix of English, Ukrainian, Spanish and Portuguese, but often (like on Think Locally, Fuck Globally) he simply loses himself in the music and just sings along without any real words. This fountain of energy also flows from a mix of upbeat violins, accordions, guitars (both electric and acoustic), bass and a wide variety of percussion. The songs are generally uptempo and have a party atmosphere to them, with the exception of a few slower numbers near the end of the album (Illumination and Undestructible). Every culture seems to have it's own form of high-energy music, and this album expertly combines those different cultures together. 

My personal favourites on this album are Sally, I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again, 60 Revolutions, Oh No and Think Locally, Fuck Globally, because they seem to be the most enthusiastic songs on an already vibrant album. I should really stop sleeping on this band and check out what else they have to offer, but for now I'm happy listening to Gypsy Punks over and over again.

Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless (2000)

Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless (2000)

If Jouhou is the transition of Discordance Axis from a decent grindcore band to a great one, The Inalienable Dreamless is Discordance Axis perfected. All the experimentation that was present on Jouhou is fully fleshed out on DA's third and final album, to the point where they've pretty much abandoned all of the most boring conventions of grindcore, and instead use dissonant guitar chords and oddly shifting rhythms (which made Jouhou stand out) to define their entire sound. Take the song A Leaden Stride to Nowhere for example, the song is 4 minutes long (that's about four times longer than the average DA song) and it moves forward in this weird off-tempo march with sustained dissonant chords blaring over the cymbal and kick drum hits. This is something that doesn't really fit with anything the band did on Jouhou, but even so, the song is totally recognizable as DA because of the unique sound they crafted.

I think that one of the biggest changes sonically between Jouhou and Dreamless is Rob Marton's guitar chops. Yes, Dave Witte is still destroying his drum kit with complicated tempos and rolls, and Jon Chang's lyrics are still as poetic and engaging as ever (although being unintelligible, they won't affect you until you read them). But Marton really stepped up his game on Dreamless, writing some absolutely incredible dissonant riffs that follow Witte's crazy drumming patterns perfectly. The guitar slides on The End of Rebirth, and the steady build on the last half of Jigsaw make for some of the more memorable portions of the album. Most grindcore bands sacrifice any sort of beauty or melody in their riffs for straight-forward aggression, but Dreamless combines the two rivalling ideas effortlessly, specifically through Marton's incredible guitar work. That's why Dreamless is probably the only grindcore album to have ever been covered entirely with a violin, because it's a transformation that actually works.

In addition to having matured in song-writing capabilities, Dreamless boasts a much better production quality than it's predecessors, which is fantastic for a band as technically complex as DA. No longer do Chang's croaking growls sound like the muffled guttural ramblings of Jouhou. And Marton's super tight guitar riffs are no longer playing distantly in the background, instead every incredible atonal chord is being played right in your face. But the sound isn't too polished either, it still has the frenetic energy and chaos of a live show, it's just the earplugs that are gone. 

The reason why I love The Inalienable Dreamless so much really boils down to the fact that although it's a technically complex album and just as heavy as any other grindcore album, it's also packed with more feeling and passion than any other grindcore record I've heard. This is an astonishing album, and without a doubt one of the greatest of its genre. It's a must-listen for anyone interested in grind.

Dead Language - Dead Language (2011)

Dead Language - Dead Language (2011)

Dead Language was a one-off power violence project by members of Iron Lung, No Comment, Solutions, Walls and Pig Heart Transplant. This is the kind of no-nonsense power violence that bands like Iron Lung are known for. It's a style of hardcore blended with punk and discordant noise that's very loud, very fast, and very, very angry. It is unadulterated musical ruination in power violence form and it's all over within a mere 20 minutes. In it's respective genre, Dead Language is a very good album, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of power violence or is looking to get into the genre and see what it's all about. The last song in particular, Misanthropy is one of my favourite slow-moving power violence songs on the sludgier side of the genre. That being said, I'd also recommend listening to Iron Lung or No Comment just as strongly as Dead Language because as good as this album is, it doesn't explore any new sounds that the super-group lineup of band members haven't already explored with their previous PV bands.

Dead Language is a culmination of sounds that come from its various members and influences, and its also a damn good power violence album. But at the end of the day, it's also good because it sounds a lot like Iron Lung... and that's not a bad thing. It's not like Dead Language is just some uninspired band ripping off their sound. If you're in the mood for some destructive, angry and noisy anti-music, give this album a listen and you won't walk away disappointed.

Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World (2014)

Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World (2014)

I was first introduced to the mystifying shoegaze outfit Have A Nice Life when I heard that they were releasing a highly anticipated sophomore album this year. After getting wind of the hype that was generating over this release I had to go back and check out the band's critically acclaimed debut album Deathconsciousness, which dropped way back in 2008. I was immediately blown away by how different the band's sound was from other post-rock and shoegaze albums I've heard. Their sound seemed all at once bleak and colossal. Every sound on that album seemed echoey, oddly distorted and somewhat muffled, as if recorded in a cave. But as distorted sounds are continually layered upon distorted sounds, many of the songs on Deathconsciousness take on this massive, orchestrated feel.

So after hearing their debut, I got myself pretty worked up over the release of The Unnatural World. And when I finally did hear it, I wasn't disappointed... not in the least bit. Although it isn't nearly as epic in scope as Deathconsciousness (which is nearly an hour-and-a-half long), that echoey and massively gloomy feeling is still there. Right off the bat, it's apparent that Have A Nice Life are still writing some absolutely colossal sounding songs. Songs like the steadily marching album opener Guggenheim Wax and the monstrous Defenstration Song build into earth-shattering post rock crescendos, while the booming Music Will Untune The Sky layers the band's voices over distorted guitar chords and chimes to create an almost apocalyptic, spiritual vibe.

In the midst of all of these post rock climaxes, the album is not without it's creepy and rather depressing moments as well. The song Cropsey, named after an urban legend and bogey man used to frighten the children of New York, starts with a sample of an interview with "Johnny" a child patient of the controversial (and apparently super haunted) Pennhurst State School and Hospital. The sample is unsettling to say the least, and the song which builds off some eerie chimes, eventually becoming a reverberating orchestra of distortion and pounding drums is easily the most emotionally charged song on the album. The last song, Emptiness Will Eat the Witch is also the albums longest, and rather than build into a crescendo it sets a sprawling depressive soundscape with some droning ambient sounds, a suitable end to a rather dark sounding album.

The Unnatural World is a grim yet sonically massive album. The fact that it was released in February was incredibly appropriate to me, arguably it's the bleakest month in Calgary. But this isn't an album that I'll listen to because it's depressing. Although it has a dark side, the album isn't all doom and gloom, thanks to those huge post rock build-ups The Unnatural World is imbued with a feeling of confidence and courage amidst all the darkness.

Metronomy - The English Riviera (2011)

Metronomy - The English Riviera (2011)

If I had to summarize the sound of Metronomy's third studio album The English Riviera in two words, I would say "summer album." Or I suppose "minimal instrumentation" would work too, since this album seems to be all about getting the most feeling out of the least amount of input. Compared with Metronomy's previous releases, which could be designated comfortably as synth pop, this minimalist sound is very different for the group.

With The English Riviera, Metronomy write some super catchy and breezy sounding songs with a few simple hooks and choruses, some seriously scaled down percussion (think kick, snare, hi hat and a shaker... and that's pretty much it), a bass guitar and occasionally one or two other instruments per song. Rarely is their a wall of sound playing behind the songs because the band utilizes the empty space that exists between notes, which results in some melodies that really pop (thanks to some incredibly clear and crisp production as well). Every single instrument is completely discernible, and the harmonies they create are what make every song interesting. There are no epic choruses or sweeping pop anthems on this album, because even though this is pop music it still has the vibe of a surf rock album. The bright, minimalist instrumentation matches the simplicity of the album artwork. These songs make me feel like I'm kicking back on a beach and just listening to waves.

The singles (She Wants, The Look, The Bay, and Everything Goes My Way) all hold their own as great songs, but they don't overshadow the rest of the album either. Songs like Corrine and the title track are just as sunny and breezy sounding as the lead singles. And while not many of the lyrics were all that memorable to me, both male lead vocals and female backing vocals sound laid back enough to fit with the albums super chill and poppy vibe.

I'm actually pretty stoked to have rediscovered this album (thanks shuffle!) and as soon as this endless downpour of rain lets up and the sun comes back out I'll probably be in the mood to play this album on repeat for a while.

Xrin Arms - Destructo Farm (2012)

Xrin Arms - Destructo Farm (2012)

Underground producer Xrin Arms has put out a lot of material in the last few years, and most of it is accessible for free on one website or another (check out grindcore karaoke if you're interested). If you've never heard Xrin Arms (pronounced "Urine Arms") aka Anthony Vincent, his beats are typically grimy, off-kilter and have a distinct hip-hop vibe to them. When I first heard him, Xrin Arms was a digital grindcore and noise musician who I couldn't really dig. That's changed a bit with his newer material. I think he's beginning to find his niche as a musician even though his beats haven't really caught on within circles of popular "alternative" hip-hop, for a number of reasons.

Destructo Farm is a psychedelic, instrumental hip-hop album. The beats are pretty catchy, even when contrasted with the surreal melodies, guitars, organs and electronic samples that they're played over. The overall vibe of Destructo Farm is one of psychedelic motion sickness, thanks to the weirdly unbalanced nature of Xrin Arms' beats and the phaser-like effect used on many of the album's bizarre melodies. Listening to this makes me feel like I'm trying to keep my feet during a drunken night on some haunted party cruiser. The problem with this feeling is that it gets nauseating pretty quickly. After 38 minutes of the same exact vibe from song to song, the motion sickness starts to take hold and I find myself searching for some other album to give me back my sense of balance

The other factor playing into this feeling of motion sickness is that once Xrin Arms drops a beat in a song, he pretty much sticks to it throughout it's entirety. These songs don't change up much at all, even though they do kind of build (which keeps them from sounding totally monotonous) they don't seem to go anywhere. And while the songs aren't monotonous per se, they are all pretty forgettable due to the fact that they have the exact same atmosphere. The only songs that stood out to me were Worm Galaxy because it seemed to be the one song that really perfected the whole motion sickness vibe, Roadblock Tony + The Never Ending Binge because of its funky guitar and bass rhythm, and The Lowest Profile for its swinging piano sample. But if your whole album can be summed up by a few songs, what's the point in listening to the entire thing?

Destructo Farm plays around with some interesting ideas, but I wish that the songs would go places and get a bit adventurous rather than playing it safe with really simple beats.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Grand Opening and Closing (2001)

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Grand Opening and Closing (2001)

By far the most creative and original band I have heard in my lifetime, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (or SGM for short, or this review will be a pain to write) created a MONSTER of a debut album with Grand Opening and Closing. SGM were an avant-garde band from California, and they were probably the first true experimental band I started listening to. If you asked me to describe their overall sound, or what genre they played, I probably couldn't tell you. But if you could picture a virtual orchestra-worth of instruments, some of which were created by the band members themselves (what in blue blazes is a pedal-action wiggler, tangularium, or a lever-action lever?) and played by the inmates of an insane asylum, then you'd be coming close.

The album opens with one of my favourite SGM songs, Sleep Is Wrong, a terrifying avant-rock song of organically shifting tempos that sets the stage for SGM's overall sound and mission perfectly. Vocalists Nils Frykdahl and Carla Kihlstedt (also of Book of Knots) have the perfect vocal deliveries for a band as strange as SGM. They have a level of dramatic flair to them, but not so much as to put them way over the top or to make them sound corny. They are both creepy as hell, but can also show off how beautiful their voices are when needed. In short, both of them are incredible singers.

The stories that SGM tell with their songs are poetic and full of metaphors that are open to interpretation, possibly offering interesting social critiques or referring to issues of a more metaphysical level (Sleep is Wrong could be addressing the issue of a society working themselves to death, or it could be about understanding the concept of death itself). And of course, since everything about SGM is absurd, so are their apparent backstories and artistic statements. But they are absurd in the same way that the best kind of fiction is absurd. You can read stories about the (most likely) fictional origin of their band name in interviews and on their wikipedia page. Spoilers: it involves Dadaism, Futurists and a fictional newspaper press.

Being their debut, as impressive as it is, it's still SGM's first album and there are some flaws that disappear with later releases. I find the song 1997 (Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's...) sounds a bit too Nu-Metal-ish for my taste, even with its insanely progressive instrumentation. Most people are turned off from SGM's sound because it can have a crazy circus music vibe, and to them perhaps SGM's eccentricities come across as being somewhat contrived. But the vibe they give, as psychotic as it is, can't really be a gimmick... because it's their entire sound. Everything the band does and plays sounds insane. This is just what you have to expect when listening to SGM, otherwise it would be best to steer clear. But if you're in the mood for something completely out of left field, and music that requires your full and undivided attention, then be sure to give SGM a listen.

Download Heavy Hearted in Doldrums by Antwon

I'm a bit late on this release, but if you're into alternative hip-hop (think Death Grips, clipping. Cities Aviv, etc.) then you need to check this out. I think Heavy Hearted in Doldrums might be my favourite 2014 hip-hop release next to CLPPNG thus far.

Antwon's voice is somewhere between Biggie and Billy Woods, while the beats he raps over range from old school bangers to strangely ambient electro with elements of goth and post rock. The fact that Antwon has roots in the noise punk scene might account for some of this weirdness.

The download is still available at unifclothing.com or you can stream the full album below. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be listening to Cold Tears on repeat forever.

Discordance Axis - Jouhou (1997)

Discordance Axis - Jouhou (1997)

Jouhou signifies the transition of Discordance Axis from a pretty good grindcore band to one that was truly genre-defining. On Jouhou (a Japanese word translating to something like "intelligence") the three-piece New Jersey grindcore outfit began to experiment with some very technical and complex sounds, combining dissonant guitar chords with some crazy blasts and drum rolls courtesy of drum-god Dave Witte; while Jon Chang, vocalist and lyricist of Discordance Axis (and also of Gridlink fame), constantly switches between a high pitched shriek and croaking growls. But the most important thing that Discordance Axis really did for the genre of grindcore was save it from self-immolation, pushing it forward in a direction that the genre seemed to be veering away from and reminding everyone that grindcore could still be considered a form of art.

In the late 90's, grindcore (which has always been an underground genre anyway) was in danger of becoming a parody of itself. A great majority of bands were recycling the same ideas both musically and lyrically, and while Discordance Axis never took off in popularity until well after they were dead (like many a great artist), their music was truly ahead of their time. Musically, I have already mentioned how Discordance Axis used dissonant chords played over complex rhythms in order to completely daze their audience within the span of 30 seconds to a minute and a half (the typical length of their songs). Lyrically, Jouhou is significant as well. Chang's incomprehensible vocals are actually incredibly poetic when read aloud, most of which are influenced by novels, Japanese culture and Anime. I can credit Chang with introducing me to some of my favourite books, films and television shows. Chang drew inspiration from writers like Philip K. Dick and anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion to write lyrics that are deeply existential and ontological.

The original version of Jouhou runs at about 17 minutes with 20 tracks. The version I'm listening to was re-released by the now defunct Hydra Head Records and includes 11 songs taken from Discordance Axis' split albums with Melt-Banana and Plutocracy, as well as one 26 minute long live recording of the band playing in Tokyo. I'm usually skeptical about re-releases with extra tracks, but in this case the result is pretty awesome, especially considering that the Discordance Axis splits are damn hard to come by. Overall, Jouhou is a dizzying experience and one that requires multiple listens to digest. I hear something new every time I play it. I'll refrain from comparing it to the band's masterpiece The Inalienable Dreamless, just know that Jouhou is a unique listen in it's own way. If you love grindcore, chances are you already love Discordance Axis. But if you're trying to get into the genre, this is a record you have to check out.

Starfucker - Jupiter (2009)

Starfucker - Jupiter (2009)

Jupiter is the second full length from Portland, Oregon based dance crew Starfucker, a group who I honestly haven't given much of a chance beyond listening to this short album over and over. The reason why I've given Jupiter so many plays is because it is infectious. Jupiter is full of poppy indie-electro music that doesn't make you feel like you're in a corny hipster dance club. It's listenable the same way that pop music is, when I'm at home I can put this album on like I would a Michael Jackson record or any other kind of upbeat pop music. The downside to this is that the album can at times sound like I'm listening to music from a commercial (for some reason a lot of it reminds me of commercials I've seen for The Sims games). It's the same kind of music that advertisers seem to flock to in order to make people associate it with their products. But this still isn't enough to keep me from enjoying Jupiter as a whole.

The album starts off with a colourful and summery track Medicine, which also has an incredibly ear-buggy hook. And if that track wasn't radiant enough for you, Starfucker then try to smother you in cheerfulness with the following song Boy Toy. The whole atmosphere of Jupiter is one of blissful dance music, but after a while these tracks can start to sound a little bit too similar. The song Biggie Smalls kind of sounds like a recycled version of Boy Toy only a few songs back. There are tracks that manage to stand out though, aside from the two opening songs there's a cover of Cindy Lauper's 80's hit Girls Just Want to Have Fun, an amusing version of the original with a contagious bass line and some vibrant synths. The last two songs are different as well, and while they don't let up with the happiness, but they are a bit mellower than the rest of Jupiter, which is kind of a nice way to end an album with an overabundance of energy and enthusiasm.

Jupiter is a fun and lighthearted listen, despite the clothing store/commercial advertisement feel it can have at times. I don't think this is Starfucker's fault though, it's really just a trapping of indie-electro music in general given the genre's propensity for having catchy hooks and a buoyant tone.

Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric - CZARFACE (2013)

Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric - CZARFACE (2013)

The cover art of Czarface might trick you into thinking that it might be some kind of superhero (or super villain) concept hip-hop album. And while there are tons of goofy sound clips and comic book themed references, with lines like "I'm a super villain, illin, call me Ra's al Ghul" or "Professor X couldn't test my ability," there's no single underlying narrative to this album. The whole comic book and nerd culture theme is meant to compliment the nostalgic 90s feel of Czarface, which Inspectah Deck, 7L and Esoteric pull off very well. In fact, listening to this album makes me feel kind of like a kid again, only in this version of my childhood I'm cool enough to be listening to Wu Tang Clan instead of Weird Al Yankovic (all respect due to Al).

When I say this is a 90s hip-hop album, I'm not exaggerating. The group references comic books of the Batman, X-Men and Spiderman variety, Eddie Van Halen, Mission: Impossible, Transformers, George Carlin, and professional wrestling stars like Andre the Giant, Macho Man Randy Savage and the Road Warriors. The lyrical themes, combined with some great 90s era hip-hop sampling production give Czarface a classic Wu Tang feel that's a bit more playful than Wu Tang. Czarface doesn't take itself seriously, and I think it would've failed if the group had tried to take the 90s comic book thing any further than a general theme. Some of the sound clips can get a bit overbearing, I don't think I needed to hear an entire portion of George Carlin's stand up routine in the middle of World War 4. But some of the clips still add to the feel that Czarface is going for.

Czarface has also made sure to include a number of good features from hip-hop artists who's popularity has really started to take off recently. There are verses from Action Bronson, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire and Roc Marciano (the latter of whom I'm not a big fan of) that give Czarface a contemporary feel, otherwise it would be easy to mistake the album for one that was released more than a decade ago. Overall, Czarface is a really fun listen from front to back, some album highlights for me were It's Raw, Let it Off, Air 'Em Out, and Shoguns. Check it out and follow the link above.

Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle, Pt. 1 (2008)

Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1 (2008)

I don't think I've listened to this album since the year it came out, but I do remember being very enthusiastic about it when I first heard it. Specifically, the song Ghosts of Grace which must have been played a bajillion times on my iPod. I couldn't get over how catchy the song was for a supposedly "black metal" band, thanks in part to what I think is the use of a repeated piano key buried deep beneath the chorus of the song. This little trick is also used by producers like Kurt Ballou (of Converge fame) to give heavier and more extreme music choruses a similar sense of energy that's characteristic of pop and rock music. Looking back on Black Meddle, Part 1 now, I still think that it's an ambitious and successful album, but I'm not sure it is as groundbreaking as I first thought it was.

Chicago experimentalists Nachtmystium play with a form of extreme music built off of a black metal foundation, but infused with pop sensibilities and psychedelic rock homages to artists like Pink Floyd. The black metal foundation should be obvious to anyone listening, as lead guitarist and vocalist Blake Judd screams with a traditional black metal rasp, and despite writing some fairly indie rock sounding riffs, the band's heavy leaning on the tritone still gives the whole album that "evil" kind of feel. But where this album gets really interesting is on the experimental side of things. The ways in which Nachtmystium blend genres include long psychedelic rock guitar solos on songs like Code Negative, bouncy piano-laced pop choruses on songs like Ghosts of Grace and even some very smooth saxophones near the end of the album on Seasick, Pt. 2 (Oceanborne). All of this experimentation, and the overall lush production of this album make it much more of a prog or stoner metal album than anything resembling black metal. It's much more Baroness and Kylesa than it is Mayhem or Darkthrone.

My biggest complaint with Black Meddle, Part 1 would be that Blake Judd's vocals can become a bit grating, given that he employs almost the exact same slow, word-per-word, lyrical delivery on every song. It's like he's just enunciating every syllable very carefully, in a pattern that fits with the tempo of the song, and this. can. get. a. bit. mo. not. o. nous (see what I did there?). Otherwise, I think that this album succeeded in doing what it set out to do. That is to simply play, or "meddle" with sounds that are seen to be conventional within various genres and combine them into a record that is something the band members want to hear. Where I think the album doesn't succeed as much is in the Assassin part of the album title, in that Nachtmystium set out to "kill" the notion that the band belongs within a specific genre. They may have successfully alienated themselves from the black metal crowd, but their sound seems to fit right in with the much more experimental "stoner metal" sub genre of extreme music. 

Converge - You Fail Me (2004)

Converge - You Fail Me (2004)

I love those conversations with my friends where we argue over which is the best Converge album. It's like arguing about the best kind of pizza. Eventually everyone comes to the conclusion that pizza is the greatest food of all time, and then we're all just hungry for pizza. I'm generalizing of course, but that doesn't change the fact that Converge is one of the most highly respected and loved bands of the metalcore and hardcore genres. So I'm assuming you want to know what my favourite Converge album is now, right? Well the general consensus almost always seems to be Jane Doe, which I think is pretty much untouchable, but my personal favourite happens to be You Fail Me. Let me tell you why.

In almost every conversation I've had about Converge, my friends bring up the point that what they love most about the band is that nearly every song they write is memorable, thanks to the band's penchant for writing some of the catchiest metalcore hooks. For a group that plays dark, chaotic metalcore writing memorable songs is a pretty impressive feat. Think of all the forgettable Converge Jr. bands that have spawned in the past decade attempting to imitate the bands' sound. What's the difference between them and Converge? It's not just that Converge came first, I think it's all in the songwriting. Tracks like Dropout, and Eagles Become Vultures flow from one incredible riff to the next without ever sounding too similar to one another. Every single track is individually memorable. What other metalcore band can do that?!

As for standing out amongst Converge's incredible discography, in my opinion You Fail Me represents the pinnacle of the bands sound. I think this is the point where they really perfected themselves as a band. They never sounded tighter and more in tune to one another than on songs like Dropout and Heartless. This album also showcases the different sounds that Converge developed over the years, while Jane Doe is probably their most chaotic and intense album, You Fail Me shows how the band really evolved from an amazing chaotic, noisy metalcore band to one with a very distinct sound and feeling that has since carried on into every one of their albums. I think the production on this album captures frontman Jacob Bannon's characteristic barking growl better than any previous record as well as his weird half-clean singing on songs like Last Light and Hanging Moon. The overall tone of this thing, while still noisy, raw and chaotic sounds a bit fuller and more developed than on previous albums. 

At the end of the day though, I'm still just comparing one untouchable hardcore classic to another. Converge have never done anything that I totally disliked (besides maybe releasing a bunch of splits with only one or two songs on each of them), I can jump in at any point in their discography and love what I'm listening to. They're just that good.

Robocop - Robocop II (2011)

Robocop - Robocop II

I'm surprised it's taken this long for a powerviolence record to show up on shuffle. Well here's one, this is Robocop II by Robocop and it's an awesome, twisted compendium of all the best conventions of the genre. There's a sick, sludgy intro, some noise mixed in with the already chaotic and discordant songs, all of which would make me want to run into a pit if they were played live. Powerviolence is such a niche genre that many of the bands who play it are very self aware, and if they're wise they don't take themselves too seriously (if that wasn't already apparent by this bands' name and album title). For example, there's a track called Cut Up that samples (among many things) power violence OGs Spazz in a manner that's similar to the song it's sampled from, Lets Fucking Go!!! There's also a cover of the most covered Napalm Death song of all time, Suffer, clocking in at 7 seconds or whatever.

Powerviolence is fast, and short. Songs don't typically exceed the 1:30 mark, and when they do, they're almost always noise tracks, like Robocop's 7 minute long Aftermathematics. It's harsh noise, played over broken up samples of robotic sounding voices, and although it's a bit long, it fits well with the album's chaotic aesthetic. And just as soon as the insanity began, it ends with another excellent sludgy outro riff. Everything about Robocop II seems to be done right, the guitar tone is sick and the song structures are exactly what I would want from a powerviolence album, super noisy and constantly changing as if the band has an attention disorder. Robocop does nothing to bring anything particularly new to the table, but in this case I can totally relate to the old adage: if it ain't broke then don't fix it.