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.

Trash Talk - No Peace (2014)

Trash Talk - No Peace (2014)

Cali hardcore punk superstars Trash Talk have recently dropped their 5th studio album, and it pains me to say this but I think it's probably their most lifeless and generic offering to date. I love Trash Talk, and their 2011 EP Awake was just so hostile and aggressive that it gave me a renewed interest in the genre. That EP, along with albums like Walking Disease and the Plagues EP, were so pissed off that they sounded like they could incite riots, which come to think of it they pretty much do. Just take a look at one of Trash Talk's infamous live shows.

Unfortunately, none of this energy and hostility carried over onto the band's newest record. On first listen I was excited when I heard the intro, an interesting beat they produced with none other than Alchemist. But just as soon as I'm ready for the hardcore head smashing to begin the song just fades out, it doesn't lead into the album like I thought it might. And then the generic hardcore punk kicks in with Jigsaw, and man does it sound muddy. For a group that's been around for nearly a decade and has gained as much notoriety as Trash Talk have, most of these songs sound like they've been written by a band that's just starting out. So the intro (and outro) clips seem to be put there for no other reason than to remind the listener that Trash Talk are still signed to Odd Future Records and have hip-hop cred. Cool. And not only are most of these songs instantly forgettable, some are downright bad. Cloudkicker is easily my least favourite song that the band has written; thanks to an awful half-sung chorus and some yawn-inducing riffs.

Hidden within all the monotony there are also a handful of pretty good songs on this thing. Nine Lives, S.O.S, Prometheus and the bonus track have more energy than the remaining 12 tracks combined. But even these can't save No Peace as they still carry that same muddy, lifeless production. These songs sound like they'd be much better in a live setting. Then there's the track Stackin' Skins featuring Wiki from hip-hop outfit Ratking and indie crooner King Krule (who I was genuinely curious to hear on this album) which sounds really awkward, like they didn't really know what to do over this track... so they just kinda spoke over it. King Krule is especially unintelligible, sounding like a drunk concert goer who's trying to sing along at the show with his own insane make-believe lyrics.

Even though the release of No Peace took me by surprise this year, it's still one of my biggest disappointments of 2014, simply because I expected much more energy and hostility from one of my favourite hardcore punk bands.

Swans - Cop (1984)

Swans - Cop (1984)

Early Swans material is incredibly different from the latest version of the band. Albums like Filth and Cop were much more nihilistic and ugly than the monolithic, intensity-driven albums they've released in recent years. And then there's the in-between period of post-punk with gothic influence on albums like the masterful White Light from the Mouth of Infinity. But some things haven't changed. Swans always had a knack for expressing strong emotions with their songs. On Cop, Swans' second studio album, I get the distinct feeling of harsh futility expressed both lyrically and musically with its slow tempos, caustic guitar tone and repetitive structure.

Cop is a very logical progression from the bands first album Filth. It sounds similar in tone and structure, but everything is slowed down even further and the cacophony of it all has been turned way, way up. The album immediately sets its tone with squealing feedback and an amazingly sludgy riff (one that is repeated for the songs entirety) on Half Life. Aggressive feedback is often used in place of notes to make the album overpoweringly ugly. Overtop of the discordant marching rhythm of Job, frontman Michael Gira repeats "Body to body, job to job, heartache to heartache" as if grieving over the realization that everyday life is so hollow when boiled down to its basic fundamentals. Both early and especially recent versions of Swans have used minimal, repeated lyrics so as not to take the focus away from the music and the feelings/experiences that their songs conjure up. In fact, many of the lyrics on Cop sound simply like thoughts going through Gira's head, which he then expresses in his trademark snarl.

Cop seems to get slower in tempo as it plods forward, until you reach the closing track Thug where Norman Westburg's sludgy riffs move along with Gira's moaning vocals at an absolutely glacial pace. The song slows down as if the album is actually, physically dying in your ears. An appropriate end to an album as grimy and hideous as Cop. It's hard to express that I mean all of this in the best possible way. Swans set out to create an album that was ugly. It's about life beating you down to a pulp (sometimes literally, as in the song Cop). And they not only succeeded, but created one of the filthiest sounding things to be put on wax.

Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance (2003)

Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance (2003)

The Artist in the Ambulance is the third full length LP by American rock outfit Thrice, and the first to be released on a major label. Musically speaking, Thrice were still playing around with a melodic hardcore style at this point, complete with gruff yells and heavy, distorted riffs. These aspects of their music kind of disappeared on later albums like Beggars and Major/Minor. There are also elements of emo, punk rock and post-hardcore in The Artist which Thrice used to develop a fairly unique and definitive sound for themselves over the years that they were active.

Regardless of what style Thrice played with, they were always skilled musicians first and foremost. Sure, they occasionally wrote some pretty cliched songs and not everything they tried musically ended up working (like many of the string arrangements on this album), but they did write a lot of kick-ass melodies and grooves that make up the bulk of personality on this record. The Artist was never my favourite Thrice album, and of their discography it's an album that I'm not all that familiar with. But after giving it a couple of full listens, I found that I was really enjoying a lot of what I was hearing. The whole middle portion of this album seems to be its strong point. Songs like Paper Tigers and the groove oriented Hoods On Peregrine are addicting thanks to Thrice's uncanny ability to write memorable harmonies and guitar riffs that are constantly crossing the thresholds between alternative rock, melodic hardcore and even progressive metal. And The Melting Point of Wax is the only song on The Artist where I thought the string arrangements actually complimented the rest of the song.

Then there are a few songs that didn't stand out to me, or that I really just didn't enjoy. I found the title track to be one of the most cliched songs that I've heard from Thrice, with a simple pop punk intro riff that feels really out of place with the every other sound that the band carved out on this album.

When I'm in the mood to listen to Thrice, I'll probably keep coming back to the same albums that I love. But I'm glad I gave The Artist a chance because it's still a very solid album that features some excellent song writing.

Death Grips release half of an album

In typical Death Grips fashion, the noisy and experimental hip-hop group has just released the first half of their new double album (to be called powers that b) entitled niggas on the moon. The second half is supposed to be released later this year, and it'll apparently be called jenny death. You can download the whole thing here or stream it below. Oh, and every song on this thing features Bjork.

10 Great Black Metal Albums

My last review of Funeral Mist's Salvation got me thinking about what my own favourite black metal albums are. And since I have an unhealthy addiction to making lists, I decided to make one for black metal albums.

As for the lack of "classics" on this thing, I'm well aware of how albums like Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas were genre defining, I just don't find them that interesting to listen to, and I don't play those albums on the regular. That's why this list is composed of albums that simply blew my socks off.

Take a look and feel free to give me your own top ten in the comments below

1. Fas-Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum by Deathspell Omega

This is the second instalment in a trilogy of awe-inspiring black metal records by esoteric French band Deathspell Omega. The title is Latin for "Divine law - depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire" taken from the Vulgate translation of Mathew 25:41. The entire trilogy is a fantastic, dizzying experience of discordant sounds and terrifying ambient passages.

Funeral Mist - Salvation (2003)

Funeral Mist - Salvation (2003)

The only thing that's boringly standard black metal affair on this debut full length by Sweden's enigmatic Funeral Mist is the band's aesthetics and lyrics. Oh, and blastbeats, which is still the word of the day on this album. But if you've read any of my reviews so far, you're probably figuring out that one of my favourite things in life is when artists take risks and get adventurous with their sound. But it has to pay off, or it just ends up sounding really insincere and kinda lame. Funeral Mist, who've been around since 1993 apparently (but waited ten years to put out a full length), were very adventurous on Salvation, playing around with the conventional sounds of black metal. And it paid off, big time.

Right off the bat this album always tricks me into turning up my volume, only to have my ears blasted off when the first song Agnus Dei really kicks in. Aside from that, one of the first things you might notice on this album is the vocalist, Arioch, who also fronts Swedish black metallers Marduk under the name Mortuus. While he does vocal duties for both bands, he also mans the guitar and bass for Salvation. Arioch's style is one of the most distinct in the genre, probably the most recognizable voice next to Attila Csihar of Mayhem fame, and his snarling vocals are disgustingly awesome. His voice fits well with the cold, dark and ceremoniously evil feel of Salvation, an aesthetic that is further heightened by creepy movie samples, gregorian chants, a cold and lifeless (in a good zombie movie kind of way) guitar tone and an eerie violin played as the closer of the album.

If that all sounds like the most stereotypical description of a black metal album you've ever heard, you're not wrong. Salvation doesn't do much to change the genre itself, but it does use the tried and true conventions to venture into some interesting territory. Sure, there are lots of blastbeats; but where the album really shines is when the drums suddenly slow down to a simplistic 4/4 beat with the guitars continuing to tremolo pick their way into oblivion, which results in a terrifying death march kind of sound. This structure happens quite a bit, but never ends up sounding stale. Funeral Mist took this idea even further on their fantastic sophomore album (and one of my favourite black metal albums ever) Maranatha, along with many of the other elements that made Salvation a great black metal record.

One song that I thought kind of held this album back was the rather self-indulgent Circle of Eyes. At nearly 13 minutes long, it doesn't do much to keep my attention. And it definitely doesn't measure up to the album closer In Manus Tuas, the second longest song on the album at 12:27. But overall, Salvation is a great listen if you're in the mood for something that sounds amazingly evil. And it's a good precursor of Funeral Mist's fantastic sophomore album, which I hope I will get the chance to review soon.

Streaming Now: Hanz - Reducer

Are you a fan of dark, glitchy and grimy beats? This free full length by Hanz might be right up your alley. You can listen below and download the whole thing right here or on Bandcamp.

The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)

The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)

I will probably never get tired of listening to The White Stripes. They're one of those bands who managed to perfect their sound, yet took risks with each and every album they put out. Take White Blood Cells for example. For a White Stripes album that has been essentially stripped of the duo's signature blues influence, White Blood Cells still managed to become their commercial breakout album and reached levels of critical acclaim that their previous two LPs had not yet touched. I personally prefer other more blues-oriented White Stripes albums over White Blood Cells, but I still can't deny that the duo created one of the best and most colourful garage rock albums of the 2000s with this release.

Even without their strong blues rock influence, The White Stripes still managed to pack this album with memorable songs. Besides the classics like Fell in Love With a Girl and Hotel Yorba, which are on everyone's lists of best White Stripes songs (including mine), there are tons of lesser known songs on this thing that are fantastic. Aluminum has such an old school stoner rock vibe, while I Think I Smell a Rat is played like an old spaghetti western tune. And The Union Forever has a sound that reminds me of modern day indie rockers Timber Timbre. The Japanese addition includes two extra tracks that are well worth hearing. One being an excellent cover of Dolly Parton's folksy classic Jolene. The other is titled Hand Springs, from their split with fellow Detroit rockers The Dirtbombs, and this is really the only bluesy song to be found on the extended version of the album.

The only other thing that's missing from this album aside from a blues influence is Jack White's off-the-hinges guitar solos; and this omission is glaringly apparent. A big part of what made the White Stripes untouchably cool for me was Jack's freewheeling, feedback filled solos and that crunchy garage rock tone. But even this is a testament to the band, because they pulled off writing a great album even without the use of their signature sound. This made me realize that it was never Jack's solos that made The White Stripes as interesting as they were, it was that sense of live music that they captured with every release. As if you were listening to them play a show in your friend's basement or something. It doesn't sound polished or overproduced, which would probably ruin the White Stripes' style. It's this aesthetic that the band preserved with White Blood Cells, making them one of the coolest bands of the 2000s, blues rock or no blues rock.

Origin - Entity (2011)

Origin - Entity (2011)

Oh man. After having digested an entire Oxbow album, I'm really not in the mood for this one. But I'll try to keep that from influencing this review. 

Origin are a technical death metal band from Topeka, Kansas, and they can outplay you. Technically, they are the techiest death metal to have ever teched your ears. Does that make them a good death metal band? Not necessarily. But it depends on what you're looking for when you listen to death metal. If it's speed and insane shifting time signatures you're looking for, then Origin might be your band. I personally tend to avoid technical death metal like the plague, but Origin are different in that they manage to create some interesting songs, avoiding the trap of the "look what I can do!" kind of death metal that so many bands with difficult playing techniques fall into.

Origin play at blistering speeds, they shift their time signatures all over the place, and their music is full of sweeping arpeggios from both lead and bass guitars as well as some sickening dual vocals. All of this is topped off with some of the most unreal (yet still human) drumming and blastbeats you'll hear in the genre, courtesy of the much revered drum kit god, John Longstreth.

With regard to this album as a whole, I find that it's very similar to their previous release Antithesis, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Both releases are better, and more adventurous, then any of the band's previous material. However, some riffs and song structures sound recycled and it can get monotonous at times. Entity is still a fun listen though, there are enough significant changes and catchy bits to keep me engaged for the most part. Some album highlights are the very death metal-titled songs Expulsion of Fury, Conceiving Death, and Evolution of Extinction, all of which totally rip. Much better than previous Origin albums, which sometimes made me feel like I was staring into a microwave. Like, cool that cheese is melting and I'm watching it melt, how awesome is that? But I'm still just staring into a box and dear god what am I doing with my life?

Oxbow - Serenade in Red (1996)

Oxbow - Serenade in Red (1996)

This was a difficult review to write as I've never really thought about why I like Oxbow, I just do. Musically, the band is pretty much incomparable. Oxbow integrate elements of jazz, noise rock, blues and classical music into one crazy, experimental concoction. The band's earlier work involved a lot of noisy rock jams, and they have since moved into a very orchestral and atmospheric style. But regardless of what form Oxbow seem to be focusing on, one thing does remain the same. The vocals of frontman Eugene S. Robinson are almost always incomprehensible, his singing consists of sobbing cries, tortured howls, grunts, snorts, and obscure babbling. Yet these unconventional vocals, which might sound ridiculous overtop of any other kind of music, really mix well with Oxbow's insane musical palette. I've always thought of Eugene's crazed mouth sounds as what my thoughts and emotions probably sound like before I order them into coherent sentences.

So that's Oxbow in a very small nutshell, how about this album though? Serenade in Red is the band's  fourth full length LP, and unfortunately for me, it's not one of my favourites. I think of this album (and the one that precedes it, Let Me Be a Woman) as kind of transitionary albums between the pure noise rock of Fuckfest and King of the Jews (which I should clarify is good noise rock), and Oxbow's best works, An Evil Heat and The Narcotic Story. 

I know I just compared Serenade to all of Oxbow's other albums, but that's because it's on this album where I first hear the formation of that level of pure awesome featured on An Evil Heat. Songs like The Last Good Time and 3 O'Clock move further away from pure noise rock towards something that is more mood-setting (and not in a sexy kind of way). The guitars on The Last Good Time plod forward in a bluesy, sludgy sort of way, while the bass guitar and rhythm of 3 O'Clock paired with Eugene's ramblings (as if he is talking to someone, perhaps in his own head) gives the sense that a story is being told. It's almost cinematic in a way, I can picture a distressed Eugene seething angrily in a dark and sleazy apartment, crying "wh-who the hell... is that man! That man you see in your sleep! What kind of company do you keep?!" These are the same elements of Oxbow's following two albums that made them so excellent in my opinion.

Sadly, these two songs are the only ones on Serenade that are memorable to me. Not that the others are bad, but the problem with having two great songs is that they kind of overshadow the rest of the album, making it sound mediocre in comparison to Oxbow's later works. Even so, this band is one that you need to listen to at some point in your life. I honestly can't compare them to anything else I've heard. Oxbow are pure originality.

Swollen Members Drop a New Track

Vancouver hip-hop trio Swollen Members have dropped a fun new track titled Cock Blocker. These guys occasionally drop a banger that's just too catchy for me to ignore. Cock Blocker is one of those songs.

Madchild spits overtop of some ridiculously catchy Godzilla movie horns, and gives us a hook that's guaranteed to be stuck in your head for a while. Check it out below. This track has me looking forward to the group's new offering Brand New Day, which should be out soon.

Lifelover - Dekadens (2009)

Lifelover - Dekadens (2009)

Dekadens is the fourth release and the only EP by the ironically named Swedish band Lifelover. This group remains one of my favourite black metal bands, but sadly they left us too soon. The band dissolved after the accidental overdose and death of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and lead composer Jonas "B" Bergqvist in 2011. 

Lifelover played a form of depressive rock cross-bred with black metal, and displayed a wide range of influences from post punk to doom metal. Dekadens is also my favourite release by the band, as it's the only Lifelover album to feature a human drummer. All other Lifelover albums used a very minimal sounding drum machine that was often very low in the mix; whereas the live drumming on Dekadens very quickly becomes a focal point of every song. The result is something that sounds like the inconceivable lovechild of Nirvana, Shining (the one from Sweden) and Mayhem. Not only are the drums now given life, the rhythms on these 7 songs are much more animated and complex than anything Lifelover had previously recorded. For example, the confoundedly named Lethargy is the albums most energetic song, at times sounding almost high-spirited (if not for B's waling and insane screeches), thanks in part to the springing rhythm of the drum kit.

The band also beefed up the distortion on their guitars for this release, typically Lifelover's guitars have a tone that's much more suited to depressive rock than black metal (on albums like Erotik and Konkurs). But for the first time in their discography, Lifelover sound really heavy, without sacrificing those goth rock, grunge and post punk influences which are still prevalent in the absolutely haunting melodies that seemed to be Lifelover's strong suit.

The reason why Dekadens is one of my favourite black metal albums is because its approach to the genre is so unique and so refreshing. Its like the band combined my love for grunge, post punk and black metal into one amazing album. This is not to say that Dekadens is an easy listen, like I'm listening to some Foo Fighters or something. The band packed a ton of emotion into every one of their songs, and they were always super depressing, especially on albums featuring that minimalistic drum machine. But because of the strange direction that Lifelover took with this EP, I can listen to this the same way I would with something like a Touche Amore album, which can also be depressing, but in a more introspective kind of way than simply all doom & gloom.

Check out the link above to hear Luguber Framtid, one of the best songs on Dekadens in my opinion. And if You like it, check out the rest of the material from this criminally underrated band.

Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons To Die (2013)

Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons To Die (2013)

Y'all know who Ghostface is. A distinguished Wu Tang Clan member, founder of Starks Enterprises, and most importantly one of the best storytellers in hip-hop. But who's this Adrian Younge guy featured prominently on the front of this new Ghostface album? Younge is a producer who is perhaps best known for writing the score to the hilarious blaxploitation parody film Black Dynamite in 2009. 

With that being said, if you've seen Black Dynamite, you might know what to expect on Twelve Reasons To Die. Younge is a master at recreating that gritty 1970's period of film scores, typified by artists like Ennio Moricone and European funk music, while combining these sound with influences like Wu Tang Clan and Curtis Mayfield. The result is a fantastic ode to pulp cinema and B movie exploitation films. And just like in Black Dynamite, many of the plot points are sung as choruses ("Those who fear his return must face the catastrophe!") adding to the low budget movie feel of this album.

Yes that's right, I said plot points, because this album is in fact an origin story about a 1960's version of the Ghostface Killah (aka Tony Starks). I already said that Ghostface is one of the best storytelling rappers around, and his talents are in full force on this album. Along with features by various Wu Tang members, Ghostface tells the story of killer-for-hire Tony Starks who is betrayed and killed by the DeLuca Crime family. Of course, he eventually returns as the otherworldly Ghostface Killah when 12 records, pressed with the ashes of Stark's remains, are played. This whole album feels like one of the best 1970's B movie horror films that was never made. This album was even accompanied by a short, ultra violent comic book series that illustrates the story from the album. I've only read the first two issues, but regardless it's obvious that there was an incredible amount of work put into this release; including a WHOLE OTHER VERSION OF THE ALBUM with beats by none other than Apollo Brown!!

Twelve Reasons To Die is Ghostface Killah at his finest, because Adrian Younge's production encourages him to do what he does best. Ghostface's voice and his stories feel right at home in a pulp fiction cinema atmosphere. And the Apollo Brown version of this album, with its similarly film-inspired production, complete with vinyl crackling and popping sounds, is a refreshing take on the same album that's almost just as good (although I think it lacks the continuity that the film score feel of Younge's version has) 

Ughhh, this album kicks so much ass! Just watch the amazing video for Rise of the Ghostface Killah below.

Baroness - Red Album (2007)

Baroness - Red Album (2007)

Now for something on the lighter side of the spectrum. Baroness' Red Album is considered a "progressive metal" album, mainly thanks to rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist and album artwork-ist John Baizely's gruff roars and growls. But sonically, I think this band shares much more in common with alternative rock acts like Queens of the Stone Age, or even Thrice, than they do with the world of progressive metal music. These comparisons are even easier to make with Baroness' latest material, which has ditched the growls in favour of clean singing entirely.

Baroness are a band that have shown an incredibly consistent evolution with their albums, to the point where their latest offering Yellow & Green, turned me into a huge fan. All of their albums have been critically acclaimed, but they've definitely been gathering momentum as they continued to churn out inspired album after inspired album. I remember that I wasn't floored by the Red Album when it first dropped, mainly because my interests lay with heavier and more extreme music at the time. But I do remember that it piqued my interest as something that was unique. I was like "this is stoner metal, or whatever they call it? And I like it? Weird!" before putting Red on the back burner, until 2009's Blue Record suddenly reminded me that the band existed.

After finally giving this album another good, solid listen, I can say that I definitely undervalued Baroness' efforts to create something unique and really just beautiful. The sounds and melodies on Red are as lush and colourful as Baizely's artwork. Album highlights like Isak, and Rays On Pinion showcase the bands' technical talent and musicianship, while crafting a soundscape that is enthralling as it is gorgeous.

But here's the biggest problem with the Red Album, after its strong first half, the album kind of loses its attractiveness and dips down into a bit of progressive noodling. Not in the sense of a Dream Theatre album or anything like that, but songs like Teeth of a Cogwheel seem to exist as a way of showing off what the band can do with their instruments. Instead of adding to the atmosphere of the album, it sounds more like I'm now just listening to the band try out their new pedals and tech in their jam space. Thankfully, this is a brief foray, and the band delves right back into a heady atmospheric space with O'appalachia. Only this time, the song sounds more like a tune written by instrumentalists Pelican than it does a Baroness song. Oh well. The first half of this album is so strong, and Baroness have evolved so much since this debut full-length that faults like these can easily be forgiven.

If you dig alternative rock, stoner rock, or progressive metal at all, check this album out and work your way up to the magnum opus that is the Yellow & Green album. 

Masakari - The Prophet Feeds (2010)

Masakari - The Prophet Feeds (2010)

I seem to be on a streak of extreme music lately, which was kind of inevitable considering that there is a lot of it in my library. But you know what? I don't even care, because Masakari just popped up on shuffle. Sadly, the band is no more. But in their short run, they crafted some of the MOST crushing, emotionally charged and monolithic, crusty hardcore I have ever heard. The Prophet Feeds is Masakari's first, and only full length LP. They would later go on to record a few EPs and splits before breaking up, one of which was the excellent Alpinist split in 2011. But for me, this record stands out as the pinnacle of their work, which is amazing given that it's their friggin' debut.

What makes The Prophet Feeds such a mind-blowing album? I would say that beyond the wall of sound created by the buzz saw guitars, the hailstorm of down beat drumming, the absolutely ferocious rhythms and roaring vocals, it's the sense of righteous anger that this album develops so well. For example, the song X Pain Conceived as Tool pretty much hits the nail on the head in terms of capturing how I feel about dog fighting for sport, and the senselessness of animal abuse in general. The song is all at once seething with anger and also incredibly sad, thanks to the pounding heaviness of the song itself coupled with colossal, soaring melodies. The same thing happens on the outro to this album, which substitutes the vocals for a sample of an American soldier recounting his experiences with systemic racism in the military. Played underneath the track, the soldiers heart-rending account of his attempts to help out an injured detainee, who was being abused by the soldier's own officer, adds to the overall feeling of this album. Masakari are calling attention to the senselessness of much of the worlds pain, and injustices, and inciting us to get angry about it.

It may be important to note that Masakari aren't creating something entirely new with this album. There are bands like Cursed and His Hero is Gone who were obviously influential on Masakari's sound.  However, rather than being an HHIG rip-off band, I think that Masakari have taken the established conventions of dark crusty hardcore and polished them into a masterpiece that stands on its own. This genre allows for bands to craft music that is both crushingly angry and heart-breaking, and Masakari knew how to expertly engage both feelings in order to create a full effect on the listener.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope (2002)

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope (2002)

Agoraphobic Nosebleed (who will henceforth be referred to as ANb) are kind of like a funhouse mirror, they take all of the real-life grime, filth, hate and insanity in this world and reflect it back at you in the dizzying form of heavily distorted 30 second to a minute-long grind songs. Frozen Corpse is ANb's second full length album, and only a small sample of the band's prolific discography (primarily consisting of splits and EPs). But really it's just an aural assault of 38 compounded, light-speed tracks that seem to be written with the sole purpose of disorientating you. Typically, when a 14-second long ANb song randomly shows up on shuffle while I'm driving with an uninitiated listener in my car, that person responds with something like "Oh my god wat?" before tucking and rolling out of my moving vehicle.

ANb, along with grindcore godfathers Napalm Death, were my first introduction to the genre. Napalm Death sounded similar to the death metal I had already familiarized myself with, but ANb were something out of left field. The first thing I noticed was the use of a drum machine that was playing what sounded like 10, 000 BPMs. It was like a hurricane of drums played over some of the most ferocious guitar riffs I had heard. And how could I forget the lyrics, some of which I could occasionally pick out, and just end up scratching my head over. "MEDICAL MARIJUANA ABANDONED FOR MARINOL ANTHRAX INHALERS!" or "THAW THE QUAALUDES FROM DISNEY'S CRYOGENIC HUSK!" Many of these delightful little lines are thankfully unintelligible or buried in a hailstorm of crazy instrumentation and noise. However, these incoherent, hate-filled ramblings are a good match to ANb's musical stylings, and they add to the dizzying effect of their songs, all of which gives the album a sense of angry, frantic urgency.

Overall, this album is a highlight of ANb's huge discography. It shows off some impressive drum programming (which has only improved to the point of sounding pretty much real on albums like Agorapocalypse) and crazy fast grindcore riffs paired with completely insane vocals. If that's what you want from a grind record then look no further.