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.