Not to diss on Torpedo, but when I imagine the soundtrack to the end-times, I tend to think of Apocalyptic Folk or the "metaphysical black'n'roll" of Okkultokrati. Hexvessel fit into the former category and provided a perfect soundtrack for my apocalyptic/disaster-prep book club meeting last night where we discussed the first half of the anthology "Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories". Amongst other similar artists, naturally, many more of which I will be listening to as I await the coming drift of the radiation cloud headed now for the Pacific coast.
If you've been reading this site for awhile, hopefully you've learned how to read between the lines as to whether or not I like something without me necessarily coming out and saying it. Or at least you've figured out my tastes well enough to make some educated guesses. Being said, I've linked up a lot of really mediocre crap in recent memory and I'm really sorry that I haven't been able to balance it out with lots of quality mp3 posts or well-spoken reviews. We do what we can, but resources are slim. Accept my apologies along with an mp3 of solid Swedish goth rock from Principe Valiente. The band's self-titled debut is out now via and should appeal to all fans of shoegazey dark pop such as Broder Daniel or Interpol.
Brothers of End continue on their path of understated soft-rock melancholia with their sophomore album "Mount inside", due out April 13, with single "Stare at the sun" leading the way. Aside from the lack of Nina Persson's vocals, this tune isn't too far off from the (latter-era) balladeering of the members' other band The Cardigans. Which of course is no bad thing, just don't expect them to indulge in other similar 70s-rock tropes elsewhere on the record. I think I'm also hearing some late-90s Britpop here too, peak-era Travis perhaps? Again, not a bad thing at all as far as I'm concerned. Brothers of End keep things chill and it works, though I fear it may lead to them being unfairly passed over. As much as I enjoy gentle bum-out music, I get the feeling the sentiment is not widely shared these days.
I've given up on doing mailorder at this point (and will probably be doing a clearance at some point soon), but I did recently do a coop buy of Desperat's excellent "Hardcore deluxe" 12" and have a single unclaimed copy left. You want it, it's yours for $32ppd in the US. Or you can wait to buy it on eBay for significantly more, if that's your choice. No doubt this one's gonna be a future bonzer, especially with an already (nearly?) sold-out run of a mere 300 copies. As for those of who wondering why you should care, Desperat is a new Swedish hardcore band with members from Mob 47 playing classic Swedish d-beat punk, just like the title of the song proclaims: "Guaranteed mangle". No need to reinvent the wheel here, just proof that old dudes often rage way harder than their younger counterparts. 'Nuff said.
Along with the latest from Three Seasons, the new album "Along with the tide" from Swedish act Ginger Trees reasserts as the reigning champs of Scandinavian heavy/progressive rock. However, while Ginger Trees most definitely do dabble in bluesy heaviness, it's their most expansive prog side that I find much more interesting -- in fact, I'd say they're at their best on songs like this where they start to sound like late-period Anathema. Ginger Trees doesn't go all-out for doom-laden atmosphere though, opting rather to tend towards feelings of yearning and melancholy. There's still a definite aura of heaviness though, much in the same way that Opeth sounded on "Damnation". If you dig those references, no doubt you'll dig this too.
Though Lukestar's latest record "Taiga" didn't quite blow me away like I had hoped (it's still good, I don't mean to put it down), lead single "Flying canoes" gets better with every listen. I understand the androgynous falsetto vox are a turn-off for some, but they wouldn't be Lukestar without 'em and the melisma hook on this tune is unstoppable. Great buildup too, especially in the way the drum patterns change from part to part, all culminating in a triumphant a capella break. Still have absolute no clue what the song's about though -- does it matter?
Alright, finally some new music from Red Moon. Probably should've posted this weeks ago, but life/work has intervened and besides, it's generally for the best that I let things percolate a bit first. Anyhow, glad to have Katarina and Eva Thulin back on my speakers and likewise glad that they're continuing to put out superb dreampop as if they never took a 5-year break. "Suspicious" is my favorite tune from the duo's new EP "I am here", both the longest and heaviest they have on offer, though if you dig on this you'll surely dig the rest. All the major label-funded JAMC wannabees can't hold a candle to these ladies, never could.
It's true, the new Peter Bjorn and John album "Gimme some" is absolutely superb. Their best record since "Falling out" I'd say, though I don't mean to disparage their work since then -- despite many, many fine singles (and yes, though you may be burnt on "Young folks", it's still a modern classic), none of the the albums have felt like a cohesive statement since then. "Gimme some" is exactly that and it's extremely satisfying. Plus, as a longtime fan since the very beginning, I'm glad to hear them return to their power-pop/mod-rock roots, albeit in a far more refined manner suitable to the current depth of their discography. Opening tune "Tomorrow has to wait" has all the elements that make me love the band, from the verse's excellent call-and-response simplicity and underlying acerbic tension to the eminently satisfying and gloriously wistful refrain of the chorus. Not to mention the buried Eastern-tinged melody lurking underneath it all, so cleverly playing against the steady pulse of the central chord. Peter Bjorn and John never stopped being a good band, now once again they reinforce why I think they're truly great.
I have been remiss in never officially posting an Årabrot track, so here's a little something from their latest (and possibly greatest) album "Revenge". On days like today when my dayjob feels like it is suffocating me and the world outside is cold, grey and wet, few things feel better than this sort of mid-tempo ugliness, a sound that only becomes more appealing as I get older. As for the subject of revenge, I'm a big proponent of the method of success.
There's more than a few bands who call themselves Trust, but only one of them is a gnarly math-rock band from Denmark. Forget the French thrashers, the Canadian synth act or whatever other variation might pop in your head because none of them will be covered here. Much like their labelmates Obstacles, Trust excels at matching their instrumental acuity with heaviness and melody and comes out sounding very similar to two excellent bands local to me: C Average and Helms Alee. The former is an obvious comparison due to the drums + guitar duo format (stir it up, add plenty of octave pedal), but it's those soaring vocals and epic riffs that really make the band and are far more comparable to the latter. Similarily, I can only presume that they are likewise underrated, as these kinds of bands so often are. Get through the flurries of notes and take note of what you find on the other side!
Check out a tune from Tiger Bell, a new all-female hard-rock group featuring ex-members of Satirnine, Fare You Well and Rewind. I can always hang with good, solid rock'n'roll with strong harmonies, so this fits the bill perfectly. The band has a self-released 6-song EP out now, the entirety of which is now streaming at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tigerbellband
Deaf Center: your soundtrack for crawling into a dark hole to die. Actually, the music on their new album "Owl splinters" is often quite beautiful, but yeah, not necessarily healthy for susceptible listeners. Everyone else, consider this highly recommended.
I get the feeling that people don't take Faster Katt very seriously and unfortunately, hearing them cover Manowar will probably not change that. Truth be told, Faster Katt are a great band, far better than most folk's false impression of them as a goofy "sideproject" would indicate and, likewise, Manowar is/was also a great band. Yes, the self-proclaimed Kings of Metal are ridiculous and over-the-top, but their early records are a perfect blueprint of True Heavy Metal, especially "Hail to England", the release this song originally appeared on. Make fun of them all you want, it's easy to do, but us fans know the truth. My question however, will the members of Faster Katt be at one of Manowar's upcoming three (!!!) shows at Trädgårn in Göteborg? Will they hold the sign of hammer high? Or will they be wimps and leave the hall? My feeling: they've got the gubbestyrka, they will heed the call.
Check out the rest of the band's latest demo at Bandcamp: http://fasterkatt.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2011
There's quite a few American acts that aim to emulate the lush sound of the Beach Boys, but no one can nail their glorious melancholia quite like the Scandinavians. Magenta Skycode may lack a Hal Blaine to call their own, but that hardly matters when you got everything else required for a pop/rock symphony. Unlike Mandorla, who sound more like a convincing tribute (albeit a very good one, it must be said), these Finns go beyond the cutesy, sunshine pop to mine the darker undercurrents that made "Pet sounds" so unforgettable. Perhaps it's my overactive imagination, but I think there's a profound sadness to that album that oft goes overlooked and unrecognized. Magenta Skycode gives me that same feeling
In other Magenta Skycode news, will be celebrating the band's 5th anniversary on March 15 with the vinyl reissue of their first album "|||||" ("5 bars") on 180g LP + 7" with two extra tracks, packaged in a gatefold sleeve including full lyrics, liner notes and so on. The label will also be reissuing pre-Magenta Skycode act This Empty Flow's 1996 debut "Magenta skycode" (see the connection?) on April 27 in a limited 2xLP edition, the first time the record has ever been released on vinyl.
I've been on kind of a negative trip recently, either damning with faint praise when I'm not being outright scornful and I know it's a bummer. It's a bummer for me too because it turns into a downwards spiral and, honestly, I really don't hate everything even though it often feels that way. One thing I wholeheartedly do love: the new Hymns from Nineveh album. I've been a fan of the Hymnboy Jonas Petersen since hearing his previous act Attrap and the few samples he's dropped while working on his album have been quite nice, but the end result of the finished work is absolutely lovely. Spiritual music can be a gamble as there are so many potential pitfalls, but when it works, there's nothing else so soothing. Like the hug of a favorite blanket or the feeling delivered by your favorite comfort food, it's a kind of satisfaction that radiates from the inside out. It puts the world at ease and, for a little while, all is well.
Hymns from Nineveh - So mournful the elegy, so comforting the hymn
