Tag: Reviews
10
The Ark has never been a band content to write songs. They write anthems, through and through. From their breakout top ten hit, "It takes a fool to remain sane", to newest single, "Breaking up with God", they've graced us with a string of the finest, most bombastic pop/rock of the new millennium. "Arkeology", spanning twenty tracks, spills over with hits. Stacked one after another, it's a staggering ride through 70's glam rock, emotional new-wave and heart-on-sleeves balladry -- always with a sing-along chorus at the forefront. While their albums were consistently top-notch, especially at the band's mid-decade peak, The Ark will always be remembered by their singles. And there are some giants here. The dizzying "Calleth you, cometh I"; the sneering "Father of a son"; the contemplative, rousing "One of us is gonna die young". If you're only familiar with the band from their glitzy 2007 Eurovision entry, "The worrying kind", you may be stunned by what else is on offer. This music will make you feel giddy. The Ark have a knack for taking simple pop ingredients and making them seem impossibly galvanizing. The band wisely curtail entries from their less-than-stellar 2010 album to a pair of singles towards the end of the compilation. Thankfully, "Stay with me" receives a remix, giving it a fuller sound more in keeping with the rest of the tracks. Two new recordings, "Breaking up with God" and "The apocalypse is over", bookend the collection. The former is a punchy pop confection proclaiming frontman Ola Salo's break with organized religion in his usual uplifting fashion. The latter manages to sum up The Ark's career in a triumphant, yet bittersweet swan song. It's a milestone when a band like this decides to call it quits, but I can't think of a better collection of songs -- er... anthems -- to leave as their legacy to the world.
- Nick James
Nö Music has posted their report from by:Larm recounting a few of their favorite festival highlights: https://www.nomusicmedia.com/2011/02/24/bylarm-roundup/
I've been waiting for a band like this from Umeå for a long time. Seems like good indie bands were all over the place in Norrland about 15 years ago and then just disappeared. I like the emotional content here, the refrain for the first song, "Always too late", is sooo good. I knew they were gonna do something good after "Slow wind", I was surprised they were so quick to get an album out. Sundsvallstidsningen thought the record sounds like it's out of phase. I thought that was really funny. There was a lot of moments like that in the music press around the indie wave of the 90s. Some Lundell-nut at DN had to review the first Brick record and struggled to reference Sebadoh, and then struggled to reference 'country' when he has to review the new Sebadoh. As a teenage indie-geekasaurus, there was the sense that the adults were blowing it. Now the kids are blowing it instead. Anyway this is a brilliant pop-record which has a lot of great great moments, my particular faves being the opening track, "Slow wind" and the title track, a moody instrumental that builds. And no, the record is not out of phase. In fact, it sounds perfect.
- Mathias Rask-Andersen
Dusted gives high praise to the new The Skull Defekts album "Peer amid": https://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6181
The Radio Dept. make their live debut in LA for an enthusiastic crowd and yet they still struggle for stage presence, or so days Under the Radar: https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_radio_dept_at_el_rey_theatre_los_angeles_ca/
Dusted reviews the new Scorch Trio record "Melaza": https://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6216
9
First off, with a cover like this, who could not want to check this band out? A less-than-subtle wink toward the "Salem's Lot" movie poster that works wonderfully in the context of the band, it's this initial reference point that finds me eager to hear what Ghost sound like. As far as the music goes -- what an unexpected (and welcome) style! Ghost sound more like 1970s New York than 2010s Stockholm. Describing this in terms of labels is probably best done by calling it classic black or black prog, as Ghost offer a sound that's synonymous with that of classic rock genres from days gone by. They've often been compared to Blue Öyster Cult and they do, indeed, convey that style throughout "Opus eponymous". But there's more of an edge to Ghost's sound, a heavier output that's more in tune with Sabbath or Led Zep. Where the black fits into all this is in the subject matter, with a distinctly satanic outlook prevailing throughout the recording. Production-wise, this could have benefitted from a bit more punch, as the recording is a tad flat, particularly on the guitars. But the highs most certainly outweigh the lows on here, and Ghost have undoubtedly released one of the most original albums within the realm of metal in a long time.
- John Norby
3
Reunions are a tricky thing, especially if it's been a decade, a health scare and a few middling solo releases in between albums. Roxette will always be one of Sweden's most successful and beloved commercial pop bands; no one can take that away from them. Fans were understandably eager to see them reunite, but once you get past the "oh, it's Per!" and "ooh, it's Marie!" nostalgia trip of the new album's opening tracks, it's a long slog through shadows of former glories (chiefly, "Listen to your heart", repeated ad nauseum in slightly different formats). It all sounds like what I feared it might -- a Per Gessle album. Why, when you're known for your bright, shiny pop songs, record an album of plodding, quasi-rock grasping for credibility that it'll never achieve? To many critics, Roxette will never be "credible, and that's part of the reason we fans like them. I wish they would have embraced their glossy pop side (which pokes through on tracks like "Big black Cadillac" and the should-have-been-better lead single "She's got nothing on (but the radio)"). At least if you're going to repeat yourself, have some fun with it.
- Nick James
9
Blossoming past the confines of traditional songwriting, Fredrik's newest album "Flora" is a melancholy outing carpeted with of horns, bells, and guitars. Sure, it's what we've come to expect from the Swedish experimental trio (two members who also perform as the criminally underrated band, The LK) -- but it's also more than most fringe-folk acts could hope deliver.
A lo-key, densely arranged cacophony, theirs is a brand of hypnotic chanting and melodic repetition that could easily grow stale or downright grating in lesser, or less restrained hands. Instead, we're offered remarkable variance, from the clattering urgency of "Vattenfront" to the haunting, never-quite-peaking crescendo of "Inventress of ill (and everything)". Though perhaps it's the driving, narrative-heavy track "The shape and colour of things gone blind" (a reference to member Ola Lindefelt's reported synesthesia) that offers the best context in which to discuss/dissect the album. Armed with a world-view turned some 180-degrees from current trends, Fredrik doesn't just make music to hear, but to get lost in.
- Laura Studarus
5
A bit of a strange mix, this. First off, the name Nightsatan might give the impression that we're dealing with some sort of extreme metal outfit. Then, the cyberpunk album artwork hints that we might be in for a punk rock affair, quite possibly laced with a good measure of electronica. What the Finnish trio have essentially come up with is an instrumental style that sounds off like Genghis Tron (minus any hint of metal) and Kraftwerk doing cheesy '80s movie soundtracks. It works well for the most part, offering an odd amalgam of the music of "The Terminator" and John Carpenter's "Dark star", and there's a definite atmosphere here makes it an enjoyable listen. It does require a certain frame of mind to be able to sit through the entire album though and, when you've found that headspace, it's quite sublime. That said, the drum sound is atrocious and ruins any segments that require the use of a snare. Bottom line, "Midnight laser warrior" is an average album that could do with a little less self-indulgence -- and a bearable drum sound.
- John Norby
6
This full-length from the Swedish duo of Jakob Berglund and Erik Nilsson is one that should appeal to fans of the post-rock/metal style employed by the likes of Isis, Red Sparowes and fellow countrymen Cult of Luna. However, they're slightly more subdued than the aforementioned artists for the most part and, one could say, altogether more darkly ethereal in outlook. Tracks such as "The stand" and "Repeater" display their penchant for slow, trawling, disturbing passages, while "The worms are out" reveals the band's more caustic side -- a side that should really have been explored to greater depths in this album. The problem is that they've gone for the lethargic, almost depressive approach throughout "Zenith" and have left very little room for the abrasive elements in their sound. And, while they do depressive to perfection, they really do shine brighter when they come out with guitars and vocals blazing. It's not to say that the entire album should be full-on metal mayhem; rather a few more parts here and there to stave off the inevitable boredom that comes with sitting through so much inertia. So much potential, yet sadly wasted.
- John Norby
The Ark
First Love, Last Rites
Ghost
Roxette
Fredrik
Nightsatan
A Swarm of the Sun