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Written by Sameerah
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Saturday, 11 May 2013 |
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Mesh Automation Baby 3.0 Automation Baby is a decent album, but it isn’t impressive. Its the industrial equivalent of elevator music; slow monotonous and non-threatening. It fades into the background quickly and never makes any attempt to distinguish itself. Listening to it won’t kill you but it is hardly the kind of album that will set your world on fire. Every track in Automation Baby sounds like something I’ve heard before. Born to Lie reminds me of Depeche Mode, while Flawless smacks of Erasure. The slightly political themes in You Want What's Owed to You feels like a bare bones KMFDM track. Mesh hasn’t bothered to define a signature sound for this album. It feels like they went into the studio and programmed a few recognizable, danceable beats into a sytnth laid some vocals over them and called it a night. The only thing that kept me listening as long as I did was Mark Hocking’s voice. That man could read the phonebook to me and it would sound sexy as shit. Alas his smooth soulful vocals are not enough to save Automation Baby from fading into the woodwork. Just Leave us Alone is by far the best track on the album. It is cynical in its acknowledgement of the hate and bitter disappoint that comes from putting your heart out there one too many times. But it is hopeful that we will find someone or something worth reaching out to no matter how painful it may be to try. It is the only track on Automation Baby that Mesh puts their signature on. They step out of the box of just using sounds that they know will work to experimenting with sounds that give the song texture. Making it the only thing on the album that is pure Mesh When all is said and done Mesh doesn’t accomplish anything with Automation Baby. They’ve created an album that is mediocre at best and seem unable to break out the trap of using sounds that are proven to be hit makers instead of venturing into sounds that will define their sound. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 November -1 )
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Written by Sameerah
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Friday, 10 May 2013 |
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Blank Dark Retreat Artoffact 3.0
When I listened to Dark Retreat on the train and it reminded me how much I enjoy ecstasy and how I regret not experimenting more with hallucinogenic drugs in my misspent youth. The driving bass and funky synths are perfect for a nite of staring at glow sticks before franticly trying to hook up with that guy that has really cool hair and the snake tattoo that seems to be moving. But just like a good trip you feel let down when its all over. But unlike my drugs of choice this album isn’t going to have me coming back for more. It was good while it lasted but now that the party is over am in no rush to experience it again.
With Dark Retreat I get the feeling that Blank is trying to distance themselves from the dance friendly pop that defined their last e two albums. And that’s fine, every artist has to evolve and expand on what they do. But Blank’s evolution falls flat on Dark Retreat. What is supposed to be dark, thoughtful and edgy plays like a rehash of Prodigy and early Combichrist. They’ve mastered the sounds that make dark industrial brilliant but they haven’t been able to capture the heart of the music. Even having Sebastian Komor sitting behind the board isn’t enough to save Dark Retreat from being a bit lackluster. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 November -1 )
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Written by Sameerah
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Tuesday, 16 April 2013 |
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Head of the Demon Head of the Demon The Anja Offensive 4.5
Head of the Demon isn’t the first or the last band to base their album or parts of their sound on the works of the late great H.P. Lovecraft, but they are definitely in my hot 100 for bands that have done it the best. When people use Lovecraft as influence there is a tendency to interpret the stories as literally as musically possible. Not that I blame them, Lovecraft has created some of the most enduring images in the history of modern horror. But when every band that uses Lovecraft for inspiration writes songs that are all about tentacle beasts and something clawing its way out of the depths of the moors it can become cliche no matter how good the band is.
Head of the Demon captures the spirit and the mood of Lovecraft without giving you a musical interpretation of the stories that may have influenced them. They conjure the horror of the coming of the ancient ones with blues tinged darkness and heavy riffs. The deep resonating chant of All Are One and The Key is sexy, menacing and inviting. I don’t know if this these tracks are supposed to be based on The Other Gods or Call of Cathulu, but I do know that I want this voice to be the last sound I hear as I am lured into the mouth of madness as the elder god devour my soul and grind my bones to dust.
On the production side it is so nice to listen to something that is compressed to death! The production team that handled Head of the Demon may have smoothed out some rough edges here and there, but after that they let the band go to work and the heavy flows through the way the dark lords intended. By Titan Hand is slow, grinding heaviness at its best. It goes down smooth like a shot of single malt whiskey. Warming you slowly before bringing you to a fever pitch of insanity with crushing sadness and the suggestion of things lurking in the dark coming to annihilate you as you sleep. If you’re lucky you won’t see it coming, but Head of the Demon and the darkness they worship will offers any kind mercy when they claw their ways from the blackness. After listening to Head of the Demon I have decided that I welcome the arrival of the ancient ones. Sure I’ll die screaming but at least I know there will be some bad ass tunes playing as I suffer. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 November -1 )
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Written by Sameerah
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Thursday, 28 February 2013 |
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Sammal Sammal Svart Records 5.0
Generally when I think of bands that sing in Finnish I think about the guttural brutality of folk metal bands like Ensiferum. I want to hear songs the exalt the glory of war. Battle hymns that keep the stories of battles long past alive. Now, for all I know Sammal’s lyrics could but as brutal as any folk metal band. But seeing as I don’t speak a word of Finnish, I will probably never really know what they’re saying. All I know is that the Sammal’s bluesy, soulful sounds have put Finnish on my list of the sexiest languages on the planet.
Sammal brings to mind smokey bars filled with hippies and bikers dropping acid. Exchanging ideas, looking for a good time. They harken back to the days of classic rock when The Doors and Led Zepplin ruled the airwaves with rock infused blue eyed soul. With a sound that rooted in tradition of classic American Rock, it’s easy to embrace the comforting sounds of Sammal. They definitely pull their sounds of classic American Rock, but they take care to make their album feel more modern with brilliant production. Like a great broadsword, everything in this album is finely balanced. There is just enough production to smooth out any rough edges and manage to keep the heart and soul of the music intact.
I don’t think I care about what any of Sammal’s lyrics. Sure I’m curious as to what they may be saying, but any man with a voice like this could sing to me about boiling an egg and it would be the sexiest thing ever. His smoked honey vox are backed with an equally brilliant band. They synths bring to mind all the good bits of Ray Manzarek from The Doors; all of the flourish and style without the need to go on forever with 20 minute solos. The bass and guitars in Sammal are fucking spot on. Technically amazing and capable of beautiful riffs. There were a few times where I wanted the guitar riffs to be heavier, but brutal riffs would have hurt the overall vision of the album. So I will chalk the need for heavy riffs to my incessant need from brutality. Actually if I’m really honest Sammal is a perfect album and I just said that so I can have something to complain about. Cause let’s face it if you don’t like Sammal, you may very well be the enemy of good music.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 November -1 )
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Written by Sameerah
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Thursday, 28 February 2013 |
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Devourment Conceived in Sewage Relapse Records 4.0
I am having a love hate relationship with Devourment’s Conceived in Sewage right now. My inner feminist says that Fucked by Rats is the only reason I need to hate this album. It is afterall a track about kidnapping a woman and raping her with a dead rat before strangling her. At the same time, my inner gore/horror hound fucking loves this album! But the ability to both horrify and and entertain has always been a big part of Devourment's charm and Concieved in Sweage is no expection.
Lyrics are what put me over the top for this album. No matter how angry Fucked by Rats makes my inner Susan B. Anthony, there is no doubt that this song tells a better story that most of the horror films I’ve seen over the past few years. It is a solid tale of what goes on in a demented mind as he gets ready to take his prey to slaughter. My love/hate for “Fucked by Rats” is only trumped by my deep and undying love for 50 Ton War Machine and Legalize Homicide. They occupy a sick space between rage, hate and empowerment. When I hear the 50 Ton War Machine rumbling through my ears it feels like I can take over the world and crush it beneath my boot heel. I want to sit on top of this mythical machine and watch the world burn. Legalize Homicide puts sound to everything that I have ever wanted to do to anyone I have ever hated. Eye gouging, throat slitting and savoring the last breath of the meat sack that you just took down. Legalize Homicide has it all. Ruben's vocal fury gives Concived in Sewage gives every track a feeling of rage tinged with sadness. Ruben doesn't want to kill. He really wants to be a good guy. But you fuckers have driven him to this! Do you see what you've done!? Why must you make him hurt you and pull out your eyes you cunts! The way the bass and drums kick in with Ruben's vocals drives home the rage in his voice. And the riffs, oh Jesus fuck me the riffs! They're sharper than any of the blades in any killers aresnal. Devourment is what gorecore is all about. Sure they change lineups faster than I change my bras, but they never fail to deliver an album that is filled with blood, guts, fun and terror. And it is that dedicaation to horror and wreckless abandon that makes sure that no matter how vile, any tune from Devourment will put my inner feminst in a corner.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 November -1 )
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