Blastbeat Reviews: Conan, Aborted, Cynic

I've been super bad about updating this blog, and now that summer is in full swing I'm working two jobs and trying to balance making music with the blog while catching up on Game of Thrones. Hooray! For today's reviews we have three polar opposites: Conan and Aborted!

CONAN - BLOOD EAGLE

For those of you who don't know, Conan is a disgustingly heavy British doom band whose sole purpose is to sound like molten tar pouring out of your speakers. Blood Eagle is the trio's second full-length album, despite their relatively expansive number of other releases.

Blood Eagle comes across as much more well produced than there previous album Horseback Battlehammer, the first Conan release I've heard. Blood Eagle starts off with some standard slow as all hell riffage accompanied by vocals that sound like a barbarian standing atop a mighty mountain, screaming out to the frosty air, praying to Crom for revenge upon his enemies.

Conan actually mixes it up on this album a bit. The first song released, Foehammer is pretty fast, even for a normal band. But don't let that fool you, because Conan still manage to make it sound like the heaviest thing this side of ununseptium. For those of you who like chest-crushing doom, Blood Eagleis a must listen. Overall Score: 4/5

ABORTED - THE NECROTIC MANIFESTO

I reviewed Aborted's last record Global Flatline and while I enjoyed it and wasn't blown away by it, I was expecting much more from the Belgian deathgrinders on this release. The album was hyped as all fuck by all the mainstream metal media outlets, and unfortunately, I find it didn't quite deliver. It's Aborted. They play deathgrind. There's nothing but blast beats, mile-a-minute buzzsaw riffs, and de Caluwé's iconic vocals. The problem with The Necrotic Manifesto to me is that it runs for nearly an hour, without shifting gears. It's all gore all the time, and that shit gets tiring after about 25 minutes.

I do have to commend Aborted for their single "Coffin Upon Coffin" which sounds exactly like a B-side of Heartwork (you all know how much I love that album), and their bitchin' covers of Suffocation's "Funeral Inception", and Converge's "Concubine". Overall Score: 2.5/5

CYNIC - KINDLY BENT TO FREE US

Ah, Cynic. I love this band. I've fawned over everything they've released from Focus to Carbon-Based Anatomy, loved every change in sound they've made since the beginning, and after hearing the first single off of KBtFU, "The Lion's Roar", I was super pumped for this album. Kindly Bent to Free Us delivers. Cynic have fully evolved into a progressive rock band, banishing any and all growling or guttural vocals, and ditching (for the most part) Paul Masvidal's iconic vocoder. I for one love Paul's unedited voice, and it's great to hear it alongside plenty of proggy clean guitar riffs and some fuzzed out psychedelic sections. The musicianship is still top notch, as Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert team up with their old friend, bassist Sean Malone.

I definitely dig KBtFU almost as much as I dig Traced in Air. Kindly Bent to Free Us sounds much less spacey and airy than Traced did, but brings in more psychedelic and Eastern influences into the music, as well as incorporates samples now, which I think is cool. I haven't heard many (if any) prog rock albums that use sampling like grindcore or death metal albums do.

If you are one who disliked the changes Cynic made from Focus to Traced in Air, you're going to hate this album. If you've been liking the band's venture into progressive rock, then this album will be the progressive rock album of the year. Overall Score: 4.5/5

Also, as a PSA for the public: Fuck Vik Guitars. Don't use them. The founder and luthier of the company showed his true, ugly colours recently after Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert came out as gay to the public. Fuck homophobia. Fuck you Vik Kuletski.

That's all for now, folks!

-DG

Album Review: Corner Organs: Off - "Song & Wine"

Many of you know that I dig my dreamy shoegaze/ psychedelic music as much as I dig all the screaming and blast beating and noise of all that crazy metal shit I listen to. As some of you also may have noticed from the recent increase of independent or small-label bands being reviewed here, I'm also a big fan of the DIY scene. If there's any non-metal type of music that really fits in perfectly with the DIY attitude, it's neo-psychedelia.

Corner Organs: Off, herein called just Corner Organs, is a DIY psychedelic project founded by The Wides' guitarist Adam LeDrew back in 2005. Apparently there's like, a bajillion other members according to their Facebook page, but I'm assuming they're all artists who have contributed various sounds on all three of Corner Organ's releases which have been mainly driven by LeDrew's creative prowess.

Predominantly, Corner Organs is a rock band. Guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, and vocals are really the only instruments used on Song & Wine, and with the guitars ranging between a beautiful chorus laden, reverb-y rhythm tones to nice, saturated, overdriven lead tones. There are guitar leads that take on the obvious role of soloing over the rest of the track, but there are also many leads that are hidden beneath the many layers of music. Most of the psychedelic sounds don't come from unconventional equipment or instruments, but rather, a mastery of guitar effects and processing. Things can get trippy and completely engulfing to the point where you realize you've just been sitting down and staring at your computer screen for half an hour just listening to this album when you should have been reviewing it.

The opening track "All There Is" is a hazy, slow track, with what sounds like an ever so slightly out of tune guitar playing simple finger picked riffs and chords while vocals float off in the distance beneath a layer of distortion and organs. Things pick up right after with the bluesy and upbeat "Mini-Wall", which features some    Southern-fried slide guitar riffs and train beats which would make Jack White proud. Seriously though, "Mini-Wall" sounds like it could be an unreleased track from De Stijl. Another bluesy White-esque song is "Blood in the Road". I just can't get enough of that main riff. Again, things change up to the more melancholic "The Crown" with reversed something and sombre piano in the intro. From there, things go more straightforward with a rock track, then to a jangle-y instrumental track and another softer track called "Lonelytrip". And the album isn't even over after that.

All these changes are what really entertain me across Song & Wine's almost 40 minute run time. LeDrew and company keep things varied; they make each song distinct with its own character and personality. From happy to sad, to introspective, this is one of those albums that works perfectly for listening to while just hanging with a friend or loved one. You don't have to say anything to each other. You can just lay there and let everything wash over you. Try it sometime, and you'll thank me.

What really ties everything together and makes this the great bluesy-psychedelic album that it is, is the production. All of Song & Wine was recorded by LeDrew on a 4-track tape recorder. Yeah. Talk about DIY. But the tape adds so much character to all of the recordings. From the occasional crackle and pop to that faint buzzing noise, right up to when you hear LeDrew turn off the actual tapedeck at the end of "Lonelytrip". All this in addition to the overall warm tones the tape brings makes for an absolutely immersing experience from start to finish.

If there's anything I'd have to criticize Song & Wine with, it's be the production. "What? David, you silly fuck! You said you loved the warm analogue/ home record-y tape feel of the album. Now you're saying you don't like it? Get your shit together, man!" Well, let me explain myself. I do love the warm analogue/ home record-y tape feel of the album. I don't like how some of the tracks with loud, twangy guitar come out of my speakers with so much treble that it blows my ears off. Luckily, that only happens on "Lifeworth". I'd also like to hear some vocals where I can pick out the words. Dreamy/ distorted/ distant vocals are great, don't get me wrong, it's just that I'd like to see some variation next time around. Those are about the only complaints I have for Song & Wine.

Bomb-Ass Tracks: Mini-Wall, Good as Gone, Lonelytrip, Booze Angel

On a Playlist With: My Bloody Valentine, Alcest, John 3:16

Overall Score

4.0

Song & Wine is a beautiful album. It's timid and shy when it wants to be, and can rock out when it needs to. Corner Organs: Off is a DIY band that has the attitude down pat, using their home-brew style to craft some awesome psychedelic rock. As far as LeDrew is concerned, I enjoy his work here much more than with The Wides, but I feel like if he didn't get all his punk rocking out with them, he wouldn't be able to make such an awesome solo/ collab project.

Corner Organs: Off is on Facebook and Bandcamp. You might possibly catch them jamming out around Halifax, Nova Scotia, sometime. Who knows?

That's all for now, folks!

-DG

Album Review: Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"

The Boss is back! Bruce Springsteen pumped out his latest album, Wrecking Ball this March, three years after his 2009 album Working on a Dream. Springsteen has been releasing material at a solid pace since his haitus from '95 to '02. Even though my history with Mr. Springsteen only runs as deep as his two most famous albums, Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A., when I heard about his new album I decided to give it a shot.

Despite having a discography that traces all the way back almost 40 years, the Boss still manages to keep things fresh with Wrecking Ball. Since the beginning, Springsteen's key demographic has always been the average, working man. He's delivered solid rock albums meant to pick you up after a hard day's work or quieter folk compilations that you can unwind and relax to. Wrecking Ball seems to fall somewhere between the two, but also expands into completely different territory.

This release definitely seems to lean towards the folky side, with the inclusion of a bunch of American folk instruments. Banjos, fiddles, and the like make their appearance left, right and centre on Wrecking Ball and the E Street Band's multiple vocalists lend some extra help with their background singing. Although there are a couple songs that the Boss plays on electric guitar, they still hold their folky vibe with simple tried and true chord progressions.

As folky as it can get, this release is very energetic. The opening track, "We Take Care of Our Own" is instantly a classic anthem. Things stay afloat with a couple more powerful tracks before taking things down for one of the longer tracks, "Jack of all Trades". This track really pushes the small, blue collar American town feel. Springsteen's voice hits a country timbre, and with the slow melodic piano and trumpets in the background, images of farmland and simple folk putting in a hard day's work come to mind.

Immediately after "Jack of all Trades", the Boss swings to a different kind of folky. "Death to my Hometown" really reminds me of some Irish-American bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. Obviously, Springsteen and the E Street Band aren't a punk outfit, but the mix of leading flute lines and Springsteen's versatile voice really draw a connection to those Irish-American rock sounds.

"SLAAAAAAYYYYEEEEERRRRRR" --Bruce Springsteen

Something very interesting happens in the penultimate song of the album, "Land of Hopes and Dreams". During the intro section of the track, Springsteen uses electronic percussion which really throws the listener through a loop. The rest of the track jumps to a more driven rock sound and features a beautiful sax solo about mid way through.

Bomb-Ass Tracks: We Take Care of Our Own, Shackled and Drawn, Death to my Hometown

On a Playlist With: Neil Young, Mumford & Sons, Dropkick Murphys

Overall Score

3.0

Springsteen puts out a solid folk rock album with a couple songs I'll keep coming back to. Things are catchy, simple, but powerful on Wrecking Ball and it's really surprising how fresh the Boss' music is after this long. I have no idea when he's planning on releasing another album, but if it's anything like Wrecking Ball, I will definitively look into it.

That's all for now, folks! We take care of our own.

Album Review: Andrew W.K. - "I Get Wet"

Out of the following statements, please choose the one that describes you the best.

A) I like Andrew W.K.

B) I hate fun.

For those of you who chose A, congratulations. For those of you who chose B, it's alright, I'm here to steer you clear of a Squidwardian lifestyle. I'm here to look at Andrew W.K.'s debut album (all the way back from 2001), I Get Wet. For anyone who doesn't know, Andrew W.K. (also known as "that guy who only wears white t-shirts") is a rock singer/ songwriter/ pianist who sings about parties, girls, parties, living big, and parties. He recently turned to motivational speaking, because apparently he can't rest until everybody on the planet is high on life.

It's not blood... it's... uhhh... happiness. Yeah. Happiness...

This review is going to be really short, because there really isn't much you can say about I Get Wet. It's a jack-of-no-trades and a master-of-one. This album's sole purpose for existence is to pump you the fuck up and get get you psyched up to celebrate/ party. I realized I used the word "psyched", but trust me, no frat-bro would be caught dead listening to Andrew W.K.

The album is pretty straightforward. Blaring guitars, thumping bass, and pounding drums form the foundation of I Get Wet, and Andrew himself covers vocal and piano duties. All the songs have just enough melody to get stuck in your head and stay there for a long ass time, but Andrew W.K.'s voice is punky/ shouty enough that you don't have to be drunk to be able to sing along (but it helps, obviously). The songs are upbeat and uptempo, with the piano really driving the "happy" vibe forwards by bombarding you with nonstop major chords, because minor chords sometimes sound sad, and Andrew W.K. just can't have that.

"YOU WILL LOVE OR YOU WILL DIE."

One thing I find kind of cool about I Get Wet is that it can appeal to metalheads and non-metalheads alike. Production gives the instrumentation a nice thick and heavy sound (especially those drums, I mean, like, fuck), making the album easy to party-mosh to. But just the way the instruments are played, with simple, bouncy rhythms and tried-and-true chord progressions makes I Get Wet every bit as dancable as it is moshable.

With all that being said, I have to point out a flaw. Remember how I said it was a "jack-of-no-trades and a master-of-one"? That can also be looked at in a different light. You could easily call I Get Wet a one trick pony. It's something that you play before going out with your friends to hit the town and rip it a new asshole. Other than that, this album seems not to fit many other occasions.

Maybe goat sacrifices fit too. That's Andrew W.K. hanging with Fenriz, by the way.

Bomb-Ass Tracks

Party Hard: Probably his most famous track, once the vocoded "when it's time to party, we will party hard"  drops, you can't help but bang your head (like every other song on the album). Those guitar riffs get stuck in your head like no tomorrow too. Definitely a classic.

Ready to Die: Keyboard intro. In your head. Forever. Also, a great anthemic pump up song (like every other song on the album).

I Get Wet: Just. Fucking. Party (like every other song on the album).

On a Playlist With: Foxy Shazam. That's about it.

Overall Score

4.0 everyday, 5.0 when partying. Duh.

I Get Wet is just recorded happiness. Nothing more than that. Also related to about it only working when partying, a quote from Andrew W.K.'s official Facebook page:

PARTY TIP: There are only three times we should party... 1) When we're happy. 2) When we're sad. 3) Right now.

 So, by that logic, you can listen to this forever. And ever.

That's all for now, folks! Party hard.

Album Review: Rush - "Clockwork Angels"

This is it kiddies. Rush have hit the big two-oh. Their 20th album, Clockwork Angels just dropped today. 38 years since their first album-- holy shit, 38 years. They've been releasing albums for twice as long as I've been alive. Y'know what though, Rush need no introduction. If you don't know who they are, slap yourself in the face for me (and my friend/ Rush superfan Matt), go buy and listen to their albums, and just get your fucking shit together, man.

From Left to Right: Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, some third guy (roadie, maybe?).

Clockwork Angels follows the story of a young man set in a steampunk styled (woo!) sci-fi/ fantasy setting, who wants to leave home and head out on a grand adventure (I'll try not to spoil any of the story for anyone who hasn't listened to the album or read through the lyrics and liner notes). After listening through the album, I seem to interpret the story as describing this young man's journey from adolescence to adulthood. A coming-of-age story of sorts. It's a classic theme shot through the lens of three nerds to make a ruthlessly gripping (and awesome) story.

Icwhutudidthur!

Not only is the storytelling top-notch, but the music flows with the story incredibly well too. I was never a really huge fan of post-mid-1980s Rush that used a bunch of synthesizers and keyboards to drive their sound instead of plain old guitar, bass, and drums. Clockwork Angels sees a nice return to form with all the focus returning to traditional Rock instruments. Things get pushed a little further here too. There still are some keyboards, and, the pleasantly surprising use of either a cello and/or violins in a few songs as well. I found a lot of the instrumental breaks on the album seemed to show the Canadian power trio making some cool sounscapes, rather than showing off  their already proven furious Prog Rock chops.

I have to say that after Rush released the songs "Caravan" and "BU2B", I didn't really have the highest of hopes for this album. Once "Headlong Flight" was released, they had my curiosity. Now that Clockwork Angels is out, they have my attention. This album blew what I was expecting right out of the water.

Unfortunately, Clockwork Angels isn't without it's downfalls. Well, downfall. The only thing that doesn't sit too well with me is Geddy's voice at some points. Sometimes I'd have to be reading the liner notes while listening to it to understand what he was saying. I can't really blame him though. After belting out some of the best Rock vocals for almost 40 years, he's allowed a little leeway. And he still sings way better than whoever the hell is on Top 40 radio.

Bomb-Ass Tracks

Carnies: With probably the most badass riff on the entire album and my favorite part of the story (partly because the entire song represents maybe only a handful of seconds), "Carnies" stands tall both in the middle of the story and as a standalone track.

Headlong Flight: The intro sounds like a Tool song. That's reason enough to like a song (But seriously, this song is fucking sweet too).

The Garden: A beautiful closer to the album. I never really thought that Rush could pull off a song like this, but, damn, they did.

On a Playlist With: King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis

Overall Score

4.5

This is definitely my favorite original material released by Rush since 1981's Moving Pictures. I wouldn't peg Clockwork Angels as my favorite Rush album, or even in my top three, but it still holds it's own as a downright awesome album. Congratulations, Geddy and Neil.

You too... Andrew? Allan? Alvin? Whatever.

That's all for now, folks. Keep being Awesome.