Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site
Swans is one of those bands, like Neurosis, that all the kids claim are a huge influence on them, but that the general populace remains woefully ignorant of. And it's obvious why; they were never released on a major label, and they haven't put out new music since 1997, the band having gone on to do many other things in other groups (most notably Jarboe, who has worked with just about every experimental metal group at this point).
Thank heavens, however, that bandleader Michael Gira decided it was time to get the band back together - and while Jarboe doesn't return, Gira enlists former bandmate Norman Westburg with some new faces and has created one of the most electrifying albums of the year.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Five desert island songs.
I've been thinking about what I would consider really seminal pieces of music, examples of cinema, works of literature, et cetera today. So I decided to craft a list of my five desert island songs and why they're worth picking as the only music I would ever listen to again - if I had to. (Thankfully, that's not going to happen.)
In no particular order.
Eric Whitacre - Water Night
I still remember the first time I ever heard this piece of music. It was the lead-in from an intermission at a friend's choir concert. I spoke to her during the break, and she proclaimed, "I just wish I could see your face during the first song of the next set."
Perplexed, I asked her why. She responded, "You'll see."
I did see that night. I saw things I never had seen before about music; what it can do, what it can mean, how it can be made. It caused a complete paradigm shift in me - and forever altered my perception.
One listen and you can see why. There's so much going on in this for being a piece of a'cappella; there are up to fifteen parts coursing in and out of each other at one point. It's an overwhelming piece of choral music, and every time I hear it I get goosebumps.
Rush - Natural Science
Anyone who knows my taste for tunes knows the importance of Rush in my formative years. The first album I ever owned was Grace Under Pressure; I can probably sing every single song of theirs off the top of my head, simply out of beautiful repetition. But after all is said and done, and heaps upon heaps of great songs, my favorite Rush track is "Natural Science". It's a wonderful amalgam of different tunes, telling a story of the microcosms we each are trapped in and how we don't understand how ephemeral and transitory everything is.
I could listen to this a million times.
Samuel Barber - Adagio for strings, Op. 11
I heard Barber's Adagio for the first time in an uncharacteristic place - during the opening sequence to an old video game, Homeworld. (That was a great game, by the way. One of the best. And way, way too hard for its own good.)
It was the choral version rather than the strings version, and was truncated to two minutes, but I remember vividly sitting there watching the opening sequence and hearing this song and my heart pumping a million miles a minute, and sitting back and thinking, "What was that?!? That makes my person ache with loveliness." Needless to say, I did my research and hunted it down, and have been enamored by this song ever since.
Art Tatum - L'Elegy
I don't know what else can be said about the inimitable Art Tatum. He was the best jazz pianist. Like, ever. Even in this day and age where there have been so many sages at the ivories, he remains The Man. Just listen to it. It's the greatest piano solo of all time - so far, at least. Goosepimples every time.
Opeth - Blackwater Park
I may not listen to heavy metal very much these days, but metal is still in my core. Deep down in my bits. And Opeth will forever be the band that introduced me to brütal heavÿ mëtal. (With umlauts.)
And this is their most compelling single song. (Their last album, Watershed, is easily their best, but I digress.) It starts with such forceful energy, and then recedes to the corner, content to seethe for two minutes of distressing calm, before erupting once again. And it just gets heavier and meaner, until there is just a moment of clarity at about the nine and a half minute mark - where you're staring into the abyss at the edge of the cliff, and then you get kicked off and plummet. (Sorry this crappy video cuts the last twenty seconds off the song.) Ah, this tune. Certainly not for everyone. And certainly not what I usually listen to. But so very, very good.
In no particular order.
Eric Whitacre - Water Night
I still remember the first time I ever heard this piece of music. It was the lead-in from an intermission at a friend's choir concert. I spoke to her during the break, and she proclaimed, "I just wish I could see your face during the first song of the next set."
Perplexed, I asked her why. She responded, "You'll see."
I did see that night. I saw things I never had seen before about music; what it can do, what it can mean, how it can be made. It caused a complete paradigm shift in me - and forever altered my perception.
One listen and you can see why. There's so much going on in this for being a piece of a'cappella; there are up to fifteen parts coursing in and out of each other at one point. It's an overwhelming piece of choral music, and every time I hear it I get goosebumps.
Rush - Natural Science
Anyone who knows my taste for tunes knows the importance of Rush in my formative years. The first album I ever owned was Grace Under Pressure; I can probably sing every single song of theirs off the top of my head, simply out of beautiful repetition. But after all is said and done, and heaps upon heaps of great songs, my favorite Rush track is "Natural Science". It's a wonderful amalgam of different tunes, telling a story of the microcosms we each are trapped in and how we don't understand how ephemeral and transitory everything is.
I could listen to this a million times.
Samuel Barber - Adagio for strings, Op. 11
I heard Barber's Adagio for the first time in an uncharacteristic place - during the opening sequence to an old video game, Homeworld. (That was a great game, by the way. One of the best. And way, way too hard for its own good.)
It was the choral version rather than the strings version, and was truncated to two minutes, but I remember vividly sitting there watching the opening sequence and hearing this song and my heart pumping a million miles a minute, and sitting back and thinking, "What was that?!? That makes my person ache with loveliness." Needless to say, I did my research and hunted it down, and have been enamored by this song ever since.
Art Tatum - L'Elegy
I don't know what else can be said about the inimitable Art Tatum. He was the best jazz pianist. Like, ever. Even in this day and age where there have been so many sages at the ivories, he remains The Man. Just listen to it. It's the greatest piano solo of all time - so far, at least. Goosepimples every time.
Opeth - Blackwater Park
I may not listen to heavy metal very much these days, but metal is still in my core. Deep down in my bits. And Opeth will forever be the band that introduced me to brütal heavÿ mëtal. (With umlauts.)
And this is their most compelling single song. (Their last album, Watershed, is easily their best, but I digress.) It starts with such forceful energy, and then recedes to the corner, content to seethe for two minutes of distressing calm, before erupting once again. And it just gets heavier and meaner, until there is just a moment of clarity at about the nine and a half minute mark - where you're staring into the abyss at the edge of the cliff, and then you get kicked off and plummet. (Sorry this crappy video cuts the last twenty seconds off the song.) Ah, this tune. Certainly not for everyone. And certainly not what I usually listen to. But so very, very good.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Portnoy leaves Dream Theater
I actually wanted to write about this back when the announcement came out, but just wasn't doing much writing at the time, so it passed me by. Plus, I was just not sure how much I cared.
On September 8th, 2010, Mike Portnoy announced he was leaving Dream Theater. Talk about shock of shocks. After all, Mike was one of the original, founding members of the band. Likewise, he has seemed to be taking a more and more active role in the band (for better or worse), writing more lyrics, contributing vocals, and just generally being the public face of the band. (To his credit, he has been, for many years, very interactive with fans on his own website).
But the reasons behind his departure are, in my mind, the most uncomfortable part of the entire drama. His press release is very clear in stating that he did not want to leave the band, rather just wanted things with Dream Theater to slow down a bit. It would seem he just wanted a break. However, the rest of the band apparently was not content with this idea, and wanted to continue on, with or without him.
It looks like it will be without him.
This really is sad news. While my interest in Dream Theater's music has waned over the past few releases, there is no doubt that albums such as Images and Words and Awake (and to a lesser degree Scenes From a Memory) are seminal, essential progressive metal releases. They really are the band that introduced me to "progressive metal". And throughout it all, Portnoy's very technical, impressive (at times too impressive) drum work has been the back bone of the band.
After so many years, it just seems sort of cheap of them to ignore his wishes to take a break. If that take is the truth, it is pretty low class. I wish Mike the best in his endeavors (did anyone else realize he was now the official drummer for Avenged Sevenfold?). As for Dream Theater, I think I will pass on their next album (again). Unless Gavin Harrison or Mark Zonder is announced as the replacement. Then I won't have a choice but to listen, as I will listen to whatever either of those two do.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Album Review: Sepultura - A-Lex
Sepultura - A-Lex
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site
Stalwart. That is the best word to describe Sepultura. For years now, they have been championing their own mix of death, thrash, and groove metal. Many fans cast them by the wayside after the departure of Max Cavalera (and later his brother Igor). But now, with 5 albums with Derrick Green (just one shy of what Max contributed to), they continue to marshall onward.
In fact, their last two releases have entered some really interesting territory, with the previous album Dante XXI being based on The Divine Comedy, and their latest A-Lex based on the novel A Clockwork Orange. But with such heady (for such heavy metal) lyrical inspiration, how is the music? In one word: amazing.
Year: 2009
Click here for the artist's site
Stalwart. That is the best word to describe Sepultura. For years now, they have been championing their own mix of death, thrash, and groove metal. Many fans cast them by the wayside after the departure of Max Cavalera (and later his brother Igor). But now, with 5 albums with Derrick Green (just one shy of what Max contributed to), they continue to marshall onward.
In fact, their last two releases have entered some really interesting territory, with the previous album Dante XXI being based on The Divine Comedy, and their latest A-Lex based on the novel A Clockwork Orange. But with such heady (for such heavy metal) lyrical inspiration, how is the music? In one word: amazing.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Album Review: The Ocean - Heliocentric
The Ocean: Heliocentric
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site
Never a group to settle for the same old thing, The Ocean (often known as The Ocean Collective) have impressed me with every album. A mix of ambient sounds, progressive metal, classical music, electronica and post-hard core, they really are one of the more unique bands playing heavy music.
Their latest release, Heliocentric, is no different in that regards. And yet, it is undoubtedly their most mature, focused and varied work to date.
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site
Never a group to settle for the same old thing, The Ocean (often known as The Ocean Collective) have impressed me with every album. A mix of ambient sounds, progressive metal, classical music, electronica and post-hard core, they really are one of the more unique bands playing heavy music.
Their latest release, Heliocentric, is no different in that regards. And yet, it is undoubtedly their most mature, focused and varied work to date.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Point-Counterpoint: My Dying Bride - 34.788%...Complete
Peter
Make no mistake about it, My Dying Bride has become, in the past year, one of my very favorite bands. Their entire library is full of epic, amazing British doom. Yet plunked just about right in the middle of the oeuvre is the singularly unique 34.788%...Complete.
Taken on its own, it is an interesting piece of artistic expression. A very mellow, chill, electronic inspired take on doom metal, there is, in fact, very little doom on it. A cursory listen reveals an album that sounds nothing like My Dying Bride. But don't let that fool you. Closer inspection demonstrates hidden layers of heavy, ponderous MDB riffs.
But where this album really shines is taken in the context of all their albums. Sandwiched directly between Like Gods of the Sun, the pinnacle of their early evolution to more melodic metal, and The Light at the End of the World, their darkest, most bleak and crushing album, 34.788%...Complete truly stands out as fascinating. What has come since this album is amazing doom metal, so I can't complain. But this is one album to not be overlooked.
From the trippy, "Blade Runner" style interrogation (questions are asked by a female voice, in Japanese played backwards, then answered by lead vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe in English) in "The Whore, the Cook and the Mother", to the almost groove-metal of "Under Your Wings and Into Your Arms", the album is full of fascinating moments. "Der Uberlebende" is the closest the album comes to doom, with a slow, dirge-like pace. "Apocalypse Woman" is carried by a rapid, groove laden bass line. Finally, the first song that really caught my attention was "Heroine Chic". I find it to be the most interesting MDB song ever, with electronic percussion, spoken vocals, (almost) self-censored lyrics (listen closely with headphones to see why I say almost), a lilting female vocal over the top of it all, and moments of thunderously heavy riffs, it is just fantastic from start to finish.
Final verdict: Explore it (though I adore it, it is different and unique enough that I gotta say explore first, though you may come to adore it as well)
Braeden
I think it's taken me as long as it has to counterpoint this album because I still don't know what to make of it.
I'm not as familiar with My Dying Bride as Peter is, obviously. Before working on this article, the only exposure I'd had to them was their latest release, 2009's For Lies I Sire, which is certainly a shining example of melodic doom metal.
However, for a lot of reasons, I think 34.778% is a superior album. As has been documented previously, I have a lot of love for well-done electronica. (I can't stand most of the stuff they'd play in clubs and such; but when a group or artist is good at creating electronica - groups such as F*ck Buttons or Röyksopp or the inimitable Daft Punk - I can listen to it all day.) The subtle, electronic music found intermingled here with some pretty crushing metal is very good, and helps create an ambiance that most albums of this ilk only hope to duplicate.
It really is a great album, and the more times I've listened to it, the more I've felt that way about it.
Final verdict: this surprises the heck out of me, but Adore it (at night. In the darkness. Hidden under your covers.)
Make no mistake about it, My Dying Bride has become, in the past year, one of my very favorite bands. Their entire library is full of epic, amazing British doom. Yet plunked just about right in the middle of the oeuvre is the singularly unique 34.788%...Complete.
Taken on its own, it is an interesting piece of artistic expression. A very mellow, chill, electronic inspired take on doom metal, there is, in fact, very little doom on it. A cursory listen reveals an album that sounds nothing like My Dying Bride. But don't let that fool you. Closer inspection demonstrates hidden layers of heavy, ponderous MDB riffs.
But where this album really shines is taken in the context of all their albums. Sandwiched directly between Like Gods of the Sun, the pinnacle of their early evolution to more melodic metal, and The Light at the End of the World, their darkest, most bleak and crushing album, 34.788%...Complete truly stands out as fascinating. What has come since this album is amazing doom metal, so I can't complain. But this is one album to not be overlooked.
From the trippy, "Blade Runner" style interrogation (questions are asked by a female voice, in Japanese played backwards, then answered by lead vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe in English) in "The Whore, the Cook and the Mother", to the almost groove-metal of "Under Your Wings and Into Your Arms", the album is full of fascinating moments. "Der Uberlebende" is the closest the album comes to doom, with a slow, dirge-like pace. "Apocalypse Woman" is carried by a rapid, groove laden bass line. Finally, the first song that really caught my attention was "Heroine Chic". I find it to be the most interesting MDB song ever, with electronic percussion, spoken vocals, (almost) self-censored lyrics (listen closely with headphones to see why I say almost), a lilting female vocal over the top of it all, and moments of thunderously heavy riffs, it is just fantastic from start to finish.
Final verdict: Explore it (though I adore it, it is different and unique enough that I gotta say explore first, though you may come to adore it as well)
Braeden
I think it's taken me as long as it has to counterpoint this album because I still don't know what to make of it.
I'm not as familiar with My Dying Bride as Peter is, obviously. Before working on this article, the only exposure I'd had to them was their latest release, 2009's For Lies I Sire, which is certainly a shining example of melodic doom metal.
However, for a lot of reasons, I think 34.778% is a superior album. As has been documented previously, I have a lot of love for well-done electronica. (I can't stand most of the stuff they'd play in clubs and such; but when a group or artist is good at creating electronica - groups such as F*ck Buttons or Röyksopp or the inimitable Daft Punk - I can listen to it all day.) The subtle, electronic music found intermingled here with some pretty crushing metal is very good, and helps create an ambiance that most albums of this ilk only hope to duplicate.
It really is a great album, and the more times I've listened to it, the more I've felt that way about it.
Final verdict: this surprises the heck out of me, but Adore it (at night. In the darkness. Hidden under your covers.)
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Point-Counterpoint: Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8
Braeden
I'm not exactly sure how I found out about Cloud Cult - what website or who introduced me to the wonder of my favorite band. (After Rush. Of course.) All I know is that I've loved everything they've done for half a decade now.
While my love of most indie music is something that's come about in the last year or so, even when I was in the midst of my most brütal hëavy mëtal moments of life, I've still been able to listen to Cloud Cult and find joy, honesty, and the truths of human emotions laid bare. They're not your typical indie band, not one that you'd imagine all those hipster kids from New York listening to - there's something fundamentally different about their music, from their harmonies to their deceptively simple seeming guitar work.
The Meaning of 8 is no exception. Until Monday of this past week when they released their newest album, Light Chasers, on their website, I would've told you it was their very best album. It's full of catchy songs, lilting melodies, a message about overcoming and the everlasting nature of love, and it's just a wonder to behold. Since 2000 and the passing of lead singer / guitarist / keyboarder / songwriter Craig Minowa's son, their music had tended towards melancholy, but with this release, they strike a happy balance between the sadness that's obviously still there (especially in songs such as "Your 8th Birthday", written for the boy on what would've been that day), but there's a sense of hope and faith in the future here, too.
I love this record. It's got some of my favorite Cloud Cult tunes on it - from the unique love musings of "Chemicals Collide" to the melancholy of "Dance for the Dead" to the beautiful tragedy of "A Girl Underground" to the poignant "The Deaf Girl's Song". It's hard to even point out one thing that's out of place on this disc - it's nineteen tracks of perfection.
Every Cloud Cult album is a listening event - and this one, specifically, is a marvel.
Final Verdict: Adore it (and pick up everything else they've ever done, too - especially their brand new one)
Peter
My brother is on a quest. A quest to cure me from my Philistine ways. Such it is with this latest selection.
Cloud Cult scratches the indie-but-not-dirty-hipster itch very well. The music is slick and polished, without the need to appear rough and raw (like too much indie music). This album is replete with happy moments without being saccharine. The music is a vehicle, not a weapon. A vehicle to gently propel the listener on to the end.
In these ways, the album succeeds.
However, for it to succeed for the individual, you need to have that itch that needs to be scratched. And, frankly, I don't. It would appear I have no indie itch. That doesn't surprise me. So in the end, this was a brief diversion, but that is all.
Final verdict: Explore it (if you find you have an indie itch, scratch with this, not some of the other absolute dreck that is out there)
I'm not exactly sure how I found out about Cloud Cult - what website or who introduced me to the wonder of my favorite band. (After Rush. Of course.) All I know is that I've loved everything they've done for half a decade now.
While my love of most indie music is something that's come about in the last year or so, even when I was in the midst of my most brütal hëavy mëtal moments of life, I've still been able to listen to Cloud Cult and find joy, honesty, and the truths of human emotions laid bare. They're not your typical indie band, not one that you'd imagine all those hipster kids from New York listening to - there's something fundamentally different about their music, from their harmonies to their deceptively simple seeming guitar work.
The Meaning of 8 is no exception. Until Monday of this past week when they released their newest album, Light Chasers, on their website, I would've told you it was their very best album. It's full of catchy songs, lilting melodies, a message about overcoming and the everlasting nature of love, and it's just a wonder to behold. Since 2000 and the passing of lead singer / guitarist / keyboarder / songwriter Craig Minowa's son, their music had tended towards melancholy, but with this release, they strike a happy balance between the sadness that's obviously still there (especially in songs such as "Your 8th Birthday", written for the boy on what would've been that day), but there's a sense of hope and faith in the future here, too.
I love this record. It's got some of my favorite Cloud Cult tunes on it - from the unique love musings of "Chemicals Collide" to the melancholy of "Dance for the Dead" to the beautiful tragedy of "A Girl Underground" to the poignant "The Deaf Girl's Song". It's hard to even point out one thing that's out of place on this disc - it's nineteen tracks of perfection.
Every Cloud Cult album is a listening event - and this one, specifically, is a marvel.
Final Verdict: Adore it (and pick up everything else they've ever done, too - especially their brand new one)
Peter
My brother is on a quest. A quest to cure me from my Philistine ways. Such it is with this latest selection.
Cloud Cult scratches the indie-but-not-dirty-hipster itch very well. The music is slick and polished, without the need to appear rough and raw (like too much indie music). This album is replete with happy moments without being saccharine. The music is a vehicle, not a weapon. A vehicle to gently propel the listener on to the end.
In these ways, the album succeeds.
However, for it to succeed for the individual, you need to have that itch that needs to be scratched. And, frankly, I don't. It would appear I have no indie itch. That doesn't surprise me. So in the end, this was a brief diversion, but that is all.
Final verdict: Explore it (if you find you have an indie itch, scratch with this, not some of the other absolute dreck that is out there)
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