Track Roundup: September
This has been a busy month for both me and this blog, even during behind the scenes. I took a trip to France with my wife and my mother-in-law, which was really great and my first time there. Furthermore, Justine and I have been doing a lot of administrative "pre-planning" for our coming home in mid-October. We are both very excited and these past couple weeks have felt like when we were preparing to come to London in February. That is to say, it's been very exciting to be excited to come home if that makes sense. We've been living out of suitcases for the past 8 months and are simply ready to start building our home.
In the case of the blog, I've been trying to post more than I did in August which I've already achieved and I am preparing for October. I love October and all the culture that comes along with it, so I've got multiple Halloween and Seasonal posts lined up and I've had a lot of fun thinking these up. I know I'll have even more fun writing them!
Benighted - Martyr
(1st Single from Dogs Always Bite Harder Than Their Master EP: October 12th on Season of Mist)
French Death Metal/Grindcore band Benighted have been on my radar for a short while now, while their release catalogue goes back to the early 2000's I've only just recently heard them. It took me a while to get used to their sound, mostly due to the pig squeal vocals, something I usually hate, but this latest track was what won me over. It's definitely not the most highbrow of music, but it is a fun listen if you like heavy music. There are some very interesting rhythms and very catchy riffs all throughout the song, there are a great variety of vocal styles used here too. This is not for everyone, but I liked it.
Magna Carta Cartel - The Sun & The Rain
(Single from The Sun & The Rain EP: October 12th on Lövely Records
This is one of the first Rock tracks that I've featured here, in fact it is quite similar to a modern Country song. I am not usually a fan of Country, though I like some older stuff. There are some undeniably Country guitar-licks, coming along with a triumphant slide guitar solo.
Magna Carta Cartel are a Swedish band who share many members and stylistic similarities with another band featured on the blog, Ghost. This is simply a really pleasant, easy-going and laidback Rock song. Later on, we will see a much poorer example of a Rock song...
One of my most anticipated releases, based on curiosity and not so much "excitement" is Evoken's upcoming Hypnagogia. They are a staple in the genre of Funeral Doom, as much as Mournful Congregation are. That being said, I have rarely ever enjoyed listening to Evoken. Their specific type of music is highly unmelodic and in my opinion can be unpleasant (in the wrong ways) to listen to. I listen to some music for the unpleasant nature it might cater to, but Evoken musically just sort of rub me the wrong way.
On this song however, Evoken sound more unlike themselves than ever. This song has a much stronger melody than anything on their previous records, and it has an absolutely killer bass tone. I don't usually notice that, but I couldn't help but do so here. There is a much stronger Death Metal flavour on this track that is very uncharacteristic, and intrigues me as to what the full length might sound like. I'm not sure how much I actually like this track however, it's okay. My favourite part(for the wrong reasons) might be the very Spinal Tap-esque section around 3 minutes in, it's almost uncanny and because of this, the somberness does not have the desired effect on me.
Taken from the first posthumous album of Prince's archived material, Piano and a Microphone 1983 is a prime example showing just how talented of a musician Prince was. I picked this track among the 9 others of interpreted solo piano versions of his more famous songs because this is my favourite of the original songs. To be able to strip down an R&B song which was accompanied by drums, guitars, synthesizers, and other vocalists and make it sound so natural with just Prince's voice and a piano is truly amazing.
Each of the 9 tracks are composed together to form one long interpretive 30 minute "Prince-Suite", Every track on this album sounds so different from it's original version too, "Purple Rain" has all its emotion and power transmitted from an 8 minute epic down to a nearly 2 minute interpreted version. Prince continues to prove just how important he was even after his death.
I don't have much to say about this track, Ed Motta is a Brazilian Jazz artist. He's got a beautiful baritone voice, and as far as Smooth Jazz goes this one is pretty good. Lots of good guitar and bass licks.
This song comes off an album which I definitely enjoy, but for above reasons I can't really talk much about. Jazz like this is hard to review in my opinion, because as diverse as Jazz can be I find that there is little room to vary from song to song within an album's runtime. It could just be my love for Van Morrison, whose albums can hit every corner of the genre ballpark but I am not sure how to really critique a Jazz album like this so I won't bother trying.
Once in a while, I will listen to a band for the first time after knowing about them for ages. Voivod are a very important band for the early days of Progressive and Thrash Metal, they've been making music since Metallica was releasing their first albums and I hadn't listened to them at all until hearing this track from their new album The Wake.
The most striking thing about this song is the fact that for an almost 40 year old band, they still sound so fresh. I can only judge based on what I hear here but this is a very tight Progressive Metal song with many movements. I appreciate the fact that there are so many modern elements to the song as well, the production is beautiful, the guitar solo is refreshingly modern, and most of all Voivod aren't trying to sound "80's" as far as I can tell. Though, if this is what they sounded like then, I will have to check them out even faster than I was planning to.
"It's not like we set out to be a rock and roll band, it's just that sound that comes out when we get together and play"... One question I have, why does this band try their absolute hardest to deny the fact that they are basically a Led Zeppelin tribute band with their own songs. There is nothing about this song that is not derivative of Led Zeppelin in any way. Yes, it is an original song but are these original ideas? No.
People say that Rock is dead, having been split into pockets of artists which have influenced Punk, Metal, Hip-Hop, and Pop. I would argue that this is true. Greta Van Fleet are frustrating, because they clearly have the chops and ideas to make some decent Rock music, but that is wasted on their seeming need to emulate an arguably untouchable band from the past. Heck, even Led Zeppelin are tired of it. There you have it, Robert Plant himself thinks Greta Van Fleet are a Zeppelin tribute band.
Of course there is a reason I am including this one last, ushering in the month of October for ShieldHouse. John Carpenter is absolutely an important figure for Horror movie soundtracks, and Electronic music in general. The original Halloween Main Theme is one of the most recognizable themes for a franchise in film history.
John Carpenter has managed to make this version of the title theme sound more like the original than the original does. It has this lo-fi quality about it which not only fits perfectly with the grittiness of the original film, but makes me unquestionably excited for the new film. This will be the 11th movie in the franchise, but from the trailer it becomes clear that this one is the true sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 slasher progenitor.
Evoken - Valorous Consternation
(Single from Hypnagogia: November 9th on Profound Lore Records)
One of my most anticipated releases, based on curiosity and not so much "excitement" is Evoken's upcoming Hypnagogia. They are a staple in the genre of Funeral Doom, as much as Mournful Congregation are. That being said, I have rarely ever enjoyed listening to Evoken. Their specific type of music is highly unmelodic and in my opinion can be unpleasant (in the wrong ways) to listen to. I listen to some music for the unpleasant nature it might cater to, but Evoken musically just sort of rub me the wrong way.
On this song however, Evoken sound more unlike themselves than ever. This song has a much stronger melody than anything on their previous records, and it has an absolutely killer bass tone. I don't usually notice that, but I couldn't help but do so here. There is a much stronger Death Metal flavour on this track that is very uncharacteristic, and intrigues me as to what the full length might sound like. I'm not sure how much I actually like this track however, it's okay. My favourite part(for the wrong reasons) might be the very Spinal Tap-esque section around 3 minutes in, it's almost uncanny and because of this, the somberness does not have the desired effect on me.
Prince - International Lover
(Selected track from Piano and a Microphone 1983: Released September 21st on NPG)
Taken from the first posthumous album of Prince's archived material, Piano and a Microphone 1983 is a prime example showing just how talented of a musician Prince was. I picked this track among the 9 others of interpreted solo piano versions of his more famous songs because this is my favourite of the original songs. To be able to strip down an R&B song which was accompanied by drums, guitars, synthesizers, and other vocalists and make it sound so natural with just Prince's voice and a piano is truly amazing.
Each of the 9 tracks are composed together to form one long interpretive 30 minute "Prince-Suite", Every track on this album sounds so different from it's original version too, "Purple Rain" has all its emotion and power transmitted from an 8 minute epic down to a nearly 2 minute interpreted version. Prince continues to prove just how important he was even after his death.
Ed Motta - The Required Dress Code
(Selected track from Criterion of the Senses: Released September 21st on Membran)
I don't have much to say about this track, Ed Motta is a Brazilian Jazz artist. He's got a beautiful baritone voice, and as far as Smooth Jazz goes this one is pretty good. Lots of good guitar and bass licks.
This song comes off an album which I definitely enjoy, but for above reasons I can't really talk much about. Jazz like this is hard to review in my opinion, because as diverse as Jazz can be I find that there is little room to vary from song to song within an album's runtime. It could just be my love for Van Morrison, whose albums can hit every corner of the genre ballpark but I am not sure how to really critique a Jazz album like this so I won't bother trying.
Voivod - Obsolete Beings
(Selected track from The Wake: Released September 21st on Century Media Records)
Once in a while, I will listen to a band for the first time after knowing about them for ages. Voivod are a very important band for the early days of Progressive and Thrash Metal, they've been making music since Metallica was releasing their first albums and I hadn't listened to them at all until hearing this track from their new album The Wake.
The most striking thing about this song is the fact that for an almost 40 year old band, they still sound so fresh. I can only judge based on what I hear here but this is a very tight Progressive Metal song with many movements. I appreciate the fact that there are so many modern elements to the song as well, the production is beautiful, the guitar solo is refreshingly modern, and most of all Voivod aren't trying to sound "80's" as far as I can tell. Though, if this is what they sounded like then, I will have to check them out even faster than I was planning to.
Greta Van Fleet - Lover, Leaver
(Umpteenth Single from Anthem of a Peaceful Army: October 19th on Republic Records)
"It's not like we set out to be a rock and roll band, it's just that sound that comes out when we get together and play"... One question I have, why does this band try their absolute hardest to deny the fact that they are basically a Led Zeppelin tribute band with their own songs. There is nothing about this song that is not derivative of Led Zeppelin in any way. Yes, it is an original song but are these original ideas? No.
People say that Rock is dead, having been split into pockets of artists which have influenced Punk, Metal, Hip-Hop, and Pop. I would argue that this is true. Greta Van Fleet are frustrating, because they clearly have the chops and ideas to make some decent Rock music, but that is wasted on their seeming need to emulate an arguably untouchable band from the past. Heck, even Led Zeppelin are tired of it. There you have it, Robert Plant himself thinks Greta Van Fleet are a Zeppelin tribute band.
John Carpenter - The Shape Returns
(Single from Halloween: OST: October 19th on Sacred Bones Records)
Of course there is a reason I am including this one last, ushering in the month of October for ShieldHouse. John Carpenter is absolutely an important figure for Horror movie soundtracks, and Electronic music in general. The original Halloween Main Theme is one of the most recognizable themes for a franchise in film history.
John Carpenter has managed to make this version of the title theme sound more like the original than the original does. It has this lo-fi quality about it which not only fits perfectly with the grittiness of the original film, but makes me unquestionably excited for the new film. This will be the 11th movie in the franchise, but from the trailer it becomes clear that this one is the true sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 slasher progenitor.
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