This
is an Australian band that has been around since 2012 but since 2017 have 4 releases on their bandcamp
site. I really liked their last album and was happy to hear they had this new
on in 2019. The album features 10 tracks
and starts off with a droned organ followed by guitar on the lead track,
Storm. The bass slowly rolls in on this
nice stoney track. The vocal sounds really nice with the effected guitar to
give a totally different vibe. At 4mins
the track really takes off in a new direction and the guitar becomes more
intense. Maybe I’m Evil also starts slow
but with a more driving drum rhythm. The effected guitar and vocals are back.
Love some of the pedals he uses on the solos and other parts, Nice. Wars is a
long bluesy track with a really nice groove. Roll on features some really cool
guitar. Jazzhead Part1 closes side A and is focused primarily on dual guitar
and bass with no drums. A beautiful 2 min track. Low Expectation brings back
the energy with a nice drive and a catchy riff. Stoneface Jambourie is a lovely
track with some keyboards, acoustic guitars, banjo (?), sitar, etc… The title
track is next and starts with a piano line, a bit beautiful but also dark at
times. The guitar lines is quite Pink Floyd like but the track just flows and
is the longest one on the album. Awesome vibe. Hard Case is another bluesy one
with a female guest vocalist. The band have done a great job of coming up with
a lot of outstanding songs on this record. The Jazzhead Part 2 finished the
record. Check this great band out. Hope
they come to Europe one day..
This is a site where I post reviews of CDs, DVDs, LPs, and concerts. I have been writing music reviews on and off since 1984. I ran a heavy metal fanzine from 1984-1988 called Metal Madness and have been a staff writer for Aural Innovations for many years. I have also contributed to Chrohinga Well (RIP), Bad Acid (RIP), Lowcut (RIP), Roadburn and a number of other zines as well. I recently moved to Portugal so please request the new address and do not send any music to Denmark anymore. Tak..
Sunday, December 8, 2019
The Ivory Elephant- StoneFace (Bilocation Records ARTIFACT 59)
Mikkeline & Flux- Forvandlet (Traume Tone 002)
Mikkeline
& Flux are a Danish trio (Ole- Drums, Percussion has played with Mental
Midget, Strejfer, Fritz Fatal), Troels (Bass, Synth, backing vocal, has played
with Sort Sol, The Poets, Henrik Olsen) and Mikkeline (Vocals, Guitar,
Melodica, Ukelele). This album features 10 tracks. All the songs are sung in
the Danish language. As they state in the promo sheet, this is Danish Rock. I
normally don’t review bands like this at all but this is a female lead dark indie
rock but with some unusual lyric (if you understand Danish), strange vocals (as
on the first track Det Magiske Kontor- The Magic Office). Skønhed I Mørket is another slow paced track
but with a more dirty hard sound when it gets to the middle section and spaced
out. Cool song.
Frossen Ild focuses more on the vocals at the start before the
rest of the band joins with some backing vocals, bass and drums. A sort of ballad.
To Toner has a krautrock like bass line and a darker vibe. Stjerenekasterøje ends side A. The vocal is a
bit of a spoken word for some of it. Track reminds me a bit of Spids Nøgenhat
if you took away all the psychedelic parts! A very nice song. Side B starts off with Ugh! Så meget
Pis! Very garagy this one with a bit of
strangeness thrown in as well with the discordant guitar. Svantes lykkelige dag
keeps the vibe mellow to start but then this one starts to rock and the vibe
vibrates between melodic and nasty.
Forvandlet although simple it is a very effective track with its dark
mood and heavy bass line. I like this
one a lot. Skrig som Søløver is more of the same, a bit of a dark angry vibe on
this album side. Dystre Strenge is more melodic and the vocals are very nice.
Klovn ends this quite cool record. I had to hear it quite a few times before I
really got into it. It is a grower and it helps if you understand Danish (at
least if you can read it with the enclosed lyric sheet). Check the links below.
We Here Now- The Chikipunk Years (Elektrohasch 179)
I
have never heard of this band before. It says all instruments by Un Chiquitino
(one Brazilian, one Peruvian and one Indian), which seems like the name of the
band but the CD is called something different. The back of the CD cover shows a
trio (guitar, bass and drums). Anyway, this is some raw rock and roll, featured
in 10 short tracks. Soujourns starts things off with some nice energy and
harmony guitar parts. This short track cuts right into a sort of African like
guitar line for Gathering and Separation. The vocals are nice and melodic but
it is difficult to hear even what language he sings in. Is it English or Spanish or Portuguese?? About 2mins into this track a strange and
very out of place sample from an English movie is spliced in and then they come
back to the guitar solo section of the track.
Detachments keeps the energy high and returns again with some nice
layered guitar to compliment the drive and melodic voice. I wish the songs were
longer here as they have some great grooves and ideas. Angelus Novus is a short
guitar piece that leads into Planes of Inmanence, the last track on side A. Some
great drumming on this track which has a more repetitive nature about it with
the melodic voice over the top.
Side B starts off with Detachments (reprise)
and features some really nice guitar playing over a very drum and bass
repetition. Frontiers and Determinations has a more psychedelic nature as the
band go for recurring riffs and some effects on the vocals. Dukkha returns to
tracks more like the first ones. Paramubulation features some really nice
guitar leads on this instrumental track that has many more changes than the
tracks with all the recurrent riffs and themes.
Clearings is the last track and best track. Fantastic instrumental.
Wow..
I have to say, I quite liked this record
after a few listens but it is for sure out of the left field for Elektrohasch. A
lot of descriptions describe it as garage rock but it is far too complex for
that genre. It has a raw production though. Cool… You can hear a 10min sample of the record
below.
Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand- Cosmic Trigger
This is a very creative Austrian group and
some of their stuff is really amazing and I dig it a lot. This album is a
collaboration with the singer, Edward from the Legendary Pink Dots, who does
most of the vocal parts. The music is very much like 80s goth electronic but
with cooler synth parts. Dark, strange, moody..
The last White Hills record had this sort of vibe as well. Anyway, it features 11 tracks in about 40mins
and once you get sucked into the vibe, you will probably dig it if you are a fan.
If this is your first dip into their material, I would say, it is not my
favourite but these guys never stand still. They always evolve and you never
quite know what to expect with the next record. This one is totally different
from the last one. Great artwork.
LUCIFER WAS- Underground and Beyond (SOMMER SOMMCD055)
I
was really surprised that this was reissued again. It was originally put out on
Record Heaven in 1997 both on CD and picture disc vinyl, a bit over 20 years
go. Lucifer Was, was an underground
Norwegian band that existed from 70-75 or so but never recorded anything back
in the day but all the songs on this album were played by the band back in the
day and only recorded in 1996. The band
knocked out their old songs and it was all done in 18 hrs. The band was clearly a fan of Jethro Tull and
even had two flute players at one point. The music is a bit darker than most
Tull. All the songs are original except the The Mountain King theme which they
use to lead into their own multipart track called the Green Pearl. If you never
heard this and like a more heavy version of Tull meets some early Black
Sabbath, then check this out. You can hear it below.
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