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..
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Automaton- Talos (Sound Effect Records)
Sista Maj- Localized Pockets of Negative Entropy (Self Released/Adansonia Records)
Sista Maj is a project in Stockholm lead by Jonathan Segel (Camper van
Beethoven, Øresund Space Collective and others) on guitars and violin and also
features:
Mikael Tuominen—bass (Kungens Mãn, Automatism),
Andreas Axelsson—drums
Per Wiberg—keyboards ((Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Candelmass)
Mattias Olsson—additional percussion, synthesizers, etc
on "Owls" and "Hi, Who Are You?"
Andreas Axelsson—drums
Per Wiberg—keyboards ((Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Candelmass)
Mattias Olsson—additional percussion, synthesizers, etc
on "Owls" and "Hi, Who Are You?"
How thick is your Veil starts things off with a long jam that is mostly
violin driven with a slow flow of bass and drums, the occasional synth and
later some guitar filters in. OWLs is a great track and starts off directly out
of the spacey end of the previous track with some great bass lines and very
intense violin as this track builds up. Great jam. Far from Nothing starts with
some nice organ playing and guitar interplay. Later a long guitar solo is
played as an almost smooth jazz groove is laid down. Keys also make this one
quite psychedelic. Yet more Veils changes the mood completely and the violin
returns. This one has a lot of repetition as it evolves and is a much shorter
track.
Hi, who are You? Starts with some guitar and slow building as the
drummer plays mostly the cymbals and the bass line is searching and waiting for
the main event to begin. Some very nice keyboards filtering in as well. Almost tribal drumming with some nice organ
and guitar as it builds up. I really like the guitar on this one. The last track on the album is High Salvage.
This is a slow spacey track with some heavy guitar chords here and there as it
flows down the river of sound. Nice album.
It appears that this album will be released on the German label,
Adasonia, who has also released several Kungens Män albums. Look out for it
next year on vinyl.
Rattlesnake- Time is Come CD (In for the Kill Records 007)
Rattlesnake
is another band that Adam Kriney (The Golden Grass, La Otracina) plays and
sings in. The band has previously release a 7” (on H42/In for the Kill Records)
and a cassette. This new CD EP features 3 new tracks as well as the other
tracks from the releases mentioned above. The EP starts off with the two new songs (and
one cover). Time is Come opens things with a sort of ZZTOP like riff and feel
before it takes another bluesy path. The riff gets repeated occasionally
through the song. The lead vocal duties are shared between Adam and guitarist
JP. Dan, the bass player also does some backing vocals. About 4mins in they
enter into a pretty jam with some great bass and guitar lines and solos. Next
up is Rock n Roll Outlaw by Rose Tattoo. This is a hard one to cover. The track
is played a little slower than the original and musically pretty cool but I
have to say the vocals are the weak point on this one, whereas the original has
that nasty edge, which I really dug, that is just lacking here. Burning way of
Life (newly recorded and extended version from their first cassette) is the
longest track and probably the best of the three with a nice hard rocking
footstomping groove. It really rocks around between 3-4 mins with a cool guitar
solo section, where JP tries out different effects pedals to alter his sound
and mood. Adam and Dan just rock it out. Great jam on this track. Inspired by
the band, Stray, perhaps!
You can hear the entire EP below.
Dirt in my Eyes and Picture Perfect are
both from the limited edition 7”. Dirt is a rocker with a totally different
sound production from the previous songs and a bit more melodic and
smooth. Like the other tracks there is a
longish guitar solo section in the middle. Picture Perfect is a mid-paced track
with a happy Marshall Tucker like vibe or Charlie Daniels (minus the fiddle!).
The circular guitar riff and the backing vocals give it that more classic rock
feel.
This is followed by the bands debut
cassette tape tracks and starts off with Burning Way of Life, their original
recording of this track. This version has a different sound production, a bit
more low end. The overall track is pretty similar but the mid section is much
shorter on this original version. The Reason Why is one of the most hard
hitting tracks the band has in its repertoire, with a great wah guitar and bass
at the start of the track. Lots of cool parts to this great track. Wicked Man
is the CD closer with another quite hard edged guitar riff but never forgetting
about bringing in those melodic licks and vocal choruses to give it a happy
feeling at times as well. Great drive on this one in the non-singing sections.
If you are a fan of the Golden Grass with a
little dash of southern rock then you will dig these guys for sure.
The Chemistry Set- Firefly 7” (Fruits de Mer WINKLE 34)
I really loved this bands last release.
Amazing they have been around for so many years (30) and still very creative.
Firefly starts things off with a quite heavy guitar riff and then the distorted
organ takes the lead on this short musical journey. What a great song with
heavy distorted guitars, cool vocals and spaced out effects. Check it out
below. Sail Away is the B side and starts with some tabla drums and acoustic
guitar. Excellent song with just a great vibe and sound. Killer 7”. Buy it…
The 7” will also come with a bonus CD of
extra material.
Human Factor- Let Nature take it’s Course (RIAG Records R104)
Human
Factor is a mostly instrumental four piece band for Russia. Longyear starts
things off with a sort of post rock vibe with a main repeated melodic guitar
line, which morphs into the lead as the bass and drums keep the pace in the
middle. The keyboards sort of float around the sound but later takes the lead
in complimenting the guitar lines nicely and there is some singing as well. A
3mins the track becomes much heavier and intense. ALF is a super cool track
with some freaky sampled voices and cool Ozric like synths and some intense
parts. Very cool song. 1816 has a sort of new age like keyboard that I don’t like
much but the bass and drums are killer on this track and later a more intense
guitar part kicks in. Later there is some excellent synth playing as the new
age stuff is dropped. Lake of Solitude slows things down a bit with floating
spacey vibe to it. There is a nice interplay between the guitar (who rarely
solos) and synth, which is the lead solo instrument in this band. Some similar
synths and arppegiated synths appear in this track as others. Nice e-bow guitar
work at the end of the track. Touch of Chixculub is probably the track with
heaviest guitar on the record. All the tracks so far are mid paced. Huge melodic thread runs thorough this one
which counters the heavy guitar riff. A bit of piano on this one. Alarm #1202
starts with some layers of synths before the bass and drums kick in and it
slowly grows. This track features some more interesting guitar, one delay and
one played quite fast, an almost like acoustic but not quite (or is the
synth?). The end is really hard rocking. Red Shift brings things down a bit
with some samples and keyboards before the band joins in. Again, the synths are
the main solo instrument. Nuba Vetera Promesas Pluvon features David Paulley on
voice and closes out this album and features some piano once again.
This band just has an excellent vibe and
good contrasts between dark and light moods, heavy and less heavy without
letting it get too commercial in sound.
Quite an enjoyable and excellent album.