New Album: Candlemass - Death Magic Doom

Another new album, another new article - I am having a productive week.


I haven't heard much of Candlemass' newer works. I love Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (it really got me hooked into Candlemass, and even more so into doom metal), and have enjoyed many a listen to Nightfall, Ancient Dreams, and Tales of Creation, all stellar works within doom. And besides some tracks from King of The Gray Islands, that is it. So that means that I have a 20 year break within the Candlemass I know and the Candlemass of today.

New Album: Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue

I'm currently listening to the new Alice In Chains album, and although I've never been a huge fan of them, this new album is pretty decent.
I know they have a new singer (after the other one overdosed a while back) but it really sounds similar to their older stuff. The music is all the slow, grinding riffs with light drums, and the vocals are still a bit whiny, but in a good way. The whole album pulls together fairly well.

Rant: Why Are EPs So Different?

I've noticed a trend; band's first release - often an EP - is very consistently different from the sound of their first album, many times for the worse.

When I find a new band I normally don't like to start with their first album, especially if the group has been around for awhile and released several full-lengths. I like to either begin with the most current album and work back, or start from album three, after the group has discovered their comfort level with their sound.
I do this because alot of times the sounds between albums vary drastically; either the band moves towards a more commercial sound, or the opposite, where the band dislikes the way it tried to posture itself for the masses and moves off the deep end. Very few groups keep the same sound all the way through their career.
And I'm not saying that a little bit of experimentation is bad, I like bands that let their sound grow with each release. Look at Clutch, they moved from a stoner metal/rock group to a funk rock sound and now they are cemented heavily within the blues. But the steps were small from album to album, not one album they are metal, and the next one they are blues.

The three groups I want to focus on - the examples where it is the most obvious - are Fishbone, Mammal, and Mechanical Poet.

New Band: Baroness - Out of My Comfort Zone

If anyone was to look through all my music I listen to, and all of my posts on here, there would be certain patterns emerging with what sounds I enjoy: I like mostly melodic music of a heavy variety. There are a few thrash bands that make the cut, but it is mostly genres like power, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, doom/sludge, and - most recently - stoner. I have never been a fan of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, it's just too screamy, which also leaves out anything with -core on it. But one band that is an odd screaming band (but not NWOAHM or hardcore) that I really enjoy is Baroness.

Albums Listened To In August

A short month this time, I didn't get anywhere with my British Invasion plan. Got a new job which has me working 40 hours and school started up again which is another 20 hours taken. So all my free time is spent sitting on my couch watching TV, oh and going out with friends - gotta keep the social up as well.
So only 30 albums this month, my lowest amount since December, I just haven't had the patience to sit there and listen to an entire album. I've been listening to alot of music I already have heard, so I don't have to pay that much attention to it, it's easier as muzak.

The best new album of the month was the self-titled album by The Allman Brothers Band, I really liked their use of blues rock mixed with the country/bluegrass feel. Their following album, Idlewild South, wasn't nearly as good, but I am working on the rest of the discography (at least the good years).
The worst was There's A Riot Goin' On by Sly & The Family Stone. I was disappointed because I really like Sly & The Family Stone, and their Dance To The Music was really good (as well is their Greatest Hits, which is the only other album of theirs I have), but this attempt was not. I think it was because it is really heavy in the political agenda and racism. I can understand why, from the era that this album was released, but I still like their happy-days music much more.

Well that's it, I'd like to say that the next month will be better, but I will be doing these 60 hour weeks until December, so for a time - while I adjust - it's going to be difficult to keep this updated frequently.