EP Shakedown: Major Kong - Orogenesis

Ok, my computer is back up and running smoothly, turns out it wasn't a big deal really. So this is the 'EP Shakedown' that I had all set up for Saturday that was never posted. Luckily I had the articles for Sunday and Tuesday already set to go, so you all had something to tide you over. I'll get back on schedule tomorrow with the daily postings.

Major Kong comes highly recommended by several sources as some great sludge metal. This is down and dirty instrumental doom metal, I can't really call it sludge, because to me sludge is all in the vocals, but I feel I'm just splitting hairs there. The songs (four of them) are long and drawn-out, seeming to go on forever.

Orogenesis (available for free download), the debut EP from the guys of Fifty Foot Woman, is for anyone who loves some dark doom. If you're looking for complex rhythms or styles, you need to be listening to something else. The songs are droning and fairly predictable, but at the same time, they will melt your face (which would be a sweet album name).

New Album: The Atomic Bitchwax - The Local Fuzz

If you've been keeping up with The Guide, you would have already read my discovery that I don't like The Atomic Bitchwax nearly as much as previously thought. Although I still find that shocking, I think it's time to move on, and the best way to do that is to review the act's latest release, The Local Fuzz. You will see some mention of this album being and EP/LP, and that is because of some general confusion of what it is to be either. One song, forty minutes in length, no words... I'd call it an EP, but others disagree. Whatever the case, it makes for an interesting listen (I hope).

The song/LP/EP kicks off with a flash; some groovy, moving bass lines, accompanying drums and a crazy-sophisticated guitar lick over it all. It's all a little repetitive, but whenever it seems to be getting a little dull TAB switches the melody in some fashion, which helps keep it alive. The changes are minute enough to not sound out of place, but they have enough of a difference/change to be noticed, for your brain to still focus on the song at hand.

At around the fourteen minute mark the song takes a significant stylistic change, sounding like a new song is beginning. For the short while it all slows down, with less emphasis on the frantic guitar and drum work of the past section. This only is maintained for a minute or so before the band all comes together, but the music following isn't wholly like the beginning of the track; there are sections of quick guitar work, but it's inter-spliced with slower jam sessions. It really feels like a different song, which is awesome for a song like this.

New Band: Tia Carrera

When I got the Small Stone care package (the recording company's full 2011 line-up albums) I was a bit confused to see Tia Carrera included with the group. A quick google search led me to believe (for a short while) that she was the chick from Wayne's World - the actress' name is Tia Carrere so it's close. It turns out that she has a band that she fronts, when she's not making the one movie a decade. I was initially confused because I couldn't imagine her playing anything that would constitute a stay on the stoner label of Small Stone. A little more digging got me to the right act, and I have to say I'm happy that it turned out this way, as Tia Carrera (the band) kicks some stoney ass!

Cosmic Priestess is one doomy-instrumental-stoner-extravaganza. It sounds half carefully planned and half made up on the spot; part jam, part craft, all rock. The album opens and closes with the simplest and shortest songs - not a shortcoming as both are over seven minutes in length - very astutely bookending the LP with a similar style. The first song, "Slave Cylinder," is a build-up track, never quite reaching it's full potential, but accurately setting the stage for the later works. The last track of the album, "A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing," is a very groovy and semi-funky song, first focusing solely on the the groove, but eventually shifting the focus to a more drum and guitar back-and-forth. It's a great outro, and puts a memorable ending spin on Tia Carrera's latest release.

Weekly Dose of Prog: 3 Headed Monster - 3 Headed Monster

Work's been pretty brutal of late, and as such I'm putting together this week's 'Weekly Dose of Prog' very last minute. This week's isn't going to be a big one, and I'm working hard on getting something of substance out on time (my first draft was very short). As it stands, this will be short and sweet. I'll try to get back on my feet for next week, as I do enjoy writing these.

3 Headed Monster was an instrumental progressive metal band that I discovered randomly several years ago. I don't really remember how I found them, or why I would give them a listen above so many other bands (it probably had something to do with the band name and the album artwork). Whatever the case I discovered the act and I am glad I did.

With the many previous instrumental acts I've heard and reviewed here the constant remark I make is whether or not the band in question can pull off being entertaining for the long hall. Some acts can handle this, with consistently evolving melodic progressions and an equally impressive guitar/drum relationship, while others fade out into nothingness, with repetitive riffs and the like. 3 Headed Monster plays on both sides of the fence, with some tracks being very entertaining and memorable, while others simply are not.

Weekly Dose of Prog: Borean Dusk - Borean Dusk

Trying something a little different today, Borean Dusk melds progressive metal with folk sounds and melodies (keeping with my Current Trend of folk). Oh yea, it's all instrumental too, although I wasn't expecting it to be that way when I first started the album. Keeping you all on your toes.

The songs off of Borean Dusk are all very long, with four tracks coming in at almost a hour long (although Metal Archives has a much different track listing then my copy does, but mine matches with their website, so I think I'm right), so there are some evolutions of tracks, which add to the interest and liveliness of the entire album. It is through these progressions of sound and style that really kept my attention focused. Borean Dusk didn't fall into the crux of so many other instrumental acts, of coming off dull, repetitive and/or boring.

I'll tell you what, I was initially surprised by Borean Dusk, as the first sounds came off very folk. Their debut album begins with a quick acoustic melody with light drums, coming off as a semi-jig, of the old Irish/Celtic tradition. After a minute or so, the song, "Wolf-Totem," moves into the electric realm, and much heavier drums, but I know that first lick is what will stick in my head. As the song progressed I started to pick up some resemblance of Iron Maiden's sounds, most notably their song "Transylvania," followed directly by what sounded like a blacksmith's hammer striking steel, bringing about the end the song. Kind of an interesting progression.

5 Quick Album Reviews

SardoniS - SardoniS

Damn good instrumental metal. SardoniS was sent to me by Reg at Heavy Planet to listen and review. I had actually already owned the album, but I appreciated the thought. That was back in September or October, and I just now listened to their debut album. I was in no rush because of it's instrumental nature and I've never been a huge fan of the genre. Like sludge metal, I think that I am not the ideal person to review instrumental music, just because I am tainted against it from the get-go. But I had just woken up and I wanted something simple to enter the day with so I turned on SardoniS. What followed was anything but simple, SardoniS is one of the most complex and richly sounding instrumental bands I've ever heard. The album transcends genres, all of which sounded at least half-way decent. This is something very difficult to do without the aid of vocals of any kind, and they somehow kept it all fresh throughout the album, something else that is difficult (for me) with instrumental bands. While not all the tracks were winners - it had it's share of ups and downs - it was an easy album to get through, and I didn't find myself wandering away in thought as I do with most bands. I was continuously surprised and entranced with the differences of sound, track to track. This is something to listen to, if you're a fan of instrumental stoner metal or not.

5 Quick Negative Album Reviews

Even though I listen to so much music, the quality overall is pretty damn stellar. Only a handful of albums and artists ever raise my ire. Because of this, I'm grouping what little I didn't like together. It makes it easier for me, and I hope, for you.

Mahatma - Gilgamesh

Pretty much every time I listen to an instrumental band - of any genre - I always draw reference to the Cloudkicker article I wrote a while back and the good and bad with instrumental bands. I really need to write a stand-alone article about this subject, but until then just know that Mahatma embodies what is bad with the instrumental genre. The majority of their songs on Gilgamesh are droning, repetitive doom songs, with the same rhythm repeated seemingly endlessly for eight or nine minutes. The opening track “Blood On Uruk” is a perfect example; when I was listening to this song, I mistakenly thought I had chosen the first track from the Under The Sun album, Man of Sorrow (which will get a review here soon). While I thought it was “Stride” (the first track off Man of Sorrow) I was ok with it, because it sounded like the intro for a movie, when the hero is walking up a road with the credits spliced in. I figured it to be an intro piece, and the fact that it was that repetitive and dull didn't matter, because soon the good music would chime in. Eventually I figured out it was Mahatma I was listening to, and my expectation that the album would get better was cast aside. The disc did not get any more interesting when it moved to the second track, and most of the album fell into this, dull and repetitive, category. The only two songs that stood out in any way were “Enkidu's End” and “Find The Sacred Herb.” The former was a good rock song, it was energetic and had several different melodies and styles, while the latter was more akin to the rest of the album, but it had some sweet grinding guitars, just simple chugging throughout, but it made the whole picture work. The rest of the disk, just throw it away, or use it for background noise for TV or movies, when you just need some filler while the characters talk or drive or something.

Awesome Websites: Tooting Bizarre

Found this one through my blog connections, TootingBizarre.org is a British record label's website, but this is no ordinary record label. You see this one gives all of the music they have away... for free! They have fourteen acts and thirty one albums/EPs for you to enjoy. The groups span a bunch of genres, from doom and post-metal, to folk and hip-hop. There is a little for everyone, so why not give it a look?

Now, I did scoop some artists up, but I haven't had a chance to listen to them at all yet, but the artists available include:

50ft Panda - Stoner/sludge/prog (3 Albums)

Diefenbaker - Folk/neofolk duo (4 Albums)

Mayors of Miyazaki -Math rock/hardcore (2 Albums)

Montana Pete -Punk/funk (3 Albums)

Olid - Prog/Doom supergroup from members of 50ft Panda, Mayors of Miyazaki, and Thumpermonkey Lives! (1 Album)

Part Rocket -Instrumental post-rock - I tried downloading this one but for some reason it wouldn't work for me, but give it a try (4 Albums)

Shinju - Pop or something, didn't give this one too much attention (1 Album)

Stonasaurus - Underground Hip-Hop (1 Album)

The Device - Techno/electronica (3 Albums)

The Doghouse Riley Band - Garage rock with humor (1 Album)

Thumpermonkey -Prog/experimental. Solo act before Thumpermonkey Lives! (2 Albums)

Thumpermonkey Lives! -Post-metal, prog, sludge, etc (2 Albums)

Todger -  Prog-stoner (3 Albums)

Tooting Bizarre - A live album of acts that are apart of TootingBizarre.org (1 Album)

 

Just sharing the love.

5 Quick Album Reviews

The year's final installment

Agalloch - Marrow of The Spirit

Hauntingly beautiful meets downright dark. Agalloch has always been a mystery to me. I love them, but they are unlike 99.9% of the other music I hear. I don't much care for black metal, the only groups I listen to being the 'classic' black (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond and Celtic Frost (in certain parts)), but for some reason Agalloch breaks through these barriers. I think it's because I see them more as folk metal, then true black metal. Their albums cross several genres, black, folk, progressive, symphonic, and post-metal have all been attributed to the group. It all fits. Marrow of The Spirit continues on the group's previous style; the songs are mixed with haunting beautiful strings and pianos, ear-shattering thrash, and wailing vocals. It's an experience that is difficult to accurately describe, it is something you will just have to try for yourself. The vocals don't take the main focus of the record, and I think that is another reason why I like Agalloch; they seem to be - at times - another instrument, adding to the layer of sound. The songs are all long, multi-layered and part pieces, with almost everyone changing styles throughout. It's hard to choose favorite tracks, as the songs sometimes fall onto the sword of most long songs; they have good segments, and some not-so-good segments, and while Marrow of The Spirit doesn't have this dragging effect too much, it is still there, taking away from the whole sound. This effect is seen more on the later songs, "Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires" and the final, "To Drown," with the last song, being an instrumental, effected the most. Other then this, there is no complaint. I love this group, and they fall way outside my normal comfort zone - but I always say every genre has a few good bands - and sometimes you need something like that. Go out, get Agalloch, all of the albums, and feel the experience of the group.

Top 20 of 2010: 16 - 20

Finishing up my Top 20 of 2010 (besides the honorable mentions of course) almost brings a tear to my eye. It's been a year full of ups and downs - both personal and within the musical soundscape. The year was rocked by the monumental deaths of Ronnie James Dio (Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Solo, Heaven & Hell) and Peter Steele (Carnivore, Type O Negative), and I'm sure others. But we move on, being stronger and more metal with each passing day.

16. sHEAVY - Disfigurine
One of my favorite bands, and another act to release two albums within one year, sHEAVY continues to do the seemingly impossible: consistently evolve their sound, and yet stay the same. Eight albums in, and I can still hear the basic influences of Black Sabbath and Kyuss that was present on the first record. Disfigurine keeps up the tradition of a sHEAVY album every two or three years, except that this time, it was predated by the sonically different The Golden Age of Daredevils, which was released in May of this year. You see The Golden Age of Daredevils was given birth through the group competing in the RPM Challenge, held every February, which holds that musicians of all genres complete a full album (10 songs or 30 minutes) within the month. There are lots of applicants, and one of the bands I like quite a bit, Snailface, is directly from this challenge. Anyway, so sHEAVY joined the challenge, recorded The Golden Age of Daredevils and decided to release it (why not, seeing as you've already recorded it). The album from the RPM Challenge was a bit different then previous LPs from the group so I was a tad worried about their future, but all my worries were cast aside after I heard Disfigurine. The group picked up a new guitarist, so the sound has evolved a bit, this album being more straight-forward stoner rock, then their very doomy predecessors, but it's still all good. It's just the beginning of a new chapter for the band. While Disfigurine is not their best release, how could I compile a list of the best albums of the year without including these amazing rockers?

New Band: Cloudkicker

I am really enjoying listening to this man's discography! The man in question is Ben Sharp, a man from Columbus Ohio, who writes and records instrumental progressive metal in his free time. You see Ben here has a day job. He has no want to tour or to sell physical CDs. He likes his life and he views music as a hobby, not a career. You got to respect a man like that, he knows just what he wants out of life. But don't let that deter you from listening to his works as Cloudkicker, that should make you want to hear it more! Here is a man who is solely about the music, with no hidden agenda of fame and fortune (well maybe fortune, you can pay for his tracks). You see, as I've already stated, I discovered Cloudkicker on bandcamp.com, where you can get his entire discography for free - you can also pay for them, but it's a pay-what-you-feel kind of thing. It's all very amusing, and did I mention the music he puts out is great?

Video: Karma To Burn "Twenty"

Karma To Burn is a stoner instrumental band who do pretty well for themselves. They are one of the better known of the music-only acts (at least as far as I know).
This music video is simple and kinda neat - a catchy idea if there ever was one: women as guitars. I like it.