Promos of upcoming or already released stuff, digital-only releases, gifted download cards... but I just don't have the time to do a proper in-depth review of everything. So here's a quick run through what has recently accumulated in my digital collection without a physical copy (yet)!
Let's begin with the arguably laziest release of the bunch:
So TORI AMOS has released an anniversary version of her 2014 album "Unrepentent Geraldines", which is not the lazy part. No, I just didn't feel like spending my money on that and there's also this digital EP "White Telephone To God" out there, which includes at least two of the three bonus tracks of that reissue, the EP title track and "Dixie". Nothing spectacularly new, just two beautiful voice and piano only Tori ballads. What's not to love?
The dissappointing part is that the following three songs of the EP are just one more regular "Geraldines" song and just two tracks from the 2017 album "Native Invader". As if this artist didn't have an endless archive of rare or unreleased original songs, covers or live recordings at her disposal. Still makes a neat EP if you just judge it on the music on its own, but come on!
The latest EP of the second female solo artist here makes a lot more sense. On "Undone" we get six tracks from CHELSEA WOLFE's latest album "She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She" in radically remixed versions by Electronic artists like Forest Swords and Boy Harsher, but also harsh brutalists like Full Of Hell and the Godflesh/Jesu/Techno Animal legend himself, Justin K. Broadrick.
Every single one of these versions changes the appearance of the song drastically. And while some tracks like "Whispers In the Echo Chamber" become much more abstract, others like "House of Self-Undoing" develop a whole new level of danceable hit potential. Nothing feels like aimless noodling around with the knobs and faders. This could all be original material and would have deserved a physical release. And I'm saying that as a remix sceptic.
A vinyl release with - déjà vu! - three bonus tracks is on its way for the 2018 EP "Age of Nano" from Finnish Synthwave project STARFORCE. Ok, it's probably a little early to mention this now proper album here, but guys, just make a note or pre-order this stuff now already! Because if you love that pure 80's Carpenter feeling with all the vintage original sounds served under neon lights and lasers while roller-skating on chrome wheels around a disco ball: this is for you! If you don't check this out yourself, the nanobots inside your body will make you do it. This shit delivers on the promise of its cover in the best way. The bonus tracks are ace too, especially "Paralyzed Worlds". This doesn't add anything revolutionary to the genre, but yeah, it's fun!
Another upcoming album (but you only have to wait until Friday) is the so far digital-only "The Pulsing Rush" by the Brazilians ISAURIAN.
Sinistro, Alcest, Type O Negative, Avatarium and Wang Wen are only some of many names which come to my mind when I listen to the seven tracks of this album, without the band actually carbon-copying other artists. It's an interesting Doom Metal release with much male and female vocal variety, dreamy melodies, subdued Gothic vibes here, belting bombast and grand Post Metal guitars there. Isaurian are throwing a lot of pieces on the wall and not everything sticks as good as the rest. The band could still use a little more edge and recognizable identity, but that being said "The Pulsing Rush" all in all is a very good album, which I will surely revisit from time to time.
Coming a little bit later, on November 15th, Sentient Ruin Laboratories dig deep in the foulest muds of Germany to bring us the next beautifully abhorrent strike from Blackened Doom Death squad NEKUS. If you already loved last year's "Sepulchral Divination" you can rejoice, because "Death Apophenia" continues just as undercrofty, mucid and clad in spiderwebs as its predecessor. Cavernous - and it's a very grand unholy cave -, with an infallible intuition for primitive but deadly old school riffs, Nekus excel in summoning the spirit of early Morgoth for a new crawling and raging generation of Death Metal disciples. Deliciously dark!
While we're already at it - can I please describe the next album for Death Metal fans? HUMAN TEOREMA are a band from France, whose new album "Le Premier Soleil de Jan Calet" (out on vinyl this Friday via Sulatron Records) for at least two thirds of its playing time sounds exactly like Blood Incantation's "Absolute Elsewhere"! ... Well, if you take away all Metal (but not Rock) elements from that one of course.
But seriously: This is just that kind of hypnotic Kraut Rock, which has those waves of Ambient sounds, mellotron vibrations, but also old school Prog parts melting together in a perfect swirl of colours. Of course there's also some other stuff, like their own take on guitar freakouts or the Dub influences and very fresh sounding Orientalisms in the twenty-three minute multi-part track "Spedizione". Yes, that's Blood Incantation format, haha. This might very well be one of the best (full-on) Psychedelic Rock releases of the year!
Ok, the next two albums have both been out there for a while and I had actually considered reviewing "ORNAMENTAL's "Verwandlung im Schlaf" ("Transformation During Sleep") on Veil of Sound for a while, but somehow just didn't find the time for it. Which is a pity, because that review would have included a long excursion about Germany's kraftwerkian / neubauty / Neue Deutsche Welle / Proto-Techno legend Fraktus, actually a mockumentary band (and movie) and brilliant counterpart to Spinal Tap, which you should seriously check out if you're not familiar with it yet!
Now Ornamental actually is a Heavy Psych group with a lot of danceable forward motion and tasty guitar noise, brought together in a great robo-krauty way, but also with that special late 70's / early 80's charme, which includes slogan-like German lyrics - remarkably reminiscent of said Fraktus. Which is a very good thing in this case, just to be clear. Quiet short, but an awesome entertaining record!
And last but not least - we remain in trippy territory - here are two extra-large improvised jams: the twenty-seven minutes long "Live Snake" and the twenty-one minutes big "War Room", both appearantly taking place on a "Dead Moon". Even though the album was recorded without an audience, this leaves no doubt why the British Psych Rockers SNAKES DON'T BELONG IN ALASKA have a reputation as a fantastic live act. Too bad there's no chance to see them any more, as they have called it quits for the foreseeable future in August. Shame, because these tunes induce some serious rapture.
The dissappointing part is that the following three songs of the EP are just one more regular "Geraldines" song and just two tracks from the 2017 album "Native Invader". As if this artist didn't have an endless archive of rare or unreleased original songs, covers or live recordings at her disposal. Still makes a neat EP if you just judge it on the music on its own, but come on!
The latest EP of the second female solo artist here makes a lot more sense. On "Undone" we get six tracks from CHELSEA WOLFE's latest album "She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She" in radically remixed versions by Electronic artists like Forest Swords and Boy Harsher, but also harsh brutalists like Full Of Hell and the Godflesh/Jesu/Techno Animal legend himself, Justin K. Broadrick.
Every single one of these versions changes the appearance of the song drastically. And while some tracks like "Whispers In the Echo Chamber" become much more abstract, others like "House of Self-Undoing" develop a whole new level of danceable hit potential. Nothing feels like aimless noodling around with the knobs and faders. This could all be original material and would have deserved a physical release. And I'm saying that as a remix sceptic.
A vinyl release with - déjà vu! - three bonus tracks is on its way for the 2018 EP "Age of Nano" from Finnish Synthwave project STARFORCE. Ok, it's probably a little early to mention this now proper album here, but guys, just make a note or pre-order this stuff now already! Because if you love that pure 80's Carpenter feeling with all the vintage original sounds served under neon lights and lasers while roller-skating on chrome wheels around a disco ball: this is for you! If you don't check this out yourself, the nanobots inside your body will make you do it. This shit delivers on the promise of its cover in the best way. The bonus tracks are ace too, especially "Paralyzed Worlds". This doesn't add anything revolutionary to the genre, but yeah, it's fun!
Another upcoming album (but you only have to wait until Friday) is the so far digital-only "The Pulsing Rush" by the Brazilians ISAURIAN.
Sinistro, Alcest, Type O Negative, Avatarium and Wang Wen are only some of many names which come to my mind when I listen to the seven tracks of this album, without the band actually carbon-copying other artists. It's an interesting Doom Metal release with much male and female vocal variety, dreamy melodies, subdued Gothic vibes here, belting bombast and grand Post Metal guitars there. Isaurian are throwing a lot of pieces on the wall and not everything sticks as good as the rest. The band could still use a little more edge and recognizable identity, but that being said "The Pulsing Rush" all in all is a very good album, which I will surely revisit from time to time.
Coming a little bit later, on November 15th, Sentient Ruin Laboratories dig deep in the foulest muds of Germany to bring us the next beautifully abhorrent strike from Blackened Doom Death squad NEKUS. If you already loved last year's "Sepulchral Divination" you can rejoice, because "Death Apophenia" continues just as undercrofty, mucid and clad in spiderwebs as its predecessor. Cavernous - and it's a very grand unholy cave -, with an infallible intuition for primitive but deadly old school riffs, Nekus excel in summoning the spirit of early Morgoth for a new crawling and raging generation of Death Metal disciples. Deliciously dark!
While we're already at it - can I please describe the next album for Death Metal fans? HUMAN TEOREMA are a band from France, whose new album "Le Premier Soleil de Jan Calet" (out on vinyl this Friday via Sulatron Records) for at least two thirds of its playing time sounds exactly like Blood Incantation's "Absolute Elsewhere"! ... Well, if you take away all Metal (but not Rock) elements from that one of course.
But seriously: This is just that kind of hypnotic Kraut Rock, which has those waves of Ambient sounds, mellotron vibrations, but also old school Prog parts melting together in a perfect swirl of colours. Of course there's also some other stuff, like their own take on guitar freakouts or the Dub influences and very fresh sounding Orientalisms in the twenty-three minute multi-part track "Spedizione". Yes, that's Blood Incantation format, haha. This might very well be one of the best (full-on) Psychedelic Rock releases of the year!
Due on November 8th is the next Sulatron record, featuring SULA BASSANA himself, for the first time on an album with his new full live band, and the wild Finnish Psych trio SKYJOGGERS. Both sides of this Split LP have been recorded live on the second day of the cozy and excellent Dazed & Spaced Festival in Hamburg's Bar 227, where I was lucky enough to be in attendance.
So of course it comes with a nice dose of "Nostalgia" to now revisit the addictive main riff of "We Will Make It" and the brand-new cosmic improvisations in "Come With Me" from Sula's show, as well as the energetic hyperdrive and heavy Space Blues in the three tracks from what happened to be Skyjoggers' hundredth live show. Yeah, I'm pretty sure now that this night must have been even better than I remembered it.
So of course it comes with a nice dose of "Nostalgia" to now revisit the addictive main riff of "We Will Make It" and the brand-new cosmic improvisations in "Come With Me" from Sula's show, as well as the energetic hyperdrive and heavy Space Blues in the three tracks from what happened to be Skyjoggers' hundredth live show. Yeah, I'm pretty sure now that this night must have been even better than I remembered it.
Ok, the next two albums have both been out there for a while and I had actually considered reviewing "ORNAMENTAL's "Verwandlung im Schlaf" ("Transformation During Sleep") on Veil of Sound for a while, but somehow just didn't find the time for it. Which is a pity, because that review would have included a long excursion about Germany's kraftwerkian / neubauty / Neue Deutsche Welle / Proto-Techno legend Fraktus, actually a mockumentary band (and movie) and brilliant counterpart to Spinal Tap, which you should seriously check out if you're not familiar with it yet!
Now Ornamental actually is a Heavy Psych group with a lot of danceable forward motion and tasty guitar noise, brought together in a great robo-krauty way, but also with that special late 70's / early 80's charme, which includes slogan-like German lyrics - remarkably reminiscent of said Fraktus. Which is a very good thing in this case, just to be clear. Quiet short, but an awesome entertaining record!
And last but not least - we remain in trippy territory - here are two extra-large improvised jams: the twenty-seven minutes long "Live Snake" and the twenty-one minutes big "War Room", both appearantly taking place on a "Dead Moon". Even though the album was recorded without an audience, this leaves no doubt why the British Psych Rockers SNAKES DON'T BELONG IN ALASKA have a reputation as a fantastic live act. Too bad there's no chance to see them any more, as they have called it quits for the foreseeable future in August. Shame, because these tunes induce some serious rapture.
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