MUSIC 2017: top EPs, live recordings etc.

It's that time of the year again!

Wrapping my head around the task of ranking my annual favorites always seems to be an impossible struggle and thus can only result in a snapshot of preferences in a moment in time.
This year it's especially difficult, because so many potential candidates for some categories have only just come into play from October to right now. And how do you weigh something totally fresh to your ears against stuff you know since March?

This is why I'm starting with the "smaller" categories this time and the post with albums and concerts will follow later, probably not even before Christmas. There's just too much still going on.[EDIT: Here they are!]


As always there's one general rule for you:

Whining about something missing is bullshit. I'm only one guy on his own blog, writing exclusively about stuff I personally own in some form. So even though I acknowledge that there are tons of genius music out there; as long as it's not in my collection I won't include it here.

There are several releases which would fit in more than one category, but in favor of including more artists in the whole thing I only featured those in one ranking.

The category downloads refers to any kind of album, EP, etc. which is only available as download.

The new category re-release refers to any form of old music being released again, as long as it brings something new to the release, so no regular, identical re-pressings.

EP TOP 5: 

 

1. KAMASI WASHINGTON - Harmony Of Difference
   

   

   His giant, three hours long "The Epic" almost won my album of the year ranking in 2015.
   The latest effort of tenor saxophone sensation Kamasi Washington and his bunch of equally talented friends from Los Angeles (including two drummers) only clocks in at half an hour, but it delivers the same brand of grand maximalist spiritual jazz that surely would make his idol John Coltrane proud.

2. DAVID BOWIE - No Plan EP

   

   One last time the Spaceman greets us from his recording studio on the other side with his three latest tracks plus the already familiar "Blackstar" hit "Lazarus". Especially "Killing A Little Time", which bursts with explosive prog and jazz elements, shows us that Bowie was nowhere near the end of his creativity when he passed away.

3. DEAD NEANDERTHALS - The Depths

   

   Sometimes musicians who constantly play together and put out releases just need a little break from each other, a little distance. The dutch drums & sax free jazz duo Dead Neanderthals decided for a distance of about 100 meters, with each player performing on one end of an industrial tunnel.
   The improvisations on "The Depths" are a successful excercise in restraint - minimalistic, yet huge and deep at the same time.

4. RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON - Fuzz Club Session

   Just four dutch dudes performing four of their hypnotic, robotic industrial space rock jams live in a studio.
   I still don't have too much to say about this Radar Men From The Moon EP, except that this is a flawless listen and definitely one of my psych favorites of this year.

5. MOTORPSYCHO - The California EP

   I guess that's norwegian thoroughness:
   In case a fantastic double album and a breathtakingly brilliant tour weren't enough, supreme work animals of rock Motorpsycho also brought an EP with them on tour, which is comprised of two seven-inch records. Four tracks, four styles, everything top-notch.

   
   

 

TOP 7":

VIRUS - Investigator

Two new songs from this unmistakable weird psych prog group. The similar cover artwork already hints at it: With "Investigator" and the dark "The Blue Flags Of The Dead" the Norwegians start off right where they left after their 2016 album "Memento Collider", with especially the ladder song being a prime example of their unique songwriting approach.

 

TOP 10":

ORANSSI PAZUZU - Kevät / Värimyrsky

Something old and something new. Something black and something blacker.
While the previous masterpiece "Värähtelijä" highlighted the hypnotic, psychedelic and overflowing side of Oranssi Pazuzu, the two tracks of this record show them in a somehow more comprehensible mood with influences from funeral doom and Fields Of The Nephilim gothic. However this is still best labelled black metal, even though it defies the borders of the genre at any time.

TOP Split:

 

SINMARA / MISTHYRMING - Split

"Disharmonious howls, cacaphonous swarm" says it in the lyrics of the Sinmara track "Ivory Stone", and thus we're taught the programmatic essence of this 10 inch record. While I prefer the Misþyrming side, both bands unleash a furious helish inferno and represent Iceland's black metal scene in the best way possible.

 

TOP 5 live recordings:

 

1. CAUSA SUI - Live In Copenhagen

   

   Two album release concerts from 2013 and 2016 being eternalized on three records (plus a bonus 10 inch for early buyers), packed in a beautiful box with Miles Davis homage cover artwork.
   Flowing from gentle jazz over psychedelic jams to fuzzy heaviness, accompanied by guest musicians on additional guitar and saxophone, Causa Sui explode in quality and quantity on "Live In Copenhagen". Pure magic.
   

2. SWANS - Deliquescence

   

   Michael Gira has just played his last concerts with this monolithic incarnation of Swans. "Deliquescence" documents an earlier stage of its long farewell tour and shows that even with the end approaching the band was still including more than an hour of brand-new music in their performances. The 45 minutes long opener "The Knot" stands as a perfect summary and culmination of the restless, epic and cathartic noise explorations of the last five Swans years.

3. ESBEN AND THE WITCH - Live At Roadburn

   

   I wasn't even familiar with the band before, but their show in the Green Room of the 013 turned out to be one of the very highlights of this year's Roadburn festival.
   Combined with one of my own favorite photographs on the back cover, I'm really excercising my highest amount of objectivity and restraint here by not putting this record on the top of my list. It's wonderful.
   

4. SUBROSA - Subdued - Live At Roadburn 2017

   

   I should have made an exclusive list only for "Live at Roadburn" albums, because besides this sublime document of Subrosa in their even more atmospheric "subdued" form the respective records from Hills and Slomatics also really deserve to be honoured here. I attended all three concerts and each one of them was special. Subrosa's show however still resonates closest to my heart. And anyone listening to the epic closer "No Safe Harbor" alone should understand why.

5. CULT OF LUNA - Years In A Day

   

   The swedish post metal giants Cult Of Luna love things to be monolithic and overwhelming. So is this package, which includes a DVD (plus audio download) of a special extra-long concert in Paris and CDs with not one but two Roadburn shows, one being the 2016 performance of "Somewhere Along The Highway".

TOP reissue:

 

 

CYNIC - Uroboric Forms - The Complete Demo Recordings

The content of four demo tapes, originally released between 1988 and 1991, now on vinyl and CD. With a bonus 7" and a booklet with all original artwork and liner notes on top. What a great way to follow Cynic back to their aggressive thrash and death metal roots! It's a shame that due to the split-up drama Sean Reinert wasn't involved in the making of this awesome reissue.

TOP 3 downloads:

 

1. KÖHNEN PANDI DUO - Darkness Comes In Two's

   

   A duet of Merzbow and Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation members playing three closely connected, doomy, atmospheric free jazz improvisations on drums and electronics. Released in January this dark and cinematic performance still moves me deeply each time I listen to it.

2. EXIVIOUS - Chrysalis - the early demos

   With the instrumental jazz/metal/post rock fusion band calling it quits this year in favor of their new project Our Oceans, the dutch band dug into their archive and brought their early recordings from 2001 to 2003 to light. Beginning as a Cynic clone (at first even with matching vocals) this compilation should be interesting for any fan of Death-inspired progressive metal.

3. ULVER - Sic Transit Gloria Muni ep

   

   Covering Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "The Power Of Love" can probably only result either in shame or in magnificence.
   Ulver are pulling this off absolutely beautiful, respecting the original while adding their own voice to it. Completed by two new tracks in the style of "The Assassination Of Julius Caesar" this EP is a perfect encore to that album.

TOP tape:

BOTANIST - Collective: Setlist 2017

Shhh! This is the only tape I bought this year. And I haven't even listened to it, but only to the accompanying download. Please don't tell anyone!
That being said the idea of selling a fresh recording of your tour setlist is neat and in case of the dulcimer green/black metal band Botanist makes a seriously good album which doesn't need to hide from their regular studio release.

and else?

Well, I'm too lazy to think of other lists, which includes dissappointments 2017 and hopes for 2018. (Favorite albums and concerts are coming in another post as mentioned above.)

But since I have finally played some concerts of my own again, I will at least take the opportunity to link to the respective albums on Bandcamp:

DAVID BOWIE - No PLan EP

Nach Depeche Mode könnte man meinen, dass auch das folgende kleine Review zur Kategorie "längst überfällig" zählt, schließlich erschien diese EP - zumindest digital - schon im Januar. Ich habe es hier allerdings mit der Einstellung gehalten, dass der Künstler ja nicht mehr wegläuft, und geduldig darauf gewartet, dass der Preis gerade mal so passt, um einer anderen Bestellung über die Schwelle zum freien Versand zu helfen.

Und nun war es halt soweit.

Wenn man möchte, kann man momentan ja sein gesamtes Vermögen für posthume Neu- und Wiederveröffentlichungen in Einzel- und Boxform rund um David Bowie ausgeben. Mir reichen die achtzehn Minuten dieser wohl am ehesten als "regulär" geltenden Veröffentlichung aber für den Moment.

DAVID BOWIE - No Plan EP (CD) (2017)

Die "No Plan EP" enthält vier Songs, die Bowie für das "Lazarus"-Musical geschrieben hat, in von ihm selbst eingesungenen Versionen.

Den Anfang macht "Lazarus", welches ja schon vom finalen Album "Blackstar" bekannt ist. Die vollen sechseinhalb Minuten inklusive kompletten instrumentalen Schluss. Gut so.

Die folgenden drei Stücke erinnern mich allesamt eher an Material von "The Next Day". "No Plan" emuliert den klagend melancholischen Ton von "Where Are We Now?", geht jedoch dabei eingängiger geradeaus und entwickelt mit elegischem Saxophon noch größere Majestät.

"Killing A Little Time" ist ein treibendes Stück Progrock, welches so ähnlich auch aus der Feder von Daniel Gildenlöws Pain Of Salvation stammen könnte. In der Tradition von "If You Can See Me" könnte das Stück für mich gerne noch länger sein. Düster, heavy und ereignisreich - der aufregendste und essentiellste Track der EP.

" When I Met You" ist dagegen traditionell angepsychter Bowie-Glamrock und somit der klassischte Song auf "No Plan". Gab es so ähnlich schon, ist aber auch sehr gut gemacht und hätte perfekt auf das Retro-Album "The Next Day" gepasst, z.B. statt "Dancing Out In Space".

Insgesamt ist die EP natürlich zu kurz. Dafür lässt sie sich prima mehrmals hintereinander hören. Denn auch diese Aufnahmen ändern nichts daran, dass David Bowie auf voller Schaffenshöhe abgetreten ist.

Schön, dass Du dich hiermit noch einmal gemeldet hast, alter Alien!

Highlights: Killing A Little Time, No Plan

MUSIC 2016: top albums and concerts

Comparability just isn't one of music's greatest strenghts.

Yes, if you have three bands trying to sound like Slayer you probably can match them against each other. But other than that the moods, intentions and overall experiences of most works or concerts are just too vastly different. Which is good. But it makes "best of" lists a pain in the ass and me always feeling like unfairly dismissing a shitload of artists. If you could see my whole TOP 40+ albums here, I'd possibly have almost the same love for rank 35 as I do for rank 15.

As always the postulate for every recording to possibly appear here is that I have to own it in physical form. I don't need to stress that all this is super highly subjective, right?

Ok, here we go:

ALBUM TOP 22:

1. DAVID BOWIE - Blackstar
   

   

   Yes, I'm going with the obvious choice here. A decidedly challenging, exciting, bold and daring album for an artist so late in his career. Love the jazz ensemble! That was my main impression from the start, a few days before that fateful Monday. Would "Blackstar" also be in the top spot, if Bowie was still alive and well? - The question is obsolete, because without his passing this unsparing album dedicated to farewell and death simply wouldn't have happened.

2. SWANS - The Glowing Man
   

   "The Seer", "To Be Kind" and now "The Glowing Man". Michael Gira finishes a singular album trilogy of enormous scope and depth with the probably most epic incarnation of the Swans. Subsequently this form of the band is being laid to rest now. Luckily this gigantic album remains for eternity.

3. SUBROSA - For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages
   

   

   Blunt, bleak and breathtakingly beautiful. Crushing riffs and raging violins paint a dystopian masterpiece. Even though every song is a monument in its own right the closing track "Troubled Cells" stands out as especially heart-breaking. Especially given the technical problems at their show in Hamburg I can't wait for the complete performance of the album at Roadburn 2017.
   

4. COSTIN CHIOREANO - The Quest For A Morning Star
   

   

   Costin Chioreano is best known in the metal scene as a very busy cover and poster artist. Indeed in this very list there are two more albums (7&8) featuring his work. But this is him as a musical solo artist. Probably the most obscure album here, this collection of dark ambient soundscapes with black metal influences just keeps moving me on a profound level. It's not wholly within the realm of the explainable, but "The Quest For A Morning Star" already feels like a timeless classic.

5. VEKTOR - Terminal Redux

   

   How about an epic sci-fi space story told through an enormous concept album of brilliant brutal blackened thrash metal? With "Terminal Redux" the canadian Voivod / Death / Slayer worshippers released nothing less than one of the greatest thrash records of all time.
   If you dig this album and also lean towards ultra-technical death metal with strong classic Cynic influences, I highly recommend Obscura's "Acróasis" as well.

6.  THANK YOU SCIENTIST - Stranger Heads Prevail
   

   

   Support of Haken (whose crazy 80s trip "Affinity" also deserves a more than honorable mention here) on their US tour, Thank You Scientist share and even improve their positivity. With a funky brass section and true soul singer Salvatore Sarrano this seven-headed party monster establishes an all-over-the-place, yet highly accessible and addictive brand of prog metal jazz fusion.

7. SEVEN IMPALE - Contrapasso

   

   What a creative, explosive advantgarde metal prog rock psychedelic jazz fusion extravaganza! Weird, wild, captivating, dark, saxophony and fun. Just how I like my prog. Yes, the description in parts reads similar to Thank You Scientist. This stuff is totally different though, but I guess you could view both albums as good or evil twin of each other.  
   

8. OCEANS OF SLUMBER- Winter
   

   Blues. Blast beats. Emotions. Virtuosity. Doom. "Nights In White Satin". Piano. Death Metal. More blast beats... On "Winter" anything can happen at any given time. An album which broadens the spectrum of prog metal with almost every song, yet somehow manages to stay consistent. The icing on the cake is stunning singer Cammie Gilbert. 

9. NEW KEEPERS OF THE WATER TOWERS - Infernal Machine
   

   

   Carrying the hypnotic darkness and bold experimental spirit of Pink Floyd "live in Pompeji" into the everyday-is-doomsday present of fucked up 2016, the swedish masters of cramming every square centimeter of club stages with effects and instruments on "Infernal Machine" suck you into an ever flowing maelstrom of pumping, menacing psychedelic rock.

10.  BLUES PILLS - Lady In Gold
    

    

    Elin Larsson is a fireball of energy. And the Blues Pills know how to make use of this more than ever. Knowing their shit about music history the sound of the band is infused with some serious 60s and 70s soul and gospel influences. Organ and mellotron are other welcome additions to the sound of the retro rock shooting stars. (The vinyl quality however is *meh* as fuck, so better buy the CD version including a live DVD!) 

11. MOTORPSYCHO- Here Be Monsters

    

    Motorpsycho just being their legendary selfs once again. From the pop harmony of "Spin, Spin, Spin" to the "Big Black Dog" devouring everything, this is a masterpiece and lesson in dynamics. What a shame (but fully understandable) that drummer extraordinaire Kenneth Kapstad has left the band later this year to fully devote his attention to Spidergawd, whose third album "III" is also a must-listen for Psychonauts.

12. MONO - Requiem For Hell

    

    Here be another monster! I seriously have no idea whether Mono have just kept their stellar quality or outdone themselves with "Requiem For Hell". But one thing is for sure: in their field of dramatic instrumental post rock the japanese band is unrivaled. The eighteen minute title track is one of the mightiest musical behemoths unleashed this year.

13. KHEMMIS - Hunted

    

    Five epic hymns of heavy doom metal with majestic mournful lead vocals and royal Iron Maiden style twin guitars. Add some growling, sludge and dirty rock'n'roll here. Add some funeral doom and post metal there. Write some thrilling lyrics and wrap it all in a super badass cover artwork. There you have it: a masterpiece!

14. CULT OF LUNA and JULIE CHRISTMAS - Mariner

    

    Years after "The Bad Wife" here's finally a new vital sign from the excentric and versatile Ex-Made Out Of Babies singer Julie Christmas, a collaborative album with Sweden's post metal force Cult Of Luna! You get everything you could wish for from both involved parties.

15. THE NEAL MORSE BAND - The Similitude Of A Dream

    

    Wow, more prog in this list than I would have expected! While I put some others above this one for bringing more fresh twists to the genre in their overall approach, there's no way to ignore the sheer quality, creativity and joy of the traditional symphonic prog on The Neal Morse Band's giant concept album. Often reminiscent of Spock's Beard's "Snow" this is a fantastic - or dare I say truly *cough* astonishing? *wink* - work. 

16. SINISTRO - Semente

    

    Originally an instrumental quartet playing a mixture of post rock, doom and ambient film score music, Sinistro have since partnered with singer / theater actress Patricia Andrade, who is now fully incorporated into the band. Her dramatic portuguese vocals leave a huge imprint on this heavy, mesmerizing record. The hauntingly beautiful "Relíquia" is a composition for the ages.

17. THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM
    - Monolith Of Phobos

    

    Does it take any convincing to love an album which ends with an autobiographical(!) song about Michael Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles, followed by an instrumental called "There's No Underwear In Space?" Well, that's just a small taste of all the craziness and greatness on this collaboration between Primus mastermind Les Claypool and Yoko Ono's son Sean Lennon, who both played every single instrument (and also did the artwork) of this record.

18. ALCEST - Kodama

    

    Cloud-caressing shoegaze dreams meet piercing post black metal screams. Otherworldly beauty merges with harsh intensity. No matter how you put it, this Japanese influenced work of the French duo Alcest wasn't made to be described in  inadequate mortal terms, but rather to be experienced. Feel the stream and float in its transcendency!
    

19.  WANG WEN - Sweet Home, Go!

    

    Mono's spiritual brothers from China strike and enlighten us with this beautifully packed double LP. (Kudos Pelagic Records for always implementing such unusual visual ideas!) This time almost fully instrumental, Wang Wen sound as big, wide, poetic and colourful as a Zhang Yimou movie, without trying to copy their previous masterpiece "Eight Horses". A phenomenal band.

20. VIRUS - Memento Collider

    

    Ever imagined Captain Beefheart covering Voivod's "Nothingface"? I hope so, because that's really the closest description of the sound of Virus I can give you. There's just nothing like this unique, slightly disharmonic brand of weirdadelic progressive rock, which always seems to be laid back and hyperactive at the same time. Fabulous stuff!

21. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN - Dissociation

    

    The world isn't worthy of The Dillinger Escape Plan. So fuck the world! But of course the mathcore pioneers don't leave us without fustigating our weak little minds through one last sonic and emotional excess of brutalization. As Greg Puciato channels his inner Mike Patton again, "Dissociation" combines all the strenghts of the band's history with some welcome surprises.
    

22. KANDODO / MCBAIN - Lost Chants / Last Chance

    

    And here I am already feeling bad for not including enough psych rock jams in this list. So let there at least be a shout-out to the great works of Monarch, Sula Bassana and Causa Sui, before I conclude with this outstanding "double double album", which is meant to be played at 33 or 45 rpm. And its trippy magic works in both speeds!
    
    

Many more artist would have deserved to be mentioned here (like Kayo Dot, King Dude, Kendrick Lamar, Conan, A Dead Forest Index etc.) and of course there are countless more, who I would hold dear if I only knew them, or whose albums I should finally cross off my consideration / wish list and purchase. (I'm talking about you, Oranssi Pazuzu. Still not sure about Metallica.)

And then there's this late arrival:

• DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - Fear Of Angst

  

  After fourteen years of absence the Austrian Virus of Death Metal return with a crisp riff-heavy record which concentrates (almost) all the strengths of their discography to nine irresistible bastards of old school death metal, Coroner grooves and all that unmistakable, unique disharmonic stuff. I included the album here, because this is very likely TOP 22 stuff, but it's just too early to tell, and I want to publish this post now. 

SOLO/CLUB SHOW TOP 11:

1. LAIBACH - Krizanke, Ljubljana
   

   Even though it felt strange to be so far away from the stage, this is the unrivaled number one here, because... come on: Laibach! In Ljubljana! With an orchestra! *checks lifetime experience*

2. MAGMA - Markthalle, Hamburg
   

   Magma is Magma is Magma. And there is nothing else like Magma. Unbelievable!

3. MONO + ALCEST + PG.LOST
   - Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg
   

   The triumvirate of the transcendent. An escapist dream ride. Best tour package of the year!

4. SWANS + ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF
   - Kampnagel, Hamburg

   All good things go by threes. The final Kampnagel show of this Swans incarnation, with a truly congenius support act.

5. BOHREN UND DER CLUB OF GORE
   - Kampnagel, Hamburg

   Smooth slow moving waves of doom jazz.

6. LAIBACH - Knust, Hamburg

   "The Sound Of Music" tour. Not the ideal location for their grandiosity, but Laibach always deliver.

7. RADARE - MS Stubnitz, Hamburg
   

   The whole night with Toby Driver and Nick Hudson was a special experience, but the concert of these german Bohren worshippers rose to the most out-of-body magical heights.

8. SUNN O))) + BIG|BRAVE - Feierwerk, München

   Damn travelling day through Germany! Or was it the small location? Anyway, I didn't survive the whole drone experience in the first row this time. And another show with a perfect support act.

9. KAMASI WASHINGTON - Grünspan, Hamburg
   

   No open air jazz session as expected, but much funkier than the last time.

10. LUCIFER - Hafenklang, Hamburg

    The addition of a second guitar player and the integration of more background vocals elevate the timeless doom rock of Lucifer to a new level.

11. ARCHIVE - Docks, Hamburg

    The new album is subpar to their previous releases, but luckily I had bought the ticket for the nonetheless  amazing show long before I heard it.

 

FESTIVAL SHOW TOP 11:

Tau Cross

1. TAU CROSS - Roadburn
   

   Rob "The Baron" Miller + Michel "Away" Langevin = absolutely legendary

2. LA MUERTE - Roadburn
   

   Kustom Kar Kompetition Kult!

3. SINISTRO - Roadburn
   

   Epic cinema from the Euro Champs (Portugal, you know...) of doom.

4. NEW KEEPERS OF THE WATER TOWERS - Roadburn

   So many great "Man, I was there!" performances on the tiny Cul de Sac club stage this year, and the New Keepers stood out among those.

5. TRIPTYKON - Wacken

   With death, doom and gloom and a set of Celtic Frost classics and Triptykon epics Thomas Gabriel Fischer ruled Wacken supreme.

6. KING DUDE - Wacken

   Blacker than most artists in Wacken, yet a slightly different kind of black.

7. DOOL - Roadburn

   With the release of their debut in February Dool will soon explode in popularity, that's for sure. Their combination of gothic rock and The Devil's Blood metal is just too damn good.

8. IRON MAIDEN - Wacken

   Promising up-and-coming heavy metal band. Worth checking out.

9. MYRKUR - Wacken

   Fairy and banshee in one, Myrkur evoked a truly otherworldy magic Wacken isn't used to. A performance that exceeded my high expectations.

10. MINISTRY - Wacken

    The mind is a terrible psalm of rape and honey. Halleluhjah!

11. HILLS - Roadburn

    The higher the Hills, the trippier the trip.

My favorite EPs, live recordings and other formats as well as my 2016 disappointments can be found... -->  HERE!