Nah, I'm still not done coming late to the party of several 2021 (re-)releases, so here's another trio of without exception phenomenal albums!
CONVERGE - Bloodmoon•I (CD) (2021)
Well, not precicely. Firstly "now" has already been a long while, as the whole "Bloodmoon" concept has been around for a while, at least since a show under that moniker at Roadburn Festival 2016. And secondly "Bloodmoon" doesn't stand only for the addition of Chelsea Wolfe's haunting voice (and guitar?), which would already be a win, but also for the atmospheric soundscapes of her writing partner Ben Chisholm and of course Cave In / Mutoid Man / Old Man Gloom super weapon Stephan Brodsky, whose importance for this first "Bloodmoon" (it is heavily implied that this will be continued) cannot be overstated.
So while I'm still not the biggest fan of Converge frontman Jacob Bannon's vocals, I must admit that they work better in the studio than live, and combined with all the diversity and harmony brought into the game with Wolfe, Brodsky and probably also others of the seven musicians at play, they finally at least don't bother me anymore on this album.
With eleven tracks in roughly one hour "Bloodmoon•I" may be relatively long, but the diversity in the vocal department alone ensures that there's no danger of boredom. And since the premise of this record really is that everyone brings everything he/she's got to the table, you're also thrown into a different musical direction with each song. Of course there's Converge's post hardcore mixed with a theatrical gothic flair as a base, but from there on everything these guys want just goes. The only common thread, no matter how heavy or balladic, how straight forward or convoluted a certain track may be, is that there's a hymn of some kind hidden in everything. No filler, all killer. A massive, ambitious hit machine.
This album truly leaves me with only two serious open questions: 1. How long will we have to wait until we get more of this?
2. If the CD is already shrink-wrapped anyway - why do you put the big hype sticker directly on the cover of the digipack? (It doesn't give the impression of being removable without residues or damages. Well, luckily I don't care much about this particular cover artwork anyway, but still... why?)
With eleven tracks in roughly one hour "Bloodmoon•I" may be relatively long, but the diversity in the vocal department alone ensures that there's no danger of boredom. And since the premise of this record really is that everyone brings everything he/she's got to the table, you're also thrown into a different musical direction with each song. Of course there's Converge's post hardcore mixed with a theatrical gothic flair as a base, but from there on everything these guys want just goes. The only common thread, no matter how heavy or balladic, how straight forward or convoluted a certain track may be, is that there's a hymn of some kind hidden in everything. No filler, all killer. A massive, ambitious hit machine.
This album truly leaves me with only two serious open questions: 1. How long will we have to wait until we get more of this?
2. If the CD is already shrink-wrapped anyway - why do you put the big hype sticker directly on the cover of the digipack? (It doesn't give the impression of being removable without residues or damages. Well, luckily I don't care much about this particular cover artwork anyway, but still... why?)
HIERONYMUS DREAM - Nostos (blue and green starbust vinyl LP) (2021)
I don't want to diminish the performances themselves one bit, but once again the clarity and quality of the production elevates the recording to another level. All six tracks are masterclasses in uplifting neokraut with an emphasis on that kind of escapism which will probably also speak to a lot of post rock fans. A soundtrack for fantastic odysseys.
CHICAGO ODENSE ENSEMBLE - Chicago Odense Ensemble (blue vinyl LP) (2011/2021)
And from the psych to the funk, from the tribal drum energy to the delicate jazz fusion nothing about this American/Danish get-together seems forced. This is freeform music at its finest. The title of the last track sums it up very humbly. Because this a little bit more than just "Pretty Nice". Pure joy!
