What the hell is “transhuman”? Transhuman is “the study of the ramifications, promises, and potential dangers of technologies that will enable us to overcome fundamental human limitations, and the related study of the ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies.” Shit, this are heavy stuffs. Believer is an American band formed in the late 80s and early 90s and from their thrash metal roots they grow into a post metal, progressive metal area and this “Transhuman” is their fifth full-length album which is set to be released on April 11, 2011 on Metal Blade Records. They put together 12 complex and intense songs, solid and strong thrash like guitar riffs and constructions are placed into a much wider progressive/post metal area, the technical elements are built in into a gloomy and atmospheric universe. Dream Theater back in 2003 on their album “Train of Thoughts” were kind of close to this sound and approach. Read more Believer – Transhuman (2011)
Yearly Archives: 2011
Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What (2011)
In reference to the new album, Simon says “It’s the best work I’ve done in 20 years”. Most artist declare things like that about their latest release, but I guess Mr. Simon this time is right. Anyway, in a beautiful springtime morning like that, a few weeks before Eastern, it’s pretty strange to star my day listening “Getting Ready for Christmas Day”… 😆 “So Beautiful or So What” is due for release on the Concord Music Group label on April 12, 2011 and contains 10 brand new songs, 38 minutes of music. Since April 5, the material it’s fully-streamable on its own site.
This is the 11 solo album by Paul Simon, best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair’s songs and in 1970, at the height of their popularity, the duo split, and Simon began a successful solo career, recording three highly-acclaimed albums over the next five years.Songs like “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” haunting me since my childhood… Read more Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What (2011)
The Dark Sides of the Moon
“The Dark Side of the Moon” was a milestone, not only in the career of Pink Floyd, but in the history of the music and not at least, source for inspiration for many musicians since its release. There’s many tribute, cover and reinterpretations of “The Dark Side of the Moon” and I gathered here a few of the most intriguing and interesting of these releases.
Released on 10 March 1973, “The Dark Side of the Moon” is the eighth studio album by Pink Floyd and it was the record that moved, back or forward – it’s a matter of point of view – the English band from the closed circle of fans to the mainstream. “The Dark Side of the Moon” is a concept album that explore the themes of conflict, greed, the passage of time and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Syd Barrett’s deteriorating mental state, but it lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterized their work following the departure in 1968 of founding member, principal composer and lyricist Barrett. The album was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. The group used some of the most advanced recording techniques of the time, including multitrack recording and tape loops. Analogue synthesizers were given prominence in several tracks, and a series of recorded interviews with staff and band personnel provided the source material for a range of philosophical quotations used throughout. Engineer Alan Parsons was directly responsible for some of the most notable sonic aspects of the album, including the non-lexical performance of Clare Torry. Read more The Dark Sides of the Moon
Meat Puppets – Lollipop (2011)
Meat Puppets are back again. Started as a punk rock band back in 1980, the Meat Puppets established their own style, blending punk with country and psychedelic rock, featuring Curt’s warbling vocals. The Meat Puppets later gained significant exposure when the Kirkwood brothers served as guest musicians on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance in 1993 and the band’s 1994 album “Too High to Die” became their most successful release. The band broke up twice, first time in 1996, second time in 2002, but reunited again in 2006. Beside the Kirkwood brothers – Curt – vocals and guitar and Cris – bass – in the current line-up featuring Shandon Sahm on drums.
This is the band’s thirteenth studio album and it’s set to be released on April 12 and the song “Damn Thing” is available for free download on the band’s official web site. Read more Meat Puppets – Lollipop (2011)
Henceforth – The Gray Album (2011)
Henceforth are another exciting band from Brazil, another nice surprise after MindFlow and The Tape Disaster. Formed in 1993, they released their first album (Full album on-line streaming) in Brazil in December 2005 via Voice Music, label owned by Silvio Golfetti, guitarist of the Brazilian thrash metal band Korzus. The current line-up is made up by singer Frank Harris, guitarist Hugo Mariutti, bass player Luis Mariutti, drummer Fabio Elsas and keyboard player Cristiano Altieri. Luis and Hugo were former members of the band called Shaaman, and Luis is a former member of power metal band Angra – as of 2007 they are no longer in Shaaman having left the band with singer Andre Matos in order to pursue new projects. Fabio has played in the past with bands Skyscraper and Firebox. Their experience is clearly mark positively the sound and compositions of Henceforth. Read more Henceforth – The Gray Album (2011)
Lord Of The Lost – Antagony (2011)
From Hamburg, Germany, Chris “The Lord” Harms bring to the surface another collection of gloomy, melancholic, but heavy songs in which dark textures, edgy guitar riffs, gothic roots, glam rock echoes and industrial approaches are build into a powerful construction. Influences comes from Type O Negative to Marilyn Manson with strong accent on the gothic roots, and between these two references, Lord of The Lost create a vibrating and intense blending.
Chris Harms started out as vocalist and guitarist for industrial rock band Philiae in 1999 till 2004 when he switched to The Pleasures, band from the glam rock scene. But Chris kept one foot in the gothic scene as the singer of the electro/industrial project Unterart since 2006. In 2007 Chris joined as stage guitarist the band Big Boy and in 2008 he bring to life his new project, this Lord Of the Lost with guitarist Sensai (ex-The Pleasures), guitarist Sebsta, bass player Class and drummer Any. Read more Lord Of The Lost – Antagony (2011)
Introitus – Elements (2011)
Introitus are another fine band from Sweden. Digging into the fields of neo-progressive area of rock filled with nice electronic textures, the band gathering around Mats Bender and his wife, Anna and the duo became a 7 members band including their own children Mattias and Johanna on drum and respectively as additional drummer. On extra synth, accordion, flute, fiddle and second guitar is Henrik Björlind, Pär Helje play the lead guitar and on bass is Dennis Lindqvis. “Elements” is their second full-length album following up “Fantasy” and its consist of 9 elaborated songs. It’s a colorful and flowing blend of classic and modern progressive elements extremely nicely combined into a new dimension. They have parallels from Yes through Marillion up to Dream Theater exploring a very wide open area of sounds and managed to blending them into their own. Read more Introitus – Elements (2011)
Kingdom Come – Rendered Waters (2011)
Kingdom Come stir some interest back in ’88 when some of the listeners thought that Kingdom Come was actually a Led Zeppelin reunion. And their self-titled debut album was actually a nice piece of hard rock/blues rock collection of songs, almost similar to the sound and style of the legendary English rock band Led Zeppelin, actually they almost ripping their riffs right off.
The group was formed in 1987 after the breakup of Wolf’s previous project called Stone Fury. Wolf’s A&R man, Derek Shulman and record company, Polygram, allowed him exclusive freedom to assemble Kingdom Come’s lineup and direct its sound, and Wolf recruited Pittsburgh-based lead guitarist Danny Stag, guitarist Louisvillians Rick Steier, drummer James Kottak and from Northern Californian, bass player Johnny B. Frank. Stag and Frank had previously been members of the bands WWIII and Population 5.
In 1988, the band released its debut LP, Kingdom Come. The band’s first single, “Get It On,” was a big enough hit on AOR stations that the band’s eponymous debut went gold, meanwhile receiving platinum certificate.
In 1989, Kingdom Come released their next LP, called “In Your Face”. However, the album failed to sell well and all members other than Wolf quit the group. Read more Kingdom Come – Rendered Waters (2011)
The Black Dots Of Death – Ever Since We Were Children (2011)
Michael Shawn “Clown” Crahan, also known by his number #6 in Slipknot, is an American musician, music producer, and artist, he also is interested in photography and painting. He is best known as one of the two custom percussionists of Slipknot, but also the drummer of To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits. The Black Dots Of Death is the project he’s involved most recently and this “Ever Since We Were Children” is their sick, but convincing debut album. Hard to label very explicitly this material, The Black Dots Of Death twisting around the borders of rock from its roots to the post rock, horror rock and industrial area, but they include also post grunge tunes and trip hop elements and surprisingly they are heavy without being noisy at all, they are absolutely sick, but still kind of… beautiful. Well, maybe I’m sick and pervert as well, but I really like this shit. “I’m sorry that I failed you, I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I really don’t fucking care!” Say that again! 😆 Read more The Black Dots Of Death – Ever Since We Were Children (2011)
Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys (2011)
The upcoming seventh studio album by Death Cab For Cutie, set to be released on May 31, 2011 contains 11 quiet, kind of “interiorized”, intimate songs, as Benjamin Gibbard and Nick Harmer have declared before, this album is “a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before”.
The first single, “You are a Tourist”, was made available for online stream on March 28, 2011 on the band’s official site.And “You Are Turist” – just like the other 10 tracks – is a nice, quiet song build upon a minimalist orchestral construction, the voice of Ben Gibbard lead as through a mysterious space filled up with a lonely acoustic guitar tune and a few discrete synth colors, only drummer Jason McGerr smashes off his drum kit and at the end of the track they introduced a nice turn into a much sunnier theme, but only for a few moments to create a nice contrast. Read more Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys (2011)
