Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov, once describes life as “A brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness”. The forthcoming thirteenth studio album by Therapy? was entitled “A Brief Crack Of Light”, it was originally scheduled to be released in October 2011 , but delayed to be released on February 6, 2012.
The first single, “Living In The Shadow Of The Terrible Thing” is available for download since January 23rd and Therapy? have the same edge, sounds dirty and pounding.
The album was recorded in two separate sessions, the first from December 2010 to February 2011, and the second in June 2011 at Blast Studios, Newcastle, England, and it was produced by Adam Sinclair and Andy Cairns.
This is not the Therapy? of ’94, and this isn’t the follow up of “Troublegum”, probably they will not make it again to the Top of the Pops, but I still love them, and this is the logical follow up of their previous “Crooked Timber” (2009), a truly and deeply alternative rock album. Read more Therapy? – A Brief Crack Of Light (2012)
Author: brushvox
Eisbrecher – Die Holle Muss Warten (2012)
The fifth studio album by the German Neue Deutsche Härte band takes down on a quite gothic/romantic side of the industrial metal, and from my point of view more than one ballad on a this kind of album it’s already too much. And – unfortunately – “Die Hölle muss warten” have several ballads, slow and pretty boring bitter-sweet songs, all of them filled with cliches, rather then with feeling. The faster, darker, pulsing songs of Eisbrecher sounds like a collision of The Sisters of Mercy with Rammstein and some of them are quite anthematics as the leading single: “Verrückt”.
No more “This is Deutsch”, but still, Eisbrecher rocks hard as they always should with tracks like “Herz aus Eis” where they managed to merged the slow and gothic mood with dark and heavy contortions. Love that track! And few others as “Abgrund”. Read more Eisbrecher – Die Holle Muss Warten (2012)
Hakan Ludvigson – Soulroom (2011)
I’m not an expert in deep house, tech-house and in techno generally speaking, not a dancing type of guy and far not a clubber, but “Soulroom” have a warm, kind of intimate vibe, something charming and friendly, it just feels good and its pulse takes you away smoothly, almost stealthily. “The Soft Starlight” introduce the listener in that particular vibe and the album grows smoothly, pulsate and radiate through different rooms of that same kind of bitter-sweet feeling, an universe where cold and harness sounds are melting into strange, but humanly warm feelings and expressions.
This music is just as perfect and appropriate for sex as for relax or dance. Read more Hakan Ludvigson – Soulroom (2011)
Anti-Flag – The General Strike (2012)
Everything is politics. Can deny, can run, but can not hide. Anti-fucking-Flag is well known for its left-wing political views, focusing on anti-war activism, imperialism, class struggle, feminism, and various sociopolitical sentiments. From where I sit, left-wing is no better than right-wing and current consumerism is not quite different of fascism, but still, I love Anti-Flag.
Anti-Flag will be releasing “The General Strike” on March 20th, 2012 on SideOneDummy Records, but the album leaked in its entirety on January 19, 2012, 2 months before it’s release date. Their previous album, the 09’s “The People or the Gun” was one of my favorites records of that year, so, listening to “The General Strike” was at least exciting. Read more Anti-Flag – The General Strike (2012)
Los Disidentes del Sucio Mote vs Flashfalcon – East side story (2012)
After sharing stages and touring together, LOS DISIDENTES DEL SUCIO MOTEL and FLASHFALCON are now sharing the precious wax jewel called vinyl. “East side story” coming on a very limited edition, each band performs 3 brand new tracks and one cover of one of the other band’s song.
French stoner rock Los Disidentes del Sucio Mote and high energy rock n’roll demons Flashfalcon delivering a refreshing collection of songs, and 2 tracks are available for streaming on Deadlight Entertainment Bancdamp page. Read more Los Disidentes del Sucio Mote vs Flashfalcon – East side story (2012)
Nu-Nation – Wake Up (2012)
They give their album for free and fans of Sepultura, Soulfly, or Machine Head will hail in them a possible new favorite. So, you can download the “Wake Up” album for free and support the band by donations.
From Saint Petersburg, Russia, Artem ‘Faust’ Faustov – vocals, Alexander ‘Maiden’ Korsak – guitars, Denis ‘Corey’ Vasil’ev – guitars, Kirill Kazanov – bass and Alexei ‘MorkVa’ Bogdanov – drum delivering an extremely tasty album of quality groove/nu metal in the best tradition of the style and looking even further! Read more Nu-Nation – Wake Up (2012)
Attack Attack! – This Means War (2012)
Except the geographical location, an exclamation mark less, the approach and sound makes the difference between the Welsh (UK) located Attack! Attack! and the Westerville, Ohio (USA) located, metalcore/electronicore band Attack Attack!. Hate to say this over and over, but a little more inventiveness and inspiration would be just great when people are about to choose their band name. It’s kind of starting with the wrong foot your career guys if there’s another band with the same or almost similar name in the business.
Formed in 2005 (while the band from Welsh seems to formed one year later…), some of their songs seems to contain Christian-based lyrics, but not all members of Attack Attack! are Christian, and do not consider themselves a Christian band. Musically, Attack Attack! merged the groove and aggression of Pantera with post-emo feeling and electronic sounds, features a djent sound to its guitar riffs played primarily in drop-G, and delivering a quite intense and disturbing mixture of melody and brutality. This third studio album by the band seems to be a concept album. Read more Attack Attack! – This Means War (2012)
Mindless Faith – Just Defy (2012)
Although, as I just find out, this is their fifth album, “Just Defy” is the first album by Mindless Faith I ever listening to. I crashed into Mindless Faith at Indaba Music through the Jane’s Addiction remix competition , competition won by them which actually makes me hate them – although my remix is even darker – 😀 – but, I’m not gonna deny my subjectivity on this issue! 😆
Anyway, it seems they have a solid and substantial fan-base and experience in remixing “business”, delivering several tracks, including remixes for Nine Inch Nails and Front Line Assembly, and they delivering solid, balanced remixes incorporating their dark, deep and pulsing marks on these works. They remixed two Nine Inch Nails songs: “Only” and “The Hand That Feeds” and won a number of radio remix contests, met Trent Reznor as part of one of the prize, who said their remix was “better than some I’ve paid for”.
Mindless Faith find their path of merging industrial rock and EBM, their dark and contorted music honor predecessors such as Ministry, Pigface, KMFDM, Front242, Funker Vogt, Skinny Puppy, Combichrist, Nitzer Ebb, Schnitt Acht – just to name few.
“Just Defy” it’s another trip into the dark side and Mindless Faith is an exelent combo delivering soundtracks for this strange times of global turmoil. Read more Mindless Faith – Just Defy (2012)
Biohazard – Reborn In Defiance (2012)
I was expected a murderous follow-up of their 92’s “Urban Discipline”. You know, ’92 – ’12, it was a seven years gap between their eight and ninth studio album, we’re living kind of strange, sometimes twisted and dangerous times, I guess I actually missed pretty badly the bold power of some grinding tracks as “Punishment” was. “Vengeance Is Mine” have something from that spirit, but something still missing. And few tracks further kind of disappointment taking over the hopes and although “Reborn In Defiance” sounds cutting and strong, Biohazard seems to became too slow, too predictable, eventually to conservatives.
And the dilemma remains the same: Metal or Hardcore? Read more Biohazard – Reborn In Defiance (2012)
Blue Stahli – Blue Stahli (2011)
Although I have a whole lot of new releases waiting there to be listen and eventually to get a review at the bottom line, still, there are many treasures left undiscovered from the previous year. Blue Stahli are definitively one of them and released on March 2, 2011, this self-titled album it’s the first not only instrumental album by the artist, but the second under the Blue Stahli moniker.
We’ve got 10 tracks, 43 minutes of ravishing fury and sensual emotions. Blue Stahli managed to merged anthematic rock hooks with smoothly cinematic sensitivity and epic electronic sound. Aggressive riffing, melodic hooks, bloody screams and contorted electronic layers are working in perfect harmony here to create the most efficient construction of gothic punk with industrial metal outfit. Probably most of the people will think of Nine Inch Nails and well, there are some obvious similarities, but still, this is something quite different. And highly addictive. Read more Blue Stahli – Blue Stahli (2011)
