Merging Scandinavian Pop and Glam Metal (H.I.M.) with the Rammstein trademarked Neue Deutsche Härte, using both cutting guitar riffs and trance-like synth layers, the Finish Black Light Discipline are back with 10 brand new songs on their second album.
Founded in 2005 on the idea to make captivating, synth-based grooves by mixing Metal and electro genres, BLD are pushing the envelope of music. They released their full length debut album, “Empire”, in 2008 where featured as guest artists Dj Proteus and MC Raaka P. Toni Valha – vocals, Janne Kankkunen – synths, Joonas Pulkkinen– guitar, Veikka Jokela – drums, and Jani Rissanen – bass are striking again. Read more Black Light Discipline – Against Each Other (2012)
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Front Line Assembly – Plasticity (2012)
After leaving Skinny Puppy, Bill Leeb in 1986 formed Front Line Assembly (FLA) and influenced by early electronic and (Post-)industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining elements of EBM and Industrial (Metal).
The band’s membership has rotated through several members over the years, including Rhys Fulber and Michael Balch, while the current official line-up of the band consists of: Bill Leeb, Chris Peterson, Jeremy Inkel and Jared Slingerland. Read more Front Line Assembly – Plasticity (2012)
Madonna – MDNA (2012)
Honestly I can not figure it out why Madonna needed ten more (top) co-producers among/beside her – Klas Åhlund, Alle Benassi, Benny Benassi, The Demolition Crew, Free School, Jimmy Harry, LMFAO, Michael Malih, Indiigo, William Orbit, Martin Solveig, and an even more impressive list of writers for this album and its 12 – absolutely mediocre – songs? This presumptive recipe of success was tried out by Britney Spears on her latest “Femme Fatale” album, and didn’t really worked. And I’m not talking strictly about selling figures, but songs to remains.
There are several good or better moments in some of these songs, but generally speaking it’s quit a pale album with nothing really outstanding on it. Maybe nothing must to be outstanding in Pop music generally speaking and not nowadays particularly, but still, Madonna used to pretend at least she’s a queen and she have something (different) to offer. Not this time. Read more Madonna – MDNA (2012)
Meshuggah – Koloss (2012)
Simultaneously avant-garde and extreme, Meshuggah not only rocked our world, but tear it down to pieces. Formed in 1987, in Umeå, Sweden, they became world wide famous with the 1995 release “Destroy Erase Improve” and for its fusion of brutal, fast-tempo Death Metal, contorted Thrash Metal and Dark, Progressive Metal, and Industrial build-ups with Jazz Fusion elements. They were labeled as one of the ten most important hard and heavy bands by Rolling Stone and as the most important band in metal by Alternative Press. They 2002’s album “Nothing” and the albums that followed have all charted on the Billboard 200, although Meshuggah has found little mainstream success, but staying a significant and influential act in extreme underground music. Meshuggah’s most commercially successful album, the previous 2008’s “obZen”, peaked at No. 59 and sold 11,400 copies in the first week and 50,000 copies six months after its release in the United States. In Sweden, the album entered the official album chart at number 16, and in the UK at number 151.
“Koloss”, the upcoming seventh album is set to be released on March 23, 2012 in Germany, on March 26 in the rest of Europe, and March 27 in North America via Nuclear Blast. We’ve got 54 minutes of sonic slaughter and as drummer Tomas Haake stated: “best avoided by the faint of heart!” Read more Meshuggah – Koloss (2012)
Overkill – The Electric Age (2012)
Although everybody seems to have a different account of who came first in the world of New York/New Jersey area Thrash Metal, it seems certain that New Jersey’s Overkill have stayed around the longest, and have never let their fans down by remaining musically consistent and true to their roots for over 30 years and an unprecedented 16 full length albums and it seems we have the certain answer who’s banging till the end. Evil never dies? Who knows, but Overkill seems and sounds unstoppable. By 1987’s “Taking Over”, the band had worked their way up to a deal with the major label Atlantic Records. This relationship would last another 7 years based on the strength and consistency of Overkill’s music. 1989’s “The Years Of Decay” marked Overkill as one of the most murderous Thrash bands of the decade and one of the leading forces of the genre. Read more Overkill – The Electric Age (2012)
M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
This is the debut album by Parisian M. Fallan. His music reminds me of Sigur Rós, but also some veterans as Tuxedomoon. Taking off from gentle acoustic up to noise explosions right in your face, M. Fallen delivering a tumultuous, contorted trip, still subtle and beautifully layered.
It’s the kind of music which hypnotize you slowly, tie you down and eventually never release you again.
10 tracks, a joyful and gentle, but simultaneously dark and sometimes furiously raging search for answers, feelings, for light, for escape and not at least for ourselves. If you like pianos and screaming guitars, minimalist arrangement, acoustic moments, but also noisy eruptions and contorted grooves, M. Fallan will deliver all his feelings and thoughts merged into this collection of colorful songs and definitively will charm you. This is quite…. contagious. Read more M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
Ministry – Relapse (2012)
Few words worth more then a couple of fancy, but meaningless phrases, so, Al Jourgensen – age fiftyfuckingthree years – is back with the twelfth studio album of Ministry and they are simply and straightly louder, faster and angrier then ever. And Mr. Jourgensen is not alone, he’s got serious back up from Mike Scaccia and Casey Orr of Rigor Mortis, Tommy Victor of Prong and Tony Campos of Static X. This time eventually they aren’t pushing the musical boundaries further, they doesn’t break any new ground, but definitively they delivered again the most murderous sonic sledgehammer and you can bang your head to it, get wasted or waste someone, or occupy the streets and markets of your city. Politically correct? The ulcers are gone and Bush is gone, the shit stays the same, the price of the gas goes upper everyday, but let’s stick for now to the music and to this 10 tracks and just bang on this for a while! Read more Ministry – Relapse (2012)
The Stranglers – Giants (2012)
Much more alive then most of the more or less musical products delivered by the nowadays not even fifteen minutes superstar kids, The Stranglers are kicking like a mule with their 17th studio album delivered in their 38 years of “constant success”. Just read it somewhere that the combined age of their current line-up totals 242 years, while Baz Warne (guitars, vocals) who joined the band in 2000 with his springing 47 years is the youngest of the band, while founder member, drummer Jet Black (born Brian John Duffy) is 73. And still, just as I said, this “old dudes” are fresher then many of plastic s*its the industry delivers on fake golden plates tagged and labeled as “best” of something. There is no auto-tuned screaming, no wobbling basses, no frequency oscillations, there is no make-up and no self-pity post-emo painted in black emotions, just four guys playing music. Simply, straight and for real. Read more The Stranglers – Giants (2012)
Kachu Mx – Sheriff Fuck You, EP (2012)
From Juarez, Mexico, DJ Kachu Mx started in 2007 to produce some experimental beats with the influence of commercial genres merging minimal, dark techno and twisted house. His first successful EP “Dark Rider” was released by Miniaturesrec Phunk Investigation Label, since, Kachu Mx has worked with several labels.
Clubstream bring to our ears another heavy set of pounding beats and rambling basses, this four track EP will fill up the speakers on late nights and early mornings. “Sheriff Fuck You”, “Don’t Be Afraid”, “El Diseñador Constantino” and “Drogba” will set the couch on fire and banish the sleep away. Read more Kachu Mx – Sheriff Fuck You, EP (2012)
Poets Of The Fall – Temple Of Thought (2012)
Marko Saaresto sounds just like a fresh and young Ozzy Osbourne, while his band, Poets Of The Fall merging classic values of Rock and Metal with sometimes Pop-like melodies, some typical Scandinavian vibes and a very clean, stripped to the bone, but modern sound.
While the opening “Running Out of Time” is an almost classic Rock/Metal song, the following “Temple of Thought” is more a Nordic Pop song with guitars and hidden Symphonic Metal layers in the background. And Poets Of The Fall juggling through the album between being radio-friendly and staying Rock. This is – generally – a quite hazardous game because you might ended up falling between the two chairs. While “Cradled in Love” reminds me of the score of the Twin Peaks or a possible runner for Eurovision, on “The Distance” they bring back some riffs merged with modern electronic layers. Read more Poets Of The Fall – Temple Of Thought (2012)
