Blending electronica with psychedelic spices of the 60’s, trip hop and breakbeat elements with alternative rock and protopunk sequels, Tom Block’s debut album, “Initiation” seems to be a comfortable trip, a borderless experiment of smooth collisions of sounds and vibes. “Playa Nueva” reminded me of Fischer-Z – and The Clash – and that reggae-influenced pop (rock) vibe merged into the pulse of the lo-fi bedroom feeling gives the album’s special taste. If the 80’s were under the sign of “cock-rock”, this is the age of “coach-rock”. It’s time to light up and lay back, eventually dive down.
In a world of constant conflicts, struggles and turbulence, this might be the perfect shelter, an island of break. Chill and relax, Tom Block delivers the soundscape of this imaginary getaway. Read more Tom Block – Initiation (2012)
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Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth (2012)
Ladies and gentlemen, put your seatbelts on, we’re in a time capsule and we’re gonna landing back right to the 80s just as you close your eyes and push play! Our guides for this precious ride are the Van Halen family, Eddie on guitar, Alex on drums and the young refreshment, Eddie’s son, Wolfgang on bass and not at least, the restless lead singer, Mr. David Lee Roth. Although the twelfth studio album by the band it’s the band’s first album of completely new material since 1998’s disastrous “Van Halen III” featuring ex-Extreme singer Gary Cherone, as well as the first since 1984’s to feature David Lee Roth on lead vocals, the long awaited new Van Halen album, “A Different Kind Of Truth” just right fits in between “Women and Children First” and “Fair Warning”.
I am the first to admit, I was 101 % skeptical about this reunion and album. Don’t misunderstand me, I love Lee Roth, some of his bluesy solo releases are absolutely killer cuts, but definitively the best moments of this band were with Sammy Hagar. And well, Hagar teamed up with guitar-God Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and classic Halen bass player Michael Anthony to form Chickenfoot, one hell of a successful hard rock supergroup. So, “the other half” already proved vitality, the expectations were pretty high about this and the comparison – unfortunately for both sides – is almost unavoidable.
And “A Different Kind Of Truth” rocks like s*it, eventually this is one of the best Van Halen albums ever released. Read more Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth (2012)
Dan McKie – In The Stream Volume 1 (2012)
Two words: boom boom! Raving and raging, pounding and pulsing disco of the 80’s and 90’s are merged here to set the fire on at the dancefloor. Dan McKie has selected the best and hottest tracks from his own productions and his label 1980 Recordings to deliver the perfect soundtrack for your lost night down in the club. This definitively have that bright, careless vibe of the 80’s and 90’s, but also confirms my theory: a good song can be remixed greatly, but not the most genius remix can save a mediocre song. Although, this 80’s spirit is absolutely great, sometimes this mixture of techno and house doesn’t work always unconditionally nowadays. But McKie seems to be a wizard and knows all the tricks and have all the aces in his sleeves to make your feet moving. Read more Dan McKie – In The Stream Volume 1 (2012)
Apollo 440 – The Future’s What It Used to Be (2012)
I was waiting this one for quite a while. Their previous album, “Dude Descending a Staircase” was released in 2003, nine f*cking years is over an eternity in music industry nowadays. Kids of today probably have not even the memories of “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Dub” as probably they don’t have a clue who the fuck is Eddie Van Halen! Still and unsurprisingly, Apollo 440 (alternately known as Apollo Four Forty or @440) came back with a powerful and fresh album, the trendy dubstep frequency oscilation and bass wobblings are incorporated into their noisy electronics and rocking construction, and definitively they delivered – once again – a mandatory killer album. Read more Apollo 440 – The Future’s What It Used to Be (2012)
Love Sex Machine – Love Sex Machine (2012)
The official promo says this is “ultra crushing sludgecore” and make no mistake, this is definitively one of the heaviest s*it you can listen to. As usually, Throatruinner offering this release as a digital download for free – in the very noble “name your price” mode or the posted Medifire link. Go and grab it, this guys brings the apocalypse through their grinding, murderous tracks!
And well, if the band’s General Manager is the Satan himself and their Facebook address is 666doom666, nothing is quite surprising anymore. Read more Love Sex Machine – Love Sex Machine (2012)
Therapy? – A Brief Crack Of Light (2012)
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)
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)
