Hailed by many as the metal release of the year, “Kill On Command” is classy, traditional and absolutely old-school as it is. Fans disappointed by the quite modern approach of Morbid Angel on “Illud Divinum Insanus”, will be pleased by the thrash/death grindings of Jungle Rot.
The Midwest based quartet have garnered a large and loyal following within the last 10 years due in large part to having a style more similar to acts such as Slayer and Sodom, rather than the typical Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation rip-offs. Read more Jungle Rot – Kill On Command (2011)
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Kinky Yukky Yuppy – Escape (2010)
Kinky Yukky Yuppy after releasing several EPs, signed with M&O Music and released their debut album in October last year. Labeled simply “indie”, these guys from Evreux, France delivering a quite colourful blending of classic and indie rock flavored with alternative rock/metal heaviness and pop-like melodies. Quite breathing and very refreshing mixture, they have a nice vibe and excellent groove, have a few extremely powerful riffs, just as they have some catchy melodies. The band name there own influences: Biffy Clyro, A Perfect Circle, Rage Against the Machine, Foo Fighters, Incubus, Silverchair, Alien Ant Farm, Manchester Orchestra, and actually this colourful is their music.
Lead singer and guitarist Jérémi reminds me of Steve Hogarth of Marillion and KYY share some similarities with the post-Fish era (1989–present) Marillion, although KYY mainly bring to the surface some much heavier, metal-like sounds. Read more Kinky Yukky Yuppy – Escape (2010)
Rotting Out – Street Prowl (2011)
Fast and furious. 6131 Records promised “energetic, fast paced hardcore in the vein of Striking Distance and Black Flag” and it’s reminds me of Billy Milano’s M.O.D. (Method of Destruction) with less thrash infusion, but still on the same crossover/hardcore punk direction. And it’s something here also from the unfamous Billy’s humor, one of their best song being “Laugh Now, Die Later”. Walter, Carlos, Tank, Jorge and Ben comes from Los Angeles, California and their hardcore punk is fast as it is possible, still melodious, two decades ago for sure I would mosh out my ass on it. This high-energy, pumping, straight and powerful approach has its indisputable charm and live, down at the club, there’s nothing proper than this loud and angry, spitting right in your face approach. Read more Rotting Out – Street Prowl (2011)
Verneri Pohjola – Aurora (2011)
Finnish trumpeter/composer Verneri Pohjola seems to be a huge Miles Davis fan and the spirit of the “Dark Magus” is all over “Aurora”, more, its include also an exciting re-work of Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez”, not in the manner of Davis and Gil Evans on “Sketches of Spain”, but adding to it another – his own – perspective.
Pohjola was born in 1977, the son of bassist Pekka Pohjola, a legend of Finnish jazz and a player with an international reputation. He writes music and performs with several renowned groups in the fields of jazz, soul and rock. His main work include the jazz foursome Ilmiliekki Quartet and the indie/art rock band Silvio in which he plays Rhodes-piano and drums. Pohjola also contributes to groups such as Quintessence, Q-Continuum and Warp!, to name only a few. In 2008 he released an experimental sound collage, Michelin Star, only namely to be dubbed as jazz with drummer Joonas Riippa.
Released by Texicalli Records in February 2009, “Aurora” was re-released this year by German label Act Music. Read more Verneri Pohjola – Aurora (2011)
Dirge – Elysian Magnetic Fields (2011)
Dark and atmospheric, slow and fearful, heavy and mysterious, Dirge comes on a long way of explorations and experiments, started from industrial roots they grow into the sludge/doom area of experimental/avant-garde metal, incorporate both classic rock instruments and samplers/machines into their own flavored dark metal fulfilled with progressive rock and cinematic elements.
If something actually is dark and heavy, definitively Dirge is. Merging classic approaches with modern structures, sounds and elements, they delivering their own epic, tortured and contorted metal, absolutely heavy and dark as a starless night. Still, their music contains melodies, quite musical themes which gave them a mysterious sparkling. Gave to the guys from Crowbar some old Pink Floyd themes to jam with and you’re almost there where Dirge starts their path of exploration and creation. Read more Dirge – Elysian Magnetic Fields (2011)
6h33 – Orphan of Good Manners (2011)
The way out is through… together in sickness and filth… as long as somebody can really explain me what “weirdo” means, what is actually sick or filthy. It’s quite small chances to let myself tied up as it’s just don’t seems an option to torture somebody for my own pleasure, but that really don’t make me healthier as those who doing this kind of “kinky” stuffs are not by default sicker then me. Still, there’s always a first time for everything and… never say never because as a joke of life, when you refuse something it will comes down on you crushing. Differences make us unique, and right or wrong is just a matter of perception.
And 6:33 is quite an unique and intense blending of music including metal rawness, electro/jazz/funk vibe, industrial shapes, darkwave and pop like melodies and… maladies and… lot of healthy sickness. So, where did you put those handcuffs and that whip? Read more 6h33 – Orphan of Good Manners (2011)
Hidden Number – Human_Error (2011)
I’m an idiot and well, I’m the first to admit it, but do you ever think of yourself as a Pavlov’s dog? Work from 9 to 6 – quite a slavery -, been attracted by a particular type of man or woman, eat the same type of shit and drink the same kind of beer – or whatever, watch the same TV channels and listen the same kind of music… If this is not the case of conditioning, I don’t know what it is. And our world getting grayer and grayer each and every day by eliminate the alternatives and everything comes down to be black or white. Or zeros and ones. Fucking spooky. But we’re tired and bored because we don’t see the third option. And well, talking bout numbers, there’s always a third option. And a forth, and so on. Hidden numbers…
And human errors.
Dean Swanson and his Hidden Number is a good opportunity to break the chain and listening something else which will do not fit in the boxes, you can stick labels to it. Well, only if there’s something human still left in you and you didn’t become completely a Pavlov’s dog… Read more Hidden Number – Human_Error (2011)
Breathe Carolina – Hell Is What You Make It (2011)
I’ve been listening lately hundreds of emocore/matchcore/metalcore releases, Breathe Carolina is an opportunity – chance, or don’t matter which other word I use, it would sound anyway odd – to get a perspective about the “other side” of this emo-whatever-core genre, they use rarely rock/metal inserts and only to color their rave/dance/electro-pop music patterns while their songs still preserves some emo roots. Their impressive resume already boasts music cues on NBC’s Monday Night Football, The Jay Leno Show and MTV’s The Hills/The City, a slot in Alternative Press’ Most Anticipated Albums 2011, and 60,000 copies sold in the U.S. alone of their hit album “Hello Fascination”. With this third full-length release they aim to the superstardom status and in a world where millions seriously believe that Britney Spears is talented, well, everything is still possible.
“Stepped Up And Scratched”, the hard-electro remix album by Asking Alexandria, I thought is the border of rave/emocore mixture, Breathe Carolina prove me I was wrong, they bring less guitars and noisy explosions, but focusing more on dance and pop themes and raving synthesizers and samplers. Read more Breathe Carolina – Hell Is What You Make It (2011)
Seed From The Geisha – Talk peace to the wolf (2011)
“It all began with a seed… and the seed had become flesh…” Quite American rock, balanced between post-grunge and alternative metal, a mixture of emotions and youthful rage. Seed From The Geisha are made by the gathering of five Parisian musicians after they left their own projects to join together and at the crossroad of different influences they find their own flavored blending of rock and metal. “Talk peace to the wolf” was recorded at Sainte Marthe Studios during May 2009 and the album was released by M & O Music on March 28, 2011. Read more Seed From The Geisha – Talk peace to the wolf (2011)
Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving – Deaden The Fields (2011)
This one comes from Australia and it’s a creative, breathing mixture of rock/post-rock elements with progressive and space-rock music and avant-garde jazz experiments while the space between is filled up with noises, intelligently built in electronica and cinematic soundscapes. Very fresh, unpredictable, colourful, flowing and ever changing.
“TToL emerged from the shadows of the Australian live scene with the release of their 2008 EP,Tiny Fragments and 2009 split EP with Sydney’s sleepmakeswaves. While their EPs attracted attention from
reviewers and punters alike, it’s as an intense and fiercely engaging live act that TToL have built their reputation in Australia. Through dozens of local headline shows,and supporting touring acts such as Australian prog heavywieghts Karnivool and Canadian doom lords Nadja in 2010, TToL have demanded attention and amassed a loyal following. Read more Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving – Deaden The Fields (2011)
