Toral plays experimental electronic instruments like electrode oscillator, modified MS-2 pocket amplifier feedback, glove-controlled computer bass sinewaves, filtered feedback circuit, modified MT-10 portable amplifier, modulated noise, modular synthesizer and tamtam. Sometimes it sounds like R2D2 are talking to you. Strongly interested in phrasing, he calls his style “post-free jazz electronic musicâ€, described as “a brand of electronic music far more visceral and emotive than that of his cerebral peersâ€. His music actually it’s kind of abstract, but interesting, you never really know what to expect in the next moment. And some of these experiments are quit exciting. The music is not congested, it’s airy, Toral know to use the silence and he’s colored it with interesting noises and all sort of elements to create atmosphere without being overwhelming. Read more Rafael Toral – Space Elements Vol. III (2011)
album
Contemporary Noise Sextet – Ghostwriter’s Joke (2011)
This is a vibrating, colorful, sometimes film like, but in the next moment explosively intense jazz album from Poland. The Kapsa brothers, who earlier formed the legendary emo-hardcore band called Something Like Elvis, established originally the Contemporary Noise Quintet transformed afterwards into Sextet. Their debut album called “Pig Inside The Gentleman” was released in the autumn of 2006. The variety of sounds does not allow pigeonholing their music style unambiguously. Smooth and hard elements crossing over in a dense texture of colorful elements, it’s like kind of film music without movie and jazz music without being quit jazz, but still, very classy tunes and elements are perfectly built in into the improvising and sometimes quit jazz-rock fusion taste like music. There’s actually no “noise” in their music, but definitively this is absolutely contemporary, breathing and alive music with exciting turns, moods and charming pulse. Read more Contemporary Noise Sextet – Ghostwriter’s Joke (2011)
Asking Alexandria – Reckless And Relentless (2011)
Expected to be released tomorrow, on April 5, 2011 through Sumerian Records the second studio album by English metalcore band Asking Alexandria consisting of 12 brand new songs, rocks hard. The so-called euro trance twists are still there, but they turn them into much heavier, industrial like sound, the band seems very determinate to kick big this time. They have actually a pretty busy agenda taking over the clubs one by one promoting their new album in US and from the end of the month they will return to UK and Europe and they will play constantly the whole summer spending their time on tour and hitting all the major festivals. “Reckless And Relentless” is an intense, powerful release and Asking Alexandria took a winning step further. Generally speaking, the second album of any artist/band is the most decisive one, the one that proof – or not – if the band previous success was deserved or only an accident of conjunctures. Read more Asking Alexandria – Reckless And Relentless (2011)
Vessels – Helioscope (2011)
Vessels are a post-rock band from Leeds, UK, born from the ashes of the band A Day Left in September 2005. The band members are: Tom Evans – guitar, Tim Mitchell – drums, Martin Teff – guitar, bass, synth, Lee J. Malcolm – guitar, synth and Peter Wright – guitar, keys, bass.
The debut album “White Fields and Open Devices” was released through Cuckundoo Records in 2008 and a compilation called “A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters: An Instrumental​​/​​Post​​-​​rock Compilation” is available on their Bandcamp page for download.
In May 2010 Vessels recorded their second album in Dallas, Texas, with John Congleton, known as a Grammy Nominated producer/engineer/mixer and through his own band, The Paper Chase. Read more Vessels – Helioscope (2011)
t.A.T.u. – Waste Management Remixes (2011)
Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova made some waves in 2002 not only with the song “Not Gonna Get Us”, but also with all the controversial discussions about that they are lesbians – or not. Later, in 2004, Katina then stated: “He (producer Ivan Shapovalov) made us out to BE lesbians when we were just singing FOR lesbians. We wanted people to understand them and not judge them. That they are as free as anyone else.” And Volkova stated: “He spends his time thinking up scandals instead of planning our artistic work. I’m sure our fans would rather hear new songs and new albums than new scandals.” The band’s name – t.A.T.u. – “Тату”, refers to a shortened version of the Russian “Та любит Ту (Ta lyubit Tu)”, meaning “She loves her” and it was the idea of the producer Ivan Shapovalov. The first single was completed in Autumn 2000, entitled “Ya Soshla S Uma” released in English as “All The Things She Said”. Their first album, “200 Po Vstrechnoy” was released on May 21, 2001 and the English version of the album was released one year later, entitled “200 km/h in the Wrong Lane”. In May 2003, t.A.T.u. represented Russia at Eurovision Song Contest 2003, where they placed third. In 2003, the act released the first compilation CD of remixes, titled “Remixes”. In early 2004, t.A.T.u. legally broke their contract with Ivan Shapovalov and soon after announce their split. Read more t.A.T.u. – Waste Management Remixes (2011)
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (2011)
I never was excited by Dave Grohl after Nirvana’s band, Foo Fighters. It was too fluffy, too pop for my taste, too mainfuckingstream, too radio friendly and actually I have no taste for Dave’s funny approach and kind of parodies. If I wanna have fun listening music, I prefer Dennis Leary, The Bloodhound Gang or Richard Cheese. “The Pretender” directly pissing me off because I actually think that Dave is exactly that kind of pop star millionaire he make fun of it. Well, maybe I’m a wrong judge of characters, but he’s star and a millionaire for sure. Irony? Probably. On the other hand I’m convinced that Dave is also very talented. It may be a paradox, but that’s a fact. And Dave proved us this not once. He’s a great drummer, a great musician, a great songwriter. “All My Life” – the opening track of the 2002 album “One by One” – is a huge rock anthem. So, I didn’t really expected from Dave nothing this time, but “Wasting Light” actually it’s a great rock album. Read more Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (2011)
Between The Buried And Me – The Parallax Hypersleep Dialogues (2011)
Expected to be released on April 12, 2011, through the band’s new label, Metal Blade Records, “The Parallax Hypersleep Dialogues” consist of three brand new songs and the material is over 30 minutes, so this extended play will mainly satisfy all the band’s fans for the two years of waiting. It’s true, meanwhile Tommy Giles Rogers Jr.- the lead singer and founder – of the band released his brilliant second solo album “Pulse” earlier this year, in February, also through Metal Blade.
Thomas and his band mates – Dan Briggs – bass guitar, Blake Richardson – drums, percussion, Paul Waggoner – lead guitars and Dustie Waring – rhythm guitars – made the conscious decision to preclude a studio album with an extended play in addition to being part of a concept album series, so probably we will hear other new materials from them pretty soon. Read more Between The Buried And Me – The Parallax Hypersleep Dialogues (2011)
Thomas Giles – Pulse (2011)
“Pulse” is one of the most wonderful and exciting records I had the pleasure to listen this year and I admit it, it was a huge surprise. Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. is the lead singer and founder of the band Between the Buried and Me, one of the leaders of the new – twisted – metal wave, a powerful and extremely creative band wich show a new direction and proved once again: metal is not dead.
“Pulse” is actually the second solo album by Tommy, the first was released back in 2004 under the name Giles. The new material is extremely colorful, impossible to label, crammed in some particular box. And about the influences and different musical roots of Tommy we can get an idea by listening the cover collection released in 2006 under the title “The Anatomy of” by Between the Buried and Me where we have songs by Metallica, Sepultura, Depeche Mode , Queen, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Earth Crises, Blind Melon, Counting Crows, Soundgarden, Faith No More, Motley Crue, Pantera, and Smashing Pumpkins. Read more Thomas Giles – Pulse (2011)
Hollywood Undead – American Tragedy (2011)
If you know them, you wait for their second album for quit a long time, if you never heard of Hollywood Undead, you probably were out on some other planet when they smash off MySpace with their song called „The Kids†in 2005 wich reach over 8 million hits till the end of 2006 and made them the most wanted unsigned band of the moment. They finally singed for MySpace Records, but they left the label after the label tried to censor their first album. They moved to A&M/Octone Records and “Swan Songs” was released on September 2, 2008 and reached #22 on the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, selling 21,000 copies.
All of the band members use pseudonyms and wear their own unique mask, most of which are based on the common hockey goaltender design. Do you remember Raven? – the English heavy metal band – or you may though about Slipknot as well. The band members currently consist of Charlie Scene, Da Kurlzz, Danny, Funny Man, J-Dog, and Johnny 3 Tears after in early 2010, the band’s singer, Deuce, was voted out of the group and was replaced by touring member and long-time friend Daniel Murillo (Danny), who was an American Idol contestant in its ninth season and was the lead singer for the band called Lorene Drive. Read more Hollywood Undead – American Tragedy (2011)
Guano Apes – Bel Air (2011)
Guano Apes are back! This is the good news. Guano Apes are softer than ever. This is not so good news. “She’s A Killer” it’s pretty intense and they still have some nerve, but there’s no more real skater anthems. The reunited Guano Apes left behind the nu metal and in gender the metal roots and they have some kind of indie rock approach with electronic spices. It’s not that bad, but somehow they didn’t manage to write rememberable tunes, sticky choruses, this collection of 12 brand new songs are kind of similar and linear. They have a few better moments, “Trust” is another better song for example, but still, something is missing. They last real release, “Walking On A Thin Line” came out eight years ago and a decade it’s like eternity this times, and “Bel Air” it’s sort of thin for a come back. They original fan base probably put their skates up in the attic and till now have a family and other worries. Generally this are not too good times for the entertainment business. The economical depression, the piracy and all that things makes everything ten times harder… Read more Guano Apes – Bel Air (2011)
