EmptyMansions it’s the solo effort of Interpol’s drummer Sam Fogarino. Sam Fogarino wrote most of the songs for snakes while on tour promoting Interpol’s fourth and self-titled album, from mid 2009 to late 2011. This is raw sounding, garage flavored, but genuine indie rock, somewhere in the space between dEUS, Eels (in their good old days) and Sonic Youth. As he describe it: lyrically, the songs are the result of he’s reading much postmodern fiction by writers such as Hubert Selby Jr (‘Sulfate’); discovering an appreciation for aerial dance and a fascination with outer-space (‘Lyra’); the TV-drama Justified (‘Up In The Holler’), and Black Francis of Pixies fame (‘That Man’). Musically, Sam drew upon classic heavyweights; Neil Young (The closing track on snakes is a cover of ‘Down By The River’), The Stones, Zeppelin—filtered through his affinity with the likes of Sonic Youth and Pixies. Read more EmptyMansions – snakes/vultures/sulfate (2013)
alternative rock
The Black Widow’s Project – Heavy Heart (2012)
Think of Down and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society with even more and more intense stoner infusion, add some weight from Kyuss/Queens Of the Stone Age and the right amount of Alice In Chains/Soundgarden flavor to got the essence of what really The Black Widow’s Project it’s about.
The Black Widow’s Project delivered a surprisingly mature and solid debut album filled up with 14 genuine songs, and forged throughout with good-old-fashioned fuzz, powerful riffs, a heavy blend of blues and rock with noisy garage sound.
Formed in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2010 by the lead singer-guitarist Al Castro and the drummer Math Sink, they quickly realize their first EP called “Benefit Of The Doubt” which arouse great interest among the audience and in underground venues. After several lineup changes, Raph Despas joined the band as the bass player which allows them to find an even more powerful and personal sound. Read more The Black Widow’s Project – Heavy Heart (2012)
The CNK – Revisionnisme (2012)
The CNK started as a raw black metal group, named Count Nosferatu in 1996 by Nicolas St Morand (aka Mr Hreidmarr) and Jean-Sébastien Ogilvy (aka Heinrich Von B). They shortly changed their name into Count Nosferatu Kommando. Hreidmarr joined symphonic black metal act Anorexia Nervosa in 1998 and due to he’s busy schedule with his new band, the project was put aside in 1999.
The band’s real rebirth came in 2002, with the release of properly entitled “Ultraviolence Über Alles” album, on the late Kodiak Records label. Merging Rammstein and Slayer, Skinny Puppy and Deicide, The CNK delivered a furious and merciless mixture of death and industrial metal with Laibach flavored gravity.
Due to a lack of steady line-up, CNK wasn’t able to support their album on stage. Then, because of several problems such as the label’s demise, the band was once again put aside in 2003. Read more The CNK – Revisionnisme (2012)
Artifex – Suspension of Disbelief (2013)
If there is a space between King Crimson and Marilyn Manson, that space definitively it’s filled with the Italian Artifex. With roots back to the Psychedelic/Progressive Rock of the 70s and 80s, but with gloomy resonances of the Industrial Rock and Industrial Metal of the 90s, Artifex are building a brand new world out of Hard Rock bricks and modern sounds, electronic layers, but not at least, strong emotions.
Antonio “Mircea” Olivo (voice/guitar/electronics) founded Artifex in 1997, in Bologna, Italy, wanting “to recall that “verve” which had the great bands of the 70s, developing their sound in a modern key through the “balance” between analog and digital.”. The line-up was completed by Francesco Paonessa (drums & machines) and Davide Schipani (bass guitar, synth). By now the band released four self-produced CDs: “Tristis” (1997), “In-Side” (2001), “Artifex” (2003), and an EP entitled “Redux” in 2009.
“Suspension of Disbelief” will be released on 27th January 2013 and it’s a concept album based on the MAN’s emotions, an intermittent and laborious back to basics made of suspension and disbelief as well.
The album also have two special guests: Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson on drums featuring on “Witness of Transition” and Fabrice Quagliotti from Rockets on keyboards and backing vocals featuring on “Electric Lights”. Read more Artifex – Suspension of Disbelief (2013)
Tangent Transmission – Pull, EP (2011)
Some bands are coming out of the blue and breaking all the rules and conventions, and delivering what we should simply call “the real thing”. Music. Not conveniences. Not consumables. Not that predictable boom-boom, bang-bang what we use to upload in our mp3 players to cover the urban background noises and isolate ourselves from all the others and the rest of the world. No. It’s definitively something it’s very wrong whit this species.
But this isn’t everything. If a really-really good, to the bone creative and ground breaking band surface the scene, mainly they will come and go unnoticed and will disappear in the media trash. People love products, prefabs, love the s*it nicely packed in cellophane, love Lady GaGa because she’s so eccentric! And we love any other bitches, any other freaks and any other fake and fabricated star the industry and media deliver to us as “the real thing”, but never, never, never, the real thing.
The real thing it’s weird, unusual, not easy to assimilate, hard to compare and impassible to label, to fit into a box.
Although they manage to infiltrate one episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles” and had a song placement in the documentary “h2indo”, Tangent Transmission it’s still mainly remains completely an unknown band.
They also were awarded with the Artist of the Year in the All Indie Magazine music awards last year. And they really deserve it! Read more Tangent Transmission – Pull, EP (2011)
Vajra – Inside the Flame, video single
Singer, composer, producer, writer, and keyboard player Annamaria Pinna formed Vajra during her self-imposed exile in India and “Pleroma” is kind of a collection of 10 “sonic postcards” which painting up by sounds this mystic journey to self-conscience filled with hypnotic mysticism and some explosive sonic hurricanes. Read the full review HERE.
Now Varja released a music video for the fan favourite track “Inside the Flame”. The song have that ancient driven power which made magic the debut Tool album and it’s a perfect attention grabber. “Almost One” have the touch of Godsmack, it’s a mixture of gloom and groove with Rock strength, hypnotic, but simultaneously kicking. Read more Vajra – Inside the Flame, video single
Byzant At Sunset – Bang Ur Head, double EP (2012)
This is Jazzcore, Avant-garde and experimental, genres merging and envelope pusher music, weird for any average, comfortable and conservative listener, but definitively something intriguing and exciting for the people with open mind and open ears, bored of comformities and cliches.
While the album starts quite furiously with a grinding and contorted Tango followed by a genuine Punk classic in the vein of Dead Kennedys twisted into modern contortions and fueled by wildly improvising saxophone solos; the album rides in and out of genres from Post-Rock to Jazz and from Dubstep to Industrial only to quieting down to a Coltrane feel-like Jazzy smooth ballad as a closing act. Anyway, almost like a ballad. With Byzant At Sunset you never can be sure of anything.
An extended play (or EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP.
This is the second EP by Byzant At Sunset, a double EP actually, but this is really-really an ultra-mega-super extended play while the band delivered 9 original tracks (more then 44 minutes) and 10 plus 1 (hidden bonus) remixes – which are pounding more then 46 minutes.
Totally 95 minutes of music, it’s definitively hell of an extended play!!
The three members of this project are living on different continents, they never been in the same room, not even in the same country ever, but they are playing together. This is an exclusively “via internet” (on-line) collaborative-creative project. One proof of the positive effect and impact of Globalization and technology over humanity. Although they never had the opportunity and pleasure to playing together in the rehearsal room, this music sounds very alive, very fresh, raw and impossible to fit into any genre. Read more Byzant At Sunset – Bang Ur Head, double EP (2012)
Illogistical Resource Dept. – Catharsis (2012)
The apocalypse comes from San Francisco. Or just the catharsis. The nature try to get back at us? Eventually. God knows…. 😆 But wont save us from ourselves.
Dan Menapace – Bass and Synths, Jim Harris – Guitar, and Noa Appleton – Drums are explorers, soundonauts. “Speak” it’s a modern, reiterated “Astronomy Domine”, a tasty and gloomy evoking of past values, but also a brave step into the unknown and the future.
This is a groovy, sometimes blowing in your face, but mainly gloomy and atmospheric Rock machinery build to explore the universe of sounds and find new paths for creativity and expression.
Released on 14 November 2012, the 8 tracks of “Catharsis” lead us into the dark world of our worst fears and subconscious.
“When Frogs Attack” starts menacing, the Primus taste is definitively there, but Illogistical Resource Dept. add their own flavor as well. Wicked riffs and spicy grooves are blending into a powerful, catchy song, an excellent “door opener” for an album full of different blends and flavors.
“The Secret Box” it’s a more Psychedelic flavored trip with a charming, mysterious aroma. What Forrest Gump’s mom said about life, it’s go to “Catharsis” as well: “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Read more Illogistical Resource Dept. – Catharsis (2012)
Bad Brains – Into The Future (2012)
When music becomes boring, going back to the roots it’s always an option. And the ninth studio album by Bad Brains it’s both a classic and a fresh breath of Rasta-Hardcore.
Originally formed as a jazz fusion ensemble called Mind Power in 1975 under the spellbound of bands such as Chick Corea’s Return to Forever and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. Two years later, a friend of the band, Sid McCray, introduced the band to Punk Rock, playing for them bands such as the Dickies, the Dead Boys, and the Sex Pistols. They became obsessed with the new genre and changed their name to “Bad Brains”, after the Ramones song “Bad Brain”, but using the word “bad” in the sense of “good”.
The band developed an early reputation in Washington D.C., due in part to the relative novelty of an entirely black band playing Punk Rock, but also due to their high-energy performances and undeniable talent. In 1979, Bad Brains found themselves the subject of an unofficial ban among many Washington D.C. area clubs and performance venues – later addressed in their song, “Banned in D.C.”. The band subsequently relocated to New York City.
Widely regarded as among the pioneers of Hardcore Punk, Bad Brains recordings also featured elements of other genres like Funk, Dub, Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop and Soul. The band broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different singers or drummers. Among others, Chuck Mosley, former Faith No More singer being part of the group between 1990 and 1991. The band’s classic and current lineup is singer H.R. (Human Rights), guitarist Dr. Know, bassist Darryl Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson, H.R.’s younger brother.
Released on November 20, 2012 on Megaforce Records, “Into The Future” it is a tribute dedication to Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, a longtime friend of the band who died of cancer this year. Read more Bad Brains – Into The Future (2012)
Soundgarden – King Animal (2012)
Between fears and hopes, I have a kind of strange, mixed emotions regarding this reunion. Smells more like fishing for “cookies” (cashing-in), rather then fueled by creative impulses. Don’t get me wrong, I was, and still I an a huge “Badmotorfinger” era Soundgarden fan, but “that” Soundgarden it’s long gone and dead. The following two albums, “Superunknown”, respectively their last release of 1996, “Down on the Upside” were less and less impressive, they chosen to go on a more soft, radio/media friendly path and lost their tooth, their… grunge. While drummer Matt Cameron, bass player Ben Shepherd and guitarist Kim Thayil were quite off the radar since their break-up, singer Chris Cornell was hipper active. After a Beatles flavored solo album entitled “Euphoria Morning” and released in 1999, Cornell joint forces with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, then-former members of Rage Against the Machine and formed Audioslave.
After three albums, “Audioslave” (2002), “Out of Exile” (2005), and “Revelations” (2006), Cornell left Audioslave in early 2007, resulting in the band’s break-up. He released his second solo album, “Carry On” in June 2007 and the third, entitled “Scream”, produced by Timbaland, was released in 2009. Both to mixed commercial and critical success, but “Scream” stir up lot of discussions and controversy, gathering mainly reproaches from his previous and Soundgarden fans. Read more Soundgarden – King Animal (2012)
