I watched the video – Kehlvin new Blockbuster 😆 – only to see if the dude at the end smash off his guitars to the rocks. He didn’t and honestly I was quite disappointed. 😆 😆 😆 Fun, but talking seriously, not such a great way to promote a new band nowadays if you want to be taken seriously by fans and the industry.
Formed back in early 1999 by five friends in La Chaux-de- Fonds, Switzerland, Kehlvin is delivering a slow grinding and Doom inspired, contorted and gloomy Metalcore with blending of both post-Hardcore and post-Rock/Metal elements. After the release of their first acclaimed album, “The Mountain Daylight Time” on Division Records and some shows across Europe with the likes of Burst, Will Haven, Mono, Red Sparowes, Knut and Unsane, the members of Kehlvin have collaborated with their friends from Rorcal in order to record a split album called “Ascension.” Read more Kehlvin – The Orchard of Forking Paths (2012)
post metal
Silent Descent – Mind Games (2012)
In 2008 Metal Hammer proclaimed them “the trance metal juggernaught the world has been waiting for.” Well, I’m not so sure that the electronic and club addicted persons will actually appreciate the howling voices and the grinding guitar riffs, as well as the metal heads probably will hate all the trance and electronic s*its incorporated in the disturbed Metal by some of the trend rider youngster. But the British media really praised Silent Descent as one of the best new Metal acts, the band won the Kerrang!/MCN Unsigned Live competition, they performed at the Bloodstock Open Air music festival in August 2008, sold out the Camden Underworld along with Alestorm in 2009, headlined Thursday night’s Boardie Takeover at Download festival both in 2009 and 2010.
Following the trends, along the Trance perfumed electronics, the band on their newly released second album inserted some contorted Dubstep noises as well. Surprisingly or not quite, this sounds bloody right! Read more Silent Descent – Mind Games (2012)
Trioscapes – Separate Realities (2012)
Trioscapes started in the summer of 2011 when Dan Briggs(Between the Buried and Me) contacted Walter Fancourt (Casual Curious, Brand New Life) and Matt Lynch (Eyris) about working up a rendition of the Mahavishnu Orchestra classic “Celestial Terrestrial Commuters” and messing around with a few original ideas with the intent of playing a one-off show. “Blast Off,” the first song released a few months back impressed both the media and the fans and the expectation of the promised debut album raised to boiling high. Released on 08th May, 2012, by Metal Blade Records, “Separate Realities” will blow your head off. Read more Trioscapes – Separate Realities (2012)
Equal Minds Theory – Equal Minds Theory (2011)
Free download, this is the debut, self-titled album released last year by the Russian band from Norilsk/Moscow.
Anton – Guitar, Andrey – Guitar, Vlad – Bass, Evgeny – Drums, and Vitaly – Vocal, created a murderous mixture of Death Metal, Grindcore and modern Metal with some experimental, progressive resonances and turns, reminding me of The Dillinger Escape Plan. The “Intro” sounds almost sweet only that the following “Oceanbound” can blow in your face ten tons harder.
Sick and intense, almost not human. Read more Equal Minds Theory – Equal Minds Theory (2011)
Hypno5e – Acid Mist Tomorrow (2012)
In our times of deep turbulence and dissonances, the French Hypno5e re-paint with sounds this shattered world and pushing the musical borders further. This is Metal beyond Metal, fans of Cynic definitively will be delighted by the furious, but technical Death Metal moments, although the whole complex construction is further tripper, sometimes even abstract, quiet, meditative moments are twisted out by raging hurricanes, acrobatic riffs and pounding rhythmic, or the furious moments are break down by schizophrenic, echoing passages of slow, cinematic, but disturbed music.
Blending all Metal genres and adding ambiental and Jazz elements, Hypno5e build up their own and unique style of (future) Metal. Further, their mixing the music with video concept, the genius within HYPNO5E shows an all around approach to the arts, musically and visually. Read more Hypno5e – Acid Mist Tomorrow (2012)
Marilyn Manson – Born Villain (2012)
This is one of the albums of 2012 I really waited for, but on the other hand I was kind of afraid of. When Twiggy Ramirez was often quoted as saying “It’s our best record yet, I think. I mean, everyone always says that, but I think this is our best work so far… It’s kind of like a little more of a punk rock “Mechanical Animals” without sounding too pretentious.”, and since the previous “The High End of Low” it’s an almost four years gap, the expectations are pretty high. “No Reflection” kind of scared me further because it doesn’t actually sound pretty convincing, although it’s a quite fair Rock track.
So, “Hey, Cruel World…” just set things right, it’s a huge Manson sound like (almost) anthem and even the following “No Reflection” make more sense now, still don’t know why it was picked to be the leading single of the album while it’s almost one of the weakest track of it. Or maybe this is the reason. Or simply there is no reason. And well, no weak tracks, boring moments on this album. Read more Marilyn Manson – Born Villain (2012)
Bang – my head! Free on-line game, play now!
I wouldn’t even think of, not to believe it: I’ve become a figure (face, actually head 😀 ) in a game. F*ckingunbelievable!
It all started with the Weekly Brief of February 22, 2012 on Indaba Music, for which I submitted an ironic track called “Bang [The weirdest party I ve ever been]” – while the task was to submit something defined as”the best party jam”. Said “ironic” because I’m quite convinced that some people up there (Mantis actually 😆 ) fucking hates me and generally I do not belong in this (so-called music) industry while I’m (still) interested in music and not in kissing asses and delivering tasteless, predictable, boring, trend following… products.
Anyway, JohnnySix asked me if it would be fine with me if he make a video for this track, and of course I said, go for it.
But he didn’t make it. He did something better! Read more Bang – my head! Free on-line game, play now!
Vagiant – Gospel According To Vagiant (2011)
Vagiant is a five-piece union of antisocial, paranoid still life loving, good-mannered and joyful nerds. That’s what they think about themselves, I think they need urgent medical care, lots of colorful pills, eventually biscuit cases. This is totally madness on loose. No genre attached, this is a quite contorted, experimental, glowing and flowing (post) Rock journey through different sounds and styles, from quiet, warmer moments to energy full, nervous breakdown-like explosions. In an extensively patterned and predictable, standardized world, Vagiant brings chaos and disorder, bring a fresh breath of music.
And what’s even better, you can grab for free (name your price) this 5 track release from their Bandcamp page. Read more Vagiant – Gospel According To Vagiant (2011)
Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol (2012)
Hopefully this will be a “lucky 13” – although this is quite a dark and heavy one. Scheduled to be released on 23 April 2012, the upcoming 13th studio album by Paradise Lost is 101% classic Metal with strong roots back to Doom and Gothic and eventually since their 1991’s second album, “Gothic”, the band did not delivered something like this. Just like two decades ago the album was written by Nick Holmes and Gregor Mackintosh, drummer Matthew Archer left the band in 1994 and after several rotations, behind the drum kit since 2009 is Adrian Erlandsson, but although, the band seems totally unchanged. In a good sense. We know, the road back here was not so smooth and flawless as it might seem, but what’s matter it’s we are here now. Well, I’m aware, the journey might be much more significant then the final destination, but this is quite a different philosophical issue. So, I love “Tragic Idol” as it is, I loved it as I saw the cover for the first time. Read more Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol (2012)
Demon Hunter – True Defiance (2012)
Riding or not the fence of being Christians it’s still an issue to discuss for many, but the facts are facts, Demon Hunter sold over half a million albums, while their previous album, “The World Is a Thorn” debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 14,000.
Honestly, the remix contest for their new song, “Someone To Hate” on Indaba was my very first collision with this new Metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. My take on “Someone To Hate” merge classic string arrangement with Drum’N’Bass like synths and crushing Metal riffs, pounding drums, keeping the original spirit of the song alive and breathing. Worth to listen, deserves your VOTE. I guess. 🙂 Read more Demon Hunter – True Defiance (2012)
