Mike Muir and his gang of suicidal maniacs are back!! This is the 13th Suicidal Tendencies release (although, the ninth studio album), with 13 new songs, 13 years since the last album (“Free Your Soul and Save My Mind” released in 2000), but the first without guitarist Mike Clark since 1987’s “Join the Army”. And it’s ferocious! Right between the classic Suicidal maniacal grindings and the killer Infectious Grooves flavour. As always. Although, last time was a lifetime ago and probably most of the nowadays headbanger kids don’t have a clue what the heck I’m talking about.
But once again, I have to notice that these “old guys” have a criminal sense of memorable melodies, have the guts to deliver killer and powerful riffs and murderous grooves, while most of the nowadays formed bands only delivering over-produced, but absolutely forgettable mass of noises. By the way, kind of sad, scary and alarming. Read more Suicidal Tendencies – 13 (2013)
Reviews
Iron Maiden – Maiden England ’88 (2013)
Even my five years old son knows who is Eddie and even further, he have several favorite Iron Maiden songs already. No better proof that Iron Maiden are living classics and definitively one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all times. And probably the only heavy metal band engaging three lead guitarist!! But this is a different story!
In September 2007, Iron Maiden announced the “Somewhere Back in Time World Tour”, which was tied to the DVD release of their “Live After Death” album – originally released in 1985. This tour led to the release of a new compilation album, entitled “Somewhere Back in Time”, which included a selection of tracks from their 1980 eponymous debut to 1988’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”, as well as several live versions from “Live After Death”. The final leg of the tour included the band’s first ever appearances in Peru and Ecuador, as well as their return to Venezuela and New Zealand after 17 years. At their concert in São Paulo on 15 March, Dickinson announced on stage that it was the largest non-festival show of their career, with an overall attendance of 63,000 people.
At the 2009 BRIT Awards, the 34 years old Iron Maiden won the award for best British live act. Voted for by the public, the band won by a landslide. Read more Iron Maiden – Maiden England ’88 (2013)
No Sun in San Francisco – Principles & particles (2013)
Very dark, very raw, technical and merciless, No Sun in San Francisco aren’t an American band, but a Swiss one and most of their debut album was recorded far away from the sunlight, down in an anti-nuclear shelter lost somewhere in Switzerland’s countryside. Without hanging tags, their sounds like a sick mixture of Neurosis, Isis, Converge, Cult of Luna and Meshuggah.
This new post-everything, but metal rooter scene it’s growing pretty fast, getting bigger and the Swiss scene seems to be one of the strongest. Impossible to label them, to define a genre, No Sun in San Francisco get inspired from the raw and contorted black metal butcheries up to complex and technical extreme metal, and form psychedelic and progressive flavors to shogazer contemplations. Unpolished, furious grinding to the ground passages are followed by quiet, still dark, but strangely beautiful, calm passages only to explode again with killer riffs and blood spitting deadly vocals. Read more No Sun in San Francisco – Principles & particles (2013)
Cathedral – The Last Spire (2013)
In February 2011, Cathedral announced that they will disband after one more album, entitled “The Last Spire”, which will be released in April 2013. Even further, they even played their official final show on December 3rd 2011.
Back then vocalist Lee Dorrian explained, “It’s simply time for us to bow out. Twenty one years is a very long time and it’s almost a miracle that we managed to come this far!.”
Honestly, I never was a huge doom metal supporter, nor Napalm Death fan back in their furious grindcore days. When Lee Dorrian left Napalm death in 1989 to form Cathedral with Mark ‘Griff’ Griffiths (a Carcass roadie) and Garry ‘Gaz’ Jennings (formerly of thrash metal upstarts Acid Reign), I wasn’t really interested. But I have to admit it, their 1991 debut album, “Forest of Equilibrium”, it’s one of its kind, something disturbing, extremely dark and uniquely heavy. Now, nine albums later, I hope that Lee Dorrian will have second thoughts and “The Last Spire” will be only a station, and not the final destination in the journey of Cathedral. Read more Cathedral – The Last Spire (2013)
Depeche Mode – Delta Machine (2013)
Depeche Mode are back. Strangely, “Sounds of the Universe” feels like a million years away, although it was released in 2009, so, only four years ago. This is the final piece of the trilogy of records that Depeche Mode were doing with producer Ben Hillier. And the thirteenth studio album of the band, the first for their new label, Columbia Records, scheduled for release on 22 March 2013.
I started listening with interest DM only after their 93’s “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. Still, their first four albums are quite meaningless for me. And probably their latest two. From their 2005’s “Playing the Angel” stuck in my mind the fabulous cover of “John the Revelator” and the opening track, “A Pain That I’m Used To”. “Sounds of the Universe” was even less impressive, actually I can’t recall any song title from it, although, I remember it was dark and minimal. And dark and minimal it is “Delta Machine” as well. Read more Depeche Mode – Delta Machine (2013)
Wildmen – Wildmen (2013)
Hippies are back and they seems furious. Punk-like furious. White Stripes fans will gonna love it.
Hailing from the heart of the old empire – Rome, Italy -, Wildmen is a duo made of Giacomo Mancini and Matteo Vallicelli. Their self-titled debut album was release on 14th March on Shit Music For Shit People. Ten pounding, raw sounding, unpolished garage rock with roots back to the 70s and both to hard rock and psychedelic flavoured experimental rock. Energetic, sometimes quite wild and violently noisy, but fun throughout. This is Rock’N’Roll on steroid or on any other illegal drug. Read more Wildmen – Wildmen (2013)
Lush Rimbaud and zZz – Split, The V’ll Series # 1 (2013)
If you’re looking for something different, the Italian fromSCRATCH Records just released on February 2013 a split EP with the Italian band Lush Rimbaud and the Dutch duo zZz.
The V’LL series is a 12” coloured vinyl series released with artwork by Nico Villani (a.k.a. V’ll), handmade serigraphy (ltd. 300 copies) and featuring two different bands each release. The vinyl cost 16€ – shipping costs included.
This is a short, but consistent incursion into the alternative/experimental area of music. While Lush Rimbaud building upon the solid ground of the 70’s experimental and psychedelic rock, easily related to Hawkwind or more recently to the sound and explorations of The Flaming Lips. On the other hand, zZz have a more dance oriented approach building edge-cutting dance tracks with twisted out noise layers. Feels like Joy Division on steroids and some dangerous experimental drugs!
Trust me, this is addictive, serious shit! Awesome! For real. Read more Lush Rimbaud and zZz – Split, The V’ll Series # 1 (2013)
The Flaming Lips – The Terror (2013)
This feels and sounds pretty much like a dark, modern, minimalist, but soulful Pink Floyd album. Maybe with a healthy addition of King Crimson taste. It has something from that glowing, thirsty 70’s spirit, but sound fatter, feels like nowadays. “The Terror” is the thirteenth studio album by The Flaming Lips, and it’s to be released the April 1st 2013 worldwide and April 2nd, after a four year gap.
Lead vocalist Wayne Coyne describes the album’s general idea on the band’s official site: “We want, or wanted, to believe that without love we would disappear, that love, somehow, would save us that, yeah, if we have love, give love and know love, we are truly alive and if there is no love, there would be no life. The Terror is, we know now, that even without love, life goes on… we just go on… there is no mercy killing.”
Well, this is quite a dark vision, but a realistic one. I guess. There is no love left in this world, it was all sold or stolen and although, eventually, there is love between two people or small groups as a family, there is definitively no more love between humans generally. So, yeah, I kind of get it, feel it. Everybody for himself and against everybody else. Read more The Flaming Lips – The Terror (2013)
Archers and Arrows – Alone Together (2013)
Switzerland’s Archers and Arrows on their debut album entitled “Arrows Alone Together” delivering a tumultous, but gentle mixture of hardcore rooted energy and indie flavoured melodies. Sometimes feels and sounds like Sigur Rós playing dEUS songs, or Bullet for My Valentines start playing Mogwai covers. Sometimes quite gloomy, but very smartly build-up and gently soulful, Sebastien, Nicolas, Bunty and Yves created a world of their own and now they share it with us.
Impossible to label it, to forced into a particular genre, Arches and Arrows it’s kind of ageless and fresh, furious, teenage oriented, but simultaneously calm and mature music, something which eventually catch your little sisie’s soul, would fit nicely in your ex-hippie father’s iPod and even your mother would listen it while she’s cooking the dinner. Read more Archers and Arrows – Alone Together (2013)
Celine Bonacina Trio – Open Heart (2013)
Céline Bonacina plays baritone, alto and soprano saxophone, she’s a composer and leader of her own trio.
In 2007 she won the Group prize at the National Jazz competition in La Défense, France. In 2009 she was the winner of the Rezzo contest during Jazz à Vienne. In 2011 she was nominated for the “Instrumental Discovery French Music Awards. In 2012 she was selected for the european project “Take Five Europe”. This year (2013) she was the winner of the Adami french Award.
From the age of seven Céline studied music at the “conservatoire” (in Belfort, Besançon and Paris) then specialised in baritone saxophone in Paris big bands from 1996 to 1998. After gaining her music diplomas she moved to Reunion Island, where she taught at the regional music conservatoire for 7 years. During this time she performed in many festivals in the Indian Ocean with her own band, and as guest of the pianist Omar Sosa.
Back in France in 2005, she released her first album, « Vue d’en haut« , recorded on the island. Her compositions, interpreted with baritone, alto and soprano saxophones, are praised in the press (Jazz Magazine, Jazzman, Culturejazz, Sitarmag, Citizen Jazz, les Dernières Nouvelles du Jazz…).
With her 2010 album „Way of Life“ Bonacina had an impressive debut on ACT featuring Lê as a guest. ”Fono Forum” magazine commented on her playing: ”It is just sensational what sounds and musical styling Céline Bonacina manages to get out the Bariton-Saxophone.” Read more Celine Bonacina Trio – Open Heart (2013)
