High on Fire - Snakes For The Divine
The latest HOF album finds the band routinely going about their business of annihilating the universe. Rather than trying to add more elements to their established sound - the jangly bits, as some of us liked to call 'em and different instrumentation (mandolins or whatever) present on "Death Is This Communion," they've amped everything up a notch and refined it. Matt Pike still manages to blow himself out of the water on each subsequent release, rather than resting on his guitar playing laurels (blow himself doesn't seem right to say, does this make sense?)
The latest HOF album finds the band routinely going about their business of annihilating the universe. Rather than trying to add more elements to their established sound - the jangly bits, as some of us liked to call 'em and different instrumentation (mandolins or whatever) present on "Death Is This Communion," they've amped everything up a notch and refined it. Matt Pike still manages to blow himself out of the water on each subsequent release, rather than resting on his guitar playing laurels (blow himself doesn't seem right to say, does this make sense?)
Black Breath - Heavy Breathing
Time will tell if this debut ultimately holds up or fades from memory before next year, but the follow up to the excellent "Razor To Oblivion," EP scores with heavy and screamy Entombed-style death-rock and nothing fancy. Also, I have to give full marks to any band that sites "Repulsion," as a major influence.
I'll confess to missing the boat somewhat on Kylesa.
I prefer to listen to records by new bands in chronological order if I can help it and the bands earliest recordings didn't compel me enough to put it ahead of the mountain of other records I was listening to at the time.
This record shows how far they're come in to their own unique sound. Two drummers, Phil Cope's watery vocal distortion, recalling "Rape and Honey," era Ministry, while the music makes me think if Isis at points and at others ("Don't Look Back,") like certain 90's alternative bands I can't put my finger on.
Replacing hyperactive drummer Chris Maggio and aiming for a less-is-more approach is a bold move but the new Coliseum record is heavy in a different way. The d-beat punk tunes are replaced by something with more emotion and substance behind it, ultimately adding up to their best.
Yup, it made most of the mainstream top 10 lists because it's a damn good record. Instead of garagey white-boy blues it's a smoky, groovy, vintage sounding R&B soul record with vocals that probably come the closest any dude since Sixto Rodriguez has come to sounding like Nina Simone. Bad-ass from front to back.
Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder
Upping the weirdness ante considerably, the new Melvins record is the most experimental of the Big Business era records with a sludge version of The Who's, "My Generation," the drill-sargeant call and response of "The Water Glass," and the utterly bizarre "P.G. x 3" as standouts on a record that makes a considerable case for the Melvins as heirs to the throne of the recently departed Captain Beefheart.
Flag bearers for heavy music in Vancouver - and deservedly so - Bison makes yet another record, better than the previous one. I'd have to say "Two-Day Booze," is the best track. James' voice hits that sweet spot, that gives it an extra sense of urgency that comes right before blowing it out completely. * A la Bon Scott on "Night Prowler."
Black Mountain Wilderness Heart
Sister band, Pink Mountaintops, put out an album last year that I mentioned on last years top-ten list. The mountains gang have maintained a consistent standard of quality to go their prolific output. I can scarcely open a review of this band in mainstream magazine without some reference to "retro 70's rock." It does harken back to the 70's, in that it was an era when bands had the luxury of long careers, which they capitalized on by making interesting records. A band like Led Zeppelin constantly did whatever they wanted without any conscious decision to change their sound. They just did what they did and when it worked, the audience followed. "Old Fangs," features John Lord style keyboard riffs, while "Let Spirits Ride" recalls "Symptom of The Universe." Nice.
The Coles sound as though they haven't changed (or tuned) their guitar strings since the last recording session/tour. You can practically hear the dirt under Fred's finger-nails as he slashes away at the guitar chords, that accompany his tortured wail. The re-incarnation of, pretty much one of the best bands ever (Dead Moon). Beautiful trash.
Nothing as instantly memorable as "No Pussy Blues,' or "Get It On," but still chock full of fuzzed out guitar strangling from The Bad Seeds alter egos.
