Tribulation – The Children Of The Night
I first learned of Tribulation after reading a review of their 2008 album The Horror. I bough it, and loved it. The thrashy death metal on that lp is fresh and invigorating. Listening to The Horror while writing this review, I am surprised to find that I can recognize many details in it, that reminds me of The Children Of The Night. But still, The Horror is quite straight forward.
The Children of The Night is anything but straight forward. Laddies and gentlemen. We might have the beginning of the future of metal here.
There, I said it!!
The Children Of The Night is a fantastic lp. I have listened to it quite a lot since its release, and haven’t really begun to fathom its depths yet. But smack my arse and call me Charlie! This is some good music, that transcends genres and rules. I taste Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Ulver and so many other influences. I’ll be surprised if this lp oesn’t end up on top of many a Best of 2015-list.
Did I mention that it is a double vinyl with music on three sides, and a cool etching on side 4?
I might return with a better review – maybe even a track by track – later. For now, I’ll just engulf my self in the musical bliss that is The Children Of The Night!
http://www.discogs.com/Tribulation-The-Children-Of-The-Night/release/6909072
Sepik – Hunt The Ghost
I thought I’d never do this… A download only release on a vinyl blog. But then again – rules are there to be broken, right?
Sepik is all about groovy riffs and catchy choruses. The lyrics deal with not being too young anymore, dealing with tinnitus and other age-related stuff. I feel a deep bond with Sepik. This is a tribute to all us middle aged noiseniks.
It was released on Jay Randall’s Grindcore Karaoke label in 2013, and has gone unnoticed by the masses ever since – undeservedly so! Hence I decided to spread the word of this ought-to-be classic!
Enjoy!
http://www.discogs.com/Sepik-Hunt-The-Ghost-EP/master/685900
V/A – Hiatus, The Peaceville Sampler
This is one of the best 1980’s compilations I know of, alongside A Vile Peace and Hardcore Holocaust, this is top notch! I especially like the variety of the genres on Hiatus. Gold, Frankincense and Disk Drive was a strange band to put on a punk compilation, but in a peculiar manner they fit comfortably. I suggest you track down a copy of this gem, the video below is of GF+DD, as I think they deserve to be heard more. Other good bands on Hiatus are Electro Hippies, Doom, Sore Throat and Extra Hot Sauce. Enjoy!
http://www.discogs.com/Various-Hiatus-The-Peaceville-Sampler/release/1727174
Emptiness – Nothing But The Whole
I know nothing about Emptiness, but am pleasantly entertained… They seem to be Belgian. This lp is from 2014, and has gotten some cool reviews, and deservedly so. Lurking out-of-the-ordinary and creepy black metal.
http://www.discogs.com/Emptiness-Nothing-But-The-Whole/release/6014607
Lotus Fucker – Lotus Fucker
I got this fucker – or should I say Lotus Fucker ahahaha – in the mail today. Lotus Fucker is a band I don’t know anything about, apart from the fact, that I like their peculiar hardcore… Enjoy and go hunting…
http://www.discogs.com/Lotus-Fucker-Lotus-Fucker/release/2306277
Moon Duo – Shadow of the Sun
I learned about Moon Duo via Instagram, I saw a photo of the band, and was intrigued by the band name. I then turned to Spotify and listened to their album Circles. As I’m a huge fanboy for repetitive patterns in music, and monotony, I was quite instantly hooked. I also have a weak spot for psychedelic rock, so Moon Duo hit me from two sides.
Shadow of the Sun is their new lp, including a 7″ with the fenomenal song Animal (video below). The album is a tiny biy more mellow than Circles, but just as mesmerizing and catchy. I have listened to it numerous times, and have a suspicion that this record will be on my top list at the end of the year.
They are playing Copenhagen next month, and I really look forward to seeing them.
http://www.discogs.com/Moon-Duo-Shadow-Of-The-Sun/release/6707399
Condemned? – Humanoid or Biomechanoid?
Back in the olden days, I was a big fan of Attitude Adjustment and Attitude?. Condemned? is the band bassist Keith Chatham made after a relocation to Australia. Attitude? was for a brief time called Condemned Attitude, and the bands recorded some of the same songs. I might be mistaken on some of this, as I have this information from my faulty memory of articles read in xeroxed punk/hardcore mags 20-odd years ago. And it seems to be quite wrong, read their real bio here: https://www.facebook.com/condemned/info?tab=page_info
I ordered this lp at Radio Holm in Ribe, but forgot to pick it up, and later discovered it in the bargains crate – my luck. Musically it is dark, spaced out and a tiny bit experimental crossover.
Nevertheless, this is a good record, that still gets frequent spins.
Condemned? are still active and in 2011 released the excellent Condemned 2 Death cd.
http://www.discogs.com/Condemned-Humanoid-Or-Biomechanoid/release/4383514
Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat
As always I have been eagerly awaiting the new Napalm Death lp for months. As you might have noticed, Napalm Death is my all time favourite band. And yet again they deliver as expected. I have been continuously satisfied by their releases for the past 15 years (DON’T mention their records from the 1990’s).
I have been through my intense love for Napalm Death in earlier posts, but as the big fat fanboy I am, I’ll try to expand my earlier outpourings:
Why I love Napalm Death
By Janus W. aged 44.
First and foremost; they have such a massive sound, I’m no stranger to listening to frail sounding music, but nothing pleases me as a true wall of sound (no offence, Phil Spector, but you didn’t have a clue as to what WOS is…).
Second; they play FAST – and I love speed.
Third: Barney’s and Mitch’s trade off vocals makes me sincerely happy
Fourth; they aren’t afraid to voice their opinions, in an intelligent manner too. Their lyrics have always been thought provoking and interesting.
Fifth; they are still evolving. I have a deep respect for their constant mutations, soundwise.
Sixth; c’mon, it’s motherfucking NAPALM DEATH!!!!
I shall say no more.
Well, one last thing, I’m proud (in a non nationalistic way, of course) that they have chosen Danish artists for both the cover – Frode Sylthe, and the video for Smash A Single Digit – Elf Shot Lame Witch.
As Shane told 17 year old me back in 1988, when I asked him how he got his bass sound: “If you wanna grind, you have to have distortion on the bass…”
http://www.discogs.com/Napalm-Death-Apex-Predator-Easy-Meat/release/6557389
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Chance
This is one of the first lps I bought after moving to Copenhagen in 1992. My girlfriend at the time – Lisa – and I discovered that we had a mutual liking for Manfred Mann. I have to admit, that the only song I had heard from Mr. Mann was Adolescent Dream, which I had taped from the radio sometime during the 1980’s. I bought this lp in a second hand record store called Accord, and was quite excited to get to hear more than the one song.
If you’re familiar with Adolescent Dream – and this album as a whole – you might understand my surprise, this wasn’t the weird electronic lp I had expected. But still a fair album, just different.
I haven’t listened to this for a decade or more, but it still has charm.
Oh, and there are sleeve notes in abundance which I dig a lot, I remember this was the first lp I saw with such.
I have to give you the lyrics for Adolescent Dream, as they’re beautiful and strange and haunting:
Adolescent Dream
You’re not the great romantic
Crystal juke-box queen
You’re not my old adolescent dream
You’re not my spiritual gypsy
My fifty Chevy Machine
You’re not my old adolescent dream
Oh no my friend
You stand above all that
You’re my life
My love
My blood
My soul
You’re not the way I planned it
The way it’s meant to be
You’re not my old adolescent dream
Oh no my friend
You stand above all that
You’re my life
My love
My blood
My soul
Oh no, you’re not my old adolescent dream
http://www.discogs.com/Manfred-Manns-Earth-Band-Chance/release/1479976
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