Black Bambi – Self-Titled (2017) – Fans of classic hair metal like Motley Crue might raise an eyebrow when I mention this long-lost debut from an act that could have been as big as Warrant, Ratt, Whitesnake and several others from that era. This record was originally supposed to be released by Atlantic back in ’90, but that didn’t happen. We can blame label theatrics for that much, as Interscope turned the record down because they “just didn’t hear a hit.” And yeah, these guys have played The Whiskey, same as any of those other big hair acts of the eighties. They had both talent and potential. Problem was, I think the record may have released too late into the hair metal era as it’s ’90 release would have been edging around the birth of grunge bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden. I remember watching a documentary on hair metal, where similar issues were reported by other acts in that scene. It’s sad to say, but there were just a great deal of bands from around this period that got left behind due to labels moving on to pursue the grunge, thrash and later Nu-Metal sounds.
Yet it is a new era, where musicians have more freedom than ever. Black Bambi’s debut has now seen the light of day thanks to 20th Century Music, an indie label that like many others, is seeking to find those long-last relics of a bygone era for fans that never would have had access to them otherwise. If you’re a millennial, this is dadrock, but I was born in the eighties so it suits me just fine. Judging from the album, I have no idea what Interscope was looking for that night when the band played for them at The Whiskey, because I’ve heard nearly hit after hit on this album, not to mention the memorable guitar solos of Ronny Jones. If the opener “Mary’s Birthday” doesn’t deserve a place on classic rock radio, than “Crucified” certainly does. But that’s only a quarter of the album. Surprisingly, there are a even a few tracks on this disc that are a bit longer than a radio single, like the funky “Cry Blackbird Cry” or the more modern and slightly progressive “Down.” It’s safe to say that Black Bambi would have made a mark on the scene, if anyone had given a damn about them years ago. Best of all, frontman Steven Ray Anastos comes in with killer hooks and a few nice falsetto tones. The record is ultimately very catchy and features a hefty amount of variation, something that you obviously weren’t getting at the time, especially as far as the radio is concerned. Ballad “Seven Miles To Rome” also manages to hit hard, coming in with a bit of guitar muscle towards the very end. It contains a slightly folkish quality, replete with a female vocal element in the background. Towards the end of the record, things get less experimental and more straight-forward, but that’s just the kind of formula that should appeal to labels. I’m more or less just trying to wrap my head around this, as everything that Black Bambi perform here sounds exactly like what would have sold thousands of copies back in the eighties. It’s this very record that makes me thankful that the power is back in the hands of the musicians and the fans, rather than massive corporate labels. We have no one to blame but the ancient music industry for pushing this record back so far, as it is now a far different generation in which Black Bambi will never be the kind of rock stars that they very well could have been. It’s a real shame, but don’t let that keep you from exploring this “would-be-classic” of the hair metal era.
(12 Tracks, 50:00)
8/10
Bob Kulick – Skeletons In The Closet (2017) – Bob Kulick is by all means, a legend. He’s worked with everyone from Kiss to Michael Bolton and that’s saying quite a bit. He was also in WASP during The Crimson Idol and Still Not Black Enough eras. In all honesty, he’s the brother of former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick. Seeing as there may never be another Kiss album and Gene Simmons wants to trademark the air, I think Kiss fans might want to look here instead. Even if the material here seems a little more modernized (which is a good thing) and far less in the style of Kiss that we’d remember. Keep in mind that Kulick also worked with Tim “Ripper” Owens on Play My Game, which was apparently not as well received as it should have been. Unfortunately, I’ve been hearing some rabble online regarding a massive hatred of power metal by modern fans, placing it in the same category as deathcore. Now I’ve never been one for deathcore, but this displeasure of power metal among fans is surely news to me. It’s also disheartening, because if they’ll give up on power metal, than they very well might give up on traditional metal and classic rock, which would be a terrible loss to this scene. It seems that if a band doesn’t utilize ten thousand different time signatures in one song or come off as “brutal” than the modern scene doesn’t care about it. I’m not of course saying that this is all modern metal fans, but apparently a good size of them.
Though as I’ve said before, I was born in the eighties. Therefore, none of this means a thing to me and I’d hope to say the same for you, readers. Mr. Kulick was born quite a few years before then, which means that he’s utilizing influences I’m not even aware of in my era, though I can certainly respect. The record as it stands is a collection of musicians ranging from legends like Vinny Appice and Dee Snider to Andrew Freeman and David Glen Eisely. This is nothing, considering that Kulick founded the label that gave us several All-Star tribute albums for acts like Queen, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, Shania Twain, Cher, The Beatles and a very popular X-Mas disc that I’m sure most of you have heard called “We Wish You A Metal X-Mas and a Headbanging New Year.” This disc featured several now ascended gods of heavy metal like Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy Kilmister, but also Chuck Billy, Tommie Shaw and Alice Cooper. There was even an All-Star metal tribute to Frank Sinatra called “Sin-Atra” which I’m going to have to hunt down. As far as the record is concerned, it contains a mixture of new songs, classic songs and even an unreleased piece.
“Rich Man” starts us off on memorable rock note with backup vocalist/bassist for Slash, Todd Kerns. Kerns actually performs well enough to feature in his own act, and should since he already has a Canadian clothing line. How in the world does one go about that? I’d personally like to create a unique clothing line that would combine everyone’s love of the Rubix cube and similar puzzle contraptions with apparel. The puzzle element would be in figuring out how to get them off and on again. I don’t believe that anyone’s done that yet. Anway, moving back to the album we have a rather killer number here in “Not Before You” which reminds me a heck of a lot of the Sonic Adventure rock cuts. That’s not surprising as his former band McAuley Schenker Group actually recorded a special acoustic EP only for Japan. He also recorded a solo album, Business As Usual for Japan, because Japan knows what good music is. The next cut we have here features a fantastic guitar performance from Kulick, fronted by the legend Dee Snider. If you don’t know who either Dee Snider or Twisted Sister is, you owe it to yourself to do that research, especially since he stood up to the American government’s wicked censorship processes during the Bush era. Pull up the video sometime and see just what happened to this music around the time of the Satanic Panic and what great frontman like Snider and Halford had to do in order to defend it in a court of law. His vocal performance here is absolutely stellar, even theatrical; making it one of my favorite cuts on the disc. Vick Wright is featured on the next cut, which is a cover of 007’s Goldfinger. It’s an odd little number, that made me double-check about three times to make sure that it wasn’t Alice Cooper on vocals. Though I cannot discern any information about Wright, I can say that he’s a deadringer for Cooper, and that could prove interesting. Next we’ve got “Player” which is the last of the new material for this recording. Fronting the track this time is Andrew Freeman, who is known for playing the punk act Offspring (Really? The same one that released Conspiracy Of One?) as well as George Lynch’s Lynch Mob. Right now, he’s performing in an act called Last In Line, which features the reunited members of Dio. The track itself is quite hard rock, comes off rather catchy and stands on it’s own, but it’s not as good as some of the others, despite Kulick’s sweet licks and solos.
Next we have the beginning of Kulick’s cast-off material, as well as a few lifted cuts from his earlier albums. “India” starts off from ’95s Murderer’s Row, where David Glen Eisley is featured. He’s also featured in the next two cuts, so you’ll have to get used to him for almost the entire half of this album. Thankfully, Eisley has an incredible voice and melds perfectly well with Kulick’s mix of modern metal guitar tactics, adding a slight bit of Indian folk music to the mix. This gives the piece a very ethnic feel, which I think delivers in spades. It’s certainly another one of my favorite cuts on the album. The album’s title track comes next, a lifted cut from the same album. Not surprisingly, the track kills and should have gotten more attention from the metal community back then. Keep in mind though, this was around the same time that death metal was king in the underground and black metal was just starting to crawl it’s way out of Norway. That being said, it’s yet another song that makes me curious to hear the whole thing. By the way, this Eisely guy has been on Beverly Hills 902010, 7th Heaven and Action Jackson the movie. He was also in a few commercials. But most of you will probably recognize his rock ballad “Sweet Victory” in Spongebob Squarepants. “Can’t Stop The Rock” was yet another hit, right up there with some of the best rock anthems. This is an unreleased cut from American Games, which sounds just like it could have been on Murderer’s Row. It does sound like a skeleton in itself though, as it is rather short and the quickest jam on the disc. Moving on from the David Glen Eisely fronted material, we now have the Dennis St. James material, which was lifted from ’91s Skull. “Guitar Commandos” and “Eyes Of A Stranger” feel like they’re closer to the hair metal era, though they also feature Bruce Kulick on additional guitars which certainly adds to these pieces. It’s worth noting that St. James recorded some material for the ’98 Sega Saturn (Sonic Team as well, I tell ya – those guys know music) game Burning Rangers, as well as Daytona USA. I prefer “Eyes Of A Stranger” but both are relatively strong cuts.
So not only did I have an interesting experience with this recording, but I’ve also learned quite a bit about more than a few acts and musicians/actors that I knew nothing about prior. Bob’s performances here are just as strong as every frontman, with not a single song I’d consider to be middle of the road. It’s a rather strong album and I’d definitely recommend it to rock and hard rock fans in the traditional style. Millennials are calling this stuff “buttrock” but I quite enjoy it. Once again, I was born in the eighties – and an album like this one makes me glad for that. Skeletons in the closet isn’t for everyone, but there’s definitely an audience for this and I’d recommend it.
(10 Tracks, 43:00)
8/10
Tarot Beyond – Self-Titled (2017) – While everyone knows about the Finnish power metal act Tarot, you may not have heard of the German act, which actually predates the Finns by a number of years. But the Finns stayed together and the Germans did not, for reasons I am unaware of. Tarot Beyond is a collection of demos, live recordings and other clippings that show what the band might have been. Or rather, what they plan to do with their reunited lineup. Ah… tricked ya, didn’t I? At any rate, the band have just recorded a new record called Edge Of Heaven under the banner Tarot Beyond. So what did they have to offer here? Well, quite a bit as this compilation shows. If you enjoy slightly progressive NWOBHM acts like mid-to current Iron Maiden, then you’ll definitely find something to like here. Their original drummer Martin Breittenbach is no longer with us, but guitarists Marc Papanastasiou and Nils Brandt as well as frontman Harry Amthor are very much alive. Bassist Martin Böttcher is additionally still among the living as well, his thick presence definitely felt on the album. Despite it’s thick edge, the band are wholly elegant, with several powerful compositions largely inspired by their peers in Maiden, and possibly even The Scorpions with the chorus number on “Sail Away.” Amthor doesn’t try to be Dickinson either, carrying a more straight-forward vocal approach to accent their dual axe onslaught. Tarot Beyond are the product created from perfect chemistry between two guitarists, most of what you’ll hear on their demos. There are some wonderfully remastered live cuts here too, which although recorded in ’91, don’t sound like they were recorded with terrible quality as I hear with other live bonus numbers from various bands. I can actually discern the guitars, drums and vocal aesthetics as clearly as if they had recorded them in the studio. That I would consider a plus, even if “Gimme A T” and “Radio Spot” were a little unnecessary.
Even though “Edge Of Heaven” is the title of their forthcoming, the band decided to throw the live version of that one on here along with their live classical guitar instrumental “Rondo Alla Turca” a cover of Mozart. Oddly, the live cuts are placed in the middle of the demo tracks, which I felt was a little weird, though there may be a chronological reason for that. Equally surprising, is the remastering job on the demos. Demos by nature, are not supposed to have the highest amount of clarity – but thanks to modern technology, these do. There are still some obvious raw areas, but far less fuzz than you might expect. After all, material like this is the kind that should receive a proper mastering job, rather than a disc that was recorded in a high grade studio with a million dollar production job from the beginning. Albums like that have always sounded good. It’s the bands that didn’t have access to this kind of studio equipment that need the help now. I can definitely say that the material here has been perfectly preserved and should sound even better on this disc than it did decades ago on demo tapes. After all, that’s why we remaster things. While I don’t know how the new incarnation of Tarot Beyond will sound, I can only hope that this disc is used as a rubric for that sound. Tarot or Tarot Beyond definitely could have held their weight in a scene that was quickly populated by an onslaught of NWOBHM flavored acts, and hopefully their new tunes will come off as equally memorable as the pieces I’ve heard here. These Germans definitely had promise back then, but can they shine as brightly today? Time will tell.
(15 Tracks, 53:00)
8/10
Sinners Moon – Far Beyond The Stars (2017) – The Slovakian synth/power metallers are back with a pulse-pounding album in the vein of Nightwish, Xandria and Delain; albeit with a harsh vocal influence that recalls classic Theatre Of Tragedy. The music itself is not quite as forlorn though, going for an obvious early Nightwish vibe. Far Beyond The Stars marks the band’s first recording in several years, their last offering being the debut Atlantis in 2015. Hefty lead riffs are offered in a sort of Once style fashion, though the synths are heavily played up in as I stated before; and early Nightwish fashion. In other words, the disc can be a bit thrashy and a little harsh, but still quite beautiful in retrospect. Regardless of that, this record is a mere appetizer for something much larger, which might come out later this year or possibly the next.
In any case, we are given four original songs, a piano version of the album’s title track and an unreleased demo from far before the band’s debut. One of the original songs is just an intro called “The Awakening” which really could have been tacked onto the album’s title track. Taking out the intro, we are only left with three well-executed tunes. The title track is quite solid, featuring a decent guitar and keyboard solo, which work to give the piece a little depth. Additionally, there is definitely a classic Nightwish feel to Simona’s vocal approach here. I feel that fans of female-fronted opera metal will love it. Not to mention Derick’s growls, which give an added muscle to the performance. “Travelers” seems to throw Wishmaster/Oceanborn together with Once, which amounts to a very catchy, yet familiar verse/chorus texture. You know what you’re getting here and you’re going to like it. The next track here is performed entirely in the band’s native, which comes off quite beautiful; all things considered. Though I cannot personally decipher the piece, I can sense a great deal of passion behind these lyrics and vocal lines. There’s a sort of romantic feeling in a few of Simona’s lines, though it’s a much different sort of performance than the English-language tracks. It definitely fits, however. The piano version of the title track follows as the last of the band’s new material featured here, creating more of an Evanessence friendly ballad. It’s quite obvious that this isn’t really my thing and I much prefer the original, but it’s certainly not a bad performance, and it comes off quite authentic.
The last cut here is “Dawn Of War” from the band’s 2011 demo. With an obvious demo, it contains a fair share of raw sections; but seems to entail a more interesting band than what I’ve been handed. The music here sounded more like classic gothic metal, early Sirenia or Graveworm with some clean female vocal sections in the background, rather than dominating the performance. This track literally reminds me how much I love that classic neoclassical influenced gothic metal sound, and makes me a bit upset at the obvious sound change. There’s no question that this is the song that caught my attention the first time I heard the EP and during this second playthrough, I’m even more mesmerized. It would be really cool if these guys could balance the current style with the approach in “Dawn Of War” as that would be something not currently done in this genre. There are an awful lot of Nightwish clones out there, but I think people would really flip out if a future recording contained tracks with this level of pronounced heaviness as well as the more operatic material featured on this EP. It would certainly help the band to ascend a bit above their peers, but would give Simona much less time on the vocal end of things. I’m not sure how she’d feel about that. In any case, this EP is worth checking out for fans of both operatic synth metal and oddly enough, traditional gothic metal in it’s more extreme form. I can’t even believe this is the same band after hearing “Dawn Of War.” I’m just kind of taken aback. But sometimes that kind of thing happens.
(6 Tracks, 25:00)
7/10
Sum Of R – Orga (2017) – I have a mysterious Swiss act here called Sum Of R, who apparently create a sort of hypnotic atmosphere within their raw and unconventional heavy metal sound. It has been also described as ritualistic, which it is. The record begins with a very interesting sound clip which relates to Harry Houdini, who despite being a magician himself, was a firm denouncer of the occult. He vowed that if there was indeed an afterlife, that he would find a way to communicate with people to prove it so. Word has it, that he never did. This of course does not prove there wasn’t an afterlife, as for all we know, Houdini might have found out that many things were true after one’s demise and simply decided not to communicate with the living out of stubborness. Perhaps he didn’t want to be proven wrong, which is a fair argument. In any case, the record continues into “Overgrown” where thick droning bass riffs, light chimes and a puff of air mixed in with a slight cymbal tap all seem to work together to create an atmosphere. It feels a bit mysterious, perhaps even a little ominous. “We Have To Mark This Entrance” joins violins with electronic sputters, coming off a bit more creepy in some ways than the previous. It’s the violin, really. We know how overused those are in horror films. “Light and Dust” has a ghostly atmosphere about it, one where yet another slightly horrific atmosphere is crafted. Reverberations make for a hypnotic effect, definitely sounding otherworldly. It doesn’t sound so horrific as it continues, almost as if passing into the glimmer of light from whence it came. “Cobalt Powder” certainly seems unsettling in it’s deep tones and harsh winds, with a slight melody that comes off just a bit frightening. Surely this is what might be played just as the killer looms over his unsuspecting victim. Though there is also a bit of a drum tap, as the mood changes into that of pure tribal ritual. This is not a change that I would have expected, but I’d welcome it all the same. I’m just a little frazzled as to why such a track began with such a terrifying node in the beginning.
“Hypnotic State” is what happens when someone falls asleep on the church organ, though I’m an absolute nutter for these sorts of gothic organs and feel it is a unique manner of utilizing them into that of a transitive state. That state becomes even more apparent as a slight hint of Steve Roach appears in the mix. There’s quite a bit of early Roach in this, even if the band are unaware of it. “After The Passing Of Risk” features loud bells, shrill screeches and yet another dose of pure dread. The record can be dreadful, yet beautiful at the same time and perfectly reflects the occult as a practice. Suffice it to say, this one sounds more like a film score and less like a ritual experience. That’s not a problem, but it does take just a bit away from the previous atmosphere. Perhaps a little too much industrial melody there, I feel as if I’m being introduced to a film. “Desmonema Annasethe” rolls us gently back into ethereal realms, as it brings in an electronic drone, continuing bells and a slight melodic wind that remains the only piece of the composition after the electronics fade. A slight drum tap follows in the background, making for a choice experience in this realm. “To Deny Responsibility Is To Perpetuate A Lie” is the second shortest piece here, and the most industrial of these approaches. There is certainly a ritual vibe here, but it feels a bit more active to me than the previous, reminding me maybe a bit more of Coil. “Let Us Begin With What We Do Not Want To Be” comes next with a quite forlorn soundscape. It feels as if we’re mourning someone’s death, or what you might hear in the background of a post-apocalyptic world in film. Whatever you might choose to imagine, it is certainly less than inviting. The last piece here is “One After The Other” which seems to incorporate drone and a digeridoo. The tribal influences are high on this one, making it a perfect exit point for the album.
I should mention that two tracks have been omitted from this promotional version, leaving you to explore “Liebezeit” and true closer “Slip Away” on your own. Even so, there is more than enough in the array of instrumental experiences here to satiate what you’re looking for. The disc offers a bit of fright, mesmerism and industrial technique all wrapped into an experimental package that I found to be quite intricate. While some of it veered off the path into the realm of film score, the total package is certainly something I’ll recommend. Just know that the experience is not bright and cheery, nor should you expect that from the dark ritualism displayed on the album’s cover art. Sum Of R is an interesting band in this genre and they definitely need more promotion.
(11 Tracks, 57:00)
8/10
Bell – Secrets From A Distant Star (2017) – Bangalore’s Bell have just released their debut album, a mixture of several extreme and noise genres. The album has been tagged under black, death, doom, ambient, black/death, doom, power electronics and noise Some of these I wouldn’t consider appropriate to the music at all, really. Nevertheless, the album starts off with the light guitar reverbs, slight hums and electronic fuzz of “Call To The Himalayan Snow Creature” where power electronics, slight guitar elements (that appear to be melded with vocal clips) makeup “The Bell (To Full Rotation).” This follows into the direct noise of “Law Of The Cosmic Hammer” which almost sounds like the noise created by a factory machine. Perhaps some sort of industrial ink printer or suchlike. A loud horn bleats, which sends the static fuzz scampering like ants. “Amazon Sun” is next, sounding a little more ritualistic, though still quite fuzz-laden. There seems to be a kind of tribal feeling to this, which becomes even more apparent as chants make their way over the fuzz. This is not entirely uncommon for vocals to be raised above the noise and power electronics, but it isn’t the norm for this genre – which I respect, by the way. It’s nice to see people trying new approaches to the music. This later becomes a distorted ritual. “Time Has Spoken Since Creation” follows the same droning vibe, but the distorted Tibetan throat singing of “Voice Of A Dead Universe” which makes me think of monks chanting in front of massive explosions, definitely stands out. I’m literally picturing two monks standing in front of this area where planes are flying over to drop large missiles that reduce everything to dust. The monks continue to chant as everything just becomes complete rubble, people turn to literal ashes and the damn planes just keep dropping their weapons of war. “Mercy Death” brings on the ear-shattering noise electronics that I don’t like about this genre, though they’ve never set off my ears in the way that bass from the television or dropped pallet on concrete can (my ears are very sensitive these days). The track goes into that of an instrumental performance complete with harsh vocals and angry drums. This is about as “metal” as the performance gets and I’d love it if Bell could mix the two together, rather than performing a bunch of extreme drone metal and calling it a mix of black and death with power electronics. Very few bands have been able to mix actual metal with power electronics properly, I thik I’ve only heard one act that were able to do it justice. It’s done decently here, but it wouldn’t hurt to mix tremolos in with all the noise. “Expedition Tibet” is the band’s single, sounding about as harmless as can be. It’s more meditative, unlike much of the rest of this disc, which I’d define as quite devastating. “Song From The Hollow Earth” sounds like a mixture of an alien invasion and a ritual ceremony, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. The album’s title track came next, with some actual guitar riffs. These are distorted, but there’s a definite guitar here. I’d like to see what a distorted solo sounds like. The disc ends with the oddly transitive “Paperclip.” Not to be confused with the early Linkin Park number of the same name, it comes off as one of the most hypnotic and memorable pieces on the whole disc. This is where I feel that Bell shines.
Secrets From A Distant Star is an intriguing mixture of metal and noise music, but it doesn’t necessarily feel like a perfect mix of the two. There are sections where he tries to do this, but it comes off so much better when the disc is filled with hypnotic sounds and chants, rather than an attempt at mixing Darkthrone and The Vomit Arsonist. Bell should really stick with what he’s proficient at, and may have grasped a little more than necessary with this one. It isn’t that the album is poor experience, it is that a few of these pieces do not really seem to confer an identity. They come and go, with no real strength on their own. “Voice Of A Dead Universe” and “Paperclip” however, seem to showcase the promise that Bell has in this genre. We definitely need more of that and far less filler. I do feel that filler exists on these kinds of albums and that mainly exists where one song sounds exactly like the other, failing to offer it’s own distinct vibe. I’d still say it’s worth a listen, but almost everything I’ve reviewed on this website is.
(11 Tracks, 59:00)
7/10
United Front – By All Means II: The Fall Of Church And State (2017) – Originally known as U-731, Gordon Lazarus’ project is now simply known as United Front and nothing has changed since then. United Front still sounds like U-731, so we may as well consider this another U-731 album under a different moniker. At any rate, business is business as usual, with tons of spoken word clips and loud vocal epithets that sound like they’ve been shouted through a megaphone. U-731 was music for protest the first time I heard them and United Front continues that style with this short, but defined release. The record begins with “What Makes Us Great” which begins with a Matthew McConoughey quote that while fits the material, makes me wonder about the copyright nature behind these sorts of voice clips. We’ve never used voice clips in our records, because I know that the movie and film industries are rather greedy and want money for practically every little clip used on an album that is at least recent, though they are probably used by so many artists without permission that the MPAA doesn’t have enough firepower to take them on, not to mention failing to put a dent in 123movie. So in that regard, it probably doesn’t matter. The piece is very much as you might expect afterwards, with Lazarus shouting through a megaphone while loud sirens blare in the background. I have one hell of a time hearing him though. It isn’t as clear as I’d like it. “Conflict” comes next, with a light hum and what grows into a level of harsh industrial, almost rolling into robotic territory. I wish I could understand the vocal element though, it is again not so clear. “What Is Conflict” comes next, with a brilliant piano piece and a strongly clear set of voice clips that are as clear as Lazarus’ vocal tone should be. In the foreground, it feels like several clips from the news are utilized here. I’ve made a record like this, but it was taken offline by a DMCA notice on the voiceclips. I suppose using the former president’s quotes and different clips from TV shows/commercials was too much, even if it served a purpose. So I gave up this kind of music. After the voice clips, a reverberating fuzz backs Lazarus’ shouts, once again sounding almost incomprehensible. I don’t know if I agree with him or not, because I just can’t understand what he’s saying. It sounds like he’s serious about it, but with such a level of static, I can’t discern it. I have no idea what I’m supporting either, so that’s disconcerting. Someone will go online and say “did you know that you’re supporting people who believe this?” and I’ll say to them, “You understood the lyrics? Tell me what it says! I’m curious.” I mean, this thing doesn’t come with lyrics and it should. I’d really like to know what this guy is shouting about. The album art and such looks quite interesting, almost like a rebellious kind of thing that the government would tear my door down for, to which I’ll tell the FBI agents, “You actually understood the lyrics too? Why am I the only one that can’t understand them? Just shoot me then, this body is obviously fucked if I’m the only one that can’t understand the lyrics.”
Continuing on with the album, we have some wonderful female cleans at the beginning of “Church and State” which goes into yet another clear vocal clip. The word “sheeple” here is used quite a bit and I’m wondering if this clip predates the usage by conspiracy buffs on the internet. I believe they’ve used the buzzword “woke” which is nothing if not a caricature for those who choose to utilize critical thinking when it comes to conspiracy research. The voice clips are meant to be the meat of this one, I think the piece is actually more about providing an atmosphere for them, than actually being music in itself. “Our War Alone” fills with more distorted fuzz, which gives off a futuristic vibe to the shouts provided. This flows into an almost angelic harmony, which (at least to my knowledge) backs a Kennedy quote. The last track here is “No Friends, No Enemies” which contains a great deal of harsh industrial noise, feeling altogether a bit flat. It is definitely a rough-edged track, but it doesn’t feel as if it really works to deliver anything other than a severe electronic wrath.
In the end, United Front have created an album with several strong messages, many communicated in the voice clips and others within the lyrical shouts. Though I cannot tell what Lazarus is saying through this megaphone effect, I am sure that many of you will and I’d congratulate you on that. United Front are still one of a kind in this genre in so far as their vastly political/anti-political approach, which it is certainly a noble vehicle for. This record follows a very “if it ain’t broke” aesthetic, which I hope continues throughout the tenure of his musical career. I just really hope that on the next one, the lyrics will be made a bit clearer or at least printed so that I can get the message behind all of this. I only feel like I’ve heard half of it, unfortunately.
(6 Tracks, 34:00)
7/10
The Vomit Arsonist – Meditations On Giving Up Completely (2017) – I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Andrew Grant and The Vomit Arsonist. Furthermore, I have no idea what he thinks of me or my reviews. Though I believe I’ve covered at least three or four of these records now and here’s another on my desk. By now, it is obvious that Grant is experiencing some level of depression towards humanity and that’s never been more apparent than this one. The industrial sense that we’d expect continues on this one with “Meditations” actually sounding like a grim meditation in itself, which culminates into a slight moment of industrial rattling and what almost feels like a spoken word suicide note in foreground. “What’s Left” continues that nature, almost feeling a bit like Coil in it’s steely trance. Though it’s improper to say this is trance – there’s something a bit more dismal, less euphoric going on here. Harsh vocals come out from the static again, even though I feel like it would have been better that they’d been left out altogether. It cheapens the bleakness of the album, adding unnecessary angst to what feels like a depressive state in itself. “It Never Ends” continues the steel-factory nature, though adds slight moments of harsh static fuzz vocal in areas. Though for this one, it would just kind of sound like a factory if he hadn’t utilized vocals. “On Living” starts out nearly silent, though features harsh vocal pieces as part of the atmosphere, rather than right out in the open. It’s different for the artist. “When The Last Flame Has Been Extinguished” is fairly light, aside from a few static sparks. It’s almost non-existent as well. This is definitely a much different record, a stripped down approach that I never would have expected. The same can be said with “There Is Nothing Here” which fits the piece, as it does just feel like a bleak factory of sorts. We hear the whirring of the motors and little else. Again, this is meant to be something of an industrial meditation album, so that fits. Too much noise would kill the feel there. “Sick Of Trying” closes out the performance on an expectable note, where we are once again exposed to the sounds of bleak, dismal and rather melancholy factory.
Don’t get me wrong, as I do understand what The Vomit Arsonist was trying to do here. There was too much noise in the beginning, but I feel that the record might work as a negative meditation album (as odd as that sounds, this isn’t the first time I’ve come across albums that sound that way) and instead help the listener to experience anxiety and depression over all of the horrible things in this world. It seems like The Vomit Arsonist might be a source of therapy for Andrew Grant, and that I would feel is a good thing. Maybe others can use this kind of music as therapy for their own problems and there’s the appeal for such a forlorn atmosphere as this. Meditations On Giving Up Completely sounds like a factory that is about to shutdown and give up completely, but that might just be what someone else needs to get their own factory going again. People need a chance to break down so that the brain can heal itself, but society doesn’t demand it, so they often bottle everything up into what later results in mental issues across the board. This is because stress is trauma on the brain. It was described to me in the same way as cutting into your arm with a sharp blade. If you go back and imagine that stress and trauma as the knife cutting into your arm, just imagine what it is doing to your brain. Of course, these kinds of brain injuries will result in a variety of mental health issues. I am not sure how people dealt with it back then, but I can say that the horde of mental issues we’re all experiencing in some respect these days are all a part of brain damage caused by the rigors of life in general. I think the takeaway from this album is that “we’re all fucked” yet I often find escape within artistic mediums, like this album for instance.
(7 Tracks, 42:00)
7/10
Dodmaskin – Fullstending Brent (2017) – While I don’t have any real promotional info for this one, I’ve gleamed that this an industrial/horror project from Norway. I’ve also gleamed that it is quite good, bringing the kind of terrifying feel that I want from this kind of music. If there’s a frightening black metal equivalent to the industrial/power electronics in Norway, it is safe to say that Dodmaskin are in that bracket.
As the record begins with “Baldom” we are offered a violin influenced piece that feels like a man is playing in front of a dumpster fire, or perhaps a pit where dead bodies are being set aflame. I’m sure the smell is quite horrific, and his violin only adds to the horror of these dead bodies slowly turning to ash, pale and rising up from the flames like snow. It then starts to take a slightly more melodic tone, possibly introducing in a few more electronic elements, but never going fully into an industrial realm. The violin however, disappears. I also think that I heard someone smash a couple of windows. Glass is definitely shattering. I find myself mistaken, as the sound of huge machinery comes in, making me think of giant robots walking around in glass. Or possibly, giant robots breaking glass. Or possibly a man at the helm of a giant robot who has no idea what in the hell he’s doing or how to control the thing. He very well may have ran through a house and in the most Monty Python of manners, he fumbles for the proper controls whilst going back and forth through the glass. The violinist survived to play a few more times, but I’m sure he moved away from the chaos.
Continuing onward, we have “Heksetimen” which at first feels like a muffling. Later we have the sounds of hissing and lasers that appear to launch outward from flames. This is quite interesting, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard such a laser sound from these kinds of records before. An industrial approach now fills the album, along with slight explosions that eventually lead into a slight drone outwards. Moving on, we reach “Christoffer Orning” which begins with the sound of several chants. I don’t know what they were summoning, but it never appeared and I want my five dollars from it. Next we hear the sound of a screaming and crying woman, to what I can assume is being sexually violated by a large mecha-structure. As it thrusts loudly, the woman is being torn apart by it and several metallic moans of pleasure. That is honestly the best way I can describe this one. She wanted a robotic vibrator and she got one. Except for the fact that this thing is attached to a fifteen hundred pound hulking metal monster that knows only pleasure and little more. A scene from our unfortunate future? Perhaps. I hope she’s enjoying herself with this beast, as we must often be careful what we wish for. After the horrifying scene of pleasure… (or was it pain?) we have what sounds like a complete and utter clusterfuck of these sex droids, all pounding at once, pounding the woman until she is absolutely unrecognizable. As terribly sexist as this might seem, it is what I get from this piece, which really could be a scene from our future. With all of the advents in sexual technology and robotics, who is to control them if they get out of hand and pleasure the lot of us to death? As the piece continues, we hear light chanting in the background of this chaos. One might feel that these monks simply looked on as if watching a stage play, viewing the carnage vicariously… and that’s enough of that.
“De Ti – 62” comes next, sounding a little ghastly. Completely removed from the robotic pleasure display, I might add, (I call them like I hear them, and as of recent I’ve been told that I write proficient erotica) we have a piece that sounds as if the recording is coming from a haunted room. That is until the industrial thumps break in, causing all sorts of calamity, seemingly out of nowhere. It’s quite nice too, because no one expects the machines with their drilling and whirring to completely demolish the set of Anabelle. Imagine sitting down to watch the new Anabelle Creation film, when all of a sudden these large out of character robot drilling machines burst through the house and destroy everything – the house, the doll, the people inside of it – they just reduce the place to rubble. It would actually make a much better movie in my opinion. Giant robot drilling machines. I think I’m going to buy four of them. Finishing off the album we have “Domt Pa Sitt Til Ild Og Bal” which arrives with the chiming of a bell and light radio static. It couldn’t possibly be any more unsettling. If you play this one in a dark room and lock it with people in there, they might go a bit crazy at first. The industrial approaches come in later, which unfortunately aren’t as horrifying; but I will not criticize Dodmaskin for being an industrial act – it is what they are, first and foremost. However, the piece changes to include a light piano node amidst the same sounds of that familiar pile of bodies from the beginning of the album. The fire and static eventually fade, leaving only the melancholy (yet alluring) piano composition.
All in all, I’m quite pleased with this one. I feel that Dodmaskin have successfully mixed the horror and industrial atmospheres together in a truly memorable way, leaving the record a memorable, frightening experience. I’m not sure of the context of the disc, but it’ll definitely work to scare the hell out of you and others, plus it had me describe a horrifying robot violation scene, which I don’t think I’ve ever gotten from these kinds of records before. So there’s that, as an obvious originality factor. Whatever Dodmaskin are doing, they’re doing it right.
(5 Tracks, 44:00)
9/10