Friday, October 28, 2011

Lou Reed and Metallica - Lulu

Metallica were a band I was deeply invested in at around the ages of 10 through to 15. That’s a large section of someone’s life, especially at such a young age. I fell in love with the Black Album and Load was the first album I ever bought with my own money and at that time it might have been the first time I wanted to buy a CD instead of a PlayStation game.

I listened to every album religiously, even St. Anger. In fact I probably listened to St. Anger almost exclusively for months on end just because it was the new Metallica album. By the time Death Magnetic (horrible title) came out I was over Metallica and to be honest I felt the album was kind of boring. We’ll see where this one goes.

The album begins with Brandenburg Gate where the first lyrics in the song are:
I would cut my legs and tits off
When I think of Boris Karloff and Kinski
In the dark of the moon
I think I’ve made my mind up, almost nothing in recent times has grabbed my with a single verse like that. This is art. It takes a certain amount of emotion to want to cut your legs and tits off, and this isn’t experienced by many people. This is a fascination insight into Lou Reed’s psyche. And then James Hetfield comes in and says something in his James Hetfield voice to remind you that this is a Metallica collaboration. And then Lou Reed comes in and says something in his James Hetfield voice to remind you that this is a Lou Reed and Metallica project. The lyrics have basic rhyming structure that pays homage to Syd Barrett.

In The View some of the strains of the collaboration begin to show. This is kind of like that song on The Beatles White Album “Paul, Why Don’t You Just Fuck Off #9”. Lou tells Metallica that ‘I want to see your suicide’ and ‘you worship someone who actively despises you.’ Hetfield is obviously taking a lot of this to heart when he says “I am the table.” The genius is how multifaceted this lyric is. It explains James’ frustration at his band being reduced to musical furniture on what was supposed to be a fair collaboration. It also references the time Reed ate food off of him.

Pumping Blood is about all the things a heart can do. Primarily this includes pumping blood, making you waggle your ass like a dark prostitute and playing some not very compelling music. It also has some interesting juxtaposition between sexuality and violence in the same vein as the end of Apocalypse Now where Charlie Sheen’s dad kills Don Corleone while Jim Morrison says ‘fuck me’ over and over, whilst proving that ‘winning’ is genetic.

Mistress Dread is the albums love song. A love song that goes into bloodplay and coprophagia, but love is a difficult beast and it’s an interesting journey through some of the darker corners the path of true happiness winds down. Iced Honey continues with the themes of the unpredictability of life. The progressive side of the album kicks in with Cheat On Me. It continues some of the earlier themes but is lyrically a very direct and compelling work. My favourite line is ‘I am a passionateless wave on the sea.’ This is Shakespearean because it makes up a word. 

Frustration is a song I can relate to because I was frustrated the other day. The song does a great job of capturing the moment of frustration. The bit that’s too artistic for me is the bit where he talks about being ‘dry and spermless like a girl’. In my experience that does very little to help so it must be a metaphor. Little Dog is a commentary on the role of status in the 21st century. Kind of like Working Class Hero, but Working Class Dog. Dragon has an element of Beat poetry, but with a drone instead of a beat. Drone poetry. It them kicks up a notch with a solid rock beat and becomes beat poetry again. The line:
Do you think we're a book
Some kind of a table
You can rest your feet on when you're able
Indicates that Reed and Metallica have settled their differences and now eat off of each other equally. This means they can focus their efforts into the centrepiece of the album, the epic Junior Dad. This is definitely the longest Metallica song and at about nineteen minutes is nearly as long as the first seven minutes of Sister Ray by The Velvet Underground. It’s a dense soundscape which pulls all of the previous themes together and also add the new theme of drowning.

Serious review: 

Does this count as two? I was dreading this but to be honest I actually think some of it’s pretty good. It’s probably one of the better Metallica albums and intentional or not it’s the closest to ‘weird music’ that I’ve heard that’s recent and from A-list popular music royalty. The second half is worth more than the first, the huge exception being Brandenburg Gate. The lyrics make no sense to the point of self parody yet have absolute conviction in them. Junior Dad is the new ‘typical’ Lou Reed song for me, overtaking Andy’s Chest, which come to think of it makes no sense either. It’s also musically my favourite one thing Metallica have worked on in a long time. When I heard about Death Magnetic being more ‘Justice-like’ this is kind of what I had in mind. Maybe the overlength of the track kind of reminds me of the pacing of The Lovely Bones (in a bad way) especially considering the length of the album as it is but to be honest I think it’s an okay album. Not sure what the concept is supposed to be though.

And it's cool that it was uploaded for free. Not sure what the commerical strategy is there though.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Katatonia – Night Is The New Day

Review# 316

Its a horrid clammy, foggy, rainy, dark, damp day. Its the perfect time to listen to Katatonia then. Night Is The New Day is a marvellously dark peice of work, as implied by the title, that mixes Doom, Prog and touches of Goth all into one despondent and sadly beautiful album. It is an album that you really do get the most out of it when listening to it start to finish, its not really a "singles" album at all. This was one of my favourite albums of 2009 and it is still holding up well with no lessening in its impact.

Forsaker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZFCKvzZhBI
Nephilim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbESAxc6BZs

Metallica – St Anger

Review# 315
Wow, I had forgotten how bad the drums sound. What is Lars doing to his kit? And why? Does he think it sounds good? Surely someone would have told him that its pants! And James Hetfield's vocals and lyrics aren't much better. I really had forgotten how bad this album is. Once you hear those drums its hard to listen to anything else that's going on in the album. I guess at least its a talking point, certainly nothing else on the album is.

St Anger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMEp_5FMXRE

Fields Of The Nephilim – Laura

Review# 314

Although this compilation was released in 1992, two years after third album (and at the time final studio album) Elizium, it is entirely made up of tracks from debut album Dawnrazor as well as tracks from ep releases etc. If you are mad keen on FOTN then this is worth tracking down for the original, and in my opinion much more impacting, versions of Darkcell and Trees Come Down. There is also two versions of Gehenna; Returning To Gehenna & Back In Gehenna and two versions of Laura; Laura and Laura (again) – both of which are different to the version that appears on Dawnrazor. Then there is a few other Dawnrazor tracks mixed in. Overall it makes for an interesting listen.

Returning To Gehenna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq2S3n0FsOM
Laura: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjA1lXw_xoY

Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu

Review# 313


So this is now streaming through the official Lou Reed & Metallica site http://www.loureedmetallica.com/listen-to-lulu.php


It is not good. Here is a copy of the concept: “Lulu was inspired by German writer Frank Wedekind’s plays “Earth Spirit” and “Pandora’s Box,” which tell a story of a young abused dancer’s life and relationships.
The plays, originally published in 1904 and set in Germany, Paris and London in the 1890s, whirl between the points of view of Lulu, an inverted-Eve-like cipher-mirror of desire and abuse, and the people who fall desperately in love with her. Lulu is the great femme fatale. She was conceived as immoral. Or amoral.”


So, interesting idea? Does it work when an old man talks some lyrics in a very old-manny voice while the most commercially successful metal band plays some rather boring riffs in the backround and Lars Ulrich abuses a drum kit like he is a 12 year old boy who just learnt to masturbate? Ummm... no. Oh and James Hetfield yells “I AM A TABLE I AM A TABLE” … yes James. And that is not even the most bizarre lyric... “I swallow your sharpest cutter, like a coloured man's dick” … ummmm???


And the album is long... just too long and tedious. Especially the 19.29min song at the end, Junior Dad, which drags on and on with just strings and not really a lot going on.

And check out the dislikes for the first track to be released, The View, below.


Boris – Smile

Review# 312

Another spectacular Boris album; fuzzy guitars, semi ethereal sprawling tracks ripped apart by a sudden onslaught of unleashed energy. The guitar work on Smile is fantastic, it is really the key in this album while the vocals add an interesting and kind of haunting counterpoint. If you like experimental music or the stoner rock scene then this is worth a listen.

KA RE HA TE TA SA KI - No Ones Grieve: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnveiHooTZk

Monday, October 24, 2011

Pink Floyd - The Man and The Journey


Here we’re getting obscure. This is an interesting part of the bands career which has nearly been lost. The Man and The Journey, originally billed as The Massed Gadgets of Auximenes – More Furious Madness From Pink Floyd are two sets that present the first attempt at a concept work for the band and it’s interesting to see where some ideas that came a lot later got their genesis.

The set used some old material, some new, to create a larger vision than the pop songs on Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saucerful of Secrets. The band established two sets which were their first concept projects. The Man follows the theme of a man through the course of his day. This is particularly interesting because it was reused on 1971’s Meddle. The set uses titles like ‘Work’, ‘Teatime’ and ‘Nightmare’ to show their relevance to the concept. Work and Teatime are the most interesting talking points in terms of experimentation. Work is a percussive peice which uses the sound of sawing and Teatime is the band being served and drinking tea on stage, which evolved into ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’ from Atom Heart Mother.

I have no idea what The Journey’s about at all. In any case it’s a fascinating document of early Pink Floyd and it’s surprising that there’s been no official release of this material. Another interesting point was how silent the audience was throughout the actual music. No wonder Waters lost it with stadium audiences on the In The Flesh tour.

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon


I’m not sure if I’ve heard this too many times or what. There’s nothing wrong with it, and plenty that’s right about it but it doesn’t have the same experimental edge that most of the other albums do. The album is about the causes of insanity: fear of death, worship of money, time running out etc. It’s better focused around it’s concept than Meddle is and I guess that makes it a better talking point. The music’s obviously great, Rick Wright’s work on the album stood out a lot more for me on this listen actually.

It’s a classic, nothing I can say will ever take anything away from that. I just prefer some of the earlier works with a sharper experimental edge.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')


The actual music on this album is incredible. The lyrics are kind of where it falls apart. It’s at the beginning of Zappa’s phase of sing ‘wee-wee, poo-poo’ lyrics and then criticise most other rock stars for their lack of intelligence. There are a few brighter moments on the album, particularly Cosmik Debris. 

The music has some elements even jazzier than those on Hot Rats etc. Overall while the lyrics might make you chuckle occasionally if you can’t get into the music it’s probably not for you. In fact if you can’t get into the music I’m not sure Zappa is for you full stop.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Rammstein – Herzeleid

Review# 310

Herzeleid is Rammstein's debut album. The start of the fire filled empire that would soon rise. The album is a little more on the raw side than those that came after but that is not something that holds it back at all. Otherwise it is easily recognisable as a Rammstein album and ticks off most of the boxes. In hindsight it is a bloody good album to start their career.

Wollt ihr das bett in flammen sehen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VISKndX1XfE
Rammstein: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDTI8nlRVHg
Du riechst so gut: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiz0VEzYVec

Infected Mushroom – Converting Vegetarians

Review# 309

This album was recommended to me by my flatmate as she knew someone who tripped out to this for days thinking it was the second coming or something. Since acid or LSD or what have you are off the cards I am left to assess this straight, on a train, starting at 6:10am on a Friday morning. And my head hurts, I don't know if I just need some water or it is this music but I'm sure its not helping.I really don't know anything about trance so I can't say if it is good or shit in regards to the scene so this will be purely my rambling thoughts. Firstly, it is a 2disc set with the first disc being regular (I guess) trance music and the 2nd being more experimental. Secondly, if Jesus did exist I would hope that he would re-enter the world to music a bit more appropriate... Maybe Handle's Messiah. Anyway, the first disk is rather uninteresting and really really long... About an hour and a half or something. But nothing really pricked my curiosity at all. The experimental disc is... Well odd. And I'm not thinking good odd. I don't know, maybe after 2.20hours I have just stopped even trying to see if there is something enjoyable in here. And I certainly have no personal desire to take drugs to find some higher meaning in music, to me music is music and should already encompass any true meaning. Unless Infected Mushroom wrote music that can only be truly appreciated by ingesting something that will take you out of reality. If that's the case then its not fair of them. But then i am basing that on one known case so that's not fair of me. I think I will just agree that its not my cuppa and leave it at that.

If you want to check it out here is one off each disc:
Opagiffa Night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ot1a_3TZfE
Converting Vegetarians: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTDYWQFCSD0

If you would rather not:
Bleed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elNeQjTTnVo&ob=av2n

Holy Moses – Terminal Terror

Review# 308

To be honest its just like other Holy Moses albums but just not as good or I retesting as New Machine Of Liechtenstein or Disorder Of The Order.

Nothing For My Mum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_SJ3v-9tAE

Ministry – Greatest Fits

Review# 307

This is the first Ministry album I ever brought and 6 or 7, years ago when all I knew of Ministry was Stigmata and Jesus Built My Hotrod, this was probably the best way I could have gotten into any band with an extensive back catalogue. There is a really good mix of tracks, from The Land Of Rape And Honey right through to Dark Side Of The Spoon. Unfortunately there is nothing from Twitch, which is a favourite of mine, but then the direction on that album is a lot different to everything that came after and probably didn't have the hits like the the rest. The 1000 Homo Djs (essentially Ministry) cover of Black Sabbath's Supernaught also makes an appearance. Greatest Fits is a good mix of Ministry's most popular tracks and is a great place to start if you know little about them.

Thieves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q495K2aEN0
Stigmata: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxaPj19VnRA&ob=av2e
Reload 12”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulkboQBxX9M

Slayer – Reign In Blood

Review# 306

Reign In Blood is a classic. Starting with the unholy wail that Tom Araya lets loose at the start of Angel Of Death right through the rest of the album. It is a short album and lacks any filler, this is part of the reason that other bands struggle to knock it off its perch as one of the best Metal records made to date. The drums are relentless with the guitars nipping at the heels. With the exception of a pause for some creepy thunder effects Reign In Blood just does not stop once it starts. Just a fucken awesome album \m/\m/

Raining Blood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ZqFlw6hYg
Angel Of Death: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6_zsJ8KPP0
And just because its cool; Raining Blood Christmas Lights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFjI7gT1FvI

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tool - Undertow

Review# 305

So yes I am the type of Tool fan that does not like Tool albums all that much. That hasn't stopped me from buying their albums over the years though. And if there is one that I am glad I found for $5 in a bargain bin its Undertow. Over the years I have gone back to it time and again, hoping that i can listen to it and enjoy something more than Sober. I really do, the album is rocky and hooky and has some decent riffs. But I just find that there is something fundamentally boring about it. And I can't quite put my finger on it. We had a discussion at work about this the other day even... But I had only had two hours sleep the night before and so the conversation potentially just ended with me going "jdjfjfkencnfk kdoc!!!?!" for a bit. But something is lacking, I guess that's made up in their future sound. A lot of people seem to like Prison Sex, but that not my cuppa. Just saying. I know that this opinion could get me some hate mail, but then that could be a good indicator to see if anyone has read it. Silver linings.

Sober: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hglVqACd1C8

Ihsahn – The Adversary

Review# 304

The Adversary is the debut solo album from Black Metal legend Ihsahn. The album is a marvellous slice of metal delight. There is a great mix of genre throughout The Adversary that ranges through most of the extreme styles, neatly weaving them together. Ihsahn does a lot of the work on the album; vocals, guitar, bass, keys and synth as well as production, mixing arranging and some of the editing. But then that's just the way he rolls as other albums have shown. Amazing album from one of the best in the business.

Called By The Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LbkfryW92o
Homecoming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlAxeGaRoGw

Iron Maiden – A Matter Of Life And Death

Review# 303

This isn't really an album I often listen too. In fact this is the first listen in over a year. When I haven't listened to it for a while I always enjoy it more but that really comes down to my attitude toward Prog. The album is good musically and the production is also decent. And its better than follow up album The Final Frontier.

The Pilgrim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wReIilks9Ls

Nailbomb – Point Blank

Review# 302

Max Cavalera's side project Nailbomb is, well, a bit of a non-event. Well at least for me. I just found that an hour had passed and nothing from the album had really broken through my train of through and into my headspace. Some Of the Industrial sound was kinda cool, but the album just didn't do it for me.

Wasting Away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkZefKTXqYs

Monday, October 17, 2011

Strapping Young Lad – Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing

Review# 301

Devin Townsend himself may dismiss this album, the debut SYL album, as just a collection of demos that have been remixed and that there are only two good songs on the whole thing. I enjoy giving this album a good thrashing from time to time. Its extreme and grimey with an interesting blend of death, thrash and industrial music. In hindsight this would have been a freakishly bizzare album to be released in 1995, that may in part be why only 143 copies were sold in the first six months. The production is rather crap, but then even Devin says that, I would love to hear the 1995 release to listen to the differences in the quality to the 2006 re-issue that I have. Even factoring in all of the above I do like the album, it is just so interesting and has some real catchy bits to it too.

SYL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwyuM0PODuY
Cod Metal King: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7tv0-AdH8A
Satan’s Ice Cream Truck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brkE-Cqgx-8

Green Day – Dookie

Review# 300

I have been told that this is one of the better Green Day albums. I really wouldn't know. I have never really had any interest in them and to be fair I find this album somewhat boring. And the production is terrible to boot. And that is all.

Bleed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elNeQjTTnVo&ob=av2n

Overkill – Immortalis

Review# 299

I knew nothing about Overkill until listening to Immortalis but I have quite enjoyed the learning experience. The album is fun, its not all that unpredictable or anything but it has its own great swagger that is a huge appeal. I started to play a game of "I bet this song is called...", the way you play is you listen to the track and decide what the song title is, eg Skull And Bones, and then you look and see if that is what its called. Its a fun and sometimes too easy game. But like I said, its all fun and there is no point trying to make it something else.

Skull And Bones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdOryQHYzfI

Clutch – Pure Rock Fury

Review# 298

The title of the album does not lie. The first two tracks are a perfect example of fantastic hard rock, after that the tracks relax a little into more laid back groove filled tracks. The track Careful With That Mic is a hilariously clever parody of rap metal that was also made it to #24 on the charts. If you need an album to listen to while sitting in the Sun with some beers then this is it.

Pure Rock Fury: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ5Q330d8yg
Careful With That Mic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Oc3OEP6w_Y

Candlemass – Candlemass

Review# 297

An awesome album from this influential doom band. Even though this is their eighth studio album they have managed to keep a good sense of their roots and influences while still sounding fresh. Chunks of the album are even rather catchy.

Black Dwarf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTC1Ad0zksk&ob=av2n
Copernicus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IWmHNI0Zq8

The Sisters Of Mercy - Vision Thing

Review# 296

Vision Thing is rather a disappointing album, especially after Floodland. The deep dark swagger that infused Andrew Eldritchs' voice previously does not really come through here. Also, while some of the guitar work is good there is just something missing here too. I would love for The Sisters Of Mercy to release another album, its been long enough, and redeem themselves for this work.

Doctor Jeep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKA1IZXOBoQ

Black Sabbath – Technical Ecstasy

Review# 295

I really had no expectations with Technical Ecstasy. While I do like my Sabbath I admit that there are some big holes in my knowledge of their back catalogue so I thought I would fill that a little. I am actually surprised with how much of this album I liked. To be fair I almost had to forget that this is Black Sabbath to do so. The direction of the album is more of a hard rock album, even featuring honky tonk piano riffs during Rock And Roll Doctor. The ballads are really rather terrible, but some of the rock tracks are pretty decent. I do much prefer the doom sound of traditional Sabbath but in its own context this isn't too bad.

Rock And Roll Doctor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKvx4M-pxNA

Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans


This is both the quintessential prog album and the signpost of prog’s decline. The album is basically one song split into four suites, each taking up a full record side. I thought it was great when I was 17 or so, at the height of my prog fascination but it’s not the same now. Maybe it’s because I’ve JUST listened to Close to the Edge which was way better than I remember but this one is working the other way. One thing worth mentioning, it’s dense. The time it takes to fully get into it (about five listens from memory) means it’s kind of ‘high maintenance’. To be honest this is something I usually love, in fact of all of my favourite albums I don’t think any of them I like straight away, with the exception of the White Album. Bitches Brew was unfocussed noise for ages and after listening to A Love Supreme my first thought was ‘maybe this jazz thing just isn’t me’. Here it just comes across as a little too much. It’s so vast that it’s daunting as well. Had I not come to it as a dedicated progger I’m sure it would have driven me away from the genre entirely. Which is exactly why I’m going to get Storm to listen to it.