Neurosis is one of my all time favorite bands. They are truly innovative, inspirational and influential. If you’ve never really listened to them, I highly recommend you check out the albums Through Silver and Blood, Times of Grace and my personal favorite A Sun That Never Sets. Speaking of A Sun That Never Sets, I’d like to present a great music video for the closing song on that album “Stones From The Sky.” This video is just as epic as the song itself. This also just happens to be one of my favorite Neurosis songs of all time too. I’m not going to go on and on, just put this on and enjoy this great video and epic song!
Neurosis- Stones From The Sky (from A Sun That Never Sets):
I love side projects. Especially when they deviate from the style of music you’ve associated someone with for so long. Wear Your Wounds is one of my favorite side projects I’ve ever heard. Wear Your Wounds was created by Converge founder Jacob Bannon. Initially conceived as a solo project, it evolved into a five-piece band that often works with collaborating musicians. In 2017, the debut self titled double album was released followed closely by the even more experimental Dunedevil, which was also an accompaniment to Bannon’s abstract art book of the same name. Now, Wear Your Wounds, prepare to release their new album Rust on the Gates of Heaven (out July 12 via Deathwish Inc.). The release marks the first time the official lineup of the band; Jacob Bannon (Converge), Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord, Stomach Earth, Unraveller, etc), Adam McGrath (Cave In, Nomad Stones, etc), Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, ex-Hatebreed, ex-Kid Cudi), and Chris Maggio (ex-Trap Them, ex-Sleigh Bells, etc) have properly written and recorded together. It also features musicians Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe, White Horse) and Gared O’Donnell (Planes Mistaken For Stars, Hawks and Doves) collaborating throughout. Watch and or listen to the music video for the album’s eponymous first single now. Personally I can’t wait for this album to come out. So do yourself a favor and dive in to this great band and their work.
I still remember the first time I heard that raspy snarl. The charisma that could ignite a crowd into a frenzy. Far removed now from his time in Gallows, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes have solidified their place in modern rock today. End Of Suffering, the bands third album, sees the group moving along in away that still connects with their roots but lays down a foundation of where this band can go. 2017’s Modern Ruin was a great benchmark for just how talented this group is. End Of Suffering takes that level and adds a few layers of optimism as well as tenacity.
The entire album is quite interesting. There are many different speeds to this record. On one hand you have a song like the opener “Why A Butterfly Can’t Love A Spider.” This track sets up the album in a tonal way by the feel of the music and the lyrics. There’s a sense of pain but hope in the way it’s delivered and that carries through the rest of the album. Songs like “Anxiety,” “Crowbar,” “Heartbreaker,” “Kitty Sucker,” and “Tyrant Lizard,” which features Tom Morello ripping it up, all provide the uptempo tenacity that Frank is known for. Then songs like “Love Games,” “Angel Wings,” “Supervillain,” and “Latex Dreams” have a bit more of sensitive side but still contain a sharp edge and gruffness. Ending the album is the title track “End Of Suffering.” This soul bearing song gives a deeper glimpse into the mindset of Frank and where this album is truly coming from.
End Of Suffering is the kind of album that has something for everyone. It’s diverse and full of life. Nothing about this is phoned in or fake. If you’ve been following Frank since his days in Gallows, you know you are going to get a guy giving his all. While this album may seem to be more “straight forward” in terms of sound, it does show what the band is capable of doing as songwriters and how not to constantly repeat what they’ve done before. Frank and The Rattlesnakes (Dean Richardson, Tom Barclay, Gareth Grover and Thomas Mitchener) have really found themselves as a band. End Of Suffering was a not where you think they would have gone after Modern Ruin but, it’s definitely the right move.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- End Of Suffering:
When I first heard the Spotlights 2017 album Seismic, I immediately was floored. The combination of shoegaze, doom metal and sludge was just what I needed at the time. And Seismic found it’s way into my top 5 albums of 2017. Fast forward to 2019 and Spotlights have released their new album Love & Decay. Not straying too far from where they left off, Love & Decay continues on the path they laid out with their previous releases only this album goes deeper into that sound.
The album starts off with a sonic explosion that is “Continue The Capsize.” This mood setting song pulls you in just like an album opener should. As the album continues, the crunchy guitars, fuzzed bass, dreamy synth layers, pummelling drums and soft vocals, give Love and Decay the sound for all these songs to come to life. Songs like “The Particle Noise,” “Far From Falling,” “Until The Bleeding Stops,” “Xerox,” and “The Age Of Decay” emit all those elements and then some. Then you have a song like “Mountains Ar Forever” that is a bit of a departure yet still is Spotlights through and through. This experimentation gives the album a needed right turn. Closing out the album is “The Beauty Of Forgetting.” This song continues the experimentation path by adding in some haunting acoustic guitars, underlying industrial style beats and thunderous bass to really drive home the end of this album.
Love and Decay is exactly what Spotlights sound like, only this time around, they stepped up the heavy and added a level of melody to help propel the songs to new heights. The one thing about this album is that at times, it feels like the songs are just a shade too long. It’s like when you watch a film and think that certain parts could have been cut down to get to the point faster. Other than that, Love and Decay is a killer record. Mario Quintero (guitars/vocals/production), Sarah Quintero (bass/vocals) and Chris Enriquez (drums) have formed an exquisite bond as a three piece and they sound like there are at least eight people in this band. Love and Decay is the type of album that with more and more listens you will find more to love and be drawn deeper in. It’s also worth noting that, having seen Spotlights live before, I just know these new songs are going to tear the roofs off of venues and leave audiences in awe.
There are certain bands that have the ability to evolve in a way that it doesn’t seem like they are yet, they truly have albeit in a subtle way. Never a band to be complacent or comfortable, Helms Alee have been pushing the boundaries of the sludge metal genre since their first release back in 2007. Noctiluca, the bands fifth full length studio album, sees the band moving more into a progressive territoty while still maintaing their psychedelic and sludgy tendencies.
The album as a whole has something for everyone. Songs like “Interachnid,” “Beat Up,” are signature Helms Alee with thunderous rhythms and delayed guitars that give the album the start and roar it needs. Then you have a song like “Be Rad Tomorrow” which takes the band on a different journey. This song is one of the more experimental tracks on the album with a more prog feel to it. The expansiveness of this song is very representative of how the members of Helms Alee have evolved as writers and players. Then you have a song like “Lay Waste Child” that continues what “Be Rad Tomorrow” started only this song, takes you deeper down the rabbit hole. “Illegal Guardian” seems to complete the trilogy of the previous two songs. This track is everything that Helms Alee is all about. I’m not going to give it away. You just need to listen and you’ll hear what I mean. A song like “Spider Jar” is a welcome treat. It shows off the more melodic side of the band and provides a more delicate approach to the bands sound. Closing out the album is “Word Problem” a song that is drenched in doomy sludge (think Sabbath meets The Melvins). It’s a straight forward song that will have you starting the album over once it’s done.
Helms Alee have created an album that hits on everything they’ve done till now. Noctiluca is the type of album that if you are just discovering the band, it will get you into them for sure. One of the best things about Helms Alee is that as a three piece drummer/vocalist Hozoji Matheson-Margullis, bassist Dana James, and guitarist Ben Verellen are super tight and play off each other so well. They have the ability to create a sonic assault that while deafening at times is soothing and almost hypnotic. If you have the chance to see Helms Alee live, I highly recommend you do. Their live show makes their songs truly come alive and will give you one hell of a rush.
Flashback to 2002 and the movie Orange County starring Jack Black and Colin Hanks. The movie was a fun and funny one to watch. Jack Black was perfect in his role as the older brother. The movie still holds to a point but, the soundtrack is even better. There is a song on the soundtrack called “The One” by Foo Fighters that has a tendency to pop in my head from time to time. An interesting side note, “The One” is also a b-side to “All My Life. The song isn’t the best the Foo’s have done but the video is hilarious. Enjoy this soundtrack only song!
Foo Fighters- The One:
I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it, Mastodon are the best band to come out since the turn of the century. Through their almost 20 year history, they have continuously made great music. Albums like, Crack The Skye, Leviathan, and Emperor Of Sand are monumental and essential albums as well as 3 of the best since 2000. The mighty Mastodon are true artists in every sense of the word and their songs and albums show that. So, with all that in mind, I worked up my Ultimate Set List for Mastodon.
Guideline 1: What line up of the band would it be
Guideline 2: Where would you want to see the show
Guideline 3: maximum 25 songs (In order of how the set should go)
Lineup: Brann Dailor, Brent Hinds, Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher, and Scott Kelly
Venue: Troubadour- Los Angeles
Set List:
1) Sultan’s Curse
2) March Of The Fire Ants
3) Iron Tusk
4) Steambreather
5) Oblivion
6) Chimes At Midnight
7) Ancient Kingdom
8) Colony Of Birchmen
9) Dry Bone Valley
10) Andromeda
11) Ember City
12) The Czar: Usurper/Escape/Martyr/Spiral
13) Roots Remain
14) Sleeping Giant
15) Divinations
16) Crusher Destroyer
17) Jaguar God
18) Mother Puncher
19) The Last Baron
Encore (All With Scott Kelly of Neurosis):
20) Diamond In The Witch House
21) Aqua Dementia
22) Crystal Skull
23) Spectrelight
24) Scorpion Breath
25) Crack The Skye
There are so many good bands out there these days, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them all. A while back I was introduced to a band that has been taking people by storm and leaving a very lasting impression. That band is Vowws. Originally from Australia, now based in Los Angeles, Vowws has made quite the impact with their electro-rock style but, it’s much more than that. Vowws have taken the electro part to another level by injecting a great deal of inspiration and influence of 80’s and 90’s alternative to their music and given it an almost cinematic sensibility. There’s elements of pop in there along with post-punk, shoegaze, new wave, goth and synthwave. The band has self described the band as “Deathpop” which is a pretty good representation of what they do. The whole of all this makes Vowws a very enticing band to delve into. Frontwoman-keyboardist-programmer Rizz along with guitarist-programmer-vocalist Matt James have taken this style of music to another level. They’ve made fans out of many of their contemporaries like The Cult, and Chino Moreno of Deftones (Who also partook in a remix of the bands “Structure Of Love”). Vowws are the type of band that isn’t satisfied with relying solely on the electronic element to make their band. The guitar riffs from Matt James give their music a different life, similar to what Martin Gore has done with Depeche Mode albums like Songs Of Faith and Devotion. Also it’s worth noting that the beats that pulsate through the songs are fresh and moving but also feel “human” rather than electronic. Vowws are the real deal and are making waves in a way that you can tell they are about to take over.
Vowws- Under The World:
Vowws w/Chino Moreno- Structure Of Love II (Renholder Remix):
Mastodon recently released a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven.” They did this as a tribute to their late manager Nick John, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer. Mastodon was asked by Nick’s wife to play the song at his funeral. Gojira’s Joe Duplantier (who Nick John also managed), was at the funeral and recorded the band performing the song on his phone. The band afterwards, went and recorded a full studio version of the song. When the song was released, side A featured the studio version while side B featured the phone recording. Mastodon did a phenomenal job of taking this gem of a classic on. They didn’t stray too far from the original but they definitely knocked it out of the park. Brann Dailor is seriously one of the best singers in rock music. That guys got one hell of a voice.
In case you didn’t know, With Our Arms To The Sun are one of my favorite bands I’ve written about on Audioeclectica. They are one of those bands that have stayed true to their core and believe in what they do. It’s more than just music, it’s art. Since 2013, the band has released 4 albums and toured across the US. Now, they are gearing up to release their 5th studio album, The Mogollon Monster. This album not only shows the growth and development of the band since its inception but, also sees them expanding on taking the listener on a real sonic journey. You can get a glimpse of that by downloading their new song “Rebirth” HERE. By contributing to their Kickstarter, you are helping to finishing the mixing and mastering on the album already in progress, pressing the album as well as the marketing and distribution of the album. With Our Arms To The Sun are one of those bands that are needed in the stale music world today. Give them a listen and consider donating to help get this album out the world.
