Marco and I are both huge Arctic Monkeys fans, as you may know. It's actually one of the few bands we both enjoy equally, even though he probably still hasn't changed his mind about AM (I have, though - that album fucking rules!). Out of the two of us, it could be argued that I'm the bigger hipster, as I enjoy obscure post-black metal records and I seriously consider myself an avid drone listener. Marco is happy being an Italian thug with a preference for hip hop and indie rock, although he does listen to his fair share of weird shit, like synthwave albums about homicidal robots. And he really likes this one hardcore album for some reason, which is baffling.
Given this background, I would be curious what he thinks about Arctic Monkeys' demo recordings, which they put out over the course of 2004 to promote their music, back when they were pimply teenagers instead of world-famous rockstars. Personally, even though I'm not one to constantly rave about how good demos are over actual albums, I love these demo songs. The simpler, rougher production of well-known tracks like Riot Van (which is drowned in reverb on this recording and has different lyrics - mostly about smoking weed), Fake Tales of San Francisco, Scummy (later re-recorded as When the Sun Goes Down), Still Take You Home or A Certain Romance lends a unique charm to these songs that I feel has been lost when proper production was bestowed upon them.
Check out Matt Helders in the back looking scrawny as fuck. Do u even press weights m8??
The real highlights of this collection, though, are the songs which never made it to an official album. They showcase Arctic Monkeys as the sweet boys they were back then and their knack for writing catchy melodies and memorable hooks. Knock A Door Run, Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts (a song about how much it sucks when other people are smarter and better looking than you), Curtains Closed (with its tribute to The Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim), Cigarette Smoker and Space Invaders (my favorite song off this collection, followed closely by Choo Choo) are loud, groovy and in your face songs that command utmost respect on the dance floor. Looking for something more mellow? Mardy Bum and No Buses are there to mend your broken heart. Drunk and feeling like hugging everyone around you? Switch over to the lighthearted Pussycat DollsLove Machine cover, featuring Alex Turner's panty-wetting laughter, and watch your dreams come true! There's seriously not a bad song on this demo and in fact I'm willing to declare that Beneath the Boardwalk gathers together some of the best material Arctic Monkeys have to offer. It's always a pleasure to dust off these songs, as they also show just how far these guys have come. Great story!
Fellow Arctic Monkeys fans, wat u think?? Do u love rocking out to these old-timey songs? Would u smash teenage Alex Turner? Am I beautiful under these lights? Would u still take me home? Is AM their best work yet? Weigh in on the comments section below!
Here's a quick little fix of expertly crafted death metal, should a bad mood befoul your day. Necrot is a death metal trio featuring members from Vastum and Saviors and their latest EP called The Abyss serves up three tracks of bludgeoning old-school death metal that will be enjoyed by fans of Death, Cannibal Corpse, Autopsy, Entombed or Bolt Thrower. Bludgeoning riffs heavy enough to make your skull cave in, cavernous drumming, sickening guitar tone and primitive vocals - you cannot mess with Necrot!
The way I see it, there's two ways to play heavy metal in the year of our Lord, 2014: you either want to go all out on looking like you just came out of '83 and be the coolest band this side of Missouri, or focus on actually sounding like the bands you worship for a change. That's the difference between BLACK MAGIC and, let's say, a group like WHITE WIZZARD. Only one of these bad boys forgot that they're not a retro act and have made a solemn pledge to play heavy metal like "it used to be played". No need for that, heavy metal is timeless.
That's where BLACK MAGIC actually shines through. They play something new to your ears, yet so familiar you don't know what's happening. The vocals, the twin guitars, the pounding bass and drums have all settled inside your head since you first heard "Killers" or "Sad Wings Of Destiny", yet only now do you look at them from the outside, and see the whole ansamble: no bullshit heavy metal. No trends. No mosh. No core. No Bullshit. Straight to the point. You've heard it before, now you hear it again and it's just the greatest thing in the world again and again and again.
The cover art and occult themes just seem to be additions to the gift that keeps on giving that this album is. "Mandatory" listen for fans not of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Oz etc. but of top notch metal, fun, magick and fast, fruitful riffage.
Bands like BLACK MAGIC still bring hope as to where metal stands today.
John Carpenter - a name that's synonymous with horror, sci-fi and multiple orgasms. If you're reading this blog, you're probably among those that count Halloween, The Thing or They Live among their favorite movies. And you probably have a man-crush on Kurt Russel, which is totally understandable. Aaaand, your ear-pussy probably loves to be filled with the sweet sounds of Carpenter's distinct movie scores. So we're all on the same boat here. That's great, because today I wanted to bring to your attention some amazing musicians that take more than a few cues from John Carpenter's works. Some of this shit is pretty obscure, some of it is probably well known, some of it isn't really Carpenter-related, but it's good anyway. So get ready for another long post.
First up, here's the album that started it all for me. I stumbled upon this on a great blog focusing on obscure electronica artists - WEED TEMPLE - and I didn't even have to finish reading the dude's review on it that I KNEW I needed to listen to this as fast as possible. Matthew Akers has managed to capture the quintessential sounds of Carpenter's soundtracks: deep, pulsating synths, polished drumming with fake clapping, distorted guitar power chords - Akers has managed to masterfully combine these elements and craft something truly amazing. The Elders of New Detroit is a true blast from the past, enshrouding you in a retrofuturistic atmosphere that takes you back to the 80s, man! This tape is only three tracks long, but thankfully Matthew Akers has released another album called The Future Barbarians that carries on and offers even more sci-fi goodness. I've never seen a picture of this guy and I know nothing about him, except that I love him and I hope he keeps on making more music.
Zombie Zombie is a French indie electronic duo and A Land for Renegades is their first full-lenght album. This is purely electronic music with a great atmosphere that could easily be the soundtrack to a non-existent sci-fi movie. They also have an album called Zombie Zombie Plays John Carpenter, which features their reimaginations of several well-known John Carpenter theme songs, such as the ones from Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13 or The Thing, so you know these guys are legit. And if you're somehow still unconvinced of Zombie Zombie's love for JC, check out the clip below. It'll make your day. BAGUETTE!
Gatekeeper are a macabre electronic duo, as their last.fm page puts it. Their myspace is kinda deserted so I haven't been able to find much about the band (except that they have an album called Giza which is pretty sweet and maybe another called Exo, but I'm not sure) BUT there are lots of Gatekeeper videos on Youtube. And most of them are trippy as fuck.
See what I mean?
Next up, we have Lazerhawk, a one-man project from Austin, Texas. I've pretty much stumbled across this a minute ago, but shit sounds legit. Here's what sole member Garret Hays has to say about his music:
His outrun electro is robot pop mixed with dark synths and the occasional lyric. Reminiscent of everything that was good in the 80s including Stallone, the Countach, VHS, Diet Pepsi, Miami Vice, Neoliberal Economics, Back to the Future, Neon Lights and the Nintendo Entertainment System. Synthesizer jams with gargantuan leads, hard toms, spaced-out melody and the pains of being pure at heart. His style is a fusion of fast driven 80s music with an electro twist.
Well, I'm sold. Go to his bandcamp page and give his latest album, Visitors, a whirl. I approve of this. His indie label Rosso Corsa looks well worth a visit, too. It's packed with 80s throw-back electronic music.
You might as well give this a spin, too, so you can see John Carpenter's immense movie scoring chops for yourself. The main Halloween theme is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. It's tense, suspenseful and, at the same time, beautiful and mesmerizing. The first time I watched Halloween was at night while I was home alone. As soon as the theme started playing, I got scared and had to double check that the door was locked, the windows were closed and nobody was hiding behind the shower curtain.
Another essential Carpenter-related listen is The Thing soundtrack, scored by renowned Italian composer Ennio Morricone. What is there to say? The man is extremely talented and he has come up with a brilliant soundtrack for an equally brilliant movie. The music is dark and introspective and somewhat minimalist, perfectly capturing the movie's grim, cold atmosphere.
Moving on, I'd also like to talk about a few artists that are inspired by the Italian giallo cinema. The movies made by directors such as Dario Argento (Suspiria, Tenebre, Profondo Rosso) and Lucio Fulci (The Beyond, Zombi) and their soundtracks made their mark in the world and inspired countless artists.
Goblin were a progressive rock band from Italy and they're known for writing music for some ofDario Argento's most notable work, such as Suspiria, Profondo Rosso or Tenebre, as well as contributing songs to the soundtrack of George A. Romero's 1978 cult classic Dawn of the Dead. What can I say? These guys are legendary. Get your prog on!
Next up, we have Zombi.
Taking its name from Lucio Fulci's cult masterpiece, this Pittsburgh duo play a highly atmospheric mixture of progressive rock, krautrock and electronic music that sounds like a slightly up-to-date version of Goblin. Go to their bandcamp page and have fun!
FINALLY, here's Umberto, another one-man band that's sort of become a household name when it comes to music that could double as a horror movie soundtrack. Highly influenced by giallo cinema, Umberto conjures dark, proggy, melodic songs that evoke the atmosphere of 70s and 80s Italian horror/thriller movies. It's simultaneously ghoulish and groovy, with a penchant for occult keyboards and krautrock-inspired synth work. As the quote in From the Grave's description puts it, someone needs to make movies specifically with Umberto's music in mind.
As always, you can find Umberto's work on his bandcamp page, right here.
This about concludes my all-too-short exploration of John Carpenter/giallo-inspired music. I don't think this post even counts as scratching the surface, as I'm sure there's plenty more amazing artists to be found, if you look hard enough. But a nudge in the right direction is always welcome. So if anyone has any more recommendations, let me know. I've become hooked and I need more.
Proto-tech death din Chicago, inspirat din Morbid Angel, Death, Gorguts, cu influenţe jazz, producţie chunky şi un vocalist extrem de gutural, exact cum îmi place mie. HAI SĂ FACEM FURII.
Se pare că apetitul pentru death metal oldschool n-o să se stingă prea curând, în principal datorită faptului că există o gigatonă de trupe marfă a căror profesie principală este datul de şuturi în cur şi mestecatul de carne putrezită. După ce Disma au rupt norma cu al lor Towards the Megalith, ridicând gravone standardul pentru death metal, suedezii de la Entrails au lansat în septembrie cel de-al doilea album de studio, pre numele său The Tomb Awaits. Ca de obicei, nu m-am învrednicit să-l ascult de la apariţie, probabil din cauză că atunci o ardeam pe electronicăraie băşită lol, dar n-am putut să nu observ laudele pe care le primea albumul în stânga şi-n dreapta, prin toate colţurile internetului. Toată lumea orgasma spasmodic şi nu mai prididea cu osanalele, şi trebuie să recunosc că mă gândeam, ocazional, că nu are cum să fie chiaaar aşa bun.
Acum, că l-am ascultat în sfârşit, nu pot decât să constat neputincios că toată lumea avea dreptate. Entrails au rupt baraka cu noul lor album, bifând toate punctele esenţiale alea unui death metal de calitate. Chitare şi bass distorsionate masiv, care sună aproape ca nişte drujbe? Avem. Riff-uri titanice, super variate, care te zdrobesc fără milă? Avem. Solo-uri death metal fulminante? Har Domnului, avem. Un baterist excelent, care ştie să te ţină în priză, combinând cu abilitate blast beat-urile cu tot soiul de fill-uri interesante? Avem. Voci dinamice, monstruoase şi încântător de morbide, care rag versuri despre zombies, capete retezate, intestine, cimitire şi MUARTE? FUTU-I DA. Mai puneţi la socoteală şi producţia impecabilă, perfect echilibrată, şi feeling-ul general al muzicii, de claustrofobie, sufocare şi utter evilness, şi o să obţineţi un album perfect din toate punctele de vedere. Toate elementele se îmbină armonios într-un death metal de factură clasică, dar suficient de modern pentru a fi proaspăt şi incitant. Şi, ţinând seama de cele 12 piese pe care le conţine, totalizând aproape 40 de minute, putem afirma fără umbră de îndoială că The Tomb Awaits este unul dintre cele mai suculente albume apărute în 2011 şi chiar un concurent serios pentru titlul de albumul anului.
Îîîîîîîîîîîîîîîîîh, Suffocation, trupa care a ejaculat brutal death metal-ul pe lume şi care a continuat să pişencur ani buni după aceea. Pentru mine,Effigy of the Forgotten reprezintă etalonul în materie de brutal death metal, albumul prin prisma căruia judec orice alt album din sfera asta şi chiar altele aparţinând unor genuri complet diferite. None So Vile? Super album, dar nu se compară cu ce cântă Suffocation. Dying Fetus? Negrule, te rog. Mai bine bag Suffocation. Benone Sinulescu? Merge la o beţie, dar tot Suffocation sunt torţionarii. Immolation? Aproape la fel de şmekeri ca Suffocation. Deşi au inspirat aproximativ patru sute de miliarde de trupe care au încercat să-i copieze, Suffocation au fost întotdeauna mai buni la ceea ce fac. Sunt invincibili şi simt periodic nevoia să dau play la Effigy of the Forgotten şi să stau de-ampulea, absorbindu-le riff-urile şi lăsându-mă cu plăcere mutilat de vocea inumană a lui Frank Mullen.
Îmi place de mor albumul ăsta. Baphomet cântă death metal clasic american, down-tuned şi extrem de heavy, iar The Dead Shall Inherit este un adevărat giuvaer underground. Mi-aduce aminte de Immolation un pic, ceea ce e întotdeauna frumos. Vocalul are o voce fantastic de guturală, iar riff-urile de chitară, deşi nu foarte tehnice, sunt ÎNCÂNTĂTOARE şi întotdeauna catchy. Un punct forte al albumului este acela că bassistul nu se ascunde în spatele zidului de sunet, liniile sale de bass distingându-se cu uşurinţă în amalgamul de chugging şi blasting. Pentru perioadele în care tot ce vrei este nişte death metal old-school scârbos, simplu, fără ornamente, dar executat cu măiestrie şi siguranţă, Baphomet sunt candidaţii ideali.
Futu-i dumnezei de vreme, că m-am săturat de vară şi soarele morţilor ei. Nu mai pot ieşi până la supermarket pentru chipsuri şi bere fără să fiu rupt de căldura infernală de afară, iar nopţile sunt şi mai rele. Şi mai urmează cel puţin încă o lună de temperaturi de peste 30 de grade. FML.
Antidotul ideal pentru clima asta infectă este să tragi toate jaluzelele, să-ţi iei câteva beri lângă tine şi să stai aşa în beznă, ascultând nişte death metal la fel de infect, cum este Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods, al celor de la Funebrarum. Or fi ei din New Jersey (DOHOHOHOHOHOOOOO), dar sunt în stare să producă un death metal antic ca pe Suedia care-ţi trăjneşte toate oasele-n tine. Sound-ul este monstruos, cu nişte riff-uri monolitice şi extrem de bassy care mărşăluiesc fără grabă, distrugându-ţi iremediabil colonul, şi nişte growl-uri megacavernoase, abisale, ce-ngheaţă sângele în tine. Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods este un album în esenţă perfect, iar Funebrarum sunt masters of their trade, oferind 30 de minute de teroare pură. Zer gut.
Desigur, 30 de minute s-ar putea să fie cam puţin pentru a-ţi potoli setea de metal al morţii.
Aici intervin Slugathor, nişte finlandezi şmekeri, şi al lor Echoes from Beneath, un album aproximativ în acelaşi stil ca şi cel de mai sus, doar că Slugathor îşi condimentează death metal-ul oldschool cu unele pasaje mai thrashy şi mai rapide, precum şi cu lead-uri melodice care conferă un zing! mixului concentrat pe low-end. În rest, avem piese lungi, riff-uri ce amintesc de măreţii Bolt Thrower (fuck yeah), atmosferă cât cuprinde şi growling vocals devastatoare, ultraguturale, venite probabil fix din intestinele unui pit fiend răguşit care a mâncat numai mâncare mexicană.
Iar acum mă voi îngropa în chipsuri şi mă voi duce să citesc din Borges până nu îmi face iar scandal Pixcupeasca. Aproape am terminat cu Evaristo Carriego!
