Faith No More - "Superhero" // Track Review

Faith No More are no-doubt one of the most important bands in 90s rock music. Their albums with Mike Patton remain classics to this day. From the cheesy rap rock of The Real Thing to the more dark and progressive Angel Dust to the twisted King For A Day... and Album Of The Year, the band has never failed to surprise fans.
What did come as a big surprise was when the band announced they would be releasing a new album in 2015, in the middle of last year. After much speculation and hope from fans, the band finally gave the fans the news they were hoping for.

Sol Invictus comes out on 18th May (UK) and the 19th May (US), and the first official single of the record was given to us mere weeks ago on the Marvel website. That song was "Superhero"

The track opens with a monstrous that we'd come to expect from the band and the classic piano melodies of Roddy Bottum. The brooding intro kicks into the pounding drums of Mike Bordin and the infectious call-and-response verse grabs you by your ears and refuses to let go. As the song progresses we come across the schizophrenic vocal patterns of Mike Patton, and the slap-bass of Billy Gould and the clean-cut distortion of Jim Martin.
When you look at the song as a Faith No More song, it is still fairly straight-forward. You don't see the experimentation you'd find on other Patton projects (Mr. Bungle, Peeping Tom, Fantomas etc.) and you don't hear the wretched screams from King For A Day as often as you might like to. But middle of the road for a band like Faith No More, is still way left-field for most of their peers. If you were to examine other 90s rock bands from the US and look at where their careers are, with the exception of Deftones, very few are continuing to push the boundaries. It's refreshing to see a quality band doing just that, 30 years into their career.

My Favourite Films

As an avid-film fan, I thought it was best I discussed it on the blog. And what better way to discuss it then talking about my absolute favourites.

Favourite horror: The Shining
Horror is possibly my favourite genre within the realm of cinema, and selecting my personal pick as it's crowning achievement was incredibly difficult. I could have picked Alien, Eraserhead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night Of The Living Dead, Suspiria, Night Of The Hunter among others. But in my opinion, The Shining is an absolute masterwork. Kubrick's lent his hand to many a genre and succeeds every time, making each film entirely unique among it's peers. The Shining is at the heart of it a paranoid-slasher flick, but it's shrouded in so much suspense and artistry that it's almost unrecognizable.

Favourite satire: Airplane!
Satire is seen by many as a dying art. After the success of Monty Python and the Zucker brothers' films, people saw easy money. With the rise of films like Scary Movie, Epic Movie, Stan Helsing and countless other lazy punchlines, the artform is collectively seen as stupid .While there are a fair few people still doing their best to keep the flame alive (this spot nearly went to Shaun Of The Dead), no one has matched the genius of Airplane!
Packed with countless jokes, deadpan humour and hilarious references and wordplay, Airplane! shines a true masterpiece of alternative comedy. The acting may not be perfect, the art direction might be incredibly cheesy and some jokes may completely miss the target, but overall the film is wildly enjoyable.

Favourite rom-com: Annie Hall
There was only one film that was ever going to even have a chance of matching this category. I can't stand the genre as a whole, but Annie Hall is a very intelligent piece of cinema. Woody Allen's humour is so awkward at times it's difficult not to enjoy it.

Favourite drama: Taxi Driver
Well here it is. My favourite film of all time.
Scorsese is a director I only got a real appreciation for when I saw The Wolf Of Wall Street. I'd heard his name thrown about as one of the greatest directors of all time, but I'd yet to truly understand his work. Taxi Driver is a crowning achievement. Following one man's descent into madness and letting us experience the twisted and repulsive world that surrounds him is as fascinating as it is disgusting.

Favourite sci-fi: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Many science-fiction fans will point to films like The Day The Earth Stood Still (1958 version of course) or even the original Star Wars trilogy (don't get me wrong, The Empire Strikes Back was nearly in this very spot). But 2001 is quite simply, life-changing. A quest for the infinite that will stay with you forever. It'll test the patience of a casual film-viewer, but for those who lend themselves to it, they'll find something spectacular.

Favourite crime film: Pulp Fiction
Alright I'm going to keep this one brief has to not spoil anything. Quention Tarantino is at his best in this neo-noir crime thriller in which multiple stories are woven together and the concept of a constant timeline is discarded. I urge you to discover the film for yourself.

Favourite art-house film: Eraserhead
David Lynch is one of my absolute favourite directors. His surreal pieces have always struck a chord with me, and never more so than his 1978 art-body-horror flick Eraserhead. The twisted images, the obscure storyline and the horrifying dream sequences all add up to a cinematic experience unlike any other.

Favourite silent film: Nosferatu
The first adaptation of Dracula is no doubt the best one yet. Easily the most intense adaptation of the novel, and the character of Nosferatu is purely testament to that. One of the most iconic films in German expressionism, especially in the 1920s. The controversy surrounding it makes this magnificent picture all the more intriguing.

The Shining : A Film Review

Horror is one of the most interesting genres in horror.

It can be stupid, bombastic, sickening, insane, gore-ridden and many other things. Both Eraserhead and A Nightmare On Elm Street come under the same banner, but both films are dramatically dissimilar. Same can be said for Evil Dead, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist and Alien.

But my favourite horror film, and favourite film in general, is the twisted masterpiece that is The Shining.

I'm going to assume you all know the story, but I'll give you quick overview of the plot:

"Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel. His young son possesses psychic abilities and is able to see things from the past and future, such as the ghosts who inhabit the hotel. Soon after settling in, the family is trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm, and Jack gradually becomes influenced by a supernatural presence, descends into madness, and ultimately attempts to murder his wife and son."

The story is just magnificent. A rather simple concept that in wrapped in layers upon layers and backstories. This is in full-effect in the most isolated of scenes.

But it doesn't stop there - Kubrick's genius when it comes to avant-garde imagery is all over The Shining. Even concepts that might come as hokey or cheesy (the blood in the elevator, the bear costume) are truly terrifying. His nit-picking eyes are at full use in this film, and it benefits from it in extraordinary fashion.

From the masterful acting work on the small cast (which only adds to the paranoid nature of the film) to the perfect scenery and scares, The Shining works on all levels. This is a film that I would recommend to people who horror films, but also films of the most experimental variety (Eraserhead and The Seventh Seal immediately come to mind). A must-see masterpiece.

Damnation Festival 2014 Review // Leeds Student Union, 01/11/2014

In the heart of one of the UK's most artistically iconic cities, every year Damnation Festival takes place. It has a shout at being my favourite festival (I've attended a fair few), simply because Damnation has an atmosphere unlike any other. It attracts the "metal hipsters" (people as ready to see Bjork as they are Carcass, I suppose you could put me in that camp) but it also attracts the "die-hards".
Last Saturday I attended Damnation Festival for the 2nd and managed to catch a grand total of 5 bands, today I'll be reviewing each and every one of them.

The first band I caught was Obsidian Kingdom, a Spanish prog-post metal band who I've been affiliated with for a number of years now. While their music is relatively "chill" on record, the true intensity of it comes through in a live setting. Leaning more towards Gojira than they do Ulver (the stark opposite of what you'd heard on their latest album Mantiis), the experience is as crushing as it is beautiful. An excellent performance.

After a few hours of getting some work done, I was able to catch Monarch's set.
By far, my band of the evening. For a band I knew very little about (which I think may add to the magic of it), they put on an outstanding performance. Musically, it's almost as if Sunn O))) collaborating with Bjork during her stroppy/insane teenager phase. The vocals ranged from melodic singing to all-out screeching, yet the changes feel so seamless you almost don't notice the tension building. Catch this band if you get the chance, as I am aware I witnessed a relatively-exclusive gig. If they are playing a gig near you, don't think twice about buying a ticket.

Up next it was Saint Vitus, performing their classic album Born Too Late in it's entirety. I understand that my expectations may have been too high, but they ended up being rather underwhelming. The droning guitars provided little atmosphere and their static stage presence led to a few attendees looking at their shoes. I won't say more than this, but for me they weren't entirely enjoyable.

I left Saint Vitus a bit early to catch the mighty Cannibal Corpse. The 2-thousand capacity venue was rammed (a die-hard every one of them), finding a decent place to stand was a challenge that I eventually overcame. I went down into the pit, as that was the only place I could actually see and it entirely added to the atmosphere of the performance. Opening with the first 3 tracks off The Bleeding was utterly genius, but my favourite song of the set came in the form of a new number - Kill Or Become (off the brand new record, A Skeletal Domain). Every second was energising, and it ended up being one of the most enjoyable gigs I've ever attended. Brilliant.

Finally... the band the evening had been leading up to - Bolt. Thrower.
Bolt Thrower are one of the most underrated bands in the history of death metal, and to see them getting the credit they deserve on the main stage at Damnation Festival, headlining in front of 3 thousand people (another thousand trying to get in) was just magnificent. The tracks off Realm Of Chaos had the greatest affect on the crowd, but cuts from War Master and The IVth Crusade didn't go amiss. The sound was excellent, the band were on perfect form and crowd was lapping it up. A fantastic return from a marvellous-if-underrated band. Praise Bolt Thrower.

Andrew Jackson Jihad - "Christmas Island" | Album Review

Andrew Jackson Jihad are one of the most under-appreciated bands of the 21st century.
Quite the opening statement you might say, but I struggle to find another band to have begun in the last 10 years or so that have established their sound so brilliantly. While there is obvious influence from Neutral Milk Hotel, The Mountain Goats and Violent Femmes, their sound is still instantly recognizable. Musically, you can expect folk integrated with catchy bubblegum punk. In sound, they may not sound too spiteful or bitter, but this element of their music comes through in the lyrics. Exploring themes of self-hate, self-obsession, suicide, death, isolation, pain and misery, you might not think their lyrics will stand out too much when we have bands like Converge or Vision Of Disorder. However, Andrew Jackson Jihad approached these topics in a very different way. They put a comedic and light-hearted twist on such topics as disability, racism and social issues (refreshing to say the least).

If you are aware of AJJ but not this album, this is technically their pop record. Before you raise your arms in dismay, assuming you'll be hearing bass-drops and EDM synth breaks, fear not. What I mean by this is their instrumentation has become more full (adding far more of it than even before), their songs have more clear and defined structures and the melodies are more prominent than have been on past albums.
The opening song is entitled Temple Grandin is one of my personal favourites of the album. As soon as the opening line seeps through the speakers ("Open your murder eyes and see the ugly world that spat you out") you know instantly what you're in for. Referencing Helen Keller and Stevie Wonder (both people who have over come disabilities), Andrew Jackson Jihad have added more layers to their music both in the instrumentation and in the lyrics.
This is followed up by Children Of God. This is BY FAR my most listened to song of 2014. It was everything I wanted out of a single, and it's woven itself into this album masterfully. In classic AJJ fashion, topics such as cannibalism, vampires, drugs all arise throughout the song - keeping the listener on the edge of their seat, attentively wondering where the band will take their music next.
We then get Do, Re And Me. One of the shorter songs but it still has a lasting effect. This is possibly the single track on the album that proves Andrew Jackson Jihad's astounding sense of lyrical/musical dynamics. Hearing the sweeping melodies of an acoustic guitar under Sean Bonnette's whiny vocals as they call out "I walked into a room full of corpses" is rather bizarre to say the least.

With these perfect 3 tracks, you'd assume the album would continue in suite.
Sadly no... While there are still some fantastic songs on here, there are certainly some weaker pieces. Songs like Deathlessness had so much potential to be one of the best songs on here, but fell short due to a couple of minor errors...
Production wise this is the best production this band as ever had. It's dynamically brilliant, every performer gets their voice (or musical saw) heard. It's crystal clear, which seems to wipe away some of the grit under the finger nails that so many came to love from this band, but I can assure you multiple listens and it will be revealed.

All in all, this isn't AJJ's best album (People Who Eat People... and Knife Man still hold those titles for me) but it's definitely one of their most important. It's also you that will continue to be appreciated in the coming years.

Falloch - "This Island, Our Funeral" | Album Review

*This review will possibly be posted on the blog Blog Of Putrefaction, I just need to post a review to catch up. Cheers!*

Black metal is undergoing a dramatic stylistic change, and I think a lot of it should be credited to the UK. Artists like Saor, Fen, Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone are branching away from the clichés of the Second Wave and bringing in more reserved and diverse overtones. While Emperor and Darkthrone are arguably the bands that defined the genre, the necessary growth is finally taking place. It’s also proved to be fairly divisive. While many have complained that the genre is losing touch with its roots, it’s possible that this new Falloch album - entitled This Island, Our Funeral  - could convert some of the elitists.

Candlelight Records has black metal credentials above and beyond any other label – In The Nightside Eclipse anyone? Nearly every black metal band on the label’s roster has delivered something that is worthy to defend their name. This is no exception.

Falloch have a deep connection with the Scottish landscape, which translates magnificently into their sound. The whispering guitar leads sit like fog over rolling percussion. The bass rumbles like thunder above Ben Nevis. The production is so pristine that the experience is like walking through untouched Gaellic wilderness. The band seems to have structured their music to reflect the climate, but it doesn’t come across as an attempt to seem pretentious or high-brow. Whether it’s intentional or by pure coincidence that they create an atmosphere that replicates that particular area, they do it in excellent fashion.

There are obvious traits of theirs they share with the classic BM bands. It delivers the same chilling demeanour that an album like De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas perfected when the music calls for it. The instrumentation will liquidize the teeth in your mouth – the guitars are beyond crushing at points. The balance between beauty and ferocity of the genre’s classics is as emotive as it’s been in years. However, the clean vocals may rub die-hards up the wrong way but I’m sure it’ll be a more welcoming to newcomers. While you do hear some infrequent growls, the cleans don’t sound too dissimilar to Brann Dailor of Mastodon. Upon first listen there’s a good chance you’ll question it being a black metal album in the true sense of the term, but its darkness will be revealed to you with repeated listens (a level of mystery a lot of the genre’s heavy weights lack).

In conclusion, This Island, Our Funeral is the obvious progression from their debut Where Distant Spirits Remain.  It may be less triumphant than anything they’ve done, but it’s still refreshing to hear a band evolving so noticeably this early on in their career, experimenting with sounds an established band would fear to. Falloch aren’t waiting to define parameters for themselves; they’re keeping their music free and formless so anything is possible. Excellent.

-          Elliot Paisley

Sunn O))) - "Black One" | Album Review

Musically, drone isn't very complex. It's often a single note played for long periods of time. However, that's not to say that it's easy to do well. Despite it being a relatively simple genre, it still has to remain engaging to the listener. Bands can add layers upon layers to their music, creating an atmosphere no other style can truly conjure.
With a new project involving music icon Scott Walker and Sunn O))) collaborating together for a new album Soused, I thought it'd be good to review the band's magnum opus: Black One

Greg Anderson (owner of Southern Lord Records) is in my opinion, a bit of a genius. His music has an obvious simplicity which peels away slowly and painfully to reveal a whole new form of darkness. You don't get death growls and thrashing guitars, but this is so much heavier than those things could ever create. Doing more with less is a feat in itself and this artist is the perfect example of that.

Black One starts as it means to go on, as sinister and as bleak as you can imagine. Attila (of Mayhem and other outfits) provides vocals that don't just send shivers down your spine, they shatter it. The riffs (if you could call them that) are quite simply: hypnotic. They spiral and churn in a way I'm yet to encounter again. The rumble they deliver isn't unlike having your entire body in a vibrating chair. While they are highly repetitive (which is an understatement if ever there was on) I find this really does work in their favour.Lyrically, this album is surprisingly complex. It may take repeated listens, but it's very assuring to know that there's more to what you're listening to than want you initially imagine there to be.

In conclusion, Sunn O)))'s Black One is a fantastic drone album, and one that I'm sure will be a gateway for many to get into the genre.