Rust in peace
Sad but not very surprising: RIP Nick Menza.
Nick Menza (image courtesy Megadeth.com)
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/former-megadeath-drummer-nick-menza-dies-after-collapsing-on-stage/ See the rest here
Author Archives: arse
Gorguts — Pleiades’ Dust
✦✦✦✧ This is Gorgut’s “Catch Thirty-Three,” an experimental, progressive, masterwork. This is not an easy listen, but it is dense and brutal and staggering. See the rest here
Black Tusk — Pillars Of Ash
✦✦✦✧ High-octane lo-fi sludgepunk that’s reminiscent at times of High On Fire, The Melvins, and Turnstile. I’d say more, but that goes against the grain of this slamfest. Just know that it’s a delightful windmillfest up in here. See the rest here
Rob Zombie — The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser
✦✧✧✧ This is an excellent caricature of Rob Zombie. All the superficial elements are here: big guitar tone, over affected vocals, infantile lyrics, and a fetish for utterly disposable B-movie and porn audio samples. What is regrettably new here is a penchant for out-of-nowhere pauses (including flourishes of acoustic guitar!), which disrupt any hope for decent pacing. See the rest here
Primitive Weapons — The Future of Death
✦✦✦✧ This album, one of the first released on Ben Weinman’s Party Smasher Inc. label, is a hard one to describe. I can hear elements of Pallbearer, Dillinger, QOTSA, ETID, Mastodon… and while these are all good bands to emulate, this Brooklyn quarter weave them all together in a way that feels fresh and energetic. See the rest here
Tombs — All Empires Fall
✦✦✧✧ This is a marked improvement over the band’s last album, “Savage Gold.” It’s more mature, and the band are more self-assured in their exploration of black metal (laced with metalcore elements). And it’s heavy, thanks to a delightfully prominent bass. Worth a listen? Sure. See the rest here
Aborted — Retrogore
✦✦✦✧ This album is as subtle as a root canal. But that’s what you want from these Belgian death metal masters. So what if nothing here really stands out as an instant classic? Your knuckles may wind up bloody nevertheless. There are notable cameos on “Retrogore” (from the likes of Revocation and Origin), but that’s like putting a parsley garnish on a flambé. See the rest here
Painted Wives — Obsessed With The End
✦✦✦✧ Apparently, Layne Staley faked his own death, moved to Southern California, and fronted this doomrock band. So they’ve got that going for them. But in addition, this is some interesting and catchy swagger, reminiscent of QOTSA and 36CF. Come for the crooning, stay for the dooming! See the rest here
Aluk Todolo — Voix
✦✦✦✧ This instrumental power trio’s latest album weaves a nasty web of psychedelic trance mayhem, best described as an intersection between Boris, Don Caballero, Pallbearer, and Gojira. It’s purely of-the-moment, which makes for a compelling and effective forced meditation, albeit difficult to remember. And it’s really meant to be listened to all in one go, which makes it a workout for the listener (not to mention for the band themselves). See the rest here
Otep — Generation Doom
✦✧✧✧ The album starts with Otep yelling, “I don’t give a fuck!” That makes two of us, throughout this thoroughly derivative Soulfly-meets-Coal-Chamber-meets-Slipknot hour. You’re going to want to hear their cover of Lorde’s “Royals,” but probably not for the reason that the band intended. See the rest here
