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MONTHLY RIPPERS: APRIL 2013

Published at: 06:04 pm - Sunday April 28 2013

RIPPER OF THE MONTH

VHOL (Profound Lore)
Released: April 16, 2013

I’m not a black metal aficionado so I will be completely forthcoming: I probably wouldn’t have looked twice at VHOL, but upon hearing of a band comprised of members from Hammers Of Fortune and YOB, it was impossible to ignore. Rooted primarily in black metal, they incorporate elements of d-beat hardcore and classic metal to formulate a whirlwind of an album. The turn-on-a-dime rhythm section highlights drummer Aesop Dekker’s (Agalloch, Worm Ouroborus, Ludrica) furious blasts and gallops and the crunchy bass of Sigrid Sheie (Hammers). YOB mastermind Mike Scheidt propels a mix of black metal howls with a nod to the screeching of Celtic Frost and Judas Priest. Lead guitarist John Cobbett (Hammers, Ludicra) spawned this band as a way to channel the post-Ludicra material. While I never paid much attention to Ludicra, you can definitely pick up his signature leads and shreds from Hammers Of Fortune. Their self-titled debut is intense and awesome from start to finish, and while the “supergroup” term causes folks in the metal world to grimace, VHOL is certainly greater than the sum of their parts.

Stream “Illuminate” from Stereogum.
Stream “Insane With Faith” at NPR.

Anciients – Heart Of Oak (Season Of Mist)
Released: April 16, 2013

I would listen to Opeth if Opeth sounded more like Vancouver’s Anciients. The comparisons are evident. First off, the musical proficiency is OFF THE CHARTS. Each member in the band can play their instrument, and play it very well. The vocals are incredible. The growls offer just the right “bite” and the clean vocals are crisp and serene. The songs are lengthy but well-crafted, progressive but memorable, melodic but heavy. Each track in this adventurous debut offers several riffs that will leave a lasting impression. So yes, with those descriptive traits, you could easily compare Anciients to Opeth, but I don’t give a shit about Opeth. You *should* give a shit about Anciients.

Blaak Heat Shujaa – The Edge Of An Era (Tee Pee)
Released: April 9, 2013

Parisian imports Blaak Heat Shujaa have made LA their new home, a much more productive environment for their brand of heavy psychedelic desert rock. When I say “desert rock”, your mind might automatically jump to a band like Kyuss, which is fine, but while I proudly wave the QOTSA flag, I can’t get into Kyuss. BHS is much more weird and interesting. “The Revenge Of The Feathered Peasant”, off last year’s The Storm Generation EP, initially caught my ear (and eyes, the picturesque video shown above), and their latest full-length builds further upon it, adding layers of middle eastern influenced licks and classic prog rock. Seriously, be sure to watch the above video on YouTube on full screen and 1080p. Drugs or not, it’s quite the trip.

Shining – One One One (Prosthetic)
Released: April 23, 2013

Norwegian self-proclaimed “blackjazz” metallers have compiled another album of weird proportions. Although a little more straight-forward than their last outing, One One One still manages to throw a few curveballs along the way, which is why I keep tabs on Shining. They inject some electronic spaz with trippy keyboards on “My Dying Drive”, and mainman Jørgen Munkeby still has some freakout saxophone moments on “I Won’t Forget” and “The One Inside”. I’m more attune to this Shining album than Blackjazz, because I felt Shining was trying TOO hard there (did we really need a “21st Century Shizoid Man” cover?). While One One One is a bit frontloaded, it’s still a refreshing change from the metal monotony.

GHOST – Infestissumam (Loma Vista)
Released: April 9, 2013

From the moment they uproariously arrived on the scene a mere three years ago, GHOST instantly split the metal community in half. You either love or hate them. Go on any metal blog, and you’ll see the same song and dance: “They’re not metal”, “Costumes are nothing but a gimmick”,  ”Satan worship really??”, “They’re on a major label now?”..  blah blah blah. Hey, if your band crafts songs with infectious soaring choruses like “Year Zero” and “Depth Of Satan’s Eyes” and spins Mr. Bungle quirkiness (“Secular Haze” and “Zombie Queen”), I don’t care what you look like. I fell hard for their debut Opus Eponymous and I am further entangled in this latest release. And I’ll be seeing them in person (for the 2nd time) next month in Milwaukee!

bovine

Bovine – The Sun Never Sets On The British Empire (F.D.A.)
Released: April 12, 2013

Can’t say how happy I am to have stumbled upon this independent English band. They’re a lovely blend of the southern sludge, Mastodon and Baroness, with vocals reminiscent of Chris Cornell. And as I’ve said before, if you throw any tinge of grunge into your metal, SIGN ME UP. No seriously, the riffs are insanely catchy and the vocals are simply perfect (w/a little Josh Homme in there too).. big but not too pretty. I will jab these guys for the album’s title track which bears a little too much resemblance to Baroness’s “Swollen And Halo”. But all in all, I was on board from the minute one. Unlike listening to most music for the very first time, the payoff with Bovine’s debut is instant and gratifying. Choice cuts include “The Battle Of The Sinkhole”, “Ghost Chair”, and “Military Wife”.

Other Notables
Cough/Windhand Split (Relapse)
One song from doom heavyweights Cough and two from Virginia’s Windhand, who also have a full-length due later this year. It’s never a competition, and despite both offerings being extremely heavy, Windhand wins this race. Streaming at Brooklyn Vegan.

Lair Of The Minotaur – Godslayer EP (Grindhouse)
A couple of brutal tracks from Chicago’s very own doom/thrash act, celebrating Record Store Day with this latest EP. The closing synths on “The Black Heart Of The Stygian Drakonas” really threw me for a loop though. In a good way, of course. Streaming from their Bandcamp.

Monthly Bummers
Tried it but didn’t like it: Purson, Zozobra, Across Tundras, Howl, Coliseum, Black Pyramid, Beastwars, The Moth Gatherer, Lo!, Halmos, The Ocean, Enabler’s EP, and most disappointingly, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats. I loved their debut, Blood Lust, but nothing clicked with Mind Control. The helium-pitched vocals were buried a little too deep in the mix this time around, and there was certainly nothing living up to the occult-loving fun I had with “I’ll Cut You Down“.

Hear most of the above-mentioned albums on my Spotify playlist.

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MONTHLY RIPPERS: MARCH 2013

Published at: 06:03 pm - Friday March 29 2013

Inter Arma – Sky Burial (Relapse)
Released: March 19, 2013

This one easily tops my list this month. Inter Arma, a progressive metal five-piece from Richmond VA, have created an amazingly impressive album. The songwriting is well-constructed, the musicianship is top-notch, and by the time you’ve listened to all 66 minutes of their latest album, you will need to rest because of the extensive journey you just embarked upon. It’s dark, blasting, and heavy (opener “The Survival Fires”), pretty and serene (the excellent instrumental “Love Absolute”), and I hate to use the adjective epic, but there’s no other way to describe the awesome 13-minute closing title track, ranking up there with my favorite Mastodon song, ”Hearts Alive”. It’s only March, but it will take a hefty contender to knock this album off the top shelf for the year-end prize.

batillus

Batillus – Concrete Sustain (Seventh Rule)
Released: March 19, 2013

I never paid much attention to Batillus’s first album Furnace, but after seriously digging their latest release, Concrete Sustain, I’m wondering what took me so long to get into this great doom band. First things first, “Cast” has the most incredible RIFF. I can’t get enough of it! It’s one of those riffs that will grab you instantly, kinda like High On Fire’s “10,000 Years“. And speaking of hooks, the shouting chorus of opener “Concrete” also ranks supreme, complimented by some fine staccato drumming. These first two tracks are worth the price alone, but the rest of Concrete trudges along perfectly too, with some angry “Mirrors” and the depressive “Thorns”. As someone who does not celebrate the industrial subgenre, I can say that Batillus utilizes those tones in just the right manner, with an explosive snare hit here or a short ambient ditty there. They killed it at The Wisco here in Madison earlier this month, and this record packs the same dangerous punch.

Streaming in full over at Metalsucks.

saintjames

The Saint James Society – Bab(a/y)lon Rising (Tee Pee)
Released: March 12, 2013

Bands claiming to be psychedelic/garage are usually hit-or-miss with me, but there’s something special about Austin’s Saint James Society that begs repeated listens. Plus, they’re on a great record label, Tee Pee, also boasting personal favorites The Shrine, Naam, and Blaak Heat Shujaa. SJS expertly combines 60′s fuzz with their own dark weirdness to create the perfect nighttime driving soundtrack. If you’re into today’s like-minded spellcasters Black Mountain and QOTSA or unique classic bands like Velvet Underground and The Doors, this is your new jam. Put the top down, let your hair out, and get out on the highway.

Stream the title track from their Soundcloud.

kenmode

KEN Mode – Entrench (Season Of Mist)
Released: March 19, 2013

Canadian noise-rockers KEN Mode are back with a new album, a short two years after their last, the excellent Venerable. There’s still plenty of pissed-off, spastic, aggressive songs in the form of “The Promises Of God” and the finger-pointing, head-nodding “Your Heartwarming Story Makes Me Sick”. While it sounds like they’re still young and angry at the world and keeping true to their hardcore roots, there’s no dismissing the maturity found in well-constructed compositions “Romeo Must Never Know” and the lullaby closer “Monomyth”. The Juno award winners have raised the bar yet again.

nails

Nails – Abandon All Life (Southern Lord)
Released: March 19, 2013

This aptly-named grind/hardcore/crust quartet will pummel you into the ground with their latest seventeen minutes of fury. I mean really, what an appropriate moniker: they’re “tough as”, the music is “driving”, and before I get carried away with more hammer similes, you really owe it to check this one out. It’s extreme from start to finish. There’s plenty of grind for those who simply want to rage, but my personal highlights were found in the creepy “sigh” of the slow-paced “Wide Open Wound” and the throaty rasp let out in “Suum Cuique”, announcing the album’s conclusion. Two gems in an otherwise rough album.

Streaming in full over at Revolver.

Other Notables:
White Widows EP (self-released)
Brooklyn hardcore group containing members of Goes Cube and Primitive Weapons. I like both of those bands and I also like this band. Streaming from their Bandcamp.

Olde Growth – Owl EP (self-released)
Nature-friendly doom/stoner/sludge band whose last album was a 2011 favorite of mine. This follow-up EP also delivers. Streaming from their Bandcamp.

Call Of The Void – Dragged Down A Dead End Path (Relapse)
A straight-up UGLY debut. Sounds like a cross between Napalm Death, Pig Destroyer, and Converge. Gnarly. Streaming from their Bandcamp.

Monthly Bummers:
It turns out I don’t like Kvelertak. I thought I did. I liked the last album. This one didn’t do anything for me. Every song goes for about 2 minutes longer than it should. In retrospect, it doesn’t sound terribly different than their debut so I was probably drinking the novelty koolaid three years ago. (black ‘n roll? norweigan dudes singing in their native tongue? three guitarists? etc. etc.)

Hear most of the above-mentioned albums on my Spotify playlist.

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MONTHLY RIPPERS: JAN/FEB 2013

Published at: 06:02 pm - Friday February 22 2013

Romero – Take The Potion (Grindcore Karaoke)
Released: January 29, 2013

Romero is one of my favorite local bands. So yeah, after this latest release by Madison’s own ROMERO, I have to take the “local” out of the previous statement because Take The Potion is great on ANY level. It’s not fair to lump them solely in the “stoner rock” genre. While they proudly wave their Sabbath flag, the overall attitude of the album is much more aggressive, and dare I say, “upbeat”. It’s doom, it’s sludge, there’s barking and howling, and neither vocal brand is too overdone. They tip their hat to Melvins with the weird noodlings of “Couch Lock” and wonderfully incorporate some studio organs on standout track “Wheeling Deervish”. Romero also reminds me of another favorite band, Bloodhorse. But back to Take The Potion.. download and name your price at Bandcamp! No excuses. It’s great! Congrats, guys. Madison is proud of you!

Kongh – Sole Creation (Agonia)
Released: February 19, 2013

Swedish heavyweights KONGH are back with a new album, and it does not disappoint in the least. Despite being a power trio, they pack a wallop of doom in their four lengthy tracks, picking up right where the previous release (and also impressive) Shadows Of The Shapeless, left off. Honestly, the introductory title track is worth the price alone, as the guitars cast a pulsating headnod before erupting into an infectious grand chorus. The remainder of the album spins and weaves without getting too far off the beaten path. If you like your doom big, thick, and chunky like YOB or Eagle Twin, you need to get on this.

Burnt Books – S/T (At A Loss)
Released: January 29, 2013

South Carolina experimental hardcore act BURNT BOOKS definitely keep the ferocity fresh with their debut full-length. They are led by chameleon vocalist Zoë Lollis, who screams, yelps, chants, and eerily drops some folk over some dissonant banjo, like on “Materialist Conspiracy Theorist”. She is very reminiscent of Made Out Of Babies vocalist Julie Christmas, and I know she could probably get even weirder on our asses in subsequent releases. If nothing else, BB will keep you guessing throughout their ten maniacal songs.

Streaming in full over at Invisible Oranges.

Baptists – Bushcraft (Southern Lord)
Released: February 19, 2013

This is some straight up piss ‘n vinegar hardcore metal from Vancouver. They certainly earned the Converge stamp of approval by having Kurt Ballou behind the board. For most of the half hour, the eleven tracks push and shove their way around, much like labelmates Black Breath, but the slower, bottom-scraping moments of “Still Melt” and “Soiled Roots” will give you a chance to breathe, but just barely, before getting slammed back into the pit.

Streaming in full over at Exclaim!

King Loses Crown – You Can’t Escape EP (Minus Head)
Released: February 19, 2013

Not usually my cup of tea, I couldn’t help but be sucked in by their extremely well-made music video for “My Revenge”. It is winning some well-deserved sci-fi awards for the impressive robotic action. Best described as a cross between Devo, Depeche Mode, and Ministry, San Fran’s King Loses Crown lays down some heavy and catchy “four-on-the-floor” industrial pounding with their six-song EP. But seriously, watch the video.

God Damn – I’m A Lazer, You’re A Radar 4-track single (Gravy/Distorted Tapes)
Released: February 11, 2013

Anytime the 90′s, and grunge in particular, can find a way to rear its ugly head in today’s heavy music, you have my attention.

Other notables:
Wartorn – Iconic Nightmare (Southern Lord)
Wisconsin strikes again with Appleton’s relentless crust crew. Streaming at BlowTheScene.

Eight Bells – The Captain’s Daughter (Seventh Rule)
Portland post-black metal journey through a psychedelic headspin. Streaming at Metal Insider.

Death Wolf – II: Black Armoured Death (Century Media)
Danzig-influenced black metal/punk. Streaming at Lambgoat.

Hear all the above-mentioned albums on my Spotify playlist.

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JUSTIN’S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2012

Published at: 09:12 pm - Thursday December 20 2012

I feel much better about this list than yesteryear‘s, and like the last one, I knew right away when I heard my #1 album of the year. In the end, it’s the heavy metal songwriting that wins it for me. My top pick of 2010 was Ghost, and 2011 went to Red Fang, and like Royal Thunder, they all can arrange a memorable tune and use their musicianship to back it up instead of showing off.

This was also the first official year of Goodshakes, the metal blog. To those who read, thank you! It’s a fun hobby of mine, and while it’s not regularly updated, it’ll be around! Please take the time to “like” it on Facebook. Ok, without further ado, here are my favorite FIFTEEN albums of the year. The #1 is the only one ranked; the rest in no particular order.

Royal Thunder – CVI (Relapse)
Normally I don’t go for the female-fronted blues/doom metal type, but the vocal performance of bassist Mlny Parsonz is undeniable. As a band, they combine the swagger of Zeppelin and Sabbath with the grime and heartache of the South. Again, I know there’s a plethora of retro rock bands floating around, but RT’s riffs are way too heavy to be lumped into that category. The production is explosive and thick, and thankfully not the overused, warm vintage sound you might expect with the classic rock influence. The music is dark and the vocals are haunting, but they are not another one of those occult rock bands. “Parsonz Curse” and “Whispering World” properly introduce the band with some straight-ahead aggressiveness, but you don’t get to fully know them until the epic number “Blue”, winning the award for Best Nighttime Driving Song. I had the opportunity to see them perform earlier this year in Madison, and I absolutely lost myself. They just owned the night. And my year end list.

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LIVE RECAP: HIGH ON FIRE / GOATWHORE / LO-PAN / ZEBRAS

Published at: 07:12 pm - Wednesday December 12 2012

December 9, 2012
High Noon Saloon
Madison, WI

Madison hit the jackpot with this metal lineup, being the only Wisconsin stop on the 32-date HOF/Goatwhore/Lo-Pan tour. Sorry, Milwaukee! Local spazcore/synth/punk outfit ZEBRAS rounded out the bill, and while they’re not technically “metal”, they certainly held their own and got the audience all giddy and excited early on in the evening.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about stoner/fuzz quartet LO-PAN, who looked like they were going to fall over in exhaustion (it was a Sunday, I guess). That didn’t matter much because death metal titans GOATWHORE soon took over, and while I’m not normally a fan of their brand of metal, it was hard to say otherwise while they were absolutely destroying the stage. Fists were pumping non-stop, the pit was going apeshit, and they wore spikes on their arms.. what more do you need?

The legendary HIGH ON FIRE did not disappoint either as they held me and many others in a trance during slow burners like (my) favorite “10,000 Years” (from The Art Of Self-Defense). It was a bummer I lost my spot between set changes so I don’t have any footage of them, but the world has seen enough pictures of Matt Pike with his shirt off.

All in all, it was a successful Sunday night at the High Noon. As an added bonus, I quickly snapped a pic of some dude who busted his head open. Click “more” to see this gusher and the rest of my high-res videos and photos from the evening!

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