@Necro

@ Dystopia, re: White NOise

One of my favorite albums ever - but strangely enough...you picked my least favorite song off of it! Of course, my least favorite Radiohead song beats the vast majority of other music....but still! Very odd.

First of all though, the production on this song is dope as hell - we have a sort of trip-hop feel to it, bordering on a Massive Attack sound - but completely grounded by Yorke's melodious vocals and that earthly phaser bass...one of the better balances of harsh and angelic on the album - all culminating in the chorus of the song...with long drags of bass and slight guitar work. Ugh - what an emotional song - especially with Yorke's vocal tracking in the background, manipulated by sonic forces, complimenting yet strangely removing his presence from the song...making the lyrical matter intense and brooding without being dramatic and ridiculous. And of course - DAT CLIMAX.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISgwLkgrdCQ

Even though I believe you deserve mutliple kicks in the nads, delivered painfully and slowly, that's a very good song, Frog. I enjoy the how much space is given to the drums which help lend to the melancholic feel. It gets a bit crowded towards the end, but the twangy guitars give off a nice shoegaze vibe. Vocals like the singer's can be hard to pull off, often sounding fake and pretentious, but I feel like he pulls it off here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHcFWcnS94E

I think pretentious is literally the last word I'd use to describe Spencer Krug....

Oh, I'm aware brother - quite aware - I guess because I know the guy's background - it never once crossed my mind...but alas, that is a mere personal sentiment.

Turbonegro - I got erection

Ahaha, I remember this from when I was a teenager. I think I heard Satyricon's cover version first. Despite being a joke song, it is pretty good. The riffing when it is present kicks in, and the chorus is both catchy and funny. I do dig a lot of Turbonegro's stuff when I'm in the right mood, been listening to them since I was 14. Anyway, pretty good stuff from when they were more punk oriented. Ass Cobra is a good album, for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 2Xz2tDTjgI

Oroku - The End is Near

I don't listen to a lot of crust, but this is the first time I've listened to something that was Sludge/Crust. At first the the violins kind of put me off, but once the vocals and the guitars came in, I saw what it was going for. The vocals and melancholic violins fit the depressing, misanthropic lyrics well. It was losing me a bit in the middle after a while when the speed picked up, but I got back into it when it slowed down again and the violins came in on top of the guitars, which ended it pretty well. I'll probably check out more of these guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1dQZfkb8CQ

Tyler (OF, Golf Wang, Kill People, Burn Shit, Fuck School) - "Answer"

I really wanted to see Tyler grow up - and for the most part - he did. This song is quite literally one of the very few excellent tracks off of his newest ("Parking Lot", "Colossus" "PartyIsn'tOver.."). The beat is butter - smooth samples, excellent use of female vocals, a lo-fi production and a really awesome sense of pacing and bass usage. The lyrics are probably the most honest Tyler's been since Bastard and it's a hell of an improvement over the kinda shitty album Goblin. I really wanted to like this album - a ton. But, as it stands - this is definitely one of the better hip-hop songs out right now, and the terrible sense of honesty and open content is really rare and awesome. But, more importantly, he grew up as a producer - which is incredible to see.

So, if he sticks to this sort of emo rap, I think he'll do fine. I would just hate to see him stay a swearing/straight-edge asshole.

Now for the anthem of my lonely life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FihmbN9obl4

Keaton Henson - "Teach me"

It's no secret that I'm a bitter, hateful man who's quite at home with a bout of 4am maudlin-drunk introspection, and the music that tends to go along with it. But there are limits, and I think I just found one. Something so gushy, so painfully earnest that my inner "ghost of John Wayne" just slapped me around a bit and said "now harden up Pilgrim". There is a skeleton of a song here, just unaccompanied, thin arpeggios, which supports, like Christ on the cross, the emasculated vocals as they trawl the depths of self pity. And sadly, like the aforementioned Jewish carpenter, this trope keeps on coming back, a thousand-faced devil breeding in coffee-shops, open-mic nights and college dorms around the world. You could say that it's all Bob Dylan's fault, with assistance from Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. But any of those 3 might have been able to turn this song into something profound, something yearning rather than grovelling. The whole effect is of the "nice guy syndrome" you read about from time to time, which is pathetic rather than tragic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1tZOlUlRI8

Oooooh yeah... this is fucking great. Opening in a similar fashion to the Carnivore track Jack Daniel's and Pizza (only earlier, and not as graphic), this legendary band unleashes upon you with trademark, pulsating bass lines and pure genius guitar work. Imagine Dawnrazor being more industrial and linear - and angrier. The title of this number sums it all up fairly well lyrically, but you have Jaz Coleman at your disposal, whose delivery really makes this shine. The single-mindedness of the main rhythm is bloody infectious, and gives you something solid to settle inside of, like a pounding (urban) tribal trance; absolute brilliance. In addition to this, there is a whole array of masterful guitar sections weaving in and about this with adroit deliverance, giving extra space to what is in essence, a rather taut and tight piece. Bloody marvelous.

Going in a different direction altogether.... Headphones will do a world of wonders for this one.

Massive Attack - Angel

Been meaning to get more into these guys, everything I've heard so far I've loved. I don't know much about the whole trip-hop thing, but they always hit the spot when I'm in the mood. This starts off with some hypnotic bass and echo-laden drum effects. The driving bass really propels the song forward. Eventually more drums are added, which is a nice touch. I'd usually not be into a man doing these type of vocals (very high-pitched and melodic) but somehow it works here. I don't even really like the dude's voice all that much, it just works in this context. Good song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JqqVLRzUN8

Oak & Bone - Oakener

What an awesome song. I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to hear when I saw the album cover. The ambient intro threw me off, but the moment the guitar introduced the main melody I knew there was no mistaking it...good old stoner rock! Goddamn, those bluesy riffs hit the spot. I adore the thick and warm fuzziness of the guitars and the throbbing bass. The main riff is so perfect, that lazy reverbyness just perfectly captures the experience of MJ-induced altered consciousness. Loved it. Can't really comment on the vocals since there barely were any. Pretty short but sweet, though I stupidly waited till the end of the video in case there was anything more to hear (there isn't).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q-DmszAjYo

@Crushed

Perturbator - "Retrogenesis"

I'm trying to decide if this is meant to be ironic or not - the artwork makes me thing it may be. But that matters not a jot, as I'm a big fan of the stuff they are (ironically or otherwise) referencing - Front 242, early Skinny Puppy, Jean Michelle Jarre, Vangelis,Gary Numan, John Carpenter film soundtracks etc. You can just about see how this is put together - in my day it would have been an 808 drum machine and 2 synths, one with the arpegiator turned on and the other playing the string bends. I guess now it's done on fruityloops or logic, but the effect is the same. I dont listen to it much these days, but the original version of EBM, ie really cold/mechanical Belgian/Dutch techno, was always a favourite of mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhQrU5wmofE

@Poisonfume

I really wanted to hear a song and do a review, but I just can't do another track like Scorntyrant's....we were on a role there for a while with me really enjoying his selections, but the hip-hop isn't really working for me..I've got at least two or three such songs in this thread and all my comments would sound the same anyway ("he never shuts up and I don't really get it....)...So someone step up!

Cannibal Ox - Angels and Insects

Holy shit, CanOx is back? I had no idea, and this is ballin news. As usual, the lyricism, flow and tag-team efforts are on-fucking-spot - proving that for the most part - no one has a better understanding of unorthodox lyrics and flow than these dudes. An incredibly ethereal beat provides the perfect setting for the vast vocabulary and spaceman flow that the group is known for. However, I did find that the beat was lacking, especially given the fact that The Cold Vein has one of the greatest production jobs of all time - like Bauhaus made hip-hop. This one, while good, is nothing on the old mixtapes and LP. But, with that said - the actual song is so killer that you really just gotta praise the gods of cool that these guys are making new music.

This one's for Abom, warning: it's an incredibly amazing drinking song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX1tA0Jkgbw

The Almighty Defenders - Bow Down and Die

This is exactly the kind of thing my dad would sing if he got really drunk with his mates in a pup. For some reason, the instruments seem to be recorded ok, but they seemed to have borrowed the equipment Darkthrone used on Under A Funeral Moon to record vocals. The singing isn't great, but it's ok chanting, Misfits-style. There are some really weird shrieks sometime in the middle. The same riff seems to be repeated over and over, and it's a boring riff at that. I'll never going to get those 4 minutes back ever again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxeI46kd60I

@ froggyfrogfrog:

@Abominatrix

Stellar Corpses: "Love LIke This"

The name led me to expect some kind of modern dark cabaret type music, or maybe rockabilly. This is actually ...I guess I would call it pop punk or something. It reminds me of a lot of stuff I used to hear on the radio in the 90s. The best thing about this is that it's fast and energetic, with vocals that call to mind Bad Religion just a little bit in their harmonised catchiness. The bass tone was nice and dirty and the guitar chugged along with a bit of grit but not much outstanding quality. This isn't something I'd really seek out as it seems a bit too standard and safe to really capture my attention but I listened to it a few times and I'd probably let it play if it came on the radio in a car or something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xJAvI-LIys

@ExNoctemNacimur

Arzachel - Queen St. Gang

I quite enjoyed it. It's very loungey, but not quite, because the musicians are better than that. The instruments have a pleasing tone. The bass line is quite . . . groovy . . . and the melodies are interesting enough to make me listen to it again. It's not very energetic, but you don't expect it to be. It's quite different from what non-metal I listen to (which is punk and folk music), but I'll probably listen to the rest of the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2kc570KwUs

@ Philfrog

Wow. I liked this a lot. This is an old Swedish folktale, which builds slowly with very sombre vocals and a gradual build, or swelling of instrumentation, which does so in a simplistic way, but to great effect. What I did like was the addition of an English translation so you could follow the story, which obviously is sung in Swedish. The language is beautifully mellifluous, with haunting medieval undertones (naturally). The story is one of a woman who wished to marry a certain gentleman, but being non-christian, she begs to him with promises of many things, both otherworldly and mundane. It does have a slightly repetitive nature to it though, and never really strays from the the same pattern it opens with, but for me, that is a minor quibble.

In keeping somewhat with the last one...

Qntal - All For One

I really liked this. Like, really really liked it. The vocals are operatic and beautiful. There's a slow buildup from the vocals alone, then the electronic elements are added, then these elements get "thicker" as more different melodies and sounds are added. The melodies all fit together well. There's a lot going on, but instead of sounding polyphonic, it sounds homophonic, which is interesting. Overall, it was very interesting and good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAvMx8aHKGM

Hagalaz' Runedance - Hel: Goddess of the Underworld

Cool. I'd always been aware of HR, and own the first album. Always interested me because I love the Aghast album and I was always reading interviews with Nebel where her level of occult scholarship seemed more than the usual superficial stuff you read in band interviews.
Anyway, the track is a dark take on mid-era Dead Can Dance with nods to stuff like Sol Invictus and other World Serpent Records acts (interestingly, the first time I met Doug from Death in June we were talking about HR for a while). Certainly for a lot of Metal fans, hurdy gurdy and bagpipes conjures up images of those awful twee folk metal bands, but I think stuff like this is a good antidote - its folky (Volkisch?) without being awful hey-hey drinking music. Patient and stately percussion and a powerful and clear female voice round out the track.
It's a bit sad that I almost totally forgot about this stuff. Given that I've been listening to a lot of Andrew King and so forth, I should really go back and listen to some more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRbHQm79Gbc

@Scorntyrant

Paul Roland - Wyndham Hill

This is really good, not hugely into the vocals (very melodic with a bit of an English accent) but they work with the sound. This is folky, acoustic driven and has a vague psychedelic aura without really being obvious about it. The extra instrumentation does wonders to enhance the atmosphere, featuring dreamy synths and some great strings. Overall, have to say I approve. Never heard of these guys before, but they definitely succeed at what they set out to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXI7Zc2tLQ

Sixto Rodriguez - Only Good for Conversation

Holy blues Batman! This is funky, sexy, terribly cool and personal at the same time. This is a definitive badass song - that main riff is memorable and makes you want to dance with that sexy fox you know and take her home - inspite of the fact that she'll break your heart. Effortlessly cool and endlessly entertaining with minimalist delivery and lyrics - making it an ideal hard rock/bluesy song. The production is thick and meaty, heavy on the fuzz and bass, and sounds like something the Black Keys would try to write. Truly awesome, and definitely makes me want to check out the band.

Now, for my drinking song of choice - one of the sexiest women I know singing right now. I could marry this song and be happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jv61aRmV0Q

"Lullaby" - Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter

I like funeral doom and the blues for similar reasons, apparently. There's no choice but to slow down if one is to listen well. The mastering on the song is impeccable. Buttery country music warmth, with the atmosphere of the lovelorn as only blues can craft: enveloping, simplified distance.

It's much like every lullaby I've ever known, more heartbreaking than soporiphic. Yes. If you married this song, Frog, you would live long a well-loved man.

::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SbhD-BCKCQ

Damn. This was some strange, creepy almost Gregorian inspired bleak coldness. Haunting and piercing harmonised vocals make up the bulk of this short stab of ghostly presentation, punctuated by an almost inaudible whispering. So this is my introduction to Moëvöt then? This is an entity I have heard many things about during my years of scouring and lurking in the underground, and I must say that this piece in particular has a certain unearthly... presence about it. The pure, cold clarity of the vocals are indeed chilling, and invoke images of phantoms and spirits aimlessly wandering the desolate, abandoned places of their untimely doom, searching for rest, or vengeance, whilst existing in a state of eternal restlessness. Interesting.

Until I listened to this I was going to post something else. But after hearing it, the only place for me to go now is here...

Leaves me pretty cold, I guess, but not in a terribly good way. I won't deny that it's pretty cool, although I'd reckon those drums would be done much better with mallets. The whole 1930's dracula vibe or whatever it's going for is never an atmosphere that I've ever found to be all that interesting though. So one to chalk up on the "well done, but not very interesting" list. The piano is kinda cool, but overall I don't really see the point of it, somewhat superfluous. Sounds like it shoulda been cut into two seperate interludes throughout the album.

Have some post rock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3iCSnsBQs0 I kinda loathe this band for being pretentious, enya w/guitar dudes, but I listen to them a lot anyway as they churn out some very nice material.

Hammock - Ten Thousand Years Won't Save Your Life

Wow, I don't know how I feel about this at all. I totally get what you mean about the Enya reference. Starts out with some bittersweet and somewhat sappy ambient and builds from there and begins to deconstruct again around 4 minutes in. While I find the tones and especially the singing a bit sappy (sorry, that's really the only word I can find to describe it), they're really good at what they do. The sort of string thing near the end was pretty nice. Not sure I'd listen to it again, not really my thing and I didn't dig the vocals, but I can admit they are good at what they do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w9bZ-TSJEs

dälek - Eyes to Form Shadows

Yeah. Loved these guys since I first heard them.

We've mentioned Cannibal Ox as being very dark/semi-industrial hip-hop, but Dalek was always much harsher. Like imagining what Godflesh would have been like if they started out as hip-hop rather than grind. One of the few artists in their genre (or should that be niche?) who appreciate capital-N Noise. Much the same way as grindcore is the logical extension of rock and roll if you strip out all the "let me hold your hand" elements and replace them with urban paranoia, this is what you end up with if you strip out any and all trace of 70's soul or smooth jams from hip-hop and replace them with elements more informed by industrial and metal (without going all 90's nu metal or Ill Bill style bad taste with it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbb192bVGAU