GODFLESH / Purge (2023)

Opening track Nero is an ardent recall that's reminiscent of Pure but awash with Streetcleaner's punishing DNA, too. Thereafter it's a mixed bag. The apocalyptic hip-hop beats that JKB is fond of feature often, but there's some unusual layering. Like an industrial journey roadmap, it has twists and turns that provide intrigue and/or distraction. The tonal shifts make it seem like an alternate world evolution from Pure onwards, with elements characteristic of Selfless and Us and Them taking occasional prominence. But like any real world journey, it's not perfect. Permission could fit on a cyberpunk movie soundtrack, while Lazarus Leper's repetitive drone will be hypnotic to some, but for me was too long and demo-like, lacking clout. Before I do the same, I'll end this review with a summation: it's familiar enough to satisfy the faithful, but different enough to be divisive.

Songs of Note: Nero; Army of Non

3 burning rivers out of 5

FALL OUT BOY / So Much (For) Stardust (2023)

 

Inscribed like stone and faded by the rain,
"Give up what you love, Give up what you love, before it does you in." 

 

 

The simple truth is that when this album was released, I wasn’t in a place to be willing, or able, to hear what it was trying to say.

I was wrong.
No worries; I’m infinitely and intimately used to that, at this point.

The boys are vying impossibly hard to be Costello’s preeminent students, and succeeding with flying colors, folding unsavory and disastrous topics into diabetically-sweet confections in ways that honestly, handily lap the master in his hey-day. You shouldn’t be able to write one of catchiest songs ever, about a pandemic, but they damn-well fucking did.

I said that there wasn’t much in the way of connections between the first two songs and the rest; in truth, the lyrics wrap around on themselves in dizzying ways akin to the time loop that births the Song of Storms. To the point where I frankly believe the emotional conclusion arrives at a point other than the final song in the tracklist.

Songs of Note: Fake Out; The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)


5 Engine Revving Resolutions out of 5

I'm going to talk about their update of We Didn't Start the Fire, real quick, since they stuck it in the playlist for ...Stardust. Seeing people freak out during its live debut, instead of feeling existential dread, as intended? Endemic of part of FOB's fanbase. Please stop swooning over them; ACTUALLY listen to the lyrics. Of all of their songs.

I am obviously ecstatic that they mention The Black Parade, but it took me a bit to remember that Green Day's iconic set took place at Woodstock '94, not Woodstock '99. There was one in '99?!?! I thought they had paid tribute to two of the all-time greatest, but apparently it was just the one.

From all of the history of gaming, they chose Metroid? Should have ended a verse with something like, "Final Fantasy VI, wasn't really III."

Without a doubt, though, it needed to be:

"Keanu Reeves is Neo, man."