DIABOLOS RISING / Blood, Vampirism and Sadism (1996)

The second and to date last full length album from the satanically inclined electronic/industrial dance/darkwave duo is similar to their first release. I'm still unsure if they're having a laugh or being serious about the whole thing, but there's a more obvious attempt to produce something atmospheric this time, something less in-your-face aggressive. If Mika and Magus had continued the project and incorporated some of the finer elements from their day jobs, then Diabolos Rising could have spawned something really exciting.

Songs of Note: Satanic Propaganda; Necromanteion

3 Knight Rider themes out of 5

BATHORY / Bathory (1984)

Venom reportedly coined the phrase Black Metal, but it took the genius of Quorthon to turn it into something more than just playful word association; he gave it life. The first Bathory album is a primitive blast of distorted guitars, repetitive drums and fuzzy vocals that sound like they were recorded inside a dead tree. That lack of finesse doesn't diminish its power or importance; instead, it's the very thing that defines it. It's a landmark release that paved the way for Norway to explode with blackened creativity.

Songs of Note: Hades; Sacrifice

4 bloodstained goats out of 5

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY / Megalodon EP (2012)

The Corrosion of Conformity guys have been delivering fuzzed-up anthems for thirty years now, and despite being reduced to a three piece a while back they show no signs of stopping. The majority of the five-track Megalodon E.P, which at time of writing the band are giving as a free D/L (320) or stream, has an aggressive, sludgy Sabbath / Cathedral vibe. There are dozens of Sabs clones around, so it takes something special to stand out. CoC may just have found it.

Songs of Note: Feed On; The Megalodon

3 extinct sharks out of 5

ULVER / Teachings in Silence (2002)

Ulver continued to erode their musical barriers with two Minimalist/Ambient E.P.s called Silence Teaches You How to Sing (2001) and Silencing the Singing (2001) that were collected together as this the following year due to their exploring similar themes. It's a dark and strangely compelling work that teases some beautiful haunting melodies beneath the pops, crackles and ambient glitch. The sounds have a very definite sense of timing and purpose; they're not random occurrences.
If you're a fan of ambient, you'll know that sifting through the sheer volume of crap available can sometimes unearth a gem; Teachings in Silence sparkles.

Songs of Note: Darling Didn't We Kill You; Speak Dead Speaker

4 ghostly whisperings out of 5

KOJI KONDO / The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Original Soundtrack (2000)

Like the previous game soundtrack, Ocarina of Time (1998), the music of Majora's Mask was reliant on the N64's limited sound capabilities, but Koji once again managed to tease out some beautifully haunting themes that perfectly capture the environments they were designed to represent. It's possible the limitations actually worked in his favour, forcing him to be extra creative.
There are also familiar themes presented differently, reflecting the darker nature of the game. Its simplistic beauty is something that is fading from today's games.

Songs of Note: Chamber of Voices; Freed Souls

5 events undone out of 5

SABBAT / History of a Time to Come (1988)

Sabbat blew everyone out of the water when they dropped their début album on the Thrash Metal scene in 88. When Martin Walkyier's unique vocal style, intelligent lyrics, and perfect timing were paired with Andy Sneap's smorgasbord of frantic riffs something truly special was born. If you have any interest in the history of Thrash, you need to hear HoaTtC; its influence on later generations is impossible to measure. The links below sound like shit but is all I could find.
(On a personal note, the album art! Wow! It's like something GW might use, but that doesn't stop me loving it. It's one of my all-time favourite album covers.)

Songs of Note: A Cautionary Tale; The Church Bizarre

5 weapons drawn in anger out of 5

OINGO BOINGO / Dead Man's Party [1985]

Oingo Boingo briefly broke onto the mainstream charts with 1985's Dead Man's Party.  Their massive change in sound had a lot to do with it and in turn put off a lot of longtime fans.  Gone are the kooky time signatures,  the punk up attitude, the snarky darkly humorous lyrics, frantic guitar frolics and wild offbeat vocal styles.  All of it replaced by a smoothed over sound that is reminiscent of a quirky version of Duran Duran.  Not to say it's a bad record, in fact I'm awfully fond of several of the songs, it's just I preferred the Boingos who weren't afraid to offend.

3 dead Bus-conductors out of 5

Songs Of Note: Dead Man's Party; No One Lives Forever

NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS / Lawless (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[2012]

For director John Hillcoat's violent prohibition piece Lawless, regular collaborators Nick Cave & Warren Ellis pieced together quite an unexpected & interesting musical backdrop.  

While their limited score for the film goes largely ignored on the album it's the songs they've arranged that are put into the spotlight.  Cave & Ellis gather together notable acts such as Ralph Stanley, Mark Lanegan, Emmylou Harris & Willie Nelson to cover songs by Captain Beefheart, Townes Van Zandt & Velvet Undergound and tweak them to sound like genuine period pieces.  They manage to maintain the haunting canvas of their previous works while producing something completely fresh and exciting.

4 changes from meth to moonshine out of 5

Songs Of Note:  Burnin' Hell; Fire In The Blood [feat. Emmylou Harris]

LINDI ORTEGA / Cigarettes & Truckstops [2012]

Canadian country girl Lindi Ortega has been chipping away at making a name for herself for a good ten years and with her 2012 album Cigarettes & Truckstops she should receive the national recognition she rightfully deserves.

Her vocals sound close to Dolly Parton but her music sounds like a smoky bar ode to Emmylou Harris and Patsy Cline. She's got a playful, smoldering vocal style that's sultry, sad and exploding with enthusiastic soul.  It's vintage bluesy country that's hard to not like.

4 boys buried in the backyard out of 5

Songs Of Note:  Cigarettes & Truckstops; The Day You Die

GREEN DAY / On The Radio [2012]

Recorded live for a New Jersey radio station in 1992 while in support of Kerplunk, Green Day's On The Radio is a wonderful little treasure for only the most dedicated of fans.  

With sound as muddy as it is, I couldn't recommend it to anybody but a fanboy.  It's great to hear the band so youthful, raw, energetic and unaware of the turbulence they were about to hit 2 years later.  

3 Fifteen covers out of 5

Songs Of Note: Paper Lanterns; Christie Road

P.O.S. / We Don't Even Live Here [2012]

P.O.S. of the hip-hop collective known as Doomtree ventures into his fourth solo album, 2012's We Don't Even Live Here.

Well known for being the member that brings the punk rock elements to Doomtree, it's interesting to hear P.O.S. dive deep into the electro hip-hop sound here.  As angry and aggressive as the lyrics are, P.O.S.' vocal delivery it reserved and laidback, cleverly playing off the pulsating pianos, bouncy bass lines and skittish synth flows.  Clearly P.O.S. is just a powerful voice and producer on his own as he is as an ensemble.

4 Bon Iver's? out of 5

Songs Of Note: They Can't Come; All Of It

NO DOUBT / Push And Shove [2012]

After the initial shock and disappointment wore off with 2012's Push And Shove not being the nerdy ska-rocking No Doubt I was hoping for, I thought I'd come back to this album and give it a fair listen before Nutting it.

11 years after their last album, No Doubt come back in fine looking form with just the right amount of enthusiasm, confidence and drive to avoid sounding over the hill, with the exception of vocalist Gwen Stefani's groanworthy lyrics, who at times sounds like just like Madonna.  Comparisons to the Material Girl don't stop there, as the album is essentially a dance pop album.  Quality dance pop, but none the less dance pop, which simply just isn't my thing at all.  

3 hilariously banned music videos with Injuns out of 5

Songs Of Note: One More Summer; Push And Shove

FAITH NO MORE / Album Of The Year [1997]

Faith No More's final album before an 18 year hiatus, 1997's Album Of The Year, is generally known as the band's weakest work with vocalist Mike Patton. 

Critics, fans and even the band members have all spoken of their displeasure with the record.  It's dragged down by a dry, dull sounding mix, lack of input from half the band and just an all around nagging feeling of repeating watered down versions of their back catalogue.  There's a few songs scattered throughout the mix that are particularly excellent but still not enough to make a great album.  Less than a year after the album's release, Faith No More called it quits for the day.

3 pravda vítězi's out of 5

Songs Of Note: Stripsearch; Pristina

BLACK LIGHT BURNS / The Moment You Realize You're Going to Fall [2012]

5 years later, due to obligations with Limp Bizkit & Marilyn Manson, Wes Borland finally returns to his Black Light Burns project with a sophomore effort, 2012's The Moment You Realize You're Going To Fall. 

A quirky hybrid of nu metal, industrial & punk music, BLB cranks up the distortion on the bass and doesn't take it self as seriously as on 2005's Cruel Melody.  Borland's allowed his songwriting skills to organically flow & loosen up and it really shows for the better.  Clocking in at over an hour might be a bit much for some folks but for anyone who's been anxiously waiting 5 years for a new album will be pleased.

4 chapters out of 5

Songs Of Note: Torch From The Sky; The Moment You Realize You're Going To Fall

WOVEN HAND / Black Of The Ink EP[2011]

10 years into their career Woven Hand (Dave Edwards to be exact) unleash their 2011 6 song EP entitled Black Of The Ink.  

What we have here are 6 songs each from one of their 6 albums, recorded with just Dave and his guitar, which serves as a compact overview of their 10 years as an act.  It doesn't sound like much but it works really, really well.  Edwards' music has always been, at the core, about the evils of the human soul, so it seems fitting it be recorded in such a powerfully intimate fashion.  

What sells the whole deal is it's packaged as a beautiful 110 page hardcover book featuring handwritten lyrics of every Woven Hand song to date coupled with some abstract drawings all by Dave Edwards.  

5 twisted human souls out of 5

Songs Of Note: Not One Stone; Whistling Girl