EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN / Tabula Rasa (1993)

Despite losing the hammering and pneumatic drill sounds, and upping the ambient experimentation, Tabula Rasa is still very much Ein Neu. It's imbued with a taught, pensive emotion and a strange kind of hypnotic, exotic beauty that gets deep under my skin. The bass is used sparingly but makes a huge impact when it arrives, naked and purposeful. It's largely musically magniloquent, like an arty-farty sculpture cut from sound. On the album's longest track, Headcleaner, Blixa Bargeld reminds us how we got to this point. Evolution is always frightening. If you like your music challenging, you'll eventually end up at Tabula Rasa.

Songs of Note: Die Interimsliebenden; Blume

5 epistemological theories out of 5

KING DIAMOND / Conspiracy (1989)

Conspiracy continues the story that began on Them (1988), but it's less haunting this time. Instead, it delves into waters that are more psychological, though no less frightening. It's also a little friendlier on the ears, musically at least, because King's vocals are still occasionally ear-splitting.
King returns to the House of Amon after 18 years of being… elsewhere. It doesn't take long before the voices start talking to him.
It's theatrical, like you'd expect, but also technically complex, perhaps overly, as the music shifts to fit the lyrics and the story, not the other way around. I'm okay with that becuase I love the art of storytelling, regardless of its medium.
I can't give the songs I'd like to because it's a concept album and they come later in the story, so have the two opening tracks:

Songs of Note: At The Graves; Sleepless Nights

5 voices killing the pain out of 5

KING DIAMOND / Them (1988)

A concept album about a young man (named King), three generations of women, a house called Amon, and the mysterious, invisible Them. It's classic 80s metal full of chunky riffs, dozens of guitar solos (LaRocque is on fire from beginning to end), powerful choruses and King's trademark falsetto shrieks, the kind that make squirrels cower. The haunting concept, the narrative, and the dialogue make it a cinematic experience that's lacking only in visuals.
It's cheesier than a barrel full of Parmesan, but that's part of the appeal. King Diamond albums are a unique kind of theatre.

Songs of Note: The Invisible Guests; Them

5 stories from far beyond this earth out of 5

THE BRAVERY / The Bravery (2005)

The Bravery is another of those New Wave Indie bands that tried to sound retro, as if the mics they used were unearthed from a 1980s vault and then dusted off, ready for reuse. They add some Electronic Pop elements to that era's guitar sound, and a heavy, funky bass. The song structures are full of repetition but most are catchy and lively enough to make it all seem passable. You'll hear some New Order in there, too, and nods to The Cure.

Songs of Note: An Honest Mistake; Unconditional

3 stops, drops and rolls out of 5

MOLOTOV / Apocalypshit [1999]

It was the year 1999, Rage Against The Machine was beginning to wear out it's welcome, Limp Bizkit wasn't quite a household name while Mexico's Latin rap-metal act Molotov snuck through the back door with Apocalypshit.

It might not have the brilliant guitar textures or production of RATM but it manages to throw in a crazed sense of humor and aggressive playfulness to it that makes it that much more appealing.  There aren't a lot of rap-metal acts that get it right, so when something like Molotov comes around it's worth a chance.

3½ latino mother-fuckers out of 5

Songs Of Note: Apocalypshit; Parasito

STATES / Room To Run [2011]

Risen from the ashes of frienly indie-rock act Copeland comes the friendlier indie-pop act States and their 2011 debut album Room To Run.

Fronted by former Lydia keyboardist Mindy White gives the band a Paramore/Lights feel to it.  Only States are better songwriters than Paramore and not as bubbly as Lights.  The fuzzy guitars, upbeat busy drums and strong vocals give the record a strong presence but the songs never really progress into anything too memorable. Even though it's simply not my type of music, it's easy to tell with a little work States is on their way to something special.

3 +seven out of 5

Songs Of Note: Captivating Me; Right Or Not

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM / Handwritten [2012]

After three solid albums, Brian Fallon felt he bled himself dry of The Gaslight Anthem and turned to The Horrible Crowes.  Thankfully, that gave him some time to refuel and get back to raw, soulful rock n' roll for 2012's Handwritten.

The guitars are denser, the songwriting more up-tempo, each lyric is worded with perfection and Fallon's husky vocals toss in some flavors of Petty, Cobain and Dylan into the already powerful Springsteen, Waits, Vedder and Strummer mix.  

It's nice to see such a strong band grow completely into their own, after much praised, yet weighted comparisons to other acts of the past.  It's solid fearless songwriting at some of it's best. 

5 flip sides out of 5

Songs Of Note: Howl; National Anthem

PANOPTICON / Kentucky (2012)

Panopticon is Austin Lunn's one-man project. It's melodic Black Metal with Kentucky bluegrass interludes. Unfortunately, there's only one instance where the two differing styles are brought together. Elsewhere, they stand very much apart, each taking their turn, one after another without ever forming a cohesive union. A more elaborate attempt to fuse them would've offered a more interesting listening experience. Despite that it's still good fun. Lunn's technical ability and passion shine through. An audience might be hard to find, though.

Songs of Note: Bernheim Forest in Spring; Bodies Under the Falls

3 coal miners covered in black out of 5

NINE INCH NAILS / Further Down the Spiral (1995)

FDtS is a remix album featuring songs from The Downward Spiral (1994) in various guises and states of deconstruction. Some are chaotic, resembling the original with extra layers of electronic distortion and intensity, while others get wedded to dance beats that aren't as lazy or awful as it sounds in words. If you're familiar with TDS, then you'll be picking out recognisable moments, and engaging or scratching your head at new ones. It's a hypnotic deluge of fractured emotions that's impossible for me to define accurately.
The US version has a number of different tracks than the rest of the world, and vice versa. I own both but prefer the non-US version.

Songs of Note: Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now); Hurt (Live)

3½ experiments in self-destruction out of 5

KUSTODIAN / Dusted Emperor (2012)

Kustodian is 'bag of spanners' heavy. It fits into the Industrial genre, but every now and again it bursts out of it, offering something exciting, unexpected and unsettling. If you can imagine Fudge Tunnel crossed with the sledge of the first Godflesh E.P., then you'd be close to the Kustodian sound. Fans of both those bands should definitely get a kick out of it. You can grab a copy FREE from the official bandcamp page (see link below). It's a one-man project, but you'd never know it just by listening. Go on, give him your support. He deserves it.

Songs of Note: Commuters; Dusted Emperor

4 journeys to angryland of 5

Get it here: http://kustodian.bandcamp.com/

PROCOSMIAN FANNYFIDDLERS / Interference Number 9 (2012)

Avant-garde Norwegian 'burlesque' Prog with Folk and medieval influences isn't exactly top of my list of favourite things, in fact, it's never even been on my list of things, but Interference Number 9 managed to entertain briefly. Most Prog Rock bores the tits off me, but the album is so bat-shit crazy in places that I can't hate it. But nor can I love it, so it flits about somewhere between the two states. If King Crimson played songs about lingerie, hookers, space shuttles and primary schools, then they might've sounded like the Fannyfiddlers. Maybe? Probably not.

Songs of Note: Captain Mystique; Lingerie

2½ urges to glow out of 5

ELECTRIC PRESIDENT / The Violent Blue [2010]

Ben Cooper and Alex Kane aka Electric President's third album The Violent Blue is their first solid album.  Not to say their previous records weren't great but TVB is where they seem to be confident and organically comfortable in what they're attempting to do.  Heated with warm electronic textures and light strumming guitars floating through the mix, TVB is a pleasantly dreamy record that showcases a great deal of growth in musicianship with the duo.

4 non-violent red records out of 5

Songs Of Note: Feathers; The Violent Blue

OINGO BOINGO / Nothing To Fear [1982]

California's nerd wave group Oingo Boingo ironed out the kinks in their sound on their second album, 1982's Nothing To Fear.

Making use of a vast array of bizarre instruments (some of which the band created and built themselves) makes for a unique sound that fits well with frontman Danny Elfman's erratic mood swings and sometimes offensive opinions.  The musical confidence is apparent in Elfman's cocky vocal delivery but it's fine considering the 8-piece band that he's juggling.  

Widely trashed by critics yet universally acclaimed by artists of all sorts, Nothing To Fear is a career highlight for Boingo.

4 rumba-phones out of 5

Songs Of Note: Grey Matter; Reptiles & Samurai

KILLER MIKE / R.A.P. Music [2012]

Hip hop artist Killer Mike's 2012 album, R.A.P. Music is another great addition to his all ready strong discography.  Part of that strength could be credited to El-P's dense n' dirty production on the record.

Mike & El-P seem like a match made in heaven with angry lyrical deliveries colliding with angry synth heavy beats and samples.  Mike's stingy style and poetic personality seem to echo that of the Ice Cube of yesteryear, before he went all family friendly film star.  

Without a doubt, this is one of the essential hip-hop albums of 2012.

4½ hollow presidential puppets out of 5

Songs Of Note: Go!; Don't Die

DODECAHEDRON / Dodecahedron [2012]

Hailing from The Netherlands, Dodecahedron's 2012 self-titled debut album leaves a physically sick feeling in your stomach that you'll either cherish or detest.  Either way, the black metal band did their job well.

Utilizing the 12 tone jazz method (more than likely where they got their name), Dodecahedron sounds more like a Mr. Bungle from Hell than it does Deathspell Omega.  It's heavy on atmosphere and light on soul, which may or may not be intentional.  In the end it causes extreme discomfort and that's just fine with me.

3½ volcanic trilogies out of 5

Songs Of Note: Allfather; I, Chronocrator