Christopher Owens looks at the music scene

“A state of eternal conflict is all I have found/We build a wall that is made of tears/Watch the house fall down/And at the end of my life…All shall be well/All is as it was always meant to be...” - Killing Joke

Horns up.

February has seen some very stellar releases, which is incredibly promising considering we usually don’t get anything of particular note until March or April. Just another sign at how the underground is booming. So it would be nice if Spotify were to share some of that cash they have on musicians as opposed to self-exiled member of the Royal Family who believe themselves to be society’s victims.

New Horizons

Trieste – The Black Squall

Hailing from Texas, this debut EP is the stuff critic’s dreams. Mixing surf riffs, post-rock ambience and gothy blues, ‘The Black Squall’ is a haunting, atmospheric record that promises much and delivers more than expected. Stand out is ‘Shake the Devil’ which sounds like Dick Dale locked in hell with the Bad Seeds as his backing band. The download comes with a cover of PJ Harvey’s ‘Missed.’ Oh, and they’re an instrumental act as well.

The EP can be streamed and purchased here.

Front Line Assembly - Mechanical Soul

Although never scaling the heights of 1994’s ‘Millennium’ again, Bill Leeb and co. still put out quality releases that always manage to tweak the formula ever so slightly. ‘Mechanical Soul’ is no different, although it the dark, brooding and upbeat EBM on display here harks back to 2013’s ‘Echogenetic’ and the appearances from Dino Cazares (Fear Factory) and Jean Luc Demeyer (Front 242) are nice tips of the hat to the band’s history.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Sad Man – Music of Dreams and Panic

Andrew Spackman’s mix of dreamy melodies, sinister rhythms, off kilter noise patterns and all-encompassing chaos is a compelling listen. While tracks like ‘The Piano Player Rises’ have a summery feel to them, others like ‘Free Again’ have elements of darkness running through them that makes the listener question whether all is what it’s cracked up to be. If you can find the physical copy, you’ll get an extra disc of alternative versions that are just as deranged.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

The Melvins – Working with God

Managing to mesmerise and antagonise their audience for nearly forty years is some feat. One that could only be accomplished by Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover. Although not producing a classic album since 2006’s ‘(A) Senile Animal’, they do a fine job here of not only writing some great songs like ‘The Great Good Place’ but also freely admit to their tendency to piss off their audience with their take on The Beach Boys’ ‘I Get Around’ (appropriately retitled as ‘I Fuck Around’).

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Golden Oldies

Aswad – A New Chapter of Dub

UK reggae at the turn of the eighties was incredibly exciting. Alongside the likes of Steel Pulse and Dennis Bovell’s work with Linton Kwesi Johnson, Aswad were helping push the boundaries. This, their only dub LP, is still a visionary work. Trippy with plenty of bottom end, it would prove to be an influence on the fledging On-U-Sound roster. It’s also one of the few albums each member of Killing Joke knows like the back of their hand.

 

Skinny Puppy – Remission

The debut album from the legendary Canadian electro-industrial trio, this effort from 1984 has its moments but only hints at what is to come. A lot of times, the atmosphere is in place but the songwriting proves to be a little lacklustre, something the band’s following record ‘Rabies’ would rectify. Still, ‘Smothered Hope’ is a stone cold classic.

 

NME – Unholy Death

An influence on the fledging Norwegian black metal scene, this is an American attempt to out Venom Venom on the messy, chaotic thrash metal front. Although the production does temper the power in places, particularly on the guitar, it’s still an exciting and visceral listen that straddles the boundaries between thrash, death and black metal. And yes, the singer did kill his mother not long after this was released. 



HAIM – Something to Tell You

Stepping back from the polished, stylised sound of their debut album, the sisters from the San Fernando Valley go for a warmer, intimate feel this time around. Evenly divided between the more optimistic, upbeat numbers and the more introspective, atmospheric songs, it’s a sonic treat in terms of production and the Haim songwriting skills are on full display. ‘Right Now’ features a loud, droney guitar line not a million miles away from Sunn O))) while ‘Night So Long’ could very well be a shoegaze number.


⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

Predominance 2

Christopher Owens looks at the music scene

“A state of eternal conflict is all I have found/We build a wall that is made of tears/Watch the house fall down/And at the end of my life…All shall be well/All is as it was always meant to be...” - Killing Joke

Horns up.

February has seen some very stellar releases, which is incredibly promising considering we usually don’t get anything of particular note until March or April. Just another sign at how the underground is booming. So it would be nice if Spotify were to share some of that cash they have on musicians as opposed to self-exiled member of the Royal Family who believe themselves to be society’s victims.

New Horizons

Trieste – The Black Squall

Hailing from Texas, this debut EP is the stuff critic’s dreams. Mixing surf riffs, post-rock ambience and gothy blues, ‘The Black Squall’ is a haunting, atmospheric record that promises much and delivers more than expected. Stand out is ‘Shake the Devil’ which sounds like Dick Dale locked in hell with the Bad Seeds as his backing band. The download comes with a cover of PJ Harvey’s ‘Missed.’ Oh, and they’re an instrumental act as well.

The EP can be streamed and purchased here.

Front Line Assembly - Mechanical Soul

Although never scaling the heights of 1994’s ‘Millennium’ again, Bill Leeb and co. still put out quality releases that always manage to tweak the formula ever so slightly. ‘Mechanical Soul’ is no different, although it the dark, brooding and upbeat EBM on display here harks back to 2013’s ‘Echogenetic’ and the appearances from Dino Cazares (Fear Factory) and Jean Luc Demeyer (Front 242) are nice tips of the hat to the band’s history.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Sad Man – Music of Dreams and Panic

Andrew Spackman’s mix of dreamy melodies, sinister rhythms, off kilter noise patterns and all-encompassing chaos is a compelling listen. While tracks like ‘The Piano Player Rises’ have a summery feel to them, others like ‘Free Again’ have elements of darkness running through them that makes the listener question whether all is what it’s cracked up to be. If you can find the physical copy, you’ll get an extra disc of alternative versions that are just as deranged.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

The Melvins – Working with God

Managing to mesmerise and antagonise their audience for nearly forty years is some feat. One that could only be accomplished by Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover. Although not producing a classic album since 2006’s ‘(A) Senile Animal’, they do a fine job here of not only writing some great songs like ‘The Great Good Place’ but also freely admit to their tendency to piss off their audience with their take on The Beach Boys’ ‘I Get Around’ (appropriately retitled as ‘I Fuck Around’).

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

Golden Oldies

Aswad – A New Chapter of Dub

UK reggae at the turn of the eighties was incredibly exciting. Alongside the likes of Steel Pulse and Dennis Bovell’s work with Linton Kwesi Johnson, Aswad were helping push the boundaries. This, their only dub LP, is still a visionary work. Trippy with plenty of bottom end, it would prove to be an influence on the fledging On-U-Sound roster. It’s also one of the few albums each member of Killing Joke knows like the back of their hand.

 

Skinny Puppy – Remission

The debut album from the legendary Canadian electro-industrial trio, this effort from 1984 has its moments but only hints at what is to come. A lot of times, the atmosphere is in place but the songwriting proves to be a little lacklustre, something the band’s following record ‘Rabies’ would rectify. Still, ‘Smothered Hope’ is a stone cold classic.

 

NME – Unholy Death

An influence on the fledging Norwegian black metal scene, this is an American attempt to out Venom Venom on the messy, chaotic thrash metal front. Although the production does temper the power in places, particularly on the guitar, it’s still an exciting and visceral listen that straddles the boundaries between thrash, death and black metal. And yes, the singer did kill his mother not long after this was released. 



HAIM – Something to Tell You

Stepping back from the polished, stylised sound of their debut album, the sisters from the San Fernando Valley go for a warmer, intimate feel this time around. Evenly divided between the more optimistic, upbeat numbers and the more introspective, atmospheric songs, it’s a sonic treat in terms of production and the Haim songwriting skills are on full display. ‘Right Now’ features a loud, droney guitar line not a million miles away from Sunn O))) while ‘Night So Long’ could very well be a shoegaze number.


⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

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