Christ on a bike, it’s the end of May already.
As I write this, the sun is out. The rhododendrons are blooming in next door’s garden. I’m supping a cold tin of Kopperberg (mixed fruit) and blasting the following:
New Horizons
Unholy Alliance – Brain Cell
I’ve been fortunate to have received a version of the new Unholy Alliance album. While debut LP ‘No Dogs Allowed’ set the benchmark incredibly high with its dark, abrasive and thoroughly modern take on punk/hardcore, ‘Brain Cell’ ups the ante with gruffer vocals, heavier riffs and some intricate soloing. Although many will focus on their cover of ‘It Was Cold’ (The Ruts) and controversy baiting numbers like ‘Conflict of Interest’, songs like ‘The Rope Still Swings’ and ‘Abra Cadaver’ are the true heart of this record, detailing the madness of the modern world with as much anger as teenagers.
The album will be released in June, meanwhile the debut LP can be streamed and purchased here.
Burning Flag – Matador
Hailing from the People’s Republic of West Yorkshire (to quote an old Sisters of Mercy T-shirt), Burning Flag’s third record (and first with new vocalist Holly) finds the band carrying on with their unique blend of Prong style metal, UK82 punk and New York Hardcore, tackling the rise of the far right, archaic laws and the police. Although their recordings don’t capture their powerhouse live performances, ‘Matador’ is a step in the right direction to rectifying this. Oozing aggression and righteous anger, Burning Flag continue to rise.
From Richmond, Virginia (a fertile ground for hardcore/metal), Terminal Bliss are made up of members of Iron Reagan, Pygmy Lush and City of Caterpillar. With such calibre, expectations are high for good reason. Thankfully, such expectations are not just met but exceeded. Running under 11 minutes (with the longest song being 1:47), this EP is the aural equivalent of a fist in the face with powerviolence, hardcore and noise thrown into the mix. Admittedly, it’s not reinventing the wheel, but it can be overlooked just how invigorating such records can be.
The EP can be streamed and purchased here.
Blood From the Soul – DSM-5
Released last November, this (the second album from Shane Embury’s side project) has finally gotten a CD issue. And thank fuck for that, as this record moves away from its industrial roots into Converge style hardcore territory (helped by having Jacob Bannon on vocals) as well as a touch of Voivod. According to Bannon, the album is a concept record about humans escaping from Earth with sentient machines. While subsequent listens will see the storyline coming more to the front, the fact that the riffs are the size of mountains draw the most attention.
Having been underwhelmed with his last two records (which were his most successful in 30 years, natch), it pleases me to state that Numan is back on track with ‘Intruder’. Dark, brooding, glitchy sounding (with some Arabian melodies in there) and with plenty of giant choruses, this should have been the follow up to 2011’s ‘Dead Son Rising’. While the album concerns itself with the planet’s eco-system, songs like ‘Now and Forever’ are hauntingly beautiful and demonstrate that Numan has never lost his way with a melody. This will sound immense in the autumn time.
On the go since 2017, Folklore of Despair (aka Dan Tecucianu) have released a cassette that is able to throw together a variety of styles (such as drone, ambient, industrial, synth etc) into one song and fashion them into something that manages to be both Dada and quite beautiful, like the opener ‘Grapes and Coagulated Nightmares.’ As the tape progresses, there’s a greater sense of existentialist dread overwhelming the mood, suggesting either something terrible has happened or we’re stepping into the unknown. Regardless, this is an unsettling, but pretty, listen.
The cassette can be streamed and purchased here.
Coaxial – Neo/Ism
Very much indebted to 80’s synth pop as well as early synth experimentation, ‘Neo/Ism’ has songs that recall DAF and Fuck Buttons in that the melodies are utterly gorgeous, but there’s something sinister happening in the background, usually through the pulsating rhythms. Songs like ‘Lone Wolf’ and ‘Produck’ are the only ones that give over to the darkness and it’s not a surprise that they’re the ones that stand out the most, due to the listener being spoiled by the melodies. A cassette that can double up as both summertime choons and the soundtrack to a dark night of the soul.
UK Subs – Endangered Species
Subs frontman Charlie Harper turned 77 this week, so it’s only fitting we look back at the finest album from the UK punk legends, originally released in 1982. While most know ‘Down on the Farm’ through the Guns n Roses cover, songs like ‘Sensitive Boys’ and ‘÷8x5’ see the lads go in a more slower, post punk direction not a million miles away from the likes of Wire, whereas the title track and ‘Ambition’ (possibly the band’s best song) are exuberant, two fingered salutes, not just to society but also to the mainstream who had written the band off as irrelevant.
Scientist – Meets the Space Invaders
Forty years on, this record is a testament to the genius of Scientist. Having learnt his trade through working with pioneering reggae studio engineer/mixer King Tubby, Scientist took the basic format of dub and made it much tripped out as well as upping the ante on the groove. Thick with atmosphere and heightening the dark sensibilities of dub, this is the sort of record that suits a paranoid night in or a party in your back garden. Oh, and ‘Lazer Attack’ features a bassline that would be lifted by Killing Joke for their own ‘Ghost of Ladbroke Grove’.
Beak> – >>>
Released in 2018, this third record from Geoff Barrow and co was the one that made me remember that it’s easy to be way led by hype and expectation, but none of that matters if the music is great. And with Beak> throwing in post-punk, krautrock and synthwave influences, it was going to be an album up my street. Best song on here is ‘Alle´ Sauvage’, a 7-minute jam that starts off low-key and then builds into a bold, exuberant number reminiscent of early Simple Minds (and I mean that as a compliment). Plus, the Scarfolk Council like artwork is great.
Goblin – Suspiria OST
Dario Argento’s classic 1977 film about an American girl who ends up in Berlin going to a school run by witches is a prime example of style over substance, but what style! A horror masterpiece, fully complimented by this score from Italy’s Goblin. The notorious opening melody may have been inspired by ‘Tubular Bells’ but it’s much more sublime and memorable than anything Mike Oldfield has created. While there have been many collaborations between Argento and Goblin, this remains their finest moment.
⏩ 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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