New Horizons
Lair of the White Worm – EP1
John Cooke (Napalm Death/Venomous Concept) delivers an industrial tinged metal record that sits comfortably between ‘Pure’ era Godflesh and recent works from the likes of Global Despair and Khost. Tracks like ‘Waster’ manage to blend all of the above with elements of shoegaze and pinch harmonics, while ‘Isolation’ offers no-nonsense headbanging material. Highly recommended.
The EP can be streamed and purchased here.
Pop. 1280 – Museum on the Horizon
On the go for nearly 15 years, Pop. 1280 have never been given the recognition they deserve. Consistently delivering 7/10 records that blur the line between noise rock and industrial punk, this new album sees them pushing synthesisers further into the mix. While it takes a few listens to get used to, songs like ‘Right Hand Man’ and ‘Brennschluss’ more than justify the new direction.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
The Body and Big Brave – Leaving None but Small Birds
Proving themselves to be one of the most exciting bands of the last number of years, The Body team up with likeminded travellers Big Brave for a (largely) acoustic folk record that pays homage to Fairport Convention and The Band. There are some drone and doomy riffs, but they largely take a back seat as both explore the dark and despairing sound of their ancestors.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
She Spread Sorrow – Huntress
Another artist who hasn’t been showered with the same praise as her contemporaries, She Spread Sorrow’s releases have always been loud, aggressive power electronics. This new release opts for a more subdued mood, but one that is no less sinister. Tracks like ‘Dragonflies’ and ‘Parasomniass’ are the perfect soundtrack when walking down an empty street at night, thinking someone is behind you.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Ivan the Tolerable – Autodidact II
Starting off life as “…work for a soundtrack to a series of films about psychogeography and North Yorkshire folklore...”, this cassette blends the folk with the experimental, producing a sound that manages to be both dreamlike and haunting. Tracks like ‘Helianthus’ hint at hauntology, while ‘Wylder’s Hand’ and ‘A Letter to November’ invokes the sadness and longing of nostalgia.
The cassette can be streamed and purchased here.
Ddrome – Beyond the Thunderddrome
From Dublin (as you can guess from the use of the extra d’s), Jamie Davis offers up two tracks of rich ambient soundscapes, punctured by the use of drums and percussion which invoke the feeling of insurrection, fear and realisation. These menacing contrasts (apparently inspired by the recent protests in Dublin) demonstrate just how powerful an instrument drums can be.
The cassette can be streamed and purchased here.
Golden Oldies
The Young Gods – Only Heaven A vastly underrated act, The Young Gods should have been bigger than Nine Inch Nails. This 1995 release sees them find a middle ground between commercial viability and the experimental fringes. Everything from the performances, the songwriting and the production are on point, with songs like ‘Moon Revolutions’ managing to be groovy, dreamy and violent all within the same song and ‘Kissing the Sun’ is easily one of THE finest singles of the 1990’s. Simply put, you must hear this LP.
The Rootsman vs Muslimgauze – City of Djinn
Teaming two legends of electronic music who incorporate dub reggae, industrial and (what would later be called) trip-hop into their sound, this 1997 remix album was always going to be a treat, sonically speaking. A gorgeous, lush and hypnotic sounding record, it grooves like a bastard and never favours one musician over the other (which a lot of remixes are guilty of). Listen to the likes of ‘Marrakech’ as well as ‘Gaza (Parts 1 & 2)’ and find yourself on another world.
HAIM – Something to Tell You
The first LP from Sherman Oaks finest musical exports, much attention has been given to the band’s melding of 70’s soft rock, 80’s pop and 90’s RnB, whereas there has been little comment about the airy, dreamlike ambience that permeates the record and gives the whole record a wistful, nostalgic feel that lift them from “great” into “legendary”. Of course, it helps that the album is all killer and no filler and not afraid to experiment (‘My Song 5’ is a deft attempt at a Timbaland style production). HAIM are the most important mainstream rock band of the last ten years.
Killing Joke – Total Invasion (Live in the USA)
Recorded while opening for Tool on their enormodome US tour of 2019, this is a very different live recording from The Greatest Band in the World. Finding a balance between the more post-punk, atmospheric numbers and the righteous fury of recent years, all without anthems like ‘Wardance’ and ‘Requiem’. It’s a brave move but it pays off as the flow is incredible, the sound is crystal clear and the band are on fire.
⏩ 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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