“Please classify me. Force me to succeed/Change identity. And watch me change.” - D.R.I
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| Horns up |
New Horizons
Wasted Death – Season of Evil
Featuring members of USA Nails, Death Pedals, Big Lad, Petbrick and Beggar, this debut LP follows on from two brilliant EP’s and I’m delighted to say that all promises have been fulfilled: the songs are louder, nastier and the production manages to give proceedings a clear sheen while retaining the dirt and chaos needed for this mutant blend of d-beat crossover. Love it.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
USA Nails – Feel Worse
For their sixth full length in ten years, London based USA Nails carry on being one of the finest noisy, metallic and angular noise-rock acts in the world. Although every album (and split release) has been excellent, this one might be their finest moment owing to a brighter sounding production which captures their cacophonous sound in magnificent fashion.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Zenxith – Talk About Prolific
Based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Daniel McGee is indeed a prolific sort (his third album in a year, with a fourth just released) and is highly indebted to the C86/indie pop sounds of yesteryear. While some practitioners in this field tend to overemphasise the shambling, fey sounds of certain acts, McGee is a solid songwriter whose pop sensibilities indicate he’s one to watch.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Poppy H – Confidence of Crisis
This attempt to document “an overwhelming feeling that the world is closing in on itself, like a glove turned inside out” is a gloriously claustrophobic, mechanical and schizophrenic listen. Standout number ‘Kyushon’ melds dub, krautrock and ambient and ‘Cry Sis’ feels like a collaboration between Lustmord and Autechre. A soundtrack of existential dread.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Gvantsa Narim – Cruel Nature
Noted in the press release as “…an enigmatic sound artist…drawing inspiration from religion, esotericism and Georgian polyphonic music”, this is a haunting release where you envisage yourself both sitting in your car by a cliff as a thunderstorm takes place and swimming to the wreck of the Titanic where the voices of those who died sing loudly.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Golden Oldies
Laibach – Opus Dei
Released in 1987, their third album (and first for Mute) is where the band expand their martial industrial sound into something resembling commerciality. Covers of Queen’s ‘One Vision’ and Opus’ Euro smash ‘Life is Life’ are transformed into anthems for an imagined fourth reich, with the male choir providing camp and pomp. Elsewhere, ‘F.I.A.T’ and ‘The Great Seal’ encourage listeners to turn their back on their country in favour of the Neue Slowenische Kunst.
Public Enemy - How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul?
By 2007, Public Enemy’s message had long been drowned out in a sea of materialistic gangsta rap and self-aggrandisers like Kanye West. This, their 11th record, saw them fight back in aggressive form and even showed a little self-reflection on their longevity. ‘Haarder Than You Think’ saw them hit the UK top 5 but songs like ‘The Long and Whining Road’ and ‘Sex, Drugs and Violence’ help make this album their best since 1999’s ‘There’s a Poison Goin’ On.’
King Crimson – The Power to Believe
This 2003 record is (to date) the last studio album released by Robert Fripp and co. If it stays that way, then what a way to go. Updating the classic KC sound with added aggression on the chords and embellished electronic textures make this a monster that could more than match what the likes of Tool were releasing at the time, ‘Level Five’ is the undisputed highlight and ‘Dangerous Curves’ manages to sound like a mash up of Ferry Corsten and KMFDM.
ESG – Closure
While ‘Come Away with ESG’ is routinely (and correctly) heralded as a post-punk/funk classic, the band have plenty of other great releases to their name, with this 2012 LP being one. Sticking to their mission of writing music akin to James Brown taking it to the bridge, songs like ‘Thump’ groove like bastards while ‘Closure’ could have easily appeared alongside their early material due to its sparseness and ability to sound both funky and sinister. All hail the Scroggins family.
Townes Van Zandt – Delta Momma Blues
Although the product of Van Zandt living in New York for a few years, this 1971 classic opens up with an old country cover (‘F.F.V’), showing that the Big Apple hadn’t separated him from his roots. Although not quite as heralded as other albums of his, one can’t argue with the likes of the plaintive ‘Tower Song’ (a song that wipes the floor with anything Bob Dylan has to offer) and ‘Nothin’ (later covered by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss).
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