“Sublunary people we do sublunary things/Strangers of this world actors playing a disease/Burning through night its love that we crave/Every year every month every single day.” - Ceremony
 |
| Horns up |
New Horizons
Beak> - >>>>
On this, their first studio LP since 2018, the AC/DC of experimental rock continue to successfully mine krautrock, post-punk, no wave, early electronic music and funky beats to create something familiar but still sounding fresh. ‘The Seal’ feels like it could have come from a Can record while ‘Denim’ is a mournful number that builds to a suitably noisy crescendo.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
SQURL – Music for Man Ray
A soundtrack for Dadaist filmmaker Man Ray, born out of a live recording from Paris last year to celebrate his centenary, this release allows SQURL (Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan) a chance to indulge in some ambient tropes, but final number ‘Castle of Dice’ feels like an outtake from ‘Silver Haze’ with its droney chord progression before ending in a wall of noise.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Rotten UK – Age of Chaos
For their first record since 2016, gothic punks Rotten UK carry on doing what they do best: making music that exists in the quagmire as hardcore punk, thrash metal and goth rock. For those who worship all three genres, it’s mama from heaven. Topped off nicely with a Frank Frazetta cover, it’s a contender for album of the year.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Sect – Plagues Upon Plagues
Made up of members from bands such as Earth Crisis, Undying, Catharsis, Mania For Conquest and Fall Out Boy, the listener knows what to expect: powerful, apocalyptic sounding hardcore. And boy, do they deliver in spades. Opener ‘No Uncertain Terms’ is an epic crust/post-rock juggernaut while ‘The Lovers of Life’ feels like a Neurosis outtake.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Michal Gutman - Never Coming Home
A one-woman-act, Gutman intended for this record to be “a theatrical, vicious cabaret, a storyline told on an 80’s club dance floor…a dreamy soundtrack…” and she’s done a remarkable job in doing so. Songs like ‘Architecture’ act as wistful laments while ‘This is Easy’ feels like its set in a rundown opera house and ‘Running Out of Time’ is a minimal, stark closer.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Golden Oldies
Scorn – Evanescence
Released in 1994, this album from ex-Napalm Death members Mick Harris and Nic Bullen is difficult to categorise. Inspired by dub, techno, post-punk and the (then) burgeoning trip hop scene, ‘Evanescence’ still sounds like a psychedelic trip through Birmingham. Later releases would prove influential on dubstep, but this is the first true pinnacle in the Scorn catalogue.
Released in 1994, this album from ex-Napalm Death members Mick Harris and Nic Bullen is difficult to categorise. Inspired by dub, techno, post-punk and the (then) burgeoning trip hop scene, ‘Evanescence’ still sounds like a psychedelic trip through Birmingham. Later releases would prove influential on dubstep, but this is the first true pinnacle in the Scorn catalogue.
Bark Psychosis - CODENAME:dustsucker
Although they’re now a regular spot on the metal touring circuit, this debut release from 1998 sees them mine a punkier, sleazier vein of rock n roll, akin to throwing Ted Nugent, Motorhead and The Ramones into a bin and then scooping out the results. Although later releases would (arguably) showcase better songs, the energy and sleaze factor has never been topped.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – The Message
One of the first hip hop albums, this hodge podge of block party numbers are decent enough (certainly compared to ‘Rapper’s Delight’ by their labelmates The Sugarhill Gang) but this 1982 comp is lifted into classic territory thanks to ‘Scorpio’ (their take on ‘Planet Rock’ by the Soul Sonic Force) and ‘The Message’, a milestone strong that still oozes anger and frustration.
⏩ 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.
No comments