“Made to lay down in a stone pasture/We were made to to lay down in a pasture of stone/Besidе dark waters and some steel tanks/By your side I rеst my head” - Easterhouse
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| Horns up |
New Horizons
Foetus – HaltSupposedly J.G Thirlwell’s final album under the Foetus banner and if it is, he’s gone out with a bang. His deranged mixture of Frank Zappa orchestration, King Crimson power and Fela Kuti beats sounds mightier than ever but there is genuine drama in the music (such as ‘Polar Vortex’). Simply put, the man is a genius and we should all bow down to Foetus.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Zu - Ferrum Sidereum
With the title being Latin for ‘cosmic iron’, it’s no surprise that the Italians continue to be inspired by the esoteric. Going for a sound that King Crimson and Tool pioneered in the mid 90’s, it’s a proggy take on industrial rock with tight and precise riffage that allows for a more trippy, esoteric vibe throughout.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Xiu Xiu - Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1
Jamie Stewart and co. take time out to fuck up (in the best way) some songs that mean a lot to them. The minimal take on ‘Warm Leatherette’ highlights the grotesquely visceral lyrics, ‘In Dreams’ is even more nostalgic and ‘Sex Dwarf’ is transformed into an industrial techno dancefloor filler. An interesting diversion but towers over most cover albums.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Bloody Head – Bend Down and Kiss the Ground
The Nottingham based noise rockers return with their finest album to date. With a cleaner production that allows little intricacies (such as bass lines) to shine through and make the songs much more powerful (see the title track for such an example). One of the albums of the year and it’s only the end of January.
The album can be streamed and purchased here.
Golden Oldies
Probably responsible for manys a confused rockabilly seeking out synth punks Suicide, front man Alan Vega’s debut solo record sees him fully indulge his love of rock n roll through hip shaking classics like ‘Jukebox Babe’ while ‘Love Cry’ feels like a tip of the hat to John Cale’s version of ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’
The Sound – All Fall Down
Written to get out of their record contract, retrospective listening finds this to be a solid follow-up to the band’s first two albums. While it may lack the pathos of later releases, songs such as ‘Monument’ and 'Glass and Smoke’ are fine slabs of earnest post punk that display an optimism that can be overlooked upon first listen.
Warning – Watching from a Distance
20 years on, the power and emotion radiating from this LP is second to none. While very much traditional doom metal, the emotion radiating from Patrick Walker combined with the seriously slow and heavy riffing, makes this a record for those long dark nights of the soul.
The Smashing Pumpkins – Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
30 years on, the album that Billy Corgan declared would be the equivalent of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ for Gen X has held up remarkably well. From aggressive number ‘Jellybaby’ through to lush orchestral beauties like ‘Tonight Tonight’ and the krautrock influenced ‘1979’, it’s overblown but never sags and it does bring you into a different world.
⏩ 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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