Jake's Short Reviews #17
Posted 06/19/2012 09:44AM by Jake Oliver as Article
Xiu Xiu — Always
I’ve decided to get this absolute wreck of an album out of the way first. Always is open season on good taste, with vocals from the crypt and Pitchfork-pleasing vagaries surrounding an empty chest cavity where a heart should be. Segues nicely into its antithesis, however: Rating: 1/5 Stars
Leaders — Now We Are Free
Straight-up, no-nonsense, passionate metalcore that hits its mark and doesn’t over-stay its welcome, Now We Are Free is a killer debut from one of the newest members of the Facedown family. Think a less melodic version of The Ghost Inside. Rating: 4/5 Stars
Mike Armine — Verse & Cleansing Undertones of Wake/Lift
Let us now turn our attentions to Mike Armine’s double album of sorts, featuring new songs in the form of Verse and a re-release and companion piece to Rosetta’s brilliant double-disc Wake/Lift. Whether you decide to take all of this material in with its contextual predecessor, or on its own, Armine has created a lush, ambient atmosphere to lose yourself in that holds up regardless of any prior Rosetta experience. Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Beak — Eyrie
I quite liked this quick shot of simmering, variegated post-metal, despite its somewhat unassuming quality—or maybe because of it. Combining little bits of Isis, Spylacopa, Candiria, and Burst, among others, Eyrie is wholly without pretense and consistently interesting. I’m excited to see what comes on the heels of this EP. Rating: 4/5 Stars
V/A — Illud Divinum Insanus—The Morbid Angel Remixes
In any kind of art, be it film, poetry, or music, it helps to consider the audience you are trying to reach. In the case of Illud Divinum Insanus, brought to us by the good people at Season of Mist, I do have to wonder if that question was asked. First and foremost, we’re looking at a release comprised exclusively of electronic remixes of Morbid Angel songs. Secondly, this isn’t just an album. Nor is it a double album. It is, in fact, three whole discs, spanning a whopping thirty-nine songs. Even though a good percentage of the remixes are successful, the sheer size of the offering, plus its seemingly unnecessary raison d’être, must be reflected in its rating. Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Graf Orlock — Los Angeles
From too much of a (sometimes) good thing, to too little, we arrive at Graf Orlock’s ambitiously-titled Los Angeles 7”. As much an homage to Heat as to X’s seminal 1980 LP of the same name, Graf’s nasty, tempestuous power-grind screams by at a wicked pace, but harbors none of the ambition the title would seem to suggest. You’ve got to do better than this to do justice to a record called Los Angeles, guys. Rating: 3/5 Stars
The Burial — Lights and Perfections
Another Facedown selection, The Burial should not be confused with After the Burial, though you may find yourself doing so at times. Lights and Perfections offers a progressive, oft-technical slant on the metalcore template, occasionally going in surprising directions; but even at its most derivative, the album has a through-line of strict quality control. Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
When Tigers Fight — Death Songs
You might recognize Jon MacNair’s style from Harm’s Way’s last album on Death Songs’ cover, but the contents here bear little resemblance to Isolation, other than the fact that both releases could be tagged as “hardcore.” Death Songs runs much more of a gamut, harvesting ’90s tough-guy sensibilities, melodo-core, the odd Southern riff, and broader, emotionally strained sections. Things don’t always emerge as a distinct combination of influences from this batch of scene veterans, but that doesn’t make the album a lost cause, either. Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Holy Esque — Holy Esque
This Scottish rock band actually has some strong assets in their corner, but…what the fuck is going on with the vocals? They couldn’t possibly be more at odds with the music, going for some kind of earnest-Oberst-car-commercial-thing, while the rest of the band sounds infinitely more in tune with their strengths. Frustrating. Rating: 2/5 Stars
Sigh — In Somniphobia
This last selection also proved to be a frustrating listen, but for entirely different reasons. When it’s on, Sigh’s freak-tech amalgam is deliriously exhilarating (see: “L'excommunication a Minuit”). When it’s off, you have most of the rest of the album: cartoonish noodling and weak vocals. Rating: 2/5 Stars
Comments
Columbus, OH
Good to see you back, Jake. Beak's EP was a step below amazing for me, so good call on that. I would pretty much agree with you on everything here except switch your ratings for The Burial and Leaders.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Minnesota
If possible, I'd rate Xiu Xiu negative points. I've never understood the appeal. Probably because I'm not hipster enough to get it.....
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Columbus, OH
I gladly represented part of the indie guild at Decoy, but holy hell is Xiu Xiu horrendous.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Lehigh Valley, PA
I checked Leaders out. Not bad
Minnesota
I checked Bill Lohr out. Not bad.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Lehigh Valley, PA
I have a pretty nice ass
Baton Rouge
I like some up the stuff on Xiu Xiu's Fabulous Muscles and A Promise albums (NOT THE ALBUM COVERS). Other than that, they're pretty tough to take.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Sunshine Coast, Australia
WHY COULDN'T RYAN COME OVER?!
"If you want something done right, get a fucking Australian band to do it" - Chris Cheney
Sunshine Coast, Australia
WHY COULDN'T RYAN COME OVER?!
"If you want something done right, get a fucking Australian band to do it" - Chris Cheney
El Paso, TX
Xiu Xiu is straight up awful. Beak is pretty interesting though.
Regarding Mike Armine's release, and unless I'm on crack, I think it was "The Galilean Satellites" that was a double-CD, not "Wake/Lift" (they're both excellent though).
Wales
Yes, you're right it was Galilean Satellites. I guess The Cleansing Undertones of Wake/Lift was also a companion release but was not meant to be synched with the album, unlike their first one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF9Cm4E15E
I GO TO WORK
Wales
Good to be back, sir. Cheers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF9Cm4E15E
I GO TO WORK
Wales
He was moshing at the American Nightmare re-union show!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF9Cm4E15E
I GO TO WORK