What Are You Listening To Now? 6.0

[Blind_Justice]

Persuader - Necromancy

As expected, this album delivers early Blind Guardian-esque speed, vast chorusses and a singer who sounds more like Hansi Kürsch than the man himself. I also hear a smattering of Iron Saviour melody fragments. Despite being "Guardian light", there's a lot to unpack in Persuader's music, so the final verdict has to wait after I've spun it a few more times. Good stuff so far and much nicer to listen to than the past twenty years of Blind Guardian's output.

 

[Blind_Justice]

My bi-monthly dose of Deaf Forever magazine just landed and after sifting through a rather slim picking of new releases, I found some stuff to put on my shopping list.

First off there's Alitor from Serbia. They play a blazingly fast and technical blend of speed/thrash metal. Reminds me of the early Megadeth and later Death albums. On top of that, the singer has some decent chops, able to do more than just stupidly bark his lyrics into the ether. Have only heard a few songs so far, but that album "II" will be bought once I have some money left over. It will be the first pure thrash record since Trivium's early works. Might be worth a listen for the other prog-heads too, there's enough time changes and mind-blowing instrumental gymnastics to put on five records on here.

Next up is Communic from Norway. Since the disintegration of Nevermore and the untimely death of Warrel Dane, these guys are among the few people playing progressive power metal I can stomach. The new record, "Hiding From The World" has all their trademarks - excellent use of volume, tempo and aggression levels to get their haunting lyrics across. I didn't realize I missed out on one (2017's "Where Echoes Gather") but I'm happy they pinged back onto my radar. Insta-buy. They have yet to write a bad song.

Scratching my current Epic Metal itch is Possessed Steel from Ontario. Their sound sits squarely in the no-man's land between Manowar, Atlantean Kodex and Doomsword. High fantasy storytelling delivered by a capable singer, accompanied by a well-oiled band. This one has a nice, mystical touch to it, probably caused by the insane amounts of reverb on the vocals. Still, sounds fantastic and is a nice bit of soul food. Nothing world-shattering, nothing remotely innovative, but delivered with passion and skill. Album is called "Aedris" and well worth a listen.

On the other end of the aggression meter sit Demonical from Sweden. Its not like I didn't get my death metal fix last month already, but you can't have enough high-energy brute force anyway. Their latest, "World Domination", picks up where the last one, "Chaos Manifesto" left off. NIcely oscillating between face-melting brutality and raise-your-fist battle hymns Amon Amarth would kill for, this is another feel-good monster.

Next up is Ecclesia from France with their "De Ecclesiae Universalis". This one sounds like something Candlemass could have put out just after "Chapter IV" in the early '90s. Sitting on the fence between Doom and Power Metal and dipping into both genres, it combines the heaviness of Candlemass or Sorcerer with occasional bursts of uptempo. The vocalist has a nice range, going from smoky storyteller to almost James LaBrie-esque screams in the high register. Another concept album, this one goes all in with its Inquisition theme, including liberal use of fat church organs.

Belated mention to the last Dark Tranquility record, "Moment". In contrast to their contemporaries In Flames, DT never forgot their roots. There is unmistakably Swedish Death Metal in their sound, only enhanced with clean vocals (on occasion) and a good helping of crisp, modern electronica. Another difference to the last couple IF records - Mikael Stanne can actually sing. Much like the last Enslaved record, this one is over far too quickly, clocking in at barely 50 minutes.

 

[Bramblethorn]

The Mothersons - Let It Go.

Don't judge me.

 

[SamScribble]

Clock Without Hands - Nanci Griffith

 

[Handley_Page]

Vaughan Williams ~ The Lark Ascending

 

[Haulover]

Marillion : Script For A Jester's Tear

 

[PoisonPen33]

Explosions in the Sky - "Your Hand In Mine"

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Paul Young - No Parlez

 

[A_Bierce]

Fever
Peggy, bass, & drums

 

[Handley_Page]

Klaatu - California Jam

 

[Fermina_Daza]

stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen

 

[chame1eon]

Electric six https://youtu.be/2a4gyJsY0mc

Fire in the disco!

 

[Haulover]

This evening, while working late - and while (at last) not on f***ing conference calls-


Agent Fresco : Above These City Lights

Meh-



Daniel Avery and Allessandro Cortini : Illusion Of Time

Double Meh- ... not my cuppa tea at all



Missa Mercuria\Missa Mercuria

Pretty good prog / power metal. Blind Justice probably knows this one? (A collaboration of players from German acts : Vanden Plas, Pink Cream 69 and Silent Force.)



Phideaux : Infernal

Gotta love anything this guy puts out. It always sounds so deceptively simple, linear, approachable - but there's a lot going on behind the scenes, and most important, it's super enjoyable!

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

The Boatman's Call - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Reprise label 1997 vinyl)

 

[Bramblethorn]

Falco - Out of the Dark
The Mothersons - Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics)

 

[oggbashan]

Rosamunda (Beer Barrel Polka)

https://youtu.be/WEzRi094KWg

Not this version in Italian with Dolly Birds!

https://youtu.be/38kYygIvfzk

 

[oggbashan]

The Haunted Manor Overture:

https://youtu.be/42pVLtf6s3Y

The Haunted Manor (Polish: Straszny dwór) is an opera in four acts composed by Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko in 1861–1864.

 

[Haulover]

The Gathering : Mandylion

An oldie that I revisit every few years...

 

[ElectricBlue]

The Boatman's Call - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Reprise label 1997 vinyl)

Points added, milady .

Have you got Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree, which I think are their best more recent albums?

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Points added, milady .

Have you got Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree, which I think are their best more recent albums?

I found 'Push The Sky Away' on the jukebox in hubby's Discovery; interestingly, the cover art popped up on my tablet when I selected it, which makes me wonder if that's why he bought it, ha-ha, although the title track, 'Wide Lovely Eyes', and 'We No Who U R' are all seriously good, definitively Nick Cave in my book, poetic and introspective; Nick Cave is always a late late rainy night listen for me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I found 'Push The Sky Away' on the jukebox in hubby's Discovery; interestingly, the cover art popped up on my tablet when I selected it, which makes me wonder if that's why he bought it, ha-ha, although the title track, 'Wide Lovely Eyes', and 'We No Who U R' are all seriously good, definitively Nick Cave in my book, poetic and introspective; Nick Cave is always a late late rainy night listen for me.

Yes. Now that Leonard Cohen is dead, Cave has taken over as my go-to man for biblical black lyrics. He is darker than Cohen who almost, towards the end, became accepting.

Seeing the Bad Seeds live is extraordinary. Cave is like a black spider, and one part of his act, singing Into Your Arms, I think, was to crawl out into the audience, half a dozen holding him up at a time. Amazing to see.

 

[MetaBob]

The Cars, dammit. "She likes the night life, baby"

 

[Blind_Justice]

A little late-night jam I cooked up. Love the new synth!

https://soundcloud.com/christian-pohl-911553212/alone-in-the-dark

It's a bit off at times, but hey... I'm a drummer, not a keyboardist.

 

[Haulover]

Vintersorg : Solens Rotter

Just ... okay


Sigur Ros : Hvarf Heim

Odd stuff from Iceland. I don't spin anything by them very often, but always enjoy it when I do.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Vintersorg : Solens Rotter

Just ... okay


Sigur Ros : Hvarf Heim

Odd stuff from Iceland. I don't spin anything by them very often, but always enjoy it when I do.

Haven't heard anything by Sigur Ros yet, but I've read the name a couple of times. Seem to be Iceland's leading prog heads. If you want more weird Icelandic music (apart from Björk), you could give the band Katla a whirl. They come highly endorsed by this month's Deaf Forever magazine. Latest album is called "Allt þetta helvítis myrkur" and is described as "lava-infused pagan ambient noise". Not my cuppa, the mix is too frigid for my tastes, but maybe you'll like it. Having read that Katla's main man used to play in Solstafir, I'll add them to the list of Icelandid recommendations as well.

As for Vintersorg: He's had one or two good pagan/viking metal albums and his voice is outstanding enough, but most of his music feels deliberately artsy without being coherent enough. A lot of instrument wanking, not enough substance. I like him best when he's singing other people's songs, like he used to do in Borknagar - who I greatly admire for their musical vision. Too bad more often than not their taste in mixes leaves a lot to be desired though. For every great-sounding piece of music, there's at least one sounding like it was taped on a faded four-track, with the impact force of a wet tissue.