Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy (Atlantic, 2018)

Couple of good moves - first, putting "Bodak Yellow" and "Bartier Cardi" even if we've all heard them a million times by now. Reinserted in the context of an album, it just drives home what gems both those tracks are. The other - keeping it mercifully short. Few things are a bigger drag than a bloated first LP after a string of short, sweet, successful mixtapes. Don't know why rappers suddenly think we want to hear a 23-track, 80-minute affair. This is 13 tracks (2 of which as I've said are already burned in your brain) and 48 minutes. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a classic per se but it's a very good album and a great debut. The only real missteps here are "Be Careful" and "Ring" (feat. Kehlani). It's Cardi taking overtly obvious stabs at pop success, and it just feels unnecessary. You don't need to be Beyonce, just do what got you here. "I Do" (feat. SZA) and "Thru Your Phone" are on the poppier side but both work well. "Best Life", which Chance the Rapper is ALL over, is great, and "I Like It" is almost shameless as a prime example of the Cardi recipe - pure hook, great rapping. "Drip", with Migos, is also a standout, and I wasn't a huge fan but I could see "Money Bag" taking over the world next. All that to say there's plenty here to show that Cardi isn't done yet, or wasn't just a two track fluke.

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Nachtmystium/Leviathan - In the Valley of Death, Where Black Metal is King: An Homage to the Roots (Ascension Monuments Media, 2018)

What the fuck is that title. Okay I get the first part is a Judas Iscariot tribute, but did we really need "an homage to the roots" in there? Hey wouldn't it be funny if these were actually covers of the band The Roots? Anyway. This album was supposed to come out 10 years ago, but it was blocked by the bands' respective labels. Now I guess they've figured out a way, or Blake Judd needs money for drugs so he's figured out a way, to put this out. The Bandcamp version has 8 tracks, 5 from Nachtmystium and 3 from Leviathan, but I've seen a 10-track tracklisting elsewhere. On the version I have, we have Nachtmystium covering Judas Iscariot, Ildjarn (twice), Von and Burzum. Leviathan tackles Ildjarn (twice) and Von once. I seem to be missing Leviathan's Judas Iscariot cover ("Where the Winter Beats Incessant") and one of Nachtmystium's Von covers ("Von"). Weird. Wonder if there were some licensing issues or something. All four Ildjar...

Corrupted - Felicific Algorithim (Cold Spring, 2018)

For whatever it means, this is the beginning of Corrupted's "Hollow" series. Maybe the clue is in the music? Unlike Corrupted's traditional ultra-slowed down, Spanish-sung, Japanese doom metal this is instrumental harsh noise. Still filthy and angry and depressive but sans vox and also more or less sans metal. Both untitled sides are meant to be played at either speed. The result? Meh. I miss Corrupted's brand of doom, this relatively anonymous harsh noise is fine and all but if I'm listening to Corrupted...well I know what I want. Skippable.

Legend of the Seagullmen - Legend of the Seagullmen (Caroline/Dine Alone, 2018)

You may be familiar with the hype surrounding Legend of the Seagullmen, mostly because of the involvement of Danny Carey (Tool) and Brent Hinds (Mastodon). I wasn't expecting much but these were key bands of my youth, so I gave it a whirl, and it's whatever. It sounds kind of like a more rock/less metal version of Mastodon, maybe a less punk-y Turbonegro, a touch of Melvins (minus all the inventiveness), with horribly stupid lyrics and power rock moves like anthemic choruses and extreme guitar soloing. It's not as bad as the first track "We Are the Seagullmen", a real piece of shit, threatens, but it's not much better. It's a concept album that takes itself only semi-seriously...with the marriage of technical skill and tongue in cheek humor it's along the lines of a Green Jello, Tenacious D or a Les Claypool sideproject. But musically there's nothing here of interest, give it a skip.

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