Moderator - Sinner's Syndrome (Melting Records, 2018)

This album is dope. I can't even really figure out why I wishlisted it on Bandcamp. Maybe it was one of those that got recommended to me so much I finally said fuck it, I'll listen. Glad I did! Really knocked me for a loop. Moderator is a young Greek producer who apparently has a couple of albums already under his belt, but I don't know if they can stand up to Sinner's Syndrome. Here he cobbles together wholly new songs, most around the 3 minute mark, from old movie soundtracks, Spaghetti Westerns, spy movies, giallo, the like, augmented with some seriously thick, banging BEATZ...Dan the Automator is a good comparison, indeed some of these sound like they could be Gorillaz instrumentals, or maybe Danger Mouse...definitely a Tarantino vibe to the types of sounds selected here...and while I wouldn't say this sounds like any one thing Mike Patton has done, it sounds like something that would be right at home on his Ipecac label or opening for Fantomas or something. In fact remember that DJ, end.? He put out something on Ipecac that was good, this is less techno-y and more trip hop-y but maybe still in the ballpark. Total homerun. Esp check out the track "The Scene of the Crime" where Mr. Moderator weaves a whole new brilliant pop track out of I don't know what.

Comments

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.

Tips Zum Selbstmord

Search This Blog