Saturday 31 October 2015

Tuesday: Enter Shikari - Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour

     I haven't done a Techno Tuesday in a while, so let this much belated post be one of those electronic affairs. And yes, before you electro-junkies jump on me, I'm aware that every time I use this band for this type of post, I'm stretching to use the word Techno, but alliteration, right?

     Regular readers will know that I often go to the Enter Shikari well when I want something sorta heavy with a dash of electronic content, and devoted readers might recall the trivia tidbit that my favourite Shikari record is still 2007's Take to the Skies. That means another cut from Skies for your Techno Tuesday track, and this time out it's "Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour". So put this one on and then cross your fingers about that title...

Monday: Twelve Foot Ninja - One Hand Killing

     It's been a while since we've much of anything from djenty Australian groove-prog outfit Twelve Foot Ninja, but that's apparently been because, in addition to doing mucho touring, they've been working on some new material. Joy!

     Much of that new material has yet to be put to tape (er, hard drive?), with Twelve Foot Ninja currently running a crowdfunding campaign to fund recording in the hopes of a 2016 release. But in an effort to drum up some support for said sophomore record and its funding process, the guys have just released weird and wacky single "One Hand Killing" as a taste of the new stuff. To these ears it definitely sounds evolutionary in the best possible ways -- more groovy riffage, more interesting instrumentation (dose keyboards at the end...), more musical variety... just more tasty. This new record could be one next year's best, so have a listen to the future today!

Sunday: A Dark Orbit - Floating Intact

     Most of the time, most of us are probably pretty over the whole "djent" sound/trend/movement/whatever. Sure, some of us have our favourites, but generally speaking many of us are ready to move on now. There are, however, a bunch of bands out there doing the sound well, or doing something just a little different with the sound, and sometimes you're just in the mood for something big and chunky.

     This one's for those big and chunky times. I'm not a big A Dark Orbit fan or anything, but I am a big fan of British label Basick Records, so anytime they're stoked about a band's new release, I take notice and I give that shit some spins. In this case, that shit is A Dark Orbit's latest single "Floating Intact" from their forthcoming record Inverted, and it is both big and chunky. I do have to give it the usual stamp of "nothing mind-blowing or wheel-reinventing here", but if you've got a hankering for some grimy, djenty chunk that'll stomp all over you, it seems A Dark Orbit have got you covered.

Friday 30 October 2015

Saturday: Slipknot - AOV

     Were you, like me, pleasantly surprised with how good Slipknot's last record was? After the mixed bag that was All Hope is Gone, I didn't know what to expect from .5: The Gray Chapter. I certainly didn't expect the level of kick-ass that I got.

     Slipknot has always been a volatile set of relationships, something that only seems to have gotten more and more true as the years and albums have piled up. With a couple of the original nine now gone, perhaps the most important of which being bassist Paul Gray, it's hard to know how much gas Slipknot have left in their collective tank. Factor in the time Slipknot traditionally takes between albums, and it would seem that their alums may well be numbered.

     So let's celebrate the return to form the band accomplished with .5: The Gray Chapter by jamming heavy rager "AOV" at a decent volume, OK?

Thursday 29 October 2015

Friday: Mammoth - Innate

     Imagine an progressive instrumental band like Scale the Summit, only a three-piece. But now imagine they're a little more... bonkers... than your average Scale the Summit--like. Really all over the map, stylistically, but in the best possible ways. Now go to sleep thinking about that band.

     The wacky dreams you'll have might well include your Friday band Mammoth, which comes to my attention via a Facebook recommendation from Martin of Pomegranate Tiger. Have a listen or two to "Innate" from Mammoth's recent (back in May) EP of the same name (Innate) and I bet you'll be right there with me thanking Martin for sharing his good taste with us. If you're into instrumental stuff, Mammoth has got it all; go find out for yourself.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Thursday: East of the Wall - Scumbrella

     Your belated posted for last Thursday is both throwback and look forward: the song itself is from a three-way split from 2009, but it's also from a band that needs to hurry up and release a new record already. Sure, East of the Wall have done another split EP or two recently, and sure, Facebook tells me that they're tracking demos for their next album. But it still feels like it's been forever since Redaction Artifacts, even if 2013 wasn't so long ago as all that.

     So maybe we'll get some new straight-up East of the Wall in 2016, but for today (or last Thursday) we're going to go back to the aforementioned 2009 three-way split that East of the Wall was on with Year of No Light and Rosetta (solid line-up, right?) for the three-part instrumental minisuite "Scumbrella". It's a funky, weird piece of work with all the angularity and density you'd expect from something East of the Wall.

Monday 26 October 2015

Wednesday: Protest the Hero - Ragged Tooth

     It hasn't been very long at all since the last time I featured a Protest the Hero song here at Loud Noises, but those of you who follow the band know that they've recently announced a new project that I would be very remiss not to mention. The downside, of course, is that I can't link to this one for you this time.

     The reason for this is the nature of Protest's new endeavour: Pacific Myth is a brand-spanking new subscription service the boys are launching, with the first content being a new song a month for the next sixth months (or at least that's how I understand it). But this is more than just a stretched-out EP with a few crowdfunder-style perks thrown on top -- this seems to be how the guys are going to distribute new material going forward.

     So yet again Protest the Hero is trying something new to removed the middleman from the delivery of their music to their fans. The first new Pacific Myth track, "Ragged Tooth", is available now, but the catch is you've got to subscribe to Pacific Myth on Bancamp. The un-catch is that the price starts at twelve American greenbacks, which is a pretty good deal for some new Protest material if you ask me.

     Oh, and "Ragged Tooth" slays. Almost forgot to mention that....

Thursday 22 October 2015

Tuesday: Pomegranate Tiger - Cyclic

     You know I love it when new music falls into my lap, and I love it even more when that new music comes from a band that I've been looking forward to hearing new material from. But the best case scenario is when new music from a band I dig falls into my lap... and it's badass. Fortune smiles on us today, my friends.

     The name Pomegranate Tiger should already be familiar to you, if not from the proggy and technically proficient brand of instrumental metal to be found on their debut LP Entities then at least for the e-mail Q&A Matt and Martin did for me back in July of 2014 (Thanks again, guys!). It looks like Martin's multitasking as the main musician in the group even more than last time out, but that hasn't slowed him down one bit!

     If you want some proof that killer instrumental prog can be crafted by an individual (and you don't have time to wait for the next Chimp Spanner record... I kid, Paul, I kid!) check out the first single "Cyclic" from Pom Tiger's upcoming sophomore record Boundless -- you'll be back in the Pomegranate Tiger groove and clamouring for Boundless's December 11th release date in no time. Careful that visualization video doesn't melt your brain, though.

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Monday: Cryptopsy - The Knife, The Head, and What Remains

     Boy, have I got some metal for your only-somewhat-belated Metal Monday, in more ways than one. And for good or ill, all of those ways are Canadian. Joy!

     First, the surface metal: your Metal Monday track is the latest from Monreal's Cyrptopsy, "The Knife, The Head, and What Remains", taken from their nearly-here EP The Book of Suffering - Tome 1. It's a vicious bit of modern death metal that'll start pummeling you from the word 'go' and won't quit for its three-and-a-half minute running time.

     Then there's the underlying metal: the song and its title are referring to the 2008 murder and beheading of a Greyhound bus passenger by one of his fellow passengers as their bus was traveling through rural Manitoba. Certainly a tragic and terrifying incident, but goddamn, talk about your metal subject matter.

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Sunday: Novallo - Visually Silent

     I'm pretty late to the party on this one, but since when have I ever let that stop me from spreading the good word? And as a bonus, if you dig this one, there's some new material from these guys all fresh and shiny and waiting for you.

     Your Sunday song tonight, "Visually Silent" from the 2012 debut self-titled EP by Ohio tech-djent five-piece Novallo, is equal parts progressive melodicism, glitchy noodling, and djenty grooving. Monuments and Glass Cloud are coming to mind right now as touchstones, but really, I think you should check Novallo out for yourself. And if, like me, you dig "Visually Silent" and the rest of band's stuff from 2012, you'll be happy to know that, like I said above, Novallo's follow-up EP dropped last month. So get listening already!

Saturday: Faith No More - Sunny Side Up

     Faith No More fans had to wait a long time for this year's Sol Invictus, but most seem to agree that the wait was worth it. In Sol Invictus, Faith No More have delivered another diverse album that, while covering a lot of varied ground, remains undeniably a Faith No More record.

     Case in point is the latest single from Sol Invictus, "Sunny Side Up", a bittersweet-sounding little number that features the legendary Mike Patton shifting through an array of vocal styles, from low and menacing a la Tom Waits to strained and screaming a la... well, a la Mike Patton. It's a fun and unique song, and like the song says, it's such a lovely way to start the day. Give it a spin and find that out for yourself.

Monday 19 October 2015

Friday: Haunted Shores - Norway Jose

     Despite the fact that he's now got a team of great musicians around him, Periphery still kinda feels like Misha's band at times. So if you've ever doubted guitarist Mark Holcomb's metal bona fides (not that you've ever had any reason to, guy can fucking play, but whatever) then doubt no longer, because Mark's longtime project Haunted Shores is about to unleash what could well be a beast of an EP.

     Viscera is set to come out in early November, but lead single "Norway Jose" can (and should) be jammed right this minute. Misha does show up as Mark's co-conspirator on Viscera, but this definitely isn't Periphery Lite. If you like progressive instrumental stuff with big riffing, "Norway Jose" is speaking your changuage -- I've no idea whether or not the whole EP will be sans vocals (I would assume it will be) but it sure doesn't feel like there's anything missing. What do you think?

Thursday: Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills

     As I've said many times before, sometimes the gods speak to us more loudly than others. This morning, the local rock radio station favoured me with some Iron Maiden, and in that moment I knew that the gods were telling me where (and when!) to go for last week's Throwback Thursday post.

     The Maiden song in question, and your Throwback Thursday song for last week, is the absolutely classic "Run to the Hills" from the 1982 masterpiece The Number of the Beast. From Steve Harris' galloping bass to Bruce Dickinson's as-usual stellar vocal performance, everything on this one is, as I said, classic. If somehow you know someone who doesn't know anything about Iron Maiden, this might just be the track to start them off on.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Wednesday: The Parallel - Pendulum

     Finally, I can leave the shores of exotic locales like Australia and return to Canadian shores to ask the following terribly important question: is post-djent a thing yet? If it is, I would say the Canucks in The Parallel who're providing your Wednesday song might qualify as metalcore-meets-post-djent.

     The vocals, including those provided by Eric Almeida of Auras, have a very core feel to them; the riffing is both big and noodly; and the drums are likewise big and chock full of grooves and ghost notes. Your song for last Wednesday, a track called "Pendulum", isn't exactly going to blow your mind, but it is a great example of groovy, varied metalcore done really well. It even reminds me just a little of other (now-defunct) Canadian outfits like Kingdoms and Straight Reads the Line in its "melodic metalcore meets tech" sensibilities. Check it out.

Tuesday: Blotted Science - EEG Tracings

     Time for another Tech Tuesday post, as well as another "Hurry Up and Record a New Album" post. The relatively lengthy gaps between albums from Blotted Science are of course at least a little bit more excusable than they are for some other bands, given that this a 'supergroup' that draws all of its members from other bands, but I'd still really like to hear some new material already.

     If you're familiar with the technical wizardry that is Blotted Sciences, I'd be willing to bet that you're right there with me. But if you don't know the instrumental madness of Ron Jarzombek and Company, now is as good a time as any to get on board and join the cool kids in counting the days until the next Blotted Science release.

     Your belated Tech Tuesday song, the killer "EEG Tracings", comes from the band's 2007 album The Machinations of Dementia, which has only been followed up by one other record, 2011's The Animation of Entomology. Now, I'm no mathemagician, but if Blotted Science keep to the rough four-year album cycle they've been on for the last couple of records, that makes 2015/2016 just about time for new stuff, n'est pas?

Thursday 15 October 2015

Monday: The Black Dahlia Murder - Asylum

     Metal fucking Monday time again, and this time around I ask: have you been jamming the new Black Dahlia Murder album Abysmal?

     Because you really should be; to use what I'm sure has by now become a cliched pun, Abysmal is anything but abysmal. Sure, the guys have once again failed to reinvent their wheel and transition into a shoegaze polka outfit or anything, but on the other hand, the guys have once again delivered a solid sample of what it is they do best. From front to back, Abysmal brings fistfuls of the riffs, blast beats, and shriek-to-growl vocals we all know and love.

     My current favourite track? Besides the badass "Vlad, Son of the Dragon", it has to be "Asylum", motherfuckers. Turn this one up as loud as you can, and if your neighbours don't like it, fuck 'em. The zombies are going to eat them first anyways.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Sunday: Lindemann - Fish On

     After my last Sunday post of Monster Magnet talking about what I think is butt stuff, I'm almost obliged to one-up myself, right? Right.

     I'm glad you agree with me, because I've got the latest video from the eponymous side project of Rammstein's Til Lindemann for you, and it's just perfect for the Lord's day of rest. "Fish On", taken from the first LP Skills in Pills, is about wooing the ladies, and it has a suitably "fetching" video to go along with it (see what I did there? Not my best work, that's what...) that is, quite frankly, absolutely mental. Musically, things sound pretty similar to Rammstein with some more keyboardyness thrown in, but if you're a Til Lindemann fan, you're probably cool with that, right?

Saturday: Caligula's Horse - Marigold

     Let's head back Down Under to get proggy and groovy for this belated Saturday post. And since that kind of an opening could actually be read as referring to several Australian bands, allow me to clear things up by saying that we'll be slipping into the saddle of Caligula's horse for this one.

     For a couple of album's now, Caligula's Horse have been building a pretty solid catalogue of intelligent progressive music that straddles a number of genres, and they seem set to continue this trend with their upcoming third LP Bloom, due out next week. If you need proof, look no further than the album's second track "Marigold", a seven-minute slice of vaguely Tool-y modern prog propelled by vocalist Jim Grey's powerful delivery. When -- not if -- these guys get huge, you can say you were in on the ground, er, third floor.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Friday: Children of Nova -

     Your Friday post from last week comes from one of those bands that I've unfortunately discovered only after they've called it quits or, as in this case, gone on indefinite hiatus. With your help, maybe we can turn that situation around.

     OK, so my small readership probably has no ability to resurrect San Diego's Children of Nova, but let's pretend for a moment that we could get them to record a follow-up to their 2012 record Impossible Landscape. In such a hypothetical wonderland, we might end up with another high-energy slice of post-hardcore/post-rock reminiscent of Eidola or Circa Survive.

     In order to show you what we're all no longer getting any more of, I implore you to check out Impossible Landscape, starting with album-opener "Erratic". If, after jamming some Children of Nova, any of you decide to petition the band to get back together, let me know. I'll sign.

Thursday: Protest the Hero - Turn Soonest to the Sea

     For your belated Throwback Thursday song for last week, I'm turning to perennial Loud Noises favourite Protest the Hero. What does such a young band have to do with throwing back, you ask?

     Despite their relative youth, Protest the Hero have been busy over the last decade, releasing four LPs and touring like crazy. More importantly (at least for my purposes today), the band's stellar debut album Kezia turned ten years old at the end of August, and to commemorate the guys have planned an anniversary tour with the original, now-defunct lineup. There's no Kingston date this time around (what gives, guys?) but it still looks to be a good time.

     So that's why you're getting a track from the ten-year-old Kezia today, namely "Turn Soonest to the Sea". Crank this one and then go grab your tickets for one of the Kezia X dates. It'll be worth your while, I promise! (hint: you might get to hear some Mandroid Echostar material if you catching them opening on this tour...)

Monday 12 October 2015

Wednesday: Mestis - Pura Vida

     Regular readers should by this point have picked up on the fact that I dig instrumental music, and they may have heard me talk about Animals as Leaders a couple of times, so it should come as no surprise that I'm excited to hear about the upcoming full-length debut from AAL guitarist Javier Reyes' side project Mestis.

     Even better, Polysemy will be out in less than a month. Better still is the fact that we can all have a taste of the new material in the form of first single "Pura Vida", which even features some guest guitar work from members of another proggy instrumental outfit, CHON. It's a track that manages to be a little heavy and a little chill at the same time, with lots of interesting guitar stuff going on but none of it too over the top. Mestis has always been a somewhat different beast than Animals as Leaders, and Polysemy sounds like it could be a big step forward in the evolution of Javier and Mestis. Check it out if that sounds like it could be your thing.

Sunday 11 October 2015

Tuesday: Soundgarden - Full On Kevin's Mom

     Was my Monday City and Colour post from earlier a little too melancholy for you? A little too maudlin? I've got just the quickie follow-up to clear that low mood away. You're welcome in advance.

     Grunge legends Soundgarden have covered a lot of musical ground over the course of their careers, but the somewhat more serious (read: high falutin') tone of much of their later work might cause one to lose sight of the sex and sense of humour that's nearly omnipresent in the band's earlier work.

     To remind you of those more lighthearted times, your Tuesday track is "Full On Kevin's Mom" from Soundgarden's 1989 sophomore record Louder Than Love. If you've got a friend named Kevin, or even a friend with a hot mom, you owe it to yourself to play this song for them at volume as soon as possible.

Monday: City and Colour - Sensible Heart

     What could be better than an alliterative post title? Why, a double alliterative post title, of course! That one should have been obvious. Specifically, your much-belated Monday post will be both Mellow and a little Melancholy. Prepare to get your feels out.

     Your Mellow, Melancholy Monday song is "Sensible Heart" from City and Colour's second album, 2008's Bring Me Your Love. Metalhead though I might be, this is one of those tracks that I always find both beautiful and a little depressing. Maybe that says more about me than the song, I don't know, but "Sensible Heart" has always sounded bittersweet to me. How does it sound to you?

Sunday: Monster Magnet - She Digs That Hole

     Sometimes your Sunday should be a little sleazier, and those are the times Monster Magnet's Dave Wyndorf has been preparing for his entire career. Spaced out, sorta retro heavy rock is his bread and butter, and few have carved out a better example of this little musical niche.

     The last couple of Monster Magnet projects have delved even further in this direction, namely involving some remixing, rerecording, and re-imagining of earlier material. In particular, the band's upcoming record Cobras and Fire (The Mastermind Redux) revisits the band's 2012 record Mastermind. The results, more often than not, are maybe even more fun than the originals.

     Case in point: Monster Magnet's latest single "She Digs That Hole", a mulligan of the song "Dig that Hole" that oozes more sleaze and double-entendre than even the usual Monster Magnet track, if that's possible. Pour yourself a stiff drink, roll yourself a stiff smoke, and then check this one out.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Saturday: Frenzy - Lethal Protector

     Do you like Venom? No, not the band, the Spider-Man character. If you don't, you fucking well should, because the idea of a living alien suit that bonds with the wearer and grants them super powers (as well as possibly nudging them towards evil) is pretty badass all around.

     Maiden-esque classic/power metal act Frenzy apparently agree, because they've penned an ode to Eddie Brock and Friend for their upcoming debut EP. "Lethal Protector" is fast and full of energy and harmonized guitars, and really does sound like something from an old school metal act. For my taste, I might have preferred a sprawling tech-prog opus to the symbiote, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

Friday: Gorod - Temple to the Art-God

     French tech death masters Gorod have a new album just around the corner (about a week or so), meaning that now is a perfect time to buckle down and get metal.

     For that purpose, we're going with "Temple to the Art-God" from the almost-here A Maze of Recycled Creeds, a track that's certainly fast and technical enough to satisfy those who simply have the need for speed. There are, however, lots of interesting melodic ideas going on here too, including the sorta-chorusy chorus with the sweet bassline. I'm not as familiar with Gorod's work as I should be, so it seems like now might be a great time to get educated. Maybe you should too?

Monday 5 October 2015

Thursday: Cynic - Veil of Maya

     Prog fans will likely already have heard about, and be lamenting, the apparent break-up of legendary band/duo Cynic -- I say "duo" both because the core of Cynic has always been Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert, and because it seems to be the friction between these two that has caused the band to implode.

     I don't know that I would want Cynic to continue in some other form, and if Sean and Paul's differences are really that irreconcilable then I don't know if I'd want them to even try to get back together as musicians unless there was truly some resolution for them personally. So: it seems that Cynic is dead.

     What better reason to throw it back to their 1993 breakthrough debut album Focus for your Throwback Thursday track. Blast some "Veil of Maya" and wonder at how ahead of its time this record was.

Sunday 4 October 2015

Wednesday: Exotic Animal Petting Zoo - Ira Lore

     'Two steps forward, one step back' seems to be my Loud Noises mantra lately, whether I want it to be or not. The sad truth is that this blog doesn't pay anything (start putting those pennies in the post, please) so when I've got to pick up some extra hours at work to fill the ol' wallet, you guys unfortunately have to take a back seat.

     But enough Debbie Downer, right? What about a Wednesday post? File the source of this one under "please record a new album already", because I would love to hear some new Exotic Animal Petting Zoo. Their latest record Tree of Tongues is really killer slice of mathy, sorta grimy post-hardcore/post-metal that not enough people know about, but it's also getting a little long in the tooth in album-cycle terms, having come out all the way back in 2012.

     Strangely enough, however, I'm going back to the band's 2008 debut I Have Made My Bed in Darkness for your Wednesday song. For a taste of what Exotic Animal Petting Zoo is like, have yourself a listen to "Ira Lore", and then join me in being disappointed every time you check the band's Facebook and find no news about new material.

Friday 2 October 2015

Tuesday: The Faceless - The Spiraling Void

     Fans of The Faceless will no doubt have heard the news (and perhaps even the new song) by now, but both are definitely tasty enough to warrant their own Tech Tuesday post.

     First, the news, which is that the latest lineup to join Michael Keene under the Faceless banner includes a couple of guys from the band's Planetary Duality days, most notably former-and-now-current-again vocalist Derek "Demon Carcass" Rydquist. History would try to tell us that this lineup might not be the most solid long-term, but longtime Faceless fans seem generally pretty stoked that the Planetary Duality-era team is back at all.

     Second, the song, an unsurprisingly technical and proggy number called "The Spiraling Void" that sounds right at home on the possible spectrum of progression since Autotheism. Besides the new track, most news out of The Faceless HQ lately has been tour (and lineup) related, so no word just yet on a new record. But a new single is always a good sign that more new material might be right around the corner, and I for one would very much appreciate an album's worth of stuff like "The Spiraling Void".

Monday: Gods of Eden - The Overseer

     OK, let's do a catch-up day here at Loud Noises, starting with a Metal Monday post. Yes, it's time Metal Monday once more, and this week I've got a doozy. Do you like your shit to be technically proficient, ferociously heavy, and just proggy enough? Then read on, my friend, read on.

     As is so often the case these days, when looking for the bleeding edge of good heavy music, we're well served to spin our globes to that bit with nothing but Australia and the Pacific Ocean on it. The Land Down Under has proven time and again over the last couple of years that it can be depended upon to produce something cool for fans of any sub-genre you could come up with.

     Like I said above, today it's proggy tech metal from Sydney's Gods of Eden in the form of the track "The Overseer" from their forthcoming From the End of Heaven. Fans of this particular corner of the metal world should definitely have a listen, and then get their plane tickets to Oz in order, because the list of talented Australian bands just keeps getting longer.