Full disclosure: I'm 31 -- yes, only 31 -- but 2015 was a year in which me and many of the people I know started to feel old in one way or another. First world problems, right? Anyways, as bad as that was, I have a feeling 2016 is going to bring more things that make me feel like a curmudgeonly old man, which means that the sentiment expressed by the title of your song for last Wednesday speaks to that fist-shaking part of me.
My favourite Every Time I Die album is 2009's New Junk Aesthetic, and one of the bonus tracks from the deluxe version of that record is the appropriately titled "Goddamn Kids These Days". Play it loud enough and you can practically hear me telling some whippersnappers to get off my fucking lawn. Sigh.
Friday, 8 January 2016
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Last Tuesday: Tool - Third Eye
Remember when I said that The Black Dahlia Murder's "Hellion" would allow you to bank some precious seconds for the next time I presented you with something meaty? Yeah, so the "next time" actually came sooner than I thought.
When I don't necessarily have a Tech Tuesday in the chamber, I dig into my alliterative bag of tricks for the next best thing. This week, luck you, that happens to be a Tool Tuesday post. Show of hands, who thinks we'll actually see a new Tool record in 2016? Anybody? While we all hold our breath for that one (or don't...) let's revisit a great track from Tool's back catalogue.
My choice for this Tool Tuesday? Aenima closing track and close-to-fourteen-minute monster "Third Eye", mostly because of the intensity of its builds and releases, its ebbs and flows, y'knows. The drums that initially resolve out of the noise gradually pull you into the beat, and the layers stack up so seamlessly that if you're not heavily emotionally invested in this song by the time Maynard's distorted screams kick in just shy of minute four, well, you may have problems beyond what I can help you solve. This is about as epic as Tool comes, so bask (or languish) in the knowledge that this one likely won't be topped.
When I don't necessarily have a Tech Tuesday in the chamber, I dig into my alliterative bag of tricks for the next best thing. This week, luck you, that happens to be a Tool Tuesday post. Show of hands, who thinks we'll actually see a new Tool record in 2016? Anybody? While we all hold our breath for that one (or don't...) let's revisit a great track from Tool's back catalogue.
My choice for this Tool Tuesday? Aenima closing track and close-to-fourteen-minute monster "Third Eye", mostly because of the intensity of its builds and releases, its ebbs and flows, y'knows. The drums that initially resolve out of the noise gradually pull you into the beat, and the layers stack up so seamlessly that if you're not heavily emotionally invested in this song by the time Maynard's distorted screams kick in just shy of minute four, well, you may have problems beyond what I can help you solve. This is about as epic as Tool comes, so bask (or languish) in the knowledge that this one likely won't be topped.
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
Last Monday: The Black Dahlia Murder - Hellion
Normally, if I make an unusual demand on your time, it's to request ten minutes or more for some sprawling epic. This Metal Monday post for last week is an apology of sorts.
"Hellion" is one of the bonus tracks from 2015's Abysmal by The Black Dahlia Murder, and at around a minute in length it couldn't be any more fast and furious. Sure, it's a bit blink and you'll miss it" if you're not paying attention, but the flip side of this coin of brevity is that you can hit repeat a couple of times and still not have spent all day rocking out. Those are seconds you can save for the next time I come up with something epic, so go hard for a measly sixty of them with "Hellion" ASAP.
"Hellion" is one of the bonus tracks from 2015's Abysmal by The Black Dahlia Murder, and at around a minute in length it couldn't be any more fast and furious. Sure, it's a bit blink and you'll miss it" if you're not paying attention, but the flip side of this coin of brevity is that you can hit repeat a couple of times and still not have spent all day rocking out. Those are seconds you can save for the next time I come up with something epic, so go hard for a measly sixty of them with "Hellion" ASAP.
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
Last Sunday: Caligula's Horse - Rust
Catching up continues here at Loud Noises with a Sunday song (last Sunday, that is) from one of the many, many great bands currently coming up from down under. Caligula's Horse might be one of the most well known Aussie prog acts making international waves right now, and they're certainly one of the best, so come take a ride with me.
I was given a copy of the latest Caligula's Horse record Bloom for Christmas, and after spending some quality time with it over the last week or so I can recommend it highly to any fan of groovy, progressive stuff. Sure, there's a moment or two (including a riff in your last Sunday song) that one could derisively label "djenty", if one were so inclined, but on the whole Bloom is just too diverse to pin down like that. There's some really catchy hooks, some great grooves, some very tasteful lead guitar work -- and of course, Jim Grey's powerful vocals.
I've featured a song from Bloom before, but this time around we're going full heavy with the acerbic "Rust". Call that main groove djenty if you must, but I defy you to not enjoy it all the same.
(Sorry, no link this time, but Bloom worth a download/stream/purchase, so pull the trigger and then get rusty!)
I was given a copy of the latest Caligula's Horse record Bloom for Christmas, and after spending some quality time with it over the last week or so I can recommend it highly to any fan of groovy, progressive stuff. Sure, there's a moment or two (including a riff in your last Sunday song) that one could derisively label "djenty", if one were so inclined, but on the whole Bloom is just too diverse to pin down like that. There's some really catchy hooks, some great grooves, some very tasteful lead guitar work -- and of course, Jim Grey's powerful vocals.
I've featured a song from Bloom before, but this time around we're going full heavy with the acerbic "Rust". Call that main groove djenty if you must, but I defy you to not enjoy it all the same.
(Sorry, no link this time, but Bloom worth a download/stream/purchase, so pull the trigger and then get rusty!)
Boxing Day: I the Mighty - Psychomachia
A Boxing Day post means back to your regularly scheduled programming here at Loud Noises, as far as that goes, starting with an energetic post-hardcore number that would be right at home on my list of stuff that's "radio friendly but actually good".
I've written in praise of I the Mighty and their 2015 record Connector before, but it's been a while, and in the absence of newer music from these guys I say it's time to revisit the Connector well in search of something melodic and rocking. Connector's fourth track "Psychomachia" fits that bill nicely, with energy, melody, and just a hint of a metallic, aggressive kind of edge. Connector has all kinds of songs like this, so I the Mighty's follow-up, whenever that materializes, should be something to keep an eye on.
I've written in praise of I the Mighty and their 2015 record Connector before, but it's been a while, and in the absence of newer music from these guys I say it's time to revisit the Connector well in search of something melodic and rocking. Connector's fourth track "Psychomachia" fits that bill nicely, with energy, melody, and just a hint of a metallic, aggressive kind of edge. Connector has all kinds of songs like this, so I the Mighty's follow-up, whenever that materializes, should be something to keep an eye on.
Monday, 4 January 2016
Christmas Day: Christopher Lee - Little Drummer Boy
My much belated holiday catch-up continues here at Loud Noises, this time around with your Christmas Day song. In what's becoming something of a Loud Noises Christmas tradition, I'm once again reminding you this year that the now-late, great Sir Christopher Lee, star of stage and screen for decades, also liked to dabble in heavy metal vocal work. More importantly, as far as we're concerned right now, Lee turned those vocal attentions towards the spreading of ghoulish good cheer on more than one occasion.
Case in point: Christopher Lee's Christmas single from a few year's back, and specifically his version of "Little Drummer Boy". This one's never been a particular Christmas favourite of mine, but Lee's version has enough grand bombast and old school metal swagger to put a smile on even the grinchiest old metalhead. Merry (belated) Christmas, ya' filthy animals.
(Alas, the link above is to a sampler from the 2012 Christmas single, you want the whole thing you've got to buy it, freeloader!)
Case in point: Christopher Lee's Christmas single from a few year's back, and specifically his version of "Little Drummer Boy". This one's never been a particular Christmas favourite of mine, but Lee's version has enough grand bombast and old school metal swagger to put a smile on even the grinchiest old metalhead. Merry (belated) Christmas, ya' filthy animals.
(Alas, the link above is to a sampler from the 2012 Christmas single, you want the whole thing you've got to buy it, freeloader!)
Sunday, 3 January 2016
Christmas Eve: Bing Crosby - White Christmas
Happy New Year everybody! I may not have bee around much over the past week or so, but that doesn't mean I'm gone for good. I hope your holidays have been restful, because it's time to get back to the wonderful world of metal.
Well... not quite. Since I'm far enough behind that I still need to do stuff for Christmas, I'll favour you with some holiday trivia that I somehow only learned about this year. Your much belated Christmas Eve song is Bing Crosby's classic rendition of Irving Berlin's classic "White Christmas", which happens to be the best-selling single of all time. Think about that for a second. Any one-hit wonder you think has been undeseveredly huge? Bing's topped it. Any grating pop song that's ever earwormed its way into your skull? Bing's got it beat. Literally every metal song ever? Bing by a landslide. I've never been a fan of White Christmas the movie, but "White Christmas" the song definitely comes out here every year.
Well... not quite. Since I'm far enough behind that I still need to do stuff for Christmas, I'll favour you with some holiday trivia that I somehow only learned about this year. Your much belated Christmas Eve song is Bing Crosby's classic rendition of Irving Berlin's classic "White Christmas", which happens to be the best-selling single of all time. Think about that for a second. Any one-hit wonder you think has been undeseveredly huge? Bing's topped it. Any grating pop song that's ever earwormed its way into your skull? Bing's got it beat. Literally every metal song ever? Bing by a landslide. I've never been a fan of White Christmas the movie, but "White Christmas" the song definitely comes out here every year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)