THE PROS AND CONS OF COVERS

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  12 Responses »
Apr 292011
 

Anachronaeon is a two-man band from Sweden consisting of Andreas Åkerlind on drums and Patrik Carlsson providing guitars, bass, vocals, and keys. We first heard their music last summer on a tip from our blog-bro Niek at Death Metal Baboon (yes, it seems we’re destined to mention DMB in every post we run this week), and we then featured the band in one of our MISCELLANY posts last August (here).

Yesterday we got an e-mail from Patrik Carlsson telling us that Anachronaeon have recorded a cover of “Wasting Love” by Iron Maiden, which the band are making available for free download. I took a deep breath when I saw that, (a) because I love the original Maiden version of “Wasting Love” (despite the clean singing), and (b) because I couldn’t imagine what Anachronaeon would do to the song, given the band’s own musical style — which is a dark fusion of melodic black- and death-metal.

And right after that deep breath came a rush of thoughts about song covers in general — how rarely they succeed, and how “success” should be defined and measured. After the jump, those thoughts (on which we’d like to see your comments) plus Iron Maiden’s official video for “Wasting Love” and Anachronaeon’s cover. Continue reading »

MISCELLANY NO. 29: DISMA, SOLSTORM, AND AUTOPSY

 MISCELLANY  6 Responses »
Apr 282011
 

Man, it’s been more than a month since our last MISCELLANY post. Time has gotten away from me. ‘Course, that’s just a figure of speech, because I never had hold of Time in the first place. I just do my best to run along with it, but it’s been leaving me behind, choking on its dust. I need to make an effort to catch up before it’s too late and I become nothing more than an antiquated relic of the past.

Where was I? Oh yeah, MISCELLANY. Well, it’s been so long that it might be worthwhile to provide a refresher on what these posts are all about: We keep a running NCS list of bands whose music we haven’t heard before but who look interesting for one reason or another. And then, at unpredictable times, I pick a few names randomly off the list and listen to a song or two from each one, not knowing for sure whether the music will be good. And then, I write about what I heard and put the songs in the post so you can form your own opinions.

For today’s MISCELLANY session, I picked Disma (U.S.) and Solstorm (Norway), and I threw in a new Autopsy song for good measure. Not to spoil the suspense, but this turned out to be a fucking great musical expedition: two winners, without doubt. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

DEALS DEATH: “FORTIFIED”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Apr 272011
 

Deals Death is a melodic death-metal band from — where else — Gothenburg, Sweden. I first heard about them last September when Death Metal Baboon posted a track called “Fortified”, which Deals Death had recorded in 2010 as part of an album called Elite (their second full-length). Not long after hearing that song (which I though rocked the fuck out), I saw that the band had decided to scrap all of the recordings for Elite and to have them re-mixed by none other than Jonas Kjellgren of Scar Symmetry.

Deals Death now reports that the re-mix is finished, the album artwork is complete, and they’re “considering different options” for the release of Elite. I would like to suggest, as one option, that they release the album to me so that I can listen to all of it. I think this is an excellent option, because I’ve now heard the re-mixed version of “Fortified” and it’s my kinda thang — thrash-paced melodic death metal with a catchy melody, infectious grooves hammered out by the rhythm instruments, and a vein-bursting screamer.

I’ve heard that remixed song, not because I’m special or anything, but because Deals Death just released a music video for “Fortified”. It’s a professionally filmed video of the band performing the song and looks good. I predict the ladies are going to like shirtless vocalist Olle Ekman. No slight intended to the other dudes in Deals Death, but Olle has clearly been putting in some time at the gym.  Check out the vid after the jump, and get prepared to bang yo fucken head. Continue reading »

RAY’S MUSIC

 Album Reviews, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  24 Responses »
Apr 272011
 

Sometimes we get into e-mail exchanges with NCS readers, and sometimes we learn a few things about them that you wouldn’t know just from reading their comments here on the site. Take Ray Heberer, for example (he uses only his first name when he leaves comments). Ray is 15 years old, approaching his 16th birthday. He lives in Taiwan. He goes to a demanding school, he’s on the track team, and he began visiting this site not long ago.

Ray is also a guitarist, and he also plays bass. He’s been playing for about 2 years, which would mean he started when he was about 13. I think I was still breast-feeding at 13. The only instrument I could play with when I was 15 was the one attached to my body. So, in one sense, what Ray does sort of depresses me. And, for those of us who are a bit insecure about our own talents, this story gets worse.

Ray also composes and records his own music, he’s a fair hand with synthesizers, and he’s the centerpiece of three bands (Haemic, Dreams of Winter, and Bloodred Fullmoon), plus his own solo project (Reclusive Forest Council). It’s all metal, but because Ray evidently hasn’t yet settled on the style of music he wants to make his focus, each of these projects explores different styles.

And to top it off, Ray is good. How good? Well, you’re about to find out. We’re going to play you some of Ray’s music, including a medley of melodies from the forthcoming Dreams of Winter album that Ray created just for NCS. We predict the time will come when you’ll be proud to tell people, “Hey, I heard that dude’s music on NCS when he was only 15!” (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

ENSLAVED AND NEGURĂ BUNGET AT THE UNDERWORLD, LONDON – APRIL 22ND

 Concert Reviews  3 Responses »
Apr 262011
 

(Our regular contributor Andy Synn, who has a penchant for making us jealous by attending European shows that aren’t available in the U.S., attended the April 22 performance of Enslaved and Negură Bunget in London a few days ago, and checks in with this concert review.)

A beautifully warm and sunny day provided the perfect chance to travel down to London to see some of black metal’s most forward thinking acts play a sold-out show to a rabid fan-base. The clear blue skies and crystalline rays of sunlight acted as the perfect set-up for the evening’s display of shining, progressive musical expression.

After a few beers in The World’s End, my companion and I attempted to join the queue for entry, only to baulk at its length and quickly scurry back to the bar for another few. Any excuse…

We eventually got into the venue shortly after Negură Bunget‘s set had already commenced, and thankfully the band had been given a lengthy 40-minute opening slot, so we were still lucky enough to catch the majority of their set.

With a primal and expressive sound, Negură Bunget provided a set of deep shadows and brilliant, shining highlights, which replaces black metal’s traditionally icy fury with a warm, organic exploration of mood and atmosphere, light and shade.  (more after the jump, including video of this show . . .) Continue reading »

RICHES FROM THE NETHERLANDS AWAIT!

 IQ Subtraction  5 Responses »
Apr 262011
 

I want to start this post with an important update. You may remember that the last offer I received from a faraway place for big truckloads of folding green came from Mr. Pascal Akossa of the Cal Merchant Bank in Ghana. You don’t remember? Come on, how could you forget Mr. Akossa, the dude who was “enchanted” to converse with me by e-mail about the chance to give me $10.5 million and assured me that I should “not nurse any atom of fear” because all the arrangements had already been made for “the smooth transfer” of all that fuckin’ money into my bank account. You still don’t remember? Well, go here to see my correspondence with Mr. Akossa.

Anyways, here’s the important update: Mr. Akossa hasn’t written me back yet. Also, he hasn’t transferred any part of that $10.5 million to my bank. Fuckin’ douchebag, I hope he dies from a massive rectal hemorrhage. Wait, I don’t really mean that. Maybe a case of incurable incontinence, but not actual death.

But I don’t need his money any more, because over the weekend I received an offer from The Netherlands that makes his $10.5 million look like chump change. Yeah, now I’ve got the chance to lay hands on $18,500,000! Man, when it comes to handing out the folding green, the Dutch don’t fuck around. After the jump, you can see the message and my prompt reply. It’s now just a matter of days, perhaps hours, before I can kiss my day job good-by and start living the life of the richest metal blogger the world has ever seen . . . Continue reading »

SATYROS: RIVEN

 Album Reviews  19 Responses »
Apr 252011
 

Satyros is a three-piece German band established in 2005. Initially, the focus of their musical endeavors was black metal, the style reflected in their 2007 self-titled debut. However, they made significant changes in their style as they began to write songs for the second full-length, Riven. That album has now been released, and the band has chosen to make it available for free download. In a word, it’s stunning.

More than a few music industry observers have been opining that as consumers increasingly get their music by way of digital downloads (both legit and illegit), CDs will become a thing of the past, and albums will, too. Their forecast is that the current trend of people buying individual songs in digital form will strengthen, and that the recording of full albums will eventually wither away, not being worth the time or the money.

These forecasts may prove to be accurate in the case of many musical genres, and even in the realm of metal, it does seem that more and more bands are releasing EPs in lieu of full-length albums, in part because that enables bands to keep their fans engaged by presenting new music more frequently than if they waited to amass a full album’s worth of new songs. It’s also tough to deny that most albums don’t contain a full album’s worth of great songs. Sometimes bands would better off by releasing an EP-length collection of good material rather than straining to fill a full-length with an uneven compilation of music.

On the other hand, albums like Riven make me hope those industry forecasts turn out to be wrong, at least for metal. Riven is approximately one hour in length, encompassing 12 songs, and every song is strong — all killer and no filler. The album takes the listener on a journey, as good albums should, and this is a journey that’s well worth that hour of your time.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

BILL SKINS FIFTH: “FROM WHAT LIES BENEATH”

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  19 Responses »
Apr 242011
 

Our focus today is on an unsigned Finnish band named Bill Skins Fifth, whose debut EP caught our attention late last year, and who have just released a new one that’s outstanding. For a band that’s only two EPs into their recording career, they’re way up the learning curve and making a very strong statement that they’re a band to watch.

Bill Skins Fifth (whose name will be recognized by sharp-eyed fans of the movie Silence of the Lambs) was formed in Salo, Finland, in 2008 and in 2010 they released their first work, a four-song EP called Act One. We featured that EP in a post last December as part of our Finland Tribute Week (here), and what we said then bears repeating: “They’re technically capable and they have that special talent that separates bands who have a future from those who don’t: They know how to write songs. To be more precise, they create music that has distinctive melodies and a recognizable structure. They establish themes, they explore variations on those themes, and they return to those introductory themes again.”

Yesterday, the band self-released their second EP, From What Lies Beneath — five songs with a total run-time of just over 19 minutes. It accomplishes what you like to hear from a new band whose music you like: It shows progress. Don’t get me wrong — Act One was damned good — but the new EP shows increasing sophistication in the songwriting and increasing assurance in the execution. (more after the jump, including a link for download of the new EP . . .) Continue reading »

THE BROWN BOOK: “PYRAMID SCHEME”

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  19 Responses »
Apr 232011
 

The Brown Book is a band we discovered in March 2010. Back then, they had an album to their credit called Thirty-Nothing, and we frothed at the mouth about it in a review and interview we posted here. Fast forward slightly more than one year, and here we have a new EP from The Brown Book called Pyramid Scheme. The band also now has available a Bandcamp page (here) where you can get a digital download of The Pyramid Scheme with a “name your price” option, as well as Thirty-Nothing for $4.

Now that we’ve got those logistical details out of the way, here’s why you should care about the new EP: Because it sounds like your life, though possibly with more distortion. There are times when you feel balanced, in sync with what’s happening around you, in control of your destiny. But you soon realize that feeling is fleeting, when all hell breaks lose, when you feel pulled in a dozen different directions at once, when the ground gives way beneath you, when an impersonal universe comes crashing down on your best-laid plans and all you can do is ride with it and do your best to enjoy the utter unpredictability of existence.

Or perhaps your life is more charmed and orderly than most, in which case you may need to better appreciate the freedom and sense of abandon that chaos brings. Either way, as a soundtrack to how you live or as a crushing departure from the ordinary, Pyramid Scheme is worth hearing.  (more after the jump, including a taste of the music . . .) Continue reading »

A WORD OF THANKS, AND A QUESTION

 Off Topic  41 Responses »
Apr 232011
 

Well, my two weeks of travel and shortness of time are now over. My fears about not being able to put up new posts on the site every day didn’t materialize — I did have time every day at least for quick items (even more than usual, precisely because they were quick).

Nevertheless, I’m truly grateful to all the people who responded to my call for help and gave NCS a safety net by sending us guest blogs. I really enjoyed reading every one of them, and judging by the hits on our site, lots of other people did, too. To all of you who contributed guest posts, both our readers and other metal bloggers, please don’t wait for another invitation — when the mood strikes you, please send more our way . . . It adds to the variety of NCS to have more voices.

And speaking of other voices, I also want to give a tip of the hat to our regular contributors Andy Synn and BadWolf for stepping up with a slew of reviews over the last two weeks.

Now, things around here will be returning to “normal”, for better or worse. With more time, I’ll be able to return to some of our regular features that have been missing for a while, and I’ll be catching up on album reviews — starting with the next post today about The Brown Book‘s new EP.

In addition to offering up my thank-you’s, I do have a question for you, after the jump . . . Continue reading »

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