FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
While their debut album was all over the place—in a bad way—Ancestors have a delivered a much more focused effort this time around that’s worthy of a few spins. Recommended for fans of Neurosis, Isis and the like; just don’t expect to hear much that those bands haven’t done before
Yellow & Green by Baroness is arguably one of the richest and most diverse albums you are going to hear this year. It is certainly the most ambitious musical undertaking by Baizley and Co yet, but they manage to pull it off without a hitch. Production-wise it’s a little too retro for my taste, but otherwise this is a fantastic musical adventure. I’m hooked!
The soundtrack runs close to an hour and all the songs are previously unreleased. It is, by turns, invigorating, eviscerating and just good old nostalgic fun. The pulverizing metal component means all the dynamic, outlandish fluency of the action genre is represented.
This new track sounds like an epic, though straight-forward, closing song in a full-length Agalloch album, not a stand alone experience. It’s an A-side that lacks a B-side.
I’d recommend the documentary for metal fans who are particularly interested in the origins of the genre and the roots of metal in hard rock. While I think the narrative could have been weighted more evenly, there is some fascinating archival and interview footage in Så Jälva Metal, and seeing the music from a new cultural perspective is refreshing and eye-opening.
Into The Lair of the Sun God plays like an open-hearted love letter to an age when heavy metal was the brightest star in the sky.
Cognitive by Lopez and Co is an excellent debut album, full of intelligent and engaging song material which should thrill the Porcupine Tree, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Oceansize and Amplifier crowds.
Overall, for a band with a career spanning over three decades and ten plus studio albums, Tankard is as potent as they ever were. A Girl Called Cervesa really is a treat for the old fans and newcomers to the band, so re-fill your Tankard and get ready for that hangover because A Girl Called Cervesa will punch you right in the face and not think twice!
If you like hoisting a mug while you sing with your mates and pumping your fist in the air while singing the glories of battle or prefer to imagine yourself with one foot on a monitor, leading a crowd of enthusiastic head bangers in a chorus of “Gott Mitt Uns, As We All Stand United” then you Will LOVE this record.
“Clockwork Angels” is indeed a serious contender for album of the year. Utterly breathtaking!