Chasing After Shadows by Hammock
Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson’s completely engrossing new disc that I highly recommend everyone to pick up and listen to. This music is best listened to through headphones, and you can honestly put on your headphones, recline back in a chair, turn up the volume and get carried away by the fluidity of the sounds and the stunning beauty of each track. Although Hammock has made straight ambient albums, on this outing they incorporated live drums and the outcome is perfect. This disc is available as a hard copy or a download, but I would recommend purchasing their North, West, East, South book package where you get the Chasing After Shadows digipak (six panel), an e.p. of four ambient tracks not released anywhere else, and a copy of photographer Thomas Petillo’s hardback, linen bound book that has 100 top quality pictures shot while he was on the road with the band between 2004 and 2009. The book and pictures are a great compliment to the music. This is a limited edition set, signed by the band and by photographer Petillo. In addition, this disc has Tim Powles from The Church playing drums on one track as well as handling some mixing duties. Steve Hindalong can be found on numerous tracks playing drums and percussion as well as handling some production duties. Derri Daugherty handled some recording and mixing as well, while Marc’s wife Christine Glass Byrd can also be found contributing her angelic vocals on several songs. This disc is unique and beautiful, the addition of the live drums, the strings and Matt Slocum playing the cello really put this group at the front of the pack for ambient music in its different forms and in its layered, pristine shine of clarity. This is a must have!
Final Warning by Messiah
Score another holy grail for the Retroactive crew. Talk about a sought after obscurity – original copies of both Messiah albums have gone for insane amounts on eBay. What few copies there have been, that is. Now we not only have this classic in digital form, but also a very detailed band story on their new website. Final Warning was recorded on a tight budget a long time ago, so the sound gets muddied at times. But this issue still sounds light years better than any bootleg out there. The sound is pretty straight ahead heavy metal with apocalyptic biblical lyrics. Fans of modern metal or alternative music might find this stuff cheesy, but for those (like me) that love the cheese – this is a metal feast. No bonus tracks, but a very respectful and well-done re-issue of a great album.
Going Insane by Messiah
The second and final album by Messiah – this one was even rarer than their debut Final Warning. At least Final Warning had some bootlegs floating around – this album almost seemed more like a myth for a while. Originally an ep, this re-issue has been expanded with the addition of the first three demo songs Messiah ever recorded. According to the Messiah website, this ep was originally recorded with vaguer lyrics to try and catch the attention of record companies. A few songs from the debut were re-recorded with altered lyrics. I find these songs a bit more melodic and catchy than their first album. But it is still
Shining Sun by Holy Blood
Why have I not been listening to Holy Blood since day 1? This is their fourth album, but first for me to check out. I love world music. But when bands mix world music with heavy music? That sends me into the stratosphere. Holy Blood mixes traditional folk music with blistering black metal for a unique sound that makes me smile big time. By folk, I mean more Ukrainian and Celtic than Simon and Garfunkel. And I don’t just mean the occasional flute intro thrown in as garnish. They use folk instruments and influences extensively throughout every song. Excellent choice – it works well for the sound they have chosen. This sound also mixes in elements of Melodic Metalcore and new school Hardcore. A truly unique and enjoyable alternative to the basic death/grind/black metal sound.
The Noir by The Noir
The Noir is one of those completely D.I.Y. independent bands that really show how much undiscovered talent is out there. Spencer Smith is the man behind all of the music; he played all cello, guitar, bass, keys, loops, and beats as well as singing all vocals. The music is polished just enough, not overdone and not slick, and the mood behind the entire disc is powerful and draws the listener in. I immediately drew a reference point to NIN when I heard this disc, but it’s not a hardcore industrial sound at all. The keyboards are probably what sounds similar, the music overall is very well integrated and layered. The overall mood is melancholic and satisfyingly pensive, soothing and penetrating. This is a great disc and a worthy first release. Check out the website for inexpensive downloads, a bonus disc, t-shirts, etc. Definitely give this one a listen!
World Shaker by Main Line Riders
This album is far better than their debut (2007’s Shot In The Dark). Former Migrains (and current Grave Robber) vocalist Shawn Browning is an amazing singer, in that he sounds nothing like he does in his other projects. Cliffy (former Stivs/original Huntington) really pulled this project together nicely. Producer Tim Bushong (Bride, Grave Robber) did a great job as always. The sound? THIS IS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!!!! Worldshaker falls right in line with AC/DC’s Highway To Hell and The Cult’s Electric albums. Give it some time. A Good from album start to finish! Catchy sing along lyrics, positive message – can’t go wrong. Air guitar fun for all!!!
Staged In Waiting by Deus Invictus
I wasn’t sure what I was going to hear when I started listening to this album. The cover and song titles gave me the impression that this would be a goth album. But it came in too close to deadline to get it sent to our resident goth expert Steve. The first few seconds sounds like an alternative band from the 90s. Then it quickly changes to a metalcore sound, then a death metal sound, and just kept changing from there. By the end, I was pretty convinced I had just heard the death metal version of Tourniquet. Skilled playing, quick style changes mid-song, intricate time signatures, it is all there – just filtered through a death metal and metalcore lens. If you are looking for something heavy but slightly different, Deus Invictus is the band for you.
Escape by Professor Small
This album is a bit different than the other albums reviewed this issue. I first heard of Professor Small through their mp3.com page back in the late 1990s. They play electronic music, but don’t think techno or Joy Electric. Think original music with melody, humor, and originality that just happens to be created electronically. Technically, Professor Small is a side project of two DJs (Professor Television and Mr. Small) that teamed up to create something different. Their 1999 debut album Go! Contains some great songs (like “Animals At The Disco”), but there seemed to be a stark contrast between the catchy songs and the experimental songs. Escape! came along and found a way to marry the catchy and the experimental in every song, making a cohesive and interesting listen from start to finish. You can check out some songs on their MySpace, and then order the discs there if you like what you hear. I recently purchased this disc, so I can (hopefully) pretty safely say that you can still order their music from their MySpace page.
The Complete Collection by The Crucified
Everything by The Crucified, all in one spot. What more do you need to know? The early KGB demos are here, cleaned up and sounding pretty good. The Nailed and Take Up Your Cross demos are also here, just as they have been released before. Also added in are the Live at the New Order ep and the two demos released after they broke up on various compilations. That is disc one. Disc two is their self-titled album and Pillars of Humanity. Pillars has been re-mastered and it sounds brutal – just like it was meant to. Then there is a third disc – a DVD of a lot of back stage and live footage. The packaging is top notch. The liner notes are an interesting read – kind of scattered but also kind of informational and historical. The notes are really a long string of quotes from band members (current and former), as well as some others that were associated with the band. Overall, a great tribute
The Stalker by Jagged Doctrine
The former kings of the mp3.com Industrial metal charts are back. Jagged Doctrine returns after a long “hiatus” to deliver more of their aggressive industrial metal hybrid music. The Stalker tells the story of Kale: “Kale is torn between his loyalty to the Servants and his new friendship with Jessica. The lines are draw, a battle is brewing, and in the end the battle is for Kale’s soul.” This battle is well-played out through the course of the lyrics. Don’t expect a sermon in a song – expect two worldviews battling it out in honest ways. The music also contains everything that you would want from this type of music – eerie keyboards, crunchy guitars, and electronic beats. The mix is a bit on the muddy side, but not near as bad as most indie albums are. The good news is that this album is available as a free download on their site (if you like it, don’t forget to donate).