Another busy month for music around these parts. Yet again there were quite a few albums that I had to drop for space but that just means that this is just the cream of the cream. There was a lot of great heavy music and loads of dance, so let’s get to it.
Teethgrynder
Hostages
On my first few listens, this album confused the hell out of me. It jumps through genres but somehow has a coherent sound that was reminding me of someone, and I just couldn’t put my finger on who.
The opening track, Devilman, is a collaboration with post metal outfit, Bossk. It’s loaded with a pulsing, driving bass line that propels the song in a pretty confrontational, hypnotic manner. On top of that, Jay Thurley’s deep singing voice sounds somewhere between a blues singer and a someone with the gravatas of a coherent Tom Waits, which adds a focused intensity to an already intimidating song.
I mean, so far so good. But then, half way through the song, a saxophone slides into the mix, adding discord and changes the mood, bringing a fog of doom jazz to the track. I’m more surprised than you are that I’m into this as much as I am.
The second track, Casey Rowe’s Ghost, continues the rolling bass feel. But then, without warning the gears shift and the third track, Zeal, The Assassin, sounds like it’s the theme from a spaghetti western. All dust dry and filled with more than a little menace. This is the point I realised that this album has no interest in being what I thought it might be.
Jaye Jayle turns up for a string led, almost jazz number and my head was spinning. I wasn’t hating it but I had no idea what the hell was going on. It took until track 5, Vanity, The Fool, with it’s almost Arabian guitar sound, pulsing bass and relentless drum machine to realise that I was hearing the influence of Swans.
Hostages is totally indebted to Swans across their entire career, but Teethgrynder has enough of it’s own sound and style to stand on it’s own. This isn’t a rip off or clone. Teethgrynder also, very thankfully, have much shorter songs.
This is such an outlier for the kind of music that I listen to. Normally the jazz side of it would put me off but it all hangs together perfectly, building a fantastic, brooding atmosphere.
A Lake of Ayes
Ouro Sobre Azul
I think I’m just going to have to come to terms with the fact I’m listening to lots of post rock and post metal again. I mean, I thought I was clean but people keep making great albums and it looks like they’ve pulled me back in.
The bastards.
This time it’s A Lake of Ayes, who with their debut album have created an incredible bit of post metal.
The opener, Jeff’s Bridge, guides you in with some nice fuzzy riffs before kicking things up a notch as the drums let loose and set out just how full on this album is going to be. They have a great control of dynamics and the band keeps a light of touch despite how heavy they get.
Track 2, Preserve, hurtles along nicely. Chrysalism, the closing track, has some fantastic mountain top worthy guitar heroics that put a smile on my face.
The only problem I have with the album is Attack Ships on Fire. Not that it’s a bad song but just a little too generic for my liking, that and the fact I never need to hear another Blade Runner sample in a song again.
But that’s a small quibble with what is a great debut.
Ep’s and Singles
Rupture//Rapture
Daylight
Rob Tully Rose has an incredible work ethic, this is his fifth EP in the last two years and somehow, he’s also written an album under his side project, Wanderings in that time. That’s a lot of music, but even more impressively, he’s managed to stay consistent.
Daylight is another fantastic set of head nodding melodic techno that you can just slip into and let go, with the slightly tougher sounding track, Closer, being the record highlight.
It’s beginning to feel a little repetitive saying nice things about him again and again, but this is great dance music and the world needs all it can get.
Scalping
Flood Remixed
It feels like cheating to cover the remix of an ep I’ve already reviewed, but here we are.
I’m guessing being signed to Houndstooth has given Scalping access to some big hitters for this record and they have come out with a collection of remixes that gives the original release a run for its money.
This leans far more on the electronic side of Scalping’s sound, the big riffs are gone but that doesn’t mean that the intensity level has dropped. Surprisingly, the Mogwai rework here is one of the more relaxed tracks on here.
The Hogde track is a bass loaded heavy hitter, Laurel Halo’s acid flecked mix is a floor filler and the AQXDM mix of Deadlock is a bit of a facemelter. There is very little fucking around going on here.
It’s alway great to get a good remix, but some of these feel essential. This is top class stuff and I can’t wait for Scalping’s next release.
Daygraves
Imperishable
Daygraves is a one man act out of Texas, a pretty unlikely source for music as cold as this.
Imperishable is a mix of Blackgaze and post rock, and while there is a lot of this around at the moment, Daygraves really stands out from the crowd.
Desert Dust is a beautiful, melancholy start to the ep, somewhere between alt rock and post rock. Travis has a rich singing voice, reminding me of the singer from Blue Oyster Cult, of all bands.
As the song progresses, that sweet vocal smashes to a black metal scream, and although the music stays beautiful, the vocal scars the song, bringing a feeling of pain and loss that is almost shocking.
The Loneliest Liturgy is a more straightforward melodic black metal track. The final song Less Human, is almost Explosions in the Sky pretty while also being a blistering bit of blackgaze. This is a great ep and I’m looking forward to hearing a lot more from him.
Lake Haze
Oceanic Tales
Lake Haze has been putting out some amazing music and Oceanic Tales keeps their winning streak going. The title track is a fun 90’s feel acid track but the second song, Caves of Ociya Syndor is the stand out. It just gives out J.G Ballard vibes, filled with vintage synths, sci fi pulses. It’s as ominous as it is cinematic and dread filled joy from start to finish.
Fasme
Home
The new Fasme ep is released on Bicep’s label and you can hear why the duo would be interested in putting this out, this is lovely warm acid and to be honest, isn’t that far from Bicep’s own sound.
The opening track, Home is build of head nodding beats and gentle acid squelch, it builds, feeling like sunlight on a perfect summer’s evening. The ep feels easy, like slipping into something comfortable, a warm bath, or being gently high. It’s a beautiful, enveloping sound and a perfect antidote for the onset of winter.
This month I’ve added two playlists. Both are Shoegazing. The first is more classic wall of noise shoegaze, while the send is more chilled out. Please enjoy if you like that kind of thing.
Noisy.
And more chilled.
The ways of exile 