So I started writing this in April but only finished it today the 22/8, seriously, even for me that’s pretty shocking.
But here’s 6 albums I’ve been loving over the last few months.
Numenorean
Adore
On my fourth listen I was sure that this was probably going to be my album of the year. 4 months later nothing has happened to change my mind.
This is what I’ve always wanted from Blackgaze, this is the perfect meld of pretty and heavy. Well, for me anyway. See, my dark secret is that I don’t like Black Metal and to be honest, not a big fan of shoegazing either, but for some reason, when you jam both together you get something I like a whole lot more than the two separately.
Now, there are other factors at work here, there is more than a touch of the Fields of the Nephilim going on it the more atmospheric parts so when you add that up, I was always going to fall for this.
This is break up album rather than what most people would normally expect from music this heavy and while songs like Portrait of Pieces lean heavily into Black Metal, songs like Alone are much more low key, and where some of the Nephilim comparisons come it.
This is an astounding album for fans of heavy music, the title track sums the whole album perfectly.
Whitechapel
The Valley
When I first set up this album to play for the first time, I had my speakers much on much louder than I thought and it scared the hell out of me. I’m not sure if I’ve ever yelled “Easy Satan!” as I ran across the room to turn a song down before. (Honestly) And while it might be taken as a sign that I’ve gone soft, you should listen to the opener, that is such a savage intro, I feel justified in my wussdom.
But the opener, called When a Demon defiles a Witch, may start off as an attack it’s one of the places where clean vocals are used on the album, and the sweet, clean voice makes a nice counterpoint to the bellowing that’s gone before. It’s surprising that it’s the same guy doing both voices.
In a (somehow) wildly controversial move, on the track Hickory Creek the song is sung with an entirely clean vocal, Not something their old fans we happy about, but I think it makes a nice break in all the Deathcore madness.
There’s no way around it, this is ugly, knuckle dragging music, it’s macho and belligerent music, but do you know what, sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Alex Banks
Beneath the Surface
Coming out on Max Coopers’ label was always going to get my attention and I’m so glad it did.
Banks hits a few of my weaknesses’ on this album, from 2 Step wood blocks, breaks and claustrophobic bass, this album is just catnip for me.
This is not music to ever tear up a dance floor but the chunky synths and bass sound great on headphones and even better in the car.
I always feel that I don’t have the words to describe dance music, or maybe it’s just difficult to talk about instrumental music but this is a brilliant of dark electronica that you can bob your head to or really piss your neighbours off as the bass rattles through your building.
Polynation
Igneous
In almost direct opposite to Alex Banks we have Dutch Duo Polynation who make bright, upbeat dance music. Their sound is built around a live drummer and it really give a more human feel to the band’s sound. While some dance music can sound overly produced this has a much more, I really don’t want to use the work organic because I fucking hate it, but I can’t think of a better one, feel to it.
There is also quite a jazzy vibe to the percussion, which once would have been a deal breaker for me but here keeps the music light and moving, never becoming a locked groove.
While it’s not an album of bangers, Toba and Cascade have enough going on to light up a club and kinda remind me of Underworld, which is high praise indeed.
So, Before where I said I didn’t like Shoegazing music? The next two albums are shoegazing albums.
Is Bliss
Strange Communication
I give a lot, if not too much importance on originality in the music I like. I’ve arrived to the point that if something is described as Post Punk there is no way I’ll even bother to listen to it. But sometimes it’s not about the new, sometimes it’s just about the songs and this is just 8 songs of loveliness .
Strange Communication is Is Bliss’s debut album and it’s a cracker, just a perfect slice of Shoegazing. Taking cues from acts like the (early) Verve, Spiritualized and a bunch of other classic shoegaze bands Is Bliss manage to boil all their influences and make an incredible album, as I say, it may be nothing new but it is a warm hug in music form.
Delta Mainline
Bel Avenir
Like Is Bliss, Delta Mainline are a band that are band you can clearly hear their influences but as I really like the bands that influence DM I’m not that fussed.
Again, this is leaning on bands like Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized with bits of Krautrock and electronica thrown in. Even there there is the odd curve ball like Mountain Music that is a sweet little country ballad. And while you can hear where they’re coming from they never sound like they’re just aping these bands.
This best example of what I’m talking about is the track Visions of Post America. It starts off with a 60’s psych rock, switches to the Electric Mainline and them blasts for the stratosphere when the choir kicks in, yes the shadow of Jay Spaceman is all over this, but it’s still great. It’s most impressive feat is sounding like the acts they love while still sounding like no one else.
or the first single and the song that going me into them.
The ways of exile 