Week 12: Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden (2014)

I had not heard of Pallbearer until I saw the vinyl in a rack at a book store. I saw the label was Profound Lore, which I have heard of so I checked out some samples later on and liked what I heard. The album is a sludgy, doomy record with thick guitars and clean vocals.

"Worlds Apart" opens the album with a nice, melancholy guitar melody over layered, fuzzy guitars. I enjoy the clean vocals on this album. The chorus has layered vocals that bleed into each other. About halfway through, the song changes a bit and begins building up to the outro of the track, which slows to a crawl.

"Foundations" follows returning to the momentum of the beginning of the first song. The harmonized guitar melodies remind me of Thin Lizzy, but are in a slow, trudging context. Again, halfway through, the song changes into a churning, heavy spiral of chugging guitars. Two-thirds in, the song drops to a tiny whispering guitar melody and then the band comes back in with a swirling heaviness for the close.

"Watcher In The Dark" begins with a lone, dark guitar line. A second guitar joins with a melody over the original line before the band crashes in. This song is the heaviest and dirgiest on the album. The high guitar melodies over the chorus sound celestial compared to the heavy maelstrom below.

"The Ghost I Used To Be" is the song I bought the album for. It has an intro that drops to some delicate guitars and drones. The sludgy riff that comes in is rocking. The vocals are really good on this track as well. The middle third picks up the pace a bit and is more driving before returning to the intro. Two-thirds in, the band's thunder softens as the vocals take the spotlight. It drops further to a whispering, lone guitar and takes its time building up again for the victorious ending.

"Ashes" is beautiful and atypical of the other songs on this album. "Ashes" is a like a ghost. There is no doom or sludge here - just emotional power. I think any listener of any music would enjoy this track.

The opening of "Vanished" is uncomfortable to me. It's a like "Black Sabbath" turned inside out. I start liking it better about halfway through and I like the reverse step-down riff.

The clean vocals make Pallbearer stick out from other doom bands I have listened to. I recommend "The Ghost I Used To Be" as a good example of their style and I also recommend "Ashes" to everyone.

Keep listening and thank you for reading this.

Week 11: Om - God Is Good (2009)

How did I find Om? Years ago, MTV's Headbanger's Ball returned to television on MTV's sister channel MTV2. By this time, MTV was not playing music anymore and MTV2 was where the music was at. There were two great revelations during that show. One was hearing Mastodon's "March Of The Fire Ants" for the first time. Second was hearing High On Fire's "Hung, Drawn And Quartered" for the first time. I began to follow High On Fire guitarist Matt Pike and eventually learned he was in a trio called Sleep in the '90s. The other two members of Sleep had resurfaced in the new century as Om: bass and drums only. I started last year with 2012's Advaitic Songs and have been working my way back through their catalog.

The side long "Thebes" opens 2009's God Is Good with a hypnotic tamboura (played by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe) and a brooding, meditative bass line from Al Cisneros, whose lyrics are influenced by all religions and convey a sense of journey, which I dig. The opening line is a great example: "Descends supine grace of the luminant." Percussion stealthily builds until Emil Amos hits the kit and the groove forces your head to bob slowly. About halfway through, a distorted bass pulse chimes and a more intense groove begins to roll like a tank.

"Meditation Is The Practice Of Death" begins with a sinister, driving bass line and drums. The instrumental chorus is a great release from the more urgent sounding verses. The track features a flute part near the end, which was a good color to add to the mix.

"Cremation Ghat I" is an upbeat, instrumental stomp and is my favorite song on the album. The bass line in this song is fantastic and there is a cool vocal siren halfway through.

"Cremation Ghat II" features a tamboura again and some hand percussion. Parts of this song sound like a mystical, sorrow laden coda to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."

Om create soundscapes that allow your mind to relax and sink into a trance. Stress and worries disappear and clear from my mind with these guys. I highly recommend you to try Om. I recommend "Cremation Ghat I" as a starting point for this album.

Keep listening and thank you for reading this.

Week 10: Enslaved - In Times (2015)

There are a few bands I follow whose upcoming album releases are almost a holiday for me. As soon as Enslaved's In Times was announced several months ago, I immediately marked my calendar. I had to wait a week or two before the pre-order was available, but I locked it in as soon as it was up.

Enslaved hail from Bergen, Norway, and began in the early '90s when Ivar and Grutle (guitar and bass respectively) were just teenagers in the burgeoning black metal scene in their country. What set their music apart was an influence of Viking history and Norse mythology.

I discovered Enslaved in 2003 with their album, Below The Lights, which is a special album for me. Within a month or two, I tracked down their previous albums and the live DVD that preceded Below The Lights. Enslaved quickly became one of my favorite bands and new releases are a cause for celebration.

The early style of black metal blast beats evolved into incorporating more progressive passages of music over the years. Their songs are not so much songs as they are journeys. While they play some brutal, aggressive music with growling lyrics, they also turn down powerful, cathartic paths with clean vocals - often in the same song. This juxtaposition of light and dark is very appealing to me. Their lyrics are deeply metaphorical and deal with the self. With each album, there are more layers of sound and with this new one I keep finding new things with each listen.

In Times contains six songs averaging nine minutes a piece. "Thurisaz Dreaming" bursts out of the gate with a pummeling urgency, but changes speed to a swinging groove with a chiming melody. The track continues to build to a cacophony of layered vocal chants and melody before returning to the blasting intro verse music. The final section of the song is my favorite with its Meshuggah/Rush-like odd meter.

"Building With Fire" begins with rocking drums and guitar sans bass like Kiss' "King Of The Night Time World" and when that bass comes in, the groove is so heavy. The bombastic riffage after the chorus is great and then the sound broadens into one of those cathartic moments I mentioned earlier and some fantastic soloing by Ice Dale, one of the most underrated lead guitarists out there. After the second chorus are some keyboards and guitars, but some churning guitars take over and build momentum towards a return to the rocking verse groove again.

"One Thousand Years Of Rain" begins with King Crimson-esque interlocked guitars giving way to a lone, furious guitar. Then, the full band join the barreling guitar like a runaway train. It is very easy to like this track. The music changes to a slow, pounding crawl and builds up to tribal chant before the wild bull strumming tears back into your ears.

When "Nauthir Bleeding" begins, you may think a totally different band has begun playing a clean, dreamlike lullaby. Then, marching drums and guitars transform the song yet again. Ice Dale's solo really shines on this one. The beautiful opening melody does return in a more typical Enslaved form as the songs outro.

"In Times" features an ethereal and somewhat uncomfortable solo from Ivar Bjornson, the band's chief songwriter, over the opening riff and layered, distant vocals. The main verse ruthlessly takes hold and reaches a climax with clean vocals and atmosphere. A return to the opening intro riff of the track morphs into an early '70s Yes sing-a-long, which was a surprise. I can easily hear Jon Anderson and company singing this part. They take that sing-a-long melody and metalize it to great effect to close the song.

The final track, "Daylight," begins with a heavy, stoner riff with airy vocals before a spiraling guitar builds up to a classic Enslaved groove similar to the mid-section of "The Crossing" from Below The Lights. One-third of the way in, the bottom drops out to another beautiful guitar lullaby, which Ivar said was inspired by the birth of his second child around the time this was written. This lullaby builds into a triumphant, cathartic piece of music. Ice Dale's solo brings it home. The spiraling guitar returns to take us back to the classic groove and out to the opening heavy riff to close the album.

I have been listening to this for a week and I am still finding new sounds, instruments, voices, etc. hidden in the mix. In Times is certainly growing on me by leaps and bounds, but the great progressive albums of old were the same way. Yes' Relayer and Rush's 2112 come to mind.

Keep listening and thank you for reading this.

Week 9: Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975) - 3 Disc Remaster

"Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dreams..."

After 40 years, Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti is an indisputable classic album and has been from day one. The album is a collection of new material along with some outtakes from previous albums.

Physical Graffiti includes some personal favorites of mine from the Led Zeppelin catalog. "The Rover" would have been my choice to open the album. John Bonham's opening drums would have been the perfect opening. "In My Time Of Dying" is a leviathan of Zeppelin blues. The Bonham groove here is untouchable and infectious. "Ten Years Gone" is a favorite of mine to play on guitar. No one was writing stuff like this at the time. "Kashmir" is arguably the album's best known track with its haunting chromatic melody and pulsing heartbeat bass drum.

This latest remastered release includes a third disc of unreleased "in progress" versions and mixes of some of these classics. I was bummed to hear there would be only one companion disc of only 7 tracks when the album has 15. Most of the previous remasters included a different version of every track on the original album.

Much like the remasters thus far, a lot of these versions are very close to the final versions. Usually there is an alternate vocal or missing track to the mix. "Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot)" is a not quite polished version of "Trampled Under Foot". "Sick Again (Early Version)" is very different from the final version, which was great to hear. "In My Time Of Dying (Rough Mix)" is very close to the final mix as well (the dying, dying cough is omitted at the end). "Houses Of The Holy (Rough Mix With Overdubs)" is another mix close the final version. The standout track on the companion disc is "Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light) (Early Version/In Transit)." This is a striking early version featuring less guitar and more keyboard than in the final version. "Boogie With Stu (Sunset Sound Mix)" is another very close mix to the final. Lastly, "Driving Through Kashmir (Rough Orchestra Mix)" is also very close to the final mix. These slightly different mixes are a little frustrating and some of them I would have to sit down and do a meticulous side by side comparison on to really pick out the differences.

The CD packaging reproduces the original double LP sleeve and all of the inserts. The best thing about this new Physical Graffiti remaster is that Presence, my favorite, is up next. I want to hear an early version of "Achilles Last Stand" and I hope it is on the companion disc.

Keep listening and thank you for reading.

Week 8: Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave (2009)

With the arrival of Napalm Death's Apex Predator - Easy Meat last month, I knew I was two albums behind with Napalm's catalog and decided to catch up. I was able to get the limited edition version of Time Waits For No Slave containing a sticker and two bonus tracks.

The album begins with the alarm like riff of "Strong-Arm," a pro-peace and anti-violence juggernaut. Before you can get a breath in, "Diktat" opens with a semi-playful single string lick before the tremendous blast beats of underrated drummer Danny Herrera. Again, a quick breath, and the opening harmonics of "Work To Rule" give way to blast vocals telling us to stop and smell the roses and take the time to live life away from our daily grind. "On The Brink Of Extinction" has a great double bass drum groove and deals with evolution and whether the human race will survive itself. We get a few long breaths before the title track begins. The album title and song refers not only to slaves as we typically would think but all of humanity as we subject ourselves to sacrificing over a third of our life or more to a job we are forced to undertake in order to survive. Meanwhile, time rolls on and we may forget to really live. "Time Waits For No Slave" has some great double bass drum rhythms as well. "Life And Limb" is a bit of a curve ball with its slower tempo and a catchy punk anti-torture chorus. "Downbeat Clique" returns us to the hardcore punk grind.

The second half of the album begins with "Fallacy Dominion," an anti-discrimination track arguing against discrimination by appearance and legislated discrimination. "Passive Tense" is another slower crusher dealing with how societal expectations and political correctness are stifling. "Larceny Of The Heart" has some interesting droning guitars that remind me of the excellent Inside The Torn Apart album back in 1997. "Procrastination On The Empty Vessel" continues some of the droning, chiming guitars and deals with us needing to take a step back from the labor, toil, and grind of our everyday lives to remember to live and the idea that if we do not like where we are in life, then are we brave enough to make a change or will we trudge on disappointed? "Feeling Redundant" is a favorite of mine. I like the speedy opening and ending verses musically. The lyrics deal with not letting the past drag us down lest we repeat it. This also fits in with the overall theme of the album in seizing life by the horns. Without a blink, "A No-Sided Argument" tears up and has an atypical hardcore guitar solo. "De-Evolution Ad Nauseum" crunches the album to a close.

The first bonus track, "Suppressed Hunger," shows off Danny Herrera's drumming chops and unconventional rhythms. "Omnipresent Knife In Your Back" is a slow chant dirge with guitar feedback drones that are very different from the relentlessness of the main album. I am glad to have these extra tracks.

As I have said before, Napalm Death is not for everyone, but I really dig these guys not only for their musical craft, but their lyrical content. When you listen to Napalm and then listen to their contemporaries who have nothing better to talk about than Satan or gore, then those other bands seem kind of corny and childish in comparison.

Keep listening and thank you for reading.

Week 7: ACDC - Rock Or Bust (2014)

For over 40 years, Australia's ACDC have consistently delivered the goods. Their output has not been prolific the past few decades so when word gets out that a new album is on the way, I mark my calendar.

Malcolm Young's devastating diagnosis and withdrawal from the band preceded the news of Rock Or Bust's upcoming release. Then, long time drummer Phil Rudd's erratic, criminal behavior made waves across the music world. Chris Slade, who played with ACDC back in the early 1990's, has since been announced to return behind the throne for the upcoming tour.

When I went to the record shop to pick up Rock Or Bust, I spied the vinyl edition behind the counter with its eye-grabbing lenticular cover showing a large speaker busting the ACDC logo made out of rock into little pieces. When I saw the vinyl came with a CD, I was sold.

The vinyl edition is one of the best packages I have seen in a while. The album is a gatefold with a nice picture sleeve for the record and a large 12" x 12" booklet with sketches of lyrics, new photos, and a dedication to Malcolm.

The title track opens the album and like all ACDC albums your foot is immediately compelled to tap to the beat. It was great to see ACDC open the Grammys with this song. The tempo increases with "Play Ball," which was used by MLB during last year's World Series.

Next up is my favorite song on the album, "Rock The Blues Away." I can definitely see this song getting even more airplay in my truck once the weather starts getting warmer. It's definitely a feel-good anthem.

"Miss Adventure" has a bunch of great guitar licks that remind me a bit of Jimmy Page and mid-80s Paul Stanley. The slow and moody "Dogs Of War" comes next. "Dogs of war, soldier of fortune" will get stuck in your head.

"Rock And Roll Thunder" is a great swaggering sing-along. "Hard Times" continues with some great Angus licks. The pace jumps up again on "Baptism By Fire" and "Rock The House" has a great opening guitar part and is another great sing-along (the fourth song with rock in the title, by the way). "Sweet Candy" and "Emission Control" close out the album and leave me wanting to sit down and learn these funky licks that are littered all over this record.

ACDC fans most likely already have this record. If you have somehow made it to 2015 without ACDC in your life, then please check out "Rock The Blues Away" and give it a spin. For those of your wanting to learn to play electric guitar, ACDC are a great band to dissect songs, work out licks, and learn chords to.

Keep listening and thank you for reading this.

Week 6: Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat (2015)

Death metal is stereotyped as a bunch of noise with some guy barking unintelligible lyrics about death and gore packaged in a sleeve adorned with radical artwork. At first glance, the package of meaty chunks with a label stating Napalm Death to a casual observer will trigger disgust. Listening to the raw grindcore metal contained within will also be easily dismissible to the casual listener.

What a great loss...

As most of us sit in our air conditioned homes, snacking on bountiful food and drink, surfing the web or the television for entertainment, a large part of mankind is subjected to inhumanity and indignity day in and day out. Many people live day to day in fear of brutal terrorist groups. Many people live day to day doing backbreaking labor or working toxic jobs to make a pitiful wage. Many societies have caste systems where those in control are able to treat those lower than them like animals.

Napalm Death keep their finger on the pulse of inequality, indignity, and atrocity in our world and they succinctly channel the rage that should be in all of our hearts in their finely honed sonic outbursts. I have learned more about the injustices of this world through Napalm Death than through any other media. Occasionally, the corporate new broadcasts will touch on some of these stories, but it seems like nothing changes and nothing improves.

I have read several reviews of Apex Predator - Easy Meat and it has been disheartening to read the majority of them as they mention nothing as to the subject matter. They focus only on the music and the production quality. I even read one review stating man is the apex predator and all of the other creatures of the world are the easy meat.

As we are the apex predator on this planet, we find it very easy and convenient to prey upon our own kind. The album notes mention the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh as an influence on the record. Rana Plaza contained clothing factories, shops, and a bank. Cracks began to appear one day. The shops and bank closed. The clothing factories stayed open and even threatened withholding a month's wages from employees who did not show up. The building collapsed killing 1,129 workers the next day.

Napalm Death recorded this album across several recording sessions instead of a single session using different recording setups to vary the sound and they branched out with different types of sounds and arrangements. The end result is exactly what they aimed for in my opinion.

The opening title track is a prime example. The vocals are almost Gregorian chants against industrial clangs and hammers. "Smash A Single Digit" bursts with the grindcore Napalm Death are known for. What was amazing to me after reviewing track lengths on the album is the songs is 1:26 long and has multiple verses, choruses, and even a breakdown change of pace before returning to the main riff. One minute and 26 seconds.

The lyrics are very much about how people in control treat others inhumanely, Even now in the year 2015 mankind has a long way to go. Napalm have perfected the amalgamation of hardcore punk and death metal and "Bloodless Coup" is a great example. "Hierarchies" is a favorite of mine and even has a sing-along chorus.

The vinyl edition contains a vinyl only bonus track while the deluxe CD contains three other bonus tracks including a cover by a Swedish hardcore punk band called G-Anx whom I had not heard of before (Napalm are very good about covering obscure underground bands that have fallen through the cracks of music history).

If you are a Napalm Death fanatic, I think you will agree this is one of their strongest albums in their 30+ year career.

This style of music is not for everyone. Fred Roger's once asked, "What do you do with the mad that you feel?" Obviously, for Napalm Death, they create a musical juggernauts proclaiming to the world all is not well and we have to make this world a better place.

Keep listening and I thank you for reading this.