Hello everybody, Welcome back to That's on a Metal, your weekly rock and
metal podcast, and welcome back to the album review show, because well,
I hope everybody who went to to Bloodstock or Arctangent in the last couple of
weeks had an amazing time. Those are like almost like the big markers of
the beginning of the end of the summer here, really, aren't they?
And so now we grind on through the rest of the releases that are to
hit our ears this year. My name is Perrin Hash because last week's show
was just myself doing the Bloodstock review. Sam Dignon and Elliott Paisley haven't been
on the show with a couple of weeks, so hello, how the heck
are we? What have you guys been up to while I was taken in
the rays and the rain and watching Kills which engage being jealous about not watching
Killswitch Engauge like that, that's very inaccurate. That is the set from that
blood Stock, like we can like when I go to the set list and
the sort the back half and I was just like you, motherfucker, because
they're like they are come to my favorite band on that lineup and then putting
out that set list, I was like, hey, nice, glad,
glad. Bloodstock was a good time, and yeah, I've not really done
very much at all in the time between that, so apart from you know,
chat about big Sharks if you yeah, yeah, mainly just morning the
folks. I wasn't at Bloodstock this year, maybe more than any other festival
the years I don't go, Sting the most, and this show I was
hoping to go, but tripped are snowed and planned like kaiking trip with a
bunch of people and the weather was fucking appalling so we didn't get clots.
You're still on the mountain, clinging to the rocks, trying not to afford
just going. Could have watched Trips Coon, you could have done, and
I should have done. So yeah. So basically as we've just gathered from
that conversations that I had the best time and I have had the best few
weeks. So yeah, lovely, lovely for me. Let's move on into
our review show. As I said, where today we are going to be
talking about the new records from Spanish Love Songs. The excerpts Teenage rist Skin,
dred Urn, Spirit Adrift, Horrendous and Celestial Sanctuary and we have a
bit of news to catch up with. The first bit of news is that
bring me the Horizon announcement a couple of days ago, saying that they're upcoming
Next Gen EP or slash mini album whenever they call these things. The second
part of the Post Human series that started a few years ago, that was
going to be coming out on September fifteenth. It was going to be the
lead review in our next month's reviews bag. That is now going to have
to be postponed just for them to continue working on it and get it out
in the state that they want it to be out. They have not announced
a replacement date as of yet. It would be nice if out before the
January tour. Like the album is all over the tour poster art and everything,
so I feel like, I don't know, if the tour comes around,
then it's all the same news that they were playing, I know,
download for example, like it. It would be good to have that record
out by that big arena tour for them. But otherwise, again, no
news on why right now, apart from like obviously they want to, you
know, continue working on it. No news on when, but we'll obviously
we'll talk about it when it comes out. I looked at this and next
month is a very busy month, and night and I, you know,
I breathed a sigh of release, and you know, wor the sweat for
my brow going, Yes, now Corey Taylor's album kind of slot in and
take the place. I was like, yeah, wires. And then when
you mentioned Corey Taylor's and I was like, oh, well, there's no
celebration. I don't actually know if that is the case or not. I
just did it. Might we'll see what it does, but you know,
there is a space opened up for something of that kind of measure. But
yeah, well obviously we'll talk about briging Horizon when that comes around. And
unfortunately, the kind of main bulk of the news in this particular show is
we have to have a very serious convers Asian about something that's been put out
there by a prominent member of you know that the heavy music scene. The
last few days have been a real mess over in the via As Murder camp.
For for one thing, this all kicked off when CJ. McMahon,
the vocalist of Viatas Murder, posted a well reposted a meme of some kind
that I believe came from the I think right wing commentator what is a woman
film thing he did? Okay, yeah, again, I'm not I'm not
a follower of that guy. So you know, it's like I've had to
put several It's one of exa I'm aware of because of you know, constantly
battling against that sort of stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely,
But you know it's not a name that you're here in nice circles suppose.
But reposted a meme that came from, you know, his page, and
c J added a little comment. The mem in question was basically a a
child saying to their parent that they no longer you know, that they do
not identify as either a boy or a girl, and the parent goes,
okay, that's the extent of the thing. C J posted a little comment
underneath it, saying that the parent in question, the mother, should be
burned to death, at which point he then jumped off of social media after
the extreme and very justified pushback to that particular post, saying that he was
actually going to go and start an only fans where he would kind of,
you know, be able to post his completely you know, uncensored thoughts without
people coming for him in that way, and obviously then this you know,
took over, you know, the conversations around around metal circles and so on
other forms of social media. And then I believe a day or so after
this went down, thea As Murdered themselves posted on their own official band page
a picture of a trans flag with a little caption saying, you know,
just in case you needed, you know, word from us, we support
you. There are multiple prongs to this. First there is the nature of
what CJ said, and then due to you know, the severity of that,
the the the validity of via As murders response, and I guess to
establish that we really have to establish you know, the former and the nature
of what CJ said here, which we really have the moment to kind of,
you know, draw a line and say that is completely unacceptable. I
mean again, this is one that for me personally, I'm going to feel
very strongly about transphobia within metal. Has you know, been a thing that's
cropped up a few times. I mean, fucking Alice Cooper's off getting controversy
about it as well. I was going to bring them like the thing with
the like the Alice Cooper one, you know, that's an old guy who's
like a fucking boomer. Like, I'm not going to get two words about
someone like that being out of touch on trans rights like whatever the CJ one
is. This isn't you know, casually using a slur or something like that
to you know, just that's can be put down to dumb ignorance. There
is a real clear hatred and like threat of violence, like even you like
towards like women on that that is like deeply uncomfortable. In his initial comment,
which goes beyond the kind of like realms of what you know, you
can how much you can kind of brush off as ignorance stupidity, there is
like sort simply deep inside that that has led to him kind of feeling that
way, And so it's a really uncomfortable one. I mean I initially missed
the actual post and just saw him kind of backway for social media, and
then it was if you there's that when a few people kind of just bring
attention to it and it started to get coverage and I was like, yeah,
this is crazy how this nearly got swept aside. Yeah, and again,
the first thing you want to say is that it's just a horrible idiot
fucking thing to say. And it's not a case as you were saying,
it's it's not a case of oh it's it's just a different political view.
He is open to debate or whatever, which is a dangerous game anyway in
terms of language when you are talking about the current conversation around you know,
people's use on transgender or you know, non gender conforming people in general at
the moment. But what CJ posted wasn't even disguised as that, as like
most transfobes have the courtesy to do like, it was just openly violent.
And I think again that is a difference between you know again, Alice Cooper
this week has been booting off in an interview about his concerns on you know,
the trans fad and what have you, and and it's you know,
it's difficult and it's upsetting to see. But that is, you know,
like we've seen Paul Stanley and some other folks this year, you know,
like a seventy year old man being fooled by some usual kind of gender critical
straw man arguments, getting sucked into a debate that he doesn't have to be
involved in. He's wrong, and he's parroting dangerous language. But you know,
I don't want to call him a bigot for that. You can you
can kind of like so say, okay, whatever, he's just out of
touch, Like yeah, like cjm at Man said something, were such an
extreme level of visceral hatred in the language that was used that you have to
go straight away, okay, you know, all right, no, halt
fuck all the way off, because like even if he was being flippant with
his language and didn't mean it as intensely as he phrased it, which will
be giving him some serious benefit of the doubt. But even if that was
the case, there are people out there who would see that post and genuinely
do believe that trans folk and non binary folk, and you know, in
this case not even then, but their FAMI support, allies supported should should
be treated with violence. And you do not want to be saying anything that
encourage those people. There is situations in America of trans kids, you know,
being threatened to be taken away from their parents who are like supportive and
help them like align with their gender. They they have not their their gender
wasn't assigned to them at birth, and so this is happening. You know,
parents and support people are having to deal with the strongest it as well.
And so when you when you look at that, it kind of goes,
yeah, this is a real feeling in a lot of people. Purely
statistically, there will be people listening who if you're going to make a divide
of one group or the other, might fall on CJ's side. And I'm
not defending that view, per say, but what I'm saying is, regardless
of what you think on the subject, the way CJ spoke about it and
whatever you think of his position, even if you're given the most charitable approach
possible, what he said is very revealing of the kind of person he is.
It's the way he came out and let you say, the threat of
violence and the subject, there's no way you can look at this as you
say and even have the most charitable perception of it. Yeah. Like again,
in terms of if you're saying that you know people who again, I
would be very careful about using the words yours, like you know the TJ's
side or so, And because there is a there may be a side of
people who you know. Again, there's a whole fucking chorus of opinions flying
either way around this moment. And again I'm gonna be pretty fucking open about
this. We as a podcast, you know, we are on the side
of trans people and you know, non binary people and queer people. Have
a non binary queer person on it. Let's be exactly know for sure.
But I mean just you know, even even when I wasn't on the podcast,
podcast was one that I'm not going to both sides this. I'm like,
again, someone like Alice Cooper right now, who is let's say the
example this week of someone who is you know, talking about gender concerns and
whatnot, and he's not doing it in a violent calling for you know,
people to be killed way. I still think he's wrong, and I'm going
to say he's right. No. I The reason I kind of fat that
is because I just I have to pick and choose them about on us,
because it's it's relentless on like no, no again, no, I'm gonna
shaw. What's gonna say to come back to the you know, c J
side. Thing is, even if you are someone who falls on let's say
the side of having concerns about trans children, the trans fad, as h
Alice Cooper called it of you know, people people to some kind of bandwagon,
if that's how you see it. As again, I believe you are
wrong, and I think we as a podcast can quite clearly say you know
no and hold it up. But if you to say CJ's side, like
one of those sides is calling for active violence in this case, and again
like I know that other people, like you know, Andy the guitarist is
more like of like the kind of the creative head behind the band, and
you know writes most of the lyrics, which really puts the impetus on them
to kind of sort this mess out. But like, imagine being the mouthpiece
on a record about the dangers of religious extremism and then turning around and saying
that women who don't fit into your dogma and your view of the world should
be killed. Like imagine the stupidity, the reactionary jelly brain. You have
to have to lack that self awareness. Like we don't like the control the
Islamic fundamentalism places over women and children and the violence people carry out for that
cause. By the way, don't you think that parents of trans children should
be burned to death? All right? That's that's that's really the word with
that, like, yeah, I mean it really makes you question that the
motors of the person singing those words, doesn't it, which I guess told
into what you were trying to get out there, Eliot, But I mean,
so I get like, that's what CJ said. Unequivocally, it's reprehensible.
It's fucking awful. It's not even just you know, oh, as
you say, like a mild bit of transphobia from someone who is using words
incorrectly or you know, a pronoun situation or any of these type of things
that you know, most of the things that people who are on the side
of people like CJ get very caught up in thinking that, you know,
they're being attacked for, you know, getting things wrong or whatever. It's
not that. It's a guy just openly displaying the most violent kind of bigoted
hatred that you can imagine, and unequivocally that has to be fucking called out,
which brings us to via as murders response, which was again a day
later or so, posting up a trans flag and saying, hey, you
know, we're with you. And again I look at that and I'm sure
many many of you and know you Sam as well, like yeah, I
was straight in there back now like I'm not to you know, just get
to the bands, but I don't. I'm not going to say I don't
I believe that the band don't stand with the rest of the band are No,
it's more that you have to do more than that. Yeah, this,
this is this is one of those situations where you can't just i mean
wave this one off. Firstly, there's not even been an apology, Like
there's not even been an acknowledgement of how bad what was said that what he
just said is that that's like the straight of my first thing. Like like
again, I'm not going to speak on the rest of the band's opinions.
I don't know the rest of the band's opinions. I've seen a few people
who know them have kind of said, no, these guys know their heads
screwed on straight, and I'm like willing to believe that, and I'm willing
to belie that they want to, you know, put out there and say
like look with this isn't us, We we support you, cool, find
great this Still that's still not enough in this situation, simply because of the
level of extremity that has that was in the initial post. Yeah, I
mean, the most it will have done is there will be people in the
via As Murder fan base who saw CJ's post and agreed with it and felt
vindicated, Like, yes, he's one of us who now will be livid
because of what the rest of the band have posted, and it was divided
those people. But like I said, I am sure there are people in
that band who really do find what CJ said are boring. But you are
going to need to do a lot more than that if via As Murder as
an entity are going to be let off the hook because of the extreme level
of hatred and CJ's post. Right, it's not just you know, valid
concerns as they like to call them over there, but you know, an
outright call for violence. I'm sorry, that's that's not something you own.
Un program After a few stern days of being talked to, right like and
some some reflection on how you could have phrased your language better, like,
particularly considering CJ's response was to just go, Actually, I'm going to open
up an only fans account where people can get the real, unfiltered me without
any of this censorship. But like, even if he was to come back,
you know, shortly after we have this conversation here and this podcast goes
out and go sorry everyone, you need to fuck off for a while to
be like at all believable in detangling yourself from that level of extreme conviction,
the hateful thing that you said, like you don't go this group of people
should be killed and then go actually, yeah, that's maybe a bit much
like a week later, like this needs serious work to be put in to
come back from. And by that we mean both CJ and the band,
because again, right now, I doubt that CJ is feeling too remorsal.
He's just run off and hid in a more bigoted corner of the internet.
You don't unprogram that opinion after a couple of days. But if the band
are too seriously convey to you know, their their LGBTQ fan base that they
do not stand with what CJ said and they really do support those members of
society, then they can't just post up a trans flag and then come back
with CJ like everything's normal. You need clear action that indicates you do not
actually tolerate the position that CJ put out there, and that means I the
seriously showing that CJ can convincingly come back from that or realistically the less naive
option getting a less bigoted singer. Yeah, I mean, like the woman
the money is like it was when the Ghost Inside had their sort of thing
and they had and Jim left the band for a period of time to actually,
you know, do things. And again that was you know, a
comment that was made. That's one worst that was just you know, a
like a horrible, stupid thing to say, but was made in the past.
And so they shoure that the ships has been taken. There's been none
of that. There's been no kind of comment on like what CJ's going to
do to sort of showing him remorse. Is he like is he going to
go and kind of involve himself and like Niminton trying to learn and there there's
been none of that. There's been no apology. There's been no kind of
like i'd say, steps to explact, to to kind of show see here
why he's wrong. And so what it just feels like is it's quick,
get the damage control out there, put the kind of like, hey,
we support trans people. Hope it blows over by the time the album's out.
That that's honestly what it feels back at the moment. It's just like
kind of like quickly patch over something. It's that that meme of like the
water tank bursting and the guy slapping like the you know, it feels like
slap the sap the trans flag over it for the moment. Yeah, I
think it's worth pointing out that we are like basically a couple of days into
this, like in terms of you know, CJ taking a social media down
and everything, and then again the band posting that trans flag I believe was
yesterday as we are currently recording this. So I imagine that the other members
of the as Murder are like deep in crisis mode right now, like figuring
out what to do. And again, we should give them at least the
room too in the coming days come out and you know, give them the
opportunity to do the right thing. But it just needs to be hamming home
that they do have to do that, and you know what they've currently done,
which is again it's a little like almost like a placeholder message until we
come back with a larger the bare minimum like like yeah, like again you
really know what you kind of have to do, because as soon as you
are doing what is essentially calling for violence against a minority. You can get
out and we are not going to accept that here. Yeah, they will
be deep in, like I said, crisis mode right now. And you
know, I sympathize with anyone who you know, again, like your your
livelihood is invested in a certain thing and one person maybe you don't share the
views of you know, kind of you know, damages the integrity of that
for everybody. But ultimately the message that you've put out there is the most
important thing. So I mean, I'm sure they're not the only band who
not every member politically lines up. I'm sure there are loads of bands have
that similar thing. But the problem is when your your vocalist, your your
mouthpiece in a lot of ways, has put that out there and he's then
not even kind of bother to apologize when it has been caught out from it.
It kind of just shows the kind of like and again I don't want
to comment on the rest of the guy's opinions, and it like this is
no the build up to their biggest album in a lot of ways, so
it's probably has thrown that whole Like they're they're there, they're probably having to
manage with that, but there is still more that could have been done in
that initial response for me, and it was a bit decided to see some
people kind of like but like yep, cool, that's fine, They're all
good. I'm like, no, that we can't just you know and like
take that such like basic response is like problem solved when there's there's so much
work they said, there is so much work that needs to be done.
If that is the views of c J. Yeah, again basically like bare
minimum, you know, I I you know, we we extend the kind
of the window let's say right now of like how the rest of the band
respond to this, But until that you know, satisfactory response occurs, then
you know, it won't be any more. Via as murder over here,
what is happening over there by there, I mean Europe is that Architects are
going to be doing a European run next year with spirit Box and Loathe in
support, which is like, you know, the kind of twenty twenty four
metal Core perfect kind of assembly, isn't it. Notably, that is a
European date, not a UK date, because Architects headlining slot of Bloodstock is
slated as they're they're kind of UK exclusive for next year, but you know,
Europeans over there have a lovely time at you know, the metal core
tour of next year, I do imagine over there, and then we've got
a lot of new music to talk about. Cspased Cowboy first up with a
standalone single which is called Chewing the Scenery. This is the first time they've
released since They're twenty twenty one album, which was rather well liked over here,
and I put this on and again it's stand low single right now.
I don't know if there will be an album anything on the way, but
I thought, wow, the really like Naughties post hardcore melodic vocal is really
being pushed to the four these days, Like this feels quite a lot cleaner
than even like the last album I can remember, being yeah, absolutely mean,
there's definitely an album coming, because Connie has done quite a few interviews
talking about the influences of where they're drawing from important She's cited stuff like block
Party and Panic at the Disco alongside the more kind of like Naughty's emo post
hardcore stuff as well, so there was clearly a bigger push on the melodic
side of things, but they they get that right out of the way on
this when they are straight like with the most kind of like clean naughty's emo
vocal they've done, it does eventually go into a more kind of like traditional
C space cowboy metalcopping, but they have shown a definite approach to kind of
like broadening the sound tire. Yeah, I mean it's produced by Matt Squire
who's produced Panic at the Disco and taking about Sunday and stuff. It's again
when you do that thing with the melodic vocal, when it gets so clean,
it's it gets a little you know for a probably for you as well,
Earliot, a little bit too under oath for me. And like the
you know, the the assault that you get of like the time change and
the more abrasive end of the riffing and that is used to color it well,
and that's that's what I've always liked there. It's a bit glossy for
me. This like I can only take so much like emo pop in this
lane. See I'm welling on that. Like and when you come by that
with the more again abrasive like when they go on the harder stuff and you
get that switch, that to me is like hell yeah, they are doing
all the things I like and mixing. It's given nicely, so I think
it never never goes too far into that nor ease. Yeah, Like I
wonder if they're going in kind of a direction that like where just their tastes
are different to mine, and so the things they are increasingly drawing on.
I'm like, no, possibly, I flip I've always flip flopped quite a
long seu Space Cowboy, where even the more middling stuff, if you want
to say, less extreme in each direction, I can go from going ah,
fuck, yeah this rocks to you can stop that right now second to
second basis, and in principle I kind of love that, but like you
say, the clean end of stuff on this song, it's just that sort
of fringe too far, Yeah, where I go from. I quite like
the idea, even if it's not jelling with me just yet. But it's
just the sound of it kind of it sort of shuts off my receptors in
a way. Maybe it might be something that I've warned too in the context
of an album. I would love to love see you, Space Cowboy,
but this is the song that's done it just yet. Yeah, I will
see it again if there's a larger body work at any point that maybe follows
in this direction. We'll see if it, you know, if it works
for me and you who hears something that is that Saccarino and go elsewhere.
We just have got a whole bunch of our announcement that we'll quickly rattle through.
Firstly, well, I guess the biggest one is that Within Temptation are
coming back, whether album bleed Out that's coming out on the twentieth of October,
with intentation of kind of gotten a weird direction for like a European they
become a really boring kind of gent band on their work for like a European
sefony metal band. The last album from twenty nineteen they went in this kind
of like I mean, even like before that, like Hydra, which was
more of a sort of I guess what you would imagine to be a standard
Within Temptation album. It should be said, I forgot to mention when we
did our as of author I was gonna say how it was the first time
in the history of this podcast that we've made it through an eight dead of
Awful without anyone picking for x exhibit featuring on a Within Temptation song. It's
so such a thing of the past, but it felt so out of date
to include. Yeah, I was aware. I think that is when Within
Temptation, I guess, you know, started to do some quite strange things
for them, and then the follow up album, the lead single from it
was like this big, like electro metal thing with Jacoby Shaddocks. I remember
that and I just think that's a banger. That song of the Reckoning,
that's such a huge banger. This one it's it's okay, but it's basically
like a spirit box riff, isn't it. And it's like the template of
what Limpentation was has changed so much more dramatically than you would imagine any of
their you know, the kind of bands who you'd think of being in their
lane having done just all the sort of symphonic drama that I quite like about
Within Temptations kind of been stripped out and it's just a very standard ready like
Shan's vocals are still great, but that was the only thing that actually stood
out to me beyond them again, the very cookie cutter gent riff and all
that. Yeah, if there's if there's one thing that I need to make
me like a symphonic metal band, it is certainly not twenty twenties gent metalcore
riffs like that. Yeah, that is not the agreement I want added to
the formula to warm me to it. So as I don't know I ever
listened to it full within Temptation record because even the people I know who are
pretty into symphonic metal don't talk about them all that much. Club now we've
got to deal with intmation album. Club. Yeah, good album. Well
that's the thing is, like you know, I've actually thought about it is
the unforgiving as Yeah, that's beyond the list for a while, because that's
them going in the kind of pop direction and smashing it. My favorites are
you know as well as that, like Mother Earth and stuff and straight from
Back of the Day are like they get in the traditional very Europeans fuhni metal
lane fucking great records. But again it is it's very it's startling, how
you know your symphonic metal band have kind of stripped out most of the symphonic
metal and like you know, turned into something quite quite different. Indeed,
Yeah, again, I did enjoy patches of the last record, so I'd
be curious to see what more happens with it. But yeah, as they've
become, you know, a bigger band, it's a strange little trajectory they've
gone on. Kristin Hayter has also announced her first album post hanging up the
Lingering Notta name, that's going to be coming out on October the twentieth.
It's actually under the name Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, which I don't know if
that's going to be the moniker for I don't know her entire career going forward.
It seems quite you know, timely with this album because it has a
whole you know that the album coverything kind of presents it as like some kind
of religious pamphlet. The record is called Saved with an exclamation mark, all
in capital letters, and this is you know, we've been talking about what
Kristin Hayter might do post Lingering Notta, and I think this is something where
you it is quite like you listen to it and go, oh wow,
you know, that's quite a choice that you've made. But also, if
you like Lingery Notta, I don't think it's a case of you know,
she's not going from fucking let Live into Fever three three issue like it's if
you like l Green Otor, the same atmosphere of like, oh my god,
that's heavy. That like really came through on this, Like I got
that, but I was like it wasn't like like I don't see she's having
more fun with this, but it feels less really fraught and intense and kind
of a bit more knowing. I think you've got fun with Jesus says,
get some better friends, because these ones are going to hell. Yeah,
there's kind of like tormented dark humor in the lyrics I find, is what
I'm again. It's kind of a darkly humorous kind of slant some of the
lyrics, and and again the whole kind of like dressed and going so hard
on the religions stuff and the reverend in the name of that it feels like
she's kind of playing up everything and and it is less just like really really
intense and for and uncomfortable. Well, I think she is actually a preacher
out. I don't know if I've gotten that wrong, but I think I
read that somewhere and this kind of has that flavor to it, like it
kind of reminds me of this little spoken word performance sort of things like throbbing
gristle and Crassi on the name Reverend Christian Hater. It's unfortunate because Christen Hater
is obviously her name, but as a moniker, it is a bit w
W E like, so that's going to take a little bit of getting used
to. Should come out her stage with it was that guy with the Undertaker.
I'd like the urn Paul Bear. Yeah, it should have Paul Bearer
come out with a lingering note shows or Christian Hater shows going forward. Yeah,
well we should have all dishes with the new Paul Bearer for Reverend Christian
Michael Hater. Yeah. This record again, this song that's come out All
my Friends Are Going to Hell is it's like the purest stripped back form of
what you imagine, you know, Christen's work in the past to be like
it's I was reading this record, it looks like most of it was recorded
on a four track. Like it's an extremely stripped back, low fly sounding
record. Again, it says that there's kind of being stuff based around,
you know, heavily piano based, mostly with vocals and then a few you
know, kind of maybe church bells and things like that kind of evolved with
it. But this is like purely you know, the fucking like death hymn
side of what Kristin has does I was struck by. I mean, also
the vocal melody on this song does make me think of war pigs an awful
lot then, but you know it's again it's Reavy reckoning with you know,
religion and kind of the specter of you know, hell and everything, like
she's done before, but again maybe moving away from the the outright pain and
torment of the Lingering Note in name. I was struck by the fact that
this record is coming on October the twentieth, which is about a week to
the day after those final shows, the final Lingering Note shows in London,
so it seems like she's really tied in this to be like, Okay,
I'm literally going to perform Lingery Notes music for the last time and hang it
up and then literally next week, you know, the Reverend Christin Michael Hayter
kind of era is going to be unveiled. So that is going to be
fascinating to see, you know, where where that goes and where that unfolds.
I do you know again, I love the extreme levels of kind of
sound play and layering and stuff that's happened on like the last couple of lingery
Note records, so I hope that doesn't go away entirely. But this record
seems like it's gonna be really based around just the raw starkness of that,
that kind of side of what lingery Note and Christ and Hayton now going forward
has done. Also, Mirca has an ounced new album which is out on
the twentieth of October, which his little insight here into why we don't do
weekly review shows anymore, because god knows what else was already announced for that
day. It's a fucking nightmare these days. But mirca new record, Spine
coming out. It's gonna be her first like metallic influenced records in twenty seventeen.
Actually the focus und record I really enjoyed, actually, and I've revisited
pretty frequently over the last couple of years. But this is again going back
to kind of more of a metal sound, but it's less like blackened and
extreme as you know old Mirka was. It's really like a kind of like
a almost like far off muffle kind of ethereal doom pop song in a way.
Yeah, I mean I've never been completely taken with me, but that
last one which I was calling Folka Sanga until about ten seconds. I don't
know, like this feels a bit like that was my favorite thing she's done,
and this feels like kind of a middle ground in the sense that it's
still got that ethereal folk quality, maybe more in the vein of something like
Grouper than the Wickerman soundtrack, but it's got that droning, foggy fuzz of
the previous black gay styling. So I thought this was cool. I think
I'll need to a full record to make any real judgments, but I like
how it's starting, and I like the idea at the very least. Yeah,
And if you don't want to wait that long for some kind of you
know, ethereal black metal adjacent music, Wild in the Throne Room have an
ounced that they've gone EP coming out called The Crypto Ancestral Knowledge, and that's
going to be out on September the twenty ninth. I believe they've said that
this is a record that's kind of sort of wrapping up the era of the
latest record, Primordial Arcana. So if you liked that, I'm sure there's
gonna some brilliant stuff here to go with as well. And also Elliott A
couple weeks ago. Last time you're on the show, you were asking about
when Primordial We're going to come back. The answer is very very soon,
indeed, because they have announced their new record, How It Ends, is
going to be out and also September the twenty ninth. Yeah, this is
just so good, Like It's Primordial is one of those things where I think
one of the reasons I missed them so much between records, it's because there
isn't really a fair substitute now for them, Like there isn't. I had
Triumph and Power by Grand Magas on the other day, and like just to
try and scratch that kind of itch, but it's not even nearly as emotionally
devastating or furious. It just gets that is one of the rest of theus
gets sort of the same charge over the cliff feeling so but no one does
it as good as Primordial, and this is them doing it to a super
high standard. Again, like this is a weird thing where people go like
they say that Alan isn't one of the best vocalists in metal, And I
don't know where people get the nerve to talk like that, because it's exactly
the same people as there are some people out there who go China Marino.
I can't stand him, like it's it's a distinctive thing, but he is
the best in the world at what he does. Like it's just yeah,
I mean there's absolutely no one liked them, so yeah, I'll be there's
worth for sure. I quite like this Primordial song. Never listened to them
before, but I thought this one was pretty cool. Well you know more
where that came from, I'm sure at some point. And also Max cavalleras
Go Ahead and Die have got a second record coming up with review the first
one a couple years ago, and that's out, believe it or not,
on the twentieth of October, So there you go. I should say that
pre Bloodstock, we were talking about kind of how appreciative we were of,
you know, the new folks who would come over and signed up at the
Patreon as we were doing all of our eights that of Awful Action. There
were some more of that as well, you know, since me coming back
so and we haven't done a usual weekly show since then. So once again,
thank you to everybody who has joined us there. The eight set of
Awful was a hoot. I am sure there are things and conversation points in
there that are going to stay with us and inform how we think of many
topics on this show when they arrive for a while to come next up for
their is as we like to follow up the review show with the album club
Pack, and so this is going to be something This episode does get better
the further into it we get. I promised, but Sam had an idea
based off of a moment that happens in the Barbie movie, to do Matchbox
twenties yourself or someone like you. I have never listened to Matchbox twenty I
don't entirely understand what I'm letting myself in for, but I'm going to find
out. And then that makes a hell of a top pairing with what was
already slotted in that slot from a while ago, A Tiller's recently labeled in
some areas as seminal album about that life. As we try and work out
how that happened, then we're going to bring it back with Twitching Tongues being
firmly back in action again this year. There are also a decade old came
up very close to her about that life in love there is no law they've
just put reducts of that with a bunch of bonus tracks, and they're clearly
going back and rereleasing. They they did sleep Therapy. Okay, I didn't
even see you last week. They they did it with some bonus tracks and
stuff. So that time from us, then yes, and then we finally
close on the cult psychological horror masterpiece of the Louisiana sludge scene acid Baths where
the kite string pops myself and Sam as you mentioned earlier, we also did
you know for those patrons up on the highest tier one a little bit extra
from us, A T and M does horror episode, which is our horror
podcast series on the Meg and the Meg to the Trench, which are ridiculous
nonsense experiences which we like to go in all in on. I mean,
they are stupid movies that I had loads of fun talking about and I would
defend the Meg movies fuck the haters. But no, it was it was.
It was nice to when they see behinds that again that it's just no
real fort needs to go into it. It's just like big Sharks Jack before
at Jathan Stepham, like swimming around at the bottom of the sea without a
suit, on just being like, well, I'll be fine, and then
as we head into September past all that we arguing be starting our next band
special next month, which as determined by a Patreon vote earlier in the year,
is going to be Alison Chains. So if you joined up this month
at the EIGHTSED, we are going to keep you welfared going forward. We
promise you can find all of that at patreon dot com slash. That's nonmat
all. Let's get into this month's album reviews. Last month we did more
of like a highlights reel of stuff kind of largely from the underground that you
did throughout, kind of at the top end, some more extreme stuff like
the Black Braid album. This time we are going to be starting with a
handful of some of the most beloved bands in the TNA world actually in the
realms of alternative rock. We have got The Excerpt and Teenage Wrist coming up.
But first we had a new album from Spanish Love Songs. It's called
No Joy, which is the follow up to twenty twenties Brave Faces Everyone,
which feels much longer ago than it is really because that was one of those
albums that came out like just weeks predawn of the PANDETI basically like taking an
album about the world falling apart and being miserable happening as like just before the
world falls apart and everyone is miserable. Yeah, I think you know,
because of that, for an awful lot of people listening here, that will
be like their COVID album, right, like that will be the album that
they they associate with that year and that helped get them through it. Brave
Faces and Out Everyone is an album that you immediately on its launch, but
then even more so those months when on as you're saying, see it itself
into you know, the hearts and minds of a lot of listeners. Schmaltz
had already landed as like a bit of a classic, but Brave Face as
Everyone seemed to take that even further fare. Yeah, I think like the
leap up when when the song's first started coming out like kicking all that,
you could sortous see a bigger swell support and so that that just kind of
went further and further as the ambu come out and people really again because Schmaltz
is like a granbum, but it was like the real intense emotional connection people
made it was it was on Brave Faces Everyone and Spanish Obsons were band to
thrive on on that emotion and connecting with Dylan's lyrics and all that. So
when you have an album like Brave Faces Everyone, which is so raw in
kind of putting out there like it's feelings and like I think you know,
when the ambergan with one given damn the six to ten, that was a
merely kind of for the fans, like that was the lyric they kind of
needed to hear almost of the kind of like struggling things and relating to Stylan.
So it was so just like myself was just like, right, let's
go out. I'm connected with this album immediately, and that bond is only
going to grow. Yeah, I guess, you know, is that the
main thing in that album, that pair of albums. I guess because Smart's
really hit at the time as well, that I guess it's made them again.
This is lead review this month for us, and it's because they have
seemed to have become such a special band for people who are into this kind
of realm of like heart on sleeve my rock music. Yeah, like outside
of like the already well established big band, your men singers, you guess
anthems, those sort of ones wander years like wonder Yars. Yeah, Spanish
SOB songs have been the kind of like I suppose as them and Hot Milligan
the kind of the two new ones who've really kind of but I kind of
almost let in tw different directions. But Hot Milagan have kind of gone with
the more pop punk crowd and they kind of real kind of I guess,
like emo like heart on sleeve kind of thing. I've really gravitated towards Spanish
love songs, but they become the one and again you're going by the crowd
they put a slam on this year. It has really all come together for
them, So yeah, like they are the I mean, well, I
think that the fact they've just been so brilliant across these two arms is why
they've been the bands that everyone has latched onto. Yeah, and then just
to put a cap on that polite particular idea to kind of you know,
set the toe go in this review, are we talking about like one of
your favorite bands of the current moment. Absolutely, Yeah, Like I'm sure
there's going to be no surprises when I sort of go off about how much
I love this band and again how much I love this album, but they
are of the newer bands to break in the last sort of five or so
years. Not many I would say I like more than Spanish love songs at
this point. Yeah, and there are many many people who agree with you.
Elliott kind of almost going to be casting the deciding swing on this.
I guess you are. I mean, you're big on you know, bands
like Homersware and stuff that we reviewed last month, and you have I think
more of a toe in the email world than I do. Is I guess
does that translate over to making you a Spanish Love Songs fan as well?
Up to this point, it's all to say I quite like Schmaltz when that
came out, But I think it's because I thought the one Year's record that
came out of that year was pretty below par, so I kind of wanted
that fix from something, and I do think that record is good. They
do it as a band. They do a lot of things I like,
but they occasionally dip into that, oh crikey, that's clawing territory, and
I think that's something that when they're not doing that, it is one of
those things where I can really get invested in their songs or in their records
for long sweeps of it, and then if they just slip into that zone,
it's like the Icarus thing. They're constantly flying just at the brim of
clawing, and if they got an inch too high, they plumb it back
to earth. So when they're in that kind of that's slither, that little
slim bit of the atmosphere. I do think it's great, and I wasn't
that excited at the prospect of a new record until Haunted came out as the
first single, and it took me from being fairly apathetic to the idea of
a new Spanish love songs record so genuinely, like really up for it because
I thought that song was excellent. I love the direction it went in,
and I thought their songwriting had sort of developed and they'd gone best with a
writing fully realized songs. So I don't know if I to call myself a
fan per se, but like you said, I have got a taste for
this style of thing, and when they scratch that, which I do think,
they do it to a really high standard. Okay, that's good,
and I hope that you have, you know, some more nice things to
say in that regard when it comes to this record, Sam, I guess
you in particular, I'm going to really need you to sell. First of
all, what is great about this because again, the follow up to Brave
Faces Everyone is going to be one of those most like anticipated records for a
lot of people who are listening to us right now. No Joy. Again,
this comes out today as we're kind of putting this record episode that one
way. But so I mean, as of right now, we haven't seen
like the massive burst and release day gushing that normally accompanies Spanish love songs in
our little corner of the internet, so I can't have that in front of
me at this precise moment. But like, do basically do you think this
will do that in the way that the last two albums have done? Yeah,
I think so, because I think it's Brave Face everone just like kind
of really raw emotional, emo, kind of sad pop punk kind of thing
too. I think it's its biggest kind of point could go to. And
so on No Joy. They have swerved off in a slightly different direction and
made some considerable sort of changes to their sound that I think people are really
going to go with the core thing of the sad lyrics, Dylan's kind of
really emotional delivery, the vocal wobbles, all of that sort of stuff that
the stuff that you I know, you find like now it's on a chalkboard
like that is all still there and that's what fans gonna are gonna love.
Like, But musically it is it's not as kind of like like Brave Face
to seven and it sounded like he was about to cry on every other line.
There is like like and I love that about it, like, but
I can understand what I can undertand why that on the album might actually been
a bit where you talk about where it goes a bit far. Really,
I can understand what that might be that I think there's less of that on
this one, and it is more it is I don't see more like the
class of it's a more mature record, but it is. It's a little
bit more subdued for them, and I think it's a less like doomed album
in a way because I think, you know, again Braveface everyone hit and
it was just like, oh my god, everything that you're thinking about in
this record is just like it's so rightfully in a way if you want to
leave it won't be this bleak forever. Yeah, Right, like that that
gains its pessimistic and this record maybe has more kind of light involved with it.
It's the kind of feeling of finding peace and finding a way to move
forward, knowing that things are shit, but we like we don't have to
complain relentlessly about it all the time. And I think that's really cool.
And I think there's sort of just the sort of the musical direction they're gone
on. This has been a nice surprise for me as someone who loves him.
And Meredith, who's one of the sort of qum but she does the
keys in the band like she if you kind of had in the provid because
you have to kind of really dig to find her input a little bit.
Here is the first time she is front and say a lot of this record,
which I think is the biggest outside of them being less kind of relentlessly
bleak. That's the sort of biggest musical change, isn't it. Yeah,
And there are a musical change on this record that you know, put them
even closer to kind of like you know, it's still Springsteen core, but
it's like the it's a new wave Springsteen album. Isn't it Like it's like
the kind of the pop sensibility of that rather than just the you know,
the kind of the heartland rock storytelling. Yeah, totally. Like on Cleanup
Crew, there's full Billy Jean backbeat going on and like, you know,
genuine kind of pop fizz in the chorus. Yeah. I mean, for
me, this record is just just going on my taste. It's not quite
why I was hoping to get. Okay, I'm surprised that he said that
you really enjoy Haunted because that's kind of a that seems to me like it,
you know it it paints the wave a lot of the record. Yeah,
it's just the reason I'm jumping on it now is because you mentioned Cleanup
Crew. And as much as I like the new wave elements and that kind
of, like you say, the new wave Springsteen combination, I think is
really cool. I think there's bits where they sort of stretch that beyond its
logical conclusion. When a Cleanup Crew that sort of disco gates and almost tropical
lot of comment, it's it's kind of unpleasant. And it's so you've been
referring to this singer as a sheep for quite a while. Now it's a
running bit that I call I just grab him as a sheepman. Yes,
yes, And I'll be honest, I never really got it until this record
because I always I've always got thin he was about to cry all times,
like that sort of blubbering thing. I've gotten used to that, and I
know that, like you say something for a lot of people that are super
emotionally impactful and if you're happy with that sort of thing, this record delivers
on that for sure. And the shirt tugging I can kind of live with,
like it's you know, it's like path of the course or the bar
for the course, if you will. But the vibrato thing that he does,
of like, even when it doesn't he doesn't even sound that upset and
he's going, oh what are you doing that over things that are so smooth,
like liquid groovy, it kind of shows up that it can be a
bit silly. So it connects between his emotional deliver which you don't inherently dislike
the way I do you kind of you know, you like that voice,
but it's a disconnect between that landing on this kind of like more you know,
kind of pop influenced musical palette I again, I hadn't even considered that,
because again, I've got my own problems that are almost like get in
the way of me thinking about that. I heard this and I thought the
instrumental pivot is more than I would usually enjoy what Spanish love songs do because
I like that kind of new way, like the again Haunted goes full on
that kind of you know, eighties disaster piece moment that came in. I
was when it first was single. I was like, Oh, this is
totally different. I'm down fit and it's got that kind of Springsteen guitar chord
kind of patterns on there. So that was really just where it went right,
We're gonna strap clashes two styles, and I was immediately sold on the
record from that. And I really really like the poppiar touches with Dylan sort
of focused because I think, like, I understand what you mean, but
I think he does tone back the most kind of excessive elements of his things
on the popular stuff, so it doesn't I never got the thing that they
clashed too much, so I was like, oh, he's kind of like
toning it down a little bit. Then it compared to where it was.
Yeah, again, I just thought that synthly been everything and that's a sound
that's pleasing to my ears, you know again, like a Marvel. It's
kind of like dancier stuff where there's a lot like flighty guitar noise, then
there's more kind of pep in the step and like, you know, I
like again, I I don't like the Killers, And to me, at
their worst, they're like a landfill indie thing on like Mystery Brightside or whatever,
but they are of that school. They're the one that pick up on
that kind of heartland rock thing and they do that you know that sheen with
it, and I think there's some of that happening here and I don't I
don't dislike that extra color in the instrumentation, Like the synth lines and stuff
on this are the thing in like the Spanish Loves One that is the most
appealing to me. And I actually thought, like again, the chorus and
cleanup crew is closer to what I would usually go for than like, you
know, the same old kind of shirt tugging every single one thing, although
the bridge on that song does bring that kind of crashing to a hole.
But like those things in this record, I, you know, I kind
of admired for what they were. I'm going to throw back to Sam just
to really kind of for someone whom the I guess, you know, the
traditional Spanish love songs elements and these new kind of new wavy pop elements are
working together for you in the way that is intended. Like how successful you
think this record is? Like what are what are the strengths on it?
What are the real defining like knock it out of the park moments? I
think Marvel you said, I think that's one of like Hornted, I think
as the first thing we might be my favorite someone of records that on Marvel
or the two. I'm like, those are really great, the whole Marvel
having the trying trying to make it in the world, to stay alive out
of Spy, Like those kind of lyrical hooks that are over there, that
are again the sorting that spas sometimes we're immediately going to latch onto. It's
almost got a kind like folk punk sort of thing in it as well,
like the kind of like jointing guitars. But I just think there's then just
kind of having a bit more drive and pepping them to go along with the
kind of sadder touches. It feels more kind of uplifting in again, finding
finding a way through the sentence. I think like the ballads are still great.
I again, if you if you find Dylan a bit much when when
he's doing over acoustic songs, I can understand what that's going to you know,
Yeah, but speak for the people who love them, right, Like,
people fucking love this band. People are gonna want to hear Dylan all
over this. They're gonna want to hear the song speak for the people who
love this band, right. I think for them, it just it delivers
more of the kind of really most HEARTSIY stuff. The lyrics. I think
there are the story that the storytelling, the the rousing that I'll be there
for kind of again the old appeal, even if the music has changed a
little bit of the people who really connected with this band, you know,
again, Dylan's kind of uh, you know, topics and everything that he's
going out on this maybe with that less of a fucking downward spiral idea that
you know, brave faces everyone had that's going to be really jumping out with
this still right. Yeah, absolutely, I think that the again because I
think they've got more pop books on it as well, so that that they're
going to, you know, really jump out. You've got songs like I'm
going to Miss seven, which has that big kind of closing refrain, which
is gonna be a real sort of arms around your mates, kind of like
we're in this together sing along, and that passion is so felt for every
part of this. I think, like, I think there is a in
both in terms of like music, lyrics, songwriting. There is a great
maturity then all of the band's kind of around Spanish love song. At this
point, I was over again that they're really well established, you know your
men singers. I think compare this to the Hot Maligan record, which again
I quite liked. I think I think this run circles around there in terms
of Hook's emotion, the kind of like interesting directions of the music. I'm
coming to them because there I'm sing them on toward together next week, and
so I think they're there. They are quite close length to them, But
I just think the Spins Officers are so much more interesting in the sort of
the musical palette they're drawing on. The space in the record. Yeah,
I think the space in the record of mixing, you know, it's like
mutable, this sort of slower simp heavy song that's really textured. None of
their peers are doing anything like that, and he like he are and just
just based on these big emotional sing alongs, sort of big guitars. It
just hits on all of those things that just leave all of the other bands
around them kind of playing catch up. And and that that's why I think
it is the best thing about that spinsof songs is they it's raw and real.
I don't again, as much as it didn't come, I don't think
he's putting it on. I think this is him. His heart is on
his sleeve. This is like, you know, you get some folks you
can go, well, you're playing a character, you know. I don't
believe it. I believe Dylan is close to crying when he's singing these songs.
I didn't think he's you know, I'm going to put that warbble in
my voice to to sell something fake. It's genuine. I think exit bags
like really tender and kind of kind of trying to like find acceptances and you
know, things haven't gone as you planned, and now you've got to you've
got to find your way forward from there. And find a new path.
All of that just feels so real to me, and I think for fans
they're going to have that exact connection and not have to like worry about being
sold something fake. Yeah. Again with the change and how the kind of
the songs are constructed as well, I think, you know, particularly when
you go back to like Schmaltz era, it sounds like a kind of small
basement punk band, right whereas SMATs had a kind of fizziness to it at
points that was a little bit ramshackle. This this feels, this is the
most classy I think they've ever sound in the say that those pivots again like
let's say the new age Springsteen fucking you know thing, you know, the
ways that like the chorus of Pendulum around it has like these big, like
stadium sounding guitars like they have kind of they I think they've kept a through
line of like the kind of songs that their fans are going to want to
hear and want to connect to, while like dramatically, I guess increasing the
scope of what kind of what their music is able to kind of I guess
evoke, And I think that's you know, what we're worthy of praise in
that regard. Are you talking about you know again like Brave Faces Everyone's such
a huge record. This is one of the things where it's like when we
talk about, you know, the follow up to some of the kind of
defining records of the t andn Era and has of how strong people to them
to heart. This is one of those kind of follow up cases like it
might be early days right now, but like in the you know, the
Spanish love SOM's Cannon, where is this coming? Is this like another proper
knockout for me? For me, absolutely is because it's different. They they
they're not trying to you know, one up Brave Faces everyone. They they've
they've gone down a different route to like because again, Bravers of Them is
so big on what it's doing in both in the terms of the lyrics and
some of the points that I think if they tried to just you know,
do that again, maybe it wouldn't just feel be like, okay, you
kind of tread on the same ground. I'm so happy that they've taken a
swinging and gone for a like again the kind of pop like new wave kind
of sort of stuff they've done, and for me that that is so cool
that they've been able to take a pivot in their sound and still deliver exactly
what I want from them, and it doesn't feel like it's it doesn't feel
like they've kind of gone in a direction I don't like and and betrayed what
I sort of fell in love with this band. And when I've just put
Smaltz on on first listen and was completely like, oh fuck, wherever this
band been for my life, I still feel like I'm listening to that band.
I'm just listening to the most high budget, big songwriting version they can
be while still believing that it's real. Yeah, and hopefully what they can
kind of do is again, if someone who went on a particular journey with
Breakfast Level, which is a more pessimistic record, hopefully rather than a change
just haven alienating people, it will kind of like catch off and follow up,
right, I think fans will probably quite enjoy the less emotionally for and
again the less kind of like bleak this, And I'm happy to go on
the next step of the journey with them a bit more listenable. Yeah,
like I would over get that. I think there are songs on Brakface and
I can just all the time, but as now I'm as a whole it
is. It's a heavy listen. It does kind of leave your feeling like
fact and especially when you're putting it in that time and place of how bleak
things felt at that moment that I'm just going to transport you back to that.
This going to be in the next step along and navigating through finding light
where you can finding happiness in the dance, taking sort of breath and XL
and kind of be like, okay, next step. I think fans are
gonna really be happy to sort of carry on that and feel less kinds like
everything is bad. I'm sad miserable all the time. I think, like
even non fans, though I think for a lot of people, I would
have probably included myself for this, even if I do have some qualms with
the record, I think when this record hits, and it hits quite a
lot, they're the best songs Spanish love songs have ever done. Like I've
already mentioned Haunted, I thought, like Marvel, Yeah, like that really
wants hooks and me it call youse to synth like kind of an uplifting night
drive kind of tempo to it, which is really nice. Pendulum, like
just a genuinely really interesting production job and have a great one. Yeah,
and then here you are, Like that might be my favorite song of that
really classy arrangement, like really just a really well written song. And it
doesn't feel like it's you know, tripping over itself to like, like I've
said, it's about hot Mulligan way, it feels it trips over itself to
make you pity it. There's no semblance of that on that song. And
I think for most of the record, and that's the thing I've I love
Spanish love songs doing. I would love for them to explore more. It's
a shame that kind of came in on Cleanup Crew, which it does feel
a bit like disco stew has been served as a viction notice. But for
the vast majority of this record, I think it works, Like I think,
on balance, when they do the thing that was hope I was hoping
they do, and they do a lot of it, it hits the nail
on the head. And I think, even if you're someone who's dismissed dismissed
Spanish love songs in the past, it's worth given this a go because there
are those moments which I think we'll get over with. Even with people who
might have found the last two a bit greating, it's a bit more palatable,
I think in that way because of said it feels just a bit more
toned down on the real extreme. I'm about to cry, seriously, guys,
I'm crying right now, honestly, Like, and again, I don't
think he's putting that on. I really do feel that Dylan is like that,
like, but I can understand why for some people doing a grave faces
that was like, alright, steady on, mate. I sincerely hope their
next album is a double album called I'm about to Cry. No, seriously,
guys, I'm crying right now. Yeah, And again that that kind
of I guess brings in my feelings on it, because the what you're saying
about it, if you've take you know, if you've you know, not
enjoy Spanish on up as the point, give it a go and there'll be
things in it that maybe surprise you. That is I guess technically true on
my part, where like I listened to it and again, stuff like that
synth line in Haunted, in the general arrangement of the kind of songs,
I was like, oh wow, Okay, that is a bit little bit
different from again the general overbearing us of what they've done before. But the
last time I did this was when we reviewed Hot Mulligan. Actually, and
I don't intend to just compare these two bands all the time, but sometimes
I pressed play on one of these albums and the very first notes happen and
I have to pause it for a moment because the very first sounds that you
hear on a record are just so aggressively against my sensibilities, and pressing play
on this and sheepy boy bleating with that fucking wibble filter, like I literally
knew from the first seconds. Even when the arrangements and stuff surprised me,
my overriding feelings on Spanish on songs weren't going to change because I can't help
it. There are parts on this album when a song will start and he's
clearly singing about something really dear and heavy to him, and I feel bad
because I don't doubt the sincerity, and I don't doubt any of the content,
but I can't help laugh at it because our delivery is so fucking overall,
like I'm going to miss everything, Like the opening seconds, I'm clearly
just not on the wavelength to take that seriously. But like again, I
find them so great thing to listen to. I can't deal with that man
delivering every line while standing on a wobbly podium that's being shaken from side to
side by a bunch of goons at the bottom. Again, that pendulum chorus
delivery. What I mentioned with the guitars, everything I said about the guitars
or four chorus in his delivery of it, And a switch just goes in
my head where all of these melodies sound the exact same to me, and
I want to do the opposite of singing along to them. It's that singing
with no dynamism thing that I've complained about other beloved vocalists in the scene having
as well. And that's a personal issue where my liers may vary. If
you can listen to this man and for reasons very different to mine, he
stirs your soul in some way. I'm sure there's some lovely souls, some
great songs. The last few songs for me did kind of just drift off
into sort of like aimless synth. But maybe that's just me being like so
fucking just turned off by the emotional delivery all the time, duction wise and
energy level. It does sound ahead of I don't know what we're hearing from
the Gaslight Anthem currently. So if you're still looking for new bands wanting to
do what they did for you, take all my favorite bands parent. Yeah.
All I'm saying is, you know, this is a band who are
clearly plugged into the moment. They are making a creative shift. And I
was saying, you don't have to lye on nostalgia for a band like that
from several years ago to deliver the thing for you. I just can't fucking
happens home. If you was, you know, go like a goblin,
you'd you'd be all over this love solo album, No Joy. It gave
me no joy. I'm sorry, but I'm sure it will form any of
you. And we move on to the excerpts and Learning How to Live and
Let Go, who are one of the only bands to emerge in the early
twenty tens era of straightforward melodic British rock music to be worth a dam and
they grow more and more into their own kind of path that over time as
well, Because twenty eighteens, hold onto your heart. This is not one
of those cases where one of those records we are split on in the way
we've just spoken out with Spanish Love Songs, it's one of the best records
of the last ten years for that kind of just pure burst your heart with
fucking life, gallop through the streets pop rock songwriting. That being the record
they are following up here as well. And last time we spoke about it,
I of all people you know, picked it on Last Albu last year's
summer album, and we were all just like, this album should have hit
like fucking platinum at the time, Like people who like that kind of heartland
rock music in their droves when it is presented to them in the right way.
Nothing has done it with the kind of pop appeal that hold into your
Heart has in recent years. And it is, yeah, stripped back purest
of intentions rock music, but with songs like Daydream and First Kiss, Feeling
and drive Me Wild that in those melodies, you know how they make you
feel and just explode in your ears. Fee you like classics, like music
that genuinely feels like it would hold up and still sound great in any era
between like the nineteen fifties, and we'll still do decades beyond the one we
currently find ourselves in. Yeah, like timeless songwriting on that and again you
said like and it was like the Hartland rock. But even on the pop
side, you know a lot of those kind of like eighties influenced one and
pop acts, the nineteen seventy five and some like that. I think,
oh yeah, the excerpts and hold on Your Heart were songs are on that
record. Yeah, you're absolutely great. Yeah, that would that would if
they've been putting the like, if they've just been given that proper audience would
have gone like, fun, this is an amazing daydream, like you say,
like first Kiss, feeling like feels like falling in love is one of
those like God, that song should have been everywhere. That should have been
like the Sound of Summer twenty eighteen. It's one of those records where when
it came out, I kind of presumed that I wasn't gonna like it for
every reason, and then putting it on and just being greased with this like
joyous burst of Heartland rock with like you said, with the glam rock flair,
which was really the selling thing for me. And it feels like every
year there's like three bands where people just go why aren't they massive? And
you just think, well, I'm sorry. They they're a metalcore band,
that's why they're not massive. But with the Exerts, I remember thinking,
like everything about them, from their name to their sound, like their song
sittles and everything, it just seemed like it could be a legitimately popular band.
I could imagine T four on the Beach going up next. It's the
Exerts, and they're not an unpopular band, but that record, certainly,
it was so much more like palaceable and just good than their size, the
size they currently enjoy. I think warrants they're such a beloved cult band,
but and that felt like, actually, you know where they went beyond beyond
being a cult band. Yeah, And like I said, stuff that just
sounds just very timelessly at the fundamental kind of root appeal of rock music and
that kind of on right and just great whenever and wherever you hear it,
which is why it felt like such a harsh, harsh turn. When the
first music released in this album was one hundred Exerts, it was it was
one of those real just crushing moments of like, ah, this band that
I love so much, of taking a pivot into doing something I really don't
like, and and it was just like this is I don't know, I
don't feel like, you know, having my back aches all being like,
am I going to have to go and give the Ex as a bit of
a kick in? You know? I'm us like even the sort of the
other brit rock bands, I'm always one who's kind of like defending them from
you pair, And but I was like, I'm gonna have to you know,
be the one like involving the kick in this time. Yeah, I
mean I don't I wouldn't you know, I wouldn't enjoy doing it because you
know, the Ex and I very much fell in love with that band around
the you know, the last record, and again what we're saying in terms
of like they were unrewarded for how brilliant they were and those kind of songs
like you know, I went to see him in like the Death Institute in
Manchester, which is like three hundred four hundred cap or something like that,
and it's like it wasn't sold out either, and it's like that's how do
you hear daydream in that room and not wonder where the fuck someone's gone wrong?
Right? Like in just the general running of the world. But the
stuff we were getting from this it was just bad songs and bad ideas,
Like Gimme, it's just fucking annoying. Like I love Murray, He's got
a fantastic voice, and all of that kind of tonality that is specific to
him in his delivery makes it so, but that booby aking, like grating
monotone verse line in Gimme does not suit his voice at all, And then
you know, the fucking it comes to nothing, and it's like, even
if you are excited about experimenting with something, do you really think that that
stands up to the work you've done in the past, Like Gimme is ever
going to stand next to Shaking in the water and kind of not going to
shrivel up in comparison. Yeah, those songs again, the first bits that
we heard from this record were just like a jarring, jarring change from a
band who again sounded timeless, into a band that was like a pleasant on
the ear, which is nothing you could ever say about, you know,
either of their last few records. My biggest hope was that the singles would
be these like big experimental outliers and we'd have a situation similar to like Biffy
Cleiro of Instant History on Our Hands, where like, Okay, you've tried
something with the least single and it hasn't worked, but maybe the rest of
the album will be more sensible and it's not all as unlistable as Gimme.
Yeah, I do. I do think this is a turkey. So I
don't think this is a turkey. It is the worst excepts album. There
are moments that I think I'm like, God, what is wrong with you?
And like Gimme is Gimme is the worst? And Love Sick. Those
are the two that I'm like, what are you doing this horrible, garish,
like cloying pop rop thing that again, as you said Moray's I love
Momay's vocalist, but what he's doing vocally on that's on those songs does not
work one bit. Those like the worst things the other problems that you then
get songs like Ache and Jealousy, which have unfinished Like I genuinely think those
songs, I don't think they're actually you know, the cork and most of
those songs, I think there's some good stuff in there, but both those
songs end before they've gone anywhere. Jealousy, Like, I think it's quite
decently, you know when when it's kind of going along and then you get
to this like weird kind of drop out and builds to that final bit of
Mary screaming, and that feels like that should be the bridge before you come
back in for like a big final chorus, and then it just stops.
They a just writing a song. We're out of chorus, like Ache baffling,
like this is the band who's like choruses have been so simple, like
real nursery rhyme, like repeating that one line over and over again. It
feels like falling in love like and that that beautiful simplicity. But Ache doesn't
have a chorus until the last twenty seconds and then it's end and it's over
and it's it's so it's such a weird decision. When I call it,
Hol'm a turkey. What I mean by that is I would ask uself the
question is there anything on this album that I would want to hear again?
And the answer is no. The answer them there is one song on this
album that I think i'd go that's an Excerpts classic. I haven't heard it.
I mean, let me just say, like again. The answer of
do I want to hear any these songs again is no, And there are
some that I really never want to hear again, like give Me for example.
But ultimately, when I go, is there anything on this album that's
going to be drawing me back, the answer is no. It's it's one
of the most front to back. I haven't gained anything from this albums I've
heard that we've reviewed at least on this podcast this year, and it's again,
I never, you know, want to doubt their intention, like you
know, never attribute to malice what you could for stupidity or the the kind
of musical equipment equivalent is, you know, people get genuinely excited by new
ways of making music sound, and if they've been at something for a while
that might have lost it sheen in the moment, they can get caught up
in the excitement of you know, kind of a new wave and you move
and without really recognizing how poorly it fits. Then right, like it's a
tale as older time. It doesn't always have to be attributed to you know,
sell out. But this is as cut and dried a case of a
band trying something that smothers everything enjoyable about their music I think I've ever heard.
Yeah, it's one of those where you never want to condemn a band,
a band for trying something obviously not and the thought the excerpts trying something
new isn't inherently a bad idea. I mean, they've got the formula so
perfect on Hold Onto Your Heart, but they're clearly talented guys, capable of
other things. But what they've gone for here, it's such a fundamentally terrible
idea, and like you say, just sacrificing that timeless quality for something that
sounds already dated and like uber modern and that sort of hyperpop inflected take on
unfinished, unrealized pop rock. It doesn't sound like something that would excite young
people. Even it sounds like the in between a soundtrack being played by nankats.
It's like it just it boggles, it boggles the mind. And in
fact, listening to this record the first time, I had such an aversion
to it that it almost vindicated me for the five minutes of suspicion I had
for the Experts five and a half years ago. I like that, and
I put this and I went, I knew it like amazing. Alum Aside
that doesn't matter. I knew it. Like listening to this, it's just
like you says about them being unfinished songs. I don't think it's like the
unfinished songs and them being garish and obnoxious is a side problem. It feels
like they're garish and obnoxious to compensate for the fact that there is no song.
It's the warkasm critique but being applied to the excerts, and that's pretty
heartbreaking. I mean, the appeal of the excert is exuberant, sonically gorgeous,
emotionally intimate, but also like quite kick ass, you know, rock
and roll music that feels like a band of mates playing together. Everything about
what they've done to the Seals, And this album takes out that list of
strengths and crosses out one of them and replaces it with a bunch of indistinct
gunk and like I was reading an interview with them and they were talking about
writing songs with a spontaneity like their teenagers. Again, I don't hear that
in this horribly overproduced record. You know, it doesn't at all feel like
a bunch of kids picking up guitars and playing physy, exciting rocks. Whatever
the guitar practice room. It feels like someone I know what they mean by
that is, you know, like, oh, things are off limits,
we can go to whatever place. But it feels like someone who's gotten boared
of how they used play is it when they're a teenager and instead is trying
to write music that current teenagers would like. And you know, again,
Sam, you mentioned when you dive, then you mentioned a lot of kind
of like individual songs as of how they sound, the way he sits on
Jealousy, the vocal line on this like fucking awful inhuman teenage dirt bag gass,
guitar progression feels like any number of like the Poet, Machine Gun,
Kelly, pop punk production line songs. And when he screams for ten seconds
at the end of that song, it's like dyke for you all over again.
Like even if there is there is a recognizable sort of you know,
the glint of the excerts in there in the core of that song, how
it has been constructed and how it is put together has made every one of
those things just definitely unpleasant. I think jealousy is not the worst defender for
it. I think jealousy, like I long as jas is a good song
about you know, I cant least you know, with a bit of tweaking,
you could have got something from from Jealousy. I think there are songs
like give Me a Love to the ones that I just really go to be
like and Carcash Culture feels like the one where they're kind have gone again.
This feels like almost recognized the excess, but you've made it so lifeless and
buy numbers at that point that it I don't get that big burst on that
chorus that I should be getting on the excerts, Like I agree with you
that it sounds like them trying to write muse is it for teenagers that I
don't think it just it just doesn't suit them. And then the flip said
that you then get all the ballads will make up the other half of the
record. That was a confusing thing. It was like, why on this
record that you've kind of led off with, like, yeah, this is
us being excited and it's we've got attitude and it's everything's off limits. Half
of it is like balladeering as you normally expecting the excerpts, but within the
context of this, like you know, against sonically very ugly, quite abrasive
on the Year, and again all the songs that they call I think maybe
there are melodies in there that you really like. I think they're all suffocated.
I think maybe there are maybe there are things that you know, when
when they play it live without all the bullshit, it'd be passable. Still.
He sounded quite good live when I heard it a couple of months ago
before the album, way before anything. I've only heard the recording version,
and it sucks and it's it's sounds terrible and it just it's melting that I
ever want to hear again. And car Crash culture the way that verse with
kind of Murray. It has that kind of more like eighties feel too,
which we like with the experts, but they've translated that through that kind of
jagged edge hyperpop filter, and I think the result isn't like, you know,
it takes something we knew and it reframes it in an interesting way.
It's more like there's something that we knew and it's trapped in something ugly that
doesn't fit it. Yeah, And a major problem with all of these songs
is that they don't take off because whether they are you know, weird little
sketches as is the kind of trend with this hyper kind of you know that
this kind of music, or they are so constrained by all the ugly shit
going on in the recording of them. These songs don't let themselves fly the
way exert songs really can. Like they're also so you know, like again
that the sub two minute songs don't even allows us get started. Ache with
the Sam Carter feature, it's like that'd be a bit of an album,
Like it's a Sam Carter feature on an Exerts album should be a moment that's
so long and they're coming right, But yeah, it's a complete non event.
The moment it starts building any melody, they might go anywhere and comes
something, it's fucking finished. I said, the chorus comes in in the
last twenty seconds and that and that's it. And that song, to me,
that's why I feel like we're like we're missing half a song here.
And this is this is why I'll call to the defense of blame, which
is you know, tucked at the back end of the album. And it's
the only song that does sound like a fully formed excerpt song of the chorus
that actually lifts. And I don't know if it's it feels like it was
written at a different times of us the album because it doesn't sound like the
rest of the album. And like again, maybe it's just surrounded by so
much other either bad songs or non event ballads, because again I don't think
the ballads are particularly terrible on this. Murray can sell those songs, but
they're there. Again, am I going to listen to any ballad on this
album? Over there is only You absolutely not or like the Tarto can Hold
onto Your Heart. None of the ballads on here are kind of hold a
patch them, but they're not dreadful. It's weird that the album is like
mostly either kind of bland or bad, but it just has this one song
that I can kind of get it to go, like had some with this,
and it's that more of like there's the band I recognize in and amongst
all this other then wearing costumes that don't fit them. I mean, I
think I love to go back to that one, because to be honest,
listening to this, I don't know the sequencing is it's like three songs from
the end. You're not it's not going to stand out when it's tucked in
right at the back of the album, you've already worn down by the early
half fit this is an isolation where I've gone now that song's really good.
Like, I know you don't want to start an album being boring, but
being annoying is a very hard things come back from. And even like,
once you get past the first five seconds of Gimme, it's like the songs
just seems to go annoying, annoying, annoying, annoying, and then they
switch over to side B and we go boring, boring, boring, boring.
Yes, it's such an upsetting like just as a principle, it's just
like, so I'm I'm pissed off for the first fifteen minutes and then I'm
looking at the clock for the next fifteen And I don't know how long this
album would be when I listened to the singles, but the fact where the
songs were short made me think they might well the singles were short, maybe
think they'll just be like vignettes and then the album itself could be forty minutes
and really explore some other stuff. But the fact it's thirty minutes long and
there's so much stuff I found disagreeable about it. It's almost like the worst
of all possible worlds, because when the new songs, the songs I wasn't
familiar with, came into the mix, I had the crushing realization that I
didn't like them either. Yeah, I think there is when it goes into
the latter section of the record, there are a few songs where you're kind
of allowed to at least enjoy a memory of like the melodic strength that usually
comes with the Exerts. It's just laid into this more fucked up sound,
but like there is a little run of like lust in translation terrible title a
side Love Sick is like an okay olt pop size seeks it loves its On
the ones that really grates on me, then, yeah, I'm not going
to defend it. I'm just saying it was, you know, less aggressively
bad than the worst parts of the record. I think the chorus works better
for Murray to kind of sing in his usual range and summon up that kind
of emotionally inspiring edge that he has in him. And then I think of
the singles, Blaine is the closest to the ideal of what they are going
for. I still think again it's swapped out like the best of the vocal
melody for a synth hook to carry instead, which is in terms of how
exert songs are written and where the kind of impetus place feels like a poor
idea. I think there's that little bit is like the closest to what I
think the excerpts would imagine in terms of putting their usual sound through this new
prison to get something fresh for them. But because none of these songs have
any real organic lift the way their best stuff has, it's so muffled by
this awful gary production, bad songwriting choices, and everything equalized kind of swill
even again, like blame, maybe it is the best song on the record.
It was certainly ones that I highlight as being less terrible, but even
that is still a shadow of what this band can. There are points to
jump out on this record of like not being terrible, but are they great?
No? Are the terrible parts of this record terrible? Yeah? And
I think overall as a body of work, it just feels like an awful
move for them because it's something that you try and go, you know,
oh, this is this is ship and it doesn't suit our songs at all.
But at least we've tried it, and then we go back to what
feels real, except you know, again an awful traitor. This kind of
music they're leaning into is it's so bitty because the exerts. They don't as
a habit make long albums, right, But this feels in comparison like there's
nothing to get in your teeth too, Like the songs are sucking over before
they've done. They've got no replayability value. It's just unpleasant on the ears,
and it stunts the emotional edge of their music, which is the overall
appeal. So why come back to it? And I just like I don't
believe it will be their defining music like they might think it is right now,
having come off the excitement of making it. Bands always do, and
I respect that, but in time it won't be. No, I agree
with you on that. I think this will be brushed aside as them jumping
on a musical movement that just didn't suit them. Like, I've not seen
much in the way of reactions to this like positive, but I've seen a
few people like on the discords like that. But I got good of you
and Krang like I don't know, Yeah, TikTok ain't gonna care just because
he died your hair neeon, Like you're not immediately destruct like destined to break
into that sphere. Like I can't see this working in any meaningful way long
term, Like this is a swing because this far into doing it. I
guess for them it's, you know, why not make a swing for it,
But it's not complimentary to them one bit. And I can't see this
sticking around. I just don't think the TikTok idea is good for any band
because the likelihood of it panning out is almost none. And you're not only
competing with new bands, you think on six of your competing with stuff going
back to the sixties, like random songs become wildly popular on So the idea
that you can get into the algorithm and write songs for it is it's just
a fool zerrand because every thing this is it. And I think the problem
is made worse by the fact is their first record in what five and a
half years, like this was two years after hold Onto Your Heart a Little
Aside, and then by now we were talking about the next Exerts record.
This might be seen as a sort of goofy little interesting detour, but after
five and a half years, it can only be seen as a statement of
where you are now. There's no way of making I think this has come
with the back of a lot. Yeah, I'm short, like I'm sure
there's a lot of facts that I've gone into the delay, but it's still
something to consider. And I think waiting five and a half years for thirty
minutes where we've struggled to find a redeeming feature of it, that's that's an
alarmingly serious disappointment. Yeah, there maybe some salvation yet in the form of
Teenage Rest, who right at the beginning of this month released a new album,
Still Love, which is they follow up to the fantastic Earth is a
black Hole album, which is released at right at the start of twenty twenty
one, when the world was very in the grip of you know, COVID
lockdown. Still we've described this as being like a bit a bit of a
dirty nil fuck art situation where this band had released their best record and then
we're not able to meaningful yap support it. But Earth's black Hole, I
think is one of the examples of that time period of an album that you
know, just like we were saying about holding to the heart by the experts
once all the time. In a different time, with rock music in a
better position in the world pecking order, would have had so much more than
it got because the songwriting on it is very high standard late nineties, that
album would have been huge surely. Like what they're doing on it, it
was, it's so of that era, just doing it the best standard,
the kind of shoegazey emo with big pop hooks and melodies all over it.
I like it sounds that made me really like Teenage riss It was one of
my really half of my EAMI the yearlist that year. So yeah, I
think it's black Hole is such a good album. Yeah, I thought Teenage
Riss We was just kind of like okay back on their first album and then
like wasting time and that title track here, and like who would they really
come out swinging with that? It's just like, you know, big,
beautiful, timeless melodic rock songs that sound great on radio but critically are not
produced for radio. Like they're just honest and let the melody to do the
work for them. This album's like a good fifteen minutes longer than The Black
Card, which is going to concern me a little bit because you know,
someone who doesn't live here thirty five minutes or so, it was kind of
sweet spot for this kind of stuff. But Sunshine, I love the big,
like boisterousness in their guitar lines where it's just really like, you know,
big fucking smack on the snare as well like my own summer style.
There's a really good combination there of like big, pristine vocal melody for the
clarity and like a looping instrumental hook to support it. And I did these
three like alt rock albums that we've done all in a day for my notes
in the order that we've done them in, and Sunshine hit and I was
just, oh, thank god, this is immediately the best I've heard all
day. I mean, like just as an opener. It's funny that you
mentioned Are because in my notes here I compare it to doom Boy in the
sense that when that kicks in, there's just this feeling that washes over if
you're like, Okay, yeah, I'm happy to be here. This is
a good place. And I said that's or in chorus and just the production,
like you say, songwrise, that was sound good on the radio but
there's so much robustness to their take on shoegaze. Well, a lot of
the bands in this kind of sphere they end up with really tepid textures,
but there's a slight kind of I don't know if you'd say death tones or
maybe hum that kind of thing, smashing pumpkins, and it makes pretty laid
back sun Kiss songs sound like really invigorating and like you, I kind of
went through these three albums, not necessarily in this order. It was just
one of those things where it's like a cold drink or something in the middle
of some things which have had problems, we're just getting too A song like
that was like, I have no like critical assessment going on as I'm listening
to it. I'm just enjoying it for what it is. I mean,
I think, yeah, Sunshine has no open this album the I hit plan.
Are you agreeing with that riff? And I was like, oh,
yeah, here we go, Like I agree that that, that deaf tones
pads and the thing that's there, But it is that common, this really
huge, powerful rift giving way to those just such warm melodies that and when
you get the lift on the chorus, it's all the things I want from
this kind of strand of shoegaze emo sort of the modern bands doing it.
It just hits every every note I could possibly want, like the lot,
like the Precorse, they get a bit more like pace on it before get
a big lift. It's just it's so good. Yeah, I mean,
this sounds sounds really great. I think like it's a really high quality sounding
production job. Like it's not just ah, we'll set the mic ups down
in the middle of the room, like it sounds worked on, but it
actually compliments the songs in question, you know, shock Horror, you know,
like Still Love and Dark Sky. These songs properly feel like they're you
know, they're just like hitting those higher registers like scraping the fucking you know
that the sky as they're going. Even when he starts rapping in one of
those songs, like it sounds it's not him rapping, it's the guy from
one one of all like the nineties throwbacks you could possibly have on this record,
really I can. Again. I was on Spotify. There's like loads
of guests listed. I didn't even see that one on there, Like there's
a lot on here, but like you know, Still Love is a really
gorgeous song. And I can't stress how much as well, how I much
I appreciate this band. They do like the shimmering alt rock melody thing,
but they do so with a singer who like isn't afraid to lift his head
from his shoes, right, like he really lets the voice have some power,
just you know, sing from your chest. And a song like still
Love, which is slower or you know digitalself as well, benefits so much
from that. And it's good because a lot of this album is in that
kind of like day dreamy tempo, and it like you know, it lets
the melodies really stand out and not just turn to mush. And a lot
of these songs are you know, like like that and something Good and wax
Poet like All on a Run. They are very chilled out and and mid
paste. Those songs I mentioned from us as a black hole at the start,
they're like my favorite ones, the super upbeat bangers. This album barely
really goes to that territory fortunately, but like they do the kind of more
laid back thing in a way that still doesn't get lost in itself. I
think you can sort of define this as a bit more of a chilled out,
laid back, meditative record that sits in a similar realm to Earth as
a black Hole sort of tonally, but maybe I'll get to this later,
but the link slightly sours that in a sense. However, I love the
way Teenager is sound in that slower register. I think it really suits them,
and I think because their songs still have enough pep in them even at
a lower bpm like Digital Sel if you mentioned if that were played faster and
more of a Jerry Finn production job, that could be on something like Something
to Write Home About or a Bleed American in just in terms of pure songwriting
style and giving it that kind of languid, laid back quality, not only
does it make it a more interesting song in how it's sort of produced,
but it means that because it's got that more energized flare even at a lower
tempo, it doesn't it prevents this record from feeling like a slog I think,
yeah, no, I was just saying you you tapped on while I
don't. I love this quite as much as Earth as a black Hole because
it doesn't have those you all can like poppy like hit moment feet Yeah yeah,
but I do. This is This really sits in a in a vibe
I think, and I'm happy to just kind of let that wash over me.
That that run of songs in the middle from like Digital Self through to
Diorama, it's like Darama really goes into those dreamy elements. It's like that's
or loops, drum beat, the sort of isolated vocals. It's such a
serene moment on the record that I'm like, I don't mind if this is
maybe less kind of like explosive in the kind of the melodies as the last
album was. It's so warm and lush that I'm happy to see it.
I do like it does still have those moments of donuts like will you get
to like cold case and cigarette two steps ganging a bit darker almost, I
kind of dig that vibe where they they kind of explained that to Hertally almost
touched on the sort of the more eighties post punk stuff on some of the
guitar lines in the bass. It's a nice kind of moody name for them
to go down, which still mologically I think fits in exactly what they're doing.
Yeah, I could say like when when they bring in like a bit
more kind of sonic event in venture into that template, like there's that really
like lush Sacks part in sprawled, and then like on Cold Case, the
way the guitars created is really a kind of like contorted alien kind of whale
reminds me of like classic Muse a little bit. And then like yeah,
there's even almost like the grunge equivalent of a Gagira riff in cigarette two step,
like very you know good Realization's guitar solos across this, And when we're
talking about the guests as well, the most common effect is to have like
a kind of nice duet with someone on one of these like slow dreamy songs.
When I was looking down the list of names and the names who aren't
really in my usual sphere, I suddenly did a double take when I saw
Fear before the March of Flames. That's a very jarring shift and the rest
of it. And I wasn't if the song was going to go like all
Math Corps suddenly, but it does have that like you know, kind of
oddball kind of fuzz skip part in the bridge almost like there are like ways
they kind of mess with how the songs kind of you know progress and kind
of where they go that doesn't just feel like kind of a wrint to repeat
for everyone. Yeah, for sure. I mean that is for me one
of the reasons why this record works so well in a way that a lot
of the emo shoegaze bands kind of fall down on Earth as a black Hole
came out and people were recommending it to me, saying, Oh, it's
a great sort of emo shoegazing. I've tripped over about thirty of those records
like today like that a kind of a diamond dozen't. But the thing that
Teenage Wrist I think really well is, like you say, throwing in those
kind of flourishes of new ideas, playing with different textures, and it's just
been more fun to listen to than a lot of that stuff Like this is.
Like I said, it's a more laid back record overall, but there's
still that kind of pep and fizz that so many of their peers lack.
Like this record is almost like when I was listening to I was, I
feel like I'm playing Skate two late at night all alone. It's like a
late night sunshine record and just as something to pitch to someone that's so much
more interesting than just oh it's another sort of shoegaze pop pop rock, emo
alternative rock record. And yeah, and like you said, just a cigarette
two step being one of the best songs on it, humbug like loads of
smashing pumpkins in that song and something good like borders on the schmaltzy for me,
But it's at a point of the record where I'm enjoying it so much
that I'm willing to go along with it. And again it's I'm not necessarily
super forgiving about this style of music generally speaking, as so you mentioned that
kind of forbet to what was min Sumoth for the Age of the Awful we
talked about, you know, the amount of emo bands going shoe gays that
are just there's so many of them that and they lacked any kind of real
personality or anything to make the distinct. I think teenagers totally sidest where there
is still character to this. Even again, if this is a bit more
relaxed as an album, it's not faceless and kind of like this could be
any number of Title Fight doing their shoe gaye album or any of those bands.
Like I think there's a real distinct personality in the vocal melodies in the
riffing, and then the kind of and just the kind of felisters to everyone
and then just take a swing at something that is a bit out there,
especially when you get to like the more the last few tracks where they do
they really kind of sprawl out and try and be a little bit more experimental.
There's there's a fearless as I think scenageers. That means they're not just
like for a two piece, they are so willing to like trald and things
and clink having a nineties rap rock verse on there. Like the songs,
it's totally just like, yeah, well we'll try that and and then on
the next one we might you know, do something totally different. And that's
one of the things I do really like about them. Yeah, I think
it's a slower, lesser media one could maybe say, more monotonous album then
than the last one, but it's still of a high quality. You can
still pick them out of a lineup, and in terms of this kind of
music, it's still one of the better things out there this year, So
like Teenagers continue to be a real standout for this kind of alternative rock.
Skindred smile. In the end, Skindred did not get their number one album
that we were hoping for with this, condulesis to them. But we did
say when this came out a couple of weeks ago that it was suddenly felt
that there was a major uptick in the amount of eyes on Skindred and kind
of conversation around them. With a new album. They got their first ever
Karrang cover, which is sort of crazy for how long they have been like
a staple part of the UK scene, but it comes after half a decade
absence creatively, that is like unprecedented for Skindren. Like we're talking even longer
ago than Benji's in itsplicable lockdown covers album, which he was kind of singing
about Christmas in August. But Big Things in twenty eighteen is the last time
we had a Skindred album prior to which they things just be always around the
corner with one all the time in a time when Skindred music has been less
kind of omnipresent. How do you, I guess looking back on Skindred's records
prior to this, we're talking Skindred the in studio creative band, because an
awful lot of focus is but a Skindred outside of that. I mean,
I don't think there's a bad Skindred record. I think they kind of,
you know, the Skindred records. They'll come along, they'll be a couple
of really fun singles and the rest of it will be totally fine, and
then on to the next one, and I'm fine. I've always been fine
with that as kind of like Skindred's creative output. Yeah, I think it's
one of those things where, like you say, they're so overshadowed with how
they are as a live band, but I think it's hard to ignore the
studio output, even when you're compliments into a live band, because yes,
they play the same songs over and over again, but those songs are great.
I don't think it's just a matter of yeah, they're great live,
but naf on the record. Not that I'm defending them from that accusation here,
but I actually went back to a couple of their records in the run
up to this just to see what I thought, kind of going back to
because it's been a long time since I've revisited the catalog, and it's funny
that they don't get talked about as a great studio man, because they've got
like three or four really great albums, and that's something that like, ordinarily
for a band that would be considered more than enough because there's such a live
institution. I do think they get overlooked. Like Babylon and Roots Rock Ryot
in particular, a lot of people say, you'd include Union Black. I
would include Union Black in that. Yeah, that'd be the way, you
know, and I would too, And yes, the hits are the hits.
And I think because they tend to play the same set list most times
you see them, it's easy to forget what else there is on there.
But what else there is on those records is loads of great deep cuts.
So I think this thing of it's generally skin Dred. I just put a
record out, come out to it. I think they're better than that personally
speaking, that's fair. I also think, you know, Union Black is
the latest of the albums that we just mentioned there, right, and that's
that's twenty for me, is the one in the discography that really stands out
as having a particular replay value. You know, in terms of my time
who were listening to Skindred albums Asther be released, Truth be tell, I
never get a huge load of kind of airplay out with them. They're just
they're sort of mixed of like big polished bangers mixed with like quirky melodic songs.
Is it really destined to be my mix? And I think they historically
for the last several records having more of like crack out a couple of singles
for the live set band more than producing truly great albums in the last fifteen
years or so. I think Big Things from twenty eighteen was like an odd
album from them because it was like, you know, again, there was
a string of quick records after Union Black that delivered more than that like traditional
Skindred ideal and Big Things. You know, it does have a couple of
those singles on it, like you know, that's my jam, that's a
pure like only Skindred are gonna do that song thing title track the same,
But then again there was like some kind of odd like pivots going there in
terms of its kind of more like you know, planet rock the type feel
for them, as opposed to maybe where the attraditional idea, whether you think
Skindred coming from this album goes so hard out of the gates, I'd kind
of forgotten that Skindred were capable of that, like the weight of the riffing
and how much this record slaps you around your head when you put it on,
was like, fuck, I'd forgotten that. You know, our religion
is like furious by Skindred standards. Yeah, Like it's like genuine like that
down tune cool as it's so gutsy and Benji is like exploring all of the
most kind of like guttural harsh ends of his kind of rag of voice,
like really one off stuff, like the way they use those kind of reggae
inflections to make things kind of harsh and disarming with you know, the Dreader
than Dread Dread Dread, like it just it's catchy, but it's weird and
it's kind of inventive and it's like no one else does that and then give
me that boom is like the absolute no nonsense skin Dred banger, and that
is the equal about of you know, about anything they've done in that guy
is and you're getting the last however many years like that is like the skin
Dred ideal right there, you know, the skipping kind of pumping riff that
feels like you've got a massive boom box next to your head, like it's
not in eighty eight or something. The disco beats slamming it at. It's
hard to deny Skindred when they are on their absolute a game like that,
Like that's why they want so many people over the years. Yeah, totally,
I think. I mean, I think this album comes out the gates
really strong with some of them, Like I think our just gropen give me
that boom is it is as classical Skindred bangery as you want. For the
reason said, I mean, it's got like you've got like the whole turnaround
stupid like vocal hook for the pre foremast and then just just give me that
boom boom bo, like yeah, of course you're gonna want to hear that
and a field to tens of thousands of moshes that might as well be in
Newport Helicopter song, right, Yeah, it's so so like it feels timeless
already and just in terms of a Skindred song, And I think step Phases
has the same the same quality. Yeah, like they're so they're so good
at doing that sort of thing and it's gonna just like there and there isn't
anyone who's doing it like Skindred like, for as much as we all kind
of say, oh, you know, Skindred come up, they do the
same thing every time. I'm like, how many you know, big reggae
metal bands are, they're actually and there's still a one of a kind band
in that sort of way. Like obviously you could, if you want to
write down, you can say it's to kind of spin off from new metal
in a way. But I think it's seem to have such a unique sound
to them that I'm fine with them just doing the skinsid thing every time they
come along and just writing these massive bangers that I want to jump up and
down to. Yeah, I think like the thing listen, they come back
and they do the same thing every time. I think the real test for
that is that when they do deliver a song if you go, I want
that in the setlist that's classic, high quality insert band here, like ACDC,
the first one who have rock and roll tray. You're not going,
oh, you know, it's pretty good, You're like, yep, stick
down the setlist perfect exactly. And this record, especially on the follow up
of Big Things, which I thought was probably the most lacking collection of songs
of that caliber they've put out so far, and funnily enough, when it
was announced it was signed to Earache, my expectations went even low because I
thought, all right, they've gone to the home of rivals suns because they're
not going there to make a fucking grindcore record, you know what I mean.
So I kind of thought, oh, they're they're moving into they're moving
to Planet Rock, They're getting the next shuttle there, and then for the
record to come swinging out the traps the way it does, like give me
that boom set phases and then you're not a life that's free. I'm not
super heavy, but the drum and bass quality to it, like it's more
boom sound than it is download but still a super aggressive and loads of forward
motion. And it's something that i'd kind of I thought maybe was out of
Skindred's wheelhouse now and it's so refreshing to hear that after five years away.
I just think again, it's probably you know, in that opening run better
than anything they've done since well and they kill the power or something like we're
talking like the last decade of Skindred stuff. It's some of the very top
again like Unstoppable to Clowes really brings it back to that kind of level of
aggression as well. The thing I find hilarious and quite charming about this album
is how quickly after starting as like the heaviest Skindred stuff in years, this
turns as like a back garden, chill out barbecue record, Like as soon
as track four starts with Benji in his like cleaner register going big mountains,
like, it's such like a hard turn and there's still a banger right like
that's got that again, that kind of like the sort of semi breakbeat that
you're talking about going along, but it really doesn't take long for you to
be in the vibes that literally only Skindred of any bands we cover on this
podcast bring which is sunshine reggae music, And I think it's even more distinct
than that because like the softer stuff on this album, obviously the reggae influence
everything is very authentic, but it also feels specifically like reggae influence kind of
translated through the UK, because so many of the tracks on this are like
so unbelievably UK culture, like the garage beats in like State of the Union
ridiculous. The main hook in if I could feel like so of the world
of like nineties UK soul hits even with the bridge where Benji is just doing
the full rag I should, I would, I could, and like you
know, a whoop whoop that actually made me laugh, but like it's so
in that realm. The intro of Mama is like one of the most insane
Benji random aside, but like it goes so to that realm of like l
O v E smile please legitimately sounds like Lily Allen could have recorded it in
the mid two thousands, Like it is wild how nostalgic that beat is,
like the trumpet programs and ship. It's like you are not getting that translation
of that feel like that in any other part of the world. And it
is naff, but it makes me smile. I mean, I like the
skins and stuff like l OV disappointed love. That reminds me of stuff like
the skins and that kind of scar dub kind of like all that sort of
stuff, And I'm totally fun And you're right, it's so Allen, Lily
Allen person on LLOV You're like that is spot on and what it's something,
but there is a sincerity when skin Dred do it I'm like, like,
I'm fine that when when Benji, when Benji singing love is what people want,
loves what they need, Like yeah, like we'll just go of it
again. It's just really fun, uplifting, bright, catchy, cheesy.
Yeah, but I like no one else is again, no one else is
really doing it like it's just it's it's such a funny moment of that.
When this album started, we were smassing shit up and they're like addicted as
well. It has that like thumping percussion and trumpet loop where I was boardline
expecting Lady Sovereign to show up for a guest verse or something like. And
I've realized that when you say it's kind of a you know, it's a
shoot off of new metal and there about aren't band doing it or whatever.
I think Americans who are aware of Skindred, their reference points for a metal
band doing these sort of things are like Ill Nino or Pod, but the
places they come from are so distinct and so different. Like this appointed Love
is literally just goes down by the Specials. If you put a rock chorus
in it. Literally, yeah, I'm totally fine with that. As a
sequenced record. It's it's a funny because Skindred have done this kind of like
you say chilled out summer barbecue vibe before, but just front loading it like
that. It's like a car chase and then the finish line is a village
fate. It's suddenly it's all chilling like I mean, I'll be honest,
there are a couple of points like LV love Please and State of the Union.
I when you say, Lily Allen, I'm thinking close to something like
Rizzle Kicks, to be honest, like when there were a couple of moments
I was going it was slightly getting into advert, slightly into as the advert
territory here boys. But well it's the thing where my standards for Skindren maybe
you'd say they've slipped or something, but I don't have the standard of I
have to like every single song on the skin Dron record and they're not offensive
or annoying or distressing in anyway. It's just like, oh, I just
I'll just chill out for a bit. I don't I don't need to flip
a table every song. Yeah, I think I think this is the album
that has like in a long time. I think it best demonstrates and makes
clear what kind of spirit Skinder are actually trying to evoke with their music,
because when you're trying to get into the core of like what these guys you
know, are doing making this really unique music that we kind of take for
granted, it's a very authentic love of you know, culture and blurring lines.
And I find this album again, even when it does sound like an
ASDA advert, which it legitimately does at various points, I find it kind
of charming in its eclecticism, and like, you know, when they're not
on it, I can roll my eyes on a little bit. But I
think this is the best skin Dred happen quite a long time. Yeah,
I would agree. I mean it follows a similar patter to a lot of
Skindred albums, but I just think the songs are of a higher quality,
you know, I think in terms of song power. When I think of
songs I want to hear in this set, I'd say there's probably two on
the last record and some which I actively didn't want to hear in the set.
Yeah, in this case, there's someone really looking forward to seeing and
inevitably will see them at about a dozen festivals in the next three years.
But I'm looking forward to seeing them and the ones that I'm less keen on,
I'd be happy to see them too, because there's no songs on here
that I really don't like. And it has been a little while since I
say that about a Skindred record. Yeah, and you know that's not Mechel
who used to do our theme song, so you know, respect staying in
UK out all, We're going to move here to a band who have really
been making their name in the last couple of years and I releasing their sophomore
album here Earn and a Feast on Sorrow had some kind of good will going
to the start of their career because of the some of their pasts in some
quite well loved but underrated bands over here, like Hang the Bastard. But
then their debut I Am in twenty twenty one, SuPAR and Spirit became one
of the most spoken about heavy debuts of the current decade. How big were
you guys on sep and Spirit? And I guess what hopes did you have
going forward? Because that record got quite a bit of throthy reaction. Yeah,
I really liked it. I was We're all pretty positive when it was
I mean an alk on the on the review. We were all into it,
you know, just big riffy metal. I'm down for that, and
initially was kind of like I'd take more of that, you know, just
heavy, kind of just powerful, Masterlin influenced, Cageia influenced, kind of
UK metal, totally called that. I feel like a bit of an odd
doc when it comes to Earn because everyone I know and trust loves them and
I should love them based on what they are, and I've never quite got
it. Like the last album I thought was decent, I wasn't entirely grabbed
by it, and then I saw them a Damnation and I thought that was
good too, but it didn't blow me away. And with the serpent of
the Spirit, I found it to be quite a static record in that it
has big riffs and the performances were all dependably really good, but it kind
of lacked that white hot anything can Happen quality that I think Mastered On and
good Year are certainly are able to use to their advantage. Like it's an
odd compassive, but it's a similar issue I've had with a couple of TRIVIUMNS
records, where it's a flurry of riffs and there's nothing I could there's no
ways to poker hole in terms of something bad about it, but that sort
of white knuckle there in the moment element, which I think takes these sort
of things to the next level. They didn't quite have it on Serpent and
the Spirit, which might I don't know if there's something else, but for
me a band that I feel like I should love, i've not met them
there. Yeah, yeah, I mean I sort of see what you're getting
at. And I to an extent I agree, because I liked Serpent Spirit
and I think the best couple of songs when it really do hold up as
like quality pieces of metal. But I found the overall direction a little hard
to gauge because it was such a grab bag of like different types of song
and different kind of fields of metal that it really felt like an obvious debut
to me in the band, like trying to name check as many of their
influences as possible. I think the idea there were lots of moments of like,
oh this is exciting, Oh that's a cool risk all or whatever,
but it didn't necessarily add up into a greater hole for me. This record,
their second one. They went over and recorded it with Dirty Plantier speaking
of him, and I think this album is more unified, and whether that
is a result of the content of the album driving it in a kind of
particular direction emotionally, because there's a lot being said about this album's kind of
lyrical focus on themes around you know, dementia and kind of the slow lots
of loved ones and that kind of thing, and that very much hangs over
a lot of this record, or whether it is the result of like work
with someone as experienced and as excellent as songcraft within very heavy music as Joda
Plantier. But this album, I think it makes the move from some of
lots of different influences to earn really like planting a flag and saying, yeah,
this is us. Yeah, I think this is a much more focused
recording. It does in on that much more emotionally raw, intense, just
kind of blasts of powerful, crushing metal. But I think Joe's vocaltivity is
so raw on this where is that like it's not like a metal shouts grimm.
It's just him kind of barking and just wrenching his voice out as much
as you can to get as much emotion from it, and that gives it.
I think a more unified direction it's pulling in, and I think that
helps it a lot stand out. I think on this record, earn have
a lot more identity than they did the last time around, and I think
a massive part of that is Joe, because as much as there are clearly
a riff so trick band like the guys in there, they love her if
him and his vocal performance is comfortably the star of the show because his screeches,
they just bring this like uneasiness that make an already by their second record,
a much more exciting band to listen to than I think they were the
first time around. And I still have some issues with the static quality of
the performances, but having Joe, at least in his vocal performance, be
willing to go to those white knuckle extremes, it massively ups the sort of
dynamic range of the band, and I think that's something that they were lacking
the first time, so I'm really pleased for them to have made that change
this time around. Yeah, and I do think in just the musical front
as well, it's still difficult to put in a box like the Natural Thought
is kind of progressive heavy bands that we have in the UK like Conjurer or
you know Tuscar, but Erne is so much more traditionally metal than that,
right, with like a really heavy emphasis on like thrash ripping and heavy metal
melods. And it's something that I think with a more coherent direction of the
album, I can appreciate about them even more on this record than I did
the last one, because there is there is this band that feels like so
classic yet so contemporary. It feels like something they won't age very much,
like when a lot of what is popular at the moment will and the flood
came rushing in. I find to be such a dramatic opener, like from
that opening, you know, where do their memories go? Which you know,
with the backdrop of the themes of the kind of again the loss of
loved ones and everything if it's like a very loaded kind of question that they
bring back at the end of the record as well. But like this brilliant
wall of thrash metal guitars comes in at that point and again like I saw
this band at Bloodstock the weekend this album came out, and like that riff
and that tempo really hits that spot live and I think the way they take
these thrash riffs but make these like quite labyrinth fine songs out of them.
Weirdly, I was reminded about like some quite obscure thrash records from kind of
the back end of its original era, like the later Dark Angel records,
where they do like these really odd long structures or like Coroner for that kind
of like technicality, And it's cool hearing the spirit of that, like ambitious
for their time underground metal records channel through the lens of like you know,
they're kind of post mastered on and Gajira World. Yeah. I think one
of the things I struggle with The Serpent and the Spirit was that there were
loads of ideas in each song, but it was kind of hard to pick
out the songs individually because of that, each song felt like it had to
have everything in it. And one thing that I think they've improved on this
time, and I think you touch on it when you make that Dark Angel
comparison, is they're able to go this is the song that does this job,
this is the song that does this and just as an emotional journey injecting
them with each song certainly has its flourishes which deviate from the predictable pattern.
You expect a song that's meant to you, This one's meant to make you
sad, this one's meant to be really heavy, or what have you.
They certainly veer off the path, but I think it makes a lot more
of an engaging listen. And like you say, the reference is not being
so direct as just oh, here's a Metallica riff. It's like, oh,
you actually have to see how where this may have come from. That
alone means I'm sort of less distracted by what's going on and I'm actually sort
of there in the moment with it. Yeah, when they take that to
a really kind of creeping almost like cool of Catulu plays on to Die Twice
does raise the cares of it. I think the guitarists, like considering they
are a three piece, all three members, deserve a great deal of praise
for their musicality, particularly on the guitar play in front. There's a lot
weer just like that's that's legit, like super hard riffing, but just as
much like beautiful lead guitar playing that pairs that quite well with an next bandman
reviewing, but also like you know, kind of seamlessly linked in together and
something like the closing track, and then you have again. Joe's vocals on
this album are like a lot more twisted and tortured than I remember them being,
and you know, the flood came rushing again goes these really like frenzied
howling places, like he's clawing at his face, and then he's really pushing
himself to these really kind of twisted, demonic gut roles in a stumble of
words, and the title track which also has this kind of really dejected like
chorus, and I think he really elevates this from like a quite tasteful,
delicately put together a kind of progressive thrash metal record to a real purging of
sorts, because I think you hear a lot about records with like real emotion
coming out of metal, particularly more modern kind of immaculately produced end, and
I just don't think that comes out in the performances and the recording. But
on this it has that like key element, and I think it can where
it can be a very well put together record that isn't off putting for most
people to come in, you know, in terms of it's like you know,
a particularly ugliness or like a twisted, uncomfortable state of mind or anything.
But it really is recognizably human and it has at least some sounds in
there that are clearly, you know, an evocation coming back at you of
like a great level of kind of distress and torment. I mean, here
is the thing I really love about this record. I realized school. But
you know, long drawn out metal album with two eleven minute songs can be
for me sometimes a little bit hard work. But when I've got his kind
of vocalformance and character and emotional journey to kind of grasp Onto combined with like
you know, stumble of Words being this like massive amit track, you still
get these like crushing, hardening four force or stomping riffs. Well I'm gonna
get like, oh yeah, quite, you know, that's a real headbang
moment. But when he's allowed to emotionally break through it and you get that
grief from him, it's why I can grasp Onto and be carried through these
really drawn out, longer songs. Yeah, I thought a stumble the Words
was great. I thought it kind of it picks up that kind of just
focus, kind of flowing energy that I think the title track on Serpent Spirit
has where it has these really stirring cord at the start and then locks into
that crunch, but it puts in so many great little like graceful guitar likes
and they're over the top. Yeah, I think it's an amazing song.
I totally agree, But it's just saying like I could have struggled with an
eleven minute songs sometimes, but it doesn't feel like that to me at all
much. I think the weakest Earn stuff could be a bit riff salad,
but there are songs here that are like, you know, upwards of a
leve minutes long, but they feel like consistent flowing ideas where like you know,
one kind of you know makes sense and flows into the next, and
they can still lock into a crunch really fucking well. Like Becoming the Emotion
is a super immediate track with its kind of triviam me riffs. There's that
on the first record. There's that Palace of Devils and Wolves track. It's
just like a really mean, catchy riff, and the Burden here with some
of that kind of bit more nastiness hits that as well, but it's not
just that, and it ends on this place of like really stirring, you
know, blasting kind of emotional emotional yearning with that, you know that kind
of it. There must be more life, more to life than this kind
of whole part. I think the ceiling of the quality of the very best
stuff on this next to the very best stuff on the debut is quite similar.
But I feel like I know what Earn are more after this album than
I did the first one. Like the first one, I had all these
ideas, but it felt like it could have almost have been anything, you
know, like, are you an epic metal band? Are you like a
hang the Bastard party riff thing? And now I'm like, oh, I
understand what you are. Now, I understand what direction you're trying to go
for, I understand what emotions you're trying to evoke with this music. And
that makes me a bit more excited than I was last time out to see
that continue to progress. Yeah. I mean, like I say, I
have a sort of similar view on this. Where the last record I thought
i'd real promise, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it in practice. This record,
I think there are substantial improvements in that. I think Joe, like
you said about the emotional purging quality. I think he's doing almost all the
heavy lifting in that respect, because for me, I still want them to
throw the reins off and just go for it a little bit more like the
Burden. I kind of wish I had more of a natural speed up and
slow down quality that being a perfect four four. I don't know that it
just isn't sitting right with me. I can see the argument about the kind
of the music and the recording maybe feeling a little contained. Yeah, yeah,
that's the sort of I think in terms of composition. I think there's
a lot more direction this time around. Yeah, and that's something that is,
like you say, easier to get excited about and engaged in rather than
just I don't know if I want to get emotionally invested just yet, because
the next riff might just sound like Finn Lizzy. I'll be power sliding in
a second. What I was about that, I mean, that's one of
the things that helped them kind of really take off. Though in sort the
UK out of the scene where it's it still has the moments where people who
just want a head bang can get that satisfaction from it as well, So
I think there is a consent that they don't want to ever go to like
challenging and two kind of like emotionally draining because they don't want to alienate people
too much. And I think so having you know everyone and then just putting
and go, okay, here's just a proper shit kicking head bang a riff
just kind of grounds it a little bit every now on them or the prospects
that I'm never going to poop poo, the prospects of a crunch riff,
like do not do not read this wrong, But for me, I wish
it's sort of kicked a little bit harder in those moments, if that makes
sense, maybe just to sort of make it slightly more dynamic. I don't
know. And it's funny to me. This is interest by produced by Joe
Joe the Plantier. We're not that good friends, like because I really like
what you's done in the last couple of GAJA records, and those are quite
static sounding records. They haven't got quite as much push and pull and explosive
quality as the records they as the rest they did before. By think,
in those contexts it really works, and I think earn to sort of have
them in that sort of static controlled zone in the early years of their career.
I think they can kind of inverse that. I think once they find
out what sort of band they're going to be and like really holding on that,
then you can start you know, tightening it up, focusing the attack,
whereas as it is now, if you want to be a sort of
free for all, I kind of want it to sound like that. But
overall, I think this is a market improvement on the last record. I
definitely prefer it to Serpent and Spirit. Yeah. I think it's it's more
focused musically than the prior record was, and I think it's very well put
together. It's g reentally, I feel what you're saying, and that it
never feels if you remove the vocal element, it never feels like a truly
unhinged record, right or like it's a very well composed, dramatic, sort
of progressive thrash record, if you want to call it that. And then
I think the vocal element adds the element of like the really torn up part
of what's going on, and I think that makes it a like it's you
know, a involving listening without necessarily being like an overwhelming one, you know.
Yeah, with it and I think that's the sweet spot. They're kind
of hitting on it, so I think it's a good record. And and
following that, as I alluded to, is for my money, one of
the leading bands of recent years when it comes to the standard of like melodic
heavy metal playing and melodicism. I know, over the course of their last
two albums particularly, a lot of people have really gone to bat to champion
this band, but there's still plenty of folks who weren't heard them, so
you know, listen up. They're called Spirit Adrift. The record is called
Ghost at the Gallows that they have released this month. And this band,
they started off as like more of a doom thing, like when I first
kind of got wind of them. You know, they're kind of another promising
act coming out of that kind of like post Paul Bearer and Elder kind of
boom in that kind of thing. But they've really found their calling by more
things too, more like an all out kind of heavy metal act, making
that turn majorly on twenty nineteen is divided by darkness and then for me sort
of crystallizing into its like most well rounded form on a twenty twenties and lighted
in Eternity. I fucking loved that record in particular. Elliott, you mentioned
Thin Lizzy on the show more than I do, so you must love Spirit
of Drift two. Right. Oh yeah, Well, all the albums are
great, but pasily since Cursor Conception, which is what Storm one, that
post metal doom thing, But the last two in particular in particular are just
in that sort of news school of like new school of old school heavy metal.
Yeah, they might be the number one progenesis of it going because like
Divided by Darkness into Enlightened by Eternity just as a one two. The sound
of like doom inflected heavy metal is just so sumptuous, and they might be
my favorite of that entire bunch. And they've they've been released quite a lot
of material the last few years, and it's just a sound that I'd never
get bored of. And their songs are so full of life and energy and
drama when necessary. They're just they're the best. Yeah, I'm saying that,
like those those two records was like two just fucking sensation or heavy metal
records inside like eighteen months or something. And then you've mentioned what they've done
since, which is more like they've put out a bunch of extra things with
like three years since the album. There's like EPs and covers album last year
to get like I get insight to what kind of things are going on inside
their heads. And then so I was very pleased to get like, you
know, proper full length follow up to for me, what was what was
their best album to date? And like this this sounds so cheesy, but
I feel like Spirit of Drift or a band who playing heavy metal and like
classic rock music, it feels like just a very necessary spiritual thing for them,
Like it's I think they just have to do right, Like there's there's
no sense of like playing up for the camera or winking or anything. It's
just like so unrelentingly sincere and really just like something they are putting their souls
into. And I think innately for me, it just makes these their songs
feel like they're kind of putting their arms around me and lifting me up because
I love for me Spirited Drift like they balance that like sword swinging, kick
house feeling that I love and a lot of heavy metal traditionalism stuff that we've
had in recent years with like Visigoth and summer Lands and stuff like that with
this really like yearning looking out into the heaven sort of emotion. And I
think this album is a very good example of particularly that kind of balance,
because like give Her to the River is a perfect example where the clean in
trouble, those chords, it just makes me feel warm inside, like I
don't know what to tell you, Like there's just such a richness to that
tone that makes those chords and that guitar playing feel so like comforting somehow,
and then when it picks up speed into the galloping riff, it's still just
like so feel good, and like the vocal line and the guitar melodies intersects
and it's like genuinely, genuinely beautiful. Sam, did you get on with
Spirit Drift? So I listened to it was that they're twenty seventeen and when
that came out, and I wasn't crazy into at the time, so when
they were more of like a doom band at that point in time yet,
so I kind of just didn't bother with any of the other one since then,
Oh I'm missed out so fucking much. This album fucking raw, Yeah,
good lord, hit play and the moment that like I was like,
oh cool, we can like do me heavy metal things, and when that
galloping riff kicks in on given to it, I was like, the fist
is pumping, like sometimes you just when you get that sort of classic tread
metal thing with such a sense of drama to it, whatever, going like
to pomper sincilly and it's just like totally righteous. The previous album articulate,
but like when you get like in the Fire we transform kind of hooks on
on that song and like again it's a seven minute song, flies by,
Yeah, that happened with that opens bomb Burner. I was like, god
fuck damn, I'm so in on everything about this. It's got that like
almost like slightly kind of Western cowboy kind of like fuel twitter points as well,
which I'm always gonna go with. I think this is incredible. I'm
very glad you've had like this kind of epiphany with them, because it's it's
I didn't like an early records. I just kind of like, I don't
know if I be bob because I didn't realize they'd made the transformations and they're
like, oh man, so cool. Yeah, Like like Barnburner is one
of the most simplistic songs that like the tapping lead at the start in a
good way. It feels like about fifty songs you've heard before, like it's
so close to being like a wasted years or something, but it sounds good
to the ear. And then it just struts its stuff for four minutes,
just like a big fucking riff and like a big feel good corus hook with
the go ahead and like your tooch just remember you'll be the next to burn,
like fucking yeah. And then there's like that big low end of Metallica
riff after that. That's like if you're disappointed by like i know, the
flabby song length on seventy two Seasons or whatever, like have a blast of
this and it'll do it. And that's again that kind of the more like
you know, just sort of like you say, righteous end it. Nate
has just such a great flare with that these kind of classic licks. So
many parts were a song like a riff will transition into another one and it
would just make you instinctively pull a face like yeah, that's the one,
or you know, kind of lift you in some way, like the harmony
leaves section and give it to the river is when they really get that feel
right, that kind of stirring melodic yearning. They really do it so well.
I Shall Return is another one for me that like that lovely like guitar
accentuation in the chorus. It's like it stirs my soul, you know,
I Shall Return. It's like you've heard Crazy Train. You like Crazy Train
that riff. I was like, I've got, yeah, proper aussy vibes
on that one from I Shall Return, But it is so rocking in it,
and they just have this like magical quality to balance like badass and kind
of like slightly i want to say nerdy, but like that sort of fantasy
element, and the way they straddle the line of those two things is just
so cool. You mentioned Barnburner that's almost got a medieval jaunt to it,
but it kicks like British steel Erara Priest, and they're like Hangman's Revenge.
The sort of motorhead engine on that song, Like it's like that scene in
Brave Heart but everyone's riding a chopper. It's just like it's just like Chef
gets as a combination of things, just being able to balance those two things
at once, And you're saying it never feels remotely hokey. With Spirit Drift.
There's no win quink nudge nudge, like if I stick my tongue out
and throw the horns. It's just sincerely performed, expertly realized heavy metal of
the highest order. And I don't even think this record is as good as
the last two. I think it's really great, but I would say it's
a step down from those. I mean, if you're staying out, I'm
going to love those last two records. I think Divided by Darkness when they
really lent into like the ausy stuff maybe similar to this in Latin Attorney is
still comfortably my favorite one. But like again, it's kind of a trilogy
now of these sort of more like curs Conception. But that was when they
started doing like kind of Metallica epic and stuff like that. It was like,
okay, it was like they were still kind of doom band, but
they were doing like these fatal black type songs. It was like, whoa,
there's something here. And then they just went full on. You know,
you mentioned the kind of the combination of like you know, really like
fucking just full on hell yeah, but also a bit fantasy laden and how
it doesn't like one of the bands that I think to do that for me
is High on Fire and like Hangman's Revenge you said, Motorhead. For me,
that's like that that double bassed rumble High on Fire thing, but with
you know, like high or virus, so fucking like garbled and like a
monster nashing at your face, whereas this has that really melodic kind of you
know, tastefulness with it. And I think there's a really great a kind
of American feel for their music as well, which is like, I know,
like a lot of their reference points are like, you know, Ozzie
and Sabbath, but I think on this one you can really feel that kind
of Americana backdrop to the that they make as well. The environment they're making
is it's epic heavy metal made by people who have been surrounded from an early
age by you know, like skinnered and you know American. That's why I
kind of dropped that the sort of the Western cowboys, yeah, like influence
that you can really feel that, and I think that's so that makes it
sound cooler to me, is that I'm always going to be a bit like,
oh yeah, probabit from Erican on something. Yeah, sure you're gonna
say that it's probably where they It's probably where they got that big fat sense
of groove from as well, for things like death Won't Stop Me, which
you know how you're going to turn that down, and that puts just kind
of like this, you know, really big drive and purpose onto this like
constantly just you know, forward march, innately satisfying, big riff, and
I think again, like in Night in Eternity, I think remains the one
that has like invigorated me the most and had the songs I've not been able
to get out of my head, but this one is very, very pleasing
to like sit in and go yeah, like heavy metal makes me feel good.
I feel like there's more moments of real mournfulness on this record, like
These Two Hands that almost is, as you say, into the likes of
things like Paul Bearer, Like the solo at the end is euphoric, but
most of the songs are build up to that, and it's kind of like
bitter sweet and super weighty. And then the title track like it's kind of
a song of two parts and the first it's just this slamming dirge, the
likes of which I don't think they've done to this extent. For quite a
while, but then when that opens up, the Americana thing you mentioned is
put because it's like a space Western Orion style ballet of stars, and it
ends the record on such a level of grandeur that you forget the earlier you're
set in your office chair pretending to rev your engine to Hangman's revenge. It's
like the journey. It takes you to have both things, and yet you
never feel like, Okay, I'm on a journey in the way that you
know blind Guardian will slap you around the face that this is meant to be
some kind of choose your own adventure story. I think that is really immersive
in that way without being I don't know if it's like is it a concept
album? Is that kind of thing like that? But I found its kind
of album though, No, But I found it was like there's a world
I can kind of like feel like I'm a part of on this record.
Yeah. So again, like the covers am they released last year, Sam,
just to give you an idea of like what kind of stuff they done.
They had a cover of Everything Dies by Type of Negative, Hollow by
Pantera, Escaped by Metallica, Waiting for an Alibi, by Thin Lizzy,
Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings, Bazy Easy Top, like a really fucking cool
selection of stuff. And I think you know this and album like this is
kind of what you get when you you know, when that's a pall of
influences, when that is a pall of influences. So yeah, spirit Adrift
goes to the Gallows thoroughly recommended. And the last bit of the show,
we are going to switch into death metal for a while. But you know,
stay tuned if you love beautiful, exciting, passionate guitar playing, because
Horrendous back with ontological mysterium. Horrendous have been one of the more celebrated bands
within the underground for like progressive and technical death metal, like you know,
intellectually minded but not lacking on the primal either. They are one of the
major bands, perhaps not as synonymous as Blooding Cantation for example, but when
we just did that Blooding Cantation album club and we were talking about kind of
in the mid twenty tens, like death metal as a more progressive kind of
guy's kind of gained a big influx of bands making that kind of newly interesting.
Like Horrendous are like one of the first names that you mentioned there,
and the evolution that Horrendous have gone on from their first record through to their
late ones. I think he is one of those really exciting stories of that,
you know, decade of heavy extreme music. Elliott I would have imagined
that you would have been checked into Horrendous on that journey as well. Right,
Oh, yeah, I've always really liked them. They were they were
never quite in the sort of este of modern death metal. So, like
they said, Blood Incantation and piss Grave for me, are like the maybe
the two stand up bands of the last decade. But if you're putting things
like Artificial Brain and maybe the b TI, I would put Horrendous alongside two
Mold and the like In the eight It like the way they've become increasingly eccentric
and bizarre, but still having that kind of Swedish death metal quality to it,
like a bit of that's gore gut style technicality and a lot more melody
than their peers were doing a hefty amount of the boodly doodly base, which
I will never be turning down. But it's funny for me, like as
much as I like this band, them being kind of going away for five
years, and when they normally have quite small gaps between the records, I
kind of largely forgotten what a great band they are. Well, I think
we're like a slightly different point with them, I guess because I remember,
like around the time the Esthesis and Anirator albums in kind of twenty fourteen twenty
fifteen, that was one of the really like turned up and blew some minds
with like this big impressive sound that they gained for themselves. We're now five
years from the previous album Idol, which I did bring on to TNN at
that at the time, but that is the longest gap in their material,
and I think there's a period there, I guess of like you know,
really quick rapid evolution from Horrendous from albums one through four, like a period
of like five years or so. That's the kind of like quick gestation periods
comparable to you know, some of the classic metal bands that they're influenced by,
how they used to kind of change and evolve quickly. Album one album.
Now we've had that put on pause for a little while, and we're
at a state of kind of a new era of like you know, how
much further can you Ben? Can you take that? And I think it's
fair to say that Horrendous they've definitely found a niche, but I think Ontological
Mysterium represents how they can make that, like continually refreshing this album with thirty
seven minutes long, which is their shortest to date. Yeah. I also
think it's actually their most progressive album to date, and it has this energy
of like going really off road and ambitious, but while absolutely zipping through it
with this like wild pace that makes it like a whirlwind of an album.
And Sam, I know that, you know you're not always one for the
long prog album, but when fused something that has that kind of like that
excitability to it. And you know, some of their obvious progenities are some
of your favorite bands in the genre. Like how do you find Horrendous?
Is this new for you? Yeah, I'd never listened to them. I
realize i'd seen one of their album artworks, the ex Thesis What have you
pronounced? That? Like? I recognized album. Mart I was like,
oh fu, that's them cool and one of my favorite covers of the last
like ten years or so. Like, never really listened to them. This
is a mental album, Like how many kind of different strands of extreme metal
and just metal in general. It kind of ties together but does so you're
right in thirty seven minutes. Is it's like, because I said that that's
called yep Stephano. But there's heavy metal, black metal, like prog.
There's like little bits of grinding there and stuff like that. It's really eclectic
but fun rides to go on, like I'm still going to figure out parts
of it. But you're right. The sort of latter death is where I
kind of go, yeah, you know why I like those albums. That's
why I can kind of grab one to and kind of go yep. Or
there's you know, sound of perseverance stuff Didney Bassis you still however you put
it, but based on his mental but I'm I'm quite I'm quite growing quite
fond of like mental bass sounds in death metal albums. It's kind of just
those like quirks of the genre, like you didn't get that anywhere else quite
like it. You know, Yeah, at some point we'll get you back
on an Obscura album and you go, ah, yeah, that's a that's
what I was missing last time. The thing with this is, like,
you know, it's not like it is kind of a mental album. I
can't disagree with that, but it's not like a it's not impenetrable, it's
not the way it is. But also I was not gonna I was gonna
say it's not like wacky, like it's not like a circus album like in
the way, yeah, some things where like where I didn't like, you
know, when we've done like Between the Buried and Me, and I've always
complaining about like the more. Yeah, and it's not even though the way
I fucking love and the way you can't stand the way like Imperial Triumphant like
throw you around in a way, it's not completely jarring and yeah, and
it has like loads of like mad different instruments or whatever drawn in. This
is generally just sort of like well like four piece band stuff. But I
think you can hear in like the sheer musicality of the playing and the arrangements
on this, that these are guys with like an incredibly keen knowledge and passion
for like really classic timeless forms of progressive rock music, right like Rush,
Iron Maiden, King Crimson, and they are applying that to like an extreme
metal sound, and like the intro track the Blaze starts feeling like it's kind
of almost like atmospheric doom thing, but then in the second minute it the
guitars are going full Iron Maiden. Yeah. It's so much heavy metal on
this Yeah, and like the sequence sending album does things like that, will
get a trap like aurorro Neotekera, which is like just a full like a
little like jazz track. Yeah, and it really like lose free form kind
of Yea. It reminds me of like the kind of Alan Holdsworth stuff that
you hear on like Cynic or My Sugar albums or whatever, and it just
takes one song through to the other and you've got like a mad like robot
voice instrumental exogenesis, and it gives us impression of like the album constantly moving.
You're really in it for a fluid thirty seven minutes. And when you
apply that same principle to like the fuller songs, it unlocks them really just
like exciting metal tracks to listen to. I should say I fucking love this
record. Nice, It's yeah, it's great. It's so weird to be
pleasantly surprised by a band that you've loved their material before. But I think
it is just that five years away, it's sort of then becoming I want
to say, part of the furniture, but not being like my go to
death metal band over the last ten years, and then putting this on and
just going I have been a fucking full Like how have I not been putting
these guys in the same camp, Because, like you say, the Blaze
as always to open it like really fun and exciting, and for a record
that's gonna have so many twists and turns, it's really cools. Open it
with something genuinely anthemic and like tension escalating, and then for that to go
into cry a soppia. The archaeology of Dawn God Knows, like there's a
labyrinthine masterpiece that draws on everything from like Morbid Angel to like Strata Various in
its guitar leads, Steve Harris blubbering bass all over it and like a super
kinetic drum performance and all that, and you just get this most like the
most inhuman vocal performance, like the way that snarls and bellows. It's almost
like Glenn Benton doing baby talk in points. It's just like this record for
thirty seven minutes is if even if you don't like death mel it's just so
much fun to listen to, and if you do, it's just so refreshing
hearing new things the whole way through. Yeah, like that that christ A
Pier track has its like brilliant detec like Abandoned where it's you know, you
mentioned all those things. It's like voivod grappling with some kind of like melodic
classic heavy metal band being played by you know, death metal players. And
it's the longest track on the record at seven minutes. It's also one of
the most breakneck fast ones on the record, and it's such a fun move
to go, Okay, we're gonna go long form and we're gonna take you
places, but we're gonna just fucking drag you along there and give you a
thrill as it's happening. And like I've always liked how horrendous, How horrendous
do Noodly, But it doesn't actually feel like kind of overly you know,
potent us or kind of self serious or anything. It's like you can feel
the excitement of people who are generally having fun playing. Yeah, I mean
I enjoyed that they're just like Joe And like I say, just thrashing riffs,
and the solos aren't kind of like it doesn't feel like, you know,
oh wanky looking at me playing all the notes. There's purpose and direction
to the solos, just kind of spelling things. Forwards, you get I
feel like there's like two minutes in with the clean vocal bit on christ so
poever like weird kind of proggy melody in the guitars, but then you just
get like a big riff that follows. It's it's like that's one I think
it's awesome for like seven minutes and how much ground it covers, like really
think it's great. Yeah, And then the second half of that first song
as it's like amazing, almost like sort of rush like build everything back up.
It's got these beautiful, you know, dynamics and volume and tempo league
guitars, those clean vocals you mentioned, which they really mucked with this time,
Like there's that been in Pretorian Hymn. There's this big climax, there's
almost like kind of like chanted like trance like part. But there the vocal
that you were mentioning, Elliott. Their vocal has always had this real like
strangled horse like high pitched death metal yell, and there are points on this
where it's like the most twisted it's ever been, while also pushing the most
of the four it's ever been. And the mid section of Christ appear when
you get that when I reach out for you, when I stretch my arms
like all on its own, that's the most horrendous of relied on, like
a big vocal moment to my memory. And it happens again in the Cult
of Shadoah, which the main riff of couple Shardoah literally sounds like a hardcore
fucking bounce part, doesn't it, Like that means stomp on it. I
was like, if you swap out the tone of that for a drain tone
or something like, it's uncanny all of a sudden you just want to jump
on someone's head? Is that a crossover kind of frast hardcore? It basically
has a mosh call at the end when it goes keep on going in and
it's like it's like a full like slithery places my favorite someone on the record.
Yeah, sure, but like it's like it's like a prog death meets
beat down fucking and it's just as satisfying as like any more basic band that
you might have heard this year, but it's has so much more ideas going
on, and so much more that it's bouncing around along with I think it's
one of my favorite things about it is that you can look at it on
just a sort of primitive level and it's so inherently satisfying, but it also
has that kind of dizzy space age wildness that keeps it refreshing on repeat.
Listen. It's like Neo Leviathan kicks off like pure motor Head. It's mad
and the riff on that the riff on is like a mix between Venom and
Cynic and like one of those bands was like incredible musicianship, the other they
could not play them, They couldn't so much as tune them. And yet
they've found a middle ground between those two things that feels natural. And then
Perritician prayer, Tishan him whatever. The hymn song, it's like it's like
ghost Bath cross with Voivode played slowly. It's such a weird combination. But
then when those gang vocals coming at the end, this weird, clumsy,
slightly aimless song just sounds monolithic. Yeah, I don't know how they do
it. Neil Leviathan has just got such a gonzo physicality to it, like
the way the bassline is like tapping around all over under that riff that you
mentioned. It's and they have a really pleasing extreme metal tone where like the
production is just spot on. There's always with the horrendous. They have some
of the best like tones in the business right now, and it's it's quite
a high tone for death mattal where it really allows owls, like again that
there's a real clarity to it. It's you know, it's like it's a
sound that almost like it exists in extreme metal and almost what could be like
seventies classic rock simultaneously. Like for as harsh as they can be, there's
just a really clear, detectable melodicism through all of it. All of their
big riffs that hit you first thing, Like again, the title track just
fucking rocks as well. Yeah, what a fucking rock star tune track is
rocking loads of riffs like a song called Ontological Mysterium like that is just tranquilizing
as a concept, but you just feel like smashing up that canteena in Star
Wars and then it gets to that melodic middle melodic middle section and suddenly it's
like Panza faust Era Dark Throne if they had more than eight quid to spend
on recording it, and then back to pommeling you again. It's just fucking
it's it's baffling again. They had that really quick evolution over their first handful
of records where they became this very progressive, dethmical band, and I found
it very encouraging how they were a band who, like I, I liked
them a great deal and I really liked what they do. But this record
has surprised me, not necessarily in terms of quality, because I've always thought
they were fucking great, right, but it has sounds in it, and
it has it has basically it's evidence that there's still more to come, right
Like, it's not just they've landed on a thing and that's then now,
it's like there's still new ideas to be you know, thrown around and blue
together and you know, like I said, it's it's their most excitable record
while being on their kind of widest, the spooky nonsense on eggs eggs and
assists like yeah listen, like sometimes I got and that's somethings like genuine almost
like Scooby Doo spooky and some of the tones and stuff with the spoken word,
but like it's it's fun just having these kind of like little offshoot where
they go into something different like that. The Scooby Doo is a great comparison,
and it even extends the vocals because he has these super characterful growls.
But that's when they go up at the end like they're asking questions, because
that's why it kind of got me the comprising there it is. But imagine
you know about being goofy and silly. Yeah, he doesn't sound like a
valley girl or anything. It's just like it's just perfectly like mental, appropriately
mental for the song they've written. I this is I don't know if it's
a spoiler for the end of the Year list or anything, but I've not
been this addicted to a new extreme metal record since maybe the Ash Inspire record
last year when that came into my life and it was I was listening to
it two or three times a day for weeks, like for completely different reasons.
But putting this on, it's just it's a deathmotal record that's like it
tickles the brain. Yeah, it's it's unbelievably dexterous progressive extreme metal music.
But it sounds like the people playing it are just authentically right there together as
a band, having an unbelievable amount of fun playing it, and you know,
it's it's tasteful and excitable and equal measure, which is a really intricate
sort of balancing out, like you know, if Cynic really just cut loose
and let the wind in their hair, like it's a it's a really fun
time and I recommend you'll check it out. The band are called Horrendous and
the last album we are coming back to the UK for Celestial Sanctuary and their
beautifully death metal titled album Insatiable. First for Torment. This is the second
album from a band who we mentioned a fair bit in terms of just sort
of like existing in the metal scene in the UK, Like, if you've
been to a death metal show here, you've probably crossed paths with Celestial Sanctuary
at some point, because they have been hard at work in the last couple
of years doing that circuit and getting their name out to as many audiences as
possible. Sam, you and I have both seen this band like this year
alone at different shows twice, like twice, Yeah, sure, And this
is out on I guess quickly before we go into that, like, what
were your impressions of like just seeing Celestial Sanctuary and being exposed to them.
I think they are a band who sincerely love death metal and just kind of
having fun playing it and being as death metal as possible. Yeah, and
this is out on Church Road Records, and they have been very keen.
When you say that, they're very authentic and very sort of like no nonsense
about it. It's like they have been very much flying this flag for a
new wave of British death metal, which I confess I've always found quite goofy
and eyrolly, because like literally some of the most influential bands globally in the
recent history of death metal have been like Grave Miasthma or Cruciamentum. But really,
what I think that means for our purposes is that they are kind of
like the UK's answer to Frozen Salt and Undeath and Gate Creeper, like those
kind of death metal bands across the Pond who doing a more back to basics
approach of death metal. I found a great deal of popularity. Like we're
not talking super underground and cavernous here, we are talking straight up smash you
in your face, no frills death metal. Yeah. I mean this is
my first time encountering their material, and I've got to say they're one of
the most comically mismatched band name to sound artists I've seen. In about it,
we were doing a bang called Celestial Sanctuary, I would just think,
Okay, Walls in the Throne Room, Cavernus, Black Gays band. Maybe
I wouldn't think slam adjacent Pitts stirring death metal about it. There's very little
about this that screams sanctuary like, whereas horrendous like. I think any record
death metal work is going to suffer the month of that comes out. But
I think this I can judge it in very different because this scratch is a
very different issue. Like it isn't simply caveman death metal. It's a lot
more technically accomplished and brainier than that, but it hits the spot the way
that does. And listening to this record, I get the impression the guys
in the band have like one soul aim and it's just to groove and churn
in a precise way to make you go or if they do that, that's
a glorious success and they do that the whole time, and they do it
fucking well. Yeah. I think on their first album I thought, So
That's Your Sanctuary were pretty fine, like very serviceable hits, a meaty spot.
The bath sound of what That's Sanctually do is really meat potatoes, like
in what it sets out to do. This ain't the horrendous album, but
when this album came through, I did think, Okay, they are picking
up those fundamentals here and they are hitting even harder with them. Like the
riffs on this are mener, the production is thicker, the song titles are
sillier. It's about as like archetypal or modern death metal record as we've heard
this year. And like sonically, the step up on this album, I
think it is given their riffs and their tempos, such a renewed punch where
it gradually crawls into life with all these kind of slimy riffs, but the
drums and everything sounds so crisp and they really slice through any murk in that
sounds so slickly and I think there's a way I mean again while being a
song I never want to say again glutted with chunder it does just throw your
back, like your head back with that riff. The way the riffs are
kind of like laid down on this really like just kind of cuts through any
you know, barriers or anything you might have up. It doesn't have to
do any major work in terms like balancing an atmosphere with a record or anything.
It's just like right fucking riff. The production on this record is like
it's mental, like it's absurdly obnoxious. The volume is maddening, like the
principle this should be falling praise to the loudness war the whole way through.
Like there is nothing on this record that is at all quiet, Like nothing
sits in the background. And it's a fairly clean album, which makes those
hits that much harder. But you wouldn't want it any other way. I
don't think when this record goes for the throat like that, like you said,
like like you mentioned that song, like the crunch on it is,
it's so fat and like biomineralization for example, Like it's such a fastened,
swollen song. It's sort of sways and groans under its own weight and like
lurid glow of a dead burning body. I mean, it's like they're taking
the piss crunching that hard, Like there's no room for boodle doodle here,
Like it just cracks and stomps from from second one to the air with no
mercy, And it's just how hard can they bludge in you with as much
demented glee as possible? And its like I said, it feels like the
whole record is oriented towards just one goal. Yeah, No, I like
this. I think it is. It's not got the sort of as much
personality and character some of like the current US death metal bands still, say
like Frozen solom Undeath, But in terms of just like say, just setting
out as you say, to just be as mean and like nasty and heavy
with a kind of still a technical mind to it, I think it does
the job. I think some of the songs going a bit long, and
I think that they need to kind of, I guess, carve out their
own real distinct character beyond just kind of nasty crushing death metal. But there
is there's like really cool moments in here. I need to kind of spend
a bit more time really getting into the songs individually, but I found this
just quite as sort of pleasing. Yeah, I want to hear some nasty
death metal. Yeah, I was the same, and that I was like,
you know, I didn't necessarily find myself thinking that the record was you
know, going on particularly long or if like that. It's more like kind
of in a yea. In the UK, we've got a tradition of bands
like Discarnate and stuff like that who kind of just do contemporary, well produced,
just batter you to fuck death metal records, And this is kind of
continuing in the line of that, where again those drifts they cut through like
butter just so so much, and like I enjoy how those are able to
make them feel like some of their best songs to day. Definitely in terms
like even if the actual hook of something like Chunder isn't necessarily at decipherable,
it's got like a recognizable chorus part, and I found that it's such a
funny death metal thing, Like this mix is so high fidelity and so modern,
but the vocals are like this really far back, husky bellow of a
thing just being carried over the winds of it. It's like if this was
a thrash metal record or a metalcore record or something, no chance of that
being placed where it is, but that sort of it's like far away like
for a death metal record. It just adds that kind of like you know,
monster coming out of the ground on the cover thing as opposed to like,
oh, you know a human screamer. Man. Fine, but like
the way I just think they rip through generally like swivel eyed and gurning in
the shadows, which you know forms up for gurning and a fucking definite a
song title. I do feel like they've just thrown like they've got a list
of like Narli death metal words, gone right forever, meandering stream of Yeah,
And I mean I'm cool that because Fluid is a Narli song. Yeah,
but like that's one of my favorite songs on the record, to be
honest, to wear it kind of slows things down, gets a bit grander
at points, a bit more eerie. Yeah yeah, yeah, I agree.
But then swiveling gurning in the Shadows has that full on birth at the
start that does it reminds me of like Revocation and bads like that who kind
of had fused like really recognizable like old schooled churn in the riffing with like
hyper precise surgical blade style delivery. And I think there are parts on this
when a fast record kickoff and it does that, I think, I'm just
like grabbing you by your extremities and yanking you along the pavement behind it.
And it has that kind of that combination of like you know, full brain
deadbeat down parts with like that kind of death natal's squeal and queasiness, like
you know, bio mineralization cell death, those like big crunch moments really pay
off. And like I a thentually, I agree, And so I think
if this is to compete on the level of like a Frozen Soul or an
Undeath, which is clearly the aim, I think they've got it up the
the hook factor, like the amount of like catchy shout along parts are on
that new Frozen Soul album. Yeah, that was what I was thinking of.
The amn't got that and there's not going to individuality to each Yeah,
and I agree. I think that's the kind of crossover factor that this lacks.
But I think they've they've made a huge step in the right direction with
this, with the sonic fidelity, the just excitement in the riff transitions,
the power in the band, and the impact of those crunches. I would
have this over I don't know, the Sank with Superbog album this year,
or like you know, the the Coffin Multure or like another newer newer UK
band who are pretty good. I think this is a very a very decent
entred into the kind of current into the current pack. I think we've had
a particularly good year for death metal so far this year, and in terms
of very recent stuff, I think maybe if you find the idea of the
Horrendous record a little bit i rolly, or if Torture rack is too like
grimy, even though I think that's just as catchy, you know, yeah,
if Torture acts a bit too club to the head like for you,
I think this is sort of a healthy middle ground, maybe like an excellently
realized death metal that isn't completely daft like Torture Rack, but also knows that
ultimately it's got to feel good, and they do. I think I'd like
to see these guys sort of maybe opening the main stage at Bloodstock on mid
afternoon on the Sophie Tee. I'm not really sure I big they are.
I think with songs this instantly like translatable, I think they could clean up
in that sort of saying yeah, that's Celestial Sanctuary insatiable first for Torment,
which is very much how I describe myself. And there is your reviews bag
for August. We didn't even talk about the new holding Absence that I was
reminded earlier today is out as this goes out, so I'm sure that will
continue to do some big things to them. Knew the Armed today out as
well. We'll see if that's as baffling as our ultrapop was. But loads
going on and loads of stuff here to tide you over, So let us
know what you make of all those records we spoke about today. What are
you loving? Tell us over on the Aasmal Socials. Hyper Blasts will be
that next week with the releases that we might have missed and any music goes
down as well, as will our next album club pack for all of those
kind folks who have chosen to support us over at the Avastmental Patreon, where
we've had things like the Ages that of Awful go down as well. Can't
wait to write my Matchbox twenty in a Tiller notes this week. Thanks for
listening, Let's see you soon