Sunday 30 August 2015

Short Attention Span Record Reviews - September Preview

THE LOUDER STUFF

IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC – Honk Machine
The Hellacopters go power pop. (8)

IRON MAIDEN – The Book Of Souls
OK. (7)

JOHN ZORN – The True Discoveries Of Witches And Demons
If you’re into prog then Zorn’s new instrumental ensemble will blow your mind to shreds, sort of like a jazz/metal version of Fantomas doing the weirdest rhythms King Crimson ever failed to come up with. (8)

MYRKUR – M
Sounds like mid-90’s Ulver, exploring Scandinavian folklore through a black metal prism. Interesting in concept, somewhat lacking in execution. (6)

NILE – What Should Not Be Unearthed
Look, it’s a Nile album, OK? It’s fast, it’s technical, it’s crushingly heavy, you’ve heard it before, it’s Morbid Angel doing songs about ancient Egypt. (7)

THE SWORD – High Country
From the Thin Lizzy shuffle of “Empty Temples” to the QOTSA pop of “Seriously Mysterious” The Sword are not afraid to take risks and try new things here, and most of them work. (7)


THE OTHER STUFF

BARRENCE WHITFIELD & THE SAVAGES – Under The Savage Sky
The best garage punk blues/soul rock ‘n’ roll shouter you’ve never heard of is back with his toughest, most in-your-face album yet. Dig! (8)

FKA TWIGS – M3LL155X
Sorry, I don’t get it. I just don’t. (6)

HOLY SONS – The Fall Of Man
Better known as Grails/Om drummer, Emil Amos plays most instruments himself on this album that sounds like Pavement doing 70’s AM soft rock. (7)

MOCEAN WORKER – Mocean Worker
The kind of pleasant-but-sort-of-generic electrofunk you’ll hear blasting in beach bars across the universe. (6)

PAUL SMITH & THE INTIMATIONS – Contradictions
Maximo Park frontman in side project that sounds just like Maximo Park minus the hooks. (6)

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD – The Ruffian’s Misfortune
Is this rock, or is it country, or is it the blues? Dunno. Does it kick ass? You bet! (8)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Truckers, Kickers, Cowboy Angels: The Blissed-Out Birth Of Country Rock Vol. 5, 1972
The title is self-explanatory and this series just keeps getting better: Vol. 5 has The Byrds, JJ Cale, Townes Van Zandt, Ry Cooder, Kris Kristofferson, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Pure Prairie League, John Prine, Everly Bros, Rick Nelson, Dan Fogelberg, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band etc. (9)

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