electronic music world

All Blog Posts Tagged 'album review' (15)

Review For Banned Promotions no. 18: Dr. Slaggleberry - The Slagg Factory

I was trying to think of a way to describe this music, not being a fan of genres and tags, but recognising that people want to know what to expect before they listen to something. The best tag I could think of was “stoner-rock-tech-doom-metal”, but then I read the accompanying press-release that the lads from Dr. Slaggleberry kindly supplied me with the CD. They describe their music as math-rock. Of course! It all makes sense now. I’m a bit of a noob when it comes to genres, or more specifically… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on October 26, 2009 at 4:49am — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 16: Muse - The Resistance

I’ve never been a fan of people who decide whether music is good or not based on popularity. On one end of the spectrum there are those that simply don’t know that any music but commercial popcrap exists, but even worse in my opinion are those who immediately cast a shadow of doubt on music just because it’s popular. Now I’m not talking about the genre “pop”, we all know that top-40 stuff sucks, but it’s just insane to say, as I have heard many times, that an amazing alternative rock band like M… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on September 23, 2009 at 1:39am — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 15: Red Friday - Nothing Is Free

I get very excited about great music, and often my reviews are hyperactively praising, but this time there’s really just not enough I can say to justify this album. I am blown away. I wish I could go back in time and tone down the enthusiasm of some of my earlier reviews to give this album the relative standing it deserves. VAST’s self-titled album was amazing. “Nothing Shocking” by Jane’s Addiction was more amazing. “Mer de Noms” by A Perfect Circle: exquisite. But holy fuck, Red Friday’s debut… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on September 22, 2009 at 6:24am — 1 Comment

Review for Banned Promotions no. 14: The Aether Tree - The Children's War

I have put off reviewing this album for a long time, because there is so much I want to say about it, yet so little at the same time; more than anything I want you to merely listen to it. For this guy pours his heart and soul into his music; but rather than sieving it, kneading it and cookie-cutting it into a perfectly produced popcrap album, it spills over the edges, it gets smudged with dirt, its raw emotion shows through like bone in a deep wound. And this is exactly what makes it so beautifu… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on September 20, 2009 at 1:20am — No Comments

Review For Banned Promotions no. 13: Gravity Euphonic (self titled)

There’s nothing spectacular about this music but it got me turning it up to 11 and rocking the fuck out. Industrial music can often carry with it a swathe of petty goth-core imagery and try-hard darkness, yet apart from slightly clichéd lyrics these guys are solidly awesome without any pretence. The guy’s voice works well with this style of music and the production is simply astounding. Hard hitting bass and synth lines and heavy guitar backed up by perfect drums. I often write reviews of albums… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on September 8, 2009 at 8:58am — No Comments

Review of Titee - Natural Kangaroo

Listening to Titee’s music, one gets the feeling that he is a man so advanced in wisdom that he has learned how to be a child again. His approach to melody, tone and rhythm is that of a wide-eyed, innocent child, exploring and playing make-believe. Going to and fro and in and out of blast-beats and arpeggios, smooth pads and deep bass, and the occasional (yet perfectly placed) vocal, the music defies normality vehemently and evokes pure, youthful imagination. Yet behind this curtain of playfulne… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on September 8, 2009 at 6:00am — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 12: The Yalla Yallas - Act Of Defiance

It's been done before, but it's so damn good, it demands to be heard: punk rock demands fresh young blood. Generations after Joe Strummer at the same time belted out his anti-establishment, anti-racist, anti-military message whilst also feeling jaded at catapulting the genre into the mainstream, he would have been happy to hear that there is still truly underground punk rock n roll happening, and they share his message: Keep it real, fuck the system, put your faith in the kids, don't hate each o… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on August 25, 2009 at 4:52am — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 11: The Hi-Nobles - Shake

Music doesn’t have to be original to be good, particularly in the case of bluesy rock. In this age where synthesiser and software technology is getting sharper by the minute, it’s very refreshing to hear a 12 bar blues progression, and to hear it done faithfully, and with passion. The 12 bar blues, the pentatonic riff, that perfect amount of guitar distortion: these things will never die. The Hi-Nobles carry off their highly polished blues rock sound with more than just finesse, it has an amazi… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on August 2, 2009 at 2:40am — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 10: Love Like This - Love Like This EP

The bane of good music's existence, the dreaded "pop", rears its ugly head, turns towards you with a smile, and says "Don't hate this until you rate this, it is actually really good." Despite being obviously "pop", these guys do something with their structure that I always love: rather than going A B A B C A, the tried-and-true method, they go "Fuck it we're gonna chuck an X in there... Yea, A B X C Z B A". It's the mark of musicians that are completely confident with their sounds and where the… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on July 1, 2009 at 5:04am — No Comments

Review of Baskyl - Monochrome Rainbow Snorters (also Banned Promotions review no. 9)

My first review of Germany's electroid Baskyl was drooling with praise over his lush soundscapism, incredible sense of melody and rhythm, and amazing ability to morph and evolve. In doing my second review of this artist, the tantalising journey that is "Monochrome Rainbow Snorters", I would be repeating myself if I merely heaped praise on him. Let it be known he is an incredible composer and musician, and we shall move forward from there. But how shall we move forward? Well, I hate to be a wan… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on July 1, 2009 at 4:00am — 6 Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 8: Telemachus - Only On Earth

In a field like technical death-metal, it’s very rare to find truly underground, little known music, churning out sharp, cutting-edge riffage that you would expect from the giants of metal. Yet so blissful was said riffage to my ears that I held off reviewing this EP for some time, knowing I would need to summon all of my inner powers in praise of the beauty found on this recording. These guys are almost good enough to be held in accolade alongside modern day legends such as Arch Enemy, In Flam… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on June 2, 2009 at 11:05pm — No Comments

Review of All:My:Faults - Neo.NoiR

Download this album (free) now. Yes, now. Rightfucking now. I've heard so much good music since I started reviewing I'm often at a loss for words as to how best describe the awesometude of what I've just heard. It appears independent artists are simply getting better, and better, and better. Propelled through the universe, expanding at light-speed velocity through chaos theory algorithms, the collective subconscious of the human race is churning… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on March 11, 2009 at 9:50am — 1 Comment

Review for Banned Promotions no. 3: King Django - A Single Thread

Wow. It's at exactly 4 tracks in to "A Single Thread", the title track, that you have to do three things, 1: turn it up 2: take a step back to say "holy wowfuck" and 3: start listening even more intently (as if you weren't gripped excited and laughing for joy from the very beginning). As the album progresses, words fail. This is unclassifyable, ineffable. I therefore shall talk about the imprint of the album on my memory rather than the album itself, for to feel like I'm talking about the sounds… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on February 27, 2009 at 1:05pm — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 2: Predator Dub Assassins - The Hardest

There's something about reggae dub that fascinates me: it gets you up, by "getting down". This works in a metaphorical sense as well as a strict musical sense. The bass and kick drum falls on the down beats, dragging with them, as they sink, the chords and snare/rim shots (that sit on the upbeats), into a sort of lull, a spiral, that makes you casually nod your head in a downwards motion, traveling through your spine until, if you're standing, you find yourself swaying, and if you're sitting, yo… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on February 27, 2009 at 5:52am — No Comments

Review for Banned Promotions no. 1: Bomb Town - ?!INTERROBANG?!

When I receive a new album, I rarely play it immediately. I'm either afraid I'll hate it, or love it so much I will listen to nothing else for weeks until I get sick of it. Unfortunately, the infectious mix of awesome bass that immediately grabs you from the word go, "punk to the floor + dub to the step drums" that follow swift tempo changes to the letter, incredibly slick vocals, bright horn sections and absolutely droolable keys, combined with just outstanding songwriting and production, means… Continue

Added by Angus Maiden on February 27, 2009 at 1:51am — No Comments