Rivers of Nihil – The Work (2021)

Rivers of Nihil were one of the American technical death metal bands that seemed to be a direct response to the tech death bands from before (the early 2000s to 2010) switching gears from more traditional death metal or metalcore to space themes and ambient moments, such as The Faceless and Obscura. Those bands in turn made their change in response to the originators of tech death changing to more philosophical themes such as Cynic and Atheist. And around this time, it wasn’t just death metal, but Prog as well, as Devin Townsend and Opeth finding their softer sides. So with this line of bands following each other footsteps, was it surprising that Rivers of Nihil would change from their tradition death metal to incorporating psychedelic elements on 2018’s Owls Know My Name?

The simple answer is no. By then, saxophone had well found it’s way into tech death, including on albums by The Faceless. But aside from what some might dismiss as a gimmick, the songwriting on that album was absolutely solid, and it was a joy of an album to explore. Their follow-up however, surprised even me, not only how good it was, but also how much ground they explore and territory they masterfully cover. Let’s dig in to 2021’s The Work.

Between the release of their of previous album, three major things (that I know of) happened for the band:

1. The release of Owls helped the band get to a point where they could tour for a living.

2. The success of Owls created a pressure for the band’s follow up, something they had not experienced at this kind of level before.

3. The COVID 19 Pandemic put all of that to a halt, much like it did for the rest of the world.

These newfound experiences put the idea of “work” into context for the band, something they explore thoroughly over the course of this 64+ minute record. Without going too much into the concept, it’s not just the actual work we go to in order to support ourselves and our families, but the work our body does everyday to keep us alive, the work we put into relationships, all the work that goes on in our world and in ourselves every second of every day. The band chooses to start this album on a theatrical note. The soft opening is not surprising, and it brings up memories of Autotheism by The Faceless. But what it lacks in memorability as opposed to that one, it makes up for setting the stage for this dramatic endeavor. The subtle change from major to minor key, the background vocals, and train like sound effects all help the song build up to a huge climax. The song comes back down, only to go straight into………

The huge and heavy riffs of “Dreaming Black Clockwork”. This song is equal parts djent from Meshuggah, industrial elements and vocals like Devin Townsend, and “black jazz” like the band Shining, thanks to the comping style of the saxophone. It has a soft and mysterious middle section that only returns to the heavy riffs. This is a great introductory track to the mechanical tones of this album in comparison to their previous ones. It also shows how the band break away from the saxophone as a soloing instrument, and instead as a flowing and continuous part of the ambiance of the album.

If the previous song reminded me of Devin Townsend at his heavier moments, “Wait” reminds me of some of his more tender moments. It is an odd follow up to have a softer song immediately after the previous one, but I think that jarring transition is exactly what the band was going for. After some screams in the middle and a classic rock climax with a bluesy solo, and transitions into the darker “Focus”. I love the dynamics in this song, from the bass heavy verse, to the middle eastern sounding guitar riff of the chorus.

“Clean” has some memorable heavy riffs and screamed vocal lines, but the star of the show is a psychedelic synth solo and bluesy guitar solo that comes perfectly in the middle of it all.“The Void From Which No Sound Comes” combines the industrial and ambient elements of “Focus” with a massive chorus and a perfectly executed saxophone solo. “MORE?” Is the most aggressive song on the album musically, lyrically, and vocally, and it interestingly transitions to a reprise of the intro track, appropriately named “Tower 2”.

“Episode” starts off like doom metal you’d expect from the band Swallow the Sun, and is greatly contrasted with its heavy parts that sound more like the band Behemoth. It has a few masterful guitar solos as well as an emotional climax with the repeated lyrics “Do the Work”. They close the album out with a pair of epic tracks. The first is the gorgeous 7 minutes ballad “Maybe One Day” which is simultaneously hopeful and questioning, climaxing with a slide guitar solo and the repeated lyrics “Is this the only way?”. The last song is the progressive metal masterpiece “Terrestria IV: Work” which weaves through so many twists and turns, finally culminating with our familiar lyric, “Do the work”.

Overall, some transitions from heavy songs to soft songs may be questionable, but they were definitely the intent of the band nonetheless. It with everything else on this album meticulously crafted, it would be hard to imagine that wasn’t the case. Still, it is a small gripe if I had to choose gripes. The album is an incredible experience from start to finish. Every song has merit and memorable sequences. I may have gotten around to this album late, but it has been one of my favorite recent experiences, and I would highly recommend it to any fan of metal, Prog, tech death, or even jazz, as it will surely be one of those albums that bridges the gap for listeners who are typically not into extreme metal, much like Cynic and Meshuggah have done.

Duncan Patterson – Grace Road (2022)

I have never written a review of an album I helped make before, but seeing that my contributions were minimal, I still feel able to write this without my personal bias getting in the way. In fact, my love for Duncan Patterson’s music is the bias we should be more worried about.

Duncan Patterson may be most famous for his early work with the band Anathema, but has artistically (I believe) chosen to remove himself from projects when they start to take a life of their own. Maybe he’s in constant search of artistic freedom. Maybe he just gets bored. Either way, Antimatter (which is now under the careful watch of Mick Moss) and Alternative 4 (the band named after the Anathema album he spearheaded) have put out their own masterpieces of goth meets doom meets classical meets movie soundtrack.

My contributions to this album were working with my drummer Fernando Guerrero and our friend Alicia Mitchell in recording background vocals to compliment the already amazing Enas Al Said (female vocals) as well as Duncan himself. We were given just the parts we needed to add, which seemed like self contained songs as they were. But hearing them in the context of the full tracks with all parts put together was a fascinating and rewarding experience.

The album itself is a short one. Just 5 tracks, a total of 34 minutes long. And the music is very easy going. It doesn’t demand much from the listener, but to get lost in its ethereal sound. “Absolut Absolutum” starts off by building up with a choir like sound for over a minute before abruptly cutting off. The main piano theme comes in, later joined by frail female vocals (Enas). About 5 minutes in, Duncan’s background vocals come in slowly and help introduce the drums, which carries the tune the rest of the way alongside Alicia’s voice, whose delicate touch sounds more like a violin. There are only 8 lines of lyrics, but Enas conveys them with emotion, and the song leaves plenty of space in between lines for the message to come across.

“The Quiet Light” is the longest track on the album, at 10 minutes. As opposed to the spacious classical feeling of the first track, this feels more like a ballad from the get go. The piano is the driving feature with sparse orchestral flourishes and Duncan vocals filling in the powerful performance by Enas. A flute like instrument carries the piece into its next section, which is a hypnotic but still ambient trip hop section. The dub style drums and repeated piano melody unexpectedly drop out for a haunting back and forth between voice, strings, keyboards, before Enas repeats the phrase “calling me home” over it. This builds until the ending of the track.

“Walking Between Worlds” might be my personal favorite off the record. This song has a strong Celtic influence, starting with the excellent drum beat and use of reverb on the drums and vocals. Enas loses a bit of her Middle Eastern tonal qualities as she instead channels her Sinead O’ Conner or Dolores from The Cranberries. The driving rhythm is broken up with a very moody back and forth between Enas and Alicia’s vocals, acting as the chorus. The flute comes back in the middle along with some drawn out chords and notes. It is a section that reminds me of old school Prog such as Genesis, Moody Blues, or Camel.

“The Amber Line” is the song that is most reminiscent to Duncan’s work in Anathema and Antimatter. A guitar driven track with a dark melody and a duo throughout from Duncan and Enas. I love how their vocals pair and build together throughout the piece. It has a stronger emphasis on the lyrics, as previous tracks had words that fluttered around. This one’s are precise and upfront. The layering and effects are fantastic, and the second half is a dark yet beautiful test of patience as the guitar melody repeats and the vocals come in and out of the track.

The last song is also the title track. “Grace Road” is a 5 minute instrumental that is a somber way to part with the record. Starting with just piano, the strings come in a minute later, and then choir like vocals after that. It continues to build in this way, sounding like something straight out of The Lord of the Rings, till it comes to its final note.

Each of these songs provides something special to the album, making the whole experience cohesive, relaxing, and introspective. It should be no surprise at this stage in his career that Duncan knows how to compose, but at this stage, he has found a wonderful balance between his family time to become self reliant, and release gorgeous pieces of music on his own, with the help of a few friends. It is a fantastic release, and I am proud to have contributed even a small amount to it. To listen, you can go to his bandcamp or message me (comment below) for free download codes!

Cult of Luna – The Long Road North (2022)

Cult of Luna by the time of this release had already established themselves as one of the “big three” of Post Metal alongside legendary bands Isis and Neurosis. They are known for their consistency and forward thinking approach. For me, they had already been a part of two of my favorite albums of all time, with Vertikal and Mariner (alongside American vocalist Julie Christmas). But their previous albums were no slouch either.

Following those two albums couldn’t have been easy, and I may have been tough on reviewing the follow up, 2019’s A Dawn to Fear and the companion EP, 2021’s The Raging River, which both did grow on me with repeated listens. But sometimes the biggest problem with ambient types of music is that it can get lost in the ambience, and forget about the song at its core. This is not the case with the shorter songs with clean vocals the band has every release for some time now, but some of the longer songs that have great riffs, but ultimately sound very similar.

Following quickly after those two releases, I hoped that this one would have a little more diversity, and while that’s not exactly what I found, I did connect with it a bit faster than with the previous two releases.

First and foremost, the album name, track listing, and album art are quintessential Cult of Luna atmosphere, so much so that you can’t believe it already hadn’t happened. For a band who has traveled musically and lyrically through countryside, cities, and even space, a journey through snow and barren lands is the perfect setting for their cold, dark, moody feel.

“Cold Burn” opens the album much like “The Silent Man” did for A Dawn to Fear and “Three Bridges” for The Raging River. It’s a driving song with brief melodic moments. But what they brilliantly do here is lull you into a false sense of security. When “The Silver Arc” comes in right after with a similar sense of urgency, you think it’s gonna be more of the same. But when it’s beautiful droning middle section complete with a bright bass tone you would hear on a record by The Cure or Tool appears, it hypnotizes you.

“Beyond I” the first surprise of the album comes at the perfect time. I shouldn’t say surprise since soft songs on their album are becoming expected, as well as guest vocalists, but they are what I look forward to since they provide so much needed contrast. Mariam Wallentin’s voice is haunting on this keyboard driven track with no drums. It reminds me of AA Williams, especially on her split with Mono. The band intelligently follow this up with the slow building “An Offering to the Wind”. With the tension and atmosphere of a Western film, the flow of the album starts to take shape, with its peaks and valleys mimicking the very landscape it describes.

After it’s epic climax, the album brings itself down again with the ballad “Into the Night”. Whereas “Beyond I” was more electronic and industrial driven, this one continues the country and western feel the band started on the previous track. It starts slow and brooding, building half way in to a full band ballad, with very unusual chord progressions. It reminds me of Radiohead almost, due to a mellotron keyboard tone, and a crooning vocal style. It is a different style for the band. Very ambient, and it shows their continued confidence in the variety of clean vocals. And while the sporadic appearances on these track listings don’t signify a complete change, this middle dip of forward thinking songs bookended by the heavier, driving tracks is what gives this album its wonderful and consistent flow.

Continuing with this thought process, the band does not just randomly pick it back up with immediate heaviness and urgency. They slowly build it up once more time with the short instrumental “Full Moon”, a beautiful blend of the country and western feel of the last two songs, with the electronic/industrial keyboard heavy tones of “Beyond I” all mixed together. The subtle changes of tone yet constant flashbacks to past themes gives this album cohesion, and flows perfect into “The Long Road Home”, which starts with some incredible slide guitar work.

Eventually the title track brings that intensity felt on the first two songs. The band really take their time on this album, in the best possible way. The title track is filled with fantastic dynamics and the production really shines on this one as you hear layering that simultaneously make you think of the cityscapes of Vertikal, the space of Mariner, and the countryside of Somewhere Along the Highway. Aside from obvious post metal references, bands and projects like Agalloch, NIN, Author and Punisher also come to mind.

“Blood Upon the Stone” the last real song and second longest song, acts as an epic closer, and doesn’t take as long as “An Offering to the Wild” to get going. Using the momentum from the previous track, it gets right into it. The extended middle section with delayed guitars, consistent drumming and subtle keyboard tones turns into an explosion of dissonant and post rock goodness. The vocals return over a repeated melody a builds to an incredible climax worthy of finishing off this group of songs. But Cult of Luna don’t leave you hanging.

The album officially closes with “Beyond II”, which is an ambient piece of drone, classical, and industrial, all mixed together. It was created alongside Colin Stetson who also helped provide soundscapes on “An Offering to the Wild”. Normally I’m not the biggest fan of instrumental ambient noise closing out an album. But after such a massive track and complete journey, I can see the need for it here. It eventually fades out, and leaves you ready to re-experience it all.

It’s always hard for a band to live up to a fan favorite. And while Cult of Luna might be in the fortunate position to not have one distinct one, they have certainly created a mountain for themselves to climb over on each new release. But the band gives off the impression that they don’t care… in the sense that they have nothing to prove, and aren’t making albums for anyone in particular. They do what they want to. Some aspects of that are new, some are what they do best. But they’re not going to completely change over night for new fans, nor are they going to stay the same for the old ones. And each new release has something new to give, but it will always sound like Cult of Luna. It’s up to you how much you want to invest in finding the differences. But don’t expect to write it off entirely as just another new album by them.

Kowloon Walled City – Piecework (2021)

Kowloon Walled City blew me away when I saw them two nights in a row. Once at a small dive bar in Long Beach. The next in front of about 1,000 people opening for Neurosis. In both shows, their demeanor was almost identical. They are a very unassuming band. But this simplicity is also part of their brilliance. I wrote a review of their previous release Grievances. And when it came time to write a new review for one of their albums, I was shocked that it had been 6 years. A very quiet six years, with scattered shows.

This silence was in part to an uncertainty of the band’s future, which tends to happen when your main songwriter has writer’s block. And with the release coming when it did, it is possible to assume that the pandemic/lockdown could have played the role of the muse, like it did for so many others. If that is the case, I wouldn’t know. Because unlike many bands who came back flashy, swinging, inspired to try a new sound…. Kowloon came back exactly as before.

This new release contains 7 songs that could have been on either of their previous two albums. No clean vocals added, or female vocals…. No crazy times or song structures….no blatant song lyrics calling out specific people or events. It was as if everything we had been through in life had never happened. Just like it didn’t matter to them whether they played in front of 10 people or 1,000. They give you their sound. And that’s not such a bad thing.

In my previous review I explained what makes their sound so unique. Punk sensibility with a sludge/doom/post metal (whatever you want to call it) sound. No crazy light shows or song lengths. No endless tunnels of reverb and delay. And yet, despite their simple arrangements (2 guitars and bass playing slightly different things at the same time, they way Slint did on Spiderland), it is there unique use of space between notes that creates the atmosphere. Even though all the instruments are dry, you still feel like you could be falling as you wait for the next hit.

The title tracks opens by trudging along, as if the chugging were to mimic the lyrics of just passing through life (I don’t have the lyrics written down anywhere so my interpretations could be flawed). Though after a minute, it quickly rushes you to your first bit of soft guitars, a dynamic that despite how often it gets used, never overstays its welcome. Dynamics are after all what this band is all about. That if anything, is their only flex.

“Utopia” is a darker tune with its incredible bass tone, apocalyptic/lost in the wilderness like lyrics, and use of occasional feedback. After a brief soft section, it hits with an epic ending. “Oxygen Tank” on the other hand takes its time to build up, showing off the wonderful DIY production. Punchy drums, upfront bass, just enough room to breathe on the guitars so they don’t muddle the mix, and vocals that always feel on the brink of distorting right out of the speaker. The build up payoffs off with the closest the band has gotten to a normal chorus (“you never wanted to escape!”). Definitely a highlight.

“You Had a Plan” is the closest the band has come to a ballad. Heavy guitars don’t come in until around the 3:30 mark, the music takes over from there, and then the vocals throw in some powerful lines at the end. The song shows the band’s restraint while never conforming to singing when it gets soft.

“Splicing” might be my favorite from the album with its simple but effective bass lines, lyrics, and melodic (while still slightly dissonant) guitar lines. It has a standout lyric “through the haze, like a pulse, you sang”, a build up in an odd time signature, and an abrupt ending.

“When We Fall Through the Floor” musically might feel like more of the same by this point, but it makes up for it with so many memorable lyrics, so you can’t help but headbang as Scott yells, “What’s hidden in the floor?!”

“Lampblack” is a great closer, starting off with the lyric “One last thought” before closing with the line “You want to feel like you’re going home”. There is very little fluctuation in this song and is probably the most jam-like song they’ve done. Aside from the soft breaks, it stays on its main riff before the song ends and fades away.

Like their stage presence, very little attention is forced towards the album. It comes, it goes, and doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. In fact, after 6 years, a 32 minute album is kind of surprising. Most bands would feel obligated to switch things up, so something big, surprise their fans.

But Kowloon Walled City is perfectly happy to do what they’ve been doing. And their fans are perfectly happy to hear more of that. It was almost underwhelming upon first listen, but I should have seen that it’s not about what’s expected. And upon my third listen, I knew it was exactly what it was needed to be. Great lyrics. Great music. And a band that sounds like no other. Why then, would you want them to conform to the trends? Doesn’t matter anyway.

They won’t.

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(All pictures curtesy of the band’s social media pages, and websites selling their merch. If you like the album, support the band by purchasing a physical copy of it!)

Between the Buried and Me – Colors II

Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM) released Colors in 2007, an album that would change my life and the way I thought about music. It also changed a lot for the band, helping them away from the metalcore scene they were forged in, to opening slots in Amphitheaters with the likes of Dream Theater and Opeth. Those who were brave enough to get past their long name knew of their progressive tendencies, and on this album, it was on full force, like nothing before it, and in my mind since it.

My love for that albums lies in its balance. Balance between heavy and soft sections. Balance between knowing when to take itself seriously and knowing when to surprise its audience. Balance on knowing how long to stay on a riff or a grove. Balance in its transitions. Perfect balance in its 8 unique and equally important parts, that flow through as one. A balance, that I search for in all albums, but is very rare to find.

So when BTBAM announce a sequel to this album, I don’t take it lightly. This album has a lot of weight on its shoulders, and I don’t want a quick and easy cash grab.

The first single “Fix the Error” immediately left a bad taste in my mouth, aside from some Colors like arpeggios and some drum solos (that I did not yet know were 4 different drummers). It was quirky. It was punk like. And it had a vocal part that continues to grind at me after many listens.

Not at all what I think of when I think of Colors.

“Revolution in Limbo” was the next single, and this one blew me away. It sounded like old BTBAM. As if I could have been on the original Colors album. With brief moments that sounded like Alaska as well as ones that could have been on The Great Misdirect. The balance was back. Metalcore riffs, sweeping guitar licks, transitions that made sense, a confidence in its sense of melody, and a 9 minute runtime that just flew by.

Now I was confused. And the next single didn’t help me out either! A keyboard driven proggy/funky, technical death metal song that sounded more like the bands BTBAM inspired rather than themselves. Something that could have been done by The Contortionist or White Arms of Athena, while still fitting right at home on a Tommy (vocalist) solo record. Now I have three very different songs and no clue, how it all comes together.

On my first listen to the whole album, I’ll be honest. I didn’t think it did. It felt like a bunch of different eras of BTBAM all fighting for seniority. I knew there were good moments and songs, but was ready to write a review about how the balance and melodies were severally lacking.

And then I listened to it some more.

And this long overwhelming album started making sense. Not only that, but it was flying by. And just because it didn’t have the same kind of standout melodies that the first Colors had, didn’t mean it didn’t have flow.

Flow became the word of the album, because I hadn’t realized until that point how much the flow was lacking on Automata and Coma Ecliptic. I’m not saying BTBAM forgot how to write an album. They’re obviously masters of that. But it wasn’t just songs connected by lyrics anymore. Musically, this album was making sense.

From the soft intro of “Monochrome” that we know to expect from them (starting with “Foam Born (A)” from Colors, to the subtle hints and similarities of “The Double Helix of Extinction” to “Foam Born B”. This song snd “Revolution in Limbo” are a ferocious double punch with drumming and guitar chugging that feels like an old friend returning, even though they’ve made a career out of it. Soon you start hearing references to all kinds of BTBAM songs. Is the drumming a reference to “Ants of the Sky”? The vocals a reference to “Lay Your Ghosts to Rest”? The melodic lines a reference to “Informal Gluttony” or “Extremophile Elite”? You start to wonder if they were intended or not. Standouts of the song are the growls (curtesy of drummer Blake), and Ants of the Sky saloon reference.

In the context of the record, “Fix the Error” comes at a perfect spot. Now that they’ve reintroduced the modern life and isolation themes of the first album, the theme of upbringing and revolution makes more sense. It truly becomes a time to celebrate (though I still hate the “if you see the rainbow” part).

“Never Seen/Future Shock” is an 11 minute epic with “Telos” like riffs, melodies, random medical sounding sections, but it also demonstrates something on this album. Not only their confidence, but their sense of fun is really blending so well here. Maybe cause they could reference themselves so much, or maybe cause the songwriting came more naturally. But these long songs with twists and turns don’t feel like they’re dragging on. Even after a section with crazy timing, it pays off with about 4 minutes of beauty.

“Stare into the Abyss” is a keyboard driven electronic track that we’ve come to expect from them, but it provides necessary breathing room and has a post-rock climax. This before the chaos of “Prehistory”, with its video game/cartoon sounds. It follows in the footsteps of “Bloom”, “Voice of Trespass”, and “The Ectopic Stroll”, for the fun section of the album.

If the first half of the album showed they could still pull up their older and heavier style at will, this second half shows their arsenal of tricks aren’t just gimmicks, and the transitions are phenomenal. “Bad Habits” is one of the most interesting tracks in my opinion because it’s got a strong old school Prog vibe. Hints of King Crimson, Genesis, even Gentle Giant scattered throughout their aggressive delivery. From the keyboard tones, jazz, folk, and classical, it is definitely a Dan (bassist) song, it brings out the best in Tommy, especially with its emotional delivery of lyrics like the return of “sleep on, fly on” from “Ants of the Sky”.

Then comes the aforementioned “The Future is Behind Us” which sounds so fun and welcoming in comparison, before moving on to “Turbulent”, which actually doesn’t live up to its name. In actuality, it is another moment of simplistic electronic keyboard parts, continuing what the previous track started while making references to other songs, bringing different ideas together. It just lets you get to the music while building up for what is to come. But before they do that, they actually drop out for a bit with “Sfumato”.

Like “Viridian” before it, the band provides breathing room before the epic closing track. It introduces what will be a main theme on the keyboard while giving off serious David Gilmour vibes, which you can never have enough off. This just leaves…

“Human is Hell”, which acts as the “White Walls” of the album. Starts off similar with a driving riff they actually borrow from The Great Misdirect. It follows a similar trajectory as “White Walls” but not without its surprises! The title of the song is said in a part that reminds me of “Digging the Graves” by The Faceless. The first few minutes are almost punishing in how heavy it comes off, and then the melodic chorus comes out of nowhere, almost bittersweet.

It’s impossible to say everything that happens in the song, let alone all the references. Halfway through the melodic melody from “Sfumato” comes back and introduces an extended soft section with beautiful lyrics, melodies, and solos. Then a familiar chord progression leads to a keyboard build up, similar to build ups we’ve seen in their epics before. You can already imagine the audience getting pumped up at this part for the big finish.

After a “Swim to the Moon” nod, a “Prequel to the Sequel” like breakdown, and mini drum solo, we have a brief soft part, before the final chorus. Once this ends, we have the brief major key guitar solo like seen on “Goodby to Everything (Reprise) and “The Grid”. This gives it a classical finale ending, as opposed the sorrowful one of “White Walls”. This is one of my few gripes because it feels like band is relying on it too much, but it is a short gripe for such a triumphant album.

It is so hard to condense writing about this long album with all its references, all it twists and turns, all its technicality, and all its musical sensibility. I fear this review might already be as long as the album itself. But to try and summarize, for someone who was so worried about a sequel to something they loved so much, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Then again, how do you expect a sequel to something that was so unexpected in the first place. But the band passed the test with flying colors, finding a confident way to pick and choose the best parts of their career without completely redoing it.

BTBAM has always had the unique ability of sounding like everyone other band and yet only like themselves at the same time. There wasn’t much they needed to prove to their fans at this point, but their impressive talent to continue challenging themselves while playing some of the most challenging music out there is nothing short of inspiring.

Steven Wilson – The Future Bites (2021)

It’s no surprise Steven Wilson is my favorite musician. His songwriting and his diversity has been influential on my own band, and I make it a point to see him each time he comes around because of how unique his live shows are.

His albums take a life of their own. They have their own style, concept, and imagery. From the drone inspired Insurgentes, to the jazz tinges of Grace For Drowning, the classic Prog of The Raven that Refused to Sing, to the dark modern Prog of Hand.Cannot.Erase, and the 80s pop inspired To the Bone, he had already shown us an interest in electronic music. It had been scattered throughout. So the next logical step was to bring it to the forefront. An album about modern life. An album about consumerism. And just the packaging to showcase it.

With its blank white style, and “item number” for random assortments of useful and not so useful things to buy, it could be seen on the standard edition, singles, deluxe edition box set, even a special one of a kind box set with a price tag of £10,000. It was on the websites, the music videos. This blank “future” (or present), was everywhere, staring us in the face whether we wanted it or not.

Musically, the album has been divisive, which is probably why it’s taken me so long to write this review. I wanted to approach it unbiased, but with so much build up, it was hard to become unbiased. Maybe it would have been easier if the album hadn’t been so delayed by the COVID 19 Pandemic. But that also shaped the album by giving Steven more time to change track orders and work on bonus songs.

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So here is my take:

Part of what made this album so hard to review was the fact that most of it was already released by the time it came out. With each single, the songs had their lovers and haters. I didn’t want to get lost in this because it always makes a difference hearing it by itself versus in the track order. All we hadn’t heard was the “intro”, and the last two songs (“Self” was also released before my copy finally arrived).

The album begins with “Unself”, a simple melody and chord progression over an electronic drum beat. It’s good enough to be an intro, but my issue is that it doesn’t flow well into “Self”. Even a better transition would have made this combo of songs absolutely crushing.

“Self” is a great first song. it introduces the style of the album perfectly. The electronic style mixed with 80s pop. Female background vocals come in on the chorus and lower vocal octaves come in on the verses. The song is enhanced by its appropriate and memorable music video, something that could also be said for “King Ghost” and “Personal Shopper”.

Speaking of “King Ghost”, it’s a great follow up to add contrast with its ethereal style. It moves away from the funky Prince style of the first song to a more trip hop style, reminiscent of Massive Attack. Steven’s falsettos may be a turn off to some people, but it’s a great song that feels just a touch too short.

Up next is “12 Things I Forgot”, which is one of my favorite songs on the album, but is kind of an awkward song after the ambience of “King Ghost”. It os a poppy song that reminds Steven fans of his work with Blackfield. Great sound, catchy chorus, and a nice guitar tone at the end that could have become a full fledged solo (however Steven seems to be taking a page out of Aviv’s book and is going for the least amount of deviation as possible).

After this one step away, it goes right back to the darker and funkier tone of “Eminent Sleaze”. This one caused controversy when it was released as a single. It has a similar combinations of sounds as “Self”, but more focus on groove rather than the driving electronics. There’s some Pink Floyd in the guitars and keyboards, but it’s the lyrics that seem to turn people off. However, it’s a fun song to sing along with and I can imagine people dancing to it live.

This leads us to the first single, “Personal Shopper“, the longest song on the album. It’s got a Nine Inch Nails feel, combining dark EDM (electronic dance music) with ambience, the female backing vocals, falsettos, and a heavier feel than most of the album. It also has a middle section with Sir Elton John naming off products to buy. As a single, this middle section was unnecessary, but in the middle of the album, it helps get the point across and provides some much needed downtime in an album that mostly just flies by.

The last two songs on the album are ones that are ok, but not strong enough to send the album off on. “Follower” is a driving rock song with a repeated hook, that just doesn’t do much for me. It’s upbeat and sounds cool, but would have done better to build up the album before all the great songs that came before it. And “Count of Unease” sounds like Steven’s most uninspired ballad. No strong hook, no big finish. Final ballads are usually his specialty, but it feels so out of place at the end, and you wish there was a “Happy Returns” you could leave off with.

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This would be the end of the normal review, but I quickly want to grow through all the leftover songs that appear on other formats.

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On the Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set:

CD:

1. “Personal Shopper (Extended)” – an almost 20 minute version of the song to get lost in. Complete with Elton’s part done twice.

2. “Unself (Long Version)” – honestly doesn’t add much, but probably would have been a better build up/transition to the album.

3. “Ha Bloody Ha” – feels more like older Steven Wilson music, and definitely would have been out of place on this album.

4. “Move Like a Fever” – maybe my favorite song to have gotten left off. Dark, danceable, and has really cool sequencing. Hypnotic and memorable. Could have replaced “Follower”.

5. “King Ghost (Extended)” – Steven heard my request and made a longer, more chill version of this already great ambient song.

6. “I Am Cliche” – lives up to its name as the most generic sounding song thus far. A beat that sounds like it could have been for “Eminent Sleaze”, lack of catchy chorus, and a guitar riff that is ok, but I can see why it was left off of the main disc.

7. “Wave the White Flag” – this feels like what “King Ghost” could have been. Lots of similarities, but instead it’s done in that late 90s/early 2000s Porcupine Tree style when Radiohead was a big influence on Steven. Great track.

8. “Eminent Sleaze (Extended)” – another extended dance version like the other two we’ve had on this disc for far. The track takes its time to build on itself and contains all your favorite parts from the original.

9. “In Pieces” – A dark but driving track that has a lot of Depeche Mode influence. Interesting melodies, keyboard arpeggios, and murky guitar tones.

10. “Every Kingdom Falls” – In my opinion, would have been the better closing ballad instead of “Count of Unease”. Darker and sadder, and has that strong Tom Yorke feel. Also shorter and more to the point.

Cassette Tape:

1. “Anyone But Me (Demo)” – A Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra-ish pop song with backing vocals and harmonies, and a familiar chord progression that we’ve heard in countless songs, but all of the familiarity helps the point of the song and drives it’s lyrics and catchy chorus home. Supposedly, the official version will get released in its own format, maybe as a tour only edition.

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On the Eminent Sleaze Single (Released on CD and Vinyl)

1. “Eyewitness” – Another track that could have replaced “Follower” in my opinion. 80s dance beats mixed with Tangerine Dream keyboard sounds and backup female vocals.

2. “In Floral Green” (Lonely Robot Cover) – an excellent cover of a very Steven Wilson like song. A spacey ballad by John Mitchell, also known from the bands Frost*, Kino, Arena, and It Bites.

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From the 12 Things I Forgot Single (released as a vinyl only)

1. “Move Like a Fever (Alternate Version) ” – an extended version (2 minutes longer) of the already great song that can be found on the bonus disc of the album. The definitive version of the song in my opinion.

2. “King Ghost (Tangerine Dream Remix)”- If you thought the song was ambient to start with, this is an extended version by one of the great ambient artists of all time. Exactly what any fan of both artists could want!

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Released on the Ultra Deluxe Version of the album, limited to just one copy.

1. “The Tastemaker” – released as a one sided 7” single, and graciously shared by its owner who also made a video to it. It’s a quick and easy song that expands on the sound and lyrics of “Eminent Sleaze”, without as many falsettos. Not worth £10,000 in my opinion (I’m joking of course, as I know the boxset came with way more than just this one song), but we are very fortunate that it fell in the hands of someone who actually released it to the public. Cheers to you Alan!

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And that’s my review. It may not be close to being my favorite Steven Wilson album, but it provides many great songs that will fit well into his already amazing live shows, and the bonus material provided us with a wealth of material, so it’s not just the quick 40 minute album that we look to. I definitely would not want Steven to stick to a specific sound. The beauty has always been watching him try his hand at everything. I’m sure if the next one sounds very different, it would silence the haters of this one. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.

Genesis – A Trick of the Tail (1976)

By 1976, Genesis was already a leading figure in the Progressive Rock scene, thanks to 6 albums, 5 of which are Prog Essentials. After their commercial flop of a debut album, they began their streak with Trespass in 1970. These albums showcased that the band was able to put whatever they could possibly fathom onto a record. They created a number of Prog classic songs, and they were also able to establish themselves as a wildly entertaining and unexpected live act.

This was part of the somewhat flamboyant and over-the-top persona of Peter Gabriel, which like Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull was prog’s answer to the emerging Glam Rock genre, which gave way for the likes of David Bowie. And it very much worked for Genesis, as the quirky singer matched their musical technicality and proficiency.

This was most obviously achieved in the form of their 1974 double album, and a Prog opera reminiscent of Tommy by The Who, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I won’t go too into this one because I’ll probably be tackling it soon, but it was the perfect example of the band’s cinematic and play-like stage performance coming to fruition through their music. Unfortunately it was not a big hit at the time, despite later achieving cult classic status, and may have played a very small role in the departure of Peter Gabriel, amongst other things.

So, with the band trying to follow up this album, they now had to prove that they could still write a hit even after the lineup change. They quickly got to writing new material and listened to many audition tapes for replacement singers. But it was the band convincing Phil Collins to sing the song “Squonk” that brought about his transfer from drummer to singer.

Now luckily, the music was still in the band’s style as some of the pre-Lamb albums, so the band found that the music came together quickly. Phil did his best Peter impression vocally while still finding and discovering his voice. But he was also inspired by Peter’s lyrical approach. The albums blends some songs of a tongue-in-cheek nature, with some that are fantastic and whimsical, and even some that are more serious and poetic.

This demonstrated all the facets of the band, and the music naturally followed suit. What this album does is kind of act as a showcase, not only acting as the transitional album between Peter and Phil, but also of Genesis past, present, and future. It has the progressive songs of the past but also greatly foreshadowed the pop sound of Genesis to come. Even though there was still one more Prog album left out of these guys before the drastic tonal change of …And Then There Were Three…. in 1978, it still has some of the bands poppiest, catchiest, and most melodic moments thus far into their career.

The album begins with an absolute classic. One of the best first songs on an album in my opinion. Listening to this, you instantly knew the band was going to be just fine. “Dance on a Volcano” has a memorable two part intro. Part playful, part orchestral, it has a unique transition to its frantic but controlled verse with gives way to its memorable “chorus” and “bridge” section. The song continues with some technical wizardry in the second half before transitioning smoothly into the second song.

“Entangled” is a beautiful ballad that provides some down time after the upbeat opening piece. It is 12 string driven acoustic song with a memorable verse and a beautiful chorus that is straightforward for its first 4 minutes. The last two and a half minutes are led by the synth, bass pedals, and the Mellotron. It’s hypnotic, and it’s simplicity is what makes it effective.

“Squonk” is a song about a mythical creature, but musically has been called one of the band’s heaviest songs. It is a deceptively simple song due to its subtle changes and its jam session ending, but it goes back and forth between two very catchy melodies, that can be seen as verse and chorus sections despite a lack of repeated lyrics. Phil has stated that his drums were inspired by John Bonham, and they definitely stand out on this track.

“Mad Man Moon” would be the other most progressive tune on this album aside from “Dance on a Volcano” in my opinion. Starting out as a simple and beautiful ballad with a bright uplifting sounding chorus, it takes a left turn with its middle section in the form of an extended keyboard part before Phil Collins comes in with his fast paced vocal delivery. The song returns to its verse and chorus and ends very strongly.

Side 2 is more straightforward than side 1, and therefore might have some of the most memorable songs for the casual listener. It starts with “Robbery, Assault, and Battery” which sometimes feels like the odd song out in my opinion. It’s a fun one on its own, does a great job of telling a story, and it’s got its moments of catchiness as well as its progressive middle section where the band goes all out, but to me it doesn’t match up with the more serious and delicate songs.

“Ripples” for example, might be one the most beautiful things Genesis ever did. This 8 minute masterpiece doesn’t stray far from itself. The middle section fits well with its verses and choruses, and despite being the longest song, is one of the more straightforward tunes on the album. A gorgeous and lush sounding ballad that hints at later Genesis, as well as Phil’s solo career.

This is followed by the equally catchy but more upbeat title track, which also hints at these things to come. A very Beatles-esque, playful tune, that returns to lyrics of beasts as “Squonk” did. But it’s hook might even have you forget all about this as you patiently await to sing along with “they’ve got no horns and they’ve got no tail” part. This two songs really balance the album well, giving something for everyone.

Having accomplished an album with some pop sensibility, some beauty, and lots of technical musicianship, all that’s left is to go out with a bang, and that’s exactly what “Los Endos” is. An instrumental grand finale with parts of “Squonk”, “Dancing on a Volcano”, and a song that didn’t make it onto the album but was released as a b-side. They even through a nod to Peter Gabriel at the end. A fitting tribute to the past, and a fitting closure to an album that was looking onwards and upwards. It provides a rest in the sense that it doesn’t throw too much new information at you, after having to digest so much already, but properly closes out the album after the simplicity of the title track.

So, my overall thoughts on the album?

Revisiting it on vinyl a few times has made me appreciate songs that didn’t use to stand out to me. I always loved “Dancing on a Volcano”, “A Trick of the Tail”, “Entangled”, and “Ripples”. I now have more appreciation for “Squonk”, “Mad Man Moon”, “Los Endos”, and even for “Robbery, Assult, and Battery” despite what I said about it above.

There is a lot happening on this album. They cover a lot of ground and everyone gets their moment to shine. For a band who’s future was uncertain, they passed the test with flying colors. Many fans still view this as their favorite album and rightly so. The production was much better than previous albums and you get the best of both worlds with Phil paying tribute to Peter while showing his own strengths. The band is at the top of their game and their songwriting really shows it, with its balance of melody, harmony, and showmanship.

Off the top of my head, this is always my go to as favorite albums by them, but we’ll see if some in depth revisits of their older albums change that. As a whole, my only gripe is that I usually start to fatigue around the midway point, but the last three songs pick up so strongly that it quickly hides any of that away. Otherwise, this is probably the closest Genesis got to a perfect album…

At least in my opinion.

Santana -Abraxas (1970)

Santana started out 1966 among the San Francisco psychedelic scene. Because of this, they were predominantly an instrumental jam band, with a few vocal covers in their rotation. The focus on song structure and hits was pushed by manager Bill Graham and Columbia records on the albums, but live was a whole different kind of animal. This was especially seen in their 1969 Woodstock performance.

Their debut album had 4 instrumentals, and two hits with “Jingo” and “Evil Ways”, both cover songs. One of the instrumentals, “Soul Sacrifice” went on to be a concert staple. But the really perfected this format on their second album Abraxas. Blending the jazz/fusion with Latin instrumentals with cover songs, and a few originals, Abraxas has become one of Santana’s most endearing albums over their extremely long career.

With a name that was inspired by the book Demian, and in turn comes from Greek mythology, this is just one of three albums from the classic Woodstock lineup. Subsequent albums would see many tonal and experimental changes. From deeper emphasis on jazz and Latin styles, to a return to focusing on commercial success (whether or not it actually happened) in the 80s and 90s. It and Santana III were arguably the last big hits for Santana until the cultural phenomenon that was Supernatural in 2006, 36 years later, which ushered in an era of artist collaborations.

So, looking at a legacy that wasn’t matched for such a long period of time, let’s look at the individual songs and see what makes this album unique. The instrumental intro “Singing Winds/Crying Beasts”, which was written solely by percussionist and occasional keyboard player Michael Carabello, it slowly and softly builds like a dream, eventually giving way to the next song. I love when albums start like this, giving the listener a little time before it builds, much like their live jams would have done. It lets you know the band is in control.

This goes straight to “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen”, which needs no introduction. Seriously, if you haven’t heard this, stop reading this and listen to it now. The first half of this medley is an instantly recognizable cover of a 1968 Fleetwood Mac song from the Peter Green era of the band. One of those instances where the cover completely overshadowed the original. The second half of the medley is a Gábor Szabó cover. The transition is done so beautifully and seamless that it’s surprisingly to find out they are two separate covers put together.

This one-two combo isn’t over yet, because the next song is another huge hit for the band with “Oye Como Va”, originally by Tito Puente. I always found this song interesting because it is a jazz structure in the context of the song. Pop music follows “verse-chorus- verse-chorus” structure with occasional intros, outros, interludes, or bridges. Jazz predominantly follows the “head-solo-head” structure, or:

Main melody, solos, main melody again.

If Carlos Santana has already proved himself on the album (which he has, 2 songs in), the drums and keys really get to shine here. But these covers are just a preview of what this band can do, so if you think the album is a slouch after the hits, you’re definitely wrong.

“Incident at Neshabur” is an all out jam session, building upon what the first few songs accomplished and putting it into overdrive. It is one of my favorites on the album, which is hard to say with such great choices. It goes through multiple sections, with moments of progressive rock and jazz fusion. Everyone really gets their moment to shine, from the fast drumming at the beginning to the full sounding bass tone when it gets smooth and slow towards the end. It is a fitting closure to side 1.

Side 2 starts out with its own intro so to speak, in the form of “Se Acabo”. It is short, straight-forward and full of energy. It transition between some of the longer and more fleshed out tunes. It has a simple and repeated phrase of “se acabo”/“it’s over”, which despite its quick come and go placement of the studio album, was extended live. This was probably fueled by its easy audience involvement/crowd participation. An instance of this from 1970 appears on 1998 reissue of the CD.

“Mother’s Daughter” is a fun 60s psychedelic upbeat tune that reminds me of Eric Burden, whether in War or The Animals. It also reminds me of Cream, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and Iron Butterfly. It’s warm and fuzzy in terms of tones, danceable, clever lyrics, and is straightforward for almost four minutes before Carlos goes on one of his tangents (in a good way of course).

From here, the album goes into its third most well-known tune (at least in rock radio standards), and that is “Samba Pa Ti”. A beautiful instrumental guitar ballad by Carlos, it reminds me of the work of Jeff Beck in a Latin style, and was probably one of the influence for the guitar shred genre of Satriani and Vai in the 1980s. Letting the guitar do the talking, it provides the melodies of the different sections, has been covered so many times, and is a staple of the band.’s live performances. Though, I will say, I prefer live recordings of it, or even some covers, because the original is not the best I’ve heard. It has weird overdubs with different guitar tones that are weird to my ears, and unfortunately take me out of the song. Aside from this gripe, definitely one of the best of side 2 of the album.

The last actual song of side 2 and the album is “Hope You’re Feeling Better”. This is a funky, heavy, dark tune which reminds me of Deep Purple, Funkadelic, and Faith No More all at the same time! (Don’t ask me how). It’s got a great organ tone, great vocal performance, wonderful middle section and a ripping guitar solo (surprise surprise).

The album ends with “El Nicoya“, which is only about a minute and a half. Really all it is is just drums and vocals. It feels very traditional in sound and style. Not a rock formation song at all. But unfortunately it just comes and goes, and not in the way that “Se Acado” does. That at least had a bit of a lasting impression between songs. But this doesn’t really do much for the album. All it does is make it so the album doesn’t just end after “Hope You’re Feeling Better”s final stop. They could have really done something with this. Some kind of lasting impression. Instead it just fades away.

That, “Se Acabo” being so short, and the odd overdubs on “Samba Pa Ti” are really my only complaints on the album. Love how it starts, the hits are hits for a reason, and the deep cuts are incredibly surprising, in terms of how talented the band was and in terms of how diverse some of these songs really are. Definitely worthy of its legendary status, and makes me want to review their first and third album as well. Small gripes on this album. It was so close to being 100% perfect.

2016 Album Review #20

Entheos – The Infinite Nothing (Artery Records)

Last year, Entheos released their debut EP, Primal. The album was well received because it combined the talents of drummer Navene Koperweis, formerly of Animals As Leaders, bassist Evan Brewer, formerly of The Faceless, guitarist Frank Costa, formerly of Animosity, and vocalist Chaney Crabb, formerly of the band Systems. The EP demonstrated the band’s ability to switch between deathcore and technical death metal with hints of electronic music and even hints of jazz-fusion. The EP also left people wanting more. Entheos was quick to deliver, and just over a year later released their full-length, The Infinite Nothing. This album continues where the EP left off, but as expected, everything sounds more refined in the context of a full-length album. The album starts with “Perpetual Miscalculations”, which starts out in full force with slapped bass and technical drumming before switching over to a more groove oriented feel complete with electronic sounds. “New Light” is filled with great riff after great riff before switching over to a straight up electronic section that sounds more at home on an Animals As Leaders album, but somehow they are able to make it fit and flow perfectly. The guitars solos are really a stand out for me on this album. They are soulful and full of beautiful tones. They never feel forced and compliment the songs very well. “The Infinite Nothing” contains a wonderful melodic section in the middle with a chugging guitar riff and keyboard sounds that mimic strings, before returning to the chaos of the rest of the song. The band has a way of making the songs and the album as a whole stay interesting, and have a way of making sure the focus and attention is constantly switching from member to member. Evan has a great bass part a the beginning of “Terminal Stages of Nostalgia”, and “An Ever-Expanding Human” goes back and forth from electronic music to jazz fusion. There is no shortage of great guitar solos on this album, and I really appreciate that. There is also no shortage of pulverizing riffs that will work great in a live setting. Overall, I enjoyed this debut album and found it hard to stop listening to it over and over.

-Jordan Salfity

2016 Album Review #17

Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas – Mariner (Indie Recordings)

In 2013, Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna released Vertikal, a concept album heavily inspired by such asMetropolis to explore themes of industrial cities. That album has remained one of my favorite albums of all time, and I was eager to know what the band was going to do next. So when I heard that their next project was collaboration with American singer Julie Christmas, and would be a concept album about space exploration based on movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, I already knew that it was going to be a contender for album of the year.

Julie Christmas is famous for her work with Made Out of Babies and Battle of Mice, but has not sung on a full album since her solo album The Bad Wife in 2010. Her vocal style is fragile and haunting. It actually reminds me a lot of Adam Fisher (Fear Before the March of Flames/Orbs/All Human) who is one of my all time favorite singers. I knew her voiced matched with Cult of Luna would create a quite a unique experience. Needless to say, this album delivers.

“A Greater Call” starts off with a beautiful almost three-minute intro before a combination of Julie’s cleans and Cult of Luna’s trademark yells come into play, bringing the song into full effect. This is one of my favorite songs released by either project, as it is sludgy and mysterious at the same time. “Chevron” features industrial like fuzzy bass playing while Julie takes full control of the vocals. She shows the diversity of her voice, eventually going from high shrieks to beautiful melodies towards the end. “The Wreck of S.S. Needle” might be the darkest track on the album, reminding me a lot of some of the atmospheric sections of Vertikal.

And while the 8 to 9 minute songs were already epic, the album closes with a 13- minute and a 15-minute track that show the band and Julie’s ability to jam while simultaneously going back and forth from soft to heavy within the context of a song. Overall, it is an incredible album that is not for the faint of heart. When tackled, it is a rewarding experience.

– Jordan Salfity

Official Site: http://cultofluna.squarespace.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultoflunamusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Julie-Christmas

Bandcamp: https://juliechristmas.bandcamp.com/