New and Recent Releases:
Private Sessions
Label: Rapid Fire Global Music
Released: 4/17 2012
Genre: Hard Rock
Latest release from the mid-west hard rockers, this album isn't quite a hard as some previous efforts, there's less thrash elements in it. Which isn't to say it's gone soft rock, it's still a solid piece of hard rock, almost metal in some cases. Julie's voice continues to be top-notch in the genre, very few singers match her pure-rock voice. Definitely a vocalist that comfortable in the genre, keeping it all on track. The special bonus-release comes with a hidden cover of Heaven's On Fire, a great cover that shows Hydrogyn have the ability to keep true to a cover and still add their own signature. I love the energy in their songs, definitely one of the better hard-rock acts (with male or female vocals) on the scene today. A pure no-holds-barred take on rock'n'roll.
Awoken Broken
Label: Spinefarm Records
Released: 4/17 2012 (US) (March 2012 in Europe)
Genre: Heavy Metal
I actually had this one for a little bit, picking it up upon release in Europe direct from What Records, but held onto it waiting for the US debut. Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith (one of my favorite bands ever) and Bassist/Vocalist Mikee Goodman of Sikth (a band I don't like at all) teamed up to produce this... And I can't tell if it's genius or trash, or maybe a little of both. The music is awesome, Adrian and Mikee make an awesome team with their respective instruments. From that point of view the album is a monster of ingenuity and power. It's Mikee's vocals that drive me a little crazy. He's actually a pretty good singer - he just can't settle on a style, either singing, screaming, shouting, growling, or whatever, every song changes up way too often. Which is what eventually drags this album down a little bit into the mud. Were it not for that, this would easily be one of the better modern metal albums I've heard.
Echoes In Retrospect
Label: self-released (www.hydrogenskyline.com)
Released: Early 2012
Genre: Gothic Rock, Ethereal
Debut full album from the Colorado based group, it's very light and airy, almost. They don't forget the importance of a good fuzzy guitar in rock, but it's definitely the lighter side of Gothic Rock, less punk-rock loud and more Bauhaus ephemeral. Like taking the best of the 80s batcave scene and mixing it with the best of the 90s electronic-goth scene. Like the single, I'm deeply reminded of Sky Cries Mary, which is a nice thing, rarely does anyone capture that mix of heavy and soft like Hydrogen Skyline have here. Warning though, if you listen to this while tired the lead vocals will put you right to sleep, her voice is smooth and clear, making it over the music without shouting at you. I definitely hope they continue down this road in the future.
Adding To The Collection:
To Kill A King
Label: Alfa-Matrix
Released: 2005
Genre: Trip-Hop, Darkwave
Most of my exposure to Hungry Lucy was off this album, so I figured I'd start here now that I've gotten around to actually adding albums to my collection (also conveniently their debut album). I am not disappointed with a full album of listening, very dark and sensual. Crista Belle's vocal style manages to be clear and loud while still feeling soft and intimate - a testament to production quality as well as her singing. Blending late 90s Trip-Hop styles with Goth/Darkwave environments has created an amazing collection of songs. The album itself tells a, more or less, complete narrative story, and blends so well that I'll often forget to differentiate songs while listening.
Dog Party (In The Key Of Swinging Cats)
Label: self-released (www.pandoraceltica.com)
Released: 2009
Genre: A Cappella
The debut release from PC, you can tell that by the time they got into a studio they'd be singing together a decent amount of time. A collection of sea chanties and battle songs, not a surprising move there. One thing I really like about Pandora Celtica is the harmony. No one voice runs away with a song, leaving the others to the background. Too many A Cappella groups feel the need for a lead-vocal and the vocal-band behind them. A good group is a fully harmonized collection - and that's what this group is. The subject matter, though, is a bit specialized to filking, theme parties and conventions, which is not a bad thing at all. It's just not an album to just put on in the background, unless you're into into that, then it is.
Next Week:
I've loaded up a massive 61-track compilation in the genre of "kitchen sink" (little bit of everything), as such I've only added the weeks new release - some very... well, different hip-hop, and an Industrial EP from last month I almost forgot I downloaded.
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