Week Of 6/5 - Psychedelic Rock, Hip Hop, EBM, Industrial, Gothic Rock

Late post today... for no reason other than it's late. Lots of different records, I digitized a number of records because I had the time for it. A lot of recently added albums, and two albums from way back in the day...

New And Recent Releases:

Fear Factory
The Industrialist
Label: Candlelight USA
Released: 6/5 2012
Genre: Idustrial Rock

Fear Factory have been around for a long time and with this record they're down to two of the original core members - Bell and Cazares - and the sound is still pretty much the same. A little more refined, but just as hard, just as industrial with pounding drums and grinding guitars. I haven't bought a Fear Factory album in ten years to be honest, Digimortal being the last one I bought. But I have caught songs through the 2000s, and nothing really impressed me. This feels like a return to form, while never having really left the form to begin with. It's good, solid, hard, indusitral-rock and an excellent album.

Solillaquists Of Sound
The 4th Wall Part 1
Label: Self-Released ( http://solilla.bandcamp.com/ )
Released: 6/2 2012
Genre: Hip Hop

The long awaited third full album from this hip-hop outfit, and it's as excellent as the first two. Their sound is evolving, production is getting better. DiVinci is still creating some excellent beats, some very traditional some almost metal in sound. And the lyrics are both spot on culture statements, and flow really really well. It's just great music. If you manage to pick up one of the few hard copies from their website directly they send a link to the instrumental only version of the album, which makes for great ambient music.

The Black Angels
Watch Out / I'd Rather Be Lonely
Label: Blue Hoirzon
Released: 4/21 2012
Genre: Psychedelic Rock

A two track single put out on Record Store Day 2012, on orange vinyl no less. It comes with a 3 track download that includes a cover of The Zombies She's Not There. The first two tracks are pretty good, but it's their cover song that's really good. They really nail the original while not directly copying it. I really do like these guys, and can't wait to see what they do with their next album.

32Crash
Hyperreal
Label: Black Rain / Alfa Matrix
Released: Early 2012
Genre: EBM

A six track remix record for the Y2112Y album, there is a digital download version with 8-tracks. All the remixes don't deviate too far away from the originals, which were pretty decent dance tracks themselves. The members of 32Crash are amongst the original EBM scene and know the style down without going backwards. 32Crash is definitely forward style and the remixes are solid work. The vinyl is definitely for hard core collectors, and I believe a very low number were made. The digital album, with the two bonus tracks, is excellent.

Adding To The Collection:

KMFDM
More & Faster
Label: Wax Trax!
Released: 1989
Genre: Industrial

A three track 12" from KMFDM right before they broke through and started to help put industrial music on the map. This was really before they added guitars into the mix. The first track, Rip The System, is typical KMFDM chant against the system. More & Faster is now typical KMFDM personal defacement. And then the B-Side Naff Off is studio outtake gone almost too far. It's all classic KMFDM and the tracks are all still available in other places now, at the time, this was an awesome record.

The March Violets
Natural History
Label: Rebirth
Released: 1984
Genre: Gothic Rock

The first full album from this classic Goth Rock band from the UK. Part of the first wave of UK Gothic Rock, they lasted about 6 years before breaking up. But this album, is all classic club rock. I'm not sure if this was ever released on CD (sources say no). Technically, this is just the first 4 singles they put out and some tracks from an 83 John Peel session. But, in the US it's pretty much all you could get. Which means this little addition is a piece of history that really can't be shared unless you got it back in the day or search for it now (it's not too hard to find...).

Next Week:
The new Bouncing Souls, Pandora Celtica christmas album (when better than June!), both Kill Bill soundtracks, and a compilation of modern Torch songs.

Week Of 12/20 - Industrial, Dubstep, Psychedelic Rock, House

Late, blame the holidays.

New Releases:
Caustic - Justin Beaber's Never Say Never
Label: Self Released
Released: 12/20 2011
Genre: Industrial
Caustic gave away this free digital remix EP on his website. It's... a remix EP. Nothing massively interesting here, but it does include his awesome cover of Oxyacetalene. Beyond that, good for completionists.


Adding To The Collection:
The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Label: Blue Horizon
Released: 2010
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
More from the Black Angels this week. This second album isn't nearly the tribute to Vietnam that their debut album was. Still, they still have the late 60s down pat. The whole album reverbs around, sticking firmly to the rock and roll genre without wavering or faltering.  An excellent piece of rock, but nothing really sticks out above the others. It's just a solid offering all around with no hidden gems, but no clunkers either. Overall, definitely the better of the two albums, a little more experience show through here.

Nero - Welcome Reality
Label: Cherry Tree / Interscope Records
Released: 2011
Genre: Dubstep
From early 2011 before Skrillex's manic style took over. This feels more like the electro combination of Daft Punk and any standard House beats. The female vocals reach back and pull up a lesson from 1990s Trip Hop as well, effortlessly mixing all the styles into a dubstep sound. For all that, it's good in a generic 'toss it in the mix' kind of way. Doomsday is a bit of a heavy bass track, after that though it all kind of mixes together into something good but not great. It will be interesting to see their second album in the future, hopefully they get more adventurous and expand on the sound while keeping the trip-hop style vocals present.

Tabla Beat Science - Live In San Fransisco At Stern Grove
Label: Axiom Records
Released: 2002
Genre: House, Indian Traditional
This one I love, the first half is almost nothing but traditional sounds, tabla and vocals take up most of it. Very little of the Indian House you expect from some of the players here is evident - Karsh Kale,  DJ Disk and Midival Punditz leave it very light. Karsh plays all percussion here, none of his normal house stuff. The second half takes off with a lot of house, scratch, and more DJ influence, in a very nice mix. I don't even know where one track ends and another starts, and don't need to. It all blends so well as a live set that it might as well be a continuous mix album. This album is worth tracking down just for the performances on the tabla alone, really excellent live set.

Fabric Live 37 - Caspa & Rusko
Label: Fabric
Released: 2007
Genre: Dubstep, Electro
Speaking of Continuous mixes, this a joint effort from Dubstep DJs Rusko and Caspa, just shy of thirty tracks of dubstep-house-dub continuous mixing. They range all over the dubstep spectrum from the 2007 era - which is less frantic and more paced. You can definitely hear the dub underpinnings in the heavily altered beats. This is the genre in its most pure and raw form, while it's still very underground, pulling from as many influences as it can. One of the better DJ mixes I own honestly, in any style of electronica. If you're trying to get into Dubstep, or just want an above average dubstep mix, find this and add it to your collection.


Bonus EP
The Crüxshadows - Christmas songs
Label: Self Released
For Christmas Rogue released three songs for download, one track celebrating his recently born daughter, and two more holiday songs of a more traditional bent. All three are good darkwave/goth takes on the holiday, very good slightly down tempo holiday songs to mix up the constant high pitched bells everyone else uses. A nice little present for the season.

Next week - Scottish Folk, Ambient, Arabic, and some modern Jazz from Japan, plus a surprise or two...