NOFX - Self Entitled Review

Fat Mike and his Jew-punk wrecking crew are back.

The advertising for this album hasn't been overwhelming by any means. It was available to order only a matter of days after I even realised it was on its way. Some may blame NOFX for being lazy and resting on their laurels, but if you have such a solid fan base and such a lengthy and prosperous career as these guys, I think we can can forgive them.

The output has been mixed since the glory days, but admittedly there has been a lot of it and they have been slaving away at it for longer than most. Come on, Coaster without the opening track may as well be a fucking coaster (I think that was intended!), even though it would remind me of the bitter disappointment every time I have my morning brew, not a good start to the day.

One thing missing on this record – a dub/reggae song. Some of the established live classics have been 'Kill All The White Man' and 'Eat The Meek', so where's our mellow tune eh? These songs are so much better than the cheesy acoustic song that so many bands feel they must include on an album to show depth or maturity. These guys do it because its fun!

The clever and inspired song writing is still there, as well as the comedy tunes. The last song which was previously released 'Xmas Has Been X'ed' always makes me chuckle. A song about the cancellation of Christmas and celebrating Hanukkah instead coming from these chaps has got to be good. '72 Hookers' is funny, like all good songs about selling your body for money are, but the message pleading for peace prevails and makes it a success. 'Ronnie & Mags' – with the flip it on its head chorus and political nostalgia never fails to entertain.

OK OK, some of it is punk-by-numbers (see 'Secret Society'). You can't deny Self-Entitled has the pubescent whine which made us fall in love with this quirky band way back in the early 90's. The perky polished punk, with the subtle melancholy that was established on Punk In Drublic remains gloriously accessible. However without the dire song writing on some of the other more recent efforts (*cough* Coaster) it might not seem so amazing as we first thought. 

Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind Review

Words sometimes falter to capture the music of Converge. The fact they have been on top of their game and massively in the public eye since the painfully emotional but beautifully heavy Jane Doe means that most writers in our little niche of the journalistic world have already exhausted all angles and opinions. However the task lies with us writers to dissect and probe the latest effort from the band.

The opener 'Aimless Arrow' simmers and bubbles and shows massive restraint as it builds up for the orgasmic release that is 'Tresspass'. An absolute behemoth of a tune, this is the 'Dark Horse', 'Locust Reign' and 'Bitter and Then Some' of this album. Its a song addicted to forward motion and one of the simplest yet heaviest riffs you'll hear this side of 2012.

There seems to be an almost evil atmosphere to this album at times. Previous efforts before have dipped with pain and sadness, but this if anything is an angrier Converge and more a more vengeful one – tracks such as 'Sadness Comes Home', 'Sparrow's Fall' and 'At Glacial Pace' are the stuff of nightmares. Then it is ruined by the pomp of 'Vicious Muse', which sounds like a fucking Cancer Bats song, no bad thing but a little lazy! Then the Mastodon like opening introduces 'Coral Blue', which holds its own despite the trendy nod, but again remains a little uninspired.

No matter how supreme the quality, the ever-evolving art of such a mega band like Converge will always attract detractors just because they are pigeon holed as not metal. Well boo-hoo I say. Fuck 'em. Don't know what they are missing. Less assholes at Converge shows! Still this is a must-listen as it always has been with Converge, but not up there if you look back down the timeline.

Related Links:

www.convergecult.com

Converge and Friends Cover 'Wolverine Blues'

Exciting news from the Converge camp today people: They have recorded five interpretations of 'Wolverine Blues' by the mighty death metal beast that is Entombed. Exciting is an understatement when you learn who does the vocals for said tracks:
1. Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom)
2. Jacob Bannon
3. Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy etc.)
4. Nate Newton
and..
5. Kurt Ballou & Tomas fucking Lindberg! (At The Gates, Disfear, Lock Up etc)

That's correct. Tompa himself, Mr Midas in the world of metal and hardcore, Swedish master covers Swedish classic! The tracks are all available to stream at the official Converge website.

http://www.convergecult.com/news/55/

Clutch - Earth Rocker gets the THR treatment

Why will people review the new Clutch album telling you it is awesome?

Why? I'll tell you why. The last track on the album, is the BEST TRACK on the album. Coincidentally it is the longest, but this beauty will more than likely be the last that a reviewer or blogger will hear and give them a skewed perspective. I too have been guilty of this in the past, I may have gone haywire when I heard the last track 'Centric Flow' by Obscura on Cosmogenesis. The walls were painted with figurative spaff. The album turned out to be a belter anyway, but the mind-game was there. Beware!

So to the rest of Earth Rocker. What it lacks in catchy songs, it makes up for with a raw rocking energy. Free range rock-n-roll unlike the battery farmed shite that pollutes the airwaves like Biffy Clyro, 30 Seconds To Mars and other such ball ache. Your average Clutch fan will turn the inside of their undies white at the sound of such amazing songs as 'Crucial Velocity'.

There is an inevitable slow and melancholy song on the album a la 'Regulator', but 'Gone Cold' isn't there as a filler. It is a heart felt, stripped down and intimate moment with the band and definitely one to cherish.  It absorbs you so much you almost forget the rocking antics of the first half.

The finale 'The Wolf Man Kindly Requests...', apart from having that effortlessly cool title, is a testament to the new ideas that come into the fray here on Earth Rocker. From the cheek wobbling antics of the title track at the beginning to the sudden change of tempo and pulsing heaviness in the aforementioned last song, its shows Clutch are not phased by the challenge of creating something fresh.

I have been soul-searching, racking my brain, trying to figure out why this record just comes short of top dollar, 10/10. Which according the cheese-merchants in Hollywood, involves staring across beautiful sunset lake scenes or introspectively looking out a window into pouring rain. It may be due to songs like 'Oh, Isabella' which is a fleeting moment of weakness. Clutch do have the gritty edge, but the beards, the hooks and the attitude may attract assholes, getting in on this slice of accessible underground while its still fresh is the key boys and girls.

Related Links:

www.pro-rock.com

Wolves In The Throne Room Two Hunters Review

This is my first post so surely it would make sense to share and old review right? Yeah we'll go with that!

Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters (Southern Lord)

Bleak and black metal is the order of the day regarding Olympia, WA's Wolves in the Throne Room. From the outset, WITTR have a rather different ideology to your standard black metal band. The band explore the extremity of true devotion to a minimalist and environmentally sound lifestyle. This is a stark contrast to the nihilistic and misanthropic values of many BM bands, however the essence of true commitment whether it be to abstinence orientated or hate-fuelled paradigms is one thing WITTR have in common with the majority.

Two Hunters, the band's 2007 release on the prolific Southern Lord label is less menacing and more mournful and reflective than the previous album, Diadem of 12 Stars. The essence of their naturalistic approach is encapsulated well with the solemn ebb and flow of tremolo riffing and delicately adorned with a constant low hiss that adds a dreamlike, eldritch quality to the music. This is not your average shitty demo black metal sound that resembles an angry bee buzzing around in a metal dustbin, this is of a higher order.

After the forlorn intro 'Dea Artio', 'Vastness and Sorrow' has an air of hope after five minutes of despondency. Accompanied by a change of pace, this gives the track real intent and urgency. It may weigh in at over 12 minutes but each riff and construct is perfectly timed to deter tediousness.

As with 2006’s Diadem of 12 Stars, the female vocals included interfere with rather than elate the songs. The third track of four is 'Cleansing,' a moment of clarity before another long monologue in the form of 18 minute epic 'I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks And Roots'. The former is divided into two halves with the first containing mesmerising female vocals, which weaken the song after a while, however not as much as the songs on the 2006 album.

WITTR walk a well trodden path that originates from the works of Burzum and Darkthrone in the early 90's. It may seem a strain to create anything of significance or relevance in this vein as it has been well helmed by other bands since the forefathers, such as Forgotten Tomb, Shining, Abyssic Hate and Xasthur. In spite of this WITTR have created a moving and powerful opus that is familiar in one sense but has its own distinct aura making Two Hunters a peculiar and hypnotic entity. Highly recommended.

Related links: www.wolvesinthethroneroom.com

www.myspace.com/wolvesinthehroneroom

Originally posted on Blistering.com