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clockworkouroboros · 4 years

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I’m back talking about The Amazing Devil, babey! Specifically, the album Love Run. It’s time for some wild crazy analysis that will tie together a whole bunch of songs on the album (not all of them, unfortunately) and ultimately prove that Love Run is possibly even more connected than The Horror and the Wild.

Some warnings: I don’t know if this counts as analysis so much as me just crying into the Internet void about the way these songs reference each other? If you’re in the TAD discord server, then you’ve probably seen me scream about this topic before; this is just for posterity. And again, Joey and Madeleine, if you see this, I’m doing my best and I need you both to know that your music has successfully driven me insane. I love it.

Where to start? First of all, there’s a huge theme of communication, breaking up, and regret. What do I mean by this? Well, let’s start with that first one: communication.

In Shower Day, the entire song is about what these people aren’t saying to each other. “Would’ve stayed if you’d had asked, but instead you just walked past.” “Never say how much you missed her, or that you kissed her sister.” Even when things are being communicated, it’s from the past tense, like the singer is looking back on something that has ended. (“You’re the one who told me my hair looked better black, and you’re the one who told me to never look back. You’re the one who asked me if I’m feeling okay, I said, ‘I’m fine. It’s just a sitting down in the shower day.’”) The bridge of the song is literally “For chrissake just say something,” repeated over and over. This isn’t necessarily subtle. The whole point of the song is wanting to be there for someone, but leaving because they aren’t saying anything.

(An interesting — to me, anyway — tangent: check “you’re the one who told me to never look back” with “whatever you do, don’t turn round” in Pruning Shears. One of Pruning Shears’ “don’t turn round” moments is also repeated underneath some incredible vocal riffs in Pray, with “don’t turn round, darling.” This essay thing isn’t about that, but it’s cool.)

Now, where does this communication theme continue? In Little Miss Why So. This isn’t in the lyrics, but those of you with good hearing and speakers will have caught Joey singing very quietly near the end of the song, “For chrissake just say something,” echoing Shower Day. This song is primarily about depression, but a big part of it is about poor communication. The “he” in LMWS talks too much, wants to help, but he’s so busy talking that Little Miss doesn’t say anything and instead shuts him out, keeping him from her (“why won’t you let me follow in your footsteps as you trek into that underground world?”). The song ends with him leaving her. “He” arguably handles her depression badly, but he still cares about her: if you pay attention to her “stop asking why I’m sad just know, it’s enough to know I’m sad,” you can hear Joey singing “If I’m good will you come back?” underneath. In the context, it’s heartbreaking, like he thinks that he’s somehow to blame for her depression and wondering if he can fix it by being good enough.

The breakup that occurs during LMWS is also present in other songs: for example, in New York Torch Song, they sing, “I cannot find the words to keep you.” “If I’m good will you come back?” is most prominent in Two Minutes, and “come back” shows up in other songs, like King and Pruning Shears.

“Come back,” though, is less about the breakup and more about the third thing I mentioned: regret. The singer wants the other person back, whether it’s a non-depressed version of the other person, like in LMWS/Two Minutes, or there’s an actual breakup. Pruning Shears manages, more than any other song, to nail the heartbreak of the “come back” recurrence. Sure, it’s in the refrain, “come back, come back, we don’t have time to fuck around,” but it’s also in one of the verses. I’m including a screenshot of the lyrics from bandcamp; just know that they’re being sung at the exact same time, which is why I sometimes struggle to recite them from memory.

So the way this is all working out in my head is this: NYTS is the start (wedding bed, a general “fight the world” sort of attitude), LMWS ends with the breakup, Two Minutes is his point of view for the breakup, and Shower Day is afterwards, looking back at the whole thing. (“You’re the one who told me to never look back” vs later in the song, “well I’m looking back”). I’m not quite sure where Pruning Shears fits into this chronology, but it definitely ties in with the rest of the songs thematically.

The thing is, if I take the time (and I won’t because this is getting long as it is), I can tie in more songs. I once spent like thirty minutes on Discord just connecting King and Little Miss Why So. I think the connections get a little bit shakier when I try to fit more songs into this schematic, but it still works. The entire album is about this couple going through a breakup and regretting it. In my head, I have tenuous connections that string the whole album along this line of thought, but again, it’s shaky at best and this post is really long, so I won’t go down that rabbit trail.

Anyway, I need to get some sleep, because it’s after midnight and I work in the morning, but here are some scattered, slightly tired thoughts about a bunch of songs on Love Run. In general, I do think Love Run is more connected than The Horror and the Wild, because THatW is neat. It’s easy to show the connections and compartmentalize them, relatively speaking. In Love Run, it’s like an entire tangled mess of string, and what looked like one knot was actually closer to fifty.

TLDR: Love Run has an overall theme of communication or lack thereof, resulting in a breakup and regret. But hey, the last song is hopeful and pretty, so it won’t leave you feeling too broken inside!

#music #the amazing devil #emily’s tad rambles #love run

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works-of-magic · 3 years

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Music tastes!

It’s Jess again! I’ve been listening to a lot of good music lately, and I can’t help wanting to share what my main team’s Top 3 are! Of course my Pokemon can’t order music online by themselves; they don’t have access to my debit card. Even Mistress doesn’t have fingers to type! But between playing music while traveling, cooling off from a battle, soothing our nerves, processing heavy emotions, practicing for contests, cooking, cleaning, and sometimes just wanting to dance: all of my Pokemon are exposed to a wide range of music! Anything I play, they tend to listen to. But everyone has their own favorites, and that’s what I’ll be outlining here!

tl;dr - I love symphonic metal and orchestral rock but also enjoy soundtracks and EDM. - Ninetales loves power/progressive metal. - Excalibur likes classic rock and Broadway soundtracks. - Murky headbangs to 00′s alternative rock. - Missie dances her heart out to Top 40 music and Lindsey Sterling. - Mistress shares my taste in symphonic metal and folk music.

So a bit about where this passion for music started: Before I set off on my Pokemon journey, I was in my school’s show choir for 5 years. I also took piano lessons for 2 years, and my favorite instrument is the theramin. (I’ve never played one, but someday I’d like to learn how.) I also like the hydrophone (the horror movie sounds one), the hydraulophone, and the glass armonica. More typical instruments I like include the harp and music boxes. Music has always been an important part of my life, so naturally it remained a part of my daily routine when I set off on my Pokemon journey. I prefer to play it aloud and sing along, so my Pokemon are exposed to my music through proximity.

Nowadays, I listen to a somewhat broad range of music, but my favorite is symphonic metal! My absolute favorite band is Evanescence. (I know, I know. Put the pitchforks away. I’ve been listening to their new album all day, that’s part of what put me in the mood to share music.) Anyways, other favorites include Tarja and A|ex Da||iance, though my MP3 player has everything from J-Pop to classical to folk songs to soundtracks.

As for my team? Everyone’s individual tastes kind of shift and blend, crossing genre lines and even sometimes totally defying expectations.

Ninetales, for instance: Don’t let this fox fool you, he’s very calm and quiet, but he has a taste for adventure and loves music with lots of energy. His favorites are various metals, like power and progressive! He loves Dragonforce, Kamelot, and Alestorm.

Excalibur’s actually the one with the most mellow preferences. He likes 80′s rock ballads, gets really into Broadway soundtracks, even play-acts out musical dialogue scenes with me, and he’s enamored with musical movies.

Murky is fun: He loves the era of 2000′s rock and seeing him try to headbang with those big hat feathers is hilarious. He gets most into bands like Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, and Disturbed. (I don’t sing along with them very well, but to be entirely fair, neither does he. He still tries really hard, though.)

Missie will dance to practically anything, but she likes really bouncy music like Top 40 hits and Lindsey Sterling. I think she’s taking a liking to Within Temptation too, but it’s hard to tell if that’s more her preference or because Mistress lets some of her rare passion show to it, which draws her best Poke-friend into the experience.

Mistress shares my taste in symphonic metal, taking a particular liking to certain songs by Xandria and Epica. She also really likes Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and sometimes, if she likes a folk song or a sea shanty enough, she’ll sing along and add really neat overtones and sound effects to my mezzo soprano!

Other music you might hear us enjoying includes Danny Elfman, Delain, Edenbridge, Ghost, Good Charlotte, John Williams, Jonathan Coulton, Lacuna Coil, Midnight Syndicate, Muse, My Chemical Romance, Nightwish, Nox Arcana, Puffy AmiYumi, Red, Simple Plan, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Pretty much anything but country and rap. There’s way more but I think this list is already long enough, and I think you get the idea!

Anyone have any recommendations?

#about us #music

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secretradiobrooklyn · 4 years

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HALLOWEEN RADIO | 10.31.20

Secret Radio | Halloween special 10.31.20 | Hear it here.

Artwork by Paige, Liner notes by Evan except * means Paige

1. Sam the Sham - “Little Red Riding Hood” *

I had to make the case to Evan that this was a Halloween song, but I justify with the fact that 1.) this song uses the phrase “spooky ol’ woods” and 2.) many years ago, Sleepy Kitty played a festival on Cherokee Street that wasn’t a Halloween show but it happened to be the Saturday before Halloween. Recognizing our responsibility, we scrambled to throw together costumes and realized that if we just got a wolf mask and paws we already had everything in our wardrobes to throw together the Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs LP cover drawing of Red and the wolf. Evan says he doesn’t like Halloween but it’s only because once he commits, he commits completely. One of my favorite moments of the night was spotting Evan that night, several hours after our set in the afternoon, having a completely serious and sincere conversation with a friend – wolf nose and paws still intact. This was pre iPhone days, but I tracked down an image and I’m gonna put it on our fake radio insta. Thus, Little Red Riding Hood is in fact a Halloween song.

2. Roky Erickson - “I Walked with a Zombie”

Every year, reliably, Paige’s dad Ned tells us we should cover “I Walked with a Zombie,” and each year we somehow don’t do it. So this live version of the song is for him, just in case this is the closest we ever get.

Halloween tag

3. Steve Martin - Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack - “Dentist!”

Sure, an alarmingly large and hungry, sharp-toothed plant is scary. But is it as terrifying as a dentist who delights in the pain he inflicts? “I thrill when I drill a bicuspid” — shiver!

4. Hocus Pocus soundtrack - “Sarah’s Theme”

Our definition of a good Halloween movie is way less horrifying than it is lightly spooky, so “Hocus Pocus” is just about ideal for our purposes. This is the sound of Paige’s delighted Halloween youth… though we also just watched it again. Holds up!

5. The Beatles - “Mr. Moonlight”

Paige pointed out that this is essentially a religious song to the moon — a song of praise, devotion, and submission to a greater power.

6. Quasi - “Ghost vs. Vampire”

I know that Quasi has had a long and illustrious career, but my fandom is frozen at this pinnacle of mystical bummerness. I learned so much about being creatively sad from Sam Coomes.

7. Rocky Horror Picture Show - “Sweet Transvestite”

8. The Velvet Underground - “The Gift”

Didn’t realize this was a Halloween song until tonight. If Hitchcock is proper Halloween, which I vote a definite yes, then “The Gift” is ultra Halloween.

9. Bauhaus - “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”

I feel like I have to say psychic hello to my friend Joseph Grady, who first introduced me not just to the coolness of Peter Murphy but to the allure of vampires generally. I wore my nails and my coats long. We talked about what the vampires were up to that night. We had some truly perfect nights together.

10. The Bitter Tears - “Murdered at the Bar”

An invaluable prize from being in a certain scene in a certain set of years in Chicago with the School of the Art Institute crowd — grad and undergrad. We all loved this song, and 15 or so years later, “we all” turns out to be a very specific and much-loved crew of people I miss and love. Except for Chris Shea, who I love and get to hang out with here in the city. This song is for him especially.

11. Phantom of the Opera - Korean cast - “Point of No Return”

We had this epiphany accidentally. As I recall, we watched the movie version of “Phantom,” and I was distinctly not impressed, but then Paige put on the French-Canadian version and we were both fascinated by how different it was. That led us into Phantom Internationalé, wherein we just looked up versions from all over the world. It is amazing: each version is both militantly like and distinctly unique from the others. The Korean Phantom emerges as the most singular from among the versions we heard, and “Point of No Return” an emotional height.

Meet Me in St. Louis - “Tootie the Horrible”

One of the greatest Halloween scenes in the history of cinema in our book.

12. Donovan - “Season of the Witch”

13. “The Dweller of the Cave” * I Found this tape at my parents’ house this summer while we were delayed in Illinois between March and whenever the van got fixed and we drove back. Rediscovering this tape may be why you’re listening to this whole fake radio spooktacular tonight. Hi to Stewart and Jill.

14. Science Fiction Double Feature *

15. Dr. Who Theme Song*

16. Red Dwarf Theme Song*

The previous 3 songs were woven into a medley for Sleepy Kitty’s KMNR Freaker’s Ball. It’s one of life’s great pleasures for a band to play Freaker’s Ball, we literally wound around a wooded road to find some Elk’s Lodge or something full of college kids DECKED THE HECK OUT in EPIC COSTUMES ready to freakin’ get down. Never have I been closer to being the band in the prom scene of a 90s movie than at a Freaker’s Ball. We met some rad folks through the KMNR scene, and if I’ve ever told you about my custom vocal pedals, Colin of CroyTone Audio was one of those rad folks we met one of those magical nights. Also, raise your hand if your love Red Dwarf!

17. Ghostbusters

Paige: “I had this reflector, this flat reflector that was some scrap of something that Ned got from Honeywell. I would play Ghostbusters, and I was like: ‘This is a ghost trap.’ It was SO REAL to me. It was this flat reflector, like a bike reflector, and I would like, like, set traps. And I’d be like, ‘Don’t move my ghost trap!’ I would set the ghost trap, and it was like fishing for ghosts. But that was me playing. I would, like, wait. …I don’t know if it worked or not.”

“I’m not sure if this is me imagining this or not, but I’m pretty sure there was a day where I was like, ‘I feel like this trap’s not working.’ But I also feel like I was like, ‘But how would I know? They could be all inside. This is either full — or empty.’”

Vertigo soundtrack

18. The Fall - “Frightened”

“I don’t wanna dance, I wanna go home” — Fri-dund!

19. Goblin - “Zombi” Title Theme

20. Karen Elson - “The Ghost Who Walks”

I think we got this record at Third Man Records when we were playing in Nashville. Sean’s new residence!

Paige: “Karen Elson is tall, beautiful, an interesting musician, AND she has red hair. That’s crazy. What are the chances that you would have all of those things? Talk about a blue moon!”

21. Eartha Kitt - “I Want to Be Evil”

“The only etchings I’ve seen have been behind glass.”

22. Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts - “The Pigeon”

“Old skies you flapped through are no more.”

We would like to give a heartfelt hello to Yona Schimmel, mostly out of reach for now. We mourn every missed knish.

23. Scott Walker - “The Seventh Seal”

Paige didn’t know this was a movie, she thought this was just a cool song about a guy playing chess with death.

24. Groovie Ghoulies - “(She’s My) Vampire Girl”

I love that he puts two Bazooka Joe jokes right in the middle of the song.

25. Black Sabbath - “Paranoid”

Sometimes you need priests to summon spirits.

26. Fantasia - “A Night on Bald Mountain”

This is a song that seriously disturbed Paige when she was young. She thought that they did this whole demon thing every single Saturday. For me, it made such an impression that, when each of my young friends and I improvised who we were — “I’m Darth Vader!” “I’m a Cylon Raider!” my take was “I’m Night on Bald Mountain”! And I would open my arms wide and pretend that I was an entire sharp mountaintop transforming into a giant demon with wings, and I would always be the biggest and baddest and scariest creature of all, no matter what they thought. Bald Mountain beats Batman every time.

29. “Jump in the Fire”

Or as I say whenever the occasion warrants: “Jump in the show-AHH!”

28. Rogers & Hammerstein “Pore Jud Is Daid”

29. Barry Adamson - “Something Wicked This Way Comes”

I cannot recall what brought this album to my ears… I suspect it was something I got in my inbox when I worked at The Rocket. This whole album is full of heavy musical grooves and heavy mental movement. It’s a rare pleasure in

30. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, “I Put a Spell on You”

This is straight-up one of my favorite recordings of anyone ever. And when I eventually saw it enacted in “Stranger than Paradise,” I was blown away by how fundamentally Eastern European it sounds. Every sound he makes with his voice creates new characters.

31. The Shining, “Midnight, the Stars & You”

Happy halloween my friends, I wish we were all at an otherwordly dance together.

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dovelikewar · 7 years

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October ‘17 Playlist

Hello, friends! Happy November. October went by really fast, but that’s okay, because that just means the holiday season is starting. 🙌

Since it is the first day of November, I thought I would post about my October playlist. Since January of last year, I have been making 20 song playlists every month. They’re usually a mix of new music from artists I like, new discoveries, and songs that I have been listening to a lot in that specific month.

This one in particular has a lot of overflow from September because I filled my September playlist pretty early. I will link each song and write a little about why I included it. I will also include a link to the full playlist on both Spotify and YouTube (where you can find all music videos if the song has them) up here so you can follow along that way:

Find the full YouTube playlist here.

1. Fantasy - Superfruit ft. Amber Liu

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This song is from the full length album Future Friends by Superfruit, the duo of Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi who are also members of the A Capella group Pentatonix. I am already a big fan of PTX so naturally I was really excited when Scott and Mitch announced that they would be releasing an album. AND BOY WAS THE EXCITEMENT JUSTIFIED. The entire album is SO good. So much so that I was actually debating which song I should include on my playlist. I eventually narrowed it down to 2, and spent the remainder of the month trying to decide between them. I eventually settled on Fantasy, but love GUY.EXE and its music video so much, that I decided to include it in the blog even though it's not on the actual playlist. If you haven’t listened to Future Friends, please do. It’s a masterpiece.

2. Ugly - Jaira Burns

I found this song from browsing on YouTube after binging a bunch of Billie Eilish videos. Her music is a bit different as it contains a lot more mature subject matter, but her vocals are delivered similarly to Billie’s, so that drew me to this song specifically. I also really Jaira’s voice and think it works really well with this genre. I’m not a huge fan of the other two songs she has release, so I don’t see myself following her career too closely in the future, but I feel like she has a lot of potential to grow a large audience around people that can connect with her music more.

3. Sick - Barcelona

I found this song while browsing through my discover section on Spotify. I heard it and automatically vibed with it. The instrumentals, vocals, and just everything about it is such a great mix of a bunch of different styles. Somehow though, it fits together so well and makes for such a great song.

4. Rollin’ - B1A4

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This is another roll over from September. On the 25th of September, one of my favorite k-pop groups, B1A4, released their newest mini album. This is the title track from it, and I love it with my entire heart. The entire album is amazing, but I fell in love with Rollin’ the second I watched the MV for it, so I knew it had to be the one I included in my playlist. It is a quite different sound from what B1A4 usually goes for, but it is still so well done and amazing. B1A4 never cease to amaze me, but the entire Rollin’ album is such a masterpiece and was so worth the wait that it took to get released. 1000000/10. Would recommend.

5. Oogie Boogie’s Song - Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack

Of course, since it’s October, I had to include some Halloween-y songs, and what’s more Halloween-y than Nightmare Before Christmas? It is one of my favorite movies ever, and Oogie Boogie’s song is one of my favorite songs from it. It’s such a good song to listen to if I’m trying to get spooky.

6. Walls - Airspoken

This is another song I found through my Spotify discover playlist, and I liked it pretty immediately. It has a very chilling yet rhythmic vibe to it that I really like. Another thing that I found really nice is that contrast between all four vocals in the song. It goes from a smooth vocal, to a deeper vocal, to a more raspy and high vocal, to a weird mix of the three. The different vocalists make the already catchy song even more interesting to listen to, and I just really like it. The group doesn’t have a huge following by the looks of it, but I intend to look into their music more and maybe support them if I like more of their material.

7. Shatter In The Night - Vesperteen

Honestly, I am so sad that I have just recently found Vesperteen, because I listened to more of their music and it is all really good. This song specifically is just a really feel good “driving around a big city at night” type song. I like it a lot.

8. American Love - Smallpools

Yet another artist I wish I would have found sooner. This song landed on my discover playlist and just the very beginning immediately caught my attention. The song is very melodic and the type of song I wouldn’t mind hearing live. I listened to more of Smallpools music too, and all of it is so SO good. The instrumentals and vocals on this and all of their songs that I have heard are top notch and really beautiful. I can definitely see myself getting more into their music.

9. Hobgoblin - CLC

CLC is one of the only girl k-pop groups whose music that I actually genuinely like. I found them quite recently, but I’m still glad I finally found a girl group where I like every song I have heard. This is one of the first songs I heard by them, and is also one of their most popular title tracks. I really like this song and their song Pepe so far, but hope I have time to look more into their music soon.

10. Mess - Jordan Fisher

Not gonna lie, I pretty much put this song on my playlist before I even listened to it just because it’s Jordan Fisher and I love everything that he has ever put out thus far. This song is no exception. It’s very similar to his other music with heavy R&B elements and super strong vocals. Jordan very consistently slays, and his music is always on point. Mess is no different.

11. Bite My Tongue - Logan Henderson

12. ENVY - coldrain

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Finally. I’ve been waiting to talk about this one. This is from coldrain, one of my favorite band’s, new album from this month, Fateless. The entire album is beyond amazing, as expected. This was another situation where I was heavily debating for weeks over which of two songs I would put on the playlist. Ultimately, I just chose the one that had a music video (and then the other song came out with a music video 3 days after the album came out. Go figure.). Still, I recommend the entire album to anyone that enjoys rock music at all. Yet another masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

13. Close You Eyes - The Midnight Club

I found this song after one of my favorite music critic youtubers tweeted it out saying that it sounded a bit like another one of my favorite bands, Panic! At The Disco. When I listened to the song, I could definitely see what he was getting at. It really sounds a lot like P!ATD’s older music, and the vocalist even sort of sounds like Brendon. More than anything though, I noticed how good the song and band was in their own right. I ended up liking it enough to include it in my playlist this month.

14. J.D. Blows Up - Heathers Soundtrack

More Halloween type stuff! Heathers is another one of my favorite movies. Although it isn’t a horror movie per se, it is definitely a very dark movie. I was reminded of this specific instrumental off the soundtrack while doing homework for a film survey course I am currently taking, and got chills as I listened to it more. It only felt right to include it on this month’s playlist or make it just a bit more spooky.

15. Callin’ - A.C.E

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Another favorite artist! A.C.E, another one of my top k-pop groups, had their comeback this month. I love this song, and the music video, and the choreography, and really just everything. Callin’ has the same fast paced mood as their debut song, Cactus. Overall, it is a really fun listen and is even more fun to watch them perform. I am consistently blown away by their talent, and this comeback was just a reminder of how much talent they have. I love this song and I love A.C.E.

16. Blonde - Waterparks

Keeping with the theme, another one of my favorite bands announced that they would be releasing their new album early next year along with releasing the lead single off of it. This is that single. It does not stray too far from what Waterparks usually releases, but is still different enough to see a musical growth. I especially love the more unclean vocal in the bridge. Blonde has really made me excited to hear the rest of the album. I can’t wait for it to come out in January!

17. Not Thinking Of You - The Royal

A catchy tune I found on my discover playlist. The instrumentals are a pretty normal indie alternative mix with even more normal subject matter. The catchiness of it and the vocals are really what caught my attention and made me want to include it on the playlist.

18. Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack

Because is it really October if you don’t listen to the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack? This song is a classic and a staple at any Halloween party. I had no choice but to include it.

19. South Drive - WSTR

I was drawn to this song because of the raw instrumentals and vocals. It almost seems a bit messy during the verses, but comes together for the chorus. When I heard it for the first time, I questioned whether or not I liked it. As I listened to it again though, I did find myself really enjoying the more authentic garage rock band vibe that it has. It does feel a lot more cut and paste than what you would normally hear from more popular bands of the same genre, but it still works really well. I enjoy it.

20. Astoria - Marianas Trench

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The last song on this month’s playlist is very close to my heart. It is the intro to the album Astoria by another one of my favorite bands, Marianas Trench. I decided to include this song last on this playlist because this month they released the music video for the song. It is a very beautiful video that very well sums up what the whole album is about. However, the release of the music video also ended the Astoria era exactly two years after the album’s release on October 23rd. It was a very emotional time for me and all other MTrench fans. The album has provided me with so many great memories, made me dance, made me cry, but most of all made me appreciate the intricacies of music so much more. Although I am sad to see the era end, I hope it means that the band can get some much deserved rest and start working on more music. Never say die.

That is it this week, friends. It’s been a rough week, but writing about music has made it a little better (even if it’s a little late). I used to write blogs like this for my playlists when I first started making them last year, but stopped when I realized no one read them. I still have absolutely zero people reading, but ya know, a girl can dream. Still, happy first week of November, and happy day to you, invisible friends.

- 🕊️ ❤️ 🏹

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rainydawgradioblog · 5 years

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RDR Essentials - Metal (01/13)

RDR Essentials is a weekly newsletter of alternating genres that outlines key releases of the past month, upcoming events around Seattle and happenings in the specified music genre.

Made in collaboration between Rainy Dawg DJs and the Music Director.

Releases:

Blood Incantation - Hidden History of the Human Race

If you’ve been paying attention to metal recently (or at all), you’ve probably heard of Blood Incantation - the Colorado death metal band that has some “next big thing” buzz about them. While they formed in 2011 and released their first demo in 2013, their 2016 release Starspawn really put them on the map. Subsequently, people have been waiting with bated breath this release for the last few years. So when it came out in November (well, it leaked in October), everyone pretty much went insane. Clocking in at a relatively short 36 minutes, this album is chock full of both classic death metal riffs and genre fusing synths. The prevailing sci-fi theme makes it a little weirder than a conventional death metal album (the cover art is by famed sci-fi artist Bruce Pennington), which works to its benefit as the band experiments with the genre over the track listing. Even the album structure is unconventional, with only 4 songs (the last one being 18 minutes). We start off with Slave Species to the Gods, one of the more conventional cuts out of the four and the first single to come out. Despite its “conventional” tone, it’s death metal done right, and any self-respecting metalhead will be in the pit hearing it live. The next track, Giza Power Plant, is where things start to get weirder. It’s still got the death metal heavy riffs and chugging, but there’s a middle-eastern vibe throughout the track. As the song goes on, it deteriorates into death-doom and closes with some heavy synth well-suited for the sci-fi theme. Not to say the record isn’t death metal at its core, but it’s a fusion of the outer space vibe with contemporary death metal tropes that separates it from the rest of the field. The third track, Inner Paths (to Outer Space), is (almost) entirely instrumental. It starts off with some synths and a jammy, catchy buildup that morphs into one long, heavy growl over a dark riff. The last track is 18 minutes, and it’s really like two great death metal songs that are linked together by a John Carpenter-like horror movie theme. This track is an odyssey, from quiet, clean guitar playing to insanely loud, heavy riffs multiple times over the 18 minutes. The only criticism one could levy against the album is the short runtime and the lack of a really big, hard-hitting song. I felt as though the length is closer to that of an EP, since many albums in the genre tend to be reaching an hour. And despite the quality track listing, it lacked what their 2016 release Starspawn had, which is an incredible single. To be fair, “write an amazing, approachable death metal song” isn’t a great critique or an easy task, but I felt as though one would have tied the album together more and increased the runtime. Overall, it’s a great LP that is an incredible fusion of death metal and sci-fi themes, and a probable contender for genre album of the year.

Favorite tracks - Giza Power Plant, Inner Gods (to Outer Space)

- Bobby Baraldi

Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas

It’s finally here - the new Cattle Decap album. After The Anthropocene Extinction blew everyone away, Death Atlas has been on everyone’s radar since its announcement a year and some change ago. In case you’re uninitiated, Cattle Decap formed in 1996 as a relatively straightforward deathgrind band with a vegan/straight-edge stance. Since then, they’ve morphed from pro-animal to anti-human and their music has changed from pretty direct death and grind metal to absurdly technical, unique, and progressive. At this point, they’re almost synonymous with “extreme metal.” Death Atlas is their 8th album, and it’s full of apocalyptic themes and dizzying, break-neck musical passages. Something that Cattle Decap has done here that’s a little different from previous albums is the incorporation of black metal components into the songs, which further emphasizes the overall doomed theme of the album. And while their previous albums have emphasized motifs, this LP is truly conceptual in tone and narrative. We start off with one of several radio-type passages about the dangers of climate change, accompanied by sinister synthesizer. Then, The Geocide blows the listener away with a 30 second blast beat and vocal shriek combo from the start, which is jarring yet goosebump-inducing transition to say the least. From here, we venture all over different extreme metal styles in every song. From contemporary melodic death-black metal fusions on Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts to the neck-breaking slam riff at the end of Bring Back the Plague, there’s something musically here for all metalheads. Vulturous stands out heavily, with and excellent combination of snarling vocals, breakdowns, and lightening fast riffs accompanied by your typical blast beats. Travis Ryan is perhaps the most versatile vocalist in metal, and he shows his range all over this track as well as the rest of the album. This ranges from goblin-like shrieks and spoken word to guttural slam to almost goth-like singing and choral parts on the end/title-track Death Atlas. For me, this vocal performance is part of what makes the album stand out from its contemporaries. The guitar work is also amazing per usual from Josh Elmore and newcomer Belisario Dimuzio; not only technical, but also tasteful. But OH MY GOD - the drum and bass work really come through on this record, making everything so heavy and giving that extra punch when the song really calls for it. Something that always irks me about metal albums is that the bass tends to get buried in the mix, yet here Olivar Pinard’s bass (of Cryptopsy fame) is usually clear and adds so much more to the dark and foreboding feel of the album. The bass aerobics are in perfect unison with the hyperspeed and strong drumming of Dave McGraw, which makes the slam passages incredibly hard-hitting. Of course, a review of this album wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the last two songs: Time’s Cruel Curtain and Death Atlas, which are foreboding yet melodic, and the black/death metal combo almost comes across as wistful. It’s as though Cattle Decap is sad that humanity is blowing its chance. Anyways, the TL;DR is that it might be AOTY for me and many other metalheads.

Favorite tracks - The Geocide, Vulturous, Bring Back the Plague, With all Disrespect, Time’s Cruel Curtain, Death Atlas

- Bobby Baraldi

Lamp of Murmuur - Chasing The Path Of The Hidden Master

Little is known about Lamp of Murmuur. Besides the fact that they hail from Olympia and are signed to all star black metal label Death Kvlt Records, there is nothing but their music to fixate on. This is lack of identifying characteristics is a virtue that many black metal artists have attempted to pull off. There is something truly mystical about hearing the screams of a faceless entity, like a ghost that you can hear but cannot see. The production is raw, with shrill guitars bouncing off the walls of an ice encased fortress and vocal shrieks that pierce like a razor. The drums, though just barely audible, peak their heads out over the mix, giving the album a far-away ambience. Basically, this album sounds like what black metal should sound like. Riff wise, this album sounds like it takes inspiration from 2nd wave bands like Taake, and especially Satanic Warmaster. It’s the perfect combination of aggressive, melodic, and frozen. Although it appears that there is a paywall to listening to the full album, one can purchase it digitally for as much as one wants to give. If you listen to this and enjoy it, I would highly recommend checking out Satanic Warmaster as well as the other artists on Death Kvlt Productions.

- Zac Weiner

Painboys - In Agony

Local blackened hardcore act PAINBOYS are back with a ripping follow up to there last demo Ritual Torment. This new project features some new production which in my opinion is a major step up from their previous releases. The album opens up with the doomy “Bleeding Throne” which features a foreboding riff before turning into a filthy punk stomper. My personal highlight is the song “Necrogoatchrist” which features one of the best riffs on the album and a seething vocal performance. The Painboys manage to create a stormy and apprehensive atmosphere all while maintaining the aggression of hardcore punk. It's quite a novel sound that is dark and befouled, while still being moshable and fun. Its as if they want us to rejoice in the picture of filth their songs paint for us. The vocals on this album are also a real highlight. It's hard to find a unique voice amongst the immense backdrop of black/death influenced metal bands, and this singer totally pulls it off. Finally, every great metal album comes with a kickass cover. The depiction of the ghostly ritual that accompanies this album is the perfect visualization of ritualistic onslaught this album brings. Purchase a tape from their bandcamp and support this local band!

- Zac Weiner

More New Essentials:

Officium Triste - The Death of Gaia (death doom)

Oath of Cruelty - Summary Execution at Dawn (thrash/death)

Witchbones - The Seas of Draugen (blackened death)

Carcariass - Planet Chaos (prog/tech death)

Iron Curtain - Danger Zone (thrash/hard rock)

Haunt - Mind Freeze (hard rock, doom)

Upcoming Releases:

01/17: Kaoteon - Kaoteon (blackened death)

01/24: Midnight - Rebirth by Blasphemy (black and roll)

01/24: Invictus - The catacombs of fear (death metal/thrash)

01/31: Reaper - Unholy nordic noise (blackened speed metal)

Events:

01/18: Portrayal of Guilt, Street Sects, Haunted Horses, Blightmaker @ Substation

8PM / 21+ / $14-18 / Hardcore

02/10: Soulfly, Toxic Holocaust, X-Method, Madzilla @ El Corazon

6PM / AA / $20-25 / Thrash

02/16: Vale of Pnath, Gorod, Wolf King, Aphelion, Pound @ El Corazon

7PM / AA / $13-15 / Tech Death

03/05: Refused, METZ, Youth Code @ the Showbox

7:30PM / AA / $30-35 / Punk

03/17: Mayhem, Abbath, Gatecreeper, Idle Hands @ the Showbox

7PM / AA / $28.50-32 / Black & Death

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