The gloom of fall is here, but at least we have great music! The Power Hour is back with just Chief Editor Ghost Cult Keefy! We look back at albums released in October 2024, and a forecast of new music out this month. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Avant-Garde
ALBUM REVIEW: Bunuel – Mansuetude
mansuetude (noun) man·sue·tude ˈman(t)-swi-ˌtüd man-ˈsü-ə- -ˌtyüd :
the quality or state of being gentle : meekness, tameness
Have you ever met Eugene S. Robinson (vocalist and frontman for the thunderous Rock force that is Buñuel)? Have you indeed ever listened to Buñuel? Neither experience will likely have “meekness” being the first (or indeed within the first hundred) descriptives that come to mind. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Gaerea – Coma
Back in 2022, Portuguese Extreme Metal recluses Gaerea released Mirage (Season of Mist), my album of the year. It was the first time I had been exposed to the shrouded-in-mystery outfit, but it was nearly impossible to choose any other record to headline that year.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Leila Abdul-Rauf – Calls From a Seething Edge
Leila Abdul-Rauf is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer who has been part of various bands (Vastum, Hammers of Misfortune, Saros, Amber Asylum) since the 1990s. Calls From a Seething Edge (Cyclic Law Music / Syrup Moose Records) is her fifth solo album.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: God is War – Boogeyman Inc.
God is War, formed in 2018, is the solo project of Mack Chami. Boogeyman Inc. (Profound Lore) is his latest offering, featuring seven tracks of glitching, abrasive, instrumental industrial noise music.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: The Jesus Lizard – Rack
Twenty-five years since their dissolution and Noise-Rockers The Jesus Lizard are back, with the classic line-up of Mac McNeilly – Drums, David Wm Sims – Bass, Duane Denison – Guitar, and David Yow – Vocals now fully restored. A quick history lesson for the uninitiated, the band formed in Austin, Texas in 1987 from the ashes of Scratch Acid, before relocating to Chicago in 1989. From there they would go onto put out a string of groundbreaking releases including a split single with some band called Nirvana, who you may have heard of. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Dale Crover – Glossolalia
Celebrated Drummer Dale Crover has been performing with the Melvins since 1984 when he replaced founding member Mike Dillard, since then he’s had stints with Nirvana and collaborated in projects such as Shrinebuilder, Men of Porn and Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends. Furthermore, he performs with Redd Kross, and has embarked on a solo career, first with the Hard-Rock flavoured Altamont and then the eclectic, experimental compositions under his own name. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Uniform – American Standard
New York City’s Uniform’s new album American Standard (Dias Records ) finds vocalist Michael Bearden in a soul-baring exploration of his struggles with bulimia. The album serves as Bearden’s catharsis. The strangled snarl of his yelled vocals paints an accurate picture of the self-loathing that comes with this neurosis. This captures a raw emotional tension that lurks under the mood of the songs. This is delivered through their ability as songwriters, which is a somewhat different story. The album begins with a sprawling opening track. For twenty-one minutes you are hit with a pounding drone, at times this grooves at it drones. This is the first of the sonic dichotomies this album is full of, so if you do not appreciate clashing concepts, it might not be for you.
CONCERT REVIEW: Locrian – High Aura’d – A Monolithic Dome Live at The Alchemy
Locrian made three New England stops on their current tour making The Alchemy in Providence, RI the first up on the list with support from the Cleveland-based composer High Aura’d and A Monolithic Dome featuring members of Elizabeth Colour Wheel of Boston. I went into the show kind of blind since I had only been asked to review it maybe 48 hours previous and had no previous knowledge of either of the supporting bands.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Respire – Hiraeth
In 2020, Canadian Post / Avantgarde Black Metal collective Respire, released their memorable third album Black Line. A record with a spin on the genre that stood out as the works of a band who were comfortable in pushing the boundaries of what was possible with the Black Metal sound. Hiraeth now follows, four years in the making and diving deeper into the use of experimentation, with grand orchestral arrangements creating a sound that owes as much inspiration to the likes of their fellow countrymen Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as it does classic Black Metal bands such as, well Emperor.Continue reading