Throughout their 44-year career, Einstürzende Neubauten has upheld a commitment to making musical art, with little interest in vapid radio hits. They continue this tradition with Rampen (Mute Records). As one of the first industrial bands, it could be easily argued that the genre owes more to these guys than Throbbing Gristle. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Beats
ALBUM REVIEW: coldrain – Nonnegative
Fifteen years, and now seven albums into a successful career that has seen them move into both chart success status in their native Japan and mainstream culture by providing the opening theme for Netflix original anime series Bastard, Nagoya five-piece metalcore outfit coldrain are back following the longest gap between releases, with new offering Nonnegative (Warner Japan).
ALBUM REVIEW: Dälek – Precipice
Dälek (pronounced ‘Die-a-leck’) returns with a new album Precipice on Mike Patton’s Ipecac Records. In what is becoming a common refrain of recent times, the album originally planned for 2019 has been completely overhauled because of the pandemic, and the chaotic times we currently find ourselves in. The duo of MC Dälek and DJ Mike Manteca felt that the originally planned album wasn’t strong, angry or heavy enough for the times we have endured. The added strength, anger and heaviness are indeed defining features on Precipice.
SHIM – SHIM
When we chatted with Shimon Moore, formerly of Sick Puppies earlier this summer, he talked about fear, but also about freedom. Even though he has sold millions of records and toured all over the world, he was worried about the future of his career. Not whether or not he could deliver new songs as a solo artist, but how his fans would accept him now. Based on his new solo album, SHIM, he had no reason to fear at all. Not only has he brought with him his penchant for infectious hooks and rocking songs, in some ways, going solo has helped him become much more than he ever was before. Continue reading
Queens Of The Stone Age – Villains
It’s hard for established bands to take risks in the landscape that is 2017 in music. Especially when your band comes attached with a cultural cache like Queens Of The Stone Age, on album number seven, with love from the critics, indie cred, and what amounts to major label distro. Having conquered many frontiers as a headliner, but still looking for the challenge, QOTSA teamed up with hit-making pop and dance producer Mark Robson to create what would become Villains (Matador). Ronson’s name comes with little to no background in the greasy stoner rock the band is known for, but rather for putting Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga and the ubiquitous (for better or worse) ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars on the map to the tune of millions in sales. Continue reading
Ocean Grove – The Rhapsody Tapes
“Seek the antithesis: in any art form we engage with, there is need for inventive thinking that goes against uninspired standards. We grew up on music that bred fun and passion, perhaps that notion has been lost along the way”.Continue reading