Grave Pleasures were one of those bands that had been stuck on my ‘must check out at some stage’ list, until now. In case you weren’t aware of the history, they originally formed as Beastmilk back in 2010 and put out debut Climax after which came the name change as well as a string of subsequent releases. Plagueboys is the band’s fourth full-length album overall and the follow-up to 2017’s Motherblood. Continue reading
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their nominees for induction in 2023. Iron Maiden, The White Stripes, Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, Joy Division/New Order, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, A Tribe Called Quest, George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper, The Spinners, and Warren Zevon are all nominated. The fan vote is now open at the link below.
As much as Wino deserves his doom godfather status for fronting groups like The Obsessed and Saint Vitus, there’s something to be said for his more recent singer/songwriter excursions. Whether going it alone or with such collaborators as Conny Ochs, the acoustic style suits him surprisingly well and the volume contrast brings a fuller perspective to his haggard lifer persona. This is especially true for his third album, Forever Gone (Ripple Music), which may be his most low-key effort to date.Continue reading
As well as being a mainstay of Psych-Noise stalwarts Comets On Fire, and frequent collaborator with such Experimental artists as Current 93, Ben Chasny is frighteningly prolific in the guise of his solo Folk / Americana project Six Organs of Admittance. Latest album Companion Rises (Drag City) is a shimmering trip through the stars which enriches the soul.Continue reading
Legendary Post-Punk band Joy Division will see the release of Unknown Pleasures Reimagined to celebrate that album’s 40th anniversary. Watch the brand new video for ‘I Remember Nothing’ right now! Continue reading
For those of a certain age, the news that twenty-five years have passed since the death of Kurt Donald Cobain will scarcely be believable. But it is 25 years and yes, you do now feel old. You probably still feel sad and melancholy. Time has a terrible way of playing tricks with your memory but the passing of Nirvana’s frontman still resonates as if it were yesterday. The past remains, undoubtedly, a foreign country but I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I was in laundrette in Bristol, England doing a weekend load of washing (this is what students did then). I was listening to the BBC on my five-year-old Sony radio walkman- remember those?- when the terrible, heart-stopping news came through on that grey, terrible slate grey April day.
Who would think that a thirtieth-anniversary gig would lead to a band reunion for a new generation of fans? It probably wasn’t the first thing on the minds of Belgian cult legends La Muerte, who have been revered and reviled in equal measure during their long history. The tricksy genre mash of their past continues into the present with new full-length La Muerte (Mottow Soundz), which should pique the curiosity of all manner of Metal fans.Continue reading
With fiery Germans Rammstein readying their seventh studio album for early 2019, guitarist Richard Kruspe has chosen the optimum time to release A Million Degrees (Universal/Spinefarm), his third “solo” record under the Emigrate banner.Continue reading
Rome trio Fvzz Popvli indulge in the somewhat metallic trend of using the letter v as a u, but given their Latin heritage, it’s relatively acceptable. Their music is an enjoyable romp through heavy, hostile Psychedelic haze, and second album Magna Fvzz (Heavy Psych Sounds) offers up black comedy, snarling attitudes and sinister twists in equal measure.Continue reading
