Black Flag - The Process of Weeding Out

Much like Family Man but with just instrumental rock and no spoken word (poor Rollins), The Process of Weeding Out differs from the last jam fest in that the tracks are longer and more developed than before (with the exception of the concise and upbeat punk tune "Screw the Law"). "The Process of Weeding Out" even has a nice and long fucked up overture, with Ginn playing an odd guitar melody interspersed with seemingly directionless improv that starts to increase in volume as Kira Roessler and Bill Stevenson engage in spastic temper tantrums on their instruments until the entire band launch into the thing that most closely resembles a main riff. Long-winded, ugly, and chaotic, these songs aren't for casual listeners, and very few will enjoy or identify with what these nutcases are doing. Luckily, I am one of those few people. Also, read this awesome message in the album booklet by Greg Ginn:

"The revolution will probably be televised. But I don't have a TV and I'm not gonna watch. With talk of rating records and increased censorship it may be getting difficult for some to speak their minds. Black Flag already has enough problems with censorship coming from the business sector. Some record stores have refused to stock and/or display Black Flag records because of objectionable cover art or lyrical content. Now, with additional government involvement, the 'crunch' is on. Hope does lie in the fact that fortunately these straight pigs show little ability in decoding intuitive data. For example, even though this record may communicate certain feelings, emotions, and ideas to some, I have faith that these cop-types with their strictly linear minds and stick-to-the-rules mentality don't have the ability to decipher the intuitive contents of this record. Of course, there may be a problem in that much of the public, most of whom comply with the whole idea of hiring the pigs in the first place, seem equally unable to intuitively feel and listen to music. Still here it is, 'The Process of Weeding Out'."

Favorite track: "The Process of Weeding Out"
Least favorite track: "Your Last Affront"

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Black Flag - Family Man

What an adorable cover.

This album is somewhat of an anomaly in the Atonal Lobe library in that it is part instrumental (with "Armageddon Man" being the only exception) and part spoken word, with the first half consisting of a few of frontman Henry Rollins' spoken word pieces (by the way, expect some spoken word/comedy albums to be posted here sometime in the future) and the second half consisting of primal rock jams.

The spoken word, although not Rollins' best (he would improve considerably over the following years), is mildly disturbing ("Family Man", "No Deposit, No Return") and even absurd at times ("Salt On A Slug", "Shed Reading (Rattus Norvegicus)"). It's an interesting window into the mind of a troubled youngster (which is understandable if you've read/heard about the kind of hardships that Black Flag endured on the road). That having been said, spoken word generally doesn't have as much replay value as music does, so I tend to skip to the music for a while before listening to the spoken word again.

As a lot of jazz musicians would, the band play songs that are based around a central riff/mode/mood, but deviate regularly for improvisation. The key difference here between Black Flag and most jazz musicians is that the latter are generally more concerned with solid and professional playing and usually don't make music that is so chaotic and atonal (unless we speak of someone like John Zorn). Black Flag, on the other hand, clearly don't give a fuck and instead thrash out with reckless abandon, giving the impression of something that is intact but just on the verge of falling apart. "Long Lost Dog of It" sounds kind of meandering and pointless, but "Account for What?" and the nicely titled "I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You" kick a lot of sloppy avant-garde rock ass and have delightfully catchy riffs. The second of these tracks even made me break out into the laughter the first few times I heard it, since its main pattern consists of an angry uptempo hardcore riff followed by a sudden stop-start happy riff.

Even if these guys aren't particularly professional or technically proficient musicians, they at least play with a kind of raw energy and exuberance and don't just shred as fast as they can. Greg Ginn shows himself to be a very innovative guitarist, creating very memorable and hooky riffs with unconventional chords and note patterns (as he would to an even greater extent with his group Gone). The rhythm section clearly have a lot of fun with what they do too.

Favorite spoken word track: "Salt On A Slug"
Least favorite spoken word track: "Let Your Fingers Do the Walking"

Favorite music track: "The Pups Are Doggin' It"
Least favorite music track: "Long Lost Dog of It"

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The Residents - Hunters

I'm kind of ambivalent about Hunters, which is a sort of electronic ambient album with some jungle percussion that was made as a soundtrack to a Discovery Channel TV series about predators in the wilderness. Hunters isn't bad, and maybe it'll "grow on me" later, but for now I don't get much out of it. "The Deadly Game" shows promise with its mysterious keyboard hum and plodding jungle percussion beat, but the tracks after that are mostly a bunch of forgettable pastiches of incongruous musical segments rife with nondescript "intense" melodies and looped percussion. I understand that the musical vagaries and stark minimalism are due to the fact that the music was meant to be a background soundtrack set to the scenes of the TV series, but then why bother releasing the music by itself if it can't stand on its own? Was there any actual demand from the fans? Did The Residents really think it was that good? Did they just want another way to make money? Whatever the reason may be, I consider the album to be more of a curiosity than a very *good* album. Still, it's almost an hour long, and there are a few delightful ambient passages to be found, so don't take my word for it. Let me know what you think.

Also, this album, like a lot of others that I've posted, has cheesy timbre (albeit not to the same extent as The Tunes of Two Cities). Big surprise, right?

Favorite track: "The Deadly Game"
Least favorite track: "The Dangerous Sea"

The Residents - The Tunes of Two Cities

What an adorable album cover.

There can be no doubt about it: The Residents are a very interesting group. In my opinion, they're one of the most interesting musical groups ever to exist. Not all of the albums in their massive discography are zingers, but you can always rest assured that you'll walk away from your first listen of a Residents album knowing that you heard something completely different. For The Residents, no style, instrument, theme, or odd quirk is beyond consideration. No matter what your musical preferences are, chances are good that The Residents have at least one song (if not an entire album) that could potentially appeal to you in some way.

The Tunes of Two Cities is a concept album based around the contrast between two fictional cultures, the Chubs and the Moles. I won't go into too much detail, but supposedly the Chubs are a hedonistic and superficial culture, whereas the Moles are a dark and tribal one. The songs on this album alternate regularly between the music of the Chubs, which is silly and fun carnival pop, and the music of the Moles, which is dark and tribal ritual music. Unfortunately, the album is somewhat mired in cheesy synthesizer timbre (I seem to have a bad habit of posting albums with that problem), which wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that some of the fake instruments sound pretty grating, like the bleating horns and braying synth-voices. Thankfully, the two worst offenders on the album -- "Serenade for Missy" and "A Maze of Jigsaws" -- come first, so it's (comparatively) fair sailing after that.

I must say reluctantly that I enjoy the Chubs' music a little more simply because their style of music is more suited to this kind of timbre than the Moles'. I like the Moles' sense of layering, catchy noisiness, and unorthodox choice of instruments, but the intended atmosphere is lost with that rigid Fisher Price sound. The Chubs, on the other hand, come up with some pretty fun and playful carnival ditties, complete with swinging horns, synthesized "la-la"ing, tinkling vibes, buzzing synth-bass, and chipper melodies. All in all a good album, and fitting for a 90's video game (which is funny, since the album came out in 1982).

Favorite track: "Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth)"
Least favorite track: "Serenade for Missy"

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Burzum - Hlidskjalf

This album, which continues in the vein of Daudi Baldrs but with more abstract ambience and less rigid medieval sounds, is my favorite Burzum release. The melodies are more minimalistic than ever, but they're also more ethereal and captivating than ever. Plus, the timbre is more befitting of the fake synthesizer instruments used here and isn't so painfully cheesy like it was before. The ancient Pagan themes are still clear, but the album sounds less like an attempt to recreate the sounds of those times and more like a genuine artistic reflection on them. Swirling keyboards, haunting counterpoint, thundering timpanis, peaceful neofolk plucking...It's quite beautiful. Also, "Der Tod Wuotans" has got to be one of the saddest (albeit enjoyable) pieces of music that I have ever heard.

Great night soundtrack.

Favorite track: "Tuistos Herz"
Least favorite track: "Frijôs Goldene Tränen"

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Burzum - Daudi Baldrs

It seemed logical to have a Count Grishnackh Day after Fenriz Day, so that's what I'm going with. Anyhow, this is a sort of neo-classical affair done on a computer (since Grishnackh was in prison at the time and it was the only way that he could make music), and while many would disagree, I find it to be a more rewarding listening experience than most of this man's "metal" material. In fact, I dare say that this prick's imprisonment was the best Burzum-related thing to ever happen to me, since it meant that he would be forced to abandon his grating-as-fuck screaming for a bit and just deliver the goods. All of the tracks on this album are fairly minimalistic pieces composed on fake pianos and fake medieval instruments, and conjure powerful images of ancient times and nature with their majestic themes and dark, mournful melodies. Like a lot of music that's composed on the computer, the music on this album gains its strength from layering and the beautiful harmonization of simple melodic phrasings. The repetition, while delightfully entrancing, can be a bit excessive at times ("Illa Tiandi"), and the timbre obviously isn't the best -- it sounds like it could go to a 90's video game -- but the music is good nonetheless.

I know that there's a lot of stigma surrounding the man behind the music -- it seems to get brought up any time the subject of Burzum's music is broached -- but I don't really care. Although I generally don't find out much about artists beyond their work, I do know from what little I've heard/read that this man killed another fanatical nutcase who threatened him and is supposedly some kind of pseudo-aristocratic racist prick. Big whoop. Good music is good music. Sure, I wouldn't bother with something by the likes of Hitler or Mussolini, but this guy clearly doesn't act upon whatever twisted ideas he has like they did. From what little I know, this guy seems to want nothing more than to live in seclusion on some farm and look down with contempt on anyone outside of his fiefdom. Power to him; let him sulk as much as he likes. At least his work is original and has integrity, the least of which could be said for even some of the nicest musicians.

Favorite track: "Móti Ragnarokum"
Least favorite track: "Daudi Baldrs"

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Burzum - Demo 2

Behold...The obscure instrumental demo versions of several of "black metal" solo act Burzum's songs (topus). It's cult, it's grim, it's frostbitten, and it sounds like SHIT. That's alright, though: I can enjoy some ultra-fuzzy demo production, and I'd take it over hearing Count Grishnackh's "feral" (a.k.a. "shitty") screams any day of the Solar Equinox. Unfortunately, a couple of the tracks ("Depressive Visions of the Cursed Warrior") have such inaudible guitar that you can hardly hear it beneath the pedestrian drumming. However, Grishnackh's ability to evoke dreamlike and sorrowful atmospheres with primitive and eerie minor-key metal riffs is quite a feat, and there's plenty of both droning repetition ("Spell of Destruction") and progression ("My Key to Purgatory") to keep the listener entranced. This is a good album to listen to while wallowing in suicide or contemplating solitude. In all seriousness, it's quite captivating, provided you can tolerate guitars that sound like underwater lawn mowers.

Favorite track: "Rite of Cleansure"

Least favorite track: "Depressive Visions of the Cursed Warrior" (to be fair, it's mainly because the guitar riffs are barely audible)

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Neptune Towers - Transmissions From Empire Algol

The hypnotizing and dreamlike electronic ambient continues where Caravans to Empire Algol left off, but with a slightly different approach. Whereas that album sounded more like an aural journey through the unknown, this one sounds more like a musical impression of a vast and mysterious landscape (as the album title might suggest). Transmissions From Empire Algol is more musical and textured than its predecessor, with Fenriz even going so far as to change keys and moods occasionally rather than create a long continuum like he did on Caravans to Empire Algol. There are even a few times when genuine musical phrasings, comprised of beautifully harmonized synthesizer lines, take the front (much to my delight). Though not as focused as the last Neptune Towers album, Transmissions From Empire Algol is probably my personal favorite Fenriz album because there's just no end to the psychedelic, dreamlike, or emotionally stirring moments here.

Favorite track: "To Cold Void Desolation"
Least favorite track: "First Communion Mode -- Direct"

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Neptune Towers - Caravans to Empire Algol

This is really powerful and ethereal electronic ambient music. Rather than a being mere pastiche of separate parts as many electronic albums tend to be, this album is comprised of two long tracks that carefully unfold and develop in washing layers of keyboard drones, oscillating sound effects, and spacey ambient sounds. It requires a certain kind of patience and vision to be able to make something like this. None of the melodies are "active" or complex, nor are the noises imposing; the music just flows, evoking powerful images and sensations that can only be seen and felt by those who are willing to absorb the music for what it is. This is probably the most focused thing that Fenriz has ever done.

Favorite track: "The Arrival At Empire Algol"
Least favorite track: "Caravans to Empire Algol"

Darkthrone - Goatlord Sessions

I suppose you could consider today Fenriz Day here at The Atonal Lobe, and I'm starting off the entries of the day with an instrumental gem hidden within Darkthrone's discography. These are the instrumental demo sessions for the death metal album that would eventually become Goatlord, and they come with a song called "A Blaze In the Northern Sky" and a primitive but awesome and "grim" drum solo by Fenriz. This album packs an incredibly heavy metal wallop, with each track stacking riff upon riff upon riff of evil and angular death metal fury. Some of the riffs are sludgy and crushing, some of them are fast and breakneck, and some of them are simply eerie, but all are well-thought-out and are underpinned by Fenriz's mad and propulsive drumming. There isn't much of a specific structure or cohesion to any of these tracks, per se, but that's not really needed: The riffs by themselves are great and memorable. Few albums make me feel as positively doomed and crushed as this one. The production is, as you might expect for a demo, somewhat fuzzy and lo-fi, but I think that adds to its charm. All of the instruments are still audible and coherent without being ear-piercing.

Favorite track: "A Blaze In the Northern Sky"
Least favorite track: "Toward the Thorn Fields"

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Randy Pringle - Cythera (Ambrosia Software)

It's another video game soundtrack, this time from an overlooked 90's Mac OS 9 game by Ambrosia Software called Cythera. I don't really play plot-driven RPG's anymore -- just like I don't really listen to non-instrumental music anymore, for the most part -- but I do have fond memories playing this game back before I had an Intel-based Mac that wouldn't support anything from OS 9 or prior, and I still really love the music. Thankfully, Ambrosia Software have the music up for download.

Since the game was a fantasy-type RPG, the music reflected that, being somewhat folkish and mysterious-sounding. What's interesting about the music is that, for lack of a better expression (since I don't yet know much about music theory), it just flows. There isn't a lot of repetition or conventional structure to be found here -- "Kosha" being an exception -- and the tracks basically just progress in a beautiful flow of melody and chord changes, all while being short enough not to drag on for too long (all of the tracks here are pretty short, actually -- most are below 2 minutes). Maybe I'm biased because I have personal attachments to this game and I heard the music so much to know it all by memory, but I really enjoy the dreamlike atmosphere of the music. It'd be cool to find out what Randy Pringle has done since, because he really shows his skill as a composer here.

Favorite track: "Cademia"
Least favorite track: "Kosha"

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Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV

I'm not an all-around Trent Reznor fan, but I appreciate how he's one of the few big well-known artists who got where he is by doing what he genuinely wants to do. It seems to become increasingly rare as time goes on to be a big artist without constantly catering to the whims of MTV and the radio-listening masses, and Nine Inch Nails is one of the few exceptions that I can think of. His instrumental output is also pretty good. This 36-track album -- comprised of electro-dance tracks, jam-rock tracks, electronic ambient tracks, and somber piano ballad tracks -- sounds like a pleasant travelogue through the mind of a dreaming person, which is fitting considering that Reznor himself said that this album is supposed to be like a "soundtrack for daydreams". All of the tracks are musical "sketches", meaning that they're based around a central motif/phrase/rhythm that was conceived intuitively, and rarely stray from it. Because of this, all of the tracks are fairly repetitious but short, never overstaying their welcome. For the most part, the tracks are restrained enough not to encroach upon a dreaming listener's thoughts, yet developed enough to not be forgettable or boring. Not all of the tracks are zingers, of course -- a few of the ambient ones sound like unimportant experiments that just happened to be caught on recording, and the primitive rock jams are usually tuneless and ugly -- but Nine Inch Nails always have a knack for cathartic and dreamlike moods and marrying unfriendly noise with melodic hooks. You may also be pleasantly surprised at some of the instruments that are used here: Off the top of my head, I remember buckets and chains, vibes, and Eastern instruments being used in different tracks. Any general fan of music is bound to find something of value in this long album.

Favorite track: "28 Ghosts IV"
Least favorite track: "8 Ghosts I"

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Megadeth - Cryptic Sounds (No Voices In Your Head)

I'm not a fan of Megadeth, per se, but I can appreciate Dave Mustaine as a guitar player and an artist. You don't need me to tell you that his vocals are an acquired taste at best, though. So when I found out that the band put out an EP in which Mustaine's grating vocals were replaced with Marty Friedman's lead guitar, I rejoiced. It's so great to hear the band's talent and knack for melody shine without words, especially when those words are sung by Mustaine in his signature whine/growl/seethe. Granted, as evidenced by the title and album cover, the 5 songs that are featured here are originally from Cryptic Writings, an album that is somewhat notorious for being mired in cliched radio rock predictability, but the cliches that are present on this album do little to detract from the strong riffs and interplay. I never bothered much with Cryptic Writings, so I don't know how many differences there are between the songs on there and these versions, but apparently some of the songs on this album are significantly different from the originals: "A Secret Place" has a really beautiful quiet bridge with strings and an oboe in place of the regular rock one in the original, and the "She-Wolf" featured on this album is a Spanish guitar version (until near the end, anyway). It'd be great to hear instrumental versions of Megadeth songs that weren't clearly written to become hit singles -- especially considering the talent of all the bandmembers -- but as it is there's not much to complain about.

Favorite track: "A Secret Place"
Least favorite track: "Almost Honest"

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Organisation - Tone Float

Known mostly for being the band that Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider were in before they formed Kraftwerk, Organisation don't even sound that much like Kraftwerk did on their first album. The "krautrock" (I don't like that word either, but it's the most convenient and recognizable one for me to use) jam elements are there, but there's an inexplicably more open and psychedelic feeling to this album. Organ, flute, guitar, and various types of percussion are used to set the mood, and the music alternates between non-melodic soundscaping ("Silver Forest" gets me lost like nothing else) and funky, acid-drenched jamming ("Milk Rock", which in my opinion should've opened the album rather than the good but slow-to-take-off 20-minute "Tone Float"). Some tracks start small and grow into entire worlds of sound, whereas others start off with a motif that is continually jammed and improvised until it entropies into oblivion. Overall, Tone Float is a good album to listen to if you like "getting lost" in music, and I say from experience that it's a good hiking album.

Favorite track: "Noitasinagro"
Least favorite track: "Rhythm Salad"

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Neu! - s/t

Neu!'s debut is proof that less is sometimes more. The music is primitive, instrumental, minimalistic, and mostly improvised, yet it somehow manages to sound more moving and profound than some of the most professionally executed music out there. Lush soundscapes are created merely using a combination of guitar -- which Michael Rother uses either for light droning or restrained punk strumming -- and sampled ambient sounds, and are underpinned by the simple but driving drumwork of Klaus Dinger. Most of the moods on this album are light and pretty ("Weissensee", "Im Glück"), but "Negativland" is probably one of the most wonderfully punishing non-metal songs I've ever heard. Neu! may have been a one-trick pony (as evidenced by the obvious creative pains on their later albums, which are still pretty good), but damn could they pull that one trick off well. One of the most ethereal albums I've ever heard.

Favorite track: "Negativland"

Least favorite track: "Lieber Honig" (this track would be fine if not for the bad attempt at wordless "singing", but it's still hilarious for that reason)

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Kraftwerk - s/t

Kraftwerk's debut is proof that minimalistic and/or abstract art can be good, despite the negative connotations that its garnered in recent years thanks to pretentious hipster bullshit like "Interior Semiotics". All four of these tracks -- which mix psychedelic soundscapes with abstract noises and extended "krautrock" jams -- unfold slowly and patiently, neither patronizing you nor beating you over the head with harshness or pretention. Plus, "Ruckzuck" really demonstrates Florian Schneider's ability as a flutist.

Favorite track: "Stratovarius"

Least favorite track: "Ruckzuck"

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Subterrestrial: Subterrestrial - "Plasma Weapon"

Subterrestrial: Subterrestrial - "Plasma Weapon": "Plasma Weapon" is a new album by Subterrestrial on Sirona-Records. Something a little bit different, this time out. The album features bot...

Masada - Alef

I have a lot of appreciation for devoted avant-garde artists like John Zorn who aren't afraid to combine and experiment with various different styles and elements to come up with an inimitable freak of a sound that is unmistakably theirs. Masada is just one of several ways in which Zorn has proven himself to be one such innovator in a world of drones. This album combines classical jazz with kletzmer and Jewish scales into an intelligently composed package to create something that is refreshing, adventurous, and overall very endearing to listen to. All of the players are top-notch -- I can personally attest as a drummer that Joey Baron is a great jazz drummer, playing with both classy subtlety and exciting bombast -- the melodies are well thought out and moving, and the improvisation is riveting. The album alternates between the fast and frantic "Jair", the calm and mysterious "Bith Aneth", and the midpaced and melodic "Kanah". Can you believe that Zorn was able to churn out as many as 300 Masada songs in one year (not taking into account all the other shit that he's made)? Crazy. Plus, Masada's entire discography is a good accessible alternative to the noisy and obscure stuff that Zorn is usually known for.

Favorite track: "Tahah"
Least favorite track: "Zelah"

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Merzbow - Merzzow

I'm definitely not an all-around Merzbow fan. I can appreciate his artistic integrity and identify with some of the ideas behind his music, but I can't get into longwinded ear-piercing noise no matter what the good intentions behind it may be. Every now and then, however, Masami Akita manages to come up with something that, while still abrasive, is comparatively tame or grounded in "musicality" enough for me to want to hear it. This is one such anomaly. While still retaining the harsh and noisy aspects of his past work, Akita makes room for distorted melody ("Music Machine"), looping and repetition ("Aekonoto 223"), ambience ("Horiwari"), and haunting samples ("Humming Bird"). The really abrasive parts don't overstay their welcome and actually have some structure to them compared to most Merzbow albums, and the ambient/melodic parts are VERY memorable. If there is any Merzbow album to start off with, this is the one. I can appreciate anyone who can make the inaccessible sound accessible, and Akita does just that here.

Favorite track: "Inside Looking Out (Part 1)"
Least favorite track: "Horse"

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Black Dice - Broken Ear Record

An annoying (though clever) album cover, but a fascinating album. Black Dice are one of those groups who can really change the way you listen to music if you can relate enough to what they're doing. I was hooked from the moment I first saw the music video for "Smiling Off" (which is quite a mindfuck, by the way) on YouTube. A brief way to describe this album would be, "non-musical electronica made musical". These guys create abstract compositions of odd electronic non-melodies, contorted rhythms, and samples/loops all sorts of strange noises and mumbling, all of which are played and repeated in such a way that they start to sound somewhat normal. It has to be heard to be believed. Even if you don't like this album, you have to admit that it's incredibly interesting and original, which is a difficult feat in this day and age.

Favorite track: "Street Dude"
Least favorite track: "Twins"

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Glenn Danzig - Black Aria

This dark ambient/classical hybrid can be quite mesmerizing once you get past the silly MIDI timbre and at times stereotypically "spoooooky" atmosphere that pervades the album. To my dim understanding, this is a concept album that chronicles the rise and defeat of a group of angels battling against Lucifer's minions and his subsequent rise to power. Pianos, strings, choir, timpani drums and "dungeon"-like percussion, and haunting keyboard are used to create a sound that is admittedly more entertaining than it is genuinely frightening (if that's the effect that Danzig was going for). It sounds wonderful, though I can't say that it frightens me anymore than it conjures images of a self-important prima-donna who wishes Halloween was year-round sulking in his dark basement away from the world and never showering. Do not misinterpret: I'm not some prosaic materialist who can't divine powerful thoughts and feelings from music like this ("The Morrigu" takes me away like nothing else). I believe in the transcendental power of music whether it's like this or not -- just not in the same way that a lot of hardline mythologists might believe. Anyhow, Black Aria is great for the darkness and mystique, and tracks like "Battle for Heaven" conjure some pretty powerful images.

Favorite track: "The Morrigu"
Least favorite track: "And the Angels Weep"

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Pelican - s/t

The first album by "post-rock" pioneers Pelican. Let it be known: I am definitely a Pelican fan. That may not seem like an unusual statement to make, but it is for me because I'm usually not an all-around band fan so much as an album-by-album person. Because of this, any artist who can sustain my interest throughout their entire career is a special artist indeed. On this EP, Pelican utilize slow, heavy, sludgy, angular, and almost metallic guitar riffs to create dramatic and sometimes ambient musical journeys. They're not exactly "doom metal" slow, but slow enough to leave the right impact. Though the result is often somewhat primitive, the band's sense of atmosphere and overwhelming heaviness is quite evident.

Favorite track: "The Woods"
Least favorite track: "Pulse"

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Broken Social Scene - Feel Good Lost

I'm somewhat ambivalent on this electronic/ambient album with (light) guitars. On one hand, these guys have a clear ear for melody and instrumentation as evidenced by tracks like "Guilty Cubicles" and "Alive In '85". On the other hand, some tracks sound unbearably tame and just don't really do anything or go anywhere, like "Prison Province" and "Blues for Uncle Gibb". I've read that a couple of tracks on this album have been used by certain companies for TV commercials or for putting people on hold over the phone, and that says it well. I enjoy some of the psychedelic soundscapes, but want to fall asleep from boredom at other points. Not bad, though.

Favorite track: "Guilty Cubicles"
Least favorite track: "Prison Province"

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Boards of Canada - Twoism

The most (strangely) haunting and depressing Boards of Canada album in my opinion. It's hard to explain. The melodies in this rhythm-based electronic/ambient album aren't culled from stereotypically "sad" and "spooky" note/chord progressions as a lot of music is, but use just the right combination of odd non-melodic and sometimes even happy notes to evoke an inexplicable feeling of longing and sadness. Maybe it's just me. Not all of the songs are sad-sounding, though: "Iced Cooly" and "Seeya Later" are groovy and chilled-out electronic tracks. Regardless, this is a great album, especially for winter activities (like moping inside your room at night and staring out the window). Boards of Canada are one of the few groups out there who can make music that's overtly melodic and repetitious sound great and not cliched and annoying.

Favorite track: "Twoism"
Least favorite track: "Iced Cooly"

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Mr. Bungle - California

Mr. Bungle had proven by this point that they were masters of the odd and left-field, yet they managed to prove themselves again by putting out an album that is...Poppy? Yes, this album is surprisingly melodic and accessible compared to their previous works, and a couple of songs sound like they could even be radio hits (and actually deserve it). Don't worry, it still has a lot of the same idiosyncrasies, nonlinear song structures, and absurd and sardonic lyrics that marked the band's previous works -- just with more melody and songwriting smarts. Besides, the melodies are creative, heartfelt, and intelligent, and Patton really shines here as a classy singer. The influences of swing, easy listening, folk pop, and rock show up here more than ever. As usual, all of the musicians play pretty well.

Then the band broke up, never to return. Damn. Oh well, I'd take pedigree over longevity any day. It's part of the reason why Calvin and Hobbes is so legendary: Bill Watterson knew to quit while the series was still good. All of you aspiring comic designers should take note, since we all know how attractive, rewarding, and lucrative that art medium is these days.

Favorite track: "Goodbye Sober Day"
Least favorite track: "Golem II: The Bionic Vapor Boy"

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Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante

If you are a general music fan, an outcast, an oddball, an avant-garde fan, or just plain adventurous, GET THIS ALBUM. It is, in my opinion, Mr. Bungle's best-ever release (with California close behind), and it is truly one of the most astounding albums that I have ever heard in my life. I say this as someone who had heard all sorts of music of varying extremes prior to hearing this for the first time, including death metal and extreme noise. In addition to those two styles, Mr. Bungle incorporate techno, jazz, Italian music, lounge and easy listening, cartoon music, funk, and rock -- and all in ways that you wouldn't normally expect to hear. As I mentioned before, Mr. Bungle have the amazing ability to evoke several different powerful thoughts and feelings with their music, and this album delivers like nothing else, especially considering the skill and devotion it must take to make shit like this what.What makes it even crazier is the fact that everything on this album was composed and annotated, and there is very little (if any) improvisation. These guys are true artists in every sense of the word. I highly encourage anyone to take some time out of their night to lay back in the dark and listen to this album from start to finish. It's a real trip.

Favorite track: "Merry Go Bye Bye", but "Desert Search for Techno Allah" and "Phlegmatics" are strong contenders
Least favorite track: "Everyone I Went to High School With Is Dead"

Mr. Bungle - s/t

First off, what's with that album cover? I don't get it. It's awesome and all, but I don't know what I'm supposed to get out of it. I find it fascinating and morbidly amusing, though, and that's kind of how I feel about this awesome album in general. Varying styles, constant tempo/key changes, unexpected segueways, unconventional riffs, funk, metal, ska, ambience, jazz, noise...This album is an all-around musical juggernaut. Mike Patton really shows his skill and versatility here as a vocalist. The lyrics range from the contemplative and thoughtful ("Slowly Growing Deaf" and "Egg") to the absurd and disturbing ("My Ass Is On Fire" and "Dead Goon") to the silly and sleazy ("Squeeze Me Macaroni" and "The Girls of Porn").

Favorite track: "Dead Goon"
Least favorite track: "Squeeze Me Macaroni"

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Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny

Mr. Bungle seem to be the only non-instrumental group whose entire discography I like and listen to these days. Their work has been a huge influence on me, because it combines aspects of several different styles of music, feelings, and thoughts into an incredible mindfuck of a package. A Mr. Bungle album can make you want to laugh, cry, love, hate, kill, embrace, praise God, praise Satan, and denounce the existence of both all at the same time. That's a grand feat.

This demo is different from the 3 studio albums that they're most known for in that it is a gritty punk/metal crossover album. However, even this album has traces of the eccentricities that would later become a hallmark of their sound. For example, they often segue into unexpected ska/funk/TV theme segments ("Hypocrites", for example). Mike Patton clearly had yet to find his voice: His vocals on this demo are mostly comprised of screaming and shouting, and he even sounds a bit annoying in some places. However, the riffs -- courtesy of intelligent player and composer Trey Spruance -- are awesome. Angular shredding, dark punk chords, snakey clean lines, thrash parts...It's pretty damn good. The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny is definitely not as good as Mr. Bungle's real albums, but then again, what is?

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NOFX - 1984 Demo

I find it odd that Mystic Studios managed to find the song "Ant Attack" from this demo and put it on Maximum Rocknroll, but not the other (better) songs. What the hell? Anyway, this isn't quite as good as Maximum Rocknroll, but it's close. It's a shame that some of these songs didn't make it onto an official release. The playing isn't quite as intense yet and of course the demo production is an acquired taste, but the riffs and energy are still here. The opening track is a hidden rock instrumental gem. The only rhythmic expectation comes from Sandin's drumming, because the rhythm of Melvin's guitar-playing isn't so discernible under the production. Fat Mike's snarl in this demo is cool.

Favorite track: "Play Politics"
Least favorite track: "Ant Attack"

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NOFX - Maximum Rocknroll

Once again, I feel like the only person in the world who genuinely loves this album, which is a compilation of EPs and unreleased tracks that NOFX recorded from 84-86. Everyone else shits on this one, including Fat Mike, who would clearly rather write 3-chord snot-pop songs about dick jokes now. Although I wouldn't say that this album is my favorite of all time, it's actually probably my most listened-to album of all time. Sure, NOFX clearly weren't virtuosos at their instruments and Mike wasn't really a singer, but the sheer attitude, unpredictability, and brash intensity of the album speaks to me like nothing else. When I was introduced to punk as a kid, NOFX was one of the bands that I tried. I wasn't interested in most of their material, which sounded a bit too generic and stereotypically "pop-punk" for my liking. However, their early stuff -- this album in particular -- caught my attention, starting with the opening iconoclastic track "Live Your Life". "Wow, they used to be faster and meaner?" I thought. The songs aren't structured like most are, eschewing the ABAB structure prominent in a lot of hardcore punk for musical journeys that take you from one ripping part to the next. Erik Sandin's guitar has a mean shredding tone, and he uses it to alternate between mean "budget riffs" and unconventional and long musical phrases (long for fast hardcore punk, anyway). The entire band just chugs along with reckless abandon while Mike growls his angry and irreverent lyrics on top. It's just awesome. Every time I hear this album, I get this image of a group of societal outcasts with independent minds and strong spirits getting together in a dark room and just thrashing out, exorcising all of their innermost demons. A lot of the most influential albums for me influenced me as a musician. This album, however, influenced me as an individual and made me want to be in a band.

Besides, in spite of his clear amateurity, Erik Sandin plays with a sort of speed and abandon that can only come from a strong will and drive. His rapid-fire fills and galloping single-pedal beats on this album are insane. The guy has stamina.

The "Iron Man" cover is shit, but in a funny way. I never really cared for cover songs anyway.

Favorite track: A tie between "Live Your Life", "No Problems", and "White Bread"
Least favorite track: "Ant Attack"

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Bad Religion - Into the Unknown

NOTE: Today is "non-instrumental day", during which I will post the main non-instrumental albums that I still listen to. After today, very few non-instrumental albums will be posted.

For some reason, I had this strange tendency in my early teens to fall in love with albums that were completely derided or ignored by just about everyone, including the makers themselves. This is one such album. I feel like the only person in the world who genuinely loves this album and has a kind of personal attachment to it. Even Bad Religion themselves have since disowned the album and spoke disparagingly of it, which is kind of a shame. I don't let anybody else's opinion of an album affect how I enjoy it too much, but it's kind of odd and uncomfortable to know that an album you love that sounds so full of heart and soul is passed off by the band that made it as a "dumb decision".

Into the Unknown was an extreme stylistic departure from the fast-paced melodic hardcore punk that Bad Religion have been known for, being a slow-to-midtempo keyboard rock album. The songs are longer -- "Time And Disregard" is 7 minutes -- and feature swirling keyboards, jangling acoustic guitars, spacey and reverbed production, and some rather strange and silly lyrics (although the band still address prominent social/environmental issues in a few of the songs, they also have some cheesy motivational lyrics and pointless narratives). Everyone shits on this album. If I recall correctly, Bad Religion were one of the many punk bands in the 80's who were pelted with garbage and called "sellouts" at the shows by idiotic leather-jacket-and-mohawk clones for experimenting. However, let me state two things:

1. While I can understand why people would be disappointed in this album, it makes NO sense to say that it's "bad". The songs are structured well, the instruments are played well, and there are a lot of great melodies, riffs, and vocal harmonies in here. As far as 80's punk band experiments go, this is probably one of the few that didn't sound like a complete disaster. A lot of the other punk bands that tried experimenting did so in the wrong way -- especially those who went down the awfully hookless and tuneless hair rock route (Discharge's Grave New World, SSD's Break It Up, and TSOL's GOD-AWFUL Hit And Run are a few examples). This is in part because their experiments were really just moments of identity crises or commercial venturing. Into the Unknown, however, sounds like something that Bad Religion genuinely wanted to do, and it's really not a commercial album (although "It's Only Over When" kind of reminds me of a more serious and less corny "Jump" by Van Halen). Unlike other bands, Bad Religion didn't start spraying their hair and thinking that they were Guns 'N fuckin' Roses.

2. I consider this album to be more adventurous, daring, and interesting than most of what Bad Religion has put out since. I'm not saying that this is their best album, per se -- I'm not actually a fan of Bad Religion, so it would be unfair of me to make that claim -- but it's the only one that I actually litsen to anymore. I don't claim to be any kind of "authority" on punk, but experimenting and following your own voice regardless of how many "crusty" morons give you shit for it seems more honest and "punk" to me than putting out the same kind of music with the same tempos, structures, moods, and chord proressions for several years as Bad Religion have done. Into the Unknown may not be perfect, per se, but at least it's not a generic and predictable rehash.

A great album. A bit cheesy, but great nonetheless.

Favorite track: "...You Give Up"
Least favorite track: "Billy Gnosis"

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Infidel?/Castro! - Infidelicacy

A fascinating avant-garde electronic/ambient album by a group that also features Colin Marston. In case you haven't noticed, I've developed a mild case of "Colin Marston fever" lately. I'm reluctant to use that phrase, since it implies a sort of obsessive and swooning fanship akin to that of a valley girl  for a popstar, but lately I've been fascinated by the man's work and have come to admire both his talent and his musical approach. Marston's music conveys a hardline devotion to genres such as extreme metal and electronic, but without the cripplingly derivative and ultra-conservative mentality that seems to pervade the fanbases of both (the former especially). His music is never dumbed down or predictable, and he manages to pay good tribute to his favorite genres while still infecting them with his own incredibly progressive and experimental style, making the music unmistakeably his (which is not to say that all of the albums that he's been involved with are only of his doing). It also helps that whenever I want to get a good fix of a certain style of music -- electronic in this case, or extreme metal -- I can count on Marston to produce something that combines many different aspects of the entire spectrum of that style into a really satisfying whole. Behold the Arctopus and Indricothere, for example, incorporate thrash, death, doom, and drone into their music with a perplexingly unusual and progressive twist. Infidel?/Castro! do similarly, but instead with electronic styles like drum and bass, dark ambient, techno, and noise. Their music is by nature more accessible than Marston's metal projects and is based more in rhythm and melody. Have a taste.

Favorite track: "Somnambulism"
Least favorite track: "Psychogenic"

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Indricothere - s/t

This is a one-off solo album by Colin Marston, the ridiculously talented guitarist behind Behold the Arctopus and other technical acts. As you might expect if you're at all familiar with his other projects, this is pretty technical and exuberant extreme metal with some dissonance and avant-garde elements. However, this is a more down-to-earth and "traditional" effort compared to other Marston-related releases, and even has some degree of conventional structure and riff repetition. People who found Marston's work in Behold the Arctopus to be too wild and self-indulgent have thought differently about Indricothere. Being one who greatly appreciates some aspects of extreme metal, I quite enjoy this and recommend it to anyone who wants to get a fix of reliable doom, thrash, grind, death, and drone in one album (sometimes even in one song). My only real qualm is the drum machine, but it's programmed well and doesn't sound too cheesy.

Favorite track: "III"
Least favorite track: "II"

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Behold the Arctopus - Skullgrid

A lot of people would write off music like this as "tech-wankery", and I can understand why -- it's very technical and purposefully dissonant "math metal" with almost zero traces of musical convention. However, I must respectfully disagree with such an accusation -- not because I don't think that there is some self-indulgence in here, but because I think that music like this can be enjoyed if listened to "in the moment" with a pre-existing appreciation for the extreme metal aesthetics contained therein. Searing blast furnace death metal shredding, heavy and exuberant drumming, crushing doom sludge, and bulldozer bass are all delivered here in a very finely orchestrated technical assault. Besides, you can't say that there are no melodies or riffs in here: Just listen to the quiet breakdown in "Canada" or the opening riff in "Some Mist". These guys are clearly very devoted to their music -- they'd have to be to go through all the trouble of learning to compose and play this shit -- and it's a shame that they've garnered such stigma from both their cynical detractors and arrogant hipster pseudo-fans.

Favorite track: "You Are Number Six"
Least favorite track: "Skullgrid"

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Alexander Seropian - Marathon (video game soundtrack)

I know that I'm pretty biased because I practically grew up with this game and its soundtrack, but I love both and consider the soundtrack to be one of the most influential "albums" ever for me. It's pretty simple, repetitive, and minimalistic electronic stuff -- it was made on an old QuickTime Quadrasynth in 1993-1994 by someone without much understanding of music -- but it still sounds every bit as pure, moving, and at times eerie ("New Pacific") today as it did several years ago when I first played the game and heard the music. It just goes to show that less is sometimes more. The soundtrack includes moods ranging from the edgy and upbeat to the downright dreary and lonesome, depending on the point in the game in which they're played.

Favorite track: "Splash", but "Swirls" and "Guardians" are good contenders
Least favorite track: "Fat Man"

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NOTE: The tracklisting is merely done in alphabetical order. The order in which the tracks are played in the game is as follows:

1. Landing
2. Leela
3. Fat Man
4. Flippant
5. Swirls
6. Aliens Again
7. Chomber
8. Flowers In Heaven
9. Guardians
10. What About Bob?
11. Freedom
12. Rushing
13. New Pacific
14. New Pacific Reprise
15. Rapture
16. Splash

Weird Little Boy - s/t

A lot of people trash this avant-garde noise album, which is a collaboration between, among others, Mike Patton (Faith No More), John Zorn, and Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3). Spruance himself has called the album "a piece of shit". Honestly, they're not far off the mark. However, this is still a damn interesting clunker of an album. It's not awful by any means -- just unremarkable in some places. It sounds like unfinished work; like a collection of ambient noises and minimalistic jam sessions. It's interesting and at times oddly relaxing, though, so it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Besides, there are a few cool moments on here, like the trash-doom "Lungfull of Water" (awesome), the eerie "Seance", and the wacky pastiche of noises called "Two Weeks On A Morphine Drip".

Favorite track: "Lungfull of Water"
Least favorite track: "Waiting"

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Zodiac - Disco Alliance

Those who would quickly write off all disco as commercialized, ass-shaking Saturday Night Fever bullshit really need to give this fine album a try, because it's proof that disco music can be done right. Dreamy and psychedelic keyboards, fine grooves, and creative melodies. It has its moments of cheesiness, sure, but if you can get past the timbre, you'll be rewarded with some of the finest sounds this side of the glitter ball.

Favorite track: "Zodiac"
Least favorite track: "Rock On the Ice"


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Orange Tulip Conspiracy - s/t

The only album so far by Orange Tulip Conspiracy really shows the band's versatility. You'll hear elements of jazz, film noir music, avant-garde rock, classical, doom metal, and world music in this album. Everything is well played and intelligently composed.

Favorite track: "The Dynasty"
Least favorite track: "The Bourbon Theater"

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