Here is the next installment of my 20 favorite records of the decade list for your reading and collecting pleasure. I present to you the second 5.
Old Man Gloom – Christmas (2004 - Tortuga)In my mind this 2004 standout was the holy grail of experimental sludge and doom metal of the time. Featuring the roaring vocals of Converge bassist Nate Newton as well as a stellar cast of musicians including Aaron Turner of ISIS and Caleb Scofield of Cave In, this particular OMG record weaves seamlessly between psychotic brutality to experimental drones and back again. From the devastation of opener “Gift” to the oddly fascinating voiceovers of “Something for the Mrs.” to the molten spew of “The Volcano”, “Christmas” is an all around compelling listen with epic bi-polar highs and minimalist lows.
Himsa – Hail Horror (2006 – Prosthetic)After humble beginnings as primarily a metalcore outfit, Himsa took a step away from possible mediocrity and unleashed Hail Horror. It took an extra excruciating year for this killer slab of melodic death metal to finally become available to fans but it was worth the wait. Swedish producer d’jour Tue Madsen was a significant factor in the vast improvement in Himsa’s sound on Hail Horror. Brutal tracks like The Destroyer, Wolfchild, and Pestilence showcased John Pettibone’s newly found vocal prowess as he moved away from a mere hardcore shouter to full on agro-giant. The tight shreds on Hail Horror courtesy of Kirby Johnson and short-timer/ troublemaker Matt Wicklund were mountains above anything the band had accomplished before, and Chad Davis’s impressive demolition style drum attack along with Derek Harn’s “I’m metal as fuck” bass riffage laid a sturdy foundation on this local metal gem. Hail Horror unfortunately marked a high point for the band that has seemed to suffer unbelievably bad luck over the years. Himsa should be alive and destroying right now, but instead they succumbed after bashing it out for a tough 10 years.
The Black Angels – Passover (2006 – Light in the Attic)Nobody does psychedelic rock quite like The Black Angels, at least nobody playing psychedelic rock in current times. Of course they take extensive cues from the acid psych movement of 60’s bands like 13th Floor Elevators but their debut full length “Passover” is still a breath of trippy reverb drenched fresh air. Tracks like the bluesy “Black Grease” or the driving “Better Off Alone” march full force into ones collective conscience, high stepping with muddy rhythms and menacing vocals perfect for a stroll through a distant time where drug fueled mind expansion was all the rage.
The Sword – Age of Winters (2006 - Kemado)I had no idea that when I went to see the "Kill’em All" era Metallica hacks Early Man at the old Crocodile; I would end up seeing one of my favorite discoveries of the decade-- The Sword. The first notes of the instrumental “Celestial Crown” leading into the explosion that is “Freya” instantly sent me to the fucking moon in a stoney thrash metal rocketship. The Sword’s promising throwback sound definitely spread into 2008’s “Gods of the Earth”, but “Age of Winters” is one mighty fine debut. Does it really get better than “Iron Swan”?
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (2003 - HellCat)This posthumous release was sadly the best collection of solo material ever recorded by the former Clash front man. Pretty much a far departure from anything The Clash did and more realized than the previous two world music infused attempts with the Mescalaros, "Streetcore" is a more straight ahead rock effort with hints of folk, and reggae. Stand out tracks include opener “Coma Girl”, a cover of Bob Marley’s ”Redemption Song”, and “Burnin’ Streets”. I suppose because of the circumstances the record might seem slightly introspective and melancholy but at the same time it gives all the reason in the world to honor this influential musician and revisit his work from start to finish.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment