Woods Of Ypres 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light - Review

Woods Of Ypres 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light 2012 - Earache Records


This is a very difficult record to review for me, so lets just put that out there. My story with this band is of an outsider. I found Woods Of Ypres by accident one night around 2004, which comprised of Coldest Winter Songs From A Dead Summer Heat, very much straight ahead black metal. At that time I was knee deep in the style, and liked what I heard. I was long done with radio, and went about using the Internet for finding interesting music. I would frequent Myspace, and others to gauge what was out there. Since then I've been infrequent to the hunt, but Woods made a distinct impression.

As life, and events move people around like chess pieces, and I would occasionally take a peek to see what the gentlemen were doing. I noticed that frontman David Gold was moving his sound outside of the harsh black metal style, and incorporating mellower styles into the work.

Grey Skies is all wiped of black metal, and for those following Woods for awhile know this. Perhaps I think because there was so much already out there, and having to find ones own voice in a sea of similarities is a chore amongst itself.

I feel this record is about life, and life's absurdities. What life has to offer humanity as a whole. Its a theme woven through everything we touch. David Gold I think puts this in plain perspective. Having to question passion, reasons, and why we do what we do kind of makes everything seem inconsequential.

I knew about this record before it was released, and took to following the musings of Woods Of Ypres Pain and Piss tour blog. Some insightful required for those thinking of doing the Do It Yourself approach. Its not a pretty existence, and you must love it enough to sacrifice you own pursuits. Its heavy on realism, and content.

Woods Of Ypres: David Gold Pain and Piss Tour

Overall, David's use of speaking in some of the songs reminds me of Peter Steele, and that the layering of guitar tone is very evident. A great deal of painstaking detail goes into the format, and even the cover will give the listener a different spin to the craftsmanship presented.

The album is an allegory of truths, questions, and living. I even find myself enthralled with the way David used his word prose to accentuate the music. Ultimately, David Gold will be missed by all whom he touched, toured, and chatted with. I am kicking myself for not going to see them when I had the chance. That is a regret I'll have a hard time letting subside. Thank you David for giving us Woods Of Ypres, through your legacy the music will live on.

B

Step In Fluid - One Step Beyond - Review

Step In Fluid - One Step Beyond - 2011 Seasons Of the Mist



Having no idea what this is, I picked up on a whim to check out. Doing a little research finding that Step In Fluid hail from France. Its a four piece offering a smidgen of differentiation of the typical metal band. Step In Fluid are a little bit off center from the typical foundation, yet there is definitely something evidently familiar.

Employing a fretless bass, crisp drumming, sharp razor guitar tone, while experimenting with keyboards, and wind instruments is a palate of curiosity. Much of this material with One Step Beyond harkens back to a long forgotten era of jazz fusion, and funk.

Speaking of funk there is tons of that flavor going on, but its also got a lot going for the experimenting with notes. Taking a modern twist to the classical Jazz idiom and modernizing the tempos, and playing around the foundation that is already established.

I immediately can place Funkadelic, Paraliament, Mother's Finest, and Infectious Grooves are clear reference points for me with the material. The flow of the record is hyperactive, and ends as quickly as it began. Some great potential if the Step In Fluid choose to continue. Give this a spin, thanks for reading.

B.

Meshuggah - Koloss - Review

Meshuggah - Koloss - (r) March 23rd, 2012

Meshuggah, a band well recognized by the millions, whom the devoted fans are patient with infrequent releases. Having been an active listener and observer since 1995 by way of a college station in Utah, Meshuggah for me had a different spin to the metal formula.

My first record was Destroy, Erase, Improve then on Relapse (this was before all the crazy mergers, and massive sell offs to subsidiaries, etc). Meshuggah cemented a very distinct, and unique approach to 'extreme' sound. The best way I could describe Meshuggah as followed: a mixture of harmonic, disjointed, hypnotic trance, all encumbered by the hardcore vocal style.  What attracted me to Meshuggah was the intermittent drumming patterns of Tomas Haake. The way that the rhythm offset the timing of the snare, and crash of the symbols.

Many songs on Destroy, Erase, Improve were fresh to my growing perception. They felt inventive, and for a brief moment something to marvel about. This was also the period where I was leaning more towards a lot faster, more harsher, and intricate complex styles. It would be years later before I found what I was searching for. Anyways, Destroy, Erase, Improve had a lot of great moments, but I felt it was a tease, because each successive release has seen major changes.

Meshuggah have carved out their niche to the metal scene, of course some still complain about the 8 string guitars idiom. For me I will always be partial to the Destroy, Erase, Improve sound, as that records sound used the 7 string aspect of which made it more appealing.

Giving them a very cadence of which got lost in the low B string with today's records. I think the low B end string drowns out rather than accentuates performance. I say this because of Nothing, I, Catch 33, and obZen are align in this structure. You still know it is Meshuggah, they don't try to be anything but their own thing.

Koloss returns what I really liked about they're early works, but herein is a problem, they don't work in that construct currently. Each song is constructed around a conclave of harmonic tomes, heavy rhythmic pulses driven behind pronounce bass work of Dick Lovgren.

'Djent' guitar rhythms of both Fredrick Thordendal, Marten Hagstrom push Jens Kidman's gristle like throat musings woven around rhythmic textures. Starting with I Am Colossus , The Demon's Name is Surveillance, Do Not Look Down, etc. those songs are identified by difference of tempo change, but upon conclusion of the whole listening experience gives me impression of one large sentence, broken up by nasal pauses. If I were to pick one standout track and that is Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion.

I am confident this album gives the listener something tangible to get into, but for me it felt like a long drawn out thematic overture that I and Catch 33 were, its low drone drab circa 2012. Maybe its the retreading, or maybe its the ebb and flow of creative influence. I felt tired, and bored after listening. I am on the fence whether Meshuggah is getting stale, and redundant. Koloss tries to push Meshuggah in new areas, but it falls into I've heard it before, with minor sprinkles of "oh that's interesting", and then back to paint by the numbers reality.

A very important key highlight is the artwork. Going for the Tool design approach, its layer upon layer of detail. Those who have the record, know what I am talking about. Something that sorely is missed with touching, feeling, and reading what you've just purchased.

It is not that I don't like Koloss, in fact Meshuggah will always have a key place in my collection for their uniqueness, but its 2012 most of what is left of the genre has worn thin. Unfortunately after 20 plus years of extreme music it may be time to consider a different path of expression.

For the vested interest of debate every Meshuggah record released has had its own motivation, and who knows where Koloss will fit into the lore. It takes years to fully digest the pieces, yet I think that will depend largely on whether people like it, because to me it isn't keeping my interest. Thanks for reading.

B.

Cannibal Corpse - Torture - Review

Cannibal Corpse - Torture (r) March 12th, 2012


Album number 12 since 1988 Cannibal Corpse have been the stalwarts to the Death Metal style, offering album after album of gore, horror, and fictional violence. Since this is my first review of Cannibal Corpse, but not the first time I've listened to them.

Torture...holy...no...wait...fuck! There is much to digest, but overall the motif is right where its always been...steadfast. Sure these gents have been around going on almost 25 years, I didn't get into Cannibal Corpse until 1994's The Bleeding. It is super crazy how time fucking flies!

Torture gives a big nod to prior material, but I think of The Bleeding, Gallery Of Suicide, and Gore Obsessed all rolled into this release. Scourge Of Iron for example, harkens back to the early era Corpse, but with a nastier guitar crunch, groove, and relaxed fast tempo. I think this should be the hospital theme song! This track gives me goose bumps.

Alex Webster's bass work is more pronounced this time. His tempo changes are a marvel to hear, I'm in awe every time. His fretwork is superb, as is his spacing between the notes of the songs.

Drumming has the ferocious blast beats, interchanging rhythms, all accentuated by the twin guitarists. Almost feels like the guitars were done first, and the drums were fit into the seams without much of a tiniest millisecond off. From these seasoned ears, there was a lot of preparation here, and it shows.

The guitars are friggen monstrous. The notes move in an around calamity, and harmony. The soloing weaves around the riffs, whereas the rhythm guitar takes center stage. Its a little different for Cannibal Corpse, but I think it works.

I love how this was mixed, all instruments are in equal balance, as nothing is tripping over each other. I would have loved to been in on this recording session, so many elements, there's great focus, and damn does this feel good!

Powering through this the first few listens, goes extremely quick. It takes a discernible ear to pick out real crucial elements. Since I'm an album kind of person, the fluidity of current records has been missing in a lot of today's extreme music.

Due in part I think to the short attention spans, or the one and done single. Thankfully Cannibal Corpse have found what works for them, by staying true to their idiom, and they've always executed time and again. Torture is a flawless record! I think that with so much out there its nice to return to the place I cut my teeth. Overall, a great addition to the Cannibal Corpse foundation.

Thanks for reading.

B.