Sepultura - The Mediator Between The Head And Hands Must Be The Heart

Sepultura – The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart - (r) 10/29/2013

Loosely based on Fritz Lang’s 1927 German film called Metropolis i.e. working class versus the city planners, or in today’s current terminology the 1% versus the 99%.

The overall vibe feels darker, meaner, and the undertones are very much on the surface level with regards to humanities accent into a more divided screed of rich and poor classes.

This record took a few listens as I was definitely thrown off by the production helmed by Ross Robinson who did their Roots record in 1996. Going in a different direction with regards to tonality, groove, and focusing more on a primal and analog sound this record really punches you in the face if you've not heard this band in a while.

Vocally Derrick Green pushes himself harder and that really stands out. Guitarist Andreas Kisser is a beast into and among himself, whereas bassist Paulo Jr. is given great care to be recognized, while drummer new comer Eloy Casagrande does a fine job keeping pace.

I've had some time to digest most of the record, and what I think is that it is fine record, but I am uneasy about it's future, and maybe this record is the culmination of current events in regards to broken systems, whether it be political, business, and societal; yet I pull forth references from the Nation record, because of it's crux of a kind of uniformity with regards to seeking out individualized truth, growing from knowledge, and being accountable to a personal ethos.

What is happening now is very much a divisive and toxic arena, even with reference of Metropolis as the backdrop, the main construction really hits home the idea of personal freedom, but there is this terrible cost to that freedom, and it is choice. Some very hard lessons are learned when aligning with various factions, because lets face it, life is a series of alliances based on a kind of trust that can be manipulated for selfish reasons, or given credence to bonding that cannot be broken. Thanks for reading.

 B.

Anthrax - Persistence Of Time (Classic Thrash)

Anthrax - Persistence Of Time 

August 07th 1990

I was tired of the standard radio fair of Glam rock style, and the ever always last gasps of the Arena rock era. Anthrax was the first metal band I was introduced to in the fall of 1990 by a high school student whom let me borrow his cassette tape version.

While I had an already indirect connection to the modern music era which was already in the downward slide by the early 90s. In a very strange occurrence Anthrax was that band which opened the door to other more interesting musical sounds I eventually found in my journey.

The presentation or drive, and power was something I was unprepared for and yet it clicked instantly. I fell in love with the production of Mark Dodson, partly because at that time there wasn't that many records who used a kind of 'deadening imperfect sound'. There are hallmarks of perfected performances, as I could follow to a certain degree Charlie Benante's impeccable drumming. Whereas their lone cover of Joe Jackson's Got The Time cemented them as super cool.

Persistence Of Time is a record filled with apt rhythm bass/guitar, drumming, and a whole lot tunneled punch. The one quibble I felt about Persistence was Joey's vocals, his performance relied more on his frontal arch of prior records like State Of Euphoria, Among The Living, and Spreading The Disease, with this record he was aptly subdued, letting the musicians poke, and prod forth.

I kind of wondered and sensed the players of Scott Ian, Dan Spitz, and Frank Bello were more influenced by Metallica's ...And Justice For All construction, because that production carried over with Persistence Of Time recording sessions. Because this record to me had that very deliberate intention or vibe, but still having a distinct Anthrax staple.

This record was my first introduction to the metal music style. The early fall of 1990 really opened my listening experiences up more, and this band was my go to with branching out further into the metal arena.

I was excited, and curious to find what else was out there that I had been unaware of. For that Persistence is and will be that first 'holy shit' record that opened my ears to a more harsher, grittier, and pummeling sound.

 *8/21/19 Update* https://loudwire.com/anthrax-persistence-of-time-album-anniversary/

I happened to traverse this article from Loudwire about the making of this record, and the general thought was frustration with trying to find a way to make Persistence sound much darker in tone and theme. The levied complaint was more directed at Joey Belladonna (which I think tends to be a cop out, rather than address the underlying problem which was ...And Justice For All made this sound more appealing). It doesn't help the fact that so much of what Mr Ian is presenting here leans more on the popularity of Alice in Chains whom they toured with in 1991 with Clash of The Titans, this to me gives a little more validity to the thought process he was thinking of going into, and Joey was the fodder to that whim.

I am confident in my assessment because at that time I felt this record awoke something within my growing palate. While its been 29 years, the whole presentation still (to me) was a breath of fresh air. Its not a perfect record, some of songs lose its intensity as more prominent records came out changing the soundscape that much more. But there is no denying, Joey's departure was an odd thing to accept, and whence John Bush was introduced, 'Thrax went in a different direction altogether.

Thanks for reading.

B.

Technology Tribulations - Linux Bound

Technology Tribulations - Linux Bound

I don't know what is more annoying the fact that people are driven mad because of going around in circles with the current technology situation? Or the fact that this is standard fair when it comes to how technology is derived in a distorted way.

I am not mincing words here, yet I am kind of tired of the endless circle that either elates, or deflates depending on you ask with regards to operating system choice, and flavor of desktop function.

As in my post about my foray into Linux, moving towards Apple/Mac brand, and working with Windows, I am now faced with a choice: pay to play, or be without. You can pretty much figure out where this is going.

I don't like having to make these kinds of decisions, but the force of market has made me really look at the whole process and I'm extremely worried that choice (a concept once held in high regard with technology buffs) is now a duopoly which is entirely stripped, scripted, and monetized to the ecosystem.

It is in fact just like the cable company (two more or less is one), and satellite. Digital Subscriber Line isn't even a factor here because of how crappy the service is. I like the fiber concept and yes the infrastructure is there but the companies do not want the consumer to use it. I like to believe people still have a choice, yet I am rethinking this.

So I've been playing around with Linux again. Like an old friend, many things have come back. There is still so much I do not know, but I am eager to delve further, because what else is there? The koolaid everyone else is drinking? No thank you. Thanks for reading.

B.

Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding (Classic Death)

Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
(r)April 12th, 1994

In this post I figured on elaborating on my top 20 favorite records post about Cannibal Corpse The Bleeding which is coming up on its 20th anniversary. This is a record filled with monster groove, variable blast beats, and many intermittent tempo changes.  

The punctuation to the blast beat is interwoven with distinct time signature changes built around bassist Alex Webster. The guitarists Jack Owen, and Rob Barrett highlight fluid ambiance with a lot of low tuning in which gives a meatier gruff sound. The band were quite aware of the groove metal area of the mid 90's, as they adapted quickly into that progression.

Oddly, and this goes into very specific context of what is considered freedom of speech. The crux was often about protecting 'children' from this band, but for me they were really about exposing, and exploring a very darker element of humanity that was viewed very differently from a small and very vocal minority.

Bound by the horrors of man, and need for social context, the lyrics play on a subconscious level. They are violent, punishing, and unrelenting. It is vulgar in a very direct way, yet I think this obscures a far more sinister in narration of modern American society. Chris uses his voice as a conductor, weaving and out of morbid tales of torture, ghastly murder, and sexual depravity.

This art form is channeled through our underbelly of society. A lot of the subsurface aspects Cannibal Corpse use for thematic effect. If horror could be set into a listenable complexion then this band employs it well. They're extremely good at crafting poignant music, without compromising the constant in your face power.

I think today's artists like going towards overload of blast beat which eventually blurs into each song. This record has good variation that isn't in style or used much. I like this record because I can follow each piece without feeling twisted and confused. The production has a warm feel, and I'm appreciating more and more what Scott Burns did with a lot of those early Death Metal bands.Thank you for reading.

B.

Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu - Review

Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu - (r)10/15/2013

Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu (Bandcamp)

Experimental in a dissonant way. Building mostly around a singular note, and then swelling into a large crescendo, with cascading waves upon waves of repeater effects, and quirky keyboard textures.

It is this outside the box approach that gives Oranssi Pazuzu a very different complexion to music style or what is expected with textural compositions.

There are monster riffs encased around what are supposed to be grandiose soundscapes, but this is re-arranged to take the listener into a journey of stark contrast of sound. This record to me is a painting consisting of mental vortexes of thought, dripping into various levels of sonic overload. Valonielu is structurally sound in foundation, but there are various hints of fusion, and melody.

My head space definitely gets this because its complex enough to poke at what my expectations are. I am very grateful for stumbling upon this. I am eager to hear the first two records from this Finnish band. Thanks for reading.

B.