MARK KOZELEK MARK KOZELEK WITH BEN BOYE & JIM WHITE Caldo Verde / Rough Trade Folk, Jazz Rock, Spoken Word, Slowcore. Listening Format: CD YOU'VE GOTTA BE FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!!!!!
If you happen to be one of the two people who regularly reads Frenchie's Reviews, you'll know that I've already written in depth thoughts on the previous THREE Mark Kozelek albums released in 2017 (here is the proof), and God dammit here comes another one! That's right, this is the 4th studio album that Mark Kozelek has released this year, and the second of which is a double album. So that is 6 CDs of new music in one year with a total running time of about 4.5 hours! HOLY SHIT!
So I'm gonna do something a little different this time around. Let's play the Mark Kozelek drinking game! Every time Mark talks about any of the following*, you take a shot**:
- Mark mentions Caroline. - Mark mentions a dead relative or pet. - Mark name checks a famous person he has met. - Mark mentions a show he has been watching on HBO. - Mark mentions his age. - Mark mentions the date and/or time. But if I have to be serious, even though I've already had to endure (and I mean ENDURE) 4 hours of Mark Kozelek rambling already this year, I surprisingly happened to enjoy this album more than any of his prior 2017 works. As you can imagine, because Mark is putting out vast quantities of music in such a short time span, his albums have become very messy, sporadic and repeated a lot of ideas, and in some ways that is still true here. The main difference comes from his collaborative partners, Ben Boye and Jim White (who played drums in The Dirty Three). These guys are seriously talented musicians. This double album leans to more of a Jazz Rock sound, whilst still taking in Folk elements that Mark Kozelek usually revels in. Mark really rises to the challenge of telling improvised stories, ramblings and spoken word over these long off-kilter jazzy dirges. It actually makes so much sense that I wonder why his prior works in this new Spoken Word (or Folk Rap as some have dubbed it) haven't gone for a more jazzy approach before now. The three performers bounce off each other really well. Yes Mark repeats topics he has already gone over before, but he also freshens the pot. Songs about his cat, Donald Trump bashings, the death of Chris Cornell, a recalling of a dream where he spoke to Elliott Smith's ghost, and even a song about the Ariana Grande Manchester Arena terrorist attack (which happened in my hometown).
If you haven't liked any of Mark Kozelek's many recent albums of Spoken Word, then this one isn't exactly going to win you over, but musically and lyrically it is easily the most captivating of his 2017 works, and one of the overall best things he has done since his masterpiece 'Benji'. 8/10 *I can't be fuckin' assed to count... The lyric sheet is like unfolding a road map! ** I do not actually endorse this drinking game, it will most likely kill you before disc 2 is finished!
AMENRA MASS VI Neurot Recordings Sludge Metal, Post-Metal. Listening Format: Digital I saw Belgian Sludge Metal masters Amenra live at Damnation Festival a couple of years ago and it still remains one of the most emotionally charged performances I've ever witnessed. Amenra tend to stand out from a lot of their genre peers by pouring absolutely everything into their music. Previous album 'Mass V' at the time of release was their greatest to date. It felt like the album they had always been building towards. Not only is their dynamic take on Sludge and Post Metal much more refreshing than many of their peers, but listening to that album and seeing it performed live actually DRAINED me. Their music is built on so much tension, agony and intensity that it feels like enduring the most rigorous therapy session. You want to lay down and have a nap after listening to this band. It's safe to say that there was a huge amount of hype for 'Mass VI', falling five years since their previous full length. Between this time Amenra have still been fairly active as a band, releasing a live album as well as doing something a bit different by recording acoustic songs. Outside of this, vocalist Colin H Van Eeckhout released a solo record, plus him and other band members also made some fantastic releases with their Church of Ra offshoot bands Oathbreaker, Wiegedood and Absent In Body. The Belgian collective of bands seem to be looking to take over the Extreme Metal scene, with a string of highly acclaimed projects. Running at just over 40 minutes in total, Amenra return with an album fairly reminiscent of their masterpiece 'Mass V'. The production is a little bit more polished. In particular CHVE's vocals have really improved. He implements less spoken word and more clean singing than ever before, with a hushed voice reminiscent of Kayo Dot's Toby Driver. Of course his high pitched screams and wails are just as aggressive and visceral as ever. Clearly CHVE has made more of a focus on improving his singing voice and the overall diversity of his vocals has reached an all time high. It works especially well on album highlight 'A Solitary Reign' where his vocals have been multi-tracked combining ferocious screams and haunting clean singing of the repeated mantra "There is a distance in your eyes". But when it comes to the rest of the band, it actually feels like Amenra are playing things a little safe here. Amenra know what kind of chords, tempos and song dynamics work for them, and 6th time around it feels a little too familiar, like I've heard it all before. Even the most passionate Amenra fan can probably admit that the riffs in 'Children of the Eye' and 'Plus Pres de Toi' have basically been used before. The album's worst track 'Spijt' feels very much like Amenra on autopilot, like they started a song and forgot to finish it, so just threw in a 2 minute snippet and left it like that. It barely even works as an interlude to break up the album, it's just a real headscratcher. Album closer 'Diaken' also left me on a cold note. At the end of it's 11 minute duration it just kind of ends, without a satisfying conclusion. A little underwhelming considering 'Mass V' had one hell of an emotional climax. And there lays the biggest problem with 'Mass VI'... I personally just don't feel an emotional connection with most of these songs. Even though all the right ingredients have gone into the oven, this just feels all too familiar. Even though CHVE is yelling from the bottom of his heart on this album, with another highly dynamic, tour-de-force vocal performance, I'm left feeling a cold void. 'Mass V' and parts of their previous albums hit me really hard. I'd be banging my head along, clenching my fist in their air and especially with 'Mass V', I often end up playing the album straight away again once it has finished. The best cut here is 'A Solitary Reign' which I feel lived up to what I was hoping for from this album. Even Amenra mix things up a bit with a folky guitar arpeggio leading the track, but ultimately it comes to the same conclusion as many Amenra songs. I guess maybe I've been spoilt by Oathbreaker's 2016 masterpiece 'Rheia' (also featuring guitarist Lennart Bossu). Even though I thought Oathbreaker's first two records were great, 'Rheia' was a massive step up, improving the band's sound in almost every aspect, delivering a much more ambitious release than anything they have done before. In a way I was adamant that 'Mass VI' would be an even bigger beast than anything the band had done before it. When actually it not only feels like the band are holding back a little, but struggling to say anything they haven't already expressed. The guitar riffs, the ebbs and flows, and the vocal phrasings are just far too reminiscent and predictable... And I'm just not FEELING that weight, that sorrow, that anguish... Sure I did enjoy this record, I mean it's freakin' AMENRA! A band I think every fan of Extreme Metal or even Post Rock should have on their radar, but 'Mass VI' also feels like a bit of a missed opportunity too. Even Amenra on autopilot is still pretty darn good though, so hopefully it will work for you! 7/10.
TAYLOR SWIFT REPUTATION Big Machine Records Synth Pop, R&B, Trap. Listening Format: CD I'm not even going to lie, Taylor Swift's '1989' is one of my favourite and most spinned albums of this decade. Certainly the best Pop album I've heard (or been made to tolerate). Even Ryan Adams covered the entire album, so I guess it really struck a chord with people even outside the target audience. But that said, I've never really enjoyed any of Taylor Swift's prior releases (although 'Red' certainly sewed the blueprints for '1989'). Still, I've actually looked forward to hearing how she could possibly follow it up. Numerous controversial news stories didn't really put me off as I'm more interested in her music than her. Well... I'm now convinced that '1989' was merely a one off gem. This is just flat out bad. I liked opening track and single '...Ready For It?' The bubblegum Pop chorus definitely recaptured those '1989' vibes, but other single 'Look What You Made Me Do' is just too annoying and throwaway for me. Have we really reached a point where artists need to blatantly rip off Right Said Fred in 2017 Pop music, I mean c'mon! Really when it comes to analysing 'Reputation' it's actually worth talking more about producer, songwriter and collaborator Max Martin rather than Taylor Swift herself. Not a lot has really changed in terms of Taylor's voice, lyrical style and performance, but it is Max Martin's songwriting and production that really falters this album. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that 'Reputation' would be full of Trap beats, and they have been implemented in the most predictable, cliche and lazy way possible. They are just there for the sake of being there. What is an even worse offender is that this album is littered with wobbling Dubstep breakdowns... I mean seriously? This would have been old hat in 2012, let alone 2017. It just makes the album sound incredibly dated and creatively stagnated. There is far less of that dreamy vibe that made songs like 'Blank Space' and 'Clean' such winners, and the all out Pop bangers don't bang as hard because they are dripping with stock ideas and sounds. I genuinely feel like Max Martin has given his best productions and ideas to Katy Perry's 'Witness' and Lana Del Rey's 'Lust For Life' this year, and Taylor Swift has been given the scraps. I listened to Katy Perry's 'Witness' album it is genuinely a good, catchy, well written Pop album with very similar blueprints to 'Reputation', just better realised. And yet 'Witness' has been a bit of a flop in terms of sales, popularity and critical praise. Lana Del Rey's 'Lust For Life' dabbled into Trap and R&B sounds, but actually carried it off rather well (especially for an artist who doesn't necessarily need to be singing over Trap beats). 'Reputation' is just a lowest common denominator Pop album that lacks any real spark or creative juice. It genuinely has tried to go for a slightly darker, edgier and more adult sound, but with so much unoriginality and predictability, it just falls flat on its face. Every track sounds like it was concocted by a marketing team. Ultimately it does very little to enhance the reputation of Taylor Swift or Max Martin. 4/10.
BELL WITCH MIRROR REAPER Profound Lore Records Funeral Doom Metal Listening Format: CD Before I begin... LOOK AT THAT ALBUM COVER!!! GOD DAMN THAT IS FREAKIN' EPIC!!! I WANT THAT ON MY BEDTIME QUILT!!! COME ON RED BUBBLE, QUILT ME UP!!!
Sorry... 'Mirror Reaper' is the 4th full length album (and boy is it full length alright) by Seattle, Washington formed duo Bell Witch. Funeral Doom Metal is a pretty niche and cult subgenre that even some hardcore Metal fans aren't really aware of, but it has produced some absolutely fantastic bands over the decades. To sum it up, it takes Doom Metal to it's most logical extreme before it becomes pure Drone. 50bpm super slow, glacial riffs, massively downtuned guitars with super low vocals, big running times and lots of atmospheric qualities. But I digress. Depending on which format you listen to 'Mirror Reaper', we essentially have an 83 minute long song. Your average Metallica fan will probably scream in sheer terror at the thought, but for those well versed in Funeral Doom Metal, you'll probably be thinking "Meh, is that all?" The album is presented differently depending on which format you listen to. If you have the Digital version, it's a full 83 minute piece named "As Above So Below". The CD cuts the piece in half spread over 2 discs "As Above" and "So Below", whilst the vinyl edition has to cater to 3 side breaks, "As", "Above", "So, "Below". I went for the middle ground. As a fan of physical music I'd say this is a rare case where the Digital format reigns superior, but if you buy the vinyl edition you'll get that GOD DAMN BEAUTIFUL GATEFOLD ARTWORK!!! I WANT TO WRAP IT OVER MY NAKED BODY AS MY DREAMS TRANSPORT ME TO THE MIRROR WORLD!!! RED BUBBLE!!! TAKE ME TO MY SLUMBER!!!... Sorry... But even the presentation of this album is quite forward thinking. You will genuinely get a different listening experience from each version of the album you choose to hear it on. I like that.
What makes 'Mirror Reaper' even more ambitious is it's concept. Bell Witch drummer and vocalist Adrian Guerra tragically passed away last year at just 36 years old. Bell Witch decided to continue with new drummer and vocalist Jesse Shreibman, but wrote 'Mirror Reaper' as an epitaph to Guerra. I believe that Guerra was actually present in the early stages of making this album anyway, as some of his own vocal recordings have been implemented into the album. He appears on this album more than just in spirit, and that adds a beautiful and emotional context to the music and lyrics. 'Mirror Reaper' is a very challenging listen even for well versed Funeral Doom fans. The album is very slow, sparse and repetitive. Even though the song runs at 83 minutes, don't expect much in the way of progression or variety. It's so slow that it rarely reaches a potential to progress into something. The pacing of the album ranges from standing still to lumbering incredibly slowly through quick sand. The same riff cycle might be padded out for minutes. But fortunately, what makes this song so captivating is it's strong and haunting atmosphere. Technically this is a deceptively simple and sparse album. Just 6 string bass, drums, vocals and some very subtle bassy organ notes that essentially create a low pitched ambient hum. But it is this bareness that actually speaks volumes. The way Bell Witch are able to hold on certain notes creates this teasing tension. Every riff moves like a crashing wave against the jagged rocks, holding a mesmerising power. If you've listened to the likes of Esoteric or even previous Bell Witch releases, the first half of this song isn't worlds away from what you would expect from them, only the riffs sound more drawn out and spacious. This is actually their most melodic release, with stunning use of clean vocals that almost have this ritualistic ghostly choir feel to them, made indecipherable through all of the reverb. It is the second half (or second disc) that really tipping me over the edge. The last 35 minute chunk of this behemoth almost leaves the Metal realm entirely. Things slow down almost to a complete halt and there are long stretches with no percussion at all. Instead gorgeous melodic bass tapping escalates every so slightly into this incredibly moving and melodic cyclic mantra that reminded me quite a lot of Boris' 'Flood' album (also one giant song). I found myself approaching 'Mirror Reaper' more like an Ambient or possibly Post Rock album (think early Sigur Ros kinds of slow). It's not too often where I go into an Extreme Metal album and come away impressed even more by the non-Metal sections of the music! If you've had no desire to hear or enjoy Funeral Doom Metal before, 'Mirror Reaper' isn't exactly going to win you over. It still has crushing, sometimes dissonant slabs of riffs and monstrous death growling vocals, and it certainly requires extreme patience to make it through this entire album. But those up for the challenge will leave this album not only humming the melodic arpeggios heard, but feeling like you have been on an epic journey. 'Mirror Reaper' is truly a spiritual piece of music that takes Funeral Doom to it's most literal point. This music actually feels like a funeral or an epitaph, for a dear lost soul. It is packed so fiercely with sadness, heartbreak and loss, and yet is supremely life affirming rather than opting for the feel of despair and hopelessness that Funeral Doom usually delivers. 'Mirror Reaper' is not only the best Funeral Doom Metal album since Esoteric's masterpiece double album 'The Maniacal Vale', but one of the most ambitious, forward thinking and genuinely moving pieces of music you will hear in 2017. 8/10.
Shout out to my man Collier at The Decibel Addict for passionately rambling to me about how much I should hear this album. He wasn't wrong!
PRIMITIVE MAN CAUSTIC Relapse Records. Sludge Metal. Listening Format: CD 'Caustic' is the second full length record from Denver, Colorado based Sludge Metal trio Primitive Man... Boy is this some HEAVY shit right here! I've listened to a lot of heavy and extreme music in my time to the point where I'm rarely surprised by sadistically abrasive music any more, but 'Caustic' really set me back. Right from the first few seconds of 'My Will', I was hit with this ultra swampy, crushing and earth shattering sound that pricked up my ears. I guess in terms of composition it is very much Sludge Metal at heart, but the presentation, sound and production here is something unique. Primitive Man have really pushed the ridiculous levels. I don't know what kind of amps and pedals they have setup on this album but DAMN!!! This just might be the heaviest record I've EVER HEARD!!! The entire record runs for 77 minutes and never once lets up. The actual riffs and compositions aren't quite breaking new ground, but they are certainly good, with plenty of scorching riffs. I actually find that the lengthier tracks like 'Commerce' and 'Disfigured' work to the bands strengths even better, creating a savage onslaught that escalates in intensity. In a way, the riffs and chord choices are fairly repetitive and simplified, but then you shouldn't expect anything less from a band called Primitive Man. Don't expect the dynamic nuances of Neurosis. Primitive Man's strength on this album is the horrible, suffocating atmosphere they have created. I find 'Caustic' is best experienced in its entirety, on CD, with no breaks. It is genuinely a challenge to even make it to the end of the record because it is so savage. Sure a record this slow, plodding and repetitive doesn't exactly need to be 77 minutes long, but in this context it totally works in their favour. Think of this record as a sadistic psychopath who has kidnapped you and tied you to a table. Each track acts like a different deadly weapon or tool in which to torture the victim with. Does a sadistic maniac want you to have an easy 40 minute ride, or do they want to brutalise and mutilate you as slowly and painfully as they can, for as long as possible?!
Listening to 'Caustic' is like slowly being beaten to death with a sledgehammer. Starting at the kneecaps, and then inviting a larger array of sharp objects searing into delicate places. Primitive Man deliver totally nihilistic, miserable, hate fueled noisy Sludge that will end up breaking you down mentally. The insane guttural, monstrous vocals sound demonic... This CAN'T have been made my humans!!! At times the sheer weight of the riffs gets so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh out loud at a couple of points, if only to cleanse my own sanity. But in terms of sound and atmosphere, 'Caustic' is a huge achievement. It really does go the extra mile and rises above a lot of other recent brutal Sludge records I've heard. 'Caustic' is not only the aural equivalent of a sadistic, exploitation Horror film, but I genuinely feel like this could be a landmark release in Extreme Metal. It's the kind of album where other bands, sound engineers and producers will listen to it and think "Shit son... We gotta up our game!" 8/10.
